Your Opinion Please ...

I have been "collecting" various fibers for a summer wrap for months now. Between stash diving and find a few new ones, I have compiled the following group to use:

I'm going to use these fibers to stripe the fabric, but now need to decide on a main color to use in between each of these. So yesterday I started playing with different colors. Quite a few of these balls have some pale gold in them, so that's what I originally thought I'd like best and started with gold:


I wasn't too sure about the gold - it didn't quite look like what it did in my head (why does that happen so often?). So I then played with a cream color and it turned out like this:


Next was a light brown color:


And finally I played with a tan color fiber:


So, I'd like your opinion on which color you like the most with these fibers. Please judge by color alone since the final fiber will be more of a smooth, shiny (I hope) fiber. I swatched these based on color alone.

So leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

Wanda

July 4 Cookout & Fireworks

We arrived at Mom and Dad's around 6pm arms laden with tomato mozzarella salad, grape salad and peanut butter brownies (with nuts) for dessert. Marc and Matt had fired up the grill and started grilling the kabobs and man they looked good! Mom was toasting the garlic bread and things were really starting to smell wonderful! I had to snap a few shots while waiting to eat:

Papa and Aidan

Aidan, Papa, Cari & Cameron

Cari and Cameron

Dinner was awesome!! The kabobs were all different and were made with onions, peppers, mushrooms, cucumbers (did you know grilled cucumbers taste like dill pickles?), tuna, steak, shrimp and chicken. Yummmm!!!!

Grape Salad
8 - 10 cup grapes, washed & dried
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. vanilla
Brown Sugar
Chopped Pecans or Walnuts

Whip cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla together - I used the mixer. Fold in grapes. Sprinkle brown sugar and chopped nuts on top. Refrigerate overnight.

Tomato Mozzarella Salad
Fresh Mozzarella cheese
Fresh tomatoes
Fresh Sweet Bazil

Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning

I used about 2 slices of cheese per tomato in my salad. Use fresh basil to taste. I'm heavy handed with it. Combine dressing ingredients and toss immediately before serving.

Now for the fun!! Fireworks!!!! Marc was serious about these fireworks! He even made a jig to set them in so lighting multiples at a time would be a breeze - especially with a damn blow torch!! I'm telling you - the boy is crazy! So he and Matt light this set and off they go. Whiz - Bang! - Sparks falling all over the place. What fun! LOL Aidan got scared and Stacey went inside with him. At least one of us had some sense!

Here they are, each with a blow torch mind you, lighting off the second batch. Two or three take off and guess who pulls up? Yup, a police officer. (And the remaning lit fireworks continue to go off.) "Do you know it's illegal to have fireworks in the state of Virginia? They are a fire hazard and dangerous." Marc apologizes and thanks her for the warning and off she goes. Well at least we didn't get a ticket! So let's see, how many minutes did that take? I'm thinking about 5-6 is all. You could hear them going off all over the place. I guess she was busy last night. After she left I made the comment I should've taken a photo of her too. Don't think that would've gone over too well though. So having the plug pulled on fireworks, they got the sparklers out for the kids ...

The kids had a ball with the sparklers after they got the hang of them. But the bugs were getting the best of us and we still had a 40 minute drive home - or so we thought. Stacey called Cameron in to get her pjs on and I started packing up. It was still a while before we got out of there and Cameron crawled up in Cari's lap with a blanket for a little more cuddling. I love her hair cut and she has the bluest eyes you could ever find. What a sweetheart. :)

The drive home drained us of whatever patience we had left. I think everyone in Portsmouth went to the waterfront to see the fireworks and we happened to be heading home the same time they were. I don't know where Portsmouth Police get their traffic training, but in my opinion, they need a new instructor! It took us about 20 minutes to get down Effingham Street to the tunnel. Police were at every corner letting only those coming from the waterfront through. The other three directions of traffic were completely stopped. It was insanity! It wasn't even like the cars were bumper to bumper either. There was plenty of time to stop them to allow the flow of traffic in other directions. We sat there stunned in disbelief that this was happening. It was simply incredible that they would allow one direction of traffic to continue for this long without switching.

