Happy Birthday Dad!!

January 8 is one of the special days on my calendar for a great reason - it is my Dad's birthday! This is a photo of my Dad and my sister taken today at his birthday party. Wish I could have been there but alas, no vacation time! Dad has always encouraged me to learn all that I can. I am sure this is why I enjoy taking classes and learning about anything that intrigues me.

Speaking of something that might intrigue, have you ever wondered what cats are saying to each other when they play? Let's listen in:

No matter how you play it, hope you have a wonderful weekend!

KZ

Belated Birthday & Anniversary Wishes from August

{I did say they were belated!}

We have two anniversaries and two birthdays to celebrate in August, so I decided a Zebra Cake would be fun. This is to be enjoyed virtually... but if anyone reading this lives in Broward or Dade Counties in Florida, you can purchase a real cake from www.ilyscakes.com. They deliver to several towns in the area.  Isn't this a spectacular cake? Wow!  I wish I could buy one. Visit her website {click on her website url above} and check out some of her other wonderful creations!

Here are the two happy anniversary couples enjoying a rare visit together. Mom and Dad are on the left and my Aunt and Uncle are on the right. They wish the miles were not so far apart between their homes. I think it is neat that Mom and her DS {Dear Sister} share the same month for their wedding anniversaries because my DS and I share the same month for ours! 

A few days after celebrating their wedding anniversary, Mom had a birthday.  This is a picture of Mom with Avery, who enjoys life with my DS and her family. {Out of courtesy and respect for privacy, you will find that I only post the names of our beloved pets and not our human family members.} Grand-dogs are grand indeed!

A few days after my Aunt and Uncle celebrated their anniversary, my DB {Dear Brother} celebrated his birthday. This is a picture of him with Dad at the family August celebration. As you can see, my family shares birthday months in addition to anniversaries {DB and Mom share August. Dad, DS & I also share a month}.

Best wishes to our celebrated August family members!

Special thanks to my DS for the wonderful pictures!  She keeps me up to date on family events when I am not able to be there.

P.S.  Once again I was holding off thinking I would start a website and have a blog as an offshoot of the website. I have started a website, but am waiting to unveil it at a future time.  I finally came to my senses and decided if I did a blog as an offshoot, I will just put the teasers or first part of these blog posts on that site and have a link over to this blog... that way I will keep posting and not lose valuable time thinking about where to blog. In other words, I like my little blog home right here. LOL!   

Happy Birthday to my DS {Dear Sister}

I feel truly blessed to be a member of my family!  I love my parents, brother and sister.  Today is my day to say Happy Birthday to the best sister a girl could ever want!  Wish I could have been there to say it in person!  We share a lot of common interests and I wish we lived closer so we could get together more often.  

I just knew DS was going to be born on my birthday and she almost was ~ she arrived to greet the world 2 days before my birthday {same parents, same hospital, same doctor, but a number of years apart}.  Because of our age difference we did not have very many years together at Mom and Dad's.  I moved 500 + miles away to attend college and here I have stayed.

Before I moved I was always playing the piano at home, so when I learned DS was taking piano lessons I proudly assumed I was part of her inspiration.  Ahhh, how family can keep us humble. One year when I was back home visiting, I sat down to play something and soon I heard my sister run thru the room to find Mom so she could tell her that I knew how to play the piano.  It seems my ability to play the piano was a total surprise to my Dear Sister.  Oh yes, I had really made an impression on her when I lived at home! LOL {Laugh Out Loud}!

Fast forward years later when she and her now hubby were setting the date for their upcoming marriage.  When they chose the same day as my wedding anniversary, I thought it was so sweet they wanted to get married on the same day.  Surprise ~ when they chose the date they did not know it was the same day as my anniversary!  

I know if we were together today, we would be laughing and having fun!  By being a number of years apart in age and my moving away when DS was young, we bypassed a lot of the squabbles and sibling rivalry that others go thru.  We headed straight for the fun times!

Time is so precious and all too short when we are together!  So on this your special day, Dear Sister, I send to you my love and birthday greetings across the miles.

