A Fluther of Knitting

Wow

2012-01-31T21:41:00.000-08:00

I'm at a loss for words (almost)

Pia brought home "Drive" for our viewing pleasure. The girls love Ryan Gosling. I don't love him but he seems kind of harmless and cute.

Then this movie. Most violent thing I've ever seen. Plus it has car driving, a "genre" I hate almost as much as the circus genre.

And it's not even on my Oscar list, so I didn't get to knock a film off.

I'm going to have to watch Stewie say "Whheat Thins" about 200 times to cleanse my mind of the picture of Christina Hendricks getting her head blown off.

This Makes Me Laugh

2012-01-31T04:56:00.000-08:00

Every Time.

A Date With Al

2012-01-29T14:01:00.000-08:00

Friday night my man Alex and I went out for a fun date. I had originally intended to take him to Beauty and the Beast (Broadway show), but missed out on tickets for that.

We settled for dinner at Chili's and "Hugo". He was full of chatter, including regaling me with a little hijinks where he and some pals took those plastic bags of chocolate milk (the kind they serve in the school cafeteria instead of cartons) and threw them against the walls of the school. They didn't get caught (yet), hope Principal Skinner doesn't read my blog. He had a corn dog, pineapple and a Slurpee type drink. He was super stoked about the pineapple, weird kid.

We then fueled up for the movie with Skittles and popcorn. After the film, we dropped into Game Stop and got a Bakugan game for their XBox. Lucky for Lavs, he only looked at the sale table, and didn't ask for something rated T.

I don't get to see my little men very often anymore, so it was a fun evening for me. And I think it was fun for Al to get a special evening with no brothers.

Watching the Oscar Nominees

2012-01-29T13:32:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to watch all 9 of this year's nominees for Best Picture.

"The Tree of Life" directed by Terence Malick. We watched this yesterday. Not "Bridesmaids", for sure :-)

"Malick, a deeply thoughtful director who studied philosophy at Harvard and Oxford, reflects on the interconnectedness and interdependence of all living things, no matter how miniscule or magnificent. The death of a brother lingers profoundly in the life of his emotionally damaged sibling just as the Big Bang reverberates throughout the cosmos, and a relatively small meteorite crash instigates a cataclysmic ripple of death for the dinosaurs."

"The Artist". My favorite so far. Loved everything about this movie. Charming!

"The Help". Loved this too, mostly for the performances by Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis. This was a movie that stayed pretty faithful to the book, and didn't disappoint.

"Hugo". I took Alex to see this on Friday, and it was still good the second time around. The sets are amazing, and there were some good knitted costumes (always a plus for me lol) I really enjoy the history of film, so the scenes showing the making of early silent movies was fun. But maybe a tad long for little kids (though Al liked it)

"Moneyball". I was amazed that a good movie could be made out of this book. Brad Pitt is very good in this one, as is Jonah Hill (does anyone else like him better chubby?)

So that's 5 down, 4 to go: The Descendants, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Midnight in Paris and War Horse. I'm not too excited about the 9/11 movie (the previews are kind of annoying) and I don't love Woody Allen. But War Horse is World War I (one of my favorite eras) and The Descendants has Cloons, so I'm up for seeing both of those.

And why didn't Tin Tin get a nod for Best Animated Film? I liked that one.

Saturday Morning

2012-01-28T11:12:00.000-08:00

Saturday mornings around here tend to be rather lazy affairs. We've watched all of the HGTV shows we can handle (and yet we haven't managed to clean anything in our house today). We are all still in our PJs.

And while channel surfing, we came across the 80s classic "Ski Patrol". Which was exciting, as Katie and I had just been discussing this movie, and how it was one of the seminal films of her tween years. And that one of the stars of the movie is BEVERLY LESLIE from "Will and Grace". Who was the only "star" I saw when I visited Katie in LA. Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon...

God this movie is terrible. I may have to go clean something.

The Latest Fashion (in 1890)!

2012-01-25T21:04:00.000-08:00

Here I am, doing my best Queen Victoria imitation. Wearing "The Barrister's Wig" I just finished for My Year of Weldon's.

It's warm and cozy, also lightweight. But maybe not my best look. Still, it was fun to knit.

You're Never Too Old To Learn Something New

2012-01-24T19:17:00.000-08:00

My daily learning generally involves The New York Times Crossword Puzzle, or something I've seen on The History Channel (well it used to involve the History Channel. Since they've gone to airing nothing but Swamp People and Ax Men, I'm not learning too much).

But yesterday, I taught myself to crochet. I've been avoiding crochet for the nearly 50 (ack) years I've been knitting. I think being a lefty bolluxed up the instructions for me, and anytime I tried to crochet, I ended up going backwards and upside down or something.

But so many of the Weldon's projects I want to do this year involve at least a little crocheting. So last night, I dug this 1946 booklet out (and it has instructions for the left handed -- sort of. Basically it says to put a mirror in front of the page and follow the reflection). And within a few minutes, I was merrily chaining, single crocheting and double crocheting all around my Barrister's Wig!

I'm sure experienced crocheters would wince at my speed (though I did get faster) and I'm pretty sure I am not holding the yarn quite right, but I produced a decent looking lacy edging so I'm pretty happy.

And I can say that I learned something new. That wasn't about a Real Housewife, Heidi and Seal's breakup or what those crazy Brits are doing at "Downton Abbey" (though I learned about all that stuff too)

He's Back!

2012-01-23T12:40:00.000-08:00

Karl Pilkington is back! We watched Episode 1 of "An Idiot Abroad: The Bucket List" yesterday. Genius.

I was relieved that Karl refused to bungee jump, though. He's smarter than he looks.

A Couple More Piccies

2012-01-21T11:40:00.000-08:00

Could these two goons look any more alike? And PLEASE tell me your dad does not have that sweater any more. Though knowing him, he does.

Here's a cute picture of Grandpa Tony and Grandma Gay. These two really loved each other.

Oh Sad!

2012-01-21T08:16:00.000-08:00

I just read that Heidi Klum and Seal are getting divorced. :-(

Presh!

2012-01-20T21:35:00.000-08:00

My new Sorel boots! I seem to have lost my trusty Uggs so I guess it was time for some new snow boots. And these were on sale at Nordy's yay! Until we checked Escape Outdoors in the same mall and they were on sale cheaper.

Hoping good ole Nordy's will match the price. Even if they don't, I love my plaid boots!

A Little Inspiration

2012-01-20T13:28:00.000-08:00

Cara and Tony started Weight Watchers this week, yay! That will spur us fellow fatties to get back on WW. Katie found these pix, which we thought would inspire you Virginians to give up the pork rinds and head cheese in favor of Lean Cuisine:

PS, Cara is that Andee Schmick on the right? If so, there was a nice "where are they now?" article with her in this week's Spokesman.

The Hooligans

2012-01-20T12:19:00.000-08:00

Jon dropped off RJ, Al and Liam today while he's working on the South Hill. They came dressed to play outside and brought their XC skis. So far, they are trying to stay inside.

Not much luck getting these three buffoons to pose nicely for a picture. We are going to head over to Manito Blvd. with Lulu and the skis. Should be wild.

Snow!

2012-01-19T11:14:00.000-08:00

Our first real snowfall of 2012. Glad I am inside today! It's coming down pretty seriously. Lulu and I shoveled the back sidewalk so I could empty the trash. She enjoyed the romp. I did not enjoy the shoveling. Pretty sure I am going to be found face down in a snowdrift one of these days. Us olds hate shoveling snow.

