The boardgames of childhood as skill training

When I was growing up we didn't have video games. We played board games. My oldest brother was the king of Monopoly. My younger brother was a whiz at Stratigo and my baby brother could beat the pants off anyone on chinese checkers. Me? Operation was my game. I could take out a funny bone while standing on my foot (which my brothers made me do so the game would be even). Who knew a board game skill could be used in real life. Notice the dryer lint trap in the front? D2 took out the trap before she removed her clothes and at the exact same time an underwire in her bra fell out and landed in the trap.
There's a little ledge and the wire caught on the ledge. How to get it out? No one's hand was small enough to reach. And then it hit me .....
Operation .... salad tongs .... no buzzers as I touched the side. I felt like George Costanza when he was moving the Frogger machine in Seinfeld. lol

My calico foster kitten was adopted on Friday. We've been calling her Calli and her formal name according to her new owner is Calli so I guess they were ment to be her forever home. Grey's adoption fell thru so he's still with us. Grey has now been moved downstairs where he's made himself at home.

I picked up these 3 on Friday night. 3 tigers which I've named Larry, Curley, and Moe.

They are a little skidish around humans but when I come into the room they will usually come running over and after a couple minutes they'll let me pet them. Hopefully sometime this week they'll like me enough to where I can let them out of the bathroom to have the run of the hallway.
Just adorable! Love being a kitty mama.

Monday ramblings

I've got scarves that just need the ends woven, shawls that just need to be blocked, socks that just need the ends hidden and yet I can't seem to focus enough to finish a thing. However does that stop me from casting on new things??

These are going to be blankets for the kittens to sleep on. I figure 4 washcloths is about the right size for a kitten. Hummm what pattern to use? How about a cat?

And a paw print?
I started a pair of socks for the Summer of Socks. SOS. Since I also signed up for the 52 pair plunge 2 I thought I'd better cast something on.
In the middle of making the bed this morning and had to stop to answer the phone. I came back to see this. Guess I'll wait until Joey wakes up to finish.
The grandkids were over this weekend so I've been entrusted with a couple treasures left behind. Lucky for me the rock and plastic mouse haven't given me much trouble although Oscar did try to make off with the mouse. Oscar says: Well it's your fault since you won't let us carry the real mice into the house.
This is kitten central aka the 3rd floor bathroom. Hard to believe that every night this gets swept up and cleaned because the following day it always looks like no one has cleaned it in weeks. Such is the life of a kitty mama. Grey and Calli say: numm numm numm This kitten food is the best. Be back soon mommy ... we'll be needing you to clean the litter box shortly.

Crochet? Here? WTF! Yup I crocheted a couple blankets for the current kittens before I had the idea to use squares. Grey says: Acrylic!?!? Come on mom and cough up the good stuff. I know you have wool and alpaca around here somewhere.
2 kittens 2 blankets.
All the knit squares to date.
My kittens have turned into great escape artists which means if you are a human then you have to get past this in the hallway. I've got to spring for a couple baby gates and modify them for the kittens. Until then my poor daughters will have to figure out how to get to and from their rooms every day. Hummm maybe they'll think it's a hint to move out? Hope not. D3 is leaving the end of August for college and that's soon enough.

My father is not doing well. The cancer has spread more into his liver and is now showing up in his lungs. He's really slowing down but still manages to get out and about a little. I think I'm finally at peace with his decission for no treatment. Not happy but at least at peace.

When the grandkids were over Saturday my parents came over too. Dad sat on the couch the whole time and all 3 of the kids surrounded him for attention. I find myself watching their interaction more; almost like I'm trying to capture it all in my brain so I can play it back for years to come.

The classic distraction ....

