Yarn & Order

Eye Candy Friday & Introductions

Josh saved up his allowance and got a new camera. Don't ask me what kind because I have no idea except that's what it looks like. The good news is I get to use his old Canon PowerShot S2 something or other and get an early start working on my New Year's Resolution of taking better pictures.

The other good thing is that he took some some super cute photos of our kids. I thought this would be a great opportunity to introduce you to the Cast of Characters:

Joe:  Joe is our oldest. He's a 4 year old miniature pinscher and so needy in that typical small dog way that it really is like having a child.

Vital Stats: Weight--16 lbs (vet says he needs to lose some); Height--small.

Likes: sitting next to mommy, cuddling between mommy and daddy, sleeping next to mommy, following mommy into the bathroom, following mommy around the house, causing a big ruckus when mommy picks up her keys, freaking out when mommy comes home, crying when mommy puts her shoes on

Also Likes: Burrowing under blankies, sleeping, butt scratches, tummy rubs,crying, barking at the neighbors, riding in the car, chewing rawhide, eating garbage, destroying stuffed animals, chasing the cats, running through tall grass and "examining" the litter box.

Dislikes: Being alone, cats trying to steal my rawhide, weird neighbors who pop over unexpectedly, being ignored, cats being allowed to do things that I can't do, baths, having my picture taken, nail clips, the vet, anyone walking within a 100 foot radius of my house.

Hopes & Dreams: Joe's dream is that one day his mommy will buy a little papoose for him to sit in so that he may permanently attached to her and go everywhere that she goes. He would also like for the cats to run away. Especially the black one.

Neo: Neo is the typical middle child. We rescued him as a tiny kitten more than three years ago in Longview, Texas when we were visiting family. He was our first pet and he wishes it had stayed that way. Neo definitely has a personality disorder. He's also bi-polar and possibly bulimic (quite a bit of binging and purging on the one rug in the whole house). I feel bad that we've given him all these issues but he can be really sweet when he wants to be. I blame Josh for Ne's anger issues.

Vital Stats: Weight--19 lbs (friggin huge) Height--taller than Joe.

Likes: eating, sleeping, chasing Yogi around the house, cuddling with Yogi, being the fattest cat ever, going outside with Jana, torturing the dog, knocking stuff over, meowing louder than a rock concert, standing on mommy with my enormous weight, rolling around on my back, play-fighting with dad, stretching, opening doors (almost got that doorknob thing down), complaining, ice-cream, swatting people when they walk by, taking my frustrations out on Yogi, scratching people, biting people, having a Hitler moustache, eating styrofoam, bingeing and purging, escaping through the front door and going under the porch so that mom and dad have to get on their hands and knees and try to coax me out by poking me with a shower curtain rod, ruling the entire house.

Dislikes: being misunderstood, not being allowed outside whenever I want, not getting to eat more, the dog, people who don't feed me, having my nails clipped, people telling me I'm fat.

Hopes & Dreams: That he will one day rule a world without dogs and be able to eat ice-cream and tuna whenever he wants.

Yogi: Yogi is the baby of the family even though he's only 3 months younger than Neo. We rescued him about 2 months after we got Neo because I had started working and Neo was not dealing well with being alone. He took out his frustrations on us and all of the "experts" said that the best solution was to get another cat. So we did (well I got a cat and Josh got an XBox). Yogi is just the sweetest cat I have ever met. He just wants to have fun all the time and doesn't have a mean bone in his body. I don't like to play favorites but he's so darn sweet and his fur is soft like a bunny rabbit.

Vital Stats: Weight--12 lbs (about average but he has little cute pot belly) Height--smaller than everyone else.

Likes: sleeping, having fun, playing chase with Neo, cuddling with Neo and Joe (separately), trying to go out the back door, locking myself in the kitchen cabinets, sitting in boxes, sleeping with mommy, waking up mommy in the morning by nibbling on her nose, giving kisses, tummy rubs, singing in the bathroom, climbing on top of the refrigerator, making biscuits, anything sweet.

Dislikes: having my nails cut.

Hopes & Dreams: World Peace and a cuddly place to sleep.

So those are my kids. It's a crowded house.

Eye Candy Friday

Thanks to caro I'm obsessed with mosaics. Here's the promised Graceland mosaic (I apologize for the bad pics, you're not allowed to use flash in the house and I'm a horrible photographer--another New Year's resolution to add to the list).

Distraction Friday

This picture of Yogi in his new favorite spot is my Eye Candy Friday pic and a shameless attempt to distract you from the fact that I forgot to take pictures of my Isabeau progress. I started the sides of the bag last night which means I need to shop for the lining this weeked. That's when the tough part begins. The handsewing of the lining--ick.

