One. One bloom on a gigantic bush but I'm counting it so -- the forsythia's blooming! Yay! I'm actually more impressed that I managed to have that tiny blossom in focus, and on the first try too. The sedum's popping up, lending its soothing gray green to the drab brown landscape. Green is such a hopeful color.
Today's sky looks like it's in a mood, and not a good one either. I think it's supposed to get up into the 70s today but it's also supposed to storm later and naturally tonight's the Bay Lakes Knitting Guild annual cookout. Good thing AJ's out of town so he got to grill the burgers early because the last 3 years, the only 3 years of the guild, he's gotten to grill in the pouring rain. I don't know how Mother Nature figures out that she has to rain every year on the second Thursday in May but she does and she's good at it. I dug out my bag o'chair and got my "dish to pass" all ready, well, mostly ready (it needs slicing, I'll get to that in a few minutes, as soon as I press "Publish" up there in the corner) so I'm good. I've even got a simple project in a separate bag so I'll have something to keep my hands busy while my lips are flapping tonight.
I had an interesting customer yesterday afternoon. He was a 70 year old guy who had been a military diver, not a SEAL for once, a regular, inspect things, rescue and recovery guy so his idea of dive gear was stuck in the late part of the last century with heavy rubber fins, everything black, and rudimentary BCDs. And dive computers were the stuff of sci-fi movies. We had a lively conversation roaming all over the store looking at "retro" things that are still made and talking about the improvements in gear and the dumbing down of how diving's taught. No more gear dumped on the bottom of the deep end and then making the students dive down and gear up on one surface breath. No hazing of students, knocking off their masks or sneakily turning off their air. It's a new world down there. No more CO2 cartridges for emergency rapid ascents (a great way to burst a lung or end up bent in a recompression chamber or dead). He wasn't stuck in his comfort zone, though, he was eager to learn about all the new stuff since his grandson's starting to learn to dive and Grandpa's eager to go diving with him and maybe set him on a career path. I really enjoyed it, he did too.
I got the triobite's head knitted at work, stuffed it last night, Kitchenered it shut, and added crocheted antennae. Today I'll see about making wings. It needs wings, fluffy ones, I think. I'll see how that goes.
May 8--Egypt, Macedonian and Ptolemaic Period, Cippus of Horus. It must have taken weeks to carve, Jean thought. All those little glyphs in their straight rows from the top to the bottom of the slab must tell a story. She stood looking at it and her fingers itched to reach out and trace the tiny birds and shapes. The longer she stood the more she felt like she understood it. There, there in the second row was a running man, he appeared pretty regularly. Was he the same person as the man with the walking stick in the top row? And how many ways could they carve a bird? There were at least a dozen different ones.
Okay, kiddos, time to get this day started, even though it's dreary enough to slide back between the covers and just doze the day away. No! Here I go, off to the shower, off to greet the day, off to see who the next fun customer will be, off to party like a whack of knitters. Have pimento cheese and olive and nut spread will travel!
--Barbara
And they're predicting a good chance of thunderstorms later and a better chance for them tomorrow, although it's finally supposed to be in the 70s tomorrow and the sixties the rest of the week and no rain for the weekend. Thank. God. A lot of people have been thinking that we had Summer a week or so ago when it was nice, sunny and warm for a couple days and now we'd swing right into Autumn, that Fall and Winter had called for a seasonal do-over. I'm happy to see that maybe they haven't. Out back I see that the bleeding hearts have sprouted, easy to see now that I've raked all the leaves away, but it's sure dreary and drab yet.
I finished the beaded body of my May Art Challenge bug last night and today I'll be working on the head at work. I also got a start on May Men's Chemo Hat #1 at work on Monday. I don't know if it's really "boy" colors but I'm determined to use up the Soft yarn I have before I go get any other colors so I'll be using what I've got. I'm sure there's a man or two out there who'll like a flashy hat to perk them up, or maybe a woman vet who's getting chemo will like them. I'm just glad to have a friend who can deliver them to the VA clinic for me, I want to support the vets. They sacrifice so much for us and we need to let them know how much we appreciate it.
Durwood had a toe appointment in one of the hospitals yesterday and as I was leaving I noticed the coolest art on the hall walls. It's really pretty paper shapes and the artist put origami in it. It's really cool. I want to find out who made it. I like origami. Aunt B sent me a link to an amazing paper artist's work, it isn't origami but it makes me think that maybe I can use origami in one of the art challenges to come.
May 7--Marsden Hartley, Portrait of a German Officer. Raina could barely open her eyes. The world had changed and she could hardly bear to look at it. People were different too, they walked fast and talked loud. Colors were more vivid and images were big with hard edges. She longed for the softer days when life was slower, when the pace of things was less frantic. She went to the movies just to sit in the dark for a couple hours. Dolph put his hand on her shoulder and she let out a little cry.
