Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Ho Hum Wednesday, not Ho Ho Ho Wednesday.......

Well my friends I have nothing exciting to share.  Not much of anything to seriously blog about.  I did finish a cowl, while I like it very much it isn't all that fascinating or exciting. 


Made for a friend for Christmas, it is definitely her colors.  I have had this yarn for a while, bought on sale when my LYS closed.  Misti Alpaca Baby Me Boo in the color Green Tourmaline.


Based on the Interrupted Cowl pattern I have made two of already.  This time I cast on 125 stitches on size 10 needles, joined and knit the thinner parts and purled the thicker parts.  This yarn does not have as obvious thick and thin areas like the two previous cowls I made, but had enough variation to give it a lovely texture.  I am making one more, yup in the same exact yarn as I had two skeins of it and one skein seems about perfect for this cowl.  Another gift to give for a friend's birthday.  The yarn is really soft and beautiful to work with, so I hope it will be soft and beautiful to wear.  That is another 170 yards of yarn that has left my stash.


Glitter tree spinning around from the inside of my house.


Glitter tree spinning around taken from outside my house.   I have eleven of them hanging in my windows catching the light as it changes all day long into evening.  Please don't notice my dirty windows, I have no time for that task in my life right now.


This is the second cactus I purchased several years ago, Princess is her name and boy does she like to put on a show.  She is huge, and I tell her all the time that she should be very proud of her size, big is beautiful!


My parents cactus, Princess was smaller than this when I bought her.  I think I might call this one Little Girl, by the rate she is growing she won't be little for long.


Next to Little Girl is Her Highness, I have had this beauty for years and years.  She is so lovely and large.  She waits patiently for the other two to start blooming and then wows all of us with her gorgeous red blooms.  She blooms every single year, no matter where I place her.  She doesn't care if I over or under water her, she just takes it all like the Queen she is.

I am a bit out of sorts as today was a day off to take Little Buddy to Neurology, right smack in the middle of the day.  I will be making up work on Friday so really won't get much of a break.  He is doing well so far.  The nurse practitioner that we see every six months was as shocked as we were that he had this massive seizure.  He has done well for so long, but the good news is he is on meds, tolerating them well, and hopefully we can control this new aspect of his care.  I spent all yesterday afternoon and this morning writing up re-evaluations for work, it is a blessing to get them out of my head and down on paper.  No more huge paperwork for me for the month. Now if I could just get to those Christmas cards........

Hope your Wednesday is more Ho Ho Ho, than Ho Hum!

   

39 comments:

Caffeine Girl said...

Ah, re-evaluations. You are singing my song. I have 6 due before winter break, in addition to a bunch of IEPs. I don't know if that sounds like a lot, but I have 16 students on my caseload and attend four classes per day with students, one of which I lead teach. Oh, and we have a new software program to deal with.

When we had a union, our contract said we didn't have to do more than four re-evals per year. I miss that contract!

CJ said...

Glad you've got those re-evaluations done. Sorry you won't get much of a break this week, it sounds as if everything is full pelt at the moment. Lovely cowl, and fabulous yarn as usual, you do find the loveliest ones. I hope the rest of the week is good and that you have a really nice weekend. CJ xx

Betsy said...

Happy Wednesday Meredith! Your cowl is so pretty and I love your glitter trees. So cheerful. I'm glad Little Buddy is still doing well. I know that was terrifying for all of you. I hope you are able to relax a bit and enjoy this season my friend.
Blessings,
Betsy

A Whole Lotta Magic said...

Treat yourself gently, Meredith. The rest will fall into place.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad Little Buddy is doing well. Hopefully that seizure was a "one-off" and the meds will keep it from happening again. Isn't science WONDERFUL!

Your cowls are lovely. And good for you for doing a little stash busting!

Fiona said...

The cowl is very pretty, I think the green yarn is lovely and cheery. It's great to hear that your son is doing well, what a relief for you all. I hope you can find some time for yourself soon, you certainly deserve it. Fiona x

Pam said...

The green cowl is stunning, I do not wear much green but would wear that like a shot. I am so pleased that Buddy is doing okay, I hope that this carries on for you.

Karen said...

It's hard to be hohoho when you have a lot on your plate. I lost a day this week being sick, and have been behind ever since. I'm in awe of those Christmas cactus. I have never had much luck with them. Love the cowl!

alexandra s.m. said...

