How much, really, is there to say about Monday?

The weekend’s over. Back to work. Same old, same old….

The weather was beautiful, though. Seventy-five degrees (that’s twenty-four Celsius), with a breeze, blue sky, fluffy white clouds.

You know, the kind of day that’s perfect for taking your dog to the park . . . if, that is, you’re not sitting at your desk at the office.

Knitting wise, my Mystery Project seams to be coming along nicely.* Mom’s socks finally have heels, so we’re at the half-way point. (Finally.)

The sweaters? Barely creeping along toward completion. Slog, slog, slog…

And, really, that’s about it–and so I’m giving you this totally gratuitous eye-candy shot of my Tibetan Dreams yarn. So, so pretty, this stuff.

Now, since it IS the end of the month, I’ve got to finish getting my reading list entered . . .

(*And no, that’s not a mis-spelling. It’s a hint.)

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by Deb
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My poor mother had an unnecessarily early start to her day today. I woke up at 6:06 and had to go to the bathroom, so I got out of bed, told Chappy that I’d be right back, and slipped out of my room, pulling my door mostly closed behind me. Just like I’ve done countless times before . . . Except, this time, he apparently decided that six a.m. counted as morning and not night-time, and so he hopped off the bed and went trotting down the hallway into my parents’ room, where he promptly stole my father’s socks from the floor next to the bed and got my mother out of bed to chase after him . . . I apologized profusely after I’d retrieved the socks and ushered Chappy back into my room to climb back into bed, but the damage was already done. Mom couldn’t get back to sleep. All my fault. Well, Chappy’s really, but still! The boys both enjoyed the “adventure” though–Chappy thought this was great fun, and my Dad was glad to get a chance to see him before he left for the golf course. (Most weekends, Chappy and I sleep in and so don’t see Dad until he gets home around 3:00–the two buddies miss saying good morning to each other.

Really, it’s just as well that Mom got a head-start on her night’s sleep by dozing through the movie we watched last night . . . ironically, “While You Were Sleeping.”

So, anyway, I haven’t been quite so busy today as I was last weekend, but I did manage to get a few things done.

Like, finishing that first half of my Tibetan Dreams yarn. I finished plying it, wound it into a skein. (Well, two, technically.) And then I gave it a nice, warm bath before hanging it up to dry.

Sadly, it’s photographing more like autumny-shades of oranges and reds than the golds, purples, magentas that it really is in person, but it’s still awfully pretty.

Not perfectly spun, of course, but still, really lovely.

We took Chappy out for a nice, medium-length Sunday walk, too, which we enjoyed even if he didn’t get to see any of his neighborhood friends.

I baked some corn muffins, which made an excellent afternoon snack, with a cup of tea alongside.

Made a pot roast.

Ordered a zipper for my Celtic Icon. This is firmly an act of wishful thinking, because I’ve got a ways to go . . . but I like to be prepared. And am hoping I guessed right on the color.

Curled up with a good book.

Used my Scooba to clean the floors. (I do love my Scooba!!)

Spent the entire day with Chappy . . . which is exactly as it should be

All in all, a pretty good Sunday. Hope yours was good, too!

Tags: Chappy, Family, Finished Spinning by Deb
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Doesn’t this look idyllic?

Two wheels, side-by-side, out on the porch on a lovely day . . .

Just two wheels, though. My Little Gem and Risa‘s Tina.

Kim wasn’t able to come at the last minute because the time of her son’s first Little League game of the season had been changed or written down wrong or forgotten . . . something like that . . . and it fell right into the middle of what was going to be her spinning lesson.

We were disappointed, of course, because we were looking forward to seeing her, but somehow managed to soldier on . . .

I spun up a bobbin of my Tibetan Dreams roving, and then Risa lent me her high-tech lazy kate . . .

Which I plied about half of before I ran out of steam.

