Saturday, Abi and I planted some seeds.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Niagara Falls
We took a trip up to Niagara Falls yesterday to visit my grandma (Abi's Gam-Gam) in her new apartment. While there, Robin wanted to find a few geocaches at the falls, so we took a long walk on a warm but grey day.
Saturday, Abi and I planted some seeds.
And later that evening we put together all of her train track pieces.
Saturday, Abi and I planted some seeds.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
New Wheels
Maybe you already caught the drama on Facebook about our lousy Valentine's Day. That would be the day that I was on my way to pick up Robin from work (so we could go out for sushi, which I suspected but was going to be a surprise from Robin for V-Day) when I met the lane-wide, car-eating pothole in front of the cemetery. It ate both curb-side tires leaving me with a flat, a bent rim, and two hub caps on the road to retrieve.
Granted, I didn't know about the flat. I first saw the hubcaps rolling in the rear view mirror, so I turned at the next street, parked, and got out to inspect the tires before walking back to retrieve the hub caps. Having discovered the flat, Abi and I walked home - picking up the caps on the way - so I could try and messenger Robin to let him know we would not be picking him up! He doesn't have a phone number to call at work, and we don't have cell phones. Of course, he was no longer on-line. I'd hoped he might have wi-fi access and be on his tablet while waiting. Instead I had to wait 45 minutes for him to finally look for us at home! He bused to the car with the intention of putting on the spare, but the bent rim made it difficult, so he had to drive the car home as is.
Bad bad day.
And no chocolate.
Not even since. Ahem. Robin!
Yesterday the car was fixed - new rim (maybe two, I can't recall, but the front was a little bent too) and four new tires.
Wish I could say the "new wheels" was more exciting. Good thing it's tax-return season!
And I would like to add that I had just driven past that pothole the previous morning, so I knew it was there. It was, however, much, much smaller the day before. As I shifted to the edge of the lane to avoid what I expected was a small pothole curbside, I ended up catching it worse because now the pothole was gigantic. No, seriously, lane-wide and deep. As we walked past I saw a few more hubcaps on the sidewalk and several more cars get caught. I called the city to report it and amazingly I was the first to do so. Apparently people don't think to report them? Because I can't imagine I'm the first to have hit it that badly - the scattered hubcaps said otherwise.
I haven't been back (no car) to check on it, but I hope they fixed it. It's a major road. I am surprised it was allowed to get that bad, but if noone reported it I suppose the city can't know of every pothole, especially one that seemed rather innocent the previous day - as far as potholes go. I imagine there were quite a few car-swallowing holes across the region because of the above-zero weather followed by freezing temperatures.
Bad bad day.
And no chocolate.
Not even since. Ahem. Robin!
Yesterday the car was fixed - new rim (maybe two, I can't recall, but the front was a little bent too) and four new tires.
Wish I could say the "new wheels" was more exciting. Good thing it's tax-return season!
And I would like to add that I had just driven past that pothole the previous morning, so I knew it was there. It was, however, much, much smaller the day before. As I shifted to the edge of the lane to avoid what I expected was a small pothole curbside, I ended up catching it worse because now the pothole was gigantic. No, seriously, lane-wide and deep. As we walked past I saw a few more hubcaps on the sidewalk and several more cars get caught. I called the city to report it and amazingly I was the first to do so. Apparently people don't think to report them? Because I can't imagine I'm the first to have hit it that badly - the scattered hubcaps said otherwise.
I haven't been back (no car) to check on it, but I hope they fixed it. It's a major road. I am surprised it was allowed to get that bad, but if noone reported it I suppose the city can't know of every pothole, especially one that seemed rather innocent the previous day - as far as potholes go. I imagine there were quite a few car-swallowing holes across the region because of the above-zero weather followed by freezing temperatures.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Recovering
This cold/flu thing still lingers in our chests. It was utterly exhausting, but I hear it's a common sickness right now. We're not usually subject to the flu in this house.
Anywho, not much to write about. Feeling rather morose this morning. Browsed through the most recent issue of Pagan Moonbeams. The theme is death (and rebirth). And that got me thinking about people and loved ones we've lost. And because it's February I was thinking of a HS friend who committed suicide one January (years ago), but I always associate him with February because of this whole funny thing where he'd told one of our teachers that he was a leap-year baby and she'd planned a special thing for him and then found out he'd made it up as one of his many jokes. I don't know why that story always sticks out in my mind, but he and his friends will forever be remembered as pranksters. Oh, the things that were left in my yard... the things that were tapped under teacher's desks... the number of meter sticks broken... the stories I have for their children! (and they have children...) Sometimes those days feel like yesterday, but the memories are over a decade old and being pre-Abi they're really more than a lifetime ago for me. Everything pre-Abi also feels like a lifetime ago (literally and figuratively). To bring Abi into the thought processes, the Moonbeams issue included stories about pets who pass over and that's one thing I'm always trying to prepare for - the inevitable day when one of our furry family members passes on. I'm hoping that the current felines will have a longer life than most of my past cats. I've had bad luck with sick cats - all different forms of illness and all came on suddenly from out of the blue when the cat was otherwise very healthy. Recently vet-checked in some cases. Anyhow, I'm not emotionally ready to deal with another death soon, even though I know I can and I would and everything would be okay. It's draining. If I might ask a favour of the gods - I'd like a death-free year (food-sources aside; and I mean death in the classic sense, not the metaphorical sense, because I know there will be plenty of endings and transformations this year).
On to more pleasant thoughts today.