Obviously, we did get through eventually. We assumed we were home free. Wrong! There was an accident on the Broad Street Bridge that had the left lane blocked and traffic was lined up for what seemed like miles. Eventually, we made it through that too and the rest of the drive home was pretty uneventul. Finally arriving home about 11:15 after leaving Mom and Dad's at 10:00. So much for our 40 minute drive home!

Oh well, all is good. We had a wonderful time being with family. It could only have been better if Brooke and her family were there too. Until next time ...

The "Experts" ...

Took my very first knitting class several weeks ago. Took the class because it was the "only" way to get the pattern. During one of our recent S&B (Stitch & Bitch) outings, we went to a couple of our local yarn shops. I immediately fell in love with a wrap being displayed in the store. It combined quite a few different colors of yarn to create a stunning striped wrap. And the back was so unique it got our attention. It was a mitered "square" attached to the front panels. I could look at the wrap and see how most of it was done, but since I didn't want to put the time and effort into researching how to do the back on my own I decided to sign up for the class. Regina signed up as well but since the class was on Tuesday nights, Fran couldn't take it.

What fun I had picking out my yarn!! One of my favorite things to do is combine different colors, textures and fibers together, so I was in heaven! I tend to be drawn to blue as a neutral all around color to go with anything since I wear jeans a lot. So after choosing my main color (variegated blues and purples), I started playing with various color combinations. Regina's wrap was going to be in beautiful black, grays and tan with a pop wine color. The class started the following Tuesday night and we left stoked!!

Our first class was simply casting on and receiving the directions for knitting the two front panels. The hardest part of these panels was the color sequences - meaning it was very easy! We were given three weeks to complete these front panels.

All but one student arrived at the second class with both panels, ready to begin connecting the back. Joan, our teacher, demonstrated how to pick up the stitches along the tops of the panels and begin the mitered square to connect them. Regina and I got busy doing just that. Two of the ladies just couldn't seem to get it done correctly and had to "frog" (rip it) a few times before handing their work to Joan to do it for them. These same ladies made several comments throughout the evening about how quickly Regina and I were making progress.

Towards the end of the class, I realized I wasn't completely happy with my stitches where the two panels connected and I had decided to "frog" them and start over at home. As Regina and I started packing up to leave, one of the ladies said, "Well there goes the experts! They're leaving us." I replied, "Well I dont' know about all that ..."

On the way home we were discussing how quickly we should be able to finish the back. After all, you decrease two stitches every front row. As I said this, Regina said, "Every front row on the main color, right?" "Um, no. Every front row period." We looked at each other and I said, "Well I guess I know what you're doing when you get home, huh?" She replied laughing, "Yeah, both of the experts are going to be ripping out and starting over!! Wonder what they'd say to that?" We laughed the rest of the way home. My stomach hurt like I had done about 1000 sit ups!

If only they knew ... and this is what my progress so far looks like:

The Morning After ...

Can we talk (in my best Joan Rivers' voice)? I am exhausted - still. Hell, I don't know why - after all, I did get 5 hrs sleep so what's the problem? It's all worth it though. Kenny is worth just about anything. After coming home from THE party of the year, it's kind of hard to wind down and go to sleep quickly. I have to replay everything in my head over and over again. My throat was raw from screaming and singing to the top of my lungs. My feet were throbbing from standing and dancing (and yes, I use that term loosely). My hands were red from clapping so hard for so long. There is nothing like a Kenny show.

Kenny opened with the high energy song "Live Those Songs Again." He sang our favorites from "Beer in Mexico," "Summertime," "Keg in the Closet," "I Go Back," "Me and You," "Don't Happen Twice," "Back Where I Come From," "Everybody Wants to go to Heaven," "Young," "Big Star" and "Got a Little Crazy" to his famous island songs like "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems" and "When the Sun Goes Down." Of course when the music started for "There Goes My Life" I held my breath wondering if I would be ok this year. I have never been able to listen to that song without crying. When the last verse starts (daughter leaving for college), the tears have a life of their own. I was hoping that since I have lived through that (and survived) I would be ok. Wrong. It was just as bad as it has ever been and, to some extent, felt worse. And it took me a while to recover from it. I guess that song touches me in a special way and is simply too easy to relate to. He always saves "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" for one of the last songs and we all love it. His shirt was completely soaked by the 4th song. From the first moment he stepped on stage until the last moment he left, everyone was up on their feet joining in with the celebration of the moment. There is nothing like a Kenny show.

