Fridays Feast 3/7/08

Today is the last day you can enter my contest. My daughter Ruth is coming home from school for Spring Break today. She will draw the winner from Sweet Hubby's hat tonight, and I will post the winner's name tomorrow.

My bird feeders are sticking out through the snow. One looks okay, but the other is clearly broken. Despite being buried all the way up to their roofs, the Chickadees have found a way to get food from them. They've been very busy this morning taking turns going into the tunnel for seed. I have informed Sweet Hubby he will be buying me a new feeder, and we're gonna dig out the others this weekend.

Speaking of birds, we had one of those heart stopper moments this morning. Sweet Hubby and I were sitting in our leather hugs, appropriate fur kids in our laps (him the dogs, me the cats), watching the morning news, and counting the seconds until the coffee maker was done brewing the morning juice. It got to that point that is just a couple minutes before the 'done' beeper comes on, when there are weird bubbling, burping, and grunting sounds, when all of a sudden it started making some really LOUD popping noises. The sound scared the you-know-what out of us. Sweet Hubby and I leaped to our feet, both shouting "Pull the plug"--animals flying. We ran into the kitchen--then stopped. It wasn't the coffee maker. What the ???????????

BANG, POP, BANG...POP POP POP....!!!!!

A Northern Flicker was banging his beak on the skylight in the kitchen.

I have found a new use for my paint gun revolver.

Thought I'd do a Fridays Feast today.

Appetizer

If you could be any current celebrity for one whole week, who would you want to be?

Oh man, this one is really really hard because I have absolutely NO desire to be one of the current celebrities. Actually, who I'd like to be is the wife of Robin Williams for a week. A whole week of laughing sounds so incredibly delicious.

Soup

On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how much do you enjoy talking on the phone?

2

Salad

Name a charitable organization to which you have donated (or would like to).

The Red Cross.

Main Course

What is a food you like so much you could eat it every single day for a month?

Cheese.

Dessert

Have you or anyone in your family had the flu this year?

Oh yes, we've all had it!

Until tomorrow, have a great day!

Fridays Feast 2/29/08

Happy Leap Day, or Happy Sadie Hawkins Day! Happy Birthday to those who were born on this day!

I would say yesterday's battle with the deworming could be called a draw. I lost to Silver. He urped all the medication up. In fact, I'd say he urped up everything he's eaten for the last 3 months! Note to self---Grilled Tuna flavored worm paste does not agree with Silver. The good news is he didn't urp up any worms. So he probably doesn't have them. He's also forgiven me. I was given much kisses, snuggles, and purrs last night.

Chenille is where I won. She kept hers down and looks so much better this morning. Her eyes are bright, her fur is shinier than it has been in awhile, she's in a really good mood, and even wanted to cuddle this morning. I think our worms are gone.

In two weeks I'm supposed to dose them again (vet at the feed store said to make sure I do that) so I've ordered some pills via the internet. These pills claim to not irritate or cause nausea, so Silver should do better with them. They're expensive (10 bucks a pill), but worth it if they do as they claim. I'm gonna dose him just to be on the safe side cos roundworms can be shared via a litter box.

I am knitting. Gnomage is happening in this house. I'll write more about it this weekend. For now, I want to do a Fridays Feast. It's been awhile since I've done one.

Appetizer

Who was the last person you hugged?

That would be Sweet Hubby.

Soup

Share a beauty or grooming trick or tip with us.

If your hair is greasy, and you don't have time to wash it, sprinkle a little cornstarch on your head and brush it in. Presto! Greasiness look is gone.

Salad

What does the color yellow make you think of?

Am I limited to one thing? Yellow makes me think of Sunshine, my daughter Sarah, daffodils, and dog pee.

Main Course

If you were to make your living as a photographer, what subject would your pictures revolve around?

Nature.

Dessert

What was the longest book you ever read?

I can honestly say the Bible, but what fun was that? In fun inches thick and pages long, I've read The Jeeves Omnibus by P.G. Wodehouse several times-and laughed through every page.

Have a great Friday.

Fridays Feast 2/1/08

Appetizer

What is your favorite kind of cereal?

For the most part I don't like cereal, but if I have to eat it then make it oatmeal with lots of brown sugar and cinnamon.

Soup
When was the last time you purchased something for your home, what was it, and in which room did it go?

That would be the new plasma wide screen tv I got Sweet Hubby for Christmas. It's in the living room.

Salad
What is the funniest commercial you’ve ever seen?

There isn't a specific one that comes to mind, but I'm really enjoying the Apple Mac commercials with the PC guy.

Main Course
Make up a name for a company by using a spice and an animal (example: Cinnamon Monkey).

The Turmeric Rhino

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I haven’t ___been single___ since ___1982___.

Have a great day.

Fridays Feast 1/11/08

I have been sick with the flu since Tuesday evening. Feeling like death warmed over. So todays post is a Fridays Feast.

Appetizer
What is your middle name? Would you change any of your names if you could? If so, what would you like to be called?