Of course, our stupid TV weather people are predicting Snowpocalypse, but I imagine we will survive.

Our Day O Beauty

2012-01-16T10:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Katie talked me into going to a Health & Beauty Fair at the local CC (my condition for going was that she had to go with me to visit Jon and Mike P. So we each got our way)

Now, if you know me AT ALL, you know I'm not much for beauty :-) My Katie, however, is ALL ABOUT the beauty. And I hate paying $ to get into these sales events, but I went along with it.

We actually had a pretty good time. She got her eyebrows waxed, I got a paraffin hand treatment, we both got a little massage on our extremely tight necks and shoulders, and we both got "Gelish" manicures.

We got our manis from two cosmetology students for $12.00. And got what we paid for :-) These gals are definitely still learning and our local Korean manicurists have nothing to worry about in the way of competition. But they were very sweet and I now have pretty "canasta nails" as Katie calls them--kind of that orangey pink color us old ladies love. My girl wasn't able to get polish on the left edge of any of my nails, but from a distance they look fine. And Katie got a dark purple, which is very "her". She also endured about 30 minutes of her girl trying to chip off her previous Gelish polish. Apparently this stuff is bullet proof (or it is if you are a Spokane Community College cosmetology student who tried to pry it off with an orange stick)

So, now I'm beautiful! Or at least my hand are. And I have a 15% off coupon on hair extensions. Yay.

Cara's New Hat

2012-01-14T15:32:00.000-08:00

Cute model Katie wearing Cara's new hat, "Struan" by the talented Ysolda Teague.

I think it's adorable! It has a little brim/bill which Cara requested and no buttons (also requested by Ms. Cara). Hope you like it too, Car!

Here's World's Longest Scarf!

2012-01-11T16:58:00.000-08:00

The only place I had enough room to lay this sucker out was my inventory room in the basement. It's long!

Who Doesn't Love This Gal?

2012-01-11T14:51:00.000-08:00

"I look just like the girls next door, if you happen to live next door to an amusement park."
"It's a good thing I was born a girl, otherwise I'd be a drag queen."
"I modeled my looks on the town tramp."
"You'd be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap!"

Dolly. Gotta love her.

World's Longest Scarf!

2012-01-09T18:08:00.000-08:00

Finally finished my Advent Calendar Scarf! Since we are now in Epiphany, it's a little past due. And man, this sucker is long. I'll take a picture as soon as I've figured out where I'm going to lay it out for blocking. I wonder if the city of Spokane will allow me to block off the sidewalk for a few days, because it's about as long as a city block lol.

It's very pretty, and I will definitely be able to wrap it around a few times.

Aaaaahhh

2012-01-07T20:13:00.000-08:00

Just got home. Not leaving for a long time. It's SO nice to be back in the peaceful surroundings of my own place :-)

We got all of Mom's stuff moved over to her new home (except her pillows and toothbrush, which will go with her on Monday). The family home she will be living in is absolutely gorgeous, with the nicest people to care for her. Rada and Marius are delightful, and Rada speaks Italian (she also says Mom is like all the ladies she knew in Italy, which is true for good or ill lol).

It's going to be difficult for her to adjust to a new place, as it is for anyone when making a major life change. But it's a relief to know that she will be in a clean, lovely home with caring people. I am thankful that my siblings made it possible for her to stay in her own home for as long as they did, but it was definitely time to make this change. And whether she understands it or not, it's a healthier environment for her.

Tomorrow, I'm going to be lazy and just bask in the peace and quiet of home!

The Hostess With The Mostest

2012-01-03T21:57:00.000-08:00

This Girl...

So Zaids and I stopped over at the Prentice's abode for a brief visit today. Carsie was already down for his nap, but Miss Hadley was still up.

And she had a load of stuff to tell her Auntie Lowdie. First I got to meet her new Bitty Baby, or "Pepper Candy Cane" as her mama has named her (today anyway, I suspect the name is a moving target). She showed me the sweater I knit for BBPCC, which she had hung neatly up on the coat rack. Evidently BBPPC had just gotten home.

Then we headed up to her bedroom to check out all her Xmas loot. We both agreed that bedmaking is for those people who don't have better stuff to do. She showed me her new Cinderella Leap Frog computer and we each played a game. She showed me her new Cinderella Purse/Gloves/Jewels set and I opened it all for her to put on. No tiara though, boo. She showed me all of Bitty Baby's new clothes and equipment. That baby is SET.

Then we headed back down to the living room for a tea party. And a grand party it was. Even though her teapot lid was broken, she put on a festive party for the two of us. With mints, a plastic hot dog bun for BBPCC, a plastic cookie for Hads, and a wooden sushi roll for me. YUM! Mama chipped in with a bagel and cream cheese.

The party was topped off with Hads demonstrating some of her gymnastic moves (first class tonight. I'm sure you killed it HJP), and plenty of chit-chat about all the stuff she has been up to. Plus Frank P. nibbling me with his tiny needle-sharp puppy teeth.

A perfect time was had by both of us. I need a Hadley in my life, please!

Bring Em Home 2.0 continued

2012-01-01T11:17:00.000-08:00

We have an Apple Store now, Car! It's right downtown! You can practically drive right up to it! And no mean DC salespeople!

And Here's What Day 1 of My New Year Will Look Like

2011-12-31T20:22:00.000-08:00

http://danavore.tumblr.com/

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T20:00:00.000-08:00

It's almost 2012, or as close to New Year's as I'm likely to get, anyway. Katie & Pia invited me to go to the casino to celebrate, but I'm coming down with a cold so had to take a pass. If you win a huge jackpot, share it okay?

It's been a good year, nothing super exciting but I'm fine with that. I'm ready to re-start on Weight Watchers along with every other fat person in the world. So that's my New Year's resolution, along with working exercise into my daily routine.

Two More Awesome Gifts

2011-12-29T10:18:00.000-08:00

I forgot to highlight these two Xmas gifts:

From Katie, "The Book of Whale Insults"

"Men of science will be pleased with this expose of one of nature's deepest secrets - whales are real blowholes and the fact remains that they're hurling insults around down there like you wouldn't believe."

And this perfect wall hanging from Pia:

Horrifying!

2011-12-28T10:32:00.000-08:00

Pia is watching "Top Chef All-Stars" being judged by Paula Deen.

I just heard her go gaga over one chef's creation:

FRIED MAYONNAISE

God. That is my perfect storm of horrifying food.

My Year of Weldon's

2011-12-27T08:40:00.000-08:00

My blog for my 2012 "Year of Weldon's Practical Needlework" is all set up and ready to go!

I couldn't come up with a catchier name for the blog, but am still open for ideas if anyone has something better. I'm hoping that my more talented children will assist me with both the blog design (it's pretty basic right now) and with photographing my projects -- I promise NO CELL PHONE PIX on this baby. I'll start knitting/blogging January 1st, so I'm madly trying to finish all my current projects before then.

Come Jan. 1, I'm off to the 1800s to knit all kinds of practical AND insanely Victorian items! Hope you will join me!

So Cute!

2011-12-25T11:31:00.000-08:00

I knit these sweaters several years ago for the boys, who have since outgrown them. But Lorraine dressed Mikey and his Aussie cousins Ines and Juliette in the sweaters this morning. Awww, so cute!

Xmas!

