THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the ‘6 weird things about you.’ People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says ‘you are tagged’ in their comments and tell them to read your blog.”Six weird things about me:

1. I am afraid of the dark.

2. I am not a huge fan of vacations... I like my house and my family and I like being there with them!

3. I worked at a pet shop for less than a week!

4. I don't know my own style and think that other people know me better than I know myself!

5. Both of my middle fingers are crooked.

6. I knew from the moment I was 9 years old until the moment I married him that Jim was the man for me! I am so glad I waited for him to figure it out too!


I am tagging Michelle, Marianne (I don't care that you don't have a blog!), Danielle, Amy, and Christine

My Old fashioned Christmas!

We all know I am adament that we have an old fashioned Christmas this year. And in spirit I decided (with no time left until the big holy day) that an old fashioned Christmas HAD to have homemade stockings... So I made the first one! It took me a whole night and a morning at radiation. I used some off white yarn that my dad had bought for me and a lovely green that Tricia gave me and I just started looming. And I think it came out pretty good. Let me know what you think...

This looks like something I would have fun with

A new craft me thinks?
http://www.greensense.com/Features/Living/Crafts/Paper/beads.htm

I crafted I crafted I crafted!

This weekend I was at D's house and I actually crafted! AND the weekend before I came up with something to craft that was fun for me and useful! I feel like I have reached the end of crafts that are useful. How many more people are going to want a pair of my slipper socks? I might have hit that plateau... I either needed new friends or a new craft. Since I really like my friends I decided on the craft!

I am making a blanket for Comette. I am going to use all the left over yarns I have from this year and I am going to crochet it to fit under any saddle she may be using. I started it with a really kewl (circa 1970) rainbow yarn that I am obsessed with. Then after that I will just reach into the bag of partially used yarns and whatever comes out next is what I am going to use next! I think that making a few isn't a bad idea and that ought to take me a year or so...

AND starting next week I will have a few minutes of daily crochet time... Mom starts radiation and I crochet then (or buy oatmeal)

Crafting failure...

Running slowly through the mist, feeling muscles ask how much longer before they rest, breathing deeply... Looking over my shoulder to see my love right behind/beside me. Jim has rollerbladed with me a few times, while I run. It makes running even a better thing. I love the way I feel after the run but not always during the run. Sometimes I just want to quit and go home but never with Jim. It feels like a few minutes of just us time. No dogs, no cat, no phone, no nothing to interupt the two us. Together we breathe deeply and enjoy the quiet and the occasional rooster crowing. It reminds us of when we met. The 4-H fair a place of peace...

Ooopsy I haven't crafted in SOOOOO long lately. I have been cooking up bread like a fiend though, does that count? I say it does!

There is nothing like an early lunch where you go toast a piece of homemade cran-apple bread with some yummy grapefruit ginger marmalade on top. Made at a farm by a real person who you can say hi to and she will tell you about the year's crops. I feel like it is a peaceful way to enjoy. It's kind of like the ultimate comfort food. I just got to enjoy this lunch... I have had a piece each day this week and each day it makes me smile more and more.

Okay well a little about crafting. I haven't had a moment to do any. I thought about crocheting a straight panel so I could make these open finger gloves that I saw they were called opera gloves BUT I haven't gotten around to it yet... I have the yarn (from the great find Jim bought me in August.), I have the idea... I just don't have the time. I am going to scrap this weekend though (if I get the pictures) and I will post info about that.

Peacefully,
Joy

Someday… Somehow… Somewhere…

SOMEDAY: Last night as I lay in bed next to a sleeping Jim I started to cry. I wasn’t crying for any real reason… Other than someday we are all going to die. I fear not my own death but those of the people I love. They are my foundation, my earth if you will… What does anyone do without those that they love? I understand the concept of go on, but not really. And as I sat there last night and cried (quietly I didn’t want to wake Jim) I realized something, I am a very lucky person… For many reasons but I am thinking of these ones. I am loved and love so many people. And the VAST MAJORITY of them have been here for the important parts of my life. My parents (whom I love more than life itself) saw me graduate from high school, get my first job, grow up, cry more tears than I knew any one person could cry at once (they have been there for me through this more times than you could believe) have boyfriends, and ultimately get married. Shit my mother was there with me when I decided to live, she’s been there for everything. My Nana was alive long enough for me to love and appreciate a quality homemade dinner the importance of playing games and the peace of a clean home. My Papa was here to see me go into middle school and long enough too for me to love him and not even know that he wasn’t my blood. My blessed Bampi was given as a gift from Heaven and I got to learn to “rope rabbits”, “cut my head off” and know that there is always enough love to go around. Mimi, well she was there until it was okay to go. She waited until Jim told her he was going to ask me to marry him, she waited until Adam was graduating officially, Christy was about to graduate from college, her eggs were all in their nests and it was her time. I have so many other people that I could put in here, probably you! But I chose these people because they are either gone or ill. You probably know that my Mom has stage 4 brain cancer and 2 b lung cancer (and if you want the link to her cares page which I update with changes often send me an email or leave a message here and I will send you an invitation), and my dad has been ill for years… Though lately I feel like I can watch him fade a little more each week, it’s as if mom being sick is literally killing him. All of these people are my rock and someday they are going to leave me… How can I keep them around and at the same time let them know how much I love them?

SOMEHOW: How do I keep them around and at the same time let them know how much I love them? That question is asked and answered within the same question. Look! If you turn is around it says If I show them how much I love them I will keep them around longer. If I fill their bellies with healthy foods, cover their feet and heads with warmness and love, and speak the words they need to hear and I need to say they will be here forever, if not physically then assuredly in my heart. If it my heart and actions that make my loved ones immortal then do they need to be near?

SOMEWHERE: If it my heart and actions that make my loved ones immortal then do they need to be near? This is a question that tears at my heart. When my parents are gone do I want to live in the house that has always been “ours”. My address screams to me, it says “I am the happy home of Joy, Jim, Joan and Bob… I am their shelter from the storm. I am the place they come to when they need to shed tears, I am the location of many of their favorite memories, I have been here for a lot of their worst disappointments, I have worked hard to keep them together as a family… I have muffled tears, shouted joys, and spewed forth great gifts from my refrigerator and oven. I am their home.” When it isn’t the four of us anymore will it be home anymore? Or is my home ready to move on too? I don’t know… I guess I will know when the time is right!

For now here is a recipe for you to help make your home a little happier, more productive and well homelike, it’s what I will be doing this weekend.

1 ready made Keebler Pie Crust (I prefer the shortbread, the fat free
Graham Cracker crust is extremely dry)

1 pkg of instant pudding (your flavor of choice)
1 8oz pkg. fat free cream cheese (I use low fat to avoid a lot of fat and chemicals)
1 14 oz can crushed pineapples (in its own juice)
1 container of Cool Whip Free

Combine pudding (dry), cream cheese and pineapple. Stir by hand. Place in pie crust. Top with Cool Whip. Refrigerate a minimum of 1 hour.

I wish for you a peaceful weekend!

What a day what a day what a day

This one is for Marianne who noted that I haven't been blogging much lately.


Today mom had a TON of doctors' appointments which led to us being in Mass General for many hours 7:00 A - 1:00 P.
What does a person do with that many hours sitting? Well first I got up a few minutes earlier to get an AB workout in. And will run tonight (It is too cold in the morning to run for this heat lover). Then I grabbed my trusty loom and some yarn that mom loves and started the center panel of a 3 panel afghan for her. Today alone I got over 30 inches done! I am SO excited... The loom stitch is a little looser than what I would want for an afghan (not because she will be cold but because I am afraid it will stretch shape) so I have decided that I will edge it in single crochet to keep it stronger. Will that work Tricia? I am hoping so. After I finish this (or maybe before) I need to make 5 pairs of slippers because I promised them to Mom's church for their fair and then I think I will take a break from the constant looming. I have been working hard to get a 30 minute run in daily along with one of my many favorite workout videos. Do you have a favorite workout video? What is it?

