Biz-ahhhhh

We have another knitter.

2012-02-08T13:34:00.000-08:00

Imagine my surprise when nephew #1 told me he wanted to learn to knit.

I taught him.

He picked it right up.

And he stole my knitting-in-the-car headlamp, the bugger.

He wanted to get this washcloth done quick so his mom could use it.

I will say...he finished it.

I would also like to add it was a hair short of being as large as my sister's hand.

But I'm sure she'll treasure it.

And use it, too.

December 2011

Puerto Rico-truly rich

2012-02-05T12:12:00.000-08:00

Hiking (and swimming) at El Yunque.
Boating in the bio bay.

Exploring Old San Juan.

Being privy to beautiful hidden beaches.

Is all best when enjoted with fellow techno-nerds.

Even if they do have you beat on the techno part.

December 2011

Thanksgiving in Lena

2012-02-01T11:47:00.000-08:00

The crew!

Thanksgiving 2011

Helicoptors everywhere

2012-01-30T11:42:00.000-08:00

If you look closely, you can see the helicoptor by grandpa's leg.

My cousin got the hang of it realllly quickly

after every single male in the household

possessed themselves of a remote control

'copter at Thanksgiving time.

November 2011

Boys like comic books?

2012-01-27T11:37:00.000-08:00

Who knew

that boys like comic books?

One thing these guys do well as a team...

until one gets ahead of the other.

Thanksgiving 2011

Kayak pact

2012-01-25T11:29:00.000-08:00

I have a couple friends

Who have told me over and over about the delights of kayaking.

So..I challenged them to take me, a beginner.

And make me enjoy it.

Aside from having to concentrate pretty hard on

correct paddling form,

it was relaxing

delightful

quite enjoyable.

Michigan-October 2011

Hikers.

2011-12-02T13:11:00.000-08:00

I actually planned something for once.

And a bunch of people came.

This here is the hiking group..minus 4, I believe.

At Starved Rock State Park.

In Illinois.

We all started out together.

It was a lot later than we'd planned.

But everyone got there.

And it was a glorious day.

After about 15 minutes

it was quite obvious that we had

different speeds in the group.

This is the faster-paced crew.

And WHAT a crew.

I've made a pact with some of these peeps.

To do this again.

When winter is ended.

Wisconsin, Sheep, Wool

2011-11-30T12:32:00.000-08:00

Did I mention we were in Wisconsin?

For a Sheep and Wool show?

Here are some sheep.

And yes, the lambs are very cute.

Here's some wool.

Along with the rest of my loot.

I say I don't like to shop much.

But. That may depend on what the shopping is for.

Maybe.

Fort Atkinson

2011-11-28T12:26:00.000-08:00

When roadtripping to Fort Atkinson,

I would highly recommend a stop here.

Our kind hostesses at the bookshop

recommended the Frostie Freeze.

Velveteen Rabbit

2011-11-26T12:16:00.000-08:00

My sister and I took my mom to Ft. Atkinson, WI

for her annual birthday trip.

For a Sheep and Wool show.

No, we don't have sheep. But we all like wool.

Wool YARN, especially.

Anyhow, we try to make the trip special.

I mean, just being with us 2 gals should be enough for anyone.

BUT.

We try to make it an even MORE extraordinary time.

So..instead of staying an average hotel,

we searched around.

And found this:

The Velveteen Rabbit -

a bookshop and guesthouse.

And both parts are lovely.

Here's the main bedroom in the guesthouse.

After we messed it up a bit.

And we got to shop the bookstore after hours.

Its a lovely lovely store.

If anyone gets annoyed at pet owners...

2011-11-22T12:10:00.000-08:00

don't look at this post.

Awww...isn't my sweet kitty adorable?

She climbs into my bag and just make herself at home.

And leaves behind hairy remembrances.

Me? Quilt? Why not!

2011-11-20T11:58:00.000-08:00

Well, it was only one square, so I don't know how much

that counts toward quilting.

But I whipped it up.

And decided that if one was to make a goal of a square a day...

It would be very feasible to get a quilt done in short order.

Lets not mention strip quilting, mmmmkay?

New yarn

2011-11-18T11:50:00.000-08:00

My LYS (Local Yarn Store for non-knitters)

Serendipity Yarn Shoppe

is promoting a local yarn maker.

