Above

My View 20080617

· posted 06/17/2008

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Bro flies out and I spin around

· posted 06/16/2008

Here I am drop spindling some alpaca/shetland blend (from our flock) with my laptop on my lap. Yeah, that is me – geekess (it was either that or geekette). I have been spinning more lately, especially on drop spindles.

Seriously.

I’m really looking forward to our Third Saturday Spin Along at the shop. It hits on June 21st this year, the first day of summer and the longest day of the year. I think that’s excuse enough to make a party out of it! We’ll have snacks and some other extra fun going on that day.

My brother was here for a 2 week visit. It was great for us all to see him and spend time with him. He’s such a teddy bear. He may not look like it but he sure is on the inside! It was particularly interesting watching him with my 3 1/2 yo nephew. My brother hadn’t visited for 2 years, so T.J. doesn’t remember my brother. When he first saw him, he ran to me, and jumped into my arms and wouldn’t let go. He resisted my brother’s attempts to interact with him. But within a very short while – maybe an hour or two, he was all over his uncle. I’ve said for a long time that young children, even babies, have incredible instincts about the true character of a person.

Between the shop move, and brother visiting, life was certainly out of order around here. I saw the allergy doctor for testing before the craziness started, and then I saw him for the follow-up last week, after the initial chaos had settled down. It turns out that I am allergic to EVERY-TREE-IN-THIS-AREA – except one. I am also allergic to half of the grasses, half of the weeds, dust mites, dogs and cats. I am so glad to have a great doctor though. He didn’t tell me to get rid of our animals – they ARE a part of the family anyhow. He did suggest some ways to deal for now, and I will be starting the long road of weekly allergy shots next week. I’ll have to go in every week for about 6 months, and then monthly for around 5 years. At that time I should be resistant to all of these allergens and have my life back. Well, that should happen even sooner, actually. I’m SO looking forward to that, as this being the worst pollen year on record, it’s really kicked me down. I’m all for short-term pain/discomfort/trouble in exchange for long term gain, so bring it on. It’s just so nice to have hope at a better quality of life I can’t even express it in words!

I’m still experiencing what I can only call Knitting-A.D.D. at this point. Yes, I’ve started a few smaller projects, but only for charity, or dishcloths, which finish fast and don’t count. I find the hardest thing when I finally sit down to knit at night during my wind-down time is choosing which project to work on first.

I did manage another speaking engagement. I can hardly believe it, though. It is SO TOTALLY not my personally style to get up in front of strangers and talk. But thanks to another wonderful customer friend setting up the outreach, I spoke in front of a local Lion’s club luncheon. They were an awesome audience, that sure helped. They had great questions. And I survived. Surprise, surprise, there was a reporter there from the local paper and she did a story about my speech. You can see the text here and I may someday scan in the photo. Maybe. Regardless of me or my photo, it is great publicity for the shop and our charity projects. Our new charity project, now that the preemie hats for the NICU at our local hospital was such a success, will be knitting/crocheting scarves for a local group called Matthew 25 AIDS Services, to be given out to patients for Christmas gifts. We have a few nurses from the clinic that have been coming to knit/crochet with us at our Thursday night Yarn Alongs and they are wonderful people that we are enjoying getting to know.

I know that I have more to say, that I want to say, but I am getting tired, so I’ll stop for now. Oh, how I do look forward to getting my life (and my brain) back!

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My View 20080602

· posted 06/03/2008

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Gasp! Gag! Gas!

· posted 05/31/2008

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My View 20080531

· posted 05/31/2008

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Moving Day Looms

· posted 05/22/2008

We’re moving. I mean we’re moving the shop.
It’s a big undertaking, but one that’s time is due. There is so much to do I am just overwhelmed. But it’s all for good. Pushing aside scared, overwhelmed, nervous, etc. there is a big excited here somewhere.

We were featured in a local newspaper. You can see the article online here.
The photographer did a great job, however the angle was not the best on the photo of me. We’re so appreciative of the thorough job the reporter did on the article – it was more than we hoped for, as we thought she would just be covering the preemie hat project for our local hospital. It was good timing with our move this coming weekend, too. One of our customers friends ran into the reporter and suggested she do a story on us, and the reporter said that she had wanted to do a feature about the shop ever since she heard we had opened. We are so thankful.

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Happy 6th Blogiversary to me!

· posted 05/20/2008

My first entry, 6 years ago.

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Mystery Decisions and My Blogiversary is Coming Soon

· posted 05/03/2008

Well, we have more mysterious decision-making going on. I think we’ve made the decision, now we are just waiting for everything to be finalized. Once it is, I’ll spill the beans. I’ve been feeling a cross of scared/excited and I am working really hard at focusing on the positives, now that we’ve worked through most everything. I’m hoping to tip the scales over into completely excited and hopeful and – well, you get my drift.

And yes, my Blogiversary is coming soon, in a little over 2 weeks in fact. I have been posting photos and words here for 6 years! I know this means MUCH more to me than anyone else, but I want to thank anyone/everyone that has taken part in ‘conversation’ here with me. I hope you know how much it means to me. If you have a blog of your own, you probably understand completely. Taking the time to read about me, my family, yarn, knitting, spinning, animals, trials and even some very vague information now and then, really touches me. I know part of it is curiosity, but I feel the other part is reaching out in friendship, and I just want you all to know that I treasure you.

So………….. the celebration calls for a CONTEST of course, and I’m keeping this one simple. To enter, all it takes is a comment- an honest comment- a simple comment. Simply typing ‘Hello’ will suffice. And a few days after the festivities have passed, I will use the infamous Random Number Generator to choose a winner. The prize, as before, I will opt to leave as a sur-prize. It will most likely be something fibery, but I want to leave it open to all of my fiber-loving-friends as well as my non-fiber-adoring friends.

Let the party begin! Simply leave your comment here, spread the word, enjoy the party, and don’t forget to grab yourself a designated-blogger should you be the type to over do it.

