A Baby!

I am so excited yall.

One of my friends, actually my very best friend during my crazy teen years, Kim, is having a baby! I am soooooo incredibly excited I could pop. She and her husband are the kind of couple you just know God made for each other. From day one they fit together like nachos and cheese, laughter and smiles, dogs and fetch, Babies and diapers. They dated for a million years just to be sure, and when they got married I know the families were thrilled with the choice they had made in dedicating their lives to each other.
And now, they are having a baby. My heart is so full it could pop with joy.

So now the question is: BSJ from EZ or the kimono from MDK?????

(I have to be all covert with the initials cause she might take a peek at my blog heh heh)

Congratulations, Kim, you are going to make a most excellent mother. Love you BIG.

Call me a Quiltin Bee

This is the Beginnings of Blue Belle Blankie

And I'm lovin' every minute of it.

Y'all hear of Crazty Aunt Purl?

You will find her button over there on the side bar. She is just fabulous, and I adore her writings and ramblings.

Support your inner southern belle, support our Crazy Aunt Purl, and take a peek at the book she wrote!


Crazy Aunt Purl's Drunk, Divorced, and Covered in Cat Hair: The True-Life Misadventures of a 30-Something Who Learned to Knit After He Split.

With a title like that you know its going to be brilliant.

Daddy will love this

hehehehehehe

Check out Kennisaw, GA where you're required to carry. It has the lowest crime rate in the U.S. The right to carry is guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment and not knowing who is carrying keeps most criminals from taking the chance they might be shot.


Just to add some real numbers to this lil post:
In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control.
From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.

In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews & others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.

China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

; Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million 'educated' people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control: 56 million.

It has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced by new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by their own government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars.

The first year results are now in: *
Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2 percent *
Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6 percent *
Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent)! * In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent. (Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not, and criminals still possess their guns!)
While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months, since criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed. There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the ELDERLY. Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort and expense was expended in successfully ridding Australian society of guns.

Socks, Hancock Fabrics and Muppets

I'll have to get a picture when the kiddos get up. L's socks are elcomplete-o and I've got a good start on G's green ones.

Hancock fabrics is going out of business here in Michigan (Granholm strikes again*)
40-60% off everything in the store, and the deals will get better and better until all the stock is gone. Whoot! I got to start on a quilt I've been daydreaming about for a very long time. I scored 9 prints in assorted blues and 2 greens for a springish quilt. I love blue belles, and I think that's what I'm going to name this blanket. I have enough to make a King Size, so that's my goal. If it drives me crazy, I'll settle for a queen and let it be for the couch. Couch naps demand a good blankie. My MIL is after me to learn how to make crazy quilts. She even got a book out. That woman is just itching to get me to open a craft store, I can feel it LOL. I was able to resist at first, but the damage was done and the images are in my mind. I may do some embroidery on the current quilt just to see if I enjoy it. I'm sure Himself is kinda hoping I don't hehehehe
Want to go back to Hancock's before its too late for material to make L and A some new curtains.....which reminds me I need to call whassisname about our broken window and the bathroom window that has....are you ready for this?......WATER in between the panes. I'm not talking about droplets either. I'm talking almost 3 inches of water. It's like our own personal barometer in the loo. How in the world did that happen????

Poor lil miss princess is feeling 'dweadfwul' so we gotta pamper and snuggle. Today will be a knit day? She likes helping me sew, I mean really really REALLY likes helping me sew. Not going to work out too well if she needs to snuggle at the same time. Knitting I can do tho. The mail should be delivering"The Muppet Show" season one I ordered last week from overstock.com.
Never before have I seen my 13 year old enjoy a dvd as much as the 18 month old until I put on the Muppet Show. The assorted Muppet movies do not impress them much, but the show was a winner hands down. So we will play that while she is feeling mumpy, but if it doesn't come, it will be Lost. Why? because her mother is obsessed. heh.


*they are the 5th large company I know of leaving this state due to her myopic socialist governing dictates. She actually had the balls to say "I don't understand why business is so upset and leaving this state" Ummmmm duh. You signed into law a tax agenda that gives you carte blanche into stealing private business profit to make up for your lack of ability in balancing a budget. This is not a socialist country, private business is not owned solely for the profit of government, but for the people who work their tails off. Yes even big business. Bah.

having a crush

Oh my stars.......I've developed a crush.

