Where DOES the time go?

Just popping in with a little note to wish everyone a happy holiday season. Things are in full swing around here, throwing in Kim's birthday today for good measure. McKenna should be so much fun this year when she gets to open her presents (and probably play with the paper and boxes more than the toys themselves, as all kids tend to do) We are SO looking forward to seeing Christmas through the eyes of a toddler once again.

Here's our little McKenna the Red-Nosed Reindeer, getting ready for the festivities.

Holiday reading material:

Sweet girl dressed in her Christmas finery:

To all of you who stop by to check in on my corner of the world, I wish you a safe, joyous, wonderful Christmas. May the new year find you healthy and happy and bring you pleasant surprises.

On Christmas morning, pretend YOU are the toddler and see the day through new eyes.

HO HO HO!

Leaving on a jet plane

I'm off tomorrow morning for a long weekend in Omaha for a knitting retreat. My dear sister and I have not seen each other in WAY too long and so I am so happy to meeting up with her (and Becky, a non-knitter) to do this. I wish it was going to be a longer visit, but we will be together, doing something we both love to do. Knit, and hang out with other knitters!

The setting is going to be lovely. We'll be at the Mahoney State Park in Omaha. The link is to a quick youtube video of the park's features. There is a huge lodge where the retreat will be, but we have a private cabin so we can catch up on our sister time in private when we want to. There is so much to do at this park. I am hoping to convince Mike to make a trip out there next summer to camp, and have Diane and Becky come too!

Coming with me on my long weekend is my new Kindle, which is an early birthday present. I treated myself to a really cute skin (from DecalGirl) and sleeve with some amazon gift certificates I had gotten with bank rewards. I'm looking forward to getting acquainted with it on my flights tomorrow, and then waiting for Diane and Becky to get off work and drive to Omaha to retrieve me from the airport about 3 hours after I arrive. I don't mind the wait though... I'll have my Kindle, my iPod Touch, and my knitting. Isn't she cute?

And speaking of cuteness.... McKenna has gotten her third tooth and started walking in the past few weeks. Oh my goodness, she is really so much fun these days. Learning words, the fun way she plays with her toys. Here is a picture of her and her friend the llama at the petting farm on Sunday.

In the blink of an eye

Tomorrow is McKenna's birthday. I can't believe it. A year ago we were getting ready for her very early arrival. It was stressful, worrisome, yet exciting, all rolled into one. We were worried about McKenna, but also about Kim, who was having a rough time due to severe pre-eclampsia and also HELLP syndrome. The 45 days that followed were also filled with many emotions while McKenna grew stronger in the NICU. But once she came home, things were better and better all the time.

McKenna is doing GREAT! She is still small for her age (wearing mostly 6 month sized clothes right now, though she can still fit in some 3 month size!) but has packed on some weight the last month or so and now has chubby thighs and a buddha tummy. She is catching up on more milestones and is only slightly behind on a few things.

We will have a small celebration for her tomorrow. We'll start out at the zoo, weather permitting, and later we'll have cake and ice cream with just Kim and Drew, Mike and I, Drew's Mom, Kaitlyn and Jake, and my mom and dad. Her big party will be in a few weeks. That will be quite the celebration of how far she's come over the past year.

Which brings me to the time warp thing that has happened. It just doesn't register in my mind that a year has gone by already. We certainly have enjoyed watching her grow and all the fun things she is doing now. I wish it didn't go by so fast. We have to remind ourselves to enjoy each and every moment of every single day.

She's gone from this little peanut

to this grown up girl who takes pix

and plays peekaboo

Happy Happy First Birthday, sweet McKenna! Grandma loves you SOOOOOO MUCH! Mwah!

We're going to play this song a few times today... one of my favorites from Raffi, and it's perfect for today!

Mommy's takin' us to the zoo tomorrow
Zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow
Mommy's takin' us to the zoo tomorrow
We can stay all day

We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo

Look at all the monkeys swingin' in the trees
Swingin' in the trees, swingin' in the trees
Look at all the monkeys swingin' in the trees
We can stay all day

We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo

Look at all the crocodiles swimmin' in the water
Swimmin' in the water, swimmin' in the water
Look at all the crocodiles swimmin' in the water
We can stay all day

We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo

Yes, Mommy's takin' us to the zoo tomorrow
Zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow
Mommy's takin' us to the zoo tomorrow
We can stay all day

We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo

We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo

So.....

Saturday was quite the day of surprises, for many people.

First of all, let me tell you....The very best way to throw a surprise party is 6 months after the birthday! 

Yep, on Saturday, my family and friends got me, and they got me good. Now, generally I pride myself on being a rather observant person.... one who can pick up on things and put them together when they are going on behind the scenes. But not this time. No sirree.  I think part of it was that I was so preoccupied for 2 months trying to bite my tongue (which is missing big chunks at this point) and not let it slip that Kim and Drew are expecting (until they decided it was time for the announcement). Or maybe I'm just getting old. Who knows. But SURPRISED I was. Totally, 100% clueless, and it was great!

But, let's back-track to earlier in the day. Kim and Drew came over to make the announcement to Kaitlyn and Jake, who were kept in the dark up until this point.  Kim had made up Easter baskets for them, giving them to them early (supposedly) because Kaitlyn is leaving for FL at the end of the week. In the eggs was not candy, but puzzle pieces. Kim had gotten some of those blank puzzles from Michael's, and I helped her write a poem that would reveal at the end that they were going to become an aunt and uncle. They worked together and put the puzzles together, and read what was written on them.  Their reaction? I think they were in shock. Neither one of them said a word. They didn't even look at Kim and Drew. They both kind of had a glazed look on their face and stared off into space or down at the floor. I don't understand it, but eventually I coaxed them into saying something and giving hugs! Weird...

Then a little while later, the phone rang, and then Jake asked if he could spend the night at his friends' house to watch the NCAA game (he's a huge Spartans fan) and that Kim and Drew were going to drop him off, because they were leaving to go to the mall before we met up again at Mike's brother's house to have a card party. LIES! All of it, LIES! Kim and Drew were really going to pick up the party sub, the cake, the chicken, etc. Jake went with them so he would be there with the video camera ready when I came around the corner and was surprised. (I even put the video camera case into the car myself, but it had been loaded with something heavy so I wouldn't know the camera wasn't in there) 

We pulled up to Chris and Deb's house, and yes, there were a few more cars than I was expecting to be there, but it didn't send up any red flags at all. Mike said something like "It looks like everyone is out in the yard, so lets just go that way first.... I'll follow you" So I went through the garage into the back yard, and there were a LOT of people standing there, and then they said Surprise! and it took me a minute to figure out what the heck was going on, because there was Jake (NOT at Trevor's house spending the night) with the video camera, and there were some of my knitting buddies (who would NOT be at a Bloom family card game) and you know my 50 year old brain had to pause for a moment and "get it". 

