Anniversary Dinner

Tonight Tom and I went out for sushi at Shanghi Bistro here in Eau Claire. As usual, it was fabulous. We shared a sushi platter with ten different kinds of sushi. The platter came with a spicy tuna roll. For dessert I had creme brulee and Tom had Mochi. We've never had mochi before and it was very good. He ordered the coffee flavored one. I'd like to try the green tea flavored one or the mango. I'm going to see if I can buy this. It was good. The creme brulee was pretty good, too.

I got a wonderful skein of Malabrigo and a bar of chocolate in the mail today from Lisa. She is a fellow member in one of my groups on Ravelry. She lives in Mt. Horeb, WI which is by Madison. What a nice surprise. I'm thinking of making some fingerless mitts with it.

I'm off to work on my socks. Happy knitting!!

Not a creature was stirring...not even a mouse!

Well, we had two little creatures stirring around our house!!! Ahhh, when we opened the silverware drawer on Christmas morning there were mouse droppings! Ick!!! All the silverware was put into the dishwasher and we sterilized the drawer. We put traps into several of the kitchen drawers and lo and behold yesterday morning Tom had two mice in a trap in the silverware drawer. Nasty!!! We have a rule about not eating anywhere but the kitchen because we don't want to attract any rodents. Well, as Grant pointed out, it doesn't do much good to have that rule since the mice were in the kitchen!! Teenagers! The rule still exists!

I started working on a pair of socks yesterday and have both toes done. I am now going to put them onto one 40" circular needle so I can finish them at the same time. I need to make myself do this more often, then I wouldn't suffer from second sock syndrome. I still have four socks that need mates. I am also starting a Clapotis on January 1. I joined a KAL on Ravelry.

I'll post a picture of the socks after my swap partner gets them. I don't know if she reads my blog or not, but just in case she does, I don't want to spoil the surprise. Need to go finish dinner. Happy knitting!!

The Shack

I have wanted to read The Shack for a while now. I was asked if I would lead a high school book club at church and this is the first book we are going to discuss. I spent the day reading it. I found this book amazing. I don't have the words to describe how I'm feeling right now. I am looking forward to Jan. 19 when the book club will be meeting for the first time. I want all of my kids to read this book. Okay, Patrick may be too young, but I will want him to read this at some point in his life. I am going to strongly encourage both of my older kids to read it.

We had a nice Christmas. Everyone was pleased with their gifts. We all went to the movie Valkyrie yesterday. It was pretty good, but sad. I think I would have rather gone to Marley and Me, but the rest of the family picked Valkyrie. I did get a movie gift certificate in my stocking, so I will be going to see Marley and Me during this Christmas break.

I joined a swap on Ravelry, so tomorrow I need to start my project for my swap partner. I am going to make her some socks, but I haven't decided on a pattern yet. Something simple, cuz I am so slow at knitting socks and these need to be sent to her by Feb. 1. Yes, that is a month or so away and for some of you fast knitters this seems a long time. For me it is not long enough. I'll have to hope that my wrists don't get angry and make sure I have lots of ibuprophen on hand. I should get to bed. I'm such a night owl. Happy knitting!!!

Merry Christmas!

Anders.....

Look what came in the mail on Monday...I love him. He is so soft. Julie is a wonderful knitter. Amazing. I will treasure this little rabbit forever. My yarn came on Monday, too. I'll post a picture of that tomorrow. I need to post and run today. I have to clean and get my house ready to host book club tomorrow night. I have to bake cookies for a cookie exchange on Friday morning. Seven dozen, no problem. :)

Have a good day! Happy knitting!

Christmas Cheer?

After school I told the kids I needed to take a picture for the Christmas cards. Well, let's just say this is an experience in our household. As Maggie says, "Mom, we're not a perfect family, so you won't get a perfect picture!" Okay, she's right. I wanted an outdoor picture without coats, hats, and gloves. Grant did not like this idea and those pictures turned out crappy. I settled on a picture taken in front of the tree. I now know why I don't have a lot of pictures of my kids together. Someday they'll all like each other and get along, right?

The mail carrier did deliver the package from the Discovery store, so that is a relief. I'm bummed my other packages haven't arrived, but hopefully they will come tomorrow or Saturday. And now for your viewing pleasure, the picture we picked for the cards:

Oh Please Mr. Postman....

I have been trying to be patient with the USPS. I have packages coming from Germany and the UK. My Little Cotton Rabbit from Julie and my sock club package from Claudia, aka Wollmeise.
I thought both of the packages would have been here by now. I hope they didn't get lost. I also ordered a gift for Grant from the Discovery store. The tracker said it was in Memphis, TN on Dec. 5 and was now in the hands of the USPS. I didn't think it took that long for mail within the US to get from one area to another. Memphis isn't that far from Eau Claire. If these packages don't arrive by next Monday, then I'll start to panic and make phone calls. Yes, I am not the most patient person on this earth, I admit. I'm just so excited to see my rabbit in person and the yarn. I've seen a lot of pictures of the yarn on Ravelry, and I just know it will be even prettier in person.

My throat is feeling better, now I've lost my voice. I think the kids and Tom are happy about that. :) The fingerless mitts have been soaked and are now dry to wrap. I really think they turned out neat. I started a pair for myself. Well, I'm going to my friend's to scrapbook today. I need to get my stuff together. Happy Knitting!

