All Systems Go

Y'all know what this means. It means I'm going to try and logic away something that probably doesn't have a lot of logic behind it.

Like why it's July 17 and it friggin' freezing in the house and we don't have the air conditioner on. We do have some open windows to let in the fresh air - but it's supposed to be fresh summer air. You know Summer? Change the first vowel and that's what we're supposed to be doing - Simmer(ing). I cannot explain why global warming causes us to be cold.

I can't explain all the recent interest in Mr. Honey's Old Chevy. Did I ever tell you the story about his Old Chevy? It's so..male. When Mr. Honey and I started dating the subject of cars came up (I have no idea how - I was driving a Pontiac Sunbird - no one talks about that on purpose) but Mr. Honey mentioned he drove an Old Chevy when he wasn't driving the company car. (I could care less about what cars men drive which is why I'm not sure how this conversation came up.) Anyway, I was out with some friends who knew him and I mentioned I started dating him and said, "He mentioned the strangest thing. He wanted me to know he drove an Old Chevy. Like I care."

The two of them practically threw themselves on the floor laughing. (Yes, this has something to do with knitting; just wait.)

When they finally came back to their senses, they informed me the 'Old Chevy' was a 1965 Corvette convertible. Oh, yeah, that's funny.
When I asked Mr. Honey about it he said - with a straight face - "I didn't want you to like me for my car."

So now, of course, I hate the car. He has drained it of all fluids and taken off the tires and the car sits covered in the garage. He has not driven it in eleven of our thirteen years of marriage. I mention every year how he should get it back in driving condition and take it out for a spin or sell it. But he hasn't seemed interested in any of those three things.

But everyone else loves it and no matter what function we're at someone will slide up to me and ask me if I can get him to sell them the car. My usual answer is "If you have a buck 68 in your pocket right now, you can take it home.' Would you believe NO ONE has managed to have $1.68 in their pocket?

But two people have been seriously pressing Mr. Honey to buy the car and he asked me if I could sell it to either his brother or his best friend. Both of whom have cleared this pending purchase with their wives and they are ready for the bidding war to begin. And my answer?

Absolutely not.

I bet you're not as surprised as he was. Here's how the conversation went:
"WHY NOT?"
"Duh."
"What duh?"
"Do you want to sell the car?"
"I'd prefer to keep it but I haven't driven it."
"OK so you sell the car to your best friend or your brother both who we see on a pretty regular basis and how are you going to feel seeing your Corvette brought back to life and if you want to drive it - you will have to ask their permission?"
"That would be weird. I'd like to fix it - it just hasn't been a priority."
"You wouldn't be doing the work yourself. How bout this? Get the car fixed. Drive it yourself and if the thrill is gone, feel free to sell to whom you like. Until then you cannot sell this car to anyone you know."
So now, he's interested in getting the car repaired and driving it himself. I haven't been able to get him to consider that for eleven years. I can't explain it.

So what does that have to do with knitting?

I have to start yet another knitting project:
I can't explain that either.


020604

Give In To It

How do you not love this face? I see this face and I just smile or crack up - depending on how many people are around and if I care whether or not they think I'm crazy. Believe it or not, these are bath bombs. I'm used to seeing them look like, well, round things that have no character. To own the truth, I didn't think they really needed character until I saw this little cutey. Now, a bath bomb ain't a bath bomb unless it has a smile.


This face made that face. This is the face of Beth Merriman and she runs Chickscratch on Etsy. Her shop makes vegan spa products - so no animals will be harmed in the making of your me time. I interviewed Beth a little while back but I wanted to make sure you guys knew about her stuff because besides the bombs, she also makes candles and hmmmmmm body butter. Doesn't that sound naughty and nice?

Beth and I are simpatico because she tends to be a little...messy...no, let's say creatively organized. We do the best we can but creativity cannot wait for anyone - except mebbe Merry Maids. She also works in theatre. I almost majored in theatre and I have done school and community theatre. (Did I ever tell you I won the Stanley Perry Theatre Award at Aurora University? Don't even ask me where that bowl is. My guess it's in the garage.)
But this isn't about me..it's about Beth and her wonderful store.

Check it out - it's a hoot and a holler...and with faces more than just a mother will love.

An Embarrassment of Riches

You still have a few days to enter the Haiku Contest.

Do you see them? Can you count them? How many are there? Let me help you out. Five. Five afghans in the making. Five big, old projects going on at one time. Ten knitting needles. Two cable needles, eight project bags (hey, it's a lotta yarn.)

You know what else?

One is missing from the photo. Another afghan project in another bag did not make it to the photo shoot.

It seemed like a good idea at the time. It may still turn out to be a good idea - we'll have to see how long it takes to get them all done. But here's another little kink in my knitting armor - my nephew is getting married next month and I have taken the 'handmade' vow so I am, of course, knitting them a nice blanket or afghan for their new apartment....it ain't in the picture above. It ain't on the needles. It ain't been picked out.

Hah. This must be what they mean by living dangerously. Why, you ask, can't I designate one of the undone to belong to them when it becomes a done. I thought of that, too. But the answer is obvious to me - she likes blue - but not just any blue - a dark, bright blue.

But wait, you say, there's a blue strip up there. It looks like it might qualify as a dark, bright blue.

And I would agree. But here's the thing.
I told want to give them that one.

Nothing like standing in the way of your own success.

Aha, you say (you are a talky bunch today) there's a bright blue square up in the corner that could, mebbe, pass as darker, if not exactly dark.

Again, I would agree. And now that you mention it, that might become the gift because although she likes blue, my nephew likes green and that particular afghan is called Stained Glass and has a multitude of colors and is more likely to go with whatever color scheme they have in their new place.

Here's the idea I actually had - I would finish all the afghans (believe it or not, they will all be done within a few weeks cuz that's how I roll) I would post them with everything else in the shop and then they can go through the shop and select what they want and then I would ship it to them.

How did we get on this? The subject was the five afghans in the making. Two of the five are made in one piece; the others are squares or strips (the one that is missing is also squares) which is why they will be done in a relatively short order. Can you tell I am working on the gold one at the top? It's slower because of the pattern but it will be beautiful and with it out of the way the others will move and it will all be done, as I said, in a few weeks.

If I don't start any others.