Babysitting Justin

Channeling my teenage years, I babysat for my boyfriend...I mean Justin, last night.
He is very silly. I found that if I play Pillsbury Doughboy with him and press his stomach, he laughs hysterically.

Here are some photos...

Jus and Gus take a snooze

Let's play Auntie Bach!

Gus REALLY likes Justin's blanket

Lambchop RULES! Until Maggie steals her!

I outta be in pictures...really I mean, how cute is this kid?

So other than half an hour of screaming, due to poopy pants and exhaustion, Justin and I had a great time. I didn't mention that Maggie thought it would be cute to steal the poopy diaper and carry it around the house with her...so NOT cute.

So, onto knitting. I am ALMOST finished with the entrelac scarf for my favorite esthetician (sp?) Kin and about halfway through the second sock for Dad. Which brings me to my homage for Opal sock yarn. I know some really don't understand or buy into its popularity. But I really like it. I made my dad his first pair of Tiger Socks two years ago for Christmas, after searching high and low on EBAY for the coveted "tiger" colorway. See, my dad went to Princeton, so anything he can get that represents Tigers or is Orange and Black, he automatically loves. He more than loved these socks; he wore them ALL THE TIME. It really made me feel like he liked my craft and respected and understood the time, energy and joy I put into those socks. This year, he wore a hole, right through the bottom of them. Now, I have a secret stash of one more skein of tiger yarn and figured I would make him another pair. After Christmas, mom and I ventured to a LYS in Barnstable called the Blue Heron Yarn Studio. There in front of me, were beautiful new colorways of Opal sock yarn, including a NEW TIGER COLORWAY. I snatched the ball up (and have since decided thatwe need to go buy the rest of them and stash them away as well). The yarn is crisp while knitting, but so lovely. And I know, dad will wear them, regularly, and they will last. That is why I like the Opal sock yarn. You know that this project you spend time on, will wear for a while...Yarn Harlot writes a great homageto the knitted sock in her latest book. Anyway, here is what the colorways look like

These are from the Rainforest Collection. There a re a couple more animals, but they kind of freaked me out. I'm planning on making the flamingo and zebra for me and the fish for grandma (who apparently won't take the Lorna's Laces socks off and shows them off to all her friends in Florida!)

I found a great website, www.simplysockyarn.com

They have a great, diverse selction of, duh, sock yarn. The customer service was great (emailed me when they didn't have something I had ordered, offered changes to the order, fast shipping and cute little samples of other sock yarns in your box!). I highly recommend...if only they had Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock I would be in HEAVEN.

Speaking of Lorna's Laces, I am contemplating making the "Landscape Shawl" from Fiber Trends in Shepherd Lace in the Black Purl colorway....hmmmmmmm

Return

Well I'm back...a day late thanks to a little bitty snow and ice storm in New England. That meant an extra day to hang out at the Joy House with the 'rents and the bagels. Luther continues to "mature" in leaps and bounds. Maggie and Louie have a theme song now, "Reunited." You know, "reunited and it feels so good...reunited and its understood..."

Anyway, Miami was lovely. It was warm and sunny and breezy. I spent many hours by the pool, sipping "tropical" beverages. Too bad I heard it was 60 degrees in Philly last weekend. That didn't keep me from enjoying the good times; meeting new folks at the conference and reconnecting with some others. I even met up with a friend from the Smith program; which was just awesome.

So, while sitting through a relatively boring, "Medical Update on the Blood Cancers" Session, I came up with some ideas for upcoming blogs...these will include

-why I LIKE Opal Sock Yarn
-The Joy of Knitting during conferences
-up and coming spring knitting projects
oh crap I don't remember; the list is still in my suitcase and I haven't on packed yet. Those are the ones I could remember.

I did finally get my new 'puter up and running...and it is LOVELY. I'm adjusting to the larger keyboard and widescreen display. But it is lighter and svelt(er) and all together super sweet.

