I finally (!) sent out my Favorite Color Secret Pal's package. I hope she likes it---especially the "I hope Ernesto doesn't become a hurricane" packaging!

I cast on for Stella a couple nights ago, as a gift for my Mom. I didn't remember her picking out such a lacy (read that: open) design. I emailed her to ask about it and neither of us can remember what we had decided on. Crap. So, that's got to come off the needles.

Suddenly, the mass quantity of knitting I thought I had to do...has fizzled. Yes, I have promised two dear friends an afghan for their wedding last year, but they have to select the pattern and the yarns. Yes, I owe my son a fingerless glove (right now, he's sporting the early Michael Jackson look). Yes, I promised DH an afghan over two years ago. What am I forgetting??? Maybe I wanted to make more of the Textured Slip Stitch / Ballband dishcloths? Sure, those are good for any-time knitting.

I've been promising to introduce the business and I've been lazy. I'm trying to rectify that now.

First, we have the Senior Partners of the "Rice Otter Clan", Ukiah Jacob (first row) and Elijah Benjamin (second row):

Then we have the Junior Partner, Indigo Victoria:

Next are the Senior Associates, Kittanning Donovan and River:

And finally, our Junior Associates, Maxwell Seamus Bennett and Octavia Juniper:

Our home set-up is pretty free-flowing. We've got a tall SuperPet cage upstairs, covered with a blanket to create "The Cave". Downstairs, we have a single-height SuperPet cage. They have a step-stool for climbing into the side door of The Cave. They roam free 24/7, with the occasional round-up to verify numbers (and a head-count several times each day!).

I have been looking forward to using my new camera to catch these weasels in action, but the focus ring is not functioning... so I'm stuck with my old digital which has only auto-focus. *sigh*

The latest trick is courtesy of Junior Partner Indigo: she's learned to brace her back against the refridgerator and climb the wall with her claws. This gives her access to the counters (previously denied thanks to the magnetic tot-locks we installed!).

That's all for now.

My mom was the one who introduced me to ferrets. Before I ever met hers, I had researched these creatures and eventually adopted five of my own because of how she talked about these creatures. Then I finally got to meet Mousey and Fuskers, along with the ferrets of a friend of hers: Huskers and Weazey.

Mousey hasn't been doing so well since before I met him. Mom's vet told her that he needed a really expensive surgery---but the last time she listened to this vet, she lost Minky, whom I never had the honor of meeting. So, I took Mousey to my vet in Savannah, GA: Dr. Bink. He may have an odd name, but there's nothing wrong with this vet: he adores ferrets. It shows in how he handles them and treats them.

Dr. Bink diagnosed an enlarged spleen and the adrenal problems common in Marshall ferrets. Due to Mousey's advanced age, he didn't recommend surgery because Mousey's chances of surviving were lower. Instead he prescribed a medication (which I always give the wrong name, but I think was lysidrone). That was supposed to help reduce the swelling from all the enlargement which was making it difficult for Mousey to urinate. Thanks to Dr. Bink, Mousey perked up and seemed to do much better.

Still, veterinarians and doctors can only do so much. This morning, Mousey slipped into a coma in my Mom's arms and died. If you have ferrets, give them an extra hug or two today and think of Mousey crossing over the Rainbow bridge.

Mousey is on the right, with my first ferret-boy, Ukiah, on the left.

That's all for now.

I've been thinking about ordering the Levenger Go Tote as another knitting bag.

What do you think?

Well, last night (or sometime way early this morning), I was over at KnitPicks looking at some scrumptious yarn when I saw the KIPer Knitting Bag Set. Wow!

I ordered it. *grin* I'll post my "review" of it here when I get it.

I also ordered a single KnitPicks changeable needle, size 8 with a 24" cord. I recently bought the Denise set for $50 and I don't like it. Of course, right after I ordered, I learned of the Knit Picks. *sigh* They do appear to be nicer, but I'm hesitant to spend the $60 on another set I won't like.

I think I've come to realize there's no such thing as "the perfect needle" anyways. It depends on the fiber, the size, your hands... so many variables that really add up to having bamboo and wood, aluminum and perhaps even *gasp* plastic. (I haven't found the right reason for plastic yet.)

That's all for now.

