Now Norma Knits

All About My NYC Yarn Crawl

There's so little to tell. I only went to one store. Isn't that pathetic? But at least I chose a winner.  And it had the added benefit of a next-door latte, a pumpkin tart, and a wonderful gab with Kay and her daughter who has A+ skills at Sitting and Pretending Not to be Bored and Unhappy When Mothers Gab.  That girl has awesome skill and talent!  She could win gold in the Olympics in that sport!  Not only that, but when a stranger comes along who is admiring and trying to furtively touch The Mom's handknit Shadow Box, she even cheerfully models it for said stranger who *gasp* has never heard of Ravelry.  Hopefully she remembered the word, because she did not write it down, but Kay urged her to JOIN.  Seriously! You mean there really is a knitter left on this planet who has not joined Ravelry? And we met her. Not only that, but when I was in Purl, the helpful and cheerful staff kept asking people if they were there for the yarn crawl, and many of them said no.  You could tell they were wondering why it was so sardine-like in there.  Made me feel so very cosmopolitan.  There I was, having flown down from Vermont for The First Annual NYC Yarn Crawl.  

I really did intend to hit more of the shops on the crawl, but instead I spent all of Sunday with the kids and the dog.  Not much surprise there, I suppose.  And it was a blast.  The weather was wonderful, we walked miles and miles, and though my best NYC walking boots were in the repair shop, I managed to make it through with only a couple blisters and minimal aches and pains, thanks to plenty of "are you gellin'"-type inserts in my shoes.  

I know you want me to shut up and show you what I bought already!  So here it is:

 

Two skeins of splendid, exquisite softness known as Swans Island Certified Organic Merino worsted-weight yarn in Indigo.  This is such gorgeous stuff, I'd like to take a bath in it.  It's made in Maine, and the stunning dye is natural indigo.

The softness is amazing, but as we knitters all too sadly know, the tradeoff with such softness is often that the knitted item pills like a mofo. This yarn has a bit of a tighter twist, and I'm hoping that prevents the pilling. Fingers crossed. I bought it with something very specific in mind, but after I got home, my idea morphed slightly.  The new idea will require more yarn, and I promptly called Purl and ordered two more skeins.   

I've already cast on for the first part:

Look familiar?  Yup, another Palindrome. And since I cast on and knit and ripped out and recast on and reknit a total of four times the other night, in order to get the width I wanted, and the yarn held up really well to all of that nonsense, I have high hopes that it will not pill and be ratty in no time.  I sure hope it won't, because it's meant for something special, and I certainly don't want it to turn into a schmatte suitable only for wiping down the car after a few wears.

And after mucho waffling, the decision has finally been made:  I will be going to Rhinebeck, though I may be walking around with a tin cup asking for donations, since I freakin' lost my freakin' wallet at UVM last night. So all the credit cards have been canceled and I have to start over.  Off to the DMV for a new license today, unless someone miraculously has turned the thing in and I get it before I go to start to recreate my life.  It's the return of WTF Wednesday.  *siiiiiiiigh*

EDITED TO ADD:  The wallet is sitting safely in someone's office.  I will pick it up later today.  Dang it, though, all the credit cards are canceled.  But still, this is the best sort of outcome, and I got the call before I went to get my license replaced.  Big whew.

VOTE! VOTE! Send A Knitter to Antarctica, and While You're At It, Help a Shepherd Get a Grant

 

 Quark Expeditions is having a contest for an Official Expedition Blogger.  The prize is a trip to Antarctica.  

I think Eva wants to knit a glacier cozy or something.  

That's her photo up there.  She's been there before, so it's not like she doesn't know what she's getting into. 

She needs your votes.  SOON.  (the deadline is the end of September)  Tell your friends, and have your friends tell their friends and their friends tell their friends.

Nuff said.  

(Click there for details.)

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And while you're in voting mode, CHECK THIS OUT, too.  Time is of the essence for this one -- the deadline is midnight TONIGHT. 

This email content I received from my friend Adelaide explains:

My friend Susie Gibbs has been nominated in the American Express Shine a Light grant contest and I'm writing to ask a favor of you.  She needs to have enough "sponsors" in order to be considered in the semi-finals.  Over 400 people have already signed on, but more are needed.  It will take a few minutes of your time and the DEADLINE IS NEAR.  You'll have to give American Express your name and address, but their privacy policies are in place and I think there is no problem.

