Why not?

here we are in January

2012-01-20T15:48:00.000-08:00

My, my, my, past the mid-month already. I know how much I enjoy finding posts on the blogs I read, so I am "effort-ing" (as heard on a local newscast this AM-cripes!) to de-hibernate and post a bit more often. No promises, but I'll give it a go.

Winter photos above; we got treated to a hearty winter storm last week and it's just now melting. I scored BIG with a friend's de-stashing sale, Spot waiting patiently for Santa, some bowls I lurve that were waiting for me at an op-shop, and a few of the enormous murder of crows that blanketed the back yard for some food tossed out yesterday. (It was cool--nearly Hitchcock-ian at times!)

Barb over at Woof Nanny posted a great end-of-year list, and I want to hitch my wagon to her star and note a few things that have made me happy.

*Glad that despite some bumps, my family has remained well and strong. I love my Yuma boyze, the southern AZ crews, and the Kirkland dears.

*The perseverance of Spot.

*The return of the knitting bug. I've cranked out some shawls, a couple of hats, and a sonic screwdriver.

*Birds, birds, birds. Herons and bald eagles in the Arboretum, bushtits and juncoes and towhees in my yard, hawks on the light poles, and the ever-present crows.

*Bunnies seen on my frosty morning walks to the bus.

*M's hard work to keep excelling in school while still finding time to enjoy herself. Seeing her shine onstage in "Oliver!". Her wonderful phalanx of girl buddies. The lovely sound of the piano drifting out of her room. Her gentle insistence that I pull the concertina out and work at it. (Can't believe the bellows are still good!)

*A wonderful Thanksgiving made up of friends from both nearby and faraway and some killer baby back ribs. (Len and M kicking *ss on Beatle's Rock Band--Len yelling at the program when it failed him repeatedly for drumming as he actually does and not following the program--hysterical, I tell you!)

*Travel. The amazing Northern European cruise, subsequent week in the UK (love you, Della!) and several delightful runs to Vancouver (I've never before been in a motel where the wild party next door ended with the police coming and ushering the revelers out! Peeking through the curtains and thanking the nice Canadian cops afterwards--hee-hee!).

*Having a job that allows me to work with friends AND pays me on a regular basis. Lucky, I tell you.

*The continued delight of finding what I want/need/never expected on the interwebs. Patterns, projects, photos that make me grin, books I want to read, songs that I'd never heard, blogs I want to learn from, and inspiration to make me want to continue to create things.

Let's all have a terrific 2012, eh?

Have a good one!

2011-12-30T22:49:00.000-08:00

she's something else

2011-09-16T23:37:00.000-07:00

The girlie and I have gotten into the habit of a little texting (from her) and emailing (from me) when she's out of school in the afternoon.

I thrill to see her notes pop up in the midst of the sea of corporate crap messages I slog through daily.

Wednesday's exchange:

M
Hi Mom! Just got out of school! How's your day going? Mine was good, I don't have much homework yay!!!

YAY for light homework! I'm running off to a meeting right now.

XXXOOO

Love you-I'll type at you when I get back.

Okay, have a super-duper fun meeting. I'm sure it will be a life changing experience. You'll have to tell me about it.

these exchanges make me feel like a successful parent.

slacker

2011-08-09T23:13:00.000-07:00

Wow, I just looked at my "archives" post count.

Amazing decline in the number of posts each year.

Wonder if I can eke out a few more to whup 2010?

Still chuckling

2011-07-30T23:18:00.000-07:00

The girlie just finished 2 weeks of acting camp. She did it last year and it was "Grease" in which she happily took a speaking part, even though it was a guy's role. This year, they riffed on "Glee". (Of course, we know OF it, but hadn't watched it until the night before her show on Friday.)

The cool thing is that she told us early on that she had a solo, and that it was "Sing!" from A Chorus Line. (She was doubly tickled as she'd met Mr. Hamlisch last year at a Teen Concert here in town, and he was very kind a generous with his time. Reception pre-show and brought all the teens backstage post-concert for Q&A.) (Classy.)

I have yet to get her OK to put it hers up here (and may not, even with approval), but this is the best YouTube version I found. (roll to 1:25 to start)

She owned it. And the thing I really liked? She had a blast with it. Told her afterwards that it wasn't a solo, it was a number. Big difference.

*grinning*

Consider this your invitation

2011-07-16T16:54:00.000-07:00

To come visit and see the rest of my photos from the trip.....

Whatta ya got, you ask?

well.....
Viking yarn and knitting tools!
A cool chick and a cool old Citroen!
Wonderful Weymouth-ian and Silly Seattle-ite meet and make pilgrimage to yarn mecca; leave lighter of pocketbook!

Don't delay; click here today!

Next up....Norway!

2011-06-29T17:24:00.000-07:00

This shot made me think of bb who has impeccable taste and documents fashion lovingly and bitingly with tongue in cheek. Neat trick, that.
I bought a red one.

Ahhh, Cafe Lillesand........

(Go to flickr if you'd like another helping. There will be more, but I think I took nearly 100 photos in Bergen and I'm not up to messing with them at this moment. Must go celebrate dismissal of $400 parking ticket that I received for being a numpty.)

There and back again

2011-06-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

We've had an amazing June. Thanks to the generosity of our families, Mr. Smartypants, Miss M and I have thrilled to sights, sounds, and tastes of northern Europe and the ever-delightful UK. Am posting Flickr photos as we speak. You can go and have a look at the set (to date--much more to come) here.

A couple of teasers.....

good stuff

2011-05-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

stolen from Amy over at the amazing angry chicken
(the other version on YouTube is pretty sweet, too)

thanks, Amy!

on the needles

2011-03-12T16:50:00.000-08:00

I know, it's not what I asked about in the last post, but I started it as I waited for advice. (Thanks Gale! It's next on the list after a cute little Easter goodie for the girlie that I found on whipup! but don't want to show yet....)

Pattern from ravelry here. Very simple. Surprising, really, as I'm generally not a ruffly gal, but hey, it called to me....

It's a lovely red yard Italian yarn called Cestari in Dahlia Red that a very nice lady gifted me a while back. Noticing that it's really almost the same color as the coat I wear out into the wet weather daily. And my French Market Bag. I'm thinking of a slouchy hat to go with it...

Sunbreak! Must take Spot out for a walk while we have a few precipitationless moments. Happy weekend!

(Oh, here's a hat I banged out for M recently, too....

Helllllp meeeee!

2011-03-03T22:54:00.000-08:00

I've fallen hard for this lovely.

This one, by a super-duper knitter, is delightful.

As is this one.

The contenders for my affection are a skein of Socks That Rock mediumweight (380 yds), Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock (2 skeins 215 yds each) and in a distant third place, some very friendly New England Shetland (I think I have about 4 skeins, 196 yds each).

I'm not great at substituting and making it work.

Which would suit best? And what the heck needle size do I switch to? I know I'd need to check gauge and all, but what would you suggest?

she reads minds

2011-01-13T11:52:00.000-08:00

bb knew my theivery skills were rusty....and that I was longing for one of these.

10 things that amuse you or make you happy
(mine in random order)

1. Music or speech played backwards or at the wrong speed. Watched a teevee show with the girlie yesterday and the satellite was obviously flummoxed and the folks began speaking in a rather peculiar Martian dialect. Like to wet myself laughing, I did.

