Another Birthday

Today is my birthday. On Easter Sunday, too. I don't remember ever having a birthday on Easter Sunday. I remember having a birthday on the Saturday between Good Friday & Easter Sunday - it snowed that year - but never on the Sunday. And it isn't even raining on my birthday, wow, after all the rain we've had this year, this is a miracle!!

I thought I'd spend my time quietly, knitting on a pair of Purple Opal socks. Yeah, they're just for me. I always thought this ball of Opal was kind of plain which is why it sat for years in the 'yarn for me' basket on the shelf. It's purple & that should say it all, but I've always jumped on the brighter yarns, the wilder yarns or the neons first thinking Yeah, this is Purple but just ordinary purple, small-p purple. If you know what I mean. But it's been glaring at me from behind the bars of the basket on the yarn shelf. Somehow it worked it's way to the front of the basket & has been giving me the Stink Eye for a couple of weeks now. So Friday night, I sat down in front of the Tube & cast on 73 stitches for the first sock in purple Opal.

Mmmmm I'd forgotten how nice Opal yarn is. It's quite sproingy without being too soft. 

Soft yarn does NOT a good sock make!! But you don't want nasty rough yarn, neither.
This yarn is nice in the hands, easy to work with & loose baby, without being sloppy. And the color's on the pinky-purple end of the rainbow. Just nice yarn. And. Well, look at that. The splotchy yarn makes a pattern!! I'm ending up with bands of large splotches with bands of fine splotches. Mmmmm - I wonder how it will look with hot pink toes??

A Little Pop of Color

My Cup & a fav pair of socks

Today I woke up to a brilliant blue sky. Nothing hurts today & I noticed nothing hurt yesterday either.  I have no idea what's going on or what magic pill or potion I've ingested, but I intend to make good use of the time I've got.


It's STILL tax season & I'm still trapped in the office banging on the keyboard but the kitchen sink is unstuck once more. Hallelujah. I thought that Drano Gel would never work. But, I kept pouring hot water down there & things began to budge. It's just about time to push the mini washer over there & wash a load of whites in hot water. That should blow it completely away!!!

The other night I just HAD to start something new. I bought - some Knit Picks acrylic - a while back. I know, I know, after all the bad things I say about acrylic .   .   .   but there are some out there that are pretty darned nice. And I took a chance with this stuff. It said it was worsted weight - looks like sport to me in the ball - but it knits up into a nice 6x6 swatch on 4 mm needles to a worsted gauge!!!

It feels good. I love the colors.  But it DOES work out to a worsted gauge - 18 stitches to 4". Wow. Looks can deceive. I've abused that swatch for several months & it looks just as crisp & nice as it did on the day I knit it up. So I dug out the Cabin Fever "Plus Cardigan"book & cast on for a Top Down, V-neck Tee with garter neck & shoulders. I might carry garter down a bit lower but no further than the end of the V. The Plan is to just cap the shoulders with the garter & then change to stockinet. The yarn was cheap, clearance cheap, which is too bad because I do love it so far. Isn't that always the way???? One great thing about this yarn is the color. Lovely color for a grey day .   .   .

Since the morning was so bright & nice, I managed to snag a good shot outside on my dirty patio table. It's funny how delicious, bright, crazy colors knit up so much faster than ordinary color-ways. And this one's going fast & easy. Maybe it's because it FEELS so good as it's being knitted too. I'm just about down to the bottom of the V at which point I'm thinking about closing the front & changing to stockinet for the rest of the sweater.

My Exciting Life

My Desk Once More

I'm supposed to be purging items from my basement apartment. After 17 years in residence, I have it stuffed to the gills with books, yarn, fleeces & well, stuff. Not all of it's MY fault but most of it is. The place was empty when I moved in.

Today I tossed the George Forman grill. Why?? Because I couldn't keep the damn thing clean after the first couple of years & trying to degrease it this time completely clogged up the sink drain. That's why. These indoor grills are wonderful until they aren't anymore. When the BoyToy lived next door, we grilled almost every night. Salad & meat made a quick & easy dinner, especially in the summer & we wore out the first grill. This one got plenty of use too. I loved the removable plates but it got increasingly harder to clean as things began to stick all the time. This time around, I grilled lamb. And forgot to wipe, soak & scrub the plates right away. After soaking, scrubbing & degreasing this time, I realized the grill plates were peeling & I'd never get it clean. So, out it goes. I'd rather spend my time with a sexy cast iron pan which takes up a quarter of the space, instead.

And what's on the needles??? Just finishing up the toe on the second Purple & Green Kroy 4ply Boot Sock. These took much longer than usual since they were 'Car Knitting' for ages. Since I haven't spent much time waiting in the car lately, they never got finished. And now that I have orders for 3 more pairs of socks, they came in from the car to get finished. Tonight is the Season Premiere of two favorite series on Public TV, so the toe will get finished & a new sock partially knit while I enjoy the Midwives & Homefires - a series about small town British women surviving during WWII. A real exciting evening at home!! But, it's Tax Season once more & most of my time is spent banging on the keyboard because everyone wants their project done NOW. Wooopiee

Lunch on My Own

I had to get OUT today & decided to escape the old keyboard & head for my favorite Greasy Spoon, the cafe in the Industrial Park. It was great!! Just a sprinkling of rain, hardly anyone on the road - at 12:48???? - and a parking spot right in front! No one was there but me so I got to sit & read yesterday & today's papers in peace & quiet. They made me my favorite hot chicken wrap - just chicken & swiss cheese - with a huge bowl of Chicken with Broccoli, Veggies & Mushrooms soup. I swear the soup was the best I've had in ages - so good that they sent me home with a bucket of leftovers. They told me it was three kinds of leftovers combined. All I know is it was damn good & I got the leftovers!! I love it when you go out for lunch & get supper included. hahaha

Tax Season is off with a bang. I've been chained to the keyboard all week doing payroll, employee remittances & T4s for three little companies as well as the year end data entry. Busy, busy, busy. I thought I'd trained all these people to give me their stuff every three months but it looks like they held out on me. Bah. Men are so hard to train in paper management!!! But, you know, when it's all said & done, it keeps you alive & ticking. There's more to life than yarn, socks & spinning, I've been told.

