Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Back in the saddle again...

So it’s been awhile. School let out, and strangely, all my time went away! Add to that a 3yo who had decided that naps are SO yesterday, and we find ourselves blogless! But here I am again. I need to give this a little more of a try before I decide that it’s not for me. So today, in short, is me getting back in the saddle. And so before showing a couple of kid pics, here is a quick review of what’s been up:

In knitting:
Still working on Big Guy’s log cabin blanket, though it’s gotten significantly bigger than last time I showed it (I’ll take a picture one of these days). I have some cute Plymouth yarns Jean nee in a denim blue from which I’m going to make a baby sweater or two very soon, and I have started a blanket (I haven’t decided if it is a baby gift or Miss G’s blanket yet) in a luscious Lorna’s Laces Shepherd worsted. Until I start the baby sweaters, at the moment everything in my life is garter stitch, so I need something different, asap!

Books:
I’ve started the Patrick O’Brien series again, which is wonderful. Post Captain, the second novel, really evokes Jane Austen… and for me there is not much higher praise. It just amazes me that a twentieth century man was able to capture the flavor of eighteenth century literature in such a convincing way – there’s not the merest whiff of the modern world. In the first few books especially, it always seems to me that this is the “other side” of Jane Austen; this is what the menfolk were off doing while her characters lived out their quiet lives.

I’m also reading a couple of other things right now. Besides the usual small pile of knitting books (I’ve currently got Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles by Cat Bordhi out of the library and am about to teach myself that technique).

I’ve been reading Chew on This by Eric Schlosser, which is the teen/pre-teen version of Fast Food Nation. I bought it for Thomas’ end of summer reading project and have been dipping into it myself. We’ve been on a modified fast food ban (Subway and occasional non-fried options at other fast food places allowed) and I hope that reading this will motivate us to make it permanent.

I’m also reading The Great Snape Debate -- actually all of the readers in our house are reading it, as an opening act for the main Harry Potter events coming in the next few weeks. We are all getting VERY excited about both book and movie, as well as the prospect of a new audio book to put us to sleep every night!

The other fun, new thing going on with me is that I’m spending WAY too much time playing with my new ipod shuffle, which is so much fun! I’ve loaded it with a bunch of audio books and have subscribed to a ton of podcasts, so I’m totally boring the kids in the car with things like General Conference talks, News from Lake Wobegon and knitting podcasts! I can’t believe how tiny the thing is:


Okay, it’s WAY past my bedtime, and I’ve gotta go, so here are some kid pics before I’m off to bed. Big Guy and I are having a Mommy-son date overnight in KC tomorrow night at Great Wolf lodge, so I’d better get my rest!








Big Guy'snew water rocket... at launch and in flight!
Bye for now!

3 comments:

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Unknown said...

Hi! I subscribed to your blog via bloglines so I can instantly know when you make an entry!

Everything is pretty normal here in good-old Alexandria, VA. John is studying for his second to last certification test and I'm still knitting away!

I knitted the cutest baby hat. Unfortunately, Bailey, the evil Labrador decided it would be a fantastic chew toy. I'm a little bitter about that.

If just joined my first knit-along -- Mystery Stole 3. I'm kinda nervous about knitting such a large lace project. Wish me luck!

Miss you guys TONS! Give kisses to the kids!

Tracy

Unknown said...

Belated Happy Birthday. Keep blogging... how's the summer been? Have you made it to Maine? We're headed to Williamstown for a couple of days (yes, we're actually closing for 2 days; Labor day closing is mandated by our county, so we're tacking on the day after). Can't wait. I was last there with my sister last year, but we stayed at the Porches in North Adams then. Tim and I haven't been since 2005! That's what the Maple Terrace told us when we made the reservation. Good thing someone's tracking us on their computer, and can horrify us with the news it's been that long. I know it's not that long when you consider some people hardly ever get to go, but we are much closer and used to go a few times a year. Missed the theater festival this year, bummer. But did manage to go to the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival near here at an old mansion next to the river with beautiful grounds. It was an entertaining Richard III. That was very very early on in the summer. Since then, we've had a good number of visitors. Actually, the most memorable thing about the summer is our weekly share in the local farm csa. We pick up on Tuesdays, and it's been a real treat, and an experience I've never had, to have all this fresh produce, so delicious, picked that day, incredible fresh heirloom tomatoes, the sweetest corn ever, watermelon, the snappiest beans, tomatillos galore, a good run of basil, an okay run of lettuces (lots early on, then no more thereafter)... and much more. So being forced to prepare vegetables all week is of course a good and bad thing. I'm sure we're eating more healthily, but somehow we've been very sedentary this summer. Not sure how we managed to become even more so in this outdoorsy town in an outdoorsy season. But we have. Okay, just actually wanted to wish you a belated Happy Birthday, and I guess my going on and on has to do with some bill-paying procrastination. Blog more!
Be well, all,
Mei