Is It Wednesday Already?

I was finally able to get a video of the bright red (male) Cardinal that has been visiting our fountain on the deck outside our breakfast room door. I was too afraid to speak while filming, lest I scare him off, but you will hear the soundtrack of the AMC movie "Christopher Columbus" on in the background. Odd choice of music, I know...but I couldn't exactly ask Mr. Cardinal to "wait a minute while I mute the TV."

Where has this week gone? It's hard to believe that we've already arrived at Hump Day. Wasn't it just yesterday when I was leaving for Atlanta? No...it was last Wednesday!

I had a good trip to ATL last week. I took this picture (right) from my exit row window seat on my Delta flight home on Saturday. It's the first time in the four years we've been here that I've actually seen the Arch from the air...woo-hoo!

It hasn't exactly been the greatest week (so far, of course...it could get better any minute now). Mom's got some health issues, including a new medication that caused her not to be able to sleep for 48 hours. Hopefully, we've got that part under control. Hopefully.

Speaking of lack of sleep...last night around 2:00, I was awakened from a lovely, deep sleep to the chirpy, squeeky beeping of the smoke detector in our bedroom. Chirp-beep! Chirp-beep! Chirp-beep! Every 30 seconds. Chirp-beep! Sounded like a bad battery, but how could that be, as Mr. T had changed all 9 of them mid-summer? And, there's a really good reason that he gets the chore of changing them...I'm too short. Even using the step-ladder we keep inside the house, I can't reach the dang things. So last night...or rather, early this morning, I tried everything I could do from my 5'2" height. Was a sensor covered in dust? Tried "sweeping" the detector with a towel-covered broom. No luck. Thought maybe the test button had gotten stuck, so I used the broom handle to activate it...this only made ALL of the smoke detectors in the house go off. Chirp-beep! Chirp-beep! Chirp-beep!

Then, Duchess got into the act. She did exactly what you would hope a loyal pet would do when the smoke alarm is raised. She tried to get me out of the house. She wouldn't get back on the bed while the beeping was going on...just whined and whined and whined for me to leave the room. Then, she went to Nana's room and "herded" her out by jumping on her bed, circling up around her head, and then sitting on her pillow...all while whining, mightily. Nana, who you will recall hasn't had much sleep this week, was baffled at the commotion. What's going on with Duchess?
I know, I know...but I just want to get some sleep!

I finally stuffed cotton in my ears (didn't really help), turned my floor fan on "high" (which sounded like a jet engine...in addition to the beeping), and told myself to pretend I was in the hospital with a heart monitor by my side. Chirp-beep! Chirp-beep! Chirp-beep!

When the real morning arrived, I managed to get a tall-enough ladder from the disaster area AKA the garage and replaced the almost-new battery with a brand new battery. No more beeping. Ever the optimist, I've kept the taller ladder inside...just in case.

Goodbye to the Red Scarf and the Red Birds

Time to send the Red Scarf on its way, as the scarves are due at HQ by October 15th this year! I knitted up some Berroco's Comfort in "Wild Cherry" in a 2x2 rib pattern (photo, right) and attached a label, using these neat wash tags created and shared by The Crazy Cat Lady Mel. I hope that whoever receives this scarf will wear it in good health, knowing that someone "out there" cares. As Norma (she of Now Norma Knits) says:

The Red Scarf Project, a project of the Orphan Foundation of America, or Orphan.org, collects red (and other unisex-colored) scarves to send in Valentine's Day care packages to college students who have aged out of foster care. These brave young people are going it on their own and trying to improve their lives and the community by attending college. The care packages are welcome tokens of encouragement to young people who otherwise receive little to no mail.

In other knitting news, I think I may have solved my DesignYourOwnSweater dilemma. Recall that I'm worried that I have cast on way too many stitches at the back neck of this thing...and the success or failure of the sweater is in the neck cast on edge (since it is a Top Down project). Well, using another ball of my beautiful blue 009 Cash Vero yarn and a spare pair of US 10.5's, I re-cast on the same number of stitches, using the RECOMMENDED cast on method (long-tail cast on) instead of the one I used (backward loop cast on)...and that may have solved the problem. It looks like the long-tail method provided a tighter base for the subsequent stitches and increases, thereby coming much closer to the neck measurement necessary. Of course, I did this little experiment at 3:00 this morning, while I was waiting for my second muscle relaxer pill of the night to kick in and relieve my back of pain...so, I probably should re-measure before I declare that the problem is sol-ved, right? Lesson here, though, might be...just might be, I say...DO WHAT THE INSTRUCTOR SAYS, YOU TWIT before doing it any old way you like. Stay tuned.

