Friday Funnies (Even if it is Saturday)

Feline Physics Laws

Law of Cat Inertia

A cat at rest will tend to remain at rest, unless acted upon by some outside force - such as the opening of cat food, or a nearby scurrying mouse.

Law of Cat Motion

A cat will move in a straight line, unless there is a really good reason to change direction.

Law of Cat Magnetism

All blue blazers and black sweaters attract cat hair in direct proportion to the darkness of the fabric.

Law of Cat Thermodynamics

Heat flows from a warmer to a cooler body, except in the case of a cat, in which case all heat flows to the cat.

Law of Cat Stretching

A cat will stretch to a distance proportional to the length of the nap just taken.

Law of Cat Sleeping

All cats must sleep with people whenever possible, in a position as uncomfortable for the people involved, and as comfortable as possible for the cat.

Law of Cat Elongation

A cat can make her body long enough to reach just about any counter top that has anything remotely interesting on it.

Law of Cat Obstruction

A cat must lay on the floor in such a position to obstruct the maximum amount of human foot traffic.

Law of Cat Acceleration

A cat will accelerate at a constant rate, until he gets good and ready to stop.

Law of Dinner Table Attendance

Cats must attend all meals when anything good is served.

Law of Rug Configuration

No rug may remain in its naturally flat state for very long.

Law of Obedience Resistance

A cat's resistance varies in proportion to a human's desire for her to do something.

Law of Refrigerator Observation

If a cat watches a refrigerator long enough, someone will come along and take out something good to eat.

Law of Random Comfort Seeking

A cat will always seek, and usually take over, the most comfortable spot in any given room.

Law of Bag/Box Occupancy

All bags and boxes in a given room must contain a cat within the earliest possible nanosecond.

Law of Cat Embarrassment

A cat's irritation rises in direct proportion to her embarrassment times the amount of human laughter.

Law of Milk Consumption

A cat will drink his weight in milk, squared, just to show you he can.

Law of Furniture Replacement

A cat's desire to scratch furniture is directly proportional to the cost of the furniture.

Law of Cat Landing

A cat will always land in the softest place possible; often the mid- section of an unsuspecting, reclining human.

Law of Fluid Displacement

A cat immersed in milk will displace her own volume, minus the amount of milk consumed.

Law of Cat Disinterest

A cat's interest level will vary in inverse proportion to the amount of effort a human expends in trying to interest him.

Law of Pill Rejection

Any pill given to a cat has the potential energy to reach escape velocity.

Law of Cat Composition

A cat is composed of Matter + Anti-Matter + It Doesn't Matter.

What I'm Planting

It's that time of year

The weather has taken a definite turn in my little part of the world; the days are hovering in the low 80’s with a bit of breeze (a great improvement after weeks of high 90’s plus), while the early mornings & evenings are showing a decided chill. We even had a decent rainfall on Saturday, the first we’ve seen since May or June. All this, combined with the calendar’s gentle reminder, has spurred me on to do my seasonal redecorating on my page (the house, well, that will have to wait a bit longer.)

The past few days have been filled with an assortment of nesting activities for all of us; nothing earthshaking or profound, just tying up the loose ends & rattling shutters before winter is upon us again. It’s funny how a change of season seems to trigger certain urgings in almost everyone.

b          Chris spent his day off Friday getting things settled with the old car. It has been parked on the lot at his work since we had towed from Jessica’s in June; the final verdict was a minimum of $1800 to maybe repair it. Nope. So, Chris arranged to donate it to one of those outfits that take old cars, since they will come to tow it away, but had to make sure the DMV paperwork was in order. Unfortunately, he couldn’t locate the title in the safe deposit box or the files at home, so he got to spend a good couple of hours with the good folks at our local DMV office. The rest of the afternoon was employed digging up hidden & forgotten sprinkler heads that were buried by encroaching sod, & beginning work on the next section of fence to be replaced in the backyard.

