Ewehoo!

Whatcha Been Up To??

2010-12-31T11:54:00.000-06:00

US? Well, we've been getting all "beautified" for XY3's two-year pictures tomorrow. He's so darned cute! He actually did a great job during the cut. He sat on my lap and (mostly) held very still. Tomorrow is the big picture day so, hopefully, that will go well also.

XY2 also got a new haircut. His experience wasn't a good as XY3's. In fact, the girl who did his hair took all of 7 minutes to cut it. . . and it shows. I had to work on in a little bit when we got home.

And, some actual knitting!!! I only tackled one knitting project this season. A cute little bear for a cute little boy. The pattern comes out of Knitted Toy Tales by Laura Long. I'm actually going to buy this book. It's super cute and KnitPicks has their 40% off sale.

10 Years. . . And Counting!!

2010-12-21T18:46:00.016-06:00

Ten years ago, today, I married this guy:
The years have flown by. At one time, we lived alone with only ourselves and our hobbies for company. It was good.
Then, XY1 came along. Things got better--and a lot more interesting. I knew I'd made a good choice because DH is a GREAT dad.
Then, XY2 joined the crew. And, still, things were good.
Finally, XY3 became a part of the family. DH was still a great dad, and things were still, albeit crazy, good.
I married a fellow who supports the things I want to do with my life. The things that make me a happier person and a better mom and wife.
He's invested on our family and is a "team player." He also likes to camp. This is a big "plus" in my book.
He's funny. So much so, that it can be a bit. . . how shall we say. . oh, yeah, a bit annoying.
But, most importantly, DH clears the snow so I don't have to. Sometimes the literal snow and sometimes the figurative.
Although the past ten years haven't been perfect (on either side of this partnership) they have been (mostly) interesting and fun. Where will we be ten years from now? Who knows? As long as we are somewhere just as satisfying as today.

Birthday Girl!

2010-08-14T08:50:00.002-05:00

Thirty-eight
It's that time of the year again. Every birthday I have always prompts me to re-evaluate my life and where I am on the journey. Some years I feel better about things than others. This year, I can only characterize my general attitude as ambivalent. So, in an effort to better ascertain my true feelings, I'm compiling a list.

Things I've done thus far that I'm happy about:
1. Had three (usually) great children
2. Earned two undergraduate degrees
3. Earned (almost--and I will finish this year) my Master's
4. Been half of a productive and positive marriage
5. Had a number of fun adventures
6. Have a job I like most of the time

Things I still need to do:
1. TRAVEL!!!!!! (UK, Italy, Germany, Toronto, Alaska, The Netherlands)
2. Live in the country

Hmmm. . . not bad I guess. I'll never be rich and I'll never be famous. But. . . I'm pretty damn happy!!

No, I actually did NOT fall off the face of the planet!!

2010-08-09T13:15:00.003-05:00

Yeah, so I've been really busy--again--and have been neglecting the blog something fierce. It's been a really busy summer though at our place. We started out with a trip "up nort" to visit grandma and grandpa. Of course, a tractor excursion is all part and parcel of the whole visiting experience. On this day, XY1 and grandpa were relocating bird houses (which, I assume, is a good way to entice more birds to show up--but I cannot say for certain). The funny thing was, Mr. Curmudgeon took XY1 out every day and they did some sort of activity. Then, he'd complain about XY1. However, I'm calling BS on this one because if he were so miserable, Mr. Curmudgeon would not have continued in the same vein. So, I say, "suck it up grandpa, and admit that you love the XYs a bunch. Your gruff routine isn't fooling me one little bit."
We've also been doing a lot of camping. Last year we bought an old pop-up camper and we've been putting it to good use thus far. It's weird though, I'm definitely from a "tent camping/backpacking" background, so I'm pretty surprised I've enjoyed the camper so much. It's really nice to have with the XYs though. The nicest trip this summer was to Devil's Lake Campground. It's part of the Wisconsin state parks system. I guess it's supposed to be the most visited park in the state. It's really beautiful. Below is a view from the observation point on the west bluff. My three little guys (even the 18 mo old) managed to make the entire hike up the bluff and across before wearing out. I was so proud of them all!!

I'm extremely glad the guys like to camp. First, it's a lot cheaper than other vacations that a family could do. Also, it's good for them to be out in the air and observing the natural world around them. If you have kids, GET THEM OUTSIDE as much as possible. Not convinced? Check out Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. It's both interesting and scary. For a good chunk of our camping trip, we worked on the XY's "explorer packs" from the WIDNR. The kiddos were so excited to go exploring and discover the different tasks in the booklets! (of course, the patches that they can earn are a real draw also).
We have two more camping trips planned this year. One this weekend and another the second weekend after school starts. We are already planning for next year and where we might go. I like the idea of also trying some tent camping next year. Really, I just need to get the kids ready to go here. It's AMAZING!!!

No knitting to speak of lately (maybe I should change the blog header to reflect that). I just haven't had that good knitting mojo going on these days. I do have a small project on the needles for a friend but, since she does look here, I'll have to wait to post pics until I've sent the gift out.

Future Olympians!

2010-02-16T17:43:00.003-06:00

If there were an Olympic competition for revolting cuteness, I'm fairly certain (in my completely unbiased corner of the universe) that Op would take the gold. Just look at that face! I'm feeling sort of slackerish because I STILL haven't taken him for his one-year-old pictures but every time I plan to, he takes a digger at daycare and has some sort of head wound. Poor little guy! I guess that's what happens when you are a champion "climbing bug" though.
And, speaking of "cute," the other day my husband says to me, "So, I'm thinking of making knight's helmets for PoKaL and Fud." Now, DH is fairly crafty is a guy sort of way so this was not that surprising. The helmets though are hysterical! The kids ran around the house bashing each other with cardboard swords and screaming their heads off. It was a complete success.

Successes have been quite bountiful around here lately. I finished my French Press slippers in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Because, you know, you just have to have great footwear for Olympic viewing. One pair for me and one pair for my Olympic buddy.
The pattern is super easy and super quick. I'd recommend it to anyone who needs a stylish pair of slippers.

Knitterly LOVE!!

2010-02-13T17:50:00.005-06:00

Ahhh! Perfection--what you are looking at my pretties is a fantabulous Tom Bihn Swift knitting bag. Oh, sure, I know I'm a little behind the times in discussing this amazing bag but--hey--I have kids, I can't be out buying knitting bags every other second. I decided to give this bag a try and spent a fair amount of time gazing (longingly) at the "punch and cocoa" picture on the Tom Bihn website. However, much to my chagrin, Punch and Cocoa bags aren't being produced at the moment. So, being the take-charge kind of girl I am, I emailed the company and inquired as to the current color runs and what might be happening in the future. I wasn't really holding out a whole lot of hope for the "perfect" color combo but--rather--had resigned myself to the inevitability that if I wanted a bag I'd have to "settle" as far as color was concerned.
Enter Ms. SanGregory from the Tom Bihn company (intrepid customer service rep). Ms. SanGregory did a little looking around and told me there were. . . . wait for it. . . . PUNCH AND PURPLE swifts available from an older color run (apparently they have updated the design a bit to include heavier material at the bottoms of the bags--this color combo is pre-update) Well, as I have a serious sickness for pink and purple, I knew this bag just HAD to be mine.
I have to say, I've never (really--and I have a couple of AMAZING knitting bags)been more pleased with a knitting bag. Not only are the colors great but the bag does stand up nicely when it is full of all my stuff. It holds a TON (as in ALL the yarn for my current Dr. Who scarf project for the Knitting Olympics (and the ravelympics too). Not only that but this bag holds all my other knitting stuff too. I can easily put in the yarn, instructions, and all the other miscellaneous hoo-ha I need for any kitting project (short of a comforter or something). The clear pockets are awesome--largely due to my need to be able to see the 2$ I have with which to buy cheap coffee. Currently, my swift contains:
*SpectraTredz circ set
*Instructions for scarf
*Sushi Stitch markers
*Stitchdots
*my phone
*About 14 balls of KnitPicks Swish Worsted
*Scissors
*Tape Measure
*crochet hooks
*The Nefarious WIP
*KnitClips
*a small notebook
*ipod
*There's a bunch of other stuff too--you get the picture.

Seriously--I LOVE this bag. It is perfect.

Now, if only it could help me knit faster. . . . . .

Things I Can Control

2010-01-14T20:19:00.003-06:00

Let me just put this out there:

I think the universe basically sucks. There it is. My "the-glass-is-half-empty" philosophy in a nutshell. Now, I'm not saying my little corner of the universe sucks. Usually--despite my incessant whining--it's a pretty nice place to be. From a more holistic perspective though, we live a fairly horrid existence.

I base this supposition on events in the course of history and events taking place now that make life for humans (who, incidentally, never asked to be born) hell. Cataclysmic disaster, Ongoing War, Disease, Famine, Poverty, Abuse, Systematic Disenfranchisement, Human Rights Horrors, Genocide, Crimes Against the Innocent, Behemoth Greed (seriously, I could go on forever).

The above mentioned, incidentally, are the basis for my belief that hell does not exist but is--rather--created by us. That, however, is a whole other blog post for a different day.

So, in order to not feel completely powerless and puny in a harsh world, I donate to causes that--I fervently hope--are making a difference and bringing some modicum of peace to others. Perhaps you already donate time and money to causes you feel strongly about? If so, that's great.

Maybe you'd like to but don't know where to start?
Heifer International
Oxfam
United Way
Project Linus
Doctors Without Borders
Feeding America
Save the Children
Habitat for Humanity

There are, literally, thousands of charities around the world whose mission is to make life a little less cruel, a little less difficult. Consider doing something to help someone you've never met.

Look Out 2010!!

2009-12-31T11:00:00.005-06:00

Wow! Another year has flown by and--as per usual--I've been neglecting the blog to a shocking degree. So, to amend for my slackitude, I offer the "year in review" in reverse order (just to make things interesting).
1. Op's baby dedication ceremony. It was beautiful and PoKaL and Fud were very well behaved.
2. Crafty, crafty--a Lucy Bag I made for the charity holiday raffle at the Jr. High where I teach one hour a day. The gal who won it's husband put the thing on his head like a hat. I don't know if it was inspiration born of "spirits" but I felt he did not show the bag proper respect. That rapscallion.
3. More Crafty, crafty--In November, I had an AWESOME scrapbooking weekend with some of my very favorite people. Good company, good eats, and major productivity.
4. The Lakeshore Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (Gah--what a mouthful!) bought a new building. It's fabtastic.
5. Trains! Always lots of trains. We live in a train house around here.
6. (Even) more Crafty, crafty--Matching dresses for two of the cutest little girls around.
7. A little brotherly love. PoKaL, Fud, and Op usually get along really well. And then, there are those "other" times.
8. Crazy fun times with friends--gosh we are so "stupid busy" around here we never get to see our friends as much as we'd like to so we really have to make up for it when we do get the chance to get together.
9. Oh PoKaL!!! I don't know what I'd do without your crazy faces to entertain and amuse me.
10. Op was our newest addition in 2009. He's a lot bigger now and running around like he owns the place. He says, "uh-oh", "ma-ma", and Fud's name. It's very cute.
There was so much more but I'd be here all year uploading pictures if I let myself. So, I'll end with this year's attainable and reasonable resolutions:

* I will knit something (unfortunately--I finished neither sweater nor mittens this year--D'OH)
* I will finish my Master's program
* I will develop "negative calorie" chocolate
* I will only complain about grading and writing papers on odd-numbered days
* I will avoid "Made in China" as often as humanly possible
* I will write my legislators more frequently
* I will start writing Arne Duncan (yeah, I mean you Arne--Harvard and Semi-Professional basketball do NOT an effective Secretary of Education make)

Things That Make You Go Hmm?

2009-11-14T22:58:00.003-06:00

I wonder what Lucy is hiding from? Perhaps she is afraid of the flash? Perhaps she is avoiding the blog? No, really--I suppose I've been neglecting the blog shockingly for quite some time but the truth is: I am really, disgustingly busy. The crushing irony is that I'm too busy to blog but not to busy to take stupid cat pictures. Go figure
Well, at lease PoKaL has time to enjoy his hobbies and obligations concurrently.

Vamp-o-babe!

2009-10-09T17:32:00.004-05:00

In one of the strangest incidences of toothy development I've ever seen, PtW sprouted the two teeth right next to where the fronts would be (are those the incisors? I do not know). The result: VAMP-O-BABE!!! The little devil looks like he could drain ya in under a minute with those pointy, new little fangs. And--least we fail to notice--he looks exceptionally pleased about this turn of events. So here's the real question, is he a "real" vampire or one of those lame-o Twilight vampire wannabes?
Of course, if he turns out to be a vegetarian vampire (oxymoron, that), we've got a stockpile growing with which to feed his insatiable (because aren't all vampires insatiable) needs.

Fiber therapy

2009-09-06T13:38:00.003-05:00

So, I've un-deleted the blog because I just don't have the time or ambition to follow through with my alternate blog idea--maybe someday.

The school year has gotten off to an unbelievable HORRID start. Oh, the kids are swell. They usually are for the most part but the rest. . . . . ? Let's just say, I've determined to hole up in my room and not "mingle" this year. I've had it up to my eyeballs with the petty politics surrounding a profession that is supposedly made up of caring and empathetic people. Personally, I've found over the past eight years that while many people are caring and empathetic they don't make up for the self-righteous, nosy, holier-than-thou assholes. This is especially galling when I spend the VAST majority of my "free time" during the school year in work-related activities. To put it mildly, I'm heartily displeased.

As a result, I've found myself craving time to knit. To do something I enjoy while creating items for other people who will also enjoy them. I'm currently working on a not-so-secret-secret-project and will have pics as soon as it's done. I won't do a WIP pic because it is still sort of a secret. However, I can mention this: Green, Purple, Brown, Blue.

I'm also going to try to get back to my shawl which I've taken a HUGE break from. I'm going to have to figure out where I've left off since PoKaL was kind enough to remove my pattern tamers from the chart. I have a sort of idea but I'm not certain. I AM NOT going to frog it though. I just may end up with a few wonky rows. I can live with that.

Born in the USA --- Made in China

2009-07-06T14:53:00.002-05:00

Okay, let me just say this at the get-go. I am a consumer. Oh, sure--I try not to "shop till I drop" and reducing my personal debt is an ongoing process that I feel very strongly about but. . . . I STILL NEED STUFF. The laundry doesn't magically clean itself without soap (or a wash machine for that matter), our clothes periodically need replacing, we like to buy videos since we don't have cable or dish, but there's consumerism and there's CONSUMERISM.

I'm sick of every last little thing being "made in China!" I don't want to be owned by a government whose human rights and environmental activities are beyond the powers of negative language to adequately describe. In fact--I've had it up to my eyeballs with "made in China" to the point of now looking under or in everything I purchase to see where it's been manufactured. I haven't really thought I'd be able to purchase everything only made here in the states but I'm definitely boycotting China. I haven't looked into it yet, but I'd be willing to wager China is poised to dominate the world from an economic standpoint. As for me---I've had enough. I'm going to do my small part to promote small business, local business, and local (nationally speaking) manufacturing.

Death of a Dream

2009-05-05T09:07:00.003-05:00

You know, there's a twisted and cruel irony ( as a public school English teacher) in having one's favorite living, non-fiction writer proclaim:

"we are homeschooling"

Michael Perry in Coop -- page 30

Yeeeaaahhhh, okay then.

Effing Papers and Reboot

2009-05-03T22:12:00.002-05:00

There will be ranting--you've been warned.

I HATE writing fucking papers!!!! I hate it. It sucks. It sucks up my valuable time and no--in case you were wondering--writing papers does not actually make one smarter. READING the articles by which to facilitate the writing of the bastard papers makes one smarter--not the writing part. Oh sure, there are some folks out there who, mistakenly, might feel that by synthesizing information into paper format a researcher (read: Moron who got sucked into yet more coursework) can more fully demonstrate knowledge. I assert this is NOT SO. Indeed, I would be so bold as to propose that actually putting the new ideas one has read to use or--better yet--using the new information to construct a new methodology or schemata is a much better use of time.

BTW: Have I mentioned that I hate writing papers?

I could go on and on but I will not as I'm sure my ranting would swiftly degenerate into all all-out cuss-o-thon.

In other news: I feel like this blog needs a re-boot of some kind. I mean, I don't know if anyone reads it (which really isn't the point--so much) but I'm just not as jazzed about the thing as I once was. Is it that I've become a whore to the instant gratification that is twitter? Is is that I've become addicted to the inane quizzes on Facebook? I don't know--but I do know this:

SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE

When I've ascertained what that might be, I'll give a full (and VERY short) report on the matter.

PoKaL!

2009-04-16T18:36:00.004-05:00

At 3:45 pm 5 years ago, today, I became a mother for the first time.
I was excited, exhausted, terrified, thrilled, and completely unequal to the task of being responsible for another human being. I charged forth anyway. What else could I do? Now, five years later I'm pretty sure I (nor DH for that matter) haven't muddled it up too badly yet. I present PoKaL as evidence:
Oh sure, we've had some highs and lows--many instances where I looked back and thought, "well, THAT could have gone more smoothly"--but all in all he seems to be coming along. PoKaL is an almost elemental force. He possesses energy and emotions in such vast quantities, I'm not really sure how he manages to stay inside his own skin. He's charming, funny, compassionate, intelligent, and resourceful---and I love him more than I could ever attempt to put in words. I try to remember this when he's making me crazy!

In honor of my PoKaL, AND National Poetry month, I've selected a poem which really "spoke" to me today. While I'm fairly certain C. K. Williams meant this piece to be self-reflective, for me it illicits images of PoKaL becasue he IS in my heart. I too worry that it might be my doing that keeps him from becoming everything he can be.

The World's Greatest Tricycle Rider
by C. K. Williams

The world’s greatest tricycle rider
is in my heart, riding like a wildman,
no hands, almost upside down, along
the walls and over the high curbs
and stoops, his bell rapid-firing,
the sun spinning in his spokes like a flame.

But he is growing older. His feet
overshoot the pedals. His teeth set
too hard against the jolts, and I am afraid
that what I’ve kept from him is what
tightens his fingers on the rubber grips
and drives him again and again on the same block.

NaPoWriMo

2009-04-08T19:49:00.002-05:00

Wow! doing a poem per day is hard. It's a good thing I'm going for quantity and not quality.

Tuesday's poem:

Democracy: The Promise.
It keeps us yearning
like a crack addict in an art gallery.

**And today's offering

I watch the raindrops
falling into the gutter
while trash floats along

NaPoWriMo

2009-04-06T14:58:00.000-05:00

Macho Man

You inflate your
machismo
Mediterranean
chest
“It won’t happen “
you claim
in your shiny
beetle
black
loafers
Only the slicked-back
bristle
brush
hair gives away
your roaring insecurities.

