June 24, 2008

A Day in the Life

Last week I joined a flickr group called A Day in the Life Of . . . it's a place to post photos of your life on a particular day. Saturday was the most recent day to post and I want to show you the 5 photos I chose but first I need to take care of some housekeeping and show you my Sweet Swap Package from Elizabeth.

Luckily for me Elizabeth went on a trip to Hershey, PA right before she mailed me this package so it was extra sweet! There was candy and yarn and books and roving and lots and lots of wonderful treats. Thank you to Lynne for organizing the swap and thank you to Elizabeth for sending such a terrific and generous package!

The theme for this round of A Day in the Life Of . . . was green. I tried to incorporate green in all my photos as I spent the day . . .

gazing at the sky from underneath my scaevola plant

knitting in the adirondack chairs on my deck

attending a party, sitting on a deck and observing a very active hummingbird population

watching for bunnies in a beautifully green backyard

It was fun to carry the camera around and look for ways to document my day of green. I'm already looking forward to the next time.

Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (24)

June 19, 2008

Things That Make Me Go Hmmm

I realized the other day that I haven't done a "Things That Make Me Go Hmmm" in a really long time. I'm sure I've thought of lots of things to put on this list but they are always so fleeting. My thoughts, that is. If I don't write this stuff down, well, it's just gone. Anyway, I do have a few things that have made me go hmmmm in the past week . . .

*When Hannah is out with her friends I have a rule that she has to check in when she changes location. For instance, if she's at the pizza place and wants to walk to Dunkin Donuts then she needs to call me. Simple, right? Well, she told me the other day that this makes her feel like I don't trust her. That's not it at all, I just want to know where she is. So, I'm asking you all for advice on this one. How do I make her understand that it's of my peace of mind and not a matter of trust? Hmmm?

*A family of bunnies has taken up residence in our wood pile. We've seen two adult sized ones (mama and papa, we assume) and a few itty bitty ones. They are awfully cute and it makes me glad we don't have a vegetable garden this year.

*Kristi has designed a wonderful new sock pattern and all the net profits go to support The Seeing Eye, a non-profit school that provides guide dogs and training to the visually impaired. You can see the sock here and purchase the pattern on Ravelry.

*In the interest of catching up with the ABC Along I have decided that I is for Icarus and this post now counts as my I contribution. Now I just need to come up with a J. Hmmm.

*Finally, it must be officially summer because Dale and his band are playing outdoors again. We worried about thunderstorms Tuesday night but they managed to get their annual hometown concert on the common done. It doesn't get better than a beautiful summer night of fun music with all your friends. Hmmm indeed.

Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (48)

June 17, 2008

Anniversary Weekend

Saturday was our 11th wedding anniversary and we headed up to Kittery, ME to celebrate. That might seem like a strange place to go but, you see, we spent our wedding night in Kittery and we've always meant to go back. The same bed & breakfast, Enchanted Nights, is in operation and with our anniversary falling on a weekend it just seemed like the timing was right for a return trip. Not surprisingly, we had a fabulous time.

We hit Portsmouth for lunch and were surprised to find a huge street festival in full swing. There were vendors and sidewalk sales and bands. It was a great way to spend a couple of hours. We had a delicious lunch at the Portsmouth Brewery and then headed to Kittery.

The B&B was just as beautiful as we remembered but we definitely upgraded our room this time. Whirlpool for 2, king sized bed, walk in shower for 2 and all the Victorian frou-frous you can imagine!

After we had enjoyed the whirlpool and, errr, relaxed for a bit we headed out for a walk to explore the area. I brought the camera along and took some shots.

Of pretty flowers.

And the public library.

We stopped on a drawbridge and spotted Warren's Lobster House. Beer, mussels and lobster stew sure did hit the spot there. And on our walk back we stopped and got a pizza to bring back to the room.

We spent the rest of the evening enjoying the room, watching the DVD of our wedding/honeymoon, and just being happy together. We both agreed it was the best anniversary yet!

Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (46)

June 16, 2008

Come Monday

It's Monday morning already? Yikes! I have no blog post ready and I haven't uploaded photos from our fun weekend away. Come back tomorrow, okay?

Posted by Carole at 7:18 AM

June 5, 2008

Backyard Beauties

ETA: Hey everybody, I know comments have been wonky but I removed the flickr badge from my sidebar and rebuilt all the indexes. You probably have to hit "refresh" to remove the flickr bad from your end, too. I think it's fixed now but I won't know for sure until the comments start rolling in. Show a blogger some love, won't you? Thanks!

Remember how I said I loved how I could find so many beautiful things to photograph just wandering around in my yard these days? I wasn't kidding. Allow me to present, "Doo, doo, doo, lookin out my back door"

Peony Buds.

And blossoms.

Poppies. Well, one poppy. I'm glad it keeps coming back as this is the first one that hasn't died off but a little expansion would sure be nice.

Daylilies. Still blooming profusely.

Geraniums in a pot on the deck.

Iris. There's actually a really great iris shot but I'm saving that for tomorrow's Eye Candy Friday.

So that's what I saw in my backyard this week. What's in your backyard?

Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (23)

May 15, 2008

Good Things

I had a really good day yesterday. I had to go to a meeting in the morning and, unlike a lot of my meetings, this was one where I could knit. That was good thing #1.

After the meeting we had lunch at a very nice restaurant. Not only did I have a delicious prime rib salad but I also had a beer. At lunch. On a Wednesday. That was good thing #2.

I had another very brief meeting to attend after lunch and then I headed for home. I was a bit of a ways away and rather than taking the highway back I took the scenic route. I saw beautiful fields of wildflowers, a stream where someone was fly fishing, lots of farm equipment, and a pond or two or three. I thought about stopping and taking photos at all of those places but I didn't so you'll just have to use your imagination. Everything was green and lush and springlike. That was good thing #3.

When I got home I headed to the cell phone store to see about activating my replacement Palm Centro. You see, my brand new phone had been acting up but since it was still under warranty I was able to get a replacement at no cost. When I got home I synced it up and found that all my content transferred quickly and accurately. That was good thing #4.

Last night at "quilting" I spun up a whole basket of fiber. It was soft and pretty and I filled a bobbin. That was good thing #5.

It's important to stop and add up the good things now and again, don't you think?

Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (29)

May 12, 2008

Western Union

New Hampshire Sheep & Wool fantastic. STOP. Details and photos tomorrow. STOP.
Carole Knits

Posted by Carole at 6:33 AM

April 25, 2008

Pie Candy Friday

Two posts in one day! I couldn't resist showing you the mince pie I made this morning. Dale says it's a work of art and should be on the cover of a magazine. But I think we'll eat it instead.

This weekend is our 4th annual Frank Harlow Day - the living history that we put on here in our town. Keep your fingers crossed for blue skies for us. And I promise to save you a slice of pie!

Posted by Carole at 9:28 AM | Comments (31)

April 24, 2008

My Week in Photos

It's a random post today. Random picture post, that is.

On Sunday we drove to Plymouth and saw brant and seagulls. And seagulls and brant. There were a lot.

I love the combination of my husband and a telephoto lens.

Don't you laugh at this one! I bought Mason a harness so that he can be outside with us. The success of this venture remains to be seen.

You just never know what to expect when brother-in-law Randy shows up with the backhoe.

The thermometer in our kitchen yesterday. It sure felt like summer. We celebrated by having lobster rolls.

A flowering tree at Borderland State Park. So pretty!

Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (28)

April 23, 2008

Spinning Saturday

These are the chairs on my deck. They are quite obviously empty in this photo. However, last Saturday they were full of spinners and knitters as I had a small gathering at my house. I was thrilled to have Cheryl, Judy, Kathy, Manise, Martha, Maryse, and Sharon over for a terrific afternoon and evening.

The weather was wonderful. Warm and sunny with just a hint of a breeze. The lunch was terrific. We had macaroni and cheese, homemade salads and sandwiches along with brownies, fruit tarts and strawberries for dessert. Some wine and beer was consumed, too. Oh, and fresh brewed iced tea. The spinning was prolific. Merino and BFL and silk fibers were furiously spun into yarn. The conversation was stimulating. We covered politics, recipes, ravelry, husbands, gardening - you name it, we talked about it.

At the end of the afternoon we took a walk down back to the river. It was really great to go on this walk with everyone. I got to show them the flag pole that nearly killed Dale and the campsite we have in the woods. Its a terrific spot and I'm so lucky to have it right in my backyard and even luckier to have shared it with my friends.

