My Brother/Oddments

My brother and I have fought most of my life.  At least since I was 12.  I don't remember a time when we didn't.  One of us would say something, the other would flare up and away we'd go.  I know that for me it became painful.  If I knew we were to get together I'd stress over it.

He came to visit this past week.  I was almost sick with dread by the time he got here.  I was also angry for his timing.  Honestly, I was LOOKING for things to be mad at him about, just to be ready for the attacks that I was sure were coming. 

And yet.  For the first time since I was so young, we didn't fight.  We were able to talk like adults, sharing various things in our lives, the good and the bad.  We talked as if we actually could be friends!  We laughed, we remembered, we shared.  I found that he could be gentle!

He left yesterday, and I will confess to some tears after we parted.  His health isn't that great, there isn't any guarantee that we'll see each other again.  But even more, I cried for the fact that we hadn't been able to be friends for these last almost 48 years. 

Today has been an annoying day.  I've been making hats for sailors from a yarn that was donated to be knit up for that cause.  Problem is that EVERY review says that these hats are going to felt as soon as they are washed, unless they are handwashed.  I wonder, should I just include a note to the recipient to wear them until they are filthy then to put them on the floor of the shower the next time they shower (and step on it repeatedly as they shower) and then wring it out and put it aside to dry OR to throw it out when it is filthy.  I suppose I could offer to knit a new hat when that one has lived out its useful life!  I don't like sending hats that are going to be ruined when washed!

I've been working on a sock made from 3 colors.  The third color I started with didn't work.  Frogged 4 rows and started again.  I like it better, but it would have been nice not to have had to reknit that! 

Then the lid of my tea came off and it fell on the external port device for my computer.  grrr  It doesn't work any more.  I haven't tried the speakers that were on the floor.  I suspect because I really don't want to know!  I will be really pissed annoyed if I've messed them up too!  I was going to meet up with someone for the first time, she is sick and I don't need to catch it.  Time to sit back, drink a mug of tea (with the lid FIRMLY attached) and let it all go.

Hm

I had something I wanted to say.  But I realized that what I wanted to say would wind up causing more trouble than I'm willing to accept.  Because even though this has a limited readership, there is always the possibility that the person I wanted to say something about will find out.  It isn't worth it.  So I erased it.

Instead of writing about that, I will say I went to the library this morning.  To find out that it didn't open for another 3/4 of an hour.  So I stood by the edge of the lake for a while, until I got too cold from the breeze.  Then I sat in the car and knit, listening to the Canada geese that had taken over the high school soccer field in front of me.  And it was good.

There was a young child waiting to go to the library.  He WANTED in there!  11 came and I headed toward the entrance.  As I got to the door I heard, "Is it finally open?  Is the library open NOW?"  He was so excited to be IN THE LIBRARY!  I hope he keeps that love for the rest of his life!

Because I was there so early, I found that I can park my car somewhere else for free on the times I go to the library, instead of paying the parking meters.  That was nice too!  Next Wednesday I may go up early, sit by the lake, watch the waves roll in and just let go for a while.  Sounds good, doesn't it?!

New to me

Today my brother took me to the horse races.  Something I've never done before.  He had a great time trying to explain betting theories and such.  We were outside, the clouds alternately covered and uncovered the sun.  I think I may have a mild sunburn.  But for late September, it was a glorious day.

The most fun was the race where he had chosen 2 horses that finished in a photo finish.  I had more fun watching him than the horses!  Since I didn't have any money riding on the race, I didn't have any emotional ties to the races.

People there were very nice.  We were at the senior days, so most of the spectators were our age or older.  Would I do it again?  Probably not, unless he is visiting again and wants to go.

AND I almost finished a hat while I was there!  WINNER!

Libraries

I love libraries.  All of that knowledge, all of those BOOKS!  I ran in today to pick up 2 I had on reserve.  "I'll just glance at one area, I really don't need to check any more out!"  15 minutes later my backpack was so full I had to carry 2 of the books in my hand, they didn't fit!

What is it about the library?  The possibilities?  It isn't as if those books are going to go away.  But I have always wanted to take a lot of books home.

When I was in elementary/junior high school, my sister and I would ride our bikes to the library.  We got really creative on stacking the books in our bike baskets, because we'd tend to take more than we could easily fit in there.  But we always got them home, and got them back to the library too.  There is a joy in a new-to-me book.  "Will I like this one so much that I'll want to buy it so I can read it over and over and over?" 