Stuff and Nonsense

2009-03-22T22:13:00.003-05:00

I got caught up on my paper grading the other evening (which I've already fallen behind on again) so with four free hours staring me in the face I had a few "options" for what to do with my free time including:
A. Fold Laundry
B. Clean House
C. Do Dishes
D. Knit
E. Start new project totally unrelated to anything else I've been up to lately and make a big ole mess while doing so.
(guess which one I picked?)
Took the fam to church this weekend too. This was a largely pointless endeavor on my part as Fud got it into his head that he was just going to cry for no apparent reason and Peanut the Weenut decided he would nurse throughout the entire service so, I got nuthin' out of being there other than sitting in the nursery. Wait! That's only partially true. I DID manage to get this stunning photographic composition where:
1. Fud looks like his frontal lobe has just been removed
2. PoKaL is doing his best "future drag queen" pose AND has sprouted a torchiere from the top of his head
3. Oddly, DH looks really nice in this pic--bringing my grand total of good pictures (where he isn't making a stupid face) up to 3.

You'll notice PoKaL is holding a stuffed brown bear. He had custody of this bear over the weekend. We (that means me) had to journal everything we did with the bear and provide photographic evidence that the bear was well cared for and had fun over the weekend. In addition to this, PoKaL is also the "star of the week" at school. This entails making a big poster, bringing a bunch of stuff into school which will be left there until we forget that we ever owned the items, and--naturally--the obligatory cupcakes. I'll try not to repeat the cupcake catastrophe of Fud's birthday cupcakes.

Anyone play World of Warcraft? Peanut the Weenut got this from his aunt and uncle out west. I think it's ultra-super cute--especially paired with his amazing knitted pants (no false modesty here folks). PtW spends a lot of time doing that baby big smile thing. I love it. Although, I find it odd that babies look cute with no teeth but adults just look strange if they have no teeth. Perhaps the cubby baby cheeks is what makes the whole look work so well.

Crafty Bitch

2009-03-07T22:50:00.004-06:00

Sometimes, craftiness is born of necessity. Take my oldest child, PoKaL, for instance. They say little boys are made of "snips and snails and puppy dog tails" but I'm fairly certain that PoKaL is made of 8 grit sandpaper--at least in the knees. Of the FIVE pairs of pants in Exhibit A below, FOUR of them have less than 10 wearings to their names. So, I've essentially been transformed into a sweat shop laborer in my own home. This largely due to my absolute refusal to:
A. Buy new pants when the pants in Exhibit A are essentially new
and
B. Let PoKaL's knees stick out (I--apparently--have a "thing" about this. Who knew?)

I'm sure someone out there will think, Ummm. . . dumbass crafty chick, why didn't you just get iron-on patches? Well, that would be monumentally stupid of me considering how much scrap fabric I seem to have accumulated over the past seven years. Besides, there's a recession on and the media has terrorized me into being to fearful to purchase anything---those dirty dogs.

The wee shirts are sleeper gowns that I decided to cut off into shirts for Peanut the Wee Nut. (hmm. . . still haven't figured out what to call the little guy on the blog yet)

Then--in a truly "crafty bitch" turn of mind, I thought, hey the bottom half of these gowns would make great doll skirts for a little friend of mine. So that's what the little squares are.
And since no crafty day is complete without paint, I FINALLY finished a project I started about three months ago. I have all the letters of all three boys' names and I painted them up all pseudo-artistic-like. Of course my painting is pretty lame but I don't think the boys will notice.
Tomorrow it's paper grading and paper writing----bring it!

Busy Birthdays and Bento Beauties

2009-03-03T22:49:00.005-06:00

We've been in the midst of the "spring birthday blitz" around here. There are about 10 birthdays between now and June. It's sheer craziness. One of the festivities was Fud's birthday. Here's a fun pic of him and PoKaL after the opening of an obscenely big box which held not so many Thomas the Tank Engine Legos (those lego people are cheap bastards and should put more in the box). However, Fud and PoKaL were quite pleased. (We're still trying to teach PoKaL that not every present falls under his ownership--it's largely been a loosing battle)
Fud refused to blow out his candles. He was fairly leery of the little flames that are sort of the whole "candle thing." He knew they were hot but wanted to stick his fingers in the fire anyway. So I'm not actually holding his hand because I'm having a warm/fuzzy moment--rather--I'm trying to keep him from burning his little fingers. You can't see the cupcakes in this picture but they are truly horrific and ugly.

We also recently celebrated DH's birthday. Here he is acting like a complete ass. Personally, I think his penchant for acting like a fool in front of the camera is a manifestation of his deeply seeded feelings of alienation and inadequacy. (Take that Freud!)

Hey, look at my cool and pretty lunch.

Oooooooooh Pretty.
Finally, the bloody cupcake debacle. So, I'm thinking I have to make some sort of treat for Fud's birthday (for both home and daycare). While at the store I saw a "red velvet" cake mix and thought, hey little kids like bright colors. This will be perfect. (I should have remembered my Steel Magnolias) As I was baking the cupcakes however, I thought they were looking a little more blood red than Badger red and I started to worry about the appropriateness of vampiric cupcakes at a daycare center. Because I'm so smart (yup, big-time problem solver, that's me alright), I think to myself, no problem--I can fix this with frosting. Oooh! I know. How about blue frosting then the cupcakes will be "Thomas" cupcakes.

Yeah, right

Long story short--my "vampire" red cupcakes with super bright blue frosting were the butt ugliest cupcakes ever made--and they turned my kids (and a bunch of little cupcake grubbers at daycare) tongues black. Mom of the year, that's me.

Sadly, I didn't take any pictures of the frosted monstrosities. I think my failure to do so probably indicates a deep need for acceptance and sympathy without full disclosure of my cupcakey sins. (Ha! Take that Skinner)

How many shots does it take. . . . ?

2009-02-13T11:04:00.002-06:00

To get five people to all look at the camera at the same time without making a stupid face? I'm here to tell you, it takes 8 shots. Yep, 8. On our most recent excursion up north, we got a nice pic of the boys with Grandma and Grandpa. It was a great visit with very little (relatively speaking) angst. DH and I really like visiting his parents. They are the easiest people in the universe to spend time with--and DH's dad is freaking hysterical! (in gruffly acerbic sort of way) PoKaL just loves going for rides in Grandpa's truck and helping Grandma cook. Fud is even getting more interested in what's going on (in a bump on a log sort of way).
A good time was had by all. I even got some knitting done. I'm trying a pair of socks using the Magic Loop. I don't know what I think of it yet.

In other news: My friends just had baby #2!!!! A sweet little girl who decided to show up a little bit early. (See how I zoomed to the hospital to do some baby hogging--I mean holding, yeah, holding not hogging) She was such a little peanut (or are baby girls sweetpeas--I have no frame of reference here in testosterone central).

Happy Christmas!!

2009-02-04T14:20:00.004-06:00

WEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!
You, my friends, looking at my Christmas gift from DH who is officially off the "doofus" list for at least a month. Thing is, I never get any gift from this guy on time but hey, if it's jewelry, I can wait. So this year when DH said to me, "What do you want for christmas?" I said I wanted a mother's ring. Then, I said, "No, I want a ring with our whole family in it." Said Mr. Non-Doofus, "okay." Then--because a person's temerity is bolstered by getting jewels--I said, "I think I'd like Michael Thee to custom make a ring." To which DH replied, "Yeah, that's sorta what I was thinking too."

I love this guy's work. In fact, I have this, this, and this from him already. I think he might be some sort of jewelry evil genius because he has separated me from a good chunk of cash over the last three or so years. Anyhow, I really liked this ring and sort of modeled what I wanted after it. I prefer the circle form though--it has a more fluid yin, yang feel to it. Or maybe it's wombish--since all my "precious gems" are safely tucked away inside. Regardless I am perfectly happy about the ring and plan to wear it everyday, all the time. Honestly--this guy's work is great so if you ever get the chance to see it in person, I'd do so.

Anything and Everything

2009-01-29T17:54:00.003-06:00

Yes, there has--in fact--been some knitting at my house. The evidence is here: A holiday sock for the newest member of the family. I used the Ann Norling Snowflake Pattern and I think it turned out really well. The stocking is bigger than it would normally be as I used Lambs Pride worsted which I think knits up more like an (almost) bulky. Lamb's Pride has some really neat new colors that are sort of stripey but in a more monochrome way than I've seen before. I really like the effect. So much so that I bought more yarn for either a felting project or another sock. We'll have to see
And here he is modeling for scale: Notice how displeased the little guy is that the sock wasn't finished before the holiday--hence no stocking stuffers.
Speaking of little guys (and big ones). PoKaL has taken a shine to his dad's old Kromer hat. We washed it to very poor effect so I had to get DH a new one and the older (red) hat had been languishing in the closet. PoKal--despite the goofy face--really likes this hat. It is a hat with rich history.
Of course, Fud got in on the action too. This kid is too cute for words (that is when he isn't throwing himself to the ground and having temper tantrums). I like to think he looks like me.
Finally, the newest member of the house once again. Here's the little guy looking especially charming and intelligent. He's been so much fun while I've been home on maternity leave. In one sense, I can't believe I won't be doing this again---all the more reason to enjoy each moment (even the 3 am ones).
In other, unrelated, news our local Cold Stone Creamery closed. I am deeply depressed (check that, I'm actually quite pissed )about this. I'm not surprised--I live in an area that is struggling economically and was long before the most recent "issues" in the world of high finance. However, I'm still sad about the whole thing. Where will I get my "Birthday Cake Remix" now? What ever will I do when I need a "good" ice cream fix?

Highly Suggestible!

2009-01-23T21:50:00.003-06:00

Main Entry:: sug·gest·ible
Pronunciation:: \səg-ˈjes-tə-bəl, sə-ˈjes-\
Function:: adjective
Date:: 1890

: easily influenced by suggestion

It would appear that I am easily swayed by those around me or the uber-cool stuff of those around me. This causes no end of trouble in the yarn store (the fact that I am not a drug addict is, therefore, minor miracle and the result in my accidental association with drug-free friends--it could have been so much worse).

Point in fact: "Trollbeads" If these aren't the coolest damn thing I don't know what is. Resistance is, most likely, futile.

The Sweetest Thing

2009-01-20T13:41:00.002-06:00

The two best things I've heard today:

1. "PRESIDENT Barack Obama"

and

2. "FORMER President George Bush"

Makin' em and breakin' em

2009-01-19T10:09:00.007-06:00

So, (insert dramatic pause) it's that time of the year again: New Year's resolution time! Yeah, it's a few weeks late but I had to take some time to think about what my resolutions for this year would be. You see, it's important to make resolutions one might actually keep (as opposed to the I'm-going-to-lose-100lbs-and-give-up-smoking-no-not-really kind). In my mind, new year's resolutions are more of a "woman, know thyself" endeavor. So without further ado:

1. This year I will knit myself something big (like this sweater) but only if I feel like it.

2. This year I will knit myself something small but intricate (like these mittens) but only if I feel like it.

3. This year I will attempt to be more patient with my children but only on Thursdays. (oh, keep your pants on, I'm fairly patient as it it!)

4. This year I WILL NOT LAUGH at my female students who think their little dramas are the glue which holds the universe together (and I will continue to abstain from telling them to "suck it up" when they despair over "cramps"--see, I really am a nice person).

5. This year I will read something.

6. This year I will only complain about the papers I have to write for my graduate program if the papers are 10 pages or longer.

7. As to the above: I will spread my griping around and quit groaning to the same person all the time--she deserves a break.

8. This year through trickery, guilt trips, conniving, and outright bitching I will make sure my husband finishes all the home improvement projects he has started over the past 6 years. That means for the first time since we've owned our house, we will have no projects in progress. That does not mean we won't have projects that need doing but that's entirely irrelevant.
(I must say that the roof and siding do look quite nice--and they were big jobs.)

9. This year I will only buy yarn that I don't already have (such as this) or if I have a coupon. Otherwise it will be stash knitting for me for the rest of the year (less the kit for the above mentioned mittens).

10. This year I will attempt to keep better tabs on my garden so I can actually can some tomatoes. I will also (maybe) try growing a dye plant for some highly experimental kitchen dyeing.

11. This year I will spin more---I hope.

12. This year I will try really, really hard to catch up on my scrapbooking.
See these darling boys (Disregard husband--I don't even knit for the poor fellow so I'm, obviously not going to scrapbook for him.)? Only one of them has a baby book. Can you guess which one? Oh, yeah, I purchased and was gifted with books for the other two but have I kept current on the record keeping, picture inserting, journaling, and whatnot? HELL NO! It's time to get cracking on this so the two younger boys don't feel unloved.

13. This year when the above mentioned husband spends too much time playing World of Warcraft (notice how I said "when"), instead of asking him directly to, "get off of there" I'll passive-aggressively throw away something of his that he really likes and then play stupid when he asks where it is.

And, finally:
(insert didactic rhymey whymey voice)
This year I will lose 100 lbs, quit eating chocolate, only drink water and green tea, be nice to people I don't like, and gain 40 IQ points.

That is all.

Whoa! Slow down, Tex!

2009-01-16T17:28:00.002-06:00

I see that I haven't blogged anything since August. Man, where did all the time go? Hmmmm, well I suppose it could have something to do with the gruesome twosome (see above). Or, perhaps, the latter stages of pregnancy number 3 (see end result below) sent my blogging brain into a tailspin. Yeah, that must be it.
Of course, it might have had something to do with:
1. Grad School
2. Knitting -- More specifically--Ravelry. Ravelry is sort of like online crack for knitters.
3. World of Warcraft -- more online crack
4. There was also the election. (insert gratified sigh)

Basically, just lots going on. Right now, I'm home on maternity leave with Little Dude, PoKaL, and "Fud" (Mr. Happy Pants has been renamed curtesy of Mr. Husband Pants). I've been trying to knit but find I'm spending more time either writing papers or nursing Little Dude. Maybe something exciting will happen soon.

Olympic Fever! (and not the good kind)

2008-08-22T13:24:00.003-05:00

Okay, I'll admit it: I AM AN OLYMPIC FREAK

I love the olympics! But it never fails, every time, I get SO annoyed with the reporters, the scandals, and the "issues," that I swear I will NEVER watch again. Of course this is just a vicious lie I tell myself.

This year's complaints include:

1. Andrea "effing" Kraemer! This woman must have been poolside when they were passing out brains. What kind of reporter just lets a 15 year old diver stand there and cry? She's a bitch. Hands down. Additionally, I don't want to hear one more reporter say, "and what were your emotions?" What a stupid question. When you are running your ass for for pride and glory, I'm thinking that emotions don't play into it until AFTER the event. The reporters always want to know what you were thinking during the event.

2. Who cares how old the Chinese gymnasts are? Would we be at all amazed or surprised to find out that someone was (gasp!) CHEATING during the olympics? Would we really be shocked to think that a host nation wouldn't do all they could to be as successful as possible? Maybe we should be more incensed with China for their blatant distruction of the planet and natural resources. Maybe we should express our dissatisfaction over thier appalling human rights record. I'm thinking however old these little girls are is small potatos in comparison.

3. Doping. (more shocking cheating) Hey, I've got a great idea! Let's start a new list of olympic and world records for the athletes who just can't give up the drugs. We can have the "doped up olympics" and when all those drug/steroid users are dying young of heart failure and internal organs collapse the rest of us can laugh into our old ages.

4. Non sports! Yeah, trampolining is interesting to look at but come on!!!!! Also I'm not about adding sports like BMX racing either. How about some nice underwater basket weaving or maybe some speed egg scrambling?

I've had it with all this!

(naturally, I can't wait until the 2010 games in Vancouver!)

As an aside: I think they should have let the Spaniards keep the lights in their swimsuits for Synchronized swimming. Just sayin'

Guess What?

2008-08-20T13:42:00.010-05:00

There's a lot going on around here over the summer. I've actually been able to knit a thing or two. Below is a backpack I made for a friend of a friend. The piggy bank is for scale.

I wasted--I mean wisely used--time by winding some of my yarn that has been hanging around. Here you see two skeins of Tess's Designer Yarns in Birch and Lime Splash. This is the superwash merino. I love it, love it, love it! The Tess site doesn't have an online shopping cart but the yarn is AMAZING!!!!! (and she ships really fast) I think they are going to update the site sometime soon so you can shop online. . . BONUS!!
The Prince of Kindness and Light had a great summer too! I'm so excited because he starts 4K on Sept 2nd. My little peanut. . . going to school! Here he is at the zoo with his friends, Jack Hannah Jr, and Little Miss Firecracker. The little guy on the right is 5 days younger than PoKaL--friends from birth--and knows EVEYTHING about animals (it's really crazy to hear a 4yr old talk about "habitats" and "predators")! JhJr's younger sister, LmFc, is a hoot! I should get audio of her! She's so funny.
Because he's 4 Pokal is also something of a sassy pants! The other day I said to him (as part of a lengthier conversation) "I love you even MORE when you aren't whining." To which he replied, "I love you more when you aren't shouting." My husband and I sort of vacillate between being completely annoyed with him or laughing our hind ends off. It must be the age--Please, tell me it's the age!!
Mr. Happy Pants is his usual, mostly mellow, self. I just adore those chubby checks! He jiggles all over when he runs through the house. Cutest thing ever!! We've considered changing his name to "C-cubed" for Climb, Crash, and Cry. This kid wants to be up on everything! I think he's responsible for my growing number of grey hairs.
Yup, there's a lot going on around Chez Hobo! I'm hoping to go to the WI sheep and wool festival. My husband and I struck a deal that would give me a day to myself as a birthday gift (from him -- I buy my own presents -- ha ha ha) I think I'm going to need the time because it's about to get even crazier around here (see below)!
Another little boy on the way!! Name suggestions?

In later posts I'll update you all on my birthday swag. My friends are really too good to me! I'll also show picture of Chez Hobo (otherwise known as the tarpaper shack). We've been in the process of putting on a new roof, new siding, and new windows. PokaL says we have a new house, and he's not too far off the mark!

I may also have some olympic commentary in me too!

Ciao!

I dwell. . . . .

2008-07-28T13:36:00.004-05:00

It's true, I dwell on things (well, everything really). I'm one of those people who will go over discussions I've had with others all the while wondering if I've said something rude or stupid. I think of the confrontations I have with people and wonder if I could have been more tactful or forceful in making whatever point it was I thought needed making. When I see pictures of war images they bother me for weeks. Tragic news stories stick with me for ages. Mostly, I've learned to live with this character trait/flaw but sometimes it still gets in the way.

For instance:

A friend of mine told me--the other day--about this little baby who died after being left in a daycare vehicle in Milwaukee.

