Yarnover 2013

It was a great Yarnover weekend.  Rose the Gypsy was here, and she brought terrific gifts, as always...an owl coffee cup cozy (purple, even if the picture doesn't show it):

and delicious luxury yarn - oh so soft - in blueberry:

I only fell off the wagon momentarily.  We visited this alpaca farm last October, and because I was homeless then, I didn't purchase anything.  As you know, I'm not homeless anymore.

I also got some tea towels.  Tea towels are useful.  And not yarn.  These are bright blue and red although you'd never know from the photos:

Swag included this awesome coffee cup and unscented Soak, both of which are supremely useful.

We went to the dinner Friday night, which was fantastic.  Yarn Harlot was hilarious; I laughed 'till I cried.  Unfortunately, I am never able to take a decent picture of her... 

My class was on Ergonomics.  It was wonderful, except that I have to re-learn how to knit because I do everything wrong.  Carson DeMers is a great teacher though - if you ever have a chance to take a class with him I would recommend it.

~sigh~  

Only 362 days 'till Yarnover.

Waiting for Spring in Minneapolis

This is from last Thursday night/Friday morning. We are expecting more tonight. A friend mentioned that she's expecting to hear of an Annie Proulx-style weather related homicide soon. I couldn't agree more; just hope you aren't reading about me in the papers.

My only consolation is that I don't have to shovel.

This is the latest addition to my home decorating color therapy (found it on eBay, went to MOA to see what else may be available before taking the plunge, found it there for 1/3 the price!):

Purgatory goes on and on, doesn't it?  One of my mother's sisters stopped by with her husband when I was there.  I want people to visit her, but I don't want them to see her the way she is.

It's easy to understand why family members quit visiting people in nursing homes.

Found this at the Morgan Library in New York - first edition!  Every woman should read it at least once in her life (I was going to say every woman who's ever felt moments of insanity, but what woman hasn't?):

Cool columns from The Cloisters:

I found this very funny.  Kind of reminded me of John Waters' story of going to a Care Bear movie by himself.  Everyone in the theater moved away from him.  Funny and sad, I guess, that they have to post notice in the parks.

This is apparently the new approach to waiting areas in airports.  People watching isn't nearly as fun as it used to be, partly because there is no interaction between humans, only humans with their machines.

NYC: Shopping

Knitty City was the only yarn shop I visited. The purchases shown include a hank of yarn sold by a kitty rescue group (never seen it before). I hope to blend at least one of the hanks into another Color Affection shawl. Colors are pretty close - reddish, purple and charcoal.

And of course, there are books. One from the Sketchbook Project at the Brooklyn Art Library and two from The Cloisters, because I like biographies and history.

NYC: Seen

• Central Park
• from snow in Minneapolis to 80 degrees; I had to take a walk
• Guggenheim Museum
• the building is irresistible
• Kandinsky (one of my favorites)
• Gutai (interesting if not my thing)
• Whitney
• From Calder to O'Keefe (ok but nothing new)
• Jay DeFeo (meh)
• Blues for Smoke (a so-so exhibit)
• overall this was a disappointment
• they dismantled Calder's Circus, which is unforgivable
• Morgan Library
• Miss La La (wonderful and fascinating)
• Drawing Surrealism (loved it)
• Treasures from the Vault (~sigh~)
• an indescribably amazing experience
• Brooklyn Art Library
• Sketchbooks
• very fun to see what others have done with their sketchbooks
• not sure I'll be able to do another after seeing what others have done with their sketchbooks
• Jersey Boys
• Motown was sold out, The Book of Mormon was too expensive
• I have no regrets
• unbelievably, I had never seen a musical on Broadway before
• Cloisters
• can't understand why I'd never gone before
• wonderful, wonderful, wonderful
• Frick
• The Impressionist Line
• highlight: Holbein's portrait of Sir Thomas Moore
• Met
• Impressionism, Fashion and Modernity (great exhibit)
• At War With the Obvious (had to pass through)
• International Center for Photography
• We Went Back (stunning, moving, enlightening)

NYC: Images

Narrative and yarn shots later.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

I just want to say, I'll be leaving town tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited

After last year, I promised myself I would take a trip this year that did not involve a child or work

Tomorrow that is happening

Although I did not choose my destination for the weather, it looks like there will be a 50 degree temperature change for me tomorrow

Very hard to pack for that

As far as what's happening here....well...The Girls are in the process of purchasing a house



There is an amazing built-in buffet (below), and the tile in front of the fireplace (above) is awesome!




There have been lots of flowers

and Purgatory has a button tree that I rather like



Don't know if I'll post while I'm gone, but hopefully I'll have pictures next week

i am enough

Embracing Vulnerability with Brene Brown
TED Talk found on Post Secret
Then, I was talking with an Instructor at work about it and turns out she uses this one in class all the time.