Stay Golden

Don't worry, I survived the blizzard. My survival was largely due to the fact that Madeline and I skipped town to go visit our favorite SnB alum, Alex Klein. Now, Alex claims to be shaping young minds in St. Louis but don't be fooled. He's actually livin' it up in Miami with my favorite retirees Blanche, Rose, Sophia, and Dorothy.

College kids ain't got nothing on these ladies. They are wild. Upon our arrival, they gave us a quick tour of the city. Back at the house, we feasted on Sicilian and Scandinavian delicacies. Dessert was, of course, a delicious cheesecake. After dinner, we moved to the living room to play Charades.

Classic Madeline. So busy checking out the lanai she almost missed the picture.

Turns out Sophia was attempting to act out The Wizard's of Waverly Place. That's a tough one. The evening progressed in a calm but enjoyable manner until a misunderstanding involving peanut butter, a hairdryer, and the neighbor's cat landed Sophia and I in the slammer.

Thank goodness Dorothy knew to bring Peruvian Highland wool with her.

By the time the charges were finally dropped, it was time for Madeline and I to head back to Kirksville. The roads were so bad we had to parachute down.

All in all, it was a memorable trip. My brief incarceration allowed me to prepare for the tundra of Kirksville by knitting a cozy hat.

I imagine that if I had been in town, two snow days would have left me extremely bored. Who knows what I would have done to pass the time?

My Father Will Hear About This: A Tribute to Madeline Nash

Today we celebrate the birth of the vivacious knitter Madeline Nash. As Madeline celebrates her birthday with the latest season of Doctor Who and Mexican food, let us take a moment to rejoice in a few of Madeline's finer qualities.

Madeline is FUNNY.

I could give countless anecdotal tales full of Madeline's use of clever puns and pop culture references. But I don't have photographic evidence of those so you'll have to take my word that they exist. Instead I'll mention the less intentional moments of hilarity. Like when her inside out thrummed mittens looked remarkably like the windsocks on microphone booms.

Madeline is a valued member of the Truman University staff.

During her time time at University Counseling, I'm sure Madeline has helped numerous Truman students cope with the stresses of college life. But that's not what I'm talking about. Who else knits their own Purple Friday gear?

Armed with new haul of purple ammunition, Madeline left the yarn swap prepared to display the proper amount of school spirit every Friday.

Madeline is a tight knitter.

You may not be able to tell in this photo, but I'm 95% sure that sock is waterproof. I have heard it reported that she bent a set of Addi Turbos and I've personally seen her snap lesser needles.

Madeline is a dog lover. You can trust dog lovers.

Bella and Tilda: arguably the two most important women in Madeline's life.

Madeline is a prolific sock knitter.

Thanks to the steady stream of sock yarn provided by her mother, Madeline has produced many a work of foot art. She even started self-imposed sock-of-the-month club this year. I'm hoping the fact that it's now blog official will help motivate her to stay on schedule. The stripy number below has to be my favorite of all of Madeline's sock creations.

But who could forget the Draco Malfoy socks?

"My father will hear about this!"

On this 15th of January, let us send birthday greetings to Mrs. Madeline Nash.

May she live to create many more squirrel themed knits.