My Dearest Himself bought me something for a late birthday gift (he couldn't get to the place actually on my birthday so we are not counting it as a strike cause, well, he MADE me pick SOMETHING)((heh))

It's name is Raphael. It's amazing. I'm in love.
It's almost TOO good to knit......but I shall try.

It's a matter of the perfect pattern.

I heart Jitterbug.

In other news, L's socks are nearly done, WHOOT!

Hanna's Kids

Hanna's Orphanage

Can you help? We are currently raising money to build the orphanage a new kitchen, as well as looking for volunteers to help fundraise. Please contact us if you can help.

http://www.hannasorphanage.org.uk/

Convertable Lace Love Progress

As promised, my pics on the Convertable Lace Shawl I'm working on.

How we school

5 kiddos, all homeschooled. 13, 12, 9, 4 and 2

We are all about the Charlotte Mason method, but use a wide assortment of materials. AcceleratedChristianEducation is our foundation work, meaning they get worked on daily. We have piles of reading materials that are out and in which ever kids room at any given time. The homeschool group we are a part of meets up twice a week to give the kids time to hang out, but it really helps keep me sane and grounded to have the other parents when I start to feel flustered. Yes, I know, sanity is over rated, and how would I recognize it anyway?

Time sheets are a life saver when homeschooling multiple kids, I am learning. I'm new to making them, but this is how they work: I make each child their task sheet for the week based on what they learned and grasped the week before. If they are ready to move forward or keep working on understanding something clearly, its reflected in what they need to do the following week. The child checks off what they have done, and it teaches them time management and personal responsibility. This is what we have already been doing, just without the actual piece of paper for them (and me) to use for accountability. I think its rather brilliant and thank the homeschoolin queen of everything for tipping me off to the idea.

The individual sheets list each subject and chore they are responsible for, and its up to them to get everything done by 5PM.
My oldest has already learned to get all his school work done early in the morning so he has the rest of the day to do what he wants, which lately involves teaching himself art techniques. His chores he procrastinates a bit on :-P
12 year old is a huge procrastinator and day dreamer, so some days will take hours to do 20 minutes worth of work. This hurts no one but himself, and he is starting to learn better focus and time management. His chores he can do in record time, but man can he stretch out an English lesson like its a quantum physics master thesis hehehehehehe.
9 year old watched his brothers and gets his work done right after breakfast, but breaks his chores up into 15 minutes here and there. Everything gets done and he gets to live stress free. I swear he was born with that knack. <3
4 year old is a coloring fool, but is just not interested in times, schedules or anything remotely calm and quiet. For now that's just dandy. He is mostly polite, full of smiles and can be most accommodating when not demanding the world bend to his formidable will. Love it.
2 year old is my best student. She claims to know how to best detail sewing projects, and requests a tiara to wear while she plays in mud. She is a very good momma, keeping all her babies wrapped in blankies and dances to anything that carries a beat for more than 4 seconds.
Clearly my daughter.

Some concerns I have heard are how do I ensure each kid is getting what they need? Its really not that hard. Because our school day is spread out all day, no child is sitting around waiting for his turn with me. They just move on to the next thing on their list if I'm not available right that second. No big deal. When questions arise, I'm here....unless its math, then they gotta wait for dad LOL
Some families have the formal school time scheduled into their day, and I salute them! It's just not what works for our family, and one of the perks of homeschooling is doing what works for your individual, unique family, right? :-D

Thats it in a nut shell, any questions?

