pie on the mind

one of my fondest memories from when i was a little girl is sneaking pie with my grandpa. nobody knew what we were up to. he'd stand guard and i would creep under the table to the cabinet where grandma would put the desserts. the cabinet was built into the table. shoo-fly pie was our favorite. still is mine.

last week i made one and while the actual filling was perfect, the crust was not. it was too thick and took away from the flavors of the pie itself. i hadn't been able to locate a great crust recipe i'd found online, nor could i remember the site or find it in my history.

today i decided to start thinking about the holidays and what food i shall be making. the menu is coming along quite nicely, i must say. what should i find in the bread section of my recipe box? that crust recipe!!

so, even though i made the pie just last week, i think i must make it again. to see if i have truly perfected it.

and we were thankful

yesterday we hosted our annual "stragglers thanksgiving" dinner. last year it was interrupted (happily) by my family visiting and my having to feed us all. man, that was fun.

this year we had our friend michelle and her 15 year old son, gage, over as well as tami (who i work with) and her beau, keith.

i texted mick a few weeks ago asking her what their plans were. she said there was another offer on the table, but that she would check with the kid. he answered with a resounding, "kev and shan's!" i kind of figured that would happen. :)

earlier this week it dawned on me that one of the girls i work with and her boyfriend might not have plans, but want copious amounts of food. they were on and off the fence not sure what they wanted to do, but at 3:00 sent a text saying they were on their way. i also kind of figured that would happen...what, with the lure of a huge home cooked meal?

it was such a lovely day. no crazy rush to get things cooking, just a glance at my time-line on the fridge and i knew i could have a leisurely day cooking. the turkey was 18 lbs. it was one our neighbors had stored in our freezer last year. they'd gotten it for free, but had no space last year to put it in their tiny freezer. we offered up storage, thinking they'd want it for the holidays. nope.

i told brett that we were cooking it and he was surprised we'd not already. a year is my limit on freezing a turkey for someone before it becomes fair game (no pun intended). we'll have them over for soup.

we played a game for a while, in front of the fire, but we ended early because it was kind of boring...why didn't we play quelf?!?

everyone had a good time anyway. it ended up being an earlier night, but that was okay. we all were full. not only our bellies, but our hearts (well mine was).

this morning i woke at the leisurely hour of almost 9:00. i've got plans to make the turkey stock for soup. i may not get out of my jammies, jury is still out on that call.

happy birthday, bay-bee

35.

i have now known you for 13 of those 35 years. how did i get to be so lucky?

when we first met i wasn't sure you were my type. when we first met you thought i asked too many questions because you just wanted to go home. it was at work, where we met.

you make me laugh. you make my life fuller. you make the sun rise and set, according to the dog. i suppose the cats and i agree. you are pretty darn special.

i love you, kevin. possibly more than you might know.

the quiet of the day

it's a nice quiet day around here. kev has been out and about running a couple of errands. i got to stay home and start some chores. the house is now vacuumed and the laundry is underway.

i am knitting and listening to music in our living room. it's nice that i am finally using this room more. we've lived in the house for a bit more than two years now and it's been the room we've never really utilized. i'm glad it's starting to get a bit more play these days. i do think i want to hang heavier curtains in the winter, however.

kev's birthday is tomorrow. we decided to go to dinner last night at a fancy steak house with two of our closest friends. man, it was goo-ood. petite filet with a bleu cheese crust...perfectly steamed broccoli, sauteed mushrooms (left whole), and meh potatoes (was unanimous).

i can't believe that when we first met kev was only 22 years old, i was 24. seems like yesterday sometimes, and others it feels like forever ago.

it makes me happy, knowing i married my best friend. i hope your birthday is what you want it to be, kev. i love you.

it's the holiday season...

working retail during the holidays can be crazy. being a manager is almost even crazier. staff want off to spend time with their family and i try to accommodate as best i can. this year i've only had to tell one person that they couldn't have their original desired date off, but we compromised and adjusted the schedule so she would get an extra day to go see her family and her beau's family. thankfully the crew knows i am one person and most of them are willing to cover for a coworker now and again when i am already on the sales floor.

starting tuesday, i'm working a nine (9) day stretch on the sales floor. leading right up to turkey day. i've got the menu set and the shopping list compiled. all kev has to do is go on monday before the big day to get everything on said list. one of the evenings i will make the cheesecake. and we have to remember to take the bird out of the freezer on the sat prior to thanksgiving. it's an 18 lb bird. i hope that the 14 year old boy, 16 year old girl and their mother who are joining us for the big day are hungry. cuz i've got a feast planned.

i'm glad to get the tradition of "stragglers thanksgiving" back into practice. michelle, gage and mallory will be a welcome addition to our feast.

a slow morning

it's a rainy monday in portland. the color of the leaves that still stay attached to the japanese maple is vivid and lovely. pops of orange, yellow and red against the cold grey skies. there is a chill to the air in the house.

i long for a day in jammies, but know we have errands that must be run. that's the problem with living in the rainy climate in winter. you don't ever want to leave your house on days off. we will get out, errands will be run. but the desire to start a fire so i can sit and knit in its warm glow is strong. of course that would mean having to go out to the garage to get some wood. and my fire starter is still in bed.

so instead i sit listening to the sound of the rain on the roof and the trees, thinking of turning the heat up a bit (it's set to 62) so i can work on a fun little project for someone i hold dear to me. i have a looming deadline, this weekend. eep!

life is good. i am thankful.

a post of eclectic

i am looking forward to what today holds. i will be zipping between stores a bit, but also going to ellington to look at the purses again. i went last week, but honestly didn't get to dig in the bags and really inspect them as i would have liked. my rep is a lovely woman, but it was hard to really play when she was there. don't know why that was. ah well, at least their store is open weekly and i can go anytime i want. :)

the dog is driving me batshit crazy. she will guard her breakfast for a while before finally settling down and eating it. she acts as though i am the meanest person in the world when i make her go out to potty before she's eaten. she tucks her tail a little and acts like i'm scolding her. i try to keep my voice upbeat and free of the annoyance i am feeling, but somehow she knows.

for some reason simon allowed us to sleep until the alarm sounded this morning. not sure what's up with that cat. he hasn't used his voice much at all today. not that i am complaining because the other one, chloe, is taking up the slack for him. whine whine whine as she sits behind me, staring at my head.

the rains have arrived. how can i tell, besides the drops of water falling from the sky? people aren't out and about. it always happens each year when they return. we forget what it's like to have rain and we freak out, hiding inside. this will change after a couple of weeks and we realize it's not going anywhere.

kev has to work on halloween. i don't think i am going to hand out candy. i just don't need it in my house and last year we didn't get all that many kids. and honestly, kids don't need the candy either... i think i may go hang with the neighbors. i suppose i should make sure they are down with that idea. i do have a party we got invited to, but i'm not sure i am going to go.

i have signed up at this site called opentable.com that my sister told me about. it's pretty cool. you make reservations, they give you points. the points turn into $$ you can spend at participating restaurants. pretty neat, huh? i also signed up at upromise.com to help save money for my dear little nephew's college fund. i've got a total savings of $7.38 thus far!! :) it makes me feel good contributing to his future.

knitting is coming along and i have only a couple more blocks to make for the blanket i'm doing for my dear little nephew. it's pretty exciting, really. i am hoping to have it down to them mid december at the latest, although part of me is thinking i should wait and send it down with my parents when they go down after xmas. we'll see how much space they will have. i just fear it getting lost in the mail. and since that voice is calling, perhaps i should listen and ask mom and dad. :)

work is calling...must go in now.

today was a day

we decided yesterday that we'd start winterizing the garden today. we finally had a day off together that was somewhat nice. we did the responsible thing by getting up and getting outside. we cleaned up the beans, zucchini, tomatoes, and weeded around the asparagus (the ferns that is). we discussed what we'd like to see happen back there next year as far as the paths go. i don't feel like mulching every couple of years. we did it last year, our first summer, and as i recall i ended up doing most of it.

i am going to play with it tonight i think. put pen to paper, if you will. in fact, i think i am going to get my graph paper right now...

make me a chicken pot pie!

kev surprised me with a food processor this year for my birthday. i'd told him that the trip could be my present, but he did research and found a great deal at macy's for a 7 cupper. i made tiny pies tonight to freeze for later in the winter.

i added sage to the pie dough recipe because i thought it would add a lovely flavor to the meal. i only made enough dough for six of the wide mouthed 8 oz jelly jars so i threw some biscuits in the oven while i filled the jars with the mixture since there was extra filling...

when the biscuits were done i split one on the bottom of each bowl and spooned the filling on top. the recipe was quite tasty.

i am looking forward to trying the tiny pies soon.

hello there stranger

time has passed. funny how it does that.

