The forgotten oblelisk picture
 

A Wonderful Saturday. Karen and I went to The Distillery District in Toronto and here are a few pictures of these beautifully restored buildings, all looking pretty authentic and providing oodles of studio, shop, office spaces.


Then a few pictures from the garden to round out the weekend work. Weeding was on the list for this weekend. The last of my tulips, the pink and white ones are just about finished. I will continue to take obelisk pictures just to compare the clematis inside and the greenery around it. 

Isn't this just the sweetest picture? I would love to be there having tea with Jamie and his lovely friend. So civilized.

Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?

It is almost done and I hate it...the cardigan I was working on. I hate the way it fits. I hate the way the neck is so open. I hate the busy-ness of the variegated yarn with the garter stitch. And what is really bad, is, I questioned these very same things even before I started this project; and all the way through too. But did I listen to myself? No, of course not.

So what do I do? Rip it out? No that would be way, way too much work and frustration and an exercise that would only remind me of this failure. Maybe I could felt the piece, cut it up into things - bags, eye glass cases, I don't know.

Can you successfully felt a garter stitch project in 100% Alpaca? A new challenge. Yay.

Now I have to get over my fear of starting the next project. But with every project I learn and now I'm questioning the wide open neck of "Claude" (the cardigan) on me. Oh boy. I have to seriously keep in mind my shape and size.

I love to learn and I still love knitting, frustrating as hell sometimes, and sometimes quite satisfying. Hand knit socks...yum.

It must be a good day when my biggest concern was my knitting.

Namaste

This cardigan will be done this weekend! The sleeve is almost done; for the 2nd time. All that is left - sewing together, sew the buttons on, crochet the edging and block. Voila my first completed sweater in about 15 years. 

Adam working on the front....and the finished project. He widened the narrow flag path, and moved all the river stones along the driveway.

I planted the pots with perennials this year...a hosta in the centre, small pieces of dark coral bells around the hosta and some annuals that will change over the summer.

My obelisk in April and on May 10th. The garden is so lush. The fence needs work but that isn't my department.
 

It was a gardening weekend. Little by little I am able to chip away at the debris, the weeds, and spruce the place up a bit. I think the front is done...except for some "forest floor" that needs to be purchased so I can cover the new periwinkle shoots and give them a chance to grow and spread.

The big black financial cloud still hovers overhead. Please move on cloud, move on, please. This would give us time to regroup and prepare for the next cloud. But, I fear the walls are going to come tumbling down.

Ryan left last night to return to college for the summer semester. His room is empty...but how can an empty room still be a mess? I don't know but it is. He will be back home in September for a semester and then gone for two and then done!

I wonder when life got so hard? You work and work and pay your dues and do what is right and then wham!! You get punched in the gut and all the life leaks out of you.

And just one more.........this time...what my name means:-

You entered: Leslie Ann
There are 9 letters in your name.Those 9 letters total to 37There are 4 vowels and 5 consonants in your name.
Your number is: 1
The characteristics of #1 are: Initiating action, pioneering, leading, independent, attaining, individual.
The expression or destiny for #1:A number 1 Expression denotes the skilled executive with keen administrative capabilities. You must develop the capacity to be a fine leader, sales executive, or promoter. You have the tools to become an original person with a creative approach to problem solving, and a penchant for initiating action. Someone may have to follow behind you to handle the details, but you know how to get things going and make things happen. You have a good mind and the ability to use it for your advancement. Because of these factors, you have much potential for achievement and financial rewards. Frequently, this expression belongs to one running a business or striving to achieve a level of accomplishment on ones talents and efforts. You have little need for much supervision, preferring to act on your own with little restraint. You are both ambitious and determined. Self-confident and self-reliant must be yours, as you develop a strong unyielding will and the courage of your convictions.
Although you fear loneliness, you want to be left alone. You fear routine and being in a rut. You often jump the gun because you are afraid of being left behind.
The negative attributes of the 1 Expression are egotism and a self-centered approach to life. This is an aggressive number and if it is over-emphasized it is very hard to live with. You do not have to be overly aggressive to fulfill your destiny. The 1 has a natural instinct to dominate and to be the boss; adhering to the concept of being number One. Again, you do not have to dominate and destroy in order to lead and manage.
Your Soul Urge number is: 2
A Soul Urge number of 2 means: With the Soul Urge number 2, your motivation is centered on friendships, partnerships, and companionship. You want to work with others as a part of a cooperative team. Leadership is not important to you, but making a contribution to the team effort is. You are willing to work hard to achieve a harmonious environment with sensitive, genial people.
In a positive sense, the 2 Soul Urge is sympathetic, extremely concerned and devoted. The nature tends to be very sensitive to others, always tactful and diplomatic. This element in your nature indicates that you are rather emotional. You are persuasive, but in a very quiet way, never forceful. You are the type that makes really close friendships because you are so affectionate and loving.
If this number is over-emphasized in your makeup, you may be over-sensitive, with a delicate ego that is too easily hurt. You may be timid or fearful, too easygoing for your own good.
Your Inner Dream number is: 8
An Inner Dream number of 8 means: You dream of success in the business or political world, of power and control of large material endeavors. You crave authority and recognition of executive skills. Your secret self may have very strong desire to become an entrepreneur.
Copyright © 2006 Paul R. Sadowski (http://www.paulsadowski.com)

