Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Tuesday Sky


In keeping with Sandy's sky pictures here's my Tuesday afternoon version . It was just a gloriously beautiful day to take Bingo for a long walk along the river . Sunshine , fresh air, a bright blue sky and golden leaves were just what I needed to lift my spirits . Bingo , the lucky dog , must have thought he hit the jackpot with the multiple walks today . He was so tired when we got back he went straight to the water dish and then just flaked right out on the couch .


Casey called me this evening to tell me that I'll probably be an Oma sometime in the next ten days. Chantal had her doctor's appointment today and if the little guy hasn't made an appearance by this weekend , he'll probably induce her on Oct. 9th . I can 't wait to meet our first grandchild . I couldn't imagine myself saying that when I was younger , I mean that would mean that I'd be old . It's funny how the definition /perception of old changes as we get older ourselves . As I approach sixty (eeks) I'm thinking 'ah it's not so bad I'd have to be at least 85 to be truly old '. It seems to me it really IS that you're only as old as you feel , but the challenge is to figure out how to stay young @heart no matter what your chronological age . All this to say that I really , really don't feel old enough to have a 31 year old son , I must have had him when I was just a babe


There's no knitting progress to show really . I always seem to hit a wall whenever I get close to finishing any project. Boredom sets in and I just can't seem to get the last little bit done . Though this time it's partly due to a constant pain in my right shoulder . It 's so annoying because that baby blanket needs to be finished real soon , like October 9th soon . I can manage to knit in short spurts , but then it starts to hurt like h**l . It's making me just a tiny bit cranky . I have my annual checkup / tuneup next month , we'll see what the doctor/mechanic recommends . Hope it's not to stop knitting , because then I'll be really cranky.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Young@Heart Sing Coldplay (visit www.ezdreambiz.com)

I rented the movie Young @ Heart . It's about a senir chorus that cover rock songs . They're amazing and the movie was funny , inspirational , touching and life affirming . This particular song (Coldplay's Fix You ) resonates so much with me . The singer Fred Knittle just has the most wonderful voice . I dare you not to be moved by it . Despite the sad tone of this song the movie is not like that at all , rent it if you can ,you won't regret it ...

Friday, September 19, 2008

The week in brief

Because I'm kind've blank right now thought I'd give you a brief round-up of this week .

Knitting is progressing , albeit slowly . There's not been much progress on the sock or the baby blanket , hence no photos . Thank you all for the compliments on my finished socks . It's much appreciated .

The weather is gorgeous , perfect if you ask me. The days have been sunny and nights cool , truly beautiful fall weather.

We've had a couple of nice family dinners and get togethers since my father arrived . We celebrated Casey's birthday on Tuesday , Chantal made an exceptional dinner and then all her family came over for coffee and to have some birthday cake .

Chantal is fine. She's feeling like most expectant mothers feels at this stage of their pregnancy - a mix of when is this baby going to get here and wondering how the actual birth will be. She looks absolutely gorgeous , pregnancy becomes her. We're all waiting for THE phone call and anxious to see the little guy.

This last bit of news of my week isn't as good as all of the above. Marie had to be rushed to the hospital yet again . More of the same, they try and prolong her life, because that's what they do, but she's getting weaker each day. It breaks my heart to see her like this . Her doctors started to administer low dose morphine yesterday , so I'm not sure what that means as far as going home again . I've been going over to see her as much as I can . One day at a time ....

Getting ready for the week-end and more birthday celebrations next week (Max and the next day my Dad ) .

Have a good week-end ....

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

My weekend...





in short.....






A completed pair of socks : Eleanor socks .



New socks on the needles : Broadripple being knit up with brand new , hot off the plane, yarn gifted to me by my father . He arrived from Austria on Sunday afternoon instead of Monday as expected . Long story about crossed wires , miscommunication , actually he gave us the wrong date in his letter , which I can't find to prove my point, but all 's well that ends well . We're thanking our stars that he thought to give us a quick call on Saturday a.m . otherwise he would have had a bit of wait at the airport . You never saw anyone clean a house and finish up a guest room so fast . I'm still breathless ....