This weekend I was able to get a shorter craft day in on Saturday after doing the walk for diabetes it was great and the food and the company was (as always) great. And we now know that Jim loves pumpkin whoopie pies and Marianne's apple crisp.
And Sunday was spent cleaning house and visiting with old friends... Next weekend we have company staying with us (really with my mom) for the weekend AND I might have overbooked myself to boot.
Saturday = Morning - NOTHING
4:00 wedding
7:00 poncho sections of blueman group
AS SOON as that's over Ginette and Patty's LAST party in som'ville

Sunday = Friends coming over for a beading party! I am SO excited about this... For many reasons but MAINLY because you guys will get to read about something other than looming! And then dinner with the guests and the WHOLE (as my Bampi would say) Fam Damily!

So next week there will be pictures... I thinking pictures of crafts being made and done ones too, maybe even a few of the fam.

Have a great one

Little gifts

I dropped off little hats I loomed for my friend Jenn's kids last night.
I made a baby hat (with beads) and bigger hats for the bigger sisters and now I am going to make one for Jenn because she fell in love with it!
I will post a picture of Jenn's when I am finished.

I have made a ton of pairs of socks on my loom (they are really more like slippers) and I am convinced that I must make myself a pair of pipi longstocking - esque socks to wear whilst skiing this winter. How much fun (not to mention how cute) will that be?

I could even make a matching hat! LOVE IT...

Also I have gotten back into running. Even with my lost iPod (how sad is that?)
I have gone back to the good old days AKA the 80s and pulled out a cassette walkman) and this morning I listened to Pleasant DeSpain
http://www.storypro.com/
Tell the story about Sri Lanka and the 3 Princes... Pleasant is known for Story weaves and this one was a little hard to follow. Here is a little about the 3 Princes:
Origin of the term "serendipity"
The fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip [my note: "Serendip" is the ancient name for Sri Lanka. This is originally a Persian tale] is based upon the life of Persian king Bahram Gur who ruled the Sasanian Empire from ca. 420-440 AD. Stories of his rule are told in epic poetry of the region (Firdausi's Shahnameh 1010 AD, Nizami's Haft Paykar 1197 AD, Khusrau's Hasht Bihisht 1302 AD), parts of which are based upon historical facts with embellishments derived from folklore going back hundreds of years to oral traditions in India and The Book of One Thousand and One Nights. With the exception of the well-known camel story, English translations are very hard to come by.

In the camel story, the Three Princes use trace clues to precisely identify a camel they have never seen (lame; blind in one eye; missing a tooth; carrying a pregnant maiden; bearing honey on one side and butter on the other). This result of abductive reasoning is not what is meant by serendipity (the discovery of something NOT sought). Because of their cleverness and sagacity, they are accused of stealing the camel and are about to be put to death by Bahram Gur. Suddenly and without anyone seeking him out, a traveler steps forward to say that he has just seen the missing camel wandering in the desert. Bahram spares the lives of the Three Princes, lavishes them with rich rewards and appoints them as advisors. These rewards are the unsought (serendipitous) results of their sagacious insights.

There are other examples of the Princes receiving unsought rewards (marriage to a beautiful princess, kingdoms, wealth, etc.) from their accidental discoveries. The fact that they can make clever or accidental discoveries and breakthroughs is a result of their intelligence, wisdom and reasoning. The unsought rewards come later. Thus, stumbling upon a captive slave girl in a forest is a serendipitous occurrence. Deducing that the slave girl they rescued is actually a Princess is not the serendipitous moment – rather, this occurs later when they receive lavish gifts as a reward.

More contemporaneously, because we put great value on scientific breakthroughs and insights themselves (e.g., the waxy polymer residue (Teflon) in an uncooperative gas cylinder), these are considered to be the unsought serendipitous rewards of clever reasoning, hard work and luck.
Billie Susan N. 12/16/05

His story that he wove with it was about his father (okay that made sense) and baggage (okay maybe) and then his trip to Sri Lanka (Yup he lost me there)

I love to listen to Pleasant weave and often suggest to J that he learn how to do weaves but this one wasn't his best

I was tagged

I am thinking about: How to get out of an office dinner tonight

I said: Live and let live

I want to: Buy a new bike

I wish: That I was at home cleaning

I regret: I am trying not to regret things to just be the person I want to see in the mirror daily

I hear: My coworker humming loudly :-)

I am: Calm and peaceful today

I dance: Very badly but I like line dances because you just have to know certain steps ~ not talent involved

I sing: Infrequently

I cry: When I think about life too seriously

I am not: going to work at a job I hate for too much longer

I am: excited about my Halloween party


I write: Hearts on paper when I am bored, I also take notes when I am talking to people who are annoying me because I can pay more attention to the notes than the person.

I confuse: Where and were

I need: to start working out again

I tag: All of you!!!!

A little warmth, a little hope

Yesterday while sitting at the Cox Building I talked to a woman I had seen there a few times before. It is so funny that we are all there at the same time every day and most days it is perfectly silent everyone in their own little worlds ~ I imagine they are all pretending they are somewhere else... Even work :-) The funny part about this is the silence isn't among the patients. THEY have learned to live like they are dying (great song) they talk, they smile, they laugh... It's the people who love them and bring them and sit in that waiting room while radiation tries to reverse or shrink or stop some evil twist of fate. We sit there and we pretend to do yarn crafts (a favorite among most) or read the paper, or zone out... But really we sit there and we pray that the miracle is happening as we wait. We ask God to save our loved one.

But then every once in a while you see it... The beginning of camaraderie. A little sunshine brought in among the clouds. And yesterday I was a part of that. A woman was sitting diagonally across from me and asked what I was making... I was looming a sock. She thought it was really cool and moved over to sit next to me to see it. We talked, she is bringing her friend who has thyroid cancer, I bring mom who has brain and lung cancer. Her friend's prognosis looks good. We chatted a bit about the wonderfulness of Mass General Hospital (it really is a great place and they make mom feel like she is their only concern ever) how it feels to have someone you love sick, the weather, work, and socks. When her friend came back she was so happy that we had chatted and that we both weren't sitting there lonely... Both of the patients will be there for 6 weeks of daily radiation. This is aggressive therapy that these two women are enduring, yet they both smile with class through it all. I have learned a lot from all of this. You can make up your mind how you live but not how LONG you live. For my mom and this other lady they have chosen to enjoy the moments... And I have chosen to make socks for them because I can't do more than pray and wrap their feet in warmth and hope.

Ciao Bella

WOW! 2 posts in one week?

SO I have been thinking about Christmas for the last week! I really want to have an old fashioned Christmas... I want to make Christmas cookies, like real cookies from scratch. I am convinced I can do this. Anyone want to come and play with me while I attempt this?

