Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Media, polls and herding

Please note that I am not trying to encourage any type of political agenda. I just think we have more than we sometime realize. And we are not thankful for the freedoms that we enjoy. I recieved the top portion, author unknown, in an email, the bottom portion is my take on it.

"The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the president. In essence 2/3s of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change. So being the knuckle dragger I am, I starting thinking, ''What we are we so unhappy about?''

Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job? Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings.

Or if, while at home watching one of your TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes , an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy?

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have , and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks?
The Commander in Chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad? Think about it......are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the "Media" told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day?

Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads, and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their actions by "justifying" as free speech, even when that speech is hate.

Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then try to count the blessings you do enjoy for all we have as a country. There is exponentially far more good than bad, but good doasn't sell does it?"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On a personal note, we threw out the cable over a year ago, and the only tv programming we watch is Lost after wed night church. The money I once spent on cable is now spent on dvd's. There are a million things to do with each other, to connect personally with one another, that we simply would not do if the idiot box was on. We canceled our newspapers about the same time. I got tired of the comics section being more up a left wing soap box trying to indoctrinate my kids to those views. We had to stop listening to NPR for much the same reasons. The thinly veiled disdain for the Christian right just became too tiresome to explain to my kids as we drove. My CD collection has grown considerably.

Actually, it was shocking when I turned on the TV to watch Lost itself (I had previously only watched the season DVD's) I could not believe my eyes. What passes for commercials these days....are we really that desensitized? After not seeing commercial programming for only 9 months, it was like soft porn clips between the show I was trying to watch. It genuinely revolted me.
This culture is hyper sexed to distraction of the basic logic on the freedoms we do enjoy and what it takes to maintain them. The media preaches against the government while saturating our brains with sex so we equate feel good sexual sophistication with swallowing their lies whole.

Bah.

Maybe I'm a bit opinionated on this....but then, I have the future of my kids to think about. How can I let this garbage saturate them day in and out and expect them to have a world view that is different from what the media's is? How can I explain to them that as Christians we are to live in the world, but be separate, if I myself do not separate?

Sometimes the truth just slaps you in the face its so obvious, but most often, its the truth itself that is just hard to face. In the Bible people are called sheep, and I think thats a pretty darn good description of us when we are in groups, or being told the same propaganda by different chanels of the same media group.
A friend of mine out west once told me, "If the group is heading one direction, its probably wiser to go the opposite way". I think I'm going to have to incorporate that into my daily decision making process.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

CincyNattee

So here we are a week after I found out the good news. Updates you ask?
Well ;-D

On Friday Himself talked to the bossman, asked him if he could learn a little more about the job offer, and what his new duties would entail. Some chit chat back and forth, all of which I'm sure was very simulating and informative, only my DH is awful, dreadful really, at remembering the details. BUT
He was told to take the family down for a few days to check out the area on the company dime. Whoot!
As my Dear MIL said "Wow, thats big!"
So naturally my head expolded with happiness and my mothers genes kicked in. My mom, well, she is a force unto herself. One to be reckoned with, and one that, once is set in motion, can not be stopped. Give her the information she needs, and boom, she is on it like an australian on veggiemite.
Well Himself had given me enough information for that trait of my moms to kick in. I knew #1 they wanted him. An international multibilliondollar company wanted my husband to be the guy to set up a new shop, heck, in a new everything!
#2 I knew that there was a good chance that timing was going to be a big deal on this offer, so we should not wait to be told to go a second time.
I started looking up real estate, found several homes that I liked and contacted the real estate agent. Gave them a date on when we would be in town, what we were looking for, ect.

Monday Himself talked to him again about the pros and cons we had discussed (read: rehearsed) and it appears the the big cheese was impressed. The move will be sooner that September I think, and we are all very excited.

Whoot!

Happy Birthday G




9 years ago today, you and I nearly died.

Labor had been going on and on and on, till we realized it was going on about 4 hours longer than your older brothers. Doctors were worried. Incredibly large shiney medical tools were brought out, but none of them could quite cut through the anxious tension in the air.
I remember how loud it was when I heard the Doctor say "get her out of here NOW"
and we were rushed into an elevator, they literally ran us down the hall way......there was not enough time to even wait for me to be in the surgical room before the anisthesiologist plunged a large needle into my IV line, connected to my hand....I can remember watching it balloon up in size as the chemical coctail was forced as quickly as possible into my system. Count back wards from 10 Dana....10...9..........8.........

I'm choking. I can't breathe there is something in my throat. I'm going to die! The stories from my aunt nearly drowing in labor when they put a water tube in her lung instead of her stomach are flashing in my head. I'm coughing choking, a nurse rushes over and pulls the long air tube from my throat, I gasp like a fish out of water.
Incredible splitting pain in my stomach, I can't cough it hurts to bad, I can't stop coughing.......I'm going to be sick and I just know my guts are going to spill out of me from the heaves......

You were dying. The umbilical cord had wrapped around your neck, and with every contraction, you were slowly being choked to death. The nurses had been shoving downward on my belly so hard there were bruises for over a week....their attempt to help push you out only resulted in the cord wrapping tighter around your neck. It was with a sudden jolt when the Doctor realized what was going on and screamed to get me out of that room. Something in my blood pressure and yours had snapped, there was literally only minutes left in our lives. Emergency C-section.

After several hours in recovery, and after who knows how many hours I was knocked out, they finally, blessedly, brought you to me. Oh my Lord you were perfect, and so beautiful. Such a quiet disposition, and such deep deep eyes. You and I stayed awake together all night just looking at each other. I promised you I would always be there for you as best I could, I told you that it was God that made sure you made it all the way here, so I was just going to trust in Him to keep you in these few years of mortal life we have here. You knew what I was talking about, I could see it in those eyes.

