75. That’s how many e-mails I had in my inbox this morning when I went back to work, and for a week’s vacation, that’s incredibly good! (Other times, I’ve come back to as many as 200.) Whew! I so picked the right week for it, too–our weather from Sunday to Friday last week was perfect, and only went downhill over the weekend (right at the time my allergies decided to strike), whereas it rained the entire week before, and it’s supposed to rain a fair amount this week. I was lucky. October’s usually not this wet a month, and usually the leaves and autumn color are a lot further along than they are this year. Kind of sad, really, but maybe I’ll be lucky and we’ll end up having beautiful autumn weather for my birthday for a change?

Those of you who went to Rhinebeck may recognize these little faces–little sheep-shaped stress balls given out by the NY Ram Project. The nice lady handing them out insisted that both Mom and I take one, and so we brought home two, and I’ve got to tell you, they’ve taken on a life of their own. They have wandered all over the house, and have cropped up in the most surprising places. For instance, when I came home from work this afternoon, they were on my bed. I’ve found them hiding in the pots in the kitchen. In the cabinet with the vitamins. On the towels in the linen closet. Next to my toothbrush. Watching television. Next to the cereal. (They’ve kept their distance from my spinning wheel, though.) They even have names now, courtesy of Mom. The one on the left is Baa-baa, and the one on the right (with the pink bow) is Baa-bette.

At least I come by my silliness honestly. (Thanks, Mom!) I’m starting to think I could use a little stress-ball sheep dog to keep the “flock” in line . . . I can’t imagine how they’re getting around the house like this! Nope. It’s a mystery to me. And I’m sure if Chappy saw them, he’d try to stop them. Hmm . . . I wonder if Mom knows anything about this??

I started knitting that Suede tote bag last night. I decided I’m going to start with the purple, so that will be the color of the bottom of the bag, and I’ll save enough (or try to–it’s hard to know where the end of the skein is since this is rolled onto cardboard centers) to edge the top of the bag and for the tassle, but most of it will be that lovely green. It took forever to cast on the stitches–210 of them–and knitting the first row is always a hassle. (It’s not just me who thinks that, is it?) But I did get through the first pattern row last night, an interesting little texture stitch, not too complicated, not too boring. This will be nice “automatic-pilot” knitting–because there is no shaping to the bag whatsoever. It’s knit in a tube and then seamed for the bottom. All the shaping comes post-production, as it were.

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