To celebrate your special day, here's some toned down Guns 'n Roses for your birthday:

And if you want a little more Guns 'n Roses:

Love,
KZ

Happy Birthday, Dad!!

Happy Birthday to one of the greatest Dads a girl could ever want!  Dad, you have been a blessing to me my whole life!!  You watched over me and protected me when I was growing up. I know you still have an interest in my well being and though I am an adult now, it is great to know I will always be your "favorite older daughter"!

I have always appreciated how you encourage me to learn as much as I can.  I remember one particular summer day when you were so willing to let me learn, you did not even yell when I took the spring apart in the lawn mower.  I know that cost you money to have it rewound!  I thought that was so cool when you said I could take the lawn mower apart to see how it worked.  I am sure you never dreamed I would unwind that coil.  While this was not the start of a lawn mower repair service for me, I learned not to be afraid of finding out how things work. 

When I came to you as a 5 year old and said "Dad, I want to sing a solo in church."  You so wisely asked "What would you like to sing?"  To which I replied, "I don't know."  You lovingly told me to let you know when I decided what I wanted to sing.   Then a few months later I came to you and said, "Dad, I want to sing a solo in church."  Once again you asked, "What would you like to sing?"  "I don't know."  Still being the wonderful Dad you are, you replied, "Let me know when you decide what you want to sing."   In my memory I asked you this multiple times over the coming months.   While this was not the start of a singing career for me, I learned not to be afraid to ask.  

I do not recall being afraid when I gave my first public speech in the high school auditorium the night I graduated from kindergarten.   Public speaking comes so naturally to you and Mom that I probably did not know some people have a fear of giving speeches.  I learned that I was merely speaking to friends, albeit quite a large number of friends, while on stage.  That has served me well thru the years.

So on this special occasion, I wish you a happy birthday ... and many more!!   {I blurred out the number candles so your age will remain a secret.}

Love you Dad,

KZ

Sweetie sends Birthday Greetings to Nana

I asked for permission to post on Mom's blog so I could send birthday greetings to someone very special to me. With a little help from a "friend" this is for you Nana:

Happy Birthday Nana! I love you!
Sweetie

Happy Birthday, DS {Dear Son}!

Happy Birthday to my favorite son!!! {Remember I told you in an earlier post that we play favorites in my family!} Well even if he is my only son, he is my favorite!! This is a picture taken of DS at work. We are very proud of him as he continues to pursue a college degree while working full-time. Yes, he cleared his desk for this picture. Normally he has a ton of files out that he is working on. Also, this picture was taken on a Saturday when dress is more casual.

He tells us it is a rough job, but sometimes someone has to move the golf cart. We arrived as he was "closing up shop" and it was very windy. Proud Dad, DH {Dear Hubby}, was wind-blown from the blustery Oklahoma wind, but obliged by hopping on board for a photo op with his favorite son.

On the way home from his first day of work there, DS called to say it was by far the most bizarre first day of a new job he had ever had. Someone was on their way to visit them and pressed on the accelerator instead of the brakes, driving down some steps and into the front door. As you can see by the plywood below, repair work is still being done on the entryway. Luckily there is another entrance they can use until this entrance is totally repaired.

Ever feel like the two days of your weekend are waaaayyyy shorter than any two days during the work week?! I had to chuckle when I saw the address right above the listing of their office hours:

So that is why my work week seems so long ~ it is 1000 hours long!!! Well it does feel that way!!!

DS became my hiking buddy at an early age. We share a lot of the same interests ~ trying new foods, love of nature and animals, hiking, music, and writing ~ just to name a few. Gone are the days of him living at home, but there is a special place in our hearts for him and we are so very proud!!

In closing, I leave you with two options for drum music {DS is one fast drummer!}.

For the younger taste, here is a drum solo by John Bonham of Led Zepplin. Double Click on the arrow to start the video:

For the older taste in drummers, I give you a drum battle that took place in 1966 on the Sammy Davis, Jr. show. Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich showing off their talent:

Carpe knitting,
KZ

Happy Birthday Mom!

