Stick a fork in me because I'm done for the Summer

I am not going to do one more bit of work until I go back to work the last week of August!
We had a party yesterday to celebrate my daughter's 23rd birthday and GRADUATION from college. So from 4 in the afternoon until about 4 in the morning when I shooed the last stragglers upstairs to go to sleep or at least get out of my range of vision we had a house full of people!

This was the first time since Bob got sick and passed last summer that we have had a big party either outdoors or inside. The weather was just perfect, warm enough to be pleasent, dry but not so hot that everyone wanted to be inside. My kids and I are blessed with wonderful friends and family who helped set up, clean up and lent us whatever we needed! Everyone seemed to have a great time. Everyone ate and drank lots but today I have enough food to start another party! Next time I'm going to estimate what I need and then get half!

For the next two weeks before I go back to school I am going to knit, read the last Harry Potter book, have friends over for quiet little lunches, and go to the beach. I am not going to paint, scrap or sand anything! NOR am I going into Lowes, Home Depot or Costco!

I did finish my garterlac dish cloth and I made a little scrubbie out of the leftover yarn to go with it. I have two sweaters and a vest I want to finish by the time it is cool enough to wear them.

Called in too tired to do more!

On Thursday my friend and I were painting until about 12:00 midnight---just TOO much for me. So Friday I called in too tired to myself to do more work and I've given myself the weekend off! Friday morning I took my sewing machine and went to a knitting friend's house to quilt. I worked on machine quilting one of two baby blankets I'm making for a friend at work having twins. I did some quick shopping then in the afternoon I took a long nap then did some knitting spaced with some cleaning up.

Saturday, I went into Queens for the Baby shower of the mom having the twins, with the quilts NOT finished. I didn't have the fabric I wanted to bind them off and Rags a local craft store has closed so I went to JoAnns another fabric shop and if the sorry quilting fabrics they had available says anything they will be the next to go! I try to shop locally but right now if I don't take a nearly 45 minute to hour drive I can't get anything but the most dated tired looking fabrics. So I'm back to online shopping!

After the baby shower I visited with a few other women I used to work with. They are much younger then me and one is also pregnant with twins! I have so many baby gifts to get out and now they all seem to be doubling! Today is my birthday so there was a luscious cake and a nice barbecue.

Today I am going down to the shore with my kids to be with my family for my birthday. My sister who is currently living in California is visiting with her family so we will all be together. If all this eating and cake stuff continues, I'm afraid to get back to WW this week.

Every time I sit down I'm working on a sweater in Polare a bulky tube like yarn on size 17 needles. They feel like logs after all the socks I've been doing BUT it sure does move fast!



Sa

Finally got to knit on my patio after using the grill!

On May 23rd I bought a new Weber Grill to use on my new patio. Well there was one delay after another and what could go wrong did go wrong. After much hoopla,(gas line destroyed during patio construction) I had to convert the grill from Natural Gas to Liquid Gas. The store where I purchased the grill ( also the place where I got the wonderful fan/freezer!) told me that Weber grills do not convert BUT the Weber Grill hotline was so helpful. MY GRILL does convert and a very helpful women sold me the parts and convinced me that I could do it. Yesterday afternoon when I was crawling around under the grill in 90+ degrees screwing and unscrewing and soaping up joints to look for leaks I was not really sure. I almost called her back to invite her to visit me and do it herself "while she was here!" BUT I got it completed and we actually used the grill last night. Just a simple meal, barbecued chicken, corn on the cob and my version on my grandmother Italian style Rattatoui. While the chicken was cooking I actually sat down and worked on my new sweater from Polare from Plymouth.

Tonight is Caroline's last college class for her degree. She had to drop this speech class last winter when she had her hernia operation. It is hard to believe how much has changed since last year. Last year at this time Bob was on hospice in the nursing home and we were getting the house ready for him to come home . He would be so pleased to see Caroline and all the changes we did to the house. I still miss him.

My friend is coming over for another marathon painting day. After today I am throwing in the towel until the fall. I'll do little things but I just am not doing anymore "day labor" . After this most of what I need to do can be done in chunks during cold afternoons in the winter!

Went Yarn Shopping!

