Lilac update

So far,  they are doing very well.  But I am under no illusions here.  We are not out of the frost free zone. This weekend, in fact...perhaps...

Spring is trying very hard.  And in spite of The Guy’s efforts at ‘thinning’ last year, the violets are blooming.

I am making good progress getting the beds cleaned out, and say that I am about 85% there.  Maybe 90%, because I am optimistic that way!

And I am seeing tall bearded iris buds in the front yard.  I have the little guys blooming already.

May is right around the corner.

Hooked

Earlier this year, after I received my Kindle for Christmas, I started watching 3 or 4 sites that offered the heads-up on the ‘cheap read’ Kindle offers, books offered for free, or $1, or $3, or (gasp) even $5, generally.

Now many of these books are not my cuppa’ joe.  I have never been one for the bodice ripper romance novels (not judging, just saying…).  I do not read horror or the vampire genre.  And omylard…these seem to be a dime a dozen.

Or free, as the case is now.  These seem to be given away for e-readers.  Do not ask me why.

Also the Christian publishers…they like to give their books away, too.  Which is nice.  If one goes for that sort of read.

I did find some that were good reads…you know…in my book. Some mystery, which I can read a few at a time, especially historical ones.  That is, until I get creeped out by what the authors are thinking up for their characters to do.  (I mean really...if authors can think up this stuff...) I even found some young adult reads, that didn’t match up to Harry Potter, but were palate cleansing…and for free…well heck (she shrugs…) why not?  And some historical fiction, which I do enjoy.  Some political thriller types, contemporary fiction…et cetera et cetera et cetera....

In fact, it was very educational, to become…educated…in the indie publishing vs ‘name brand’ publisher pricing and what all that was about.

And in that line, I did buy a couple of books from the ‘big houses’ that were part of a series that I had started a long time ago, but hadn’t bought the hard copies of the last couple of books, because of price.  Also, I am not going to mention the series by name, because the series is just the respectable side of trashy, and I am a little embarrassed to be so taken by it.  But what’s cool about the Kindle?  I could read these ‘books’ without anyone knowing I was reading ‘almost trash’! These last two books were ‘on sale’ for $5.  So it was all cool.

There was one other book I bought for $5.  HBO was making a series based on it.  I hadn’t heard much more about it than that.  I read the description which said ‘resembles England during the War of the Roses’, but had fun stuff…like barbarians and direwolves and a great ice wall…so not for real.  Fantasy/historical fiction…highly rated.  Award winning.   Five bucks.  Sold.

I have finished six kindle books since I received the gift of my Kindle, and last week randomly chose Game Of Thrones as my next read.

Oh my. I kid you not.  I have been sneaking into the bathroom at work with it trying to eke out another page or two.  I have found it fascinating.

And unfortunately addictive.  There are going to be seven books in the series.  Four are written.  Number five will be released in July 2011.  Which is really really great…but…

also unfortunately, all full price, at $9.  The Kindle Store is like…a pusher!

Do not believe for a minute that the big publishers are going to sell a book by a big author for less just because paper is not involved.  And while some big authors wind up on the sale tables at Barnes and Noble relatively quickly, I saw a display of this particular series last weekend that led me to think I needed to buy Clash of Kings at least.

You know.  For my next fix.

edited to add...I started Book Three: A Storm of Swords last night...I am lost...

New Things on The Needles of Iron

I am not really sure what has happened.  I was cruising through this year whacking out a bunch o’ little projects (knitting) to keep me focused on Big and Pressing Projects (quilting) when suddenly!  This week!  I find 3 rather complicated projects on the needles.
With a deadline.
#1 came about in the middle of the night.  After waking, but before going back to sleep, I thought of one skein of silk (rav linky) I have that just might match the dress I am thinking to wear to the wedding in June.  In the daylight, it was discovered that the silk yarn does indeed match perfectly, and I think a mini-shawl of silk is just the thing for a beach wedding.  After much searching and contemplating, I think I have settled on a mini-Annis out of this.
#2 So I was emailed Eldest my idea, and while she was flutzing around Rav on my login, she found a swimsuit cover-up, and asked me what I thought, which was not much, as it was a crocheted garment.  Disappointed she was, but she did not have the mad advanced searching skilz that the Mother-Unit has.  It required the purchase of a Vogue mag, but this (rav linky) was decided upon, and I even half most of the yarn required.  The rest was tracked down through another Rav member (I just love poking through other people’s stashes!) and a swap was arranged for some of my hand-dyed handspun.  Suh-weet! So #10 Mesh Cover-Up, out of this.

#3 In contemplating the idea of a swimsuit cover-up, I considered it would be good to have one also, and I like the wrap-the-triangle-around-the-hips action.  I found a pattern for one, but on close inspection, I thought it was lame lame lame!  And then I thought, that is nothing but a shawl!  I have hundreds….nay….THOUSANDS!!! of shawl patterns at my finger tips that are very cool, some even in my queue already.  What I need is a) one that I can wear on the beach like a hippy sarong thing, then wear as a shawl when I go back to my real life without beach butlers, b) a pattern that doesn’t take a lot of concentration because #1 and #2 above are going to take all my concentration, and c) can be made out of my stash.  The Simple, but Effective Shawl, by Laura Chau, out of Maggi’s Linen.  Perfect!
Quilting is continuing.
Spinning is continuing.