So, Mike and Kim had been planning and making this happen and I had no idea. And then we got sick and THANK GOODNESS we got better in time to be able to enjoy it without having to cancel or infect everyone. 

Here's just about everyone that came to my party...

BUT WAIT! There's MORE!

Kim had been telling me (probably more lies) that she and Drew were going to make the baby announcement at our Easter gathering.  But I told her there were going to be people at the card party who would be out of town next weekend, so she should do it early. (I had NO IDEA how many people would be there on Saturday that would not be there next weekend! LOL) Her idea was to get everyone together for a group photo, have them say "cheese" for the first picture, then have them say "Kim and Drew are having a baby" for the second one, and whoever was taking the pictures would get all the reactions to the announcement. Unfortunately, because it was such a big crowd, (and because most of them are loud-mouthed Blooms, and I say that with deep affection, y'all) and because Debbie who was taking the pictures was kind of far away to get us all in, not everyone heard what she said so Mike yelled it out again, and still...blank stares.... smiling for the camera.... and FINALLY people started getting it and there were hugs and tears and cheers and it was really great. Deb continued to take pictures (until my camera card filled up.... I should have emptied some pictures off there before I went... darn it) but my friend Tam also had the video camera going and got all the celebration afterwards. It was great.

Here's one of the best pictures ....The look on my SIL Debbie's face is priceless. I don't remember...it's all a blur, but she must've screamed something out because everyone is looking at her! LOL

Phew, I am so glad to be able to speak freely now without having to try to keep this secret any longer. My firstborn is going to be a mommy. And what a great mommy she is going to be. Yay! 

They plan on finding out (if baby cooperates) if it's a girl or a boy next month at the ultrasound. Then I can knit specifically for gender instead of the generic knitting I am doing right now. 

Rhinebeck Recap

I've already posted about my birthday, but there was so much more to the weekend. Linda, Tamara and I left early Thursday morning, drove up to Pt. Huron and across the bridge into Canada. The drive was just beautiful. It was a crisp, clear fall day. The further east we got, the more the landscape changed. Soon we were in the rolling hills, and they were covered in autumn's splendor of colors.

It was a very long drive, but I knit for several hours of it, thinking I might be able to actually finish my Rhinebeck sweater, but it wasn't to be. The chatter and laughter made the time fly by and before we knew it we were checking in to our hotel.

Frankie had arrived just before us. Frankie was a friend of ours, and was a member of our knitting group before she moved to NY a while back. She and Linda knew each other before they joined our knitting group. It was great to see her again! 

We all had some dinner and caught up a bit with Frankie, then got some sleep.

On Friday we enjoyed the fall colors some more, and the big event of the day was visiting the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park.  Click the link for lots of info, and photos of the interior. 

I loved hearing the guide tell the all about the Vanderbilt family, and the history of the magnificent home that we were touring. (Magnificent, but the smallest of their many homes). We were not allowed to take photos inside, but I got some great shots (with my new camera) of the grounds, and the mansion from outside. Here is just one of them:

After the tour, we went into Red Hook to find some lunch. We ended up at Bread Alone Bakery. Yum. After that we visited a winery, and then the indulgence of the day, we found Taste Budds, which is all about chocolate. Here's what I ended up with. I told myself all along that I was not holding back this weekend. Whether it was food, or drink, or fiber...I was going for it!

Isn't it pretty? It was sooo good. It's called Life By Chocolate (better than Death By Chocolate, right?)  Chocolate graham crust, flourless chocolate cake, chocolate mousse and chocolate glaze. Here's a peek at the inside. Mmmmm... And yes, I ate the whole thing. 

When we were done poking around in Red Hook, we headed back to our hotel for a bit, then went back out, tried to find a Geocache but Tam's phone wasn't able to pinpoint close enough. In trying to find it, we did enjoy driving through a neighborhood with some beautiful old homes. The architecture in the area just oozes history. The girls decided to get a light dinner from Panera Bread, but I still was filled up with the above chocolately goodness. We went back to the hotel and knit in the lobby, watching TV, while they ate. Eventually I walked across the parking lot and grabbed some Taco Bell when I got hungry. There were several other knitters in the lobby. It was nice to just relax before the craziness was to begin. 

I've already posted about most of my day on Saturday.  Sunday was more of the same.... walking and browsing and fondling and desiring and deciding and buying and eating and spending time with friends and enjoying the animals, etc.  I think a future post will highlight all of the purchases. 

We were back on the road early Monday morning. We left the hotel at 7am, when it was 28 degrees and there was a thick layer of frost on everything. It was actually several hours later before we saw the last of the frost. It took a long time for the sun to warm things up enough to melt it off. Enjoyed the scenery all the way home, but it was very anti-climactic.... The excitement was gone, we were exhausted, the landscape became more and more flat as we left the mountains and rolling hills behind. Before we knew it we were sitting in a long line of cars to cross the bridge back into Michigan from Sarnia, Ontario. 

I arrived back on my doorstep at 7pm, and fell into bed shortly afterwards. After a wonderful whirlwind birthday weekend, it was great to be back in my own bed. 

What a day!

Oh my goodness, how much fun did I have on my 50th birthday today! 

It started early, and my first gift was on my bed when I got out of the shower, from Tam. It was a skein of pretty green Socks that Rock yarn, and the book It's Not Easy Being Green. Cool gifts, thanks Tam!

Rhinebeck was fabulous.... SO much to see, and about a gazillion people all sharing the same fun. I loved watching all the beautiful handknits walking by. That was really fun. 

I  got to meet Jane today. We've known each other only online for several years now, and finally meeting her in person and spending time with her was wonderful. It was not awkward in the least, and we really had fun. We spent some time going through a few vendor barns and then split up again, making plans to meet for dinner later. 

Tam and I continued on and bought some goodies. There was some fiber (chocolate-colored alpaca roving, beautiful autumn colored roving, black alpaca yarn and some beautiful autumn colored yarn... I wanted my fiber purchases to remind me of the beautiful landscape of the changing colors on the mountains near Rhinebeck, hence the 2 purchases of autumn colors!) and I bought a number of other fun items. The PERFECT button for my sweater (no, it did NOT get finished, but I'm still plugging away) I really could have used that sweater today. It was a bit chilly, especially when the clouds rolled in and the wind picked up a bit. I got a few Christmas gifts for Diane (neener neener, Diane!). I bought a beautiful handmade lucet.   

