This and that and the other thing...

My son has helped me out with some Saturday Sky pictures over the past couple of years. I haven't been as diligent as I once was. But, then, Saturday Sky in my neighborhood doesn't change much!

Anyway, he was telling me about a picture he took of a rainbow last week and he wanted me to post it as my Saturday Sky picture.

Taken with a cell phone as Six Flags, this is the rainbow(s) after the storm:



I was wishing I had my camera yesterday to take pictures of fabulous puffy clouds in the crystal clear air following a brief, powerful downpour. I will have to start taking it with me everywhere!

I'm knitting. Well, I'm starting anyway. I've started two shawls and have the yarn and beads for a third.



I am swatching for a cotton/linen sweater for my mom. I finished two hats and am casting on a third that will be sent to the Ukraine.

Also, I'm crocheting - some squares for various places; 6x9 rectangles for HAP (see sidebar); and putting together two sets of 49 rectangles for HAP.

SP12 Pal is spoiling me

A lovely little package awaited my return from work today... and a Fetching package it was!

Tired leg gel and nail files for my feminine side. Nestle Treasures candy bar for my sweet tooth (though son has been permitted to confiscated most of it!). Needles, yarn and pattern to create myself a pair of Fetching fingerless gloves. These are particularly needed in my over-air-conditioned office in the summer!

I've never used this particular yarn, so it will be fun to try it out. I have been unable to capture the true color - which is a bit more green than these photos show.



Thank you. What a lovely way to end my day.

SP12 Week 3 Question

What would you consider the perfect amount of stash?

Less, and yet again more, than I have now! :)

I'm not sure what the perfect amount of stash would be, but the perfect blend of stash would offer me a variety of project choices at any given time, with enough of the chosen yarn for the project.

My stash has many 'not quite enough' yarns as I bought yarns with little clue as to what I wanted to make and/or how much it would take to make SOMETHING, except socks. As a newbie stash enhancer, I bought many orphan skeins or I'd buy two of something, so I might have enough, only to find out that the yardage I need for a given project would really need three.

In the case of sock yarn, I bought it because it was unique or the colors caught my eye. However, if I don't make socks out of a given skein, it is difficult to use for anything else because the yardage works for, well, SOCKS! To use sock yarn for something else, I'd generally need two or more skeins...

So, enough for me would be less than I have now (I'm slowing donating most of the acrylics and novelty yarns), but with a greater quantities of individual styles/colors to keep me going between trips to the yarn shop. And, with gas prices rising and a minimum 60+ mile round trip to just about any yarn shop, the trips will be fewer and farther apart!

Now, if you asked about needles -- the answer might be different! ;)

Lace

I signed up to be part of the Seasons of Lace, Summer 2008 KnitAlong. I've selected a few lace items I'd like to try and signed up for those KALs too!

Today, I cast on the first: GoddessKnits Anniversary Mystery Shawl!

Secret Pal - Gifts and Question of the week.

My Secret Pal is a wonderful gal. A package arrived today with all the right stuff!

This little lambie and his buddies were frolicking on the paper, surely entertaining postal workers across the country!



What cute packaging and she nailed everything!





I love quick knits, especially quick knits that can be accomplished during commuter time. The colors are fabulous and both are yarns I've never used - a double shot of goodness!

and a PayDay bar - my favorite candy of all time. Already consumed. (I was a good swapper and took a picture first!) Yippee for finished dental work so I can eat it.

Looks like my Secret Pal is a stamper and scrapper because there was a wonderful card - I shall take its advice to "Delight in Life!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the meantime, our hostesses have posed another question:

As a kid, what did you look forward to most about summer vacation/break/holiday?

Hmmmm... this is a tough one. I think I'd have to say - sleeping in and no homework, plus the time to read what I wanted rather than just what was required.

Graduations

We've been busy at chez Radarkaty.

Younger son finished up his Senior year and officially graduated on June 4, 2008. His was the first class of incoming freshman in the new school and, therefore, the first 100% Hurricane graduating class. And they went out with a BANG!

The day began hot and muggy - as special days at chez Radarkaty often do. The venue was well air-conditioned and the class marched in with all their Pomp and Circumstance.

First Dignitary speaks.

Second Dignitary speaks.

(Older son runs up to me and says "There's a tornado in North Beach and it's predicted for here!")

Apparently, the chance of thunderstorms turned to a tornado watch turned to a SEVERE Thunderstorm where the ceremony was being held and an actual tornado back home in the County.

Third Dignitary begins to speak. Half a page in, electricity goes out. No microphone. Arena is lit with auxiliary lights.

The electric comes back on, dignitary picks up where he left off.

Electricity goes out again.

He leaves the stage to talk to the class of 443 graduates without the microphone.



Electricity comes back on.

This dance continues to the end of his speech, when the electricity stayed off and the thunder rumbled through the arena on a regular basis!

They got the auxiliary electricity to work one microphone and they soldiered on. Both the Valedictorian and Salutorian spoke with the auxiliary mic... but they were in a quandry - what to do about the presentation of diplomas? They usually alternate boys and girls with a microphone on each side of the stage.

Solution: Ladies first. They began with the girls, using the auxiliary mic. About half way through the names, the lights and microphones came on for good. The storm had passed and they could begin the alternating presentation.

My son getting his diploma!



