Here comes the sun...

Yesterday the clouds parted and provided a much-needed respite from the blustery wind and drenching rains which have dampened both spirits and the ground in the northwest. Thankfully the roofer repaired the skylight and replaced some broken roof tiles prior to the latest storm so we stayed dry.

After our errands A3 and I drove down to Multnomah Village in south Portland to visit Northwest Wools. The shop was delightful. Much of the yarn is arranged by colors, rather than by brand. As a result you would find Cascade mixed with Manos Del Uraguay, Opal, etc. This arrangement made me want to mix yarns together, felt something and knit freeform without patterns, guage, etc. The walls were lovely to gaze at, but my feeble brain wanders easily. This type of shopping opportunity often leaves me buying yarns with no end project in mind. In other words, I add to my out-of-control stash. The clerks/owners (not sure who was a proprietor and who owned the shop) were all very friendly, they let me touch and sniffle yarn without giving me funny looks, etc.

Multnomah Village itself is rather Bohemian. Translation, lots of college-aged kids in ugly clothes and dread locks who reek of patchouli and lots of strange little shops. It's very reminescent of Fairhaven up in Bellingham, but without the splattering of "exclusive" shops and restaurants. My only reserve in being there with my daughter was that I don't think that was tobacco being smoked on the sidewalks.

Upon returning home we all seized a moment to soak up some sun in the back yard.

When the mail arrived it brought my new license plate frame (courtesy of Scout's Swag). It was immediately installed. Now I'll feel like a rebel with a bad-ass attitude in my mini-van. Whoo hoo!

Culture Fool

Have y'all seen the new Comcast commercials featuring Mr. T bursting through the shower wall of a man butchering the words to a well-known song? Well, I AM A KNITTING CULTURE FOOL! IF we subscribed to digital cable or if I visited cool websites like DIY then I would know who Vickie Howell is. As most of you probably know she hosts a television show called Knitty Gritty.

Last week I ordered some yarn from Scout's Handpainted Swag. When the yarn was dyed and ready to send (I don't think Scout ever sleeps) she e-mailed me to say that Vickie Howell and I had both ordered the Rosalie colorway at the same time, it was dyed in the same batch and "How cool was that?". Now any of you who have conversed with me either live or via email know that I'm a bit of a scatterbrain. I just assumed that Vickie Howell was somebody from a knitting swap I'm participating in. As a result the following emails between Scout and I became a "Who's on First" type of exchange. She soon ascertained that I had no clue as to Vickie Howell's identity so she kindly sent me a link. I am now enlightened!


This is the gorgeous yarn (and some much-needed "Heal My Hands") which arrived yesterday.

And here's a close up envy shot...

Not only is this yarn gorgeous, but it's soft too. I don't know what to make with it yet, but for now I'm happy to just fondle it, stare at it and know that somebody famous has the same yarn dyed in the batch.

Today's Bento lunches for the girls consisted of do-it-yourself mini pizzas. The idea was shamlessly copied from somebody else's blog as their version of the popular Lunchables. The crusts are simply some mini pita breads picked up in the deli section of a local grocery store. The homemade pizza sauce can be squeezed out of a small hole which is cut into the corner and covered with a sticker. Not only are these less expensive than Lunchables, but I can control sodium, etc.

Now off to Portland to have some documents shredded and run a few other errands. If you have a moment today then pop over to Cindy's blog and give her a virtual hug or a quick note. The poor dear is recooperating from having a tooth extracted. Ouch!

This may be a sign that I need more coffee than usual this morning , but these "purls" of wisdom made me laugh while opening my morning email (thank you Todd).

Deep Thoughts for Those Who Take Life Way Too Seriously:

>Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.>
> The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.>
> A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.>
> If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.>
> When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.>
> Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.>
> Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened.>
> Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.>
> Life isn't like a box of chocolates . . . it's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, could burn your butt tomorrow.

Yesterday was spent volunteering in A3's Kindergarten classroom, paying bills and grocery shopping. This doesn't sound like much, but those tasks, coupled with the normal cooking, cleaning, homework help, etc., ate up the entire day. Translation: no time for knitting :(. Today doesn't look promising either, but a girl can always hope. The victims of neglect:

Embossed leaves
in Mama-E's "Beau"
feeling sadly
alone and forlorn.

Bonny reminding me
that I have a second
knitting UFO,
my sister's cabled vest,
waiting my attention too.
(She's making it "important"
by sitting on it).

One of the daily challenges faced in our home is school lunches. Most schools, ours included, serve horrible tasting food that is low on nutrition and high in simple carbs, fats, etc. And pb&j from home quickly becomes old hat. Coupled with that is the guilt associated with straying from a previously healthier diet. We used to be "almost vegetarian". Meaning we still consumed dairy and some seafood. I know, vegans would scoff indignantly and call us dietary posers. Also eschewed were processed flours, fried foods and anything with preservatives or high-fructose corn syrup. Anyway, we're trying to revert back. My selfish reason being that my butt is shall we say... Taking on a life of its own and now usurping territory previously reserved for the backs of my thighs and the small of my back. These boundary disputes require immediate attention before an all-out war ensues.

Well, V, my coffee/knit swap buddy has an ingenious solution which I'm attempting to copy. Each day she packs delicious and nutritious O'Bento style lunches for both her daughter and herself. My first attempts:


Because A2 is particulary fussy, I've decided to allow her to continue to have her fruit snacks, but eventually these will be phased out too.

Because several of you have inquired about the containers I thought I'd "come clean". These are nothing more than odds and ends from my plastics/avalanche cupboard. The creative person I copied this idea from, uses cupcake papers as dividers for many of her foods to keep them neat and organized. Pretty much any old container would work. My girls seemed more impressed with using the toothpicks to skewer their food bits than in the food itself or in the packaging.

Now, off to call the roofer & complete other tasks which interrupt my knitting.