As some of you know, I have an aversion to spiders. This is not your ordinary run-of-the-mill discomfort - chills, etc. This is a fear that will sometimes leave me outside in my driveway trying to not hyperventilate and too terrified to go back inside.

I have made some progress. My technique has been the kind of therapy that exposes myself to monstrous spiders so that the little ones won't bother me so much anymore. In fact, the climax of this therapy was a few weeks ago when I took a short stroll to our outhouse (cabin thing) and on the door was an enormous fishing spider. You can google that if you'd like. I'd rather not see it. Anyhow, Mr. Darling heard my cries for help and came running and bravely swished the spider off the door into the woods. And the thing actually thudded when it hit the forest floor. Like an apple falling off a tree. Thump. Aauuehhhhh - shudder.

So last night, I'm trying to sleep and I'm just about gone when I am suddenly awakened by a noise. It was most certainly the scurrying noise of a spider.

Ok. Now. See? You're rolling your eyes. That's not very supportive. But I speak the truth. This was not mouse-scurrying noises. Spiders do make noises.

If. They're. Big. Enough.

I became an instant Olympic athlete and vaulted out of bed doing a sort of lying down and kicking my legs out into a standing position 15 feet away by the door thing. Lights went on. Mr. Darling was woken and told to search the premises. We found nothing! This is the worst case scenario. I did not sleep well for the rest of the night but I did move to the other side of the bed hoping that when the monster spider came a-lurking, he'd have to cross over Mr. Darling first and get bored with it and go home. I don't know . . . something like that, I was tired.

So today, I am diligently vacuuming the house and I moved the thin curtain by the window that happens to be inches from my pillow and there was a horrendously thick and sticky spider web about a foot wide.

So guess where I am. Outside with my laptop. Too afraid to go into the house. My little spider catcher (Lumpy) is at a friends house and my other two kids are worthless. Both are squirmish about spiders.

Anyway, I do have knitting to share. And pictures of our new kitty. But I don't want to go in and get my camera, so it'll have to wait.

Shudderingly yours,
Rani

Pandora's Box

I mean it. Literally. I suppose you have all heard of this Pandora Radio thing, but I have just recently discovered it thanks to my friend Caroline. It's free. And it's so cool. And you don't have to download a thing. Here's the deal.

You type in your favorite music artist or song and they create a whole radio station based on that same sound. So if you like Little Feat - you'll hear Allman Brothers, JJ Cale, Lowell George, etc. Or if you like Justin Timberlake - they'll play him and his cronies until your heart is content! I typed in Sting and have been listening to Sting, John Mayer, Clapton etc. It's really fun! If you like old jazz and blues, type in Dizzie Gilespie - you'll have GREAT dinner music. Show-tunes, rap, whatever! It's really cool!

Anyway. I don't have any knitting to show. Next time . . . maybe. In the meantime, it's my almost-forty birthday and my husband is making me dinner and my kids are watching a move and I have a new little teeny tiny laptop by the name of MacBook Pro and I am absolutely beside myself GIDDY! So word up, peeps. I'll be back.

knitting with raw hamburger

Mwooooohooohahahaaaaaaa.

And yes, I am knitting. Here's the proof.It's the back of my "Central Park Hoodie" sweater. I am no longer sure about the color, but the ride has started and I can't get off until it's done. The pink is reminding me of raw hamburger. Hopefully no one else will have that imagery in their head when I wear it to school this fall.

One more laugh:

Flying Lesson

I can do this. Just focus. Concentrate. Remember to flap my ears as hard as I can.


ok, here goes nothing. Flap. Flap Flapflapflapflapflapflapflap
I've done it! I'm flying! I'm . . .
damn.

Our Amazing Weekend.

A Wedding.

A 4th of July parade.
Some illegal fireworks.
Some people I may or may not be related to.

Government-sanctioned, legal and permitted fireworks.
It was a remarkable and magical weekend. Thanks mom and dad, Patty and Dan!
Congrats to S and P!!