Amy's Shower

Last Saturday, we had my niece's shower. Amy is getting married for the first time on June 27. We had great fun planning the shower and, while some people didn't bother to RSVP and I was a little disappointed in those who hadn't bothered to show up or call, I decided it was their loss. We had a great time. AND lots of food. We had made chicken salad on croissants and fruit salad. My sisters and I all made pastries and rather than having a cake, we put plates of pastries out on each table.

Here are some of the pics that I took at the shower. Hopefully, the text will go along with the pics but Blogger sometimes does its own thing.

Mary and Cheyenne were concerned that the only presents Amy was getting were things for the kitchen . . . we laughed and said that someday they will understand the great toys that adults get. Amy was so happy. She loves cooking and baking. My younger sisters got her a Kitchen-Aid mixer (we all have one) and she was just dumb-founded.

Colleen is Peg's oldest child and Amy's sister.

Heather (Colleen's daughter), Allyson (Amy's daughter), Amy and Mary (Jacquie's daughter)

Lindsey, Sarah, Ron's Aunt Lil and his Mom.

The woman all the way on the right is my youngest sister, Jeanne.

Amy and her daughter, Allyson.

Heather, Allyson and Amy.

Jeanne, Jacquie and Lindsey.

Friday Fill In - May 8, 2009

"My mother is a poem

I'll never be able to write,

though everything I write is

a poem to my mother."
—Sharon Doubiago

1. Apples are to oranges as cheese is to crackers.

2. I am going to knit a sock next week . . . and that's all I have to say about that.

3. I think I hear the end of the week creeping up on me.

4. Display the flag.

5. Do what you want to do, but be honest about it.

6. He was walking along without a care in the world and behind him was a Radio Flyer wagon; in fthe wagon was a bucket filled with mud.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to my sister and niece's arrival, making kolacky and Danish pastry, tomorrow my plans include my niece's shower and spending time with my sisters and Sunday, I want to recover!

And here is yet another contest

Georgi is having a 200th post contest. The Knit Kit is the first prize. So go on over. Tell her I sent you and maybe we will both win. You can click here too, but if that doesn't work, copy this link:

http://toknitandwrite.blogspot.com/2009/04/contest.html

Friday Fill In - May 1, 2009

Happy May, Happy May, Happy May!!!!

1. The first rule of working in an office and getting along is not stinking it up with obnoxious foods or perfumes or smoke.

2. I love fried clams.

3. When I think of carnivals I think of unsafe rides.

4. Tulips are my favorite spring flower.

5. Things on my desk include pics of the family, adding machine, lamp, tape measure, hand lotion.

6. Crying makes me wanna cry.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to spending time with Zachariah, tomorrow my plans include not much, but does include 4:30 Youth Liturgy Mass and Sunday, I want to sleep in!

And yet another contest!

Okay, so Aunt Kathy sent me to Darcy's blog who sent me to Patt's Etsy . . . and the purpose is because Darcy and Patt have combined to do a contest. You can find out the details at Darcy's blog. There are several ways to enter AND awesome prizes (Patt's project bags AND stitch markers).


SOOOOOO, what are you still doing here??? You need to go Darcy's blog and enter. Now. Although, if you don't, it increases my chances of winning!

Simple Woman - April 27, 2009

FOR TODAY
Outside my Window... The sun is shining, the sky is blue and it is going to be about 85 degrees. Go figure.
I am thinking... that I complained too much about winter hanging around too long.
I am thankful for... warm weather
From the kitchen... we had friends over on Saturday night and had a variety of food. Chicken bites with oriental seasoning, Thai chicken, rainbow noodles, pot stickers, meatballs, fresh fruit, shrimp
I am creating... the never ending grey shawl
I am going... to the doctors at 10:30 this morning for an esophogael (sp?) study . . . nothing to eat or drink since last night at midnight, well actually 10:30 because I went to bed.
I am wearing... brown slacks, aqua shirt, brown jacket
I am reading... Duma Key by Stephen King
I am hoping... to finish it today
I am hearing... people arriving, and traffic increasing
Around the house... it looks really clean. Nothing like having friends over to clean up all the clutter
One of my favorite things... spending time with friends
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... meeting tonight, water aerobics, starting on liquids
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... am still having problem loading pics . . . sorry.

Friday Fill In - April 24, 2009

1. Apparently there's some sort of conspiracy to keep me from finishing THE SHAWL. Seriously, I knit and knit and knit and it just is THERE.

2. After the freakish thunder storms early this morning, it is going to be a sunny day.

3. 2009 has been very interesting so far.

4. I fixed Dave's resume, read the newspaper and went to bed last evening, that was it.

5. For too long I've been cruising without doing, must up the doing and stop the cruising.

6. I am not obsessed with NCIS; I am not! (But I gotta tell you Mark Harmon gets better and better looking all the time.)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to laundry (how sad), tomorrow my plans include helping at our Church's First Communion, fixing appetizers and dinner for the "Teachers&Spouses) and Sunday, I want to celebrate Sarah's birthday!

True Friendship

True friendship is like sound health,

the value of it is seldom known until it be lost.
Charles Caleb Colton

Over the past couple of weeks, I have developed a deeper appreciation of those who I consider my friends. I think that there are people that flit in and out of our lives, sometimes being friends, sometimes being acquaintance. And then there are those who become true friends.

