Being Still or Still Being

"Standing calmly at the crossroads, no desire to run.....there's no hurry anymore when all is said and done." 

— “When All Is Said and Done” from Mamma Mia, lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc, Universal Music Publishing Group

Those lyrics? Perfect way to describe my state of mind right now: "no desire to run." We are finally feeling settled here...both the "here" of retirement as well as the "here" of Loganville*. Not so sure about the "no hurry" part, but when Pierce Brosnan sings the song, heck...I can believe anything!

So what's your secret? you might ask. Well, when we entered the Red Zone of Retirement**, I did what I usually do when faced with something new or different entering our lives that must be managed: I researched and I read.

I discovered much of what has been written about retirement is by financial companies or purveyors, and therefore focused on preparing your finances to face your golden years. This is the all-important “how am I going to pay for it?” I went through the process of creating a detailed retirement budget...without really knowing all the relevant details yet. I learned the inviolate 4% withdrawal rule...and the many reasons it may be wrong for the current economy. I finally came to the conclusion that it all comes down to [(whatever funds you have managed to save for retirement plus whatever you receive from Social Security) minus (whatever your expenses are in retirement)]. And, if you are past the point of saving more of the first part of that equation, then you need to get really good at managing the second part. Period...at least for the financial aspect of retirement.

Sadly, a first-focus on the financial aspect...while necessary...is putting the cart before the horse: “pay for ‘it’?”...pay for WHAT exactly? It has been said that “Emotional preparedness is just as important to a happy retirement life as financial readiness.” I might say "more important, but that's just my opinion.

This not-as-well-documented functional aspect of retirement means going through the process of examining the emotional and social sides to determine the answers to “who, what, where, and when do I want to be and do in retirement?” As you can see just by comparing the number of words, this aspect ought to be the most important focus of retirement planning.

It isn’t.  Why? Maybe because it is harder. Maybe because there is no equation, no percentage. Maybe because there are far more “financial advisors” who charge a lot more but know next to nothing about the so-called soft-side that is the domain of retirement coaches? (Do NOT get me started on that one...:-) 

Anyway...

In looking back at my life (metaphorically), I could see a long line of activities and adventures...in other words, an awful lot of DOING. So, I initially thought that retirement might offer me the opportunity of BEING...still...quiet...calm. Reading books, working crosswords and jigsaws, knitting, watching TV...maybe a little blogging now and then.

Nah. Being still turned out to be too difficult and frankly too foreign for my personality. I cannot seem to simply read...or knit...and watch TV; no, I try to do them at the same time! I have said all of my life that I have two speeds: 0 and 100 mph. I’m either going at my top speed...or I’m asleep.

So, here I am, loving retirement...mainly because I have decided to let go of BEING STILL and to embrace STILL BEING me by continuing my activities and adventures.

All of that was a way of saying why my blog has suffered my silence since the New Year. But I was (lovingly) reminded recently that I had some catching up to do, so here we go!

Most of you who follow me on Facebook know that Missy M gifted me with a trip to Walt Disney World on my birthday...and that trip had been planned for last September, for the same week that Hurricane Irma shut central Florida down, including WDW for only the 5th time in its history. Fast forward to the end of January, and we enjoyed our first Mother-Daughter Bonding Trip (MDBT) in several years. Really enjoyed it, as these pictures hopefully show!

First night of WDW MDBT - 2018

Selfie at our hotel, the Boardwalk

The Quiet Pool...before all the noise!

A clothesline of Candied Bacon 
at Edison's in Disney Springs

Maredith snapping Tower of Terror
at Hollywood Studios

Parade at Magic Kingdom

On the Train at Magic Kingdom

Illuminations at Epcot

Dinosoar at Animal Kingdom

Indiana Jones Stunt Show at Hollywood Studios

Epcot at night

Magic bands mean they know where you are
at ALL times...even on the It's a Small World ride!

Many of you also know that in retirement, we have made a commitment to lifelong learning through the Oscher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at University of Georgia, which provides us with a community in which to expand our minds as well as our waistlines. We have enjoyed being in both the Lunch Bunch and the Supper Club SIGs (let’s eat!), and I have taken advantage of several classes. This month already, I have learned about how to use the GALILEO system in genealogical research, as well as taking a photographic “trip” to New Zealand: The Land of the Long White Cloud (more on that in an upcoming post).

