This picture is here for a reason....I'm not vain....I don't want to show off and I am definitely not happy with the 25 lbs. post-cigarette-quitting a year ago, that I have packed on. The reason this picture is here is for an opinion from an knitting expert before I start one of her patterns. Anna (from England) I need your advice. Is "Claude" for me? I fear I might be too ample........my body shape resembles one of my favourite characters in "Rosemary & Thyme" and I don't mean the skinny lady!!! I think "Claude" could possibly, maybe, perhaps work under a flowy tunic and pants of a soft fabric such as raw silk???? Oh I don't know. What do you think?

Anne Marie & Peter Campbell 

My bachelor-brother-no-more! On Saturday, June 10th, Peter married his lady. I have a new sister-in-law. Anne-Marie Campbell. It was a beautiful ceremony in an old stone church and then a private little dinner reception for 18. Perfect. We all went back to the house after to look at the changes. Peter's house has a woman's touch now (they are in the decorating process) and it shows. The honeymoon??? This will be spent around the house planting, landscaping and having one uninterrupted week from their busy jobs to tend to the house. The various pictures in this collage are - me with Anne Marie and Anne (my first sister-in-law), a sharp picture of Peter, Peter & Anne, my folks and the bride, Anne with her mother & daughter, Anne and her mother & sister, sister and Peter & Anne having a good laugh, in the tree, and Anne Marie with her sister. 

Warning....this entry contains trivia...fashion trivia.

I had a dilemma, two weddings this summer and I'm not really the dress-up kind of person. I love Indian clothing, my favourite being the salwar and kameez with a long scarf/shawl. I have such a "suit" but the fabric makes it a house-frau thing to wear when I want to be really comfortable. Karen and I were at the India bazaar (Gerrard St. E., Toronto) a few weeks ago and we were successful in finding wedding clothes. A chose this salwar & kameez. A sales lady suggested we try on saris. We didn't, though it would have been fun.

My brother's wedding is this Saturday - my big brother, 57 and never been married, is marrying his lady. Anne-Marie (or Anne as she likes to be called - which gives me only 2 sisters-in-law from my side of the family and they are both Anne Campbell!) is 44 and never married as well. You know I think marrying later in life is the answer to any boredom, or 7-year itches that apparently happen. Get the fun over with first and then settle down into coupledom.

This beautiful wild rose from PEI scents the entire garden....although sometimes we do get the scent of au dog poopoo mixed in - yuck. I was given 2 bushes that came from PEI, rested in Kingston for awhile and then came to my garden where each bush has more than doubled. I now have 4 established bushes and some little ones beginning to grow.
Socks......Opal cotton socks. I am making all my socks 2" bigger in the length and the foot length now because I do like to wash the socks in the machine and sometimes they find their way into the dryer. Next month I will learn how to make socks on 2 circular needles...."Unwind", our new-ish local knitting store, will be having classes. I can't tell you how many times I have completely lost stitches from a needle. If caught in time I can slip them back on but the 4 needles makes a very portable project, not portable. 2 circular needles will be much safer. 

Some garden pictures from this morning. Check out the obelisk....it is almost completely covered with the clematis now....does anyone know a welder who could make me a really BIG obelisk - cheap? The poppies popped open this morning.

For the garden shed...ugly as it is, I came up with this idea instead of painting it....2 mirror (windows) and the begonia bag between. I chose this begonia over my favourite "bag flower" - impatients because there is so much green in a perennial garden; I like the look of the burgundy leaves and orange flowers.
A close up of a pink double peony bud and a picture of the Oriental poppies that opened this morning. Here today gone two days from now!



 

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!

I'm near the finish line (for my "Sonnet" sweater)......get to within 2" of the end and I notice "hmmm something is not quite right". Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak I forgot to do the 12 st. centre pattern panel! F**k.....I ripped it out last night and have started once again.

My Treat of the Week....for last week - the knitting bag. Mine is black. And for this week, well I bought myself a Superhero necklace. I have always wanted one and could never decide on the colour and voila "Mother's Day 2006". Love it.

I have been watching the Eagles. So amazing. What a thrill to be able to observe them this close. The chicks should hatch soon.

Spring bulbs have popped up everywhere. Forsythias are in bloom. The grasses are emerald green. Outside improvement work this weekend. Bryan is working Saturday. Adam will relay the front flagstones for me. I would prefer a day in the city but????

I am close to finishing the sweater. I have a self-imposed deadline of April 30th. Anxious to start the new project and finish some socks.

Feeling creatively deficit right now.....creative deficit syndrome.....CDS.

Saw "Friends With Money" .... I think I really liked it. Very raw. Real. I saw us in that film. Scary. Fabulous cast of women.

This will be my next knitting project. I think I have ordered the same colour yarn as well. Knitting has turned into such an expensive endeavour, especially since I like to use natural fibres. But, I found this yarn on Ram Wools site (Canadian), the colour is on sale $2.50 off per skein (I need 10 skeins which gives me an extra 10% off) and that sale price is $4.05 cheaper than the local yarn shop! Yahoooo I say. I had to search around eBay to find what this "discontinued" colour, called "Aqua" looked like...didn't want some bright colour; the sweater style needs a soft colour. The yarn is 80% cotton and 20% angora so it will be as soft as soft can be. I might make the sleeves wrist length if I have enough yarn. The woman pictured is the designer. Imagine, designing your own knitting patterns, but then she is a fashion design student. You can visit her blog at www.autoscopia.com/amelia.

