12.29.2008

Tea time review

The boys got a lot of really cool stuff from Santa (including the Wii!) but the #1 hit was from Gradma. I saw it in a magazine and decided the boys HAD to have it - only to find out she had already bought it. glad one of us did... because they LOVE it!


It is a tea set from http://www.greentoys.com/ serioulsy COOL toys! nice big teapot and good sized cups. It even has a creamer, sugar bowl and spoons! The best part? It is made right here in the US out out 100% recycled milk bottles collected curbside. It is also apporved by the FDA for food contact.

LOVE it! great toy. environmentally friendly and safe!

next post - book review - Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

12.14.2008

I need to be more specific

In my list of grattitudes, I included "long delicous kisses". well, I was met with a bag of Hershey Kisses shortly after I wrote that. not what I had in mind, but yummy none the less.

12.06.2008

My Christmas list and other desires

in case you were wondering...
  • sock blanks and dyes from Knit Picks
  • 32" - 2.25mm Harmony circular needle
  • luscious fiber and yarn
  • Ladybug wheel (a girl can dream, can't she?)
  • a fabulous wardrobe
  • Perfume from hubby
  • new everday dinner dishes from hubby
  • new doors
  • peace, health and calm in my home
  • a hot cup of tea and a chocolate cuppycake.
  • more of Grandma's rasin bread.
  • new toys (I cant wait to see what I'm getting in my swaps!)
  • wii fit (assuming Santa brings the family a Wii - and I hear he is!)
  • long delicous kisses
  • passion
  • attention
  • strength (I'm runnung a bit low right now..)
  • a Manwich meal
  • iTunes gift cards
  • sleeping in
  • an ear and a shoulder
  • a decadant dinner out with no kids and cloth napkins
  • more iBras
  • new contacts (yeah.. I know.. I need to drag my ass to the eye dr.. 'cause I do'nt have enough dr appts already..)
  • new "jewlery"
  • lunch.

12.05.2008

TGIF 12/5/08

tough week this week...
  • a ride to the train station on an icy morning.
  • patience
  • my pretty pink wraps
  • receiving comfort by giving it
  • friends who really listen
  • reassurance from Katy
  • perfect EKGs
  • subs
  • being positive - and doing positive things - even if it all seems to hard at the time.
  • long talks and car rides
  • hockey tickets
  • hip toss on ice (I was impressed!)
  • my new jersey!

12.03.2008

"Goin' to a Party"


I had a roommate at RPI who collected Eeyore. She had one talking one who said "Goin' to a party.." when you pushed a button. I don't know if hers was defective, haunted or possessed, but it would randomly talk to me when he and I were alone in the room... creepy. It is a good thing I liked my roomie so much or Eeyore might have had an unfortunate accident in teh basement of the JEC... (that is where we CivE's kept all of our toys tools for breaking shit. Fun place!)

Anyway... I'm feeling a bit like Eeyore these days. I'm feeling like the Universe has taken a big crap on my life and my house. It is hard to remain optomisitic in the middle of a shit storm. Seems like the only thing that makes me smile these days are my kids - but they get me aggrivated too...

This is the part of this post that I was going to list all of the crap that has happened to us in the last month. I deleted it. Some of it is information that really isn't mine to publicize, but, mostly i don't want to focus any mor eenergy than I need to on it.

What really sucks is that I have little to no control over ANY of it. mostly, I just need to sit and wait it out. I hate that! I can't just do nothing! So, I've decided to crank up the TSO, put away the Halloween decorations (no- not joking) and get ready for Santa because he WILL be here before we know it! I hear Wii may be having a very nice Christmas....

12.01.2008

Ryan's B-day and PDK (aka KIP)

Yesterday, Ryan turned 6. 6??? 6!!!! I can hardly believe it!!!

He's had a hard time adjusting to the ups and downs and insecurity of the last few weeks. Homecoming was off to a bumpy start. His birthday gift from mom and dad was never more needed than this week.

