Alien Song - I Will Survive

I have SOOOOOOOOOO had days like this...

Another Day

I have been feeling pretty yucky since I got back from Oklahoma. This has resulted in not a heck of a lot getting accomplished here at Casa CrazyLife except for getting the boys to football camp and then coming home and sleeping to try to get over whatever I have.

I know, cheese and whine.....

A little progress has been made on the heel flap of the Lorna's sock, but I am starting to feel like this sock is cursed. I got an inch into the heel on #2 and realized it does not look like the heel on #1. Then I looked closely at #1 and realized I did a stockinette heel. WTF?!!

Damn.

The right thing to do would be to frog #1 and do it right. I am not reliving this pattern for any more time than is absolutely necessary.

So instead the socks will be fraternal twins. A pair, but slightly different. These will not be the shown off obviously since they have been the bane of my existence. The only thing saving them is they are made from knitter's crack (Lorna's Laces). The pattern is Lorna's Laces too, but shall remain my most hated pattern. I will try other LL patterns eventually, but this one was not good. AT ALL. I just want to get this pair DONE so I can move on to the Yuma (Universal Yarn) or Lorna's Laces yarns that have been calling my name. The next sock will be for cute man and will probably come form "More Sensational Socks" or the first book "Sensational Socks". Cindy is doing a pair that looks really awesome!

I am soooo glad there is no rain today. Hopefully this will remain. I should be thankful that I am not having to water the lawn, but the constant rain was starting to get a little old. Especially since it was not a gentle rain and it was accompanied by lots of thunder and lightning.

Blake Shelton - The More I Drink (Video)

I think I dated the inspiration for this video in college....

PVC Niddy Noddy instructions

For those of you that don't spin or play with yarn, "niddy noddy" may sound a little kinky.

For those of us who play with more fiber than we consume, you know a niddy noddy is to PREVENT things from getting kinky...and it's all good.

At any rate, I have been meaning to post this sight for quite a while. This is really the best explanation of making your own pvc niddy noddy that I've found. For those visual learners, the author also includes excellent schematics on how to assemble and how to use your new niddy.

Enjoy!


P.S. storms still suck.

Or blow...depending where you are...


Can you tell I'm getting a little weary of the constant storms?

Saturday Mix..

Well, no tornadoes in my neck of the woods last night, just lots of rain. Needless to say, it has been unbearably humid all day today. I broke down just a little bit ago and turned the a/c on in order to dehumidify the house.

Jeremy and I went to the pottery studio today and did a little throwing on the wheel. Apparently the Pot Throwing Gods were a little ticked at both of us because neither one of us got anything decent.

I have decided I am going to throw some teapots this week. I haven't done teapots before, but I am having the studio owner be my "teapot throwing fairy" and guide me through this. I want to do a whole tea set eventually since I do drink a lot of tea. I think it would be neat to drink from one I've actually made.

I picked up the 14 pots I glazed earlier this week and discovered that some days the Glazing Gods are a bit pissy too...I guess it would have helped if I had actually glazed some of them in the color I had originally intended for them to be instead of trying something new. Sometimes changing to something new only disappoints. I was disappointed in at least 5 of them. The others turned out pretty good. Well, at least I know what color I'm really not crazy about...Maybe they'll look better if I fill them with M&M's...everything looks good holding M&M's. Except ex-husbands. They just look good holding child support payments. Too bad mine never figured that out...but I digress.

ANYWAY........ it is humid today so I bit the bullet and actually turned on the a/c. It is so early in the season, I am sure this is not a good sign. I might as well designate a larger chunk of change to the electric company. Darn. That cuts into the yarn budget, you know. And when there is a cut in the yarn budget, it throws the cosmic convergence of the universe off. I bet you knew that already, right? Or are you still trying to figure out what the heck I am talking about..Not to worry, my cute hubby has been trying to figure me out for almost 20 years now and it hasn't happened yet.

I really need to run over to the East side of town to do a little shopping at the World Market. I am almost out of their big jar of chocolate hazelnut spread. That can't happen.

Late night storm post

Ok, it is 2 a.m and it is storming like crazy. Lightning, thunder, locusts...okay maybe not locusts. That's one of the biblical plagues.

The weather guy just said he "would be really surprised if the storms outside produce a tornado".

HMMM. Surprised?

It's not like this is tornado season in KANSAS.

