Back to Normal

We just got back from a vacation down in Virginia.  We had a really nice time, with the exception of a cold that made the rounds.  The kids LOVED the ocean.  We were concerned that they wouldn’t want to go anywhere near it, but after a few days they were at least at the edge.  M was so brave!  She had her face in, was being bowled over by waves and was loving every minute of it!  The youngers were a bit more hesitant- after all, the waves were bigger than they were- but they loved the sand.  We visited Colonial Williamsburg, Monticello, the eastern shore, and spent many a day just hanging out and relaxing.  Thanks to Gog and Pop for the trip!

I brought along lots of yarn, of course, thinking that I would be knitting the whole 11 hours each way and many days in between.  I started three projects, ripped two, and got about 1 repeat into the third.  I have a very busy lace weight yarn that just doesn’t lend itself to lace!  Go figure.  So ultimately I settled on the infamous Clapotis.  I just wasn’t inspired to spend much time knitting on the beach.  A bit counterintuitive, I guess.

I did get to stop at a shop we found in Williamsburg- Knitting Sisters.  I was very pleasantly suprised by the shop.  The ladies were very nice and helpful, directing me to find local yarn.  I ended up getting some Claudia Hand Painted (in a custom Knitting Sisters colorway- see last listing “KS light”!) to help me remember our trip.  It’s not hand made, but it is made in Virginia!  I’ve used Claudia before and it is a wonderful yarn.  Wish I lived a bit closer- I’d go back!

Now we’re getting acclimated to the NWPA life again.  It’s sunny and beautiful, but certainly not 90 degrees!  The laundry is washing and the house is aired out.  Ahhh…..  It is good to be home!

Oh, the Lives of the Delinquent

I have not been good about posting.  I just haven’t.  This year has not been a good one for blogging.  I can blame it on the Fb, or my busy kids, but really I’ve just been plain lazy about it.  I haven’t taken pix off my camera since Easter, I haven’t updated my gallery…  Oh my.  I won’t make any resolutions, but I do have some catching up to do.

Easter was wonderful.  We had great weather (we have had alot of great weather, actually), and the kids seemed to really have fun hunting for eggs around the house.  We got them all gardening tools, which have been put to use in our backyard redo!  

Yes, our boy is getting big.  Isn’t he handsome?  I’m biased, of course…

My family came to visit the next weekend and we were blessed by a viewing of our visiting bears.

I made this one a bit bigger so maybe you can see the black lumps in the pine above that roof.  The largest lump to the left of the tree is a bear as is the smaller lump just below.  This house is right in the city- on a main road.  There were apparently 5 bears in that tree.  Crazy.

We had a nice visit- spent some time painting B’s room (or really, painting over the area where the Santa Fe border used to be) with the residual mauvy paint.  We’re going to switch the kid’s rooms, since the girl’s room is navy blue, rather than repainting both rooms.  Now we just have to figure out the configuration of each and we’ll be good to go!

The next week was M’s 5th birthday.  She’s 5 and I can’t believe it.  Here she is in her birthday sweater:

She wanted pink, lots of pink!  We had a flower fairy party for a few friends, although I don’t have pictures to post at the moment.  The girls squealed, giggled and had a wonderful fairy time.  We’ve also been introduced to the world of miniature toys!  Life will never be the same.

Over M’s birthday week we took an overnight to Ithaca for a web conference.  The kids and I spent some time visiting friends (thanks for the hospitality, Dennis’!) and touring the town.  Stewart Park was a HUGE hit, as was the food at Shortstop (subs as good as I remember), but IC left a bit to be desired.  Sorry to all those who still love it there, but it’s become a bit too modern and industrial feeling to me.  There was construction (when was there not?) so I had to stop at the Alumni building to figure out where to go.  I wasn’t very impressed with their willingness to help -I didn’t even get a parking pass to the union lot-so I had to drag 3 hungry, tired kids across campus through the construction to find the snack bar.  Once we were there we found some good food, but there was not a seat to be found (and nobody was observant enough to help find three hungry kids a table).  Were we that inconsiderate as students?  As a parent, that certainly changed my perspective of the people who go there and who I want my kids associating with.  IDK- maybe I’m becoming too idealistic in my “older” age.  Anyway, we did get the chance to visit with an old professor of mine, which was nice.  So I give the visit an “eh.”  I’d go back to visit the town (which has been really brought back since my last visit in 2003), but probably not the school.

