Leaving on a Jet Plane

Did you know that custom U.S. postage stamps can be made? I received this from The Girls recently:

And here is an empty Mall of America - enjoy it. It's not going to look like this again for a while:

I survived Thanksgiving. I have baked and decorated and knit. To reward myself for surviving not just Thanksgiving but the year, I decided to leave town for a few days. I'll be back next week, hopefully with some photos.

Surviving a Toddler for 24 Hours

The Girls had a date in Wisconsin - something that was planned before the arrival of The Babies.  I was chosen to care for Baby Girl from Saturday noon 'till Sunday noon.  

She seemed a little suspicious when she was dropped off:

But we got settled in the condo with Duplos and other assorted things, and we fell into a rhythm pretty quickly.

Who says bar chairs don't come in handy with children?  The low setting worked perfectly as a high chair - and it's made of easy-to-clean plastic.  Hooray!

We went shopping and got new tennis shoes.  Who knew but that there are baby Toms and chucks and all manner of fun stuff for toddler feet.

The Girls thought I would have tons of photos, but really I was too busy chasing after Lulu to be snapping many shots.  First thing I did after they picked her up was take a nap ;)

Weekend Activities

The weekend was fun.

Friday I was at Drunken Knit Night at Merlin's Rest.  The company is always good, and the beer.

Then, because I was having breakfast with a friend in Maple Grove (I know, crazy, and of course I got lost) I decided to pop into  Amazing Threads in Maple Grove .  I dragged said friend to Amazing Threads, where I encouraged her to take a class (she's within walking distance of Amazing Threads - what a wonderful shop!)  Then, because it was Shop-hop weekend I went over to Lila and Claudine's in Mahtomedi.  No, I didn't actually do the Shop-hop; I think this may be my new approach - to go to one shop I know and one that is new to me.

People have been telling me for years to go up to Lila and Claudine's. It is an amazingly fun shop.

As always, volunteering at Central Library in Minneapolis is a trip.  Yesterday there was a middle aged guy who was filling out a profile on Christian singles dot com.  I helped out while he was waiting for his friend to show up.  Apparently he needed his friend to help him decide what kind of lady he wanted to meet (I asked, "You need your friend to tell you what you want?!?!?")

Anyway, never a dull moment in the big city.

The rest of the weekend was spent immersed in the audio version of The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, which I see today has won the Pulitzer for fiction.  I also watched Where do We Go Now? which Girl-child suggested.  It was good, but not a comedy imho.

Knitting Update

Sitting around in the waiting area for jury duty is a good place to get some knitting done.  One of the women on the jury said to me, "I was thinking I should bring my knitting!" when she saw me.  Before I could ask her why she didn't she punctuated it with, "But I don't knit!"

I finished two pair of socks...

...and started a scarf for The Gypsy's son.  He booked a Marriott for us with his points so we get to have a restful night before leaving on the Nautical Knitting cruise.  Pattern is Dudester by HipKnitizer, yarn is SimplyWorsted by HiKoo.

Apropos of nothing I seem to have purchased a very cute shelf for overflow books.  I found it at Flamingos Divine Finds.  I had to move a couple of bins of demitasse cups and stuff I'm getting rid of in order to put it in a nice spot ...

...maybe it will be an incentive to really get that stuff out of here once and for all.  Or maybe The Girls will get the shelf.  Who knows?

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.

Food and Snow

I just want to say that, for the first time in my life, someone brushed the snow off my car for me. Ok, sure, people have done it for me while I warmed up the car, but that was because they wanted to go somewhere. Auntie's neighbor brushed off my car just to be nice.

It was actually frozen shut; took a lot to get one of the doors open (passenger side).  I gave him cookies anyway.

Sure am glad I have that underground parking spot.

I went to The Kitchen Window and Lund's yesterday (guess where my mind is?).

Kitchen Window has monster paella pans.

The smallest of them can be rented - when filled with paella it feeds 60.

I told Auntie about the fantastic bell pepper display at Lund's.  When I said I took pictures, she looked at me kinda funny.

