Huh???

I couldn't believe it had been so long since I posted.  Lots and lots has happened since then . . .

GrandpaTutu is a year older, Riann is a year older, I had an upper respiratory infection and was sooooo sick, I was let go at TI again, and I went to Virginia to visit the folks, sheepies, and goaties at Juniper Moon Fiber Farm. 

1.  I was sick for GrandpaTutu's birthday--just coming down with the URI.  :O(

2.  I was gone for Riann's birthday--in Virginia.  :O(

3.  Was afraid I was going to miss the trip to Virginia because I was sooooooo sick.  :O(

4.  TI let me go by telephone--while I was home sick.  Nice (not).  :O(

5.  I went to Virginia to JMFF and had SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH FUN!!!  It was perfect!!  Erin went with and she came back a knitter (she how could resist no more!!)  It made me soooo happy.  :O)

6.  Also got to spend half a day in Washinton, D.C., and that was excellent!  :O)

So, I'm reading Twelfth Night today because I have a big assignment due by midnight tonight.  But I'll catch up and post pictures soon.

GrandmaTutu
xoxo

Vietnam War Memorial (c) 2009

I wish . . .

It's days like today I wish I were at home.  Stephanie Nielson is on Oprah today, and I'd love to hear her story from her lips.  I read her blog (see NieNie in my favorites), but I'd love to hear her voice.  She inspires me.  Her story is compelling I think.  Maybe I'll be able to see a re-run.

What I did for summer vacation . . .

Thought maybe you'd like to read my first journal entry for my British Lit class, entitled "Journal 1: My Class Expectations and Goals:
"One of my treasured memories is of me curled up in a chair at my grandmother’s house reading a book. My own home seemed always to be too active, too noisy, and too stressful. I learned that I could transport to another world with words printed on paper and bound into covers that came alive in my hands; it was like holding the rudder of a boat sailing me away to a place I’d rather be. That same feeling of escape always felt more real when I was at my grandmother’s house where things were quiet, warm, and pleasant—the way I often imagined them to be in the books I read.

My husband thinks I should be working toward a degree. In a way I am, though I’ve gone about it in a roundabout way. Over the past 30 to 40 years, I’ve almost completed a two-year degree. With only five classes remaining toward that degree, it isn’t much of a stretch to imagine myself filling my elective slate with literature classes, since reading is what I love best. Over the years, British literature has been right up there at the pinnacle of my top-ten list of favorites. Hopefully, my expectations for this class aren’t too high. I do, however, expect it to be a fascinating ride that will carry me to new and exciting places.

There have been times during my life when I have considered myself somewhat of an intellectual, and I could imagine myself reading and discussing great literature. I have at other times, however, felt that my reading list was sorely lacking in some of the most important world literature. I own a beautiful copy of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. It sits on my shelf often looked at because it is so beautiful, but never read because it is so intimidating. My hope is that I will complete this volume during this class and not only love it, but be inspired by it.

British literature will be my main focus for the next 12 weeks. My goal is to spend most of my free time devoted to the study of it. I hope to be inspired by others and to, in turn, inspire someone."

You can grade it if you want . . .

British Lit . . .

I'm taking another class--British Literature.  Yikes!  I thought I was taking romatic British Lit.  Seems now I'm way in it (you know, the creek without the paddle) because it's ancient British Lit--Beowulf, Canterbury Tale, etc., etc., etc.  I love the legend of King Arthur; just not sure I'm ready to study it intimately.  Aw well . . . I'll keep with it and finish it.  Next time I register for a class, though, I'll read the instructions first.  Hahaha

Ramble Bawb

Well, the crazy aunties at MVFF are at it again.  Follow our antics at Ramble's Blogspot.  How crazier can we get.  Can't wait til he comes to Dallas.  I've got big plans for him . . .

What's in a name???

I hate naming my blog.  Won't somebody tell me what I should name it?  I've gone from A to Z, but I still can't come up with anything.  What thinks ye?

An important thing . . .

If you haven't voted for MVFF yet, please hurry. Tonight at midnight is the deadline for endorsing MVFF in the AMEX $100,000 grant. I can't think of another organization more deserving. So, please, please, please---do it now!!! Here are detailed instructions:
http://www.fiberfarm.com/2009/09/amex-shine-a-light-update

A-MIGHTY-BIG-GIVEAWAY!!!!

How I wish I had some land!! I would so love to be a shepherd. Alas, though, my motley neighbors just wouldn't understand. For the right person, though, Susie's generous gift is a total treat! Go Susie!!! http://www.fiberfarm.com/2009/09/a-mighty-big-giveaway

Sharing . . . a few of my favorite thinsg

Since I haven't blogged for awhile, I thought it might be fun to share some of the stuff I've been looking at . . . wasting time? . . . exploring . . . doing when I might have been blogging. So here goes. How I spend my time:

I love reading this "magazine." There's just so much there to look at! It's just fun. http://www.wildfibersmagazine.com/

These guys have some great pictures. I think I want to go to sheering school at Cornell. http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/sheep/

This is pretty funny . . . http://probablybadnews.com/

And I think this is just about as cool as it gets . . . talk about being organized!! http://www.librarything.com/

I found this site yesterday. Yikes!!! Too many things to do, and not enough time to do them. I love, love, love looking at all these beautiful things!!! http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/2006/05/enes-scarf.html

One of my favorite stores is Shabby Sheep. They now carry this yarn . . . I love it too, and I love this site. http://www.spudandchloe.com/

I love this idea . . . knitting from fiber that is instrumental in peacekeeping. Makes you feel like you're really part of the process, and not part of the problem. http://www.peacefleece.com/adult3.htm

This is pretty cool. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/at-email/trends-extreme-knitting-073567

These pillows are so beautiful, aren't they??? Yikes. http://www.flickr.com/photos/55397648@N00/3864382060/

Yikes . .

I've been so dang busy for the past couple of weeks. But I found this and HAD to share . . . sooooo cute!!
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/enlarge/squirrel-portrait-banff.html

I love this too . . .

I saw this video several days ago, but it was a shortened version. Here's the full length version of one of the sweetest wedding marches I've every seen . . . maybe THE sweetest . . .


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0&feature=player_embedded

What makes me happy . . .

I'm so happy that Stephanie Nielson won the Madsen cargo bike. If you haven't followed her story, go to the link above. She's a real inspiration to me, in many, many ways. Love her!!!

Aunt Margaret . . .

