Category: Don’t you just love Tiffany’s?

Or, if you don't celebrate it, happy Spring to you!

Hope you have a delightful, renewing day.

I don't want to say it too loudly and jinx anything, but, wow! It was warm enough for me to hang a load of laundry outside. I put the deck chairs out and basked in the warmth as I wrote a letter.

Did you have a pen pal as a kid? I was thinking about mine today. Sarah Jane and I wrote letters from first grade until we reached our early twenties. I should look for her online. How fun would it be to check in with a former pen pal?

My grandmother in Ohio and I also exchanged letters. Hers were so great, full of Little House on the Prairie-like stories. The one that moves me the most, though, was written in response to my asking about her wedding day. I was just about to marry my first husband and had written her about my dress and other details. In her return letter she said I was the first one of her descendants to ever ask about her wedding. She was 16 when she married my grandfather, who was 18. He'd had his eye on her since she was about 12 or so. They went camping for their honeymoon and had a fish fry on their wedding night. That letter is a treasure.

I try to engage my far-flung relatives in letter writing now and again, and although many of the kids like to receive mail, none has a penchant for letter writing. It's a little sad, but maybe that will change.

How do you feel about writing letters? To whom do you write?

A woman got a box that was as magical as she could wish.  Layer upon layer of mystery hid the object of her desire, and aren't all good stories about desire?

That's how the tale of my new Kindle 2 would start.  I had a moment of sadness this afternoon as I saw the UPS truck pull away from my neighbor's house and scurry down the road.  "Drat," I said.  "He messed up again."  Our address is on one street, and our drive is on another, so it happens a lot. I get little notes in the mail that UPS tried to deliver, but couldn't find me.  Just as I dialed the distributor, the mutts went into a barking frenzy, and I knew it was here.  Sure enough, shivering in the cold on the stoop, lay my Kindle. 

The packaging just builds the excitement.  I ordered this originally on December 6.  On my birthday, Amazon made the big announcement that v.2 was on its way, and I tried to wait patiently.  The hype, as far as I'm concerned, is totally worthwhile, just like Shannenabler said it would be when she convinced me to order one lo those many weeks ago.

I haven't had much time with it, but I can say that the text is a breeze to read (and I have sad ol' eyes).  It's easy to download material, and easy to navigate it.  I love being able to look up words and make notes as I read.  I'm not crazy about the keyboard, but I don't have a cell phone and am not a texter, so I'm not used to small keys…I'm sure I'll get used to them.  I'm a little afraid of scratching it at this point, but the cover I ordered will be here soon.  I wish it came with at least a temporary cover to hold me over…I won't be taking this outside of the house until the cover arrives.

Can't wait to really curl up with my new reader!

Get a load of this Inauguration Speech word cloud.

Excitement.  Relief. Joy. Renewal*.  Just some of the feelings in my heart as I choked back tears of happiness. 

It's time for responsibility now.  Are you ready to "…pick [yourself] up, dust [yourself] off…" and help to change the U.S.?  There are so many ways, big and small, to do so: strive to live a greener life; volunteer at a literacy organization; raise money for MS research.  At least, those are the ways I plan to respond to President Obama's call to "…seize gladly…" my responsibility to the world.  I'm ready to help my nation to "…set aside childish things…" and to do so in my own life. 

There are cynics everywhere who find it easier to naysay and point out what might be wrong in the world.  I'm tired of pointing fingers, though, and to the cynics, I say, let's look at what can be right in the world.  Instead of adding to the wrong, let's add to the right.

I'm energized by having a sense of direction from my new President, a direction in which I can believe.  Do you feel a desire to respond to President Obama's challenge?  How do you plan to do so?

*And dayum if he didn't look good today!  And Michelle's dress!  And the girls–coordinated, graceful, adorable! 

It’s nearly 11 p.m.  The race is nearly over.  I’m so hopeful and buoyed right now.

Voting today was one of the best experiences of my life.  Each year since I moved to CT, Neal and I have gone together to vote.  We didn’t have to wait on line (probably because I brought plenty to do on line).  I studied the ballot for a few minutes and carefully colored in the circles.  I teared up as I filled in the circle for Obama/Biden.  As we walked out the door after depositing our ballots, I broke into tears. 

I can’t believe that there is finally a chance for hope, for change, for pride after so long.  Cynicism has reigned for years, but if CNN is right, then I believe we’re in for a new era of unification and renewal. 

God bless America.

Where to vote?  If you’re not sure, follow this link and plug in your address to find your polling place.  Spread the word, too, willya?

Socks that Rock line.

All-natural dyed yarn at the Long Ridge Farm booth.

The loot.

Fiber and a dye kit from Long Ridge Farm; shawl kit and yarn for mitts from Orchard House Knits, vintage millinery trims, and amazing hooked bag from Bower Bird Studio.  Lambikins approves of the loot.

A moment with my girlie.  She told me Superboy was asking if she’d seen me yet, which melted my heart!

Generous lady that she is, she gifted me a camo GoKnit Green bag, which was perfect for carrying the loot!

I was able to meet a slew of cool people, and I can’t remember everyone, but they included Jess, Mary-Heather, Stephen, and Sean.  I also saw Elise with her amazing hair with Melanie, also of amazing hair.

Blogless Sara had to be back for her daughter’s homecoming dance, but we still managed to hit all the barns–we skipped the animals and didn’t dawdle at the meet up.

We arrived home to find that Neal had jazzed up our front door with a brand new color scheme. 

Back to reality, but at least I have souvenirs!   

Today I undertook a quest that ended quickly and happily: I shopped for new boots.  I have dress boots and a pair of ass-kickers, but I wanted something warm, waterproof, and a little bit wonderful for the upcoming cold weather.  I do a lot of schlepping around campus, and some days I can’t bear to do it with a few extra inches propping me up.

I tried on contenders, but none did the trick, too big around the ankles, too big around my calves.  Last stop, Nordstroms.

And here’s what caught my eye:

I know.  Uggs are so not me.  I like a narrow toe or a chunky platform.  I’ve turned my nose up at Uggs over and over.  As we walked by the display, I commented to Neal, "these are just a little bit fabulous."  He didn’t quite agree, saying they were a bit hippy for my usual taste.

I tried them on anyway. People, my feet have never been so comfortable without being bare.

I may never take them off. 

Earlier in the week I sewed this little red and blue bird to send out to a friend from the Ravelry Handmade Pincushion swap group–the friendliest group on Rav!  I’m getting better and better at sewing these birds, and I plan to stop swapping them soon and start making some for my own mobile.

Lacking any transitions, let me cut to what’s on the minds of most fiber lovers:  NY Sheep and Wool, a.k.a. Rhinebeck.  I’ll be there with Blogless Sara (and perhaps Soon-to-be-Blogless-No-More Spring) on Saturday.  If you see me, say hi!  I love the Blogger meet up and can’t wait to see my girl Scout and the ever-fabulous Concateknit.  Will you be there?  Do you miss Blogger Bingo a little, or did I miss the call?

I just checked the weather for Saturday, and it’s going to be cloudy and in the mid-50s: perfect sweater weather!  I won’t be on a quest for anything particular this year, and unless some cashmere roving jumps into my arms, I’m not buying fiber.  Really.  I mean it.

What aren’t you getting there? We all know resistance is futile once you step through the gates of the fairgrounds.  So, I’ll be honest in my questioning…what can’t you wait to get your mitts on?

We’ve been through a lot, Black Beauty and me.  Clocked a lot of miles, tackled innumerable steep climbs, raised hundreds of dollars for charities.  She was my first bike, all my own, and she never let me down.

After 16 years, though, I bought Trixie last year.  We’ve spent the summer getting comfortable with each other while Black Beauty languished in the basement.

When I saw a Freecycle shout out for a bike for a Hungarian scholarship student at one of the local private schools, "a tall boy who loves to bike," I knew that Black Beauty needed to move on to a new owner, a new home. 

Today I said goodbye to her.  I told her name to the sweet adviser who’d been on the lookout for this boy.  I told her I wished him great joy on my old friend.  I’m surprised by the ache in my heart.  I’m happy for Beauty; she deserves to be on the streets with the wind in her spokes, a young man far from home enjoying her. 

You never forget your first, though.  Never.

Viszlat, my dear.