Susie is a wonderful, hardworking and caring person.  I wouldn't bother you, but time is short and I think she deserves a chance for this grant which would make all the difference to her and her business.  You can read more about her on the American Express nomination page which can be reached by visiting her blog (link below) and following the instructions.  There is no charge to you for endorsing her.

Two Confirmed Non-Axe-Murderers Meet Up In Montpelier, Where Worldwide Knit In Public Day Was Totally Upstaged by World Naked Bike Ride Day

Diane H. was in Vermont for hooker school (doesn't that sound delicious and dangerous?) but ohyawn, I mean rug-hooking school. So before she left home for the wilds of Vermont for her school, she got in touch and we set up a meeting for yesterday at the Knitting Studio in Montpelier, followed by dinner.  I was aware that this was Worldwide Knit In Public Day, but of course I did not knit a stitch.  I'm just very counterculture that way.  I did, however, buy a pattern for a (nonlace) wrap, a shawl pin, and order some yarn for the pattern. 

But damn, I got there too late to see the naked bikers. 

It's really quite amazing that I continue to meet up with strangers who...imagine this... turn out not to be axe murderers!  It's not to say that all meetups are created equal, and that there are not, indeed, some weirdos out there.  I've met one or two of those, too.  But Diane's compatriots at the hooking school were not sure she should be running off so rashly to meet someone she'd never met.  What if I weren't really a woman!  And what if ... well, who knows.  But here I am to certify that this blog about my knitting and my garden and my work and my grandpuppy is not just an elaborate ruse to lure in unsuspecting knitters so I can have my way with them.  I have a different blog for that.

We had a great time, first at the yarn shop, where we each bought a few little souvenirs (as I mentioned above) and had fun conversation with the women there, and then at Montpelier's wonderful Royal Orchid Thai restaurant where we had Thai white wine*, and then shared pork skewers that were truly scrumptious, potstickers, and awesomely delicious garlic shrimp served on a bed of spinach, followed by black sticky rice with Thai custard for dessert.  *Ordinarily I don't even like white wine, but this stuff was really great, and as I'm writing this, I'm still remembering fondly all the flavors of the meal.

We had spirited conversation (maybe too spirited?), regaling each other with bed-and-breakfast stories of Rhinebecks past (remember our early bed-and-breakfast days, my friends?) and then we continued our conversation on the street and got some outdoor diners to take a couple photos of us.  Sadly, neither of the photos on my camera was very flattering to either of us, so I had some fun with one of them in my new Photoscape program.  I present to you two non-axe-murderers, out for a good time in Montpelier, in black and white.  I kind of like this modified version.

A Note of Gratitude

Kristen said these words the other day, and then Jessica did, too:  "Your readers are SO GENEROUS."

I love you.  You are all so wonderful and you make my life so much richer. 

And here is a guest post from Kristen:

She-Who-Now-Has-A-PhD-But-No-Job here filling in for Norma while she rests her garden-and-puppy-weary body and Harlem-Renaissance-weary mind.

While I have thanked many privately, I wanted to publicly declare my gratitude to all of you who stepped up to the Great Destash 2009 challenge.  The current financial fracas—oh, hell, this is Norma's blog, I'll just call it what it is: SNAFU—is hitting every one of us and I was overwhelmed by how many people were willing to go look at my stash and even consider merging one of my woolly adoptees with their own.  I always knew knitters were special people, but when my dear friend Norma put out the call my head spun with the speed at which you answered!

A week later, I've found myself in that lumpy-throated-stinging-eyes state when I did some math.  Confessing this is a wee bit ego bruising, but, frankly, you helped me make my COBRA payment for this month.  Given that I've got a couple of irritating health issues and a few ridiculously expensive prescriptions, this is no small thing.  Thank you a thousand times over.

A bit of good news to share:  I've recently been offered a one-year visiting lectureship at my alma mater, so at least starting in September I will be employed and "secure" for the next academic year.  (Meanwhile the summer job situation remains a most hideous beast, which I'm sure any of you with college-age children have discovered right about now.)  I hope in the fall I will have the opportunity to help someone else through this current economic slide as all of you have helped me.

Artificial Insemination and New Blog Reads

Yesterday I noticed that one of my plum trees is barren of fruit and the other seems to have some embryonic plums, but only (I think) because I hand-pollinated the second when I saw that the blossoming times of the two were not in synch.  The first one was about to drop its blossoms when the other one was just barely opening its fertile little blooms.  I have no idea if that's what really happened, but I did attempt the hand-pollinating, and it seems plausible enough. 