My favorite aunt was my mother's sister, Margaret. There are mixed reports, but from some sources I'm told that her real name was Margaret Gertrude, but I'm not sure what it really was. I probably should settle those rumors by checking with County records and confirming it one way or the other. There were similar conflicting rumors about her mother's name . . . was it Bertha Ellen or Ellen Bertha? Someone, I'm sure, knows the truth. Probably my cousin, Tim's wife, Anne. Bottom line is it really doesn't matter to me--she'll always be my sweet Aunt Margaret. And I miss her.

Oh, oh, oh . . .

I had such fun at Jacob's Reward Fiber Farm yesterday. What a great experience. It's hard to say just what I enjoyed the most because it was a multi-sensory experience. There's so much to talk about . . . the coffee was excellent (Cindy, you're my kind of girl); Cindy was so welcoming and warm and approachable--I think she's my new best friend; the Little Red Barn was cool and smelled so good; Smokey was soooooo sweet--she purred and cooed at me several times; Peggy, Linda, and Holly were fantastic (how blessed am I to have the opportunity to meet such fantastic, creative people???!!!); the spinning went ok--I certainly need to practice, but I think this is something I could get used to); the fiber was FABULOUS--yikes, the barny smell on some of the fleece was so out of this world perfect!!); the sheep were adorable; the new alpacas are so beautiful--they fleece is so different than I thought it would be like--I loved it--I think Micah is my favorite :o); and I think Zacchaeus is my favorite--and I love the name of the breed: BABYDOLL!!--how adorable is that???

Ok. So I can't go on forever talking about this and that--all over the map. I think I'll go on to the party, but I also think I need to blog later in depth about all the stuff I love about JRFF--stay tuned for that.

But the party for my birthday/father's day was so much fun!! Erin was there--she got ready for her date after dinner and Ryan, her date, picked her up here--he's such a nice guy. We've known Ryan for many years (he's Steve's best friend), and we've always liked him. Anyway, Erin was there, Steve and Riann and Rowan were there, and Phil and me. Phil barbecued chicken--he did a great job on it--it looked and tasted like it had been roasted, not grilled--and it was fabulous. We had watermelon, macaroni salad, potato salad, cherry pie, New York cheese cake. And we swam a LOT. Rowan loves the water--we all do, but she really likes it. I like that she shows her enthusiasm for things. Riann shows her enthusiasm, but I think Rowan gets that more from Steve. When he enjoys something, he enjoys it with gusto. Riann is a little more subdues. Anyway, Rowan really shows her enjoyment. She also finished her acrylic painting she's been working. It's drying now, so when it's dry I'll frame it and give it to Riann and Steve. They'll like that. I think the next painting we do I'll pick one group of colors and let her go with that group only. This one is a mix of ALL colors and it's great, but think I'll try just groups next time.

Ok. Gotta go. I know this is so rambling. I'll post more maybe later and tomorrow for sure. Got things to do, though--like SPINNING my green/blue fiber!!! Yay!!

Knitting . . .

I used to love to watch Knitty Gritty on the DIY channel. But, alas, they're gone. So . . . guess what I found????? Knitting Daily appears to be a television show, but I've found all their programs on You Tube. YAY!!!!! I've only watched a couple of them, but I'm going to love, love, love this!!! I needed inspiration, and now I've found it. Go to YouTube and search for "Knitting Daily." You'll love it!!!

Gracie

What a crazy girl she is. She runs up and jumps into my lap, laying her chin on my chest, and looks at me adoringly. She continues with that posture forever . . . just keeps staring adoringly. Really strange. Every once in awhile she'll dart toward my mouth or my nose with her nose/mouth--and she has little pointy hairs around her mouth, which stickers/tickles me. She's a crazy girl.

She loves being in the pool. She'll go the side and act like she's going to jump in. She can hardly wait for me to put her in my lap. She'll sit in my lap floating around the pool for hours if I let her. She's just as happy as a clam. But I'll push her off once in awhile to let her get wet . . . she swims away, turns, and circles around to swim back to me--only to get back into my lap to float around some more. Again, though, she'll lay her head on my chest and look up at me adoringly. Sheesh . . . very strange.

But we had a real victory today! I've been trying to walk her for weeks and weeks. But it was more like her being dragged around the neighborhood on a leash. She just refused to budge. I was afraid I was going to skin the bottoms of her feet (or her bottom) or choke her to death. Everybody has told me to just keep walking her and she'll figure out she's going to have to walk to get me to quit dragging her. Well, tonight she walked--she really walked!!!!! I jiggled her leash a couple of times to keep her moving along, but I didn't have to drag her AT ALL! Isn't that unbelievable??? Yesterday I dragged her like a bedraggled stuffed animal, and today she walked just like a real dog being walked--she pranced just like the pretty girl she is.

I'm really happy for her. I think she'll enjoy her walks with Mac (he's crazy about his walks and is like a machine . . . his little legs just keep on truckin'). Big daddy will be glad they're out walking more too--makes for fewer piles of poop he has to clean up in the back yard. Yay!!!!

So everybody's happy!!!

Hunger . . .

I'm back at work and am so convinced that I need to lose weight!!! It was easy at home to just eat anything I wanted, whenever I wanted. But it's time to pay attention to what I'm eating, plan what I'm going to eat each day, and get this extra weight OFF OFF OFF!!!!

I also know that starving myself is a total no-no. But if I forget my lunch in the a.m. or don't have time to make it, I hate eating at the cafeteria as their salads aren't the best and I just love mayo on my sandwiches to much. So . . . like I said above, I need to starting planning. Think I'll spend some time this weekend planning our meals for next week. Phil would love to have his lunch packed also. So, that's in the works.

Really thankful to be back at work. I like it here!!!

So far so good . . .

I had one more day of freedom than I expected. Seems they had to do another background check and it took a day longer than they originally expected. But . . . I started Tuesday instead of Monday, and I'm so happy to be back!!! Don't get me wrong. I loved being home for those four'ish months . . . but I think I'm a worker and just feel so much more focused when I'm working. Really glad TI called me back, too, because I like the work, I like the people, I just like it!!! It's close to home, little to no stress. It's just a good place for me.

So, thank you, thank you, thank you -- to whomever is listening -- thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Last day of freedom

I got my wish. I wanted TI to call me back to work, and they did. I really have loved these past few months, total freedom, quilting, knitting, and reading at will, and my Fridays with Rowan. I'll miss those a lot. But if you have to work, which I feel I do, there isn't anywhere else I'd rather be than back at TI.