And, as we say the eulogies for the end of a most disappointing season for the Cardinals (no more games...no play-offs...no chance to repeat as the champions of the World Series), here is a photo (left) that Mr. T took with his phone at the last game we attended on September 20th. It was a real heart-breaker, with Houston scoring a record number of runs against the home team Red Birds (18-1). We left at the end of 7, when the score was "only" 10-0 and were floored when we got home to hear the news that H. had scored 8 more runs in two more at-bats. Oh well. It'll be our last look until April '08...which is only a little over 6 months away, right? There are already changes afoot in the administrative offices, so there may be some welcome changes in the coaching staff by then. One can only hope...

Birthday Weekend...and Projects Galore

A busy weekend...

Mr. T and I visited M. over her Birthday Weekend, helping her celebrate the occasion...and finish some house projects (painting the guest bedroom, repairing the broken basement window/installing a new pane of glass, and installing a new storm door on the back door). I tried to keep my mind off my aching back (it's that l-o-n-g car ride that does me in every time) by finishing my Tam o' Swatch (seen on Ted E. Bear, left) and starting a crocheted baby blanket with some yarn M. had in her stash. The shell pattern uses three colors of yarn to create the rows and will be edged in the white with a scalloped edge. This is the first crochet "pattern" I taught myself to do after the 9/11 security rules forbade taking knitting needles on planes (since eased, thank goodness)...but fortunately allowed crochet hooks in your carry-on. I've been making these Shell Baby Blankets ever since! Yes, it's made of acrylic yarn from Michael's...and the purists out there will have a mild heart attack...but I've yet to have a new Mom say "euw, yuk...I don't want a washable baby blanket that's almost indestructible. " As a matter of fact, I still have a darling crocheted shell baby blanket in yellow and white (acrylic) that a wonderful woman in our church in Cordova made for M. when she was born. It's been well-used, oft-washed and much-loved for over 28 years, and I think fondly of Mrs. Opal Mc. every time I touch it.

As I said, we had a working weekend as well as a birthday celebration. You may recall that M's house is what she calls "A Project House," and her guest bedroom was mid-project. The nasty carpet was stripped off and the floors refinished in a previous trip, and she had worked long and hard to remove the wallpaper and border from the walls and get them spackled and primed. She had decided on a lovely soft blue-green shade called Lamb's Ears (after the gray-green plant of the same name). Here's a photo (right) of her cutting in the paint, preparing for Messy Mommy (that would be moi) to fill in the big areas (no one trusts me with the delicate work, and for good reason). And here's an "after" shot of the bedroom (left), all dressed up! Isn't it lovely? Amazingly, the comforter set she had looks great with the new wall color, blending the blues and greens for an unexpected match. Mom uses this bedroom when she visits M., so there's a comfortable chair, plenty of light, and a small TV. Next up: the Office, which still has carpet to be removed, wood floors to be stripped/finished, and walls to be painted. Ah, another project...

Look what M. harvested from her very productive garden while we were there last weekend! And, believe me when I say that it tasted as good as it looked! She grew her watermelons in an area that allowed the vines to grow up over a trellis, and the melons themselves are such a rich green color...so healthy looking. She's also got world's of Roma tomatoes on the vines, so will have lots of tomato sauce this winter. What a fabulous first garden!



After working for a while on the house projects, we headed to Pleasant Hill, KY, to enjoy dinner at the Shaker Village. We had hoped to make it to the Alpaca Farm festival but decided to put that on the calendar for next year.

Of course, it was M's birthday, so we helped her celebrate with a cake, Chinese take-out from her favorite restaurant (P.F. Chang's), and presents. Since I'm not known for my singing voice, I found this novelty cake decoration that played "Happy Birthday" while lighting up the letters; instead of 28 candles, we fell back on the stand-by 3 for Past, Present, and Future. Deep breath...and make a wish!

