Something is in the backyard!

Butterflies!

These were taken in our backyard...

a little while ago when the lilac bush was blooming.

They were swarming around like last year but I just wasn't quick enough to get a good pic.

They sure are pretty.

And at the farm, while I was babysitting the grandbabies, I spotted this out the kitchen window.

A swingset you say? Well, yes, that too. But if you look really closely...

You see it now?

Yes! A deer!

It saw us too!

Sunshine Award!?!

Thank you Karen! I'm not always so sunny but I'm honored that you think so! :)

The award rules:
1. Thank the blogger who nominated you.
2. Answer the 10 questions on your favourite things.
3. Nominate 10 blogs to receive the Sunshine Award and let them know they’ve been nominated.

So I'm supposed to answer these 10 questions and nominate 10 people...well...I've only got a couple to nominate but here goes...

Favourite animal: Cats. No, dogs. Umm, maybe sheep or more accurately lambs. Oh I don't know! OK. Cats.
Favourite number: 13. Yeah I know it sounds weird but it's a pretty good number!
Favourite non-alcoholic drink: Diet Coke
Facebook or Twitter: FB
My passion: Knitting lace shawls
Getting or giving: Ummm...both?
Favourite Pattern: Iceling. It's a cardigan for baby boys.
Favourite day of the week: Saturday
Favourite flower: Lilies
Favourite country: USA

I'd nominate Karen but she's the one that gave me the award in the first place! Karen IS sunshine so it's understandable that she received the award. And witty. Karen you crack me up!

Kym. Her blog posts are amazing with music and beautiful pictures. And Kym is a wonderful person with a positive outlook. Perfect Sunshine Award nominee.

And my second nominee is Cookie. Yes, Cookie you do deserve the Sunshine Award. You portray yourself as a grouch but we all know that you are really a sweetheart and I love to see what you have to say every time you post. Another perfect Sunshine Award nominee.

Decisions. Decisions.

There have been a few decisions made and quite a few more yet to be done.

This is Moldova Burgundy from Peace Fleece. I love Peace Fleece yarn for cardigans and that is just what this is going to be. I decided at the end of the winter that I needed another cardigan and got this ordered. Now to decide what pattern!

The yarn is firm and has good shape and body when knit and the touch of mohair gives it a little fuzzy halo when washed. It does itch just a bit though so a turtleneck is in order for me.

These adorable little balls are also from Peace Fleece and if I can bear to use them and not just keep them to look at, some might be used as a bit of decoration on the cardigan.

This will be the most fun decision of all! I won this yarn from our sweetheart, Karen. I was the 2,500th comment on her blog. Karen....that is a lot of comments! And Karen, you must know me pretty well because you got the colors exactly right. I will so enjoy deciding what to knit with this yarn. And yes, I think it did spark my mojo! :D

I really really want to design a lace shawl and so when I found out about this book I just had to have it. It has good basics and combined with other things I've found online I just might be able to do a design for myself. Only time will tell.

And so when I decided to buy the book above there was yarn for sale on the same website! How convenient is that? ;) I found this pretty plum laceweight and decided to order it also. It is one honking big ball....1500 yds worth!

This is Wollmeise yarn. I'm a fan of The Loopy Ewe online yarn shop. On occasion there is a bit of this yarn for sale. But only if you are aware of when it is available and then you have to be as quick as a bunny to get any of it. It sells like hotcakes. And so when I saw on Facebook that there was some for sale I decided then and there that I "needed" to see what all the fuss was about!

Since there are days and days of rain in the forecast...(Trust me it's a good thing! We need rain like crazy. The soybeans don't want to pop through because there is a crust on top of the soil from the last rain and it needs to get softened up asap!)...I decided to snap a few pictures of the peonies.

There's lots of buds...

on both bushes. But they'll be flat on the ground and turning brown if it rains as much as forecast so I'll have them in picture if not in real life!

Can you almost smell them?

Finally something to talk about!

I have been knitting! And voila! A shawl is born. It's my "I love AC but I hate the draft Shawl".
(It's a Ravelry link)


This shawl is going to live in the car this summer.
It's purpose in life is to protect me from air conditioning drafts.

I hate to admit that I end up with a sore neck and shoulders if I get drafted on by AC. (Old age??)

And so these pretty Falling Leaves will keep me safe from the nasty drafts caused by AC.

(The unblocked version)

Don't get me wrong I love AC and getting away from the sticky, humid weather that assults us here. I just don't like the draft!

Wordless Wednesday...It is Wednesday...right?

Times to remember...

Yesterday I babysat 2nd DGD while 1st DGD & 1st DGS were in school and their mom and dad were going to the dentist and doing some shopping.

A few things happened to make it so very sweet.

When the kids got off the bus they came into the house yelling "Gramma!" Gramma!" They were so excited to see me there. Not everywhere you go do you get a greeting like that! There were hugs and kisses all around.

But to top that off 2nd DGD was hanging on to me yelling at her sister and brother, "No! My Umma (gramma)! My Umma!

Grandkids are so sweet and special. I just love them to pieces...

Then, 1st DGD asked me to help her with her knitting again. I'd shown her how to do it maybe a year ago and off and on since but it didn't really ever work for her. She's got the hang of it now I tell you!

I told her the poem....

"In through the front."

"Once around the back."

"Peek through the window."

"And off jumps Jack!"

She memorized that in a flash and then I held her hands to get the right motion for "peeking through the window" and away she went!

She was so excited and I was so touched by her enthusiasm and the ease and competence that just seemed to come out of nowhere. She had struggled before but yesterday was like a revelation for her and she just took off.

Yay! A knitter is born!

It was a totally sweet afternoon.

Somewhere over the rainbow...

Double rainbows.

The pictures don't do them justice. They were so brilliant and each color showed so distinctly. Beautiful they were. Just beautiful.