These are pieces, too...

Wow.

2012-01-27T12:59:00.000-08:00

It's been over 6 months since my last post. I think a fresh start, perhaps, is the best idea, rather than a rehash of months and months of living. So, before January is over, and it appears that suddenly it almost is, I will wish you all a great 2012, and make a plan to write here with some (more) regularity. I have been consistently reading blogs...I just haven't been writing in my own. So, I will see what I can do about that.

Though this started out years ago as a quilting-related blog, it morphed into a general topic blog some time ago. And now, it seems that quilting is rarely a thing I do anymore...in fact, never...which, really, seems unbelievable, given the 35 years or so I have been doing it. When I was far younger, back before I was married, I was very into yarns and fibers and spinning and weaving and natural dying and crocheting and basket making and sewing clothing (when I perfectly fit a pattern and had no need to alter!), and all kinds of needlework, like embroidery and needlepoint and cross stitch and crewel. When the quilting bug bit, though, I gave that all up and never looked back.

Well, I've been looking back, more and more. And recently I've gotten, shall we say, sucked back into YARN, YARN, YARN. I learned to knit in 2005 and it has been taking over ever since, much like quilting did when I learned how to do that, though more slowly and steadily... my yarn stash is currently still smaller than my fabric stash, and my aim is to keep it sorta small...but you know how that goes. I have big plans to get rid of most of my fabric because it makes me feel bad, is a weight on my shoulders and conscience, takes up a LOT of space, and I'm just plain OVER it...but you also know how that goes...

Hazeline Shawlette made for Anne Hanson's Fall in Full Color Knitspot Club, pattern by Anne Hanson

Soooo, short story long, that is a lot of what I've been doing the last 6 months...loading up on yarn and patterns and ideas. And reading. And tea drinking. And mom-ing. You know. Being.

2011-07-04T00:01:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday, everyone!!

Yes, I'm here...

2011-06-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in oh-so-long. I've been busy. Well, busy at times. At other times I've been lazing around. Reading. Knitting. Crocheting. Not sewing. I'm almost done reading The Help. What a WONDERFUL book. I wanted to read it before the movie comes out in August. I've joined a knit along for a summer pullover sweater. I've just about finished a crocheted Japanese Flower scarf inspired by Lucy at Attic24 and I've started some Christmas gifts. So, though I have been flying under the radar, I've been here reading blogs. Sounds like everyone is having a great summer so far, there is so much productivity and REALLY lots of everyone enjoying summer after the long, long winter in most parts of the country (and world, actually.) Yay for summer! I will be going back to my little house soon, too, so then I will KNOW summer is truly here =-)

I have a new post on my other blog, for the Magpie project. Blatantly autobiographical, as most of mine are. Go over and take a look at some of the other posts for some good reading. This is the new prompt:

Have a great week everyone!

Swooon...

2011-05-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned that I love my sink?

2011-04-29T05:42:00.001-07:00

So lovely! I wish them all the best!

2011-04-25T12:20:00.002-07:00

I have a new Magpie post up on my other blog. I missed at least a week, I think. I'm back to reminiscences with this entry.

I'm off to NY tomorrow night for a visit. I'll be bringing my computer,though, so will not be incommunicado. I'm looking forward to my NEW kitchen! Especially my 'new' vintage SINK! And the bead board walls and the new appliances and the light colors and the CLEAN! I'll have pictures to share in a few days.

I am also looking forward to the FLOWERS! I hope spring is in full swing cuz I can't wait for a NY spring again. It's been awhile. It appears that I am getting out of here just in time since the day after tomorrow the weather report says S.D. will be having mid to high 80s...yikes! I am hoping to have at least a couple more weeks of what I consider to be sweater weather. Of course, in NY people will be in short sleeves and flip flops in weather I think of as being nice and chilly =-) I love it!

Ok, I do need to tell you that I am so looking forward to the royal wedding. I think either people love the idea or they don't, and I do. I am a hopeless romantic, I am an Anglophile, and I can't wait. I think it is a bit of fairy tale in a very scary and huge world, and I love the two young people and the fact that we get to watch all the goings on of the day. William and Kate seem so refreshing and hopeful, and I like the things I have read about them. I remember getting up in the middle of the night to watch Wills's parents' wedding in my cozy flannel night gown, while I was hugely pregnant for my sweet, sweet son. It just seems right watching this lovely young couple on their special day, and I am happy for them. So, I intend to set my alarm clock and DVR and enjoy it all to the fullest, in all its spectacular glory. I might even be seen consuming copious amounts of tea and scones this week in celebration. Cheers!

Hey! Yay!

2011-04-07T23:06:00.002-07:00

I meant to write this earlier but got sidetracked =-) I'm watching my recorded Civil War programs (Ken Burns on PBS, a rerun series) This is such a good series and I am engrossed!

So, I got myself into the endo yesterday, Wednesday (my appointment wasn't until Friday,) because I just could NOT take it any longer. I called yet again and figured if I refused to hang up the phone and did not give up they would figure out how to fit me in...and, guess what, they did! Boy, was the endodontist, himself, angry that the receptionists (two different ones) had made me wait when I was in such agony! In a way, that made me happy, but on the other hand, it frustrated me that I had to go through so much so needlessly since he would have had me come in had he known the true extent of what I was going through.

Well, anyway. Here I am. Let me tell you, I never looked forward to a root canal or dental office visit more than I did this one! And I am SO enjoying being able to drink hot tea again! It is a.MAZ.ing to not be in constant pain or dealing with vicodin induced lightheadedness. The endo said I would have residual pain for a few days but, really, I haven't noticed it at all and have not needed any pain meds since I walked out of there yesterday afternoon. I felt good enough, in fact, to go watch DS and the country folk/rock band he plays bass in perform at a restaurant/pub at the beach last night. That was fun! It's one of my favorite things to do =-)

Just wanted to let all my sweet friends and family who have worried about me and sent messages of comfort that I am GREAT now!! Thanks for thinking of me and sending me your love! Love you guys, too!

Maybe soon I will have a photo or two of projects I've been working on...now that would be new and different after all this time =-) My cable cushion is nearing completion; I think I like it...

So, stay tuned. I am not planning on writing any more of these boring, whiny, photoless posts!

xo, D.

Monday, Monday

2011-04-04T12:10:00.002-07:00

So, my tooth hurts a little less today. I think I may make it until Friday... As I told Rian, I would rather have a baby than the pain I had on Friday and Saturday. So, um, you know it hurt. A lot.

Sooooo, anyway. Onward.

The new Magpie Tales prompt is up. I couldn't decide so I posted two. Go on over to the Magpie site and check out the writing. Always something fun there.

Hope your week is spectacular! Go April!!

2011-04-02T12:41:00.001-07:00

Still waiting for a cancellation at the endo. Otherwise, my appointment is for the 8th...better than the 12th...but still not fun to have to wait...

Been reading, knitting dishcloths and cushion covers, and even started some counted cross stitch yesterday (which I haven't done since my 29 year old son was a newborn!) in the hopes of my attention being so focused on the chart that maybe I wouldn't feel the pain...yeah right...we'll see how focused I was after the vicodin wears off.

Keep me away from the tall bridges, people...

What a pain

2011-03-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

Sooo, went to the endo yesterday. We are trying to figure out which tooth is giving me the pain. This entails some excruciating trial and error involving hot liquids and ice =-( We have eliminated anything on the bottom. Now I am home testing the three most likely candidates on the top. Jeezus, I have been through the dental wars in my lifetime. I'm exhausted.

So, what fun things are YOU up to today?

Smile even though you're hurting...or hiding something...

2011-03-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

New Magpie Tales prompt is up...it could get interesting =-) I think mine is a bit predictable but, oh well, I have a toothache...maybe that was her problem, too...but I don't think so... At 1:45 pm, please send good, non-invasive-or-at-least-uncomplicated-dental-procedure thoughts out into the cosmos for me...=-/

Check out all the good writing on the Magpie Tales site. Photo provided by Tess Kinkaid.

2011-03-25T12:28:00.000-07:00

Went for breakfast and a walk around an urban neighborhood the other day after DD's dentist appointment. We went nuts for all the flowers that are out right now...especially the wisteria...gosh, I love wisteria...

We walked by one of my favorite houses... it's pink. Well, now it's being fixed up and probably won't be pink when they are done. I pretend it is being fixed up for me. It is going to be beautiful. I would LOVE to live in this 1886 house. They are few and far between around here, I can tell you that. So, if the lavender house doesn't work out, maybe you can find me in this pink (or whatever color it's gonna be) one...

A quick catch-up...

2011-03-21T16:32:00.004-07:00

New Magpie Tales prompt is up. Do pop in to read what everyone has written in response to the prompt; there is some really good stuff over there:

Photo by Tess Kinkaid

My entry this week was a just a tiny bit dark... But, kinda fun, too...in a dark, kid-brain way... =-) Yeah, so, anyway...

I've been knitting a lot the last week or more. Easy stuff. (Avoiding the 2nd sleeve on my sweater cuz I won't get to wear it this year, anyway, at least not until December probably, and, well, it's BORING!) A cabled cushion like Mia's over at Mia's Landliv... How I love her cushions and her crocheting and knitting...and entire house, actually. I also made a vintage looking pot holder and am in the middle of another dishcloth, both for my new kitchen in NY. I'm going from a pink and green kitchen there to a blue, white, and cream color scheme so I have been making and collecting things =-) Oh, and I might have ordered some most delicious yarn for a project that Lucy at Attic24 has tempted me with. =-) God, her photos and projects are the happiest on the Web, I swear. I credit her for getting me back into crocheting again. I have always crocheted, since my mom taught me when I was 6 years old, but knitting took over once I learned how about 5 or 6 years ago. But after seeing all that yummy stuff at Lucy's I was bitten and got right back into it again!

