Sunday

So....
Yesterday I and my pal Dana took the guys to see Kung Fu Panda. It was great. Lots of fun!
Today Hman got home earlier than planned form his business fishing trip. He ACTUALLY CAUGHT FISH!!!!!! If there are any unexplained psychic and meteorological phenomena in this province, this would be why.
He called on the way home because he got my message about Ben's injury. The principal was supoosed to call me about it Friday afternoon and didn't so he is going to try the school tomorrow and talk to the vice who is the NEW principal. I foresee a change in our school with him at the helm instead of the Ice Queen. He's actually on the ball and CARES about the kids. Ice Queen stormed around on her stilettos and was an absolute beotch whenever you tried to discuss ANYTHING with her. I think the kid Francis was sent to a school counsellor or something for a time out for hurting Ben. Now, I have to say Ben is not a total angel in these happenings BUT this other kid just dogs him almost daily. Ben tries to keep away from him and tell him to leave him alone but francis just DOESN'T. It usually starts as teasing.."joking around"...but with Ben and his issues etc it usually escalates to fighting even though he tries (in his way) to keep his cool and avoid the whole thing. THIS is why we are pissed off. This other kid comes looking for the "fun" of agitating the problem child. Well this time, from what I understand, his actions scared him. I don't think he's ever caused an injury that drew blood and we know even minor head injuries bleed like a bastard. I hope he has a turn of heart about antagonising other kids after this. Hman wants to make sure they aren't in the same class next year and that ANY problems with Francis next year will not be tolerated at all by this family. he also wants to make sure the parents are aware of their brats hobbies. The vice principal and principal (Ice Queen) were aware of the problem all year from the beginning and not enough was done to diffuse the explosive problem. There was a change in teachers and the situation was not handled properly because the newbies didn't realise the history. They saw a bit of teasing and Ben overreacting. Anyways, Hman was way po'ed at the whole Friday incident and will deal with it en francaise ASAP.
The UP side to his being away on a fishing trip is that he will finally take us all for a weekend fishing trip here in la belle province. I am stoked. I have no idea when it'll happen but I am still stoked. I do enjoy me some fishing.

Too late

School called me to come get Ben because of an "accident". A Francis originating accident which has left Ben with a hole in the side of his head from the corner of a cabinet connecting with said head.
Urge to kill is very high.....

Friday..THE DAY

Its the last day of school in this house....Ho! Hey!
The boys are pretty glad but sad too. Gonna miss their peeps I guess although I will not miss hearing about that F$%^ing Francis Whasisname picking on Ben for 2 whole months. Little as**ole.
Our celebratory plans include but are not limited to: KFC or McDonalds or Pizza Hut (gag) for supper tonight, new shorts!, new tshirts, gonna go see Kung Fu Panda tomorrow..
While shopping for said shorts and tshirts at The Children's Place because Cameron out grows everything OR destroys it, I also stopped in at HMV and a yarn store. At HMV I got Hman the new Coldplay CD because I didn't get it for him for Father's day and I got me the Katy Perry CD. Excellent. At the yarn store I only got ONE skein of wool because of the yarn diet but this was Alafoss Lopi at 25% off and I needed more for the future felted rug made with, you guessed it, Alafoss Lopi. I think I need 3 more colours and I'll have enough. I think...should double check that.
Yesterday I casted on a mitten....I knit and knit and started a double knit pattern iafter the ribbed writs and got half way through said double knit pattern when I decided it didn't look right and ripped it ALL out. Dude, thats like 4 inches of knitting (ribbing, increases, AND intarsia/fair isle/stranded/ choose your term ) my hands are sore today especially the left because I only use it alot when doing stranded knitting in the round.(I can't purl left handed) For a slowish knitter like me that ws a long time of knit.
Today I casted it back on again but in reverse order of the colours and I am adding stripes to the cuff. I didn't get all that far and I'm still not sure about the colour combination but will wait until well into the stranded work again to be sure. Yarns: Paton's classic wool variegated and Lismore sheep farm in a natural light gray.
Why do I have so much trouble with mittens? Its not like its friggin' rocket science but they never turn out how I want. I rip them out all the time. Even that gorgeous Latvian style one I was working on got ripped out. siiiiiggghhhh. I think this time I will succeed though because I HAVE ripped it but still want to make it and even if its "not quite it" I will keep going. Its a 40 stitch cast on and 2x2 rib on 4mm needles for the wrist..For the hand I will switch to 5 mm needles and increase by ten...sounds huge yes? Yes because then I want to felt it down a bit to fit! Mwahahahahaaaa Double knit AND felted. Can you say "Holy Warmness, Batman! Your son will love you forever!"? I knew you could.
I'm going to go listen to Katy Perry telling me about kissing a girl and liking it while I work on this wrist ribbing. I have 40 minutes until the guys get home.

2 More Sleeps

School is finished on Friday. Can I get a whoop whoop? The kids are all "why do we have to gooooooo? We aren't learning anythiiiiiiiiing! Its boooooorrrriiiinnngggg!" I say you are now learning that life is not always interesting and does not always have a point. Git!!
Tonight Hman's dad is staying over and I has the stress. We all know how I'd rather take a nap than do housework so the house is dusty and cluttery as usual BUT Hman is an amazing tidier so he did a hurricane run through of clutter busting and I will follow it up with the actual cleaning of floors,disinfecting of bathrooms(ick), dusting, and fragrance enhancing. Wheeeee(not). I was saving it all up for today so that it actually LOOKS like someone does housework when his dad is here...if I did it yesterday I'd just have to do it aaaalll again. We know how we hates the redundancey...redundency...hmmm...dictionary plz?
Meanwhile I am becoming infected with the Mitten Lust. I am wanting to make mittens for this coming winter because, as you know, its F*cking cold and snowy here in winter and I have Mitten Misplacers also known as children. Seriously, they lose them all. Come summer I just throw a bunch of singles out. BUT I also am wanting to make PRETTY mittens that will have little to no appeal to the boys. Thanks to my Barb, I may have the answer...warmth and beauty for men..
http://www.freevintageknitting.com/mittens/620-mittens-pattern.html
I love me some free patterns. This is why I loves me the Internets.
Currently on the needles: Richard's 6 ply socks #1 is in the gusset stage, Jessie Belle Maman socks #2 in the leg stage, My wrap around shrug currently in the I am bored with it stage, Jessie's baby bootees for a friend will be done tomorrow or Friday and mailed out soon.
I think I am safe to cast on some mittens.
Spanish update: The tickets are bought...squeeee! We fly on Air France to Paris and then to Malaga. How exciting. I had travel books in my hands at Chapters the other day but just could NOT decide which one to buy. They all had excellent selling points like maps and info and they weren't all just repititions of one another. I think I need more than one for my Pre trip research on Spain, in particular the area we will be staying in. So exciting. We still feel like its a dream..US going to SPAIN!!
Gardens: weeds weeds weeds. Lottsa weeds. Blooming roses and weeds. My snap peas are non existant. The swiss chard also very sparse. The radishes are doing quite well and I see the carrots in amongst the larger radish leaves. The tomatoes are coming along as well and need some tying up. Cukes were replaced and the new plants are doing well if still small. I had some temporary insanity issues at the plant nursery and got some red pepper plants. I never have luck with peppers but Cammie loves them so I will try again. The Royal Burgundy beans seem to be doing ok this year. Last time I tried them here there wasn't enough sun in the spot I had them. Now the garden boxes are in full sun. In the herb bed/box the basil looks sickly, the cilantro is bolting, and the sage looks tiny but the dill seems happy and the parsley and lemon balm are thriving. Strawberry plants are forming berries and I hope we get them before Nature does.
Ok...that is all thats going on here. :oD

WWKIP Day...

