The Silver Lining

Well, perhaps it's more of a fuzzy wool lining. To my cloud of plague, I mean.

I've been feeling pretty lousy for several weeks, but today I decided I didn't even care if my eyes were dry and felt like sandpaper. I wanted to knit something.

So I knit the "Spiral Hat." I'm sure there is a pattern out there in the knitting universe to make such a hat - but I decided to make it up myself.

I based it on Crazy Aunt Purl's "easy roll-brim hat recipe" and added the purled spiral pattern. I haven't quite figured out how to write up, but when I do, I'll post it here. This is pretty much my first unique creation and I am pleased!

I'd like to thank the girl on the bus this winter who wore a hat with a similar pattern. I stared at her hat for so many weeks, I'm surprised she didn't take a restraining order against me. I guess a normal person would have asked her about her hat. But I've never claimed to be normal.

Spiral Hat

Genius!

There's nothing like learning a new trick to bright up your day.

I successfully took glare off of Peter's glasses in this photo from Hearth's 2008 annual meeting (photo credit: Jennifer Buchwald - thanks!)

I did it using Photoshop (from Adobe Creative Suite 3) and guidance from this handy article.

And thus I give you:

 

Before

After

Tiger Beat Centerfold

Did you hear?!? The official portrait of President Obama has been released today!!!

OMG!!!

It's utterly ridiculous, but every time I see Obama looking presidential, I get all giddy.

I know there will be disappointments. It won't be all rainbows and unicorns with Obama in the White House.

But still ....

Isn't he a dreamy President?

Merry Christmas!

Cuter Than a Bug's Ear

Have you ever seen anything so precious?

It's a baby armadillo! For more ubercute baby zoo animals, visit Boston.com.

Garden Fun and Fun with Camera

It became unexpectedly sunny on Saturday afternoon, and I rushed to my garden plot to take advantage of it. I forgot to take the before shot, but after a couple hours of weed pulling, path renovation, chive-reduction (I swear chives are the flora equivalent to roaches ... they will outlast all other forms of life!), and compost hauling, my plot looked like the photo on the left. Just look at that lovely dark composty-soil!

But will all my desired veggies fit? Who knows? I planted seeds yesterday in my little "greenhouse" starter kit (a plastic box with a plastic cover). I started 25 little peat pods. (They're so neat. They come all flat and round, and you add a bit of warm water, and - poof! - they swell up into little peaty incubators for seeds.)

What did I plant? The acorn squash, carrots, cukes, sweet basil, yellow summer squash, and spinach I mentioned in my last post, along with some Armenian cukes, parsley, yellow pear tomatoes, bell pepper mix, and a second kind of basil.

Yes, that's a lot of stuff. But how many of those little seeds will make it into the big, bad world filled with mold, bugs, cats, and my own inattention? Time will tell.

There was ample proof of spring in the garden, notably crocuses:

our garden's "famous" red and yellow tulips (of course the flowers aren't there yet):

and the beginnings of another possible monster rhubarb:

Ah ... work

Everything I need for a productive day is close at hand ....

I am a Photography Genius!

My 2008 calendar finally arrived. I feel like I've been waiting forever! And just as I began to despair of the US Postal Service, voila - one, custom-made calendar.

Although Shutterfly deserves credit for its choices of page layouts and backgrounds, it's my photography - and knack for photo pairings and placements - that make my calendar fabulous.

I was so pleased with my calendar that I showed-and-telled it to everyone I could find. You can see it here.

I'm also in a good mood because I've made progress on the dreaded newsletter ("making Jenny miserable twice a year since 2005") and helped create 3 press releases and one letter to the editor (we know a guy who knows a guy at the Globe).

Awwwww

I received the call from Mom on Wednesday, announcing the arrival of the newest member of the Zanotelli clan.

Allow me to present my littlest cousin, Master Caleb Anderson Moessner:

From Caleb Anderso...

Let us all say it together: awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

Meet Jack

This is Jack. Jack O'Lantern. He's Irish.

It's Alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, I didn't exactly create life with my knitting needles, but she is by far the cutest thing I've ever made.

Blog on a Stick!

My projects at work are rolling on as smoothly as possible ... August is notoriously difficult. Everyone's on vacation (except me, that is).

Having a little time this afternoon, I have finally uploaded photos from Milwaukee and the State Fair.

First, the guests of honor:


Now ..... the Fair:

Cheese on a stick!


Cheesecake on a stick!


Deep fried everything.

And, of course, animals ....

Moooooooooooo!