OLLI class on GALILEO for Genealogy

No doubt by now you’ve picked up on my Master Gardener transfer from Guilford County, NC to Walton County, GA. Being an active MG volunteer is very important to my plan for a happy retirement, both because I love to garden and because I love to teach people about gardening. And 2018 has been in high gear since early January when I began to fulfill my commitment to class-managing the Tuesday and Thursday morning training classes (9:00-12:00), along with doing my part on other projects (writing a bi-weekly gardening column for the local paper, helping with restorative pruning at the historic McDaniel-Tichenor House in Monroe, working on the bylaws committee, developing a Mentor program and a Help Desk, and delivering a workshop presentation on Seed Starting in conjunction with the inauguration of our Seed Library...which I did yesterday).

MGs - Restorative Pruning at the McDaniel-Tichenor House

New Class begins MG training - January, 2018

Walton County MGs at McDaniel Tichenor House

Mr. T and the MGs at work on Raised Beds for the
Monroe Senior Center Community Garden

And we are only 7 weeks into the new year!

Any areas that you haven't put your retirement plan into action? you ask. Well, yes. That trip to Disney reminded me that I had put "walking for regular exercise" on my plan for a happy retirement. While I was able to have three great step-count days then, I still struggle to carve out the time (and left-over energy) for the same here at Casa 303. Sigh. Ah well...a goal!

Screen capture of my Apple Watch
for Day 3 at Disney

So, if I am not being still and writing my blog posts, you can rest assured I am still being active and involved in my adventures. 

 ====================

* For inquiring minds who know about M's imminent departure from Popeye's (which is beign moved to Miami by the "new" parent company RBI), rest easy: she was offered and has accepted a job in ATL...they are completing her background check. As soon as she gives me the high sign, I'll write some more about that. Bottom line: she's staying here...so we get to stay here, too!

**Retirement Red Zone has several definitions, depending on who is speaking or writing. I choose to use the 5 years before retirement and the first 5 years after retiring. So, we are 7 years in at this point.

No Regrets

"I'd rather regret the things I have done than the things that I haven't."
-Lucille Ball

No regrets. That's what Mom said last summer when I asked if she had any regrets about her life. She was in Hospice Home, in the final stage of lung cancer. Isn't that a marvelous thing to be able to say at end of a long, productive life?

Of course, I didn't wish to remind her of the one regret I could ever remember her mentioning...something she hadn't done instead of something she had. A year or so after Daddy died, she went on a cruise to Alaska with a Senior group from Pickerington, OH. She didn't expect to enjoy it as much as she did. She had a blast, including that once-in-a-lifetime helicopter ride out to a glacier! After that trip, she said "I wish I had done that when your Daddy was alive. He always wanted to go to Alaska, and he would have loved every minute of that cruise." Ah well...

So now that's become my personal guiding light. No regrets. Not if I can help it.

And that's how I wound up in Orlando with Missy M at Disney World this week.

Did I need to be in the heat and humidity of Florida, where it felt more like August than October, before I have fully regained the stamina that Bell's Palsy has robbed from me? No.

Did I need to be in the brutally bright tropical sunlight so soon after cataract surgery? No.

Was I fully ready to handle the heat, humidity, eyeball-blistering light, AND the crowds? Oh h3ll no!

Do I regret going? Not in the very least! Lucille Ball was right.

Missy M and I have tried to get together for what I have called our annual Mother-Daughter Bonding Trip (MDBT) every year since we travelled together for a week in Washington in 2001 or 2002. Actually, the idea was probably germinated in 1998, when she and I spent a couple of months together in Sophia-Antipolis, France, while I was on assignment for SEMA Group Telecoms and she was on break from college. Good grief! That was over 14 years ago!!

Anyway, when M made plans to attend a training conference on the WDW property, she asked if I wanted to go with her...and play with Mickey the week prior to her conference. I couldn't say "yes!" fast enough. (I am my mother's daughter, after all..."Edith's got one foot in the road and the other crooked to hop"...as Nananny once said about her. Me? I keep a suitcase half-packed and handy at all times!) Having lived in Kissimmee for a brief time, and having enjoyed the benefits offered to Missy M when she worked at Epcot in the College program 2002-3, I'm a big fan. And it's always fun to see what's changed. Our last visit was 3 years ago...and there have been many changes and updates. Plus, Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival is in October...need I say more?