~

My dearest friend is my husband. Last weekend, we celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary. We have known each other 35 years. He is funny and sweet. He is wonderful husband (he does do almost all of the grocery shopping, flips the mattress on a schedule that he has written out (he is a little OCD) and usually ends up finishing doing the laundry . . . I do the folding . . . he does most of the washing). He is a great father, tempering my vast array of emotions with a sense of humor and patience. He recognizes that Lindsey knows exactly what buttons to push and sometimes he lets her but he is much more gentle in calling her out when she is pushing too hard. He is a good teacher and enjoys working with the first graders. It is such a pleasure to see him when he is discussing their accomplishments . . . he calls them the "Light Bulb" moments. His butt is cute. He also wears the same size jeans he did when we got married . . . for that, however, I could sometimes smack him.

~

My next dearest friend is Janet. Janet started working with me shortly before my wedding. We have had sooooo many ups and downs together. She has held my hand while I cried about not being able to have children. She laughed with me when we found out that Sarah would be joining our family, and supported Dave and I when we took in my niece's children. She has embraced my children as her grandchildren. When her husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, we cried together. When each of our parents died, we were there for each other. She even went to confession before my Mom's funeral so she could receive communion. She has taken my kids on various trips and vacations, mostly Lindsey. She is the person that I can recruit to plant a seed in the kids' heads. The things mothers do. She just celebrated her 70th and she and Lindsey are planning Lindsey's college graduation trip (in six years) to Ireland . . . they have decided that they would allow me to accompany them.

~

Then there is Wendy. Wendy is my neighbor. She moved two doors down from me, shortly before her eldest son was born and he is 18. I have to tell you that we are such good friends, we are each other's support person for the TOGa study. Which means, GASP, is that we know exactly how much each other weighs. We have done stamping and scrapbooking and girls' nights together. We were one of the first Friday Nite Girls with Radio Delilah and, I believe, if you click here, and go to picture 87 (out of 110) you can see our picture. I am the one in red. Wendy is sitting straight across from me and the one standing is Laura, who I talk about below.

~

Laura is my buddy/friend/pal. We had worked together for years but had never worked "together" until about 11 years ago. We were both working for the same woman who is the queen of psycho babble, also fondly known as "DP." DP is only happy when she is the queen bee. She is a horrible people manager, pits her underlings (and, yes, that is how she thinks of us) against each other. You have no idea how totally pissed off she got (and still is) that Laura and I became friends inspite of her conspiracies. Think of the worst manager you have ever known and she is worse. She gives instructions and contradicts them. It was so bad that at one point, every time she would "assign" me a task, I would send an email back to her to confirm exactly what she wanted done. I am sure she thought I was a dunce but on more than one occasion, those little email confirmations saved my butt. It was so effective, that Laura, who still works for DP still does the same thing. Frankly, it plays to DP's ego and I don't think she has ever figured out the purpose. DUH.

~

Anyway, Laura's oldest child is the same age as Lindsey (15) and our youngest boys are also the same age (8). We have decided that while we thought the worst was the terrible toys, that age in no way prepared us for the frankly fearsome fifteen. She works part-time in my office. We generally each lunch together once or twice a week. Last week, she said to me, "you are the only person I know that I can say this to. I don't like my 15 year old. He goes from being sweet to surly to kind to wacky." Funny thing is my 15 year old does the same thing and when my oldest daughter was 15, she wasn't very nice to be around either. LOL. I keep promising her that it will pass.

~

I have other friends who I treasure. Some of the teachers that my husband works with. I have discovered that teachers are very social creatures. Or at least the teachers he hangs out with are. We regularly get together for dinner or appetizers or fun.

~

I have friends from Church. Those who I know I will always be able to rely on . . . including calling them up to go fetch one or other of the kids because I'm stuck in traffic. How many people would you trust that task to?

~

I have my internet friends, my knitting buddies, the ones who will painstakingly explain over and over again how to do a stitch or pattern or who thoroughly understand my lack of sock and sweater knitting.

~

I have my sisters and brother and their spouses. I was talking to my brother and sister-in-law last evening and when I got off the phone, I kept thinking about how much I not only love them, but how much I like them. They are good people. Kind, loyal, generous and funny. I guess that is probably what I like most about my friends. It is that same, certain thread that runs through all of them . . . the kindness they show others, loyalty to what they believe, generous sometimes to a fault and funny.

Simple Woman - April 20, 2009

It’s such an interesting world.

It wouldn’t be half so interesting if we knew all about everything, would it?

There’d be no scope for imagination then…
―Lucy Maud Montgomery

FOR TODAY
Outside my Window... it is drizzling, still warm (about 55) but is expected to get cooler as the week progresses.
I am thinking... I want to take the zip in lining out of my rain jacket
I am thankful for... my family
From the kitchen... lazy weekend. We had cheese and crackers for dinner last evening. But the kitchen is clean.
I am creating... still working on the gray shawl. I have a pattern for Sarah's shawl but I don't want to start on it until I have the gray done.
I am going... to meet with the nutritionist tomorrow.
I am wearing... black slacks, black sweater, red/black reversible jacket
I am reading... Bright Futures
I am hoping... to start Duma Key by Stephen King
I am hearing... the radio and traffic
Around the house... cleaned the office this past weekend. Looks good. Now, if only I could keep everyone from dumping stuff on my desk.
One of my favorite things... a clean desk and good intentions to keep it that way.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... nutritionist tomorrow (I'm thinking of getting up early and as soon as everyone leaves, scrubbing the kitchen floor), water aerobics tomorrow evening and Thursday evening, Lindsey's violin on Wednesday along with my KAL. The "teachers" are coming on Saturday for dinner. We keep changing our mind about what to serve but think we are going for an oriental theme: Pot stickers, egg rolls, peanut noodles, chicken bits, chicken satay.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... Blogger is not allowing me ease in uploading pictures. Or it might be my computer . . . even Flickr is not behaving.

