Potential

At the April Blacksheep Handspinner's Guild Meeting Sharon asked me to join her and Audrey on a fast trek to the MD Sheep and Wool Festival.  Gosh I was tempted. But I had a vending to prepare for and just could not get my head around a quick in and out trip at that time.   On Wednesday, Audrey called to ask me again.  I was tempted, very tempted but decided to wait to say yes or no.   I must be growing up -- actually thinking instead of jumping in with both feet.

Jim thought it would be a good idea for me to get away -- not take a computer and just have some fun with friends.  That does sound good but it is such a fleeting trip I was put off at first.  However the more I thought about it the more I liked the idea.

1- I have never been to the Festival.
2- It is an opportunity to relax, knit, eat crabs and knit.
3- I have never been to this famous festival.
4- I could knit and not be responsible for animals or email.
5- It is supposed to be in the 80's down there.
6- An opportunity to play with Sharon and Audrey.
7- I am not in charge.

But I was just with a zillion people at Artistry in Thread last weekend.  hmmmnnn

Then this morning I read this.

Take the time today to do something wonderful. Take the time to do something that reminds you of how precious and beautiful life is.

Those urgent matters that seem so important are really not, when compared to the unique miracle that is your life. Take the time today to feel truly alive.

Look closely, with your heart, and see magnificence in the smallest and simplest of things. Instead of trading all your time for money or ego boosters, invest a little time in being genuinely at peace.

You cannot schedule life's richness for later. Yet you can always enjoy it now.

Let yourself live that richness. Joyfully give in to the longing of your spirit.

Feel the immensity of existence. Be the beauty that you know you are.
Ralph Marston


What am I waiting for?

So I called Sharon and said I'd go.  Her response was, "Oh yes, now it will be a party!"

Jim will drop me off at Wegmans to meet her at 9:15.  We will drive together about 40 minutes to Audrey's and then all pile into one car to share fun and driving while knitting (well 2 can knit while one drives).  Audrey has done this trip many times.  She has a plan and sticks to it.   So we will drive down and get to Maryland in the afternoon, check into our motel and then go eat at the Crab Shack.  That alone could get me to go. (When I go to RI one of my favorite things is eating dinner with my sister at a Clam Shack)

Saturday morning we'll get up very early so we are at the gates by 8.  Audrey says that by noon the crowds are so thick we will want to leave.  So about 4 hours to experience this fibery heaven should do us for the first round ( both Sharon and I are newbies to this show).  I know from Rhinebeck not to try to see it all, just a few things in mind will do.  I want to get some really nice black alpaca roving to spin for the September Finger Knittin' kits.  That should keep me focused.

AND
I have my knitting ready.

At the top is a face cloth being knit for the Global Knits project for Haiti.  

Bottom left to right ->  a baby sweater for charity, the potential of some baby hats for a friend expecting twins and some socks for me from Clematis Vine Woody.  I figure I might have enough projects for 10 hours in the car plus Friday evening.  Anyway, the potential for completing some UFO's is definitely possible.

See what the baby hat can be?  I made this one for Bob's new grandson out of Bernat Baby Stretch (acrylic, cotton, and elastic) from a free pattern on Ravelry.  The beauty of this yarn is its ease of use and its stretchability.  The hat will fit Owen for months rather than weeks.  I know, I know, acrylic, arghhhh-- but this yarn is such a delight and for new mothers definitely easy to care for.

So a travelin' I do go.  The potential for fun seems high.

Color Me Color

Color is an important part of my life.  You might say color is my bread and butter.  It sure is a big part of Spinning Bunny.   I love color, am affected by colors in different ways and even color coordinate my underwear to my clothing (gasp).  I once refused to stay in a motel because the orange carpeting and bedspread was so loud and ugly I couldn't calm down.  (I guess I have something in common with Jacob Hunt - House Rules)

  Jim and I had a great drive up to Rochester in the spring sunshine enjoying the early flowers and newly budding trees.  We arrived and were greeted by Roy P who has now sold me 3 cars (well 3 car leases). He took us out in a 2010 Black Pilot EX for a sweet test drive.
  The new model has a lot of features that I will really love, including even more ways to make my seat comfortable. It drives easier yet is more sturdy and little bit bigger. It also has this neat thing that shuts down cylinders if it decides I can drive with less.  That will save gas.   It also has lots of cubbies to stash away tie downs and other misc garbage um essentials.  It does have an mp3 plug but not a USB.  That only comes on the model that is $5000 more.  No thanks.
Oh and it has dual temperature control.  Jim and I are always disagreeing on the temp in the car.  Soon he can set his side of the car for whatever temp and fan he wants.

Now you may remember from my previous post on this issue that even though I think the black car is sexy, it is only clean enough to look sexy for about 2 hours after a wash.  And I have been wanting a white car since I gave in my white CRV.  Last time the nearest white Pilot was in Texas so I went with my second choice - black.  No more black.

