We’ve decided to forego any kind of VD dinner so we can just spend some time here at home with the kiddies – maybe we’ll order pizza? The best Valentine’s Day ever!
Feb 13th is the anniversary of the day that Gerry actually fell in love with me (I held out for another week or so…) so it’s a sweet time for us. I fixed him some chicken, he was won over! Maybe I’ll just make him chicken tonight…
While at the Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet Out, I ran into a friend of a friend (Annie Adams – she makes the most beautiful jewelry and knitting notions) and she gifted me with some knitting accoutrement to use in a new design.
And the earrings – well, I’m totally in love with them. Hannah immediately noticed them at the airport, which made me feel very – well, oddly special and quite “hip” (as the kids say these days, “dawg”…)
It’s very inspiring stuff, and – having just received the IK Winter Themes and a box of Vermont O-Wool for another design – I’m in inspiration heaven!
I had such a wonderful time with my cousin – it’s such a delight to spend time with her! Aside from being one of the kindest folks I know, she’s funny and we get each other’s jokes – we have the same sense of humor.
After her chemo (not radiation – I misspoke in my previous blog post) she was feeling good enough to have lunch so we met her sister in law and laughed and laughed all through lunch!
Another cousin (My dad’s sisters’ daughter, who – because of our odd family and my mom’s late childbearing years – is more like an aunt) joined us and we laughed some more. I think in my few days there I was able to stop by and visit with just about everyone with whom I still have some kind of tie – that would be 4 – but mostly I got to spend some time with my cousin.
I spent a lot of time on this trip photographing the ground.
I took photos of my parents markers at the Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Parkersburg.
Everything was snow covered, but I found their graves immediately.
My mom’s looks so – bare – compared to all the info that’s on my dad’s. I’m wishing now I would have put “Mother, Wife, Daughter, Aunt, Patriot…” or something like that on hers.
Then I found some beautiful street bricks in Marietta (pre-asphalt all the streets were like this in town) I found a place where I could get a shot of all 4 types of bricks. Yes, I’m a very exciting person with whom to spend time.
During one of our long drives to Marietta I casually mentioned that I’d read a few years ago about an outbreak of “Mad Squirrel Disease” in Kentucky – a series of symptoms they’d traced to the eating of Squirrel brains. We were smug.
In WV there’s a totally unearned superior attitude about Kentucky… I’m sure it goes both ways.
And – how often does THIS happen in a week – I just turned on the radio to hear a live national show from LA discussing the same thing. Once again, my finger is firmly on the pulse of the Squirrel eating nation.
The drive up to Pittsburgh felt long – but I gauged the gas perfectly and as I pulled into the rental garage the “Low Fuel” light came on. I hate doing the pre-pay and then returning the tank full.
I slept more on the flight than I usually do, resting. Rest is very good. And knitting a little, and taking photos of the scary snow out the window. And I read.
And then the kids – the husband – all at the airport and all wonderful!
Knit Out
This weekend is the Great American Knit Out at the Mall of America. I’m doing a free demo on Combination Knitting at 11:00 on Saturday
(by the Sears, where America Knits) and – perhaps – competing in the fastest knitter. They don’t make it easy to figure out the times for that competition…
If you’ll be near Bloomington, I’d love to see you! If it’s a really big crowd I’ll probably just stand and yell at people, that should be amusing…