Phone - again

Sigh, just got a phone call that the prior owner of the phone number has a prescription ready.  I guess she doesn't need it in a hurry.

I am trying really hard to work on a test knit. Then on to afghan squares for friends, which will be fun.  I really want to get to socks for me, a cardigan for me and the shorts for a friend's daughter.  Goodness, for someone who only knits on one-three things at a time I'm getting quite a few things going! 

Phones

Last fall we got new cell phones.  We decided to go with the pay as you go, because we really didn't need more than a few calls a month and a few texts. 

I had never realized that there is such a problem with people getting a cell phone, then dropping the coverage but still giving out that number!

I've had school principals call, expecting to speak with a parent.  I've had LOTS of collection agency calls.  I've had friends call.  Just recently I got a Text Message from someone who wanted the former owner of the number to come to the texter's civil ceremony.  The person must have had some sort of business, I've had businesses calling because the number is on the invoice she still gives out!!!!!!!

Howard has been getting calls for a guy, some are collection, most are friends who want to stay in touch.

Supposedly the rules are that the phone company waits 6 months before handing out a phone number again.  It has been 11 months that we've had these numbers.  I understand the time that it takes to make changes, but don't you think these people have had enough time????!!!!!  17 months for you to remember that it isn't your phone any more? 

I feel sorry for the other people involved.  The principal muttered that he had been talking with the former owner of the # just prior, but had to finish another call so the mom handed my phone # out for him to call her back.  Whatever was needed for that child didn't happen THAT day.  After the third time that it happened for that school, there was a note placed in the file that the # the mom gave out wasn't correct.  Poor kid!  How about the friends expecting her to come to their ceremony?  Nope, isn't going to happen. 

On another note, I washed and hung the socks out yesterday.  The wind came up and blew some of them around.  I'm beginning to think they are going to have to dry inside the rest of this year!

Oh Bother!

Yesterday morning and early afternoon were lovely, warm and dry enough that the landlord was out mowing the grass.

I wash socks (and bras) by hand and hang them on a wooden drying rack.  Because it was so nice, they were outside drying.      

Weather started moving in.  I forgot about the clean clothes!   I unplugged the power bars  -- yes, I know they protect from surges, but Serena's house in Colorado lost power and then lightening struck nearby, sending a surge through the house, killing her tv.  We were told and have noticed ourselves that this place tends to lose power during storms.  So I unplug the computers.  But I forgot about the drying (probably dry by then) clothes.

Anyway, I was reading and knitting when the storm hit with a whoosh!  One of those downpours that limit visibility.  THAT is when I remembered the clean clothes.  I ran outside (I may have been saying something like "oh s**t, s**t, s**t!" fairly loudly...)  and grabbed the dry rack.  More than half of the socks had blown to the ground, picking up dirt and pieces of grass.  It was hailing, I was soaked from the first moments of stepping outside.  The dry rack and the first load of wet clothes came in and the rack was set up in the bathroom.  Ran back outside for what I could see, came back in and rinsed all of the socks and hung them up again.  Later, after the storm I remembered that there had been a bra on the rack. Back outside, it had blown under the car.  It too needed a fresh wash. 

Now all of the socks and that bra are in the bathroom, still drying.  I need to go through and pick out all of the grass they collected and then probably wash again, to make sure all of the grit is washed away.

BOTHER!

Weekends are nice.  They can accomplish a lot.  Sometimes you work and work and nothing happens.

Yesterday I went to a new friend's house.  I think we will become good friends.  We had a lot of fun trying to warp a loom.  We went up and down the stairs, trying to find things to make it work.  A lot of talking, not just about weaving or knitting, but life.

In the end, we decided that the loom isn't really a loom.  It tried, but no.  The person who designed it wasn't a weaver.  We couldn't, no matter how hard we tried, get it to make a good shed.  So, the almost 4 hours of work that we put into it were for naught.  But, at the same time, those 4 hours helped forge a friendship.  Priceless!

A lot of changes in the last year+!  TWO new grandbabies (one of each kind Serena and Justin had a girl, Nathan and Kim had a boy), Serena and family have moved to Guam, we are living in Wisconsin, Mom is living in Las Vegas...

I need to see if I can keep this blog going.