Fingerless Mitts
I finished the fingerless mitts tonight. They were so easy and fun. I finished one on Sunday night. I felt like crap yesterday and so I didn't knit. I cast on for the second one this afternoon and got it done a few minutes ago. Loved this pattern. I have enough yarn left over to make myself a pair. The yarn is Noro Iro. I got it a few years ago at Yellow Dog Knitting.

My wrists have been bugging me, so my doctor had me see an occupational therapist today. The therapist was not very good. I have spoken to my doctor and she is going to call a hand specialist and ask who he recommends I see. I do not want to have carpal tunnel surgery, so I'd like to see what else I can do to alleviate the tingling and numbness. I've had symptoms for about four years and it has gotten worse this fall. Perhaps stripping wallpaper, painting, and moving furniture and carpet has aggravated things. I know I can't knit for as long as I used to and I'm trying to cut back on the amount of time I knit at one sitting. Knitting with size 8 needles helps a bit. I have been knitting socks and I am using size 00 for them. This really hurts, but I love knitting socks. I also have quite a big stash of sock yarn, so I'm not giving up on socks.

Christmas preparations have come to a stop while I've been sick. I won't be putting up the other two trees this year. I have 3/4 of the shopping done, I just need to wrap gifts and get the picture taken for the cards. I'm just not going to stress over Christmas this year.

Well, I'm off to have a cup of tea with honey. Happy knitting!

Ugh!!!



I have a terrible sore throat and feel like crap. I do not have time to be sick. The silver lining in this?....knitting without feeling guilty. I'm watching the Packer game and sipping tea while knitting and blogging. Two out of four Christmas trees are decorated and one mantle is 3/4 done. If this is all that gets done this year, oh well, that's okay.

Yesterday we had a knit in at church. It was a lot of fun and wonderful soup and bread were served for lunch along with many yummy treats. I worked on my sock in progress and then last night worked on a fingerless mitt pattern that I picked up at church. I am going to give them to my friend, Amy, who does my nails and hair. I think she'll like them. I know she will appreciate the handmade gift, because she makes glass beads and sells them.

Well, I need to pay attention to the game. Tom and Patrick are there, so I'm going to see if I can spot them in the crowd. Happy knitting!!

Cable Knit Mug

I saw this on Vicki's blog and wanted one. Yesterday I was running errands and went to Starbucks to get one. They have yarn ball decorations for Christmas. If you are near a Starbucks, go in just to see the decorations if you don't buy coffee, etc. I bet you will want a mug, though.I have been working on a sock and have an idea in my head for a cable sweater. It is based on a sweater I noticed Blythe Danner wearing in the movie, Meet the Parents. I've seen this movie several times, but the other night I really noticed this sweater. Now I'm trying to gather some cable patterns together for swatching and design the sweater. I may be in over my head, but why not try?

The kids don't have school today due to a staff development day. It snowed a little last night, so the boys went out to try sledding. Not enough snow for that, but they had fun. It helps get me in the mood to finish decorating.

Well, I'm off to get some work done. Happy knitting!!

Knitted Bliss......

I have been trying to get one of these cute knitted rabbits for over a year. Guess what? Yesterday I was lucky enough to have been stalking ETSY and this one popped up. I snagged him right away. Anders is now on the way to me from the UK. Julie has two kids and a busy life taking care of them. She knits to relax and also add some income for her family. Pop on over to read her
blog.

Grant and Patrick put up the Christmas tree last night and put the lights on. They did a pretty good job. I may have to adjust the lights a bit to hide the wires, and we are going to move it into the study. We are going to get a bigger tree from Sandy to put in the family room. We have a higher ceiling in there, so we can go with a bigger tree. Tonight and tomorrow we will decorate the trees and I'll start on the staircase and rest of the house. I love decorating for Christmas.

Tom and Maggie will be going to the Packer game tomorrow. I'm so glad Tom is able to take the time to have one on one time with the kids. Maggie enjoys having her dad all to her self, too. I am going to work on some socks. I have four singles that need mates. I used to be very good about finishing a whole pair of socks, but some how I caught SSS. Must work on correcting that tomorrow. Happy Knitting!!

ETA: Julie has an ETSY shop as well as this shop.

The day after.....


We had a very nice Thanksgiving. I am so tired today! My friend Sandy and her boyfriend, Greg came over early in the afternoon and stayed until late last night. The kids were wonderful and I think Grant appreciated being home and not having a lot of extra people in the house. Greg brought fireworks and the kids loved that. Let's just say I'm glad the Sheriff's department didn't show up!!!! Very nice display and it wasn't even 4th of July. Last night Maggie went to stand in line at Best Buy with her friends Zac and Lexi. Zac wanted to get a computer when the store opened at 4 this morning. I haven't talked to her yet because I'm guessing she's still sleeping.

Today Tom and I are going to buy a new Christmas tree. It is an artificial one that already has lights on it. Sandy works at a flower shop and is going to give us a good deal. :)
Tonight we are going out to dinner at The Creamery with Sandy and Greg and our neighbors Tom and Darla. It will be fun. They have wonderful food!!! A friend of Tom's bought the Creamery a few months ago with his brother and it is fun to run into him when we are there. He lives two weeks in California and two weeks here.

Well, I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving (here in the US) and gets a lot of knitting time in over the weekend. I finished my cowl and am loving it!!!! Happy knitting!

24.......Finally!!!!

It seems like forever since this has been on. We are watching it right now.