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Neverending Socks, Spinning, and all sorts of Babies

· posted 04/30/2008

I haven’t finished his socks not even for SAM5.

I have been out to see Mama C’s Twin girls, who are thriving.

And Mama Romney’s Twin boys are doing great, as well.

I’ve been dyeing and spinning Frankie Lee and other bits of wool, etc.

And I’ve been clothing and cuddling the sweet, baby nephew as much as possible.
(That’s the BSJ that I finally found buttons for and finished off for him.)

Otherwise, life goes on, as busy, hectic, wonderful as usual.

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Goodbye Pox, Hello Pollen

· posted 04/14/2008

I’ve finished another square for Joel’s Daughter’s afghans.
I’ve cast-on and almost finished a preemie hat for the NICU at our local hospital.
I’m dying some of Frankie Lee’s roving, in fact as I type the last of it is soaking up colors beautifully in my dye pot.
I’ve been down for 2 days with horrible sinus pain – alas, ‘tis that time o’ year.
I’ve finally been able to get a start with catching up on baby nephew snuggles, since the last of my children was finally lifted from Chicken Pox quarantine on Friday- YAY!!!!
I just sneezed – ouch.
I’ve got a bug to dye and spin yarn again – I’ve missed it lately.
I’m looking forward to the Third Thursday Yarn Along and Third Saturday Spinning coming up this week!

I’m done updating for now – more later.

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Not casting on, really, well, sort of

· posted 04/09/2008

I didn’t cast-on for this:

I did finish it in one evening though. I’ve wanted to try filet crochet for awhile. I didn’t have any crochet thread (not sure I’d like it if I had it) so I just used some sock yarn and a size E hook. It was quick and fun. This project on ravelry.

I didn’t cast-on for this either:

But it did become another WIP somehow. My crocheted star project on ravelry.

I did finish this:

And the explanation for the odd colors, is that I decided since this was really just a test knit I would also use it as an example to show everyone how much better cables look in lighter colored yarn. I really didn’t like this hat, I only designed it for a customer who had chosen a WAY complicated cable fiasco out of Vogue Knitting to do so she needed a more simple cable hat pattern for her first cable knitting project. It’s knit flat though. I have worn it around a bit and I don’t hate the hat anymore. I just didn’t particularly enjoy knitting it. I have so many other things that I could have been knitting instead. Faye’s Hat Knit Flat on Ravelry.

And here are 2 more things that I finished (please ignore that neither of them entered my WIP line-up, but they were quickly on and off the needles and both have ‘time’ issues:

The first is an afghan square for a dearly departed fellow Raveler’s daughters. I’ve been thinking of the two young girls so much while I knit on this square and the second one that I have started. My heart really goes out to the two of them as well as their Mom, Joel’s wife. The store is HERE on Ravelry. Such a tragedy. I’ll also be doing 2 or 3 smaller squares for the other young girls that were in the other car during the accident and knitting on a shawl for Joel’s widow that is being passed around. Sometimes it’s all we can do to just knit.

The second is the “Monthly Dishcloth KALhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/MonthlyDishcloths/ cloth for the beginning of April. It does scream spring.

Check out the shoe that one of our regular customers friends at the shop brought us from Holland, Michigan where she hails from when on a recent visit back to her home town. She is a sweetheart!

In Chicken Pox news I am happy to report that we are on the downside and counting down mere days to the end of our epidemic. Fever reducers are no longer being dispensed. Oatmeal baths are done given. All children are sleeping soundly. Thank Goodness!!

All of my ramblings I bring to you as I distract myself from the tragedy in my life to focus on the pleasant blessings. I hope it distracts you from tragedies in your life, as well, and reminds you just how much you have to be thankful for – it sure has done so for me.

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Double Sheep Again This Year!

· posted 04/08/2008

Mama Romney gave birth to twins again! 2 dark ones instead of yin & yang colors. I’ll have photos and more details to share soon.

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Diagnosis - Late Stage Castonitis a.k.a. Startitis

· posted 04/04/2008

I am a sick gal. Please send any suggestions for treatment, A.S.A.P.!

This is embarrassing:

Click here to see how bad off I am

That is the day last week that I dragged in all of my WIP ‘s and told Mom that I needed intervention. I announced that I was finally going to, gasp!, count the numbers I was up to at this point. It was 13 on the needles that day! Mom said I was not to cast on any more projects. Then shortly thereafter Mom headed out to take Sister to the pediatrician for my new nephew’s first doctor appointment. When she came back, Mom looked at the knitting in my hands and said something to the effect of, ‘That was not on any of your needles when I left.’
Busted.
I even had a good excuse for this one. A customer had come in to get help with the knitted cast-on method. So what did I do? I cast on a Tribble. Heart Coaster

I’ll report back on my critical condition.

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Guess who's here!

· posted 03/16/2008

Here is his sweetness and glory, and he just happens to be wearing the Bananahead Hat that I made for him!
Isn’t he just adorable?

I am working on my nephew’s first “boots”. They are Old World Green Serf Booties, although, obviously, they will be Blue Serf Booties. I started them the day sister went into labor, and worked at them in the hospital overnight that night. I did put them aside for a bit, as I’m working on some wee thumbless mittens for him, that match his hat. I’ll post a photo and probably the pattern, since I’m making it up as I go, when I am done. I have one done, and I’ve started the 2nd one. They knit up so fast! I did ribbing to hold them on his tiny, little hands, and I’m doing seed stitch for the main part. Seed stitch on baby items – how can I resist?

I finished a project that’d been sitting around the shop. It’s a Slipped Stitch Brioche Rib Scarf, and I must admit an underlying motive. I’m SO over winter! I figured it was worth a shot to tempt ol’ Murphy by working on cold weather items, in hopes that this would encourage Spring to appear, therefore rendering my beautiful, big, warm, fuzzy scarf useless until next winter. Ah, well, we shall see, but so far so good.

My new nephew is the most exciting thing going on around here, but in silly stuff, here is the new ‘skin’ on my Blackberry. It’s a lily design. Fun stuff, you know.

