just cuz i forgot

i know, i know, i forgot the rednecks.

you might be a redneck if you've ever lit a cigarette with an arc welder.
. . . a screwdriver is required to open the trunk of your car.
. . . you got your picture taken sitting on Santa's knee, but your kids didn't.
. . . directions to your house include "turn off the paved road."
. . . the Santa Claus at your mall smokes while he's working.
. . . your cousin stood up at Christmas dinner and shouted "All y'all can kiss my #$%^&*!!"
. . . your pastor had to deliver a sermon titled "Stealing the donkey from the church nativity scene is wrong."
. . . you'd taken three pregnancy tests before you ever took a driving test (um, ok, i went to an entire redneck school, in that case! (4 pregnant girls in my senior class, lol))
. . . you were married in a Laundromat.
. . . you have more than two brothers named Bubba or Junior (how about uncles/dads, etc?)

Pattern of the Day:
12/19: Angel Scarf. originially, i just thought this was another non-pattern, with alternating yarns, but when you look, it's got yo's, and slips, and actually looks kinda cute, and woven. will have to try this (i think i'll find something other than eyelash though, ick)
12/20: Waves at the Top Bookmark. this looks interesting, and could possibly be someting to use for a blanket, or sweater.
12/21-22: Christmas Stocking. a very classic looking stocking, with space at the top to put a name. i like
12/23: Christmas Eve Triangular Schawl. This comes close to a non-pattern, but it does have several yo's. the big draw here is THIRTEEN differently textured yarns. the sample is done in one color, and different textures, but i could see doing this in shades of blue or purple, or even green, or a mix. could be very nice.
12/24-25: Tina's Knit Dishcloth Angel. this is very pretty, but should probably not be done with variegated yarns. a solid, or a speckled, at most. would make a nice christmas gift, particularly if given with soaps, etc. it says dishcloth, but the worsted cotton i've used would make a nice facecloth as well.
12/26: Subtle Socks. these are very understated, with an interesting pattern, in the example, but i could see jazzing it up with a color combo that would be unexpected. these are touted as men's socks.
12/27-28: Esperanza Long Cardigan. named fro the yarn. looks to be a v ery simple sweater, although the collar looks interesting, and the bottom rib is a 2x3 version.
12/29: Mittens Easy as 1-2-3. This is a bond pattern. i have a machine, but it's at mark's. might be a thought for the charity project for january @ AC4C. it's the Knitting Train, and they're doing a mitten drive. hmmmm.

Ta for now!

Potter is NOT a rotter

i know, i know, i haven't posted in over a week. at least not here, lol. and i'm not telling you where until the last gift wings its way southeast.

however, and yes, i know, i'm late to the party, but the boys and i saw harry potter this morning/afternoon.

DRAGONS ROCK!

holy cow! i think that was the best scene in the whole movie! (gee, ya think, considering the name of this blog?) and the maze was truly frightening. really creepy the way the walls just merged with each other. i don't recall that from the book, but it definitely helps the content of the movie. and i do believe that neville is blossoming! in a rabbity bucktoothed kind of way, lol. and yes, i cried at the part where cedric's father is crying over his body. and ralph fiennes makes a fandamntastic voldemort! you can just see the evil roll off him!

i suppose my one complaint is that they didn't touch enough on the second trial. fleur was much more distraught in the book, and they all thought (and these thoughts were stated as such) that there would be no rescue if they didn't do it. go figger.


now, i suppose all of y'all want to know what i got for the big day. well, i got this and this and this and this. amazing, huh?

and stephanie, the little shit, got me this. i had asked her for it, and she said there was no way she could afford it. well, apparently, since it hit a major sale at target, she could afford it, lol.

and the two biggies? i got 2 gift certificates at my favorite LYS, string of purls. woot! that means i have $60 worth of GC to spend tomorrow night (if i'm not sick, sigh), and erin made me the tastiest crocheted dragon, as well as some nice fingerless mitts. the mitts are a tiny bit big, but work well over my stretchy gloves, so i'll wear them like that. and actually, i've worn them every day. thanks, erin!

i will post pics of my goodies later, i'm sick right now. i have a hideous sore throat, and my nose hasn't stopped running since i got up (no, i'm not going to catch it, vi), and i slept for 2 hours this afternoon (and i NEVER take long naps like that).

and as of right now 931 pm central time, nebraska and michigan are tied, 14-14 with 13 minutes left in the 3rd quarter

have a nice day (happy, now, vi?)

7

i know, i know, nobody wants to know there's 7 days til christmas. tough cookies, i'm as behind as everyone else, lol. i found out the LYS i got steph's yarn from isn't open til tuesday, andi ran out of yarn. meh. so, let's do this instead.

i still don't have my tree up. the living room is slowly getting cleaner (i'm a slacker, i've been kinda down since thanksgiving), but i don't know if we'll get it up tonight or not. stephanie (who is home early, damn her soul!) has threatened to put it up tomorrow, and i think i'm gonna let her.

anyway, on to interesting bits, since i can't show you my knitting.

you might be a redneck if you've ever been arrested for loitering.
. . . you move to another state so you can buy beer on Sundays. (or another city, lol, i've been there)

Patterns of the Day:
12/10-11:The Mini Best Hat. this is supposed to fit an 18" doll. makes me wonder if it would fit a preemie?
12/12: "Antique" Satin & Lace Ornament. this is very pretty, and according to the directions, you can either use a commercial satin ball, or use the edging for something else. hmm, interesting.
12/13: Rabbit Tracks. this is a variation on feather & fan (old shale). looks pretty as a scarf
12/14: Felted Christmas Stockings. these are cool, but i would most definitely use different colors, lol (i hate army green, lol)
12/15-16: Sitting Santa Shelf Doll. um. this is frightening. Stitchy, or punk knitter, i think this is a candidate for you!
12/17-18: Splash & Cotton Chenille Hat with Pom Pom. it's a santa hat. need i say more?

goodness, that mean's i'm caught up!

oh, and the baby blanket i'm making ahs been revised slightly. the baby was 9#12 oz, so the delicate little blanket i had in mind will be outgrown in weeks. so i'm adding at least one more section, and maybe 2, if my yarn holds out.

What i'm reading:
Dune: Battle for Corrin by Brian Herbert(booktape i'm listening to int he house)
Dragonfly in Amber By Diana Gabaldon(booktape i'm listening to in the car, and yes, i'm addicted to Diana Gabaldon)
and some award winning sci fi anthology (sorry, i don't wanna get up and look, you can wait til tomorrow, lol)

Have a happy holiday season

9

days left. are you ready? i'm not. sigh. still don't have the tree up (gonna shoot for this weekend). meanwhile another goody from ann to distract you from your goodly holiday endeavors (i don't say christmas, cuz i know lots of people who celebrate other things than christmas (check out rabbitch, she's celebrating xmass (not the same thing, lol))).

ok, do i get to drown younglings. sean was emptying the kitchen sink, and decided he needed to spray down the sinks. now, in any other child, this would be a good, kindly thought. however, sean has been banned from sink hand sprayers, and for good reason. my knitting bag was sitting in the kitchen, and a christmas present i'm working on got a good pre-blocking soak! too bad the damned thing wasn't done yet! sigh.

and liam is still annoyingly 13. at last count, i think he lied was wednesday night. gee, a record! and yes, they both have holiday homework (yes! their teachers rock! something for them to do during the holiday season!)

and, since i've been extremely remiss on my pattern a day calendar, here we go:
11/28-29: Baroo, an Irish Holiday Stocking. This is darling, except the foot on this is, well, a bit forshortend.
11/30: Slip Stitch Cable. this is not a true cable, but it sure looks good. a definite try for my simple cable-rimmed hats.
12/1: Snowflake Star. this is pretty, and even though it's predominantly stocking stitch, it's still lacy enough.
12/2: Baby Kid Mohair Shawl. this is a VERY simple lace pattern, but nice enough. the kicker is (once again) the yarn.
12/3-4: Santa Hat. this is actually one of those long ski hats you used to see ( i had one that was bright orange (my school colors, god help me!). it's cute!
12/5: Ruffled Mitts. These are cute, but i liked Mrs. Beaton from Knitty better. just my take.
12/6: Allison Kelsey's Scarf. this one dangerously approaches the non-pattern status, except for one simple thing. you knit a narrow strip, then when you bind off, you don't finish off the last stitch, and you pick up all along the edge, and knit it width wise to suit. interesting!
12/7-8: Santa Christmas Stocking. imagine that! it is a new graphic, for sure, and also has a space for a name. very cute.
12/9: Bottle Cover & Gift Bag. this is a bond knitting machine pattern, very simple. meh.

and i'll stop there for now, because my eyes are crossing from exhaustion. sigh

have a happy holiday season (i've been saying it so much at work it's become reflex!)

blah blah blah

ok, i know, not much of a title, but hey, i'm tapped. my brain is fried (i have a migraine, and it's 10 days til xmas, sigh)

this is bizarre, but cute, and kinda funny. go check it out. i got it from anne. thanks, hon, this is great!

