Monday, August 11, 2008

Getting in Touch with My Inner Caroline Ingalls

People, I have a new obsession: Knitting. Carol taught me while we were in Colorado last month and I got started straightaway on a beautiful baby blanket. Which I promptly tore out after I'd completed about 5 inches. They say that baby items are good projects for beginning knitters because they're small and you get the satisfaction of completing a project fairly quickly. But they should clarify that baby blankets don't count, because man do they go slowly. And when you're done with all that hard work basically all you have to show for it is a big square. What fun is that? Answer: No fun. So I tore out my blanket and started over on a simple boat-neck (read: no shaping around the neckline, so easy-peasy) baby sweater. I knitted up the front, back, and two sleeves in no time flat. See the sort of wonky stitches here and there? My new BFF knitting teacher at Unraveled yarn store in Monrovia assures me that those will magically straighten out after the first hand washing.Next came blocking, which is when you pin out the pieces to their correct dimensions and either steam them or dampen them and let them dry in place. As you can see, I went a little overboard and used like a million pins. Because I'm a perfectionistic freak and wanted it to be just right. Then I sewed the pieces together, which required a little in-person assistance (hence my bonding with the gals at Unraveled last Friday afternoon), and voila! A baby sweater! It looks sort of drab and plain displayed such, so Henry came down to model for you. Look at that perfectly shaped cuff. I made that, people! Henry was especially excited about the next project I'd started--a little baby beanie--so he wanted to give you a preview. But then, being the anal retentive obsessive type that I am, I finished said hat a couple of hours later. So here it is, too. My second ever knitting project completed in one afternoon.How cute is that? After seeing it, Matt asked if I know how to make anything in "normal sizes," so yesterday I went out and bought a big book of hat patterns. For grown up people heads. So if I know you, you can pretty much count on getting a big wooly hat or cap from me sometime in the future. And I don't care if we're in California where it rarely gets below 60 degrees on the coldest afternoon of the year: You will wear it and you will like it.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Dr. Horrible

Are you a Joss Whedon fan? How about Neil Patrick Harris? If so, welcome to my circle of love and friendship. And then go here and watch Act I of Dr. Horrible. Not a fan? You will be. (Be advised, the free online airing of this web series will only be available through Sunday!)

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Spacelady Resurfaces

Sorry to steal a Dooce-ism, but I owe you an apology, Internet. You've been neglected and downright ignored for far too long, and I'm sorry. Sorry that my online peeps have had to come here looking for an update and instead seen nothing but rusty mailboxes day after day. Can I confess something? I've been slacking off on more things than just blog posting. My Project 365 photo challenge? I haven't taken a single photograph in well over three weeks. And I'm not even sorry about that. My exercise regime? Nonexistent as of late. Matt and I went swimming the other night and I swear I thought my lungs would collapse after two laps. My bathroom floor? Thick with toilet paper dust bunnies (why does toilet paper generate so much dust?). Truly, it's a sad and pathetic state of affairs. On top of that I just haven't . . . well . . . how do I say this nicely? The truth is I just haven't felt like talking to you, Internet. Blogging hasn't turned out to be like what I expected it to be. I thought I'd feel free to rant and wax philosophical and be funny and deep and sincere--all the things I'd like to think I am at the truest core of me. But instead I've come to view this blog as yet another place where I need to censor myself. Be careful what I say and how I say it, because who knows who's reading it? I don't worry about the people I don't know at all who somehow found me here in my little corner of the web, or the friends-of-friends or distant acquaintances. But what about my parents? A coworker? Friends? Will they be offended? Think I'm full of myself or hateful or unkind? Or, worse yet, affected and insincere? And another thing, Internet? I'm not a very trusting person. I'm pretty guarded and private, actually, and have always been extremely careful about who I let splash around with me in my kiddie pool of neuroses, fears, traumas, and even joys, successes, and spiritual insights. So I'm just not sure I'm capable of opening up to you, Internet, and really being myself. This last year has been one of the most transformative and spiritually enlightening of my entire existence, yet I haven't shared any of that here. I wonder if I could, or if I even want to. Because do I really want to deal with all the people in my life who read this blog knowing that much about what I'm thinking and feeling and then commenting on it whenever I see or talk to them? Maybe the only way I could be that honest is if I started a new totally anonymous blog and told not a single soul that it was mine. Just put it out there, and if people stumbled upon it and connected with something I had to say and wanted to comment or dialogue about things, then great. But if not, so what? On the other hand, I think that kind of blog has already existed for eons, and it's called "a diary."

Friday, June 6, 2008

Project 3six5: Day 31

Something we see when we walk through the more rural equestrian areas near our house.

Project 3six5: Day 30

Flowers from my sweet husband and candlelight make for a cozy evening.

Project 3six5: Day 29

Praise band rehearsal tonight.

Project 3six5: Day 28

Gas prices suck.

Project 3six5: Day 27

This is what you get for your daily shot when at 11:00pm you realize you haven't taken a single picture all day.

Project 3six5: Day 26

Our kitchen is done. Thank you, God.

Project 3six5: Day 25

Evening sky from the parking lot of our second home (aka Home Depot).