I've been reading a lot, too. I just finished The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl, who wrote The Dante Club also (which is waiting for me in the stacks.) The style of writing and the story reminded me a lot of Wilkie Collins's The Moonstone and The Lady in White. I enjoyed it a lot after I got into it. It did take me a few chapters to feel that way, though. I started The Dead of Winter by Rennie Airth yesterday...just my kind of book: WWII England, mystery, etc., etc. It is the third of a series but I have not read the previous ones so I hope it doesn't matter. So far I like it.

We had a HARD, windy rain last night, and some today, off and on, as well as some hail, briefly, so it was a good day to sit and read and drink tea, and knit. We probably will not get too much more of this kind of weather here this year. I have enjoyed it so much. And the hills! They are so green! Something we truly appreciate in SoCA...it does not last long so we drink it up while we can.

Happy Spring! Yay!

Magpie Tales 57

2011-03-14T14:20:00.000-07:00

photo by Tess Kinkaid

The new weekly prompt is up along with some fantastic entries on Magpie Tales. You can read my post on my other blog, Pieces.

3 words

2011-03-14T11:02:00.001-07:00

about my birthday surprise: raised garden boxes!

(Pictures to follow soon...)

I guess my ~~blatant begging~~ hints worked =-)

Birthdays are the best!

2011-03-13T10:02:00.001-07:00

First, I've been buying myself tulips

whenever I go to the grocery cuz I love 'em and they are only in season for just so long, and well, I'm worth it.

Anyway. Birthdays... Yesterday DD and I spent a lovely day together at the Art Museum.

Saw the Thomas Gainsborough and the Modern Woman Exhibit,

had a little shop meander and soap, lotion, and candle buying, then a late lunch at a creperie in a hip neighborhood...with crepes and cappuccino for dessert, of course. The day was her sweet gift.

Today is breakfast with DS and DDIL at one of my favorite places for that...not sure what I will have but it will be great, it always is. And, of course, the company will be the treat! I'm looking forward to the love and the laughs. DH is on his way home from out of town but thinks he can catch a cab from the airport and be there for most of the meal. And, people! One of the best gifts of the day: another hour of daylight!!!! Whoopee! Yep, I do love birthdays. Well, except for that number thing...

2011-03-07T15:22:00.002-08:00

I have another blog. I just reactivated it to post a Magpie Tales thingy. Magpie Tales is a cool blog where writers and poets create to a photo prompt. The posts are generally short and so incredible. I am taking a big leap here, so I'm a little first-time-jittery, but I wanted to share. I've always written. I love to write. But I don't often share my writing other than newsy blog posts and emails. Anyway, I thought I'd shake things up and give Magpie Tales a try. It can't hurt...right?? Right??

In other news: we went to the circus yesterday! It was a wild hair. It was cheesy. It was old school. And it was fun! This was not the Ringling version. This was Circus Vargas. Which is what I was after. It was one ring, under a real "big top." And we had a blast. I read Water For Elephants awhile back, quite awhile, actually, and now that it is a big time movie about to be released, I had a hankering. I generally am not a circus-y type. Unless you count the circus that is my life. But I and the fam had a very enjoyable Sunday afternoon. And I wasn't even creeped out by the (one) clown. He was actually pretty funny.

Under the trapeze!

Hope your weekend was fun and that this week is especially nice for you. This marks the countdown to my birthday...and daylight savings time...now THAT is a fantastic present!

It's a sweet day.

2011-01-24T14:21:00.002-08:00

Buckingham Palace, a year ago this week

Happy Birthday to my sweet, sweet girl. What would I do or be without you ? You bring out the best (and sometimes the worst! haha!) in me and you help me to see and know who I am. And, you have a way of getting me to do that damndest things...like driving out into the middle of the most deserted and/or far-flung places I've ever seen to visit hometowns of famous folk singers, or driving scary, winding, edge-hugging roads to obscure desert towns where mama donkeys put their heads in my lap through the car window, or traveling across the world (in winter for crying out loud) to towns so far north they never warm up, or riding roller coasters over and over even when I'm so tired I can hardly walk another step. Btw, thanks for the laryngitis today! Is it time for cupcakes? Cuz I'm ready...

Happy, happy day! I love you!
xoxo, Mommy

In a Lavender House

2011-01-22T23:37:00.002-08:00

As I promised:

The front porch where I would devour books and cookies and drink cups and cups of tea. There's even a porch swing!

The south-facing side porch where I would sit on winter mornings, listening to the birds, and saying hello to the neighbors walking by with their dogs. In summer, I would sit here in the evenings because the front porch faces west and this side of the house would be much cooler then. Iced tea would be in order...blueberry iced-tea, I think...

More of the side porch, the beautiful white chimney, and the greenhouse window over what I imagine would be my kitchen sink. The barely visible low roof to the far right is a lavender single-car garage, built extra long for storage, or maybe studio space. Sometimes in these neighborhoods, garages are a luxury because so many of the lots have been split to add another residence, and the garages have disappeared or been incorporated into the 2nd building (as you can tell by all the vehicles that are parked along the streets.) Not so for my little lavender house; its garage appears to be original to the house. I've thought of everything...

I cannot stop thinking about this darling house. I do believe my blue eyes have gone more than a bit green.

Have a lovely Sunday!

xo, D.

The dead of winter... really?

2011-01-21T19:00:00.000-08:00

We were warned of high winds inland and high surf along the coast yesterday...uh, looks pretty flat to me...

Ok, a little rougher when the waves crest...but still...not what I would call high...and we here have all seen it high...

Pretty, though...

He's tired of the...

...traffic.

Kind of a tight squeeze by the jetty when everyone wants a piece of the wave...

Supposedly all this wind and surf was happening yesterday but I, myself, didn't see any high surf while I was there, and the wind was calm out here in the foothills. I guess it's all gonna "happen" again this weekend and into the beginning of next week. I'll believe it when I see it. But, in the meantime, it was oh-so-nice to feel and smell the ocean air, and I was able to make a much needed stop at the Ocean Beach People's Organic Food Market co-op.

(Both photos from People's website)

It's SO nice when the veggies and everything else are organic and priced so affordably. The cafe is always great to visit, too, for a yummy veggie lunch =-) Ocean, soft air, good company, and veggies = happy Debby.

I'm gonna take pictures of the lavender house tomorrow! =-)

Have a fantastic weekend!

XO, D.

2011-01-18T11:51:00.002-08:00

I'm pretty darned excited! I just got off the phone from talking with my Amazing Cousin with the magical carpentry and building skills and it looks like I am going to be getting, in my NY kitchen that he is remodeling for me, a real live un-chipped-and-in-mint-condition vintage one of these (or similar to this one, anyway...it does have the all-important drain board, which is what I am mainly after.) It's perfect for the age and style of my house. I have been lusting after these for years, and now it looks like all that drooling over magazine and innernet photos has paid off =-) I have one word for this news: WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So... I'm thinkin' I need an airplane ticket...cuz I wanna seeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =-) I mean, I really don't think I can stand it until June...seriously, right?!?!???

Ahhhh, Saturday. And, I just found the most wonderful blogs...

2011-01-15T19:54:00.002-08:00

"All that I desire in my life...first I must uncover it..then I must bring it into my life....and I can, I will, I must." A quote from Suz at Begin Again and A Garden Wench. I just HAD to share! I got lost over at Begin Again for a long time today, just reading Suz's musings and poetry. Sometimes a person's writing just grabs me and holds me, and hers definitely does. Do go over and visit!

Went to my second drawing class today. As I noted in my journal this afternoon: it's HARD. But I know that it's hard because it's worthwhile. My left brain is in a bitter, petulant struggle with my right brain. It is tenacious and not going to give up control easily. But I am determined. The result will be worth the struggle. I have nothing to show as far as photos. We are still in the blind contour and semi-blind contour phase, and just touched on negative space. We did the Face Vase exercise today...again, HARD, especially because the teacher wanted it exACT. But I am pleased to say that I am happy with my efforts. I am better at all this than I would have thought and actually was pleasantly surprised. The only problem is a standard one for me at any kind of workshop or class, whatever the subject: I am SO SLOW, and always the last to finish. But, oh, well, right?!

The best part of drawing class today? I parked across the street from the most gloriously lavender (!) and white Craftsman. I found myself smiling from ear to ear as I walked past. And it's on a corner lot so I got to see a lot more of it than if it weren't. I was looking forward to walking by it, and studying the lace curtained windows and the kitchen window filled with all kinds of crystals, and maybe even getting a peek inside one of those windows or an open door (80 degrees here today) as I walked by, all the way back to my car after class. I will take a picture of it next week if I remember because you ALL need to see a beautiful lavender house. I would SO live in this gem. (I KNOW, huh?!?) And, OH, the flowers I would have in its flowerbeds. And the comfy chairs I would have on its porches. And, OH, the tea I would drink while sitting in those chairs as I read the most engrossing books. Yes. In a lavender house!

Ok, things are looking up...

