the first day

tomorrow's my big trip to the big apple!  yeah!  i'm ready to go!

i've got everything in order around here and everything ready for the trip.  so looking forward to it.  i'm really looking forward to some "hanging out" time with my friend Tamara too.  she used to live here in the same town with me, but now lives in downtown Chicago.  may not seem far away but does make it harder to get together.

i'm looking forward to all the new adventures and things i will find and see.

for the trip i have packed a fresh new book, a new knitting project (decided on the very lightweight Rowan membership gift "Froth") and a fresh new Vogue Knitting magazine.  it came in the mail yesterday(but i did peek into it last night as i went to bed, couldn't help myself).

will post next week when i return, unless i find an internet cafe.  see you next week!

MaryJane Butters.  she's everywhere!!  just her name sounds "down on the farm".  i first saw her magazine, which by the way is called a "magalog" about a year ago at my local bookstore.  infact i sent it to my SP3 at the time because not only was she a knitter but a resturant owner and small farm ower.  thought it may interest her.  the pics and recipes were amazing!  and MaryJane is as cute as a button!

then about a month ago when i was eyeing cookbooks at the bookstore the beautiful cover of, what turned out to be, her new book, caught my eye.  it's called MaryJane's Ideabook, Cookbook, Lifebook.  again, beautiful pictures, ideas and ways to mix realife with countrylife. i haven't bought the book YET, but i want too!

this sunday, in my local newspaper, the Chicago Tribune, the Home and Garden section featured a great article on MaryJane, her ideals and of course her new book.  they have included the following:

5 ways to cultivate the farmgirl life in the city:

1. put on an apron

2. skip the dryer

3. learn to eat salad with a spoon

4. darn a sock

5. adopt baby chicks

to learn more about these 5 or more about MaryJane check out this website

www.maryjanesfarm.com  or maybe you can get the article at www.chicagotribune.com  (7/24/05) ?

i for one am a metrogirl who would like to live more like a farmgirl in many ways!!!

okay............loved charlie and the chocolate factory!!!!!!!!!!!!!

loved johnny depp more than i did before.......i think this might be his best movie yet.  loved all the other actors.........loved those grandparents and aunts crocheting in the bed......loved the set.......loved the story........

just can't say enough, good things about this movie.....

a must see on the big screen, (i think i may see it one more time) and a classic that i will probably add to my DVD collection. (and i think i only own about 8) so that's saying a lot!

great, better than expected........don't you love it when that happens!!!

i got some FUN mail today!!!!  thanks secret pal!  whoever you are?

of course wish i had pictures  (but we won't go there).  what goodness:  first off, some super soft, RY Cashcotton 4Ply. two balls, in a beautiful natural color, that i love.  and some #2 dpn, Brittany needles, perfect!  these will surely become socks.  now i just have to decide which ones.  i'm thinking maybe some extra long ones that i can "slouch" down for the fall.  did i mention how soft this yarn is with the bit of cashmere in it!!! yum!  this is my first RY yarn.  (i may pack this for my NY plane trip, was trying to think of something light-weight).

next up, a cute Lantern Moon sheep tape measure that went right into my knitting bag.  you don't know how many times i have looked at one of those in my LYS and thought "no, i shouldn't".  but now someone has treated me!  so cute!  my hubby even thought it was cute.  he works in construction and has a tape measure on his hip all day.  i told him i was going to have to have to keep my eyes on this one!  :)   

and last, but not least the lastest issue of Piecework Mag.  I have never bought this before.  Think i will tuck this in my travel bag too. 

What a great box of surprises!!  Thanks Knitgirl!!  I love it all!!!  Mail is soooo much fun!!!

Happy Saturday!

i'm going to NEW YORK CITY!!!!  my trip to new york is official.  so i'm very excited about that.  it has all worked out.  all that waiting was worth it. i leave on the 31st of this month and will return on aug. 7th. yeah!!!

the baby highchair is sooooo close to the painting stage!! i will do a final sanding today, purchase the paint today and then start painting either tomorrow or on thursday (that will be the first chance i will get). yeah!!!

sunday i head to my daughters to spend some time with them and of course the little grandson.  yeah!!!!  we will take another pottery class.  yeah!!!! 

in knitting news i have both fronts and half of one sleeve done on my Scoup du jour sweater.  i really like the results so far.  and i am on row 50-something on the Wild stripes baby blanket.  so i am making good progress on both.  yeah!!!

i have finally decided that i really just want to work outside in the yard and i will not let this hot, hot weather stop me, so i've spend a few afternoons working outside.  as long as i try to move with the shade and drink lots of water it's not too bad.  it's been enjoyable to be outside.  the poor plants are suffering from this heat.

creative title huh?

don't know how my brain was working yesterday to have the fore-thought of christmas break, the beach, and florida, (considering it's 90's here) but called and made our family reservations for a week in Seista Key!!!

spent a lot of time yesterday working outside sanding and refinishing an old, old, old wooden baby high chair. 

 it was a gift from one of my neighbors.  she is in her 60's and it was her high chair when she was a baby.  she was an only child and never had any children of her own.  when she heard that we had a grandchild she thought that we would make a "good home" for her high chair. 

