I offer you a distraction?

In order to distract from the utterly boring blogging I've been doing lately...I offer you

Yarny Goodness!



One of those fun pinkish/orage skeins will be for my as yet undecided project for the One Skein Exchange over on Knit Knack. I have no guesses as to who is knitting for me this time. My buddy and I have a lot in common so I can't wait to start knitting for her!




And...ahhhh....say it with me. Malabrigo. Isn't it just beautiful? It's so pretty all twisted up that way I don't know if I can bare to knit it. Hehe...I'm sure I'll manage though.




It's almost the weekend!!

Loose Ends...

I have been feeling...at loose ends lately. Restless. At least, that is the best way to describe it that I can think of. When I'm home I flip through books but can't settle down to read (Deathly Hallows was the exception). I channel surf and find nothing interesting. I've stood looking at my movie collection hoping something will jump out and interest me so I can at least listen to it while I knit. I sit down to knit and...well I think you probably get the picture.

Sadly...I'm the same way at work.

Do you ever feel like this? I can't pinpoint any particular reason why I should be feeling this way. Usually when this happens it's winter and dreary and I kinda blame it on that.

Hmmm....anyone got a cure for an unexpected case of apathy?

No words...

(No worries...no spoilers here)

I started Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at 8:30 Saturday night and finished at about 6:30am Sunday Morning. I haven't stayed up all night in years! Around 3:30 I thought my eyeballs were going to fall out and I had to break out the eye drops. I'm sure it was just from marathon reading and not crying like a loon.

It is a WONDERFUL book, and it answers many of the questions and mysteries we've been wondering about. It's funny and sad, and thrilling and just....lovely. No words I can type will do it justice.

You know, I don't do sad as a general rule. Sad books or movies. It will be a while before I can re-read the book again, it was a bit of an emotional roller coaster...at least for me.

There are two things that just amaze me. First the wide spread interest in the series of books. I was out of town on Saturday and every where I went (yarn stores, grocery stores) I heard people talking about the book. Secondly, how difficult it must have been to have written that book. The Deathly Hallows is PACKED with action, characters and giving us the answers we've been waiting for.

J.K. Rowling did it brilliantly!

Order of the Phoenix

Saw the movie last night!

If you haven't read the book there may be spoilers below. I don't normally review movies and am by no means a movie critic. There are probably good reviews out there...below are just my thoughts on the movie.

First of all let me just say that if you have not read the books but have watched the movies I think you will enjoy it. For the movie fans it is probably a good movie to go see. It's fast moving with good action and even more visually appealing than the previous movies in my opinion.

For the Harry Potter nerd or obsessive fan. This movie does one thing, it gives us our HP fix. I've heard a lot of people say the 5th book was their least favorite. I am probably in that category. It was dark and seemed to just beat a dead horse so to speak. So I was both anxious to see the movie and not so anxious to see it.

The minute the movie started and the theme started though I was so glad I was there. I can't say it was bad because...its HP and it is based on the book. Just like there isn't a bad chocolate :)

Like you may have read on other blogs...it moves incredibly fast. That, I think is my biggest problem with it. It seems as if they tried to keep the movie short and they tried to touch on almost everything...and as a result they touch on everything so briefly you don't get a good feel for the emotions and don't get the dark feel that the book had. Yes they changed some stuff. To me it seemed they changed more things in this one than the previous movies. However, to be honest I haven't seen the other movies in a while. They left out quite a bit too. There was no mention of quiditch at all or Ron making the team. No mention of Ron and Hermione being prefects. Dobby wasn't in it and wasn't the one that showed them the Room of Requirement. Some things left out were pretty plot important. For example Snapes memory of being teased at school when he was young. The prophecy is revealed to Harry and in front of others and not by Dumbledore as in the book. Dumbledore didn't explain things to Harry as he did in the book.

Despite all of that I did enjoy the movie and would even go see it again. The lady that played Umbridge was excellent. You really just want to punch her face in lol. Her office just cracked me up though, it was crazy and awesome. Actually all of the performances were wonderful. The fight scene in the end was spectacular! They did an amazing job of capturing Hogwarts and the grounds and the costumes. Visually the movie was just spectacular.

I realize the book is huge and is packed with important things. I know it can't all be included in the movie and everyone has their ideas of what should be in it or not. The best part of the night was at the end of the movie when Fudge sees Voldemort and says "He's Back". Half of the audience said "DUH!" out loud and that cracked me up.

All in all there is no way I can recommend anyone NOT see the movie.

Oh and for you knitters...they have some pretty cool knit wear! I've read a couple of blogs already buzzing about them, particularly Hermione's hoodie.

Nope, no knitting here

Not since my hissy fit Sunday night with the MS3. Honestly I haven't really had time anyway. I HAVE been thinking about knitting. I've been thinking about fast and fun winter scarves. Considering it was 90 degrees by 8:00am this morning I have NO idea why I would be thinking about scarves. Except the general consensus this week is that I've either lost my mind or I'm very close to it. I think the need to knit mindless things comes from the chaos that is going on right now. Ya'll know. Knit Therapy. At least that is what I like to call it.

