Happy Sunday

Someone sent me this in an email. It kept me giggling for a while. Hope you enjoy it.

Four Worms and a lesson

A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon.

Four worms were placed into four separate jars. The first worm was put into a container of alcohol. The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke. The third worm was put into a container of chocolate syrup. The fourth worm was put into a container of good clean soil. At the conclusion of the sermon, the Minister reported the following results: -

The first worm in alcohol - Dead.

The second worm in cigarette smoke - Dead

Third worm in chocolate syrup - Dead

Fourth worm in good clean soil - Alive.


So the Minister asked the congregation -

What can we learn from this lesson? Maxine, sitting in the back, quickly raised her hand and said,
"As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won't have worms!"

That pretty much ended the service --

Amen.

DOT: Snips & Snails

and you know what comes next...




Yes, we have our new group of foster kids and are they cuties!

This is Truman, who looks to be a lab/boxer mix. The poor little guy has a bad upper respiratory infection and is taking icky medicine. He is the sweetest, most cuddly puppy, but he's clearly not feeling well. So I'm spoiling him rotten and he gets to snuggle into my neck for most of every evening so far. Not good for knitting production, but so good for the soul.

This little charmer is Sadie. She might be a yellow lab/Australian Shepherd mix, maybe golden retriever? She has a bunny-butt - just a little nub for a tail. I'll have to take a picture because it's really adorable. Poor little Sadie fell out of her cage at the shelter a few days ago and hurt her left leg. The vet wanted her to stay with us until it mended. Now, I'm no vet, but if that doesn't look like a broken leg, I'll eat a bug. She's not just holding it up in the picture, that's what it looks like all the time. Mr. C and I are really upset that the vet didn't get xrays or try to splint her. Mr. C, who is a shelter board member, is so upset at the vet's neglect that there will be action taken. They've had other issues with this vet, but there is no valid excuse to neglect the health of a creature in her care. It doesn't seem to hurt Sadie, as she is limping around trying to play, but her mobility is definitely limited. So Mr. C is taking her to the specialty vet clinic on Monday for xrays and treatment. Am I wrong to wish that karma will catch up with this vet? Real soon?

Finally, we have the Tiny Terror, aka Phoebe. Do not let the fact that she is just 7" long fool you for 1 second. She runs the show in the puppy yard and would like nothing better than to get out and take on the big dogs. She looks like a little rat with muppet hair to me, but she is 100% terrier in attitude. So who wants to guess what kind of mix she is? Yorkie? Cairn terrier? Brussels Griffon mix? Maybe a Yorkie-Shitzu? Time will tell, I suppose. As much as I hate to admit it, the little brat is totally adorable and I can see why so many people like little canine swiffers. She was brought in as a city stray over the weekend so she's not technically up for adoption yet. I am shocked that no one has tried to find her yet. They only have a couple more days, and then she can be adopted. I don't expect that we will have her for much longer.

While we are on the subject of foster dogs, we recently were invited to visit with Oscar and his (growing) family. When we first met Oscar, he was the runt of a 10-pup litter that included Griff, Buck/Oreo, and Marley. He originally went by the name "Cody".


His first night with us was touch and go, but with the excellent care given by Nurse Mr. C, he pulled through and, although he remained a little smaller than his brothers, he had more attitude than the other 3 put together.

"Who are you calling a runt?"

No one would guess that this handsome, lanky pony-dog was ever a runt. Look at him now! Unfortunately, the battery died in my camera and these were the only 2 pix I could get. He remembered both of us right away. We sat on the floor, whereupon he ran to get a chew-toy and tried to climb in Mr. C's lap, then my lap, just like he did every night when we fostered him. His mom and dad could not love him more - they went on and on for over an hour, singing his praises and telling us funny stories about the big goofball. His older sister - a border collie rescue - tolerates him, but the best news is that Oscar is getting a little 2-legged sibling in June. He loves kids and they are already getting the dogs accustomed to babies, and life looks pretty darned good for the little runt.




Okay, enough for now. Any more cuteness, and we'll all be needing a shot of insulin. I will be back this weekend, with some actual knitting content!

