[It's a] Lucky Duck Day

Works in progress

2012-02-14T09:16:00.000-05:00

Thank you for your comments to my last post. Your support means so much. We've had some better days since then--and a couple of meetings with teachers, and some action plans drawn up. And then, in spite of the extra work and action plans, we're still scratching our heads some days. We're all works in progress, I guess.

Here's a picture that is a couple of weeks old. I had hoped to have this quilt finished by today, but it'll be just as snuggly whenever it's finished. I have actually finished piecing the top and bottom, and it's sandwiched and pinned (and folded up in the next picture). I just don't know how I want to quilt it, so I'm just giving it a rest for now.

It's hiding underneath all these papers in this picture. I am knitting a birthday sweater for Caitlin. I wasn't planning on doing that until last week when I heard her tell someone, "My mom always knits me a sweater for my birthday." Oh. Guess I'd better get on that! I love the pattern I chose. It's called Lavanda. I am finding that while the actual knitting is not too complicated, there are a lot of moving parts to this one. The pattern writer was very thorough--but that thoroughness means I'm referrring to at least three pages of instructions each row. Maybe once I'm finished with the raglan increases I can do some knitting in front of the TV, but for now, this requires my undivided attention.

Speaking of the television, our last week or so has been very quiet. Our TV would not turn on. I called Samsung, and it turns there was a recall on the capacitors for our TV model, so Samsung replaced the capacitors for free. It was cool to see the inside of the TV, and the replacement was done in less than 15 minutes.

We're having Red Velvet Cupcakes for dessert tonight.

And I'm giving blood again on Thursday. A nice gentleman from the Red Cross called yesterday and said that there was a critical blood shortage. I told him I'd spread the word. You can call 1-800-RED-CROSS to find blood drives in your area.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Flip the calendar page

2012-02-01T11:29:00.000-05:00

It's February already. January...not nearly so "January" as in years past. One small snowfall, no bouts of vomiting, no fever. Just a month of back to the usual.

I've just not felt the urge to post much. There's not much creating to show because everything is moving at a slow pace. There's also the off-line life--which is requiring more of my attention. This parenting gig can be so very difficult at times, and I've only today realized that the way to teach my children that hard work is necessary to achieve good results is for me to get off the sidelines, push up my sleeves, and lead by example. No more wishing for the magic book or teacher to suddenly spark my children's desire to study hard and get good grades.

I don't think I ever thought that parenting would involve so much second-guessing for me. Maybe I'm making this more complicated than it needs to be. I sometimes wonder what advice my sixty-one-year-old self would give to me now. How can I put all this day-to-day and week-to-week drama into a bigger picture? I know this week's spelling test isn't going to matter much for my child's future, but the way she went about preparing for it could.

These are pretty deep thoughts for a Wednesday, but this is what I'm currently wrestling with. My oldest is eleven--teetering on the brink of adolescence. I want to be able to keep the big picture in front of me as we forge ahead into the thicket of the teenage years. Frankly, I have my moments of insecurity.

So it is on that note that I leave you for today. A mug of tea and some quiet moments of reflection may be just what I need right now.

Pictureless Musings

2012-01-13T09:08:00.000-05:00

That's right, pictureless. And I'm okay with that.

I just looked out my window, and there's an odd kind of precipitation happening. Like if the temperature were twenty degrees warmer, it'd be a drizzly mist--but since it's cold, it's a drizzly snow. Tiny specks of white--and the wind is such that the specks are blowing rapidly and nearly horizontally. Not quite a thousand words, but you get the picture, right?

I'm off today, and it looks like my first errand will be to deliver the sixth-grader's forgotten homework to school. She has had a long week, and I felt so terrible for her when I found what she had left behind. Thank goodness for email! I was able to let the teacher know.

I have received some thank-you notes this week, and they just mean so much. Putting pen to paper is so worth the effort. I should put one or two of those in the mail today while I'm at it.

I am knitting a sweater. For myself (you had to ask?). It's a Quince and Co. pattern: the Belfast hoodie.
I'm using the Classic Elite Moorland heather yarn I purchased last year (I think--I hope it wasn't longer than that). So far, so good. The color is green, which is a definite departure from my usual purple and pink. Progress is slow, but that's what winter evening knitting is all about, right?

I have also started cutting squares for a quilt. Elizabeth of Oh, Fransson! is hosting a quiltalong for her Sparkle Punch quilt. Mine isn't going to be exactly as hers is. I also expect progress on this to be slow. There is no rush here!

I had an email this morning that someone I've never heard of was now following me on Twitter. Evidently she's a fun girl, and just looking for a good time! Had to block her--sorry, dear. I don't post on Twitter. I just have the account so I can get on Pinterest.

Before Christmas, someone hacked into my Facebook account. The one I thought was gone. Evidently "deactivating" is not the same as "deleting." And if there truly is a "delete" option, Facebook is hiding it. So I re-deactivated.

Downton Abbey!

So far, I've read two books this year: The Summer of the Bear by Bella Pollen, and The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz. I recommend both. Last night I started Vaclav and Lena. It's a slow start.

That is all for now. Happy Weekending.

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T20:07:00.000-05:00

Well, the rest of December got away from me, didn't it? You know how it gets. We are well, but not quite well-rested. There have been many late nights around here in the past week or so. Tuesday morning's school preparation will probably be rocky. But until then, I'll show you the holiday that was:

There were paperwhites.

There were silly, so-excited Christmas Eve pictures in our new Christmas pajamas.

There were ice cream runs with Grandaddy.

There were outings...to the newest outpost of Antique Archaelogy.

And there were silly, oh-so-tired New Year's Eve pictures.

And now, we are packing up the decorations and catching up on laundry. I am off for another week before returning to work, so I intend to fully enjoy my remaining time off.

Happy New Year!

Slowing it down

2011-12-07T20:01:00.000-05:00

As a general rule, I don't allow the kids to watch TV during the week. But this week called for an exception. The pace has been crazy this week, and the children are tired and super cranky. Tonight I allowed them to watch a movie. Well, we started one, but the DVD started skipping around and pixellating, so I took it off (insert minor tantrums here) and we found Home Alone 2 on TV.

We put up our tree this weekend. We purchased a smaller tree this year, so the decorating went extra-quick.

It has been raining all day. The weather channel mentions a chance of some wet snow later on. I wouldn't mind that at all. Tomorrow promises to be another long, action-packed day.

I am looking forward to some serious down time this weekend! Time to get on ravelry and search for sweater patterns.

December!

2011-12-01T08:34:00.000-05:00

Here we are, December. We're going to be stitching. And later, we'll be sewing.

And there has been some hooking, too. This could go on for years, I think. As I was describing to Rob how surprised I was to be running out of colors mid-round, he said, "so this is going to be a $200 blanket?" Uh, I hope not.

But so far, it looks like a million bucks! That's a yardstick in the picture below. While my yarn shortages and selective color re-purchases have forced me to abandon my color pattern, I see no reason why I can't work until the yarn runs out, enjoy the blanket for the season, and then pull it out next fall and add on some fresh yarn. And to think, I had entertained notions of this thing covering our bed! Not this year...

What are you working on this Thursday?

Random Thoughts

2011-11-29T08:44:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving was awesome.

Trying to move through New York City with eight children ranging in age from seven to seventeen has its challenges. The MTA made a lot of money off of us. The best part is that we could all laugh about it. And did we ever laugh!

It's my day off, and I think I have three days' worth of errands to complete.

Of course, "find a skirt for Christmas" really isn't a pressing thing--but why not have a little fun on one's day off?

I am so excited about baking goodies for the holiday that I already started. I made some Peppermint Meringues on Saturday night. They are on the cover of this month's Bon Appetit.

I'm off to start the day of errands!

Some Things on the List Got Done

2011-11-06T19:17:00.000-05:00

*AND* I did accomplish most of the items on my practical list, too!

Resting and Restless

2011-11-05T10:11:00.000-04:00

This week was one of those where I just had to give up any notion that I could control anything. I had to take a deep breath and go with whatever happened. On Monday night, Caitlin didn't feel well enough to go trick-or-treating. On Thursday, she had blood drawn and a chest x-ray which confirmed pneumonia.

She's doing much better now that she's on antibiotics, and hopefully she'll be all perked up and ready to go to school on Monday. And hopefully her siblings will remain healthy!

I have spent the morning re-pinning like crazy over at pinterest, and now I'm feeling a dreamy/practical list forming. Mary Beth did one for this weekend, and I think it's such a great way to see what you'd love to do and what you need to do--and maybe find a way to work in a little of each.

So here's my list for this weekend--and I know that some of my "dreamy" items are completely undoable, but I wish for them anyway!

Dreamy:
plan Xmas gifts to mail
start salt dough ornaments with the kids
try to get some family pictures
check the fabric stash for polar fleece
make pumpkin muffins

Practical:
prepare for Monday's cub scout meeting that we're leading
make reservations for a trip later this month
straighten up the dining room table
clean the bathrooms

There you have it--a little creating, a little cleaning. And a whole lotta recuperating. Happy weekend!

We interrupt this season...

2011-10-30T17:16:00.000-04:00

Life has been busy. On Thursday, I had all four burners going at the same time.

On Saturday morning, I hurried to bring in the mums from the front steps. It looks like we live in a florist's shop now. It's kinda nice.

I didn't want the mums to be killed. By the snow.

Trick-or-treating in snow boots? I guess there's a first time for everything!

Five Photos

2011-10-20T09:39:00.000-04:00

We've been busy. We've been hitting,

and pitching,

and starting,

and finishing!

(and smiling, too!)

Pumpkin Patch Day

2011-10-08T13:37:00.000-04:00

It's Thursday!

2011-10-06T08:37:00.000-04:00

A day off. I think I have three days' worth of things I want to accomplish today, and first on my list was "post blog entry." I love checking things off the list! Look at how my insulator collection has grown--it expanded out to the side windows!

Most of these I picked up while antiquing. Four of them were acquired during a family trip out toward Lancaster, PA. Turns out that right off the PA Turnpike is the antiques capital of something--the US? Central Pennsylvania? I don't know--I do know that we went to about three places, and there are about a dozen more to go to!

Most of my acquisitions have been blue or clear. But I just made a trade with a gentleman, and now I have some lovely green ones!

Once the sun returned from its long, long vacation, I was able to fully appreciate the colors. It looks like stained glass, and this is my view from the kitchen sink, so I'm happy that I have a great view of my collection.

Christmas quilt? Finished. I decided to machine sew the binding. Now to wash and put away until after Thanksgiving.

From Alicia Paulson's Embroidery Companion. I'm stitching this on cross-stitch fabric. It has been years since I've done any cross-stitch. Wow is this hard on the eyes! I really should do this while sitting under a very bright light, but this project "lives" in the dining room, so I sit in there and squint and stitch. One of these days I'll relocate. And probably purchase some magnifiers.

So that's me on this Thursday. Tonight I'll be knitting away on Aidez. I have started the sleeves, so hopefully, I'll have a finished project to show you soon.

Knitting news (and some cute kids)

2011-09-27T15:00:00.000-04:00

So I've been working on Aidez for a while. I thought I'd be super efficient and knit both fronts simultaneously. This is how far I had gotten. By the time I reached this point (so, so close to finishing the fronts), I decided that I couldn't live with the fact that my center seed wishbones looked completely unlike everyone else's on ravelry (over 1000 projects can't be wrong). It took me a few hours to come to terms with the fact that I was going to have to frog them. I was not happy about it.

