Wednesday morning, while getting dressed in the dark, Dale knocked over my jewelry holder.  Bless his heart, he picked up all the earrings and rings and assorted baubles by the light of his cell phone. When I got up I was struck by the jumble of jewelry and I snapped a photo.

That pile sparks so many memories for me. There are the big star earrings I bought on my trip to Vegas with Jessica. There is a rhinestone open heart pin that belonged to my mom. My Pandora bracelet is there. Some charms I bought for myself, some charms were gifts from Dale and Hannah but all of them are special and unique. Also in the pile is my Kiwanis pin and the big silver hoops I bought last summer during our Cape Cod vacation. There’s nothing of any significant monetary value there but the sentimental value is off the charts.

This certainly isn’t all of my jewelry, just the things I wear on a regular basis. Also missing from that collection are the rings I wear daily – my engagement and wedding ring, my knitters thumb ring, and my new stack rings from etsy seller deliasthompson, who came highly recommended (and rightly so) by Bev.

I suppose I take my jewelry for granted, wearing various pieces when the mood strikes or when something matches my outfit. Honestly, though, it says a lot about who I am.

I was going to just do a Wordless Wednesday post today because I’m having a hectic week and don’t have a ton of time for writing beautiful blog posts. And then Terry posted twice yesterday and I know how busy she is and I figured, well, if she can do it, so can I. Don’t get too excited, though, I’m really just going to be all random on you.

• Last Sunday was the annual Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast. Last year I took pictures. This year they put me on the grill line.
• It was an entry level grill line position though – I didn’t actually cook anything, I just served the bacon.
• Having me serve the bacon is sort of like putting a rat in charge of the cheese.
• I ate a lot of bacon on Sunday.
• I consider this okay, though, because I hardly ate any pancakes at all.
• Seriously, I can rationalize anything.
• I’m halfway through season 4 of The Tudors and I’m sort of sad it’s going to be ending.
• You just can’t beat the costuming.
• And the sex.
• I’ve also decided that I like watching whole series of shows at once.
• We did this with 24 and the first 2 seasons of True Blood.
• It’s awesome to not have to wait for the cliffhangers to be resolved.
• It’s also awesome to not have to deal with shows being on hiatus.
• Seriously, what is up with that? I remember when shows started in September and ended in June and there weren’t any interruptions or repeats.
• I may be delusional about this but I don’t think I am.
• I do realize, though, that it makes me sound like a crazy old lady who walked uphill (both ways!) to school in the snow.
• Speaking of snow, winter is not loosening it’s grip on us. The snow is gone but the cold is hanging around.
• I would like to have spring now. Could someone send Mother Nature an email or something?
• Speaking of Mother Nature and spring, and because every blog post deserves a picture, how about some daffodils that are past their prime?

• There’s something I really like about the lighting and the fading flowers and the reflection in the window.
• I call it “Where Have All the Flowers Gone.”
• And now you’ll have that song stuck in your head all day long.
• Good bye.

Yesterday was the annual Library Legislative Day at the State House here in Massachusetts. Every year hundreds of librarians descend to meet with their senators and representatives to talk to them about the importance of libraries in our communities. I am always proud to attend and it led me to this week’s topic 10 Reasons To Use the Public Library.

1. It’s pre-paid. I hear lots of people say that the public library is free, and it sort of is, but it’s really a tax supported institution. Granted, the average homeowner in my community contributes far less than $100 in taxes per year but if you’re going to pay for it anyway you might as well use it.
2. Books. The backbone of the public library is the availability of books. New books, classics, children’s books, paperbacks, knitting books, Civil War books . . . you name it, they’ve got it.
3. Magazines. I save a lot of money on magazine subscriptions by getting them from the library instead.
4. DVDs. We buy all the latest and most popular DVDs as a matter of course. You might have to wait a little bit to get them but eventually they will come your way.
5. Audiobooks. Our library subscribes to Overdrive which allows people to download audio books for free. Like the DVDs, you might have to wait a bit for the really popular stuff, but it’s worth it.
6. Online services. There are databases that allow you to look up (reliable) answers to questions, opportunities to study languages, and online classes you can take for free – all from the comfort of your home.
7. Meeting rooms. They are available for free to non-profit groups like Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, knitting and spinning clubs and more. It’s an excellent resource for those looking for a central place to meet.
8. Book Club. Attending a monthly book club is a great way to meet new people, read excellent books, and have intelligent conversations about them. Plus, we serve cookies.
9. Children’s Programs. We’ve got story time and craft events, candy bar bingo and special performers, all at no extra charge!
10. The librarians. I may be tooting my own horn here, but the librarians are the best and most important reason to use the public library!

I hope I’ve convinced you to use your public library. We need good people who will not only use our services but tell our elected officials how much the public library matters.

You may recall that over 2 years ago my buddy Maryse came over and taught me to crochet. I made a couple of squares and it was fun.

And then I sort of forgot about crocheting.

Okay, I didn’t really forget but I didn’t know how to crochet the stuff I wanted to crochet.

I would see beautiful crocheted potholders and want to make them but I just didn’t practice and couldn’t figure out how to crochet in a circle and well . . . I gave up.

But I’m not quitter so on Friday (and Saturday because it took a while to sink in) I gave crochet another shot. I used a couple of good books and the internet and I crocheted a square.

It’s not bad.

