celebrating a first!!!

OK, I know that to many this would seem very trivial... but it's a first for me.  I got a pedicure today for the very first time ever and i loved it!!  look at that... who could not love frosty purple with an attitude on their little piggies???  and who would not love being perched up on that throne with feet in warm, soapy water, and have a sweet young thing diligently fixin' up your feet to be ready for summer nekkidness in sandals?   mmmm... what decadent-ness.  This was the first and it won't be the last.  Also, i had a massage.  this was all thanks to a gift certificate at xmas from my very dear DH.  i've been savoring the anticipation for 5 months and oh my it was sweet!  sigh... 

close to finished!!

the end is in sight for getting this quilt finished in time for my DS's birthday!  wheee... I'm almost positive he never reads my blog, so the surprise won't be spoiled.  There are no 2 squares alike, which made it fun to make.  The actual quilting stage began today, and i'm hoping to get it done this week.  It is a little less than single/twin size, so is intended as a nap blanket and is Portland Trailblazer colors (well, the red and black...).  surely do hope he likes it!!

the colors aren't exact... it is red, not pink and black, not gray!!

more fingerless mitts

I had some really soft yarn (alpaca, i think) that was perfect for mitts, so this was my take-along travel project.  I started with a free pattern I found through Ravelry and improvised a bit (as usual).  the photo looks a bit goofy as i couldn't model both mitts and take the photo, too.  oh well... 

I WON fibers in a drawing!!

just the fact of winning something is exciting, but i won lovely handdyed fibers and a tote bag from Black Bunny Fibers (Carol Sulcoski).  In a group on Ravelry called Knitters for Obama, in a drive to raise $$ for Barack Obama, you could make a donation to the Obama campaign and your name would be put in the drawing for prizes which had been donated by other members of the group.  I really had no expectations either of winning anything or of the prize being this cool.  The coral bundle is Wensleydale dyed with Brazilwood and Henna, the green is corrie and the blue is Border Leiscester/mohair.  And the tote bag is big and roomy... will be fiber filled!

more photos from Crete

some random choice photos from my flickr....

this is the house across the street from ours.

Elena brought me these beautiful roses from their yard!

another one of our kitchen.  the sink is solid marble, as are the counter tops and the table top.

there are snails EVERYWHERE around our house in Vamos!!!  (only one got inside that i know of)   This photo is especially for Elena since she thinks they are "cute"!

home again

we got home tuesday night... some 30 hours after haulin' ass out of bed at 4:30a.m. in Vamos.  we are now in that re-entry process toward what passes for normal here in my queendom.  Jim went and retrieved the dogs from a neighbor's boarding kennel early Wed. morning, and they've been sticking as close as shadows since then, maybe fearing we'll leave them again.  all is good here at dome central, with some bloomin' flowers and trees, the clematis on the gazebo about finished its spring show, the greens in the greenhouse lush and plentiful (what happened to those neighbors who said they'd come and get salad greens while we were gone???).. and the grass/weeds knee-high.

It was a bigger than life lovely 3 weeks in Vamos, and now we have a house to go back to and will do that early in Oct. for about 3 months!!  bravo!

and now it's time for a nap.

a few more Vamos, Crete photos

this is my most favorite rose in our yard.  it lasts a really long time as a cut flower!!

3 views of the kitchen/dining area of our little Cretan house

we will probably use the wood stove in winter for heat as there is no central heating.