December 31, 2005 at 6:25 pm · Filed under blythe, sewing
I feel like I’m back in 7th grade home ec class. Fortunately, I seem to be picking up skillz a lot quicker than I did then, because I can already make bobbins and thread my machine without referring to the manual (much). Here I am making my very first stitches on my very first project: a cover for the machine. It came out rather short, but it covers the important parts. I’m going to add a skirt to the bottom as soon as I figure out how.
Today we made a family trip to Target to look at video games and office supplies. After that, Moon generously offered to accompany me to Jo-Ann Fabrics, where there was rumored to be a big sale on cutting supplies and such. I picked up some clearance fabric for future use, a rotary cutter and self-healing mat (40% off!). Then I hauled my sewing machine up to the kitchen table so I could practice on some leftover fleece squares from the no-sew blankets the kids and I made last month.
Soon I discovered that my little practice pieces were the perfect size for Blythe hats. Angelica was grateful, of course. Hats for everyone!
Naturally, the domestic arts will have a role in my top 10 list for the New Year. Too bad I need to bring income into our family, or I’d just stay home all day and make wonky-looking craft stuff. (Tune in tomorrow for my resolution list!)
December 26, 2005 at 1:43 pm · Filed under family, knit/crochet
One of the final touches on our pile of gifts this year was a pair of crocodile mittens for each of the cousins whose names were drawn by our kids. (At the in-laws’, the adults exchange names, and so do the kids.) The larger pair were for Sister #1’s daughter, and as you can see, she’s old enough not to try to eat googly eyes. The other pair were for Camden, the next-to-youngest cousin.
Before we headed for the in-laws’, however, we had our immediate family gift exchange and various church adventures. Pete still directs a choir at the Catholic church he used to attend, and he was scheduled to do music for the Christmas Eve mass. I decided to sing with the choir at my former church, too. We had tofurky for our mid-day meal, and as soon as the sun set, we piled into the car to go see the lights. (Foxxi included.)
My parents, Brother #2 and his wife drove up last Sunday for holiday festivities, as my parents are visiting Brother #1 in Seattle this week. My mom left a small package for each of us to open on Christmas day. Imagine our surprise when we all received …. underwear. Not just any underwear, either. Mine were white cotton granny panties, a size too large. Moon had the same, but with snazzy multicolored patterns. Peter’s were adult men’s briefs, which I’m sure would have come up to his armpits. Pete’s were two sizes too big (and not his preferred brand).
So basically, my mom gave us the gift of laughter for the holidays. And that’s cool. (Plus, we were able to return the errant undies.)
Our other presents were pretty awesome, though. The kids and Pete gave me a sewing machine and a JBL OnStage for my iPod. Now we can hear my tunes all through the house! We gave Moon a video iPod with 60GB memory. I downloaded all her music into it and bought a few music videos for her from the Apple Store. I think she was surprised. Peter got a PSP, and I’m sure he had it all figured out in advance.
Later, when the 20 of us gathered in my in-laws’ living room for gift exchange, Camden showed us that he knew exactly what to do with his new mittens: dominate them!
Pete, Sister #1 and Sister #4 went outside with some of the kids later and built a snowman. Peter hauled his cousins around on a sled and thoroughly enjoyed himself. I put my feet up and watched them all out the window with Moon by my side. It was lovely.
And it was all over so fast. In a few days, 2005 will be but a memory. Merry Christmas!
December 24, 2005 at 6:43 pm · Filed under blather
Hi, I haven’t been lost at the mall or anything. But 2005 is wrapping up with a vengeance, and there are some things I can’t really write about (i.e. work stuff). It’s been a nutty few weeks.
I’ve got kid stories, too — the thing is, writing about kids over the age of 10 is lots trickier than sharing toddler exploits. Unfortunately, when Peter and Moon were toddlers, I hadn’t yet been tuned in to the glorious wonder of the Internet. I mean, I was online, but my main activity was participating in an OCD listserv. (My favorite post began: “I know I’ve written about this before… but what’s a little repetition among friends?”)
