What I Have Been Up To

Hi everyone!

A special thanks to all who wrote me such lovely messages. As you know my sister Claudia of Mockingbirdhillcottage.blogspot.com fame has a bazillion friends who read her blog and always write such lovely comments. I started blogging really to keep in touch with Claudia when we were unable to catch up on the phone. This way she could see what I was knitting, get a bit of info on my kids, etc. I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would find people I care about on the computer, and people who care about me. So thanks so much for being the wonderful caring friends that you are. And thanks for taking the time to write to me, life isn't always easy and I am grateful for so much in my life, including all of you.

So while I have been away from my blog I took a quick trip to Amsterdam to see my niece and family, and to go to the Prologue of The Tour de France. When I say quick, I mean it. My husband and I left on Thursday and we were home by Monday night. While I was there I looked in the window of a children's boutique and look what I found. Knitted Hot Dogs!!!!
The Tour Prologue was in Rotterdam, a lovely train ride from Amsterdam. The picture below is where all 198 riders started from.

The weather was rainy and cold. Of course being the awkward Americans that we are, we were totally unprepared. We were cold and wet just like the riders. The atmosphere was amazing, so much excitement. And the riders were so fast. I loved it.

Can you find Lance Armstrong on the bike just in front of the black car? Lance is having a horrible Tour, but we are happy we got to see him before he really retires. Even if it was only for a split second.

Amsterdam is so beautiful. The city is so full of life. We even got to experience the Netherlands beat Brazil in the World Cup. The whole city and everyone in it but us, of course was wearing orange. The restaurants and bars had orange flags hanging everywhere, actually many people had flags wrapped around themselves as the walked around. The whole city shut down to watch the game.

I have never experienced anything like it as in America we have so many different teams there is not one where the whole United States is cheering for. Sorry you lost to Spain in the final, Netherlands, we were rooting for you.

My neighbor is going into the hospital on Tuesday to start the treatments for her bone marrow transplant. Please keep her in your prayers. I met her at the yarn store last week so we could pick out yarn to make some chemo caps. She picked out two different silks, so I have been busy with those.

Right after we got back from Amsterdam my son had a swim meet in Gainesville. This was a big one in preparation for his Junior Nationals in August. Right before his first event he cut his foot on a broken touch pad in the warm up pool. Not something you would expect to happen at the University of Florida pool. He was unable to swim that day so I decided to find a yarn store to visit. I went to Yarnworks on Hwy 441, a lovely store with really wonderful people working at it. The yarn fumes helped so much to lift my mood. Actually my mood was just fine, just an excuse to go yarn shopping. So if you ever get to Gainesville, go visit Yarnworks. You will love it.

More to come.........