In unrelated news, on Sunday, we went out apple picking. First, we stopped by Peddler's Village (a shopping center/tourist attraction) to look at the imaginative scarecrows on display. Apple picking was both muggy and buggy. Next time, I'm holding out for a cool, crisp (and gnat-free) fall day. It was t-shirt day at church--I don't usually dress the kids all alike.

Back to the knitting! Here is the new left front. I hope to finish this tonight. See how the center design is different? How it's actually seed stitch? The written directions in the pattern are correct; the chart...not so much.

Here you can compare the two. The one on the right is the new left front--you're following this, right? The left one is the old right front--hopefully by next week it will be all fixed.

And when the weather finally cools off for good, I'll have an awesome new sweater!

How It's Going

2011-09-22T15:18:00.001-04:00

This is my third week of work. So far, the transition has been pretty smooth. I really am making the most of my days off--except for the stuff that I'm putting off. Like the basement. I'd rather run errands than deal with the dried-out smelly cardboard boxes that are in the basement. I'm putting that on my schedule for Saturday morning. But see, I put things on the schedule! For example, next Tuesday, I'm cooking a whole chicken and using it to make three or four meals for next week.

I'm not going to mislead you, either. Right now, the kids are scheduled to walk in the door in ten minutes, and I haven't started on dinner (stuffed shells because I didn't have time to make crepes for cannelloni). Dinner needs to be served to Caroline by 5:00 because she has dance from 5:30 to 7:30--the rest of us can eat when we get back from dropping her off. I'm just thankful I found a can of tomatoes in the pantry so I don't have to start chopping up the last of the garden tomatoes. Whew. Worn out? In some ways, sitting at a desk is relaxing!

So, this desk where I sit is at a mom-and-pop screenprinting and embroidery shop. You know, they print team sports jerseys, company t-shirts, baseball hats, etc. They have a website. And if you go to the website and scroll down, you'll see that they offer holiday cards. In the interest of full disclosure, if you order cards through the company, I will (!) make a little money. But you were going to order cards from somewhere, weren't you? I know that we are still very careful about where and how we spend our money--even two years after Rob's unemployment summer--so I really am not trying to be flip about this. I am just letting you know that snapfish doesn't have to be your only option for the holidays this year.

Speaking of the holidays, I finally sandwiched that Christmas quilt. Now to decide how to quilt it on another day off...

Staying Crafty

2011-09-20T08:34:00.000-04:00

We are slowly settling into a routine. The sun is setting noticeably earlier, so that is a huge help when bedtime rolls around. (In the spring, it was next to impossible to get the kids to come in for bed because the sun was still going at 8:00pm!)

Yesterday, instead of bringing my knitting bag along to dance class, I threw some balls of yarn and a hook into the bag. I made one complete granny square, and about three-fourths of another. I finished it (and made another) once I got home. I'm up to 21 grannies now (out of 81). Slow progress, but still progress! The pink is much more vibrant in person. It's a heathered yarn, so you can see lovely pinks and purples mixed together. It looks very mauve in the picture.

Last Thursday I was able to make the pillow covers. I went a little crazy fabric shopping, and I splurged on several Heather Bailey prints for this project. And I have enough left over for at least one more smallish project. I love how these turned out.

I purchased the pillow form for Caroline's pillow last week--forms were 50% off at Joann. They didn't have the size I needed for Caitlin's, so I'll have to order it. I just love how these turned out.

Today is a day off for me, so I'm heading to the library to pick up some holds, and then I'm off in search of clear contact paper, a new hairbrush for one daughter, and jazz shoes and a leotard for the other daughter. Who'd a thunk that I'd have to search around to find clear contact paper?

Just keep swimming...

2011-09-13T09:03:00.000-04:00

Isn't that what Dory the fish said in Finding Nemo?

"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming..."

It's my theme song lately.

You see, I have started working three days a week. Yay! Really, I could not have found a better situation--I work during school hours, and the business is family owned, so they have told me that if the kids are ever sick, or the weather is bad, etc., not to worry about missing work. So I'm excited about working, about learning new things, and about getting paid.

Last year, I was amazed at how quickly a full school day could pass, and I was even more amazed at how little I could accomplish in that time. So I know that working is really going to help me be more productive on the home front. But right now, I'm trying to get ahead a little bit (thus the menu planning and meal preparation). This week, the extracurricular activities are starting, and we seem to be at the dentist's office with frightening regularity (as we begin this long road to a mystical and expensive place called Orthodontia), so rather than freak out about all that needs to be done in a day, I'm gonna "just keep swimming, just keep swimming..."

Five or Ten Things

2011-09-02T09:23:00.000-04:00

I have five pictures, so we can start there, and if I think of more things to add, then so be it!

1. Already thought of one! My cousin is getting married today, so at four o'clock this afternoon, let's all send them prayers of happiness.

2. I am so glad that the first two weeks of school are four-day weeks. The packing-lunch routine is already wearing thin.

3. The paperwork...the five dollar contributions, the checks for field trips...did I mention the paperwork?

4. A pleasant side effect of reading Leslie's blog is that you notice hearts everywhere. This was ranch dressing that I'd dumped out after the kids abandoned it and the carrots.

5. Embroidery...hard to make personalized Christmas gifts on the sly around here.

6. Go ahead and blame this on Jodi. My granny square itch just had to be scratched. I rationalize this by saying that it's a great way to use up all the stray balls of yarn that I have, and yet I find myself thinking that I need to buy just a few more colors so I can finish it up...it's not really stash busting if you are simultaneously adding to the stash. I have 18 out of 81 squares done, so this will be a while.

7. We went to Trader Joe's last weekend. We don't go there all that often--usually only when we go out to eat at a restaurant that is in the TJ's shopping center. And Rob usually buys mostly snacks. This time I bought the dark chocolate covered espresso beans. Yum. The kids couldn't understand why I wouldn't let them eat any. Really.

8. I have jumped on the pinterest bandwagon. I had to open a twitter account in order to get into pinterest, so now I'm on the twitter, too. I don't tweet, but if you're on there (or pinterest), feel free to friend/follow/tweet me (whatever the lingo). All I've really done on pinterest is just re-pin others' pictures. I haven't put any original things up there. It's a nice inspiration board, I guess, and another potential time-suck.

9. My youngest child will be turning eight on Tuesday. Eight! Where did the time go? And why has returning to school made him so wild and out of control? Is it because he has to be well-behaved all day at school? So that when he comes home he's just used up all his self-control for the day? He really has me yearning for a return to the 7:00 bedtime. Eight years old. Wow.

10. Hey, I made it to ten! This week Erin wrote a post about how busy she's been in the kitchen. And Tsh at Simple Mom has a meal-planning chapter from her latest e-book available for free download. I took both ladies' posts to heart, and I have planned our menus for the next 12 days. I entered the meals in my google calendar, and I am going to make double batches of some of the meals to freeze them for later. Once the scouts/dance/baseball train starts rolling in a couple of weeks, I'm going to need some easy meals!

And Just Like That...

2011-08-30T08:59:00.000-04:00

They're off.

Sixth grade, second grade, fourth grade.

This is her last year at the elementary school. That fact brings up all sorts of mixed emotions.

These two have a few more years. Bobby's second grade teacher was Caroline's second grade teacher. This is our first "repeat." I love the first day of school because the principal allows parents to come in with the kids. We get to meet the teachers and (try to) give a last minute kiss goodbye to the kids.

I came home to discover that two of the kids had left behind their "what I read this summer" lists. That gave me the idea to share with you my list of what I read. Here it is:

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (I took the kids to a play of this--they loved it.)
Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright
Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maude Montgomery
State of Wonder (her latest novel) and Truth and Beauty (a memoir) both by Ann Patchett
The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall
Mockingbird (a biography of Harper Lee)--I forget the author's name, but it was really good
The Nobodies Album by Carolyn Parkhurst
The White Queen by Phillippa Gregory
The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir
and the second and third Flavia de Luce novels, The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag and A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley.

There were a couple of books that I started and skimmed a little. There was at least one that I checked out and returned unread. But when I look at the list, I think I'd recommend all of them.

So, how was your summer? Did you read anything good?

Sighs of Relief

2011-08-29T07:56:00.000-04:00

I am so glad that Irene is behind us. We came out okay--a little tired and a little worn out with worrying--but our basement is dry. Actually, the worst part came late yesterday afternoon when I checked the district's website and found this:

That's right. A snow day. The kids are, of course, thrilled.

There was some crafting during the last week or so. About ten days ago, I cast on for Aidez. Yesterday I finished the back.

Recently I ordered the ABC Sampler pattern from Alicia Paulson. I had a Christmas idea. I started stitching last week as soon as the wool arrived.

I am really enjoying this project. I may be coming up with all sorts of ways to use this pattern.

If you were in Irene's path, I hope that you are well and breathing your own sighs of relief!

We have a winner!

2011-08-22T07:44:00.000-04:00

She's ready to start on next year's quilt!

ADVENTure: Home Decor Edition

2011-08-18T08:19:00.001-04:00

In between knitting Christmas gifts, I've been working on a few items to decorate the home this season.

I've made two felted trees. The pattern is in Mason-Dixon Knitting: Outside the Lines. You can see on the larger one that I ran out of the dark green, so I combined it with a lighter green to finish it. I have a place in mind to put these, and there's enough room so that I can eventually create a whole forest of felted trees in a variety of colors. This year, I may make one more small one and call it done.

Last winter, I began accumulating Christmas-y fabrics with a Christmas quilt in mind.

A few years ago, Amanda Jean of Crazy Mom Quilts hosted a quiltalong. She made one block per week, and I printed out the instructions for several of the blocks. I don't think she has these instructions on her blog anymore--she's hosted many, many quiltalongs since then--so I am very glad that I ~~hoarded~~ saved the patterns.

I finished the top on Monday! It's roughly 60" square. I am planning on using some red and white printed flannel for the back. I just have to go to Joann's and purchase the rest of the materials.

Hanging in there

2011-08-16T08:16:00.000-04:00

What, your kitchen doesn't look like this at 9:30 in the morning?

We're in the home stretch of summer. I'm trying to look past the bickering and enjoy my time with the kids. I'm doing a lot of deep breathing.

Inspiration Overload

2011-08-04T09:32:00.000-04:00

My parents came to visit us last week, and on Saturday, we drove out to Lancaster, PA. My mom and I went into the Lancaster County Quilt Museum while everyone else checked out the Farmers' Market.

The quilting on these is just amazing--and it was all done by hand.

Makes you want to break out some solid fabrics, doesn't it?

Ready for the Fair

2011-07-21T08:24:00.000-04:00

I finally made something out of those Dresden plates. Well, I made two somethings--and I still have several plates left over, plus a ziploc bag full of blades. Anywhoo, on to the finished products:

I used five of the smaller plates to make this table runner. I was thinking about entering it in the Grange Fair this year, but my lack of patience won out. I wanted to be finished with the binding, so I stitched in the ditch instead of hand-stitching. I really feel like it should be hand-stitched to enter it in the fair.

But I really love it. I love how pretty my table looks. And I don't even mind that I've already spilt coffee on it, because I know it's the first of years' worth of spills that this table runner is going to see.

I used a thrifted sheet for the back.

Now that quilt? I did hand stitch the binding on the back. 'Cause this one is going to the fair.

