k is for krista

Fun!

Crazy Aunt Purl asked people to send pics of their favorite knitting spot...

Cocoa is such a camera hog.

Ed.  Is my posture really that bad?

And On to Knitting...

I have, actually, been knitting. 

In preparation of Rhinebeck, I am knitting a cabled pullover that I hope hope hope to have done in time.

Trekking socks move slowly, mostly because I am working on my Rhinebeck pullover.

Also, I am making Black Sea Hats for two of my nieces.  I'm not telling which two!

Tisha, you won the contest.  I actually fly a few times a year when Mom and I have our get-out-of-town-or-go-crazy trips.  The other two facts were true! 

When Mom attended college to get her teaching degree, I attended all of her classes.  I would run around the house spouting out her theses the way some kids recite nursery rhymes.  Sometimes Dad and I would hang out in the student lounge if Mom had an exam and the younger students would always play with me.  There is a picture in the 1980 yearbook of my two year old self decorating the Christmas tree!  No wonder I loved college so much! 

I actually was a competitive public speaker, and I really did place third in the nation!  I used to have a stutter, and had a really hard time in public school.  In ninth grade, my mom and dad took a chance on a progressive magnet school in a neighboring town.  One of my classes was for leadership skills and taught by two of the best teachers I have ever encountered in my life.  You had to be nominated for the class, and I guess they just saw something in me.  I was painfully shy, and the first time I had to do a prepared speech for the class, I sucked.  When the bell rang, the coolest guy in the school, the eleventh grade football captain (we didn't have a senior class yet), came up to me and said, "That was a great speech."  I could have died!  I guess I got over my shyness pretty quick after that, and it was curtains.  I hold numerous local and state titles, and actully got to the national level my Senior year. 

Sussex Tech was the best thing that ever happened to me, and to this day, when my family or myself sees Mr. Steedman or Mr. Sadowski, they hug them for saving my life.  Totally not an exaggeration.  Kids are cruel, and school was tough, but Sussex Tech made sure I had friends and support.  If only every school in the nation took the time that they did.  We wouldn't need a No Child Left Behind policy.  Rant over.  Tisha, I already have your address, and your treat will be out this week!

Why Thursday is My Favorite Day!

Thursday is my favorite day.  Because I work a compressed workweek (i.e. 10 hour days), Thursday is my Friday.  It is also when I catch up on a ton of paperwork, so I don't have to talk on the phone as much.  Everyone at work teases me that Thursdays I am a completely different person than on Monday.  Well, DUH!  Here are some pictures that support my theory that Thursdays are my best days.

Secret Pal package!  Cocoa loves the box.

Lace weight yarn and sock yarn in the dreamiest colors.

A "K" notepad, forget-me-not and clover starter pots, "Crafty Gal" mints, a plastic case to sort my stitch markers, and , yes, that is the Handy Book of Sweater Patterns.

A goofy set of mug and bowl (SO CUTE), and fridge reminders.  A necessity.

Halloween decorations!  I LOVE Halloween.  My favorite holiday after Christmas. 

And now, you may all "ooh" and "aah" at my anniversary flowers.

Here's an idea of the actual size.

You may now commence the groanings of jealousy, gnashing of teeth, and renting of garments.  I love my husband, I love my Secret Pal, I love Thursday.

Gifts for You!

It seems like a lot of bloggers are posting contests on their blogs, so I think I will too.  Steve and I are celebrating our 3rd anniversary tomorrow, and I want to celebrate with the rest of you.  I am going to post 3 facts about myself and you get to guess which one is a lie.  The correct answers will go into a random drawing and will get some sock yarn!  Comments will be open until Monday, September 18.  I'll let you know on Tuesday who the winner is and I'll get you're personal info then.  Have fun!

1.  I was a competitive public speaker for four years, and placed third in the nation my senior year in high school.

2.  I have never been on an airplane in my whole entire life.

3.  I have attended college classes since I was 2 years old, and actually got my photo in the college yearbook.

Road Trip!

Guess where I'm going in October!

Really, take a second and try to guess!

What did you come up with?  Here's a hint...I don't need a passport and I can drive the truck there.

You got it!  I'M GOING TO RHINEBECK!!!!!!  I'm also trying to wrangle my sister Robin, my Mom, and my sister-in-law Sue; despite the fact that they don't knit, crochet, or spin.  Robin's already said yes, now just to work on the rest of them.  Girls weekend!  Girls weekend!  I am so excited.  If you are going, too, look for me!  I'll be playing Blogger Bingo! 

That's right, I'm a player and a square!  I always wanted to be on Hollywood Squares.  This could be the closest I'm gonna get.  I want to wear something handmade.  Any suggestions on a simple but pretty cardigan?

The Upside of Illness

I have been so sick that I could barely remember my name for about 36 hours.  On Thursday I started to feel a little better, then today I felt well enough to go to the grocery store.  I was also hungry and we were running out of eggs.  Oh, yeah, that's another thing about being sick.  I ate poached eggs on toast for two days, trying to get protein in my system.  It's also the only thing I had the energy to cook for myself besides canned chicken soup, and that gets old REAL QUICK.  Steve's dad calls poached eggs "winkers," and in my weakened state I kept talking to myself like I was on a cooking show, saying things like, "Just because you've run out of butter is no reason to avoid making winkers...they are just as good on dry toast."  So anyway, that's when I knew I had to get out of the house as soon as I was up to it.  (And yes, eggs and butter were on the top of my list.)

Tropical depression Ernesto is threatening the East coast, so everyone had to go to the grocery store today.  At exactly the same time as me.  Sigh.  Maybe someday they will name a storm after me, and I can say threatening things at the grocery store like, "Out of my way, there's a storm named after me and if I can't get through this aisle in ONE MINUTE I am sending it after you!"

It is nice and cool because of the depression, so I have at least been comfortable and able to open up the house and get my germs out of it.  I was able to work on my Trekking sockie wockie, and today I made pot roast with veggies, biscuits, and homemade applesauce.  Yum!  I also get to drink hot tea constantly, which I have missed after this hot hot summer.

The socks remind me of my honeymoon, which we spent in the mountains of West Virginia, in a  state park called Blackwater Falls.  You can rent a full cabin with a fireplace, kitchen, and bathroom for less than a hotel room, and the lodge is incredible!  There is an indoor pool, game room and HUGE lounge that has a six-foot fireplace.  The colors in the socks remind me of all the different colors we saw on our hikes.  Some of the trees had started to change, and the skies would carry this beautiful purple-grey haze in the mornings.  It was an amazing trip.  Then Hurricane Isobel came through and we had to evacuate.  Well, at least it wasn't boring.