Excitement!

    About two weeks ago, I read on facebook that my very favorite author, Laurell K. Hamilton, was back from a ComicCon thing. They are not my things, but as a famous best selling fantasy/horror author, she regularly attends those that she can.


    I read in her post that on returning home, they discovered an entire box of limited edition Anita Blake 20th Anniversary T-shirts, and they were selling them at a special price on her website. They had sold out at the event. I was very excited, so I went right to the site and put in my order.


    Now, I prefer a really large T-shirt, I like to be comfortable. I really doubted that they would have any of my requested size in that box of treasures. Every day, I checked my email for the "Sorry, we don't have that size" message. It didn't come and it didn't come. I still checked every day.


    Then almost a week ago, I got an email I wasn't expecting! They had shipped my package! I did the dance of joy, straight out of Perfect Strangers. Now I just had to wait for it to be delivered.


    Last night, I checked the tracking on the package, and it had been delivered to my local post office on Saturday. So this morning, I was there at my post office, even before the window opened, eagerly waiting for my package! Now it's home, and I'm going to wash it today. Here is a front view:

And on the back:

 

 

 

    Those are the titles and years of publication of all the Anita Blake books. I'm now officially in heaven!

Summer of 1989, a non-knitting story

    I remember that summer, I was pregnant with my youngest child, Jesse. That summer Hubs and I hung out with his co-worker and his wife, who was also pregnant. They were friends with another couple who were also expecting.


    The six of us spent some time together that summer. After all, we were all expecting. We had cookouts, attended the same parties, even spent a day at a family cabin together.


    We all had boys, I believe ours was born last. The thing that I find most amusing is that these three boys, who are now grown men, are all still friends. I asked Jess if he realized that he's been friends with these two since before they were all born. He thought that was pretty cool. He mentioned it to Don and Dylan. They hadn't known about that.  How often does that kind of thing happen, I wonder?

Crafting Updates

     In the last few days, I've made some good progress on the crocheted super secret project. I think I've done at least 7 or 8 rows. That's quite a bit on this project. It's going to be half done soon!


    Today I was feeling particularly brave, so I picked up the knitted super secret project and actually knit 4 rows on that one. I decided to try and knit since my shoulder is feeling lots better, as long as I keep remembering to stretch it out at least twice a day. I am even able to sleep in my left side again, without too much pain or discomfort!


    But the bestest crafting news I have today is that I received a request from a very good friend who wants to crochet those blasted crocodile stitch baby booties for me. Many thanks to Kim, who is very brave. I took her all the yarn I had, the pattern, and an assortment of (tiny)hooks to try for gauge. HA. She's like me, she doesn't like doing gauge swatches. At the last minute I remembered that the pattern calls for some locking stitch markers and since I wasn't sure she had any, I sent those too.


    I keep forgetting that not all the baby stuff needs to be for the baby shower next month. Christmas is coming too! Hmmm..... now the ideas are really flowing.....


   

Difficulties

     I'm having difficulties with this new project. Mostly because it's so darn tiny. My hands are really hurting today, and I am only 2/3 done with second sole. This morning I picked up the super secret project again, just so I can say I worked on something.


     Being that the booties are so tiny, I'm having to fight for every stitch and I'm tired of fighting it already. The light I usually work by isn't bright enough, so I need to turn it up. Hubs and I refer to this setting as "the Sun". It's a bit bright.


    I am very tempted to hand this project over to my good friend Bonny, she's used to working with the smaller hooks. I hope she'd help me out and do it for me. That's something to think about.

Baby bootie, take II

    Today I had to take the Hubs' truck in to have the windshield replaced. He had to work unexpectedly, so I got to take it for him. It just so happens that the glass place is right across the road from Michaels craft store.


   So I left early, and went to Michaels first. I wanted to buy some new yarn for the crocodile stitch baby booties. I found some nice dark grey Patons Kroy Sock yarn. It will work. Of course, I was done waaaay before my scheduled appointment time. I drove over there, and figured I'd just have to wait.


    It turns out that they could so the windshield right away! In fact the guys were thrilled that I was so early. I guess the earlier they get their appointments done, the earlier they can go home.