It was a perfect day and I wish we could do it every Saturday. Sigh.

Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (30)

April 21, 2008

Happy Patriot's Day

I should have told you this on Friday but today is Patriot's Day here in Massachusetts. Carole Knits will be taking the day off to enjoy the holiday. Dale thinks I'm going to do yard work. Yeah, right.

See you tomorrow!

Posted by Carole at 8:37 AM

April 15, 2008

Nothing Here

I got nothing. This happens every once in a while and I'm just stumped for a blog post. Quiet times are great for knitting and reading and tv watching but they don't make for great blog fodder. Seriously, the most exciting thing that happened yesterday was that I made pot roast for dinner. It was delicious but, again, not much to write about.

I wrote the first paragraph of this post last night and then gave up. I thought perhaps if I "slept on it" I'd have more to say this morning.

blinking cursor blinking cursor blinking cursor

Nope. I still have nothing to talk about. You know what you should do? Go hang out on the Ravelry forums for a while. There's plenty to talk about there!

Have a great day. I'll try really hard to have something interesting here tomorrow. Mwah!

Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (22)

April 14, 2008

When All Else Fails: Write a List

My weekend. A list.

1. I found lots more daffodils in bloom when I came home from work on Friday.
2. We had dinner Friday night at the local tavern with good friends.
3. I love going here because we see lots of people we know.
4. And they make really great martinis.
5. I had a long list of things to do on Saturday.

4. I finished everything, including the homework for my online photography class, uploading my latest yarn purchases on Ravelry, knitting 3 inches of sock for the May Day sock swap, and going bra shopping.
4. Some of those things were not as fun as others.
5. Saturday night we attended the most boring banquet ever. Truly.
6. But it was worth going because my brother-in-law Randy and his wife Mary each got a very special award.
7. Mary's award was for being the power behind the throne. They called it "quiet and unnoticed" but we know what that really means.
8. I'll never get an award for being quiet and unnoticed.
9. I made scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast on Sunday.
10. I love bacon.
11. In the afternoon we went shopping for a new camera bag for me.
12. And out to lunch.
13. When we got home Dale had stuff to do for our upcoming local living history event.
14. So I watched American Gangster.
15. It was really good.
16. After that we watched tv together.
17. And I did some more knitting.
18. It was a great weekend.
19. But I wish it had been longer.
20. What did you do this weekend?

Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (34)

April 9, 2008

Random Wednesday

First, go buy some Can-Do yarn from Heather.

You'll be helping a great cause and getting some really beautiful sock yarn in the process. Can-Do. It's a win-win.

Second, I get to tell you that Leslie honored me with a Blogging With Purpose award last week. I was really flattered because Leslie's blog is one I have read since before I started my own blog. She's got wonderful crafts and photos and I really enjoy what she has to say. So, now it's my turn to offer up this award to 5 blogs that I think are purposeful.

Alarming Female - for raising my consciousness
Lolly Knitting Around - for her inspiring colors and photographs
Beadlizard - for her principles about healthy and natural ways of living
Habetrot - for her amazing postcard collection and wicked sense of humor
I'm Knitting As Fast As I Can - for her technical knitting prowess

Also, I have a new toy. And it's red. Very very red.

Finally, I just couldn't resist taking this test. Not bad, eh?

100 words

Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (28)

March 31, 2008

A Blessedly Uneventful Weekend

I am most pleased to report that we had a very uneventful weekend. There was knitting and television, good eating and a wee bit of hiking. Allow me to elaborate.

Knitting: I finished Dale's Fionn sweater. It needs a gooooood blocking but then there will be a photo shoot. Assuming Dale is pretty again by then.

Television: We watched Into the Wild and, while I thought it was a tad lengthy, I did enjoy it. I also watched a lot of women's basketball, Pride and Prejudice, and the latest episode of John Adams. You must realize that it was this fair amount of time with the television that led to the finishing of the sweater.

Good Eating: We had our friends Don and Lois over for dinner Saturday evening. I timed the serving of dinner with Earth Hour and we ate by candlelight. The pasta was delicious, the atmosphere was ideal and the company entertaining.'

Hiking: Sunday was somewhat mild and we took a walk over at the site of our upcoming Civil War living history event. I spied some snow drops and scared away some wood ducks. It was a pleasant way to spend a bit of time on a Sunday afternoon.

In between all of this there was snuggling on the couch and a lot of laughing. It was the perfect weekend and just what we needed to recharge our batteries and heal ourselves.

Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (28)

March 26, 2008

Pretty Things

Thank you all again for your kind words. I really do have the best readers! You all will be glad to know that we visited Dr. Al, husband of Blogless Sharon, yesterday and he says that everything is healing as it should be. It's going to take time before his aches and pains are gone but we are very relieved to know that he is getting better.

So, let's move on, shall we? I feel like there's been way too much ugliness these last few days so how about if we look at some pretty things for a change?

Like spinning. Indigo Moon fiber in the perfect March Project Spectrum Color.

And new socks. Cider Moon Icicle in Avocado. I'm anticipating April's Project Spectrum with this colorway.

How about some daffodils? No, they aren't from my garden but they were table decorations at Randy's birthday party. They sure make me yearn for spring!

And finally, Hannah. The prettiest thing ever.

Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (40)

March 25, 2008

Weird Days

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your kind words, warm thoughts and heartfelt prayers on Dale's behalf. We both read every comment and were truly comforted by them.

The healing continues, albeit too slowly for Dale as I think he'd like to have this completely behind him already. He's got a ways to go. The eye is turning a lovely shade of yellow. Wanna see?

Pretty, yes? It's so weird because from the right he looks absolutely fine and I sort of "forget" how awful he looks on the left until he turns his head. I get a little shock every time.

I've been trying to find some comfort in knitting, spinning and cooking but I'm still pretty rattled. Saturday I had to go buy a spring form pan and I got lost going to the store. Then when I got to the store I couldn't for the life of me remember why I was there. It all came back to me eventually but I kept wandering around in a fog until I finally just went home. And then when I got home I climbed into bed with Dale and just cried and cried. I guess you could say that's when it hit me.

Sunday I continued to be distracted and easily confused. I miscalculated how long the ham would take to cook and we wound up eating at 5 instead of 3. I forgot to put out the fresh pineapple that I had bought especially for Dale and I didn't serve the rolls. I think you all know me well enough to know that this is really unlike me. I'm chalking it all up to a bit of leftover trauma and hoping I'll be back to my organized little self soon.

In the meantime, look at this:

We let Hannah hide the plastic eggs this year and she put one of them inside a wall sconce. Luckily, Patrick spied it (and we smelled it) before she burned down the house. That would have been the frosting on the cake for this particular weekend, eh?

Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (51)

March 24, 2008

Party, Interrupted

Today's post is supposed to be all about my brother-in-law Randy's 60th birthday party. Friday night he had a big bash down by the river behind his house (I've talked about this place special before, if you recall) with a bonfire, family and friends, loads of food and folk guitars and singing. He kept referring to is as a Vernal Equinox party but it was truly in honor of his birthday. I thought I'd have loads of pictures to show you. Pictures of people eating and drinking, singing and laughing, doing what our family and friends do best. I have one. Picture that is.

This is Dale and Randy's friend Mike before.

Before what, you ask? Before Dale decided to hoist a flag. And before the top of the flag pole and the metal pulley that hauls the flag up the pole came crashing down and smashed into the side of his face.

I present Exhibit A. This is the 6 lb. hunk of metal and wood that split my dear husband's temple wide open just before the festivities were about to get under way. Scary looking, isn't it?

I was helping out with a few things when I heard Dale call my name. I looked over and he was on the ground. I thought he had slipped and fallen so I called over, "Are you okay?" And he looked at me in the most vulnerable and scared way and said, "I'm hurt. I'm bleeding." That's when I saw that the side of his face was covered in blood. I ran to him and saw a gash on his temple and knew immediately that he needed stitches. Probably a bunch of stitches from the depth and length of the cut. I squeezed it together and started yelling, "I need help! I need help!" I spotted Dale's sister Lisa (she's a nurse) and called her name. She told me afterwards that she'd never heard me sound like that before and she came running. So did Randy and Mary. They all thought Dale was having a heart attack or something, the poor things.