I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT THAT POOR BABY!!!!!!!!

I know people of all ages die every day but this sort of thing just bores into my skull and won't go away. I think it's the suffering aspect that gets me. That little baby probably suffered before s/he died. I'm pretty sure that's why I can't stop thinking about it. Of course, just like any other parent, I think what if. . . . . . . ? And-- just like any other reasonable person--I feel that such an unnecessary loss is outside the regular bounds of "tragedy."

But I still come back to the suffering part:

I know there are people out there who believe that suffering is a necessary part of the human experience. Some categorize suffering philosophically, others spiritually, and some people merely shrug with a "that's life" sort of attitude. But, honestly, I can't think of ANY justification for children or old people suffering (on a universal level). When I think about wars, needless violence, stupid accidents, and the like I just can't square the idea that the people who need the most assistance suffer the most.

Really, what do we gain from the suffering of others? Some people cite appreciation for our own fortunes or that we "learn" from tragedies such as the one I mentioned above. However, I'm not really comfortable with that brand of "learning" at the expense of another human being. I'd like to think I can appreciate the safety of my general existence, my beautiful children, my good fortune at being healthy, and my countless other blessings without having to contrast them against the daily tragedies that play out all over this world.

Perhaps this is one of those things that will always just niggle away in my brain. . . I'll have to think on it some more I suppose because--after all--I dwell

Love of Language

2008-07-20T20:31:00.001-05:00

Is "Organic Rayon" an oxymoron?

You Don't Call! You Don't Write!!

2008-07-18T13:34:00.003-05:00

So, the other day a friend of mine asked if I'd, "quit the blogging thing and moved on to other stuff."

I gotta say, I hadn't really thought that I'd "quit" blogging----rather, I've been on a bloggish sabbatical. You know, there's a lot to do in life and, sometimes, sitting in front of a computer blogging entries that may or may not get read just doesn't make the top of the priority list. However, for those readers who LIKE lists, here are some of the reasons I haven't been blogging.

1. Too much of my energy is spent on PoKaL and MhP and their entertainment.
2. I've been too busy writing my Mayor and Alderman (He's a guy so I can say that) about the now defunct plan for an aquatic center in my community. HONESTLY, the only thing keeping my husband and I here is the crappy housing market. (and our friends who we love, and the fact that our house has no siding on it at the present moment)
3. See above mention of sidingless house. How did, "we need a new roof" turn into a roof, siding, and windows?
4. It's summer--that means time for pointless organizing of the small cluttered spaces in my house. This endeavor is pointless because they will be recluttered before September 15th no doubt.
5. Spending time and mental energy reassessing my career/schooling choices and second guessing myself (just like I do every summer).
6. Prolonged outside activities such as riding trikes, swinging, splashing, sidewalk chalking, worm disembowelment etc.
7. Trying to actually knit something. This is hard for me in the summer for some reason.
8. Trying to find time to do some other crafty stuff.
9. Too busy assessing our culturally bereft society and wondering if there is any hope for Americans in general.
10. Contemplating how it is that our government can mandate a switch to digital TV (and necessitate the purchase of a converter box in my case) but is unable to do anything substantive about the environment or draft out some sort of meaningful (and realistic) energy policy.
11. Working on school stuff (you know, when I'm not busy enjoying my summer "vacation" where I don't EVER have to think about work---that, BTW, would be sarcasm).
12. Engaging in highly experimental summer cooking--so far, so good.
13. World of Warcraft -- Highly addictive and takes up most of my free time in the evening. It's basically computer-generated crack.
14. Ant killing, ant killing, and more ant killing. I hate ants.
15. Trying to teach PoKaL how to be a sweet person and not such a Bossy Boiler.
16. Watching more Thomas the Tank Engine than I'm sure is healthy for my cognitive welfare.
17. Discovering new and different ways to avoid laundry folding.
18. Going on outings with my friends all over the place. (Mostly to places out of town since the surrounding communities--none of which are that close--have so much more to offer for smaller children)
19. Reading, reading, and more reading!
20. Thinking about what I should post when I do FINALLY start blogging again.

Give a 4 Year Old a Camera. . . .

2008-04-28T12:31:00.002-05:00

I should probably be happy that the toilet is empty. A while back I bought a new Digital SLR (thank you IRS) camera and gave my old camera to PoKaL. This is the sort of thing he takes pictures of---in addition to super close ups of his own nostrils.

However--the picture is fairly representative of my general frame of mind today---"in the @#$%er." I've gone into a fairly large sulk because my favorite knitting author. . . The Yarn Harlot is going to be in Madison. Just a few short hours away and I lack the fundage to get there. Oh sure, I could put the gas on my credit card and put my dinner on the card also but really, that's just a slippery slope isn't it? (especially when you have vowed not to do any "foolish and unnecessary" spending) So, I'm sulking. I'm wishing I had more cash and generally feeling sorry for myself. I should get over it.

In other (not so self-pitying) news:

This is especially true as I had the opportunity to see Maya Angelou this past Saturday. SHE WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!!!!!!! In addtion to being completely captivating, this woman is extrememly witty and funny. (I don't know why that surprised me) We weren't allowed to take picture--which is understandable but I wish I had one. Maya Angelou has a remarkably rich speaking voice. Her cadence and rhythm are mesmerising as well as the deep tonal quality of her voice. Honestly, I could have listened to her all day. The topic of her talk was "Hope" and being aware of the ways in which people give us hope or we give them hope. She referred to it as being a rainbow in the clouds. She read some of her own poetry and also a wonderful poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar (one of my favorite poets. . . . ever). My favorite of his poems is "We Wear the Mask"

We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,--
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be overwise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.

We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!

MhP had an appointment at CHOW to get one of his side tubes removed. While getting him there was an act of stoic resolve on my part (vicious stomach flu), the outcome was superb as he was much happier without that drainage bag hanging off of him.

While we were driving down I noticed this guy (Gold Ford Focus. . . You know who you are) READING while driving down the I. Now, I'm not talking about looking or glancing at a map. THIS GUY WAS READING A MAGAZINE!!!! Honestly! WTF?? I think this sort of thing bugs me because if Mr. Reading-on-the-Road wants to risk his life, I guess that's his business but he could (check that---"is") endangering everyone else on the road.

On the knitting front: I'm working on a backpack for myself. (still) there will be before and after felting pics forthcoming.

Home Again

2008-04-21T10:54:00.004-05:00

Our youngest son (Mr. Happy Pants) had surgery last week. The procedure was to repair an obstructed Ureter. It was a long procedure (in my opinion) lasting about 3.5 hours. He did very well though and we are now home.

You can see on the left side of the picture his "bags." The blue one was from a dye they injected into his kidney. It's not blue anymore.

MhP's first night at the hospital was sort of rough. He woke up every hour shaking and with the dry heaves. The nurses said this was pretty normal but it was still really sad. He was much better the second day and was sitting up and playing with his sock monkey.

We came home Saturday morning and MhP finally started walking around Saturday afternoon.

He came home with two bags still attached to tubes coming out of his side. One bag goes right into his kidney and is draining urine. The other bag is in the peritoneal tissue around the kidney draining any fluids that the body produces during the healing process. The tubes coming out of his side don't seem to bother him but I think they look a little gruesome.

We have his bags pinned to the side of his pants and MhP is up and playing---he's generally his old self. He's still sleeping more that before the operation, he's a little bit quicker to cry, and he's on tylenol every four hours for pain.

I guess that's about it. The staff at the hospital was wonderful. The doctors acted like actual human beings. I'd have to say----if you HAVE to have a child in the hospital---C.H.O.W. is a really special place where they absolutely KNOW kids and parents.

Yet Another Catch-Up Post

2008-04-04T19:53:00.009-05:00

I've actually (surprising, I know) been doing some knitting!!! The thing is, I forget to take pictures of the stuff I'm working on and, as I tend to give most of it away, this becomes problematic. I did finish this shawl (see previous pics for WiP pics) a few weeks late but I guess that's okay. I also made a Lucy Bag for a friend for her birthday. I hope she likes it. I've made six of these bags and (to the best of my knowledge--and I may be completely mistaken) I think only two of the people actually use theirs. However, I enjoy knitting them--they are big fun so I guess it's not really a big deal if the giftee is underwhelmed. I am currently working on a felted backpack (for myself. . . .I figured it was about time I made myself something) and have a few baby hats that need doing before the little people arrive.
Speaking of "little people" somebody had a first birthday! That's right! Mr Happy Pants is one! I don't know where the year went. I think the thing that's really amazing is how much fun this little guy is. By contrast, even though PoKaL is the apple of my eye (I'd step in front of a moving train for that kid) he is SO, SO hard! Yesterday I had to go to his daycare because he was beating up on some other child, twisting his arm, and then stuck his hands down his throat and made himself vomit. (ACK!!!) Our Dr says PoKaL is just going to be a lot of work. His OT says that he has sensory integration issues but doesn't seem to have any larger issues. Personally, I think his issues are "large" enough and I totally admire people whose children have challenges and can handle it gracefully-----because it's making me CRAZY!!!!!!! Anyway---back to the birthday boy: there was no party (that's definitely one of those things I learned after PoKaL. Why throw a big bash that no one will remember?) He did, of course get to eat his fill of cake and make an astounding mess. There were very few gifts. We got him some BoomWhackers and a Little Einsteins rocket (More on that later.)
We've also had some Easter Basket fun. You know, I never know what to do about Easter. We don't celebrate Christian Holidays really but I love the whole egg-coloring, egg hunting, basket making thing. A friend of mine suggested we just celebrate Easter and not think about the spiritual ramifications. That seemed silly. Another person I know suggested we celebrate Ostara. I'm considering that one but I am conflicted. Am I even thinking about this because I have children? Would I care if it were just me? I don't know. I think it definitely bears more contemplation. I'd have to say though, the rocket basket on the head was awfully cute.
PoKaL managed to finish off his (very small) basket in about five minutes. Then he tried absconding with everyone else's candy. Little stinker! His big observation about the whole thing was, "I just love candy. Let's do this again tomorrow." Ahhh, hope does spring eternal in the minds of children.
Should I be worried that PoKaL is using MhP's birthday present to stage horrific rocket ship disasters? (Notice how the little action figures have been ejected from the vehicle.) When I asked him what was going on he said, "They crashed it and they are very sad and very hurt. They are crying, boo hoo, hoo, hooooooo." Yeah, sort of creepy.
And. . . . .I FINALLY got my yarn tattoo fixed. I am tres pleased about the whole thing.
I've been thinking a lot lately about making some kind of career change. I don't know if I'll actually do it or just think about it. I have to say though, as much as I love my job, I don't know if I want to do it forever. For some reason the idea of being an Organic Farmer sounds appealing. Perhaps I'll just look for a Reading Specialist job after I finish my Master's.

The Super, Fantastic 100th Post!!

2008-01-26T19:37:00.001-06:00

Holy Wow Cow!! I can't believe I've actually made 100 posts! I can't believe I haven't lost interest in blogging yet (despite my whining a few weeks back about how no one reads my blog).

We'll start with the knitting as that's what this blog is "supposed" to be about. Right now I'm in the midst of a landscape shawl done with Dream In Color Classy Worsted. I have a few things to say about this yarn:
First: I bought two skeins of the "Visual Purple" color because I was completely in love with the variation in shade and hue---and perhaps this next bit is mostly my fault. Unfortunately, I soon discovered that I had not purchased enough--this is one of the reasons I am an English teacher and not a math teacher. So, I had a little run up to my "LYS" in Green Bay. . . . Local is a little bit of a misnomer here because I live about 40 miles from the LYS but the one yarn shoppe in my town doesn't have this stuff. They were out so I started calling around. Mostly everyone was out of this color. I finally found a place to order it online and had this feeling that everything was right with the universe.

!! Until my yarn came in the mail !!

It was completely and utterly different. . . . we're not talking variation in veil dying different, we're talking different yarn different dying different. Naturally, I emailed Dream in Color to see what the dealio was.

This leads us to parte deux of the "Dream in Color Weird Yarn Saga"

Apparently, there is not consistent standard in the yarn quality and dying process as per the DiC response mail I received. I just don't know what I think about this. Their first yarns were STUNNING and now. . . meh. They're okay. One of the owners at Monterey Yarn in GB surmises that they are using a different base yarn that takes the dye differently from the first batches. I think I'd agree with this. They should go back to whatever they had before. The new yarn doesn't even feel as nice as the other stuff.

However, I do like my little picots. Tres enchante, no?

That's all the knitting news that's fit to blog.
Wondering why you're looking at a pic of the corner of my bathroom? It's the trim. I've been waiting for trim for almost 4 years! We started renovating our bathroom. . our one and only bathroom before PoKaL was born. DH put the trim up last week.

I almost cried with joy.

It's also worth noting here that the door to our bathroom is oddly narrow. I don't know why that is.

Obligatory picture of PoKal the boy-wonder. Last week he came out of his bedroom wearing nothing but a pair of underpants with a toy microphone stuffed into the fly. I asked him what he was doing with the mic and he said, "Mom, it's in my front pocket."

We went for a short night hike a few weeks back. It was snowing and lovely out. As you can see, the boy is quite pleased.

Scootie is also pleased (at this point in the excursion) because he is unaware that we are going on a candle-lit hike which we are unaware he will loath to the utmost degree.

Once we got onto the trail (along the lakeshore) there was much crying and general disgruntlement from backpack boy. We headed back early and the smiles returned. Personally, I think the whole being awake and doing something in the dark was freaking him out. We'll try again next year.

And, finally, the coup de gras for post # 100:

Seeing Russ Feingold!!!
I LOVE Russ Feingold. He's my one and only "favorite" politician.
When I found out he was going to be at a local village fire hall for a listening session, I was chomping at the bit to go see him. In terms of politicians, he--by far--exudes the least amount of sliminess and dishonestly. I really think he wants to do good things both for the country and for his Wisconsin Constituents. I also completely dig that he was the lone dissenting vote for the original Patriot (read: let's use fear and misinformation to completely dismantle your civil rights) Act. He has also voted no on NCLB. That would be the "No Child Left Untested and by the way we are going to mandate this but not fund it" law. The listening session was organized in a way where you wrote down a question on a card and then everyone got to ask their questions in turn. . . even me!

I asked about the economy. Basically, I wanted to know what lawmakers were doing/discussing by way of helping the US gracefully transition from a primarily industrial economy to (well, to I don't know what) whatever it is we are becoming in the wake of our trade agreements with everyone and their uncle. (I have issues with China. . . the politics of it, not Chinese people--just the ones running the show and ruining the planet) Senator Feingold replied as well as he was able considering it was a fairly big question.

Have I mentioned I LOVE this guy?

However, as much as I admire Russ, I have to say this:
(and I was too much of a chicken to get a picture)
The aide he had there was one of the (no, probably THE) most handsome men I have ever seen in person. I wish I had taken his picture.

. . . . . and Russ is kinda cute too.

OH, OH!!! I almost forgot:
One of my questions made the Yarn Harlot's blog and . . . wait for it. . . .

SHE LINKED ME!!!!
(I'm about 1/2 way down the January 25th entry)

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH! How blinking cool is that?

Ciao for now!!

A New Obsession

2008-01-21T20:04:00.000-06:00

This is the Cable Luxe Tunic Pattern from Lion Brand

I feel I must make and have this sweater. I have to say I have never really felt this way about a sweater pattern before. In fact, I've never been interested in making myself any kind of sweater. I attribute this to the fact that I'm round and a sweater for me would take a time committment I'm not sure I want to make. This idea has all changed since I first put eyes on this pattern however. Now all I can think about is how nice this would look on me and how much I NEED to have it. Never mind that I don't know how to make cables. This does not figure into the equation at all. I have another sort of A-line sweater that people compliment me on all the time. Maybe that's the draw. I really don't know.

I should also mention that this is my 99th post. I have something REALLY (at least from my perspective) cool planned for number 100. I'll have to try to get to it later this week.

Caio for now!

Commentary Potpourri

2008-01-11T23:54:00.000-06:00

I've been blogging lately without my computer because I had to send it into Apple for repairs. Hence, I am without pictures but thought to post some general thoughts/observations. I might even mention knitting.

Thing 1
Adventures in Parenting:
I took PoKaL to his first basketball game this evening. The great thing about being a teacher is that I get into most of the games for free (except the Hockey games--which I see as a complete drag). I loaded the super-toddler into the car and we headed out on what was supposed to be a "family" outing. Unfortunately Scootie didn't cooperate in the napping department--and had a major "crash" at 6:30. This meant that DH had to stay home so I was just PoKaL and myself at the game. I was hoping for at least one quarter of good behavior. However, to my complete surprise, the boy was charming and delightful for the entire first half of the game. He danced along with the pep band, didn't talk through the national anthem (not that I really would have cared--see I'm SO patriotic), and stayed in my immediate vicinity the entire time. Right after the half-time dance routine, PoKaL turned to me and said, "Mom, I think I want to go home now." So, we left. No tears, no struggle. What I want to know is this. . .who was that child and what have they done with my toddler. I have noticed that the little guy has been MUCH better behaved since his ignominious departure from preschool. I think that must be a sign.

Thing 2
Politics:
As it is a presidential election year, I will most likely feel obligated to comment on this a number of times so I'll get this bit out of the way early on:

I HATE POLITICS WITH AN ABSOLUTE AND ALL ENCOMPASSING DISGUST

Unfortunately, if I don't get involved and research candidates (and then vote of course) I feel as if I've given up my right to bitch for the next four years. The essential problem, as I see it, is that politicians (that would be ALL of them) don't care about anything or anyone other than themselves. They pretend to care but really, not so much. Honestly, how many of these people can be trusted? Have you ever noticed how candidates change their accents when talking to different groups of people? You know, they have southern accents when speaking in the south, midwest accents when speaking in the midwest, ect. In my opinion they are all guilty parties. I also get completely annoyed when "issues" that really aren't issues become the focal point of a political campaign. Candidates come up with emotionally charged topics (abortion, lifestyle amendments, ect.) to keep voters' attentions away from real issues such as our horrific health care "system," the war, the disaster that is NCLB, and the staggering number of people living in poverty in this country.

More on this later: I haven't even begun to get on my soapbox.

Thing 3
DH's Job (or non-job):
DH still doesn't have a new job even though he's put out about 8 applications. I find this to be distressing but not overwhelming. The largest problem here is that full-time child care will run us about 1,200$ per month. So the pay for any full-time work has to merit him actually being there. There's no point in working 40 hr/week to bring home no money. I still haven't giving up hope that something worthwhile will come up and if it doesn't, hopefully DH will start taking classes at the tech (instead of just talking about taking classes). He's a smart guy and should put that brain power to use.

