The Bridge

We live across Lake Ponchartrain from New Orleans. To get there, we go "across the bridge". The bridge is the Lake Ponchartrain Causeway. The Causeway is the longest bridge in the world that is over water and the second longest in the world overall. The Causeway consists of two parallel bridges that are approximately 23.87 miles long. We have to pay a toll if we are going southbound to New Orleans, but there is no toll for the return trip. This picture shows the toll booths for the south bound traffic.

Driving across the bridge brings some interesting sites. Sometimes you will see a pelican sitting on the railing or seagulls looking for dinner. Many boats are seen along the trip...sailboats, fishing boats, those who are crabbing, and those just out for a ride. I don't think we give much thought to how amazing the bridge is. It is just a part of life here on the Northshore.

Volunteering

Today, Robyn started volunteering for S.T.A.R.T. (St. Tammany Animal Resource Team). They are a local animal rescue agency who offers pets for adoption at our local PetSmart. Robyn will be cleaning the cat cages and helping on Saturdays when the bring the dogs to the store in hopes of finding their forever home. Today was cage cleaning day. I did this job several years ago and had to stop because my allergies were going crazy. I am allergic to both cats and dogs, but I seem to be able to handle it in a house a lot better than in a tiny room with no ventilation and 8-12 cats. It is so fun to play with the cats while they are loose in the room. Some of the cats are scared and you can help to get them used to humans.

Robyn enjoyed her work. Like I did, she has found a favorite or two. It makes you feel good when they are adopted out. They will have a family who will love and cherish them as all cats should be.

Multilingual? I Wish

We had to head back to Lowe's to pick up something we forgot and saw this sign. I wish I could speak a second language. It was be so cool to be able to go to another country and feel as though you could do what you needed to do without worrying about being at the mercy of hoping they knew English or understood your game of charades. Bk, before kids, I went on a tour of Europe with my parents and sister. In Rotenburg Germany, I saw a lovely pitcher I wanted to buy. The owner of the shop was away at lunch and the clerk handling the store didn't know English. We were both able to point and act out what I needed for my purchase, but it could have been so much easier. I would have love to have been able to talk with her. I think she felt the same way. When I look at the pitcher I remember the transaction. It brings a smile to my face and I wonder what that clerk is doing now.

Still Pitiful

Jasmine is such a silly thing. She moans, groans, and sleeps in all sorts of contorted positions. She is comfortable and doesn't seem to mind. I frequently pass her "room" throughout the day and find her in all sort of crazy ways. This is one of her latest. She is sleeping on her back (her favorite position) and on top of her bowl. I had come in to take her bowl out of her room (see here as to why she eats in her room). I guess I was not fast enough and the sandman came for a visit.

A New Family Member

Such is the life in Southeast Louisiana. As soon as the end of May nears, we start thinking about hurricane season. We bought a generator in Houston while we were evacuated for Katrina. Phillip used it when he had gone back to check on the house and his office. It was a cheapish model and served its purpose briefly. We bought a second generator year before last. It was used last year when Gustav blew through. It was tossed around a bit when the small tornado ripped though the back yard. Phillip tried to get it up and running for this season. It was not cooperating. He has tried everything and Bill, our next door neighbor, came over to lend his expertise. Nope, nothing, nada.

We headed over to Lowe's and bought another generator. You really don't want to go too long without power. Trust me on this. Hopefully, it will be easier to put together than the last one.

Added 7/6/09 Phillip decided to take the air filter out of the old one and rinse and let it dry as a last resort. He is convinced that the old generator started up right a way because it saw the handwriting on the wall with the new generator sitting next to it.

Happy Independence Day !

I love the 4th of July. Seeing the colors of red, white and blue makes me happy. I also love Christmas because of the colors. But anyway...we had a mini party with Uncle Gary, Shelby and Tessa coming over to eat, knit, and watch movies (Phillip and Gary refrained from knitting). It was a wonderful day spent with family and friends.