you might be a redneck if there's a 4-wheeler parked in your bedroom.
. . . you and six of your neighbors split a cable bill.
. . . your voice changed while you were still in second grade (is that along the same lines as the retirement one earlier today?)
. . . you pawned your grandfather's pocketwatch because you needed beer money for the weekend (that's not just redneck, that's crass! and majorly alcoholic, lol)
. . . you've ever made a cup of coffee with a welding torch.
. . . you've ever framed an Auto Trader cover.
. . . your father-in-law said you had no class so you spit at him.
. . . more than one person at your class reunion was on a weekend pass.
. . . you eat cotton candy more than 3 times a week.
. . . your idea of water conservation is mvoing your saturday night bath to every other saturday (and you mow your pits weekly, ugh)
. . . you've ever worn anythign tie-dyed to a job interview (that sounds hippy to me, not rednecked, but hey)

patterns will come back tomorrow, i promise.

sigh

ok, i haven't died yet, just too tired at night to post. i shouldn't be posting now, lol, but meh.

you might be a redneck if you're using your kid's swing set as an engine hoist
. . . the air freshener in your truck smells better than your spouse (ouch!)
. . . your retirement plans include getting your own place.
. . .you've ever had a romantic encounter on a riding lawnmower.
more later, lol

WOOT!

i have splendiferous news! i was supposed to go to court today (they had it at 10 am, which they never have it that early, so i put in for off at 1, but it's ok, the Guardian Ad Litem told the judge i was working), and they've given custody of liam back to me!!!!! now, if we can get sean in gear, and get him back as well, we can tell the state (douglas county in general) to stick it where the sun don't shine! the funny part is my caseworker was AWOL as well. (actually, i had leave, lol). big surprise there.

would it surprise you if she was the caseworker for the boy who ended up killed last week here in omaha? here's the story. waht it doesn't say, is that this kid was in foster care, until he turned 18 (age of majority in nebraska is 19), and they turned him loose. he'd attempted suicide 3 weeks before this incident. ok, if this kid was still a minor in the eyes of nebraska law, WHO THE FUCK WAS HIS GUARDIAN? why didn't this kid get help when he needed it? ok, rant over. just the fact that this county is the same one who keeps trying to close my son's case, when he's not ready by a longshot, is just a sample of the abuse running in this county. remind me if i need any state help, to move.

for those of you who checked out the amazing christmas lights, look what's happened. people are nuts. i guess his 15 minutes of fame cost him.

You will never believe where i got this. they were having a book fair at work (they have them about once every 6 months or so, we get a 10% discount off they're already cheap prices), and i saw this laying there, for $11.99! bliss! yarn! weaving! something to play with!

and i got this there too! i was in shock! actual crafting i'm interested in! and not scrapbooking crap! (no offense to scrap bookers, i just can't get into putting itty bits of paper in photo albums. the farthest i'll get is maybe descriptions under each pic, but that's it)

there has been knitting, i just don't have pics i can post. the christmas project continues apace, but i ahve a bad feelign about it being done in time for postage by christmas. we'll see. the baby blanket progresseth slowly (so far i only work on it in the afternoon break while i'm talking ot mark), but no word re a baby, so i guess i'm ok for now.

and the really big news? Steph moved to Missouri yesterday. her friend is staying here for a few days til her new place is ready tomove into, so it's not quite empty down there, but it's not the brooding presence, and smart-assery that i'm used to (yes, vi, she comes by it honestly, lol).

she did call yesterday and ask if we could wait to move liam, since she hadn't finished packing yet, lol. she's coming back at christmas.

i'll save the rednecks and patterns for another day, i need to go to bed, i've been up too late too many days this week, and my brain is fried like an egg. i was cracking bad jokes at work today because i was so tired. such as "call me cream, cuz i'm whipped" and "call me eggs, cuz i'm beat". see what i mean?

Have a lovely, splendiferous holiday seasonal day! (and keep your tootsies warm!)

crazy aunt purl tagged the planet

so i guess i gotta do this

TEN random things you might not know about me.
1:My hair is down to my ass
2: i used to bite my nails as a kid
3: Mark & I made enough red beans and rice after thanksgiving to feed half of the city of New Orleans.
4: i have a stepladder sitting next to my computer desk as my pattern holder
5: I am a lousy housekeeper
6:I hate raw onions
7: I have a red minivan i bought from my mom after my dad died.
8: Sorry, Laurie, i prefer pie to cake
9: I tend to twist my words when i'm talking (i.e. Trash, take sean to the curb)
10: I have 4 daily calendars for 2006, and 3 are fiber related

NINE places I’ve visited
1: Oregon coast
2: Estes Park in Colorado
3: Smokey Mountain Range in North Carolina
4:Mt. Rushmore
5: Upstate New York
6: Texas
7: The Wild side (i'm running out of unusual places, lol)
8: Fort Leavenworth Museum
9: A Coor's Plant

EIGHT ways to win my heart
1: Accept my kids and all their crazy ways
2: Accept me for who and what i am
3: Praise my cooking
4: Hold me when i ask (this is turning into a "what mark does for me" thing, sint' it?)
5: Back off when i ask you to (i've gotten much better about recognizing my stopping point)
6: Praise my knitting/spinning/crochet
7: Let me hold your baby (i've got granny lust going)
8: say "i love you" and mean it (platonic works too, lol)

SEVEN things I want to do before I die.
1: skydive
2: raise fiber animals
3: go back to the country
4: see my children grown, happy, and successful
5:go to my ancestral home in scotland
6: visit paris
7: never let go (sorry, laurie, i jsut lov emy man too much)

SIX things I’m afraid of:
1: Ladders
2: driving down steep inclines sideways
3: either ex trying to get back into mylife
4: losing my family to severe illness in the next 5 years (it could happen mark's dad & my mom are 77, and Mom is 72)
5: Bad food
6: Bad hair

FIVE things I don't like:

1: Romance novels that take themselves too seriously
2: my son playing his stereo so loud i can hear it through 2 BATHROOM doors.
3: being told there's only one proper way to so something, and then have someone (a quality control guru) show you a better and cheaper way.
4: Not Sleeping
5: not eating

FOUR ways to turn me off
1:act like you're my boss
2:tell me i don't know what i'm doing, when i do
3:have no appreciation for pie
4:whine

THREE Things I do everyday
1: knit
2: read
3: have a headache (this is a perpetual thing, my head actually feels empty when i don't have a headache)

TWO things that make me happy
1: my fiance saying "I love you."
2: sean having a good day

ONE thing on my mind right now
1: stephanie moving on monday

ok, now it's my turn! i RETAG THE PLANET! those of you who wish to do this can

i'll be back when my head has decided i can join humanity

check it out!

this is absolutely frigging amazing! i wanna know how they do it!

i'll be back later (i promise, even if it isn't tonight)

i'm back!

ok, ok, it's two days later! give a girl a break, it's been a hectic weekend.

remember that pot i showed you a while ago? it was this, ham & bean soup. mmmmmmmmmm, yummy. and yes, that was a shitload of soup. we had dinner that night, and then froze 5 gallons of soup for later. we don't fuck around, lol.

This little guy is the first of a series of critters i intend on making for AC4C, for the stocking project for Online Angels. i'll get y'all a website later. and yes, that is a pink elephant. his name is elefink. (something my boys said when they were little, lol)

This little cat is the second i've made. these things go very fast, i made him in one evening of sitting in front of my computer. i altered the ear pattern a bit, and i see i'll have to shrink them a bit. looks almost bat-eared, lol.

This pup is just a tad bit frightening looking, but he's so ugly somebody is bound to love him. i can't remember where these patterns came from, cuz erin printed them up for me, as my printer had been acting up. unfortunately, even though i got these for free, they are no longer so. the woman who created these decided to start charging for the whole set as of nov 1. poo.

Thanksgiving was insane. my brother and his wife got in at 1 am thursday morning, and put the country ham they brought to soak as soon as they walked in my mother's door. i finally got them to answer the phone at 10, when we discovered that the ham needed to cook for 5 hours. so much for my 2 o'clock plans. so dinner was moved to 3. shortly after they got here with the ham, mark called, and i found out that his dad had had some sort of attack (he'd had panic attacks a few years ago), and was going to the hospital. at that point, mark and i went into panic mode, because his mom was supposed to bring the dressing and 2 pies. sigh. so mark asked me run to the store and buy the makings for dressing, and i decided we needed to buy stuff for one more pie, since i was only making two, and my SIL was making a TRUE southern pecan pie (pecans soaked in jack daniels! and she brought too many, so there's a small bowlful fermenting in my frigdg. i may get soused yet!). mark couldn't leave his place, as he was babysitting 2 turkeys, one in the smoker, and one in the roaster. thank god for that man! he made the dressing, green bean casserole, scalloped corn, mashed potatoes, and both turkeys. his brother and SIL brought a relish tray and salad, and wouldn't you know it, mark's nieces had stopped by his parents' house, and picked up the dressing and the two pies, plus an apple crisp! also, my SIL picked up a chocolate meringue pie when they ran for extras. so i had 7 pies and apple crisp for dessert for 14 people. ugh. i still have 2 1/2 pies, and i had to toss the apple crisp.

and then. the ham wasn't done at 3. it was 4 before we ate, and steph ended up leaving before the ham was done. she is going to have some for lunch tomorrow, finally. mark and i were so exhausted by the end of the day, that he went home at 645, and crashed, and after everyone else left, i fell asleep on the sofa for an hour. of course, when i do that, i'm unable to go back to sleep, so i was up til 12. and i had to work friday. double ugh.

mark's dad is still in the hospital. he had another attack yesterday, and they've decided to do a heart cath on him, to see what is going on. we went to visit him today, and he looked very good, considering he had a heart monitor pack on, and an oxygen sensor on his finger, and an iv thing dangling from his hand. actually, i thought he looked pretty good. i haven't seen Mom since Dad went in the hospital, but every time i talk to her, she sounds so tired. this is really hard on her. and mark practically goes into a coma everytime he talks about it for more than a few minutes. i really do understand. but there's a major difference. the last time my dad went into the hospital, when i finally saw him, he was unable to speak, or move his right side. and he died 12 days later. yeah, it's been 4 1/2 years, but it still hurts. i miss my daddy.

and my brother acts like him. he looks like my mother, but acts like my dad. it was fun to see him and liam together. liam is almost as tall as him, and acts like him. and yes, my brother agrees, liam looks like his grandfather.

anyway, i gotta go to bed.

only one new book

Dune, Battle for Corrin by Brian Herbert (book cd in the house, yes i finally finished that blasted "heir!")

have a nice day!

a little turkey

now, this is an absolute riot! just make sure you leave your white suit at the door, k?

i'll be back later (maybe, lol)

you might be a redneck if you've ever carved a turkey with hedge clippers
. . .your 14 year old smokes in front of HER kids (note that plural?)
. . . you've ever been injured playing ping pong (a full contact sport?)