I've been playing with sites and meanings of birthdays, names, etc. Here is a result from this site http://www.paulsadowski.com/birthday.asp

Your date of conception was on or about 24 July 1950 which was a Monday.
You were born on a Mondayunder the astrological sign Aries.
Your Life path number is 9.
Life Path Compatibility:You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 3, 6 & 9.
You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 1 & 5.
You may or may not get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 7 & 11.You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 4, 8 & 22.The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2433752.5.The golden number for 1951 is 14.The epact number for 1951 is 22.The year 1951 was not a leap year.Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 2/6/1951 and ending 1/26/1952.You were born in the Chinese year of the Rabbit.The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 25 March 1951.The date of Orthodox Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 29 April 1951.The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 7 February 1951.The date of Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday) in the year of your birth was Sunday 13 May 1951.The date of Whisuntide in the year of your birth was Sunday 20 May 1951.The date of Rosh Hashanah in the year of your birth was Tuesday, 2 October 1951.The date of Passover in the year of your birth was Sunday, 22 April 1951.The date of Mardi Gras on your birth year was Tuesday 6 February 1951. As of 5/2/2006 2:16:21 PM EDTYou are 55 years old.You are 661 months old.You are 2,872 weeks old.You are 20,105 days old.You are 482,534 hours old.You are 28,952,056 minutes old.You are 1,737,123,381 seconds old.Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 7.86888454011742 years old. (You old hound dog, you!)
There are 349 days till your next birthdayon which your cake will have 56 candles.Those 56 candles produce 56 BTUs,or 14,112 calories of heat (that's only 14.1120 food Calories!) .You can boil 6.40 US ounces of water with that many candles.
In 1951 there were approximately 3.6 million births in the US.In 1951 the US population was approximately 150,697,361 people, 50.7 persons per square mile.In 1951 in the US there were approximately 1,667,231 marriages (11.1%) and 385,144 divorces (2.6%)In 1951 in the US there were approximately 1,452,000 deaths (9.6 per 1000)In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds.In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds.Your birthstone is Diamond The Mystical properties of Diamond
Diamonds are said to increase personal clarity to help one see things clearly as well as be straight-forward and honest. Supposedly, the higher quality the diamond, the better it is supports these qualities. Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone. (Birthstone lists come from Jewelers, Tibet, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and other sources)
Opal, Quartz, White SapphireYour birth tree is
Maple, Independence of Mind
No ordinary person, full imagination and originality, shy and reserved, ambitious, proud, self-respect, hungers for new experiences, sometimes nervous, many complexes, good memory, learns easily, complicated love life, wants to impress.There are 237 days till Christmas 2006!There are 250 days till Orthodox Christmas!The moon's phase on the day you wereborn was waxing gibbous.

My Birthdate: April 16

You're incredibly introverted and introspective.
You live inside your head.
You spend a lot of alone time meditating and thinking.
People see you as withdrawn, and at times they are right.
You are caring and deep, but it may be difficult for you to show this side of yourself.
Your strength: Your original approach to thinking
Your weakness: You tend to shy away from others
Your power color: Pale blue
Your power symbol: Wavy line
Your power month: July

http://www.blogthings.com/whatdoesyourbirthdatemeanquiz/

This arrived today....the yarn for my next project. I love it!