Felt Like Knitting

H is for...

...happy!  Today was the first full day of school and I wasn't teaching - that made me happy!  I think I wasn't well-suited for teaching in a school environment because I feel so at peace.  It was nice to be able to run a few errands then come home and work on things here.

...healthy.  We all seem to be healthy and for that I am grateful.

...Hershey's.  Thank you, Milton Hershey!

...husband.  I am extremely blessed to have S in my life.  We are good for each other and have helped each other grow.  We once were very different - S with his long hair, bandanna, and rollerskating to class and me with my Izod shirt, ponytail with matching ribbon, and Sperry Top-Siders.  But we've grown toward each other and make a good team.

...helping.  One of the things I think I am suited for is helping.  I don't like to be taken advantage of, but I do enjoy helping people.  When I get too busy with activities, I'm not able to pitch in and that usually makes me feel uncomfortable.

...history.  I enjoy history and I think E will, too.  Her American History teacher is making the class fun.  The class learned a new word today - skullet (scroll down on the page).  For a visual, think Benjamin Franklin.

Let's throw in "I" while we're at it...

ice cream

icicles (We used to break them off and eat them.)

imagination

Tomorrow I'll try to take some knitting pictures.  I've been knitting away on (and really enjoying) the lace scarf.  But, it may not be done by the end of August.  Oh well...

G is for grabbed

Something has grabbed me and I think it's a housecleaning bug.  No, really.  I'm serious.  Lately, I've been making a schedule and keeping to it, writing lists and accomplishing things, and so on.  I even have all of my hand washables done and that hasn't happened for a long, long time.  I mean, I do the hand washables so infrequently that E has grown out of things before I've washed them!  Unfortunately, all this work has meant a decline in my blog reading and writing.

Some other important G words...

God

guitar

green

guacamole

garden guests, like goldfinches  (I have pictures, but can't get them to upload right now.)

With school starting this week, I'm bound to become even more behind.  I'm sorry I haven't been keeping up and I hope to check in on your blogs soon.

Mrs. Jones the 2nd and other things

E had a fun birthday party and we all had a great visit with my brother and his family.  The house did get cleaned up enough and we each had somewhere clean to sleep.  :)  It was lots of fun to hear my nieces and nephew talk.  My mom tells me funny things that they say, but it just isn't the same as hearing it for myself. 

My sister-in-law wanted to learn to knit!  By the time P left, she had the hang of it and was working on a dishcloth.  There are a couple of knitters back home, so she'll have someone to help her learn more.

My 9 year old niece, O, lost her hat in the ocean while they were at Myrtle Beach and she asked me to make a replacement while she was here.  She helped me make a bucket hat out of some bright pink/purple/yellow/orange fabric.   O was a great helper and did some cutting, pinning, basting, and she ran the foot pedal on my machine.  Apparently the first hat was named Mrs. Jones in honor of the teacher who gave it to her.  So logically, this hat is Mrs. Jones the 2nd.  :)

Yesterday I ran a few errands and picked up a little treat for myself at the LQS.  These fabrics were in a nice roll and tied with a brown organza ribbon.  I just couldn't resist!  They come from a line of fabric by Michael Miller.  Which fabric do you like the best?  I just can't decide between the brown floral, the blue/brown damask, and the blue/brown paisley.

Look what Craft Apple has made with some of her Michael Miller fabric!  I think I'm going to make one of Craft Apple's patchfolios from my fabric.  Or maybe I'll make a bag.  Or maybe I'll...  It's always so hard for me to decide!

I have a lot of blog reading to catch up on!  I made it through some emails last night, but I'm a bit intimidated by the number of blog entries there are to read.  I'm also a little behind in my Encyclopedia of Me entries.  Last night I was thinking ahead to H, but do you think I could remember it this morning?  Nope!  :)

Friday's flowers and some other F's

Friday's Flowers:  Nasturtiums

                                       

(It looks like I took this picture in the middle of the night!  But, the ones I took with no flash were too blurry.  I knew I should have taken the picture yesterday afternoon.)  Like a lot of the other things in my yard, these nasturtiums came up from last year's flowers.  The yellow and orange colors are so cheerful, but my favorite things are the leaves.  They remind me of water lily pads.  The flowers and leaves are edible, but I've never had the courage to try them.  Have any of you ever eaten any?