But wait!  Did I say "barren"?  ALMOST.  I found one little plum on that first tree, the one whose blossoms were past their prime when I discovered the problem, and I distinctly remember hand-pollinating THAT one in that location.  So it worked!  But one tree, one plum, and lots of variables that lie between it and coming to maturity -- disease, weather, insects.  But here it is, recorded for posterity, this teeny zygote of a plum.  

Go, little plum, go!

Whereas the other plum tree, which is the one that still had viable blossoms at the time I did my little fertilization ritual, has several:

So I noticed on the tag of the second that it says, "Use Toka" for a pollinator.  Rather than get in my car or on my bike and ride the two or three miles to the nursery I bought this plum tree from to see if they have any Tokas, naturally I did the more modern and logical (ahem) thing:  I Googled "Toka plum Vermont" to see if I could find a nursery that carries Toka plums.  That, though it did not bring me to such a nursery, brought me to The Extreme Gardener.

Seems like an interesting read and a great resource, if not to me, then especially to my Northeast Kingdom friends who are bravely battling the fierce and super-cold weather up there.  And she's got 'tude! which you know is a direct route to my sarcastic little necrotized heart.

I have not gone all the way down her blogroll, but the name of one blog there tantalized me, so I clicked on Eat My Yard.  The first post I read cracked me up, and its tone was so familiar and smart (use of "fucked up" right in the sidebar and talk about tampons in the same post as use of a garden pond as a substitute for an SSRI --yeahbaby, now we're talkin') that I've added it to my Bloglines, as well. 

There's a lot in a blog name.  While I really do value the fact that my own name is in my blog name because I think it makes me more accessible at bloggers' gatherings, rather than the "And you are?"-insert-person's-name-which-means-nothing-followed-by-blank-stare-followed-by-blog-name-followed-by-"Oh! Yes!-[repeat-blog-name]"-which-may-or-may-NOT-be-a-genuine-expression-of-recognition-promptly-to-be-in-most-cases-forgotten phenomenon, I do love a great blog name.  And this is particularly true since the name of my blog, with the word "knits" in it, is, you know, only sometimes accurate and awfully misleading. 

There are a few blog names that always give me a chuckle and sense of wonder and great satisfaction and admiration for the cleverness they took to create.  Sometimes the blog and/or the blogger lives up to the name, sometimes not, but still, oftentimes the name is good enough to make me click on it.

"Eat My Yard," "Extreme Gardener," those are a couple good names, and they seem to have the right stuff.  So, since this is the season when this blog, despite the ill-chosen name, becomes more to do with gardening than anything else, there are two new gardening/eat local blog friends to share with you. 

 

These are baby pears, which have absolutely nothing to do with this post because they managed to do the deed on their own.  I have far, far fewer pears than I did last year, though.  It was cold, rainy and windy during the pollinating season, and I'm sure that has a lot to do with it.  Damn weather.

A Day In New Hampshire and Related Ramblings

Thank you for all the lovely compliments on my wilted-flower photos of me and the red sweater.  In case I was not clear yesterday (heh), I love the cardi, and I think it's much better in person, as these things always are.  We really should have taken the photos at the beginning of the day when we were all fresh, but we were too busy having fun and running into groups of people and talking and eating and catching up and hugging -- as you do -- and even doing a little bit of shopping.  I'm sure that last one comes as quite a surprise.

I washed the cardi yesterday, and damp-dried it in the dryer, and I wonder if it's possible to love it even more as of this morning, because it came out of the wash-and-dry process even more beautifully finished than before.  I've become an even bigger fan of Calmer.  I think I want all my sweaters (just kidding -- I'm still a wool devotee), and certainly all sweaters made for others, to be made in this yarn.  This is a yarn that the most picky non-wool-loving gift recipient would love.  And of course it carries the price tag to go along with it.

Here's a nice photo that Sandy took of me and Gale Zucker when we first got there and things were a wee bit more fresh:

Gale was sharing space with Woolybuns Chris, and that booth was our first stop.  I bought these sweet cards from Gale, and Paula got some of Gale's excellent beach glass buttons.

