Resolutions and All Things Brioche

Resolutions, resolutions, resolutions.  I generally don't make them.  After all I live a fairly disciplined lifestyle already.  So when I think about resolutions, if I do, it's in terms of crafting goals. And last year I resolved to learn the brioche stitch.  Come hell or high water.  

It wasn't just because there were a number of shawls that I wanted to make that use this stitch.  It was also that I didn't feel I would be a complete knitter until I had mastered this stitch.  And it's not like I woke up last New Year's and decided I wanted to learn the brioche stitch either.  I had attempted it several times over the years and not succeeded.  For whatever reason this stitch befuddled me and simply watching free youtube videos and tutorials wasn't making it any clearer.

So in 2017 I bit the bullet and signed up for a paid Craftsy class!  You have to understand this was a huge mental shift for me.  If there's a free option online then I'm not interested in paying.  For example I would never pay to blog as I get the blogger platform for free.  I'm also not interested in making money from being online either so I guess there's some symmetry there. But as I mentioned I had already gone the free route with this stitch and that had gotten me nowhere.   I turned to the mega online craft class retailer Craftsy and settled on Explorations in Brioche Knitting with Nancy Marchant, who is a renown brioche guru.  And if you are going to learn anything it's best to learn from the best. Especially if you are going to be paying.  And I am delighted to report that this class did the trick for me.  I began with lesson one and worked through the modulus and wallah the brioche stitch wasn't nearly so complicated as it had previously seemed.  I guess sometimes it does pay to pay.

After all that I am particularly delighted to start 2018 by sharing my very first two color brioche shawl!  This pattern is a combination of both brioche and lace stitches and if you look at the picture below you can see the brioche portion is the purple segment which gives the fabric depth and a beautiful tonal effect.  I am not going to lie though the shape of this shawl is awkward and highly asymmetrical.  I would not consider it an everyday shawl but if you want a statement piece then this is the ticket.  All in all I'm thrilled to be wearing it and as a bonus I can call myself a master novice brioche knitter at last!

Particulars:  Parlour Shawl designed by Leslie Anne Robinson (Knit Graffiti Designs), la Bien Aimee skinny singles 1,100 yrds (yarn purchased as a kit); US 4 needles.  I only made a couple very small modifications to this pattern. Because I felt leaving the eyelet of the pattern repeats looked unfinished I closed that eyelet and to make up for the extra decrease I threw in another edging increase. The other modification was to the BO.  Three quarters of the way into the BO I realized that the edge was rolling and hiding the contrasting color so I ripped back and knit another row to create a garter stitch edge.  Then, instead of turning my work I simply slid the stitches to the other end of my circular needles (so the right side was still facing me) and BO in contracting color yarn.  This eliminated the rolling and emphasized the contrasting color.

To see a project that incorporates just a single color in the brioche stitch see my post with a photo of Stephen West's Marled Magic Shawl (the brioche is the grey portion) which also gives wonderful depth and texture to your fabric.

Incidentally I found baking brioche to be easier and oddly satisfying in light of having failed at the stitch.  I use Le Pain Quotident's Brioche recipe from their Cookbook.  They do have a free version of their brioche recipe online but it uses very different measurements from the book and I can not vouch for it (nor are the ratings for that version very high) but if you are interested here's the link brioche recipe.

SUNSETS IN SAN CLEMENTE ~

After the wildfires and a very stressful start to the holidays we were fortunate that things quickly turned around and returned to normal.  The Thursday before Christmas evacuation orders were lifted in Santa Barbara and my parents were allowed to return home and I joined them to help get the holidays back on track.  A few days of dashing about and decorating the tree, shopping, and hanging the lights and we were able to enjoy one of the nicest Christmases ever.  Afterward Steve and I headed to San Clemente to spend a few days relaxing at the beach as we always do the week between Christmas and New Year.  Watching the sun glide below the watery surface is so beautiful and relaxing and one of my favorite parts of staying at the beach.  Except when I'm not paying attention and a rogue wave wipes me out as it did while I was taking this picture.  Yet looking back at the picture I can say without hesitation worth it.  Even if I still have Sand in my Shoes.

Until next time be well, love well and may 2018 bring health and happiness and successful brioche knitting to all!  

Good Vibes at the Beach

It's a new day, a new year, and after a distressing year of world news it's time for some good vibrations at the beach! This is my new Good Vibes Shawl and consequently my favorite shawl because for whatever reason whatever I just finish I love the best. Which might explain why I have drawers full of shawls that don't get the love they deserve.

