Five for Friday

Five reasons I love having Veronica home from college:

1.  I have a friend to hang out with all day.

2.  She'd rather have a home cooked mean then go out and eat.  That's me too.

3.  This time she asked if I had any leftover yarn from the school-colored stuff I knit her and Alan last year.  I did (plenty, as I'm a yarn snob and will only knit with acrylic as a last resort). She said she wanted to knit a UF color hat for her friend.  I gave her the yarn and a needle and she's knitting away! She remembered how to cast on and everything!  In fact...she's almost done. Awesome.

4.  I love having her under my roof and not far away.  There's a calming feeling I have when all my kids are together under my roof.

5.  When she's home Gracie is so happy.  The best is when V's holding her and Gracie is sound asleep in her arms.  The both look pretty happy, in fact.

Chance of Showers

So when mom was visiting, she treated me to this beautiful yarn! We picked out a pattern called Chance of Showers and both decided to knit it up. I finished mine last week! Mom is starting her after her current vacation.  Great pattern, well written, full of short row shaping and easy construction (Not totally seamless, but almost...one short seam under the arms.).  Here's my project page on Ravelry if you want to add it to your queue.  

(Non-ravellers just ignore. My heart weeps for you, but ignore all the same.)

Colorful Neighborhood

 The neighborhood is filling up with leaves.  

And some of the trees look like they're on fire.

 Random leaves on the ground.  I'm particularly fond of the brilliant red sprinkled among his dry friends.

 And orange, too.

 Sometimes the "oops" photo turns out to be interesting too.

 My favorite tree in the neighborhood.

 Watercolor maple leaves.

 The wooded trail back home has stretches of bridges and raised walkways...all covered with oak leaves in every shade of brown imaginable.

 Many leaves still to fall and soon this water will crack with ice. And ducks will put on a funny show, slipping on the ice.

 Weird, huh?

 Beautiful view from our dock.  Enjoying every minute before I turn around twice and the trees are gray with bare branches.  

Andy on women over 40

This was posted on Facebook but I know a lot of people don't do FB, so I'm posting it here so you won't miss it. It made me laugh out loud. I think you will too.

CBS commentator, Andy Rooney on women over 40: "As I grow in age, I value women over 40 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why: A woman over 40 will never wake you in the middle of the night and ask, 'What are you thinking?' She doesn't care what you think. If a woman over 40 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do, and it's usually more interesting. Women over 40 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you if they think they can get away with it. Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated. Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 40. Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 40 is far sexier than her younger counterpart. Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk if you are acting like one. You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her. Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed, hot woman over 40, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year old waitress. Ladies, I apologize. For all those men who say, 'Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?', here's an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage. Why? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire pig just to get a little sausage!

History Revisited...and the Band, of course!

Our visit to Fort McHenry was one of the most interesting things we did during her trip. I'd been there before, once when Veronica was here visiting, in December I think...because it was super cold and windy and we pretty much ran from building to building freezing our butts off.  This time we took our time, weather was lovely, and really got a good look.  

Do you know the significance of the place? It's where Francis Scott Key saw the Flag and was inspired to write the Star Spangled Banner.  Yup, the place and time...and the STORY behind it all is so interesting.  

The day we visited was just a few days after the 199th anniversary! So you got it...next year, September 14th, you know where we'll be...on the 200th anniversary!

I should also mention that we went to Fort McHenry the day BEFORE the Government shut down...good timing huh? 

 Mom and Mike by the armory...those are 15 foot thick walls to protect the ammo.

 O' say can you see...

We also took a tour of the Naval Academy! We were lucky enough to get there for the tour that included the Noon Day Commencement. All the Midshipmen gather (marching of course) in the court yard, with the band playing and all, and then march into the dining hall.  Can you believe the eat every meal together? 4500 Midshipmen!

Our tour guide told us to watch for men and women in different color/style uniforms because they are visiting students of other military academies from around the world.

I've taken this tour when Mike's folks visited earlier in the year but it was Commissioning Week, so there was a lot of activity going on and all the families visiting. This tour was a lot different.  We saw more and didn't have to work around stuff going on on campus. Did you know that John Paul Jones is buried on campus? He's the American sailor who during the American Revolution is famous for saying, "I have not yet begun to fight." 

"Don't give up the ship!" was the dying command of Captain James Lawrence on the USS Chesapeake in the 1813 battle just north of Boston. 

This time on her trip, we actually got to see a band competition!

The kids competed at the Navy-Marie Corps Stadium in their first US Bands competition.  That's Joey in front with the Tenor.

Back in Time in DC

The next few posts will be from when my mom came to visit, then my in-laws came to visit...and all the fun that took place!

 One of the things my mom REALLY wanted to do was try to find her old apartment building she used to live in when she lived in DC...back in 1958! 

It was so fun! I don't know who had more fun, Mike and I or her! 

So she remembered having to cross a bridge, down the street from the National Zoo and her building was on that block. Not much to go on but we were game!

 We found this awesome bridge...but it didn't seem right.  So we went the other way, past the Zoo and there was another bridge! 

 And then her building!!  But to be sure we had to walk around the corner, down the street...and to these gates!  They used to be (and maybe still are) the gates to the Indian Embassy!

 When mom lived in DC, she was 19 years old and shared a one bedroom apartment with three other girls.  She worked at the FBI.  Cool, huh?  She remembers a wonderful family owed Italian restaurant which was close to home...and cheap! The restaurant is gone but can you believe there's an historical plaque about it on the corner where it was?!  Amazing!  

Ah...Roma...mom remembers you well!

 We found a wonderful Mexican restaurant nearby with a patio and margaritas! 

What a great day!

 Then mom picked up some weird guy...

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September Socks

Forgot to mention...

I did finish my September Sock Challenge!  5 Pair in one month!  Whew!