This freakin heat!

And it drove us to the mall today. We saw a movie, ate at a coney island, and spent much too much money. Oh and we got Miranda's ears pierced. She didn't hardly flinch and she's so proud of her sparkles. She paraded around like she was queen already or something. My in laws were there doing the same thing we were but not planned with us (a chance meeting) and are none to happy with me for getting them done. MIL thought she'd cry and FIL thinks anything I do is wrong and she shouldn't be allowed to have her ears pierced until she's 16. He can be such an ass.
Look how much she loves them! And I haven't caught her playing with them yet either. I did have to pull out my jewlery stash and show her my old post earrings from when I was a kid that she can wear in a few months. White unicorns and a set of gold unicorns and one pair of my old starters too. I have five holes in my ears if you're wondering. Anyway, in law disaproval to the side I'm really happy, daddy is happy, and most important SHE is happy. ooooh wicked and evil heat, you can not take away our happy happy joy joy no matter how much you make us melt (another 80 pounds perhaps??? lol)!! Hang in there folks and peace.

My most favorite show

right now and it ain't knitting, especially when he's mad.

It's Jealousy Time!

I got to see Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, aka The Yarn Harlot, and Teyla and Meg and you didn't! Nanner nanner boo boo! And if you did and didn't come say "hi" to me then pooh on you LOL! She is even funnier than her books and I totally enjoyed listening to her. If you get a chance to see her in person I totally recommend you go and quite strongly at that.
This is Meg, me and Teyla standing in line waiting, and knitting of course.
And this is what it looked like when the line made a spiral in the room and almost half of the peeps had already left!
And this is all three of us with her! She even recognized Teylas name! How cool is that? I can't even begin to find the words to say what a neat person they all are! I enjoyed getting to know Meg, her mom, Teyla and her partner as much as getting to meet a blogland celebrity! Heck, maybe even more so! We ate at the Mongolian BBQ on Main Street in Ann Arbor afterwards. Such a great afternoon, totally and completely great!

Oh and Suz? Knitting photos will come tomorrow or the next day. Peace.

photos

I hope this works better. I couldn't put as many photos in it as I could at the Kodak site but you should be able to get to these.

Yarn Harlot stuff later today! knit on!

We're home,

I'm tired, I have no idea if this will work to link to my photos, I'm hopefully going to see The Yarn Harlot in Ann Arbor tomorrow (did I have to register for that or is it a just show up thing?), I got two of my three knitting goals done on the trip, one BIG book half read, and this is all you're going to get for now so, well, bite me if you don't like it. LOL J/K!! I'm kind of glad to be back, we had an absolute best time and hopefully you can see my photos. If not I will post them to someplace else tomorrow. Peace!

Eye Candy

The baby Bolero with the button, which isn't sewn on yet but I wanted to show it anyway LOL. And the best close up photo of the edging I could manage today for some reason.

And I returned some yarn and a set of needles and exchanged them for two more sets of DPNs and these two balls of Fixation in my favoritest periwinkle color ever. Oh, and remember my bat story a few weeks ago? Well this time we had one in the basement hanging off the fireplace brick last week. This one was bigger than the first. We had a grand time trying to scoot it out the doorwall! For reference size, the bricks are you standard size bricks, not huge like they look in the photo. So there's my eye candy for you. Peace!

Quickly, to say I'm still here....

I'm here, the cat saga is still on going (said neighbor is coming over and snapping at us in our own yard now), I have been knitting but have no photos just yet. I'm trying at the moment to decide which knitting to take on our trip next week. We're going up to the U.P. and staying three nights in Marquette to go rock hunting. I'd also like to explore the Keeweenaw area since I've never been that far north in Michigan before. Then it's back down to be a troll again (get it? under the bridge? LOL) and three camping nights at South Higgins Lake with my in laws before coming home. So I hope that before we leave Sunday morning I will be able to post some photos.

I got the baby bolero done, started the hat for it, got one pair of socks done for DS#3, half way through the instep of the last sock for DS#2, and trying really hard to not start anything new JUST yet. My Summer Sock party sock? It will go with me on the trip as yarn and hopefully come back as a sock. So until tomorrow or Saturday, rock, I mean Knit On!

Ok, ok, three post is excessive but....