It is always a pleasure to read your posts Meredith!
Beautiful green creations! I love the way you have described your Cacti ;-)
THinking of you~

Mac n' Janet said...

I quite like your glitter trees and if there are any kind of tree that isn't dirty I wouldn't recognize it.
Love your Christmas cacti, so pretty. Just had to replace one of mine.

Pradeepa said...

The cowl is gorgeous! Your cacti look lovely. Glad to hear that Little Buddy is doing well.

Judy S. said...

So very glad to hear LB is doing well! Your Christmas cacti are beautiful; on of mine bloomed at Thanksgiving and the rest are putting on some kind of protest. Over the weekend I visited a new to me yarn shop and discovered a different kind of yarn called Bamboozle. It seems to have the same colors as Bamboo Bloom, so I was delighted to find "your" Koi color and will be doing yet another cowl soon. Hugs!

Vera said...

So glad Little Buddy continues to do well. This time of year is always so busy...it's easy to forget to take care of ourselves. Your glitter trees are so cheerful, and your cowl is gorgeous. Love the names you've given your Christmas cacti!

Chris said...

Your cactuses are amazing as usual! It must be so nice to see such colourful blooms this time of year. The cowl is lovely- love all your stash busting . That must feel very liberating!! Good to hear Lil buddy is doing better and he's tolerating his new meds. Hopefully that was just a one off. Good luck with your paperwork!

Gracie Saylor said...

Your ho hum is pretty/productive! I crocheted a little wreath today and knit a little washcloth...and had to unravel some of it to try again. I tried to design some Christmas cards and am at least thinking about sending them. Guess what! My Amaryllis is starting to send up green leaves again. This will be its third bloom cycle! I hope that the appointment went well and that you are able to rest. xx

Teresa Kasner said...

Sorry your schedule is out of whack this week.. that can really throw you off. But it's so good that your darling boy has not had another episode. So, scary. I so enjoyed seeing your Zygotes! Mine always looks so dried out.. I don't know why. I put all 3 of mine in one pot.. a big one. I'm working on my cards too.. they will get done.. eventually.. lol! I'm not sending out little gifts this year.. I just don't have it in me. Can I blame it on "him"? :-) ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

*********************************************
*H*A*P*P*Y* * *H*O*L*I*D*A*Y*S*!*!*!*
*********************************************

Anonymous said...

Wonderful yarn, I'de like to receive this scarf as a present too :-)
Your tree is also very nice and I love those plants! My mother had one too, since she passed away several years ago, her best friend is taking care of that plant now. They are so beautiful!
Have a nice day,
Sigrid

The Well Fed Wheel said...

I've been sick for days so it's a little Ho Hummy here too. I'm having total Christmas cactus envy...LOL....mine was a beauty too. So wish I could have brought it with me. It was a red one just like your "Her Highness". :-) Happy to hear Little Buddy is tolerating his meds. They have some pretty good ones out there. I now this because we have pretty much tried them all for our Levi. Hopefully that sweet boy of yours won't have any more episodes.

Jodiebodie said...

Well, Meredith, I am shocked. Shocked that you would describe your latest cowl in green tones as neither fascinating or exciting. On the contrary, it certainly got my attention for its textures and colours, quite sophisticated if you ask me! The recipient will love it. These are the colours that I like to wear also.

Your cacti are looking very well. The first princess with the pink flowers is stunning. Very happy cacti indeed.

Now that LB is settling down, and you've got that paperwork donw, you can focus on recharging your bod and spirit. It's okay to be feeling 'ho hum' at this time of year. It's been a long year and a lot of us are feeling the end-of-year fatigue. Especially after the adrenalin rush of LB's emergency, it is natural to feel low after that.

The glittery Christmas trees were a good idea - one can look at those and feel cheerful and get excited about Christmas plans.

Take care, Meredith. Hugs and best wishes, Jodie xx

mamasmercantile said...

I am thrilled to hear that Little Buddy is doing well, long may this continue. The cactus are a real delight, I have never had much luck with them. I was impressed with the trees, they must look amazing dancing in the sunlight. The windows are clean Meredith I can proudly announce, but please ignore the dust on all the surfaces LOL. Take care.

