All Is Slowly Getting Right With My World

As you can see, I finished my second sock. They aren't identical twins, but I like to knit my socks that way. Maybe it's laziness, but I prefer to think it's because I'm unique! I took a break from my 'test knitting' for R and decided to do some mindless knitting by finishing this sock. The test knitting didn't turn out as well as I wanted it to. It's a sock and I carried on the pattern for the top of the foot wwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too long! R didn't complain, but I think I would feel much, much better about it if I undid about an inch or two of it and made it fit an average person. I'm not a good 'undoer' so we'll see how this goes.

I haven't just been knitting either. R had a pattern from a 'Sew Stylish' magazine for a cloth cover for a 5" x 8" notepad. She had wanted to make some for Christmas gifts, but as we know, time runs out when you are trying to make all your gifts. I decided I would give it a try. It could be a whole lot prettier, but it works just fine! I keep it in my knitting bag so I can keep notes on what row I'm on or whatever else I need to know at the moment. I definitely want to make some more.

Other than that, not much is going on. Home school is getting back into full swing, much to L's dismay. R is working on renewing her driving permit, hopefully soon! Although I don't look forward to the increase in insurance, it will be nice to have another driver around. And having RL home is absolutely wonderful.

My nephew's leave was up around the time of R's b'day so he's back overseas. Please remember to keep him and all our other soldiers in your prayers. Thanks.

There is a Disturbance in the Force

Even Ginger agrees with me.... From what I have seen and heard, I am a weird knitter. Yes, I buy yarn regularly and without any project in mind. Yes, I have a stash which could last for quite some time if I only knit from it. Yes, I dream of all the neat patterns I would like to try in all my many books in my knitting library. However, I am a weird knitter. It has definitely been confirmed since I got into Ravelry. I am a 'one project at a time knitter'. If I am knitting socks, I don't start another project until the pair is finished. Sometimes I'll knit them two at a time, but that's as far as I like to go with knitting more than one item at a time. However, there is a disturbance in the force now. R has started designing patterns and asked me to be her test knitter. I am all for encouraging her in her latest endeavour. I would love nothing more than for her to be a knitting designer. I have encouraged it. I have volunteered my time. Now I am paying the price. She designed a pair of socks for my Christmas gift and gave me the pattern and yarn. I had just finished knitting this:

when she asked. Taking all I have said into consideration, it is killing me NOT to be able to finish the second sock! RL gave me this yarn for Christmas and the pattern is a basic, no brainer pattern - something I have thoroughly enjoyed knitting while watching television or when I have breaks from whatever else is going on. While RL was in Ireland it kept me from going crazy. Now it sits all alone. It can't warm my feet. Yes, it could warm a foot, but not my feet. I want to finish it! However, how can I not be a test knitter for my kid? After all the encouragement I have put into getting her to even put the pattern on paper, I couldn't say, "wait until this other sock is finished." Unfortunately, this isn't the only thing I have to knit. I have a baby hat pattern I've been wanting to try - I have the needles, yarn from my stash and the pattern. It has to wait until the mate for the above sock is finished and that mate has to wait until sock #1 and #2 of R's pattern are finished. And yesterday she told me she has another pattern for me to test. Now I know what my sister would say - put on your big girl panties and deal with it. I'm trying. I honestly can say I'm trying. It's just really marshing my mallow, mellow, whatever!

Guess Who Is Home??????

Yesterday morning the weather cooperated and RL finally got home! I was thrilled to death! The kids were excited too and we sat around for a couple of hours listening to the tales of his travels. He brought the above postcard home to me. (Hope it was okay to scan and post!) I had to share the picture. Isn't it beautiful? The man truly knows me since it has a sheep staring at me. He also got one for R with several sheep. Then, I got this:
Isn't it pretty? The fact that he thought to go into a 'wool shop' and buy me some yarn is pretty cool. He brought two skeins of a brownish heather for R of the same brand.