I knit up a Freddie Platypus for Justin.  I know there are times I really miss being able to hug him.  So each stitch was a way of showing him love, hoping that he will hug it when he needs a hug from me!  The coat is a mish-mash of the coat pattern for Phoebe Mouse and what I needed to fit the platypus.  I bought buttons today -- hopefully they will make the outfit. 

Crud!  I remembered while in Joann's that I needed to pick up jingle bells.  I was in the wrong section, told myself to go there as soon as I was done picking out the item I needed in that aisle.  By the time I did that, jingle bells had escaped my mind until just now.  Blast! 

My frustration level is pretty high these days, yesterday I was on hold for 40 (yes, 4-0!) minutes then talked with someone for a while.  The documents that I had faxed a week ago were not associated with my information, so I should fax again.  Oh, and by the way, faxing again means they have another 10 business days to process my documents.  Drove over to fax them and was told "don't bother, we have another week to process them, they just haven't been looked at yet."  Got home and there was a form letter, they will be processed by 9/27.  (10 business days from 9/5 is 9/27?)  Then to cap it off, there is a note at the bottom, "Please be prepared to fax your verification at that time."

sigh

So we are going through and doing a thorough turn-out - getting rid of a lot of things. As much as can is being recycled, but there is still stuff that goes in the trash. Yesterday Howard took out a load and said, "that's it until the trash is picked up." (This isn't just our trash in the dumpster, it is from 15 apartments and 2 offices - and is available to people in the neighborhood to drop things off. Just so you don't think I'm throwing away THAT much!) So today I thought, "I'm sure the trash has been picked up." and took out another load. Hm, the dumpster was still full, but I was able to squeeze this load in.

Stopped and chatted with someone else on the way back to the apartment. I asked about the trash being picked up today. "No, it is picked up on Wednesday. This is Tuesday."

I know this. But I really honestly thought it was Wednesday.

I guess I'll keep whatever else I gather up here until tomorrow.

Family

Justin took this of Grandpa.

Aunt Kim with Merri

Uncle Nathan and Merri

Aunt Serena, Uncle Justin and Justin

Merri

Justin

We like kisses

Both were having a grand time bouncing and laughing

Our sister-in-law Stacey came this weekend, we all got together in Madison so she could meet Merri and renew her acquaintance with little Justin (who was maybe 5 months old the last time?) The reality of taking pictures of the two little ones -- one of them is going to move during the shot. But you can see, Justin thought Merri was the greatest toy ever! Merri thought the same of him!

Happy Easter!

We had Easter dinner with the family. Justin has become very vocal - there are things he says that I KNOW he didn't pick up at home. LOL He loves his drampa! Howard and Nathan went fishing for a while, when they got back, Justin told me "It's your drampa!" I was trying to straighten him out, basically that while he is JUSTIN'S drampa, he isn't mine. Justin became impatient with me and said, "It's YOUR drampa! He's wearing his hat!" All righty then! Obviously I'm wrong! LOL

He got a package of Legos for Easter and was very happy putting it together with Kim's guidance. He didn't need much assistance, just direction. It looked really good.

Drat

So I was sitting in a chair in the hall yesterday. Suddenly the back leg broke and I went down. Landed on my right hand again. Looks as if I might have injured it just about the same place I did 2 years ago.

Color me very unhappy at this point!

Hey Blogger?

What is going on? When I click on "publish post" nothing happens. I have to click on "save now" then go to "edit posts" and click on the post then "upload now." Editing posts seems to be impossible. When I tried for 3 times, nothing happened. I tried to copy what I'd written and not a blessed thing happened! I'm not amused.

Drat

Minnesota is so ...interesting... in springtime. The grass has turned green, it is becoming nice outside. The chihuahua in the building enjoys going out and stays for a time. So what is supposed to happen tomorrow? sigh 4-14 INCHES of snow is projected through Wednesday. SHEESH!

Why is it? A slice of reality

I have kept track of my yarn in a data base for years now. Since before we left New York. I remember sitting in the dining room of the house and weighing each yarn, using the McMoran yarn balance to find out yards per pound then figuring out how many yards of each yarn was on hand.

I lost a good bit of the database recently, I believe I started it in 02. So I have had plenty of time to adjust to adding yarns to it.