And it definitely ignited the crochet spark again. I’m not ready for that potholder swap just yet but there’s always next year.

I have blooming crocuses in my yard! Hooray! They are now covered in snow. Boooo. My friend Wendy says that snow this time of year is poor man’s fertilizer and I choose to believe her. Honestly, after the winter we’ve had, it’s all I’ve got left.

C’mon spring!

Last week I got a thank you letter from Senator Kerry’s office. It’s not from the senator himself (he’s a pretty busy guy) but that’s okay by me because it’s personal and thoughtful and recognizes the message of Warm Hats, Not Hot Heads.

Here’s the text:

Dear Ms. Julius,

Thank you for sending the hat you knit for Senator Kerry. Throughout his career Senator Kerry has worked hard to reach across the aisle and involve all Americans in important dialogues and it is great to see you getting involved with an organization like Warm Hats, Not Hot Heads. We appreciate your thoughtfulness and would like to acknowledge its receipt. At this time it is not possible for Senator Kerry to write you personally, but we will make him aware of your generosity and welll wishes at the first opportunity.

One behalf of Senator Kerry, thank you again.

I’m so glad I took part in this project.

You know how sometimes you build a place you’ve never been up in your mind so that when you actually go there it’s kind of a disappointment? That is so not the case with WEBS. Seriously, it was everything I ever hoped and then some.

First of all, compared to any average yarn shop, it’s huge. It’s probably 6 times the size of my local yarn shop and that’s not counting the back room.

Second of all, as my friend Jo-Ann said, if they don’t have it, you probably don’t need it. It seemed like every yarn I’ve ever heard of was there. Socks that Rock, Spud and Chloe, Madeline Tosh, Dream in Color, Tahki Cotton Classic in a rainbow of colors, Noro of every variety, and of course their very own Valley Yarns.

Our plan of attack was to wander through the entire store and back room before putting anything in a basket. And we did. We looked at all the newly arrived yarn and the sock yarn and the worsted weight and lace weight and bulky stuff and spinning tools and roving. We looked at the back room full of bags and bags of yarn in every weight and color imaginable.

And then I made my decisions. This is what came home with me:

Valley Yarns Berkshire Bulky, enough for a Vivian for Hannah.

Wisdom Yarns Poems Sock. I know, I know, it’s sock yarn but I couldn’t resist all that gorgeous blue shading.

Spud and Chloe Fine Yarn. Look at that shine – there’s silk in there.

Speaking of silk, Blue Moon Fiber Arts 100% Silk laceweight. I couldn’t pass up the silvery-gray and it’s not available through mail order.

Lots of Tahki Cotton Classic for potholders. And granny squares. That’s assuming I learn how to make them. Ahem.

Finally, a skein of Madeline Tosh Vintage for a Poet Society Tam for Hannah.

I resisted the Malabrigo and the Schoppel Wolle Zauberball, the Rowan and the Dale of Norway.

After all, I had to leave something for next time.

It’s been a long winter here in New England and, while I’m always happy to see spring arrive, this year I am extra happy. And that leads me to this week’s Ten on Tuesday topic, 10 Reasons To Be Glad It’s Spring.

1. Opening the windows. It’s so good to air out the house and bring in the spring breezes!
2. Spring bulbs. The crocus are up and the daffodils are coming. I’m so happy that the landscape is sporting colors other than white, gray and brown.
3. College basketball.  My beloved Tennessee Lady Vols are doing well and I hope they go all the way to the Final Four this year.
4. Spinning on the deck. I haven’t yet but I’m sure it will happen soon.
5. Spring peepers. I haven’t heard them yet but it’s only a matter of time.
6. Red winged blackbirds. I know they must be here but I’ve yet to see one. I think I heard one the other day, though.
7. Longer days. I know some people hate daylight savings time and I’m not a big fan of losing an hour to kick start the event – but – I do love that it’s light out at 7pm now.
8. Pussy willows. I’m seeing the fuzzy little buds everywhere these days and it makes me glad.
9. Asparagus and artichokes. They are in season which means they will be reasonably priced at the grocery store. Hooray!
10. Walking in the woods. Sure, it’s muddy but a walk in the woods is the best way to enjoy spring!

Bring on spring!

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I’ve always loved the song Come  Saturday Morning. Do you know it? Here’s a portion of the lyrics:

Come Saturday morning
I’m going away with my friend
We’ll Saturday-spend til the end of the day
Just I and my friend
We’ll travel for miles in our Saturday smiles
And then we’ll move on
But we will remember long after Saturday’s gone

This song is on my mind because even though today is Monday it will have a Saturday feel. You see, I’m taking the day off from work to spend with my friend Jo-Ann. Our first order of business is to bring Hannah back to school. And then we will have lunch. And then we will go someplace neither of us has ever been before.

WEBS.

Yes, it’s true, I’m a knitter in Massachusetts and I’ve never been to WEBS. If all goes according to plan, by the end of the day I will no longer be able to say that.

Which brings to mind another song. This one is a little more modern. Okay, so you need to change the word “night” to “day” but you get my point, I’m sure.

I gotta feeling that tonight’s gonna be a good night
That tonight’s gonna be a good night
That tonight’s gonna be a good, good night

Woooooohooooooooo!

Another shot of my yellow tulips.

This Sunday marks the first day of spring. Hip hip hooray!