SHORT ROWS & PAULA DEEN

I hate short rows!  And I especially hate them when I start something and then put it down for 2 months because I am on to something else (remember startitis!) - and to make things worse the darn thing is knit in a boucle with lots of loops

 on the short rows - 

and I don't know where the heck I am

 when I pick it back up 

because I haven't taken very good notes! 

WOW -  I know that was a mouthful!!  

Well Joe was tired of hearing me complain about this unfortunate circumstance 

- and that is putting it mildly 

- so on this warm 75° December day 

he suggested we head to Savannah 

and walk off my frustrations.  

 While gliding across the river on 

the Savannah Belles Ferry 

I recalled that Miss Paula Deen was having a blood drive today and afterwards she would be signings books at The Lady and Sons.  So as soon as we disembarked we headed on to 

The Inn at Ellis Square to donate blood.  

Two hours later Joe had successfully made his donation but unfortunately I was not able to because of a prior illness.  The Red Cross however, is very grateful for the effort and we were both rewarded with two aprons autographed by Paula Deen and two buffet dinners at her famous restaurant.  Next it was off to see the lady herself for the much anticipated book signing.  The line was very long.....

 .....and to everyone's delight

Jamie Deen came out for a visit.  

   

Well --  another two hours went by -- we met lots of nice people and finally we reached the holy grail --

Miss Paula Deen and her sons Bobbie and Jamie.  And yes she is really a SOUTHERN LADY and she does speak with a southern drawl.  She is just as pretty as she looks on TV and was very gracious and chatted like we were old friends asking us about our lives and thanking us for our participation in the blood drive.

And she personalized all our treasures!

Finally it was time for dinner at "The Lady and Sons" complements of Paula herself. 

 I have to say the southern fried chicken and mac and cheese (which I don't eat very often) was absolutely delicious.

We ended the day with a romantic walk on 

River Street.  

The entire river walk and all the shops are lit up for the holidays including our favorite stop 

"River Street Sweets". Even the Riverboat Cruise ships are decked out in their holiday best.

Thanks "Miss Paula" for another great Savannah experience.  Oh and yes - I did not think about my short row problem all day.  

In fact I feel like the famous Southern Lady 

Miss Scarlett O'Hara

"After all, tomorrow is another day!"

ON A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN SAVANNAH.....

You can see dolphins in the river!

 

Celebrate with strangers on their wedding day.

Pay tribute to the brave veterans who 

defended our country.

Take 
a 
boat
 ride 
on
 the 
water.........

Stroll on River Street........

And shop at SCAD for a beautiful Vanessa Boulton

purse complements of my hubby for our anniversary!!

Procrastination Can Be Stressful!!

Well for the last few weeks I have been knitting Loopy Snecklaces like a mad woman for the Sun City Holiday Bazaar.  My friend Ilse thought it would be a good idea if we got a table and tried to sell some of our creations.  Why not I thought - of course that was back in August when November was far, far away. 

Rosemarie, Lynn & Ilse

 And it would have been a good idea if I started knitting in August - but of course that didn't happen.  So here I was in October knitting like crazy - trying to get some inventory ready for this event.  Loopy's were everywhere!  OMG I thought - I hope I sell all of these or what the heck will I do with them.  Thankfully they were extremely popular and by noon I was completely sold out. 

 Now I have a pocketful of cash - and lots of free time.  "We should start getting ready for next year", is now Ilse's mantra! "Let's start in January this time."  Yea - like that is going to happen.  We've got plenty of time - no need to rush - I'll think about it next October!

A TASTY DINNER

What a wonderful weekend.  Dinner with friends - knitting- a seven mile bike ride this afternoon and a delicious meal of French Onion Soup and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.  I had a bag of tasty vidalia onions that I knew would be perfect for this special treat!

First I needed to get the onions ready to slice.  It is amazing how easy the food processor slices all these onions

Next begins the process of caramelizing the onions!  A little butter & olive oil- a sprinkle of sugar and two hours cooking time.

Patience is a must - the onions must be the color of carmel - which makes them even sweeter, but this takes time.

Just beginning to turn brown

Look at that color!

Perfectly caramelized !

Add the beef stock - sherry - a dash of aged balsamic vinegar, spices- 

yes it is almost dinner time!

Bon Appetite! 

It was delicious and well worth the effort!!

SUMMER'S OVER!!!

.......... but the beach is just beautiful with sunny skies, warm water and a tropical breeze that warms your heart!  My love and I spent the day relaxing and enjoying our wonderful life by the sea.  Joe was reading and napping while I was knitting. 