The young man that was to sing prior to the presentation of diplomas sang after the presentation. The storm passed and the sun was shining and it was almost 20 degrees cooler as we left the Arena. The graduates never got a rain drop on them!

They did have to cancel Project Graduation - an overnight party given for the class - because the weather system returned with a vengeance later that night. The tornado watches and warnings were back. They couldn't bus hundreds of graduates to the fun location in the severe weather.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

June 6th, mom and I flew to Illinois for the next family graduation. My niece, Lia, graduated from St. Catherine Laboure Catholic School.



A beautiful Mass and celebration was held at the Church. Lia was one of 20 students leaving SCL behind and moving on to High School.



Times have changed since her mother and I attended Catholic Elementary School. Our graduating classes were 60+.

Mom and I had a lovely visit - in the hot, hot weather... coming home to hot, hot weather, but leaving behind a cooler day!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Last Graduation event - the Party!

My son's graduation party was held on Saturday, June 14th. A small crowd of family and friends gathered to celebrate.

It wouldn't be a summer party at our house if the temps were below 90, regardless of the month! I think we hit 98F at the hottest part of the day. By 7 PM it had cooled to the low 80s. At 8 PM the rain came down and dropped the temps to 70 and they kept on going down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That's what's been keeping me from blogging much... I have been knitting. A couple of things are gifts and can't be shown yet. A couple of other things need a photo session. I'll show off my finished and upcoming projects later in the week!

Have a great day!

SP12 Question of the Week

Cecily is my SP12 Hostess and she has started a question of the week to get the blogs rolling. This also gives our spoilers the chance to know us a little better! This is a Good Thing. I have been so busy with travel and graduations and such that I have sorely neglected the blog. (I'll be back with graduation pictures soon!)

The first weekly question:

What's your favorite summertime drink?

Well... my favorite drink in ANY season is Diet Pepsi!

Occasionally, I'll switch up with fresh brewed tea made with loose leaf tea in my Perfect Tea Maker from Teavana. I place the pot over a big glass of ice with sweet and low (I like the Pink stuff)and empty the perfect pot into the glass (rather than a tea cup or carafe). Sometimes I make a full carafe of tea and then just pour the hot tea over a full glass of ice. My favorite flavor for Iced Tea is Rooibos Tropica. My second favorite is Honeybush Vanilla Herbal Tea. They no longer carry my favorite "go to bed" tea. :(

But really - DIET PEPSI is the all-time favorite.

I've been Taged*

* borrowed from some misspelling vandals in our neighborhood

thispiggyknits tagged me with the most recent list of things to fill in the blanks.

What were you doing 10 years ago (1998)?

It was a rough year and I'll have to let it go at that.

5 Things on today's "to do" list:

Work on my sister's birthday present
weigh my mom's package to get it in the mail tomorrow
straighten the living room
Rest
Relax :)

Things I'd do if I were a billionaire:

Become Debt Free and help my sister, my mother, my aunt and my brother do so as well.

Set up trusts and investments for future generations in the family.

Donate the first million for the improvement of the property recently donated to my Church. Let the Parishioners raise the rest so that the Parish feels the connection as they work together to create a great place for families, teens, seniors, and more to be active together.

Then I'd have to see what was left! :) Trusts for a few of my favorite charities would probably be a good idea as well.

3 Bad Habits

I don't always finish what I start (borrowed this one from thispiggyknits, but it's true for me too)

I hide in my cave too often

I drink way too much diet pepsi

Edited to add - I don't follow rules too well either - Have 4 here and 6 in other places where 5

5 Places I've lived

(1) Born in Philadelphia, (2) moved to DC when I was 9 mos old, moved to Maryland at 1.5 years ((3)Riverdale). Have lived in several different cities ((4)Hyattsville, (5)Greenbelt, Hyattsville (4 again)) in Maryland all in close proximity (if you call 45 miles close - now in Huntingtown - which makes 6) to DC

5 jobs I've had

Waitress, Bartender, Retail Sales, A/R, Secretary, IT Specialist

5 people I'm tagging:

Nobody in particular. If you read my blog and need a fill-in for your 365 day blog thing or feel moved to answer the questions, please do. Oh, and let me know you did so I can find out more about you! :)

the lace knitting bug has bit

and I'm scratching away! :)

Mystic Meadows Mystery Shawl KAL

There is a fee for this one, but I believe it will be well worth the price.



The first clue was released today and it is going to be a challenge. But I believe I am up for it! I will be using KP Shimmer in "Flower Garden*" and US5 Addi Turbo needles.

*link to my Ravelry stash -- (must be a member of Ravelry. Go sign up, if you aren't!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Casablanca KAL



The theme is known: Casablanca. The clues are the mystery and will begin sometime in mid-June. I'm thinking my Azul Bolita Malabrigo lace will work well for this one!


*link to my Ravelry stash
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Goddess Knits Anniversary Mystery Shawl

Celebrating her third anniversary, Goddess Knits is releasing a 'pi' style shawl pattern in a series of five clues -- beginning June 14, 2008. But you can sign up to be part of the party as late as June 30, 2008.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Each of these are Yahoo! Groups with complementary groups in Ravelry. The clues are all released in the Groups and, I believe, the patterns will be available for purchase from the designers after the KALs have finished.

I'll keep you posted on my progress. My only hope is ... the staggered clue release schedule! :)

ETA: Oh, and I joined Seasons of Lace