Trying Not to Bore You, But...

I have not blogged because other than the invasion of cicadas, I have not been inspired to blog.  Though hearing all those bugs pleading for sex is interesting in a Wild Kingdom kind of way, I think that is really all I can say about it.  Besides red-eyed bugs are just a little creepy for some people. 

I have had the same kind of problem with my knitting, I am really not feeling inspired to knit.  I have been knitting, but not in that obsessive, MUST KNIT, kind of way.  Maybe the passion I experienced for making shoelaces just tapped me out.  I mean where do you go after making your own shoelaces?

I decided to make a few washcloths just to knit something.  I used up the cotton yarn I had purchased for the shoelaces and went to town.  Nothing goes together better than hot pink and lime green as far as I am concerned.  Not only that, but I love how a hand knit washcloth looks after a couple of washes.  I am hoping my knitting mojo picks up soon, or I may have to change hobbies and start bug watching.

Because I Could

Because I could I make another set of shoelaces, I did.  This time they are for my lime green hightop converse tennis shoes.  These lace are 60 inches long and instead of the four stitch I-cord, I used three stitches.  I think they make my shoes look snazzy.  One of my friend saw me preening in my new hot pink laced hightops said,  "You know I have a shoelace maker at home?"  I guess knitting shoelaces is not as impressive as I thought.

 

Pink Shoelaces!

Pink Covington Plymouth Yarns

I think everyone who knows me knows I love bright colors.  I can't help but notice pops of color whenever I am lucky enough to spy the bright hues.  Wednesday night my friend Chris showed up in tennis shoes with bright pink laces I could only say, "I wish I could find some hot pink shoelaces too."  The laces reminded me of the eighties when neon bright laces were all the rage.  Nostalgia and envy fueling my wish the words would be pushed out into the cosmos and the wish granting fairy would wave her magic wand and make it so.

Friday one of the knitting newsletters that shows up in my email sent out a pattern for shoelaces ( http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/friedrich/friedrich.html ).  I am sure Berroco had a call from the wish granting fairy ordering them to fulfill my wish.  By Saturday night with needles and cotton yarn in hand I set out to knit myself some hot pink laces for my beloved lime green chucks (I told you I like bright colors).  The hardest thing about the project was trying to decide on an aglet or not.  After trying it both ways, I decided against the aglet.  Just in case you don't know what an aglet is, it is that little plastic tip on the ends of your laces.



Lime Green Chucks and Hot Pink Laces

 I am so happy with the outcome, I am convinced I need a second pair for my hightopped chucks. 

Though I am pleased with the wish granting fairy, I can't help, but wonder what if I had substituted the words "Million dollars," instead of shoelaces. I just might have been posting to you from Paris instead of St Louis, MO spending hot pink money.  Are you still listening wish granting fairy?

Mother's Day and Sungazing

Some days it just does not pay to be my friend.  My poor, wonderful, friend Sungazing of Sungazing Photography ( http://sungazingphotography.com/ ) knows the truth of that statement.  Mother's day I had lunch with my mom and sister in Eureka.  I looked across the table and not only did they look fabulous, but we were all wearing shades of brown.  I couldn't get the coincidence of color choice out of my mind.  I do not think we could have planned to match so well.  On a hope I called Sungazing and she graciously took these wonderful photos of us.

My mother's photo practically glows.  I can't get over how beautiful she is at 69.  She has been beautiful most of my life, but that she still retains that vitality and spark after the last 3 years is an inspiration to me.  Sungazing did a wonderful job of capturing that essence.  I also like the photo of my baby sis and I together because she is smiling.  I like it when she smiles, it reminds me of what a cute baby she was. 

I just can't thank Sungazing and her husband enough for taking the time out of their busy Mother's day to give me images that I will treasure for the rest of my life.  I am so lucky that she is my friend.  I can't really say she is so lucky to be my friend, but I hope that she thinks she is a little lucky to know someone who has such a pretty mother.

Lady Alice, Or One Damn Big Apple

I love apples.  If I could, I would eat one everyday with my lunch.  I am a Granny Smith apple girl preferring the tart firmness of that variety to the mushy sweet of the delicious family of apples.  My wonderful friends at Rivendell happened across some enormous apples last weekend and brought one home for me.  The apple was destiny for my lunch this week and today I packed the apple with some cheese and crackers for lunch.  I really only needed the apple.

