The beautiful bride and her wonderful day!

I was so happy my friends okayed me putting pictures of them up on my blog!

So here they are all in their wedding beauty!
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I love these!

It's only words.
You.
Can.
Only.
Type.
One.
Word.

No.
Explanations.

1. Yourself: Happy
2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend (spouse): Bowling
3. Your hair: straight
4. Your mother: amazing
5. Your father: sigh
6. Your favorite item: Volvo
7. Your dream last night: Scary
8. Your favorite drink: Water
9. Your dream car: Mini
10. The room you are in: Hobby
11. Your ex: Who
12. Your fear: Fat
13. What you want to be in 10 years? degreed
14. Who you hung out with last night? husband
15. What you're not? confident
16. Muffins: Fattening
17. One of Your Wish List Items: Painting
18. Time: 7:35
19. The last thing you did: Journal
20. What you are wearing: Ugly
21. Your favorite weather: summer
22. Your favorite book: Pony
23. The last thing you ate: Breakfast
24. Your life: goodish
25. Your mood: Hopeful
26. Your best friend: Jim
27. What are you thinking about right now? Wedding
28. Your car: Love
29. What are you doing at the moment? This
30. Your summer: Horses
31. Your relationship status: married
32. What is on your TV? Off
33. What is the weather like? Rain
34. When is the last time you laughed? afternoon

Your turn!

Birds of a feather?

I am sure you remember the 1000 birds and that I swore up and down I would never make birds again? WELL I am making birds again. This time it is for a "Flamingo pink, Aqua blue, and Vanilla ice cream" swap. So I figured I would do a mason jar full of those colored birds, I mean how many birds can it take to fill a mason jar? Well I don't exactly know the answer to that YET... I am at 90 and there is still room for more so I am guessing it is over 100... Hmmm who knew that little birds took up SO little space. Meanwhile the color combination is awesome and I will take a picture before I send it.
And I think I am back addicted to origami. I really need to learn more designs. Birds get old fast.
Oooooh Oooooh Oooooh while I was at Marianne's this week I made another cancer tree hat and I started another one. I think it's pretty but I think Marianne thinks it's soft :-)

And lastly since I won't tell anyone my weight and there fore can't be in the weekly weigh ins I will just post here that this week I got in a good amount of workout (the shortest day was half an hour and the longest was an hour and a half) and I worked out every day. Tomorrow I have a dentist appointment at 8:30 and then am going to get my fingers and toes done for Michelle's wedding and after that my eyebrows and hair! Wow I think I will be a whole new person tomorrow night. So my goal is to be up by 6:30 to get an hour ride in before I head out for the day. Wish me well

Have a great weekend and CONGRATULATIONS MICHELLE - I CAN NOT WAIT TO SEE YOU WALK DOWN THE AISLE ON SUNDAY!

Flowers flowers everywhere

Here's a few pictures
2 of the baby plants I have grown from seed - forget me nots and tomatoes!
And my Lani turned 50 last weekend and gave me her flowers (how sweet) I haven't finished her gift yet though because I am working on making the beads from polymer clay... I'll get there! And of course I can't help but put in a couple pictures of mom. Look at the cute little stuffie she was sent by one of my swapping friends :-)
And Tyler loved (not) being read to on Easter
And I thought you all mike like to see Punkin again

A fun Tuesday night

In case you were wondering what I was doing Tuesday night here it is!


I got home from work and got a phone call from my sister's friend saying that she had two tickets to that night's game did my mom and Abby want to go the tickets would only be $70 total. The week before mom had said no but this week she said yes...
I talked Jim into driving in with me I figured we could just hang out on Yawkey Way and have a great time. Well when we got in the friend (who owns the sausage cart at gate B) had free VALET parking for us and got Jim and I two free standing room only tickets! He also stocked us full of sausages peppers and onions AND hot dogs AND sodas. So in we went! It was the best time EVER! Here are a few pictures from what was a great evening even if Papelpon bombed!

You have to love Varitek


Such a great shot of Schilling (none of Papelbon though)


We had such a good time

A rambling thinking type of post...

AGAIN WITH NO PICTURES!

But peek back tomorrow and you ought to be pleasantly surprised!