I don't remember if I showed you the first finished cocoon. It's too big for my purpose but I think it's pretty cool looking. I had some dice (that's what the pattern says it is, a dice bag) that I put in it but I know it'll have a higher purpose, just as soon as I figure out what it is. I suppose I'd better get cracking and make myself presentable to go to work. I'd rather go back to bed but I'm a good employee (most of the time) so I need to get myself cleaned and dressed and out the door in a reasonable length of time. Have a... day.
--Barbara
Today's supposed to be my day off but Mrs. Boss had a funeral to attend this morning so I agreed to work a couple three hours for her, then Durwood has to see a new foot doc this afternoon. I'm in demand, I tell you.
I want to go to Toys R Us later and score a reasonably priced stroller so LC and I can tool around the block or go shopping without me having to haul that heavy car seat bucket thing. Remember the old days when people carried their babies in their arms? I do, it just seems cozier, not as safe I grant you, and don't get me wrong I'm all in favor of safety for everybody, it just seems friendlier to hold a baby in your arms than in a molded plastic protection (I almost said ejection) seat. So I'm going to get a stroller today--which has absolutely nothing to do with carrying a baby in your arms or a car seat so sorry for the tangent off into random-complaining-land.
This morning when I went out for the paper I saw that the grape hyacinths are really blooming their little hearts out. I sure like the way they look against the bright spring green leaves and grass with the vivid yellow of the daffodils nearby. It just says spring, don't you think?
May 6--Emile Galle, "Autumn Crocus" Vase. The shards of glass glittered like diamonds on the Persian rug. The sunlight struck prisms that danced on the dark paneling like dewdrop fairies. Lane stood stunned at the end of the desk. He had no idea what he had said that made Vera throw the vase at him but he was glad to have ducked because the glass shards would have cut him to ribbons and the base was heavy enough to give him a concussion.
Enjoy your sunny day. I hope to get out in the sun for at least a few minutes today. It's such a nice change from rain.
--Barbara
Remember that ancient game show, Queen For A Day? Well, yesterday we had Spring for a Day. Today it's chilly and drizzly so yesterday must have been SPRING. I made the most of it, going out in the glaring sunshine (without a hat *gasp*) to rake the winter-blown leaves out of the flower beds and off the patio where it touches the house. There were a lot more leaves than I thought there'd be so I ended up hauling them to the curb. I almost tipped them onto the garden but knew I wouldn't be working them in immediately which meant they'd probably blow back to where I just raked them out of so it was off to the curb for them. Then I arranged the pots where I plant herbs (just in case it ever gets warm enough for "tender annuals" around here) and put the umbrella on the patio table, opened it, and sat under it pretending that it was warm enough to be hot in the sun and need shade. (hey, a girl can dream) Plus the honeysuckle's making leaves, LOOK!
The lush green of the rhubarb leaves tempted me to cut a bunch and whip up a rhubarb crisp to have for dessert after our supper of tossed salad and a charcoal-grilled NY Strip steak that I cooked on the Weber. I was not going to miss the chance to grill out on such a beautiful day even if we do have quality leftovers. We'll eat those soon enough. I also made a batch of red pepper hummus for work lunches this week. (I'm really pretending it's warm and nice out, aren't I? That's my usual summer lunch.)
After supper I buckled down and finally figured out how to start knitting a trilobite for the May Art Challenge, and I used TS's lesson on adding bling to knitting to put on beads. He's going to be a great bug, or maybe it'll be a she. Oh well, I sure am enjoying these art challenges, they aren't too taxing but they're making me figure things out and I love figuring things out. Plus I'm determined to use what I have on hand as much as possible.
May 5--Bartolomeo Montagna, Saint Justina of Padua. She had to be a redhead. Vincent had a soft spot for redheads. His first, third, and fourth wives had been redheads and they had taken great joy in grinding him to a pulp in turns. He was grateful to have not had children with them. Dealing with child support and visitation rights would have been like having a root canal, several simultaneous root canals every day for eighteen years. Today's redhead stood in his outer office waiting for Darlene to get off the phone. Darlene wasn't a very good typist but she was dynamite on the phone. She got more information out of people in one three-minute phone call than he did in an hour-long interview. Vincent smoothed his hair, checked his breath, and straightened up the files on his desk as he heard Darlene greet the redhead. After asking the woman to take a seat she excused herself, came into his office, and pushed the door shut. She leaned toward him over his desk, fingers splayed like guy wires on a suspension bridge. "This one's a real pip. She says she's Princess Madeline of Kent and her boyfriend is missing." Darlene shook her head as if every day brought a princess to bedevil her. "I'll send her in." Vincent thought Madeline was a good name for a redheaded princess.