Thing 4
Gossip:
My students tell me that Johnny Depp is moving to Wisconsin to research/film a movie. Although I don't believe them, I can't help but wonder what a movie star would make of my hometown. Too bad the gossip isn't about Colin Firth--he's divine (and I'm fairly sure he's tall, not at all like most actors)

Thing 5
Knitting:
I am still working on the landscape shawl from the previous post. I'll put up some pics when my computer comes back. I've also got a new sock project bag. It's actually a pouch my friend brought back from Tokyo a few years ago. It's the cutest little drawstring bag with little owls sewn on it. I'll put up some pics of that too.

I think that will do it for now. I'm hoping to have a few adventures this weekend and have to try to take some pictures of them. I sincerely hope my computer is back soon. I miss it.

Ciao for now!

Brain Storm or Brain Fart?

2008-01-10T13:13:00.000-06:00

So, I was thinking last night that what I REALLY need in life is a weekend away to relax, reconnect, and just "be." I then remembered that I'm going to be doing the next-best thing:

The Scrapper's Hideaway

I've never been to one of these things but I think it will be loads of fun. Now, all I have to do is get all my pictures printed and formulate some sort of "game plan." so I don't waste the entire weekend. I really like scrapbooking but find it sinks to the bottom of the priority list when it comes to my over abundance of hobbies.

At any rate, as I was contemplating my upcoming scrappy weekend, and working on my Landscape shawl, I had a great--albeit not at all original--idea.

There should be a "Knitter's Hideaway" (Run by me of course). I can envision a green-built building with lots of light and a coffee/tea bar. All the chairs would be cozy and perfect. I think there would be a contrast of comfortable, yet functional scandinavian seating coupled with overstuffed chairs with little ottomans. In my dreamworld, this building would be fairly open-concept with a few little cubbies for stealing away and knitting in peace. There would be a group room where knitters could congregate to knit or for classes. It would be really important for this place to have an inspiring view. Perhaps, overlooking an expanse of water, a wooded glade, or a panorama.

I wish I could provide a picture of what I'm seeing in my mind's eye. I think it would be quite nice.

Gone Fishin'

2008-01-08T14:02:00.000-06:00

This post has been deleted due to my disgust at feeling sorry for myself. I have opted to immediately cease and desist the unflattering wallowing I had been indulging in.

Game on.

FINALLY!!!

2008-01-06T19:01:00.001-06:00

I started this sweater for PoKaL the day I went into the hospital to be induced with his little brother. That was March 2nd of '07. I finished it today. I guess it's a good thing I didn't make it a size that would have "fit" him then. He must like it because he took time out from his usual state of as-naked-as-mom-will-let-me-get in order to wear it around this evening. I have to say this project sort of lost it's charm for me quite quickly. I think the reason for that is using a (mostly) cotton yarn. I'm not a big fan of cotton. Mostly because I can see every last little "issue" with my knitting and wool is much more forgiving. I chose this yarn because it is almost the exact shade of "Thomas the Tank Engine" blue and PoKaL is crazy about Thomas. I'm glad it's done and I'm glad my husband won't be able to full this one as he did with the first sweater I made for PoKaL.

In other news: We've decided to pull the above mentioned naked kid from his preschool. He was behaving quite badly there which is really strange as he is (generally) fairly well-behaved at home. Personally (and. . . .as a school teacher I can't believe I'm about to say this) I think some of the problem was that his teacher seemed to have "decided" fairly early on that PoKaL was a "naughty" kid. It was really sad to hear how every day he had timeouts and he never said he had fun. It's hard with a toddler because you don't get consistently coherent reports. His school was a Montessori school so I'm guessing that his behavior was largely due to his not being ready/willing to work within the confines of the Montessori Method. We'll have to see how things go from here. He'll most likely be going back to daycare in a month or so. . . . we'll have to see what happens.

Ciao for now!

Da Boys!

2007-12-30T15:03:00.000-06:00

No, your computer isn't broken. . . there's no sound. Evidently, I've lost this battle with technology. Ah well, sometimes kids are cuter without sound!

Scootie and PoKaL

Happy Freaking Holidays!

2007-12-21T18:51:00.000-06:00

I try to make it a general rule not to read the local paper for a number of reasons. The primary issue I have with the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter is that they have misquoted me (twice!!) in the past which makes me irrationally angry. Then there's also the completely unbalanced news coverage--I live in a small town with typically small-town-we-are-the-only-people-on-the-planet mentality. . . but THIS takes the cake. You'll have to scroll to the second item entitled "Atheism Creeps into Society. . . "

(You'll have to click the link as I'm pretty sure copying and pasting into my blog would be some sort of copyright infringement)

HONESTLY!!

Although I'd not label myself as an Atheist, I feel fairly confident that being so does not automatically enter one into the baby-murdering-Hitler-worshiping-Antichrist club. I'm not even sure if the gal who wrote this knows that of which she speaks.

Item one: Hitler identified himself as a Christian (although I don't think anyone could argue he actually was one--in the true sense)

Item two: Lots of Atheist people I know are anti-abortion. I'm guessing if I know folks who feel this way, there are loads of others out there.

Item three: Even though I COMPLETELY AND WHOLEHEARTEDLY believe the theory of evolution is the most reasonable explanation for life on earth, I have NEVER and I repeat, NEVER seen a monkey in anyone's family tree. Additionally, I also feel pretty confident in stating that a couple of weeks of evolution study in school isn't going to change anyone's mind if their belief has a firm foundation at home.

Is it that hard to believe a person doesn't have to tote around a bunch of religious dogma in order to be a decent human being? Is it so hard to fathom that some of us just want to be able to go about our business without having to conform to the morals of others? Why should their views be better than ours? Aren't personal beliefs just that. . . personal?

You know, this almost makes the nativity on the county courthouse lawn seem funny. I'm sure the folks in the editorials are all for that!

Bleh! and Bah Humbug!

By Popular Demand!

2007-12-13T18:17:00.000-06:00

The other day I got a lovely message from Auntie Jayne asking me where I'd got off to. Well, There's quite a bit that's been going on here so I guess this extra-long post (with a crapload of pictures to boot) will--hopefully--get me back in someone's good graces! We'll start out with the most pleasant of time-sucking factors in my life:

PEANUT PANTS: Who will henceforth be referred to as "Scootie" since he is a speed crawler of high degree. He has also gained two-teeth, the ability to stand, and an incomplete and terrifying non-mastery of stair-climbing. I also like the bubble beard he's sporting here.

Followed by the PoKaL the fabulous (20% of the time--the rest of the time he's a typically "tremendous" three) Here he's modeling a sweater that I just might finish before he's too big for it. He's 31/2 and I'm making a size 6 sweater. He's in 5T pants and they are getting short. Sheesh! I've got to stop feeding that boy. . . . or really stuff him silly and enter him in the circus someday. PoKaL is in preschool this year and he seems to really like it. (Once he's there of course. . . getting him out the door, however, takes an act of congress.
A few weeks ago we all packed up and headed north for the big deer kill. The catch phrase:

"Brown is Down!"

Even Scootie got in on the action! I think he looks great in Blaze Orange even though my retinas are still recovering.
Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell the deer that they were supposed to jump in front of the bullets hurtling their way in order to feed our need for tasty venison treats. For the first time (I think since I've known my husband--that would be 13 years for those of us who care) my husband did not get a deer while hunting on his dad's land. It was a pretty "low kill" season for my in-laws also. At last mention they only got two small deer. This is problematic for them as venison is their primary meat. So the pic below is sort of a "well-at-least-it-was-nice-in-the-woods" shot. The irony here is that we at the house saw a lot of deer in the field while the guys were in the woods. Go figure.
While at Grandma and Grandpa's the boys got really interested in Tiggy's crate. So interested, in fact, that PoKaL now regularly crawls into the thing with the dog. Personally, I find the sight of him and the dog smashed into the crate quite amusing. I keep wanting to take a picture of it but I'd hate to be the "crazy internet blogging mother who puts their kids in a crate." Which I don't do--he goes in there by himself and I have to tell him to get out.
I've also been doing a little bit of holiday sewing: So, what do these look like to you? I might make some more and sell them down at the local art store. I don't know. I can't decide if they are cute or disturbing. I was going for cute.
Speaking of "holiday":

We got our Yule Tree last weekend. PoKaL kept asking when we were going to go pick of the "yold tree." Right now the tree has lights on it but nothing else. I guess I'm not feeling particularly festive this year. I'm sure I'll get over it and decorate. . . . . . eventually.
I advocated to leave the net on the tree and just have it like this. I thought it would make a great "hobo" tree but I was voted down on that one.

Aren't they sweet?
In other events at Chez Hobo my husband has been looking for a new job as his will end soon. This is somewhat stressful as jobs around here are hard to come by. I'm hoping that positive thinking will help bring about a change in situation for him. I've also been spending WAY more time on work than I'd like to. I have the sneaking suspicion that I'm working harder than ever to accomplish 1/2 as much. I hope I'm wrong.

Ciao for now!

OH LENORE!!!!!!!!

2007-10-25T14:24:00.000-05:00

OMG! OMG! OMFG!

Yes, I know I'm shouting. I just got my shipment of Rockin' Sock Club, Socks That Rock---Lenore. and I have to say this:

I AM MADLY, PASSIONATELY, DEEPLY IN LOVE!!!!!!

Honestly, I have fallen in love with yarn before but it was never quite like this. Looking at the colorway gives me the chills!!!! It's so deep, brooding, and delicious. And it doesn't hurt that it's named after one of my favorite poems.

EVER!!!!!!!!

I was really on the fence about whether or not I was going to enroll in next year's club (mostly due to financial reasons) but now, I guess I'm hooked onto the idea of signing on again. (I think I'll cancel my Y membership. I never go anyway. That will offset the cost) Gosh, I don't know how they did it but to make such a depth of color in a yarn seems almost surreal to me. I REALLY want to post a picture of this yarn but I think it might not be allowed.

When the STR gals put up the "Raven Series" teaser picture, it never occured to me that they would be referring to the poem (as opposed to just the bird) I even thought the bird reference was cool. . . . . but this. . . . it's just freakin' fabulous. I have to say also that the pattern rocks my socks off too--not too suprising coming from Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. She's certainly got to be some sort of non-evil knitting genius. I've also got to say that I get "Ideas" from her blog. The most recent being that my husband would look dead-sexy in a kilt.

In truth, I'm thinking about abandoning the socks I'm working on right now and casting on for these immediately.

If anyone is interested, I'll be swapping my saying right here: (for the poetry contest of course)

"The grass is always greener on the other side"

Please send me your sayings from bands so I can write a poem for the contest!!

Quoth the blogger, nevermore!

Help! I've Been Yarned!

2007-10-08T19:14:00.000-05:00

So, Homecoming was two weekends ago and I would have blogged this much sooner had not my DSL gateway mysteriously turned into an expensive doorstop. When I awoke the morning of homecoming I was greeted with a wonderous sight. . . Toilet Paper all over the trees in my yard. Initially, I was unaware that yarn was involved in this redecoration of my front lawn due to not having my glasses on. However, upon closer inspection I discovered:

1. Sacrificial yarn left on my doorstep by my adoring students. I count this as exponentially better than a bag of flaming dog poo.
Although the yarn was acrylic--poor children, they've obviously been neglected to some extent--it was a lovely shade of "HOLY SHIT" green.
2. The dears also left me some of that fun ribbon stuff in the trees (along with the toilet paper). I got most of it out and made a lovely little scarf to wear to school last Monday. The perpetrators could hardly keep their eyes off it. (I should mention here that the students involved caved in and confessed in about .0002 seconds from seeing me)
3. And--naturally--no TPing would be complete without copious application of car window paint. This message was scrawled on my work car. If only they knew how united we really are. It would probably terrify the little lambs.
I found a few more messaged inscribed on my van. I was pretty sure it was some of my American Lit students who masterminded this escapade and the references to The Scarlet Letter on the other side of the van (along with the gigantic letter "A" on the windshield) pretty much confirmed my suspicions.

Interesting tidbit: When I was in high school you only TPed the teachers you REALLY hated. Here the TPing is a sign of love and acceptance (Apparently I have been assimilated into the tribe or something). If they hate you here it's egging or flour and instant potatoes, or something else more in the category of "impossible to clean up."

PoKaL and his little across the street friend had a grand old time yanking TP out of the trees and as for my students:

I told that that if they were going to TP and Yarn me they should get recycled TP and natural fibers.

They basically looked at me like I was nuts.

Paging my Mojo

2007-09-18T10:25:00.000-05:00

I only posted this picture so you all would have something to look at while I whine, moan, and otherwise complain.

I've completely lost "it."

You might be wondering what "it" I am referring to. . .allow me to illuminate. I seem to have misplaced my knitting mojo. I can't find it anywhere. I have searched near and far, high and low - all to no avail. I'm not even really sure when or where I lost it. I may have set it down somewhere but who knows where that might be. This is a problem for a number of reasons:

1. There are things I want to knit. . . many, many things. You see, I haven't lost the desire to knit, on the contrary, my wish list is piling up like a stack of Sunday pancakes. I have merely lost the ambition to knit. What can it all mean? Should I seek counseling?

2. I am woefully behind on a baby (twins!!) gift I want to send out to a friend. I need to hurry up and get this done so the little guys don't outgrow the gift. Oddly, this doesn't seem to be motivating me at all.

3. By not knitting at night, I am spending more time snacking. This is terribly problematic for me as I have an amazing propensity for weight gain and a vicious sweet tooth (DOWN BOY! NO CHOCOLATE FOR YOU!!!)

4. Lack of bloggy material-as evidenced by this post.

As you can plainly see, my current state of affairs is decisively poor.

Really, is my mojo gone forever? Am I doomed to become a wannabe knitter? What will become of all my lovely yarn that's yearning to be knit up? I'm almost beside myself with worry. And the strange thing is this:

I've been completely absorbed in knitting-related activities. I've been reading S P-M Casts Off in the evenings before bed, I've been (trying) to catch up on my knit blog reading, I've been pouring over my patterns to assess which projects I really "need" to do/try, I've discovered that The Yarn Harlot can be viewed on YouTube, and I have made some delightful yarny purchases including these. So what's the damn deal with not wanting to pick up the needles?

Someone help me. I'm at a knitological impasse.

Where have you been?

2007-09-13T10:38:00.000-05:00

No, I did not fall off the face of the planet -- I just went back to work!! Fun stuff and pics coming soon, I promise! Until then, a little trivia. . .What classic work of American Literature ends with:

"On a field, sable, the letter A gules."

Smart

2007-08-26T22:33:00.000-05:00

I was looking up quotes today for my classroom because school starts (for me--inservice) tomorrow. I ran across this one by the Dalai Lama (who I love and think is an amazing human being).

"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."

Isn't that the greatest thing? He's one person I'd love to see speak sometime.

The Crazy House

2007-08-25T10:37:00.000-05:00

My three-year-old (PoKaL) is doing a headstand on the loveseat and saying "woof" over and over while howling. The dog is mystified. Maybe "The Fox and the Hound" was a bad movie choice.

Maybe I need yarn therapy. Yes, that's it, yarn "therapy."

My Mike Perry Post. . . And some other stuff!

2007-08-20T14:02:00.000-05:00

Last Friday Author, humorist, and essayist Mike Perry was at my favorite Independent Bookseller. I was really looking forward to this evening for a number of reasons. First, I really enjoy this author's work. In fact, I'd have to say he's my favorite living, non-fiction, regional writer. (I have so many favorites I have to categorize them. If I ran the academy awards show, it would probably take at least a week to televise.) I was also excited to get a break from the "Brothers Crabby" at my house. Man, I love those boys but they have been real pills the last week or so. I attribute this unpleasantness to the general unwillingness to nap. I was also pretty excited about the fact that I was going to get to introduce Mike at the reading. This seemed like a great idea at the time it was offered to me.
Bev--owner of the bookstore--even made a historical marker of sorts. I took a picture of it but forgot to read it. Okay, so, about the introduction---I had planned to draft something out and memorize it but ambition (or lack of it) got the better of me. So, I opted for the much less stressful think-it-over-a-million-times-in-your-head strategy. I was feeling fairly confident in my success and abilities until I was introduced as "Manitowoc's own Mike Perry Stalker."
Yeah
So my brain sort of seized up and I said some stuff but I can't really recall what it was because I was thinking the whole time, a restraining order would look SO bad if I ever wanted another teaching job somewhere else.

Mike started the evening with a few songs. He has a band called "The Longbeds." I thought the songs were quite nice. The lyrics were compelling and he was easy to understand. The first song was sort of a Woman-does-her-best-despite-bastard tune. The second was about his wife and was very nice also. The songs seemed to reflect a pretty strong country influence (not my thing--I'm a U2 and The Killers sort of girl) but I found them appealing anyway--a good sign in my book. I gotta wonder though, what is it with artist types wanting to have a band. Russell Crow comes to mind and Jack Black. It's like they just can't get enough of their need for expression out in one or two venues. I don't know, I'm not especially talented in an arty way so I have no real frame of reference. It just seems interesting that everyone wants a band.
The reading was magnificent.

I've listened to Mike a number of times and I think he's funnier each time. I especially love the Kidney stone story although it gives me some very unpleasant flash-backs, I like the idea that I am not alone in the misery that is a kidney stone. If you've ever had one (or had a baby without drugs) you know what I'm talking about.
In other, knitting related news *Since this IS supposed to be a knitting blog*
I am working on a new pair of socks. The yarn is Lucy Neatby Celestial Dream Merino in Colorway Fiesta. In this, particular, photo you can see I am working on them in the car. This is one of the things I find redeems my husband when he is behaving like a knothead: he drives so I can knit. You can also see a neeto mosquito feature in our van (read: geekmobile) the "conversation mirror." I feel I should really be scoffing at this little gizmo but the truth is I LOVE it. It's great for kids. I know in the future I will use it to ascertain who really "started it." on countless occasions.
I am also working on the "Cursed Bootie Pattern" I will conquer this pattern. I will learn how to count. I will not swear. I will finish before the end of the labor day weekend. Enough said.
And Finally:
Tiggy is home. She was at grandma's for a while and now she's back. She looks all weird in this picture because we had just given her a bath and she had that spikey half-moist dog hair thing going on. Tiggy's actual name is Tiggywinkle but we never call her that. We do call her
Tiggbot
Mortal Tiggbot
Tiggy Stinkle
Tiggy Monster

I guess that's about it

Ciao for now!

You Say It's Your Birthday!!!

