inked!

I've been wanting a tattoo for several years now. But, I know how I am, and I tend to change my mind a bit. I really didn't want to be stuck with something for the rest of my life, and not be in love with it. So the deal I made with myself was that if I still wanted the same tattoo when I turned 30, I'd get it. This is what I'd wanted:

I wanted it to be red with black shading, about an inch tall, and on the lower part of the back of my neck.
30 will be here Saturday (ugh!), so I went to Acme Ink yesterday to get my fleur de lis. When I described this to the guy doing my tattoo, he didn't think that was a good idea- something about red being blotchy, I'd look like a cardinals fan, and the tattoo would be disproportionately small for that big a body part. He convinced me to go larger, and incorporate the red on a smaller scale. But, once he was done with the black and grey, he said "huh, I think I like it just like this, it looks good with your pale skin." (Wait... should I be offended?)
Anyway, after looking at it, I decided he was right- it looks great!

So, despite my previous apprehension of large tattoos, this is what I ended up with, and I LOVE it! Damn, Slim, you're freakin' good.

(Just an FYI- it's really had to take a picture of the back of your own neck. I had to use 2 mirrors and hold the camera, hence the funny looking shoulder blades.)

a true veggie burger.

This is the ultimate summertime meal. I've been waiting all season for this.

A veggie sandwich (or in this case, burger, as we were out of the good bread) made with homegrown tomatoes and cucumbers, slathered with a generous serving of Miracle Whip. Yummy!

Weekend in the country

We went to see Husband's grandparents this weekend. They live about 4 hours away in Eastern KY, out in the country. I always enjoy visiting them, because we hardly get to see them, and since my grandparents live so far away, they are kinda like my surrogates. Also, it is always so relaxing there, like time moves slower and there's never any rush for anything. I guess that's how country folk live.

The grandparents have a huge garden, and I've been waiting all summer for some fresh produce. Well, you can't get any fresher than 'pick it yourself,' so that's just what I did. I picked lots of green beans and some tomatoes and cucumbers. I've never picked beans before; the vines really irritated my skin. But, the short-lived rash was worth it:

When we got home, Husband and I spent about an hour breaking, stringing, cleaning and freezing the beans. Guess what we're having for dinner tonight (and tomorrow night, and the next night....)?

I had quite a bit of knitting time this weekend, something I really needed. It's always so relaxing in the country, and when I'm there I don't feel guilty about knitting when so much other stuff needs to be done around the house. I can just sit around and knit while I'm visiting with the family.

I finished the body of my Gathered Pullover and cast on My So Called Scarf. The pattern was a bit confusing, but I found an awesome tutorial, which made so much more sense to me. I'm using Misty Alpaca. This is the first time I've used this yarn, and it won't be the last! It's so yummy! I just want to pet it...


I would've gotten so much more done if I didn't have to stop every few rows to admire it. I just love this pattern and this yarn together.

I should've known better.

Asking Husband for help winding a hank of Cascade was a bad idea. I know better. But still, the thought of winding the entire 220 yards around my knees was not appealing either. So, against my better judgement, I asked Husband for help. My directions were simple: Stand here with your arms out. I'll be winding the yarn onto the ball winder. Just don't let the yarn fall off of your arms.

This worked out for about 200 yards. Then, Husband decided that he had a better idea: Just let the yarn fall into a big pile on the floor. It'll be okay, he says. It will still wind up nicely, just like before.
Uummmm.... NO. That took about a half turn of the ball winder to disprove.

Good thing I bought extra yarn. Ugh, I need a swift.

sadness.

This week has been full of sadness. First, I finished Breaking Dawn on Monday (confused? See last post.). I really can't say that I'm totally satisfied with the ending, but that's probably just because I've had such high expectations for such a long time.

In the end, I kinda got the ending I hoped for, but there were a few odd things that (I think) shouldn't have happened in the book (ummm...ruh-nez-may? Really?!). Husband didn't understand why I was in such a weird mood on Monday after I finished it, but now that he's reading it, he kinda understands. He even had a few WTF??!! moments while reading. So, it's the end of the Twilight series. Now I can say:

Goodbye, Edward and Bella. Have a happy life together. I hope I can get over you now.

Also, my friend is moving across the country tomorrow. I'm sad that she's leaving. I'll miss you, Erika.