Purling Oaks

Some Warm Pink, some cold White, and a Dot

There was a cardboard box in my mailbox when I got home yesterday.  Here's what was in that lovely box:

Here's a closer look:

And one more:

It was knit by our Cookie!  For me!!!  Thank you, Cookie.  We shall not mention whether or not there were chocolates.  

Pattern: Sweet Jazz

Yarn:  Handspun BFL from Denise

The scarf is lovely and soft and it will keep me warm and draft-free since the winter season is starting a bit early.  (See the white stuff in the first photo?)

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This is also the first snowfall for the cats this season.  White Dot was attempting a crossing of the yard when I caught him on video.  (Yes, I was having a telephone conversation with Cookie.  What?  You don't pick up your camera when you're on the 'phone?!)

 

 

The story had a happy ending--I yelled at the intruder cat who ran away.  White Dot started after him but I was able to catch up with him because of his slow progress across the snow.  :D  (He already has a face scratch that *just* missed his eye that he obtained last night.)  Cookie was long-distance witness to my crazy cat-mom duties.  Why yes, I can continue a conversation and grab a cat at the same time........

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Last night, Dan made fried scallops with garlic mashed potatoes for dinner.  Tonight, he is preparing lamb meatballs with a sauce and rice.  I love my birthday week meals.  Tomorrow is shrimp de jonge, baby peas, mandarin oranges, and carrot cake if Mom sticks to the traditional birthday menu.  It has been a low-key week since I was out of town for my birthday; although, my cousin Kim brought over some chocolate cake Tuesday.  Yum.  I made my black turtle bean soup today in preparation for deer hunting that starts next Saturday.  It is very nice to have several meals prepared in advance when you've been in a tree all day.  

Have a super weekend!

Lists, Tuesday, and Books

This morning I'm drinking coffee and making my lists for the weekend.  Let's see...groceries:  black beans for some black bean soup, mixed bean soup for some, well, mixed bean soup.   Looks like a theme of fall is here, to me!  The plumber is here to fix the toilet that has been slow for longer than I want to say..check!  Bedding in the laundry...check!  I need to expand my work wardrobe with more business attire so I've got go clothes shopping on the errands list, too.  

Tuesday was a good day.   I met up with Vicki in Appleton for dinner and coffee with knitting!  I really enjoyed seeing some of Vicki's recent projects and to see the results of her dye pots in finished form.  She really has a great eye for color.  

We rarely remember to document our meet-ups with photos but Tuesday we both pulled out our phones for the barista.

There!  Documented meet-up with friendly blogger...check!  :D

Next on the list is waiting to have our annual boiler inspection this morning and to finish up the laundry.  I'll probably have to slip some work-work into the morning, as well, since life will be smoother for the next week or so if I get this project finished.

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 I've been reading a lot lately.  Admittedly, it is one of the ways I use to escape stress.  No matter what, reading is always a pleasure.  I've been reading quite a bit with my iPad Kindle app but also a few "real" paperbacks.  The titles have been heavily weighted lately in the urban fantasy/werewolves & vampires genres:  I've read through ALL of Ilona Andrews' books and a good portion of Jeaniene Frost's.  I like both Andrews and Frost.  Andrews builds strong worlds and has a pleasant writing style.  Frost builds good stories but is not as strong a writer--although still very readable.  For Frost's writing, I mean that sometimes I'm "bumped" out of my reading trance by illogical sentence structure or some odd construction from a technical sense.  That happened less frequently as I read the series so perhaps her editor is paying closer attention.  I'm currently on the fourth (hmm, maybe make that the sixth) (Amazon link) book in the Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn.  I read Kitty Goes to Washington a while ago (yes, while I was working in DC) and recently decided to read the whole series.  I was surprised by the turn of events in the third book; Ms. Vaughn is not formulaic in her writing and, obviously, I'm pleasantly entertained since I'm so far into the series.  

 I've also been reading Vicki Pettersson's Zodiac series.  When we were in Columbus, Georgia, we stopped* at The Book House and I purchased the first two books in this series.  Ms. Pettersson's story line is original - to me at least - and I'm enjoying the stories.  I don't always like the heroine as she is so self-centered and, at times, immature, but I think that is also an essential component and keeps me reading to see if this girl will break-out.  Perhaps this heroine is just a bit more "real" compared to my typical expectations of a fictional character. I definitely recommend reading this series....at least through book three which is where I've put myself on hold to give my Amazon account a breather.  

