Sometimes you've just got to get going

As inauspiciously as the day started, it's turning into a rather fabulous day. I decided I'd find some reason not to go to yoga if I didn't get off my derriere and out of the house this morning, so I picked up my camera and drove off into the hills to shoot some pictures. First I headed out to Mansfield Dam. It was a bit foggy/hazy this morning (not to mention threatening mist and rain in several areas) so I don't think those pictures are going to be worth much. As it turns out, I did have time to run back to Windy Point, but since I wasn't sure I would, I drove down the length of 620 to 71 and back east into town to head to my yoga class. The workout hasn't solved all my aches, but I do feel tons better - plus the weird feeling after that odd nightmare has faded.

After class I drove up 360 for the scenic views -- stopped at the overlook to snap a few pics of downtown Austin (still a bit hazy, sadly) and enjoy the sun. It's just a gorgeous day today. Since I'm wearing flipflops (due to yoga class), I did opt not to climb up Devil's Face to get pictures of the 360 bridge, but that is an idea for another day. Then I enjoyed the twisty drive of 2222 back into town again to meet some friends to knit this afternoon. Definitely a relaxing day so far.

...perhaps this afternoon I'll even get some housework done. Heh.

Ugh

I'm achy, tired, and had a weird dream about my boss getting eaten by a crocodile last night, but by golly I am going to go to yoga class this morning. I've been unable to go for the last couple of sessions due to scheduling issues (and the one class I was able to go to got cancelled *grr*) and one of my co-workers pointed out that this is probably part of the reason I've been more achy the last couple days. Although I am doing the prescribed stretches, PT or another type of targeted workout like yoga helps those problem areas so much more than you could on your own.

Yeah, most likely that's because you fib to yourself at home about how well you did an exercise or how long you've been repeating/holding a particular one - which I for one cannot do in the presence of a teacher or therapist. So, off to class for me.

Time to repent and sacrifice

Lent. Ash Wednesday. These are the Christian holy days that remind us of what Jesus sacrificed to give us eternal life. We meditate on these things in this time of penitence, but we also prepare ourselves for the joyful season of Easter. The LCMS FAQ has a wonderful statement on the significance of the season.

Lutherans are not required by the Church body to give up something for Lent - sacrifices are personal things. Since I have several Catholic friends, I do try to give something up every year, both to support their efforts and to challenge myself. It is not, sadly, always something I do out of a sense of penitence. This year, however, I realize that several things have grown to excess in my life. This Lenten season, I am going to give up a couple of self-indulgences to try to reign this in. Perhaps the small sacrifice on my part will also open my eyes to other areas where I could improve my life as well as my walk in faith. For Lent this year, I am giving up cokes. No exceptions for diet sodas. I also want to avoid yarn purchases for personal use - only purchasing for commissioned works if necessary. If I can keep track of the money I've saved, I want to make it a donation to my church on Easter Sunday. The yarn purchases will be hard to track, as I frequently fondle without buying, but I know I drink at least one coke a day, so there is at least $40 saved. Perhaps I'll start a dollar jar - every time I want a coke (and would normally get up to buy one), a dollar goes in the jar.

Let the good times roll

Yes, it's Fat Tuesday. Happy Mardi Gras! I, myself, will be at handbell practice, missing all party-type activities. Just as well, though - I don't really have the money to be wasting on 6th Street tonight anyway. :D

Note to self - the cream-colored yarn in the second basket from the top would make a wonderful baby afghan for Jeanette.

Oh, heaven

Some days you just can't beat coming home from work on a warm winter day, kicking off your shoes, tossing off your clothes, and lying down on a cool, soft bed in your nice, dark room and just vegitating. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

...and then you get up a short while later to the music of your next door neighbor building an ark, but I suppose I should be used to that by now. The temperature also got up into the mid-70s today -- not warm enough for a long enough period yet for me to have to kick on the A/C, but it is getting there...

Knitting night is a great stress-reliever, and I did get more done on the baby hat for Renee. Yes, I broke my FUFO rules and did not finish five things before starting the hat, but since it is for someone else I made an exception. I have finished three objects and I should have a stole done very soon as well. Most of the other unfinished projects that I am willing to work on at the moment are scarves done in foofy yarns on small needles, so those will be carry-along mindless knitting for the rehearsals that are due to start week after next. I'm using sock yarn for the baby hat, so it is not going as quickly as it might, but I've already gotten about three inches knit, so only a couple more are needed before I can start decreasing for the crown. Truly it is a colorway I would not have picked for myself before seeing it knit up, but the hat is darling and now I want socks in this color. Pictures soon, I promise. :)

Happy World TtV Day

047/365 - TTV Courtyard
Originally uploaded by Cyndiva.

Yes, it is World TtV Day (Through the Viewfinder, for those of you wondering about the acronym), so I am heading out with my cameras to capture some Austin beauty through my twin lens reflex camera, with the help of my digital. Sunny days rock!

Cheers!

A Hit, a Very Palpable Hit!

Seen over at Maglia (and tagged en masse... :D ) --

Six Weird Things About Me:

1. My inner CD player gets stuck on audible. I can take just about anything someone says and connect it to a song lyric, then start singing that song, often without purposefully trying to do so.


2. While I do not have an eidetic memory, I do tend to memorize phrases from movies or plays and lyrics to songs - even after one hearing. This contributes to #1 above.


3. I can put almost any baby to sleep in five minutes. It's all in the way you move when you rock the baby (and it helps if you can sing soft lullabies). Just call me Aunt Singing Pillow.


4. I walk on my toes. This is something I was never "broken" of as a child, and now it means I have tight hamstrings, but I have an excellent sense of balance.