b          I started Saturday morning with an ambitious “To Do” list that included a visit to the nursery for the annual “Quilts in the Trees” show & a bulb workshop, both of which I attended last year. First was a trip to the gym for some time on the treadmill & weight machines (I told you- I have to get serious about losing this weight!) & a brief visit to the Farmer’s Market for apples, tomatoes, & a pie, all in the pouring rain. This didn’t bode well for the quilt show, but I figured I take a chance anyway; sure enough, it rained buckets all the way over to Livermore, but as soon as I pulled into the parking lot, it stopped. I spent a pleasant couple of hours, looking at the quilts (which had been moved inside the buildings & under covered walkways), putting together round terracotta pot of layered spring bulbs topped with violas (I bought extra to redo the square planter I did last year), & picking out supplies to refresh my raiser vegetable bed. I’ve decided to try a winter garden this year; it just makes since here since our area rarely gets below freezing & almost never has snow. I picked up a few bags of compost, iron sulfate, gypsum, & organic fertilizer to refresh the soil, & then chose some broccoli & cabbage bedding plants to start out. I’m also going to put in some more carrots, lettuce, & try some radishes. I was also surprised to learn there are now “Cold Weather” tomatoes, heirloom varietals from Russia & the Baltic’s that will produce in cooler temperatures, less daylight hours and higher humidity. The grower, Steve Goto, was there with a large supply of ten varieties & was giving an informal workshop; I ended choosing two plants: Sasha Altai, which produces medium sized meaty fruit, & Stupice, slightly larger then cherry-sized fruit & high yield. I’m looking forward to seeing how this turns out & possibly surprising people with fresh tomatoes at Christmas.

b          We had our first “House to House” dinner with our new group; we did a potluck Italian meal of gnocchi, salad, mixed veggies, bread, & peach cobbler (that was mine). It’s a varied group- a couple of 20-something newlyweds, a couple with two toddlers, & two couples in their 40’s with young adult children. I have hopes of less friction this time around; you might remember there was one woman, C, that try as I may, I just could not learn to like. I wrote about the strained dinner at her house; the following get-togethers didn’t fair much better. At the dinner hosted at my house (on my birthday) I was sharing with another woman the recipe for my super-cleaner, which uses a little liquid dish soap, when C piped in, “Well, that explains why your carpets are so dirty- dish soap attracts the dirt.”(her husband own a carpet cleaning business) I replied- politely- “My carpets are stained because they are 12 years old, I’ve raised 5 cats, 3 kids, & a husband on them, & they haven’t been professionally cleaned in a while.” The last dinner in May, we were discussing various ministries we had all served in through the years; C became highly indignant that Chris had been a deacon at our previous church. “The Bible says an elder must be the husband of one wife,” she stated (her husband had recently been elected to the board); I pointed out that Chris was- he has only been married once, to me for 19 years. Her reply? “But by choosing to marry you (a divorced woman), he became a partner in your sin, so he shouldn’t have been allowed to serve in leadership!” After a moment of silence- I was flabbergasted that someone would actually say something that rude out loud- I said, “Well, I guess the board wasn’t bound by legalism, or chose not to count my forgiven sin against my husband’s desire to serve.” Grrr! It is sanctimonious attitudes like that make it hard for sincere Christians to be taken seriously.

b          One of the ladies in my knitting group hosts a knit-in open house every 3 months to welcome the new season. We each bring a seasonal dish to share (I brought the apple pie I got at the Farmer’s Market) & spend the afternoon knitting, talking, or perusing her vast library of pattern books & videos. Sunday was another beautiful day, sunny & cool, & we had a lovely time just relaxing. One of Chann’s four black cats climbed into my lap while I knitted; she minded her manners, only giving the yarn a cursory glance & occasionally gently batting at the set of hanging needles (when I knit small items in the round, like socks or mittens, I use two sets of circular needles.) She eventually fell asleep, purring soothingly, which kept me seated & working on my projects. I completed Sam’s fingerless mitts (that's my hand, not his)

                                                                                                                                         & then finished up a washcloth that has been hanging around in my bag all summer- what a great feeling! When I got home, I went up to my yarn stash in the study & pulled out the supplies for the felted clogs I planned for myself & bought last year. I cast them on that evening & have been working on them while we watch the new Ken Burns series, “The War”; I’ll probably finish them by next week, just in time to start the Ravelry Mitten Swap. This seems to be my most productive time of year, possibly part of the seasonal nesting urge.

 

That’s all the time I have for updating right now; the next episode is coming on soon & I really need to eat something. Hope you all are having a great week so far & I’ll do my best to make the rounds by Thursday. 

Funnies for Friday

From the “Prairie Home Companion” website

What is the difference between a rut and a grave?About six feet.

There are three kinds of people in the world - those who can count, and those who can't. (read it again)

One cannibal says to the other, "You know, every time I eat a missionary, I get sick and throw up." "I know", says the other, "It's hard to keep a good man down."