This was opening night..

BEFORE the knitters were turned loose in

High Prarie Fibers' nook.

There wasn't a whole lot left at at the end of the night.

Said local yarn maker is having a hard time keeping up.

I think we all need to knit something with our beautiful yarn.

So she gets inspired to make more.

Lots more.

Michigan!

2011-11-17T12:39:00.000-08:00

I have a friend in Michigan.

We'll call her Marvis.

She lives right close to the lake.

And she has this thing called a kayak.

She talked about them SO MUCH

that I whined and told her I wanted to try

these contraptions.

So, Marvis gave in.

And told the whiner she supposed that she could put up with her for a weekend.

I was ordered to go check the condition of the lake in the morning.

I offered photographic evidence that it was relatively calm.

So. A-kayaking we went.

The lake remained calm.

The kayaking was great sport.

So was the heckling.

Once done, we got some grub.

And ate it.

While watching the sun set.

Over a carousel.

And then, Marvis invited her guests back to her abode.

And proceeded to climb into the fire.

Will she have us back?

We shall see how well she recovers from the first time.

Amphibian catchers

2011-11-16T12:45:00.000-08:00

My nephews caught this guy

this summer.

I always feel bad when the toads and frogs they catch

look at me like this.

And, they weren't sure what to feed this type of frog.

So I convinced them that catch-and-release

was the best policy.

Hopefully this frog lived a long and happy life!

Nature's Paints

2011-11-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

One fine day

a girl stepped out her front door and saw

a breathtaking sky.

So--back in she went

to grab the photographic equipment.

And imagine her awe.

When the above...

turned into THIS!

Colour

2011-11-12T08:07:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't get a real autumn.

Or...those who are already missing it!

She cleans

2011-11-11T08:03:00.001-08:00

Every once in awhile I do clean.

Like...when the 'rents are gone for nearly two weeks.

And I leave it till the very last minute.

Because I seem to work better under pressure.

But...just to prove I DO get the job done.

Here's a photo.

Full moon on the rise

2011-10-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

Tonight I came home with fresh tomatoes.

There are no photos to prove it, but I am feeling quite

accomplished after having made spaghetti sauce with

fresh tomatoes and fresh basil.

Oh, and lets not forget fresh garlic.

What can I say?

I was hungry.

It was delicious.

My next order of business?

Doing a sinkload of dishes.

When they're done, that's also something that makes me

feel accomplished.

Lets not talk about how I feel when they're piled up.

And up.

and up.

I've had this idea that I need to start knitting a sweater

for quite some time.

And now...the yarn for it is wound up in

conveniently useable

center-pull balls.

Since my evening is full of excitement

and I've been neglecting my blog

I thought I'd share.

And....no post of mine feels quite complete without

a photo.

So, I'll leave you with this evening's sky show.

Internet obsession

2011-09-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

Oh where, oh where have I been?
Certainly not off the internet. Oh no.

I've been exploring the glories of time travel.
On...Gardens of Time. Its bad.

And feeding my knit addiction.
On...Ravelry. Its quite lovely.

I do have posts planned.
They will be forthcoming.
When this obsession is under control.

Bad kitty? Or not?

2011-08-02T12:20:00.000-07:00

Nah.

She's not being bad.

We made her a yarn nest.

And she had fun frolicking in it.

And we had fun encouraging her to tangle it up as much as she wanted.

And we hope she doesn't take to

doing this with the good yarn.

{July 2011}

What's been keeping me home.

2011-07-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many of you would believe me

if I told you that I had to take my garden from

something looking like this....

To something looking like this.

(Please note the far background of this photo.

Yes, the overgrown-ness IS in the neighbor's yard.)

BUT, it felt like that's what the gardens all looked like

when I got back from my most recent trip.

So, I've been on a self-imposed stay home penalty

until the gardens got cleaned up.

And guess what?

My goal has been realized.

Hurrah!

{July 2011}

For an old friend and her babe.

2011-07-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

I told a friend of mine

that I wanted to knit something

for her daughter.

She pretty much gave me free reign.

So, this went out this month.

I can't wait to see what she thinks!

{July 2011}

Chiiiiirp.

