Cats, Dogs & Knitting

Random Thoughts (again)

1. Misty and Molly seem to be quite calm and are getting along fairly well this weekend. Karen's out of town. Is there any correlation?
2. There are some adorable dogs on the Animal Planet Dog Show from Harrisburg, PA tonight. It's amazing how different the dogs at the dog show look than the dogs at home. If I were going to get a dog, I have no idea what kind I would get. There are so many adorable ones out there. For now, I'll stick with a cat.
3. I finished the Summer Scabbard today. It called for a Kitchener stitch bind off but I just couldn't bring myself to try it. I did do a sewn K1P1 bind off that turned out very well. It's blocking now and hope to have pictures tomorrow.
4. Some family with medical needs at the moment. Hoping and praying all are well.
5. Talked to my cousin Cullen today....never realized how much he sounds like his Dad. I guess I've never talked to him on the phone before to notice. It's funny how that happens in families. My brothers sound so much alike, my mom and I sound alike...funny.
6. I'm tired. G'night.

But......A Love/Hate Relationship

But......I really detest that word BUT I use it all the time. For some reason, I caught myself today using it in the context of "well, I know I (insert verb of your choice) too BUT at least I recognize it. Really? So what? Does that really make it any better. Does it really let me off the hook? On the other hand, it an option that's so convenient to access and slip into just about any sentence where I'm comparing myself to someone else. BUT what's a girl to do?

Sleep is Highly Overrated

Here it is 4:46 AM and I've been up for a half an hour. This is the third consecutive day that I've been awake at this awful hour and haven't been able to go back to sleep. I've been spending this time in the morning practicing different bind-off techniques. I am at the bottom end of my top down sweater and the pattern calls for a kitchener stitch bind off. Well, not being one to want to get overly fussy with this 200 stitch (in the round) with a big ass cable on either side...i definitely don't want to have to try to split the stitches onto 2 needles. I did give it a go on a swatch and it looked horrid. So, I've been trying different methods that I've found. Many people like Elizabeth Zimmerman's sewn bind off. It is definitely the easiest method I've found. If the goal is to stay flexible and stretchy with the bind off, this one definitely gets the job done and it looks pretty good too. Then there's the K1P1 Rib (Invisible) sewn bind off that I found in my Vogue Knitting book that is still a bit fussy but you don't have to split the stitches on to two needles. I really like the looks of this one. It too is stretchy but it has potential for a screw up about halfway through the binding off process if I don't pay attention to it. So, my 4:53 AM plan is to try another swatch using the invisible K1P1 bind off and see if I can be a bit more consistent. Then I plan to spend time this weekend just focusing on getting this sweater off the needles. Here's the cool thing though....even though I'm not going to use Kitchner stitch, I have now tried it and I understand it better. Plus in the process I have learned that there are other bind off methods that I can use and that I have tried. I can see the attraction of the EZ Sewn bind off as it is very simple and not error prone and does lay nicely. So, all this learning is good. Now I just have to forge ahead.

I Think I Should Stop Counting the Days

Well, I'm thinking that this self reflection kick I've been on might be waning a bit. I found an interesting article from Harvard Business Review on the Dangers of Feeling Like a Fake. It caught my eye because for many years Mom & I have joked about being a part of the "fake it" family. It talked about people being very successful at work and yet feeling like they were going to be found out for not really knowing what they are doing. It's also not an uncommon phenomena and like anything else, there are varying degrees of it. It's given me a lot to think about (which by the way, I am really tired of doing these days) and to be more aware of. It is a lifelong journey and I realize that I can't be complacent about that anymore. I really want to be aware of these types of things and intentionally act differently.

The weekend has been a good one so far. Saw Harry Potter on Friday night. It was really good. It's fascinating to see how the characters have grown up and aged. Yesterday, I went to San Diego to just do something different. It took TWO hours to get there. The traffic on I-5 was bumper to bumper from about Camp Pendelton to around Mission Beach. There were a few places where it lightened up but it was a bit ridiculous for a Saturday. Thank goodness it didn't take that long to get back to OC. The harbor area is absolutely beautiful...so many sail boats.

Today was manicure/pedicure day. It's nice to have someone take sandpaper to my feet to get rid of the calluses - even if it is temporary. I'm now going to either do work work or knit a swatch to practice kitchner stitch. I'm almost done with the sweater and the hem is done with a kitchner stitch to bind off. I've never done it before so I thought I'd practice first. It would really stink if I got to the bottom of this sweater (it's knit from the top down...one of the best ways to knit a sweater in my opinion) only to screw up the bind off.