2. Watching my dad persevere and find some happiness a year after my mom's passing.

3. boiled wool slippers

4. virtual birdwatching--Mr. Smartypants called me at work mid-afternoon to tell me that there was major activity at the feeders I'd filled the day before--he described and I identified (and was VERY jealous not to have seen the pileated woodpecker in our backyard myself!)

5. lack of car payments

6. the .99 I spent for this app

7. the fact that the GIANT FLY invasion in the house seems to be subsiding.....

8. my Canadian calendar that has purty photos of botanicals--done up like an old bunch of illustrations from a science book

9. the girlie continuing her musical pursuits; now taking on keyboards

10.

2010-12-29T22:46:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Here's a quick look at some of what I've been up to since I posted in August. Sorry for the boring column of shots--I'm rusty at blogging and still learning my lovely new laptop's ins and outs.

Wishing everyone a wonderful healthy, happy New Year that's the best ever.

Type more at you later.

Oh baby, it's Christmas all over again!

2010-12-24T19:48:00.000-08:00

Love me some Tom, even with the old short haircut.

Happy Christmas, all!

wonderous

2010-08-25T22:30:00.000-07:00

Is anyone else out there watching this show and as captivated as my family is?

(Edited: it's been a month with a grand total of ZERO comments, so I guess I have my answer.)

sneak peek

2010-07-28T21:54:00.000-07:00

I'm told that the designer has created for many famous names......

I'm hoping for something in this vein

Not so much these.

Or perhaps we could try this

But let's not go here.

Here's the frame.

Oh-so cool, yet sadly, black just isn't me.

Are you ready for the colour?

.
.
.
.
.

I'm ready.
They're not.
Maybe in October.

They'll be worth it, but I again quote Tom Petty:

So sweet

2010-07-26T22:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks, M, for taking me to the show. I liked them (and like them) more than I expected to.

Is that picture still too big?

2010-07-17T19:55:00.001-07:00

I like the photo, but I'm wondering about dropping down one more size. Love the water droplets.

Copious thanks to A Foothill Home Companion for the tutorial. Way cool blog, too--go have a look!

Finally Friday

2010-07-17T00:12:00.000-07:00

OK, I've puttered and re-sized and noodled a bit. Now it's looking a bit tidier here. Off to the outlet stores tomorrow in search of shoes....then, mayhap, to clear off the desk and do a bit of crafting. Ideas for some creatures are dancing in my head; let's see if I can get them past the imagination stage.

More on these stories as they develop. Watch this space. (I'm not sure what it will look like when next you come to call, but please stop by again soon!)

Oh wow.

2010-07-13T23:41:00.000-07:00

Ye Gods, what have I wrought?

I just wanted a new header, not one that would eat my entire title page.

Back later to fiddle.

smitten

2010-04-23T23:05:00.000-07:00

I'm in love.

We met last year, shortly after I moved to this tiny house. It was a fairly quick infatuation on my part, fading somewhat as the days shortened and winter crept in.

Now it's spring again, and everyone knows just where a young woman's fancy turns lightly to in spring. As Charles Schultz says, oh-so-eloquently,

*sigh*.

Pacific Dogwood has captured my heart. Everywhere I look this month, those pale creamy or soft, rosy bracts are bobbing in the breeze, or bejeweled by the light rain, jostling and waving in an all-too-successful attempt to capture my eye. They are so compelling that I am stooping to deceitful behaviour. Last weekend in the early evening, I unabashedly lied to my dear husband. I told him that I was going to sit out on the patio with glass of wine to enjoy the lingering daylight. Hah! A likely story.

In fact, I was eager to spend more time gazing at the tall specimen in our yard. It's come into bloom (into bract?), and is beauteous to behold. I noticed last year that the crows were actually breaking off thinner branches; for nest building, I suppose. Our tree appears a bit slighter this year. Perhaps I'll need to shoo away those meddlesome corvids.

I was delighted to find that my 1990 World Book classifies my crush as Cornus Muttallii. A fitting moniker, I thought gleefully, for a Dogwood. Moments later, modern-day technology disabused me of this whimsical notion and gently corrected the species name to Cornus Nuttallii.

Drat. I think I'll stick with old book knowledge on this one. I prefer the prior designation.

2010-04-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

bb makes me feel like Cary Grant in "To Catch A Thief"...the stuff she blogs is really tempting, and unlike him, I can't resist stealing it.

That and the fact that I'm still coming out of a bad slump and am too lazy to be creative right now.

a meme from the Crazy Mom

Do you like bleu cheese? No.
Have you ever smoked? No.
Do you own a gun? No.
Favorite type of food? Crunchy things.
Favorite type of music? Lots-.
What do you think of hot dogs? Needs to be a well-done one with mustard and sauerkraut, please. (My dad has been known to eat them raw....ugh!)
Favorite Christmas movie? It's a Wonderful Life.
What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Some form of coffee with 1/2 & 1/2.
Can you do push-ups? Can I ? Yes. Will I? I'd rather not.
What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? My wedding rings.
Favorite hobby? words.
Do you have A. D. D.? Nope.
Do you wear glasses/contacts? Glasses.
Middle name? Ann.
Name three thoughts at this exact moment: I want Cheez-Its. We need to dye the eggs. It's cold.
Name three drinks you regularly drink: Water, milk, coffee.
Current worry? Long work week ahead.
Current hate right now? Now, as ever, lima beans.
Favorite place to be? Home.
How did you bring in the new year? Quietly.
Someplace you’d like to go? Ireland.
Name three people who will complete this. Liz....
Do you own slippers? Just uber-thick socks.
What color shirt are you wearing? Springy-green.
Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? No.
Can you whistle? Yes. With and without the use of fingers.
Where are you now? In the office.
Would you be a pirate? In a perfect pirate world, yes.
What songs do you sing in the shower? Can't recall the last time I did that.
Favorite Girl’s Name? Emma.
Favorite boy’s name? Sam.
What is in your pocket right now? Lint.
Last thing that made you laugh? Marion's morning joke.
What vehicle do you drive? A PT Cruiser.
Worst injury you’ve ever had? Bitten in the face by a dog. Don't like German Shepherds much.
Do you love where you live? Yes and no. It's an evolving relationship.
How many TVs do you have in your house? 1.
How many computers do you have in your house? 3.5.
If you changed your job, what would it be? Baker.
If you were granted three wishes, what would they be? Stealing again from bb: Health, wealth and happiness.

old meme

2010-03-10T22:05:00.001-08:00

Blog maintenance has turned up this one from last May.
Answers from now.

What are your current obsessions?
James May
chocolate
birds

Which item from your wardrobe do you wear the most often?
Work wardrobe: my red, insulated raincoat
Life wardrobe: my Lee Valley sweatshirt in a chocolatey-grey-brown
(check out the catalogs; you won't be sorry)

What's for dinner?
Hellifiknow. Steak?

What is your greatest fear at the moment?
Anything happening to my family

What are you listening to?
ELO "Showdown" (thanks, Pandora)

If you were a god/goddess what would you be?
Unemployed and fairly unfettered, Zeus willing

What are your favourite holiday
Halloween

What is your guilty pleasure?
HGTV shows
James May fan website

Who or what makes you laugh?
My Dad, my dear husband, my girlie, my old dog, Hazel my !amazing! co-worker

What is your favourite spring thing to do?
Revel in flowers, especially bulbs here in the NW-daffodils, crocus, hyacinths

Where are you planning to travel next?
YES!
Maybe Europe this summer?