Now here we are 9 years later, my Little Drummer Boy. You have your mohawk spiked in purple, and are forever beating on something if you can't be on your drums. You march to your own beat in every describable way. Reading "just was not your thing" until you saw a younger girl doing it, then you were up to a second grade level in under a month. Same with math, and now with science. No one can push you into doing something you don't want to do, your character is strong, and your heart is huge. I have never in my life met a child so genuinely as generous as you Mr G. You are the child that goes to the store with me, and will buy your brothers and sisters chocolate, not caring one bit if there is not enough money left over to get any for yourself. And you do that all the time. Always putting others ahead of yourself, always wanting the best for others, never caring that they don't treat you nearly as well. You stun me my little man, and you teach me so much about what is really important in this world. Its not shoes or new bionicles, its giving the best of yourself to everyone around you, and giving with joy in your heart. No regrets. That is the secret to happiness.
G, there are millions of people who get to ripe old age who never figure that out. But you, little man, I think you have known it from that very first night you were born.

You are Gods gift to the world, and I am thankful, and blessed, to be your Mom.

Happy Birthday Kiddo

Saturday, February 24, 2007

MI got a swat in

on mah tukkus hehehehehehe

I wish we would have had the recorder going cause it must have been great. Today was spent cleaning up the yard and cutting/restacking more wood for the woodstove. Since we know we could be moving soon, we want to get as much clean up done beforehand. Makes sense yus? I did a pile of shopping for finishing touches on the house, Himselfy worked with the older boys out in the yard. By the time I got home from my 3rtd shopping trip I was really stoked about how much had been acomplished and decided to throw my bit in on the back yard. Wheeeeeee
Last year Leo got ramps for his skateboard on his birthday, and this year they are used to build snow forts, Well, since we have that massive storm system coming, I thought I better bring em up neatly to the house so no one would trip over them once covered in snow and ice, only I had to cross ice to get to them.
Yup.
My feet literally flew up from under me and I landed squarely on my cushy tushy.
My tukkus hurts.
The small of my back hurts.
And I can not stop laughing.

All this talk about moving and how much I really want out of the not so great state of Michigan and BOOM the MI weather gets a good icy swat at me. I think it was rather petty, but I suppose I deserve it on some level.

I am SO not going to miss this area. ;-)

In knitting news, I'm up to row 11 AFTER my 4 inches of ribbing on the fair isle sweater. Lil miss priss had me up at 6:30 this morning, so we got some coffee and some milk, and settled down for some Lost and knitting. Good quality mother daughter time if I do say so myself ;-D

Friday, February 23, 2007

Religion rant that has nothing to do with knitting

Is basically a pile of steaming rancid califlower goo.

I had a good friend who was ALL about the PDL and Rick Warren, enough so that her DH who was in seminary was always pushing it on Himself and I. We read it, wasn't interested, and moved on. I personally did not have a problem with the book, it just did not touch anything in me. I think the big sh*t storm with him recently in fundie circles is how he has started pushing his own agenda over scripture. Thats enough for me to keep far away from any of his stuff. What started out really good, has stepped way off into left feild. He, like Joyce Meijers, teaches God is like a yo yo. You pray just right(or have faith just right or prove your faith by planting a seed just right, ect) and He'll jump giving you whatever you want. He is also running all over the world teaching/preaching that Christ can't come until WE turn it into the millinial kingdom. I guess he skipped over about half of actual scripture to come to that delusion. Anyway, As much as the book meant well to begin with, its now used to teach against any scripture that punctures the purpose driven pocketbook. Sama ole same ole for the tv money grubbers selling faith.

Joyce Meiyers, man could I go on and on about her, but I'll let better equipped places talk. These links use HER OWN words to point out how much of a false teacher she is, and will give you the exact location on where you can go look for yourself on her videos, books and tapes. Thats not trash talking, that is educating. I thought it was awesome when you tube posted the video of when she repented of her teachings this past December when Ray Comfort was on with her! Everyone was happy for Joyce, saying how awesome it was seeing the Lord open her eyes, praising the Lord for prayers answered. Its was not a hate fest, but a call to keep praying for the confused/lost/false teachers so those that listen to them might be led back out of that crazy talk. I wonder how she is doing on that.... I have noticed that the people who that attack her and the other woffers personally, are the ones that have come out of those dark ministries themselves. That says alot to me.

As far as Calvary Chapal being about the only sound church around lately, well frankly, its the only church I have ever attended that it was JUST the Bible being taught, no pop culture added, nothing but the Bible and how to tie it all together.That doesn't mean its the only one out there, just the only one I have experienced. On the same note, I look at the guy who started it, Chuck Smith, and see how its HIS son that is one of the creators of the emergent church cults popping up all over America. The emergent church is pushing this book called "the secret" which is just the same ole bs about manifesting things for yourself like the universe is some qwickiemart waiting to take your order.What does that say about dearest dad eh? Where was dad when Chuck junior got these ideas in his head and so far off base from scripture that you are hard pressed to find anything that remotely looks like Christianity? I've been told (when I brought this very point up) you can't judge a parent by their grown kids actions, but the Bible tells me to judge a person by their fruit. Your children are the most important fruit you will ever be a part of. And then the verse about teaching a child in the way they should go, and when they are grown, they will not depart from it. Well, what does this say about Chuck seniors teaching with his own child?
So that being said, my "weirdness radar" is on high alert at church because Calvary Chapals seem to produce a lot of chuck smith clones. The guy in charge when we started attending, man, scripture just dripped off him, like this amazing fountain. That he was studying and loving the Lord daily was evident in his daily life. And SO self effacing, humble. He and his wife recently left to go to New Orleans to build a church. They have been down in NO 2 weeks out of every 4 since the hurricane hit and felt the Lord wanted them full time. Rock on.
But now this new guy.......well, we are just going to have to give him some time and see, eh?

I personally think that CC's are so touted is because they got away from denominationalism. All this crap about "well I'm presbyterian, and you are baptist, oh hi, you must be episcopalian" ALL that stupid stupid toe the line on specific denominational beliefs is tearing up the body of Christ. The ONLY thing that should matter is the Word of God. There is no one part that is more relevant than another, but that is the essence of denominations. One has water baptism higher on a "must have" list where another has fruits of the spirit like speaking in tongues as a proof. Some preach nothing but fire and brim stone while others are all about your self esteem and feel good about yourself, even the sin part is okay. All these different things each church denomination does in a service, from how the pastor is dressed, to the choir's tune down the line into the out reach programs, all these things are just "stuff" that can and will tie you down. Its self imposed legalism. We tie ourselves to position papers and motivational speakers instead of scripture, and then wonder why our culture is rejecting the very book this country was founded on. Its because the book as a whole is not taught, but instead, the pet scriptures of whichever denomination. Lets face it yall, when it comes right down to it, denominations DO take the position of "We are more right than those others." How absurd. We are human. Aint none of us right about anything all the time. (except maybe me ;) )

I, personally, am furious I was never taught diddly about the Bible being a whole book. I love that the Lord led us to a church that is nondenominational and teaches it as a whole book. None of that "the old testament is dead history" balonga. On the very same point though, I am not inclined to accept the new guy JUST because he has a Calvary Chapel education. His Sunday service is fantasticly detailed, giving original greek words/meanings, detailing where on the time line this book was written, fer crying in a bucket, it took us 12 weeks just to get all the way through the book of James because he was so detailed in referencing each and every passage back to the Old Testament and other New Test books. Really awesome education. So far so good, and with time, we shall see eh?

