Gotta Knit!

Rainy Sunday are the best Sundays

Woke up to a rather gray that became a rainy Sunday.    So what is a girl to do except

do some cooking

It's Italian Pork Stew.

Watching the song birds snack during the day.

 

Knit a bit on yet more secret knitting.

Of course did some reading.

                   

                                              

                                               

                                             

                                         

all that was while The Man and Poodles, Inc slept.   And no we do not normally let her nap on the couch like that but she was to darn cute to get mad at.

Later when the rest of the house woke up we got our Christmas Decorating on.

 

                     

                    

 

                                                        

                                                                   

         

                                 

We even ended up with a nice looking tree!

Those Darn Fireflys

It began long ago with some Firefly string lights I had gotten.   Kept wanting to put them up but there was all the cobwebs and mildew.   The Man and I live in what once was an old forest area.   The top of our street is breath taking most of the year for you are driving under a canopy of very tall old tree limbs that cover the street till about midway down.    We’ve got trees in our backyard that it would take three adult to fully wrap our arms around.   This brings the owls, hawks, all sorts of birds and animals including a small turtle or two to our backyard.   The only downside is we, along with everyone else on the street, get mildew.   So the Firefly string lights had sat till time was had to kill the dreaded mildew.

 

Then came the weekend before the Great Christmas Tree Hunt of 2009.   We decided that maybe, just maybe, The Man’s mom was right and it wasn’t the smartest thing to have the Christmas tree by the fireplace.   The Man had witness just how fast a Christmas tree catches on fire and turns into a raging inferno in their parking lot early this year.   I don’t know, this is what guys do for fun, right?

 

 

So the summer porch became the Sun room project this weekend.   Nothing like dragging up 28 window planes of glass, washing them down with soapy water followed by Windexing them only to be followed by having to put the darn things up.   When it was all done we were off to a well deserved Mexican night out.   Today was the Firefly hanging!   I’ve had these things for over a year so I’m thrilled to pieces to have them up.  

 

Here’s hoping for some more secret knitting tonight!

Simplify.

 In the past I have made a few resolutions each year and then that developed into making a change that was pro-active and positive instead of a hard and fast resolution.   It worked quite well for several years but I was stuck drawing a blank in late 2008.   Somewhere in early 2009,  I came across an idea that spoke to me.   It was in the midst of all the blogging about New Year’s Resolutions when I read a comment on whatever blog it was that she just chose a word for the year.  Eee gads that was it!   So I sat there for a few minutes when suddenly a word bubbled up.   “Simplify” and that was it.  

 

Pillaging in my life began in my closet.   Pulling out shirts, skirts, pants and what-nots.   Taking a hard look and pondering if I’ve worn it in the past year.   If not then why?  Does it fit correctly?   Does it compliment me?  What about the color?   Is the style still me?  And most importantly how do I feel in it?   I got rid of bags of clothes, shoes and accessories.   Then a few weeks later I redid it all again and got rid of more.  It truly is very freeing and I believe the key to it all is to focus on how you feel.   Why use things that don’t make you feel at your very best?

 

I have even applied it to what I wear for work in the yard.   It is amazing how changing from wearing yard clothes that I hate being in to a few yard clothes that I like can change how much I enjoy working the yard, my energy level and my overall contentment with life on the weekends.   Since doing such a simple thing with my yard clothes it has made me more productive in the yard, talking with neighbors so much more and I’m not as tired at the end of a day.   Try it you might just be surprised at the results.

 

Then the simplifying process began to spread to other parts of the house.  I eventually had to tell The Man if he found things in the trash to not pull them out again.   From tossing cooking utensils that don’t work very well, to blankets with growing holes, hair/skin products that never lived up to their promises to an amazing amount of books that I will never read because I have no interest in the subjects the house began to be simplified. 