My kids have too much stuff. I did laundry yesterday - their dressers are bursting. They have SO many toys that they don't even know what they have or where it is. Bookshelves overflow into piles on the floor. They have bins of craft supplies that don't even close. With Christmas right around the corner, the last thing we want to do is fill our house up with MORE crap that will take up space and be unappreciated. what to do?

Ryan is a hockey fan (and a hockey player!) so we took him to a Sound Tigers (Islanders) game. it happened that the closest game to his b-day was Friday night against the Wolfpack (Rangers) - always a good game. Even better? the Kids' Club (which he is a member) had an open skate before the game! He got to skate on the ice at the Arena. How cool was that? it was his first time on skates this season and he fell a lot, but he just kept getting right back up! even the security guard was impressed! Mommy was proud!

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(I insisted on the helmet - the pads were his idea!)

During the game, he had a great time wearing his new jersey, eating his "fluffies" and watching the game. He really got into it!

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At one point the camera man came up into our section in the stands (110 - bar stool section) and put him up on the big screen! he loved hamming it up! Then, he panned up from Ryan to the ice and caught this shot

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yes.. I knit while I watch hockey! Really.. this can't surprise you.

11.27.2008

TGI Thanksgiving

TGIF will be a day early this week due to Thanksgiving... seems more appropriate today.

  • it wasn't worse
  • not being home alone
  • having my husband back (he better stay this way!)
  • ice cream (mmmm)
  • tea
  • alarm systems
  • friends
  • medical care
  • blog awards
  • trust
  • faith
  • fantasy

11.26.2008

It's My First Time...


receiving a blog award. This is from Meghann the award reads: "This blog invests in and accredits closeness."

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award".

Even though Meghann claims that she isn't good at following my blog, I suppose she's read enough to know that I needed it today. So I have gracioulsy accepted this award and pass it on with pleasure to some of the nicest bloggers I know:

and in my spare time...
Vegan Heart Doc
Cygknit

Veronica Revisited
Glass by Adelina
indigirl

In other news... Todd comes home today. I installed an alarm system last night. JR has a pouinding headache, but is otherwise OK.

11.25.2008

home invasion

As if there isn't enough drama in my life... one of those shit head punks from next door (had to be them) broke in my house this morning. went through my purse and took some cash (left more cash, vicoden and my mp3 player...and the portable DVD player was on the floor.) JR came upstairs to make tea and must have startled them and they pushed him down the stairs. he hit his head. said he was OK, but he seemed a little out of it to me. I've had ENOUGH. those punks are getting the smack down.

11.21.2008

TGIF 11/21/08

  • understanding
  • compassion
  • helping hands
  • hot tea and warm hugs
  • yarn & needles
  • my new bag gloves & pretty pink wraps
  • hitting things hard and often
  • hip tosses
  • free haircuts
  • self confidence
  • clarity
  • conviction
  • working heat
  • more tea
  • compliments
  • uninterrupted sleep
  • dinner plans
  • hockey tickets

11.19.2008

Clarity

For the last 12 years or so, I've been doing whatever I could to make life easier for Todd to deal with his BPD. I've walked on eggshells, handled him with Kidd gloves. I've buffered him from the world. there were time I've had to remind him to take his meds. There were also many times I had to beg, plead and bribe him to take them.

For the most part, he did what he was supposed to. Took his meds and behaved himself. Inevitably, something happens. He gets sick, seasonal change, extreme stress... and he is off his meds and out of whack (not always in that order...). Then, I am left to deal with the fallout - much of it he never remembers. I do. I am left to work, cook, clean and care for the kids. All while trying to minimize the crap that I know is coming. My friends and family keep telling me how strong I am. Well I am TIRED of being strong! I want normal, calm mundane and even a bit boring would be nice.

This past Saturday, he became suicidal. I called 911. He was so pissed at me for ruining his plans that he told me he was going to refuse his meds, sign himself out and file for divorce. Now, my initial reaction was the usual. I pleaded with him to take his pills. I told him we would work through this. Then I went outside to call home and check on the kids (no, they didn't witness any of the chaos. they think Daddy is in the hospital because of his concussion.). When I came back into his room, he was asleep and I decided to go home. I left my number with his nurse and asked her to keep me posted.

