We made it!

The last part of Oldest daughter's trip to her new city, state, and University and been completed. All that's left now is the unpacking, oh and the homework.

Prettier than words can describe. The American Falls seen from the Canadian side.

Now, where'd we park the car again?

Horseshoe Falls, Niagara Falls, Canada.



A Niagara Mist, while watching the Niagara Mist



The Falls at night under the lights.

Things to bring home; cute and tasty things.

Welcome to your new home state, my daughter! Oh, and it really rains here-hard. You'll get used to it. And then it's going to snow. Big.

New home. Looks kinda empty. But not for long!

First visitors-even before the moving cube arrives! (baby sister and her roommate stopped by while driving through to California stopped for quick hugs and a tour)

Baby Sweater showing a bit of promise, finished the sleeves and now on the collar.

The moving cube has arrived...

Ever so carefully, she opens the door...praying that it all made it safe and sound...

only 2 things moved...the tiny box and the bag on the floor....

Can you see the upside down, purple computer chair in there? Not much air space in there at all!

This girl can pack!

Today we got our fortification on before heading to Sam's and Target for all those things she DIDN'T pack...and yes, there were many!

Most of the cube has been unpacked...can you remember where you put the napkins? Pizza is on it's way!

Next stop for Mom...Boston with the baby daughter and the son and their new apartment!

All Pictures, no time to talk...

Yesterday's events...while we're leaving the hotel to wait for the moving cube guys..but we made it! BIG storm and all!

more after the cable guy comes tonight.

it's Cousin Time!

Well, I didn't make the party time for the sweater, but I can live with it. At the stroke of noon with the chiming clock, here's where the progress was. That marks a whole 24 hours of knitting and stuff time. Kinda short of the tips of the fronts and back, and missing the sleeves and collar.

I am really enjoying how soft this Sweet Delights, Baby in Berry Jam is feeling while I'm knitting along.

Here's a bit of a close up of the pattern bottom. Sweet! Oh, the Mommy and the Grandmommy and the Great GrandMommy and Great Aunt have all seen the knitting, not to mention the Great Grandpa was watching me knit today, because I wasn't watching. And they all like it and have said it really needs to have the little matching hat.

Have you seen the gymnastics floor exercises added additional elements to bolster their scores? Well, consider the hat an added element I guess. Once I get it done.

Then it was off to the party...where there was

cake

Cousins who match
(there would so be more cousins here, but blogger won't let me add them...sheeshh...)

Today post church, found 3 grandmas and a birthday girl....

(see the lady in the middle? she's the one who taught me to knit when I was 7!)

(see the lady on the left? She's Mom! Wig looks good-huh? Tired, but kicking the 'c' butt these days I tell you!)

Check this one out...best medicine ever! Don't you agree?

Almost had a second step! First one went so fast, the camera wasn't out yet...darnit.

Olympic Knitting did finish the semi-final round here, with 2 Butterfly cloths to match Grandma's Butterfly cloth. OK, theirs weren't aqua like Grandmas, but they both requested pink. Pattern: Butterfly out of the Baby Washcloths to Knit book by Leisure Arts, and I Love this Cotton! Yarn (and oh ya I certainly DO!) by Yarn Bee, from Hobby Lobby, (US) 7(4.5mm).

Here's where the sweater is right now. First picture is kinda fuzzy, taken tonight without a flash, but shows the color fairly accurate...

The 2nd picture is a bit better in focus, taken with a flash. It'll be finished. We're leaving Michigan tomorrow morning (technically today here in Michigan, but since I've not been to bed...it's tomorrow) heading past Niagara Falls, then onto Syracuse. The cube should be there day after tomorrow, and the big unpacking will begin.

Oh, and if you get the chance to do so....stop in to Mama Lupo's for a bit of ice cream over here, before they close for the winter...let's just say...Blueberry Muffin, Black Raspberry, Mint chocolate chip, Double Chocolate, Chocolate Marshmallow...and and and....oh Brain freeze just thinking about it all! Best ice cream.....oh hurt me good! Tell 'em I still think they should open a store in Southern California near Disneyland so they can stay opened all year round. Trust me, they'll know who you got the idea from! I tried really hard to convince them tonight!

I really wish I'd have had my camera with me (what was I thinking? I KNOW!) when we went over tonight. But,when was the last time you got 5 HUGE scoops of 'made right there' ice cream for under $13.00??? OH BABY! We'll be back!

Olympic Knitting

First off, a couple of quick thank yous to every one who answered about the plants, and gave additional information, which means I probably won't have able to have them in Southern California. Darnit. I was so hoping, but knowing now that the hosta/hoya plants are shade plants, well, I guess it's just not to be.

A HUGE thank you to Casey and Mary-Heather from Ravelry for helping me get my goodies while I'm in Michigan. FYI, so you don't get caught like I did, if you're paying with Pay Pal bank account rather than credit card, they can't ship until your bank releases your payment, which can take a few extra days. Next time I'll do a cc type payment and not have to stress that a package will arrive at Mom and Dad's after I've left. Now, isn't that stuff just too cute?

Yesterday's cooking to help stuff Mom and Dad's freezer, spaghetti on the left, Beef Stew on the right.

For those who were questioning how I Love this Cotton! washes up? Here's Mom's face cloth I gave her the other day when we arrived straight out of the dryer tonight-without having to re-block it! She's used it for a couple of days, and I think it's washed up pretty well! Don't you think? I'm guessing I can get 2 cloths out of one skein. So even if you didn't get it on sale (like me) that's not too shabby for $1.50 for a washcloth. Much cheaper than shopping at the mall!

How's your Olympic Knitting coming along? I have a tendency to 'over plan' I think.

From the left. That's Purple! Paton's Classic wool for a 'surprise scarf'. Top: pink I love this Cotton! for 2 butterfly wash cloths, Bottom: Aqua I Love this Cotton for Mom's Chemo hat. Right: right, Berry Jam, and Angel Baby Bee Sweet Delights Baby yarn for size 2 sweater for a 'Little Miss B's" Birthday party-this Saturday at noon-yes, tomorrow.

So far, I have the chemo hat done, while driving up from Fort Wayne, IN and finished it as we got close to Bay City, MI. I consider this to be the qualifying round to advance towards the finals. I tell you, driving with my daughter while trying to 'compete' against myself for the Olympic Knitting, tain't easy. But interesting. And then we'll have to unpack her stuff after getting there on Monday. So, all in all...I'm shortened on my knitting time here.

This morning I was able to get about three quarters of the first of the butterfly cloths done while waiting to go to the yarn shop. This should have been round 2,but it's been pushed back to round 3. After nearly creating Olympic Confetti yarn last night, I decided that the pattern I'd picked from Kids, Kids, Kids and I weren't meant to be on the same team.

So around 10:30am Dad drove me over to 'A Piece of Ewe' here in Bay City, cute yarn shop! and picked up a few choices to knit from. Oh ya, the Baby's birthday party, did I mention is tomorrow...at Noon!

Can't tell which is cuter, the sweater or the little cutie pie wearing it! I'll be making this yellow sweater, called Girl's Lacy Cardigan out of the Sirdar book, #332, Little Sweet Peas." Size 2-3 with Sweet Delight Baby, Berry Jam. (US) 6 (4mm) needles. I've decided to make a few changes, and I'll tell you more after it's finished.

I cast on at the strike of Noon today, and by 1:20 pm this is as far as I'd gotten. It was time to go start more Beef stew. We're rolling now! ahahahaaaaaaaaa......

However, by dinner time, not only did we get more Beef stew finished, and a chicken and rice dinner completed, more had been accomplished.

And as Michael Phelps was accepting his 7th Gold metal of these games, this is how far the little sweater had grown. Too bad I'm in the Eastern time zone rather than in Southern California where I'd have three more hours to work on this!....This could be the Gold Metal feat here if I make it.

Time to get back to knitting, as breakfast will be at 8am with Grandma and Grandpa (Mom and Dad) over at Bob Evans, a staunch Saturday morning ritual around here, with a visit to Mom's older sister between breakfast and the Noon party.

Can someone teach me to knit while I sleep tonight? I'm thinking the surprise scarf might be akin to the post Winter Olympic show that the ice skaters put on. With the last minute changes around here, and the 'little bit of moving' in the middle of all of this, I'm not so sure that's going to be finished by closing ceremonies. At least I'll be able to watch them from Boston and not on the road as we were during the Opening Ceremonies.