Anyway, that is all from knitty d

Leaving

on a jet plane

on Monday I'll be back again...

welcome to Miami

Bienvenito a Miami!

Christina's Golden Globe Fashion Review

Since I had SO much fun after the Emmy's with my first fashion review, I'm doing it again...

The "Captain Tangerine Award" to Marsha Cross

Marsha...Marsha...Marsha

Red Hed Rule: NO ORANGE!
The dress is cut TOO LOW and what the hell are those things on your shoulders? If you had won the Golden Globe, would you have been promoted to Admiral Tangerine? One thing Marsha DOES get right, the hair and makeup. BUT, it can't set of the wrongness of the dress.

Thumbs down!






The We Need Photo Shop Award: Naveen Andrews and Patrick Dempsey (aka Dr McDreamy)


If only we could get rid of their respective arm candy (sorry Barbara Hershey, I've hated you since beaches!) and photoshop ME into the photos, all would be right with the world.












The MY EYES MY EYES awards (ie my worst dressed):

Mariah Carey, Gwyneth Paltrow and Rachel Weisz the list goes on and on. (I couldn't pick just one!) It really was not a good night for fashion

So Rachel, did you take inspiration from the VanTrap family and make your dress out of curtains? I know you are pregnant, but what is up with the load NOT BEING PROPERLY TIED DOWN!


Where do I begin with Pam Anderson? Where do I end? Aren't her 15 minutes up...again...yet?

Oh Michelle...go back to Dawson's Creek. This dress looks like something one of my friends wore to our senior prom, and it wasn't pretty in suburban Cleveland either! How did she get Heath Ledger????

Gwyneth, did you get this dress from the Kmart Victorian Maternity Section? BLUCK! And I know everyone said you were "glowing," that's because you OVER BLUSHED!

Ellen...Ellen...Ellen. I will give you room for improvement as this was most likely one of your first major dress up events. But this is an utter disaster. The hair...the makeup...the dress...the fake tan only on your face. Please call me, I can help.

And last but not least, my favorite stuffed sausage, Mariah Carey. This is THE WORST she has ever looked. I have NO idea what is going on here but it is one gigante mess! She is beyond help. Someone, put her out of her misery.

And on the other end of the spectrum, these ladies have their shit together.

I have LOVED Natalie Portman since her film debut in "The Professional." Sure, she had some lipstick incidents while playing "Queen Amidala," and there was that pink wig in "Closer," but my Natalie has really grown up, and here she shows it. Total class, gorgeous features not hidden with big hair and a simple, elegant dress. Brava!

Quite frankly, I have been bored as hell with Kate's story line on "Lost." So maybe Evangeline Lilly felt my (our?) pain and decided to turn up the glamour for the Globes. The color is spectacular. She has evening hair, great accessories and she looks so happy! Two big thumbs up!

While not a fan of her "acting," I must confess, Jessica Alba looked truly amazing at the Globes. She has the best bod in Hollywood. She grew up and went glam as well. Great highlights too! (Sorry I couldn't get a better pic of the dress, they were copyrighted!)


Just because they are called the "Golden Globes" does not mean they are talking about your boobs award; Scarlett Johannsen.

This photo does not do the big fake boobs justice. Yes, she is well endowed at her baseline, but this was OUT OF CONTROL. The boys working in the NBC control room LOVED HER..."Camera 2, pull back a bit on Scarlett...let's see those globes..."




















Worst use of arm candy award; Paul Giamatti and his wife. I don't even know what she is wearing, but it is ROTTEN! And what's with all the bags? Is she staying overnight at the theater??? Perhaps she thought she could hide behind his beard?



















That is where I will leave things. All in all, the fashion left a lot to be desired at the Globes. Here's hoping the Oscar's are a bit better...until then...Fashionista Delicious out.