There were a few other purchases, and I may get a few more things tomorrow. But I enjoyed the experience so much. Seeing all the animals, all the various vendors, and like I said before, just the wide variety of handknits on everyone from infants and toddlers, as well as women and men of all ages.  

We watched the Frisbee-catching dogs, we watched the sheep-herding dogs. We wanted to hug all the alpacas, and laughed at the long bottom teeth on the llamas (I had never noticed that trait before). 

Mid-afternoon I looked at Tam and said "stick a fork in me, I am DONE!" I was so exhausted. My feet hurt, my knees hurt, my back hurt. So we joined the other hundreds of people who seemed to have had the same thought at the same moment, and slowly made our way back to the hotel. 

I iced my back, then got in the bath to soak for a while, and rejuvenated myself. We rested a bit, and then Jane and her cousin came and met us and we went out to dinner. We ended up at Ship To Shore and had a really good dinner, but mostly a really great conversation. 

Oh, and there was the matter of the BEAUTIFUL green scarf knit for me by the lovely Jane. It's Kid Silk Haze. So soft, so light, yet warm. I just love it. Thanks again Jane!

The plan originally was to go to the Ravelry party in Red Hook after dinner, but we talked for hours and ended up missing it. Oh well, I was very happy to have spent the time with Jane to get to know her a little better. Jane's cousin Gail was great to be with too. Such a nice time.

Tomorrow morning we'll get up a little slower and arrive at Rhinebeck a little later. We'll revisit some of the places we took notes to go back and look again, or decide on (or against) some things we couldn't decide on today. I don't know if it will be more or less crowded (or the same) but I'm hoping maybe a little less crowded. There were a heck of a lot of people there today. I mean... seriously, a boat load of people. 

But...what fun it was~

Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who made this day very special for me!

Pictures tomorrow or when I get home.

Happy Birthday to me!

I'm off to buy "some" wool! It's a beautiful fall day in New York....we're gonna have some big fun!

Yay!

Fabulous Fall Foliage

What a beautiful weekend! It's been quite chilly, especially in the mornings when the temps have been down in the 30s and we've seen quite a bit of frost already. But this weekend was in the mid to upper 70s and sunny.

Saturday we had a bash here to celebrate Kim's college graduation. She now has a Bachelor degree in Business Administration. Her major was Management. She did most of her classes while working full time, so it took her a few extra years, but the hard work paid off and I can now say I am the proud mother of a college graduate.

Before the main group of guests arrived, we had a little tiny celebration for my birthday, since I won't be here on "the day". Mike wanted to give me my gift early, so I could familiarize myself with it, and take it with me when I leave on Thursday to go to RHINEBECK! OMG can it really be less than 3 days til I leave???

I got this for my birthday. I took the above photo (and those below) with it yesterday afternoon. I have a lot to learn about how it works. Right now I'm shooting mostly on automatic. Whew, those 12.2 megapixels blow me away! 

Do you know about Geocaching? I had heard about it several years ago and thought it would be so much fun, a nice family activity, and a way to get some fresh air and exercise as well as seeing some sites we might never have seen otherwise. The whole "digital treasure hunt" idea just sounded exciting! We didn't have a GPS at the time, and just recently got one. We created our account, found some nearby caches on the website, and off we went! We have found 7 of the 8 caches that we searched for over the past 2 weekends (that 8th one we've looked for 3 times and still haven't found it. It is very nearby our home so we will keep trying!) What a blast. We took advantage of the above-average temperatures yesterday and went to a nearby Metropark for a hike and to scope out a few more "treasures". Some of them are "micro" size and often difficult to find (size, terrain, and difficulty of each cache are listed on the website) Here are a few pix of Jake with a micro (in his left hand in the first picture--click for a bigger look-see) and 2 bigger caches, which are usually filled with toys or other small items for you to trade with, as well as a log book that you sign with your Geocaching name and the date. Micros are usually tiny little tubes with a piece of paper rolled up in them. You have to bring your own pen for those, and no treasures are inside to trade.

These are the 3 caches we found yesterday. Once you get to the coordinates, you never know where it might be... even up in a tree! 

If you have a handheld GPS, or have the capability on your cell phone, check out this fun activity! I just wish we had started this at the beginning of the summer instead of now, when winter will soon cut off the fun. We could have hunted outside of our local area as we traveled during our vacations.

One of the caches we found yesterday had a Geocoin in it. Geocoins and Travel Bugs have registration numbers are trackable on the website. Whoever places them in the cache wants someone to take them out and move them to another cache. Sometimes they are supposed to move to a certain destination. The one we found came from WA and wanted to move as far east as possible before heading back to the west coast. I plan on taking it with me and dropping it in a cache somewhere in Ontario or NY on my way to Rhinebeck.

Speaking of Rhinebeck....my plans have changed a bit. My dear, generous friend Christine, who was going to pick me up from the airport and whisk me a way to WEBS on Thursday (and take me to NYC on Friday, and accompany me to Rhinebeck, and provide me with bed and breakfast while there) is suddenly having medical issues and will not be able to do any of these things for or with me this weekend. I am sad, and worried, and hoping she will have a full recovery without too much more pain and suffering. FEEL BETTER CHRISTINE!

SO.... I have canceled my flights, and will now be going by car with my friends Tamara and Linda (members of my knitting group for several years). Tam has so generously let me squeeze into her room since there was not a bed to be found in the Rhinebeck area at this short notice. THANKS TAM.  I have to admit I would prefer to not be in a car for all of those hours there and back, but at this point am very happy to have that option.

So there will not be a trip to WEBS or a trip to NYC this weekend, but....we will stop at Niagara Falls on our way east, and Friday will be spent moseying around, taking pictures of what I hope will be some beautiful fall colors, and some scenery I haven't seen since my last time in NY which was oh....about 30 years ago! Tam loves photography, and has a camera that is very similar to mine, so I'm hoping she can give me some pointers as we are out and about taking pictures that day. 

The trip is changed, but except for my constant concern for Christine, will be just as much fun, I'm sure. The time in the car will give me an opportunity to finish my sweater if I haven't done so by then. I'm on my way up the sleeves right now. I may be seaming and blocking in the hotel room Thursday night or Friday, but here's hoping my Hot Cocoa Jacket will make its debut on Saturday (MY BIRTHDAY!) at Rhinebeck. 

Hope to see you there!

Excited!