Virginia Tech

I guess by now you heard about what happened at Virginia Tech. *sigh*
I was kind of numb about the whole thing, cause, well, in my little daily 'chores' I read several news outlets online. Because of my personal interests, I look for what is going on in schools, and honestly, not a day goes by that there is not something that would have horrified us in the pre-Colombine days. So in that sense, my heart has become calloused. From my point of view, this massacre was just a matter of time, and it will be repeated. People want to stick their heads in the sand and still pretend kids have a sense of morality, but this group of college age and younger have been taught 'relative morals' and right and wrong being in the eyes of the beholder, and if it feels right it must be right. And then in the passion of the moment, all that feels right is getting even, striking back, and we are surprised that violence in youth is on the rise? Today its taught that there is no such thing as black and white, everything is varying shades of grey. What trollop. But that's what is widely taught and pushed. It was starting up when I was in high school, but these kids got it from day one in kindergarten.
Anyway, yesterday I stumbled into one of the victims MySpace accounts. I read all these messages from loved ones begging her to just call and let them know she is okay. I fell apart knowing she would never again be able to call anyone. That just wrenched me. She was someones beloved child. She had dreams, desires, goals and a wide open future in front of her. She was more than a news item, more than a quick headline grabber for some journalist. She was a real person, greatly loved. And now she is gone because some tool with the emotional understanding of a tick got his widdle feelings hurt by a girl who was smart enough to want to stop dating him.
Of course the media is looking to put the scapegoat blame on anyone they can, instead of the asshat who actually did this. Gun control nuts are completely ignoring that if security had guns they could have stopped this quickly(of course then they would shriek that the guards should not have killed that confused boy a peaceful blah blah blah-that gun control has never worked in any country its been instigated in, and crime only increased because then criminals were the only ones left with guns, and now knew they had no reason to fear us law abiding pigeons...BAH!)
Tell me, if you were the school president, what would you have done? Nothing like this had ever before occurred, and like 9/11 hindsight is 20/20. Sure there are hundreds, ney, thousands of things we could have and should have done differently, but what is done is done. The people in charge had no idea whatsoever this was going to happen, and neither did anyone else. Trying to proclaim a sane person guilty for not predicting an insane mans actions is ludicrous.
Turn the spotlight where it belongs. What were the influences in the persons life that led to this? What was his focus? His role models? What was it in his 22 years that taught him life was so cheap and expendable? What made him think this was his right?
Why does our media howl to blame the living for the actions of the dead? And why does our society buy into it?

Rest in Peace beloved children, my prayers are with each of your families.

Project One:

tonight I solomnly promise to knit only on my Convertable head scarf.

I will bring pics of progress tomorrow.

It fits!

I am a Daffodil What Flower Are You?

You have a sunny disposition and are normally one of the first to show up for the party. You don't need too much attention from the host once you get there as you are more than capable of making yourself seen and heard.

I am a sewing freak

We have needed a couch for some time. Really. Last September we strong armed the older 2 yahoos into sharing a room so we could take over one of their bedrooms to use as a temporary living room. Why you ask? Because winter was coming and I had finally talked my Mr. Himself into putting in the woodstove. Heating costs are outrageous, and I love using a woodstove, so why not? Right? Well this instigated the removal of the living room and kitchen walls to make on large great room. Lots of construction, lots of chaos, lots of stress, but most pertinant to this post, lack of room to store the crappy furniture.
So we tossed the couch out, moved the entertainment containment center into the temp room and so we have been using that room ever since. The woodstove was in by the end of September, paid for itself by December, and we still have to finish painting the walls and the new floors.
Anyway, the oldest chilluns had been more than patient about the whole thing. Especially with A being a far neater child than L. Last week we trhought it was time to give them their space back, and move the living room whatnot back out into the real living room, painted or not.
The masses rejoiced.

This past Saturday I decided to take a trip up to the Salvation Army, just to get some time out and about you know? After that major score in the needle department a couple weeks ago, I just can't help myself. Lo' and behold, I saw my new couch. It was THE perfect size, the style, the height, the depth. Everything I was looking for in our new living room family couch. With one problem. The fabric covering it would stun Ethel Merman to silence. Oh it had been well cared for, no doubt was covered in plastic judging by the lack of soiling. The cushions are so fresh one wonders if it was ever even sat on! Think Golden Girls circa 1980 fabric fashion sense.
It had to go. Immediately.
So, knowing how I can procrastinate like nobody's business, I purchased the couch, and drove directly to Joann's. Called Himself and explained what I had done, assured him he would not have to live with the light pink floral one second longer than I was able, and asked his opinion on what color he would like. He said brown or blue. YES!
The lovely and talented *Samantha listened to my lofty goals, and after a small bit of stunned silence, helped me find the right fabric, at the right price. Specifically 50% off the clearance price! Whoot! She helped me figure out the yardage, and promised on her embriodery hoop ring that she would not sell the remaineder of the bolt for a full week in case I needed more. Brilliant woman that she is, I am making it a point to go back and tell her mamager how fantastic I think she is.

