Quiddity: Let's Play Catch Up

Still here! I've been both busy and not busy, but usually find myself sucked into the vortex that is Facebook and Ravelry, which equals no blogging. I have been knitting up a storm as usual, but have been lazy about finishing/blocking/photographing, so a lot of the projects don't have a picutre. I'm working on it. So, here we go.

MARCH

I spend every morning but Sunday riding. My trainer, Mark, makes sure I get to ride a variety of horses, which means I have to get used to many different styles of movement. I usualy get to the barn around 6:45am and generally hang around until about 10. The only exception is Thursdays, when I work with the therapeutic riding program from 9:30 until noon, and one or two Wednesdays and Saturdays a month when I help with barn tours. I'm also the membership chair for the Conservancy that supports the barn. Our barn is owned by the county, but all the horses are privately owned. As is the case in most counties, ours can't afford to do as much as we need, so the Conservancy focuses on both outreach programs (like the barn tours) and events throughout the year that bring people to the farm and raise money at the same time, like our pony ride days and the Fall Festival. So you can see, I spend a lot of my time with barn stuff.

Sadly, in March, I missed my eighth blogiversary on the 17th. I'll have to think of some way to make up for that. Maybe if I start blogging regularly, my friends will come back, too, and I'll have a contest. Anyway, happy (neglected) blogiversary to me!

In March, I finished one item (since blogging on the 11th.) That was the Foxy Loop Infinity Scarf. My friend, Hali, made this and I had to be a copycat! (Edited - oops, just saw I already posted this one.)

APRIL

In April, I helped out at Pony Ride Day at the farm. This is a big money maker for the Conservancy, and we had a huge crowd this year. It's so much fun to see how excited the kids are to get to ride a horse, since we only have two "real" ponies. Here's a photo of Ink, all dressed up for the event.

The big knitting event of the month was Stitches South, which I had to miss. My husband's boss's son is getting married, and they were having a big engagement party in DC, so I flew up to attend. It was nice to finally meet everyone he works with, and I had a good time, as always, being a tourist. We went to the National Botanical Garden, The National Art & Portrait Gallery, Theodore Roosevelt Island, Georgetown, the Museum of Native American Art to see "Song for the Horse Nation" about the horse and Native Americans, and the Freer Gallery. Here's a photo I snapped with my iPhone from the car.

My knitting finishes were:

Winnowing Shawl - Madelinetosh Light in Briar (purple)
Blueberry Waffle Socks - numma numma The Regular "On the Half Shell"
Sprout Hat
Milk Infant Top - This and the hat were both Tess Designer Yarns Baby & Sock

MAY

The big event this month was my son, Cory, graduating from Emory University with his MBA. He's been teaching in the physics department for quite a while, and decided he wanted to try something new. Although he is very happy he got his MBA, he's decided he's going to stay with physics for a while longer, as they've offered to increase his responsibilites - and hopefully his salary!

At the barn, I rode in my first Schooling Show. This is not a competition, but rather a chance to show off your riding skills on a prescribed course. The horse I rode, Chino, is a sweet boy, but sometimes willful. We did great in our walk/trot test - I got very high marks - but the walk/trot/canter was less successful. I guess my nervousness got to us both, because I missed my first mark and had to go back, and then in the canter portion, Chino really got into it and wouldn't come back to trot, no matter how hard I pulled! When the judge came down to talk to me, she said I had a good canter departure, but needed to work on my form. She said the best way to do that is to ride the canter without stirrups, and I told her Mark had me working on that. She asked if I could, and when I said yes, she said, "You won't fall off, will you?" Ok, challenge accepted!! LOL So off I went Chino and I completely redeemed ourselves! It was a great learning opportunity and a lot of fun, even if I did mess up big time! Here's a blurry picture a friend took of us. I wish it showed how pretty his mane and tail were braided.

The other big event in May was my NEW CAR!! I've had my Mitsubishi Montero since 1999, so it was time. I've been contemplating this for at least three years, and wanted a car that was very safe, reliable, and had good gas mileage. Well, I got two out of three of those, but I don't drive enough for the mileage to be that big of a problem. My choice, a Subaru Outback. I love it!

In May, I finished:

Terra Triangular Shawl - Handmaiden Lady Godiva in a pretty medium green
Bias Scarf - Kaalund Yarns Classic Two in Paw Paw (oranges)

JUNE

On the 24th, my husband turned 60. We had a quiet family celebration, but I've promised him a trip anywhere he wants to go. He's still deciding. He wants to go somewhere with cold and mountains, but then again, maybe the beach. Might be next year before we go, at this rate. LOL

I finished:

Pea Vines Shawl - Miss Babs Northumbria in French Marigold (orange)
Single Cable Scarf from "One Skein" in numma numma Special Edition Black Cherry

JULY

This summer has been blazingly hot, even for here, and mostly dry. This month, the weather has really gotten to me. I had a week where my asthma was really bad, and I had to resort to my rescue inhaler, which I never, never have to use. Then, I had a problem with my ear that developed into an outer ear infection, which I'm still struggling with. With all that, staying in and knitting after riding was a good plan. This month has revolved mostly around my (minor) health problems, barn stuff, and knitting. But this coming weekend, I'm taking a short trip to Chicago to attend a memorial service for my uncle John, who passed away in the spring. I'm looking forward to spending time with family I don't see enough of, even though it will probably be just as hot there as it is here.

This month was a productive one for knitting:

Sculptured Lace Scarf - Plymouth Yarns Baby Alpaca DK in soft green.
Featherweight Cardigan - Jaggerspun Zephyr - Charcoal
Amelia's Tiny Cardi for my cousin's baby girl - Rowan Milk Cotton in white
Ginko Shoulderette Shawl - Knitting Notions Supersock in Coreopsis (yellow)
Wavy Feathers Wimple - Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere 2-ply in Caribbean Mist (blue) - I think this is my favorite project this month. Fast, cute (it's a cowl/head covering) and CASHMERE!

Socks and Mittens say, "Hey, what'cha doing out there?"