2011-12-25T11:27:00.000-08:00

I'm having such a lovely Christmas morning! Although the Virginians are not here, we did "facetime" chat with them and we are planning our 2012 Christmas vacation somewhere warm...

Here are some pix of gifts I got:

Cara & Tony sent me a super cute purse (my favorite red!), a new wallet which I sorely needed, and these kind of creepy yoga toe socks. Which may be the best gift ever as they have gripper soles --- broken arm prevention!

Pia knit this darling hat for me! AND gave me a Nook, which I'm very excited about! Even though I swore I wouldn't ever succumb to the e-reader. I take it back after several airplane rides lugging heavy books.

Christmas Joan! Lulu got an adorable stocking knit by her mama full of goodies

And here's the darling Christmas Stocking Katie knit for me, I love it! I'm so excited that these girls are knitters, someone to share my favorite pastime. Plus, she gave me a beautiful Vera Bradley knitting bag.

Hope you all are having a lovely holiday!

Ho Ho Holder!

2011-12-23T19:13:00.000-08:00

Our Santa Christmas Card Holder is done! He's a cute fella. Very nice project!

Happy Holidays from the Sundstrom Kids

2011-12-23T11:38:00.001-08:00

The Kids (1954-55), Susie, Raymie, Judy, Baby Laurie and Joey Love.

My Baby Tony

2011-12-23T11:23:00.000-08:00

This is my baby. Must have been on Easter, I think I spot a little chocolate bunny drool...

Here are my favorite things about Baby Tony:

Mr. Photosensitive ALWAYS. There is no picture of my little man taken outdoors where he is not painfully squinting into the light.
Round head, round eyes, round everything. So cute.
Smelled like HOT DIRT when you sniffed his head. Megan, get ready for this delightful boy perfume. It's the best.
Did NOT like to have anything unbuttoned. Ever. Always had the shirt buttoned up to the top button. If he could also have long sleeves, so much the better.
Favorite activity: lining up his Little Cars down our long hallway. In a VERY straight line. And had a hissy fit if you messed up his line in any way.
Second favorite activity: helping his dad at the shop. Or following around our handyman Virgil, his idol.
Enjoyed getting his hair cut at Sandy's Barber Shop. Which still exists and has a chair waiting for him.
Once had to get a hep shot (along with me and his dad) when we ate lunch at Burger King. Which then announced that one of their employees had the hep.
Probably lofted more "granny shots" at the Saint George's Gym than any other kid except Pat Thomas
Totally beaned Marguerite with that pop can.
Loved soccer from age 5 to his state championship winning penalty shot his senior year.
Tolerated his mother's love of baseball, by gamely playing on a lame youth sports team every year. Go Waffles Plus Warriors!
Is the best son and brother ever. Love you like sixty Baby Tony!

Happy Birthday Baby Tony!

2011-12-23T08:51:00.000-08:00

Not unlike Baby Jesus, Tony made his entry into this world on a chilly December morning. 28 (right?) years ago. ETA: He is 29, god! Cannot believe my baby boy is so grown up.

I will post some baby pix later on today, right now I'm too lazy to go look for them.

I will also regale you with some of the endearing qualities and stories about our boy Pooh Bear.

Meantime, happy birthday, Tonsy! Wish you were not so darn far away :-(

Santa's Delivery Service Update

2011-12-23T06:59:00.000-08:00

The missing boxes of presents have made their way to Maryland. So there may be presents under the Virginians' tree from me. And I don't have to go raise hell at the Manito post office after all.

Hoo Boy

2011-12-22T22:23:00.000-08:00

So this little scenario at left is what we (my dear sisters and I) sort of dreamed would await our mom in the lovely assisted living home we were determined to find for her. The perfect place, that she would just love and would happily spend her days with delightful people, doing fun senior citizen-y type things.

And truly, we want Mom to be happy in a safe and pleasant environment. However, Mom is determined to not cooperate in making our little dream come true :-)

We knew that she would resist moving to assisted living with every ounce of her 80 pound body. She doesn't like old people, she doesn't like people who use walkers or wheelchairs, she doesn't like noise or clutter or change. She also doesn't like small children or the British, but we were pretty sure we could find a place that didn't have either of those two types. The other stuff, that was going to be a challenge.

Several of us checked out some places, in her preferred location and we liked what we saw. One was brand new, with immaculate grounds and a lovely uncluttered living space for her. The other was perhaps a little more "chaotic" but a block from her old home in Bothell, run by old family friends, homey and with lots of activity and life. Great! Two options! Which would Mom prefer?

Jamie did a super sales pitch, suggesting that Mom would be happier living closer to her kids, in a lovely place and not alone. Mom agreed! She was super enthusiastic. Until she actually went to see the potential homes. THEN the fur bristled. Mom is convinced she is perfectly fine in her home and living independently with no problems. Which she is NOT. Poor Jamie got the business and finally had to put her foot down. Mom wasn't actually going to get a choice in the matter, she IS moving. Which went over like a ton of bricks, as you can imagine.

It's so sad to see the effects of dementia on someone who has lived a busy, creative life. And who is no longer able to do any of the things she used to enjoy. It's also difficult to make a life choice for your mom when she does not understand the need for that life choice. And is definitely going to be darn feisty about making that life change.

On the plus side, Mom will not be harassed any more by the Shoreline Theft Ring who has been stealing her toothpaste and toothbrush at least 3 times a day for the last month. So we can be grateful for that :-)

And THIS is Why the Post Office is In Trubs

2011-12-21T16:48:00.001-08:00

I sent two Christmas boxes to the Virginians on DECEMBER 9TH. And they still aren't there. In fact, one is still showing as not even logged into the Spokane PO and the second is only as far as Federal Way.

I am NOT happy. Do the employees keep the boxes until their annual gift exchange and send along the ones they think are crap? I wonder.

Go Eags!

2011-12-16T20:05:00.000-08:00

Mom and I headed over to Issaquah to watch Sam and Aimee (our tall Nordic cousins) play some high school basketball. Mom stayed interested for all of Sam's game, and I managed to keep her there for the first quarter of Aimee's game.

Kingco doesn't allow 9th graders to play varsity, so Sammy is killing it on the JV. Very entertaining game, the Eagles stormed back from a 12 point deficit to win by 2! Both teams were pretty spazzy, Sam's definitely the talent on his team :-)

Not only is Aims a Nordic princess/goddess, she's a very talented athlete. A junior this year, she is being wooed by quite a few Div 1 schools. Our pal Jennifer Mountain at Santa Clara has the inside track so far, we are hoping Aimee will go there. Who doesn't want to go to college at the beach?

Lois doing the hippy hippy shake to the drum line. LOL, she's always ready for a little bump and grind. Claire smiles for the camera.

Two very talented athletes who will make their marks on the league! Watch for them in the paper!

Lol!

2011-12-16T09:20:00.000-08:00

I gotta find some of this Crosby's Molasses. It seems to have aphrodisiac powers...

Piecework Magazine Update!

2011-12-15T17:16:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note that I heard from Piecework magazine, and they want to publish 4 articles on my "year of Weldon's" project! It doesn't pay a lot, but I'm excited anyway!

Ideas Needed!

2011-12-14T20:29:00.000-08:00

So my big year-long knitting project is starting January 1st! And I'm putting together a new blog to document my "Julie & Julia"-ish year of knitting my way through "Weldon's Practical Needlework". I haven't quite decided if I am going to stick with my original idea of knitting EVERY project in one volume or skipping around among the 12 volumes that Piecework has published and selecting a weekly project. If I do that, I can avoid having to knit things like "Gentleman's Undershirt" and "Stocking Tops for Golfer" and go straight to the Barrister's Wig and other more fun projects.