About the shopping, I personally didn't do too much.  Read my lips:  I.don't.need.anything.  Sandy, Paula and I, who mostly stuck together throughout the day, did not even get to all the barns and all the booths and tents.  New Hampshire's has always been, and still remains, my favorite of all the festivals.  It's low key and comfortable, it's countrified, it's got enough, but not too many, vendors, and the crowds are low.  We focused on friends instead of stuff, but of course that also means that we missed seeing some people, too.  I had festival-goer's remorse on Sunday morning when I realized lots of other good friends and vendors were there, but I missed seeing them because of taking this approach. 

I didn't buy much, but I did get a NH festival t-shirt.  As soon as I got home, I promptly modified it into the Flashdance version for gardening. The lady who sold it to me got a kick out of my telling Sandy that I was going to make it into a slut t-shirt.  I had to explain about the SL,UT.  She loved the story.  While I was shopping at the festival table, Sandy breezed through that building.  When she came back, I asked her, "Is there anything I need to see in here?"  She responded, "Meh. It's all spinning stuff and sock yarn."  "Alrighty, then," I said, "Not my things.  So we're done."  The lady behind the table, with a big giggle:  "You two are a pair."  

Yes.  That we are.

Paula bought a sweater's worth of Green Mt. Spinnery Mountain Mohair in a wonderful colorway called "Mesa."  After she had done the deed -- that is, this deed:

...she liked that yarn enough that she wanted to get some for her own sweater. 

So yes, there it is, looking like so much caramel-colored fusilli in that bowl.  That's the yarn that was formerly the sweater Marta.  I drove to NH, and Paula ripped.  When I pulled the car into the parking lot two and a half hours after we left home, she literally had one more row to rip.  And so it's done.  What's going to be made next with that yarn is still in flux.  I've washed the yarn to get the kink out, and I bought two more skeins to add to it, because I'm thinking of making a much longer sweater.  The dye lots are not the same and the difference is somewhat noticeable, but I don't at all mind alternating them while knitting, or using the different dyelot for collar and button bands or something, if need be.  I've been thinking about using it for this design [Ravelry link.  I can't find a direct link to it otherwise. I hope you are on Ravelry so you can see it, and I apologize to those who aren't, because it's really great.  BUT I would lengthen it, as Katiska did -- (scroll down).  Love her version of it. And of course I would not do a hood.][It is pattern DROPS 109-3.]

We ran into Grumperina Kathy and her hubby when we were trying to decide if I should buy the extra two skeins in the different dyelots, holding it out in the natural light, and they weighed in on the dyelots.  As Kathy (whose taste and instincts are impeccable, as we all know!) says, "As long as you go into it with intention and planning...."  Yes, indeed.  I'm actually going to swatch.  I know!  Crazy, huh?  But I really do think that sweater will look good in this yarn.  Only time will tell.  And I also believe that that garter yoke and sleeve will help to nicely blend the two dyelots of the yarn without any issues.

Speaking of lengthening, I am just sick to death of sweaters that are too short. Sick to death, I tell you!  I am a quite short person, so I've always assumed I needed short sweaters.  But after trying on all of Cheryl's sweaters, who is quite a bit taller than I am, and finding to both our surprise that they all fit perfectly -- I don't understand it, but apparently because of my body shape, I need more length in my sweaters even though I have a short torso.  *scratching head*

I guess it's to do with my wide shoulders and big arms -- and possibly the front porch.  I dunno, but these are the things that we learn through trial and error and through experience knitting, I guess. Claudia has made the comment that she is getting a kick out of seeing Now Norma Knits actually turning into a knit blog.  Heh.  Me, too. 

...Which segues into the comment I made when I ordered my friends to get in line for this photo:

 

That's Martha, Terry, Paula, Claudia, and Sandy (Who is looking off at left field again!  Snap out of it, Sandy!!!!) She was probably close to passing out from the heat, because she wore her beautiful Town & Country cardigan all day.  The things we knitters will do to show off our knits -- honestly!  And then on Sunday it was only 40-something degrees, but we weren't there.  That's New England, and that's New Hampshire Sheep & Wool, for you: Pack a halter top, a wetsuit, waders, sandals, a parka and mittens, because it could go either way.  And that's just before lunch.

But anyway, it was so great to see Laurie and Manise and Mamacate and her kids, and Cheryl and Dale and Carole, and Lucia and Ruth, and Jean and her whole family, and Kim, and Jo and her family, and Kris and Thea and Julia and Marcy and Alison (who saved me by showing up at just the right moment with French fries) and oh, dear.  When one starts these lists, one quickly starts to worry, "Who am I forgetting?" and one quickly starts to get link fatigue.  So I'll end with the usual disclaimer:  "And those are just the ones I REMEMBER!"  Or it more properly should read:  "I hope I haven't forgotten anyone, and if I have, I hope you will forgive me."