Both of us have battled health problems this year, as you are well-aware. M is still dealing with issues related to her broken foot, and Disney World is known for being spread out. Yet both of us were determined to do this MDBT this year. Determined was actually too mild to describe us. Try resolved, resolute, driven.

M wore a pedometer every day to see how many steps we did:

Wednesday - 21,855 steps (Hollywood Studios)
Thursday - 21,387 steps (Epcot)
Friday - 16,824 steps (Magic Kingdom)
...for a grand total of...drum roll, please...60,066 steps!

If you consider that M's "step" is about 2.25 feet, and that there are 5,280 feet in a mile...well, you can see that we averaged about 8.5 miles of walking each day!

What happened on Friday, you are probably asking? Well, in short, we hit The Wall. Remember I mentioned heat, humidity, intense sunlight, and overwhelming crowds? Yeah. By late afternoon on Friday, we had both endured about all of the above that we could take. Or, as M said: "Tink! My pop-up timer has come out. I'm done!!" We were too tired to stay for the fireworks...now that's tired, folks!

No matter. We enjoyed the time together as much as the trip itself...more, even.

So, Patricia...what was your favorite part of the parks this time? I loved the Behind the Seeds Tour of the sustainable agriculture greenhouses in the Living with the Land pavilion in Epcot. Fantastic!! Disney...and gardening...be still my beating heart! I also loved the Toy Story Mania ride at Hollywood Studios every bit as much as I did 3 years ago...what can I say? My inner Buzz Lightyear is strong.

Here are some of the shots I took on the Seeds Tour to share with you:

First up, turnips growing big in sand:

Then, a pepper bush gets a Mickey haircut:

And finally, can you see Mickey in Red Sails lettuce in the back? Soon, the front lettuces will say "Epcot":

So, today was my travel-home day, with a flight back into Raleigh where Mr. T picked me up. Tonight, Duke is playing North Carolina in football. Busy day. No worries...tomorrow, I can rest.

Any regrets? Not a one. Not a single one.

MDBT - 2011

ASTD 2011
in Orlando

Long-time readers know that MDBT = Mother-Daughter Bonding Trip. And that I haven't had the luxury of going on one with my sweet daughter for a couple of years now.  So, this past week was just ab-fab perfect in my book.

Missy M was scheduled to attend the annual American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) International Conference in Orlando. When she offered to buy my plane ticket (!) and let me share her room at the Peabody/Orlando (!!), I couldn't say YES fast enough.  Of course, between the time she made this offer and the time I actually stepped onto my Southwest flight out of Raleigh, an awful lot happened here at home.  Mom's health took a steep nose-dive (as you know by now), so we weren't sure this year's MDBT would even happen.

Way to go Mr. T!  He stepped up to the plate and hit a huge home-run when he said "you need to go...and I can stay with your Mom."  And, then Mom had a fairly good week after several really bad days.  So, it appeared the sun, the moon, and the stars were actually in alignment for me to go.

And go to Orlando I did!

I loved staying at the Peabody, especially because I'm from the city of the original.  When the bellman said "our ducks are better," I begged to differ.  Still, I couldn't get enough photos of the five of them and their fountain (photos, below).  Heck, I even killed the batteries in my camera by videoing the little waddlers, headed down to the lobby from their third floor palace.  I had to make a swift switch just to capture a video of them making their dash from the elevator, down the red carpet, to the fountain (above, left), all to the tune of Sousa's King Cotton March.  Loved it!  [Travel Tip:  Best place to view the ducks' march?  Head up to the third floor, called the Recreational Level.  You'll get to see the ducks before anyone else, since their "home" is on this floor, and they begin/end their daily journeys here.  And, you can get a great view from the balcony of the proceedings in Mallard Lobby below.]




Ducks in the fountain -

Lobby of the Peabody/Orlando



Don (real name!) the Duck Master -

Peabody/Orlando




Trisha's Toes in the
Peabody Pool

Then, I spent several sunny hours out by the pool (photo, left).  I had downloaded The Red Queen (all 19 or so hours...:), so the time flew by as I listened to one of my fav authors (Phillippa Gregory) being read to me.  I dearly love how she writes in a narrative voice...it makes you feel as if you are reading a present-day account or diary of 15th century England!

After M. finished her conference activities on Day One, we had an evening to enjoy margaritas at Don Pablos followed by a movie:  Pirates of the Caribbean, On Stranger Tides...or, Pirates 4, as it has been dubbed.  Arrrghhh, Pirates!   I just love these movies!!  Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush are as wonderful in their roles as ever. 