Knitting:

Yarn: Hand Maiden Casbah Loopified colorway
Pattern:Gloria Cowl


I'm loving this yarn!! It is so soft. This was a special color for The Loopy Ewe's second anniversary. It is going to match my ski jacket perfectly. (Not that I ski or anything)

We are staying home for Thanksgiving and having a low key day, just the five of us. I will be baking pies with my neighbor on Tuesday. She makes great pie crust and is going to teach me how. I usually just use Pillsb*ry, but I really want to make it from scratch after tasting her pie crust. She made a pie for Tom on his 50th birthday on Oct. 26.

I hope you all have a nice Thanksgiving (if you celebrate) Happy knitting!

AND THE WINNER IS......

Well, since I only had two commenters that donated to their area shelters, both of you are winners. I have another skein of Yarn Pirate Yarn in the Cupcake colorway, which is cream, pink, and brown. So Since Turtle commented first, she gets the June Bug and Kristen gets the Cupcake. Send me an email to jaciquigleyATcharterDOTnet with your snail mail address and I'll get your yarn in the mail. I'm sorry I didn't do this Monday night, but my back was causing problems and I took a sleeping pill and was in bed by 6:00 that night.

So far this week I've been helping a neighbor with her puppy. He is a handful and she is having some personal problems and just couldn't handle him. He was here Tuesday through this morning. She took him to a horse farm where someone is going to try and train him. I tried, but he was so mean to my dog Todd. I really thought he was going to hurt him. I feel bad that I couldn't keep him, but I already have two dogs and two cats.

On to the knitting news, well there really isn't any. :( I spent last week getting ready for my annual scrapbooking weekend. It was fun and I got a lot done, but have a lot more to do to get Maggie's book caught up. Grant and Patrick's books need my attention too. I am much more organized now, so it will be easier to grab a few pictures and do a couple pages each day.

It's currently raining again. We've seen some snowflakes this past week too. I just with the sun would shine! I'm off to snuggle with the dogs for a bit and I may actually knit. Happy knitting!

ETA: Sorry about the spelling errors, I was in a hurry this morning. Also, the puppy is going back to the breeder. It's best for their family and him. I'm so sad that I couldn't keep him, but this is for the best.

I decided to change the look of the blog because it's been TWO YEARS since I started blogging. I'm having a contest for this skein of Yarn Pirate June Bug Yarn. In order to be entered into the drawing, donate $20 or more to your local animal shelter and post about it on your blog, then leave me a comment. If you don't have a blog, then just let me know in the comments that you donated. I'd like to have the donations reach at least $100 dollars, so pass the word along to other knitters and friends. The contest will be open until November 10th at 6:00 pm. central standard time.


FINISHED KNITTED OBJECTS....for real!!!!!

Yes, I finally have some knitting to show. I finished Tom's felted slippers and a scarf. I am currently working on making mittens for Maggie's friends, a baby sweater, and some socks.


I used Cascade 220 for the slippers and the scarf was made from Wollmeise in the Paul color way.





It's been a busy month. Maggie is done with volleyball, attended Memorial's homecoming, and is in kickball tournament for a friends dad who has cancer. The tournament is part of a benefit to raise money for his cancer treatment. Grant has his permit now and that is a little nerve wracking. Patrick is adjusting to middle school and has really improved his grades.

Maggie in her homecoming dress. Maggie dressed up as Madonna for a Halloween party.
I took a spinning class the other night at The Yellow Dog. I also took a class on dying yarn.

I'll try to post more often. Have a good weekend and happy knitting!

WOW, TWO MONTHS SINCE I LAST POSTED!!!

I am a bad blogger. I hate to admit that Ravelry has been taking a lot of my time away from my blog. I continue to read a lot of blogs, but just don't post on my own. Knitting has been sparse around here. I've only knit one sock and one scarf since last spring. Ugh!

The kids continue to keep me busy and on my toes!!! Two in high school and one in middle school. WOW! Maggie loves volleyball and her season will end next week. Her team has been very successful. Grant is going to get his Driver's Permit tomorrow and has his first behind the wheel lesson on Friday night. Big stuff for my teenagers. Patrick is adjusting to Middle School after a rough first few weeks. I have had some time to reconnect with some friends now that school is in session. I am back to Bible Study once a week and scrapbooking a few times a month. I do enjoy my time with friends.

Tom has been stressed lately with all of the stuff happening in the stock market and economy, but he is doing okay. He has been putting in 12-13 hour days and is very tired when he gets home. I'm trying to keep things going smoothly at home to help ease the stress. It is no secret to those who know us best that it would bug me when he'd get mad about spending money. I am now thankful that he was always the voice of reason when I'd approach him about spending money. We will be just fine and just need to keep watching what we spend money on. He is confident the market will come back up and we just need to "ride this out".

Well, I think I've rambled on long enough.

Another one......

Here is a picture of my new tatoo.......It's hard taking a picture of your own ankle, but you all get the idea. This is Loopy, the logo from The Loopy Ewe.

The first time I shopped at their online store I fell in love with the logo. I have been tossing the idea around in my head to get a knitting tatto, and well, I did it. Last spring I asked Sheri for permission to use her logo, and she said yes. Then I had surgery and didn't feel up to having it done. Now it's done and I love it. I'm off to get Grant ready for work. Happy knitting!