While I was driving home, I started thinking "What if it comes to divorce? What am I going to do?" you know what I realized? I can hire a hot young manny and move on with my life. I took a mental look around my life and took note of just how many friends and family were there to support me. It was a great deal more than I had ever realized before. Most importantly, the boys and I would be just fine.

This little epiphany has taken away the fear of the "what if". I now know that whatever is ahead of me, I am OK with it and I am going to be OK. Somewhere along the way I started to lose sight of my self, my desires, and my happiness. It is time I try to remember what they were. After all, if Mommy isn't happy.. no one is.

I am through tip-toeing around Todd. He needs to face life - and his meds and man it up. This isn't to say that I am going to pursue the divorce. I'm not. Not at this point anyway. My husband is the love of my life and when things are good (which is most of the time) they are VERY good. I am giving him the chance to take control of his health and engage in his life and his family. If he doesn't care about himself, why should anyone else?


I'm sure I probably sound like a bitch. I have been scared, hurt, angry and now, I'm beyond that. I have reached acceptance. I have accepted whatever is ahead of me and I am ready to face it.

11.18.2008

so much to say...

This has not been a great week 'round these parts. (<-- understatement of the century!)

There is so much I want to say and so much I need to say, but I can't. I keep finding myself staring at a blank post with my fingers in the "home position" and I am just at a loss...

Partly, it is because this is rather personal. Partly because it is still fresh and raw. Mostly though, I think it is because I am still sorting out what it is exactly that I am thinking and feeling.

I think the biggest blog-blocker is that I don't want to be judged. I don't want advice. If I didn't think that my experience would help someone else, I'd just scribble my thoughts in my journal (the paper kind - so I can burn it on my death bed) and be done with it. I have some wonderful friends - more than I knew - that have been there to hold me up these last few days. They've also let me fall apart when I needed to - and I did/do need to. Sometimes it is enough to make a pot of tea, hand me a box of Kleenex and listen.

Once I gather my thoughts into something coherent, I will try again to share my adventures in bipolar land.

11.15.2008

Happy Birthday Mon!

When we went to the hockey game for my birthday, JR asked me no less than 6 times to knit him a rasta hat. Since his birthday was in a few weeks, I went yarn shopping the next day. It was a fun knit, though it did turn out a bit big. I used some of the 1mm beading elastic that is knit into the ribbing to cinch up the back to make it fit.

the end result:

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Yarn: Lion Boucle Multi in the "Sherbert" colorway (I think). I carried a strand of 1mm beading elasting through the ribbing.

Needles: US 6 & 8 (KP Options)

Pattern: Rasta Hat by Shannita Williams-Alleyne

Ravelink: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/herself75/rasta-hat

11.14.2008

TGIF 11/14

  • caring friends in a time of need
  • modern medicine
  • tea
  • wine
  • yarn
  • rainchecks
  • sick days
  • skelaxin
  • persecription coverage
  • an outlet
  • the new "roomie"
  • free MP3 downlods (legally!)
  • ABBA
  • writing
  • crying
  • laughing
  • being right
  • foregiveness
  • apologies
  • chocolate

11.13.2008

Bobcat

Last night, Andy & Ryan earned their Bobcat badges! and a really neat neacklace too!
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They also got their pinewood derby car kits last night. Daddy is excited about helping them build! I hear Uncle JR wants to help too...



11.12.2008

Green Belts

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On Nov. 1, Andy and Ryan tested for their green belts. Their first real belt tests. They actually needed to KNOW stuff for the test. They did great.



Daddy is looking at getting his brown belt around Christmas time.

11.07.2008

TGIF 11/7/08

  • the right to vote
  • grandparents that baby sit
  • friends
  • love
  • lust
  • lessons in love
  • pen and paper
  • new tricks
  • 2 for 1 specials
  • tea
  • cold medicine
  • sleep
  • a rainy day ride home
  • appreciative knitwear recipients
  • hockey tickets (2 games this weekend!)