While I raced around frantically looking for my cell phone, Lisa and Mary got clean towels to apply to Dale's face and Dale's dad came over with a golf cart (we hadn't brought our cars all the way down to the river) to bring Dale up to my Jeep. It seemed like everything was happening in slow motion but I think we were on our way to the hospital within 10 minutes of the accident.

We got to the hospital and I have to say, as awful as it sounds, that it was a good thing he was bleeding so much as we were seen much quicker than I think we might have been otherwise. The doctor explained that Dale had cut a blood vessel in his temple and that's why there was so much blood. 18 stitches and two hours later and we were ready to leave. Dale was sporting a giant goose egg on his temple and an ace bandage wrapped around his head to apply pressure to the wound to decrease the swelling. His eye was already turning black and blue but he insisted on going back to the party. No surprise there, eh?

He was greeted as the conquering hero by everyone there. I made him sit, he made me let him have a couple of beers. And then we headed home. What a night!

By the way, Randy writes a weekly column for the Brockton Enterprise. You can read his version of the party here, if you're interested.

There are pictures for those who want to see his eye as it looked on Saturday and Sunday. Just look in the extended entry. And if you don't want to see them then don't scroll up when you leave a comment. It's not that bad, but then again, I'm used to it. It might not be good for the squeamish.

I shudder at the thought of how much worse things could have been and I will be forever grateful that Dale wasn't hurt more severely. Really, this was a close call.

Saturday afternoon, still wearing the pressure bandage.

Sunday afternoon, no more bandage but UGH.

Posted by Carole at 6:35 AM | Comments (93)

March 17, 2008

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Let me say right up front that I am not Irish. But yesterday Dale and I went to the St. Patrick's Day parade in Boston and everybody's Irish at the parade. It was really fun and I have the pictures to prove it.

It's not a parade without bagpipes. Lots and lots of bagpipes.

The dragon was very cool and they swooped and danced down the street.

We saw our friends from the 22nd Mass Voluntary Infantry. We used to march in the parade with them. I've decided that watching the parade is way more fun than marching in it.

This is the cop who kept everyone in line. Seriously, he spent the whole time keeping the people to my left back up on the sidewalk because they kept wandering out into the street. Some people just shouldn't be allowed to attend parades, you know?

Of course the Clydesdales were there. Too bad they don't give out free samples of beer.

I think my favorite site of the day was this giant Guinness.

No Dropkick Murphy's this year but The Gobshites were pretty good.

Reenactors of a different era.

The Shriners had this really cool car that did wheelies.

This one is for Dave. I'll call it St. Patrick's Day Asswatch.

After the parade we headed over to Fanueil Hall for a pint or three of Guinness.

Happy St. Patrick's Day from all of us at Carole Knits!

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (39)

March 2, 2008

Weekend Recap

So, it's not bronchitis. It's a sinus infection. Oh, and also two ear infections. I spent most of Thursday, all of Friday and all of Saturday on the couch knitting and blowing my nose and coughing. Good times.

I did manage to have a pleasant weekend in spite of the sickness. We had dinner with friends one night and dinner at home one night. We watched two movies. Michael Clayton - meh. And Waitress - woot. We played games by the fire. And we went for a Sunday drive. I didn't take a single photo, though. I think I was too busy expending all my energy on coughing. And blowing my nose. And did I mention knitting?

The knitting is significant because all that knitting time allowed me to finish the Aspen Grove Shawl. I thought sure I'd finish on Friday but I didn't. Then I thought sure I'd finish on Saturday. But I didn't. I finally finished last night. Man alive, those rows are looooooong at the end! It's done and ready for blocking.

And now I'm done and need to get ready for work. Have a great day.

Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (46)

February 25, 2008

Recovering

I promise a proper post tomorrow but today I am recovering from

1) SPA

2) The Oscars

3) Possibly bronchitis. Last week Dale and I shared a scarf. This week we're sharing bronchitis. Ahhh, the joys of a close marriage. Ahem.

I will talk to you all tomorrow. Mwah.

Posted by Carole at 7:14 AM | Comments (36)

February 18, 2008

Weekend Update

It's day 3 of a 4 day weekend here at Carole Knits. Yesterday we drove Hannah, Jessica and Patrick to the airport in New Hampshire so that they could fly to Florida to be with Brant, Heather and Ambrynn. All reports are that they are having a great time. Hannah in particular is loving the warm weather. She must get that from me.

After leaving the airport we headed into downtown Portsmouth to meet up with Cheryl for lunch. I had the world's largest Bloody Mary.

Yes, that is a sawed off Grey Goose Vodka bottle. Please note the inclusion of the beer glass for scale. Let me just say: yummmm. My sandwich was good too but really, the Monster Mary was the star of my lunch.

Dale and I will be enjoying having the house to ourselves for the next few days. I'll check in again tomorrow but in the meantime, be well.

Posted by Carole at 8:13 AM | Comments (25)

February 14, 2008

Random Thursday

I have some finished knits to show you but the gray skies and rain we've had around here certainly don't lend themselves to photo shoots. That stuff will just have to wait until next week. In the meantime:

~A few of you expressed interest in the Chicken With Mushroom Sauce recipe from Monday night's squirrel/dinner story. It came from About.com and you can find the recipe here. I couldn't get cremini mushrooms at my grocery store so I used regular white mushrooms and it was fine. Also, I didn't add the Dijon mustard. We had the chicken with rice pilaf and asparagus and it was delicious - squirrel be damned.

~I am almost finished with the Noro Silk Garden striped scarf. And that's a good thing because I am so sick of it I could scream. The color changes are entertaining and all but enough already.

~Test knitting for Sock Madness 2 continues. I've got one left to do and then I think we're good to go. We had 86 people return from last year to compete again. Sign ups for everyone else start tomorrow.

~Finally, Happy Valentine's Day. Or, as we say at my house, Happy Cream Puff Day.

Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (39)

February 13, 2008

In Da House!

I have a story for you. It's a funny, although slightly disturbing, story. Allow me to set the scene. Monday night we were just about to sit down to our weekly family dinner - the one where Jess and Patrick join us. I had set the table with a tablecloth and candles in celebration of the upcoming Valentine's Day and I had made a slightly fancier meal than normal. Dale was helping me put the chicken with mushroom sauce on the serving platter when I heard Jess, who was in the living room say:

Dad. Squirrel.

The two of us ran into the living and sure enough there was a SQUIRREL sitting on the arm of the couch. Dale immediately grabbed the dog (who was sound asleep in front of the wood stove, about 3 feet from the intruder - some watch dog) and instructed Jessica to put him outside. At this point I am in a panic and yelling, "Where's the cat?!? Where's the cat?!?"

The squirrel took one look at all of us and jumped down off the couch and turned to run up the stairs. That's when I heard the cat hiss at this squirrel louder than I have ever heard Mason hiss before. And then he literally knocked the squirrel back down the stairs. The squirrel tore back into the living room, raced up the wall, jumped on the wood stove, raced into the dining room, the bathroom, the office . . . you get the idea.

In the meantime I shut the door between the living room and stairway and went to find the cat. I was quite anxious to make sure that he hadn't been hurt by the squirrel. And he was absolutely fine. He was pumped, quite frankly! He had defended his turf and he was proud and he was strutting around the upstairs.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the living room door the squirrel continued to race around the house. Patrick was in the kitchen by himself when the squirrel suddenly came running in there. Poor Patrick - he ran through the kitchen, through the dining room, through the living room and up the stairs before he even stopped to look around. The poor little dude was really frightened and I felt so bad. I calmed him down and we went downstairs and I opened the door a crack to see what was going on.

Are you ready? The squirrel was still in the kitchen, perched on top of a curtain rod. Dale was standing in the dining room/kitchen doorway brandishing my grandfather's Masonic sword at the squirrel. He used the sword to jab at the squirrel and finally got him to run out the kitchen door. My hero.

After a lovely dinner Dale and I went searching to figure out how the squirrel got into the house. Turns out he either fell down or climbed down one of our chimneys (we have 3) and then popped open the chimney plate that was covering an old opening in the chimney from when there was a coal stove or something in the guest room on the second floor. I think the cat must have been right there when the squirrel landed in the house and that's why the little rodent came running downstairs the way he did. Go Mason!

So, the hole has been blocked and the chimney will be getting a wire covering. Thank Maude we were home when this happened. I shudder to think about what could have happened to Mason and Dixie had we not been there.