D'you ever get to the point where you're tired of everything in your house and would like to scrape it all out onto the lawn and start over? I'm there. I'd like a dumpster and a Bobcat AND a bottomless charge card to start again, but that'll never happen so I'll just be over here eyeing all of our stuff with loathing. It'll pass. Maybe I'll spend Friday clearing out a corner to make myself feel better. Time to get a move on.
--Barbara
Yesterday the Bay Lakes Knitting Guild had our annual Yarn Crawl so I had to be up with the birds, dressed and to the meeting place for 7:30am where 14 of us gathered into three cars/vans/SUVs to tootle down to Beaver Dam, Columbus, and Madison. The store in Beaver Dam, Firefly Fibers, opened a half hour early to accommodate us. I found a bit of yarn (on sale!) and a birthday gift. At Susan's Fibers in rural Columbus aside from the overwhelming array of yarn and fiber, the spinning wheels and looms, there were lambs, and Pete caught one for us to pet. I will say that the lamb was not as impressed to meet us. It was hard to choose something there, too many temptations, but I managed to curb myself. We stopped at The Laurel Tavern in Madison for a lunch of amazing burgers and green beans fries, which I didn't try and now I kind of regret it. I'll have to go back, I guess. After lunch we waddled across the street and down a block to the Yarn Tree. I didn't find anything there. *sniff* Our last stop was at Stitcher's Crossing where half the store is full of yarn and the other half is full of fabric. Nirvana. They arranged a demo for us on how to knit jogless stripes in the round. It was very well presented, easy to understand, and she even had a handout for us. I managed to find a few skeins, a little more birthday gift, and a 1 lb. bag of fabric scraps. Then the four of us in AT's car made our way home, stopping at Mickey D's in Beaver Dam for ice cream dip cones. It was a fun day.
I knitted up a much smaller cocoon on the drives yesterday. I think it'll be better for the walnut bug.
Today I'll be clearing the winter's detritus off the patio and out of the flower beds around it. I plan to put the leaves, etc. on the garden so that instead of letting them rot in the city's yard waste dump they can enrich my garden instead of a dump. Good use of resources, don't you think? And I'm determined to grill out, cook some kind of meat over a charcoal fire, maybe I'll even grill some vegetables. Because it's SUNNY today. Not particularly warm, only into the 50s, but it's SUNNY. I want to be out in it.
May 4--Hashimoto Chikanobu, Concert of European Music. A lot can be hidden under those skirts, the Inspector thought as he watched the women clustered by the piano. The thieves had been brazen, coming into the house during a concert when there were extra eyes and ears in every room. Madame Foste3rly had opened the safe in the early afternoon to remove her jewels for the evening and was adamant that every box and bauble was in its place. She was beyond certain that she had closed it up tight when she was through. Her lady's maid, Burke, was in floods of uncharacteristic tears at the thought that she might be under suspicion.
Happy Star Wars Day! May the fourth be with you.
Okay, I'm off to get out into the sunshine. I'll might survive this Spring after all.
--Barbara
...but I'm finishing it. I'll make something smaller now that I've got the pattern figured out; it won't take long. But I sure like the way this looks. I'm coming into a red-orange color which will be perfect for the edge of the frill. I'll do a couple more rounds so that the red's really obvious and then bind off. The pattern calls for a looooong 2 stitch I-cord with a tab for a closure but I think I might just crochet a long chain and call it done. I'll see.
I'll be taking the April Men's Chemo Hats along to Friday Night Knitting to hand them over to MW who delivers them to the VA for me so I thought I'd take a picture of them all together. I like 'em, and I like the pattern. I'll be plunging into the May hats just as soon as the cocoons are done. Or maybe sooner, I don't know. That might be good car knitting/crocheting for the long Yarn Crawl drive tomorrow... hmm.
When I surveyed the front garden today I saw the first tulip bulbs. Yay, tulips! Tulips are DIL1's favorite flowers so I always think of her when I see them. It's been so chilly that the lilies of the valley aren't sprouted in back yet; those are DD's favorites, they make me think of her and how much I miss her. *sniff*
Another thing that's up and growing are the Asiatic lilies. Don't you think they look like green stars at this stage? I love them and wish they'd bloom longer or again. I need to plant more lilies, I love lilies, especially the stargazers that smell so good even if they are pink and white. Although I do have some all white ones that smell great too.
