our pumpkins . . . .

gutting . . . .
. . . . . . . .

and cleaning up . . .



and the final product . . . drum roll, please . . .


(isn't it bizarre that we have carved pumpkins and pineapples on the same counter. I have to tell you that when we remodeled the house my goal was to have enough counter space and always to have beautifully clean counters and such. Well, as you can tell from these pics, the only thing that having more counters are good for is that my kids have more surface to put things on! Makes me crazed!

oh, yeah, and earlier we took pics in the back yard . . . trying to get the perfect Christmas photo!

and the winner is:

Its in the Mommy manual

My kids are great. They really are (no matter my complaining)!

Anyway, my oldest daughter is in her third year of college and has started her nursing clinicals. She feels overwhelmed as does most students. Sarah is usually the kindest most gentle of people and she has been having meltdowns over the most stupid things. Of course, it didn't help when her 12 year old sister pointed out that she was being stupid.

After one of her meltdowns and after I threw up my hands and said that I didn't understand what she wanted and I resented the fact that she was not being very nice to any of us, she told me that "you don't have to like me, Mom. But you have to love me. Its in the Mommy manual!"

You know what, she is right. We don't always have to like our kids, but we do have to love them, warts and all!

I forgot . . . duh

I forgot that I had ordered these books on Amazon. Actually, I had a number of things and got free shipping because I was waiting until they all were in stock. The order arrived yesterday and I had FOUR knitting books in the order. The order was held until the newest Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Volume 3 was available. I had previously order Volume 1 but gave it to my sister so I ordered a new one for me. The other two were books that I was just lusting after and I had a discount (and a credit) coming from Amazon so, ta da . . .
(ignore the pile of papers behind the books . . . that is work that I am trying to avoid . . . sigh . . . no little work fairies come in and do my work for me at night).

Also, I was trying desperately to finish the scarf to go with the unfelted hat in time for the Whoduknit October 15 deadline. Whoduknit is a group of knitters from all over the place who read a book and knit a project. The bowl didn't felt (I posted about the silly thing) and Lindsey decided it made a lovely hat. So, I decided to make her a lovely scarf. It is a simple cable pattern, using bulky yarn. K2, fc the next 8 stitches, follow the 2x2 pattern for the next 8 stitches, then follow the pattern for the cabled stitches, P2 . . . so you have a total of 20 stitches on big needles and I couldn't get it done. DUH.

But here you go, you can see how far I got . . .


I have to get a better picture of the scarf. It is really a lovely thing.

Anyway, it is a lovely, rainy day in Cleveland. I am glad I opted to braid my hair than wear it down. My slacks are soaked from mid-thigh down.

It would have been a great day to pop in some movies, grab some knitting and snuggle down. Ah, well, that pile of work is still on my desk and no little work fairies are going to take care of it for me.

Have a great day.

Birthday update

I had a wonderful birthday . . . go figure. Dave and Zachariah picked me up and we went to lunch. I went home with them and Zachariah and I spent the afternoon playing and watching some movie (what it was, I don't recall . . . as I slept through it all!!).

I had made cabbage roll casserole (stuffed cabbages without stuffing the cabbages) the day before (along with about 100 meat balls that were frozen). I then made mashed potatoes and bread. It was delicious . . . well Dave, Sarah and I liked it. Lindsey and Zachariah were fine until they realized it was cabbage that they had been chowing down on.

I also talked to two of my sisters (I have four sisters and two brothers). We chit chatted and carried on a bit.

My youngest sister's middle son is home from Iraq and we are all getting together on the 21st. This was his second tour. He is in the Marines and might switch to the Air Force. He is investigating it. He just turned 21 on October 2. Her oldest son is in the Navy (working with the DEA making drug busts in the Gulf Coast). Her youngest son has enlisted in the Air Force but doesn't leave for basic training until mid January. It does put everything in perspective doesn't it!

September colorswap

I received a most awesome package from Sam for the September colorswap. Knit 'N Style, Twizzlers, red Silly Putty, Christmas ribbons, a Mary Engelbreit 2007 calendar, a photo album and three skeins of Plymouth Suri Merino in a rich, rich red (it is so wonderfully soft and luscious).

Isn't it just totally wonderful.