I'm almost finished with the helmet liner I've been making. Hope it's an ok fit for the person who gets it. I think I might be a little loopy, but I've prayed almost constantly while knitting it. It just might be inspired. I hope it keeps my "person" safe.

Ok. My last day of freedom--time for our nap (Rowan and me), then to the pool after our nap. I'm so glad it's a beautiful day!!!

New pictures

Got a new battery for my camera (yay!). I'm not usually very successful at getting pictures of Mac and Gracie, but managed to get a good one of Mac first . . .




then a second picture, one of Gracie . . .



and they both turned out pretty good. Cute, aren't they???

Turning over a new leaf . . .

I love reading blogs of others. So today I turn over a new leaf. I'll blog everyday from now on--even if it's just a line or two.

So . . . yesterday I became a shareholder of Jacob's Reward Fiber Farm. It's a local CSA located in Parker, TX. Cindy, the shepherd, is very sweet--that's one of the reasons I bought the share--I just love her so much, and I love what she's doing.

Cindy put on the perfect meetup yesterday at her place. There were maybe 25 or so fiber people there--knitting, spinning, dyeing--I felt so totally at home . . . these were really my people! Loved it!!

Here's a link to Cindy's blog--with pictures!! http://www.jacobsreward.blogspot.com/ Here are a couple of pictures I took:

Happy Birthday . . .

Erin's birthday is today. We had lunch and had some lively, good conversation. I love being with her. She makes me feel really comfortable. I'm so proud of her and love her so much. She's a beautiful person. I feel really lucky to call her my daughter. God really blessed me when he sent her to us. I love you, Erin. Happy Birthday!

Today . . . a new start

Yikes, it's been a long time since I've posted anything. Oops.

Ok . . . I think the shawl I'm blocking for Gracia is dry. Some her binding off came out when I washed it, so I'm going to re-bind off and weave in the ends. Then it's done. It must have acrylic in the yarn, though, because the portion that I finished sprung back to a lot narrower. It still looks really good--you can so see the pattern, and it's so pretty. I think she'll love it.

I finished my Esther Bible study and really miss it. I think I'll do an online Beth Moore study--they inspire me so much!!

Went to dr. this morning to check cholestoral and blood pressure. Both are improved from last time. I'll go in again in July to recheck them.

I think I might go ahead and buy a share of Jacob's Reward. It's right up the road and I think I'd enjoy participating personally in the "making of the fiber." I love MVFF, but I don't feel very engaged, although the lambcam has been a lot of fun, and the comradarie of the thread has been fun too. We'll see . . .

Ok. Got to get going now. I'm committed to making a nice dinner, doing at least one load of laundry today, and cleaning the carpet in the den.

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!

Taking a break . . .

Yikes. Now I know why I've put off cleaning the garage for so long. OMG. It's absolutely a huge job. Poor Phil just wants to take it all to Goodwill . . . and I want to have a yard sale and spend the money on Martha's Vineyard (our next vacation). I think he might almost be ready to pay me off (put mad $$ in my savings account just for me) . . . tehehe. Either way, it still has to be gone through and sorted, stuff thrown away, treasures put away properly. So . . . I just keep trudging along.

I wanted to go to Jacob's Reward work day today but just couldn't get it together. I'm beginning to want to spin--well, knit with my own homespun. We'll see. I'll call Ms. Cindy next week and see what she says.

Ok . . . back to the garage. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

Socks suck . . .

For some reason socks and I are not getting along. I've made socks before--in fact, I knit our Christmas stockings oh so many years ago . . . mine is pink, Phil's is blue (I actually made them to wear, but they were so perfect for mantle socks that I changed my mind). But lately . . . well, I have three "pair" working and just can't seem to GET THERE . . . to a pair!

1. Supersocke in a pink and brown colorway . . . the needle was too big so I frogged this one . . .

2. Kroy Socks in a blue and green colorway . . . the first sock I made got chewed up by Gracie, the second sock I made is WAY too big, and the third one I made (which I just started frogging) . . . well . . . I cast on 52 stitches instead of 64 (WHY?????? I HAVE NO IDEA!!!!) . . .

3. And MVFF sports weight . . . well, it's definitely a dark (spruce green), winter sock and, well, I just wanted to do socks that could be worn in the near future.

So, there you have it. Three "pair" and nary a sock to be worn. Go figure.

Update . . .

I've been soooo remiss. How long has it been since I've updated this . . . crazy.

First, I finally made lasagna today. I've been tasting it for about a month now, and ordered it at a restaurant one night (Siciliano's), but it just wasn't the same as mine. So . . . it's in the frig now ruminating. I'll pop it in the oven around 5:30'ish and we'll have dinner around 6:30'ish. I can hardly wait.

I also have bread rising. If you haven't seen the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day book that's the subject of a very, very long thread in the MVFF Groupies Group (Ravelry), you should get a copy. I bought mine at Barnes & Noble, but I saw it for a lot less here: http://product.half.ebay.com/Artisan-Bread-in-Five-Minutes-a-Day_W0QQprZ59796807QQtgZinfo Really, really easy bread and so yum.

I went to Bible study yesterday. I think I'm going to really enjoy this group. It's at church (http://christchurchplano.org/) and there are 12-15 women. The group meets at 9:30 a.m. every other Wednesday. The study is Max Lucado's video study on James 3:16. I liked the format of the study, so I think I'll enjoy it.

I'm also doing Esther with my Monday night group at my friend's house, Denise. We've done Daniel, the Patriarchs, and now Esther together. I love Beth Moore--but I do have to say I like Max Lucado too . . . so we'll see. They both have a lot to offer, and I probably shouldn't compare them.

Got Gracey's shots almost 2 weeks ago. I want to get her spade, so think I'll make an appointment for next week. She got a shot to keep from getting kennel croop, and I don't want to take her until two week shave gone by. I really would feel bad if she got sick before the shot kicked in. She's on her heartworm medicine too, which is a good thing. She's such a sweet thing. She puts her head on my arm or let or chest and looks at me and almost swoons. It's so funny. Coco was loving, but this girl is over the top. So sweet!

I've been spending a lot of Fridays with Rowan, but she's in Galvastan with her mom and dad for spring break, so I'll have to live without her tomorrow.




We made bread last week, and she was so proud of herself.