Cara decided to wear her new outfit to show Tessa. I was telling Nana how cute she looked in it and wanted to send her a picture. I called Cara in for the picture. This is the pose she liked best. I just love that girl!

Make New Friends, But Keep the Old...

A couple of times a year, my pal Tina comes into town. A couple of buddies from Baton Rouge come down as we meet at Tina's daughter's house to catch up on each other's lives. Paige is so gracious to let us use her house as our base. These ladies are my some of oldest friends...the ones I have kept in contact with the longest over the years. We initially met in college and later worked together. Debbie and Gina were in my wedding and Tina has given me support and strength (although she might not realize it) throughout the years. We don't get to see each other as often as we would like due to work and family commitments as well as distance.

Friends bring so much richness to your lives. These three ladies are my a few of my "golden girls". They are gold treasures in my collection of friends.

Vernon

Robyn has been back at the needles again and has created yet another cute "softy". This one she has named Vernon. I have no idea where the name came from, but it seems to suit him. She says Vernon loves music and can often be found by the stereo, jamming to his tunes. Vernon joins an already filled softy area of her room. He will have plenty of buddies to hang out with.

Adventures in Felting Part Deaux

The next step, in my bag creation, was to felt it. I put it in the washing machine with a tiny bit of soap and a pair of jeans. I put the water on hot and added some big time agitation. I got on the computer to start working on these blog posts and kinda forgot about the time. I was supposed to check it every 5 to 10 minutes to see how it looked. All was well and I love how it turned out. It is the perfect size for what I wanted. I put a box in it to hold its shape as it dries. Once it is dried, I will get all of the fuzzies off of it from the felting and I will be good to go.

The New Hard Drive

The hard drive is here! The hard drive is here! I felt like Paul Revere as I ran through the house announcing its arrival. I called Dell and they were able to walk me through the process of removing the old drive, installing the new one, and reloading Windows. The tech was amusing because he kept telling me that I was doing very well. He said many people have trouble following directions. I didn't find it all that hard. I can follow directions...when I choose and I was completely motivated to do so here. It took most of the afternoon to get it all of the software back on, drivers installed, etc. I gave my computer a big hug and told it how much I missed it. Computer...please don't leave me like this again!

My First Attempt at Felting

Robyn has felted a couple of items and I like the way they came out. I decided I needed a felted bag to put my current knitting projects in. I wanted something a little bigger than the bag I was using, but I didn't want a big bag where I would lose stuff in the corners. The solution was to make my own. I have a love/hate relationship with the sewing machine. I would love to be able to machine sew, but the bobbin hates me. A felted bag would do the trick for me. I could make it completely my own design. I knit until the sides looked long enough and then started another side. The same with the handles.

I really had a great time making something to keep for a change.

The picture above shows the bag before the felting process. I am curious how big it will finally be.

The LYS

Since my computer was kaput (and you probably know where I am going with this), I did a little knitting. A yarn shop opened up last September about 20 minutes away and I felt the need to make a visit. You will be impressed that it was my first visit there. I was afraid to go, because I knew I would fall in love with a ton of yarn and you know I don't NEED any more yarn. Want it, but don't need it. Today I did need a certain color. My trusty chauffeur took the wheel and off we went. I spent a lot of time drooling over the yarn. I picked up a bunch, but I made myself put it down. I was proud of myself, because I only bought the one skein I needed. Robyn on the other hand was the big purchaser. At first she wanted me to drive home so she could admire her purchases, but the lure of being able to drive was stronger and she decided to let her poor mother do the admiring for her.

LYS= Local Yarn Store

Waterproofing the Deck

Phillip decided this was the weekend to seal the deck. I wonder why he chooses to do this in the summer, and not only that...he waits until mid day to do it. He doesn't feel the heat like I do, but I think this time he did. I question why he doesn't get up early to do work outside. He tells me he will do things on his time. OK...it is just painful to watch him outside working in the heat when the heat index is around 110 degrees.