I had the ever adorable Princess of Everything make herself available to assist my sewing Odessey of Couch sized proportions (which is a heck of a lot larger than one realizes when buying a couch thinking 'oh I'll just cover it easy peasy) ((the fool))

Yarn Porn Fridays?

I'm new to the blogger world, so color me shocked and delightfully suprised at the "Yarn Porn Fridays" I stumbled onto in other knitterly blogs!

Mr. Himself took the day off so I'm gonna grab the camera and play along.

Back soon wheeeeeeee

*Waltzes back in 4 days later with photos completely unembarrassed about the delay*

Blue Silk rock climbing


Blue Silk in repose


Blue Silk in Shade Flirting with the Sun


Blue Silk soaking in the warmth with Flower friends

Health update

Well here we are enting week whatever. My ears are still producing 'interesting' "stuff"

I am honestly coming to the conclusion that my body is toxic, and a good deal of the toxicity is coming from Michigan. Since I moved here, its been little but stress and some sort of bug eating at me. We all know stress produces a chemical in our bodies that exaserbates the anxiety, which causes more stress which yadda yadda yadda will kill you eventually. I've allowed my toxic chemicals to reach proprtions that are now physically manifesting them selves in illness.

So, instead of just pounding back more antibiotics, I've turned back to my natural nature. The good Lord made just quirky enough that a good deal of my life, I've focused on the natural cures He gave us here on the planet. Often times people will roll their eyes at my advice, or practices as if modern medicine can top the potent pharmutical qualities of the plant life around us. Modern medicine has a very useful place, but honestly, its silly to say it replaces what's freely given and grown on the planet. Funny enough, these are usually the same people who comment and question me on my hair, my skin and other whatnot in the form of "how do you do it?" Heheheheheheee

So, during my search for a booster to help control my bad cholesterol (which is yet another number that climbs higher and higher dependant more on stress than actual diet) I stumbled upon Niacin research. Its a water soluable B vitamin that just works its tukkus off getting your body clear of toxins and boosting everything we need. I highly recommend you look into it for yourself and see what ya think. :-D
I started taking it last saturday (*the initial flush startled me right outta my skin!) and have already seen some dramatic results. For starters, the flush is always starting in my ears, it feels like its going directly to the site of infection to clear the crap away Whhooooohooo! I've been able to back away from the pain killers (YES!). My eyes are whiter and my cheeks are getting their color back. Over all I'm thrilled. In a month I will have my bloodwork done to check my cholesterol levels and will let ya know how thats going.

How are you?

*if you decide to try it, do NOT get the flush free version. The flush is a desired effect, you WANT to look like a lobster for 10 minutes ;-)

Man I screwed up

Fooling with my blogger template,trying to get it to look less generic. I don't know what I did but I'm totally bummed. Lost everything including my buttons. Stupid thing woll not let me put them back on.

Yeesh.

I'm gonna go knit.

My First Lace experience

on purpose that is.
Yall know how our many first knit projects resembles a hyperactive cat's version of lace knitting? Mine sure did at least. All those dropped stitiches, and random yarn overs when I must not have been looking, adding a stitch every row.....

Well, I kid you knot, lace knitting has been getting into my dreams. And I do/did not even like lace. Seriously. I have never been interested in the stuff, cause, well, I've been a tomboy my whole life daggum it! We rough and tumble gals don't do lace.
So why the blast is it in my thoughts ALL the time? This must be some freaky mind game that knitters fall into. A Knit Trap. It was just a couple moths ago I was giggling at a friend how lace was so not on my "things to learn" list as she struggled with the swallowtail shawl pattern in the fall 2006 IK. Now here I am literally daydreaming about lace all the time!

So, I caved of course. Its knitting, not sky diving. I decided to use some of my cotton that I got from Little Knits last month. Its a steel blue/gray blend that has that subtle sheen only mercerized cotton seems to hold. Its spun in Brazil and has wider and thinner spots along a mostly consistant spin. I looked up on Knitty for an easy first timer pattern and chose Convertable.

I'm obsessed.