So I have two things I wanted to tell you and neither of them is really worth a post but together maybe they will be...

First off I just finished a book called "one shenandoah winter" and it really struck home with me. It was about a woman who was taking care of her uncle who they find out was dying of cancer. All in all the book depressed me BUT there was one paragraph that struck a chord. I am not sure it was a good chord but it was at least one I recognized. It said something to the fact of caring for poppa Joe had sapped Carrie of her anger, that quick wit that had hung with her all of her days was now gone - gone with the caring words and looks and touches she gave poppa Joe as she helped him journey into the end of his days. I FEEL THAT! I don't seem to be angry anymore - no more road rage, no more hurt feelings pretty much none of that. Even the energy that I used to have is gone. I can sit now I don't NEED to be doing something at every minute of the day, rest is something and it is now something I relish. I am still working out but more because I ought to than I want to... I hope that that changes someday!

Secondly a little story about my sister. For the first year that I can remember I am going to give her a birthday present on her birthday. You might wonder if she lives far away but that isn't the case, she lives right in town. It is simply that she is a Jehovah's Witness and she doesn't celebrate birthdays... This year however is a big birthday for her and Kat (an angel on earth) has explained to her that it is important for those of us who love her to bits and pieces to show her on the day we celebrate her life. And for this one year she has agreed! So next month I will be giving a gift and some strawberry shortcake to one of my all time favorite people. One of the very few people who can talk me off the ledge, I am beyond excited - mostly because it's okay with her! Another quick story about my sister she is the only one (other than my mom) who never forgets my birthday NEVER every single year she calls me up and leaves a message on my machine that says she is so glad that I am alive and that God brought me into her family. It makes me smile every year, every year I look forward to that call to me that means birthday! The only year she didn't do that was the year my grandmother died right before my birthday and she was afraid that we both would cry to hard so that year she sent me a plant saying just that!

Ooopsy I have a third thing I want to mention. The other night I ended up having to go out to dinner by myself (long story) and was sat next to a table of young 20 year olds. The young man excused himself to go have a cigarette and when he came back the ladies gave him shit about it. Well his reply kicked me (and probably anyone else with an IQ) in the chest. He said "Oh cigarettes don't really cause cancer, it's like everything else - Eggs cause cancer so you better not eat eggs, microwaves cause cancer so don't eat anything in the microwave, charcoal causes cancer so no barbeques, alcohol causes cancer so you better not drink, and the only thing that doesn't cause cancer is carrots but if we wait a few weeks that will cause it too."

I realize that we live in a time where they are discovering things rapidly but has ANY science or medicine ACTUALLY SAID cigarettes don't cause cancer? Nope not at all... I wanted to grab this man and let him know how much cancer sucks the life out of a family and if he can do anything to ensure that his odds are a little better he ought to do it!

Well I better leave this happy so:

Knock knock

Who's there

Just Wanda

Just Wanda who?

Just Wanda wish you a happy day!

I have been pretty good lately at updating this sucker

Though not at posting pictures....

ANYWAY
Be honest I can't wait to learn more about you all.This is fun. Hope
I receive it back from you.

Read through the comments below about your friend and then make sure you read
the instruction at the bottom.
Place an X by all the things you've done, or remove the X from the ones
you have not, and send it to all of your friends (including me.) This is for
your entire life:

( ) Smoked a cigarette
( ) Drank so much you threw up.
( ) Crashed in a friend's car.
( ) Stolen a car
(X) Been in love
(X) Been dumped
(X) Been Laid off/fired
(X) Quit your job
( ) Been in a fist fight - But I always say I will punch someone in the head if they are mean to a friend of mine (ANY OF MY FRIENDS)
( ) Sneaked out of your parent's house
( ) Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back
( ) Gone on a blind date
(X) Lied to a friend
(X) Skipped school
(X) Seen someone die
(x) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico
(X) Been on a plane
(X) Been lost - Ummmm yeah the vast majority of my life
(X) Been on the opposite side of the country
(X) Gone to Washington , DC
(X) Swam in the ocean
(x) Felt like dying
(X) Cried yourself to sleep - More often than I care to admit
(x) Played cops and robbers
(x) Recently colored with crayons - AND COLORED PENCILS!!! I made Shrinky Dinks this weekend
(x) Sang karaoke
(x) Paid for a meal with only coins - I used to work @ Uno's I would pay for lunch there all the time with change
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
( ) Made prank phone calls
( ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
( ) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(X) Made a snow angel
(x) Danced in the rain - heck Jim and I have limboed in the rain at a county fair where everyone else was afraid to be out
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(x) Been kissed under the mistletoe - I am certain I have but just in case I will buy some this Christmas and tell J to kiss me :-)
(x) Watched the sunrise with someone you care about
(x) Blown Bubbles
( ) Made a bonfire on the beach
(x) Crashed a party
(X) Gone roller skating
(X) Gone ice skating