The shop has been crazy-busy, well I’ve been crazy-busy, the shop has been, off and on. Business is starting to pick up with the weather not so nasty, though. I’m just spread in so many directions. Re-writing patterns, writing patterns, updating, ordering, planning, etc.

Good news so far as the Chicken Pox that Nicci came down with – none of the other children, mine or sister’s, have come down with them, so far. It’s amazing, but true! I know there is still a chance, as she was contagious for a good week, but we’re hoping to avoid this whole scenario right now. Especially with sister busy with a new baby – she doesn’t need to be taking care of 4 children with the chicken pox on top of everything. And I had a hard time not being here with Nicci when she had hers, though I was with her through the first couple of days which were her worst. I don’t know what’d I would do if the other girls came down with them – just cope I suppose.

Well, I’d better get back to work – I have a anticipated pattern to write for the shop, and I have a dear friend working on test knitting it for me. It’s supposed to be ready for release in 2 days. I’ve got to get it knocked out. Especially since I would like to take SOME time off tomorrow.

I’m thankful for my nephew, a good labor experience for sister, my sister, the opportunity to take part in my nephew’s birth, the ease of sickness around here, my van back since he now has his own car, having my nieces and nephews stay with me for a few days during sister’s hospital stay, the many encouraging friends we’ve made at the shop and the weather finally getting nicer!
Oh, and dove chocolate truffle eggs – my bad this season.

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Snow Storming Decisions

· posted 03/08/2008

It’s snowing here – still – has been pretty much all day. Everything is bright and quiet out there, even in the middle of the night. I’m about done with winter and it’s ice storms and tornadoes and what not. I’m ready for spring. Even though I know that heightens the actual normal threat of the tornadoes. Give me warm sun, pretty flowers, clothed (as opposed to naked) trees, and lower heating bills! The winter has been dangerous, expensive and bad for business.

We are at a pivotal point in many areas of our lives. Decisions need to be made, but us and others that will affect us. Like our old house that we still own, the yarn shop, and my other business.
Where do I put my time, energy and focus. I only have so much. And my children still need more of me.

We’ve had a chicken pox outbreak. None of my children have ever had it, therefore they will be falling to it, like dominoes, I’m afraid. Nicci has it first. She came down with fevers Sunday and Monday and by Tuesday night there were pox. I had thought the fevers were just that flu that the rest of had the week or two before. No such luck? Now she is pretty much one big pok (sp?). The rest of the kids are sitting here just waiting to be sick with it anytime next week. The Boy will enjoy it the most I am sure (/sarcasm).

We are still on baby watch. She will be 38 weeks along in a couple of days – so not much longer either way. Poor Sis is pretty miserable. She’s having quite a bit of back pain lately. But then her kids were here Monday, when Nicci was fevering and contagious, but we didn’t know it was Chicken Pox yet. So we are hoping and praying that my nieces and nephews don’t come down with it. That’s all Sis needs is a bunch of sick kids along with a new baby.

My knitting has been sporadic. I’m trying to keep myself to finishing 2 projects before I cast-on for another. But there’s this cute baby boy vest, and some sweet booties, and a sweater for me, and and and and …. well, you know. Startitis – it’s a terrible ailment. But I have focused on the Slipped Stitch Brioche Rib Scarf and I will finish it tomorrow for sure. So that’s progress!

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Leapin' in here

· posted 03/03/2008

I know, groan , pun intended. Happy Leap Year Day! I didn’t know it was a holiday, but oh well, we can use all of the holidays we can get, right?

We’ve had lots of excitement going on around here. We’ve had ice storms, freezing temps, sickness, and almost had a baby yesterday! One of my “nieces“ was in the hospital with complications of the flu, but she is much better now and home. We had her siblings as house guests for the duration, except for the last day, since Dad works out of town.

The storms have really kept people at home, especially when they are bad enough for school closings, and they have been bad for business at the shop. The past 3 Thursday night Yarn Alongs were dismal. The first because of a storm, the next because of Valentines Day along with bad weather, and then another ice storm. This last week’s was a blast though. We had a baby shower for my sister who is ready to deliver anytime now. She was even in the hospital overnight Wednesday, but the contractions just didn’t stay regular. We had my nieces and nephews overnight – in addition to the other 2 – so we had quite the houseful for a night and a day. It went very smooth – they are all a wonderful bunch of children if I do say so myself. Sister’s been ouchy and uncomfortable since then, and she’s to report to the doc first thing Monday morning. So maybe a baby any day now!

I knit a cute hat and finished a baby surprise sweater (except for buttons) for the baby shower. Of course I forgot to get photos, but I will have a chance soon. Otherwise I’ve mostly just knit on mystery dishcloths. I’m hoping to get back into my knitting groove. Although I have been feeling the bite of another bug more lately – the camera bug.

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Look who just FLU by

· posted 02/19/2008

Yes, bad pun, but a terrible strain of the flu, yes that one, the one that everyone seems to be getting lately, hit our home with a vengeance this past week. I wasn’t even able to escape it. Though my instincts tell me that my immune system was not at it’s strongest what with all of the heaps of goings on going on around here.

Sad news: we lost our Alpaca. I mean he passed away. We have no idea why, nothing stands out, he was just lying on the ground when The Boy went out to feed the animals a week ago. It’s so sad. And now I worry about Durango the Llama – since him and Kokomo the Alpaca were buddies. They never went anywhere without the other – not even to opposite sides of the pasture. I’m going to look into adopting him out to another llama farm in the area – I hear there are a few of them.

The other animals are doing fine – or so I’m told. I haven’t been able to visit them for a couple of months now. Wow, there goes that time flying by my head again. I’ll see them soon, though. We will be moving them back down here across the river soon. They’ll go back to our friends pasture where they stayed temporarily when we first brought them home almost 2 years ago now. We will be thinning the flock during the transition. It’s necessary – part of the business of farming. But not fun no matter how I try to solve the logical puzzle of the best way to go about it.

