Purling Oaks

Saturday perspective

I really have to share a few moments of the trip to the vet with our four cats for their annual visit.  It makes me laugh and as you'll read later in this post, laughter was a good thing. 

Black Dot and Blue are featured but White Dot and Fuzzle can be heard full voice, as well. They all voice their concern each time we take this trip. At the Vet, they're more quiet; just generally scared and trying not to move. Everyone is healthy although Black Dot should probably join me on WW.

As I noted in my post yesterday, the washer needed repair.  Yes, it did.  In fact, in needed enough repair to cost justify a new one.  O.O  The good thing is, the new one is installed and I can now conquer the laundry mountain. 

However, for me to use the washer, the septic system has to be able to handle the liquids flow.  And, you guessed it,  the septic system had a problem.  Late in the afternoon, Wilson discovered water/liquid on the floor of his shop and the utility room and something *ahem* had backed up into the basement shower.  But it was all fixed with a late call to the plumber, buckets, bleach, and a beer or two.

The laughter earlier in the day and finding out really good news about two friends in the evening and this morning more than balanced out what are truly minor annoyances.  Life is good.

Happy Saturday!

General Friday update

My Trust Your Journey coffee mug from our Stacey.  I am better at trusting my journey in the morning when I have a cup full of coffee and a good eight hours or so of sleep behind me.  Just saying.   I was pretty tuckered out at the end of yesterday after getting home at 7:30 pm.  I did meet another knitter Monday on my way to DC, which was very cool, especially since she works at a LYS twice a month.   She showed me a new Jenny Watson pattern book and I should have written the title down.  Now I have an excuse (ha!) to go to the Knitting Tree in Madison.

It seems like I'm approaching the end of my Simple Yet Effective Shawl, but the yarn balls don't appear to get any smaller.  Watch, when I'm binding off, the available yarn will shrink at an alarming speed. 

Our washer has had a non-functioning computer chip-thingy for about two weeks now.  The repair man is here as I type and I'm hopeful I'll be able to tackle the laundry mountain today without moving the mountain to the laundromat.  Traveling gets really old when there is house-related stuff requiring attention and you aren't in the house.   The sounds coming from the laundry room are not too encouraging at this point. 

I started the online Weight Watchers last weekend.  I'm not attending meetings.....no way!  Just me, my computer or iPhone/Blackberry, and the scale.  Results are promising as of this morning.  Tomorrow is my official record-keeping day.  I'm giving it four months, which just happened to be the length of the deal I signed up for.  I like the structure it provides while allowing me a glass of wine or beer without shooting the whole day's worth of "dieting."  I even was able to go out to a nice restaurant (Tosca in DC) for our instructors' dinner and have tiramisu for dessert.  (Yes, I did blow a few points on that dinner but I had a salad for lunch which provided some balance.)  Probably TMI for you all, but this paragraph is "blog as journal."

Early this afternoon, Wilson and I have the pleasure of taking our feline family to the vet for their annual exams.  Joy. 

Happy Friday!

End of August Sunday

Wow.  Sunday all ready!  This weekend passed in a flash.  ....and with no photos, either.  Must be the End of Summer slump.  The weather definitely has an autumn feel.  Windy but sunny.  The temperature right now is 64 degrees.  The low tonight is supposed to be 36 degrees.  (yikes!)  I'm glad I won't have to go to the airport at 4 am tomorrow (due to a dental appointment) and won't have to make the coat/no coat decision at that hour.

Garden/Kitchen:  More tomatoes and eggplants were harvested.  One eggplant plant was withering so I ripped it out of the garden in the hopes whatever happened to it won't spread to the other three.  The Italian heirloom (generic variety) are lovely meaty tomatoes. 

I made two types of tomato sauce today.  Regular tomato sauce that I'll freeze as soon as I post this entry and roasted tomato sauce from this recipe.  The roasted sauce turned out more like a bruchetta even though I used only 1/4 cup of EV olive oil.  It was in the oven for a good hour and I used about 1/4 cup fresh basil as well as some dried oregano and fresh parsley (see next paragraph).  Guess what I had for lunch on toasted fresh bread?  Yum.

We also are having salsa tonight.  We would have had it last night but the bag of cilantro turned into a bag of parsley in the rotter vegetable drawer and the Pig didn't have any cilantro....in August.  Wilson made a run into Madison today and brought back some cilantro so this evening's snacking plans are saved.

House:  The cool weather this weekend has turned my thoughts to preparing for winter.   Besides, Stacey is visiting soon and I'm having another domesticity attack.  I decided to look for room rugs this weekend.  I found one that I liked but will still be on the lookout for another three or four.  That is hard work people.  Nice enough for the house but not that nice since I have house not a museum.

