Once upon a time, on the way to Mongolia....

Friends like to cuddle warmly and share a good book.

















What a useful thing is a horn!























This little piggy is happy that someone will go
to market in this sweater without shivering.





















A boy and his dog read about "The Long Winter."























The elephants like people to think that they
are twins, even though they are not.


















More books about peoples of the world.


Happy Dulaan Project, everyone!
(Click on Ryan below if you need an explanation)
Ryan, feel better soon.
Pam, thanks for sharing the yarn.
Love and peace and Arizona warmth to all.

Just a few thoughts

It's very hot here. 109 today. Oh well, it'll only last until October or so.

Miss M is trying a week of summer school at her new school. We've found a private school that all of us like, and she's having a great time with "Science Week". They made ginger ale, salt and sugar crystals, and today she came home with a big Ziploc baggie full of "Gak", slimy white ooze. She loved the fact that it caused me to shriek lots of comments like "Eeeeeeeew!" and "Yuck!" and "Get that stuff away from me!" I'm glad she seems to be enjoying this place.

I really need to turn off the computer and go finish seaming up the sweater. Last year, M saw a play in which there was a knitting giant who was covered in tangled red yarn. He said, "I like knitting, but I hate casting on!". Substitute seaming for casting on for me, please. Must fill box for Dulaan Project and fling it up to Flagstaff.

There's a box of Cheez-Its sitting on the kitchen counter. Bad husband. He knows I could easily ingest the 3-pound double-bag pack from Price Club (I'm NOT going to call it Costco, thank you) in one sitting, and yet, he still buys them once in a while. I love him.

I am so ready to not do what I do for a living anymore.

The dog has now had all four feet trimmed, and looks very sheep-like; tiny feet and a furry, unkempt body. Will attempt to get the rest of him shorn this weekend.

Impending sewing adventure; my mother-in-law is going to tutor me through the process of sewing a scrub top. I am very particular in my fabric likes and dislikes, and she swears it shouldn't be a difficult project, so I've found some batik (complete with 40% off coupon!) and am hoping to start it up this weekend.

That's about it for now.

red

I find myself drawn more to red as I age.
The deeper ones; brick, maroon, poppy.
I don't have jammies like these,
and I dunno what we'll do when she
outgrows them.

Red silk pyjamas, sumptuous, made more so by the
Sylvester and Tweety-Pie print.

blue

My hubby gifted me with a bottle of Partida tequila blanco.
I love the little birdy logo.
The glass bottle is pretty, too, and has a tinge of azul in it.
The tequila is delicioso.

Grey

I love grey clouds, grey birds, and grey critters.
I don't even mind my grey hair!






















Seth gave me this little pachyderm long ago.
She landed an important job as my fixation device
while I was in labor, and now she lives on top of my
clock-radio where I can see her at the start and
finish of each day.

I love our patio. When we extended it, I stole the
idea of putting plant impressions into it from our
wonderful botanical garden.
The guys pouring the concrete thought I was
nuts, but it turned out well. This is a mesquite
cutting. I have different plants or seed pods
all around the edge of the patio.

Brown

A comfortable color.

Today we showcase brown PEI yarn
(soon to be Mongolia-bound),
brown bamboo salad bowl,
brown bamboo cutting board
(a new acquisition!)
held by my favorite
MERmaid whose hands are
sun-kissed brown, and
brown bittersweet chocolate.

Yum entirely.

White

Color week! Thanks for the invite to play along, Stephanie!














My two favorite serving dishes. I don't get to use them that often as they are large, and we don't entertain a lot, but they make me happy. The bowl has cheery flowers, and the leaf platter is really wonderful.

9

No photos today, but here are 9 things that have happened since my last post:

• Found my summons for jury duty which is coming up later this month.
  

• Gave the dog half of his summer haircut. It's amazing how much hair spaniels produce, and since I'm just using scissors, I've only had time to trim his front legs and part of his chest.

• Have finished and halfway seamed the first Dulaan sweater, finished and not yet seamed the second Dulaan sweater, and finished another Cloud Hat for the Dulaan box. I did up the top while waiting for Marion at ballet yesterday, and was helped by an eager young lad of 2 or 3 whose mom kept inexplicably apologizing for his interest in what I was doing. Heck, we had a great time; I dunno what she was so wigged out about.

• Seen my father-in-law (inadvertently) shower my mother-in-law with windshield wiper fluid as she and I stood chatting beside the car. He was in the car already and obviously didn't realize how poorly the fluid jets are aimed. (hee-hee)

• Participated in my 4th co-rec softball game. We've won 3 of 4--Go BlackSox!

• Gotten very fond of some fine blogs: this one, this one, and this one in particular.

• Came home from work early last week Thursday utterly exhausted and somewhat dizzy. Fell into bed and neglected to get up again until Saturday. Felt much better then.

• Gotten myself invited to a sleepover at the Desert Botanical Garden tomorrow night with the childie. It's the culmination of her first week of camp, and we are both very excited about it despite the warm weather.

• Arrived at work yesterday to see a huddled lump of feathers in the parking lot. Immediately started the "please don't be dead" mantra, and after parking, walked over to find a very stunned-looking young dove. It was so dazed it let me pick it up, and I kept it in a box with a warm water bottle until I could take it to a volunteer rescuer's house at lunchtime. Thanks for not being dead, little one. Thanks East Valley Wildlife!

Ballet recital Saturday. Expect plotz-inducing photo next week. Maybe some documentation of the Dulaan goodies a'fore they head up to Flagstaff. Have a delightful weekend, please.