On Tuesday, Mr. T. headed north to work in Chi, while I headed home on Southwest. I had my Sweater Design class that night and then made a mad dash back home to tune in to the two programs I've been watching: War (on PBS) and Damages (on Fox FX). Fortunately, both were replayed, so I got to see most of both of them. War is a monumental Ken Burns production...thoroughly researched and thoughfully presented through the eyes and voices of the survivors representing 4 American towns/cities. It has been one of the most difficult programs ever for me to watch, but I think it's necessary, for a number of reasons. As Mr. T. said, if anyone thinks that war is the answer to anything, then he/she should be made to watch War. (Damages is just trash-TV, but I got hooked on it after watching a mini-marathon recently...and I had to keep watching it weekly just to see what the heck happens...:)...now, however, I'm getting worn out with its violence, language, and sexually-explicit scenes, and just want it to reach some kind of conclusion...preferably one where Glenn Close isn't guilty of attempted murder.)

About my sweater from class...hmmm. I'm stretching myself with this class, since I've never knitted a top-down sweater before. And, at this rate, I may not finish the first one! I've followed the instructions to the letter (actually, to the "number" would be a better phrase, since math plays a huge role in this sweater), but something is wrong, wrong, wrong. Getting the correct number of stitches cast on at the neck is crucial to the success of this sweater, so you will understand when I say that I'm worried that I'm not headed in the direction of success with what I have cast on. I even took what I've done so far to the yarn shop this morning for some guidance...and it seems that I've stumped both the owner and the instructor! Well. What next? I'm going to re-measure...re-figure...and probably re-move the work I've done so far and start over. Bummer. Tres bummer.

And, last but certainly not least, Duchess is recovering nicely following her surgery on Wednesday to remove several cysts (and, while she was "under," they cleaned her teeth, too). Dr. Rosen at the Cloud Veterinary Center reported that they were, indeed, just cysts...not tumors...and we were exceedingly thankful. Needless to say, she was quite cranky yesterday, but is much more lively today. She has taken a couple of her pain tablets (chewable, thank goodness!), and the places where her stitches are look pretty good...no infection, so far. Of course, she appears to be wearing a patchwork-quilt coat, since they had to shave her fur at the surgery sites (6 of them, in all). And, she rode home in the back seat of my car with her head facing away from me...back turned...wouldn't look at me the whole ride home, even when I tried to soothe her. Mad at me, for sure. But, getting better, and that's what counts. It is all about the dogs, right?

She Who Knits in Public

What a wonderful morning! Mom and I attended our first performance of the new season for the Symphony today, enjoying the concert program of Britten, Martin, and Brahms. We subscribed to the option of Friday "Coffee Concerts" which are co-sponsored by Krispy Kreme...featuring, drum-roll, please...donuts and coffee! Treats for the tummy and for the ears!!

Mom has said in the past that she just doesn't care for the sound of violins (?), and her hearing is so poor these days that I was concerned she wouldn't really enjoy the experience. Fortunately, she seemed to have a great time, even though it appeared every violinist in the bi-state area was on stage for the Brahms! The Friday Coffee Concerts attract a, well...different crowd from say, Saturday night. Instead of sequins and tuxes (although I spotted a few of each), there were canes and 4-prongs and walkers a-plenty. I imagine the only concert-goers under 50 in attendance were there accompanying/helping a grandparent. Mom was "with her own kind," as she said. And, isn't it wonderful that so many folks in their 70's and 80's and 90's are able to attend, without having to manage night-time driving to get to the hall.

I took my knitting and thoroughly enjoyed the music while adding several rounds of stockinette to my Tam/Swatch-in-the-round. You'll recall that I have to swatch my 'Cash Vero' yarn as homework for my Sweater class on Tuesday nights, and our instructor suggested that we could make a cap (instead of just knittin' nothin'). Caps and my head are not a good couple, so I chose instead to knit the Tam from the (fantastic) Knitter's Handy "Book of Patterns." And, no, I really didn't need that much light to knit, knit, knit, etc., on size US10.5's circs. I'm almost to the point where I have to begin decreasing (which I probably couldn't have done in the dark), and I've definitely got enough to count me "complete" in my swatching homework assignment for class.