2011-07-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

Ever had one of these guys outside your window

catching bugs...

while you're trying to go to sleep?

Lemme tell you, their vocals are quite audible.

{May 2011}

Dewdrop

2011-07-24T11:49:00.000-07:00

Remember?

Way back in May, when we were wondering

if all the plants were going to get frosted...

so we'd go out every night and cover them.

And again every morning to uncover.

And we'd see things like this.

Aaaah.

{May 2011}

Is this wrong?

2011-07-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

On a semi-recent trip,

I took a flight from the Moline airport.

They have a little art gallery to browse before braving the security line.

And this was there.

Yes, this IS a rabbit giving birth.

I thought it was quite kid appropriate.

{May 2012}

Stuff'd!

2011-07-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

When one has leftovers,

its is quite fun to think of creative ways to put them

all together

in an appetizing manner.

If I recall, this potato was quite scrumptious.

{April 2011}

Splat!

2011-07-18T13:29:00.001-07:00

I was going through some photos today.

And found this one.

And it made me laugh.

The nephews were visiting.

They wanted me to take pictures of a water balloon breaking.

Problem is, they use regular balloons.

Because they're big.

And they don't always break on the first try.

Or the second.

Or the third.

So, I guess this is THAT process.

In photos.

{June 2011}

Muscatine Mosaic Project {part II}

2011-07-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

I don't have any photos of all of the mosaic art,

but these are a couple of my favorites.

I actually purchased one from this same artist.

And talked to her about her methods.

And told her she should find someplace local to sell them!

Talent.

{April 2011}

Bird is the word

2011-07-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this in the parking lot one day.

And was sad.

That I was too late to save it.

Poor lady cardinal.

{April 2011}

Summer sweater

2011-07-10T10:38:00.000-07:00

I saw this Heliotropic sweater in

Interweave Knits

and loved it.

BUT, I knew that for me, it would need a few chnages.

SO I changed it.

And I like it.

A lot.

{April 2011}

Mishmash

2011-07-08T10:27:00.000-07:00

Spinach.

With Tuna patties, crumbled.

And roasted red peppers.

Alongside homeade hummus.

HEllo, yum!

Planting

2011-07-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

Ranunculus

Except now they look like brown sticks.

And I did water them.

Is this normal?

English Daisies

They still look prettttty!

{May 2011}

Massage room project: frame

2011-07-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Heidi got me this print for my birthday.

Its pretty appropriate.

And, it can be found here.

I didn't have quite the right frame,

so I busted out the paint again.

Acrylic this time.

And some of my glossy stampin' stuff.

And the sandpaper.

For distressing.

It turned out pretty well.

Now, I've just got to get it on the walllllll!

{May 2011}

Scarf o lace

2011-06-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

The local yarn shop

http://serendipityyarnshoppe.com/

hosts a knit-a-long.

Currently we're doing projects from the book

Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders

by Judith Durant

This scarf (and the mitts shown a few posts back)

were the projects chosen for February/March.

I did them both.

Which let me off the hook for April/May.

Kind of...

Or maybe I let MYSELF off the hook since I wasn't crazy about either project.

And I was working on other stuff.

In any case, this scarf is lovely.

And the yarn was fabulous to work with.

{March 2011}

Kentucky!

2011-06-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

A bunch of women

A passel of hats

A herd of horses

And a surprise win!

All of these add up to:

A fabulous time in Louisville, Kentucky.

(or Loo-ah-vull, to the natives.)

{May 2011}

Massage room project: basket

2011-06-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

I've been looking at a lot of home improvement blogs for entertainement.

Some of them use spray paint in ways

that us 'normal' people wouldn't usually consider.

So, I decided to give some spraypaint a chance.

Even if its not in an abnormal way.

This lovely basket was left behind during the big move-out by my

Zogg Pilates neighbor.

I called her and asked her if she wanted it.

She said no.

So. I confiscated it.

And turned it blue.

It now resides in the restroom.
{May 2011}

Knitting for kids

2011-06-24T10:12:00.000-07:00

I've been having fun using up yarn

by knitting for kids.

This one was intended for a year-old baby,

But I failed to read the pattern completely.

Thus, it turned out big enough for my 7-year-old, going on 8-year-old nephew.

He was excited to learn it was to be his.