In my experience, tornadoes do not make a formal appointment. They just show up when they darn well please. As in "SURPRISE, I'm dropping in to rip up your junk. Excuse me for not making an appointment... "

Maybe I should just march my cranky rear back to bed.

FRIday

I didn't get a whole heck of a lot accomplished today other than adding another couple inches on the Lorna's Lace sock I've been working on. I am hoping to turn the heel and get a large portion of the foot done this weekend. I really need to finish this pair so I can move on to another pair. I blew my goal of not buying new yarn yesterday when I finally succumbed to the siren call of Cascade Fixation. I was tempted while Cindy was knitting her April sock of the month for Twist, but when Jen brought her sock into Twist yesterday and I held it, my resolve was toast...
So I bought 3 balls of fixation. Shelly had two balls of a bright mix in stock but I was afraid I would need 3 balls, which we didn't have in that color. I picked up a ball of solid purple for the heels and toes. That will allow me to stretch the variegated ones so I can knit socks that will actually cover my wide feet. I just have to remember that fixation is best when knitted relaxed--I usually pull my yarn pretty tight.

No pictures today. I figure you probably need a break from YouTube posts too. Can you tell I like browsing YouTube? There are some really excellent clips in there, but there are also some really weird ones too.

It has been pretty humid and muggy today. The boys were griping about the air conditioner not being on yet--Geez--summer isn't even into full swing. I am trying to turn it on only if we have to since I know it will be on all the time once mid June hits and it gets humid and hot. And I really don't want to give more to the electric company than I absolutely have to. Gotta save $ for the gas tank!!

Mercy Me - Homesick (Live)

This song is by my favorite contemporary Christian group (Mercy Me). It is so beautiful that I get tears everytime I listen..I hope you enjoy it.

Lisa Lavie

I also found this on YouTube--holy smokes she has an awesome voice!!!!

Life Questions

Housecleaning

I was waiting for the housekeeper to show up today.

I've been waiting all day.


Then suddenly, I realized...WE DON'T HAVE NO STINKIN' HOUSEKEEPER. Darn....Does that tell you how much progress was made (or should I say MAID) ? Yep, you guessed. Not a whole heck of a lot. The thing about housework is that no matter what you get done, there are gremlins (children?) running behind you undoing your progress. Or so it seems to me....

I guess I made a moderate dent in the box population today. Realistically I need to have the box issue over and done with. We've been in the house for an ever loving year...GEEZ! I was glad to see that the amount of boxes in the garage were not as plentiful as I'd imagined, so we should be able to actually knock that space out this month and be able to park the cars in the garage. This probably would have been a little handier during the season of hail we just finished having. My car has the dings to show.

The flip side of having less boxes in the garage than I'd originally thought is that there are significantly more boxes in the house than I thought. Hmmm. Coincidence? I think not.

I will get the downstairs in order this month so we can actually have house guests in the guest bedroom, then work on the living room. In our house we have a family room and a room on the upper level that is supposed to be a formal living room. Since we are not formal people, we use it as a library. With the exception of bookshelves, I am looking through the thrift stores for furniture I can refinish or restore. I may have to actually hit some furniture stores for pieces, but wherever I can, I will try to recycle. I REALLY want a wide bottomed rocking chair that I can place in our bedroom so I can knit at night. And yes, there is a good reason it has to be wide bottomed. Can you guess? LOL.

The boys have 8th grade graduation tomorrow. I have to get my rear motivated early to run to Sam's at 7:30 a.m and pick up a cake. Since I have a lot of cake decorating experience, I should make one, but I am also learning that delegating is a good thing. Sometimes it is better to pay for certain services when time is tight.

This is going to be a really busy week. The boys start football camp next week and then weight training. Whatever happened to the lazy days of summer. I can see I will be keeping a sock project in the car with me at all times since I am going to be in the car a good part of the day waiting for kids. So is the life of the average mom...

I did get to go the pottery studio today and have a day to glaze everything. I had 14 pots on my shelf waiting to be glazed. I would have had 15 if I had not broke one of them. That one would have been the bowl that I had really wanted to see fired and glazed since I had never gotten the walls that thin and high before. Oh well, now I know what happens when you get careless handling greenware. I just wish experience was not the best teacher for me. Time after time.

Well, I've got to run and work on the house a little more.

Good coffee and great friends to you and yours!!