Country Jam...Part 2

We had a good time on Saturday, except for the thunderstorm that went through around 5:30. The VIP area was full of water. It was gross, but we went back to our chairs anyway. Clay Walker and Carrie Underwood were great. Earlier in the afternoon it was hot and sunny. Maggie and I got our picture taken with Sarah Johns. Maggie is holding a postcard from The Loopy Ewe of their logo Loopy. On September 1st they are giving away gift certificates from the pictures submitted. Check out their website and go to photo galleries. Click on Summer 2008 and see some of the neat places he's been this summer.

Country Jam 2008 Big Kenny and John Rich from Big and Rich. Little Big Town, Rascal Flatts, and Taylor Swift. Maggie and I are having a good time. More picture tomorrow. We are off to see Lady Antebellum, Clay Walker, and Carrie Underwood today. Bye, y'all. :)

Update...

I had an MRI done yesterday on my shoulder. I have bursitis and a tear in my rotator cuff. I was give a cortisone shot and will do some physical therapy. The doctor said I will need to have surgery, but hopefully not for a few years. I am very thankful for that. I've had enough surgeries to last for awhile!!! I'm still not knitting a lot so really have nothing new to share.

Maggie had fun at her friend's cabin last weekend, but ended up with a concussion and whiplash from tubing behind the boat. She was launched into the air and landed so hard that it knocked the wind out of her in addition to the other stuff. She has to take it easy for two weeks. She will be going to volleyball camp on the 20th for four days, then home for three days and off to YMCA camp on the 27th for a week. I'm thankful that she is doing better. She doesn't like having to stay home and relax, but if she wants to recover quickly and go to her camps, she must.

I'm off to check emails and then bed.

New Camera.....
Tom gave me a Canon Rebel for my birthday a month ago. I'm still learning how to use it but I was able to get some good shots last night at the fireworks.

We had an awesome fireworks display. It amazes me how they come up with the designs in the fireworks. Two had hearts inside a circle, and one had a five pointed star. Anyone out there know how it all works?
Maggie went up to a friend's cabin on Thursday so it was strange not having all of my kids with me yesterday. It's all part of letting them grow up and away. The boys are still outside with some of the neighborhood kids firing off some small fireworks. I didn't want them to go, but Tom told me to lighten up. Again, another moment to let them grow up. They are to be home in ten minutes then I can go to bed and stop worrying.

Knitting has been sparse. My shoulders are really bothering me. I did make a wash cloth, but I'm not going to post a picture since it isn't that exciting. I am going to see the doctor on Tuesday, so hopefully I can get some relief with some physical therapy. I'm off to watch SNL and wait for the boys. Happy knitting!

Lazy days of summer....that's a laugh!

My life has been crazy running my kids all over for various activities. Grant started a job two afternoons a week, Patrick has baseball, sports training, and band, and Maggie has has two volleyball camps and sports training. Add in a garage sale and just trying to keep up with the house, this is insanity!!!

Next week things slow down a bit. I am looking forward to sitting by the pool and reading for a few afternoons. Let's just hope the weather cooperates. If I had a convertible, I would have an awesome tan from all the driving I've been doing. :)

I started crocheting a bag, but ripped it out last night. I may start over today, or I may just knit something with the yarn. Well, I need to take Grant to work and Patrick to work out. Happy knitting!

They grow up....

Maggie had her 8th grade graduation dance Friday night. This is a picture of her with Tom. It amazes me how fast she is growing up. I'm a proud mama. She is a beautiful, kind hearted young woman. One of her good friends had a party after the dance. The family opened their pool early so the kids could swim. It rained a bit, but they were able to swim and enjoy the hot tub. I helped supervise, and it was a joy to see all of the kids having a good time. Maggie has a really nice group of friends.

I joined the 52 pair plunge, which means that from June 1, 2008 to June 1, 2009 I need to knit 52 pairs of socks. Crazy, huh? I have three single socks, so they can count when I get the mates finished. I wonder if I'll be able to do this. It's good to have goals, right? We'll see how this goes.

The sun is shining right now, but it is cold!!! I wish we would get some 70-75 degree temps that would stay. We've had a few warm days this spring, but they are few and far between. I think we will be opening our pool next week, but I'm not sure about heating it yet. It seems too silly to waste the gas heating the thing when the nights are still in the 40's! Well, the laundry awaits my attention. Happy knitting!

Busy....

Today is Patrick's birthday. He is 11. Wow, how did that happen? The years have just flown by. Life continues to be a whirlwind. Having three kids is busy, add in a few favorite sports, music lessons, church activities, hobbies, and school activities, and that about sums up life these days. Patrick is winding up with his Elementary school days, and Maggie is almost finished with Middle school. May continues to be a crazy month.

Happy belated Mother's Day to the mothers reading this. I didn't even spend much time with my own kids. I went up to my parent's house to see my mom. Patrick had baseball practice and I knew that we wouldn't have time to drive up there, visit, and get back here in time for practice. Since he didn't go, then Grant didn't want to go and neither did Maggie. It was not fun spending Mother's Day without my own kids, so next year, I am expecting breakfast in bed and some quality time with my kids. I've already informed Tom of my plans:) He is okay with it.

Posts will be sporadic throughout the next month or so. I am knitting, just not that much. I keep reading blogs and will continue to try to stay connected that way. For now, happy knitting.

Still here....

I haven't posted in a month. It's not that I haven't been knitting, I have been. I need to bind off a sock and then I'll post a picture. I'm not sure, but I just haven't felt like blogging. I am reading blogs everyday, but my blogging mojo is just not here.