Although this year we are having a real "winter" complete with cold days and rainy weather and I've dipped into the woolly woolens stash more than I can ever remember.   I may look like a walking ball of yarn but at my age I don't care.  I can go outside and feel no pain, no chill, and no discomfort because I am accessorized with woolen socks, hat, cowl, mittens, and shawl and for good measure I even have a felted purse to hug for warmth.  These are good days to be a knitter.

That being said these pictures are taken at our place in San Clemente, California which is farther south than Topanga and right on the water so it has a much more temperate climate.  And in San Clemente even on a cold day all you need is a cozy shawl.  But still.  I'm amazed when I see some young people wearing shorts and a T-shirt cuz it is still, you know, cold.

The Good Vibes shawl is designed by Nadia Cretin-Lechenne and knit in Chelsea Luxe singles.  "Singles" are skeins of yarn that are unplied and surprisingly durable.  Or as durable as any somewhat delicate yarn can be.  I bought the yarn online and my first reaction on seeing it was disappointment because I had been expecting "skinny singles" as opposed to merely "singles."  They are quite different.  The "singles" are much puffier and fluffier than the "skinny singles."  But I've decided there's a lot to be said for puffy and fluffy yarn because this knit into a super soft and cozy shawl. So while I misread the yarn description in point of fact this was the perfect yarn for this project.

Caveat Emptor.  As is true for all merino yarns this yarn will not hold a block.  When wet it may stretch into humongous proportions but give it time and like the special effects in Honey I Shrunk the Kids it will shrink into shockingly small dimensions.  What I recommend is that if you are knitting with merino wool (which I love to do) and particularly the singles you should plan on using at least 600 to 800 yrds if you want a decent sized shawl that doesn't need a tedious reblocking every time you want to wear it.

I found this pattern very fun to knit and I absolutely love the finished shawl.  I did run out of the grey yarn and had to order a second skein and I did skip one of the blue wedges due to yardage concerns although ironically I would have had enough of the blue to knit all 6 wedges.  I actually only needed the additional grey skein for the bind off and I considered substituting another yarn from stash.  But for this particular shawl I felt it would look best with the bind off in the matching yarn.  The good news is that now I have almost a whole skein of the grey to make something else!

Particulars:  Good Vibes designed by Nadia Cretin-Lechenne (aka: Ittybittyknits and writes the blog NCL Knits); US 6 needles; 1.1 skeins of Chelsea Luxe singles (400 yrds 100% merino) colorway London Rain and 1 skein Chelsea Luxe Singles (400 yrds 100% merino) colorway London Sky. A similar yarn found in many LYS is Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light.  Even though I technically had sufficient yarn for this project, as discussed above, I had yardage concerns so I skipped blue wedge No. 5 and jumped right to wedge No. 6.  As it turned out I had sufficient yarn in the blue to have completed all the wedges.  But, even having skipped wedge 5, I still needed to dip into a second skein of the grey.   Post blocking (shrunken/relaxed measurement) 64" x 16."

To see projects using similar yarn see my Doodler Shawl (using skinny singles) and Crashing Waves shawlette (using singles).

Simcha and the Beach

Every year between Christmas and New Year we spend at the beach in San Clemente, California.  And we never take Simcha.  It just works out better for both parties that we take separate vacations.  And before you feel too sorry for him know that he's staying at the Topanga Pet Resort where he always has a fabulous time.  But in case you are feeling sorry for him I thought I would share this picture so that you see he's still getting out and enjoying a quintessential "Southern California" lifestyle. Including morning jogs on the beach in Malibu (that occasionally devolve into chasing after the rich and famous seagulls).

On the topic of living a Southern California lifestyle here's a list of my favorite music videos shot on (or around) local beaches with a SoCal vibe:

Lana Del Rey ~ West Coast
The Neighborhool ~ Sweater Weather
Katie Perry ~ Teenage Dream
Dirty Heads ~ My Sweet Summer
Keith Urban ~ Long Hot Summer

Until next time be well and love well and may 2017 be a wonderful year and a time of repair, unity, and much needed good vibes in this world.