Well then. I guess thats about enough rant for one night.
heh heh

g'night

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Cincinatti

Well it is now official.
Last November Himself and I saw big work related changes coming and began making plans about looking for homes down south to be near my family. The emotional support I need and such, well, something was going to break, and it looked like it was going to be my mind. From all appearances, it seemed that all signs were giving us the green light, with the biggest motivator being his job security looking sketchy. He was doing the job of 4 people and working insane hours feeling like he was anything but appreciated. Apparently he was wrong.

Yesterday, it was announced that the Michigan doors would close by Feb 2008. We would have been devastated, but you know how wacky God can be sometimes. They offered him a new position in the newly formed company with much more responsibility, and I would hope with a pay that reflects that, and it entails us moving to Cincinnati. Possibly as early as September. Yikes. How all the details will work out, I have no idea, but I do have faith. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers would ya? Moving is stressful enough without kids, now imagine it with 5 kids worth of loot.......EEEP (I am totally hiring movers this time-no matter how deep it cuts into my yarn budget).

I know some of my family and friends will be disappointed that we are not making it even further south. To be honest, I'm kinda sad about that too. It's just not on the table at this point and this job is a tremendous opportunity for Himself and our family. On the brighter side, we will actually be living on the Kentucky side on Cincinnati ???? Kentucky or Indiana, its a real estate toss up, but most likely the coin will fall in blue grass country. That my dear friends and relatives, is only a 12 hour drive compared with our 20 hour one from our current residence. Himself pinky swears that more vacation time will be a part of contract negotiations and that equates into a more flexible ability to visit down home.
The kids are pretty excited, except thing1 and Thing2 who are staging a protest. What they are protesting I am unsure about. They just like to protest. Something about being 3 and 18 months brings that out in shorties. I think its just another random toddler rebellion as they do not yet speak adult-ease. They are quite adamant about whatever it is, and somehow it involves a chihuahua and the nap cave. We probably do not really want to know. However, the older boys are pleased and looking forward to new adventures in the Kentucky outback. As a matter of fact, L and G are practicing their dueling banjos imitation right now...only with a set of drums and a git-fiddle wired with a wahwah pedal to make it sound like a bad 70's action flick.

We lead a rockin lifestyle LOL

And soon, it will be rockin in ole Kentucky.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

To the Nap Cave Kiddo!







I am the smartest mother ever.

Or maybe I'm really slow and should have thought of this several children ago......

but getting shorties to take naps can be difficult at best sometimes. The girly is easy enough, but then she has become bottle dependant and thats bad for the teeth. The youngtest man is difficult on the best of days. Very stubborn, just like his father. He currently refuses to sleep in a bed like a normal person, but if there is a breakdown in the overnight pull ups, we get stinky carpet. Ew.

Enter Ikea and the 10$ purchase of Ze Nap Cave. or, the Sandmans Lair muhuwahahahahahahaaaa.

Brilliant.

And that fantastic beautiful hand knitted blanket, you ask? My 'other' mother in law, Joyce, made that for my first baby and its still just as phenominal today as it was then. She designed it herself and its pure acryllic.Interlocking puzzle pieces in the brightest primary colors on the planet. I think I'll ask her if she still has the pattern around.........

Monday, February 19, 2007

Log cabin is growing




While himself did the taxes this Saturday, I obsessed over 9 garter stitch rows per color and grew my lil-log-cabin-o-goodness. Isn't it just the smarmiest of cute?

And on Sunday I popped in some Lost and hunkered down to do that sleeve I lied and said I would finish last week. I am SO glad I ripped the miscast an miscolored one back and started new. Lookit how loverly and matched up they are :-D


And now I'm off this thing to cast on for my body. Avast ye mates, it be talk and knit like a pirate day!

Jeans. Divorce, And Trust.

Well yall,get a cuppa coffee or something cause I'm a bit long winded today.

About 3 years ago I bought me some new jeans from Sams club. The size on the suckers was correct, and it was the short length, so I made the regular faux pas of just buying without trying on.
Well.
Apparently a size 13 in l.e.i. brand jeans, means 13 year old ackward boy child. I was shocked, I mean, I really couldn't figure it out, to hold them up and just look at the waist, well sure it looks a little snug, but I can fit in those........ Not.

The whole reason I had to buy new jeans was because I was drinking wine everyday and gaining weight instead of losing. None of my other pants came close to fitting, and they were size 12's that were baggy cut and made out of that stretchy lycra jean material. So when I saw 13's, I figured I would be fine. Complete and total denial of my actual growing size.
I came home, tried to put those suckers on, and could not even squeeze them over my thighs, and FORGET about hips or tukkus. I. Was. Mortified.

How did this happen to me?