"Dogs' lives are too short. Their only fault, really."

Agnes Sligh Turnbull

Spring Fling Coffee Swap Questionaire

Coffee

1. What is your preference? Whole beans or ground?

Ground so I don't have to try and dig out my grinder (wherever it is).

2. What kind of coffees do you enjoy? A rich, bold roast; a light, fresh one, or something in between? Leaded or non?

I like dark roasts, such as French roast or espresso. I also looove Kona and Starbuck's House or Breakfast Blend. I drink leaded in the daytime and un-leaded at night.

3. If you were headed out right now to buy some coffee for the house, what would you be picking up?

If I was doing t his right now, I'd be headed down to the Big Easy. We haul 2 cases of Community Coffee New Orleans Blend back with us everytime we go down there. But I like to keep some of the stuff I mentioned in #2 for a change of pace.

4. Do you drink for caffeine, pleasure, or both?

Both, but mainly for pleasure, so it has to taste good, in addition to being strong.

5. Do you enjoy flavored coffees? How about add-ins or flavored creamers?

No flavorings, no sugar or sweeteners - I don't want to coverup the bitter, smoky taste.

6. A large, lovely mug or a small, dainty cup?

I don't really care what the mug looks like, as long as it holds LOTS of coffee.

7. Describe your perfect cup - not JUST the coffee, but how you'd enjoy it!

I would be at my favorite resturant, Commander's Palace in New Orleans, sitting at a large table in the courtyard with my family and friends. I would have just finished a delectable Creole meal, savoring my Bread Pudding Souffle with Vanilla Whiskey Sauce, and sipping a cup of hot cafe au lait, made with strong chicory coffee. Taste bud heaven!

8. You're sitting down to enjoy a nice cup in the local coffee shop, knitting bag in hand, iPod all tuned up - or maybe you're there with a few friends for knit night! What treat do you pick up to enjoy with your coffee? A sweet, rich brownie, or something more healthy? How about a salty treat? What goes best with that great cup and company?

Unless it's beignets or a special dessert, I usually don't eat anything while I'm drinking coffee. The coffee itself is the treat. Although every now and then, I do like a good biscotti.

Yarn

1. Do you knit or crochet?

I'm a knitter. I learned how to crochet when I was a kid and can probably crochet better than I can knit at this point. But once I fell in love with knitting, I lost all interest in crochet.

2. What are your favorite types of yarns to work with?

Merino and merino blends- the softer the better, in DK or worsted weight. I also like good-quality cotton/wool blends. And I love the workmanship of hand-dyed and handspun yarns.

3. What do you have on the needles (or hook!) right now?

2 baby hats (1 for charity, 1 for a friend's new baby), a Baby Einstein jacket, a dishcloth, 3 scarves and probably some other stuff I am forgetting. Oh, I just cast on for ISE6 yesterday, so make that 4 scarves.

4. What are your favorite colors in yarns? What about those that you'd never find in your stash?

At this time of year, I am tired of dark colors and I like bright colors that remind me of spring and summer - the colors of the ocean and sky, flowers and leaves - blues, purples, blue-greens, lime green, and even pinks would be nice. I avoid anything beige, pastel, or muddy colors. And I don't like bright primary colors.

5. What sort of needles or hooks do you enjoy using? Any you just detest?

My first choice in straights and dpn's is bamboo. If the yarn sticks to the bamboo or if I'm using circ's, I use Addi's. I really like a pointy tip, and find both Addi's and bamboo aren't pointy enough. I just saw some Hiya-hiya's yesterday at MisKnits and would like to try some 16' ones for my next baby hat. On very rare occasions, I will use some hard acrylic Susan Bates needles that have sharp points. I detest aluminum and plastic needles - they give me the heebie-jeebies when they rub together.

6. Are there any particular notions you absolute do NOT need? Some of us swap a lot - are you sure that you have enough tape measures to last your lifetime? Enough stitch markers to mark every stitch of a 10 foot wide afghan?

