The Comfort Zone

Two weeks have gone by like a whirlwind.  We arrived home on Friday night and slept like babies.  Sometime during the night we both mumbled something about our bed being perfect–better than the TempurPedic king we slept in somewhere around Missouri.

It amazes me that we can have so much fun, laugh and hug and kiss so many loved ones, eat so much food, see so many sights, enjoy one incredibly beautiful wedding, and when it’s over be happy to be in our own bed.  It is so!

Knitting was limited to short TV watching stints in the evening after wedding festivities  wound down–not much in other words.  I worked exclusively on Shetland Skies Pi and made some progress but now I am ready to get back to it, both knitting and blogging.  Fog Lifter is still waiting for me and I plan to spend the afternoon and tomorrow finishing it.

Here are  some photos of the lovely bride and handsome groom.  The wedding was so beautiful that it brought tears to this Grandmother’s eyes during the rehearsal and they didn’t stop even when the Cinderella carriage drove them away.  I had a bet with DD2 that she would cry before me but she said she did that with each check she wrote during wedding planning, and sure enough, she was dry-eyed during the ceremony.  Actually, I think I saw her do a little happy dance during the procession.

I’ve mentioned in past posts that our beautiful granddaughter is a world-class Irish Dancer.  Want to guess how proud it made us to see her dance a jig in her wedding dress?  Button-bursting proud!  Everyone attending the reception enjoyed seeing her being coaxed onto the dance floor by a lovely circle of dancers who then pushed her out to do a solo performance. 

Before I close I must pay tribute to Beth Bloomfield, our dear DIL’s sister who passed away after a long and valiant battle with cancer.  Her passing could have cast a dark cloud over the festivities, but with our sweet DIL’s customary strength and loving manner she did not let it touch the bride and groom.  They were awed by her presence at the wedding and reception, but she went on following the example of her beloved sister who believed that life goes on.  Beth, you will be missed!

The Crisscross Eyelets Socks are finished and I am very close to finished with Fog Lifter shawl but may not get that one done because I am in my packing mode for the trip to Chicago.  I’m one of those people who packs, unpacks, packs again and at least partially unpacks yet again.  It’s a wonder it ever gets done but I’ve been doing it that way for many, many years and it has taken me around the world with (mostly) the right clothes in my suitcase. 

DH, on the other hand, is a last minute, toss-it-in-the-suitcase-and-hope-he-has-what-he-needs type.  I try to give him some direction and even slip things into his suitcase when he is not looking.  It is truly a battle for me but he deals well with my compulsive ways.  He saw a tee-shirt recently that he says he is going to buy for me because it says, “I have CDO.  It’s similar to OCD but I have put the letters in the proper order.”  I admit it–that’s me!

Anyway, the travel projects are packed.  I will be working on a new sock in yellow and cream stripes, and Hearts and Vines a circular shawl by Mwaa Knits.  Fog Lifter will also go along if I don’t finish it by Tuesday–and I won’t!

I received a photo of the bride in her dress at the final fitting today and would love to post it but it might be seen by the wrong person/people.  So, I will wait until I come back to show you how beautiful she is.  How amazing it is that my tiny, baby granddaughter is wearing a dazzling wedding dress when she was slobbering over a cookie while I read Winnie the Poo to her only a few months ago.  It makes me teary to think of it and to think that we will be doing this again next year with a grandson.  Life is good!

Some doggy fun before I go…

It’s no wonder DH’s desk is always such a mess.

How does he get any work done?

This one was fantastic!  Coming on the heels of a milestone anniversary, during which our children showered us with love and gifts, I made the announcement that there would be no birthday gifts–just lunch and cake and much fun and love.  It worked out perfectly except that someone slipped in an iTunes gift card and an Amazon gift card.  That’s a good thing since I’m an app-shopping/Amazon ordering maniac.