1. i went to california to visit my sister, her husband and my 5 month old nephew last weekend. i was in heaven. from the moment he laid eyes on me E got a huge grin on his face and his eyes lit up. i am sure my face did the same.

2. i am surprised the kid isn't chapped from head to toe since i kissed every single inch of him multiple times. he didn't seem to mind. in fact, he giggled everytime i gave his belly zerburts. but then again, who wouldn't?

3. i came home to an extremely clean house. it has promptly gone down hill. i've worked every single day since getting home, some days were 10+ hour days. i promise to clean it tomorrow.

4. i am chugging along on the next sweater/shell i am knitting myself, but have to set it down now to work on the blanket once more. i didn't want to take the gift with me because it would spoil the surprise and it has gotten too big to be a traveling project.

5. our old tv finally died. kev did research and found us a new tv at a great deal. it's puuuuurrrrrty!

6. i don't have a sixth thing in my mind right now, but it's my favorite number so... 6!

four more sleeps and other orts

i am going to visit my sister and her family on friday. i can hardly wait to get my arms around my nephew. it will be the perfect ending to what promises to be an exhausting week.

i've been redesigning the office and it is now time to put the plan into action. that means, office is getting cleaned out, old furniture removed, new furniture purchased and constructed...all before wednesday's meeting which is at 1:00. i can do it!

knitting is going well, except for the fact when we walked in the door saturday night kev's first words as he opened the door were, "uh oh! you are not going to like this..." josie had pulled all the yarn out of the bag that held the blanket i am making for eli and family. josie basically pulls out the balls of yarn and tosses them in the air, which makes them all fall apart...so she gets the next one out until it's nothing but a mess. all in all there were four balls of yarn played with and only one had been broken (meaning the yarn was cut essentially). thankfully, she didn't put a hole in the blanket.

i have a different project to take with me on the plane since the blanket is to the size where it just wouldn't travel well (can't imagine knitting it on the plane really). and since i don't want to work on it in front of my sister and her family...it stays here so i can finish it and ship it before the holidays. she knows i'm making it, but she doesn't know what it looks like. man, it's turning out beautifully and i think she will adore it!!

the type of people we live near

we went to get in our car yesterday morning. i noticed something on the roof. at first glance it looked like a dead bird. at second glance we realized it was just a dead birds head.

sent text to neighbors: "tell your cats thanks for the gift of the bird head on our car"

sign on porch when we returned from the coast:

"LOST BIRD!!

Have you seen our beloved Chirpie?
Our parapelegic daughter's bird Chirpie escaped last night.
Last seen flying into a tree at (intersection where i live).
My wife gave Chirpie to my daughter last Christmas. An allergic
reaction to the bird killed her mom and now all little Collette has is
Chirpie. She hasn't stopped crying since last night.
Have you seen Chirpie?
Bob (and a fake number)"

the quiet of morning

there is something lovely about the quiet of this house before everyone is up and going. chloe sits next to me on the couch. if i'm lucky, she sometimes sits on my lap. simon, kev and josie are all still in the bedroom snoozing. if i go in there, i can hear the symphony of their breath. it's a lovely sound.

today is a rainy morning. the kind that makes you wish you didn't have to go into work, rather you'd love to just sleep in, waking when you want instead of with an alarm.

i'm working at the new store today. and for the first time since training the newbie, i've got someone working with me for a few hours. i just hope it proves to be a good idea to have someone with me for a few hours in the middle of the day. i have projects already figured out in case it is slow.

jill came over last night. it was rather impromptu (which is often the case). we had a lovely dinner, shared a nice bottle of wine, and watched project runway. spending time chatting and just being with each other in the same space. i'm a lucky girl.

tonight, i'm not sure what it holds. i know kev is talking of meeting a friend for a movie (kung fu, so i may pass) but i don't know what i want to do. should i text some knittah friends to come over and knit? maybe that's not a bad idea...the texts shall begin once i am at work (and after i make sure that kev is going to the movie and hasn't decided he wants to hang with me instead...which would be fine by me, too).

what are you doing tonight?

and breathe

i am finally getting to sit for a little bit today. it's nice.

so, what's been going on? you wonder. well, work. and life.

i've not caught myself thinking about writing as much lately. sometimes i get an idea running through my head, but more times than not i forget it by the time i get to sit in front of my computer. and then i get sucked into other things that obviously are more demanding of my attention. but when i get a quiet moment, when i am alone upstairs, my muse sometimes visits.

sadly, now is not one of those times. i just wanted to pop in and say hello. hope all is going well with you all. will write when i can and when i have things to say.

until then, be well.

harvest

this is one of my favorite harvests. those potatoes were like velvet in my mouth. the onions were sharp and wonderful (albeit small), the peppers had some kick to them (which made for amazing salsa).

i have a list on the fridge of the veggies we'd like to plant next year for the summer harvest. i've been remiss about doing a fall crop. i'm not a huge fan of the butternut squash and other fall harvests. but i still feel as though i should have planted something...

oh and next year, we're planting the same type of green bean as last year. not a fan of the taste or the small harvest of the ones we planted this year. the latter of which possibly has to do with the odd weather we've had this year.

days off blogger

it would appear as if i've become a "weekender". ah well, such is life. work has been quite busy, but in this economy (while working retail) that's a good thing! trust me, i gots no complaints!

so, instead of rehashing all that i've done this work week, perhaps i will make the list of things i'd like to get accomplished today? or maybe just talk about a few of the things. i don't want to pressure myself.

i'd like to make salsa today, but it requires going to the store. i need a bit more cilantro, another onion, some habeneros (to go with our jalapenos and anaheims), and limes.

i am really hoping that we get the diggity dog out (that'd be josie) on a light hike. we've not been all that active this summer (other than walks around the 'hood) so i want to take it easy. no devil's rest!

i also hope to have time to do is knit. i've got patterns of sweaters swirling in my head...but i've not seen them anywhere, so my brain is working overtime doing math and such.

ooh! and coffee. i'm going to make coffee! the grinder is using less beans for a really lovely pot of french press than my previous blade grinder. this will prove to be a great thing.

that's about it, yo.

today might just be a perfect day, with a couple of exceptions

• i got to sleep in. (perfect)
• i did not get to have coffee after waking, for the grinder has passed. (so NOT perfect)
• i took the dog on an hour long walk. (perfect)
• i did get to run errands with jill today. (perfect)
• i did unload three enormous zucchini to the lovely kay at sweetness bakery. (perfect)
• where i did get a non fat, iced, latte. (perfect)
  
• i found fabulous new dishtowels that were also inexpensive, but not thin and crappy. (perfect)
• i got a burr coffee bean grinder that did not cost an arm and a leg, by black and decker which makes me chuckle for some reason. (perfect)
• i had a rubinator in the middle of the day, with jill. (perfect)
• i left my grocery list at the bar. (NOT perfect)
• i remembered everything on it. (perfect)
  