M. had connnected me with a vendor who provided a free pass to the ASTD expo (where the bazillion vendors were), and when I checked in on Monday, I was given a "Full Conference" badge...so I got to attend the morning general sessions and several break-out workshops.  I took advantage of my good fortune and learned a lot.  It was wonderful!  Just like "old times" when I was a trainer.  And, I noticed something special while I was there, too.  I sensed a more welcoming acceptance of consultants (as a whole) and coaches (in the specific).  So, when I introduced myself as a leadership development coach, I felt included in the group...and it felt goooood.

"Please Respect the Spell Limits" -
Hogsmeade Village
Universal Studios, Orlando

Of course, if one is in Orlando...and one is a BIG FAN of the Harry Potter books and movies, one needs to go to Universal Studios "Islands of Adventure" park to see how they have transformed a palm-studded backlot off International Drive into Hogsmeade Village and Hogwarts School.  OMG!  The snow on the roof-tops even looks real...no matter that it was 95 degrees that Sunday.

The "ride" that is inside the Hogwarts Castle is just fantastic.  As you walk through the Castle and approach the actual ride, you are treated to videos of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Professor Dumbledore...and others from the movies...giving you a little hint of things to come.  Then, you are IN an IMAX theatre-like production, while being secured to your padded seat, and it really feels like you are flying.  We played in a game of Quidditch, for goodness' sakes! 



Dr. Seuss Land -
A favorite at Universal Studios





To be truthful, it was challenging for me because the gondola that your seats are attached to turns way over, making it feel like you are standing on your head...and that is never good for someone with positional vertigo.  No matter, I settled soon enough, and we were off to ride the Jurassic Park Jungle River ride (you will get wet...:).

It was a perfect professional development opportunity...a perfect bonding trip...and a perfect break in my routine that came at just the right time. Thank you, my sweet husband and our thoughtful daughter.  {Hugs!}

P.S. Guess what today is?  It's the second anniversary of our signing the papers to buy this house in HPNC!  Yep, we've been back in NC for two years now.  Amazing!  Of course, we have another anniversary coming up this weekend, but I'll write more about that in my next post.

P.P.S.  Most of you know how I feel about Basset Hounds ["heck, Gibbs, equatorial pygmies know how you feel about..."; love that quote from Abby on NCIS...:)].  Anyway, my friend Lucille sent me this link to a story of a recent rescue of Bonnie and Clyde Basset and their babies.  You'll love it as much as I: 
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/may/23/basset-hounds-flooding-knoxville-rescue/

Fun, Fab Fourth!

Really, I don't know where to begin. Maybe I should take this post, one paragraph at a time.



1. Who Let The Dogs Out? Woof, woof, woof, woof-woof!

Yes, the Drool Gang Plus One arrived, safe and sound last Wednesday. There were so many places to explore...so many new smells...so many squirrels. Gus immediately attached himself to Mr. T...where Daddy goes, Gus goes...as the photo to the right shows. This included the Man Walk that the two of them take in the morning to get the paper. Of course, it's awfully hard to sneak out the back door and fool the others, especially Ella Rae. She was everywhere, all over the place (see her with Duchess on the rug in Nana's room), but loved being the only one to be able to jump up on Nana's bed (until Elmo finally figured out the trick for himself). And, she almost made it under the fence at the gate. Hmmm. Too close of a call.

Duchess, ever the reigning monarch, planted herself on our bed and claimed it as her throne...when she wasn't making sure that none of the others was receiving preferential treatment.

Elmo (left), our shy guy, who suffers greatly when his routine is changed in the slightest, found that the sofa he fondly remembered was here, waiting for him...ahhh, peace.

2. Road Trip! A mini-MDBT. As Missy M had used a couple of vacation days to make the trip here, she naturally wanted them to count for something. Sounds like a Mother-Daughter Bonding Trip to me!

So, where in the world were we? The photo says it all...

As we hadn't been to the Biltmore in a dozen years or more, we decided to head the car West toward Asheville for a wonderful day of yarn shop-hopping and seeing how the other 1/2 of one percent lived over 1oo years ago. We weren't disappointed. The Estate has opened several new rooms since our last tour; the winery has been expanded; and, the demonstration garden is huge and welcoming (see Missy M, right, checking out one of the huge sunflowers).