Risa worked on a couple of things, but ended up concentrating on this lace-weight, beautiful, coral-colored silk. The picture doesn’t do it justice (although, you know, click on it for the full size because you’ll want as much of a close-up as you can manage. It’s that pretty.

Except for the tail-lashing I got from Chappy when I finally got home (his descriptor, not mine) . . . and the full-over sniff-check when he realized I’d seen Risa and the twins without him . . . and the indignation when he realized that I’d petted a CAT while I was gone . . . well, except for that, it was a really nice day.

Even if Kim couldn’t make it.

Tags: Friends, Knitting/Spinning by Deb
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Well, let’s take a look back at today, shall we?

• First, it really started with the fact that I had trouble getting to sleep last night–highly unusual for me–and so lost precious sleep-time.
• Our power went out over night during a thunderstorm (which I slept through). According to my Mom, the power blinked off and on and off and on several times.
• So, this morning, as as I was waking up, I heard my parents down at their end of the hall, moving around, setting clocks . . . unusual, since while they’re usually awake before me, it’s rare for Mom to be out of bed ahead of me.
• This morning, though, about 45 seconds before my alarm beeped, she came down the hall and tapped on my door. “I thought you might want to get up a few minutes (hah! seconds) early so you can reset your clocks, help Dad with the television….”
• Um, television? The cable-box in their bedroom was being difficult and so, about four minutes after I dragged myself out of bed after too little sleep, I was sitting on the edge of their bed, holding two remotes and trying to figure out what the problem was. For the record, all that needed to be done was an official reboot of the box . . . but it took me about five minutes to figure that out. It might have been a little faster if I had been able to, you know, focus my eyes.
• Even though I got up right on time, I ended up running late anyway. So unfair.
• Did I mention that it was still raining? So my morning basically started lousy, and then continued cloudy and bleary with the whole too-little sleep, too-little light, too-little time thing.
• Fine. I grumbled my way to the office and pulled in next to a police car, because apparently somebody set off the burglar alarm. No big deal, but it was the second false alarm this week. (grumble)
• Worked. Talked briefly to my sister. We commiserated about our sore teeth, because she was at the dentist yesterday morning . . . same dentist as I was, but no, she didn’t knit. (For the record, I don’t knit while he’s actually doing the work, either–just in the “okay, stay closed until this hardens, I’ll be back” parts.)
• Came home at lunch to find Mom urgently on the phone with the sound of a wet-vac in the background . . .
• Yep, the basement was flooded. For the first time in years. Because, of course, we have two sump pumps and serious water-proofing and all that but . . .
• Well. The plumber was at the house last week because the sump pump was somehow pumping its water, not into the yard where it belonged, but in the garage. Which, you know, ultimately isn’t a good thing. So, he fixed that  . . . except . . .
• Except . . . he somehow forgot to, um, secure the pipes down in the basement, so with last night’s storm and all the extra water, when the sump pumped, instead of gushing up the pipe and out of the house, the water was gushing directly into the basement. Oy!
• Luckily, Mom was sitting in the kitchen around lunch and heard the gush and went downstairs to look . . .
• Lots of water. Well, not more than an inch or two, but covering more than half of the basement.
• Did I mention that we have a finished basement? With wall-to-wall carpeting?
• On the plus side, the plumber was at the house in about half an hour after Mom called, and immediately took over the wet-vacuuming from Dad.
• And then the plumbing company sent another truck to really clean.
• The fact that their equipment tripped the circuit breaker at least three times is kind of irrelevant, right?
• As of right now, our basement is more damp than wet. The rug is shampooed with mold-resistant shampoo, and the cement floor in the storage room is clean.
• We’ve got fans going to help move the drying process along, but . . . I’ll say it again. Oy!

On the plus side, the evening has gone better.