5. Time is my obsession. Sort of. Of all my friends and acquaintances, I know of only one other person who gets places (meetings, parties, gatherings, whatever) early like I do. I cannot stand to be late, even if being late is fashionable. It drives me crazy when I don't have a watch or clock to check for the time, even when the time doesn't matter.


6. I'm not allergic to anything. While this seems more like a blessing than a "weird thing," consider that I still sneeze on a regular basis, and there is no real reason. I've worked with one of the best allergists in the state and we've yet to find a cause. On a side note, this non-allergy does not apparently prevent me from having a sensitivity to harsh scents, cigarette smoke, and mohair. According to the allergist, those are irritants and could set anyone off.

So, there you have it, my own personal oddities. I'd tag someone else specifically, but since I don't know who may have already done it, I'll leave the door open - if you want to meme-along, go for it!

Happy whatever

Yeah, happy single awareness day.

I'm actually not as grumpy this morning as that sounds, but I do wish people would stop asking me what I am doing for Valentine's Day -- at the very least they could take me out to dinner if they are that curious. Happy VD.

Action-packed weekend

Amazingly enough, quite a lot happened this weekend. I got to spend some great time with a close friend on Friday - a little shopping, a lot of gabbing, and a really good movie. :D Bad 'ol me skipped yoga on Saturday morning (I just couldn't wake up in the morning) but I did do my exercises before running off to meet some friends in the afternoon for some knitting and social time.

In all this, I did keep FUFO February going by finishing the rainbow scarf on Saturday afternoon. Last night I delivered it to the recipient, who was gratifingly excited about it. :D The delivery location was the Stabat Mater concert of the Texas Choral Consort - and I spent quite a bit of the evening explaining to people why I didn't sing with them for the first time since joining the group. (Yeah, I decided 3 nights of rehearsals a week was a little too intense for me physically right now, but I'm almost ready to be back off my musical vacation.)

The concert itself was just amazing - it is infrequent that I get to be in the role of observer for one of these concerts; if I am not singing it is usually because I am not in town for the performance dates. This being a rare exception, it was very nice to watch the group as an outsider, and Dvorak's Stabat Mater is probably one of the most beautiful pieces the group has ever done. To keep it fair, I think the overall experience would have been better had the soloists had a better view of the conductor, so that there would be no timing issues. Aside from the odd blip, the music was just transporting. Had the lyrics been in English, I think the audience would have been in tears. As it was, it was very moving and the conductor pulled a superbly emotional performance out of all.

Oh, and the after party rocked.

Today might have been anticlimactic, but hopping out of bed at 0-dark-thirty to get to church on time is always exciting. :D I also got to hang out with the Austin Flickr group for lunch, where we had fun with Joe's toys. Total blast. Right now I am watching the Grammy Awards, and I've finished a 3rd UFO (the purple muppet scarf is a done deal). I'm watching the show because another vocal group I will be performing with this year was nominated - twice. Sadly it looks like Conspirare did not win either of the two categories they were nominated for, but it is wonderful that they were nominated in the first place and I look forward to singing with this amazing group.

Sometimes I wonder what ever happened to my weekend. This weekend, I know where that time went. I just want a couple extra days. :D

Foodie Friday

039/365 - Chili Cook-off,
originally uploaded by Cyndiva.

Well, this chili cook-off actually happened yesterday, but I'm still feeling a bit of the heartburn today... :D At any rate, it was a lot of fun, and my entry (bottom of the photo in the white crockpot) shared honors for best tasting as voted for by all the people there. Gotta love it.

Huff and puff

It's crazy - I am so pleased with the progress I've made over the past few months. I can do forward bends from standing and while seated on a chair. But...I still can't do them worth jack when seated on the floor. When on the floor in yoga class, I feel like the world's biggest yoga failure. Argh. The thing keeping me going to class is knowing that the only way to improve my flexibility is to keep working at it.

In other news, I did finish one of my projects this past weekend - Road to China is a done deal. From Drops 93, pattern 23 with some modifications of my own. If I make another one of these, I am definitely going to work out how to do turkish stitch in the round. The hat overall looks great - I just don't like the back seam.

She's aliiiive

Yes, ladies and germs, I do still exist. This past weekend I spent at Mom's - V's birthday - and I actually finished a project. Road to China is officially an FO - just have to do the matching gloves at some point, and I'll post pictures tomorrow.

One of the great-granddaughters laid on my lap for a couple hours while we watched a Disney film on Saturday. She's about four, if that, and started playing with my sweater neckline. In a very grown-up tone she told me that she liked my sweater, that it was a very nice sweater. I couldn't help but giggle. Then she started patting me, and I asked what she was doing. She replied, "I like you - you're squishy." Heh. There's a benefit to having a large bustline.

Life's been a little crazy with work and such this week, but I'll work on getting the rest of my pictures uploaded and posted over the next couple days. ...and perhaps I'll finish something else.

Edited to add: HA - I didn't even realize I'd started this post almost identically to the last one. Must be past my bedtime.

FUFO

Yes, ladies and germs, February is Finish Unfinished Objects month. I have just a few rows left to go on the purple muppet scarf, about half a skein for the rainbow ribs scarf, a few rounds left on the Road to China hat (and the remainder of the yarn is for matching gloves), plus my ongoing Fauve tank. Of course, there are quite a few other things in the works, but I'm focusing this month on those specific projects that have already been started. I will try to not buy any additional yarn unless one of those projects is short (yarn shop visits on trips out of town don't count, but I think there is only one of those scheduled this month).

...and awaaaaaaaaaaaaay we go!