guest writer: Cousin Jamie

One day, little Tuff was trying on his new hat that Aunt Laura knitted for him....

"Dang, I look good!"

He started to enjoy his new look and decided to dance a little....

He was really jamming along, but he was relatively new to this whole sitting thing....

.... and tipped over. But, never fear, his big sissy was there to help him!

"Arrr, there bubby! Have no fear! You big sissy, Jilli, is here!"

So, she checked on him to see that all was OK...

"I think that we should take a nap," said Silly Jilli.

"Just kidding!"

"We'll just lay here while you recover."

Well, Tucker was feeling better and decided to sit up with his new hat on and not overdo himself with the dancing...

"Whoa! That was scary!!! I'm glad that Jilli was here to save the day!"

The End

*for some reason the pictures won't stay where I placed them... darn floating pictures! ~lrf

crack me up and then some

how did i not know?

There was a 'Craftin' Outlaws' meeting in Columbus and I did not know about it until after the event. I think that is the saddest thing so far today. I will have to try to make it to next year's festivities. Especially since I have taken the needle back up. That's right, you heard me... Needles Up! I have finished one sock in TOFUtsies and this close to finishing a shawl I started last winter. 20 more rows and the shawl is mine!!! Then I have to finish the second sock and then come the baby hats. One is for Tucker in a Bulldog color montage and the other will be for Jilli and the Jilli hat will be super cute! Then I am thinking about finishing the other projects that are still on needles and lying about my house.

Speaking about future plans.... Sweetie, SuperMeg and I are going to New York City for the marathon. Yes, I know that I am letting everyone and their brother know when I'll be gone, but since I have very little to steal (with the exception of the hamsters), I'm ok with it. Besides, my grandma would let everyone who reads the Herald when I'm gone anyways, so what does it matter? Oh, and just to let everyone know... SuperMeg is the only one running in this marathon. The rest of us are just her personal cheerleaders.

a saw a tree turn

This morning, on my short little commute, I saw trees start to turn colors.

I think that it is time to say that Autumn is really here to stay.

sigh

I'm going to miss summer. :(

But I'm ready to pick some apples!

i got my nerd on

So today I have gotten my nerd on! I signed up for 'Toe-Up Sock' class at the Knitters Mercantile in Columbus. And I can't wait. That's right, I'm going to drive 1.5 hours for a 2 hour class and drive back 1.5 hours on 3 different Mondays in October. And I know exactly what I'm going to knit. I have this lovely, self-striping pink on pink DK weight yarn that is going to be made into big girl socks. I even think that I'm going to have a large cable running up the back of the leg.

*sigh* I can hardly wait! I'll let you know how it goes. I will even try to remember to take pictures. That is, as soon as I remember to buy batteries.

cars, tests, and the fair

First things first! Happy Birthday, Grandma D!

Now, for the rest of the story (Who knew? I'm chaneling Paul Harvey!)

I studied for the GRE. I took the GRE. I'm pretty sure I did horribly on the GRE. I've rescheduled to take the GRE. I thought the fella proctoring the GRE was going to give me a dunce cap when I walked out the door, but luckily for him he was out that day. But never fear, I lived to test another day. grrr...

So, I have realized (actually I've known all along, but others haven't gotten the memo), that I know bumpkus about cars. I love to drive them, but a car is a car is a car. All it needs is 4 wheels and an engine that goes and I'm set. Ask me about my car and I'll say "It has 4 doors and its white" Maybe I'll remember to mention that it is a '98 and I'll have to stop and think about the make and model. 9 times out of 10 I get it right. Then I get my insurance license and I've got to know about V6 and V8 and liters and that Ford makes F150s and not Chevy. And I have to ask other non-car people these questions. Or worse, I ask car-oriented folk dumb questions, like "so, is that a car-car, an SVU or a pick-up or something else?" Grumpy old farmers love those sort of questions, let me tell you!

And in other news as of late, the Hardin Co Fair is in full swing. Cousin Jamie and her family have set up residence there for the week. Her two oldest girls have won prizes in showing some of their animals. Hope actually won the Grand Champ for rabbit meat pens! And Shelby won a trophy yesterday for her rabbits. Way to go girls!