29 years and counting

29 years ago, I was off from work, my Mom was going nuts, I actually thought that my Dad was going to take up drinking . . . and what was I thinking . . . after all, it was my idea. We could DO this at home. Seriously. Why not.

and then Dave showed up. We had things to do, places to go, people to see . . . .

We needed to go pick up my ring . . . nothing like waiting until the week before to find something that we both liked.

We had plans for dinner. Nothing fancy, just the two of us, but we had to get it in early because our next stop was at our wedding rehearsal.

Isn't it amazing the things you remember.

I remember that Dave knocked on the side door and my Mom yelled out something like "geez, Dave, tomorrow you are going to be family . . . you probably can just walk in." (Note: up until the day she died, he still knocked on her door, even when he knew I was with her.)

Friday Fill In - April 17, 2009

1. Join me in a nice cup of tea and a little peace in your day.

2. Put a little quiet in your day!

3. Happiness is hugs from those you love.

4. Bored and confused.

5. I'm waiting for a very important phone call . . . why don't people return calls.

6. Good chocolate is hard to resist.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to nothing, tomorrow my plans include swimming, dentist, Mass and dinner with Dave and Sunday, I want to sleep, go to Leanne's Confirmation meeting, see Lindsey!

Another contest - really cool stuff

Seriously, look at this stuff. Isn't it cool. It could be your's to win . . .

So, Aunt Kathy sent me over to AllyB's blog because Ally is having a 200th post contest. Anyway, if you are interested, please go on over here and comment on it and you too can be entered (although I really, really want to win . . . but don't I always).

Designs by Tami - a Phat Fiber Giveway

Okay, so here's the thing . . .

Go visit Tami's etsy shop. She has lots of really cute stuff.

Find something you like (not hard to do, trust me). Once you do that go on over to Phat Fiber and tell them about it.

And, if you blog about it or do something on Ravelry to Twitter, you get more entries into the contest . . . I did say that there was a contest didn't I?

TOGA study

Hmmmm, where to begin.

Oh, well, it is quite simple. I have been fighting my weight since I graduated from high school. No more gym class, no more walking to school (seriously two miles each way), no more walking all over the building (as students we were convinced that the scheduling was done to make you walk from one end of the building to the other for each class . . . plus there were 3,000 kids in the school . . . yes, 3,000 and 1,000 were in my graduating class). So, I graduated, started working, only walked to/from the bus, sat on my butt most of the day, etc. etc. etc.

The first time I did Weight Watchers was when I got back from my honeymoon. I weighed 155 and dropped to 123. And kept it off for about two years. Then we went through all the infertility stuff which included lots of stress eating, although we did walk a lot, but both Dave and I ate our weigh through thoses years. We would go to the doctor, go to lunch. Go to the doctor, go to breakfast. And sometimes we just ate because everything was so frustrating (trust me when I say that when they give you a list of the days you are allowed and not allowed to have sex . . . frustration reigns supreme!). Plus, I got to take all kinds of drugs.

Anyway, Dave didn't gain any weight. I did though. And lost it and found it and lost it and found more of it and so on and so forth.

I figure that over the years with Weight Watchers, Atkins, grapefruit, cabbage soup, metabalife, Xenical (now there's a treat! LOL), high protein/low carb, no meat, no cheese, no everything diets, I have probably lost over 400 pounds. Seriously. Two years ago, I was at my heaviest (which right now is my little old secret). We started a WW @ Work. I lost 20 pounds. The WW @ Work ended. I gained 12 pounds. I started back at WW last November and then we started WW @ Work again and I have lost a total of 18 pounds since November.

Sometime last Fall, there was a little blurb in our local newspaper about the TOGA study. The TOGA Study is a blind study. It is a bariatric procedure in which they do not make any incisions. Instead, they insert a scope and staple your stomach. You still have to follow the bariatric diet (which ends up being about 1200 to 1500 calories a day) but you do not have the risk of the surgery complications that the other procedures involve. in fact, some people have had the procedure on a Tuesday and have returned to work on Friday. Most return to work on Monday.

I and a good friend of mine are both participating in the TOGA study through University Hospitals of Cleveland. Like the other procedures, it does require a significant change in lifestyle and diet. My procedure is scheduled for May 12. I am so very excited.

I am, however, not telling anyone at work. It is a blind study. One out of every three people do not get the procedure done. They get the anesthesia. They get the diet. They are required to do the exercises and make changes in their life. So, I am not telling anyone at work.

Oh, and the other thing about this study that is cool, is that you end up with a very complete physical and it is all free, except for two prescriptions. Free.

Simple Woman - April 6, 2009

FOR TODAY
Outside my Window... it is raining and getting colder with a possible snow storm tonight . . . bah humbug!
I am thinking... that I made a mistake when I thought Spring was here
I am thankful for... my family
From the kitchen... steak, red-skinned potatoes, sauted mushrooms/onions, green beans
I am creating... a shawl
I am going... to go nuts with this stupid itching
I am wearing... black slacks, red sweater, black and gray jacket
I am reading... nothing
I am hoping... to go to the library
I am hearing... the radio
Around the house... desparately need to clean
One of my favorite things... visiting with family
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... doctor's appointment tomorrow and Friday, Manager meeting on Thursday, violin lessons on Wednesday (which means I go to the KAL while Lindsey goes to violin), deep water aerobics Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Friday Fill In - April 3, 2009

1. Angel or not, I will try to exercise this weekend.

2. Dave, you are my love, any way you want me.

3. As my mother used to say, you're full of doggy poop.

4. I am exhausted after I'm done working out or doing something strenuous.

5. Even in the most crowded of rooms I like to find my own private space.

6. A day spent with my extended family (including all of their out-laws) is a day fraught with peril.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting the laundry done, tomorrow my plans include driving to Kentucky for my niece's birthday, visiting with the extended family (mentioned in 6 above) and Sunday, I want to drive home!

