Look closely..OMG

A week ago, one of the boys was home sick. We needed to run to Wal-Mart to pick up some medicine and saw this van. Needless to say, we were stunned.

If you look really closely, you will see that the trash in the van is not just completely covering the dash area, it is totally filling the passengers side AND THE ENTIRE BACK UP TO THE CEILING!!!! My son was trying to get me to take the picture at a closer distance, but I figured with my luck the owner would walk out about the time I start taking pictures. And the owner would no doubt be someone who was in a bad mood.

We don't need any more doctor visits here at Casa Crazylife, so I snapped from one row over.


Exactly how does this person see out the windows? At first I thought maybe it was someone who lived out of their car, but the reality is that all the stuff in the van were papers, old buckets, paper cups (a lot of them!), food wrappers...I can ignore a little paper in my car, but whoa...

I had come across a small car in much the same condition when I was in Newton last week. I wonder if these people are related.

On a "lighter" note, this was a busy week.

Shelly was out of town on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so Jackie, Mimi and I kept the shop. I was soooooo thankful they were there! I really don't see how Shelly does it. There were several times when I was winding multiple skeins of yarn, Mimi was ringing someone up and Jackie was assisting a customer with a question and vice versa. Thank God (literally!) there were three of us. I am sure there are lots of times that happens to Shelly when she is the only one in the shop....

On the knitting front, I am just about finished with a really neat hat that is destined to be a shop model. I was going to have it finished this weekend, but I was pretty tired and didn't get much knitting done. It also didn't help that hubby kept trying to engage me in conversation while I was trying to do the stranded colorwork on the hat and I ended up losing track of the proper pattern repeats. I had to rip back 4 rows, which really made me cranky. I will work some more on the hat while everyone is at school and work tomorrow. I would really like to get this felted so we can block it. I'll post pictures once it is felted and blocked. I was also working on a second pair of basic mittens but I frogged them today. I really should not knit when I am tired. BAAAAAAAAD things happen. I think I am going to put them aside so I can finish my fiddleheads and cast on a pair of socks. I am really trying to only have a couple projects on the needles instead of a lot of projects and getting none of them completed. It really feels good to wear something you've created.

On the house front, I am going to take an hour tomorrow and do a purging of papers and other stuff that is sitting around not being used. I will start working the chore sheets that I downloaded off SimpleMom's blog. They are really good resources to keep you on track. I am trying to get a system in place before the winter sets in. I am using the picture of the van above to motivate me into getting the clutter under control.

And I am going to clean out my car....

Sunday posting...

What a busy day!

I opened the yarn shop this morning and ran it for the day. Since we didn't have to call the police or fire department, and we ended the day with a functional computer/cash register, I am assuming I did it half right in the very least. There was a pretty good amount of people in the shop today, which was nice. This is the first time I have run the shop without Shelly being somewhere around the corner, so it was a bit intimidating, but it did turn out to be not a big deal. At least I hope...


Now I just have to learn to run the register at the Beadery so Julie can leave when she needs a break from the shop on Wednesdays. I am pretty darn blessed to be able to help out at Twist in Wichita and The Beadery in Newton. Both shops are run by really talented women. There is a lot of creativity flowing out of both shops. I love it! I always leave inspired to try new techniques and yarns/tools. I am going to have to take a couple classes on lace knitting though. That is an area I am weak and I have noticed more knitters are looking for answers in that area. I'd like to be able to give them information instead of a blank look....

This had been a very busy weekend and I didn't get much actually done around the house this weekend, as I had hoped. Hubby and I did just finish planting some shrubs that have been languishing in their pots since I bought them a couple weeks ago. They were at the "plant me or I am going to croak" stage. I did get them on sale, but it would have been a shame to waste the money. Plus one was a northern snowball bush, which I was thrilled to find. It is going on the side of the house that is a little out of the way. I want to have a "secret garden" on that side, complete with a little table and chairs to escape. It does have a weird slant to that part of the yard, but I intend to build it up a bit.