11.05.2008

Does this President come with a Warranty?

I feel like our nation has just bought a used car. Sure, It looks great and the engine sounds good. We haven't even taken it for a test drive yet. I really hope it isn't a lemon.

Maybe I'm a cynic. Maybe I'm just bitter. I just don't trust or believe anything a politician has to say. Obama talked a big game, made a lot of promises, but all he has done so far is get elected. Now this is truly an historic event, but it isn't enough to turn this country around. Come January 20, he needs to stand behind those promises and make this country a better place to live, work and raise a family.

11.04.2008

Election Day

It is Election Day here in the great US of A. If this is news to you, please, do the rest of us a favor - stay home. Don't vote.

I have made my choice and I will be voting this evening. I am, however, underwhelmed by the options given. I think we are screwed no matter what. I also think that our choice for VP is probably more important now than in any other election. scary actually.If the old white guy wins, he may not live out his term, but if the young black guy wins, well... lets hope they hire extra secret service... ignorant assholes abound (let's just hope they don't vote).

the thing is... I'm fed up. none of the candidates really impress me. I can't get passionate about any of them. the Democrats started campaigning early and hard for the nominations. so much so that by the time the primaries rolled around I was already reaching election overload. Now, when it counts, I'm almost to the point of not caring any more. Almost. I intend to reserve my God given right as an American to complain for the next four years.

I'm tired of the mud slinging. I'm tired of being told why I shouldn't vote for the other candidate. I'm tired of being told what the parties think I want to hear. I don't want to be sold a used car. I'm pretty sure that neither candidate is the Antichrist, Hitler or Darth Sideous. We have a system of checks and balances so that our nation won't descend into an evil Empire. Although, much of the world assumes we already have.

Now, today... it is almost over. FINALLY. but, until 8pm EST I still need to endure the "get out and vote" campaign. It was written on my bus. The cunductor reminded us to vote at every station stop. Most of my friends have changed thier Facebook status to reflect thier vote (the rest are in Canadian).

Yes, I KNOW it is time to vote. I will vote.. now, can we get back to the "real" news. I need to get caught up on Brittney Spears' latest baby daddy drama and Linday Lohan's criminal record...

11.03.2008

Ode to Joy

Surround yourself with Joy and it will lift you just as easily as other's sorrow will drag you down.

It can be hard to chose what you surround yourself with. You don't want to abandon those you love when they need your support because it brings you down. But you can seek joy.

What is nice is when Joy finds you.

Recently, I was witness to a friend receiving some wonderful news. The next day was filled with the childish joy of Halloween (and candy!). Then, I watch a friend as he went head over heels for a decent, deserving woman. I've known him more than 10 years and I have never seen him so happy.

Now, none of this directly affects me. I wasn't waiting for any test results and I'm an old married lady. So why do I feel like I'm on cloud 9? Is it their joy surrounding me... or do I just need to get a life of my own?

10.31.2008

TGIF - Halloween Edition

  • tricks
  • treats
  • putting pen to paper
  • trains that actually show up when/where they are supposed to.
  • sleep
  • tea
  • costumes
  • friends
  • understanding
  • phone calls
  • B's great news & being there to share the joy with her
  • celebrations planned for tomight
  • the power and confidence and control I've gained in the last 12+ moths of class

10.30.2008

BOO!

It's like a ghost blog this week....

I'm writing - but nothing I can blog.

I'm knitting - but nothing I can blog.

my kids have the pre-Halloween crazies and I'm going crazy. I'm going to need the night out on Friday...

stay tuned for some spooky TGIF tomorrow.