This weekend I watched 2 films and finished a sleeve to the pink sweater, Sonnet, I'm still working on. I have a self-imposed deadline of April 30th to finish this sweater....pictures to come. Then I have a sock to complete and I can start on this project. I am trying to self-descipline the projects - 1 (or 2) small projects such as socks or a scarf or a hat (my boys want hats for summer & winter) and 1 only large project, such as a sweater. There are so many beautiful yarns out there and they are very expensive. However, if I check the 3 local yarn stores to actually see and touch the yarns, then head to eBay, I am sure I will have luck finding bargains.

It is spring today. It is dark, grey, damp and the weather pefectly matches my mood. But, if I look across the street I am beautifully assulted with yellow ---- my neighbour's forsythia bush is in full bloom as well as a long border of bright daffodils. Perhaps spring flowers are so garrishly bright because the weather in April is usually so dull and grey and damp. 

BLOGS I like to check frequently, to get a different view of this great world.

http://afamilyinbaghdad.blogspot.com/
http://www.riverbendblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.rosie.com/
http://www.sabrinawardharrison.com/
http://rickmercer.blogspot.com/

Obelisk....I got an obelisk for my birthday. Yesterday I spent an hour....that is the maximum I can garden at any one stretch and still be able to painfully bend my knees afterwards.....in the garden. I did a square patch - clawed the soil, pulled some weeds, carefully checked all the new growth coming up, cut back the dead seed pods now the birds are finished with them, and I then placed the obelisk over a very mature clematis. Lovely.

I'm off anti-inflammatories for a few days (or however long I can take it...the longer the better) to see if my stomach will de-acid itself. Without the pills I can't hardly move...with them, and I've been on them 3 years now, I fear I am burning a big ol' hole somewhere inside.

I feel a desire to write but I would like to write like George Elliot or Jane Austen. They used words like a painter uses a brush and paint. We have lost the art of using words. Too many "words" like yup, ya, wuzup, dunno, have crept into our language.

"Marriage, which has been the bourne of so many narratives, is still a great beginning, as it was to Adam and Eve, who kept their honeymoon in Eden, but had their first little one among the thorns and thistles of the wilderness. It is still the beginning of the home epic - the gradual conquest or irremediable loss of that complete union which makes the advancing years as a climax, and age the harvest of sweet memories in common." (from Middlemarch, 1871-72)

Oh Oh I know............I got the DVD version of the new "Pride & Prejudice" for my birthday. Perhaps I will study the language and try to write like Jane...by taking one ordinary passage that I will re-write and using my trusty Thesaurus, I turn it around.

I'm going nowhere with this blog today. I better get off and get some work done.

I don't even know how to finish that last post... perhaps.....with a "?"......or a "!"....or just ".".....or "it is so".
So I thought I would post these pictures "just because"

just because.................

In a few more hours I will be 55

Spring. Good Weekend coming up. Long weekend. Friday is a holiday. Sunday is my birthday and we'll go to my parent's for dinner. Today it is mild a bit cloudy and a good day to dig in the front garden. I have to fix up the mess left bythe driveway builders! I used to prepare for a day of gardening by doing a few stretches. Now I have to protect my knees with my magnet braces, take an anti-inflammatory and a heavy-duty pain medication and then I can dig it.

My "boss" just called...man live that guy can bring me down so fast. Bitch bitch bitch, telling me over and over again what he's going to tell his worker....but he never does really...he tells me and then gives his worker an "idea" of what he's trying to get at. Never direct. It drives me NUTS.

OM

Om Mani Padme Hum

A truly spring day outside....the sun is shining, the sky is blue and the temperatures are mild, probably about 15C.

This morning was nasty at work. Today is the bid deadline for the school boards. Man alive what a lot of information they want. They want to be spoon-fed everything and want it for nothing. But it is done now. The bids are ready to be sealed in their proper envelopes with the proper label, and all the proper information and explanations inside.

I wonder how many trees a typical school board would kill in a day? A lot I bet. They love paper work but you can't confuse them either...too much information and they are lost.

Anyway...this was a lot of work, form-filling, and extra information gathering and presenting it just so but it is done. Our hunch on who gets the job? Probably not us. I'm going for lunch now and taking the rest of the afternoon off ............I hope...............unless 'my boss' decides we should just move on to income tax papers now.

In true form we will be running into the accountant at the last minute. It shouldn't matter, our books are in fine shape.

From last weekend - my parent's 60th Anniversary celebration (and 80th birthday celebration). Imagine 60 years together? I can't! My parents were great parents...and they are wonderful people so perfectly matched.

Some pictures - Leslie & Leslie....my best budd since we were 10 and that was a long time ago.

My Family

My "3" kids with Peter, my oldest brother in the background with his fiance Anne-Marie. Peter is 57, Anne-Marie a bit younger. Neither have been married before nor lived in a committed relationship - Wedding is June 10th. Cheers to them.

My family extended.