I know the pics are blurry, but it was the best I could muster. I've made a mistake or 6, but over all I am completely thrilled with this. I don't know if this means I'm growing/maturing in my personal scope and horizons, and will now wear *gasp* lace, or what, but at this moment, I am loving this process.

Picture with FLASH!

Books are in the air

Today I was happily chit chatting with Jess about books, being a bibliophile and getting a book -a-long swap set up and running. (read more here if interested).
Max, the chihuahua had run off (again *sigh*) and I was downstairs letting the little bugger in (at least he barks at the door when he returns home) when my beloved mail lady dropped off a package. Sqeeeeeee more books for meeeeeeeeee!


Let me spread those books out a little more for ya.....



We have "When Children Love to Learn" and "A Charlotte Mason Education" with a little Elizabeth Zimmermann in there with her "Knitters Almanac". Overstock.com rocks btw. just 2.75 for shipping no matter how many books just can not be beat.

The first two books, about homeschooling, I just need to read. We've been using the Charlotte Mason method of learning for years, but I did not actually own any books so I could share the methodology with others. Besides, its nice having the availability of a quick referrence when I start to think I'm nuts for homeschooling ;-P I still need to get my own set of her actual books, but I really don't want to add on that whole set with as many books as we are already having to pack up for the move. These overviews are light and hit the main points, so will do just fine in the mean time.

EZ's "Knitters Almanac" is just a staple my collection was missing. I'm actually considering following her project a month in the book. We shall see. I'd like to do it with others, maybe I will actually join Zimmermania instead of just stalking it LOL. Speaking of which, my first bog jacket:

I still need to pick up the stitches for the buttons and collar. Sew the second arm down. Its already too small for Princess, who I knit it for, so will likely go to a new baby coming into the family? If we end up having a pile of boy babies, I will just donate it to the hospital with the baby hats I want to start knitting for newborns.
Maybe join Hats for Alex.

Speaking of Muppets

I must be Miss Piggy, cause I am hogging the rippin punishment this weekend.

Going to have to do some frogging on the socks. Drat.

See the green top? Its too loose to do me any good, and I don't know why I stopped the striping when I did, its not nearly far up enough and I had intended these to be kneee socks. My decreasing it all but completely absent and it looks like my legs must be shaped like triangles or some other nonhuman form.

I'm going to blame the whole mess, and the fact that I actually cast on and got past the heel on the second sock before I realized this silliness, on the fact that I finsished the sock about the same time I was getting all sick.

Yup. thats it.

I'm blaming my bad judgement on gettin sick in the head hehehehehehehe

So, do I rip back all the green and pick up the striping, or do I just knit the green up to where I want it?

Yeah, I agree, pick up the striping, it will keep my legs from looking like the stripes died from being stretched over too wide calves heh heh heh heh

Drat that Kermit

Look to the far right of the picture, you will see 3 stripes skinnier than the rest on the blanket. I was trying to be frugal and use up ALL the wool. *sigh*
The biggest problem with it, and I don't know if you can really see it in the picture, is that I did not pick up the stitches the way I did on the rest of the blanket, Soooo Its doing that ----- thing it does :-/

I gotta rip it back, its really the only way.

Dang.

I've been looking/staring/obsessing/living in denial of its crappiness/knitting on other things so I don't see it, for a couple days now (log cabin how I do love you anyway) and I realize the reason I am avoiding doing anymore is because of how butt-ugly I think the last couple stripes are.

Enter Muppet music, que the dang frog.

What is 32$ to you?

In a month? Even making my coffee at home, I still spend at least that much. I spend more than that for my internet connection. My yarn budget is bigger than that a month. So seriously, can you spare 32$ a month?

Today we got to start sponsoring a lovely 12 year old girl in Ecuador. Compassion International is a completely above board organization whom I've sponsored through before. Over 80% of the money goes directly to the child in the form of food, clothing, medical care and her education. They account for every dime, and are truely the embodiment of what a Christian organization should be. With all the money grubbing sleazoids in the US walking around in Armani suits/dresses begging for your tithes on TV claiming they are messengers of God, and generally making my religion look like a joke that is for sale, Compassion International is a blast of fresh air.