Let me just say that I've never been frightened by a squirrel. They hang out at the bird feeders and I see them outside and I never give them a passing thought. But when one is in your house? Holy crap is that scary! At least I got a good story for the blog.

Freakin' squirrels.

Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (83)

February 7, 2008

Jury Duty Or, Don't Come Between a Knitter and Her Knitting

I realized the other day that I never told you about my experience at jury duty a few weeks ago. Being without much knitting to show these days, it seems like a good time for this little tale.

I got my jury summons a few months ago and was not thrilled with the whole idea but knew there was no way out of it so I resigned myself to going. Then, about 2 weeks before my date I received a letter telling me I was on "standby" status. All I had to do was call a phone number after 3 pm the day prior to my appointment and find out if I needed to report or not. I was hopeful that I wouldn't have to go because I've never had to before but it wasn't meant to be and when I called the number I heard a recording telling me that all jurors had to report.

When I got home from work that night I set about starting a sock to bring with me to the court house. I wanted something very basic and the preppy socks were born. I had no worries about not being allowed to bring my knitting in with me because I had been to this very same court house just a few weeks earlier to attend an open house at the law library and while my camera and my tiny scissors were confiscated my sock-in-progress was allowed. So, even though I anticipated a long day of hanging around I was happy at the prospect of lots of knitting time.

You can imagine my horror the next morning when I got to the court house and the security officer told me I'd have to leave my knitting behind. I stared blankly at her for a few minutes and then we had a conversation that went like this:

Carole, the Innocent Knitter: What do you mean I can't bring my knitting inside? I've got jury duty and that's how I'm going to pass the time.
Bitchy Security Guard: Nope. You can't bring it. It's against the rules.
Carole, the Innocent Knitter: But I was here a few weeks ago and brought my knitting in with me.
Bitchy Security Guard: A few weeks ago? Why were you here?
Carole, the Innocent Knitter: I'm a librarian and I was here for the law library open house. I specifically asked the (nice, friendly) Security Guard at the time if my knitting was okay and he said it was fine.
Bitchy Security Guard: Well, he was wrong. It's not allowed.
Carole, the Innocent Knitter: But you can bring them on a plane!
Bitchy Security Guard: Planes are different. You are dealing with criminals here.
Carole, the Innocent Knitter: But I'm not a criminal, I'm just here to do my civic duty. (Self righteous indignation setting in)
Bitchy Security Guard: Knitting needles could be used as a weapon so you can't bring them in.
Carole, the Innocent Knitter: A weapon? What am I going to do? Give someone a splinter? Did you see these needles? They are teeny tiny pieces of bamboo. (I was losing it a bit at this point. Panic over the prospect of hours and hours with no knitting was beginning to set in.)
Bitchy Security Guard: Ma'am, you'll have to move along now. Leave the knitting here and I'll call upstairs and ask the woman in charge of the jury room if you can have your knitting. I'll bring it up to you if it's allowed.
Carole, the Innocent Knitter: Yeah, fine. Whatever.

So I went upstairs and stood in another line to be checked into the jury pool. The woman in charge up there was friendly and I had a pretty good feeling that the Bitchy Security Guard from downstairs wasn't about to ask about my knitting so I spoke up.

Carole, the Innocent Knitter: I brought some knitting with me and the Security Guard (yes, I left off the part about her being bitchy) downstairs told me I couldn't bring it up here.
Friendly Woman In Charge of Jury Room: What!?! (shaking head) I don't know what's wrong with those people down there. We go through this all the time. Of course you can have your knitting. Go on back down and get it.
Carole, the Innocent Knitter: Oh, thank you, thank you so much! I'll be right back.

Downstairs, back at the security check point:
Carole, the Innocent Knitter: Excuse me? The lady upstairs told me to come back down and tell you to GIVE me my knitting. (I was trying to be calm but I was definitely gloating)
Bitchy Security Guard: Oh. Of course. Here you go.

And I headed back upstairs and spent the next 4 hours knitting on my sock and waiting for something to happen. Nothing did. We were all sent home without serving.

And when I walked back by the Bitchy Security Guard on my way out I showed her how much knitting I had done while waiting. Then I flipped her off. Inside my coat pocket, of course.

Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (78)

February 4, 2008

Things I Did This Weekend

In no particular order, this weekend I:

~Added lots and lots of sock yarn to my Ravelry stash. This sure is time consuming and I've only done one shelf so far.

~Played games with Dale. Aggravation - he won more but I won the first and last games and that's what counts. And Rummy - he won again but I gave him a run for his money.

~Watched the Super Bowl with Dale, Blogless Sharon and her husband Al, and Lois and her husband Don. There was chicken chili. And many other snacks. Oh yeah. Thank goodness the food was good and the drinks were plentiful given the outcome of the game.

~Decided to ignore all the blog awards for Make My Day and Make Me Smile. I love you all for nominating me and I'm thrilled that you really like me but I'm not passing this one on as I think it's a bit overdone at this point.

~Finished the pair of socks I was test knitting for Sock Madness 2. Of course I can't show you but it's a pretty cool pattern.

~Started a Noro Silk Garden Striped Scarf. Hello, bandwagon.

~Chose a winner for the Blogiversary Brownie Contest. The random number generator chose 47 and the 47th comment was left by Norma. Hooray for Norma! And hooray for all of you for entering.

There was more, of course, but those are the highlights. What did you do this weekend?

Posted by Carole at 6:55 AM | Comments (35)

January 16, 2008

Walk With Me Wednesday

I didn't take this walk on a Wednesday but I've got nothing else for today so you'll just have to pretend, okay?

It was just your standard "walk down back" with Dale and Dixie but the new camera made it way more fun.

There are some shots of my sister-in-law's garden, the road we walk, frozen puddles and ice along the river.

Finally, just for Sandy, a Haiku.

Walk to the river
Fancy camera in hand
Endless photo ops

Posted by Carole at 6:55 AM | Comments (23)

January 15, 2008

S Day

I haven’t even posted my letter A for the ABC Along but yesterday was all about the letter S.

There was snow.

And seaming a sweater.

And a Siamese cat.

I finished the sweater in spite of Mason’s “help” but you’ll have to wait for the shots of Patrick wearing it until I can get the little guy over here in the daylight.

Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (32)

January 14, 2008

Spinning the Weekend Away

I know that many of you look forward to my Monday posts because I often have stories about exciting stuff I did over the weekend. Well, I hate to disappoint, but if you're here for one of those type of posts, you're in the wrong place. My weekend was very pleasant but it was far from exciting.

There was plenty of time for hanging around the house, grocery shopping, visiting friends and, of course, knitting and spinning. I suppose it could be considered dull but after the whirlwind of the holidays it was actually very nice to have a commitment free weekend. Doesn't make for a lot of blog fodder, though, you know?

To redeem myself and entertain you I took some pictures of the spinning I've been doing for NaSpiMoMo.

It may not be all that exciting but at least it's pretty.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (44)

December 27, 2007

Guess What I Got?

I received some wonderful gifts this Christmas - clothes and yarn and jewelry and books and DVDs just to name a few. And yet there's on present that surpasses all of them. No, it's not a spinning wheel. It's a new camera from Dale.

Of course, I told him exactly which one to get. I had been wanting a digital SLR for quite some time and I had gone back and forth on which model. I talked with friends and read reviews but ultimately I decided on the Canon Digital Rebel XTi. I've just got a fondness for Canon and that influenced my decision more than anything else.

We missed the part about needing a compact flash card, though, so I couldn't use the camera until we made a trip to the store yesterday.

This was my first picture with the camera:

This was my second:

I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.

Posted by Carole at 7:15 AM | Comments (51)

December 26, 2007

Twas the Day After Christmas

Thank you all for the Christmas wishes. We had a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Some really fabulous gifts were exchanged, we ate terrific food, drank a fair amount of champagne, played silly games, and laughed a lot. There were moments of sadness as we missed those who weren't with us but the over all tone was one of gratitude and happiness.

Nevertheless, last night as Dale and I were getting ready for bed we took a moment to enjoy the Christmas tree together. It was a quiet time in the midst of all the crazy-holiday stuff and I found myself thinking that while it had been a really nice Christmas, I was relieved that it was over. Even when we keep it simple - which we did - there's still a lot of preparation and planning that goes into this holiday. It will be nice to not have anything to do for a while!