Happy World Wide Knit In Public Day! Check out your town or city to observe knitters doing what they do in public. Down with shame of sticks and string!! It does not mean we are boring or old or mental! Well, we could be those things but the love of yarny goodness has nothing to do with THAT.
Knitting is good. TRy it.
My KIP in the Parc Lafontaine has been relocated to indoors thanks to threat of rain and thunder showers. Not good to be a knitter with metal needles (yuk) when lightning decides to strike. Anyways, I will go to Effiloche for a cozy afternoon of knit and chat.

Friday

Thanks go out to my anniversary well wishers. Its very sweet of you to take the time and send a sweet comment and I really appreciate them.
We had no plans for our anniversary because HMan had been away for 5 days and on the day of the anniversary he was having to spend time with his boss rather than me. My whole outlook was "well...whatever...its been 14 years so maybe we don't need to celebrate so much..." so I was very surprised when Hman returned Wednesday night. He presented me with a card, Godiva chocolates, and a British knitting magazine he knows I like. How sweet is that!? I felt bad because I had done all kinds of nothing in the way of gifts and cards for him. Ooops.
The card contained an invitation to go out for dinner and a movie this weekend. He's going to try and get a reservation at Chez Dodo, a French restaurant on Metcalfe, for tomorrow night. Isn't that nice?
Tomorrow is also World Wide Knit In Public day. Montreal Knits is loosely hosting a gathering in Parc Lafontaine. Basically show up and knit as a group in the parc. Some KIPs in other cities are super organised with games and prizes and celebrity attendees. Its wild!! Maybe we will get it together for next year. If it rains I'm just going to go hang with Ginette at Effiloche for the afternoon. Which is VERY hard because there is yarn for sale there and I am trying to NOT buy any yarn until Rhinebeck. I have plenty of yarn. More than I can knit up anytime soon. Some of which I regret buying..hello skein of baby blue silk for baby sunhat which I didn't knit because the pattern was too hard with non-stretchy yarn.
Having startitis issues again. The shrug is coming along slowly as are the two pairs of socks..one pair is half done and the other is at the heel flap of sock one. Now I want to start something new......

June 11

1509- King Henry the 8th marries Catherine of Aragon.
1927- Babe Ruth hits 19 and 20 of his 60 home runs.
1966- Janos Joplin performs her first gig in San Fransico.
1978- The movie "Grease" opens.
1994- Marriage of Me and Him. Also Hell froze over. Sorry about that. :oD
14 years married, 17 years together. Wowee wee wah. It doth boggle the mind.
There are no exciting plans or plans of any other type because the boss is in town today. Stupid boss. Maybe on the weekend but I doubt it since Hman has been away and not had time to make any, Sunday is Father's Day, and Saturday I am WWKIPing.

How Much Do We Pay?

In the demand for cheap mass markerted goods, people overlook the unseen costs until they smack them in the face with a board.
Cheap plastic toys are great! OOpps! Now we know that the contain lead.
Cheaper/better cans for food are great! Ooops! Now we know they leach Bisphenol A into the "nutritious" foods they hold.
Durable cheap water bottles are great!! Ooops...now we know that they too leach chemicals intothe fluids they hold.
Cheap durable carpets...Ooops! Off gassing!
Affordable cashmere!!! Ooops!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/specials/chi-china-cashmere-htmlstory,1,1760776.htmlstory?coll=chi_news_custom_photos_util_2

Hot and Sticky

And not the fun kind either. The weather took a complete about face and went from wet and chilly to humid and hot. It was 30 C in the shade Chez Nous and its still not exactly cool tonight. Windows upstairs are flung wide open in the hopes of evacuating the hot and replacing it with cooler night air.
Unfortunately the pool is shockingly refreshing...not exactly stay in and swim temperature but one dip'll do ya for awhile!!
The neighbor better hurry up and get his garage built so that our yard has privacy again. Its skinny dip season.

Friday

Its cloudy and not hot and we have had rain over night for which I am not complaining. Hman made it to his destination safely yesterday and I hope his weather is good today for golf etc.
Today the plan is :strip beds, wash linens, go to park to feed ducks and get a treat, maybe hit Chapters in Pointe Claire. It so sucks that to go to a Chapters I need to go so far. Plus we'll get caught in traffic so that would be a bad idea. Maybe no Chapters today. It is already mid afternoon and I'm still in my jammies....
Chatted with big sister for a bit on the phone, flipped through National Geographic's Green Guide magazine, and have imbibed some iced coffee so maybe Its time to get my ass in gear.

Musings on a Thursday Morning

It is a glorious Thursday morning Chez Nous. The sun is shining, the new fence is almost finished, the kids are at school, I have done SFA so far except indulge in iced coffee and Dreamgirls. Life is good. So why am I feeling a touch of melancholy?
Part of it is that I really really want to go home for a visit. I miss Jessie and Julie and my mom. I haven't seen my new grand nephew yet. I want to give my grand nieces and other important offsprings hugs and kisses so that they don't forget their Aunty. Unfortunately a trip home isn't in the budget financially or temporally at this moment in time. Not that Hman hasn't tried to work it out but its either a whiz-bang-no-time-to-settle-in-and-visit-for-real long weekend or we break a solemn promise to the terrors and change our vacation plans and thats just not cool. You cannot expect your children to believe in you if you break promises and this was a big one that they have been counting on so I said no to the idea of changing plans. It sucks hard to be a grown up some times.
Part of the blue is that Hman has been quite absent family wise for the last month or so. He's had business trips, client obligations on weekends, yacht club obligations etc etc etc and when he IS here, he is either exhausted and testy or busy as a bee doing his yard projects.
Yet another part is the reconnecting with old friends. It makes you look back and look hard at who you were and who they were, why people grew apart, things said or unsaid that maybe should have been said, things done or undone that could have been better, loss of years with true and wonderful friends because of fears or self esteem, forgiving yourself and others for being young and impressionable and YOUNG. Doesn't that some up the foilble of youth succinctly? There is a lot of joy but a lot of regrets as well. Holy emotional roller coaster.
And lastly, HMan is on yet another trip with another to come later in the month and I guess I just miss his annoying person. I miss us together as a family relaxing and not losing patience and these days will return with the end of school and more evening/weekends outdoors together in the yard or out and about.
There is no school tomorrow so maybe my babies and I will take a LONG bike ride to the old town and stroll the park feeding ducks have a treat from the cremerie. Saturday is fencing day and the weekend forecast is for hot so the pool may have its first action of the season. This is something to look forward to.

And now...the back yard.

And my yarn...hahahahahaha..
This is my new bird feeder post that was crooked but now is kinda straight. Yay handy me and the Hman. My raised bed potager is doing well. Lost one cucumber plant so far. The new deck area by the pool rocks with the new swing for cuddling, napping, knitting, etc...

Heh heh

more cat pictures

Shrug

I could not resist the lure of my new yarn and wound it yesterday, casting on 90 stitches and commencing to knit while watching one of the worst movies I have seen in awhile Strange Wilderness.
After about 20 rows I decided the stitch pattern and the yarn were not (NOT) compatible. It was FUGLY!! Rip rip rip. Now I have 90 stitches with a seed stitch border (10) on each side and plain ol' stockingette in the middle and its VERY pleasing to me.
I just knew the world was waiting to know, and now you do.

Clarification....

Canape Cafe is in Pictou on Front Street, not New Glasgow. Go often, spend lots.

My Boyfriend+My Girlfriend= Must See Movie

I have to see Wanted simply for the hotness. I know it makes me a shallow pathetic human being but I am okay with that.

OH My Frakking Gods!