When you've got nothing people will forget that there is no knitting content if you post with pictures of small creatures or children. No small children around today soooo

Grey: Mommy, why do you have to work all day. You should hit the lotto and just stay here and play with us all day.
Grey: Gotta get the stuffed fish before it gets me or Calico. Must use all my strength to protect us from the stuffed fish.
Calico: Maybe if I lay on my side and look cute and helpless the stuffed fish will go away.
Calico: Or maybe I'll just sit here and look so sweet that it'll make your teeth hurt. Turning on my extra sweetness NOW!
Charlie: Thank God Diane put those kittens upstairs in the hallway. When they got out and came down they scared me. I was so frightened that I had to jump onto the bed ..... and stayed for a nap.

**** gotta love it when the 16 lb cat is afraid of 2 little kittens.

It's been a while ......

but I'm still alive and kicking. In kind of a knitting funk with is odd for me. Gotta set some goals and get back in the knitting project saddle again.

In the meantime ........ cute picture distractions and new yarn will have to replace finished project.

D3's guy with N at the Memorial day picnic. I love the 'tude N is giving his auntie.
Miss A: Who has time for a 'tude when there's yummy food to eat while sitting on daddy's lap? More watermelon please.
The foster kittens are growing right up. Hard to get a picture of them since they are in constant motion.
Grey: Excuse me but you damn photographers just need to back off. I've got to go chase my sister's tail. Please leave now.

Well, if I don't seem to have it in me to knit at least I haven't lost my ability to purchase new exciting yarn. I LOVE THIS COLORWAYS from Ray. I saw it and had to buy it. Of course it would have been lonely in the mail by itself so ................
And there have been ebay purchases like this teapot. D1 will be getting it for christmas. What an artistic piece. And some mindless knitting but nothing finished.
Today is D3 and S1's 20th birthday. Hard to believe they are 20 yrs old. Time sure flies when you are busy raising kids.

I got nothing .........

I've been sick for the last couple days so I'll use distraction to make you forget that you are not seeing any knitting at all. These two should do the trick.

They are now 7 weeks old and come running anytime the door opens. Always happy to see anyone who wants to play for a while. I've got to call the vet to make an appointment for their check up and shots so they can go to their forever home.

Did you know ....

that Joann's has sales of specific colors of yarn? Well I was in Waterbury with a little time to kill and I ended up at Joann's looking for acrylic for some charity knitting. I usually don't poke around the store but since I was in no hurry I spent some time walking up and down the aisles. I noticed that they have bins of yarn but only one or two colors was on sale while the rest was full price. Interesting ............

Bernat denimstyle in white, shades of blue and shades of green for $1.97 a skein.
Patons astra at $1.97 a skein. Lion wool grey for $2.97 a skein.
Sensations rainbow boucle for $5.00 a skein. All for a total of $49.43 minus a 10% discount. Should keep me knitting along for a while.
I've been working on this irish cable scarf which is coming out great ... that is when I'm not playing with my kittens. They are getting so big. I played with them for about an hour this morning .... and they fell asleep in my lap.
Oscar says: I hate those kittens. Well, not that I've seen them but I hate them anyways. And I hate you for spending all that money on yarn instead of cat treats for me.

Should I knit or ....

I've been knitting a little bit. I finished the second black pair of socks for my dad (who is recovering nicely from surgery) and gave them away before I had a chance to take a picture. Seriously like a pair of black socks is all that interesting? Don't think so.

I finished knitting these last night just before bed. A pair of woman's size 6 that will get put in the box to send off to the cheyenne river sioux project. Left over black for the cuff and knitpicks essential for the rest.

And I started this project while I was on a conference call this morning. It's a toy for my two new friends .....
These little ones are my first foster kittens. I while back I was reading in the paper that a feral cat group in my town was looking for foster homes before kitten season started. I called to volunteer. These two were delivered Sunday.

This picture was taken this morning. They now have the run of the upstairs bathroom.

This was Sunday when they wouldn't even come out of the corner of the cage because they were frightened.
And yesterday after a lot of petting and cuddling they were comfortable enough to venture out to the food dish for something to eat.
No names because they aren't my babies to name. I'll have them for probably 4-5 weeks before they go live with their new families (yet to be determined).