Tonight, 6 of my SILs and I are going to see Journey, Heart and Cheap Trick in concert. We have been waiting for this night for months! We have seats in the 7th row, and plan to have ourselves quite an evening. I am blasting Journey right now to get myself in the mood (not that my mood needs much convincing, really). I will probably listen to Journey all day today. 

My friend Deb lent me a DVD of a recent concert, and I have to say, it's a little weird to hear/see someone other than Steve Perry singing. But I'll give "the new guy" a chance and I'm sure I'll enjoy the concert nonetheless. He sounds very much like Steve.

(I am pretty sure that the first concert I ever went to was Journey, in the late 70s. I distinctly remember paying $6.95 for the ticket. Tonight's ticket cost roughly 20 times that amount. Luckily I am not paying for it. What is up with ticket prices these days? SHEESH! Even the nose-bleed seats are ridiculous!)

The weekend: I met my new grand-nephew on Saturday. Wouldn't you know it, I didn't have my camera. Let me just say, Charlie is a real sweetie, and so darned cute. I loved holding him and sniffing his little baby head. I wish he didn't live so far away. He's going to grow up so much in between visits. Darn. 

In other news...

Rhinebeck is quickly approaching. That means I have very few days left in my 40s! The big 5-0 is looming right up there in front of me. It's all good though. What better way to turn 50 than in the company of fiber-loving friends at Rhinebeck? I finally bought my tickets so it's official...I'm going to Rhinebeck! 

AND!!! It looks like there will be a trip to WEBS squeezed in on Thursday when I arrive. I'm flying into Hartford and my lovely hostess informed me that WEBS is about 45 minutes away and if I only have a carry-on (this may be an issue, but I will work around it!) we can zip over there for a short time before she has to be back home. WEBS! I'm going to WEBS! Thanks Christine! Big excitement even before the big weekend at Rhinebeck! 

There will be several friends there to help me transition into my 50s. Friends who I know here in Michigan, and friends I have known only online. I am finally meeting Christine (and hopefully Mary Beth) who I have known online for 11+ years. We have been part of an email loop which has seen members drop out over the years but there are still 11 of us who have kept in touch. Thousands and thousands of emails have been sent and read by all of us over the years. I have met some of them, and hopefully will someday meet them all. (HI loopies!)

Jane will come from GA, and I will also be meeting her for the first time, after knowing her online for quite a few years too. Jane has been so helpful to me as a test knitter for my patterns, and I have enjoyed our friendship so much as it has grown. I can't wait to see her in person! 

My friend Tamara will be driving from MI (hopefully Linda will still be able to join her!). Frankie used to be in our knitting group but she moved to NYC several years ago. She will be joining us as well.  

Now that the event is getting closer, I finally decided to get my butt in gear and have been knitting furiously these past few days on my Rhinebeck sweater. I am almost done with the back now, and that is only the first piece. Luckily sleeves and fronts are smaller, but that is 4 more pieces. Yikes. I am focused though, and hopefully will have it done in time. But, I just know that if I do finish it, temps will probably be in the 80s that weekend. And if I don't, well it will probably snow or something. So I'll work on getting it done so the weather will be picture-perfect for everyone who will be there.... never mind showing off the sweater, huh?

So that's the excitement around here. I'm off to make an appointment at the eye doctor to check out Corneal Refractive Therapy. It's a great alternative to LASIK for chickens like me who are afraid of the lasers, but still want to see without going through their day wearing glasses or contact lenses. If anyone has experience with this please leave me a comment!

I also need to call my doctor to make an appointment to get the results of all the tests from the past few weeks. Here's hoping they all say I'm normal! (not that I believe for a minute that I really am normal, but I'd like my test results to say I am!)

Life is good

It's 12 minutes past midnight....12 minutes past the 29th anniversary of our wedding. Amazing. So many memories....

Mike and I went out to dinner (Jake came with us because Kaitlyn was at work) and then the 3 of us stopped for ice cream before visiting Mike's brother who is recovering from heart surgery. He's doing very well, thank the heavens above. 

The holiday weekend was so much fun. We gathered with family where we almost always do on the 3 holidays that mark the beginning, middle and end of summer.... on the shore of Lake Huron in Michigan's "thumb". The weather was perfect (save for the first night that was 45 degrees.... Hello? Isn't this JULY?) There was no rain, there were hardly any clouds, the wind was calm (a rarity, believe me) and the temperature couldn't have been more divine. 

Mike was able to enjoy a 3 day weekend (many weekends lately have been non-existent as he has been working every Saturday and a lot of Sundays too). It must've felt so wonderful for him to finally get a chance to relax and enjoy some down time. It sure felt good for me, knowing he could sleep in and just enjoy the days spent with family, having fun . Eat, Drink and Be Merry. There was a lot of that going around, that's for sure.

My SIL turned 50 on Saturday, so the festivities of the weekend were not just for the holiday, but for her birthday too. Her "real" party is on the 19th, but the preview was a lot of fun as well.

Of course today I spent a good amount of time catching up on things around here. MUCH laundry, cleaning out the camper, vacuuming the pool (which somehow became disgusting in our absence) etc. 

I just finished reading Belong To Me, by Marisa de los Santos. I am sad that I am done reading it. After reading Love Walked In by her, and now this one, I am longing for more by this incredibly talented author. I don't have another book to start, so I guess a trip to the library is in order for tomorrow. I have to remind Jake to read more. He's not reading as much this summer as in summers past. I think some reading time together in the new hammock tomorrow sounds good. As long as it's not too unbearably hot out there. Well, we could always cool off in the pool. 

Knitting content: Princess Lace Wrap is off the needles. Photos to follow, after it has been blocked. Back to the sweater I need to finish by October/Rhinebeck!

Apple of my eye

Three days ago, some new toys arrived on my doorstep.  They have both kept me very busy ever since. 

I have been increasingly unhappy with my PC laptop for months, and have contemplated taking the plunge and trying a Mac. The more I heard and read, the more I thought that was the way to go. When Mike said "go for it" I didn't waste any time....I placed my order and about 36 hours later these arrived on my doorstep (the iPod Touch was "just because")

Even the packaging is darned attractive!

Still untouched:

I have almost 600 songs, and some photo albums, loaded onto the iPod. All of the music is from CDs we have here, except for one song from the iTunes store. My first ever iTunes purchase. It's too easy, and that may be quite dangerous! 

I have had fun playing around with all the features. I know I am going to love being able to get my mail or use the internet anywhere there is a WiFi signal, with no extra fees. There are just so many bells and whistles on this little thing. Simply amazing!