 

 Now I would love to say there is nothing left to simplify but we all know that is not how life works.  So I will keep on as the urge moves me.   “Simplify” has served me well for 2009.   There have been changes on how I do my work, my overall relationships, what I surround myself with at home and at my work desk, what I am reading and doing.   All of the simplifying has left me ready for 2010.   My new word “Expand” came to me last weekend and when I quickly decided that was the word for 2010 so many opportunities began arriving on my preverbal doorstep but that is another post in the making.

 

An Afternoon with Bacchus

The Man, myself, a few of our friends and most of Atlanta went to a wine festival yesterday.   That was the less crowded side.

We did find some good wines that I'll be going to the store to get bottles of.   We also ran into a Mad Housewife that got along great with The Man.  Which is good everyday wine by the way.

 

After a few hours sipping and sunning, I needed a break in the mist.

 

When we were all wined out it was off to be dined.   Ended up at a local restaurant with the absolutely weirdest waitress ever.   Now my friend is going to be a bit disappointed but there is just no way to describe the absolute bizarreness that ensued for the next hour and half.   Our waitress had to get our drink order at least 10 times and let me tell you it wasn't a difficult one.   She repeatedly grilled two of our group that did not want a glass of wine on to why.   Mind you we'd been drinking wine for three hours so enough already.   Then she kept coming back to ask if we wanted a bottle of wine.  By the 12th time I had to growl "NO, we do NOT want a bottle of wine."   Then there was the whole thing with one of ladies at the table.   When the waitress would put down a glass in front of her, my friend would go to reach for it and the waitress would promptly snatch it away from her and replace it down on the table.    When this same person finally got her tea order that I eventually had to order for her in order for her to actually have something to drink this was how it was served.

 

Lost count at around 50 how many times our waitress said "I'm sorry", she kept telling the tea friend she looked sad and was wanting to hug her.    I'm talking multiple, multiple times.   The whole experience was the most bizarre one I have ever had with someone giving me some type of customer service.   It finally got to the point The Man had to firmly tell her to leave us alone and "we would like to finish our conversation."    He toyed with the idea of asking the owner to give us another waiter but was concerned that would only escalate the personality issues with the waitress.   

It was all I could do not to go up to her when we were leaving and say "Honey, you need medication."

Monsoon Season

We've been getting rained on for a while now.   Most people are starting to complain about all the rain but me, I am loving it.   I'm the weird one that loves rainy days.   I love the smell of rain, the Grey clouds, sound of rain being either soft or hard and love being out in the rain.   Course that is all when I don't have to be somewhere in which I arrive dry or trying to drive on the Interstate when I can't see the cars around me.

 

                                        Yesterday,  Poodles Inc. and I discovered a stream running through our backyard.  Been here 6 years and never has there been a stream in our backyard.   Immediately went inside, dragged The Man out with his wading boots on to show him the surprise.                  

                                                               

                             

                                                                                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                                                  

Course like any two rational adults with excited poodles we bound off to follow our stream through multiple neighbor's backyards and finally ended up at the swollen creek at the bottom of the street.

notice the glass of wine to fortify us.

  

    

                    

                      

                              

                               

                                

                                

                                   

                                         

                                                                

                     

                                                      

                                                                                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                                                                                        Certain poodles were very excited about the creek.  There was much leaping about from them and sliding from us.

 

Think our neighbors were all at their windows laughing.

It's Pirate Day!

"Avast belay, yo ho, heave to,

A-pirating we go

And if we're parted by a shot

We're sure to meet below!"

"Yo ho, yo ho, the pirate life,

The flag o'skull and bones

A merry hour, a hempen rope

And 'hey' for Davy Jones!"

                                            - Captain Hook

Ahoy Mates,   It's International "Talk like a Pirate"  Day.  Gonna dig out the Pirate hat, strap on my machete and go a swaggering.   Oh yea gotta check the rum bottle too.   So if ya are in need of help to get your Pirate on.

I do. Do you?