My other dilemma is to come up with a catchy name for my blog. All I have so far is "A Year of Weldon's Practical Needlework". Not very fabulous. But will do if I can't come up with something better.

Any ideas?

Back in Seattle Again

2011-12-14T11:53:00.001-08:00

Spending a week "mom-sitting" while Lisa enjoys a well-earned vacation in sunny Florida.

I'm making her go to the Rosalie Wychel Doll Museum, finally someone to accompany me (whether she wants to or not). Other activities tbd.

All Is Right With Our World

2011-12-13T09:21:00.000-08:00

Katie is home AT LAST. She has been back east for 10 days or some hideous amount of time. Lulu has been an absolute wreck, missing her mama like sixty. I am sure I saw a huge sigh of relief when Katie walked in the door last night.

PS I know you hate this pic, Katie. Sorry it's the only one I had on my computer :-)

PSS. She was an amazing knitter on her trip, even visiting yarn stores! I'm so proud

Sisters

2011-12-12T16:43:00.000-08:00

Thank god for sisters. I've just spent a large part of the day emailing and talking to my sisters (the good ones, you know who you are) about managing our mom's daily care.

Our brothers? Useless as tits on a boar. I'm giving Jon a bit of a pass this time, as he does live out of town. But then again, so do I. And I'm heading over to Seattle to take care of mom for a week. Then will go again in January for an undetermined length of time, till we get mom situated.

SO glad I have sisters!

And hey! did you notice that the Haynes Sisters are wearing the same shade of turquoise as my new sock pattern? No wonder I loved that yarn!

One More From the Vaults

2011-12-12T11:43:00.000-08:00

Seattle Times, January 31, 1936:

"At Our Lady of the Lake Church yesterday noon Miss Lois Irene Giusti, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond L. Giusti, became the bride of Walter Everett Sundstrom, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Herbert Sundstrom.

The bride's gown was of white satin with lace trim and her fingertip veil fell from a halo of lace. She carried white orchids...the bridesmaids wore gowns of white net over taffeta and carried pink camellias.

Following the ceremony, a wedding breakfast for members of the family was given at the Washington Athletic Club. Last evening a reception for friends as well as family was given at the WAC."

Love these two lovebirds! I wonder if Mom's dress is still around? I remember seeing it in the 70s (it was TINY, I never could have fit into it). I seem to recall that the dress was one of the few available in postwar Seattle, and had to be altered to fit little Miss Lois. Am I making that up?

I'll post Toddie & Baba's wedding pic later. It's adorable.

It's Christmas on Tekoa St!

2011-12-11T17:16:00.000-08:00

Our tree is up and there are presents under it. Let the festivities commence.

Our tree has a good collection of new and old ornaments:

Old: "Baby's First Christmas", the sequined Mickey Mouse I made for Pia when she was a baby (it's fugly but traditional), the Santa Claus made in Occupied Japan from Rosaia Bros, two blown egg ornaments Lois made in her crafty years (60s-70s).

New: Lois & Walt's Pawprints, the FUCK ornament (Megan knows what Katie likes!), lots of cute snowmen.

As I was unwrapping ornaments, I discovered the ones Pia gave me a few years ago in THE CIRCUS GENRE. And we know how I feel about that genre. They're around the back of the tree
:-)

I may finish my Advent Tree ornaments (started 2 years ago, ran out of steam when I got to the not as cute ones), IF I can find the pattern book. Which I've seen weekly for 2 years but of course cannot find now.

Another Good Movie

2011-12-11T12:56:00.000-08:00

I just watched "Buck", and loved it!

Now, I don't ride horses (or even go near them) so I wasn't sure if I was going to like this movie. But it's amazing. Buck Brannaman worked with Robert Redford on "The Horse Whisperer" and he runs clinics around the country on handling horses.

One of the people in the film comments that the folks who are best at working with damaged horses are in a way damaged themselves. And Buck endured horrific abuse by his father as a child. He overcame that abuse, and his story is really inspiring. To listen to this man's gentle voice and watch him work with horses (and people) is just fascinating.

Two thumbs up for this one!

Our Dad The Hero

2011-12-10T09:36:00.000-08:00

Dad never talked about his service in World War II, which he entered in 1942, as a very young 18 year old Marine right out of high school. But I've been able to find out a little info about his military service:

Dad had enrolled in the premed program at UW (the ONLY time I will ever mention the Huskies without adding an insult) but enlisted with the Seattle Platoon of Marines in November 1942. His unit was the 1060th Platoon, and served with the Fourth Marine Division in the South Pacific. Here's a link to a history of the 4th Marine Division's role in World War II; they were quite a unit, participating in 4 major amphibious assaults and winning 2 presidential citations in just one year. He served for 3 years in the Marine Corps.

Dad was awarded the Presidential Citation and the Purple Heart for wounds received in the Battle of Saipan: "For the Americans, the victory was the most costly to date in the Pacific War. 2,949 Americans were killed and 10,364 wounded, out of 71,000 who landed." Dad also saw action earlier in the war, in the Marshall Islands.

Dad attended UC Berkeley as a "V-12 student" (a program designed to grant bachelor's degrees to future officers in the Navy and Marine Corps).

And further proof that our Dad was a solid citizen:

His Boy Scouts certification as a "Star Scout" (2 ranks below Eagle)

Yay, Our Dad!

Giving It Another Try

2011-12-08T18:29:00.000-08:00

Y'all remember I signed up for a "Yoga in the Park" class last summer -- then couldn't find the class IN the park.

Well, I'm giving yoga another chance. I REALLY need to do more regular exercise, and I figure a class will get me started. So I signed up for a class at the yoga studio that's a few blocks away (so not only will I get exercise IN the class, I'll get more exercise walking to and from the studio!)

The class I signed up for is called "FOGIS", as in ... old fogies. It's for old farts. Which is just my speed. As Katie will attest (we went to a yoga class together recently), I am completely without grace or any sense of balance. While I'm hoping the class is perhaps a bit more than "Sit and Be Fit" on a yoga mat, I'm probably not ready for much more than that.

It's a start. First class next Tuesday! Make me go!

I Might Have to Buy These...

2011-12-06T20:59:00.001-08:00

"Fair Isle" Keds! Too Cute.

More from the Family Album

2011-12-06T18:09:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pictures from the family albums. These ones are from the Giusti family album (Baba's family) Sadly, none of the photos in this album have names to tell us who is in the pictures. And even more sadly, Mom was unable to identify most of the folks in the photos. This is a good reminder to label your pictures people! Before you know it, there isn't anyone left who remembers who is who...

Susan and I were able to figure out a few of them.

I love this one, it's either Baba or his brother Charlie:

That goat is kind of scary though.

This photo is labeled (one of the few) "1912, store Pike Place Market Seattle" with "Ma" and "Pa" identified as the two people standing at the left and right. We know that the Giustis did have a little grocery store in the market at the turn of the century, so I'm assuming these are our great-grandparents:

I love the buggy in the right foreground, and it's fun to know that our ancestors were among the original Market merchants

Okay, these two are awesome! I'm giving them to Jon, our Great White Hunter. The back of one says "1910: Dad with Deer shot at Duvall"

I'm guessing the gent on the left hand side of the pole is Baba's dad, as he looks like the guy in the Pike Street Market picture. I'm in love with Mr. Handlebar Mustache though... and their hats are too cool.