2007-08-15T08:19:00.000-05:00

My birthday was yesterday but there wasn't much to blog about because the "big bash" will be this evening. I did-however-have the opportunity to spend the evening with some of my very favorite people. (Always a satisfying activity) I did finally finish a knitting project although I only have a photo of it in progress.
Ankle socks made from some Trekking that I bought at Pine Needles a year or so ago. They are for my friend Alison as a gift for doing this. Pretty amazing if you ask me. This will be a short post because I have SO much more to say but time is running short for me (the little one is up and will most likely notice he's not being held in about .02 seconds). I have lots more to share about my recent "vacation," my newest knitting project, the "cursed" knitting project, the "big bash." and the eminent visit of one of my favorite authors.

Ciao for now!

Tragic

2007-08-01T22:28:00.000-05:00

I really hadn't planned to post anything else today however. . . . .

I've always had what I considered an irrational fear of bridges. When I got home today, my neighbor said, "I don't suppose you know what's going on in Minnesota right now do you?" He knows I don't watch t.v. He then told me about the bridge collapse in Minneapolis. According to CNN, there are six fatalities. I hope that number won't go up but I also know that's an unrealistic desire. As you are going about your business in the next few days, make sure you tell the people you care about how much you love them, hug your children, and pray/send you best thoughts to the people whose lives have been changed forever in this terrible incident. Most of us will never have to know what the people on that bridge experienced today and we should be very thankful for that and as empathetic as we are able to be.

Let the Ravelry Begin!!

2007-08-01T15:18:00.001-05:00

I just got my invite (e-vite?) to Ravelry. I may never find time to knit again. Really, I need to come into some serious money so I can quit my job and just pursue all my hobbies. (Or my hubby needs to find a better paying gig with health insurance). More real content in a few days. . .I PROMISE.

Witchy Woman

2007-07-25T09:46:00.001-05:00

I got all dressed up the other evening to attend/work at a book release party for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. As you can see I had all the correct accessories for being a good witch. . . Broom, hat, apron, cloak, funky clothes, wand (tucked into waistband of apron of course). So, I flew over to the event venue and had myself a grand old time. I was helping my Pal, Bev (Owner of one of the coolest bookstores on the planet) stage the event by generally wandering around and making myself as useful as possible. It was all big fun. I especially liked the oohs, ahhs, and cheers we received after bringing the books out for distribution. We had them stashed behind a counter and I could see people all night eyeing them up and hatching brilliant schemes for staging a hostile takeover of the long-awaited HP 7. This got me to thinking, if I were a character in the HP series which wizarding abilities would I like best? Which Hogwarts house would I want to be in? So, I've decided to craft my own little survey. If you're reading this, feel free to copy and paste it for your own blog. Of course, you'll probably want to supply your own answers!!!

If You were a Witch or Wizard:
1. What Hogwarts house would you like to be in: Ravenclaw
2. Who would you most like to be friends with: Luna Lovegood
3. Which Professor would you most like to meet: Flitwick
4. What would you want as your wand core: Unicorn Hair
5. Favorite Wizarding Mode of Travel: Broom
6. Qidditch or Wizard Chess: Quidditch (Keeper)
7. Bertie Botts or Chocolate Frogs: Chocolate Frogs
8. Favorite Class: Transfiguration
9. Favorite Teacher: Lupin
10. Butter Beer or Firewhiskey: Butterbeer
11. Robes: Dusty purple

I can't believe the series is finally at a close. I finished the book very quickly and have loaned it to a friend. I will then loan it to another friend and when it comes back to me I will most likely re-read. I'll say more about this later.

In knitting news: Last night my girlfriends and I got together at Jenn's Java to knit and chat. It was big fun but alas, I forgot my camera. DRAT! I'm currently working on a pair of socks and a sweater for PoKaL. After that. . . who knows!

Ciao for now!

Random Stuff for Distraction

2007-07-20T14:11:00.001-05:00

ACK!!! I can hardly wait for the Harry Potter 7 release party tonight. I've been trying to distract myself all day. So I made an apron. I think it's cute. I might wear it tonight. Every good witch needs an apron (good for wiping hands when you are making potions).
This is my arm tattoo. I love it. I drew the design myself. Still working on fixing the other one.
We got a new fridge this week. We've been keeping our eyes peeled for something better than our old one but cheap and energy efficient. (a hard combo) We finally found one and so far it's pretty fab.

Ciao for now!!!

The Saga Continues!

2007-07-19T13:50:00.001-05:00

I went back to the tattoo place again and they are now in the process of "fixing" the aforementioned "blunder of the century." You'll notice how the "2" looks yucky. They put this stuff in to draw out the ink and after this scab comes off they will do the actual fixing. Some of my friends (all of whom have been really nice about this---proof positive that I have excellent friends) have asked if I am sorry I got the tattoo to begin with. I am not. I am sorry I didn't catch the error, and I feel like a prize idiot for not doing so, but I am not sorry. It will be fixed and everything will work out just fine. I'll keep you all posted.

In other news: I am just anguishing over tomorrow's (holy cow!) HP and the Deathly Hallows release. Beth at Chocolate Sheep gives some great advice here. I think that if people are jerky enough to try to spoil it for others karma is going to catch up with them sooner or later. In an attempt to be good and fair, I won't post my feelings (as I will most likely finish the book by Saturday afternoon) or thoughts for a few weeks and I'll try to make it really obvious so people can skip reading that post if they haven't read or finished the book. I will, however, post about the party I'm going to tomorrow. I'm dressing up and everything!! (A fun time will be had by me) I should also get this off my chest:

J.K. Rowling: Your fans have been loyal. We have also made you VERY VERY rich. I don't give two hoots about your artistic licence. YOU OWE ME!!!!!!!!! I have been threatening a book burning party if poor Harry dies. I may expand this edict to Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna.

Finally, I had this idea the other week that maybe I should start going to another church. (In addition to the one I already attend, not in lieu of it) I don't know where this idea came from as I really couldn't classify myself as a christian by any stretch of the imagination. (I would, however, classify myself as being very spiritual). I'm going to thing about it for a while and see how I feel later.

Ciao for now!

Liar! and Vacation (but not in that order)

2007-07-16T11:38:00.000-05:00

So, the picture above is of my in-law's new house across their (very beautiful) field. When my family says we're going on vacation, this is usually what we're talking about. . . going to "grandpa and grandpa's" house. (PoKaL has some issue with saying "grandma" even though we know he can--stinker). The just put up this house. It's a prefab and I think it's really nice. They had been previously living (for about 17 years) in a house that was 25x25 feet square. Very small. This new house is two bedrooms and much larger although still quite small by most people's standards. You should see some of the obscenities being built in this area by out of towners.
PoKaL spent as much time as we let him running around out in the woods. My in-laws have a nice sized parcel and Grandpa mows trails through the woods. (they're old logging trails mostly so he isn't cutting down trees to make big roads or anything). It was REALLY hot so we spent most of our outdoor time in the evening.
Peanut Pants got to meet his uncle for the first time. Here he is with Uncle R. and Grandma practicing for future shoulder rides. You'll note his "I've-been-dropped-on-my-head" expression. (He hasn't been dropped on his head.) All in all it was a super time. I'm always so torn. Whenever we are up north I want to sell everything I own and move up there forever (an idea my husband also likes). However, when we are home again, I can't imagine leaving this aspect of my life either. I guess I should be happy that I enjoy wherever I am.

NOW ON TO THE CONFESSION OF A BIG YARNY LIAR:
When I signed up for the Rockin' Sock Club this year, I justified this expenditure by saying that it was:

1. A yule gift to myself

2. A means by which to control my yarn purchasing addiction. I just wouldn't buy anymore yarn this year.

Enter the evidence that I am a big LIAR
Yup, that's right it's YARN. . .and knitting swag. Most of this I purchased at Pine Needles while on vacation. Pine Needles is one of the reasons I could live in the northwoods without too much angst. While there I picked up a WPI tool for knitting and spinning, some hand creme (much like the blue sky stuff but I like the smell better), a super long addi, the magic loop booklet (I just HAVE to try this), a clear bag for accouterments, some trekking natura, and some of that yarn with jojoba in it. Yeah, sure, I just won't buy any yarn. . . LIAR

I have also acquired some Opal from Ruhamas (didn't like that place. . .Just sayin'), some Dream in Color from Monterey in Green Bay (LOVE that place--I'd link to it if they had a site), some DiC sock from Yarns by Design, and some cashmere from Honey Pot yarns (I'm making a booby for someone special out of this stuff so it really doesn't count).
LIAR
LIAR
LIAR

I don't know who I thought I was fooling

Finally, a stash flash. I keep all my decent yarn (I have a few linen drawers filled with acrylic but I won't show that.) in my china cabinet that has a shocking lack of china in it. Here's one side of the cabinet.
It's hard to tell but I'm pretty sure I have more sock yarn than Habetrot herself. I need to grow a few more feet. Here's a pic of the entire cabinet. You'll notice that my priority isn't with the collection of nic-nacks. I'm all about the yarn, baby!!!
I've been working on some socks for a friend of mine who completed the Danskin Triathlon. She's the bomb. A real inspiration. I need to get them done though so she can actually wear them.

Ciao for now!

Good Ideas Gone Bad!!

2007-07-09T13:25:00.000-05:00

So, this is my new tattoo. I have two others--one that's about 10 years old and one that's even newer than this one. I got this tattoo on July 1. I'd been wanting another and wanted something with knitting. So, I looked around online at different knitting related tattoos and I really liked the sort of "old school" tats of balls of yarn. I then got out my handy-dandy prismacolors and started drafting out pictures. When I had something I was happy with, I called this place on the advice of a friend who has some nice ink. I set me up an appointment and was feeling pretty good about the whole thing. On the day of the appointment I went in and waited around for about 30 minutes for the tattoo artist--his name was Eric--to get ready. He started tattooing me at 5:35 p.m. and finished at 6:05 p.m. He charged me 155$. What are the date all about you ask? They are the dates of the births of my children:

PoKaL 4-16-04
Peanut Pants 3-3-07

Note to self: LOOK NOT ONCE, NOT TWICE, BUT THREE OR FOUR TIMES AND MAKE SURE THE TATTOO ARTIST DOESN'T "F" UP YOUR TATTOO!!!!!

More to come as the saga is far from over.

Ciao for now

Secret Knitting (Shhhh!)

2007-06-23T21:52:00.000-05:00

So, I'm working on this "secret" knitting project for a friend. I can't show you a picture of it because that would give it all away. However, I can say this. It's something someone would most likely appreciate after a triathlon. Since I can't show pics of this secret item, I'll show these other things instead:

Item #1: Vanilla Coke---This stuff is a little piece of heaven in a can. I LOVE IT! I did finally relent and buy the Vanilla Zero but I had to--had to have some of the good stuff first. For a while, a few years back, this was all I drank in terms of soda (yeah, I'm from WI and I say "soda" let's not make an issue of it) but then it mysteriously vanished from the shelves. Personally, I thought the Coke people must have gotten some bad market research or something. I'm glad it's back.
Item #2: Swiss Chard: I grew this stuff. . . can you believe it? I really enjoy this green. My favorite way to eat it is steamed with some balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. I also love it creamed but that sort of counteracts it's healthful qualities. This particular chard is the "bright lights" variety. The stems are multicolored which I think is really fun.
Item #3: Kid with his head in a box--What can I say? You buy a kid a toy and - naturally - he'd rather play with the box. Go fig. My husband took these pictures and it must have been hilarious at the time because he couldn't stop laughing when he told me about them.
What I really should have taken pictures of was our rummage sale this weekend. We had a big sale with our across-the-street neighbors. It was pretty successful. I didn't sell any yarn this time. There was one lady who said she'd take it all for 3.00 but I don't buy crap yarn so I wasn't going down that path. . . honestly, it's a rummage! Don't you think 2.00 is cheap enough for a ball of good yarn? I know I sure did.

In other news -- I've become completely preoccupied with someone else's problem. This is not good. The thing is, I can't stop thinking about it. Maybe I should knit something really new and difficult in order to distract myself. I mean, I can't do anything about this issue so why spend all my time thinking about it?

I should also mention that I am currently enjoying my first sunburn of the summer. I'm burnt to a crisp and it's all my across-the-street neighbor's fault. . . her and her devil pool!

Ciao for now!

Easy and Hard

2007-06-18T01:03:00.000-05:00

Have you ever noticed how some things that should be easy are difficult and others that should be hard are complete cake? Take the odious sweater below for example. I've knit this pattern before. It took me a week to finish a version of this two sizes smaller and with similar weight yarn. I have been working on this sweater for FIVE WHOLE MONTHS!!! I just can't seem to get into it. Oh, yeah, I can hear you already, "but all you have to do is put the sleeves on and finish the collar. You're practically finished." The hard part here is that I don't care. I'm just not that into this sweater and I HAVE to finish it because it's for poor, neglected PoKaL.
To add insult to "I'm-so-bored-with-this-I-can-hardly-stand-it" injury, I've noticed a weird hole in (you guessed it) the front of the sweater. It's not a dropped stitch and it's not a YO. I don't know what it is and my camera doesn't do the close up thing well enough for me to take a really detailed picture. The difficulties continue. . . . .
And then, there's the things that SHOULD be hard

The guy below in both pics with PoKaL and Peanut Pants is my dad. He was here for a visit from FL late last week. That, in and of itself, isn't that remarkable. Almost everyone's parents visit them. . . . right? Well, this is the second time I've seen my dad since I was 6 (I'll be 35 this summer). There are a lot of reasons why we weren't in touch and many of them have to do with my mother who is also the catalyst for getting us reacquainted with each other. The thing that's so surprising is that we get along. I'm not sure why I am surprised by this but I am. We even have some things in common that we can discuss. (We're both teachers. . . .lots of "shop" talk)
I also liked that my dad actually got "in there" and interacted with the boys. They both really liked him.

But. . . .

I'd be lying if I didn't say that it completely pisses me off that I missed out on getting to know this person when I was little, when I needed a "daddy." I realize there's nothing to be done about it and being angry with either my mother or father would be pointless. . .but it still pisses me off. I guess I'll have to just work on that one.
At least the peonies are perfectly beautiful. Another sign that the universe does things RIGHT on occasion. Right now, THESE are my favorite flowers. I think if I were a flower, I'd be a peony. (don't ask my to explain that one. . . I probably can't)

In other news, I should be sleeping right now but--as pigeon would say, "I'm not tired." I'm sure I'll pay for this later. A few random updates:
1. I think I'll get another tattoo this year. That'll make it two for me. Don't bother trying to discourage me, my mind's made up. I will take suggestions though. Updates will follow.

2. We had a great Father's day traipsing around the countryside.

3. My house is too hot--probably why I'm not sleeping--but I REFUSE to turn the AC up any more(or is it down, I don't know).

4. I love woodchuck.

5. I love cheese.

6. I am working on the secret project still and will post pics when I am able. I was going to post pics of another secret project but forgot to do so before giving the felted coasters to my friend for her birthday. . . . ooops.

7. I think I may be going to the Melting Pot this week. I love that place!

8. My swiss chard is enormous and I think my first crop of radishes is almost ready.

Ciao for now!

So Much Trouble!!

2007-06-11T20:34:00.000-05:00

I'm toast when my friend, Alison, sees this (he he he). Last week we went out for her birthday dinner. It was loads of fun but kind of strange too. We started the evening at Tijuana Rose's--aMexican restaurant and bar in town. Their food is REALLY delicious. The strange thing though was about 5 minutes after we got our food (around 8:50 pm) they started closing up shop and turning off the lights. We all felt like we had to eat really fast. I'm not so sure I'm all about the speed eating thing. I mean, I LOVE to eat. I want to actually be able to enjoy my dinner. This is especially true since I haven't really been able to have a leisurely meal since having children--meals away from them not withstanding. After dinner we went to The Riverbank Lounge
Here's a picture of the group. (from the left) Me, Michelle, Susan, Stephanie, Lindsay (who, incidentally, thinks I don't like her---not true---I've only known her for about 20 minutes) and Alison (the Birthday Girl) I used to enjoy the Riverbank but they have lost their touch for customer service. It's sort of a "we're-too-cool-for-you-and-you're-too-frumpy-for-us" atmosphere that is pervasive there now. It's a bummer but I can always drink good booze at home or elsewhere.

We actually went out again last week with Alison's family. Her dad didn't like the fancy olives in his salad. I thought they were quite tasty.
The offending olives were on a salad he had at Il Ritrovo in Sheboygan. I think it might be one of my favorite restaurants of all time. The food is divine and the company I've had while dining there has always been exceptional. Good Times.

Ciao for now!

Destashing a House

2007-06-04T21:35:00.000-05:00

I might have pics to go with this at a latter time. For now, I just wanted to get something up. I've been busily working on all my end of the year school stuff. Very time consuming. Of course in the midst of this I got the idea to go through my entire house in an effort to destash it all. I'm having a rummage and I need to clear out all the junk that's been accumulating over the past few years. So far I have one room and a closet done. I have four BIG boxes of stuff. This could be a big rummage.

I am also still working on the secret knitting project for my friend's birthday. Hopefully it will be done soon and I can post of a pic of that too.

Ciao for now

Longest Post EVER!!!

2007-05-29T19:44:00.000-05:00

Well, maybe not. . . . I have to start with the obligatory eye candy. Come on---you have to admit, Peanut Pants is damn cute!!! We are taking him to Children's Hospital this week Friday to get a consult on his kidney. It's so weird to think that there's something wrong with him that necessitates surgery when he seems so fine and happy. He's chewing on a baby gift from our friends, the Bowmans. It's a giraffe lovie and he really enjoys munching on the horns.

So, this past weekend, being Memorial Day and all, we had a lot of activities planned. We went to the London Dairy alpaca farm for their yearly open house and saw this little darling:
So cute! I did not take this picture and am in no way, shape, or form responsible for it. I gave the camera to my (this is where I'm saying it between clenched teeth) "darling" husband and told him to take some good pics for the blog. He took the alpaca pic above and also this one:
Yeah, it's alpaca poo. Who takes a picture of alpaca poo? I'm only putting on the blog to shame my husband in the expansive forum of blogdom. Somehow I don't think he'll be appropriately contrite though. This is the same guy who takes a picture of his foot whenever we go anywhere picture-taking worthy.

However, having said that, he did redeem himself by going to get my (wait for it) FREE piano from a church acquaintance. I thought it was worth the 80$$ to get it tuned if it's free. He and PoKaL had a blast banging out (really off-key) made-up songs. I suppose I should confess here that I do not actually play the piano. My grand scheme is to take lessons with PoKaL. I'm pretty sure I'm the ONLY person in the western hemisphere who actually begged for piano lessons as a child. Ah well. . . .better late than never.
I also received my first Etsy purchase (see earlier rant to Amy Singer for luring me in to Etsy with a cleverly crafted article). It's a needle felting kit (I should mention that the gal who sent me-Wool Pets- this has one of the cutest logos I've ever seen).