Yesterday while I was minding my own business doing errands, a knitting & quilting friend of told me that another friend was making a last minute run to a yarn shop that was closing after 32 years in business. Everything was on sale for 1/2 price SO how could I resist? We did a quick run in and I got yarn for at least three sweaters. I got some Polare by Plymouth which has to be years old but just what I need right now. I started a sweater last night with it. The yarn is huge and knits up on size 17 needles which is just what I need to rest my hand after my sock marathon. It's a nice olive color. AND I got a ton of red yarn to make a sweater or two and a few other odds and ends. Now I really need to STOP spending or I'll be living in my car soon.

Today I am continuing my painting marathon and really hoping to complete it. Just a few ceilings and about a million doors and miles of trim to go!

Went to Michigan and back!

I took a quick trip to Whitelake, Michigan to go to my nephew's graduation party and see where my brother and his family moved. They have a delightful home and seem to be in a lovely area. When I heard prices etc. all I could think was WHY am I still in NJ?
We went into Detroit Sat. morning and walked on the Riverview, while some of the guys went to a train show and on Sunday we went on a few pontoon boats on Whitmore Lake. I don't do lake swimming so I sat around and got a sun burn and ate junk food!
In all this traveling I did get my sockapalooza socks done. I use Tofutsies sock yarn. This is a blend of wool, soysilk, cotton and chitin actually made from shrimp and crab shells. It does feel nice BUT was one of the most miserable yarns I have ever worked with. It was splitty, and slippery and totally irritating. I was trapped in the car a total of TWENTY HOURS so I finished these socks but I'll never use this stuff again! It was such a pleasure to cast on with STR again!

Maytag Saga continues!

Last week I received a phone call from a delightful women from Whirlpool Customer Service scolding me for not responding to her call to me canceling the servicing on my "new refrigerator". When I said "What call, I never received a call, I have an appointment for Wed." I was briskly informed, "Don't tell me that, I called you, my boss is right here!" I'm still a bit baffled as to how that proves she made the call. I was informed that she "does not have service people in my area SO my service was being canceled!" This is from the same women who made the original appointment. NOW, even in this range of delightful service how is this my fault?
Well, I had to call Maytag back and after much switching and waiting and BS I got a coveted appointment for this morning. The service man was here and he very politely informed me that the freezer is not really working well because I have food on the shelf in front of the fan. I had to have him repeat this several times because I had a hard time understanding that the top shelf (which is the largest space) is designed as follows, the left third is taken up by the ice maker, the middle third is reserved for the FAN and I can actually use the space on the right side, the smaller bottom shelf and the two shelves on the door. Oh, I can actually place a few items, maybe like a small pack of peas on the shelf under this wonderful fan. So my freezer will work perfectly if I don't use most of it.
I pointed out to this man that I am not new to the planet and at 56 have owned other freezers. I was told that this is a new improved model and very energy efficient! His suggestion was to buy a small freezer chest. YEAH RIGHT I'm going to run right back and do that! I just hope I don't need to buy more IMPROVED models soon! The finale of this service call was being told that in the first three months they don't charge for "customer education" calls but after that if I need help determining how much of the freezer is not available for use they will charge me.

You can't make this stuff up!!!!!!!

Maytag Should Get A New Commercial!

I didn't buy my new refrigerator based on the commercial but that image of the lonely repair man certainly stuck in my mind. WELL, my NEW 5/23/07 refrigerator is not working. My ice cream melted and the ice maker is leaking. (Plumber says it is the unit not the connection!) so I called for service, WELL they are very busy and can't get to me for TWO WEEKS!!!, when I said I could not wait that long the first suggestion was to move my frozen items to my OTHER freezer, Gee poop, I only have one right now. The other brainstorm suggestion was to borrow a refrigerator for a few weeks. NOT TOO MUCH trouble. When I protested that I would just take the refrigerator and put it on the front steps of the store that sold it to me, I was given Whirlpool to contact. After much run around with them, where I was told they ARE VERY BUSY I was given a local service authorized by them with ONLY a five day wait for service! AND Gee Lucky Me, I can't have a time appointment, they will call me between 6:30 & 7:00 the morning of the service date and give me a two hour "window" then call me 1/2 hour before actually showing up just in case they are "early or late". HOW convenient! I guess I can get some knitting in! You can't make this stuff up!