The good news is that I can now show you the things I knit for Christmas. Yes, you heard me right, I knit for Christmas. Most of you know that I don't knit Christmas gifts. There's too much pressure and stress to get things done and I've learned over the years that many people just don't truly appreciate hand knit gifts. However, the two I knit for this year were two of my dearest friends and I knew they would be thrilled.

A Fake Isle Hat for Blogless Sharon.

She loved it and put it on immediately, despite her fancy Christmas Eve outfit. It looked really cute on her and she has promised to wear it while feeding the sheep and the alpacas.

And a pair of Serpentine Mitts for my dear friend Wendy.

Wendy was also very pleased with her gift. I made them for her to wear at reenactments but she has declared that she doesn't want to save them for just that and I suspect she'll be wearing them much more frequently.

It felt really great to gift my friends with items. But I still don't knit for Christmas.

Posted by Carole at 8:00 AM | Comments (31)

December 24, 2007

Merry Christmas '07

I've got two new ornaments on my tree.

Some mittens. Aren't they cute?

And a wee little Santa hat. Also very cute.

I had planned on making more of these but, well, you know how those sorts of plans often go. Truly, though, they are very fast. Twenty minutes per item, max. It doesn't get much quicker than that!

Tonight our house will be bursting at the seams with family and friends. I've baked dozens of cookies and yesterday Dale and I made 180 Swedish meatballs. Today I'll be stuffing finger sandwiches, baking beans and a ham, and making lots of deviled eggs. Mmmmm.

You can be certain that while I'm doing all those things I'll be thinking of you. I wish we could all spend Christmas Eve together - what a party that would be!

A toast to my blog readers. Merry Christmas from all of us at Carole Knits!

Posted by Carole at 6:48 AM | Comments (54)

December 20, 2007

A Package for Mason

I do a lot of online shopping and this time of year there are packages arriving every day it seems. Dale is often home in the middle of the day and he will take whatever packages have arrived and leave them on the kitchen table. Yesterday when I came home there were 2 packages in the kitchen. But then I noticed there was one that he had left in the mudroom. That's odd, I thought, and I went to investigate.

Turns out, it was a package for Mason and it was from his Auntie Cookie. Dale said when he brought it in the house Mason immediately came running and tried to tear into it. That's why it was in the mudroom when I got home - away from the prying claws of a certain cat.

Of course, the package was for him and I gave it right over. He proceeded to tear his way into it, making use of his claws and teeth.

I think it's pretty obvious that Mason loves his present of three catnip mouse hand knit by his favorite auntie.

Although, he did look a little glassy-eyed after he had played for a bit.

But yes, he's in lurve.

So, thank you, Auntie Cookie! Mason loves you lots!

Posted by Carole at 6:50 AM | Comments (41)

December 17, 2007

Winter Wonderland

Here's a summary of our house last Thursday night.

The weather outside was frightful

But the fire was so delightful

It was the perfect night for our favorite Rankin Bass Christmas specials, hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps, and decorating the Christmas Tree.

Let it snow, indeed!

Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (29)

December 13, 2007

Let's Review, Shall We?

All the excitement over my new studio and the compliments over my new mittens have left me speechless. So, in the interest of reflecting on the year past, I'm taking a card from Vicki's hand and doing a meme.

The idea is to post the first sentence from the first post of each month. But I'm switching it up a bit and posting the first sentence of my favorite post of each month.

January
You just never know what pattern is going to sweep through the knitting blogs like wildfire.
February
In Dale's family, Valentine's Day is affectionately called "Cream Puff Day."
March
Sit back, kids, because I've got a story that's over a year in the making.
April
Hannah went on a school trip with the history club last week.
May
Most of my yarn is kept on shelves in the computer room.
June
Dale and I were married ten years ago today.
July
Hannah failed her school eye exam this past spring so yesterday I took her to the eye doctor for her first check up.
August
On Friday I took Hannah for her back to school haircut.
September
As I'm sure you've figured out, my trip to Utah was wonderful.
October
We did something on our family vacation this summer that I never told you about.
November
Hannah wore her finished Central Park Hoodie on Thanksgiving, for which we were both thankful.
December
What's a knitter to do when she needs to wash all her socks and she can't hang them on the clothesline to dry because it's snowing?

You know, for something that I thought would be a quick post, this took a long time. I could have knit something new to show you in less time, in fact. Ahh well, at least I enjoyed my trip down blog memory lane.

Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (17)

December 11, 2007

A Room Of My Own

I never mentioned it on the blog but last May my 25 year old stepson Luke moved out. His room sat empty over the summer as we contemplated how to best use this new space. Last month we came up with a plan that made me very, very happy. The first part of the plan was to move Hannah into Luke's old room. This room has more privacy, more space, and a closet, so Hannah quickly agreed. Dale did lots of work and the room was finally painted (blue, brown and lime green) and Hannah took over the space. It's nice but that's not what made me very, very happy.

What made me very very happy was our plan for Hannah's old room. It has become MY studio. (We first called it a "craft room" but I told Dale I thought studio sounded way more sophisticated and that's what it's now called.)

Once again, Dale did lots of work.

Look how cheerful he is!

Bye bye, green.

Hellooooooo, red.

I like this photo because I think the shadows are cool but also because it shows the two new colors, red and taupe, along with the old green paint.

Are you ready for the finished pictures? I hope so because here they are!

We picked out this kitchen island piece from Ikea. It was a bitch to put together, but Dale suffered through it and got it done.

This bureau holds all my fabric.

That's my grandmother's old sewing machine table with my machine on top. And a new Ott lite, too.

I have to show you the trompe l'oeuil fireplace that we had painted years ago. It's my favorite feature of the room. The basket of handspun is a nice feature, too.

I think we've created an excellent space for all sorts of creative pursuits. A studio of my own. It's just what I've always wanted.

Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (88)

December 10, 2007

Wreath Making

I hate you, too, Bloglines

Last week the Hungry Quilters (which we're still called even though we don't necessarily quilt anymore) got together at my sister-in-law Mary's house for an evening of wreath making. Mary has been making her own wreaths for over 15 years and when I asked her if she'd teach Lois, Sharon, Wendy and I how to do it she was eager to comply.

Now, Mary lives in a log cabin built by her husband, Randy. And I'll tell you, it doesn't get any cozier than a log cabin at Christmas time. The wood stove was providing the most luxurious warmth and the air was filled with the scents of pine boughs and cinnamon sticks and cloves. Mary had everything decorated beautifully with white lights and evergreens and red bows. There were home made chocolate chip cookies to munch on and warm apple cider for us to drink. I could have sat there and enjoyed the ambiance all night long.

But Mary would have none of that and we were quickly put to work. She provided us with straw wreaths and loads of pine boughs that Randy had brought home from his last trip to Maine. We attached bundles of pine to the straw wreaths with florist picks until there was no straw showing through.

Then we proceeded to decorate the wreaths with all sorts of natural things. We had red berries and feathers and milk pods. There were dried flowers and herbs and bird's nests. We used glue guns to attach our decorations and we each had a beautiful wreath in short order.

I love how different they all are!

Mary then gave us each a grapevine wreath and two huge baskets of pine cones. We glued the pine cones to the wreaths with lots and lots of hot glue. Wendy, who works in a florist shop, made us each a beautiful bow for our pine cone wreath. These went together super fast and are really quite elegant, I think.

We toasted our friend Debbie (we miss her so much), we reminisced and shared stories and had a wonderful night full of Christmas spirit.

Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (32)

December 4, 2007

The Stockings Were Hung

What's a knitter to do when she needs to wash all her socks and she can't hang them on the clothesline to dry because it's snowing?

Hang 'em by the chimney, of course.

This is the first time I've ever done this and I can't believe I never thought of it before. They dried in no time and I got a lot of pleasure from glancing over at them all afternoon.

Too bad it wasn't Christmas Eve. I'd have made out like a bandit.

Posted by Carole at 6:50 AM | Comments (67)

November 22, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving

I'm thankful for so many things: my husband and kids and extended family, my health, my job, my home, my friends (that's you guys!), knitting and yarn and spinning and everything else that's good. I'm also thankful for the bad because it makes the good so much gooder. Or something like that. But you know what I mean, right?

Know what else I'm thankful for? I bet you can guess.

Pie!

Cranberry Pecan

Pumpkin

Mincemeat

The apple is in the oven and the chocolate cream is in the fridge. By the end of the day, they'll all be in our bellies. Mmmm. Pie.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at CaroleKnits.