And tried it on quite willingly.

I'm very pleased with the way it turned out.

But WILL read the pattern all the way next time.

{April 2011}

Newest addition

2011-06-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

My orchid hobby

(or addiction?)

Is growing.

hahaha!

Okay, I just amused myself

by being unintentionally pun-ny.

Please help.

Signed, too much time on Facebook

influenced by others' corny puns.

{April 2011}

Fingerless

2011-06-20T09:32:00.000-07:00

No, not me!

The mitts.

THEY'RE fingerless.

They're soft.

They're warm.

And I really don't need them in the summertime.

So, they're in my work drawer waiting for coldness to return.

I have to open it every once in awhile and stare at them.

{April 2011}

Mango goodness!

2011-06-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

Can anything be better than a mango

Fresh off the tree

So juicy you have to lean over

To keep it from dripping down your front

And then it drips down your arm

and off your elbow,

Instead?

{March 2011}

Covered trail

2011-06-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

I love trails.

I especially love trails with tree 'roofs'.

Auntie Karrot and I had fun trying to capture this one.

{March 2011)

Oxcart!

2011-06-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

Costa Rica is known for the beautifully painted oxcarts.

We 'happened' to see one travelling along the road.

In the jungle

2011-06-12T09:20:00.000-07:00

We see snakes!

Some harmless.

Some not-so-harmless.

And yet, we still smile as we go.
{March 2011}

Muscatine River Monster

2011-06-11T09:40:00.000-07:00

The River Monster

(or Kraken)

has hit Muscatine!

http://muscatinerivermonster.com/

{June 2011}

MotMot

2011-06-10T09:17:00.000-07:00

We saw several of these stunning birds

While river cruising in Costa Rica.
{March 2011}

Alien taters

2011-06-08T09:10:00.000-07:00

This, my dears, is what happens when you put taters

In the basement

And forget about them.

Cookie monster

2011-05-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

On another blog I read...

someone made the mistake of mentioning a recipie for homeade Samoas.

So.

I did the logical thing.

And sent the recipie to my sister.

With a request for birthday cookies.

We did a taste test.

Annnnd...guess the winner!!

That's right...the homeade version.

Hands down.

Deliciousness.

http://www.grouprecipes.com/96035/homemade-samoas-girl-scout-cookies.html

{March 2011}

Travelin' with family

2011-05-24T11:20:00.000-07:00

Its likely that you've already seen this pic.

But its special.

Because?

Welll.

1) It was taken in San Jose, Costa Rica

2) It was taken on a trip with my auntie and grand'rents.

3) It features my cousin's homeade 'Bondi' bands.

4) We were having a silly evening and took the picture just for her.

{April 2011}

On orchid adoption

2011-05-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

I DID say I brought a few home, right?

I'm having a hard time with restraint when it comes to these plants.

I went in for a variety...

Spidery and citrus smelly.

Many-flowered and vanilla smelly.

Yep, this one, too. Many flowers. Vanilla.

And color.

Oooh. Color.

{March 2011}

Orchid show

2011-05-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

Have I ever mentioned that I like orchids?

A lot.

This show at the Chicago Botanic Gardens was almost overload.

I did come home with just a few new plants.

{March 2011}

Shopping, market style

2011-05-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

I'm reminiscing about Jamaica.

And shopping like this.

And bargaining.

{March 2011}

Handmade love

2011-05-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

My sis apparantly got a lot of bday gifts, judging from the sea of packaging material.

And here, she models a couple

Along with her own skirt creation.

And her 'stache.

Classy. Yep. That's my sibling.

{March 2011}

Chicken update

2011-05-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

I think I may have written about some chicks way back last spring.

Well, turns out a lot of them were roosters.

So they became the things they were names.

And all because they were male.

This one's still kicking.

And chasing.

And being a general pest.

For the time being.

Ohh..chicken Noodle. Watch yourself.

And then, there's one of the more recent residents.

She's a general favorite.

Little.

Pretty.

Feather-footed.

And named Gwendolyn.

She may be safe for a long while!

{March 2011}

Mustachioed weirdos

2011-05-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

One week in late March, two sisters had birthdays 4 days apart.

The elder sister journeyed to lil' sissy's house to pretend they were not getting older.

