Another Ravelry Swap!

I love this swap business! The Cindy Ravelers are having a swap and I received my package yesterday. I'm feeling guilty because the shipping deadline is in April so I haven't bought anything yet (a couple of little things). Anyway, my package is awesome! Cindy is from Vermont (I'm dying to go there sometime) so she included dark Vermont chocolates, Vermont pewter Celtic buttons (she saw that I was in some Scots groups) and a pewter heart pin. There is a little worry stone "for when your fingers and mind are tense from lace!" I wish lace was the thing making me tense! She also sent gorgeous yarn! The smaller hank doesn't have a tag. I guess it's probably sock yarn. It's soft and the colors are beautiful! The big hank is Schaefer Yarn's hand-painted merino wool Miss Priss. Its from a series created for "Memorable Women" and the tag has a little bio of Ingrid Bergman. What a great gift! THANK YOU, CINDY!!!

I have a wicked headache from not catching a baseball. I catch like a girl anyway but I also had a lap full of bulldog. Jim wanted to show me a ball he bought in Florida and I didn't realize that he thought my hand being up (don't know why it was up) meant to toss it to me. I got it in my right temple. It's tender but there is no visible bruise. It sure feels like a bruise! It'll be fine in a day or two but in the meantime I'm popping way too much Tylenol!

Goggie Sitting

Abby & I are spending the weekend at my brother, Jim's, apartment babysitting my new niece, Betty, while all of the boys (both of my brothers, two oldest nephews, & dad) are in Florida deep-sea fishing. Abby is not impressed with Betty but then she's just not really a dog person. Betty wants to play with her so bad and Abby won't give in.

She is in my lap in this pic and snoring her brains out! Abby's under the laptop--as far from Betty as she can be without giving her mom up to the brat.

A funny thing happened this morning. Out of the blue I had a text message from my dad asking to please call him James Martin. Odd but I figured that he wanted to be called James now instead of Jim or Jimmy (funny that he's always been Jim but wants to be Jimmy lately and my brother, Jimmy, wants to be Jim) but I replied with, "Instead of Daddy?" and he replied "Yup." That's just weird. I texted my three sibs and asked if they had gotten the same message or did they know if he was mad at me. One of them mentioned it to him and he called me. Turns out that he accidentally sent the message to me instead of his doctor. So now I'm wondering about his relationship with his doctor since the "Daddy" part didn't tip him off! Doesn't sound too professional!

I got a Valentine!

Thank you, Susan! I LOVE it!!! Susan spun this yarn herself of wool and rayon and dyed it the most gorgeous rich velvety red and she made the stitch markers herself. This is one talented gal! I love the little tea set and the tea and the German rock sugar (we had a canister but we ate it like candy!) and the dark chocolate truffle bar. One good thing about dark chocolate (of many good things) is that I don't have to share. Julianne doesn't like it. lol

Remember when you hated taking tests?

Now they're FUN! Are these me in a nutshell or what?

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Happy Valentine's Day!!!

or as my friends keep saying, "Happy Singles Awareness Day". I've had good not-single Valentine's Days with lots of chocolate, flowers, and even cashmere but it's never bothered me to be single on this day. I'm contented with this year's macaroni necklace. Having said that, I admit that I hope to be having much more fun this time next year!

Life is good!

The sun is shining and pitchers and catchers are at Spring Training. GO CARDS!

A friend sent me this on my birthday a couple of years ago when I turned 40. I didn't have a blog yet so I didn't share (though I'm sure I forwarded the email to just about everyone). It's Andy Rooney's take on women over 40. I love it! This is for my girlfriends.

As I grow in age, I value women over 40 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:

A woman over 40 will never wake you in the middle of the night and ask, 'What are you thinking? She doesn't care what you think.

If a woman over 40 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do, and it's usually more interesting.

Women over 40 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you if they think they can get away with it.

Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated.

Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 40.

Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 40 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.

Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk if you are acting like one. You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed, hot woman over 40, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year-old waitress. Ladies, I apologize.

Six more weeks of THIS?!

Bring it. It's 69 degrees here right now and sunny. The heat is off and the windows are open. It's just beautiful. I like cool weather but I'm getting Spring Fever BAD!

FINALLY!

I bought Wuthering Heights the day after Christmas. I read fast. A paperback is just a good bubble bath. I read the whole Sherlock Holmes collection last summer in two nights. I just finished WH last night! I couldn't get into it. Now I've read it and I feel better for that. I probably won't read it again, though! I do want to go back and re-read the first couple of chapters. Next is Anna Karenina.

My brother, Ed, called me today to tell me to watch this video. I rolled my eyes but I watched and then I cried. It starts kinda slow but really hits home!

Time to go outside!

It's 62 degrees! Can't stay inside for one more minute!

Spring Fever

Got it bad! The sun is shining and it's 52 degrees out but it's supposed to be in the 60's all weekend. I shed my hoodie but not my fuzzy socks yet. I think we'll go to the zoo tomorrow. Baseball fever is hitting me, too, and Spring Training hasn't even started yet! I'm ready for my Cardinals. I'm ready to open windows and turn the heat off and grill food and wash the car and plant something. Abby & I are going for a long walk in a little while. Hope everyone has sunshine wherever you are!!!

Warm me up

I need a warm scarf to go with my brown coat (and my gray dog) so I started making this one. It's made of Knit Picks' Twirl which is mostly alpaca and some wool. It's bulky and soft. It's on size 15 needles and I'm knitting it longways so I can't get tired of it and scrimp on the length. I'm thinking about adding a hood instead of a hat--no hat hair and no draft on the back of your neck. How dorky would that look? On me, I mean, not Abby.

I guess it's sad that half of my bed is usually full of yarn. At least it's soft! Abby doesn't play with my yarn but she likes to lie on it. Why does she look so sad?

This one is for my black coat. It's also longways and is from Knit Picks' Shamrock (100% Peruvian Highland wool) in the colorway Kavanaugh on size 17 needles.