Random...

I'm stealing this from Coggie as I'm still trying to get back into blogging, still not knitting and still looking for my cable for my camera...

1. How do you feel about the marshmallow Easter Peeps?

I don't have any feelings whatsoever... I think they taste awful, but they have become a kinda cute iconic symbol for easter baskets (not Easter with a capital E and an empty tomb, mind you - just the cultural mass consumption of sugar & egg hunts!) The Washington Post as a highly entertaining Peeps Diorama contest. Check this out and then google to find previous years!

2. Chickens are notoriously nervous creatures. When you are nervous, what is the best way to calm down?

Knitting always helps with any nervous physical energy... I pray. I remind myself that the situation rarely involves life or death circumstances. I think of 3 things I'm thankful for... And sometimes just allow myself a brief moment or two or ten to panic and then deal.

3. People say, "April showers bring May flowers." Do you enjoy Spring rains?

I do... although we tend to get rain for 2 months. Never any really good thunderstorms, just incessantly intermittent rain. I like the rain when I don't need to be out driving around in it, but I don't like the mud it leaves behind.

4. When I was randomly flipping through TV channels this week, I saw a show in which tattoo parlor employees received tattoos of a co-worker's face on their bodies. I can't imagine having a portrait of a colleague tattooed on me. But if someone forced you to receive a portrait tattoo (face only) of anyone, who would it be? Why?

Noone. If I were forced, it would be Bailey.

5. Would you rather have a tattoo (any kind) or a nose ring?

um. No.
6. Do you have any special plans for Easter?

Church in the morning, and then since I'm 3000 miles from family, I will go to my "local" family - as I do for almost all holidays! We'll eat a lot of great food, enjoy some good wine and play games.
7. Cadbury Eggs or Reese Eggs?

I love Reese cups, but Cadbury mini eggs are my easter candy treat.

8. What was the last thing/person you took a picture of?

The cutest puppy ever!

9. What book are you reading now, or what was the last one?

In the middle of Time Traveler's Wife for my book club... but I find it pretty annoying. I'm also reading The Cloister Walk and a fun mystery by Susan Wittig Albert (or is it Albert Wittig, or am I making up her name... ?).
10. What do you think is the most difficult task when it comes to Spring cleaning?

All of it. With the tendonitis in my wrist, my already poor house-cleaning has completely gone out the (dirty) window. With house guests in a couple of weeks (and some dust/dirt-generating work by a contractor today & Monday), I've just decided to have a someone come do a thorough cleaning for me next week (a good use of tax refund money!).

11. How many pairs of flip-flops do you own?

Ummm... quite a few. I'll guess nine pair, but most are 'nice' flip-flop-style sandals, not the rubber flip-flops you put on for the beach.

12. Which color makes you happiest?

Right now... any bright colors in all the spring flowers appearing!

Almost Monday MeMe..

And because it's Almost-Christmas! YIKES!!
With all the house selling/searching/packing going on, Christmas has been a bit over-looked the past few weeks. Which is unfortunate considering how much I LOVE Christmas... Maybe Santa will bring me a new house????

So to provide a little holiday cheer... a fun MeMe (and I'm embarrassed that I forgot to link the source-blog for it). Perhaps there will be coal in my stocking with that new house.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper. I love wrapping presents. Seriously...and I have enough paper/ribbon to last a decade.
2. Real tree or Artificial? I haven't had a tree in several years since I travel to Florida. I'm tempted with getting an artificial tree, but it's not 'green' (ironic, isn't it!). Growing up we always had a flocked tree, but that tradition didn't continue with me.
3. When do you put up the tree? If I have one, usually the first weekend in Dec.
4. When do you take the tree down? Just after New Year's.
5. Do you like eggnog? Ick!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? So many, but I remember coming down one morning and finding an art easel all set up... and going roller-skating down the street in my bathrobe on a rare Christmas morning without snow.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My step-dad and grandmother
8. Easiest person to buy for? My goddaughters
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Several... But my 'nice' scene is still at my parents until I have a proper place for it. Growing up we would unpack it, but would never 'arrange' the figurines until my grandfather was there to do it with me.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Both
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A jingle-bell necklace shaped like a turnip was definitely one of the funniest
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? How the Grinch Stole Christmas TV special (NOT the movie)
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I'm a 'gift' shopper all the time so some years it's early, but this year... well, my list is still mostly undone.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Probably, but can't remember.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Christmas Cookies, and Gingerbread biscotti
16. Lights on the tree? Lots of little, white lights.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Impossible to pick... O Come, O Come Emmanuel, O Holy Night
Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel to family's
18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yup.
19. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Eve
20. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Traffic and shopping lines. And trying to make Christmas policially correct (I stole this answer).
21. Favorite ornament theme or color? simple - gold, crystal, ivory.
22. What do you want for Christmas this year? A new house!
23. Angel or star on top tree? My tree has an angel, my family's tree has ugly glass bobbly thing.
24. Favorite meal: appetizers all evening on Christmas eve, followed by a bowl of homemade beef vegetable soup after we open presents.