The lovely apple in queston is called a Lady Alice apple.  I am not sure on apple naming conventions, but I would have called it the Brunhilda the Valkyrie apple because they are so big.   And from one big girl to another I liked it.  This apple would be perfect for that day when you want a self-contained, healthy meal to go.  I did do a little research and discovered that these are fairly new apples.  A farmer, Don Emmons, discovered the apple tree between his red and golden delicious orchards in 1979.  This parentage explains the red/yellow color of the apple's skin. 

I am not a red or golden delicious fan, finding both to be too sweet and lacking in the crispness that I love in an apple.  This apple laughs in the face of wimpy apples, each bite resonated with crunch throughout the lunch room at work.  I got a few sidelong looks from co-workers, I like to think they were jealous because my apple was so large and beautiful, not because it was so amazing loud.  (Note this is not a stealth apple, so don't sneak it in your bag when going to a movie theatre, you will get caught).  The apple was sweet, but not overbearingly sweet.  Oddly enough, I did notice that it was more tart on the yellow parts than the pink parts.
I also liked that it was juicy and overall a very good lunch. 

Keeping My Pants On In Hancocks.

Some days I wonder that I am even allowed out of the house.  Today while looking at magazines in Hancocks with my lovely wife I felt something weird in the right leg of my pants.   I did that test twist of my shin in the pant leg and I could distinctly feel something alien caught between my flesh and fabric.  I didn't know what it was, but was almost certain it was a bug or worst yet a spider.  My heart skipped a beat and I said to Natalie, "There is something in my pant leg."

She gave me the are you speaking in tongues look and said, "What?"

My voice went up an octave and I repeated, "There is something in my pants."

Natalie heard the panic and was on her knees feeling my pants for the offending lump in a second.  I held still, afraid whatever it was would bite me, pleading, "Get it out."

Natalie found the lump and was squishing it up against my leg, I felt something pokey on my right shin.  "Natalie," I wailed.  "Get it out before it bites me."

"I'm trying baby, but it is stuck I can't get it out."  She was trying to reach up my pant leg, but I could feel more pokiness.

At this point I envisioned a spider taking a chunk out of my skin and I wanted it gone, RIGHT NOW.  I looked around and Hancock's wasn't that busy and I thought, well if I drop my pants, we can get it out quicker and I won't get bit.  I had my pants unbuttoned and unzipped ready to drop trou, deep in panic mode.

"Got it!"  Natalie said and then I heard her laugh.  "What is this doing in your pants?" 

I looked down and she was holding one of my green point protectors and laughing at me.  Yes I was about to show off my tighty whities for one green knitting needle point protector.  I refastened my pants as I began laughing too.  I have no idea how the item got there, but you know I was very relieved it wasn't a spider and that I can still show my face to the good people who work at Hancocks.

I Know You Are Tired of This But...

I know you are all tired of hearing my go on and on about my change in maritial status, but I just can't help it.  It is the weirdest thing, and I would have never believed it had you told me, I love being married to Natalie.  I look at her and still just smile, I am so lucky to have found her.  Okay, call me silly, I don't care, I love my wife.

Rewind back to 1992, we did have a big union ceremony with a preacher, a flower girl, rings, and lots of wonderful people around us.  We planned and saved up money for the event, my mother made me (don't laugh) a teal dress and I had shoes dyed to match.  There was dining and dancing, it was all very wonderful.  But you know it was just the two of us committing ourselves to each other. There was no commitment by our government to protect that bond and help us to maintain it.  Society as a whole did not even recognize we existed as a unit.  I remember going back to work on Monday and being asked how my weekend went, and replying nothing special. 

Fast forward to the present and I have done everything, but blow up the license and put it on a billboard.  Thankfully, times have changed.  But not our rings.  During our vows we exchanged the wedding rings we bought in 1992.  On our last trip into the Recorder of Deeds in Iowa City Natalie asked if I wanted a new wedding ring.  The thought of replacing my old ring seemed unheard of to me.  All the history and love in that little band of gold make it worth so much more.  However, an improvement could be made on the ring.  We decided to get our wedding rings engraved with the date.  I am very pleased with the results. Somethings do make a difference and to me being able to get married has meant the world.  Thank you for indulging me on this point.



Photo by the Always Amazing Sungazing Photography