Finally Got to Knit Today

Today I had a DR apt. I took my sock in homes of having some knitting time but the Dr was running exactly on time and I whizzed in and almost out. He noticed that I haven't had a bone density test so they asked me to wait a half an hour to get one. I was thrilled!!! I almost finished my sock before going back to day labor at my house! Nothing is finished but I keep starting new projects. On Sat. I am going to work on finishing up what I can and bringing back some order to this house. I was supposed to go to a Harry Potter event with friends at Barnes and Noble tonight but I had to drive the plumber home and there were already 750 people in the store by the time I got there so even though my friends had a bracelet for me I could not get in. Oh Well, I'll go to bed early and maybe have the place back in shape by Sunday night!

I HATE WALL PAPER

I have NEVER put up wall paper but I have had the opportunity to take down acres of the stuff. When we moved into our house (more years agon then I want to admit) almost everyroom was wall papered. Yesterday and the day before I removed THE LAST of it. I make a firm promise to NEVER put any up and I'll never buy a house with it again.

Today I should start the fun part. My friend is coming to help me again and we should be able to start painting the livingroom dining room area. We are using a brick red for an accent wall then a cavern (mossy)green and a creamy color called of all things pony tail! I got these colors by taking my favorite dish to Lowes and matching up the colors. I've never had these colors in my living room before but I must like them because I have TONS of fabrics in these colors and my dishes will look great with them.


My son is also coming to do some outside work and start the wainscotting in the kitchen. I'm working my way down my to do list.

I've finished another baby quilt and I NEED to get my Sockapaloza socks done soon. I have knitting friends coming over next week so hopefully I will get some time to knit!

Hey, Where did time go?

I can't believe that it is already July 15th! Time sure flies when I am on vacation. I spent last week taking a class in a school right on the river near where the Twin Towers used to be. A great location, boring class.
I'm continuing my home improvement marathon and this weekend between Caroline and I (mostly me) the yard is organized, all the unused pavers put in a neat spot, all the junk from the projects waiting to be picked up AND THE PATIO is finished. Caroline and I and her friend had the inaugural dinner out there today. Not a barbecue because that is still not hooked up!
Last weekend I painted the steps coming in the house from the back yard and painted the 1970's paneling. I hung all my quilted wall hangings that don't really fit in somewhere else in the house and hung some handmade Shaker peg hangers that I've been looking for a spot for in my house since we moved here. I draped my shawls on them. Right now this is my favorite spot in the house.
Next week I'm picking out colors to repaint the living room dining room area and then on the repainting the soap kitchen. THEN stick a fork in me I'll be done. (Except for all the ceilings and my real kitchen left to paint) I should just go back to work and take a rest!
Knitting wise I'm going slow, I'm finishing up STR Mustang SOmething or another socks and the silk garden sweater is haunting me BUT not very effectively.

July 3rd

I keep meaning to post on this blog but then I do other things and at the end of the day I still have not posted!!!! I received several GREAT swap boxes and took pictures of them but now the camera is missing so no photos.
I have not been knitting much BUT my garden is looking great. I've spent days yanking and pulling grass from my flower beds. a few years ago the people who take care of the lawn reseeded without covering the beds and I had better grass in my beds then the lawn. BUT now the beds look the way I want them. I lost lots of my perennials in neglecting the garden these last few years so I was able to add lots of plants and still have room for more. I also dragged and wheeled out so much brush from my yard that the entire street front of the house if bordered by a line of it waiting to be picked up by my town at their convenience!
The patio project seems to be nearing completion and I think I am going to love it. Next year I plan to have tons of fill brought into the yard and have real grass replanted. Right now I'm just out of time and money.
Yesterday I had to take my mother into NYC for a small medical procedure SO I had some knitting time. I have to complete the left front one sleeve and part of another sleeve and then the finishing of my silk garden sweater. I'm just loving how it is coming out. I need to stop working outside so long that I collapse at night and leave myself some knitting time.

