Blah.

I just wanted to say that I am still alive. I'm just working a lot and I'm tired. We sign on our new house next week and all the last minute details are sucking up any 'free time' we have. But that's okay; once we're in our own place it will be such a relief.

Cutting meat, wrapping meat, stacking meat, grinding meat, traying meat, re-wrapping meat... not bad stuff, just physically demanding for my entire eight-hour shift. My body hurts.

Boo hoo poor me don't I sound like a brat???

Geesh. Sorry about that. More news later, and with a smile, I promise.

Knit, Run, Purl too!

Well, I did it! I ran 13.1 mile and lived to tell about it. I guess what makes me the happiest is finishing the race after not having been able to train for the crucial four weeks leading up to it. I had hoped to finish with a 10-minute mile, and with full training I know I would have been there. Instead I took it slow and smart and finished with an 11-minute mile pace. I was still ahead of half the women in my age group, which gives me great incentive for the next race! I feel pretty good; the course was very hilly with the last half-mile being uphill to the finish line! Yikes! My legs are stiff, and my ankles are a bit crispy, but I did it! Yippee! There's no shortage of marathons and halfs here, so I'll be gearing up for the next one as soon as I get my legs back.

I'm also on the sticks again... There's a grandbaby coming in September and somebody needs to be knitting for him/her! This is a blanket and I'm making it up as I go... kind of like raising kids, right? It's in Berroco's Touche from my stash. Touche makes darling baby stuff; it's cotton with a bit of shine to it. I hope Baby Bean loves it!

And how about this pretty house of ours? This is the painted version, minus the third accent color. I can't wait to see it finished... because that will mean it's time to move in!!

Today I'm making jam. Tayberry Jam, a cross between logan berries and raspberries. It's a beautiful day here in the Northwest, with predictions for 90-degrees. I'm getting in and out of the kitchen early so I can enjoy some sun before heading back to work for the next week.

Is it Summer Yet?

Washington is funny this way; Spring is lovely, June is soggy, and then all of a sudden, it's the Fourth of July and everyone realizes "Hey! We'd better get on this Summer Thing!" and everyone dons shorts and sandals and POOF! It's summer. 72-degrees might not seem like summer to you, but doggone it, it's downright blistering to us Islanders. In fact, I overheard a customer at my store complaining that it was "too hot to have the oven on!" as she grabbed one of our rotisserie chickens this week. I wondered how she would fare in Florida this time of year!

Mariner's baseball is the highlight of summer here in the Northwest. My nephew, my sister, Dad and I went to a game a few weeks ago and since they wupped Boston, it was a Real Good Game. We were so close to Ichiro that we could see his little face. We gladly lost our voices rooting for the Home Team. We're goofy like that. Good times. Cole took this shot of us. That's why my sister looks skeptical. She's not skeptical of the game, or of being seen with crazy people like me and my dad. The moose is for Nora, it does not signify that my father has to have a stuffed animal for comfort.



The other sign that summer is half over here and we almost missed it: Our house! It's really coming along and practically done, halelujah! In fact, this is an outdated picture already, since they've already painted inside and outside now and are laying flooring, etc this week. We hope to be into it by the first week of August. Woo Hoo!

We've been 'homeless' for so long now I wonder if I'll even remember half the stuff the movers bring. Looks like we're in for some more major downsizing. No More Clutter! That's my motto for life now.

For those of you keeping up with Emily, she's in Cambodia for a month now with YWAM. She called from Sydney on her 21st birthday to let me sing to her. That's Real Love if you've ever heard me sing-- har har. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers as she ventures into the culture there to do her thing.

My race is tomorrow... and I'm going to run 13.1 miles even though I haven't run seriously in about 4 weeks. My shins are better, and I paid for the stinkin' t-shirt and I'm going to run. I may kill myself, but I'm doing it. More on that come Monday....