I don't know about you guys, but I was really waiting for a tragic ending to this. I'm glad it wasn't. awwwwwwwwwwwwww!

I am dead... D-E-D... dead. Wooohoo! See the pretty socks I received!


The picture really doesn't do the socks justice. They fit perfectly. The color is amazing and they're comfy. Woohoo Maharet! Great job! (And I hope your health continues to cooperate.)

Included in my assocksination package was a tea bag of Chili tea (mmmmmmmmmmmmmm) and a bar of chocolate currently being hidden from the hubby. LOL

Funnily enough, I also received a SIP (only one... I'm kinda disappointed... more on that in a bit) from Sekkoko's target today, too.

( cut for annoyance and venting )

So, yesterday I posted about my purple fingers and making cherry preserves and peach preserves.

Here are the peach preserves:

Well, some of them. I was amazed at how many jars of preserves. But then I remembered most of them were the little half-jelly jars and that's eight pounds of peaches. Yes. Eight. It's a lot of peaches.

Today I finished canning the cherries:


I also wound up with two cruets filled with cherry ... well... I guess you could call it cherry syrup. I don't know what to do with them, but I think Casey has plans. Yummy, tasty plans. I'm looking forward to the results!

Then I started on the flat of strawberries mama_grainne picked up for me yesterday. A flat is 8 pints of strawberries, or 4 quarts, or 1 gallon. I should have taken a photo of the flat. Dear God! That's a lot of strawberries! Seven of the pints were made into jam:


Yeah... jam isn't so pretty when it's cooking. But when it's finished... oh, what a lovely sight!


By the time I was finished, it was dinner time. So I made myself a lovely salad ... with strawberries of course!

(It also had slivered almonds and blue cheese crumbles. Yummy!)

And at the end of the day, here's what's left... enough for breakfast and maybe lunch tomorrow. Which is good because Casey doesn't like strawberries (and even if he did, I'm hoarding these for myself. They're too tasty after a winter and spring of tasteless, "imported" strawberries.)

OMG! So frustrating. I'm trying to get information from a perons about a bus trip that I need to take tomorrow from home to Conshohocken. I plugged all of the info into the Trip Planner and it spewed out a route. Cool, so far. But then towards the bottom it says, "Duration: 0:45; runs not every day, 7., 14. Jun." WTH does that mean? So I call the "Customer Service" Department. I press 0. The nice automated phone lady says, "If you get a busy signal, hang up and try back later." This does not bode well. Not well at all. And lo, I get a busy signal. So I try again... and again... and again... and... well... you get the picture. I've been trying to get through for at least an hour now. Still no Septa love. If I didn't have to be somewhere to be by 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, then it would be no problem. But man, am I aggravated!

ETA: I finally got through to customer service and got my question answered. In the end it was a moot point because I had the truck today. Hubby is in DC with some of his lodge brothers for a degree and some sight seeing.

There's an Alpaca fest this weekend in Springfield, NJ. I'm not sure if I can go, but I figured I'd share the info. :) Please pass it along!

"Alpaca fest set for park in Springfield

The domesticated wooly creature resembling something between a llama
and a sheep will be on display in large numbers as the Alpaca Heritage
Group sponsors a festival at the Springfield Veterans Memorial Park on
Jacksonville-Jobstown Road in Springfield from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

E-mail: mzimmaro@phillyBurbs.com "  

That I CAN do it! Awesome! Holy cow! I did it! I made it through the first day of the Couch to 5K without killing myself! Woot!

I woke up this morning at 5:45 a.m. (ugh) and got changed. After a quick breakfast (1/2 cup of ff yogurt with some blueberries), I stretched, grabbed the dog, started my iPod, and headed out. I was pleased to realize that the warm up would take me up to the flat part of my planned route and I wouldn't have to start the first interval on an incline. Yay! I made it through the first two jogging intervals pretty well. I have to work on my breathing, though. As a result, the third interval was much tougher. I made it the full 60 seconds, though. For the 4th interval, I jogged about 30 seconds... maybe longer. The 5th, the same. The 6th, I just walked at a really brisk pace, but I was able to jog the full 60 seconds for the final interval. YAY!  

When we got home, I let the dog out and stretched. I think I need more/better stretches before and after though. Especially for my right heel and my shins. Sammy (the pooch and my running partner - pictured here) was thrilled with our first morning run:


Tomorrow is a yoga/rest day. Saturday I do it all over again. 

x-posted tocouch_to_5k

Sort through your buttons!



Yes, that is a mondo huge brandy snifter half-filled with buttons. I decided since I was home, I'd consolidate my button stash. I didn't think I had this many. Seriously. But there you have it... tons of buttons. Some are new. Most, though, are from Grammy's button stash. They came out of a 2 gallon pickle jar and 2 cookie tins. There are some lovely finds in the stash:


First there's this large beauty. It must have come from a coat or something like that.