It all began in 2000, the year of my divorce. When I moved to MI in the spring of 2001, I weighed a grand total of 120 pounds on my 5'2 frame. Its the most fit I had ever been in my entire life. I ate well, exercised often but also aquired a drinking habit. I looked great, but was a complete insecure mess on the inside. I was fighting with God. I didn't understand why I would keep praying for my marriage to work out, and my X would just become more of a controlling jerk. I didn't care what the Lord said about divorce or seperation anymore, I was getting the hell out of there. I was not going to let my sons be raised with him as their role model, and frankly I knew I deserved to be loved and not resented. X never did get past the myopic idea I got pregnant on purpose and 'trapped' him....he also never considered that it was me who was settling for him because I had made a mistake and face my mistakes. He was the mistake, not the baby.
By New Years Eve 2000 I finally realized that the idea of one more year in the marriage was worse than being a broke single mom living in a ratty trailer on a friends property. By this time I had 2 sons, both under 5. Yes, it really was that bad. I told him such, and to make a really long boring story short, he was living with his mom by February. The same month, I called Himself to see how he was doing. He and I had carried on a long distance relationship in high school, and deep down, I had always known he was the one God had intended for me. But I was young and stupid, and it was him I had cheated on when making that mistake with X. (Not that Himself is all innocent here, but this is my story, not his ;) ).
At this point, it had been almost 7 years since he and I had spoken freely, and by freely I mean that we were both single. Well, kinda single. See, my divorce was no where near complete, but to be honest, I had long been emotionally divorced from X. Truth be told, when I was literally AT THE ALTAR I was thinking "I wonder how long it will be until we divorce". What does that tell you eh? Still, legally, I was not yet free. And I was mad.
M.A.D. at G.O.D.
I didn't want to live by those outdated Bible morals, I did not want to have standards, dammit I didn't kill my baby when I got pregnant and that should earn me some leeway right? I want to have fun, I want to be young, and go to parties, have flings, do all those things that looked like they would be so much fun and then I would be happy. I just want to be happy God, why am I not happy? I followed all your rules and believe in You and even pipe up about You when I'm at parties (nothing beats a drunk witness *sigh*) I am a GOOD person and its MY life and I. Want. To. Be. Happy.
Pass the whine.
Freshly single, in what I thought was a smoking hot body, thinking I had the world on its ear, I set off on my new life. Got a job at the frame shop, sold the married house, bought a new fresh start house and went head first into a drunken worldly secular lifestyle. I would call Himself every now and again, and by his birthday he decided he was going to fly me up to Michigan to see him for the first time in a million years. I fought it. I honestly knew that if I saw him again, we would be back together, I would have to stop being so self centered and stupid crazy. I saw God giving me another chance with him, and that I had a major fork in the road ahead of me. I could choose the love of my life, or drinking and lonliness. I pulled my act together and showed up being all Miss Personality and southern charm. He says he knew he was going to marry me the moment he first saw me at the airport.
So, lets make another long story abit shorter and fast forward to May 2001. I moved to Michigan, we were getting married that July.
I was still drinking, but that was okay because he comes from a european family that drinks. All the time. I fit right in.

*4 years later*

I now have a daughter. I never drink while pregnant, so have been sober the better part of a year. I get a drink when she is 2 weeks old. That is the day the good Lord slapped me upside the head with a round of "What in the hell are you doing Dana?" He broke me. Split me right down to my core, took me to my bottom so that I could be rebuilt. My ego, my pride, my own idea of what I thought I could do on my own. My huge feminism streak (if a guy can do it I can do it better, blah blah blah), everything I just KNEW I had control of. Complete total utter breakdown and destruction of the one known as Dana.

*18 months later*

I am a different person. A new person. I think differently, I see the world differently. Where there was shades of grey in right and wrong, now everything is black or white. Its so much easier living this way with these eyes. I have no desire to drink, I have no desire for anything really. Looking at the big picture of my life now, I am content.
Yes there are things I want to do, to experience, places I would like to live, ect, but all my actual needs are met. My real needs. My wants just give me something to pray for and dream about, but my life is sweet where I am. Instead of filling that empty hole inside with over eating and drinking, I am full on just being. I joke that my knitting keeps me from eating, but I know what is really going on. All that emotional weight I put on that started when I first threw my nose up at the Lord in 2000 is starting to slide off as I return to His guidance, His word, His laws.

I am feeling resentful lately. Frustrated. Where I have an over all feeling of being content, there is this part that feels stretched thin. Almost like God is not listening (when that generally means it is me with plugged ears), but then that makes me think that perhaps, just perhaps, I am trying to be in control again. Do things my way instead of His. I pray for the Lord to change my heart or the situation, only to be met with quiet.....but this time its a peaceful quiet. The words "Be still my daughter and wait, for I am Your Father" echo through my mind often.
My flesh is fighting that. Its visible on my face now. I get sores on my face when under alot of stress, I woke up yesterday looking like the stress plague hit me full blast. I am impatient at the same time I feel peace. Does that make any sense at all? I was telling my husband about all these things going on inside of me last night, and woke up feeling a bit desperate for something from the Lord, just a little something Lord, so I know you are listening.
*sigh*
Off I go to get more coffee, change a baby's pants, come back upstairs to get dressed *another sigh* all these pants and none fit well. Just for giggles I'll try on that pair that I will never fit in just so I can wallow in some pity for awhile. I felt too guilty to just get rid of them when I first tried them on, cause I had just spent money we really didn't have on pants that didn't fit. These guilt jeans have lived in my closet for years, with the tags still on. Good Lord almighty I really was a delusional drunk when I bought these,I was thinking, but they are cute. Here goes............and oh my........they fit.

Thank You Lord. *cry's a little*

You know, I never NEVER thought that fitting in a pair of jeans would mean so much to me. I certainly never thought I would take it as a sign from God. The Creator of The Universe splits open seas and stuff, things like letting a fat girl fit in slim jeans as a sign she really is on the right path? Nah, I never woulda thunk it. But its true. I really did and do honestly feel that way. Like the Lord really does care, and He knew just how to touch me this morning to assure me that He is listening, He does care, I am on His path and I just need to keep on keeping on because fitting in these jeans is the very least of what He has planned for my future. I just had to share that, get it out on cyber paper, cause you never know who else needs to read it, or if I'm going to need this as a reminder for the next time I'm feeling like I've gone crazy. Cause yall, He is real, and this morning He reached out and hugged me with a pair of jeans that make me feel pretty.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

A Comic Addicts Profile

It came to my attention that since I was attemping to join knitting rings and such, it would be prudent to update my profile. While going about this stalker friendly chore, it asked me a question about my favorite books. Well, I just HAD to talk about my comic book collection. Hmpf. only 400 chracters are allowed. Thats just so wrong on so many levels. So here it is, what I wrote and it refused to publish (take THAT blogger script editor that is clearly biased against cartoonfoolery):

*Did she just say she had a comin book collection? That grown woman with 5 kids?*
Oh yes I did.