Mrs. Boss stopped at the dive shop yesterday to give us a transport wheelchair that they don't need anymore. It's the perfect thing that will make our trip to Yellowstone in August that much better. It's lightweight and easy to fold up and put in the van so now Durwood won't have to wait in the van while I walk to see things, I'll be able to push him along the boardwalks and some paths so we can sightsee together, and it'll be a godsend in all the museums we want to visit. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mr. & Mrs. Boss. We'll be passing it on to a Vets group when we don't need it anymore which is where it was headed, we're just a temporary stopover.
May 2--Joachim Tielke, Cittern. The stringed instrument lay broken on the study floor, a jumble of inlaid ebony and ivory. It looked like someone had wrenched the neck off and stomped on the body. The metal strings quivered as if in fear but Vincent knew it was his footsteps' vibrations that had set them moving. He wasn't sure what it meant that the little guitar had been trashed, it didn't seem to have much to do with the dead body on the lawn. Or maybe it did, maybe the argument had started in here and moved outside.
That's as far as I got before I slid down into dreamland, as it was I woke up face down in my notebook about fifteen minutes after writing that and managed to shut out the light so I didn't spend the whole night sleeping on my words. Today I want to whip up my dish-to-pass for next Thursday's Bay Lakes Knitting Guild annual cookout or at least buy the ingredients for it and then make it on Sunday so I'm not racing around like a crazed weasel at the last minute. I'll tell you what I'm making later but it'll be yummy and cool looking. Because I'm so cool myself, donchyaknow. Time for cheerios, Durwood's got a podiatrist appointment in a couple hours and I want to strip the beds and put out fresh towels first. Busy busy busy.
--Barbara
Outdoor something starts today! I know how Dad would have filled that in but this year I'd like to fill it with just being outdoors without wearing at least a fleece jacket. *sigh* I saw on the weather map last night that there's a huge swath of storms rotating across the country and guess who's at the pivot point? You got it. We are. It looks like Mother Nature decided to pin that system into place and she poked the pin in right here. That means that while we don't have severe storms like other parts of the country (Arkansas and Mississippi, I'm looking at you [and praying for you]) we get rotating bands of rain, just rain, with patches of merely cloudy and yesterday one or two clear hours where the sun (yes, the actual solar orb) shone down upon the sorry, damp city. One of the times the sun was out I even got it to shine on my skin. Kind of made me giddy. Now that I see the problem, that Ma Nature pinned this on us, I can use the force of my will to push that pin out and move that system along to the East and right off into the ocean where it belongs. The farmers need a chance to plow and plant and it's just too wet. If they can't plant, can you imagine what our grocery bill's gonna look like? I don't even want to contemplate it. Besides, if the farmers can't plant, what will there be to buy at the Farmer's Market (besides crab rangoons and eggrolls, I mean)? Rag rugs and potholders?
I was knitting along on my cocoon yesterday at work, made the eyelet row, and then changed color (the orange) to make the ruffle top, and realized that I had inches too much bag/cocoon. I'd fallen into the trap of knitting to see what color came next instead of making it the size I want, so-o-o-o-o the needles came out, frogging ensued, and stitches were picked up. *face, palm* It was a good thing I had some tiny DPNs in my bag because it's worlds easier to pick up stitches on tiny needles and then knit them onto the correct size needles once you've got them all corralled again. Worlds, trust me on this, and don't ask me how I know. It's cool looking though, don't you think?
The daffodils don't seem to mind the dreary and cool weather, they're shouting their message of Spring to the sky. I especially like the frilly-trumpeted ones that cluster around the feet of the wire frog sculpture, but I love them all. You should be glad that I have restraint, otherwise these words would be in a narrow column and the rest of the space would be taken up with ALL the pictures of flowers, and ALL isn't small today.
May 1--Pablo Picasso, The Dreamer. It was so cold in the studio that Cecile was sure her skin was turning blue but every time she started to speak the damned painter shouted at her to shut up and hold still. Cecile wasn't some meek little miss. Her mother was a gypsy, a real one, not some pretender in bangles and a bandanna, so she knew how to fight, how to stand up for herself. She narrowed her eyes and focused on sending bad thoughts his way. Let him feel the cold on his flesh, let his manroot try to crawl back into his belly. She might be willing to shed her clothes for him to paint her but he wasn't paying her enough to freeze for the privilege.
Ah, the trials of a nude model. Not something I'll ever have to worry about. So, I'm off to work again today. Yesterday a Russian guy came in and I wanted to ask him all about diving in his country but I don't think his English would stretch that far. We bumbled along fairly well, enunciating clearly and pointing a lot, and both of us ended up pleased. At least I think he was pleased, he was polite anyway. I love when people from other places come into the shop, makes me feel all cosmopolitan and worldly even in this quiet backwater of the Great Lakes. Time for a shower and maybe yogurt... yeah, yogurt, granola, and fruit today. Seeyabye.
--Barbara
