Update

Sometimes living on the coast has its downsides.  For instance, summer time.  While all my friends are walking around in tank tops and complaining about the heat, I'm sitting here bundled up in fleece and wool with a cup of steaming tea and a heating pad on my feet.  The lobster and I are heading up to the lake on Wednesday for water sporting and camp firing and playing cards by lantern light, but I'm really having a hard time imagining jumping into a chilly lake at the moment.  Even the kittens have taken a break from terrorizing and are curled up next to my feet!  Another downside... Tourists.  Let's face it, valley folks coming to Santa Cruz on a Sunday is not an original idea and therefore weekends here are ridiculously crowded.  Do I sound like a local?

I somehow feel vindicated when tourists come for a sunny day at the beach and get 55 degrees and foggy until 4:30p.

So anyway, it's been quiet around here, huh?  Here's what has been going on.

We have kittens named Adorable and Abominable.  Ironically Adorable is more abominable than Abominable.  Abominable is not more adorable than Adorable, though.

We set up the home theater dealio. (Forgive the cell phone camera picture.) Well, Sean did, anyway.  A few weeks ago we did a big shift in the house and moved the bedroom to the loft, the loft to the living room, and the dining room into the bedroom.  So now I have an office and the lobster has a television in the living room.  I like having an office, but hate having the tele on constantly.  You win some and lose some!

I sent out the first sock yarn club shipment and bitterly regretted not dyeing one up for myself.  I've also been experimenting with new lighting techniques for photographing true color.  It's a learning process.

I've been cooking up a TON of vegan recipes including Hot Rice with Tomato and Olives and Lemon, Vegan Peanut Butter Cups, and super yummy rice and bean salads.  I'm bringing a lot of vegan food camping because I can't imagine a worse place to eat something non-vegan and then be sick to my stomach for days.  My poor body has been spoiled the past few months and now violently rejects anything that contains dairy and surprisingly, wheat.  Besides, I want to show my non-veg family that being vegan is not about deprivation.

I've also been spending afternoons visiting bookstores and farmer's markets galore.  There's nothing like used books and a bowl of delicious cherries in the sunshine.

Okay dears, I'm off for a little while.  I'll be back Monday with lots of pictures to share!

Remember to take the road less traveled.

P.S. I'm leaving the shop open, but everything purchased between now and Sunday will ship Monday when I get back.  Be sure to keep an eye out for new merino/yak blends coming soon!