• and tonight i have date night with my husband where he will make me vodka penne with tomatoes out of our own garden. (perfect)
  

pulse

i just got home from taking josie on about an hour long walk. we walked over to jill's house to see if she wanted to join us on a walk back to our house before running errands. we knew, when we arrived, the answer would be "later" because jill had paint in her hands and the window trim was all taped and ready.

we chatted with jill for a little bit, and jill shared this story:

background: we needed jill to feed the crew last night because we both worked closing shifts

"your dog is a smart dog! i walked in, she didn't bark. we all went downstairs and she sat down. i asked her 'oh, do the cats get fed first?' fed the cats. asked josie, 'bagged food or binned food?' and she sniffed the bag with her nose. then, she went upstairs and sat by the door waiting to go out. she peed and then i asked her, 'do you have to poo?' so she turned around and went poo. "

i'm impressed by josie so often, but this made my heart swell with pride.

after we chatted josie and i walked home. we popped (well, i did) into sweetness bakery to possibly get an iced latte. line was long! (yea!!) so i told kay i would see her later. she reminded me i had zucchini for her. i will take them by when i get jill.

now, i am cooled off, but need to get cleaned up. the air is already getting warm (hence the walk this morning). heat wave 2.0 is approaching.

life back to normal!

this morning i woke and fed the crew. simon was a little annoying this morning, but just in spurts of it. not constant. i had an odd dream, but can't really remember it. just the feeling is left over.

i got myself caught up with my blogs (google reader is a blessing and a curse. for when there are 40+ posts over the past few days to get caught up on, daunting). i've had my regular half a bagel (one half of the half with peanut butter, the other with butter). i'm sipping on my coffee and there is a chill to the air.

today is going to consist of the following (well, some of it at least)

weeding the front yard (why does it always come off my fingers as wedding...)
buying a new coffee bean grinder (there was a mishap)
lunching with kiley (yea!)
hanging with chuck (yea squared!)
canning of tomato sauce (possibly)

and lounging. a lot.

you?

won't bore you with the details

work has been crazy busy. we're getting ready for several events within a two week time period (some are overlapping).

one of those events is a sale at the kids store. i offered to make fabric banners for it, so that we have reusable ones for years to come. i am in the home stretch, and the good thing is they aren't needed for another week. yeah! being ready in advance! go me!

the thing is, sewing on those banners has made me itch to make something. perhaps a pillow. i've always adored making them and our house could use a little updating. also, was thinking i have some friends i've never made one for that should receive one.

i think i am going to have my friend, who is coming over shortly, look at my fabric stash. it's the stash that has gotten out of control before, but has since been reined in...and it's why my yarn stash stays small (i learned). perhaps i will do a little embroidery too? i just don't know. all i do know is that knitting makes me warm and i am itching to do something a little different (although i can now honestly see a cream colored stockinette stitch pillow with big wooden buttons...kill me).

so yeah, i think i'm going to pull out the fabric stash and dream.

the heat has left the building

this past week i am sure most of you have noticed we got really hot up here in the pac nw. not just hot, but f*cking hot (sorry 'rents). it was all we could do not to melt each and every time we would step outside.

i got home one night and the thermostat in the house read 98F. 98! what is that?!? this morning, i awoke and was slightly chilled by the air coming in through the bedroom window. it was a feeling i'd not felt in a while. it felt amazing!

the clouds are still hanging in the sky (i am sure most of us here would love it if they stayed all day). the garden is looking a little droopy, but we've watered and we are starting to see some tomatoes ripen. i'd have thought with the crazy heat and sun that all of them would have ripened in a second. thankfully, they seem to be ripening at different intervals.

on a side note, have to say i'm a bit disappointed with our oregon spring tomatoes. they didn't ripen as early as last year, and they are getting weird and mis-shapen now. they almost look like the brandywine we grew last year. kev's suggesting there was a mix up last year and the weird oddly shaped ones were probably really the oregon spring. i disagree with him. i think we had a cool spring and our summer finally hit this week. i think the weather played a huge part in why they grew but didn't ripen yet. i am just ready for a ton to do so so i can make salsa. our jalapenos are growing by the bushel full!!

i need to make sure to take a sweater to work today, the mall store gets really cold (why i did not mind working there all week while one of the women who works there is on her honey moon).

done and done

i didn't get that many photos of me in the dress at both weddings this past weekend, but this is the one that i did get.

it was so much fun to wear! the next night i paired it with a burnt orange necklace (think lots of rocks) and a camel colored pair of sandals. i got many compliments on it, which kind of made me blush.

hit a yarn sale at one of my favorite stores on saturday and bought enough yarn to make just the top of it. my neighbor told me that i had to start making all my own sweaters because this dress fit me so well. i will make another dress, that is certain.

i can't believe that i knit a dress!!!

lest i forget

i could easily complain about the heat here (it's broken 100 two days in a row and we're going for a trifecta tomorrow) but i won't. 

i'd forgotten that i am slightly allergic to the bean plants. any skin that touches the vines gets itchy. really itchy. it goes away rather quickly, but i'd totally forgotten about the fact it even happens. 

i am sitting at jill and mark's house. in the "cool" seat. the one that's right next to an air vent. man, i'm glad for good friends. i sent jill a text asking her what time i should be over tonight...we'd not spoken of getting together prior to the text. she sent one back a while later asking if i needed air conditioning. 

i brought one zucchini and some greenie beanies. they've got tomatoes already (color me green). so who knows what we will do for dinner tonight. she should be arriving anytime now. 

work is going well. i'm on the floor this entire week at the mall location. the only thing i don't mind about that is the fact that the a/c is rockin! and i have to take a sweater. so that makes up for how slow it is out there. at least the next three days i will be training someone so i will have company.

well, going to get myself a large glass of water and knit some in this cool, cool air. 

a single moment

i have this one tiny moment where there is nothing to do. there isn't enough time to start a project because at about 2:30 i will being the process of getting ready for a friends intimate wedding. there are forty guests. i feel lucky to be invited to share this special day.

the dress has turned out perfectly. i couldn't have asked for any better. i couldn't have shopped for anything better. i do not have pictures of it yet, other than shots i took with my phone's camera when it wasn't finished.

i bought more of the same yarn, different color, to make the top of it (which was sizzle from wendy bernard). my friends are asking me to write up the skirt pattern. i will, i promise! and i'll share. it really turned out special.

last night i roped jill into going to nordy's with me (really, all i had to do was ask her to go with me and help shop for something to wear under the dress). what i got ain't sexy, but it sure helps the dress look hotsie totsie!

and the time goes where?

i am going to be m.i.a. for a little bit. we're getting ready to open a new store. i'm covering the floor more. i've got three weddings to attend over two weekends. somewhere in there, i am going to remember to breathe.

oh and no, i didn't finish the dress i was hoping to have knitted for the weddings. and i'm okay with that.

one week old

i am such a jerk. sorry. i tantalize you with a photo of pearl's right eye, with promises of more to come...and then i disappear.

work's gotten crazy. we're in the process of opening a new location so busy is my middle name.

so without further ado, i give you pearl. my 09 honda fit sport.

wink

kev and i decided to go look at cars last night. we were only going to actually buy something if it was THE car we wanted. no settling!

trust me, i didn't settle!

meet Pearl...

she's a little shy. i'll have to try to get some more shots when she's not looking.

found one!

being a lighter shade of blond, it is hard to really see if/when i've got grey hair. well, this morning, i found my first...

i've always thought when it happens, it will come in rather white grey. it seems as though those thoughts may be true. it looks rather light, doesn't it?!?