Let me be clear: there are mistakes in the quilt. My free-motion quilting is full of irregular stitches and meandering straight lines. And I harbor no delusions of this quilt's winning. Believe me, I have seen the winners in years past, and they are magnificent. I do this for fun. Last year when we walked into the exhibition hall, we saw my quilt on display, and the kids got all excited (I did too). The Grange fair is quickly becoming the highlight of our August. Now I have to start tweaking my cookie and cake entries!

Re-Entry, or a Late Start

2011-07-13T21:44:00.000-04:00

We've never gone on vacation this early in the summer. We usually go in late July or mid-August. This year, we left just two weeks after the kids got out of school, and during that time I felt like I was just marking days off the calendar until our departure.

We're back, and it feels like our summer can begin in earnest. I wonder, are we re-entering or just starting? I'm opting for just starting. A shorter summer will be that much sweeter.

Now we can establish our rhythm of library visits, afternoons at the pool, late dinners, and baked goods made by committee. The 4-H fair catalog arrived Tuesday, and the eleven-year-old is eager and persistent about beginning her first fair entry--a quilt. I have two potential fair entries of my own that are in different stages of completion, so sharing my machine, ironing board and creative space will become part of my days for the next few weeks.

But just as some of us have jumped with both feet into new endeavors, there are still loose ends from vacation to tie up. Our laundry pile is not a mountain so much as an entire range. My trip to the laundromat on our return date gave me a good start, but in the days since then, the kids have already re-worn and soiled about half the clothes I washed. Our laundry is further complicated by some unwanted souvenirs we brought home: head lice. Sheets, towels, pillows and blankets have become part of the daily cleaning routine this week.

I remind myself that this is temporary. The microscopic egg sacs will eventually all be found and removed, and our hair will not stink forever from tea tree oil shampoo. One day soon I can stop vacuuming the couch, and the kids will be allowed to sit on it without donning a shower cap first.

Of course, they don't really need to be on the couch since I haven't allowed them to watch TV in three days. I'm calling it "Unplugged Summer," and they claim to hate me for it. I know I'm supposed to guide them in their show selection and help them moderate their viewing habits, but it's just so much easier on me to ban the TV outright. Computer and Wii are also included in this ban. The mind-numbing effect of any kind of screen on them is disturbing, and although I watched TV pretty much whenever I wanted during the summer when I was a kid, it was different. I had to be at swim team practice twice a day (my kids don't). I spent several hours a day at the pool in between those practices (my kids don't). And although we had cable "back in the day," it looked nothing like the cable selection of 2011. I did not have on-demand access to a library of programs.

So I find myself reluctantly unplugged, since leading by example is the only way to go on this. My computer time is going to be much more limited this summer, and my posting will be like I hope my children's screen habits will become--limited and intentional.

I have many things from our trip to share, but I'm going to savor the details and take my time writing them down. In the meantime, we'll be at home adjusting to a slower pace and soaking in as much summer as we can.

ADVENTure Report

2011-06-30T16:30:00.000-04:00

My ADVENTure got off to a rough start. I had to re-knit this cowl because it was way too big. But then I had enough yarn left over to make these girly mitts (free pattern on ravelry). These are for my seven-year-old niece.

And for her older brother, some mitts (which I have to finish);

And a ribbed cowl.

A big thanks to Kristyn for getting us all excited about this year-long ADVENTure!

I'm checking out for a couple of weeks. Happy Fourth of July!

New Season

2011-06-27T08:31:00.000-04:00

Hey there. We are working on finding our groove this summer. We in that stage where the children are too young to be left home alone, but they sure don't want to go the the grocery store with me.

We've been making lots of library trips. Many drop-offs and pick-ups for playdates. Many games of chess.

Haven't made cookies yet.

One sleep-over. That has resulted in a sleep-over moratorium. And I'm fine with that.

We're (reluctantly) doing what we call Math Olympics.

And there is knitting. Pictures soon, I promise!

The last day--two out of three

2011-06-16T09:00:00.000-04:00

Today is the last day of school. And it's a half-day. The kids are pumped, and whether I'm ready or not, summer is here. I'm not really ready, but I'm okay with that.

There are no grand plans for the summer. There is an epic roadtrip in our future, and after that, we'll probably be chillin' at the pool. When we're not at the library. We're going to see a few plays--I may even drag them to a Shakespeare festival. There will be the 4-H fair in August.

This summer seems like it's going to be shorter--they go back on August 30. We're going to soak in as much fun as we can.

Friday Five

2011-06-10T08:53:00.000-04:00

1. I was at my new favorite shopping place yesterday--the antiques barn. I brought home some new insulators for my collection. I spent alot of time with a wooden and metal milk crate, trying to visualize where it would go and how I would use it...and I decided not to bring it home. Ah, but maybe if it's there the next time...

2. Last Friday, I had some time to kill while I was waiting to meet my mother-in-law. I was at an outlet mall, and I went in to the book outlet. I've been in it before, and I know it's usually full of books I've never heard of or wouldn't want. Even the "going out of business" sign on the door didn't get me excited until I walked over to the crafts section. See that Mason-Dixon book with the $9.99 sticker on it? I paid $2.00 for it! The Gentle Art of Domesticity--that I've been trying to find in my library for a couple of years?? Two dollars! It was very exciting.

3. These are my library books, not the kids'. I plan to read an insane amount of children's literature this summer--why should the kids have all the fun? And if they want to copy me, even better!

4. Chocolate chip. I just don't think there's any reason to make any other kind of cookie.

5. Not nearly as romantic as a clothesline, but that's okay.

This weekend will be much more relaxed that the previous one. I am hoping to go to the pool and maybe go strawberry picking. That's it!

Counting down

2011-06-07T09:04:00.000-04:00

The kids' last day of school is next Thursday. I am all too aware of how quickly this time will pass.

Somebody turned ELEVEN last week!

I should be outside planting flowers. And then I should be out shopping for the third grade end-of-the-year party.

Dresden fun--sidelined indefinitely. Maybe they'll come out in time for the 4-H fair!

And of course, there's always laundry.

ADVENTure FAIL! Way too big for intended recipient. Starting over...

Here I go--past the large stack of library books and out into the garden.

Makes you wonder

2011-06-01T09:19:00.000-04:00

After reading my last post--in which I was lamenting the general chaos in my dining room and resolving to get things put away--you may wonder what in the world is going on in my brain when you see these pictures! I know, I know. I put away four things and then took out about a hundred!

It all started last Friday when I went to Jo-ann's armed with a coupon and determined to score some of that new Denyse Schmidt fabric. (A previous visit to another Jo-ann's was unfruitful.) And I was disappointed again. This store had one bolt of the DS Quilts line--one! And it was a navy blue print! Really, I didn't need the fabric. I don't have any immediate plans for it; I just wanted to see it in person. Consider it money saved. But then--then! I wandered over to the quilting tools section and found the Dresden Plate tool--and with my coupon, it only cost about six bucks.

Enter the scraps/stash!

I just started cutting blades. Some are 3.5", the larger ones are 6". I don't have a vision for what these are going to become--maybe a table runner, a quilt. It depends on how many plates I end up with.

So far I have eight smaller ones completed.

And I have a little more cutting to do before I start in on the larger plates.

I just love playing around with all the colors and fabrics--and the kids wanted to play with them, too!

Procrastinating

2011-05-25T12:26:00.000-04:00

I'm procrastinating--today I told myself I was going to whip the kitchen and dining room into shape. I'm taking it really slowly...

And this is after I've already done some clearing away!

The dining room is rarely used for dining purposes. It's more often my sewing/craft room. And--here's what really drives me crazy--it is also the room for stuff that has no home or stuff that needs to be put away. It's a clutter graveyard, and finding homes for this stuff just sucks the energy right out of me. Somehow the "if it doesn't have a home, get rid of it" idea is much more difficult in practice.

But I know that I really enjoy that sense of "mission accomplished," like yesterday after I returned from the laundromat with clean comforters ready to be put away (where, I'm not exactly sure).

The comforters--clean and ready to be put away until fall.

And once I'm done, I can go back to reading,

I'm on magazine overload!

I am loving these books and wishing my girls would pick them up--and there's a new one out!

or knitting,

More dishcloths!

or dreaming about tomorrow night's chive risotto cakes!

I'll be making Barefoot Contessa's Chive Risotto Cakes.

Good Morning

2011-05-23T09:35:00.000-04:00

Well, hey there--I kinda disappeared, didn't I? I guess posting five days in a row just wore me out!

It took Rob several hours to mow the lawn this weekend.

Truthfully, there wasn't much to report. Rain, rain, and more rain. Library trips, baseball games, birthday parties, sleepovers--the usual.

Some herbs from Burpee--parsley, sage, and French tarragon.

I discovered that the Burpee seed company, whose headquarters are in the next town over, do indeed have a retail store in that next town over, so I made a stop there last week. My seedlings are pretty pitiful looking, so I abandoned them.

We use grass clippings as mulch--the green makes it hard to see the tomatoes and the pepper plant.

Summer break is right around the corner, and I can't quite believe it! I am looking forward to just getting up in the morning and not having to be anywhere.

I think tonight and tomorrow night are our last two nights of double-booked, split-squad activity. I look forward to a slower pace!

Check This One Off the Bucket List

2011-05-13T14:08:00.000-04:00

**hey, there. Blogger seems to be having technical difficulties--it ate up yesterday's post (oh, the horror!) and I'm not sure if/when it's going to be put back. I'm just happy I can post now.**

Back in November, our church was hosting a blood drive. I had never given blood before, and I decided that it would be a cool "bucket list" type of thing to do before turning 40. I signed up; I showed up; I was turned away. Turns out I'm borderline anemic.

So I saw my doctor and started taking a multivitamin (with iron) every day. Also started using my cast-iron skillet with reckless abandon. And yesterday, I tried again.

Success!

In Which I Reveal (Part of) My Stash

2011-05-12T10:25:00.000-04:00

Here it is:

I can explain. Really, all of what you see was purchased (most likely) with a birthday/Christmas gift card(s) and was purchased with a particular pattern in mind. But I can only knit so fast, and then six months later I'm discovering quite a bit of yarn tucked away into nooks and crannies.

Let me show you what I have in mind:

So, this red I ordered last spring (I think) during the Webs April/May sale (which is going on now). I was originally going to knit the Inca Marl Ruffled Coat, but it turned into another Francis. And since Francis only needed half the yarn, I can make another red sweater. Right now I'm leaning toward this, but I don't have really strong feelings about it.

Next, I ordered this lovely green to make the Jali Cardigan. But I could always be persuaded to make something else.

This navy Lopi has been languishing for over a year. Seriously, last year I ordered maybe five skeins. Then about six months later I ordered another four skeins. Evidently I wanted to make something different...now I may make this into a long-sleeved Shalom cardi. With this yarn, I want to make a "throw it on over everything because it's chilly in the house" type of sweater. Again, not married to the Shalom--I've already mentally knit and frogged several sweaters with this yarn.

Now, this one, I am seriously committed to this pattern. It is true love. It is my Mount Everest of cables, and I simply must have it. I also have strong feelings about the color.

You may wonder why I am showing you all this delicious, warm wool just as we're heading into summer? I am challenging myself to knit one sweater between now and September, and I'm inviting you to join me in a knitalong. Just one sweater, with four-plus months to work on it! Do you see a pattern you love? Do you have any suggestions for a different one?

And lest you think I've gone off the deep end with selfish sweater knitting, there is quite a stash that I haven't shown you. I am joining in Kristyn's ADVENTure this year--and I've ordered many skeins for that, too!