And, like icing on the cake, there are two yarns shops (Yarn Paradise, in Biltmore Village, and Purl's Yarn Emporium, in downtown Asheville, right) within 10 miles of each other. Ah...who could ask for a better day? We ended our journey at a local pizzeria in Newton, NC, that Missy M apped-up on her iPhone. Just like magic.

3. So, that just leaves the celebration of our country's Independence on the Fourth. Good food, including ribs, Tequila Lime Chicken, and corn-on-the-cob from the grill; salad made with fresh-from-our-gardens' goodies (tomatoes, cucumbers, chives, peppers, and peas) and topped with yummy dressing from the Biltmore Winery; and the finale...fireworks in Festival Park (as viewed from our neighborhood) followed by sliced strawberries topping homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, made in my new ice cream maker attachment for the KitchenAid mixer (love it, love it, love it!)


Truly, who could ask for anything more?

MDBT

So, now you know. Last Tuesday, I vacuumed the house (yet again), put fresh flowers in the vases (yet again), and refreshed the cookies in the cookie canister (yet again). Yes, everything looked spic and span...all ready for that potential buyer to walk in the door and fall madly in love with the place. My work here was done.

After letting our Realtor know I'd be MIA for about a week, I packed my bag, locked all the doors, and headed off to Orlando to join Missy M for a week in the sun. It was time for our annual Mother-Daughter Bonding Trip (MDBT)!

She was attending an e-Learning conference held in Lake Buena Vista Tuesday-Friday, so I just lounged around the pool (where, even with SPF #30, my blindingly white skin turned bright pink), worked the crosswords and the sudokus, and read my latest book (a bio of Andrew Jackson by Jon Meacham called American Lion). You know, acted like I was on vacation.

Remarkably, I didn't knit a stitch (except in the airport and on the plane)...and we didn't make it to a single yarn store. Not one. Gasp!

Then, it was time to see the World...Walt Disney World, that is! We started off at the Magic Kingdom on Saturday...then to a Braves Spring Training game at Disney's Wide World of Sports and shopping in Downtown Disney on Sunday...and finished up at Disney's Hollywood Studios on Monday. Lots of changes there.

I wore my Step Counter (aka my Clicker) and registered over 25,000 steps in the 3 days we spent on the properties! [2000 steps, more or less, equal 1 mile] Wow!!

In addition to playing around with Mickey and Friends, we reacquainted ourselves with the area we left over 7 years ago (can it really be that long ago?!) by driving by the butterscotch-colored house on Jessica Lane, where there have been remarkably few (if any) changes. And, on Sunday, from a parking lot in Downtown Disney, we got to see one of the most exciting moments in the life of a central Floridian: watching the launch of the Space Shuttle (photo to right, below)!

As you can imagine, I took loads of photos on the trip. I whittled them down to a manageable amount and uploaded to my Share Page at Photoworks.com. You can see the slideshow of this album over there in the left column <<<<<<<. I also created a Photo Book...currently a work-in-progress. Feel free to enjoy at your leisure.

I have been home in MO just long enough to toss out the old flowers and replace them with fresh ones...which I've actually augmented with some from the yard. The daffodils are coming in fast & furious in this unusually warm weather we've had this week. Now, I've just got time to re-pack my bags and head back to the airport.

Where to this time, you ask? Stay tuned...

We Say Thanks

What a wonderful week we've had! M was home for the Holiday week, and we tried to make the most of her presence. We may be mother-daughter but we have fun together like best friends! For our girls' night out, we headed to a class at Whole Foods and wound up at our favorite "bonding" place...Macaroni Grill. We cooked Thanksgiving Dinner for three days, and then enjoyed it in less than an hour on Thursday. And, then, for our After Turkey Day treat, we dragged Mr. T. to see the new Disney movie "Enchanted," and afterwards tried out one of our newest restaurants, The Japanese Bistro (where they cook your dinner on the grill in front of you). It was certainly a sad moment on Sunday when we had to bid M and Charley Dog goodbye. As Mr. T. said, "it sure didn't seem like a week, did it?" No, it did not.

Of course, our Holiday was made even more special by the fact that Mom is on the road to recovery following her recent illness. She's still not 100%, but she's certainly feeling much better than she did!