Now L wasn't forgotten in all the souvenirs. Knowing that he probably didn't want yarn, RL brought him back several postcards of castles - which L likes. He also brought back some money - which L really likes! It is amazing to me how low the dollar is to the pound! Kind of sad, actually. We oohed and aahed over the 'pretty money' and tried to figure out how many more skeins of yarn RL could have bought with it. However, we were sadly informed that he couldn't have bought any yarn with it because it was not meant for us!

With all of these great and thoughtful gifts came a weary traveler who is trying to adjust to going to bed five hours later than he is now used to. No matter how weary he is though, I think he is truly happy to be home. I know we are!

Some Celebrations are Put On Hold

The view from our front door.

We got snow last night, actually about 4:00 this morning. How do I know it was 4:00 this morning? Because our brand spanking new 20 year old woke me up to share this! I didn't really mind because I was wanting to know if we were really going to get snow or not. Plus it's neat to see those huge flakes falling in the light from the porch.

The bare plum tree out front looking very cold from this cozy house!

We celebrated R's birthday as best we could without Dad. We made a little Funfetti Cake - Rs favorite since she was a little bitty thing. We went to Chili's and ordered take-out. We watched some of our favorite shows and took calls from Grandparents wishing her well. L was even a gentleman and instead of calling 'Shotgun' all day he let R sit up front.

Good thing I put seed out last night. This little fella looks like he's enjoying it. Sorry about the space saucer looking grill in the corner!

We didn't get as much snow as we could have, but that's okay. I didn't want it to be so bad that RL would be battling black ice on the drive home from the airport this evening.

The back yard. Nope that's not a tent. It's the cover for our clunker of a riding mower!

Then the dreaded phone call came this morning. The snow in Atlanta caused a delay in Dublin. The delay in Dublin means a delay in RLs plans to be home tonight. He is probably somewhere between Dublin and Atlanta right now. However, that's where the plane stops and that's where he will spend the night. If it wasn't for fear of black ice - and being a native Floridian, I have a healthy fear of black ice - I would drive to Atlanta and pick him up. So, a hotel was booked for tonight. A new flight will be scheduled as soon as he can get to the Delta desk. Another night without him. What a total bummer!

The view from my computer desk.

So, the plans for today have been changed. I won't be running around like an idiot putting away the mattresses from the living room. We need them for one more night. I won't be going anywhere because I don't particularly like to drive in anything slick - I believe we covered that above! So, what do we do today? I should bounce on the mattress the 20 year old is sleeping on and shout "Good morning! Come see the snow!!!!!!" But, I'll let her sleep and hopefully she'll return the favor tonight. Maybe we'll read a little. More than likely one of us will be spinning, one of us will be reading role playing books or on the computer, and one of us will be making the best of the situation, thankful RLs not driving in bad conditions late at night, and knitting away.

Lots to Celebrate!!!!!

Where do we begin? Let's start with R's birthday! My baby girl turned 20 today. It doesn't seem possible that she is 20! How can she be 20 when I'm not much older than that myself - well, mentally, maybe! The above picture is her Lantern Moon birthday cake keychain. Cute, isn't it?
It came from Paradise Fibers. L picked this out for her from Yarns, Etc. in Greensboro. It's Karaoke Top from Southwest Trading Co. It's Tencel and Wool Silk, I think. I thought L did a good job selecting this. Here's everything! The four smaller balls are from Yarns, Etc. and are Merino. The large colorful ball is 10 ounces of Lorna's Laces wool top in bittersweet colorway. The biggest ball of all is from Paradise Fibers and is a pound of Spinner's Blend Columbia/Dorset Blend Ecru. The more you buy, the cheaper it is per ounce! Great deal!
Here's a close up of the Lorna's Laces Bittersweet.
Hmmm, what else are we celebrating? We might have snow tonight! We didn't have much in the way of really cold weather last year, so the prospect of snow excites us! It's supposed to start as snow and then turn into an icy mix. That's not as exciting! That makes for rough driving. And that's where our next celebration comes in! RL is on his way home from Ireland! He's spending the night in Dublin and then will fly out of there in the morning. We cannot wait to see him! I just hope that the weather will not keep his flights from leaving and arriving on time. We have got to see this man! It's been almost two weeks and that is too long. With all the traveling he's been doing since November, we are ready to see his face on a regular basis!