This is the first project for the ADVENTure. The nieces and nephews will be getting cowls this year--and maybe some crazy mitts made from all my leftover half-skeins of yarn. There will also be scarves for some of the grown relatives as well. I plan on packing those smaller projects along for car trips and poolside afternoons this summer.

That was a LOT of linky love for a Thursday! So now that I showed you mine, show me your stash. What do you have planned for the needles for this summer, and are you game for a knitalong?

The View Around Here

2011-05-11T08:42:00.000-04:00

This is the view into the family room from my station in front of the stove. I'm here alot--and yesterday I made some changes.

First, I went out back and cut off some lilac to bring in for enjoyment. The carnation you see hiding in there is from Mother's Day.

Then, I went to my newest favorite place--a big antiques barn--and purchased this ironing board. It's the perfect height to use behind the sofa. I am thrilled to be able to add another light in here. We don't use the overhead light, and the two lamps we're using weren't quite enough. The lamp I'm using on this new table is an extra we had at home, and the shade's proportions aren't quite right, so I may tweak this some more, but even as it is, I love it!

And while at the antiques place, I decided to start a collection. These are glass insulators--from telephone or telegraph lines (I'm not really sure). Anyway, once I have these ledges filled with different shades of blue and green, it's going to be very pretty. I don't think Rob loves this development as much as the ironing board/table...but I have a bid in on a purple one on ebay.

All that news was more than enough to make a good blog post, right? But then this morning, there was BREAKING NEWS! Remember "the Smoker" from last week? I was all set to follow Jodi's advice if/when he turned up again, and for the first two days this week, nothing. When I woke up this morning, no car, but as I was taking the butter out of the fridge, I heard a loud crash. I went to the front of the house to discover that our next-door neighbor (a teenage girl) had done this to her car:

when she drove it right into the back of the Smoker's car!

Both kids called their parents to the scene. (Actually I think the neighbor girl just ran home to get her dad.) And the cops were called. Rob went out after they were all done making their reports and learned that the Smoker lives in our neighborhood. I would love to know what he told his parents and the cops what he was doing over here...so for now, I'd guess that he's not going to be stopping by here again any time soon. And if he does, the cops will know exactly who I'm talking about!

More Dishcloth Fun

2011-05-10T08:32:00.000-04:00

After I knit that ballband dishcloth, I discovered this version on ravelry:

Really, who doesn't need a giant pear dishcloth?

On Sunday, we had a lovely Mother's Day picnic and then we went to one of our local parks.

Aliens were spotted!

They looked friendly, so I brought them home with me.

Doin's

2011-05-06T09:30:00.000-04:00

When Caitlin was a baby, she used to say, "what doin'?" (as in, "what are you doing?" or "what is going on?". Really, it was toddler speak for "what up?") Well, we've had a lot of "doin'" this week.

A few days this week, I have opened my bedroom blinds to find this car parked in front of my house.

I believe they are high school students. The high school is just outside our neighborhood, and the driver appears to need a smoke before school. As far as I can tell, it's a cigarette he's smoking...but I'm keeping a close eye on this. I wonder how crazy I would look if I went out to the car in my "housecoat" (as Rob likes to call it) to speak to the young gentlemen...for now, I'll keep trying to get the license plate number.

On the back side of the house, the birds are having a grand old time!

One of these days, I'm going to sit out in the sunroom with my coffee and my bird book and just watch.

Last night, Bobby's Cub Scout den moved up from Tiger to Wolf. The ceremony was nice.

Here he is receiving his Wolf neckerchief and handbook.

While waiting for my last ball of yarn to finish my New York cardigan, I finally knit a ball-band dishcloth. This is perfect for all those random amounts of cotton yarn you have lying around (you know you do).

The colors don't go with a thing in my kitchen, but it's just so fun-looking!

And...that last ball of yarn did arrive in the mail. And now it's done! The New York Cardigan:

(Oh, wait, you need a warning: this is a "stars without makeup" edition.)

So there you have it! I think I started this back in early March. Think of all we've done since then: five soup suppers, two family birthdays, Easter. There was probably snow on the ground when I started this sweater, and now the leaves are back on the trees! The pattern was easy enough, and the yarn was dreamy. I used Classic Elite Classic Silk, and it's so very soft. This is the second sweater I've made using this yarn. (And I'm wearing the other one right now.) It's the perfect weight for spring/summer knitting, so if you need to knit up a little something to wear when you walk down the refrigerated aisles in the grocery store, this is the yarn.

I don't really live in a neighborhood where the moms visit one another over coffee. I think of this space as that neighborhood, and I want to thank you all for stopping in here. I love stopping over at your places, too! I want to wish all you mamas out there a most happy Mother's Day.

A Little At A Time

2011-04-29T09:09:00.000-04:00

The seedlings are coming along nicely--indoors and out. The peas that I planted a few weeks ago now look like something intentionally planted rather than weed sprouts. The lettuce is taking shape, but the rock stars of this year's garden have to be the onions and garlic. It's very gratifying to watch their green shoots grow and grow.

May 15 is our frost-free date, and I'll wait until then to put these in the ground.

On the knitting front, things were moving along slowly-but-surely until today. Today it came to a grinding halt because I had to order another ball of yarn--seems the ball of yarn I ordered a couple of weeks ago wasn't enough to finish.

Here's what I have left to knit:

The second sleeve. I'm almost done, but this is all the yarn I have left:

That is not going to be enough. The front panels are finished and waiting for seaming. I'm so glad I did those first before doing the sleeves.

So hopefully by next weekend I can show you my finished work. In the meantime, dishcloth fever is about to strike around here--gotta keep the needles moving!

Happy weekend to you all!

Happy Easter

2011-04-25T19:33:00.000-04:00

Friday again

2011-04-15T09:47:00.000-04:00

Most mornings, we can see a dove perched on our neighbor's roof. He sits up there and coos. We dig it. Earlier this week, our dove and a friend stopped by our pond. Can you find them?

We haven't turned on the pump yet, so we're not getting the zen-like sounds of gently flowing water. Soon.

The indoor seeds are sprouting (along with a little mold, it appears). I also fed our houseplants for the first time in ... ever? I can't remember giving them any food. I'm halfway expecting the houseplants to turn back flips! I'll let you know if that happens.

And the first baseball game is scheduled for tomorrow--but so is an 80% chance of rain. In case of a rainout, I have plenty of reading material to see me through.

Happy weekend!

Improved

2011-04-11T08:41:00.000-04:00

{Big exhale} That's much better.

Boy, Friday was a downer, wasn't it? I decided that I couldn't wait for the weather to improve to cheer me up, so Caitlin and I went in search of our own cheer. We had a nice long trip to the grocery store where we bought ice cream and lots of fixin's for sundaes. I think we all had some ice cream Friday night.

And Saturday! Well, I think you could hear everyone in the county tear off their coats, run outside and raise their arms to the sky and shout, "finally!" A much-needed day of sunshine and warmth. Oh, it did wonders for the spirit. I finally made it outside to the garden. We added in some fresh organic soil and put in some seeds.

Yesterday Bobby participated in the Pinewood Derby regionals. He did well--even came home with a small trophy. I think Rob is already planning next year's car.

Tonight is one of those crazy nights--Caitlin has dance from 4:30 to 5:30, and Bobby has baseball practice at 6. I have a meeting at 7:30. I'm planning on spaghetti and meatballs. But as I typed this out, I saw that we don't really have a window of time to sit down and eat together (somehow I was thinking there was more than a half-hour of time between activities--Bobby will be practically jumping out of one car and into another). I think I'll make the meal early this afternoon, and then serve it in shifts--or I'll bring Bobby's dinner to dance! We'll just make it up as we go!

This week I'll try to take more pictures of my New York cardigan. It's still in progress, but now I can see light at the end of the tunnel!

I wish you all a happy Monday!

Ten Things

2011-04-08T10:21:00.000-04:00

It's Friday again, and I'm wondering if I can come up with ten things...it seems the delayed Spring is affecting my mood. Here goes:

1. I feel like I've been in a creative funk. Or rather, I am working on some things, but I feel like completing them is taking forever, or there are so many things I want to make, but I have limited time, I don't know. It's sort of a rushed feeling--or a not-enough-time feeling--does that make sense?

2. In general, I'm battling an overall crabby mood (mine) around the house. And I feel like I'm nagging myself. And nobody responds well to nagging. I think it's time to give myself some grace.

3. Remember these pillows that I recovered recently? Well, even all prettied up, they're still a thorn in my side because I'm still finding them all over the floor. I am seriously contemplating following Larissa's lead and pitching them. And I may also pare down the blanket collection in the family room too for the same reason.

4. Caitlin was sent home from school yesterday with a temperature of 101.5, so she's home again today. I was on my way to Lowe's yesterday to buy garden soil so I could finally get started on our veggies when I got the call from the nurse. I may take her over there today, but it's supposed to rain today...maybe I'll just do it tomorrow when the weather is supposed to improve. Sigh. Delayed gratification can be difficult.

5. We have one more Lenten supper to go. This Wednesday night is a special night at our church. It is the actual anniversary date of our church's founding--150 years! I'm looking forward to the celebration, but I will also be very glad to have this year's suppers behind me.

6. We are planning our summer vacation already. It looks like we're going to take a road trip to Niagara Falls and then over to Toronto. This means passports for the kids. Would you believe I have an appointment at the post office for the kids' passports for 8:30 on a Saturday morning? I don't even want to think about how early that is! I don't know the last time all five of us rolled out to be anywhere by 8:30 in the morning.

7. Kristyn left a great comment last week about dinner recipes to help get through baseball season. It's a great one to think over. Right now, I'm stumped! All of Bobby's weeknight games are scheduled for 6:00, and he probably has to be at the field by 5:45 at the latest. I want the kids (and the adults, if we can) to eat before the game. Eating dinner at 8:00 on a school night is not conducive to a peaceful bedtime. So, that leaves us eating dinner around 5:00, 5:15 at the latest. I'll let you know what we come up with.

8. I have not been taking pictures. Maybe looking through the camera will help me see things in a more positive light. Pulling up some of these old pictures has been a treat. See how stinkin' cute Bobby was?

9. Hey--I'm all the way to nine! That's kind of a cheat, isn't it?

10. I'm going to take a deep breath and go plan something fun for all of us for tonight.

April (Or, everyone say, "Hi, Mike!")

2011-04-01T09:19:00.000-04:00

It was T.S. Eliot who wrote that "April is the cruelest month..." I know, because I looked it up. It's the first thought I had when I looked out the window this morning. Here, have a look out my window:

Not so promising, is it? The kids have a half-day today. This afternoon, we're going to the movies.

Bobby's baseball schedule has been published, so we're looking at a whole lotta crazy for the next couple of months, because it's not just two ball games a week, it's also dance picture day, dance dress rehearsal day, cub scout field trips, two cub scout meetings that we have to run, spring strings concert, spring chorus concert, et cetera, et cetera.

What's with the "Hi, Mike!"? He's my brother. He requested more frequent blog posts. So there you have it. I'm all about customer service.

And just because Mike loves the Phillies so much--here's Rob and Cliff Lee on Wednesday night.

Bobby has been pulling teeth like it's his job. He also just asks us for the money--he can't be bothered by any Tooth Fairy middleman.

Even though the weather looks like winter, the ants know it's spring, because they've resumed their annual assault on my house. I won't say any more on that topic. Unless you have any advice--I'll take advice!

And that's a wrap for this week! I hope you are able to find some signs of spring wherever you are!