He did stop long enough to come in to get some water and to tell me to come and take his picture for the blog.

Round #2 of the Birthday Sleepovers

Round number two of the birthday sleepovers featured Haley. Haley is another friend Cara wanted to have over. Cara and Haley spend a lot of time online checking out various sites and discussing characters they have created. Sleepover time with Haley will be similar to the time spend with Tessa as they will swim some and spend the rest of their time on the computer. I don't think they will be able to stay up as late as Cara and Tessa did, because their Girl Scout troop is going horseback riding in the afternoon and they can't sleep in as long as they would like.

Birthdays are best spent in the company of those you share things with. Cara was able to have two great sleepovers with two friends who make her happy.

National Champs!

Yaa Hooo! I am so thrilled. Our boys pulled it out. I had been glued to the TV for the past 3 nights awaiting the outcome of this series. It ended the way I wanted it to. I had to get a picture of the front page of today's paper.

I remember when we first moved to Louisiana. It was 1970. Our next door neighbors were die hard LSU fans. On home game Saturdays, Mr. Benefield would open all of his windows and crank up "Hey Fighting Tigers, "Tiger Rag", and any other songs played by the Golden Band from Tigerland. He would then proceed to get ready to leave for the game. Getting ready seemed to involve filling his trunk with cases of beer. He always wore his LSU football game attire of a purple shirt, gold pants, white belt and shoes, and freshly manicured flat top. We had just moved to Louisiana from New Mexico and I thought he was crazy. I made a vow to never go to a school where the fans and alumni were nuts. Fast forward 3 moves and 8 years later, I am graduating from high school. The funny thing about saying you are never doing something is that sometimes you do exactly what you said you would never do. Yes, I attended LSU and received my B.S. and M.A. from there. I love the place! I am not as nutty as Mr. Benefield was, but I love me some LSU. Needless to say, there was some hooting and hollering last night when my beloved Tigers won the College World Series. Go Fighting Tigers. Go all the way...

Added on 7/2/09...I had forgotten to post this one when I was updating the blog after the great hard drive mishap. How could I have forgotten?

RIP Hard Dirve

Due to the untimely demise of my hard drive, I will not be able to post until the new one is installed. I will continue to take pitures each day and will update the blog with these as soon as I can.

Creative Advertising

As I was being chauffeured around by my oldest, we noticed this car while stopped at a light in downtown Covington. Since I started this blog, each member of the family (well the human ones anyway) has pointed out certain things that would make great pictures of the day. This was no exception. Robyn told me to grab my camera, but I was not as fast as the light. We made a trip around the block, so I could capture this bad boy. I could not get the whole car and still get the license plate, but you can probably figure out how the rest of the car looks. I still laugh when I think about the license plate. It is definitely memorable. I may not remember Troy's phone number, but I will remember his car.

Birthday Sleepover

Cara's birthday was this past week and she wanted to have friends sleepover. Unfortunately neither of her buddies were available for her actual birthday, so she compromised by having them over one at a time to hang and be silly. Tonight was Tessa's night. She and Tessa have a great friendship. They are both very funny, dramatic and compliment each other well. They spent the evening swimming and "working" on the computer. Plans are that we will go to IHOP in the morning for breakfast. I have a feeling there will be little sleeping tonight for these two.

Yes, Virginia, There is Another Hat

While I was in Tampa, I kinda went on a minor yarn shopping spree. I hit the Jo Ann's for their sale and came away with some excellent yarn. One of my purchases was a skein of Jo Ann's brand yarn called Sensations. It is this huge skein of multi-colors acrylic that I thought would look great as a hat. So I started a knittin' and here is the result. I really liked the yarn. It is soft and I like how it felt in my hands. Robyn is a big fan of the striping.

Sympathy?

