The Grind

So, have you ever noticed how difficult it is to get back to the old "grind" after time away?  Yeah, that's where I am at the moment.  Trying to get back into the rhythm of everyday when I want to go back to where I was over the weekend.  Was the weekend perfect?  No, of course not.  Was it one of the best weekends I've had in a while? Absolutely.

 

But let's face it.  When you can sit on that porch up there and see this view...

  

Life is pretty good.  Add to that, the amazing company and fiber and life is good.

I have to give major kudos to Annie...Girl, you ROCK!  Your planning found us the best house and the food was phenomenal.  I think I gained every bit of weight that I've lost back....it was so worth it!

And the ladies I got to spend the weekend with are so amazing....we even added a new knitter to the ranks!  Chelsey bought her first yarn and on Saturday night, with a big vodka tonic at her side and more teachers than she knew what to do with, she cast on her first scarf!

And thanks to Rachel , I can sort of spin with a spindle...yeah, I'm still working on that, but I'm much better than I was. And now I have PLENTY of wool to practice with....

Here's just a little sample.  It's got sparkles in it...I know, I'm such a girl sometimes. Once I get the pictures downloaded, I'll share all the gorgeousness.  Let me just say that my little plastic card had some serious smoke coming off of it.

On a more serious note, we are all fine here.  We have some extra company since Karen and Deb can't get  home to New York, but I'm so thankful they are here. Sandy is still sending some serious winds and a bit of rain our way, but we are safe and sound.  We are so much better off than so many of our neighbors to the north and on the coast.  My thoughts and prayers are with them all. 

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Happy Friday!

SAFF...Day One

So day one, and we arrived safely. The house that Annie found us is unreal. It's sad that we have to stay in such squaller...ahem. And food...holy cow? I'm posting pictures, but this is being done from my phone, so I can't guarantee the order. I think they are pretty self explanatory.

About That Time

Oh look!! The countdown is almost over!!

 

This time tomorrow, I will be stacking all the stuff I'm taking with me by the door....my suitcase, the food (Oh Lord, the food!), the wine and the projects (way too many)...both a must...and my fat pants.  It's all about the priorities, ladies.  Today is the planning...do we need to bring linens...who has a large cooler....Is it 5:00 yet?  You know this is going to be the LONGEST day ever!

We'll be meeting Fru there. Suz is winging her way from down further south and should get here some time tonight. And "Mom & Aunt Karen" are on their way from Yankee land.  Jen already warned us that Mom and Aunt Karen have appetizers and cocktails planed (YEA!) and, as she put it "are probably going to go overboard because they are moms and they need to feed everyone."  Works for me!

Annie spoke to the person who owns the house we are renting and he warned us that the bears are "active."  Yikes!!  He said to just keep the trash inside for as long as we can....Hey! That's no way to talk about us?!?! JUST KIDDING!  I've decided if they come, we'll just let Nicole have a go at them.  She's Sicilian, originally from Lawng Iland (Long Island for those who need an interpreter) AND she's pregnant. The bears don't stand a chance...just saying.

From last year at SAFF.  Left to right - Suz, Annie, Me, Dawn and Mel

Can you feel the excitement? And do you know what the most wonderful part about all this is?  It's not the yarn/fiber, although that is wonderful.  It's not just the long weekend away, even though I need it desperately.  It's these women - these funny, brash, strong, incredibly intelligent, amazingly gorgeous, outspoken, unbelievable women...and that's the short list of their attributes. I'm sorry if you get tired of hearing about how wonderful they are, but friend like this, well they are worth more than any amount of gold in the world.  They are a part of my treasure.

So for the next four days, I might appear to be quiet....trust me, I'm not.  I will be having the best time. If there is down time, I will try to check in and see how you are doing but please know that I am thinking of you and wishing you could all join us on this adventure we love so much.  Take Care!!

Happy Birthday!!!!

Just a quick pop in to say Happy Birthday to this man of mine.  He turned 50 today and is spending his birthday traveling from Peru to Ecuador...wishing he was coming home.  Love you Honey!

{Magic of the Mundane}

Today, I am joining Sofia over at Sofia's Ideas for Magic of the Mundane. I so love this idea because it totally falls in line with my desire to get back to simple. It can be a picture, a poem or song, a short video or anything else that celebrates the Magic. So often, we get caught up in "where we're going" that we forget to look at the beauty of "where we are."

I must confess that I've been away from these posts for a while.  I got into that "busy" mode and just didn't take the time remind myself how important these "mundane" bits of magic are....until last night.