Bailey's says: Momma, why are there so many boxes around? (cute pic trapped in camera until I find my cable)

Monday Madness...

Whew! What a day...

It started way too early when the pup got sick at 3am... he went back to sleep, but I of course... did not. yawn. Pup was pretty sick so took him to the vet... xrays, fluids, anti-biotics, anti-naseous meds and a large visa bill later, pup is home and starting to eat a little. YAY! (not so happy about the visa bill!!)

But I finally finished the Baby Poonam for my cousin's baby... T was born on Wed, exactly 2 weeks past the anticipated arrival. Fortunately everyone is doing well and this little sweater will be on its way to NY very soon. And with it will be a copy of my favorite children's book The Gruffalo.


He's the first of his generation so lots of excitement! Unfortunately I don't see them very often so I'm not sure when I'll actually get to meet the little guy, but his grandmother and I will certainly keep him well dressed in knits! Baby blanket is in progress and I'm already thinking ahead to Christmas knitting.

I'm still working on my secret sewing projects... temporarily stalled, but pressure is on. I need to have them done in less than a month, but I've got a business trip in the middle of all that. So now that Poonam is done, it's back to sewing (... tomorrow).

And since it's a Monday... we'll play a Monday MeMe!

Back In The Day
1. When was the last time you went to a playground and swung on the swings?
In July I played on the swingset with my goddaughter and her sister... but I was pushing. My other god-daughter took great delight in spinning me around in my Sky Chair last week, though!

2. What is the first TV show you remember watching as a child?
Not necessarily the first show I remember, but one of my strongest childhood TV memories is getting to stay up an hour later once a week to watch Grizzly Adams. I was going to name my children after his animals...

3. What's your favorite board game?
I generally prefer card games over board games, but I've recently resumed playing CandyLand with aforementioned goddaughters!

4. How old were you when you started school?
I remember talking to my pre-school teacher about the annual field trip. In my second year, I wanted to go feed the ducks with the younger class but she told me that was the field trip for the 4 year olds. Since my birthday was in October, I was still 4 (therefore started school at 3) and thought I should be able to go with them. She didn't buy it and I didn't get to go feed the ducks. Clearly it was a traumatic experience and only fueled my appetite for rational debate.

5. If you could have given any one piece of advice to yourself when you were a child, what would it be?
Just because you don't like the trampoline teacher, don't quit gymnastics.

Happy Knitting!
-JavaNut

Bailey says: I'm starting to feel better, Momma... Where are my squirrels?

Bookworm MeMe

It's Wednesday, but since I was off from work yesterday, it FEELS like Monday so here's another Monday MeMe... for Bookworms!

This one wasn't quite as quick as some of the others, and it was a bit depressing for me - I love reading, but don't read much these days and I do miss it. By the time I'm in a spot to read, I'm generally so tired/braindead that I have no interest or ability to read anything that requires so much as a single brain cell... Nonetheless, here's my Bookworm/Bookshelf MeMe!

1. One book that made you laugh: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever - a incredibly funny story about a Christmas Pageant headed for disaster, but a very sweet perspective on the real Christmas story.