I don't need many notions because I don't use many (how many do you need when you knit mainly squares and rectangles, haha) and I have enough of the ones I do use...but if I were to get extra notions, I'd either make a traveling notions kit, or I'd save them until I did need them. The thing I don't have are needles cases - right now, I carry them around in freezer bags if I have to take them out of the house. They're not pretty, but they do get the job done!

7. You walk into the yarn shop and have exactly and only enough money to purchase 2 skeins of yarn in their 2 for 20 special they have going..The choices are a soft, thick cotton/viscose blend in your favorite colors, slightly variegated..a beautiful sock yarn that's just squishy and sproingy in your hands.. a soft, worsted weight wool like malabrigo.. and a lovely bamboo blend with colors to just die for. Which do you walk out the door with?

Okay, this one's too easy - the Malabrigo of course.

Spring

1. We're starting sign-ups on the first day of Spring - is it already truly Spring-like where you are?

Lets see... brown grass, bare trees, high temp in the 30's... nope, no spring around here. The robins have been mobbing for about a week now, though and my yellow magnolia's buds are swelling. And we haven't had any snow for about 2 weeks now, so there's a little hope.

2. What's your favorite spring flower? Do you have one?

Daffodils and narcissus are my absolute favorites - they are the first leaves to start popping up in my garden and really signify spring for me. The yellow is so cheerful, there is such a variety in terms of size, shape and color. And they are deer-proof, bunny-proof and freeze-proof. I just love them.

3. What do you most look forward to about springtime?

I'm a gardener so I love everything about spring. The smell of the earth and the grass. The newness of everything. Getting back in the garden and out on my porch.

4. They've predicted a gorgeous day tomorrow - Sunny and about 65 with a nice breeze - how do you spend your day?

In the garden.

5. The day after, it's going to be cooler and pouring down rain - does that impact your mood? How do you spend that day? what helps cheer you up?

I like rainy days, especially in the spring. I'd open the porch door so I could listen to the rain and curl up on the sofa and knit the day away.

Odds n Ends

1. Do you collect anything BESIDES yarn and needles?

Rabbits, little bird figures and glass paperweights.

2. Are you allergic to anything?

Cigarette smoke, many fragrances such as most florals, cinnamon and "clean" or "breezy" or "linen" scents.

3. Do you have pets?

The canines are Chloe and Abbie, the felines are Criquette and Bitsy BonTon (aka Ninja Slasher Kitty). All 4 are rescues. We sometimes have foster pups.

4. Is this your first swap, or are you an old pro? What are the last 2 swaps you participated in?

I've been in several swaps and can't stop! I just finished the Beat the Winter Doldrums Dishcloth swap and the Hot Cocoa swap. BTW, Anne puts on the best swaps out there!

5. List 3 of your favorite blogs - craft related or not - and tell us why you love them.

Well of course I have a lot of knitting-related favorites - check out my sidebar. (I also have about 100 or so bookmarked that I try to check in on at least once a month.) I also have some favorite non-fiber blogs that I like - they're pretty random, but here are 3 of them: my favorite cooking blog, my favorite nature blog, and one of my favorite pet blogs.

Spring Secret Swap Questionnaire

Spring Secret Swap Questionnaire:

How many dogs do you have? What are their names?

Chloe (a Border Collie/Dobie mix)

Abbie (a beagle/Jack Russell mix)

What are their favorite toys?

Anything furry and squeaky

What are your favorite treats?

Pita chips, chocolate (m&m's, chocolate-caramel, chocolate-mint), Skittles

What are their favorite treats?

We are very careful what we give them, since the pet-food recalls. Definitely nothing manufactured in China, even the big name brands. They love treats from Three Dog Bakery and once a week they get Greenies (small).

What are her/his/their/persons favorite colors?

We love pretty summery colors, such as pinks, bright greens and blues, and lavender/violet purples. We don't love the pastels or neutrals so much.

What allergies do you and/or your dog(s) have?

None of us can tolerate smoke of any kind or strongly scented products.

Pay It Forward!

A few months ago, I signed up to be one of Nichole's recipients for Pay It Forward. Lucky me! Look at the beautiful gifts she sent:


Chloe spent a lot of time sniffing the bag and paper. She was wagging her tail, which means she likes Nichole's canine 4-pack.