Virtual Vacation Swap

. If you could visit any state in the US, which would it be and why? I would like to visit Hawaii. My son lived there for a while but I was never able to get out to visit.
2. If you could visit any country in the world, other than your own, which would it be and why? I would go to Australia because my sister lived there for a while and both my kids visited but I never got to go AND I've heard So much about it. (Is there a theme going in this?)
3. Have you ever driven across several states/providence/countries? I've driven to Fla from the NJ/NY area many times as a child and several times as an adult. I used to travel weekly to Vermont during ski season years ago from New York City.
4. Have you ever visited someplace you consider exotic? No, I've been to England, France, And Italy as well as several Caribbean islands but never to a really exotic place. I would like to go to Bali and India. I've read about both places and would love to experience their vastly different cultures.
5. What was your favorite "travel" vacation? I loved visiting my father's family in Italy. It was wonderful connecting to to these relatives and living in Italy as an Italian for a brief time!
6. Have you ever played tourist in your own home city/state (if international, country)? Explain. I currently live in NJ but I grew up in NYC. I've had friends and family (family from Italy, my sister's friends from Australia) come into NY and taken them to all the tourist attractions in NY.
7. Are you a museum visitor, beach comer or an amusement seeker? I love beaches and museums. I loved going to all the famous museums in London when I was there. I used to go to the museums in NYC regularly BC (before children). My family has a house at the beach and I've been able to walk to a beach almost all my life. So living with sand and surf boards does not seem like a vacation to me.
8. What's your favorite type of yarn? wool and wool and silk blends

9. What's your least favorite type of yarn? scratchy, crinkly yarns of any content

10. What items do you like to knit/crochet? I love to knit socks, and I'm getting back into sweaters but I've knit just about everything but a cat bed!

11. What do you pack, knit/crochet wise when you go on vacation? Socks
12. What other crafts do you do/would like to do other than Knit/Crochet? I quilt, do red work, wool applique.

13. Are you allergic to anything? (Yarn wise or treat wise) Iodine!

14. What is your favorite color? Least Favorite? I love blues, greens and red. I'm not a yellow or orange person.

15. Sweet or Savory (Treat not personality)? Sweet

16. Anything else we are forgetting to ask that you think your partner desperately needs to know?

I live in New Jersey

Getting Out from Under

I have not posted recently, I have not sent out boxes to my fellow swappers, I've barely knit. I get up in the morning, go to work , WORK all day , go home and jump into bed.
In the last few weeks, Bob would have had his 58th birthday, we would have celebrated out 25 Wedding Anniversary and I have so many memories of first dealing with his terminal illness at this time last year and one of my aunts died. The work at my house has hit a depressing snag and I've been feeling sad and over whelmed.
Yesterday, my son called me and asked if my daughter and I would come down to the beach to be there for Father's Day with him. I guess I had planned to say home and be sad. Well, I went swimming, got sunburned, had a nice dinner within my points(WW) and spent the day surronded by my family and my kids' friends. I need to get back to doing things which make me feel good. SO if I owe you a box or anything else I'll try to get it all done this week!!!!!!

Monday Memorial Day

I can't believe it's already Monday! I've been BUSY all weekend. Tuesday the patio project starts so the driveway has 5 tons of crushed stone dust and 5 pallets of pavers and edgers. It also appears that the one piece of plumbing that was not replaced during the huge bathroom redo has failed SO if you use my tub or shower you also water the back yard! Fortunately, the water is leaking exactly where the patio is being built. If the concrete was still there the leak might have gone undetected for a long time. My brother is arranging the work so I know he'll take care of it!

Because the plumbing might have to be reached from the crawl space OR the wall of the soap kitchen which backs up the bathroom I had to do a major clean out of the soap kitchen. I don't know what gene in me makes me save each and every scrap of junk that gets into my hands. It's a good thing I cleaned out this room before I died or my kids would have brought me back to life to do it!!

SO, today I am taking it easy, meeting friends for lunch then having a friend and her daughter come over. I plan to knit and relax.

Mommy Questions!

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? No
2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? I was not married when I got pregnant but I was married when my son was born.
3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? Shocked, my husband had a condition which was supposed to keep him from having children!
4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? OK for other people but not an option for me at that time.
5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 31
6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? I was so sick in the morning that I went to a DR, thought I had a flu!
7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? My husband.
8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? Did not have the option then!
9. DUE DATE? Jan.15, 1983
10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? YES YES and YES
11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? nothing
12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? Nothing I was very happy.
13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? Male
14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? Yes, I had always dreamed of having two daughters.
15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY? too many!
16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? I had 2. One for my family and one at work.
17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? They were both a surprise.
18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? Yes
19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Beth Isreal Medical Center in NYC
20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? about 36 hours
21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? My husband
22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? My husband
23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? C-Section
24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? Not until the end, my son was transverse and face up. Some how he turned during my labor and needed to be delivered by section!
25. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 7 lbs. and 12 oz.
26. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN? Jan.2,1983
27. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Steven Alexander
28. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY? My son turned 24 this winter. It is so strange to realize that he is a man not a kid anymore.