Quickie post--Goals for 2009

I have been slobbering over this knitting tour website and thought I'd share. I have decided that I want to go on one of these tours in 2009. If I put it in writing, it seems to manifest itself easier. I seem to be able to actually visualize myself saving the $$$ to go if I write it out...so consider it done.

I am also in the process of formally getting my tax id # for my jewelry and fiber endeavours. I will be calling the state tomorrow to get the ball rolling. The biggest advantage to registering as a small business is the ability to get wholesale accounts started. That allows me to buy product at prices that allow me to resell the finished product at a better price point. The downside is there will be tax records to keep if I sell to the public (you have to charge sales tax even at crafts fairs). I am going to start getting my stitch markers ready for sale at Twist and then open an Etsy shop by the end of the summer. Any advice on Etsy?

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

Sam and I went to Lawrence, Kansas today and I took lots of pictures...wait...crap! I knew I forgot something...

There was so much going on that I flat out forgot to pull out the camera. I promise that won't happen again.

We are planning another trip there soon.

Sam and I left Wichita at 8:30 a.m and got to Lawrence a little after 11:00. Only a trip to Lawrence would make me get my rear out of bed early on a weekend. I love Lawrence. It is a college town and it just has so much positive energy that I can't help but look forward to being there! We got there and the normally moderately crowded downtown was REALLY CROWDED. People everywhere. As it turns out, there is an annual crazy decorated vehicle parade happening today. While we didn't get to see a lot of it, getting to "people watch" more than made up for it. It is a very artistic town in every way and the people are just as colorful.

Anyway, Sam and I ate at my favorite Indian restaurant--India Palace--and then went to the yarn barn where Sam played with spinning wheels. She is seriously considering getting a spinning wheel, so we spent time playing and sampling different wheels. I have to admit, I am still completely hooked on the Ladybug--even after trying a couple different ones. It just spins so smoothly.....I finally bought myself a set of wool carders. I had been holding out to see if I could find an inexpensive pair of used ones, but that hasn't happened, so I just bought a pair. Surprisingly, I didn't buy a single skein of yarn. I did pick up a pound of superwash merino roving, but NO YARN. I deserve a treat for that. A skein of Lorna's, maybe? I also finally got to spin on a Kromski Sonata. I had really had my mind made up that the Sonata was the portable wheel I wanted. It just looked good. However, at the Yarn Barn I got to sit at it and spin. I have to admit, while it is a nice wheel, my heart belongs to the Ladybug. It just feels right. Isn't it funny how something just clicks? I tried several small wheels while I was there, but kept coming back to the Ladybug. One thing that surprised me is that Schadt's ( I know I did not spell it right...forgive me) $900 standard wheel was really not what I liked. I know it is "the cadillac" of wheels, but I found it odd feeling. I guess that'll save me several hundred dollars. I'll stick with my Ashford double drive and my Danish wheel for uprights. They are well made and study and I'm getting great yarn. For a traveling wheel, I'll seriously keep looking at the Ladybug. It'll be a while before this dream comes true though....

I really wish I had taken pictures. I promise to get a ton next time. If you live in Kansas and have not visited Lawrence, do plan to get there soon. The town will amaze you. There are tons of really good places to eat and shop.

It was a great day!!!

Yum

This is the new Tango yarn from Universal Yarns that we put out on the shelves at Twist. It is a really cool tape yarn that you knit by picking up along the "tape". It causes the yarn to ruffle and undulate in really cool ways. Unfortunately my camera did not capture any of the yarns in true color today, so you are just going to have to come and check it out in person.
There was a wild flurry of packing sacks being ripped open today. It is no coincidence that those sacks contained SOCK YARN and I was in the vicinity.

Believe me, I can rip the plastic bag off new sock yarn faster than a drunk stripper....never mind.I'd better not finish the illustration on that point!

Shelly ordered the city colorways series from Universal Yarns. Each city has 6 colorways in it. Twist currently has the Los Angeles and San Diego colorways. I was nice and didn't hog the yarn before it hit the shelf. Really, there is SOME left. But if you want it, you'd better get it while I'm practicing self control.

Above is the flax yarn that came in today also. The neat thing about flax is that it feels weird when in the skein, but it softens up amazingly. It is great for market bags and lightweight shirts. Again, I couldn't get my camera to cooperate, so you really need to see it in person. Now. Go.