10.28.2008

Can't come to the blog right now...

well.. I suppose I can .. I just did... my mind has just been on unblogable things.. well again, I could blog them, but people actually read this - quite a few actually. This topic is way to personal and deep for me to begin to discuss in such a broad forum. It (with the help of Kathy) has inspired me to write a collection of fictionalized essays/short stories, which I may at some point share. Possibly in this forum, but maybe not. How is that for vague? See.. I'm still sorting this all out in my head and it's pretty full in there right now between the topic I ponder, new changes at work (more regulations=more work) and getting ready for Halloween (it's big here!). Not to mention that I am still cold, damp and bitchy about my clusterfuck of a commute this morning. "on or close to schedule" my ASS!

as for my knitting/crocheting:
  • 2 gifts in the works- can't blog those yet...
  • socks are black/grey and it is WAY too dark to take a progress pick and have it actually look like anything.
  • the wedding shawl looks EXACTLY like it did last time I showed you.
  • I did finish this: a felted drawstring bag.

10.24.2008

TGIF 10/24/08

  • my exquisite birthday gift
  • friends to share it with
  • the killa dress!
  • pheromones
  • understanding
  • non-judgemental friendship
  • rules
  • inspiration
  • making plans
  • Bender
  • the pink book
  • epiphany

10.23.2008

C'ELLE NO! - revisited

almost a year ago, I posted an entry about C'ELLE. I am continuously amazed when I see just how much traffic a GOOGLE search for C'ELLE drives to my blog. amazing. I do have to say that I've been doing business with CryoCell for almost 6 years. We have Ryan's cord blood banked there, and we are very happy.

Before I go any further, read that entry (and chuckle to yourself that Deb is now pregnant).

I have to say that after using the Diva for a year, the concept really doesn't weird me out so much... but still... my budget has other priorities.

Yesterday, Denise Z. left the following comment:

Why aren't THEY PAYING WOMEN for this?!?!? I think it's a great idea - the menstrual blood truly is "holy" (for lack of a better word). Women are the only ones who have it. WHY are WOMEN PAYING MEN for this?!?!?!?!Women, we should be demanding that they pay us for this. I have studied this since 1997 - back then, my friend actually talked about creating a cup to store the blood.I would love to hear your thoughts on my comment. I honestly cannot believe that women have to pay $200!! (supposedly a deal) for this....Thank you,Denise (Ann Arbor, Michigan)

My first thought was YES! They should pay us for this, but in this case, they are providing storage for it and you are paying for the service. Makes sense since I can not cryogenicly store my blood products safely in my deep freezer (which did work well for breast milk!).

Denise does make a good point about it being "holy". For centuries (perhaps longer), menstrual blood was regarded as a sign of fertility, growth and renewal. Think about it. It comes from the same place that new life emerges (the P-word!). Even then - before male doctors got involved in "women's business" - they understood the connection and the cycle of fertility. And remember that your cycle stops if your body is not healthy enough to support a pregnancy, so having your period was a sign that you were in fact healthy and fertile.

Now, our society has evolved into a patriarchal one. One that has made this "holy" symbol into something shameful and sinful. I remember my Grandmother telling me that she thought she was dying when she got her first period. Even I was too embarrassed to tell my mother at first.

Don't get me wrong.. I'm not saying that it is all fun. The bloating, irritability and the sensation that my uterus is being yanked out through the base of my spine... not my idea of a party! But it is a time to relax and pamper yourself a bit. Don't be embarrassed. Seize the opportunity to curl up with a heating pad, chocolate, a glass of wine and a good book... or perhaps some Noro Silk Garden...

Now, shall I explain why I believe that we should refer to God the Mother - not God the Father? Perhaps another day. Right now, Pussiliah and I have to get back to work.

10.22.2008

Women's Intuition

ladies - you have it... use it! it is that "Spidey Sense" that tells you that something is up. some one is lying, the kids are up to something, you're in danger. Hell, it's how I knew I was pregnant before it was even soon enough to take test (I'm not.. so don't even go there...). A couple of weeks ago, Crazy Aunt Purl ignored hers... (go read that post.. I'll wait.)

Scary, huh? if she had listened to herself, she could have avoided it. She is VERY lucky that she didn't get hurt/raped/mugged/killed or whatever their plans were.

What would you do if someone tried to assault you? would you panic? would you run? would you fight back?