I'm recovering from my surgery as expected. I did too much after the first two weeks and had a bit of a set back. I really tire easily, so I am trying to rest. I'm still a mom, so the kids and their schedules keep me busy. The other night I was in bed at 8:00! As soon as I am done posting this, I'll be going to bed. I am tired tonight. Maggie is playing softball again this spring and Patrick is playing baseball. It is a busy time of year for our family. Last weekend we went to Milwaukee to watch the Brewer's play the Florida Marlin's. The boys didn't want to go to the game on Saturday night, so I stayed at the hotel with them. It was a good idea, because when I snuggled into read my book, I fell asleep for a couple hours. The boys were great and watched a movie.

This cold, rainy, and snowy spring really stinks. I really need the sun to shine! It is starting to get me down. Maybe that's why I don't feel like knitting much. I just can't seem to manage much joy from anything right now. It's stressful with two teenagers and an almost 11 year old. I know that when I have more energy things will get better. Okay, so sorry for this lack luster post. Anyone out there have any ideas to cheer me up? Good kid stories, jokes, etc.? Pet stories? Funny husband/significant other stories? I could use a good laugh.

Baby food...

I can't believe I am sick of sweet stuff already, but I am. I asked Chris to go to the store for me and buy baby food carrots. I added some butter and salt and they are actually pretty good. The jello, pudding, yogurt, and protein drinks are good, but I was craving something savory. Chris also brought me some mixed veggies, which I haven't tried yet. I had tomato soup yesterday for lunch and that was pretty good also. The good thing in all of this(well, besides no more acid reflux) is that I am losing weight. I have lost four pounds already. I must get off the "winter coat" that I added during the holidays and this long winter. I figure that just about the time I can eat real food again, I will be able to start exercising too, so hopefully the weight will stay off.

I went to the chiropractor this morning and my neck and shoulders feel so much better. The first thing I started to complain about after the surgery was how sore my neck was. It was awful. I've been up since 7 this morning and have been checking emails, blogs, and Ravelry, so I need to go take a nap. I may have some knitting to show soon. I really haven't even felt like knitting.

Home....

Hi all. I got home from the hospital around 1:30. The surgery went well and I'm recovering normally. I was suppose to come home yesterday, but I got really nauseaed and they gave me some medication and I stayed one more night. It is good to be home. The nurses and nursing assistants were great. I was very thankful for the kindness. I tried to knit on a sock Friday night, but I really screwed it up. Vicodin and knitting just don't go well together:)

I need to go take a nap. Happy knitting!

No bread or pasta....

I had a good conversation today with the pre-op nurse. She had this same surgery a year ago, so in between asking me all the required questions, I'd interject a little question of my own. She told me that I wouldn't be eating any bread or pasta for at least a month if not longer. Boy, do I love bread and pasta. Also, no soda pop for a long time. In the end this will all be worth it. We all know that soda isn't very good for a body, so this may be just the thing I need to give it up. A good side effect of this will be some much needed weight loss. Tom called me earlier and asked if I was packed and ready to go. I let him know that my knitting was all ready. He said, "Yeah, who needs clean underwear when you've got knitting." Too funny!

Okay, Miss Maggie and I are off to confirmation. I'll update as soon as I feel better. Happy knitting!

All done....
Another pair of socks for me! I started this pair in June when I got the yarn from Shelly. I don't know why I suffered from second sock syndrome with this pair. I'm glad they are finished and I plan on wearing them today!! I may even wash them up tonight to take to the hospital with me.

Shelly and her beautiful girls met us last Monday when we were up in the cities. We went to a Vietnamese resturant and it was fabulous. I can't remember the name of the soup we all got, but it was delicious. My boys were not the best behaved and I was embarrassed, but it was wonderful to see Shelly again. Her girls were fantastic and they are only 2 and 4! Next time I go meet her I will be alone. (Or I may take Maggie with me, she was wonderful) Shelly brought me a gift of this hand spun yarn. I was going to make mittens for myself, but changed my mind. I think I will make a scarf. One can never have too many scarves when you live in Wisconsin!
I was remiss in posting a picture of my yarn I got with my cute sheep. Chris said the bag was making lots of noise and when she looked in it, there was yarn!:) Too funny. She spoils me.
I am meeting with my knitting group today. Chris, Jane, Susan, and I started a little group last fall and we try to meet up once a month. I enjoy it very much. Tonight is our group at church, Purly Gates Knitters, so I'm going to that as well. Today is just a good day for knitting!
I'm off to try and get some work done before my "playdate" with my friends. Happy knitting!!!

A Sheepy Friend and new yarn....

My friend, Chris, gave me this big, fluffy sheep on Thursday. Isn't it cute? Very soft and cuddly.

Here are some new skeins of yarn I received in the last week or so. On the left is Cherry Tree Hill from my Loopy Ewe sock club package, middle is Wollmeise (also from The Loopy Ewe) andon the right is my Yarn Pirate sock club yarn. I really love them all.
We had a nice Easter yesterday. We went to church then to see Tom's mom. The afternoon was spent relaxing and then we had a nice dinner with ham, scalloped potatoes, green beans, and the ever so nummy snickers salad. (Snickers, green apples, mandarin oranges, cool whip and vanilla pudding) Last night I finished up the last pair of mittens I'm making this year for Maggie's friends. We still have a lot of snow and more is predicted tomorrow! I am so ready for spring!!!