I can not even begin to describe how warm and huge my heart felt when I showed my older boys the picture of the girl we get to help. They asked a few questions, like "why does she need us?" and "When can we go meet her" "Where is Ecuador?" on that last one I got to tell 'em to look it up on the map. When they did not return after 10 minutes I was thinking "This does not reflect well on our world map skills LOL" only to find that each of them were sitting at their desks writing her a letter. These are good boys. <3

Eating well

Today arrived my brand spanking new cookbook, Simply in Season . I am both excited and intimidated. I don't know what it is, but the idea of following a proven written recipe for good eats somehow offends my creative genome. Its totally silly, rediculous even, because frankly I'm just not that creative in the kitchen. The kids don't seem to mind, and Mr. Himself is just happy to have warm food at the table with his family. I think I owe it to us all to spice things up a bit. We get stuck in this hum drum rut and every now and again change something up to keep the homefront fun and not dreary. As a homeschool family, the kids are literally here 24/7 (minus assorted outside activities they attend, their social calendar is stunning) so keeping things new can be quite a task.

In theory I could turn the cooking into a class in and of itself, with a different child helping me at different meals. Learning about chemistry, measurements of dry goods verses the volume of liquids. How to cook. What temps different meats need to reach for how long, that sort of whatnot. My future DIL's will love me LOL
Maybe thats part of my issue. My own mom wasn't available to teach me how to cook or read the recipes, and tho I still got 4 years of Home Ec, I never got that whole 'bonding through the generations with family secret recipes'. I'm big on that kind of stuff and I'm a bit of a weirdo about teaching things. If I was not not taught one on one how to do something, I have a very difficult time trying to teach it to my boys. My brain is wired to understand things differently, so trying to teach them the hows and why's of something I taught myself drives us all a little batty. I'm instinctual, they are intelectual. But still, its worth a shot. Maybe Princess will have my kind of understanding and be my reward for not beating her brothers with wet spaghetti in frustration.

Another reason for getting the book is my Mom, Dad, Grandfather and Uncle. All 4 of whom have developed late stage type 2 diabetes. One of the precursors to diabetes in families that are genetically predispositioned to it, is high cholesterol. Now I've known that for quite some time. My mom has been jiving me for years at my overly healthy eating patterns, cause I ALWAYS fall off the wagon when I'm around her. Who doesn't over do the junk food when on vacation right? She got a kick out of me lecturing her about sugar consumption while drinking a Coke. Heheheheheheee I totally see the humor in that. I think I may come off like I think I know more or better than everyone else, when I don't think that at all. I'm particular at looking at all sides before forming an opinion, but once made, I am quite firm, not wish washey so if you don't know me well, I can sound like a real jerk when I'm really just trying to explain why my opinion is what it is. But I digress.
I got the cookbook because my doctor told me my cholesterol was way too high for someone my age. I told him that was really odd considering our eating habits, and how self consious I've been for years about eating more veggies than meat, and we don't even DO any fast food, like EVER. (Pizza does not count cause of the veggies on it so HA!)
Thats when he reminded me how bad cholesterol has much more to do with gentetics than a bad diet. I was rather upset. I have zero desire to be on medication, but less of a desire to have a heart attack at 35. I asked him to give me a month or two to see what I could do with my diet and then retest my levels. He agreed, but didn't look hopeful that I would achieve much since my diet was already pretty healthy. I read up on some natural ways to help and Niacin keeps popping its head up, so I'll add that to my diet along with the fresher foods.

'Cause see, I just THINK we eat healthy. I can go on and on about making foods from scratch, but we still have store bought bread with its myriad of chemical additives to give it a longer shelf life. I make spaghetti sauce from scratch, but still dump in noodles that were bleached and rendered mostly nutrionless. I use too much butter and salt and not enough real spices to flavor. I'll make a pot roast packed with veggies in the crock pot, to serve on top of minute rice, or rice-a-roni. The kids consistantly have apples and oranges on the table in my big wooden bowl, but are more often snacking on PB&J's while I snack on my guacamole. Granted its home made guac with only fresh ingredients, but I scarf it with corn chips packed with saturated fat, salt and the bad kind of carbs. Our diets as a whole need to change. If I am genetically prone to high cholesterol, its likely I passed that gene on to my kids. Easier to train them good eating patterns when they are young than an old dog new tricks eh?
Pro 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

