Hummingbirds

I went out on the deck this morning to photograph a knitting project when a hummingbird came to the feeder, which is only about four feet away from where I was standing. Other than chattering at me, he/she didn't seem to concerned that I was there so I started snapping photos:







This last one is a bit fuzzy, but I can't believe that I was able to get TWO hummingbirds in one photo!

The invisible woman

Yesterday I took Aidan to a birthday party. It was a pool party and quite a lovely day for it - breezy and sunny, but not hot. I was sitting at a table, under an umbrella (and knitting, of course) when two other moms came over and sat down, one on either side of me. I know both of these women since their boys are in the same Cub Scout den as Aidan.

After we all chatted about this and that, they proceeded to make plans to get their two families together next weekend, talking over me as though I was not there! And this is not the first time they have done this around me. I wonder if they could see me rolling my eyes while they were talking...no, probably not, because I was apparently invisible.

I wish my bad ass alter ego would have kicked in at that moment, saying something pithy like “Thank you for asking, but Aidan and I already have plans” but instead, I just said snarky things in my head.

Good manners - you either have them, or you do not.

Dentist approved candy corn

While I like the look of candy corn, I cannot abide the taste of it - might as well eat pure sugar, in my opinion. But when I saw a pattern for a candy corn hat, I knew I had to make it for Aidan.

I first followed the directions for the medium or child size hat, and did not like the way it turned out - way too pointy at the top. On my second attempt, I followed the medium directions until round 38, where I switched to the large directions; I like the final product much better.

I am not crazy about knitting with acrylic yarn, but it is just the fiber for a novelty child's hat. And the white yarn glows in the dark - too funny!

Aidan was not in the mood to pose, so please excuse the cheesy photos! (He is also recovering from a sty in his left eye, so please excuse the ick)

I call it Dick Cheney

The general Atlanta, Georgia area is under attack from a weather system that has dumped amazing amounts of rain since last Tuesday. The amount of rain that has fallen is absolutely insane and the ensuing destruction is almost impossible to conceive: roads under water, roads washed away, neighborhoods under water or completely cut off.

What amazes me is that this is not a tropical storm or tropical depression or any kind of named weather system, so we can't even refer to it by name. I think that a weather system this awful, this diabolical, this destructive needs a name, so I am calling it Dick Cheney.

"Be thankful that you are one of the lucky ones"

I am tardy in posting the following link to an eyewitness account of 11 September 2001. It was sent to me last Friday via email and it has stayed with me since. I think it is always very important to view your life realistically and to remember that it likely can always be worse.

In the account, Diane Swonk, Chief Economist at Mesirow Financial, recounts what happened to her on that fateful day, and I particularly appreciate the following lines: "Remember those we lost on 9/11 and all those since then, including the casualties of the Great Recession. Take a meal to a family who is hungry, donate a coat to the homeless who will soon have to weather the winter and, for at least one moment, stop blaming and be thankful that you are one of the lucky ones."

A new threat to homeland security

The life of a pampered, indoor cat is not quite as cushy as you might think. In addition to bug patrol, shedding in a continuous, even pattern throughout the house and championship napping, there are always those evil forces that must be monitored. For Spenser, and just about every other domestic cat in the world, the biggest threat to his homeland security has been the vacuum cleaner. When I pull the vacuum out of the closet (not nearly as often as I should), his senses go on high alert and he puts as much distance as possible between him and The Beast. Even the turning of the doorknob on the closet door is enough to make him snap out of a deep sleep.

Now there is a new threat in town: a paper shredder. Our file cabinet is stuffed to the gills and I know there are many papers in there that need to be disposed, but in a safe manner. Two weeks ago Staples had a deal on an 8-sheet crosscut shredder: normally $69.99, it was on sale for $49.99 with a rebate of $20. Our shredder died years ago, so I bought the new shredder and brought it home.

I fired it up for the first time this morning, as I began my tedious evaluation of the file cabinet contents. Spenser was asleep upstairs, but as soon as I started shredding, he came running...and then promptly backed away! It seems that he is both fascinated by and terrified of it. After the initial fright, he hunkered down about fifteen feet away, never taking his eyes off The New Beast.

I supposed I should feel a bit sorry for Spenser, but I don't. I might even unnecessarily shred a few more things just to annoy him!

Bottomless pit

For breakfast this morning, Aidan ate:

• one slice of peanut butter and jelly toast on five grain bread
• one nectarine
• one bowl of Frosted Flakes (he is allowed to have a mini box of sugary cereal as a treat once each weekend)
• one glass of orange juice

And, yes, he will be hungry at lunchtime - in fact, he will probably start asking around 11:15 if we can have lunch. Any wonder that I am concerned about our food bill when he hits the teen years?

Chomping broccoli

This is an actual, unaltered, not retouched photo of my child VOLUNTARILY chowing down on broccoli. And that is his own hand holding the broccoli to his mouth, thank you very much.

Grandma and Aidan bake brownies

It was brownie baking day at my house today - yum!

Quick knit update

My mother is visiting for a few days, so this will be a very quick knit update. I finished this scarf last evening:


A woman in the Handmade RAK group asked for help in making scarves for a friend of hers, who works with terminally ill patients in California. The pattern is called Montego Bay and I made it with South West Trading Company Bamboo - yes, bamboo. It is very dense but yet light and silky. The pattern was a bit monotonous, but I like the drape of the scarf. And I like that it may bring some comfort to someone who is ill.

I also finished my second calorimetry; this one for my friend Heidi, who lives in Pittsburgh:


It is knit from the ever-luscious Malabrigo Merino yarn, in a gorgeous kettle-dyed purple colorway. I found the button at Jo-Ann when Mom and I were wandering around there today, and I think it looks quite cute. I will soon send it to Heidi, and she will have it in more than enough time before the cold winds start to blow.

A scarf for a friend's birthday is in progress, and I just cast on for a hat for Aidan, which looks like a piece of candy corn!