honestly, i feel like celebrating! it's a lovely shade of grey.

can you see it? it even has a little bit of body to it! eep!!

quiet mornings

the house is getting going rather quietly this morning. a departure from yesterday. eli is with his mom in bed, getting fed. his dad is getting ready for yet another day at work. his uncle is sleeping still, while i am up making coffee and doing some light cleaning around here. today, i will remember to vacuum the house and wash the dog.

speaking of the dog...oscar has been my favorite dog for a long time, well favorite boy dog (sorry edgar). he is the reason i wanted a dog in the first place.

i remember the first time i met him my sister said, "he's a little wild and he will probably bark at you for quite a while, just ignore him." i walked in saying, "oscar oscar oscar" and he walked up, to me quietly, turned and barked at her. he and i have been friends ever since.

that was a long time ago. the old man is now eleven and a half(!) years old. i can hardly believe it when i watch him tear off through the backyard. but then, if we play too hard, the arthritus in the hips starts to act up and it's more evident. of course, the white mask doesn't make him look any more puppy like, but he still has faked people out.

he is a great dog with the baby. as soon as eli cries, oscar is up and by his side. he listens when we tell him no licking the baby. he moves out of the way when asked. he's just a great dog. i will miss him when we leave town tomorrow. i will miss all of them when we leave.

i miss them already...

smit-ten

yes, i am in love. he's my little bug. he had just been getting fussy after a lovely moment with his mom getting fed in their bed. she was hoping to nap, but alas...she ended up using the time to go through a box of table linens while he and i danced around the room to james brown.

at this point i asked my sister to get into my purse and pull out my camera to capture this shot. i'm glad i did.

he is such a snuggle bug!!! i love him ever so much. my little guy.

if i didn't love my life in portland so much i'd move here in a heartbeat. of course, i was hoping they would move up to where i live...but no such luck. ah well, such is life.

made it

i am sitting in the family room at my sister's house in los angeles. i arrived yesterday after a roughly 16 hour drive. i am thankful for chuck and gage and their willingness to make the trip with me. it was not too bad. i didn't ever feel like i wished it was over until we got into the city and i was driving. man, i can't imagine driving in that kind of traffic all the time.

can i just say, the drive was worth it?!?! i think you can get that from the photo, though.

i made my sister leave the house solo today, while david had to finish some things up at work. (actually, once i proposed that i stay home with the baby and allow her some time to herself, she ran to the store to pick up the last few things for the first dad's day dinner. i was the lucky chef) he was a little fussy in the beginning, but after a few burps and one spit up, he was sleeping soundly. then we had our first photo shoot. i love looking into that mirror and seeing myself holding him. he's everything i knew he would be.

it's been a lovely evening. watching my sister and her husband with their son is a truly wonderful site to behold. they are natural parents. and it was an honor to get to cook something that they both truly enjoyed (even though they had to eat in shifts...).

i can hardly believe i am an aunt. i love him more than i can express in words.

i smell like a dog

i'm sitting on the couch, watching some silly and stupid tv program. josie is resting quietly on the floor by my feet. all of a sudden, she jumps up with her nose held high in the air. she starts walking around the house this way. i think to myself that somebody must have gotten sick and as soon as i stand to investigate, i realize that i smell it as well.

i swear, i have the olfactory system of a dog.

friends are a'comin

we are having some friends over tonight for a little bbq. really, we originally were just having the friend who will be house/animal sitting while we are in los angeles (where lily, yes, we'll be meeting our new little nephew, eli) over to show him the ropes, but that turned into "hey, we should have other people over to eat too!"

only one couple couldn't make it due to prior engagements, but they were over last night.

kev is such a good sport about stopping and getting groceries on his way home. he works near a haggens market and quite honestly, the produce there is much better quality than the two stores near us. plus, i still don't have a car so it makes it easier on me if he goes and does it on his way home.

speaking of the car, we're still waiting to sign on our re-fi. there were so many people trying to take advantage of the lower rates that the banks are swamped. our broker has the locked in date past the time when we are gone, so we can sign when we get home (unless she emails us and tells us that we can sign this week). i'm not too worried. so i'll drive the subie down (i adore it, vicki!!)

all i have left to do today before everyone gets here is move the furniture back downstairs (when we rock band, we move things around to make space) and finish cleaning up the kitchen.

oh, and sneeze...a lot...blasted allergies.

i took photos of the garden yesterday, but kev took the camera to work and i didn't get them loaded to my computer before he had to leave. i promise to share when i get the camera back!!

clean

there is nothing more satisfying than sitting down in a freshly cleaned house. we took the subaru to the dealership today to get the power outlet installed. it'd had a defunct lighter when we bought it used a few years ago and up until this point we hadn't needed the power for anything. however, with my driving trip coming up in just over a week, kev thought it'd be a good idea to get it taken care of so i can charge my cell phone. while there the battery died. honestly, can't think of a better place for it to up and die than a place where they sell batteries. they said it looked like the original battery, which means it was seven years old. pretty old for a car battery.

we got home, ate a little breakfast and decided to go ahead and clean the house in anticipation for a couple of friends who are coming over this evening. i am a big fan of getting the cleaning taken care of early in the day so that the rest of my day off can be spent relaxing. perhaps i need to make a facebook fan group for that? it seems like there are fan groups for all kinds of things there.

i'm really looking forward to the drive to los angeles with our friend chuck. it was a surprise that he was able to go with me down (and both of us coming back). i simply suggested that prior to him finding a job he might want to go visit his sister who lives there. he talked to her and the dates worked well. this made many in my family happy, knowing i would not be driving alone. kev will be joining me there, but he flies down a few days later because he can't take too many days off work.

so now what? perhaps i can cajole kevin into some rock band? it's a bit too rainy for yard work...

the circus is in town

i looked outside yesterday morning and saw that the circus had arrived.

when we first bought the house this bush was not blooming. we had no idea what was in store for us the following spring.

it is the coolest flowering bush we've ever seen. still have no idea what kind it is. we will be taking a clipping to the local nursery to see what they say.

we've been getting rain these past couple of days. i love free water!! :)

the woman i call friend

last week jill asked me when *we were going to paint our upstairs bathroom. she suggested we do it on a monday or tuesday soon, because currently she's only working wed-fri and isn't sure when that might change.

i told her we'd do it next week. today was the day. galveston gray from benjamin moore. we are in love with it! the cabinetry will be going white in the very near future, for which she has also offered her services.

jill is one of my closest friends. with each other we know that all we have to do is ask and we're there. for whatever project either of us have to do. even if that project is simply sitting on the back patio with a gin and tonic.

*we= the two of us, not me and kevin...who hasn't even seen it yet as i write this. i think the photo turned out pretty okay considering i took it with my phone!!

they're starting to bloom!

this is one of my favorite flowering shrubs on our property. when all of them bloom it's wild. no worries, though, i will share when they do!

it was a lovely day today. work was productive and went by quickly. i got to meet up with a friend i've not seen in probably over a year and a half. otherwise known as TOO LONG!! amanda, it was great to see you again and we'll do it again real soon!

tomorrow jill is coming over to help paint the upstairs bathroom. tonight i was supposed to start taping off parts, but honestly, i lost steam. instead i sat downstairs for a while watching dvr'd what not to wear while knitting. i've started cleaning up the kitchen, but again...the steam is not there.

i'm happy to say i have the next two days off. i do have to do a little bit of work tomorrow (just fielding a call from an employee who was sick today, has called off for tomorrow, and possibly will be calling off for wednesday as well) but it won't take long.

have we talked about the potatoes?

we decided to try our hands at growing potatoes, too. i figured that the odds were in my favor because my late grandfather was a potato farmer in pennsylvania.

mom thought the potato we had looked a little sad and it might be too late to plant. well, our potato had other ideas. we planted four chunks, all which had really strong eyes. three have shot forth and become these beautiful plants. one is slower, but it's there.

each time i see the growth, i cover it...as i am supposed to. and each day i go out to visit my plants, i am amazed by how much this little guy is poking out. so i cover him up again. i need to drag the bag of really amazing dirt out of the potting shed to have on had 24/7 by this guy. the mounds will have to be quite big soon.

i can hardly wait!!

the rise of the greenie beanies

hello big world.

greenie beanies will grow again.

this time, even more. planted the entire length of support, instead of just half like last year.

beans coming out of my ears, you say?

yep!!

i spy with my little eye

can you see it? i know you can. if not, click the pic to make it bigger.

you see now? two little sprouts. what are they?