2011-01-10T22:19:00.001-08:00

The breadmaker came today, the Xmas tree is out the door, the decorations are all packed away, the Xmas cupboard is re-organized, my cleaning lady comes in the morning, and the washer is being delivered tomorrow between 11 and 3.

Now, I'm ready for my ice cream =-)

PS: Gee, I really cannot get into Brad Womack as the Bachelor again; he was not my favorite even when he was on before. I was hoping for a real cutie pie this season... =-/

I'm tryin' to stay positive in the new year, but come ON... =-/

2011-01-06T19:13:00.000-08:00

Wellll, I was going to show you pictures of my new refridge cuz it's really groovy and shiny and clean and purty and I was pretty excited about it...well, as excited as I could be having had to replace the old one the week or two before Christmas...But, oh boy, guess what...NOW I have to replace the washer since it died day before yesterday...with a load of clothes in it, of course...is there any other way to actually KNOW that it died? No, there isn't. I just bought the new one, it will be here Tuesday...so no laundry till then (and probably no groceries for awhile, gee whiz!)...and the excitment of the sort-of-too-expensive fridge has lost its glow, now that I had to spend sort-of-too-much for the washer, too...The dryer still works, and we're keeping it until it doesn't, or at least until I can feel better about buying one to match. All this is not sitting too well with me right now. Especially since, as other NYers can verify, one of the 3 (!!!!!!) yearly tax bills for the NY house came recently.

I tell ya...I think I need some chocolate or something...probably more something than anything...

2011-01-05T12:54:00.003-08:00

Finished and worn already =-) It was simple to make, and is nice and soft and warm and cozy, just what I was after. I used one of the $$$$ wool and silk skeins that I had in the cupboard. I'm going to a snowy place soon for 3 days and I wanted something to go with my black coat and sweaters that was comfy. This is definitely that.

We went to San Diego's opening of the national touring Broadway production of West Side Story last night. It was fun. It was West Side Story: gangs dancing (original Jerome Robbins choreography) and singing and snapping their fingers...always a little cheesy (well, it IS, ...but we know that and love it anyway), always Romeo and Juliet, always poignant...and lots of fun. The dancing and music were great, the subtle additions of authenticity adding layers to the Arthur Laurents story and the Bernstein/Sondheim score. It was a sweet gift from friends to DH and his brother for their birthdays, and we DWs got to come along. To top it all off, for dessert (actually, for beer, not dessert), we went to watch DS and the country/folk band he plays bass in perform at a local pub! Dinner, theatre, and watching DS...a very nice night out.

Happy Wednesday.

xo, D.

10-20-17 - 1-4-05

2011-01-04T12:00:00.000-08:00

I'm still following the map, Mom. This is the hardest day of every year. I love you.

2011, Day 2

2011-01-02T19:10:00.002-08:00

It's raining again. I don't care. I've been puttering around this weekend, mostly reading, doing a little knitting, a little crochet (pics of that in a couple of days). And I've been busy on the innernets =-) Spending a gift card and spending a little on myself. With the gift card I'm getting this:

And I bought myself one of these (cuz my old one just doesn't do it any more, and I neeeeeeeeed that smell, especially if it's going to rain):

So. Now. That's done. Back to my book. And tea. And next week, BREAD.

2011-01-01T00:00:00.001-08:00

Let's get this party started!! Happy New Year, everyone!! xoxo

About time.

2010-12-30T17:27:00.002-08:00

I signed up and paid for a good drawing class today. Been meaning to do this for a long time. You know: it's one of those things that kept getting shoved to the back of the line. So. Time to get the pads of paper, the charcoals, and the sketchbook out. Well, next week it will be. It's either a good ending to this year or a good start to next; you can look at it from both sides, depending on the date you're lookin'. Check that one off my list. =-)

Ok, going to the movies now. True Grit. I'll say hi to the cowboys for ya. Next, I want to see Colin Firth in The King's Speech. I love Colin Firth. Always. As I told DH today, anyone else who has played or should happen to play Mr. Darcy was/is/will be merely a pretender. He IS Mr. Darcy. Definitively, and forever. Period. =-)

XO, D.
Edited to add: I really LOVED True Grit! Jeff Bridges is brilliant as Rooster Cogburn, Matt Damon brings a little class and, well, Matt Damon-ness (love him), and Hailee Steinfeld as Maddie was perfect casting; she is SO good. In all of the roughness and gore there was a quirky sense of chivalry and honor...the code of the west kind of thing, and even hilarity. Yes, the movie is violent and a little difficult to watch in some parts, but, come on: Coen Brothers, the reality of the wild west (it wasn't really nice and pretty and tied up with a bow like the westerns of our childhood, ya know)...you pretty much know what you are in for. But worth the ticket and time. I'd pay to watch it again.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

2010-12-26T16:47:00.000-08:00

...the long sigh of relief that today was.

No after Christmas sales for me today. The relaxing and staying at home and out of the fray was worth more than any amount of $$ saved at any clearance sale...

Hope you enjoy this "between" week...I love the time between Christmas and the new year.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T00:06:00.002-08:00

I am writing this as Christmas Eve passes into Christmas Day. I just took a short walk around the yard, to smell and feel the winter air, and check out the moon and the stars. It is a glorious clear, crisp night, and the stars are twinkling like crazy. Perfect.

Here is a Christmas card for you all, (almost) just like the ones I sent to all my friends and family this year. Sorry, I can't put glitter on yours =-) I am wishing you a very Merry Christmas and all the blessings of the season and new year. Peace on Earth.

Advent: December 24

2010-12-24T03:00:00.032-08:00

My first and my favorite, probably from about 1959 when I was 5. This one started it all. I've shared it before...when I used it in my Christmas card photo a couple of years ago. It lives in the fire evacuation box the rest of the year because it is that precious to me, in spite of its battered state and loss of glitter. It's a lot like me in that respect, I guess...

Wishing you a beautiful Christmas Eve. May all your shopping be done, your presents wrapped, and your loved ones near. Peace.

Advent: December 23

2010-12-23T05:00:00.028-08:00

This little wooden set is the first one I ever bought for myself, way back in the 70s. I loved the simplicity of it. Still do; it's one of my favorites.

Ok, not to beat a dead horse, but, people: RAIN! What in the world has been going on here? Sadly, and inconveniently for a lot of people (but not me, ha!) two of the main shopping centers in San Diego were mostly inaccessible yesterday due to flooding. Well, we have to be honest here. They are smack dab in the middle of the freakin' San Diego Riverbed...helloooooo...whatevs...I still feel bad for the people who had to deal with it with only a couple of shopping days until Christmas remaining. I worked at Broadway department store in one of those centers when I was in college...back when there were only a row of stores on each side along the lone arm of the mall...back before the parking structures or a need for them were even conceived of. At Christmas time we were told to park back by the River on the edges of the parking lot to leave spaces for customers. I never did...it was dark, and it was creepy,...and when it rained, well a boat would have been nice. Even with the parking structures they have now and the flood channel work that has been done in "the Valley," it still floods...because it.is.a.RIVERbed!!! As I have said before, we are weird in California. Just because it hasn't rained in a jillion years doesn't mean it won't at some point (obviously), shopping centers, hotels, restaurants, freeways or not.

I finished my shopping yesterday, at another mall, miles east of and higher in elevation than the flooded ones. And I got all my groceries for the holidays, too. Except for the green beans...not a green bean to be had at my market...great planning, that. Someone probably got in trouble. The cashiers were tired of hearing about it, from what I could hear while waiting in line! So I'll go back today or very early tomorrow...I really had hoped to avoid the market or any stores any later than yesterday. Ah, well...

Today's agenda: WRAPWRAPWRAPWRAPWRAPWRAPWRAPWRAPWRAPWRAP, DRINK TEA.

Advent: December 22

2010-12-22T05:00:00.002-08:00

Um, still raining...Miserable to drive in it; the roads here are not made for weather. I got off the freeway when I felt my car start to hydroplane. Surface streets for the rest of the day. I have never seen so much water on the road, ever. Weird.

This was my mom's tiny nativity set. She was tiny, herself, and she loved miniature things. This is a sweet group, and I like seeing them there on the mantle with Mom's pearl rope and the figurine just barely visible to the right that she bought me years ago at an antique shop.

Advent: December 21

2010-12-21T05:00:00.002-08:00

This little set came all the way from Australia, from our exchange student, Monica, and her family, the Christmas after she had stayed with us. That was in 2000, I think. She has since married and, just last year, had a darling baby girl. We still keep in touch and would one day love to go visit her and her large family in Australia. So, anyway, this set is really cute. The ceramic figures all have this glorious curly hair and fantastic detail in their clothes and "accessories." The facial expressions, even on the animals, are great. And I really like the backdrop.

Last night we went to House of Blues downtown and watched DS play bass in the band he performs with, and also saw 3 other groups. They were all very good. At first, I didn't really want to go...only because it was a dark, blustery, rainy, cold night that screamed the word COZY at me...but I went anyway because watching him play is one of my very favorite things in the whole world to do...and it was really fun! I always enjoy myself so much at his shows. His friends and band mates are so sweet and friendly to us and always seem genuinely happy to see us. So, I'm very glad I went. I did so need to get out of this house...

Oh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Refrigerator arrived yesterday around 2 pm. IT.IS.AWE.SOME!!!!!!! And we have ICE!!!!! Simple pleasures, right?

Did anyone get to see any of the eclipse or the meteors?? The last time this happened, a lunar eclipse and the winter solstice coinciding, was in 1638. Yikes! From AOL news:

"Geoff Chester of the U.S. Naval Observatory inspected a list of eclipses going back 2000 years for NASA.

'Since Year 1, I can only find one previous instance of an eclipse matching the same calendar date as the solstice, and that is 1638 DEC 21, Chester said, according to NASA. 'Fortunately we won't have to wait 372 years for the next one ... that will be on 2094 DEC 21.'"

Cool, huh? Unfortunately, here in SoCA we are having the aforementioned weather so there was no eclipse or meteor shower watching for us...darn it...

Well, shopping with DS today...that will be fun =-)

Enjoy your Tuesday, peeps.

XO, D.

Advent: December 20

2010-12-20T02:18:00.001-08:00

Ever since I was a very little girl I have loved nativity sets. The small ones, the ones with tiny details, or not. The ones that speak to me, personally. I love that there are hardly ever any two exactly the same. Someone (who? I don't remember) gave me one when I was probably about 5 years old, and that started the love. I still have it. I'll show it to you in a few days. I have collected several over the years, and it is one of my favorite things about getting into the Christmas bins every year: I love getting the sets out, unwrapping them, taking in all their details again, and deciding where they each will stay for the season. This little set I picked up in Cabo San Lucas a few years ago. The figures are clay and so brightly painted, the faces so sweet. The day of the photo appears to have been pretty sunny, sorry for the glare, but it's the only picture I have of this one.

The play last night was fantastic! I am so glad I pushed on us going. So was everyone else.

More rain in our forecast. It's just as well, I have things to do in the house that really need doing, and soon! And I am stuck here for a 4 hour window today anyway. We bought the new fridge yesterday. And the salesman was kind enough to find a way for it to be on today's delivery truck, cuz my other one is crapping out in a major way. So now I can buy food for Christmas dinner a few days ahead of time instead of a few hours ahead like I thought I was going to have to do. But, good lord, what a lot of money for such a thing. Ah well, it was time. It is the first of the stainless appliances that will eventually all live in my kitchen. And, people: there is an ice maker! Miracle of miracles, we will have ice and filtered ice water like other modern people. Finally.

Everyone, have a great week!

Advent: December 19

2010-12-19T01:49:00.002-08:00

I made this angel over 30 years ago from a pattern I got from my first quilt making teacher. She (the angel, not the teacher!) has been lifted to her lofty perch every year since, and since around 1984, one kid or the other has been lifted along with her to do the honors of placement, with photos to document so that each one got their turn when it was "their" year. My mom got the pattern, too, since we learned to quilt together with that teacher, but I don't remember her ever making one. If you've been quilting or sewing long (really long) you probably recognize the holly calico in the dress. I bought it at House of Fabrics where I worked during my first year of marriage...which was a longggggg time ago! That's a lot of Christmases. (Yes, even then, I had a stash...quite a stash, actually...)

Tonight, DH, DD, DS, DDIL, and I are all going to a Christmas play. I'm really looking forward to it; it will be a lot of fun. Especially because we will all be together, and because this theater is a tiny one, so it feels like being right in the middle of the action. I do love going to plays.

I hope everyone is able to slow down now and then, and to take time to savor some of the sweetness of the season. Cheers!

Advent: December 18

2010-12-18T09:04:00.001-08:00

Kitties are so helpful.

Other news: It's raining! It's very cozy here. I love it. I got my mailing done yesterday. Well, except for the cards...which I still have to make...but I like doing that...mostly. Today: Cards! And finishing some presents, wrapping, drinking tea... I do think I might go out and stand in the rain for a few minutes, too. Californians--we're goofy like that.

Advent: December 17

2010-12-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness for Priority mail!!

Advent: December 16

2010-12-16T08:07:00.000-08:00

Advent: December 15

2010-12-15T07:42:00.001-08:00

Another of my mom's bears, and you can see just the top of one of her tiny x-stitched stocking ornaments hanging on the breakfront. I use so many of her Christmas decorations, though I have not ever really plumbed the depths of her bins stowed in the garage after I brought them home. My sister reminded me of one piece we always loved that I had completely forgotten about, so this week I will see if it is out there; it should be, where else would it be. It's such a bittersweet season for me. Mom always enjoyed it so much, and everything about it reminds me of her. I miss her incredibly; I will never not.

Advent: December 14

2010-12-14T08:31:00.002-08:00

Hope everyone is staying calm, focused, and enjoying the season, ahead of the game, so to speak. I'd like to stay and chat but I have to go clean...cuz...well...the cleaning lady's coming...

Advent: December 13

2010-12-13T01:06:00.000-08:00

I love almost anything that sparkles...

Advent: December 12

2010-12-12T08:26:00.001-08:00

The best Secret Santa gift I have ever received...and I still don't know who gave them to me after all these years...

Advent: December 11

2010-12-11T00:14:00.003-08:00

More in the powder room...I do love my shells. And I love that vintage canning jar. The brand name on it is "Queen." I had to have it cuz, well, I am Queen.

Advent: December 10

2010-12-10T09:01:00.000-08:00

Advent: December 9

2010-12-09T09:31:00.001-08:00

Not our house (though ours has had lights up since Thanksgiving--a first for us to be so early.) It's one from the part of town where every single house for blocks and blocks have lights and extensive displays, and everyone else from all over the county drives through with their car lights off and windows down to enjoy them. It's pretty cool. Some places have hot cocoa, others have fire pits on their driveways and sit around with friends and family enjoying the lights with the drivers-by, Christmas music blaring, kids amped up with excitement. Fun, fun!

Advent: December 8

2010-12-08T09:08:00.001-08:00

The bead poinsettia and the pearl rope were both made by my mom years and years ago

Advent: December 7

2010-12-07T08:03:00.000-08:00

The gang's all here

Advent: December 6

2010-12-06T08:58:00.000-08:00

Even in the powder room...

Advent: December 5

2010-12-05T08:47:00.000-08:00

I really like the white poinsettias these days.

Advent: December 4

2010-12-04T00:03:00.000-08:00

This sweet little drummer boy used to belong to my son...who was a sweet drummer boy, himself...and he also has red hair like the figurine. Of course I wanted it when he was going to get rid of it!

Happy 29th birthday to you today, sweetheart. You're still my favorite drummer boy, though now you pound the bass and strum the guitar instead. I love you with all my heart.

Advent:: December 3

2010-12-03T09:17:00.000-08:00

Advent: December 2

2010-12-02T09:08:00.000-08:00

Welcome! I just poured a cup of tea...come on in.

Advent: December 1

2010-12-01T08:56:00.001-08:00

Some pretties

2010-10-19T14:04:00.000-07:00

Rain coming down, tea, cake, book, comfy chair, hassock...need I say more?

I really needed this...

2010-10-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

My sweet girl.

It was a great day, and my favorite kind of beach weather.

Lovely, just so very lovely...

2010-09-29T12:09:00.001-07:00

The sunrise yesterday was amazing...

...and changed so quickly as I watched...

...beautiful!

2010-09-28T08:52:00.000-07:00

- Tuesday
  86° / 63°
- Wednesday
  83° / 61°
- Thursday
  81° / 61°
- Friday
  80° / 62°
  
  We can only hope... Of course they put that little cloud icon up if there is even a 10% chance of rain... but at least it's a whisper of hope. I will say this: it is cloudy out right now and only 80 degrees, which it has been since at least 6:15 am when I got up this morning. I love Rian's new name for our state: Hotfornia...that it is, all right...

Ok, enough is enough...

2010-09-27T12:47:00.002-07:00

112°F

Current: Sunny
Wind: SE at 10 mph

3rd day in a row vegging...I'm on my third book...this is getting ridiculous...if you don't hear from me after this I've probably finally melted completely...

uhhhh...???

2010-09-26T17:21:00.002-07:00

Currently

102.4 °F

...this is AUTUMN?? Remind me again why I came home early...cuz I sure as hell can't figure it out...=-/ It is currently almost 5:30 in the evening and it's still this hot...the temp was reading 106 earlier today...my God...what was I thinking...ok, I wasn't...sigh... I'm going back to my book now...sorry, I just had to vent a little...

I come here for the soul food.

2010-07-28T19:14:00.001-07:00

2010-07-24T17:19:00.005-07:00

In NY:

We went to the local fair recently (my 2nd fair this summer!) in the next village over from ours. This particular fair is over 120 years old...my mom used to go to it when she was a kid growing up here. She'd be pleased that we went. I have always wanted to go but just never did...don't know why, really... Well, now I'm able to check that off my list. What fun it was! It was a very small version of the huge county fair I went to in SD earlier, and in a very different, very rural area with lovely farms and tiny villages all around...just like the village I live in when I am here. Mostly we looked at the animals...my favorite...well, I like baked goods, too...heh...but this time it was animals all the way...

This guy realllly wanted me...or maybe it was the paper I had in my hand or maybe my purse looked especially yummy. He had a rather disconcerting look about him and he was almost as tall as me when he stood up on his hind legs and tried to get over the side of the pen. I took his picture quickly and moved on.

This mom had her hands full, let me tell you...

These guys were actually butting heads...hilarious! They were so tiny they were able to walk in between the slats in the pen and so were wandering all over the goat tent. Goats crack me up, they are SO assertive...

This guy not only had a blue ribbon, he also had a huge trophy. He was spectacular!

To cute and too tiny for words...=-)

Ditto! OMG!

Nosy

Tuckered out...finally...

And here was a very cute human sorta-baby:

This little guy had just won a blue ribbon with his calf...so sweet...both of 'em...look at those faces!

All that, and we were home before noon. That is my kind of activity...short, sweet, and outta the heat... before it gets a chance to do me in!

Have a great Sunday, everyone!

PS: JenClair, my new header is for YOU!

2010-06-29T01:52:00.001-07:00

Well, guess where the 5 of us went on Sunday?? We all had such a good time!

This guy was GREAT! ..."Sweet Home Alabama..." lalala...

Gee, pretty much what all of East County has in their yards...We don't have eggs or a tractor, though...but quite a few people around here do...

Mmmmmm! And a skyride!

I had a few goals of things I "had" to see: a jar of pickles, a jar of jam, and a pie. Well, I got two out of three. I saw no pie, but we did happen upon the home arts building just after cheesecake judging and scored ourselves a big piece of the blue ribbon winner! It was a delicious and very rich lemon cheesecake made by a most enthusiastic expert =-)

Everywhere we looked there were people up in the sky...on the Skyride, on the Bungee Jump, swinging around in seats hanging by chains from that pole you can barely see in front of the Ferris Wheel, on the Ferris Wheel, and on one of those awful sling shot "rides" just to name a few... I, personally, keep my feet planted on the ground unless I'm on a plane or a ship...

Oh! And we watched a bit of the finals in the Roller Derby match, a first for all of us! And it was fun!

And finally:

I did not partake...after all, I was on my way to the funnel cake stand...otherwise...well, except for that whole vegetarian thing...

Friday Finish

2010-05-07T10:18:00.004-07:00

I actually finished this on Wednesday but saved it until today cuz I haven't posted a Friday finish in at least a couple of weeks. This is a child's vest, knit for the Afghans for Afghans project. The current campaign items are due May 14 so I am happy I was able to get it done and in the mail on time. I am not a fan of this pattern, which was one of theirs on the site. It's cute and wasn't hard but the way rows are knit makes the rolling inherent in stockinette oh so much more of a pain. If it ever gets washed it is going to roll right back up, I think, and that upsets me since it's going to someone who probably has limited facilities for laundry and reblocking. Live and learn, I guess...Now I am looking for a more local project, at least in the US, to knit squares for...far easier and I think I will get rid of a lot more extra yarn doing that.

Today we went for our walk around the Lake, as usual. What a glorious, beautiful day...in spite of the dog poop I stepped in on my way back to the car. WhattheHELL...people! Clean up after your dog!! And, of course, I have brand new walking shoes with lots of nooks and crannies on the soles...>=-( Ah, well, the day far outshines my irritation. The little geese in my header are one of the new families along the path. There are so many babies hatching right now...fun, fun! I try to remember to bring a camera now and then...which also affords periodic rest sto...I mean...photo opps...=-)

Have a lovely weekend everyone!
xo, D.

Finally! =-)

2010-04-24T23:04:00.003-07:00

She's home! =-) After being awake for more than 24 hours and traveling around the globe to get here, one of the first things DD wanted to do when she got into town was to have Mexican Food!!! Of course! It's what we all crave when we travel someplace far from here for any length of time. So, naturally, we all headed straight to the Old Town Mexican Cafe, which is conveniently located on the way home from the airport. A margarita and chimichanga later, she was ready to head home, see her kitty and our beagle girl, and go to sleep. Tomorrow morning it's a family holiday breakfast because she missed it on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, and was pleased when I suggested it the other day. Nothing fancy, just a family tradition for most big holidays.

So! It's been both a long 6 months and 6 months that in some ways just flew by. I can't believe it is already over...and I felt like it would never end...weird, huh? I think we've both grown from the experience. And now, finally, I can sleep without wondering where/how one of my kids is...for now, anyway...and that makes me a happy mom, indeed. =-)

Have a great Sunday everyone!
xo, Debby

WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO Part II

2010-04-24T14:09:00.001-07:00

Estimated time of arrival: 7:10 PDT!!! Happy dance, happy dance!!!! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! =-)

Note: she said despite the airline's pleas for non-essential trips to be postponed so that stranded passengers could use the seats to get home, there were many empty seats on the plane flying out of London...weird...I guess it was more a case of them trying to get back to the UK rather than US flyers trying to fly home...

Tomorrow! Tomorrow! TraLaLa...

2010-04-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

...Fingers crossed! =-)

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-04-21T13:47:00.002-07:00

"UK skies reopen for flights as ash risk is downgraded

All UK airports finally reopened last night after the country’s aviation safety body downgraded the risk posed by the ash cloud that has brought travel chaos to Europe.

Passenger flights and offshore helicopters made a welcome return to the skies over Scotland and northern England yesterday as some restrictions were eased.

Hopes that UK flights would return to normal appeared to have been dashed by a second wave of dust from the volcano in Iceland that has kept many of the country’s airports shut.

However, at 10pm, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) gave the all-clear for Britain to get moving again following days of testing the effects of the ash on airliner engines."

Well, that sucks...=-(

2010-04-20T11:20:00.007-07:00

DD has been in Scotland for 6 months. Guess when she is ticketed to come home??? Saturday...=-/ All we can do is wait and see and hope for the best and a shift in the wind patterns. I mean, really, what were the chances of a freakin' volcano erupting...sheesh...

Edited to add: From my NY Times email: "The Civil Aviation Authority has approved the opening of UK airspace from 22:00 today," or 5 p.m. New York time, said a statement from Heathrow Airport. Read More: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/21/world/europe/21europe.html?emc=na

Sooooo, a plane or planes have landed at Heathrow this evening...it's a start...I'm keeping my fingers crossed!!!

A Wow! Friday Finish...

2010-04-16T11:08:00.006-07:00

Well, ok, it's a WOW finish for me, anyway =-)

I have been digging myself out of the black hole of my sewing/throw-everything-in-there-when-company-or-a-holiday-comes room for a while now, but it has been a seemingly insurmountable task. However, and this is HUGE, this week I have been able to organize and PUT AWAY all my yarn and (general, not quilting) sewing/knitting/crocheting books and pamphlets into ONE cabinet! I made the decision that if the yarn didn't all fit into that cupboard then I had too much and some of it had to go. I mean, really, no one needs more yarn than will fit in there!! And it does, with a full shelf above it that holds art supplies. And I can walk in the room--there is floor!!!--and I even sat down in the MIDDLE of it yesterday to go through a bin of fabric. I was also able to bring in the bins of quilting fabric I put in the garage LAST April when company came and needed the guestroom closet. That was where the bins used to be when that was the sewing room...they just never got moved over to the current room. There is room for them in the closet in the current sewing room now because I have been weeding out and consolidating...a LOT. All this organizing gives me such a good feeling! I didn't know if I would be able to fit all the yarn and stuff into that cabinet so the fact that I haven't gone so far over the knitting deep end that I can is wonderful and I feel so much more in control of myself, at least in the yarn department, if nowhere else =-)

So, here is my Friday Finish for this week. My dad made the cabinet for my mom as a hutch for their kitchen a few years before he died. I brought it home when we cleaned out my mom's house, not knowing what I would use it for but knowing I had to keep it because every time I look at it I can see my dad out in their garage working on it, and it really is a nice cabinet, and, well, it's hand made...I had to keep it...it makes me smile... Now, instead of being a catch-all, it is a working part of my creative life and I love that I can feel my dad there with me...love it... Notice my mom's paper lace shelf edging...sweet and yellowed with age, but I just can't take it off...She's there with me, too...always...

There were some other things I was going to work on this week for my finishing projects...things that only needed a button or a seam or just a tweak, but this yarn cupboard organization took over and, really, is as good a finish for me as any of them could have been. So, next week maybe they will get thier pictures taken...Or, if I keep on keepin' on, there may be pictures of other areas in the sewing room...I do intend to keep this up, this is only one small area...I really need my room back and a place where I can do the things I love to do. It's time...far past time, actually...for that space to become my studio again and not the junk room...I mean, seriously!

Have a great weekend, kids!
xo, D.

Mama has a brand new...

2010-04-15T13:39:00.003-07:00

...Moosewood! I am salivating! I finally fully committed to vegetarianism in January or February of 2009, but had been "almost veggie" for several years before that... I can't believe I haven't gotten around to actually buying and owning this book until this week. I always intended to, I just never bought it. Wow, am I going to be making some new and delicious meals now! I'm tired of my same old recipes, though they are good ones, I'm just ready for something new...and, I can't wait to get started on these!

O.W.W.

2010-04-14T00:10:00.000-07:00

Poppy

Friday Finish x 3

2010-04-09T20:29:00.002-07:00

Wow, 3 finished things this week =-)

First up, my very first knit sock ever! I finished this on Tuesday. Yes, I've started the other one now, too... I finally bit the bullet and decided to make a pair of socks...people have been asking me why I didn't or have been telling me that I should...so I did...even though that kind of thing usually makes me resist with all my might...I'm a brat... It wasn't hard at all; in fact, I found it fascinating to see how it all came together. I used the two circular needle method, and Patons Kroy Socks FX 75 % wool, 15% nylon yarn. I'm not too sure that I will go into the sock-making business but it was kinda fun. Um, yes, I have a "few" skeins of yarn for more...you knew I would have...and Mary Ann, I still have the pretty yarn and needles you sent me...I think it will make such a nice pair of socks...now that I know what I'm doing =-)

2nd finish, a little sweater which I actually finished knitting in NY last October. All it needed was the buttons. Serendipitously, Laurie over at Crazy Aunt Purl had a little tutorial today about sewing buttons on baby clothes in a virtually permanent manner. And, actually, it was Laurie who posted a sweater that inspired me to make this little "5 Hour Sweater" ...yeah right...5 hours...ha...whatever...NOT 5 hours...not hard, either...but definitely not 5 hours...not for me... I liked the colors of this yarn, and it was really soft...but it was acrylic and actually too soft for anything that one would want to have any kind of shape to...but I tend to make baby things in acrylic because of the washability and the price...since babies do nasty things to their clothes, grow out of them in five minutes, and moms like things that are easy to wash. I would never use this yarn again for clothing, but it might be ok for a little blanket since it is so soft...the pilling that I can see happening right away probably wouldn't matter so much on a blankie.

And last, but not least, I finished a bag that I started probably 2 or 3 years ago. I had knit the body and the straps already and felted them; all I needed to do was to sew them together. And I wanted to add a lining. So that is what I did today after putting the buttons on the baby sweater. The yarn is a discontinued (of course) Berroco Medley. I had seen a bag sample in a shop made of it, though, and really loved the way it felted with all the nubs and multi colors, so I hunted some down on eBay...I ended up having to buy 10 skeins...so I have a LOT left...I think I will make some scarves for gifts or maybe a t-sirt style sweater/top or something with the leftovers. The lining of the bag has a large zippered pocket on one side and a divided "compartment" pocket on the other for my phone, camera, and pen, since it's what I call a "dump" bag and everything I throw into it will be jumbled up on the bottom. At least with the compartments for those three things I will at least know where they are when I need them, even if everything else is all mixed up on the bottom. I also am so happy that I made the lining in a light blue color so I can actually see what is in my bag. I think it should be illegal to make a lining in a bag/purse you make or buy out of black or dark fabric! haha! The buttons on the ends of the straps are all different from each other and are vintage carved wooden ones from my jars. I'm not sure about the dark colors of them on the light blue but in person the bag is very arty, nubby, sorta hippy-groovy colorful, so the dark buttons are probably just fine...I do tend to over-think things...you may have noticed...

This photo does not do justice to the nubbiness and colors of this yarn...it is very groovy and very textured...I think the bright colors are whatever synthetic is in the yarn, so those parts didn't felt, which makes for a really cool effect. I do SO love this yarn =-)

So. This finishing things every week so that I have something to post on Friday (or Saturday) is, so far, a really good thing. I've been able to get some things off my guilt list that have been hanging around and that feels great!

Have a lovely weekend, everyone. I hope they are beautiful Spring days for you!

xo, D.

One Word Wednesday

2010-04-07T00:35:00.004-07:00

Watching

Just hopping by...

2010-04-04T17:36:00.006-07:00

...along with two of the bajillion bunnies who live in or visit my yard, to say I hope you had a lovely Easter!

And I also wanted to update anyone who was worried or wondering: Yes, we did have an earthquake here, measuring somewhere around 7.0-7.2 or so, centered east of Tijuana, Mexico. Yes, we really felt it...a lot! And, yes, we are FINE! We saw no damage, everything is still on the shelves here, and no cupboards flew open =-) We did hear from a young man who had stopped by our company offices that file drawers were flying open and the building really shook and swayed but no damage. I know there was a lot of damage in some of the towns in Mexico, but we were very lucky here. I was sitting on a huge granite rock out in front of my MIL's house at the time of the quake, out in the sun, talking to DD in Scotland on the phone...At first I thought, hmmm, was that an earthquake? And then very shortly thereafter I was saying, "WOW! Yes, this certainly is an earthquake!" It lasted about a minute, the rock really shook, the windows bowed in and out on MIL's house, and the roof tiles made a fierce creaking sound. Then it was over. The aftershocks had a sharper, quicker feel. I read this on the NY Times news alert in my in-box this afternoon:

At least five possible aftershocks were reported, including a 4.5-magnitude quake 62 miles east of Tijuana, reported at 4:09 p.m., and a 5.1-magnitude quake near Imperial, Calif., at 4:15 p.m. A 3.8-magnitude quake was also reported 12 miles northwest of Jacumba Hot Springs, Calif. at 4:19 p.m. A 3.6-magnitude quake was reported 7 miles northeast of Julian, Calif., at 4:22 p.m.. A 4.3-magnitude quake was reported 15 miles west-southwest of Calixico, Calif., at 4:34 p.m., and a 4.7-magnitude quake was reported 14 miles south-southwest of Mexicali, Baja California in Mexico, at 4:37 p.m.

The ground rumbled off and on for awhile...it is disconcerting while it's happening, to say the least, and makes you on edge for a bit, jumpy at every noise or hint at another after-shock.

Needless to say, I quickly called DS to make sure he and DDIL were ok and then I called family in NY to let them know everything was fine because the news stations were going berserk with reports. It is so frightening for them to hear the sensationalized words: "Massive earthquake in So. California" on the news when they have family here and live in a place that doesn't have earthquakes...Quakes, in general, really don't phase us much here, though...yes, we notice them, usually, but they are few and far between and are nothing that I ever worry about or even think about very often. Now, fire...that is another story altogether...=-/

Anway, Happy Easter and Happy Spring!

xzo, D.

Fifteen Minute Friday Finish...

2010-04-03T14:18:00.005-07:00

I bought this foot stool at least 3 years ago at Ross. The same day, I bought fringe and trim to put on it. Ok, you know what happened with that... Soooo, for my Friday Finish I decided it was time...time to dress that plain Jane foot stool up, even though it had lived happily in the pretty room all this time in its naked state. Easy-peasy. Glue gun, scissors, fringe, trim..Voila! What in the world had I been waiting for, hmmm???

Have a lovely Easter tomorrow everyone!

xo, D.

One Word Wednesday

2010-03-31T10:17:00.000-07:00

Delicious!

Friday Finish...on Saturday...

2010-03-27T12:11:00.005-07:00

I got delayed yesterday in the Friday Finish...but after 2 years, what's one more day...

This is a tiny piece, 12"x12", that was made for a challenge I'm sure some of you remember...it was the 12x12x12 Challenge...12 quilts in 12 months measuring 12 inches on a side. I never did produce much for that challenge but had such fun ideas...ah well...anyway, my theme was actually 12x12x4...12" on a side, 4 months of partcipation, and I called it 4 Artists and Me... um...I did 2 artists...Paul Klee and this one, Vincent Van Gogh. This is called "Starry Sunflowers" and is an interpretation of "Starry Night" and "Sunflowers"...um...really? It was a lot of fun but I must have gone off on a trip or something and never got back to it. All it needed was the bead trim on the bottom and then I got a wild hair yesterday and put the silver triangles and trees on it, too. I took it with me when I went to see Rian at BGM...but it wasn't finished and, anyway, I was a little intimidated after seeing her INCREDIBLE work hanging in her house, so I quickly showed it and stowed it...(You probably don't remember, Rian, it was that quick! hahaha!) Plus, we were focused on my Jane Stickle top that day, also. Anyway, here it is:

The star/sunflower had another life; it was a block that I rescued from another project from another challenge for a group on the old Compuserve quilt forum. We were given a word as a prompt and a piece of fabric which we had to use in our interpretation. The fabric was the yellow one with the numbers on it and the word was "positivity." So I, of course, had to make a sunflower block because they always make me smile and smiling is happy and positive, etc., etc., etc. Yeah, anyway... I made a sickly sweet, happy sunflower, and appliqued a very sweet, very happy bee on the back ground, and just could not bring myself to do anything more with the silly, sweet, upbeat, thing...Actually, I had achieved my goal of making a sunflower block that laid flat (I did it by hand, the only way to make a circular block lay flat, at least for me) and that is really all I was after. So, all these many years later, when we had our 12x12 challenge and I wanted to do a Vincent piece, I thought of that block and decided to cut it up and use it...yes, I cut up a handpieced block...it was ok, it really was...very freeing...And I machine appliqued the star and the leaf to my background, as well as the spirals and some other diamonds I had that I liked for the trees on the left, and went hog wild machine quilting spirals and circles and sewing on beads...very freeing, indeed...I loved the process of taking a very traditional, hand pieced block, cutting it up, raw-edge machine appliqueing it and a bunch of shapes onto a hand dyed and wildly printed fabric base and then covering it with beads and free form quilting...ahhh, the juxtaposition of eras and methods (hahahaha! Actually, just plain fun is what it was!)... Bonus question: can you find Mars in the starry, starry sky?

The back:

The base fabric of the back I found in my mother's stash. She had made a tablecloth for her little patio table with it years ago and it really was so typical of her. I liked the flowers and it makes me think of her. The spirals were rejected ones for the front...I am so into spirals in my life, I couldn't not use them even though they didn't go well on the front. The label with the original inspiration paintings was transferred with Bubble Jet, though the Sunflower painting got a little washed out in the rinse even though I used Bubble Jet Set, too.

Oh, here is the original incarnation of the star/sunflower...you see what I mean...too sweet and contrived...ahh, how our tastes change...I still like that bee...his wings were made from a lace print and I drew the lines on his body with pigma pen...I saved him, maybe I'll use him for something else...or not...

Happy weekend, everyone!