And you can bet that in 1910 it was a great adventure to trek to Duvall to go hunting. No roads (no cars probably!), that would have been out in the woods for sure.

Exciting News!

2011-12-06T09:17:00.000-08:00

I just heard back from Piecework Magazine, and they are interested in my "Year of Weldon's Practical Needlework" project! I will be writing an article (or more) and sharing "modern" instructions for some projects and/or guest blogging with them.

So January 1st, I'm off to the 19th century in search of knitting treasures!

Another Letter to Tata!

2011-12-05T13:29:00.000-08:00

And here's what was on Lavs' mind on July 12, 1962:

"Dear Tata and Baba,

How are you? I'm fine. Have you gone to the Fair yet? (ed. note, that would be the Seattle World's Fair) We go swimming at Kenmore Lanes now. I'm having a fine time this summer, my birthday is in August. We had a real nice time up at the cabin except the wether wasn't very good. What are you doing these days. I miss you. Well, I have to go now. With love and kisses, Laurie"

Subtle reminder on the upcoming birthday!

Letters to Tata

2011-12-05T09:17:00.000-08:00

Us kids loved writing the well-timed (right before our birthdays) letter to our grandparents, affectionately known as Tata and Baba. Susna over there on the left wrote this gem on March 7, 1960:

"Dear Tata and Baba,

How are you? I am fine, so is everybody else. Lisa is getting fatter by the second, and Beezie is always crying about something. A boy broke Joey's black lunch-pail by falling on it, but the boy is going to pay for it so there is nothing to worry about. Beezie ate all the candy she could get a hold of. My eye still hurts. Tuesday I'm going horseback riding with Eva Mae Gardner (ed. note, this was crossed out so I guess the date with Eva Mae fell through) How is Grandma and Irene? Pretty soon my birthday will come and I'll get a lot of presents (I hope) Well I have to go now.

Love, Susie"

LOVE. Especially the lunch pail tragedy. Damn that kid for breaking Joey-Love's lunch box! And damn that Beezie for being such a crybaby AND eating all the candy.

Charming!

2011-12-04T19:13:00.000-08:00

Pia and I saw the movie "Hugo" this afternoon. It's based on a wonderful children's book called "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" (Susna, I'll bet Tate would love this book), and we both loved it.

I love silent movies and part of the plot revolves around a pioneer of film, the French film maker Georges Melies. You can see his most famous film, "A Trip to the Moon" here:

Even if you're not a silent film buff, the movie is a lot of fun. The sets are amazing, the actors are great and the story is interesting!

The Airport Book Store

2011-12-04T07:36:00.000-08:00

Yay for Hudson News! I knew they would have the latest Ann Rule true crime book, and they did not disappoint. I happily read gory crime stories all the way home from Seattle to Spokane.

Susna gave me a suitcase full of old photos and whatnot, so I will be sharing some great family pix with y'all. I had a good stay with Mom, she knew who I was for the most part. That lady has the most AMAZING ability to gather herself when she's speaking to an old friend. She got a phone call from some old guy, and happily chatted with him without a single moment of forgetfulness. Of course, she had no idea who he was, but you sure wouldn't know it to hear her talk :-)

It's good to be home after 10 days away. I have lots to do, and Lulu is pining for her mama, who is gone for a week, so I have to fill in with the dog duties. We may hit the dog park later today, exciting!

My New Pattern!

2011-11-29T15:21:00.000-08:00

My Lasa Socks pattern is now available from Three Irish Girls!

I'm so excited! 3IG always makes my patterns look so good, I feel like a REAL designer :-)

Seattle Report

2011-11-29T08:36:00.000-08:00

I'm here visiting with Mom this week. Not much exciting to report. She's chipper! We did 3 crossword puzzles at one sitting yesterday, including the Sunday New York Times! My brain was fried by the last clue. We bought her a new toothbrush because "someone keeps taking" her old one :-) She had a hissy fit when the line was too slow at the store. So pretty much life as usual for Lo-bug.

I don't have any big plans for the week, the weather is kind of chilly to take her on any outdoor outings. But she does love to go places (though she usually wants to leave as soon as we get there), so maybe we will go to the mall or I'll try a museum. Suggestions welcomed.

Love That Zaide!

2011-11-27T20:47:00.000-08:00

My sister B-Z is amazing. This lady comes up with the best activities for her grandchildren and great-nieces, while graciously entertaining a house full of people for the Thanksgiving weekend. She helped the girls make these wonderful gingerbread houses. So cute!

Hats off to you, B! May your glue gun never run out of glue sticks!

No Longer Ginormous!

2011-11-23T12:18:00.001-08:00

The slippers are now regular foot size :-)

An English Christmas

2011-11-22T11:37:00.000-08:00

The British Christmas, so veddy different. Here are some things I gleaned from Anglotopia's "info graphic" on how the Brits celebrate the season:

Food We (Americans) do Not Eat at Christmas:

Smoked Salmon with Buttered Brown Bread
Chipolatas (evidently some sort of sausage?)
Roasted Parsnips

We do, however, share a love of the roasted turkey and the roasted potatoes.

The Queen's Christmas Day Speech: I'd gladly add this one to my holiday list. But no BBC here in the States alas.

Symbols of Christmas Good Will and Cheer:

Mince Pies and Mulled Wine. Not Ever. Cara & I tried Mince Pies when we were in London. And immediately spit them out into our napkins. Ick. Ditto on the mulled wine.
Pantomime (or "Panto"): Okay, I might love this. Classic stories and fairy tales performed for a family audience. I would definitely go if I could see "Nowadays, a pantomime occasionally pulls off a coup by engaging a guest star with an unquestionable thespian reputation, as was the case with the Christmas 2004 production of Aladdin that featured Sir Ian McKellen as Widow Twankey". Or Dame Edna as anyone.

And I'd definitely be up for celebrating Boxing Day (December 26). More presents!

So Cute!

2011-11-22T10:07:00.000-08:00

Here's Hadley's Mama and Baby Doll Sweater Set all done! And my feet at the bottom of the picture (damn this Mac and my inability to crop pictures on it...) Anyways, the sweaters turned out super cute I think. And I hope Hadley's will fit her for a day or two...

"A Year of Weldon's" is a GO

2011-11-22T09:52:00.000-08:00

My Year of Knitting Weldon's Practical Needlework Projects is a go! I think (this will rely on my getting organized to start this project & blog by January 1). Piecework Magazine has asked me to submit a proposal for an article, which I've done. Waiting to hear back from them, and then I will get going on the project.

I'm excited, and a little nervous. Because committing to a whole year of projects is a little intimidating. Especially when said projects are done mostly on tiny needles. But it should be interesting, and give me something to blog about on a regular basis. Whether you, Dear Reader, find said blog posts interesting is another question.

Ginormous

2011-11-21T09:43:00.000-08:00

I'm knitting a pair of Felt Clogs. I have one done, and it's huge. So silly looking :-) It will shrink in hot water, then hopefully fit a human foot, not Hagrid's.

It's Almost Thanksgiving

2011-11-20T13:07:00.000-08:00

Wow, fall has flown by. And Katie is nagging me to blog something new.