When I'm not banging on the keyboard, I've been working on some new socks in preparation for next winter. Just about finished sock #1 in one of the green/purple Kroy colorways I got for my last birthday. I have to remember to take a photo when it's light so I can post it.

I have another project in mind - I know, I know, I should finish one of the UFO cardigan

projects I have laying about but Spring is coming & I want something lighter to wear. I'd really like a couple of Tee Shirts in the cotton/acrylic blend which I bought on sale quite a while back. After spending years looking for the right pattern, I've come to the conclusion that the sweater pattern I already have will work as nicely for a V-neck Tee as it does for a cardigan or pullover. And I know it fits.

Good Grief - it's been a while since I wrote anything on the old blog. It's amazing how a

Scrappy Summer Socks

constant cycle of grey days or snow storms make every day seem the same. It's not that I haven't accomplished anything in the last month or so, but nothing's been interesting enough to report to anyone. Luckily for we, who live in the Canadian Riviera, the snow season appears to have come to an end. Finally. Snow is not usually in the forecast around Vancouver & the southern end of the Fraser Valley but comes in 10 year cycles mostly, if we get any at all. About 8 years ago we had a big dump around Christmas that kept us all home for the holidays but nothing much since. Between the rain & snow & grey days, I'm mighty tired of it all.

There's not much spinning going on around here - better for me to spin outside when it warms up - but I've been working on UFOs & knitting new socks. I finished another pair of Summer Scrappy socks for myself in the light pink/blue & green pastel yarns & a pair of Manly socks with Neon Orange toes - just because!! They've been spoken for by two different people so I have to decide which one I like the best, I guess. Max, the cook, adores them & has offered 4 lunches .  .  .  .

And last night, I just couldn't stand it. I got several balls of my favorite Kroy 4 ply for my

birthday last year from my knitting pals in mostly purples & greens. They've been staring me in the eye for several months & I just couldn't stand it anymore. I find it impossible to watch TV without working on something, so I cast on for myself once more - in the ball it looked a lot like purple pansies with green leaves, but on the needles, more greens than purple. You can never tell what the colors truly are inside the ball!! But, it's so warm & thick & soft that I just don't care. I have nothing close to this colorway & I think they'll be very pretty when they're finished. There's four more balls in different purple & green colorways waiting in the basket too. As you can see, I dug out my favorite bamboo skewer needles - 2.50mm - & am working my simple sock pattern, cuff down.

Back to Normal, More or Less

It's over. Oh, there's still piles of snow melting all over the place, the alley is still partially blocked & the side street is one skinny lane between walls of snow thrown from where sidewalks have been cleared. But our drives have melted more or less & the bigger streets are  just wet. Most of the snow is gone from roof, tree & blacktop leaving piles & puddles everywhere. The gulls are hanging out at Mcdonald's again while the sparrows sit begging on tables at Starbucks once more. And today, while pushing a buggy around at Safeway, shoppers were arriving in shorts, once more. It's a normal winter in the Vancouver burbs!!

I haven't been out of my house since the last series of snow storms started over a week ago. I decided I had enough dry & frozen stuff stored to keep me eating for another 6 months at least, so I stayed home, pounded on the computer & watched TV in my jammies. There are compensations for being Retired, after all. I'm so glad I didn't have to spend hours trying to get home after going out in the mess for I remember horrific commutes across town only to find the bridge closed - we only had TWO then. I could almost SEE my house on the other side but couldn't GET there.

Crab Cactus Blooming

So what did I do while 'snowed in'?? I found 'Jigsaw Planet' online & worked at least one a day!! I finished one pair of scrappy socks & started another. I made soup & Chow Mein. I took afternoon naps & watched middle-of-the-night TV. I read & listened to the whole 'Harry Bosch' series by Michael Connelly & 'Kate Shugak' series by Dana Stabenow. And I worked on Payroll books, WCB & end of the year data entry. It is almost time to file those taxes again & CRA will start accepting them on Feb 20. Just about the time I started longing for a Mcdonald's coffee with two milks, the rain came & washed at least half of the snow away!! Just in time. I was OUT yesterday, coffee in hand both BEFORE & AFTER visiting the grocery store. And last night for supper I had buttered fresh Sourdough bread, papaya cubes, chicken fingers & a big glass of milk. Tomorrow, I'll have Wild Baby Greens & chicken with Fig Balsamic dressing & two kinds of seedless grapes .  .  .

And It's Snowing Some More

Sunday afternoon here in the Vancouver burbs & it's snowing again. Big, Fat, Fluffy Flakes of Gorgeous Misery. Only one neighbor bothered to shovel his drive yesterday, twice. He even cleared the alley in front of his drive. The rest of us lazy slobs didn't bother - we know more is on the way. And it's falling as I write. I can see another 4 to 6 inches if it keeps up falling like it is right now. Is this Climate Change?? Should I go snow machine shopping???? And where the hell was all this white stuff back when we needed it for the Olympic Winter Games????

Short Summer Socks

And just so you know I'm doing something other than moan at all the falling snowflakes, I've been making Summer Socks. Yeah, I know. But the snow has to go sooner or later & then we can pull out our shorts & summer socks & go back to normal life. This one is made out of thinner 3ply yarn so it will be much cooler to wear in my summer sneakers. I fell off the wagon & started it during a good evening of Antiques Roadshow on Monday. My hands were sore & I just couldn't manage the heavy  worsted yarn that I'm using for my Crossover Sweatshirt. I suspect I'll be giving up the heavier commercial yarns when my current supply runs out to give my hands a break. Handspun & sock yarns are so much easier to work with when my hands are sore!!! Hell, what am I saying??? Handspun is so much nicer to work with than most commercial yarns at any time. But I can't dye it to match the wonderful colors I love so much, especially in the sock yarns.

