Over on Thumper's Blog...

...I was reading about how there are a lot of homeless in her area and panhandlers. I read about how she trusts her gut instinct on who to give to. There are those looking for handout that don't really seem to need it as much as some others. It made me think about my own gut instincts regarding this subject.
HM gets pissy when I give money away, but I can't help myself sometimes. Even though sometimes there is more month than money in this house, we are NOT poor. We have lots to eat, bills are paid, house is warm, clothes are worn. We are rich in many ways if not financially. Do we have the right to hoard all our wealth (figuratively speaking)? When someone looks hungry and cold, should we just ignore them as if they are nothing?
There is the theory that the person you give to will just spend it on booze or drugs or smokes. Well, jeez if i was them I'd get high too!!! Holy crap..can you imagine being cold and hungry and dirty all the time? Ick!!! Altered state of reality PLEASE!! That said, the dirty bum stinking of alcohol, smoking a fag and also possibly reeking of his own pee, will not get my handout.
One night before French class I went to the Jean Coutou and grabbed a diet coke and a chocolate bar. Did I need them? No indeedy.
Outside was a man sitting on the sidewalk looking cold and hungry and tired asking for spare change. I was gonna walk on by because I had just spent my change and downtown has so many beggars etc.., but then I turned and gave him my chocolate bar. The look on his face was worth way more than that bar cost, thats for sure. Like the sun coming out from behind a cloud as he thanked me very very much. He got something sweet and I got that smile and a warm glow inside in return for that 2 for a dollar chocolate bar.
So my challenge to you, gentle swimmers, is to give. Give what you can when you can, but give. Remember always that but for the grace of the 'verse, go we.

Wednesday and break is 2 sleeps away...

2 more sleeps and then we have a full 10 days off school and waking up early (for those of us whose internal clock is set for noon). YAY!!!
Plans: Well, plans are always good..Actually we DO have one. Richard must see a client in Quebec City so we are turning it into an over nighter at our fave hotel. We leave Sunday , sleep over, he does breakie early with clients , I sleep, then we pack up and head for Valcartier for a day of sledding adventure. Seriously, looking for winter fun? Hit Valcartier, its not just for kids. There are runs I cannot make myself go on for the sheer terror. Husband man did one and won't again(The Himalaya). He screamed like a girl I swear. Valcartier is awesome in the winter AND in the summer its a gi-normous water park that you honestly may need two days to get enough of . We went one day and didn't even do all the rides and really needed to go back but couldn't which totally sucked. The kids have such a great time and the parents do too which is a nice change of pace. La Ronde is great and all but I get sick on some rides so its really not much fun for me. I will never say no to Valcartier in winter or summer. So, looking for a fun winter Canadian trip for March break? Valcartier.
The paint debate continueth: its a toss up between Benjamin Moore's Citra Lime pale green and a pale peach that I forget the name of but keep coming back to. HM say "The green is fine" and then goes off to do other things while I sit there and watch the light change and see how the color looks as time goes by.
I am seriously liking that peach. Its soft and non startling. I can see the green being too much and not soothing but it is cheery and refreshing which a morning/breakfast room should do right? Hard call. Ponderings continue.
I did a few more rows on the sweater. Gosh its looking lovely and so nice to the touch. I hope I don't screw it up. That would totally suck.
Todays schedule is laundry, of course. When isn't my life about laundry? I'm either loading or unloading a machine or folding or hauling the clothes down to the laundry room almost every frakking day. Grr. Thank Gods for TV so's I can watch and fold.. Or listen to Cast On via the 'net. Thats my AFTERNOON plan since I can never get moving in such a direction in the AM. Also HM has demanded that I purchase more Air Sponge deodorisers for this downstairs because he is revolted when a cat goes poo in the boxes and the aroma drifts out of the laundry room. Maybe if I brick up the doorways with Air Sponge deodorisers his sensitive nose would be appeased. Sheesh..like we don't all run for cover incase our flesh peels off our bones when he opens a bathroom door........

Tuesday pictures

I swear I rotated the photos but they won't load rotated and revert to sideways which is ticking me off. I apologise. This a morning time shot of the room and you can see the splotches of paint I chose and now reject. I have a sideways close up of the MacAskill print (Toilers of The Sea) that is the color inspiration for the room..soothing and serene yet cheery. Maybe a light mint green or soft peachy coral color......
The Sweater!! I have a couple of inches on it and the first color work bit is about 2/3 s done. What do you think?? The yarn is Berroco Ultra Alpaca and dreamy in the hands and on the needles.

Monday after rearranging stuff

This is the new view from the end of the living room which is now the dining area. This is my new comfy corner in the breakfast room before we moved a chair into the other corner for HM.

Day 26 and I think I am down another pound ..according to the scale yesterday I was 204. Yes! I will break the 200 barrier by Hawaii. I will!!! Thats my goal and if I do better thats great. Just as long as I break the 200.

HM is doing so well but since we didn't weigh him in the beginning we don't know what he's lost. But upon his weighing yesterday he near passed out. Much heavier than he thought and he felt kinda bad. Friday a client commented that he looked thinner and I looked at him Saturday and the belly has definitely shrunk. He says its the karate twice a week. When he exercises he loses weight easily. He's really lovin' the karate too so thats definite plus.

I finished the socks FINALLY Saturday night. They are far from perfect but they are done and have been worn already! Yesterday at the Montreal Knits meet up I casted on the sweater. Took me two hours just to cast on 180 stitches. I was talking tooooo much. Just ask the girls.

I had the idea to move the dining room furniture into the living room. Why? Because I CAN thats why. But mostly because the dining room furniture is just too big for the room. So, the room formerly known as dining is now a breakfast /sitting room and the end of the living room that was wasted space is now the dining area. I must say we are most pleased with the effect and sitting in comfy chairs, sipping coffee in the sunshine , knitting, and listening to the morning radio show together is really nice! We need a comfy chair for the living room now and a smallish table with chairs for the breakfast aspect of the new room lay out. And maybe some paint or wallpaper. Maybe a rug.... new window treatment.... I sense a trip to Ikea in my future. My Ikea senses are tingling..and I like it.