Pattern of the Day:
11-23: Lace Candle Sleeve. this is kinda cute, but the only type of candle you should put this on is the ones in a glass jar. the only time i see candles like this is in no frills in the mexican food section, with pictures of Mother Mary etc, on them. hmmm

11-24: Holiday Shawl. um, this damn near comes close to being a non pattern. nuf said

11-25-27: Deco-Ribbon Cell Phone Bags. these are cute, but i'd never use them. however, the annoying part is this pattern covers 3 days because the second page falls on a weekend. i think i may write a letter to the editor about that. how annoying.

What I'm reading
Heir by Johanna Lindsay (book tape in the house, i know i'm really dragging on this one)
The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice (book tape in the car)
The Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King
Otherworld: The Sea of Silver LIght by Tad Williams
Night Embrace by Sherrilyn Kenyon (another Dark Hunter book, these things ROCK!)

Don't shop til you drop!

thanksgiving eve

and all is totally insane.. the kids don't have school today (i don't remember EVER getting the day before thanksgiving off!), and my shower broke, and the house is a mess and i've got SIXTEEN people coming for dinner tomorrow. oy.

and yes knitting progresses, if slowly.

you might be a redneck if your barber wears rubber gloves.
. . .you've ever been fired from a construction job because of your appearance (ew?)
. . .people often mistake you for an elvis impersonator (is more than one impersonator elvii?)
. . . you call anyone who completes 8th grade "brains."
. . . your car won't start because of the ear wax buildup on the key (gag!)
. . .the local bloodmobile is an ice-cream truck on weekends (god this week makes me want to puke!)

Pattern of the Day
11-17: Scrap Yarn Afghan. sigh, non-pattern.
11-18: Safari Rock Star Scarf. another non-pattern, only this is two-stranded.
11-19/20/21: Saddle Shoulder Cable Pullover. this is cute, but it only comes in a child's medium. and since this runs over the weekend, this pattern was up for 3 days. why do they do that?
11/22: Shetlands Chevrons Scarf. this is in New Shale pattern. is this as opposed to Old Shale? hmmmm.

I gotta scram, kids still aren't dressed yet, and we're leaving in 10 minutes. sigh

it's been HOW long?

sorry it's been so long since i've posted, and even longer since i've posted pics. i'm worn out. between daylight savings (i know, that was weeks ago) and sean, and fucking WINTER, i'm beat. but here we go!

Gee, this should be a good thing. you'll notice this is postage paid UK! another secret pal package! i do believe that i've twigged she's from jolly old england (or there abouts, lol, does scotland's postmark come up uk as well?)

and oh, it's a doozie!
This lip balm looks interesting. i haven't opened it yet to see what it's like, but it says you can use it anywhere. hmmmm. (hey, don't get nasty, i was thinking elbows! geez!)

And this chocolate is absolutely luscious! i don't normally care for orange, but with this chocolate, and whatever spices they added, it's to die for! in fact, the kids (including steph) all asked for a taste. steph thinks it's orange flavored dirt (a typical 11 year old response out of a 19 year old) while the boys liked it so much they chased me into the bathroom trying to get more (a more typical older reaction(minus the chasing, lol)). it amazes me that while she is older, her culinary tastes run much younger than the boys' do. i've always had the "please, no thank you" bite theory (a one bite taste, no matter how many times you've tasted it, you never know, the 10th time you may like it, like liam and green peppers (shudder)), so the kids (the boys in particular) have been exposed to many more foods (with a mom with a culinary arts degree, lol) than most kids. Liam and I are still working on trying sushi (we had an opportunity saturday, but didn't realize it til after we'd already eaten lunch. rats!)

i also got two very nice soaps, but i'll save them for another post, because here comes the good stuff!

yes, those are what they seem to be. noro2 by debbie bliss, and simply knitting bonus pack. the simply knitting came with the mini rowan mag, and the pearliz(s)ed head pins. and just in case you didn't know, the rowan mag has BIRCH! WOOHOO!!! no scrounging for the pattern, i actually own it! (doing the happy dance here)

THANK YOU, MY WONDERFUL AND GRACIOUS SECRET PAL!

and don't worry, doll, i don't mind the package was late, a bit, this was most definitely worth the wait!

and now for something completely different. (anybody know where that's from?)

3 guesses what's in the pot. and this is a stockpot, not a dye pot, so guess again. i'll tell ya tomorrow


Now, for the part y'all ahve been waiting for!

REDNECKS!

You might be a redneck if the only time you sky-dived, it wasn't on purpose.
. . .the city council ever discussed your yard.
. . . the ATM starts laughing when you walk up to it.
. . . you know more than 20 party tricks involving cigarettes


Patterns:
11/11: Scarf Capuche in Viola. this sounds interesting, but i just can't quite twig the instructions. i'll need help on this one.

11/12-13: Winter Shawl. looks pretty, but it's just a ruana, crazy lanea style.

11/14-15: Yarn Forward Bomber Jacket. looks definitely interesting, and it comes in multiple sizes.

11/16: Big Mexiko Scarf. i think this is self-patterning yarn, but rather than sock weight, it's worsted. kinda cool, in a way.

What i'm reading:
The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice (booktape in the car, the reader is a tad bit bizarre, because it sounds like the same guy who did Shawshank Redemption, but he changes hsi voice and cadence just enough to sound like the slithering style of lestat)
The Heir by Johanna LIndsey (booktape in house, this has actually gotten better, once we got past the hoity toity bink who was SUPPOSED to be the fiancee, hmmph)
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon. i picked it up sometime last weekend, and haven't really put it down since. i'm well trapped, and well surprised, as well. bravo diana.
Otherland: The Sea of Silver LIght by Tad Williams.
The Wolves of Calla by Stephen King.

whew, too many big books, i need to finish a few of these off!

Have a nice day!

insert title of choice here

cuz i can't think of one.

hmmm. where to start? ok, we'll start with the wedding. i've now got one bridesmaid and a matron of honor. steph knew she was in the wedding (i didn't have to ask, she just assumed, lol), and i asked erin to be my matron of honor tonight at knit night, and she said yes (more like squealed, gave me a hug, and practically screeched "OF COURSE!") (the woman is enthusiastic, what can i say). we discussed colors, and my idea of a dress, and the fact that she and steph are the same body type, so they will be able to wear the same dress and not look hugely different (nothing i hate worse than a dress designed for one body type forced on another. sigh). black silver and white, how yummy. i'm thinking something with a drape across the chest, and simple styling otherwise. if we can't find what i like, we're sewing! (yeah, right, I'M sewing (note to self, ask erin if she sews at all)).

i went to knit night (obviously) and had a ball! i actually got there before erin(which never happens) and decided to settle in and start in on my super secret xmas project with that delicious silk i bought earlier from Touche. i met a few newbies, and gave out a bootie pattern i got from AC4C ( i have it memorized, and this poor girl was struggling with the most obscene baby bootie patterns). Erin came in with a crocheted flying pig (i gotta check out craftster.org (yeah right, like i need a hole in the head!)), and the start of a crocheted lemur, and, of all things, a knitted yoda. yes, the little green guy from star wars. we had WAY too much fun with that, and i actually broke out my yoda imitation, which had the whole place rolling. they all agree i do yoda way too well. and of course, erin's mind was in the gutter (is it ever out, hon?) so the lemur tail was waved about suggestively. sigh. i took a pic of erin wearing yoda's ears, with the head and body tucked into the scarf she was wearing. YOU BETTER POST THAT, WOMAN!

in fact, it was a night loaded with double entendres and phallic symbols. we all laughed way too hard. god, i'm with erin, i love that group!

work is cutting into my crafting, sigh. i've been in the mail room every day this week, and frankly, at this point, my hands ache. i suppose i should try to slow down a bit, but it's so hard to do so. i'm an over achiever (in case you didnt' notice), and even though mail is not vital to a raise (which i got one this year! wow, a whole quarter, i'm so underwhelmed. ) and i also want to break my record. i did 8 full bundles last friday (which is 160 pieces of mail). i only did 133 today. my hands hurt. oh well, slow down dingbat, or you're going to impede holiday crafting. sigh.

sean has been doing amazingly well since his med change last tuseday. last week we were pleased that he got 2 cards instead of just one for the week. this week, he's actually gone 3 for 3, and card today. this is fantastic. maybe having him at the parent teacher conference was a good thing, because mrs. H told him that if he didn't straighten out, there was no way he'd go to lewis & clark (liam attends there). so, today was magnifique! i love my little boy, and it pleases me so to hear he's having a good day.

you might be a redneck if you won a pair of knee-high moccasins (either that or a hippie, lol).
. . . you think people with grass in their yards are uppity.