CORN!!!

i planted roughly 40 seeds (two rows) and we have about 10 coming up right now, with hopes for more.

our zucchini sprouts have started too. out of the 9 i planted, 2 are emerging. we'll probably even cull that to one plant (will let the little boogers grow to see who is going to look the strongest).

i could hardly believe my eyes when we took the tour last night. i swear, every single day i walk through the garden i spy something else new and beautiful.

we've got quite a bit of garden work that kind of dropped in our laps last night, however. the tiny italian plum tree is covered in aphids. we have rock to spread. there are always weeds to pull (but that isn't new, so not really something that "dropped" per se).

look ma! i weeded

when mom and dad were here we worked our fingers to the bone. we weeded almost every single day, or at least it felt like it. there was one spot mom really had wanted to get to, but her hips were hurting and she was done. so, with the aide of some amazing tools provided by my neighbor, i did the spot last night. the garden weasel and a claw...

got that space nice and neat, didn't it?!

perhaps that is the reason i am tired today? all this playing in the dirt?

i also trimmed up the grape vines that were obstructing the view of the garden from our kitchen. we can have none of that!!

so what do you think, mom?

thank you garden

i got to harvest some spinach tonight. the first of hopefully many. there wasn't a whole bowlful, so it was lucky i had some more in the fridge we bought when mom and dad were here, but what i had was amazing. so meaty yet tender.

i look forward to more from our garden this summer. we've gotten our beans and corn planted as well as potatoes (not sure if it's too late or not to plant those, so we'll see). all nine of the asparagus crowns i planted have sprouted, just about half are ferning out (which is necessary to allow happen as to strengthen the root systems). our broccoli hasn't put up any buds yet, but all six plants are looking healthy.

our garlic will be ready to come out right around july. i am looking forward to it because we have none left from last year's harvest.

thank you, garden.

for my knittahs!

i've been remiss. i've failed to keep you all updated on the progress of the dress. it is coming along quite nicely. i did get to try it on at one point, when i'd just finished the top but hadn't started on the skirt yet. it looked great. took a photo with my old phone, but can't get it off that one.

anyway, i took a couple of shots today. the sun was just lovely, a breeze coming in through the window. i'm happy to say i got to work on it almost every day my parents were here.

i kind of changed my deadline from the weddings i have in july to going down to california to meet my nephew. i can hardly wait.

yeah, i might be nuts, but i really think i can make it. the thing that will be hardest is weaving in all those ends and picking up the stitches around the neck and arms.

speaking of my beautiful dress, i think i shall go sit with it for a while. the simpsons are on, the breeze is still coming in through the windows while the sun is shining in the sky.

we've got friends coming over to help eat some of the amazing leftovers we have from the visit in a while, so i have to get a few minutes in...

then it's lakers with the asatos.

busy bees

mom and dad left this morning. tears came to my eyes this time. not sure why, other than i will really miss them. they are such amazing people.

we had many bottles they brought with them, most with labels removed. we finished the tomato bed and started in on the lettuce/asparagus bed yesterday.

we also started clearing out a bunch of weeds in the back to create a zen garden. a little earlier than planned, but ian (our landscaping neighbor and friend) gave us a bunch of crushed rock and i want to get it out of the driveway. we still need to get the weed barrier as well as more rock. will have to ask ian where he got the stuff he gave us so we can get more to match.

mom, dad...thanks for everything. we love you both so very much! still wish you lived closer...

planted

well, mom and dad are here and we've been busy already...

today we were out pulling weeds, planting veggies (tomatoes, hot peppers, corn, beans, zucchini) and cutting back some plants. we're all hot and dirty. well, dad's not anymore since he was the first in the shower.

we're going to have a light dinner of spinach salad with grilled chicken.

kev should be getting home from work shortly and perhaps we'll get to play a game. and drink wine. we need to make more empties for the rest of the beds.

i think it's my turn to jump in the shower...

they're on their way

just spoke with my parents and they were getting ready to leave sacramento. it is just over 600 miles from there to hear and if we average the speed to be around 55mph, it should have them here near 6:00 tonight. i get off work at 7:00 so i will have to remember to put the key out in its hiding place. of course they do have to stop for meals, so we might all be pulling up at the same time. that wouldn't be so bad, either.

the house is as clean as it is going to get before they get here (although i am really hoping kev makes the bed when he gets up...). their room is all ready with the new sheets on the bed, towels fluffed and waiting, and a drawer in the guest dresser is empty awaiting their things.

i am excited. i just hope that time flies today. who knows, maybe my coworker will offer to stay the last hour if i mention the time they are estimating their arrival.

i do still have to work tomorrow and monday (since they were originally arriving on sunday, monday is not a surprise to them, but saturday...they'll survive, though). but after that i've got a couple of days off (remind me that is why i worked a 6 day work week) and plans to play in the dirt with them! i hope they remembered to pack their gardening gloves and clothing! :)

speaking of the garden, kev had gathered more bottles the other evening. he sunk them all yesterday!! i was honestly very surprised by that. he soaked them, removed the labels, and arranged them in the ground so perfectly! then, then he sent me a picture. i love my husband!

it's what you do

i have a friend named amanda. she and i were friends in high school. when she went away to college we tried to keep in touch, but in 1996 we spoke for the last time. it wasn't like we had a fight and we screamed and told one another we hated each other. on the contrary, i still adore her...and i hope the feeling is mutual.

imagine my surprise last friday evening when i got a phone call. it wasn't a number i recognized so i allowed it to go to voice mail. let's just say, i've since added the number to my phone. amanda, after 13 years. she was calling to say she was coming into town and even though she knew it was last minute and i might already be busy, she thought she'd call and say hello (the plane was getting ready to take off at this point so she said to call or text if i got the message). as soon as i hung up the phone from voice mail i typed in the text, "i have no plans, you are now my plans! call me when you land."

she had no definite idea where she was going to stay, nor how she would get there once she figured that out. she came here without much planning (hell, she'd bought her ticket that morning at 1:00 am) to help a friend. she called, i asked, she had no clue where, i told her i'd be there in twenty and she'd stay with us, at least the first night.

i warned her that josie would probably bark and be weird, as she often is when meeting new people. yeah, josie proved me wrong. she adored amanda, which honestly now that i think about it, doesn't surprise me at all. in fact, the next day while kev and i were at work, before she hooked up with her other friends, the two of them went on a walk. it made it that much easier to have company over later (it was the night of the fab dinner party) as josie wasn't all stressed because she had too much energy.

it was sweet and funny and not weird at all to be talking with this woman whom i'd last seen on her wedding day in 1996 (the wedding where kev and i had just started dating and her mother asked the two of us if wedding bells were in our future...). she is no longer married to him, but from the sounds of it, it is for the best.

we found out we are both doing the garden bed bottle border, although she is thinking she needs to drill holes in the bottom of the bottles so water doesn't collect and give the mosquitos down in texas a place to breed. i don't think that will be a problem, as the wells aren't all that big and as soon as the sun is out the water starts to evaporate.

