Hard to sit still

I`m having a bit of trouble sitting still right now.  But I want to get this posted.

See, I needed to do something, and I wanted no distractions, like TV noise.  Normally, I just have the TV on as background sound, because I really get squirrely in complete silence.  Yes, I like "peace and quiet" like in the country, but not a true, dead silence.  When I was attending university, I couldn't stand doing any homework or studying in the library  - I usually did such things in a cafeteria.

Anyway, sometimes having the TV on in the background can be distracting, because I hear something on a program, or movie, and I kind of watch it for a few minutes... or at least, listen to it; which takes my concentration off what I`m doing.  Not bad for some things (like knitting while watching TV) but not good for other things, that require my focus.

So, today - I had been meaning to for a while, but I trolled youtube for some music.  Yes, a couple videos were a bit distracting, but only for short glances... However, the type of music I enjoy (honestly, pretty much everything except country music) or at least, the kind I was listening to today, was very upbeat - "dance" genre.  Venga Boys, Black Eyed Peas, Rhianna, Ricky Martin... To name a few.  I was all over  - don`t recall all the artists (one led to another, etc. plus some I may only like one song) including things like "Let's get moving, into action" (Skye Sweetin) or Pop Goes the World, oh, and some Shaggy and Pitbull... You get the idea.  Just because I`m over 50, doesn't mean I can't enjoy music!! :)

So, the sun is shining, I'm pumped up from the music, and now I need to sit still long enough to post some pictures!!  Dang.  I am in such a great mood, and I just want to move and do things!!!  Well, at least, I've reminded myself what to do to get motivated to get busy on the house!!!

Oh, and I don`t think I`ve blogged yet about how I get choked up and cry kind of when I hear/listen to a particular Black Eyed Peas song.  See, back when I first started hearing the song, "Where is the Love", I really hadn't heard all the words - I mostly listen to a radio station when I'm driving that plays all the current hits.  Again with the background noise... So, I only sort of caught the words of the chorus -
People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love, the love, the love

And, it just happened that I kind of recalled two news items at the time.  One was about a man and his wife who had just been sentenced for animal abuse in regards to operating a puppy mill. (he got jail time, she got fined).  And another story about a dog boarding kennel and pet crematorium that had a fire - all the animals got out safe, including one that the owner went into the burning building to save, receiving several (minor) burns for his efforts.  I can remember thinking, when I heard the lyrics, that I know where the love is... (when my beloved Spud passed away, and this was the crematorium who's services I used, I had asked about the incident - to me, it said that the business was one that put caring above money - and learned that the dog he risked his life for was being kept in a different area because it was apparently unpleasant - a biter - and somewhat anti-social... in other words, *ALL* animals are important).   Makes me choke up even more when I hear the song.  

So... enough of that - I'm in too good of a mood to want to bring myself down with such things. :)  

Here is the shawl from the other day - though it is already moving along nicely - I got 8 rows done last night!  

The beads really make it sparkle!!  Exactly what I wanted to happen!

So, this is the top edge - you can see the beginning of the top edging.  Not exactly what I would have liked to do, but, even though I found a better edging, I realized it would not end up the way I wanted - without a lot of starch.  It would end up looking more like a fringe, and I do not want that... so I am going with an abstract representation rather than an accurate one.  


The bottom edging I had hoped would be more of an accurate look, but I guess I did not quite achieve it, which is why I want to offer the option to leave it off.  It actually is, but it is smaller than I had hoped.  But I also did not want it to overwhelm the end of the shawl, either...

Once I get the whole thing to be longer, or even finished, and add the story behind the shawl, it will be more apparent what I wanted to achieve.  I think, though, that I could have done better if I would have started with a bit more narrow cast on, and started the bottom edging further in...  This is how the whole thing looks:

Ok, off to take care of a couple more things, then spend some quality time outside with the doggies before this music-induced energy burst wears off :)