I've always loved my comic books. When I first learned to read at 5 years of age, my mom would get me Archie comic books to 1. encourage me and 2. to shut me up. I loved reading from the very start and was voracious in reading every piece of script around me. I ALWAYS needed something new to read and I knew how to bug her enough so that she would continue to purchase obscene amounts of comic books just to get me to leave her alone for 2 seconds. I adored Betty and Veronica, Jughead, Dilton Doiley, Midge and Moose, that rascal Reggie, poor Mr. Witherspoon, I always knew he had a crush on Ms Grundy. I myself had a thing for Jughead. We are talking about a serious collector here folks. I mean, I had a HUGE dishwasher sized cardboard box packed with comics that I read ALL THE TIME. I had them layed out in time line of events and everything. To an adult it looked like a box full of dead colorful trees, but to my 11 year old mind, it was a treasure trove of Riverdale history and I knew each and every inch of it. When we moved from Memphis, my parents left the box behind. The scar is still bleeding on that Ma, BLEEDING.
But I forgive you.
Yes, there were less than appropriate rags in there, like Cracked and Mad, but those were purchased before my mothers sanity returned to her. What 7 year old needs to be reading Mad magazine I ask you? One destined to be warped I think....
Still, my collection was awesome.
Now, as an adult, I can't bring myself to collect Archie and the gang anymore, its just too awful thinking about how many I once had, so I have turned to others.
Calvin and Hobbes. Brilliant stuff. I would love to know what Calvin is like now, as he would be about my age in cartoon land....my kids read and reread Calvin, so though we have the whole set, I regularly need to repurchase as they are boys, and treat books as hard as they treat toys. *sigh*
For Better or For Worse. I love the Patterson Family. I started this collection when I was first pregnant and am always looking for the lastest book. I was with Ellie when she first had Michael, and when she had April, I had another baby too. Ahhhhhhhh
Baby Blues. Man I love these two grown men who draw the funny side of family life SO well. Its a must have for new parents. The personalities, the delimas, and the flat out grossness that is sometimes parenting, well they capture the whole shebang. I am so totally Wanda.
Get Fuzzy. Okay, there is no explaining this cartoon, there is only loving it. Get a Darby Conley collective book immediately. You will thank me. I find my own pointy "attack first and never bother to question later" attitude in Bucky T. Katt every morning before coffee.
And Foxtrot rounds us off. The similarity to my own family is disturbing and riotous. My kids love this set more than all the others put together, and strangely I find comfort in that. I think its the idea that they want to emulate Jason more than Calvin that comforts me the most.

I really enjoy Rose is Rose, but Himself had to put his foot down somewhere, I mean, we just don't have enough room for a new collectiuon to grow if I'm going to continue buying knitting books like a mad librarian on a knitting mission. The funny thing is, My husband is most like Rose's husband Jimbo Gumbeo. I love that.

I think comics as a whole are completely underated as a literary genre. Ever since the printing press was first invented, comics have been a part of our daily lives. From political cartoons, and editorial commentary, to plain ole good natured guffaws. What is not to love?

Friday, February 16, 2007

Clapotis

I just did a brief search (if by brief search one could mean 'spent hours and hours neglecting children') on the word clapotis.
My Dearest Husband of yarn procurement came home from work today and said "oh hon, I was laughing my tukkus off reading yarn harlots blog and it was so funny how she was being teased about this clap....er....clippy....clotter...... clappaloctopuss.....whatever. Have you read about that?"

Thats right, you read me right people, he was READING knitting blogs. I was miles away and I happen to know he already ordered my birthday present so he had searched her out on his very own JUST to read! Muhuwahahahahahahaaaaa. It boggles the mind to realize just how close he is to being ensnared by the yarny goodness of it all. He is going to be knitting by the end of the year, I just know it.

Of course that sent me to the Harlot site, and then naturally I googled and came up with Crazy Aunt Purl and random other knitting blogs that for the life of me I can't remember their names right now (sorry). It was hysterical. That Crazy Aunt Purl is southern siren call for misplaced knitting belles. Reading her bits and pieces of life made me think of my friends I love and miss so much, who are all still firmly planted in the only sane place left in the world. The Deep South. Now granted, it can only be considered sane by those of us that come from there. To the rest of the world we are genteel at best (that means we gots manners AND grits) and some weird unedumacated road kill eating hollywood idea of a southener at worst. I pity the sap who takes cultural information from tv and movies, I mean, good grief.
In the midst of all this my favorite obsessive knitter pinged me on the messenger harrassing me into coming back to PA for Harlots book tour. I can completely see the rip roaring fun in going, only, like 3 days later, she is going to be here in my neck of the woods. I realize Friday night shindigs tend to be abit wilder than 2 PM Sunday afternoon get ups, I just don't know if I am prepared to abandon my shorties again so soon. Last time the car I left them with literally broke down and stranded them at the store in the coldest weather of the year :-S
Now, Himself has not complained one bit about that, but my youngest 2 have hardly let me out of their sight since. I wonder if they fear for their survival if left in their beloved Dads clutches again? "Mommmmmm he took us shopping at NIGHT in the COLD and broke the CAR! and it was COLD! and you never would have done that huh mom huh? Would you? No. See, he doesn't quite know what he is doing. Yes, he is Dad, and we love him, and we know he means well, but shopping? At night? In the COLD? what if he tries to shift us outta our warm house of childish play again hmmmmm? You think about that mom? You want to go traipsing off to get strung out on string and leave us behind again so soon? Can't you see how fresh those wounds are mom?"
Or maybe thats my own mommy guilt.

Ah well, we shall see, yus?

And I did it yall. I never ever thought I would see the day, but I went and done did it. I bought yarn porn. 2 magazines as a matter of fact. Vogue and Knit1. My stomach fluttered inside that Walgreens like a mighty flock of hummingbirds on coffee. I NEVER buy magazines. Ever.
I bought 2 of them bad boys at once.
Himself is really starting to worry about me now. Books were fine. He has known all along I was a bibliophile, he knows books are likely to come home with me. He knows library cards are pretty useless as I am driven to own the words I read. So when knitting books began to arrive, he took it with quiet resolve and I do think a touch of pride in his bride. Perhaps he reasoned that it would cut into my yarn budget and I would have less projects on the needles (silly man)?
But today when I walked through that door with my 2 bottles of conditioner and TWO knitting magazines, well, I just don't think he was sure I was quite right in the head. Who was this woman, this stranger who looked just like his wife in the living room? This woman who once went on a two week tirade about magazine companies and their subversive effects on our culture and the pure and total waste of perfectly good paper and ink that could be put to better use, like say, in BOOKS? She has a vendetta against magazines that rivaled only her 17 year feud with bobbins. Now here she stands with two in her clutches, and does not even have the decency to blush.