So, while writing this lil post of mine, I asked the oldest Boy(and most anti-veggie boy) to pick from the new cookbook a recipe he would like to make for the family with me.
He chose: Chilled Strawberry Soup!
WAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA figures. I really should have been more clear with him.
Thats like a dessert soup you would dip coffee cake into. I told him to go pick something that I was actually likely to make for a dinner. He can make that for a dessert hehehehehehe.
His second choice just suprized me: Spring Celebration Soup serves 2-4(so I'll need to double it)
2 cloves garlic (yummm)
1/3 green onions chopped (mmmmmm)
1 cup thin sliced carrots (yus!)
1 cup asparagus (doy will faint)
2 cups chicken or veggie broth (eh, not a canned broth fan)
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice (gabe will be thrilled, lil lemon boy)
1/8 teaspoon salt (does anyone only use 1/8 of a teaspoon of ANYTHING?????)
1/2 cup watercress or spinach (spinach it is)
2-4 table spoons fresh parsley (I'll substitute honey, I know you hate parsely)
Garnish with grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese!

Way to go A! This looks like a winner :-D

Knitting Needle Hoarder

Ohhhhh talk about a major score!

Saturday the family went to Ann Arbors recycle/reuse center to look for a pedestal sink for the downstairs bathroom (I know I know, WHY do we keep making improvements and projects when we know we are moving?) L and G scored some inline skates, Ebear got about 6 movies and Princess got a huge white stuffed bear. Himself found some fantastic computer speaker (sans one cord lol) and moi? I got TWELVE sets of aluminium knitting needles in TWELVE different sizes! Each for a DOLLAR! YeeeeHaw!!!!!
And then, I spotted a lil baggie off to the side, it had just arrived/been dropped off and was waiting to be sorted out......14 crochet hooks, several are antique and most are gauged for the finest of lace. These sizes are generally difficult to find, so that was like a double score even though I am currently not a hooker heh heh.
Nestled inside the plastic case with the crochet hooks were three sizes and complete sets of DPN's (double pointed needles) in the very exact sizes one needs for socks! Size 1, size 2 and size 3. At least those are the sizes I use most often ;-)

ALL of these fantastic Knitting goodness for....are you ready for it?


Fifteen bucks.

You know you are jealous.

Vote intelligently

Whole article

Let me explain what it will mean for your annual tax bill if the Democrats get their way. If you have children, the Democrats would raise your taxes by $500 for each child. If you're a family of four making $60,000 a year, the Democrats would raise your taxes by more than $1,800. If you're a single mother with two children working to make ends meet, the Democrats would raise your taxes by more than $1,000. If you are a small business owner working to meet a payroll, the Democrats would raise your taxes by almost $4,000. And more than five million low-income Americans who currently pay no income taxes because of our tax relief would once again have to pay. Whether you have a family, work for a living, own a business, or are simply struggling to get by on a low income, the Democrats want to raise your taxes.

Party politics annoy me to no end. I and my family are independents that generally have to vote for the lesser of two control freaks. To vote straight Republican without looking into the individual is just as dumb as voting Democratic just because of one party stance. Well the Libral Democrats are trying to steal food out of my childrens mouths again to pay for pet projects. I'm so sick of the mentality that the gub'ment should take care of society instead of people being expected to have personal resposibility. I'm sick of being taxed to death because politicians can't grasp the idea of spending within their means. That goes for everyone.

sigh

end of rant

Tote Exchange III

My dazzling white box of postal goodness arrived today!
and in it was a brilliant assortment of knitterly love.
But first the bag. PHOAR! I just love it! Yellows and purples just scream spring and I am so happy to have this bag to color up my wardrobe :-) It is the perfect size for a small knit project and a snack for the munchkin. So very happy with it Beth, I really am :-D
A stitch holder (how did that voodoo woman know I had just lost mine? I didn't even blog about it!) A large bar of Tranquility Lavender chocolate, which is by far and above my most favorite flowery herbally item ever in the whole world, Revolution tea assortment, can we all say ohhhhhahhhhhhhh!
Watermelon soap shaped like a popsicle BWAHAHAHAHAAA my 18 month old was mad as heck I wouldn't let her have a taste. Silly gal.
And last but far from l east, and enchanting little snap bag I think I'm going to put stitch markers into. Thank you Beth!