Listening to the Silence

Summer Memories

The Lower Mainland is under another deep blanket of snow. At least my part is. I hear it's far worse as you go away from the water & into the Valley. 
About 7, Friday evening, I went outside to measure the deepness of the snow - I had my green knitting ruler about 6 inches long with all the needle size holes on one side & a ruler on the other. At 7PM I had more than 6 inches in the drive because the ruler went in over it's end. I thought about pushing the snow shovel around a bit Saturday morning but the snow warning was still flashing for more snow. Saturday evening, it was up to my knees & still snowing. And that's over a foot for sure .  .  .  . This is not normal for us.

It's almost like daylight outside because it's so bright with all that white. I didn't even bother to turn on the patio light because I don't need it out there. And it's so quiet. I live close to two Fire Stations - #1 Hall is 4 blocks to my left & #2 Hall is 12 blocks to my right. The Surrey Hospital is 6 blocks away. Usually in the evenings, especially on weekends, you hear sirens a lot. Police, Fire, Ambulance all use the main street one row of houses away from me. It's all silent - like Christmas Day silent. No trucks, no traffic bumping through the crosswalk. Nothing but silence.

On the Mend

I believe the worst is over. Friday, I slept in till almost noon & got up without a headache!! My neck & back are stiff but not painful & I could actually scratch the top of my head with BOTH hands - whoopie. I planned on going to my favorite Truck Stop cafe for lunch. They usually make some type of Broccoli soup on Fridays & I like it a whole lot - especially with a Chicken & Swiss wrap. And sometimes I get lucky & get to take the leftovers home. Yesterday was planned & turned sideways .  .  .  .

My buddy, little Ron, who will be an official Pensioner in March, called up to take me out for a coffee. Our schedules often don't mesh & last time I could go, he came down with some sort of head cold & when he could go, I was down with whatever I just had or iced into my driveway. We keep on the lookout for food bargains for each other which is really great. Ron likes Tim Horton's so we drink a lot of it when we get together. I let him drag me out for coffee next to Walmart.

Most of the time I ignore Walmart but in the past, it was the one place I could find cheap, warm, men's sweat pants that fit the man of the moment. And they all came with pockets. I can go to any department store & buy women's sweats for three times the price but they don't have pockets. And the fabric is so much thinner. I've spent the last few years since I wrecked my knee in my Ex's old sweats - they're warm, easy to get on & have deep pockets to put keys, phone, whatever into. This is very important when cold knees mean pain & unsteady knees mean you need to carry things in pockets.
So, I dragged my butt into Walmart. They had sweats but they're REALLY cheap. And no Stanfield's sweats!! But I got bath towels in gorgeous Aquamarine instead. And new pillow cases - with Tyrannosaurs on them for FIVE BUCKS!! Then, to top it all off, I got 3 Primulas for the pot in front of my door in bright spring colors!!! A bag of Avocados for $4 & a tray of boneless, skinless chicken breast halves for $13. WOW. I was so tired after an hour of walking around that store that I came straight home, put the meat away & went for a nap!

On the Needles - another scrappy blue sock .  .  .  .  same song, different verse .  .  .  I had automatically started another sock & then remembered how much I needed thin, short socks last year when it got warm. I love the Kroy 4 ply but it's really too thick for summer wear. I have to wear socks in my sneakers & I need my sneakers for stability - I roll IN on one foot & deform regular shoes so I wear sneakers with a built in anti-pronation support. So, I thought, why not???  I dug out all the lightest yarns & decided to knit myself a couple of pairs for summer. This will be Car & Coffee Knitting.

Meanwhile - back at the Crossover Sweater - too much trouble to make it a cardigan. It will be what I intended in the beginning but several inches narrower than it was. I don't know what I was thinking but it's frogged back to the row where I joined the body & tied off the arms. I've measured it against my favorite zip-front jacket for width so I'm off again to finish it for Spring.

Just a Little Weirdness

Crab Cactus blooming it's heart out

I'm trying to recover from something weird & strange. I did wonder for a brief moment if this is part of 'natural aging', an injury, heart problems or 'All in my Head'!!
About 10 days ago I woke up with a stiff neck, terrible headache, aching ribs & pain in my upper back when I turned my head or tried to raise my arm on that side. All I wanted to do was sleep. I suspected I 'kinked' my neck in my sleep. And so I swallowed a handful of pills while I heated up my "Magic Bag" before heading back to bed. Heat is always so comforting but doesn't really do anything for the pain. I don't think the pills do anything either. I decided if I was going to die, I'd rather die at home in MY bed. By the time I actually got washed, combed & dressed the next day, I was too exhausted to drive to the clinic & wait all day to see someone. So I went back to bed & slept some more instead. And I slept for most of the week although I made sure to get up, drink & sit up for a few hours afternoon & evening. Coughing hurt my head & chest so much I decided I didn't need pneumonia on top of it!!
I'm still making "Old Woman" noises when I get up, I still need to go back to bed in the afternoon & the neck & head still get worse as the day goes on. And my joints still all hurt. Hell, even my tongue hurt at one point!! But I'm sick & tired of the whole thing. This morning a customer apologized about not getting back to me because he'd put out his neck somehow & had this terrible headache. He's been suffering with the same symptoms as I have!! We came to the conclusion we have a VIRUS of some kind. Maybe this is the one that wasn't included in this year's flu shot. A crappy Virus!!

On the Needles - I did finish that second scrappy sock. Someone has already spoken for it. And out of habit, I automatically started another. I think I was halfway through the ribbing before I realized what I'd done!! I blame it on whatever I have - it makes for a fuzzy brain too. Might as well start on the 'Gift Sock' basket.

I pulled the Cross-over pullover out of the UFO basket too. Since I frogged it back to the yoke I haven't done anything else to it because I wanted to finish the sock & sort the UFOs first. I really NEED a house cardigan but I like that cross-over yoke a whole lot. Maybe I should just make it into a cardi with a side tie??

Update - Got up this morning feeling a lot better. I actually went for my mail & to Hen Long grocery for fish balls & more Pho soup cubes. My back & neck are stiff but no awful headache. I can raise my arm & turn my head reasonably well & only my hands, bad knee & hip still hurt a little. My finger joints keep cracking - I hope it's just from not being used  .   .   .  Did I mention all the ginger & garlic I've been knocking back in my PHO soup????  I've been drinking gallons of liquid. My recommendation - if you get it, go to bed & sleep as much as you can. Drink, drink, drink. And make sure you sit up for part of the day.