I am feverishly working on my WhoduKnit scarf. I am using the left over yarn from the bowl that wouldn't felt:

and am making a scarf for Lindsey since she decided that she really wanted a scarf to match her hat . . . which in a previous life was supposed to be a bowl . . . the colors are richer than the picture shows. I am making the scarf with the ends being the darker pink and the middle being the lighter (I have substantially less dark than light). We shall see how it goes.

Anyway, I am making a lovely cabled scarf and it is really a lovely thing and I will hopefully have it done to post by the deadline of October 15!

two down . . . more to go

Human Resources and Marketing are done. Well, I assume they are done, depending on my grade. Unless I totally blew the final in HR, I will end up with an "A." Marketing on the other hand is a hideous thing filled with prats and pitfalls.

At Tiffin I had one teacher (for two classes, no less) that I disliked. But I disliked him on a personal level, not on what he was teaching us. He was not a very nice person. At all, at all. But, we suffered through him and I ended up with a "B" and an "A" from him.

This Marketing teacher is a pain in the arse. On some homeworks, I received a 90. There were no notes or comments on the homework, just the grade "90." You might ask "why" and I did too! The answer was "because." Ahhhh, because . . . . oh no, nothing more, just "because." What a bloomin' idjit!

The one homework assignment I mentioned that one of the costs that would have to be considered was the needs to get out of a "contract" for a licensing program. "So, what makes you think that these companies have a license? There is nothing in the case that indicates that the licensing that Company A was doing was driven by a written contract with Company B." Hello, hello, I work for a law firm. Of course, they had a contract. This is 2006. They have lawyers and accountants. They WOULD HAVE A CONTRACT IN WRITING.

So our syllabus states that we have to do homework everyweek, except for the weeks that you have to do your personal case or present your group cases, which leaves four weeks that you have to do homework with an optional homework due the last week. Except of course, the last week he said, no, you have homework due every week. You do not have to turn in the "optional" homework and you do not have to turn in the small written assignments for your individaul or group cases. Plus, he will throw out the lowest two scores on the homework. Therefore, for nine cases, you would have to turn in seven (eight if you do the optional), and he will throw out two. Except that there were some people who read it and thought he had explained it to be that at the most you would have to turn in was five. I was not there the first week and missed the mixed message people received and was fortunate that the person that explained it to me thought that we had to do seven. Are you confused??? We sure were.

Anyway, we are now on to Financial Policies (Saturday mornings 8 to noon) and International Business (Saturday afternoons 1 to 5).

So, last evening, I pulled out the sock. I hate the sock. It is a stupid sock. And, of course, it is for Lindsey. She looks at it and says, "I thought you were making me a pair of socks that I could wear with flip flops." I hate the sock.

what kind of art am I

You Are Impressionism

You think the world is quite beautiful, especially if you look at it in new and interesting ways.You tend to focus on color and movement in art.For you, seeing the big picture is much more important than recording every little detail.You can find inspiration anywhere... especially from nature.

What Art Movement Are You?

non knitting things

The recent spat of school shootings has made me so incredibly sad. It is sad in all instances but I find these murders in the Amish school to seem to be even more horrifying. This is a community, a people who believe in peaceful co-existence. And yet, this man choose to attack these innocents.

So sad. So sad.

the unfelted bowl

I'll post a picture later of the unfelted bowl. But it is a sad tale that needs to be told.
For my September Colorswap, I knitted a bowl (One Skein). It is a pattern that I have done before with the same yarn . . . which will remain nameless (only because I cannot remember right now).

Anyhow, I knit a bowl. I felted the bowl in the usual manner (hot water wash/cold water rinse with a towel on regular wash). I took it out of the pillow case and NOTHING. The stupid thing didn't felt. So back in the washer it goes . . . same thing happens. Check the lable of the yarn: 100% wool . . . not superwash or whatever it is that doesn't shrink. It just didn't shrink. Period.

So now, my 12 year old has an oddly shaped hat. She loves it. It is soft and lovely and a dark pink with a stripe. Anyone willing to make bets that the first time the hat gets washed that it shrinks?