Then there are the pine cones:


There are enough there for a sweater, I think. The detail shot is a little fuzzy (there's only so much you can do with cell phones and shifting shadows), but you can tell that they're lovely.



And then there's the elephant button. Doens't it look like it was carved on ivory? Isn't that ironic? (It's actually plastic, so don't worry.)


And finally, my favorite find from today - four metal floral buttons that will be going on a sweater sometime this winter. I just need to find the right pattern for them. The photo doesn't do them justice at all. But trust me, they're gorgeous.


There are all sorts of other buttons in that stash too - some gorgeous and some not so. I couldn't make myself take a picture of the hideous green buttons. Imagine combining lime green with kelly green and blending them until you get this... odd... green something like this... but greener... Then pour some plastic that color into a button mold that sort of looks like deformed balls of yarn. Oh and they're the size of coat buttons... big... coat buttons... from the sixties or early seventies. Yeah... hideous...

But it was fun, playing with the buttons.

So I have this idea.

My parents' anniversary is in June. They went to the same university - it's where they met actually - University of Pennsylvania. See, my mom was in a sorority and my dad was in ROTC. One of my dad's best friends was dating one of my mom's sorority sisters. My mom was dating some other guy (seriously, that's how he's referred to when they tell the story - lol). The sorority had a dance and my dad's friend didn't want to go, but his girlfriend had to. So he asked my dad to take her. Dad agreed and while at the dance met my mother.

Now to hear my dad tell it, he was head over heels as soon as he saw her. My mom said, "He seemed like a nice guy."

Well, to make a long story short, my mom wound up breaking up with the guy she was dating and she and my dad started dating. They would meet after classes at Houston Hall and chat and get to know each other. Mom brought him home to meet her parents. Dad brought her home to meet his parents. They dated for three years.

When Dad graduated (he was a year ahead of her), he was sent to Korea to finish his enlistment (remember, he was ROTC). He proposed, but my grandfather wouldn't let them get engaged because he was going so far away and it would be another 2 years before they could marry anyway. He told my mother, "If it's really love, it will last even while he's away."

So dad went to Korea with the army and mom stayed home. She graduated in 64 and took a teaching job in Olney. They wrote constantly. I found one of the letters my dad wrote my mom - made me blush! But it was nice to see that the feelings they expressed for one another while I was growing up (and even now) were just as vibrant as when they were dating. It also gave me an example of what real love looks like - not just the romantic part about it either.

Anyway, this inspiration of love found has led me to designing a pair of socks for them in Penn's colors and incorporating the Penn "P" into the design. The problem I'm having is the official P is diagonally counter changed red and blue. The main body of the socks is blue. So I may have to take some liberty with the socks and knit the P's in red only. Unless I can figure out a way to get the blue part of the P to pop. Maybe by knitting the P in relief - the P stitches knit, the background purled... I don't know... still contemplating.

In the meantime, I finished the first cuff of my dad's socks. I decided to do corrugated ribbing. It looks pretty cool. I'll take pictures when I get the pattern right.

Or something like that. For whatever reason, I decided to take random pictures of what's currently blooming in my garden at dusk. I was just looking out my kitchen window and decided I needed to share the joy of my garden.
( cell phone pictures under the cut )But I hope you enjoyed this little wander. On our next excursion, I'll show you the memorial garden, the bleeding hearts (if they're still in bloom) and whatever else the garden decides to yield this summer.

I received an e-mail this morning from my lovely target, Sekkoko, that she "died" today by asoxination. Here is a picture of my weapon of choice:





The yarn is Fortissima Socka purchased at The Tangled Web in Philadelphia. The pattern is The Detonator for Sock Wars III. I don't know that the pattern is available to the public at this point.

What you don't really see in my photos is that the pattern forms these neat little points like cartoon explosions. Part of that is the photo, part is the yarn I used (not self-striping). I am very tempted to make a pair for myself using the recommended yarn (Tofutsies).

It's been a pleasure knitting for you, Sekkoko!

Since I mailed my Detonator socks last week, I've finished the second sock to a pair of socks I had started before Sock Wars started and picked up Casey's sweater again. The pattern is Saranac. It's pretty simple - garter rib - R1 k6,p2 all the way around, R2 knit all the way around - but I've reached the it's-never-going-to-end stage. I'm currently working on the Lower Body. The size I'm knitting needs to measure 19" before I can move on. Since Saturday, I've measured it ... many times. The first time it was 15". I figured I could make significant progress by the end of the weekend and get to 19" easily. Yeah. No. I've been knitting on this pretty much nonstop today and it JUST reached 18"... sort of... if I stretch it a little. But when I hold it up, it looks like it's over 19"... but no. It's just 18". I'm taking a break right now to give my wrist and shoulder a rest, but I really want to get that extra inch! (Hush, you in the peanut gallery! It's not that kind of post!) I'd take more pictures of it to show you, but nothing interesting has happened to the shape or pattern since the last time I posted. Pictures will happen when I get to the sleeves and collar and other interesting bits. *grin*

Until then, I will continue inching along, like the little inch worm.

