Simple Woman - August 17, 2009

“I long, as does every human being,

to be at home wherever I find myself.”
―Maya Angelou

FOR TODAY . . . August 17, 2009

Outside my Window... it is hot . . . it has been the hottest days of the summer this past week and through most of this week.
I am thinking... that I need to focus on getting some things completed instead of starting something new
I am thankful for... our garden and sharing the wealth of our abundance
From the kitchen... baked tomatoes, corn on the cob, fresh steamed green beans marinated and grilled chicken . . . all but the chicken came from the garden
I am creating... squares . . . lots of squares
I am going... to enjoy my two days off this week
I am wearing... black slacks and a black shell with green and black blouse
I am reading... a couple of books, none of which I can remember the title of . . . how sad
I am hoping... to get boat loads of stuff done today
I am hearing... the radio
Around the house... the garden is in full swing (lots of veggies), everything is vacuumed and dusted and the dishwasher is empty
One of my favorite things... starting the day with an empty dishwasher . . . how weird is THAT!
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... busy today and tomorrow at work . . . Wednesday and Thursday am off from work . . . haircuts for Lindsey, Sarah and I on Wednesday followed by lunch, Thursday is Lindsey's first day of school 8 to 11 . . . no busses so I will drive her, hang out at Panera's and then pick her up a little after 11:00. We will then pick up Peg (my sister) and Andrew (Lindsey' boyfriend . . . he has a half day also) and all of us will go to lunch. We are having fish for dinner one of those nights. Either Salmon or Flounder.

A contest . . . you should check it out

Here is a contest being hosted by Nikola's Book Blog. Check it out here. You can also click on the picture to the side.

You have to hurry because the contest ends August 28th. Or not bother and increase my chances of winning!

Friday Fill In - August 14, 2009

1. When will we have consistently good weather?

2. Persuader by Lee Child was the last good book I read.

3. Everything has its beauty but sometimes you have to dig really, really deep to find it!

4. Good veggies from the garden is what I had for dinner.

5. I'd like your ideas about how I can get my daughter to keep an her options open with respect to college . . . she is starting her Junior year in high school and keeps narrowing her scope based solely on what her friends are doing.

6. Home in bed is where I want to be right now.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to doing nothing, tomorrow my plans include dentist appointment, laundry and church and Sunday, I want to hem my new slacks, replace a zipper, clean the closets!

you don't gotta like me . . .

“Mom, you don't got like us,

but you gotta love us. It says so in the Mommy Bible!”
―According to Sarah, my eldest darling daughter

she said that it is a quote from the Mommy Bible.

Years ago when my oldest daughter was a teenager and she knew that she had not been very nice, she crawled into bed with me one Sunday morning and laid the above quote on me. It is very true.

~

I understand the logic of the kids going nuts the week or so before summer break ends, but geez they are just about ready to drive me over the edge. I took off two days last week to spend time with the kids, running them to several appointments and lessons (dentist, orthodontist, swimming, violin, ENT, end-of-summer concert). We also did some shopping . . . socks, tights, shoes. We had the meeting with the college counselor on Thursday.

~

They got upset because I made them put on their swim suits, turn off the electronics and get their butts outside. We also had a required reading time (both days). The crazy thing is that they love swimming and reading. So basically, I was making them do things that they love doing. Arghhh.

~

So, I am taking off tomorrow. It is Dave's (he is returning to first grade again . . . teaching that is) and Zachariah's (he is going into 4th grade, with a teacher I do not like . . . the only upside being that Sister Marietta will be teaching math and religion with his regular teacher doing the balance) first day of school. It is a problem with the teacher. She was hired because she is a friend of the principal. As a parent, I would not know some of the things I know. As the wife of a teacher at the same school and as an invitee to the principal's home, I do know things I wouldn't otherwise know. Simple things like the fact that last year, the teacher never taught science and did such a poor job at math that the principal (her friend) was going to teach math this year. The kindergarten teacher, who is a good friend of ours, told me that one of the other Moms at the school last year, got so frustrated with the 4th grade teacher, that she had developed a series of "form letters" and sent one almost every week to the teacher and the principal. The problem I have is that my husband also teaches at the school. Which, in a nut shell, is the only reason I can think of why parents shouldn't be at the same school as their children.