Skittles has not been herself today. She is kinda mopey and wants to lie very close. The only thing that seemed to cheer her up was a ride in the car. Yes, I did drive her around the neighborhood to make her happy. She has spent some time today lying at my feet under the computer desk. Usually, that is Pretty's place of business. One might say that Pretty is not the friendliest of cats. She pretty much likes just me. I am sitting on the computer goofing around, with Skittles at my feet, using my foot to scratch her tummy. All of a sudden I get a swat on the other side of my leg. Pretty has come and is sitting in close proximity of Skittles. To say that Pretty hates the dogs is putting it very mildly. I wonder if she sees that Skittles is not herself and is giving her a break from her usual surliness. Maybe she thinks my foot is bothering Skittles. Pretty and sympathy...who would have thought?

The Intruder

We get some pretty bold squirrels in the yard. They mooch off of the various bird feeders and chase the birds away who were there first. Skittles and Jasmine love to race out the back door to go on "Squirrel Patrol". They never catch the squirrels. They just stand under the trees and bark at them. Jasmine usually gives up pretty quickly, but Skittles will continue to search for the squirrel in the tree for a while. I doubt they would know what to do with a squirrel if they caught one...maybe bring it in the house like the turtle.

This guy was quite content munching away while I walked out back to take his picture. I had to walk around a bit to get a decent camera shot because the sun was behind him. He did not budge a bit while I was out there. He just looked me in the eye and kept eating.

You Know You Are Exhausted When...

You are too tired to unpack your suitcase. You just open it up in front of your bedroom door and go from there. I am not calling out which one of my babies did this, but if you are a loyal reader, you will see a pattern by looking at the state of the room. She was not too tired to do several things around the house last night and she was able to get up and go to work this morning. She really cracks me up, that girl.

The Cherry on the Cake

Just like the day we went to see the Devil Rays, today's Picture of the Day had some discussion. This trip had a lot of funny moments from Phillip getting so excited about free orange juice at the Florida Welcome Center, that he took the weigh station exit instead, to what happened this morning. We are a family of night owls. We hit our stride from 11:00 pm on, so getting up early to leave for home is accompanied by some complaining and some slow thinking. Someone (no one is claiming it) caused the toilet to overflow. For a brief time, the girls and I were not wake enough to do anything other than stare. Thankfully, Phillip, AKA Mr. Fix-It, was there to save the day and turn the water off. The females in this family were truly pitiful at this time. Of course, I took a picture and everyone wanted me to put that picture up as today's picture. Since this is my blog, I vetoed that, but put a portion of the picture up. It is to remind us of the great time we had, all of the laughter we shared, and how we love each other so much.

On my own

In Tarpon Springs, Cara bribed Robyn with stuff so she would go to Busch Gardens and ride the coasters with her. I still didn't want to go so they took the hotel shuttle and off they went. As for me...I was going shopping. I googled up directions to several stores and had me a fine time. As I was driving, I noticed the temperature. That number says it all. It was too hot to be at an amusement park. I sweat at the drop of a hat (thank for that gene, Dad) and the day of being a wet puddle didn't appeal to me in the least. I had a phone call from the girls about how miserable they were in the heat and how they wanted to leave. I made the right call for me.

Tarpon Springs

The original plan was to hit Busch Gardens today. I decided I really didn't want to go and Robyn said the same. Cara was upset because she wanted a roller coaster buddy. Instead, we decided to drive up to Tarpon Springs to see the sponge docks. It was interesting. All of the shops on the water sold every kind of sponge imaginable. I didn't know there was so many different kinds. Tarpon Springs has a large Greek community. There were lots of opportunities to eat Greek food and to buy items imported from Greece.

On the way back to Tampa, we again headed for the beach. We found a nice one in Honeymoon Island State Park. Phillip and Robyn were in heaven and Cara and I grumbled about being in the sun. While driving around the park, we saw a huge (24" x 16") box turtle on the side of the road. Since I was driving, I had Phillip jump out and get his picture. I didn't know turtles could move so fast. He took off for a hole in the side of a hill. It was pretty cool to watch him dig in to hide himself. There is no way Skittles could have brought this one in the house like she did here.

