9-18-2011 Pooches

I was able to knit three dog sweaters

while at my son's house this weekend.

Here are two of the three:

9-17-2011 Knife Show

Today DH & I attended a KNIFE SHOW

at the Oak Lawn Pavillion. 

Knife maker Ron Rosenbaugh

www.rosenbaughknives.com

was kind enough to let me photograph his awesome display:

9-16-2011 Friday Night Entertainment

Walked past this Halloween store

on our way to a carnival in Chicago tonight...

DH was looking at the masks...

 and found one that resembles him...

 I don't see much difference, sweetheart! ha.

Then we went to the block carnival

and my son, DIL and her niece road the rides...

DH & I watched.

9-15-2011 FishBowl Martinis

... seemed apropos

for the movie "Coral Reef!"

on our 'date night.'

9-14-2011 The sky is falling...

...so drywaller Rick and his uncle came to the rescue!

9-12-2011 Baby Cocoon

Today I finished knitting this Baby Cocoon

for a friend who is having her first baby!

Now I'll start on a matching hat. :*)

Here are some other pix from the www

(the Ravelry site, I think...)

of babies in their cocoons:

9-11-2011 God Bless America

My new artwork...

purchased at the Beau Arts Fair downtown...

a photograph of the "Golden Jesus" mosaic

(being restored after Muslims plastered over it)

in the Eastern Orthodox Hagia Sofia Cathedral

in Istanbul/Constantinople, Turkey.

Thanks, BFF, for teaching me a bit about ICONS.

9-10-2011 d' Marie

DH & I tried a new restaurant for breakfast this morning.

9-9-2011 At Long Last

I have finally finished knitting the Brioche "Super Scarf"

http://www.indianapolissuperbowl.com/super-scarves/

that I began back on April 2, 2011...

(it took 5+ months to knit this!!!).

It was quite a challenge to teach myself 

this double knitting technique from a book

but somehow I managed, thanks to my stubbornness!!!

Today I mailed my two "Super Scarves" to Indianapolis for the 2012 SuperBowl.

here is a pix of the other scarf I knit:

9-8-2011 Let's fly away!!!

DH & I saw this display

outside of an antiques shop in LeClaire, IA...

I loved these suitcases...

wouldn't they be easy to pick out

on the luggage rack at the airport?!?!?

I left them there for someone else to purchase...

but I was tempted!

9-7-2011 A Smile for Lunch

turned upside down into a frown

at the Bier Stubbe in LeClaire, IA...

Their 'hot German potato salad' is no longer...

now it's warm, mushy and very bland.

And their fabulous 'authentic German sauerkraut' is no longer...

now it's regular kraut that has been colored orange.

Such a bummer... was REALLY disappointed!!!

DH & I see no reason to go back

now that they taken all the German flavor out

and 'Americanized' their food.

So sad.  :-(

9-6-2011 On the Needles

I always seem to have more than one knitting project going at a time.

Currently I have 4 different things on the needles:

2-At-A-Time-Toe Up Wool socks for myself

for cross country skiing this winter...

a prayer shawl for church group... 

~9 more inches to go to complete my second 

100" long scarf

for next year's SuperBowl

http://www.indianapolissuperbowl.com/super-scarves/

~a baby cocoon 

for a friend who is expecting

her first baby!

9-5-2011 GAHC-Praise of Pencils

Several days ago, 

DH & DD and I went to the

German American Heritage Center

for the first time

to check out the Pencil Exhibit:

Praise of Pencils

(since DD has a pencil collection!).

It was wonderful!!!!

http://gahc.org/PraiseOfPencils.htm

Here is a pix from the above link:

9-4-2011 Washed Clean

Yesterday's rain

washed clean

the sky and air and greenery.

The smell of drought and dust is gone.

The view is from my reading/knitting chair.

9-3-2011 Stormy Skies

ominous clouds

in stormy skies

dropped much needed rain onto

parched corn and bean fields

surrounding our neighborhood

9-2-2011 Chocolate Extravaganza!!!

 Inkeepers Jeff and Chef Monica Sudakov

of the Chestnut Street Inn

in Sheffield, IL

(  http://www.chestnut-inn.com/ )

hosted a Chocolate Extravaganza

four course meal tonight...

each course included chocolate.

 The seared shrimp with chipotle chocolate sauce

was our favorite course!!!

And the Mexican hot chocolate

at the end of the meal

was divine!!!

Thank you soooooo much, Jeff & Chef Monica

for all your hard work

and delicious meals!!!

You're the BEST!!!

9-1-2011 Last blast of Summer!

My car and the bank and the tv say 98*F!!!

I'm ready for the cooler days of autumn... sigh.

8-28-2011 Party Time

Our backyard neighbors had a party...

our invite must have gotten lost in the mail...

8-27-2011 Urban Decay @ ULTA

Our local ULTA

hosted an Urban Decay Cosmetics

National Make Up Artists event

where you could go in for a free makeover...

I took these snapshots while waiting for my turn.

Afterwards, I looks so hideous (think... MIMI) that

I immediately went home and washed off all the makeup!

And no, I will not be posting any pix of how I looked...

tho I did take a few.

8-20-2011 FLOATZILLA

Today DH & I participated

in a Guinness Book of World Records attempt

of the world's largest FLOATZILLA.

Not sure when we find out

if we made the world record...

but will update when I do!

8-18-2011 Bon A Petiet

Julia Child and husband Paul

in the house tonight!

Chef Monika and Cathy's tribute

in honor of Julia's 99th birthday on August 15th...

thanks for a wonderfully entertaining

cooking class tonight!

You belong on the Food Network!

8-16-2011 BSJ finished

Now that I've knit this 'practice' BSJ

and have learned how the pattern works

I know of quite a few changes

I'll make next time I knit it!

It was a fun learning experience tho...

first time I've done an I-cord bind-off!

8-14-2011 Coconut Joy

DH, DD & I rode our bikes

7 miles to get some ice cream

after dinner tonight.

I tried 'Coconut Joy' ice cream

for the first time.

It was sunset by the time we got back home.

8-13-2011 Salsa Time

Fresh tomatoes and jalapenos from the garden...

it's salsa time!

8-12-2011 Full Moon

Tonight's full moon

made it difficult to see

the meteorite shower...

8-12-2011 BSJ Progress

Here's a pix of how far I've knitted

on my first BSJ

(see post from 8-5-2011)

and this is what it looks like

when you fold it up:

So far, so good!

8-10-2011 Crazy for Cantaloupe!!!

My cat is crazy for cantaloupe...

she turns her nose up at meat and dairy...

but loves fruits and veggies!

8-8-2011 Over an Inch

Over an inch of rain in 5 minutes!!!

Followed by this beautiful rainbow!

8-7-2011 Welcome Home Newlyweds!

DH & I drove to Chicago today

to welcome home the newlyweds

from their honeymoon

and deliver their wedding gift.

We had lunch with them at a Japanese Steak House

where they prepare the food in front of you

on a Hibachi grill...

very entertaining!