Gardens, wizards and cake.

Oh, man. I just finished reading the final installment of the Harry Potter saga. WOW! The best six hours and thirty-seven minutes of recent memory. No spoilers here. The ending was and was not what I expected. It definitely met my standards of a great story, and the final chapter was a fitting tribute to every good and true member of the magical world.

Before cracking the book, however, I got to enjoy another kind of magic. Since our knitting group is always up for new and interesting stuff, D invited the lot of us to a sit n' knit session in her mom's garden. I was expecting, "Hey, nice!" I was NOT expecting, "Oh, my God this place is gorgeous!" What an evening. Lots of happy knitters and a couple of cats, hanging out in the garden as the sun went down, munching treats and sharing patterns. Three kinds of cookies, four kinds of tea, brownies, and chips with guacamole. Rockin' guacamole, I might add. I'd have eaten the entire bowl if it weren't for the tiny shred of restraint still hiding in my brain. Well, that and D might have fought me for it. L has completed her very first sock with a few hints from us and a lot of fortitude on her part. It looks great. With any luck, she'll now be hopelessly addicted!

I plan to take a picture of it before it gets packaged and delivered, but the teddy bear is done! He even has a recognizable face! Embroidery is not my strong suit, so this is a big deal. Himself was impressed enough to pose with it, grinning and patting its head. I tied the label card around the teddy's neck; the new mommy and daddy will know how to care for him when new baby gets to drooling.

Oh, I mentioned cake. A very crowded and loud birthday party for a nine-year-old nephew. Since it was a pirate theme, I made a cake with "sand" and "ocean", plus a chocolate chip trail leading to an "X". It was a nice party, and we all had fun, but I was a little disturbed by one of the gifts. Hamsters.

Hamsters are nocturnal creatures, yes? They do not like to be dragged out of slumber by screaming children and forced into various containers. I'm also reasonably sure that they do not enjoy being stuffed into "hamster balls" and tossed into the air in a game of Wild Kingdom Catch. I raised the voice of Animal Authority and discussed the needs and habits of small creatures. Hopefully, it had some effect.

I've made a start on Manly Sock #2, and I'm hoping to finish in the next day or two. Wish me luck!