Anyway, it’s Christmas Eve, and not only is the shopping finished, it was DONE YESTERDAY. Pete cooked a bodacious tofurky dinner this morning while I was at the Alliant Energy Center donating blood and regretting having left the camera at home. (Let’s just say it was a very festive bloodletting. Bucky Badger was there!) I’m proudly wearing my “Be Nice to Me, I Gave Blood Today” sticker, because there’s always a chance that the Red Cross folks won’t be able to find my veins, and I was overjoyed that my two hour visit wasn’t for naught.
Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, I hope you’re having a wonderful winter holiday. There’s a lot to celebrate. There always is.
December 15, 2005 at 12:42 pm · Filed under blather
This morning, I drove Peter to the bus stop because he was so sore after slipping and falling on our wet floor yesterday. He somehow managed to go out and roughhouse with neighbor kids afterwards, which justified my firm decision NOT to let him stay home from school.
“If I drop anything today, I won’t be able to pick it up,” he protested. “It’ll just STAY THERE.” Of course, he can always ask a classmate to help him, but I kept my mouth shut and steered him toward the door.
An hour later, when it was time to drive Moon and our neighbor, Brooke, to the high school, the garage door stuck halfway up. I lowered it and tried again. Same thing. I spotted the red release cord hanging from the door, and gave it a tug, which sent the door crashing to the cement with a life-threatening speed.
Thank God my foot wasn’t in the way, or Brooke’s head, or whatever. (Did you know a car backed over my right foot when I was 16? I have a feeling the garage door would have been worse.)
So, about Brooke. Nice girl, loves horses and country music. She and Moon were born two days apart. (Brooke is older.) Oddly enough, her parents were in our Lamaze class. We didn’t really know each other, but we recognized them when we moved into the neighborhood. Probably because her dad looks like young Kris Kringle in the classic “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” the one narrated by Fred Astaire. Bearded redheads tend to stand out in a crowd.
Anyway, we couldn’t get out. The door wouldn’t budge. I called Pete and begged him to borrow a car (he jogs to work) and rescue us. Together we were able to get the door up — the girls and I held it while Pete backed our car out of the garage. First period was finished by the time I dropped the girls off at school, and of course, they were crushed to have missed it. Ha! Ha! They’re probably plotting ways to sabotage other household items, and I should probably keep an eye on Peter and make sure he doesn’t get into the power tools.
December 3, 2005 at 11:35 am · Filed under knit/crochet
But first, I must show you the awesome shoes I bought when I was at the Anew Women’s Expo.
The second I saw them, I knew they must be mine. And buying them made my weekend worthwhile, as I was pretty much stuck in my employer’s exhibit booth there and could not enjoy my usual leisure time activities.
Obviously, I managed to check out the other booths, and I was astounded by the number of exhibitors whose businesses were dedicated to improving women’s looks. Not just makeup and diet clinics, mind you … but hair products, salons, and even plastic surgeons. One booth was offering botox on-site. Get yours today and enjoy a $100 discount!
Pete asked me later, “So … where was the booth where they told people ‘You’re fine just the way you are’?” Not at the Women’s Expo, obviously. Brainwashing works, because I caught myself looking in the mirror in the ladies’ room, wondering whether the creases between my eyebrows made me look old.
Okay, no botox for me, but I do admit the laser hair removal place had its appeal.
Now to feast your eyes on my latest work. My Hogwarts scarves are finished! Notice the lack of Slytherin … I’m tempted to make one just to have a complete set. As you may recall, I started with Ravenclaw (for Moon), followed by Hufflepuff (for Peter, although that’s my house), and finally Gryffindor for Pete.
These scarves make me smile, because they are warm and cozy, and a constant reminder of the goodness that is the Harry Potter series of books and movies. Did I mentioned we saw Goblet of Fire the day it came out? We did. And Moon saw it again two days later. In my opinion, it’s the best movie of the series so far. (And I loved Prisoner of Azkaban, so that’s saying something.) I hope that the deleted scenes include a bit more footage of the World Quidditch Cup, because the tent area was so full of interesting visuals that I wanted to slow it down and check it out more thoroughly. I also enjoyed that the movie makes Neville into a dancing enthusiast (note the bravery of being the first to get up and try — very Gryffindor).