Pattern of the day: Fuzzy Bear Sweater. this is cute. at first i thought it was a sweater for a bear, with a bear on it, but now i notice it's a baby sweater. very darling, except the picture is done in mint green. ew.

What i'm reading:
A Breath of Snow and Ashes (there's a major surprise awaiting you around pg 200, michelle) by Diana Gabaldon
The Heir by Johanna Lindsey (booktape in the house)(and i'm slightly disappointed, this isn't up to her usual humorous look at regency love)
The Wolves of Calla by STephen King
Otherland: The Sea of Silver Light by Tad Williams

no book tape in the car yet, i finished one off yesterday, and haven't gotten around to putting oen in the car yet.

have a nice day (and i promise pics tomorrow vi, honest)

wedding HO!

well, i did it. i reserved a park (not the one i wanted sigh) and rented the hall. now we're in like flynn. sorta. still a ton to do, but the big worrisome stuff is out of the way. at least i THINK it's the worrisome stuff. someone correct me if i'm wrong.

i called as soon as i could yesterday morning (about 20 minutes after they started taking reservations) and was on hold for 10 minutes, and when i got through, i found out the park we had wanted was already taken, for the time we had wanted. so i made an executive decision, and we went with another park that is just as pretty, just a shade smaller. mark's ok with it, so that's good.

and since it's 5 minutes before i need to leave, i'll leave you with this:

you might be a redneck if the last time you saw your daddy outside, he was picking up trash, chained to three other guys.
. . . you've lived the last ten years with shotgun pellets embedded in your rear end.

Pattern of the day:
11/7: Van Dyck Scarf. this is pretty. v shaped lace. my one question, which i'm sure my adoring readers can answer, is how is this pronounced? is it van dyke, like dick van dyke? or is it van dick? any voters?

11/8: Lobster Pot Simple Cable Hat. this is cute, and a good candidate for charity, but why is it people tend to name their projects for the yarn they use for it? i cannot imagine calling something a "redheart anything," sigh.

have a nice day!

i'm so boring

i've really got nothing to say, but i'll fake it, lol.

went to the baby shower this afternoon and had a LOVELY time. no, really, i did. i got there just in time for the games. these were actually kinda fun. the first was "guess the baby names of these animals." some of them i should have known, like llama. please, people, a cria. i did get fish when most people didn't. small fry indeed. the second game was "the price is right" and we had to guess the cost of baby items purchased from a local walmart. now, as the only woman there who was as far removed from babyhood without having grandchildren, you'd think i would stink at this game, but i was only off by 14 cents! good grief. even the mom-to-be (who was only off me by 3 cents) was impressed, lol. and do you know what my prize was? two journals and a pen. how funny.

now, for all of those of you wondering "did she get the blanket done in time?" the answer is no. i got stuck again, and i think it was my own fault. so i'm frogging once again, and rethinking how i'm doing this. i was going to do the heart motif 9 times, but now i'm thinking of checkerboarding it with seed stitch blocks. the hearts are driving me mad, lol. so, i did an emergency bootie call (teehee) this morning (despite a nauseating migraine) and whipped out a pair of stay-on booties in the same pink as the blanket. they were a bit big (this pattern wasmeant for dk), but i figured that what i can do is make more size appropriate things for when the wee one is born (like that sweater). i love babies. and it's nice to have one to knit for.

the funny part, is when Karen got to opening the gifts, i told her i had forgotten to put my name on mine. she looked at me, laughed, and said "i'll look for the knitted gift." she knows me too well, lol.

the med change for sean has been interesting. his behavior isn't any better, but he seems happier. that is a positive step. mark and i are working on getting him off as much medication as we can. he's got stuff to counteract the side effects of other stuff, and stuff to help him sleep, because he's on so much other stuff, etc, etc, ad nauseum. hopefully this new doctor will be in line with us on that one. i'd like to get him down to just adderal and risperdal. the rest is crazy making, i'll tell ya. the boy rattles when he walks, and i'm afraid to even give him an aspirin for a headache. sigh.

liam is being a big little ass. will NOT go to bed when he's told, and when i told him "you won't get up in the morning," his reply was "that's because i don't want to go to SCHOOL!" yup, gang, he's 13. and he's not so little any more. mark told me today that he can palm the archway between the living room and the dining room at his house, so i asked liam to show me. sure enough. now, this archway is high enough for mark to walk under without ducking (in the middle anyway, lol), and i can barely reach it with my fingertips, flatfooted. granted, i have extremely short arms (i measure 18" from my middle fingers to the back of my elbow), but still. ape child, indeed. he's gonna be a biggun, if he keeps this up. at this pace, he may be bigger than my little brother when he gets here!

and wedding plans march apace. mark is ahead of me in one respect, he's already asked his brother to be his best man, and liam and sean to be his groomsmen. we're going to ask O & Sue if luke can be our ring-bearer. i still dont' know what we're going to do about a flower-girl. i don't know any little girls! so far i've only asked steph to stand up with me (no, she is NOT going to be my maid of honor, let's get real). i've got 2 other people in mind, but i haven't asked them yet. i need to get to it, so we can go dress hunting for the ladies. i have to call to reserve the rose garden at memorial park (doesn't that sound lovely, erin?), and i'm going to call the hall and tell them september 16 is a go. mark and i both agree, we like this hall, it's close to home, and neither one of us has the energy to look further. now the fun stuff. i need to call mark's coworker (and my former coworker as well, lol) and find out what all she needs for planning for now. i may ask her to cater the rehearsal dinner as well (we've got the bloody hall from friday night to saturday night anyway, lol) and invitations, and flowers, and cake, and tuxes, and and and and, oh hell, i'm gonna make myself crazy! where's my wedding book?

You might be a redneck if your car's antitheft device is the way it looks (i've owned one or two like that, sigh)

What i'm reading:
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (booktape in the house, i know i'm slow)
Dragonheart (booktape in the car)
Otherland: The SEa of Silver LIght (the last book int his series, and my goodness, this is a honker!)
The Wolves of Calla by Stephen King
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
Ghost Moon (i dont' recall the author, but i got this from PBS as aprize for guessing a 20 questions game!)

Have a nice day!

slacker blogger

i know, i know, i've been a slacker. i've just been too tired with the whole daylight savings crap. why can't they just leave well enough alone? i hate walking out of work with it being almost dark.

halloween was fun, even if sean didn't get to go trick or treating. he did behave well enough to get to hand out candy in costume, and mark was wearing his cloak as well. coolness indeed. i just ran around in ears and braids, lol.

and yes, vi, we missed you.

you might be a redneck if you 've ever swapped shirts with a scarecrow.
. . . you quit your job because deer season's fixin' to start.
. . . three generations of your family women are currently breast-feeding.
. . . people have grown weary of telling you that your pants are unzipped.
. . . you put "horns" on your new bride in your wedding pictures.

Pattern of the Day:
10/31: Punkin. this is a bond machine pattern, and i'm not sure i understand it to convert it to hand knitting. hmmm.

11/1-2:Three WArm Wool Mittens for Special Needs. I like this. it's a regular mitten, a flip top mitten, and a "trigger finger" mitten. these would be good for the res, or maybe the knitting train in january.

11/3: Child's Polo Pullover With Collar. This is very cute, but they did it in a variegated yarn, and looks dopey. this would be better in a tweed or solid, not a wild variegated like they did. ugh.

11/4: Dune: this runs all the way from a child's small to a men's xl. i like that. however it's in chenille. i don't like that, sigh. chenille is nice the first few wearings, but then it starts to worm, and be a general pain. sigh.

Have a nice day!

it's about time

that i posted again, lol
This is a picture of the prototype of the stocking pattern i submitted to the crochet calendar for 2007. this is posted per the request of the recipient, Lisa, because somebody happened to mention the 2006 calendar, and i said i hadn't bought it yet, but that i wouldn't have to buy the 2007. they flipped, lol, and Lisa asked i post the pic again. i told her after i got the costumes done. well, liam's is almost done (just attaching the yards of cheesecloth you saw earlier), and sean isn't going (although his is done as well, lol). sean, if he behaves well, will get to wear his costume as he's handing out treats (we do all kinds of stuff at this OTC house, lol)

This is the pic that i promised jon i would post, because he was lamenting the lack of fall color in colorado, except for some vine in his parents' backyard. well, here it is, my mammoth burning bush. yes, those are the eaves just above it. i figure this thing is 8 feet tall, and maybe 15 feet around. it was smaller when i bought the house, but now i know why they tied it up, it spreads like mad! it is gorgeous though, and in the summer it has this lovely dark green foliage, with triangular stems. very pretty. i have pruned this thing rather viciously, and it still florishes!


This crappy picture is the hat i'm making from the manos SaunShine gave me in my last package from her. you can barely see the cables crossing in the picture under the knitting, as well as the cables crossing in the hat itself. if you squint (please do!) this is quite lovely, and was supposed to be my entrant into the hat contest at SoP, but with the halloween gig, and sean's contrempts, and the frogging 8 times (i'm not kidding!), it was not meant to be. so i'm going to either enter the yellow elf hat i made the boys with handspun yarn, or my black and rainbow chenille elf hat that i made extra big to fit over my hair clips. i'll let you know what i decide tomorrow night (after i've entered it, lol).

the costume contest at work should be interesting tomorrow. i'm wearing sean's costume, with elf ears. ought to be fun.

you might be a redneck if you have to roll up your sleeve and look at your arm to spell your wife's name (booooooooooooooooooooooooo!)
. . . you own a pair of cutoffs made from double-knit pants (shudder, gag).

Pattern of the Day: 10/28: Queen Anne's Lace Scarf. This is very pretty, but kinda boring visually.
10/29-30: Jacks Stitch. this looks fun. it's lots of yarn overs & k2tog's, in 4 rows, then 4 rows stocking. very fun, and they suggest it for a child's cardigan or pullover.

What i'm reading:
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon (sorry, lanea, i still love it, lol)
The Wolves of Calla by Stephen King
Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down by sherrilyn kenyon (and 2 others, but i'm too lazy to get up and look)
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (booktape in house, almost done, lol)
Phantom Menace By Terry Brooks (booktape in the car, this is Star Wars, episode 1)

now i'm off to play with cheesecloth again!

Have a Happy and SAFE Halloween!

one more

and i'm off to bed.

i bought jeans for mark online at langstons, and i'm very pleased. he wears a hard-to-find size (34x38) and they are very expensive at that. i bought these for 34.95 USD, plus free shipping over $100 (i bought 3 pair). they got here today, and they still have price tags on them from the store (they have a brick & mortar store in oklahoma as well). the tags say $55! that would not be including sales tax! i'm extremely tickled! i may never shop in a B&M for mark again. as tall and thin as he is, it's hard to find stuff to fit him properly, but if i can find deals like this online, i'm all for it!

now to knitting. i have been knitting a tiny bit. i finished the baby booties & hat to go with the sweater. now i need to do a blanket (but that will wait a bit). however, i'm thoroughly pissed off at my Manos. i'm trying to make an original creation hat for SoP's hat contest which the cut off date for is MONDAY! and the fucking thing has been frogged 8 times. i kid you not, 8 times. i keep getting something screwed up. i'm seriously tempted to go find liam's handspun elf hat, and turn that in. just because i made it 2 years ago doesn't mean i didn't make it, and i did spin the yarn myself as well. it's a thought.

catch ya on the flip side, i need sleep after today.

quickie

this is a quickie post, due to the fact that i realized i havent' posted since last weekend (thursday?) and i need to say that i'm ok, i just got wrapped up in halloween costumes, sigh. of course, one will not be worn by the intended recipient. sean blew it today, and did not get the required points at school to earn trick or treating, so he is staying home with me this year. heart break all around, this is liam's last year, and mark was really looking forward to taking both boys out.

you might be a redneck if you know of at least 6 different ways to bend the bill of a baseball cap (hey steph, this means you're a redneck!)
. . . the sweetest music you've ever heard was the sound of a pack of dogs running through a swamp at midnight.
. . . you have a hook inyour shower to hang your hat on.
. . . you buy your cough medicine at the liquor store.
. . .your yard has more than 10 ceramic figurines.

Pattern of the Day: (10/21-10/23) Blue Ocean Tunic. The name of this comes from the yarn, but it's not a no-brainer! very simple, but pretty tunic. this wouldn't be bad for charity purposes.
10-24: Wineglass Lace Bookmark. This is done in such a way, that it really does look like wineglasses. i like it, and it's a simple intro into lace knitting (which i will try to get into some day)
10-25: Turtleneck Turtle Top. this is one of those things you wear under another shirt, but all it does is cover your neck and part of your shoulders. does anybody remember what the heck those things are called? (my day was bad, and my brain is fried into nonexistence.)
10-26/10-27: Entrelac Afghan. now this is NOT the full afghan done in entrelac in one piece(whew!). it's done in panels, with knitted borders. looks cool though!

Have a nice day!

halloween is 11 days away

and i' so screwed. i'm still working on sean's tunic, haven't even looked at his cape, and i've still got liam's, mark's and mine to do. i may have to send out a sewing sos, and go visit mark's mom saturday afternoon. two sewing machines (and operators) are better than one, that's for sure. so i'm sitting here pinning sleeve facings. sigh.

since i can't pin while i am reading blogs, this is what i did. this is the manos that saunshine sent me when i was her secret pal. this stuff is yummy. of course, it's much purpler in real life. i'll be using this to make my hat for the contest at SoP (if i can get it done in time, the contest ends oct 31, so i'll have to take it october 30th (can't cut into trick or treat time!)). wish me luck. i've got too many projects due by the end of hte month, sigh.

These delectable little lovelies are my downfall. thank god i've only got one tin ful. what are they, you ask?

These are katydids, aka turtles. creamy cararmel, cruchy pecans, and luscious creamy milk chocolate. mmmmmmmmmm. i didn't know they were called turtles until i was an adult. my grandmother in wyoming used to have tins of candy all the time, and these were one of them. the other was a "pillow" candy that was crunchy on the outside, and creamy peanut butter in the middle. butterfingers, eat your heart out.

i went to sit & knit, and had a most enjoyable time, for the brief time i was there. i knit 4 rows of the baby afghan (and that heart pattern is not easy to do when your'e trying to chat). i did do it though. erin and alcariel brought in their hats (a "blossom" style feltie and a "hatmione " (the hat hermione wears in PoA)). much beauteousness going on. a new lady came in, and becky introduced us all. after that, i looked at her, and said "i feel like i should stand up and say "hi, my name is minnie, and i'm a yarnoholic." good fun, even if too brief.

sean had a horrendous day at school, so we had a "talk." (mark and i talked, sean listened). needless to say, mark and i are highly peeved. his teacher even wrote a note saying "what else can i do? got any ideas?" he just won't see reason. any of you have ideas?

You might be a redneck ifyou own a lava lamp more than 5 feet tall.

Pattern of the Day: Kalinka Kosy Scarf. This comes close to non-pattern, but the yarn looks fluffy and fun (even if it's novelty), and the pattern does have some interest. a thought, but with cheaper yarn, please.

Waht i'm reading:

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon.

Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon (again, a fantastic author)

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (book tape in car)

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (book tape in house)

Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings. and yes, deb, silk is cool, lol.

Have a nice day!

bestill my beating heart

i'm not sure what i feel right now, but stephanie just dropped a bombshell, and the boys (liam in particular) are upset. she's moving out. however, she is going someplace safe, at least (no, she's not moving in with her dad, i would not consider that safe). her friend shae is moving in with her mom in missouri (she stayed here because she had a scholarship, but life has become intolerable here, so she's abandoning the scholarship, and moving back in with her mom, and finishing school there), and steph is going with her. apparently they are going to rent out the basement. when steph had been living with her dad (forced to by the state, btw!) there had been talk of her moving in with shae & her family so she could go back to blair to school for her senior year, but the state refused to pay foster care when she was living with her father without them having to pay a dime. heaven forbid it might actually be BETTER for the child to live where she's happy, but, hey, what do i know?

wow. on one hand TWO DOWN, TWO TO GO! on the other hand, we were finally starting to pull a few of the pieces together, from the damaged caused by my ex. sigh. time to let go. she will be 20 in january. she does claim that the plan is to work for now, and then transfer to Northwest Missori State NEXT fall. if she goes back to school at this point, i will consider it a minor miracle.

however, she's leaving some of her stuff. at least it will come back here when/if she goes to school, because there will be no room in the dorms. i'm thinking i'll leave her room alone for a while, and if things look good down there, i'll let liam move down there, and put her stuff out in the main basement.

that has been the plan. the boys' room is small (about 10x10 with bunk beds, 2 dressers, a set of shelves , and 3 doors & a window (the doors take up wall space we can't use), and the boys are growing way too fast. i was looking at liam today while he was talking to mark, and realized the little shit isn't so little any more. he's taller than me, and the only reason i outweigh him is because i'm out of shape. oh my. and his upper lip is getting fuzzy, and i can hear his voice deepening. He's only 13! and just barely (his birthday was late august, if you will recall). ok, it's official, i'm getting old.

back to steph. i'm a little worried, but not like if she was moving down there on her own. i know holly (shae's mom) will make sure she's ok. holly loves her like a second daughter. but still. it's at least 2 or 3 hours away. and liam's crushed. liam hates change. and he misses his sister alot as it is right now (granted, they are half brother & sister, but they were raised as full siblings, and treat each other as such). this is definitely one to work on in therapy. wow.


I did get a little knitting done today. i've gotten 2 rows on teh baby afghan, and a little started on a hat to go with the sweater i posted this morning.

i went to touche, the yarn store that is one block from my therapist's, and bought stuff for my not so secret pal. hope you like it, mamaloo, i'm gonna try to pack it up tonight and mail it in the morning. i hope air mail to canada isn't too expensive, lol.

I also bought more of that lovely green goodness i bought in august for A4A. i figure i can make a hat & a skinny scarf for steph for christmas, since she'd commented that she liked the color. a green christmas indeed. and she did say she'd be home for christmas.


You might be a redneck if you dress to impress no one.
. . . you've ever thrown up in a squad car.
. . . the grocery store manager has to ask yor husband to quit harassing the lobsters. (ew?)

Pattern of the Day: (10-17 & 18) Fruit Patterns. This is for the Jewish festival of Sukkot. They are cute, and i may even find a use for this pattern some day. maybe i'll make knitted fruit to put in a bowl on my table? (like to see someone bite into that, lol! talk about fiber in your diet!)

10-19 Bulky Drop Stitch Vest. cute but it's been done before. ever see the vest on a knitting magazine cover a few years back (almost 3 years ago, i believe) that was done with colinette point 5. sigh.

have a nice day

pics and not much else

sunset monday night. aren't those colors gorrgeous?

This is the motif that i'm working in the blanket. in this pic i'm about half way through the chart. i've had a few problems, but nothing major.


This is the full view of the blanket. i'd better hurry, eh? (shower is nov 6!)


This is the sweater i've made as a part of a buddy project for AC4C. the colors are close to a print that Bobbie from AC4C is using for sleepers. granted hers is on a white background, but, ya know!

more later

have a good day

take THAT!

finally, the proof that comfort can come before "fashion." thanks to erica for that bit of enlightenment.

also thanks to erica for this. monkey spank indeed, lol!

speaking of thanking erica, we can thank her for the following meme (i love these things, they make great blog fodder when you've got nothing to talk about)

THREE THINGS I DON’T UNDERSTAND:
1. Why some people feel the need to run everyone else's lives. leave me be.
2. How a child who is obviously intelligent can fail classes.
3. Trigonometry (actually, i don't understand religious terrorists. i suppose this one stems back to #1)

THREE THINGS ON MY DESK:
1. A trophy Sean got (don't ask me what for i can't recall and he's not home to ask)
2. 3 different types of lotion
3. Both my calendars.

THREE THINGS I’M DOING RIGHT NOW:
1. Blogging
2. Knitting (imagine that)
3. Writhing in pain (actually, it's much better, lol)

THREE THINGS I WANT TO DO BEFORE I DIE:
1. Have my stinky brother back.
2. Live in Scotland for a month.
3. Live to see my great-great-great grandchildren

THREE THINGS I CAN DO:
1. Come up with a meal out of ANYTHING. (that depression cooking my mother did taught me oodles)
2. Give my all to everything i do.
3. Give any fiber-related craft a shot ( i CAN embroider, cross stitch, etc, i just don't like doing them, so i don't)

THREE WAYS TO DESCRIBE MY PERSONALITY:
1.Fun loving
2.Caring
3.Compassionate

THREE THINGS I CAN’T DO:
1. Do a half-assed job.
2. Delegate what i consider my duty. i will take my mother and my children to their respective dr appointments, dentist appointment, etc, and not shove it off on someone else.
3. Draw a 6 with my right hand and turn my foot clockwise (try it, it's nigh on impossible!)

THREE THINGS I THINK YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO:
1. your inner voice that says "are you sure you should do that?" it's right 95% of the time.
2. Johnny Cash's later stuff. "Hurt" and "Personal Jesus" are amazing.
3. The sweet sound of your child (or if you don't have any, a niece or nephew) reciting something near and dear (for me, it's the pledge of allegience)

THREE THINGS I DON’T THINK YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO EVER:
1. Any song that talks about dissing ho's, or beating women, or killing people cuz you don't like the looks of them.
2. A man(or woman) who tells you "i won't do it again, it was an accident, you made me mad."
3. The excuses a 13-year old makes for not finishing his homework.

THREE THINGS YOU SAY:
1. I had a brain fart.
2. I love you, honey.
3. Get real.

THREE THINGS YOU’D LIKE TO LEARN:
1. To play bass guitar.
2. Ballroom dancing
3. To sculpt.

THREE BEVERAGES YOU DRINK REGULARLY:
1. Water
2. Milk
3. Ice Tea

THREE SHOWS YOU WATCHED WHEN YOU WERE A KID:
1. The Muppet Show
2. The A-Team
3. Starsky & Hutch

THREE THINGS YOU WISH PEOPLE WOULD LEARN TO DO:

1. Realize the world does NOT revolve around them.
2. Give something of themselves at least once a month (and not just money. there's something gratifying about the charity knitting i do. it's a part of me)
3. Smile more.

Ok, i'm not going to tag anyone (i know, most of ya hate memes, anyway) but please, feel free to hock it.

i fall to pieces (think patsy cline)

That, if you look closely, is a fingernail broken to the quick. sigh. the fingernails on both my index fingers curve when they grow out (anybody know why?) and tend to break if i'm not careful. i was being nice, as a coworker in the mailroom had forgotten her phone on her desk, and it kept trying to ring. now, we aren't supposed to have our phones on at all, so i was being altruistic, and hit the button to turn the ringer off, as her phone is very similar to mine. needless to say, she was sitting to my left, and the fingernail cracked way too far down.

You'll notice the rest of my nails are relatively long and pretty (who'da thunk that would ever happen with me?!?) . so yes, i'm a bit perturbed by this, particularly since the same thing had happend on my right hand 3 weeks ago, and that nail is still growing out. thank god i'm able to catch these before the damage is too great. they're tender, but no blood.

and yes, that's sapphires in my engagement ring. my first two engagement rings were diamonds, and neither set were of my choosing. the first set was my then mother-in-law's, and i found out after 7 years of marriage to the momma's boy, that the ring was actually on loan! i was to give it back! WHAT! that man never did know me well. i would have gone without, rather than taken a ring that i couldn't keep, sigh.

the second set was diamond as well, but yellow gold on top of that. yet again another case of a man who never truly knew me. you'll notice that not only is this sapphires, it's white gold. he asked first, lol. he may have not known me as well as he would have possibly liked, but he knew to ask. this one is definitely a keeper
This is what i've been working on this weekend. yes, it's big. but he's happy with it, and i intend on hemming it shorter so that it's not quite so long on him. i'm unable to work on it tonight though, because apparently the back ache mark had last week is catching. i got out of the car, after we had visited his parents today, and almost coudln't walk into the house. i ended up sleeping for about 2 hours at his house, while he and sean played downstairs.

Mark is very pleased with sean's progress, musically. Sean has had 4 lessons, and mark believes he is really getting it. and the choice to be downstairs as long as they were was sean's, not mark's. mark is impressed with sean's concentration on this. this is something that sean wants, and badly at that. it started out as him wanting to play with dad, as it was a connection, and it's turned into something on its own for him. he loves it. and i will do what i can to help. seriously. do you have any idea how much a left-handed electric guitar costs? but it's amazing to listen to him. he's actually getting it! and while he's not perfect (makes me wince, lol), i can hear the music. mark is teaching him an original his group (centerfuze) does, and i can hear it. wow. if he ever gets to the level that kevin (the guitarist who is teaching him) plays in that song, he will truly be an excellent player.

Liam has been lying again. Friday night i got an email from his math teacher stating that he'd been given a list of make up work due by tuesday for the quarter. he'd told mark he didn't have any homework. so, we asked him why he didn't tell us. he said "because i thought i could get away with it." WTF! i'm in email contact with most of his teachers, and the administrator, at least 3 to 4 times a week, and he knows it. wow. i know he's not stupid, so it has to be sheer bloody-mindedness. needless to say, he's had to devote his entire weekend to homework, as he had over 20 assignments to catch up on.

You might be a redneck if your favorite pet is edible.
. . . your first bra was a Wonderbra (i knew a girl once who we said that her living bra had commited suicide, does that count?)

Pattern of the Day: Clouds. This scarf is fascinating, and amazingly simple from the looks of it. for lack of a better term, it's thrummed. however, the thrums are mohair locks, left to dangle, and look fluffy and curly. it's actually cute, but i'd never wear it.

Pattern of the Weekend: Surprise Mittens. I like these, but they're made with sock yarn. i like my mittens thick, and warm, and i can't imagine sock yarn would do it for me ( i have arthritis in my hands, and warmth is an issue.)

What I'm reading:
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (booktape in the house)
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (booktape in the car)
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
The Woves of the Calla by Stephen King (this is book 5 of the dark tower series, i was way behind on these, apparently)

and i finished a book that was absolutely amazing, as romance novels go. It was Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon. This is one outside the regular realm of romance. The premise is a man is cursed to live in a book, until summoned by a woman who says his name 3 times on a full moon, and is to be her love slave for the month, until the next full moon. this time, the woman does it unbelieving, and then sets about to free him. this woman writes well. i started this book at 1230 last night (this morning?) and finished it at 10 this morning. a very fast, fascinating read. if you like romance, you gotta go check it out (warning, it is semi-graphic, for those who don't care for that sort of thing (VBEG))

have a nice dya

light & dark

This is the 5 hour baby sweater i've been talking about. the colors are actually pretty accurate! i decided to use the "scene" setting on my camera, and by jove, i've got more accurate colors! the blue isn't quite so robin's egg, but the rest is about right! amazing. the reason why it's looking a bit wonky is because i was working on this at sit & knit (more about that later, lol) and didn't have a spare pair of needles with me, so i just left the stitches on the needle and worked the sleeve. almost like short-rowing, but no involvement with the other sections, lol. this is redheart from my stash (honest mark, i'm really trying not to buy more yarn!) and i like it! for some reason, this pattern is coming out easier than the regular 5 hour baby sweater (this is the boys' version). i don't know why.

And here is the gorgeous roving that erin got me on her trip to minneapolis. i think she got this at creative fibers in edina, but check my comments from the post where i mentioned it earlier. once again, scene setting on my camera, and this is relatively accurate. it's about 7 1/2 ounces. i'm thinking i don't want to ply it on itself, for fear of muddying the colors, but the offwhite i have won't work either. i'm thinking i need grey. now to find grey fiber. hmmmm. anybody got any sources? this stuff is amazingly soft, so i want a close match.


This was a major laugh on a night when i needed it. Fillyjonk had it on her blog, and threatened to do it if it weren't for the fact that she's teaching that night. this would have come in handy last year with liam and his toxic waste costume.

Go oggle Franklin's new sweater. amazing that this is his first! wish i were going to rheinbeck to see it. and all the bloggers that will be there as well. i wish we had a S&W festival here, but the few sheep raised are meat sheep, sigh, and their wool isn't too hot for anything but rugs. sigh.

I did get to go to sit & knit tonight, and met a few new people, and oggled some gorgeous stuff. there's a lady there named meeka (a total guess on the spelling) that crochets the most gorgeous stuff! she'd made a moebius wrap with the twist being just chains. hard to describe, but erin knows what i mean, she saw it. it was stunning. and she's like meh, no biggie. wow! she had made a lace ponchette, and it was too small for her, so she gave it to another girl there, who was a little smaller (very petite thing, i'm jealous) because she didn't want it to go to waste. goodness. apparently she regularly gives her stuff away.

i had to leave early though, because sean had another bad day. i was so frustrated this morning with his lack of speed with getting dressed that i started crying. mark was furious over that one. i always plan to leave the house around 10 after, and we left at 21 after. liam and i were both this close to being late. i had signed up for a little overtime, and almost didnt' make it. sigh. sean did apologize to me tonight about making me cry, but while he may mean it now, what about later? he keeps saying, i'll do better, i'll behave, but then the next day, he's just as bad. i have a feeling it's got to do with the discussions he and mark have been having. while this stuff needs to come out, i'm expecting the behaviors to not be better for a bit. mark thought maybe he should back off, but i told him, this is going to happen no matter what, and if sean is ready now, for god's sake don't stop! sean has opened up more in the last few weeks than he has in the last 4 years. i'm not going to discuss what happened here, but if you can get ahold of a copy of Cheaper than Therapy, you'll learn more there.

goodness. it's been 4 years since my life went to hell in a handbasket. now i wax philosophical. sometimes i wonder if i really learned anything in the last 4 years, and then again, i'm told i'm different. not the same woman. 4 years ago, i would have called myself a girl. not now. i suppose i'm growing up whether i want to or not.

i saw my ex-husband yesterday. while i knew it was going to happen, and was braced for it, it was still a shock to see him. i think i looked at him for a total of 2 seconds, and never looked at him again the entire time. i saw no changes. a little thinner, and a little greyer, but nothing else. and the attitude i heard yesterday confirmed it. some of us grow and change, and some don't.

thank god mark was there with me. it made everything so much easier. i knew he had my back. to have someone you know will back you, no matter what, but is willing to tell you when you're fucking up, and love you heart and soul, none the less, that is truly priceless. i'm so glad he came into our lives.

You might be a redneck if our local grocery store also has a few pool tables. (sounds familiar!)

Pattern of the Day: Rib warmer. this is a vest, done completely in garter stitch. i may make up a few for the november project, depending on my knitting progress for christmas prezzies.

and yes erin, the cd's rock. i love listening to gaelic singers.

Have a nice day

anonymous comments

i do apologize, but i can no longer allow anonymous comments. i have received information that someone who does not have my and my family's best interests at heart has been reading my blog, and as this is a bit ticklish, i can no longer allow those kinds of comments. please accept my apologies, those of you who prefer to comment that way. the ones i care about have my email address, and can email their comments to me if they wish.

however, i will not change my blog in any other way. if this person takes vicarious pleasure from reading about my and my family's daily doings, that's fine. i don't care. if i did, i wouldn't post, now would i?

nuts to you.

i had today off for certain duties, and dealt with them accordingly.

i did go to walmart as well, and did buy batteries, but i have to recharge them, so no pics yet, sigh. i spent way too much money. however, i am now the proud owner of some interesting cd's, and i'll listen to them later. right now i'm listening to a book tape, so :P. one of them is highland christmas (god, i love bagpipes) and the other was Celtic Wonder. yes, they were those hokey cd's that you hear playing in any megamart store. and you know what? i've bought these before, and often the music is quite good!

i didn't get much knitting done today, as i didn't take it with me, but i did get a little done. i'm up to row 22 on the 5 hour baby sweater.

and mark took the rest of the day off. granted, we didn't get to spend the whole time together (he hates walmart with a passion, and can only be convinced to go very early on saturday or sunday morning, lol), but it was nice to nuggle on the couch for the little bit of time we had.

sean has been talking alot to mark, and more stuff is coming out. hopefully, if enough of this is discussed, his behavior will improve. i'm concerned that he is headed down a path that isn't good for him.

You might be a redneck if the owner of a restaurant had to ask you to "please move away from the salad bar before you start eating."

Pattern of the Day: Portland hat. ummmm, ok. it's made with novelty yarn. nuff said.

What I'm Reading:
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (book tape in the house)
Sittaford House by Agatha Christie (book tape in the car)
Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings. i've read these before, almost 20 years ago, and had forgotten how they had gone. it's interesting, but since it's a paperback, i can't read it while knitting, so it's strictly bedtime reading, so i only get a few pages read before "my eyes slam shut" as michelle has said before, lol.
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon. This is typical outlander style, andi love it. however, it's my knitting reading, so it's been relegated to weekends for now, since i've got so many projects going that need full attention.

Have a nice Day!

i don't understand

why would you do your homework, only to NOT turn it in, and get crappy grades, especially when you have proven you know the work? that's the case with Liam and half his classes. in math in particular (he's getting a D) the teacher says his quiz grades average to an 89%. that is emminently acceptable. she said that it shows he knows what he's doing. however, he's missing 8 assignments, and has only turned in 6 of 23 warm ups (they do quick math at the beginning of the class). hence the D. and he has math homework every day. and we ride him on it. is this his idea of rebellion? all it's earning him is no video games or tv, and us being that much harder on him. i just don't get it. i didn't do this in jr high.

sean has come up with more stuff his BF did to him, so mark had to report it to CPS at the behest of the therapist. it's one more nail in that SOB's coffin tomorrow.

i started the 5 hour baby boy sweater last night, and got quite a ways with it tonight, only to have to frog the whole bloody thing. i missed counts some where, so when i got to dividing for fronts, sleeves and back, the count was way off. sigh. so now i'm back to row 5. no pics yet, i'm thinking i 'm going to buy (yet another ) pack of rechargeable batteries tomorrow, and hide these. sigh.

i had a migraine all day, and didn't start feeling better until i talked to mark on my afternoon break. hmmm. he really is my sunshine. i thank god for him.

You might be a redneck if the uninvited guests at your family reunion were the SWAT team.
. . . your septic tank is the subject of a petition.

Pattern of the Day: 10-10 Chill Chasers Scarf. there ya go, the sensible bit to this combo. i still dont' see where the wrap fits in, lol.

10-11: Dayna Raglan T-Neck Pullover. i like this. it's oversized, and apparently made with one HUGE skein of dayna which is 78% mohair, 13 % wool, and 9% nylon. i could do this!

oh and btw, since i didn't blog yesterday, happy thanksgiving to all the canadians out there!

and rose's husband passed away on saturday, and there are rumors running around that cheryl's son passed away friday night. he never got the hat. :*(
Have a nice day!

what a girl wants

i got this from my secret pal's blog (yeah, i blew it early, god curse blogger and their habit of assuming you want to comment under your own user name, sigh).

you type "YOUR NAME needs" into google, and see what comes up. apparently, i need a lot of strange stuff. let's see.

Minnie needs a seating system with a scapular height back

Minnie needs some convincing so Mary says they'll use the money to purchase newequipment for the hospital.

minnieneeds to direct her attention to paige (this was on the keanu gossip page (drool))

First of all Minnie needs to get Bit&* slapped (wow! i'm sorry!)

It also appears that Minnie needs to shave her legs before her next performanceas we see small hair folicles on them (no fair, who's looking that close!)

Minnie's needs are more often met with drugs, sex predicated on distorted powergames, rape, and neglect (?!?!?!?!?)

Jeanette had a curious set of circumlocutions, which she used instead of thesimple and vulgar terms which served Minnie's needs

"Minnie" needs more exposure......she should be in magazines, newspapers, talkshows, on t-shirts and baseball caps! (hear hear!!!)

minnieneeds to diet (ok, who's been looking at my scale!)