My participation at the fair, however, is not quite so lovely. It started with Grange and ended with grease. The Hardin Co Grange has a food booth located under the grandstand, where, since time began, they have sold burgers, fries, sausages, hotdogs, beef and noodles, chili, pie and cold drinks. Ever since I was old enough to walk without holding someone's finger, I have been working at this food stand every fair that I was able to attend. I've picked up trays, wiped down tables, yelled out orders, prep buns for the grill cook, cooked noodles, and just about everything under the sun that needed to be done. Last night was no exception. I handed out hotdogs and sausages, fried french fries with partner in crime Amy H and ended up the evening grilling burgers. So, by 8:45 last night, I was red-faced, hot and greasy walking back to my car. And my mother wonders why I don't have a beau. I just need to find a fella who like a girl who smells like burgers and fries.

change is good... right?

So, I have been feeling this overwhelming need to change. It's been coming on stronger and stronger lately. At first, I moved. This seem to bank the urge for a time. I started knitting again and the different projects calmed my nerves and gave me some challenge to my poor, beleagured memory (as in, 'how does this go again?'). Then I needed to go to grad school to really switch things up. Visiting schools and different towns to see which one fit is a good thing and it is gearing towards change, but it isn't necessarily in itself change. So, I cut about 4 or 5 inches off my hair. Instant change. It's still below my shoulders, but definately above the bra strap.

And now, I need to make more plans for change. I'm not sure what it will be in the end, but it will happen, I'm sure.

what i'm not knitting

I am in a knitting funk. Days, nay weeks have gone by and I have not even picked up the first set of needles. I've totally blown off putting something into the Hardin Co Fair for this year... it's just not going to happen!

So, a list of what I am not knitting:

• socks
• shawl
• baby blanky
• socks (you can never have too many)
• scarf

Yep, all of these are works-in-progress. I cannot wait for cooler weather and for the stupid GRE to be over.

OH! Story! I believe this to be indictative of where I live currently. A customer walks into our agency the other day and while the computer slowly bringing up his account, I decide to shoot the bull. I ask him what he is up to and he replies the usual, 'Oh, nothing much... and you?'. I reply, 'I'm studying for the GRE and not liking it a bit.' Silence. Then customer asks, 'So, that GRE thing.... is it sorta like the GED?'. Silence on my end. I blink and reply, 'Well... they're both tests you take, but you don't get a diploma with the GRE.' 'Oh,' was his reply to that.

So, I wonder if he thinks that taking the GRE is worth it or not, seeing as you don't get a diploma or anything with it.

rain, rain... go away!

What a perfectly, wonderful, rainy day to lay in bed and read a good book. If you don't have one, for shame! Go to good reads.com and find a book.

Go ahead.

I'll wait.

Back yet with a good title to buy/borrow? Good. That's what I like to hear.

Grandma D was in the hospital last week for brain surgery. She had a cyst behind her left ear that put pressure on her brain and nerves. So, it looked like Grandma was a drunk half the time since she staggered to and fro. And she also lost the hearing in her left ear. I hope that this surgery did the trick and she is up and better soon. And thankfully she has short hair, since they had to shave a large patch for the surgery.

Here is the absolute amazing thing. She went in for surgery Wednesday morning and left the hospital Sunday late afternoon. And this is with brain surgery! It is amazing what they can do now a days in such a small amount of time.

Today is the annual Farmer and Merchant's picnic in the lovely little town of Ada. Cousin Jamie and family plus their 4-H club hosted the petting zoo. It was exceedingly hot and sticky and thus I only lasted a few hours. I would post a link, but there is none. Oohh!! Maybe I'll send the mayor a rebuke concerning the lack of innernet pages of Ada. hmmm... I might have to remember who the mayor is before I can do that. glitch in every plan

I'm finally back in my little apartment, roasting alive. I went to Denver a week ago this past Thursday and had a delightful 4 day/3 night tour of the town. I saw the university of choice and then I went on a yarn crawl. Utterly shameful, but delightful. And my mother wonders why I'm single. Did I hit a single bar while there? No. Did I chat up ladies old enough to be my mother or grandmother? Of course I did. The best conversation I had was with a fellow who was 72 going on 73 and he ended giving me good directions. If I was a gold-digger, I would have it made in the shade. Sad, but true. And what is it with people asking my age (now proudly 30) and then asking why a nice girl like me (and who says I can't schnooker people?) isn't married? What sort of response am I supposed to have?

So, if anyone has a response that is snappy, witty or otherwise just plain good, please feel free to leave it in the remarks. Or better yet, send a cute man that travels well so that I don't have to fend off these remarks.