A Kenny Chesney concert is so much more than just a concert. It is THE party of the year. Yeah, I know I'm repeating myself. But it's so true. We've seen him every year since 2001 and more than once a year quite a few times. In fact, this was our 15th show. Cari and I never get tired of going to his concerts. The energy at his show is unexplainable if you haven't experienced it. To hear nearly 20,000 fan singing every word to every song is something you have to experience to understand. There is nothing like it. Sometimes the fans come close to drowning out Kenny we/they are so loud. I've been to concerts in lots of places and nobody throws a welcome party like we do. Rarely will you see anyone (from 2 to 82) sitting down throughout any part of a Kenny show. And boy does he love it. There is nothing like a Kenny show. He is truly the entertainer of (at least) the decade. Keep coming back Kenny. We'll welcome you every time.


Photos compliments of Cari Troupe from the 2006 show

"Wicked Game" by Lisa Jackson

After having lunch with a dear friend (Panera's Tomato and Mozzarella salad) this afternoon, I came home and finally finished another book - about time. It wasn't the book's fault it took me so long to get through this one - just life getting in the way of my hobbies yet again. I hate it when that happens. You'd think I'd be used to it by now though. Oh well, lots of stuff going on. Anyway, LOVED the book. I haven't read a Lisa Jackson I didn't like yet. Wicked Game kept me turning the pages rather quickly on those occasions I made the time to sit down and read. Each time I had to quit or turn out the light because my eyes were closing, it was accompanied with some grumbling. And no, I didn't figure it out on my own either. I had to read until the very end. I love it when that happens. I hate, though, that the book ends wide open leading you to a sequel. I don't even know if there will be a sequel, but the ending left me with more questions than answers. I'll be researching her book list for related characters and places that flow from one to the other. Iris Johansen has quite a few books that continue characters and story lines. Makes it easier to get into the book for me when I have at least a little of the background on someone.

So, this one gets 4-1/2 stars out of 5 for me. Have no clue what's next. With so much going on this weekend, I probably won't pick up a book until next week. For now, I'm off to see Kenny tonight!

An eye opening experience

During a spontaneous moment Tuesday night friends of ours decided to go online and see what kind of seats were available for the Doobie Brothers / Bad Co. concert at the amphitheater the following evening. When he discovered he could still get some great seats, he bought four tickets. Then they called Bob and me to see if we wanted to go with them. "Sure, why not?" we said. I have listened to country music for so long now, I really wasn't sure what to expect. I knew they (the band members) would be old, but damn, did they have to LOOK so old?

A couple of the old farts still had long hair - and I mean L-O-N-G hair. And not only long, but grey long. Not attractive at all. The sax player at least groomed his a bit so that helped ... some. Guitar man's (notice I have no clue what these guy's names are) hair was so long the ends were hidden behind his guitar - and it was stringy, not groomed. Do they really think this looks good? I mean, this is the 21st century. We've all (mostly) grown up, at least a bit. I guess some of us have just gotten older and not really grown up. Hopefully though, we've learned to take care of ourselves, somewhat anyway, and try to present our best side to the public. Let me tell you, if these were their best sides, it wasn't pretty. Oh and the other guitar man ... wow. It was hard to take my eyes off of him to even look at the others. His smile was, how do I say this - well, unbelievable - even from a distance. His TEETH! They looked like they were way too big for his mouth. It appeared he had mistakenly grabbed his grandpa's teeth (and grandpa's mouth must be a bit bigger than his own) instead of his set.

Sorry, I digress - but these are the things that jumped out at me immediately. The music? The music was great - if you like the Doobie Brothers. There were quite a few songs I remembered from my teenage years, and have heard here and there on the radio since then. There were quite a few songs I couldn't get into though. Bob (husband) had informed me prior to the show that the Doobie Brothers were a soft rock band and that I would like them. Hate to tell you, but if that's how Bob defines soft rock we must read different dictionaries. I did have a good time though. Yes, you would've seen me up on my feet clapping and singing at different times. And yes I did the "Wanda" dance too - not much to it but it's my dance.