One Word Wednesday

2010-03-24T09:52:00.001-07:00

Mackintosh!

Happy Spring!!

2010-03-20T12:05:00.002-07:00

..I told you it was coming...=-) Enjoy!

Friday Finish

2010-03-19T19:42:00.002-07:00

An easy finish or two today. Just had to do a few rows on the dishcloth and hide the ends on "George's" scarf. The dishcloth is out of a groovy Sugar'n Cream Twists. I had never seen the red/blue/yellow colorway before...and I bought enough for several since I like to tuck them into gifts as a little something extra. The pattern is a waffle stitch that several people in blogland have been knitting recently.

Here is "George," the Pacific Island-ish tiki and scarf model, who lives in one of the planters out by the pool.

George is an old friend. In another life he resided at my parents' house. My sister brought him to them from Mexico one year back in the early 1960s. He always sat in the entry of the house (inside the house...why?) while I was growing up, and we sometimes used him jokingly as a hat rack...he looked great in my crocheted tams and straw sun hats, as well as my dad's bucket hats and baseball caps! Halloween and Christmas always found him in appropriate holiday attire. I thought he might like to model my Baktus scarf for you since he is such a stylish guy. This was a fun and easy knit. The idea is to take your yarn, weigh it, knit half of it, increasing every 4th row, then when you reach the halfway point of your yarn, start decreasing at every 4th row until you are done and, hopefully, the yarn is all or mostly gone. It is a great stash buster and never comes out the same twice because if you are truly using leftover yarn you probably never start out with the same amount or type. It is what I was knitting in the post where I got the big idea to do that orange everyday thing. I used a Misti Alpaca Peruvian Pima cotton and silk and, admittedly, it was not leftover yarn; I didn't buy it specifically for the project but I did buy it last Fall with the intention of making a scarf of some kind (though, now it is too warm to wear a scarf of any yarn...but next Fall it'll be great!) I took it with me to Europe to work on while traveling because it was so easy and I didn't have to think hardly at all while knitting. Unfortunately, I lost a pair of Addi Turbo circulars to the security officer at the Norwich, England airport...grrrrr...The first pair of needles I have ever had confiscated in all the many years I have been bringing them with me on the plane...lesson learned: bring wooden needles...just in case...which I did the next time...

Have a great weekend everyone!

2010-03-18T08:34:00.005-07:00

Look out birdies--Mama's got a brand new lens...

One Word Wednesday

2010-03-17T10:42:00.000-07:00

Green

2010-03-15T11:11:00.004-07:00

Thank you everyone for all the lovely birthday wishes! I had such a nice day with DS and DDIL. I did take a quick stroll through an antique mall after tea but I have SO much stuff packed into this house that I am a lot more restrained these days, unless I'm after something specific. I do like to use my pretty things instead of stashing them away or keeping them just for show, and a person can only use just so many things at a time, so I buy very little any more...BUT...I did notice a thing or two or four found their way into my shopping bag...=-) I am a sucker for beautiful rose dishes (this one probably is a dresser tray but I'll use it as a dish for cookies or something) and linens (I have at least 10 jillion vintage printed table cloths but this one screamed springtime/summer to me. And, really, Debby? Another runner??)...and I see a darling pressed glass toothpick holder (which would be lovely with some violets or cecile brunner buds in it) also found its way into the pile...=-) Oh, and I LOVE the embroidery design on that runner...it is so unusual but appears to be a transfer...it's really so cool...I love how the design is contained within a square shape... and how the border stitches mimic rick rack. The edge is hand croceted so nicely, also... Ok, I'm not in complete control, am I...

We decided to have a movie evening at home instead of going out to dinner. We were so full from the tea goodies. So DS picked up a pizza later on the way out to the house and we watched Up here on the giant tv. What an incredibly crafted movie..I am sad that it didn't get more recognition this year at the Oscars...it was every bit as good as most of its competitors and had a story with such incredible heart. Yes, I cried...a few times...

Anyway, we had a grand day!

2010-03-13T11:05:00.002-08:00

Happy Birthday to me! =-) I might as well be happy about it as not…but, gee, I am not good with numbers…especially big ones…=-/ But, when I think about it, when my mom was this age I didn't think she was old, so there ya go...it's all in our minds, isn't it=-)

Lots planned for today. Going for afternoon tea with DS and DDIL in the antique district of town…and I feel the need to shop comin’ on, so what better place!?

I've heard from DD today already, and have an intriguing box that came in the mail from her still to open. I just hung up from talking to my sweet best friend/cousin in NY a few minutes ago. And I know my sister will call... Such nice wishes I'm getting!

Maybe a movie and light dinner this evening…what to see, what to see…I think Jeff Bridges is going to win out over Johnny Depp this time…only because Johnny just doesn’t look like Johnny in Alice…otherwise…well…you know…

Have a great weekend, everyone!

2010-03-08T18:05:00.003-08:00

I love this orange jacket, although it is a little tight right now so I can't really wear it. It is sparkly and casual at the same time...hard to beat that. I bought it in NY a few summers ago on a sale rack for about $15...I mean, I really had to get it for that price. Unfortunately that was when I was a few pounds lighter and since it's a little fitted, um, it looked better on me then than it does now =-/...and I could button it then. Sheesh, I remember when I was younger I wished I would have bigger boobs...Well, it seems that when I put on weight that's when I get them...I'd really rather not have big boobs, I guess...such wisdom comes with age...now if I could just get wiser and get rid of my butt, too...sigh...

Ok, so...I'm tired of the whole posting orange everyday thing...heh...What can I say, I get bored easily...So, I think a week was enough... It was fun and I learned that a theme for me only lasts about a week then it is time to move on...I wonder what I'll come up with next...if anything...=-)

I've been hand quilting like a (sorta) fiend on my Jane Stickle quilt since the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. I find it relaxing and I love seeing it get ever nearer to completion...I'm not promising that I won't put it away again and let it simmer some more at some point (Did I already say this? Sounds familiar.) In fact, I'm fairly certain I can promise that it definitely WILL go back to simmer! In any case, I'm enjoying it now...

"They" say one more night of light rain then we will have a "warming trend." I love that we have had so much good rain recently, though, because it makes the hills green. The longer they are green, the longer I like it here and don't start pining for NY...which will start soon enough. But, we have a cruise at the end of May and into June before I can even start thinking about my little house...Well, actually, I think about it all the time...but before I can think about GOING to it...My sister did a drive by today and sent me a snowy picture of it, it looks so sweet and lonely...but I can wait a few months...had enough snow and cold for this year in Scotland ...yep...

Have a great week everyone. Hope you enjoyed the orange thing while it lasted =-) Since this is my birthday week, I may just have to come up with some way to celebrate...=-)

D.

2010-03-07T10:19:00.003-08:00

A dark, gloomy day here in SoCA...but not in my scarf drawer...=-)

This is a beautiful (orange) vintage silk scarf (I wear this one a LOT) that I bought years ago in a resale clothing shop downtown while on a girls' day out with DD. She tries on all the lovely tiny-waisted vintage dresses and and darling hats and I haunt the accessories cases and racks...perfect recipe for a perfect afternoon =-)

2010-03-06T12:00:00.003-08:00

This photo is my very favorite orange item in my house =-) And the subject is my very favorite "orange" thing in my life =-) This is DS in October, 1983, at the pumpkin patch, and his hair really was/is the color of those pumpkins, though softly so, not garish at all...and I love it!! He was almost 2 years old when this was taken. We had just had a great Southern California late October day at the beach, digging in the sand, wiggling our toes in the water of the bay, running and jumping and laughing and squealing. At the time, I was pregnant for his sister so it is doubly evocative for me. I had already decided before I went into labor at the end of January that I would take this photo with me to the hospital for my breathing focal point, because it just drew me in and I could get lost in it and because I loved it so much. I could hear his giggles just by looking at it...I still can... The problem with that plan, however, was that as soon as any of the nurses saw the picture they would ooh and ahh over it and go nuts cuz he was so darned cute and then they would take it out of the labor room to show someone else or bring someone in to look at it and so I never really got to use it...I ended up focusing on a flower in the wallpaper on the wall next to me... I can't believe that was so long ago. It feels like yesterday.

2010-03-05T09:50:00.002-08:00

When the family cleaned out DH's grandparents' home I took very few things because our styles were light years apart. However, I did grab this darling little lady for my mom who had many items in her home that were Japanese, and her decorating and aesthetics ran in that direction. I love it, though it is not anything I ever would have picked out for myself. I love it because my mother was delighted with it. And I love it because everytime I look at it I think of her. I can hear her giddiness and see her wide smile when she opened the paper bag, saw it inside, and pulled it out. It is tiny, and graceful, like she was. And it has a sweet face like she had. It sits in front of one of her Japanese marble plaques, just like it did at her house all those years she owned it. I love it most of all because she loved it. Oh, and...the vest...the orange vest...

2010-03-04T09:17:00.004-08:00

I am always finding pertinent quotes when I read, no matter the genre. Unfortunately, my books come in and go out of my house quickly because I share them and send them on their way as soon as I am done with them these days. I rarely feel the need to have a book returned to me and I like to think of them making their way around the reader world on a never-ending journey. Since so many of my books were out the door, and looking in each book for my underlining and highlighting was not practical, I needed a way to keep track of my quotes...so I started writing them in a journal, which has been fun. I love going back and picking random pages and reading over what I thought was inspirational or important to remember at any given time. Sometimes I find doodles or sketches in there, too, or lists of something I need to do or buy, or random thoughts I felt the need to write down. It's a little snapshot of a window of time in my life as I sat and drank my tea and read my book and pondered. This is the first journal I used for this purpose. I have always loved the design, it's very quilty...Actually, it is a photo of a quilt...I would love to make one inspired by it someday. And I LOVE that color combo...especiallly the...ORANGE! Have a great day!

