PoMo Golightly

Sure Sign of Spring

Two years ago my girlfriend Cae gave me a cutting from her pussy willow. It seems to be thriving. I can't wait until it is big enough for me to cut a few branches to bring inside.

The weather is beautiful today; after a visit to my nephew's art show, I wandered into the garden.  The lavender that looked beat up--nearly dead--from the living room window is actually doing pretty well.  I trimmed back a lot of the old growth to give the new leaves a greater chance for success.  I was also surprised to see that my oregano has made it through another harsh winter.  Tough stuff, that. 

Neal and I walked around the front to see where we might put in an asparagus plant.  Norma has encouraged me with her advice on the Garden Along board, and I'm looking forward to a feast of fresh asparagus next year.

How goes your Saturday?

#1, For Now

The NCAA is a big deal in our house.  Neal and I filled out two brackets this year, one online, and looky looky who is tied for first in her pool!

ETA: Sunday, 8:44 a.m.  I'm now a true #2--only one person #1.  Neal is #22.  Maybe I should have made a little side bet.  Just saying.

Happy Spring

Cozy Domesticity

Earlier in the year, I joined Bley's Cozy Domesticity swap, and my package--from none other than the hostess herself--arrived yesterday.  I oohed and ahhed in delight as I unwrapped one wonderful treat after the next.

She made me a pair of her Fingerless mitts in perfect PoMo Golightly spring colors and also sent one of her gorgeous handmade books, a Lamy pen in the coolest packaging evah, and a kit so I can try my hand at book binding, too.  Thank you, Bley, for an amazing and thoughtful package!

I'm off to meet a new baby and then have lunch with Neal.  I can't believe this is it for spring break--I have so much to do still!  The good news?  Only six weeks left of the semester.  Summer break is almost here!

What a Wonderful Feeling, I'm Happy Again...

I woke up with a touch of jet lag on Monday (that darn Spring forward!).  Adding to my crankiness, the clear skies and sunshine of the weekend had given way to rain.  The benefit of the rain is that it helps melt away the snow; the drawback is the back yard resembles a mud pit.  I groused as I dressed in jeans, again, for work.  I miss my pretty clothes! I complained to Neal, but I don't have time between the last morning romp and my departure for school to change, and I don't want my Uggs getting muddy, and my slip-on shoes (nicknamed my sh*t shoes as I don't mind if I step in a bit of poo with them on) will slip right off in the mud.

I stopped at T.J. Maxx on my way home and solved my problem with a pair of plastic rain boots.  I'd hoped for bright yellow, but I'm pleased with black and red.  My stockinged legs stay protected, and these babies were made for mud. 

I'm singing in the rain, baby.  Just singing in the rain.

It doesn't hurt that the new KnittySpin is out today, with one of the prettiest bits of lace I've seen.  What has you singing, even in the rain?

Shh... I think Spring may be here....

I don't want to say it too loudly and jinx anything, but, wow! It was warm enough for me to hang a load of laundry outside. I put the deck chairs out and basked in the warmth as I wrote a letter.

Did you have a pen pal as a kid? I was thinking about mine today. Sarah Jane and I wrote letters from first grade until we reached our early twenties. I should look for her online. How fun would it be to check in with a former pen pal?

My grandmother in Ohio and I also exchanged letters. Hers were so great, full of Little House on the Prairie-like stories. The one that moves me the most, though, was written in response to my asking about her wedding day. I was just about to marry my first husband and had written her about my dress and other details. In her return letter she said I was the first one of her descendants to ever ask about her wedding. She was 16 when she married my grandfather, who was 18. He'd had his eye on her since she was about 12 or so. They went camping for their honeymoon and had a fish fry on their wedding night. That letter is a treasure.

I try to engage my far-flung relatives in letter writing now and again, and although many of the kids like to receive mail, none has a penchant for letter writing. It's a little sad, but maybe that will change.

How do you feel about writing letters? To whom do you write?

Weaving Sampler

I'm fortunate to have an excellent weaving teacher nearby. She agreed to provide private lessons on a loosey-goosey schedule, and the wonderful Loom Doctor brought a workshop loom to the studio for me to borrow. Since late January, I've gone about once a week for a few hours. I finished my sampler on Tuesday, just in time, as the loom is due back to the shop.

While this piece of cloth may not look like much, I learned a lot about threadings and tie up and treadling. Let's see what I remember as I weave on my own!

ARF

Lovely Elisa of Concateknit is running a contest.  For every five bucks (the price of a large fancy coffee drink, people) you donate to ARF, her pet charity organization (couldn't resist the pun), she'll enter you in a contest for really fabulous prizes.  But, please, don't win the Chevron Cowl kit.  That's what I've got my fingers crossed for!

Dumpling Swap

Have you tried the Fall 2008 IK's Dumpling bag yet?  Fastest knit around with a load of embellishment options.  Want to make one?  Want to get one?  I've been cranking them out for Christmas 2009 gifts and for me to call a pattern "fast" , well, it really must be!

Join my IK Dumpling swap on Swap-bot.  The secret code for joining is "dumpling".  Sign ups are until March 8th and will be limited to readers of this blog and Ravelry members.

Hope you'll join me!

1% Well Read Redux

I liked the focus participating in last year's 1% Well Read challenge gave to my reading, and I decided to have another go at it.  I'm using the "old" list, not the one from the revised edition of the 1001 book.  Here is my tentative list for this year's challenge:

Agnes Grey
Cranford
Walden (I read this a long,long time ago, but can't claim to remember much)
The Sound and the Fury
Cold Comfort Farm
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Brighton Rock
Oscar and Lucinda
The Reader (on my Kindle)
Amsterdam
White Teeth (on my nightstand)
The Corrections (on my bookshelf)

As of today, according to this list, I'm 16.28% well read.  Not so great for a voracious reader, but there are a load of books that I think worthy of the list not on it.  Ah, well, that's how these lists go.