I want cookies like this

So much to say so little time

Well here it is 4:30 and I finally have a minute to write on here. It's been a while :-)
CRAFTS
I haven't been crafting as religiously as I was before. But I am going to try and start up again. I am currently in the middle of looming myself a pair of slipper socks with some GORGEOUS yarn that I bought for myself on Newbury Street (I love that store)... I also have a good amount done on a gift for Cameron (when he is born). Other than that I haven't been doing very much... Jim did go to a fundraiser auctin and bought me a box full of yarns (all pretty cool I might add) and I have been trying to find time and excuses to use them.
EXCERCISE
I haven't been working out as much either lately THOUGH now that we have a working DirecTV system I am planning on taping Denise Austins daily workout. It takes 30 minutes and makes me happy. I am trying to fit some running and some biking into my days too... I am having a dilemma on what bike to buy. I know I need a new one. BUT it is so hard to choose. I keep thinking I want the Specialized Sirrus because it is a partial change and then I could upgrade parts to make it what I want as I continue to grow as a biker... *sigh* decisions decisions.
LIFE
Life has been amazingly good the last few days. I am happy where I am. I need a new job BUT that will come and I have a few ideas that I want to think through first. I don't want to jump into this without lots of thought... This time around I want a career and not just a job.
What do you define the difference between the two...

Word of the day
gerrymander
Pronunciation: /JER-ee-man-der/
v : to divide a voting or geographical area so as to give one political party a majority in one or more districts

Have a great day off to update the care page :-)

So much to say so little time

Well here it is 4:30 and I finally have a minute to write on here. It's been a while :-)
CRAFTS
I haven't been crafting as religiously as I was before. But I am going to try and start up again. I am currently in the middle of looming myself a pair of slipper socks with some GORGEOUS yarn that I bought for myself on Newbury Street (I love that store)... I also have a good amount done on a gift for Cameron (when he is born). Other than that I haven't been doing very much... Jim did go to a fundraiser auctin and bought me a box full of yarns (all pretty cool I might add) and I have been trying to find time and excuses to use them.
EXCERCISE
I haven't been working out as much either lately THOUGH now that we have a working DirecTV system I am planning on taping Denise Austins daily workout. It takes 30 minutes and makes me happy. I am trying to fit some running and some biking into my days too... I am having a dilemma on what bike to buy. I know I need a new one. BUT it is so hard to choose. I keep thinking I want the Specialized Sirrus because it is a partial change and then I could upgrade parts to make it what I want as I continue to grow as a biker... *sigh* decisions decisions.
LIFE
Life has been amazingly good the last few days. I am happy where I am. I need a new job BUT that will come and I have a few ideas that I want to think through first. I don't want to jump into this without lots of thought... This time around I want a career and not just a job.
What do you define the difference between the two...
Word of the day
gerrymander
Pronunciation: /JER-ee-man-der/
v : to divide a voting or geographical area so as to give one political party a majority in one or more districts

Have a great day off to update the care page :-)

Oooh oooh Ice Cream

Free ice cream September 12-17
http://www.boston.com/thescoop/getyours.html

Knitting's Bastard Child and my sanity

So anyone who reads this obviously knows me, and knows that I have been spending a lot of my days at hospitals and dealing with all the stuff with my mom. Spending a lot of time hanging out with a sleeping person doesn't make for a ton of fun... I needed something to entertain myself... Ahhhh my old friend crochet. Well that has kept me pleasantly busy and I have enjoyed it immensely. I have almost finished a blanket for a friend's baby, I started a twin size afghan for my mom and a scarf for mom too... I made a few trips to Newbury Street for dresses for Christy's wedding and while there I found a great little shop called newbury yarns. www.newburyyarns.com
It was so cute and more than a little overpriced but the ribbon yarn made me a very happy person.
Pictures coming - after a certain shower, don't want anyone to see things before they are supposed to!

There's got to be something interesting going on...

Morning,

I read my blog this morning and realized that there has not been a single thing of interest in quite some time. Certainly there has to be something interesting going on in my life. (said in the voice of Pooh) *think, think, think*

What I am focused on right now is:
Sunday is Christy's shower :-) We are having it at the Chateau in Andover... I think there will be about 30 - 40 people there a nice size if you ask my opinion.

It is very weird to me that
A) I am a bridesmaid and
B) that I have NO CLUE what is going on with the shower. I don't know the favors... I never even saw the invites...
C) And I didn't even get Christy a gift off of her registry. I got her a really cool platter that I figured she could use again after the wedding BUT during the wedding it is a guest book. It should fit the 175 people coming (I think). Corey likes kitchen stuff and I figured that way it wouldn't be a book that nobody ever looked at again. Have any of you who are married ever looked at your guest book again? We did the next day and then it went into the cellar. I have pictures of everybody who was there :-)

After that (and I will post a couple of pictures) I will be going on vacation Tuesday night and returning EARLY Saturday AM. We are going to Chinoteague
http://www.chincoteague.com/pony/ponies.html
This has been a vacation I have always wanted to take. And this is the year... It has ALWAYS been one of those "next year" vacations. I am excited to go I can NOT wait to see the ponies and the island. We will be there for a carnival (and I really REALLY love carnivals)
SO here is the schedule:
Tuesday night fly out of work RIGHT @ 5:00 (in my already packed car) and pick up Jim and maybe Mom and watch KR tell at Blue's. From there we are getting together with Robin to grab Katy and Abby and we are headed to VA... Here are the directions for anyone interested: http://tinyurl.com/o3n2h
We SHOULD arrive in VA around 6:30 - 7:00 and the ponies are scheduled to swim between 7 and 11 so hopefully we will get there in time.
We will watch the ponies swim across and head on over to the carnival for the rest of the crew to have a BBQ lunch and me to take a nappy (since chances are I will do most of the driving.)
Wednesday and Thursday we have no plans but to check out the island and the reserves on near-by Assateague.
Friday we are watching the ponies return to Assateague and will hang out just a little bit more (there is something that Abby wants to do for her mom and dad this day) and then heading home.

Then Saturday is the registration for that God forsaken tri and Sunday is the Tri.

Hugs to all

Can you believe that the weekend is over?

I can't! It seems like it hasn't even begun yet! Friday night we went to see Bill Burr (a comedian for those like me who have no clue who he is) and it was great to see Fred and Joyce. I haven't seen them in a long time :-)
Got home a little late and crashed. Saturday I got up and decided to make bread HOWEVER our AC had died the night before so that was brutal... I whipped out the trusty bread maker and plugged it in on the back porch. Quick and easy bread :-) I made a

"Simple oatmeal Bread"

3/4 cup plus 3 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon oil or butter **
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3/4 of a cup quick oats **
2 1/2 cups white flour
2 teaspoons of yeast
**

Put all the ingredients in your bread maker in the order listed. Set it for a 1 pound cycle and go for a bike ride/run combo (or at least that is what I did) Come home and take bread out of machine bring in house and enjoy.

** =
I used olive oil
I didn't have quick oats but I did have a packet of instant maple and brown sugar oatmeal so I used this.
And lastly I added some wheat germ (about 3 tablespoons)

Sunday morning I made toast and jam for breakfast ~ I know this sounds like a lame breakfast but remember the no air conditioning? 2 slices per person was enough to fill Jim through to dinner. There were a variety of jams available for trying with the bread. Guava, Peach, 4 fruit, Grapefruit Ginger, Raspberry, Strawberry, and concord Grape... A loaf only made about 8 - 10 slices but I am told they were heavenly.

