My Grandchild's Halloween Costume

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

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.

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

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!

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

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

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!

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...

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

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

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

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!

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

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!

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?

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

Road Trip!

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!

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

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

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

Technology is Not My Friend

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!

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

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!

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!

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!

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

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

An Update

Pia & I had dinner last night with Jon, Liam and Alex.  I gave Jon his birthday gift, the "Fornicating Deer" hat I knit for him.  As expected, he loved it, and was also horrified by the fact that I made the deer gay:

Sorry, Sliver!  He was planning to get some White-Out and do a little editing :-)

The twins are doing great, they've been in cross country since school started and haven't been kicked out yet, which is a VAST improvement.  Both are doing well in class, and not getting booted out there either.  Yay!  They showed me their latest favorite book series: "Beast Quest", so I'm trying to track down some of those to add to their library.  Riveria was at youth group at church so we didn't get to hang out with him.  And Mike & Mom are in New York this week visiting the grandparents.  So Jon's in charge.  Everything looked pretty ship-shape, he's a good dad.  He did mention that Lorraine is dying to have a baby girl, but he's resisting.  Too old now for new babies.  I think Lo is doomed to live in a houseful of boys.

A Date with Pia

Pia and I had a fun date last night (Katie & Lulu were at camp, we missed you gals).  We hit the bookstore (Yes, P found a new YA novel and I opted for the latest Laurie King Mary Russel/Sherlock Holmes novel), Pia got a new winter jacket at North Face (just opened in Spokane), we had dinner at Twigs, and we went to see "Moneyball".

Excellent movie, I really enjoyed it.  Brad Pitt was great as Billy Beane, I always love Jonah Hill and I was impressed with the movie's storyline.  BC I wasn't sure there WAS an interesting story line to be had, even though I love baseball.  I figured if nothing else, I could just watch Brad.  But there actually was a plot and interesting characters.  I kind of hated Brad's hair though.  Too long.

No signs of mice when we got home.  Nothing in the traps.  YET.