Hey It’s Monday…

I took this from our porch Saturday.  I had walked out of the bedroom and saw it reflected in the next door neighbor’s windows (yeah, we’re pretty close together)…

And on Saturday I also received my first Who’s Your Doctor club order from Nerd Girl Yarns.  I’ve been getting lots of blues lately…

It’s “Untempered Schism” which I’m not quite sure what it refers to, not as up on my Doctor Who as I should be.  But the bag!  The bag is awesomeness!!!!  It opens up to say, “It’s bigger on the inside!”  If you want one for yourself, please go here.

And nobody wanted to link to me (last post)…I so sad…no really…I mainly did it so I knew how to do it…but still….makes me feel like that lone girl standing on the wall at the high school dance….

Today, we melted in the classroom, holy heck!  I can’t wait for the cooling breezes of actual fall..

and I had a student tell me last week that his heart was “beeping” really fast…I had a giggle on that one!  (Well first I had him repeat it to make sure I heard him correctly)…

Now off to watch Terra Nova…the Hubs thinks it’s gonna be Jurassic Park without the budget….I can’t wait!

Where I Blog

I haven’t really crocheted or knitted since Christopher’s death…I worked a bit on something and started a new pair of gloves, but that is about it…so I thought I’d show you the down and dirty of my blogging area…
I chose to use my desktop for blogging.  I do have a netbook, but it doesn’t have a lot of power, so I only blog on it when away…
Welcome to my blogging area….
Above to the left..

A small portion of my Wizard of Oz collection.  All were gifts, except the Barbie.  It is one of the more collectable ones and not one of the mass produced ones.  I wanted the whole collection, but only managed to get Dorothy.
Above and to the right:

This is the top shelf of the bookcase that is next to the computer.  The bookcase is filled with teacher resources and one shelf of crochet books/patterns.  The doll was brought back from Vietnam by my father in 1971.  I just started collecting sheep.  Behind the sheep are more Wiz of Oz figurines.  The other lunch box, which I have used.  The Wiz of Oz board game, and tucked in front is a piece of art I won from a blog.  I don’t have a spot for it yet.

Right above the computer…a mishmash of things…pictures of babies in things that I made them, cards, business cards, family pics, two flash drives.  The potholder a student made me as a gift (I made her a blanket – she was battling cancer, is in remission now, but lost an arm)

And the computer area…keyboard really needs to be dusted….I did not clean or remove anything from these pictures….I pick up the area around my computer every other week or so, but more things get put there….The Debbie Bliss has been there since last weekend.  I was looking for some other yarn and found it.  It was by itself, so I pulled it out to put it with the other Debbie Bliss, but haven’t got to that yet…

So do have clutter around your blogging space too, or is it neat and pristine?…..Why don’t you share…hey maybe I’ll start a linky thing!

Fiber Twist 2011

On Sunday I ventured to the Coventry Farmer’s Market.  One day I year, it is also a fiber market, the Fiber Twist.  It is held on the grounds of the Nathan Hale Homestead. 

This year I took a tour through the house.  It was a nice tour, but no pictures allowed…

There was:

spinners

and fiber

some fleeces, look at this beautiful Jacob’s fleece!

Flowers

cows dressed up

Lots of dogs!

and lots of food!..An hour later, there were only two bags left

and music

I got a sock/dpn holder, a dpn roll, a very cool button and a sock kit

 

 

I bought the Hubs:  Kettle Korn, fair trade coffee, and a hickory red raspberry syrup….

There was not as much yarn as I thought there was last year, but Rhinebeck is coming!

Break

I'll probably be back next week...the Hubs brother died yesterday suddenly....

What Can We Do?

We can remember and celebrate those heroes who lost their lives on that day. 

I saw this commercial for the first time yesterday and am glad I found the video and the behind the scenes....if you download it form itunes (the link is listed with the video on youtube), a donation is made to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation...

 Behind the scenes

The reason I teach...kids are just awesome

Are You A Good Witch?

As I said in a previous post, The Wizard of Oz is my all time favorite movie.  I have also come to enjoy Wicked, the Musical.  Although I must confess, I never finished the book…..
The play is back in Hartford and they have a display at a local mall, so I took a gander over yesterday…

There are three costumes on display..
Elphaba’s witch costume
The detail in this is amazing!

Glinda’s bubble costume

and Glinda’s Popular costume

I’m heading back today, because they have  prize raffley thing going on…You have to collect 5 witch stamps from different places in the mall and then you are entered to win Wicked stuff….I got three last night before I was so tired, I was falling down…the deadline is tomorrow….