Such as a picture of Abi modeling her adorable scarf I whipped up using the yarn she dyed and balanced by some plain white. It's a very cozy, warm scarf. The dyed yarn is alpaca and the white is a wool-mohair blend. Warm! The stitch pattern is a double-ended, double-garter simple stitch - in case you were wondering. That means I knit across with yarn A, slide the stitches back across the needle (circular or a long double-pointed needle), then knit across with yarn B. Repeat to desired length. Incredibly easy and quick and great for on-the-go, chatting, etc. This scarf is nice and long - it wraps around and can then be tied.
The photo is from when she was sick. :(
Here she is outside, all bundled up, while Robin shoveled the deep snow. If only she was wearing her pink and purple knit mittens for this photo... she'd be knit-coordinated.
And here's a project I'd like to share. A friend of mine gave me a couple of balls of yarn last fall saying she saw it and thought of me and imagined I could make something beautiful with it. (Major Goodwill score! And she'd beat me to the store by 30 minutes.) I made myself a short-sleeved cardigan in the fall. And in January I made this, which the "knitting fairy" recently left on her doorknob (and almost wiped-out running away). It was my first beaded project. And, technically, it is crochet work.
The second photo was taken before I steam-blocked the shawl. The yarn is an acrylic blend (Mary Maxim "Mohair"), so it should be permanently blocked in shape now. Oh, if you were wondering, the Ravelry link for the original pattern is: Festival Shawl.
Final photo shows the subtle bead work along the edging. Very subtle yellow and white beads, but they add a nice weight to the fabric and some extra shine (which the yarn already had plenty of). I'm looking forward (and not looking forward at the same time) to working the beaded edging of my Evenstar shawl. (Here's mine in progress. Slooow progress. Not something I often have time to pick up. Not for months now.)
Anywho, not much to write about. Feeling rather morose this morning. Browsed through the most recent issue of Pagan Moonbeams. The theme is death (and rebirth). And that got me thinking about people and loved ones we've lost. And because it's February I was thinking of a HS friend who committed suicide one January (years ago), but I always associate him with February because of this whole funny thing where he'd told one of our teachers that he was a leap-year baby and she'd planned a special thing for him and then found out he'd made it up as one of his many jokes. I don't know why that story always sticks out in my mind, but he and his friends will forever be remembered as pranksters. Oh, the things that were left in my yard... the things that were tapped under teacher's desks... the number of meter sticks broken... the stories I have for their children! (and they have children...) Sometimes those days feel like yesterday, but the memories are over a decade old and being pre-Abi they're really more than a lifetime ago for me. Everything pre-Abi also feels like a lifetime ago (literally and figuratively). To bring Abi into the thought processes, the Moonbeams issue included stories about pets who pass over and that's one thing I'm always trying to prepare for - the inevitable day when one of our furry family members passes on. I'm hoping that the current felines will have a longer life than most of my past cats. I've had bad luck with sick cats - all different forms of illness and all came on suddenly from out of the blue when the cat was otherwise very healthy. Recently vet-checked in some cases. Anyhow, I'm not emotionally ready to deal with another death soon, even though I know I can and I would and everything would be okay. It's draining. If I might ask a favour of the gods - I'd like a death-free year (food-sources aside; and I mean death in the classic sense, not the metaphorical sense, because I know there will be plenty of endings and transformations this year).
On to more pleasant thoughts today.
Such as a picture of Abi modeling her adorable scarf I whipped up using the yarn she dyed and balanced by some plain white. It's a very cozy, warm scarf. The dyed yarn is alpaca and the white is a wool-mohair blend. Warm! The stitch pattern is a double-ended, double-garter simple stitch - in case you were wondering. That means I knit across with yarn A, slide the stitches back across the needle (circular or a long double-pointed needle), then knit across with yarn B. Repeat to desired length. Incredibly easy and quick and great for on-the-go, chatting, etc. This scarf is nice and long - it wraps around and can then be tied.
The photo is from when she was sick. :(
Here she is outside, all bundled up, while Robin shoveled the deep snow. If only she was wearing her pink and purple knit mittens for this photo... she'd be knit-coordinated.
And here's a project I'd like to share. A friend of mine gave me a couple of balls of yarn last fall saying she saw it and thought of me and imagined I could make something beautiful with it. (Major Goodwill score! And she'd beat me to the store by 30 minutes.) I made myself a short-sleeved cardigan in the fall. And in January I made this, which the "knitting fairy" recently left on her doorknob (and almost wiped-out running away). It was my first beaded project. And, technically, it is crochet work.
The second photo was taken before I steam-blocked the shawl. The yarn is an acrylic blend (Mary Maxim "Mohair"), so it should be permanently blocked in shape now. Oh, if you were wondering, the Ravelry link for the original pattern is: Festival Shawl.
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Sick, Sick, Sick
It's been a horrid week of illness here. Sunday Robin was feeling off and attributed it to drinking too much caffeinated pop at the party Saturday evening. So Monday I bussed onto campus early in the morning, leaving Abi and Robin asleep. Robin had booked the day off weeks ago, which turned out to be very convenient. My quick visit to campus ended up taking most of the day, and I returned home to a hubby asleep on the futon and kiddo watching videos. He had a high fever and much congestion. Abi and I ran out for a few groceries (that Robin was supposed to get on Sunday, then put off until Monday). Tuesday was Abi's turn to run a high fever and get the mucus in her chest. Robin was over his fever and beginning recovery. I was busy tending to clingy sick kid. Her fever wouldn't come down with natural methods, which have always worked for her in the past, so I actually had to run to the store for children's acetaminophen. Thankfully that worked. And of course it was my turn on Wednesday. I knew what to expect. It was another day of videos, and this time I was the one sleeping the day away. I'm finally starting to feel human today, but we're hacking away. Slept in late and took a long nap at noon... Made pancakes with apple sauce because eggs is on the grocery list (my own fault for not picking up more in the quick run). Just snuck away briefly to check if there are any important e-mails. But Abi calls...
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