Between her hospitalization and the fact that we didn't have to travel for the Holiday, I've been able to complete several projects lately. One, pictured here, is my 2007 Christmas Wrap that I've talked about before. Recall that I used a 5-row Paton Scarf pattern stitch, paired with simple 4-row garter stitch, worked over 277 stitches cast on to US13 needles. I started with a gorgeous hand-dyed yarn from Hand Painted Knitting Yarns, called "Pretty Mix, Tannheuser," in my favorite colors: purples, teal, greens, and blues. I added 5 more yarns, picked for their colors and textures. I even used an alpaca yarn held with a sparkly thread. Then, I found just the right shawl pin which I ordered from The Loopy Ewe: a sterling silver Ram (sheepie!) by Romi. [Of course, I also bought two beautiful sock yarns, too, but I digress...] I'm looking forward to wearing my new wrap and shawl pin to a few upcoming functions in December...like, maybe our book club Christmas luncheon, the Nutcracker Ballet, and "Wicked." Just trying it on makes me feel all sparkly!

I've also completed a wool-blend scarf in beige (for myself), as well as a couple pairs of socks (for Christmas gifts...shhhh!). I love knitting at this time of the year, I guess because it "feels" right...since it "feels" cold outside. I turn the fireplace on (gas logs...fabulous invention!), make myself a cup of tea with sugar and lemon (ummmmmm, tasty...), and either put a Poirot or Midsomer Murder mystery or a Christmas DVD in or turn on a basketball game. Which reminds me...

The (Memphis) Tigers are rated Number 3 in the ESPN Men's College Basketball rankings...and Number 1 in one of the other rankings!! (Yeah, I know...everyone else in this area is excited that the Missouri Tigers are rated Number 1 in college football...but I'm only mildly enthused about that one.) Woo-hoo!!

It looks like The Boys (Thomas with Elmo and Gus, on the Lounge Luge, left) are ready for some hoops!

Go Tigers Go! [Click for the Fight Song!!]

How Many Projects are Too Many Projects?

Whatcha think? I finished M's "Ampersand Socks" a couple of weeks back when she was here for the Labor Day weekend. Of course, I made a change or two in the pattern (well, it wouldn't be really 'mine' if I didn't do it a little differently than the designer, would it?), like discontinuing the pattern stitch on the Instep and Foot portion of the sock. Silliest thing to have a pattern that (a) is rarely seen when the sock is inside a shoe and (b) just serves to increase the "bulk" of the said sock in the said shoe. And, I used Crystal Palace's Panda Cotton instead of the recommended yarn. But other than that...! Anyway, M says she loves 'em, and that's really what matters.


She and I had such fun doing a yarn crawl around the Gateway; we "hit" 3 yarn shops before we had to stop the madness for sustenance...and headed straight to M's favorite: PF Chang's. Before yielding to Hot 'n Sour soup and Crispy Honey Chicken (yumms!), we both got some of Berroco's new yarn called 'Comfort' in a deep, rich Cherry red color for our Red Scarf projects.


For mine, I cast on 30 stitches on US 10.5's, working a simple 2x2 rib, using a free pattern from Plymouth Yarn. But she decided on a pattern for a "Twin Rib" scarf, casting on 36 stitches on US8's:

• Row 1: K3, P3


• Row 2: K1, P1
  

We've both finished our scarves now and need to get them in the mail soon. M's already got a restaurant gift card to include with hers...good thinking, since the scarf will be going to a college student. I haven't gotten a picture of mine yet, as my camera is on loan to Mr. T. for the week.


I was in ATL the last week on business, but had some spare time to enjoy a class in Entrelac at The Yarn Garden in Lawrenceville, GA. What fun! Great yarn shop, with a great staff. (They were not there when I lived just down the road a piece in Duluth and in Dacula...if they had been I surely would have thought twice about leaving the area 5 years ago!)


The class project is a scarf using Noro's Silk Garden yarn and size US8's. I will definitely finish this project because I think the technique is so different and interesting, and I can't wait to see what blocking does for the bumpy rectangles and triangles that are created by the entrelac technique, but I doubt I will ever, ever, ever purchase anymore of the Noro for anything...ever. First of all it is expensive (although the 3 skeins I now own were included in the price of the class). Secondly, it is so inconsistent: here, the yarn is so thick that it is difficult to knit with it; there, the yarn is so thin that I worry it will snap and need to be "healed." And, finally, it has "inappropriate" knots/joins: a knot, in the middle of a skein, joining two drastically different colors is just wrong, wrong, wrong for a yarn that supposedly has as a selling point that the owner ("Mr. Noro?") personally inspects each ball of yarn??? Yeah, right. I was not familiar with Noro (I guess I've been living under a rock), but I saw it in 3 of the 4 yarn shops I visited in the ATL area. I just don't get it. I guess people are buying this stuff for the beautiful colors and could care less about the quality of the product? Who knows...