Missing again

I haven't blogged in the last week. I've been too busy working on home organization and improvements, buying stuff online, chasing Maggie off the dining room table, knitting an entrelac scarf for Kin and socks for dad and doing Sudoku puzzles to think about blogging--let alone the two weddings I am in this summer, planning a trip with mom, getting my sister to understand why mom and I feel it is better to travel in pairs instead of triples, covering for people at work who make 10's of thousands more money than I do (seriously). Needless to say, my plate feels full and I'm a CRABBY PATTY! My January blues have SET IN HARDCORE. I leave for Miami next Thursday morning and am hoping some warm weather and poolside knitting with soothe my soul. At least I have "Dancing with the Stars" to laugh at.

Dad's "award winning" photo

So, blissfully, dad has found another activity to busy himself with. He has joined the Chatham Seniors photo club. They meet monthly and each member has the opportunity to enter photos for a monthly contest. Wouldn't you know, Little Petey won a MAJOR AWARD (ie first place) his FIRST MONTH in the club?
This is the award winning photo; his muse(s), many dogs

Gifts for Sammy

I kept busy over Christmas break knitting these mittens and hat for my favorite soon to be 5 year old, Sammy.


I particularly love the hat, which is the Anne Norling Spiral Rib Pattern. This is fast becoming a favorite pattern. I have one on my needles right now for me in Noro Silver Thaw.

The mittens were a bit more of a challenge. I actually made four; the first two came out horribly. They have super soft angora cuffs. And what five year old girl doesn't love pink and purple???

Me and "the twins"

This is the only photo from my Christmas stash with me in it...at least the dogs look cute...

My Map

For Christmas, I received my "World Traveler" Map

Here are some nifty photos. I ran out of green pins, which represent "dream" locations. I promptly ordered more...




If only I had won that big powerball jackpot, then I would turn all those green pins to red...oh well, I'm young...

Yarn Storage Epiphany

Could this be the answer to our moth/other bugs who eat wool problems?


http://www.strangenewproducts.com/2005/08/rubbermaid-cedar-storage-tote.html


I checked out this weeks Home Depot circular and they are available there.
I'm going to purchase a few for the yarn storage.

Ode to the Half Moon Cookie

When I was growing up, mom used to take us to Grandma and Grandpa's in Utica for extended visits. While there, we made regular trips to the local bakery, Hemstroughs, where we were treated with half moon cookies, if we were good. These were the ultimate of snacks. Allison and I adored them. We would split them and fight over who got more chocolate or vanilla icing...or more cookie for that matter. Last year, while Ali was driving to the Cape for Thanksgiving, she stopped in Utica and bought us some half moon cookies. Little did we know they would be our last. Hemstroughs has since gone out of business. It is a sad day in the Brisson-Bach family.

But, behold, the magic of the greatese cook I know, Barbara. Following my suggestion, she used her Muffin Topper pan to make small round cakes. Then, she frosted them, just like I remembered. Let me just say, my mother is brilliant. These things were the B-O-M-B. Here is the photographic evidence...




Allison, do these not look exactly like the real hald moon cookies?

2006...in a few hours

Vacation gets me into a rut of napping...knitting...sleeping...reading...watching tv...napping...you get the picture. Sadly, I have to return to reality on Monday (ie Philly) and to that place called work on Tuesday. So, here are my resolutions for 2006

1) Floss. I know this is my resolution EVERY year, but this year, I mean it.

2) De-Clutter. One room per month for the next 8 months. Included in decluttering is coming up with a system for organization and staying decluttered. Simplify...Simplify...Simplify

3) Knit a (successful) lace shawl for Annie's wedding

4) Be a gorgeous (haha), kick ass, graceful bridesmaid to Money and Annie.

