The Post Office Made Me Laugh

Today at the post office I overheard this conversation between the clerk and a elderly female patron.

Patron: who do I make this check out to?
Clerk: USPS, but the next one make it out to "Randy" (the clerk's name)
Patron: Oh goodness, that was my last check, but I would have been generous.
Clerk: Keep talkin' like that and I will follow you home!
Patron: oh my, I have a fiance' ! I am engaged to Jesus!
I have had two earthly husbands and I am done with teaching!

Elderly Male Patron standing in line: so, you lookin' for a Spiritual Man.

This made my day, my week and I hope to never forget the wise words of this woman.

Potholders and Colour Work

After seeing all the wonderful Potholders Swapped last year on Ravelry.
I decided to take the plunge and toss my name in the hat.
Crocheting is not my forte having very limited experience and being self-taught.
But I admit, I am enjoying making these very much. Am using Thaki Cotton Classic and Elan Sonata, and believe working with the abundance of colours available make the process even more enjoyable.
I have 4 completed out of the 5 required. It will be such fun to see what will be received. Part of the fun has been seeing all the incredible holders being hooked.




I have also recently completed my first Stranded Colour-Work. This is a gift for Meg's B-Day later this month.
This project was a challenge at first but persevered and am mighty pleased with the results.

Gifts for Liam

It has been pure enjoyment to hand-knit a few items for a new baby.
Can't make enough of these baby booties, such a fun pattern to work.

Pattern:Blue Steps
Needles: Size 1
Yarn: Lornas Laces Shepherd Sock
Colorway: Forest




Pattern: Master Charles Ear Flap Hat
Needles:Size 8
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Rialto held double.

Great pattern, great price, and quick project.

I Want to Be a Mermaid

While on Holiday last month, I revisited Weeki Wachee, one of those old, tatty, endearing, Florida Tourist Venues.



I have a great fondness for Weeki Wachee, for when last visited was 7 or 8 years old and fascinated by the lure of the "mermaids".

Having been one of those fortunate kids to grow up in the 60's and 70's with a backyard pool, my sisters and I practiced our Weeki Wachee somersaults relentlessly.

At my best I could achieve 10 rotations. I was 9.....



...I still want to be a mermaid.

A Dozen Dishclothes

Yes, I am knitting, just haven't felt like blogging.
Since these have been given to the recipient will post a wee bit about them.

I have never been a fan of handknitted dishclothes, disliked the wet noodle feel.
Prefer heft and scrub-ability when washing and wiping.
I searched all the databases looking for a pattern which would obtain the hand feel I was after.

Loved the Linoleum Dishcloth immediately. Quickly fell in like with the BallBand Dishcloth.

Decided to try both but downsized to a size 5 needle.
This created the feel I was looking for. Yes!

Other cloths were worked with stitch patterns from Harmony Guide Knit and Purl, always with a garter stitch border.


Pattern Source: Mason Dixon Knitting, Harmony Guide Knit/Purl Stitch Guide
Yarn: Peaches-Cream, Sugar-Cream, Lion Cotton
Needles: Crystal Palace Bamboo 5
For: Friend Jill

Take this and Add 17 more inches!

It has been snowing for 4 days.




We shoveled the drive twice this am, just to get to the office.




Thank goodness it waited until after the annual New Year's Day Shopping Trip to hit.

Hiding the "Stash"

Looks like an ordinary shoebox...but is it?


Oh my, is that possibly ....gulp....YARN!
Look at all that squishy, colorful, yarnyness.



I'll admit it.
I can not pass up a good deal and WEBS is fueling my addiction.

They had closeout pricing on all this Araucania Bulky and it begged to be worked up into hats for the nieces Christmas presents.

Don't all the girls you know want big, slouchy, tam style hats this season?

Though, I distinctly remember saying, I wasn't going to make knitted gifts this year.

After swearing Wendy to a blood sister pack to assist in the stashing , she whisked it home, swifted it into nice little cakes, and returned it in disguise.

