Raindrops on roses and Vampire mittens....

These are a few of my favorite things...... la la la....

Ok, seriously, I have two sets of Bella's Twilight mittens to show off. One for myself and one for my eight year old niece, who is very into Twilight. (Don't ask me, talk to my brother!)

The adult size are worked in a tweedy chunky wool blend, it's Paton's of some sort. I don't remember the exact yarn, now. For Jesse's little Bella mittens I re-worked the pattern a bit. I dropped of one row of cables, but otherwise followed the pattern. I used smaller needles and a worsted weight yarn. Again, it is a Paton's brand (I am quite loyal to Paton's, it's a Canadian thing) wool blend. It's very soft and not itchy. I didn't want to traumatize my niece by making her the worlds coolest, yet most uncomfortable mittens.

In the movie the mittens are a kind of steel grey. I choose a more grey blue for both pairs. I have a request for one more pair, which I will be starting soon. Gotta get 'em done. It's finally cold in Texas and our mitten wearing season is limited.

Here is a clip from the movie featuring said mittens. I do have the link to the pattern in a previous post about the Twilight mittens. Now that I have a grateful recipient, I will be doing a bit more Twilight knitting. At the very least a hat to match and there is a really nice scarf that Bella wore in the baseball game scene. At least Jesse lives in Canada were it is cold and will actually get to use them.

Stick a fork in my eye, I'm done!!!

Whew, just turned in the midterm from hell.

Just a crazy thought, but what insane sadist creates an online midterm of 11 essay questions that requires 8 hours......yes, 8!!!! hours to complete.

Am I in grad school...... Am I working on my PhD..... Post Doctoral work, perhaps....

NOPE!!!!! Freshman American history - Columbus to the Civil War.

But I did it. I turned it in yesterday, a day before the due date.

Stick a fork in my eye, I'm done!!!!!!!!!

(I better get freakin' good marks!!!)

Lordy, lordy, look who's forty....

Never has a birthday bothered me. I usually just roll with. No biggee, no worries. I'm not a big birthday person anyway. No "Birthday Week or Month" for me.

Ya, turning forty, not so much. I don't like it. I don't want to be forty. I feel like forty is halfway to dead and I have not even begun to do what all I want to do.

But, realistically...... I have a great little family, the bestest hubby and two gorgeous boys. I own my own house. (even if it is kind of messy sometimes) My job is a good one and I make a difference and help people every day. (at least I like to think that I do) I am finally finishing my degree. (if it kills me!!!!)

I read, and cook and sew and knit and that makes me happy. (when I find the time to do it)

Ok, so what's a few grey hairs and wrinkles. (the bags under my eyes are not up for discussion) So what if I can't wear the jeans I wore 10 years ago. (they are not in style anyway) I know I'm too old for Uggs. (but I still wear them)

I refuse to feel sorry for myself. (at least I'm not forty-nine, like my brother, then we'll talk)....

PS: Thanks to all whose warm fuzzies made my birthday a little brighter.

Book # 16 - Eat Pray Love

So, I did it. I read Eat Pray Love - by What'shername, sorry too unmotivated and tired to recall her name and unwilling to google it or go and find the book in the bedroom to figure it out right at the moment.

Anywho... For the record, it was not Oprah that got me to read this book. Strangely it was actually John Stewart. He did a bit on his show about how the book has been turned into crack by Oprah and thus gobbled up by her many minions. (I'm not an Oprah fan, didja guess) And I was wanting to read it anyway, 'cause I picked it p at Costco one day and read the jacket and the whole foodie thing appealed to me.

I do have to admit that I did like it. It was funny and entertaining. It was not a spiritual awakening, or motivational or anything like that.

It was a travel memoir - that's it - that's all. Written by a self absorbed GenXer.

I really truly believe that unfortunately in the wrong hands this book is probably destructive and dangerous. It is NOT a spiritual guide and I think that many "I really wanna do/try _____" type people that happen to be in a bad place in their life will read this and go completely off the deep end.

This is what I dislike about Oprah, her incredible ability to sway the weak minded in whatever direction she pleases. I think she gets off on it. "Muh ha ha ha ha... the power I hold over my minions..... Dance monkeys!!"

Now, on the topic of power mongers.... Martha Stewart, I like that gal.

But, I digress...

I'll say it again loudly and slowly for all the ladies in the back row, TRAVEL MEMOIR, nothing more, nothing less. Funny, clever and entertaining, FOR WHAT IT IS.

Sister Gloves

Striped fingerless gloves.

Not twins, but still sisters.

Patons self striping sock yarn, 90% wool, 10% nylon.

I see more of these in my future. Maybe in a chunky Alpaca.

How do you harvest the wind?

When I was home visiting the fam, we went on a field trip one day over to Wolf Island. It was a fairly short drive and a short ferry ride over. The island is not big. Maybe 10 miles wide and 20 miles long. I suppose some people probably live there year round, but i think it is mostly summer homes and cottages. And windmills.

The island is covered in giant white windmills. Every direction you look. A wind farm.

They are for generating electricity. Not a foreign concept to me, but I have never seen one up close before.

They are huge and make the most amazing sound.

You stand there and stare up at it. The island is quiet really, just nature sounds, birds, bugs...

And hear the most amazing, quiet, powerful, whooshing.....

Harvesting the wind....

Knitting Circles are Political??

So, I went to a knitting group the other night. All things considered, besides freezing my ass off in the Starbucks, it was pretty fun. There were only 2 other ladies that arrived, but that's OK.

Now what shocked me was that there is a whole under current of drama and politics in these meet up groups.

There are several around here in North DFW suburbia. And they are all aware of each other. And they all talk about each other. And one person will start a new group and recruit/"steal" members from the other groups. Blah, blah, blah, or rather cluck, cluck, cluck.

Weird. and all I wanted to do was to meet some new people that are knitting nerds like me.

I may have to see what is involved and start my own group. Ha!! There is a lovely Irish pub here in town and it would be a sweet place to meet and stitch and bitch.

How 'bout them apples!! (Bock bock)