Ringling and the Beach

This morning we had an appointment for a tour of Ringling College of Art and Design and with a admissions counselor following. Wow, the classrooms are impressive. One of the first stops was the Animation Department. Robyn's eyes popped when she entered the room with all of the animation desks (donated by Disney). She has wanted one of those desks since the first time she used one several years ago. In the hallway, they have plaques of some of the companies who employ Ringling graduates. It was like the Who's Who of companies who use animators. I got an annoying nose bleed, so I went back to the admissions office. Robyn and gang said the rest of the tour was just as great. She also loved the illustration department, the other major she is considering.

The college counselor was very informative and gave Robyn great input about her portfolio. I enjoyed hearing that he thought we work was as special as we do. His words have given Robyn a lot of think about and helps in her decision on where to visit next.

After Ringling, we drove around Sarasota a bit and then found a beach. I abhor the beach and Cara is not too thrilled either. Phillip and Robyn ran out to the water, Cara walked a little and I took a picture and went back to the air conditioned car to knit. I know; I am a pill. Cara and I had great discussions about why we hate the beach while Phillip and Robyn were having fun.

I Love Me Some Baseball

We don't get the opportunity to watch major league baseball too often. Phillip jumps on any chance to do so. I love baseball too, but the girls are not so thrilled. We went to see the Devil Rays play the Washington Nationals. Our seats were pretty good and the game was great. Robyn started to get into the game and asked a lot of questions. By the end, she said she was starting to like baseball. Cara mostly read her book like she did last summer when we saw the Mets play.

The girls both enjoyed the vast opportunities for people watching. One of the most interesting was this guy with the major dreadlocks. I think those are the longest I have ever seen. Another favorite was a fan who would wave around a broom. This was the final game in a 3 game series with the Nationals, so fans were hoping for a sweep.

World Wide Knit in Public Day

Today is World Wide Knit in Public Day. I bet you didn't know that. We are on our way to Tampa and a visit to Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota. Since Robyn and I can't attend a local public knitting event, we planned to knit in the hotel lobby. She chickened out on me, but I still did it. Phillip graciously agreed to take my picture downstairs and there you have it.

To Camp

When we go out of town, the puppies go to "camp". They love camp because they get to see lots of other dogs and do the dog thing. Skittles especially loves camp because she gets extra portions of food. She gobbles her food up and heads over to Jasmine's. Jasmine is so passive that she gets nosed out of her bowl. The house is so quiet tonight with them gone. I miss not having their silliness and puppy kisses around.

UP (exclaimation point- since Blogger will not let me use the character)

I took Cara and a friend to see UP! I love animated movies The stories are usually fun and I enjoy looking at how the characters are drawn. The movie was very good and we all enjoyed it. This one had several comments in the movie that young kids would not get. I like that they try to expand it's appeal to a wide range of ages.

The Signature Move

Tonight, I met a couple of friends for dinner. I enjoy spending time with friends, but I also enjoy coming home to see what kind of mischief Phillip and the girls have gotten into. He can usually get the girls to do all kinds of silly stuff to show me when I get home. Tonight, Phillip and Cara had a little dance step they called "The Signature Move". They had a great time showing their move, cracking each other up and being goofy. They tried to get Robyn to join in, but she was interested in standing by me and watching the show. It was like getting a calorie free dessert when I got home...sweet and fulfilling.

Where's the Kitty?

Having a cat (or if you are luckier...cats) can bring a multitude of joys and laughter. I love reading about the cat escapades from bloggers such as Lin of Duck and Wheel with String, or from the cats themselves, Daisy and Harley of Daisy the Curly Cat. Cats are the original comics and they will have you smiling in no time. Lin sometimes does a little feature called "Where's the Kitty?". It is usually a post about some silly place Hobbes has gone. I am hitching a ride on Lin's coat tails and doing a "Where's the Kitty" segment too.

