Winding down

Eggs are boiled, apple and pear washed...prosciutto taken out as a possibility. Getting ready for Barbra's departure.

My bare feet drawn to sheepskin like moths to a flame. Late autumn is taking over.

Gem's x-ray came back showing no evidence of fracture. Thank you for your well wishes.

Photos will follow soon. There are pumpkins to be carved, costumes that need finishing touches (a party tonight).

Peace and love and a quiet morning to you.

Gem's first x-ray

That I can remember...there's a vague wisp of a possible chest x-ray memory from when we lived in Plympton...

Gem fell off a scooter on Sunday and broke his fall with his hands. His right wrist has been bothering him since, but with significantly decreased acuteness. He has a high tolerance for pain so that he feels anything is notable.

We're waiting to hear from the doctor's office. And, we may be back there tomorrow. He hurt his big toe yesterday (bent it under as he jumped off a chair) and it is continuing to bother him today.

Gem was very brave and allowed me to leave the x-ray room while the pictures were being taken. He clearly felt comfortable with the gentle and straightforward technician (who answered all his questions). Gem and I had pre-discussed the possibility of him having to summon some extra courage and he will be rewarded with some sort of Lego treat :-)

Curling in

Are you feeling it? I am.

The curl into late Autumn. Away from the nip in the air (while sucking in as much of the Sun as you can), into wool, fire, and your deeper inner Self.

Beginning of a hat

Turn A Square, my first Brooklyn Tweed project. For Audrey...will I finish in time for Barbra to bring it home to her? Time will tell.

I'm using Cascade 220 for the MC (main color)...is it possible this is my first project using this yarn? I was surprised by how lanolin-y the yarn felt as I cast on. It was kind of nice, actually. For the CC (contrast color) I am using leftover Silver Thaw, a beautiful Noro yarn I used to make Calorimetry.

I used a Hiya Hiya needle for the first time and thought it performed just fine (only needed it for the ribbed edge of the hat.). For about 1/2 the price of Addis, they turned out to be a nice addition to my needle collection. (The shop was out of Addis and time was of the essence.)

Lego universe

Gem often thinks about the things he wants to get. He feels deeply about these items and sometimes it makes him truly sad waiting and wondering if/when he'll ever attain these objects.

His feelings for the Lego Batman computer game intensified quite a bit, out of the blue, this week. He had been saving up for Mata Nui, but then, boom, it became all about the computer game. The nearly $30 price differential put somewhat of a kink into matters. (He had enough for Mata Nui and then some, but not the $40 he needed for the game.)

The desperate times call for desperate measures situation resulted in the kids putting on some shows for Barbra and me, their captive audience to their created and actual drama the past few days :-)

The photo above is the set for Gem's show, Lego Universe. I love the Waldorf puppet theater elements which continue to show up in their productions (the use of cloth, the visible puppeteer).

I opted for the 50¢ seat on the floor, Barb sprang for a chair at $1...neither of us took advantage of the upper deck seating (the top bunk of the bunk bed) which would allow a 180º view of the various stages used in the production ($5 for 2 patrons/$3 for 1).

There was an intermission and Gem worked a snack bar charging 25¢ for a bowl of potato chips and 10¢ for a glass of lemonade. The snack bar was genius. It brought their pooled savings up to $40 and we headed to the Apple Store after my appointment with Vinny.

Tonight we have been playing the game, grazing on apples, cucumber, prosciutto, goat Brie, watching Game 1 of the World Series, laughing, hugging, getting in some serious chillaxing.

A trinket for your ear

From JJ.



I'm eager to listen to Regina Spektor's new cd, and Neko Case's new cd. Both came in for me at the library yesterday. Today will be a mostly quiet, inside kind of day. Is it too much to hope for some knitting time?

Peace and love, people.

Cozy

My new boots arrived this evening. They are happy-making. I've had my eye on them for awhile and early last week the boot stars lined up. The already decent discount went deeper and there was an offer on free shipping (for returns/exchanges, as well).

A lot of my clothes and shoes have been falling apart lately. I am trying to be mindful of replacing items with quality products, as much on sale as possible. Patience, though a virtue, is not one of mine. It feels doubly rewarding to finally have these boots warming my feet...not only are they cozy and promise years of wear, but I also succeeded in exercising some delay in gratification and showing some fiscal responsibility.

It has been a remarkably busy couple of days. Barbra is here, the kids, particularly Sag, has been all over her. We're having fun being together in various permutations.

We've been to the zoo, to the doctor (Sag has strep throat), I had my last Dragon's Way class, Barb and I had some alone time this afternoon (we had lunch at Raymond's and walked around town making stops for, among other things, exquisite dark chocolate and knitting needles), to the airport (Cap is in Atlanta for a conference), to Donna's for common meal...