Here's My Stash

I spent some time last weekend reorganizing my yarn collection. Doesn't calling this ever growing mass of wool a collection sound better then the S-- word? I collect other things without much hope or need of really using them. I have more cups, china and pottery pieces then I'll ever use and let's not ever go into the old pieces of lace, napkins, doileys, etc. or the books!

I used to store extra holiday dishes etc. in this closet but now my goal is to move all the yarn from it's hiding spots in the house to this closet. OR at least most of it. There are two other main storing(hiding) spots in this house, and one is on the floor that Caroline is converting into her living space. I need to empty that room before she does it for me! I wind up buying things that I already have just because I can't find them!

Thank you Secret Pal 10

I must have the bestest secret pal around. She send me another just wonderful box. TWO skeins of sock yarn from a company new to me, Online supersock 100. Great colors in greens and reds,I was just admiring yarn like this with two strands plied together and thinking that I have not knit with that type of yarn in a while, and more really useful little items like a memo pad shaped like my initial, a cute plastic container, point protectors, a book mark and a delightful pattern with a Hawaiian theme. I'll show that to my son today and see if he is familiar with the place it remembers. And I've already used the oven mitt and pretty yellow tea towel baking scones and muffins this morning.
SO thanks again and enjoy Mother's Day.

My bags are packed, I'm ready to go!

I'm leaving this evening to go to Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. I've been wanting to go for a few years but the last few years I've taught a Sat. Knitting Club in May and June and could not take the day off. This year I was talking about going with a few people but never really made plans and then realized last Tuesday that I only had a few days left to arrange something. No one was able to go at my Tuesday knitting group BUT then I got a phone call that someone had canceled from another group of friends and I could take her place!

I said yes immediately and I'm leaving today and I'll be back on Sunday. All I know is that we are staying with someone's friend and I'm not driving. My daughter is taking care of the animals and my house and I am off. Usually, I plan and anticipate everything so this is a nice change for me. Hopefully the weather is nice and I'll have a chance to find some spectacular things to send to my Secret Pal 10, my coffee swap pal and my sockapalooza pal who does not want a wool pair of socks!(too bad I have more wool sock yarns then I've live long enough to knit!)

Coffee Swap 2 Questions!

1. Whole bean or ground? I really prefer whole beans if possible.

2. Fully-loaded or decaf? ONLY fully-loaded!
3. Regular or flavored? I do sometimes drink French Vanilla or Hazelnut but I usually don't care for the more exotic flavors except the spicy ones in the winter.
4. How do you drink your coffee? Black with no sugar.
5. Favorite coffee ever? I don't really have a favorite, I have used A&P whole beans most of my life from convenience but I've enjoyed many other varieties.
6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do? When you drink coffee black there is no fooling around so I will drink it if there is no other option but I avoid no name cheapee coffee.

7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee? Scones and muffins which is why I've joined Weight Watchers!
8. Anything else about your coffee preferences? I'm easy to please and love to try new things.
9. Yarn/fiber you love? I love wool and any blend with silk in it.
10. Yarn/fiber you hate? I hate stiff rough yarn regardless of its content.
11. What's on your needles? STR socks, a noro entrelac vest, and a sweater from noro silk garden are active. I have others that are resting and waiting a turn!
12. Favorite colors? I love blues, greens and red.AND purples. I avoid neon colors and usually don't care for orange or brown.
13. Allergies? Iodine which I'm sure will not be an issue!
14. Anything you really love, really don't like, or just need to get off your chest?
I really enjoy receiving new items in swaps and trying out ethnic or local items.

Got My New Socks That Rock Club Package!

Right now I'm going through a part of the school year that I find boring, full of paperwork without the excitement of either planning for the new school year yet or the challenge of seeing how things really worked out. SO, I was plowing through yet another mound of paperwork and I thought that a new shipment of STR was due and there it was when I got home. It was a rainy, nasty day here in NJ but the priority pack was just the brightest spot in my day.

I really like this new shipment. It is a bit different from the other ones AND comes with a toe up pattern. Somehow I think that the silk in this sock will let it jump the line and get started next. AND I think I might even follow the pattern exactly! Or as exactly as I can.