A little over a year ago, the MMA school that my husband and 2/3 of my kids attend (in case you are wondering, Colin is still too little) offered a Women's Self Defense Workshop. I thought it was a good idea to go, so I did. There were sign ups for a weekly class at the workshop. Todd signed me up. If you know us, you know that he rarely even attempts to tell me what to do. He does offer suggestions, but he knows that I'll do what I want. But, this was about safety and he felt very strongly... and I was inclined to agree. I was slightly apprehensive about the class. I'm not a fighter and I wasn't interested in being a martial artist, but, I worked in downtown New haven and I wanted to feel safe walking to my car in the garage every day.

The class has been amazing. I am more confident and relaxed. I can do things I thought I'd never do. I can literally throw my husband over me and body slam him (hip toss)! I can throw a punch - several strikes actually. I don't hit like a "girl". I hit like a fighter. Women aren't built for the kind of power that men are, so we need to know the body mechanics behind a strike for it to have any hope of holding off an attacker. The best part? it is FUN! I save up my aggression from the week and beat up the bags, "Bob" or the instructor (man he's a good sport!). I fell strong, fierce and invincible! A far cry from the shrinking violet I used to be. I have done things in the last year that I wouldn't have even considered before.

Since the class formed, two of us have had to use the skills we've learned in the real world. Fortunately, in both cases, no one was hurt. More importantly, in both cases, we were both calm and in control during the altercation. No panic or fear - just reacting as we were trained.

Yes, I said we... I had to use my training just a couple of weeks ago. To make a very long story short. we had an intruder (an 18-yo neighbor actually) enter our home and try to hide from someone he thought was going to shoot him in our children's bedroom. Todd got him out of their room and it was clear that he was tweaking out on something (rumor has it that it was Ecstasy). He grabbed a kitchen tool that could have been used as a weapon. I had to disarm him while Todd called 911. We finally got him out and he ran off up the road to find a new hiding spot. don't know if the cops found him, but we said we wouldn't press charges as long as he stayed off of our property - inordinately.

The boys thankfully slept through the entire ordeal. Though in retrospect, maybe we should have woken them up to see exactly WHY they should not use drugs.

If you have the opportunity fo rsuch a class - TAKE IT. If you know someone that can teach you how to throw a punch - LEARN. We have an intuition, a built in alarm system - LISTEN. Be safe.

10.20.2008

Birthday with the Family




We had pizza and cake with the family on Friday night. nothign too exciting, but a nice way to celebrate none the less...

Saturday, we went to a hockey game then out to a bar with some friends. I decided I needed a new dress (yes.. to wear to a hockey game). BEST idea I've had in a long time! DAMN I looked good!

10.17.2008

TGIF - 10/17


IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!!


  • Birthday Plans!!!

  • Friends to celebrate with

  • Friends who won't be able to make it (bitches!)

  • Noro (must get more!!!)

  • baby Pumas!

  • packages from WI!

  • roses from Ryan

  • having a "spare"

  • tea parties

  • a hubby who remembers

  • the gift of life and another day to live it.

  • staying in control in a scary situation.

  • my training which gave me the ability to reamin in control.

  • my instructor for that training.

  • the chocolate the I hear is headed this way.

10.16.2008

Addiction

There really needs to be some sort of 12-step program for Noro... this scarf practically FLEW off of the needles! In addition to the color gradation, they yarn varies in thickness from as fine as a lace weight to an aran weight with the occasional slub. very interesting texture. I was disappointed in the amount of vegetation still in the finished product. At that price, I expect none. I had no knots in any of my 4 skeins, which was great. I've heard some scary stories about knotted Noro and colorways not matching.

the pattern is addictive too... one more square... I'll just finish this tier.... yeah... that was pretty much all I did during the long weekend (well, I did bake 2 batches of cookies & 2 pies, clean the bathroom, wash 4 loads of laundry, buy groceries, help teach a self-defense workshop and apprehend an intruder in a real- life application of my self defense skills).

I bound off the last tier Monday night with only about a yard left over! talk about calling it close!
Tuesday night, it got a soak in some tepid water and wool wash, then a gentle blocking. I laid it out on the guest bed and pinned the ends only. I wanted it to be blocked neatly, but I also didn't want to abuse the silk (45%) too much. By last night it was nice and dry.
..and even more spectacular! I'm almost hoping the real cold gets here soon... almost!