When she arrived, lil' sissy's youngest spawn was sporting a 'stache.

The 'stache was inspiring.

Yes, we ARE getting older.

We just don't act like it.

And we wear our lip hair well.

{March 2011}

Funnies for Nano

2011-03-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

My nephews like to put things in funny places.

They know it cracks their gramma up.

And they usually tell me about it so I can watch her reaction.

HEE!

Snowman sculptures!

Fondue!

2011-03-17T13:40:00.000-07:00

The craeation of chocolate fondue causes a bit...

just a little bit...

of excitement in our household.

And the dipping begins.

Schlurp Schlurp yumyum.

Girls' weekends 2011 {part 2}

2011-03-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

Late February:

Time for girls' weekend in Iowa!

It all started with a little fondue.

Progressed to a little yoga..

Followed by a little shopping,

knitting,

and general downtime.

And on to the big draw for the weekend...

MASSAGES!

And finally...dinner at a new restaurant.

What a fabulous group of gals.

Thanks for coming my way, ladies!

Guess where?

2011-03-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

Yep, I just got back from a trip.

Take a gander.

And then a guess...

Where was I?

Winter activities

2011-02-25T09:24:00.000-08:00

What, you may ask, have I been up to all winter?

Well...the normal things.

Working.

Shovelling.

Working.

Sleeping.

Working.

Eating.

And....

KNITTING, of course.

It seems like I've gotten lots of little projects done...

but I have lots of BIG ones that I should be doing.

Ahh, well, they look pretty in their yarn basket.

The latest finished product.

The massive snowfall a couple weeks ago helped these move along quickly.

I was delighted that they're almost knee-high!!

Yay for big skeins of yarn.

Girls' weekends 2011 {part 1}

2011-02-24T09:13:00.000-08:00

The New Year's weekend planned by Jen E. was fabulous.

SO fabulous, in fact, that we made a little pact to do the weekends throughout the year.

It may be hard to top this one, however!

First up: a Chicago Bulls game!

Next: Skating in the sky.

Yep. There was a skating rink at the top floor of the Hancock building.

Downtown carriage ride.

And New Year's fireworks at Navy Pier.

She's gonna make us all work hard to come up with something creative, I can tell!

But, spending time with good friends is the top priority.

Muscatine Mosaic Project

2011-02-23T09:04:00.000-08:00

What could be better on a winter weekend than an art project?

The Art Center here in town sponsors this project...

http://www.muscatineartcenter.org/Exhibitions/Muscatine-Mosaic-Project-III.aspx

We finally decided to join this year!

It was an afternoon of great fun.

And concentration by SOME.

And silliness....

Goofiness...

And downright craziness...by OTHERS.

Owchie feet!

2011-02-22T08:59:00.000-08:00

Look all!

See my blisters?

You wanna talk about ouuuuucccchhh??

Ay-yi-yi.

What snow?

2011-02-02T15:54:00.000-08:00

Welll, even I have to admit that we got a lil' bit of snow.

I played in it today.

And my cheeks became rosy.

My arms got tired.

And it felt really wonderful to hole back up inside!

It all started with a few flakes Tuesday night...

And ended this Wednesday am with a drift or two.

Just little ones.

Lucky for us we have kind neighbors with snowblowers.

Or we might STILL be shovelling.

On to the back doors...luckily they open inward!

Drifts are rather pretty...

And..um...rather sink-ish.

Hard work, I tell ya! I done got so tuckered out, I keeled over!

Punta Cana

2011-01-02T08:54:00.000-08:00

It was pretty much postcard-perfect along the beaches.

If you'd like to go...let me know!

Giving Thanks

2011-01-01T08:47:00.000-08:00

Our Thanksgiving Day spread.

Offered up in the heated garage of my sister and bro-in-law.

The stuff in the front? What is that, you ask?

Sauteed butternut squash.

I'd never had it that way before.

Now that I'm looking at these photos, I'm almost drooling.

The salad wasn't half bad either.

And I don't even want to mention the pork.

The potatoes.

Pickles.

Rolls.

And...

Homeade jam for the rolls.

My dad was asked to label the jam.

He did the bold-face labeling.

hahaha!