I Won't Complain About the Rain

The sun is shining out there & the sky is blue. And here I sit, looking out at all the snow & ice left in my driveway. It has been melting & then freezing at the bottom of the slope. My visitor today just about fell as he got out of his car at the bottom of my drive where it's all black ice. Where is the rain when you want need some???? I'll be enormously happy when it rains for a week.
It hasn't mattered a whole lot that the drive is icy because I've been chained to my desk doing paperwork & filing reports. At least I don't have to get dressed to do it!! It's surprising the amount of paperwork a year end generates - and we aren't even talking about taxes yet.

I meant to do a lot more knitting than I've done. I haven't even finished the second 'scrappy' sock yet - but I'm just about there. I did frog one of the sweaters I had on the go - three started from the very same pattern - I thought it was a bit much so the one I liked the least - WENT. I have other plans for that yarn.
That's TWO UFOs gone - one almost finished & one frogged. 

It's Marmalade Month. I follow a blog called 'Food in Jars' where it's marmalade season. I don't do much canning anymore since there's only ME here to eat it but I love the Food in Jars small batch recipes. Often, a recipe will make two or three half pints or several 'fish' jar amounts. This is very good for the apartment dweller or small home owner with limited space. Food in Jars covers everything from cook books to counter-top fermentation to equipment. Lot's of Give-A-Ways - even for Canadians, tons of good advice & of course, the recipes.

More Bloody Snow

Freya's Fish Mitts

So after the last bit of snow - yeah, another 4 or so inches - what is it with all this snow anyway??? Can't we just get a 'skiff' instead of 4 inches??? This last 4 inches was deadly - heavy, wet, sticky & it blocked up the end of my drive again. I can get OUT but getting back IN is another story. I took the chance on Saturday & went grocery shopping - out of fresh stuff again!! Boy, do I EVER miss my old Oriental veggie store in the neighborhood!!! So I drove out with a thump & a thud & got stuck when I came home. I was JUST ABOUT into my drive when I got stuck on the icy ridge at the bottom with one snow tire in the hole in front of it. And vans don't rock very well. So I'm out there in the dark with my little pointed, fold-away shovel - good for latrines in the bush & scooping up gravel when you're panning for gold. And very good for chipping ice WHEN you can see. My neighbor saved me by pushing & chipping when he got home. I could see he felt sorry for me & I was feeling pretty damn sorry for me too by the time he showed up. That's it - I'm not coming out again until it rains for a week!!!
And to add injury to insult - all that chipping & digging gave me a really sore shoulder & an arm I couldn't raise by the next day. Still really sore today although I can move the arm a lot better!! It's really a pain in the ass this getting old .  .  .  my Ex & I used to dig up half of our street & the drives of all the old folks that lived there before tramping over to the local cafe 20 years ago . . . . .

And that brings us to knitting. I finished the latest scrappy blue sock that's been laying around unfinished. Tick. And last night I started it's mate. Tick. I'm a row or two from the heel & on a roll. This will be the last scrappy blue sock for a while. I have some lovely Kroy 4-ply singing it's Siren Song from the Personal Stash!! Remember These??? All lovely Kroy that I got for my birthday. Yeah the big Six Five.
I love the 4ply. Since I live on cold cement floors, it keeps my feet toasty warm & still fits into my shoes. And there's purple - my favorite color - in three quarters of these balls!!! I love my crazy friends who remember me, even when I'm in cantankerous Hermit mode.

Here We go Again

Just Outside my Door

The Wet Coast is continuing to get a real winter -  I can still hear the boys laughing at the Tire Shop a couple of weeks ago when I insisted on SNOW tires instead of the good All Seasons that I had all round .  .  .  .  there's another 4" of really heavy, wet snow we got for New Year's on top of the snow left in my drive. The poor old Cedar in the side of the yard is really full & I hear we're getting more before the weekend. Like I said before, I can't remember so much snow - even back in 2009 when we got a real dump over the Christmas holiday. But, the bills are paid, the cupboards are full, I still have Gummies in the bag & was out for coffee in the middle of it all on New Year's Eve when it really started coming down. I AM glad I don't live in Mission, about an hour up the Valley, because they got over a foot!!! My niece, waaaaay up the Valley, is snowed under & looking for her own tractor with blade. These days I wish I was a hellova lot younger & had MY own truck & blade.

There's a million things on my desk but I just can't find the motivation to pull the rag out of my ass & get to it. I've been laying about for the last ten days drinking tea, solving Jig Saw Puzzles, watching Marathons & Christmas Specials on TV & have lost my MoJo, I guess. Maybe I'll get up early tomorrow, find a good Audiobook & get the old routine started again. Maybe I should just make a big pot of Italian Soup to help it along!! Or some Dirty Rice. 

Almost Full

And speaking of the old routine, it's time to wind off that huge bobbin of wool I spun up on my old Indian spinner which is a lot fuller than in this picture. I think I've been looking at it for about a year now. I love those big bobbins but winding them off on a niddy-noddy is a royal pain in the old 'nether regions' as EZ used to say. But leaving all that wool on the bobbin isn't getting it dyed or knitted now, is it??? I think I have actually spun ALL of the 'knots' of spongy fibre

the Knot

from the Grab Bag I ordered & shared with my friend Gail more than 10 years ago. Gail loved the wool/mohair roving in the bag while I preferred the more rustic 'knots'. The roving was silky & practically spun itself - so beautiful!!! But I wanted to knit a simple textured Kimono - so the more rustic nature of the 'knots' appealed to me. And I think I've managed to spin them all. Only took me 10 years or so. haha

I have a dozen skeins in the bin so far & probably that many on the current bobbin to wind off. I've spun it to a fingering SIZE but it's woolen spun so it will definitely knit up thicker. And I want to dye it before I knit it up as well. Waaaaay back when I first started to spin it, I wanted a splotchy, speckled yarn with lots of white but I'm not so sure anymore. It's really dirty here on the Wet Coast - everywhere you go. White does not remain white very long, especially if you're out in crowds, eating out, drinking coffee out, sitting, resting your arm anywhere or using buggies & public transport. I don't want to be washing it all the time. So it may end up with a blued background under the splotches. If I'd realized then, what I know now, I would've ordered the GREY Grab Bag!!