• Tonight was my niece’s school play, her very favorite musical of all-time, 42nd Street. Which makes the fact that she was in it, during her senior year, that much better.
• So Mom and Dad headed off for Pennsylania about 4:15. Which works out well, because it hopefully helped Mom stop obsessing about the basement. She is NOT a happy person when there’s something wrong in her house!
• I spent the night building a new blog site for Booking Through Thursday, importing all the old archives, creating a new button–all that kind of thing.
• And then I made some tea and sat with Chappy, a good book, and watched Stranger than Fiction. We saw this in the theater last winter and I thought it was charming. (My parents were bored.) So, I took advantage of having the television to myself, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Now, I’m kind of tired, my tooth’s a little sore. (Not terribly, just a little achy.) And I’ve got a fun-filled, fibery day tomorrow with Risa and Kim. So, um . . . g’night!

Tags: General, Weather by Deb
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Yes, I had a fun afternoon today. Another trip to the dentist for another crown (sigh).

But at least I got some knitting done while sitting there with goo in my mouth. I mean, that’s something, right?

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by Deb
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Oooh . . . pretty pretty pretty yarn!

This skein of Balland Skein sock yarn, in the Sargasso Sea colorway just came today. It’s going, I can tell, to be one of those colorways that’s difficult to photograph but is oh, so beautiful. Teals and browns and blues and greens . . . I’ve been admiring her colors for a while now and couldn’t resist.

Good timing, too . . . not because I was in any danger of running out of sock yarn, though. Oh no! Quite the opposite, in fact. But because I got an email last night that made me feel angry, sad, hurt, shocked, surprised, upset, unloved, disappointed . . . all that fun stuff . . . (And no, I’m not going into details. It wasn’t “personal,” just something that was badly handled that could have been done diplomatically, and, well, whatever. We’re trying to work it out. Moving on.) But anyway, I needed the cheering up.

Especially since it’s raining again, too.

And WKRP is going to have to wait because Mom wants to watch American Idol’s concert tonight, so I’ll be upstairs in my room tonight, which still doesn’t have a DVD player (which two months on is absolutely ridiculous). That also means I won’t be getting any knitting done tonight, either. (And, watch, she’ll see this post, feel guilty, and will come downstairs apologizing at 8:00…. Which, Mom, would be silly!)

Sigh. I guess it’s just one of those days.

At least I have pretty new yarn to fondle. And I got Chappy out for a walk at lunch when it was still sunny. That’s definitely something!

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by Deb
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Let’s see, what’s new?

Um.

Well.

At least I have something interesting to watch. Season One of “WKRP in Cincinnati.” Anyone else love this show as much as I did? I mean, granted, I was only 12 when it started, so I wasn’t the most discerning critic, but that doesn’t change the fact that this show was great fun. I’m particularly looking forward to seeing the “turkey” episode again….

Actually, there has been great progress done  on my Mystery Project. The knitting is about 95% done. I’ve got a few details to create and the finishing work to do, but the bulk of it, clearly, is done. This is great news–there’s no question that it will be finished for the family “Birthday Season” in May/June. Phew!

This means I can start addressing some of my attention to my usual collection of never-ending projects. You know, the Celtic Icon, which has sleeves about 5″ long at this point. The Tatami which is about half done. The socks for my Mom that I’ve been working on since February and aren’t quite at the halfway point yet. Sigh.

Slogging is the word.

Tags: General by Deb
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I finally did what I’ve been meaning to do for the last few weeks–I did a thorough cleaning of my room.

This picture is from midway through the process, around 11:30 this morning. The curtains are in the wash. The windows–inside and outside–have been cleaned. I’m so grateful that my parents thought ahead when they built this house 31 years ago and picked windows that can be tilted inwards for cleaning. Not as easily as the current models, perhaps, but ground-breaking for the 1970s. They’re thermal windows, too, with two layers of glass and removable mullions in between . . . I didn’t bother cleaning the inner layers today (that only gets done about every 5 years) but that’s a blessing, too. So, anyway–clean windows.