Jo. No, I love my name. I'm named after both my parents. I went nameless for a few days after my birth. The story I was told is that my parents didn't have a name chosen yet when I was born. One of my Aunts wanted to name me Josephine so she could call me Jojo. Thank the Gods my parents didn't fall for that one. Anyway, they both wanted me to be named after them so there was much arguing and disagreement. Then someone (another Aunt I think) came up with Linda Jo. Linda for my Mom-Ulinda, and Jo for my Dad-Joseph.

Soup
If you were a fashion designer, which fabrics, colors, and styles would you probably use the most?

Lots of purples, silks, rayons, really drapey fabrics, and of course knits. I love knitted fabric with lots of textures like cables and lace. I would create lots of styles that look good on fat people.

Salad
What is your least favorite chore, and why?

Laundry. So boring and endless.

Main Course
What is something that really frightens you, and can you trace it back to an event in your life?

Doing something that might hurt my back. I can trace it back to the summer of my 9th year of life when I was up in the cherry tree eating cherries. The branch I was standing on broke and I fell, breaking my back. I was paralyzed from the neck down for about 3 hours. Then everything came back-which is a miracle. I greatly appreciate my ability to walk. I've had back trouble ever since. A few years ago I seriously injured it again and had surgery on my back. I worry about accidentally doing something that will land me back into surgery cos it was so excruciatingly painful.

Dessert
Where are you sitting right now? Name 3 things you can see at this moment.

In Sweet Hubby's recliner, using his computer.
1) The tv.
2) The Christmas tree (which I've decided is staying up until February cos my eyes need the color)
3) Morgan sleeping in Tommy's bed (now just wait one darn minute here!)



Going back to bed now. Have a great day.

Fridays Feast 11/30/07

Thought I'd sneak in a Fridays Feast before my last NaBloPoMo post. Technically, it isn't Friday where I am, but it is where the writer of Fridays Feast is. That's close enough for me.

Appetizer
What is your favorite carnival/amusement park ride?

Hmmm...used to be the roller coaster, but the ol' body can't take the g-forces anymore. It's the Ferris wheel now.

Soup
How do you react in uncomfortable social situations?

I try to sink into the background and go unnoticed. I'm uncomfortable in most social situations anyway. I prefer watching and listening to everyone rather than being involved.

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy discussing deep, philosophical topics?

5.

Main Course
Did you get a flu shot this year? If not, do you plan to?

No and no. I know too many people who have got the shots then got the flu anyway. Leave my dose for someone who really wants it.

Dessert
Approximately how many hours per week do you spend watching television?

Probably most of them, I've never counted. I love tv, and I'm not ashamed to say so. However, it's more listening than watching. It's on all day and I listen while I'm puttering around the house, and it's nice to have on when I'm knitting.

Good night.

Fridays Feast 11/16/07

Four days to Tuesday.

For todays edition, I present Fridays Feast.

Appetizer
What was your first “real” job?

That would be summer librarian/custodian assistant at Camelot Elementary school, in Federal Way, Washington (where I grew up). My parents were very poor. When I was 14 there was a state program started called the Work Training Program. It was for 'underprivileged' teenagers and basically provided job training experience. I qualified and got in. I was assigned this cool job of running the school library (it was open for summer book reading), and I also had to help the school janitor with the cleaning. I really enjoyed this job a lot.

Soup
Where would you go if you wanted to spark your creativity?

At the moment- to the pile of knitting and beading magazines sitting on the coffee table in front of me. If I actually have to leave the house, I'd go to one of the beading or knitting shops in my area, or the book store (for beading or knitting books).

Salad
Complete this sentence: I am embarrassed when…

I fart in public.

Main Course
What values did your parents instill in you?

I would say high moral values with a deep respect, love, and caring for others, which, considering how abusive my childhood was, I'm still wondering how they did that.

Dessert
Name 3 fads from your teenage years.

Hip huggers, platform shoes, disco dancing.

Have a great day.

Fridays Feast 11/2/07

I did it. I met with someone in person who I've met on the internet. Despite my nervousness at the start, I had a wonderful lunch with Marguerite, a fellow knitting blogger. I did feel a bit like a chatty Kathy, which I do when I'm nervous. I'm sorry if I talked your ear off Marguerite.

Thanks for meeting with me Marguerite. It was wonderful to get to meet you in person (and thanks for leaving the ax home--heh heh, a joke. Honest!). I hope we can get together again.

After lunch I took her to Harmony Yarns, my favorite of the yarn shops in this area. We both bought sock yarn-heh heh. All in all it was a great time. I'd do it again. Knitters, in general, are a great bunch of people.

Last night daughter Ruth called with some totally unexpected news. I have a new Grandkitty! Apparently the apartment she lives in allows pets. She and her roommate have wanted a kitty since they first moved in and finally could not stand it any longer. They went to the local animal shelter and adopted Linndamon, a ginger and white tabby ("with the cutest white toes!"), 6 months old, female, and "the sweetest thing!" The name is a little unusual. Her name was Lindsey. They didn't like it. They wanted to call her Cinnamon. But decided to meld the two names together and came up with something unique. We'll get to meet Linndamon over Thanksgiving break. Ruth is bringing her here when she comes home. (I see an angry Silver taking his feelings out on my doggies in the near future.)

Now on to this weeks edition of Friday's Feast.

Appetizer
How much money do you plan to spend this upcoming holiday season?

Just enough and not too much.

