A resort in Goa India......lovely coconut trees. Today it is -15C outside and this place looks mighty fine to me. Yesterday I received a travel book I ordered - completely arranged, all inclusive and escorted, trips to exotic areas. For a mere $100,000 one could take 5 different India trips, 5 African, 2 China, and 3 South America trips. Not bad really, except I don't have $100,000. Come to think of it, I don't have the $5,000 for one trip...oh and you have to get yourself there first!

What I do have, however, is the knowledge of where I want to go and what I want to do when I win the big one!!

Silver, light blue (my power colour) and brown necklace. I wish I could take clear pictures. What is it that I'm doing wrong?
 

Knee News. And this is what I got. I found this noisy little beast at The Salvation Arm for $19.99. It will do for now. The goal 30 minutes once a day - or 15 minutes twice a day - or 10 minutes three times a day and I think in no time I will know if my knees care for this type of exercise. Lubricating the joints. They didn't seem to mind the 10 minutes this morning. I did however, I set the timer and had to check that the timer was working after 6 minutes! I was bored. So I did some upper body stuff with my little pilates ball while I cycled on. AfterwardsI did one knee strengthening exercise, 2 yoga poses - Warrior Pose and Triangle Pose, both great for weight bearing on the knees, finishing up with 30 sit-ups. My body is tingling lol. I must keep this up for awhile and assess any improvement. I think cycling will be better for me because the impact (however low) of walking sends pains up my shins as well as causing hot and painful knees. Uneven ground is painful and dangerous for moi to walk on also. And, if I'm a real good girl, I can buy the lovely little bike below.

I desire this....Canadian Tire....real cheap. Look at it, isn't it cute? And I bet it is quiet too.  

The Banyan Tree.....I have never seen anything like this - except in the film "Water". Or did I see this tree in an episode of "Lost"? Perhaps. The picture below is a beautiful building, The Sanchi Stupa, built in the 3rd century B.C. Just another two reasons why I want to visit India.

I love quizzes.....try this one out and find out which world you are from.

Waves, sand, seashells... you are an ocean dweller. You are thoughtful and very sweet to your friends, but unforgiving and imposing to those you think little of.

http://quizilla.com/users/Knockturn/quizzes/Which%20Other%20World%20Are%20You%20Secretly%20From?/

I know you all wanted to see another one. 

Check out the "self-portrait" from Feb.17th................Same picture, but I've been playing at eyeglasses.com. What fun 

these are the kind of clothes I could live in 

New Look. New Name. Finally I figured out a way to change the name of this blog. I like the calmness of the "Harbour" background. Next month it may be something new again. Change is constant. Change is necessary.

The countryside, outside of Bangalore

Bangalore Palace, Bangalore India

Check out this site for more pictures and information on India http://www.indiatravelog.com/



Excerpts from "Saturday's Cyber Travel with Leslie"-that's a joke to make us laugh, or smile or chortle.

The Lotus.....the national flower of India.  

Self-portrait Friday....Why is it, in photos, the lines and wrinkles look greater and deeper, the hair looks shorter and the face looks fatter??????????? Maybe I really do look like this? Eeegads. Cold and windy day, it is so windy I almost think I'm in Regina! The sun is shining though.  

"Sonnet" the sweater....garter stitch with a band of a textured box stitch that you can't see because of the variagated yarn I chose. Auch well. I have never knit side to side, it is fun. Here is the right side (with the buttons just placed there), the armhole opening where the sleeve will go in and part of the back. This is so easy but I'm glad I settled on this. I really wanted something that was quick to knit and I would actually finish and possibly wear, considering the cost of the yarn I chose. So far - I'm happy.

Close-up of the buttons - bronze metal with a sun on them.
















"Opal" socks, doing the heel flap of sock #1. 

Someday but not this day. Knee news....no news....same old news. It seems the "severe osteoarthritis" part of my knee problem is behind my right knee cap. There are a few spurs - they look like rose thorns in the MRI pictures - but not enough to warrant arthroscopy. The meniscus is being pushed out around the edges and thus causing pain. Why is it doing this? I forgot to ask. What can be done about this? Probably nothing or he would have suggested something, I would think. Cartiledge is being worn down and missing in places. But all in all the esteemed former Chief of Orthopaedics of St. Michael's Hospital says "no surgery - arthroscopy wouldn't relieve my pain and I'm not "bad" enough yet for knee replacements". Okay. That does not bode well with me because when I said "I can no longer walk, hike, kayak (well I did that once for a few minutes many years ago, remember?), and I can't dance (so very jealous of my friends and family doing belly dancing).....and the esteemed doc said "guess not" and left saying he was sorry and he would be happy to refer me to a rheumatologist (to do all the things I have already done and tried) at St. Mikes. But, I will keep my rheumatologist doctor here in Newmarket, thank you. At least he is animated and friendly. All in all I was NOT in good mood when I got home late yesterday afternoon. I decided a pity party for one was in order and had such party with 2 count them 2 pomegranate cosmopolitans. Today I will carry on and do what I want to do and maybe a bit more than I want to do. I don't have to worry about doing further damage to my knee because it is only further damage that will get my knee repaired - someday!

After the doctor trip, Karen and I tooted around downtown - Queen St. W., shopped ate and then headed over to the "Carrot Common" to get some natural remedy for our joint problems. I'm full of new concoctions and herbs at the moment.

After all the searching and mind-changing..........this is the sweater I'm going to knit with the pink/orange/rust andburgandy alpaca yarn. 

Forget that cable hoodie. It is definitely a "no go". For the life of me I can't figure the pattern out and I do know how to do cables. I find the instructions vague and can't seem to get through a row correctly. After 6 tries I gave up and am now doing this zippered, 4x4 twisted rib cardigan, also from www.knitty.com I am happy with what I've done so far. Last night we saw Colin James www.colinjames.com at Massey Hall. What a fantastic show. Overnight and all day today it snow and snowed and snowed some more. Not as much snow as Owen Sound got...but a lot for us. I should take some snow pictures for our "kids" (three World Vision sponsorees) that live in warmer climates. The snow will still be here tomorrow. 

It is a dull February day outside. Soon we're off to the city for supper and a concert at Massey Hall - Colin James. I hope the "winter storm warning" is false, at least until we get home. I am having such a horrible time with "dpt" - the cable hoodie sweater I'm wanting to make. I have cast on and started and ripped out...oh...about 5 times now at least. I think I will re-write the pattern into a knitting language I understand....not these vague instructions such as "work in pattern, increasing where marked, keeping in pattern". Yikes I need instructions that go something like this k1 p1 k6 p1 k6, p1 k10, inc. in next stitch and so on.

Superhero Designs I desire this necklace....maybe I will buy it for myself for my birthday. Hey, at least I don't desire diamonds!

I love her webb site too. You can find more of Andrea's creations at http://www.superherodesigns.com/index.html I find her site a source of continuous inspiration for moi. If I ever find myself in San Francisco, I'm booking a photo session with her, for sure.

Found another sweater that looks fun to try.

Zen-like .......... a beautiful garden, not mine of course, near Seattle.

In case anyone forgot what the project is....or for anyone who really cares...another snap of THE sweater.

"dpt beauty" - that is what the designer called this sweater, I haven't any idea why. Alpaca Paint.....yarn for the cabled hoodie I'm going to try. I did two swatches last night. I have to say I never ever do swatches but then it has been decades since I've attempted a sweater, so I thought it best to get it right. Good thing. The size 5 mm needles suggested, gave me a swatch 1" bigger all around. that would have been one BIG sweater. I need to use 4 mm. The yarn is so soft and knits up nicely.