Also in this picture, all the bedding it is ready to go in the wash–Chappy’s giving it a last-minute fluffing–so that just the comforter, the feather bed, and the pillows are on the bed. I’ve also started clearing the floor for vacuuming, but have already done the edges. The handle of the Dyson is right up front. I think I’m the only one in the house who’s actually used all the attachments.

Here’s where we are right now–the furniture is all back in place. (I’d pulled all the movable pieces away from the wall.) All the surfaces are dusted, and I even used Pledge on the wood–something I rarely do, but is nice once in a while. I cleaned all the pictures and knick-knacks with Windex.The curtains are back up, the bed is made. The spinning wheels back in their places. I’ve even got the windows open to let fresh air in (and hoping I won’t be paying for it later with all the pollen in the air). The only things left to do is get Chappy’s crate cover out of the dryer and back onto his crate, and to dry the orange throw for my chair.

For some, strange reason, I’m a little tired!

That didn’t stop me from giving him his much-needed haircut this afternoon, though. Or from taking him for a walk, where he got to see one of his favorite doggy-friends. So, I wouldn’t want you to think I’ve been neglecting him!

I haven’t been neglecting my fibery-duties, either. I’ve got my first bobbin of Tibetan Dreams spun up, and am just about to start my second. The colors in the picture don’t do it justice, this stuff is so pretty!

I also got a lot of knitting done last night–on the Mystery Project, so I still can’t show you–while watching a movie with Mom. “Big Night” with Stanley Tucci and Tony Shaloub. I saw it mentioned on somebody’s blog a while ago–can’t remember whose, anymore–and bought a copy. It was sweet, and oh lord, the food looks SO good. I’m just dying for a really, really good Italian meal now. It’s was an odd little ending, though, with nothing really resolved, but that’s the way life is, huh?

Here are a few tree pictures for you. Mom spotted these at the park yesterday–kind of the sylvan version of the “The Lovers.” Two completely different kinds of trees just twined around each other. I did my best to get that in a photo, but . . . They’re at a rather precarious angle, don’t you think? Bad for the trees, but as an image . . . it’s like the one tree has wrapped the other it its arms and is leaning in for a passionate kiss. Not something you see in the woods every day, you know?

Incidentally–for any of you Fair Isle knitters who love the Jamieson and Smith shetland yarns–did you know that they’re discontinuing a bunch of their colors? If you need any, order now!

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by Deb
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For you computer experts out there–a technical question. Lately, my computer’s been working very hard–at 100% CPU usage, according to Windows Task Manager–and the list of “Processes” is lengthy, but unlike the “Applications,” I can’t tell a valid Process from an invalid one.

Any ideas on what I should try to get my computer functioning at a normal level again? I’ve run anti-virus and anti-spamware checks and it SEEMS like things are working normally (if a little slowly, which makes sense because, well, obviously things are busy behind the scenes). But, those “processes” are a mystery with names like “mxtas.exe” or “ati2evxx.exe” . . . things which may well be entirely necessary, but how is anyone who’s not a programmer supposed to know?

Edited to add: Thanks, folks. Process Library was very handy, and I just bought, downloaded, and installed Uniblue’s Power Suite which seems to have helped. Gotta love internet security, huh?

Tags: General by Deb
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Yep. It finally feels like Spring. Late spring, even, since the temperature was up near 80 today . . . that’s quite a jump considering I was wearing a wool sweater and socks to work just two days ago!

We took advantage, though. Mom, Chappy and I went to the park this morning and walked for about 1.4 miles. I would have kept going, but Mom was getting tired, and Chappy was panting, so we turned back to the car at just about the .7 mile-marker. We did stop for a couple pictures . . . though Chappy was more interested in the stream than in the camera.

Afterward, we stopped at the Whole Foods market and I ran in and picked up some bread, lettuce, tomato, and turkey bacon and when we got home, Mom and I had BLTs. I do love a good BLT sandwich–and so does Mom–so we pick up some turkey bacon every now and again. It doesn’t compare to the “real” stuff, but since Mom can’t eat that anymore, I’m willing to accept a substitute now and again. Chappy’s not picky, either–he was more than happy to eat some. My little boy does love bacon!