And now we are Friday

The end of the work week is here. Yay..
Next Friday, the second of March, is the first day of March break in our house. No more early mornings! I always say "Oh, boy now I can do fun stuff with the boys like sledding or going for walks..." but do I? Usually not. A suggestion for going on a walk usually get booed and hissed and by the time I have caught up in my day enough to say lets go coasting they are usually being punished for being hateful. Something that more outside time and exercise would surely reduce! Viscious cycle here? I do believe so.
The sweater I want to knit for Ben and which Ben wants calls for more yarn. Its a simple drop shouldered unfinished edges (they curl) sweater as opposed to the more old fashioned looking ones in my Zimmerman books. Do I buy more yarn or knit the less greedy pattern? I will decide by tonight and because I will be getting out to Effiloche and thats where the yarn is...if there is any left..
THE SOCK: the heel is turned and the gusset being worked. I WILL be finished by Sunday night come hell or high water.
My poor old dog Blossom is sadly neglected these days. Its too cold to go walkies and the road salt is murder on doggie paws. I know I could put boots on her or ointments, but who will do that for me? Its cold outside..I don't wanna walkies. She lazes around all day between trips to the back yard to litter the snow with more..deposits, sneaks the cats food which leads to more deposits, and basically she doesn't get a whole lot of attention because as soon as you do, she is stuck to you like dangleberries on a sheep. And after almost 7 years of her neediness, we are worn down. Husband Man has openly stated that he is looking forward to our dogless days, when ever they come and I am secretly thinking that as well. She is getting older (about 9 or 10 now)and has trouble with the stairs more. Temperment wise one could not ever have a more loving animal. She is the epitome of snuggly dog. She has no clue how to play fetch or any of the usual doggy games. Loves the snow, comes alive in the snow. Acts like a puppy in the snow. The rest of the year she pretty much just slumps around and poops. If we had a robbery she would help the robbers in case they might pet her. She may bark once a week tops and thats to tell me she's there and waiting for me to take her for a drive in the car. Never a peep is made if someone is skulking or there is a knock at the door like some dogs, and trust me, most times I'm glad. I guess we are just itching for more freedom from dog related tied downess and I feel guilty because as dogs go, she is the best dog ever for me. Except I am a cat person.
We lost a gourami fish last week. It had been ailing and finally died. Now a loach is acting ..odd. Less zippy than usual. The water tests are better than ever so I have no idea what the frak is going on now and can only watch and wait. Acting a bit stressed for some reason. Blue gourami and Angel fish are doing fine as is the bushy nose. Hard to tell because if he feels like you're watching him, he hides again. and we are luck if we get one or two sightings a week as it is. I will vacuum tank today and do a water change and see how that suits Loach.
Lets seee.....I have a hair appointment today for the first time since early December. Thats gotta be good. I think I am going to grow the hair out again to make for easy doings come summer.
Thats it for me. As you can see I am not in NS for the funeral of my aunt so I will probably be brooding on that today as well... and tomorrow. But it was a choice I made. Still not sure its the right choice but its made.

Yet Another Not-Quite-But-Almost Useless Skill

Homemade pointy sticks. I saw it on Glampyre and, well, you know I would just have to try it.

More stuff.....

I got some polymer clay today as well as some other stuff I probably really didn't need, at the Dollarama on cheminGascon. Never been in that one and it was pretty ok. I have 3 or 4 pair of knitting needles cut from doweling, sharpened and sanded. Now to make the knobs for the end with this oven hardening clay. The down side? Its not plain, but pre-worked with a pattern for people who are too retarded to make their own designs. I forget the term, but there is one. Anyhoo, I will just ball the whole thing up into ugly messy balls for knobs and maybe paint them later, if one can do that. I could find NO plain old Fimo in this town and don't want to drive to Montreal for something so small.
Also, and this may be dumb, but they had these little engraver pens that take batteries and I thought I could inscribe the measure of the needles on the sides with this gadget . I'm only out a buck if it doesn't work, but how cool is that if it DOES work?
I thought about getting the glass stones and magnets to make fridge magnets that have cutouts from the news paper or magazines on the back to make poetry magnets, but that was just a little too fartsy for me. I enjoy them, but the reality is I won't do it (make them) and will have wasted the time and money on buying the stuff (glass nuggets and magnets). So instead I just wasted the time finding the nuggets and magnets and then left them at the closed cash because by the end of the visit, I'd come to my senses. I am 2 bucks ahead of the game. wow.
Also got zipper bags for my stash to keeps it as moth proof and organised as I can.
Its a beautiful day today, by the way. Practically balmy. When I got home I vacuumed the main floor of the house and the basement. Muuuuuch better. Does anyone else ever vacuum their dining room table or is that a me thing? It was very crumby.