~

I don't know about your part of the world, but most of the schools will be starting school this week. Lindsey starts on Thursday. She only has a half day (8:00 to 11:00 with no bus service). So, I am taking off to get her to school and to pick her up.

~

Lindsey was very upset with the college counselor. If she wants to get an Honors Diploma, she has to take Spanish IV in her senior year. She also never planned gym into her schedule. And, frankly, there isn't any room in her schedule without going to summer school. She could give up on music. I find it very annoying that she would have to sacrifice orchestra for gym when she is on the swim team and will be swimming five days a week, usually twice a day, from November to February. The stupid, stupid, stupid thing is that the school makes the students take gym five days a week for an entire semester. And, since they are on block schedules (4 classes per semester at 80 minutes per class per day), she would have gym for 80 minutes a day for five days a week for an entire semester. It is basically classified at the same level as Calculus but is only worth 1/2 credit.

~

And, so whose fault is this . . . you guessed it . . . mine. She is angry with me. She is angry about the Spanish IV (which she doesn't want to take) and that if she had known that she would not have tested out of Spanish I. She is angry that she will be "wasting" her summer next year taking gym. You should have seen the look I got when I suggested that she take Spanish IV during the summer . . . of course, there isn't anyplace that she could take Spanish IV. Arghhhh.

~

So, last evening I kept thinking about what Sarah had said to me sooooo many years ago . . . "Mom, you don't have to like us, but you gotta love us . . . it says so in the Mommy Bible."

relaxing

“The time to relax is
when you don’t have time for it.”
―Sydney J. Harris

~

Now that is definitely easier said than done.

~

This week, for example, is turning into a nightmare of rushing and dashing and waiting.

Yesterday, I had a doctor's appointment. 8:00 a.m. so that I would get to work at a reasonable time. Please keep in mind that I am usually in my office by 6:45. I got in by 9:30. The reason it was so late was because my doctor didn't show up until 8:25 . . . I actually spent more time with her nurse than with her. On the other hand, she did do a happy dance with me, celebrating my 48 pound loss.

~

Today, we have Weight Watchers (we do an @ Work program and I am the coordinator of it). Generally, I don't mind, except that it takes a 90 minute block of time out of my day. Since I am taking off on Wednesday (yes, that would be tomorrow) and Thursday, I don't have the time to give up. My back-up person is, unfortunately (or fortunately for her), getting her only child and daughter ready to go to college and cannot help me.

~

I was originally scheduled to have off on Thursday and Friday (thereby giving me a long weekend). However, Dave's classes begin next Wednesday (8/19 -- I am also taking off next Wednesday and Thursday). The principal had initially scheduled meetings for this Thursday and Friday, which is why I had taken the day off. Dave had made a couple of doctors' appts for the kids on Wednesday. His principal has now added tomorrow as a mandatory teacher-inservice day. On the upside, his classroom is getting a smartboard . . . cool beans! In any event, I am taking off tomorrow so that I get to do the running around (one dentist, one orthodontist, one ENT, one hour of violin lessons). Oh, and, of course, they both need new shoes.

~

On Thursday, we will not be doing anything. I'm thinking maybe even taking the kids to a movie . . . a special treat . . . or maybe we can do a movie marathon at home . . . in that way, I can avoid the popcorn.

~

Next Wednesday, Lindsey and I are getting our hair cut and Sarah is getting a pedicure and manicure. We will then "do lunch" with Lindsey having to be back by 2:30 to babysit. On Thursday, Lindsey starts back to school. Of course, her school is inane and stupid and has the students coming in for three hours. She has to be there by 8:00 and is done at 11:00. I may let her take the bus to school but will have to go pick her up (she is babysitting again that afternoon). I do think I will ask a friend if she wants to "do lunch."