A New Year Beckons

Suddenly it's Saturday & the end of the year once more. I stayed home for most of the week simply because I didn't feel like wrestling with black ice & snow - the Safeway parking lot was even more treacherous yesterday than the week before even though I waited until well after lunch to go for some last minute things. After deciding I wanted to make Chow Mein for dinner, I needed celery. And I used RICE noodles, finely shredded cabbage instead of bean sprouts & bought some pulled chicken for it as well. Hell, if you're going to go out, you might as well make it worth while!!!

On my way in, I met a woman a little younger than me who set herself on fire a few days ago while trying to stay warm in a tent in Whalley. Lynne became homeless about 6 months ago when her little bachelor suite was declared 'illegal' by the Surrey Bylaws Inspectors & she was given 24 hours to vacate after living there for four years. She had to abandon most of her belongings & was put up in a Shelter. She is guaranteed a bed, shower & toilet from 6:30PM to 9:30AM. She has to be OUT by 9:30AM & cannot return until 6:30PM every day no matter how she feels or how cold or wet it is outside. And she has to find her own food. She said she was grateful for the Shelter but moved into her own tent after a couple of days because the weather was good, she could have some privacy & have somewhere to go during the day. She didn't want to be on Welfare & scrounged a living collecting bottles & cans. Since the fire, she's back at the Shelter again because she lost everything, but says it's tough to sleep there with all the noise. And she's back to looking for somewhere to stay during the day where it's warm.

I listened to her story over a hot cup of coffee at Safeway. And she agreed with me when I told her she was too damn old & injured to be a hobo. I know, I know, you can't help 'em all. But this one isn't young anymore & needs to get out of the cold. So, I bought her something to eat & a hot coffee so she could get warm for an hour or so. And I was very, very glad that I had a warm, dry place to live, beat up & drafty as it is.

So, here we are, on the verge of a new, fresh, untainted year. A fresh page to draw on. A new ball of yarn to knit. A new fleece to spin. Happy New Year everyone.

One More Christmas

I survived another Holiday by staying up till the wee hours on Christmas eve watching the Dr Pol marathon - I do love the Vet shows on TV - with knitting in hand & munching on Wheat Thins & Hummus. I'm trying my best to eliminate CHIPS from my diet by buying toasted Pita chips & popped or baked Wheat Thins. It works, most of the time. And Wheat thins & hummus really fill you up while chips do not. I'm very fond of a 'dippy' supper of raw veggies & hummus too but this time of year calls for soup to warm you up. And lately, I've been making a lot of 'brothy' soups with fish balls & chopped veggies. Soup that can be eaten out of a big soup mug so there's no dishes to wash except a mug & spoon!!

Did not get out to eat breakfast or dinner on Christmas since my gut decided to rebel. You know the routine, the gut starts rumbling & mumbling with the occasional painful gassy spasm. You don't know which end will suddenly explode like a volcano. I just drank as much weak tea as I could & slept. I've had occasional bouts of this ever since that last mega antibiotic before surgery last year. Yeah, I could take a bunch of drugs but the best thing is to stop eating solids, drink clear fluids, eat yogurt & let it heal itself. I help with a couple of capsules of live culture Acidophilus too. But, this is my reminder that I've been eating too much wheat - a problem I never had until that last antibiotic made me so sick.

On the needles - just working another scrappy Blue sock - the heel is turned & I'm about

halfway down the foot at the moment. I took this picture by the outdoor light coming thru the open door so the colors aren't as bright as they should be. But, there's lots of blues & greys in this sock so far. I find it impossible to sit in front of the tube without knitting something!!
And I'm picking up the front pouch on the Wonderful Wallaby for the Dirty Face kid. I think I have enough Royal Blue to get to the armhole & make both arms to the armhole. If not, the arms will be Red & the body Blue - they will see him coming, that's for sure.

Good Grief - the neighbor across the alley is washing his driveway with water!!! It's 3:00 PM. His female relations had been out there after lunch trying to scrape the last of the Christmas snow off the drive but I guess it was still frozen. Now he's dumping gallon jugs of water on the drive & pushing the water to the side. Oh, I can't wait until morning .   .   .   .

One More Sleep

The sun is out, the sky is blue & the black ice has finally melted. This morning, I got up early & went to Safeway because I had to have an onion soup mix, two zucchini & some Gummy Bears. I went to bed at 2:30 AM craving Gummy Bears & crawled out at 8:15 AM to go in search of them. Apparently it not only rained last night but it snowed a little too. And then it froze solid. It was not  good out there this morning, especially in the parking lots. And I wasn't the only idiot sliding across the parking lot, either. Apparently, the malls were full of last minute shoppers & a steady stream of people came & went from Safeway too. I can understand the people picking up Party Trays, Cakes & Fresh Turkeys but the rest of us??? I did manage to snag the Gummies & some bagels, though.

So, this is it. Tonight, we all settle in to listen for reindeer bells & remember our old childhood dreams. And tomorrow, a lot of the world slows down to celebrate another Christmas gathering.     May yours be happy, healthy & secure.

Almost There

So it's almost Christmas 2016. When I checked my mailbox this PM, I found two phone bills, a Visa bill, a book, a January Public TV guide & FOUR requests for money from the Salvation Army. The first four are already paid, I always love my Public TV guides but I have to say I'm really, really annoyed with the Salvation Army.

I automatically toss the mailings from the Sally Ann without opening them nowadays. Why?? Because I regularly SEND money to them. I regularly email money so it saves stamps, the cost of processing checks & the costs of sending out tax receipts. It can all be done automatically. It saves money for helping people that need help. And I've always admired them for the work they do. But, FOUR mailings in ONE MONTH???? Who's paying for the Admin costs & postage??? How much of the money we donate actually goes to the people who need it???? I may have to rethink who I'm giving my money to. I really see no reason for all the begging letters & they really annoy me.