Knitting . . . well, I've sort of fallen off the wagon. I have so many projects going it's embarrassing. I have three different yarns going to socks--and I actually have three socks finished. Only thing, I still don't have a pair. I need to focus, focus, focus. I also bought yarn for a sweater for Phil at Woolie Ewe (it was on sale so I couldn't resist) . . . only problem is, they had it in a second color I loved, so I went back and bought more of it--so I have about 35 skeins of this stuff now. I sure hope he loves it!! I also haven't worked on my seascape shawl for nearly two weeks. Yikes. I gotta get focused!!!

Crazy week . . .

This week has been awesome and crazy . . . I did a lot of stuff I wanted to do, and some stuff I really didn't want to do. But in the end it was all good.

I've been avoiding Heather because I want to spend hours and hours with her catching up, and I've been so dang busy I haven't had the time. Today I call Heather so we can have lunch one day next week. She's my idol, and I want to catch up and see where she is in her life. She's an awesome person--finishing her degree so she can open up a school and orphanage! Wow . . . fantastic goals!!

This week I embroidered towels and pillowcases for Rowan for her birthday. I did white on white pillowcases, and purple on lavendar towels. The towels are in the machine being embroidered as we speak, but here's a picture of the pillowcase--can you see the "R." It turned out really pretty (thankfully--I'm such a novice).

I knit on Monday with Susanne. Her weekly group met to knit cup sleeves at Startucks to sell, and the proceeds to go the SPCA of Texas (I love the SPCA).

So if you can't knit but want to do something for the SPCA, you can give a donation too!!! https://secure2.convio.net/tspca/site/Donation?ACTION=SHOW_DONATION_OPTIONS&CAMPAIGN_ID=1044&JServSessionIdr006=w04yfgyqt3.app25a

I went to Bible study Monday night. I decided I was going to do the book of Esther with my old group from Christ Church. So I got my workbook and went. It was so great to be with them. There were several new people, but many of the old ones--Denise, Sandy, Kim . . . I love them to death!!!

Knit with my sweet friends at TI on Tuesday . . . we also had taco salads together from Wendy's. It was great fun. I love those girls!!!

Wednesday I spent the day getting caught up . . . since I joined the Bible study in week 4, I have three weeks of Bible study to catch up with. I don't think it will be a problem. I did the introduction and two weeks. Today (Friday), I plan to get caught up totally. So when I attend again next week, I'll be caught up. I also went to church Wednesday night--to St. Barnabas. We were members there 20 years ago but left to join a larger church (Epiphany), then later went on to join an even larger church (Christ Church). St. Barnabas is really, really small--I'd forgotten how small. They also now have a large Hispanic population, so the service was down half in English, half in Spanish. And they had no music except for taped accompanyment. Very different from what I've become used to. I have to say, however, that the clergy were excellent--really spirit filled and so committed to what they were teaching. All-in-all an excellent service. I'm glad I went.

Thursday I went with Riann to have Rowan's two-year old pictures done. Here's a short preview of some of the picture. Soooooo cute . . . http://amycolumbusphotography.com/blog/

And last, but not least . . . today is Rowan's birthday. Here she is after having been to Albertson's to pick up her birthday cupcakes to share with her classmates . . . and getting a hug and a kiss -- AND A DOLLAR -- from the lady at Albertson's bakery (they're so sweet!!!). Enjoy . . .

Well . . . I intended to insert a video here, but for some reason blogger.com doesn't like my video . . . sorry.

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

Coraline

We didn't see Coraline on Saturday night (we ran out of time and couldn't get to the IMAX in time), so we saw Slumdog Millionaire at our local AMC theatre instead. I was disappointed not to see Coraline, but Slumdog Millionaire was fabulous. I wasn't a bit surprised it won the academy award for best picture the very next day. One of the best movies I've seen in a long time, and the music, while really quite plain, fit the film perfectly. All-in-all a good adventure. http://www.fandango.com/slumdogmillionaire_115687/movieoverview

Banana girl . . .

Well, who would have thunk it. Gracie is a banana girl. She just HAD to have a bite of my banana and, believe it or not, she loved it. And she didn't stop with one bite, she wanted more and more. Hmmm . . . guess it'll make her poop good--it just better not be on my carpet. :O)

MVFF

Just bought the yummiest yellow yarn ever . . . from MVFF. Susan lowered her price per skein, and it was like Christmas morning! I'm happy, happy . . .

Coraline . . .

I've been wanting to see this movie and am committed to seeing it this weekend. Maybe I can get Riann to go with me . . . she'd love this movie--although Phil might enjoy it--not sure about that though. I just watched a YouTube "article" on the clothing that Coraline wears. It's amazing. It's incredible to me that there are people out there with such talent. Wow. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT5MFdAB7fI&eurl=http://gettingpurlywithit.wordpress.com/2009/02/17/youve-gotta-see-this/&feature=player_embedded

French toast . . .

I've been hankering for French toast lately . . . so I told my husband this morning that tomorrow morning is French toast for breakfast day. I've been thinking about different ways to make French toast. I could buy or bake cinnamon bread; I could put cinnamon in the eggs--maybe a little vanilla too. I think I'll get a cookbook out today and plan divine French toast for tomorrow for breakfast. Yum, yum, yum . . . I'll let you know how it turns out.

will power

I almost bought yarn again today . . . but I had restraint. I'm already committed to four skeins of MVFF lace yarn for my new stole project (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/seascape-stole) which I think will be gorgeous. So I'm good for now . . . plenty to keep me busy!!!

Painting . . .

I went to Erin's today to help her paint . . . well, really, her dad went to help her paint, but I went to sort of feign painting and watch. I'm not very good at painting. Mostly, it makes me tired and there doesn't ever seem to be an end to it . . . there's always a drop to wipe up, a nail hole that failed to get filled, or a spot that didn't get quite enough paint. Yuck. I hate painting!!! But I love Erin, so I actually trimmed around the ceiling and baseboards and I painted two walls in her dining room. =)

Finally . . .

Well, it's not quite done (I still have to do the binding), but here's the quilt I planned to make over two years ago . . . for "baby" Rowan. I love how the purples turned out--so did everybody at the quilt store. So as soon as I get the binding done, it'll be Rowan's second birthday and I can pass it on to her. It'll be so cool. She's going to love it!!!

Gracie loving . . .

I came across this picture on my daughter, Riann's, Flickr page. It was taken several weeks ago, before I got my hair cut, but Gracie's just as crazy--she gets behind me on the chair and rests her head in the nape of my neck or on top of my head. Just a really sweet girl.