Instead of some favorite F's, here are some F's in my life these days:

Feather and fan scarf

                                       

Have you been wondering if this is still a knitting blog?  :)  I have lots of projects started, but little time to knit on them.  This scarf is for a Christmas gift.  I can't decide if the yarn is working at this gauge.  When I pull it out to simulate blocking, it's maybe a bit too open.  Any thoughts?  I'll try to take another picture of it when my helper wakes up.  The yarn is laceweight yarn from The Woolen Rabbit.  (I don't see any laceweight yarn on her site right now, but she has lots of beautiful sock yarn listed.  But I'm not letting myself look at it.  Must. Be. Strong.)

Felting

For my goal of finishing one Christmas present each month, I worked on a felted bag in July.  The work was fast and furious there at the end and I only had the grommets to put in on July 31.  So, so close, but no cigar.  During this finishing frenzy I didn't notice that I hadn't sewn in my lining correctly.  Since I had already applied the magnetic snap closures to the lining, they don't meet up now.  Grrrr.....  I'm taking the snap out of one side (or maybe both) out and appliqueing a patch to hide the old hole marks.  Needless to say, I'm not working that fast anymore.  When I hit a snag, work slows down quite a bit.

Feeling poorly

Cleaning makes me sick.  No, I mean it.  I must have an allergy to dust because whenever I help clean the basement, I get a respiratory infection.  Well, the dust in my bedroom made me sick.  (Unless I really do have some kind of bug that has just coincided with the cleaning.)  My throat is so sore that it keeps me up at night.  Yesterday I missed out on a day of preparation because my stomach was upset.  Must have been something I ate because I'm feeling better today.  Okay, whining is over.  :)

E

                                             

E is for my beautiful daughter who turns 13 soon.  How can this be?  When did this happen?  It seems like we were just bringing her home from the hospital.  If the last 13 years have zoomed by this quickly, the next 4 or 5 will certainly go by in a blink of an eye.  And then she'll be off to college.

Some of my favorite things about E:

Her independent streak:   Now, this can be challenging at times, but I know it will serve her well later in life.  I should have known that she'd be independent back when she was 2.  Even then, she would only wear what she wanted to wear.  There was the "dresses only" phase and the "pink only" phase.  That girl refused to wear jeans for the longest time.  The wisdom at the time was to offer your toddler choices.  "Do you want to wear the blue dress or the purple shirt and pants?"  This may have been a mistake.  :)

Her creativity:  Like her mom, E loves to create things.  She enjoys drawing, graphic arts, cross stitch and cooking.  Even when she started to cook, E didn't want to follow a recipe.  Her first creation, chocolate chip cake, was her own concoction with only a little help from me.  (And it was edible!)  She is still really into baking cakes and even makes them to give to friends.  E talks about going to culinary school and visiting France to experience the food there.  Last week we gave her an early birthday present - an apron with her name embroidered on it.  (I can recommend Katie if you need any embroidery work done!)  The next morning, we were treated to a delicious breakfast of homemade hash browns and scrambled eggs.

Her sense of humor:  We like to laugh around here and we have plenty of family jokes.  E has joined right in. 

Her beauty:  Of course, I'm biased.  But I think E is beautiful.  I remember 7th/8th grade being an awkward time for me and I wasn't happy with how I looked.  E hasn't had the ugly streak that I went through.  :)

Her faith:  There have been many times when E has shown me the depth of her faith and her love for God.  I am extremely thankful she has that relationship.

And I'm extremely thankful to have E in my life!  I really wanted a daughter and I was so happy when she was born.  Happy birthday, Sweetie!