assorted stuff including a rant

I had nightmares about knitting, dieting and exercising last night....
What do you suppose thats about?winkwink
Since Saturday I have had some non allowable food choices snuck into my diet. Today I declare myself back on track.
I was very irked this morning and I really really want to thank my neice Scrappythebear of She Said, She Said for being my outlet. Sweetie, I think you may have saved lives by doing that. Thanks a bunch.
The whole world is kinda making me want to bitch slap it with its stupid crap like, in no particular order of importance: people who comment on my parenting skills and/or my children's non-perfect behaviour as if they made all the right moves when they parented, people that cannot accept that we ALL have frigging issues and are not perfect and just move on, ok??, the fact that we all spend more time talking ABOUT one another than really talking TO (not at one another, but with one another)each other, people that don't LISTEN to what you are saying so that they get your meaning because they are so busy thinking that they KNOW what you are saying and meaning, people that take what they read in the paper or see on TV as the gospel truth without kinda doing a bit of research to see if thats the whole story, people that parrot biased opinions like its is the gospel truth without checking their sources, whiners, enablers, people that cannot take responsibilty for themselves and create excuses, people that don't TRY to be better or do better or make anything better......
There is more but I can't come up with it right now. Also, I am fully aware that I have fallen into any and or all of these categories at one time or another and YES that pisses me off too. I am not on my soapbox and complaining about any one person or group without knowing that I am also that person or group.
These are just subjects that are picking at the scabs of my anger sores today and for that you may thank, in no particular order of importance: stupid people, the world, me, sugar cravings, PMS, winter, air, clouds, that noise my car makes that my husband says is nothing, the ozone layer, melting polar ice caps, my weight, my uterus, hormones, my up bringing, that I woke up today, that I was born.... among other things.
It may NOT be a good idea to put me on a plane back home for a funeral this week. Its just may not be a safe plan..
I feel better. Thank you all for bearing with.
In my gratitude I share with you now my salad:
mixed spring greens, broccoli slaw mix, sliced beets from a can, cucumber, dill and lemon light tuna from a can, a splash of vinaigrette. accidentally I made enough for about 3 people. Am trying not to eat it all.
Yummy and filling even though I still want to eat it all. I wish my family would like it too.
Tonight for supper (for the adults that is) we will have a recipe adaptation for fish and veggies in a skillet. Instead of tilapia we will use salmon. I forgot to buy summer squash so I will add frozen beans etc..or go back and get zucchini and the other summer squash... or not.
The theory of this recipe is that you sautee the veggies and stuff some, then put the fish on top, then cover and steam/sweat the whole thing until the fish is flakable. It may be yummy.

2 pre show pics and bad news this morning

We had excellent seats. For the most part it was a very positive experience. It was a bit long for Ben and he was ready to leave at the end but he did have fun and has talked about his favorite bits non-stop. Anyhoo..I am just too brain fried tired to write more.
I chatted with my sister this morning and found out that my ailing aunt passed away last night. I think she was ready, having disposed of her home and collectibles via auction this past summer. She was open about talking about the cancer and the chance it would start growing again. In 2005 she was diagnosed and not given until xmas, and told chemo would be a waste of her time. She had the chemo, and had another year+ when the cancer stopped. So she saw two more xmases than predicted, and time to settle her affairs, spend some time with loved ones, and say good bye.
My Aunt loved shiny things like diamond dinner rings and depression glass, She loved flea markets, auctions, and romance novels. She talked straight, called it as she saw it, and until she was diagnosed in Fall 2005 she kept a trailer in Florida for warm wintering like her sister Helen and brother in law Stan. She tried to get my mom and dad to come down for a visit too..free room and board and travel to Florida during crappy NS winter time. They turned it down every time. She still had a taste for life and doing, where as my dad and mom, while YOUNGER than she, kinda had settled into being home bodies though my Dad shares her love of reading and flea market bargains (of any kind no matter how wierd or useless.). She had a taste for the finer things like collecting amazing antiques that dealers begged her to sell. Her house was amazingly cool...big big with an inlaw suite for my Grandfather until he passed away when I was a teenager. the rooms were spacious and furnished with stuff that as a kid I found captivating and she shared her Harlequins readily with me when I was young.
Bye bye Aunty Geege. I will miss you even though I didn't get to see you often. Thanks for all you did for me during the University years. Thanks for being funny and quirky and madly attracted to shiny things. Thanks for always having a lust for life and fun even as an older person.

Good bye and have a great time.

Concert Good

Me tired..rocked and rolled all night..cannot party every day. Must..sleeeeeeepppppp.

GIBBER GIBBER GIBBER....

And a gratuitous Monkey shot.

..I am so excited that I can hardly speak..just gibber like an idiot. More so than usual I might add. Why?

Because we are going to the Bare Naked Ladies concert tonight!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOHOOOOO.

I LOVE them with a love that is at once and the same time wonderous..and a bit creepy. And I don't care!! I love love love them so. Since 1992. LOVE!

HM, Ben, and I are going. Now that in itself is a feat of sheer will and determination because work made HM go to Ontario this week. So at 4 AM this morning my guy left the house for the airpot...Ben and I will pick him up on the way to the concert this evening cuz he is flying back this afternoon..then once again he will fly out tomorrow morning and return on Wednesday. Hows that for dedication. I think he deserves a prize. Somebody give him one.

Yesterday was a laaaazzzyy day. Carpet was ripped out. TV was watched. Reading was done and a nap was taken. Lay-Zee.

Today I am so excited I can't focus long enough to do anything constructive yet. It might still happen..hard to say.

Ok..see I am gibbering.. OH My nephew was a back stage coordinator at the East Coast Music Awards this past weekend which is SUCH a cool gig. I am jealous as heck. I watched part of the show last night on CBC but got tired. I called my sister this morning and she said she saw his name in the credits..cool. He coordinated Jill Barber (awesome voice!) and The Divorcees. The Trailer Park Boys hosted which is only right I think.

Ok I have a question:

What The Fuck is up with the whole adding chocolate to cereal??? I have seen a couple of healthy looking whole grain cereals featuring chocolate in the grocery store and just now there was an ad for LIFE cereal with chunks of chocolate.

And we wonder why North America is a continent of bubble butts.........

The Hat She Is Finished

Pay no attention to the nutjob grin on the model's face. He doesn't smile like that. He was being a pain in the arse because I interrupted his TV time.

I didn't fully line the hat because he wanted it done for today. It was amazingly easy to pick up and knit along the edge. If I do another for this guy in the picture, I will add about an inch to the total length/height of the hat because he's whining...I mean... he made the constructive criticism that it may ride up and uncover his ears. The lining goes about half way up so the ears have the double layer of protection. being wool it may stretch out and not do the riding up thing. We shall see because it gets its testing TODAY!