Motherly love . . .

This is so sweet. I remember my cousin, Dan's, pig--Sophie. He loved that girl so much, and she was smart--and surprisingly clean. Guess this "mom" loves her piglet too. Nature is so cool! :O

http://www.sonnyradio.com/motheroftheyear.htm

Ok. It's settled.

If Big Daddy doesn't bring home the USB cord for the camera tomorrow, I'm going SHOPPING.

Daily devotional

I get a daily devotional via email everyday. Each day it becomes more and more applicable to my day. I loved today's devotional:

What Has God Done For Me Lately?
Tracie Miles
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." Philippians 2:5 (NIV)

Is the glass half full or half empty? Is it partly sunny or partly cloudy? Perspective makes all the difference. Even for strong Christians who are grounded in their faith, discouragement can easily sneak its way into hearts and minds as life deals us chaos. As we struggle with the challenges and difficulties of everyday life, or things that happened to us that were unfair or unwarranted, it is easy to get pulled into a habitual mindset of negativity. Just like that old song from the '80s says, we may find ourselves asking God, "What have you done for me lately?"

Our answer to that question will depend entirely upon our perspective. God does more for us each and every day than we deserve, but it's so easy to lose sight of the good, because we are caught up in the reality of the bad. How do we combat this perfectly human attitude? Resolve to have an attitude like Christ. Take inventory of our every blessing. Life. Your every breath. Your every heart beat. A spouse or loved one. Children. Clothes that need to be washed because God gave you clothes to wear, and a way to wash those clothes. Good health to help those whose health is failing. Trusted and educated doctors to treat you when you are facing health challenges. A house that needs cleaning. A car to drive. The ability to purchase gas for the car. A job to go to. The ability to be a stay at home mom or wife. Healthy kids who can play music or sports. Friends. Family. Freedom. Jesus. Eternal life. What is on your inventory list today? If you were honest with yourself, would you say you have been looking for the positive aspects of the situations in your life? Are you considering how God could be using those things to draw you closer to Him? Or have you been primarily focused on the negative?

During times of negativity, we actually become our own enemy. We wage a battle in our mind because we look at our situation from our own perspective, instead of what God may be doing through our situation. So in order to change our minds, we have to choose to change the way we think -- our perspective. Attitude is a choice. Winston Churchill once said, "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." What do you usually see?

To quote an old cliché, today is the first day of the rest of your life, and it is never too late to become an optimist! I have heard it takes 21 days of doing something for it to become a new habit. The more you practice challenging your thought patterns, the more automatic it will become. Changes may not take place immediately, but over time, the challenge gets easier, and optimism becomes the norm instead of the exception.

Are you willing to take the challenge to become an optimist today? The rewards of looking for God's goodness in every situation will be a healthier and happier heart.

Dear Lord, help me with my human tendency to be critical or look for the negative in situations. Forgive me for a lack of gratitude for all You have given me. Thank You for Your patience with me as I strive to be a Godly example. Guide my heart to recognize You at work, instead of seeing things from an earthly perspective. Lead me into a closer relationship with You by helping me remember to count my blessings every day. Amen.

The calm "after" the storm . . .

You've heard the old adage: "the calm before the storm." Today is the calm "after" the storm. We had such storms, thunder, lightning, wind, and destruction last night. Thankfully, our neighborhood was spared; but not all were so lucky. I watched on the news this morning many people unburying themselves from the destruction. And today . . . well, it's beautiful . . . as though God gave us a great bath. The sky is beautiful, many trees and bushes are budding, and I can see the grass in my backyard greening up. The weatherman said it would be windy today, but all I see is a mild breeze. It's good to be alive.

I went to court this morning for the property hearing for the burglary of our house . . . well, not really the burglary, but the three measly pieces that were recovered from the 100+ pieces stolen. The only thing I can say is that my paltry cache is great considering I could have gotten nothing back. Thanks to the alertness of Det. Williams at the Garland PD, I feel really blessed. Sad that none of the heirlooms were recovered. But what was recovered will just have to be the beginnings of new heirlooms. :O) I just wish now that Allstate would get with it and cover the rest of the losses . . . should be several thousand dollars I would think. I hope.

I had a full day yesterday . . . worked at the bookstore at Christ Church at 7:30 a.m. -- it was opened so the guys from the men's On Point Bible Study could do Valentine's Day shopping. We did a great business and the guys were really grateful their gift purchasing dilemmas were satisfied.

Came home and made beds and emptied the dish washer before going to TI for knitting with mien buds (by buddies). Gracia's scarf/stole is looking really pretty (oops . . . I just remembered I offered to mail her dishcloths for her--sorry Gracia); Shannon's hats are ADORABLE for her two nieces (one already here, the other still in China but destined for her new family here in the U.S.); and Susanne socks are so great (thank you, Susanne for the sweet Valentine--you're the best!); and Sally, who couldn't knit because of a meeting she had to attend--but so sweet of her to at least swing by and say hi!

I finished the section I needed to complete for the Baby Surprise Jacket KAL and did a couple of rows on my Lace Ribbon KAL. I'm glad I was able to get more of the SWS--and the different dye lot makes no difference at all because of the variations in the coloring (YEAH!). I'm almost finished with the dog bed I'm making from a $1.00 closeout kit from Tuesday Morning. It's made out of chunky velour "yarn" and is two blues. Rowan was cute when she was examining the blues . . . the light blue was "for Gracie" (the puppy), and the dark blue was "for Rowan." I might have to get more of the dark blue and make something for Rowan.

I started cleaning out my closet yesterday. What can I say . . . it's a BIG job and will probably take the better part of the week. I have WAY TOO MANY CLOTHES--and most of them don't even fit me anymore. Please!!!!!!!! This cleaning out is long overdue!!! Wish me luck!

Felted Bag Exchange . . .

I'm doing a felted bag exchange on Ravelry beginning March 1st. Wish we could start right away. I'm excited to be creative and excited to see what I get from my person. Some of the bags I've looked at really hard are the 98-48 Felted Bag With Flap http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/98-48-felted-bag-with-flap; the Lucy Bag http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lucy-bag; the Oregon Tote http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/oregon-tote; and the Damask http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/damask. Favorite bag I think is the Damask. So much so that I think I'm going to try it in brown, although the heather grey shown in the picture is really pretty! Love them all . . . :O)

Today . . .