Sitting in front of us was a couple that proved to be quite entertaining during the concert as well. The guy sort of spoke to us when we first sat down, so he was friendly - we discovered during the show just how friendly he could be ... especially to the woman he was with. I have to tell you about his hat. Apparently, I wasn't very observant in the beginning because this didn't jump out at me until a bit later. But the material this hat was made out of had beautiful butterflies and flowers all over it - in beautiful blues, purples, yellows, etc. Damn if it doesn't take a hell of a man to wear a hat like that proudly. I leaned over and told Bob I was going to get my friend, Fran (she's an awesome seamstress) to make him one like that for special occasions. :) He just smiled and thought, "Yeah, right." Little does he know ...

Now for my observations about Bad Co. The first thing that struck me was, yes they're old too, but it appeared they had accepted their aging a bit more gracefully than some of the members of the Doobie Brothers. A couple of them weren't sporting grey hair - it was snow white! Hey, at least they still had hair. During some of their songs it really looked ironic to see these really old men playing the kind of music they were playing. You think of grandpas sitting and listening to more of the "Lawrence Welk" type of music. This was definitely not "Lawrence Welky." I didn't recognize as many of their songs as I did from the Doobie Brothers, but all in all I enjoyed most of it. I was very surpised that Bad Co was more mellow than the Doobies. Even the songs I didn't know, I liked. Don't get me wrong - I'm not rushing to iTunes to download these guys to put on my iPod. I'm still a country girl at heart ... but I can return to my childhood once in a while - on the radio.

Bad Co must bring out the beast (not best) in some people. Butterfly man, in front of us, became quite the entertainer during this set. He was singing his heart out to his love, and there was no doubt how he felt about her. Moving suggestively and rubbing his hands all over her body (and yes, I mean ALL OVER) were, apparently, necessary. When they sang "Feel Like Making Love" I was afraid he was going to seriously show us what the song meant right there in front of us, God and everyone else. At another point during a different song, he was "combing" his hand through her hair. Still not sure what that was about. It looked like he was checking her for ticks (Brad Paisley fans will know where this comes from). Quite the show within the show.

In addition to "Butterfly Man," "Feel Like Making Love" brought the best (or should I say worst) out of "Drunk Guy" sitting beside us - correction, standing beside us. He managed to contain himself until that song. He was singing for all he was worth and gesturing and whooping and hollering - really getting into the songs. Keep in mind that during a song here and there we would enjoy standing to get a better view and "move" a bit. Well, that simply wasn't good enough for him. He leaned over (with his almost full beer sloshing all over the place) and asked why we weren't up on our feet. Rick was sitting closest to him so he got the brunt of this. Rick just smiled and nodded and remained seated. Well hells bells, the guy just wouldn't leave us alone! So eventually, we all (yes, even Bob) stood just to appease the guy. Then that wasn't enough - he was having some kind of conversation with Rick and every once in a while he'd look over at the rest of us. At this point, I tugged on Bob's arm to switch places with him putting me one space further away from "Drunk Guy." We continued to stand (he wouldn't let us sit in peace!) and he continued try and include Rick (and now Bob because Regina had done the switch move with him too) in conversation. Conversation. You know he has to be drunk because no one can have a freakin' conversation during most any kind of concert, much less a Bad Co concert!

At some point I looked over and Rick was gone - nowhere to be found (and he never came back)! I asked where he went and was told, "to the bathroom." Uh huh. Yeah right. He freakin' escaped!! That left Bob next to "Drunk Guy." ROTFLOL. Bob leaned over to tell Regina something and the next thing I know she is laughing so hard she's got tears rolling down her face. I didn't find out until after the show what the hell was so funny. At least the guy was a nice drunk and not a mean one.

Walking out to the car Bob filled us in on a few things. "Drunk Guy" was on vacation from up-state New York and was headed back home "in the morning." Good luck on that drive buddy - hope your wife wasn't as snockered as you were. The boy wasn't feelin' any pain last night but I can guarantee you he did today! The little tidbit that made Regina laugh til she cried was "Drunk Guy" asked Bob if I was his daughter! Wow! I'm not even going there ...

