Birthday Treats

Today was my birthday! Yay! We are going to have a celebratory dinner and apple pie this weekend, when Chris doesn't have to study, but Chris went ahead and gave me my presents. And so, of course I have to show off. Last weekend we went to the pet store and he told me to pick out some toys for Honeybun. We got a hay ball, a log for her to climb on and chew (shes really gotten into chewing lately), a leash and another littler pan. Its been fun watching her play with the hay ball--she has to roll it around to get the hay to come out. I figure its good for her little brain. He also gave me a copy of Barbara Walker's 2nd Treasury of Knitting Patterns. I already have the first and eventually would like to own the full set. They are such an asset when I'm working on a new design. In fact, I'm working on a shawl pattern right now that uses a stitch from the first book. The odd clear flat thing in the picture is a book light. I've never seen one like this before but it looks promising. Rather than directing a beam of light onto the page like most booklights (which is always either too dim and useless or too bright and annoying to your sleeping bed partner) it softly illuminates the full page. I used to do a lot of reading-- I love mystery novels, especially medical thrillers and forensic/crime mysteries--but when I was in college I was so overwhelmed with academic reading that I got out of the habit of reading for fun. Now that I have more free time I'm enjoying getting back into it, especially at night before I fall asleep. Now I can stop using the mini-maglight for nighttime reading! Oh, and I can't forget the daily calendar by the Yarn Harlot that Chris gave to me yesterday (he always gives me one of my presents the night before my birthday). I just hate that I have to wait till January to use it, but I've promised myself that I won't peek and look ahead!

Chris also installed my new window boxes on the porch today. Of course I forgot to take a picture while the sun was still out. I'm trying to grow collards in them, we'll see if it works. In the past I haven't had very good luck growing anything but hot peppers in pots in apartments. Because Honeybun has free reign on the porch the pots have to be out of her reach, otherwise she will very quickly chew the little plants right down to the dirt.

And of course my best birthday present, though given to me a month early, was Honeybun!