I am tired. The bod is gearing up for an approaching period, I've been quite air-y and ungrounded (I feel I've been reminded by the Universe that I am, indeed, an Air sign), I've been satisfying my cravings for dairy and even some meat...

Hope you are all well. Posts may be sparse...or not...the rest of the week as we continue to commune with Barbra.

Laundry awaits folding. A hat awaits knitting. Children await snuggling to sleep.

Cool carved pumpkin site

Check it out here.

Close and dark

Yeah...a more sophisticated camera...or photographer, would probably be able to work something in between the quite dark/dimly lit and the too bright auto flash (see previous post)... Something to ponder as the winter months will bring more opportunity to shoot indoors with less and less natural light.

New pajamas

Anticipation

Look who's coming tomorrow!!!

Though we probably won't have many moments like this one, it will be wonderful to have Barbra here. Chalk up my whining today to PMS. I am actually a very lucky woman.

8 ball be damned

Am I ever going to feel like I am not behind the 8 ball? I really don't think so. Not for the next 10 years or so anyway.

However... It's all good because I have an incredibly flexible and understanding family unit here. Each of them: Sag, Gem and Cap, have that inner voice that says when push comes to shove, what needs to happen will happen. And that it doesn't need to happen in a particular way in order for it to be right, in the end.

Though I didn't want to venture out into the rain this afternoon, I was spurred on by needing new knitting needles in order to knit Audrey's hat. This is a hat I promised her for her birthday last year. Her birthday is coming up again, in December. Barbra (Audrey's beloved) is arriving tomorrow for a visit and will be here till Friday. So, I'd like to get this hat done in time for B to bring back home.

Gem and I went out and it turned out to be lovely. The yarn shop, the toy store, the Halloween store, and the Greek place. Needles, gifts for Anna and Lukas, a fedora and whip set for Sag, a Batman costume for Gem, and a gyros sandwich and grape leaves for me. Much of our meandering was on foot which is always nice.

The needles I came home with are somehow the wrong size, the fedora and whip set were a completely unexpected find (and exactly what he has been wishing for for weeks), the Batman costume was an inspired find when the scythe turned out to be utterly disappointing, and the Greek food? We happened to walk by the new place, where I hadn't been since they moved, and I just had to have some.

Our plans for today have been turned on their head due to Sag's fever...Elizabeth's party, and a concert up at MSU. Tomorrow, Sag will miss Anna's birthday celebration. But, we forge on. Things change. Go with the flow.

The piles of things to put away, things to take a look at, things to find a place for, the piles, the piles... The tasks that rotate and revolve and keep coming back around every day, week, month... These comprise one mother of an 8 ball.

Gotta keep on truckin'...

The season

The colors have been speaking their truths both outdoors and in.

This pepper is from the farm. And went into a morning stir fry Dragon's Way style. I also made some vegetable soup (scallion, garlic, ginger, celery, carrot plus homemade chicken stock and Imagine Foods' No Chicken Broth...thanks, Kelly :-) and Cold Prevention Tea with honey...

...because Sag is under the weather. His temp spiked at 105º last night so we're using Tylenol to keep him comfortable and making sure he stays hydrated. Tea, soup...later on his favorite: miso soup with rice.

Fall Craft Fair

Sag woke with a sore throat...I took a peek and it looked mildly irritated so he had a spoonful of honey and lay low.


Gem and I were in the kitchen by 8:15. He was raring to go on his muffins.

He tripled the recipe...

Measured and stirred the dry ingredients...



Whisked the wet ingredients...

Mashed the banana...

Opened a can of pumpkin...

Spooned batter into tins...

And then it was onto the hot cocoa.

Poured the milk...

Counted and bagged the marshmallows to garnish the hot cocoa...


Packed it all up...

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday's Indian Summer was nowhere in sight and it got chillier by the hour (we hung out for about 3 hours).

Sag sold two posters which I am realizing now I never photographed. They sold early: one was a Simpsons Treehouse of Horror poster, the other was a Lego Indiana Jones one (which our new friend Leo bought :-)


Taking aim...

Waiting for his hot cocoa to cool...

Shannon minded the shop for us while Gem and I went to give Ada her change...


Terrariums that Sag and Gem made at someone's table.

These marshmallow blow guns were the hot items today. Yours for $2.50. Sag only had $2 spending money, but they accepted a muffin in lieu of the final 50¢. They were sold out by the time Gem went over, but they had a leftover tube that they gave him for free :-)

Gem's new Batman hat.

All ages.







Afterward, we picked up Cap and went to get our pumpkins. I finally bought a glazed pot for my kitchen cutting that keeps growing and growing.


Counting.

Today's take: $16.13.

This is an event that was started by our friend, Lucy, when she was maybe 7 years old. Each time the craft fair rolls around again (once in Spring and then again in Fall) I am renewed in my admiration for Lucy's spirit.

Thank you, Lucy!

Oh, I bought something, too. These wonderful cards made by Hannah and Joe. I love them :-)