Soup
What was the last television show you watched, and was it good?

Good Morning America (this morning). It was okay.

Salad
If you had to paint the walls of your living room tomorrow, what color would you choose?

A pale sage green.

Main Course
Name something clever or practical you have thought of that should be invented, but hasn’t yet.

Self cleaning laundry.

Dessert
List 3 things you would like to receive as gifts this upcoming holiday season.

A new digital camera. A big box of really good cream filled chocolates. A year with no vet bills.

Have a great day.

Fridays Feast 10/26/07

I have finished knitting the second Buccaneer's sock. I just need to weave in the ends. Hurray! I can't believe I did it. I knit 3 socks in one month. Of course, I haven't knit on anything else.

Before I go weave those ends in, it's time for a Friday's Feast.

Appetizer
Name a great website you would recommend to others.

If you're just looking for a good read, I'd say Behind the Counter. It's a blog written by a gal who works in the customer service department of a Walmart in Florida. It's very humorous, but scary at the same time.

If you're a knitter looking for a good read, The Yarn Harlot is great! A blog written by author Stephanie Pearl-McPhee about her adventures in knitting and the knitting world.

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 as highest), how often do you dream at night?

9 - in vivid color.

Salad
Did you have a pet as a child? If so, what kind and what was its name?

A pet? I had dozens of pets! I had dogs, cats, ducks, chickens, mice, guinea pigs, gerbils, rabbits, (we won't talk about my slug farm), lizards, snakes, bugs, salamanders, fish...... My most favorite and treasured pet is Sheba, a German Shepard/White Samoyed mix. She was the most wonderful dog a person could have. I got her when she was 2 years old and I was 9, and I had her for 11 glorious years until she died of cancer. I still miss her.

Main Course
If you had the chance to star in a commercial, what would you choose to advertise?

Cheesecake.

Dessert
What is your favorite kind of hard candy?

Hard caramels, like Werthers.

Have a great day! Now, where is my tapestry needle......

Friday's Feast 10/12/07

Friday's Feast time!

Appetizer
When was the last time you were surprised?
Yesterday. My daughter bought me lunch at Applebees.

Soup
Fill in the blanks: My eyes are _Brown_, but I wish they were _not needing glasses_.

Salad
If you were a Beanie Baby, what would you look like and what would your name be?
I'd be a fluffy kitty, and my name would be Cashmere.

Main Course
Name two things you consistently do that you consider to be healthy habits.
Eat my veggies (Yum!) and walk a lot.

Dessert
What brand of toothpaste are you using these days? Do you like it? Why or why not?
I'm using Colgate whitening with the tartar control. I like it. It tastes good and gets my teeth clean.

Have a great day.

Fridays Feast 10/5/07

It's been a really busy week with Bead group, Spinning group, Knitwits meeting, meeting with friends for lunch, running errands all over the place. Whew...looking forward to a quieter next week. Will get into more detail tomorrow. It's time for Fridays Feast today.

Appetizer
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you look forward to your birthday?
6. This is a hard one because I look forward to it with great anticipation-mostly excited that I've managed to make it to another year. There are years in my past when I almost didn't, so it's a big deal for me. But at the same time I know I'm in for some disappointment because my family rarely acknowledges it.

Soup
What is one word you don’t like the sound, spelling, or meaning of?
The infamous 'f***' word.

Salad
Do you wear sunglasses when you’re outside? If so, what does your current pair look like?
Yes, sort of. I have some clip ons I can put on my regular glasses. They're sort of square shaped lenses with a black silvery frame.

Main Course
If you were to write a book, to whom would you dedicate it?
My sweet hubby.

Dessert
Name a beverage that you enjoy.
Peach Ice Tea.

Have a great day.

Fridays Feast 9/28/07

Satellite dish fixer called at 7 this morning. A very nice and polite sounding young man. He wanted to know what the problem was with our dish so he could pack the proper possible-replacement-parts.

I said "A moose banged his antlers on the dish. We think it's been knocked out of alignment."

He said "Excuse me, what?"

I said "A moose banged his antlers on the dish."

He said "A moose......banged???"......silence.

I said "His antlers, yes, on the dish." A pause of disbelief on the other end.

He said "Oh wow, I better bring another dish then, just in case."

It's going to be an interesting day.


Fridays Feast

Appetizer
How are you today?
Pretty good actually.

Soup
Name 3 television shows you watch on a regular basis.
CSI, Survivor, Boston Legal

Salad
What’s the scariest weather situation you’ve experienced?
July 9, 1995 we had a 10 minute 'storm'. The neighbors and the sheriffs who were visiting the neighbors (no one has said they're good neighbors) told us it was a tornado-they saw the funnel. But the resulting damage looked more like wind shear.

We were on the other end of the Parkarosa, at Dan and Sue's house, putting bean poles up in the garden when a fierce storm came screaming down the mountains behind their house. We dashed for the front porch and watched in wonder as wind and rain suddenly lashed with the sound of a freight train and a vengeance I've never seen before. In 10 minutes it was over. It was terrifying. It was then that my nephew told us there'd been a tornado warning on the radio.