OK, here are the questions:
What time is it? 10:14 AM
What is your full name? Joy Laurel Clark-LaChapelle
Most recent movie you have seen in the theater? Little Miss Sunshine
Seen a ghost: no
Where were you born? [Boston , MA
Ever been toilet papering? No
Loved someone so much it made you cry? yes
Been in a serious car accident? yes, if you mean there was a lot of damage
Do you plan to have any/more Children? Hmmmmm
Favorite day of the week? saturday
Favorite Restaurant? Pacino's in Florida with Jim when it's warm and we cuddle
Favorite sport to watch? Baseball / football
Favorite Ice Cream? Why on Earth would I pick a favorite
Favorite Shake flavor at a fast food restaurant? Shamrock
Favorite food at a restaurant? pasta
What color is your bedroom carpet? Grey
What is your favorite alcoholic drink? Whatever Kat makes me
Favorite nonalcoholic drink? water
Tattoos? No
Body piercing? ears
What is your favorite vacation spot? Disney
Ever steal any traffic signs? No
Favorite Salad Dressing? Ranch
Favorite Holiday? Thanksgiving
Favorite food? Ice Cream
Favorite sound? Jim's breath when I lay on him
What do you do to relax? Bathy
How do you see yourself in 10 years? Same as now with a better job
Furthest place you will send this? ???
How many times did you fail your driver's test? ZERO
From whom did you get your last e-mail? Dee
What do you do when you are bored? BORED???????
Who will respond to this e-mail the quickest? Whoever reads it and wants to play
Who is the least likely to respond? Whoever reads it and doesn't want to play
Who is the person that you are most curious to see their answers? All
Favorite TV show? None
Ford or Chevy? neither
What are you listening to right now? office noises
How many pets do you have? I can't count
The chicken or the egg? I dunno
What would you like to accomplish before you die? Make a difference

Not for Marianne

Hey all,
I just thought that maybe you would like one of my all time favorite recipes... Okay okay we don't need to mention that I have actually never made this recipe but my Mum does and I love the way it comes out!

Mum's Banana Bread

Ingredients
3 mashed Bananas
3 Large Egg Whites
2 cups of Flour (all purpose is the recommended)
3/4 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda

Directions
Mix together bananas and egg whites until fully combined.
Sift in 2 cups of flour after that is mixed in add remaining ingredients and put in a greased loaf pan.
Cook at 350* for 1 hour

Do I have a life?

I stole this from Erin's blog. It seems that people are saying that if you’ve seen over 85 movies, that you have no life and to copy this list to your blog and mark the movies you’ve seen. There are 239 films on this list.

My count is 29! And that incldes one that I may not have seen all of but paid enough attention to that I knew the name. I am not sure this means I have a life.

Oooooh but last night was so much fun I think we started a new tradition. Jim and I went to Joey and Kurt's house and we hid Easter eggs and had a great dinner, it was lots of fun!