But I digress. Here are two quite uncharacteristic knits that were quick and fun to do:
Yes, fun fur! I normally don’t care a whole lot for the stuff, but the yarn jumped out at me when I was shopping at Michael’s for kids’ art supplies. We picked up a few names from the giving tree at church, and the 9-year-old girl we selected had asked for paint-by-numbers or color-by-numbers stuff. She also wants a Hello Kitty nightgown, so I thought a fuzzy scarf might appeal to her. When I was knitting it, I kept stopping to pet it and check out the color changes of the ribbon that was woven with the eyelash yarn. On the other hand, the bunny was a project I had planned months ago, but never got around to doing. When the scarf was finished, I remember the ball of Moda Dea Aerie that I’d put away with the pattern. He’s stuffed with bits and pieces of leftover yarn that I had been saving in a Ziploc bag, so in a way he’s a talisman for my knitting. He’s got a little dab of all of my projects from the past year inside him.
And hey — I’ve been knitting for a year now! November is my knitiversary.
One more observation: I love my nostepinde. My family gave me a ball winder last Christmas, but I had to return it because I had nowhere to clamp it. All our surfaces were too thick. I wound yarn on my fingers until I discovered the nostepinde — which is inexpensive, completely portable, and does the job. Check out the amazing results!
November 21, 2005 at 4:26 pm · Filed under astrology
Success and good fortune are strongly indicated today, D’. Attendant with them, not surprisingly, is a strong sense of optimism. All sorts of changes and surprises are in store for you. You may receive some information from a business partner that radically changes your short-term plans. A trip may be in order, or you may have a visitor. You accept the change in plans with your usual good humor. You are such a winner, D’!
I’ve been waiting all day for some of that short-term-plan-changing info, but no dice. C’mon, good fortune, I’m right here! Yo!
November 16, 2005 at 11:26 am · Filed under fitness
The way I’ve been feeling the past few days brings back memories of my freshman year of college. Except I haven’t had any alcohol, and I’m still staggering around watching the walls undulate.
After two days (and finally acknowledging some strange little chest pains I’ve been having on and off for weeks), I decided to call Dr. Ann. Whenever anything out of the ordinary starts happening to my body, I immediately think about my thyroid. Maybe my medication is out of whack, and I’m turning hyperthyroid. She didn’t think so, but it had been more than six months since my last blood test. So, off to the lab I went.
I told the technicians that I was a challenging draw. (This is something I’ve learned to do after many missed veins.) After having my right arm poked, they tried my left hand. Then my left forearm. After that, back to my right arm. Then my left arm. Good thing I’m over my fear of needles, eh?
Finally, a technician and a student-in-training walked me over to the adjoining hospital to visit the people who draw blood from preemies. I offered up my heel, but no dice. The technician there found a vein in my right arm, but nothing happened, even when he moved the needle around. He asked me to show him the inside of my left wrist. (!)
After the needle was in, I realized my whole arm was shaking. I apologized, and the technician said, “It’s not you, it’s me. Keeping this going is like holding on to a butterfly wing.”
My thyroid is fine, by the way. I have a viral thing going on that’s causing the dizziness, and my chest pain is a classic case of costochondritis.
But the bruises? They get the sympathy from my kids.
November 11, 2005 at 3:12 pm · Filed under knit/crochet
The Hufflepuff scarf is finis! Peter graciously agree to pose for me. He’s probably more of a Gryffindor (gets in trouble, dislikes rules) but he makes a fine Hufflepuff as well. I used the rest of the scarf yarn to make a short version of Alison’s HiP Scarf. I think I’ll wear it as a headband.
Only one week remains until the Goblet of Fire movie, yay! I started a Gryffindor scarf for Pete. If I manage to finish it in time, we’ll all have something appropriate to wear when standing in line. (We have tickets, but we’ll still stand in line for good seats.)
I also finished my Moebius scarf (I’ve been spelling it incorrectly, I guess). What a fun and quick knit! It was a worthy use of my remaining ball and a half of Noro Kureyon. I also used up a bit of the Lamb’s Pride I had left. Now I know what to do with my odd balls of yarn. The next one I make will be shorter, more like a cowl.