SAILaway Shawl,Yarn Along and Summer Survival Makeup

This past weekend we headed down to San Clemente, California to spend the July 4th holiday at the beach. It's my favorite place to celebrate the 4th as the city of San Clemente really goes all out to celebrate.  Maybe because it's so close to the Marine Core Base Camp Pendelton and you often see service members around town (they also thrill the beach goers with their dramatic F/A-18 fighter jets fly over to kick off the evening festivities) but whatever the reason there is a strong patriotic spirit in the city with lots of flag waving and the whole community turns out for the celebration.  It also has a friendly beach culture and an awe inspiring fireworks display (free) off the pier that rounds out the day.  I wouldn't be anywhere else on the 4th!  

And what other accessory could I possibly bring to San Clemente other than my new SAILaway Shawl. This is a gorgeous design and paired with a soft sock yarn makes a wonderful beach wrap for the summer. To be honest I never would have knit this project if I can't seen the sample shawl in Cardigan's Knit Shop in Santa Barbara, California.  Cardigans is a small yarn shop within walking distance to my parent's home and whenever I visit my parents I try and stop in and visit because they always have a ton of finished projects that are inspiring and suitable to wear in the ever more warming California climate. Even though I am what is called "an independent knitter" (i.e. I don't need the help and advice that yarn shops typically provide to new knitters) I find the experience of visiting a yarn shop invaluable for finding patterns, exploring new yarns, and having fun mingling with fellow yarn lovers.  While I love any and all yarn shops I really wish that you could all have the chance to visit Cardigans as it epitomizes for me the very best in little yarn shops with a friendly owner, a helpful but no pressure atmosphere and a great community knitting round table where regular customers sit and knit together.  But wherever you live I hope you will support your local yarn shop before it disappears as so many have in the past few years.

Particulars:  SAILaway (Ravelry Link) designed by Susan Venable (VenablesStudio); US 4 circular needles 2 skeins Hedgehog Fibers sock (club colorways) 10g and 19g remaining of light and dark blue, respectively.  Blocked dimensions 23" x 73."  Other projects I've knit using Hedgehog Fiber yarn include Starshower Cowl; Carson shawl, Rib Socks; Summer Scarf; Asking for Roses Wrap; and Ripple Effect Socks.  

Yarn Along  ~

For those not familiar with "Yarn Along" it was started in 2010 by Ginny (who writes the popular blog Small Things) as a way for knitters to share (typically on a weekly basis) both what they are currently knitting and reading.  A clever pun on the word yarn, no? However, as I only blog once a month (apparently I'm a slacker) I am going to add my own "twist" to the Yarn Along and instead periodically share a peak at what I'm looking forward to knitting and what book I anticipate reading. In the picture above is my recently acquired kit of mini skeins inspired by the movie Amelie dyed by Phydeaux Designs and is approximately 400 yrds of beautifully saturated fingerling yarn. The designer cleverly used a bedroom scene (G rated - stop looking disappointed) for her inspiration and from that scene created this kit of corail, le cafe, brasserie, absinthe, and metropolitain (she provided a picture of the bedroom scene used for her inspiration - and I was very impressed with her translation from film to yarn). As part of the back story to this kit the designer shared that she is a huge fan of films by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and highly recommends his other films: Delicatessen, The City of Lost Children, and A Very Long Engagement.  I'm definitely going to be adding those to my Amazon watch list.  As for my book, I am looking forward to reading Envy a tale of betrayal and intrigue by the prolific writer Sandra Brown.  This will be my first story by Sandra Brown but it sounds like a classic beach read and I will be tucking it into my beach bag.  Oh, and before I forget you might recognize the name of the yarn designer from the last project I blogged Longshadows.


Summer Survival Makeup

Lastly, just for fun, here's a list of my favorite products for surviving the summer sun, staying moisturized, and adding a natural glow to skin and cheeks.  You may want to experiment with a different colors but I think these products are pretty universally flattering.

Most of the following links are to Amazon which may not have the best prices but is however convenient. Sephora and Nordstrom carry these brands as well except for Lush which is a stand alone shop.