I’ve been knitting, of course, but not nearly so much as I’d like.
I did finally finish (after re-knitting) the latest Man’s Hat.

And right now I have a special little project that I’m just about done with, that needs to be done and soon. I’ll release details soon. I’m taking a break from it at the moment, in fact. I’ve been knitting really fast because it appears that I will most likely run out of yarn before it’s complete. And we all know that knitting faster prevents one from running out of yarn before a project is over, right? Righeeeet. This is out of special hand-dyed-by-me yarn, and all there is is all that there is to be had. Either it will magically make it or I will have to get really creative and fast!

I feel like sighing much of the time these days. That letting go thing is still bumming me out quite a bit. But with faith, and love, I’ll trudge on through it. Funny how this is one of the absolutely rare stages of anything to do with my children that I have ever wanted to ‘get through’. Almost every other aspect of their growing up I have wanted to go ever-so-slowly, since in reality it all passes much-too-quickly.

Well, back to speed knitting that wee project – wish me extra lengths of yarn luck!

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No time to blog, really

· posted 02/01/2008

I won’t even begin to list the things I need to do, because if I have to one more time to one more person I may just seriously lose something!

I finished Angel’s pink sweater and she’s been wearing it since! Here it is blocking. I’ll try and get a photo of her in it tomorrow.

I acquired a GORGEOUS sweater of my own!! Mom made a hooded sweater out of the Gertrude Ederele colorway of Schaefer Miss Priss – and it was a tad too big for her in one way – but it fits me perfect!! My bad luck ;) For once not being as petite as Mom and Sister was a benefit! ;)
I’ll try and get a photo of it tomorrow – it’s blocking right now. I did wear it right off of the needles, and it is so comfortable and beautiful and amazing! Yay!

Our two teenage daughters have their first stage performance tomorrow with their elite ‘triple threat’ class tomorrow night. I’m so proud / nervous / excited for them!

The first sweater that I knit, which I did for the Yarn Harlot’s Knitting Olympics a couple of years ago was lost. But it’s been found! Boohopper and I are ecstatic! I had recently ripped and lengthened the sleeves and undid the cast-on, picked up the stitch loops, and grafted on ribbing to extend the bottom of it. She wore it right away yesterday, and for some reason a bit of the grafting came apart, so I am repairing that for her now. She’ll probably wear it again tomorrow.

I’ll be spinning every Saturday afternoon for at least the next month at the shop. A great customer, more importantly great friend, will be bringing a different type of weaving loom into the shop each Saturday in the month of February, and maybe into March. She will also be joining me at the local tourist commission office for a demonstration at their Pioneer Exhibit on the morning of the 3rd Saturday this month, and then in the shop that afternoon. Such fun!

Our Block-a-month afghan out of luscious Malabrigo Merino Knit Along at the shop is in full swing and we will be hosting a “Dishcloth Mystery” at the shop ( and on the website ) starting next Tuesday. I’ll give out a ‘clue’ 3 times a week, on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday afternoons that will consist of 6-10 rows of a dish cloth pattern (with a suggested color of cotton to use) that will be finished within 2 weeks. There will be 2 of them a month. I think it will be a blast!

I have so many things to be thankful for in my life. And as I often say when I am in the shop in response to the question, “How are you doing?” – How bad can it be, I’m surrounded by beautiful yarn!

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I just moved down the cyber street

· posted 01/25/2008

Whew! That was a lesson or twelve. I’ve moved servers, (if anyone even noticed ;) and I finally got it all fixed up tonight. I feel like I’ve come back home after being lost for awhile out in the middle of the unknown. Technology – it’s a blessing and a curse on me, to be sure.

The whirlwind that is my life continues to swirl in chaos. I’m still going through the painful process of learning how to let go. It is NOT easy. Earlier this evening was on the down slide, but later this evening it perked up a bit. However I am getting too jaded to get as torn-up the more and more this drags out I’m afraid. This will be a long week, as the end of the month deadline approaches. He’s my first baby….

I forgot to mention our great day last Saturday. We had a BLAST at the shop. It was our Third Saturday Spinning get-together (we host them monthly). We had an awesome group there. A newcomer to spinning on a wheel (read about how she was wonderfully gifted with her wheel at Christmas on her blog ) visited from Tennessee! Her man, the one that was amazing enough to surprise her was with, and so I bestowed upon him his verbal “Great husband/boyfriend” award in person, even though I’d already done so over the phone last month. They were great fun and we are happy to have welcomed them into our yarn family. Also a very crafty local gal that’s knit with us brought in an heirloom spinning wheel – held together with wooden pegs and leather bits! It’s beautiful! Several others joined us, some spinning, some knitting, some just observing and enjoying. I look forward to next month’s get-together! Prior to next month’s (Feb. 16th) I have been asked to demonstrate spinning at a Pioneer exhibit that is being held at the local tourist commission building. Such spinning fun!

In knitting, I set out to complete the never-ending-pink-sleeves last night, with great intent. That was until I ran out of yarn just a couple of inches from the top of the cap on them. Ugh! But never fear, I have another ball of it and will finish it tomorrow. I am determined!

Not on a whim but a long talked about plan just executed sort of off-the-cuff, we performed another Locks for Love donation cut. This time MnM was again the donor. She’s just not interested in dealing with such long hair – I think she even has a sensitive head as brushing knots out is horrible for her. She’s beautiful no matter how she wears her hair.

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Midmonth, mittens and MLK Jr.

· posted 01/21/2008

I finished the mid-month Monthly Dishcloths group cloth tonight.

I think it’s a pretty pattern. Details on Ravelry.

Tomorrow I plan to cast on for BooHopper’s 2nd Peekaboo Mitt, as well as MnM’s Other Peekaboo Mitt. They are going to help me knit them. It will make them that much more special for them and I.

Tomorrow will be a day off of sorts around the house, but it will also be a day to honor, learn and reflect. The kids will be writing their yearly paper about Martin Luther King Jr. I think it’s very important. They agree with us on our view that civil rights are something worth fighting for, and I want to keep that alive in them. We all need to place importance on the ideals that we have been working and moving towards this past century. We’ve come a long way, but we still have much ground to cover.

