so...I went on holiday to Europe! had a great time, although it was not nearly long enough! went to Dijon, Bordeaux (ooh la la), Enschede, and Amsterdam, Hamburg, Chemnitz and Halle(Saale). took the train everywhere. was very tempted to go straight back to Bordeaux! trying to figure out a way to get back there now! I am going through withdrawal.

I had such a good time there. got to meet one of my penpals, who was absolutely wonderful. he showed me around the city, and we went to eat out a couple times. walked along the Garonne, and looked up at the stars! I even saw a satelite! found Casseopaeia. he said he saw the north star!

ever the hopeless romantic, I think I have gotten carried away with emotion! want to recapture it all...and never let it go!

for all you European holiday planners...take the train! it is so relaxing and enjoyable. everyone was extremely helpful in every respect. it is definitely much better than spending half your trip in airports!

Ok...what to do....I am not giving up on the man front yet... I have high hopes for someone I met last year. it is hard enough to start a relationship when you live near each other...at least 10 times that when you are across an ocean!! I wish he would talk to me... why do men not like to talk feelings, yet, they want you to pour out your heart and soul to them. I am concentrating on my crochet...it is a really good distraction. however, I am a true hopeless romantic..and everytime I think of him, my heart starts to flutter. every romantic novel I read...he is the man and I am the woman..in the story. it is just so hard.... I haven't had any type of relationship for such a long time. I don't want my poor heart to get trampled. I know I could get through it, but would I be able to pick up the pieces and start over!!!

my grany square is growing steadily..... I am thinking of starting another project....maybe doing a blanket with a basket weave effect. of course if won't be a square.
on this, the first day of spring..we had SNOW! can you believe it? I'm not complaining, mind. it was just such an utter surprise, after all the nice weather we have been having lately.
been trying to read as well...getting through book after book. it is rather exciting..reasing all these new authors.....one's I have never heard of before. I am so sad that my bookshop is closing. :( now I will have to travel further to get books. I guess that is not so bad, in the grand scheme. I won't be so tempted now, because the shop won't be in my back yard! however.....the craft shop is still there! not much better...for temptations!
I am trying to motivate myself to clean up my room. it's not working. every time I think too much, I get exhausted! sigh.....

I have success!!! My granny square is coming along nicely. I had to buy more yarn...I had to take the blanket with me so I could match the colour correctly, as I did not remember the colour name or dye lot number. Silly me!
Still reading up a storm....found quite a few books by sheer accident... bookshops and craft shops are dangerous places for me!! I can't walk in for just one thing. I always walk out with more than I intended, and almost always not even what I went looking for! This time in the craft shop, I restrained myself...I only bought the yarn in the colours I would need. A small feat for me!
Anyway, my blanket is already getting heavy, and I am so ready to start yet another one. Not an unusual practice for me. I like to have several projects going at once. That way, I won't tire of looking at the same thing over and over again.

well....I fished out my crochet hook and some yarn last week.....in an attempt to start on some projects. I wanted to start with a simple Granny Square pattern. well.....not so simple!!! I started out all right, got the pattern going, and then it all went to hellin a handbasket!!! I knew I was doing something wrong whe the square began to pucker...but I couldn't figure out what! I proceeded to undo what stitching I had done up to the beginning and start over from that point... yet again, I noticed it began to pucker, and for the life of me, I could not figure out what I was doing wrong! well....finally I found an old square that I had made, and took a look at it to se if I could figure out what I had done wrong.....and lo and behold...the light went on!!!!!! YAY!! I figured out what the problem was, and now have quite a large square going!

I have so many other projects going too...other afghans that I am in the process of making, counted cross-stitches, and I am reading up a storm too. People ask how I have so much time, but really...these things don't take alot of time....I just sit and work on them for an hour or so a day, before going to bed. It's amazing how much I can do in a short period of time.. Pretty soon, this blanket will be big a bulky, and I won't really be able to carry it around with me, if I want to work on it anywhere else.

I am actually making this blanket for someone special...

well....I have not totally given up in the love department. I am still hopeful.....always searching. Of course, it helps that I am addicted to romantic novels