Like
I
Need
Another
Hobby

Obviously, I'm hopeless. I really need to win a HUGE lottery so I can just pursue all my hobbies and still be able to have health insurance!
We also did a fair amount of gardening over the weekend. I keep proclaiming that I am THROUGH, THROUGH I TELL YOU buying plants but they continually sneak into my unsuspecting hands while I'm out around town. I'm a real sucker for irises. I love them, I think they are my favorite flowers of all time. I also like that you put the bulb in and just forget about it. That's a real plus.
My neighbor has gotten me into "wave" petunias. I guess they have a mounding habit which means they'll sort of droop and drape in a pleasing way. We'll see. I love the purple. I have absolutely NO color palate going on here. I just buy what I like. I think that, ultimately, works out a lot better than planning for something specific. Just sayin'
I got this idea out of a book called, Roots Shoots Buckets, and Boots. It's a very cool gardening book. I am enjoying the effect. Although I am NOT enjoying my hobo looking side door that desperately needs a paint job. We'll get to that sometime this summer.
So it was a pretty busy weekend capped off by my getting a vicious case of tender tummy. I thought I'd be okay so I went to school this morning. I promptly discovered the abject error in my logic on that one. Most of today was spent in bed and (well, that's really TMI) "the powder room." I'm hoping the pepto can keep my tum-tum happy enough for work tomorrow.

I'm going to try to conquer YouTube so I can post some funny video. Wish me luck!

Ciao for now!!

You Spin Me Right Round

2007-05-25T21:14:00.000-05:00

Hey look! It's another picture of my ultra-super-cool spinning wheel that I simply adore. The other evening, I took some time to spin up some fiber from my pal Carol Wagner at the Hidden Valley Woolen Mill. I've got my singles ready and am starting to ply. I am still enjoying my wheel a great deal. The only thing about it that bugs me is that the treadle seems to slide back and forth (horizontally) which is a little bit annoying. There are some clips on the bottom where the treadle sits on the bar/foot contraption and I think they can be adjusted to correct this. Do you see my hideously seventies shag carpeting? It is so grotesquely ugly that I have to bribe the vacuum cleaner to come out of it's closet in order to clean it. Revolting! Why don't I replace it? Well, we have this cat and I have but two words here:

hair
balls

blech! Someday I'm going to have another short-haired cat and then we can look into getting some decent carpet. Until till then I'll just have to suffer with my seventies flash-back-on-bad-drugs carpet.

Look!!! Double ply yarn!!! And I made it. It's for a secret project so I can't reveal what this yarn will become. I do like the color though. It's not a color I have in my home but the golds and greens with red and yellows are very pleasant and earthy. And, finally, my "new" recycled lazy kate. We are (STILL) working on an attic renovation and when the building inspector came he nixed the banister that was installed in the attic who knows when. It was this really nice, sturdy spindly affair. Unfortunately, it was also a couple inches too short. So we had to remove it and put in something taller. We've had the pieces in the garage for quite some time so my husband just made a little box out of some of the spindles. Then he drilled even holes and I'm just using knitting needles to hold the bobbins in. It's not tensioned but my spinning isn't that exact anyway. I like it. It's functional, recycled and was about a 10 minute project.
Finally--we are taking PoKaL and Peanut Pants to an alpaca farm this weekend. The guys who own it have a yearly open house. It's pretty cool. One thing though, the two fellows who own it are partners and they have a bunch of friends who are gay and also have alpacas. I think that's an interesting (and somewhat baffling) coincidence. Just sayin'

Tomorrow's also the farmer's market. I LOVE the farmers market. They have so many fun and delicious things there I can hardly control myself. One of my favorite Vendors is Nala's Fromagerie. I love cheese with an almost sinful reverence. Last week I purchased Leyden (It's from Holland) I've also had some good gouda and some halacious havarti. I also totally dig Xu's Egg rolls. Best Hmong egg rolls in the port cities!!! Man, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!!

Ciao babies!

BTW: I made my first Etsy purchase today. . . . this is going to be trouble!! Also check out my new links on the side bar. I found some cool places.

Friendship and "Going to Ciao"

2007-05-23T08:27:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to do this post for a while now. . . I may even be able to find a picture to go with it sometime. I think a lot about the friendships I've developed over the years and how they have impacted me as a person. The reason why I think about this is because as a "navy brat" I didn't get any real practice at developing and maintaining a friendship until I was an adult. Needless to say, at that point in my life, I needed some serious remediation. I have sort of kicked this topic around and was reminded about it again when one of my friends attended an event where "friendship" was one of the topics.

Enter my current group of friends

I spend most of my free time with a small group of women all of whom I've met within the past seven years. They are my friends. They are each interesting, unique individuals who I have learned a great deal from. They are each strong, intelligent women who are balancing families, work, outside interests, community involvements, and sundry other "activities" fairly deftly. They are the people I talk to when I'm feeling out of my depth, confused, sad, angry, joyous, silly, crazy, etc. I am grateful for each of them.

These are the things I have learned from my friends:
*To think before I speak (this doesn't always work though)
*That I can rely on people for support
*It's okay to be myself---really
*Fun is essential to happiness
*Caring means remembering "the little things"
*Conflict negotiation isn't really that bad
*Being right all the time isn't that important
*Love comes from unexpected places
*Difficult times are easier when shared
*I can, actually, trust other human beings
*and a MILLION other things!

Thanks!

I find it interesting that my friends are, in many ways, VERY different from me and I actually enjoy that difference. Whether being more or less extroverted, emotional, funny, patient, interesting, intelligent, or whatever the differences are what make them so special. I guess this is probably a "well duh!" statement but I still marvel at it occasionally.

A few years ago we all became moms for the first time and I honestly have to say that I would not have my sanity in tact if it weren't for my friends. I, foolishly, thought that being a parent would be easy (I know, I know) if I just followed all the books I had been reading. (HA! Leave it to an English teacher to think a book would hold the answers)

Alison: Who's parenting I really admire (she has a level of patience that I do not possess) has been such a fabulous resource. . . she seems to have an idea for every challenging situation.

Michelle: Who has commiserated with me over all sorts of parenting challenges. . . I can count on her to always say, "I'm totally with you on that."

Susan: Who's laid back demeanor has made me feel much more relaxed sometimes. . .. like things aren't quite as big a deal as I thought they might be. Levity is a good thing

Stephanie: She's the been there, done that gal. It's great to look at her two girls and know she had some of the same challenges I face and survived them. . . . with charming children to boot!

Thanks Girls! I'm a better person because of you.

In a similar vein: One of my friends recently informed me of a movement involving using "ciao" instead of goodbye. Apparently this is a nationwide movement among the fashionable and since I like to think I'm fashionable (You'd have to know me to get the irony here) I will now be officially switching to "ciao" in all my correspondence and conversation (not just occasionally on my blog as I have been doing).

Ciao babies!

Why My Mail Carrier STILL Rocks.

2007-05-17T22:09:00.001-05:00

Really, I hardly think I need to even explain this, It's a spindle and Niddy Noddy of course. They came from Gemini Fibers and (this kills me) were packaged in a box that once held the new Yarn Harlot book. I think that's a good omen. We won't get into how I managed to feel the need for another spindle. . . . the niddy was necessary. I'm currently borrowing one and need to return it sometime soon. I just love it when packages come in the mail. Today the mail carrier also brought a package from my mother in law (she's the best) I actually haven't opened it yet but I'm fairly certain it contains bread and almond horns from the BEST bakery in Wisconsin. . . that would be the Hayward Bakery if you are interested. I strongly reccomend stopping by if you are ever in Hayward.

BTW: Amy Singer. . . .if you are out there I just have four things to say to you:

YOU ARE THE DEVIL!

You must have known--somehow--my weakness for all things cool and crafty when you wrote the Etsy article for Interweve. You must have felt some sort of psychic vibration telling you. . . "If you write it she will buy." How could you do this to me? Don't you know that I am weak? Don't you know that I have children to feed? I hope you are planning to undo the evil your article has caused by starting some sort of Etsy 12 step program. . . . I'm going to need it.

(Now back to the regularly scheduled blog)
Isn't this the cutest:

It's PoKaL and Peanut Pants. Notice how PoKal is making a funny face? He thinks he's smiling! Peanut Pants seems nonplussed by the whole affair.

When PoKaL isn't sitting around being cute he has taken to biting his best friend. I find this very distressing and have been unable to find a way to make him stop. The think that really gets me is that his best friend's mom is also my best friend. . . . so there's some guilt involved. If anyone out there has ever had a "biter" I'm totally open to suggestions.

Tomorrow it's "Let's try to make a Lazy Kate out of our old attic bannister" day. Wish us luck. There will be power tools involved.

Caio babies!

I (heart) My Mail Carrier Because He Brought Me This:

2007-05-12T22:10:00.000-05:00

It was actually a substitute mail carrier named, "John" because our regular fellow, "Bob" was out of town. (no--I'm not making the names up--mail carriers are evidently really ordinary run of the mill guys in the names department)

John "The Mail Guru" was kind enough to bring the big box into my entryway even though I'm sure this breaks some sort of mail person confidentiallity code or something. They do work for our mucked up government after all.

On to the good stuff. . . . this is as most of you probably can see. . . .a Schacht Matchless single treadle. I have to say I got a REALLY REALLY good deal on it from Ebay. The guy selling it was very nice. I would never be able to afford one of these new so I'm really glad this wheel came along when it did. My husband and I have decided it's my Mother's day gift. I'm completely down with that idea! One really fun thing about this wheel is the decorations the previous owner put on the treadle. They are really nicely done and they make the wheel unique.

My sweet husband put the thing together for me and I have to say. . . It spins like "butta."
I love it I love it I love it!

Mwah ha ha ha!!!!!

2007-05-08T21:01:00.000-05:00

I bought something cooooool
I bought something cooooool
I bought something cooooool
la la la la la laaaaaa

(Pictures forthcoming when the "items" arrive)

Here's a hint: "Circle"

Naturally!

2007-05-04T20:33:00.000-05:00

Your Vocabulary Score: A

Congratulations on your multifarious vocabulary!
You must be quite an erudite person.

How's Your Vocabulary?

Out From Under the Rock

2007-04-30T13:05:00.000-05:00

No, I haven't actually vanished off the face of the planet and here's the proof. I'm at a birthday party for my son's "best friend" (if a 3 year old can have one of those). The last month or so has been a complete--albeit comprehensively satisfying--blur. Here's what I've been up to:

Knitting: I've knit about another two inches on the body of PoKaL's sweater. I had this thought that I'd have all kinds of time to knit being home with a new baby and all. . . . .HA!
I've also been receiving my installments of Sundara and Socks that Rock yarns. I will knit them. . . . oh yes. . . .they will be knit.

Kids: PoKaL just turned a "tremendous" three ("Tremendous" is a euphamism in this case. If you have kids you KNOW what I mean. If you're thinking of having kids---I don't want to alarm you overmuch). Peanut Pants just spent an overnight in the hospital after testing on his kidney. He has a "rather severe" (doctor's words) case of hydronephrosis which will require surgery. I can't begin to describe how alarming I find this. The very notion of someone cutting open my 7 week old is terribly distressing---I don't care how skilled they are. However, this is a sort of "no other choice" situation so we'll do it and we'll hope and pray for the best.

Husband: He's generally great as per usual. He spent all weekend putting up a fence in our backyard. I love that he's so handy.

Other Sundry Items: We're putting in two new gardens this year. One for PoKaL and me to fiddle around with and one for grape vines (to cover up above mentioned fence). With the weather finally turning pleasant, we are starting to get the gardening itch around here. We have half the exterior of the house to paint (along with trim) and we are STILL working on our new, third bedroom.

Oh yeah---and Peanut Pants learned how to do this:

Cute huh?

Ta Da!!!!!

2007-03-10T21:57:00.000-06:00

So. . . . what have I been up to lately? Let's see--oh yeah--there's always this:
Our newest addition to the family. . ."Chewey the Insatiable"
Of all his "birth stats" this is the one I like the best

Weight: 11 pounds 5 ounces

No, I'm not kidding. . . this little stinker also did another interesting thing while I was in labor. He turned! When I went into the hospital he was head down and ready to go. At some point though he turned. I was pretty sure something weird was happening because there was some pretty extreme movement going on. So he ended up being a c-section but I guess I really don't care because he's so darned cute.

Now, if I could just keep up on his feedings! Man, this kid can eat!

What to do, What to do?

2007-03-01T09:32:00.000-06:00

What can one do while waiting for a baby to come who is already late?

1. Whine, bitch, moan, and complain. Sorry, it's a personality thing.

2. Wonder. . ."How big is this baby going to be?" Look at "tummy" photos and start to panic.

3. Play with POKAL who could also be referred to as, "Sir Sulks-a-lot."

4. Wonder if I'll EVER see this part of my body again while standing.

5. Gaze lovingly at my newest shipment of Sundara Yarn

6. Watch for the mailman (ours is a male so it's okay to say that) to bring my FIRST shipment of Socks that Rock! (Wonder concurrently where I will EVER find the time to knit all these socks up)

7. Work on sweater for above-mentioned sulkster.
Things I am trying to not think about????? Well, I'd love to sleep in my bed again. I've been sleeping in the chair POKAL is in above for about 5 months. I just can't lay down without feeling nauseous. It's yucky. POKAL was 9 1/2 lbs when born and I think this baby will be at least that. I do get a little panicky about the prospects. . . .

I can say this though, it's hard to stay excited about anything at this stage of the game. Everyone keeps asking me if I'm getting excited. I'd have to say I'm more annoyed than anything. I'm afraid it will be another induction for this baby and they completely suck. I just want my body to get with the program and get this little guy out!

Waiting. . . .

2007-02-23T12:33:00.000-06:00

Well, my due date is today and here is where things stand:

1. There is no new baby yet

2. My Dr. is getting nervous for these reasons:

a. I am measuring 6cm larger than last time
b. POKAL was 9lb8oz two weeks late
c. I have not gained as much weight this time around

Ergo. . . she feels this baby will be HUGE!!!!!

3. I've decided not to worry about it and go for a pedicure.

4. Hopefully, there will be a new person to show soon
(and he will stop punching me in the bladder)

Show and Tell

2007-02-07T19:47:00.000-06:00

There are many reasons why I'll never be able to sign up for the Knitting Blogs Ring. The biggest one is that I just can't seem to publish at least once a week. However, I'm hoping the "wonder" of this post makes up for my lack of volume. As you can se I have a couple of things to discuss.
First---the post holiday swag I recieved from my father-in-law--this guy:

Self-proclaimed "Jack Pine Savage"(I'm not altogether sure what that means), slayer of deer, woodworker, gun-collector, and all around gruff-guy-with-squishy-innards. Seen here in his "natural habitat."

After seeing some wooden sock forms online that I thought were pretty kool, I asked if he might be able to make me some. I said I'd be happy with almost anything and that they didn't have to be fancy. This is what I got:

They're damn fabulous if I do say so myself. He even made them extra long in case I got the idea to make some long socks (I really don't see that happening. . . . but who knows!). I really like the hearts cut into them. I know my FIL was concerned that the wood would dry and "check" (I think this means crack) with the holes in them but hopefully not. They are a really pretty oak and they are lightly finished to avoid annoying snagging.

I also finished Baby Pea Pod #2 for our soon to be new person. I still haven't settled on a name although I do have a "short list." We know it's a boy so I'm still open to suggestions.

I decided to finish this off with some neato-mosquito crayon buttons. They seem to be a bit large so I may end up replacing them if the button holes don't stretch a bit to allow for them. I was thinking of trying to stretch the holes the next time it's wet. Overall--I REALLY like how this turned out. I'm not sure if I'd be interested in doing two identical sweater patterns again but it was fascinating to see how the acrylic yarn and the cotton were so different. Honestly, I am not a fan of cotton yarn. It shows EVERYTHING! Even though the gals at my spinning guild say the sweater looks good, I can see every last little bump and it's sort of maddening.

In Baby News: We are (finally) on countdown mode. My official due date is Feb 23rd and I'm starting to get pretty uncomfortable. At least I know the end result will be worth the minor discomfort now. My husband and I are going out this weekend for his birthday (a little early. . . it's the 21st) dinner and a sort of pre-baby celebration.

What are these people thinking??????

2007-01-16T12:26:00.000-06:00

So,

I live in a moderately large town (over 20,000) but definitely NOT a metropolitan mecca. My community could, however, support a decent yarn shop. The closest "LYS" is 36 miles away in one direction, and over 50 miles away in other directions. There is a large knitterly contingent in our area. There's even a spinning guild.

WHY THEN, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY (read fibery) WOULD SOMEONE OPEN A YARN SHOP THAT STOCKS ALL THE SAME SHIT YOU CAN GET AT THE EVIL EMPIRE OR HOBBY LOBBY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Honestly, all I really want is a yarn shop where I can get decent fiber, good advice, and -- occasionally -- some outrageously expensive yarn that I will be too fearful to ever knit with.

So I stopped in at this new shop. My hopes were high, my spidey (yarn) senses were tingling, my checkbook was in my coat pocket. . . and then. . . .the stark, bitter disappointment filled me like a yarnless bile rising in my throat.

Imagine if you will, walking into a shop with all hope only to be met with row on row of Lion yarn, Red Heart, etc. Now, don't get me wrong, I do use these yarns but I can get them at other places in town. What I can't get (without driving or waiting for the Internet order to come in) is decent, good quality fibers for my more ambitious projects. I also can't get lamb's pride for all my highly experimental felting endeavours.

The last yarn shop in town lasted about nine months. They also carried all the chain store brands.

The moral dilemma? Do I offer consumer advice to this woman and hope that she heeds it or do I remain silent so that--someday--I can open my own (and obviously much better) shop? OOOoooooooh! the moral agony of it all!!!!!

Proof!!!!

2007-01-04T19:35:00.000-06:00

Here it is!! proof positive that I actually have been working on Baby Pea Pod number two and not just telling bold un-truths. As you can see, I have most of the body done. I went with the green called for in the pattern but added a grape ribbing to the bottom and will do the same for the cuffs of the sleeves. I may also do the neckband in the same if I have enough of the purple stuff.

I also inserted a very small saw-tooth color thing where the ribbing joins the body. I would have like to do this further up the back but couldn't figure out how to negotiate the lace border.

Finally a picture fo the above mentioned lace border. It actually turned out better than this picture suggests.

(Now for the obligatory rant)

I discovered yesterday that I was "required" to chaperone an event being held today. I find this state of affairs to be quite annoying. Never mind the fact that I had to stay at school two hours later than I would normally have done---the situation smacks of professional discourtesy. I am truly annoyed. There's also the contractual issue. . . can they really expect staff to chaperone events which are not part of their teaching assignments? I don't know but I aim to find out.