I've put in a library request for the first Harry Potter audiobook on CDs so I can upload it to "myPod" and listen to it. I have never read any of the HP books, or seen any of the movies (though every book is either in this house or has passed through it and we have all the DVDs) I've wanted to read them for a while, but I've decided to get the audiobooks and listen instead. I hear the narrator is just awesome.

Here is my new MacBook as I started writing this post. There are lots of things that are set up differently than on a PC and I am still stumbling my way around. I will definitely be taking advantage of the free workshops at the Apple Store, and most likely will sign up for their one-on-one sessions. You can hardly beat the price....$100 for a year, and you can go for weekly, one hour private sessions. That's only two bucks a pop if you use them all! I have a lot to learn, and with all of the awesome things this machine can do, I want to take full advantage of all of the features.

A few months back my friend Jane had people leave comments and suggestions and helpful hints in her blog comments about MacBooks, since she is also considering getting one. I'll have to go back and read them again now that I have mine!

Besides these new toys keeping me busy, I was also helping Kim prepare for the surprise party that was held here yesterday for her husband, Drew, and his very good friend Dave, who both turned 25 this month. Dave's girlfriend Tiffany helped throw the party. Kim has known Drew and Dave both for about 9 years. They were both here frequently during their high school days, along with many others in their close-knit group of friends... many of whom were also here last night. It was so good to see them again ... it brought back a lot of good memories. Coincidentally, Kim, Dave, Tiffany and I all worked at Target together too. That's how Kim became friends with Tiffany, and that was even before Tiffany and Dave started dating. Kim was thrilled when they did, and the four of them spend a lot of time together. 

We had a lot of prep to do for the party... setting up the tent outside, getting the yard and deck looking pretty, cleaning up the house. The girls came over on Friday night and made some food, put lights around the deck for mood lighting, etc. 

We did have a major downpour yesterday, not too long before the party started. Then it rained off and on for part of the afternoon after the guests arrived, but eventually stopped raining (and cooled off dramatically). Drew and Dave were both VERY surprised, and everyone had a really great time. Mike and I both slept til 10:00 this morning. That is soooo unusual for him. He must've need it. He's been working so many hours lately. I think it's catching up with him. 

We had some cleaning up to do this morning, of course. But it has turned out to be a beautiful day. There has been rain all around us but somehow it has missed us. It's in the 70s with sunshine and a light breeze. Lovin' it! 

I hope the rain also stayed away from my friend Tamara and her husband Craig's anniversary party today. They are celebrating 25 years of wedded bliss. Congratulations Tam and Craig! Happy Anniversary!

Where has the last month gone?

Wow, I can't believe it's been more than 5 weeks since I last posted. A LOT has happened since then!

The main event was a surprise visit to my sister in South Dakota to help her celebrate her 60th birthday over Memorial Day weekend. She had absolutely NO clue, and after her initial dumbfounded look of confusion, all she could spit out was "What the hell?!" (Which then became the buzz phrase for the entire weekend...too funny)



We had such a good time, and I am so glad I was there to surprise her, and help throw a surprise party for her on Monday evening before I left on Tuesday. There was some knitting going on, mostly in the backyard...the weather was pretty nice the whole weekend (except for the clap of thunder Friday night that practically knocked me on the floor it was so loud!) We also spent a good amount of time doing some dyeing. I brought along some Knitpicks fingering merino, some Lion Brand Fisherman's wool that I scarfed up a few years ago when Joann's was clearing it out, and also 3 skeins of white sock yarn I had gotten in a yarn swap. Diane had several kinds of natural wool also, and we set about putting color to it. First we had to wind the big Fisherman's wool into hanks. We decided to make some really (REALLY) long hanks so that we could have longer lengths of color when we dyed. It was kind of a pain, but in the end I think it worked out ok.

Here we are making the hanks, thanks to a piece of exercise equipment and a chair:


And here's what it looked like when it was ready to be dyed:


Some yarn in the steamer:


And all skeins drying outside:


A couple pix from the party:



Since I've been back, school has let out, baseball season has come to an end, summer has arrived with a vengeance (both in terms of heat and storms). The pool is open, a new hammock was acquired yesterday, let the fun begin! A storm last weekend knocked out power to over 200,000 people in our area. We were out for 26 hours or so. Mostly an inconvenience, the worst of which was having to bail out the sump pump....many many gallons of water hauled up the basement stairs and dumped in the driveway. We MUST get a generator....this is not fun.

We have a well, and so when the power goes out, the well pump doesn't work either so we don't have water, except for what is in the holding tank in the basement (and the hot water tank) We try to use it sparingly during an outage, knowing there is no more once that's gone. We went to Kim's for showers, and to charge our cell phones. Many people were without power for 3 and 4 days, so we were lucky ours was restored after only 1 day. Of course the storms keep coming, day after day, and knocking out more power.

Today (after another storm rolled through overnight) is supposed to be just lovely. Sunny, lower humidity, and about 82 degrees. Perfect. We will be at a graduation party this afternoon/evening where a pool has recently been installed. I think we are going to have a really nice day today!

Father's Day will find Mike enjoying the new hammock purchase. Doesn't this look comfy? I can't wait to try it out myself. I forsee lots of naptime, reading time and knitting time taking place right here:

Hot Cocoa Jacket

The yarn for my Hot Cocoa Jacket (designed by Jordana Paige) arrived from Webs yesterday. YIPPPEEEE!!! I cast on last night and seem to be the first one on Ravelry to start this pattern. I'm quite excited to be knitting myself a sweater....the first one in decades! Of course, being the hot-blooded woman that I am, I won't be able to wear it indoors (I can barely stand a long sleeved t-shirt during the winter, let alone a sweater....this is unfortunate, but it's the way things are). I have held off on knitting myself a sweater for just this reason. But there were several times the past fall and winter when I was outside and I thought to myself "if I had a nice sweater, this would be a good day to wear it". So when I tried on this sweater at Threadbear last weekend, I knew I had found "the one".

You can see me wearing it here (nice shot of me with my eyes closed and a blurry hand, but just look how it gives me a WAIST!). The design is very flattering, and that is the thing that sold me. Of course the yarn (Rowan Cashsoft DK in the Lichen color) is really nice to knit with too. I'm going to love this project! (we'll think about assembly when the time comes...I don't want to spoil my enjoyment with such thoughts so early on).

Thanks, Jordana, for a great design! Thanks, Amy and Jillian, for another great book! Thanks Rob and Matt, for hosting the book launch party!

Wish me luck on getting it done by birthday/Rhinebeck time! (I think I can, I think I can, I think I can............)