Where I'm From

Where I’m from

I am from the many places I’ve lived, from my grandparent’s basement apartment to Army housing in Germany.

I am from a blended, chaotic home of stepsisters coming and going and a sports obsessed younger brother.

I am from Jessie’s, Scovilles’s,  LaChappelle’s, and Martin’s.

I am from strong French Canadians and a mixed lineage that makes me a true “American Mutt.”

I am from great-grandma’s lollipop box, Meme’s rocking chair, “don’t jump on the well!” and Pepe’s old station wagon.

I am from crochet lessons, loud family gatherings, beautiful smiles and short statures…

I am the family repository of lineage.  I keep the births and deaths.  I’ve trooped through cemeteries, squinted at microfiche and thumbed through hundreds of record books.

I am strong and resilient.

I am who I am from all that I came from and those who came before me.

(try writing your own Where I'm From poem)  It is inspired by George Ella Lyons.

I have two versions that I have been working on for awhile, but just finished this one..

Cranky and Crankier

It all started with the shoes....three pairs before I found a pair to wear...the other two hurt my feet...

Then the hair, it just wouldn't work today....

And it was pouring rain again....

And we had a staff meeting, so staying after longer....

And my Nerd Wars swap box STILL hasn't arrived....

And it's been a week of failure in the craft department....

And the Hubs is working, so I have to scrounge my own dinner....

And it's cold.....

And I only got the minimum points for my Nerd War projects....

And I have a headache starting.....

Just a crappy day...

Second Sock Syndrome

I completed my first pair of socks awhile ago…the Knitmore Vanilla pattern



Now I am having issues:

See these two socks.  The first sock I ever started was that green one.  The pattern is from Tsarina of Tsocks and the Tsocks 101 pattern…I finished the one, although there is a definite difference from where I stopped and picked up again.  I started and completed the Knitmore pattern before I completed this one sock.  And I had some help from Wife, “Mom”, Knitter on my first heel flap and gusset.

Then I took up the knit a pair of socks during Sock Summit weekend challenge and made one Jaywalker (Rav link).

I have now cast on and ripped back the second Jaywalker at least 4 times.  I can’t get the DD and the F/B to line up…..

The Tsocks 101, I just cast on the second sock and I cast on correct and messed up the cuff…”Face Palm!”  Instead of the P3, K3, I did P2, K2 and had to rip it all apart….

So I’m ready to put them both in timeout for awhile….any other easy first time sock patterns to try out there?  I think I might cast on my first toe-ups….

The Sun Will Come Out

tomorrow…..hopefully….

Today it looks like this

Yesterday, the Winggirl and I headed to the Goshen Fair…there were

giant pumpkins

giant cows

a star-horned Jacob’s sheep

a sheep that really wanted our apple fritters

stripped bunnies

Momma pigs

same alpacas

some yarn…the winggirl is checking it out in her new cowgirl hat…I did not buy any, instead I bought a bag and LOTS of food, a birthday gift and some food to gift to others….

Our favorite?  The Audubon show with Sophia, the barred owl and Mandi, the red-tailed hawk.  Sophia had been taken out her nest and raised as a pet…so she really likes people, so she cannot be released.  Mandi, has lost and eye, so she cannot be released…

Sorry about the redeye, couldn’t find that setting on my camera…and too lazy right now to try and fix it…

It was a gorgeous day!

Random Fandom

Yesterday I received my last Random Fandom package from Nerd Girl Yarns.

It’s Captain Jack Harkness from Torchwood

If you don’t know Jack, you should…Jack is luscious…and played by John Barrowman, who is also luscious and sings!


and dances!

He was born in Scotland, but lived in America and mainly speaks with an American accent, but sometimes he brings out the Scottish one....oh my!

  

Although this is my ultimate favorite video of him....

Captain Jack will shag anything, but John is out and proud and in a long term committed relationship.

I just love him...He's great to look out, proud of who he is, talented in many ways, and doesn't always take himself seriously....

And David Tennant is the Doctor I adore...

After I posted, I realized I didn't put any actual pictures of Captain Jack, it was all John...here's some Captain Jack!

Sometimes It Just Needs a Pet

When I sit at the computer, I am surrounded by yarn…literally…I just moved the bag of handdyed green and black yarn that has been at my feet (under the computer) for the past week.  So there is many a times I will just pick up a skein of yarn and sit it on my lap and pet it while I’m online.

I know there is no way I can ever use it all…..but it just feels so good to pet it!

Today it was the Scarlet Fleece, silk and merino.  That is the Hubs desk from when he was a boy…And yes those are my comfy pajama bottoms…