Naturally I went straight into the bathroom, closed and locked the door and then drew a steamy bath.

Mmmmmmmmm yarn porn and bubbles, who needs the clapotis when ya got that?

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Happy Birthday L







HAPPY BIRTHDAY L!!!

It may be Valentines Day to the rest of the US, but in this house its my first baby's birthday *sniff*
He is 12, can you believe it? I remember his birth VERY clearly and it amazes me it was 12 years ago. He was a colicy baby, not giving me one inch of lee way as a new mom. All my infants since him have been a breeze in comparison. Now I wonder if it wasn't just my tension at trying to get everything perfect, but not quite knowing what perfect was. I do remember telling his pediatrician about the howling, and the turkey kept telling me he had ear infections. I may have been young and over tired, but I knew he didn't have ear problems (the doctor has since had his license pulled because of over medicating children who were not sick=so glad I listened to my inner voice on that).
The day he was born, literally less than an hour after he was born, he PICKED HIS HEAD UP and looked me straight in the eye. Seriously. Strong kid from the start. Its a good thing to have a hard headed kid. If you persevere, and the good Lord enables you, strong willed kids are the ones that have the best success at standing firm in tides of complacency and immorality. I was a complacent,people pleasing kid, and would go along with the crowd cause I was too desperate to be liked to say no. Not L. The kid amazes me everyday. He is our baby whisperer with his younger siblings. Still a sloppy critter, but what kid isn't? Now, as of today, he is officially my preteen, and already looks so grown up and handsome. His personality is just as strong as it was as a demanding infant. He knows what he wants, what he likes and would be inclined to obnoxiousness about it, only he has been taught and understands that self control gets him so much further.
He plays the guitar and today he got a CryBaby wahwah pedal. It sounds like bad 70's soundtracks downstairs, but my baby is so happy and excited. A, his older step brother is getting him skid rails for his skateboard, only the skate shop was closed due to the freaking blizzard of insane winds yesterday. Tho because of insane blizzard, skateboarding is not an option today anyway LOL. So rock on little man, Mommy loves you.

And for the rest of ya, Happy Valentines Day.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Log Cabin goodness


I only regret not buying 2 skiens of each color instead of one each.
Is so soft, it warms my lap as I knit its neat rows. Its the best mindless knitting EVER and I am just tickled with its ability to remain interesting even in its no-brain-required-ness.

I went and got some cotton in assorted colors for kitchen towels and dish rags. Yeeeehaw. Can we say "getting a head start on next Christmas"?????

oh yus we can.

In-Laws will naturally get yellow and blue because they are obsessed with Sweden and anything remotely swedish "ish". It helpful nice that they both knit, so will not see it as a cheap gift, but a gift of time. You know what I mean? I love to knit, but knitting for people who have no idea how much effort goes into an item, well thats just setting yourself up for heartbreak when they toss it aside like some 12$ Wal-mart souless piece-o-sumpin'.

I've got some great colors for my mom, but she is difficult at best about these kinda things. I might make Dad a couple napkin things with a skull and crossbones on them. He'll get a kick out of having a poison symbol associated with food.

Sister and BIL, I need to call and get her color scheme for their kitchen, Hmmmmmmm

And then there are all the new babies in the family. I want to make Tuck and Tan a baby kimono, they are so soft and wonderfully easy to put on and off. I still owe Lil West something, and now it needs to be something "big brotherish". He seems like a bog Jacket kinda fellah, and thats good year round. His new baby probably has piles of clothes already, so creativity hmmmmmmmmm Kimono for new baby? Yeah, I think so.

Then there is my huge project (Eep). Cousins kids, L, C, H and L. Something hand made for each of them. Especially the older two. They want to feel special, and included so badly. Maybe knowing someone wanted to make something that would not be a hand me down JUST for each of them, no one else, would be a loving thing to do. But what?
Their own blankets. That just came to me. I can knit their names into their blanket so no one can take it from them, and let them know that the whole time it was being made, it was being made JUST for them.
Mental note*make machine washable*

Nearly Finished!




Oh yeah, thats right, I am just about finished with that tote, my very first knitting exchange project. Its just about finished, a wee bit of hand felting and it will be on its way, bamboo handles and all. Those handles rock by the way. Whoot!

I'm completely loving the shape it took, well rounded, like the body of a guitar or tulip. It has an almost spooky amount of interior room, easily big enough for any project one would want to tote about with on a given day. The pattern was a complete joy to make up.It started with Noro Krayon and size 10 needles. CO 64 and knit 17 garter stitch ridges(or 34 rows, however you happen to count. I put in 4 stitch markers to note where the sides were at the bottom. Picked up all around (162 sts) and knit for 6 inches of material.
To start the body shape, I popped in a purl on the inside of each stitch marker every row. Knitting 2 together on the outside of the marker every 4 rows. It slowly develops its hip shape, gracefully moving in, but with that purl edge keeping it looking clean.
Knit up about 4 more inches of material.
Now, iff'n I was to do this bag again, which is completely likely, I would begin ribbing on the edges only. By edges I mean the sides of the purse, not the front or back, I realize I can be confusing. Bear with me, its the first pattern I've ever tried to write out for others to try to read. ;-)
Knit up another 3 inches only this time ribbing all the way around. I prefer K2P2, but whatever floats your boat.
Now, as you are closing in on the size you want, knit one round into the front and back of every single stitch, yes ALL the way around. This adds that wavy "I'm a flower" effect. CO in preferred method.
I lined up the bottom 1/3rd of the round handles with those purl stitch edges and sewed them in.

Have I mentioned I absolutely loved making this bag. It was a total and complete Mary Poppins kinda happy feeling to knit up. Don't cha just love knit projects like that? My lil butternut was helping me with the sewing up part, a knitter in the making......