And I spent a lot of time petting and squishing this hot little notions bag - soooo velvety and shiny. I love these springtime stitch markers, too. Best yet - Nichole made these as well!

Thank you, Nichole! I love it all and only hope I do as well when it's my turn to Pay It Forward

I couldn't wait to try the stitch markers, so I cast on for a new baby hat with some fun yarn I bought yesterday at the lys. The yellow egg dresses it up, don't you think? (The yarn is Berroco Comfort DK. )


I like this colorway so much - it reminds me of vintage cantina colors and serapes and margaritas. Ooops, this is for a baby, so forget that last piece. The orange boucle yarn is something I picked up on sale at Hobby Lobby a long time ago. It's been in my charity stash, waiting for the right project. It's found it's purpose in life - a snuggle for the DOT Snuggles Project. It's making a very thick and cushy fabric - perfect for comforting a little furry soul until they find their new home. Since it knits right up on size 11's, it's going superfast. I have 2 more balls of this stuff so maybe I'll get 3 done.

I gravitated towards these bright colors because I am really in the mood for the weather to change. It's been gloomy, drizzly and cold all weekend. But instead of pouting, I did a little stash enhancement, which cheered me right up!

(left to right) Filatura DiCrosa Zara Print, Lane Cervinia, and Jaeger Baby Merino DK

The pink and 2 blues are going into the charity stash and will become hats one day. The purple variegated is for my neighbors' baby boy, who is already 8 weeks old. I'm going to make him a hat for next fall, to wear to the KState games.

Filatura DiCrosa Baby Zarina Print

I was so excited to find this yarn, since I've been looking for a variegated in exactly these colors since last fall. These are my 11 year old niece's favorite colors. She is the girl who pets yarn and wants to learn to knit. I have 540 yards of merino goodness right here. Now all I have to do is decide what to make for her. I'm thinking that Jellyfish would be perfect for someone her age. and, I can make it a bit larger, so she'll get a couple of years of wear out of it. If anyone has any other suggestions for a cute project, please send it along.

Have a wonderful week, whatever your weather may be.

Dogs on Thursday: Dogs 1, Cats 0

This was sent to me recently by a fellow dog/cat lover. I thought I'd post it and give all of our Thursday dogs a good laugh.

How to give a cat a pill:

1. Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.

2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.

4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm, holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.

5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.

6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.




7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.

8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.

9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink 1 beer to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

10. Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Open another beer. Place cat in cupboard, and close door on to neck, to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Drink beer. Fetch bottle of scotch. Pour shot, drink. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Apply whiskey compress to cheek to disinfect. Toss back another shot. Throw Tee shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12. Call fire department to retrieve the damn cat from across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.

13. Tie the little darling's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy-duty pruning gloves from shed. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of filet steak. Be rough about it. Hold head vertically and pour 2 pints of water down throat to wash pill down.

14. Consume remainder of scotch. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table.

15. Arrange for SPCA to collect mutant cat from hell and call local pet shop to see if they have any dogs.




How To Give A Dog A Pill

1. Wrap it in bacon.
2. Toss it in the air.

The Road Trip Stops Here

One of my favorite non-knitting blogs belongs to Bossy. Before reading her posts, I have to put on a pair of Depends. She and I have a lot in common - we both embrace silliness, we both think John Cusack is hot, neither of us mind a little toe cleavage now and then, and we are both blond and gorgeous - okay that last bit is a lie, but I do think she is one of the funniest bloggers out there and I bow to her command of irony and sarcasm.

And now she's coming to our little corner on the prairie and I'll get to sit and visit and laugh and have some margaritas with her and some other prairie bloggers in just a few weeks. Bossy's coming to town for a meetup!!

And what is the occasion, you may ask? Certainly Kansas City isn't what springs to mind when you think "ultimate vacation destination". But our convenient location on I-70 makes us lucky enough to be part of Bossy's Excellent Road Trip. (You didn't think she was coming for the food, did you?)