A conversation came up with the family recently when the man was talking about some co-workers that were discussing presidential nominees. Sadly, a couple of guys that he works with pretty much said that they would not vote for Obama simply because of the color of his skin. Our kids couldn’t believe nor understand this point of view. It didn’t make any sense to them at all. We had to explain how things used to be, and how there are still a percentage (though shrinking) of the population that are still naive and ignorant about such things. When we reminded them of their impending essays tonight and civil rights came up again, one of the kids said that they were really glad that they didn’t live in those times (of slavery and segregation). Amen. But I believe that only through our children will we continue to move forward on race and other issues.

For tonight I’m going to do some more work on sweater sleeves and extending the sleeves and body on a sweater that Gramma made for MnM a couple of years ago. I’ve already enlarged the neckband. We’re trying to stretch out the life of it, until she moves up in the sweater queue. If only I could knit instead of sleep! Unfortunately the similar sweater, my first, that I made for BooHopper has disappeared. I had “done surgery” on it, extending the sleeves and body and was about to open up the neck a bit. She wore it meanwhile, and it has not showed up anywhere for a couple of months now. It makes me sad. I guess I shouldn’t be so attached to knitted garments, but it was my first sweater.

I hope to finish a few things off the needles soon, as I am anxious to cast-on baby things. My nephew will be joining us in just 2 months and I haven’t knit a thing for him – that is outrageous! I’m also helping the girls plan little boy knits for the wee one.

Oh man :( I was planning to jump over the river tomorrow to go and knit with some dear friends that I haven’t knit with for quite some time. I thought opportunity had opened itself, and it turns out in an email that I just read that the other gals are not going to make it. This type of situation makes me yearn even more for a 3rd vehicle – I just don’t have any desire for any type of car payment!

Things coming up this week include:

• meeting with our shearer to discuss flock reduction so that we can relocate the animals to this side of the river – closer to home.
• inventory for the first time at the shop – oh joy.
• starting a block-a-month afghan knit along at the shop.
• showing our house to a couple from St. Louis on the 31st – please, oh please /\/\/\ let it sell and fast!
• the Man and I celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary on the 30th. We are both most definitely re-upping for another 20 years.

Care to comment?

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Give Wool A Chance

· posted 01/18/2008

This is a great article about wool. Seriously, read it. I’m considering contacting Stephanie for permission to put a copy of it in with our shop’s next newsletter at the end of this month.

The mid-month clues are up for the Monthly Dishcloths Yahoo Group and I’m enjoying this one as the clues come out, day by day.

This week I’ve been working my ahooha off, enjoying our cold weather and experiencing the feeling of being BURIED in WIP ‘s. I am thankful that we are a sickie-free household after I pretty much spent my weekend in a sinus-coma (Yes, that is an exaggeration, but it’s purpose was to emphasize pain not tragedy). Now I think I’ll go and knit myself to sleep.

Care to comment?

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The river on a clear Saturday

· posted 01/12/2008

Care to comment?

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"Speaking" of decorating footballs

· posted 01/12/2008

I survived my first public speaking engagement. I was SO freaked out about it. I am amazed I made it there. I am just not the type to stand up in front of even a small crowd of 60 people and talk. No, not me. But I did it, and I survived. I wasn’t booed, nor hissed at, and not a soul fell asleep. All laughing was on cue with things that I meant to be funny. I even had a lady show up at the shop today (not a knitter, nor a crocheter or spinner, but just a very nice lady) who simply took the time to stop by and say “Thank you” and to say that she enjoyed my talk. Wow!!!

Afterwards, last night, I finished decorating the little boy’s birthday cake hat.

The little guy will most likely be picking up his birthday dud tomorrow. It’s cute – but I’m glad to be finished.

And tonight, on a whim, I picked up the remains of the red cotton leftover from the Mick Mouse dishcloth and whipped up the current Monthly Dishcloths Group pattern.

Mine is here or here.

But don’t peek if you think you might like to knit the mystery yourself. They send out a clue (several rows) each day for a week or so, and you don’t know what it will be like until you knit it up. There is one at the beginning of the month and one mid-month. It was great fun. I’m looking forward to the mid-month pattern and hope to knit each days clue as they come out, instead of all in one evening like I did with this first one.

So my current focus is on the never-ending-pink-sleeves, that I am ever distracted from at the drop of a hat. I’d also really like to get some socks done. Two of my three personal pair have developed problems, and the third pair keeps showing up on the middle daughters feet. I guess I’ve been wearing them out. But they are so awesome to wear!

I’m looking forward to this next week. We have our Third Themed Thursday Yarn Along coming up this week, and then Saturday afternoon in a week will be our day for hosting local spinners as we do each third Saturday. I yearn to get some more spinning done.

I’ve really got to break this habit of falling asleep early, then waking up for several hours, and then going back to sleep so late early. Split-shift-sleeping is not the best sleep.

Care to comment?

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Wicked weather - so yesterday

· posted 01/09/2008

Care to comment?

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My sick Boohopper is beside me

· posted 01/09/2008

Care to comment?

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Trying to go up when I'm feeling so down

· posted 01/08/2008

We had a bad blow-out with the Boy tonight. Letting go is TOUGH!

So, in meandering around, trying to keep my mind off of it for a little while and to find something uplifting I happened to click on the link in the side bar under On this Day… 5 Years Ago

Go ahead and click on it, and then click again, but please do come back.

We don’t live in that house, in fact we only did for a year. But it was still a HUGE blessing in our lives. That house came available just when we needed it, and it was perfect for what we needed – a place to bring Grammie to live with us, for her last days.

As we near the 5 year anniversary of Grammie leaving us for a better place, at the end of this month, I’m brought to think of the man God used to give us that house. His name was David. He was a bit eccentric, but a very good person. He treated us like family, even if in his distant way. I remember things like him covering our electric bill for a month when we were more than tight. And him buying and setting up a swingset in the yard beside our place and his (he lived in a smaller house on the same property, so was a neighbor) just for our kids to play on. We would drag him in for dinner once in a great while. He would bring us goodies now and then, out of the blue. He gave the girls a baby hampster after ours passed on. He was a good friend.