P, Katie & I will be heading to The Cabin to share Thanksgiving with relatives, yay! Oh. Lulu is coming too, probably much to Logan's horror (5 year old Logan is terrified of all animals. That's my girl)

This group is tons of fun, always loud, always ready for a game or a drink. Just don't think that Zaide will be kind to the small children when they play games. She's cutthroat.

We are waiting for our Turkey Day food assignments (hurry B!) and also plan to cook a breakfast, so that we can use some of the yummy recipes from the "Good Montana Morning" we bought at our Knitting Retreat in Whitefish.

I'll then be heading over to Seattle to spend the week with Mom. And maybe get a little Xmas shopping done.

So I Have This Idea...

2011-11-16T08:15:00.000-08:00

If you aren't a knitter, you can feel free to skip this one.

I love Victorian knitting books, and I have most of the "Weldon's Practical Needlework" collection published by Piecework. These books are full of wonderful (and weird) patterns for all kinds of things to knit.

So I am thinking of launching a project in 2012. Working my way through Volume I of the series, knitting every pattern. This would probably take ALL of my knitting time for the year. And I'd end up with a lot of socks, plus various garments and accessories.

If I do it, I'll probably set up a new blog to record my progress (so as not to bore those readers who couldn't care less about my knitting life). And maybe I can parlay this into an article or something for Piecework...

A Couple of Projects

2011-11-13T17:44:00.000-08:00

I'm working on a few Christmas gifts. Some are coming along great, some not so much...

Here's Hadley's "Bitty Baby" Christmas sweater (shhh, don't tell her she's getting an American Girl doll!) I just need to sew on the buttons. Turned out pretty cute! I'm making a matching sweater for the Mama. Meg says she will die. Katie says this is almost as good as getting a horse. And BTW "why didn't I get the horse I asked for?!" I know Katie, we could've done it. I mean, we had a back yard and all. We were mean parents.

And this one is headed to the trash. Tony (and Cara of course) LOVE the English Football League. You can ask them for the standings at any given moment and they will update you. They can instantly identify Tottenham and Wigan Athletic. So I thought this Manchester United Hat would be a no-brainer for Tonsy. Except it's BIG. Even if you have a big head (which Pooh does), it's too big. I will probably send it anyway, he can put it with all the other things I've knit for him that he will never wear.

I'm Not Ready

2011-11-12T18:09:00.000-08:00

I just looked out the front door...and it's snowing. I'm so not ready for snow! I haven't raked the leaves up yet!

Turkey Lurkey

2011-11-12T12:02:00.000-08:00

This guy was at the Spokane Farmer's Market this morning. I'm hoping he was just there for display. But I'm thinking he's on his way to the chopping block...

I'm SO Proud of My Sister!

2011-11-11T08:07:00.000-08:00

My sister ran for school board, although I have NO idea how she was going to fit this into her already super-busy life. But that's the B. She has been going at super-sonic speed since the day she was born. And if she sees something that needs doing, she plunges right in and gets 'er done.

Selfishly, I'm a tiny bit glad she didn't win the position. Because that means maybe she will have a few free minutes to spend with me when I come to town. Northshore's loss, my gain.

B, I am so proud of you and all you do. You're a fantastic sister, daughter, wife, mom, grandma, friend and citizen. Your house is always clean and beautifully decorated (ditto on your cabin), your garden is delightful, your gift dept. at work is the BEST in the state, you cook like a dream, you work out EVERY DAY (ok, that one is a little irritating), you are endlessly inventive in dreaming up activities for the babies, and you always have a funny story to tell. Really, your only weak point is that you like "Survivor".

I couldn't have gotten a better sister. And the family is lucky that we'll have more time with you. Yay for us, too bad so sad for N'shore.

Two of My Favorite Guys

2011-11-07T15:44:00.000-08:00

Forgot to post this picture earlier. Mikey riding on Tony's shoulders. Two cute little guys!

It's Nice to Live with a Baker

2011-11-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

I hate to bake. Never have enjoyed it. Except for the occasional pie, I stay away from baking. Not that my current weight reflects that.

Lucky for me, Pia LOVES to bake. She is a veritable tornado of flour, butter and cocoa powder. And when I browsed through this month's Martha Stewart Living and saw this 6 Layer Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake...well, I knew it was synchronicity.

I showed her the mag, she did the rest. And cleaned up her mess too :-) I'm waiting for her to get home to have a piece of this for dessert.

Even though I'm not a huge cake fan, this combo of sweet and salty sounds perfect.

I Hate the Circus

2011-11-02T21:40:00.000-07:00

So Pia and I were watching TV and an ad for "Water for Elephants" came on. I tried to read that book and I pretty much hated it. Pia asked why and I told here that "I hate the circus genre". Well, that led to a lot of questions as to what exactly was included in the "circus genre".

Here's my list:

Dumbo
Toby Tyler (Susna, you will be the only other reader who remembers this one)
Big Top Pee-Wee
a Charlie Chaplin movie called "The Circus"
anything with midgets or clowns
Cecil B. De Mille's "The Greatest Show on Earth"

I have kind of run dry so am open to more for my list so I can lay this debate to rest.

The Ghouls

2011-11-01T11:29:00.000-07:00

Here are some pix of my favorite trick-or-treaters (not including Princess Lucy of course):

Army Man Mike and his buddy Russell the Mummy. Mike hid out in the bushes waiting for me to arrive, so he could scare me. I was a little bit late, so no idea how long the poor guy had to crouch out there. But I was terrified by his "boo" :-)

It's not officially Halloween until you have taken the "dead bodies" shot

Liam was some sort of Ninja-Clown mashup. Terrifying.

Al stuck with the classic Vampire. Never goes out of style. Especially when said Vampire is posing with 20 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

RJ in the mandatory 6th Grade Boy Costume: be as gory and hideous as you possibly can.

My Grandchild's Halloween Costume

2011-10-31T09:46:00.000-07:00

Just in case you are not a reader of Katie's blog....here's Lucy Lou in her Princess Bea Fascinator and Royal Wedding Outfit we whipped up for her yesterday. She is the world's most long-suffering dog, what with the ballerina-pig costume last year, the painted toenails, etc etc. I am convinced our brills costume is going to win her a year's supply of dog food, so please VOTE here

B and L

2011-10-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

I may have already posted this picture of The B and me, but it's so dang cute! Pia is putting together a group of old photos and we added this one. B, Allie looks EXACTLY like you!

Manito Blvd.

2011-10-29T13:58:00.000-07:00

Manito Boulevard is one of the prettiest streets in Spokane, and I enjoy walking there. The houses are mostly from the turn of the century to the 30s and there's a little park that runs right down the middle of the street. Here's a pic I took today, it's looking like fall in Spokane!

A Couple of Finished Projects

2011-10-29T12:25:00.000-07:00

Here's Carsie modeling the Peace Sign Baby Bib I made for him. Maybe he won't suffer from chapped chest now. Isn't he the cutest model EVER?

Here's my "Daybreak" Shawl contrasting/clashing nicely with the Viburnum bush in our backyard (plus the weeds and the leaves I haven't gotten around to raking yet) I'm still in my mad love for orange phase, so this shawl is perfect!

Baba!

2011-10-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

Susan gave me this envelope of old pictures. I LOVE it, it's dated 1927. I think we should all go back to having our photos developed at the drug store, and get a cool envelope like this to store them in:

Inside the envelope were lots of pictures of the Rosaias and the Giustis, in the Roaring 20s. I have it on good authority that Fred and Frank were involved in some sort of shady bootlegging operation and somehow Baba got mixed up in it. No pix of that little episode though :-( Mostly group photos of people eating, mugging for the camera and posing in their fabulous 20s fashions.