What is the best thing you ate or drank lately?
An icy Rolling Rock beer and a slice of rosemary bread, although I had
a crab cake last night that was yummy, too

Who was your first ever crush?
Craig in 4th grade in Glenview, Ill. Dark hair and glasses. Mmmmm.

What is you favourite ever film?
tough question
don't tell anyone, but one of them is
Valley Girl
(it was before Nicholas Cage got his teeth fixed, and he was gorgeous....)

What is the biggest life lesson you've learned from your kids?
Be flexible, and make sure they've slept, eaten and pooped recently

What song can't you get out of your head?
Pretty much anything ELO

What book do you know you should read but refuse to?
Silent Spring

What is your physical abnormality/abnormal physical ability?
Hmmmm.. I can cross just my left eye...

What is your favourite color?
grey

DISCLAIMER: I am not tagging. Do it if you want. Don't if you don't. Whatever.
The rules of this meme are as follows:- Respond to and rework the meme.- Answer the questions on your own blog.- Replace one question and add one question.- Tag 8 people.

Birthday panda

2009-12-13T23:00:00.001-08:00

panda again
Originally uploaded by kamsarmer

Keychain/luggage tag for my friend Hazel.

Turned out pretty well!

stolen from bb

2009-11-21T21:16:00.000-08:00

things I like:
crisp weather outdoors calling for big sweaters
my dog looking like a bear in his curly winter coat
Irish whiskey, neat
James May

not so much:
the new moon movie
folding laundry
some parts of work

things I saw yesterday:
puddles
a sweet smile on a bus-riding friend
my favorite yogurt

things that are wearing out quickly:
my work pants
darkness at 4PM

my radio stations on Pandora:
ELO
The Kinks
The Hawaiian War Chant
The Beatles (for the girlie)
Careless Love
Brad Paisley
Harry Connick Jr

electronic gifts I might not refuse:
a Wii
an iPod
an iPhone

problems my car is having:
I think it misses me as I'm walking to the bus lately

things to be happy about:
rain boots
roast potatoes
steady work with benefits and paychecks
my dear redhead and girlie

It's cold and it's damp

2009-11-17T20:59:00.000-08:00

The suet feeder was lying in the yard next to the front porch when we came to look at the house. I'd always wondered what kinds of birds were drawn to a suet feeder, so of course, I took it as a sign that we ought to rent the place. We did.

Flickers, chickadees, juncos, and nuthatches. The crow who tried it out this last weekend was dark and glossy and incredibly suave, save the leaf caught on his back left claw. As he tried to look cool hanging from the feeder, it flapped quite garishly, like toilet paper caught on a lady's high heel. Silly crow.

Here is proof of some knitting, my dog, the wall over my desk and a link to other photos of things in my backyard, if you're interested.

Something

2009-11-12T23:07:00.000-08:00

Figured I'd better have one of George's songs as the title to this post. After much wrangling, we've wrested photos from her phone (my camera battery died just before the big day).

I think she makes a smashing mop-top, how about you? I made the guitar and have firmly decided that cardboard is my new medium. I love that she still lets me participate in her costumes.

Her George mimicry and the batch of perfectly roasted pumpkin seeds were the crowning delight of my Halloween this year.

I have some fall photos to post and will try to do so soon. That includes *GASP* knitting which will be blocking tomorrow as I very happily take a Friday off.

Hope all is well with you!

Thanks, Lizzie!

2009-10-03T21:50:00.001-07:00

What Would Happen Then

A bird, bright and quick, blue with livid streaks,

would arrive on the windowsill, as official harbinger, and then.

The low would be raised up,

the sneers crushed under their own bricks,

the teeter-totter would cease to choose sides

and sit in peaceful sway on its fulcrum

The kiss that had been held back

all those years at last would release

into the mouth in flood.

And why not would replace all other dicta,

but gently, as a sunlit nudge.

By April Bernard from Swan Electric

"..sometimes, you get what you need..."

2009-09-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

Ever since I started crafting, I gazed in admiration at the walls of cool stuff others had in their work areas. Mind you, I loved using my kitchen table, but it wasn't MY space ( and I know that you know what I mean.)

Well, my dear redhead has disassembled a corner desk that we had and made a long, "L" shaped desk that we can both use. He has the bottom of the "L" and I have the long area. I'm still sorting my craft boxes (read "crap" boxes in DH-speak), and I have pared down, but I'm getting to the home stretch. I had a few dollaroons left on a Michael's card, and I splurged on some cork wall squares for my wall.

More photos to come in better light showing how they look with some of the beginning stuff in place!

Here's where we went

2009-08-27T18:09:00.001-07:00

sand
Originally uploaded by kamsarmer

Moclips beach. Nice.

a little list

2009-08-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday. Here's why I haz a happy right now:

*cello practice happening in the living room
*chocolate zucchini muffins cooling in the kitchen
*first day of vacation..WHEEE!
*off to ocean tommorow
*back from ocean for home-time for part of vacation...YAY!
*Mr. Smartypants sitting beside me
*birds who have FINALLY figured out that there's more than one feeder in the backyard
*lovely neighbor to watch the Welshie while we're away
*new craft desk built by Mr. Fix-It (one of Mr. Smartypants' multiple personalities)
*this lovely pattern which I think I'm going to noodle with for beach knitting
*an end in sight to boxes from the move

more later!

Chocolate Maths

2009-07-17T23:34:00.000-07:00

Nicked from Norma:

YOUR AGE BY CHOCOLATE MATH

DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING DOWN FIRST!

It takes less than a minute .

Work this out as you read .

1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate (more than once but less than 10)

2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)

3. Add 5

4. Multiply it by 50 -- I'll wait while you get the calculator

5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1759 ..
If you haven't, add 1758..

6... Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.

You should have a three digit number

The first digit of this was your original number
(i.e., how many times you want to have chocolate each week).

The next two numbers are ...........

YOUR AGE!

2009-06-29T19:51:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm peeking out from behind boxes to see if anyone's still there.

Hello-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!

We are making the final push tomorrow; heading back to old rental house to clean and tidy so that we can get all of our $$$$$ back. Then we can really start settling into new casita. It is a true casita, tiny and very sweet. The backyard is still uber-dreamy to me.

We've even had our first houseguest, sorta-kinda. He visited from the sun-baked desert-lands, and though he slept at Seth's folks' place, we had lots of fun showing him the town while he was here. Hoping he'll be back soon on a more permanent basis.

Work is busybusybusy, and the best boss in the world gave me tomorrow off for the big cleaning. Whatta doll.

Hope all is well in your corner, whoever is still reading this.

Crafting will resume once I have a flat surface to work on.

Ooh, my kind of game!

2009-05-21T09:17:00.000-07:00

Go play!

What's up?