Yes, you see past tense in those sentences. David passed away himself about a month ago. It was sudden and sad. He’d been sick for sometime with some mysterious infection that they couldn’t seem to name or cure. He’d been out of work for awhile because of the illness. Then one day he had a heart attack (they assume) and fell and hit his head and that caused a stroke. He was found on the floor of his bedroom – still breathing and heart still beating, but unresponsive. After some days in the hospital, he went downhill fast, and his family (from out-of-town) had to make the decision to turn off the machines that were keeping him alive at that point. We haven’t been able to remember his age, but believe him to be in his late 50’s, at most.

We miss David.

Well, that started out to be uplifting, looking at that beautiful house of his, that we were blessed with, and being so thankful for such blessings. But it sort of meandered around to a sad sort of place.

I think I’ll just go try and sleep again. Tomorrow is another day.

Care to comment? [1]

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Cake decorating with yarn

· posted 01/07/2008

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Angel finishes her surprise for Jasmine

· posted 01/07/2008

Angel finishes her surprise for Jasmine

She calls it “HeathRose” and there is a long sorted story behind this scarf that involves the names of the yarns used – sort of an inside thing. But once again my creative 14yo improvised her own lovely pattern. Jasmine is sure to love it!

And another gift for me – The closeness of my 2 teenage daughters.
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Starz*Above
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Tis Winter - a season to knit

· posted 01/05/2008

And I have been knitting, even if it’s not as much as I would like. Running the shop is SO MUCH MORE than just sitting around knitting, crocheting and spinning!

There’s been a little bit of a stitch pattern taught to me by a very sweet lady named Claudia….. it’s oh, so very European! And the mohair spritzed wool is lovely, too.

And then there were the “comfort socks” for my recently-turned-17-year-old. Big and bulky was weird for me. I’m use to size 1 needles for socks and the size 10.5 US were foreign in the process to say the least. The cashmere/silk/alpaca/merino blend yarn I used is LAHHHHVELY! The girl is already wearing them out :)

I’m still finishing the sleeves for the recently-turned-14-year-old-daughter on this lovely. And after all, pink is not just a color, it’s an attitude! (According to aforementioned 14 year old)

I intend to pick up the man’s socks and finish them. Can it really be that I started them last July????

And I MUST knit something baby! My new nephew is coming in March, oh my! I’ve yearned so long to have a baby to knit for, and here he is on the way, and I have yet to cast a baby thing onto my needles – Oh, the irony!!!

On personal notes, we are enjoying the house and living on this side of the river, especially being so close to the shop! I feel like I am home so much more what with losing the commute, and that’s important to us all.

We’ve managed to make it through the Boy’s first semester of college and most of the way through his winter break. So many learning experiences….

The older girls both had birthdays – I so wish they’d stop growing up so fast! The little girls are nuts over the fact that they see their cousins nearly every other day or so – nuts in a great way!

The husband and I work on – my work much more enjoyable than his, I’m sorely afraid. But I still foresee that he’ll eventally, finally figure out that even with the stress/struggles/risk, working for yourself, doing something that is rewarding to you personally, is SO SO SO worth it!

It’s time to go knit a few rounds on those pink, never-ending sleeves. I’ll never understand how two little sleeves can take twice as long as a detailed body of a garment, but it will be worth it!

Care to comment? [1]

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Red Mitten Knitting in the Dark

· posted 12/19/2007

I am now testing out ‘moblog’ posting via “Flickr”:http://www.flickr.com

I hope this works – it could really be fun!

This is one of my few furiously-last-minute-Christmas-knitting projects. And yes, I am mostly in the dark, listening to the latest Cast-on podcast and his snoring and knitting this lovely red mitten. Hope you are enjoying yourself as much!

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My first post ala Curve

· posted 12/19/2007

I’m finally posting from my Blackberry Curve! It took some searching but thanks to the Opera Mini browser I can finally post on here when the inspiration arises.

I don’t know if I am the only one – but I’ve been blind-sided by Christmas. I am SO not ready. I’m trying to focus on the reason for the season but it’s hard not to feel like I’m letting people down – especially my children. The only Christmas knitting that I’ve actually finished are the dish cloths for my Dad and Melodie:

I am just spinning in circles all of the time it seems – sort of like a drain. But I’m NOT forgetting how thankful I am for what I do have – don’t get me wrong! I am blessed! Life in the 21st century just seems to be all about the turmoil!

Care to comment?

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Our Second to Last Move is Pretty Much Done

· posted 11/19/2007

There are a few boxes here and there yet to unpack and we have a bit more to do to finish up at the old house and get it on the market, but we are just about done. We need to wrap it up here at the new house, since we’ll be hosting for Thanksgiving this year.

Care to comment?

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Multi-tasking is relaxing - to me

· posted 11/18/2007

I was sitting here earlier and all at the same time I was:

• Knitting
• Playing on-screen UNO
• Listening to a podcast

And I was relaxing.

Care to comment? [1]

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Surrounded by boxes, yet again

· posted 10/23/2007

I can’t believe it – we’re moving, again. I’ve moved enough for 3 lifetimes already. We are headed back south, over the border, and closer to our business. The worst part – this won’t be our last move. I so yearn to buy some land and stay there for the rest of my life. I long for a home that my children will bring their children back to, once they have their own families. But alas, we are embarking on what will hopefuly be our 2nd to last move – ever.

So, I’m surrounded by boxes, packing tape, and uneasiness. My only saviours are my family and my knitting.

Care to comment?