And, since I had plenty of knitting time available to me in ATL (as I was relieved of the duties of domestic goddess and slave to the dogs for a whole week...woohoo!), and a great suite-style room complete with comfy chair and ottoman, I found 3 more yarns to start my "pashmina" shawl (is that redundant?). I've had this absolutely gorgeous handpainted yarn in teals, purples, greens, and blues in 3 textures (a ribbon and mohair mix; a boucle; and a smooth), just waiting to be knitted up into something special. I bought a couple of skeins of alpaca, one in black and one in purple, which I combined with a purple sparkly thread (all from Cast On Cottage in Roswell, GA), and to round it out, I found a beautiful mohair and metallic thread combo called Dune, from Trendsetter, found at Stitches n Strands, ATL. Then, I cast on 277 stitches on size US13, 60" Addi Turbo's. I'm adapting a Paton scarf pattern (5 row repeat of YO's and K2tog's) in one yarn, alternating with 4 rows of garter stitch with another yarn. I think it will make a fabulous wrap for the holidays, dressing up my black slacks. Can't wait until I can show you a picture of that!


Meanwhile, I finished Sock #1 of a pair for moi, using an adaptation of Mary Snyder's "Padded Footlets," found on pages 59-63 in the Favorite Socks book from Interweave (a recent purchase for my growing knitting library). I loved the instep pattern stitch, but thought the concept of wasting all that work on "footlets," well, a waste. So, I made the socks with 6" legs, incorporating a version of the Instep pattern stitch, combined with a K3, P1 rib for the back of the leg, and then for the top of the foot. I found that this made for a super portable project for the flying time to/from ATL, and thoroughly enjoyed knitting my sock and listening to my *new* IPod Nano that M gave me for an early Christmas present. I had downloaded 10 Cast On Podcasts, along with 3 Audiobooks I'd purchased from the iTunes store (oh my, it's just way too easy to spend money there!), and I do believe that I knitted faster than I normally do. Anyway, can't wait to post a pic of this project, either!


So, how many does that make? An Entrelac scarf of *!$&^ yarn, a pashmina shawl of beautiful colors, and a sock-to-go. Of course, that's not counting the two or three crochet baby blankets that have been pushed aside while the needles dominate over the hooks, or the afghan strips that are perpetually present in the bottom of the knitting bag, a ball of beige yarn and a pair of US10.5 needles. Oh, and I almost forgot the humongous blue wool mitten(s) that I am knitting to teach myself the *proper* way to felt (since my felting heretofore has been limited to the accidental variety). And, this list fails to enumerate the 4 or 5 finished-but-not-completed (FBNC = I've finished knitting them but I've yet to complete the joining, grafting, sewing, whatever that it takes to actually complete the project) projects (a sweater of Rowan silk, two baby sweaters, and a couple of purses made of knitted fabric strips) that I'm ready to tackle now that I've completed my class on Finishing Techniques (great class, BTW, held recently at the Knit 'n Caboodle LYS). Ooh, ooh...I forgot about the green sweater (photo in left column, mistakenly called "Finished Projects"); I want to re-do the side-seam joins and I need to shorten the sleeves some....froggit, froggit. Whew! If I live to be 120, I may never finish them all!! (But, isn't that really the goal...?)


Speaking of projects, M finished a neat one recently (photo below). She made a leash for Charley Dog (right), using some beautiful

Encore yarn. Next up: a matching mat!

Doesn't Charley look thrilled?

Heeeere's Paula!