i have refinished furniture before but this one has been MORE than a challenge.  and i'm not really sure why?!  it's not a really hard wood, that may be one of the problems.  it had many coats of paint.  first i tried chemicals to strip it, that made it worse.  so it has just been sanding, sanding and more sanding.  i have a Black and Decker Mouse sander. (they are great).  and i have probably gone through $40 in sandpaper.  i think i am seeing the end. 

 then i will paint it.  it will not fully recover to the point of being able to be stained, which is really fine.  i think it will look charming painted.  i think (which through all this sanding time i have had lots of ) i will paint it some shade of red.  i really thought i would have had it done a loooong time ago.  but it WILL be done for little grandson's next visit!

speaking of him....the knitpix yarn arrive last night for the Wild Stripes baby blanket.  i cast on for that and re-watch Under the Tuscan Sun before i went to bed last night.  the colors are so fun to work with. ( i like the idea of  weaving in the ends at each color change!)

NY is still ?  check out www.yarnstorm.blogs.com and she will make you want to hop a plane right now.

today.....i think i will give my hands a rest from the Black and Decker.  maybe even treat them and my feet to a manicure and pedicure..........and then stop at the hardware store for some new rubbergloves so i can be right back at it tomorrow!  (oh, and maybe some more sandpaper just for grins, i buy it kinda like yarn!)

this week marks the half way point for me for this summer's vacation.  i always get a bit scared at this point that the second half of the summer will go too quickly, and it usually does.  i will try to use it wisely.

i have another trip to my daughter's planned for the week of july 25th.  that will be very fun to spend some time with her little family, time with the grandson, and  another pottery lesson.

i have free tickets for Great America that need to be used!

the first week in august there is the possibility of a trip with a friend to New York City.  i've never been, and she has lived there in the past and has a work trip there that i may follow her on.  that would be so fun.  i will get to see the Statue of Liberty!!!! 

the middle of august will be a long weekend visit from my daughter and her family, they are coming here.  and my daughter and i will spend a day at Midwest Sitches. yarn, yarn, and more yarn!!!!

then the weekend that i head back to teaching is the Air Show here in Chicago, one of my favorite things to do, and my hubby and i are looking for a hotel downtown to spend the night. we will attend that on saturday and sunday of that weekend.

so, we still have some fun, summer things to look forward to!!!!!

in knitting news....i cast on for Soup Du Jour last night in Peace Fleece.  i'm using a dark carcoal color.  kind of boring but i think it will be a sweater that will get lots of use.  i was in that mood to make something for my wardrobe that would be an old favorite.  i think this will be it.

i've also pulled out a project that is a few months old.  i haven't worked on it for awhile.  it's the Lady Eleanor Entrelac Stole from Scarf Style.  i'm using Lorna's Lace's Shepherd's Bulky in colorway goldhill.  i'm about 1/3 done with the project. (it is actually going to be a lap blanket for my chair in the living room).  i forgot how much i enjoyed that project, and in looking through the book again, how much i love the patterns in this book!  so... i will work back and forth on those two projects.  (and i have the little grandson blanket project, that the yarn will be coming from Knitpix next week.)  i will also throw that into that mix.

i think i will start pouring thro books and magazines to start a wish list for my possible yarn shopping in NY and my Stitches yarn shopping in August.  i need to make a plan!  i think i will start my "post-it-noting" right here in this Scarf Style book!!!!

the middle of my back hurts when i sit and knit too much.  i've been spending a lot of time behind the needles lately.  but i'm not really complaining.  i'm lucky right now to have the time.

when i was a little girl i always knew that grandma had "her footstool".  never really thought about it.  it was a given.  i think twice, maybe three times, she made a different needlepoint  cover for "her stool".  i remember one cover was of a Scotty dog, i can't remember any of the others.  her stool moved around the room with her to go under her feet at which-ever chair she was sitting.

grandma was a knitter.  and now i know why she had that stool.  while sitting in a chair, if you bend your knees just slightly, it takes the pressure off the small of your back!  it must have really helped her with all those hours of knitting.

when i knit i'm usually sitting indian style in an over stuffed chair or on the couch.  so that helps the small of my back.  but grandma couldn't do that.......what with her dress, slip, nylons, and probably even a girdle and garter belt to hold it all together.     it's truely not your grandma's knitting anymore!!

however, there is something to be said for that little secret of the stool.  i do have a little one i could dig out.  my sister has grandma's old one, and she can sometimes be a "pitcher".  so i think i will gently mention to her, "if she ever wants to get rid of that old thing....throw it my way".

nothing says summer like a 4th of july holiday weekend.  even tho i did not have any corn on the cob.  (i think i will look for some of that for this weekend).

this weekend had all the great ingredients for summer. another trip to michigan, family, the farmers market, good food, sun, blueberries, great weather, long walks, park visits, afternoon naps, fresh strawberries, a good book, sleeping in, a trip to the beach, raspberries, a summer birthday in there (we have many, family, summer birthdays). even a snotty nose to wipe here and there, (cuz the little grandson had his first cold), but that didn't stop his smiles or spoiled his fun.  i enjoyed it all.

got in some knitting time too.  finished my felted bag.  turn out great.  i will enjoying using it.

and just last night i finished reading the Mermaid Chair.  good ending.  i would recommend it.

this week i'm working on my much neglected yard, flower beds, and housework.  back to business around here the next few days for me.  too much playing.  but playing has been good!!!