November 9, 2005 at 9:28 am · Filed under family
My mother-in-law’s lumpectomy took place yesterday. They found a golf-ball-sized growth that may or may not be cancer, but the good news is that her lymph nodes were clear. So she’s not going to have chemo, and was given the choice of whether to have radiation. (She’s doing it.)
This is such a relief. I know it’s not over yet, but we’re happy to have such a positive report.
November 8, 2005 at 12:03 pm · Filed under peter
I don’t know how I missed posting about such an auspicious occasion, but Peter has braces now. He did very well in the dentist’s chair, although I suppose he’s had plenty of practice during all these months of preparation.
The cool thing is that the staff actually invokes Peter’s name when they are talking to other kids about following instructions. Can you believe it? He did an awesome job with his appliance. Now it’s a mere souvenir.
November 4, 2005 at 1:34 pm · Filed under knit/crochet
A while back, I bought the book A Treasury of Magical Knitting. It was fascinating, but a little intimidating. I don’t know how many times I read the page about casting on, going through each step in my mind and trying to picture how it would work.
Today, after getting coffee, vacuuming, paying the bills and balancing the checkbook, I decided to finally give it a shot. As the book warned, the first half round is awkward and tricky. But I kept at it, and lo! I have a project on the needles. Not that I didn’t have anything else to work on.
October 31, 2005 at 9:40 pm · Filed under blather
Kim sent this e-greeting, and I thought I’d share it. And that’s about the extent of my Halloween celebration this year. Our neighborhood’s trick-or-treat took place yesterday (Sunday before Halloween, 3-5 p.m.) and neither Moon nor Peter wanted to take part. (It was cold and rainy anyway.) I put together a goodie bag for each of them today, so they wouldn’t suffer sugar withdrawal or anything. I thought I bought a salted nut roll for myself, but the clerk forgot to ring it up. Scary!
October 26, 2005 at 12:02 pm · Filed under family
We’ll start with the baddest bad thing: My wonderful MIL was diagnosed with breast cancer last week. She didn’t want to tell any of us kids, but Sister #3 convinced her that we needed to know. (She’s living with her parents right now, and has the added advantage of being a physicians’ assistant … so when she has an opinion about health stuff, people listen.) Although mom has a admirably positive attitude, she didn’t offer up much information. Sis #3 did some detective work and translated.
The tumor is less than 1 centimeter in size, and it’s considered Stage 1 cancer. (This is a good thing.) After MIL/FIL/Sis#3 return from the cruise they’re taking next week, mom will have a lumpectomy. The fact that the doctors are allowing the trip is another good thing. There will be radiation, but possibly no chemo. However, the tumor is invasive (bad) so we won’t know until after the surgery.
I want to point out here that mom is an active, young-for-her-age kind of gal, with virtually no risk factors that we are aware of. We’re all kind of freaking out in our own special ways, but we also have the comfort of knowing how strong and upbeat she is … which can only be good.
Another good thing: Sister #4’s new baby, Riona (I’ve decided I can’t keep these names to myself anymore), was baptized on Saturday. In the picture at right, which was actually taken the following day, Sis#2’s daughter Ambria is holding her. Who could be sad with all these beautiful children around? My in-laws have nine grandchildren around, which translates into seven nieces/nephews for SpiritMan and I to play with.
On Sunday, we had our fall birthday celebration for Sis#1 and her lovely husband, who were born four weeks apart. Click here to see a photo of Ambria’s 11-month-old brother Camden, who reminds me so much of Turbo at that age that it brings tears to my eyes. (Just imagine brown hair and no upper teeth. Moon was our redhead.)
A minor bad thing: I think I picked up a bug. My nose stuffed up yesterday, and then started running during Moon’s orchestra concert last night. I only slept a few hours before hauling myself out of bed for step aerobics at 6 a.m. So I decided to stay home from work after doing my morning dropoff at the high school. A deep and satisfying 4 additional hours of dream-filled slumber is most definitely a good thing.
October 21, 2005 at 12:11 pm · Filed under knit/crochet, moon (rachel)
Yep, I’ve finished the Ravenclaw POA scarf, and I think Moon is pretty happy with it. She wants to be suitably attired for the opening of the Goblet of Fire movie. We’ll be attempting to get tickets for the first day, since school will be out for conferences. I can’t wait. Over the summer, Friday was typically our movie day — I’ve missed going to the theater with the kids.