2009-05-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, I volunteered as a chaperone for an overnight zoo trip with about 42 6th graders. Very cool. We entered the zoo as they closed for the night, and did some behind the scenes tours. Between the girls texting late into the night and the boys ostensible water-fountain trips (actual reconnaissance missions to check out the girls), not much sleep was had. One of the teachers and I got fed up around 1 AM and wandered over to the boys area and just LOOKED at them. She whispered to me, "You know, if these kids were smart, they could be meeting up in the bathrooms". I like her. More tours in the early AM before general opening. We had great folks leading the tours, and I got the marshmallow group to chaperone--they were fabulous kids.

I have proof that my husband actually does listen to me at times; he found our new house! It was a brand-new listing, we were the first people to see it, and it's terrific. Smaller than where we are, but with a back yard that reminds me of every lovely park I've ever seen. It's ginormous, and the house is very, very welcoming and cozy. So happy.

shadows and a bit of my new red front door

new backyard

Centraal Station Antwerpen gaat uit zijn dak!

2009-05-06T23:33:00.001-07:00

Wow.

Saturday

2009-04-25T17:15:00.001-07:00

We had a good time at Kelsey park Farm.

April catch-up post

2009-04-19T15:41:00.000-07:00

Oh my, time does fly. We've just found out that we will be moving and so are house-hunting. Yay.
Finally got tired of seeing the same page pop up when I go on-line so here is a mish-mash of:

Easter food
crafty mess
Dog Mountain Farm visit

More details when I have regained my will to blog (and blab).

Flowers!

2009-03-15T18:19:00.000-07:00

My Dad sent these to me in an e-mail--sorry the detail isn't great and they're a bit hard to see, but wow. Made from begonias, grass and tree bark, mimicking the pattern in a medieval carpet design. This is something I'd love to go see in person. NOTE TO SELF: Renew passport!

new glasses

2009-03-08T22:30:00.001-07:00

Tai's cowl

2009-02-22T18:37:00.001-08:00

Tai's cowl
Originally uploaded by kamsarmer

It's Queensland Merino in the Peacock colorway. Some seed stitch at the neck end and drop stitch to open it up near the face. She liked mine so much she wanted one of her own! Happy to oblige.

Yarn!

2009-02-18T22:30:00.000-08:00

I made something with this.

Perhaps I'll show it to you........tomorrow.

Will you be mine?

2009-02-14T12:14:00.000-08:00

Meet Jellybean. He made friends with the
penguin on top of our telly, but knew he
was destined to give his heart to another......

She said yes!!!!

Marion says I should use this for my logo on softies.....she's a clever one, that girlie!
(He's made from an old sweater and really did have a hole there....)

I've had the mousie idea kicking around in my head for a few weeks now. I was really stumped and couldn't get my head around how to make him the way I wanted. Then, last evening, the sky parted, the heavenly choir sang, and as I trolled my favorite blogs, Molly Chicken saved the day. She is an amazingly creative woman--I love her! Go visit and prepared to be tickled pink by her delightful menagerie.

Happy Valentine's Day! Don't eat too much candy.

Quirky with a side of boring and a smattering of unremarkable.

2009-02-10T21:41:00.000-08:00

Tagged by Judith (friend of Mandella and thereby friend of mine), I relate unto you these 6 trivial and unimportant tidbits about your humble narrator. Going to add photos just for fun.

1. When I get off the bus to walk up the hill to work, after crossing the street I always step up onto the sidewalk between the fire hydrant and the traffic light pole.

2. I was the world's pickiest eater as a child. I'm a bit better now. A bit.

3. It's been brewing for some time now, but after watching the premiere of Top Gear's Season 12 and watching far too many You Tube clips, I've finally realized that I have a terrific crush on James May.

4. I find macadamia nuts to be a waste of time .

5. I am extremely myopic, a perfect candidate for refractive surgery, and after 20+ years in ophthalmology, you couldn't pay me to have it done.

6. On many occasions throughout my life, I have gotten so excited about traveling that I have literally made myself sick.

I know that this one has made the rounds, so I will break the rule and not tag forward, but if anyone is interested in playing along, please do! Thanks, Judith!

TopGear Season 12 Preview

2009-02-09T21:33:00.001-08:00

This show is unparalleled. SO. MUCH. FUN!!!!

FINDING JESUS « Lolcats ‘n’ Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger?

2009-01-23T22:41:00.000-08:00

FINDING JESUS « Lolcats ‘n’ Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger?

shoes and stripes forever

2009-01-16T23:41:00.001-08:00

plaid and stripes.

Peeeeenk

2009-01-15T20:40:00.000-08:00

Amarillo

2009-01-14T22:39:00.000-08:00

Yellow. Not a traditional Christmas color,
but both of these were taken right
around the big day.

Just outside our house during the storms
that kept us away from work and school
for a few days.

Cookies made by Fran in a successful attempt
to recreate Geri's classic peanut butter kiss
cookies. They were GOOD.

Tomorrow will be interesting. Pink is not
one of my favorite colors, but I'm sure
there's a bit of it in my Flickr photos.....

2009-01-13T19:17:00.001-08:00

Idea stolen from here (cool blog) who was inspired by an idea from here (yet another cool blog!)
I'm slow to join the party, but I think the color week idea is so much fun that I'm playing anyway.

Blue for Monday (always a good choice): a knitted/felted backpack I made for Marion way back when she took ballet and needed a bag for her gear.

And Purple for Tuesday: hydrangeas in the backyard this summer.

More colors to come. I'll try to keep up.

knitting

2009-01-08T22:35:00.001-08:00

Blue Moon mohair yarn in
Blarney Stone colorway.

Really sumptuous.

Tried 3 or 4 things with it and frogged it each time.

Finally got it right.

Cast on 100 stitches, size 6 circs.
Garter stitch till I had just a little left,
then did some drop stitch rows to open it up near the face.

For me!

Thanks again for the yarn, KT!

Happy Winter

2008-12-25T19:55:00.000-08:00

>

Look!
I'm ready to be Gayle's assistant with this arty shot!

And this was under the tree from Marion's Mimi.....
Awwww..

Here is evidence of a happy melding of cultures.
Potato pancakes and our menorah with Christmas chocolates in the background.

Peace and joy to everyone, no matter what you celebrate.
Wishing a wonderful 2009 for all.

2008-12-20T19:59:00.000-08:00

Miss M and I made these on Thursday night.
A wonderful find via Eurolush (totally cool blog) to Domesticali (also cool blog) for the idea and directions. (leave me a note if the links don't work--the weather seems to be making the internets unhappy right about now and you really should visit those blogs if you haven't.)

Today, the redhead and I rescued this from the backyard. That's a ring of ice around the base. It's thawing in the garage now.

Here's what the wreaths look like at night.

More Christmas preparations are ongoing. Nana's meat grinder was unearthed in a box today--now we can grind pecans properly for little nut balls! Yay!

It's snowing again and very windy. With any luck, I'll be unable to get to work for a few days this coming week.....

Again, I quote Nilsson...

2008-12-18T15:54:00.000-08:00

"Here is why I did not go to work today..."

(Go here for a great listen, lyrics, and a shot of Nilsson and John Lennon playing pool.)

Turkey Day note

2008-11-27T22:46:00.001-08:00

It was a great meal. The bird cooked magnificently, we gorged on sherry-laced stuffing, delectable caramelized sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts and cranberry sauce. There was a nice Pinot Blanc, a homemade pumpkin pie, and the secret dessert, a raspberry chocolate bombe (the girlie and her grandma whipped that one up).