Facebook finally earned its keep with me. I found my old bestest friend from highschool, probably the only person I would have wanted to find from highschool actually! LOL I'm so happy.
Now I order all my family that visits our hometown to buy lots of goodies at the Canape Cafe on Front Street. Its Cathie's cafe!! I think thats so cool!
I feel a bit giddy...I have also had a lot of caffeine! Therefore I AM giddy and highly caffienated and we all know how that gets me going! Scary.
Ok...what else....
The radishes are up. The Sweet peas are planted and netting hung for them. The swing arrived and awaits assembly. I fell off the yarn diet last night and bought 5 skeins of Berroco's new Peruvia Colours in colour way # 7220. Its not on the website colour chart yet so I couldn't snag a photo. Its pretty..trust.;op I want to make a wrap around shrug for myself with this and probably a contrasting neutral like beige or natural grey.
This will be our little secret, non?

More Gardening

The grass in the back yard is MUCH healthier than that of teh front yard so its really really hard to dig up. Especially with my gimpy groin (strained something). So my darling HusbandMan built me 3 more 4x8 raised-bed frames for our "potager" (vegetable or kitchen garden). That make 4 beds altogether. The previously existing bed was filled and planted with culinary herbs. The other 3 frames are laid out so we have two rows of two. The intersecting spaces for walking will be paved with flagstonesque patio pavers and crushed gravel. Where the 4 paths come together centrally I have planted a sweet cherry tree. YAY! Cherries! This particular variety is self pollinating so colour me happy.
Today I got bagged soil, chicken manure, and compost and filled a frame. Mostly. It coulda used a couple more bags so next bed will get a couple more bags. I am also trying that MYKE growing supplement for veggie gardens for the first time. This first bed is now heavily planted with blocks of carrots, radishes, peas, bush beans, mesclun mix, and swiss chard. I am thinking I will still get another bag of soil and scatter it over top thinly.
Next bed will have the cuke(trellised) and tomato transplants and I am not sure what else. More carrots for sure.
The last bed is held in reserve for my poor over crowded strawberry plants that need moving from their current spot. That over crowded bed can then be dedicated to the raspberries that are taking it over. I have that bed planted with the strawberries but then I was gifted with a raspberry cane that I stuck in the groud in the autumn to over winter it (never got it properly planted. THEN when spring came and we were spending the summer in NS, I popped it into the end of the strawberry bed until I could make a good spot for it. It went BESERK and is now many raspberry canes and is actually escaping the bed. It will be brought to heel this summer for sure and I will also top up that bed with a sack of compost.
Sunflower sprout count: 22. Wowee!
4 oclock sprout count: 10 ? Grrr.
Morning Glory volunteers: I yank a few daily. I only NEED 3 vines for that spot.
HM also built me a planter by his new deck. I need to fill it and Plant my sweet pea seeds. They can then climb trellising and cover the side of the Rubbermaid shed. Pretty AND smell glorious. LOOOOVE sweet peas.
I found a transplant of catnip at Home Depot yesterday and bought it for Miss Kitty. She loves her some home grown 'nip and I have it in a big pot now. Still no mouse scultures though. I gotta draw the line somewhere.
Pictures when I have some.

Stupid things people do......

On the commercials for a news program tonight, a story they will broadcast is about teens buying up Morning Glory seeds at garden centers to use them as a hallucinogenic drug.
I'm filing this under Stupidest Things I Have Ever Heard.
I wonder if you told them that smoking dog shit would make one high, would they come clean up my yard for me? Blossom would be the most popular dog on the street because she goes ALOT.
Does this mean that I could be arrested for growing Morning Glories soon??? I feel so guilty tempting youngsters with my rampant vines right out there in the front yard for the whole world to see. Its like a grow op right under everyone's noses when you think about it. AND they are organically grown....I'm just sayin'...

Continuation........

After much more groin straining work and additional consultations with Miss Kitty, the front yard is more or less complete. There is some mulch to lay on that landscape fabric as soon as my body is up to it and yes I keep buying plants to tuck in here and there. The 4 o'clock seeds are FINALLY sprouting in the long dirt strip at the front of the garden too.

Pictorial

In the beginning, there was a yard with mucho dead grass thanks to white grubs. I worked and I worked and had a meeting with my landscape consultant, Miss Kitty. In the above photo we are discussing the plans: She thinks there is a marked lack of catnip and that the design cries out for mouse sculptures and low lying bird feeders. I think she was being just a little catty with her comments.

This is what I bought....this is what I thought it was...

I accidentally bought a Ligularia 'Britt Marie Crawford'(not a Euphorbia..my memory isn't great) which is yellowy orange. I thought I was buying a Meadow Rue. See the difference? Me no happy but the Ligularia iiiisss kinda innerestin' isn't it? I still want meadow rue tho.

Mother's Day...the day after

Last years tulips but this year they look exactly the same!
Saturday evening sipping drinks on the stoop, I asked HM what his plans were for Sunday. He started blathering about working in the yard etc when I clarified "I mean, what are your plans for Mother's Day?". I am nothing if not subtle.
He laughed and said he didn't have any and besides hadn't I just bought new lip gloss and a lady bug keychain for myself for mother's day and he gave me my rain barrel last weekend? Eye brow raised archly, I stated that I put up with a lot of shit in the run of a year and is being treated like a queen for a day too much to f$cking ask?? Huh? HUH? Is it??!
Apparently it is not. :oD
I awoke to quiet. Yay! I read in bed for awhile and then heard HM return home from somewhere. Hmmm...mysterious. Then when I went downstairs I was sent back up.
After awhile my men arrived in my bedroom with coffee, cards(Ben's stated he was my slave for the day and Cameron's came with a strung beads book mark), flowers, and golf balls. Pink ones and white ones. Uh-oh.....
Down stairs waiting was my very own set of Wilson ladies clubs in the Breast Cancer theme of pink in a navy and cream with hot pink embroidery. ( Walmart $246...I spotted the flyer). Now, I am not a golfer but I had stated in a fit of delusion that I thought I should take it up this year so that we could all go golfing together as a family, with dreamy visions of sunlit meadows and butterflies and us all laughing and happy as we walk the links.. Now I am committed. They are very pretty though and I really like my pale pink Hope balls.
The gifting was followed by smoked salmon for breakfast (YUM) and lazing around reading the paper and drinking my coffee. Fortified, I hit the garden ( or jardin as we call it here). I am making great progress and if I REALLY put myself into it I could be finished today! But its hard on the back so maybe not. We also positioned out former raised bed in a new spot so it can become the herb garden foundation of the planned vegetable pathch in the back yard. I bought 21 bags of black earth, gypsum, and herbs this morning.
After I wore myself out in the garden I headed to the nursery for more plants ( I know I know...small fortune in my yard already). One of the plants I bought is the wrong one. I thought I got Meadow Rue but this is some kind of euphorbia. DOH! Good cause to go back though, non?
I came home, planted, showered, and we headed to the par 3 course as a family for a sunlit evening of 9 holes. I'm not quite as awful as I could have been and even got par on one hole (we were playing best ball anyways but I putted it into the hole when even the two experienced golfers MISSED! Yay me!) and when I drove one time, my ball was the one we played from! Yay me again! And I have never had a lesson and HM landed in the sand trap...again. HA!
You just wait. If I learn how to actually golf I will KICK HIS A$$! Yeah baby.
Then we went out to the chinese buffet for supper because I wanted dumplings.
Yup my mother's day RAWKED the party, man. I am training these guys soooo well.