You have to get fairly inventive regarding hiding your newest stash...when you live with a skinflint!

Ella

This is Ella, she is a Fawn Doberman Pinscher puppy and she belongs to Junie and Will.

They have opted for the humane treatment and are not getting her ears docked.



She is the most gangly, coltish puppy I have ever seen. She doesn't seem to understand that she will someday soon be 60 or so pounds and will not be able to curl up on Junie's lap.

Am not sure who will be the most disappointed....Ella or Junie?

Junie requested a photo shoot today so Ella photo could be proudly displayed next to Pearl at the shoppe.

Will had worn her out early in the day, so we only got very sleepy puppy photos.

No Jill, I wasn't in Wisconsin

We just returned from our annual vacation at the cottage.

How I wish we got up there more than once a season.
Counting the last 5 days I have been there at total of 8 days this summer.
Doesn't make sense when you pay the mortgage each month, to only spend that much time there.


Some new traditions this year included falling out of the hammock!



And Knee Boarding....yes, I did try it.
Got up and rode for oh.....1/4 of the lake.(all of 5 minutes, felt like an hour).

I just like to keep it real for the kids.




We didn't forget the old traditions though...
Plenty of "duck butting"



and a trip to the cottage would not be complete without at least 1 tow back to the dock.
We were having so much fun trashing the boys on the tubes, we....hummmm...ran out of gas!

Thank goodness of great lake neighbors.

This kind gentleman saw us stranded at the far end of the lake, came from his house and towed us back.
He didn't even bother to uncover his boat completely.



Of course, my favorite past time was shooting pics of sweet kids.

They are growing up so fast, Dan and I just hope we get to spend at least a few more vacations with them, before they figure out we are just not all that.

Photo Shoot 2009

Girls/Photoshoot Weekend 2009



Ok, I may be biased but doesn't she take a great photo!



I think we shot 127 of them.



This could be my favorite!

Roadtrip to Texas

Every 5 years or so Dan's mother's family holds a Family Reunion.

This event was held in Texas this past week.

Did you know that Texas is in the midst of a heat wave, that they haven't had any significant rainfall for 3 years.
Did you also know that in the Texas Hill Country temps can reach 110 degrees in July.

You have now been forwarned regarding the perils of traveling to Texas in the summer

We decided to roadtrip from Michigan, we both love roadtrips, we pack the car, pack the cooler and head out early in the morning.
We tried to leave before dawn (it reminds us both of those childhood roadtrips) but we got away just as it was breaking.

It was my choice to what route we would follow.
I routed us via Springfield, IL so we could stop at the new Lincoln Museum.



This museum is worth the stop, it chronicles Lincoln from a small boy,



through his White House days.



We then grabbed a quick cooler lunch and hit the road to St. Louis.



My father has slides of the Arch being built, it was great to be able to stand under it.
It was in the high 90's and at least an hour wait to go up, so we opted out.

My photos of the Arch are my favorite of the trip.



The first night in Texas a party was held at the 4 Season in Austin to celebrate the the 50th Wedding Anniversary of the Boothbys and LaCourts.



One of the Texas cousins lives high up in the limestone hills of Wimberly, the photos don't really convey how steep, rocky and hilly this is. The bridge connects the house to the swimming pool and basketball courts for there is no flat lawn areas.



Texas Longhorns, what can I say. You're in Texas you must find some Longhorns to photograph.

It was a fun trip and great to see everyone, the Texas families were wonderful hosts.

And I loved catching up on my reading and sleeping on the way home.

p.s. Can I tempt you with a Texas dashboard taco? Anyone.... Greggy?

Arrowhead Wrap

No excuses for not updating since June 8th.
Let it just be said, the summer is not conducive to blogging.

I have started a new knitting project and here is a tiny peak.