3rd day of color goodness...

2010-03-03T10:54:00.000-08:00

This is what's calling my name today...

I can't decide whether to put them in the ground or make a hugely gorgeous stuffed-full pot of them in a large cobalt ceramic container I have and then scatter the leftovers throughout the yard, amidst the poppies that always apppear everywhere to make me smile...oh, come on, you know what I'm going to do...=-) Orange and cobalt...is there anything more in-your-face cheerful and sunny?!?!?!?! Cobalt is my absolute favorite color in the world...add a (large) dash of orange...oh, my...=-)

Orange Everyday

2010-03-02T21:22:00.007-08:00

...well, at least until I run out of photos of orange things in my everyday life. I thought it would be fun, since I have just become really aware of how much I am enjoying the color right now, to take pictures of just exactly what the orange things around here actually are...So I will post a photo everyday until there are no more, or until the end of March, whichever comes first...I think I'll run out before the 31st but it does keep appearing over and over...

So, yesterday when I had this kinda goofy color brainstorm I was actually wearing something appropriate for this post. This is one of the many scarves I own and wear. I love, love, love scarves...all kinds...knitted, crocheted, woven wool or cotton or silk or most any fiber, vintage, new, large, small, square, rectangular, long and narrow, plaid, print, floral, brightly colored or subdued, funky, classy...all kinds...Anyway, this is the one I was wearing yesterday, a lovely long silk rectangle that I bought in Glasgow at the Glasgow School of Art gift shop. The print is a Charles Rennie MacKintosh (of course) :

This is a plaque on one of the walls inside, and a picture of DD (in the boots) at the steps of the front entrance to the school. She would love to get her Master's degree here, I think. Actually, if I were a young person right now I would think hard about it, myself...knowing now what I didn't know back then when I actually was a young art student...sigh...how times change, eh?

A cool mosaic window inside...very quilt-arty:

My baby (yes, I knit that hat):

Don't you love the details...how the windows on the doors look like they are flowers with calyxes and long stems, and the brass plates with the writing are so cool, and of course the sign above... Unfortunately, we were unable to take a guided tour of the school because we had to leave Glasgow before the next one started. We did, however, explore as much as we could of this fantastic building and spent a good deal of time in the gift shop, which was lovely. I got the scarf, a sketchbook, a canvas bag, and various other things...Fun, fun!

See ya tomorrow with some more orange =-)

2010-03-01T00:12:00.002-08:00

The Olympics are over. I can't say I watched much more than the ice skating and a little speed skating...and I missed the pairs skating completely...But while I was watching I hand quilted 15 more blocks and 2 1/2 border triangles on my Jane Stickle quilt. I did knit a little, too, but mostly I quilted...and sometimes I dozed...cuz I watched it late at night off the DVR. So, now I have more than twice as much quilting done as I did at the start of the Games, which is a good thing!

After lunch at a cafe in a neighborhood closer to town, we went out looking at houses this afternoon...once again we have the house hunting bug. This bites us every so often, we spend a few weekends going to open houses, driving around neighborhoods we like and then, eventually, the itch eases and we settle back into our house, usually with ideas of ways to make it better. Who knows, maybe this will be the time that we actually find something we can't live without and we actually move. I'm ready for a change I know that...

While we were out today we meandered towards the beach in time to watch the sun set and, boy, the water was wild and rough! Must be either residual from the stormy weather we've had or leftover Pacific tsunami action or something (we didn't have any tsunami action, they just warned us that the west coast "might" see some changes in currents and tides). There were not many surfers out in it but there were a few diehards. That water is not warm, it made me feel even colder than I actually was to see them there, wetsuits or not!

I'm having a real affinity for orange right now, buying it, wearing it, knitting with it, even eating oranges and tangerines and tangelos...what is up with that...What color is making YOU smile right now?

2010-02-26T11:31:00.001-08:00

Well, I finally got all my blogs transferred over to Google Reader from Bloglines and it is FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I kept the Bloglines just to compare what is happening on both and to see how they stack up against each other and Bloglines is STILL lagging behind in posting my feeds. I wonder how long this has been going on...All those days that I thought no one or very few people were posting...how many posts have I missed over the last few months...It finally all came to a head over last weekend when there were NO posts for the whole weekend until late Sunday...I knew it had to be Bloglines cuz there have to be at least a few posts right?!? So, anyway, I am sold on Google Reader. Thanks to whoever it was who suggested it to someone else having the same problem...I just jumped on the bandwagon, and I'm glad I did! =-)

Have a great weekend everyone!

This Land is Your Land,

2010-02-23T14:21:00.001-08:00

This Land is my Land...today is its 70th anniversary...and it still resonates... Gotta love Woody Guthrie!

2010-02-23T13:02:00.003-08:00

I finally finished the 10 pillowcases I was making for the Operation Pillowcase project. They are so easy and came out really well...but I did procrastinate and took longer than I should have...

An incredibly beautiful day here today...sunny, a few clouds, and crisp, cool air...lovely. My favorite time of year here in So CA.

I've been hand quilting on my Jane Stickle quilt during the Olympics. Actually, I haven't watched too much of the Olympics, to be honest...but I have been using it as a sort of time frame for working on the quilt. I will see how far ahead I am at closing ceremonies. I got the idea from various bloggers who are doing the Olympic activities either in quilting or at Ravelry or wherever their fiber interests lie. A good idea; it was a catalyst for me and I have gotten several blocks done. Hey, whatever works, right...? =-)

Oh, and I cleaned off the top of a dresser in my sewing/crap room the other day...I still can hardly walk in there but it makes me smile when I gingerly make my way around/through the piles to whatever it is I'm after in there. Perhaps if I keep it cleared off and I see it often enough it will inspire me to clean off yet another surface...haha...baby steps, people...=-)

Later, dudes...
D.

A lovely day here today...

2010-02-15T18:37:00.002-08:00

It had to have been mid to high 70s. I'm not complaining but I'm not ready to give up hope of more rain to keep it green here a little longer.

Some different from the weather in the UK week before last...

DD and me at the Tower of London (which is not really a tower at all) with the Bridge in the background. They were working on Henry's residence as you can see from the scaffolding. What a somber place, especially when you think of all the living and dying that went on there...but it was amazing and very cool...cold in fact...haha! The wind was really blowing that afternoon and we were freezing (looks like she's shielding me from the wind)...but there wasn't snow on the ground...

Out in front of the B and B in the town where DD is living in Scotland. The water you see at the horizon is the Moray Firth. Beyond that is the North Sea. Let me tell you, the wind off the Firth was bone chilling! And that road was icy...Notice that the cars park any direction they want to, which makes a confusing situation even more so. That driving on the other side of the road thing was very disconcerting, especially on winding mountain curves and in the snow and sleet...

Nessie was probably on vacation since I can't imagine her sticking around for this winter version of Loch Ness. It was incredibly beautiful, though, and so majestic.

No, thank you...I want a few more amenities in a country cottage... Some of that thatch was green...but still...no... This was between Inverness and Loch Ness at Culloden Battlefield. The sun was shining and it was really quite beautiful...but, again, ridiculously cold and windy...

I needed more of this:

That was my first cup of tea in London...ahhhhhh, heavenly...I could go for some of that right now =-)

Or maybe something from here:

On the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. Yes, I did warm up with a little refreshment there after our late night ghost walk in the vaults beneath the city...Now, that was creepy...=-/

Man, I do want to go back. I absolutely love it in both England and Scotland. And I would love to go to Wales and Ireland, too. But, when it's green...and warm(er.)

Now, I have to go make a cup of tea and find my slippers...

2010-02-12T12:16:00.001-08:00

Ok, just a little bone to pick. I'm sort of a word junkie. I read a lot and write a lot and I have a fairly firm grasp on the rules of grammar, spelling, and writing. I am usually pretty easy going; I don't really care what people say. However, sometimes the WAY they say it gets under my skin. One thing that has been bugging the hell out of me lately is something I see and hear more and more, and from adults, even though it always used to be something I'd hear from kids. That is the term 'anyways.' What is that?????? AnywayS? With an 'S', people??????????????????? I see this and hear this from otherwise intelligent, well educated people, people I respect and admire and whose blogs I look forward to reading each day or whose conversations I enjoy. There is no 'S' on the end of this word. IMO it makes whatever has been said less valid and fade from my attention because I can't get past that word. It stands out and makes me want to scream. I realize this is an over-reaction on my part. It is not important. But it grates on me and seems to be seeping into generally accepted use. Like, uh...using "like" every other word, and using texting shorthand in everyday language. I really wish it didn't bother me but it does. I am pretty sure that the people using it don't even know they are, or care. Unimportant. Silly of me to care. Ok. End of rant. Sorry. Don't hate. I'm just expressing my opinion, and wonder if there are others out there that care about the evolution of our language.

xo, D.

What am I trying to do with my left hand there...

2010-02-10T14:16:00.000-08:00

I swear I'm not pinching his butt...I may, however be trying to flip up his kilt...for investigative purposes, of course...LOL...