All over the place

2011-03-24T08:41:00.000-04:00

I really admire those of you who can continue to post regularly through life's busy seasons. Even though I may not post for a while, rest assured I'm still reading--even if I don't comment. When life gets crazy, something has to give...so we've been busy. The birthday weekend was full of just about everything. There was even a parenting lesson that became painfully obvious while watching our now-nine-year-old crash and burn at her birthday dinner. There is such a thing as too much stimulation, even at that age!

The family celebration on Sunday was a low-key affair. The time change really did a number on me this year! Last week I splurged at the local fabric store--I bought a couple of the pricey Echino half-yard cuts and I made a new spring bag:

And another tote-type bag, too. Because I might have some knitting or reading to haul around once baseball season begins.

Last Friday our temperature went up to 70 degrees. We had windows open. The kids wanted to grill dinner. The kids also wanted to get on their bathing suits (I vetoed that one). And yesterday it was snowing. I told Caroline that it was the last snow she'd see for the year. Until this morning, when it was lightly snowing/sleeting/raining again.

This weekend, the boys are going to work on their rockets for the next scout derby. I think I'll be working on the garden. This is my first try at sowing seeds indoors. Wish me luck!

I wish you all a relaxing weekend that is full of whatever you need!

Bathroom Re-do

2011-03-09T22:38:00.000-05:00

It's done! Our downstairs bathroom is done!

This is Before. The walls had a suede finish, and you can see where I tried to paint over the places where the kids pulled the toilet paper holder out of the wall. The little ledges over the toilet have been empty since early January. I used to put seasonal decorations on them, but I didn't really have enough to make it a go year-round. Ditto with the pictures on the wall--they're still from fall. This room needed a freshening up!

So here's a During picture. I primed the walls. This was taken after I was done with the cutting in. I like to paint secret pictures on the walls before I go over them with the roller, besides, it's fun to hide hearts on the walls!

I applied two coats of paint. This room is so tiny (like 5' x 5'), that it really took no time at all to paint. The color is Morning Lake, and I bought it from Lowe's.

And here is the After:

I am trying again with a wall-mounted toilet paper holder. The kids are older now, so I think I can trust them not to rip it out of the wall. And I could go on for days about how much I love the new art on the walls. They're reproductions of old WPA posters, and they were quite affordable.

I am hoping to purchase a small cabinet to put opposite the toilet so that I can keep spare towels and toilet paper in the bathroom. The sink is a pedestal, so there's no storage. Even without a cabinet, I love it!

Now it's time to start getting ready for the parties--I have to start baking cupcakes and cleaning this house! At least I don't have to worry about the bathroom!

Evans Family March Madness

2011-03-07T08:49:00.000-05:00

It's here--Evans Family March Madness! This Friday is Rob's birthday, and Saturday is Caitlin's birthday. There is a Father-Daughter dance on Friday night (this year it's a luau theme), a birthday party at our house on Saturday afternoon, and a large family celebration here on Sunday, complete with turkey dinner!

Last weekend we went to an outlet mall. I bought a new salt pig!

I'm also going to paint our downstairs bathroom this week. It's all good. I should add that it's a very small room--like 5' by 5'--so I'm confident I can finish this in a couple of days.

Ordering supplies for Caitlin's party was the perfect excuse to finally buy this baker's twine.

In knitting news, I have set the Tomten on the back burner for now. I had Bobby try it on to check the sleeve length (I was maybe three-quarters done on one sleeve) and we discovered that the decreases as written were making the sleeve way too skinny. Bobby wasn't exactly jumping up and down for me to finish it immediately, so I pulled out some of my yarn stash and got to work on a springy knit for me. I have really started to love purple in the last year or so--I don't think I'll be painting any walls purple, but it's great to wear.

My new knit--the New York cardigan.

Next week marks the first of five soup suppers at church. I am in charge of the committee that oversees those, so the next five weeks will fly by. For our first supper, I'm going to make the broccoli soup recipe from Apples for Jam. It's easy, and Bobby even requested it!

On Sunday, we went to the 11:00 service, so I had time to make a Spanish omelet for breakfast.

So there's what I'm up to this week. Maybe if we're lucky, I can post some before and after bathroom shots later this week. I am really excited about it.

Quick Makeover

2011-02-25T14:25:00.000-05:00

We have a huge brown couch. It's huge. It's brown. We really didn't give as much thought to the couch buying process as we should have. Mostly we were concerned with whether it would fit in the room. I think we went with brown because it would hide stains. I don't really remember. But there it is. Brown. With all these brown throw pillows. And a few red ones that I bought a few years ago in an effort to jazz things up.

Last Friday I went to Jo-ann's and went to town in the home dec section. (I had a really great coupon.) By Saturday afternoon, my favorite corner of the couch looked like this:

Much better.

And I've been sitting in my favorite corner of the couch quietly working on a Tomten for my little man.

Valentine Recap

2011-02-16T08:54:00.000-05:00

I finished Libby on Saturday night. Whew. And she loves it! It's a little wide across the shoulders, but the sleeves are the perfect length, and it's just beautiful on her.

The bands around the cuffs are reversed from the band around the bottom of the sweater. That is because I was about to run out of the dark blue, so I switched it up. I think it makes it fun.

And here are the legwarmers. Caitlin wore them to dance on Monday afternoon.

As another Valentine surprise, I ordered chalkboard placemats from Leslie. The kids just love them! They have spent every meal so far doodling on them.

On Monday, I purchased flowers for Caitlin's teacher. The place had such great prices that I picked up some for myself, too. I chose springy yellow tulips, because even though most of our front yard is still covered in snow, I just know spring is out there somewhere!

So there was our Valentine's day. This year I went a little overboard, but I think it was the perfect pick-me-up for mid-winter! I hope your Valentine's day was a sweet one.

Already?

2011-02-10T08:29:00.000-05:00

It's almost mid-month already? Time really flies sometimes! We are all well (for the most part--the fifth grader was sent home last Thursday with a fever, but she bounced back). I had a congregational lunch and meeting to prepare for last Sunday, and it went well--and I'm glad to have it behind me!

And I've been working on some Valentine crafting...

The Libby sweater is almost done! I still have to sew in the sleeves and find buttons. Why is it that finding buttons is so difficult? And I finally started a tomten sweater/jacket for Bobby. I hope he likes it. It's all garter stitch, so I'll probably be ready for some cables again once it's finished.

Today I'm going to make some shortbread cookies and pick out some buttons. Sounds like a good day, don't you think? Maybe tomorrow I'll pick up some wine to celebrate a full week of school and no snow!

We're back!

2011-01-26T09:33:00.001-05:00

We were away. Where?

You get one guess...

The Happiest Place on Earth!

Seriously, I don't think these kids stopped smiling the whole time.

After putting it off for years (yes, I confess, I kept putting my husband off about taking this trip), Rob just up and booked the whole thing--flights, hotels, parks, even dinner reservations.

I'm so glad he did. Did you ever experience something with your kids and you just know that it will be one of those memories they cherish forever? We just had four days of that!

It was even better than I had imagined it would be.

Works in progress

2011-01-19T09:14:00.000-05:00

Time for a little show and tell. I finally finished my Aran mittens. I just love the design. I learned quite a bit about following a chart--namely to color code the various cables. Life was so much easier after I color-coded the chart! I started the first mitten...back in September, I think? And then they went into hibernation.

My only gripe? They're HUGE! Like, super-large man-hands huge! I'm considering felting them ever-so-slightly (is that even possible?), or just putting them into the closet until inspiration strikes.

On to other hibernating projects: these are legwarmers for Caitlin. They were supposed to be a birthday present. Last March. I have brought these back out, and they're going to be a Valentine's present.

And here's Libby. Back and Left Front done. Working on the Right Front. Also a Valentine's present.

Hey, I made a hat--back in October? It's for Caroline. I haven't given it to her yet because it's suppose to coordinate with some mittens.

These mittens. The first stranded knitting projects I worked on. In August or September! They're done--but the ends are not woven in yet.

See all these ends? This is a Kristin Nicholas pattern, and that woman is not at all afraid of weaving in loose ends. It's ridiculous how many loose ends there are on one mitten! That is why these lovelies are still in the knitting bag. Maybe by Valentine's Day...

And for two out of three of my kids, that should be more than enough homemade love for Valentine's Day. I'm feeling guilty about my little man, though. Especially since he has ASKED me to knit him something! (Actually, he wants me to teach him to knit so we can make it together--isn't he the cutest thing ever? ) I have wanted to make him a Tomten jacket for a while, but I don't think I could get it done in time. Maybe I'll take him yarn shopping and let him choose the color. He can be surprisingly picky at times--and after I've knit the thing up is not the time for picky.

So that's me right now: knitting up yarn that has been lingering. Next up: girl scout cookie season. See you all in a week.

First sweater of 2011: Lia

2011-01-10T08:54:00.000-05:00

So, it's done. Here's Lia.

Five skeins of bulky yarn.

Size 11 needles. Knit from the bottom up.

I'm pretty happy.

Derby Surprise

2011-01-07T08:46:00.000-05:00

Last night was the Pinewood Derby for Bobby's Cub Scout Pack. Rob and Bobby have been working hard over the past few weeks to create the car. There were many trips to the hobby shop and the hardware store. Books were checked out from the library. Many coats of paint were applied.

After I almost sent the precious car crashing into the refrigerator, I was banned from touching it. When we arrived last night, Rob was getting tips from other dads (like glue the axels or they'll pop out during the races) and adding weights. When he wasn't camped out in front of a scale, he was applying more graphite powder to the wheels. This was serious business.

The boys just ran around the cafeteria. Until race time. Then all eyes were on the track. That super-shiny black car on the right is Bobby's.

It was also pretty fast. Bobby placed second among the Tiger Cubs, and third place overall!

Rob is already planning next year's car.

Congrats to the Evans men!

A new year!

2011-01-03T09:11:00.000-05:00

Happy new year to you! This year, I'm going to give the 365 project another try--last year I took 250 pictures. Not even close, really, but a broken camera mid-year will do that! I'm going to shake it off and keep on going.

Here's how my "tube top" is looking now. I have one sleeve completed, and I started the second sleeve a couple of nights ago. This sweater is knit on size 11 needles, and my hands really do not like working with needles that big, so I'm giving myself permission to take it slow.

I wanted to thank you all for the encouragement and compliments on the hats and mittens that I made for Christmas. Getting positive feedback during that process really kept me going! And if you're thinking about trying stranded knitting, my advice is just jump in! Mistakes can always be frogged--but you'll never know unless you try. Start small--I think hats are easier than mittens. Kristin Nicholas has some beginner projects in at least two of her books (whose names are escaping me right now). I do not knit with both hands--it's recommended that you learn to carry a color in each hand, but I think that's more hard-core than I need to be. [For the record, I am a left-handed "picker."] I alternate the colors of yarn in the same hand, and occasionally I have to stop and un-twist the skeins, but it's not the end of the world. As much as I enjoyed the end result, I am ready to put stranded knitting on the back-burner for now.

As I think about this year's knitting projects, I am firmly in the grips of a cable obsession! As of now, my next couple of planned projects involve cables. And now that Christmas is behind us, I am thinking of Valentine's Day and red and white material...

Happy, happy

2010-12-30T16:04:00.000-05:00

Christmas 2010 is now in the books. This room is a complete mess now.

Here they go, ready to attack some wrapping paper.

All the nieces and nephews wearing their handmade goodies.