 What could be better?  It was also a great day for people watching - and dog watching! 

 Now that the tourist season is officially over puppies are allowed on the beach and they sure were having a fun time!  And as for me - I always enjoy a day when I can "Purl By The Sea".

Happy Birthday Elizabeth Zimmerman

If you are a knitter then 

 Elizabeth Zimmerman needs no introductions!  

But for those of you who are unfamiliar with this knitting icon let me tell you a little about her.
Elizabeth was a knitter, teacher, designer and author. She believed in personal creativity and encouraged knitters to experiment and think outside of the box. Her goal was to have knitters make every design their own and not worry about following a pattern!  The legacy of information and design she left behind is the mantra for many knitters and her books are an absolute must in every knitting library.  She presents information in a clear and precise manner with a dash of witty commentary.  Her books have been a lifeline for me on many occasions when I needed help with a

knitting dilemma or catastrophe.  I have knitted my share of Elizabeth's designs in a Zimmermania Class I took in State College at a wonderful little yarn store 
 Stitch Your Art Out.  

Baby Surprise Jacket worn by my grandson Dylan!

 My mentor and knitting teacher "Cynthia" instilled in me the importance of of Elizabeth Zimmerman's place in the knitting community.

I am very fortunate to have two books that have been autographed by Elizabeth!  Her wit and light-hearted attitude is most evident in the inscription that can be found in my copy of "The Knitter's Almanac". 

And do you believe the amazing price of $8.95 for a hard back book! 

Knitting Without Tears also inscribed by Elizabeth!

So thank you Elizabeth Zimmerman for all you did to inspire creativity in knitters.

HAPPY 101st BIRTHDAY!
August 9, 2011

LET YOUR CREATIVE SPIRIT SOAR!

I am totally sick of listening to nothing but commentary about the debt ceiling.  Especially when I feel totally helpless regarding the entire situation.  Both parties and all the political pundits love to hear themselves talk and this crisis has given them ample opportunity!  The big problem is they really don't want to hear what we citizens have to say.   So --- I am protesting by not watching any TV news.   It doesn't help my attitude or my creativity.  And I cannot survive without creativity!


As we all know creativity comes in many forms.  The other day at the beach I walked past a brother and sister who were busy building a sand sculpture of a turtle.  I stopped to watch and was amazed at what a good job they were doing.    I was especially impressed to see that they had push the boundaries of creativity by adding color to their turtle by spraying it with green food coloring mixed with water.  What a stroke of genius!  I wonder if they realized what little artists they are!!

It was truly a site and it made me think of the many forms in which the creative spirit manifests itself.  True artists always come up with a way to push the boundaries to make their creations - their art - just a little more unique.   


Today I watched Lady Gaga on The View.  Many jokes and remarks have been made about the ways in which she pushes artistic boundaries and there is no doubt that she does.  Remember her dress that was made of meat. 

 And how about her dramatic entrance in the egg at the Grammys.  

Whatever she does, we cannot deny that she is truly an amazing artist that loves her art and knows how to go from crazy and eccentric to sophisticated and insightful!  Just take a look at her performance today on The View.  It was fabulous!!

So during this time of political & economic uncertainty I will not be watching the news.  I will however be watching Lady Gaga every chance I get - hoping to get just a spark of creativity from a young woman who knows how to push the artistic boundaries to the very edge.  And, I hope you take some time to find your own inner creativity - whether it is knitting, beading, painting, writing, wood working or singing.  Let your creative spirit soar - you'll be happy you did!  Just remember, meat doesn't knit up well!!

AND THE HEAT GOES ON!!!

Well the heat is still steaming!  Yesterday with the heat index temperatures soared to 122°.  NOW THAT IS HOT!!  Today it is a little cooler, but Joe and I decided to spend our time in indoors until we head out to a pizza party dinner with the New Jersey Club.  Hopefully things will cool off by then.

Neither of us have any problem keeping busy on a hot day like today.  And I don't mean with housework or cleaning! We both used our time indoors to work on our creative projects.  

Joe is hard at work constructing built-ins for under our counter.  He just finished installing a fantastic wine rack and is busy putting up bead board.

 

Next he will be adding a bookcase on the other side

of the counter.  What a fabulous job he is doing!

My day has been spent beading.  Thanks to my friend Ilse for the beautiful doughnut beads she gave me.  It took me three times to string a combination of beads that I was happy with - but I think the end result was worth the extra effort.

Just another way to stay cool on a hot summer day in the south.

Life is Good!