I used to knit in class long, long ago in a Grammar -- and then a High -- School far, far away, and I always said it helped me concentrate...although it's not very easy to knit and take notes, I will agree. Since it kept me quiet (for the most part), teachers were tolerant. And, truly, knitting today made the music even more enjoyable, as I didn't find my mind wandering...or my hands fidgeting...as I have in the past. And, I attracted only a wee bit of attention from fellow concert-goers, who were positive in their comments. But, really, when you know you are going to be knitting with such nice yarn (merino & cashmere in the blend!), how can you eat a donut without thinking of the sticky fingers you are creating? I compromised...eating only 1/2 of a sugary circle before the concert began...and foregoing any such treat at intermission. Sigh.

This weekend holds a special treat in store: the Alpaca Farm Festival. I can't wait! Check back for photos!

Waddle and WIPs

Basset Alert!

That got their attention!

This past weekend was the 10th Annual Basset Hound Waddle, held in conjunction with the Heritage Days Festival in Dwight, IL. Between 80-1000 Bassets and their People attended. To see what in the world a Waddle is all about, follow this link to a slideshow that the local paper near Dwight, IL, put together : //www.morrisdailyherald.com/media/070924hounds/index.html

We had so much fun there in 2003 (that's a photo of Thomas, carrying the Missouri State Standard, waddling with D & G, left) and had hoped to return for the 10th with all three (Duchess, Elmo, and Gus, in the photo above/left). Unfortunately, Duchess has a nasty cyst on the back of her leg and would have found walking the 20 blocks (10 in the parade, 10 back to the staging area) nearly impossible. And, since she's now up to 71 pounds, she's way past the "carry me" stage. On Monday, we took her to our vet (who no longer does surgeries), who recommended us to another local doctor...who checked Missy D out on Wednesday. She's now scheduled for surgery next Wed., barring any problems detected in the bloodwork she had done at her appointment. She has been so prissy as she gets to go for a ride without the Boys, but since both of these only-dog experiences have been to the Vet...well, she just may be on to us for the next ride. Stay tuned for updates on her progress.

Well, I didn't get to go to the Waddle, but I did finish one of my Works-in-Progress...ta-da! My socks (photo, right) in Green Mix turned out nicely, and I've already enjoyed wearing them! I've never used the Sockina Cotton 0003 yarn before, but I'm a believer! It worked up so nicely on US3's using two circular Addi-Turbos and was so soft to knit with (one of my problems with using wool or wool-blend sock yarns...if they are scratchy when you knit them, how are they going to feel when you put them on your feet???). Anyway, as I've said before, I got the basic idea from the "Footlets" sock pattern in the "Favorite Socks" book from Interweave...just tweaked it a bit, as I usually do.

Another WIP is in a bag...being punished, I guess you could say. Remember, I told you about the Entrelac Scarf I was knitting from the Noro Silk Garden yarn...started in my class when I was in GA? Well, I decided that entrelac is definitely not for anything that has two visible sides, like a scarf. The joins that make the entrelac technique possible don't look very neat on the "back" of the scarf, so I decided to use Crazy Aunt Purl's "Magic Scarf" technique (a basketweave pattern of 5k's, 5p's... over 25 stitches on US10.5's for 10 rows, alternating with 5p's, 5k's... for 10 rows...etc.) to make the most of this expensive yarn. Well. I now know that Silk Garden is a B*TCH to frog. Remember I said one (of the many) thing(s) that I didn't like about this yarn is its inconsistency of thickness (first hair-like thread, followed by fat, fluffiness)? Yeah. Try to frog it, and you know what happened...over and over. I truly, truly will never actually buy any of this stuff (these 3 balls were included in the price of the class). Anyway, since I couldn't return them, and since my Scottish conscience was screaming "waste not...," I decided to knit the other two balls into the Basketweave pattern. Now, I find that the remaining two balls will make a rather short scarf, and I can't salvage enough of the colors I need from the mangled mass of once-was-entrelac...so, what do I do? Hence, the reason that the Noro and the new scarf are being punished.

