Flying in and out (posted by Ann)

So I just got back from two days in Cleveland, Don just got back from a few days in South Carolina working on the airplane. I am leaving this evening for a conference in Dallas (must remember to bring the hairspray and blue eyeshadow), then will go from Dallas to New York, and finally home again on Thursday evening. Whew.

Lots of knitting being done on the planes, but it's not very exciting to show. I am (still) working on this shawl (Ravelry link, sorry if you can't access), and I think I might still be working on it in November. Seriously. It has 168 rows, and you increase 6 stitches every 4 rows, so you start with 49 stitches and end with 301 stitches. I am on row 68, only 10o to go! And it takes longer each row as it gets bigger . . .

After I finish all these rows, then I get to do the knitted on edging. In terms of actual stitches knitted, I believe I may have completed 10% - maybe 15% - I'm afraid to do the math. I restarted it three times, and now I am using every device that I can think of to make it easier. There is a lifeline that I move every eight rows (that is a piece of yarn threaded through it so it can't unravel beyond that point, for those who don't know) and stitch markers every six stitches so I can't lose track of where I am. That seems to be working, ever since I put in the lifeline I haven't needed it. This is clearly the most complicated thing I have ever knit but I am enjoying the process. Picture below - not that it's much to look at right now.

In other knitting news, I'm back in the baby sweater business. Two of the men I work with will have new babies in their families this year. One a girl, and the other unknown as of yet. I'm still deciding what sweater to knit for the girl, and will be looking through the stash for something to start on this trip. Maybe purple . . . maybe with beads. . . . who knows?

And - totally unrelated to the above - we came back from our morning breakfast-and-take-Tater-for-a-drive this morning and found a critter in our yard. I have no idea what it is, it is the size of a small cat but looks like a large rat (ick). I first thought maybe a ground hog, but it has a bald tail. It's not a possum, it doesn't have that long snout. I am still trying to identify it, but mostly I'm just grateful that it was OUTSIDE and I didn't meet it in the kitchen. I tried to get a picture but when I went inside to get the camera it disappeared.

That's all that is exciting here. How about up on your mountain?

London (posted by Ann)

On Monday, Feb 28 (Mom's birthday) I went out to dinner with a group of ladies from work and here we are toasting to Mom. Happy Birthday!!

I got stuck in London over the weekend, which I wasn't too happy about but it turned out okay since I decided that I had to entertain myself instead of mope in the hotel room. I went here Friday night, and found my favorite horse painting, Whistlejacket. He's life size and is absolutely gorgeous.

Then on Saturday I met a friend from the office and did this , then we went to lunch, and then I went shopping to Liberty of London. It was FABULOUS! An entire floor of fabrics, yarn, needlepoint, crewel, other crafty things - a wall of buttons. I restrained myself and still came home with a few things. Very lovely!

For all of this moving around I got a day pass for the Tube, and of course you need a map of the Tube or who knows where you would wind up. This is the cover of the Tube map these days.

I want to go to Laughter, Brilliance, Joy, Awe and Compassion. I'll skip Fame, Pride, Envy and Perfection, please. I did fairly well and took all the right trains, which I was very proud of. It's such a great system - tube stations are everywhere. I figured out at the end of the day that a day pass gets you not only the tube but buses and water taxis too, all for about 6 pounds. What a deal, and what an easy way to get around London!

So, my favorite thing that happened this week was a realization I had. This is my second trip to London with this company, and our office is at the corner of Wood St. and London Wall Street. I've said this to lots of people between taxi drivers and others I'm meeting with, but as I got in the elevator my last day there I looked out of the glass wall of the elevator and noticed that there is what looks like a ruin right next to the building. Then I looked closer, and realized it was the wall. As in The London Wall around the city, built by the Romans in the 2nd or 3rd century - that wall. As in - that's why it's called London Wall Street.

So I walked outside with my camera. My office in London is the building on the left in the first picture. I can't even tell you how awed I was to be looking at something that was built that long ago, and to think about living in a time where a wall like that would actually protect you from your enemies. So before the next visit I'm determined to read a bit more about London history and to see more (perhaps I should just say to notice more . . . )