Sunday I Tidied

On Sunday afternoon I tidied the stash. It was getting to messy behind the chair and I had planned on moving the stash upstairs to the hall landing and into a bureau I have there.
The 3 drawers available for stash are now full, I have a box with JUST Briggs and Little anniversary twist (a sweater's worth), and I still have a zippered blanket storage bag full of yarn. Except for the ziplock hefty bag of worsted for Cully's planned sweater with the Squirrel Nutkin theme. I finally printed off the sizing information that I needed to do my maths for a pattern. I digress....
Holy sh!t. How did this happen??? Ok...we know how this happened... But seriously. There is stuff there that I forgot I had! Its official...my stash has reached a size that I am thinking is plenty big and I am now on a yarn diet. I will only knit from stash for the foreseeable future and will NOT add to the stash until it is reduced. At my rate thats gonna be some time.
Compared to some stashes (Barb) that are known as SABLE ( stash accumulation beyond life expectancy), this its not even a real stash...its a stashlette...a baby stash. Drop in the knitting basket. But for me, who does not want to be like my mother the pack rat, this is plenty frikkin' big. For me its scary. I have many pounds..POUNDS..of yarn. I can no longer lift my stash. Busting is called for and will be done.
I bought yarn for projects that I haven't gotten to, and bought yarn just because it was pretty or scrumptious, and bought yarn because it was on sale. The bulk of the stash is worsted weight 100% wool.
I have a lot of mitten and sock and hat knitting to do I am thinking. I'm glad I found this pattern http://members.home.nl/tdpj/Patronen/Noro_hat/Noro%20hat.htm for a scrap friendly hat and/or tea cozy.

Slacky McSlackerson...

...should be my name. I have been remiss with the blogging and my friend Barb called me on it today.
I have been busy...well...busy for me. Garden creation continues and I am telling you its starting to look hhhhhhawesome!! Its slow though because its been a bit rainy and also, much garden work makes my back hate me. I repeat, its truly looking very nice. When not gardening or doing laundry I have been napping, as per usual.
Knitwise, still slowly slogging on the socks. On the foot now of sock one of the Belle Maman pair. Can I just say again what a great sock this is? Love it. Knitting would go faster with less napping I am sure.
We have been having vehicular misadventures lately. 3 weeks ago I backed into a car's bumper, breaking the bottom of said bumper with my trailer hitch. A week or so ago HM got hit in the windshield with a flying rock on the highway. Friday I scraped the side of his Acura making a right hand turn around what I THOUGHT was a parked taxi at a taxi stand but seems was a non-parked taxi. Sunday HM almost ran into a vehicle while pulling out of a parking lot. Yesterday, he broke MY windshield while loading lumber into the stationwagon at RONA (I think the boards were too long maybe?). I am now afraid to leave my home.
Kidswise: Ben is still having problems with the 4 little motherfrakkers...I mean..naughty boys...in his class. I know I should not want to beat other peoples children? But seriously, I'm getting pissed. Very very pissed. Mama Bear is going to rip off your head pissed. Little f$ckers.
Cameron is fine but going through a whiney "nobody loves me my life is horrible I hate everything" phase. Its great. Fun abounds.
Yup. Life is good.

Spring Sprang

Internet photo of Tiger's Eye sumac foliage.
Spring has sprung and the grass is trying to rise except I am digging it all up in the front yard for those gardens I keep blathering about. Much money has been spent on those blathering gardens in the last week because Spring has,y'know, sprung and all.
New plants in 2008 for my yard include: a russian sage, 1 Honey Perfume rose, 3 rhododendrons of various sorts(2 are impemedium(?) and one like the one I have but pink), 2 buddeleia, 1 "Destined To See" day lily, 1 lady's mantle, 1 Tiger's Eyes Staghorn Sumac (very cool..Google it)to take the place of the dearly departed hydrangea standard in front of the bay window, 5 lupins(3 red, 1 blue, 1 yellow), 4 columbines, 3 veronica spiccata....and thats all I remember. I think thats it...so far...mwahahahahahahahaha. I need lots more to fill in some and to get the perennials I need for a cottage style garden. Delphiniums, black eyed susans, a couple more lady's mantles, more liatris would be nice, some alliums, maybe more sedums.. Suggestions for drought tolerant cottage garden flowers are welcome.
I have gone through one cubic yard of compost so far and ordered 4 more to be delivered possibly tomorrow. Mulch wise, I have lots left out of the 2.5 cubic yard compressed bale (thats still FROZEN so I can only spread mulch in my path as it thaws). You'd think that with the weather we've had it would thaw faster but, no, its not. The daffs are bloooming, the tulips budding, the lilacs also forming buds and opening the first leaves, The honeysuckle hedge is likewise leafing. My eyes are still suffering the bedazzled affect of the sun and a couple of apres-garden mugs of sangria. (please to be forgiving the typos due to the aforementiopned bedazzlments).
Anyways, thats the current state of affairs chez nous. Much l;andscapings and taking advantage of the AMAZING weather.

I wanna see this movie

new beginnings

Its that time of year when the Sun is most welcomed and the snow has melted and life springs forth all around. WOOHOO winter is done with!!!
We will have lived here for 3 years come June. Our mark is somewhat made on our property but now....oooh...its totally gonna be noticed. We've started the long discussed front yard renovation, turning dead grubby grass and weeds to flower beds and pathway. Squeeee!!!!!
Yesterday I laid out our extension cord in lines that I thought suited the current and future configuration and then spray painted orange to show the layout. Following said lines with a spade, I cut into the turf and then pounded cedar shake pieces ( each shake is cut in two widthwise) into the cut and this will hold my path in place. When this part is done, we lay landscape fabric on the path and top with sheredded bark mulch. Everything NOT a path is a flower bed except for the 40 inch deep strip along the curb line. That will be better landscape fabric and pine nuggets. We ahve a lot of compost and mulch to buy. And plants and shrubs and maybe a tree or two. I still want a Redbud.
Bad news on the garden front: my lilac standard that got hit by the Tempo when it flipped is in worse shape than we thought. Two lower branch sections are coming away from the main trunk and splitting down the sides. This is NOT GOOD! I removed one part as best I could but need to saw away the other side thats come away...then how to dress the wound and save the rest of the tree?? This is why lollipop form standards suck... Very disheartening.
Everything is starting to bud out like crazy here even with snow still on some lawns (not mine HA). the lilac on the north side of the house is showing green in the buds...the purple leafed tree on the south side is even greener. Roses too are showing leaf buids and the soil is warming. Daffs are near blooming size ( already blooming at a neighbors). SPRING SPRING SPRING!!!!!!! Yaaaaaayyyy!

Heh heh

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April 20ths...The Aftermath...

My eldest baby turned 11 on Friday and had a sleepover with two school chums last night. We did pizza from Pizza Surprise, cake and ice cream, went to the movies to see Nim's Island (L'ile De Nim in French) where they also played arcade games and had childrens combos (popcorn, Starbursts, and slush or pop). Then we all came home...I was wiped!!! The kids weren't though. They piled into Ben's room for more playing of games and Gameboys. Eventually they fell asleep.
I got up at the ungodly hour of 8:30 to make pancakes, slice up watermelon, and be sociable. Ugh...
Now one of the friends is staying until 1 pm...... Did I really say I wanted my problem child to have friends???? Just kidding. These guys have been no problem at all and they seem to be enjoying the visit. I am hoping for more play dates between the 3 so Ben can work on his social skils and sense of humour more. He NEEDS more social interaction with friends outside of school. This was just the ticket.