It was a real itchy time

Okay, where else, except at a Yarn Harlot's presentation (or other similar function), is it acceptable to knit at meetings or presentations? sighhhhhhhh

I spent a little more than two hours at a meeting last evening. My youngest daughter/middle child is making her Confirmation in April. She attends a Catholic elementary school so the only requirement for us is to attend five meetings (the first of which was last evening) and she must also attend a retreat. The additional four meetings do not start until February 26 and then run for 3 additional weeks! I have to admit while one part of me was paying attention to the speakers (two out of three were very good), another part of me was itchy. I really, really wished that I had brought my knitting. I can listen and knit. I do it all the time.

It was a real itchy time.

You know when you start fidgeting because you need something to do with your hands and the yarn you left at home is calling your name (psssst . . . you forgot something, didn't you???)

The problem lies is that some people perceive that if you are knitting (or crocheting), you are not listening. It is a ridiculous perception but one that I have come across on several occasions.

Why is it acceptable for people to sit and doodle or even meditate (i.e., snooze) but not knit? It is just WRONG!

Seriously, if my sisters and I can get together, yak up a storm (and drink . . . and sometimes we are drinking coffee) and knit at the same time, then surely, I can knit during a meeting that discusses the reasons for Confirmation. So I have this plan, next time we will sit in the back which should work fine if they set up the room like they did last evening . . . set us up at tables and I'm in serious trouble. Or, better yet, I'll send my darling, loving hubby to the meeting and can stay home and knit in peace!

So, when I leaned over and whispered to Lindsey that I should have brought my knitting, she whispered back that she should have brought a book. I mean, seriously, THAT would be rude!

CASP Summer Secret Pal from Knitty

I received a great package from my CASP! In yesterday's mail, I received hand made stitch markers, two English knitting magazines with very cool stuff (Knitting and Simply Knitting), two sets of 22.5cm chopsticks, a lamb magnet, a lamb chocolate, bookmark and natural paper notebook. Really, really cool stuff. I've posted a picture on my blog.

Here is a picture.


The stitch markers are a wonderful green and brown (they would also make great earrings . . . so if I'm ever desperate for the perfect earrings, you may see me wearing my stitch markers!!)

The name on the package looks like Covey Googh(?). Thanks again so much. 19Thrifty4, you are a great Secret Pal!

You Are A Rowan Tree

You are full of charm and cheer. You light up a room. And while you crave attention, you do it without ego. You are an interesting mix of contradictions - and very unpredictable. You are both dependent and independent, calm and restless. You are passionate, emotional, gregarious, and (at times) unforgiving.

What's" Your Celtic Horoscope?

get her out of the oven . . . she's done

There I am knitting away, listening to an Artemus Fowl story on CD and not paying attention to what I am doing. What I am supposed to be doing is making a bowl. Instead, right now, it looks like a cowl because it is just WAY TOO BIG!! Now this wasn't all my fault. I was on the bus. Traffic was horrible and what should have been a 30 to 40 minute trip was 70 minutes. Seriously, I was so involved in the book (because the knitting is mindless) that I wasn't paying attention until the CD ended and two things happened: 1) I realized that the bus was still on the freeway and 2) the bowl was huge. Now the question is what to do. I didn't cast on enough stitches to make a large bowl and I just don't want to frog the thing. So, do I start decreasing and felt it and see how it goes or frog it.

I had an accounting quiz on Friday evening, a Human Resources essay exam on Saturday morning and a case due on Saturday for Marketing. The accounting mid-term is this Friday evening. Why am doing this to myself???? The accounting and HR professors are wonderful people. They are interesting (seriously, how interesting can accounting be but she is making it interesting rather than dry and boring) and kind of funny. The marketing teacher is a pain in the butt. Isn't it interesting that the good teachers both have Ph.Ds and the marketing teacher doesn't?

Plus, he is an old fool. On Friday night, one of the other women in the group suggested that she thinks that he is a sexiest and would love to get the total scores of everyone. She said that she would be willing to bet that the scores for the women are lower than the scores for the men. I have received a 90 on the last two homeworks. There weren't any notes or comments on them. So I asked him. His response "they were fine, nothing wrong, be happy with your grade."