Robyn spent the weekend cleaning her room. When she cleans, she usually has one administrative assistant (Whiskers) in the room "helping". This time Pretty felt the need to come and put in her 2 cents on what needed to be done. I went into Robyn's room to ask her a question, and at first all I saw was her bed covered with her stuffed wolf collection. Then, I looked closer and noticed 2 orange ears moving. Pretty was taking a much needed break by sitting in the warm sun by the window. It was the perfect spot. She was able to blend in and not be noticed by the dogs and it was warm and cozy.

Yes, Gary...It's Another Hat...

My brother-in-law, Gary, reads my blog. He commented that I have a lot of knitting posts. I guess I do lately cause that is pretty much all that I seem to do that is remotely interesting. My life is not all that exciting so there is not too much to take pictures of.

I finished this hat today. Loyal readers will notice that it is a little bit different than the others. It is the same old standby, the rolled brim, but this one has a tri-peak top. This hat is so cute. I knit it for a little boy who I wanted to send a Spirit Jump to, but it might be too big. I am not good about checking my gauge on a new pattern and I did do some things a little different than the pattern called for. If it measures too big, I will find someone who could use this hat.

Did the Circus Come to Town?

I know this is not the best of pictures, but I wanted to post it anyway so I'll remember how funny this was. Robyn and I were heading down to the lakefront and we stopped so I could get a coke. These 2 guys come riding up on these crazy bikes. They are 2 bike frames welded on top of each other. They were tooling around on these things like everyone did it too. I went into the store and made Robyn wait to leave until I got a picture of them on the bike. Since I was in stealth mode, I didn't roll down the window and blatantly take the picture. I should have tho. Who knows when I will see this again?

Another hat...

Here is another hat I finished in the wee hours this morning. I really love this hat. It is so so soft. I wish I liked wearing hats more. I would love to have one like this.

Today's Post is Brought to You by the Number 3

When I looked behind me tonight, I saw the dogs lying next to each other like this. The first thing that came to mind was those cool dog photos "Sesame Street" used to have of the Weimaraners. They would put the dogs in all of these great positions to show the alphabet and numbers from 0-9. I loved those silly dogs. Jas and Skit often come and lie on the floor behind me while I am on the computer. I enjoy having them near me. They are my goofy girls.

Morning Rain

I woke up around 6:30 to the sound of thunder. I jumped up to let the dogs out before the rain started and to get a picture of my latest baby hat. We were not back inside for 2 minutes before it started to pour. Jasmine refuses to go out in the rain and neither are fans of thunder. I like morning rain. It starts the day off with a nice fresh slate. Now, it is different when I have kids to get off to school, have to drive in it, or need to do something outdoors. But this morning, none of those things were happening, so I could sit and look out the window and watch the rain.

I Love Breakfast...

Food. I have always loved breakfast food. Bacon, eggs, sausage patties, pancakes, waffles, muffins, pizza, donuts...I love it all. Breakfast for Dinner is my go to dinner plan when I forget to plan. This is what we had tonight for dinner. I don't know how thrilled the rest of the family was about it, but as for me, it was all good.

Did Someone Mention Cake?

Let me introduce you to my new best friend, my yarn ball winder. I love, love this contraption. I have been using 2 strands of yarn to knit my hats for chemo patients. I was winding the yarn into a ball and then rolling that into 2 smaller, equal balls (Yes, I know there was probably an easier way, but my dad was an Aggie...nuf said. It's in the DNA). My ball winder winds my yarn into beautiful cakes of yarn that don't roll off of my lap when knitting. I can then pull the yarn from the center and from the outside at the same time. It is so much fun to wind the yarn. The girls think I am nuts having so much fun using this thing, but they don't get it. I am making a yarn cake and cake in ANY form is wonderful. I just love cake. Don't you?

Awwww...