Instructions for hat based on Elizabeth Zimmerman's instructions:

For man's big melon, cast on 100 to 110 stitches (I used a hundred but could have used a few more ) in worsted wool on a 16 inch circular needle (4.5mm). (guage was 5 stitches to the inch but I estimated the sheer enormity of the melon..next time I will measure!!) Knit a tube. When its long enough decrease the tube by your favorite method..I started with a knit 20 k2together but switched to dpn 's after k3 k2tog for awhile and then k1 k2tog until I had maybe 20 or so stitches left. Next time I will knit until I think ready for the k3 k2tog. Then I cinched stitches tight with a darning needle and the wool, fastening to secure on the inside. The top of the hat is not a smooth fit but thats what I wanted..those folds/gathers can help with escaping body heat on the slopes.

Uncurling the cast on edge, I picked up and knit with an alternate color and kept going until about half way up. Cast off, fold where colors joined and secure on the inside. Make model put it on.

This hat has unlimited potential for easy breezy fun knitting with patterns and permutations galore. Goddess Bless Elizabeth Zimmerman!!!!

Day 16

Husband Man has already needed to tighten his belt a notch and a coworker noted his face looked thinner...this after 10 days on the low carb-ish diet I have him on. For me...its the same old same old. Also, after a glorious couple of days with no new acne break out, the monthly hormal thing is happening so guess who has a new break out or 3. BUT I can squeeze back into jeans I wore at Xmas. One pair only if I go commando, but I will take what I can get. Was that TMI?
On the chest cold front...I am sooooo tired all the time. Been napping in the PM when I can and each morning cough up horrid alien stuffs. But other than that I am as right as rain if very cranky with the PMS etc.
I haven't been logging my food and water..but I am being good. Seriously...I am. Really.
Hat: I had to rip it back because I wasn't decreasing right. Now I still don't have it right but really don't care so progress is good. Will finish the outer hat today.
Sock: only a few rows done last night while watching Grey's Anatomy...I Meredith gonna come back from the dead? How can she not??? HM kept making comments at the TV like "Oh right..like ALL the doctors would be in there with her instead of out with patients etc" and I threatened him with a duct tape gag like I do to my Ex SIL, Joyce. I love her but cannot watch medical shows with her because she is a former nurse and critiques everything. Guys! Just shush and let me suspend my disbelief already!!
Kids are good. Ben has a punishment for telling a lie and throwing his supper in the garbage when noone was supervising. Cameron has been pretty good this week.
Monkey is full of beans. One wouldn't know he had surgery by the way he is tearing through the house and attacking all the other pets in attempts to get them to play. He even jumped on the dogs back as she strolled by this morning. Ride 'em, cowkitty!
Today we go do passport paper work and send it in if all goes well. Thats all we have planned.
Tomorrow I will accompany the family to the mountain because apres ski we will go to Friend's cono at Tremblant. How fun!!!! I like these folk so it is no hardship on my part at all. Plus, they are Italian and the food always rocks.
Sunday, maybe will take the boys to see Bridge To Terabithia. We shall see.
Boat news: HM talked to a boat mortgage person yesterday and we can afford a better boat than we thought. Hellllloooo Beneteau. My nerves are shot with the whole worry aspect of reducing our debt but then taking on a boat mortgage, which was part of the point of reducing our monthly debt.... OY! But the Money man (HM) says he has it aaaalll worked out. Summer plans abound and await finalisation and discussion such as day camp opportunities in NS for the kids, etc etc etc.
I think I need a drink.....

Happy V Day.....

......My funny Valentines, and you know who you are. All of you.
My human in person Husband Valentine got me a lovely perfume that I demanded, I mean, suggested. Crabtree and Evelyn Wisteria. I think its purty. My kids like it too. Very fem and girly. Most unlike me most of the time.
He didn't give me any ideas and since he's not into cologne, man lingerie and all that crap I got him what he really loves. Chocolate. A big ass bar of Toblerone with the valentinesy wrapper. then while at the grocery store I saw that new All-Bran cereal that lowers cholesterol, Guardian. It has a big heart on the box AND heart shaped cereal bits. Hows that for love in every bowl?? Plus, since I made him give up sugar and bread he's been really good but misses toast etc for breakfast. Thus, I relented. Hey...its romantic if you think about it...really hard and maybe squint a bit.
Hat progress: decreasing crown. Need to move it onto dpns now because its too small for the circular.
Sock progress: got another inch done today I think.
Monkey progress: he had his nuts cut today and is very tender and careful when walking around but boys oh boys was he glad to be home. I got lots of quality cuddles this evening before he disappeared to wherever it is cats go to nurse grudges and plot against ball stealers. He was also very popular at the veterinary clinic and got heaps of snuggles and cuddles all day. They sent him home with pain medication to be administered once a day. I've had a few cats "fixed" in my time and none got meds to take home for pain. Interesting! I am extra glad I clipped his claws last night, now.
Since I don't feel like discussing the piece of Toblerone I stole or the two chocolate chip cookies I snarfed back, since chocolate is the official food of valentines day, I have nothing further to add. Be well, my darlings, and don't slip on the ice and break your butts. XXXXXOOOO

