Got Gauge

The Easter Parade

Every year, I try to rent or catch on TCM The Easter Parade. It's a wonderful movie and I just adore the hats. Sometimes I think I was born at the wrong time. I love the formality of hats and gloves and beautiful dresses. But I also like many of the things I do today that might have been frowned upon in 1912. Granny was turning 7 the Easter of 1912. And she's 102 celebrating this Easter. I'm not sure if she'll make it to her 103 on April 27th or not. And I'm not sure I really wish her to. She's had a good, long run and I know it's painful for her to have spent this past year not being active. After 101 years of fierce independence, she's dependent on someone else for everything.

I went to see Granny last Friday. It was sad. I hated it. Granny adores flowers and always had  wonderful garden and grew beautiful roses. The year she turned 98, I sent her 98 roses. Talk about a fabulous smell in her house! But my Cousins were so mad at me. I neglected to call and ask them to contribute. I just wasn't thinking. At the time, I sent my Mom an arrangement once month so the florist really cut me a deal. I gave her enough notice and asked that they just be colors other than red. I didn't want it to look like a funeral either! LOL.

I didn't start this post as a Granny talk but I guess she's on my mind. I was thinking about posting about the Easter Parade and the stunning hats. Hats make me think of Granny and Easter makes me think of Granny. My cousin D got Granny's legs and the ability to wear a hat with flourish! I can pull a few hats off but not like either one of them. I once did a spring brunch with my girlfriends and we all wore hats. One of my friend's mothers did a painting of her and it's in a glorious hat. I think we need to bring the hat back people!

In Knitting Knews, I finished the Curlicue Blanket and didn't take a final photo. It was okay. Next time I'd go up a needle size. I have the yarn to make one for us in different colors of Kureyon. I started and finished a Vine Lace Scarf in Kollage Creamy for my Diary Association friend. And I finished knitting the body of my wrap sweater. Next week I'm in California all week and I don't know which project to bring. I'd wanted to do a Clap for a friend but I haven't the correct yarn and the rule for buying yarn is: For every project in, two must go out. When I bought the Creamy, I sold off a boatload of Kureyon and donated two bags of yarn. I think I might take along the yarn to knit Lorelai from Yarn Play. I think it's a very flattering sweater and will encourage me to get back in the gym to work on my arms.

Off to work! Oh wait, technically I'm at work. All I have to do is spin my chair to the other side of my desk. I hope all of you are reading, Unclutterer. I'm getting get tips on uncluttering my space. Yesterday on a conference call, I emptied my pencil holder and **gasp!** threw away the non-working pens and pencils. Oh the horror!

Happy Good Friday to those celebrating Easter! And Happy Knitting, Happy Spring!

Things That Make Me Happy

Ever have those times in your life where you KNOW life it good but for some reason you can only dwell on the bad things? Instead of focusing on the positives, you focus on the negatives. I've been in one of those moods lately. Not sure why. Life is good, very good in fact. I needed to turn my mental frown upside down!

So instead of saying "the Husband quit his job." Say "the Husband has a great, new job!"
"That person annoys me." Say "I'm so glad my friends are wonderful!"
"Granny's not doing well" turns to "I am blessed she's been with us so long."
"I'm overweight and going to the gym" turns to "I'm trying to get more healthy."
"*&%$#@ I dropped a stitch" turns to well there just no turning that one around. Sorry.
"the office is a nightmare!" turns into "thank goodness I own so much yarn!"

Just all those little things you say tend to really drag you down. So this week, every morning when I get up (sounds cheesy, I know) I make a point to make a positive statement.

Another thing that makes me happy? Let's Dish. My friend, Bets, and I have gone together twice. We split the meals so each of us have a 8 healthy dinners for our families. No fuss, no messing up our kitchens and a reasonable price. So far the dinners have been great. A couple I wouldn't do again but nothing bad.

I'm almost finished the Creamy scarf. I need to do 2 more sections on the baby blanket and finish the Wallaby. After all of that I'll start making something for me. I think I want another Clap. Something in neutral colors to wear on the plane to Zurich. But I have none of that yarn in stash and I'm going to start practicing the organizational rule "for every one brought in, one must leave" to help manage my stash. So I'll be posting some for sale or trade on Ravelry this weekend!

Happy Knitting!

One Week

One minute, one minute left in the period. Ever been to a hockey game and heard the announcer say this? I feel like he should have escorted me in the building today announcing “one week, one week left of working here!”

Yes, I’m changing jobs. It’s the first time I’ve ever switched job in less than 1 year. I enjoy very much the job I currently do but I hate the commute. HATE it. HATE it with a passion that only makes sense to those who drive to within a mile and know that to leave that night, that mile might take 15 minutes. AND no one will let you merge in. It makes my resting heart rate increase drastically just thinking about it. One week, one week left. 

I had a former boss that used to count the days until something big by the wake ups. I like that method of counting. So I seven more wake ups left until this gig is over and only five of them involve getting dressed and driving in. Another thing about the new job, I will be working from home. The thought is both exciting and terrifying. I plan to use the extra time each day to continue my workout. I also plan to be super organized in meal planning so that we can take advantage of me being at home. I plan to make sure to brush my teeth most days before noon.

This weekend I must find the home office. It’s lost. I know we have one. I used it for over 2 years when I was a sales rep. It’s still there, I’m pretty sure. It has a desk, file cabinets, selves, printer, fax, everything a home office needs. Only problem is that it’s currently being hidden by yarn. Lots of yarn. Yarn that escaped from the 70 million gallon storage bins during a desperate such for a new project. I hate it when startitis strikes. Yarn that was flung to the far reaches of the room because I know somewhere in one of those tubs I have a skein of Alchemy bamboo in a wonderful red. (I do! I know I do!) And the yarn just never found it’s way back into the storage bins. There are also the twenty million bags. Some with WIPS. And the baskets. Oh the baskets. I adore my baskets full of yarn, they are so pretty. They also hold WIPS. Looks like I’ll also be performing a rip or re-commit ceremony over the weekend. I might even take pictures and post some for sale or trade items on Ravelry.

In the meantime, I’m zipping away on a new project. (I had to take a break from the blanket.) A scarf made from Kollage Creamy. And get this, it’s for a friend who works for the National Dairy Association!!!! Isn’t that fun? I love it when a project just presents itself like that. She recently had shoulder surgery. So she could use a little pick-me-up. I think it’s going to be a hoot to tell her about the yarn. I’m using the same Vine Lace pattern I used for the Tilli scarf. I really enjoy that pattern. No pictures. Sorry!

Happy Knitting! And did you see that game last night? GO CAPS!