okay

Okay, the contest question was a little hard but the answer does exist here in the blog. It doesn't matter though because I made it easier, I changed it in the orginal post so scroll on down.

That contest I have been talking about

I taught everyday this week, it's great that I am working but it takes away from my blog time...

Just a short post to tell you that I am having a contest! Hopefully all you quiet lurkers will particpate as well as all those people that I have come to know as friends. I can't believe that I have been blogging for almost 2 years, amazing how time flies.

Please email me the answer to the following question , replace the brackets withthe correct symbols - bagknitter (at) yahoo (dot) ca

**Edited to change question** because I think the last one was to hard!
What country did I live in when I started my blog?

No hints on this one as it is much easier.

There will be 2 prizes, one for the 1st person who responds correctly and second one drawn from the remaining correct answers. Prizes, a envelope full of knititng realted treats and goodies - I am not sure what exactly will be in them but it will be good

Contest closes one week from today on May 7th. Good Luck

Random ramblings

I had said that I would post after Easter and fill you in but to really do that requires pictures and that would have meant getting my camera out of the car this morning and taking them. I didn't, so I can't really fill you in properly but I'll do my best in a no pic kinda way

* The shawl is coming along, I am about 2/3rds of the way through, 5 or so more repeats.

* I am quilting a pillow for my nephew to carry in the wedding, it's got a butterfly on it. It's my first quilting attempt and I think that I am doing a pretty good job. It's basted together and I just need to actually sew and then design some funky quilting for the wings.

* I decided today to add thank you cards to the list of things that I am making myself, they are so much nicer that way.

* I also decided today that things like taxes can wait until after the wedding! They really won't care one way or another when they have to send me my refund, it's not like I owe them money.

* I have gotten a lot of the the little errandy things done like gifts for the bridal party, toys and games to keep the little kids busy during the reception,

* We picked up the rings today, I love them but mine is tooooo small. I am hoping that it is because of the ugly peeling swollen hand (a result of last weeks scalding, don't argue with boiling water, you will lose) that it doesn't fit and once it looks normal again ( my hand) the ring will fit as well. We had them made from rings we already had, we melted them and put them together to make 2 new ones. It was a good way to keep that which is precious to us both and always be able to wear them.

* I found out yesterday that one of my favorite people in the world is coming to the wedding and I must say I am soooooo excited to see her, it has been at least 3 years since we saw one another.

* I have also been spinning some great roving that I got in San Francisco, it needs pictures to do it justice.

* The bulbs that I planted last fall are up, not in the order I thought they would come up but I am not complaining, I think the tulips will bloom before the snowdrops at this rate though. These too need pictures to really see what is happening as does the all the painting that I have been doing in the house. The house is happening, slowly but surely


and last but definitely not least tomorrow is my Mom's birthday and since I am at the cafe now and they have high speed she gets her Happy Birthday a day early



Happy Birthday Mom, a woman who is single handedly outfitting myself and the rest of my wedding party in custom made outfits, who always candy in her purse for a crying kid ( yes my mother gave me candy when I was sad and I turned out just fine!), who puts up with my constant worrying and hasn't disowned me yet, who encourages me to spread my wings and fly even if it means that she won't see me as often because flying takes me far away from home, who is a great woman and great mom. I love you and hope you have an amazing day.

Blogger is about to go down, I gotta go!

I loves me a contest!

Kat is having a contest and I just had to enter!

List 5 places that you have knit other than home or a knitting store.

1. On a 2 day boat trip down the Mekong river in Laos
2. On a 26 (straight) hour bus ride in Vietnam
3. The subway in Seoul, South Korea - I got lots of strange looks here
4. At Cabbages and Condoms in Bangkok and on the night train from Bangkok to Chaing Mai - it's a toss up both are good ones
5. In Rhinebeck NY at the Marriott Hotel with Tara, Cate, Sara and Jo

Edit - I just came back and added in the links, now you can see the pictures of me knitting in some of those places, I don't have one in Seoul or onthe bus but you'll just have to trust me.

Happy Easter

When it rains it pours in my world! I have become super busy with teaching work which is great but takes away from blogging/knitting/wedding prep/painting time and thus I am trying to shove everyiting that needs to get finished into some very busy weekends! It will all get done, it always does. The next week looks calmer, so I'll be back to fill you in on the last 2 weeks some time after Monday.

Aside from being busy I had a fight with a pot of boiling water this week, the pot won and I have a very sore and very burnt right hand which makes typing a little challenging. It's slowly healing and hopefully will be back to normal in the next day or two.

Have a good weekend everyone.

If your squeamish or a vegetarian you might not want to read this one.

Dear Resident wolves and coyotes of Conc. 2A

This is your neighbour, the one from the farm with the vast woods and fields which you seem to love so much. I have a request, a small request really and if you could do your best to try to fulfill it I would really appreciate it. I am aware that there is a cycle to life and that you being carnivorous depend upon other species of animals to provide you with your next meal. I love that you hunt at night and usually do so deep in the woods so that I am not a witness, you are usually very efficient and don't leave a trace of your activities.

Today I encountered a small problem, as I was walking the dogs this afternoon I discovered that you have not been so good at cleaning up after yourselves lately. Could you please refrain from leaving anything in the fields which my dogs may find appealing. Please remove all evidence of your evening activities and deposit them deep in the woods where we never tread and where the dogs can not sniff anything out

I appreciate your consideration in this matter and trust that you will do your best in order that we maintain a peaceful co-existence.

Yours Truly
Ms. J and her dogs

shhhh, don't tell

I should be painting, shuffling junk, umm I mean boxes, vacuming and or cleaning the kitchen. See I have heaps of useful things that I could be doing today. But, I would rather read blogs ( glad to see that everyone is alive and well) and generally waste time. I mean I am wearing my painting clothes, I have paint on my hands and the paint can is open with the brush laying across the top... waiting for me. Do I want to paint the rest of the kitchen, no I don't. I mean it is only primer and I am still going to have to paint it and actual colour at some point. I want to waste my afternoon doing nothing productive in preperation for my evening out, alone. Yes I am alone this weekend. P is in Montreal packing up his mother's house, it's a long story and that I won't go into. Let it be said that Quebec law regardingthe probating of will's is a pain!

So, because P is not here I can sit and play online all day and not have anyone else need the computer, why would I want to continue painting. Life is good and painting can happen anytime but awhole afternoon othe computer, a rare occasion that I believe I should cherish and remember fondly as it may never happen again.

Aside from painting the kitchen life is good. Wedding plans are coming together. P is almost finished school and I have some days as a supply teacher booked over the next few weeks... hopefully it will lead to a job for the fall. I can't imagine how great life would be if both of us managed to have jobs at the same time - then we could pay someone to paint and vacum and I would not feel like I had to so it on Saturday.

My catholic guilt is kicking in, I am off to paint.