Monday, October 29, 2007

The First Day of Autumn

A month late, Autumn arrived this morning. Here's how we knew it was here:



Dr. Frizzle had shored up a tremendous amount of his stuffing against the finally seasonable chill. He was buried in the middle of the mound, but poked his head up to greet us.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

My Little Log Cabin

Mason-Dixon knitting is so full of inspiration for simply-worked, but gorgeous, projects. I'm adapting the knit log cabin quilt for crochet, using leftover Rowan Cotton Glace:



It seems like this is a popular idea--my latest Lion Brand catalogue features a kit for a crocheted Log Cabin. Still, you can make it up as you go along, and seemingly use whatever you have handy (within the same gauge, of course). It's sorta like Rippling in that way. And, at the end, no piecing, maybe a little pressing, and it's all set. So, I'm just merrily tripping along, trala. I'm working in single crochet, but now I think maybe half double crochet would be preferable. Anyway, it's a good While Watching SVU Project.

In other news (loosely defined) I've once again been lured by the siren song of Snape Fan Fic, of which there is an endless supply. Note to self: Leah, don't read this stuff from 1-3 a.m. when you need all your wits and faculties about you next day...


TODAY'S VOCABULARY:
batrachian--froglike
crepuscular--of, resembling, or relating to twilight
ichor--the fluid that flows like blood in the veins of the gods (from Greek mythology)

Thursday, October 4, 2007

"Moments of their secret life together burst like stars upon his memory..."




I love this picture of Sgt. Pepper making a silly face. Today is my 11th wedding anniversary. And, actually, we've been together for almost 17 years, through so much, since we were both kids. When I think of our marriage, I always remember James Joyce's words:

"A wave of yet more tender joy escaped from his heart and went coursing in warm flood along his arteries. Like the tender fire of stars moments of their life together, that no one knew of or would ever know of, broke upon and illumined his memory. He longed to recall to her those moments, to make her forget the years of their dull existence together...for the years, he felt, had not quenched his soul or hers. Their children, his writing, her household cares had not quenched all their souls' tender fire."

I'm amazed at how well Joyce understood and wrote about marriage. Hedgehog is so dear to us, she's like my own heartbeat, but Sarge and I came first.

Monday, October 1, 2007

SeaFlower Online

Well, E's new SeaFlower earring shop is on Etsy. She was going to sell earrings on our stoop this Sunday (like the bake sales of yore), but decided that she couldn't bear to part with any earrings of which she hasn't made duplicates. So far we have a three-item shop. She has recently decided she would like to move from glass beads with silver plate earring backs to sterling silver and semi-precious stones. Good taste, that kid. She has nearly worn out her humongous Fire Mountain Gems catalogue, thumbing through it endlessly to look at amethyst and carnelian and all the more obscure stones with fantastic names...