Moon re-read the sixth book as a warm-up. I’m reading the first book over again, and my plan is to read the second, third and fourth one before November 18. That might be a bit ambitious, but oh well. (I mean, didn’t most of us read Book 6 in 24 hours or less?)
Now I’m working on a scarf for Peter. At first, he was asking for Slytherin colors … but he thought the better of it and went with Hufflepuff instead. (Maybe he was afraid people would throw stuff at him in the movie theater?) I’m really liking the colors and how the stitches show up in the butterscotch areas. I think I might make one of these for myself with the leftover yarn. Hufflepuff is my house, too, you know.
I really like this photo. It makes all those hours of stockinette worthwhile.
October 12, 2005 at 6:34 pm · Filed under family, peter
Vermont Valley Farm had its annual pumpkin pick on Saturday, so we went and harvested some excellent orange orbs. The cows were quite curious about what all the people were up to.
The fun continued on Sunday, when Pete and I took the kids to see the Wallace & Gromit movie. Weekends rock.
October 10, 2005 at 11:16 am · Filed under mememe!
1. name someone with the same birthday as you.
The late Princess Diana, also Liv Tyler, Dan Ackroyd and Pamela Anderson. Oh, and Canada.
2. where was your first kiss?
I don’t remember, but I remember I wasn’t especially attracted to the guy.
3. have you ever seriously vandalised someone else’s property?
Nope, nothing beyond TPing.
4. have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex?
Just my brothers, and they’re older so it was self-defense.
5. have you ever sung in front of a large number of people?
Yep, I used to sing at weddings.
Read the rest of this entry »
October 10, 2005 at 10:01 am · Filed under knit/crochet
This is the thing that has been occupying my evenings and weekends. I pretty much pick it up every time I sit down in the living room.
The scarf will be around Moon’s neck when we see the new Harry Potter movie in November (notice the colors — Ravenclaw, naturally). I’m predicting that I’ll finish it by next weekend. But my needles won’t have a chance to rest, because I’ll be casting on a Hufflepuff scarf for Peter.
It’s easy stuff, but lots and lots of stitches. Let’s see… 90 stitches per round, times 38 rows per repeat, times 11 repeats so far … 37,620 stiches and growing.
October 8, 2005 at 8:36 am · Filed under family
…but I haven’t been writing about it, and that’s a problem. So many thoughts have been swirling around in my head, I can hardly put them in any coherent order. The other thing is that a lot of my concentration has been devoted to parenting stuff lately. How does one write about those things when the kids being parented are old enough to care about what’s being written? It was a lot easier when the issues had to do with sleeping, eating and bowel movements. And fussing.
Well, they still fuss sometimes, but it’s different now. More heart-rending. Truth be told, the older the kids get, the more intense the emotional stuff gets, too. We have more fun. They make me laugh harder. Our conversations are even more interesting. It makes sense that their worries are more worrisome, and their hurts are more painful.
There’s other stuff going on, but I want to take pictures. (That, my friends, can mean only two things. Knitting. Nature.) Stay tuned.
September 30, 2005 at 3:52 pm · Filed under knit/crochet
I’m testing out my cool new WordPressDash widget. It’s a beautiful day outside, and I spent a few highly enjoyable hours with Nichole and Kari at Lakeside Fibers. I think it’s the first time I’ve gotten together with anyone expressly for knitting (crocheting, in Nichole’s case). Lakeside just added a coffee bar, and it was lovely to sit outside with a mug and my knitting.
This is exactly why I so love having Fridays off work.
September 24, 2005 at 8:40 pm · Filed under animals, foxxi
The doggie is fine. We refrained from feeding her until evening, and then gave her about half her usual meal. No treats today, just kibble. This morning she was barking and eager to go on her walkies, so we cancelled the vet appointment.
I don’t think I mentioned that I broke our front window blinds yesterday, right before I drove Peter to school as a result of him missing the bus. Nothing like a day off work for cleaning messes, breaking things and driving kids around. Today I helped Pete install Roman shades, one for each of the three window panels. The 93″-wide blinds had been my idea, and I’m finally willing to admit it wasn’t my best thinking.
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