A few minutes later we discovered the big huge fir tree in the back yard had been wrenched out by the roots and thrown down on top of Dans truck. We got worried about our house, so Dan and Sweet Hubby hopped in the car to drive the mile to the other end of the Parkarosa and check things out. They came back in less than five minutes. Hundreds of trees were down on the road. They needed a chain saw.

It took a couple hours to get to the house. We discovered it was fine. In fact, I had 6 very tall and leggy tomato plants sitting in pots on the deck and they were still standing. However, our lawn was covered with hundreds of trees. The dark and spooky woods were gone. (That's what my daughters liked to call it.)

Basically, the way the neighbors tell it, a tornado touched down just across the highway from Dans house onto our big field, plowed through the center of our property-all the way to the other end, jogged around our house, then lifted back up again and dissipated. On it's way it snapped the trees off like toothpicks or yanked them out of the ground and slammed them down. Trees 400 years old and 4 to 5 feet in diameter were nothing to the wind that roared through. It wiped out 70% of our forest. Everything was laying in the same direction-which is why we speculate wind shear, because tornadoes tend to make a jumbled mess. Very weird looking. It was one of those once in 500 years events. People drove from all over to come see it.

For us, it was extremely traumatic. Especially for my husband and his siblings. They'd grown up with those trees. It completely changed our environment and gave us years of clean up to do. I used to love the sound of the wind. Now I get anxiety attacks when I hear it.

Main Course
If you could wake up tomorrow morning in another country, where would you want to be?
Australia. I've always wanted to see it.

Dessert
What do you usually wear to sleep?
A nightgown. Usually of the short, t-shirt style variety. Sometimes, if it's an especially cold night, I like to donn my leopard print satin pajamas.

Have a great day.

Fridays Feast 9/21/07

I had the good sense to pick the partially ripe tomatoes and bring them in the house to finish ripening yesterday. I heard it was going to be 41 degrees in Spokane/Coeur d'Alene overnight. That means a super dip under 32 here. I was right. My tomato plants are now dark green slime. It was fun while it lasted.

I have 3 inches done on the second Mystery Sock. Cool!

I spent most of yesterday moving photos from my Flickr web album to Picasa. My introductory 'pro' version of Flickr is about to expire, and what you get for free isn't enough for my purposes. besides, Picasa is much easier to use. I will still hold on to my Flickr album, cos I need it for putting pics on Ravelry. For now, though, Picasa will be the main album.

I have a COOL new banner. I created it at Cool Text , a free logo/banner creating web site, then modified it myself with Paintshop Pro.

Here's todays Fridays Feast:

Appetizer
What is your favorite type of art?
Music. It touches all my emotions.

Soup
When was the last time you got a free lunch (or breakfast or dinner)? Who paid for it?
Lets see, I'm not going to count the ones my husband paid for because technically, that's not free, since what is his is mine and vice versa. My daughter and her boyfriend bought me lunch a few weeks or so ago. I think that was the last time.

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how emotional are you?
11

Main Course
Approximately how long do you spend each day responding to emails?
About an hour.

Dessert
To what temperature do you usually set your home’s thermostat?
70 degrees for day, 55 for night. Actually had to turn the furnace on yesterday. Yup, summer is definitely toast. Waaaaaahhhhhhh........!

Have a great day!

Fridays Feast 9/14/07

It's been a couple weeks since I've done a Friday's Feast. So, the feast first, then life's news.

Appetizer
When was the last time you visited a hospital?
It was in 2005, now what month? Funny that I can't remember that. A former friend of mine had back surgery. They put 2 pins in her spine because it got twisted in a car accident. I was there because I care so much about her. She meant a lot to me. Unfortunately, our friendship broke up last year after I closed my store. She is a complicated person, with problems, but I love her anyway. Clearly the feelings were not mutual, which is a shame cos she was a lot of fun.

You know what's really sad, and weird, about this (besides losing my friend)? Folks don't believe she had the surgery. I know she did cos I was there. So, what's with that? I wish I knew.

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how ambitious are you?
Here is the definition of ambitious according to Dictionary.com:

1.	having ambition; eagerly desirous of achieving or obtaining success, power, wealth, a specific goal, etc.: ambitious students.

2.	showing or caused by ambition: an ambitious attempt to break the record.

3.	strongly desirous; eager: ambitious of love and approval.

4.	requiring exceptional effort, ability, etc.: an ambitious program for eliminating all slums.

Based on that, I'd say about a 5. Over the years I have come to realize real success is not having a lot of fame, wealth, and/or power. Success is being happy, comfortable with yourself, and having loved ones in your life. It would be wonderful to have the first list of things, but I am not willing to do what is necessary to obtain those things. I'd rather be happy and have fun! I say 5 because those things that I do, I desire to be able to do them well. I always want to keep learning new things. If I ever stop learning, call Dr. Kevorkian.

Salad
Make a sentence using the letters of a body part. (Example: (mouth) My other ukelele tings healthily.)
Awww geez...I hate this kind of thing. Okay. Eye - Eat your eggs.

Main Course
If you were to start a club, what would the subject matter be, and what would you name it?
It would be a knitting club, an actual chapter of The Knitting Guild of America, and I'd name it Knits of the Yarn Table. I want very much to have a knitting club in Rathdrum, but I ran into some road blocks when trying to start one and decided it wasn't worth the fight at this time. Reserved for later.