anyway, after all those years we found we had grown in very similar ways.

beautiful, no?

i could have laughed all night

we had a little dinner party last night with two other couples. our dear friends jill and mark, and the woman who helped us find this amazing house and her boyfriend, alia and asit. alia hadn't seen the house but once since we'd moved in and asit hadn't ever seen the house. she couldn't wait to see the kitchen and show asit the "man den" in the basement!

last night kev asked if i'd taken a picture of the table. i brushed him off saying, "no...no...i don't need to" but now i wish i had. it was quite lovely. imagine, if you will, an 8 foot long table with a table cloth. candles running the length, with beautiful little purple flowers lying down between them and the plates with the oil and vinegar for the bread. oh, and imagine this table outside on our back patio.

i had so much fun getting that table set up. when they all arrived the oohs and ahhs were at the right times by the girls as they saw what we'd done. the conversation flowed so easily between the six of us. laughter filled the night air. the din of jazz music filled any silences, but honestly...there really weren't any.

when everyone left kevin and i just looked at each other and smiled ear to ear. THAT was a dinner party! our first real grown up dinner party. i was sure my sides would hurt this morning for all the laughing we did...

new post

i took my mamasita-in-law to the airport this morning. i told her that next time, she better plan on more than two full days book-ended by travel days. i would have no more of it! i want to see her for longer. she's a pretty fantastic lady.

let's see, a recap of our events:

tuesday i picked her up at the airport. jill came with, which was a surprise for mamasita. the three of us headed to dots for lunch (yum) and then we dropped jill off at home and got the tour. mamasita loved it, with good reason. the two of us headed home and kev arrived shortly after we got in. he brought an unbaked pizza home from work for dinner. that will happen again in the future for sure! quite possibly the best pizza i've ever had. (yes dad, i'll put in the request to him now) but before we had dinner we walked over to north (bar) and had dollar pabst with one of kev's friends from his last job. it was really fun.

on wednesday we went to sweetness bakery, oh mah gawd! and while there we decided to go to the japanese garden, despite the fact it was a little drizzly. the gardens were gorgeous, even when the rain picked up. afterwards we went to mother's bistro for our anniversary lunch. yum! i had a bowl of stuffed potato soup with a salad. then the three of us shared a dessert. from there we headed to ikea, since mamasita is not near one where she lives in arkansas. that evening we went to the stone for our anniversary dinner. it was the perfect low key night.

thursday we got up and decided to go on a light hike in the gorge. such beauty. josie was thrilled to be along for the fun. well, until the skies opened up and dumped on us. big, fat, juicy rain drops. we were all soaked by the time we got back to the car. hungry, too! we grabbed lunch on our way to the house (one of the rare times i will eat fast food, and it was burgerville so not as bad as some). after we all were clean and dry we ran to the grocery store as well as target and tuesday morning. we got things so i could make lasagna, which turned out really good.

this morning we just got up and ate a light breakfast at the house before having to get her off to the airport. i am sad she's not here tonight. i missed her the moment i woke up this morning.

love you mamasita! i'm serious about next time lady!!

in a few hours

i got an email this morning from my mother-in-law (let's call her mamasita). it was two lines...

"on plane. see you soon."

i can hardly wait until 11:20 for that is when i will be standing in the airport waiting for one of the most amazing women i've ever met. she jokes that "what woman would want her mother-in-law visiting during their anniversary?" well, without her, i wouldn't be having an anniversary. i mean, she did give birth to kevin...

mamasita, this woman wants you visiting for her anniversary! i can't imagine a better gift!

At the vet with the Nose. Nothing bad, just the annual check up for her phenobarbital levels. She's had a good, mostly siezure free year. Only one that lasted not even 3 seconds. She's the most annoying dog when waiting...whine whine whine BARK.

the power of yoga with friends

i could have easily given simon away this morning. easy. i'm not sure why i woke in such a foul mood, but the foot came down on the wrong side of the bed for sure. on what should have been an amazing and joyous day (see post below) i hit a funk i couldn't shake. i would have hints of beauty, like getting to have lunch with my husband. but then the grey cloud would move back over me.

wednesdays are quickly becoming one of my favorite days. for you see, i get to practice yoga with two amazing women evert week at 6:00. i got there tonight and the frustration of the day melted away with each pose, wobble, and laugh.

then the walk home...lovely.

thank you ladies, i had an amazing time. xo

eli

my nephew has entered the world!

6:10 pm on tuesday the 28th of april

weighing in at 8 lbs, 2 oz and 20" in length

i've YET to see pictures...it's killing me!

Two thousand two hundred ninty five

That's the number of characters alloted. Nice. I'm still awake. Still waiting for my sister to have her baby. She's been at the hospital since 10:30 this morning. I got to talk with her while she was having a contraction...obviously it was low on the pain scale meaning they have a long night ahead of them.

My phone is on.

an explanation

i got a new phone (don't worry, we did NOT pay that price for it...I got it free). we have unlimited text. blogger has a mobile post option, costing the regular text fees. remember, we have unlimited. i totally can post from my phone! i am in love with it.

this will be fun. will my blog turn into my own personal twitter? will i start a new trend?

lol

only time will tell

Rest in peace, Bea Arthur. Thank you for being a friend...

Trying something out... Will this post?

seconds

what you see is josie's bedding where i set it while chatting on the phone with my sister. i can't go downstairs while on my phone, it disconnects.

anyway, it took simon mere seconds...

this day

i am excited for what this very day holds for me. in a name, henry. he and his parents are coming over tonight for dinner. i couldn't be more excited.

his mom sent me an email earlier this week, to talk specifics, and told me she'd made the mistake of telling him that they were going to visit us on sunday. that was wednesday. she asked him later on that day what he wanted to do. his response, "go to Aunt Shanny's and see Simon and Josie and that Chloe cat that runs away."

i've been telling chloe her hide and seek friend is coming over today. she just chirped at me.

i'm very happy that they are helping josie become more comfortable around kids, too. henry is the best kid around her. he is respectful of her space, if she walks away and we tell him she needs her space, he gives it to her. josie is slowly warming up to him. although i do remember when she first met him as a baby, she wiggled soooo much. stuck out just the tip of her tongue and gave him a little kiss on his arm. when he was able to move around on his own and it became overwhelming for her.

so, we'll see what this glorious day holds for us all. it is a beautifully sunny day here in portland. i am going to clean the hell out of the house this morning and then bake some lemon cheesecake bars, do some weeding in the yard and garden, and hopefully get a little time in there to work on the dress. the back is almost all done (splitting for the shoulders/neck, knitting up the last two rows. i've started on the front left already, because i am running out of needles to hold stitches. i know i could use yarn, but the needles are so much easier to trnansfer off of.

okay, not going to start rambling about that now. for now, i must go dust!!

waiting for the fork

i am done. i am so done i don't even know where to start this post. perhaps i'll try the beginning.

i got up a little later than the norm and had a quiet morning in the house. kev was still snoozing. he arose an hour after me and when he was done with breakfast he joined me outside in the back yard. we'd gotten the labels off of the bottles from Seder dinner and i wanted to get a bigger chunk of the tomato and pepper bed's border underway. i decided to expand the bed a bit so i removed the four bottles jill and i'd already sunk. it was tough work, but once i got into a groove it went smoothly. i did have to watch the line of bottles to keep them from getting out of alignment, making my veggie bed a trapezoid instead of a rectangle.

kev worked on weeding and put up the rest of the grape arbor pipe while i played with bottles. then i removed a plant that we'd honestly hoped wouldn't make it through the snow. it did. we removed it anyway. it was a real estate hog. it was not really an attractive plant. the only thing it had going for it was the flowers it made, but we didn't love them enough to not dig it out.