I went to Steffanie's farewell dinner tonight. I'll miss her alot. She opened the bookstore and I've been working every Sunday morning opening the store at 8:30 a.m. since. I'd pretty much made up my mind around the 1st of December that it was time for me to take a hiatus . . . I needed some space for awhile. I didn't know when I'd decided to do that that Steff would be leaving the bookstore. So I hope Cindi, the new manager doesn't think she's the reason I left the store. However, I haven't really left--I'm working Tuesday morning after the men's Bible study so the guys can shop after Bible study. I think Cindi was glad I volunteered. She's a sweet hearted person who I think will do a great job.

I most knitted today. I'm still struggling with the baby surprise sweater. The KAL starts tomorrow, so I think that'll help ALOT!!!

Gracie is the best dog ever. She's so sweet and loves us so much. She's doing really well about pottying outside. I'm really glad we have her!!

Ok, I'm outa here. I'm tired am it's time for bed!!!

Hmmmm . . .

I love some of Gwyneth Paltrow's literary picks (or rather, the picks of her friends) http://goop.com/newsletter/18 . . .

Anna Karenina . . . I read this so many years ago . . . maybe 30. It has been my favorite, or maybe second favorite, book of all time. It is an unbelievably beautiful tragedy, love story, emotional journey. Really a fabulous book. Leo Tolstoy was, clearly, a gifted writer. I wonder at how fragile his mind must have been to have been able to release the powerful thoughts and words it did. Wow.

Love In The Time of Cholera . . . I read this book about 10 years ago. It knocked my socks off. If you haven't read this one you really need to treat yourself. Very, very powerful. I couldn't put it down.

Pride and Punishment; Jane Eyre . . . both of the same genre but so totally different. Both are excellent and if you haven't read them you should!!

Crime and Punishment . . . I'm struck that the reviewer here "first" read it back in high school. My experience was the same . . . and I have read it several times since. My take on the book, though, is that the story and feelings I got from the story changed each time I read it . . . more or less mirroring my stage in life. Wow, how profound is a book that it changes with the reader? This is my FAVORITE book of all time. It's an easy read and so, so powerful!!

So, there, Gwyneth Paltrow. These are Mary's recommendations.

Rosemary

Here's a picture of Rosemary, the dog we rescued from the Carrollton shelter yesterday. Elizabeth, Riann's friend, adopted her. I went and did the paperwork and officially "adopted" her, but she's Elizabeth's dog. She picked her up from the vet today, where Rosemary was spayed and had her teeth cleaned, compliments of her new mommy, Elizabeth. Elizabeth is a treasure to adopt this older dog who would, had she not been adopted, be getting ready to be euthenized at this very moment--in 20 minutes or so, she would have been gone--forever.

She's a sweet girl who KNEW she was headed for a better life--I could see it in her eyes. She was SOOOOOOO happy--I promise I could see it in her eyes.

Welcome home, Rosemary!!!!!

Organizing

I spent several hours today trying to get my knitting/sewing/office organized and useable. Yikes. What a mess!!!

My circular needles were so out of control it was ridiculous. I've tried several methods, but I finally pulled out a "Blessing Ring" I'd purchased awhile back for organizing cards (birthday, Christmas, Mother's Day, etc.). In case you're interested, here's a link to show you what a Blessing Ring is: http://www.heartsdesireonline.com/blessingrings.html I purchased it at the Bookstore/Gift Shop at my church (http://christchurchplano.org/). I marked 1 quart Ziploc freezer bags with the size and length of the needles, then hole-pinched the bags in the top left corner, and hung the bags in order on the Blessing Ring. I'll probably get a different ring, but for now they're organized, out of bags and boxes where I couldn't find a thing. They're organized and easily accessible. I might also the the same ring to organize my double-pointed needles. I have them in a long wooden box now and they're neat and all in one place. But finding a set isn't all that easy. I think I can do better. I joined the "organization" group of Ravelry and have started reading those ideas. The best one, I think, was for a worm organizer from Bass Pro Shop. Sounds like it's the best way to organize these. But I'm happy with what I've done so far. Next job is to get my stash organized.

Lost Camera

The link to this site was on the Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm blog. I thought it was really sweet and wanted to share it in case anyone reads my blog.

http://basinfoundcamera.blogspot.com/

Angel Food Ministries

I was snooping around in other peoples' blogs today and came across Angel Food Ministries, a food ministry that I'd forgotten about, but had actually used several times years ago and have passed on this information to many people. It's a great deal, so pass it on . . .

I pretty much copied from another post . . . but this is what you get:

Regular Box
1.5 lb. Sirloin Strip Steaks (4 x 6 oz.)
2 lb. Tray Pack Chicken Breast
1 lb. Boneless Pork Chops
2 lb. Breaded Chicken Nuggets
28 oz. Salisbury Steak Entreé
12 oz. Sliced Bacon
1 lb. All-Meat Hot Dog
1 lb. Stir Fry (Broccoli, Red Peppers & Onions)
1 lb. Carrots
10 oz. Peanut Butter
32 oz. 2% Shelf Stable Milk
35 oz. Crinkle-Cut Fries
7.25 oz. Mac ‘n Cheese
1 lb. Rice
1 lb. Bean Soup Mix
Dozen Eggs
Dessert

And there are other boxes that you can add on! Don’t miss this great opportunity to buy in a co-op! Here is what the location I pick mine up from has to say about AFM:
Angel Food Ministries only sells food that is the same high quality that you would purchase at the grocery store – its not damaged or outdated food. In each box there are both fresh and frozen items with an average retail of $60 – you will be able to purchase a box for only $30. There is no limit to the number of boxes that can be purchased and there are no applications or qualifications. The last day to order for February is Monday, February 16th and the pick up date is Saturday, February 28th.
Get your box…check out www.angelfoodministries.com

Found it!!!

I get so mad at myself when I don't save links. Well . . . I don't even remember now where I found it, but I came across this link: http://needled.wordpress.com/ Absolutely beautiful work, and absolutely beautiful pictures. I still can't figure out where this girl is from, but clearly she's European (although I thought I saw KY in one of her pictures. So . . . Europe or Kentucky. :o)

Take a look at her stuff if you have a minute. Really a treat.

Note to self: Check out the blog before you write your own blog. She's British . . .

Nice . . .