Well back to Saturday:
First I went for a short run (a little over 2 miles), then a bike ride (about 17 miles ~ I was a little tired). Then we went to Tricia's for a great BBQ and Jim and I had a fun time. I had a yummy fruit salad... Thank you Tricia for being such a lovely hostess. We left there after 9:00 and it was most definately my nappy time. It took about 50 minutes to get home (the 495 way is about 10 minutes shorter) I was asleep by 10:30 :-)

Then for Sunday I got up and made more bread :-) I like the fresh bread feeling. I got to read my favorite magazine (for me magazine is the name if you are interested) and just enjoy a quiet house (which is a rarity) and got ready for a longer bike and shorter run. I met up with Laura (after having to call her and tell her I couldn't remember HOW to get to the bike path) and we went for a nice ride. Then we met up with Kevin and went on a really up and down ride! Damn I am out of shape! After the ride Kevin and I went for a short run and headed back. Where I sat in a chair and did NOTHING, that was great :-)

Last night I got home and Cheryl called me over she had new yoga pants for me (I might have bicycle grease all over my other ones) and then I went home and crashed. On the floor of the hobby room. I was asleep by 9:00

Whew this weekend flew by...
And this morning (after a 4 mile run) I made french toast for my dad for his birthday (with the homemade bread) and tonight we are having a BBQ for him.
Happy Birthday Daddy-o

YAY

I have the picture from Tuesday so now I can tell you all about the day. I REALLY REALLY wanted the picture included. Kevin was telling at Blue's Tuesday night so Jim and I decided to head on in. Well first awesome thing of the evening. I, Joy, knew how to get us there with only one slight oopsy wrong way. Then I dropped Jim and his nephew Phillip off in front of the building and I went to park the car... What were we thinking having ME park in CAMBRIDGE? Heck I can't even park in the lot at work... BUT I found a parallel spot (and this is where I usually stop in the middle of the road nad hand the car over to Jim) And it was a SMALL spot but I figured that it was the best I was going to get. So I parked there... It took me 7 tries to get in but I did it. YAY! I got into Blue's just in time to hear my friend Laura tell a GREAT tale. I don't get to hear her tell near enough so it was a great treat. Then I heard a few other tellers with some good stories... Then a brief break (where I paced ~ I have INSANE amounts of nervous evergy lately), then Kevin came on and he told an incredible story about his mother... It was GREAT. It moved from before they were married (in the early 40s) through to just a few years ago. I loved it. I love stories that help you travel. And this one did that so YAY...
Then a group of us went for dinner. And had fun just hanging out....
It was great.
Here's my parking job! Yes I took a picture

A new favorite phrase

Okay so I am currently (and when I say currently I mean here at work in leiu of working) reading "slow fat triathlete" this book is great, it really makes me feel like I be a loser if I do (or don't do) the tri. So anyway I digress here is my new favorite phrase(from the book):
"Self-consciousness is the enemy of fun. It's the enemy of feeling comfortable. It's the enemy of achievement. It's your enemy. Decide right now to banish self-consciousness from your journey..."

One big old whining rambling post ~ not a great read

So yeah if you are looking for motivation or an interesting read I suggest you go to your next blog read.

Here are my insights of the last 3 days...
1- I am fat. I actually had TWO people in the last two days call me solid. One was a make-up artist friend of mine, the other was my neighbor. Yeah solid = fat... Answer to this I am on a diet. A HUGE DIET! If you see me eating something other than celery remind me I am fat!
2- I am out of shape. I biked on Saturday with my friend Kevin and we did 23.6 miles. Kevin had already biked 40 (+) miles in the morning and then met me and we did our ride. I = dead. Kevin = fine. Do I need to mention that Kevin had already biked 40 miles again? Then yesterday Kevin, Laura, and I went on a ride. Kevin again = fine, Laura = good other than her lungs were giving her shit and Jim apparently could not remember the ONE THING (his inhalor) I asked him to bring with him when he met us! Apparently the fact that he should never leave home without it means nothing to him. GRRRRRR. We did 36 miles yesterday. I have never before thought that I was going to die from exercise before this. I literally was thinking how nice it would be to lay on the grass on the side of the path and go to bed.
3- My husband was out last night when I got home and I couldn't fall asleep until he got home so I was cranky and miserable. And then all night he would just roll over and kiss me it was SOOOOO cute but I was tired and therefore today I am a sleepy cranky bitch.

And so that there is at least SOMETHING slightly cheery in my blog of complaints.
Friday night and Saturday Tyler and Alicia were right next door and Alicia said that I am her favorite person ever. Hey that is high praise from a 7 year old. AND she cleaned her room and gave all her old toys and clothes that don't fit her anymore to the poor people. She is so good about that! She hated to give her clothes and toys away until we told her that we would take them to shelters for poor people and now she asks if she can do a clear out after every season. AND she wants to buy them all new towels :-) I love this kid. AND Tyler (the little boy of my life) smiled at me. Honestly just caught my eye and smiled
LOVE IT!

hi ho hi ho less than 30 days to go...

Yup that is the truth. I have less than 30 days before my triathalon
I have been doing pretty well (in my humble opinion) on the bike and the run and am still working on the swim. It will get better, I will have more time to dedicate to swimming and all other activities because J+K are now married and it was a success and my job is done :-)
So other than to worry about the tri a little more I came on here with a purpose!
I made a yummy treat yesterday.
The carnival was in town and I love the carnival. It is all about smiles and fun times!!!! One of my favorite treats is fried dough.
However a quick look at this scared me out of that:

Calories 706
Calories from Fat 655 (92%)
Amount Per Serving %DV
Total Fat 72.8g 112%
Sat Fat 9.4g 47%
Polyun Fat 39.8g
Monoun. Fat 20.1g
Trans Fat 0.2g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Potassium 28mg 0%
Total Carbs 13.5g 4%
Fiber 0.5g 2%
Sugars 1.3g
Protein 1.8g 3%


SO since I wanted my yearly treat but not the fat pants that were going to have to go with it I figured I could make my own. I did a web search for "low fat fried dough" and I got a whole lot of nothing SO I improvised. I went to Market Basket and bought Pillsbury French Bread Loaf and unsalted butter. I melted 1/2 of a tablespoon of butter in a hot pan and cut the loaf into 6 pieces I stretched out the pieces to a good size (about half the size of a "normal fried dough") And I cooked them one side at a time. About halfway I did use the other 1/2 a tablespooon of butter. then I topped with cinnamon sugar and powdered sugar. SO good. Jim loved this recipe and is glad I found one I will make every now and again. Each one had about (and this is a close estimate):
Calories 142
Calories from fat 36
Total Fat 3.5
Saturated fat 1.5
Cholesterol 0
Sodium 308
Potassium 0
Total Carbs 22.5
Fiber 1
Sugars 3
Protein 4.2


So overall I think it was a much healthier choice and it tasted great! And if you are so inclined to worry about the prices of carnival fare (I'm not because it only happens once a year) it cost less than three dollars for 6 servings. So overall a good thing.

Hope you enjoy it as much we did! I will take pictures next time

A rather boring rambling post @----}---

So this blog is totally nothing!

Today I biked to work. Before that I ran 5 miles... I am feeling pretty good about myself... BUT I am also so insecure about this. I have so many friends and family who are proud of me. And I have a few friends and some of my family all coming to see me at the triathalon in July... What if I suck? What if I am the last one to finish? I am so afraid that I will disappoint all the people who have helped me (with technical stuff, or with emotional support) I am a wreck over this. I biked 13 miles in 1 hour flat, and 5 miles took me 45 minutes. These are not great times and I know it. But it is also all that I can do. I am not fast, but I enjoy myself... Now while I am being a scatter brain. Tonight J. and I will for date night go swimming... Not a lot of fun but needed. And while I think of all this I realize that I am not at the thinnest I have been in my life (that was my wedding day) but I think I might be in the best shape of my life. I can run 5 miles and then bike 13 and not be hurting! At 22 I would have died... I was 235 pounds and not proud of me at all! I hated life and just wanted to be invisible. NOW I am happy, have a GREAT husband, a FABULOUS family, TERRIFIC friends, an outlook that is mostly sane, animals who make me complete, a crafting obsession that calms me when it needs to, and a job that I don't hate... I can run and smile and be proud. And J. always thinks it's funny that I work hard at catching people's eyes and smile hard so that they can have a bit of the happiness I now have...
So why am I so worried about a silly triathalon? Certainly you all aren't going to hate me if I am not the best, right?

