Bliss Beyond Naptime

Groovy Changes Part 1

It was a blue morning after our first full-on, for real snow fall overnight. The non-stop falling flakes triggered a fight or flight reaction in me when we went out for supper last night (kind of like what happened when I tried on a bustier this weekend), panicking about road conditions, do we have enough firewood, could we make it of our driveway in case of emergency? But all that craziness dissipated when I confronted this blue vision in the morn. This is the calm and gentle winter landscape that made me fall in love with this valley in the first place. Mama needs her Winter 2007/2008 sweater.

Groovy changes you're wondering about?  Well first of all, I started on the Groovy Sweater Dress from the Twinkle Big City Knits book by Wenlan Chia. All big knits, all the time. The sweater I'm working on just happens to be on the cover of the book. In, ahem, a similar, if not the same, colour.

Thanks to my knitting buddy, Abaney, for lending me the book. I think I'd like to own it one day.
It's coming along splendidly. The yarn is super chunky but not floofy like I found chunky Alpaca to be. Made me sneeze too much. I did have to rip back and start over two times but nothing like a little frog in your diet to build up some character.

Regarding the post title; just want to change things in terms of bringing the focus of the blog back to my creative pursuits. So many craft blogs out there that inspire me so, I find that recording my progression on projects keeps me feeling organized and motivated to follow through. Plus, with all these Edie-centered posts, she's starting to get accosted by the paparazzi whenever we leave the house. I just want the kid to lead a normal life. Oh, what the hell, I can't help myself. Here's another monkey shot:

Ooooo.... another tumble! More exciting changes to announce but they deserve a post to themselves. To be continued. Big news coming up. Don't go anywhere. Freeze!

Frolic and Fumble

Here we are frolicking about once I heard the news that we indeed own this little field beside our house. I was always under the impression that we were going halfsies with the next door neighbour. The plan is for either sheep or goats one day to frolic about this way and that. We have books now on caring for both and are just trying to figure out which one would be less disgusting (the books are pretty graphic).

A quick thank you for all the birthday wishes for Edie. She had such a good one. She loved the rainbow bridge story. She said to me the next day, "I loved that story. I'm going to kiss you." There is one last bit of major construction to the house; we're replacing the crappy old stairs with some beautiful ones that Craig's hand crafting with help from our carpenter friend.

With the construction going on we've been left stairless so Edie and I've been sleeping downstairs in the main floor on this crappy old futon. We now have stairs but it freaks me out too much to go up or down them without railings. Craig reminds me I once led a 5-10 in my peak rock climbing days. So, with all the banging and electrical drill sounds the munchkin and I have been making ourselves scarce and going on fabric shopping excursions and lunch dates to pass the day. Lots of crafty goodness in the pipes. I'll squeeze them out shortly. Meanwhile... frolic, frolic ...

...ooooooooo. Fumble.

Edited to add:
Just want to clarify that I don't think the animals themselves are disgusting (that is such a strong word) just the reality of taking care of them involves some queasy-making tasks such as ball loping, teeth pulling, stinky pee all over themselves bucks and such! There are photos too of aborted babies that made my stomach turn. But I'm we're still pretty gung ho. Another opportunity to grow and learn.

Once upon a time...

... somewhere over the Rainbow Bridge, there lived a little angel who liked to dance on top of the clouds. Once in a while, just for kicks, she'd run and do belly flops. There she would spend the nights dancing from star to star and during the day she would mostly just lay on her tummy and lazily look down to the world and its people below.

One day she saw a beautiful, strong man with curly locks, big blue eyes and a soft, gentle voice. This man would spend much of his time climbing mountains to be closer to the angels. This little angel was very smitten by that plus she thought his hair was pretty cool.

One other day soon after that she saw a strange but funny woman, with even funnier hair, flitting around town talking people's faces off and laughing loud and often. This woman too spent a lot of time hiking in the forest, seeking to be closer to the angels. This little angel thought the sweet gentle giant and the crazy loud lady should meet for she wished them both to be her parents.

So the little angel approached her big Guardian Angel and told her she had found her parents and they have finally found each other and she is ready to go be with them. Her Guardian Angel gave her her blessing and with a hug and kiss promised that she'll always watch over her. She walked her to the rainbow bridge and said goodbye. The little angel eagerly crossed over and after passing through all the heavenly colours, landed cozily in her new mama's tummy and there spent the next forty weeks.

And then, one morning, when almost all the leaves have dropped from the trees to the earth, the little angel dropped too, like a leaf, out of her mama into a pool of water and then was scooped into the arms of the kind man and the giggly lady. They then gifted her with the name Edie Tangerine; because Edie means "little treasure" and Tangerine means "the crazy lady's favourite Led Zepplin song". Edie, in turn, gifted them with unspeakable joy and unsurmountable love.

Three years later this little angel known as Edie is an incredibly funny, infamously cute, dancing to the point of maniac Princess who is loved very much by all. And on this day each year, when all the leaves have finished falling from the trees, we celebrate her decision to cross over the Rainbow Bridge and join us here in this world.

Half-Kath

Suck-making.I don't know if I'm feeling the love. Plus, the finished objects aren't the most flattering or easiest article of clothing to self-portrait with. I am pleased that I finally finish my first complete coupling of socks ever - Monkey Socks from Knitty. My sweet friend (with a really funny blog) Karen picked out the pattern last time I was in the yarn shop she was working at. Upon purchase I was fantasizing arriving home at the end of our road trip donning a pair of new socks on my dogs by the way she was talking up the pattern's reputation as speed-freaky project. That was in this summer.

Enough whining, mama's too busy to knit uninterrupted these days. Thank God she's so cute. Monkeys are finally done and looks now they want to go outside and take a pee. They're lace-y and cute and now I need a pair of Mary-janes to showcase them. Sock knitting is also not a money-saver. Thanks for the feel better wishes, guys. They worked. This is the first morning I'm back to normal (whatever that means). I haven't had much caffeine lately and my last attempt at coping (Inka coffee substitute yesterday) I think provoked a migraine. So, enjoying my first latte right now and am totally blissed out. Half caff/decaff to be exact. Thus, I'll be Half Kath today in the personality department.

Meanwhile, back at the Quack House

My laptop's back from the doctors, internet got hooked up yesterday and I'm back to say we live here now! I love all the homestead name suggestions, once I can swirl them around my head a little more thoroughly I'll bring some up at our next family meeting. I came up with Quack House at the last one but Craig didn't  seem to bite peck.

Here's our little bunny in the Halloween costume I made her. As soon as the last box out of one of the many trucks that showed up for the move (I love our friends) I got my sewing gear set up and whipped this up for her. She's on a huge pink phase so she wanted to be a pink bunny. No white tummy or tail, please, oh no no, everything must be pink. Luckily I finished it not only for Halloween, which she caught a flu bug on the morning of and missed out on the festivities anyway, but also before she eked out of her all things pink obsession to a princess obsession. Pink Princess to be specific.

Here is she recuperating, watching a princess movie, while I'm playing with my new found toy in my creative/office space. Now I think I caught of touch of what she got. Lot's of unpacking to do and I feel like just renting ten movies and watching them back to back. But best get quacking on the unpacking.