On the more serious side, I've been reading this version of Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson.  I finished it last night and I'm thinking of reading it again, soon.  I recommend it.

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Mid-way through typing this post I noticed the sun was high enough to turn the frost on the outbuildings into vapor.  Beautiful.  (That is vapor, isn't it?)  :D

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Have a lovely weekend everyone!

 

*As a traveler, I have the opportunity to sample a lot of things and one of them is used book stores.  This Georgia book store offered a very nice, yet new to me, selection of used books.  I wonder if I happen to visit there again, would have the same experience?  There were a LOT of new to me fantasy/sci-fi books on the shelves of this store.  Do readers in Columbus read and trade different books than those in Madison, Wisconsin?  Hmmm, probably just a happy circumstance....

Autumn, all ready?

Although each season has unique and welcome offerings, Autumn brings more to the table for me than the others.  The relief of cool nights, the changing greens to orange, red, and yellow then to browns, the wind as it whispers secrets or howls in the night as Halloween approaches---all these stimulate my senses and make this season my favorite.  For now.

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Stacey says it has been two months since I've posted and I don't doubt her.  Sometimes, especially lately, I don't have much that I want to share here, or can share, for truth's sake.  Then, frankly, just being out of the habit of posting contributed to my absence.  However, I am motivated to post about something important to me and to a very dear friend.  

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Stacey is fund-raising right now for NMO, which is neuromyelitis optica (NMO or Devic’s Disease).  It "....is an uncommon disease syndrome of the central nervous system (CNS) that affects the optic nerves and spinal cord. Individuals with NMO develop optic neuritis, which causes pain in the eye and vision loss, and transverse myelitis, which causes weakness, numbness, and sometimes paralysis of the arms and legs, along with sensory disturbances and loss of bladder and bowel control." ~From The National Institute of Neurological Disorders"

Not many people know about this disease and it doesn't get as much funding or attention as it should.  Stacey's being challenged by NMO and we both want better and more research to find better treatments and a cure.  You can help find a cure by contributing to her fundraiser.  There are a lot of great prizes for knitters and non-knitters and for those folks living in East Texas.  This year, I donated a brand-new, never out of the package iPod Nano for one of the prizes.  It is cool.  Seriously.  Did you know you can fit that little thing into a watchband and be a very cool techie-nerd person.  Or just be cool by having one of the newest iPods out with cool watch faces.  Even Mickey Mouse.  I.am.not.kidding.  Make a contribution to NMO in Stacey's name and for every ten dollar contribution, you'll be entered to win one of many prizes, just tell her when you visit her blog to let her know you're helping to win the fight against NMO.  Go.  Contribute.  Win stuff.  Feel good.

Gusty winds of change, candy correlation, and unexpected treasure

Blog?  Posting, what's that?  Life outside the blog is taking up a lot of my energy.  However, situations are changing.  I'll be giving up Purling Oaks East in less than two months and soon will be based from only one location--home!  I can comfortably say with confidence that I'll have more weekend time at home.  The rest is still up for determination.  Or is that self-determination?  

There's a merger (of sorts) in process at work and everything is changing for just about everyone.   Yes, chocolate consumption is high and there was absolutely no Easter candy left at the drugstore next door for reduced sale after Easter.  None.  That's more telling than anything I could write about anxiety, water-cooler talk, or fake job assignment letters left at the printer.

Last week I went to a Nationals game with two friends, Mary Jo and Roberta.  It was fun and the stadium is new, nice, and clean.  The nachos and hot dog were tasty and the beer cold.  I haven't had baseball nachos in ages.  That will do me for a while but they were still good.  Caution:  iPhone photos!

We had better seats than these photos show but they were still nosebleed seats.  

When I'm back inWisconsin, I'm going to miss the dinners, lunches, outings and talks with Robyn, Kathleen, MJ, and Roberta.  Three of us have places in DC, besides homes and family in points west.  Two of us are based near DC but may end up elsewhere (like an island!). I know/hope that when we go to the four winds, or is that five winds?,--me first--that we'll still get together.  I really didn't expect the friendship I found in the east and I'm glad I'll be able to carry it with me.

This morning's task is laundry; this afternoon's list includes errands and a trip into Madison.  Tomorrow, we're going north to see Mom for an early Mom's Day brunch.  I hope today's weather holds.  It is beautiful outside this morning.  Sunday---back on the road.  