We really didn't get all that much snow. Once the winds kicked up, most of the snow blew off our lawn and across the street. Not fun for sledding, but pretty to look at.

I started a sweater. After I tried this on, I decided to frog it. It puckered at the raglan increases, and I could tell I was going to have big holes in the armpits when I started the sleeves. The beauty of knitting is that I can stop mid-sweater and undo it!

See, I decided to make a cabled tube top instead!

And the paperwhites are blooming!

I wish you all a very happy new year. See you in 2011.

Catch up

2010-12-17T17:23:00.000-05:00

Hey there. What's the quickest, most fun way to catch up? Pictures, of course! Here we go!

The Next-to-last set! For my 16 year old nephew. I wish you could see the hat in person. So much texture going on--cables, seed stitch. I may make one for myself. And those mitts. Simple and fun.

The "keeping it real" department. Laundry is threatening to take over--but really, when is it not about to take over--it's always just in different stages: dirty, clean but not folded, folded but not put away... you get the picture.

We tried hanging this pine garland outside. The command adhesive hooks did not want to cooperate (I wouldn't want to hang out in twenty degrees, either.), so it came inside. Looks festive, don't you think?

Hey--this is the last pair of mittens!!! The first one is done (except the thumb), and I'm on the second one. Please, do not let me take on four sets of stranded hats and mittens again. It nearly did me in this year.

This is where I like to spend my afternoons. At one-thirty or two, this is the warmest place in the house. If I had a cat, this would be the cat's favorite place.

This morning, I played with sugar and dough. Always fun.

Then I packed these up and went to the post office. Less fun, but now it's done!

And then I started cutting some fabric. I figure if I cut some now, I can take my time and have it ready for next Christmas!

And that's what I'm doing in between class parties and dance lessons and Girl Scout meetings. Rob is off all next week, so my computer time will be limited...but I'll try to pop back in here at least one more time.

Show and Tell

2010-12-06T14:45:00.000-05:00

I think this season is going to be one of our more relaxed ones. We put up our tree over the weekend. That's a couple of weeks earlier than we usually do it, but I think it will be nice to be able to enjoy it for the month.

Knitting by the fireplace is always nice. This winter I want to make an effort to spend more time by the fire.

And yes, you can knit a sweater in a week! I still have to weave in the ends and block it--on this version, the neck is not laying right. I'm hoping some aggressive blocking will help that. Now I can get back to knitting the last three gifts.

It's here!

2010-12-03T10:02:00.000-05:00

Well, that was quick! Yesterday afternoon, Bobby opened the front door, and guess what was sandwiched in between the front door and the storm door? The new camera! Woo hoo! Break out the batteries!

Let's view the celebration!

I caught him off-guard!

Quick shot of the Advent calendar.

Caroline was ready for her close-up.

And here are Sarah's mittens. Aren't they cute?

The littles were trying to stage a shot. Caitlin wanted me to capture the cotton balls falling from her hand like snow. I tried explaining that mama has to read the manual first. And the headband? Well, today is Eighties Day at school, so I had to go to Claire's in search of some early-Madonna gear. And they had it.

And here's how I spent my birthday money. A box of goodness from Webs.

The Post with the lousy pictures

2010-12-01T08:54:00.000-05:00

As I type this, the lovely people from Amazon have promised me that my (our) new camera (that shoots movies) is on its way to our house. I *think* we're calling it an early Christmas present for me/us even though I was prepared to part with my birthday money to make it happen. And it's "early" because there's no way I'm going to limp along with awful pictures when I know there's a new camera in the house. Whew. Deep breath. So this will hopefully be the last post with lousy pictures!

Right before Thanksgiving, I finished this hat for my nephew. He's a Steelers fan.

I also finished the pink and white mittens for my niece, but Blogger has rejected that picture. It was a very poor picture, so I don't blame Blogger!

Here's how our Thanksgiving looked: a little blurry and a lot of fun. We even had huge, beautiful snowflakes falling for a couple of hours in the morning.

Dad brought his top hat. Somehow this is a thing now.

And after dinner, there was a lively game of Blokus.

I am slowly bringing out the Christmas decorations. Our outdoor lights are done. Would you believe that I forgot to put up the Advent calendar last night? I hung it as soon as the kids went to school. They can have their Hershey Kisses this afternoon.

And after all my bellyaching about a sweater for myself, I decided to use some of my 17 (!!) skeins of red yarn to knit myself another Francis--this time with long sleeves. Can I just say how much fun it is to knit stockinette (in only one color!) in the round after so many stranded projects? This sweater is literally flying off the needles. And then I'll just have three more little projects to finish for Christmas gifts.

My New Mantra

2010-11-17T09:05:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm a couple of days late, but I'm back. And I don't really have a game plan for all these seasonal crafty projects--just one rule and a new mantra. The rule? Don't start any new projects. The mantra? (With apologies to Alec Baldwin's character in Glengarry Glen Ross) Always Be Knitting.

I finished the second pair of mittens. And the only way to take a picture seems to be with the flash. This picture was taken before I finished the thumb.

I'm working on another pair of mittens (another pair where I had to merge two patterns--so the writing out of the pattern has been time-consuming and there has been some trial-and-error). And I started a hat for one of my nephews. Yes, I started a project, but this one was already planned. I am trying to avoid starting any unplanned gifts. I am also working on Caroline's sweater at night (those secret knitting projects are tough to fit in, I tell you!). I'm almost finished with the back. My sweater? Is on hold (see my one rule above). I'm okay with it. For now.

And as a corollary to "don't start anything new," I decided to find a stopping point on other projects. So these little decorations are done--I finished stuffing them and sewed them closed.

And these unsewn ones will go into storage for another year.

Just this morning I realized that my parents will be arriving here next Tuesday. And while this is super-exciting, that also means that it's time to start preparing the house for guests. I am hosting Thanksgiving again this year, and I am super-tickled about this because it is also my fortieth birthday!

Friday again

2010-11-12T09:26:00.000-05:00

I'm finding that having a camera on the blink just kills my blogging mojo. My 365 project is now going to be more like "283". Oh well. Last week I found a book at the library that was full of red, white and pink Christmas decorations.

I went to Joann's, and for a couple of days this week, my dining room table looked like this:

And this:

And this.

I love that red-and-white homespun in a way that probably isn't normal. . .

Other than that, I've been slowly knitting. And I'm in a funk about my own Christmas sweater. Actually, it was going to be my Birthday sweater, but that is not going to happen. Last January, I bought the pattern for this. In August, I purchased the yarn (it's Deep Red). I was going to knit this sweater for Christmas, maybe my birthday if I finished it early enough. Now I'm running out of time and am looking at other patterns. I truly love this (in much the same way as I love that homespun fabric), but I don't think I'll be able to complete it in time for Christmas. So now I'm contemplating this. And I'm thinking that it could become a Valentine's project if I really run out of time.

What I need to do is stop taking on new projects! Those Christmas decorations are not finished. The nieces' mittens are not finished. The nephews' hat and mittens are not even started, and I'm contemplating knitting a scarf and a throw blanket as Christmas gifts. Those Christmas lights I started a month ago? I have three of them. Do you see a pattern here? I think I have Seasonal ADD. It's time to get realistic. How about I come back on Monday with a realistic game plan? What are you doing for your holiday crafting? Are you on schedule, or are you (like me) easily distracted?

Hey!

2010-11-01T09:01:00.000-04:00

Did you miss me? I missed last Friday's post! Oh well, nothing like a Monday Five or Six to make up for it!

1. I call this "What is going on with my camera?"

This was taken in my kitchen during the day--it's not super-bright in there. I was checking the white balance and pressing all sorts of exposure compensation buttons. No idea what the problem is. But it does work later in the day (and in lower light).

2. See here--the flash came on, which I don't love (but it was night), and now you can see that I've finished the first mitten for this set!

These mittens...are tough. There are some mistakes. I can live with it. The next one will be better.

3. Here's a completed set! I finally finished the last thumb--and it didn't turn out right because I should have reversed the pattern (not that the book tells you that). Anyway, it's done. These mittens have been so challenging for me. The hats were an absolute breeze, so the difference is surprising.

4. Soccer season is almost over. But we have to get through a tournament first--a "two games in one day" tournament! And there are two days of "two games in one day"!

This picture is of Bobby at a soccer game. He sure looks funny, doesn't he? He's stooped over and reading the first Harry Potter book! Each child is reading a Harry Potter book! They are all so into it, I'm just tickled!

5. I finished that scarf for Hermione just in time. And then Bobby said he wanted a scarf!

Happy First of November!

Friday Five

2010-10-22T08:53:00.000-04:00

1. It's "Celebrate Education Week" over at the elementary school. This means that I've been over there almost every day to play math games with first graders, visit the third grade insect zoo, create an advertisement for one of the thirteen colonies. It's also book fair week, so I got a little Christmas shopping done (Knuffle Bunny Free! I didn't even know this was out. We love, love, love Mo Willems in this house!)

2. I have finished one of my mittens. That top picture shows it without the thumb, but it's done now.

Runs a little large, I'd say. But there is no way I'm re-knitting this, so I'll just have a gorgeous pair of really large mittens (whenever I finish the mate).

3. So here are all of the nieces' hats. They were also running large, so for Sarah's (the pink and white), I took out one of the pattern repeats. It seems to fit all my kiddos' heads just fine, so I think it'll work for her.

4. Kristyn had a good idea--that I should finish up the sets instead of starting the nephews' hats. She's right, I will feel so much better when I have some complete gift sets to admire.

I had been dragging my feet on this because the mitten patterns I'm using are all adult sizes--way too large for an eleven-year-old. I tried using the pattern as written, but it was huge on me. I had to cut it way down, as you can see.

Now that the first one is done, the second one should be a breeze! I know I'm going to have to adapt Sarah's mittens, but I'm hoping that for Alexis (she's 14), I can just use the pattern as written and just knit with smaller needles.

5. Harry Potter robes are done, now I'm racing the clock to knit up a Gryffindor scarf for Caroline. It's really going quickly because I'm using ginormous yarn and size 13 needles. My only concern is that I will run out of yarn before it's long enough!

Tonight we're going on a spooky hayride with the Boy Scouts. I hope it's not too spooky--some of my littles are not into extreme spookiness. I also hope it's not too chilly. It may be time to dig out some hats and mittens. Happy weekend to you all!

Friday Five

2010-10-15T08:42:00.000-04:00

1. I have a new blog header. No really, I have a new picture all ready to go over on flickr. But when I try to add it over here, I get an "invalid url" message from Blogger. Sigh.

2. A couple of weeks ago, I bought this giant jar for cookies. So much better than ziploc bags, don't you think? And now there are only two cookies left in the jar...

3. This week, I brought out the sewing machine for the first time in a long while. I made this table runner and some napkins. We used them last night. I had been wanting to make a table runner. It was a good warmup for the sewing machine--I have two Hogwarts robes to make before the 31st.

4. This is the third hat. I did take a picture of the second hat, but I managed to not upload it...it's done, I promise, and it's super cute, too. Now, do I make hats for the nephews, or get started on the nieces' mittens? Or do I chuck it all to make two Gryffindor scarves? This homemade Halloween costumes thing is becoming time consuming!

5. I don't really have anything else to add, but "Friday Four" just wasn't as exciting as "Friday Five." I'll be back next week--hopefully with some finished mittens to show you!