At the risk of sounding stalker-ish, I can't wait - I mean, it's like meeting a rock star or something. And I'm also excited to meet the other bloggers (at least one of whom is a knitter). I was hoping she'd stay here, but I think after reading about the little incident with the middle-of-the-night-ninja-slasher-kitty, she settled on a cat-free environment, probably a wise choice.

Speaking of The Incident, I have been putting Mederma on the scars every day, and Vitamin E oil at night for about a week and a half. They're already looking much less noticeable, especially with cover-up cream. Bitsy has been trying to make up with me - she has hardly growled or hissed at me since it happened and she even let me trim her claws without trying to bite me, except once. I can only hope her good mood lasts.

FO's and Dogs On Thursday (On Friday)

Having a week-long case of the stomach flu can actually be a good thing for a knitter, when it results in several FO's. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I discovered that I can knit while laying down and with one eye patched. This is very reassuring, because I am very intolerant of boredom, even when wishing someone would put me out of my misery. So, with the exception of one very bad day, I was able to summon enough strength to knit on through the nausea and icky feelings to start and even finish several knitted objects.

I finished the Inside-Out Chemo Hat that went to New Orleans with me. The pattern came from the HeadHuggers website, and was knitted with Trendsetter "Scoubi Du" color 674. I added the i-cord loop on top for a touch of whimsy. You had a sneak peek a couple days ago, but here is a better picture of it.


This was made for my neighbor, a young mother with a nasty, resistent cancer. I didn't know if the yarn (a cotton/acrylic blend and the bumpy texture of the seed stitch would feel comfy enough for her. I was relieved to find out she loves the hat and has been wearing it almost daily and every night to sleep in. When I heard this, I immediately cast-on another hat for her, which was finished last night during American Idol.



I modified the Blanche pattern - instead of seed stitch, I used a box stitch. Otherwise I followed the pattern for the brim and decreases. I used Berocco Comfort yarn in a luscious peachy-pink that goes by the romantic name of #9704. You have to watch your knitting a bit more carefully with this yarn because it likes to split, but it is very soft and doesn't have that icky acrylic feeling, even though it is an acrylic/nylon blend. This one hadn't been washed and blocked as of this picture.

I also knocked out 3 dishcloths - 2 for the Winter Doldrums swap, and a third as a gift. I tried out 2 new patterns, both of which I really enjoyed.

This dainty one is "Lilacs On the Veranda" from talented and prolific designer Maile Mauch.
You can tell I had a few challenges to my attention span, but I didn't think the mistakes detracted from it. This one was for one of my Winter Doldrums dishcloth swap pals (I had "twins" as my downstream pals) out of Sugar&Cream.


I liked the pattern so much, that I knit an extra one, to go into the gift stash. I used one of my favorites, Cotton Ease in the violet-blue color. It wasn't washed and blocked yet, either.

This pretty one (getting the Criquette sniff test of approval) is the "Blissful Moss Rib Dishcloth" pattern. I like the way this Sugar&Cream yarn pooled in the pattern.



I have one more dishcloth and 2 baby hats on the needles which are both 2/3's finished and should be done this weekend, if I get to watch enough TV. Meanwhile, the house critters are all experiencing their own winter doldrums, especially after we got a dusting of snow today. Last night, the weather guy said that the longest we have gone without it snowing here on the prairie since Thanksgiving is 12 days. We had just broken the record yesterday by going 13 days. This has been enough winter even for me. Where's spring?

Bitsy (aka "The Shredder"), working up the energy for her next attack

Criquette, doing Quality Assurance on the freshly dried pile of sheets

Chloe and Abbie, begging for carbs

Spring Fling Coffee Swap

Anne, of the fabulous seasonal swaps, has a new one coming up - the Spring Fling Coffee Swap, which you can read about here. If you haven't been in one of her swaps yet, do yourself a favor and consider signing up. It's a great group of yarn-lovers and Anne always has lots of fun contests and any swap combining 2 of my favorite things - yarn and caffeine - has to be good, right? Sign-ups start March 20.

No Wonder I Usually Feel Like I'm Going Around in Circles

You Are a Carousel

You are young at heart and a truly playful person. No one would ever accuse you of taking life too seriously. You are definitely in things for the fun. You find joy easily, and you are often building up anticipation for your next adventure. In relationships, you tend to want to be babied and taken care of. And while you may be a bit high maintenance, you are incredibly loyal. Your life is simple and satisfying. Each day you treat yourself to something you enjoy. You have a lot of emotional attachments, and experiences are extra vivid to you. You tend to be nostalgic and sentimental. The past is important to you. Comfortable around all living things, you have a special connection to animals and children. At your best, you are whimsical, free spirited, and creative. Even if your schemes seem a bit strange, they usually work out wonderfully. At your worst, you are spoiled, demanding, and impossible to satisfy. You've been known to act like a brat if you aren't getting your way!

What Carnival Ride Are You?

BC Is Also Short For "Brilliant Canine"

Betsy the brilliant

Border collies are one of my most favorite breeds of dogs. They're beautiful, loving, spirited and have a great work ethic - qualities I admire in dogs as well as people. However, what I like about the breed the most is their intelligence. They are truly the Einsteins of the canine universe. National Geographic thinks so too and put a border collie on the cover of this month's issue.

You can read the article here. Betsy's accomplishments are described on pages 4-5 of the article. She could probably go on "Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?" and make a decent showing.

Even though Chloe is a BC mix, she is very smart. She not only recognizes numerous words and phrases, but she also understands a lot of non-verbal signals. I've taught her to do 13 different tricks, all of which she learned in about 3-5 trials. I'm sure she could have learned more, but my imagination ran out of ideas. I can ask her to "show me Daddy" and she'll take me straight to Mr. C, or over to a window or door if he's outside. As much as I love dear little Abbie, it's not for her brain. She has a high IQ for bunny hunting and picking up scent-trails and finding the coziest spot in a room, but is just not the brightest light in the chandelier, if you know what I mean.

Abbie's smart enough to know how silly she looks

There is more of an intellectual connection with Chloe, in addition to our emotional bond. So I wasn't surprised to read that some BC's have the receptive language capacity of a 2-year old.

All of this brings me to an update on the lovely and talented Bonnie, one of the BC puppies we fostered last year.

April, 2007

Her parents invited us over this afternoon to visit and hang out. She remembered us right away and we had a little love fest right out in the driveway. After we went inside, she would go from person to person, sharing the love and little nibbles and licks. She is just adorable and very well loved and spoiled.




Not only that, but she is proving to be very smart as well. This couple has had 3 other herding dogs, including a BC, and they think she may be the smartest yet. She can do several tricks, including saying her grace on the footstool before getting her dinner.


Now, when she's hungry, she'll get into her "praying" position on the stool. She is also good at finding the treats that they hide around the house for her to find. She is learning agility commands really quickly and will probably end up in competition. They taught her to go out and bring in the paper in less than 1 week. She learned to ring some bells on the kitchen door when she wants to go out just by seeing another dog do it once. Forgive me if I'm bragging, but I am the proud foster mom to be sure.


As always, it's so good to see our sweet babies settled into wonderful homes where they are truly part of the family. We've put out word that we're ready for some more fosters - hopefully soon.

Spoiled Rotten, Again

Once again, I have had some good swap karma and received a great package for the Beat the Winter Doldrums Dishcloth swap. My upstream pal was Angela. Since yesterday was the first balmy, sunny day we've had since forever, I took the box out onto the porch so I could enjoy two good things at once.

A postcard from Angela's town of Portland, OR

Love the dishcloths!

I LOVE these stitch markers! And she made them!

I could smell the lavender before I opened the box - ummmm! There were 2 bars of heavenly scented Yardley's lavender soap (one for the shower and one for the undies drawer), some vanilla liquid scrubby soap (to help me shed my winter skin), vanilla lotion and vanilla body butter, also yummy. Some Bernat organic cotton yarn in a pretty shade of blue - very soft and nice, a really cute little mirror compact for my purse and some soft oatmeal raisin cookies (that are already gone!).

Thanks for a great package, Angela! I'm really looking forward to using everything you picked out - you did a wonderful job. No doldrums here!