1. What are your top three favorite colors? Purple, jewel tones of blue, green, red
2. Is there anything you collect?
   I have a collection of small (desk-friendly) giraffes I like. I don't so much collect books as I devour them! Knitting patterns!
3. What are your favorite...
   • scents/smells? Because of my Fibromyalgia, I'm sensitive to scents. Most people annoy me because they bathe in their cologne! I like light musks (emphasis on light!), simple food smells (vanilla, cookies, applie pie), but tend to avoid them in general because some days I am more sensitive than others.
   • types of music and/or bands? Randy likes to tease me because I've come to my "metal head" days later in life. I love Tool, Disturbed, Pearl Jam, Nirvana (yes, I'm still filling out my collections!), Evanescence, System of a Down, Blue October (Foiled is excellent!)
   • TV shows or movies? I miss Joss Whedon! Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Stargate SG-1, Dead Zone...I've been enjoying the Law & Order Fill-in-the-Blank shows lately, too. I enjoyed the first seasons of CSI and Without a Trace but lost track of them some time ago.
   • authors? How long have you got? Octavia Butler (whose passing earlier this year I still mourn), Wen Spencer, Kelley Armstrong, Nicola Griffith, David Weber, Jim Butcher (Dresden Files rule!), Louise Marley, Alma Alexander, Elizabeth Moon....the list continues ad infinitum
   • animals? Ferrets! I have seven of them!!!!
   • places to shop? Bookstores, IKEA, gaming stores, knitting stores
   • seasons? Arizona. *grin*
   • candies or goodies? No thank you.
   • hobbies? Knitting, beading, painting mini-figs (see gaming stores above), writing, designing houses I want to build. (It sure seems like I've got more hobbies than that!)
   • sports? Hmm. I can be coaxed into watching a baseball game on tv. But that's about it for me.
4. Pick the word you prefer...
• Math or Reading? Reading!
• Art or Science? Art!
• Yesterday or Tomorrow? Tomorrow---like 250 years from now!
• Day or Night? Night!
• Summer or Winter? Hmm. Depends on where I live. Northern North America? Summer! Southern (eastern) North America? Winter. Southwest North America: any time all all!
• Land or Sea? I've never really spent any time at sea, so my default would have to be "land", but I'd sure love to live in the ocean!
5. Are you allergic to anything? Only an antibiotic that you shouldn't be giving me anyways. *grin*
6. Do you have any pets? What are they? Seven ferrets: Ukiah Jacob, Elijah Benjamin, Indigo Victoria, Kittanning Donovan, River, Maxwell Seamus Bennet, and Octavia Juniper. Five cats: Puck, Heinlein, Friday, Lilith, and Corky. (Lilith and Corky are seeking new homes!)
7. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes! Especially if it's handmade by the giver and shows an awareness of my interests.
8. What is your latest obsession? "Textile studies": I'm knitting a lot and I want to spin and weave.
9. Do you like coffee or tea (with or without caffeine)? Coffee if it's the right flavor; tea if it's sweet. Caffeine is optional these days.
10. Do you have any subscriptions you enjoy? I am subscribed to Ferrets magazine and Interweave Knits. I wish IK came more often!
11. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight what would you buy first? The land for my dream home/kibbutz.
12. If I could meet one person living or dead it would be... Octavia Butler. As a writer, my wish was to do for others the things she did for me when I read her books. I'm sorry I never got to meet her.
13. My dream vacation is... A trip to Africa, including Egypt. Actually, my dream vacation is a trip to Mars, but that's just not likely to happen soon!
14. When I get stressed out I... Chew my nails, get a stomach ache, cry more easily, eat more.
15. What personal goal haven't you achieved in life (yet)? Get published. These days I don't even know if that's a serious goal any more, but at least it's something.
16. Please include anything else you would like for us to know about
    you- anything that would be helpful in finding you little gifts that you
    will really enjoy.
• I collect postcards of places with images of cityscapes, geographic landmarks, flora or fauna, for a wall in the next house we build.
• I'm a lefty.
• I'm hard of hearing.
• I'm a Linux geek! I love to build computers too.
• I've always wanted to learn tai chi. I've started several times. One class didn't meet for long enough for me to get through the whole form.
• In addition to English, I used to be fluent in Spanish (and would be again, if I practiced). I am conversant in American Sign Language. I want to become fluent in ASL, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, Russian and perhaps Hebrew and Greek.
• I want to learn to belly dance.
• I miss Arizona.

That's all for now.

2006 Christmas Gift Questionnaire

Hello to all our family and friends.

After years of struggling to figure out who to ask for what and trying
to get lists out of everyone, we've decided to do something different
for Christmas this year. Instead of exchanging lists of things you want,
exchange this questionnaire with us this holiday season. Use the answers
we give you to select something from your heart you feel fits us based
on our answers. We'll do the same once you return your answers to the
questionnaire. Of course, those who don't return a questionnaire don't
get any gifts! Feel free to answer your questionnaire as a couple or
separately, but please let us know who the answers are for!

1. What are your top three favorite colors?
2. Is there anything you collect?
3. What are your favorite...
   • scents/smells?
   • types of music and/or bands?
   • TV shows or movies?
   • authors?
   • animals?
   • places to shop?
   • seasons?
   • candies or goodies?
   • hobbies?
   • sports?
4. Pick the word you prefer...
• Math or Reading?
• Art or Science?
• Yesterday or Tomorrow?
• Day or Night?
• Summer or Winter?
• Land or Sea?
5. Are you allergic to anything?
6. Do you have any pets? What are they?
7. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
8. What is your latest obsession?
9. Do you like coffee or tea (with or without caffeine)?
10. Do you have any subscriptions you enjoy?
11. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight what would you buy first?
12. If I could meet one person living or dead it would be...
13. My dream vacation is...
14. When I get stressed out I...
15. What personal goal haven't you achieved in life (yet)?
16. Please include anything else you would like for us to know about
    you- anything that would be helpful in finding you little gifts that you
    will really enjoy.

That's all for now.