What's your bag, baby?

In this case, it's the "Everyday Purse With Flap" from Beverly Galeskas' Felted Knits. Hai Jung, my dear friend, liked my FMB and wanted a bag all her own. She settled on this pattern and chose black yarn with a novelty yarn knitted into it.

Taking her to the yarn shop was a blast! She was the proverbial kid in a candy store with all the sequiny, furry, and fun novelties to sift through. I changed the strap to one from "Sophisticated Knits" and enlarged it a bit, and we are both pleased with the end result.

Marion and I had a great trip to Virginia--more on that when I have photos and a bit more time to post.

Happy new bag, Hai-Jung!

Happy Hai-Jung Choi! 

You can see that the strap has the same wild yarn intertwined--looks great against her raven tresses! 

Hai-Jung decided that it looks good enough to eat! 

Close-up to show off the fun yarn. 

Hai-Jung's bag, pre-felting. 

I love England!

I want to tell every British person that I am sending them a big, warm hug and all my best thoughts and wishes. It's so terribly ugly to see London under siege. Our family loved the time we spent there a few years back, and I've said since then that London is the one big city I've visited in which I'd love to live. I'd still love to give it a go.

Everyone we met there was kind and pleasant and clever. We send sympathy and love to all those who lost a loved one, and wishes for a speedy recovery to those injured.

Special, special thanks to HRH Princess Caspian for the treasures she sent! I could barely stand to unwrap the crinkly brown paper, and when I did, the goodies inside were such a delight. My husband and daughter enjoyed the whole ceremony of opening the gifties.

Love the magazine--makes me crave more time in the UK. I'm reading Bill Bryson's "Notes From a Small Island", so I think the fizzy bath bomb and soap will accompany a good long reading/soaking binge. And what can I possibly say about the lambie/tape measure? I crowed about it and showed it off to eveyone in my office, and they all got a huge smile out of it. It's just the sweetest thing, and I'll love using it and thinking of my secret pal!

Thanks so much, my dear British pal! Please know that I'm thinking of you and sending my best to you, your family, and everyone on your delightful isle.

I'm away to Virginia for a week's visit with my oldest pal--updates as possible or on my return. Bye for now!

What a sweet parcel of goodies!  

Mad dogs and Englishmen....

I was trying to tidy up in the kitchen yesterday when I heard a "peep" that sounded distinctly young. Peering out the kitchen window, I saw a small finch perched on the handles of my garden loppers, obviously taking advntage of the fact that we keep an evaporative cooler going during the day out along the back of the house on the patio.

It was cheeping and preening, and fluffing itself in the somewhat cool breeze. It was joined by another finch, and the two companionably sat, singing and chatting about how clever they were to have discovered this fabulous mystery cooling system.

We originally started leaving the cooler running for the dog. My husband says Spot is a bit daft, and when I saw that two tiny birds had figured out what Spot has been missing for three years, I will say it makes me wonder.

The very bright housefinch who found out that an evaporative cooler is a wonderful thing on a hot Arizona afternoon.

The dog who can no longer be deemed a birdbrain. 

The world's largest pigeon, enjoying the hospitality of our bird bath (made by my fabulous hubby many Christmases ago). 

It was 100 degrees in the shade of our patio yesterday. BLEAAHH!