Here are 2 of Baba, as Susan mentioned tomorrow is his birthday. If he were still with us, he'd be 111 tomorrow right? Miss that guy, he truly would have provided me with blog material every single day:

Sorry the pictures are not better, and I'm not sure who else is in the photos. But it's fun to see Baba the "Steelhead Master" as Jon called him when I showed him the last batch of Baba pictures (and YES, Jon is the spitting image of our grandpa.)

I'm sure these were taken in the Seattle area, it would be fun to know where and how much has changed in 80 some years.

World's Laziest Halloween Costume Ideas

2011-10-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

I love Real Simple magazine. Even though I would probably never do any of the suggested projects etc. Today's email from them was TERRIBLE, though. It was "last minute costume ideas" and they were SO BAD. People if you are this lazy, just stay home with the lights off.

Here's a sample:

"Carry a picture frame in front of you and say you are a "self portrait".

God.

Randoms

2011-10-28T08:18:00.000-07:00

The girls are nagging me for not blogging so here are some random observations:

1. FINALLY! Trader Joe's opens today! Three Buck Chuck! Lime-Chili Cashews! 90 Second Brown Rice That Doesn't Cost $3.00 A Bag! And so much more. Can you tell we are super-stoked to have our own TJ's? Katie wanted to be there at 8:00 am for the Grand Opening. It's 8:08 and she just got up, so I think that plan died a timely death.

2. Cara, you can skip this one...Project Runway pulled another cray-cray result and Anya is this season's winner. I love her and I can see where the judges were coming from in making her the winner, but still...it's a surprise. I mean, the lady CAN'T SEW. She's about at my skill level, and that is not a compliment. But she doesn't have to sew now that she's the winner right?

3. Speaking of Cara, she is now less one gall bladder and a large gall stone. I THINK she's going home from the hospital today. Virginia hospitals evidently differ a bit from those in Spokane. When Katie had her GB surgery, they spit her out the door as soon as she woke up in Recovery. No namby-pamby nursing care in the hospital here! You're awake, you're breathing (more or less), you're out. Get well quick, Carrie!

4. We have a FANTASTIC costume to make for Lucy this weekend. I won't spoil the surprise, but will just say it was my brills idea, which Katie refined to create the perfect get-up for our Miss Lucy Lou. Since Katie spent about $40.00 on the materials to make said costume, we now HAVE to actually make it. It's going to be awesome!

5. And here's a picture Pia took of Mikey and me at the XC meet. I love this kid's perfectly round head so much:

Also loved his ghetto outfit of high water brown Sears Tuffskin jeans and some random fugly shirt. You'd think I was still dressing him every day :-) Actually, he always looked very spiffy when I handled the wardrobe. The twins were known for their snappy outfits (thanks to Cara and Katie mostly) and he got their hand me downs x 2.

My Poor Baby!

2011-10-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

Poor Cara! When she was here, she was complaining about abdominal pain. We got her Maalox, and she felt better.

Until 4 am this morning, that is. Tony had to take her to the ER, and it turns out she has gall stones. She's having surgery this afternoon to remove that pesky gallbladder (what is a gall bladder FOR, anyways?)

I am feeling terrible bc I am way over here on the West Coast and can't be her nurse as she recovers. I'm actually a terrible nurse (except to my children), so maybe she will be better off with Fred taking care of her. But still...

Missing You...

2011-10-25T10:54:00.001-07:00

Cara and Tony left yesterday for Virginia and their "normal" lives. Boo. Miss you guys SO MUCH! Lulu does too. Grammy is boring compared to her Auntie and Uncle.

COME BACK SOON. 4EVER.

Fun with the Family

2011-10-22T15:35:00.000-07:00

It's been so much fun having Cara & Tony here! Messy too, but that's okay :-)

Here's a rundown of our activities so far:

Wed: We walked over to Comstock Park to watch Riveria run in the grade school All-City Cross Country meet. We are all super proud of RJ for earning a spot on the Linwood team! Even if 3 runners ahead of him had to be DQ'd in order for him to win his spot.

He did a great job, finishing about the middle of the 6th grade boys pack.

Cara and Mikey focusing on the race. Mike was delighted to see C&T, especially when he got a shoulder ride. Alex and Liam made a brief appearance, but were more interested in playing tennis and running around than in cheering on their brother.

Thursday: we all attended Grandma Gay's funeral, which was a lovely service. All the Longinotti boys spoke about their step-mom, who was the kindest person you'd ever want to meet. Pia represented the grandchildren and did a wonderful job relating stories about trips to Disneyland and how everyone loved Grandma. We all had lunch together and some nice family pictures were taken:

Here are the grandpas, the brothers and their kids, a good-looking group. I think it's the first time these cousins have all been together.

Friday: We headed over to Greenbluff for apple picking (or in my case, pie eating). It was a little bit lame, the corn maze was closed, the supply of apples was low, and they weren't making pumpkin donuts OR apple sundaes. But still fun :-)

Saturday: It's a Lazy Day. Katie headed to Palm Springs to spend a couple of days with some girlfriends. Pia got a haircut and color. Cara is still laying on the couch, though there's hope she might brush her hair sometime today. Pooh is handling the remote duties. Which has us switching between "Top Shot" and football games. We are pondering going to a movie tonight. We'll see.

Really, it's not necessary to plan a big outing. It's just soooo nice to have the VA'ers here that I'm happy to just hang out. Maybe they're bored. But I'm not! Well, maybe around hour 5 in the Top Shot marathon I got a wee bit bored.

Trying not to remember they go "home" (boo) Monday

For the Drool Monster

2011-10-22T15:15:00.000-07:00

Poor Carsie! He is constantly soaked from all the drooling he is doing. I am worried he is going to get jungle rot on his chest. So I knit him this cute bib.

And when you finally get enough teeth to hold in the drool, you can give the bib to your sissy for her babies.

The Football Guy

2011-10-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

Just had to share this pic of Carsie in his birthday hat. Hope I'm not spoiling the "unveiling" at his actual party next month, Meg. This little guy had a double ear infection and was not too happy to be modeling the football hat. But he's still as cute as a button!

They're Here!

2011-10-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

Cara and Tony have arrived! After a lunch of Zip's burgers and fry sauce (apparently there's no Zip's in VA), we are settled in to watch English League Football. Ah, it's great to have Fred & Irene back in the house.

Fun Weekend with a Little Sad

2011-10-16T19:34:00.000-07:00

The fun part is that Katie and I got to spend time with some of our fave fam members: Sue and Tom, Hadley (Katie had a "Girl's Day Out" with Hads, I'm sure she will fill you in on all the deets), Carsie, Zaide and Baba, Lis, Mads, Allie and Kip, AND Pam, Josh, Tate and Logie plus Kirdy!

We got quite a bit done w Sue & Tom's move/"staging" for the real estate lady's pictures. Actually, they had already packed up quite a bit, I was impressed. Sue gave us a nice leather recliner (score for Katie! She hates my blue "old lady" recliner, tho she never hesitates to plop down in it when I'm otherwise occupied) and a pretty table lamp. Also a set of antique dishes from Toddie's house, which I LOVE. Now I have something to take if I ever get tix for Antique Roadshow) and some old photos which I will scan and share with y'all. I plan to head back over when the actual moving weekend is scheduled.