What a weekend! We had tickets to the Paula Deen Live! Show in Nashville at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) on Saturday morning. Thomas, Maredith, and I had fantastic seats, right in the middle of the packed-to-the-rafters auditorium, and we were wowed by it all. Paula (photo, right) is a hoot!! She chatted with her audience as if we were old friends dropping by her house...she even had a sofa, chair, and ottoman on stage alongside her kitchen (complete with the latest Viking appliances, of course). As you can see in the photo (below, center), her husband, Michael, joined her onstage, alongside the MC Jim (who had a fabulously deep voice) and her Kitchen Assistand du jour Rebecca, and they all vied for the honors of being named "Life of the Party." Paula's table was set for 8 guests, who enjoyed the menu prepared on stage: golden fried pork chops, Lady & Sons Mac & Cheese, and collards. We got the recipes with the program...and, of course, I intend to try them very soon. Well, I'll substitute turnip greens for the collards, because as Paula said: "I just prefer turnip greens." I guess I'll have to fix green beans for Thomas, though, as he doesn't like either one. Here's a photo (left) of us as we entered TPAC to find our seats. And (right), here's one of Maredith. As you can probably see, we are both holding our Paula Programs.

Can you also tell that Maredith's gotten her hair cut? Isn't she beautiful? And that beauty is inside as well as outside. She had been growing her hair long to donate the 8-10" cutting to make wigs and hairpieces for cancer patients. What a wonderful gift!

Here's another Paula photo (below, center) for you to enjoy:


"Who is Paula Deen?" If you are asking that question, you might want to check her out on the Food Network...or on her own website: http://www.pauladeen.com/. I can't begin to explain her...you just have to see for yourself!

The one sad note in the weekend was that Mom couldn't join us as we had planned. She went to Memphis with J&J to attend the funeral of a cousin who passed away just a couple of weeks after his 96th birthday. Although I find most funerals to be so sad, Mom assured me that it was truly a celebration of his long life, including the testimonials of those whose lives were enriched for having known MJS. He will be missed.

100 Degrees in the Shade...But It's a Dry Heat!

Maredith and I just returned from a trip to Salt Lake City, Utah, where views of the Wasatch range of mountains like this (left) are at every turn. She was scheduled to attend a three-day course and then a three-day conference on E-Learning, held at the University of Utah, with a weekend in between, and had booked a double room at the Guest House. All she had to do was say "Mom, would you like to join me...?" Of course, you know me...I was almost finished packing before the words were out of her mouth! (I am my mother's daughter, after all.) This was Maredith's first visit to Salt Lake City, and I had not been to SLC since I was about 10, so everything looked new to me, too. We had a good time together, as we always do, in spite of having to battle some nasty respiratory problems that we blamed on the wood floor refinishing "fun" we'd experienced the week before at her house in Louisville. These were made worse by the high temperatures (100-104 daily...only bearable because of the lack of humidity), the smoke from the fires south of the City (they seemed to be worse in the afternoons...don't all the photos look a little hazy?), and the altitude...it's really tough to breathe with all that stacked against you! Still, we relied on the fantastic public transportation system on the weekdays (here's a photo of Maredith at the Fort Douglas/University of Utah Trax ticket station, above right), and a rental car for the weekend to see the sights and sample the food. We were typical tourists, snapping photos of Temple Square (left) and the Capitol in Downtown, and of the Olympic Park (left, below), Park City, and the Great Salt Lake (right).


Atypically, Yarnaholics that we are, we "hit" 4 yarn shops together, and I visited one on my own while Maredith was at her conference on Monday. Here's a photo (right) of one of our favorites, The Black Sheep Wool Co., where I got "three bags full" of cotton sock yarn...! Not really that much. But enough to keep me busy until Christmas, for sure. Follow the link (above) to their website where you will find a free sock pattern by Susan Lawrence of knittingasfastasican.com who has designed these fabulous socks to honor the last book of the Harry Potter Series. Susan wonders, "Is Harry's scar the last Horcrux?" If you are wild about Harry, that will make sense...if not, well, you gotta read the books to understand the reference. (But, you can still download the pattern without reading the HP series, just by clicking "pattern of the month".)

I also enjoyed the beautiful Red Butte Gardens, high above the historic Fort Douglas area (photo right). Then, in honor of my birthday, Maredith treated me to our favorite meal (Mozzarella Fritta for a starter, followed by Caesar Salad; then, she's Chicken Parmesan; I'm Chicken Scaloppine) at the Macaroni Grill, which was located in the lovely, renovated Peery Hotel, a 1920's historic landmark in downtown Salt Lake City.

Yes, it was a great trip. Maredith seemed pleased with the conference and her course, saying that she could apply a lot of what she learned back at work. It was another great Mother-Daughter Bonding experience, and I'm so glad she invited me to join her. Still, as the week came to a close, we were both glad to wheeze "adieu" to the high climes of SLC and return to our homes closer to sea level. Ah, it's good to be home!