I told her, "I guess I don't get out enough."

Also in cooking, I tried a new recipe - beef cooked with kosher salt, olive oil, orange zest, nutmeg and cracked pepper.  It was delicious.

To Market

On Travel

So I see this woman at the bus stop and she has on a wonderful scarf and a conversation ensues, something like this:

Soxanne: Nice scarf!

The Woman With the Great Scarf: Thank you!

S: Did you get it around here?

TWWtGS: No, it's from Mexico. My daughter bought it for me there.

S: Oh, terrific, I'm headed there next week! I can look for something like it.

TWWtGS: Oh, what fun! Where are you going in Mexico?

S: Mexico City.

TWWtGS: (A look of horror on her face) Ugh! Are you going on business?!?

S: No, my daughter wants to see Frida Kahlo's house so we're going for a few days to visit the museum and Teotihuacan and what ever else we can fit in.

TWWtGS: (Long pause. Not sure how to describe the facial expression. Astonishment? Fearful fascination? Incredulity?) Oh. Isn't it .... ?

S: Big. Yes, it's a big city. And dirty. Very crowded. Lots to see.

The conversation didn't go very well after that. I guess she's been to a Mexican beach at some point. Does that count as having been to Mexico? I mean, can she tell people she's traveled to Mexico if she's been to Ixtapa or someplace like that?

I don't think we'll be chatting on the bus much in the future. I mean, what if I slipped up and told her I've driven to Mexico. More than once. Or that I know someone who rode a bike to Ushuaia.

Maybe this is why not many people talk to me on the bus.

I should have kept the iPod earphones in and kept my mouth shut.

Except now I know to look for scarves in Mexico.

Because I could use another scarf.

End of the Year

I finally purchased a Christmas cactus. I've always wanted one - seeing them at the Walker the other day inspired me to take the plunge and see if I can keep one going:
I fell off the wagon as far as yarn purchases today - couldn't help myself. Sea Silk yarn in the hummingbird colorway. Delicious:
I needed a new coin purse - mine is falling apart. Today life was feeling very short so I was reckless with my Mall of America gift card:
Pink is not Kathy's favorite color, but I rather like it. This is something that I will use every day. The color and the bird make me smile. (Yes, Sweet Pea, it is).

Farmers' Market

Bags and Bags of Yarn and Socks

I found a new bag today, and I was feeling a little guilty (but just a little) and then I saw this post from Sheepish Annie; it was comforting to me to know that others have problems with bag acquisition. It's not a very good picture, but you get the idea. (Score from Nordstrom's Rack, actually).

When I got home, I started rearranging things, and I've designated an old Kate Spade bag as my "finished socks and ongoing projects as well as possible projects" bag.

The FSaOPawaPPB looks like this:
The red is silky wool for a potential seamless sweater from Custom Knits, the black is a silk purchased when I was in DC for ALA two years ago, the fuschia is for Boy-child's next pair of socks, the yellow for P's next pair of socks...

The reason the "finished" socks are in there instead of being in a drawer with other socks is because the ends have to be worked in. This is something I do as a massive fall project; any sock finished between mid-April and the end of September is not needed, so they are not properly done until the weather gets cold again. I don't like working in the ends; it's like sewing.

Of course, it may freeze this weekend, so who knows? Maybe I'll need those socks on Sunday when I plant flowers.

Speaking of socks, I finished the Poseidons this morning:

I do like how they turned out. The color is quite electric.

A Chip Off the Old Block

Behold Girl-child's new shoes:

I don't do the shoe thing much anymore ... now I can enjoy fun shoes vicariously.

How Cold Is It?

It's so cold I am home this morning waiting for a delivery of a medication that can not freeze.

Today there is a risk that it will freeze if left on the doorstep.

It is so cold that I went out and bought a new pair of boots last night.

They have super-heavy-duty soles so that maybe now I will wipe out less.

And they lace up so I can wear any type of sock with them and they'll fit.

The mall is amazingly empty on a night when there are wind chill advisories.

I found these in the clearance room at DSW.

Score.