Friday Five

2010-10-08T09:21:00.000-04:00

Hey, there! Another week gone by, another three or four quizzes I've had to study for...seriously, my children's schoolwork has been killing me this year. I don't remember my parents having to be so involved in my daily homework. They never had to sign my "homework assignment book", they never had to sign a daily reading log. Frankly, I've had it up to here with the signing for the nightly reading. It irks me to no end. But I'm trying to keep this a happy place, so let's just disregard my mini-rant, shall we?

Let's move on to what may become a weekly series (if only because five pictures and short comments may be all I can manage for the time being): the Friday Five!

1. My new favorite cookbook! Mad Hungry by Lucinda Scala Quinn. Eren at This Vintage Chica recommended it. I borrowed it from the library, and after a couple of successful meals, I went out and bought my own copy. I am very happy with my purchase.

2. The first Christmas hat is done. The second one will be finished today. Mittens...are going to take much longer. At least, my Aran mittens are. They are a very slow go!

3. Last weekend, I broke out the beer and brats. It's one of the things I love about fall.

4. Because Fair Isle knitting doesn't travel well, and because there are at least three lessons a week that I have to sit through, I needed some portable knitting. Enter the Christmas lights. I can make one per lesson. Hopefully by December, I'll have enough to string together on a small garland. And the beauty of this is, I can add some each year.

5. Baseball playoffs are here! The whole town was already excited, and then Roy Halladay threw a no-hitter on Wednesday night. People are out of their minds excited now. It is so much fun.

I wish you a happy weekend filled with fall fun! See you next week!

Yarn love

2010-10-01T09:55:00.000-04:00

This week, I went to a yarn shop to purchase yarn for Christmas gifts. I was going to call it "my favorite" yarn shop, but let's be honest--they're all my favorites! Actually, this store is fairly close to civilization (one of my other favorites is way out in the country--a pretty drive, but not useful if I'm trying to fit it in with other errands), and it has a large selection of Plymouth Galway and Brown Sheep yarns. You know, basic worsted wools that are reasonably priced.

This time around, I was looking for yarn for my nieces (I have three). I'm making them each mittens and a hat. I also want to make a Libby sweater for Caroline for Christmas, so I also purchased yarn for that. And I hope to have enough yarn leftover from the hats and mittens to use as the contrast colors for the sweater.

In addition to all these gifts, I am also tackling these Aran mittens for myself. It's a learning experience!

I just love having a multitude of knitting projects to work on!

2010-09-24T14:14:00.000-04:00

I am back. It was...awesome, much-needed, extreme relaxation.

We talked, and talked, and laughed, and talked some more. We did not walk on the beach. We did not go shopping. We did not watch any movies. We didn't even turn on the TV. (I didn't bring any knitting.) It was exactly what I needed.

Well, we did go to the grocery store. (We needed some ice cream.)

I don't know if this selection is a "down South" thing--I'll have to check the magazine rack at Wegman's next time.

We tried (not entirely successfully) to keep our cell phones away. We even gave them lounge chairs.

And now, with some fantastic late-summer memories to savor, I can move ahead into this next season.

Scattered

2010-09-13T09:15:00.000-04:00

Hey, there. It's me. Hopefully next fall I'll remember that the kids are not the only ones who have trouble transitioning into new routines.

I've been spinning my wheels. Not really sure of what I want to do, and as a result, not doing much!

Six hours of kid-free time sure sounds like a lot (and it is), but I sure can fritter it away without much to show for it.

I miss being here.

This Thursday, I am getting on a plane by myself. I will be picked up at the airport by one of my oldest friends, and she and I (to borrow from Brad Paisley) are going to drive until the map turns blue. Where we will meet up with a couple more friends. And we're gonna sit in the sand and just be.

And when I come home on Monday, I'm going to be so very happy to see my little ones again. I know that just a little time and distance will be just the thing to get me out of this funk.

First day

2010-08-30T12:56:00.000-04:00

Wow, that was a short summer. This morning I sent all three of them off to school.

Show me what grade you're in.

The fifth grader was too cool to walk to school with her mom. She went with her friends. I was slightly disappointed. Fortunately, her classroom is right next door to Caitlin's, so I was able to see her before she went in.

Gotcha! I snapped her pic in the hallway.

And this is my first day with all three kids gone for the whole day. A new stage has begun.

Funny

2010-08-27T08:04:00.000-04:00

I mentioned in my last post that the weather has been slightly cooler. I find myself wondering at how the slightly cooler temperatures and the noticeably shorter days are making me want to turn the page on summer and rush headlong into fall.

I know there's still a good bit of summer left. Ironically, the temps are projected to be back in the nineties for the first day of school. I still hope to get in at least two more sauce-making sessions with my tomatoes.

But I have all these leftover balls of yarn and a crazy hankering to try something new.

What are your plans for late summer/fall? Are you trying anything new?

I'm back

2010-08-23T08:49:00.000-04:00

Not that I've really been anywhere. Our computer finally gave out last week, and now I'm posting this from our new, so-much-faster computer. I no longer have to use the basic uploader on flickr, so I'm excited. I have been up to a few things.

The Grange fair was this past weekend. I pre-registered a few weeks ago. I ended up entering in nine different categories (last year I only entered one).

I made this quilt to go in our bedroom. It didn't win anything. I had a lot of blank unquilted space that just didn't look right, and they called me on it. Now I have something to work toward for next year. Oh, but you should have seen the winners! They were magnificent!

Participant. This is totally what I was expecting.

But, hey, look! Maybe making (and eating) all those chocolate cakes over the last month-and-a-half really paid off!

And wow! Way to go, February Lady! (Although Caitlin was disappointed that her birthday sweater didn't win a ribbon. She also didn't want to part with it for the week. "What if I need it?" she asked. In August? Not likely)

And if you've ever thought about making Leslie's chocolate chip cookies--you know, her version of the Toll House recipe--I can tell you that it is now officially a prize-winning recipe!

So there you have it--your Grange Fair recap. This week is our last week of summer vacation. And the weather is slightly cooler this week. We are going to rest up and get ready for our big day next Monday.

hey there

2010-08-07T21:04:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we took a trip up to Williamsport, PA.

Our computer is acting up--throwing around words like "fatal error" when we turn it on. So my time around here will (sadly) be limited. On the other hand, it will free up more time for secret birthday knitting projects and for making tomato sauce!

I don't know when or how this computer issue will end...in fantasy land, it would end with a new fancy computer! But in reality, that wasn't exactly in the budget for this month.

See in a week or so!

This week...

2010-07-30T09:47:00.000-04:00

Pleasant surprise: I was able to re-connect with a blog friend. Not-so-pleasant: I have had my patience tested. And tested. I am constantly reminding myself that being the grown-up means acting like the grown-up--not like a bigger kid.

Pleasant: Multiple knitting projects! Not-so: close deadlines (a.k.a. birthdays)

Pleasant: watching the light dance across the front of the house. Not so much: discovering some deferred maintenance that needs to be resolved.

Pleasant: knitting sweater fronts at the same time. Not so much: must pay careful attention; can't travel with this one (but this is what multiple projects are for--one to travel with!)

Pleasant: sunflowers. It's all good around here.

Pleasant: planting broccoli for fall harvest. Not so much: watering them daily

Pleasant: surprises on the memory card when uploading pictures!

We're going away for the weekend--a quick, semi-distant trip. When we get back, it will be August. And school starts August 30. Time for this mama to re-boot the summer and stop all the fighting!

Hello, friends

2010-07-23T21:08:00.000-04:00

Another week gone by. Another heat wave on its way.

A big thanks to SouleMama for inspiring this meal (from Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food). Homemade pasta without a pasta maker will wear out a knitter's wrists!

Look what popped up this week! Time to look up squash recipes.

More sunflowers is always good.

The pole beans are climbing up just about everything.

And the Black-eyed Susans are threatening to take over.

And I'm just so tickled with the zinnias. I'm so glad I sprinkled these seeds around this spring.

See you next week!

Happy Friday

2010-07-16T08:17:00.000-04:00

Friday again? These lazy days of summer are just blending together, aren't they?

Things are blooming.

Recipes are being tried. This one was good, but it's not "the one." Nobody minds much.

And the knitting is slow, but there is knitting nonetheless!

Hot!

2010-07-08T07:44:00.000-04:00

It is too hot to play outside. Unless you're in the pool.

I am waiting on my vegetables.

I am poring over the 4-H fair guide. I think I will be entering in many more categories this year.

I'm thinking about entering the cake contest. This means I'll need to practice.

And...this is my 400th post!

Summer

2010-07-01T08:45:00.000-04:00

Lots of growing and making. And some ice cream eating, too!

Businessperson's Special

2010-06-24T19:08:00.000-04:00

When we went to the beach on Tuesday, I came home with a head of garlic, seventeen farm-fresh eggs, and four tickets and a parking pass to today's Phillies game. I made out like a bandit!

Seems my brother-in-law had been given the tickets, and he couldn't go to the game.

I told my comfort zone that I'd be back next week--I had seats behind the dugout, and I couldn't pass up this opportunity.

Caroline stayed in New Jersey to visit with her cousins, so I took Caitlin and Bobby today.

Some of it was about what you'd expect when you take young children to a baseball game and it's about 100 degrees.

Some of it was freakin' awesome--we were in Row 19 behind the Indians' dugout. We left after the sixth inning--and the score was 12--2 Phillies, so we got to see a lot of action. Charlie Manuel (the Phillies' manager) was ejected in the second inning, so that brought additional excitement.

The severe thunderstorm on the drive home was scary for some of my companions. The temperature dropped 25 degrees. I really didn't mind going 35 on the interstate (more in my comfort zone than going 70 in pouring rain).

I am a salty, sweaty mess. I am so looking forward to a shower, but the kids and I had a blast. It's been a pretty good first week of summer. Maybe my Comfort Zone and I are going to have a sit-down soon--it may be time to renegotiate the terms.

Beach Day

2010-06-22T22:15:00.000-04:00

Today I did something pretty out of character for me. I packed up the kids and drove them an hour away to the beach.

We met my mother-in-law and one of my sisters-in-law and three cousins.

The kids said this was the best day ever.

I'll definitely be doing this again.

And hopefully, I'll get to do a little more knitting than this!

Last day

2010-06-18T08:45:00.000-04:00

"The days are long;

the years are short."

It's especially true

on the last day of school.

Emmaline

2010-06-15T09:06:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, I knit Emmaline.

I used Nature's Choice Organic Cotton in Dusty Blue. I think it's almost the same color as my dining room. Really, if everything were dusty blue, I wouldn't complain. The label on this yarn claims that it's a worsted weight, but it was pretty much right on gauge (I made sure to knit loosely).

Did I mention this only took about a week?

I'm still toying with the idea of adding single crochet around the neckline to firm it up a bit, but in the meantime, I'm just enjoying it.

New Season, New Rhythm

2010-06-09T13:14:00.000-04:00

The kids are in school until next Friday, but they have already shifted into summer mode. There really isn't any more homework, so they come home from school long enough to say, "hi!" and then they're off to friends' houses until dinnertime. All extracurricular activities have ended for the year, so we really don't have to be anywhere. I really like it.

Most nights after supper, Rob and I walk outside to view our "garden." I think that growing our own food is pretty much magical. It starts out as a tiny seed, and a few weeks later, you pluck it and eat it!

I have been thinking about this space and how I spend my time...and I think I may be taking on a summer schedule where I post maybe once or twice a week. Or maybe just picture posts. I have re-joined the gym (yay!), so my mornings are going to include a lot more downward-facing dog and less google reader. Rob has started a new job (another big yay!), so this summer we will be easing ourselves into whatever routine his job is going to require. As my yoga teacher says, "flexible bodies, flexible minds!"