We're really loving the tradition of the Thanks Box, too. We start writing things down in late October and the box gets stuffed full. The box is opened at dessert, all slips dumped into a bowl and round the table it goes, everyone pulling and reading aloud. I don't want to subject you to all of our craziness, but I'll pull a few out and give you a taste. Come on, you've got a little room left for something small and sweet, haven't you?

*all family members are mentioned, usually several times, and this time was no exception.

Here are a random 10 "I'm thankful for....."

*bosses who don't suck
*good people
*mistaking squirrels for hawks (complicated back story)
*Marymoor off-leash dog park
*any days
*M's music teacher
*pumpkins
*swimming pools without chlorine
*flowers--especially small carnations
*dance

Barack Obama got three slips.

I'm off to check the holiday bus schedule for tomorrow.

Thanks, all. I'm glad to be in November of 2008--last November was none-too-pleasant. Very thankful to see an old welshie snoozing at my feet, dreaming of having the house smell like this all year-round.

Gobble-gobble.

Stolen from bb

2008-11-25T21:12:00.000-08:00

(And why wouldn't you steal from her? You know the woman has impeccable taste.)

It’s the picture meme, and here are the rules:

* Go to your Sixth Picture Folder then pick your Sixth Picture.

* Pray that you remember the details.

* Tag 5 others.

It's a very blurry picture of an ever-so-cute wee froggy.

Really, it is.

Please do not ask me why I did not delete this the moment I realized that it was so horrifically out-of-focus. I'm still working out the kinks in using macro (like how to stand still). It kind of looks like the way I see the world when I'm not bespectacled.

I have finished the second Baby Kimono and it simply awaits the dreaded seaming. I said I would do it this evening, but I had to get up uber-early, so I'm not going to.

So sue me.

I'm not tagging anyone as I think that may scare off the few of you who still visit occasionally, but feel free to join in!

Verdant

2008-11-08T22:38:00.000-08:00

For Halloween, I was the rainforest. That, or a transplanted Arizonan showing evidence of 10 months of Seattle weather. I had "moss" on my north side and wore my loverly beret . (Moss photo another time)

The recipe was Lion Brand's felted beret. (found via this terrific site--you may or may not have to register with Lion Brand for their patterns--it's kind of goofy).Turned out pretty well, needed two rounds in the washer to felt, and I think my noggin is small (according to my redhead, it is), so it was a little loose, but I like it. Of course, the girlie looks smashing in it.

I'm quite well-pleased with my snail. Happiest (read: shortest) I-cord I've ever done, and no ends to weave! Instant antennae!

And speaking of little crawly things..........

Funny, here's this chappie doing an impromptu palm-reading for Miss M, and way across the globe, suse has snapped his cousin...

Working on the next baby kimono; this time in the prescribed dishcloth cotton. Pictures will follow, but I have to go work on it now!

Shhhhh...be vewy qwiet...

2008-11-06T19:53:00.000-08:00

I've sent knitted things to faraway places.
I've sent knitted things to friends.
I've never knitted for a baby before.
Please meet Declan.

I think this could be habit-forming.
(Thanks to Pamela and Bruce for letting me share their gorgeous boy.)

I could get used to this kind of Monday

2008-10-27T12:39:00.000-07:00

I got up early and took the girlie to her cello lesson. Stopped off at home for camera and dog.

More of our walk here.

Here's part of my Halloween costume, pre-felting.
(Inspired by Anna and Seth's great pics here)

Here's another part, still in progress.

Any guesses as to what I'll be?

What did I see today?

2008-10-05T21:20:00.000-07:00

For a better look, go here.

Brittania RULES!!!!!!

2008-09-27T16:48:00.000-07:00

Mr. and Mrs. R. Robot, late of the U.K. arrived in Redmond, WA last week. They settled in quickly and comfortably on the loveseat in the family room and bade us unpack their traveling case. We happily complied.........

Holy Mackerel! Lovely postcards of their native land, a wonderful letter from Lindsey, a Dr. Who robot chocolate lolly (!!!LOVE Dr. Who in all his incarnations....) and some lavender stick-ons for de-stressing after a rough day at the hospital. They also brought a bag of sweet beads and trinkety-bits which look just right for accessorizing some bracelets I'm noodling with, and a powerfully minty bar for strength! Just the thing for tucking in my pocket the next time our Spot takes us to the enormous dog park for a day's hike!

My DH has already put dibs on the sweet little Rosie Lea teabag to be this year's new Christmas tree decoration. And the cake is so sweet, I hate to think of sticking pins in it...but we'll see.

The Robots are reminding me that there was also a box of special McVitties Jaffa cakes (with orange!) enclosed, but it seems to have disappeared. This is not surprising as the plain McVitties have a history of being inhaled as soon as they've been purchased, and these were SUPER special ones...

Lindsey, thanks so much for all the fun goodies! You've spoilt me terribly! (And my family as well--S asked me what my next swap was and when I said I wasn't enrolled in any new ones at the moment, he sounded like a little boy of about 5 when he said, "None? Really?")

Clare's idea for the R.O.B.O.T. swap was a real winner. Thanks, ladies! You're tons of fun.

Remember when I used to knit stuff?

2008-09-21T20:44:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday was the shower date for friends of ours.

I thought this would be done and in L.A.by then.
Garter stitch, you know.
Lucky for me, baby is due in October.

M and my redhead helped choose the button today.
It was fun trying different ones.
We agreed on this beauty.

Mason-Dixon pattern from Book 1
(can't wait to check out book#2)
superwash heavyweight sock wool instead of cotton
My seaming isn't great, but not bad.

I'm going to miss the button.

Fishies! (click on pond to feed them--they're hungry.)

2008-09-18T13:46:00.001-07:00

R.O.B.O.T. swap!

2008-09-15T20:56:00.000-07:00

Claire sponsored it,

Lindsey is my partner, and here's what I sent her.

It was lots of fun making them.

She has fun arrival photos here.

Knitting has been happening, truly, and photos will show up within the next few days, I promise.

Now and Then

2008-09-05T22:31:00.000-07:00

I'm finding more and more that I'm a creature of habit.

I didn't really know that about me. I'm starting to understand how much comfort I take from patterns in my life. Some people would say it's boring, but I'm enjoying the cycles, with their sameness and their small changes. Much has changed since last year, much has not. The important things that haven't changed are my dear redhead, our wonderful girlie, and our loving families. I feel very lucky all in all.

Here's Marion's favorite to give you his take on my theory.

Here's some photos to show my theory.

Spot, healthy and happy in our backyard this week

Spot, soon after his major surgery last November

A tree-ful Redmond twilight last week

A fiery Arizona sunset from last summer

Ferris wheel and totem poles at Evergreen State Fair last Sunday

An ostrich at last year's Maricopa County Fair

My treasure flying at the fair

Same treasure at the Grand Canyon spring 2007

Not bad, not bad at all.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

quick notes from a too-short vacation

2008-08-19T23:21:00.000-07:00

I had 3 days off. I bracketed a weekend. It was wonderful.