Today started slow, but ended ok. The ice put everything on hold, but I went to the dr. to have my minor surgery--it went well. The shot to deaden the pain was the worst!! Geez. Got there at 1:30, left at 4:45. Took awhile, but all done. Made an appt. for my physical and promised to start taking my vitamins and calcium. I can't believe how fast a person can get out of the habit of taking medicines and vitamins. So tomorrow I start back in taking my vits. regularly. Phil gets back from Chicago tonight. He sounds tired.

Went to Barnes & Noble today and looked through knitting books. Yikes, there are so many beautiful designs and techniques. Oh, so many things to do, so little time. :O)

Knitting . . .

I went knitting today at TI. I was good to see everyone again (except Susanne who couldn't make it because of weather); but I miss the routine and I liked working there. It was fun knitting, though. :O) Hopefully I'll be able to go next week also.

Dutch cocoa

It's such a cold and miserable day. I decided I needed something sweeter than my usual latte (grande, non-fat, no foam latte is my usual), but not too sweet. I knew a had a can of Ghirardelli cocoa, but for the life of me I couldn't find it. But I did have a can of unsweetened dutch cocoa (the powdered kind). I used 2 teaspoons of raw sugar and 2 teaspoons of cocoa, filled a super large cup to about an inch of the rim with milk, and put the steamer stem into the cup and steamed it to 160 degrees. To die for cocoa!!! Quick, easy, and exactly what I was wanting. Aaaahhhhhhh.

Oatmeal

I made the Alton recipe for oatmeal last night for breakfast this morning. I knew Big Daddy would love it (it wasn't "num;" it was "nummola!"). Personally, I guess I'm just a Cream of Wheat girl because it wasn't that great for me. But I'll keep making it at night in the crockpot just for him because he loves it. :O)

Cheeeeeeeeese

Smile. I think I have to go to the bookstore tomorrow and get the latest contest book on MVFF: The Home Creamery. When my girls were little (Riann was a toddler), we lived down the road from a farm where they had cows. We'd take our bikes down the road and buy a gallon of brand new milk. We'd take our clean one-gallon pickle jar and they would fill it up. It was such an adventure for the girls and the price was really right--it was way less than a dollar--maybe 35-50 cents for the gallon. We'd take the jar home and put it in the refrigerator and wait for the cream to rise to the top. We'd dip it out and put it into the butter churn and begin the fun task of churning our own butter. It was really pretty easy and the girls loved helping. I'd usually make a loaf or two of bread that day and we always had strawberry-rhubarb preserves from the garden. It was a real treat! Funny how the years go by and you forget those happy, simple times. Funny, too, how the girls, as little as they were, remember those times fondly. I'm really glad we gave our girls good memories of their childhoods!

Good morning . . . or should I say good afternoon. Sunday . . . ok. I should have gone to church, but actually didn't feel all that great. Woke up with a headache and sore neck. I bought new pillows a month ago or so--could I have bought the wrong pillows. I think there's a study subject there. What makes the best pillow, and to whom? Think I'll do that research.

Now that I have the time. TI is history for now I guess. Maybe they'll call me back. I guess when they saw all the work my attorney had been generating their eyes got big . . . so maybe they'll see that they need to call me back. But in the meantime, I have an appointment with a headhunter Tuesday to talk about a corporate assignment (contract) that she emailed me about a week or so ago. Plus she says they have other openings as well. Plus Shelly from Snelling emailed me a few days ago and wanted to know if I was available. Funny how God opens other doors when one closes. To be honest, I think I'd rather go back and finish the five or so classes I have left to get my degree. Seems such a waste not finishing now that I'm sooooo close. And I guess either way I'll finish that up--even if I have to take some night or online classes. They're all literature classes, so that'll be fun.

Erin's coming over after church today so we'll probably have lunch with her. Tomorrow I think I'll do pretty much nothing--maybe get my hair cut. I also wanted to have it highlighted, but I'm a little afraid to have Patty do it as I've never really seen her coloring work. Think I might wait on that. :O)

Pink

I love my pink laptop. If I had my way, most everything around me would be pink. Did I ever tell you about when I decorated our (myhusband any my) bedroom. A girlfriend told me I should decorate our bedroom as feminine as possible because I'd love it, and a husband always feels like he's venturing into the "forbidden" when he comes into a feminine bedroom, which makes it sexier. I won't tell you how it's working, but I love my pink bedroom, with pink carpet, lavendar drapes, lavender drapes--you get the picture--pretty feminine. tehehe

Please . . .

Another day, another winner--and it ain't me. Seriously, though, I know I shouldn't be so greedy, but it's pretty dissappointing. Hopefully today will be my lucky day (or tomorrow at 7 pm)--because those seven skeins of wonderful creamy, dreamy white Cormo are just too, too luscious. I read the posts, though, and there was somebody who's pregnant with twins. In a way you almost hope she wins. But not really.

Ok. I cast on my stitches for the Lace Ribbon Scarf KAL http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lace-ribbon-scarf I'm doing on Ravelry. Thank goodness for Susanne without whose help I couldn't have even begun to get started. This is going to be a challenge because the yarn is so fine and the needle so small. But I'm determined and I think once I get going on it it's going to be beautiful. It isn't until you start doing a piece that's really intricate and beautiful that you realize how rudimentary your knitting skills are--yes, I can knit, purl, increase, decrease, and make basic sweaters, vests, socks, afghans, and the simple stuff. But this scarf I think is really going to be beautiful and impressive. I was goin to call Shabby Sheep today to see if they had one more skein of the yarn--gotta remember to do that tomorrow.

American Idol was sweet tonight--there was a guy named Kai (sp?) who takes care of his sick mother during the day and is a musician at night. I hope he wins. He's the type of guy who really should get a break! And he's cute too.

New web site to LOVE

Ok. I just added Dye Dreams to my favorites. I LOVE the colorings of these yarns and MUST have!!! Check it out. http://www.dyedreams.com/index.php

The eyes have it

I always think about it when I'm home alone and I close the door when I go to the bathroom. Am I afraid to leave the door open because someone will come in the house while I'm so exposed? Do I just feel more secure with a closed door? I think I answered my question this morning. Before I left for work I went to the bathroom. I intentionally left the door open. When I looked to my left down the hall I realized why I always close the door. Four eyes were watching. I'm convinced dogs have us fooled. I think they understand it all and are just smarter than we are. They've figured out how to have it all . . . we're such dupes, we humans. Four eyes watching . . . just standing at the end of the hall about 20 feet away. I could tell they knew what I was doing and just wanted to watch. Such voyeurism! From now on, the door gets closed!