Day 13

Water: 500 ml so far
Foodlog: 1 cappucino and two coffees
Benefits so far: my skin has cleared up alot compared to two weeks ago!!! Yay small victories!!
Things remain the same mostly. Almost No sugar, bread, pasta, rice, or potatoes I had that apple baba thing last week and an occasional bite of something forbidden like a noodle or such). Lot of low starch veggies and protein at meals...lotsa water...weight is still 209ish..more like 208 yesterday actually. Not much exercise ( I know!! Thats the BAD part) though. Have too many other things beckoning to me..
Like yesterday.. I vacuumed the basement family room, play room, and laundry rooms twice and then mopped the floors to further reduce dust and pet hair. The vac just does not get it all plus there were some spill marks on the floor where drinks had dripped. It looked nice and shiny and smelled better too. Also I openned the window down here and the laundry room door to the yard and had a bit of a cold breeze flowing as I Lysolled those area that suffer from mildew (which was bleached out in the summer). Occasional Lysol spraying seems to help with that so far. So all was fresher down here in the depths of the house.
Monkey knocked puzzle pieces to the floor multiple times and that required lots of stooping and stretching so I worked some squats etc into that chore. Also folded a lot of clean laundry that was waiting and produced more. Knitting was done on the sock ("The Sock" in my mind because it is going to take so long) also.
Hmmm what else..oh yeah. I still feel a bit chest coldy and tired so I had a nap in the afternoon before fetching the boys and making supper. Thats when all hell broke loose but I won't bore you. Suffice to say I went to bed early from being made cranky/disgruntled/emotionally tired.
So thats my days in a nutshell. I could fit the exercise in but honstly really don't want to and for that I have guilt and annoyance at myself for letting myself down like this. Plus I think i am cracking the floor. Eeep.
Today its frigging cold out (minus 23 Celcius this morning) and I have no desire to leave my cozy, less dusty house . The upstairs is still dusty though so I may attack that later with mop and vacuum. And fill the woodbox for the fire.
For the next half hour though, I think I will listen to Cast On and knit on this sock and be happy to do so.
Tomorrow is Monkey's appointment with the Vet for his neutering. Maybe things will settle down a little after that.
Who am I kidding?

Monday Update

Sunday was the Montreal Knits meet up at Cafe Castel and what a great turn out. New faces!!! A very friendly time and I look forward to the next one I can attend. I thank Peggy and Molly Ann for the advice before I embarked on my Fair Isle experiment with the hat I began Friday night while stitch and bitchin' at Effiloche.

The pattern is of a type of Norwegian style snowflake and wasn't toooooo hard to follow. i did make mistakes and had to go back and fix. Some got missed though, as I look at the finished band, but i'm not ripping back that far. Still looks good. I am content with my first Fair isle project. The color in the photo isn't very true. Its actually a dark navy blue as the main colorand a greyish blue in the pattern.

After I left the MKs I headed to Effiloche for YARN (and the appropriate bamboo circular needles). Yes! I made a purchase of delicious yarnage for my first sweater. It will be for Ben and the yarn is Berroco Ultra Alpaca. Deep red/burgundy is my main color and a denim blue heather tone that goes great with it will be knit in as a patterned band across the chest, either in a textured stitch or a color pattern. Not sure yet what I will come up with. I got to play with the swift and ball winder since the yarn was sold in hank skeins , not center pull. Now I have these tidy little wound balls to play with...heeheee.

I'm yarn contented. sigh....

What Would a Real Knitter Do?

I am in a funk. Lush yarns beckoned to me with their luxuriant fibers and sumptuous colors, and I purchased none.
WHY? Because I could not make a decision, thats why. Would I buy superwash wool to craft a sweater for Cameron or Ben? Or would I buy the cashmere, wool, silk blend aptly called Sublime, to make a summer sweater for myself? And how do I hide the evidence of such a large expense of yarnage? Because the good stuff ain't cheap. And someone who makes the money in the household would get a bit pissy at the expense.
No, I fought my urges and purchased the needles I needed to knit HM a double toque.
Feeling kinda crappy today so no knitting took place. Cammie has seen fit to spread the germs of his sudden cold.
sigh. I think a big bunch of luxury yarn would make me feel better.

Day 9....how time flies

I have not been doing my mile because I was busy etc etc...but the eating changes have remained.
So yesterday I drank my water (about 2 or 3 liters)...had squash soup for lunch, had chicken and salad for supper followed by pistachios (the crack cocaine of nuts in this house), a small amount of popcorn, and an apple.
Today:
Foodlog: 1 espresso and one cappucino,
Water: 750 ml
Workout; Probably not because I have a play room to organise/clean and laundry piled up.

Supper tonight is going to be an Eating Well recipe for Ropa Vieja, which is a lowish carb beef stew.
Richard commented last night that it had been a week since he had any chocolate..a record possibly. When he goes out for lunch he does eat carby things but tries to make better choices than before and has avoided desserts. He also admitted that it is kinda hard, no smug "This ain't so bad don't know why you always complained and then fell off the wagon.." comments at all. I gave him a little bit of what for because I have spent longer on this (technically he started on Monday, my day 5) so if anyone should be making comments its me BUT I am very proud of him for doing so well. He really is doing so well and makes no complaints. I hope the changes pay off for both our bodies. I know that even though I have consumed more caffeine thanks to Dirty Babe the new kitchen beast, I am also feeling less fatigue and bloating which I do experience with a carb rich diet. With heaps of carbs in my diet I would still get really bone numbingly tired and caffeine didn't help. I still need to work on portion sizes though. And stop eating when I am not really hungry just feeling munchy. Gum might help.
Hmmm...what else....OH did I mention my Zimmerman books arrived AND the instructions dor the hat I want to make are kinda there... basically the idea I outlined. I may get adventurous and try adding color to it with stranded knitting. Need my circular needle though..could not find one while shopping yesterday. Couldn't find polymer clay either so my homemade needles aren't made either. Grr..
I briefly mentioned the play room plan. Its not very messy but basically you cannot find anything and the organization of it has gone to pot... There is no school today so I will have helpers that are going to sort the communal toys, get rid of some, and organise the rest so that all the Lego are again together, cars with cars, blah blah blah. It WILL be done..eventually.
Tonight I am off to Effiloche and will most likely find my needle purchase THERE and perhaps indulge in some yarnage. I am looking forward to it so much because I really love the atmosphere of the place.

Oh Yummy

Put skinless boneless chicken thighs between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound out until bigger and thinner. Sprinkle with poultry seasoning or herbs of choice. Lay on a paper thin slice of prosciutto. Roll up the chicken into a little bundles. Drizzle lightly with a vinaigrette type salad dressing and Sprinkle with parmesan and bake at 350 until cooked.
Serve with whatever...we had salad.

