knitorious

No more pencils, no more books

No more teacher's dirty looks...

SCHOOL'S OUT FOR THE SUMMER!!

Yippee!  Most kids at my school have another week, but due to an instructor scheduling conflict we met extra-long last night to take our final, do our presentations, and eat yummy treats.  Luckily, I left "room" for the possiblity of treats.  Mmmm, yum, sweet chocolate-cherry treats from the culinary department made under the direction of a real Certified Executive Pastry Chef (a very rare breed, I'm told).

I had only one class this semester -- after signing up for three right off the bat last semester (my first semester) and having to drop one -- mostly writing, it was good and challenging and very worthwhile, but I never felt over-extended.  Thank goodness.  I was most impressed and appreciative of the instuctor's constructive criticism and feedback.

I have learned so much about myself in the past year -- my learning style, my reaction to different teaching styles, reconciling the two when they don't jive -- that, alone, was worth tuition.

I'm taking the summer off -- doing and learning about some other things, thinking about and working out my direction and focus for the future.

But right now, I must keep my focus and carry on with the tossing, turning, cleaning, bagging, boxing around here... I'm like a steamroller, baby!

Progress all around

Working on it, anyway.

Yesterday was not the greatest weather-wise, but today is much better and there's a load of wash destined for the clothesline in short order!

My closet does not echo, but it would... if it were 52 feet (I think) in any dimension, which my daughter informs me is the minimum space needed to produce an echo.  Something like that.  (It's stuff like this that gets caught in her brain that really hammers home how much she is her father's child.)

Back to it!

Break time

There's a trash bag and a half (so far) destined for the thrift shop.  There's a pile of jumpers and dresses of possible interest to a sister or two.  There have been a few surprising discoveries -- things buried, stuff I'd forgotten about.  Also, there's more that fits me than I was expecting -- particularly in terms of summer season clothing.  That is good news.

I have kept a small selection of the next-size-down clothing.  There's quite a bit more in the next-next- and the next-next-next-size down -- my comfort range, which I'm aiming to reclaim.  I started the reclamation project last night.

I drove downtown, as usual, to the coffee shop where we knit out every Tuesday.  I'm always early because it's wasteful in every possible way for me to go home and then go back.  There are one or two others who regularly show up early, and even if they don't...  I often have a sandwich and soup as fortifification for the evening of jovial knitting and socializing.  Well, last night I parked the car, locked it up, and walked.  I walked a few blocks west to a main intersection, crossed the street, walked many more blocks east to the "end of downtown," crossed the street, and headed west again 'til I ended up back at the coffee shop -- 1.25+ miles total.  First at a pretty good clip, then a little slower when I felt the shin splints.  I then had a caesar salad w/chicken and a minimal amount of dressing for supper, and cranberry-raspberry fruit smoothie for "dessert."  I'll have to find a replacement for the smoothie -- or make it a weekly treat.

There's a bit more to do in the closet, but there was an invitation to lunch -- which I never turn down -- and then I had to photograph these tulips... but I'm heading right back up there!!

It ain't gonna be pretty

Today is my last day at work until next Tuesday.  Tomorrow, I begin a cleaning/organizing marathon at home.

I'm starting with my closet.  There will probably be tears.

It's easily going to be the worst job of the week, so I may as well get it over with.  How's that for strategy?

To start, I'm stripping the bed.  The contents of the closet will be heaped upon it for sorting -- nothing that doesn't fit or that I don't like is going back in.

And the crying will commence.

Between the quitting smoking and the menopause, I've gained a lot of weight and half the clothes in there don't fit anymore.

I haven't worn a dress/jumper/skirt, to speak of, in the last three or four years, yet one entire rod is full of dresses/jumpers/skirts -- because there was a time (four of five years ago) when that's practically all I wore.

I've put this off for a while.

I wonder if there will be an echo in there.

On the bright side:  It's time to spring-wash all the woolies!

H is for...

Heuchera.  It could also be for hosta, hangman, or huevos rancheros -- which yesterday's breakfast out with DH reminded me of and also because today is Cinco de Mayo!

Due to the shady nature of my yard, I spend a lot of time in the "shade" section of the nursery and have developed an appreciation for hostas because of it -- it verges on a collector mentality.  I am also, unfailingly, drawn toward heuchera -- commonly known as coral bells -- especially varieties with foliage other than green, which provide some COLOR in an otherwise mostly green, shady vista.

CONTEST REMINDER:  Don't forget about the "I" Contest for ABC-Along 2008, sponsored once again by Ina, the Jersey Knitter.  Deadline for entry is this Saturday!  Ina has posted all the easy-to-follow rules and regulations in her entry linked above and also on Ravelry and Flickr.

Direct from Friday night...

It's Saturday Sky!

We went to the "performance" and opening of the INSTANT ART SHOW at Main Street Art Works last night.  I loved the concept from the get-go -- each of the co-op's artists invited three or four other artists to bring their favorite work, find a place to install or hang it, then party "enjoy each other's company."  Yeah, it was well attended and really fun -- and (yay) even profitable for some.  I took a break from the fun, and took my camera on a walk around the block.

Before I get kicked out of the knitting club, here's a fairly craptacular progress photo of the Log Cabin blanket as of... the other night (I don't remember which night).  I'm about at the point where I can decide whether I want to keep log cabin-ing all the way to the end, or do something different.  I'm leaning toward doing something different... like picking up and knitting a rainbow of squares all around the edge.  It's kind of a wild & crazy blanket, anyway; I think it could work.

On the line

Dutchman's breeches.  Dicentra cucullaria.  On the line.  In Mom's garden.  I was on my belly to take the photos.  These are early bloomers (oh, how I amuse myself) and I often miss them!  My mom is kind of going nuts right now, in the midst of cleaning and preparations for a luncheon she's hosting on Friday.  She kind of invited everyone over without really thinking, but once the button was pushed...  They're all going to white-glove the cornices in the living room and inspect the drapes, I'm sure of it...  And that's the type of activity that takes place -- top to bottom, inside and out -- at times like these.  I volunteered to help her out for a bit this morning and she had me in the wildflower garden, picking up debris.

I brought my camera.