Got to spend a bit of time with Bob and The B. He was in charge of Hads and Carsie while their parents were boozing it up (oops I mean doing a half marathon) in Leavenworth this weekend. Poor Carsie was a sickie with an ear infection, but still manage lots of drooly smiles. B-Z is super busy with her run for school board in a hot contest (if you live in the Northshore School District, VOTE FOR B-Z DAVIS. The end) but we caught her at home and it was great to chat w her.

Lis invited Katie & I over for dinner, and we took Hads along. Lis is SUCH a sweetie, she made chicken for us, even though I'm sure she was horrified down to her vegan core and will probably have to destroy the pan she used to cook the chicken in. It was fun to see the girls, they are so cute! AND their house is adorbs, I'm always stunned to see 1. the view of Lake Washington from their windows and 2. the fantastic job they did remodeling. The 2nd story they added is incredible. Plus Lis did a cute project on the basement landing -- she glued pennies on the floor. It's so cute. Post piccies Lis!

Tom did his usual delish Sunday brunch for one and all. The Narodes and Kirdy showed up so we got to spend some time with them. I inadvertently insulted them by lamely joking that THEY hadn't helped their mom. Geez what was I thinking? Those guys are the BEST, so forgive please! Anyways, we had fun with the girls, even though Logie is still terrified of Lulu. Who is the world's most non-aggressive dog (unless you are the mailman or pizza guy. And even then, she would lick them to death) Tate got her ears pierced, very grown-up!

OK, the sad news was that Grandma Gay (sweetest lady in the world, and married to my kids' Grandpa Tony) passed away this weekend. She really was a lovely lady and will be missed. Cara & Tony are flying in this week to attend her funeral, so we are happy they are coming to Spokane and we get to spend some time with them.

Pretty Cute!

2011-10-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

Meg asked me to make a hat for Carsie's first birthday, with a football theme. I found a plain pattern for a hat with earflaps and jazzed it up with the football stripes and lacing. Turned out pretty cute I think.

And there's plenty of time to make another one if this doesn't fit our little punkin head.

How Come I Never Watched This Movie Before Now?

2011-10-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

Somehow I never watched "Crazy Heart" until today. This is so totes the kind of movie I love. Jeff Bridges=awesome.

Road Trip!

2011-10-14T12:30:00.000-07:00

The Road Trip Trio is off for a short visit to Seattle!

Katie, Lulu and I are heading over this afternoon. I'm planning to help Susna with packing for her move (have boxes and tape ready!), and Katie will probably be avoiding that chore like crazy. She is thinking about taking Hads and Carsie plus Lucy to the dog park, thus rescuing Baba from his weekend babysitting duties for a while. If anyone is up for a Marymoor visit (Lis this means YOU), call and we can make plans.

Settle Down, Park Nazi!

2011-10-13T12:28:00.000-07:00

I took Lucy for a walk in the park this morning. All good, except I forgot to bring a poop bag. And of course, she pooped. As soon as she finished her business, I set off in search of a bag (the park has a station with poop bags, but it was a ways from where she dropped her load).

This guy turns to me and yells "YOU'RE NOT LEAVING THAT THERE ARE YOU!?".

Calm down, David. I had no intention of doing so. And did indeed return to scoop the poop. I realize he didn't know I was a good person who would NEVER leave dog shit in the park. But still, geez. Do I look like a scofflaw??

PS I managed to get the Gentle Leader on Lulu! No ripped off bwoken arm! Just hurt feelings thanks to Poop Nazi.

More Good Photos

2011-10-11T09:32:00.000-07:00

Susna, this moving is a good thing! You are finding great old photos! Here are two of Baba, as Susan pointed out, Jon is his clone. Love the jeans on the skinny guy in the first pic!

You Can't Have a Revolution Without Madame DeFarge

2011-10-10T21:45:00.000-07:00

This lady was knitting at Occupy Wall Street. Power To The Knitters!

Technology is Not My Friend

2011-10-10T18:08:00.000-07:00

I got a fancy new all-in-one printer and have spent all afternoon wrestling with it. GAH. I think I finally figured out how to make it scan the way I want it to.

But you can forget about setting up this thing for wireless. Because that process is obvs for geniuses. Which I am not.

Two Cute Kids!

2011-10-10T13:27:00.000-07:00

Susan found this adorable picture of Mom & Dad on their honeymoon in San Francisco. Year 1945? How cute are these two lovebirds!? Heart Lois' fabulous fur coat! And Walt is SO handsome!

The Weekend Wrap-Up

2011-10-10T10:39:00.000-07:00

Pia and I are safely home from our knitting weekend in beautiful Whitefish, MT. A few observations:

Whitefish is close enough to drive to. As opposed to going on the train. Which departs Whitefish at 9 pm and arrives in Spokane at 1 am. Note to self: look at a map when planning a trip...
Good Medicine Lodge is a wonderful B&B. Even though I'm not a good candidate for staying at a B&B (that whole communal breakfast thing makes me sweaty), I enjoyed our stay. The hosts (formerly from Alexandria, VA! Hey Virginians!) were so nice, and let us hang out at the inn all day Sunday waiting for time to go to the train. And even packed us cookies for the train ride. Plus it's right down the road from Big Mountain, something to consider for future winter ski trips...
Thank god Pia came with me. She was by FAR the liveliest person at the retreat. I was the second liveliest. Which tells you all you need to know about how lively the weekend was. Seriously, both nights P & I were the last ones up. At 9:00 the place emptied and knitters went to bed. Lame.
This was the quietest group of women I've ever seen. NO raucous partying. NO knitting in PJ's. NO swearing or mean comments. Snooze. Cannot wait for the Northside Knitters Retreat in a couple of weeks. Those gals know how to have a good time while knitting.
I was by far the most experienced knitter at the weekend. One other lady had been knitting as many years as I have, but she was so quiet no one even knew she was there. And the most popular project was this:

a ruffled scarf made with some kind of crazy yarn. The ladies were CRAZY over this project. Not my cuppa tea.

Pia finished TWO hats, while I finished NOTHING.

Guess those are the "highlights" of our weekend. Now to get caught up on work, and start getting ready for fun retreat coming up at Lutherhaven! Another Note to Self: pack booze

Knitting Retreat, Here We Come!

2011-10-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

Pia and I are boarding the train (at 1:30 am for the love of god) tonight to head to Whitefish Montana for a knitting retreat weekend! We are staying at the Good Medicine Lodge, and I'm really looking forward to a whole weekend of relaxing with my Rotchie and knitting like a crazy woman.

Pia will be taking pictures. I probably will not, which is a good thing as you know if you've seen any of my photography.

X-C!

2011-10-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

The boys are doing Cross Country, and I got to watch them run in a meet today. Mike is out of town with his mom so it was the 3 big boys:

RJ qualified for All City! Yay!

Alex and Liam, the twin terrors with Jon in the background

Liam tearing up the course

An impressive finish for Alex considering he was running in full camo

We are real proud of the boys for working hard in XC. This is the first year the twins have participated successfully in a team sport, so bravo!

Cutie Patootie!

2011-10-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

Baby Brooklyn (Sean and Beena's little girl) at her first swim lesson. I think she looks a LOT like her Grammy Judy!

Lulu and Me

2011-10-04T08:54:00.000-07:00

today's comic "Off The Mark" was totally the story of Lucy and me: