My Crazy Chaotic World

Goodbye 2011...

2011-12-31T22:11:00.014-05:00

2011 in review:

Bah Humbug!

2011-12-08T21:42:00.002-05:00

I've been feeling a little under the weather for a couple of days. I'm pretty sure that I've got a major cold coming, and I'm trying to fight it off. At least one to two days a week, I feel as though I'm running a fever, and all I want to do is sleep.

And on top of that, it's the holiday season. Everyone is rushing and dashing around getting decorations up, and buying presents. But not me. It's not that I don't dislike the gift-giving, being good to people, etc idea. But I cannot stand the commercialization of the season. And not being a Christian, I don't really feel that I need to celebrate the birth of a baby that wasn't mine, and who, in fact, wasn't even born in December anyway. But I've never felt strongly pulled toward the whole Yule thing either. Maybe because people use it interchangeably with Christmas.

But I have noticed that, while many around me are rushing everywhere, they are getting stressed out. "What to get for presents? What to fix for dinner? Where will the tree go? A real tree or fake one?" And I actually have no stress whatsoever! It's a really nice feeling too. So, if you're one of those that runs around like a chicken with its head cut off--take a moment and think about WHY you are doing this? Is it for the satisfaction of you or are you trying to please someone else? Are you overspending you budget just to get the expensive things for your friends and family? If you are, then STOP--if they are truly your friends, then they will love whatever you get them! And family has to love you no matter how awful those mittens that you made. Take the time to take a deep breath and think about why you are so hectic right now.

Wednesday Night

2011-10-26T20:21:00.003-04:00

Tonight's dinner was very yummy. I spent the afternoon running The Boy to swimming class and then Youth Group at a local church, and the Nephew to a friend's house to learn what he'll be doing this weekend (house sitting a couple of dogs and a gaggle of cats) that I thought using the Slow Cooker was in order. So this morning (or early afternoon for those who keep an earlier schedule than we do around here), I cut up the cabbage I had left over from Monday's dinner and through them into the ceramic insert to the crock pot. Yes, threw. It helps separate the pieces. j/k :)

I then cut up an apple. One that is able to be cooked and keep most of its firmness works best, such as a fuji, gala or granny smith (my personal favorite since it's tart), but any kind will work. If there's room, put more than one apple. But I only had room for one.

On top of that, I put half of the huge pork loin. Add about 4 cups of water (apple juice or leftover spiced cider is very yummy too!) Because the insert was so full, I put a piece of foil over the whole thing, crimping the edges down to seal everything in. Then I put the lid on top (sort of). It didn't want to fit, which is why I used the foil (and I did use my 7-qt. slow cooker, so don't know how to make it any smaller, except to take out some of the cabbage which would have been a shame).

Cook it on low for about 8-10 hours. I started it on high for about 2 hours, then dropped it down to low for the rest of the time. One thing about this is that it won't overcook if you have to leave it for a while longer. A lot of recipes for the slow cooker are for a shorter time, which I find almost impossible to fix since I'm gone for most of the afternoon and we eat late.

I would have taken a picture of it, but we ate it all too quickly. So I guess it was very good. Or they were just very hungry, but I'm still leaning toward very good :)

Another option for those meatless eaters out there is to make the cabbage & apples in the crockpot with the apple juice (or water) by itself. I've done this for church potlucks and it was a huge success. Tonight I used green cabbage, but I've used red before and have mixed the two for a colorful meal. It all depends on which one is one sale, since all I'll about saving some money right now :)

If you give this a try, let me know what ya'll think, and whether you made any changes to it. I'm always interested in hearing how other people fix up their meals too.

Mediterranean Couscous Cabbage Rolls

2011-10-25T08:57:00.005-04:00

Last night was "Meatless Monday," so I made the recipe from the new book Eating Well: Fast & Flavorful Meatless Meals. Here's a picture:and another one of it cooking up:

It was good. Everyone but The Boy liked it. He said it needed seasoning in the couscous mixture. Part of that is that I left out the salt that the directions said to add to the couscous water. But since we're low- to no- salt around here, I left it out. I also left out the mint that it called to add the couscous mixture, so maybe that would have changed it. But I don't really like mint too much, so I left it out.

The only thing I'm going to do differently next time is cook the cabbage rolls longer. The directions said to cook the cabbage rolls for 5-8 minutes and of course, since it was already late, I only cooked it 5 minutes. Definitely longer next time :)

Menu Planning part 2

2011-10-20T10:38:00.003-04:00

I have finally finished my menu for the next two weeks. Just in time to go shopping tomorrow :) If you need a reason to justify making a menu up ahead of time, I've got 2 reasons for you. 1: Just think if you wrote down everything that you needed to make what you've planned, you'll save time on unexpected trips to your local grocery store. And 2: If you know what you are planning on fixing, and you have a list of what you need, then you will not be as tempted to impulse shop and spend more than you planned on at the store. Saving money is ALWAYS a plus :)

So, with that in mind, I'll share what I have planned for the next two weeks. I do try to balance my meals out, so that I don't have pasta 3 days in a row, etc. And I have certain days I have to be careful of. Fridays are game night, so I either need to plan to feed the masses or set aside a little for a pizza run. Tuesdays are the craziest day of the week, so that's why the meal on that day is simple, yet yummy. Also, since our payday is on Friday, I start my weekly menus on Friday and run through Thursdays. Just a little quirk of mine.

Friday, October 21st: Beef Roast (in crockpot) with Mushroom Gravy, mashed potatoes, and green beans

Saturday, Oct 22nd: Italian Meatballs and Spaghetti (The Nephew's night)

Sunday, Oct 23rd: Hot Wings, Coleslaw and Fries/Potato Cakes (The Man's night)

Meatless Monday, Oct 24th: Mediterranean Couscous Cabbage Rolls & Salad ('cause I couldn't think of another vegetable/side dish to serve)

Tuesday, Oct 25th: Sandwiches

Wednesday, Oct 26th: Pork Roast with Cabbage & Apples (Crockpot)

Thursday, Oct 27th: Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup (low salt) and Salad (The Boy's night)

Friday, Oct 28th: Pizza night

Saturday, Oct 29th: Kung Pao Tofu (Meatloving Nephew picked this one)

Sunday, Oct 30th: Cheeseburgers or Cheesesteaks (depending on if Aldi's still has the cheesesteaks) and Fries (The Man's job)

Meatless Monday, Oct 31st: Fettuccine with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Tuesday, Nov 1st: Breakfast

Wednesday, Nov 2nd: Lemon & Herb Crockpot Roasted Chicken with mashed potatoes and asparagus

Thursday: Louisiana style Shrimp with Rice (The Boy's pick)

As you can see, I LOVE my crockpots. I have two of them and when they're not cooking our dinner, I'm usually brewing my own broth, whether it's chicken, beef or vegetable. It's such a valuable resource. So if you don't have one, I'd recommend going and getting one. And if you have one and don't use it, then dust it off and start using it!

Menu Planning

2011-10-19T14:49:00.003-04:00

Every two weeks, I sit down and start to plan the menu for the next two weeks. Why two weeks and not one? Because we get paid every two weeks and I find it much easier to plan for two weeks at a time instead of one. And why not the whole month? While I have done that in the past, I've found that it becomes to plan for unexpected changes during that time.

One thing that I've implemented in the last few weeks is that I don't do all the cooking. I live with 3 other people who are absolutely capable of cooking as well. And since the chef-for-the-night is also in charge of making sure that everything is cleaned up and the kitchen is in order at the end of the night, this allows me to have 3 nights when I get to relax a little, or be out of the house with meetings, etc. Either way, it's a nice break for me :)

I have many resources for recipes. Some are online but most come from cookbooks. And since I don't own nor do I want to own billions of cookbooks, I go to my library. Weekly :) I can't say enough about the library and their resources. They have all kinds of books there, just waiting for you to read and peruse. And if the book you want is checked out, I'm sure that your library will allow you to put the book "on hold," just as mine does. And if I think I'll use most of the recipes in the book, then I'll go and buy a copy (i.e. my Low-Salt Cookbook that I reference for so many low- and no-salt options).

Last week, I was looking at the library and found a wonderful book called "Eating Well: Fast & Flavorful Meatless Meals." Now, not being a vegetarian, I don't have all that many resources for meatless or veggie meals. But I do like to include one meatless meal per week. We call that "Meatless Monday" and this can be anything from a vegetarian-based soup to my Spinach-Cheese Lasagna. So you can imagine how excited I was to discover this cookbook :) I've already slated a few of the recipes for the next couple of weeks, and will try and remember to post pictures as I plate them.

Weekend of Fun

2011-10-10T10:40:00.002-04:00

or not really. For all the beautiful weather we had here, I didn't really get a chance to enjoy it. Saturday was spent running The Boy to meetings and such and then Sunday started real early with a 9:30 a.m. meeting at church. I felt fine getting ready for the meeting, and through the meeting. Then The Man and I went upstairs for service and I pulled out my knitting (the aqua socks). That's when I noticed my hands starting to swell and my left thumb wasn't working well. And within 10 minutes, I couldn't use my left hand at all. So, as much as I wanted to be at church, we decided to leave since the RA was hitting my so strong. Only stopping long enough to pick up the rest of the groceries at our Ultra-Cheap Grocery Store, we headed home where I spent most of the day in bed with a heating pad on my hand.

That said, The Man, The Boy and The Nephew got a lot done around the house. Most of the dishes were done by the younger two while The Man smoked a HUGE pork picnic in the smoker. And made BBQ sauce, and homemade potato pancakes. Wish I'd thought to take a picture of the VERY beautiful dinner that he made. But I was too busy chowing down to think that far ahead :)

On another note, I found a website that helps one keep track of their fitness workouts and calorie counts. It's call MyFitnessPal and the website is www.myfitnesspal.com. You can enter what your weight goals are and how much you want to lose per week, etc. I went with modest goals to start with. If I can make it down to that goal, then I will put in the ultimate goal and work toward that. But I'm looking at several years worth of weight loss. But if I don't start, I'll never lose it. So I'm getting started with it :)

2011-10-03T21:07:00.002-04:00

I haven't forgotten the blog. I promise. It was just a busy busy weekend with near perfect weather :)

So what did I do? I ran a Dungeons & Dragons game for The Boy and several of his friends from our homeschooling community. Yes. D&D is great for teaching math. I make them add up all their dice rolls and everything ;)

Then, I ran home to finish the last charted row on the Wings of Horus Shawl I've been working on. And I finished it too! It's been blocking all day on my bed, and I'm hoping that it will be dry in time for me to go to bed tonight. Either way, it will be unpinned and moved, as it is taking up the WHOLE bed. And I have a LARGE bed too! I'm going to get someone to help me take pictures tomorrow and I'll post it here as soon as I can.

Sunday was spent at church, hanging out with my friends and then teaching The Boy's Religious Education Class (which is like Sunday School but not, for those not familiar with UUism). After church was over, I ate Vienna Sausages and fruit cocktail waiting for the Adult Religious Education class to start. It was a wonderful afternoon spent in one of the most relaxing places I've ever been to.

Getting home, The Man unwrapped our sandwiches for dinner and opened the container of potato salad. After which, we taught The Nephew how to play the old card game call Dot Hack (.Hack) After several hands, and losing most of them, I decided it was time to go back to my sewing machine. I managed to get all the flannel washcloths edged (all 36 of them), and even took the time to make up a small rice-filled tube that can be heated in the microwave and used as a small heating pad.

Today has been spent in getting ready for co-op tomorrow, including making "bean" bags filled with rice, running The Boy over to the other side of town for swimming class, then racing back to get him home before I rushed off to my water fitness class. Now, after cooking dinner, I'm waiting for The Man to get off work, before I climb into my bed and fall fast asleep.

Good Night!

Slow Cooker Conversions

2011-09-29T20:33:00.002-04:00

So, after the tornados came through, I lost not only our garage, but our oven as well. And trying to get a 14-year-old oven fixed is laughable. None of the parts are available. So that leaves us without an oven. For the most part, I haven't missed it. I've picked up the slack by using my slow cooker, even for things that are traditionally cooked in the oven. Some have been successful; some have had to had slight adjustments to make them work.

Tonight: half success/half failure. I used my 7-quart oval beast, with the 2 non-stick inserts. One one side, a meatloaf using a pound of ground turkey (beef works as well, but turkey was cheaper), a box of stuffing mix and 1 cup of water. I combine the stuffing mix and water together, and allow to sit for a few minutes, only so that the cornbread is softer. Mix in the meat, and either put into the insert or shape into a loaf shape. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until meat is fully cooked. I find that I have to boast the heat to high for the last hour or so, just so that it is fully cooked.

The other side was an old family recipe for Squash Casserole. This is something that I grew up eating, and usually make it weekly as my family loves it. All summer long, I haven't made it, and I've missed it terribly. So I decided to try it in the slow cooker. It cooked on low, until I turned up the heat at 5:30 when I was getting ready to leave for water fitness class. It looked exactly like it should have. Then, I got home at 7:30 to a mess. Apparently, turning the heat up made the squash break down completely. It was soupy and not like it should have been. It was still tasty, but I guess I should have pulled the insert out before turning the cooker to high. Oh well, live and learn.

The recipe for Squash Casserole:

*1-pound of yellow squash (I've also used zucchini, and in fact used it today. It's a slightly different flavor, but still yummy), cubed and cooked in water, then drained and mashed with a potato masher

*1 can of cream of mushroom soup (I used the "Heart Healthy" version since it has lower sodium)

*1/2 stick of butter or margarine (butter makes it richer in flavor, and we don't use margarine anymore)

*1/4 pound (1 sleeve) of "saltine" crackers (or the unsalted version, or the multigrain--it's all good), crushed

Mix everything together and bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Tonight: I cooked on low in the slow cooker for 6 hours and it looked perfect at that point.

Depending on my mood, I will add diced onion to the squash. Sometimes, I add shredded cheese to the mix before baking. And I almost always add some kind of seasoning. Right now, I'm using a no-salt seasoning mix from Big Lots, but I grew up with Nature's Seasoning and all it's salty goodness.

Dinner at the Duck Pond

2011-09-27T20:50:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, with a small break between swimming class and a get-together with friends, the Boy and I stopped at a small pond by one of our local Wal-marts. We sat down and were immediately greeted by wonderful quacky sounds. We enjoyed the semi-quiet atmosphere (well, we were right across the street from a Wal-mart and next to a major interstate, so it was all relative quiet). After eating our PB&J's, we just watched the ducks.

Save the Ta-tas

2011-09-25T18:28:00.005-04:00

This afternoon, after church, a group of women from my Unitarian Universalist Church got together to create artwork. Our church has a program called "Art on the Walls" that displays arts and crafts, sometimes religious and sometimes not. Next month will be our new paintings.

All of these were painted using acrylic paints and our own ta-tas. Out of the 7 women present, two are breast cancer survivors--one with a partial mastemony and one a complete bi-lateral. This is a reminder that breast cancer can hit any one, no matter what age or sex. Please, check yourself regularly and if you find anything, and I mean anything, that doesn't look or feel right, go straight to your doctor. Even if it's a false alarm, it is MUCH better to be safe than sorry.

Introducing the newest member of the family

2011-09-24T19:29:00.009-04:00

Gotcha! It's only my camera. The Boy managed to do many things to my old one that left it only working part of the time. Then the snow storms came last January, and I wanted to take a picture of my Snow Cat.

I ended up taking this with my cell phone, because on the way down the hill, I slipped and fell, dropping the camera into the snow. Turns out, getting all wet wasn't so good for the camera and it died completely. So now I have a new phone. It's smaller and lighter than the one I had before. But then again, the old one was close to 10 years old too.

Now, I've been taking all kinds of pictures :)

My Cats:

Q. T. Pie: A 12-year-old former stray that adopted us and allows us to sleep on her bed, occasionally.

Next up is Freya. She was 9 months old when we met her. A family was standing outside of Wal-mart on Christmas Eve, giving out free kittens. She was their mama, and they were looking for a new home for her too. So, we grabbed her and the last little kitten they had. Which leads us to...

Loki. A very large, very active almost-2-year-old. He went from being able to fit in my hand, to hardly fitting in The Man's lap. Which he doesn't sit in very often, as he will tell you: He's a BOY cat and therefore there will be NO cuddling.

We also live with a black lab who, as she gets older, isn't as destructive as she was as a puppy. Unfortunately, my allergies keep me from having much to do with her. But she's completely happy getting all the attention of The Nephew.

Still living?

2011-09-21T21:02:00.002-04:00

It's been awhile since I've tried this blogging thing. Not too sure how many people even read it, and it's okay if no one does. This is mainly just a way to process what is going on. So I guess I need to focus and write about what is going on in my life.

The RA has backed off a LOT. Right now, it's "residing" in my left ankle, but it's fairly easy to function when it's only one foot that doesn't work too well :) As long as my hands and shoulders aren't hurting, then I call it a good time indeed. Then I can continue with my obsessions...um, hobbies. Knitting (still) and quilting & sewing.

Unfortunately, you'll have to just envision what I'm working on, as I don't have a camera that works any more. But life does go on :)

We're still homeschooling. Into the 7th grade now. And still growing like a weed. At 5'6 (just measure today!) the boy towers over me. Of course, most people do :)

So, anyway, I'll try to work on more posts. Probably not everyday, but at least once a week. Just to keep in my mind what is going on with my life.

2008-08-28T21:15:00.002-04:00

Just when we get used to a schedule, it all changes. The Man now works 2ish to 11 ish (at night) and that has thrown our schedule all to hell. So, a few weeks of adjustment for us on that. But we're working on it.

Looking at my projects list, I feel as though I haven't made much progress. Other than reading 3 600+ page books. The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon has been really good. But now I'm in the mood to read light books. So I'm on to the next Knitting Mystery by Maggie Sefton, Dyer Consequences. I've enjoyed the first 4 books of this series, though they are definately what I consider light books. A book that I can read in less than 2 days. 1 day, if I don't do anything else. Unlike the Outlander books. The last book took me about a week, and I didn't get much knitting done either!

To be fair: I've been working on the Secret of the Stole 3, on my Addi Lace 3 needles. With beads. And adding beads is time consuming, no matter how much I enjoy the final project! And my toe-up socks. I'm knitting both at the same time, on size 0 needles. Insane! Next time, larger needles. For one thing, they're not going to be as tall as I had hoped they would be. But I'll wear them anyway! They won't fit anyone else's feet. Just my short and wide, boxy feet! I'm already planning on my next pair. I'll let you know what I have in mind later!

2008-08-11T20:29:00.002-04:00

I tried to post the other day, but in the middle of typing, something happened and I lost all I had typed. Too pissed off to continue, I just signed off and decided I'd type again later. Well, now it's later.

Exciting for me: I signed up for Dish Rag Tag and received my team assignment this weekend. I'm with team 11. I'm really looking forward to playing out this year's race, as I really enjoyed last year's competition.

For projects: I'm working on Traveling Roses Scarf in Morehouse Merino Laceweight that I dyed with Black Cherry Kool-Aid. However, with help from the boy, that project is sitting to the side for now. Not that he did much damage, but somehow the yarn ended up snapping and I have to join it back together. Just have to have the patience to do it. So instead, I'm trying to finish up by Bloomin' Socks. I'm on the last chart, for the 2nd sock, so not too much more to do. Hopefully by tomorrow. It all depends on how my hands are doing. And whether I can hold the needles, which isn't guaranteed right now.

We went to Atlanta for the weekend 2 weeks ago. Really had a blast. We saw the Georgia Aquarium (thought the one here in Chattanooga was a lot more impressive), the World of Coca-Cola, CNN Studio tour, The Atlanta Zoo, and the Fernbank Natural History Museum. A busy weekend, but we all enjoyed it all alot.

2008-07-22T11:57:00.002-04:00

Well, not too much going on here. Just finished updating all my blog features, so hopefully all of that is working okay. I've been busy knitting lace for the Summer of Lace 2008. I finished Goddess Knits Anniversary Shawl, aka my Mandala Shawl. I've even washed and blocked it. Yeah! Now just to get the pictures onto my computer and upload them. I knitted Branching Out Scarf (found at Knitty.com) in Misti International Laceweight, a very dark forest green color. I still need to wash and block that, though hopefully I'll be able to have that done and pictures of that as well. I'm planning a list for Christmas gifts that I want to knit up. Since it's in the middle of July, that gives me about 5 months to work on everything. Shouldn't be too terribly difficult, right?

On the non-knitting front: Last couple of weekends, we've been playing Buffy the Vampire Slayer rpg instead of D&D. Bob's running it and we've been having loads of fun with that. I still have my Eberron game going--everyone's almost epic level now! Can't wait to see how they do. I've designed a really tough dungeon for them to get through--4 levels and they're currently on the 2nd one. The Big Boss won't be reached until at least the 4th level, and they're going to be hard pressed to beat him. Bwa ha ha--being evil has it's finer points!

On the homeschooling front: we've taken a couple of weeks off for the summer. Put planning on starting back up real soon. We're going to focus on History, Science, and Writing. I'm thinking of a journal that the Boy will write in, with some free writing as well as some assignements. In History, we've been working on Ancient History, so I want to finish up with that and maybe get into US History this year. But we'll see. Science: My weakness. I hate Science. But I've gotten some kits that have some really cool stuff in it. Starting with Bacteria. So here goes! And for Reading: the Boy is quite a bit ahead in that area, so we'll just continue to pick up books and read.

2008-05-24T19:09:00.004-04:00

I have pictures! Finally!

Here's a picture of the socks that I made out of Morehouse Farm Merino 3-ply WW yarn. The pattern is Infant's Fancy Silk Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush. I started with a US 6 DPN, then switched to US 5, and finally US 4, but followed the pattern as written, except I lengthed the leg. It fits my foot like a dream!

Here's my picture of the Lady's Lacy Cape in Victorian Lace Today. I'm using KnitPick's Shadow in Hot Rod Heather on US 7 needles. I'm about 1/2 way through the knitted on lace edging. None of the colors came out right. The actual color is closer to cinnamon. It's quite lucious.

2008-05-12T09:34:00.002-04:00

The boy is sick. Been running a slight fever, chills, runny nose, and such since Saturday afternoon. If he's not better by this afternoon, we'll be going by the doctor's. But I think that it's on the last leg, 'cause he's still sleeping and has been since around 3ish or so. Slept a lot yesterday too. I think it's a viral thing, and if that's the case, then there's not much doc can do but tell us "Drink lots of fluid, get lots of rest, and wait it out." Which is what we've been doing. I've been trying to entice him to eat by getting all of his favorite things, like popcicles, and ramen, and such. And drinks, including a huge jug of Hawaiian Punch, berry flavored or something else that's usually blue.

On the crafting front: I've made some progress in the lacy shawl in Victorian Lace Today. I've gotten to the point where one row takes a really long time. But I keep working on it! I've put almost everything else aside for now. Just trying to get one project done. Except for the Dragon Scarf. I'm trying to knit that in secret for the Boy for Christmas. So the only time I can work on it is after he's gone to bed. And by that time, I'm usually ready for bed!

2008-05-06T00:24:00.002-04:00

Well, while trying to update my blog, I've found out that I can't update my layout page. Only half the page loads and I get an "error on page." So I can't update a lot of my side features. Oh well, I guess I'll try again later. Maybe a couple of days from now. Maybe then, it will be fixed.

One of my newest obsessions: Ravelry. I finally broke down and jumped on the bandwagon. I'm Niayla over there. Only took about a month or so before I made it on there. And it's worth it. I'm really enjoying all the features they have set up, and I haven't even explored half of it yet!

Still Breathing

2008-05-04T08:55:00.002-04:00

Still Alive. Just been so busy with life. And then, blogger and my computer don't get along very well. Or maybe it's that I'm still on dial-up. hmmm....

Updates:

The Boy turned 9 in February and continues to grow like a weed. Only about 4 or so more inches to go, and then he'll be as tall as me. We went to Six Flags over GA this spring. They went on roller coasters. The Boy loved it. Even went on Batman. I stood there and waited. I did ride the sky buckets (cable cars), the train, and the bumoper cars were about as exciting as I got.

My RA seems to be, not getting better, but at least manageable. Except on days like today, when it's slightly cool and very damp. But I have more better days than not, right now anyways.

On the crafting front: I've discovered Morehouse Merino wool. On their website, www.morehousefarm.com , there was their claim that their wool doesn't itch, like ever. So I bought a couple of skeins of their 3-ply in the willow color. Now I have 1 skein left over, and a wonderful pair of socks. Have no idea what the difference is. So I thought that I'd try KnitPicks Shadows, a merino laceweight. It has a slight itch factor, but not enough that I'm not going to try it out. Maybe it will be better once I wash it.

I've also discovered KnitPicks Harmony Needles. Love them. I bought the Options set first, but since then I've picked up the DPN set (0-3), and 4-6 DPN, and the fixed circulars in size 0 and 3. I have a shawl on the size 0 right now, just finished the socks on the 4, 5 & 6 DPN, and another shawl on the 5 DPN, waiting to go on the circulars. I finished Mystic Light KAL on the 6 circulars (awaiting blocking), and multitudes of face cloths. As soon as I figure out the whole camera thing (loading pix with dial-up?), then I'll try and post pictures.

Well, it's time for us to be off to church. Not that we'll be damned to eternal everlasting hell if we're late, but I really enjoy going!

2007-10-29T10:47:00.000-04:00

Things have been going better, slowly. Everyone's been really sad and kinda depressed around here since Cleo's been gone. Little things remind us of the absence of her great presence--like finding her catnip toy under the couch. But things are getting better.

Yesterday was my niece's birthday, and I forgot to call her. So I'm going to try and call her today, and wish her a happy birthday. But in case I forget again (a common occurance lately), I can wish her a

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
here.

She posted a comment asking how I wash my dishclothes. Sorry I haven't answered before now. I tried to, but my dial-up connection timed out and dumped me. I can't tell you how much I hate dial-up. Maybe I'll try the library and see if I can post from there. Then at least I can upload it faster :)

Washing and caring of dishclothes: I wash with my laundry depending on colors. The bright, and dark colors tend to leave a lot of dye in the water, so I usually wash with darks in cold water. The first couple of times I may wash them with my dark towels in hot/warm water to help the bleeding. The lighter colors I wash in my whites in hot water. I also only use the cloth for one day, then put in the laundry. Unless I've washed something really gross after lunch, then I use a new one for the dinner dishes.

The dishwasher makes a great drying rack. It no longer works, no longer leaks, after the plumber came out and disconnected the pipes leading to it, and fixed the washer in the cut-off valve. The insurance adjuster came out and looked at the damage the dishwasher left (subflooring is all wobbly, and needs to be replaced. Not to mention the linoleum and perhaps the cabinets). Apparently the dishwasher has been leaking for about a year. She agreed that there was no way we could have known about it until the wood become so saturated with water that it started dripping into the basement. But because it was a long-term slow leak, insurance won't cover it.

2 days later, the brakes on the truck went out as the Man was going to work. I mean completely. He thought that the master cylinder had gone out. That was the only thing of the brakes that didn't go out. We had to have the brakes completely replaced, including the brake lines. $600 later the brakes are working and I'm not having to get the Boy and myself up at 5 am to drive the Man to the other side of town so he can make some money working really hard.

Speaking of the Boy: he's all excited about Halloween. He's picked out a Grim Reaper costume this year. We're going to a big hoe-down up on the Mountain (Lookout, that is), and we should have lots of fun. There's going to be lots of people we know there from church, the homeschool group, and around town. Should be pretty happening.

2007-10-18T17:01:00.000-04:00

In Loving Memory

Cleocatra

May 15, 1997 - October 15, 2007

2007-09-20T21:25:00.000-04:00

Not a whole lot of anything going on here. I bought some yarn today (big surprise there!), and have started on the boy's Christmas sweater. I'm making "Jesse's Flames" from one of the S&B. I'm making the smallest size, and it may be a little large for him, but he continues to grow, so I'm not worried about it. We measured his height last week and he was up to 4'7 and 1/2 inches tall. I'm only 5'2", and so now he's hoping he'll be as tall as me by next year, when he turns 9. It's just not fair! His feet are almost as big as mine, but that's not saying a whole lot since I only wear a 5-1/2 boys (6-1/2 ladies). Oh well. Guess it's gotta happen at some time!

I've also been working on charting a pattern for a scarf. I had so much fun making my Swan Lake Stole (which still hasn't been blocked), that I wanted to make another lace project. So, using The Art of Sheltand Lace by Sarah Don as a guideline, I charted out the beginnings of a scarf. I'm using the "Fir Cone" pattern, because I already had a forest green laceweight alpaca on hand, and I'm using size 1 needles. So far, I'm doing fairly well with it. But I've put it aside to work on the Boy's sweater.

I decided the other day that I needed to finish from of my UFOs. So I worked and worked on my crocheted Shawl. I finished that, and will try and get the Man to help me take some pictures in a couple of days. Maybe then I can actually get them uploaded. Or not, depending on my very slow dial-up situation.

2007-09-13T11:55:00.000-04:00

Well, my biggest news is that I've finished knitting the Mystery Stole 3. I decided on the symmetrical version with the lace panel in the center. I like the winged version, just not with the pointed end. I'll wait on the pattern because I think that there will be a "double winged" version, with a "wing" on both sides. I think that I'd like that more. I don't know when I'll get around to blocking the stole, though, as I don't have a very good space for that right now. Hopefully soon.

There isn't much else going on here. My RA flared up in the same ankle that I twisted about 3 weeks ago (with the help of Jenny, our 6-month old lab puppy). I was just about healed up and walking on that foot and then Tuesday, I woke up, tried to stand, and about fell over because I couldn't put any weight on the heel of my foot! Yesterday morning it was worse, but then became better in the afternoon, until last night I could finally walk again. With both feet flat on the ground. What an odd sensation after hobbling for 3 weeks!

The boy and I finished reading On the Banks of Plum Creek on Tuesday, and started By the Shores of Silver Lake today. He's really fascinated with the fact that children had to do sooooo much then. And the food that they ate! He told me that he would rather eat chicken or beef, and 3-4 vegetables instead of just beans and cornbread for dinner! It really makes you realize how spoiled our society is.

Brother Ron from the Community Kitchen came to our church last Sunday. He spoke to the children about his habit, and what each part of it meant for him. He also told them a little about what he does--working at the Community Kitchen and helping the homeless. Did you know that the average age of a homeless American is 9 years old?!? We were shocked that it was so young! Brother Ron talked about how he washes the feet of the homeless people that come to the Community Kitchen, and that he checks them for blisters and sores on their feet. The Community Kitchen gives them plain white socks. So a couple of us thought that we would turn our Halloween Dance into a "Sop Hop" and "charge" an entrance fee of a pair of new socks that we would donate to the Community Kitchen. I can't wait to help plan for the dance. It sounds like it would be a lot of fun.

2007-09-04T10:57:00.000-04:00

Apparently, my last update didn't go through. And I didn't check it. Silly me!

So, to catch up: I've been to my wonderful rheumatologist and he's diagnosed me with RA. For sure. Which is good news, as far as having it goes. Because this means that now I'm on the correct medication for it, and we are treating it instead of just treating the pain. I'm taking about 4 different meds, all older that are available in generic (thank you Doc!) instead of all of these new, VERY expensive meds that are out. I see his point, though. If I'm doing better and not having as many flare ups with the older meds, why spend extra money on newer stuff that are not as proven? Wish my previous doctor had that same theory.

Knitting update: Still knitting up a storm. For the dish rag tag, I received a beautiful dishcloth from Kat, and some wonderful handmade soaps, and a box of Sweet Tarts (yum yum!). I've already used the cloth to wash a bunch of dishes, the Sweet Tarts were very yummy and sustained me while knitting my dishcloth to send out, and the soaps are absolutely wonderful! They leave my skin all smooth and silky! Now to figure out how to make some of my own. (another hobby, here I come!)

Since my dishwasher is broken, I've been washing all my dishes by hand. And I absolutely love knitted dishclothes. I've made a lot lately. For one thing, it's an easy and lightweight and small project to carry around. I've been knitting them in the car, in restaurants waiting for my family to finish eating, in church (with about half the congregation as well! We're known for our knitting!), standing in line, at the library, in Wal-mart--well, you get the idea!

Not that dishclothes are all I've been knitting. I've knitted a couple of socks. Split-toe socks. So that I can wear them with my flip-flop type shoes if I want to. I've completed one pair in red cotton (ggh Scarlett. Love it. Unfortunately, my lys that carried it is closed and the only lys left are snobs, so I don't go there often). I've already worn them twice: once with flip-flops, once with my sneakers (feels different in regular shoes, but it works!)

Now I'm starting my charity projects. Even though the temps have been in the 100's here lately (cooler today. Only in the upper 90's.), I've started making hats and scarves for the homeless. Chattanooga has a homeless problem. As many cities do. But a lot of the people IN Chattanooga ignore this problem. We have a Community Kitchen, and a center where people can go to, but only for a temporary solution. There are a couple of resources in town, including Interfaith Homeless Network, IHN (which my church, Unitarian Universalist Church of Chattanooga, participates in hosting families with children for 1 week twice a year), but the ones that we do have in town are stretched to their limit. So there is always a call to help out. All year round, not just between Thanksgiving and Christmas. So I'm making hats and scarves out of my stash for these programs. I'm hoping to get my knitting group or other individuals to help out, but if not, at least they'll have the ones I've made to hand out. So far, I've made a matching ladies set. I'm starting a men's hat now.

Well, I guess that's enough of an update for now. I'm going to try and get this "published" and hope it goes through. Maybe more later, and I'll work on updating more often!

2007-06-23T15:43:00.000-04:00

I just checked my blog, and got excited that I had a comment! Yeah! Then I read the comment. I was a little confused because it sounded very snide and snippy, like "shut up about your problems already. Who really cares?" and then "Find God. That's the answer for everything."

I'm feeling like, um, this blog is about how I'm dealing with my RA, and living and everything else. And the man who left the not so helpful comment can take his bible to his room and read it to himself. I have nothing against people reading a Christian bible or anything else religious. But I don't believe in discussing my religious beliefs (or anyone else's for that matter) on my blog. I go to my church, and discuss different beliefs with other open-minded people that feel the same way I do about most things religious. And I plan on leaving it like that. I don't mind blessings of any sort, or anything like that, but please, PLEASE, refrain from quoting scripture at me, asking me if I'm saved (from WHAT???), or anything else of that nature. For those who are curious, I'm Unitarian Universalist, and believe that there is no wrong way to whichever God you choose to worship/believe. Enough of the religion talk NOW. No more. That's it.

I went to the rheumatologist yesterday. Very nice fella. Said that he didn't want to run anymore blood tests, because I'm not in a flare-up right now. Figures. By Thursday night, I was feeling the best I had in a long time. So I'm to go back in August, unless I have a flare-up or enough pain that my OTC pain killers won't take care of. Then I get to call, and they will work me in. Then last night, my right shoulder, left hand, and left hip start aching. I'm still able to walk (with only a slight limp), but I can feel 3 of my fingers on my left hand trying to curl up on me and not wanting to work at all. Hopefully, it will wait until Monday to become really bad, because the doc's office is closed on the weekend.

I've joined a KAL. I'm working on the mystery stole offered by Pink Lemon Twist. I just ordered my yarn for this today. I'm going to be using Misti International Alpaca Lace Weight yarn. I usually buy this from the only local shop we have, but they only had 1 skein of cream, and like, 8, of this sage green color. Since the recommendations were for white/ivory/cream and black/navy blue/dark gray, I didn't buy anything from them and instead ordered online.
Now I'm going to go to one of our general craft stores (i.e. A. C. Moore's/Hobby Lobby/Michaels) can look for the beads that are needed for the stole.

Still working on the tablecloth. Yesterday was SO busy, with the doctor's visit, our homeschool meeting, and the D&D last night, that I didn't even get to touch it. I've done about half of the finishing scallops now. I plan to work on it this afternoon/evening. Right after I block the black shawl that I crocheted a couple of months ago. I know, I know. I should have blocked it already! But I hope to have it drying by tonight, then pictured tomorrow. I'll share that here soon.

2007-06-21T11:16:00.000-04:00

Well, today is a special day. It's the summer solstice, also known as Midsummer's Day. It is also my wedding anniversary. The man and I have been married 10 years today (gasp, shock). It comes as a surprise to me, that 10 years have already past. It seems almost like it was yesterday that we were exchanging vows in front of the minister. Looking back, I'm kind of surprised how much has changed. Including ourselves. Some changes have been pleasant, like the birth of our son, and some not, like the death of my mother to lung cancer, and my growing health problems. People have asked me how we manage to still get along after 10 years. I thought it a strange question, until I remember that most marriages in the USA fail within the first 5 years, most of which fail in the first 2 years. I tell people that you have to learn to ignore certain things about each other--to not nickpick the little things, to not argue over who did this and who did that, and who works harder than the other. Because marriage is suppose to be a compromise. And both people need to compromise, and that it takes time to learn how to do that. I won't say that it's easy, because it's not always easy. But anything worth having is worth working for (or on depending on the situation).

Finally heard from the doctor's office. Of course, I had to call them. But I managed to get an appointment for Friday morning at 8:30 am. So I'll learn more tomorrow about treatment options, pain management, etc. It figures, though, that most of the pain is gone. Hopefully, that won't change the results of my visit.

I've been working diligently on the tablecloth. I'm on the scallops that finish up the edging. Only about a third of the way through with the scallops, though. Then I'm going to block the tablecloth out on my bed, starting early in the morning, and hoping it will be dry by bedtime. I will take pictures of it at that time. And post them, of course.

I'm still working on the shawl for my etsy shop. But I knew that was going to take a little longer, since it's my travel project. The fact that it only weighs ounces makes it get for traveling. It even fits in my purse (added bonus!)

I'm also working on my dishcloth pattern for the Dish Rag Tag. The first idea I had wasn't the look I was going for. It was also way too big, being 11" instead of 9". But I think I have it figured out. I'll post that picture as well, when I get it done.

2007-06-16T11:37:00.000-04:00

Finally heard from the doctor's office. They faxed all my stuff and the referral to the rheumatologist's office. Now I just have to wait for them to call me and set up my appointment. Hopefully, that won't take long. Like Monday morning. To see me soon. By Wed. I doubt that it will be that quick, but the pain, pain, pain. All I have now is Tylenol. And nothing against Tylenol, but it doesn't take care of enough pain. AND I really want to start working on stopping the symptoms. If I can get the symptoms to stop, the flaring aching joints, then the pain should stop as well, right?

On to other things. I didn't get as much done on my tablecloth as I wanted to yesterday. I finished round 46 last night (out of 52), but it took me 2 days to do that round. But in all fairness, we also had a lot to do the last 2 days. Thursday was grocery shopping day. I couldn't carry most of it, so I had to wait until the man got off work at 4 to go to the store, and Wal-mart, and the pet store, etc. The boy and I got some stuff done earlier, but not as much as I usually do. Then Friday, the boy had a birthday party to go to. It was a really nice party. They dressed up in costumes, decorated masks, hunted for "lizards", decorated signs, ate the most adorable cupcakes (they were baked in ice cream cones, iced and decorated to look like ice cream cones. OMG!! SO cute!!) and ice cream cups. He had a lot of fun, and the birthday boy looked really tired, but happy, when everyone left! Then I came home and took a nap (all the sleepless, pain-filled nights are starting to catch up on me!), waking just in time for us to leave. We had a D&D game last night.