Frogging again

Well . . . I pulled out the Baby Surprise sweater again last night. I found that I was using an 8 needle instead of a 6. Huh? How the heck did I do that??? I would have bet money I was using a 6. Anyway, I bought a 29" no. 6 circular yesterday to replace what I thought was a 16" 6 that I had been using, and realized when I was transferring the needles that I was using a too large needle. To be honest, it seemed really too big. Now we know . . .

In a way it probably is a good thing. I had wanted to chart the sweater as I went along and just didn't do it. But this time I'm charting. I'm about 15 rows into the new sweater (on the 6 needle) and it goes fairly fast. I'm watching the video as I go along (thank you, Susanne!!), so I should be able to get it fairly accurate. I'll pass it along to whomever wants it--we've got to keep these babies warm!

I've been watching for the MVFF lambcam to be up and running, but so far no. Poor Susan must be losing her mind waiting and waiting and waiting . . . poor girl! I wonder what the giveaways are going to be. I love a good contest and winning something is always a lot of fun.

I joined a lace knitting group yesterday. They're going to start a knit-for the newbys to help us learn what we're doin. Fun, fun, fun. Seems like a really sweet group of girls. Should be a lot of fun.

I have a gazillion things to do today, although I did laundry last night. I need to look for a new down comforter today--ours is just worn out. I might look for a new duvet too. I really do need an extra.

Ok. Gracie's at the door. Better go. YIPPEE. Maybe she's figurin out that we go OUTSIDE to potty!!! Geez! :O)

Burglar beware

I was surprised to get a call from the City of Garland today. I wondered: am I past due on my utilities? (no); do I have a book on hold at the library? (no); are my taxes paid? (yes) . . . so I called the number. It was Det. Williams with the Garland Police. Seems he had a couple of rings that he thought might have been taken in the burglary of my house in December--December 9th to be exact--over a month ago. Guess what . . . it was my jewelry. I came home and sent him a copy of the inventory of stolen stuff that I thought my husband had already sent to him . . . either it didn't happen or it was lost somewhere enroute. So he has that now. Apparently the suspect is a 39-40 year-old guy, has a LONG arrest record for burglaries, has been in prison three times for burglarly, and is currently on parole. Bond will be set at $50,000 on this guy when they catch him, so it's clear they want him behind bars and they want him to stay there.

Anyway . . . wish the important pieces had been found. But you never know. I still have hope. I told the detective that Phil want five minutes alone in a room with the guy when the catch him. Det. Williams laughed at that one. I tend to think he's like to participate.

Welcome Gracie

Well, we went and got Gracie last Sunday. I wasn't at all sure if we'd made a good decision or not. She was sooo wild and was so unsocialized . . . it seemed she was too far gone to come around. But a week has made a whole lot of difference. She's healthier acting, is much much more sociable, and plays a lot now. We got her real steer bones at a feed store yesterday, and she's in "hog" heaven . . . she loves them! She got her first bath last night too. She was actually pretty darned good about it. Once she got over the shock of the whole thing, she actually put her head down on the side of the sink and relaxed. She hated the hair dryer, but actually enjoyed being wrapped in a towel and towel dried. She smelled SOOOOOOO much better. She actually might be able to stay now. :O)

I finally cut and sewed squares of the lavender fabrics I bought over two years ago for a quilt for baby Rowan, whose second birthday is about six weeks away. Hopefully my friend Carol will have time to do the machine quilting for me. Otherwise I'll be quilting myself on the machine, and that's not one of the strong suits. The blocks are looking gorgeous. I also threw in some purples and lavendars I used for Riann's log cabin quilt that I made some ten or so years ago. Really added a richness to the blocks. I'll probably have time tonight to sew the blocks together and the top will be ready to be quilted. I'll email Carol tonight and see if she can help me out.

I used my new seweing machine. Man, it's amazing what a nice stitch that little guy gives . . . especially when compared to my expensive White machine. Wow, Brother really knows what they're doing. I also ordered the PED add-on for the machine so I can download embroidery and monogram software from the internet. I saw one monogram I want to put on all my towels . . . about $20 to download the alphabet, but wow--how gorgeous.

I picked up and organized the opera room yesterday (remind me to tell you why my rooms have names . . . the opera room is my mess around room (studying, sewing, reading, etc.)). I have WAY too much yarn and just as much fabric -- way, way too much.

I also had about 40 rows done on the Christmas stocking I'm makin for Rowan but ripped them out. The top binding was too loose and looked strange. When I redo it I might use a 4 needle rather than the 5 being used on the body of the stocking.

Ok. I'm off to Ulta to get some Bare Minerals makeup. I'm totally out and MUST get some today or I'll look like a street person tomorrow.

Brand new baby

We brought home our new girl yesterday. I think she might have been raised in a puppy mill because she totally unsocialized--very nervous with everthing around the house, not housebroken at all, and really smelled bad (urine). But I think she was meant to be with us--we can love her soooo much (and do!). Went to bed with a bad, bad cold. Hope I feel better tomorrow. I cast on and knit two rows of Erin's grape colored Booga Bag. Also pre-washed the fabric I bought in December for the quilt. I bought a new rotary cutter a couple of weeks ago just for the occasion. I need to get with it and cut the pieces--plus I think I'll get out the lavender fabrics I bought right after Rowan was born for a baby quilt for her. Her 2nd birthday is coming up--that quilt might be a nice treat for her. The green one I made for her (just like the lavender) before she was born is almost worn out! Time for a new blanky.

I might have actually figured out how to post a block. Nice. Hopefully I will keep up with this since its' something I've been wanting to do for a long time! :O)

New Westie

Our sweet girl, Coco, was hit by a car and killed on Christmas Day. The driver was a neighbor who was speeding--if he had been going the speed limit (10 mph), my Coco would be alive right now. Of course, I feel responsibility too--I lad cracked the storm door to see if our daughter was driving up the street, and she and Mac pushed their way out the door. I thought they were after a squirrel, but when they ran around the house I knew it was a dog or a cat. But . . . nothing will bring back our sweet girl. We miss those sweet baby kisses, though, so are going tomorrow after church to get a new girl. She's halfway between here (Dallas) and Austin. The owner has one girl, and he's meeting us at a truck stop to deliver our sweet girl to us. I can hardly wait to see her! I'll post pictures soon!