Which brings me to my latest cast on...yippee! I started my "Design Your Own Sweater" class at Knit n Caboodle in St. Charles this past week. We talked about the yarn we would use, learning the properties of several different types. As we only have 7 weeks to learn the techniques and make our sweater, we will be using an aran-weight, with a gauge of 4 stitches to the inch. We took our measurements, and learned not to fear the future: M-A-T-H (oh yes, part of our homework assignment was "bring a calculator"). And, before leaving the shop, I selected a cobalt blue yarn from Cascade Yarns called Cash Vero: a blend which includes merino wool and cashmere. Can you say S-O-F-T?

The other part of our homework was to make our swatch, in the round, as we will be knitting on circs from the top down (no seams!). I actually couldn't wait to start knitting with this super-soft pettable yarn, even though I usually hate to swatch because I hate to spend so much time without a discernable product. No problem as our (excellent) instructor, Debbie, suggested that we could knit a hat on circs for our swatch...so that's what I am doing. First though, I swatched the typical 6x6 (a 4x4 square of stockinette, surrounded by a 1" garter stitch border) to get a good idea of the size needles it would take to get gauge (for once, the yarn wrapper was spot-on: US10.5's); I'll use this flat swatch to test the washing properties of the yarn. And now, I'm making a Tam for the in-the-round "swatch." Of course, I had to return to the LYS to get the last two balls of cobalt blue in order to do all of this extracurricular knitting, and still have enough yarn left to create my sweater...but who cares? I could work with this yarn for a long, long time and not get tired of it!

Time to stop blogging and start swatching!

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?

A Warm Welcome!

Hello again! It's been a couple of weeks since my last entry, and lest you think I've been idle (or simply sitting in my chair knitting sock after sock after sock...:), please know that it's been a hectic fortnight, for sure. We've had visitors from far and near, along with a few projects reaching the finish line. The photo at the left is a big TA-DA, especially for Thomas. We got a new front door and sidelight installed a few months ago, but hadn't been able to brave the excessive heat to finish the project with paint...until now! In addition to painting the door, sidelight, and its exterior trim, Thomas also painted our faded [wrong-color-green] shutters a beautiful, high gloss black. [He also painted the interior side white to match the other trimwork inside.] As Maredith said when she saw the new door and matching painted shutters, "it changes the whole front of your house!" Oh yes, we're pleased with it. Check that one off the To Do List for 2007!


I've used this photo of the front door to represent how busy and blessed our August has been. We've welcomed brother Terry from KY; friends from New Jersey, formerly ATL (photo, right); cousin Ann & Roy from AZ (photo below, left); and, for only the second time this year, daughter Maredith with Charley Dog. And the trend is continuing into September...as brother Jack from TN arrives on Friday, followed by friend Amelia from NC on Sunday!


I'm always happy to have visitors, most especially the ones who stay long enough to do some tourist-y stuff, like A&R did. They've actually been here before, doing the usual sites, so we decided to go a little further afield for some of our sightseeing, and checked out the Abraham Lincoln museum in Springfield, IL. Mom had been before, so she became the designated dog sitter for the day. What a fabulous place! Having come lately to respecting Lincoln (that was not a given for a school child of the early 60's in West Tennessee, whose great-great grandfather was a cavalry officer with Nathan Bedford Forrest and named his son after Robert E. Lee), I was quite impressed with how well his life is presented in this special place; check out the photo, below, of the Lincoln family as we saw them in the plaza of the musuem. If you ever get near enough to Springfield for a day, do not hesitate to put this stop on your itinerary! A word of warning though...you cannot do it justice in less than a day. I would probably still be there, reading and absorbing the exhibits...and we still didn't make it to the Lincoln house (photo, above/right) in time for a tour (last one starts at 4:30). Oh well, just means I get to go back, right?


Ann, Mom, and I also had a fun time at Dierberg's Cooking School's "Let's Do Lunch!" We got to enjoy Spring Rolls with a spicy Thai-influenced Shrimp Stir Fry. Yum!!


Never fear, I haven't completely turned part-time tourist and sometime B&B host. I've been making progress on several projects, and I'll blog about that next time. Stay tuned!