The funniest thing happened just prior to one of the groups presenting their case on Saturday. The group consisted of four young women, all attractive and bubbly. First, one of them says to the teacher, "you look pretty spiffy today." Another then makes some other comment to him about his "wonderful help in helping her get her head around the numbers." They are all standing in front of the class while he is pulling up their powerpoint presentation. At that point, I turned around and looked at the three guys sitting behind me and asked them "are they doing what I think they are doing." They all nodded and said it sure looked like it. Then another one asks him about what should she do with her palm tree (he had mentioned a couple of weeks ago that he and his wife are involved with various horticultural efforts). He was putty in their hands. During everyone else's presentation, he would interrupt and was incredibly rude "did you check your figures because I don't see . . . " etc. With this group, he says "I can understand why you addressed this case in this manner." HUH??!!?? Now, the question is, was this a planned flirtation? Or do these cute young things just do this type of thing naturally? I have to admit that I have a friend that is an equal opportunity flirter and can and will flirt with everyone. But this just seemed to planned. It will be interesting to see what he gives them for a grade.

I did get an email from Mr. Warm-and-Wonderful wanting me to explain some of the conclusions on my personal case. He said that they needed clarification. I looked at them again and they made sense to me, so I just added some formulas and resent them. Arghhhhh.

May as well put a fork in me, cause I think I'm done!

Tooth of Time Felted bowl

As part of the WhoduKnit read/knit-a-long, we read Tooth of Time. As part of my knitting piece, I decided to make a bowl. The book is set in New Mexico and I was looking for something that would give the idea of a New Mexican bowl. Obviously, the colors aren't necessarily compatible with New Mexico but I do like the end product.



Here is my unfelted bowl. It is really fun. This is Knitpicks felted bowl pattern, using KP's memories yarn . . . pansy is the colorway. It knits up quickly and the yarn is lovely to work with.


Then after I felted the bowl (two washings . . . but the towels I had with it came from the kids bathroom and could use the two washings!), I shaped the bowl using a balloon.
After the yarn is dry, I popped the balloon and ta da . . . actually, the bowl ends up a lot rounder than the photo shows. The shadows and such make it look more lopsided than it is. The colors pooled wonderfully and I do believe that I am going to have to buy more memories yarn in different colors to make more bowls. This would be a perfect receptacle for holiday gifts for school teachers and such. It is the right size and unique.

August colorswap

August colorswap,
originally uploaded by mlj1954.

Isn't this a wonderful thing. These are all the beautiful things that I received from Mo, my August co-colorswapee. Brown Sheep in Roasted Coffee (the picture does not do the color justice), Lana wool in black, a bamboo candle, chocolate, bamboo purse handles, note cards, candy, cedar balls and a lovely striped cloth in eggplant, olive and beige.

I am already looking forward to the September colorswap (pinks/reds) and have started collecting stuff for Sam of Texas!

Total Frustration

Last evening, I spent hours looking for the pattern for the felted bowls. I've made a couple of these and probably do not need the pattern but it was making me stark raving mad. This morning, of course, I had a revelation . . . it is in "the bin." Actually, they are bins. The bins hold patterns and yarn, pretty much sorted by what yarn I am planning for the specific pattern. It sounds very logical, unless, of course, you spend hours looking for a pattern. I was, unfortunately, just getting ready to walk out of the house this morning when I remembered the bins. The bins, by the way, are stored in my master bath shower. We don't use it. Well, we don't use it for showering. I use it for storage (summer/winter clothing, my knitting stash). Now, you might wonder why I didn't remember the bins last evening. Especially considering the fact that they are so well organized. It is simple really. I organized everything before we went on vacation on July 22. I have not been back "in the bins" since and forgot how really organized I am (was?).

Then, to add insult to injury, I remembered this morning that the pattern is the felted bowl from One Skein. Of course, THAT book is sitting on my desk. Happy day, happy day. Oh yeah, except that my needles are at home! Bah humbug!

Grand Canyon at sunrise

Grand Canyon at sunrise,
originally uploaded by mlj1954.

Contrary to the date on the photo, Lindsey took this pictures at sunrise at the Grand Canyon on July 28, 2006 . . . her batteries went dead half way through her photos and when she switched them out, she forgot to change the date!

Focus

I NEED TO FOCUS or get organized or something. I have sooooo many things planned that I have bought yarn (or received yarn . . . see the I Love Swaps posting) that I have become completely bogged down in indecision.