Car Guy has gone on another business trip...Peru this time.  I had to get up at "O'Dark Early" to get him to the airport yesterday...6 A.M.  Ugh. Saw him off, went home and crawled back into bed to catch just a little more sleep....for about an hour.  And last night, sleep was elusive as well.  Isn't it amazing how you get so used to that presence in the bed next to you that when it's not there, neither is sleep?  I've been sleeping next to this guy for around twenty-one years. I jokingly refer to his body next to mine as the "lump" that hogs the covers, or my "heater." But when that lump/heater isn't there, things just aren't "right." I miss the careless hand on my hip, the occasional foot tangled with mine, the warmth that I can snuggle into on chilly mornings because he's pulled all the blankets over to his side of the bed...He's a snuggler and that's how he ensures that I snuggle back. It's just one of those things I take for granted until it's not there. When he gets home, I'll be heading to SAFF (3 days left!!!!) so I won't see him for a week...I hope I have a bed to myself this weekend...or someone who won't freak out if I accidentally try to cuddle.

This....

OH. MY. GOODNESS. This is a little slice of heaven in the form of pizza. I never knew. It had (because it's long gone) prosciutto, figs, feta cheese, arugula and a balsamic reduction. I know that I'm forgetting something, but that's no problem. I know where I ordered it and how to do so again...that's all that matters, right?

This moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Happy Friday!

 Just wanted to say a quick thank you to Tracey for the beautiful grits spoon and lovely pot holder (love them!) and to Kim for the Tree Blocks that I've won recently.  Seriously, I never win anything and it appears my luck is changing....except, I still haven't won the lottery.  Oh yeah!  I have to buy a ticket first...duh.

Inspired by Amanda Soule - Feel free to join in and share a link to your moment.

Ramblings

 

Lots of "stuff" swirling in my head today.  Changes are happening.  

Number One Son  has a girlfriend now...no, it didn't take long to find one.  She seems sweet...and smart, she did pick my son after all.  She doesn't appear to take any crap from him either. That's a good thing.  I overheard conversation while he was home on fall break - no I wasn't eavesdropping, we were in the same room and I was sort of included in the Skype conversation by way of "Hey, this is my mom." He mentioned that he needed to iron a shirt when he got back to campus and he asked if she was going to to it (What?!?!) and she told him he could iron his own shirt...see, smart girl. We get to meet her Thanksgiving.  I'm not sure she's aware of what she's walking into....hmmm....should we warn her?

A friend who has been patiently waiting may finally get the answer she's been waiting for.  I don't want to mess up the juju, so please just send some good vibes this way. It is so worth it.

Something is definitely in the air...allergy wise.  I don't know what set me off, but I woke up this morning with the sneezes, water eyes and general itchiness that comes with an allergy flair up.  Now I ask you, what could be causing this in October?!?! Thank goodness it's not a cold.  Yes, there is a definite difference in the feel of them.

Feeling restless yet tired today.  Tired of working.  Tired of the everyday that we have to deal with, well, everyday.  It may just be anticipation of getting out of here soon, but it does jangle my nerves a bit and makes my feeling reside very close to the surface.  A shimmering of constant irritation is not an attractive accessory today.

This time next week, I will be in a car with Annie, Suz, Domenica and Nicole heading towards those mountains up there and a long weekend at SAFF.  I am getting quite impatient.  Something about a weekend in the mountains with my girls and yarn goodness just does my soul some good.  Those mountains bring me peace.  I don't know why, but I always feel centered there.  So much so that even Car Guy notices a difference in me.  Someday, I'll get there to stay.  Until then I'll take the weekends I can get.

A First?!?!

At my age, it's very rare to have a first and be this excited about it.  First grey hair?  First wrinkle?  Not so much.  But this one?  I'm so tickled.....TA DA......

My first cables!  (Please note the soft, muted light and lovely filter that hides said grey hairs and wrinkles.)  This is the Unoriginal Hat by the one and only Yarn Harlot, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.  As long as I kept up with my row count, and didn't drop any stitches, it moved along pretty well.  I will say, if you've never done cables before, this is a great patten.  It's done on DPNs, so the pattern is repeated on each needle.  This makes counting stitches and fixing mistakes (ahem) a lot easier. However, I will also say that if you've never knitted on DPNs, don't make this your first project.  It was a little tricky juggling all those needles and the cable needle. I've heard tale of people who can knit cables without an extra needle....I am currently bowing down in awe.  I don't know if that trick will ever be in my repertoire.

So that's one more for the Christmas Gift List to mark off. Just a few more people on the list that are "knit worthy" and then it's down to shopping.  I'm feeling really good about this year...ahead of the game.  It's really quite scary. 

We had a really great weekend.  We spent Saturday evening over at friend's house enjoying great company,  wine, and smores around the fire pit.  Then on Sunday, Car Guy, my Mother In Law and I did a little spin around the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Have I told you lately how much I love these mountains? So beautiful....

 

The leaves are really starting to change color and by next weekend, when we got to SAFF (Yea!!!) they will be gorgeous.  I think my favorite picture from the trip was this warning sign....