The comment I made when taking that photo above was something to the effect that I've decided to go back to my roots and try to be a more legitimate blogger; to stop forgetting the camera, and to do a better job of chronicling these things!  Well, that lasted all of three seconds.  That above was the only photo I really took. 

Illegitimate blogger, I guess that makes me. 

Sandy took this one of me before her camera battery died:

 

Moo.

Flat Stanley Visits A Chocolate Factory

Dear Hannah,

Flat Stanley arrived in Vermont this weekend, and yesterday he had some sweet fun!  He went to visit my sister's chocolate factory.  

 

This is not just any chocolate factory, but it's a nut-free chocolate factory.  The chocolates and other sweet treats they make there are delicious for everyone (I should know -- I've eaten enough of them!) but they are special because they are safe for anyone with a tree nut or peanut allergy.  The factory is 100% nut free. 

See the sign there that says Nut Free Zone?  I am a little bit silly sometimes, so some people have joked that it's nut-free except when I go to work there!  (Get it?  I'm a nut!)

You might have seen a lot in the news lately about a girl named Riley and her peanut-sniffing dog Rock'O:

If you look closely, you will see that Riley is wearing a Vermont Nut Free t-shirt in that video, and yesterday Flat Stanley saw their new product, Angel Service Dog Paws, which will help the organization Riley's parents started called Angel Service Dogs, to help other children with allergies or epilepsy get their own service dogs, which are very expensive. 

Cool, huh?

I had great fun with Flat Stanley (and I ate his share of the chocolate!).  We have plans to go to a few other places in Vermont before May 1. 

Have a great day,

Norma

And A Great Time Was Had By All. Especially Me.

 Me, Rachel, Joan

Oh, what a fun outing we had yesterday!  By we, I mean Rachel, her friend Lois, her daughter-in-law Heather, and Joan.  I did remember my camera -- a rare event these days -- and I even used it, but the resulting photos are so poor (because of my poor photography skills) that I fear Rachel and Joan would never forgive me if I posted them, so I borrowed photos from Joan's photo album.  Thanks, Joan!

Heather only became Rachel's daughter-in-law yesterday afternoon AFTER our brunch at the wonderful Chef's Corner, and shopping.  Well, at least that was the story they told. Honestly, I have never seen a more calm bride-to-be and mother-in-law-to-be, just mere hours before the big event, out brunching wit' a bunch o' strangers and shopping for yarn.  Then the cute bride said, "Oops, I forgot I have to go get my nails done. I'd better go."  Could you just die? 

I think it was all a very elaborate plan to pretend her son was getting married, and a very long commute for Rachel to come here from California, so she could hang out with me for the afternoon. Well, lucky for us it all worked out:  We had lots of laughs, shared stories, had wicked fun and became fast friends. 

On our outing, we saw the most A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E non-traditional baby sweater, a sample at Kaleidoscope -- a hoodie made from gray Eco-Wool, with pewterish (I'm not sure if they were real pewter or pewter-like) skull buttons.  Cute, cute, cute.  Stop knitting pink and blue for that next baby!  Knit gray!  With skull buttons!  Do it! Yours will be the most cherished gift at the baby shower -- seriously.  It was really fab, and I wish I'd gotten a photo. There was also a sample sweater from Knit Jo Sharp Issue 2 that I want to make.  If anyone has that issue and wants to sell it, please get in touch. 

As for the shopping, I think I'm the only one who bought much of anything.  I bet that is a big surprise.  I do believe I am incorrigible. BUT it's special.  Really.  Wait 'til you hear and see, and you'll agree, I am sure.  That's an easy call, since I know you are all as willing enablers as Joan was.  A girl doesn't stand a chance around here. 

You remember Plain Vanilla, right?  It was the first sweater I made for myself way back in the day, made of that most wonderful Rambouillet wool.  The sweater is no longer vanilla, but more like merlot, and it is still wearing like iron.  Sadly, because I damaged the front of it with all my attempts at removing a stain before I gave in and dyed the whole thing red, it doesn't look perfect anymore. (The dye didn't take as well in the place where I had tried in vain to remove the stain.  And the rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain. Oops, sorry.) 