Mom's 80th Birthday Bash / Kaitlyn too!

I'm finally getting around to writing about the wonderful fun-filled family weekend we had mid-February. For months my sister and brothers and dad planned a surprise for Mom's 80th birthday. Surprising her is not easy, believe me. If she gets the slightest little inkling that something is up, she's got it all figured out in a heartbeat. It can be quite annoying when you're trying so hard to put together a surprise! We didn't know if or how we would pull it off, especially since she said to Diane when she was here for Christmas, "You know, I'm expecting a surprise party for my birthday". C'mon....who says that? Mom, that's who. LOL

Things had already been in the works LONG before she said that. Luckily the out-of-town siblings were all able to make it here for the big day, and this time Diane's daughter Melissa was also able to come. Yay!

Diane and Melissa came in early on Friday morning. I picked them up from the airport. We had tossed around the idea of heading to Lansing that day, since our brothers weren't arriving until later in the afternoon. Snow had been predicted, but that didn't happen. So we decided to go for it. I have been wanting to see Rae's new store, and I hoped to meet up with Lynn there that day, but Lynn was not feeling 100% and I thought it better to not bother her, and let her rest. We decided to head to Threadbear first, since Melissa had not been there. Unfortunately Matt and Rob were not coming in til later in the day, so we missed them, (and the dogs). From there we went to Rae's. She wasn't there either, but I did get to finally meet and talk to Sharon who was working instead. I've been reading Sharon's blog for a couple of years now and I don't think our paths had ever crossed before that day.

The only thing I bought at Rae's were some new magnets for the back of my car. Along with my "YARNBOX" license plate, and my yarn/needles magnet, my new "k2tog" and "ssk" magnets look right at home. I'm sure the non-knitters who drive behind me are often scratching their heads wondering what it all means, but I figure those who need to know, do!

When we were done at Rae's, we decided we'd better get on the road since we had another 2 hours until we got to Andy's house. Andy was picking up Dave and Brian from the airport, then we were all meeting to surprise Mom. The plan was for Andy and his family to go out to dinner with Mom and Dad, but we were all going to be at the restaurant waiting for them. We got to the restaurant where Andy had made reservations, only to find it under construction! We promptly called Andy to tell him, and made alternate plans. Luckily the restaurant we chose was able to quickly set up a table for 14 for us and we all chatted for a while, waiting for the birthday girl to arrive.

I think that was the real surprise...that we were all there, on Friday. I think Mom was expecting something to maybe happen on Sunday, and so she was a little flabbergasted to see us all sitting there at the restaurant.

We ordered WAY too much food, but had a good time catching up. Then we went back to Andy and Karen's house, played Wii for a while, then split up for some sleep before the big day. We had planned a party for Mom on Saturday (which we had to tell her about, so we could get ready for it in the morning!) We had about 30 friends/family members gather for lots of good food, laughter and fun.

Once all the guests left, the kids were hanging out in the family room in the back of the house. Mom, Dad, me and my siblings were in the living room in the front. We caught up on some family history, and then started pulling things from our own memories, and really had a very special time reliving some things from the past. Good times!

Dave and Brian were leaving early the next day, but Diane and Melissa stayed until Tuesday. So we had a few days of hanging out before they had to leave. On Tuesday we left the house in time to hit a few yarn stores on our way to the airport. We went to the new City Knits in Mt. Clemens, Knotted Needle on Mack in Grosse Pointe Woods, and The Wool and the Floss in Grosse Pointe. Diane, Mom and I had tried to go to all 3 of these the day after Christmas when Diane was here but they were all closed. We were happy to check them out this time. I had been to Wool and the Floss before but the others were new to me.

So that was our fun weekend. It was really great to have the whole family together again. Mom loved her alpaca "Odessa" hat that I knit her. I had Kaitlyn and Jacob write letters to her as their gift. She really doesn't need any more "stuff" and I knew that would be special. They wrote about why they thought she was a special grandma, and some special memories they shared with her. She really enjoyed reading those. Mom got lots of gift cards from her friends and family, so I'm sure she'll have fun spending all of those!

Mom and Dad left for a trip to Florida just a couple of days after the party. They stayed most of the time with Mom's cousin, but made a trip down to Boca Raton to see Dave and his family, and on the way home will stop at Brian and Lori's house in Savannah. Actually they should be there right now, and leaving for home tomorrow I think. It was kind of funny, Brian and Dave flying up here for a few days for the party, only to find out that they'd be seeing Mom and Dad in their own houses in just a week or so.

Kaitlyn's Birthday

Kaitlyn's birthday is the same day as Mom's. She got a few gifts at Mom's party. Mom gave her a photo album that had pictures of the 2 of them taken on (or near) their shared birthday each year. Melissa had helped with this project, using her creative/crafty scrapbooking skills to embellish the pages. It was a very special gift. On Monday, we went to BD's Mongolian BBQ for dinner, where the waitress made her quite a "lovely" hat for her to wear during dinner.

Kaitlyn's camera bit the dust at Christmas and so we bought her a new one then as an early birthday present. She can't be without her camera! She definitely has her Grandpa's photographer genes, that's for sure. She takes some really great photos! Here are some pix that I took on her birthday:

Rhinebeck on my birthday!

I've been wanting to go to Rhinebeck (the New York Sheep and Wool Festival for anyone who doesn't know) for several years. I never could quite justify it. I was thinking I would try to go this year, and then when I went to the website and saw that Rhinebeck opens on my birthday, I knew that I had to make it happen. Especially since this is a momunmental birthday....I'm hitting the big 5-0,(EEK!) and what better place to do it than in the midst of fiber and friends. Yay!

So I've started looking at flights, and have lots of time to stash away some $$$ for fiber stash! (and travel, etc.) I have a very generous friend in CT who is going to get me from the airport, put a roof over my head, and accompany me to Rhinebeck. I have "known" Christine for 10 years, but it has been an online friendship, and I am so happy to be able to finally meet her in person. I am really hoping my other friend, Jane, who I've also known for several years, online, will travel to Rhinebeck this year too, because we have been very anxious to meet each other as well!

I also hope there will be others that I will be able to put a face to a name, etc. I'm quite excited.

I have started a Rhinebeck fund, and so far, in less than 3 weeks, I have been able to add $195....all of it is winnings from family poker games! I'm on a winning streak it seems, so I'm putting it away for the trip. I'm hoping to continue to add to the fund, while I'm sure it won't be at this rate. It's a nice start! I think I'll put a running total over on my sidebar. :-)

I taught another sock class this morning. All went well. It's a really fun group of ladies, and that always helps.