Mopping

“My idea of superwoman is

someone who scrubs her own floors.”
―Bette Midler

So last night, we were watching the news and a commercial came on about Swiffer's new and improved floor mopping system . . . I am sure you have seen them . . . and I thought

"I really should check that out. Doesn't it look like it would really work . . ."

then I started chuckling. When swiffer first came out, I lusted after it. I really, really wanted it. I bought it and it was just such a disappointment.

When the kids were little (and trust me, since the age spread of my kids is almost 16 years, I had little kids FOREVER), I would damp mop on a regular basis.

I remember that my Mom used to wash our kitchen and dining room floors on a regular basis (at least once a week . . . and often more often than that). My kitchen and dining room floors (ceramic tile) are lucky if they get fully washed three or four times a year. We do spot cleaning and sweeping and vacuuming, but never enough that my kids are going to remember that I washed the floors every week or even every month. Generally, it has gotten to the point where the floors get washed AFTER we have a picnic or party.

I am such a slob.

The 3/50 Project

The 3/50 Project

Saving the Bricks and Mortar our Nation is Built on

3

Think about which three independently owned businesses you’d miss most if they were gone.

Stop in and say hello.

Pick up a little something that will make someone smile.

Your contribution is what keeps those businesses around.

50

If just half the employed U.S. population spent $50 each month in independently owned businesses,

their purchaseswould generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue.*

Imagine the positive impact

if 3/4 of the employedpopulation did that.

68

For every $100 spent in independently owned stores,

$68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll,

and other expenditures.

If you spend that in a national chain,

only $43 stays here.

Spend it online and nothing comes home.

1

The number of people it takes to start the trend...you.

_______________

* Employment statistics courtesy U.S. Department of Labor 2/6/09

Sing out loud!

“Sing out loud in the car even,

or especially, if it embarrasses your children.”
―Marilyn Penland

Okay, I am the evil Mom.

The further my 15 year old slides down in the seat, the louder I get and then, I add hand motions and, if it is dark out, I'll turn the dome light on.

On the other hand, she is the one who announced to the entire mall, that I could just wait by the door while she shopped . . . it only seems fair. by the way, I didn't wait by the door, I followed her around pointing out really hideous outfits and when she wanted me to buy her something, I ignored her ("who me, are YOU talking to ME . . . sorry, I've got to get back to my assigned location by the door." LOL. Kids are so much fun.

Great quote and other miscellaneous stuff

“For every minute spent in organizing,

an hour is earned.”
―Benjamin Franklin

Isn't this a great quote. I really like it. So today, I am going to clean my office. It is getting cluttered (again). It is a good day to do so since my boss and our secretary are both out. Good idea!

In the knitting department, I have a couple of project in the works. One is a market bag that I am making out of cotton (Peaches & Creme). I used a partial varigated skein for the base and am using a solid for the body. The biggest problem is that the body is a series of k2tog and yo . . . not bad with something a tad stretchy but with cotton there isn't a whole heck of a lot of "give." It is the Grrlfriend Market Bag from Ravelry.

Simple Woman - August 3, 2009

I base most of my fashion sense on what doesn’t itch.
―Gilda Radner

FOR TODAY
Outside my Window... it is a crisp beautiful morning . . . the first Monday of August 2009
I am thinking... the summer is flying by
I am thankful for... the warm weather and cool nights
From the kitchen... the first vegetables from the garden, baked in a wonderful casserole, tossed with a pesto. Yummy
I am creating... squares and cloths and a scarf and hat for Zachariah
I am going... to leave work earlier today . . . Dave's first day allowed to begin preparing his classroom and he will be picking me up when he is done.
I am wearing... beige skirt, stripped summer sweater and beige skimmer shoes
I am reading... Interweave Knits and Vogue Knitting . . . both of which arrived in Saturday's mail
I am hoping... to get to bed early tonight
I am hearing... the radio and the birds
Around the house... the bedrooms have all been cleaned, dusted and look rather nice
One of my favorite things... clean windows
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... work, knitting, WW (on Tuesday), knitting (on Wednesday), EGD (on Friday), dinner with friends (on Saturday).
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... another Cloth of the Week, this one from November 11, 2008. It was an interesting pattern and one of the few done so far which required my total attention. I am really enjoying doing these cloths. The cloths are broadening my knitting skills but also keep me interested.