Actually there is a ton of new yarn in the shop. There is a sock yarn that feels every bit like Jitterbug (YUMMMMMMMM). I bought two skeins. Believe me, THAT was self control. I left some for you. Today. No promises they will be there next week.

Since I crashed Blogger when I tried to download multiple pictures of the store, I will post another one tonight.

While I am typing this, there have been no fewer than 4 ads for Viagra and Viagra type products. I'm getting a LITTLE tired of hearing these. It always makes me crack up when they say "See your doctor for an erection lasting longer than 4 hours..." Geez. How many men do you think are going to do that?! Most men would be running around like they hit the lottery. Only with this, they don't have to pay taxes on the windfall. Child support, maybe, but taxes, no. I love the part about Viagra causing a drop in blood pressure, problems with vision and a decrease in hearing! If they get Viagra, they automatically get tunnel vision.When you are in college, it is generally caused by alcohol...And exactly how did they decide Viagra could cause hearing problems. I always thought TESTOSTERONE caused hearing problems. Like selective deafness... Ok, only kidding. Maybe.........

Come on back. You know you want to.

Part Two

Since Blogger freezes up each time I've ever attempted to download lots of pics, here is the sequel to The Beadery post from earlier. Julie has multiple rows of beads along both sides of the bead section --organized by color. You can certainly find what you "need" for a perfect work of art. If you don't see what you want, talk to Julie. She is a wealth of info and suggestions.
Above is a picture of the beading bar. Cool, huh? You can sit at the bar and bead until you can't see straight, or sit at one of the tables to assemble your masterpiece...
Here is the bracelet I made with wire and beads on Saturday. This was so much fun! I made another one today with some beads from my stash in addition to supplies I bought today. I love being able to create my own wearable art. This applies to knitting too. I'll post a picture of the second bracelet tomorrow when the lighting is better. It is a little over the top too, but let's face it, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SPARKLE, BABY!
If you don't feel like creating your own art, Julie also has jewelry that is ready to go. Above are some of the necklaces that can be purchased--but there are also lots of earrings and bracelets that are ready to be bought.

GEEEEZZ! I sound like an infomercial...I need coffee.

Tomorrow I will blabber on about Twist since that is my Thursday hang out...Just think, at least if you hang out in a yarn store, there is usually someone around to help you knit something to cover it up. Oh, sorry, wrong kind of hanging out.

Kinda like the difference between knitter's crack and plumber's crack.................one is softer and much more appetizing to fondle.

I am a little apprehensive about including that last statement, hence I find out that not everyone prefers knitter's crack.

Ok. I'm done. You can put the lock back on my cage.

Slippin' into something lacey.......

LORNA'S LACES! If you read my blog, you know I can get just flat out stupid about Lorna's Laces yarns...and just look at the goodies that The Beadery got in. I got to fondle--I mean put it on the shelf.....I am definitely in love with the colorway in the picture above. It is called Lorikeet. It has my name written all over it. I will be getting some (some as in LOTS) this weekend. It is so gorgeous. You have to go see. Really, you do!!
more Lorna's--knitter's crack..........in a good way..............My flash didn't cooperate so this picture doesn't do justice to the richness of the colors. Trust me, they are breathtaking.

OMG!!!! Look at these colorways! This is not even all I got to put up. Go see.

Now!

I also really need to post all the beading at the shop too. Since blogger can be somewhat uptight about letting me post a lot of pictures, I'll do another post this evening. I did take pictures of the bracelet I did on Saturday, so I'll post that tonight also. The great thing about the bead section of the store is if there is a technique or something you want to learn (for example, something you saw in a magazine), Julie can do a one on one teaching session with you. The same thing applies to the yarn section of the store. Candice does phenomenal one on one knitting lesson for anything you want to learn.

I discovered crocheting with 26 gauge wire and beads this past weekend and now I am totally hooked! I bought the stuff to do more bracelets today. They are that much fun to do, and very easy to learn. And I am really loving the little gripping handles on the Addi crochet hooks. They really make it easy to keep a grip and prevent wrist/hand strain. I have to admit, the first time I saw them I was neutral about them. After I actually used them, I was hooked. You wouldn't think the handle would make that big of a difference, but it does.

The "I Can't Think of a Title" morning post

Ever notice how BUDGET and BREATHE both start with the same letter, but you can't do both at the same time? Yep, that one takes practice.