Socks are probably going to have to percolate for a bit.

I do recognize my limits…after a fashion….

The Pretender to the Throne

 (alpaca waiting to be spun...)

…thinks these are appropriate places to catnap…

(quilt being quilted...)

 
He would be wrong.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday!

Guess who had a birthday?

Guess how many?

She is not a grandbebe anymore.

(not sure what I am going to call her forthwith)

Sheep

We have been shopping for a new mattress, which is a brand new experience for me.  (The X and I slept on a waterbed back in the day.)  So Wonderful Guy and I have been laying on beds together in public trying to get a feel for the individually wrapped coils, the number of coils, whether they are made of tempered steel or not, whether there is foam involved, and whether that foam is memory foam or regular foam or forgetful foam…

And also the price. And the cost of delivery.  And the return policy if I choose poorly.

But what really helped me decide? (Oh not really….) (But maybe kinda sorta....)

I mentioned, as we were sitting on a Sealy, 'is this the one that advertises with the little sheep?'

'No, no,' said the sales guy, 'that is Serta.'

'Too bad,' says I.  'I love those little sheep.  You know, I think if I could get my hands on one of those little guys…'

Says the sales guy…'You know, I think we have some around here…'

And guess what I went home with?  No, not a mattress.  Not at that point, because we were still discussing pros and cons and coils and price (see above…), but I did get this little guy!

We ended up purchasing from this vendor for all the right reasons, and incidentally?  Didn’t get a Serta.  Really didn’t even look at them through the whole shopping ordeal.  Guess the power of advertising only goes so far!

Still, I really love my little sheep.

Lilac Update

So far so good.

And this year I have 2 real life daffies blooming!  I planted these 6 or 7 years ago, and generally I get foliage sprouting and not much else.  Once in a while a puny little bloom that might last half a day…

What I think this bodes is one long dry season, though.

My hyacinths are all three showing again this year, regular as clockwork.  I should really get more of these.

An Easter Story

I found tutorials for these easy-peasy Easter projects at Purl Bee.com.  (Search for 'bunny finger puppets' and 'easter egg hunt bags') And since Easter is sooo late this year I had time to:

#1 let the idea percolate.

#2 find the materials I had on hand.

#3 purchase the materials I needed…in mass quantities (anyone know of any other felt-y projects that are adorable and quick, send them my way.  I am well supplied).

#4 let the materials age.

#5 actually create the projects.

#6 realize I required material of which Dearest Sister has beaucoup.  So much beaucoup that I am embarrassed to go buy any, so I requested she send me some.

#7 actual send/receive materials.

#8 finish/photograph/package/ship projects to out of state grandbebes.

Before the holiday.

For such easy-peasy projects, that’s a lot of work.  Which in my mind, goes to show, there are no easy-peasy projects…

Anyway, while I am working one of the bunny finger puppets up, Wonderful Guy entered into the ‘craftudio’ to inquire about something, and I took the opportunity to show him one of my little creations.  I put one of the little guys on a finger and sang…

“Little bunny Foo Foo hopping through the forest, scooping up the field mice and boppin' ‘em on the head.  And down came the good fairy, and she said…Little bunny Foo Foo, I don’t want to see you…”

At this point, Wonderful Guy, interrupts and says to me, “Did you just make that up!?”

I didn’t know whether to me more surprised that he had not ever heard of the exploits of the bunny Foo Foo, or that he thinks me capable of such spur-of-the-moment creative prowess.

I assured him I did not make up the song, that it is a tried and true song, of Girl Scout (and other youngish clan-type gatherings) legend.  But he was not convinced, and later in the evening, he declared, ‘are you sure you didn’t make that rabbit song up?’.

I had to call Dearest Sister for confirmation, both for The Guy, and also because I wasn’t sure of the ultimatum the good fairy handed down to the bunny Foo Foo.  While she could assure The Guy that I am not capable of spontaneous musical combustion, she (who can remember all the towns in ‘I’ve Been Everywhere, Man’) couldn’t remember the dire consequences offered to the violent bunny.

She directed me to Google.

Which was no immediate help, because while I couldn’t remember what they were, I knew what they weren’t, and the lyrics I remembered weren’t what the most popular hits said the lyrics were.  I had to click way down the pages, until I figured this out…

‘Little bunny Foo Foo, I don’t want to see you scooping up the field mice and bopping ‘em on the head.  I’ll give you three chances.’ [done – and on to the next verse]

With it ending thusly…

“Little bunny Foo Foo hopping through the forest, scooping up the field mice and bopping ‘em on the head.  And down came the good fairy, and she said… I don’t want to see you scooping up the field mice and bopping ‘em on the head.  I gave you three chances.  And now…POOF…you’re a FIELD MOUSE!”