I will have a finished pair of socks to show tomorrow. The first one was done in June!!! I had a bit of second sock syndrome. Happy knitting!!

Surgery...

On Thursday I will be having a procedure called a Nissan Fundoplication as described here. I have been dealing with acid reflux since I was pregnant with Grant. It got worse with each pregnancy and I've been taking Nexium twice a day for a long time. I'm still having problems and they can't increase the medication so this is the next step. Since November I've had ultrasounds, CT scans, endoscopy, and manometry done. I will be in the hospital 2-3 days and on a liquid diet for 2 weeks. I hope to get a lot of knitting done. The only concern I have is the nausea after surgery. I hope they give me lots of drugs to counteract this.

I'll try to update my blog again before Thursday and hopefully will be feeling better by the following Monday. Happy Easter!

1000 Knitters...

Yesterday at Yellow Dog Knitting I had my picture taken by Franklin Habit for his book project to photograph 1000 knitters. It was very nice to meet him. He is so friendly and I wasn't nervous at all. I was the first one for the day and I'm not sure what number I was exactly. I believe he photographed approx. 50 knitters yesterday. Our local newspaper even wrote an article about the event. Knitters rule! Go read Franklin's blog. It is wonderful.

In the afternoon I went up to Woodbury for a gathering of my high school friends. We have been having a Christmas party every year since our senior year. It has been hard to gather in December, so in the past five years or so, it has been in January. Well, somehow we didn't get our acts together and found ourselves gathering in March this year. There are about 25 or so of us, but only 13 were able to attend yesterday. It was so much fun catching up with everyone. Most of us have children and the ages range from 25 to 3 1/2. One of my friend's is planning her daughter's wedding. I think this is the first wedding for our group. So far no one is a grandma. Ugh! I can't believe I even wrote that. Am I really old enough to have high school friend's who could be grandmas. Scary!! We stayed up until 3:00 a.m talking and laughing. I had to take a nap this afternoon! :)

Tomorrow the kids and I head out for our mini-vacation to the Mall of America. I am looking forward to it and so are the kids. Happy knitting!!!

NEW FAMILY MEMBER....
Here is Sadie Lynn. We got her on Saturday from the Eau Claire County Humane Association. She is a doll. I didn't think I was ready, and I do still miss Gracie a lot, but Sadie is so fun. She is six months old. The dogs are getting along well with her. Richie a.k.a. Fat Cat is still adjusting. He was trying to play with her today, so that is a good sign.

Blankie Pictures

Here are some updated pictures of my blankie. Shelly has completed her blankie and that inspired me to get mine out and work on it. I really do enjoy this project. I can do a few squares and feel like I've accomplished something.

Kids are on spring break next week, so we are going to the Mall of America on Monday and Tuesday. We haven't spent a lot of time at the mall in awhile, so I thought it would be a nice time to do this. A lot of people we know are heading to warmer climates and wonderful vacations, but this will have to do for now. The kids wish we were going somewhere tropical, but it is a very busy time for Tom at work and it is too hard for him to get away. I really didn't feel like going on a vacation with the kids myself. I did that once in 2001 and we had fun, but I want Tom to be able to go with us. We may take the kids to Florida this fall.

I need to get some work done. Have a good day!! Happy knitting!

A SAD DAY IN PACKERLAND.......

Well it is official, Brett retired. I was in denial up until the news conference this morning. I cried a lot, but so did the other women I was with today. I went to a friend's house for scrapbooking and we all sat on the couch and cried while Brett said his goodbye. I know he is a human being just like the rest of us, but he was so much fun to watch. I thought it was interesting how he stated that he knows what it is like to be dead. Watching all the sports coverage about his career must be pretty weird because it seems like we all are eulogizing him. Like he said, "All good things must come to an end."

Maggie, Patrick, and I went to the Chippewa County Humane Association to look at some kittens today. I thought I was ready to get another cat, but I'm not. Both of the kitties we were looking at are adorable, but it just didn't feel right in my heart. I guess I need more time.

I'll stop for now to go knit and watch the Eau Claire North High School boys basketball team play in the state tournament. Happy Knitting!!

We had my friend's daughter take pictures of Gracie last August since we weren't sure how long we would have her in our lives. This one is probably my favorite. I am so thankful that I have this one. I have set it to be my background on the computer screen. I wanted to share it with all of you. It really shows what a sweetie she was and how much fun we had watching her. I love how you can see her pretty pink nose and tongue. I'm missing her a lot and have been a bit emotional the past few days about her. Adding to the mood is stress over dealing with teenagers. I know that the decisions Tom and I make are in the best interests of the kids, but d@mn, it is hard. Someday the kids will know we did our best and hopefully with see that we just wanted to help shape them into wonderful members of society. We are trying to find the balance between being too strict yet giving limits that are appropriate for them. If they get to do whatever they want at 15 and 13 1/2 what do they have to look forward too? Is it ever going to be enough? Well, I hope you all enjoy my picture of Gracie. She gave me a lot of unconditional love, and I guess I'm missing that. Teenagers don't quite get that yet:(

More volleyball...

We had another tournament today. The good part was that it was here in Eau Claire, the bad part is that Maggie's team didn't play very good. She is frustrated and I don't blame her. She is very competitive and some girls on her team just don't take it seriously. They have one more tournament next Sunday in Rochester, MN and then they are done. I hate to admit it, but I'm glad. This has been a learning experience for all of us. She wants to try out for the club team again next year and I hope she makes it and has a more postive experience.