That's it for today.

Days Three and Four

How in the world did it get to be Thursday? Also, how in the world has it been 40 years since the landing on the moon? I remember being in the family room on Myer Terrace watching that. Wow!

So, someone said to me yesterday that the times when I am doing excellent work are the times I feel the worst about myself. I do think there's an element of truth in that. It's an odd sort of conundrum that I need to ponder some more but I know that I do have a hard time when people tell me that something is successful because of my work or that I did an excellent job at something. I mean, I am proud of the work I do but there's some sort of goofy Catholic guilt that comes in to play where I hear in the back of my head that pride is a bad thing. Geez....I thought I had worked through a bunch of this before. Maybe it's all a progression. I had worked through what I could in the past, now I'm ready to work on more. Does it ever get easier?

I'm not sure what I'm going to do this weekend. I'm having the much needed "Gray Be Gone" day tomorrow. I always look forward to that. I'll be seeing Harry Potter tomorrow evening. I have some work to do.....not sure what else. I keep thinking that I might need to go to the beach and do some reading this weekend. We'll see. There's always knitting.

Day Two...How Long Can I Keep This Up?

The project at work is coming along well. I am thrilled that I'm going to be able to work with some people that I haven't had the opportunity to work closely with in the past.

I was noticing today how I respond to some people without even thinking about it. I don't mean I'm not paying attention to what I'm saying. I mean that I have a reaction to some individuals that is automatic. Why do I do that? Is it some sort of protective mechanism? I have also noticed that some of my previously passive aggressive tendencies have slipped back into my repertoire. I notice that when I begin to doubt myself that these characteristics start to creep into my everyday life. I know that my confidence has been shaken lately, that I've had some disappointments that push the "I'm really not good enough.....you think way too much of yourself" button. That's a big one for me. I need to work through this but I'm not sure exactly how to do this right now. I'm going to have to think about this some more.

Well, there it is. Today's ramblations....(I think I just made that word up.)

This is What Happens When Facebook Takes Over...

April.....really, I haven't posted on this blog since April? Wow. I've been thinking about this lately and wondered what's been going on that has stopped me from posting on the blog.

Some Random Reflections:

• In some respects it's easier to post on Facebook because I know I'm connected to others whereas on this blog, only a few people read it.
• Twitter requires that I only think of something that's 140 characters long so there is no long term commitment to updating my status on Twitter.
• A blog does allow me to develop my thoughts and post pictures and tell a story.
• Sometimes I think that my perception that I'm not as creative a writer as I once thought I was is related to not writing my thoughts down.
• I don't think that Facebook and Twittering really expand my brain like blogging does. Although I think keeping a journal might have the same effect as blogging.
• I think I don't spend enough time doing things that really enrich my life and mind.
• I spend too much time thinking about the things I have to get done or thinking that I only have xxxx amount of time until I have to do other things.
• I think I need a vacation from myself.
• I think being engaged in your own life must be a conscious effort. Sometimes it requires more energy than I have.
• I put pressure on myself about blogging. "I have to have pictures." "I have to have something witty to say." Blah Blah Blah.

So there you have it. Months of waiting for a new post and this is what comes out. Enjoy!

Happy Monday.

Are you EVER going to write again?

Hi There-

I was talking to my Mom the other day and she wanted to know why nobody blogs anymore? Is everyone doing Facebook? Well, for me it's yes but no. For me it's trying to find my voice. I have been doing Facebook a lot but that doesn't really require a lot of coherent thought. At work, I've been doing a fair amount of writing and when I think about trying to write for the blog, I feel like I'm sucked dry. But, Mom's right, even though hardly anyone reads this, I need to do some catching up.

Let's see....I'm trying to figure out how it got to be April 5th already. I know I say that every year but this year seems to have slopped by exceptionally fast. I'm sure some of it is that work is busy and some is just the normal consequences of getting older.

Knit Projects

I've been working on a sweater called Silver Belle. The pattern is a Debbie Bliss pattern from the 25th anniversary edition of Vogue Knitting. I've had my eye on the pattern for a while and was waiting to figure out who I would make it for. Well, I finally decided to make it for one of the girls at work. It was a moderately complicated knit with a lot of different cable patterns, bobbles, etc. It was fun to do but there were times when I just wanted to do some plain old garter stitch and I would put it down for a while. I finally finished it last weekend and I'm very proud of it. I love the color, I love the cables, I love the buttons I got for it and it fits the recipient perfectly.