Goza galz

2010-12-31T08:38:00.000-08:00

Back in the days of November,

several ladies shared a weekend of scrapbooking.

Like really. Literally.

And we picked up a few new phrases.

And then, we ate at Steak n Shake.

And my two Goza friends...they partook in the sharing of the shakes.

Cutely, I might add.

Wet nest

2010-12-30T08:34:00.000-08:00

This animal is quite strange.

Yes, this is her new favorite nesting spot.

Lucky for her the faucet doesn't drip.

Glory in the sky

2010-12-29T08:32:00.000-08:00

We get some gorgeous sunsets in Iowa.

Every single time I see one like this, I wonder what people who

rage about sunsets over the ocean would say.

But, maybe we'll just keep these Iowa sunsets a not-so-secret!

Walkin' hill

2010-12-28T08:23:00.000-08:00

The hill on which I walk when conditions are ideal.

Right now, its slipp'ry and slide'ry.

And probably quite nice for sledding.

Bask

2010-12-27T08:19:00.000-08:00

Today,

I wouldn't mind being a kitty basking in the sunshine.

But instead, I'm looking out the window pretending I live inside a snowglobe.

Note to my mother

2010-12-23T12:48:00.000-08:00

Recycling is good.

Stomping bottles so they don't take up so much room in the recycle box is good.

Your daughter applauds this habit.

It means she doesn't have to take the recycling QUITE so often.

But it IS quite amusing when your bottle stomping goes awry.

Mmmm...taffy

2010-12-22T12:46:00.000-08:00

This here is a shawl-to-be-worn-as scarf.

It turned out better than expected, though.

And yes, November and December have been knit addiction months.

Swap project

2010-12-21T12:34:00.000-08:00

The local yarn shop hosts knit nights.

There are several ladies who have become knit night 'regulars'.

And yes, I'm a regular.

It was decided that we'd have a small project swap during the last gathering.

The darker hat was the project I threw in.

But, you see, I liked the hat.

So...yes...I knit one for me, too. Also.

And THEN, there was leftover yarn.

So...I made some mitts.

And used up the yarn. YAY! Heroic!

Now, if it ever stops being oven-ish at work, I'll wear my mitts.

Crazy sox

2010-12-20T12:32:00.000-08:00

I'm almost done with these socks.

They're o-so-obnoxious.

I'm pretty sure their recipient will like them. A lot.

I need some sunshine.

2010-11-30T09:06:00.000-08:00

So, I'm off!
To: Punta Cana. Tomorrow.

And, on this trip I get to take part in a little excursion called Dr. Fish Ocean Spa.
http://www.chuckontour.ca/video-drfish.asp

Yes, it does involve what you may think could be possible from the name.
Little fishies eating the nasty skin off your tootsies. Lucky me, I don't have ticklish feet.

Lovely dinner companions

2010-11-17T11:16:00.000-08:00

SO, on Sundays Steak-n-Shake has a kids eat free deal.

The parents were there too...but look at this passle of youngun's.

24October2010

Kids like to play

2010-11-16T11:13:00.000-08:00

Rockford! Always a favorite destination.

The squids might have something to do with it...the big ones AND the little ones.

I'm not sure which (big or little) are having more fun with the Magnetix here.

And yes, I was playing, too.

Till I got up to take a picture.

24October2010

Amigas!

2010-11-15T11:10:00.000-08:00

Girlies together!

Jen, Sheri, Kerry, Sherri, Jackie, moi.

Birthday dinner night at Sheri's.

(Thanks to Momma Janet for taking the photo!)

23October2010

October birthdays

2010-11-14T11:08:00.000-08:00

Look at all these birthday gals!

Another part of a fun October weekend!

23October2010

Eyeball in the grass

2010-11-13T11:00:00.000-08:00

Chicago has steroidal eyeballs layin' around.

23October2010

Celtic Thunder

2010-11-12T10:46:00.000-08:00

My whole reason for going to Chicago a few weeks back.

TO TAKE ANOTHER PHOTO OF THIS SIGN?

Good grief. This obsession is out of control!

No, no...look at the small print on the Chicago sign.

This time, I got to go to a show there.

Yep.

I saw Celtic Thunder.

Don't go jumping to conclusions.

People have had the tendency to do that when they hear the 'thunder' part.