I have been knitting, just not blogging or taking pictures. I seem to have starteritis. Yes, I believe that is a made up name. I have started a sweater and frogged it, am working on my Diva sweater, have a mitten done and one more to go, started a scarf, and began designing a fair isle sweater. My ADD must be in full swing! :)

I'm tired and the dogs are looking for a lap to cuddle with. I'm going over to Ravelry then I'll hit the couch. Happy knitting.

SO CLOSE, YET SO FAR AWAY.....

I can't believe I was so close to the Mall of America this weekend and didn't get to go to the Knit Out. We were 30 minutes south of there for a volleyball tournament. I thought we would be able to leave between games, but when the girls weren't playing they had to referee other games. We didn't get done until 8:30 on Saturday night. We were back in Belle Plaine at 7:30 am on Sunday and left at 5:00. Check out Shelly's blog. She was at the Knit Out and has some good pictures.

We stopped in Hudson to eat on the way home. While I was getting out of the car, I realized too late that my foot was wrapped in the strap of my knitting bag! I fell and tried to brace myself with my hands. I think I sprained my right wrist. It hurts terribly and I am having some tingling and numbness in my fingers. I'm going to the chiropractor and she what she thinks. What a moron I am!!

Maggie said it was pretty funny when I fell. She said one minute I was getting out of the car and the next she saw me crawling up the side of the car. I'm sure it was a sight to see!!

My son turns 15 today! We are taking some of his friends to a movie this afternoon then just the family out to dinner tonight. Wow, I can't believe how fast the time has gone. 15 years, unbelieveable.

YES, THERE HAS BEEN KNITTING....

I have been knitting, just not blogging or taking pictures. I have started my Diva sweater and started another pair of mittens. My arthritis is really acting up so I haven't knit for a few days. I'm hoping that maybe tomorrow I can do some more knitting and perhaps get some pictures taken.

My husband gave me my Valentine's gift tonight. He bought me a sterling silver Green Bay Packer watch. It is really pretty. I had a wish list of several items at my favorite jewelry store, Williams Diamond Center, and this was on my list. I had some very reasonably priced items, starting at $54 and going all the way up to $3200. It doesn't hurt to dream does it? Well, the watch was at the lower end of the price list. I knew I wouldn't get any of the higher priced items, and that is okay. It was just fun going in and putting beautiful things on the list. I was happy that the watch was on sale. My husband is very good about gift giving. I guess I've trained him well :)

This weekend Maggie has a two day volleyball tournament up in the Twin Cities. We will be going up Saturday morning. Our hotel is in Eden Prairie and I'm hoping we will have some time to go to the Mall of America. I love to look at the shoes at Nordstrom's.

Okay, I'm tired so I'm going to get to bed. Happy knitting!!

Anger

I am in the angry stage of grief. I'm not mad at God or anyone, I'm just angry that Gracie is gone. I miss her. Thank you to my friends who have called, sent cards, and wonderful comments on my blog. I appreciate all of your kindness.

Tom has been gone to a manager's meeting in California since Thursday so I've been single parenting it. The time has gone fast and the kids have been pretty good. Tom will be home between 3:30 and 4:00. Just in time to settle in to watch the Super Bowl.

Maggie and I had some blood work done to check for food and chemical sensitivities. We can no longer have cow's milk, goat's milk, cane sugar, yeast, wheat, broccoli, and a lot of others. I can't have saccharine or aspartame, either. I've found Agave nectar and it seems to work okay in my cup of tea. I've tried to start drinking rice milk. It will take some getting used to, but I can do it. Maggie is having a harder time. She's a teenager and doesn't want to give up pizza, pop, junk food. This was her last weekend for a lot of that. She went to a sleepover both Friday and Saturday nights. My mission is to find a cook book to help me figure out what she can take to school for lunch. She also had a severe reaction to chlorine, so she needs to stop drinking city water. Thank goodness we have well water here at home. Just a new adventure in my job as mother.

I've done a gauge swatch for my Hanne Falkenberg Diva sweater and am working on another. I want to be sure I get right on gauge so the sweater fits and looks nice. It was a lot to spend on a sweater, but I really like the looks of it.

Off to go to the store and get some food ready for the Big game. I am hoping the Giants win. I just think the Patriots are a bit too full of themselves. (And they cheated in the beginning of the season)

PRECIOUS GRACIE.......


At 12:30 this morning Gracie threw another clot. She was in so much pain, it was terrible. We called the vet hospital and the on call vet met us at about 12:50 a.m. She was given a sediative to help with the pain and then we had to make the decision to euthanize her. It was so sad. Tom and I knew it was what we needed to do, but it was still very hard. Our friends Brian and Stacy were with us. We had all gone out for dinner earlier and then went back to our house so the big boys could play tennis and golf on the Nintendo Wii. It was really kind of them to follow us to the vet and stay with us.

I've never seen my husband cry so hard. I've known him for 17 1/2 years and haven't seen him cry like that. He really loved Miss Gracie a lot and she loved her Daddy. Our home is a bit empty today. The boys are taking the loss really well. Maggie was at a friends house for a sleep over, so she doesn't know yet. She will be pretty sad.