How are women and elephants alike?They hate mice, never forget, and some days you just wind up dealing with a lot of crap.

A man is weaving down the road when a cop pulls him over. The cop says, "Sir, did you know your wife fell out of the car a few blocks back?" The man says, "Thank God! I thought I went deaf."

“When I die, I want to go peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather, not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car.”

How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?Only one.But the light bulb has to want to change.

A very genteel Texas lady was driving across a high bridge in Texas one day. As she neared the top of the bridge, she noticed a young man fixin' to jump.

She stopped her car, rolled down the window and said, "Please don't jump, think of your dear mother and father."

He replied, "Mom and Dad are both dead; I'm going to jump."

She said, "Well, think of your wife and children."

He replied, "I'm not married and I don't have any kids."

She said, "Well, think of the Alamo."

He replied, ''What's the Alamo?''

She replied, ''Well bless your heart, just go ahead and jump, you fool Yankee. "

Mondays just keep coming, don't they?

I’ve been feeling a bit blah the past few days; I don’t know if it has more to do with the change in season (with the accompanying allergies), my lack of exercise since Wednesday, or the fact that I spent entirely too much time on the computer yesterday, exploring my new Ravelry World. Probably all of the above, along with not enough fresh fruit (we missed the Farmer’s Market this weekend.) I’ve been tired, a bit headachy, & unmotivated to do any reading or sewing (on which I really need to get busy); the only saving grace is that the temperatures have slid into a more reasonable range, so I’m not sweltering as well.  This morning, I had to go back inside to put on a sweater before driving to work.

Actually, it was a nice weekend overall. We attended dance class Friday evening, checking out our new & much improved location, a traditional ballet studio with two small classroom & excellent floors, whose owners respect what we do (& vice-versa). The only thing that needs work is finding shoes that will not slide all over the place- we use silicone coating on our ghillies to grip on most surfaces, but it has the opposite effect on this floor; it was a bit like ice-skating indoors.

Saturday, Chris finally had a day off, after an eleven-day stretch, so he wanted to get out of town. Fortunately for me, he wanted to head up to the foothills & there was a quilt show that I really wanted to attend. The two of us drove up to Sonora, about an hour & a half east of home, where his Mom grew up; each of us spent time in the area as kids (though not together), both learning to ski just up the road at Dodge Ridge. The quilt show was at the fairgrounds, & while Chris enjoys the beauty of these hand arts, there just happened to be a swap meet & tool sale on the grounds the same day, so I didn’t have to stretch his patience or attention span while I wandered (& verse-visa!) I spent around two hours admiring the quilts & perusing the vendors, not spending a single dollar- though I was tempted several times :-).

It was such a pleasant day- clear skies & low 80’s- we decided to drive up north about 5 miles to Colombia State Historic Park. The old town is set up as a pedestrian-only, restored 1850’s mining town, with shops, restaurants, a blacksmith, stagecoach rides, & gold panning, as well as a few acres of rocks to climb around (a favorite activity when the kids were younger). There is also the Fallon House Theatre that puts on quality plays throughout the year; we had lunch at the Colombia House, poked around in the shops & museum, & strolled around the rock city. We even found a cute little tea shop & bakery- unfortunately, right after we had lunch. I did a little shopping; I picked up some local honey, a cute flour sack dishtowel with a recipe printed on it (sugar cookies), went to the Candle & Soap makers for some olive oil soap base & 2 bottles of essential oil (red clover tea & honey- great for soap, lotion, bath soak, or linen spray), & then to the Farmer’s Friend for some great bright green goatskin gauntlet style gardening gloves. The first thing I thought when I saw them was protecting my arms from...the rabbit :-( That silly thing has nipped me twice on the soft underside of my forearm, when I reach in to change his food bowl; he doesn’t break the skin, but it sure leaves a nasty looking bruise. We finished up the afternoon with some ice cream (strawberry cheesecake for me, mint chip for Chris) before driving back home, listening to “The Thistle & Shamrock” & “A Prairie Home Companion” on the way.

