PS 11 Package Arrived Today!!

OMG!! A heavy box arrived today from my SP11 spoiler!! I got a book, for some light reading - one I have wanted, Knit Kimono, by Vicki Square and a TON of bath stuff, for a 'spa day' - how cool is that?? There was also a candle, some bath salts, a cute piggy note pad, etc. I'll do a proper post when I get back from my convention. I leave in the am (I am still at work now) and will be back home Saturday, about dinner time.

Thank you my SP spoiler. You are doing a fine job of spoiling me!! Oh ya.. I am famous for trying to reply to blog comments sent to my email account. (duh). I tried to reply to your post about Hufflepuff/and Griffendor... how funny, we are both doing the same two swaps. I guess you can say we are obsessive about knitting stuff. If you tell me you just cast on the duster on the cover of Interweave Knits in the last 72 hours - I'll fall out of my chair. Did you know that one of the podcasts I listed to (ready set knit?) is doing the duster as a KAL?? Gotta run, boss is walkin' my way...

Wedding Week is Over

Well, I made it... the mother of the bride survived 6 days of wedding festivities!! I don't normally post pictures without the person in the picture consent, but today I am making an exception: Here is the blushing bride and her new hubby. Don't you think the bride looks like her mom?? LOL. The officiant had just announced them as a couple, you know the drill, "may I present to you Mr. and Mrs..... blah blah blah" My darling baby girl had to strike a pose!! She is so cute. The reception was amazing. The staff/wedding coordinators at the hotel were amazing, they spotted and kicked out wedding crashers within SECONDS of them entering the room. At one point a lady crasher went up to the bar for a free cocktail. the bartender realized she did not really fit in and asked her the name of the bride and groom. When she could not answer, he had her escorted out of the room. Cool, hu?? Everyone received a small bottle of champagne and a chocolate bar - the wrapper had their names on it and the dates of their first date/engagement and wedding date. Too cute. I could go on and on and on, but I'll spare you!!

On the SWAP front: My SP11 has sent me a package, but it arrived when no one was home. He took the slip today saying it's ok to re-deliver - so I should have it tomorrow (9/26). Thank you SP11 buddy - I can't wait to see what you sent me!!

I have my bag ready for my HOGWARTS Sock Kit Swap, but need to put some finishing touches in the package and then that is out and in the mail... should be next week. The package is due by the end of October.

PAY IT FORWARD. I have two folks who left comments on pay it forward and want to participate in that. Very nice!!

I leave Thursday for a convention in SoCal. I'll be home Sat night and ready to knit. I am going to do the KAL on Ready Set Knit, the sweater on the cover of Interweave Knits..... Think I'll buy the yarn tonight and try to do a swatch at Knit Night (checkout the link to my LYS, they have it set up really cute.

I forgot to post Moaning Myrtle

I forgot to post Myrtle's picture on the picture scavenger hunt. Oopsie. Here she is. (and why does my computer want to bump me off line when I post these pictures?? ARRGGG.

Picture Scavenger Hunt

Here we go.. here are my pictures.

Hufflepuff Trivia

1. Who is the Hogwarts teacher that Voldermort performed the Avada Kedavra curse on in Deathly Hallows?

a. Mad Eye Moody
b. Charity Burbage
c. Irma Pince
d. Quirenius Quirrell

2. Who replaces the Muggles studies teacher in Deathly Hallows?

a. Charity Burbage
b. Irma Pince
c. Alecto Carrow
d. Dilys Dirwent

3. When Harry meets Mr. Olivander for the first time, which wand law is introduced?

a. Wands cannot be shared.
b. Spells can be worked with any want.
c. The wand chooses the wizard.
d. Only one wand will work properly for a wizard.