After three miserable, broke years, I now have enough money not only to live on but to buy a few extras like underwear & books. And I've been looking very hard at my single friends who're barely scraping by. It's so easy to miss the ones who need help & too many of them won't tell. Winter holidays that celebrate Family are especially hard on Seniors & single men because they don't have the friends & support systems that single women do. I'm planning on taking each of my buddies out for coffee & donuts if I can't find a little cafe that's open this year. My Ex & I used to meet all the folks who had nowhere to go at our favorite little cafe on Christmas & New Years. And we made a party of it while we ate ham & eggs & checked up on each other. I often think about how much fun we had every year & wish the cafe was still there.

On the Needles - I haven't managed to get back to my sweater yet but the Wonderful Wallaby has progressed nicely. It's amazing how fast a kid's sweater knits!!! The worsted acrylic is thicker than most of the other yarn I have too - so I had to frog it twice!! It was too big both times until I checked my gauge on CIRCULAR needles. As is often the case, I relax & my gauge gets looser on circs. So, this time, I'm knitting the size 6 to get the 8 that I want in the end. I don't think there's that much difference between a 6 & an 8 anyway except in length. Kids seem to be about the same size around but they grow taller & longer. And then, when this is done, my sweater is next.

Just a Little Rain

Sunday's snow turned into Monday's rain. And, wow, did it rain here!!! The wind came up, the rain poured down & the new snow that we got on Sunday turned to slush on Monday. Just after dark, there was this huge BANG outside where half a roof of snow came crashing to the ground!!! As of Sunday lunch, there was 13" on the ground in the yard so it was a hellova pile that slid off the roof, onto the fence next door. Oooops.

In the meantime, I've been working on the new Dirty kid Wallaby. I had this huge ball of yarn in Royal & plan on using Red for most of the yoke with Green or Yellow - whatever I can round up in the same weight. This is the hoodie I knit last time & the younger boy grabbed it before his brother got home from school. So I made a larger one in Black, Red & Yellow for the older boy ASAP because the fight was ON. And then that damn kid went on a growth spurt & grew right out of his hoodie. This time around, he's not quite a size 6 so I'm making an 8. That should do him until summer!!! And, I won't have to knit one for his brother who is now wearing both of last spring's hoodies.

I frogged most of MY hoodie. Frogged it back to the crossover yoke, that is. I added on too many stitches under the arms because I was afraid of making it too small in the bust. I keep forgetting that my H cup no longer overflows as it once did. Although I'm not small by any measure, my measurement has dropped a couple of cup sizes & I think it's bulked up more by back fat than boobage, these days. So I've gone from worrying about the bust measurement to adjusting for belly. And I'm not even sure I need short rows in the bust anymore. So, back to the measuring tape, pencil & paper. And then pick up those stitches once more .  .  .

Well, Looky Here

Blogger has let me in at last!! I haven't been able to get in for a few days. Don't know why, it never gives any reason or explanation. Not that my life's all that exciting but it's nice to record some events.

As anyone local knows, we've been having an uncharacteristic cold snap in the Lower Mainland. And it's damned cold out there!! My favorite bad boy dug out the bottom of my drive Friday so I could get back into my drive if I felt like going out into the world. My snow tires are very good for getting me into places but not so good to back me up a hill in 9" of the stuff since I have 'All Seasons' on the back. I don't generally have to worry much about it except that I have a hump at the bottom of my drive & an icy alley to back out of so if there's a lot of snow, I can't get back IN once I get OUT. Yesterday, I got OUT, went for lunch, bought some goodies like fresh bread & salmon cream cheese & then came home & backed as sweet as you please, right up into the drive. I wish getting around in the Safeway parking lot was as easy. The store was crawling with slow moving Greyhairs!! I think every Senior in town was out there shopping yesterday.

Union Suit

I tell ya, I sure don't have the clothing for this kind of weather. I suspect a lot of us don't since we rarely have to use it. A Cowichan sweater is made for this weather but sadly, I no longer have one. And I'm sure that by the time I make one, the cold snap will be over for another decade. I did knit a warm hat to pull over my ears but that didn't help a whole lot - I needed a wool Unionsuit just to inch across the icy parking lot.

Yesterday, I downloaded a nice little cowl pattern called SHILOH. It not only covers the neck but comes down over the shoulders as well & finishes with a double or single fringe. It can be knit in chunky or worsted yarn & has a simple textured pattern to it. My crazy niece, the bee-keeper, would love it in the mossy green shown in the picture. And I think I'd also like one in some of that wild blue/purple cascade 220 I bought on sale eons ago.
Well, they weren't kidding about more snow in the forecast. There's been a break in the snow - well, it's coming down so fine that you can barely see it - but it looks like there's just a hair under 4 inches out there again. I think that makes 13 inches to wade through on the way to the garbage bins. Sigh.

Winter Is In the Building

I'll bet the Tire shops are busy this week because Winter has arrived on the Wet Coast in the form of fat snow flakes. This is very unusual for us in Lotus Land. Some of us wear shorts all winter long & most of us with cars don't even own winter clothing unless we drive to the mountains. So snow, before February, that lingers, is a bit of a shock.

I finally brought in the houseplants from the patio - in December. I didn't think the Jade plant would be happy in the snow. He sure looked happy out there as long as it stayed above zero but I thought I'd better bring him in before he froze out there. The Spider got so big that I have nowhere to put it but I'll clip the babies for next year!! The Crab & Christmas cacti are already indoors blooming their little hearts out & everyone else stays outside for the winter.

Saturday, I prepared for snow. Put the latest check in the bank. Bought milk, fruit, veggies, bread & a big bag of JuJubes. Already had my snow tires put back on last Wednesday - to the amusement of all the men I know who said my 'All Seasons' would be just fine. Filled up the gas tank. And settled in with several knitting projects & a few good audio books for the duration. This is the time of year I enjoy being Retired/Self Employed. No more 6 hour commutes from hell for me!!! I'm on permanent Snow Day.