The D&D game last night was different. One of the characters lost his dagger (due to a trap blowing up on him), and when psycho, attacking one of the party members. Needless to say, he ended up just about dead, and then the person who was attacked teleported him to a safe room far far away. So now, we're getting ready for the fight of our lives, one of our members is gone, another seriously hurt, and the rest of us confused. Wha???

The Dish Rag Tag is closed. Good thing I signed up early in the day! Can't wait! I'm going to practice on my dishclothes between now and then.

And as this day goes on, I should get going. We have the Anime Party tonight. Hopefully, there will be people there. I already know of 3 people who are going to miss tonight. But it will be fun regardless.

Until later!

I hate doctors!

2007-06-15T06:37:00.000-04:00

Apparently, the meds were better than I thought. The receptionist told me last night, when I call AGAIN about that referral, that there wasn't anything in my charts about it (guess I imagined the whole original conversation) So now, I have to go BACK to the doctor's office, wait forever in the waiting room, just so that I can actually talk to someone. 4 days of "I'll have someone call you back" and never hearing from them is pissing me off. Especially since the pain is still here, I'm out of meds, my left hand is swollen twice its normal size, and both of my shoulders spaz and burn.

On the other side, I haven't gotten much crafting done. I'm still working on my crocheted tablecloth. It's getting really difficult for me to do at this point because of the weight. Most of it can drap across my lap, but at some point I have to move it, and that's difficult. I'll try and get a few pictures of it this weekend.

I'm also working on the crocheted pink baby alpaca shawl to put on my etsy shop. But that's mainly my "take-along" project. It's so lightweight, that I can hardly tell I'm holding anything!

I thought that I'd work on another knitted pair of heel-less sleeping socks. The blue alpaca ones are great, just not for this really hot weather. So I was thinking about Egyptian cotton. But everytime I think I have it figured out, I start looking at it and realize that it's really too big. So then I rip it out, and have to start over. I just put it on hold this time. Because I found this at yarnmiracle.com :

I signed up for my first exchange! Hopefully, everything will go through okay. I already bought my cotton yarn, 2 for the exchange, and 1 for me to practice with. I have to practice, so that I can make sure my dishcloth size is correct, and get the gauge down for the actual one. Now for the big day to begin!

Sometimes life is good...

2007-06-13T22:49:00.000-04:00

And sometimes it's not. This is one of those times. For the last 6 weeks or so, I've been dealing with joint pain. Traveling joint pain. It started off in my right shoulder, then my left wrist started. This was at the end of April. Then, last week, my left shoulder starts to ache. Then my right wrist. But as my wrist throbs, the shoulder quits hurting the next day. But by the end of the day, my left wrist is hurting so bad that I ended up sitting up all night long in pain. Nothing I had here helped the pain at all. By 7:30 am, I'm waking the man and boy up and having them take me to the hospital. After 30 seconds of the doctor squeezing my wrist, 2 minutes worth of x-rays, and 2 hours of waiting in an exam room alone, the nurse comes in, gives me a prescription for a mild pain killer (slightly stronger than Tylenol, but not much), and tells me, "Perhaps you sprained it. Go home, elevate the arm and put ice on it. If it gets worse, call this doctor." So, I go, get the meds, and go home. Two hours later, my whole arm is swollen past the elbow, I can't put it down on a pillow to elevate it, and NOTHING can touch it without pure and absolutely strong agony. Childbirth was easier to deal with. At least I knew that the pain would end at some point then. This time, I wasn't too sure about that.

So I end up at a doctor's office. Not the one the hospital recommended, since it's Friday morning at 11 am, and they can't see me until Monday after 1 pm. I'm in agony, and you want me to wait HOW LONG??? So I go to the Urgent Care Center. Pay my co-pay, so in and talk to the PA. SHE actually listened to me! She knew that I didn't strain anything! They took blood and said that they were going to test me for rheumatoid inflammation, and make sure that it wasn't lupus, or something like that. Then she gave me anti-inflammatory meds, and stronger pain killers so that I could at least sleep for a couple of hours (at this time, I'd been looking at 36 hours with NO sleep--I was not functioning very well). So I go home and take more meds.

Friday was suppose to be D&D day. I was suppose to restart my game that I'm DMing. However, it helps if I'm coherent (or at least as coherent as I normally am!). So we didn't play.

This weekend was better. The pain was still there, but bareable. Monday, the boy is taking a break from his schoolwork and he comes in to me and says, "There's something under your car. It looks kinda like Julie (one of our cats, the gray tabby one), but it has a funny looking face and is making a funny noise." Now I'm thinking, "What?" The boy's 8, he's not stupid, so what is he talking about? Looks like a cat, but has a funny face and makes weird noises? So I go out and look. As I go down the stairs to the carport, a little puppy comes out and starts growling at me. So I just go back up the stairs and tell him, "Yes there is something there, and it barks." Then we hear a whining sound. I look out, and there are 2, count them, TWO puppies. Under my car. In the carport. They are lab puppies. And there are no neighbors with puppies. Where did they come from?

Anyway, I went and got the old cat cage, put them on the front porch, and then proceeded to make sure that none of the neighbors have missing puppies (nope). So I go and get some puppy chow and water for them. They look to be about 3 months old, and are really adorable. They're both girls. I call the man at work and tell him, "We have puppies!" "What? We don't have a dog! How do we have puppies?" So I explained it to him. When he gets home, he tells me that at least one person at work will take one of them. So now, we're thinking about keeping one and giving one away. We're keeping Jenny, the slightly larger female that is a lot more mellow than the smaller, hyper one. The smaller one we are calling SPAZ. Spaz's new mommy likes that name, and has already gotten a collar for her and everything.

Now I'm checking out spaying centers, and shots, etc. And I get my results back from my blood test. I am positive for "rheumatoid inflammation of the arthritis type." Which sounds like to me that I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, or RA. I remember my mom having it, suffering for many years because of it. But she never wanted to go to the doctor either. She only went toward the end, after her first radiation treatment for lung cancer. So she had symptoms for at least 15 years before that. So starting around age 44. I'm 33. And thinking back the last 5-6 years or so, I've probably had symptoms that I've dismissed or that couldn't be proved. That sucks. The last couple of days have been horrible, with the fact that I can barely do anything. But if I don't do anything, I actually get stiffer and hurt more. Vicious cycle time. I'm waiting on the referrel to a Rheumatologist (spelling?) where hopefully it won't take years to get this under management. I really don't know how Mom put up with this for so long, without doing something about it. I WILL NOT LIVE LIKE THAT! I can't. I have so much to do yet, and I refuse to lie down and allow this to cripple me. There are things that are going to have to change some. Thoughts and ideas, any way. Like the boy will be an only child now. Even if I dared to get pregnant on all the strong meds that I will probably be taking, I can't guarantee that I could even take care of a baby. There are moments now that make it difficult to do what is normally the most simpliest stuff (and the least thought of--like picking up a glass and drinking out of it!). So that avenue in my life is gone. And it's really difficult, because I've always wanted a little girl. Don't get me wrong, I love the boy to death, but I always wanted two children, one of each. Now, the only girls I'll have are the cats and Jenny.