Posted by Carole at 8:30 AM | Comments (33)

November 13, 2007

Technological Wonders

Reason #822 why I love technology.

The web cam.

We finally set up our web cam and used it last week to talk to Brant, Heather and Ambrynn in Florida. It was kind of weird and will take some getting used to but it was pretty fun. After Ambrynn warmed up a bit she sang us some songs and told us about her Halloween. We were surprised at how long her hair has gotten and we were thrilled to hear her little voice.

We miss them so much but we're adjusting and they are happy there and that's what really counts. One thing that really helps is Heather is very good about sending photos.

Like this one, of Ambrynn in her Halloween costume.

Isn't it nice to know that she's just as cute as ever?

Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (35)

November 12, 2007

Veteran's Day Observed

I did a lot of knitting and spinning yesterday and while I was doing that I thought about Veteran's Day. I thought about the sacrifices that our veterans and their families make. I thought about how so many of our families are separated right now and how lucky I am that my family is together. I also thought about how unprepared our country is to deal with the rising needs of our veterans. I heard a statistic from a new study that says that 1 in 4 of our country's homeless are actually veterans. That is wrong on so many levels and, while I don't have the solution, I'm certainly aware of how desperate the situation is. And with awareness comes change, I hope.

So, allow me to take this opportunity to say "thank you" to our veterans. And to their families. Your sacrifices do not go unappreciated.

Posted by Carole at 8:00 AM | Comments (17)

November 8, 2007

A Library Tale

Yesterday at work, the Reference Librarian, Amy (who is also my very good friend) came to me to express her frustration about the over-crowding of the fiction shelves. I ventured out into the fiction section of the library and saw that she was right. The shelves are very full, particularly in the Ks and Ls. It's hard to believe that this 25,000 square foot library doesn't have enough book shelves, but it's true.

The thing is, there's lot of empty book shelves upstairs, where we shelve the nonfiction. So we started taking a look at the varoius collections we have downstairs and discussing the option of moving something upstairs. I told Amy, "It's good marketing. Just like the grocery stores putting the bread and milk in the back section of the stores, this will force our patrons to venture into other sections of the library." Large Print would be the logical set of books to move since it's a smallish size collection but would still free up enough room to really make a difference in the fiction section. But the thing is, it's mostly older people reading large print and I don't necessarily want to make them trek through the entire library to get to the stuff they want. Marketing or not, they would complain and they already complain enough - remind me to tell you the story of the flu shot clinic sometime. The mystery collection is too large to fit upstairs and the science fiction and fantasy collections are too small to make a difference.

Amy and I looked at each other and sighed, realizing that moving a collection really wasn't a possibility after all.

And then, it came to me. I looked at Amy and said, "I've got it! Just don't buy books written by authors with last names that begin with K and L."

Problem solved. But don't be looking over here for the latest Stephen King book.

Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (32)

November 7, 2007

Red Sox Nation

I did not go to the Red Sox rolling rally in Boston last week. And yet, I can tell you, despite what the announcers were saying about how well behaved the crowd was, there were assuredly a million little mini-dramas going on with those people. How do I know? Because I went to the rally in 2004.

Yes, indeed, Dale and I, along with our friends Matt and Sarah, got up at 4 am and took the T into Boston. We were at Park St. by 5 am and claimed our front row spot right by the New England School of Law. And then we waited. And waited. And waited some more.

During that time there were numerous trips to the bathroom and we would go one at a time so the other three people could maintain the space. That's when things got a bit ugly. Dale was gone for a long time because he had to wait in a really really long line for the men's room at Burger King. I was standing with my feet spread and my hands on my hips, taking up as much space as I could and this woman tried to push her way into his spot. She came pushing her way up there - this was about 10 am so we had been there for 5 hours by then - and I asked her to please back off. And she said, "but there's room up here for another person." And I said, "yes, there is, I'm holding the space for my husband." She narrowed her eyes at me and said, "if he's not here, that's too bad," and she tried to elbow her way into his space. I turned to her, glared, and said, "listen sweetie, I've been standing here since 5 am. Do you honestly think you can show up at 10 and get a front row spot? Back off. Now." There must have been something crazy in my eyes because she slunk away. And the people standing around me cheered for my small victory.

After Dale got back we waited for a while more. And this new woman started trying to push her way to the front. We held our ground and we were all kind of chatting with the people around us. Dale was mentioning how he hadn't watched many of the games because he was afraid they wouldn't win and he didn't want to be disappointed again. This woman, the one trying to get to the front, said to him, "You should step aside and let me have the front row spot. You're not even a real Red Sox fan." Dale, being a pacifist, said nothing. I, being an aggressive bitch, turned to her and said, "Well, he's enough of a fan to get up and get here earlier than you, isn't he?" That shut her up.

The parade rolled by shortly after that. I have flashes of the duck boats in my head. I clearly remember seeing the trophy - Manny was holding it. And I remember seeing the boat with all the old Red Sox players - that was really neat. We waited 6 hours and it was over in about 15 minutes.

I'm glad we went and I like having bragging rights about being there. And I sure learned some things about human nature that day, I'll tell you that.

Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (32)

November 5, 2007

Nothing

Despite 3 days of knitting and relaxing, I have nothing to blog about today. My weekend, which was quite good, ended with a nasty argument with Dale last night. We both broke some rules and I'm feeling emotionally drained and exhausted.

So, what's a blogger to do when she's got nothing positive to blog about? Share a recipe, of course. I had one of these squares at a party Saturday night and they are really delicious. And sweet. Frankly, right now, I could use a little sweetness. Enjoy 'em.

Maple Nut Squares
Shortbread Crust:
1 cup butter (softened)
½ cup sugar
2 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
Add flour a little at a time, blend well.
Pat mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 15” x 10” glass pan.
Bake at 350° for approx. 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and set aside.

Filling:
1-1/2 cups brown sugar, packed firmly
1 cup maple syrup (any brand of maple pancake syrup will do)
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla OR maple extract
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (or combo)

Stir together brown sugar, syrup, and butter. Add egg and vanilla. Mix with electric mixer until smooth.
Pour evenly over baked shortbread crust. Sprinkle with walnuts or pecans or combination of both.
Return to oven and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes until topping sets.
While still a little warm, run a knife around all four sides of glass pan to prevent edges from sticking.
Cool completely before cutting into squares. Store in airtight container.

I'll be more cheerful tomorrow. I promise.

Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (60)

October 29, 2007

A Great Day

Hi! How are you today? Did you have a nice weekend? I had a very relaxing weekend and after the whirlwind of Rhinebeck it was just what the doctor ordered.

Friday night Dale and I had a "date night" that basically consisted of dinner at home (tenderloin, mmm) and listening to music. And Saturday we spent some time together and then Dale had to go away over night for a band job. I had the evening to myself, my knitting, and the Red Sox, along with some clay pot shrimp curry.

But truly the best part of my weekend was yesterday. I woke up early and rested and decided to have coffee and read in bed. I settled in with Laurie Perry's new book, Drunk, Divorced and Covered in Cat Hair and before I knew it I had finished 3 cups of coffee and the book. Yes, I read the book cover to cover in one sitting - it's that good.

Not quite ready to give up the comfiest spot in the house, I grabbed the knitting and slipped a movie into the DVD player. Catch and Release isn't bad although I don't think it's about to win any awards. It was a great part of my morning, however.

Before I knew it Dale was home and we decided to take advantage of the beautiful fall day by taking the dog for a walk. It felt great to be outside in the crisp air and I even got to wear my Peace Fleece Everyday Cardigan for the first time this season.

We ended the day with a terrific local dinner of fresh striper, caught by Dale's brother Randy, and steamed potatoes and beets from our CSA.

And, oh yeah, the Red Sox won the World Series.

It was a great day.

Posted by Carole at 6:50 AM | Comments (40)

October 25, 2007

What Would YOU Do?

I heard a story at knitting group the other day that I want to share with you guys. It's a friend-of-a-friend story so I don't know if it's true or not, but it's interesting.

A flight attendant was attending an annual training seminar last year and, being a knitter, she brought her knitting to the training. She proceeded to knit throughout this training. Other attendees were distracted by the knitting and they complained to the powers-that-be. The knitter was asked to stop knitting but she continued to knit in spite of this request.

Last week this same knitter attended this year's training seminar. She pulled out her knitting once again and knitted through the entire program. She was subsequently fired.