I think Jan is right, Minnie needs a brotheror sister hint hint By the way, I didn't realize Minnie had a full tail...


ok, that's enough of that. whew, who knew!

oops

i owe erin
an apology. i forgot to mention the most delicious roving she got me for a prezzie from minneapolis. i apologize, i don't recall where she got it, but it's gorgeous, with streaks of green and purple. and so soft! i can't wait to spin it up (however, i've got all my bobbins full, sigh).

still no piccies, i am battery-less. sigh. little rat child. he claims there was only one battery in the camera, but there are batteries scattered all over the place, sigh.

i'm having some trouble with the hearts in the baby afghan i'm making. i'm going to go back and read the chart, and then see where i screwed up (if it's not a case of errata), and fix the whole row. blech. it has been progressing quite prettily until now.

speaking of the baby afghan, i ended up speaking with the giftee today. sean has her phone number memorized (she made him memorize it just in case while he was there (he hasn't lived there in a year, and he still remembers the number, now why can't he remember ours? he has mark's memorized too, and i have to watch that he doesn't swipe the phone when he's angry with me, and not call mark at all odd hours)), and while i thought he was calling mark, he knocked on the bedroom door at 8:15 this morning and said "someone wants to speak to you." it was karen! she was surprised as well. she is doing well, except she has bronchitis (she gets too run down when she's pregnant, and she's due in 8 weeks (ack, i'd better hustle!)). she has two foster children right now, one of which started kindergarten at 4! her birthday was last week, and she turned 5.

i really think nebraska needs to rethink their law about when a child can start school. sean was barely able to handle it, with a birthday of august 8, while liam was not able to handle it, and ended up repeating first grade. that was the best thing i could have ever done for him (i say i, and not we, because the ex bucked me all the way on it. i prevailed), because it gave him a chance for some maturity, and went from being the youngest in his class to the oldest. he will still only be 18 when he graduates.

if he gets his act back together. he lied to mark and told him that he'd filled out his daily planner, when he hadn't.

what happened to my sweet little boy that would do everything he was told, with a smile on his face and a "yes, mommy, i love you"? this thirteen year old demon is horrible, and tempermental, and sneaky. he snuck a controller out of my room AGAIN, and this time had to dig for it! so the playstation is at mark's, as well as all the video games, AND the gaming books. sean will be allowed to play over there IF he behaves, but liam is being sequestered in the upstairs until we see his grades improve. and his behavior. he ended up in his room all day because he took off when i told him he could ride his bike, and went somewhere he KNEW he wasn't allowed to go (i wouldn't have found out if the neighborkids hadn't told me), and was gone for hours. then he screamed at me, so he lost sweets for today and tomorrow, and refused to stay in his room, so he lost reading at marks. there wasn't much else to to take! is 13 too old to put in the corner?

i am a bad girl. i've given up on the "diet" thing. i've been doing it for 3 weeks, and i havne't lost a single pound. i'm going to try to fit more excercise in my day, and see if that helps. of course, it doens't help that No Frills had milky way dark fun size bars on sale for $2.25 a bag. sigh.

we aren't even going to discuss steph, i need to keep my blood pressure down.

Have a nice Day!

i would but . . .

i would post piccies, but i have a few problems. yes, blondie did have my camera. she took it with her last night to take pictures at haunted houses (she adores this time of year for that alone), and then ended up not taking any. i do have my camera back, but sean was on a battery quest as his guitar teacher gave him a cd player to listen to cd's (he has listening homework) and i told him he'd have to buy his own batteries (the kid has more cash than i do at the moment!). so, instead of patiently waiting for me to go buy some (tomorrow, i'm in for the night) he steals mine out of my camera! and i can only find one. sigh.

oops, brb, i just spilled goldens & cherries all over my jeubpard.

whew, that could have been disasterous! have you ever had goldens & cherries? it's a product made by sunmaid, and it's golden raisins (which are not as sweet as regular ones) and dried cherries. very tasty, and addicting.

i did knit today. i am on row 9 of the chart for the hearts for my first row of hearts on the baby afghan. i went to hobby lobby today (to buy halloween costume stuff, honest!) and hunted for apink that would go well with the pink i'm using for the afghan, to use for the sweater, as teh sweater pattern is baby weight, and the pink i'm using for the afghan is worsted weight. i got out of there with one skein of baby weight pink, a skein of bernat camo, a bunch of purple mums (flowers were half off, if i had known that, iwould have sat down and made a list, as i'm starting wedding flowers!) a scary sounds cd (i have a 3 cd player, and i figured i could just play all 3 cds in a row without repeating all night!), and a gravevine wreath i'm using to make a gandalf staff for mark.

speaking of costumes, i did take my pattern and measure it against sean (i'm using the xs for him, teh small for liam, and the xl for mark, with subtractions for sean and additions for mark, lol). and i got all the paper cut out. now i gotta pin, cut and sew. sigh. at least it's some progress.

my brother (the non-stinky one) sent me an email to call, because he and his wife are coming for thanksgiving! granted they are flying in late wednesday night, and leaving early saturday (i can't get out of work friday wah!) but he will be here! cool! the last thanksgiving they were here did not turn out too well, sigh. sherrill and mark went at it (she thought it was too soon after my ex for me to be "dating" and found a note i had written him calling him my husband (we were engaged even then (2 years ago!)) and that was all she wrote. sherrill is very opinionated, and mark decided he'd had enough, and went downstairs and played, before he said something he'd regret.) of course, bob took her side, and i took mark's, and thanksgiving turned to shit. they stayed home with my mom and bought one of those turkey dinners in a box, and we went to mark's parents, and nobody was happy. however, she did call and apologize for her behavior (she said she called her sister for advice, and her sister said "you did that in HIS house?"). so we did get together before they went back, but it was still rough. however, there's been time & distance in there, and i think (and hope) everybody has mellowed out. thanksgiving will be at my house, so ig et to cook again (joy). thanksgiving is not my favorite holiday. it's a lot of work, and headache, and i'm always exhausted and crabby by the time we eat. not fun. at least this year i'll have 2, maybe 3 ovens to utilize (i think i'll throw some stuff in my mom's oven, and have them bring it when they come). mark lives 5 minutes from here, so that will be a piece of cake.

and he's a magnificent cook. i lucked out. not only did i find a man who can cook, he can cook almost (hey, i cna't give him that much credit) as well as i do, and loves to do it. i still do over 50% of the cooking, but sometimes we cook together (that's ALWAYS fun), and sometimes he fills in, and does it himself. especially on man night (he and the boys do fun stuff while i go to knit night).

What i'm reading:
Lord John & the Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon (book tape in the car)
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (book tape in the house)
A Breath of Snow & Ashes by Diana Gabaldon (gee, looks like i'm addicted, eh? i got the book tapes before my book arrived, as i was hankering for some Diana)
Girls in Pants: The Third Summer by Ann Brashares. i'm reading this now, even though i just got it today, because it's on the "list" and i'll have to take it back in 3 weeks.

You might be a redneck if your car and its motor are more than 10 feet apart.

Pattern of the Weekend: Chill Chasers Eyelet Pattern Wrap. this is the 4th piece of the set, and somehow it doens't quite go. hat, mittens, ear muffs and . . . wrap? i would think scarf, but eh, what do i know. it is a pretty pattern, and one i may use.

Have a nice day!

i'm such a flake

and here's the place to prove it. wanna see what i did?

see isn't it so pretty? this website is kinda fun, and a great time waster. gee erin, i bet you could do this for hours! and no itty bitty pieces of paper to pick up!

what got me started was cutting out pattern pieces for the boys' costumes (all 3 of them, lol!) mark is insisting on a semi-authentic gandalf staff, sigh, so i've been thinking. i finally figured it out. if you watched the movies at all, you'd notice that gandalf's staff when he is the grey is a stick fresh from the tree. so i'm going to buy a 6 ft closet pole, and hot glue grapevine to it. sound good? i'll spray paint the whole thing, and call it done.

Here's the other flake i made. this one is edgy.

and who knew that a cat would have so much fun with pattern paper? i've been giving him the left over bits so he'll leave the main parts alone, and he's having a ball! sorry, no pics, i don't know where my camera went (i have a feeling it's with a certain redhead with the nick of "blondie" sigh.)

I did finish the hat at 1130 last night. i had to frog the thing 4 times because i wasn't happy with how it was coming out, but i finally finished it. neither of my friends were at work today, but i found out one is working tomorrow, so i left the hat there with the other mc, and he put a note on it.

i found out they're taking up a collection at work for her and her son. i'm glad they're doing it, and i'm going to pitch in a few bucks, but there's another woman there, losing her husband by inches (literally, he's been moving toward the end for months (he has liver cancer)). she has actually left work to take care of him as well, but no one has stepped forward to help her. when he dies, she may actually lose her house! i'm going to talk to the supervisor, and see if we can take one up for her as well. the last time she was at work, it was all she could do to not cry everytime she got off the phone. i cannot imagine how she feels. she told me she met her husband when she was 10 & he was 12. they dated all through high school, and married right out of it. wow. a soul mate. there seems to be a lot of death and dying around here lately.

On a lighter note, i sat next to a gentleman who distinctly reminds me of santa claus. he has a white beard, white hair (granted his is half way down his back), and a jelly belly. we chatted all day long. he said his long term goal is to save enough money up to move to amsterdam and buy a hashish bar, and sell fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies all day long. too funny. i told him my bahama/bar slash yarnstore/coffee house idea, and he thought that was pretty good too. now if only i could coordinate the two? i've been daydreaming,t he powerball jackpot is over $200M. nobody else buy a ticket, i've already got the winning one! i hope.

You might be a redneck if stealing roadsigns is a family outing.

. . . nobody else will touch your favorite cap.

Pattern of the Day:

10-6: Chill Chaser Mittens. these are to go with the hat. very nice.

10-7: Chill Chaser EAr Muffs. i'm sensing a theme here?

Have a nice day!