Now what?

I finished Harry Potter on Thursday. It was my day off and I put the time to good use. Right now I’m considering audio books the best invention since AC. No spoilers, but I will say I loved the end. Please don’t leave spoilers in the comments either, as someone who was desperately avoiding them I respect anyone who’s still finishing it. But if you wanna email directly we can talk about it. Since I listened to all the books straight through, that’s really all I’ve been doing for the last 6 weeks, so I feel rather bereft, I’m not sure what I should be doing with myself. *sigh*

In the continuing effort to make the house look so fabulous that it will sell tomorrow I’ve been doing some things I’ve planned to work for, oh I don’t know, the last year. I love odds and ends furniture not the matching stuff, so my parents are always picking stuff up for me at swap meets, estate sales etc. Sometimes it doesn’t work out but sometimes it’s love as first sight. The kind of love that needs a little coaching and some patient understanding because after all these are second hand pieces. I give you project one, I’ll call it an end table because that’s what I use it for, but I”m not sure it’s original use. Half of the top opens up and makes a great place to stash yarn. After some sanding, some primer and some paint ta da! It actually needs another coat of paint, but I love that blue color, it’s called Paris Blue.

I also painted this kitchen table, it was in bad shape and it really should have been done long ago. It was much more time consuming. What I love about it is that it has a removable leaf and the leaves on each end that fold down. Perfect for a small kitchen or dining room space, but it can seat 6 or 8 if you want to get really close. I coudlnt’ really decide on a color, I considered just plain white, but I’m really pleased with this yellow (officially Lemon Ice) It will look great with all my red and blue dishes.

All Harry All the Time

Yep that’s right. In my effort to catch up and get to The Deathly Hallows before someone slips and gives away the ending I’ve been listening almost non stop to the Harry Potter books. I’m almost done with the Half Blood Prince, 3 tapes to go! Whenever I’m home I’m knitting and listening. Works out great, two of the things I love to do most at the same time! Knitting and reading! It has made for some odd moments though. Earlier this week I drove 1/2 an hour to a nearby town, I didn’t want to stop listening, but no tape player in my car. I briefly considered my large boom box type stereo before I remember I had a smaller walkman size tape player. I used that to listen while I drove. Oh the lengths I’ll go

Simon is quite pleased with the situation rather than me running about painting, rearranging and other things that get him fretting, I’ve sat very still for the most part. Here he is helping me knit. Simon loves lace too

The 411

This is gonna be one of those update posting. Life is not peachy and I have not felt much like doing anything including blogging or anything blog worthy.

Life in general – I think it’s safe to say that the sun or the moon or mercury or whatever is not on my side this month. First creepy guy and all associated drama, then I have to admit that I do not have the funds to travel to see my favorite band, then I realize my car tags expired in April and they do not make it easy to renew them here so I am jumping through hoops and other small mishaps and inconveniences.

Work – things at the day job are suck-tacular right now. Good news is I still enjoy working at the winery despite the craziness. For example last Saturday for some reason two different customers, bother younger men decided is was acceptable to come up behind me and massage my shoulders. Um no. No touching the waitress, it doesn’t matter how stressed she may or may not look. No touching!

Books – I’m reading Water for Elephants for the book club. It’s ok but not one of my favs. I haven’t finished the The Memory Keeper’s Daughter because it’s an audio book and that would require that ability to focus enough to sit and listen to it.

Knitting – yes I still knit! I’ve been slowly working on Mentionable, slowly because of lack of time and inability to focus on anything for very long. The yarn and the pattern are lovely. Mostly just thinking about knitting and yarn and what I’d like to knit.

A moment of silence

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007

The War with Winter

Yes it’s not over! Just when you thought you’d seen the last of winter, it returns! Foolish lulled into thinking Winter had surrendered by 80 degree temperatures, I packed up my sweaters, turned down the thermostat and welcomed Spring. But I forgot Winter is devious and stubborn and would not give up so easily. It has returned! We were down below freezing for the last several nights, despite covering my rose bushes, azalea, peonies and more I fear I’ve lost them. I am not a happy camper, Winter and I have an tenuous relationship at best and I fear I my never recover from this latest assault.

Thanks to a comment left by Robin last week I signed up for a virtual book club. I waffled about it for a couple of days, but I looked at the books they had read, I’d read some of them (and liked them) and wanted to read most of them. Plus I have been wanting to read their newest selection – Water for Elephants. I think this will give some balance to my reading. I co-host a Current Issues book discussion at work, I tend to read non-fiction on my own time or listen to whatever I can get my hands on as audio book.

In Knitting News : I’m almost done with the front half of the Drop Stitch Lace Tank. I can’t decide how I feel about it. It is stretchy and should fit when done no problem, BUT I keep feeling like it will look awful on me, but I’m continuing anyway. I was so tempted to abandon it for something else this weekend, but I’m not ready to deal with the 1.50 cardi again, so I stuck with it. Since I’m not a fast knitter two WIPs is all I’m allowing myself to have going at once.