As I reflect on 2005, a few things stick out in my mind---here are the ABC's of 2005

a) The re-enactment of the Michael Jackson trial on E!/which was even better in England because they don't censor anything (like the accusers name!) in England.

b) British TV stinks. All the good stuff is on BBC America. Really.

c) My world has changed since traveling overseas.

d) Three beagles is the magic number.

e) I suck at lace knitting (see resolutions above).

f) I am really getting into English Tudor history. Scary. But I did buy the mock chopping block at the Tower of London.

g) I never want to have another dental abscess/emergency root canal/need for Vicodin that involves teeth.

h) I love Baseball. The Phillies made it fun all the way into September, something they haven't done since I've lived in the town. Now if only we could win a championship...

i) Philly with Eagles fever (ie right before the SuperBowl) was CRAZY! I just wish there would have been a parade.

j) I finally PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE! Well, I am not sure if this counts to 2005 as it won't be published until Feb, but I did all the work in 2005. For all interested in a generalized snooze fest, you can find it in the North American Clinics of Anesthesiology special edition on Palliative Care.

k) Yes, my 13 year old cousin REALLY did declare at the breakfast table the other morning, "when did the Pope die?" Seriously. But what struck me about the Pope's death, and the death a few days earlier of Terry Schiavo was the "publicness" of their deaths. Since most American's fear dying alone, I guess they didn't need to worry about that since the entire nation/world was on the death watch for days. It really was a shame.

l) I cannot be a foster mom for BREW. Exhibit 1, Luther. He now lives at the Joyhouse.

m) I hope Maggie is a healthy dog. This year, I dealt with the death of Maxwell, Gus having serious back problems and Molly having Cushings disease. Even if Maggie has "something" I know I can deal with it as a good doggie mom; but I need a break. I'm in the process of joining "Dogster" in hopes of meeting a like minded beagle daddy looking to make a beagle Brady bunch.

n) I love being Auntie Bach.

o) Fall is Cape Cod is the best time of year. I vacationed during this delightful time with my good friends, Jen, Sammy, Alex, Jenni, Cesi, Jules, Tige and AnneMarie. Those, were GOOD TIMES. And man, can Jenni and I cook. I can't believe we didn't gain like 1000 pounds when we lived together all those years ago in the Fairfax...all those "bedsore" nights with Cinci Chili...

p) I may enjoy playing Scrabble, but I suck at it. At least that is what I thought until I discovered my sister CHEATS!

q) Netflix is the greatest thing ever. If only I could send back my movies from July.

r) I miss my girls from knitting circle!

s) I host a damn good knit-a-rama

t) I will never ever again make the "circle of friends" baby blanket. It might have come out nicely, but what a PAIN IN THE ASS. I'll stick to solo projects.

u) The sinuses are a body orifice I could do without. Getting the sinus probe shoved up them is the worst medical procedure ever short of...

v) A cortisone shot in the right shoulder, rendering me unable to move my arm for 2 days. Bursitis my ass.

w) The Philadelphia Parking Authority can KISS MY ASS

x) I love ice cream. We have had an onslot of yummy ice creams choices added to Philly in the past several years; so, here's to, Capogiro, Scoop deVille, Ben and Jerry's and Cold Stone. I remember when my choice was walking to Baskin Robbins at 40th St. Oh the shows Maxie used to put on there while eating his cup of strawberry banana

y) Marathon Matzoh Ball Soup is my current comfort food of choice.

z) The discovery of Omaha Steaks. In what other country can you get fresh cow, pig, lamb etc delivered right to your door, packed in dry ice! I never have to leave my house again!!!


Well, we couldn't go out to eat at the Oyster house tonight (Dad didn't make reservations) so of course we ordered Chinese...I plan on being asleep before the clock strikes midnight. So Happy New Year to all. And please, may the Eagles win just one more game tomorrow.

Festivus at the Joyhouse

Eight dogs.
Six humans.
One Romba!

Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah to all from Cape Cod. It was massive wrapping paper carnage yesterday morning as we tore through the cornocopia of gifts left by one fat man in a red suit.

Here are some photos of our time here at the Joyhouse thus far:

Maggie and Luther chase the Romba through the Great Room.
Dad has named his Romba "Lorena." I have no idea why.

Grandma models her socks. I think they look PERFECT!

The "twins" hang out in the "slammer" while we open gifts

Luther discovers presents and, even better, wrapping paper!