So that brings us to now and another gratuitous cute kid picture from the JCC picnic yesterday.  I have one more week of class (what? you didn’t know I was taking a college class?  I’ll have to talk about that sometime.) and then I’m all caught up with my continuing education.  I can renew my license with confidence.  I’ll update my gallery and descriptions of a few FO’s in the next few days.

How a Bear Taught Me a Lesson- and Left us a Present

We had an interesting find this morning when we went outside. Apparently a bear has visited us- evidenced by the knocked down bird feeder, the garbage that had been pulled out of its container and strewn around and the big pile of poop left in the middle of our yard. Wish I’d seen that. So, I had to do a bunch of cleanup this morning. That’s OK- I really needed to get the garbage to the dump anyway. But what I really found interesting was this next part of the story.

A week or so ago I lost a credit card. Couldn’t find it anywhere. I called around to the businesses I’d been to last, retraced my steps, looked through my pockets and bag, and even went through the garbage. It was gone. No body had seen it. So, we canceled it and got a new one. No big deal. The interesting part is that when I was cleaning up the garbage the bear left out, I found my card… Clean, shiny, no sign of foul play… Right in the middle of the big, gross, pile of garbage. Now how did it get there and what are the chances that I would find it. Wow. So, I’ve learned a lesson- quit worrying so much (and stressing others out with my worrying), and remember that if we’re meant to find something, we’ll find it. Funny.

Happy weekend everyone!

Very Punny!

Just something to keep you smiling in the down time. Thanks to the Rainey Sisters for these.

1. The roundest knight at King Arthur’s round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.

3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. The butcher backed into the meat grinderand got a little behind in his work.

6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it’ll still be stationery.

7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

12. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, ‘You stay here, I’ll go on a head.’

14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: ‘Keep off the Grass.’

16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, ‘No change yet.’

17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

18. It’s not that the man did not know how to juggle, he just didn’t have the balls to do it.

19. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

20. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

21. A backward poet writes inverse.

22. In democracy it’s your vote that counts. In feudalism it’s your count that votes.

23. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

24. Don’t join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects!

Hahahaha! 

I Love These Things

They keep me writing when my head is elsewhere. Jump on board!

Things I’ve done are in bold…

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightening at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (sort of!)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant

Pretty soon you guys are going to know too much about me!

Coming soon:  WIP progress, what’s been going on, and hopefully a new pattern!

Never promise something you can’t keep

Words to live by.  I said I’d be posting more.  I haven’t.  Bear with me.

I’m waiting for permission from an author to include an edging in a new free pattern I’d like to release.  Hopefully I’ll hear something soon.  Otherwise, life is good.  There’s sun today.  Can’t complain about that.

25 Random Things…

Another meme going around- I see it especially on Facebook.  Anyway, here’s my things- maybe you’ll learn something.    I won’t tag anyone, but if you want to join in the fun, drop me a comment so I can learn about YOU!

Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you.

1. I am Hungarian, Swiss, German, French, Scot, English, and Welsh by heritage.
2. My favorite bands are the Indigo Girls and Great Big Sea.
3. I used to sing in a church band.
4. I have lived in four states and moved at least 10 times. I have never lived in one place for more than five years in my entire life. I have been to 40 states and have traveled to five countries-Japan, Mexico, Thailand, Canada and Costa Rica.
5. I love to knit and have spun my own yarn. I once knit a stole that used over a mile of “cobweb” yarn and had something like 85,000 stitches.
6. I have three kids under age 5 and would love to adopt- someday.
7. When I was High School I was considered to be part of the “airhead society.” I was an honors student, though.
8. I am one of three girls named Julie that I still keep in touch with from Girl Scouts- last initials C, L, and S. The two of us who weren’t “S’s” married men with last names beginning with S. We had to resort to using Sh, Sw and St to tell us apart. Then the third married a man whose last name begins with D. Much easier?
9. My first car was a 1981 Plymouth Reliant K. It was unreliable- the gas tank fell out, the doors froze open and my radio would turn off when the headlights went on.
10. I have a really bad memory. I rely on pictures and music to “take me back.”
11. I used to be a pretty good synchronized swimmer.
12. I also used to ride show horses and could jump three foot fences.
13. In college I was on crew. I coxed the Head of the Charles in 1992. My most interesting event, though, was actually a collision with another boat that cut me off on the Genesee River. My boat was able to race another heat since they got in our way (even though we almost took their heads off).
14. My favorite foods tend to be from the breakfast category. Bagels are a major weakness.
15. I spent my first night on my honeymoon in the Ice Hotel in Quebec- average temperature of 28 degrees.
16. When I was a kid I was allergic to chocolate and peanut butter. I’ve outgrown those allergies.
17. I found out I have a mild form of Spina Bifida when I was 27.
18. I love language- words, the meanings behind them- and especially accents.
19. I never want to travel without my immediate family and I don’t prefer flying.
20. I have a love/hate relationship with reality TV.
21. My hair has gotten curlier with each of my pregnancies.
22. I am a born again Christian.
23. I recently picked up the viola again.
24. My favorite colors are all dark. I’m not a pastel girl.
25. My kids are really cool.