Gray shawl, Amy's shower and other stuff

I am making myself a shawl to wear to my niece's wedding. My daughter questionned my sanity of wanting to be wearing a shawl since Amy's wedding will be on June 27. As I pointed out to Lindsey, the wedding is outside on their farm.

~
As my husband pointed out to Lindsey, he would be willing to lay money on the fact that by the end of the evening, Lindsey will be wrapped in my shawl. She is always, always cold.

~
Anyway, it is KnitPicks Palette (Highland Wool, fingering weight) in Fog. I also added beads to the first eight inches but decided to not use beads on the entire length of the shawl. Lindsey did point out that SHE would find it very uncomfortable to have beads along her back. I think she is already planning on when she is going to be wearing it.

~

You cannot really see the beads or the pattern in this pics. The pattern is an adaption of the scarf that I made for Lindsey earlier this year. It is a four row repeat, so is very easy to memorize. To enhance the lace, I am also knitting it on size 7 needles. The beads are from Earthfaire and are triangles in variagated blue iris. I add the beads using the crochet hook method.
~

Whenever I look at these pictures of the shawl or, actually, at the shawl itself, I am reminded of what someone said (maybe Yarn Harlot or was it Julie of Samuri Knitter fame) that unblocked lace doesn't necessarily look that grand until it is wet and blocked and then it is loverly. I think actually it was something more like that it looked like "cat vomit."

~

My sisters and I are having a shower for Amy. It is going to be held at my church's coffee shop. My sisters have never been there and wanted to decorate. Lindsey and I said that it really didn't need decorating. So this Sunday, we went to the coffee shop and took some pics and Lindsey did the following panorama of the photos she took:

It is quite lovely and the huge windows over look the gardens and walks. Very nice. My sisters agreed that we didn't need to decorate.

Simple Woman - March 30, 2009

Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.
—Mahatma Gandhi

FOR TODAY
Outside my Window... it is rainy and cooler than it has been for a couple of weeks. I still wore my spring coat.
I am thinking... I am a terrible mother . . . I have to think about this and will do another post later. Sigh.
I am thankful for... my husband who is patient and kind and loving . . . even when I am not.
From the kitchen... really tough pork chops. I fell asleep yesterday afternoon and didn't bake them for the usual three hours.
I am creating... a shawl, for my niece's wedding. I am beading the ends only.
I am going... to the doctor today for my PAP test. I hate it.
I am wearing... black slacks, red sweater, dark gray jacket/sweater
I am reading... Memory Keeper's Daughter, by Kim Edwards
I am hoping... do well at my weigh in tomorrow . . . it isn't just hoping . . . I have been very careful about what I have been eating/drinking and have been actually exercising! Will wonders never cease.
I am hearing... the radio and traffic.
Around the house... Lindsey is pouting (again/still), Zachariah think its funny, Dave doesn't say anything and I feel badly. Sigh.
One of my favorite things... fresh pineapple and cottage cheese
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... doctor's appointment this afternoon, meeting this evening at Lindsey's school, WW @ work tomorrow, knitting KAL on Wednesday, doctor's appointment Thursday afternoon, swimming Thursday evening, going to Kentucky for Mary's birthday on Saturday.

Friday Fill In - March 27, 2009

1. "In a hole in the ground there lived a mole, who waited patiently for me to walk across the lawn in order to scare me."

2. "Today is Friday, but that ain't no matter, because the weekend will fly by."

3. "After dark the rain began to fall again, and I snuggled deeper into the covers, reading this wonderful mystery . . . until I heard it . . . ."

4. "The smell of mold and mildew and the anquish of those who had been held there came forth from the hold of the Spanish galleon."

5. "There was a hand in the darkness, and I held on tight."

6. "Accidents ambush the unsuspecting, who blithely walk on as though they haven't any cares in the world."

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to fish, tomorrow my plans include water aerobics, library, lunch with Janet at Heck's, laundry, 4:30 Mass, dinner with candles and Sunday, I want to sleep in!

Another contest - ball swift and winder

Now, if you are not a knitter, you wouldn't know what a ball swift and winder might be.

If you are married to a knitter, you will know that they would appreciate receiving a ball swift and winder. And, you, as their spouse/loved one would greatly appreciate their receiving a ball swift and winder. Therefore, when I win this contest, you spouses/loved ones of knitter should also go to Webs and get the knitter that you love, a ball swift and winder.

So, you want to know about the contest . . . . Well, go here and find out all about it. Just remember, I'm going to win.