This afternoon, all three of us relaxed. I sat and read. Mom watched a movie on TV. Chappy napped.

Ahhh…..

Tags: Chappy, Weather by Deb
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Still not that much to really TALK about . . . knitting, spinning, going to work, reading books . . . all of that usual stuff.

But on the plus side, it finally feels like Spring. Low 70s. Sunny. Blue sky.

How nice was it? Well, Chappy not only got a walk today, he got TWO.

I even brought my camera to take a few pictures of two of the pretty trees in the neighborhood.

The first one? I have no idea what kind of tree this is, but I love that spray of fanning branches reaching upward. It looks lovely when it has leaves, mind you, but I think I like it best when you can see the framework.

The other is a magnolia tree, ready to burst into bloom. There are several magnolia trees in our neighborhood, but this one is right at a corner, so that you practically walk right underneath it . . . making stealing a photograph or three very handy (grin).

And then, look what I got in the mail today! A note and a consolation prize for Chappy’s adorable feet from Laura over at JenLa. Aren’t they cute? One of them was unfortunately broken in transit, but so what? They’re cute anyway, and really, considering Chappy didn’t actually win . . . who cares? Thank you, Laura!

Did you know the Interweave Knits Summer preview is up?

Did you see Indigo Muse’s “Project Hokie Hope” to support the VA Tech’s victim’s families?

I’m even more glad than ever that I cook Chappy’s food myself. I do use a food mix from Sojourner Farms (they make them for dogs and for cats, incidentally), but I trust their ingredients and know exactly what kind of meat and protein and extras my dog is eating. With the news lately, that makes me feel much better.

Please head over and wish Liz a happy birthday tomorrow, huh? She’s even giving out a prize!

And, look what came? My copy of “Teach Yourself Visually: Handspinning.” I’ve only flipped through it so far, but it looks like a fabulous resource–great, clear pictures of everything, lots of details, very thorough. At least, at first glance, you understand, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to be disappointing, you know? It looks great.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Tags: Friends, General, knitting book review, Sky, Weather by Deb
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IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people
to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another
and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal
station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a
decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should
declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted
among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,
— That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these
ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to
institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and
organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely
to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate
that Governments long established should not be changed for light and
transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that
mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to
right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably
the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute
Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such
Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. —

(section edited out)

— And
for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the
protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our
Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

That Thomas Jefferson sure did have a way with words . . . even if I have always liked John Adams better!

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Do you folks in the U.S. realize what a bad week the middle of April is? Not only the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech, but also the anniversaries of Waco, Columbine, and the Oklahoma City bombing.

And tax day.

All in all, a good week to keep your head down….

But while doing so, wear orange and maroon tomorrow, April 20th. All part of Hokie Hope in honor of the Virgina Tech victims.

Tags: General by Deb
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Has anyone noticed that there are whole swarms of knit-bloggers in the last couple of days who have nothing to talk about?

Anyone?

(crickets)

Yep. Me, too.

There’s just really not that much to tell tonight. Our power ris working again, which means that not only is the stove working again, but so is the hot water heater . . . which made things like dinner and my shower tonight much more pleasant. It even stopped raining for just long enough to get Chappy out for a walk after work.

That’s about it, though.

Although, please do go over and say some kind words to MeBeth . . .

• Okay, there must be something you
  read that’s a guilty pleasure . . . a Harlequin romance stashed under
  the mattress. A cheesy sci-fi book tucked in the back of the freezer. A
  celebrity biography, a phoned-in Western . . . something that you’d
  really rather not be spotted reading. Even just a novel if you’re a
  die-hard non-fiction fan. Come on, confess. We won’t hold it against
  you!