Now the only REAL question left is, "What goodies do I hide inside?"
I was thinking of taking my beads and making some stitch markers, but the little people in my house are overly helpful in that area and make things that only gramma would use, not a total stranger LOL. On the upside I've been spying on my victims blog and see she is into meditation, so I have a fantastic book by Ravi Zaccharias I'm thinking about sending. Chocolate is a given, maybe some tea.........

Thursday, February 8, 2007

Dark Chocolate

I think its the time of the month I need to dine soley on dark chocolate.

*ahem*

I managed to get two more logs on my lil cabin blankie of cuteness last night. was watching Lost and needed mindless knitting for that. I was pleasantly suprised by the episode, the first 6 episodes of this season being somewhat tiresome. I honestly expected to watch last night and be able to say "Yeah, I am totally done with this show" because I'm just one of those people who actually care about a good plot line MORE than who is going to hook up with who. I totally saw Jules's Ex getting hit by the bus coming though muhuwahhahahahahaaaaaa

This morning I forwent my usual routine of getting slogged down into the internet and went directly to my cardigan. I couldn't bear to frog the precious knit, so I just cast on a new cuff heh heh. Now that the ribbed colorwork is done, it was easy for me to start the frogging process. Because I had cast on the bad sleeve too large to begin with, I can easily reclaim the yarn and not worry about it being too short for new sleeve. yus? We shall see. Meanwhile, My lil blondie of cuteness is asking me to a tea party, so off I go.

;-)

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Sometimes

men are such stinkers
and other times so fantastic
Sometimes its hard to remember
we are just like em.

Sometimes my heart flutters
when he walks through the door
my cheeks blush and my arms tingle
I recall how blessed I am

Sometimes I just want to toss a pie in his face
and be sure it gets in his ears
and up his nose
And let him clean up the mess like I clean up after his messy children.

Sometimes I look at him and see
a strong, intellegent, providing family man
Other times I peek at him and see
A little boy in a too big body that needs my protecting

Most times its wonderful being married
being one
sharing children, dreams, love and laughter
making all the other times seem too small to matter.

And sometimes its a good thing to write about it.

I must I must I must

Work on my cardigan today. There is really nothing for it. I've neglected the poor Dear for what....2 weeks? Its absolutely freezing and I have this georgeous warm cardigan just pining away for me to finish. Its the best weather for it, I love the colorway, its absolutely calling to me, so why am I avoiding it?

*le sigh*

Its that goof I made. Where I used the wong color. I used Jade instead of light heather because I was running my big mouth. I used it perfectly. I did not even notice my flaw until I got home and the sleeve was several inches longer. Auuuuuugggghhhhhhhh
I can NOT talk and reliably read a color chart at the same time. Thats all there is to it. I know I have to rip it back. That one flaw WILL keep me from wearing it. No one else on the planet.....well at least the non-knitters.....will ever even notice it, but me? Yeah, I will stare at that sucker like I would stare at a politician following through on campaign promises.
Thats what has been holding me back. I have "precious knits" syndrome over this flawed little piece and I no wanna frog it back. Bugger bugger bugger.

Alright. I know it must be done. I have coffee, and after that has grown cold and harsh, some nice teas my fantastic husband bought. Tonight the new Lost episode comes on and I can get refreshed with my dvd's before the big event (super bowl has NOTHING on the new Lost season and you ALL know it) and I will just plug away until the entire sleeve is done correctly. Thats right, I said it, the ENTIRE sleeve.

Kermit here I come.................


Edit to add: Well maybe I would if my kids would use sane amounts of toilet paper instead of clogging up the bathroon so bad I literally have to send them away because its so nasty I have to bleach out the entire freaking bathroom top to bottom.
How is it they will use and entire roll of toilet paper to wipe their butts and STILL have enourmous skid marks?
I am so grossed out, repulsed and leaving this job of motherhood for something cleaner, like an oil rig rough neck.
BAH.

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

They sold their Souls for rock and roll.....

I'm a member of a message board about escatology and this video series came up again as a topic. Immediatly people started in about how it was holier than thou and that is bashed all music yadda yadda blah blah blah. Clearly these people are just regurgitating what they heard someone else say, because watching it, you KNOW it doesn't say anything like that. Its about the influences in artists lives, and just being aware of the things you blast away in your home when little impressionable minds are listening. To imply that any music that is not hymn must be satanic is just absurd and its the misguided Christians who rail about that sort of thing that make the rest of us look like total nutters. Since when is it a bad thing to educated yourself on the worldview of the entertainment you are partaking in? When watching Ben Hur, you know its going to have a more christian slant, when you watch Kill Bill, you know its going to be about blood lust right? So whats the big deal educating yourself on the worldviews of the bands you are popping into your CD player? Its not a big deal unless someone feels guilt IMO. LOL.
So about the video series itself, "They Sold Their Soul for Rock and Roll" I can tell you my point of view on it.
We have the whole 10 hour shebang. I've watched it all, and the older kids watched it too. there are some disturbing scenes on abortion in the first disc, so if you are going to have your kids sit in, be aware these are coming and have them close their eyes. My husband cried, I couldn't watch.
It kind of threw me off kilter for the remainder of watching the series. I was thinking "WHY have such graphic scenes of infantcide on a documentary of the dark side of rock 'n roll?" Finally it occured to my thick skulled self that the two were very much intertwined. Satan doesn't care if you worship him, as long as you are NOT worshipping God. If he can't get you to kill the unborn, then he is going to try to get them through any way possible including popular music. More often than not the chart toppers over the last several decades are about little more than rebellion against authority. Be it rebellion against sexual morality, the "man", really anything that our society was suposed to be respectful of. Doesn't make them individually evil, but it's interesting to look at the idea of a cumulative effect it could have on a persons world view. Individuals are wonderfully created different, so it would be a facinating study (but I digress). Music is an amazing creation. How many of us can listen to a song and have it carry us back 20, 30, for my mom, 50 years ago in our memory? We can recall who we were with, what we were doing, the smells, the ideas, the joys the sorrows all from a relatively small musical riff coming across the radio. Thats a pretty incredible tool in our minds that appears to be hard wired from birth. My 18 month old daughter has been dancing from the moment she figured out she was in controll of her arms and legs. Waving in time, bouncing up and down to a rythm. It was not something taught, it was just IN her little brain that dancing goes with music. Music calms the savage beast......how long has that saying been around?
So if you are listening to music that does not draw your mind, heart, your whole attention to the Lord, then what is it you are listening to? If our minds are so finely attuned to music and rhythm to the point it can trigger stunning memory recalls, what type of music are you hard wiring into your memory?