In June the vet told us we would have 60 days with her, and we ended up getting almost 8 months. I really tried to make the best of each and everyday with her. She was a sweet kitty and I loved having her cuddle on my lap and purr. I'm going to miss my precious little Gracie.

DO I LOOK COLD? This was what I looked like on Sunday night at the game in Green Bay. Yes, it was freezing there!! I did get cold even though I had two coats on plus snow pants, hats, mittens, etc. We were so sad that they lost. I think I was in shock actually. No Super Bowl for us. My husband is still taking the loss hard. He was really hoping to go to the Super Bowl. Who knows if we'll get another chance. Oh well, we are saving a lot of money, so that is a good thing.


This is a picture overlooking one of the parking lots. Our brother in-law Denny, Tom, our nephew, Travis, and me in the front. This was taken before the game, notice the happy faces?
Here is a cute picture of Maggie with her team during one of the games on Sunday. They didn't go very far in the tournament, so she was home by 6:00 that day. Maggie is the only face you can see. She had a very nice spike in one game and was happy that her dad, uncle, and cousin made it to the game in time to see her play and do well.

I finished one pair of mittens and am on to the next pair. Last night at church, two of Maggie's guy friends asked for mittens. One wants red mittens with black kidsilk, and the other wants black mittens with red kidsilk. Too funny. I must get knitting. Have a good day. Happy knitting!!

WINTER WONDERLAND, PACKER VICTORY, AND FINISHED OBJECT

Lots of pictures today. First we have the picture of the finished baby sweater for my great nephew, Bruce. Just in time for him to wear it for the NFC Championship game on Sunday. I am so happy that the Packers won!!

This is a close up of the football buttons I put on the sweater. I think they add just the right touch to the sweater.
This is a picture of the two men who sat behind us at the game on Saturday. (Dan and Tom)
It truly was magical. We felt like we were in a snow globe. That big white blob on the photo is a huge snow flake. It wasn't on my camera, but in front of the lens. So cool!
Before the game Tom and I stood in line so he could have Frank Winters and Antonio Freeman sign a mini helmet and a Sports Illustrated that had Antonio on the cover.
This is Tom and I near the end of the game. We could hardly see the players on the field. I know that this was the most fun I have had at Packer game ever.
We will be able to go to the NFC Championship game in Green Bay on Sunday. Maggie has a volleyball tournament in Merrill, WI so I will be getting up at 4:30 Sunday morning and we will leave at 5:00 to get her there at 7:30. Tom is planning on getting there around 11:00 to watch a few games and then we will head on to Green Bay. I think it is a two hour drive from Merrill to Green Bay. Maggie will ride home with another parent after the tournament.

I think I will get another Packer tatoo if they win and we go to the Super Bowl. I'm thinking of a small jersey with Favre's name and number on it. Probably on the same ankle as my Green Bay G, just on the outside of my leg. I'm sure some of you think I'm nuts, and maybe I am. I just love my Packers so much.

I'm going to start a pair of mittens today and hope to get them done for Maggie's friend, Alexa by Wednesday. Think I can do it?

Well, I'm off to work out!! Wish me luck! Happy knitting!

I think I've swallowed a cow.....

Okay, so I didn't really swallow a cow, but I had an endoscopy done and they put a little transmitter into my esophogus. Have you ever swallowed a vitamin, pill, ect. and had it get stuck in your throat? Well, that is how I am feeling. It is not pleasant to say the least. I have to wear this beeper like thing until Saturday morning to monitor the ph level in my stomach and esophogus. Then I take it to the hospital on Sunday and they hook it to a computer and read the data. I have been having digestion issues and have severe acid reflux. I haven't been able to take my Nexium for over a week so they could do this test. I am not a happy girl. Hopefully we will figure out what is going on and I will start to feel better. I am almost finished with the baby sweater. Tom and I are going to Green Bay on Saturday to watch the Packers play the Seahawks. I'll have time to knit on the way over and hopefully finish it. I am very excited to go to the game and I really want the Packers to win and go to the NFC Championship game. If they go to the Super Bowl we will be able to go watch them. The Packers had a random drawing from the season ticket holders, and we scored two tickets. This is a once in a lifetime thing, and I'm really keeping my fingers crossed that they win and get to the Super Bowl.

Well, since it is nearly 1:00 a.m. I should try and go to sleep. I'll have to prop up a lot of pillows and sleep on an angle. This really sucks!!

Do you think Todd was bored? While I've been reading blogs and catching up this morning, he was quite busy playing in my yarn. Guess what I'll be doing this afternoon? Rewinding a lot of yarn. He is so darn cute, but very naughty. I just love that face though and it is hard for me to get mad at him. He probably knows that, so that's why he is such a stinker. It could be worse. :)

Our New Year's Eve plans didn't go exactly like we wanted. We did enjoy a delicious dinner at our favorite place, Houligan's. We just had a feeling we should check on the kid's before going to our movie. When we got home the boys were pretty wild. They weren't acting very appropriate and using some "colorful" language. We decided to stay home. Maggie had three friend's over for the night, so it was just as well that we were here when their parents dropped them off. I was in bed by 9:30. I got a good night's sleep and that was wonderful.

Yesterday we went to see Tom's mom. She was looking pretty good. She had some nausea so had to stop her physical therapy early. She was just getting back into bed when we got there.

Okay, well I'm off to start working on that yarn mess. Hopefully I will have time to work on the Baby Albert coat I started for my great nephew. It is coming along nicely. Happpy knitting!!