Knitting Guild Afghan Square

So, this pic isn't the best. However, what it does show is that I can do a combination of different patterns and really enjoy it. I had gotten about half way through this and thought I had made a mistake on row 8 . . . went back and reviewed and reviewed the pattern and then read it all the way through to discover that I hadn't. For whatever reason (and it may be that it is designed to be part of an afghan), the first row after the border is knit across. You do the same thing on the last row before the top border.

The only thing that I would have done differently would have been to split the last pattern between the top and the bottom. In order to get a 12" square, there is three full repeats of the center diamond and then you only do 13 rows of the next repeat. I would either split the repeat to have the "top" and/or "bottom" points of the diamond at the top and bottom OR not do the diamond at all but leave the six/seven rows at the top and bottom without any diamond pattern.

The yarn was Plymouth Encore worsted.

Friday Fill in - July 31, 2009

Love one another and you will be happy.

It’s as simple and as difficult as that.
Michael Leunig




1. It's time for really hot weather . . . we need really hot weather . . . it has been seasonally cooler and damp this summer.
2. Bed; it's not a bad place for sleep and other fun stuff.
3. I must be Friday since I am doing Friday fill in.
4. Knitting is the best thing I have ever known to keep my hands busy and my eating controlled
5. My husband is simply a great guy.
6. The last time I laughed really loudly was last night . . . Lindsey was out with her friend, Dave and I had sat outside for a long time and then came in after dark. Lindsey came home and we were still sitting in the dark and scared her! What fun.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to spending one on one time with Zachariah, tomorrow my plans include having friends over and 4:30 mass with the Youth Liturgy group and Sunday, I want to do minimal stuff but we will be having friends who will spend the night Saturday so I will make breakfast on Sunday, clean Sarah's room, marinate chicken for dinner, welcome Lindsey home and having Janet over for dinner and she too will be spending the night!

Toes and squares

“Fitness―if it came in a bottle, everybody would have a great body.”
―Cher

So, I went to the podiatrist yesterday. My achilles tendon is much better. Thank goodness. But, I stubbed the big toe on my left foot on Monday morning, cracking the toe nail down the inside and, when he looked at the x-rays, he thinks I chipped the bone on the inside edge. What hurts is the outside edge. Crazy, huh!

Before he took the x-ray, he did this thing with a tuning fork, going all the joints of my toes. No problem, no problem, no problem, no problem . . . holy crap! A tuning fork. I kid you not. I felt it in my teeth. He laughed. Besides digging out the broken nail, he really couldn't and can't do anything for the chipped bone. Eventually, we will do something.

But, this is the kicker. He wants me to lay off riding my bike for two weeks. For one thing, he really thinks that is what caused the achilles problem and secondly, the biking puts too much pressure on the toe joints. Sigh. I can still walk but I really like riding my bike and my other doctor wants me to increase my exercise to an hour a day. It never ends.

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

On the knitting front, I did finish the square for the Grindstone Guild's afghan and if blogger ever allows me to, I will post a pic.

I have also finished more cloths. I am enjoying them. Again, someday, I will have pics to show.

Completely pointless

“Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless.”
―Bill Watterson

While this past weekend was jam packed with events, it was in many respects completely pointless.

I had taken off from work on Friday. In the morning, we went to Oberlin to visit the Allen Memorial Art Museum. After we left there, we drove to Lodi to get Dave dress pants for school (start with the hubby getting ready for school). On Friday evening, we went to a picnic at his principal's home in Solon. Basically, we put about 180 miles in on Friday.

On Saturday, Zachariah's baseball team was supposed to have their last game (because of rain-outs, they are still playing this week). Since Dave is the coach, we scheduled a picnic at our house for right after the game.

Sunday, we (Sarah, Kyle (and the girls), Lindsey, Andrew (her first beau), Zachariah and I went to the Cuyahoga County Irish Festival. We had a blast. Afterwards (we got home around 5:00), the kids all went swimming and then we had hotdogs for dinner.