Like I said, I did watch the whole 10 hours over a few days. I honestly do not recall it ever saying all rock music is bad, or that any one fashion of sound was wrong. What it DID say over and over was to be aware of the influences in the artists lives. What is the fruit of their work? We all, every single one of us, have a personal agenda while alive. We have beliefs we truely honestly and earnestly want to teach to others. For Christians its supposed to be to spread the gospel, for the world at large(satan's domain eh?) its to get people's attention on anything BUT the gospel.
If you have a global audiance and you really believe (for example) socialism would benefit everyone on the planet, would you not put that message in your body of work? Its your point of view, it would be all over your work sometimes subtlely, sometimes overtly. What if you really believed there was no God and Carpe Diem? (sieze the day, eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you may die, ect). Its not that all artists who are not Christian are baby munching satanists, lets keep reality in check people. It was not a witch hunt done on rock and roll, or jazz, or rap, or hip hop, or reggae. It was a video montage on specfic musicians who, in their own words (usually on a video clip to keep it in context of the interviewer's questions) talked about how they knew they were undermining the Christian values that they thought needed to go. Parents have no right to brainwash their kids in ethics of judeo Chistianity. Some of them truely think they are enlightening the younger generations out of the out dated religion of their parents. MTV happily states that "we do not just teach your 14 years olds, but we own them" on one interesting clip. How fascinating that most muscians will NOT even let their own children watch tv or listen to just any music. They recoginize the huge influence it weilds.

Over all, its a good video series. No ministry is ever perfect, after all its run by humans. Some people have this silly idea that Christians think they are perfect, when its the exact opposite. We recoginize we are far from perfect and absolutely require our creators help in everything we do. Ahhhhh pride, what a tricky bugger you are....but another digression, sorry. Back to topic: A few people on the message board even flat out said that the producers lied to make points. I have no idea what the "lies" would be? Every time they stated something about anyone, they just quoted the person themselves going to lengths to keep the quote in context. But then I've found in real life as well as message boards, people who bash things with blanket statements rarely have any real or specific events to back up their comments with. For the love of sanity, if you are going to say a ministry is lying, at least point out what the lies are. To say "I don't have time to list them" is a spineless cop out.
The series used actual tv interviews, magazine interviews with the publishind date and title so you could look for yourself and as much as I didn't care for the style/dated presentation, the information itself was well researched and thorough.
This was NOT a blanket "all rock music is bad" series at all, it was a series about being aware of the influences in all the music you listen to, just like you should be aware of authors whose books you read, television shows you watch, ect.

It did not condemn people who listened to rock music any more than it said only big band southern swing was the only holy music ever so neener neener.

Relax people, its just about paying attention.

Groundhog Weekend 2007





Hi there blog world,
I made it back from Pittsburgh safe and sound with a complete glut of fantastic yarn and my husband is worried that my lil hobby has become an obsession. He is rightfully worried......tho I do wonder why it took him this long?

The drive was easy peasy enough direction wise, going down the weather was absolutely dreadful. Apparently there were zillions of accidents, praise the Lord I was okay! Cold cold COLD! It got down to 20 below zero, bitter stuff.
Jessie is a dreamy hostess with a knitting focus that is stunning. Chubby decided I was okay, but was highly suspicious of me at first. "Who is this lady and WHY is she on my couch?" By the end of my visit she was happily playing with first my yarn and then some from her mums stash, and some circ needles she lifted off me. Very cute. That kid is one of the nicest little critters I've ever met. She sings quite well and made me miss my lil butternut at home. Dan was a trooper braving out into the cold to get us all take out, very very brave considering the insane temperatures. Finally met Jess's Big Daddy who she is always talking about with goosy lovin tones. I am constantly waremed by how she talks about her dad. Don't here that often you know? Her apertment was flipping cool!Seriously, that place had some space and all the architecture I saw while driving around had me in envy. Detroit let its cool homes get turned into slums, Pittsburgh kept so much class, even IN the crummier areas. Very impressed.
There is this one blanket Jess had me snozzled in on the couch that has literally invaded my dreams. Its this creamy Aran sampler blanket that a co-worker of Mr. Messie made when she heard they were getting married. 6 months that thing took! It's beautiful, its warm, its heavy......I need a twin of it. I am seriously dreaming about that creamy goodness.
However, my debit card needs a break as taxes hit this month and you can't rush the PERFECT yarn can you? When its time for me to make that bad boy, the wool will be found.
In the meantime, I have been diverted by the Mason-Dixon log cabin blanket pattern that has invaded the blog-o-shperes. Its hypnotic. First off, when Jess took me to the yarn barn I saw the Mason Dixon knitting book I'd been eyeing for awhile and decided that a vacation is a perfect time to buy said book. Well what good is a knitting book if you don't actually try a pattern?
So I flipped through unil that log blankie lookied up and me, and still being in the throws of the creamy blankie of goodness, I thought starting a blanket was an EXCELLENT idea. The below freezing weather may have played a part in this decision as well. So we went about promptly looking for 9 colors, one for the center and edging, and 4 cool an 4 warm tones. Mmmmmmm its really satisfying to get to change the colors every 9 rows.
My tote bag for the international tote exchange went swimmingly as well. The first night I got there I knit on that sucker for HOURS round and round and round. I absolutely love it. The striping, the subtle colors all through it. PHOAR. I'm putting bamboo handles on it and will honestly be heart wrenched to see it go. Apparently I'm a selfish knitter. Who knew? But I know it will be going to a knitterly home that will love it and care for it and recognize that it took about 20,000 stitches when all is said and done. Thats right, twenty thousand stitches done one at a time by my little hands. Eep!

So yus, Thank you Jessie, it was a brilliant weekend, incredibly satisfying and I would so totally do it again.



When its warmer heh heh heh