Tuesday, I couldn't stand it anymore, I dug & chipped myself out & went for lunch at my favorite truck stop cafe.

Friday, bright & early in the falling snow, I decided I wanted fish dumplings & BBQ pork & busted out once more. It was a ghost town out there!!! Everyone took a Snow Day. I was quite surprised at NEWS-radio telling people to carry blankets & shovels in case they got stranded since it might be hours before they got rescued. WOW. Doesn't EVERYONE carry emergency equipment???? I've always had space blankets, plastic ponchos, tarps, a fleece blanket & a folding shovel in the car.
Found my fish balls & BBQ pork waiting for me at Hen Long. I love that store!! Bought noodles, chicken & shrimp buns, Pho soup base, mangoes & broccoli. Let it snow!!! I'm safe inside with lots of goodies to eat!!

So, it's Saturday morning & it looks like another 4" of snow fell since I broke out of the drive yesterday. This is getting mildly alarming. Good thing the fridge is full, the cupboards are groaning, the bills are paid & the internet is connected because I may be trapped in the alley till spring .  .  .  . 

Baby, it's Cold Outside

I'm not a big fan of 'seasonal' music although I do have some favorites out there. I'll never forget Cher singing a magical 'Oh Holy Night' live on one of her Christmas Specials. And anything by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is absolutely thrilling. But, the latest version of 'Baby, it's Cold Outside' by Michael Buble really made me laugh out loud. It was considered pretty risque by the morals of the day when it was first performed in the 40s!! It's been recorded many times but Buble's rendition is very fresh & cheeky. It made me laugh, brightened up my day & made me want more. Things sure have changed.

Now that we're into the Christmas month, yeah, it's not that far off, I find I'm not as cranky as I usually am. No one is outlawing 'Merry Christmas' this year. It's Politically Correct to mention the holiday again. After the Election Battle, everyone seems to be getting along for a change. Even though no one seems to have any money this year, they're still planning on celebrating anyway with food & presents. Drink seems to be waaay down on the list of requirements. I'm finding more talk of cookies & pie crust than Rum & Vodka. And a lot more of us seem to be happier.

My latest socks were called "Perfection" & a dozen more ordered . . . .  Oh brother. Not a job I really want. Maybe I should work for Baileys or Carolan's - booze in my tea might make it better.

Yesterday, I went & got my new-to-me snow tires put on the van. I want to be able to get out of my drive if it snows this year. Several years ago, we had all that snow & I was stuck in the drive for over a week. Stuck??? you ask?? Yes, stuck. I live on an alley, off a narrow side street which is off a secondary street in Surrey where they don't plow. Well, sometimes they plow the secondary street because it's a bus route but they don't do it right away. The Safeway parking lot gets plowed as it's snowing. The streets leading to it, don't. I wanted to make sure I can get out & about if I want/need to. Most of the time I don't bother but I want to get out if I want to. My new-to-me tires were looking good but rather bumpy when I left. Then I had to go out to meet the girls to knit last night & had a hellova time with a hard to steer van. I figured the right tire was unbalanced. Today, on the way back to the Tire Store, that tire started to thump. Yup, I knew what that meant. They sold me a tire with a separated steel belt. So, today, I got a nicer set of snow tires - they drive as smooth as summer tires. So, bring on the Snow.

Tis the Season, I Guess

This is one of my least favorite times of the year. The constant Buy, Buy, Buy, Sale, Sale, Sale, barrage drives me nuts. I have been known to turn off the TV in mid program because I just can't stand the constantly repeating commercials for this product or that service.
It's not even the end of November & it's Christmas everywhere. There was even some Christmas advertising just before Hallowe'en, fer gawd sake. I just can't stand it some days. I don't bake. I don't decorate. And I sure don't buy a tree. What a waste of a perfectly good tree that could live for years to purify the air, increase the oxygen levels, hold down the soil & provide food & shelter for wildlife. Why not put up a fake tree??? They come with the lights attached nowadays, buy a fake & save a tree.

I am not a total curmudgeon all the time. I do knit for charity, contribute to the Food Bank, Salvation Army & Harbor Light. I drop off clothes & household goods to the Fireman's Thrift Store. And I make loans to Kiva all year long. While Charity begins at home, I believe in giving a Hand Up instead of a Hand Out to those who work hard to build a better life without the social benefits that we, in North America, enjoy. KIVA is in the business of making Mico-Loans to people who have little or no access to financial services. Loans can be as little as $50 to buy a sewing machine so a woman can start a dress-making business.

My personal favorite targets are single women & farmers. I currently have loans to a University student in the Gaza Strip, a young weaver in Paraguay, a group of 5 women in India, 3 older women in Africa, South America & the Philippines who run small General Stores out of their homes, a chicken/guinea pig farmer in Bolivia & a man in Tajikstan who needs to pay for his wife's operation. None of these people have access to banking or financial help without Kiva & the people like me who make small loans available.

I often think about people like the woman in Tajikstan who cannot get medical help until her husband finds $900, like the Rwandan farmer who struggles to feed her family without access to clean water, the Palestinian girl who can't go to school because her mother doesn't make enough money to pay the fees or the village women in India who desperately want toilets. How lucky I am to be old in Canada where we often take for granted all of the 'luxuries' we have that most of the world is still struggling to get. Now that's something to celebrate.

Novembering

Hats for Everyone

Usually, this time of year, I'm knitting Hats for charity. I used to knit socks as well but the cost of shipping socks to the Collection Spot has become waaaay too expensive for a Pensioner in Canada. I used to participate in a 'Secret Santa' gift exchange with a couple of my On-Line Groups too but the last package I sent out cost more to mail than it did to put together!!! And I don't know anyone who sends out Cards anymore except to family because it's just too expensive. I suspect a lot of us create a Blog or a Facebook page just to keep in touch with the folks we know & love because it's cheaper than the Postal Service in Canada.