10.14.2008

Tea Time!

For those of you who don't know me IRL, I am a tea snob. there. I said it. I am and I'm not ashamed of it! we do own a coffee maker, but I don't think we have filters for it. I'm not even sure what filters to get... usually, I buy a Box O Joe at DnD and use the coffee maker to keep it warm when we entertain. Coffee snobs (like my brother and MIL) know better and bring their own.

We all drink tea here. I do. Todd does. So do most of our friends. When Kim and Kathy lived near by, we regularly had tea together. In fact, Kim and Jay came over for tea and Cinnamon rolls every Sunday after Church. With all of the tea around them, it seems natural that my boys are tea drinkers. We added one more to the ranks on Sunday!



I know what you are thinking.. CAFFEINE! well, yeah.. but in spite of the rumors you may have heard, it is a LOT less than coffee or soda. Besides, Andy & Ryan have ADD/ADHD and caffeine actually helps a little.

More importantly, we use our "tea parties" to help teach the boys some manners. They have fun (and cookies) and they learn not only what good manners are, but WHY they are important. And yes... they are important. Our society may have become quite informal, but I think things like respect and manners are becoming far too scarce and need to be taught to a lot of adults as well as my kids.

I can't change the world, but I can teach my kids to say please and thank you, to address adults formally and to respect themselves, others and the world in general. I can raise gentleman and, with any luck, good husbands and fathers (preferably in that order).

10.10.2008

TGIF 10/10

  • getting my sew-jo back
  • rest
  • talent
  • Noro
  • entrlac
  • putting recipies on my blog
  • my chiro
  • deadlines
  • pumpkin cookies
  • tea
  • friends old & new
  • season tix to the Sound Tigers!
  • three day weekends!!! (expect a finished - or nearly finished Noro scarf next week!)

10.09.2008

I've lost my sewing Mojo (or is it Sew-jo?).

Probably happened the night I broke every last needle trying to serge a bunch of inserts together before camp. yeah... pretty sure that was it. Sewing microfiber is a BITCH!

As I mentioned in my ode to Noro yesterday, I can NOT cope with UFOs and stash hanging out. My entire fabric stash right now is leftovers, a few hand-me-downs and a bag of feed sack scraps that I picked up at the alpaca farm last week.



How can a quilter (which I am) pass up such a treasure?

Anyway.. with the prospect of Halloween costumes looming, my UFO list was reaching unbearable proportions.:

  • kitchen/entry curtains
  • mending
  • 2 diapers ( between these and the pants, he is sure to PL fast, right? RIGHT?)
  • "Blueprint" quilt
  • "Amber" charm quilt
  • Fall Exchange post cards

Colin decided to cooperate and take a nice looong nap and I got a lot done:

  • Decided I hated the pattern I had for the curtains and left the fabric in the bag.
  • mending was nearly eliminated once I explained to Todd that there was no point in mending shorts/pants that no longer fit him.
  • diapers are done, but slightly bloody. I managed to sew THROUGH my finger tip while threading the needle. Don't worry - It's only a flesh wound!
  • "Blueprint" quilt top is done. I need to decide on, then purchase batting. the quilting will be a LOT of work. much of it is integral to the design.
  • "Amber" is still in pieces in the bag. I still need around 600 more fabrics (not exaggerating!) after being impaled, I had no desire to fuss with curved piecing.
  • Cut out the peltex and started my Post Cards. I'll blog them after they've been mailed - no spoilers!

10.08.2008

Incentive

What better incentive to finish a project than this

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Noro Silk Garden

waiting in the wings - taunting me! I know.. most of you are thinking that you would have just cast on the Noro as soon as it came.. or just tossed it in the stash.