Here, cute kitty picture.




Yes she is sitting in my lap and leaning back to look at me upside down. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the unlady like language coming out of my mouth. Ahem.

Peachy Keen Jelly Bean!

A rather heavy burden for a tiny tree no?



However they weren't nearly ripe enough to pick, so I left them a while longer. Then in passing my living room window I notice a cute little squirrel. Scooter scampers up into my peach tree and RIPS OFF a small limb peach and all and runs to a bigger tree to eat his prize.

Hmmm. A few hours later I see him running across the yard again with a large peach in his mouth. Now a peach here and a pear there is ok. I don't mind sharing at all. Seems to me this little stinker is getting a little too greedy though. So out I go and picked two large bowls of peaches.



Way more peaches than I expected this year since there are only two peach trees left. The rest died last year and were pulled up.



So I've been giving them away as fast as I can and last night I peeled as many as I could and bagged them up to freeze them. It doesn't look like my pears are going to make it this year. They look very sad indeed since there are NO LEAVES on the tree what so ever. Too much rain this year (which I am NOT complaining about).

The really cool part are the butterflies! There are butterflies EVERY where around the tree. Many in the tree nibbling on the peaches that have already been nibbled on by other bugs and such. They just dance and flutter all around me when I'm out there picking peaches. Very cool!


peach cobbler anyone?

Ah the sounds of summer

Outside frogs and crickets, inside the air conditioner and hairballs. Yes, it is gross but for cat owners a reality.


Meanwhile...back at the house of cat hair, we are hiding inside staying cool. My Mother, ever the optimist (that was heavy sarcasm there for those that don't know my Mother) walked down the hall of the office on Friday and proclaimed "Good News! The rain is gone but now we are screwed because it's going to be hotter 'n hell!" Which oddly is about only the third time in my life my Mother has used the word "screwed". It is just as well that is hot today. It will dry things out a bit which is greatly needed. Also it appears no one is feeling in tip top shape so we might as well stay inside. Well, ok Abby is feeling fine and letting us all know it. The rest of us...not so much. Lil Bit has had some hair ball issues so she is feeling extra cuddly today and that is fine with me. Lady isn't feeling well from her second round of heart worm treatment so we've all already had a nap today.

Yesterday I had to go to one of those pet food places where it's ok to bring your pets in. I swear there were no less than 15 people in there with new puppies. PUPPIES! I swear the puppy fever came back with a vengeance. I just keep telling myself...can't afford it, can't afford it. I still have a $600 vet bill for Lady, so there is no way I can afford a puppy. Sigh. So no puppy but I can dream about soft wiggly furballs full of energy with cold noses that like to snuggle up and sleep with you.

Meanwhile I'm seriously thinking of going back to bed to curl up with said furballs. Especially since it appears we are about to have a storm. Guess Mom was wrong about the rain lol.

Hope everyone has a lovely Sunday afternoon!

Ramblings of a Mad Knitter

Random musings while late night knitting on the MS3


1. Lace knitting with a chart and tv don't mix

2. Life lines are the coolest invention since salad in a bag!

3. Mp3 players/ipods are def in top 10 too

4. I can surprisingly concentrate on a chart while listening to music & singing along.

5. The cats have grown used to my singing. The dog...not so much.

6. I'm loving the lace knitting so far

7. When you get tired and can't focus your eyes... That would be when it's time to stop trying to read a chart.

8. What does it say when you are in the mood to listen to both sappy love songs from your teen years and salsa music. Particularly when these are not types of music normally on your play list?

9. Note to self pick up non waxy dental floss for lifelines. Thread works but is a pain in the butt.

10. I wonder if I sold both cats if I'd have enough to buy the knit picks options set? Nah probably not.

11. Why has Maroon 5 not come out with a new cd? (Which today I found out they HAVE duh)

12. I am not going to think about the fact that every customer we have has suddenly decided they want to close next week. Knit knit just keep knitting.

Lazy weekend with cats and lace

This is mostly what my weekend consisted of.



Sitting on the love seat with at least one cat in my lap or on my legs. With both cats I had to prop my chart up on the back of the couch, with one I sat a cushion in my lap (slightly on top of the cat) with my chart. I only frogged the MS3 3 maybe 4 times before getting my head in the game and concentrating.

If I did happen to get up for any reason then this occured.



No, I don't think you understand the cuteness...here have a closer look.




That right there is a brat. While she is overcoming some of her issues with being touched or looked at...she seems to be developing new issues. Such as laying next to my head in the mornings meowing loudly. There are others....but we won't discuss those just yet.

Hope Everyone had a relaxing weekend!

Lil Bit says this lace nonsense needs to stop. Mama gets mad when I head butt her while she's trying to count and that whole chart thing takes up my space in her lap!

Can you not feel the disapproval?