I hung in there with Hats. Everyone needs a hat in this climate. But that's become complicated too. Local charities will only accept items made with acrylic yarns because clothing must be machine washable/dryable. One group said they would only accept DARK acrylic hats in black, brown, grey & navy because most of their 'clients' prefer black. I know, I know, street people don't want to be seen when they bed down for the night. But yarn donations don't always come in dark colors .  .  .  .  so I decided NOT to knit hats this year at all. My hands & fingers are sore enough that I CAN'T knit a couple of dozen adult hats that won't get used, so I'm making acrylic blankets for the Syrian Friendship House AND woolly pouches & cat beds instead.

Handspun wool

One of my friends volunteers at a Shelter & a Wildlife Rehab up the Valley. When my last cat died, I asked if the Shelter could use a bunch of things I had since I decided not to get another cat. It was my crocheted cat bed that really got her interest - Shelter cats really need blankets & soft plushy toys to snuggle with to thrive. When adopted, the cat takes the blanket or toy with them so the Shelter is  always looking for more items. Another thing they're always short of too, are knitted pouches for the babies in the spring. Wild babies need to be together in snug, flexible nesting materials. Knitted squares work really well for most of them, especially the squirrels & chipmunks because they can be made into hanging nests - one point being the hanger & the two side & bottom points brought together with a few stitches. The babies nest together warmly inside. Apparently babies raised this way survive better & grow faster. And squirrels don't care what color the yarn is!!!

Off to the Foxes

My cat bed was crocheted out of small amounts of White Buffalo & Cowichan yarn marketed for 'Indian ' sweaters. I washed it in my portable washer - no agitator - just soak & spin dry, but it's also easily made out of acrylic. I just single-crocheted an oval - you could make it round - & then did a few 'crochet 2 stitches together' at the top & bottom to make the sides turn up. Cats & dogs both love it.

Rain Rain - Enough Already

Another Sunday, another rain storm. What is it with this weather we're having on the Wet Coast?? I mean, this is extreme, even for us!! Luckily, we did have a small break in the weather yesterday  -  I even managed to get out into it for an hour or two!! But, I'm not sure that an hour or two of NO RAIN every couple of days really counts. A couple of hours of SUNSHINE between rain storms might do though .  .  .  .

And woke up this Monday morning to - gasp, head shake - SUNSHINE. Well, what's with that???? It was so pretty out there I just had to go for a coffee & sit in the sunshine with a book. While sitting there I thought about the Damn Squirrel at home who keeps burying nuts in my plant pots outside the front door. I wish I could shoot the neighbor that keeps giving the damn thing peanuts in the shell. Don't they know it just hauls them to my house & buries them in the nearest soft earth????

I have three crows that hang out at the end of my drive & talk to me when I go outside. They aren't afraid of anything or anybody. The neighbors on one side wash their work vehicles daily & the water runs down a narrow path on the side of the paved alley where the crows can bathe & drink all summer long. This morning, as a treat, I emptied half a jar of old chunky peanut butter into an aluminum pan for them & tucked it into the weeds at the side of the drive, close to the stream running past. You would have thought they'd died & gone to heaven. I know birds like peanut butter but these ones acted like they hadn't seen food in ages. Three pigs in black feathers!! One of them picked up the container & carried it over to the side of the water & set it down to make it easier to eat - & it did let it's two buds in on the feast. I miss my bird feeders. I had several in my old yard & always enjoyed watching all the birds who came to visit.

Sounding like an old Bat on a pension, aren't I??? Hahaha  I've almost finished turning the heel on the second of my 'Mostly Blue' socks for Jen at the Cafe. Must remember to take a photo. She worked her last day on Thursday, last. As the mom of 4 teens, she really wants to be home evenings & weekends to keep track of them so she took a job closer to home with better hours. She says she'll still be around to work some weekends but not ALL of them.

Dug out my 'Blue Sweatshirt' in Briggs & Little Heritage yarn. I'm down to approximately the waist & will be starting side vents in about 3 more inches. I'm considering putting a short sleeve on it to wear over the long sleeve Tee Shirts I bought for the winter. Most of the time I really don't NEED much else since I'm only going from house to car or car to store & I think it would work nicely in the house to keep me warm as well. I really prefer to live in sweats or leggings & tee shirts with a vest or sweater now that I don't go out to work anymore.

Remembering

Oh Gawd, Another Monday

I'm sure I'm suffering from Soggy Affective Disorder. All this rain, cloud & greyness is getting to me. I don't bother to make my bed anymore because I know I'll be falling back into it by mid-afternoon to sleep like I'm dead. The dishes & laundry have piled up & I just feel exhausted. And it's only November.

Mostly Blue

Maybe it's time to spin some fluorescent roving or knit a Stephen West shawl to brighten up the days!! I did spin up some neon pink & some lime green for a shawl but got sidetracked with other things. Got hooked by Cabin Fever's stripey socks is what I did!! Great method for clearing out the odds'n'sods by the way - last night, while watching the Dinosaurs on NatGeoWild, I actually had FOUR strands of sock yarn alternating like a
barber pole on the foot of a sock!! One of the gals at my favorite Greasy Spoon asked for a pair of socks in BLUES. I started one in Blue but somehow it gathered some Pink & Turquoise - which is close to Blue. It was looking so dull that I just couldn't help myself. Now to make a sibling sock that sort of resembles this one!!!

Managed to finish the Fat Ankle socks I was trading for Tillamook cheese - they're another pair of scrappy socks for a guy with ankle swelling problems - heh, I saved up almost 20 years worth of expensive leftovers from the days when I could afford sock yarn!! I always said I was saving it for Retirement. Well, here I am - Retired - sort of. I started with 72 sts & a nice loose ribbing for about an inch & a half. The heels are nice & deep with my usual knit-in gussets. I carried the K1 Slip1 all the way under the heel to make it nice & cushy. I like the very stretchy ribbing & the deep heel myself - it makes getting the sock onto my right foot - the one with the knee that won't bend all the way anymore - much easier.

Haven't done much on my sweaters dammit. I've been moping around doing nothing but beating on the keyboard. So much work & so little time!!! I'm working harder now than I did before I retired. But, it pays down the credit card. After all, I blew the budget on clothes last month - yes, dammit, I bought some new clothes!!! And then I blew the budget for this month on two pairs of glasses. So I owe, I owe, it's off to work I go .  .  .  .