Dessert
What color is the carpet/flooring in your home?
Hah!! That's a funny one. I'd call it dirty stained light ocean blue. I hate it. When we ordered our house (it's a manufactured home), I wanted green carpet. They came with pink, blue, or grey. Yecch! So we 'upgraded'. Unfortunately, the carpet sample that looked green in the sales reps office turned out to be more blue. I've hated it since the day it was installed. We're gonna replace it with bamboo as soon as we get the chance. Was supposed to happen this summer, but, well, life got in the way.

On to life. I woke up yesterday morning feeling kind of wretched. I'd started coughing during the night and coughed all day. Was I coming down with something? None the less, I carried on. I headed to Bead It! and taught my little tubular peyote class. I had one delightful student. She caught on very quickly. It only took one of the 2 hours scheduled for her to learn it.

While teaching a lady came in seeking help. She wants to learn how to do bead embroidery. I heard the boss say "oh yeah, she knows how to do that. We'll schedule a private lesson for you." I have a very expressive face. Dismay and horror must have appeared cos when she looked at me she started to backpedal. I wish she'd ask before making statements like that to customers. No, I have not done bead embroidery before. It's something on my list of things to do though.

This gal wants a LOT of help, right down to telling her what color beads to use and all. I mean, color choice is so personal! She's gonna have to do that herself. I'll teach her how to sew them to the fabric, the rest? She's on her own. She's got a brown corduroy vest with a paisley print that she wants to embellish.

So, we've got a tentative lesson scheduled for Saturday. When I got home I immediately started researching the subject of bead embroidery. I can sew beads to fabric. That's easy. But I know there are tips and tricks that an experienced person knows that I wouldn't. I learned all kinds of interesting stuff. I made up a little hand out, and I'm ready. I'm SO glad it has turned out to be an easy subject. If the boss does this to me again--heads are gonna be bouncing on the floor!

I also set up a private lesson with my delightful student. She was unable to attend the Cabochon class, so I'm gonna teach her that. I'm looking forward to it.

Back to the coughing. As I said, I coughed all day. The air around here is pretty smoky. I can hardly see the mountains to the northeast of us. There are forest fires all around--all 150 miles or more away, but the wind carries the smoke here rather well. Then there's the Coeur d'Alene Indians. They're burning their 1000's of acres of blue grass fields. I mean, the air smells like burning grass!

When I went to bed last night I coughed and coughed. Darn! I'm getting a cold of some sort. Then I started analyzing just exactly how I was feeling. Tight chest (having difficulty breathing--actually painful to do so), goo coughing up (yecch!), slight dizziness (definitely oxygen deprivation going on here). I am such a dummy! I'm having an asthma attack! Clearly the oxygen deprivation is causing my brain to malfunction! I grabbed my inhaler, puffed twice, and haven't coughed since.

Have a great day.

Fridays Feast 8/24/07

It's Fridays Feast time. Sheesh! Where did the week go? Before we eat, though, I thought I'd give a brief report of yesterdays haul. I went into Coeur d'Alene for the day because the new tires I ordered for my car were in. I no longer have bald tires. I'm ready for ice and snow now--or maybe I should say, my CAR is ready. Not me. I want 3 or 4 more months of summer.

I also visited Harmony Yarns. I don't remember if I've mentioned this or not, but I ordered some Tatemy Tweed DK in the Oatmeal color. This is a cotton/acrylic blend that is very nice. I am going to knit a lace swimsuit cover up for the cruise. I'll get into more detail on that at a later date. While there, I also picked up 3 skeins of Cascade 220, cos I suddenly remembered I'd promised 2 months ago to make my Uncle Jimmy a pair of felt knit slippers (oops!), and I fell in love with a sock yarn-so I bought it. I need more sock yarn like I need a hole in my head. It's shades of the most gorgeous blue, and the softest 100% superwash merino. I'll take pics and whatnot for a later post.

I also popped into Hastings to use the gift certificate I won at sweet hubby's company bar-b-que. (Playing bingo) I got James Pattersons new book The 6th Target, and Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. I started reading the second one last night and had a hard time putting it down. I'm halfway through already. A very funny read-especially if you're a knitter. It's also reassuring that I'm not the only one who gets that obsessive about knitting.

Fridays Feast. Here it is, piping hot.

Appetizer
Say there’s a book written about your life. Who would you want to narrate the audio version?
Lauren Bacall. I just love her voice.

Soup
Take the letters from your favorite kind of nut and write a sentence. (Example: Perhaps every avenue needs understanding today.)
Cathy always sings harmony each Wednesday.

Salad
If you could go back in time and spend one week in another decade, which decade would you choose?
The 50's? I don't know.

Main Course
Name a song that brings back memories for you.
"Could I Have This Dance" by Anne Murray. I fell in love with sweet hubby while we were dancing to this song.

Dessert
Do you prefer to wash your hands in cold water or warm water?
Warm water. The soap works better in warm, and the hands get cleaner. (It's all about getting rid of the germs, right?)

72 hours with no moose damage or sightings. Could they have headed south now--she says hopefully?

Have a good day.

