My personal thanksgiving

Today is my birthday. Birthdays, unless they are big ones (like last year's), have for a long time been less about parties, cake, and presents and more about quiet reflection for me. When I lived in CA, Matthew and I would spend my birthday quietly at the beach. Today's not so much beach weather here in Milwaukee, it's more misty memory weather. So I wanted to make a list of people I am thankful for.

1. My husband - who despite not being perfect, is the perfect husband.

2. My mother - who is my best friend.

3. My father - who is an eternal optimist.

4. My sisters and my girflfriends -  I don't see them enough, call them enough, tell them enough - I love them

5. My dog - who is the best damn dog a girl could ever want

6. My family

7. Anyone who still reads my blog after such neglect and such self-indulgance

Happy Mama's Day

Let's review some fun times with all of the "moms" in my life in celebration of mother's day:

Beers at the ballpark with my mom:
Drinks with my sisters and step-mom:
Too much drinking with my mom-in-law
Happy Mother's day to all my favorite moms, including all the ladies above, the grandmas Alyce, Rita, and Margaret, to my sister-in-law and all of the Aunties too; and too all my fabulous mommy friends out there. I hope you all had days as wonderful as the one's pictured above.

Best Knitting Book Ever! (or at least really good)

Our household has been busy using up gift cards. We went to Crate and Barrel and bought a bowl and a glass to replace ones we've broken, a salad spinner to wash the lettuce and spinach we will be harvesting from our garden in a month or so, and a cookie press for me; Bed Bath and Beyond found us the owners of many new kitchen gadgets; and in that same spirit I used a Barnes and Noble giftcard I had for forever to buy myself Wendy Bernard's Custom Knits and it is the BEST KNITTING BOOK EVER!!! There are some really nice basic patterns and two simple recipes for top down sweaters as well as all sorts of good information on customization (duh). She also tells you how to make a dress form out of duct tape! So much excellent information and so perfect for making sweaters I'll actually wear. I can tell I will go to it over, and over again.