LIPS:  SUGAR Tinted Lip Treatment (Berry) keeps lips moist with long lasting color
CHEEKS: JOSIE MARAN Cheek Gelee (Poppy Paradise)  natural long lasting color
EYES:  MAC Cream Color Base (Hush) great eye shadow that can also be use to highlight
BRONZE:  LAURA MERCIER Matte Radiance Baked Powder (Bronze -03) my fav bronzer
SKINCARE: JOSE MARAN Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 47 sunscreen you will enjoy using
NAILS: DEBORAH LIPMANN (Harlem Nocturne) metallic color that gets noticed (in a good way)
BATH: LUSH Ro's Argan Body Conditioner indulgent moisturizer to pamper your skin

Until next time be well, love well and enjoy the simple pleasures of summer whether it's lying on the beach or just painting your toes ~ but whatever you do or wherever you go don't forget to bring your yarn along  ~

Simcha's Simple Cowl ~ and an Orange County "Moment"

If you are like me you have either received as a gift (or made a spontaneous purchase) of a single skein of gorgeous hand painted yarn.  And it's beautiful!  You love it! You can't wait to make it into something - anything!  But a quick search of online patterns leads to the disappointing realization that due to the limited yardage and strongly variegated colorway, finding a pattern is not as easy as you had expected.

At least that was my experience when my neighbor returned from a trip to Oregon and generously brought back for me a skein of gorgeous baby alpaca yarn from Foothills Yarn and Fiber shop in Oregon.  I knew due to the color and softness of the yarn that I wanted to make it into a cowl, but when I searched for cowl patterns I found that they all either required more yarn, or a solid color, or yarn with more twist, or more this, that and the other.  So I eventually threw up my hands and came up with a pattern for a super easy cowl that works beautifully with hand painted yarn in a limited quantity and named it Simcha's Simple Cowl.

As a brief segue, I have become a huge fan of cowls because I find that I wear them more than any other accessory.  I love them because they are easy to wear and can either be simple and practical (wonderful for hikes) or stylishly and elegant to wear just about anywhere.  For those who are not as familiar with cowls they come in two styles, namely, those that fit snugly around the neck and are called "neck warmers" (these I wear on my hikes) and those that drape loosely around the neck and are called "infinity scarves." Simcha's Simple Cowl is an "infinity scarf" and is designed to maximize the beauty of a limited quantity of yarn in a hand painted colorway.

It is my hope that you will find this pattern to be an easy and enjoyable way to showcase a single skein of special yarn in limited quantity that you may have.

Particulars:  Simcha's Simple Cowl (free pattern download);US 7 circular needles; 1 skein worsted yarn in Baby Alpaca (or similar soft yarn); 220 yards; finished dimensions 16" x 6.5" (i.e. 32" circumference). Due to the rolled edge of the cowl the width measure is slightly less than the actual total "knit" width of 7.5."

An Orange County Moment

Orange County, California is comprised of mostly coastal communities along the southern California coastline.  It is perhaps best known for the television show The Real Housewives of Orange County (a show that I have personally never seen) and, barring that, think of Orange County as California at it's most stereotypical i.e., surfing, vegan food, luxury cars, breast implants and movie star beautiful people.

While I don't spend a lot of time in Orange County we do have a beach house in San Clemente that is technically part of Orange County, although I like to think of it as an anti-orange county crowd where folks come to enjoy the quiet amd beauty of the beach. But I recently found even in San Clemente it is possible to have an Orange County "moment" as the following anecdote shows.

On a lazy afternoon whilst sitting outside soaking up the sun reading a book my attention was caught by the drama of watching two girls struggle with their jet skies that had washed up on the shoreline. Other neighbors had similarly been watching and apparently one had called for coastguard assistance because it wasn't long before an absolutely gorgeous lifeguard came sauntering down the beach looking like he stepped off the movie set for Baywatch.

He spent a few moments talking to the girls and then he turned around and looked at the neighbors on the beach and appeared to be motioning with his hand for me to come over.  I touched my hand lightly to my chest and looked around.  Could I, of all people on the beach, be the most qualified to assist in this rescue?  He looked straight at me and nodded yes.  I tried to exude confidence and competence as I gingerly stepped over the sand to meet him halfway.  When I reached him he favored me with a stunning smile and asked if I would assist him by holding onto his sunglasses and flip flops.  I had to laugh.  Only in Orange County does the lifeguard require an assistant to hold their sunglasses during a rescue and that is what I call an orange county "moment."

The above pictures are taken in San Clemente,California at sunset.

Until next time be well and love well and may your needles fly as you finish the last of your winter knits as soon spring will be here.

Crazy Cowl and Urban Legend ~

It's been a particularly hard stretch of work lately and so a little down time in San Clemente has been welcome.  I'm never as relaxed as I am in San Clemente, maybe because we don't take Simcha with us.  As adorable as he is, he has a lot of energy and likes to run our household rather like a military compound.  For example, if we aren't up by 7 am he will bark until he hears us moving about and he keeps us on a schedule all day long.  Personally I prefer a more flexible lifestyle, but I lost that vote.  Sometimes I think Simcha would be happy if our day began with a bugle roll call.  But I'm not buying him a bugle.  He's bossy enough as it is.