while we were moving things around the back, we found a pile of small smooth rocks. we realized it would be nice to have the flower beds in the back a little more bordered off as well and figured the small rocks would work perfectly. so now, on top of collecting wine bottles we will also be collecting rocks (we may break down and buy some).

we took a break for lunch, a much appreciated and loved break. we wrote up a grocery list and kev and i made a deal, we go to the nursery, buy a bit of the ground cover (the kind you can walk on and which we are hoping will take over the mulched pathways in the back...there isn't much in the way of mulch left, really) as well as a couple of shrubs for the front. i would plant them and he would go to costco and the grocery store. i was done and cleaned up by the time he got home.

another deal was made. i would put away the food and he would go get propane. i really think i got the best of both deals, although my back may disagree later tonight or tomorrow. i ripped out a scraggly shrub in the front that was obviously a full sun shrub getting only partial sun/shade. the roots were thick and strong. thank goodness the shovel was strong, too!

we are going to grill burgers tonight. i am going to sit and knit on my dress. i might even drink a little wine (y'all know we are having to drink more now). i am not sure that the day could be made more perfect. i'm willing to see, though.

i planted broccoli

on saturday i picked up my friend jill on the way home from work. she had a bottle to contribute to the 'cause' taking place in our backyard. of course, the rest of the bottles from dinner the night previous were still in the back of our car, with kevin at work. so...we 'planted' the four bottles we had on hand and determined it was going to look really cool when we had all of the beds done.

last night, we brought the bottles from the car inside. currently there are 12 soaking in my sink to loosen the labels. i'm going to leave them there all day in the hopes that the labels simply fall off when i get home tonight from work. if the sun continues as it is right now (shining brightly) i might even get to sink some more bottles. if the ground is too wet, though, i will wait and just get the bottles ready to be sunk.

on the way back to our house on saturday, jill and i stopped by the nearby nursery. we bought broccoli and planted it shortly after arriving home. six little broccoli plants all in a row. very perky now, which makes me smile. i am not sure what to expect with the broccoli. i need to do a little more research as to how many plants produce how large a yield. i'm hoping we'll be happy with six plants and not find we are wanting more. if we get too many, we have neighbors and friends who love broccoli and we have no reservations giving away veggies.

we also planted a few ferns that our neighbor ian, the landscaper, brought home from some job where he ripped them out. they are small, but i think will add some softness to the back fence, under some sad looking arborvitae.

and there was also secret gardening happening, but i can't disclose the details until after my parents are here in may! :) i think they will love the change! i know i do already!

happy monday kids!

how does our garden grow?

well, slowly. but that's okay. the beds are not all planted yet. but we do have garlic sprouting in the large bed on the right and we have planted onions behind the three rows of garlic. red onions and white bunching onions. in that bed we will also plant broccoli and potatoes.

the bed in the back, with the poles, will have green beans again. although this time the entire thing will be used.

between that bed and the long one in front (with the green growth) is a small round bed that you can't really see. it's close to the fence. that will be the zucchini spot. the bed with the growth is going to be corn. the green that is there is still the crimson clover. we will till that under shortly to add nitrates to the soil.

the bed closest to the fence, running perpendicular to the corn, will have asparagus (please oh please oh please grow) as well as spinach, romaine lettuce, and butterhead lettuce. the lettuces and spinach are already planted. no sprouts yet, but we only re-planted a few days ago.

finally, the bed to the right of that will have tomatoes and peppers. i am not sure what kinds we will plant, other than for sure some oregon spring tomatoes! they were so sweet and lovely. AND, as you would guess from the name, they produce early.

so there you have it, our garden. i hope to have more photos throughout the growing season to share our bounty. then again, i'm hoping for a bounty...we'll see what happens.

i love it, gardening by the seats of our pants! :)

tease

mother nature is such a tease. the past three days were the most glorious and beautiful. sun was shining, breeze was blowing, it was perfection in that first truly spring day. then, the clouds started to blow in last night. it got chillier. i see people out on walks with hoods pulled up and coats buttoned to the top.

well, perhaps it will make what work we may be getting ourselves into later today a little easier (you know, it won't be too warm for the hard labor we may be doing). we're hitting the rebuilding center to check out what materials we can use to build the vegetable plots up a bit. not too high, but high enough to let the dog know that it's not okay to walk in the area. while she's not stomping through the planted beds, she is zipping through the ones we've not planted yet. plus the soil is washing away, because currently we've got mounded plots.

i am not sure what we'll find at the rebuilding center, but i best get to measuring the plots to figure out things once we are there.

mother nature, one more day wouldn't have killed you.

hammies

i am very aware that i have hamstrings today. you see, yesterday i decided i would tackle the entire yard and rid it of each and every weed. i had lofty aspirations, needless to say i got a lot done, but only lasted for about six hours before my body said it had had enough. i did stretch and take breaks the entire time (and i did stop for lunch) so i'm sure my hammies are not near as sore as they could be, but man i am fully in the know that they exist.

so why, i ask myself, did i decide to put in another hour tonight?

because i wanted to stake around our garden beds so we can lay reclaimed bricks (well, that's the plan) and make them slightly raised beds. we will probably only build them two bricks high, just enough to give a delineation between bed and pathway. the paths we are thinking of planting ground cover that will withstand being walked on by humans and animals. any ideas of full sun loving ground cover?

i can hardly wait to be able to walk outside barefoot to pick something from my veggie garden...my hammies will surely be talking to me again by then, right?

and the weeding, it just sucked me right into it's evil web of "just one more" any and all gardners know.

my friend ms. crenshaw

years ago, while i was still working on the sales floor full time, i met a woman named ms. crenshaw. she'd come in several days during the month and we'd hit it off really well. finally she asked me, "how can i ask you to go out for a drink, without making you think i'm a lesbian?" i replied, "like that."

shortly after she moved away for grad school. we attempted to be pen pals. with each letter, i felt like a true friendship was being nurtured.

i was right.

she's now back in portland. i couldn't be happier! she is funny and amazing and beautiful. her almost husband is, too! i'm so thrilled to have my ms. crenshaw back in town. i'm also glad that the four of us can go out, have a couple of laughs (and drinks) and get along so well.

ms. crenshaw, your almost husband couldn't be more perfect for you (and vice versa). i'm honored to be invited to your very intimate wedding.

honored.

i got home!

i got home last night and fed the trio. they were happy to see me, well happy that a human with thumbs and the ability to hold the measuring cup was home to put food into their bowls.

i made myself keep my jacket and shoes on and took josie for a half hour walk when she was done. two poops later and we were home, snuggled up and feeling grand. i must do that more often when it's lovely out.

today is starting off a grey day. who knows if the sun will burn through. right now, it looks doubtful.

i am not feeling inspired, or inspirational, today. i blame it on the grey.

busy bizy bizay

friday kung fu at a friends was a lot of fun. i love movies that you can joke during and not get shushed. i only do this at friends houses, not at the theater! it was some sammo hung movie. it was HI-larious! i think the wildcat (from the evil kung fu school) was my favorite. i mean come on, he acted like a cat (badly).

the derby was a blast saturday night! i was right, many girls hit the floor with FORCE. it cured me of the desire i thought i had to become a derby girl, that's for sure! one of my favorite names was meg myday. also, sara problem (say that one out loud to get the real effect). wonder what my derby name would be.

had a few friends over yesterday to knit. got a lot done on my dress. of course, i'm a little panicked just because i've never knit a dress before and i'm just using the sweater pattern as a jumping off point.

got a text last night from the full timer downtown saying she woke feeling like crap, that she hadn't left her bed all day, trying to allow the bug to work through her. i told her to take today and to let me know about tomorrow as soon as she has an idea if she'll be able to make it. of course this means i'll have to miss a meeting out at the mall, marketing meeting...they never really discuss anything of value, though. so no bigs.