Knit willy nilly that is.   It seems perfectly logical to me to knit randomly through my social life when I have the energy in my brain and fingers.   Hadn't really thought much about this and am usually a bit confounded when someone is surprised I have knit at different places.   That actually happened last Friday.   A friend was in from Jordan (yep the country) and was quite surprised but delighted I had been know to knit at this nice restaurant we were in.  For all you single females out there I was amazed how much attention I got.   I had a round of fellows coming up to chat with me and got the best service from the bartender that evening.  It had to be the knitting making me approachable.

The Man and I were double dating (of sorts being there was 5 of us)  to the Los Lobos concert at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.  Would love to flip up photos here of the garden but they take no food, no drinks and no camera seriously.   My bag was frisked twice for heavens sake.  The other female with us they just peeked in her bag and for The Man he had one bag, one large blanket and three chairs so they just let him through.   The funny thing was later when the extra guy dove into the bag and with a happy grin pulled out a beer that had been unknowingly smuggled in.  If you live around Atlanta the Botanical Garden is a wonderful place to see a concert.

Off track there wasn't I?   Back to my doing.   It seemed perfectly logical if we had to get there early to sit in line for the General Admission that I would bring my knitting with me too.  I mean we are sitting, drinking wine and conversing for an hour.  The Man gave me such a strange look when I grabbed my chic knitting Ziploc bag. 

 Turns out I had the last laugh though.   After we had secured our middle of the lawn perfect spot, the chair police (I kid you not he really was a very secured Security Officer) ruled our chair height was just barely ok, I whipped out my knitting again.  Just a few minutes into K2P2,  the guy next to me wanted to know what I was knitting.   It's a tank sweater in Rowan bamboo yarn by the way.   So we are chatting it up and he even pets my knitting and then tells me his wife,  who is sitting on the other side of him,  had told him she wishes she had thought to bring her knitting when she saw me knitting along.    With that my friends I just turned and gave The Man a smug smile to his surprised face since he'd heard every word!

Look at the sunshine The Man brought me yesterday from the market.  The flowers almost look like paper flowers that small lights should be in.  The little girl in the painting is his sister.

I'm off now to paint my toenails, enjoy having command of the clicker and to knit away to my heart's content.

Theme of the Week

                         "Be pretty if you can, be witty if you must, but be gracious if it kills you."

                                                                         - Elsie de Wolfe

Yesterday I found myself at Target picking up the normal life stuff of paper towels, razors, Vitamin D, etc.  Every where I looked there were college bound youngsters picking dorm items off of the shelves.   Moved on to the grocery store and there they were again.  It had to be osmosis but a 6 pack of Ramen Noodles ended up in my cart.

            

Art-B-Que

Few Saturdays ago The Man and I had a date out at a local community (um maybe two miles away) Art, Bar-B-Que and Bands playing festival on a hot Saturday.

The Man was deep into the music.

there was even some dancing action.  He was a crowd favorite.   

But the other crowd favorite that got more of my attention.  What a doll baby!

There was also some really wonderful art at the festival.

                                                                   

Going on's around these here parts

The Man was a little busy (off getting his Golf on for 5 days)  this past  week so I've been The Handler for Poodles, Inc which has involved Summer Doggie Day Camp for a few days.  

Would love to show some of the pictures they took at Wagalot but until I purchase them, Wagalot owns the photos.  There is one of the boy were he is all teeth, tongue and little bit of nose.   What a great service it is to be able to drop your dogs off before work, be able to watch them on the web-feed during lunch (well that is I could have watched them on the web-feed if our computer security system at The  Big Hospital would have let me),  be able to purchase very affordable daily photos of Poodles, Inc, pick up two tired Poodles and more importantly have Annie and Jack be happy to be there when I  drop off.    Did I mention they also had free Starbucks coffee in the morning?   All and all it was a good week.

got a little knitting thrown in some evenings.   Down to two more skeins but doubtful I'll need much of the last skein.  

Off to purchase Jack a manly Man collar.  Thinking maybe a Pirate motif.