( ) Rocky Horror Picture Show
( )Grease
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean
( ) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
( )Fight Club
( ) Starsky and Hutch
( X)Neverending Story
( )Blazing Saddles
( ) Airplane
( ) The Princess Bride
( ) AnchorMan
( ) Napoleon Dynamite
( )Labyrinth
( ) Saw
( ) Saw II
( )White Noise
( ) White Oleander
( )Anger Management
(X)50 First Dates
(X) The Princess Diaries
(X) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
( )Scream
( ) Scream 2
( ) Scream 3
( ) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
( ) American Pie
( ) American Pie 2
( ) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
(X) Harry Potter 1
( ) Harry Potter 2
( ) Harry Potter 3
( ) Harry Potter 4
( ) Resident Evil 1
( ) Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
( ) The Village
(X) Lilo & Stitch
(x) Finding Nemo
( ) Finding Neverland
( ) Signs
( ) The Grinch (I'm assuming this is the Jim Carrey one)
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) White Chicks
( ) Butterfly Effect
( )13 Going on 30
( ) I, Robot
( ) Robots
( ) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
( ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
( ) Along Came Polly
( ) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
(x) Never Been Kissed
( ) Meet The Parents
( ) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
( ) Joe Dirt
( ) King Kong
( ) A Cinderella Story
( ) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
( ) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
( ) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
( ) Halloween
( ) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving Christmas
( ) Flubber
( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
( ) Practical Magic
( ) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
( ) Hellboy
( ) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
(X) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards
( ) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child’s Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
(x) Ten Things I Hate About You
( ) Just Married
( ) Gothika
( ) Nightmare on Elm Street
( ) Sixteen Candles
(x) Remember the Titans
(x) Coach Carter
( ) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
( ) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
( ) Bad Boys
( ) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number SlevIn
(X) Ocean’s Eleven
(x) Ocean’s Twelve
( ) Bourne Identity
( ) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
( ) Bedazzled
( ) Predator I
( ) Predator II
( ) The Fog
( ) Ice Age
( ) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
( ) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( ) Christine
(X) E.T.
( ) Children of the Corn
( ) My Bosses Daughter
(X) Maid in Manhattan
( ) War of the Worlds
( ) Rush Hour
( ) Rush Hour 2
( ) Best Bet
(X) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
( ) She’s All That
( ) Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
( ) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
( ) Ever After
(X) Wizard of Oz
(X) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
( )The Terminator
( ) The Terminator 2
( ) The Terminator 3
( ) X-Men
( ) X-2
( ) X3
( ) Spider-Man
( ) Spider-Man 2
( ) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
( ) Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Little Mermaid
( ) Freaky Friday (The Jodi Foster one?)
( ) Reign of Fire
( ) The Skulls
( ) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
(X) Shrek
(X) Shrek 2
( ) Swimfan
( ) Miracle on 34th street
( ) Old School
(X) The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf’s Tribe
( ) A Walk to Remember
(x) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
( ) The 40-year-old Virgin
( ) Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
( ) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
( ) Lord of the Rings: Return Of the King
( ) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
( ) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
( ) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
( ) Base-ketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
(X) Elf
( ) Highlander (“There can be only ONE!”)
( ) Mothman Prophecies
( ) American History X
( ) Three
( ) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
(X) Monsters Inc.
(X) Titanic
( ) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
( ) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard
( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
( ) Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
( ) Hook
(x) Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
( ) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
( ) Waterworld
( ) Kill Bill Vol. 1
( ) Kill Bill Vol. 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
( ) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) the Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave(
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness (Shop smart Shop S Mart)
( ) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
( ) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
( ) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
( ) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
( ) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
( ) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks: Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks: The Battle For Endor
( ) The Matrix
( ) The Matrix: Reloaded
( ) The Matrix: Revolutions
( ) Animatrix
( )Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
( ) Team America: World Police
( ) Red Dragon
(X) Silence of the Lambs (and in all honesty I am not sure how I got talked into this one - it traumatized me for a long time to come)
( ) Hannibal

Happy Birthday Needles

Today is Needles' 42nd birthday! In human years that is about the equivalent of living to 126! Pretty impressive for a horse that only cost me a dollar. She has long been blind and weak but she seems to suffer no pain and still can make me smile like few others

In light of that today I am going to tell you a story about my Needles... She has been my best buddy for such a long time that she is a part of me and I don't know what my life would be like without her.
When I was 12 years old I spent every waking hour at the barn, Needles and I would do EVERYTHING together (Break my back, climb impossible mountains, eat hamburgers... Yes at that point we both did eat "Uncle Mickey's" burgers...) Well one of my all time favorite pasttimes was to sit against her hind legs and rest my feet against her front legs and read a book, that way her body would sheild me from the sun or the rain and never once did she try to move for fear I would get hurt. I would sit there for hours and hours and let the world go by. Those are memories that I will never forget and I am so grateful to this beloved beast who gave them to me! Here is the only picture of her that I have at work...