I had lists. Some things got crossed off as done, some did not.

going to bed without setting alarm clock--done (would like to do nightly)

shirts to dry cleaners--not done

attend Prairie Home Companion's Rhubarb Tour show date here--done

hem pants--not done

return green jacket--not done

bathe Spot--done

go to Saturday market--done

check on different schools for M--done

bird walk in Juanita park--1/2 done (I stayed for 2 of the 4 hours--will stay longer next time)(willow flycatcher, osprey. gadwall ducklings, downy woodpecker, charming birders)

closet organization--not done

slumber party with M--done (popcorn, viewing of Ratatouille on portable DVD while cuddled up eating popcorn, chocolate ice cream--great party, lousy spare bed)

zoo--done

knitting--not done, but ready for Dish Rag Tag box to arrive

start work on robot swap--done

here are some random photos; the squirrel is for you, Barb.

we tasted it and it was good.

see how it's a monkey?

see the darling froggie?

tee-tiny bug in a lacy cocoon in my kitchen sink.

we relocated him.

see Barb, there's food for all, even

if you have to hang upside-down by your toes to get at it.

no, this did not come out of the lacy cocoon.

I'll try to post some knitting/making photos soon. Anyone still out there?

and now for something completely different....

2008-08-12T23:16:00.001-07:00

Take the Quiz here!

Yaaaaaar!!!!

2008-07-19T22:11:00.000-07:00

Squirrels

2008-07-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

Our birdfeeder has become a much desired commodity in the yard. Before...

And after...

this and that

2008-07-09T19:13:00.001-07:00

don't know why these are so pixilated. flickr shows them off much more flatteringly.

a rose by any other name...

2008-06-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

There was a staff rose show at work last week. Since the house we're renting has several rose bushes and several of them still have their ID tags, I entered a couple of blooms. It was really interesting to see the variety! A co-worker who has been there for many years told me that the judge takes it all very seriously; many of the entries have comments like, "bloom past prime" or "petals could be longer". My yellow got twitted for the lack of leaves--something I'm not sure how to control! It was fun, though, and everyone got a little lapel pin and ribbons. More photos on flickr.

This rose has no ID tag, but I love the apricot color. I dubbed the resident "Garbo" because she ran away from the camera more vigorously than Spot! She's a crab spider of some type, and I'm hoping she'll hang around a while. There are a few more quickly-captured clicks of her on flickr, too.

The odd thing about all of this is that I have never really had a fondness for roses, aside from the Grateful Dead connection. I am, however, flexible enough to say that if life is going to strew my path with something, I'd rather it be roses than something else less pleasant.

Off to see what else Sunday has in store.

weekend snaps and a Father's Day goodie

2008-06-14T22:00:00.001-07:00

My redhead bought wildflower seeds and they're doing very well. Many more photos on flickr.

He thought he was well-hidden behind the planter, but alas! I found him and took his picture! Poor Spot. New "stuff on nose" photo on flickr, too.

I was helping M get ready for bed last night, and suddenly this angry chair appeared...

And I've had this chap around for a long time, but I've never documented his grumpy mug before.

We're going to a Mariner's game tomorrow for Father's Day! Here's a little ditty that you should feel free to pass along to any Dad's who might enjoy it...just click and then press the red circle to play.

Happy Father's Day!

On the water

2008-06-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned looking at the marshy little islands as I cross Lake Washington on the bus, yes? Seeing the beaver dams and birds and interesting footbridges in spitting distance of the freeway bridge upon which I travel?

Well, turns out that you can rent kayaks at several places 'round these parts. Me and the girlie gave it a go in a two-seater last weekend. Now we want to
BUY ONE!!!

(for clearer photos with less pixilation, go to my flickr site.)

Houseboats on Portage Bay. Pretty. Crossing Portage Bay was, for me, the only sort-of scary part of the trip. Just wanted to make sure we got across "when the shipping lanes were clear"....we did.

There's a bald eagle on the left in the tree. There was a very determined raven trying to persuade the eagle that he really didn't want to be there. The eagle demurred. Marion spotted this one. (I'm so proud! She's a birder!)

Paddling down a neat little waterway clogged with seeds. Wood ducks sucking them up like a rare delicacy. Guess they are, kind of like early springtime skinny asparagus. Anyhow, the ducks were pretty and this shot does them no justice, but oh well.

Lots of what I suspect are yellow irises. There's a beaver dam to the right of this shot. I like the birdhouse.

And this is my adventure gal. She was game from the word go, put in a great first-days paddling, screeched with joy as we bobbed in the wake of the bigger craft coming through the Montlake cut, and was disappointed when we had to head back.

We're conspiring to take her grandpa out in a three-seater this weekend.....

meme mosaic

2008-05-30T23:29:00.001-07:00

meme mosaic
Originally uploaded by kamsarmer

Seen at Pea Soup. Couldn't resist. Click on it to see larger vesion.

The concept:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker.

The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name

Going kayaking tomorrow. More on this as it develops.

meme seen on Sandy's blog (but with my answers)

2008-05-28T23:18:00.000-07:00

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
Ten years ago I was giddily pregnant and growing huger by the moment. I'd just had an unsuccessful attempt at an amniocentesis (my father-in-law said, "The kid paid for the room for 9 months; don't bug 'im") which my doc ordered due to my "advanced maternal age". We didn't want to know the sex anyhow, so that was ok by us. I was readying to take a cruise to Alaska with S who was still working on the "Dam ships" (Holland America Lines). It was a wonderful trip. We were home-ported in San Diego and I was doing the eyeball tech thing. It was a terrific time in my life.

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?
(There's only half an hour left in today, so I'll give you a combo-list...)
1. Eat something sweet
2. Brush my teeth
3. Go to bed and snore loudly
and on the morrow
4. Make time for a peer-to-peer audit at the hospital where I work
5. Ask my nice bus driver's name before he changes to a different route next week *sniff*

3. Snacks I enjoy
Cheez-Its, bittersweet chocolate, ice cream in many (but not fruity) flavors, potato chips (most any potato product), cupcakes, cookies, nuts (but no macadamias!), dill pickles, guacamole, bacon.

4. Places I've lived
Arizona, California (north and south), Illinois, Japan, New York, Missouri, Virginia.

5. Things I would do if I were a billionaire
Pay off bills for myself and my family, travel, buy Marion a horse, travel, find several places to set up housekeeping, travel, throw a huge party with a massive fireworks display for S and travel. Oh, and donate lots and lots to worthy, underfunded causes which need assistance in helping people and animals to have happier lives.

I'm also copying Sandy in not giving direct tags, but if anyone out there is reading this, please play along and leave a comment to let me know that you did!

Clover chain mini-tutorial

2008-05-26T16:32:00.001-07:00

inspired by the amazing Bella Dia

Clover blossoms
Originally uploaded by kamsarmer

pick them as close to the ground as possible

tie a loose slipknot

2008-05-26T16:31:00.001-07:00

tie a loose slipknot
Originally uploaded by kamsarmer

in the end of the stem away from the blossom

slide the next stem through

2008-05-26T16:30:00.003-07:00

slide the next stem through
Originally uploaded by kamsarmer

and tighten the knot (gently) if needed, but keeping it loose enough to slide the blossom next to the knot. Continue until you have the length you like, then tie the last stem around the first blossom....

et voila!

