Make up your mind already!

Oklahoma. It's a state with personality issues. Last week we were enjoying temps in the 70s, today we have big fat fluffy snowflakes. Wouldn't be surprised if next week we have tornado warnings. The saying "if you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes" is very appropriate for our fine state. Maybe it's because we're almost smack dab in the middle of the country and we get hit by weather fronts from all sides. The snow is actually very pretty.






The snow on the tops of the lights looks a bit like soft swirled ice cream. Hanging from the light is a little dragon sitting on a swing. When he gets tired of the snow he might melt it himself!

I don't have a lot of knitting progress to show, just a bit on the new bus socks



and some on the stranded jacquard vest.



Hubby is slowly getting better from his crud, not quite 100% but much better than this time last week. His nose is still bunged up a bit, and he coughs now and then, but at least when he coughs his lungs stay inside his body. Our son is completely over his 24-hour bug (and experiencing his first weekend of National Guard duty), and both the daughter and I never got sick, so I no longer live in Casa de Plagueness. Yay!

Spring Break

It's over. Kaput. Finished. Gone. Gone faster than I wanted. On Wednesday of Spring Break my poor Hubby got sick, progressing from merely "flem-y" and congested, to seriously trying to hack up a lung or two. And doesn't he only come with two? I believe most folks need them, Hubby included. He went to his primary care physician Friday morning, got medicine, and resumed his position of curled up on the couch, hacking, snorting, sneezing, and moaning.

In the middle of Hubby's sickyness, on Friday, our son and his girlfriend came back from Madrid. I've never seen two more happier young people! They had a marvelous time, saw so much beauty and history, had a total blast, and handled everything on their own. I'm very proud of them.

But on Saturday, not only did Hubby begin to get worse, but Roger became ill with the 24-hour crud. You know the kind: you tend to sleep in the bathroom for expediency's sake, your toenails migrate off your feet, and even water makes you upchuck. Thankfully, it did only last 24 hours, and today he and Chelsea drove back to Norman for college to start up again tomorrow. Oh! Oh! Roger brought back goodies. He brought his sister a beautiful black fringed shawl with white embroidery, himself a few bits and bobs, and although he wasn't supposed to worry about me, he did anyway! Yay! He brought me back a tiny jar of Azafran, or safflower, spice. I will have to look up a few recipes to see how to use this spice, as I really haven't a clue.



And Hubby? I took him to the urgent care clinic today because he got in a situation where he couldn't stop coughing, and then began not being able to breathe. Breathing is good, and he missed it. He got a breathing treatment, an anti-b shot in the bo-heiny, and a stint on oxygen. He felt better after that, and was able to stop coughing. Tests showed he didn't have pneumonia again, and the flu swab came back negative. Doc said Hubby should give himself a few more days to recover, so Hubby will be in bed when I go back to work tomorrow. Which is a good thing, because he's still hacking, and his co-workers probably would prefer he stay the hell away.

All in all, half my Spring Break and all my weekend took place in Casa de Plagueness, but it was still okay. I got a little knitting in, lots of NCIS reruns, and feel pretty rested. I think I could get used to being off work though (read, retired) and wish the lottery pool I'm in at work would hurry up and hit the big one.

I am happier than I look.....

Sorry, but God never intended to have pictures of my image taken. I simply cannot do a posed picture. Snap me while I'm acting normal, and you'll more than likely get a decent picture, or at least one that makes you guffaw out loud. But pose me, tell me to smile, and you'll either get a toothy sick cat grin, or what you see here in this photo, a half smile, a Mona Lisa wannabe.



I'm very happy with the way the Shrug came out, really I am. It fits wonderfully, is exquisitely soft, and the cables are just what I wanted. The smile? Not so much. Please to be moving along to a better shot of the back.



Boy, did I miscalculate on the underarm seam length! Originally I seamed it at 9" on each side, and then discovered that there was now a physical impossibility to donning my new shrug. Unseamed it back to only 4" on each side, and was quite able to slip my arms into the resultant openings.




The mystery of short row heels strike. The left sock was short row heel #1. I was very pleased with it, thinking I had the procedure down. Fast forward to the right heel, short row heel #2. I YouTubed Cat Bordhi's instructions again, just like I did for #1, followed said instructions, yet lo and behold: no matchy!

What did I do wrong? I don't really know, in fact I'm not sure I didn't do #1 wrong and #2 is the better one. #2 feels better, fits better, to my eye, looks better. Oh well, in the overall scheme of things, I'm quite pleased, and will continue working on perfecting the short row heel when I use self-striping yarns. Can't get better if I don't practice, hmmm?





Those black feet belong to our Labrador, Jet, and the frisbee is her favorite outdoor toy. I'm the one in the middle.

Cabled Shrug, Socks

The Cabled Shrug I've been working on is finished and blocking. Final dimensions came out to 18" x 33". The underarm seams will be about 9". The Saxon Braid was repeated five times.



I took this week off, it's Spring Break, and although my kids have this time off too, I'm pretty much on my own since they have their own stuff they're up to (son in Madrid, daughter off around town with friends), so I've decided to finish up the current Bus Socks in the next few days. The heel is getting close on Sock #2, so this deadline is very doable.



I had to start the second sock three times before I got it right for the stripes to match up, but I'm pleased that I took the effort.

I've had a few texts from my son and his girlfriend from Madrid. They're having a marvelous time, as to be expected, and all is well.

Let the vacation begin!

Roger and Chelsea texted that they landed in Valencia with no problems, and were met by their friends. I hope they have the time of their lives!

Flying the friendly skies and Service to our country

Today our son Roger, and his girlfriend, Chelsea, headed out of Tulsa's airport for Spain. It's Spring Break week and they're getting out of the proverbial city of Dodge. This is the first overseas trip for both of them where they aren't taking along a parental unit. They have to change planes a few times before they actually board the one out of Newark to Madrid, but they've got plenty of time between flights so there shouldn't (all things being considered with flights and schedules) be any problems.

When they land, they'll hop on a Ryan Air puddlejumper to Valencia, where two of their buds from back in high school are spending a college semester abroad studying international business. They are going to show Roger and Chelsea around Valencia for a few days, before our intrepid travellers go to Madrid for the remaining two days.

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how excited they are by this trip, yet oh so calm, cool, and collected when we were at the airport. (sidebar: just this second got a text from Roger saying that the plane from Houston to Newark has boarded and they'll text when they land.) Hubby, daughter, and I, plus Chelsea's parents, watched them go through security where they waved and we waved back. We saw them get their stuff out the bins, put their shoes back on, settle their backpacks, wave some more, and turn out of sight on their way to the departure gates.

We laughed among ourselves that they probably were breathing a sigh of relief as they did that, finally being free of the 'rents. Ah, to be young and carefree! They are going to have a marvelous time, see wonderous things, and be home, by their standards, way WAY too soon.

Another new thing in our lives: Roger has joined the Army National Guard and ROTC program at the University of Oklahoma. They are going to pay for his remainder of college and his entire doctor of pharmacy program. He got a really good contract, thanks in major part to his cousin who just discharged from the regular Army and who was there at his contract signing to help assure this sweet deal. After he graduates from pharmacy college, Roger will serve six years with the Guard. He's very excited about his prospects and the way his life is shaping up. We're just very happy for him because he's happy, and oh so proud of him, too.

A quick progress pic of the Ladies Jacquard Vest, it's not much, but so far so good.