Once that was done, I started a Moderne Log Cabin Baby Blanket for my friend Rose to give to her friend. It's really nice and will look great in a boys room. I am thankful for the opportunity to do just garter stitch. I don't even have to look at what I'm doing and the most complicated thing I have to do is count garter ridges. I do think I'm going to use an applied I-cord for the border. I haven't ever done one but think it will look very nice.

MDSW

I have to travel to Baltimore for business at the end of the month. It just so happens that Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival are the weekend following the conference so I'm going to stay over and go. I've been to Rheinbeck and loved it so I hope MDSW will be equally as nice. I'm saving room in my luggage for yarn. I'm looking for the next project so who knows what I'll end up with.

Cats

Since the addition of Molly in December, life has been a bit disrupted around the house. Misty hasn't been very happy about the fact that there is another furry cat in the hourse. Over the past several weeks, things seem to be mellowing out a bit. If Molly will just get over the need to use Misty's litterbox and eat her food, we'll be good. Molly is adorable but aggravating at the same time.

I've just run out of steam with my words so I'm going to go do my taxes. I know, I have another 9 days, what's the rush.....right?

48 Question Meme....Now You Do it.

Originally posted on my Facebook page. 48 Questions... I did it, now it's your turn. (Really only 46....they left two of them out.)

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?My mother had a friend in college named Mary Pat and she and my Dad liked that name so, voila....Mary pat is it. Besides that, it’s such a good Irish Catholic name (Mary Patricia that is.)

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?I had my own little breakdown during a private discussion about a very intense work project. It totally blew me away and I realized it was my own little episode of post traumatic stress.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?Not so much. It’s very nurse like.....rushed, sometimes a little hard to read.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Ham.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?No kids....fabulous nieces and nephews and my own cat daughter.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?Yes, I think I
might think I’m a bit aloof but I would also know that it wasn’t true.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM? I believe I started the club....although, do we really need a club?

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?Nope......gone at the age of 22.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?Only if I was under the influence of general anesthesia. That whole heights thing really gets to me.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?Raisin Bran, Honey Nut Cheerios, Life.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?Why would I do that?

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?I just had Olive Oil with Chocolate and See Salt at a fantastic restaurant in Midtown Atlanta called ecco. It was outstanding. It was the perfect combination of salty and sweet.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?I notice their face. Are they relaxed, smiling, frowning, tense or sad?

15. RED OR PINK?Red!

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?My tendency to doubt myself and think I’m not good enough.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?My Dad. I don’t know if I’ll ever stop missing him. I miss my Mom a lot too but I can go visit her when I want to.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?Absolutely but I know they won’t. I have to figure out how to get it on Facebook.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?Blue sweats and white socks.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?I’m watching BBC America’s Last Restaurant Standing. I haven’t seen it before and it’s a hoot.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?Teal

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?The woodfire smell outside a restaurant, fresh – baked bread, fresh brewed coffee and sizzling bacon in a campground.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?My roommate from the gate in Atlanta. I had a 6 hour wait at the airport and needed to pass the time.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?I do like Adam. Some of my most fun memories are working with him.

26. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH?Grand Slam Tennis, Playoff Football,

27. HAIR COLOR?The color you see is red.

28. EYE COLOR?Blue.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?No. The eye doctors can’t fit me for contacts. My astigmatism is too bad. I did find out that for a mere $10,000 I could have a crystalline lens implanted and a complete removal of my native lens. I’ll have to greatly increase my FSA deduction.

30. FAVORITE FOOD?Cheeto’s.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?Happy endings.....I don’t mind a good cry.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?I watched Somthing’s Gotta Give on TV last night.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?NTI T-shirt circa 2007.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?Winter in California or Florida.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?I’ll take either one.

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?Not sure.

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?Still don’t know because I don’t know who I’m going to send it to yet.

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?I just started a Jeffry Archer book that a friend gave me. I don’t even know the name of it.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?I don’t use no stinkin’ mouse pad.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?Something’s Gotta Give.

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S).My cat purring, waves on the shore, babies laughing that uncontrollable laugh the do sometimes, that little sound that hummingbirds make when they see me or the cat on the balcony when they want to be there too.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?Depends on the song. I probably like more Stones songs than Beatles but they both get on my nerves.

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?Hawaii.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?Absolutely!

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?Gowanda, New York

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?Anyone’s

48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?My what? I don’t have one.

We're in a What????? Get Out!