If anyone is interested in a one-way Road trip from DC to Wisconsin in mid-June, let me know.  A navigator would be fun to have along.  :D

Last Sunday in April

Not a brilliant post title but it does allow for a bit of a theme, should I continue in the same vein.  I won't, you'll thank me.

There's a finished object!  Socks!

Here's the ravelry link for this project.  I started these socks WAY back in 2008 with some yarn won at Joan's.  (thanks, Joan!)  I restarted them a few times and the actual construction of this version took actually less than a year.  Magic loop, short-row, toe up, 60 stitches, plain vanilla sock with 2/1 ribbing.  I divided the skein into two balls to take out the guess work.  I'm very happy with them; they feel great.  

I'm hoping to have more finished  (and started) objects later this year but considering my schedule the past two years, I think I'm doing fine.  The socks haven't been my only FO since 2008, just a lingering project that gave me a few challenges.  

Happy Easter, all you that celebrate!

 

 

More beachy goodness

Re-entry to the working life after vacation was brutal.  That description is a bit of an exaggeration....but not by much.  Obviously, I need a longer vacation!  :D  However, there are limits on some things so I'll just share another beach photo to recapture the mood.  

(iPhone shot - you don't know how many I took to get most of us in the photo)

 

Thanks to Carrie/Kitten for the request.  Did you know that she's moved her blog?  Did you see that she has a new hat to wear?  Go see the new "hat" she's wearing--I love it!  

Happy Monday!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln*

Hai!

I've sipped and savored my first one and a half cups of coffee this morning.  Now to start working the keyboard.....

Here's a bit of catching up.....

Way back in January....but less than a month ago...I met up with Nora and some new-to-me friends in Watertown, Wisconsin, for a few hours of talking knitting, yarns, shoes, spinning and other things that knitters talk about when gathered.  It was a cold, sunny, and lovely day.  I brought along my spinning wheel since my ability to knit correctly and talk while making sense at the same time is challenged at times.  Nora described the day with more photos and details here.  Speaking of Nora....

She took to it quite well.  I know that our work to create a wheel spinner is not finished yet but we are so much closer after that day in January.  

Just a few days later in Washington, D.C., I had the great pleasure of meeting up with Angie (aka Lori-Angela) for a long lunch at a sandwich place just a block from my office.  She was visiting our capital city from western Canada with her husband who had the handy excuse of a convention to come to visit.  We share a name and, in fact, our husbands share a name, which is fun to mull.  She's a very productive knitter and I'm not, but we didn't let that stop us.  We had a lovely visit and a nice discussion of knitting-relating stuff and of transitions (which we're both experiencing).  The time went too quickly.  It was so nice to meet another "virtual" friend and have her materialize in real-time.  

 

I'm contemplating ripping Williamsro.  The time that it has been tucked away has moved me to different sweater likes for myself, although I still love the pattern, just not for me.  I'm considering a top-down cardigan, probably Laura Chau's pattern here and probably with the yarn from Williamsro although I do so love Noro Silk Garden.  My plan is developing.  I had considered using the yarn I won in the NMO funds drive over at our Stacey's (looks like I'm too late for a page linky) but the gauge I'm getting won't give me the quick (at least in my mind) or faster knit that a heavier weight than Silky Wool will give, although I love that yarn, too.  Yup, I did a gauge swatch.  I'll do another with Cash Iroha, maybe today on the drive north.

We're taking a day trip up to visit with my mom and family to celebrate her birthday, that was this past week Tuesday.  Happy Birthday, Mom!   I'm looking forward to our visit and better sign off to get myself ready to go.

 

Have a good weekend!

 

*This was the first thing that came to mind for a title.  Sometimes, you just have to go with the flow to get a project started and finished.  

A Good Weekend

This weekend was busy but nice. I saw my first Wisconsin snowfall of the season. Pretty, just under half a foot or so, and not too cold.

I also got a package from our Cookie (shutupandknit.typepad.com). (and yes, typepad's iPad app essyouseekayess regarding links.)

There were socks that fit perfectly knit with Fannie's Fingerling Weight sock yarn in the Old Roses colorway. Cookie said she used the Harris Tweed rib and Cookie Cutter Short Rows for the toes and heels. She knit them toe-up using Magic Loop, "of course," and used a sewn bind off. (I will have to look that up....not that I finish stuff that often, but just in case. *g*)

Cookie also tucked in a Minion wearing an orange vest for visibility and a very cute ribbed hat. Min investigated the snow and then tucked himself into my suitcase to see DC. He just noted that it feels pretty cold in DC, too! He also said something about some chocolate but I can't hear him since he's a bit muffled from jumping back into my suitcase.