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I just noticed that the leaves are starting to change

· posted 10/02/2007

First, the good news – I was able to hold a BABY last week! And not only did I hold her, but within 2 minutes she was asleep on my shoulder! Okay, in unison:

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

It was like she felt the groove on my shoulder from the gazillion times that a baby has fallen asleep on that shoulder. I’ve been told that I have a gift for putting babies to sleep on my shoulder. I think it’s a gift that I receive every time that it happens. It just melts my heart. I was teaching knitting class, and the baby belonged to one of my students. So I just had to hold her, sleeping in my arms, for the rest of the class. The mom needed to knit you know!

I was up late the other night. Knitting? No. Working on an English Synthesis. Argh! My college boy needed some support, encouragement, and guidance. It was sort of rewarding, but very exhausting! He has GOT to learn to not put these things off until the night before, despite the poor example that I’ve set for him!

Have you noticed that the leaves are starting to change? I did. Barely. And with the temps here headed back up towards 89 degrees – oy. I’m ready for my favorite season already.

I have been knitting, madly.

I currently have 2 pairs of socks, 2 stockings, and a dishcloth on the needles. This in addition to the Wicked Weather Sweater that I refuse to work on again until we are for sure in the 70 degree or cooler season.

Have you signed up for Ravelry yet? My username on there is, of course, StarzAbove and I would love to have you as a friend!

Care to comment?

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Time for a change.....

· posted 09/10/2007

In so many ways.

Maybe I’ll take a little time out and redesign here, to give myself a breathe of fresh air.

Maybe.

My birthday was last month. Here is the beautiful cake He picked up for the occasion:

Care to comment?

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Summer melts into Fall

· posted 09/07/2007

There is hope, finally, that summer will draw into Fall. Thank goodness!

Have you discovered Ravelry? I love it! If you have, add me or let me know your user name so that I can add you to my friends list.

How’s business? How bad can it be, I’m surrounded by all of that yarn and fiber!
Actually business is great. We are steadily getting more and more busy, as we had hoped.

How’s the family? Great. Growing, learning, and hanging in together. The boy has started college- gasp! The older girls have started a Triple Threat class at the “Riverbend Arts Academy”: and are loving it! They are SO in their element there, it’s wonderful. The younger girls are enjoying seeing more of their cousins and about ready to get back to school. The man is working hard, as usual.

How’s knitting? Great, except that it’s hard to complete anything when you have 7 or so projects going. In fact, I’m crocheting a sweater vest, as well.

How am I? Still stretched to the gills in so many ways, but I’m coping and trying to learn how to deal better.

How are you?

Care to comment?

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Life, Sunshine and Yarn

· posted 07/25/2007

Yes, I’m still overwhelmed. I even fell asleep early last night. Then I woke up at 3:30 a.m. and I haven’t been able to go back to sleep. i usually have a hard time getting to sleep in the first place!!

How’s life? My current response if I’m at the shop is, “We’re surrounded by yarn, how bad can it be?”

I am feeling stretched pretty tight still, though. I have 3 businesses from home (although 2 of them are very part time, as they are in maintenance-mode- I’m not seeking further new business, just supporting what I already have established), I’m raising and teaching almost half a dozen children (it is half a dozen if you count my husband as my first child, as he is often quoted), the yarn shop, and am trying to keep my household running clean and decent. Definitely a full plate.

But I am trying to focus today on the positives.

And now for future changes/decisions. As was expected, we are considering moving back over the river. The commute, gas and energy prices, as well as just being closer to our familial “hub” are all draws. Our plan has always been to live on some “land”, so we just figure it will be land in Kentucky instead of Indiana. This will be, I hope and pray, our last move – I want this to be the home our children come back to, eventually bringing their own families. We have simple dreams, but they are beautiful to us.

I hope you are keeping your dreams in sight, and that they are spurring you on through the tougher times. Because as I just shared yet again with one of the children yesterday – how can we have happiness without sadness, ups without downs and mountains without valleys?

Care to comment?

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I Hereby Give Myself Permission

· posted 06/12/2007

I haven’t made an entry for so long. First off, I have been very busy, of course. Opening a Spinning and Yarn Shop does take quite some time. It’s fun work, for sure, but it’s still a lot of hours and a lot of work. Second, I think I have been hung up on the fact that if I do make an entry that I am obliged to catch up on everything that I’ve missed posting about. So, I hereby give myself permission to start fresh again from here on out.

So, what’s on my needles? – Wicked, a great sweater pattern that we happen to carry at the shop, in Atacama.
I have the body of the sweater done all the way down to the waist band, which I’m doing in the same crossover pattern as the neck band instead of the seed stitch as written. Then all I have left are the sleeves.

– The As You Like It shoulder wrap, out of a GORGEOUS hank of Schaefer Anne – ooh lala Schaefer!!! If you haven’t seen it, run to your nearest LYS! It’s probably our favorite yarn in the shop! I’m up to 137 stitches wide doing the lacy version which goes up to just over 200 stitches wide at the top. It’s almost a mindless knit, if I weren’t so worried about making a mistake.

And now I need to cast on some socks. I still have my trekking toes, two-at-once on the ‘loop. I was finally able to bring them out at the shop since our Trekking XXL finally arrived last week. I have some Wildfoote wound up to cast onto dpn’s (it’s been ages), and but I’m aching to try out the new TOFUtsies – such amazing colorways! We have all of them in the shop, even the new ones, making it an even tough choice.

So, what’s on your needles?

Care to comment? [3]

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Yes, I'm still here, and the delay has been worth it!

· posted 04/26/2007

I have exciting news! We are opening a spinning/yarn shop!
I’ll share more details soon – you can imagine how busy I have been taking care of soooooooooooo many details. I have been knitting some. I will have to get on the ball, though, because I have many samples to knit!

Care to comment? [4]

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We have a SURPRISE lamb!

· posted 04/18/2007

Our yearling ewe surprised us and lambed today! She is barely a year old herself, so this was quite unintentional. It must have been a result of that time this winter when the rams knocked the gate off of it’s hinges and were in with the ewes. Oops!

The good news is that mama and baby are doing well!

(Picture to come soon).

Care to comment?