D is for doughnut

Look away if you're dieting...

                                   

My favorite kind of doughnut is the "cream stick" on the right.  The runner up is the chocolate iced chocolate cake doughnut on the left.  (We used to call them cream sticks but now they seem to be called Cream Filled Long Johns.  Whatever you call them, they're delicious!)

But this post isn't just about calorie-laden breakfast food.  It's about a childhood memory.  We lived out in the country, down a 1/4 mile long dirt and rock lane.  Being out in the country like that, we would get pretty excited to see a cloud of dust on the road because it meant we had visitors.  A lot of the time, it was just someone trying to find a shortcut.  They'd be disappointed and have to turn around.  We'd be disappointed because it wasn't anyone we knew.  But on Saturday mornings, the dust would sometimes signal the arrival of a vehicle we did recognize - our grandpa's truck!  He would come to our house to visit for a while and he would bring doughnuts.  A big box of doughnuts.  What kind would be in there?  What would I get to choose?  Would there be enough cream sticks for everyone who wanted one?

The picture I wish I had was of my grandpa looking at brother #2.  B#2 had this huge glazed yeast doughnut that my grandpa brought for his birthday.  This thing was massive.  If it wasn't as large as a dinner plate, it was at least as large as his head.  You should have seen the smile of anticipation on my brother's face.  Sadly, he was sick later from eating too much doughnut.

Yep, D is for doughnut.

C is for ...

Some "C" things I enjoy...

crafting

chocolate

capris

contemporary Christian music

chocolate chip cookies

chatting

clogs

cold Coca-Cola

cooking

cards

                                

                                 

Yesterday I got together with my friend "I" for a stamping session.  I made the blue heart card there and got another partially done.  We spent a lot of time comparing supplies and ideas - fun!  She is very creative and has such a nice selection of cards that she's made.  I was really inspired and learned a lot.  One great tip was that when I make a card I like, make several so they're ready to go.  I'm looking forward to making some more cards.

B is for brothers

B is for brothers, of which I have three,

All two years apart, they are younger than me.

Fighting and scratching when we were little,

There were punches and kicks and even some spittle.

My boyfriends were "treated" to many a joke,

Oh, the three boys I was tempted to choke!

But now we're grown up and we talk on the phone,

To say "How are you?" and "Hey, you're not alone."

Growing up with them was a little distressing,

But now I know that they are a big blessing.

A is for art lover

Cassi of Bella Dia started something for the month of August that seems like a lot of fun:  An Encyclopedia of Me meme.  I saw this on Autum's and Michelle's blogs and have enjoyed their posts.  So, I'm going to play along.  (If you want to join in, leave a comment on her blog.)

A is for art lover

                                             

You might think with a background in science that I wouldn't be into art, but I love it.  I really wanted to take art classes in high school, but I took college prep courses instead.  I remember standing by the art room door, looking in with envy.  I dated some art students - does that count for anything?  :)  In college, one of my best friends studied art.  I loved hanging out with her in the art studio, watching her work or touring the art museum on campus.

About fifteen or so years ago, S and I visited friends who lived in Chicago.  We decided to run into town to tour some museums and I was able to go to The Art Institute.  I only had about an hour and chose to see the Impressionists, especially Claude Monet's paintings.  I remember standing in front of a Monet and being overcome with emotion.  This wasn't a postcard or a picture from a calendar.  He had worked on that very painting.  He had touched it.  It was wonderful.  And I got to see A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grand Jatte by Seurat.  That's a big painting!  There's just something about seeing these things in person.

Now I like to collect art and I most enjoy the art that is created by friends.  And by family - E creates wonderful artwork that I love.  (E created the painting above.)  Art, especially paintings, makes me very happy.

Another thing that makes me happy is the art I see in nature.  God's handiwork is fantastic!  (More dahlias for a belated Friday's Flowers and an incredible sky that I saw the other day.)