Allergies??!!!

2006-12-28T20:28:00.000-06:00

So,

I went to the Dr. today (actually the nurse practicioner) for yet another pre-natal check. This would be the 7 minute, 80 dollar visit (what would the hourly rate be for that you ask. . . 640$$$). Once again, I was amazed, astounded, and profoundly dissapointed in the care I am receiving. (This is where the bitching starts.)

First, the NP comments on the fact that I have gained four pounds in two weeks. That brings my grand total in seven months to 10.5 lbs. Really, I must be stopped. I'm obviously eating my way through each and every day. Honestly! In my last pregnancy, I gained 22 lbs and it was gone within the first three weeks I was at home. They might know this if someone actually LOOKED at my charts from time to time.

Then (insult to injury) the NP says as I'm laying down on the table for the heart rate and measuring (and I quote. . . which should be obvious from the quotes) "Looks like you're outgrowing your pants. You know you have eight weeks left. Do you think you'll make it?" I should note here that the pants I had on are a pair of yoga pants that I've been wearing for about three years. My reply, "Well, if I don't I've got a spare tent in my attic."

I don't think she caught the sarcasm as it was truly intended.

After this she asked me about my cold. This would be the head/chest cold I've had since halloween (nope, not a typo, HALLOWEEN). I've taken so much Sudafed the pharmacy is starting to wonder. I've tried every cold medicine I can safely take. I've tried every home remedy that I can think of (barring the ones involving alcohol. . .but I've been tempted). And my NP comes up with this bit of brilliance. . . . ."maybe you have allergies."

I was really gobsmacked at this idea. I'm not allergic to anything. I know pregnancy can mess with you but. . . I don't know. Almost everyone I know has some sort of allergy. I don't know anyone who has head, chest cold symptoms. I also don't know anyone who has allergies whose husband and toddler have the exact same allergy at the same time. Yup. . . must be allergies.

Why all this angst? Why the problems. . . because my health care system changed policy shortly after the birth of my first child. I had a WONDERFUL, FABULOUS, BRILLIANT general practitioner who provided me with the kind of health care that everyone in the world should have. She was caring, easy to talk to, honest, and (this is my favorite part) didn't treat me like an idiot. After PoKaL was born my Dr. (who, incidentally sat with me for four hours of the hardest work I have EVER done. . . leaving only once for a bathroom break) was told that she and the other GPs would no longer be allowed to deliver babies. The excuse given was that the liability was too great. Nevermind that there was always an OBGYN at the hospital in case a delivery stopped being "routine." So, she and her husband--also a GP with the same system--decided to relocate to a place where they could still have a full family practice from birth through death. Somebody's gain was definitely my loss.

Now I go to the women's health clinic. I basically feel like a number. The Dr. still treats me like it's the first time we've met on every visit. The office visits are 22$ higher because I'm seeing a "specialist." I have no idea who will deliver my baby but I do know that my insurance group will be billed THOUSANDS of dollars for an OB to come into the delivery room long enough to catch the baby. I know this because many of my friends have had this experience with our local hospital. I hate how impersonal this pregnancy has been. The only reason I have not switched providers--because there is one more hospital in my area--is because I adore my son's pediatrician and want him for this baby also--unfortunately this means I'm sort of stuck in choices for the birthing.

Allergies. . . my ass!

Loot!!

2006-12-26T20:03:00.000-06:00

In the true spirit of the holidays, I'd like to share some photos of the "loot."

he he he

Exibit #1: This is one of my gifts to myself. I enrolled in the Sundara Yarn Petals Collection. The first shipment came today. The yarn is REALLY lovely and I can't wait to try it out. I also enrolled in the Rockin' Sock Club but those yarns won't be coming until later. I figured, with the baby coming--and the exponential increase in daycare, I'd do these two things instead of buying a lot of new yarn this year.

Exibit #2: This is a hard-to-make-out picture of my husband's yule stash. He got some shaving products, an ice cream ball (you make the treat by rolling the ball. . . I think he and PoKaL will love this), and a camp radio. He seemed to really like this.

And Finally. . . . . .

The Prince of Kindness and Light received a few things this year also. We try not to get too carried away because (this blog post notwithstanding) we really want him to learn that the holiday is more about who you are with than what you get. So the big gift this year was a train-shaped bank (oohh! it's for my coins ma-ma). The most popular gift was the Thomas the train carrying case. (It's my big Tom-sas. I wike it)

I'm still chugging away on Baby Pea Pod number two. Unfortunately, I've been distracted by an online game the past few days. World of Warcraft. . . maybe you've heard of it??? In my stocking this year was a prepaid card for it. (I'm beginning to wonder if my husband isn't missing me in the evenings when he's glued to the computer screen after PoKaL goes to bed?)

Here's hoping you all had as much fun over the past few days at your place as we've had at ours!!!

Merry Boxing day!

Caio Babies

WaaaaaaHOoooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-12-13T10:10:00.000-06:00

If you are a teacher, this will probably make sense.
Loooooooong story short--It was a lot of time and work.
(and a fair bit of $$ too)

Congratulations!
You are a National Board Certified Teacher^®! Your performance met the standard for National Board Certification^® set by the board of directors of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards^® (NBPTS^®).

To achieve National Board Certification, a candidate must earn a total weighted scaled score that equals or exceeds 275. Your total weighted scaled score, exercise scores and weighted exercise scores are shown in your score profile. You can access information that describes the criteria used to score your responses from the "scoring guide" link at the left.

The NBPTS Board of Directors and staff extend its best wishes for your continued success.

If I had a Hammer!

2006-12-11T17:53:00.000-06:00

I'd hammer in the mornin'
I'd hammer in the evenin'
All over this land

I'd even knit some Baby Pea Pod #2 every now and then. The second cardi is a lot like the second sock. . . somehow not as exciting

I know I promised knitting related posts but. . . what can I say. . .I'm in the middle of construction. When we learned that our family was expanding we got to thinking about our two bedroom house and our (soon to be) three bedroom family. We decided we had two options

I've cast on the same sock 8 million times this week. What the hell?

1. Sell our house and get a bigger one
2. Renovate exsisting house

We opted for #2 because we like where we live (even though it's in town) and we like our house. I didn't like the idea of getting a much bigger house that we'd have to keep clean. This was a relatively easy decision because we have a nice walk-up attic that was perfect for turning into a bedroom.

This is the "view from the top of the stairs. This is the main portion of the bedroom. there will be two skylights on the back of the house, and the window will be about 2x as wide on the side.

This area is on the front side of the house and will be a reading cubby. I'm planning to aquire some low sling chairs and shelving for books (duh! and yarn--honestly--like I'd skip the yarn) It will have a very low ceiling but I think it will be uber cool and cave-like when done.

Finally, this is the view from inside the room. What you are looking at is the closet. . . the really big closet. I'm very excited about this feature.

Can I just say this. . . Lucy Neatby. . . COOL SOCK YARN!!!!!

We're planning to put the "Prince of Kindness and Light" in our old room. With a little paint--it will be perfect for him. His bunks will fit into our old room with lots of room left over for the train table and all his other toddler junk. When new baby is old enough, they will share a room and our now nursery will either have another baby in it or become the guest room. (The whole "other baby" thing is way too far out to know about at this point!!!)

Bought some Dale Hauk yarn this weekend. Orange and red for PoKaL's new mittens. H2O repellent and mittens seemed like a no-brainer

The pics here are actually kind of old. The framing is completely done, the heat/AC guys were here today and will be done tomorrow, and the electrician did his walk-through this evening and will be here to rough in later this week. Then, the carpenters will come back and put in the regular windows and drywall.

After that. . . . Well, after that my taller half and I will mud, finish, and paint the walls in addition to doing the trim work. The skylights will go in in the spring when we put the new roof on.

Someday I will work again on Taller half's scully sweater. Really I will.

Ay Carumba! It all sounds so much more involved now that I've put it in writing. So far though the whole process has been relatively painless. Let's hope that continues!

Caio Babies!

Lame but Fun

2006-12-05T11:10:00.000-06:00

More knitting content later this week. . . . I promise

This thing has been floating around the bloggy universe for a while

1. Yourself: Smart
2. Your spouse: funny
3. Your hair: chocolate
4. Your mother: crazy
5. Your father: teacher
6. Your favorite item: MacBook
7. Your dream last night: wierd
8. Your favorite drink: appletini
9. Your dream car: XJ6
10. The room you are in: Lab
11. Your ex: looser
12. Your fear: pain
13. What you want to be in 10 years? happy
14. Who you hung out with last night? family
15. What You're Not? thin
16. Muffins: poppyseed
17. One of your wish list items: dishwasher
18. Time: present
19. The last thing you did: teach
20. What you are wearing: funky
21. Your favorite weather: fall
22. Your favorite book: impossible
23. The last thing you ate: clementine
24. Your life: interesting
25. Your mood: ambivalent
26. Your best friend: stupendous
27. What are you thinking about right now? baby
28. Your car: Saturn
29. What are you doing at the moment? Duh!
30. Your summer: fast
31. Your relationship status: married
32. What is on your TV? Backyardigans
33. What is the weather like? chilly
34. When is the last time you laughed? yesterday
35. What color? Purple
36. Where would you love to travel? Scotland
37. Childhood friend? Tanyelle
38. Last time "out"? MeltingPot
39. Hobby? Knitting
40. What's in your CD player? U2

Yup!

2006-12-01T22:00:00.000-06:00

This is basically right on. . . except for the "pop" thing. Everyone knows it's soda.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Inland North You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."
The Midland
The Northeast
Philadelphia
The South
North Central
The West
Boston
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

I'm Back!!

2006-11-30T13:32:00.000-06:00

So, I'm supposed to be at work right now but have a vicious cold and have lost my voice completely. This is a real detriment if you teach. . . so here I sit and I think to myself, "hey--slacker--you need to update your blog!"

I finally finished my first Baby Pea Pod and what follows are the pics to prove it.

Here it is blocking in the tub. I've read that you can't block acrylic but it seemed to work out okay for me. I love this orange color!

And here's a pic of the sleeves blocking. No, your eyes aren't deceiving you, one of the sleeves is orange and one is yellow. I thought I'd just do that for fun. I really like how it turned out.

A pic of the finished product!

And, finally, a shot of the sweater in the box getting ready for it's intended victim. . . I mean lucky recipient.

I am now underway with Baby Pea Pod number two. This one is set for my future person. I only have three months to finish it but I'm feeling like that is no problem. (cross fingers, knock on wood) I do have to say though that this pattern was VERY, VERY frustrating for me. Unlike Anouk, the other Kate Gilbert pattern I've knit, I found the directions to be somewhat sketchy. This may be due to my inexperience in chart/direction reading so I'm not saying it's a bad pattern. I just sometimes feel that designers take for granted that knitters will "know" things that they may not. I wouldn't say this pattern was hard, it was just something of a learning curve for me.

Have I mentioned that I am typing this blog entry on my new, shiney black MacBook? This thing rocks my universe!!!!! All hail the MacBook! I'm in love!

Caio Babies!

TV?? We Don't Need No Stinkin' TV!!

2006-11-20T20:16:00.000-06:00

So, I don't watch TV. There are a lot of reasons for this. Allow me to explain:
1. I knit
2. I teach
3. I have a toddler
4. I blog
(really. . . .something had to give)

I could stop here but I've noticed some interesting things about being the only person in any gathering that doesn't devote daily time to the "brain sucker."

**People spend A LOT of time discussing reality TV. If you don't watch TV you may--at times feel slightly disconnected from your peer group.
**The network news--as filtered through others during lunch--sounds even more ridiculous than it ever did.
**I get LOADS more done now that I don't watch TV. I'm not necessarily saying all the stuff I do is productive (I still put off housework as long as I can without feeling guilty) but I do feel less overwhelmed by my "to do" list than ever before. Periodically someone will say to me something along the lines of, "How do you find the time for blah, blah blah?" I've stopped replying, "Oh, I don't watch TV." mainly because it sounds snobby and elitist. I'm pretty sure I'm not that person. . . . yet.
**I really, really don't miss any of the shows (not even the ones I thought I would). I find this weird. . . as do others.
**I had this idea that I would lose weight since I'm not munching in front of the TV. I guess this was an erroneous assumption. I haven't gained any though so I guess it's all a wash in the end.

We do have a TV at our house. We use it to watch videos sometimes and our son is a Thomas the Train addict. So don't think that we live in a house with no tv at all we just don't turn the thing on that often and we don't watch any network TV.

I would have loved to post pics of Baby Pea Pod--it's coming along nicely. Unfortunately my camera batteries died. I'll post some pics later this week. I should warn you all ahead of time. I'm doing BPP in acrylic. . . so if you are a yarn elitist, you may wish to skip those posts--If you're a mom, you probably "get it."

Shame on you Wisconsin!!!!!!!

2006-11-08T21:32:00.000-06:00

Warning!!!! If you are a conservative person who loves the republican party. . . read no further! Or--if you choose to do so--don't blame me for voicing my liberal viewpoints on MY OWN BLOG. Just sayin'

Wisconsin. . . . progressive state or backwater hick trying to hide the fact? Well, it's hard to say after the recent round of elections. We've managed to keep Mark Green out of office, re-elect Herb Kohl, regain democratic control of the state senate, and other sundry items throughout the state elections process. It seems as though things have gone rather well.

Or have they???

What the hell people? Did we really pass a refferendum that will CHANGE THE STATE CONSTITIUTION FOR SOMETHING THAT IS ALREADY ILLEGAL????? What were the rest of you thinking? I've spent weeks trying to get a firm idea about why the so-called "marriage amendment" is even an issue here.
1. As I already stated, same-sex marriage is already illegal in WI. (Come on--you know who you are out there don't kid yourself. You were voting against "gay marriage.")
2. As a person who is married I feel pretty confident in saying that the piece of paper (which resides in my linen closet) does not make me a better wife, parent, or all-around person. The idea that a traditional marriage is somehow "better" than other kinds of partnerships is a complete fallacy. (do I need to go on and on about issues like divorce rates, infidelity, and abuse?. . . I think not)
3. I'm pretty sure that my paying into the global costs of an insured domestic partner are much less than footing the bill for the same individual to be on Badger Care (because they can now be legally stripped of any and all benefits)

And then there's the whole capital punishment refferendum. Come on! Give me a break. Don't we, as tax payers, spend enough on criminals? This idea will only cost us, exponentially, more money. Do we really want to be "those people."

On the national front: I can't wait to see what/if anything changes after the shift of power in Washington. I just read on CNN that GW (man. . . that dude is definitely not working in the same reality as the rest of the world) has extended an "olive branch" to the Dems. Whooo Boy! What a "shocking turn of events." Of course he's extending the aforementioned branch! He may have to play nice now. I just can't help but wonder if anything will really change. I guess we'll all just have to wait and see.

Maybe the politicians can focus on some real issues now such as: the astronomical costs of health care (thanks Ronnie for de-regulating the hospitals), the complete ravaging of natural resources, our continual decline as an industrial power (with nothing to fall back on). . . .

Okay, I could go on and on. I won't--if you've read this far you're smart enough to get the general idea.

Caio babies!

I knit for these people????

2006-10-31T18:29:00.000-06:00

The "Prince of Kindness and Light" has been in rare form these past few days. I don't know if this is normal but in a relatively short span of time our otherwise congenial boy had turned into the king of "no." He sulks, pouts, grunts, whines, and generally expresses displeasure at every turn. . . . what's up with that? My favorite is when he's really mad and does this sort of "Flashdance" stomping routine while turning bright pink and making a demented baby face. This must be a phase right? Please tell me it's a phase!!!

Maybe he's still mad about the halloween costume debacle. We bought (no-way do I have time to make a costume with all the knitting I have to catch up on!!) him a really super cute costume from Old Navy. The pirate. We tried it on in the store and it fit just fine (here come's the part where you can tell this is our first parenting gig) three weeks ago. Well, it didn't fit just fine at all last week when we tried to put it on him for a party. We couldn't get the jacket to close and the sleeves shrunk. No fooling! So--feeling like a lame-o looser mom--I picked up a pumpkin suit in a 3T thinking that it would fit just fine since he's only two (can you see where this sad tale is going?). We put it on him on trick-or-treating day and. . . sob. . . the suit was too short by about 2 inches and it gave him the look of a diaper wedgie. I cried, really, and I don't think it was the pregnancy hormones or anything. It was all just so tragic!!

In order to help my wounded (not at all earned) parental pride, I felt it necessary to sign up for this little bit of fun with the Socks that Rock folks. I have heard loads of good things about these guys and I can't wait. I hope I enjoy the whole thing. Has anyone else tried anything like this? I did consider signing up for the Petals Collection club but haven't made up my mind yet. Any input on either of these would be super!!!!

I am still working on Baby Pea Pod and have chosen an orangey multi-flecked yarn for it. I dont' know if it will show the pattern in the best way but it's a super-cute yarn for kids. I'll post pics soon. I'm just waiting to get a little more done.

Happy Halloween Everyone! May your jack-o-lanterns survive the smashers.
I think it's the Wiccan new year too but don't quote me on that one.

Big Hat, Little Hat

2006-10-24T20:09:00.000-05:00

After a few short days of happily knitting the "second sock" of previous posting, I transgressed into hat land to fulfill the needs of my little guy and my "not yet born probably another little guy". As is the curse of all knitting mothers, the "Prince of Kindness and Light" at first refused to even try on the hat. Happily he is now wearing it. I have also begun the Baby Pea Pod cardigan from Interweave. I have begun it THREE times! I just can't get the hang of the chart. So, I've slunk back again to sock #2 in hopes that some knitting success will bolster me for the upcoming fourth attempt at "BPP."

Earlier today I read (and subsequently responded to) the latest post by the illustrious Yarn Harlot. She wrote today about learning how to take appropriate credit for our accomplishments. She also mentioned that women, in general, tend to minimalize their accomplishments. She asserted that she wouldn't "go there." I--however--feel no such need to sensor my ideas/response to this thought provoking concept.

Rant On: I have found time and again that there are people out there in the professional world who (for reasons I can only imagine--and not very generously) find great joy in bringing other people down. They seem to think that there is some sort of taboo against saying, "nice job" or "that was a good idea." This is both rankling and irksome to an extreme degree. Maybe I find this habit so odious because most of the naysayers are men. Are they threatened by a competent woman? (At this point I feel it's only fair to mention--as I have in the past--that I am not some sort of business person. I am a teacher.) It's so completely counter-productive and bizarre. It is evident to me that the "boys network" is still in full bloom. Why is it so difficult for individuals to support and uplift each other? What is so scary about a woman advocating for her own accomplishments? Why do these men feel the need to "show us." What's up with that? I may never know--but that doesn't mean it won't still piss me off.