Tonight I'll be much more at home ... I'll be back at the amphitheater for the Kenny party!

And Happy Birthday (Tuesday) to my nephew, Brian!!

Our Precious Blessing ...

Exactly one week ago after more than 25 hours of labor on June 15, beautiful little Morgan Nichole Perry made her way into this big old world weighing 7 lbs. 4 oz. and 20" long at 10:48pm. Words cannot begin to express the multitude of emotions at that moment. Witnessing the miracle of birth is, without question, awesome. Witnessing the miracle of your very own grand daughter entering this world is breathtaking. She is so perfect in every way. She is beautiful, of course - that's a given. But more than that, this little one has brought our family together more than you could ever imagine, as only babies can do. I will always be eternally grateful for that.

You know that babies are born knowing their Mom's and Dad's voices. But seeing it in action is something to behold. As Morgan was lying on the table to be weighed, measured, foot-printed, etc., her dad bent close to her head and started talking softly to her. She immediately became quiet and just listened to his voice. Needless to say, she had to be passed around for everyone to steal a few minutes with her. She pretty much fussed with everyone else but became quiet and content as soon as she was placed back in her mother's arms. Amazingly, she was wide eyed and took it all in, looking around at all these new faces.

And "Gammy" is born. After months of trying to "pick a name" for myself, I finally settled on "Gammy" even if only temporarily. Who knows what she'll end up calling me. I'm sure I'll answer to anything - hell I already do! This precious little girl is going to share her life with four aunts, and is the first grand baby to all three grandmas. Wow! I guess if it's possible to love one too much, she's got a chance huh? It's been a hectic week, but I wouldn't have missed one opportunity to snuggle and love on that precious bundle.

And here's a few more hospital shots:


I got a little rocking time in after the ordeal of coming home from the hospital. :)


Just look at that face!!!


Obviously more photos coming later. For now a new grandma signing off ...

Magic & the Modern Girl

I finished the third and, so far, final book in Mindy Klasky's "Magic and the Modern Girl" last night at 12:45am. Even though this type of book is not typically my preferred genre, I really did enjoy reading something different. I must've enjoyed them to read all three books and try to research when the next one comes out. I will definitely keep my eyes open for more of Mindy's books in the future.

For now I will most likely go back to one of my staple authors (Iris Johansen, Nora Roberts, Karen Robards, Lisa Jackson, Karen Harper, Linda Howard, Sandra Brown, etc.) for my next book.

Cari and I fixed our treasured tomato and mozarella salad for lunch - with fresh basil picked from my new basil plant. Yummmm. Life is good. Remember, it's the little things.

Until next time ...

QB

Lessons Learned ...

Confession: I didn't go to the gym today. In fact, I haven't been since before we left for vacation. Honestly, I don't think I've been since Cari moved back home from college. UGH! That's not good. I need to get back to the gym. In light of that news, going for a bike ride after dinner tonight sounded like a really good idea ... one would think.

Last fall I took the bikes in for an annual tune-up. Everything checked out and they went back in the garage. I thought I was gonna use 'em. Had every intention of using them. In reality, not so much. So, they've pretty much been sitting since they were all gussied up. The weather was so beautiful today even I wanted to be outside. That's saying something. I'm not much of an outside person. I don't like the heat. I don't like to need a shower every time to come in from outside - translated, I don't like to sweat. I don't like the bugs (mosquitoes). Anyway, point made. I wanted to be outside today. I enjoyed a cup of coffee with my book for while this morning. Therefore, after dinner a bike ride sounded like the perfect way to end the day.

Here comes the first lesson - As I rolled my bike out to the driveway I noticed the tires needed a bit more air. No problem, right? We have a pump, right? It's hanging on the wall by the bikes. After several attempts at pumping more air into one tire, I tried readjusting the nozzle because it just didn't feel as if I was accomplishing anything (except working up a sweat - I don't like to sweat, remember?) After a couple more attempts with the same results, I called on Cari's expertise to see if she could get the damn thing to work. She finagled with the nozzle to the point of letting all the air out of the tire. Well that worked, huh? At this point I'm huffing and puffing (and sweating). I saw "screw it" to myself and run in the house to get the phone. I'm calling in backup resources - my neighbor - the one who's moving. I know she has a bike pump because she has three kids on bikes all the time. She says it may be packed up ... I wait. Jackpot! She found it!