The highlight of Sunday was wrapping up the silent auction for the group of quilts & pillows our Circle completed this year. We ended up with 2 lap quilts with matching pillows, the twin-sized quilt I donated (someone else completed the binding for me- yeah!) & a set of three coordinated designer pillows one lady did with some smaller cuts of donated fabric. I haven’t heard the final total yet, but when I left at 11:30 (before the end of second service) the total bids for all items was standing at $650- more than twice the amount I was hoping to raise! We all were quite pleased; that will cover the full cost for three women to go to the Annual Retreat held in October, & we had two additional people express an interest in joining us. We’ve already made a start on next year- piecing has already started for a full-sized “Pinwheel Four-Patch” & I’m exploring the donated stash for two or four coordinates to take to a technique class next month. We’re taking a few weeks off- which is why I’ve been doing sewing on my own projects for a change- & will start up again in October, hopefully with enough people to justify meeting at the church again; meeting in homes is nice, but crowded.

Well, I’m off; Chris & I are suppose to attend the a screening of a PBS ViewFinder episode for our local station; it’s called Fighting Port: Stockton in WWII, which is just 20 miles from here. It’s being held at the Haggin Museum this evening, with hors d'oeuvres and beverages before the preview; I just hope Chris can get off work, showered, & over there in time.

I've been triple tagged

Well, seeing as I’ve been tagged by no less then 3 people for this one, I suppose I ought to comply J It will be a little difficult to find new ones, since I tend to ramble on about my eccentricities.

THE RULES OF THE TAG ARE:

Each person posts the rules before their list, then list 8 new things about themselves.

At the end of the post, that person tags 8 other people (or more) letting them know that they have been tagged, and to come and read the post, so they know what they have to do.

1. I can’t remember the last time I vacuumed or dusted my own home; this is not due to either my inherent laziness or my aversion to housework- I am very allergic to dust & after doing either of those activities, I’m miserable for several days.

2. I. Do. Not. Like. Eggplant. Period.

3. I currently have 3 in-progress cross stitch project that haven’t been touched in probably two years- about the time I took up knitting again.

4. I’ve broken my tailbone twice- once when I was twelve & again when I was thirty-two; it is the only bone I’ve even broken & it still bother’s me from time to time (usually when I need to use the restroom- I know, TMI :-P )

5. I am fascinated with Highland cattle; I have a stuffed one from England & photos in my study at home & my cubicle at work, as well as a computer wallpaper.

6. I’ve read Pride and Prejudice at least 5 times & plan to read it several times again throughout my life.

7. I have always loved cameos, even as a child; I currently have four- one I brought back from Italy 28 years ago- & would like to add to my collection.

8. I’ve had my ears pierced since I was eight (by my aunt, with an ice cube & a big ole darning needle), own 20 pairs of earrings, but only put them on maybe 3 times a year.

Time for a Tea Break

Terribly sorry to be late to the tea party~ I just couldn't seem to get away from work. I only have a few minutes before I have to be back, but I am definitely in need of a small respite & have been craving some Autumn treats.

This sweet little plum colored teapot was a recent gift & is just the right size for two servings. The lace draped cup made me smile when I saw it in the shop; even though I already have too many cups for my cabinets, I just had to pick it up.
I chose a blend of Dragonwell Green & Ceylon Peach tea; I think it will set off the pumpkin pie & the mixed nut & berry brittle I discovered. Looks like a warm drink will be in order today- the temperatures haved cooled & the wind is mighty brisk.

Oooo~ I'm so excited! My Ravelry invite came today; you can find me at megsgarden

What's all the cafuffle?

You know how work sometimes gets in the way of life? That’s been my week so far.

The powers that be have decided that the most cost effective way to add new work areas to our main office is to move the Accounting Dept; I was informed Monday that within the next month, my office space (& my boss’ office) will be moved to another branch. I understand the fiscal motivation- we’re not an income-generating unit, we don’t need to be available to the general public, & that particular facility is being under-utilized (3 desk areas, 2 teller stations, yet only open 3 days a week with one supervisor). But personally, this is throwing my routine into a tizzy.

I am not afraid of change; I think change is good for you...in moderation...with plenty of advanced notification.

What can I say- I like order & stability.

Sue me.

I’ve been riding Meg’s Waffle-Coaster for days (it’s similar to “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride” but with more indecision & a much cooler looking car); what I really need is a list: What does Meg get out of this Chaos?

A new, larger work area (which they have actually consulted me about).