Okay moment of weakness over!

Funny little thought

So I was thinking today about things (and yes that is ALWAYS a bad thing)
I have a bike. I love my bike :-)
I have had this bike 4 or 5 years. My Mimi bought it for me. It was the last Christmas present she bought me (as a matter of fact) She and I chose it together. We went to Walmart (I hate Walmart) and looked at all the bikes I chose my favorite three and chose from them. It is a happy memory for me.

Well anyway now that I am doing a tri-athalon I need to upgrade my bike. But I love that it is the one my mimi gave me and I am going to keep using it. SO my friend Kevin (who knows EVERYTHING about bikes and is himself doing the 140 mile ride seen here http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/b2b/ )So we have gotten a new seat (gift from Jim), new bike shorts (a gift from Laura), new gloves (a gift from Laura after I fell), new pedals (gift from Kevin ~ and he installed them) new tires are on their way (bought them myself), and "bike shoes" (bought by me because Kevin said that my soft soft soft shoes aren't helping my riding and in fact are hurting it because the fact that they are soft means they are pulling my energy away from the pedals and making me work ineffectively)

And so back to the point of what I was thinking... Would Mimi be happy with all this? I have no idea, she may have thought I was costing everyone time and money by not buying a new bike... But more likely she will be proud when I finish my ride on HER BIKE. Yup her blue bike because everything is pretty with a little blue in it.

thanks for the ramble

The rest of the pictures

Why won't these open???
Had to add them one at a time!

Good morning I have lots to say and lots to show

So this Saturday I did my first 20+ mile bike ride and also had my first ever fall. I hurt my elbow and my knee BUT the good news is that I got A LOT of crafting done while I was keeping my knee raised above my heart (and Jim blees him was an angel who babied me all weekend - I might have milked it a bit) So I finished my second fingerless mitten. Did sharon's third belt (sorry it took me so lond Sharon). Then I did half of a really cool project that I have promised myself I will show Tricia before I show anyone else... So hopefully I will see my friend soon! Then I crocheted myself a really cute little cell phone holder out of recycled sari silk. And lastly I made match books for my friend Kurt's wedding (well it's Joey's wedding too but Kurt is the one who wanted the matches) Also there are a ton of pictures (a couple weeks old) of Tyler because really can you ever have too many pictures of Tyler. AND special for Marianne there is a picture of me making a blanket like she makes... She does a better job, but my sister was happy with it.Ohhh and I posted pictures of the purse thing and the matches. Whatcha think?

Last but certainly not least

Introducing 1000 cranes (in their new home)

My drive home yesterday

So yesterday I was diverted around all of Wilmington...
Look what I drove up next to :-)
SO COOL

Finally a post with pictures :-)

This is mom and dad BEFORE they renewed their vows
This is the other half of the church
My sister singing
And my favorite vow picture

What to do in the rain?

Make mittens on course (okay well fingerless mittens :-)
I will post tomorrow about Friday and Saturday but I just wanted to put this pic up while I was home and had it!
This doesn't do any color justice BUT what do you expect from a camera phone?

I love bread

Do you love bread?
I do... My sister does Atkins when she wants to lose weight... I can't imagine this!
I love food with carbs. I would much rather work out and lost what I a, eating than not eat what I love.

So lately I have been on a homemade bread kick.
It started a few weeks ago when I was looking at my counters and cabinets and realized I have a vast amount of "gadgets" I guess I like gadgets... SO I was taking inventory and seeing what I could craigslist.
Toaster - Keep
Stand Mixer - Keep
Hand Mixer - CL
Popcorn maker - Keep
Microwave - Keep
Quesadilla Maker - Keep
Sandwich Maker - Keep
George Foreman Grill - Keep
Coffee Maker - Keep
Ronco Food Dehydrator - CL
Bread Machine - CL... Wait no! I can't CL it I like home made bread (who cares if I have had it for EVER and never used it)
So I ran to the store and bought some yeast and flour and whipped up a loaf of bread. Well from there a monster was created... I have made:
Zucchini Bread
White Bread
Cake Bread
Hawaiian Bread
Chocolate cake
and now I am going to try:
Portuguese sweet bread (bread machine)

1 c Milk
2 Eggs
2 tb Butter
1/3 c Sugar
3/4 ts Salt
3 c Bread flour
2 1/2 ts Yeast

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Should you prefer this even sweeter, increase sugar to: 1/2 Cup


I little bread makes for a happy home

So next time I am coming over... I'll bring bread :-)

Life is amazing

This weekend I was so busy and I didn't really get any chill time. BUT I did find pictures from my parents' wedding which was 50 years ago (this Friday) and I am making my mom an album... They have never had one. The photographer accidentally burned their negatives way back when and they only had a few photos. But I found some more from other family members and I photo edited some and now have enough for a little album. This is what I am giving them for their anniversary!
I hope they like it!
Here is one of my favorites!

It's the little things

So I haven't posted in a while because I am doing lots of little crafts and not really finishing ANY!
But last night I made a yummy dinner and wanted to give you the recipe in case you wanted a quick and easy meal (BTW Jim gave it 5 stars)

Boil 2 and 1/2 cups of water and 4 tablespoons of salsa (I used black bean and corn, and a package of taco seasoning (I used 30% lower sodium). When it reaches the boiling point mix in 2 1/2 cups of minute rice and 1 large can of Bush's vegetarian baked beans (fat free). Cover and remove from heat, let stand for 5 minutes.

While that is resting chop one or two tomatoes (I bought three and only ended up using one) and some lettuce (I bought the preshredded)

When Rice is ready serve on soft tortillas with FF cheese and cover with tomatoes and lettuce!

SO EASY and SO YUMMY

Hope you enjoy it.

Meanwhile it really is the little things in life that make me happy...
Today I am wearing my new favorite shoes. They are comfy and cozy and VERY not work appropriate BUT since all the big wigs are in Cancun I am wearing them and loving life!

Ciao Bella!

It's done!

I finished Joey's headpiece. And she really liked it! I am so happy about that... I spent a lot of time on it... And honestly not that I mind the time but through out the entire thing I kept worrying that it wasn't at all what she wanted... Turns out it was everything that she wanted :-)
UNFORTUNATELY I didn't take a picture.
However her wedding is pretty soon (June 30th) and I am sure that Brenna will have plenty of pictures of it :-)
I will post them then!

While we were at Joey's we went over to TCANN and saw the Foreigner... It was terrific. I literally laughed out loud! I higly suggest that for a good night out at MUCH less the cost of a night in town.
For more information visit TCANN @ http://www.natickarts.org/index.php

What do I do?!?

I must admit I haven't been crafting lately.
I have been so busy
Monday nights I teach Hippology
Tuesday night this week I have a 3 Apples meeting
Wednesday night I am getting together with Amy (we haven't seen each other since October)
Thursday night I am going to go see Tyler James (My latest and greatest obsession)
Friday night is date night
Saturday I am going to have to spend the whole day crafting because if I don't Joey is going to kill me since...
Sunday I am going over to Joey's house to give her the headpiece she is wearing for her wedding. Is it done you ask? NO. Has anything been done on it since the last time you showed it to her is your next question, right? Nope not a thing?
Can I possibly finish it in a few hours? Yes as long as I focus on that and NOTHING else.