The front yard landscaping/reclamation is finished and the grass is growing.  The yard actually looks like someone lives here.  Cool.  Saturday, I ordered 10 hosta plants (for 15 dollars!!) and a bunch of daylilies from Gilbert H. Wild and Son in a moment of weakness.  Oh, and three peonies, too. 

Knitting/Spinning:  None except for a row or five during the week on the Simple Yet Effective Shawl.  But I did read about knitting and thought about looking for the bag of Williamsro raw material. 

Other good stuff:  Enjoyed the first caramel apple of the season from Lapacek's Orchard.  Tried their new apple cider donuts, which do belong in the good stuff category.  This past week was Restaurant Week in D.C. and I enjoyed three dinners and one lunch at four nice restaurants and spending time with several of my co-workers and getting to know them a bit better.  Yes, I'm eating salads this coming week.

Happy Sunday.

Warm and fuzzy

We had our first fire in the woodstove last night.  Here's Blue looking quite happy about the whole thing.  Our construction project, which is the addition pictured here and the renovation/repair of the basement, is complete minus a few items (for which we have a holdback from the contractor.)  The woodstove is a new Jotul F500 and we are having to go through a "breaking-in" process.  The first fire was small and got up to 200F.  The second fire (firing?) was to 300F and it was enjoyed with coffee and scrambled eggs this morning. 
(Don't ever say I don't love you guys....that photo is definitely a morning photo of me.  At least my hair is combed.)

Here was one of my views this morning.  The ladder is there because the chimney pipe installers used a ladder with no padding on the interior wall (duh!) and now some touch-up is needed.

DH and Fuzzle this morning.

Can you tell I'm happy?  It looks like this major project that we were propelled into by the summer water/septic disaster is just about finished at budget and about 3 weeks late.  Not bad.

I started moving a few things into my studio this weekend.  There are a few paint touch-up areas that I need to keep clear so I'll be able to finish my move in a week or two when I'm back home.

I'm typing this in front of the woodstove.  (Tonight's goal is 400F.)  I'm all packed and ready to fly back to DC in the morning for another week of team instruction.  Back on Thursday.  This week's travel knitting project is a mitten or two with bulky yarn.  You win, Nora.  :D

Definite progress

As promised, here is an update on the studio.  Although we are waiting for radiator covers to arrive, there's been progress.  Here are a few photos of my studio as of this week. 

The view from the doorway.  The florescent lights were found at Home Depot.

The new built-in bookcases and the door to the closet.  The closet door is rather narrow.

A peek into the closet.  It is a lovely large closet and now I'll have cubbies, a clothes rod and some small shelves at the back.  The right side of the closet is where I'll stack my plastic stash storage boxes.  As soon as the radiators arrive....I'm hoping tomorrow....the baseboard work can be finished.  We are so close to the finish! 

I'm home this evening and I'm looking forward to enjoying a four-day weekend.  We'll be visiting my mom and cutting some wood.  The deer blinds also need some attention and I'm hoping for good outdoor weather.

Now, that is a good oyster!

Actual knitting has taken place this week.  Yes, stop the presses, I knit this week.  I finished the first sleeve (main color only) of Williamsro and I'll be casting on for sleeve two momentarily.  I also have a sock started that needs to be frogged and restarted.  The needles slipped out of two sides of the sock.  It was a bit big anyway.  :D

We had grilled oysters last weekend.  DH was the genius cook.  I thought they were great and he said they were "fandamntastic."  Lots of chopped vegies with butter, dry sherry, and a splash of rum on top of the little guys then tucked in the grill with the cover on so they get flavored with the smoke.  YUM.   

You can bet I'll ask him to include this dish in our meal planning again.  DH is always willing to try a new dish or a new way of preparing a favorite meal.  I've tried many new foods that I may not have tried without his influence.  I feel quite fortunate. 

The home improvement projects are progressing.  The tile was installed in the addition this week.  I am really pleased with the way it looks.  Selecting flooring, et cetera, is/was tough!  The empty corner that we are looking at will (pretty soon) be where the wood stove will sit.  Trim and door installation is in process right now.  The second step of light fixtures and related work is about one-third complete.  The studio is not yet ready for occupation.  (No, Cookie, the pole has not been installed yet.)

Saturday socks!

Yesterday's mail brought an excellent package....a package that contained hand-knit pink socks from Cookie.  Superb timing, friend.  They fit purrfectly.  (That's Black Dot in the background.)   I love the color and the cables.  You can find out more about these socks over here.  Thank you, Cookie!

We are starting to see signs of fall.  This week, our honey locust started to color to yellow and dropped a few leaves.  I startled a turkey walking down to my vegetable garden Friday.  There have been a few cool nights but the last few days have been humid so the A/C has been on.

Another sign of fall:  hay mulch, grass seed, and the sprinklers.  All the digging has been dug and now is time to see if we can have a lawn again.  The painting was completed this morning.  Next up is flooring for the addition, some more plumbing (as you may be able to see from our patio *art*) and electrical work, and a bunch of trim and wood working.  