One less wall between me & my boss (loud voice & constant apologies)

Fewer people coming to my desk to interrupt my work flow

More phone calls from people needing my help (all the record files are coming with me)

An outside view

The view is a parking lot

It’s a temporary move

Only one or two years...maybe

Double the drive to work

A monthly mileage allowance

No shops or restaurants within 3 miles

There is a shaded, grassy picnic area & a break room

I won’t be able to go home for lunch

I’ll probably eat less junk

No more afternoon naps

I’ll get more knitting & reading done

The guys won’t be able to drop in for a visit or to help out

I won’t have to listen to my neighbor’s radio all day

I’ll be expected to fill in as an extra teller on paydays

Paydays are every other Thursday

My backup (my boss) is off on Thursdays

Unfortunately, the cons slightly outweigh the pros, but I’m resigned to my fate. Much of the past two days have been spent in “conference” with my boss & various vendors (architect, telecommunications, office equipment sales, etc) trying to get the essentials (that no one else seemed to think about) lined up.

You will be proud to know that I have asserted myself brilliantly, insisting on dedicated phone lines, a solid partition wall instead of glass with an opening (people looking over my shoulder all day? I don’t think so!), & a new copier with multi-functions which I use daily. I’m also going to insist on a new chair; I’ve had this one for 5 years now & it’s pretty well butt-sprung. Oh, another good thing- with the natural light & extra space, I’ll finally be able to have live plants in my work area. I’m looking forward to doing some shopping for essentials to make the office more functional (she’s using folding chairs to hold the microwave & coffee maker, for crying out loud) & a few fun things to make the new location more comfortable.

Do you think a quilted printer cozy would be too much?

BTW- Join me tomorrow for the Make Mine Pink Tea Party & drop by the participants to see how tea is done all over the world!

I had to take this one!

  :: E L I N O R ::

You are Elinor Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see  

 

Take the Quiz here!

---

 

Plans for this weekend are distinctly domestic; other than attending the first football game of the season Friday (the Cross Town Classic, against Tracy High), & doing a turn out at Ravenswood on Sunday afternoon (& possibly Saturday also, giving tours for guests at a wedding being held in the Gazebo, but that’s still up in the air) I intend on spending some quality time with my sewing machine, vegetable bed, & front yard.

Since Sam will be on his last two days of being grounded (yes, he does act up on occasion & I lower the boom), I figured I would take advantage of the slave free labor & get the beds dug up; every thing is looking worn & bedraggled, so I want to give the outside an update before our turn to host our new “House to House” group in the next couple of months.

After participating in a swap recently, I have a new creative interest that I’m considering turning into an income generating one; I’ve been strolling the fabric stores for supplies & am ready to start putting things together. I’m going to test the waters during our garage sale next month & sound out a few people about the level of interest before taking the leap into retail. Yes, I know I’m being cagey & secretive with you, my dear blogging friends; blame it on my Irish heritage, but I’m afraid I’ll jinx myself if I tell all right off the bat.

Lastly, my friend Mrs. Darling at Dishpan Dribble was talking about making personal devotions a priority in her life. As a home schooling mother of three & the consummate home canner, Mrs. Darling’s free time is at a premium; so it caught my interest when she mentioned joining a Joyful Hearts online bible study. I have been convicted by my own lack of time spent on devotions & spiritual growth, by letting service & ministry become my focus. Often, long-term involvement in Music Ministry can become “performance” centered, instead of praise centered; I’ve heard it said recently that Christians are the ones who sing their lies.

Ouch.

Starting this week, I will start walking through Ephesians with hundreds of others; the premise is simple- a weekly emailed lesson, three or four questions sent through the week to encourage deeper reflection, a 20 to 30 minute audio teaching, & an opportunity to discuss with others on a forum. I’m putting this out there to hold myself accountable & encourage my like-minded friends to consider joining.

Hope you all have a lovely, comfortably cool weekend, & take time to treat yourselves kindly. Blessing.  

A bheil sibh 'g iarraidh a dhanns?

(Would you like to dance with me?)

I am sufficiently recovered from all the revelry of this past weekend; it wasn’t the most relaxing games event on record, but everyone agreed that it was plenty of fun.