I'm still working on the socks I started when Diane was here. I'm done with the heels, and heading on up the legs, using the Beaded Rib stitch. I'm anxious to get them done and on my feet! I love 'em!

Still waiting for my Knitpicks order to show up with my new goodies.

Oh the excitement is in the air!

Yesterday Kim turned 25 (HOW did THAT happen?) and tonight we celebrated her birthday. She chose Ruby Tuesday as the place to go for dinner. I haven't been there in about 15 years. I just got the soup and salad bar, but I was stuffed when I was done. That was THE BEST salad I've had in a very long time, maybe EVER. I love salad. Love love love it. I just hate making it! I wish I could have someone prepare me a salad just like that every single day of my life. That would be so awesome!

Afterwards we came back here for cake and ice cream (which I did not eat, I was too full of salad!) and presents. Then Kim, Jake and I played a game of Phase 10 dice while Drew fell asleep on the couch, and Mike was not long behind him. Kaitlyn went out with friends tonight.

I can feel the buzz building....Christmas is just around the corner, and I am getting excited. I can't wait to see how the kids enjoy their day. I think it's going to be a great Christmas.

The past few months have been much more comfortable and secure, with Mike's new job. I am so thankful for that feeling of peace, instead of the dread in the pit of my stomach.

I got a lot done today, and just have a few more things to take care of before the "big day". I will be so glad when Christmas is here, and we are enjoying the fun of the day. Then I can look back and say it was all worth it. But at this point, I am just plain exhausted. Which is why I'm heading to bed right now.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...............

ps...Christmas knitting is pretty much finished. In order to not make myself crazy with stress, I told Kaitlyn that her mittens would be late. Hopefully I will get them done before school starts again on Jan. 3. If not, shortly thereafter. I hope everyone loves their handknits that did get done!

Fun Birthday/Weekend

My birthday itself was rather a busy, errand-running day, but I did get to have some fun in the evening. I met up with my knitting buddies at Borders, and Tam brought some homemade cannolis that were to die for. Thanks Tam....they were sure delish!

I bought myself a birthday present while I was there: More Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlotte Schurch.

My weekend started bright dark and early Saturday morning. I left the house about 7:15 for my 2 hour drive to Lansing. I was spending the day at Threadbear for their 3rd Annual Fall Festival. The shop was hopping the entire day....it's so fun to be in the midst of all that excitement! I brought socks to knit, and also brought my portable wheel. I was able to get both knitting and spinning done while I was there for over 8 hours. I also sold some goodies. I did a little better than last year, selling some bookmarks, orifice hooks, patterns, stitch markers, pens, etc. But no matter what, it's always great to be there.

One of the other vendors there was selling some gorgeous yarns and rovings she had dyed. I ended up getting a bag of superwash merino roving that I am going to try to spin for a pair of socks. It's from To Knit Perchance To Dream and it's appropriately called Last Leaves of Fall. Pretty, no?



I finally got a chance to meet Kristi....what a sweetie she is! And Kellie was working that day...I had originally met her in line at a Yarn Harlot book signing. It was nice chatting with her again too!

My friend Kim was there for a while, hanging out with me and one of the other vendors, Rebecca, who she's known and been friends with for a lot longer than me. Kind of fun that we were in the same place at the same time again this year. I originally met Rebecca at a similar event at Heritage Spinning and Weaving a few years back, and we both also did the Threadbear event last year.

After a fun day hanging out surrounded by tons of fibers, I drove home (in the dark, having missed out on a perfectly lovely, above average temperature, sunny fall day....but it was worth it). I was pretty exhausted when I got home just before 9pm, and was dozing at times while I did some laundry. I would have loved to just drop into my bed, but I had to get Kaitlyn and her friend from work at 11:30. They are ticket-takers at the haunted house/haunted hayride at one of the many orchards in town. What a fun job, huh? Not fun for those of us who have to pick them up at that late hour though. Oh well, it's just for this month, and she's loving it.

Sunday was my birthday celebration with my mom and dad, and Kim and Drew. Mike made dinner for all of us. Oh my, was it good. We had Beef Burgundy with homemade noodles, a loaf of bread fresh from the breadmaker, roast butternut squash, veggies and dip and mom's banana cake for dessert. Mike did all the shopping and cooking (except for the squash, which I made,and the cake, which mom made), did all the dishes during prep and after dinner, etc. It was just so nice to sit back and relax. Thanks Mike!

I got some great gifts for my birthday. Earlier in the week, my friend Jane sent me a package of goodies. I could feel there was fibery goodness in the package and I couldn't wait a few more days til my birthday to open it, so I tore in and found these goodies. A green Chibi, cute bumblebee tape measure, some great sock yarn from Lotus, and these two beautiful Zitron rovings. I can't wait to spin those rainbows! Thanks Jane!



Then on my birthday I got a Knitpicks gift certificate for my mom and dad. My plan is to put it towards a set of Options needles. I've wanted them for a long time, but was in no big hurry because I have 2 sets of Denise needles (one of which I am planning on selling, so if anyone is interested, send me an email soon, before I put them up on ebay). Thanks Mom and Dad!

Kim and Drew gave me a gift card to renew my XM subscription, which was just about to expire. And the cutest cell phone holder EVER. It cracks me up every time I look at it. I tried really hard to buy myself a pair of lime green Crocs (or knockoffs) all summer but every time I found them in lime, they didn't have my size. Maybe next year. Thanks Kim and Drew!



Diane sent my gifts home with my mom and dad when they were visiting her recently. She sent a great skein of Rio de la Plata sock yarn in a bright yellowy-green. It's got a funny story behind it. Several months ago, Rob from Threadbear had called me (knowing my fondness for all things green, and sock yarn, esp. RDLP sock yarn) telling me about this skein, and wanting to know if he should save it for me. At the time, funds were very tight, and I couldn't justify buying another skein of sock yarn. I was IM-ing with Diane, and told her about the phone call from Rob. She immediately emailed him and told him she would buy it for me for my birthday. I had completely forgotten all about the phone call until I saw the note on the yarn. Isn't she sweet? Diane also sent me a great green vase from a store called Blooms. She's always finding me something that's got "Bloom" on it, and I love that. The bag was tied with ribbon that said Blooms, and there was also a pen with their Blooms logo. So cute! Thanks Diane!





My friend Maria in California sent me a Starbucks gift card. I look forward to sipping a nice hot cup of Chai Latte while thinking of her. Thanks Maria!