Just got everyone out the door and the dishes are in the dishwasher. I wanted to curl back up in bed and start my day at a more user friendly hour, but the reality is the maid isn't coming. Ever. Or the cook...although hubby does a really good job at that one.

So I am getting ready to run upstairs to make a batch of "no knead bread". It has to sit at room temp. for 12-18 hours, so that works in my advantage since I probably won't have time to think about it until 12 to 18 hours from now! I was going to do the recipe yesterday, but when I read the time you have to let it sit, I realized today is definitely a better bet. As Scarlet (as in "GONE with the Wind", like my checkbook) said, paraphrased heavily by me,"Oh crap, I'll deal with it tomorrow"..Ok, maybe she didn't say it in exactly THOSE words, but my gentile Southern button is broke so you just have to put up with middle class "Okie-isms"...and HELL NO, Okie-ism is not in the damn dictionary. I can make up words if I want to. Look at the word "AINT" --it wasn't even a word until half a gazillion of us Okies kept using it. We "wored" them out and now it is a word in the dictionary...Yep, it is...(that thud you just heard was my college English professor hitting the floor).

Ok, I probably need less coffee...

Better organization?

Who me?

It's 30 minutes before we have to head out the door for a sports awards ceremony and I can't seem to pull it together. And of course, I keep reminding myself that if only I had organized this the night before...One day I will have our maid get right on that...First I have to get a maid.

At any rate, I am seriously considering some way to get myself back on track as far as organizing. Since it is the end of the school year, we have a ton of activities coming up that I am making an effort to remember in my head. My head is not the best place to put stuff...so Friday I am going to get one of those honkin' huge desk calendars that can also be mounted on the wall. All our various activities will go on it. Next year promises to be a madhouse with all the sports events and other stuff going on, so I am planning to really simplify my calendar. There are also some other things that may be going on that will cause me to be home a lot more often, but until those things actually happen, I won't go into it yet. At any rate, SIMPLIFY is the buzz word here....

Redneck French

A friend in Oklahoma emailed this to me before we had our girls weekend in Tulsa. We drove by it during our girls weekend for a little extra laugh.

I guess this is Redneck French for "TRAILER".....and just which "tralier" is free? The one with the boat on it, or the one with the people in it? I can just see Billy Bob out there explaining that the "tralier" is free, but the boat is "gonna cost ya"...LOL.

I think the uppercase L in the center of all the lowercase letters adds an elegant degree of emphasis, don't you agree?


Thank the Lord for spray paint. Just think of all the plastic signs that are going to be saved.

Slow Sunday

This has been a delightfully slow day. Hubby and I got up quite late today--I won't tell you how late. Trust me, it was late.

The boys were busy hanging out and playing video games so Hubby and I went to the library to check out the offerings there. I am making an attempt to check out library books instead of whipping out the checkbook and buying...so far it has been successful, but if I really like a book after checking it out, I'll buy it. That is the case with the bread book "Artisianal Bread in 5 Minutes a Day"--it has a good techniques and lots of recipes I will make. Tomorrow I am going to have a baking and cleaning day while everyone is at work/school. I bit the bullet and bought a Lodge 6 quart dutch oven to make no knead bread (from the New York Times), so that is a baking project for tomorrow. I love baking!

We didn't have the sock class on Saturday, but it gave me a wonderful opportunity to take a beading class with the owner, Julie. Her classes are always great! I learned to crochet beads and wire to make a fabulous bracelet. I'll post pictures tomorrow when the light is better. I am going to make myself several more of these. They were really fun to make and the results are really stunning. I got to use an Addi crochet hook and I must say, it worked wonderfully on the wire. I ended up buying one since I really like it a lot. I have some 26 gauge wire left and plan to do at least one more in the next couple days with the beads I have left over and some other beads I have around my bead box. Fun!!

I am contemplating the fact that I really need to set up studio space in our house so I have all my art supplies in one place. I have a problem with the fact that I often feel like creating something but can't locate all my tools when I need them. This is a bit stifling to the creative urge! All my paints, beads, jewelry tools, knitting supplies and etc need to be in one place. And I need a place to sit and do them....that will be my goal for May and June.