Oh! One more celebration - this is our 100th post! Who would have thought we would have lasted this long????

Happy Birthday R!!!!! We love you!

A Trip to Greensboro and a Spinning Cat

R has been nagging me since before Christmas to take her to Greensboro to Yarns, Etc. to check out all their spinning supplies. I wanted to wait until after Christmas to see if she liked her wheel, if she took to it, and if she liked any particular fiber she got for Christmas that she would like to try again. Plus I was putting the trip off as long as I could because I sometimes get panic attacks and I didn't want to get stuck in Greensboro traffic in the fetal position. We tried to go yesterday, but by the time everybody had eaten and was dressed it was too late. Plus the thought of Greensboro Friday evening traffic really is upsetting! So, I decided we would try for it again today. We pulled it off! I did have a wee bit of a panic attack, but I was surrounded by fibery goodness and was able to shake it off. It helped that L went along and walked around the store with me until I was able to feel better. He's a good bud to have around in those times of need! Two of the nicest guys were helping us and just being the nice knitterly people they are. L and his best friend Lee are the only two male knitters I know personally, so it was nice to talk to a couple of guys who knew their stuff and weren't ashamed to share. We got several birthday gifts and I am not going to share them with pictures until after R's birthday. You don't have to wait too long....her birthday is the 16th. She will 20! I cannot believe my baby girl will be 20! We were asked the other day if we were sisters or mother and daughter. I was flattered, but I felt sorry for my her! Nobody wants to look like their graying 43 year old mother when they are 19!

RL is still in Ireland. He'll be back late Thursday night. I'm so anxious to have him home! He didn't have to work today so he was trying to find ways to keep himself busy. I believe he's staying in Newcastle and working in Kilkeel. He said he walked completely around the town near his hotel and it was a little over two miles round trip. He did manage to find a wool shop and said he is bringing home some sock yarn for us! I am so excited! He was hoping it was from Ireland, but no, it was from England. Same difference to me....somebody flew forever and is bringing yarn back to me from another country. I'm just glad it wasn't from the here! Wouldn't that be a hoot to buy yarn in Ireland imported from the US and bring it back!?!?!?!

Since RL is in Ireland the kids and I take on a weirder than usual schedule. They like to sleep downstairs while he's away, so we move a mattress between the couches and everybody sleeps in the living room. That way we can talk all night if we want, or watch late, late movies, or check e-mail at 4:00 a.m. - and yes that has been done by the kids while I am probably snoring and drooling on my pillow! Ginger does not want to be left out. She has a little fleece cube that she sleeps in when she is downstairs. Since we are downstairs, she sleeps downstairs. In the middle of the night we heard this odd noise. L woke me up and said he thought it was Ginger. Sure enough - she was yacking up a hairball. I know, I know - deeeeesgusting! Well, where do you think she yacked it up? Right on the treadle of R's spinning wheel. The next day we caught this picture of her. It's almost like - well, I supplied the fiber. Are you going to teach me to spin or what?

I know, I know...it's disgusting!

Sunshine and the First Project of the Year

The weather has been unseasonably warm lately. Some of us enjoy our little warm spots in the sun. Some of us wish it would get cold and snow. Guess which type Ginger is? Yep - sunny spot kind of girl. We've actually had the heat off and the windows open just a smidge so she can get a whiff of fresh air. It is so refreshing after being in a closed up house. Cooler temps are headed our way, so I guess she'll be looking harder for a warm spot.

I put myself on a 'no knitting vacation' until January 1st. I had so many cool books from Santa and I couldn't decide what to do first. When I am overwhelmed like that I want to start everything. On January 1st, I decided to make some fingerless mitts from 'The Knitter's Book of Yarn' by Clara Parkes. It called for one skein of Noro Kureyon, which I just happened to have in my stash, so off I went. They were a quick knit and didn't turn out as neat looking as the pair in the book, but that's okay. They definitely keep my hands warm - and if it was cold that would make me truly happy!