Stuff and such, revisited

I have finished my piece of the travelling baby blanket and along with another little something. Great fun and would have finished sooner if I hadn't decided, along with the input of HRH Lindsey, that the original pattern I picked was blah. My piece was is the green. The blanket has one more piece to go and will be donated. It is a fun project and I love to see the other's pattern choices. This is so soft and lovely and made me feel really good to work on. It is going on its merry way today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A meme I stole from Jane

Where is your cell phone? charging

Spouse? work

Your hair? brown

Your mother? Heaven

Your favorite thing? knitting

Your favorite drink? tea

Your dream/goal? lose

What room are you in? office

Where do you want to be in 6 years? alive

Something that you aren't? young

Muffins? Cinnamon

Wish list item? yarn

Where you grew up? Parma

Last thing you did? blogs

What are you wearing? usual

TV? No

Your pets? Twiligh

Friends? solid

life? good

Your mood? tired

Your car? minivan

Something you're not wearing? shoes

Your favorite store? Birds

When is the last time you laughed? hours

Last time you cried? Monday

Where do you go to over and over? work

Favorite place to eat? Dashin

Favorite place you'd like to be at right now? home

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had my first appointment for the TOGA study. It is a non-invasive bariatric procedure. If all goes well, I will have the procedure done by June 1. My neighbor also went. She is in the process of being approved for lapband. It will be good to have someone with me on this journey.

Things I have done . . . not 100 but a lot

Things I’ve Done (Bolded)
This is a list I’ve ripped off another blog. It’s going around the net though so I imagine I’d get it eventually. I’m amazed at how much stuff I’ve done.
1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightening at sea - lightening was at sea . . . I was on the shore.
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child -- actually three of them
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train - between Florida and Virginia.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when I wasn't ill
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping (when I was substantially thinner).
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run (does it count on Wii?)
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person (several times).
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt (it is a real stinker . . . really).
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (both as a kid and as the "Cookie Chair" for my daughter's troop).
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. donated blood and platelets
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check . . . not my fault . . . my purse was stolen and the bank closed my checking account. All the checks that were outstanding bounced. What a nightmare.
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Save a favorite childhood toy (a rocker my Dad made for me . . . I am in the process of refinishing it).
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcyle (my sister's fiancee . . . what a rush).
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person (camped on both the north and south rims . . . north rim is better).
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House (I was 13)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person (it is a lot smaller than you would think)
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant

Friday Fill In - March 20, 2009

1. Why do we have to grow up?
2. Waking early and getting moving quickly are now habits.
3. I have a horrible cole.
4. I had never heard the phrase "burble" and it fits my 15 year old to a tee! (BURBLE: to talk meaningless gibberish).
5. I continue doing the same things over and over again, the way I always do.
6. How was I to know that I would become my Mother.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to bed early, tomorrow my plans include swimming, water aerobics and spending time with a group of friends and Sunday, I want to go to church, go to Leanne's Confirmation meeting, go to be early!

Simple Woman - March 16, 2009

"It's never too late to become the person you might have been."

- George Elliot

FOR TODAY
Outside my Window... The sky is blue, the sun is shining and the tulips are beginning to break the surface . . . spring is on its way.
I am thinking... It is past mid-March, already.
I am thankful for... my husband. He is so good, kind, generous, patient and really, really funny.
From the kitchen... tonight I am making corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and carrots.
I am creating... I received the baby afghan for Whoduknit and need to add my rows to it.
I am going... to make an appointment for Lindsey to get her braces off. She is very excited. She is also torn because she has perfect attendance and just doesn't want to take time off to have it done, but soooooo wants to get them off.
I am wearing... navy blue slacks, white t-shirt, red jacket
I am reading... Winter Study by Nevada Barr -- having tough time getting into it. I read Rodantha on the plan. I wish Nicholas Sparks would write a book with a happy ending.
I am hoping... to find a satisfactory pattern and yarn for the baby afghan. The colors are incredible
I am hearing... traffic, the radio and people arriving at work
Around the house... I cleaned before I left for Denver last Wednesday, including cleaning the area next to the chair where I dump all my knitting stuff.
One of my favorite things... sleeping in my own bed.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... the kids are coming downtown for the St. Patrick's Day Parade tomorrow. Lindsey has violin on Wednesday. Zachariah and I have swimming on Saturday and my sisters are getting together for a Girls Night on Saturday at my house.

A contest, a contest, Shelly is having a contest

You just have to check this out! Shelly is having a contest and the more people that enter the better the prize pot there is, so go on over and enter at her blog.

Friday Fill Ins - Friday, March 13

1. When I look to the left, I see a wall, in a hotel room, until tomorrow morning.

2. My family room/dining room are the room(s) -- each has a sliding door out onto the porch, overlooking the back yard -- that has the best view in my home.

3. Let it work its way out, if you keep digging, you will end up with an infection.

4. If you have it done dirt cheap, you will probably end up paying more in the long run!

5. Voting is a responsibility that all qualified citizens must share.

6. If you have any really good knitting patterns feel free to share.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to dinner with a colleague, tomorrow my plans include flying home to Cleveland and Sunday, I want to sleep in (our meetings have started at 7:30 a.m. every day), going out for Lindsey's birthday and getting yarn for the baby afghan!

Another contest - Knit Witch and Knit Purl Girl

You all just have to check this out!!

Knit purl girl and Knit Witch have teamed up to do a grand contest. Even if you don't want to enter the contest (which is fine by me since it will give me less competition to win . . . LOL), you do need to go check out both of these blogs. Great fun. Seriously.

Phat Fiber and Fox Hop -- a Giveaway

You absolutely have to check out Phat Fiber for today. She talks about Fox Hop and her incredible stuff. Then go on over to Fox Hop (there is a link on Phat Fiber's page) and check out all the goodness she has going on over there!! Serious stuff people!! For whatever reason, my linking isn't working well, so you will have to cut and paste.

http://phatfiber.blogspot.com/2009/03/fox-hop-and-giveaway.html

Simple Woman's Daybook - 3/2/09

"Enthusiasm is the greatest asset in the world.

