Thursday, November 27, 2008

Thankful

One of my favorite things is this jar-an old peanut butter jar filled with candles. When I was a kid, my mom had candle jars, usually a few purple smuckers jelly jars. When you see one, you know there's going to be something good-birthdays mean cake! When I got my first 1 candle for Butters, I knew exactly where I'd store it for when he would turn 11, and the second one would turn 1 and when I'd be 41!

I'm thankful for birthdays, this year's and next! And that all of us will keep having more of them. And that's why, I've decided that if you give me a present wrapped in Christmas paper this year, I won't get mad, I'll just be happy to have a birthday (and a present, like yarn).

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Books and More



I've been crossing books off my list like crazy recently. Just finished the bottom two in this photo (My Year of Meats by Ozeki and The Ten Year Nap by Wolitzer) both highly recommended. One more chapter in How to Make an American Quilt, which makes me want to put out the quilt my grandmother made. The other ones are fluff, inspiration and something to make me think and get me through the holiday weekend.



We made a pie this weekend, had an amazing family hike where Baby E walked at least half of it (a mile or so), we helped the economy with some Cmas shopping, paid some bills, cleaned a bit and now Butters is sick with a fever but nothing else. Recently, Butters like to say, "Guess what," and make a face, here's one of many!

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Too Big




Okay, Mom, just admit that the jacket you made for me is too big and I promise to wear it next year!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Happy Half Birthday
















When the economy has got you down and the news is depressing and it rains all day and you keep getting more medical bills, find an excuse to have a party and have fun! Butters' half birthday, in 6 months he'll be four. We made half a cake and I even let go of my control issues and let him ice it himself, well... the top... then I smoothed it out, but he did the sprinkles!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Make Everyone Happy

Here's a way to make everyone happy. Updates on the kids and knitting finished projects, all married together.
I finished a pair of socks. This makes FIVE for this year, if you count toddler socks and a pair worked on size 8s! I've already started a new years knitting resolution list-steeks, more lace and modular knitting. You'll notice my stripes don't match as I couldn't figure out where the middle of this yarn was and I just started knitting. At cast on, I didn't care if it matched, I feel a little differently about that now.




Butters story: the valley by our river, where we usually see cows grazing, flooded. It's an organic dairy farm. We walked the river and I showed Butters the flooded valley and he said he thought maybe the cows could drink all the water. The city finished building a bridge at the end of our street that connects to the river trail. In the warm weather we'd walk it a few times a week. At least 2 sometimes 3 miles. If it's not raining, we walk once a week now. Today, he asked me why the sun goes down, where does it go, and could I go and get it and keep it from going down? I told him I didn't have the power to stop the rotation of the earth. He also commented that he can't see himself growing. Those are some powerful observations!
The Dog is 95 lbs, there I told you. I feel awful about it, last year he was about 25 lbs lighter, but I haven't been getting out with him as much, and he eats(ate) too many left overs. No more. I don't need another obese animal. Luna is a 25 lb cat, that's enough animal to go around. This crazy red thing is a cat bed I made from yarn I cut from fleece. I cut one long strand from about 2 yards for fabric and knitted it together using size 35s, which are super big. So big it hurts to knit so I only did a few rows at a time. This was forgotten for a many months and I just finished it off. I'm clearing house.
I'm on a self imposed craft diet, but that didn't stop my friend from sending me yarn in the mail! Happiness is found in a cardboard box! That's Manos, direct from Uruguay, it retails for $12 a skein here, but I'm thinking my friend paid less for it at the source.





The Bog Jacket is done for E, all I had to do was add the buttons. She'll be able to fit this for probably 2 years, the arm length will last for 4 years! I added wAAAAy too many stitches. She's been crabby lately, but all was revealed-4 molars coming in at the same time. After they are through, she'll have 10 teeth. She chatters up a storm: Uhh oooh when she drops something and be be for her baby doll. She kisses people and dolls and dogs and friends all the time. She even makes the sounds, we love it!

Monday, November 10, 2008

Family Update














We are done! Ty has finished his radiation-24 total treatments over 5 1/2 weeks. We've had Grandpa helping us-we couldn't have done it without him. It is very difficult to watch your loved one be in pain and tired and I give a big thumbs up to all the survivor spouses and care takers out there.


I find that we are enjoying life more and not taking it for granted, but at the same time we recognize life is short so you should take advantage of it. Here's an example: I saw a bucket of Nestle tollhouse cookie dough. On one hand-enjoy it, eat away. On the other, live healthy and just say no. Everything in moderation. I didn't buy the dough but I bought a 3 lb bag of chocolate chips, I'll make more chocolate chip bread (peanut butter and even pumpkin) that's my middle ground!


The rest of the family has been very busy also, we had Halloween at my friend's house, she has a good neighborhood for pre-school age treating-sidewalks, no hills, short blocks. We all walked around and had a nice soup dinner with extended family. Butters was a 'rocket rider' (astronaut), and the baby was a bumble bee.

Butters has been telling stories and he remembers everything. I've been teaching him about the seasons and trees-deciduous and evergreen. The other morning he was snuggling me and pushed his hand up my sleeve. He asked is I had a 'gina under my arm. I suppose I've let myself go a bit too much!

Baby E is very expressive. She makes so many different faces and gives long hugs. She enjoys watching life from my hip. She's independent and likes to feed herself and do things by herself. This is the face she makes when she wants to get a kiss!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Yes, I Can

I finished the Bog Jacket for Baby Girl, but I came across a little problem at the neck line.

This is an amazing pattern or 'unpattern' as Elizabeth Zimmerman would say, it's based on clothes found on the bog people, mummified early humans found in Scotland. They had clothes made from one square piece of fabric that is folded and sewn together to make a jacket. Elizabeth figured out how to knit these jackets and how to make them even better. I used scrap yarn at the neck (the blue), which is then opened up and knitted up to make a collar. Unfortunately, I knitted across the waste yarn and would have been left with a big problem.

Instead, I picked up the row below (on the wood needles), had a glass of wine and snipped my yarn. I wove the purple ends back in and worked the live stitches for the collar (in the light purple below).






It worked! The jacket turned out cute; it was good practice, I plan to make one for myself next and know I know how. Unfortunately, I added way too much for the arms and they are long enough for a monkey. I'll try to get the recipient to model it soon.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Can I Let My Breath Out?

It's a mandate! Ha Ha. I'm so tired of losing, it feels so good to finally win. I helped, I volunteered for a few hours today making calls and put in about 5 hours total. This isn't an easy time, but the few moments I had I tried to make this country a better place, this is how Barack inspires people. My faith in We The People is renewed! If you don't believe in Obama, I hope he'll come through for you in the YEARS to come!

Obama makes me feel like this!