Convention 2011- California or Bust

The brochure for the 2011 SAGA convention went online yesterday and I've already picked out at least 3 possible classes for each day. This is the first time in a while I have been so excited about classes!
Susan O'Connor from Australia will be teaching! I have wanted to take a class with her for ages now. Her designs are gorgeous and her stitching is exquisite. Jeannie Beaumeister has some lovely designs on offer and there are several other gifted teachers with great projects. I think the only classes that didn't strike me as possibilities were the ones I have already taken. I'm almost even tempted to slog my sewing machine along...but that would be hard on both me and the machine.  I could rent a machine, but it takes me a while to get the hang of adjusting stitches and such, so I'm not sure that would work well for me.  (I am, however, thinking about it)
  
  

fishy tales

I noticed that my Mickey Mouse Platy was chasing one of the reds around the tank earlier, so I looked up platy behavior to find out if this is normal. (it is) I also read up on how to determine whether you have boy or girl platys, because they're live bearers. Turns out this is fairly easy because it's done by fin shape. The author also noticed you can tell if you have a pregnant platy by three means: she's gotten quite fat, she has a dark spot over her ventral fin, or she is female. That gave me a giggle. Seems they are the rabbits of the fish world.

Those signs of spring I mentioned?

Gone, all of them, under a blanket of snow. It's been switching back and forth between little ice pellets and fat flakes of snow all day. I heard varying reports of accumulation of up to an inch to between 3 and 5 inches. I'm currently betting on at least 3. I went out to buy fish for my new aquarium a while ago and the roads were already getting slick and covered with slush.

Have I mentioned my aquarium? My hubby bought it for me last week. We got it set up and filled with water, added a couple of plants to it and have been letting it mature for a few days. Today I went out and bought a betta, a mickey mouse platy and some red platys to add to the water. Next week I'll add some neon tetras. Choosing fish is fun!

My computer is next to a window that overlooks the four-way stop in front of the house. I've been watching cars and trucks slide through the intersection and skid around the corners for the past 20 minutes. I'm glad I don't need to go out again tonight.

Signs of Spring

Last week while driving in the neighborhood I saw about 10 male robins in a tree. I'm thinking they were scouts for a migrating flock. Apparently no one had told them the forecast was for Snowpocalypse to hit in about 14 hours.
Yesterday, while driving along the same road, I noticed one lonely scilla in bloom near someone's sidewalk.
I have some hope this winter may end, after all.

No-pocalypse

I'm feeling grateful today. Snowpocalypse '11 has so far managed to pass us by. We had rain last night, but it's dry today with just a few occasional snow flurries and some wind. I can deal with most winter weather, but freezing rain scares me.

February 8 is the Hari Kuyo festival. You can read more about it at Stitchin' Fingers. My pins and needles are in pretty good shape, but I think I'll try to post a tutorial on how to make a pincushion and strawberry emory later in the week. Like most of us in the west, I'm rather cavalier about my pins and needles, because I know I can get more cheaply and easily. There are places where an entire village shares just one needle, though, and it is treasured.