Sorry I can't stay longer

But I have a lot to do...
Just wanted to introduce you all to Tyler. I was there for the delivery and held him before he was even 10 minutes old. Those are the moments I will treasure all my life!

I am a bad blogger!

There has been so much going on lately I haven't had a moment to sit down and write what's up...
Let's see work is busy

Home is busy
But this is what I have been doing at home:

Helping friends "flip that house" and painting. Though tomorrow night I will tile for them :-) I hope they get lots for the house.

For myself I have been working on Cheryl's dominos (Saturday is family day), Sharon's candy bowl (though in all honesty I have not worked too hard on this since I know that she isn't coming on Saturday and Lord on ly knows when I will see her again), belts for each of the girls. I am one away from being done and that one is for Alicia (probably saved hers for last because she will care the most about it). I am making a few mugs and that won't take me too long (pictures coming soon), and I would really like to make a lampshade for Cheryl too... But if that doesn't happen it doesn't happen but if it does it will look like this one:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_home_accessories/article/0,1789,HGTV_3255_3246783,00.html


And for fun I have been doing a latch hook rug... I am making it for baby Tyler who is making his great appearance on Monday the 27th of March. So please send good thoughts to Christy who is all done with being pregnant!

So the exciting news is that Christy is FINALLY having this baby and I am going to be an aunty again. The even better news is that I have Monday off so I can meet him the second he is born
:-)
I love him already

I know that this is a space cadet post but I also wanted to tell you about the book I am reading. It is Marley and Me and it was recommended to me by a friend. It is a great book! Supposedly it is about life and love with the world's worst dog. In reality it is a story from a man's point of view about his life and growing up and having kids and yeah there is a dog thrown in there too!

And what else is really cool is Jim and I signed up for dancing lessons with Kat and Adam. They start in May and are Friday nights from 7-8. What a great date night that will be! I am really excited about it and will let you know more as I know more.

Also starting tomorrow and once a month for the next 5 months I will be meeting with a nutritionist/hypnotist/yoga instructor to learn more. Again very exciting! I will post any interesting tid-bits that I learn.

Hmmmmm what else is going on? Ahhh yes I am participating in the Danskin Tri. I am really excited about the run and the bike but I am not too excited about the swim...
So far my training ideas are continue to run daily and start biking to the barn 2 days a week (9 miles each way) I need a new seat for my bike. I love my bike but the seat lacks in the comfort area! Once the weather gets better I plan on swimming in the lake at the very least 2 to 3 times a week, I will keep you updated on this too

Hugs to all and talk to you soon

Can you believe it?

This is the last day that I will ever be able to say that Jim and I have been married for two years... Tomorrow we hit 3. That is crazy to me. It feels like yesterday (time flies when you are having fun) It feels like eternity (I can't imagine not having him beside me in everything I do) but it doesn't feel like 3 years.


In case you were wondering what we have done for each other for gifts so far they are:
For the wedding I gave Jim Clarie and he gave me a Harp
For our first anniversary I gave Jim a LOTR poster signed by the cast and crew, and he gave me a set of books (Shel Silverstein) that I wanted and he made me a beautiful spoon ring from my Nana's silverware (first anniversary is paper)
For our second anniversary I gave Jim a set of sheets and love poems that I wrote him, he gave me trapese lessons (the cotton in there was the t-shirt!)

So we are celebrating tonight. Jim has to work tomorrow night :-(
Tonight we are going to Kyoto's for dinner (YUM) and just enjoying each other...
We can't give our gifts 'til tomorrow (I don't know why but it just wouldn't be right)
But since I know Jim never checks this (and even if he did he won't have time today)
I am going to tell you all what I got him (maybe throw in a picture or two as well)
You'll keep my secret won't you?

I got him a bow, arrows, a quiver, and a target... He likes archery and I thought this would be a lot of fun for him... He doesn't want to hunt just play so I got him a longbow (which Robyn made a face at) I hope he likes it... It took me FOREVER (ask anyone I work with) to pick out JUST the one I wanted. It came with some arrows so that was good I think since it then means that they are the correct length and draw weight for the arrow (I have learned SO much)

Then the quiver (which still hasn't come yet) and we are all set.

Do you remember being a kid?

Okay well not all the aspects of being a kid... Just the fun ones.
This week my sisters and I went to a craft class at the condo where we have been staying (and where Jim and I will be in just a few hours) This was not an adults craft class and we knew that going in... We were going to make Paper-Mache snowmen... With flour and water paste... It was great. We had a blast. Sharon got to mix the goo and then Cheryl and I dipped out newspaper in. It was a great time. We acted like little kids and got dirty. We laughed so hard we cried... It was a kodak moment (and we didn't have a camera) it is a moment I will remember forever! Tomorrow I go pick up my little man and I will put a few pictures of him online... We are also taking "Journal making" and "Spool animals" Yup it is great to be a kid all over again. I think that we should all do it for just a little while each day...

So TAG YOU'RE IT

So much fun

Last night I *started* to work on dominoes for Cheryl and a rain stick for Bekah but then I decided to just have fun (Crafting is fun most of the time but last night I literally wanted to play)
So a while back my sister bought me a trading spaces doll house (because she knows I used to love Trading Spaces) like the one in here BUT it was only a one story (sorry it won't load ~ I wll take a picture of mine)... For some reason this looked like so much fun to me. It was pretty easy and I had a great time... Jim and I were like little kids. Now I want so cute (yet sturdy) furniture so the kids will have something to play with at my house!

yippee kie yie yay

I finished!
I finished baby Tyler's blanket...
It is all boy! I am so happy with how it came out and how much I thought about this baby I don't even know yet but love already... And it worked out just great because as I worked in the last piece of yarn my phone rang and it was Christy asking if when she goes into labor (as if she hasn't already been doing THAT for months) if it's in the middle of the night can she call me and I can take care of the girls so that Corey's parents don't have to (I really really think this is her way of keeping me out of the hospital because I am not a good hospital person)
But since the doctors said it is okay that she has the baby anytime now... (still a couple months early) and my blanket is done let the baby come!

Aww come on I want to cuddle the baby!
Anyway here is the picture of my affectionately titled all boy blanket

What's up chicken butt?

LOL Gary I heart you...

So lately I have been ignoring a lot of crafts INCLUDING baby Tyler's afghan (I think I am about one skein from done and since it feels like he will never be born I am not hurrying)

What have I been doing to keep my hands busy? Well a million little things ~ OR more acurately a thousand little things. I have been making 1000 cranes for peace. As of today I have 125 done and still have quite a number to do. I am hoping to finish them for Mother's Day... I think my mom will rally like them as a gift. At first I thought I was going to hang them for her and then I realized it would be many strands of birds in her house (and I am not sure that that's the look she is going for...) then I thought I would put them in a box and decorate the box for her, now I am leaning towards one of those LARGE mason jars because I can not imagine that all the hours of work that I have put into these cranes being stuffed into a box never to see the light of day again. It would break my heart...

Speaking of hearts yesterday was Valentine's day. It was a great day. Jim had to work late on Monday and I had a great opportunity to make him his surprise gift. I made home made Maple-nut party mix... You would have thought I gave the man a million dollars... All that commotioin and the recipe was pretty easy (okay I will grant you it is a bit time consuming but it was easy.