These pictures are of my new cowl taken at sunset along the San Clemente Coastal Trail that connects North Beach with the Pier and beyond.  This trail is a great asset to the community and everyone uses it to walk their dog, ride bikes or jog while enjoying beautiful views of the coastline.

Particulars:  September Circle by Melissa LaBarre (Knitting School Dropout); 1 skein Schoppel-Wolle Crazy Yarn; US 7 circular Needles; modified as follows:  CO 180 stitches; only knit 3 repeats.  I also spliced the colors so that the center had a stripe of light blue yarn just because I thought that would look nicer.  This cowl was a fun and easy knit with fingerling weight yarn so it gives a nice pop of color without a lot of weight which works perfectly with our climate and a sunset walk at the beach.




Simcha and an Urban legend


I was touched that some of the comments on the last post mentioned missing hearing about Simcha. That makes me happy as I love sharing our adventures together.  So I'll share what is probably my favorite picture of him taken at a special place where we often hike. There's a local urban legend that when Jimi Hendrix (guitar player blues/rock style, e.g. Hey Joe) lived in Topanga Canyon he would come to this place to compose and play his music. I have no idea if this is true or not but I do know it has mind blowing views and it is a popular place to party and play music.

Until next time, be well and love well and be sure to take breaks from your regular routine as everyone needs to be flexible.

A Winter Hat ~ at the Sea Shore

It feels like forever since I've finished any knitting and all I've got is a hat.  But it is a very nice hat and I'm very happy with it!  For a change of pace we shot these photos at the beach while we were in San Clemente for the holidays.

I always find our time at the beach relaxing and that is largely because we don't have the internet, cell phones or even a TV to watch and that forces you to slow down.  If you can possibly manage it I think everyone benefits from  time spent away from constant exposure to electronic devices.  Just step away from your computer and turn off your cell phone.

When you do that it gives you time to just be quiet and enjoy the simple pleasure of breathing and relaxing and enjoying nature.  I like to sit on the sand and smell the salt air; feel the warmth of the sun on my skin; listen to the waves crashing; watch the seagulls soaring in the sky and bury my toes in the sand.  I only wander home after the sun sets.

And of course in the Winter you will want a nice warm hat if you are outside enjoying nature.  And I highly recommend this pattern!

Particulars: 16 Sixteen Cable hat; designed by Circe Belles Boucles; US 8 & 9 needles (brim and body, respectively); 2 skeins terra by The Fiber Company; size 1 but I used larger needles to increase the size.  If I had knit size 2 it would have been too large for me unless I eliminated some of the stitches in the repeats which I didn't want to do that because the fabulous oversized cables are intrinsic to the beauty of this design.  Therefore I made the smaller size but increased the dimensions by using a substantial yarn and larger needles.  Because I only had 200 yards of yarn I also eliminated 1 to 2 rows of knitting in between each of the cable repeats and just barely finished with enough yarn. 


The MisAdventures of Simcha ~

As you know I always enjoy chatting about my baby.  It's hard to believe that he's already three (3) years old.  Time has flown by.  Now he spends much of his time hanging about the house and, like any young male in his prime, he enjoys flexing his muscles and preening.  Sometimes I look at those muscles and wonder if all those hikes to burn off his energy haven't also been developing his muscles.... which is sort of counter productive.  Le sigh.

Thinking about Simcha's birthday has me reminiscing about the antics he got into as a puppy and I thought you might enjoy hearing a story that I'll call "the walnut incident."  Simcha was probably about a year old when this happened.  I recall I was at my wits end at the end of a long evening.  To cap off the evening he had knocked over a bowl of nuts and was tearing around the house with a walnut in his mouth and I could not catch him. Defeated and exhausted I sat on the bottom step.  Lo and behold he came over and dropped the walnut in my hand and climbed into his crate. I whispered “thank you” and went up to bed.  Under that tough guy exterior he has a soft heart.

Until next time, be well and love well and where ever you are make time to enjoy nature.  If you are in the snow make snow angles; if you are in the woods sit and enjoy the flora; and if you are in the mountains go on hikes and watch the clouds drift overhead. And leave your cell phone at home.