Fridays Feast 8/17/07

After much thought, I've decided to not tell the horror story about Tommy and Wednesday's moose. It is sufficient to say I'd forgotten the doggy door was open and he survived without injury. My wits suffered a trauma of course (cos I was scared out of them). As of that moment, the doggy door will no longer be open until snow comes.

Oh yes, and we had yet another moose visit last night. This was a very small female. She was sleeping on the lawn under the fir tree by the corner of the garden. We left her alone. So now, not only is my yard a buffet restaurant, but it's a motel too. Sigh. I'm going to be so glad when they all move south for the winter.

Yesterday was a most pleasant day. I met some friends for lunch. As I was leaving I stopped and checked the mail and my lace yarn had arrived. I ordered a skein of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Laci (100% extra fine merino) in the Oregon Red Clover Honey colorway. Wow! I didn't really know what to expect because every monitor shows colors differently. Looking at it with two here at home one showed it as being more red and brown. The other sort of orange. Neither was right. It's a wonderful warm gold with rusty browns-just like Red Clover honey looks in a jar. And so soooooooofffffttttt. My fingers will be very happy knitting this stuff.

So why have I bought a skein of lace weight yarn? I'm gonna knit some lace! When I saw the new lace stole pattern on Knitspot's blog, called Honey Bee Stole, I HAD to knit it! I haven't knit any serious lace since high school. But this stole has got to be one of the most beautiful lace patterns I've ever seen. It's all I can do to not start casting on right now, especially now that I have the yarn for it. First chore, though, is figuring out how I'm going to wind this 8oz. skein into a single ball with a 4oz. ball making winder. I do not want to weave ends in on this project any more than necessary.

I also got a skein of their Socks That Rock sock yarn. There's so much talk about it in Knitblogland that I decided I need to try it out. It isn't as soft as I would have expected it to be, and it has an interesting twist to it, but we'll see after I've knit it up and washed it. I'm not sure, yet, what pattern, but since the yarn is semi-solid green, I think leaves are in order.

Lunch was wonderful. We went to a restaurant called Dukes, which is right on Hayden Lake. I've lived here 15 years and never saw Hayden Lake before. It's a beautiful lake. Dukes is a cool place. It overlooks Toblers Marina. It has a large dock full of tables, or you can sit in the outside/inside-a dining room with one wall open and facing the lake. It's great! It reminded me of a place we ate at years and years ago when sweet hubby and I went to Hawaii. I had good conversation with my friends and the food was good. I had the Hawaiian burger. Seemed appropriate. I'd like to go there for dinner with sweet hubby sometime. I think he'd like it.

I went to Sears and ordered new tires for my car (the current ones are almost bald!), and I stopped in Fashion Bug to discover they are having a great clearance sale. I got a few things for the cruise including a new swimsuit. After that I popped into Harmony Yarns to check on the status of the Tatamy Tweed yarn I've ordered (It should be in soon). I bought a skein of black sock yarn, then I went home.

Now, on to Friday's Feast.

Appetizer
Describe your laundry routine. Do you have a certain day when you do it all, or do you just wash whatever you need for the next day?

I used to have one I followed religiously cos I am a creature who needs routine. Since closing the shop I haven't really had one, but I need to develop one. Usually I find myself doing it on Wednesday. So I've decided that that will be the official laundry day. When I do it, I try to get it all done in one day.

Soup
In your opinion, what age will you be when you’ll consider yourself to truly be old?

70's??? I think it will depend on how I'm feeling at the time.

Salad
What is one of your goals? Is it short-term, long-term, or both?

To remodel the inside of my house. New flooring, paint, window treatments, the works. As much as I'd like it to be short-term, I'm gonna have to say long-term. There's only so much we can afford per year.

Main Course
Name something unbelievable you’ve seen or read lately.

The story of Blue Moon Fiber Arts and their trouble with the bank that came to the conclusion that there couldn't possibly be that many people who knit socks, therefore their sock club MUST be a fraud. This floored me. I read it on Yarn Harlots blog.

Dessert
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how happy are you today?

About an 8.

Have a great day!

Fridays Feast 8/10/07

Ah Ha! I remember-it's Friday. Heh heh........

Appetizer
What is your favorite kind of pie?
Pumpkin!

Soup
Name something that made you smile this week.
I can only name one thing? Looking at my daughter after she got her hair cut yesterday. (We gots our hair done.) She's so darn pretty.

Salad
What do you do to cool off when the weather is hot and humid?
Usually I stay indoors, turn on the air conditioner, and drink lots of beverages with lots of ice. But sometimes me and hubby seek the coolness of a restaurant for dinner, or a mall, or go see a movie in an air conditioned theater.

Main Course
You receive $1,000 in the mail with a letter that says you can only use the money to redecorate one room in your home. Which room do you pick, and what do you buy to spruce it up?
It would be the down payment on new flooring! Our living room carpet is a light aqua blue (which I hate) and it bears many stains of many pets and spills-not to mention it's almost completely worn out. I want bamboo flooring in the worst way!

We live in a double wide mobile home, though it looks like a house. When we bought it, new, my choices for carpet were pink, grey, or blue--none of which I could live with. So we 'upgraded' our carpet. I wanted green in the worst way. In the light of the office, what I picked looked green. Sigh....it wasn't. We didn't complain cos it was better than any of the other choices. But ever since, I've wanted new flooring.

