The Hardest Thing...

About blogging again after a week-long hiatus is blogging again after a week-long hiatus. 

Hope you all had a great Easter and week following.  Here's what I've been up to if you've been concerned (thanks Pat).

• Holy Thursday?  Covered in the last post -- kid's first day of Spring/Easter break, service that night.
• Holy Friday?  Sister and Brother-in-Law arrive (Hi Regan!) and we hang out and then go to the Cardinal's game in their new stadium.  Posh seats; a few glitches in the food service area (how do you run out of cheese for nachos during the 6th inning?  Sacrilege!  Oh and did I mention that it was 93 freakin' degrees?  Record setting heat for April?  Sheesh.
• Holy Saturday? Dear Daughter's 13th birthday.  We all went to the City Museum for the afternoon (a must-visit if you're in St. Louis...even if you're just here for one day...the coolest place ever); then out to the South City Diner for dinner where we got the patrons to sing Happy Birthday (13-year-olds love it when you get strangers to holler Happy Birthday at them); then out to Ted Drewes Frozen Custard for dessert (another must visit here...go after the City Museum) where we also got all the patrons to sing Happy Birthday (13-year-olds love it even more when the strangers hollering Happy Birthday at them are standing on a street corner holding frozen custard).  Then the Easter Vigil (I sang, daughter was a server/liturgical dancer...just think 3 hour-long service, half of which is done in the dark, that starts at 9 p.m. -- you get tired but it's some of the most beautiful music we do all year).  Husband, son and inlaws stayed home for this one.
• Easter Sunday?  Son arose at 4:45 a.m. and searched the house while I slept.  So he says.  I believe him.  Luckily, that Easter Bunny is crafty -- even after he's been at a vigil for the whole night -- and hid his basket in the one place he knew that boy wouldn't look:  his closet.  You know, the one I made him clean out for 4 hours on Thursday in preparation for the uncle who said he'd be visiting this weekend, but couldn't, and who would be sleeping in his room?  Yeah, the place he swore he'd never set foot in again.  Yeah, that closet.  It took him several sweeps of the house and yard to think to look there.  Hee, hee.  In his basket was the usual non-Eastery stuffed animal:  the Easter Shark.  Last year it was the Easter Frog, the year before the Easter Monkey...I am amused.  Daughter got the Easter Unicorn from Narnia.  Anyway, all we did the rest of the day was:  go to church; have 17 for brunch (quiche, salad, asparagus with walnuts and feta, Easter pizza and candy salad and Birthday Cake); clean up from brunch; go to the last Blues Hockey game of the season ( they suck).
• Monday morning? Sister and hubby left (I think thankfully -- they were exhausted).  The kids and I vegged out for awhile and then couldn't stand it and went to the Missouri Botanical Garden for the afternoon.  (Ok, another must-visit -- I'm sorry, you'll have to take two days).  We saw a red fox and lots of huge koi.
• Tuesday?  Kids and a friend each to the St. Louis Zoo -- you know what I'm going to say, right?  Well, it's free and a great destination.  We rode the train, the calliope, the dino-experience ride and ate lunch there.  Oh, and we did see animals.  Lots of animals.
• Wednesday?  Back to the City Museum with Daughter, 5 of her friends, Son, and one of his friends for Daughter's birthday party.
• Thursday and Friday?  I don't know.  Some shopping, playing at friend's houses, oh and I worked from 10 to 5 on Friday.

I'm in a Spring Break coma.

Did I knit at all?  But of course.  A little.  The blue baby blanket for my neighbor?  Finished and gifted.  She's due any minute now.

I started a sock out of Dani's sock yarn in the watermelon colorway.  It's seriously pink and green.  Seriously.  But I got it out because it smacks so of spring and I wanted a springish sock to knit.  When I turned the heel on Saturday during a double-header basket ball fest, I wondered why I was putting my time into something I so would not wear myself.  Serendipitously, that night, Alison emailed me to ask if I'd be a sock savior -- I volunteered to be a savior when I finished my own Sockapaloooza socks so early (I remembered the last sock exchange problems she'd had right at the end).  I guess it's good that this sock pal quit with some time left instead of after the due date and I'm thinking charitable thoughts like there's a family emergency or illness stopping her from finishing her socks.  Turns out that the sock-pal that needs saving is an out-of-the-country pal whose favorite color is...get this...pink.  And she wanted striped socks.  Man, can I knit for the cosmos or what?  Aren't they cute?

With them is my half done second STR club sock.  Love them.  And a lacy poncho thing from knit simple for a black tie event this weekend.  Nothing like a little pressure knitting. 

And for Judy, my hummingbird feeders are up and functioning.  Now we're just looking for the birds to come.  If the map's any indication, they're already here.  Have a great day.  More fun tomorrow.

Comments

[trek]

I really like the Cedar Creek STR pattern!

[Jocele]

Sounds like a great, though certainly very busy week. I didn't go the the Botanical Garden enough when I lived there. I guess I didn't realize how cool it was until the last few months before I moved. Anyway, glad to have to back. Your package should be there in a day or two.

[margene]

It's good to hear from you as I was beginning to worry, too. You have been very busy and it's a crazy time of year with kids out of school, etc. You knit so well for others that the cosmos is tuned into your knitting. Very cool;-)

[Lucia]

I am impressed, Ann! I didn't get half that much done during spring break. I've turned the heel on the second Sockapasock, though! I love your pink striped sock.

[Judy]

You have a feeder I've never seen before, pretty neat looking thing. I still haven't seen a hummer here either. The map does show them around. They'll be along.
You have been busy!

[Pat K]

Sheesh, I'm worn out just reading about all your activities! And you were able to knit, too? Those are pretty wild watermelon socks. And my hummingbirds have been around now for a couple weeks. I don't put up feeders, because I have a bunch of flowering plants that they like. Much less messy. And the quail are still visiting every day or so. Glad to have you back and posting.

[Kate Lathrop]

I love the Watermelon!! Dani was kind enough to put up another skein of the Shamrock after I left my mostly completed sock at the airport when I flew home. I'm glad your Easter went well - see you in a few weeks after the wedding! Kate

[Ruth]

You HAVE had a busy week! Good busy, but still ....

Those are some wonderfully karmic socks. Obviously Meant To Be.

[Amanda]

Uh-oh, it's doing it again. My page stops at "who would be..." and then there are the pictures of the knitting and the Easter Shark. Not that I'm complaining or anything but I was getting spoiled by being able to read everything. Glad to see you posting again and hope you're feeling better.
A

[anna]

Hi Ann - I found your blog thru Jenn who I met while waiting to hear the Harlot at the Library! Wasn't Stephanie great; so funny in person and that voice, even though others have written about how you just don't expect that deep voice from such a tiny person it was still a surprise! Oh well..By the way; I love the blue baby blanket - can you tell me what pattern/book that was out of!