2. One book that made you cry: I Heard the Owl Call My Name... this was a high-school English class book that I loved. But I had missed the preface which indicated the protagonist was terminally ill so when he died I wasn't prepared as the author intended. Lots of books (and everything else) make me cry, but that is the most memorable.

3. One book that you loved as a child: The Bobbsey Twins! I LOVED these books. Monday nights my mom and I would ride our bikes to the library and I was allowed to check out 10 books. But only 2 of them could be Bobbsey Twins. As an adult I've now collected every one in the editions I read as a child.

4. One book you’ve read more than once: Pride & Prejudice - so many to list for this one, but my book club is reading P&P right now so it's top of mind.


5. One book you loved, but were embarrassed to admit it: Chick-Lit - can't think of a title I liked off hand though.


6. One book you hated: The Alchemist. Not a fan of this genre at all.

7. One book that scared you: Personal Finance for Dummies. Seriously - the women in my family tree have really strong longevity genes.


8. One book that bored you: Nathaniel's Nutmeg (is sounded really interesting about the development of the spice trade, but BORING. I couldn't bring myself to finish it!)

9. One book that made you happy: Lonely Planet guides because if I'm reading one, I'm going on a trip somewhere!

10. One book that made you miserable: can't think of anything... I wouldn't read/finish something that made me miserable...

11. One book that you weren’t brave enough to read: Russian Literature

12. One book character you’ve fallen in love with: Mr. Darcy (see above)

13. The last book you read: Pride & Prejudice (see above)

14. The next book you hope to read: Fear No Evil has been on my bookshelf for a long time... biography of an imprisoned Russian Jew, Natan Sharansky. But frankly I'm more likely to be delving into the backlogged stack of knitting/sewing/crafting magazines for my bedtime perusing.

This was fun! What's on your bookshelf?

Happy Reading!
- JavaNut


Bailey says: I'm not sure I'll like Jane Austen as much as you do, but I'll give her a chance...

Give Me Five...

After too many car-issues this weekend, my creativity and thinking skills are a bit low this morning which means it's time for Monday Meme!! Today's Monday-MeMe is Give Me Five (although this is last week's since she hasn't posted yet today!)

Give me Five Things you haven't done in a long time and would like to do again:

1. Take a vacation. I can't remember the last 'real' vacation I've had... for the last several years, all my vacation time/budget has been going to visit family on the east coast, or trips to Romania for conferences. And although I've LOVED every trip there and the people I've met, it's certainly not a real vacation... so other than a few long weekends... Where should I go???

2. Host a dinner party. or even a bbq, but just having people over for good food (well, hopefully), good wine (for sure!) and good company!

3. Get a massage. It's an expensive treat, but I even have a gift certificate so no excuses whatsoever!!! I have been thinking about taking my 4 closest friends to a massage/spa for my bday in the fall. Perhaps I need to 'test' a few different places before then ; )

4. Purge closets and general house stuff. I'm long overdue to purge thru stuff and throw things away/donate. It always seems like such a time-consuming and un-fun task, but once I get started it's great and I love getting rid of it all.

5. Go on a date. 'nuff said.

Have a great Monday!
-JavaNut

Bailey says: Momma, I love my kong... But would you put a treat inside? Puh-leeese?

Monday MeMe: Movies!

I'm going to make Mondays "Monday MeMe" (at least when I remember)... Today's Movie Meme was taken from Tienne. And I thought this was going to be easy... ha!

1. One movie that made you laugh: Hitch

2. One movie that made you cry: Shadowlands.. and it's such a good cry!

3. One movie that you loved as a child: Grease. It was the first LP I bought with my own money (ok, it was as an older child)

4. One movie you've seen more than once: so many to choose from, an all-time fave is always That Touch of Mink w/ Cary Grant and Doris Day

5. One movie you loved, but were embarrassed to admit it: Dirty Dancing

6. One movie you hated: I didn't hate it, but was pretty disappointed in Horton Hears a Who

7. One movie that scared you: I avoid movies that I think will scare me, but Inconvenient Truth was pretty scary!

8. One movie that bored you: the latest Indiana Jones

9. One movie that made you happy: Chocolat... a story with grace AND Johnny Depp at his best

10. One movie that made you miserable: ???? why would I do that?

11. One movie that you weren't brave enough to see: Schindler's List. I even bought the videos, but never watched it.

12. One movie character you've fallen in love with: just one? ok, Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth version)

13. The last movie you saw: Mary Poppins (my goddaughter was spending the night)

14. The next movie you hope to see: Mama Mia (what a cast!)

Hmmm... After thinking about all these movies, I think it's time to plan another chick-flick-knit-nite!