I've completely blown my plan to get back on track with my eating plan for the past couple weeks, but tomorrow I am going to get back on track. I have better luck at losing weight when I don't go on a formal diet--instead I watch portions and make better food choices like not eating fried foods when grilled foods are available, eating breakfast every morning, and watching what I snack on. Ideally I'd like to start walking each day. My success at that has been spotty.

No pictures today--I'll post pics tomorrow.

Good coffee and great friends to you and yours!

Post Two for the day

Since I had posted a YouTube video, I decided to just add separate post instead of adding to the other. It just seemed easier....

I am going to go to Newton in the morning to take a sock class at The Beadery. The second Saturday of each month they have a different technique. We are cabling on socks this month. It should be quite fun.

Eventually Julie (The Beadery) is going to be selling spinning wheels. I am TOTALLY stoked about that. She will carry the Majacraft and Schracht line--which includes (drum roll please....)THE LADYBUG! Oh yes!!!! I am sooooooo looking forward to that! I am already contemplating where my Ladybug wheel is going to go. You bet I am!!

Note to Hubby who might happen to be reading this post: I LOVE YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH....

Knittin' with your noodle...

As you can probably guess, I finally figured out how to post YouTube videos to my blog. Yeah!

Last night I was playing around and found out that there are videos for just about everything you are interested in (and quite a few videos that make you say "WHY?!!!"). Isn't technology a blast?!

I found some really cool instructional videos on pottery and throwing. I am really going to use what I've learned -there were some really neat tips, plus the knitting videos are pretty darn good.


For those of you knitters that don't believe in playing with your food, check out the Ramen noodle knitting clip I found! Can you believe someone actually thought up this, and actually did it. Just think, if you are going into the desert, you can knit yourself a whole wardrobe that will also double as food if you get lost!

Buy Handmade

ETC...

This was a rather strange day.

I didn't get a huge amount done as far as actual action or completed projects, but I did FINALLY decide on a stitch pattern and a size for the Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb shawl for the Beadery shop model. I had picked a stitch, knit up a sample and then decided it didn't show off the stunning beauty of the yarn...I did this twice and was getting a little concerned about stressing the yarn. I was also unsure of the size. So I am happy to announce that I have picked a size and a stitch pattern. Just a teaser for now. I will start on it tomorrow and hopefully be able to finish it within a week so I can give it to Julie. This yarn is so beautiful. I can seriously see me buying a couple hanks of it..I think it is like good chocolate--it may cost a little more, but a treat is good for the soul every now and then. And it is pure pleasure to work with. I can't even describe how good this yarn feels to work with...Really! Go buy some. Now. You DESERVE it.

No pictures to post tonight. It was pretty sunny today, but as I am typing this it has started to rain AGAIN. It has been raining off and on (mostly on) for the past week or so. This is the rainy time of the year so I guess I am thankful that it is providing a good base for my seeds --if they don't get washed away. I do like it when I am at home and it is raining. I usually brew up some coffee or have a cup of tea with honey and either knit or read at the kitchen table. A lot of my knitting goes on at the kitchen table. Come to think of it, a lot of life goes on at our kitchen table.

I am home for the day tomorrow so I will be working on either the wrap, a sweater that I cast on today or some socks that have been on my needles entirely too long. I am looking forward to going to the Newton Beadery on Saturday for the second Saturday sock class. This Saturday it is a pattern for a cable sock so I am going to arrive a little early and pick up some (no surprise) Lorna's Laces yarn to do it in. This month the second Saturday class kind of snuck up on me. Cindy called me to remind me yesterday and for the life of me I could not wrap my head around the fact that this Saturday is the SECOND SATURDAY...Where did last week go?!!

Anything exciting happening in your neck of the woods? Tell me all about it!

TOO Funny!!!! An Engineer's Guide to Cats

Cindy--I thought of you when I saw this! LOL!

Don't Mess with Texas

Friday morning, I went to the front yard and found these little guys (above) . I'm not sure where they came from, but I did have a lot of fun feeding the female bread crumbs. The male came over to investigate my offering, but turned his beak up at it. Well, well aren't we just special....

Saturday morning my mom in law and I went to Temple, Texas to see this little cutie.
And this one.