To be honest? I really can’t think of anything. My reading habits are an open book, as it were. I post everything I read each month, log in everything, and have all my books pretty much there for anyone (in the house) to see. Do I tell everybody I meet how much I love fantasy and science fiction? No–but I don’t tell everyone how much I adore my dog, either. Are there are a couple books in my collection that are somewhat trashier or less erudite than others? A handful. And there are a couple self-help books that I wouldn’t shout to the world (like, how to improve your handwriting, or how to hypnotize yourself . . . they seemed like fun at the time, you know?). But really, I’ll just say that there’s pretty much not anything in my library that I would be mortified for you to know about . . . or at least, not that I can think of!

Tags: General, Reading by Deb
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Since the more serious topics are breaking my heart today, I thought I’d just touch on light things today.

Like, our refrigerator decor–since Chris posted hers.

As you can see, we’re big on family photos.

And, of course, Martha’s Vineyard paraphenalia.

Here’s a closer look at two of my favorites–a Peanuts cartoon from a roll of paper towels (of all things), and a quote from Thomas Edison that I love. “If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.”

That Nor’easter still isn’t quite gone yet. It’s still been spritzing little bits of rain on and off all day. But at least the roads downtown (or, all the ones I saw) are clear. And most of my co-workers’ basements are at least improved up to the “damp” stage if not actually “dry.” So that’s something.

And, at least I can make a cup of tea. That’s something, too. (We’ll just ignore the fact that my parents went out to the movies with friends, leaving me home without the means of cooking supper . . . I mean, I told them to go and have a good time, and I meant it, but so much for the “We’re all in this together” attitude. Not that Dad really misses the stove not working . . . I’m not entirely sure he even knows how to turn it on. But that’s another story.)

Oh, and my morning oatmeal cooked quite nicely in my cheap little rice cooker . . . although tomorrow I’m going to need to stir it a little more often to keep it from boiling over….

Back on that serious subject, though? A page of links to online presences of the victims–My Space pages, articles, awards, blogs . . . bunches of things about the way they lived their lives.

Like I said. Heartbreaking.

Tags: Uncategorized by Deb
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Today was too interesting a day.

First, there was the fun commute into work this morning. The center of town was flooded, so I had some tricksy detours to make to get to the office. But that was okay. It’s not badly flooded, though there were a number of roads closed. It just made things interesting.

Then, we were short-handed at work because a number of people either couldn’t get in or had flooded basements they needed to deal with. Which made working today . . . interesting.

Of course, then there was the shooting at Virginia Tech. Oh God. That’s way too much “interest” for any day. I can’t believe it . . . so awful. I’ve never been there myself, but my uncle and my three cousins all went there  . . . decades ago, sure, but still . . . So many people . . . Oh God, oh God, oh God . . . Way too interesting in all too horrific a way.

Then, after supper, just as I was finishing my shower, our house had its own little brown out. Well, we and our next-door neighbors. Some things–like my room, the family room, the refrigerator–had power. While others–like the stove, my parents’ room, the rest of the kitchen–did not. So, for a while, we were all sitting together in the family room, watching television together. The electric company did come, and they mostly fixed things . . . we have most of our power back (and are grateful), but not enough to run our electric range . . . which means that we can’t cook anything for a few days. I think I can make oatmeal in the morning in my cheap little rice cooker, but . . . no tea for a while. Unless I run out tomorrow to buy an electric kettle, which could work . . . But. No cooking? Meals are going to be . . . interesting.

Who knew I’d be longing to hear the pundits talking about Imus and rap music again? The Governor almost killing himself by not wearing his seatbelt? Or the flooding from this massive storm?

Things have been just way too interesting today.

Tags: General, Weather by Deb
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Oh no. Not again.

My prayers are with all of them . . .

Tags: Uncategorized by Deb
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Well, it’s been a wet, wet day here, though less windy and stormy than they had forecast. As in, really no wind at all. But we HAVE gotten about 3 inches of rain. Our backyard is a muddy mess, and Chappy is ever so grateful for his roofed little bathroom.