Rants on Thursday

I'm typing this entry in the cats' temporary Fortress Bedroom of Solitude.  The cats are restricted from roaming the house since new epoxy flooring is being installed in the basement.  The interim installation steps are not feline-friendly.  I thought I would spend a little time with them and, well, I'm receiving a lot of verbal complaints and stares conveying my felines' displeasure with the current state of affairs.  Oh well....better this than kitties stuck in epoxy.

Why do other drivers think it is imperative that they travel 20 to 30 miles per hour over the posted speed limit in a construction zone?  The speed limit is 45 MPH for a reason, the drivers' safety and, more importantly, the safety of the construction workers.  I had a driver pass me on the shoulder of a single lane on the Interstate in the construction zone.  Dangerous and stupid.  I really hate driving in the Chicago-area.  I have to deal with the construction on top of the *normal* congestion.  I would have to take tranquilizers if I went back to living in a congested city. 

Another thing.  If your boots or shoes are covered in construction debris, don't bother to take them off when walking over wood flooring.  Especially when someone has just cleaned said wood flooring and the flooring is still damp.  ARGHHHHH!  Somebody's mom should have smacked somebody upside the head a few more times in their formative years.  Yes, since I'm home tomorrow, I'll be handing out some less than gentle motherly advice to anybody that doesn't remove their footwear before stepping on my wood flooring. 

As long as I'm at it......I think anybody with a badge (and I'm thinking law enforcement here) should be thanked, not despised.  These men and women risk their lives daily to protect us and keep our communities in some sort of order.  Without these people performing their job every day, our lives would be much harder and our families at higher risk.  I'm aware there are some Barney Fife's or other jerks that can make life miserable but most men and women in law enforcement should be supported.

I think that's it.  Now, I'll see what I can do to deal with the feline complaints.

Last Sunday's blue sky

This photo was taken on a lovely breezy Sunday afternoon (last weekend).  It was a lovely day and I actually took time to sit on the grass in the backyard and watch clouds between loads of laundry.  This weekend is a bit wet signalling the beginning of autumn to me.  But it was a nice weekend, as was the last one.

Saturday was a fun and full day.  My friend, (blogless) Charlynn, drove up from Springfield (on Friday) and my mother drove down from the Fox Valley and we all went to the Quilt Expo in Madison.  Mom was searching for fabric for a class project so we scoured the vendors and finally found the right combination for her second quilting project.  We were all so overloaded we didn't even get to see the regular quilts and just went to lunch at the Wah Kee which is one of my favorites. 

Mom shared tomatoes, plums, and pumpkins from her garden with me and Charlynn and then took her fabric back home with her.  Thanks for coming down, Mom!

It was really nice to see my mom and Charlynn, even if only for a short time.  As Stacey knows, the dust this weekend really was getting to me.   I know Charlynn's my friend because she put up with all the dust and mess of the construction and even slept on the couch since all the guest beds were in storage.  Thanks for visiting, Charlynn!  Sorry about White Dot yodeling at 4 AM! 

*e* status

I've continued going to Curves even though I didn't post my progress last Sunday.  I've worked out three times each week.  I've lost 4.25 inches since I've started.  It seems like slow progress but it is progress.  I think I need to add more aerobic exercise into the mix.  

Construction update

The basement is all drywalled and all the surfaces were primed on Saturday.  Monday is the final paint for the basement with the flooring being installed Tuesday through Friday.  The addition is getting flooring on Wednesday and sometime will have the drywalling finished and painting completed.  I think the house will look very different on Friday!  Coming up yet are the lighting and lots of woodwork, doors, and finish work.  Plus, the woodstove!  The house hasn't been in order since early June.  DH and I are both very ready to have a quiet, clean, and finished home to live in.  I'm crossing my fingers for no major hold-ups.

Part One- Wis S&W

Carrie was right.  It is a very good idea not to be home when the drywall guys are working.  Unfortunately, I am.  Yes, I am definitely thinking of a sedative and earplugs.  My plan to work, um, normally, was thwarted by a schedule change so I'm teleworking.  I've found a place on the front porch that is relatively quiet so as long as the weather stays nice, I'm good.

I had a great time at Wisconsin Sheep and Wool.  My beginning spinning class with Deb Jones was great.  She was a super instructor and I even made yarn, plied yarn!  The yarn is far from perfect but I feel I have a better grasp of *how* to spin and will be practicing to cement that in my brain.   I met some really nice classmates, which was an unexpected bonus.  I highly recommend the class.   I shopped the vendors during lunch and after class but didn't buy more yarn.  I did get a nice roving and a lovely pattern.  Here's the loot which includes my first plied yarn and a door prize from the Ravelry Afterparty. 

I've got more photos to share later.

Happy Wednesday!