Happy Knitting -
JavaNut

Bailey says: I'm just going to play with my new orange ball while you watch those movies, ok?

MeMe for 4s

Another MeMe!

I'm having fun with these and 'borrowed' this from Throws Like a Girl... who 'borrowed' it from Yarn Thing. What great company... I'd meant to post this on the 4th of July, but of course- completely forgot!

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. lamp shade sales
2. switchboard operator for a software helpline (aka therapist!)
3. IT analyst/project manager
4. manager

Four films I have watched more than once (this could be such a long list):
1. That Touch of Mink
2. Mirror Has Two Faces
3. To Catch a Thief
4. Shadowlands

Four places I have lived:
1. Needham, MA
2. Houston, TX
3. Norcross, GA
4. San Jose, CA

Four places I have been (again - too many to choose from!):
1. Disney (land and World)
2. Singapore
3. Sydney
4. Copenhagen

Four favorite foods:
1. ice cream
2. fruit salad (how's that to cover berries, nectarines, kiwi, pineapple, etc!)
3. french fries
4. sushi

Four places I’d rather be right now:
1. wherever mr. right might be
2. vacation (any place will do!)
3. winery
4. heaven

Four T.V. Shows that I watch:
1. NCIS
2. Gilmore Girls
3. 24
4. Design Star

Have fun and let me know if you join... Tag, you're it!

More MeMeMe...

Ok, how many days does it take to form a habit? To get myself back into blogging, here's another MeMe that I saw on Throws Like A Girl blog and I saved away for a post.

YOU CAN ONLY TYPE ONE WORD!
Not as easy as you might think. Now copy or forward, change the answersto suit you and pass it on. It’s really hard to only use one word answers. Be sure to send back to the person you received it from!

1. Where is your cell phone? counter
2. Your significant other? undiscovered
3. Your hair? messy
4. Your mother? compassionate
5. Your father? gone
6. Your favorite thing? wifi
7. Your dream last night? vague
8. Your favorite drink? vino
9. Your dream/goal? family
10. The room you’re in? kitchen
11. Your hobby? knitting!
12. Your fear? isolation
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? elsewhere
14. Where were you last night? home
15. What you’re not? married
16. Muffins? nope
17. One of your wish list items? organizer
18. Where you grew up? Needham
19. The last thing you did? email
20. What are you wearing? PJs
21. Your TV? TiVo
22. Your pet? lovable
23. Your computer? employer's
24. Your life? experienced
25. Your mood? optimistic
26. Missing someone? yes
27. Your car? black
28. Something you’re not wearing? shoes
29. Favorite store? LYS
30. Your summer? busy
31. Like someone? many
32. Your favorite color? purple
33. When is the last time you laughed? today
34. Last time you cried? movie
35. Who will respond to this? dunno

Go for it... ONE work only! And let me know...

Bailey says: Momma, can we go to bed now?



-JavaNut

Revival...

A blog-post has been a long time coming... and the longer it's been the harder to get started again. But I think the Flickr Photo MEME is pretty cool... so after seeing the 5th one, decided to jump back into blogland. Let me know if you join the crowd!

The rules:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.

b. Using only the first page, pick an image.

c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

1. What is your first name?

2. What is your favorite food?

3. What high school did you go to?

4. What is your favorite color?

5. Who is your celebrity crush?

6. Favorite drink?

7. Dream vacation?

8. Favorite dessert?

9. What you want to be when you grow up?

10. What do you love most in life?

11. One Word to describe you.

12. Your flickr name.

I must confess, I realized after the fact my food-related answers were two words... so shoot me!