Discuss.

Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (80)

October 24, 2007

Superstar

There was one thing I did at Rhinebeck that had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with knitting or spinning.

First, a little background information.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I have watched soap operas my whole life. As a kid, teenager and young adult it was always Days of our Lives but when they did the storyline about Marlena being possessed by the devil, well, that was just a bit far fetched even for me. Then, ten years ago, my stepdaughter, Jessica, got me hooked on As the World Turns and I've been watching it ever since.

So, as a long time fan of the show, I was thrilled when Norma announced that her daughter's boyfriend, Ryan Serhant, was a finalist on InTurn and I was happy to vote for him. I was overjoyed when he won the part on ATWT and I had a sort-of-personal-but-not-really-personal connection to the show.

And then on Saturday night, thanks to Norma and Sandy, I met Ryan.

I am happy to tell you that he's a wonderful guy. Friendly and personable and polite, handsome (oh yes) and tall and cute-as-a-button. And Norma's daughter, Abigail, is a sweetheart. We all chatted for a bit about stuff but the best part for me was talking about the show and Ryan's experiences and who he has worked with and what his storyline will be like. It was just so exciting for me to meet someone who is now working with the people I watch every day, you know?

I'm usually pretty cool but I think I may have been just a teeny bit star struck.

Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (39)

October 16, 2007

At The Faire

On Sunday Dale and I, along with our friend Lois, went to King Richard's Faire. This Renaissance Faire has been in Carver for over 25 years and we try and go at least once every season. I'm sure no one is surprised to know that we dress up for the occasion.

Being in "period clothing" at this event makes it so much more fun! And the cool thing is that we don't have to worry about being historically accurate like we do at our Civil War events. Because, frankly, anything goes at this fair, when it comes to costumes.

While we are there we enjoy many things.

The joust.

And the singing.

And the scenery.

But I think there's one thing about the faire that Dale particularly likes. Know what I mean?

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (56)

October 9, 2007

It's the Little Things

Last week the Wool Winder posted some very nice photos of little things around her house that make her happy. And then she asked a question. "What little things around your house make you smile?" Here are my answers.

Now it's your turn. What little things around your house make you smile?

Posted by Carole at 6:25 AM | Comments (27)

October 8, 2007

Christopher Columbus, It's Fall

It's Columbus Day and to me it's the "official" start of fall. Here in New England fall means leaf peepers and festivals. Pumpkins and corn stalks and mums. But before everything succumbs to the approaching cold weather I'd like to take one last look at summer's annuals.

They'll be gone all too soon.

Posted by Carole at 7:15 AM | Comments (16)

October 4, 2007

The Family Plate

We did something on our family vacation this summer that I never told you about. We visited one of those paint-your-own-pottery places. It was not a planned visit, by any means. We had been out to dinner for our last night of vacation and we were walking by and the kids begged to go in and paint something. They had begged for this last year, too, but this year I had just had 2 martinis and I was weak. So, in we went.

Dale and I made the Executive Decision that we would choose ONE piece and we would all work on it together. I found a chip 'n dip plate and that seemed like a good idea - 5 sections, one for everyone. Here we are, listening intently to our instructions, choosing colors, and sketching ideas.

Looks like fun, right? And it was, truly, a blast. We laughed and joked and had a great time. But when it comes to artistic ability, well, we might be lacking a bit in that area. In our defense, they told use about 10 minutes after we started that the place was closing early and we only had 10 minutes to finish. So, we were pressured. Also, in our defense, the brushes they gave us to use were crap and you have to go over each thing you paint 3 times, not an easy task.

Of course, the real kicker was when we finished and I brought the disaster thing plate up to the counter to pay for it. Between the ceramic piece itself and the studio fees and the shipping costs it was almost $80. Oy. I thought Dale was going to fall off the chair when I told him the price. But, I told him, it was our vacation and it would be a great memento of the trip, crappy artwork and all.

So we went home and went back to work and life and school and in the midst of all of that I sort of forgot about it. Until I called home from the airport in Salt Lake City to tell Hannah I had arrived safely. And she screamed into the phone, "The family plate is here! The family plate is here!" Naturally I made them promise not to open it until I got home. After all, we needed to be together for the great unveiling. Are you ready?

Pathetic, yes? Jessica's flower is actually pretty good but Hannah's musical notes? And Dale's shooting star? And Patrick's skateboard? And my green "07" in the middle? Not so much. $80 for a family heirloom that looks like it was painted by a bunch of monkeys. Or, in our case, a bunch of Swedish monkeys.

Nevertheless, at this week's family dinner we had tacos. And all the toppings went on the family plate.

It doesn't look so bad when the sections are all filled up. Heh.

And it looks downright okay when it's surrounded by my smiling family.

So that's our new heirloom. Some families have jewels. We have a plate. Go figure.

Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (52)

September 26, 2007

Walk With Us Wednesday

This past Sunday was the Race for the Cure and Team Spun and Run was well represented. The race was much bigger than I expected, having never done anything like this before. It was actually pretty easy to get caught up in the excitement of the event - speeches and testimonies and free give aways - were the order of the day.

There was the money raised, too. And our team raised nearly $2500! Woot!

Of course, there was also the walk. 5K isn't much but I sure was tired afterwards! Thank goodness for BBQ with friends.

Posted by Carole at 6:46 AM | Comments (23)

September 24, 2007

Utah '07

As I'm sure you've figured out, my trip to Utah was wonderful. There was time for everything, it seemed. Eating and drinking, knitting and spinning, talking and laughing. It seemed to go on for days. And then, all too soon, it was over and I was headed home. But I took a lot of pictures and I'd like to share a handful of them with you.

A wonderful group shot of us at the fiber fair.

The setting for the fair was beautiful. The weather was perfect and the days were warm and sunny. And everywhere you looked there were the mountains.

I just love this photo of Kim up at Silver Lake.

I got to meet Kim! And had more time with Susan than the last time I visited. Of course, I'm going to have even more time with Susan next month. Yay.

Temple Square is not to be missed.

And, of course, no trip to Salt Lake City is complete without the Margene Treatment - a meal at Silver Fork Lodge and a walk around Silver Lake.

The scenery is gorgeous, the friends are genuine, the Stitch 'n Bitch group is terrific, and I can't wait to go back.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (37)

September 12, 2007

Monday Is The New Sunday

I don't know what your schedule is like but I bet it is a lot like mine. And that means that days and nights and whole weeks go by without getting a chance to spend some quality time with the people you love. Dale and I had such a fabulous time on vacation this summer with Hannah, our stepdaughter Jessica and her son, Patrick, that we decided we need to set aside a specific time each week to spend with them and not just wait until vacation time. You know - like Sunday dinner. Except no one is available on Sundays.

It seems like there's something going on every night of the week but we finally agreed to set aside Mondays as family dinner night that includes the extended family, not just Dale, Hannah and I. Because, don't misunderstand me, Dale, Hannah and I eat dinner together as a family most weeknights. But we wanted to start something special and include Jess and Patrick once a week. So, Dale is now picking up Patrick from his after school program on Monday afternoons. He's bringing him back to our house so that Patrick can hang out with us until his mom arrives. And then we are all going to have dinner together. It probably doesn't sound like much but I think it's going to be a really good thing for all of us.

While the kids do homework

I cook dinner - which we actually ate in the dining room.

Dale said it felt like Thanksgiving. I agreed - except, of course, that we didn't have turkey, gravy, stuffing or mashed potatoes. But there was food in the dining room and two vegetables. And it did sort of feel like a holiday since we were all together.

Of course, next Monday, I'll be away and Dale will be in charge of dinner. I bet there won't be any vegetables that night. Kraft Dinner, anyone?

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (45)

September 11, 2007

More Tales from the Tailgating

I have a few more random things to tell you about the Jimmy Buffett concert but before I do I want to ask you to go wish Kim a happy birthday today. Go ahead, I'll wait.

Are you back? Good. And thanks for doing that. It can't be easy having a September 11th birthday and I know Kim will love the love. Anyway, back to Jimmy Buffett. Hope you don't mind. Even if you do, stick around because I'm going to share a great recipe at the end of this post.

~I do believe that One Particular Harbor is my new favorite Jimmy Buffett song. When he introduced it at the show he said, "All you people who wore grass skirts tonight get ready to wiggle." I wasn't wearing a grass skirt but I did my share of wiggling.

