Since May 15

That's how long I've been working on this Oriole Wing Wrap.  I got through the fun orange & brown "wing" part by the end of August but hit the brakes when I got to the 6" of dark brown to finish it.  I put it into hibernation (not "time out" because it wasn't being naughty) when Christmas crafting time rolled around and got it out last weekend with the intention of not putting it away again, of finishing it once and for all.  Making something like this with sock yarn and US6 needles is not my preferred way, I'm more of a big yarn, big needles kind of girl (I think it's a patience thing, that's the same reason I tend to sew simple things), so I'm actually pleased that I won't be taking a full year to knit this.  I've got about an inch more to knit--maybe 8 or 10 more rows.  I can do that.

It's been warm the last few days.  So warm that the snow is nearly gone.  Only the edge-of-the-driveway piles and the compressed-by-many-footprints snow on the patio are left.  I'm not foolish enough to think that these warm days mean that winter is over, no sirree, not me, I remember the first winter we spent up here.  When days warmed up in March in 1963 Mom washed the snowsuits and clean our boots and put them away.  All of the women in the neighborhood laughed at her, telling her that winter was far from over and we'd need them again very soon.  They were right.  So I'm not fooled by this teasing March warmth.

I went overboard getting my mug rugs and coasters ready to show off at Knitting Guild tomorrow night.  I decided to make the cards on Print Shop so they've got nice fonts and self-portraits on them.  I tied them to the coasters with black cotton yarn.  No one else needs to go to this extent, a safety pin and string would do just fine, I just get a bug and, like I said, go overboard.  This kind of thing pleases my innerHitler no end.

March 11--Eric Crossan, Fitness.  It was the road to nowhere.  Mel walked on the treadmill every morning for at least fifteen minutes.  She hated having the thing in her living room.  "Looks like a gorilla in a birdcage," she muttered as she dusted it and vacuumed around it, but she knew if she moved it out of the way she would find every excuse not to walk on it at all.  "Out of sight, out of mind" would never be more true.  The thing faced the TV so she could watch home and garden shows or catch up on her taped shows.  Not that she watched the popular shows that everyone talked about at work.  She had no interest in "Black is the New Orange" or "Big Explosion Ideas," she liked science and history shows.  If only she could figure out how to knit while she walked the dreadmill.  That would be a good use of her time, kill two stones with one bird.

Maybe I'll open the back door of the dive shop to let fresh air in to blow all the stale winter air out.  It's supposed to be in the 50s and sunny today.  Ahhh.
--Barbara