I received the green yarn that I have decided to make a scarf with. I think I will make it in the Backyard Leaves pattern from Scarf Style. Here is a pic from the Knitpicks website: http://www.knitpicks.com/projects/projects_display_yarn.aspx?itemid=30529222#

Of course, there are about three or four or five . . . other projects in the same book.

The other thing is I am itching to do some cabling . . . and there is always Lindsey's Knitwit hat which, by the way, I hate.

I know that I need to finish Zachariah's wallaby. It is really lovely and he is so very excited.

I have also bought more KnitPicks Memories yarn to make bowls and such for Christmas. They knit up quickly, the yarns are wonderful to work with and I enjoy doing them. Plus there is the added advantage of saying to people who ask "oh, what are you making" to respond "a bowl." It is a lovely thing.

Plus, I would really like to make some of Jane's cups/saucers see http://janevdoviak.blogspot.com/2006/08/felted-pottery.html. They are lovely and I think would be fun to give especially to a friend who collects tea cups.

I have also bought some yarn to make a bowl for the Colorswap red/pink for September.

The other problem, just between us, is that I am lusting for the Knitpicks knitting bag. I have put the silly thing in and out of my cart so many times that I am sure, Knitpicks web browser is going to send me an email and say "just buy the thing already"!

And, I should be studying. AHHHHH.

Secret Pal Swaps

I think I've mentioned before how much I've enjoyed the knitting swaps. The swapees are the greatest, incredibly generous and there is something really cool about getting great packages from someone you don't know. It is a great pick me up.

Anyway, I received a package yesterday from Lomester! She has been very generous throughout the whole swap and has been a super secret pal. Part of the fun of these things is also getting those wonderful pick-me-up notes and contacts. Thank you so much.

Here is what I received in my package yesterday:
Simple Scrapbooks (when I'm not knitting or going to school or working, I scrapbook . . . in fact, I think we have over 600 pics to add to an album from our last trip!!).

Knit Simple . . . wow! This magazine is PACKED with great stuff, including an article on flattering looks for fuller figures . . . how did they know???

A book mark to help me keep my place in my book, and I know just the book since I am participating in the Whodunit KAL!

A small vase which I put the gel pens in. Actually there are four pens, I was already using one last evening taking notes for my exam on Saturday. There is also a great "M" memo notepad which I have tucked into my laptop bag.

A tortoise shell purse handle. I have been looking at a pattern that, shhhh, isn't knit but sewn. You need round handles for it. It is to make a craft bag out of 8 fat quarters.

And, finally, wonderful Classic Elite, cotton rayon yarn, in a dark apple green (I hope the pics do it justice). The name of the yarn is BELIEVE! Not only is this yarn great, but I was just telling someone who was questioning whether or not she should go back to school (she is all of 32), that she just needed to BELIEVE in herself and that she can do this. Now, how quirky is that!!

You know, sometimes you just gotta Believe!

diploma

I got my diploma from Tiffin University in the mail yesterday. It was a very exciting thing! I know, I know. I'm 51 and many, many others have walked this path before me. But, I cannot believe that I am actually done.

Well, done with that part, as I started working on my MBA two Saturdays ago. Three classes a week: Friday evenings (Finance), two on Saturdays (HR & Marketing). It is a lovely schedule. Last night I was so excited about it, I finished filling out all the school forms for my 12 year old and was in bed by 9:00 p.m. Of course, the first time I looked at the clock this morning was at 3:12.

Did I ever mention how much I hate exams? I hate exams. I just get stupid or suffer from serious memory loss as soon as I get the exam in front of me. I have an exam Saturday in HR management. It is an essay which should be okay as I can usually BS my through just about anything but we will see. The second day of class, this same professor gave us an exam and as I missed the first class, she wasn't sure how I would do. I ended up with a 91 out of 100 (changed one answer which would have been correct except that I changed it . . . duh!). The class median was 87.4, so I did better than I (and Dr. H) thought I would do. Some people were writing "books" for the three essay questions. Dr. H had given us three pages and I only used one. I did get 25 out 25 on the essay questions so am hoping for the best on this week's exam.

Ah well, I need to get off to finish all my school work before my work day begins.