This is it. The day when I have to have all the housework finished and all the packing. A life-long dream trip starts on Sunday. What a Mother's Day gift! Scotland is going to be wonderful. I've been dreaming of it and haven't slept much. I wake up anxious for the day to come. It's worse than waiting for Christmas Eve! I have started writing a journal so I can then come home and put it all together on the computer. There will be a lot of pictures to up load, I'm sure. I'll try to post here and there while I'm gone. The Scottish Highlands aren't very good for cell phone reception and I don't know where I'll find wifi, but it's well worth being "unplugged" for 13 days. Til then, be happy, productive, and kind.

Busy, busy!

This was my secret project. Aran Isle Slippers for my partner for Christmas. I had some Oomingmak yarn from Alaska and Graham has done so much for me, I wanted to do something extra special for him. So I made these. There wasn't enough for complete slippers, so I used Cascade Superwash for the tops. The colors complement each other, but the majority of the slipper is so soft and warm. I hope to be able to buy more of this yarn in the future, but at $80 for 2 ounces, I'll need to save lots and lots of pennies!

Alaska was amazing. We had 2 extra days this year, had media passes, and met so many wonderful people and dogs.

Time is short today, but I will post again on that adventure... and I have exciting news next week...

TTFN!

New Year, New Adventures

I'm so excited about the new year. We go to Alaska for the Ceremonial and Official Starts for the Iditarod again in March. And we're the Official Photographers for Wattie McDonald again this year. We'll be attending the Musher's Banquet for the first time and spending a few days doing photography around the area. It's more exciting than Christmas!

After we return from Alaska, I'll have about 5 weeks to plan and pack for my first over-seas trip. Scotland in May will be so gorgeous! I'll be taking a million pictures as well as soaking up as much of the country as I can. On my list of "must do" is house hunt. We plan on retiring to Scotland and it would be wonderful to look at homes. Something old, historical and haunted would be fantastic!

I'm knitting like mad so I can have a new sweater by May at the latest, although for Alaska in the beginning of March would be better. First I need to reorganize my office that became a dumping ground for boxes I brought up from the garage. I felt so light as I emptied each box and put the knick-knacks and things I haven't seen for over a year and a half all over the place. Now I need to weed out the junk, put the yarn bin in my closet, build some shelving and find a temporary home for the keyboard until I make room for it elsewhere. Not a heck of a lot of room in our wee flat. I may sell my couch (don't want to; it's very special to me) or trade it for a piano. In a year and a half, or two, the plan is to move to Alaska for about 3-5 years before retirement, so lots of this stuff will be sold before that huge jump. I'm learning to not be so attached to furniture and things. Family heirlooms can go to my sister to do with as she sees fit. It's good to share those things, too. She should be able to enjoy them as much as I have.

So - there's my mindset... and if you haven't been able to tell... I'm supposed to be organizing my office. I'd rather be knitting... but in the long run, the order and decluttering will be wonderful. Maybe I'll be able to get a wee comfy chair to put in the corner to knit in.

I wish you all a very Happy New Year filled with love, joy, good health, prosperity and everything wonderful and good the Universe has to give.

Flying Fingers

I have been knitting so much, there are sparks at the end of my needles! I just completed a Linen Stitch scarf for the shop that took over 3 weeks to make. It's knitted in the round (400 stitches; 370 in linen stitch, 30 knit stitches), then when you're done, you cut up the knitted stitches and unravel those (secure them by tying 2 at a time in a knot), and voila! Scarf!

Then I made my secret project (Christmas gift) that I'll post a picture of after the holidays. I don't want the intended recepient to know what they are getting. I am working on the Hello Baby Cardigan and Hat for the class I'm teaching. It's fun. Quick, too! I'd be done by now if I didn't have to pace myself to match my students.

Christmas is only days away, so I need to get to work finishing up chores and decorating. Again, my New Year's resolution is to blog more. Going to work on it harder than this year. (Cross fingers here)...

Merry Christmas to you all, and a Very Happy New Year!

Hints of Autumn

Puget Sound has been blessed by cooler temps the last two days. Pure heaven for me. The heat, however, will be back starting tomorrow. The worst will be the weekend and into next week with 82-86 being predicted. Ugh.

Because of the nicer weather, I spent some time out on our balcony - when the neighbor's cigarette smoking didn't force me inside (one downside to apartment life). A Stellar Jay has recently decided to partake of the feast I have laid out for the local birds. He and a squirrel quarrel every morning over the feeder, but there's plenty for everyone. Hummingbirds, Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Nuthatches and Juncos are other frequent visitors. I'm hoping more birds will visit. I've changed the seed in one feeder that includes Thistle, Sunflower seeds and peanuts. That should bring a lively crowd. I hope.

I'm working part time now. Talk about a dream job - working with Renaissance Yarns! I taught my first knitting class on Monday. It went well. It's fun working with folks doing something I love.

My photography is continuing. I need to do more to get it "out there" and market my work. Other than that, it's been peaceful, loving and quiet. Graham and I are doing wonderfully. We are so compatible in just about everything! I'm learning to appreciate (some) Jazz music. Not all that keen on most of it. I play my country and rock in my car so I won't disturb him. It's fun to roll down the windows and sing with the music. I don't care what other folks think. I'm going to have fun, dammit.

Knitting is going well. I need to focus on Christmas gifts with all the grandchildren, niece and nephew and such. The family has grown SO much and there is so little time. At least it feels that way. If only I could knit faster!

Spring?

Ah, Spring. At least it's supposed to be. According to the calendar. Mother Nature, however, has different plans. Last night I fell asleep listening to the Frog Choir outside my flat. This morning, I sensed a bit of a shiver in a few remaining singers - the temp was 36. It snowed in many parts of Puget Sound yesterday. It is April, right?

The Cherry trees are blooming. Tenacious wee blossoms cling to the branches despite pelting rain, sleet, hail, snow and winds that threaten to rip them from their perches. Their time is short, nevertheless. The saturated ground is green; pools of water dapple the depressions. Children deliberately walk through them, exaggerating their steps, slowly rolling heel to toe, to feel the cold water squish out of their now soaked socks and soggy sneakers. Feral cats lap the water keeping an eye on foolish birds that land nearby, listening for the worms that wriggle through the saturated soil.

Eventually the rains will leave, snows in the mountain passes will melt and more flowers will burst forth with their fragrant blooms. Summer will surprise us with more sun and warmth and we'll wonder when it will rain. But the rains will return bringing cooler temperatures, the leaves will, again, change to bright colors of Autumn, then winter will bring it's bag of tricks of ever changing weather, sometimes by minutes. And the cycle will begin again.

You can count on it.

I decided that I would make a New Year's Resolution, one at a time, and when one was completed, then I'd make another. So far, so good. I've made a list of knitting projects that need doing (or completing) and I've tackled each one in a timely manner.

The job search continues. I have hope that I will find my right place where I can best use my talents and meet a need. In the meantime, I'm doing my photography and knitting up a storm. Never a dull moment.