So, what’s a girl to do on a wet, dreary Sunday like that? Well, my main objective for the day was to do some much-needed cleaning in my room and bathroom . . . Um, well . . . that didn’t happen. Not even a superficial dusting–for which, since that would take all of two and a half minutes, there’s really no excuse.

What I DID do? I spent a lot of time making the house smell yummy . . . I made some pumpernickel bread (thank you King Arthur), baked a “Grandma” cake (our family favorite) and then put a pot roast in the oven for most of the afternoon. The house smells like “Sunday.” Mmmm. (And, no, no pictures–it didn’t seem like a fair thing to do!)

Of course, curling up with a book and a warm puppy is always good on a rainy day, too . . . and I did do some of that. Chappy in particular is still tired from yesterday’s guests . . . you know how exhausting playing host can be . . . especially when it cuts into your napping time. That was worth it, though, because Risa, the twins, Chappy, and I all had a lovely time. Those of us with two legs went to the mall first, had lunch at the food court (thanks, Risa!), did some shopping, played in the meant-for-children play area they’ve put at one end of the mall. Which, I must say, was pretty impressive–a walled-in, well-padded, carpeted-floor, things-to-play-on, safe, clean area for young children to blow off some steam from a busy day of shopping and (hopefully) behaving properly in stores. And, with comfy seating for the adults. That was great, actually. The twins played, and Risa and I knitted.

Afterward, we headed back to my house, where we snacked (Pirate’s Booty–very popular indeed), played . . . mostly with Chappy’s toys . . . watched a movie (Little Mermaid), went for a walk . . . that was great for the first half until Kat decided she was tired and wanted to be carried, which Risa refused to do, so, um, Alex, Chappy and I walked on ahead . . . with Alex holding onto Chappy’s leash . . . talking about sticks and colors and doggy-poop bags (a process about which he was fascinated) and sort of left Risa to deal with the “Stop! Carry me!” That stopped once we were back in sight of the house, though, and since that was the “worst” part of the whole day . . . not too horrible. (Well, for me!)

My parents went out for my Dad’s high school reunion–a dinner cruise around Manhattan that was fully paid for by an anonymous classmate. As in, the whole evening–including an open bar–only cost everyone the cost of getting there. Impressive, huh?? They still don’t know who the benefactor was, although he/she was definitely there (and, I hope, having a really fabulous time). So anyway, since they were out, I invited Risa and the twins to stay for supper . . . especially since the two of them (the little ones, that is) had already expressed an interest in eating something I already had in the house. So, I cooked, and Risa, Alex, and I ate  . . . but Kat completely slept through supper. Risa tried to wake her up, but she was more interested in sleeping than in eating, so . . . I sent the leftovers home in case she wanted them later on.

After they left, Chappy and I watched a movie (Star Wars–haven’t seen that in years) while I worked on my mystery project, which I’m happy to tell you, is coming along nicely. I’ve got some of it blocking right now, but am not done with the actual knitting yet….

Tags: Baking, Friends, General, Weather by Deb
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Well, I wasn’t expecting this today.

We had pouring rain on Thursday, and yesterday, while dry, was cold and cloudy and raw . . . basically, yesterday was February all over again.

And then tomorrow, we’re due to get a monster, killer, Nor’easter . . . though more rain than snow.

Who would have expected the day in between to start out so darn pretty?? It’s down-right “park-able” as we say in this family . . . perfectly nice weather for taking Chappy to the park.

But, since we were expecting something somewhat greyer and colder, more forbidding, Risa and I already made other plans.

Poor Chappy.

Now, for your distraction, take a look at this nifty site. Or click around this one. Or even this clip on YouTube. Because this man does some absolutely amazing woodcarving. I mean, how many people can carve their own (floating) Ferrari? Or furnish an entire house . . . including a basket of knitting . . . out of wood?

Tags: Sky, Weather by Deb
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