So I ask the obvious question, "May I borrow it?"

"Of course," she replies.

My next question, "May I borrow you too?"

"Why?" she wanted to know.

"Because I want to make sure it's not the operator instead of the pump" I answer.

She walks up to the tire, attaches the pump nozzle and starts pumping air ... Oh My Freakin' God! It worked!!!! The pump actually worked!! Woohoo! We're in business! By now I'm starting to feel like I'd already been there and done that, but we'd put way too much effort in this to abandon the idea now. After she finished topping all all four tires, I asked her to test my pump out ... just so I'd know. So she attached the nozzle and after a mere three pumps stopped and said, "Yep, it's broken." UGH! Now I know. Guess where it went? It did not pass GO, collect $200, or ask forgiveness - it went straight to the trash can. That was Lesson #1 - buy a new bike pump.

Lesson #2 - Cari and I set off on our leisurely ride through the neighborhood. We really didn't have any destination in mind - we just wanted to enjoy the ride. We hadn't gotten too far down the road and I'm already experimenting with my gears. For some reason even the light gears felt a little stiff to me. Cari's lazily riding along, gaining more and more distance on me while I continue to fumble with my gears. After a few more minutes she slows down and waits for me to catch up wondering why I'm moving so slow. I have no reasonable answer to that.

In addition to my slow progress, I'm beginning to breathe a bit heavily - and to be honest, that's putting it a bit mildly. Cari and I continue along - on our leisurely bike ride. Another mile or so and I am about dying!! All kinds of things are running through my mind. I'm really getting concerned about my state of fitness. I really need to get to the gym! I had no idea I was so out of shape I couldn't even take a bike ride! I mean, hell, we took bike rides in Kiawah and it didn't wear me out like this. What the hell is going on here? I wondered if it was because of my asthma. I wondered if I was gonna pass out. I wondered how the hell I was getting home!

OK, I had to stop. As I got off the bike my poor legs were just shaking. I'm huffing and puffing ... and, yep you guessed it, sweating. As I tried to move my bike up level with Cari's I had a moment of revelation ... my bike wasn't rolling as easily as it should have. Hmmmm. When I checked the front brakes, they didn't move. In other words, they were already pressed against my front tire. I had ridden all that way with the brake on!!! You don't even want to know what went through my mind. It wasn't PG. It probably wasn't even R.

Now Cari starts to giggle. "It is so not funny!" I retorted - while I started giggling. It really wasn't funny though. Although I do have to say, I felt incredible relief at discovering why I was so winded and dying. The problem was how to adjust them so I could get my friggin' bike home! Cari suggested calling AAA as she laughed. I found a screw on the handle that turned easily so I tried adjusting it hoping maybe that would help with the brakes. Well hells bells, I don't know what it went to but it fell slam out - and didn't loosen the brakes either.

I don't know what other kind of fiddling I did to accomplish a wee bit of loosening, but the wheel turned slightly easier than before, so we mounted and set off again. Amazingly, it felt like a normal bike ride. I wasn't winded and dying just trying to keep up with Cari's slow pace. At least the second half of our "leisurely" bike ride was nice. For now the opponent is in the garage. Tomorrow it will go back to the "shop" and get readjusted again. Lesson #2: check the damn brake BEFORE you leave the driveway. That's enough for today ... dontchathink?

Some FOs (Finished Objects)!!

I've been researching some soft, lacy spring and summer scarf patterns for accessories. I love the results of this very simple "knit 1 knit 1 in the stitch below" scarf. I used a thin, soft cotton on size 11 needles so the stitches would be open and airy. I can't wait to wear it!

I finally finished this "Beachy" dishcloth set for a dear neighbor who's moving away next week. I wanted her to have something to remember us by. The variegated one is a simple slip stitch pattern; the yellow a starfish; green a seahorse and the blue a dolphin. The starfish and seahorse patterns are from Knitted Kitty Creations. I got the dolphin pattern from Knitting Knonsense. I love the way they turned out.

No baby update ... still waiting ...