Wow!

I can't believe that I haven't posted in almost a month. Sorry about that ladies. I haven't been too too crafty lately. BUT I have been having some fun on Swap-Bot. I have been sending out some really fun things and it really has gotten me to branch out onto some new crafts that I never would have tried before (No Erin not knitting) and I am enjoying it. If you haven't checked it out feel free to at www.swap-bot.com

But a few things have happened in the last month that might be interesting.

+ After 7 1/2 weeks in the hospital mom came home and promptly went on vacation... It's nice to live the life of a DIVA!
+ We got a cat! Her name is Punkin and it really suits her, she is just a love and she smiles when you pat her.
+ Tyler James turned one!!! My little baby is now a little boy. He has figured out how to crawl, stand up, and even WALK (holding on all the way) AND BEST OF ALL I swear he says Aunty!

Sorry this is boring, I meant to take a picture of Erin's finished bag but I didn't!
This is the most recent picture of mom. Hope you like it!

Picture-less post

What fun is a post with no pictures? Well probably none... But I figured I would just check in and tell you all what I have been up to lately.
~ I am continuing on my goal of 52 hats for the MGH cancer tree and think I am well on my way. I will take a picture and let you all see it.
~ I am also well into a poncho for the loverly Miss Michelle!
~ I am making a neck roll for a swap that I joined.
~ I finished and just have to mail the felted bag for the Fabulous Erin.
~ I completed and gave (that is the miracle part) a very SOFT hat to the wonderful Marianne.
~ I have managed to get myself back into a routine of working out every morning before work.
~ I am buying a cheap road bike so that I can get those rides in to clear my head.
~ I am seriously contemplating joining a yoga class (yes I have it at home but I think that going out someplace once a week would be good)
~ Mom is doing pretty well and it finally occured to me (today) to take my looming to the hospital with me while I visit. I always did this at MGH and it just never ever occured to me at the new hospital... DUH!
~ I have found Christina's in Inman Square can I say YUMMY?

So what have all of you been up to?

Happy Valentine's Day

I debated whether I should post this or not... It's not anything about crafting BUT it is about me. I love Valentine's day. I have always loved Valentine's Day! Even when I was a florist and it meant a day full of work more work than I thought a person could do I loved it.

There is something about a day full of love that seems so right to me. I mean there is no religious barrier, and no cultural no-nos, it is great and I love it!

Happy Happy Valentine's Day to each and every one of you! I love each of you and wish you a wonderful day and a lifetime filled with love!

Holy shit - a thought

So I just woke up with the weirdest thought. I was an aunt when I was 5 (or -2 if you include the steps which for the most part I do but they do not need to be a part of this equation), before I was 25 Christy made me a great aunt and in all probability I will be a great-great aunt before I am 50 and a great-great-great aunt in my lifetime! That is messed up... I don't even know anyone who is a great great great aunt. So since this is a post about my kin here's a few photos.
Hugging the tree is Kat
Jarred is holding Kasey
I've got Tyler
Jeff and Kelly are sitting at the table
Alicia is giving the best smile
Joey is walking
I toasted Stephen
Siobhan says hi to mom
Stefanie, Danielle, Bekah, and Kasey dance
Hanging with Abby
Joey plays with Gigi
Cheryl and Mom
Well blogger is having issues and I have to get to work I will post the pictures later!

What kind of yarn are you?

You are Merino Wool.You are very easygoing and sweet.
People like to keep you close because you are so softhearted.
You love to be comfortable and warm from your head to your toes.


Here take this quiz it's fun :-)
http://www.quizilla.com/users/bisybackson/quizzes/

Picture post

Just a few pictures that I really wanted to share.
The first is Erin displaying how much making the sweater "killed" her.
The 2nd is Jim in the new sweater Tricia made him
Next is a hat I made for the cancer tree
Then the hat on the tree (can I add in here that it was gone to a new home the next day when I went to check on it - Yes I am that dorky)
And lastly my mom on Christmas eve in her BEAUTIFUL outfit my sister brought her back from India!

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.