In the Cities

I’ve been busy, just too busy. I know I keep saying it, but it’s true. It’s really, really true.

Every weekend has been filled to the brim with activities, which makes the weekday evenings the catch up time for everything I couldn’t do on the weekend because I was so busy.

Jeepers.

I went out early Saturday and knitted with my friend Barb at Dunn brothers. I didn’t get a picture of Barb, but I did get her basket.

Then it was off to Laura’s for a cat photo shoot and to make our way to Stewartville.

Laura is fostering something like a billion cats, and wanted a picture of herself with said beasts.

Do you know what it’s like trying to get 9 or so kittens in one place?

 

Ok, but we did get some cute pics, this one being my fave

   

Plus, I got to goof around with kittens.

 

The place is alive.

Then it was off to other things. Saturday was Morgan’s first birthday, which is why we rushed off to Stewartville. We had to attend .

See? She’s all dressed up in birthday hats.

This child has some serious cuteness going on.

 

And look how much she loves her little cake! Also a girl after my own heart. She is really a ham, I couldn’t believe how she loves an audience.

Ali brought our little Chase. Look how big he’s getting-

He’s a regular kid.

And it wouldn’t be anything without Laura hogging a baby.

  

Even I got into the action

I have taken to calling us the crazy aunts.

We drove off to Racine and picked up my sewing machine. Laura was waving at the other cars, but didn’t know she was waving and hilarity ensued.

You would have had to have been there I guess. We, however, know, that being in the car together can be dangerous.

Sunday I went to the cities to meet up with some knitters I know from Ravelry. We went to the Pannekoeken restaurant in N St Paul.

Here we are. A pretty darn fun group. There’s (from Right) Jill, me, Monica, Lorri, and Casey. I would put down their Ravelry names, but it would take too long.

We sat there and talked for almost two hours, then went off to Lila and Claudine’s, the cutest little knitting store ever.

It’s just the kind of place I like. Lots of fiber and comfy chairs.

It’s a great place. And I had so much fun.

Yesterday, my friend Janice came from Alaska, but I don’t have her picture up yet. Next time. I do have a picture my sister sent from my mom’s birthday.

There they are! And I’ll be seeing them on Monday.

I have been meaning to post this picture from my sister Debbie’s backyard. I’ve had it quite a while.

She calls it a javelina, but I call it a pig. Or maybe a boar.

Upon closer inspection, I am going with a pig-a wild pig.

So, I’m leaving Sunday for the Twins/Mariners game, then off to Seattle at oh-five-hundred in the AM on Monday. I’ll see how much blog I get in. Hopefully some because I have big, BIG, plans.

 

Keeping Up

Well, I tried to get to this yesterday, but I guess I was just too tired. It has been a very busy time for me.

Last weekend was my spinning weekend. Spinning as in fiber. Many people looked at me funny because they thought I was going to the cities to go “spinning”

No not that kind of spinning. Although I do that regularly. As a matter of fact, this month is the “Tour de DAHLC” (Dan Abrams Healthy Living Center=DAHLC). We are doing the stages of the Tour De France. So to assume the spinning thing wasn’t too far off.

But what I was really doing was spinning fiber. I went up to the Textile Center to take a class at the Weaver’s Guild. There were about 10 of us, I guess, and a teacher and helper. We had all sorts of spinning wheels around us.

I worked on the one above on the right, an Ashford, but my favorite was this one, Louet Julia

I thought I took more pictures of the wheels, but I could only find these three.

The first day we just got used to the spinning. It was somewhat frustrating and the yarn was not worth keeping (it went into the fiber recycling bin)

But we had a good feel for what we were supposed to do.

At the end of the day, I tried to get to my friend Kari’s house, where I was to spend the night. Unfortunately, there were some major freeway closures coupled with a Twins game. The detour that I thought I would take was unmarked, and I ended up driving around Mpls for over 2 hours, ending up waaayyyy far to the south, when I wanted to be north.

Here is what happened

1) That is where I started

2) That is where I was going

3) That is where I ended up

I did eventually get back to #2 and to Kari’s little house, just a little worse for the wear. The problem with being from Seattle/Tacoma is this-if the mountains are on the right and the sound is on the left, you are going north. If you are trying to get to I-5 (pretty much the only north south freeway) and you hit water, you are too far west, mountains and you are too far east. Easy. Minneapolis, not so much. If you see a water tower, look at the name written on it and hope to God you recognize it as a landmark.

So, I got to Kari’s and we went out to dinner. On the return, we sat out on the back porch until the tornado sirens came on. Then we decided that we would watch a movie, inside, in the basement. That was exciting.