Today didn't start out very well--I woke up at my usual time this morning but for some reason thought I was an hour late for work. So I rushed through my morning routine, hopped in the car and discovered that I was actually a half an hour early. Why is my mind playing tricks on me???  Then I fell flat on my face in the parking garage because I got my foot stuck in my car. WTF???? Who does that? My coffee and my work ID badge went flying out of my hands and into the middle of the garage where my ID was promptly run over by a car. It survived. The coffee did not. I also scraped up my knee pretty badly but miraculously did not get a hole in my pants (Thank God for Blue Jean Friday). The funniest part was when some lady with a tray of cupcakes in her hands came running up to me to see if I was okay. She then proceeded to drop a cupcake on the ground. So the area by my car was just a mass carnage of cupcakes and coffee and perhaps a little of my blood (there was no hole in the pants, but there was a tiny bit of blood). Great way to start the day. Things got better.

I want to seriously thank you all for the encouraging comments to my last post. On Wednesday I gave Natalie her first knitting lesson. I sat next to her and showed her how to cast on. She picked that up pretty quickly. Then I taught her the knit stitch. She picked that up pretty quickly too. Before we knew it an hour had gone by. I think she's a natural although she seemed to be getting frustrated. She took the needles and yarn home to practice and came back with a complete mess.

We started over yesterday afternoon and another co-worker Jana joined us (I know like 5 Janas so I'll call this one Jana K.) Jana K is 5 months pregnant and decided she wants to learn how to knit so she can make baby things. This time I taught them the rhyme: "In through the front door, around the back, peak out the window and off jumps Jack." They responded really well to that and, being lawyers, they took notes. Then we all decided that a scarf would be a great first project.

So today we spent our lunch break at Hill Country Weavers and I could see it in Jana and Natalie's eyes. They are hooked. As soon as we walked in the door they oooed and aaahed and fondled and planned. It was a lovely sight. We spent more than hour in the store. I came home with some Zephyr in Garnet for some amazing lacey project I haven't quite decided on yet. Natalie really responded to the cashmeres and Jana to the alpacas. In the end they both bought yarn for their scarves and some for their future stashes.  I can definitely tell that I've indoctrinated two more converts and it's going to be awesome to knit at work! Yay!

What I Miss Most

Here's some Eye Candy for ya (courtesy of Josh of course):

What I miss most about living on Long Island is the proximity to beautiful beaches.

I'm sure that to the average person there are more beautiful beaches in the world and places where the water is more crystal blue and the sand is like sugar. But the beaches on Long Island are my beaches. I grew up on the beach. I learned to swim at the beach. I learned to drive in the parking lot of Sunken Meadow State Park. I fell in love (or so I thought) at the beach. I almost died at the beach. I had my first kiss at the beach. I had my first job at the beach (and so did my mother and my aunts and uncles and brothers). I have so many terrific family and high school/college memories that involve these very beaches.

I feel calm when I'm there. I always have good hair days at the beach because the sea air is the best frizz-tamer. My feet feel softer because walking through the sand is a cheap pedicure. 

If I had the money I would invest in a summer house in Montauk and I would spend my entire summer on the beaches with the cool breeze, eating vegetables from the farmer's market and fish from the docks and wearing clothes that have been faded by salt water. There would be sand in every nook and cranny of my house and seashells wherever you turn. And you would be able to see the ocean from my bedroom window and smell the low tide from the back porch.

We've been other places on family vacations but Montauk is the only place where I get that butterfly feeling in my stomach. The kind you get when you're 14 and the boy you like glances in your direction.

All of these pictures were taken in Montauk when Josh and I went with my parents last summer. We slept in a tent at Hither Hills State Park and spent the days and nights on the beach. My favorite part is when it gets cool at night and you wear a sweatshirt and sit on the cold sandy beach where it is too dark but you can still hear the waves and feel the mist.

I love Texas, I adore it and I haven't been to any beaches here yet. But no matter how beautiful they may or may not be, they will never be as breathtaking as my beaches.

Eye Candy Friday

View from the Montauk Lighthouse in Montauk, NY.

Have a good weekend!

Friday Eye Candy

Again, Courtesy of Josh

Eye Candy Friday

Following Purly's lead, I'm commemorating my Friday afternoon with some pictures I love. I don't have any new pretty pictures that I've taken so I'm using some of my husband Josh's pictures. He's sort of an amateur photographer and you should check out his flickr site. These are some pictures from out backyard (click to make bigger):

And here's my favorite picture of my husband (his self-portrait):