Yarn Photo

Since I'll be casting on tomorrow for the Knitting Olympics, I figure I better post a picture of my yarn - and of course Joe! This yarn is Socks That Rock in the Lapis colorway. There is a strand of purple running through that the flash must've washed out. So much fun to handle this yarn and I'm looking forward to knitting with it.

Speaking of Joe, he had a vet appointment again this evening. Still has a skin infection, so back on the antibiotics. He had a blast there though because he is convinced that it truly is all about him and he let everybody play with him. Oh to be a dog sometimes!

~ Elizabeth

"Find the good. It's all around you. Find it, showcase it and you'll start believing it." - Jesse Owens

Sock Team USA

OK, not only did I join the Knitting Olympics - I found out there is a Sock Team so I joined it as well! Just really seemed right since my event is the pair of Jaywalker socks. For part of my training I pulled out the Socks That Rock yarn last night that I'll be using and fondled it a bit - does that count?

A brief recap - my job is beyond boring (but I love it!) and I have lots of time to think during the day. So yesterday I was pondering the Knitting Olympics and how it's taken off like crazy and why we like to do things like this. I know that the outside world (non-knitting, non-blogging) would think it all silly.......and maybe it is. But in the course of our crazy lives having little silly things to band us together can't possibly be a bad thing. And if I end up with a pair of knitted socks when all is said is done I'll be thrilled! Keith and I enjoy watching the Olympics and now I will not feel guilty sitting there night after night watching tv and knitting. So go Sock Team USA! : )

~ Elizabeth

"We all have dreams. In order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort." - Jesse Owens, Olympian

Routine Please

Today I'm back to routine again! My mind is still very discombobulated, but I'm starting to think that might just be my natural state now.

Mom and I had a good time at the knit-in at The Gourmet Yarn Company Saturday night and our picture is even up here! It's a really great group of ladies and the shop is quite nice, too. I had no problem at all finding things to buy. ; ) AND...I finally was able to get a set of #1 dpn's - woohoo! I need them to do the next sock that I have planned, so I'm pleased.

And....I tried to resist, really I did. But the siren call wouldn't let me sleep at night, so....I have joined The Knitting Olympics! I'll be doing the Jaywalker socks (I had tried to resist their siren call as well) and have a beautiful yarn cake of Socks That Rock yarn ready to cast on Friday night. Go Team USA!!!

~ Elizabeth
(sorry no pictures today, my empty mind couldn't wrap around that)

Rainy Days and Candles

How in the world I managed to make it to this ripe old age without falling in love with Yankee Candles I'll never know. Probably I tried to convince myself that other candles were just as good and most of the ones I've gotten in the past were very good. But last night Lynne' and I went to the mall so that I could go into this store specifically for a gift for someone. I got the gift - and three candles for me! This is the one I'm burning this morning and last night was Lemon Lavender. I'm going to have to watch myself as I would like every single candle in that store!

Once again no work on the house last night, but once again we all had a lot of fun. I stopped on the way home from work and got my hair trimmed, so that always makes me happy. Then Lynne' and I went to the mall and Best Buy, since she needed something there. While at Best Buy I got the new CD by Barry Manilow - The Greatest Songs of the Fifties - and a $5.99 CD that was 20 best of bluegrass gospel. Keith didn't care for the gospel one as he said it's too "hick" sounding, but I really like it. And the Barry Manilow one was strange - one side is a CD and the other side a DVD on how the album came to be. We watched the DVD, I went to wash my face and get ready for bed and I heard the Righteous Brothers version of Unchained Melody playing, which obviously Barry Manilow cannot ever match. I went into the office and we ended up singing, dancing and laughing to the song! Joe got all excited and tried his hardest to dance with us, but he didn't know the steps. Good times.....

This morning I'm not listening to either of my new CD's because I'm listening to the rain! Just when we were starting to despaire of ever having rain again, the Lord smiled upon us and sent some down. I'm thinking that perhaps there is a lesson on trust in here somewhere. : )

Tomorrow I'll be heading up the road to my monthly scrapbooking album class in Whitesboro - always a fun time. It shouldn't be too difficult to get ready for since I haven't unpacked the bag from last time since no scrapbooking has been done. That's exactly why I need to get this room more organized though is so that I can sit down and scrapbook or quilt. And maybe that's why I enjoy knitting so much. Since it is portable I can pick it up and do it anywhere. Anyway, after the class and probably after having lunch with friends I'll be heading farther on up the road to OKC to mom's house. Tomorrow night we'll be going to her knit shop for their sit and knit night, which should be fun. We'll also be working on a secret project on Sunday, having dinner with Gary and Michele Sunday night, then Monday we'll be going out to the cemetary to Daddy's grave site. Other than the obvious, it should be a good weekend.

~ Elizabeth

"But I trust in You, O Lord; I say, You are my God. My times are in your hand." Psalm 31:14-15

MMmmm......Coffee!

Given enough coffee I could rule the world! Not that I want to be in charge of anything though. In fact, last night Keith and I were filling out some paperwork for our church transfer and one of the things they gave us is a Spiritual Gifts Questionaire. When all was said and done I scored a zero on the leadership category, which came as no surprise to any of us. Being in charge of anything at all is simply not a goal of mine. I am a sheep and really don't mind being led around. : )

But back to the coffee - again I have to thank Coffeemate for the wonderful flavors they come up with for us. What a wonderful pleasure to start the day! And I also love my assortment of fun coffee cups that I've gotten as gifts through the years. Isn't that a cute golden retriever? And it's not even Joe, though it looks exactly like him.

We had the most awesome evening last night and I'm not even going to feel guilty for not working on the house. Lynne' was at school last night, so when I got home from work Keith and I decided to hop on the motorcycle and ride for a bit, then stopped at Taco Bueno for dinner. I am still shocked that I'm enjoying that as much as I am since I was so against it for so long. What seemed funniest to me though was eating dinner last night with our helmets sitting on the table beside us. Usually when you see a couple in a restaurant with motorcycles they look a little different than we do!

~ Elizabeth

"Always keep an open mind and a compassionate heart." - Phil Jackson

Meeko Belly

Poor Meeko tried so hard this morning to get me to stop rushing around getting ready for work and instead to stop and rub his tummy. I couldn't resist for the most part, but alas, duty called and I had to leave.

Keith and I have started a "mission" to get our two extra rooms cleaned and organized and decided if we spend about an hour each evening working on that, or the garage, or painting - you get the idea - that we should have things pretty well in place by the summer. Well I got home a little late last night, the doorbell rang and a friend had dropped by - yay! We talked for awhile and then she had to run and fix dinner for her family, I went inside and ate, then tried to decide what I would do. Keith had a monster headache, so he decided to lay on the couch and catnap while watching tv, so what's a woman to do but grab the cell phone and start calling people? : ) I ended up talking to my brother and according to the phone timer we talked for.......drumroll......2 hours and 41 minutes! The most amazing part about that is that my phone did not have a full battery when I called and somehow it lasted throughout. It was a really good conversation, hopefully for both of us, and it helped me straighten out some rough feelings I'm having about Monday's anniversary of daddy's death. So a big "High Five" to Cingular for letting me talk so long!

~ Elizabeth