I have to admit that having them in the house certainly has lifted my spirits a bit so maybe I'll be back to knitting away soon. Well, at least I've gotten back to yarn buying .... my latest order placed this morning from Ray. More lace yarn. Think I've got a lace addiction which is now taking time away from my sock addiction.

You never know what the day holds for you

The Sunday before last I was having coffee and reading the paper with my dad. We do this every Sunday while my mom is at church and my hubby is out with friends having coffee. 5 yrs ago he cancelled his Sunday paper and decided to just come over and read mine. My dad is a man of few words who's gentle guidance has given me the strength to be the person I am today. And this man of few words came out with, "Well I'm going into the hospital on Wednesday for some surgery. They found a tumor in my intestines and some lesions on my liver. Don't worry because I'm 73 yrs old and I'm not afraid of death. I've lived a great life and plan to live a great life until the end.

Last Wednesday it was confirmed. Stage 4 cancer. He's watched many people die of cancer and decided that he will not seek treatment for this. He just wants to live out however long he has surrounded by the things he holds dear until it's his time to go. I understand his decission and will respect his wishes but it's hard.

So I've been filling my days with the routine that is my life. Mindless knitting.

And another pair of dreaded black socks. Dad really liked the first pair so I'm making another for him.
New patterns.
So I've been treating this like an elephant in a room. It's there but not talked about. I'm fortunate enough to live about 1.5 miles away from my parents so I'm there when needed. I'll spend all my time making the most of my father while he is still here and will deal with his death once it happens.

Signs of spring are everywhere

Flowers, flowers everywhere you look. My daughter was complaining that she couldn't find any cute little girl shoes around so I picked up a pair of cheap canvas sneakers and painted them with flowers in girlie colors.

If you live in CT Laurel Ridge is one of the best kept secrets in the state. Back in 1941 a couple in Litchfield, CT decided to plant some spring flowers on their farm. They kept adding to them year after year and the flowers themselves kept multiplying year after year.
And this is only a small fraction of them on a lovely Sunday stroll with my hubby.
This entire hillside is covered in flowers. Flowers everywhere.
And me thinking ..... hummmmm I know how to plant flowers .......

All about socks

With summer rolling around I put aside my nice hand knit yummy socks of goodness and color and went off the the land of Walmart to pick up some cheap summer socks. The good people at Fruit of the loom obviously think we're a little on the stupid side by leading us to believe that these $1.30 a pair socks will support our arches.

Aka they put a little ribbing at the middle of the food. So I guess when I rib the top of a sock I should give it to the person claiming I've offered calf support?
3 pr of socks for the cheyenne river sioux project. I only had one skein of the pinks which was just enough to make a pair of child size 9's. I also did a size 9 in blue and a child size 12 in blue with red toes. The pink dye rubbed off on my fingers so they are a lovely shade of pink today.

Then I was wondering how many pair of baby socks I could get out of a 50 gram skein of knitpicks essentials. The answer is 4 pair. Each one a little different. These are for the Cure Hospital for A4A. Green is a lucky color. I have 3 more skeins of green so I'll get those knit this week. Babies and new moms can always use a little luck.
And finally finished off the ends of my son in law's size 12 socks. Opal yarn with opal uni black toes. I like them. I think he will too.

So since I was in the ladies' department at walmart I decided to pick up some panties too. Made in Honduras. And this just gave me the giggles. Each pair rolled and taped. I can just picture the on the job training for this. "No you are taping too high. The tape goes here toward the middle and only on the back. No sides just the back." I gotta say this is almost as obnoxious as taking 50 pins out of a new shirt. "Honey, I'm just untaping my underwear! I'll be there in a minute."

And I'll leave you with this ..... more socks. Now sadly these do not have arch supports. My arches are gonna be left on their own in these socks. However .... they are in a reseal bag. Seriously like I'm going to keep the bag? Wear the socks, wash them (with fingers crossed that both will make it out of the dryer), fold them and what put them back in the bag? Yup, only me.