Sekkoko, your socks are on their way to you via First Class International Mail. Woot! Let me know when you get them so I can share the pictures. *grin*

On Mother's Day, I wore my Isabella over a white blouse with a denim skirt. My mom loved it. I offered to knit her one if she bought the yarn. I sent her some links so she could pick her color and order it. She's ordering from The Knitting Garden. The color - Bloom. Woot!

I've been asked by a couple of people at the SnB about the bean salad. It's ridiculously simple:

Open your pantry.
Pull out 2 cans of whatever beans you have on hand, one other canned vegetable (I used sweet yellow corn, but you can use whatever you have on hand that feels right), one can of diced tomatoes, and one small can of chopped green chillis.
Open all cans and dump in a bowl or container.
Add the juice of one lime if you have it.
Season to taste - I used a pinch of coarse salt, ground pepper, cumin, corriander seeds, ground red pepper, cilantro, ground corriander, and... um... I think that's it.
Mix well and let sit for a few hours to meld flavors.
Serve as a salad or with tortilla chips.

:D

Ah, my dear, lovely Sekkoko, you should be concerned now. I have made it to the foot of the second sock. Yes. The foot. Of the second. Mwahahahahahaha! A huge thank you to my hubby for driving on Saturday afternoon to his grandmother's and his mother's. :D

I was also able to make significant progress yesterday - first at the Philadelphia Book Festival where mamagrainne and I went to see Stephanie Pearl-McPhee and get our copies of her newest book signed. La Harlot was in fine form, enjoyable as always. And every word. Truth. Seriously. We walk among you! Of course, I am sans camera (and my cell phone takes crappy pictures) so no fun photos from me. I did redeem myself, though, and showed off my to gauge Detonator socks. So yay! (for reference go back to One on the Way and my post from October 2, 2007.)

While in line we met up with purlewe, her lovely Sue (whom I finally got to meet), and Rebecca (whose LJ name I'm totally blanking on right now). It was great to see them and as they were all going on to rhainn31's for the SnB, we decided to all pile into my car. Sadly, mamagrainne was thoroughly exhausted and decided to head home after the book signing. We'll get her out another time! :D

We trekked over to the parking lot, getting positively drenched (is that something you can even do negatively?) in the last two blocks before the parking structure. Yeah. I totally walked out of the house without a jacket or an umbrella or even a hat. What was I thinking? LOL... luckily I don't mind walking in warm rain and the blouse I was wearing was light enough that it dried quickly once in the car.

On the road to the SnB we discovered that the GPS doesn't like to be started in the middle of a city with big tall buildings. We also decided that my GPS sounds disctinctly Germanic and will henceforth be called Inga. Or maybe Helga. Possibly Ilsa. That part is still up for debate. *grin*

The SnB was fun, there was lots of good food and conversation, and much knitting was accomplished. As well as eating. Did I mention the eating? Yummy food is one of those phenomenon that just seems to happen at these things. And Min's Smores Sandwiches... Oh. My. Gawd. Yeah... food-gasm. LOL I wish I could have stayed longer, but the getting home from North Jersey at 2:30 a.m. was finally taking its toll. I dropped Rebecca off near her apartment and made it home.

Casey had just pulled into the driveway as I pulled into my parking spot, so that was lovely timing. The dog was beside himself. LOL After a quick dinner of left over roast beef with rice noodles and peanut sauce (fun with leftovers!), I plunked down on the couch with my knitting and two more discs of Rome (Season 2). I did wind up falling asleep somewhere in the middle of Phillipi, so I'll have to rewatch that. Maybe tonight after I take Sammy for a hike in the woods.

But the point of all that exposition? Nay-yah! I'm on the foot of the second sock, Sekkoko! I should be able to mail these babies to you by Wednesday at the latest! Bwahahahahahahaha!

So I just downloaded a whole bunch of podcasts from iTunes. Most of them are knitting or writing related (what?).

( Here's my current podcast list )

I know I'm going to go through that list over the weekend and weed out what I don't like, but so far that's what I've got. I would be listening to these while knitting and unable to watch a movie or while walking or at the gym. SO... anything you would recommend?

In audiobooks, I'm making my way through "The Oddessy" on my iPod right now. I'd like to download something a little lighter though. I do find that for novels I do prefer to read the books myself, but there are times when that's not practical - driving, knitting, on the elliptical, walking, etc. So... What would you suggest?