I saw a post on Ravelry about knitting preemie and newborn hats. City Year Louisiana, a member of Americorps, has organized several service events in Baton Rouge and New Orleans as part of a 100 Hours of Power. I have been on the hat making kick, so I thought I would give baby hats a try. I broke out of my box and found a new pattern to try. Yes, it is still a rolled brim hat like the others, but it does have a different type of finishing the crown of the hat. Ok, I moved from one box to another box, but it is a sweet hat. When I look at it, I just think "Awww...it is so cute." It knit up pretty fast and I am ready to start another one. Robyn started one, but she is letting me finish it up so she can make her famous bunnies.

I don't know why I like making hats. I just do. Someday I'll be known around town as the crazy cat lady who makes hats.

Decking the Deck

We have not had any patio/deck chairs since Gustav blew through here with a mini tornado. All of those chairs turned into bits of broken plastic. About 6 weeks ago, Phillip decided on a table to replace the one we lost in the hurricane, but he could not decide on chairs. We spent many a weekend looking at chairs at different stores. Today he chose the ones he wanted and they are now hanging out on the deck. We have never had chairs with cushions. That will be a treat. Unfortunately, it is now too hot to sit out on the deck unless it is early in the morning or late in the evening (and after the mosquito madness). It will be something to look forward to when "winter" comes.

Clothes Swapping

Robyn participated in a Ravelry knitted clothing swap for Fuzzy Mitten toys. Her swap buddy was from Wales and Robyn was greatly anticipating the arrival of her package. It came today. The clothes were so cute. Her swap buddy sent a dress, an apron, a scarf, a hooded cape and a sweater. She also received a couple of patterns, a key chain and a postcard. It is so fun to get goodies in the mail.

Exhibitionists

On Wednesday, the girls and I were "working" at Phillip's office. Robyn and Cara were taking care of clerical duties and I was attempting to get one of his old computers to work. The girls were going through old files getting them ready to be shred. Robyn came across two stickers, Exhibit A and Exhibit B. They had the best time playing with them. The fun with stickers still continued today. It is exciting times around here when a couple of stickers is the highlight of the day.

Dumb Pants

I don't get why guys think it is cool to wear their pants pulled down low. I see them walking around tugging at them just before they fall down around their ankles. I look at them and the word that comes to mind is not "Cool", but "Dumb". I really don't see the appeal. We saw this guy riding his bike. You can see his khaki pants would have fallen down had he not been sitting on the seat. He was standing up peddling as he crossed the street and the pants kept falling lower and lower. I ask you "Why?"

Oh and don't you love the lady with the "Happy Birthday" balloon?

Oh, The Things You See...

A couple of weeks ago, the girls and I took a trip Uptown to a yarn shop. On the way home, we saw two sights we thought were hysterical. We planned to pass by and get pictures on the way home from dropping off the hats. Unfortunately, the first sight was no longer there. The girls were hoping to post it to Fail Blog. It would have fit right in. The second sight was still there and we were so excited we were able to get a picture of it. So we are left to wonder...(1) Is this a Katrina message? After Katrina, there were lots of houses that were boarded up. Some people wrote messages on the plywood about staying away from their property to discourage looters. I don't know if this message is a leftover from that time, but it seems like after 3 1/2 years the message writer would have had time to take care of business. The cord snaking out of the front door and hooked into the power pole does lead me to believe there are still issues at hand. (2) Is Jake the writer of the message or is Jake the one who needs to stay out? Either way, Jake's business is spray painted on the front of the house and someone is really angry. You have to love New Orleans...

Hats, Hats, Hats

I finished my 12th hat today and I plan to drop them off at Children's Hospital tomorrow. When they are all lined up, I am glad to see there are several different color choices available. I was worried I was doing too much pink. As soon as I finish one, I am itching to start another. I still have a ton of yarn to use and lots of color combinations. The last hat I completed has been my favorite (it is on the far right). It is turquoise with a lime green/multi-color strand striping in 3 times. Since I knit the stripes with 3 strands (2 turquoise and 1 lime green/multi) of yarn, the stripes are more subtle. I have many scrapbook summer pages using turquoise, lime, bright yellow and hot pink. I have always loved those colors together. I am excited about taking my babies to the hospital. Hopefully, they will be the perfect size for someone in need.