I forgot to ask if anyone is going to see the Yarn Harlot in Ann Arbor July 30th? I know Teyla is, and I'm going to try to get back from my vacation in time to go, and thought it would be fun if a few of us could meet. Watcha think?

Two post Monday

Here's Miranda's bolero totally and completely finished with two shell heart buttons sewn on. I was looking at my WIPs basket and at the calendar last night and realized I have a three weeks to get the baby bolero done for my step niece. So this afternoon I got the back done and one front piece and halfway through the other front piece. Tomorrow I will finish the left front and start the sleeves. Miranda's is the largest size and the hot pink baby one is the smallest size. Neat to compare eh?
This is the pattern. I didn't make the hat for Miranda but I will for the baby.
And here is the yarn for my Summer Sock Pal's sock. It's soy, how cool is that??? I want to do bamboo also. The sheets on our bed are made from bamboo and they are divine! Silky, slinky, soft, soft, soft! A "I wish I could sleep naked" soft! Too many kids running around for that though....
Made sock progress this weekend also. When I'm done with the baby bolero I will do the Sock Party sock. Then in between painting days I am going to try and finish up some of my WIPs. Peace.

Oh my lovely commenters....

You're comments made me feel so much better. So here's what has happened since. Sticky still makes it outside after almost breaking the unlucky person who decided to go out the door, or in it usually. He lurks right by the door where you can't see him when you come in the house, zooooom out he goes between your legs. He has climbed every screen in the house and one of these times I will manage to get a photo of it. We are going to try and be nice and keep him in as much as possible and for the times that he does go out he's now wearing a very stylish red collar with reflective paw prints on it and a tiny bell that jingles. I'm thinking about adding another bell though. He's taken to the collar very well and we also got Albert one so he will stop sneaking up on Sticky (who's 9) and my mom's cat Precious (who's 14). I also decided that I will let him out during the day while bird brain is at work.

The neighbor has talked to me face to face in the past and I guess I gave her enough lip back she must be afraid of me or something. I'm really trying to look at it from her point of view and give her my pity instead of anger because well, it IS pathetic that her only friends are birds. She never goes anywhere after getting home from work and no one ever comes to visit. Sad isn't it? Yep. So, I will try to keep him in until later in the summer when the baby birds are gone. *sigh* I do hope this helps my karma balance because it's hard.

My test? I really have NO idea how I did. I'm pretty sure I won't have to go back and repeat a section but hey, this is my first time LOL. I have no idea and as soon as I do I will share.

I hate neighbors.

The twits next door left a chicken letter on our front door while we were gone about our cat being outside all the time and killing birds. They have bluebird houses all over and about 8 bird feeders going. Now I LOVE birds, please don't get the wrong idea, but I also have a 9 year old cat that LOVES to hunt. I guess today he had a bird and he keeps going in their yard. Ummm yeah, you feed the birds, it's a buffet table eh? She also said that I should be a responsible cat owner and keep him inside and that we can afford to feed him. DUH, like we don't feed JUST him, just the other two indoor cats. ARGH I have a fucking State Basic Skills test that I have to be at in the middle of my night tomorrow morning. I can not sleep because I'm pissed as hell, don't know what to do about this, and don't want to feud with my pansy ass prissy bird brained neighbor. Middle of the night for me is 6 am. I have to be at my friends house at 6:30 am to go a long way to be at a testing site at 7:30. I wish venting here was helping but it isn't. I just don't know what to do. I have four kids who go in and out all day and a cat that is desperate to go out. He. gets. out. I really have no control over it and I've told her this. And Sticky doesn't even bring home birds that often, it's usually chipmunks and an occasional toad. He just happened to get a bird today. And I think it makes it even worse that she had to come slinking over when we weren't home and tape it to our front door. Chicken shit. Anyone have any suggestions on what to do about this? I don't want to get rid of the cat but I also don't think he'd get used to being inside like she claims. Ok, I need to make some chamomile tea and try and get to sleep.

The zoo part twooooo

Ooooh tastey little snack treats! Roar!
Have you ever seen a two headed Rino??? Well we have and you should too, because Dr. Suess would have loved it and you will too! Actually they were laying next to each other but boy did I have to look for a bit to see which head belonged where. LOL
Kids, this is what happens when you don't brush your teeth twice a day. This bear is in serious need of a dentist.
Awww isn't it puuuurrrrTeee? The oldest son took this photo. Not bad eh?
I'm not tired, noooooooooopeeeeeee *snore*. Dirty sucker face really enjoyed herself LOL. It was a great day. Next time I will tell you Kirsti, if you think you can handle it *grin*. Just kidding, my kids are well behaved. It would be a fun place to meet and well, meet, ya know? Peace!

Some photos from the Detroit Zoo on the 1st

In the beginning there were four kids who wanted to see every animal the zoo had to offer. They were motivated and refreshed looking so cute.
They saw many many frogs at the Amphibaville place. Frogs of many colors and sizes. There was a sloth and turtles also, both slow and easy to see.
Now these children had a grand time coming up with what each animal might be thinking when we saw it. This giraffe was obviously thinking "I can almost reach it, I can almost reach it, if the wind would just blow a bit harder...."
They saw polar bear butts and horses in stripped pajamas.
And here ends todays post since it seems I'm not allowed to put up more than 5 photos at a time. So look for part 2 tomorrow. Knit on!

Happy Fourth of July America!

In the great tradition of the American Dream I got to work tonight! I am thankful that I have a job, even if it's shitty pay, because I work with some really great gals. Other women who live in a country that we take for granted. I get to go to college and seek a job that despite the high chance it won't be as well paying as it would be for a man, it will still be well paying and have benefits. I am able to wear what I want (yes, I'm aware that there are limits placed on me in this area, but trust me, I don't want to run around topless or neeked so those limits don't bother me). We live in a country that has such diverse environments and we can experience each one and it's unique climate, be it rocky shores eating lobster in Maine or trying to hug a huge redwood in California or sitting on a sandy beach with our toes in the Gulf of Mexico. I don't know about you but if you can ignore the crazy political crap this country is a pretty great place to live. Happy Independence Day America! Peace.

Happy Birthday Punk!

My darling is 39 today. Almost 21 of those years have been mine and I've enjoyed almost every single day! He's a fabulous father, always goofing around with the kids, taking them fishing, making sure that we do special things with them (like the zoo on Saturday) and helping around the house as much as he can.

He still makes my toes curl when he kisses me "that way" and I've totally enjoyed watching him grow up. He's held a crappy job that pays well for the last 12 years so I can have more time at home with the kids and now for me to go to college. I am really looking forward to finishing college so I can get a teaching position and bring in 3x's as much as I do now to ease the pressure off of him.

I'm so glad that at 15 I had the wisdom (or more likely intuition because how much wisdom can one HAVE at 15?) to know that I had a wonderful rare man that I needed to hold on to? We've had our hard times and we've had our joy, and each and every trial has made us stronger as a couple after we went through it. Never have we let a problem linger and act like it wasn't there, we usually barrelled through it with our eyes closed knowing that the greener grass was somewhere over there on the other side.

And now? The grass is pretty green and we just need to fertilize it once in a while to keep it that way. My life would totally suck with out my best friend and love. Thank you Karl, for being my best friend and my love. I look forward to the rest of our lives together. Peace.

Happy Canada Day!!!

We spent our summers up in Quebec until the summer I was 7 years old. I used to be able to speak french quite nicely for a young kid. I still remember how beautiful it was, the bears that ate out of our garden and the seals that came up on shore. I have polished broken glass pieces from the St. Lawrence (it's salty up there) that I picked up along the beach buried in a box somewhere.

We used to go over to Windsor every year for the fireworks that Windsor and Detroit put on for the "Freedom Festival". It's still amazing to me how just crossing a very large bridge/river takes you into another country... a country that seems like my own, one that instantly makes me feel safe.

Five years ago when I went to vist Nancy out east I thought I'd have a fine giggle over listening to her "Boston" east coast accent. Guess how surprised I was to not hear an accent coming from Nancy but from me! I didn't realize how very Canadian I sound, and honestly, it made me pretty proud. I love Canada and though there are BIG differences between the countries there is also a wonderful connection. Maybe it comes from sharing a continent, maybe it's just a Michigan thing, maybe it's something totally else. Whatever it is, I'm glad your our neighbor! Happy Canada day friends!