...lots of stuff....

Life has been very busy lately. We no more got done with graduation and the graduate and I took off for Vegas, baby!! It was a really fun time with lots of shopping, gambling, site seeing and an evening with the Thunder from Down Under! I know what you're thinking, but those boys can dance! I'm sure that their mothers are very proud.

Here are Bailey, Kate and Bailey at FAO Schwarz with Aragog from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Needless to say we came home very tired and a little poorer from the shopping and gambling, but a good time was had by all.

I swiped the following fun thing from my Ravelry Birthday Swap Partner, Laurie. Try it out, it's really fun! Thanks Laurie~




I am not at all surprised to find that I am a Labrador Retriever. Our Lab, Tucker and I have alot in common! We both love to sleep and eat, and not necessarily in that order. Here he is doing what he does best!



...and since I have included Tucker's photo I also have to show off my other dog, Jake, again doing what he does best.


...ah, if only it was a "dog's life"....

Let me know what breed you are!

Off to unpack!

...leaving the nest...

Here is what the babies looked like right before they left the nest for the big, wide world.

...and then they were gone...

This occurrence seems very fitting as it coincided with our youngest graduating from Oregon State University this weekend. She is a remarkable young woman that we are most proud of. She looks really happy, doesn't she?

Here she is with her big sister, also an OSU alumni.


Here she is with, as we are known, "damama" and "dapapa" and her boyfriend Chris. He also graduated that day from OSU!

So our last little bird has flown the nest, out into the big wide world. It was a bittersweet day, complete with a few tears and much reflection. We are very proud.

Go get 'em, Kate! Fly high!

...spoilage...

Every year I am amazed by the wonderful, generous friends and family that I have in my life. And this year was no exception. I give you the birthday spoils........

...many wonderful things from friends and family including a cute gardening apron, a darling wine glass, cute napkins, candles, note cards, a great "monkey" game, old people tattoos, a bumblebee salt and pepper set, and.......chocolate!

...from one of my favorite people...a monkey! Anyone that knows me knows how this gift rocked my world! (the egg he is holding opens and holds my watch, earrings, etc, perfectly!)

...from my Birthday Swap Pal on Ravelry (Laurie) a plethora of birthday goodies including yarn, monkey stuff, and more yarn!!! She rocks!

...from the hubby...the beginnings of the water feature I have been wanting for our backyard. There will be some digging and electrical work involved and I know that once it's up and running you are in for many more photo of this fabulous gift!

Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful birthday wishes by email, on Ravelery, by snail mail and here on the blog. I am very blessed..........

feathers and all...

...and so we have feathers.....

...and we are always hungry.....

sadness...

I am not usually a person that gets on a soapbox for this cause or that reason. But lately I have been troubled by some of the things I have read on the Ravelry Forums.

It seems that people feel that their right to free speach allows them to post vicious and mean-spirited things. I am the first to admit that people are intitled to their own opinions, it's just that there seems to be a lack of tact or in some cases class in how these individuals express these opinions.

I am a huge fan of Ravelry for the most part. I love the idea of a community of individuals getting together to share ideas, tips, and the love for all things fiber. But what I can't get my head around is the ugliness of a few of the Ravelry members. I have seen these people tear up and spit out some of the best people I know. And when they are called on these actions they claim that they have a right to their opinion, and that somehow that justifies their actions of slander and evilness.

I am glad to see that there is a way to report a post that you think is inappropriate, but even with this I still have seen hurtful subjects get 50 or more posts before the moderator sees fit to archive the thread.

I know that there is a very small population of ugly people in any given venue. It just makes me sad to see how mean these people are. I always thought that all knitters were wonderful human beings. Time to take off the rose colored glasses and step out of fantasyland........

the monkeys are finished

"monkey" by Cookie A.

STR lightweight in colorway "kawkaw"

weekend work...

Here's what my weekend consisted of:









New potting soil and pretty new plants.

Here's who was watching me while I worked in the dirt...

mama &

babies...