Part of the family were able to drop by today to sing Happy Birthday to one of the most amazing women we know. The rest of the family really wanted to be here. Since they could not, they came in spirit and sent their love!

This incredible genteel Southern lady goes by many names: Sister, Wife, Mother {Mom}, Mother-in-law, Grandmother {Maw} and Great-Grandmother. Each and every one of these names means Love!

Mom's sister was not able to be here today, so she sent the most beautiful long stem roses ~ a baker's dozen. The picture does not do them justice. The middle rose is a gorgeous yellow rose. Knitted Zebra's Aunt lives in Texas ~ isn't there a song about the Yellow Rose of Texas?

Mom, you mean so much to us that words alone cannot express our ever-growing love for you! God has truly blessed us!!

We love you Mom!

Thanks for sharing Mom's birthday with me via my blog.

Carpe knitting,
KZ

Dishing up a Birthday Gift

I was all set ~ is that akin to "It was a dark and stormy night!" You know something is coming that changes your plans and you can almost hear the music playing.... My DIL (Daughter-in-Law) picked out a shawl for me to knit for her birthday. After much thought and deliberation, I chose Suri Dream Hand Dyed {74% Suri Alpaca, 22% Wool, 4% Nylon} from Knit Picks and cast on. I love the yarn but as I began to knit, I decided this was not the project for that yarn. I will find the right project for the Suri Dream, I promise. It will have a purpose in my yarn stash.

I had been eyeing Tapestry by Rowan and knew I had to make something with it. I decided this was the project. Tapestry is described as "a subtley self striping unique blend of 70% wool and 30% soybean. It is warm and soft and has a soft gentle drape." That sounded very cozy to me! I chose Colorway #171 Rainbow:

and planned to do the fringe in Venezia Color by Lang Yarns in Colorway #159 which blends so beautifully with the Tapestry yarn. {...notice the past tense.}


I was all set {there's that music again!}...


After playing with the pattern and becoming more comfortable with it, I decided perhaps the pattern was not quite what I should do at this time. Some friends from Naturally Needlepoint and Knitting (NN&K) had knitted patterns by




{Click on the Fiddlesticks logo above to go to the Fiddlesticks website.} It did not take long for me to decide to knit the Triple Mohair Triangle (two friends have knitted it). Here are some of Fiddlesticks' pictures of the shawl I am going to knit:







Raise your hand if you have ever changed your mind on a pattern and then you need ....drum roll please.... more yarn! ...insert trumpet sound!...



I was able to find more Tapestry in the chosen colorway, but previously had only needed one skein of the Venecia Color by Lang Yarns. Naturally there were no more skeins of that beautiful blue I loved so much. I do not even find that colorway listed on Yarndex {a clue to availability perhaps?!}


Never fear, Vickie is here! The wonderful owner of NN&K personally pulled some color schemes together for me for the fringe, then took a poll of her very talented and trusted sidekicks and they all approved the choice.



The fringe will be in a blue grey colorway of Lang SilkDream {a 50/50 Merino/Silk blend}




and GGH Soft-Kid Colorway #62.

Yarndex's description says this about Soft-Kid: "Ultra-feminine 'super' kid mohair helps you craft the lightest, most ethereal garments imaginable. Used alone or carried along with another yarn to soften and add a special glow to the finished piece. 70% mohair, 25% nylon & 5% wool. " The colors blend beautifully together. This pattern is more complex than the pervious pattern, but I really the shawls my friends have done. I know DIL will like it also.

I am eager to start on this shawl. Temporarily I have set it aside to work on a chemo hat for Leisure Arts and am running late on the hat. Changing departments at work and working overtime has eaten into my time. I was able to knit on the hat a little yesterday morning and hope to knit on it some tonight. I am using a pattern by a friend of mine. You can see the pattern if you go over to her website Pieceful Stitches, click on Free Stuff and feast your eyes on "Diagonal Rib Hat." I am using Magic Loop technique and having a lot of fun. From day one I have enjoyed using circular needles, so magic loop is "right up my alley."


Carpe Knitting,
KZ