Just to put things in context

This is about how long it is now. It's not naturally curly, those are fake curls. It's long and mostly straight. I wasn't kidding about the back fat (sigh)

I am awful at embroidery, drunken or sober. Good thing I could take up knitting. Chain stitch is my new best friend, after back stitch and I don't get along too well. The bunny is done, except for a bodice ribbon and the whites of its (hers? his?) eyes. After all this, I have to agree that the orange looks a little weird. Oh well. It's probably the purple dress, brings out the orangeyness even more.

And what is this?
That would be my first attempt at stranded knitting. Doesn't look like much, does it. Fortunately the rabbit does not care. Surprisingly enough, I've got tension issues (hahahahaha, me who has to go down 2+ needle sizes for every project. You don't want to know what that translates to for thinnish sock yarn.)

Too late at night after a weekend of bad weather

I'm thinking of cutting my hair. It's waist length, and I've never cut it, ever (trims don't count). I've had long hair for so long it's almost part of my identity now. People might not remember me, but they'll remember that chick with the really long hair.

Am I insane?

I'm thinking I'm tired of looking like Cousin It from the backside. Then again, big hair hides back fat.

Proof that New Mexico isn't a monochromatic wasteland

When I was visiting, I spent an hour or so walking up in the foothills of the mountains. I found this little cactus hidden among some rocks at the mouth of an arroyo (a dry wash/drainage path).

Aka 'Spike.' One way that Nature says: DO NOT EAT ME.

H is for Hiding

Erm, it's been 3 weeks, hasn't it? I'm sorry to just drop off the face of the earth like that. I haven't been reading blogs much either. Sometimes I get all weird like this and I don't want to cope with reality any more. At the same time, I usually crave attention and interaction, so it's really not all that fun. Hiding under the covers usually wins out. I'm trying to be better.

Thank you all for your good wishes. Mom's doing well and walking around again, after a week of forced sitting-around and crutches. She has exactly the same knee problems I have, in the same knee even, but I got the luck of the draw and my ripped up meniscus doesn't cause me any pain, so I could bypass the surgery.

Dad visited and I survived. I think he had a good time. I enabled him into buying a new camera, heh heh. Anyone coming to visit, take note: we are mostly boring people who like to do boringish things like go for bike rides, visit gardens, eat good food, knit, and read. Although I know of this really cool old 80s arcade in town if you need your Galaga fix.

There's been lots of knitting lately, mostly all boring comfort knitting; although I do have an update on the toy rabbit, which K tells me now resembles the groundog from Caddyshack. I've been working on its dress (why sure, rabbits have dresses!) which is purple and stranded and kicking my derrière.

New Mexico isn't quite so green as Oregon.

Well, different shades of green. Check out all those cholla cacti. My parent's front yard has a couple of them out front, one with a dove's nest built inside all the spiny arms.

Hi Mom! She looks pretty good for 3 days out of surgery, I think (even if it was arthroscopic. They still had to give her a general anaesthetic.)

P.S. Hose and heels are tools of the debil, I do believe. My thoroughly broken-in shoes gave me 2 blisters within a half mile of walking. Fortunately I don't get much practice wearing them.

Please leave a message at the tone

Hi.
I'm sorry I have not been answering any email. My mother had knee surgery on Wednesday so I'm currently in New Mexico, helping her out for a few days. Everything's fine and she's healing quickly and hobbling around.

Back on Saturday night to clean up the house for my Dad's visit to Portland next week. It wasn't all of it planned that way, but that's the way the events have fallen out.

Hope you are well and happy. <insert clever, humorous, insightful comment here>