It was, basically, a very busy and pointless weekend . . . but great fun.

Simple Woman - July 21, 2009

"A life without love is like a year without summer."
—Swedish Proverb

FOR TODAY

Outside my Window... the sun is shining and the weather is FINE!

I am thinking... I wish I were home instead of at work

I am thankful for... the fact that I have a job to go to

From the kitchen... still dieting so nothing much fun going on in the kitchen. I did make cream puffs for my niece's graduation party!

I am creating... Cloths of the Week and really enjoying it. I also have a 12" square I need to do for the Grindstone Knitting Guild. And, we are doing a KAL from the Whoduknit group.

I am going... to do nothing this evening. I have an inflamed achilles tendon and the doctor doesn't want me doing much of anything this week.

I am wearing... black slacks, pink t-shirt and black and white jacket

I am reading... Murder Most Crafty

I am hoping... to finish the 12" square by tomorrow evening, although that would require my focusing on it and frogging it (AGAIN).

I am hearing... people arriving. Work starts in 35 minutes and everyone is beginning to get here. The chatting begins.

Around the house... the kitchen/dining room floor NEEDS to be washed. Hah! Three of them are home all summer and guess who is going to do the floor this Friday when she is taking a day off of work . . . if you guessed me, you would be right!

One of my favorite things... clean windows. Forgetting the previous comment, Dave loves washing windows and usually does them all the first week after school gets out. He also washes the sliding door off the dining room every week. I shouldn't complain.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... not much . . . I am taking Friday off and we are going to a picnic at Dave's principals home that evening. I like most of the teachers and their spouses. I cannot stand the principal but for Dave, I slap a smile on my face and talk her up . . . plus, she just announced that SHE will be teaching the 4th and 5th grade math this year . . . Zachariah will be in 4th grade. Bah humbug. On Saturday, it is Zachariah's last baseball game and, since Dave is the coach, we will be hosting the end-of-season picnic/swim party at our house. Sunday, we will be going to the Irish Festival.

All dressed up nowhere to go

All dressed up nowhere to go
Originally uploaded by mlj1954ohio

The fashion princess . . . Lindsey loves wearing sundresses . . . somethings never change. When she was little, she lived in sundresses, even in winter. She would just layer them. Often she would have a sundress over a turtleneck shirt and sweatpants. If you close at this picture, she has a shirt on underneath this dress too!

Friday Fill In - July 17, 2009

1. Grilled Cheese and tomato soup make a quick and easy dinner.

2. Wizard's First Rule is the book I'm reading right now.

3. July brings back memories of family picnics and get togethers.

4. That it was going to rain today was obvious when I woke with a sinus headache!

5. They say if you tell your dreams they won't come true.

6. Take time to think important decisions over.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to our Church's picnic (we rent the local rec center once a month, people bring picnics and the kids can swim, play on the playground, etc.), tomorrow my plans include a friend's father's funeral in the morning, a wedding in the afternoon and a graduation party for my niece later in the day and Sunday, I want to do nothing, but we will be meeting Sarah for lunch and playing either outdoor games or inside games, depending on the weather!

Another cloth of the week pattern done

This one is one of the 2nd anniversary cloths called Summer Fields. The color in Peaches and Creme is in Apple Green. It is a great color and I like the pattern.

I am still having problems uploading documents from flickr, my computer or directly from the computer. However, photobucket will allow me to do these one at a time. Sigh.

Cloth of the Week, first two

Blogger is once again not letting post pics directly. But, I did get this posted through photobucket.

The orange is double delite and the yellow is C4 Lattice. Both knit up quickly. The orange is Peaches and Creme. The yellow is some of the yarn I received last year as part of a Whoduknit swap.

HAP rectangles

So, what are these strange things???

They are crocheted rectangles for the Whoduknit HAP project. Used Deborah Norville's Serenity yarn. I skein makes four 6"x9" rectangles. This stuff is very nice and very soft. I have another skein in Walnut. My local Joann's didn't have a good variety of colors. This green, which is called "Jade," and the Walnut which is a purplish beige, but the price was right (about $3/skein).