Okay, all of you out there who were surprised to hear that the US was in a recession, please raise your hand. Great.....I see homeowners unanimously have their hands up......Students, yep their hands are up......Recently laid off or about to be laid off workers.....yep, hands are up........People at the store trying to make purchases......I see those hands. Folks trying to sell their house..........that bunch is standing on the table shouting. Hmmmm, there's a group over there that doesn't seem to understand the question.......Wall Street, stock brokers....what's that you say........you are SHOCKED to hear that the US in in a recession. Well,now, doesn't that just explain a whole lot...

OK, my cynicism aside, how in the world can the "stock market" be shocked and react so dramatically to the news that we've been in a recession since December 2004. I seriously don't understand that. It seems like the ultimate in denial and it's just not at all productive. It scares me just a little (okay, more than a little) that these are the people who have a handle on our economy and that for many of us, are managing our retirement funds. Ok, I'm ready to start using the Bank of the Tin Can....I think it's infinitely safer.

I have no doubt that we will eventually be in a better place financially at some point in the future at the same time, it's going to take Wall Street, Big Corporate CEO's waking up and venturing out into the real world to see what life is really like. (Sorry one more rant....how do those auto guys go to Congress to ask for bail out money in private jets and expect to garner sympathy? Life must be good when you live in the Emerald City.) Ok...rant's over.

I feel so much better for having gotten this off my chest. Carry on.

Engaging with Grace

Check out: http://www.engagewithgrace.org/.

Engage with Grace and the One Slide Project have one goal: To help ensure that all of us - and the people we care for - can end our lives in the same purposeful way we lived them. Here's how you can join the conversation: Download the One Slide and donate just 2 minutes at the end of every presentation to sharing it with colleagues. Share it with your friends and family. Try to answer the 5 questions for yourself. Store your answers to the questions on our secure site. Make sure you and your loved ones can carry through your wishes.

Watch a video about it here"

http://vimeo.com/2339539

Five Wishes

If you need a place to start, you might want to use the Five Wishes document. You can find out more about it at http:www.agingwithdignity.org

The Five Wishes document helps you express how you want to be treated if you are seriously ill and unable to speak for yourself. It is unique among all other living will and health agent forms because it looks to all of a person's needs: medical, personal, emotional and spiritual. Five Wishes also encourages discussing your wishes with your family and physician.

Five Wishes lets your family and doctors know:

1. Which person you want to make health care decisions for you when you can't make them.
2. The kind of medical treatment you want or don't want.
3. How comfortable you want to be.
4. How you want people to treat you.
5. What you want your loved ones to know.
   

Done!

Quintana - Cowley Wedding.

After two years of dating, Ron & Kathleen got married today. It was a very simple ceremony performed by Ron's son Robbie. Ron's other son Jimmy, his mother (93 years old); Kathleen's daughter Julie and various other friends and family (about 25 in total) watching. It was a very nice, simple ceremony and lunch.

The Story of the Shrug

About a 6 weeks ago Kathleen called me to see what I thought about having someone crochet her wedding dress. We talked a bit and I offered to work with her and see if there was something I could do for her. I thought 6 weeks was a little tight but you know, if I really concentrated on it, I could get something done. So, the next day, Karen and I went to a taping of Jeopardy (to air Thanksgiving week) and stopped by Kathleen's place on the way home. I showed her a lot of pictures, she showed us a couple of dresses that she had and was considering and after all was said and done, she decided she wanted a shrug. We settled on a Lace shrug from the Spring/Summer Vogue Knitting. I was a little nervous about this because, you know, I've had my issues with lace. I new it would be a stretch garment for me to make but after all, it's just making loops with two sticks and strings.

I did finish it and I believe it turned out well.....you be the judge.

As it turned out, the yarn store gave me Tilli Thomas Plie rather than Rock Star. Plie is a finer gauge than Rock Star and some adjustments were necessary but all in all I made it work.

The Red Sweater-

Back in March I started a cabled cardigan and got disgusted by it. I put it in the closet to give it time to think about how it was behaving. After I finished Kathleen's shrug, I dug the cardigan out of the closet, took it apart, blocked the pieces and then sewed them up again. It turned out really nice. This was my first real cable project. (Model is the amazing Amanda from work.)

Change In America - Yes We Can

11-04-08
“It’s a long time coming, but because of what we did on this day, at this defining moment, change has come to America,” - President-elect Obama

So....Paul thinks I should blog more

So I get this email from an IT guy at work saying...u should blog more....I should do a lot of things that I don't really do.