Project Details:
Arrowhead Shawl,originally published by Interweave Knits, Spring 2006
Available as a free download from Knitting Daily

Yarn: Reynolds Sea Wool in Colourway 1030
Needle: size 8

And oh yeah, it is 90 degrees today with no breeze and a heat index of 96 degrees, summer has finally hit and with a vengeance!
Perfect for knitting with wool!

Busy Times

Allium bulgaricum
Syn: Nectaroscordum siculum.
Clusters of pendant, greenish-white florets, strongly flushed purple and edged in white. height 36". Hardiness Zones: 6-10.

The Spring goes so quickly when you are busy running a small garden shoppe.

Most customers assume that I have wonderful flower gardens, and I hate to disappoint them, but I always have to say....I used to.

I spend on average 60 hours a week between the shoppe and the greenhouse. I have several clients that I do custom container plantings and that takes up most evenings.

The last of the custom works gets delivered next week and the schedule opens up a tad more.

But never enough time to garden in my own backyard.

Insert "Big Sigh" here.

The above photo was snapped last week when all the alliums were blooming in what is left of my Perennial boarders.

Thanks goodness for the bulbs I planted years ago before I owned the shoppe.
While other perennials have been choked out by crabgrass and thistle, the bulbs always hold their own.

Happy Sweet 16!

Happy Birthday Little Miss Em and Em
Though I am telling you, you should still be 5 years old! 6 at the most!
You know the older you get, the older I get Little Missy!

Hmm....I think you look about 20 here in this photo.
Oh My!

Connor's Graduation BBQ

Random Shots from Connor's Party.
It was a great afternoon we had perfect weather, wonderful food and good company.


Connor with the 1st of his gifts, a computer bag.


Em getting Bare Essentials from Nana for her birthday.


Just a great snap of Gracie and Drewsey.
Grace has been a lifesaver this last week at Green Wellies, don't think I could have made it without her. Happy Birthday Gracie!
Yes, we have alot of B-Days in May!

The first of which is this guy's who turned 77 on the 4th.
Happy Birthday Papa!

Sad, Hard, Week

We lost a dear friend this last Sunday, he was a kind and gentle man who loved his girls immensely.
We are all trying to recover, but don't know if that is ever really possible.



Please keep this dear child and her sisters in your thoughts and prayers, and maybe she will once again be able to breath.

Blooms.....No Stitches

There are many things I appreciate about my hour commute each day

1. Time in the am to prioritize my day.
2. Time in the pm to zone out.
3. The only time I have to talk to best friends and sisters/niece without being interrupted with "do we have any ketchup?"...."do you know where______ is?" Not that he doesn't try!
4. NPR...love, love, love, NPR
5. Choices...I have several routes I can travel. I can mix it up and not get stuck in the same routine.
6. The Countryside...it always offers up something new. Last week it was this...Peach, Cherry, Pear and Apple trees in Bloom!

Am back at the shoppe full time, I believe I was there 14 hours yesterday. That is "spring rush" in the garden shoppe business.

So, no knitting, though I still carry it with me everyday thinking I may have 5 minutes to pull out the needles.
But, alas, the same 3 rows of my newest project have been in my bag for the last 4 weeks.

Feast your eyes on these spring blooms instead.

Ira Glass

We went to the live broadcast of "This American Life" last night.
This was a live presentation of my favorite PRI radio show that was shown in movie theatres across the country.

It was the best and quickest 90 minutes I can remember ever having.
I did not want it to end.
When Ira Glass was ending the show with the credits I looked at Dan and said....I don't want it to be over.

It was announced that they will be rebroadcasting it on May 7th.
go to This American Life for more info.

Don't miss it!

Ira Glass, what can I say. ummm....tasty!

Hello Bunnies!

After their photo shoot the bunnies all found new homes.





This one reminds me of 'Rabbit' from Winnie the Poo. Something about the expression and the elongated body. Papa always called Mallory, Mallory Rabbit when she was a wee one so, this went home with her.



Just a few of the eggs.



Happy Easter everyone!