Thank you, Cookie, for Min to keep me company and socks to keep me warm.

DH and I put up the Christmas tree and slept out in the addition two nights with the wood stove going all night, for fun. And it was. :D. We woke up to the snow, which was pretty neat, with it all sparkling and clean.

It was a good weekend.

Where are my tap shoes?!

Oh, so, what have I been up to?  Well, on Friday I work up early-ish (but later than a work day) in DC, took the Metro (Orange line to Red line) to Union Station, joined some work friends and we rode the Northeast Regional to Penn Station.  The forecast had threatened a damp (or downright wet) day but we were pleasantly greeted with a lovely day for walking in New York City.  We made our way north and found lunch at Pax Foods near Bryant Park.  The ice rink was icy and there were a lot of retail shopping opportunities in the park which we regretfully passed by.  We did make a stop at the Magnolia Bakery.    The bakery smelled wonderful but was packed and I had to go stand outside to maintain my sane demeanor.  K was intrepid though and stood in line for Red Velvet Rockette cupcakes. 

We reached our goal for the day in a few more blocks....Radio City Music Hall!  We had tickets for the first day of the Christmas Spectacular.  The pluses for going on the first day include reduced ticket prices, warmer weather (maybe), and reduced crowds on the sidewalks of NYC.  The minuses include not being able to see the Christmas windows at Macy's.  Another work friend and her niece met us in the theatre and we sat down to enjoy the experience.

I really enjoyed the show.  It was very professional, the costuming was incredible, and I'm a sucker for anything involving tap shoes after taking tap and ballet lessons for about eight of my formative years.  I don't perceive 3-D movies in the same was as most of the human population but even I enjoyed the sleigh ride through the streets and skies of NYC.  Makes me kind of wish I had come to NYC to be a Rockette rather than go on to higher schooling.  (I said "kind of," Mom..... <g>)  The show was over oh so quickly.  (The fastest 90 minutes, ever!)

We walked around a bit after the show and then had supper dinner at the 21 Club (pre-theatre menu!)  The five of us enjoyed a very nice meal and our server even brought a birthday candle to the table.  K had called the day before to let the restaurant know there was a birthday to celebrate (early).  

We had a nice but rapid walk back to Penn Station and enjoyed a nice, quiet trip back to DC.  And the next morning I flew back home to Wisconsin.  

My time in NYC was too packed this time to visit with Jessica although there was twittering (tweeting?) but I intend to take the train north again to visit with my NYC and surrounding area friends.  Maybe I can even try a food truck or four with the recommendation from those in the know.  :D

 

So, today is my 52nd birthday!  Yay!  DH and I celebrated early with some yummy home-cooked seafood and I'll celebrate again this Saturday with more family.  I'm looking forward to another very good year--- full of wonderful experiences, a loving husband, happy kitties, loving family and super friends, and a great job.*

 

 

 

 

*Not sugar-coating, just encouraging all the good to stay.....no reason to linger on anything but good. 

Cathedral window quilt details!

Well, as long as I'm waiting, waiting, waiting for the coffee to drip this morning, I thought I should make good use of this time to show the quilt.  (Keep in mind that I am writing this coffee-less.)  (ETA:  TypePad recognized my weakness and chose to eat my first post about the quilt this morning.  The beast.  I also hate their edit/format functions.   I'm afraid to change anything in this post for fear of losing it a second time. Yes, only half a cup later.)

Yes, I am adding "run vinegar through the coffee maker" to the list that all ready has "get Jeep battery checked" and "be thankful for your AAA-membership" on it.  (It was a later than usual night last night.  *blink*)

Here are the photos of the quilt from last Saturday.  In the photo from left to right are Maddy (not her "real" name but she answers to it), Millie, Sandy, and my mom, Dorothy.

 

Large, isn't it?!  It certainly covers a queen-size bed amply.    

More details:  

 

Sorry about the lighting in the latter photos, but I think you get the idea.  That is a whole lot of handstitching!!  In case anyone is clicking in from a search for cathedral windows, this quilt was purchased or won at an Amish quilt auction near Shawano and Bonduel (Wisconsin) that occurs twice a year.  A talented quilter produced this wonderfulness that now represents precious memories of a fun, chilly day in May with my mom and friends.  When I'm at POE, it will remind me of happy memories every day.  I like that strategy.  

Clever girl.  :D

Happy Friday!