   While I was waiting, I was reading on my nook. But that new yarn was calling to me. I had brought everything I would need in case I decided to crochet instead of reading. I had three hooks, sizes D, E and F, a scissor, four lockable stitch markers, a pencil, and the pattern. I even brought the first bootie sole I made to compare the new one to.


    I completed the first sole while I was waiting. The last thing to do on it was to single crochet all around the edge of the sole, using 50 stitches. I only managed 47. I still might rip that last round out and do it over. But I don't see any places to put three more stitches.

 

    That's the photo I took of both soles. The first one from yesterday, and the one I just did today. That is the same dime, by the way. Why oh why do babies have to be so freaking tiny?                                                                                                                

The beginning...

    Today I decided was a good day to start the booties from yesterdays post. They are from Bonita Designs, by the way. I found some suitable yarn in my stash, and dug out my size D, 3.25 mm crochet hook.


    At that point I had my first doubts. This hook is so very tiny. I might need a microscope just to see what I'm doing with it. At the very least, a magnifying glass. Here is a photo I took, with the hook next to a dime:

    Do you feel my pain? Now here is a photo of that same dime, next to the size hook I prefer, and usually use:

     So far, I have struggled through 8 rows of the sole of one bootie. It is less than one inch long. Why is it that the tiny things get me every time? I may have to wait until this kid is a teenager with size 13 feet before I make him any booties.


    I am getting discouraged, but will persevere. At least for now. I just want to know if I can do it. It could be the yarn I chose isn't the best for the job. I found some Patons Stretch Sock, in the colorway Mineral. It's mostly blue. I thought it might be a good idea to make stretchy booties. It turns out that stretchy yarn is a bit difficult to work with. Who knew?

Another new project

    Quite a while ago, I found these really cute little baby booties on Ravelry. They are made with the Crocodile Stitch, which I personally can't stand. HOWEVER, these booties were the cutest thing I've ever seen.


    At the time, making them was doubtful. Then I decided to research the crocodile stitch, found a good pictorial and discovered it wasn't that hard. Suddenly, the booties were doable. Last night, I bought and downloaded the pattern. Today I will print it out, and hopefully I will be able to find a good yarn to use to make them with. Pending baby mama's approval, of course.

    Of course, they are made using a really small hook, and I usually hate using really small hooks. I promise I will give these my best shot. I don't have the name of the designer of these, but she is on Ravelry.

Crocheting again!

    Yesterday I started crocheting again! I'm continuing work on the Super Secret Project. It was weird at first, the hook was hitting my pinkie in a strange place. I'm not used to it any more. But I worked on it again today, and it was a bit better.


   It seems that the way I hold the hook, I use my pinkie for support. I think I was just resting it in the wrong place. It was resting right on the inside of the joint, and that's why it hurt. But today it was better, like I said.


    We shall have to see what tomorrow will bring. I'm just happy to be crafting again. I even knit two rows on the original super secret project, just to make sure I still knew how to do it.


    My shoulder has been pretty good, arthritis wise. I had a couple of days where I didn't stretch it out, boy did I pay for it. It seized up so tightly I couldn't even use my arm for a day. I went back to my stretching routine, but that day and the next it was extremely painful. Now I make sure I stretch it out at least twice a day.


   

Bits of the world

    Today I went to see my friend Bonny, to take her an invitation. While I was there, she gave me some sand she had collected for me while she was visiting Utah. I was thrilled to add her sand to my collection.


    I don't think I've talked about my sand collection in a long time, so here goes. When our friends travel, I ask them to bring me home some sand. Just a small amount, enough to fill two tic tac containers is plenty. I put it in a small jar and label it, then add it to my shelf.


    Over the years, I have gotten quite a collection! Sand not only from these United States, but international as well. Here is a photo of all the jars from my shelf.

    I don't think you can read the labels, but some of the countries are: Italy, Ireland, Russia and Poland. I have sand from Oregon, and California, as well as New Jersey and the southwest too. Even a couple of places in Utah, and the Grand Canyon! Some of these I've collected myself. Most are from understanding and indulgent friends.


    I think my favorite thing about looking at the sand is how different the colors are! We have red from Sedona, Az., and black volcanic sand from one of the islands, as well as white sand from the same island! As well as every shade of tan and brown, and shades of pink.


   Of all the sands I have, my very favorite one is the red from Sedona. It's the softest sand there is. It feels like baby powder. There's a funny story about the black sand. When I received it, it was very damp. I wanted it dry inside my bottle, so I laid it out carefully on a paper towel on a plate, and put it in the microwave. You can guess what happened. It actually set the paper towel on fire. In my defense, I didn't want to put it outside, I figured the wind would blow it away. I guess I should have thought a bit harder about that.


   

I'm a little confounded

    One of the times my beloved Hubs I traveled to Woodstock Harley Davidson, he bought me this shirt.

     I have been wearing it as a house shirt. The first time I wore it, I felt something itchy inside it, on my skin. As with most clothes, there's a care label sewn into the side seam. The difference with this one? Here are two photos I took of it.

    The difference in this one is that it's in EIGHT languages. I counted. Some of them I recognize, the rest I don't. I just thought it was interesting. The tag is a long loop, with the eight languages printed on it. Hence the two photos showing both sides. Needless to say I will be cutting the tag off. Maybe I'll keep the English laundering instructions, as it's the first one listed on the tag.

Stitch n Bitch Report

    Here we are, with school back in session. That means it's time for Stitch n Bitch to resume our weekly get-togethers. We were originally going to meet last Friday, but we got a message that one of our group member's kids didn't start school until this week. So we delayed a week. They are in a different district than we are. It makes no difference to me, all my kids are all grown up.


    So Kim and I met this morning for a breakfast and some crafting. Cheryl didn't make it, we don't yet know why. Our beloved member Jan has moved to Portland, Oregon, and she is very much missed. I did less than a row on the Super Secret crochet project. Kim was in the middle of TINKing the bind off of a test knit, and she didn't want to do it during breakfast.


    The really sad part for me was that I sat there considering frogging the whole Super Secret project and starting a different one, with the same yarn. I think I'm just not feeling it any more.


    As for my reading the whole Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series (by Laurell K. Hamilton), I'm almost half done with the very latest one. Reading them all in a row has brought a question to my mind. I'm not going to mention it here, because it's rather explicit, but I am trying to decide if I should contact Ms. Hamilton personally. Really,   I am sad that I'm almost done reading it, but excited to crochet or knit again. Maybe the self imposed crafting break is nearly over. I will keep you all posted.   


     

A picture is worth a thousand words

    The other day my daughter had another sonogram. Due to her "advanced age" they want to do all the tests to make sure the baby is healthy and growing properly. So far, all is well.


    This time, they got proof that the baby is indeed a boy.

    And he has the cutest little penis that I've ever seen. I believe his other grandmother will agree with me that we were hoping for a girl. She currently has two grandsons, while I have one grandchild of each sex.


    Either way, this baby will never suffer from lack of love from a grandmother! I can't wait to meet him. And I'm really looking forward to getting to know him.

Running out of steam

    Well, it looks like I'm running out of steam for daily posts. It only took two years and a little bit. I guess that's not bad. I sure don't want to repeat any of my stories.


    I promise I will post when I have something to say or share, or have exciting news. So keep checking in.


    I am at this time, still reading. I am up to book #20 now, so I'm almost done. I have decided that out of all the books in this series, my favorite was Narcissus in Chains, and the one I liked the least was Skin Trade.


    Kudos to Laurell K. Hamilton, she is by far my favorite author. Go read, dammit!

a pleasant surprise

    This afternoon, I needed a couple of things at the store. I needed to get bleach, potato hot dog rolls for dinner, and Hubs wanted corn on the cob. As is typical for me, I could not for the life of me remember the third thing I was supposed to get.


    I'm a lot like my dad that way. He used to go to the store for mom, and told her that if there's more than three things, she needed to make a list. It seems for me that my limit is two.


    As I wandered around the store, I eventually remembered the corn. Then I couldn't find it. I must have walked up and down through the whole freaking produce section at least three times, looking for the freaking corn. Finally, on the last trip through, I spotted it. Voila, we had corn.


    I have decided that it's Hubs' job to shuck the corn, since I seem to suck at it. Whenever I do it, there's silk all over the place. So he willingly shucked the corn for me. As he did so, I heard him make a surprised noise. I went in to see what was going on, and in his hand he had a tiny ear of corn. It was inside the husk of one of our ears.


    I took it into the kitchen and opened it, and inside was a tiny ear of corn. I laid it next to the others and took a photo:

Then we completely shucked it and took another photo.

 

 

    It was almost like getting a double burger when you only ordered a single. Isn't this good luck or something?

A Kitchen Adventure

    It seems like fall is finally coming. Last night I had to close all the windows in the house before I went to bed. And this morning, I had to break out my felted slippers. For some reason, today I felt like making more laundry sauce.


    It's probably because yesterday my son's girlfriend stopped by for a visit on her way home from work. She spied the second jar of my laundry sauce on the kitchen counter, so I told her all about it. She knew, because she reads my blog. She took it home with her, I'm pretty sure it will work well on smelly karate uniforms.


    So today I thought I'd make some more. This time, I took some photos as I went along. Now, I know that last time I posted about this subject, so too many of you were impressed. I don't care. It really excited me, so I have to share.


First, I used my cheese grater and grated up the bar of Fels Naptha.

Here is a photo of my pot of water, heating up, with the other ingredients ready to go:

 

 

I couldn't take any photos of the next step, as I was busy stirring. But here's what the jars looked like after pouring in the mixture and turning them upside down:

 

 

    And lastly, the separation that occurred after only 10 minutes. This time I was watching!

     I successfully whipped both jars up, without getting too much overflow this time. Now I just have to make labels for them.


    This stuff is really cool. I'm sorry if you don't think it's awesome, but it makes me feel like a sort of pioneer who had to make everything herself. Except I have never made my own biscuits.  One thing at a time.

Three days? Really?

    It's really been three days since I last posted? It doesn't feel like that long. I'm still reading, I believe I'm on book 16 now, of Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter by Laurell K. Hamilton.


    I've been stressing about a medical exam, complete with pulmonary test. I don't do well with those. The day after, I'm usually confined to bed. At the very least, I usually need to nap after these kinds of tests. They totally exhaust me.


    I had my exam and test today. It wasn't the worst kind of pulmonary test, where they put a clamp on your nose and expect you to breathe only through a tube in your mouth. As tests go, it was one of the easier ones. Don't get me wrong, I'm still exhausted. It takes a lot out of you, or rather me. I'm not sure yet how I'll feel tomorrow. But at least it's over with.


    I am still not knitting or crocheting, and my arthritis is still not too painful. Knock on wood....

I'm almost afraid to ask

    Remember that I told you that my arthritis has been acting up? It was every other day that I'd be in pain and discomfort. Well this week has been different. Today is my 4th day in a row with little or no discomfort. I am speechless. I'm still doing the stretch in the doorway about twice a day, just to keep the shoulder joint limber.


    Yesterday I was amazed at my good fortune of three days in a row. Today I'm just flabbergasted. What I'm afraid to ask it this: What about tomorrow?


    Today I spent a lovely two hours with my good friend Bonny, she was having a barbecue and asked me to come. Her husband's family is a hoot and a half. I ate some salad that I've never even heard of before. It's an apple and snickers bar concoction, with a sweet creamy sauce. It looked like potato salad, but it was really good. It had cinnamon in it too. I also ate a hamburger, and some real potato salad. I wasn't fond of the potato salad as it had hard boiled eggs in it, and I don't like hard boiled eggs. At least it had onions and celery in it.


    I've been reading like a fiend, I'm on book 15 of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. It's called The Harlequin. I just finished #14 this afternoon, after I got home from Bonny's. I can not state any stronger how great an author Laurell K. Hamilton is.


    I have these favorite sayings, I've said them for years. As I'm reading the series again, I'm discovering that I got them from these books!! I frequently use "Yippee Skippee", and my very favorite, "the ass-crack of dawn" is in there as well. When I worked nights it was the ass-crack of noon.


    And OMG it's September already! Where did the summer go?