Camping Pics

I Am a Happy But Wet Camper

Just returned from a 4 day camping trip in Cook Forest. I don't have the time to post pics tonight I will try to get to it tomorrow. What did I do for 4 days in the woods with only my dog? I read and read and read and read. I could not stop reading. I finished The Other Boleyn Girl. I read most of a book about creating WEB sites. I started The Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd which I absolutely love and can't wait to finish. I started Virginia Woolfe's book The Voyage Out. I learned HTML and hope to make improvements to my blog in the near future. I was so relaxed this week. Now I am back and have to face reality. Not that what I experienced this week in the woods was not reality it just was not the typical reality for me. Monday I start a new job. Need I say more about anxiety? I did not think once about that while camping. Only on the drive home did I start to think about it. I hope I am brave enough to say more about the Sue Monk Kidd book I am reading. Yes. I did do some knitting this week while it was dry and dusty but not muddy yet. Once it rained and got muddy the yarn went away. I will soon need to learn the I-cord bind off on my current project. I started a new project before I left on my trip....I am Branching Out again, only this time with Lace weight yarn. this is a little challenging. Enough for now....

Posting a pic of self for my profile

I Am a Happy Camper

I went camping from Tuesday through late Thursday night. Molly and I had a wonderful time. I loaded up and set up camp in 90+ degree heat on Tuesday afternoon. Good thing I don't mind the heat. It was so hot I did not even consider having a fire that night. It cooled down overnight, as the weather forecaster on the radio said "A cold front is moving in on Wed." It cooled down quite a bit on Wed. and Thurs. There were a couple of thunderstorms Wed. afternoon but nothing that ruined a camping trip. Thursday was beautiful. Sunny and cool in the shade. I started knitting the satchel pictured below...it was a good color it did not show the dirt it picked up from the dusty campsite and molly's paws. It does contain quite a bit of Molly's fur. I hope my friend is not allergic to dogs. I read the book The Other Boleyn Girl also pictured below. A totally enjoyable read. I read the paper and took walks with Molly around the campground. I ate a little. Nothing fancy like I usually do. I just did not feel like cooking. I woke Thursday morning feeling such a peace and happiness that I kept telling Molly how happy I was. It was remarkable. Nature definitely soothes my soul. I will try to go back as much a possible before winter comes. It does my soul good.

Current Stuff

This is a close up of the stitch. See entry below for more detail.

I knit this too pretty to be a dishcloth out of Creative Knitting magazine. I learned to carry a yarn up the side. I switched colors every other row. I'll take another pic to zoom in on the pattern. This pic does not do justice to the stitch.





I am knitting a felted satchel for someone who is moving out of state soon. I hope she likes the colors. It is hard to knit for other people.







I am reading this fabulous book The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillippa Gregory. It is a fast read and absolutely enjoyable. All 660 pages.

Sophie & Angel Pics

This is Sophie relaxing in Molly's crate.
Angel relaxing in the living room.

Reading Diary

Khaled Hosseini author of The Kite Runner did a splendid job in A Thousand Splendid Suns that depicts life for women in Afghanistan. A heavy book. Not to be read if you are in a down mood.









My Current read is The Devil in the White City about the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893 and a serial killer who preyed on vulnerable young women visiting the city alone. Again, Not a light read. Though very interesting, especially for me for I once lived in Chicago.

More Knitting

I turned the heel on Jennifer's first sock and worked the gusset. All I need to do is knit the foot and then decrease for the toe.







This is my fourth Chemo Cap. My first goal is 45 caps set facetiously by Vivian at Knit One.







I bought 12 oz. of Bernat UltraSoft Cotton for less than $4.00 to make many more chemo caps.

More Knitting Today

I knitted at Knit One this afternoon. Had a great time. It is a great gathering place for knitters of all ages and abilities. I am lusting after some silk alchemy yarn which I want to knit a scarf out of. Maybe next month. I am thinking about knitting a shawl....but I don't know who would wear it. Definitely not me. My mom and sister don't seem like shawl type of ladies. So maybe I won't knit a shawl. Everyone wants me to knit a vest. I am looking for the right pattern. I have yarn. Today I worked on a chemo cap and I knit the heel flap for Jennifer's first sock.

I'm Addicted to Chemo Caps

I am on my fourth Chemo Cap. I cannot put them down. I went to Knit One's Inventory Sale and bought a little yarn. Not much, but enough to have fun with. I love quality yarn at affordable prices. Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the afternoon knitting group at Knit One. I love knitting with these ladies. They are fun and make me feel welcomed. I like the charity aspect of the group. I like helping others.

I finished A Thousand Splendid Suns tonight. A heavy book, but life is heavy sometimes. It depicts life for women living in Afghanistan during the 1990's up to 2003. Life was not very pretty for women much of that time. We have a lot to be grateful for in America. Life is not what I wish it was, but relative to what life is like in other countries, we have it pretty good. Next I am starting Devil In the White City for a book group at the Cranberry Library. It is a heavy book also. Non-fiction. I am into heavy books. Life is heavy. I would like to start a new book group if anyone is interested. I want to read Pulitzer Prize winning books. Not just novels. Memoirs. Anything and Everything. If any one is interested please post a comment.

New Family Member

This is Angel. Notice Sophie's leg coming under the door.

I'm Knitting Again

I knit with the ladies at Knit One in Squirrel Hill Tuesday and I started this Chemo Cap, which I finished this afternoon. It is my first cap I've knitted. It was knittted on circular needles.





I also worked on Jennifer's sock. The pattern is from Sensational Knitted Socks, the braided cable pattern.

Favorite Pics

Sophie playing on the baby blanket













View from Mt. Washington in October Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Notice the pink water in the fountain.

Update

I am currently reading Anna Karenina by Tolstoy and loving it. I need to put it down for a few days to read Oliver Twist by Dickens, the B&N Classics Book Group for Febuary. What a difference in writing styles. It is interesting to know that Tolstoy highly respected and admired Dickens and writings. He even mentions Dickens in Anna Karenina.

I started knitting a pair of socks for a special friend who lives in Chicago. I'm going to knit a braided cable pattern. I don't know when I will get around to knitting a vest or a sweater, I have two pairs of socks I want to knit for friend and relative first. It is not procrastination. It's called giving to those who have given to me.

Today was our first unofficial day of Winter complete with temperatures below freezing and snow flurries all day. Very little accumulation though.

Life is good at Glade Run. I was totally miserable my first 4 months I spent in the cottages due to stress and anxiety. I bottomed out personally in December and gave two weeks notice. A week later as my level of stress decreased and my true hearts desire increased back up to the surface of my being, I contacted HR and let them I very much wanted to stay at Glade Run. They welcomed me back and have treated me very well. I am glad I made the decision to stay. I need to work on keeping my stress level reduced. Since my shift on Christmas Eve...that was the pivotal night for me, when I saw clearly that helping these hurting kids is what I want to do with my life.....I have not been miserable anymore. I've been enjoying my work. Yes, I still get stressed out, but it is not a day of stress added on top of another day of stress added on top of another day of stress.... I get stressed out. I talk and cry with a friend. I soak in the tub. I relax and read. I spend the day with a friend visiting a museum and going out to eat. I'm getting breaks from my stress and relief from my stress.

I'm Back

The baby blanket is finished and gifted to my manager at Barnes & Noble and brand new mom.









The Branching Out Scarf has been blocked and gifted to my mom for Christmas.










Beloved Rosie Died of Cancer last month. We all miss her very much.

Way

The WEB is too accessible

A co-worker googled "Glade Run" and found my blog. This is scary. I don't mind the co-worker finding my blog, I just would not a client to find my blog due to confidentiality and boundary issues.

Kitty Pi bed

Rosie is faithfully using her kitty pi bed but every time I grab my camera she runs away.

Camping Pics

Mountain Man carved in a dead tree on way to campground in Cook Forest State Park.













Molly sitting in my chair in front of our tent.










Precious should be her middle name.

Sorry no pics yet

The Branching Out scarf has stopped branching out. I only have to knit the last few rows of garter stitch and block it and it will be finished. I did 36 repeats each taking 30 minutes not including the repeats I ripped out and reknitted. Yes, I will be Branching Out again with Lace Weight this time.

My current project is a Baby Blanket for a manager at B&N. I am making slow progess on it.

I made a commitment to Connie the other day to knit a vest this fall. She said sweater but I will start with a vest then graduate to a sweater.

Glade Run Lutheran Services is a faith-based non-profit organization that I am proud to be a part of. I started my training last Monday. The more I learn about the organization the more I am glad I decided to work there. I am eager to start the actual hands on work. The training is very thorough and extensive.

Check out my next post for a pic of a tree in Cook Forest State Park.

Job Update

Author J. A. Konrath from Chicago stopped in the store today to sign books. I chatted with him a while and he gave me a free autographed hardcover copy of his new book Rusty Nail. I am eager to read it.


I am 800 pages into the 1,000+ page Gone With The Wind. I am enjoying it. It portrays the south right before the Civil War started, through the Civil War and the post-civil war period. There is a lot of bigotry and prejudice in the novel. It has been criticized for romanticizing the relationship between slave and master. Mitchell is a wonderful storyteller and keeps you turning page after page. It is a great summer read.



The Big News is I have a new full time job I start July 31st. I will be a Mental Health Worker at Glade Run Lutheran Services here in Zelienople. Glade Run has a residential treatment facility for kids in foster care. I plan to keep my Barnes & Noble job as well but cut back on the hours.

Knitting Update

I have three repeats to knit before the Branching Out will be finished. Mom is eager for the project to be completed. She loves the scarf. I know many people dislike the pattern, but I like the finished product and don't mind the pattern, so I am thinking about knitting another one with lace weight yarn I bought in Salem, Ohio on the 4th of July with Nora and Connie when we went to visit Ember.



I started a new project. A Baby Blanket for a manager at Barnes & Noble. I had to rip it out twice before I got the pattern correct. Now I use a lifeline every once in a while.

Camping Again in Cook Forest

Molly and I were camping again in Cook Forest last Wednesday through Friday. It sprinkled for a hour half Wednesday and Thursday nights. Not enough to ruin the trip. Molly and I did not do much. We just lazed around. I do a lot of thinking while camping. I am a thinker. My best friend in high school always called me the Thinker. We went for a Bisson Burger off the main road but found a closed up shack. I like trying new and different foods. Bisson were in the field grazing. I do not have my next camping trip planned yet. I will need to ask off work for three days in a row and in the middle of the week as to avoid the weekend crowd. If you have a favorite camping area and campground that is dog-friendly please let me know. I am new to PA and don't know where else to go camping. I like rustic, secluded campsites.

Life Overview

Saturday I saw a great documentary at The Manor Theater in Squirrel Hill called WordPlay. It was about Will Shortz the New York Times Crossword puzzle editor and the Annual Crossword Puzzle tournament held in Stamford, CT. Afterwords you felt like running out and buying The NYTimes to work the crossword puzzle. Which I did not do, but I did work a few Sudoku puzzles in my Will Shortz's Sudoku book.

My knitting goal is to finish the Branching Out Scarf. Mom will be thrilled. She tells everyone about it. She thinks it is so pretty. I do not think it is a difficult pattern, but sometimes I forget to do a YO and then my stitch count is off and hence the pattern and I have to rip out. I experience a fair amount of anxiety while working on the project because I am afraid I am going to make a mistake. I will be glad when the scarf is done. I will feel a great deal of accomplishment.

I am a little over a third of the way through Gone With The Wind. I am enjoying it. Scarlet and Rhett are two of a kind. Their interactions are entertaining. I'm going to have to put it down for a little while to read my Classic's Book Group book for this month A Separate Peace by John Knowles.

Life Update

I knit with the Z-Knitters at Beechers last night. Ember, Yvonne, Nora and Connie were present. It took me 2.5 hours to do a 30 minute repeat of the branching out scarf. Oh, well. At least I got one repeat done. It's progress, not perfection. Sound familiar to anyone? My only other UFO is a pair of socks I am knitting with yarn my Pittsburgh secret pal Jillz gave me. I do have a vest started but I think I will frog the thing and try a different pattern. I am not pleased with how it is turning out. I may have some "new" stash thanks to Nora. I want to start some Christmas Gifts. I can't say what or for whom because they read my blog so I hope I "win" some of Nora's yarn. Her stash fits my budget and like her Past taste in colors: blues. One project will be for myself, the other will be a gift. I hope to pleasantly surprise quite a few friends and family this Christmas. After I finish the Branching Out scarf, which will only take a few more hours, I will start Christmas Gifts. I am starting early as to budget my time and my money.

I am reading a great southern classic: Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell. I am 280 pages into the 1000+ page book. I am enjoying it. However, I think the relationship between the slaves and the masters is romaniticized and not realistic. Other than that I am enjoying it. My next summer read will Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.

Happy Reading and Happy Knitting!!!

My First Felted Project

No, you do not see a cat laying in this cat bed. Nor a dog. Maybe I will rub some catnip inside it.









The felted cat bed stretched over a large flowerpot.










The pre-felted cat bed.

More Camping pics

Camping in Cook Forest