So why is it that every so often I come across a yarn that isn't in the stinking data base? Hello? How did I miss you? Tonight it was 2 skeins of a Regia Kaffe Fassett yarn. Now I've knit up 2 pairs of socks in various colorways of this yarn. I knew I had a lonely skein that will become either sock tops or wristwarmers. But I didn't remember this yarn. I don't remember buying it. I don't show a record of it coming in. Where in the world did it come from? sigh Any such yarn counts as a brand new purchase. And it is added in the "yarn purchased this year", "yards added this year" etc. The only way I can figure to make it work. Otherwise I'd constantly be reworking prior years totals.

Occasionally as I cook I realize how time has passed. As in, when I need to pull one of the boxes off the top of the freezer. Why? The aluminum foil is from Wegman's - the WONDERFUL New York grocery chain. I miss their bread. It was the best! We left New York in 03. The waxed paper is from Hy-Vee - an Iowa grocery chain. We left Iowa in 08. There are 2 boxes of Press and cling wrap (or whatever it is called.) We bought those in Iowa when Howard had the surgeries. Yet I think I'm on the 3rd box of parchment paper since we moved here a year ago.

My space bar has been sticking. I couldn't figure out why. Tonight I hit one of the keys and realized -- a size 0 needle had dropped down in front of the first row of the keyboard. Funny, the space bar works fine now!

Sorry!

Sorry! I've been trying to decide if I have enough to say that people are willing to take time to read it. I have been knitting. And knitting. One of the ladies in the building remarked the other day that I don't look right without needles in my hand. I finished a sweater today and the recipient was thrilled. After I gave it to her I noticed 2 strands I hadn't woven in. I offered to take it back and finish, she quickly told me that she'd be perfectly happy doing it. Hm...afraid I'd not give it back? grin We are having a Minnesota spring. The snow went from several feet high to nothing in about a week and a half. The grass has been greening up, the birds have returned. Last night we had snow again. Not a lot, thank goodness, but enough to remind us that it isn't time to put away our winter gear. So, there are people from this area who are snowbirds in Arizona. We also have someone from Saskatchewan that snowbirds HERE! Perspective, I guess. She considers our winters to be mild. Hm...

Mom said there'd be times like this...

I started a sweater (jumper) for Rick in London UK. Ran out of yarn just before the hood, so no way I can fudge it. I'm waiting for more yarn to get here.

I started a sweater for Geina, his Mom. It looks as if I may run out of yarn just before the end. I'm going to knit fast to see if I can avoid it. (Why yes, if you need to know, I ascribe to the "knit faster and maybe the yarn will last" theory of knitting.") According to my stash spreadsheet, there should have been 8 skeins of this yarn, which would have been more than plenty. Why, then can I only find 6!!!!!!

I'm afraid to start anything else!

All of my works in progress were going down, until I only had 2 left - the pair of socks and Hanne Falkenberg's Solo (in different colors, but you get the idea.) I had finished the baby blanket and Stacey's sweater. The over item that had started the year with me will be frogged tonight. Bliss! Only 2 WIPs. The socks would take maybe 2 days max of intermittent knitting. But could I just complete those, and be down to NO WIPs? Noooo, I cast on for Rick's sweater. See paragraph 1. I cast on for Geina's sweater. See paragraph 2. Now I have four WIP's and there is great temptation to cast on more. SHEESH!

I even made a list of things that I'd like to knit up next. I think there are about 10 things on it!

Unburdened

After long thought, I put my spinning wheel up for sale on Ravelry. It was a hard decision, I loved it when I bought it.

The problem came after I'd flown out to Colorado and both parents came down with C Diff. They were so sick, and they were impaired mentally as well as physically while sick. I guess the best thing to say about it is: it was a very difficult situation. That misery attached itself to the wheel, since I had brought it along to destress while I was there. I was miserable every time I tried to spin on it.

Yesterday it sold. SUCH a feeling of relief! I will buy a different wheel at another time, and it won't have the misery attached. As for this one, the new, excited owner won't have the angst attached and will love it. Win-win!

Yay!

Yesterday was a GREAT knitting day for me! I finished the Sprog 3 blanket, well at least MY part - Howard needs to crochet around the edges before it is totally done.

I also finished Liquid Silver for my Sister-in-law. It had been on the needles for too long, I broke a bone in my hand in the middle of it, which caused the process to grind to a halt. I finally picked it up yesterday and was astonished to realize how very little was left to do! So, I did, then popped it in the mail today. I forgot to photograph it until it was already at the post office. Oops!

I waffled between working on the current socks or starting something else. I'll admit it, I looked closely at the socks, put them down and started a new sweater. Toddler size -- quick knit! Yay!