So to sum up...we all survived although Ben will be getting a stern talking to for being rude to Daddy last night. Maybe Daddy shouldn't hold a grudge and let it go? Hmmmm......
On the knityting front I have managed to frak up the lovely Belle- Maman socks but it may have been tiredness and distraction... Stupid mistakes...

fatigue

I know you must be SO sick of my whining about sleepiness etc. You should walk away now because this post discusses it.
I have always needed alot of sleep. I can pin point when it became noticeable (grade 9) and I started napping. Since then I have been a big sleeper.
One would think that its a pretty benign thing "Oh you are just tired...sleep more/earlier/better..." but when you need to sleep about 14-16 hours out of twenty four it means things don't get done. It means your husband catches you sleeping on the couch rather than doing housework. It means your house always looks like shit because you are sleeping all the time rather than running a vacuum cleaner or loading a dishwasher. It means knitting projects are neglected, that you are too tired to walk to school with your kids, that going grocery shopping is just too much of a chore. And coffee only helps a little bit.
So yesterday I was at the pharmacy looking at vitamins and tonics. Blood work last Fall showed no abnormalities but what IS normal? Maybe I am deficient for ME but not the general populace? Who knows. All I know is that as I sit here with my coffee I am wanting to crawl back into bed or at least onto the sofa and zzzzzzz away this glorious sunny morning.
I chose a product that stated it helped with :fatigue, stress, and energy. that sounds like me! I checked with the pharmacist about it and my medication. Should be ok. It must be taken in the morning at breakfast time rather than later or it will interfere with nighttime sleep. B vitamins, Iron, and herbal extracts in glass ampoules to be mixed into juice once daily. I used the first ampoule this morning and you know that cartoon where Bugs Bunny takes some sort of potions and grimaces and makes noises and has fits? It was only a little bit like that. It coulda been the juice (Peach clementine is not high on my "like" list but we ran outta orange juice (see comment about grocery shopping)). There are 19 more ampoules and at the end of the course of "treatment" we shall see how I am doing. This will be my Spring tonic along with trying to get outside in the sunshine and fresh air more.
On a sunshine and fresh air front: My crocuses are blooming. My only regret is that I planted little ones rather than a larger variety. But they are still so pretty!!! It seems that as soon as a garden patch clears of snow there are bulbs already up! I was looking out around the magnolia and saw green sprouts...is it the chiondoxia??? Did I plant other bulbs there and don't remember? I've seen daff leaves as well as tulip as well. To me this is amazing since two weeks ago these were all still under snow and ice, like part of my yard still is. All week its meant to be sunny and warming possibly reaching 20 degrees on Friday. :oD
On a Spanish note: HM has reserved the Moorish Cottage in Gaucin for 9 nights. The villa its part of is actually right IN the town...I thought is was outside town in the countryside. Plans are advancing.

Going going...but not yet gone

The white walls of Gaucin, Spain.

I called my muy fantastico sister Jessie this morning. She had a great stay in the DR and got some colour. Relaxed in the sunshine. Feels refreshed. This is excellent. And you know why.
YES I was going to hit her up to come babysit for us AGAIN like she did last spring when we had that business conference in Hawaii. Also I reminded her of our standing arrangement for spring 2009 for another business conference...
She said YES!!!!!!! I love her so! If not for her I would never get to go anywhere! She's my go to gal and boy do we appreciate her like nobody's business. Mucho presents for her when we get back thats for sure.
Now that we have a guardian for the kids we can make travel arrangements. She insists we should go for two weeks. GASP!!! We're all "no no a week will be good..." but she remembers what happened with Hawaii and how I didn't want to come home after only a week. LOL So I told the H-man what she says and he will crunch the numbers and see if we can squeeze in some extra days. It all has to do with money and vacation days, right? Plus he has a business trip in early October.
All I can say is at this moment in time, life is very very good.

PS: we hit a mondo huge sale at Athlete's World yesterday and I got two new pair of flip flops (Uggs(suede), and Keds(canvas)). Yay! The guys all got new fancy sneakers at 50% off the last price. Hello! ASICs for 18$!!? Woohoo baby!
So see? Shoes and Spain....its ALL good.....

I am in love with my hair serum

I went shopping last week and came home with this hair product and am SMITTEM with it. I never want to be without it ever again. BioSilk Cure. Its the bomb. I have naturally wavy hair bordering on curly. With curly comes frizz. When I let my hair air dry I get frizz as soon as I dry comb it. Big ol' bushy head. This stuff means I have shiny shiny hair with no frizz!!! I used it on my hair wet and blew dry...awesome shiny smooth hair. I used it on my wet hair and let it dry naturally. Shiny waves without frizz. I used it AFTER styling with my flat iron as a finishing for some definition at the ends. Lovely. Its now my go to hair product serum and I love it.
I bought it at a beauty supply/perfumerie in the mall here in Terrebonne but my hairdresser also has carried it. It might be cheaper at a store. A wee bottle cost about 13 bucks BUT you only use a teensy amount...like a dime sized amount for my hair but if you have looooong hair you'd go up to a nickel. Work it through the wet hair and comb it through. Style as usual with whatever you usually use because this is not a mousse or gel. You won't be sorry.

Dollarama Micro Fiber cleaning cloths

They, in a word, ROCK.
That is all.

Quiet week

Its been very peaceful here. So peaceful that HM has returned home early from work twice and caught me napping on the couch while the kids are at school. This is what happens if I stay up in the morning after the kids go to school (PS: he only caught me twice because one morning I DID crash out on the sofa. HA)
I was out last evening with the Laval Knits group and it was my best night yet...there were four of us! Great chat with Audrey and Sandra, and Tara showed off some of her booty from the trip to Japan. Very cool.
Knitting is poking along here. I am midway through the BSJ and so far so good. I only needed the video once and that was for about 5 minutes on a part of the pattern that confused me. Other than this no knitting has taken place this week. Too much napping... and laundry doing...and dead sow bug vacuuming (I sprayed the baseboards and now they come out to die).
I have NO IDEA why I feel absolutely exhausted all the time even after coffee. So sleepy even now.
I was surprised with a proposition from HM this past week. Originally he proposed a different location but I think we have settled on a trip to SPAIN this September, sans enfants! This will all depend on whether my sister can come babysit for a week (oy...will she be up for it now that she knows what its like here??!) and I can't ask her because she is away on her own trip right now.
This also means I will be unpopular because I won't be able to travel west for my nephews wedding in August. Uh Oh...
I had my granola with yogurt this morning and it was YUMMY.
This is all my news for this week.

Muesli or Granola?

What do you call it? I usually call it Muesli but I don't know why....sounds more nutritious? What IS the difference anyways? Well, apparently, muesli is often untoasted and unsweetened whereas granola usually has sugar added in some form and has been toasted in the oven.
So I guess I have made granola but I am still calling it muesli. So there.

What you need: cookie sheets with sides, non stick spray, big bowl, pot, big spoon, measuring cup and spoons, ingredients, stove and oven.
Spray the sheets and preheat the oven at 325 F.


Ingredients are based on your preference. I don't like raisins so I didn't use them. In the past I have dried my own sliced strawberries and used that (OMFrakking Gs is was soo goood!). Use those juices (concentrate will give stronger flavour),dried fruits, seeds,grains, and nuts YOU like best. These are what I used:

Large rolled oats (NOT quick oats)(5 cups)
sunflower seeds (raw)(2/3 cup)
Craisins (1 cup)
coconut (unsweetened)(1/4 cup)
chopped dried Apricots (1/2 cup)
pecans (100 gram package, chopped or broken up)
almonds ( 100 gram package, sliced)
flax seed ( 1/2 cup)
wheat germ ( 1/2 cup)
olive oil ( 2 Tbsp)
orange juice ( 1/2 cup or so)
maple syrup ( 2/3 cup)
honey (1/4 cup)
brownsugar (1/4 cup packed)
salt (1/2tsp)
cinnamon (1 Tbsp)
PS: this is fun to make with kids but I didn't. Mine were at school.
In your pot put your liquid ingredients and sugar. Place on the stove and heat to a simmer stirring occassionally.
While thats heating, measure out and mix up your dry stuffs (except the salt and cinnamon)in your big bowl. I just eyeballed my measurements and I approxiamated them for you.
When your liquids are hot and at a simmer, stir in your salt and cinnamon.
Pour the liquids over your dry ingredients, stirring and tossing to coat and distribute evenly. You can use your hands when its cooled enough and kids would LOVE this.
Spread the whole mixture on your two sheets and bake on the lower position in your oven for 15 minutes. Stir and rotate the sheets and bake another 15 minutes. Its gonna smell like cookies in your house!
Remove from oven, let cool, store in an airtight container.