2008-05-26T16:30:00.001-07:00

et voila!
Originally uploaded by kamsarmer

(model shown is wearing 2 chains)

Mish-mash

2008-05-26T16:20:00.000-07:00

Just a short hello from the end of the holiday weekend.

Here's the lastest new spotting at the feeder:

And here's the latest Spotting of the Spot with his new summer 'do, courtesy of a GREAT pair of clippers....

And another Sunday baking result from a few Sundays back--coffee cake and Cuban coffee.

Awwwww

2008-05-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

Click on the title above and wait through the commercial at the beginning, but watch this--stolen from Sandy (thanks, Sandy!)

*warm fuzzy*

Feliz Day d'Mom!

2008-05-11T10:22:00.000-07:00

Go watch this.

Happy Mother's Day to my Mom and your Mom and all Moms!

XXOO

See? I told you I was still knitting!

2008-05-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, here is a little taste of knitting that I've been promising. The chapeau is made from the fabulous wild carrot-dyed Churro yarn I've been hoarding for the last year and a half. I'm going to go back and add more to the brim as I think it fits beautifully, but it makes my head look tinier than it is. There will also be a little something added to the top i-cord......

This is a giant cotton potholder/trivet/hotpad/placemat I made for a co-worker who has just scored a cool apartment in a neat area of Seattle. She goes all out for the fun and funky, so I combined three cottons; two blue and one variegated pink speckledy one. It's just a garter-stitch started from the corner, slipping the first stitch of each row for the border and adding a stitch each row till I got to 50, then k2tog each row. It came out larger than originally planned, but I think it's more multi-purpose this way.

My folks were in town recently; we picked them up in Vancouver and had some fun there (my dad ate fish! And lived to tell the tale!!!!), then brought them to WA. Mom had never been here before, and I think she likes the green as much as I do. I have some Canada pics in flickr. It was a short visit, but we had fun.

While they were here, my folks also showed me a great video. I'm going to try to get YouTube to embed it for me tomorrow, and if it won't cooperate, I'll give you the link.

Anyhow, see ya tomorrow!

Hmmm...

2008-04-29T21:33:00.000-07:00

Yippee, it's Post number 329!!!

2008-04-23T21:05:00.001-07:00

Yes, Beth was correct, it's an Ugli fruit! And although the nice produce guy in the store entertained us and juggled apples while we debated the purchase, he was WRONG!!! It was not a tasty treat, it was a bland citrus fruit. Though I don't regret buying it for the disgusting-appeal.

Beth will have some "interesting" red mohair yarn sent her way in the very near future. I really am working on my PIF gifties, gals, I promise.....

Not much else to report. Had my 90-day review at work; the boss and I spent a good 3/4 of the time larfing our arses off at some of the paperwork required for this review. I'm starting to see some of the goofy bureaucracy at this place, and I thank all the powers that be in our universe that the woman who hired me is as sarcastic and cynical as I am. We just have the best time together. And so I didn't get fired! Hooray!

Still no crafting to show you. Sorry! Been busy. Maybe this weekend. It snowed three times last weekend...wonder what's next? Locusts? Frogs?

I love it here.

Mmm, purty...and a quiz! (with a prize!!)

2008-04-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

Tulips are the Victoria's Secret models of flowers: shiny, silky, and provocative.

There has been some knitting and crafting of late, but I haven't documented it. I will, I promise. In the meantime, have a look at these:

I don't pretend to have Jane's knowledge or green thumb, and certainly not her photography skills, but these sprang up in our yard and I must say I am thrilled to have them here.

Here's a wacky spate of snow that I mentioned last post....
See the giggling girlie who should've been abed?

A wild ball (or two) of strange red mohair yarn to the reader who can tell what this is.....

Any guesses?

Barred owls

2008-04-01T19:38:00.001-07:00

Two of them, this morning in the fog. Heard something indecipherable, wandered through the dark house and peeked out the back door just in time to hear them again and see two big dark silhouettes sweeping away to the woods near the house. They must have been sitting in the big tree out back that has branches stretching over the house.

Cool.

Courtesy e-nature (you can even hear them here)

NW weekend

2008-03-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

Friday was nice. All day eyeball-seminar at a downtown conference center on the water. Lovely views, but more than that, good lecturers speaking on interesting topics. One spectacular standout; an local ocularist who makes prosthetic eyes. A tall, well-spoken redhead--I'm predictable, yes? Or perhaps I should say consistent. Love me a redhead, especially a smart one.

Also got to have lunch with a friend from Arizona. It was such a delight to spend some time catching up with her. As we finished our tiny petit-four style desserts and sipped coffee, it began to snow. Later the sun came out and I had a breeze of a drive home with NO Friday-style traffic snarls.

M was visiting a new neighborhood friend when I arrived home. She stayed there for dinner and Mr. Smartypants and I walked over to pick her up later in the evening. Spent about an hour chatting with her friend's folks--very nice people.

This morning, M on the computer and S whipping through a crossword puzzle, I sat on the couch under a blankie and sipped coffee. Out in the backyard, I noted another new acquaintance:

Dark-eyed Junco ("Oregon Junco")

Courtesy of e-nature

M and I took Spot to Marymoor Park today--huge leash-free park with fields and paths and mud puddles. Great fun.

Tomorrow I'm going to find yarn for Boogie. I think it's wise to cut my teeth on a vest before I attempt the lovely Katarina. More on that when I have something else to show and tell!

It snowed again about an hour ago, but I don't know if it'll stick. I'll try to get pictures in tomorrow.

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T13:21:00.003-07:00

The girlie and I have been enjoying working in the kitchen together of late. We wanted to make something yummy for breakfast yesterday, but we kept falling short of one ingredient for each recipe we'd chosen. That being the case, we held off until today. Here she is putting the finishing touch (powdered sugar)
onto this (recipe here), a Big Apple Pancake. It made the house smell wonderful (Mr. Smartypants was salivating....) and we made it disappear very quickly. It was a breeze to make, as well.
Here is our Spot, who is going through a renaissance with his crate. He'd been entrenched in a seriously horrific bout of separation anxiety, and just as we'd made a date with a behaviorist to come and help us, he pulled out of it! He was snugged up in here, snurfelling away with his nose under his blankie as we had breakfast. It was raining out and very cozy in the kitchen.
I have to do a big tip o' the hat and a small toot of my own horn. Larissa and Martin's book is out, and even in my prejudiced opinion, it's great! It's got a lovely look to it and I'm really enjoying their writing style. My Bakul made it in for the Recycle Along section, and Marion will testify to the fact that I was jumping up and down in the bookstore yesterday and walking several feet in the air all afternoon. YAY!

Happy bunny day to all. I'm off to do some crafting with my sweet potato.

Words only today

2008-03-20T19:27:00.003-07:00

I was a little late coming home today. It's the first time I've stayed past 5 at my new job. We had a physician retreat and a staff seminar. I didn't actually participate in either as I was the stay-behind to care for a patient. It was good to be on the front line; helping out in an emergency again. I'm glad I'm in a position that allows me to do administrative work and still be a tech.

I missed seeing my usual going-home bus driver. He's very kind and has one of those smiles that just lights up his face. He'll often make dry, pithy comments about road conditions or the peculiarities of other drivers. He laughs frequently. I'm looking forward to seeing him tomorrow.