 Who knew the DOT had a sense of humor? Sorry, mine's a little warped.  I find that hysterically funny...the sign, not someone actually falling off the mountain.

We really did have a wonderful drive through the mountains...until we were heading home.  We stopped in Boone for dinner and Car Guy asked if I'd drive home.  Since it was a straight shot down the highway and he'd been driving all day, I thought "why not."  We got down the mountains and were about an hour from the house when "clunk."  There went the transmission.  I lost all gears. It was not fun. We coasted off the highway and Car Guy tinkered under the hood....he was able to get us about a half hour from home and then the car "gave up the ghost."  Thank goodness for my Sainted Mother.  She came, picked us up and got us home...at 11:30.  Talk about tired on Monday.

The car has been towed home and is now sitting in the driveway, like a disobedient child, waiting for Car Guy to figure out why the transmission went for no apparent reason. There is nothing worse that driving a man's car and having it take a dive on you. Thank goodness he was right there when it happened. Not an experience I'd like to have again.

So it wasn't the perfect end to a great day, but all in all, we were safe and got home in one piece, so no complaints. I'm just hoping that Car Guy doesn't take a sledge hammer to the car.....hmmm.  I'll try to discreetly take pictures or a video if he does.  Who knows, he could turn into a youtube sensation.

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Happy Friday!

Inspired by Amanda Soule - Feel free to join in and share a link to your moment.

Back to Normal?

Number One Son is safely back at college after a long weekend home for fall break.  He visited with friends and family, ate lots of home cooked meals and annoyed his brother.  He left yesterday armed with plenty of baked goods from his grandmothers and his grandfather's old golf clubs.  I think he left a dust trail on his way out he was so eager to get back...and life moves on.  It was a wonderful visit and I wish it could have lasted longer but I'm so glad he is enjoying school, making friends and growing into his own person more and more everyday.

Things have settled back into the latest routine of work and school without a hitch. Car Guy is preparing for his next business trip...Peru this time. The countdown to SAFF continues...14 days, 20 hours. And I have started the feverish holiday knitting and crocheting...it appears that this is to be the "Year of Mitts" for the women in my family.

I'm afraid that the photos aren't that great.  You know how I've been begging for fall?  Well it's here and it's brought rain...lots of rain.  I don't mind until I try to take pictures.  Everything is so dark that even the flash isn't helping. Please notice that I didn't say gloomy.  I love this type of weather.  I love burrowing in with some tea and knitting or crocheting and a good movie.  I would say good book, but I just haven't mastered the art of reading and knitting/crocheting.  But I can watch a movie and, as all my friends well know, I can talk. I don't know about you, but there is something so wonderful about sitting with a group while we talk and work. Hopefully that's where I'm headed tonight...Some time with my girls and yarn.  What are your plans?

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Happy Friday!

My sweet niece is now standing!!

Inspired by Amanda Soule - Feel free to join in and share a link to your moment.

Just Plain Busy

Hello everyone!  I hope you are all doing well.  Things around here have been busy!  Work has been crazy and by the time I get home, I'm pooped.  I can barely put a coherent thought together and have been trying to get Christmas gifts done.  That seems to be going very slowly this year.  There has been some time for a little fun.

One of the things I love about Fall are all the festivals.  You could say I'm a junkie.  If I were a lady of leisure, I would spend all my time going around to all of them.  And it's not they whole buying stuff thing.  It's the people...they are amazing, quirky, knowledgeable and basically just cool.  Anyway, this past weekend we awoke to a wet, rainy Saturday morning and decided to go to the Liberty Antique Festival.  It's a pretty famous one around these parts because it's all antiques...as their add says, "No reproductions."

There were a lot of toy vendors this year. I get nostalgic looking at the toys, but I really don't have any desire to buy them.  This particular truck peaked our interest because it's an old Mack Truck Toy and the Mack Truck World Headquarters is close by...can you see the Mack Truck Bulldog hood emblem?

This pitcher caught my eye because my mother has one very similar....they wanted $395.00 for it....WHAT?!?!  I don't even think it's all that attractive...it's a subjective thing, I know.

Car Guy found TONS of automotive memorabilia that he drooled looked over.  He didn't bring anything home, but he looked at a few things really hard.

And I found what I've always wanted for Christmas.....

I have just the spot for it...It's pine, from the early 1800's and I didn't even bother to look at the price tag because I know it ain't happening....I wouldn't be surprised if, for the cost of that beauty, I could pay room and board for a year at college for Number One Son.

Speaking of....notice that brilliant segue there...Number One Son is coming home for fall break!  He gets home Thursday and leaves next Wednesday...makes this Mama VERY happy.

And for those of you who are interested....21 days, 20 hours, 50 minutes and counting....until I am SAFF bound.  I'm off to catch up and see what everyone else has been up to.