At least, I think that’s the way I remember remembering it (…and you are welcome for the earworm).

Seed starting

I am ready for spring.

OK.  Not really ready, but you know….”ready”! So in an effort to get REALLY ready, I am going to start getting ready…

…by planting seeds.  Some I can’t do until I do some yard cleaning up, but others need to be started inside.

And that’s what I have done.  Peppers, pumpkins, squash, zucchinis, nasturtiums, and sunflowers.

Six pots of each…with a few seeds in each pot. I do not have the acreage in my back yard for all those vining vegetables, but it seems to be a waste of effort to plant only one little pot per packet of seed.

If I only planted one, not one seed would germinate. However? I am sure now that I have planted six pots, every single seed will sprout.

Perhaps I will have find other gardens for some.

Mileage

While spring is a ways off up here in northern Colorado, Wonderful Guy and I have made use of the warm-ish weather on the weekends, and put in some training hikes.  We have explored some new areas in this effort, as well as hitting an old favorite.

Reservoir Ridge (2.2 miles)

Eagles Nest (4.8 miles)

Good to get out, good exercise and warm-ups to more vigorous outings when the weather warms, and Best Dog Ever has had a grand old time.

And I have whacked off 10 miles from my goal of 40 miles so far!

Philly

So Eldest Daughter is going to be married this summer.  Living back east, she is making most of the preparations herself.  And there is a bridal shower first part of May.

Back east. Way back east. Far from home.

Poo.

That is...
Until!

I found out recently that at work, everyone (and by everyone, I mean everyone who is a REAL employee) ‘gets’  to go to a very important and special meeting the first week of May, and since no one (and by no one, I mean me) will be left at the site, it will be closed.

So I have a week off.

Unpaid, but off work. (Apparently I will still have a job after two years of being a temporary employee...albeit still as a temporary employee.  But still....getting a paycheck.)  (I do not think temporary means what they think temporary means....)

Anyway...my days off?  Right before Eldest’s bridal shower.

I decided it was fate, and I decided that I was going to back east.  I was going to the shower.

Also?  It happens to be the weekend of the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, so we are thinking to take that in as well.  I was sort of kind of planning a trip to Philly this year, more towards the fall, with my sights on Rhinebeck, but I think this fits that goal.

So look at me…

Going to Philly and attending the bridal shower.  I am Pleased. As. All. Get. OUT!

I like being nobody.

Cats on the Couch

It used to be the Throne of The Cat Who Would Be Queen.

Now The Interloper believes it to be a fine perch from which to watch the world go by.

And when we leave the house?  Best Dog Ever believes the couch becomes her bed, too. Yeah...not so much the Best Dog Ever at that particular point in time...

I am glad we bought this piece of furniture for the animals.

Hiding Lilacs

They are in there.

Wonder if we will have a lilac sort of spring this year.

Hiking Season

And all that that implies.

(Clicky for biggy) South Trail at Lory State Park

While March has been very dry, which means for us no snow, it also means, we are able to get out a bit earlier for our walk-abouts.  These fellows stood still long enough for me to change lenses last weekend.

Unfortunately, no snow also means we are very behind in our precipitation, and there have already been some wildfires.  I heard that we are at conditions we were at in 2002 when Wonderful Guy and I started hiking together.  Before we were 'Wonderful Guy and I'...back when we were just talking.  And hiking.

But what are you going to do about the weather, except talk about it?  And enjoy what one gets?

Gratuitous Grandbebe Photo

Just because I think they are awesome.

The girls, well, Grandbebe Girl the First anyway, being the one that talks, almost always asks if they can play the 'pinana', to which I always answer 'yes, single fingers,and be careful to not smash fingers opening and shutting the keyboard...'.

Because why not.

I remember the grandmother on my father's side rarely let me play the piano at their home when we were visiting.  As a gradeschooler. Who had taken lesson from age 5.  I was not going to be pounding the keys, in other words.  But then, I don't remember that we were allowed to do much at their home, except to read, and listen in on the adult conversation.  I do remember there was soda pop, though...

My point is...I am not that grandmother.

I generally don't have soda pop at my house.

Guild and Workshop Saturday!

I am looking forward to the weaver’s and spinner’s guild this Saturday (NCWG).  The program and workshop has to do with spinning, and therefore…it’s all for me me me!!!

AND.

The workshop is going to be given by Maggie Casey (Start Spinning, Shuttles, Spindles & Skeins).  I have taken 2 other classes from her, and signed up (and paid) right away.  Good thing, too.  The workshop is full up, with a waiting list!

I am a lucky spinner, indeed!

In related spinning news, this is what will have to be taken off Molly, the Marvelous Matchless so she can go to Guild with me. (Molly loves road trips!)

Alpaca, woolen-spun, fine.  I have a total of 16 oz to spin, and intend to finish it as 2-ply.  Or that’s what I am thinking now. I don't have anything in particular in mind yet to knit it into.