Rant off---Happier posts are bound to come.

Caio Babies!

Kitchen Melo(drama)

2006-10-13T20:12:00.000-05:00

Okay--I should have taken a "before" pic but I guess an "in the middle of things" pic will have to do. My husband and I bought new vinyl flooring for our kitchen about a month ago. It's finally installed!!!!!!! Here you can see that it's a wood grain looking floor. We would have loved to put in actual wood but the cost and time involved sort of got in the way. We're pretty much into "remodeling on a budget" around here. The next step is to re-finish the cabinets to match the floor. We're pretty sure they've never been re-done and our house was built in the early fifties! They are nice and simple but look pretty dreadful right now.

The other side of the kitchen is where our eat-in area is. It's a bit to the right of the picture here so it's hard to see. We have a counter-height table right now (it's actually pretty new) but I don't know. It just seems to be too big. Maybe tables in the 50's were smaller. I don't know. We'll put it back in and if it drives me crazy, well I can always e-bay it to fund a different table. I really like the look of this new vinyl. It's nice. I'm glad we did it. The next big thing will be getting carpet into the livingroom and two bedrooms. My husband and I have joked that we've put so much time and $$$ into this little house that we will never leave it!!

I finally started Sock #2!!! I think the other sock is so far back in my posts that no one has actually ever seen it! The sock looks great with the new floor and my GoKnit pouch!!

Finally, I bet you're wondering where all our kitchen stuff went?

Into the living room of course!!!! he he he

Love that Man of Mine

2006-10-02T19:55:00.000-05:00

I married this guy almost six years ago and he, on a fairly regular basis, reminds my why I am so lucky. (Don't get me wrong--I think he's pretty damn lucky too!) This weekend we were busy trying to get two sides of the house painted--a fairly dicey affair in fall in Wisconsin. So it was up and down the ladder, help me carry the 5 gallon pail around, help watch "The Prince of Kindness and Light," mix paint, and listen to me bitch about our need to paint because the F'in insurance company didn't pay us enough to re-side our house after a major hail storm this past summer. All this and he still managed to pose for a picture of the progress.

What do you think? We were going for a more buttery yellow than the original siding (which was leaning strongly in the "baby poop" direction). It's not a drastic change but I think it will be pretty effective. Painting a house is a little bit scary. That color is a whole lot different on an ity-bitty paint chip from the store.

Also, while we were getting ready to paint a friend of mine who owns this store stopped by to drop of a "gift." It was an autographed copy of Mike Perry's new book, Truck: A Love Story. I just love this guy (in a completely healthy non-stalkerish kind of way) His narrative style is sheer brilliance. I can't wait for his next book!!

In knitting related news: I haven't worked on much of anything since I was busy assisting with the massive paint job.

Days of Food and Yarn

2006-09-28T20:09:00.000-05:00

It occured to me the other day that I have known my husband for almost 12 (holy schneikies!) years. In all that time we have NEVER, EVER had tacos as home. Oh sure, we've had tacos at fast food places and such but I've just never made them. We've had taco salad, enchilladas, burritos, and tostadas but never tacos. So, I got some shells and the stuffings to make tacos. They were a BIG hit with the LITTLE dude in our house. He kept saying, "MMmm, tacos are tasty." He even ate two of them (no small accomplishment for a toddler I can tell you) It makes me wonder though, what other things have we never had and I just haven't thought of it yet???

Well, one thing I have had my fair share of is chocolate. Usually, I'm one of those people who wants really "good" chocolate. I have standards (at least I like to think so). I am also a dark chocolate nut. I've never really cared for milk chocolate. . . .until today that is. I woke up wanting a Hershey bar in the worst way. I knew I had one around because I made chili a few weeks ago and my recipie calls for half a Hershey bar (usually my husband eats the other half). I just couldn't square with the idea of eating a chocolate bar at 6:30 in the morning though so I left thinking I'd get over the idea as the day wore on. Ha, Ha, and double HA!! When I finally got home I caved in and ate that bar that I'd been thinking about all day long. It was delish!! I'm completely appalled with myself. I've sunk to new chocolate lows!

In order to counter-balance my pathetic chocolate episode, I did want to show the progress I was making on my nursing shawl. It's coming along quite nicely and should be done in a couple of days. I'm thinking of adding a ball of "Poppy" yarn (okay--it's more like tape with things hanging off it) to the tail of it. The pattern has it so one end is longer so I think that might work out quite nicely. I've also determined that finishing my sad one-sock will be next on my list of priorities. Then, maybe, back to the "Skully" sweater for my husband.

In Baby X news: Baby X has finally started to do some noticeable wiggling. This is ironic in that I was just saying last night that if s/he didn't start moving around soon I felt a complete spaz attack (on my part) coming on. Baby X has a heart rate of 146 which my OB thinks is good. I've also decided that Baby X is responsible for my reprehensible chocolate behaviors.

Serious Complaining and Knitting Angst

2006-09-22T19:59:00.000-05:00

So, this is the thing. I am a completely selfish knitter. I know this about myself. I knit what I want, when I want, and no one is woman enough to stop me. This is why when my mother (yes that's right--I'm that terrible) asked to put herself on the "list" for knitted goods I said--without even pause for breath--"no mom, it doesn't work that way." I don't know why I get so annoyed when someone suggests I knit something specific. I find it totally irritating. Maybe it's because knitting is MY hobby for ME and NO ONE is going to impose upon it. Yes, that's probably it. There's also the fact that I have so many projects lined up I don't know how I will ever be able to finish them. For example, currently I am planning:

1. Finish boring, mindnumbing, evil(why did I ever think this was a good idea) sweater for husband who I dearly love but am beginning to resent.
2. Finish second sock so I have a pair to take to the hospital at baby having time.
3. Finish nursing shawl (pic in last post)
(At this point you'll notice I have three projects going right now. I don't know when I became THAT person. I was never that way before. I think it's the hormones. Yeah, that's the ticket.)
4. Make cool shawl from Interweave knits fall 2006
5. Practice lace knitting before attempting above mentioned shaw.
6. Make baby hat for "Baby X" so s/he doesn't have to wear a lame hospital one.
7. Finish son's Yule stocking that was supposed to be done last year.
(Holy crap-balls! I actually have four projects going at once. I think I'm feeling slightly faint.)
8. Knit "baby pea pod" sweater for "Baby X"
9. Knit new sweater for son to replace one dad shrunk.
See, I don't think I was having a rational day (last week Thursday) when all these things seemed do-able. I am not entirely sure I know if I should even persue the matter. I think I'll have to formulate a plan. Buckle down--get tough with myself. First, I'll finish all my started projects. Then, I'll prioritize based on need. Finally, I'll give myself permission to relax and deliberately consider my next move.

Man, I'm tired just thinking about "The Plan"

Maybe I'll put the Yule Stocking off for another season. My son will never remember this holiday. . . right???

Knitting Swag and Mutant Produce!!

2006-09-17T20:11:00.000-05:00

This, my friends, is my Mutant Tomato Plant. I cut it back time and time again only to have it start growing in a different direction. It only produced a few tomatos and those never ripened off. They just split and peeled. . . . disgusting. I can only assume that the plant must have been exposed to some sort of radioactive materials.
This is my husband (6'2") playing road kill to demonstrate the scale of this tomatoey monstrosity. I couldn't take it anymore so I yanked the beast out of the ground earlier this afternoon.
I also thought I'd share with you some of my most recent knitting purchases. As you can see, I've purchased Big Girl Knits. . . . . because I am a ROUND woman. And it's stinking hard to find patterns that are cute for the roundies out there. I just love some of the vintage flavor patterns that are so popular but I am not a size 8 and I have no actual desire to be one. See, I'm just sassy about the whole thing. I also picked up some Euroflax and Misti Alpaca in order to jump on the lace bandwagon (which I don't view as being a bad sort of bandwagon at all). Finally, in the gadget department, a go knitting pouch from my Yarn Harlot road trip (the shame of which I am almost over now).
I have also been working on a poncho/wrap thing to wear when I am nursing in public. Now, I have to say, I'm somewhat torn about the whole issue. My close friend ALWAYS has a blanket over her when she nurses and other people are around (I couldn't tell you what she does alone and it's none of my business). I am of the opinion that if I'm feeding my baby I don't give a booby old damn if someone is "uncomfortable" about it. They can just get over themselves and their inherited puritan prudery.

Having said that. . . . . . (this is where my true hypocracy shine through like beacon in the night)

As a high school teacher, the idea of one of my students (female or male) observing me while nursing gives my the willies. I can't really ennumerate why I feel this way (it may--in fact--by my own inherited puritan prudery) but there you have it----hence the poncho-wrap thing.

Other thoughts for the day:

5 things I like about Blogger
1. It's easy to use
2. I can look at the Html or the other view
3. I can easily edit when I spot typos
4. It's easy to use
5. It's easy to use (okay. . .I ran out of stuff I like about it)

5--no--8 things I dislike about Blogger
1. Unless you are really good at Html a lot of things are hard to manipulate
2. Inserting pictures is annoying because they always come in at the top of the post
3. I can't seem to edit my template without erasing all my posts
4. The preview mode is NEVER how it actually looks on your blog
5. My !@$%#@@$% blog still doesn't show up when I search it
6. I don't think anyone reads my blog (maybe I shouldn't complain it it so much)
7. Okay--Number six is not Blogger's fault
8. It's not easy to use unless you want the blog to be boring and ordinary
Where are the bells and whistles?? I want sparkles!!!!

Caio babies!

Classic Dame Quiz

2006-09-14T19:52:00.000-05:00

I am a total sucker for these things!!
Katharine Hepburn

You scored 19% grit, 28% wit, 52% flair, and 9% class!

You are the fabulously quirky and independent woman of character. You go your own way, follow your own drummer, take your own lead. You stand head and shoulders next to your partner, but you are perfectly willing and able to stand alone. Others might be more classically beautiful or conventionally woman-like, but you possess a more fundamental common sense and off-kilter charm, making interesting men fall at your feet. You can pick them up or leave them there as you see fit. You share the screen with the likes of Spencer Tracy and Cary Grant, thinking men wholike strong women.

My "Harlotty" Report

2006-09-11T18:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, while other people were going on with their normal lives, I packed my family into the car and drove across the state to see Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (the Yarn Harlot) speak in Eau Claire Wisconsin. I had FOUR WHOLE HOURS to plan and plot my perfect verbal exchange with said author (who I just adore) when I got my 30-60 seconds to speak with her (more on this later).

She spoke in the masonic lodge. It was interesting and large. My husband said it looked like a courtroom. He now feels extra-super curious about what the Masons are all about. I, however, lack this curiosity. This is what the place looked like as the knitters were filling up the place.

When Stephanie came out she, of course, took a traveling sock picture. She was able to get some pictures of a really cute little girl (who--incidentally--I had a fun time playing water worm with) who will undoubtedly be on her blog. She was a real cutie. At one point, Stephanie asked the girl if she was a girl or a boy. I thought it was hard to tell. The little girl said she was a baby. Too Funny!

After the preliminaries, Stephanie began her talk about knitting and life and such. It was very funny and very entertaining. Definitely worth the drive!!! My favorite part was when she was talking about meeting with male radio announcers for interviews. I think the thing that I found most surprising was her voice. I'm sure it was fatigued but. . . well. . . I don't know. You read someone's stuff for so long and you just kind of make up a voice for them. I guess I'd have to say that Stephanie sounded much more interesting in person than what I had imagined while reading her work.

After the talk we adjourned to Yellow Dog Knitting for the book signing. I was the third person in line. (No--I didn't have to push anyone down to get there) I was so happy to see that some nice person brought Stephanie a Leinies Honey Weiss. Personally, I prefer the Sunset Wheat but I couldn't bring beer from Manitowoc it would have been warm. Now. . . . .this is where the story turns sad.

As I said--I had FOUR WHOLE HOURS to plan out what I was going to say. I really admire Stephanie's writing and I have some ideas about writing. (mostly from being an English teacher)
1. Writing is not easy--it takes sustained, concentrated effort
2. Coming up with ideas can be very tricky
3. Published authors are a lot more rare than writers
Naturally, I wanted to make a decent impression. I thought about commenting on Stephanie's conversational narrative style. I considered mentioning certain, key, excerpts. I thought of many witty and reasonably intelligent things to say. However, once I put my book in front of her, all that came out was, "I just love you to pieces" in a rather high-pitched teenager tone. Now--this statement wasn't a lie. It just wasn't the brilliant bit of repartee I had envisioned. I also gave Stephanie a small gift of handmade (by me) knitting needles and stitch markers. I hope she likes them or can find someone who will. After my embarrassing groupie moment, I asked for a picture which she was gracious enough to acquiesce to. I handed my camera over to the gal behind me. (this--by the way--would be the camera I have been using for three years) First I turned the camera on wrong. It was set to stupid video mode. (by this time I'm thinking I should just get out) But. . . I did finally get a nice picture.

I mentioned that I was going to blog this and Stephanie said said, "You're blogging me?" I affirmed and she asked for my blog addy. As I was rattling it off she said, "Oh, I know who you are." I smiled, my heart sunk, and I got out as fast as possible. The thing is, what if she "knows" me and thinks I'm a fruitcake? (which I am starting to consider myself) Stuff like that always freaks me out. I'm not a crazy stalker. . . . I am just too uncool to meet someone famous (AUTHORS ARE FAMOUS--WORK WITH ME PEOPLE) without acting like a complete moron. I guess it's a good thing she wasn't Johnny Depp. I probably would have vomited. So, I left in ignominious shame and have only my sad pictures to remind me that I am the most socially uncool person on the face of the planet. . . . and a bad groupie to boot. Oh well---It was fun and I wouldn't trade it for anything. . . other than being cooler in a similar situation. This so didn't happen the two times I met Mike Perry! (who I also admire)
So, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, if you ever see this. . . I am sorry for being lame. What can I say? I just love books and authors too much to be normal around them. I'm a dork. I'm (mostly) okay with that.

Yarn Harlot Update

2006-09-11T07:30:00.000-05:00

Kneni, Knidi, Knichi!

I drove, I knit, I saw the Yarn Harlot!

What fun I had--despite the drive. I'll post pics and a complete report of my utter geekdom later today after work.

OMG!!!!

2006-09-10T08:33:00.000-05:00

HOLY WOW COW! I'M GOING TO SEE THE YARN HARLOT TODAY! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I'M ALL IN A DITHER! WHY CAN'T I STOP SHOUTING!!??

Pics and details coming later---I hope she likes my present.

Yarn Harlot in Wisconsin (Holy Cow!)

2006-08-15T15:52:00.000-05:00

It has finally happened. The Yarn Harlot is coming to Wisconsin this September 10th. She has posted this info on her blog. I thought that since she was nice enough to come, (as a result of my one-woman emailing campaign I'm sure) I could post some info that would make her trip here even more interesting. So---let the trivia begin!
1. Wisconsin became a State (the 30th) in 1848
2. State Motto: Forward
3. Elizabeth Zimmerman lived in Wisconsin
4. Wausau (which I'll be driving through to see YH) is the ginseng capitol of the world
5. The American Birkebeiner, a 52K cross-country ski race between Cable and Hayward, is the largest on the North American continent. (this is cool because I used to live in both these towns and have seen the Birkie a load of times)
6. The Republican party was founded in Ripon Wisconsin. This is a complete suck in my opinion but worth mentioning none the less.
7. Two Rivers Wisconsin (just a few miles down the road from me) claims to be the birthplace of the ice cream sundae. It is a disputed claim though
8. State mascot: the badger
9. State insect: the honey bee
10. Harry Houdini was from Wisconsin
11. Leinenkugels---'nuff said
12. Eau Claire Wisconsin is 5 hours and 40 minutes from my house. I'll be there anyway.
13. I got a tatoo in Eau Claire (it's not someplace gross)
14. State flower: the wood violet
15. Wisconsin was (I say "was" because it's a mess right now) once one of the most progressive states in the union both in terms of social programs and general politics
16. Wisconsin students continually do well in college placement exams
17. Summerfest is the nations largest music festival
18. The Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc is the largest nautical museum on the Great Lakes. This is cool because I live here.
19. Laura Ingalls Wilder was born in Wisconsin.
20. Frank Lloyd Wright, also born here.

I could go on and on. . . really. But I won't.

On, Wisconsin!
Written by J. S. Hubbard and Charles D. Rosa
Composed by William T. Purdy

On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Grand old badger state!
We, thy loyal sons and daughters,
Hail thee, good and great.
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Champion of the right,
"Forward", our motto
God will give thee might!"

Eye Candy

2006-08-14T14:52:00.000-05:00

"The Prince of Kindness and Light"
Sarcasm is a wonderful thing!

34!34!34!

2006-08-14T14:18:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday dear me-ee,
Happy Birthday to me.

I really should be going to the yarn store or something on this auspicious day. However, life with a nap-denying toddler has precluded that option from my daily agenda. In a fit of non-posting guilt, I thought I had better explain myself and my shameless non posting as of late:

1. I haven't knit a single thing--You'd think that summer would be the perfect time to knit my little brains out being a teacher and all. NOT SO! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the outdoors is beckoning to me to "go out and take it all in." Or it might be my two-year-old standing at the door and chanting "outside mama, outside" for the gazillionth time.

2. I have been reading: I love to read! I have found that I can knit and listen to books on tape. I find that ultra-super efficient. However, nothing can compare to curling up in the hammock during above mentioned son's nap time with an actual book. This is what I've managed to read this summer (I won't mention that I only started my summer reading two weeks ago--he he he)
*Smoke in the Wind
*Badger's Moon
*The Haunted Abbot
*The Leper's Bell
(All these are part of the Sister Fidelma mysteries by Peter Tremayne)
*Girl in Hyacinth Blue
*The Tale of Hiltop Farm
*Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (re-read)
*Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (re-read)
*Sorcery and Cecelia
*The Grand Tour
*The Scarlet Letter (read for school)
*The Awakening (also for school)
*Huck Finn (can you tell I teach Am. Lit?)
*The Secret Life of a Knitter (Thank you Yarn Harlot!)

3. I have been putting of knitting in favor of canning two batches of dill pickles. I am also making grand plans to can some "peach tea jelly."

I could go on and on with the various excuses I have for my lack of knitting progress. I should probably stop now though before I further incriminate myself. It's really quite disgusting.

I should also mention that there was a comment about my exclusion of "bubblers" in the previous post. (You Wisconsin people know what I mean) Unfortunately (for me maybe) I grew up a navy brat and so have always refered to them as "drinking fountains. I was born in Wisconsin, I have chosen to spend my adulthood here (barring someone giving me a castle in Scotland), but--sadly--my formative years were spent in a number of different places. They have never been bubblers to me.

Caio Babies!