4. According to Mr. Ollivander, what is not necessary to take true possession of another wizard's wand?

a. to kill the owner
b. one cannot take possession of another wizard's wand
c. to force the wand away from it's owner
d. to ask the owner politely

5. If you know anything about Harry Potter, you will know that Harry's Patronus is a stag. But what is his best friend Ron Weasley's Patronus?

a. Otter
b. Owl
c. Weasel
d. Jack Russell Terrier

6. Now for the third member of the trio. What form does Hermione Granger's Patronus take?

a. Otter
b. Kneazle
c. Tabby Cat
d. Beaver

7. What did Mrs. Wealey make to eat the first night that Harry arrived at Grimmauld Place?

a. Stew
b. Goulash
c. Roast beef
d. Ham and chicken pie

8. In book 5, at the start of term feast, what is Ron eating when trying to talk to Nearly Headless Nick?

a. Treacle tart
b. Pork chop
c. Roast potato
d. Cottage pie

9. A half-giant called Rubeus Hagrid takes you to Diagon Alley for the first time. To get there, you go into the courtyard of a pub called the Leaky Cauldron. There, Hagrid taps a certain brick on the courtyard wall three times with his pink umbrella, revealing the entrance to Diagon Alley. As he decides which brick to tap, he mutters instructions to himself. What instructions does he mutter?

a. Third brick from the left above the dustbin
b. ‘Three up... two across
c. Three down ... four across
d. Four up ... three across

10. The first place you go in Diagon Alley is Gringotts bank, where you can withdraw money from your vault and Hagrid can withdraw a top-secret package from Vault No. 713 on Dumbledore’s orders. On the second set of doors leading into the bank you notice a poem written. These are the first two lines:Enter, stranger, but take heedOf what awaits the sin of greed,What is the next line?

a. For you’ll pay dearly in your turn
b. So if you seek beneath our floors
c. Thief, you are being warned, beware
d. ‘For those who take, but do not earn

09/11/2001

Where were you?? I can recall the day vividly. I was getting ready to head out of town. My sister had died (Feb) and a probate hearing was being held the next day in a different county. I had a 4 hour drive ahead of me. My hubby and I were watching the Today Show, walking between the master bath and bedroom, doing hair, adding stuff to suitcases, etc. I recall walking into the bedroom and seeing on TV the clip of the plane hitting the WTC tower - and watching in horror - and then mention of the Pentagon and freaking out if my oldest brother was ok... and not being able to get thru via phone because all lines were jammed up.

We had to leave, we had to be at the hearing. We made our daughter swear she would not leave town limits, no driving to any city/state parks, nothing.. stay home!! She promised.

the drive past sac airport was creepy. NO planes in the sky - ANYWHERE. It was all very odd. and I recall the first time they let planes fly again and seeing a plane in the sky - and thinking how odd THAT was.

We made it to the hearing and back home safely. Our daughter stayed put at home. My brother was not at work that day and he was safe and sound.

Where were you?

After (second post for today)

More pictures of my Miss Lucy - top two of some more "before" pictures - 4 legs. The third was taken this morning - you will note the absent leg. She is not real thrilled about the Buster Collar, but is learning to not walk into doorways with it. Personally, the most disgusting thing is the drain tube - I walk around her with a wet papertowl wiping up blood drips (gag). Thank goodness our house is mostly hardwood - the bedroom has carpet, but apparently this is going to be replaced in the next month or so. If a CSI team were to spray that stuff to see if any blood was around, I'd be in jail!! LOL. until the figured out it was doggie blood. Amazing, she is walking better now that when she had bum leg to hop around with. She is an amazing dog. Last night i layed down on the floor with her and just pet her and talked to her until she fell asleep - I do not look forward to when we have to put her down, and instead pray that she goes into the blue in her sleep, at peace and without trauma. She's my big baby, can ya' tell? Oh, ya - and the socks I finished up last night/this am.. wearing them now. Miss Lucy approves as well.

Before . . .