I can't do that. I can't handle too many WIPs. They call to me. taunt me. "KNIT ME! KNIT ME! You know you want to! Make me your scarf. It's getting cold out there, isn't it? c'mon, just cast me on, then you can finish those pants..." (That isn't limited to knitting either, more on my sewing issues later). I can't cope with a stash either. It calls my name too. Actually, my yarn stash is limited to leftovers/scraps, 4 skeins of alpaca that mom gifted to me and 3 more skeins of sock yarn from our trip to WEBS. That is it. (No - REALLY!)

I tend to have 2 projects in progress at any given time. One for home and one to travel. However, I have my Anniversary shawl OTN and that requires concentration and focus that I don't always have at the end of the day, so I've got another "no brainer" going as well.

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Oddly enough, both of my "home" projects are entrelac. The Noro is cast on and quickly becoming a Kaleidoscope Scarf. I love watching how the colors evlove as I knit them. What is fascinating is that the color change is from the spinning process - not a dye of a blank yarn. it really produces a much more subtle movement in the yarn. fascinating this stuff! The fact that it is silk and mohair is just icing!

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10.07.2008

Toddler Pants

I cast these on at camp. They started out going failrly quickly. BUT the way the short rows are distributed, it started to feel never-ending. FINALLY I got to the gusset (pattern is wrong - you need to increase on BOTH sides of the markers), seperated the legs and sewed the crotch. The legs went on and on and on. really... the kid isn't that tall... but the (seemingly) endless stockinette did nothing to hold my attention. It was only the arrival of my Noro Silk garden for my next project (already cast on, but the subject of a future post) that pushed me to finish them. That and it's getting cold here... BRR! the final insult was sewing all of those damned ends! next time (HA!) I'll sew as I go.



I like the construction and the fit. If I decide to make them again, I think I may change the waist to a casing for an elastic, but that is just a matter of preferance. It really wasn't the pattern, but the size that bored me. That is a LOT of stockinette for one kid....

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Pattern: Booty Extreme Knit Pants
Yarn: Cascade 220 (green) & Patons Merino (brown)
Size: 2T/3T

I tried getting him to pose for a picture wearing them, but he was busy with his research in perpetual motion. (but they DO fit!)

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Now that they are done, you know what that means, right? Yeah.. I'll bet he'll start actualluy GOING on the potty while he is stting there... too bad.. he's wearing these pants anyway!

ps- see Cynthia. you arn't the only one knitting/blogging pants!

10.06.2008

Toasters

I watched a bit of the VP debate before I decided that it was all a bunch of fraking BS and put in BSG 3.0.

Laura Roslin sat down in her chair on Colonial 1 and put on her glasses. FRAK! no wonder Gov. Palin looks so familiar!


I had seen the comparison of Sen. McCain to Col. Tigh before, but now that I think about it, having a Cylon in office may not be so bad. Think about it. We can send out the Toasters and bring our troops home. Afterall, we can just build new toasters... Then, when they find bin Laden (and you know they will!) we can just toss him out the air lock. Hmm... no... even Dr. Baltar got a trial...

One thing I do know.. Apallo is HOT!

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and on that note...

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10.02.2008

Sick of the Scum

The Pond Scum socks are D-O-N-E! finally! It was starting to feel like I've been knitting these for.E.V.E.R. I did manage to use up almost all of the yarn though.. That is always nice. I hate waste.





Details:
  • Pattern- Seaweed Socks by Wendy Johnson
  • Yarn- ONline Linie 3 Supersocke 100 lost the ball band with the colorway... but I bought it at WEBS.
  • Ravelry project link
  • Notes- I like the heel - I'll probably use that again. The lace was OK, but I'm clearly sick of it. It does bias a bit

Up next:

I promised the next pair of socks to Todd. He Picked out some "MANgenta" sock yarn at WEBS,

BUT he was flipping through the latest WEBS catalog (he'll read anything in the bathroom!) and saw a picture of CookieA's "Monkey" socks and a black/grey sock yarn. So I ordered the yarn. It came in as I was Casting off the Pond Scum, So I started the Heavy Metal Monkey Socks this morning.


Toe-up - as usual. I'm also going to omit the picot at the cuff. It isn't very manly...