P.S. I noticed after I posted this picture that I had only 11 hats in the picture. One was still in the house. Math is not my strong point.

Another Use for Yarn

Tonight, I was all settled in waiting for Jon and Kate to come on. It was the season premiere and I am all "Miss Nosey" on how they are going to play the drama going through their lives at this time. I had my drink...check. Sufficient volume...check. My current knitting project...check. Everything I thought I needed. I was getting all into watching the show and knitting, when Whiskers decided I had forgotten something. Cat on lap...not check. She walked all over me until she found the perfect spot. It was on my chest about 4 inches from my chin. I had to crook my head to the side to see the TV. Whiskers is the purriest cat I have ever had. She purrs all of the time and loudly. It is hard to get annoyed with her when she is so happy. As the show progressed, she eventually settled in further down my lap and completely across my yarn. One of the cakes of yarn made the perfect pillow. She stayed in my lap for about an hour. I enjoyed having her there. She is such a cutie.

Finding Life's Little Treasures

I saw this sitting on a table today while waiting for Phillip to shop. We were in Bass Pro Shop and he was in his element. Me...I was so out of mine. Anyway, I see this little game where you turn the cylinder in different directions to uncover the treasures hidden inside. It was fun to see all of the treats I uncovered. Depending on how you looked at it, you would see a different item. Life is like that. Sometimes you have to look at things from a different perspective to truly appreciate what you have in front of you.

Dancing is Fine in '09

The dance review was the last of our commitments for the school year. Friday was the last full day of school and Cara ended her Girl Scout year on Wednesday. It will be nice to be able to slow down a bit. The review was beautiful as always. Cara invited two friends and they hung out backstage the whole time. They seemed to enjoy just sitting around, talking and listening to music. Robyn invited a friend and Jonathan's parents. Nana was able to come this year. The girls were excited she was able to see them dance. Add in Uncle Gary and Dad, and the girls had a nice size cheering section. I was happy there was very little to no dramatics this year. The students are usually excellent backstage. I can only remember one time there was a cat fight and that was 5 years or so ago. Both Robyn and Cara have great girls in their classes. We love going to this dance studio. Marian is both talented and kind. She creates lovely dances for her students and everyone loves her. Every year the girls end their review with a picture with Ms. Marian.

Afterward, we all went to eat at Macaroni Grill. I sat in the middle of the group and was able to hear Cara and her friends on one end and Robyn and her friends on the other. I am so nosey. I want to hear it all. The subtropical wave that threatened rain all weekend held off and the day turned out to be a great one.

Rehearsal Time

Tonight was the rehearsal for tomorrow's dance review. This will be our 13th year watching Robyn perform and will be Cara's 8th review. I enjoy watching the rehearsal, because I don't get to see much of the review. I am backstage doing the class mom thing. I get to come out and watch my girls' dances from a special seat on the front row for the class moms, but that's about it. For some reason, every picture I took tonight was blurry from the movement of the dancers. I tried all different settings and the batteries are fresh. It definitely shows movement. This picture was from Robyn's jazz number (I did have Cara's up, but she made me take it off).

It was wonderful to see so many of the girls wearing the t-shirts Robyn had designed for the review. She was able to raise $180 in profits to go toward Jonathan's wish of putting in an irrigation system for an orphanage in Zimbabwe. I grumbled and stressed a lot about doing these shirts, but they came out well and Robyn was happy with them.

Number 10

For the past month and a half, I have been on a roll knitting hats to donate to the cancer patients at Children's Hospital in New Orleans. When Jonathan was undergoing chemo, the hospital had lots of hats for young children, but few in teen sizes. In fact there were none at all for boys. So I am focusing all of my knitting on the older child size and making sure to do some in "manly" colors. I am drawn to the brights, pinks, reds, and purples, so I have to make a conscious effort to buy yarn in colors a guy would wear. I hope I have chosen colors that would have made Jonathan proud.