It’s back to work… blech…

I had another entire week off last week. My brother and nephew had flown in on the 17^th to attend Dad’s internment out in Greene, NY and to join the gathering of the clan. They also stayed for the entire following week, so we got to have fun playing with my nephew. I forgot how much fun 6 year old boys are.

Here is a picture of the boys skipping stones in the river behind the camp.

We even came upon a couple of Llamas in upstate NY.

So the vacation started off with a bang – or rather an explosion of Widowzilla. If you have followed any of this saga then you will know that my Dad had already been planning to attend the weekend gathering which also happened to be the same weekend as his old high school reunion weekend. Dad had been very active in the alumni association. So my sister and I as promised, took ‘Dad’ or rather is ashes out on the town that Friday. But mom apparently found out and had a meltdown and uninvited us all to the funeral. We went anyway – she seems to have forgotten that we lost our Dad too. It was strained and she still isn’t speaking to us, but I have no regrets. She’ll get over it eventually. In the meantime I am enjoying the peace and quiet.

My Dad would have loved the wake we gave him and his old friends were quite happy to be able to pay their last respects and tip one for him.

On our drive home from NY (thank the gods I took my own car!) and just after we had passed on to the Mass Pike, break lights started flashing and I glanced to the side of the road only to see a baby black bear climbing under the guard rail looking like it was going to try to cross the very busy highway. I couldn’t stop, but I sure hope the baby bear made it ok. I was psyched it was the first time I ever saw a bear in the wild.

The rest of the week was fairly quiet, some mini-golf, and a few projects around the house got done. Not as many as I would have liked but the weather didn’t cooperate very well. Lately it’s been like living in a rainforest. Hazy, hot and humid all day, then big rains and thunderboomers starting at 4pm every day. We even had a tornado touchdown in New Hampshire, killing one woman. It’s just been crazy weather.

I did manage to finish my first circular pi shawl.

Pattern: Goddess Knits Anniversary Mystery Shawl

Yarn: Finger weight Alpaca from Peru

Needles: Knitpicks Options US 8

I loved this pattern and will definitely knit another one.

I found the camera

Another dyeing day – most of this is merino/silk blend – very nice…  I will soon be posting these on my etsy site.

Cindy and I with the help of DD spent a day of vacation painting the walls of the studio, rearranging stuff and putting together shelving units.  It’s starting to come together.

See I really did go to the beach!

This is a sneak peak of the scarf/shawlettes that my sister is weaving.  They were inspired from her trip to Peru.  This is the one I have dibs on – but they are so soft, drapy and colorful.  A must have!

Here is proof that I have been knitting.  It’s the Goddess Knits Anniversary Mystery Shawl KAL.  This has been so much fun to knit.  I’m using some of the alpaca my sister brought back from Peru.  It is so soft and lovely to work with, and this pattern has been a delight.  It reminds me of the Rose Windows in Notre Dame Catherdral.

Last but not least – Smiling Darling Daughter

Beach Days and Fried Clams

What a great week it was to have off!  It was hazy, hot and humid most days.  Perfect for a day at the beach.  DD and I headed up to Salisbury Beach with some yummy egg salad sandwiches packet, and a jug of cold tea.  Even the breeze was hot and felt like a blast from an oven.  Perfect for taking a plunge into the cold Atlantic water.  It was so refreshing.

That evening we headed over to Hampton to cruise the strip and check out the gift shops and street side eateries.  Of course we had to have fried clams, with lots of tartar sauce, and hot french fries.  It doesn’t get much better than that!

I also spent a couple of vacation days last week, painting the studio, shopping for shelving units and rearranging the space.  I took lots of pics but do you think I can find my camera?!  It looks really great though.

This weekend we head off with Dad’s ashes to Greene, NY and the gathering of the clan.  We will bury Dad’s remains in the family cemetery, then head over to Uncle Stan and Aunt Ida’s camp in Mount Upton to spend the rest of the day, swimming, playing cards (Pitch), eating speidies, and drinking lots of beer with relatives.

I think we (immediate family) will be glad when this weekend is over and done.

My brother and nephew are flying out from ABQ for the week, so I will be off next week too.

I have been knitting, the Goddess Knits Anniversary Shawl – I am on clue 4.  It’s turning out beautifully and is actually quite nice to knit up.  I really like this pattern.  I think it’s going to look like the Rose windows of Notre Dame Cathedral.  At least that is what it’s reminding me of.  I think I may have enough of the Peruvian Alpaca for 2 or maybe 3 shawls.  I would like to make at least one to sell and one to keep.

I also did some spinning at the Farmer’s Market on Westford Commons this past week and it was so much fun.  We were invited to go back this week, but unfortunately I am working too late and so won’t be there with the rest of the crew.   I really need to find some more time to play.  Working for a living really sucks.

A couple of quick ones

I love this blog and todays post is too funny, you must check it out.

Second – my sister’s blog (pic of me)

I meant to add this too.  The way to make the perfect egg salad for a picnic at the beach.

Perfect egg salad starts with perfectly hard boiled eggs.  Fill a pot with cold water and add the eggs (4 large eggs will make 2 sandwiches).  Make sure the water covers the eggs and place a lid on the pot.  Heat on high until it just comes to a rolling boil then turn off the heat and remove the pan from the burner.  Leave the eggs covered for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes drain and fill with cold water, remove shells.

Chop the eggs into a bowl

Add

1 tbsp of finely diced sweet onion

Celery Salt and Pepper to taste

4 large green olives, finely chopped

1 pinch of dry mustard

a little less than a 1/4 of real mayonaise.

Add a little fresh lettuce and a freshly sliced tomato (from your garden) to the sandwich and voila – yummy egg salad.

It cannot be July already!

I don’t even know where 2007 went and now it’s July 2008 already!?  This just cannot be.  Time is flying by and I feel like I am standing still.

Must be the Paxil…

I have been busy doing lots of fiber ordering and dyeing because I joined a Ravelry Fiber Swap.  It should be fun… unfortunately I cannot post pictures or descriptions of what I’ve been doing to what or with whom because I don’t want to give any hints to my swap buddies.

I have also been knitting… frogging and reknitting., then refrogging again.  I haven’t had much knitting mojo for awhile so I thought if I joined another KAL it just might jump start my mojo.  So I I am currently working on the Goddess Knits Anniversary Mystery Shawl.  So far I’ve knit to Clue 2 twice.  I frogged it because I decided I liked the A chart better.

This is actually a really cool KAL – the shawl had a total of 4 clues but each clue had 4 choices so there are a lot of variations each making a unique shawl – that and it’s a circular shawl too.

Tonight the Westford Spinning group is gathering on the Westford commons during the Farmer’s Market to demo spinning.  We are not allowed to ’sell’ but that does not mean we cannot give out cards for spinning lessons and pointing to our etsy shops now does it?  I hope something starts to give because things are not moving either through etsy or through the studio right now.  I understand it’s the economy and the weather.  Apparently 90F heat with 70% humidity isn’t conducive to playing with wool and other fiber.  However, my tomato plants are loving it along with the Cockadoodle Poo Organic Potting Soil they are planted in.  It’s great stuff and safe around kids and pets.  I got several bags of this “sheeite” at Agway.

Next week I will be taking the entire week off added to the 4th of July long weekend, it should be a nice long rest, along with lots of house cleaning and chores that desperately need to be done, and at least a day or two at the beach.  I would love to go camping, but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards right now.  Instead I will probably hang out and play up at the studio, so if anyone has time off that week and it happens to be a rainy day and you want to come and play give me a call.

Then it’s four days back to work and another long weekend and week off.  Then I will be wondering where the hell July went.