Thursday and Friday Busy-nesses...

Actually lets back up and start with Wednesday, Knit night. The mighty V showed up with bags of swag. Oh joy free yarn! Also she is now a travelling companion as we quest to return the ring to the fires of M....wait a second..wrong quest. RHEINBECK BABY!!! Is there any more noble quest than a (wild and) wooly girls weekend? Huh? Huh? And I have word that my last seat and bedspace is filled by the lovely Ginette. If anything changes in these arrangements over the next 6 months it will be posted here.
Yesterday the boys claimed illness in the morning so I sent them back to bed and took my own advice...they woke me looking for TV priviledges etc and then at 10 or so Dana called and plans were made for the Afternoon. The boys went to school (big fakes) and Dana and I went to see a matinee showing of The Other Boleyn Girl. The costumes were stunning, the performances adequate, adherence to the novel loose but it was still an enjoyable afternoon. then we came home to find a neighborhood apartment building ablaze and its on my boys to and from school route so I was a tad panicky about where they were. Eventually both were accounted for. We came home to find that HM had gotten home, had one child unaccounted for (I had him) and was out searching. It truly was a comedy of errors.
Dana and I decided that we deserved a knit night since she wasn't going to Effiloche tonight and we went to Ariadne. I got the PERFECT yarn for the oak leaves in my Squirrel Nutkin sweater idea. Jo Sharp Silk Road Tweed in Wintergrass. This sweater is going to rock. Cestari worsted in natural light grey for the main colour, Ultra Alpaca squirrels and acorns, and Jo Sharp leaves (theres silk and cashmere in them there leaves). I hope I can make it all work. Right now I am hung up on shoulder type...set in sleeves? Raglan? Saddle shoulder? I am leaning toward set in. Thats how it keeps looking in my head I think...it changes somewhat as I envision and plan. While I wait for the plan to gel in my head I have casted on a pair of baby sockses. I see why my mom always loved knitting baby things. They are small, cute and FAST.
OH, and Baby Cullen can expect a wee pressie in the mail next week (I hope) since I visited the postal desk today.
I digressed didn't I? At Ariadne we had a nice time visiting and fondling yarns as well as scoring some more freebie stash bustings. My girly christmas knitting stash is pretty stocked with raw materials now.... woohoo!
Today there was no school. I slept in again, the boys and I rented videos, I casted on those baby socks I mentioned and was to the post office outlet. HM was home early (for him) and we will be watching Sweeney Todd tonight... Very exciting after a week of not seeing much of one another thanks to his early meetings and after work outings with clients.

Rheinbeck Video

http://knitayarn.com/index.php/podcasts/comments/a_glimpse_of_rhinebeck/
Its a quick peek at what went on at NYS+W 2007.

He am SO bootiful!

CARL CULLEN
< He's my latest grand...nephew this time. I am great aunt to 3 glorious girlies as well. Is he nor scrumptious? Can you see the red of his baby hair? Oh my...such a hunky little mansy. His bootees are done and soaking in scentless SOAK...and oops they have been in there a long time now!! LOL Will go dry them so I can mail them Thursday ( My friend Janet wants to see them tomorrow night).
I wish i was home (NS)so that I could go snorgle Cullen in person. Bonking my nose trying to snorgle through the monitor is getting painful...not to mention embarrassing!

I lost the sock monkey doll instructions...

.....but have refound them!!! There is NO WAY I was gonna pay for instructions so imagine my joy when I found them for free! Again!
I'm a big fan of the CLASSIC red lipped monkey. You need red heeled work socks for it (not a fan of the embroidered lips found these days), But there are many variations on the theme nowadays( Mr T sock monkey with mohawk and piercings??). I would imagine construction is very similar if not pretty much the same.

http://lennytaylor.freeyellow.com/ Also check out the sock elephant.

I don't know how this escaped my notice but thanks to Yarn Harlots success with it, I have now printed off the Sock Monkey Hat pattern from Knitty. http://www.knitty.com/issuesummer06/PATTsockmonkey.html
If my crafting back log continues in this fashion I may have to hire elves.

Because he insists....

Because I posted the OTHER picture of me in the Prairie Dog habitat acting all normal, HM insisted y'all see what I am really like when in a Prairie Dog habitat.
For some reason, other people found this pee your pants funny.

Have you ever...?

(I am going to discuss the prduct in the middle of this picture..not the spray or pads)
Have you ever seen something on TV advertised as the best ever product for whatever And totally said "I needs me some o'that!!!!".
Yeah me too. Only when I get whatever it is it usually sucks or at least isn't quite as fantabulous as the advertisement stated.
Well, I am here to say not all commercials lie. I saw an ad for this new Orange Glo wood floor product that cleans and protects and makes the floor shine again and thought of my PATHETIC 30 yr old parquet floor that needs refinishing BADLY and thought that "I needs me some!!!!!". We both actually said..."Ooooh check THAT out!". I found it at the grocery store and brought it back to Canada.
Some back story: This floor was covered in wall to wall when we bought the house and last year HM started removing the carpet. Light beige carpet is just NOT feasible with this family. The damage on the floor was obvious...some cigarette burns...deep wear..dullness. They had covered it rather than replace or refinish and I can understand that. So we have been trying to gently clean the floor when I break down and clean it. While I was away last suimmer SOMEONE thought he could do a better job than I at gently cleaning a wood floor and bought wood floor product from Pledge (coughcrapcough). This "wonder product" actually made cloudy white patches on the floor. It made my frikking floor look WORSE than ever. And would that cloudy white film go away with washing and wear? NO!!! rakkafrakkinsakkarassin.......
So with great hope and a HEFTY does of pessimissim I bought ONE bottle of this Orange Glo wood floor cleaner/protector/crack.
Yesterday HM though HE'D try it. Yeah right like I'm letting him ruin the floor more than he has.
After he vacuumed and I told him he wasn't allowed to use the new floor product, I vacuumed again while moving furniture to one end of the room. Than I mopped the floor with vinegar and water. Then I let ir dry. THEN I started with the Orange Glo, my Vileda fake Swiffer Wet Jet and a damp microfiber cloth in place of a microfiber cleaning pad because I couldn't find that. I squirted some OG on the floor and mopped it around with the grain as best I could (its parquet...the grain goes everyway!!). Looked great wet of course so I waited.
It still looked ok when dry. The white cloudyness was gone. So I did it again! (if once is good twice must be better riiiiiggghhht?). It still looked pretty good. So where the cloudiness had been worst and on the high traffic area, i reapplied a third time, let it all dry again and moved the furniture back.
Today it still looks great. The shine is better than we have ever seen it especially where the wear and tear is least. the very worn places of course are still just that but that dulling white film/cloudiness that just made it all so dingy is GONE and the floor looks great for what it is.
Next time I go to the US I am bring back a frikkin' CASE of this stuff!
Orange Glo I hereby dub thee FLOOR CRACK!!!!!

More

Got my shop on a wee bit..bonded with prairie dogs..the boys rode a bronze rhino..and we had some warm beach time.