Maple-Nut Party mix

1/4 cup butter or margarine (I used butter)
1/3 cup of brown sugar (I used dark that is what I had in the house)
2 Tablespoons of maple syrup (I used Aunt Jemima)
4 cups Rice Chex
4 cups corn Chex
1 cup peanuts (they said honey roasted but I didn't get them because they have gelatin on them and I wanted to be able to try this treat that my husband talks about frequently)


Pre-heat oven @ 225
In a roasting pan (in the oven) melt the butter. When fully melted mix in brown sugar and maple syrup. Allow brown sugar to disolve. After the sugar is disolved mix in the remaining 3 ingredients. This is where the time comes in. This needs to cook for 45 minutes. It also needs to be thoroughly stirred every fifteen minutes. After the 45 minutes spread on to a wax paper sheet and allow to cool fully. Store in an air tight container

*** I honestly was SHOCKED by this recipe. I couldn't for the life of me (while I was making it) understand why my husband would like such a sticky mess. But somehow when it cools down it loses it's stickiness***


And I will admit to YUM!

This one's for Tircia

(said in the tone of IZ as he says this one's for Gabby)
This morning I was driving Stephanie to school when I figured out something...
MY life is broken down into thirds...
I spend 8 hours a day working, 8 hours each night sleeping (Hey what can I say my body needs rest), and 8 hours a day doing whatever I wish. FURTHERMORE I figure that 1/3 of my life is gone (a fact that freaked me out like crazy) SO I have 1/3 of each day to decide what to do with. AND I should decide to do things that I enjoy and not do the things that I hate (unless they help someone else) So here are the things that I have decided I will do... I will continue to have crafts that make sense to noone but me. I will go places (near or far) that make me happy, I will surround myself with people I love and allow those I don't to go their way and surround themselves ith people who love and cherish them.
And here are the things that I will not do (or try not to do) I will not stress over the things I can not change. I will not pretend to be someone else to make ANYONE in this world happy. I will not say that something is wonderful if it's not. I will not hurt anyone's feelings knowingly, and most importantly (for me) is that I will not let my feelings be hurt by people who I know don't mean to hurt my feelings they just spoke before they thought...

So what does this mean for you my friends? (Well in this case Tricia) That my blog will continue to be filled with things that I make that you may or may not like but are more than welcome to your opinion. But it will also be filled with fun things that I do, or interesting places that I see, or emotions that I feel...

In that spirit I will tell you that I left a 3 Apples meeting last night to go listen to Blue speak. Brother Blue is a storyteller, more importantly he is my friend. He is talented and earnest, and truthful to his love... He tells every Tuesday at Harvard Divinity... He has had Jim as the feature and my friend Laura as the feature but VERY VERY rarely he himself features and last night was one of those nights... A gift! A very real present...

Wow did this day fly by...

It feels like I just barely got up and now it is time to leave work.

Today I got and worked out (The Denise Austin workout) then while I was watching Crafters coast to coast I (for the first 15 minutes) used the stairmaster and for the 2nd 15 minutes I crocheted some more of Jim's scarf... At this rate it will be August before he gets it.

I am very excited. I learned how to do some origami... I am making paper cranes.
They say that folding the cranes promotes world peace. There is a legend and it says that when you finish 1000 God is so pleased with your effort of peace that he grants you one wish and one to whom you give the cranes...

Bigger isn't always better

I have been making this afghan for Tyler (my nephew who is due in a few months) and I have been thinking about him and how much I love him the whole time I have been crocheting it. I wanted to be sure that it was packed full of love and warmth. But even though I have never met him I already love him BIG. and that BIG part went into the blanket... So I have used up a few skeins of yarn and I go to my sister's house to show her this beautiful piece of love I have made. She looks at it and asks me who it is for. I told her it was for little baby Ty. She asks me where I got the pattern.

Pattern ~ What pattern... I mean come on now I only know one stitch and I am fairly certain that they don't have a single crochet pattern available. Well she points out to me that it is rather large (what do I know what size baby afghans are supposed to be.) and takes it over to Alicia's twin bed to try it on there... Nope too big hit the ground on both sides. SO low a behold I am pulling it apart and starting again. The good side of this (and there are many) I won't need to use nearly as much of the $10 a skein yarn AND it won't even take me as long to make... I am after all hoping to have it done by Sunday (the super secret shower day) Wish me luck!

Today I am wearing art that I made

It is so cool. I got a compliment on my pin and I have shown off my bracelet to anyone I pass by.

Talk to you soon

quick picture post

I just wanted to show you all the new crafts I have been making.

The first is a felted wool bracelet (I made it all myself including the felted beads)



The second is the "secret project" it is a bowl made of hand made papers. I want to work at another one so I can make it keep it's shape better... It is made to be a fruit bowl. It is pretty hard and after four weeks of "curing" it will be able to be washed with a damp soapy cloth.



More pictures coming...
Siobhan's skirt is coming up soon~

Oooh yeah, oooh yeah

I am almost done!
With a craft I haven't told you about... Why you ask? Because (like all my crafts) it was something I made up in my head. But this one I wasn't sure would succeed. YAY it looks like it has... I have another 30 minutes or so worth of work on it and then you all can see my latest creation. I will be making a few of these if people like them. And if you are one of those people I will give you one too...
My mom loved this first one so it goes to her. Then I am planning on a different type of one for Jim and lastly one for my friend Diana who just got married...
Jim will love it (as he has watched me sweat over this one...

When I finish this it is back to Jim's scarf and a toy for Bekah

Hope your day is happy

This has nothing to do with crafting but part of me always being Joy

I read this on Boston.com and it looked like a book I will have to read...

WHICH REMINDS ME! I read a really cute book (well I am not sure that cute is the word) it is called Heroes, hooks, and Heirlooms and if anyone wants to borrow it I will happily share :-D

What makes a marriage work?

Frank essays from female writers
By Diana Brown, Globe Correspondent January 24, 2006

TEWKSBURY -- For 18 months, Jean Trounstine and Karen Propp met in cafes, deliberated via e-mail, and chatted by phone as they co-edited a collection of moving, honest essays about marriage by a roster of heavy-hitting writers. Along the way, they discovered their collaboration itself mirrored a marriage.