This group is several lovely lads from Ireland. With amazing voices.

http://www.celticthunder.ie/

The show was impressive. The women did squeal quite a bit, I will admit.

23October2010

Sushi

2010-11-11T10:35:00.000-08:00

More food?

Ohhh, yes!

I tried sushi for the first time,

thanks to adventerously eating friends!

Kerry S. had been here before.
And she and Sherri H. knew what to order.
We had: Spicy Tuna, California, Philadelphia, Rainbow, and Unagi (eel) rolls

Also, Salmon and tuna traditional sushi.
And I liked it.
23October2010

Fooood!

2010-11-10T10:32:00.000-08:00

I don't know if its fall that does it...or what.

But I've been a little taken with 'slow food' lately.

I didn't grow the carrots, the potato, or the pig.

The apples for the sauce? Yep! They're homegrown.

But none of these food items came from a box.

And they were thoroughly delicious.

22October2010

Sandwich concoction

2010-11-09T09:55:00.000-08:00

I concocted a yummy sandwich awhile back.

It was inspiring.

Late tomatoes from the shed garden,

Farmer cheese from the farmer's market.

Roasted red peppers (from the jar!)

Roast beef.

Homeade {gluten free} bread. And the bread isn't super dense.

I think its a Bob's Red Mill Mix. Rye is a main ingredient.

I don't normally like rye.

But this stuff is delicious. Maybe its all the nuts and seeds.

Oh, and I can't forget to metion the homeade creamy tomato soup.

Slurp!

21October2010

Late 'maters

2010-11-08T09:53:00.000-08:00

These lovelies...picked 21October10.

Georgetown!

2010-11-07T09:46:00.000-08:00

I got to go to Georgetown, TX for convention.

And yes, I did get a couple of strolls 'round the neighborhood in.

Sunrise. Ah!

(I saw lots of kids using flashlights on their way to 7am breakfast...

so me walking into the sunrise...is that still impressive?)

This photo ^ is me playing with camera settings.
This one ^ is auto settings.
Yes, it was gorgeous!
17October2010

Rain Chain

2010-11-06T09:39:00.000-07:00

When we were in Madison, we went to meeting in a very neat neighborhood.

Most of the houses looked Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired.

Definitly NOT a typical Sim-City like most new development.

One of my favorite features: Rain Chains.

They're so much prettier than downspouts.

I wonder how they'd handle Iowa's torrential downpours.

10October2010

Mystery Trip- Final day

2010-11-05T09:30:00.000-07:00

After meeting on Sunday, we went to a...*gasp* CHAIN restaurant for lunch.

It was called Abuelos.

It was fairly good, but not as memorable as the other two 'special meals'.

Our final plan for the day: the Madison Botanical Gardens.

They were having an African Violet show.

The voilets were pretty, but the people were not overly excited about their wares.

Outside, we found dahlias.

I think I'm going to have to add some of these beauties to my garden.
A pagoda.
Its even more impressive up close.

Lovely ladies strolling through the garden.

And furry creatures.

What a trip!

10-10-10

Mystery trip-Day 2

2010-11-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

Day two of Mom's mystery trip involved the Dane County Farmer's Market.

Its a GREAT farmer's market...all the way around Capitol Square.

We browsed through the booths.

Bought some veggies.

And some cheese.

(Hey, we were in Wisonsin. We HAD TO buy cheese.)

Next on the agenda: a few yarn shops.

And whatever else we saw along the way.

We did hit a few of the eclectic places in downtown.

One of my favorites:

http://www.zip-dang.com/

The skirts are inspiring!

We all found yarn...and Sarah found a new friend.

Dinner for today:

http://www.bluephies.com/

It was fun. It was funky. It was delicious.

We didn't have a real lunch, so we were all quite hungry.

We may have wolfed our food a bit.

(Or I'm just using a handy excuse for having no photos.)
09October2010

Mystery trip no.1

2010-11-03T09:06:00.000-07:00

The owner of our local yarn shop

http://www.serendipityyarnshoppe.com/

and her sister take their mother on a 'Mystery Trip' every year.

She's told me about some of them...and I've even gotten to be slightly

involved in the last two.

They sounded like so much fun, my sister and I decided follow suit.

This was our first year taking Mom to a mysterious location.