Photographic Evidence of Spring in Virginia

Actually, one of these is from Pa or NY...the overcast day one. Whoopsy!

TAG

Link to your tagger and post these 3 rules on your blog.

Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My 7 :

1) When I was little my mother said that my freshly washed and brushed hair was the colour of a new penny.
2) I have a tendency to encourage people to do or try things. I believe in their capabilities. Need a cheerleader? Anyone? Anyone?
3) Through experience I have learned to get nervous or stop all plans at the words "How hard can it be?"
4) I have done nothing with my University degree.
5) I have never had a real "career".
6) I love kittens.
7) My expectations usually exceed my skills in meeting them. Frustration and failure are my bestest friends.

I am return-ed

We got back on Wednesday night and boy were we exausted. Its a longer drive than SOMEONE let on. 12 hours my ass.
The snow began getting less and less even as we crossed the border into NY on that rainy rainy Wednesday last week. By Worcester I think there was none. As we got into Maryland and DC there were FLOWERS!!!!! Daffodils by the many on roadsides and medians. Flowering trees of some sort! Needless to say I was thrilled.
Virginia Beach was a cozy 19 when we arrived and we rolled down the car windows to breathe in the salty tanged air. Saucer Magnolias, forsythias, Eastern redbuds, white flowered trees of some sort....all were blooming as well as something with bright red and/or pink flowers depending on the bush. Daffs, Tulips, pansies abounded. What a great way to have the first days of spring...with actual SPRING!!
Saturday we were on the beach in swim gear because it was a balmy 21 and thats warm enough for us to soak up some sun. No swimming was done because the water is still pretty chilly. The sun felt so good on our skins as we played in the sand and fly a kite. Then the wind shifted and the temperature dropped significantly so it was sweaters ot jackets for much of the rest of our stay. It still beats snow gear.
I only hit one yarn shop while away, we were SO busy!! Ewe Knit Kits and Yarn in Va Beach had a great selection of wools, acrylics, and cottons as well as blends and kits for projects. They were very friendly there, staff and customers. I bought a sock yarn I'd not seen before and it was nice and cushy and $6 something for a small skein (one sock per skein if adult sized). It was Plymouth Yarn's Happy feet and I quite like it. The colors are nice and the price is also nice. I got Universal Yarn's Ditto sock yarn too( $6 a skein). I saw the Darned Pretty needles. 5 inch DPNs ran about $30 bucks a set!!!! WTF!!!?? Thats a crazy assed price and needless to say I did NOT buy any.
The busy-ness we had : Virginia Aquarium, Zoo, Nauticus, Nasa science center, the beach, walking the trails the Back Bay wildlife/nature refuge park, watching big screen TV and drinking coffee in the mornings, shooting pool, playing foosball(I suck), drinking beer...... You get the idea. The boys loved their room because they had their own TV (with Cartoon Network and Nickolodeon),and a Nintenda 64...LOL. Ben is quite good at pool now compared to when we arrived.
I got a call Saturday Morning on my cell phone. My nephew Trent and his wife of two years Vicky had their first baby Friday night/saturday morning! Carl Cullen, 7 pounds, 7 1/2 ounces and with auburn/strawberry blonde hair. The pictures are adorable. I am almost finished the bootees. The first one is sewn up kinda crappy but the second is better. I am on the first little sock cuff (10 rows to go) and will finish the second by Monday and get them in the mail with his wee little Virginia shirts...LOL That bootee pattern is genius. Go buy one as soon as she has more on Etsy. i wanna make him a couple more pair in other yarns and sizes and also some wee little sockses. the Baby Surprise Jacket is just annoying me so it will get ripped and a regular sweater made...maybe a raglan cardigan or something.
I got the book Last Minute Knitted Gifts while away. Chapters never has it when I look so I snagged it when I was browsing at Barnes and Noble. What an excellent book for gift knitting ideas. I made hand warmers for my mom for Christmas
from a pattern in this book.
Speaking of books...I am missing my EZ Knitting Without Tears. Kadi gave it back on pub night and now I can't find it. Dang it.
I will post pics as soon as I can. we have several.

Down by 2

I lost two pounds...count 'em..1,2..2 pounds!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That makes 5 altogether....wooooohoooooooooooo. I so happy I so happy I so happy..yay yay yay.
Results are nice. I like results. Results are GOOOOOD.

Travel Plans

I thought i understood our travel plans...leave Thursday, sleep in harrisburg, get to Va Beach on Friday. NOPE. We actually leave here on WEDNESDAY. I have one less day to find the boys birth certificates and do the laundry. Plus I miss Wednesday night in NDG.
Since the sweater is DONE I am making "Moc-A-Soc"s for the great nephew due soon. Mine don't look as beautiful as the pattern picture but they are still pretty frakking cute. And sooo tiiiiny. I will make more than one pair in various yarns and in the two different sizes..possibly. Thats the plan and I have plenty of yarn but the monogamy may kill me. Also, my car knitting, I have sort of decided, maybe the BSJ, pictured above. The Baby Surprise jacket is a genius little knit that is knit in one kkokie piece, folded and then seamed. Whats starts out as a weird bit of knitting magicaly becomes a wee sweater jacket. Thats the "surprise". Obviously I will not be knitting it in pink.
If i am not knitting the BSJ I will knit socks. or both. Never hurts to have options.

In Other Pictures...

~ See those branches with the Christmas lights on them? Thats the top of my lilac standard sticking out of the snow next to the steps. Its usually about 5 feet above the ground at the bottom branches and tose tips are usually about 7-8 feet up.
~ Digging out after Last weekend's storm. UGH!!!
~ See those sticks poking out of the snow? That my frikkin' hedge which is about 7 feet tall. Not exactly private OR secure now. And the 3 foot high fence between the house and the pool? Covered.
~ And then we have Blossom doing her snow dance on her back. She loves to wiggle and wriggle on her back in the snow like a canine break dancer to her inner "I luv snow I luv snow I love snow" beats. Stoopid dog.

The NeverEnding Sweater Of Dooooooooommm

Is DONE.

One of THOSE days

I bought frozen cranberries today because i want to make homemade granola with dried cranberries. the Craisins are so loaded with sugar coating that I wanted to make my own in an attempt to reduce the sugar and oil used in making dried cranberries. I KNOW I had the instructions and would bet my stash that it was in Ricardo magazine (Canada's ONLY cooking/food magazine by the way and its awesome)nad now I cannot find it.
How pissed am I that I have 6 dollars worth of cranberries thawing on the counter and I can't remember what to do after they are thawed? I distictly remember the "AHA! So thats how its done!" moment of reading how to dry the cranberries in Ricardo but what issue and where the frak is it??? Was sure it was the Holiday issue I have on the shelf but i can't spot it. 10$ says i threw the issue I need in the recycling in a fit of house cleaning. Sounds like something I would do.
I have dried fresh cranberries before and lets just say we won't be doin' that again. They turn to little juice balloons..dry skin and full of liquid. Have to be sliced up. The freezing takes care of that however some how.
I could just scream with my frustration.

Other than that its a very mild temperature day with some roof melt happening by the sounds of the dripping eavestrough. Thank GODS because after the snow on the weekend its getting quite hard to get around. When I back out of my driveway, I am always hoping that noone is coming because I have 0 visability thanks to the snow banks. Also, I have to cut my wheels very sharp because I back into the snow bank across the street trying to get my front end out of the drive...LOL Thats what I get for having a station wagon. Tonight is Laval Knits night. I hope someone shows up because I have a sitter coming.
8 sleeps to Virginia Beach trip. Yes I AM counting down thank you very much. Get me the F$%^ outta here.