The next day, all in one piece, I left Kari’s.  I took a picture of the house

Cute eh? Kari wouldn’t let me take one of her.

And back to spinning I went. Only one or two wrong turns but got there right at 10.

Sunday I actually made yarn. I figured out it’s all in the draw, and so I made two yarns, and then I plied them.

As you can see, I needed a little more practice on the colored bits, but when I got to the gray wool, I had it down. It is actually very close to being all the same gauge. Woo Hoo.

This is what the gray wool looked like when I took it off the bobbin. Beautious. 

This is our table of fibery goodness.

I was so happy I went out for lunch and got me a carrot cupcake.

I love to spin.

Monday I went to Racine and picked up two quilts, one of them the giant Thimbleberries star quilt that belongs to Lynn D, who’s mom started it before she passed away.

The thing is ginormous.

It turned out very nice though. I just have to bind.

I am almost done with the horrific Selpaker Block.

Just need to finish the edges.

You know, last week I got these from Lyndsey and I never put them in the blog. What was I thinking.

Look at my girl loving the Jersey’s. Lyndsey said that Morgan was all about the cows. I think a certain Laura Mix could take a lesson here.

And speaking of which. Laura and her mother had quite the laugh at my expense.

One day I told Dave that I couldn’t see Twinkles, my cow, because the Mix’s kept me away from her. And Dave said “They probably ate her”. What?! So I told Laura’s mom who laughed and said “Oh no, she’s too young yet to eat”. Yet? Notice how she snuck the yet in there.

So weekend before last Laura went out to the farm to see her parents take a picture of Twinkles and guess what she didn’t do? That’s right. She saw Twinkles, but did not snap the cow. For some reason, she is not one with my cow, and sometimes is downright disdainful of my love for Twinkles.

So last week, Laura, with her mother’s help, sent me this e-mail

“I was telling Mom how bad I felt that I didn’t get a picture of Twinkles when I was out this weekend, so she wanted me to send the following so you could check in on her:”

Yep, everyone is a comedian on the farm.

Ok, I admit a little chuckle escaped me, but not before Laura called me so I could tell her I wasn’t speaking to her for the day.

So, in closing, I send this thought to Laura and her mother (peas in a pod)

So there. (Thanks Morgan, I owe you one)

Good Byes

Well, Cody and Kate left today. I think that is why I am late to the blog. It was very busy yesterday. Cody decided at 4 PM to sell his bass’s and amp. So off we ran to the Rochester Music Store. This is after his dentist appointment and oil change, all in the day before he was to leave. I am not sure why this wasn’t done, maybe, last week….I mean, nothing like waiting until the last minute.

But either way, gone they are. It hardly seems like a year since Cody graduated and came home. All those nights of leaving at 10:30, or working on the weekends, or playing World of Warcraft with Dylan all night long.

Now we have a big house all to ourselves-again.

Last weekend we went to Madison to visit Dave’s son Justin and his girlfriend Katie. I know, there are a lot of Kates and Katies.

While there, we went to the zoo. I like the zoo, but this one made me a bit sad. Not like the big zoos with animals keeping each other company. More like caged animals being bored. But here they are.

Lions-they were the most relaxed.

Pacing Black Bear

Orangutan staring down the crowd

Weird, skunk tail monkeys (out of focus behind the glass)

Giant Chimp

Sea Lions –or maybe sea otters?

Rhino

 

Sad, pacing tiger

Pacing Brown Bear (lots of pacing going on)

It was pretty hot. We saw a peacock showing off too

Hard to see through the fence, and I had to be quick because he was turning around.

And, last, but not least, the prairie dog nation

 

We went out to dinner at  Quivey’s Grove, which was delicious. And I got a really cute present for Morgan’s 1st birthday, which I can’t show because Lyndsey could be spying.

We got home the next day, and beat the rain. We did get a nice rainbow in the evening.

The GAAAAA block is finally getting stitched together.

One side done! 3 to go.

So, this has to be a quick blog post because Dave is having  a string of bad luck and I have to go. First the car broke, and THEN, tonight, his computer died. Things are a little stressful about now. The computer broke when he was trying to access the credit union to get the loan to buy another used vehicle. Maybe he ought to get a little extra for the computer…..

So next week I promise to 1) be on time and 2) tell you the really, really mean things that Laura AND her mom are doing to me. Yes, the whole family is involved. I tell ya, that Laura’s mom. Sweet retired elementary school teacher on the outside, but on the inside…….well, you’ll see.

Happy Middle of July!