I wish I could capture some of the things I see from the bus, but I know that a camera wouldn't shoot well through the bus windows. Plus we often go too fast or it's crowded and I couldn't get turned around to show you what I see.

Things like the beaver dams in the lake.

The beautiful mixture of downtown Seattle architecture.

The little diving ducks who leave a group of circles in their wake.

The incredibly swift-moving clouds overhead.

The other passengers on the bus (most of whom I wrongly assumed were knitters when I first started riding--they all whipped things out of their bags and started unwinding the way I do with yarn when I'm resuming work on a project. Turns out their "yarn" is I-pod headphones.).

Since I can't show you, I'll tell you.

Clad in ghostly white
Glimpsed between mossy branches
Blooming cherry tree

What a great weekend

2008-03-16T19:44:00.003-07:00

My dear friend Mary was in town from Friday till today. We toddled around town yesterday, scarfed some Herfy's burgers, watched a movie and chatted and gabbed and caught up with each other's goings-on.

It was delightful.

We went into Seattle and here is some of what we saw.

I was on a bit of a deadline for a baby shower on Monday, the 17th. I did manage to finish this up this evening, and I'm quite pleased. It's the second time I've used this pattern, and my Kitchener stitch for closing up the top is VASTLY improved from my first attempt. The pattern is here. The yard, a gift from the generous KT is Berrocco Foliage. Mmmmmmm.

I hope that everyone had a weekend as nice as mine was. Call someone you love and tell them so.

And Happy St. Pat's tomorrow to all and sundry, especially to my redhead. Happy 12th, sweetie! According to our crazy list, 12th anniversary is Spackle. Food for thought.

dishcloth with moss

2008-03-10T17:50:00.001-07:00

dishcloth with moss
Originally uploaded by kamsarmer

It's moving to Oregon to stay with Larissa....

crocuses

2008-03-10T17:49:00.003-07:00

crocuses
Originally uploaded by kamsarmer

M's new do March 08

2008-03-10T17:49:00.001-07:00

M's new do March 08
Originally uploaded by kamsarmer

Olympics and an egg tree

2008-03-10T17:48:00.003-07:00

Olympics and an egg tree
Originally uploaded by kamsarmer

sunshine in flower form

2008-03-10T17:48:00.001-07:00

sunshine in flower form
Originally uploaded by kamsarmer

nice trees

2008-03-10T17:47:00.001-07:00

nice trees
Originally uploaded by kamsarmer

This post is worth 15,000 words

2008-03-05T21:28:00.003-08:00

Ok, long overdue photos of all sorts. I've faffed about with Blogger for some time now and I still hate the positioning of the photos, so just ignore it.

Just for Emily, here we are. She's sultry and I'm oblivious.
It's KT and kt (in that order. Miss M wo-manned the camera.)
I got two dozen for Valentine's Day! Purple carnations, mmmmm.

THE original Nordstrom's downtown, which I pass on the bus daily, must've gotten my friend, Hai-Jung to pose for the art in their window display. That's her on the dress.
And again, ala Iron Chef, Hai-jung Four styles

The view from our driveway. Them Cascades, they sure are purty.

M and Spot

M at Le Panier, a to-die-for French boulangerie.

Super-cool neon. The crane provides assistance for those hard-to-reach areas.

Our house on the day after we arrived. Note the snow. And the T-riffic brother-in-law (in green)helping out the movers.

M's zombie snowman.

Spotted on the floor of the airport.....flying fish

There was this sad pink scarf wadded up under a chair. We made it into art.
Didn't think I'd miss the leaves, did you?
And I like this guy, headed against the flow, with briefcase.
Work is good. The dog is driving S nuts with his horrific separation anxiety, but we're working on it. The weather here is great. Oops, strike that, I'm supposed to sa it rains ALL the time. Yeah, that's it, rain and gloom and sturm und drang. My knitting has slowed, but I'm going to fix that right now.

I think we'll stay.

Mish-mash

2008-02-10T19:28:00.002-08:00

I'm finally back on my own computer!

Hooray!

First things first:

In the "You Make My Day" groupings, the coveted and much-anticipated tenth spot goes to the lovely Kate at tinywarbler. I am so inspired by her sweet little creations--it's no surprise that she has a wonderful etsy shop. To top it off, her blogging-style makes me think she's someone I'd like to know. Perhaps now that I'm in the NW and nearer Canada, we could rendezvous at a Tim Horton's for coffee and sweets. (But I bet she knows of a cool local bakery with good coffee!!) Sorry to keep everyone waiting for the tenth, but good things come to those who wait!

Trivia question from my redhead, "Did anybody NOT named Billy Wilder make a good movie in the 1950's?" He doesn't think so.

Clarification from my other-other-half, KT. I said we were like corn and peas. She has amended and corrected that definition. I am carrots, she is peas. Thus I present to you.....

KT & kt

Sorry about the wonky spacing. I'm out of practice. There is carrot-related knitting happening; FO soon to make it's debut. Come back this weekend and see, ok?

In sports, three cheers for my old softball team, the Tempe Black Sox--they won their first game of the year, 24-0, even without my stellar catching skills. Go Black Sox!

Time to go for now. Back soon, and I promise photos of Washington State. (We really DID move, I swear!)

Just because

2008-02-07T21:47:00.000-08:00

"Lydia The Tattooed Lady" by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg

sung (magnificently) by Groucho in At The Circus

My life was wrapped around the circus.Her name was Lydia.I met her at the world’s fair in 1900,marked down from 1940.
Ah, Lydia.She was the most glorious creature
Under the su-un.Guiess. DuBarry. Garbo.Rolled into one.

(sings)

OoooooohLydia oh Lydia, say have you met Lydia,Lydia, the Tattooed Lady.
She has eyes that folks adore so,And a torso even more so.
Lydia oh Lydia, that encyclopidia,Oh Lydia the Queen of Tattoo.

On her back is the Battle of Waterloo.Beside it the wreck of the Hesperus, too.
And proudly above waves the Red, White, and Blue,You can learn a lot from Lydia.
La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la

When her robe is unfurled, she will show you the world,If you step up and tell her where.
For a dime you can see Kankakee or Paris,
Or Washington crossing the Delaware.
La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la

Oh Lydia oh Lydia, say have you met Lydia,Oh Lydia the Tattooed Lady
When her muscles start relaxin’,Up the hill comes Andrew Jackson
Lydia oh Lydia, that encyclopidia,oh Lydia the queen of them all!

For two bits she will do a mazurka in jazz,With a view of Niagara that nobody has.And on a clear day you can see Alcatraz.You can learn a lot from Lydia.
La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la

Come along and see Buff’lo Bill with his lasso.Just a little classic by Mendel Picasso.Here is Captain Spaulding exploring the Amazon.Here’s Godiva but with her pajamas on.
La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la

Here is Grover Whalen unveilin’ the Trilon.Over on the West Coast we have Treaure Island.Here’s Najinsky a-doin’ the rhumba.Here’s her social security numba.
{whistles}La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la

Oh Lydia, oh Lydia that encyclopidia,Oh Lydia the champ of them all.
She once swept an Admiral clear off his feet.
The ships on her hips made his heart skip a beat.
And now the old boy’s in command of the fleet,For he went and married Lydia.
I said Lydia{He said Lydia}They said Lydia{We said Lydia}La La!