Okay, so JessaLu tagged me for this meme back in July and I’ve been ignoring it ever since. Today seems like a fine time to check this off my to-do list. And I just want to say, this wasn’t easy. I have lots of rules and I can be quite OCD particular about things, but idiosyncracies? Those were harder to identify. Nevertheless, here goes nothing.

id·i·o·syn·cra·sy
Pronunciation Key
n. pl. id·i·o·syn·cra·sies
A structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group.

Write down five of your own personal idiosyncrasies. Then, if you wish, tag five people from your live gerbil or friendslist to do the same.

1. When I channel surf, whether it’s the radio or the television, I have to go from the first available channel to the last – even if I find something I want to listen to or watch before I get there. I just need to make sure there isn’t something better that I could be listening to or watching.

2. I almost always read the ending of a book first. I want to make sure it’s going to turn out the way I want or, if it’s not, to prepare myself for the disappointment of things not going my way.

3. I can not wear my glasses while I eat. Ever.

4. Speaking of eating, I absolutely have to have a napkin when I have something to eat. Whether it’s a full course meal or a teeny snack, I just have to have a napkin. Or two.

5. Popcorn at the movies? It’s meant to be eaten when the movie starts. Not before the lights go down, not during the previews, not until the actual movie starts. I have had to learn to overlook this rule when going to the movies with people who share my popcorn as a matter of survival but I’m not happy about it.

Okay, that’s my 5 and I’m not going to tag anyone because it took me so long to answer this that the popularity of this particular meme seems to have died down.

To update you on the comment contest – and to shamelessly quote Sally Field, you like me, you really like me! I have met so many readers in the last 2 days and it’s been great! The contest continues and we’re almost there, so keep those comments coming.

And, because I am committed to showing you pictures and making you laugh whenever possible, I leave you with this.

You guys understand how a blog works, right? There’s a sequence of events that goes something, but not exactly, like this:

1. I write an entry and post some pretty pictures.
2. You read the entry.
3. You comment on said entry.

Right. So that’s how its done. And yet. We seem to be having an issue getting from #2 to #3. See, I know I have readers. I have a site meter that tells me I average 38 visits per day. And, there are actually 20+ people who subscribe to my blog with Bloglines. (Oh, and Bloglines? The best freakin’ invention since the blog. You can keep track of, like, eleventy million blogs with minimal effort. If you haven’t tried it yet, you really need to do so. Right now.) Anyway, so, yeah, my blog has a community. But, listen up, gentle reader. You’re falling down on the job because you just aren’t leaving comments. Oh, I do manage to get a comment or two with every post now, which is an improvement since the bleak commentless early days of the blog. But some people? They get loads of comments with every post.

So, what’s their secret? Their witty and scintillating style? Their inclusion of knitting content with every post? The fact that they write (and knit) better than me? Maybe. But you know what? I think it’s the contests. Up until recently I had vowed never to resort to bribing you with contests. I thought my readers were above such cheap and shameless antics just to increase commenting. Oh, I know it’s done. Margene held a contest last week on her blog and offered up a prize to the 6500th commenter. 6500th. I had to go have a lie down after imagining what it would be like to have 6500 comments on my blog. Nevertheless, if it takes a prize to get you all to comment, then a prize it shall be. Anything for comments the sake of the blog.

So. Ahem. I am nearing a small milestone regarding comments. At the rate you guys comment, I might hit it in the next week or two. Might. And the 213th (a random number – how out of character is that?) commenter is going to get this.

That’s two skeins of Art Yarns Supermerino reclining in the hostas, the only plant worthy of photographing in my dry, dry garden.

Oh, and just so you know? I answer (and thank) every commenter. I figure it’s the least I can do.

So, this Dulaan Project thing? Ryan has started a new one. And I sort of missed the boat on the last one because I wasn’t blogging yet and then when I started blogging and read about it I got all shy and was too intimidated to join up. But, now that it’s new? And I know other bloggers? I’m totally going to knit for this.

You can read the rules for yourselves at Mossy Cottage Knits, but it’s really quite simple. You just need to knit something to keep someone warm. Course, if you wanted to do more, you could also encourage other knitters to knit warm things (Lois? HI!) and you could post flyers and you could round up Boy Scout troops looking for service projects (Dale? HI!) and you could even design special Dulaan patterns if you’re so inclined. It’s just a great way to do something nice for someone.