Then came Monday and the box that sweet Grace of Lovin’ Comfort Knits sent.  Oh the abundant goodies!  One of Grace’s cutest Gnomes, Mister Joe Sangria yarn and the lovely Autumnal Neck Cozy that I have been coveting wanting.  Thank you Grace and thanks for featuring me on your blog.  It’s odd to check in to one of my favorite blogs and find my own face staring back at me!

Next week we will be heading out to Chicago and the preparations are hot and heavy.  There has been non-stop knitting on the second Crisscross Eyelets sock and Fog Lifter shawl.  I turned the heel on the sock and reached the mid-way point in the shawl and saw hope of finishing them before we leave.  I would like to take “fresh” knitting projects with me but must also have time to get them started.  Cast on and set up are not things I want to be doing in the car, especially with a dog in my lap (or two). 

This will be the first time we have traveled with TWO dogs and we have been taking practice expeditions out to various places.  We have all the equipment–two gentle leaders, two leashes, one splitter for a single leash (to control two at a time) and two strong harnesses.  Add to this two break-down crates, one large playpen, and enough blankets and pillows for sextuplets.  We have, quite literally, gone to the dogs! 

So this is me knitting fast to finish and hoping I can post a “Yippee I finished” blog post before I leave.  Time will tell….

The Shetland Skies Shawl by Kate Atherley of Wise Hilda blog is a real winner.  (She also designed Coffee Morning Shawl which I love with a passion).  I’m not usually fond of circular shawl knitting because they seem to go on and on with no end in sight.  This one, however, was fun.  There was enough going on to keep me interested, yet easy enough to memorize the 36 stitch pattern repeats.  Plus, it was getting compliments as it was blocking…

and is even prettier over the shoulders of a shirt or jacket.  Hurrah for a winner!!

There have been other winning moments this week.  I have been a Blackberry user (and lover) for years but my now obsolete Blackberry succumbed to hours of texting (don’t tweet but I’m the texting queen).  A key broke–the W and I haven’t noticed that I use the W more than any other key but there it is, broken!  The Blackberry was a winner for a long time.  I have actually made the statement that I would never use any other phone.  Then, all the family started getting iPhones.  They are cute and there are all those neat little apps for everything including knitting.  So I am the owner of a new iPhone 3GS and after a week of using it I must say, “Blackberry?”

There is one thing that bothers me though.  Like everyone else I’ve been hearing all the hullabaloo about antennae and lost calls and my first question was, “Do people really use an iPhone 4 or 3, or any phone for that matter without having a case on it?”  Actually, I had the heavy-duty Otter Box case and Zagg screen cover before I received the phone.  I had to order them right away because the Blackberry is evidence that I am tough on a phone.  Anyway, no lost calls here and I love the phone.  Apple does it again.  Sometimes we are winners regardless of the press reports! 

Life is good.

Cooler days in Texas

Texas summer can bring about all sorts of ills–mental, physical and spiritual.  Right now my mind, body and spirit are…HOT!  It’s blistering hot.  Mind-bending hot.  I just want to sit and stare into space–sit under a fan with the air-conditioning turned down to 65 degrees and stare into space.  I occasionally pick up my knitting and knit a few stitches.  If one of the dogs jumps into my lap I push her/him down and growl, “It’s HOT”!!  I’m a mess!

It’s 85 degrees in Chicago at this moment (so says the Weather Bug) and I can’t wait to get there in August.  In case we do encounter some cooler weather I have been searching out new patterns and looking forward to finishing the two shawls now on the needles (Shetland Skies and Fog Lifter).  Armed with my patterns and yarn, I plan to knit through every family gathering except the wedding and reception.  I know GD#2 will be happy to hear that!

I may be looking at shawl patterns but I am thinking of small projects that will transport easily and be small enough to not add heat in my lap or to my hands.  I knit mostly with wool but will consider a couple cotton projects.  There is a lot of organic cotton in my stash–some very nice Blue Skies Skinny Cotton and other organic cotton yarns in pretty colors. 

When the day winds down and the cooler (by 5 degrees) air moves in I usually realize how fortunate we are to be able to travel, vacation, visit with loved ones and generally enjoy life.  We are really looking forward to it! 

Life is good!