This year, the weather was not particularly cooperative- the temperatures remained over 100°F, with a fairly high humidity for this area, for all three days- but of course, being rugged Scots, we didn’t let that small inconvenience hold us back. Chris had four days off, so he went in to set up the stage & snag us a parking pass for the weekend. The rest of the group met up at the fairgrounds around 5:30 Friday evening for dress rehearsal (sans the “dress” portion- it was just too blinking hot) & were mercifully done by 7:30, with only one minor casualty- a teenage girl doing double-duty with both adjudication sets, who didn’t heed hydration warnings; but after a couple of dunkings into the ice chest & a banana, she was set back to rights. Afterwards, we went to dinner at a local pub with our friends Sam, Tracy, & their two daughters; it was warm & noisy, but we always have a good time with them, plus I had the best parmesan-garlic fries! There must have been 12 cloves of chopped garlic in the one basket; fortunately, Chris, Sam, & I shared them, so no one was gassed out on the ride home (though the cats were conspicuous in their absence from the bed that night & Poppy gave me pained look when I kissed the top of her head)

We were there from open to close Saturday & Sunday. Most of our time was spent between the clan tents, the shopping buildings (air conditioned, thank the Good Lord), & at the dance venue. Adjudications were held on Saturday- Sam’s group in the morning, & my group in the afternoon- & the prime-time demo performance & audience participation on Sunday. The youth set was invited again to dance in the closing ceremonies- third year in a row! I did manage to slide in to listen to my favorite group, the Browne Sisters & George Cavanaugh, twice over the two days & Chris even had them dedicate a song to me on Sunday, in honor of our anniversary (all together now…Awww) I would highly recommend picking up one of their albums since they only play on the West Coast; they sing Irish, Scots, & modern folk songs, with sweet, lovely harmonies, & George is not only easy on the eyes, he has the kind of deep baritone voice that makes my insides turn to butter & toes curl. (Hey- Chris is a prince among men & the love of my life, but the man can’t carry a tune in a bucket with two handles & a shoulder strap!)

One victim of the extreme heat was my bank account- OMG, I did some serious spending this year! Here is what went home with us:

Two kilts (not the full 8 yd wool- rather the 5 yd poly-viscose, much more sensible for this area)

Two white polo shirts with chest embroidery (on sale $10 each)

A sporran for Sam (the pouch worn on the front of the kilt)

Two sets of sporran clips (kind of like suspenders, but hanging down from the belt)

A set of flashes (the little flags worn on at the top on kilt hose- purchased 10 minutes before Sam’s adjudication set, as he couldn’t find his)

A Forbes clan tie for Sam (it was the closest to our family tartan on the 50% off rack)

Two yards of 21^st Century Tartan (Mama is finally getting a plaid skirt)

A cinnamon brown/camel paisley ruana

Of course, this didn’t include food, my seat for closing ceremonies, or "donations" to the multitude of pubs; it’s a good thing Chris had 45 hours of overtime on this upcoming check & it was time for my semi-annual “extra” paycheck (we are paid bi-weekly, so I budget for 24 pay periods, when I actually have 26).

We had dinner in the camping area with the Fraser/MacLachlan clans both evenings (good folks & great food), sampling everyone’s homebrew, tall tales, & food offerings- we were the lightweights, heading home by 9:00 pm for cool showers & comfortable beds. No injuries, no heatstroke, and no sunburn- I think we can call the weekend a success.

Monday was satisfactorily quiet & uneventful; we all slept in past 8:30, had a leisurely breakfast, & then did a little housekeeping- mostly laundry & vacuuming that couldn’t be ignored any longer. The boys watched some movies & the John Wayne marathon, while I did some shopping for necessities, like hair conditioner& cat food (buy two, get one free- score!), before stopping off at the fabric store for the Labor Day sale. I’m quite proud of myself- I purchased only project-completing items, 2 way cheap patterns, & got out of there for under $25. The evening was spent knitting (Sam asked me to make him some fingerless mitts, but with specific caveats: “No fuzz, no shine, no sparkle- must be black” *sigh*) & watching a wicked funny new-to-us Brit comedy on PBS called “The Vicar of Dibley”; I have a feeling this will be a new Monday evening regular.

Oh, yes- my second new camera this summer arrived on Thursday, just in time for the Games; I bought the same model as before (& paid $60 less *hmmph*) & even figured out how to take video clips. I did one of the kids dancing in the closing ceremonies; if I can reason out how to upload clips, I’ll post it for a while.

And Guinevere- I haven’t forgotten your instructions on posting the completed WIP’s; unfortunately, the shawl is turning out to be a long-term project (6 weeks in & I have only 8 of the 70 inches needed done, I’m almost out of yarn & the one I need is on back order until the middle of October) so you’ll have to wait for that one, but the mitts should work up pretty quickly.

BTW: I just missed it (as I was a little busy this weekend) but Sunday was my one Blogger Birthday; I've enjoyed my time here & have met some wonderful new folks, in addition to my old Space friends I followed over.