''I found myself getting angry at you for the same thing that I get angry at my husband," Propp, who lives in Cambridge, said as the two friends talked in Trounstine's Tewksbury living room. Trounstine knew instantly: Propp became upset whenever she felt controlled or infringed upon.
That professional bond helped fuel the creative process for their book, ''Why I'm Still Married: Women Write Their Hearts Out on Love, Loss, Sex, and Who Does the Dishes," due in bookstores today.
The book evolved from a discovery they made in 2004 after first meeting at a reading in Providence. Having coffee afterward, they realized they both had written essays titled ''Why I'm Still Married." The title stuck because it resonated and made people chuckle.
''In working on this book; I felt less alone in my marriage," said Propp, 48, who has taught writing at Boston College, the University of Massachusetts, and the University of New Hampshire. She has been married for 10 years and has an 8-year-old son. ''People will be able to find themselves in these essays."
''The book allows you to feel that your own marriage is OK," said Trounstine, 59, a writer and playwright who teaches at Middlesex Community College in Lowell. She has been married for 18 years and has no children. ''As long as you have more happy days than not, then you feel you're in the right place with the right person. But it's a range, and we give people permission to have a range."
Reading the book is like listening to a chorus of women's voices, peeling away layers on individual marriages. It's an introspective look inside a private, richly nuanced part of life. It's confessional, but it also reads like a collection of philosophies about how an eclectic group of women navigates the bumpy, circuitous, steep, joyous, frightening, dark, and, ultimately, triumphant road into intimate partnerships.
To tell the stories, Propp and Trounstine assembled a collection of 24 writers with impressive oeuvres, including Marge Piercy, Ann Bernays, Erica Jong, Susan Cheever, Diana Abu-Jaber, Julia Alvarez, ZZ Packer, and Bharati Mukherjee. They are Fulbright fellows, National Book Critics Circle Award winners, PEN award winners, Pushcart Prize and O. Henry winners. Nearly half live in New England. ''We asked to hear about the longings, losses, and betrayals in conjugal life that had tested their commitment," Propp and Trounstine wrote in the book's introduction.
They questioned why women still marry. ''We know the dismal statistics: more than 50 percent of contemporary marriages end in divorce; married women are more depressed than married men and significantly more depressed than single women; married women with young children are the most depressed population.
''We wanted to know about the real marriages that survive, despite obstacles and struggles. We wanted people who were smart, articulate, funny, brave, and, above all, honest," they wrote.
In some cases, the authors are wrenchingly honest. Propp dissects her husband's rages in her essay, ''Matching Luggage." ''This is not an essay about healthy anger, the cleansing honesty that comes when both people trust each other enough to let their feelings rip . . . This is a story about an anger that's as bewildering as it is shameful -- a hidden emotional spring in which I almost drowned."
Susan Dworkin wrote about being married to a man who is estranged from his father: ''It was my very first encounter with the wages of divorce and the rage of abandoned kids. A bitter lesson, it lived on in my mind." She and her husband endured separation and reconciliation. ''You think everything was perfect after that? No way. Perfect is for kids, and we were -- finally -- grown-ups."
In the mix, there are children of divorce, lesbians, women who have been married once or three times, and women who have open marriages in which affairs are tolerated and celebrated. They endure cancer, strokes, heart attacks, and other health crises that can bring partners closer.
''Marriage is primal stuff -- two people confronting their own mortality," Jong wrote in her essay. ''It is not for the faint of heart. It is not for beginners."
Propp and Trounstine embarked on this literary expedition shortly after May 17, 2004, the day same-sex marriage became legal in Massachusetts -- a topic that is covered in the book by writers Elizabeth Graver and Helen Fremont. ''We fill the gaps for each other; growing into the holes left behind. We double up and increase our resistance; we are twice as brave," Fremont wrote.
Interspersed in the book, which is much more literary in tone than a ''how-to" manual, are words of advice. ''It's the angry silences that torpedo [marriages]," Jong wrote. ''Good marriages are noisy."
And the writers tried to grapple with the notion of why they stay together. ''Maybe what keeps us married is the hand that reaches across the abyss to comfort, a moment in darkness that outlasts all the fleeting brilliance of daylight," wrote Trounstine in her essay, ''The Finish Line." ''It takes us through the tough spots -- illness, job loss, our broken hearts."
Packer offered: ''We got married for love, yet we remain married for the times when love is as apparent and as obvious as the sun rising yet another day, and for all the times when our love seems so distant that we wonder why we bother with each other at all."

There are so many things going on

Friday night I was too sick to go on date night! All I wanted was bread pudding and a bed... I got both :-D The only other thing I did was start a blanket for Baby Tyler. I love love love the yarn I bought. It is chunky and beautiful...

Saturday we were LOVING the almost 60 degree weather. What fabulous temperatures for January! Best thing ever...
On Saturday I got up and LAZILY went for a run... Got a few miles in! Then I picked up Christy and her girls and we all stayed ver my sister Cheryl's house for a day of fun and food. At 6:30 I got my mom to a wedding in no time flat. (she had the wrong date and didn't want to miss the wedding) The great thing about this is that I got to have a DATE NIGHT with my husband... YAY ~ Love you Jim!

Sunday was a little cleaning and a lot of meeting with Joey and Kurt to plan their wedding

Fun times all around.

Make it up as you go along

That is how I craft and how I live...
I figured that out this weekend while I was crafting with some friends of mine... I decided Siobhan needed a skirt. I know one stitch, that's enough for a skirt, right? Well I figured that it would be if I just winged it! So I did... I think it is coming out JUST as I wanted it and I am certain she will love it! But that is how I live life too I just make it up as I go along... What more can you do? There are no patterns on living and loving happily, are there? And what happens if you miss a line of the directions? Are you just screwed? I dunno but I figure I will just stick with my just wing it attitude!
So I think that both my life and my skirt are just what is needed

Talk to you soon

A balancing act

I have been balncing my life between all my loves...
First and foremost my husband (the world's cutest man)
Then working out
and
lastly crafting...
So my time crafting has been less this week than it was in the past few weeks but I am enjoying it rather than rushing it... I did manage to finish a belt and start another, paint some of the world's ugliest maracas head, start a bowl that I want to make, and make some paper. The only thing I didn't get done was working on Jim's scarf AND Siobhan's skirt BUT I will work on both of those this weekend... My lofty dreams for the weekend? Finish the belt I am on and one more, get a good chunk of Jim's scarf done (think until I run out of yarn type of chunk) and Siobhan's skirt...
I am having a HUGE (great big) dilemma with this one. I have decided that I am going to crochet a sort of skirt onto a tee shirt for her... This shouts (yells and screams) Siobhan to me. My question is whether I should make scallops or free design long lengths.
I guess it depends on which yarn I choose. I am going to pick a yarn that I have already... Hopefully it speaks to me :-)

And if on the VERY odd chance I finish all that I am going to start my first ever belt for ME!!!
YAY. I bought the yarn the other day and I loved it right away (didn't hurt it was 50% off)

But my favorite part of my WHOLE weekend?
DATE night with the hubby tonight and I think I know where we are going, I'll let you know on Monday if I was right!

What a weekend~

This weekend I got A LOT done!
I went to a craft day with some ladies... Always a great time and I worked a little on Jim's scarf, a little on Kat's shawl, a little on a belt for Kristin...

Not a whole lot of progress but a lot of fun.
Also after that I found out that Christy is in pre term labor so I hoping to hurry and finish the projects I have going on. I want to start a baby blanket (how hard is a baby blanket when you only know 1 stitch? I am thinking a fluffy yarn and a large crochet hook will be my answer...)

Yesterday I started to make paper. I have decided I need to make some paper crafts (I need to stop watching HGTV)

Ohhh what a night?!?

Last night I had a Three Apples meeting. At 7:00? Which is such an inconvenient time to have a meeting... It means you have to decide if you are going home from from work for 1/2 an hour and then driving right by your work to get where you are going OR you can opt to go to a quick dinner alone and find something else to kill the 2 hours between leaving work and the meeting beginning.
I opted for a great dinner at Panera.
Great dinner you ask?
Heck yeah! Black Bean Soup in a bread bowl sitting by the fire crocheting a scarf for your soul mate. Does it get ANY better? Nope not at all unless you want to add in that I found the most beautiful icelandic wool yarn at Fabric Place (across the hall from Panera) and so I bought some and a crochet hook and started away... two bites of soup, a row of scarf, etc. etc. It was great and I was shocked how soom it was time to head to the meeting! I think this is my new favorite project. The yarn is good and I am getting better so that there aren't any too obvious mistakes

Life at a slower pace

Well now that Christmas is over (so sad) and I don't "need" to get any done I have really been having fun crafting. I am making maracas, and another belt (love this one best ever), working on scallops for Kat's shawl, and that is about it!

The maracas are TOO cute for words. I saw them at Homegoods, fell in love but they were all chipped up so they really couldn't be given as gifts... I bought the two they had on clearance and am now making a few of them from the start to finish. When I finish the HG ones and make 1 or 2 of my own I will take pictures of them and you can tell me which you like better...

What are your newest crafts