It beats money and power and influence.

It is no more or lessthan faith in action."

- Henry Chester

FOR TODAY
Outside my Window... the sun is shining . . . it is 7 degrees. again.
I am thinking... someday my toes will be warm
I am thankful for... spring.
From the kitchen... baked (and breaded pork chops), meatloaf, augratin potatoes (with only half the sauce . . . actually quite good)
I am creating... working on a grey lace shawl to wear to Amy and Ron's wedding (Amy is my niece - first marriage - she is 37)
I am going... to frog everything I did on the shawl yesterday
I am wearing... black slacks, grey shirt, black and grey jacket
I am reading... Winter Study (left it at the office over the weekend)
I am hoping... it gets better
I am hearing... music (Harry Chapin)
Around the house... I cleaned the kitchen on Saturday, it looked loverly, trashed it yesterday with the cooking for the week. I have decided I hate clutter. My kids would be very upset if I threw all their stuff away.
One of my favorite things... relaxing at home
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... work, meeting on Wednesday, Winter Sports Banquet on Wednesday, Lindsey has her physical on Friday, clean my closet (I have, somewhere, Lindsey's birthday presents . . . hopefully in the closet)
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... my kitchen, without the clutter. My husband yesterday, thought he would store some stuff up above the cupboards. I told him to get it down or I would start calling him Mike (my brother-in-law "tucks" stuff above their cupboards . . . he is 6'3" and my sister is 5'. The only way she can reach it is if she stands on a stool on the countertop).

Friday Fill In - 2/27/2009

1. I'm really sleepy, I'm incredibly bored, I think I will clean my office.
2. Why do I have an overwhelming urge to keep junk and not just purge purge purge!
3. How does this shreder work, anyway?
4. Every morning, I put lipstick on my lips, except on weekends.
5. I consider myself lucky because I have a wonderful husband.
6. One day we’ll see our kids be happy at what they want to do which is really a measure of success and not just money or fame.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching Nims Island with Zachariah, tomorrow my plans include water aerobics, library and visit with Donna and Stan and Sunday, I want to go to 8:30 mass at St. Stan's, work on Lindsey's dress and figure out if I can do the shawl for Sarah!

I am so tired, I just don't care

We set our dining room table for dinner.
~
We use cloth napkins, a table cloth, the good dishes and the nicer stainless (I do have good set but it has to hand washed). There are candles on the table and also a mirrored three piece thing in the middle. And this week, fresh flowers (tulips . . . in a desperate attempt to evade winter I bought them for myself). My table with only one leaf in it is 94 inches long. Long enough that the kids cannot, hopefully, touch or kick each other.
~
I change the table linens based on the season. In the ever hope-springs-eternal category, literally, I pulled out the spring linens. Therefore, on Sunday, we put away the darker stuff (which is weird when you think about it) and put out the pale green table cloth.
~
Would it be too friggin hard to make it through one meal without someone spilling something on it. Please!?! Slop there, slip there, plip, plop, bleck. But Monday, probably takes the cake.
~
We had spaghetti. Now without saying anything more, you probably know where this is going . . .
~
We plate the spaghetti on the kitchen counter. Zachariah's gets his cut up and he doesn't want a meat ball. Sarah and Lindsey both enjoy about the same amount. I don't like spaghetti so being that I am spoiled rotten by my DH, he makes penne pasta or some other pasta. Dave gets a huge amount of spaghetti. I get home on Monday and I can hear Dave yelling (a rare occasion). Lindsey is running down the steps saying that she isn't that hungry and he is telling her that he called her five minutes ago and she didn't come down so she is stuck with what she's got . . .
~
Welcome home!
~
I dish out the meatballs and sauce. We do each have our own jobs. Zachariah takes his plate to his seat and for some really bizarre reason, my eldest decides to take her and Lindsey's plates to the table . . .
~
slip
~
slap
~
slop
~
almost the entire plate of spaghetti goes sliding off the plate, directly onto the table cloth, missing the placemat, hitting the chair and splattering down the legs to the floor.
~
My DH took a deep breath and I started laughing . . . . I mean seriously, it was pretty funny.

One meal. We made it through one meal.

And yet another contest . . . but you have to hurry

It ends tomorrow . . . so go on over to Robynn's Ravings and check it out.

There are a multitude of ways to enter. Follow, blog about it and send your friends! Oh, and if you go on over there and enter her contest . . . tell her I sent you!

The prize is an Amazon Gift Card. Two winners each will received a $50 gift card. How sweet is that! Do you have any idea how much knitting stuff I can buy with a $50 gift card!!!

A contest . . . Darcy's Knotty Knitter - Yarn Dots

If you haven't seen them, you just have to check out yarn dots.

Even better though is that you should go to Darcy's Knotty Knitter and check out her contest. She is having a giveaway for the yarn dots. And she offers several ways to get entries:

1) Subscribe to Darcy's blog.

2) Blog about the giveaway linking back to her post (see the link above), leaving a link to your blog post.

3) If you leave a comment saying that you came from my blog you get another entry.

4) If you grab her button (also in the sidebar!), you get an additional entry.

How easy is that!!! And the Yarn Dots are soooo cute.

from Secret Pal 13 - Kimber

I received the most awesome package from Kimber, my SP 13 Pal!

(it arrived yesterday, February 24 . . . which was perfect because I spent my day going from one meeting to another! It was such a great break from a hectic kind of day.)