Rhine-beck, baby..doodoodiddydoodoodoodoo

(Above sung to the tune of Ice Ice Baby)

"I will be waiting for you at Rhinebeck, my stick wielding darlings....."

I am GOING TO RHINEBECK 2008!!!!!! Wooohoooo.....
My room is booked for two nights at the Holiday Inn (there are two double beds if any of my knit girls wants to bunk and share out the cost) and my spending money Toony fund has started. I have until October 16th to save moolah in my piggy bank and exchange it for American dollars. I am at $40 from what was in there already. Mwahahahahahahahaaaaaaaa.
I am so f&cking excited I cannot stand it...
My car seats 4 comfortably...5 squisheder(including me the driver). Its a Volvo station wagon so there is room for overnight bags and reasonable yarn haul and I have a plug in cooler for drinks and snacks for the drive although there is a food thing about crossing the border so maybe we have to fill up across the border. I have mentioned it to 3 friends so far but life being what it is things are up in the air for them. I hope they can do it.
Anyways....I will be counting down the days to my first NY Sheep and Wool festival.
Not literally because that would require math or counting..

Thursday

Climbing rose "Golden Showers"...tee hee golden showers...hee hee
I did get out last night and while tracking down a parking spot in snowy NDG and then getting thoroughly STUCK in a snowy parking spot and needing help getting out of said stuckness, I was regretting ever leaving my cozy home. I was so blessed by a wonderful taxi driver coming to my aid. Y'all, there are still good samaritans out there and lets give them all a hand because I was NEVER getting outta that spot alone. He dug and pushed and advised and through it all was very sweet and friendly and and didn't come right out and call me a dumbass ( although it may have been inferred). Because of him I was able to continue my parking spot search, actually park, and join my bitches at Ye Olde Orchard Pub and Grill on Monkland Ave.
Holy delicious hamburgers, Batman. My burger (saved my calories up all day)KICKED ASS. A delicious 6 ounce burger topped with cheese, chopped jalapeno peppers (fresh baby), tomato, dill pickle slice, bacon, and fresh onion on a really nice kaiser type roll. I only put mustard on to save calories and had a salad on the side instead of the fantastico fries they serve there( I stole one of Kadi's). This with my double vodka soda and lime in a tall glass was just what my battered spirit needed. So I had another (double vodka soda). Then it was Perrier the rest of the night. Kadi had the most amazing dessert..a chocolate brownie cake with caramel. Rich and delicious ( I had a taste). Good food, a touch of alcohol, and my gals with pointy stix (about 20 of us). It was awesome.
Of course some of us stayed later than others..ahem. It was 12:23 when i started my car.
On my way home my car started to do this shimmy thing...at about 70 or 80 clicks it started. Going slow seemed ok. I pulled over when I could and took a look, no flat. Continued to Laval when I went through a car wash incase of Ice build up causing it. Still there but maybe not as violent. I told HM about it this morning so it can be dealt with, if there is anything to deal with. He and the boys are heading north next weekend to visit his brother so the "travel" car needs to be declared road worthy before then...plus we have our trip the week after that.
When I GOT home, the driveway was bocked thanks to the plow being by again after I'd left home. So at 1 am or so I was SHOVELLING my way into my driveway. ARGH! HM woke this morning teasing me about staying out so late and calling me a party girl and chuckling...then I told him about having to shovel to get in and he absolutely roared with laughter! Yup I am one wild woman staying out until one thirty to shovel a driveway. Which was blocked again this morning.
And we are forecast to get up to 30 more centimeters of snow on Saturday.

I can't see you snow...or hear you...lalalalalalalalaa

Yesterday I got my Richter's Herb catalogue. When did they start carrying roses? (cue music: " I beg your pardon..I never promised you a rose garden")
I've got this rose bug since moving to this house. Something just makes me keep planting roses, which I had NEVER had any bloody luck with. I am glad I have though because this spot is great for (most of)the roses so far. I think its the S-word cover all winter that does iT.
Now, for ME a rose has got to smell to be worth my time. Plus it needs to be pretty (some just aren't, to me). The modern tea roses and hybrids don't always have a fragrance despite their gorgessity.
In the Richters catalogue they have old classics available, like the Kazanlik rose from Bulgaria. Its used to make the famous Attar Of Roses. I used to have one.(see above statement about me and my rose killing genius) Maybe its time for another?
The one I am most struck by is the Mme. Hardy. Its white and double and very fragrant. The fragrance is said to have a "hint of lemon" to it. I am very fond of the fruitier scented roses than the heavier fragranced ones, so I am very very tempted. Even though its white.
I am also taken with the form and colour of La Reine Victoria. Its plusses are that its got colour and its a continuous bloomer, meaning it gets more than one big rush of blooms in late JUne, rather it has some flowers most of the season.
I think I need both.
What thinkest you, oh dear ones?

SNOWDAY!!!!!

We have a snow day today! This means I got to go back to bed and snooze between interuptions of "Can I have this...Can I do That...?" But snooze I did until the phone rang with a wrong number at 10:30. Then I figured I should get up and have some coffee.
Its still ass outside. I am worrying that I won't get out for the Montreal Knits pub night at Ye Olde Orchard Pub. I was really looking forward to it. I had my new books to show Janet and wanted to get caught up on everyones doings and see how big Robyn's baby belly has gotten in the last couple weeks.
Poo.

Stupid Tuesday with its stupid dayness...

This is the attitude in this house since about 7:20 this morning...at least when ther are folk other than me home. Cameron is having a VERY BAD day apparently. Maybe someone should write a book about HIM not that other no good very bad day kid. Nothing soothes and nothing satisfies..he's pissed at the world and want everyone else pissed too. Been there done that bought the t shirt and have since worn it to rags. I sympathise, I really do. but anyone who knows me also knows that my "nice" limit can be reached fairly quickly and then the harpy comes back out...
Lets think spring shall we?
Aaaahhh...its only 16 days until the Vernal Equinox and then it is SPRING!! Yay! I am going to plant Montreal Melons this year because a very dear acquaintanmce has seed and she has said that she will mail me some. For more fascinating info on these melons go here: http://www.montrealmelon.com/ Also can read some about it here: http://www.cog.ca/documents/SlowFood.pdf
I have long been hooked on heritage varieties of veg and fruit and animals so this is right up my alley for an experiment in back yard growing and seed saving. Thank you, dearest Debra.
The garden bug is nipping pretty hard this year. Last year it barely nipped at all which was good because I was away all summer. I planted but only a bit and someone let things get pretty dried out while I was gone. We won't discuss the weed situation.
So, I said I wanted 2 Cercis canadiensis (Eastern redbud) for my front yard because the flower early, will eventually provide a smidgen of shade, and will create a further screen from the street. I am thinking I need to get out my graph paper and start doodling garden design plans for uniting all the various plantings. There are 3 bridal wreath spireas planted closer to the street. they live but have not taken off like I hoped.....the redbuds (please all nature's powers that be, to let me get two) would in theory be planted back into the yard about 5 feet behind and between the spireas...whats that called again? There is a name for it but I just call it staggering. Equadistant? No..thats not it...
I am thinking that after planting the ttrees, I will then lay out my winding path through the yard/garden, and then make all else a garden. It will unite the beds and the job will be accomplished more or less.
Another flower I want to plant is Four O'clocks..the marvel of Peru! I had some seeds and I threw them into the garden in the fall so that it would be as if some plnts had self sown. Hopefully they survive and grow and I can move them to other parts.
Baptisia needs moving. Maybe splitting as well. Also that stupid rose i hate that I bought last year by mistake. Also the highbush cranberry, now that it is actually growing for two seasons straight...it needs moving too.
My back hurts just thinking about it.