Here is a picture of the felted pumpkin basket I gave to my friend/neighbor Donna on her birthday Friday. I kind of screwed up the increases but I think it still turned out ok. She loved it! I'm not sure if it was the pumpkin, or all the chocolate I packed into it. =)



All in all, it was a great few days!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Well, it's my last birthday that starts with a "4". EEK! I'm so old I was born in black & white!

I wish I could just hang out today, to sit 'n spin, or sit 'n knit. Unfortunately I have a lot on my plate over the next few days and need to get busy. I did get to spin 3 times in the past week though, which feels good after several months of the wheel(s) collecting dust.

Today I need to do some banking, run to the Secretary of State to get tabs for the plates on Mike's car (which is in the shop getting a new ball joint in preparation for being sold....we're wishing we had done this before the tabs needed to be bought, but oh well...I digress....)

I also have some more to do to get ready for Saturday at Threadbear's Fall Festival. I'll be bringing a bunch of my beaded stuff to (hopefully) sell. Even if it's not a huge money-maker, it's always a lot of fun to be there.

However, this visit to Threadbear will be somewhat somber. Connor passed away this week. Connor was one of canine members of the Threadbear family. She and Tate could always be found wandering around the shop, or settled in for a nap on the ottoman or elsewhere. She will be missed by many, but especially by Rob and Matt. If you will be stopping by Threadbear, be sure to give the guys some lovin', and give Tate an extra petting too. He's got to be missing his buddy as well. Sniff.

After creating more goodies for Saturday, I will be at Jake's school this afternoon for my weekly library duty. From there we'll finish up any errands I didn't complete earlier in the day, and we'll meet Mike at New Moon restaurant for my birthday dinner. We have somewhat of a tradition in our family of going out for Chinese for our birthdays. Usually we end up at Leong's in Chesterfield, but that is in the opposite direction from where I need to go after dinner....it's Thursday, so it's knit night with my buddies. I definitely don't want to miss THAT on my birthday!

Speaking of my knitting buddies...we have another sweet baby girl born to our group this week. Just about a month later than Deb's baby girl was born. I can't wait to sniff me some more baby head. Congratulations, Miri and Michael, on the birth of your beautiful baby girl! (who was born in color, I might add)

WHY didn't I have my camera???

I worked yesterday....a very busy day at the shop, but I loved every minute of it. I unpacked about 80 lbs. of yarn, entered it all into the computer, printed labels, got it all priced and shelved in a beautiful rainbow of colors. Sales were pretty good too, so I was exhausted when I got home. I am loving playing with the yarn again. I don't think I realized until yesterday how much I missed working in a LYS. Getting on the phone with Brown Sheep and Berroco, it's just FUN! Tina and Rebecca had rearranged the entire store on Thursday so I had to take the tour of all the changes when I came in the morning. Things flow much better now.

Mike didn't work yesterday so he had dinner waiting when I walked in, then I changed my clothes and we were off to a 50th Birthday Bash for the city of Warren, which is where my BIL/SIL live. There was a midway, art show, etc but we mostly were going for the free concerts (Blue Oyster Cult and Foghat) and the fireworks afterwards. It was a gorgeous night to be sitting and listening to (too loud) music and enjoying the fireworks.

All night I was wishing I had thought to bring my camera. OH MY did I see some interesting people last night. Old "rockers" who never left the 70s...too funny. And of course the carnival always draws quite a crowd of characters. The beer was flowing too, so that just adds to the people-watching enjoyment.

There was a guy there in a BRIGHT yellow suit jacket with the words "Spaghetti Man" graphically printed on the back. He also was wearing black pants cut off below the knees, and black shoes. Just in that getup he would have stood out. The entire night he did a crazy dance all through the crowd. He was quite a sight. I said to Mike at the end of the evening "is it any wonder that he's so skinny?" He must burn a ton of calories dancing like that for hours on end. Maybe THAT'S why he's Spaghetti Man. I just don't know. Oh, to be so carefree and not give a thought to what hundreds and hundreds of people are thinking of you as you just give in to your emotions and whims.

Update...I googled Spaghetti Man and found this article about him. I also found there are several videos of him on youtube.com at different music venues around the Detroit area. Who knew? He seems to be somewhat of a local celebrity!

Mike's nephew knows the guy who was running the midway, so he was able to get free wristbands for all the kids to ride as long as they wanted. All we had to do was buy an elephant ear in appreciation (why do those things cost $5 now? Dang!) So the kids had a blast....Mike (and my BILS)stayed at the BOC concert while I was at the midway with the kids and my SILs. After a couple hours I was ready to fall over, my knee was killing me, and I was ready to sit down and relax. When we got back to the concert, Foghat was playing, and that lasted about 90 minutes.

The fireworks were great! I saw some that I have never seen before and it was really enjoyable. That lasted over 1/2 hour. They played some great oldies during the fireworks, bringing back a lot of memories, especially of early in Mike's and my relationship. I love how a song can just bring you back in time. Sometimes the memories take you right to a frozen moment when you heard that song together. Anyway, the weather was perfect, the sky was clear, there was a gentle breeze, we were all singing along with the music.

Then it was the very long trek back to the car, (about a 15 minute walk) but like I said, the night was just gorgeous and besides being exhausted and my knee hurting me, it couldn't have been a better evening.

Today I am going to try to finish up the commissioned B4 Bag, and hopefully felt it this weekend. The lady wants longer handles though, so I have to gear myself up for yards and yards of I-cord. Not my favorite....Maybe if Mike goes to send off his brother to FL after his visit this week, I'll put on a movie and knit I-cord for a couple hours.

I have a couple of birthday gifts to get in the mail, so hopefully I can get those packaged up today or tomorrow and finally get them in the mail on Monday morning.

One of the recipients is Jane. Oh my, did she have a special birthday this week! The Yarn Harlot was visiting Atlanta, ON JANE'S BIRTHDAY! What a way to spend your special day! Not only that, but Stephanie had spun some great yarn a while back, and then donated it to a charity auction. (You can see that beautiful yarn by going to Steph's May 16th entry) Guess who won it! Yep, Jane! So she knit a scarf from yarn that was spun by Harlot, and wore it when she got in line to get her book signed. She ended up on Steph's blog, of course. It was 12 hours of knitterly-Harlotty birthday fun for Jane! Since she got several early birthday presents, and then such a GREAT birthday on Wednesday, I've decided to extend her birthday a little longer by sending a belated gift. Never mind that it's merely my procratination that is getting it to her late. I'll just say that it was my intent to get presents to her on the late end of the celebration to balance out the early presents she got. Yeah, that's what it was.

My mom and dad are on their way to South Dakota to visit my sister. Sure wish I was going too!