I'm quite sure we'll do it again.

We all had a blast.

And so, without futher ado: Madison, Wisconsin.

After checking into our hotel, we got in the car and putzed downtown.

And I do mean putzed.

You see, I'd failed to realize it was Homecoming weekend in Madison.

However, we arrived in plenty of time to make our 6 pm reservation at our first destination.

http://www.frescomadison.com/

Fresco is atop the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art.

Its fabulous.

We got to eat outside in the sculpture garden.

I failed on the photographing of the appetizers.

What can I say? We were hungry!

Mom had seared duck breast.

I had sheep's milk ricotta cheese gnocchi.

Sarah had chicken fresco.

We savoured our food and enjoyed the view.

Yep. The fine dining experience was a lovely start.

08October2010

Yosemite. In the rain.

2010-11-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

Yep. We did the mist trail again.

Because its pretty.

And there is water in the falls year-round.

Except, this time we got a little more water than we bargained for.

We got to the top of Nevada Falls.

The clouds opened.

The rain poured down.

The hail pelted us.

We hid under a bridge for awhile.

It kept us from getting hail welts, but not from getting soaked.

And pruney!

But oh, look at that beauty.

It was worth it.

And our trip was made even more memorable.

02Oct2010

Yosemite. In the sunshine.

2010-11-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

The second of the falls. I beleive this is Vernal.

There were lots of picnickers.

It was gorgeous!

What? An Englishman in Yosemite?

Do tell!

Rainbow at the falls.

Blue sky,
sunshine,
Truman lovers.

What a day for a hike!
02Oct2010

Marin Graffiti

2010-10-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

We followed a path through a broken fence-

into a 'construction site'-

to find that others had been there first.

With paint.

And creativity.

My favorite.

And...last but not least!
29Sept2010

Foggy San Fran and Marin

2010-10-29T13:18:00.000-07:00

Ze bridge.

Ze subject of many of ze photos

I take.

When in ze city of San Fran.

Ze fog.

It really is like a blanket.

We rose above the fog.

And found the sun.

And some killer sunburns, even through sunscreen.

The surfers at Rodeo Beach in Marin were not afraid of the fog.

Not in the least.

And on the way back...STILL fog.

29Sept2010

Driving Highway 1, South to North

2010-10-27T13:03:00.000-07:00

We get in the car.

We drive.

We stop a lot to take photos.

It takes awhile.

But the sights are splendid.

And the photos are spectacular.

Pebble beach Lodge and Golf Course.

But the waves are the most impressive.

Along the 17-mile drive on the Moterrey peninsula.

And...there's at least one dude in the world

who likes to take time out to watch the sun set over the ocean.
And prove to all the doubters that...its worth it.
27Sept2010

Morro Bay

2010-10-26T12:58:00.000-07:00

In the daylight
Its a rock!

And it is in the night-light, too.

How randomly bizarre.

27/28Sept2010

Tree Frog Rescue

2010-10-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

This little dude was hangin' out on the door to my massage studio yesterday.

I didn't think the door was a great spot for him to live.

Even though there ARE a few spiders there.

So. I re-located him.

To a tree down the street.

He did a mad leap when he saw the leaves...so I'll just assume it was a good choice!

25October2010

Hiker fail.

2010-10-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

We hiked up to the highest point Ray could find close to San Luis Obispo.

It was gorgeous.

It was hot.

I made it to the point where we could see the ocean.

Yep. See that white line waaaaay out there?

That's the cool, refreshing waters of the Pacific.

Then my vision started to blur.

The background?

Pretty much what I saw...

So I made like a pig.

Found some cool dirt, and flopped.

(okay, I'll be truthful. This was earlier in the hike.

And I didn't make it all the way to the top.

I waited in the shade and attempted a cool-down.

It was humbling.)

When we got back...

we heard all about the heat wave. 107° in San Luis.

117° in outlying areas.

So-heat and Becky...not a super mix.

The end.

27Sept2010

Montana de Oro

2010-10-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

Our gracious hosts took us to this beautiful park for a stroll one evening.

We stayed up on the cliffside, not venturing to rappel to the beach in the waning light of the sun.

Still. Ocean. Cliffs. Rocks.

Ahhh!

26Sep2010