~Many of the people tailgating were playing games. We saw bean bag tosses and card games but my favorite was the limbo. No, I did not participate.

~There were many, many canopies and chairs and tables and grills set up throughout the parking lot. I commented to Dale that one row in particular was especially hard to maneuver. It was like a friggin' field sobriety test, if you know what I mean.

~There is something truly pleasurable about watching 55,000 people swaying to "fins to the left, fins to the right and you're the only bait in town."

~The best part of our tailgate picnic was the pickled shrimp. The recipe came from Sean way back from our picnic at New Hampshire Sheep & Wool in 2006. I don't think he'll mind me sharing the recipe. I don't have a photo but trust me, it's fabulous.

Pickled Shrimp

2 lbs cooked shrimp
Marinade:
1 cup veg oil
3/4 cup cider vinegar
2 large-ish onions thinly sliced
1/2 cup pitted, chopped black olives
2 T Worcestershire Sauce
Juice from one lemon
a clove or two of fresh, minced garlic
salt and pepper
2 bay leaves
Tbs or two of sugar (to taste)
1/2 bottle of capers with the juice

Mix all of the marinade ingredients together and pour over two pounds of cooked shrimp. Chill overnight and serve with sliced baguette.

Eat.

Smile.

Posted by Carole at 6:00 AM | Comments (32)

September 10, 2007

Jimmy Buffett!

Saturday night Dale and I went to the Jimmy Buffett concert at Gillette Stadium. It was our first ever Jimmy Buffett concert and we'd heard all kinds of tales about tailgating and costumes and outrageous behavior.

So we packed a cooler with sandwiches and beer and margaritas and off we went. I thought we were well prepared but you know what? We were babes in the woods at this concert.

The tailgating was over-the-top in a fabulously fun way. Everyone was extremely friendly and generous - offering us hot dogs and drinks and snacks. Well, except for those people with the steak and lobsters. They didn't offer to share. Hmmmph.

I'm so glad that we got there early enough to really enjoy the pre-concert festivities. And I wish I had taken more photos. There were beach set ups and bar set ups and one group even had karaoke going. I saw the best t-shirt, too. It had a picture of a parrot on it and it said, "Screw the cracker . . . Polly wants a cocktail."

The concert itself was wonderful although the acoustics up in the nose bleed section were slightly less than perfect. But he played all my favorites and really put on a very entertaining show. And I was very impressed that he opened the show with Luciano Pavarotti singing "La Donna E Mobile" from Rigoletto and he closed the show with his own "Defying Gravity," which he dedicated to Pavarotti. Now that's class.

You'll probably find this hard to believe but I didn't knit a stitch. And I still had a great time.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (46)

August 29, 2007

County Fair

Can I milk another blog post out of my weekend? Of course I can, because the other thing I did over the weekend (Thursday night is the weekend, right?) was go to the Marshfield Fair.

We all just love the Marshfield Fair because there's something for everyone.

There are giant pumpkins. That's Hannah and her friend, Gianna, posing so graciously.

And crazy vegetable creations. This corn and cucumber canoe was really clever. Aren't the asparagus oars the coolest?

There's a demolition derby and that's my favorite part of the fair. Well, that and the beer, but they sort of go hand in hand, don't you think?

There are model trains. I think Dale would still be standing there watching the train go 'round if I hadn't enticed him away with promises of more beer.

There are even things for my blog friends.

Swine for Ann.

And an AssWatch of a different sort for Dave.

Come back tomorrow and I'll show you the one other teensytinylittle thing I did last weekend.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (27)

August 28, 2007

Back to School Prep? Check!

Back to school preparations continued on Saturday with the dreaded back-to-school clothes shopping trip. However, thanks to Dave, it wasn't as bad this year. You see, Dave emailed me Saturday morning to ask what I was up to for the day. I told him I had to take Hannah shopping for school clothes and he said, "Can't you just give her $50 and drop her off at the mall?"

The $50 is a pipe dream and dropping her off at the mall isn't very practical since it takes 30 minutes to get to the mall from my house but I was inspired to try something new based on Dave's suggestion. I gave Hannah $100 and told her I was going to sit and knit on one of the couches in the center of the mall while she did her shopping. I gave her some basic guidelines and said if she bought anything inappropriate then it would be returned and she wouldn't be allowed to choose a replacement but that if she chose wisely and bought good things then I would reward her.

So I sat outside Charlotte Russe and American Eagle and worked on my Monkeys. Hannah shopped long enough for me to get to the toe decreases and when she came back she had bought a pair of jeans, 3 shirts, and a bracelet. Everything was appropriate and I rewarded her by taking her back into one of the stores and buying her two more pairs of jeans.

So, where does that leave us?

Haircut? Check!
Shoes? Check!
Clothes? Check!
Monkey socks? Check!

I'd knit these again in a heart beat and now I understand the love of this pattern.

For those wondering, the yarn is Yarn Love Juliet in the colorway Belle from where else but The Loopy Ewe. It's a great match for the pattern and I'm very pleased with these socks. They are for me, of course.

After all that back to school prep, I think I deserve a reward.

Posted by Carole at 6:00 AM | Comments (52)

August 27, 2007

Overheard

On Friday I took Hannah for her back to school haircut. Truthfully, she didn't come out looking all that different than when she went in, but she's happy and in the life of a teenager that's a very big deal. So while I sat and waited for her, I was knitting. And I overheard this conversation between one of the other hairdressers and her client.

Client: Look at my daughter's black eye! The Harry Potter book fell of her bookshelf in the night and hit her in the face.
Hairdresser: Oh my goodness. Looks like Hermione is coming to get you, sweetie. (she hums the Twilight Zone theme at this point.) She wants to take you to Hogwarts with her, I bet.
Client: You know, one of my friends visited Hogwarts.
Hairdresser: It's a real place?
Client: Oh yes! The name is different but it's a castle just like in the books and they teach magic to young witches and wizards.
Hairdresser: I had no idea. Well, my brother actually has copies of all of the Harry Potter books from the 1960s when J.K. Rowling originally wrote them.
Client: Really?!?
Hairdresser: Oh yes! They aren't in book form like we see them now, they are, what's that word? Manuscripts! Yes, manuscripts. He has manuscripts of all seven books from the 60s.
Client: Wow. That's really amazing.

Ummmm. You can imagine the difficulty I had keeping my mouth shut. Hogwarts is a real place? The hoopla over Bridges of Madison County being "real" was bad enough. Now people are claiming that Hogwarts is real? Oy. Copies of the books from the 60s? J.K. Rowling was born in 1965. Is she supposed to have written the books when she was a toddler?

How stupid can people be? Discuss.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (74)

August 9, 2007

Goodbye, Dear Friend

Tuesday afternoon I got a phone call - a scary phone call. The kind of phone call that changes your life. What I first heard was that my friend Debbie's husband had been in a motorcycle accident. A bad one. I called Lois and then I called Sharon. And I braced myself for what I thought would be the worst - helping Debbie cope with whatever had happened to Steve. And then the phone rang again and I found out that it was actually Debbie who was in the accident. And she didn't make it.

My dear sweet beautiful friend was coming home from work on her motorcycle and she was hit by a gigantic SUV. She didn't have a chance, according to what we've been told. It wasn't long after getting the final phone call when Sharon and Lois and Wendy and our other friends were gathered on my deck. And then we all went together to Debbie's house to offer what little comfort we could to Steve and the rest of Debbie's family.

I'm trying to be strong but this is a new kind of grieving for me. I've lost both my parents and two brothers - one in a motorcycle accident twenty-four years ago. I've been to countless wakes and funerals over the years but the loss of a friend, a truly wonderful friend, is a new one for me. And she wasn't just my friend, she was a friend to Dale and my whole family, too. We camped together and beached together and ate Chinese food together. She was on the beach with me the day I learned to knit. She read this blog and commented frequently. Debbie and her family came to our home every Christmas Eve and they were included in all of our family gatherings.

And every Wednesday night Debbie, Sharon, Wendy, Lois and I gathered to quilt, knit and chat. The five of us talked about everything - politics, religion, family, kids, work, happy things and sad things and scary things. We even joked about what our husbands would do with our stashes if something were to happen to one of us, not that we ever really considered that something actually would happen. Truly, nothing was off limits on our Wednesday nights and we forged an incredible bond with each other. And now one of us is violently, suddenly, just gone.

I feel