RL is on a business trip in Ireland. We hear from him everyday and he is trying his best to keep warm. The area he is visiting is not really accustomed to snow, but they are getting it. With the temperatures in Celcius, he's a little lost. He knows how to do the conversion, but when you stumble into your hotel room after being awake for 24 hours and traveling more than half of that, you don't feel like sitting there and figuring out what 19 C means on the heater. He said there're lots of sheep. Man, I wish we were there. R explained that he needed to look for 'wool', not 'yarn' while there. Hopefully he'll have so time to look for some....look and buy!

Well, I don't have anything more to say, so I'll let this picture of Ginger say it for me:

ARGH!!!! I've Been Tagged!!!!!

I have ignored being tagged by bella modiste for about a week. I guess it's time to get it over with. I have to share the rules with you, so here goes: Link to the person who tagged you. (Did that.) Okay, post the rules on your blog. (Doing that.) Share seven random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog. (Shouldn't be too hard for someone like me!) Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs. (Well, I don't really know seven people I would do that to, so if you're reading this and you're game - tag, you're it!) Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog. (Well, like I said after the last rule - only if you want to do it. Hey, if you do it, let me know you do by leaving a comment on my blog!)

Here goes - Seven random and/or weird facts about me:

1. I lived in the same house from birth until I got married.

2. Both of my children were born in the same hospital as I was.

3. My husband is nine years older than me. My Dad is nine years older than my Mom. My grandfather was nine years older than my Grandmother.

4. All of the grandchildren in our family were unintentionally given names from the Bible and they are all two years apart.

5. All of my sisters-in-law and I come from families of girls only, while my husband and his brothers come from a boys only family.

6. I homeschool my children who have told me they are modest and strikingly beautiful.

7. Although I have brown eyes as does my mother, aunt and my grandmother, neither of my children do.

Shoot - since I'm not playing right by tagging seven people with blogs, I'll throw in a few more facts: I like to play Magic with my son, but only if I win! The furthest south, as far as I can remember, I've been is Boca Raton, Fl. The furthest north is West Virginia. The furthest east is Melbourne, FL. The furthest west is Colorado. I'm teaching myself how to play piano. I've played the flute since I was in the 7th grade. For some very, very strange and unknown reason, I laugh hysterically while moving mattresses. Don't ask! I don't know why! When I was a kid my Mom, sister and I would always laugh hysterically while moving mattresses and Mom would laugh, but she was mad! Now I am that Mom! I prefer 'White Christmas' to 'It's A Wonderful Life'. I love tie-dye, flowing clothes, skulls and I'm a Republican....go figure. I love Jane Austen! I worked at a discount store, as a secretary, and doing data entry at a junk yard before becoming a mom.

I'm sure there's more, but that's all for now. Thanks Bella Modiste....I'll get you back somehow!

Happy New Year and Happy Anniversary!!!!

How did you spend your New Years? We watched L finally get to the end of his new Zelda game. He got it for Christmas and was determined to finish it before he moved on to anything else. I don't know how many times RL would give him suggestions or R would take the controls, with permission, of course, and solve some puzzle or something of the sort. I stayed out of it. I watched and cheered, but that is as close as I get to Zelda. It's also as close as anybody probably wants me to get! L finished before midnight, so we watched Dick Clark and welcomed in the New Year with a round of hugs and kisses.

Here's the latest spinning completed by R. I saw it on Spunky Eclectic's website, it was on sale and it shared R's name. I had to buy it! She didn't want to spin it until she figured out how to spin, but I think she's gotten it figured out.

Ginger is officially a bag lady now. L's friend gave him something in a paper bag and the bag fell to the floor. Little Miss Nosey decided it was hers and we were to leave it alone! I guess we normally get plastic bags at the grocery store and we were depriving Ginger of this papery goodness!

Congratulations on your 47th anniversary Mom and Daddy! I hope you enjoy your day!