8-29-2010 Bicycle Chain Jewelry

Dear Daughter paid a quick visit last night

while she was in town to wish her BFF a Happy Birthday,

and gifted me with this awesome beaded bracelet

which incorporates bicycle chain parts! Cool beans!

I wore it to church this morning.  :*) 

Thanks so much, DD!

8-28-2010 Mood Lighting

DH added 'mood lighting' to our deck today...

here is what it looks like from up on the deck...

and what the neighbors see from down below...

8-27-2010 Stubborn

If my children had to use one word to describe me

it would be:  S T U B B O R N !!!

Today I unraveled the too-tight 'Regular Bind Off ' Row

on my second knitted sock

and replaced it with a ruffly 'Yarn Over Bind Off': 

and 4 months and 20 days later

(see April 7 post)

I have finished my very first pair of knitted socks!!!  :*)

Class:  $40

Yarn:  $33

Assorted Needles:  $78

Price of socks:  $151

Time spent:  78 hours

over 4 months and 20 days

that I will never get back

Lessons learned:  Priceless!!!

I'm very proud of my STUBBORN refusal to quit!

8-26-2010 Pleasant Surprises...

A pleasant surprise came in today's mail

for my husband

(hot sauces)

and for me

(dessert scones...

butterscotch, cinnamon, and raisin)

...gifts from our dear son!

Thanks so much!

We will enjoy every bite!

8-25-2010 Yarns from Monterey

Just finished these two dialysis sleeves

while on our road trip to Hannibal, MO

this past weekend..

using yarns purchased in Monterey, CA

while on vaca in July...

(see 7-18-10 post)

thanks for taking me yarn shopping

dear sis-in-law!

8-24-2010 Thank You Thongs

Today I beaded these Book Thongs

as 'thank you' gifts

for two special ladies!

8-23-2010 Pretty in Pink

She was throwing sticks

into the rain puddles

8-22-2010 West Ely

Today DH & I attended the dedication

of the new sanctuary

of the Lutheran Church in West Ely, MO

where my grandfather was pastor

for 15 years

during the 1930's to mid 1940's.

Old church is front and right...

new church is back and left.

8-21-2010 Vanity Plates for my SIL

These vanity plates would be perfect

for my dear SIL !!!

8-20-2010 Espresso

My new toy   :*)

8-19-2010 Forces of Nature

The 3rd Thursday of each month

our local I-MAX theatre

serves up martinis, hors d'oeuvres,

and an I-MAX movie.

DH & I always attend...

it's our 'date night.'

This month they showed

NatGeo's 'Forces of Nature.'

AWESOME!!!

8-18-2010 The Expendables

From the trailers, I thought this was going to be a comedy...

but instead, it was

Bloody, horrific violence from start to finish...

not my cup of tea...

I recommend you save your money

and miss this one...

wish I had.

8-17-2010 5th Time's a Charm!

Regular bind off... too tight

K1P1 bind off... too tight

Sewn bind off... too tight

K2tog  bind off... too tight

YO bind off... stretchy enought to get the sock on!

Whooot!

8-16-2010 Turn the AC off!

After a month of temps in the upper 90's

and heat index in the 100's

we finally got a break from the heat

opened up the windows

and turned off the AC!

8-15-2010 Eight Inches

This morning

I chopped 8+ inches off my hair!

8-14-2010 Chick Flick

DH and I went to see a 'chick flick' today

EAT, PRAY, LOVE

8-13-2010 Friday the 13th

A big storm blows in

just in time for the Tug Fest parade...

~it figures~  argh!!!

8-12-2010 Zimmer

I'd love to drive one of these!

It's only about $130,000.00!

8-11-2010 eat...pray...love

Started reading this new book today...

can't wait to see the movie!

8-10-2010 Eyes

Today I took my baby blues

in for their annual eye exam

and was referred

to a cornea specialist

8-9-2010 Yoga

My cat is my best yoga teacher...

meditation...

present moment...

8-8-2010 Tying Up Loose Ends

Today I tied up some loose ends...

tucking in two tails

through the stitiches on the back

with every color change

every two or three rows.

This dialysis sleeve (see 7-18-2010 post)

was made from the leftover yarns

of the others I made while on vacation...

an "End of the Day" pattern, so to speak.

I love how colorful it is.   :*)

8-7-2010 Chestnut Street Inn

Tonight DH & I had dinner at the Chestnut Street Inn

where Chef Monica was serving a Moroccan menu...

YUM!!!

Great service, and the food was divine!

8-6-2010 Thanks Dan!

Thanks, Dan, for the tour and history lesson

about the Hennepin Canal near the QC!

Our friend Dan gave us a tour of the Hennepin Canal

in which goods were shipped

from Chicago to the Mississippi River in the QC

from 1907 until the 1940's.

It was a model for the Panama Canal.

This (above) is the dam at Lock #28.

This (above) is one of the wider areas of the canal

where two ships could pass each other...

the canal had two way traffic.

8-5-2010 Creepy!

Today DH & I went to our local art museum

to view the University of Iowa collection

before it returns to Iowa City

and came across this exhibit titled "SCALE"

which was like walking among sarcophagi

which was kind of creepy!

8-3-2010 Mission Accomplished!

Yesterday and today I was on a mission:

to alphabetize my BE (Bare Escentuals) kits and collections!

Mission accomplished!

I gathered 143 kits/collection and several drawers of singles

after 12 years of using BE makeup (it's FABulous!!!)...

and buying a kit or 2 from each qvc show...

more than I will use in 3 lifetimes!

8-2-2010 I KNEW IT !!!

screen shot from abc's Bachelorette

I knew it!!!
From the moment Roberto stepped out of the limo
and their eyes met...
The romantic in me knew that Ali would pick Roberto!
They are such a cute couple!

8-1-2010 Love, Eyeballs and Mayhem in Chicago

Today DH & I drove to Chicago

to meet our son and his new fiancé.

They drove us downtown for lunch

and to see the new "Eyeball" sculpture...

or as the folks in Chicago call it, the new "eye sore!"

We also got to see mayhem and destruction

in the streets in downtown Chicago...

they were filming the "Transformer 3" movie!

On our way home we got lost leaving Chicago

thanks to tons of road construction,

lane closures and no signage!

Argh~ I hate it when that happens!