Two Hour Tidy

The desk area in my dining room becomes a catch all for just about anything. I used it as an area to do my homework when in the Crescent Moon program but it became overwhelmed with everything else. It has been tidied (restacked and pared down) but never fully organized and decluttered until today. The kitchen phone is relocated to here now too.

Sock Hell is not sooo bad...

I finishsed that sock yesterday with a lot of worry that is wouldn't fit. Did I stop it too soon? Did I make the foot too long?
Once Husband Man got home from work I sweetly asked him for a loan of a foot. Actually as he came in I started yapping at him with panic in my voice " Gimme yer foot! I need yer foot! I'm having a sock crisis!!" with much impatient pacing as he tried to get his coat hung up and shoes off and all those little annoying things he does before you can really say he is "home". FINALLY he sat and whipped off a sock and put on his hand knit one. It fits perfectly with enough ease to the garment that if it does hrink a we bit in the wash, it'll still be just right but slightly more foot hugging. WHEW!! Now to make the second one...
Last night at the Montreal Knits s'n'b, I strated a Lovikka mitten (3 times) with Bernat Lana 100% merino in navy blue. Its nice and soft. Then I came home and ripped it out. Husband's hat that I knit in December doesn't stop the wind when he's out skiing so I thought I would make a nice double layer toque that I saw somewhere on the net. Problem is, its a pattern from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Around which Chapters said they could NOT get for me!!!
Screams of knitterly fury and frustration resonate with much bodily thrashing and flailing on the floor in a tantrum that would make any toddler proud to call their own.
So here is what I am gonna do. Go to Walmart and get me a 16 inch 4.5 mm circular needle and start knitting a sk8boi style brimless hat that I will guesstimate the number of stitches etc for, maybe get all crazy and attempt stranded knitting to make it pritty, then when its done, pick up and knit from the cast on edge and knit another, shove the second one inside the first, fasten and call it a ski cap.
Think it will work? Maybe the inside part can be made from sock yarn since the merino is pretty thick. And knits up so nice and speedy compared to sock yarn for a nice change.

Day 7 and sock hell

Water: 2+ liters
Food: yogurt and cottage cheese, salad, 1 latte, 1 cappucino, 2 espressos, 1 or 2 cups of coffee, haddock with pesto and steamed veggies, an apple baba at Second Cup that was made with splenda, prosciutto and cheese curds
Work out: none

Weighed myself at the veterinarian's office since I was there with Monkey to finally get him vaccinated and his appointment to get his nuts cut is the 14th..HA HA HA..no love for him.
Weight was 209 according to the big digital scale so when I got home I weighed myself here and adjusted my scale accordingly. So thats a pisser BUT the important thing is that NUMBERS are not important. The fact that my pants fit again is. Now for the sock stuff....
This is Richard's sock..#1 of the first pair I have made for him. I couldn't find a pattern like the one for the kids socks and I really liked theirs so I adapted another pattern. Sorta combined the two. But did I take notes..not really. Did I consider that the toe decreases on this sock had to be done differently because there were more stitches? Nope.. Not until the sock that would never frigging end was getting sorta..extra big. And I was running low on yarn left in that ball. thats when the light went on in my head that I had to graft the toe with more stitches left than usual. Coulda been worse. Now the fun begins because I need to make another sock that matches!!!!! OY! Why am I so stupid??? So I sat here and measured and counted and picked my own brain to rememeber what I did for sock one. And I Wrote it all down. Jeez I hope its right.
Why did I marry a man with such big feet???????

From This To That

Ok..I got the pics backwards but you can see the looser knit of the original bootie socks and the shrunk, felted, cozy version on my feet there in the top picture. They could be smaller but I am tired of running them through the washer and dryer. They could be fuzzier but I don't feel like taking the brush to them. They are however very slippy on the floors so caution must be used to not take any sharp turns at speed. To think, I had dimensional fabric paint in my hands yesterday at Walmart and put it back on the shelf. Oh well.
So there you have it. My Fuzzy Feet slipper socks from Knitty.com.

Maui Baby

In May the company Husband Man works for is having an educational conference in Maui, Hawaii. This means that for the first time, I get to leave the continent. The only other "foreign" country I have been to is again, the uS when I was 12. Was in Maine. Thats IT! I am an untravelled person! Was never even on a plane until 2004 (December). The excitement of adventure is palpable. We now know when we need to be there and have to get our passports (again..a first for me). The conference commences on HM's birthday in late May and we are discussing if we can afford to fly in a couple of days early because, come on, when are we ever gonna be able to do this again??? This is very exciting.
Whats funny is that the middle sister in my family (there are 3 of us plus 2 brothers) decided a couple of weeks ago to take a trip with her friend to Jamaica in March. Then Eldest sister found out her husband qualified for a conference in New Zealand in April. Then we found out HM qualified for this conference in Hawaii in May.
There will be slide shows galore at the next family reunion I be thinkin!! And our poor mother's mind is BOGGLING at the thought of her globe trotting girls. BOGGLING I tell ya.
2007 is a crazy year this far! ;op
Ok..what else...
Made a cool eggy breakfast this morning: Amounts depend on # of people eating.....
Throw some spinach in a hot sprayed pan (over medium heat burner) with a teaspoon or so of water or after having rinsed it. Put the cover on. Wait a few seconds for the spinach to wilt . While waiting, get your beaten eggs ready. Then pour in eggs. Put the lid back on and get some smoked salmon and grated cheese. Put a bit of smoked salmon on the eggs and then some grated cheese. Then pepper it. You could have added salt to the eggs. I forgot to tell you that. Put the lid back on. for a minute or two until the cheese starts melting nicely. Then fold it over like an omelette. When you are sure the eggs are set, dig in.