OK, before the battery on my camera died, I took some pictures. Here is my: 1 - Skein winder do-dah - BEFORE I cleaned it (it's still not cleaned); this is 2. the lacey thong undies i knit my girl child for her bridal shower. She told me the next day they were a smidge too small and could I make them bigger (sure, but guess what?? wedding is less than 2 weeks away and I have not finished the other pair. In fact THIS lacey thing is MIA. If you have it - I NEED IT BACK. That sounds like i just toss panties around like - well, I don't. I let someone borrow them from a knit night to show their co-workers that "this ain't your grandma's knitting" and I have not seen them since.... but then again, I have not seen the lady I loaned them to either - so it's all good and everything.. but i'd like them back and finally, picture 3 is the lovely Miss Lucy - the "before" surgery -as you can see, she is a 4 legged dog here. This picture was taken a month or more ago, can you see the bump on HER right leg? That's the cancer... it had gotten to be as big as a lime or small lemon.. I took some "after" pics this morning. nothing too grosss, but needless to say, it's not for the weak... My bad**s dog has a scar about 18" long! But the bad*s factor is diminished by the lovely lampshade she wears to stop her from licking the drain tube (barf) or staples (double barf). How did I raise two kids with such a weak stomach??

Pay It Forward

It’s the Pay It Forward Exchange. It’s based of the concept of the movie “Pay it Forward” where acts or deeds of kindness are done without expecting something in return, just passing it on, with hope that the recipients of the acts of kindness are passed on.

Here is how it works. I will make and send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment to this post on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I do not know what that gift will be yet, and it won’t be sent this month, probably not next month, but it will be sent (within 6 months) and that’s a promise! What YOU have to do in return, then, is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

Remember, it's the first THREE who comment on the blog that they want to participate in the PAY IT FORWARD exchange.

PS: Lucy Update: She survived surgery, but is staying overnight at the vet's office. He wants to keep her movement to a minimum. We pick her up in the am. No biopsy on the tumor off her "good leg" - at this point it really does not matter if it's benign or malignant. She's had 2 shots of moraphine since surgery - great, a drug addict dog!! Rehab for Lucy! Maybe I should start calling her Lucky Lucy!!

Lucy UPdate

Well - we took Lucy to the vet today, thinking today may be THE day... she has a tumor on her good leg - I am such a good doggie mom - she burps and I call the vet. Nothing is too minor with her - so, the dr. was so impressed by how she is doing hopping around on 3 legs, that he suggests we amputate the bad leg. This is the "normal" procedure for bone cancer - chop off the cancer - he was worried that because she is such a big girl (today at 84 lbs, which is down from prior weights) she may not adapt well to not having a front let. The area where the cancer started is about the size of a lime now, the entire leg tooks "fake" and is larger than the "good leg" - ya' the good leg that now has a tumor up near the armpit. We need to call back later today to set up surgery for tomorrow am - she'll have plenty of time to recoup before the wedding... when it rains it pours. I can't find a picture of Lucy just now, but I'll take some "before" pictures tonight and some "after" pictures in a few days.. poor baby -

Hogwarts Questionnaire

OK, so this is too late to earn house points, but I think my pal would appreciate the answers:

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into? I am proud to say I am a Hufflepuff.

2. List your favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length. Or would you prefer circulars? Ohhhh, this is hard. I like needles for the project I am using them for. Since I do Socks for Soldiers - they require a tiny size 1 DPN - I like bamboo for that. For larger projects I like circulars - straights tend to feel like I am rowing a boat or something. EXCEPT that I purchased a size 15 circ for a stole I think I can get done before my daughter's wedding on the 22 (yes of THIS month), the kink in the cable was giving me fits, so i am back on straights - again bamboo.

3. Would you like to try a new brand needle? If so, which brand? Size? Length? I am always game for something new. I have enjoyed knitting with some lace needles, extra sharp points and miss them on the stole I am doing now, so my only "suggestion" for something would be circs with nice sharp points.

4. If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or the book? Do you have a strong preference? I am a Huffflepuff, but why are the housecolors different from movie to book?? I did not notice that.. Bad little wizard that I am.

5. Do you have any allergies? No, but I do prefer "smoke free" - i had this horrid cough for over a year, medical tests up the waaaazooo, no determination, but i am very sensitive to smoke.

6. If you are swapping scarves - what is your desired length for the pattern? This will help your partner find the pattern that is just right for you and buy yarn accordingly. OK, seriously, I need to go back and read the rules. I am not sure about the scarf thing, but just to be safe, let's say that I am vertically challenged (5'0"), but I like longer scarves..

OK, swap buddy - I hope this helps.. it probably adds more questions. I wish I had been in town and posted this more timely. I'll do better next time.