Also, I really prefer a more shapely sweater nowadays, so I only wear it at home.  But I still love that thing -- it's comfy like a sweatshirt, and even though it's been through hell and back, it is still soft and cozy and unpilled and unfelted even after all the abuse.  A true champ of a sweater, all owing to that amazing fiber, Rambouillet wool. 

May I introduce to you the makings of Plain Chocolate?

Earlier this week I saw these wonderful beach stone buttons on Anne's blog.  She took care of me, hooked me up with the Etsy seller, and I got some of my own.  Yesterday I brought those buttons along with me.  Lo and behold, while we visited Northeast Fiber Arts, Joan and I found the perfect yarn to go with them -- some heavy-worsted-weight Vermont Rambouillet wool in natural (undyed) dark brown.  I now try to reject any yarn that will not make a garment that wears like iron, and I also want these buttons to take center stage. We feel they will really "pop" on this color.

The yarn is luscious and soft and local and natural, and well...  I have in mind a cartridge-rib-stitch jacket sort of thing for this, or perhaps just a plain stockinette jacket with dressmaker shaping in the front and seedstitch or hemmed edgings, accented with those very special beach stone buttons.  Something like that. Something shapely and jackety and in a gauge of 4-4.5 st/in.  If you know of anything that fits that description, please send 'er my way. 

I think I'm going to have to come up with a different name than Plain Chocolate, though.  It doesn't have the quite same ring to it as Plain Vanilla.  Perhaps Hot Fudge?  Chocolat?  Ganache With Panache?

So I've added this yarn to my stash in Ravelry, and in my never-ending quest to tweak and stir my stash, perfecting it and honing it down to things I believe I will actually knit and use, I have put a couple more things up for sale in there.  Red Rowanspun Aran, anyone? [sold]  Also, watch for an upcoming spinning fiber and spindle sale, and possibly some sock yarn.  I'm cleaning up.  Getting rid of all my spinning fiber.  Keep your eyes pealed.  Or peeled.  Whatever suits you. 

Today's Entry Is Brought To You By The Number FIVE

Five years!  I cannot believe it.  And in the last year and at least four months, I've written every single day.  Phew.  Sick of me yet?  I'm almost sick of me, but definitely not sick of the blog.  I suppose it's time for another one of those trite, treacly posts -- I can't help myself, and I think I'm entitled.  So here goes:

The blog is one of the best things I've ever done for myself. It has enriched my life in ways I can hardly believe and certainly never would have envisioned six years ago. 

My gains:  Dozens of very close friends -- friends I can count on to lift me up when I'm down, to pull my feet back on the ground when my head gets too far into the clouds, to share with, to gossip with, to complain to.  Trips.  Festivals.  Vacations. A cruise. Red Scarves. New gardeners. Visitors. Learning. And laughing. And kvetching. And crying. And yelling. And wondering. And sharing. And maturing. And encouraging. And, well, there you have it --  a big, sugary heaping helping of trite and treacle. 

For sticking around, I'd like to offer a random winner a token of my friendship.  I have a gorgeous Persephone Scarf kit that I bought at last year's Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival for just this occasion. 

The pattern is written by my dear friend Miriam from Salt Lake City, Utah, and the yarn is by my dear friend Judy from Wherever In New England She Happens To Be At Any Given Moment, but often in Vermont.  I got an extra skein so the scarf could be made nice and long.  I am a fan of the long scarf. 

The scarf kit is filled with meaning -- Persephone in Greek mythology was the Goddess of Spring (and don't we all wish for spring right about now?), the kit is the product of two of my friends, and, well, it's purple.  What more could you ask? 

 

This being the season of Vermont maple syrup, you can bet there will be some syrup in the package, as well as a jar of my rose petal jam.  And since it's from me, you just know there will be a little bit of snark and sarcasm in there, too.    

Just leave a five-word, five-syllable, five-sentence, five-item -- or, hell, something to do with fives -- comment. 

Happy blogiversary to me.

Dude. You Sistahs Rock.

I'm loving how my post yesterday afternoon brought out all the sexy women of a certain age.  I'm loving how I'm not alone.  I'm loving how....

Well, that's sort of where it ends.  Being a woman, well.... who chose this crap, anyway? 

Hey!  Yesterday I picked up the needles and I knitted a couple inches on the back of a sweater!  And I cooked a nice meal!  And I didn't kill anybody!*

I think I'm doing a'ight. 

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*Of course, as Emma pointed out, who can commit homicide when one is indisposed in such fashion, eh?