Good karma never hurt anybody. Just saying.

Take the 100 Acre Personality Quiz!

There was knitting over the weekend, I swear. See? The picture is boring and the knitting is boring, too. It doesn’t matter, though, because the end result is for this cutie pie!

Yes, indeedy, there was an Ambrynn visit last week. I only took a couple of pictures but I did manage to catch this teeny grin at Grandpa. Can you tell how big she has gotten? Remember her original size? Our “little” granddaughter is turning out to be quite a bruiser – she tipped the scales at 13 lb. 5 oz. at her 7 week check up! It’s obvious that Mom and Dad are taking great care of her and she’s just thriving! Way to go, little family!

If I write a post about the knitblogging community will it distract you from the lack of knitting content? I hope so.

I need to tell you that I am awestruck at how connected this community of knitbloggers is and I’ve only been part of it since January. I have met great people and been inspired by their knitting projects. I have read posts that have made me laugh and made me cry and made me want to be just like that knitter when I grow up. Risa and I had a discussion about our connectivity a couple of weeks ago — we confided in each other just how much we think about all y’all as we go about our daily business. It’s pretty cool to think that knitters in California and Utah and Canada and Wisconsin are all thinking about each other, isn’t it?

And part of thinking about each other is being there for each other and helping out. When Claudia was seeking pledges for her MS Ride many of us responded. Stephanie has used her blog to inspire knitters to pledge thousands of dollars to MSF. It has recently come to our attention, thanks to Claudia, that Emma needs to raise funds for her son Oliver’s care and comfort. Oliver’s Button is really cute! Go click on it over at Emma’s blog to make a donation.

There are ways to connect without donating money, too. Many of us were saddened by the tragic accident that claimed the life of Kerstin’s brother-in-law. Annie took inspiration from that sadness and set up the John Glick Afghan Project. She’s accepting afghan squares until October 15, 2005 and there’s even yarn available if you don’t have your own. There might be prizes, too, if you need a little inspiration!

The thing I’ve realized is that knitters are amazing and friendly people. I guess people that love wool can’t help but love other people who love wool. Just look at this group. (you knew I couldn’t post an entry without at least one picture, even if it is from 3 months ago!)

These grrls had known me for about 30 seconds and treated me like a long lost friend. I was too overwhelmed and shy to appreciate it then, but just wait until next time!

We’re in the midst of hurricane season around here, which really just means that every brewing storm gets mentionned on the news as a potential catastrophy. Now, hurricanes are not rare in New England and most of them, while damaging and potentially frightening, are not something to get all worked up about. However, every once in a while, we get hit with a doozy of a storm.

The hands-down worst hurricane to hit New England was on September 21, 1938 – this was before hurricanes were named, by the way, but September 21st, for those of you paying attention, wound up being my birthday some 27 years after this hurricane.

Another storm that has gone down in history was Hurricane Carol, which arrived on August 31, 1954. My oldest brother was just 3 months old when this storm hit and my mother was in Falmouth, Massachusetts. She remembers looking out the front door and seeing the ocean coming up the road – and they were about 2 miles from the beach.

As an aside, there was another Hurricane Carol in 1965, which just happens to be the year I was born. They didn’t keep official hurricane name lists at that time, and that’s why the name was used again. However, once the formal lists were introduced the name “Carol” was retired due to the destruction in 1954, and it will never be used for a hurricane again.

So. Anyone making the connection? The two most severe hurricanes in New England? One sharing my birthday? And one sharing my name? Twice, including the year I was born? It explains a bit about my personality, I think. Just ask my family. Most of the time, they live in the eye of the storm where all is calm and peaceful. But then the spiral bands surrounding the eye take hold and suck them into the cyclone where things are not quite so, ummm, pleasant.

Hurricanes have followed me my whole life is all I’m saying. So, last Thursday, when we visited Wickford, Rhode Island, a place I haven’t been to in years, I was not at all surprised to find this marker. The sock was willing to hang on the nail above the sign long enough for this picture.

Nor was I surprised to hear Dale, who enjoys trying the local microbrews, order a beer called Newport Storm at the little cafe where we had lunch. Turns out that Hurricane Amber Ale was created in honor of the September 21, 1938 storm.

By the way, New England is overdue for a major hurricane. My prediction? We’ll have a whopper on September 18, 2005, the date scheduled for my 40th birthday party.