Mom has had enough of the family togetherness thing and pulled out the knife.
RUN!

Dad and Harry get their HOWL on.

The gift extravaganza

Mike models his knitted hat and scarf

Maggie is exhausted by this thing called "Christmas."

Dad shows off his new Phillies boxers. Why he is wearing them on his head, we will never know.

All in all it was a very lucrative Christmas...though that doesn't seem like the right word to use to describe the haul I received. I was most surprised by my new set of pots and pans. Thanks momala! I also got lots of books, gift cards, knitted gauntlets, and of course, my traveler's map of the world that will soon adorn the livingroom at my house. I'm sure more silly photos and tales from this holiday break will follow.

Also we watched "The 40 year old Virgin" last night which was hysterical.

I feel good (insert James Brown song)

Finished shopping tonight for our adopted family.
This is a shout out to all my collegues (Social Workers, CRC's and RN's on Ravdin 9) who helped make Christmas brighter for this needy family.

I literally have a CAR LOAD full of goodies for the kids and managed to get a nice gift card for the family to Target! Great job everyone and on behalf of our adopted family, thank you.

Also thanks to St Bernadette's Church in Drexel Hill for supplying food for the holidays for this family.

Three more days until vacation...got to get knitting...still have to finish daddio's gift!

Tales from a long lost blogger

Where have I been you might ask?
1) Recovering. The Levo is this sinus infection's savior. I'm much better and starting to enjoy the holiday season. Sadly, I'm not going to be able to take my clinical exam as planned before the new year, as I just haven't been able to study. And I've missed a few parties and going to New York to see my friends. But, ultimately and finally, I am better

2) Making cookies with my girls, Car and Elizabeth. Thankfully I forgot the camera for the actual during the cookie making festivities, as, during a quick trip to the bathroom, I noticed I was covered in cookie dough. But I did snap these shots of my share of the loot. I think we made 30+ dozen cookies. BOY, ARE THEY YUMMY!!!!

We made multiple types of cookies, including, Chocolate Crinkles, Snowballs, Peanut Blossoms, Gingerbread, Candy Canes, and of course sugar cookies. It was hardcore.

3) Knitting and trying to finish the last of the holiday gifts. It is lovely, but boring the crap out of me, which is why I'm less than interested in working on it.

This busy week includes our work holiday party, an emergency trip to the dentisit for a broken filling, Santa with the Wynnes, shopping for and delivering the gifts for our adopted family, packing, wrapping present, cleaning and driving to Cape Cod for a "good old fashioned Griswald...I mean Bach...family Christmas. So if the blogging is few and far between this week, that is why. I'll be sure to take the camera to the Cape and document the highway robbery...I mean present giving and getting...next Sunday morning.

And so to all, a blessed Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Joyous Kwanza, fruitful New Year and HAPPY FESTIVUS

Christina, Molly, Gus and Maggie

Bigger than Dengue

It's official...I blew through the first round of antibiotics and am still wickedly sinus infected.
They brought out the big guns yesterday, levofloxacin. I must say I'm starting to feel more human, but decided that even though I am going to be coached about my calling out sick again, it was the best thing to do for me and for my patients.

On another, fantastic note! We have Harry's pathology back. He DOES NOT have cancer! The three pound monstrosity they removed was a benign lipoma! So the original smear was a false positive! Dad says this is the best Christmas gift we could have received, and I couldn't agree more.

Back to recuperation

for my CRAZY knitter friends

I was at EMS on Penn's campus yesterday and they are selling off all their mannequins...just in case you needed something to block on! Sadly, they didn't have any heads for my hat blocking requirements

Happy Holidays from the Beagles; Part 1

I snapped these photos this morning while the kids were still a bit groggy and allowed me to adorn them with a cheesy Santa Hat

I'm an ANGRY ELF!

Aunt Trish had to help with Maggie's photo shot as she kept trying to eat the hat!

I'm a shy elf!

Also, here are grandma's finished socks. I've decided that Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock is my FAVORITE sock yarn!