Back from my hiatus :-)

Haven't updated for a few days because I've been unusually busy. I had lunch with a former boss I haven't seen in 10 years, mystery shopped two stores, stopped by the Friday afternoon knitting group, and knit! I also had an e-mail conversation with someone from my high school days. I was amazed at how well they remembered me. They mentioned some things that had been long buried in the back of my mind, somewhere in the archives under "the good old days". A questionnaire had been sent to me and in turn I asked him what he remembered. Example: "Do you remember one of the first things I said to you?" - answer - the door's still open. OK, OK get your mind out of the gutter - we were kids! We were playing spin the bottle and, of course, privacy was of great concern so where do all kids go to get away from prying eyes - THE CLOSET! Apparently, the door wasn't closed all the way - what a thing to remember - I had forgotten sitting on the floor of my friends enclosed porch and playing this game - he brought it all back with great clarity, including the fact that I had the decency to take the gum out of my mouth before kissing him LOL :-) Then he closed the e-mail with "My daughter and granddaughter are coming for dinner and I've got to get the chicken going". WHOA - daughter, granddaughter, dinner - couldn't possibly have been that many years ago we were playing spin the bottle! Ah, the simplicity of life when you're young and how quickly the time goes by.

OK - obligatory knitting info - MS3 has been added to the "on the needles" group. I'm more confused than when I was swatching. If I print much more info I'll have to run to the store for paper! I also ordered the pattern, yarn, and beads for the Frolicking Shamrock Knitalong that starts 2/24. Can't let Saint Patrick's Day go by without showin' the green ya know!

One more note - my DS is having surgery to have her ankle and foot fused together. They will also break her leg to make it shorter because with the fusing it will be longer than the other leg. Please remember her in your prayers. I wish I could be with her to help during her recovery but my BIL, two brothers, and SILs will be there. She'll be surrounded by lots of love!

Happy SAINT Valentine's Day

Well, went to my Monday night knitting group to drop off some yarn for J over at Knit N Things 'cause she's doing the Mystery Shawl 3 with me and I KNOW she wants to swatch since the clues start on Friday. The yarn was all wound into balls and neatly labeled with yardage - no thanks to Mr. Knit Along With Me - but then again, I didn't marry him for his carpentry skills :-) I simply improvised - should have taken pictures so you could all laugh. I put the meter on the dowel and elevated it on a bunch of clothes that were waiting for me to do SOMETHING with them (they got their wish), set up my ball winder to my right, cone of yarn to the left on the floor and wound away. Worked perfectly. Of course, it's not very portable! And, the yarn is wool and silk so it kept wanting to fly off the ball winder. I may have to take Mr. Parkway Rest Stop up on his offer to assemble - waiting time and language seems acceptable now.

After dropping off the yarn the Mr. and I decided to stop for dinner. We went to the Grist Mill - I don't go for the food (it's OK) - I go for the view. Having been a working grist mill it sits beside a beautiful stream with a small waterfall that's just wonderful to look at any season of the year. There was a young couple, I'd say mid twenties, sitting two tables away directly in my line of vision. They sat side by side. All through dinner the Mr. kept asking me what was so amusing. Since we were in close proximity to the young couple I just kept telling him "I'll tell you later". Here's what I was smiling about (notice I said smiling - I wasn't being amused). The couple had finished dinner by the time we arrived and were engrossed in conversation. They were in their own little world and it appeared that nothing around them mattered. They smiled, laughed, but more importantly, they never took their eyes off each other. There was not a time when he wasn't gently touching her - he held her hand, touched her face, put his hand on her shoulder, rubbed her neck, touched her knee and he caressed her with his eyes. I hope that it is always like that for them, especially in today's world where everything is disposable; marriages, unborn children, cars, dishes. There needs to be permanency. No, the Mr. and I don't sit side by side anymore, we sit across from each other, he says he likes to look at me, he does caress me with his eyes and I love him as much today as when we got married - probably more. When we were leaving the restaurant he asked again what was so amusing and I told him - it was remembering and watching another generation doing the same things we did when we were young. I can't slide across the bench seat anymore so he can drive with his arm around me (and I can shift that '55 Chevy Convertible for him - WHAT - didn't everyone do that!) Some things change but remain an important part of my life and remebering is one of them. My hope for them is it will always be as special as it was last night, that they grow together.

Of course, when we got home, the Mr. decided to cut the dogs nails and clipped a few too short and the dog started bleeding ALL OVER THE RUG totally blowing all those romantic feelings from earlier LOL. This is really what love is about - the everyday trials and tribulations that we get through WITH each other.

Happy Saint Valentine's Day everyone :-)

Can you identify this?

I bought this at a yard sale during the fall. I've contacted the manufacturer, Griffith Laboratories, but so far they haven't emailed me with a response. I thought it would make an interesting addition for display in the kitchen but I sure would like to know what it is LOL.

The long anticipated winter has arrived!

One picture is worth a thousand words - my yard at around 11:00 a.m. today :-)