I want bamboo cos it's really durable, pet messes are easily cleaned up, and it's gorgeous to look at.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: My __bedroom clock__ says __it's 7:10am__, but I _know it's an hour slow cos I didn't change it when daylight savings time started_.

Had moose visit yesterday. Will post pics tomorrow.

Have a great day.

Oops! Fridays Feast 8/4/07

I know today is not Friday. Yesterday I thought, all day long, it was Thursday. Didn't discover until this morning that I'm a day behind. I spent Friday doing load after load of laundry, puttering around the house, and knitting. I have finished the Pea Pod Cardigan, buttons and all. Pictures to come soon. Got a few inches done on the second Monkey Sock too.

This morning, at 8am, the phone rang. It was nephew Ryan and his wife and son. They are in town headed to our house. Yeeks! I better get dressed! He is here for a high school reunion. We had a nice visit. We'll be having a family bar-b-que tomorrow evening so everyone can see them, and everyone can see Chet and Diane too. Rumor has it that Mac, Ryan's brother, is supposed to be here this weekend. But a lot of times we don't really know what Mac's doing until he does it. So, I will believe it when I see him.

After Ryan and Marie's visit, sweet hubby and I headed to the annual company picnic-an event hosted by the company he works for. We had lots of food and drink, and games. I actually won a game of Bingo. My prize is a bag of movie popcorn and a $25 gift certificate for Hastings, a book store. Cool! I LOVE books. I am rather surprised cos normally I just don't win stuff like this.

Daughter Sarah won a game of Bingo too. She won a very nice assortment of tea and a Costco gift certificate.

Sweet Hubby took second place in the Goof Ball tournament, and won $25 cash. So, all in all, I'd say the family scored pretty good.

Doug and Dan were also victims of the Dunk Tank. Dan was scheduled for it to begin with. But I felt the need to attempt a drowning of Sweet Hubby (Don't know why. Just sounded fun at the time.) So I signed him up for a 10 minute 'volunteer'. I can't throw a ball. In fact, I doubt I could hit the broad side of a barn from 6 feet away, but I tried. Didn't succeed, unfortunately. Many others dunked him good for me though-after Dan poured a big bag of ice into the dunk tank. It was fun. Dunking Dan was fun to watch too.

Appetizer
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how polite are you?
10. In fact, I might even say 14. I tend to be too polite, to the detriment of my own health and well being. I hate hurting or offending anyone. Even people I can't stand.

Soup
What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?
I laughed out loud a lot today, so far. Hmm...the last thing.....I guess it would be when Greg (hubby's boss) got dunked in the dunk tank earlier today.

Salad
Who is your favorite cartoon character?
Yosemite Sam. I just adore his big red mustache.

Main Course
Tell about the funniest teacher you ever had.
That would be my math teacher in high school, Mr. Chenier. I adored him. He was a regular nut, and one of my most favorite teachers. There are several things he did that were hilarious.

1. He would assign numbers to everyone, then throw darts at a numbered dart board to get 'volunteers' to do problems on the board. One time he missed the dart board and hit the chalk board instead-which then shattered and fell on the floor. That was pretty darn funny.

2. When we were taking quizzes or tests, he'd walk around the room flipping the stapler open and shut. It made a most annoying clicking sound. One day I told him if he didn't watch it he was gonna staple his thumbs together. Immediately after I said that-BANG, the stapler shut-right on his thumbs! Hee hee.

3. Sometimes he'd wear his 'banana' shoes. A pair of loafers he painted banana yellow, with hideous polyester plaid pants and a big flowered shirt. He did it for laughs, no denying that.

I wonder if he's still around?

Dessert
Complete this sentence: I strongly believe that _churches are dangerous_. I'm not going to explain that one right now, but I do believe it strongly.

Have a great day.

Better Late Than Never

I'm back from the family camping trip! Will post more about it later. For the time being, I need to catch up on my Fridays Feast.

Appetizer

Describe a toy you remember from your childhood.
My doll, Angelique. Mom ordered her from one of the Christmas toy catalog's of my youth (J.C. Penney, Sears, Montgomery Wards????) She had long red hair, and was dressed in a little sleeveless grey wool dress with a red and green plaid jacket, and a matching beret (she was supposed to be French). I loved that doll more than any other I ever owned. She had a special smell that still gives me the warm fuzzies if I think of it. I still have her. Her hair is still in good shape, but her original outfit has long since disappeared.

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest) how observant are you?
I'd say about an 8. More than average, but I do miss things on occasion.

Salad
Where would you rather be at this very moment?
Back on the beach on Priest Lake, Lions Head group campground, Idaho State forest. Sigh.....twas beautiful. Perhaps the most beautiful place on earth.

Main Course
When was the last time you learned something new?
Today. I pretty much learn something new every day. I make it a point to.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I have _eaten baked Alaska_ but I haven’t _ever made it, nor do I intend to_.

Have a great evening.

Fridays Feast 7/20/07

Rathdrum Days today. Thankfully, it's cooled off for the weekend. It should be quite comfortable. I've got all my offerings priced and ready.