okay, going to gather things and get ready to catch the bus (must remember to hop off a stop early so i can buy bus tickets to get home tonight).

roller derby

i'm kind of excited. i'm going to the roller derby tonight. i've never been. it should be jam packed with heated moments, elbows being thrown, and girls will be hitting the floor.

when i told my friend yes! get me a ticket! i failed to remember kev would be off work in time to go to the match (is that what they're called?). i quickly got online this morning and snagged him one. i'm really glad he's going to go with us.

okay, knitting to commence before i go watch the fury.

the stage is set

well, almost. the house is just about ready. kev just has to clean up the pots and pans, while i will zip through with the vacuum before the ladies arrive this evening.

it's a total 100% girls day for me today! in a couple of hours jill, chaz and i will be heading shopping for the day (pinch me!!). as i was folding laundry a couple of days ago it became apparent that i would not only be shopping for myself. kev's tee shirts are in a sad state. so, new clothes for both! of course i am not going to go crazy and spend a ton of money, but i've not been shopping in over 6 months and am feeling there is a lack of items in my wardrobe.

then, after a girls day...i'm having a ladies night in! a party of dear friends (and some of their friends) where we will be laughing, eating, enjoying.

is it silly that i can't wait for this day to really begin?!? i mean, yeah, i'm making mango bars right now, but how much fun is that? i am ready to shop!!! ;)

life

this morning i happened to look down at my phone just as it rang. it is a good thing, too, since i'd still had it turned to silent. one of the women at work was not feeling well and was calling off work. i told her to rest and recuperate. i hope she does, because she's got friends coming in this weekend...

so i am at one of our stores. it's been a fast day here at work. and honestly, i don't mind having to cover floor shifts. the other manager came over and got the store opened so i could finish the things that are on my desk from my boss so that was helpful.

and now i've got just about half my day left.

kev's off today. had to head downtown for jury duty. said a group was called up earlier, then a group was called up and told to go to lunch, when they'd all left the room the woman told everyone else to go home and enjoy the day. i think it was kind of her to wait until everyone who had to stay was out of ear shot.

kev was giddy when he called to tell me. i'm hoping he's going to get the diggity dog out today. either that or get some weeds picked in the backyard. perhaps both? yeah, i think that would be pushing it, too.

impromptu

earlier today i asked a dear friend if she'd like to come over for dinner. she said she would, but she couldn't be over until close to 8:30. i told her this was fine with me (i had leftover pot roast for lunch and am just now starting to feel slightly hungered).

i am happy that she had the time. we've not connected in a while. it will be lovely to sit, listen to music, perhaps knit (if she brings it).

i will make chicken burritos, a staple in our house so we always have the ingredients. she's going to text me when she's heading this way so i can start cooking. nothing like having a home cooked meal waiting for you on your arrival.

i love impromptu evenings.

the best thing? i'm off work tomorrow and she's got a light load tomorrow.

utopia

my house feels perfect right this very second. the tantalizing scents of the pot roast are emanating from the kitchen. the critters are fed. the house is cleaned up. jill and mark are heading over shortly.

what more could i ask for?

i'm living in my personal utopia.


and i am thankful for it.

math

in jr. high i was a member of the math team. it wasn't due to my love of math (although i do enjoy a challenge); more it had to do with a cute guy on the team. he and i only ever became friends, but i truly think it's that brief stint on the math team that allows me to figure out the number of stitches, rows, etc it takes to make a whole dress.

a friend sent a link to a calculator, a waist shaping calculator for knitters. i got it after i figured out everything and how to do it. i decided to plug in my numbers and see how i compared.

can we say: NAILED IT!

i'm eight rounds into this dress (the pattern i'd originally bought to follow is ending up being a general guide for me) and i'm trying to remember to breathe.

the gifts

my sister's baby shower was this afternoon. i had spoken with her, as well as two of her friends, about being on the phone while she opened the gifts i'd sent to her (sadly, with her living in the la area and me in portland...yeah, couldn't make it).

she put me on speaker phone (the only time in my life i have ever actually been happy to be on speaker) and i got to hear everyone's reactions. i could hear the ripping of paper, the oohing and ahhing (which was the perfect amount), and the laughter. it was the best thing that i could have asked for today.

the bib and the green jacket she'd already seen (i showed her when they were here for thanksgiving...i craved seeing her reaction). the blanket, she had no clue, but her response was also perfect (and i could feel the energy over the phone).

now that she's seen them, i can share with you all...

sunshine buddy holds court

status update

i have to laugh at the instant-ness of the world we live in. update your status! tweet about something at twitter! blog about what you are doing right this very instant...

sure, i fall prey to the updates. i love reading what people i went to high school with are doing. i enjoy seeing that my friend jean is still adored by her fabulous husband (his update last night was "sharing a glass of wine with my hot wifey" or something like that). i laugh when i see friends counting down to st. patrick's day (we all have our favorite holidays!! and by laughing, it's not out of fun making, more out of being amused by my friends).

the funny thing is, i update my status all the time over at facebook. i'm serious! right now my status is set to:

working this weekend. but what else is new?

why? why do i feel the need to have that instant information out there. sure it's not anything too invasive or intrusive. but i find myself trying to come up with more creative and inventive reports. oooh, what if i wrote....xyz.

i think it comes down to this: people can comment about your status updates. they can give you a thumbs up if they like it. they are included, for that exact moment, in your life. people i've not thought about for years are liking that my dinner consisted of penne pasta with pesto and crusty bread. and so, because i like that affirmation, i continue to update my status.

scrounging for bus fare...

thursday/monday

today is my monday. i have had the past two days off work. did i do much? well, we cleaned the house yesterday (yea!), i finished one hat (except for finding a button for it), made another (and got to wear it the same night), fnished jill's shrug (the joy on her face for the last try on before completion was beautiful), did some laundry (almost all done now), knit on a dress (i'm nearing the decreases already!) and got to hang out with my husband at sweetness bakery for a while (which is my favorite thing to do).

it was bright and sunny my two days off. today, we woke to pounding rain on our rooftop. it's a lovely sound, but when you are hoping for more sun, it's kind of a bummer sound.

my sister's baby shower is this weekend, on sunday. sadly, i am not able to attend since it's down in california and i live in oregon (i figured it'd be better to wait for the baby to go for a visit). however, i've spoken to a couple of her friends (as well as her) and they are going to call me when she opens the gifts i sent (they will call and set me on the arm rest of her chair). i just sent a note to the hostess asking for the big yellow package to be opened last. it's the surprise.

i must keep in mind that today, today is thursday and sunday is not all that far off! i swear, i want a normal work week, but at this point i'm not even sure what that would look like.

now, if i could only remember what time the shower was starting so i could be prepared for the call. :) mom? do you remember? i recycled my invite once i pulled the address from it to ship the package.

smitten

i am 100% smitten with my husband. sure we have issues that pop up that annoy us about the other, but we openly discuss them and figure out solutions. kev hates doing laundry (which is evident when he starts a load and two days later i finish it). i dislike dealing with the cat box (and you can tell because i only scoop it out once in a while). while i don't LOVE doing laundry and he's not ENAMORED with dealing with the potty box, we're okay divvying up those two chores to his and hers.

last night we talked about getting up and taking the dog on a walk this morning. i woke, called my parents, as is my normal sunday routine, and it wasn't until kev made the "i'm going to take the dog on a quick walk" motion that i remembered our plan. SHIT! he said not to worry, he'd take her on his own. i'm sad because i missed a chance to connect with him, but was happy to not have to rush to get ready.

kevin is good to me. he is kind and loving.

thanks love, for all you do.