As we were going into the showroom after the test drive, Roy informed me he had looked for white ones as he knew they were my first choice. This time there were no white Pilot EXs to be had.  More expensive ones in white, for sure, but not the model I wanted.  sigh

Honda is not a wild company.  They are rather conservative.  I looked through the book of samples and saw that for myself.  The interior color choices are beige, almost taupe grey or almost black.

  The exterior choices are white, black, deep blue, black cherry, silver or pewter.  Jim liked a lot of those.  I think my sister would have too.  But me, sheesh.  Not much choice left.  So I had them look for a pewter with black interior.

Can you guess the results?   Only pewter with the grey were available.  I almost sucombed but thought, "This is a lot of money for something I think is boring? ugh. No."

Roy had them look again, but 20 minutes later there were still none.  Well actually there were the possibility of two.  However they had due dates of April 27 and 28th.  I need to take delivery of the car before May 1 to get this current deal.  No its not some scam.  It's a short term special on Pilots.  Those two cars might be delayed and then what?  At this current deal I am paying the same for a 2011 as I paid for the 2007 I am turning in.  

I went outside and looked at the blue one.  Well it is nice, but it will show mud and dirt almost as well as the black one and blue is boring to me.  I won't even consider the silver.  Then I saw a black cherry model.  I had looked online and did not like the brightness of it but in reality it is much darker, closer to my Black Cherry tonal.

So we have ordered a Black Cherry with black interior.  It will be delivered late next week with a half price cargo liner as a bonus to seal the deal.

Sing-a-Long

I don't normally use this as a political forum but I do think getting our elected representatives to actually vote for something we believe in and that affects us strongly is worth the space.


Go here to sign a letter to your rep.  Erase my stuff and substitute with your own.

Inspection

 My lease is up.  It always comes sooner than I am ready.  I love my car.  It's a Black Honda Pilot EX into which I can cram a whole day's worth of vending supplies. I call him Rangeman (some of you may get the allusion to Stephanie Plum's sometime employer/amour).  AAMOF I wanted to purchase it but the cost would be more than I am paying a month now for 4 more years.  arghhhh.  I know this car will need new tires next winter and front brakes too so an exchange is timely.

Plus, since this will be my third lease with Honda they are treating me really well.  I can get a 2011 Pilot for the same amount I paid for the 2007 Rangeman. The 2011 car is a little bit bigger (nice for vending) and, I can plug my ipod in and listen to books without making CD's.  I asked about the 2011 over a 2010 since it is still only April of 2010.  The odd answer is that the Pilots are not selling very well (Geez, wonder why? Could it be the economy?  Well Sarah Palin wouldn't think so.) so they are doing some kind of deal whereby the 2011 cars have a lower sticker price than the 2010's.  I still don't get it but since I will be a happy recipient of their need to sell I am not complaining.

So we are now in exchange mode.
A person from a third party place is coming tomorrow to inspect the car for dings and scratches and other things that might have happened to my sweet car in 3 years.  When I leased from a bank I was charged for every ping and ding but with Honda having a $1500 turn in allowance for those kinds of things I do believe all will be well.

However they want the car as clean as possible.  To that end I took it to the big carwash yesterday for the full treatment.   Rangeman looked sexy for maybe 2 hours.  I live on a dirt road.  When I had a white car it never looked as brown as this black one normally does.

Today when I brought the shop vac out to suck up the winter's worth of leaves, dirt, gravel, dog hair, fiber and detritus it was already covered in a fine layer of brown dust.  "That's OK", I thought, "as it is supposed to rain today."   20 minutes into the vacuuming the 'rain' started.  I brought everything inside just in time for the sprinkle to cease.

This is what the outside of my newly washed and cleaned Pilot looks like.

Please join me in hoping for some real rain tonight.

Magic Sunday

Tuesday night we had a wicked storm with rain, hail, sleet, ice and snow.  The temps dropped down to 10 degrees and then on Thursday they flew up into the 80's!!!  Waaaay too hot too fast but it is merely in the 50's today. Nice.

These pansies were out in both kinds of weather and look fantastic today.

Then all of these wonderful blooms greeted me in the glorious sunshine this morning.

It's only the beginning of April yet it is looking a lot like spring around here.

Meanwhile a new pattern for the new Blue Lagoon Woody yarn has been budding inside my head and blossomed today.

I have been working on a moebius cast on.  One that is easier than Cat Bordhi's and I think I have it!

See how it twists resulting in one surface and one edge?  

Leftover sock yarn comes in mighty handy for pattern and swatch experiments as I can add one onto another without worrying about dyelot or colorway.

This stitch pattern did not make the cut.

But I do believe this one will.

I can't see much difference between the two parts except that US5 measures out at 30 sts to 9 inches and the US7 at 30 sts to 10 inches.  Don't you think I might as well go with the larger needles for a quicker project?

Then Jim came home from church via Wegman's with this.  Silver suggests it's a bunny snack.

Glorious Magical Day.