Look Who's Back...

I couldn't resist posting this.  This is Elefante, a Susan B. Anderson design.  Knit for the new daughter of a co-worker.  I'm not super happy with the finishing, but even with my inexpert sewing skills...pretty darn cute.  The ears, kindly crocheted by Tatiana at my LYS, seem somewhat precarious.  But I hope this will (eventually) give the baby joy.

To go with Little Nell, I chose some outfits at Target...

Do we detect a theme?

I keep trying to think of a reason to keep posting here....and I can't.

I'm knitting. I'm reading. Life goes on. I'll keep posting my exercise and perhaps someday I'll do something interesting enough to post about.

A Prezzie!!?? For Me!!??

I haven't had anyone knit something for me since I was...oh, about thirteen! But today...I got a knit present! My good friend Elizabeth knit a cowl, just for me.

I tried to take some pictures of myself...not an easy trick, especially when you don't like having pictures taken of yourself.

I thought this one above wasn't too bad...and don't cowls hide double chins nicely! But I couldn't figure out why I didn't look like myself.


Oh yeah...it's the eyeglasses.

Thank you, Elizabeth. I feel as though I'm wearing a tropical sunset around my neck.

A week or so ago on Book Balloon we were joking around about writing prompts, and someone came up with "Justin Bieber, Mitt Romney and a chicken walk into a bar...." My response to that was "This is going to be a long evening," said the chicken, "I need to get fried."

More joking went on, with PCashwell saying that the form of the product hadn't been specified. Whereupon TPC said "A sestina!" Well, for some reason I couldn't get the idea of a sestina out of my mind - though I did manage to mis-remember it as a chicken, Romney and Gingrich. But here, for your amusement...

A Sestina

I was tending my bar, counting my money
When in walked a chicken, Newt, and Romney.
“Here’s a joke,” I thought, as I wiped the bar.
“What can I get you?” I asked of the three.
“Give me a whiskey,” the hen said as she sat.
"This’ll be a long evening, I need to get fried.”

My breakfast that morning, eggs scrambled not fried,
Began to heave as Mitt spoke of his money
The chicken and Newt, well they just sat
Not saying anything that might stifle Romney
I wished there was a response from one of the three,
Because Mitt’s chatter about cash didn’t fit in this bar.

Why, the usual customer in my middle-class bar
Is happy to be able to afford nice eggs, fried.
But most of them only have two, not three,
Because of cholesterol, yes, but also money
A concern I think that never bothered Mitt Romney
And still, chatting of cash, there the three sat.

The chicken rustled a bit on the stool where she sat
And looking around said, “This is a nice little bar.”
“How much does it profit you?” asked Mr. Romney.
(He’d had a few whiskies but wasn’t yet fried.)
“Why,” he said, “I bet it earns a little money!
Say, two hundred thousand bucks or maybe even three!!”

Newt put down his glass and looked around at us three
Romney, the chicken, and I, where I sat
“You can’t buy happiness, not with all your money.
You need to take a good wife to the matrimonial bar!”
The chicken, she cackled,” You really are fried!”
“You’ve tried that three times.” muttered Romney.

“How happy are you, Newt?” asked Mr. Romney,
Trotting around with wife number Three?”
Newt looked glumly away, the chicken looked fried.
But Romney rushed out of the bar while they sat
“Left my dog on the roof,” he said coming back to the bar
“He doesn’t look happy, but I’ll give him some money.”

The chicken was fried and so was Mitt Romney.
I tallied my money and gave their tabs to the three.
After they left I just sat, in the quiet of my bar.

Christmas Wrap (Up)

I was going to write something all clever and funny about Christmas but if I wait until that percolates, it's likely to be Easter before anything gets written. Seems that the more writing I do at work, the less I feel like writing when I get home in the evening. And lately, with a hearing coming up, work is busy.

But Christmas...it was lovely. Mr. Pointy Sticks took a number of pictures as we were celebrating (in a quiet way) at my dad's. I'd post one or two except that somehow we all end up looking as though we've escaped from the Home for the Feeble and Homely...I swear, a dopier looking group of people you could not hope to find.

But presents...they stand still and look presentable. So herewith, my favorite presents of the season.

My brother's sweetie gave me this adorable spoon rest...well, I suppose you could also use it as a candy dish or coaster...but I am enjoying having it close by as I cook.


What a perfectly snooty cat.

And my daughter gave me this:


We've all been waiting years for this to come out. In fact, years ago my brother ordered me a copy. But then he heard that Rachel had gotten this for me so he decided to give the copy that would have been mine to Rachel. He said he was feeling a little bad about giving it up but it all worked out because Rachel also gave a copy to him! It was the Year of the Pogo! I'm having great fun reading it.

But the best present? Probably the best present I've ever gotten? Mr. Pointy Sticks gave me this:

The Nook Tablet! I love this thing! I never thought I would be an e-book sort of person. But I kept looking at it when we went into Barnes and Noble and every time I played with it I liked it a little more. And then, on Christmas morning, there it was! Eeeek! And having had it now for almost a month, I can say I am a convert. I've read a couple of books on it...it's fast, light, responsive. And I love the apps...the games, Pandora. I am thinking of trying out Netflix.

Here's it is in its little jacket.

And the last wonderful present? Mr. Pointy Sticks also gave me a gift certificate to The Black Sheep.

And this past Saturday I went up there. I spent the afternoon and I also spent the gift certificate.

And I had fun doing both.

Look at these colors!

I have plans for all of these. I sat at The Black Sheep and looked at patterns on Ravelry (on my Nook because they have wi-fi!) and figured out what I wanted to make. The Noro will be a couple of pairs of mitts. The two Jawolls will be shawlettes. At least, that's the plan at the moment.