Hindustanka said...

Hi Meredith! You know I hear from so many people around the globe and myself experience the same things - everyday deals simply leave no space for proper family time and for me-time...
I can understand that your are pretty much full now. But I hope you will have some winter break to deal with tiredness and business.
Sending best wishes to Little Buddy and a whole your family!
Hugs!

Janet said...

Good to hear that Little Buddy is doing well after the enormous shock he has given everyone. There's so much love directed at him I'm sure he'll carry on doing well.

The cowl is beautiful. You seem to choose such lovely yarns, rich in colour. I've never knitted a cowl but I'm thinking I might just give one a try.

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

Actually, I've been pretty ho hum for days now. I get dressed, as if I am going someplace, and really do have things to do, but instead, I plop myself down and do as little as possible and wind up never leaving the house. Today is a holiday and my husband took off so he had us running from 9 am until 2 pm. He, for one, cannot sit still. In 30 minutes I have to leave to meet some little homeschoolers at the garden for a bookreading and some gardening. It's 66 F outside, but feels so much colder to me. I have an aversion to cold weather. The cowl you made is lovely. Looks like something my friend, Melissa, would like. Green is her favorite color. I actually bought her a tourmaline stone when we were in Sri Lanka one time. Glad to hear Z Man continues to do well. Take care of yourself. Hugs, Tammy

Jo said...

If it makes you feel any better, I haven't got my Christmas card written yet either and I don't work and I don't have a youngster to care for so I think you're doing pretty well. The cowl is lovely, such a gorgeous colour.

Toni said...

I hope his appointment went well. I love all the cacti! So festive!

Amy at love made my home said...

Hope it turned out not to be too ho hum a day and that all went well with the appointment. Love your cowl and the trees too!

kathy b said...

Misti Alpaca is a good company for yarn I think. I dont think i've ever been disappointed. Love the colorway . Glad Lil Buddy is stable on the new meds! Ho ho ho! our tree goes up today. Time to sparkle

linda said...

Your windows are sparkling just like the tree, I see no dirt at all there! Great stash-busting, lovely cowl Meredith I love the colours. Thank you for leaving such sweet and kind comments on my blog it's much appreciated. :) xx

busybusybeejay said...

your cowls are lovely .How do you find the time to make all these things?Glad Little Buddy is doing well.

Jo@awholeplotoflove said...

The cowl is a gorgeous shade, I'm sure it will be well received. I love how you named your Christmas cacti - fab! x

gigi knits said...

Glad Little Buddy is doing good. Just heard another one of my favorite LYS is closing here in the Tampa area ! It's always sad to
Have a local business go out.

Araignee said...

Oh, man....you are going to make it very hard for me to pass up the Christmas cactus when I visit the holiday nursery with Daughter next week. It's hard enough not to bring home a poinsettia but inside plants always end up being cat food.

Melanie said...

I think that ho-hum is sometimes a good thing! Glad to hear Little Buddy is still doing well. And, yes your cowl IS exciting - it's beautiful! I didn't notice your windows were dirty. Even if they are, you're in good company. Mine are, too. I was looking out my living room windows this morning and the first thing I thought was, "Wow, these windows are filthy!" But it's too cold to clean them now. Will have to wait 'til next spring.

Amber said...

Your cowl is beautiful. And those Christmas cacti!!!!! They are so beautiful.

Lorrie said...

Ho-hum gives your brain and body a chance to relax after all the concern you've had lately. Give yourself time.

Babajeza said...

The good news is: weather your windows are dirty or very dirty, it does't take longer to clean them. All the best to you and little Buddy. Hugs, Regula

handmade by amalia said...

I love handmade gifts, both to give and to receive.
I'm sure your friend will like yours.
Amalia
xo

AnnieOBTextiles said...

Beautiful cowl and the Christmas cacti are amazing. I hope my small cactus grows up to be as special. Be kind to yourself Meredith, the windows and dust can wait.

Anita said...

Seanding you heaps of well wishes for Little Buddy. I hope things get back on track for him and he is a strong little character too. Your cowl is lovely and the colours awesome!!!! That cactus is my favourite but for some reason I thought it had been called crab cactus. I was just talking about this plant during the week with a friend. They thought I'd gone crazy for thinking it was called that. lol. It's lovely anyway. xx