DK the Nautical Knitter

Well, the day at the salon was loooong and stinky. The stylist cut my hair and then it was on to the perm. What a lovely way to spend an afternoon. I have had my hair permed many times in my life and the smell always makes me wonder why.

Here is the obligatory before shot:

And here are two of my better after perm shots:

I think it is way too curly right now! It will be great for the festival, because I have to put flowers in my hair, etc. But, after we get back home I may look into straightening it or re-perming it on larger rods. Tell me what you think….

Popularity: 2% [?]

My birthday is coming and I feel like dancing!  Could it be because my dear, sweet Mr. K got me a present early? 

Whoo hoo, Seven CD’s of Czech polka and waltz music.  He even bought me some lilies, too!  I am getting so excited about the festival!  Can you tell?

All that is left to do is find the flowers and ribbon for my hair "do" and have my hair cut and permed next Wednesday.  I will be sure to post photos of that adventure.  Oh ya, and try to find calf high black leather boots in spring.  I have been looking but there just aren’t any to be had around here…  Any suggestions?

Popularity: 5% [?]

Do you often find yourself annoyed distracted by other people or activities going on around you? Perhaps you would be interested in knitting up one of these. Upon closer inspection, it may be possible for this to double as a sweater when not in use as a privacy protector.

I think the one above would make me too hot, not to mention claustrophobic! I like the one below better. Although, I think I would have a problem not being able to see the keys. Additionally, it wouldn’t work for those who type with the hunt and peck method. Just say’n…

Popularity: 7% [?]

She is a beautiful, caring, and loving woman.  Never hesitating to try to help others, especially family.

The most cherished thing I ever received from her was her time.  She gives us her time and her energy, constantly and selflessly wanting us to succeed in any venture we attempted.  She is always there.

She loves the mountains and outdoors, especially the trees.  She loves cutting her own Christmas tree each year, cutting firewood, and picking mushrooms.

Georgia, is my mother.

Georgia has been undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments for an inoperable mass of malignant cancer cells on the wall of her brain.  She has been doing very well physically through these treatments and this past week was quite upbeat, as they were halfway completed.  She celebrated her 62nd birthday on the 28th of March, 2008.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008, Georgia was on her way to the hospital for her regularly scheduled radiation and chemotherapy treatment, just as she has been doing every weekday for the past three weeks.  Before leaving for the hospital she claimed that she did not know the man, my father, driving the car.  She could not recall what month it was, and was quite disoriented.  Upon arrival for her appointment, her health deteriorated rapidly, her blood pressure skyrocketed and she had a seizure for the first time in her life.  She was admitted to the hospital and a battery of tests commenced. 

Currently, Georgia is heavily sedated, stable, critical and in the ICU.  The outlook is not bright.  She may have any one of three types of meningitis, tuberculoses, or something they haven’t found yet.  This turn of events happened so fast that no one had time to think.  If there is ever a time to appreciate those around you, the time is now.  Please leave this post with a mission to tell at least one person you know how much they mean to you.  Thanks…

Popularity: 17% [?]

Here is a question for you. What do you do if you are in the thrift shop and you see a ridiculous deal on this?

Well, if you are me, you grab it fast!

Opportunity almost never knocks when you are ready to receive it. It is more like a neighbor, who, having something very exciting to show you, shows up when you are in your robe and slippers. Usually, to seize the opportunity when it comes you have to act very fast.

Mr. K and I have both wanted to learn how to play the guitar for a very long time. We were not actively searching for a guitar, but this one found us. We promptly left the shop with it, went down to the guitar shop and had it re-strung and tuned. Viola, a beautiful, sweet sounding guitar ready for playing.

My first lesson is scheduled for Tuesday, 2:30pm. Wish me luck…

Popularity: 13% [?]

In honor of Mr. Roger’s birthday (he would have been 80 today)  I am wearing my gray, tweed, cabled sweater today. Yes, it is store bought, but I don’t think Mr. Rogers wore hand made sweaters anyway. If you are not dressed yet, this lovely morning, won’t you join me in this memorial tribute and won’t you be my neighbor?

Popularity: 16% [?]

Although I take these quizzes quite frequently, I rarely publish my results.  In honor of my just having completed the Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass books, I thought I would post my results to this one.  Too funny!

Which Alice in Wonderland character are YOU? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Cheshire Cat You scored the Cheshire Cat! You are quite a cheerful sort although you can be very cheeky to others. You like to stir up trouble and confuse people with your nonsense talk, although you do give sound advice in the end.

Popularity: 17% [?]

"Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?"  Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry

I was informed this morning by a fellow blogger that I "Made her day".  Thanks Amanda for the awesome award!

Now it is my turn to give the award to others who make my day with their blogs…  I will be posting comments to your blogs, so look out!!

On the travel front, we will be leaving tomorrow for Dallas to spend about a week with my parents while my mother has surgery.  Hopefully the Secret of the Stole II KAL group will run smoothly by my remote control.  That is what laptops and iPhones are for anyway, right?

Popularity: 14% [?]

I have been gifted.  I was so excited yesterday when we picked up our mail and there was a package for me.  NOBODY, ever surprises me.  So, while I could not stop giggling, I opened the package and this is what was inside.

The contents included a package of needle holder springs that will hold my needles together when I put my project down to go make a cup of cocoa.  Of course, my Santa included a huge tin full of yummy hot chocolate mix and large coffee mug to make it in.  Then Santa read my mind, or perhaps my questionnaire, and included a wonderfully pumpkin scented candle to light while I use the bubble bath called “Calm One, Calm All”.

I am overwhelmed!  Thank you Secret Santa, whoever you are.  If you all don’t hear from me for a few days you know where I’ll be.

Popularity: 4% [?]

While I was sitting here eating the crust off my fish sticks for lunch, (ya, that is how I eat ‘em) it occurred to me that it is almost November and is time for NaNoWriMo to begin again. This made me start to think about whether I really wanted to try to enter and win this year, or if my entering again this year would only be an added stress agent and unattainable goal in my life that I would regret not being able to finish.

If you continue to follow me down this road, at a respectable distance, you will see where I eventually ended up. That is right, I found myself asking “Self, how many things do you really want to accomplish and realistically, how many will reach completion status?”.

Here is my answer, and it is quite simple really. I can do it all. No, really, the issue is not whether I can do what I want, the issue is what do I really want to do. This is a freeing concept if you actually look at it realistically. Let me explain. If I have a pattern that I am knitting and it is going slowly, periodically I have to look at that project and ask myself “Self, why are you working on this project? Do you still like the pattern, yarn, etc.? When you do finish it, are you really going to wear it/gift it?” By answering these questions I can figure out if I want to continue working on the project or not.

This sounds easier than it is in practice. Here is why. I think many of us, knitters and others, make things too hard on ourselves by thinking things like “I have already put so much time into this project, I must finish it” or ” I paid $$ for this yarn, and I have to use it”.

As far as the time goes, do you really want to spend more time on a project that is just not floating your boat? If you decide you don’t want to continue the investment of time any further in a project, here is an idea. Chalk the time already spent on said project as good time spent gaining experience in a particular technique, learning about a particular designer’s pattern presentation, or even as just a block of time that you were able to sit and knit. All of those are great ways to spend time. Then hold your breath, and frog it.

Money spent on patterns, yarn, and tools is another thing all together. I consider myself a collector. The patterns I buy, way more than I will ever have time to knit by the way, are sources of inspiration for me. I purchase them with the intent to make the project. However, once I have purchased a pattern, it is mine to do with as I wish. I can just set it on my shelf and never touch it again. I own it. Knowing this ahead of time, I try not to “waste” money on patterns that are just going to “sit there”, but if they do, that is ok. I buy patterns that appeal to me and thus add to my collection of available possibilities. I do not wake up at night hearing a little voice calling “You bought me, you should really make me….” Besides, that would be way too creepy.

I guess the moral of today’s post is YOU CAN DO IT ALL, it just really depends on what you consider “ALL” to be. This knitter will not be pushed around by self-imposed deadlines, over-priced luscious yarn purchases, creepy voices coming from the yarn closet, or patterns that spoke to me long ago. Life is too short and I want to enjoy the ride.

You will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration.

James Allen

I will be “participating” in NaNoWriMo this year, but I have no desire to win. The program is a very good one and if you like to write or are just curious, check them out. You can write about anything you like and who knows, this might be the project you choose to finish.

Good Luck

Popularity: 4% [?]