There is an incredible skein (and pattern) of cashmere. I don't know whether to knit with it or just keep it on my desk so I can pet it! It is Hand Maiden, 50 g 4 ply cashmere in greens and gray.

I also received a clever "knit" mug. It is cables and came with cocoa mixes and hot apple. Plus there was a satchel of chocolate hearts and a box of sweet heart candies.

And, wait, there is more. A bottle of scent free (thank you so very much) soap and two hand knit cloths.

Thank you so much Kimber. I look forward to getting to know you.

Ash Wednesday

From the Catholic Encyclopedia:
~
Ash Wednesday
~
The Wednesday after Quinquagesima Sunday, which is the first day of the Lenten fast.
The name dies cinerum (day of ashes) which it bears in the Roman Missal is found in the earliest existing copies of the Gregorian Sacramentary and probably dates from at least the eighth century. On this day all the faithful according to ancient custom are exhorted to approach the altar before the beginning of Mass, and there the priest, dipping his thumb into ashes previously blessed, marks the forehead -- or in case of clerics upon the place of the tonsure -- of each the sign of the cross, saying the words: "Remember man that thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return." The ashes used in this ceremony are made by burning the remains of the palms blessed on the Palm Sunday of the previous year. In the blessing of the ashes four prayers are used, all of them ancient. The ashes are sprinkled with holy water and fumigated with incense. The celebrant himself, be he bishop or cardinal, receives, either standing or seated, the ashes from some other priest, usually the highest in dignity of those present. In earlier ages a penitential procession often followed the rite of the distribution of the ashes, but this is not now prescribed.

~
There can be no doubt that the custom of distributing the ashes to all the faithful arose from a devotional imitation of the practice observed in the case of public penitents. But this devotional usage, the reception of a sacramental which is full of the symbolism of penance (cf. the cor contritum quasi cinis of the "Dies Irae") is of earlier date than was formerly supposed. It is mentioned as of general observance for both clerics and faithful in the Synod of Beneventum, 1091 (Mansi, XX, 739), but nearly a hundred years earlier than this the Anglo-Saxon homilist Ælfric assumes that it applies to all classes of men. "We read", he says,
~
"in the books both in the Old Law and in the New that the men who repented of their sins bestrewed themselves with ashes and clothed their bodies with sackcloth. Now let us do this little at the beginning of our Lent that we strew ashes upon our heads to signify that we ought to repent of our sins during the Lenten fast."
~
And then he enforces this recommendation by the terrible example of a man who refused to go to church for the ashes on Ash Wednesday and who a few days after was accidentally killed in a boar hunt (Ælfric, Lives of Saints, ed. Skeat, I, 262-266). It is possible that the notion of penance which was suggested by the rite of Ash Wednesday was was reinforced by the figurative exclusion from the sacred mysteries symbolized by the hanging of the Lenten veil before the sanctuary. But on this and the practice of beginning the fast on Ash Wednesday see LENT.
~
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01775b.htm

Simple Woman's Daybook - 2/23/09

Anything simple always interests me.
— David Hockney



FOR TODAY
Outside my Window... the sun is shining and the sky is blue
I am thinking... even though the sun is shining it is still 20 degrees outside and cold
I am thankful for... being inside
From the kitchen... really good chicken . . . made it Saturday with Oriental Spices and Sunday with Italian spices
I am creating... gray shawl
I am going... to frog the gray shawl. LOL.
I am wearing... navy blue slacks, grey t-shirt, blue/black/gray paisley jacket
I am reading... Netherland
I am hoping... to clean my office today
I am hearing... the radio and people arriving for work
Around the house... yesterday was a lazy day, spent knitting and reading and watching movies
One of my favorite things... spending time with my family, even when we are doing nothing but relaxing together.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... WW tomorrow; department meeting in the afternoon; meet the teacher with Lindsey (against her better judgment) on Thursday
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... Yesterday would have been my Dad's 92nd birthday.
He was one of the good guys.
Gentle, kind, quiet, hardworking.
This picture was sketched by a guy with USO when my Dad was in the hospital during World War II.
And, yes, he was this good looking!

Lindsey's Scarf

Lindsey's Scarf
Originally uploaded by mlj1954ohio

it is finished, well, except for it to be finished drying after it is blocked.

I really like the way this turned out and the pictures just don't do it justice!

I told Lindsey that the first time I find it on the floor, it is mine.

So what have you read?

Instructions:
1) Look at the list and put an 'x' after those you have read.
2) Add a '+' to the ones you LOVE. (I added a - sign for the ones I didn't like)
3) Star (*) those you plan on reading.
4) Tally your total.

How many have I read? 61 (granted some go back to High School English classes)

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen x
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte x+
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling x+
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee x+
6 The Bible x
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte x
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell x -
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens x
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott x +
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy x
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller x -
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare (I've read a lot of Sir William, but not all of his work.)
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier x+
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien x -
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger x
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger x
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell x
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald x -
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens x
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams x -
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck x
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll x +
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame x +
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy x
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens x +
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis x +
34 Emma - Jane Austen x
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden x +
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne x
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell x
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown x+
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery x
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood x
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding x
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan x
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel x
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons x
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens x
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley x -
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez x
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck x
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov x
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas x
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding x+
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville x
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens x
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett x
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce x
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens x
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker x
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro x
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White x
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Alborn x+
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle x
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery x
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams x
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole x
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute x+
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas x
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare x
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl x
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo x

She may not live to see 15

A+
F
A+
F
A+
D-
F
F
F
A+
D-
A+
A+

So, you might ask is this some weird pattern?
Could it be a code?
No, it is my darling Lindsey's grades from her Honors English class. Currently her average is a D-. English, her most favorite subject in the world. The A+ are Homework grades, the Fs and Ds are from quizzes.