Here fishy, fishy, fishy .....

I woke up voluntarily at 4:30 Sunday morning to go fishing with Jon and his dad. I had so much fun. I had never been fishing on the ocean in a boat before. Although we were barely in the ocean - more like the mouth of the Merrimack River. But was salt water and we were catching proper ocean fish - blue fish. They're not really that blue .... but they are lots of fun to catch.

And big. Much bigger than the perch and blue gills I'd caugh as a kid.

Ta da! Take a look at that. Took a long time to reel him in. Boy oh boy it was fun. Totally worth it to get up ridiculously early in the morning.

I want to go again!

For Your Ponderment

Because it's Monday and Mondays are hard enough without any attempted deep thoughts by me, I present you simply with this photo from the Wax Museum in Salem, MA (it's not worth it, by the way. Your $6 is better spent elsewhere ... it wasn't cheesy, just rather lame).

But then again .... maybe it was.

I'll leave you to judge:


I think an emergency plan needs to be formed in case facial hair like this ever tries to come back in fashion. We all need to be prepared!

Home Sweet Home!

Movers are awesome. Everyone should use them. It would have taken us all day to move (at least!). With three guys and truck (shout out to Michael's Movers), it took about 4 hours. They were gone before noon. It was amazing. I couldn't help but feel slightly guilty as they marched back in forth from truck to apartment ... but I got over it.

Here's a slideshow of my new place (still in progress, of course):

Didn't Ask ...

... But Do Tell!

CNN.com posted at 10:30 am this morning that U.S. military officer, Marine Gen. Peter Pace won't apologize for his statement that homosexuality is immoral (his reason for supporting the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy).

I don't think he should apologize;It wouldn't be sincere. What good would empty words mean to anyone? I assume that the gay population would know he didn't mean in it. As much as I think he's a prick, I almost respect the guy for not caving in (yet) to the pressure.

What he should apologize for is his dreadful toupee.

I Have Persevered!

It is day 3 of me feeling better!

HA HA! Take that, gelatinous mass. I have vanquished thee!

You are no more, pulsating, multi-colored goo.

I win.

(Never fear, I have not yet disbanded my troops. The horrid creature feigned retreat once before and nearly slayed me. I shall keep a block of my finest assassins on hand, just in case.)

Meanwhile ... it's a gorgeous day and I shall walk home! I shall smile and breathe through my nose (ahhhh, the sweet, sweet smell of rush hour car exhaust).

Glad tidings to you all!

What ensured this day would be extra fine?

A bat, of course, sleeping in the Stonybrook T station.

A Few of My Favorite Things

(Ha! You will all now have songs from The Sound of Music in your head. Ha! Ha!)

Things I love:
Jane Eyre on Masterpiece Theater. I can't remember if I'm quoting The Dig or Entertainment Weekly, but: Mr. Rochester is the new Mr. Darcy.

The new Shins album: Wincing the Night Away

Everything on BBC Radio4.

It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis. (Birthday present from Jon)

My new scarf! It's scarf-erific!

From Knitting Proj...

(Yes, this ismy excuse for not listening/watching the State of the Union (SOTU). I'm going to read the text. Really, I am. That's way more palatable than seeing or hearing Bush. Besides, haven't the pundits already told me what to think? Even before the SOTU happened? I'm not sure what's worse: politics or the media.)

Uh Oh, Jen's in Charge

I have been busier than a mouse in a maze full of cheese lately. "Annual World" at work is over, thank goodness, but more craziness has reared it's three-eyed horned head.

Our new President is quickly moving forward, brainstorming up new ways to raise funds and expand our organization. It's very exciting, but it means there will not be the usual winter slow down (that snow-covered time -- can time be covered? -- when I breathe and clean my office ... I guess my office is just going to stay a disaster area for the time being).

In addition - and most importantly - we're getting the new residence ready for residents. I have been spending most of my time since Friday (day after Thanksgiving) at the house, cleaning, repairing, painting, and most importantly, ordering around volunteers.

I love being in charge. Makes it hard to go back to the office and have people telling me what to do. (Jenny, make copies. Jenny, I have an unreasonable request and I need it fulfilled now!).

OK, so it's not that bad. But it is a difficult transition.

I like telling people what to do!

Oh, and in case I forgot to mention this in an earlier post: I now have a Picasa Web Album site. So go and admire my awe-inspiring photography. And my socks.

Photos

I am slowly uploading photos onto my Picasa web albums page.

Go check 'em out!

From DeCordova Photos