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Count Your Sheep

· posted 03/29/2007

Care to comment? [2]

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Twins 2007

· posted 03/15/2007

We have TWINS ! ! !

Mama Romney gave birth to twins sometime today.

A white one … ‘All Legs’

And a black one … with a dash of white on the head and the tip of the tail (for now).

These are pure Romney, whereas the the first lamb, Blondie’s, we are pretty sure is our first Shetland (like mama) and Romney cross-breed. Time will tell for sure. And we’re hoping this batch is full of ewe lambs, so that we can have even more lambs!

One more ewe, Mama C (Cleopatra), is left to deliver, we think.

This is so exciting!

Care to comment? [3]

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Our First Lamb 2007

· posted 03/11/2007

This is so exciting! Blondie, the ‘ewe that rammed me’, delivered an adorable, little, black lamb sometime between the time The Boy was there feeding them last night and when him and MnM went out there to feed them earlier this evening!

The lamb and Blondie both seem to be well – we were able to see the lamb walk around and flitter it’s little tail.

We’re headed out there in the morning to check on them and make sure they have what they need. I’m hoping to see the lamb nurse, to make sure that’s going well, and maybe figure out if we have a ewe lamb (we hope) or a ram lamb, and if it’s a Romney-Shetland cross or a pure Sheltand. Well, I’ll do a lot of observing, and ‘supervising’ my wonderful family – that part is VERY frustrating.

Oh, and the other two ewes (except for the yearling ewe) appear ready to pop soon, too! This is so exciting!

Care to comment? [3]

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A Touch of Whimsy for EmNm

· posted 03/02/2007

Happy March from EmNm and Pickles, the dog!

PATTERN: Touch of Whimsy
YARN: Paton’s Classic Merino in the “Bright Red” colorway
NEEDLES: size 5 US KnitPicks Options magic loop method
NOTES: This was a fun pattern that I did a repeat here and there on, when it came to the lacy band. Using the provisional cast-on and grafting made it interesting, too. The top is a bit pointy – I’m still considering ripping it out and redoing the last few rows to round it a bit, but first I’m going to wash and block it. I did the number of repeats necessary to go around a 1st graders head, and then reduced the number of stitches picked up to correspond, it was 72 I believe.

Care to comment? [3]

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What a Wonderful Spin-2-Knit Pal

· posted 02/27/2007

Well I can tell you, my secret pal is a sweet heart! And I hope she/he forgives my absent-mindedness at not posting this sooner, since I received it several weeks ago! It’s a beautiful, Valentine-themed bundle of surprises! I can hardly believe he/she is a beginning spinner! She/he sent a VERY generous amount of some beautiful cranberry merino – I LOVE the color and the texture – and it does NOT look like beginning spinning to me, at all! I think I must knit something for ME out of it – but even just getting to experience knitting this luxurious stuff is going to be a treat!

He/She also sent a GORGEOUS knit scarf that I have been wearing every chance I get, and with the cold we had right around when this came, it has been quite a bit. Sometimes I wear it just for comfort. There is just something about wearing something that someone touched, and put their heart and soul into, making it with their hands, and thinking of ME while they were making it!

And there are many other goodies in there – a beautiful card, a cute and useful tin, a wee little pot with lavender to grow in it, and CHOCOLATE!

The package was just beautiful on it’s own. You can see the awesome pink snowflakes that everything was nestled in, along with tissue paper. What creativity!

THANK YOU SECRET PAL!!!

I signed up for the Interweave Spin to Knit
Handspun Secret Pals Swap before my right knee was injured. I have not been spinning. I am still trying my best to take care of the person that I am to spoil. I hope she understands.

Care to comment? [1]

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Bouquet of Something Else

· posted 02/27/2007

I’m trying to get grounded. I’m going through another one of those ‘things-seem-to-be-spiraling-out-of-control’ phases. Thank goodness they only happen now and then. You probably know what I am talking about. I know I’m not that unique. So I am reaching, stretching, and trying to find things to hold onto.

I know I am tremendously blessed, and to whom much is given, much is expected. But sometimes things seem to pull and stretch me so thin that I ache.

So what am I thankful for?

• – a busy, hardworking husband,
• – beautiful, loving, independent-minded children
• – our big, turn-of-the-century home
• – family and friends and all they entail
• – Grace, Mercy, Hope and Love
• – knitting, my therapy
• – my overfull, under-exercised tum
• – and my new laptop, so that I can sit here in the quiet, wee hours and vent, rant, rave, whine and no one (that I can see) will roll their eyes, tell me they know how I feel or have it worse, or will condemn me for how I feel.

I’m so frustrated with where I am at – and I want to be an example for my children – especially at the ages that they are currently. I have dreams, but the children are the first of those dreams. Does that mean I should be happy at that and not strive for more?

I think I need to make some choices, some hard choices, and streamline my life a bit. Focus on just a few things, and excel at them, rather than screw up a gazillion things.

This is not a pity party – no invitations, no R.S.V.P.’s – it’s more of a sorting out of my mind, into typed words. So, I hope this didn’t bore you. I hope you found something to relate to – something to help lessen some of your frustrations and confusion along with mine. And for now, we’ll take one of our balloons from the growing bouquet of them, and release it into the air, along with a little bit of the weight off of our shoulders.

Care to comment? [3]

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Half Way Through February 2007

· posted 02/15/2007

We celebrated our 19th Wedding Anniversay at the end of January.

It was quiet one at home, since I wasn’t in good shape. But we do have a raincheck for a nice, quiet dinner out together, alone, soon.

I have some new FO’s(Finished Objects) to share.
First, for the Caps for a Cure Yahoo Group in honor of my Grammie:

PATTERN: Striped chemo hat from Elann
NEEDLES: Denise size 7’s
YARN: Elann Esprit in Orchid Pink and Esprit Print in Lilac Medley.
NOTES: This is VERY stretchy yarn and must be knit with at a very loose tension. Odd. Love how the hat came out, though. I think this is a type of hat that I would wear. I truly hope someone gains comfort from it.

I also finished the “A” sweater for my niece: