Old and Mardi Gras

I'm in the Studio working today, another (yay) non wedding Saturday. NOBODY gets married in this town on Mardi Gras Saturday! (To which I say amen and hallelujah!)

Out the window when I came in were the floats lined up and ready to head the few blocks to the parade route. The one with the porta potty and the guy with green and purple balloons glued to his bare nippes caught my eye. Especially as it is 16 this morning.

I am feeling most especially old as I watch the tons of Mardi Gras go'ers park here and walk into S*oulard for the big day, all are wearing beads (to be soon augmented by many more) and bundled up against the cold. Many are getting a jump on their alcoholic intake. As I stood and watched them shuffle toward the parade with beer in hand, at well before 10 a.m. I felt old.

Sometimes age does bring with it wisdom!

Happy Mardi Gras!

Friday Musings

We all seek peace from the crazy stuff 'out there'--- and as creative sorts I believe we're one step ahead of the game when we understand that in some fashion it does come from within us. We nurture that grain of quiet and peace when we knit, or quilt, or do something that is usually the work of our hands. In today's "Daily OM" I found an interesting bit that felt right to me........ and I share below:

"In our noisy world, we often find ourselves longing for peace and searching to find it somewhere else. While it’s true that there are places we can visit where we can experience peace, such as sacred sites or buildings, we do not need to wait until we get to one of these places to feel at peace. Instead, we can learn to locate the seed of peace inside ourselves and cultivate it so that it grows into a reliable source of serenity that we can always access, no matter where we are.

We experience peace when we are in a state of mental calm and serenity. It might surprise you to notice how infrequently you allow yourself to be free from anxiety. Realizing this is the first step to inner peace. If you wait until all the details of your life are taken care of to allow yourself to experience peace, you will never feel peaceful because there is always something that your mind can grab onto to create anxiety. It is important to consciously set aside your worries and make time to cultivate inner peace.

Ideally, you could schedule time each day to meditate on peace and experience what it feels like to be calm and serene. It takes practice to learn how to let go of your worries, so give yourself some time. Inhale deeply, and feel your worries dissolve with every exhale. Remind yourself that soon enough you will be able to take care of everything you need to, but right now you are taking a break. As the clutter of your thoughts and concerns clear away, you will start to feel more serene. Allow yourself to move deeper into this state with each inhale. Realize that you have the power to free yourself from anxiety simply by deciding to do so. The more you practice feeling peaceful, the easier it will be for you to feel at peace."

Despite the sad family news I do have my first vacation in years coming up in about a week so I'm working hard to try to pull even and maybe even a little bit ahead. It is an exercize in futility that I seem determined to continue in hopes of winning. Hope does spring eternal. The cardi has moved along a bit and is most yummy. I hope to have both of the sleeves cast on for the drive to vacay land. That will leave me with the remaining front which is a lovely stretch of knitting no matter the added length.

She is coming along----- indeed.

The quilt top sans borders was put together the other day and I show it to you here, with the dogs of course. They feel the need to be in every photograph and were miffed when I picked the quilt top off the floor!

Thanks so much for the comments and emails I've received about my brother, I so appreciate you all! He is at home now which is a blessing in and of itself, my Mom is there with him and family will trickle in over the course of time.

Get Knittin'! Get Quiltin'! Make your Peace!

family update

And a sad family update at that. We've learned that my youngest brother does not merely have liver disease but advanced liver cancer. It kind of blows my mind that we went from one thing to another but there you have it. I'm kind of 'frozen'............ I putter around going from one thing to another and can't really sink my teeth into much of anything. I did have a heck of a cleaning festival late last night and can tell you that my floors are all so clean and gorgeous that you could eat off of them. This will do absolutely no good to anyone in the big picture but it surely was therapeutic.

I putter on......... we gather more information.............. and we pray and wait.

I love contests, don't you? Especially when they are Really Good Stuff. You have to admit if you are a knitter, the groove basket above is all that and then some!!!

Check the dual contest from KnitPurlGurl and Webs Yarn---- two very great places. You can get the info from KPG----


now get on over there, and play nice! :)

on down the road

So Valentines Day has passed rather quietly (as is my preference)------ or otherwise referred to as VD day around here. (wink wink). I'm just not a fan of days that 'they' (whoever the 'they' are) tell you what to be and when to be it. A day to express love, caring and all that happy jazz should be everyday, not on a day when the card companies make a fortune and the florists jack up their prices 150%. So there.

Life is kind of madness, I think we're moving! The talk of downsizing has been happening for about a year now and the time has come. The final 'new' spot will be looked at today although there is already a favorite in mind. The thought of the actual work of it makes my eyeballs hurt and the reality of very little storage is never a good thing. All in all it is kind of exciting. The opportunity to 'start fresh' is always thrilling to me and I start thinking of brand new color schemes and ways to dec the joint.

Knit has happened, the first front of the cardi is about 1/3 of the way along. Remember, this sucker is a looooooooooooooong swatch of knit! No Yoel, I will definitely NOT have the two fronts knit in a week, you are a crazy girl who is used to knit child sized sweaters for your tiny and cute little frame! :)

It's yummy and I still love it. I had to pop into my local lys to have another two fattie cakes of Eco wound as the stern reality that there was no way two chair backs and a toilet paper tube were going to handle the job. While there it was lovely to visit new yarns and goodies. You will be proud to know that I left without buying anything new.

Isn't that a LOTTA back????? It could be a full afghan for the little girl dog!!! But there is the proof of the done-ness.

Happy Monday------ Happy President's Day-------- hope that all is right and well on your side of the screen!

On the Day of Love and Hearts and Cupids and other stuff...

Yesterday was my anniversary. Crepes for breakfast at a local purveryor of such crepey goodness. I had mine stuffed with something cream cheesy and cherry-ish, it was delightful as can be. The lady sitting next to me had the buckwheat crepe with roasted veggies that looked really incredible too. The best thing about her was not her healthy brekky but that she told me my top was darling and I looked really great. I came to discover through innocent eavesdropping (it was so crowded in there that it was hard not to) that she is some big poohbah with R*alph L*auren in NYNY so the compliment was even nicer. I think the caveat for all of us is that we need to remember to compliment people more, sincerely if possible of course. Somehow that kind of drops by the wayside and I don't know about you but I still dig hearing that sort of thing. The rest of the day was a blur of appointments and running in all directions possible punctuated only by a short stop for a Friday Only bowl of clam chowder heaven. The evening was spent watching Nights in R*odanthe which I was very happy not to have spent the big movie bucks in the theater. A fairly stupid movie even though I love D*iane Lane and think that Ri*chard Ge*re is a big ole hubba hubba. Four bucks, homepopped popcorn---- it was just okay.

I wish you a Happy Valentine's Day. You look GREAT------ just fabulous!

It's all about the FRONT--

Yes indeed, all about the front. I'd show you a photo of my empty needles, made when the BACK of the cardi was bound off. (And a true celebration it was!) But empty needles really aren't that exciting, well except to me at that point in time. I wanted to knit the diamond portion of the pattern to the point that it was narrowing down where the shoulders would meet but the knitting goddess deemed it necessary that I stop lest a full length coat be born. So be it.

Now that the front has been cast on, ribbed, and the pattern begun I can't get OVER how fast it seems not to have that afghan of a cardi back to work on. It's almost speedy! :) I feel a renewal of knitting even though it is the same project.

It has come to my attention from many of you out there in blogland that you may well be experiencing SPRING. I lust for and hunger after spring, can't wait if the truth be told!! Thank you all for sharing the peeks of buds, the early blossoms and the first flush of flowers it gives me hope. My backyard is mud and there is so much to be done. I'm seriously considering some downsizing and now just might be the time to do it.............. before we mow.

Until then the temp here in the midwest is a balmy 55. Not too shabby------------ I'll take it.

Get Knittin!