February 6 = Day 6

Water= 2 1/2 liters
Workout= none
Foodlog = 1 espresso with a touch of splenda, a chai tea with splenda and a splash of milk, coffee with cream and splenda, cottage cheese and peach yogurt, and another chai ( its friggin' cold outside and its my favorite tea!!! I do not have a chai dependency problem), salad with hard boiled eggs and 7 mixed beans and some beets thrown in, skillet stroganoff with rutabaga fries and cooked spinach dressed with lemon, olive oil and garlic, pistachios.

February 5th+Day 5

Weight- 205...thats 5 pounds of water weight gone. I do feel better.
Water- 2+ liter
Workout- one mile
Food Log- 2 coffee with cream and Splenda, scrambled egg , salad with smoked salmon, hard boiled egg, + havarti, deli type sliced turkey breast, pork chop, steamed mixed veggies (beans and carrots), salad, too many mixed nuts, decaf chai with splenda and a splash of milk

5 pounds down..even if its JUST WATER as everyone always says...I'll take it.

Here's something weird for ya........

I was in bed aroyund 3 AM this morning, sleeping, having dreams about goodness knows what. I do remember some knitting in the dream...Anyways, every once in awhile at one point I felt something poke me in the leg (don't be dirty, wasn't THAT). Just enough of a jab to disturb my sleep and change the dream. Teri said I must have a reset buttong in my leg.
Then it went from occassional jab to insitant. You know how kids start with Mom.....Mom...Mommy....mom.. And then get to Mom mom mom mom mom .. It was like that and the sensation was like a childs pointer finger poking my leg, trying to wake me up. But it WASN"T. The jabbing woke me enough to move my leg wheic meant I had to wake up enough to get comfortable again...and then I smelled it. Wood smoke...
I mumbled to Richard "I smell wood smoke.." which woke him enough that he got up to investigate because he smelled it too.
Here is our theory on why we got that strong scent of woodsmoke.......
Our airtight insert was running on low meaning the damper or draft or whatever its called was closed. During the night the temperature plummeted to minus 22 and because the stove wasn't burning hot, a cold pocket blocked the chimney from letting out the smoke which was not hot enough to push past. Smoke smell began to back up into the living room and come up vents into our bedroom, right above the stove. When Richard went downstairs he opened the draft and the door of the stove to blast some air into the fire box, get the fire burning for real and not just a smoulder and thus cleared the chimney cold air block. There was no visible smoke and the smoke alarms did not go off.
So who was poking me in my leg as I slept? Yes..common sense says it must have been a muscle spasm in that leg. But it didn't feel like one that I have ever had before. It felt like being poked not too gently by a finger or similar blunt intrument like a pencil (eraser end) or a very blunt large guage knitting needle..(I told you there was some dream knitting..). Very weird. Spooky even.

Cue Twilight Zone music here

Speaking of Knitting needles, I found instruction for how to make your own using wooden dowels and fimo clay at Glampyre. VERY COOL this is and may save me heaps of cash in the long run. I can also make DPNs! This will save money so I can invest in more circular needles and yarn. But first I have to finsh these socks for Richard.
Now I am watching You Are What You Eat. Holy smokes. Its British and aims to make the victim, I mean, person, eat healthier. They just examined what this girl was eating and there were NO vegetables in the run of a week and so much sugar even I felt sick. Also the chick was backed up, if you catch my drift, because of a lack of fiber and had to be sent for a colonic so that the health expert person on the show could examine the stool. EEEEEW. And they SHOWED IT. But I am learning some stuff. She weighs 16 stone..do the math.. and begins a detox diet now..This is really interesting. Gross but interesting.

Get Your Sexy On........

The Sexy Beast has a neighbor in the kitchen. Tall dark and sexy. As yet unnamed but I keep singing "Sexy Back" whenever I get near it so maybe Dirty Babe. Cuz cappucino machines are messy little buggers, you know. All those spent grounds and hot steaming milky foam.

And here we have Dirty Babe with its admirers, the espresso and cappucino cups and saucers. They have scenes of Italy on them. If my grasp of Italian is correct, and we have every reason to believe it isn't, they are dishwasher safe.
The espresso was complimentary from the shop owner (Cafe Creme on Fleury) where we bought DB and the cups and the nifty shiny frothing pitcher and two cappucinos for the grown ups and treats for the boys. They have fantastic Italian kitchen gear, foodstuffs, and delicious espresso drinks. Take THAT Second Cup bitter-ass crappy cappucino. I spit on you and the need for about 3 sugars to make you palatable! Pitooie!!
I cannot wait to steam something...mwhahahahaha. Don't worry..I know what I am doing. Had a coffeeshop for almost two years, don't ya know. I'd have a cappu tonight but I forgot to buy decaf. :o( Maybe I have some in the cupboard, but its not gonna be as good at the Cafe Creme espresso. Maybe just a vanilla steamer tonight.
Also, we went to Chapters and Indigo for books and book orderings. I will have my Zimmerman books soon. To keep me busy I got a People magazine at Loblaws and Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Knitting Rules at Chapters. So now I have two outta 4 of her books. # 4 is due out in March I think. She makes me laugh out loud because the little observations she has about yarn, knitting, people who knit, and obsessions with all things knitterly are SO accurate. And funny. Funny because they are TRUE.
Ben and Cameron (oh yeah..kids..) were so well behaved that they each got to pick out a book. Even though I hinted heavily at books without pictures, Ben chose a Yugi Oh book and Cameron wanted Pokemon, which made for the trip to Indigo since Chapters was out. These are manga type books. I so dislike them but if the boys read them, terrific. Former English major and teacher wanna -be here! Reading is GOOD boys! Read MORE! They can read in two languages, you know. I'm so proud. ;oD

Got New shoes....

Sale! Sale!! I Love a Sale!!!!!!!!
I went to the local L'Equipeur (Mark's Work Wearhouse in the rest of Canada) and scored a great deal on a pair of 89.99 shoes.
Guess how much..just guess....you will never guess....