My Little Chickadee Cowl

I really love the big cozy oversized cowls so popular this winter. And I was all set to make myself one....until this winter turned into the "winter that wasn't." A big nonevent. No rain, no damp cold, no clouds and nothing drizzly or gloomy on the horizon. How disappointing.

It's one of those warm winters that Southern California is well known for.  Since I couldn't see myself wearing a big bulky cowl anytime soon I chose to knit a soft drapy cowl instead.  But then I'm not a "process" knitter so it's all about the bottom line for me - will I wear it?
 

And this is a cowl that I'll wear.  It's simple but has flash and for indoor events is a great alternative to a scarf or cardigan.    Not that I'm going much of anywhere these days as work is very busy.  But, it's nice to know I'll have something to wear if I need something!  And besides it looks nice just hanging about the house.

Particulars: Chickadee Cowl (free pattern) by Kirsten Kapur (Through the Loops); 1 skein Lornas Laces Pearl (51% silk / 49% bamboo); US 10 circular needles.  This is a simple design using the linen stitch and I think it is most effective using hand painted and/or handspun yarns.  My only modification was to to CO 149 stitches and use a larger needle size.  I used almost the whole skein before I decided it was wide enough which is purely a personal choice.  For a traditional scarf using the linen stitch I love the Cerus Scarf (free pattern) by The Yarniad or her newest free pattern, the Peppermint Candy Cowl. Another example of a scarf using the linen stitch is my Heavenly Handspun Scarf.   And for those interested in knitting one of the big fabulous cowls then you should check out the very popular Honey Cowl (free pattern by Madelinetosh).

Sunsets and Shameless Self Promotion

The above picture is of the sunset along the coastline of San Clemente, California and I was going to write something deep and profound about how I felt as I stood barefoot at the water's edge watching the sun set with the tide pulling at me as the last of the sun's warm glow faded from me.  But then something more important came up.  I have been interviewed.  In my capacity as a knitting blogger.  Never mind that it's on a website you have never heard of.  That's a minor point, and such a buzz kill.  Besides, they may be famous someday!!!  The interview is entitled Caught Between the Warp and the Woof - an Interview with Knitting Blogger Claudia Bugh.    Kidding aside, this website has great articles, interesting interviews, fun KALs, and is a wonderful addition to the online knitting community and a resource you should know about.  So go send KnittingYarn some internet love KK.

Until next time, be well and love well and pay attention to both the sun rises and sun sets and appreciate the gift that they are.

A Great Day ~ in San Clemente

It's hard not to have a great day when wearing hand knit socks that give your feet unparalleled warmth, comfort and pizazz!  But it never hurts to be told to have a great day either.

San Clemente is a sleepy little surf town just North of San Diego and is our home away from home.  One thing I love about being in San Clemente is that everywhere you go they tell you "have a great day."  From the grocery store clerk to the T-shirt shop you hear this familiar refrain.  It makes me smile and sums up the San Clemente experience in four little words.

It's awfully hard to model socks so just pretend I'm smiling in this photo.  I really am having a great day in San Clemente.

Particulars:  Orzival Socks by Stefanina March (who blogs as Stephanie's Dream); 1 skein Pigeon Roof Studios fingering yarn, spring green colorway, US 1 needles.  This is a great pattern and I really enjoying knitting these socks.  After the last pattern repeat I only knit 4 rounds of plain stockinette stitch (rather than the recommended 6 rounds) as I have small feet (size 7 US).  Raveled here.

These last pictures are taken at the San Clemente Farmer's Market which is held every Sunday morning on Avenida Del Mar.  The city is know for its Spanish architecture and, of course, the great surfing. Steve and I are both wearing hoodies that are sold all over town.  They are incredibly comfortable and I don't know why we don't wear them in Topanga. You don't often see Steve on the blog, and you only see his profile here, but he's about to have a post as I'm finishing up something for him.  Just so you know, I did not rob the cradle so any comments of that sort will not be appreciated.

The MisAdventures of Simcha

We are still taking separate vacations.  But should my feelings be hurt?  After returning from his stay at the Topanga Pet Resort, I get the strong impression that Simcha would rather still be playing with his friends.  I do my best to keep him entertained at home including daily long walks, tossing the ball, training sessions, keeping him supplied with Bully sticks to chew on, an afternoon tea break (that I know he enjoys) and personal grooming.  But there are a lot of hours in the day.  I'm thinking it's time he got a job. 

Until next time, be well and love well and think about what is it that you love about your community and, wherever you are, have a great day!  Signing off from San Clemente.