Carol and I also did a little wine shopping. OK, a lot of wine shopping. In Texas you can buy wine in grocery stores. Good wine, not Thunderbird or rot gut stuff. I picked up seven bottles of wines from Texas wineries. I try to get at least half a dozen bottles of Texas wines each time I go to Temple. At some point this summer we are going to have a wine tasting at our house with our dinner group, so I am trying to stock the cellar. We will have a Texas tasting and then a Kansas winery tasting later. We have several really good wineries here in Kansas and we drink wine from Smokey Hill winery (Salina, Kansas) frequently. Very good stuff. I like having wine tastings. You get to sample a lot of different wines, find your favorite ones for future reference, and since the bottles are being samples by a group--I don't have to worry about the rest of the bottle getting oxidized before we finish it off. It's a win-win situation. Plus I get to have the fun of pairing food and wine.

It was nice to get to see my sister in law and her family. My niece and nephew are real cuties.

The past couple times we have gone to Temple, we stayed pretty close to my sister in law's area and the hotel. This time I had read that Temple does indeed have a downtown, so I wanted to find it. We did a little riding and found it. At one time, downtown Temple must have been a beautiful place. The architectural detail and the set up of the streets has incredible potential. It made me really sad to see that rows and rows of beautiful storefronts and buildings were empty and in disrepair. Unfortunately that is a trend in the United States.. This downtown could be a real showplace. I really hope someone has the vision to get a revitalization drive going. Next time I'm there, I'll get pictures of the incredible buildings. I think this is one of the reasons I like to frequent shops in downtown areas like the Delano district in Wichita and the downtown in Newton. If Temple had artists and shop owners who were willing to be trailblazers, it could really be fabulous. Support your businesses that are in your downtown! You also save the architectural character of your town! Think of all the downtowns that you have been to that have preserved the old buildings as opposed to the feeling you get from the strip malls. You are spending your monsy on supporting not only businesses, but also history. OK I'll get off the soapbox..but do think about it.............

Thursday.........

Shelly, Owner of Twist--we had just received the new Noro sock yarn. Yep, that's sock yarn giddiness you see on her face. It's a good thing I was standing behind the camera or you'd have gotten flashed with a double dose of sock yarn euphoria....
Look at these colorways!
Hmmm...I think I rotated this picture wrong! I can promise I did not take this picture standing on my head... This sock yarn is the yarn for the May sock of the month. If you've ever worked with Noro Kuyreon, this is very similar in texture and feel. It does soften up after washing, so don't be caught off guard by the feel.

Blogger did not want me to post a whole lot of pictures today, so I will post pictures of the Newton Beadery tomorrow.

Kids and Hubby are out the door and tucked away at school and work..I am contemplating what needs to be done today vs. what will actually get done today.

I found a pottery wheel on craigslist. It is an older kickwheel, which would be perfect for the garage. The price is right (not low, but not high either) and we wouldn't need electricity to run it. The only downside is the fact that I will have to drive 4 hours to get it and a wheel is not in the immediate budget...What to do? Realistically I will have to wait since it is REALLY not in the budget. Damn! There's too much temptation out there. We have a van that will be coming out of the shop soon, so no cash.........

I may hit the pottery studio this afternoon so I can do damage control on my bowl that I whacked the side of. I'm feeling a little sick today, so that will depend on how I feel at 1:00. I only have a small window of opportunity to do any corrections before the clay is too hard to be pliable....From now on, once I put something on my shelf, I am NOT going to reach behind, around or near it! I am working on bowls so I can get a stockpile of them for things I have planned and gifts. Every year, one of the charities here in town has a soup dinner where the guest pay and get to keep their bowl. The bowls are made by local artists in town and the proceeds go to the homeless meal programs in town. I have wanted to make bowls for this event for quite some time and I think I'm finally ready. Since the meal is in the Spring, I missed this years. However the up side to that is I will have enough time to amass some to donate in bulk when the next one rolls around.

On the knitting side, I have done VERY well at not adding to the yarn stash. I have decided to stay off Internet yarn stores and the sites of yarn manufacturers...That said, some of the yarn manufacturers, like Classic Elite, have some really neat free patterns on their sites! I found a darling pattern for a baby cardigan made out of Classic Elite Provence Cotton. Cute cute cute...I am going to try to get the Lorna's lace sock I had been working on (and put aside) done this weekend, or at least to a respectable length. This will be a good project to knit in the car on the way to Texas. That would free up some space in the project bag and make room for a second sock to be cast on. I'm loving the magic loop technique, so maybe one like that...So many choices...

Well, I'd better get going. Good coffee and great friends to you and yours.