We started out the week with a trip to North Conway, New Hampshire. We drove up on Monday and stayed overnight. We chose the motel room, not for the great amenities (there was no shampoo! have you ever heard of such a thing?!?) but rather for the view from our back balcony. Here’s the sock, enjoying the view and a cocktail before dinner.

On Monday night we had a wonderful meal at the Stonehurst Manor. What a beautiful inn and restaurant! The food was incredible – cedar planked salmon for me and baked haddock with lobster cream sauce for Dale. I also had, quite possibly, the best martini of my life! Next time we head up this way, we’re staying at this place. I’ll bet there’s even shampoo in the rooms.

On Tuesday we took a ride on the railroad. The Conway Scenic Railroad, to be exact. We rode first class in the Gertrude Emma Pullman Parlor and Observation Car and had great views of farmland and covered bridges and the Saco River. The sock had a great time.

We spent the rest of the day driving through the White Mountain National Forest. We drove around Mt. Washington and over the Kancamagus Highway (please note – this is the correct spelling!) before heading home. The sock was impressed with the view of Mt. Washington from the Mt. Washington Hotel. I was, too.

We spent Wednesday hanging out at home, catching up on laundry and knitting. The felted flamingo? It’s taking forever.

Tales of our adventures in Southern New England in the next post.

On Monday we went to Newport, RI and toured a couple of the mansions. We went here and I once attended a formal ball here but this is my hands-down favorite. I could have taken some great photos of the sock “living large” if only I had remembered the camera. We had a great dinner at the Brick Alley Pub and Restaurant. It was pricey but it was the best cheese steak sub I have ever had!

On Tuesday we hung around at home for a bit and then headed for Plymouth in the afternoon. We did some shopping and had dinner at a new restaurant, Carmen’s Cafe Nicole. Hannah had her first chimichanga and she was impressed!

On Wednesday we went to our “private” beach – the one I wrote about in this entry. I started the felted flamingo since it seemed appropriate to knit a flamingo while at the beach. I have pictures, but not of knitting. Guess who came to visit?

Yup, Ambrynn went to the beach for the first time at 5 weeks old. She took it all in stride and did what we all do at the beach — she ate, she napped and she just hung out.

On Thursday we made our way over to Martha’s Vineyard to visit our niece and her family. I knit on the ferry ride over and met some very friendly (and funny!) women up from Black Mountain, NC on a bus tour. There was a group of sisters who had just learned to knit and they were quite enthralled with the sock in progress. I was so busy talking and knitting that I never even thought to bring out the camera!

While visiting Beth she took us to West Chop Lighthouse. You may notice that the web site says the lighthouse is not open to the public. Well, when your niece’s husband is in the Coast Guard and your niece is the caretaker for the house on the lighthouse property . . . let’s just say you get some special privileges. We climbed our way to the top and it was beautiful. What a view! While we were up there we snapped some photos for my Extreme Knitting entry. You guys all know about this contest, don’t you? Margene was one of the the first entries but I know we can all come up with something to submit! I think knitting at the top of a lighthouse is pretty extreme! Or at least it’s as extreme as I’m likely to get.

Today we’re back home, having left Hannah on the island with Beth, Stuart and the kids. (Hannah, I know you’re reading this. I miss you! Really! Now stop hanging around on the computer and go help Beth!)

More adventures to come – probably of this variety!

The weekend in Manchester, Vermont at Hildene was great fun. The weather was ideal, despite a brief period of showers on Sunday morning. The company was fantastic; we caught up with old friends and made some new ones, too. The knitting was plentiful and the sock I started in the car on the way up moved along very quickly.

Here are two progress shots. This is the sock hanging out on the front lawn of the mansion. We were camped in this field and the scenery was breathtaking.

I got the sock to pose with Capt. Sy, Col. Burbank, Lt. Julius and Captain Rieke. I know it’s hard to see the sock with the officers wearing their white gloves but Dale is holding the sock and Matt is holding the ball of yarn. This sock is from the book Socks, Socks, Socks and it’s a cable twist rib pattern done up in Cascade 220.

I’m officially on vacation this week and next. I have lots of plans, including blocking the Leaf Lace Shawl and starting some new projects. I’ll keep you guys posted on my travels and knitting progress.

I leave you with this picture from the beautiful gardens of Hildene.