FIVE BUCKS!!!!!
How sweet is THAT??
I also got a couple of tops for 10 bucks each. I could have shopped more but I was getting dizzy from the sale fumes.

I got awesome shoooses..I gots awesome shooooeses.. heeeeeeheeeeee

Feb 3rd= Day 3

Food log: 4 pieces bacon, 1 1/2 cups coffee with cream and splenda, BIG salad with tuna, egg, cheese, salad again, chowder
Water: 2 liter
Exercise: .. 1 mile

My Sweetie is home

Husband Man returned from his crappy business trip last night. He is most happy to be back in his own space again. He and the boys are off to make up for the karate class they missed and then will high tail it to Mont Blanc for skiing. We had some new snow last evening and the temperatures are awesome for being out on the slopes. I will stay here thanks very much. My smashed right knee doesn't hurt hardly at all now but it still radiates heat. How weird is that? My ski pants are tight and my boots pinch my legs and make the rest of the leg ache. I don't want to go.
I have finally turned the heel on Husband's sock. These are taking much longer than the kids socks. I hope they turn out ok. I am adapting an adult pattern to suit my skill and patience level. Basically trying to make the same socks I made for the boys only much bigger. So far so good. On the gusset now.
I really really really want Elizabeth Zimmerman's knitting books. I heard about them via an early podcast of Cast On when Franklin Habit guest hosted. They sound interesting and absolutely useful for learning knitting techniques. Knitting Without Tears is the title he mentioned but there are several books and in my infinite greediness for all things bookish, I want them ALL. This creates a problem because while I CAN find them online, Husband is unwilling to reliquish his death grip on the credit card. He hates buying stuff online because of the well publicised risks. What we have here is a failure to gimme what I want. I must be patient..and wheedle endlessly until he breaks down. The reason I want these books sooooo bad is that she teaches how to knit sweaters without seams. I enjoy knitting in the round because I find it less clumsy than with straight needles. I really would like to commence with the learning how to knit sweaters after these socks are done and Cameron has expressed a desire for a mommy made "cothee" sweater since the socks mommy made are so beloved by the cozy boy. He loooooves his coziness. I would make it from some sort of machine washable non itchy wool and let him pick the color.
But I really want those books. sigh.

February 2nd+ Day two

Weight= 210
Workout= 1 mile
Food Log= cottage cheese and peach yogurt for breakfast, 2 cups coffee with cream and splenda, large green salad w/ 2 hardboiled eggs and cheese, 2 grapes, chowder(seafood), apple, orange, pistachios
Water= 2.5 liters

Its official...

I thoroughly HATE the elliptical trainer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hate it!!!!!
Will nOT be part of the daily routine at all. Hate IT.
Did the 1 mile walking workout with my Leslie Sansone dvd. I forgot how much I enjoy it. 1 mile is good for a beginning. Maybe I will do it in the evening too...eventually. Working up top the 2 mile..gimme a week or two. Its fast (15 minutes) and not totally dull. EAsy to fit into any schedule and if necessary can be done in jammies.
DAY ONE: 1 mile+, supplements (3-6-9, L-glutamine), Water intake= 2 liters
Yay Me!!



Want to try walking away the pounds? www.lesliesansone.com
I got my DVD 2 years ago at Blockbuster.

February 1st..again

Ok.
We got confirmation yesterday that Husband Man had earned us a trip to Hawaii for the big conference. Hawaii. Land of black sand beaches and bikinis. Me. In Hawaii. Are you seeing what I am seeing that is WRONG with this picture??:????
I am a white girl. Luminescent almost in areas where the sun hasn't been in awhile. Highly freckled everywhere else. Picture that on a black sand beach..I will be visible to satelites in space. In fact..I may garner attention from them as some sort of weird anomaly. "Whats that in Hawaii!? A large reflective surface appears to be positioned on a beach..Oh..wait.. Its just a fat white Canadian. Never mind."
Husband says at least he can't lose me on the beach since I will stand out so well agaist the sand. There is nothing I can do about being a fair skinned individual but being so fat is a whole nother thing.
The trip is in late May. It is now February first. This leaves me a whole bunch of days (you do the math..I am too stressed) to try and make a very bad physical situation less horrible. And PS: the no sugar thing died with my latest bout of PMS. I was doing good for awhile there and then I had to have cookies or ELSE. I also ate chip like snacks. But this is all just in the last 10 days.
It is a new day. A new month. A time for renewal.
I will stock up on salady stuffs, V8 juice, and frozen veggies. I must resist all things carby. Must resist!!!! And I must EXERCISE. Oh dear gods...this is gonna hurt. Out must come the elliptical trainer, the exercise dvds, and my sneakers. And..the scale. Yes..even the scale must come out.. and then go away again.
Be patient with this current obsession. I am trying to save my own life here.

February 1st, 2007 = Happy Imbolc!

Or Candlemas .
It is getting brighter out there in the frozen world as each day the sun stays a little longer. Welcome light into your life in its myriad forms! Tis the day of the Goddess Brigid (also a saint in Ireland ), a goddess of tranforming fire and deep wells, Matron goddess and saint of creativity, smiths, and childbirth.
The feast day of Imbolc celebrates the return of the sun and the quickening of the Earth under its mantle of snow ( its still pretty frozen here in the northern hemispherebut its a nice thought). Spring approaches, Winter is at its halfway mark. If you are a shepherd, your ewes would usually be lambing around now so offerings would be made for the ewes to have plenty of milk and healthy lambs.
Its a good time to do a cleansing of home and spirit. Meditate on the blessings in your life and banish those aspects that bring darkness (bad habits, baggage, hang ups, people). If you can, open a window and air out some of that mid winter staleness as you give the house a freshening. Light some candles in honor of Brigid to brighten and warm your heart and home.
Feast upon some fresh bread and cheeses, nuts and seeds, some of the traditional foods of Imbolc/Candlemas