I got my bead swap items yesterday. They are all so beautiful. I'm quite pleased with them. You will have to wait until after Rathdrum Days to see pics of them though. If you want to see everything that was made for the swap, you can see them here:
Spiral Swap 2007

This is my first swap ever. Basically, the way it works is everyone could make up to 4 jewelry items with a spiral theme. When we finished our items, we sent them to the swap organizer, Pamy, along with postage for the things to be sent back, and a note telling her if there's a particular color you hate. We had a deadline of June 15. After all the items arrive at Pamy's, she mixes things up and sends back like for like. In other words, if, like me, you send in 3 necklaces and a pair of earrings, she sends you back 3 necklaces and a pair of earrings-but they're made by other folks participating in the swap. This way you get to share your bead work, see other people's bead work, and end up with something in the jewelry box you may not have otherwise made. Of course, you run the risk of getting something you don't like, but that's part of the adventure of it. There wasn't a single item in this one that I didn't like. All in all, my first swap has been great fun!

Appetizer
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest) how much do enjoy watching sports on television?
1 she says as she watches the Tour de France. Sigh.......

Soup
If you could completely memorize any one work of fiction, which one would you pick?
Today I would say The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. I love the way the words are put together. Might be something else tomorrow though. There's so many cool ones, it's hard to choose.

Salad
What is your favorite breakfast food?
Cheesecake. Is there any other?

Main Course
Name something fun you can do for less than $10.00.
Bead weaving. Five bucks for beads+one buck for nymo thread+79 cents for a package of needles=hours of fun.

Dessert
How long does it usually take you to fall asleep?
About half an hour.


Have a great day.

Fridays Feast 7/13/07

Fridays Feast is late this morning because I couldn't get to the computer at the usual time. It's Le Tour de France time. What does that have to do with it? Well, when I'm working on my blog, I'm usually sitting in hubby's recliner, using the keyboard and monitor for the computer in the living room. But when Le Tour de France is on, hubby is sitting in his recliner watching it. He gets up at the crack of dawn, and watches it until the end of each stage. Usually they're done by 8 or 8:30am. The race didn't end until after 9 this morning. Personally, I don't enjoy watching bony rear ends bobbing on bikes for 3+ hours, but he loves it, so I endure (for 3 annoying weeks!). And it is endurance for me. I don't want to get up at 5 am to watch this, and I don't. But I don't get any sleep either, cos he's got the volume turned up so darn loud they can probably hear it over in Montana. So I lay there for an hour or so feeling miserable, then get up in disgust and sit and watch the darn thing with him. That's what you do when you're madly in love with someone.

I got lots of knitting done during it this morning. I finished the second sleeve of the baby cardigan--HURRAY!--and threaded all the pieces with blocking wires. When I get done here I'm going to get out the steamer and the blocking board and get busy.

I prefer steam blocking. I'm not saying it's the best. I'm saying it's what I like the best. Especially for acrylics and wools. I use blocking wires, lots of T-pins and my Jiffy Steamer that sweet hubby got me a few years ago. I have an awesome blocking board that is 51 by 33 inches with a grid of inches, angles, and whatnot. It folds up and has carry handles. Using these 3 items makes for a very professional finish on my knitting.

Yesterday, to get a rest from the heat, my daughter and I went to see the new Harry Potter movie. It was A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!!!!! The best Potter movie yet! About half an hour into the movie I was so wrapped up in the story that I felt like I was in it, rather than sitting in a theater. I was totally mesmerized the whole 2.5 hours. They did a good job of following the book, which had to be difficult cos it's so long. Obviously, some things had to be left out. There were scenes in the book that I would have liked to see in the movie, but I totally understand why they weren't there. In a movie they try to keep the main focus of the story moving forward and those scenes wouldn't have done that. They had all the most important parts there. Anyway, if you're a Potter fan, you will NOT be disappointed.

Now, on to the feast.

Appetizer
What is your favorite fruit?
Raspberries.

Soup
Who is someone you consider as a great role model?
This is a hard question because there isn't really anybody I can think of. Everyone is human, so everyone has imperfections. There are character traits of various people I admire and try to emulate, but no one who I'd want to be like 100%.

There is a woman I knew in California when my daughters were really small, though, who's mothering skills made her my role model for being a mother. She had 7 children. At the time I knew her they ranged from age 17 down to age 4. Sandy Miller was her name and I never saw such a wonderful mother as her. Here she had all these kids, all different personalities (a couple of them stubborn red heads like my oldest), and every one of them the most well behaved well adjusted sweeties you could ever meet. I used to ask her for parenting advice. What she gave me were pearls of pure wisdom that helped me become the mother I wanted to be. In fact, she's the one I give credit for my daughters turning out as wonderful as they are. Unfortunately, when we moved back to Idaho I lost contact with her. I've often wondered what successful things her children ended up doing as adults, for I'm absolutely sure every one of them is successful.

Salad
If you were to spend one night anywhere within an hour of your home, where would you choose?
Probably a camp ground on Lake Pend Oreille (pronounced Pon de ray-it's french)

Main Course
Name something you do too often.
Worry

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I really like _Idaho_ because _it's so beautiful_.
There's lots of things I like. How do I choose just one???

Have a great day.