The school uses a program called PowerSchool. Unfortunately, since the start of this semester, PowerSchool wasn't working. Everything hit last Thursday and the initial average grade was an F. Lots of things happened after they hit.

I sent an email to her teacher and Lindsey which basically said:

"Lindsey,

Unless you have a really good reason why you have an F in English, and a B- in Chemistry and Algebra, you will be grounded until all of them are at least a B+. No exceptions, including Youth Ministry, Winter Formal, talking on the phone and just plain "hanging out."

I would like to suggest that maybe you should try, oh, I don't know, how about studying?

We will talk tonight.

Love,

Mom"

Her teacher is fabulous. Before he got my email, he had already tracked her down at school and talked to her, including telling her that he is available during any activity block to work with her.

He also sent me an email. I responded. He responded. I called. We talked. His concern was that there was such a huge gap in her grades. He said that through discussions in class, he knows that she has read everything she is supposed to read but is obviously not paying attention to the details.

Lindsey, of course, responded that he asks such inane questions. The nerve. Even though he told all the students that because this is the study of American Literature which includes the study of the authors, they will need to know such wonderful details like birth years and death years, some of the history of the time, etc. The nerve. She isn't happy when we say that he can ask anything he wants. He is the teacher. He told them what to expect. Pay ATTENTION to the DETAILS. Read it more than once. Take notes.

Keep in mind here, that both Dave and I have been in school almost full time through 2007. Dave finished his Masters in 2000, I went back to school in 2001, finishing with my MBA in 2007. She is used to us studying. She has watched us take notes, do homework, write papers (with the MLA handbook open and used). Dave is a teacher. Complaining about teachers, homework, questions on quizzes or having to study does not cut it in our household.

The school sent a letter which received on Saturday. She has to go to a "special" study hall during activity block every day through at least Friday. At that point, her grade gets checked. Dave did ask her how many Honors students are in the special study hall. He got "the look."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She did go to Andrew's winter formal on Sunday night. He had paid for the tickets, etc. However, they did not go to her winter formal which was on Saturday night.

Monday (there was no school), she headed towards the computer. I asked her what she was doing and she said "checking my email." Nope.
She wanted to go to Youth Liturgy practice last evening. Not.
She was appalled when she found out that our computer and phones can be checked to see who/what/when.

I understand that I cannot block her from checking email or socializing at school, but for Lindsey not being able to talk on the phone, computering, etc. is devastating.

We did tell her that spending a boat-load of money to send her to a private high school is a privilege. If she doesn't get her grade up, we will move her. Period.

Hip Mountain Mama Contest - Win a Zuma Bag

Three posts in one day . . . Wow.

Anyway, I wanted to make sure that everyone knew about the contest over at Hip Moutain Mama.

Enter and you can win Namaste new Zuma Bag. I don't know about you, but I love bags, especially new ones in great colors.

So go on over to Hip Mountain and sign up!

Photos from the weekend

Lindsey and Andrew (a Sophomore at St. Ignatius High School) went to St. Ignatius' Winter Formal on Sunday. He and his parents belong to our parish and they got to know each other through Youth Ministry and Youth Liturgy.

He is a great kid and I really like his parents.





By the way, the pencil sketch with the yellow birds, just beyond Andrew's left shoulder is a sketch that Lindsey did for Dave and I last year.

And here is another one.

Lindsey said that they had a great time. There were a number of kids at the dance that she knew.

She also said that Andrew knows how to do ballroom dancing and so they danced all evening and he spent a lot of time with her teaching her steps and how to dance. She said it was soooooo much fun and really very nice to not just be standing and "swaying" to the music.

Also, Sarah called me on Friday at work to tell me that Kyle had asked her to marry him and he gave her a ring. They were gone all weekend. So, my fun was that I never told Lindsey or Zachariah (he would have blabbed). Sarah got home before Lindsey did on Sunday and had gone to bed early. When she was up in the morning, I had her go wake Lindsey to tell her and show her the ring.

It was great fun with lots of screeching and hugging all around.

They are talking about a spring, early summer wedding. So I have a little more than a year to lose lots of weight and knit up a shawl.

Cocoa Swap Package - from Laurie

I received a fabulous package from Laurie. These pictures just don't do it justice!! She really did a grand job.

I received SEVEN packages of a variety of hot cocoa mixes. Yummy. I will have to definitely pace myself. A beautiful blue mug which will be perfect for those cocoa sipping times and a set of Stampin-up stamps (Year Round Cheer).

She also sent along a pair of Knitpicks Harmony tips (size 9). If you have never tried these needles they are wonderful. She also sent a skein of Magallanes 100% woold (hand-dyed by Araucania Yarns - Chile). The yarn is my most favorite colors (blues and greens, a lovely combo).

Shortbread cookies and chocolate dipped stirring spoons to go along with the hot cocoa. Along with a darling lamb which is currently perched on my adding machine watching me type this. The lamb is a cute little scarf wrapped nicely around its neck and Laurie knit me a neck warmer to match (a good thing since my office is frighteningly cold this morning).

Thank you so much Laurie this is a wonderful package and is greatly appreciated!