Here's some of what else came back with him , chocolates and more sock yarn for me . Yay !
All this is resting on a gorgeous embroidered Christmas table cloth . My step mom sent each of the girls one as well . She didn't do the embroidery but each cloth has a crochet edging which she did do .


Does it get any better !



Friday, September 12, 2008

Another one bites the dust...

Another week , that is . I can't believe that's it's Friday already . The days go by in a flash , I guess it's a sign of old age creeping up on me. It seems to me that this time flashing by thing started once I became a mother and the older I get the quicker time goes by .





I've been gearing up for my Dad's annual visit . He'll be arriving from Austria on Monday . He'll have a bed to sleep in but the room 's not quite ready . It seems we have what Mike calls renovation creep . Start one renovation project and before you know it , it's taking over the house and eating up the contents of your wallet . I don't want to break the news to him quite yet , but it's not over , more coming next year ....



Speaking of almost -not-quite-done-projects , I 'll show you my blueberry Eleanor socks . What's holding them up , you ask , when they're >< ( this close) to being done ? The answer would be that sweet little baby bootee that just had to be cast on and of course , that blinding orange baby blanket, still on the needles only slightly larger . I just love it , but I have to tell you that the reason there's still only one , is because knitting it is fun but the sewing it together and weaving in the ends is just so fiddle faddle , it drives me crazy . If this wasn't for our first grandson I'd have pitched it . Finishing is not my strong suit, can you tell ?



Well the weekend weather forecast calls for rain and more rain . A good time for finishing no end of indoor projects, large and small ...

Have a nice weekend !

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

A small world

I'm having a lazy day today . I've been knitting on the baby blanket and the blueberry socks , I'm getting there with the second sock . I've been going through my ravelry queue trying to decide what to cast on for next . Decisions , decisions !

The weekend went by so quickly . On Saturday we made a spur of the moment decision to head down to Burlington for the Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival . We'd gone for brunch with the kids so we left late and took the long scenic route down from Montreal , big mistake . We got there fairly late in the day ,too late to make entering the site worthwhile , added to that, it was raining . To say I was disappointed would be putting it mildly , but Mike being the outstanding husband that he is , had seen a little yarn shop( Kaleidoscope Yarns ) just down the road from the festival site and suggested that we have look in there . Yup , he willingly went into a yarn shop with me . He's really polishing up his halo...

It really is a small world . While at Kaleidoscope yarns I ran into a couple of knit bloggers . Sandy , whose blog I read regularly and who is every bit as nice in person as she is on her blog . Also Norma and Paula who was down from Ottawa . Paula is the designer of the Corrugator scarf pattern which I've knit up a couple of times . Also there was another Montrealer Lee Ann with her husband and daughter . After chatting with them for a bit I did a little stash enhancement . This shop had so many delicious yarns I could barely restrain myself . I was good though and kept telling myself that I didn't really NEED more and only bought 2 skeins of Berroco Ultra Alpaca for another scarf at some point as well as some Cascade Ecowool for a hoodie for the baby . So all in all a pretty good day, even though I still didn't make it IN to the wool festival . Maybe next year , with better planning ...

Friday, September 5, 2008

September already..



... and the 5th of the month no less ! Where do the days go, blink and another week is over.


Knitting for baby has resumed . I just love the little blankies in this book . This pattern is completely reversible, easy , but not boring . It's scorching hot here so I won't be getting much further along on it today. There's promises of more seasonal weather for the weekend . I'm always happy for those gorgeous early September days .


Sock knitting continues as well ; one down on the "blueberry" socks and the second well on it's way . I'm getting restless again though and thinking of Christmas knitting . Ravelry is both a blessing and a curse . Too many projects and REALLY not enough time . I wish that there were more hours in the day or better yet someone to pick up and do all those mundane and thankless tasks that keep me away from knitting . I know there are people who get paid to do all those things, but at the moment my budget won't allow for that. Home renovations took care of any extra cash that was lying around . Besides, I'm my mother 's daughter and just HAVE to do it myself ; or I'd probably clean before the cleaner got here. Sort of defeats the purpose , don't you think ?
I hope the sun is shining and that all's right with your world . Have a great weekend !