I turned the heel on the first sock last night and am on the gussets. I should make substantial progress today at lunchtime. Beware, my target, beware! ;)

ETA: I am halfway through the gussets. Excellent!

Most excellent! :D Go here for more info. It's a knitting version of Assassin, essentially.

I'm still waiting for my dossier, but I have the pattern and have started my WEAPONS in Fortissima Socka (colorway 1018).

Mwahahahahhahaha!

When Living History becomes "Just History"

Thank you, ladypeyton for sharing the link.

***coughcough****

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, dafyddcyhoeddwr!

Hope it was a good day! :)

As a part of their 40th birthday celebration, WMMR has been playing the top 933 songs on their playlists from the past 40 years. This just played. And I was just catapulted back to high school. :) Life is good.

snagged from debrispike

Flour and water - How come when you mix them together you get glue.

When you add eggs and sugar you get cake.

So - Where did the glue go??


( here of course! )

Because purpura's icon on her Earth Day post got me thinking...

How much is Regular gas in your neck of the woods?

I live in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia, near three gas stations at the same intersection. Regular at the BP is $3.54/gal and at the other two stations is $3.45/gal. At least it was this morning. It may be more by now. It's crazy how quickly gas prices are rising this year. It'll only get worse as we approach Memorial Day weekend and the start of summer. GUH! My sister said they're already feeling the effects of the higher gas prices on LBI (a resort island in NJ).

So... your neck of the woods... what's gas costing for a gallon? (If you're in the UK, what's the cost there and are we even close to what you've been paying for the past few years?)

Hey gang.

Anyone interested in going to see Coppelia at the Merriam this Thursday night at 8 p.m.? Casey and I have two tickets that we won't be able to use. (And I'm really bummed because it's been decades since I've seen Coppelia, but there's no way we can swing any of the performances.) The tickets are in Row F of the balcony. The seats are a little squishy, but you'll be able to see the stage wonderfully. Let me know and we'll work out how to get them to you in time for Thursday night. I'd hate to let them go to waste. They're part of a season subscription, so the cost is around $60 per ticket.

Thanks.

Psssst! patrikia and anyone else interested:

I've pretty much come to the decision that other than some embroidery on garb and things like that, I'm really over all of the complicated counted cross stitch, embroidery and needlepoint projects I have collected over the years. If any one is interested in it, let me know. I'd like things to go to a good home. There are pattern books, a couple of kits, a ton of floss, and lord knows what else. I'd like it all to be out of the house by the end of May if at all possible.

woodwindy, I've also run across an counted cross stitch chart for a Salamander. Would this be something you'd be interested in? Let me know! I'll set it aside for you if you are. :)

I particularly enjoyed the bit about "Cat Yodeling." *grin*

Thanks to squirrella for posting the link. :D

It sucks not having a reliable digital camera. As it is, the one I borrowed from work runs down its charge amazingly fast. Still, I was able to accomplish my task and have taken pictures (and downloaded them!) of my recent projects. SO! Without further ado...

( I bring you much photoage! )

So... there you have it... the project update. :) I'll apologize now for the duplication to the PhillyKnitters on my flist - I'm cross-posting this there as well. :)

What do you call...

1. A body of water, smaller than a river, contained within relatively narrow banks.
creek pronounced just like it looks with the long double e.

2. What the thing you push around the grocery store is called.
cart

3. A metal container to carry a meal in.
lunchbox

4. The thing that you cook bacon and eggs in.
frying pan

5. The piece of furniture that seats three people.
couch

6. The device on the outside of the house that carries rain off the roof.
gutters

7. The covered area outside a house where people sit in the evening.
covered area is a porch

8. Carbonated, sweetened, non-alcoholic beverages.
soda

9. A flat, round breakfast food served with syrup.
pancakes

10. A long sandwich designed to be a whole meal in itself.
hoagie

11. The piece of clothing worn by men at the beach.
bathing suit

12. Shoes worn for sports.
sneakers

13. Putting a room in order.
de-cluttering if you're just putting stuff away; cleaning if you're doing the whole shebang - dusting, putting stuff away, vacuuming, etc.

14. A flying insect that glows in the dark.
firefly or lightening bug

15. The little insect that curls up into a ball.
waterbug

16. The children's playground equipment where one kid sits on one side and goes up while the other sits on the other side and goes down.
see saw

17. How do you eat your pizza?
tip to crust; sometimes share the pizza bones with the dog.

18. What's it called when private citizens put up signs and sell their used stuff?
garage sale or yard sale

19. What's the evening meal?
dinner

20. The thing under a house where the furnace and perhaps a rec room are?
basement

21. What do you call the thing that you can get water out of to drink in public places?
water fountain

Yeah... I'm from Philadelphia. :)