Life Lessons from Gilligan

Gilligan is probably the most challenging sweater I’ve done in quite a while. I started out with using the wrong type of yarn, ripping out and starting over cause I twisted my work when I joined it, starting over cause I just wasn’t paying attention. After consultation with mary I was on the right track with some lovely yarn that was great to use. I encountered many frustrating moments as I attempted to increase in lace, and maintain pattern, interpret instructions that were a bit confusing at times. I wanted to give up on this project many times along with way, but kept with it. I had to ask Mary to hold my hand more than once which she was willing to do, and even shared in my delight when I finished and declared that it FIT. Of course, I became a bit deflated when I blocked the sweater and worried that I had stretched it out of shape and I’d have to re-do my blocking. Fortunately most yarn is very forgiving and you get multiple re-dos. Is this the most perfect sweater, well no, I can see stitches that are not quite as tidy as I’d like, something is a bit off on another part. However, it fits pretty good (this is not a flattering shot!), and above all I stayed the course and completed the project. Here’s where the life lessons comes in-I’ve had some real challenges lately, made mistakes along the way, had to re-start a lot, get advise and encouragement from friends, including a little hand holding along the way. I've tried to equip myself with the tools I need to get the job done (in life) prayer, devotion and surrounding myself with good-vibe people (in knitting) good yarn, needles that won’t cause me to injure myself, stitch markers to help me along the way, row counters, etc. With both Gilligan and life, I can look in the mirror and see the flaws, but also see my successes. I also realize that unlike THIS sweater I’m still a work in progress, and if you look at my queue on ravelry, I’ll never really be finished knitting sweaters, but I hope that most of them will be a little easy on me. oh-and life-you can go a little easy on for a while too. thanks!

i'm either very "pretty", a magician or a genius mathematician

somehow despite reading the label SEVERAL times and reading the pattern shopping list SEVERAL times. i somehow expect 660 yards of yarn to be enough for a sweater that requires 800 yards!!! SO, if i'm a magician-i'll be heading to vegas, so move over david copperfield and chris angel. then again, maybe i should write a math textbook, you know they told me in high school that algebra was "new math" (hm-um yea). how about we just call me very pretty, and i'll go buy another ball of yarn tomorrow-K?
rosemary pictorial update coming soon-i promise! happy friday.

salad anyone?

i was inspired by the recent southern living magazine to plant some lettuces, so when i was trying to figure out what i wanted to do in the front bed outside the dining room window, i added them to my list of plants to get from pikes.  my gardening mojo left me last fall, and i have avoided this patch for a while.  weekend plans included pulling weeds and triming back bushes to get it fall ready.  it turned out to be a very quick and easy task, so i set off to get my plants saturday afternoon, and spent sunday putting everything into the ground.  here are the romaine plants, and the sage-y green plants are brussels sprouts (i do love them so), so hopefully we'll have some lovely lettuce and sprouts this fall. 

also i planted some herbs for vinegarettes and cooking-added english thyme, oregano, parsley, and a new batch of rosemary.  i do love fresh herbs, and hope to include a tarragon once i find one.

other plantings included iris and hyacinth bulbs, and a flat of pansies near the drive way.  2 rose bushes and new plants in the urn (also located in this same patch). next on my list is to figure out an adequate watering set-up so i don't have to stand outside with the waterhose keeping things hydrated, and add some pinestraw.

monday moment. "labor" day

yes, it was grueling

trying to complete the back of gilligan, had a snag with the front, so will be begging asking for help later this week, oatmeal cranberry cookies, and banana bread muffins. also, andrew's grilling skirt steak for fajitas, and we've got the sheffield "old" fashioned cheese dip for dinner. how was your labor day. am VERY grateful for the rain-

what i like right now. . . .

my newly acquired mr. bubbles beach towel to take on my trip with "the girls". isn't it cute!!!????

operation move-in

 after spending about an hour on the highway waiting to get to the RAC center to get keys, we finally made it to PJs dorm room to unload-we really didn't have much and am guessing that's a good thing?

 the kitchenette-not too bad-plenty of space-to the left of the counter is PJ's roommates bedroom-right across from the kitchenette is where the double sink/mirror is located and then the bathroom. PJ's room is next to the bathroom.

 PJ's dorm room-these rooms currently are 1 person per bedroom, but the beds are designed to convert to bunks if dorm space becomes scarce-clever-huh?

outside their room is a cute little welcome sign of sorts-right across from their room is a conference room-study area-nice that it's a room rather than an open space so that you could study without being disturbed-yes these are the only photos i got, and no-that was not my intention. however, PJ's loving GaSo so far-so that makes mom very happy indeed-so all's good.

birthday treats

 Andrew did a great job with the birthday cupcakes-even though he was just getting to them at 11:50 pm on friday. his deadline was noon on saturday-which he just barely made it. he used martha stewarts devil's food cupcakes and a frankenstein'd buttercream frosting with crushed strawberries flambee'd (with grand marnier)

isn't the strawberry cute-he was quite befuddled that we didn't have a fresh mint sping to use as garnish-and the cupcake would NOT be complete without something extra on top (aside from the candle!). they were yummy! thank you andrew!