We're Gonna Rock Down To...

Finally, a CAPTCHA I can relate to.

Art Deco

Since the beginning of March, I've been working in a new town.  The other day I went to a county building I had not been in before. This building used to be the courthouse prior to 2000 but is now used for county offices.

The elevator and stairways speak to the time in which it was built.

This building is in a VERY small, rural town (population is less than 3,000). I love that the elevator is built for having an attendant, like in old movies...

Now, if only Cary Grant had been in the elevator...

The Best Weapons

I love seeing little free libraries. 

Do you think there's a selection of scifi in this one?

Heavenly Voices

Have you heard of Eric Whitacre and his music? 

I was first introduced to his music through a TED talk. 

Back when I was in various choirs in high school and college, we sang beautiful, soaring eight part choral numbers by Bach,  F. Melius Christansen, and others similar composers. But a couple of my nieces have sung Whitacre's music during their time in choir. 

Earlier this month, he and the Eric Whitacre Singers were at the Basilica of St. Josaphat in Milwaukee and I was lucky enough to attend, along with my sister, nieces and nephew. 

To hear them...in person...

in a place so beautiful...with such perfect acoustics...is nearly beyond words.

Moving.

Profound.

The Year In Review - 2016, Part II (Or How We Came To Have A Fourth Cat)

The Haus doesn't have air conditioning so in the warm summer months the windows are open much of the time. In the latter part of July, I kept hearing the sound of meowing in the Haus but couldn't tell where it was coming from. I'd check on our three cats...all accounted for and not in distress. Hours later or the next day, same thing; more meowing and checking on our cats.

This went on for a few days until I saw a little animal in our bushes - a kitten. It was skittish when approached. Last July was a month of severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours at least once a week. The kitten took shelter under our back porch and continued to cry outside our windows. I couldn't stand it anymore. I started feeding it and it quickly became less skittish.

DH put his shoe out for it to explore.

It enjoyed attention and petting. It was very young and emaciated. The county we currently live in has no shelter. Shelters in surrounding areas require a pretty high payment for dropping off abandoned animals. So we decided that rather than spend that money on surrendering it, we would take it to a vet in order to see if it was healthy and whether it was safe for our cats to be exposed to it. 

After having it checked out (and confirmed it was a relatively healthy 5-6 week old "she") we took her home, isolated her, and began the long process of introducing her to the other cats. 

She looked a little rough at first.

We named her Coco because of her black and brown coloring.

An integral part of introducing her to the other cats is the shameless use of bribery with soft food (or kitty cocaine as it's referred to in the Haus) as we begin feeding them together. Check out the body language of the others - the patent distrust and simmering resentment towards the newest feline addition is evident. 

But after a couple of months she was fitting in...

even with The Grumpy Old Man of the group. 

I'll Have What She's Having

Menu from the local meat market for this week.

I think 'll pass on today's special. 

Reason Number 239 Why I Love Wollmeise

I knit the Shapely Shawlette out of a deep purple Wollmeise Twin.

Then I blocked it.

This was the warm water after the shawlette was left soaking for 30 minutes.

No color in the water. 

The Year In Review - 2016, Part 1

At Sun Valley Fibers January Thaw, the knitters showed off their knitted socks.

Planning started for an end-of-the-year trip.

Moment of comedy - the announcement of a surprise birthday party, written in large letters on a chalkboard in a bar.

In April, we welcomed our first grand-nephew, Everett.

In summer we visited DH's brother & his family in Bozeman, MT. We headed to Yellowstone for two days. 

Not far from where we were staying was Yarn Scout, a great yarn shop with a very good selection of yarns, including many local/regional indie dyers. 

Sweetie and the other cats continued to be chill until an interloper entered the picture.

More on that story to come...

The Year In Review - 2015

While this may look like a remake of Psycho, it was my attempt to get some blocking done in a cat-free zone while at a knitting retreat.  I took a few projects (OK, a couple of years' worth) of projects including a red scarf. 

In fall, my mom was a vendor at WI Sheep and Wool. While being her wheels, I had a chance to take a class on rug hooking with precut strips of wool fabric.

This is my start on a trivet.

This is the sample for the class.

Also in fall, there was more blocking done in the beautiful sunshine.

Day is done.

In October, I was lucky enough to attend a fall retreat at Schoolhouse Press. The retreats include a trip to Schoolhouse Press headquarters, with the famous walk-in closet full of Elizabeth's sweaters - that you're allowed to carefully handle.

Baking Christmas cookies with friends in early December.

And the cats celebrated New Year's Eve by making their own confetti.