• I should do a proper gauge swatch instead of just knitting a few rows and then counting.
• I should clean my house more regularly.
• I should stop buying Cheetos.
• I should walk to Starbucks rather than driving.
• I should stop worrying about things I have no control over.
• I should grow up and be a real adult and do things like save money, pay off credit cards, etc.
• I should take a proper vacation. (See previous should)
• I should read more books on things that will help me be a better person rather than ones that let me escape into some goofy world.
• I should watch more "sophisticated" movies rather than the ones that make me laugh or cry.
• I should add more photo's to this blog.
• I should get back to work.....

How Can You Not Do This?

This is too important:

Baby's and Weekends

Mason Kane and Grady Robert:

Two little baby boys were born 9 days ago. They came way too early. There names are Morgan and Grady. I knew from the very beginning that they would need special blankets. I have finally finished making the squares for two mitered square blankets. They are the same but different. I love them. I love the colors and I love that they make me smile. Each stitch has been a little prayer over the past 9 days. Now to the finishing...

Side by Side

Outside Stripes

Inside Stripes

Weekend:

We took a little trip to San Diego yesterday. The weather was perfect and it was beautiful. A couple of great pictures....Hotel Del Coronado on Coronado Island.

San Diego Skyline

Cowley Family Reunion - August 2, 2008

One Aust's Impressions of the Cowley Family Reunion Weekend

If you want to read a more coherent post about the reunion AND see some pictures you should visit Elizabeth's blog.

Corn Roast......Cinnamon Roll Bake Off (this judge says it was Uncle Tom all the way!) ......Grandma's potato salad throwdown (this judge says both were good but Aunt Eileens was closest to Grandma's).........Singed Eybrows........Asymmetrical rings in the wood = Applewood (or did Jimmy just know that Eileen & Roger had cut down an Apple Tree?) .........Beef on Weck.......Blueberry's hand picked from Burdicks........Amazing blueberry pies........a little smack talk about pie crusts from the Memmott clan........."Poppa you do the marshmallow."........Wow, that's tall corn........Can we go walk in that field?.....Katherine's first driving lesson........Building for sale in "downtown" Cattaraugus for $19,000.......The Cattaraugus County Fair........Taffy booth........BBQ chicken......Farmall tractor..........Holsteins, Brown Swiss, Angus......"The midway used to be so much bigger.".....How long can they play the game with the bean bags?.......Boy, Reese has an amazing throwing arm!.....Richard Cowley & the family tree (I hope he shares it).......demolition derby..........Aust Road......The house in Eddyville......the Cemetery Tours.........Katie, Madonna, Carol, Maryellen, Judy, Jimmy -the Buffalo cousins and how they loved coming to Uncle Larry's in the summer......Did you hear the wind with that storm?....It blew the tents, tables and benches over....Fish Fry Friday night.

There are so many more things to talk about that it will take days. It was a great weekend. It was great to see family that I haven't seen in years. It was great to go back to a place with so many fantastic memories. It's great to have new memories. I'm still not planning the next one.

I Need to Write A Blog Entry

I was looking at this blog yesterday and thought OMG, I just need to lighten up. Not that it's not good to acknowledge the passage of time and that it's completely normal to grieve the loss of loved ones (especially a dad) but there is more going on in my life than just being sad because I don't get to talk to my Dad in person. So, today I was thinkin...I need to write a new blog entry. But what do I write about?

Tiger...Did you see the US Open from Torrey Pines this past weekend? On Saturday, I thought Tiger's play on 17 & 18 was nothing short of spectacular and some of the best sports I've ever seen. It was so obvious he was in a great deal of pain and it was like his natural ability and instinct kicked in and he just did whatever it took to get off the course and get out of pain. His play on Sunday to tie Rocco and then the same on Monday was just awesome. It's even more incredible today to find out he played 91 holes of golf with a tibial stress fracture and a torn ACL. Most of us would be on the couch sucking on a bottle of Vicodin Water.....

Tennis....And I use the term loosely. My roommate and I have been going to the tennis courts this week to hit some balls around. Let me just say right now....we totally suck. Enthusiasm, we've got plenty of....skill - not so much. It will get better.

Knitting - The good news: I have finished all the pieces of the Cabled Cardigan. The bad news: I can't sew the sleeves on to save my life. I have sewn the right sleeve on twice and ripped it out twice. They say the third time's a charm. I must finish it so I can start on something new. What is it that I think I need to finish something before I start something new? Character flaw? Certainly not extreme knitterly behavior.

I think I'm all blogged out.....

1095 days +1

6.11.05 - Three Years -

Still Missing Dad

Boggity-Boo, Shnickel Von Fritzmeyer, Shnickelfritz, Doodle Bug - Whiskers (1992-2008)

All better now.