We'll be working on our flexibility. We'll also be working on that garden--I just love watching the tomatoes grow. Delayed gratification at its best! We'll be at the library often. We'll probably be at the pool, too. I'll keep a pitcher of lemonade in the fridge for when you stop by...

Almost there

2010-06-03T06:33:00.000-04:00

They own a gym.

Hey, strangers! The kids have twelve more days of school. We are truly almost there--to those lazy days of summer. They are signed up for a week of VBS in July and that's it. Frankly, I'm looking forward to it. For now, the crazy schedule continues for a few more days...but let me show you where we've been.

Last Saturday, my brother got married! We drove down to Chattanooga to attend the wedding. It is always so nice to visit with extended family. I could go on for days about how much fun we had and about how lovely the wedding was and about how perfectly suited for each other Mike and Katrina are...but let's get to the pictures, shall we?

Here are Ada and Caitlin, the flower girls. They were both super-excited.

And here comes Caroline and Katrina's nephew, Michael. Note: Bobby was also in the wedding, but I was not fast enough with the camera for an action shot, nor did we manage to get a family photo on my camera. There were plenty of cameras in action, I just haven't seen anyone else's pictures yet.

The wedding took place at the home of a personal training client of Mike's. She lives on Lookout Mountain, just down the street from Rock City. You can probably see seven states from her deck, too!

I was too scared to go down there! Braver photographers than I did so--these pics are taken from the deck.

2010-05-21T16:43:00.000-04:00

I have been quiet around here. The end-of-the-year calendar has been very full, and life will continue at this crazy pace for a couple more weeks. I have made a few things that I'll show you when life slows down, and you're looking at something that I didn't make but that surprised me in the mailbox today! Thank you, Kristyn!

In the meantime, I'll keep reminding myself to take a deep breath and look around every now and then, and I'll see you all soon.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...

2010-05-10T08:58:00.000-04:00

Saturday we took the kids to their first major league baseball game. It was also my first time at a Phillies' home game.

It was Youth Baseball Day--so loads and loads of little league teams were there. The boys and girls went on a "parade" around the field before the game.

Because we had to be to the stadium so early for the parade, we got to watch the Braves take batting practice. That was fun to watch. For some reason (unknown to us), the Phillies did not take BP that day.

In this picture, Bobby has just realized that the crazy woman madly waving her arms around up in the cheap seats is his mother. I was so tickled!

The hometown heroes weren't able to pull out a win on Saturday, but all the Evanses (is that even a word?) had a great time.

Hey there

2010-05-07T09:07:00.000-04:00

Hmm, another week gone by? You know how it is--spring time is crazy with activities. Baseball games, dance class, dance pictures, birthday parties, et cetera. Throw in some random spring-time illnesses for the kiddies and you've got a whole lot of fun. Most everyone is improving--but now I've reached that point in the allergy season where the Zyrtec just can't do any more for me, so I've been a mouth-breathing, itchy-eyed, snoring (according to Rob) mess the last couple of nights. Tomorrow we're taking the kids to their first Phillies game! I think I am more excited than they are.

This is the only knitting I've done recently. It's the mitered hanging towel from one of the Mason-Dixon books. It's very Fourth of July, I know, but the yarn was on sale. I am going to make some more of these. The towel holder in our downstairs bathroom is kinda high, so when the kids go to dry their hands on the hand towel, they inevitably pull it down and then it just lands on the floor because they're too short to put it back in the towel holder. Not any more! Now this bad boy is firmly attached, so they can dry their hands and move on to the next thing.

The Lily of the Valley are blooming in front of our house. I do just love these sweet little flowers.

Happy Mother's Day to you all!

February Lady Sweater

2010-04-29T08:59:00.000-04:00

Ah, the February Lady...I cast on for this over a year ago. Then I stopped because the color I was using was truly nauseating. Don't knit a sweater that you know you will never wear. Even if, like me, you may have two cones of "apple green" cotton yarn--that actually looked nice and apple-y at the Peaches and Cream website but in real life is more acid-electric-neon green. Save those 1600 yards of cotton for dishcloths.

So I tried again. This time, in a lovely Robin's Egg Blue.

I cast on on March 28. Bound off on April 26. I pretty much only worked on this during the evenings. It kept me company at a couple of dance classes, but I really didn't work on it obsessively.

I think the sleeves are a little longer than I would have liked, but that's okay. I do love the color.

I'm glad I finally made this.

Happiness and Calcium

2010-04-22T09:40:00.000-04:00

Are you scratching your heads at that title? It makes sense over here...Let me start at the beginning.

I first heard about this book, The Happiness Project, over at Salt and Chocolate. Thanks to my awesome library, I picked it up last week. It was a quick read, very entertaining and it gave me lots to think about. The author spent one year working on ways to be happy. Each month she focused on a different aspect of her life (i.e. vitality, marriage, work, parenthood).

So it got me to thinking. I mean, I'm pretty happy and content. I am very blessed--I have a family I love and who loves me back, I don't really want for anything, but, much like the author felt, I feel like I could be actively doing more to promote my own happiness. Perhaps a Happiness Project of my own is in order? I brainstormed yesterday. I used Gretchen's categories as a starting point, and I identified six of her categories that I want to work on in my own life. If I start in May, I will be wrapping up my project in November--when I turn 40. This seems to be a perfect way to conclude my thirties, and a wonderful beginning to the next decade of my life.

We're getting to the calcium, I promise!

In the first month of her happiness project, Gretchen focused on vitality--her goal was to boost energy. She observed that it's easier to feel happier when she feels good; when she was tired, it was all too easy to become cranky and negative. I wholeheartedly agree with this observation.

I decided that boosting energy and feeling good would be a great place for me to start my own project, but I felt strongly that some parts of this should be started right away--why wait another eight days? One of my goals for May (and now) is to find ways to bring my PMS symptoms under control. I feel like my PMS has gotten more severe over the last few years. It's no longer craving some chocolate and feeling a little snippy. I spend at least one day a month--and very often two or three--unable to tolerate anyone. I just blow up at everyone--husband, kids, it doesn't matter. I start my days on edge and every tiny thing pushes me over. I feel awful on the inside; I know that I shouldn't be so nasty--I even hear the little voice in my head telling me that I'm being irrational--and yet I can't stop the tide of nastiness. And then I feel guilty on top of it. It's not pretty. It's time to take action.

I learned a while back that calcium and magnesium are supposed to help with PMS symptoms. I even bought a giant bottle of calcium supplements last year. And occasionally, when I'm in the throes of hormonal misery, I will take one. I mentioned this to my doctor at my last visit, and she told me that the key to the calcium is to take it throughout your cycle--you need it before you need it, so to speak. And then she mentioned something about mega-doses being effective. And I went home and continued to sporadically take the calcium.

Yesterday, I went in search of the latest news on this issue. According to the articles I read, I'm not even close to getting enough calcium and vitamin D. My supplement contains 600mg of calcium and 400 I.U. of vitamin D. One article recommends 1000mg of calcium and 1000-2000 I.U. of vitamin D!

One study dating back to 2005 gave women 1200mg of calcium per day, and they reported some symptom relief. Now, I'm not really a pill-happy person. I prefer to get my vitamins and minerals through the food I eat, but I don't think there are enough hours in the day for me to drink all the milk and eat all the cheese and ice cream I 'd have to to achieve the numbers I need to achieve. Plus, I have this gigantic bottle of pills that is going to expire this summer, and I don't want them to go to waste. If I take two supplements per day, I will be taking in 1200 mg of calcium and 800 I.U. of Vitamin D. So, the first resolution of my happiness project is to take two calcium supplements per day.

In the 2005 study, the women took the supplements for three months, and I believe it took a couple of months before they reported any relief, so I'm not going into this expecting to be all sunshine right from the start. But, just knowing that I can take some action to try to feel better does make me feel better. And now, when my Dad asks me whether I'm lifting weights or taking calcium to stave off osteoporosis (really, it's a conversation we've had!), I can tell him that I am taking my calcium.

So there you have it, the unofficial beginning to my Happiness Project. If the calcium works, we're all going to be happier!

Textured Circle Shrug

2010-04-15T09:14:00.000-04:00

Back in late January, Larissa and I began a knitalong. The pattern: the textured circle shrug. The yarn: Paton's classic merino in wisteria. I had two skeins in my stash, and I was able to pick up two more skeins from the same dye lot. I probably still have most of the fourth skein left.

We decided to add the k1, p1 ribbing to the end of the sleeves; I may have added some additional length to the sleeves as well (I can't find my notes right now). The actual knitting was pretty easy--there was a LOT of k1, p1--both as ribbing and again in the 22 rows of seed stitch. Ah, but I do love the way seed stitch feels. This project took so long to complete because I put it away a couple of times to knit birthday sweaters, etc. It was ready for me to wear on Easter Sunday, so I was happy.

The fit? Well, it doesn't look as body-hugging on me as it does on the model in the pattern. After wearing it for a couple of hours I became aware of the sleeves kinda bunching up and giving that "Michelin Man" look. And since it's a shrug, it did occasionally feel like it was going to fall off my shoulders. But the large collar is pretty--maybe if I had a pin to close it it would look more like the model. (On Easter I was wearing a ruffled shirt, and I didn't want to cover the ruffles.) I do think this will get lots of wear from me. It's a nice grab-something-to-cover-the-shoulders type of covering, and I love this color.

My favorite part of the knitalong? Getting to know Larissa a little better. She and I exchanged frequent emails during our knitting. Her comments are always thoughtful and kind and never fail to bring a smile to my face. I like to think that all those good friendly vibes were knit into the sweater--a happy thing, don't you think?

And I'm already knitting another sweater--this time it's the February Lady Sweater for myself (again).

But if anyone is considering knitting a shawl...

Last year I actually knit two small ones as Mother's Day gifts for my mom and my mother-in-law. It was a learning experience, to put it mildly. I think now I'm ready to try again. I will be purchasing lace needles, because working with lace-weight yarn on blunt bamboo needles nearly put me over the edge. I hope to tackle the fancier version of Elizabeth Zimmermann's Pi Shawl. I don't have yarn or needles yet, so it's not like I'm starting this tomorrow. (Webs is having a sale right now...just in case you didn't know.) Wow, am I enabling, or what?

So let me know...and let's go bug Larissa to show us her beautiful textured circle shrug!

Thoughts for a Tuesday

2010-04-13T09:35:00.000-04:00

I'm still here...trying to dig out from the mess that is Spring Break when the kids are home.

I need and want to Spring Clean, but can't seem to motivate myself to actually start.

The six-year-old Coach's Pitch season begins tonight--if we don't get a rainout.

The next eight Saturdays have something on the schedule--mostly baseball. Which I totally love.

I just spent $65 yesterday for the doctor to tell me that the strange "rash" on Caroline's scalp was indeed the paint that she had spray painted on her head at the spring fair. Three weeks ago. I haven't told Rob yet. That one is going to be embarrassing.

(Of course I have washed her hair since the fair...but you all knew that.)

How in the world did we get to the last reporting period of the school year?

Happy Monday

2010-04-05T08:34:00.000-04:00

Easter Sunday was beautiful--at home and at the Sea Bright public beach!

The girls go back to school on Thursday; Bobby has the whole week off. Normal blogging probably won't resume until next week.