For now, I have to try and keep my spirits up, keep moving, and just manage daily functions. Until this afternoon, I was still able to crochet. But then I took a nap, and stiffened up. But so far, knock on wood, I'm able to manage a little bit. It aches, but if I don't, the fingers stiffen up completely and start to curl up. So, until a doctor or therapist tells me otherwise, I will keep up my yarn obsessions and my D&D obsessions. And we will take everything one day at a time. And maybe I'll be able to get onto my blog to post (since I went through and actually read the troubleshooting section) and post more often. Instead of being an organization process (which has fallen down), this will be the process of trying to live and cope with RA, crocheting, knitting, sewing, D&D, and homeschooling. (I'm so eclectic!)

In Memory

2007-04-23T11:05:00.000-04:00

It was a difficult week last week. Our beloved 9-year-old cat, K.C. (or King Cat), passed away. We've all been sad, and miss him terribly.

IN MEMORY

K. C. (aka King Cat)

March 1998-April 16, 2007

2007-03-17T06:06:00.000-04:00

I haven't forgotten about this. I've been fighting with a sinus infection for the last 2 weeks, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. But on the bright side, I have finished going through our old bedroom and getting it ready for our son. It took about 3 days of none-stop work to do it, but it really looks nice. I've also spent a lot of time going through the boy's room and sorting his toys. I've told him that anything broken or missing parts will be thrown away. Looks like he won't have a lot of toys when I'm done. I'm really disappointed that he has never cared about his stuff enough to take care of it. Hopefully this is help him learn. Especially when I don't go and buy all new stuff. He thought that cleaning up meant to throw everything into bins and shove it into the closet. I've found most of his actions figures with missing limbs or heads, or missing something, and I even found a DVD broken into many little pieces. It was beyond cracked or scratched. I'm hoping the this will be a life lesson for him to take care of his stuff. But we shall have to see. I do have to admit that his new room is spotless. He's even making his bed up each day. Of course, there are only 2 bins in his room with toys right now. So he's not really tempted to pull everything out and leave it there. And we still have to go through a massive pile of books to see which ones he's outgrown. And then to put up the ones he wants to keep. The boy and I worked on that yesterday together. He was like "Why do I have to go through all these books?" And I told him that they were his books and he needed to go through them to see which ones he wanted to keep. He understood after that and actually helped out. I plan on finishing his old room today: boxing up the toys he has outgrown (Thomas the Tank Engine among others) and emptying out that room. Eventually, that room is going to be my sewing room. So I can go ahead and move the craft stuff from our old room and the craft stuff from the spare bedroom into there. Then we will move onto organizing the den and the kitchen. Lots of fun! But since it's turned cold (and damp) this weekend, we can't do some yard work (darn! says Bob). So instead: lots of work inside!

Okay, so it's nice outside

2007-02-27T16:36:00.000-05:00

And I decided that decluttering my life needs to include the yard work. Which I absolutely hate. With a PASSION. But I figured that working outside anywhere from 1 to 2 hours a day could be done, as long as I balance that with working inside. The key word there is BALANCE. Something that I think some people are born with. Unfortunately, I'm NOT one of those blessed people. So, today I took my first step. I had Bob make sure the wheelbarrel's wheels had air in them (since they have a very slow link, and after 3-4 years, I just have him check it about once a week). Then after Will finished his learning work, we put on our gloves and went outside to tackle the chaos that constitutes my yard. The yard is overflowing with ivy, honeysuckle, and holly bushes. Not to mention the limbs that fall off all the trees everytime it rains or the wind blows and ALL THOSE DARN LEAVES and pinecones (EEEVIL pinecones!). So we went out and I started tackling those holly bushes in the side yard. They are quite close to the house and had to be taken down before I can get to the ivy. If I don't, OUCHY! I'm afraid I filled up the dump area of the yard with all of the limbs off of 5 bushes. Heck, let me be honest. They were no longer bushes, but trees! One was up to the 2nd floor window! (Maybe they've been neglected too long?) While I was doing that, Will was also working up a sweat raking leaves (which he enjoys). It only took 1 hour to get the bushes (trees) cut down, and by then Will was tired too. Even though it doesn't look like I've done a whole lot, but it sure FEELS like it! My arms are like jello, only shaky more than normal! Guess this also counts as exercise? Maybe if I can keep up with the work (only a little bit each day--it didn't get to look like this overnight--and neither did I!), I'll double benefit: Decluttered and Clean House, Decluttered and Clean Yard, and a decluttered and looking good me!

First Posting

2007-02-23T22:55:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder about those insanely organized people? Well, I'm not one of them. It seems the more I try to become organized, the less I can find! But I'm managing. I came up with a wonderful idea and Bob has gone along with me. I've decided to "declutter" my life--and I started with the master bedroom. We moved into the room about 1-1/2 years ago after my dad moved to Florida. I've been looking at the walls, and the room, that my Mom painted and set up. Well, after 1-1/2 years, I decided to change everything. Well, except for the furniture. I couldn't even re-arrange the furniture because there are only 2 walls that the bed fits on, and one of them has the AC/heater vent. So, I did the next best thing. I repainted the room.

Before pictures of the room. Excuse the pictures. They are blurry, and I didn't check them first. Teaches me a lesson! And since I've already painted the bedroom, I can't go and retake them!

The quilt that inspired the room. It was made by my mom in late spring of 2004, after she finished radiation treatment for her lungs and before she started on radiation for the cancer that spread to her brain. She made all of the blocks and cut out the border. I took it last month to a local quilt shop and had them attach the 3 border pieces, and quilt it. Since I can't actually sew a straight line, I was too afraid of messing it up, and it is very important to us.

And finally, pictures of the room now:

The top picture was with the first set of curtains that we picked out: a bright fushia. After 3 days, I couldn't take it any more and exchanged them for the lighter pink. I also bought some new lamps (on clearance: $30 for both! 50% off) that have 4 different shades of pink FRINGE on them. They look really good because they tie on all 4 colors from the quilt and the existing rose color carpet.