How will I ever manage?

Hey Babies- It looks like this here summer is pretty well done-so this is Bear, stretching as much sunshine into my day. Yup, pretty soon, all my people(my staff) will be going back to work and school. I will have to learn to be an independent doggie again-no people to cater to my every whim and wish.
How will I ever manage?????????
Bear

PS (from Deb)- To Carrie and Diane- I haven't sent your gifties yet- having a hard time narrowing it down- I will email when they are on the way!

PPS (also from Deb)- There are still a couple of spaces in the Lace Knitting workshop I am giving on October 4th at WoolTyme. Go and sign in before it is full!

A funny

We were at the soccer game last week, and, of course, had to bring the bear along. Sitting next to us was a little boy (maybe 2 years old) and his parents. He pointed to the dog and said ,"Puppy?" I said ,"Yes. His name is Bear." The little guy got this sort of scared look on his face and grabbed his dad's hand and said, "Dat's a bear?" So, of course, his dad decided to be funny and commented on polar bears and such. Then the little guy gets way confused and comes over to Bear and quietly asked if he wants to be cold.
Kind of cute.
I have been knitting (honest!) but don't really have much to show for it. I can't seem to keep my interest on just one thing lately, and it shows up in things like my knitting, and all the other little projects I keep working on. And then, of course, there's school. Gonna start soon. Hate that guy who sings, "It's the most wonderful time of the year...." Wanna stop him.

Well Done!!!! A+!

http://www.twistcollective.com/ What an amazing magazine! Well thought out- lots of " nerdy gimmicks" to make reading this mag easy. Wonderful wonderful patterns. Great size ranges on most. Interesting articles. A free sock pattern by the amazing Cat Bordhi. And the yarns...oh the humanity.......

It is absolutely perfect. Go and see for yourself. Start with the contents page to orient yourself. (notice I did not say "orient-tate" which makes me incredibly insane when I hear it on the news or out of the mouths of supposedly educated people).

Now....to figure out which pattern(s) I want for myself.......Linden? Bonnie? Gnarled Oakwoods?

Hmmmmmm............................

from Bear

Hi. This me, Bear, coming to you from Alison's cottage. There was this lounge chair, all by itself, looking specially lonesome, so what is a poodle guy to do? My momma was acallin' me and I was being all quiet, and she came down by the water (huh- she thought I might go into the water?? Silly momma) and there was little me, all curled up for my afternoon siesta. Gee, it is tough being a poodle. (Even though your momma laughs at you and tells you to consider getting down. Hmm. Not me. No sirree)

The two ladies who wons some fluffy stuff from my momma are here-

Carrie said "Daddy, this is the last time I play Lassie with you" and Diane had one, too- but it is saved on the other puter and I is way too lazy to go and open it up. My momma tells me I is sloth, in person. Wouldn't that be sloth, in dogdom?

Well, if you two ladies could send my momma an email with yer addresses, she will sendee you some stuff. Kay?

Night night. I go sleep now.

The contest

I am down to a choice between 2 captions- if I can't decide- there will be TWO winners!!!
I am right now getting ready to go to "Wicked" in Ottawa-more when I get back!

Deb's Big Adventure...and a CONTEST

Oh man- I had the most amazing day yesterday!!!!!!! The night before, a friend, Rachel (also a teacher) called up to see if I wanted to join her on a big adventure. "Of course!!!" I said, and off we went. Our first stop was to visit an amazing artist- Loretta Moore-in the Westport area. (She doesn't have a website, but this is a snippet from the upcoming Fall Studio Tour http://www.artatwork.ca/westport_studiotours/fall-colours/FCstudio2.htm ) What an amazing lady!!!! She brought us into her home (which was "Home and Garden" amazing), gave us a tour of her studio, and then gave us a mini lesson on rug hooking. I gotta tell ya, after seeing her stuff, I wanna be a hooker!!!!! (Geesh- wait until the search engines get hold of THAT little turn of a phrase- I should get some, um, interesting visitors who are going to be some disappointed). She has kits- beginner and up. But her studio- wow- yards and yards of hand dyed wool fabric-she has a little "thing" about beiges and sage greens-and she also has many of her kits made up and ready for sale. My choice? The one Rachel got, actually- a "primitive" sheep- I loved it!!!! I did not buy anything, by the way- mostly because I really do have to tidy up some other projects first. But that doesn't mean I won't try it at some point!!!! But all in all, an amazing lady.

And today- the start of the Kingston and Area Sheepdog Trials (see it here- http://www.cityofkingston.ca/residents/recreation/events/sheepdog/activities.asp)

It is always a great place to go and see the dogs (who are, by the way, amazing) and then look around the crafter's market. Today, however, is raining. And I love the whole thing, but not when I am standing in the rain. Puh-lease!

Another "must see" this weekend is a show called "Women's Work", curated by Carolyn- a fellow Kingstonian and also amazing designer. She talks about it on her blog- here- http://theartofwool.blogspot.com/ . Since that one is inside, it might be the right thing for today.
My sisters are taking my mother to Westport tomorrow- I wasn't invited (hey-- I'm not bitter) (just confused).
What else? Oh yes- Bear has been progressing with his swimming lessons. Sean takes him into the pool, carrying him under his arm, until Bear starts to move his legs in normal "poodle swimming" motions, and then lets him go. The Bear makes a beeline for the stairs (of course), but hey- at least he is swimming!

You can click for BIG.
Check out the look on Bear's face-hey! I've got an idea! Send me your caption ideas (to debDOTseanATsympaticoDOTca-replace the words with the dots and such)-and if I like yours the best, I will send you something yarny!!!!! Please include your snail mail addresses in your entries! As to what the yarny goodness will be, I will negotiate with the winner (or winners- who knows?). And let's put a deadline on it for, say, Monday, Aug. 11th, at 5:00 my time. Let's get those entries rolling!

Not much new....

(I know I have had this shot up before, but I just love it)
Sometimes no news is great news. The household goes on holiday mode at the beginning of July, and we stay that way until the third week of August. Because we are teachers, we get to have a great holiday, and spend time with our daughter. So, while her buddies are off to day camps, Annie is splashing in her pool, or playing her piano, or reading, or goofing around. With us. Some may feel they need to pack in all kinds of experiences into their holidays. We do take Annie to different places-we just don't get all caught up in the "have to, must go, gotta gotta" kind of craziness. For example, next week, we are taking her to "Wicked" in Ottawa. But we have spaced things out a bit. It makes for a stress free, fun summer. Sunday night, she had a sleepover with a friend. We ended up giving over the living room to "sleep over central"-because it has the bigger television, and more space. I went in at about 2:00 am-they were still chatting and playing with their glow necklaces and bracelets, and telling secrets and being 10 year old girls. Bear grumbled a bit at them- I think he felt he needed his beauty sleep!!! This week, Annie is taking pottery classes. She is very "arty"-she draws and creates and comes up with new things all the time. (but isn't knitting ....yet!) One of the students in my class last year, a lovely, lovely girl, asked if she could take pottery classes as well-so the two girls are off every morning this week. It is kind of an introductory class, taught by a very caring, very talented lady.

This week, a family on our street (with whom we have gotten very close) moved back to "The Rock"-they haven't lived in Newfoundland for over 15 years, and wanted their children to "feel the love". We are really going to miss them-they are great neighbours, wonderful friends, and absolute riots. Bear, however, has already gotten over missing them-because the family that moved into that house has TWO dogs- a chocolate lab and a big black standard poodle (named William)(but say it with a French accent-WIL'yam). Bear is OVERJOYED. They have only met "over the fence"- not yet face to face-but he is quite excited.

And since this is a knitting blog-I have finished my "boyfriend sweater"- and I LOVE it. Sean will take photos- but I am going to wait until it is a bit cooler-it is 100% wool in an aran weight, after all. I am now working on a top down sweater, knit with Fleece Artist Ottawa-in Woodland (I think- it is all greens with a touch of taupe and tan). I want to incorporate some lace in the "skirt"-it is ribbed from the high neck to the high waist (just under the bustline) and I will either make a lace skirt, or do a modular thing- or hey-maybe lacy modules- I don't know. Speaking of lace- go on over to http://badcatdesigns.blogspot.com/ and hook into her lace course-to make a sampler shawl.
Happy summer!