Back on the Bandwagon

I’ve been really bad about writing.  I have so many projects to talk about and things we’ve been doing around here, but I’m so far behind that I don’t know where to begin!  Seems like every night there is something going on.  We have started a new church study on a book called Respectible Sins.  It’s going to be very challenging, I’m sure, as we dig into the wrongs that we all inadvertently (or not so much) do.  I’ve also started taking a class at JCC to fulfill my CEU requirements, so, for the first time in MANY years I have homework.  Papers.  Projects.  Reading.  Nothing difficult so far, but something that HAS to be done rather than might get done if I feel like it.  But, I am out of the house, around people over the age of 4, and enjoying myself.

I’ve also started challenging myself in my organization skills.  I’ve been reading the Hyper Homemaker and trying to follow her challenges.  I’ve done all but the purging so far.  I REALLY need to purge some stuff.  That durn CPSIA law that’s going through in February is going to make it VERY difficult for me to get rid of baby toys.  I understand (mini-rant here) that we need to keep our children safe, but it’s one thing to regulate the idiots who are trying to poison us.  The powers-that-be apparently thought that everyone is an idiot and are going to put alot of people out of business as well as make it very expensive for all of us to get the products we need for our kids.  Right in the middle of a recession.  Nice.  Sorry- I’ll get off that now…

And, on top of everything, B has been sick (major messiness- I won’t go into the purging that’s going on there) for a week.  And a tired, crabby, sick baby is not conducive to getting things done.  He is getting better, little by little.  We have his 15 month “well-baby” check up on Friday, so we’ll see what the doctor has to say.  Poor little guy.

So, I’m planning on being better about blogging.  Getting the creative juices flowing.  Posting all the fun little day-to-days.  Hope you’re enjoying the snow and aren’t inundated by ice.  We’re staying warm and enjoying the beauty.

Christmas Projects

I meant to post this a WHILE ago, but time has escaped me.  We’ve been getting back into the swing of Preschool, MOPS, and church while battling the snow and cold that has hit us lately.  We’ve got about a foot (more in some spots) of the white stuff out there.  And while it was actually sunny today (yay, Vitamin D!), it is durn cold out there!  We got a new furnace last month, so that’s been a God send as we’ve hit a high of 10 degrees (F) today.  Probably warm to some of you folks a bit more north than PA, but cold enough!

So I’ve added pictures of my holiday knitting above.  I was going to take pictures of all my projects (we did a home made holiday- meaning we only bought supplies, not actual gifts), but it’s just not in the cards for me right now.  In order of appearance you should see Nate’s Beer Sweater, Hemlock, a Wash Pocket (from How to Knit in the Woods, Vermont Leaves (also from HtKitW), Beady Bracelet, Vermont Leaves (again), Pillow Man (adapted from Squarey), Toadstool Rattle and Ornaments.  Whew!  I still owe Nate a pair of socks and a spun/knit neckwarmer.  Those will be posted as we go.  I also made my own versions of these projects.  I’m happy to say that everything was accepted well and being enjoyed.

I hope you have all had a great holiday season and are enjoying your New Year so far.  I’m not one for resolutions, but I am attempting to get more organized, I’m taking a class at our local college and am thinking about submitting one of my stealth projects to an online magazine for publication.  Cross those fingers!

Thank you!

I am just honored.  Since the Ewok pattern was posted, I have had over 5000 hits to that pattern alone, many faves and queues on Ravelry and many compliments.  But I’m just thrilled to have been picked for a few craft blog posts around the web!  On the 11th Lime and Violet added the pattern to their advent series and just today Craft and Found added me to their list.  I can’t say enough how flattered I am.

Thanks bloggers!