Saturday night, Hubby and I went to Best Buy and "just looked". I probably should not do that. Now I REALLY think we NEED a 40" LCD TV with surround sound...We do need a new TV --our current TV is 21 years old and is just starting to act like it is going to retire itself. I was shocked at the new TV's. Very nice! I do help the old set lasts until after Christmas since we really shouldn't make that big a purchase until after Christmas.

And how was your weekend?

Dear Wichita

As some of you may know, we are experiencing quite a little deluge of water in areas right outside my little town, namely in the big city of Wichita (note: If you do not live here, it is pronounced wi-chit-ta, NOT wah-chee-tah like one of the national news shows kept saying when they finally caught BTK, but I digress). So here goes:

Dear Wichita,

Due to the recent floods and rains of epic proportions, I feel that an apology is in order.

After a full year of living in this house, we decided it was finally time to give it up and get the deck rebuilt. For some reason, the idea of taking the fast track to the downstairs via a hole no longer seemed be an attractive proposition. That tort law class I took in college just made me a total killjoy...

As some of you also know, it rains every time we change residences. Since this was only going to be a home improvement project and not an actual move, I thought that we were safe from anything falling from the sky, except for maybe volcanic ash, small planes and large birds...but that is another story altogether.

I was wrong.

So, from here on out, whenever we are going to do anything that involves a solid plan and beautification for the purpose of safety and liability laws, I will warn you. This will allow you, dear Wichita, ample time to stock up on the basics like inner tubes, oars, waist high wading pants, lumber and schematics for large boats...

And to have ample time to start assembling two of every animal on earth.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Crazylife

When Cats Pray

I found this on Mrs. Fussypants blog. It was just too funny not to share. You really should go check out her blog. Lots of funny and sarcastic little tidbits.

Project updates.....

Here are the fiddlehead mittens (a work in progress) that I have been raving about. The yellow isn't showing up true--it is a really nice shade that sets off the other colors around it. I have completed the first one, with the exception of the lining and thumb. I cast on the mate this weekend and will complete the thumbs and linings at the same time.

I love this pattern!!!!

It has not been all knitting at Casa Crazy Life. I love to make sterling jewelry--below is a little sampling of some of the earrings I made this summer. I did decide that I will be buying half hard sterling wire, not the full hard that I bought. Bending the shapes of the ear wires--especially on the blue and green dangling pair, was a little bit of a challenge. I did most of these at The Beadery in Newton on one of the Wednesdays that I hang out there. Julie, the owner, made a really neat set of the dangle ones...I love going there on Wednesdays. If there isn't nobody with yarn questions/issues, Julie and I create jewelry...You ought to come by and create something too. Newton is just 20 minutes from Wichita--it takes me a full 30 minutes from Haysville, which is not much of a drive at all. It takes me almost as long to get to the other side of Wichita. There are a ton of really neat shops in Newton, in addition to Julie's. Email me if you want the scoop!

Yes, the mate to the butterfly seems to have flown off. That means I will be searching under the nightstand for it's mate. I seem to have a cat the likes bling too. I have smacked a paw that was reaching toward these earrings more than once!
I find that I wear this pair the most. It is comprised of sterling silver wire, sterling beads and carnelian beads...it is a little modern, but not so modern that it looks out of place. Very clean and classic lines. The inspiration for these came from the book " Perfect Match". They aren't exactly like the pair in the book, but the one in the book was the springboard for the design. It's an awesome resource for handmade earrings.

This has been a really rough start to the week for me. I have had repeated dreams where I am missing buses--the only bus to a particular destination--trains, classes, picking people up, and any odd assortment of possible ways to miss something important. If it is a no show possibility, I did it in at least one of my dreams.

What's up? I am not really sure.

Our schedule has been pretty wild lately, which may have an awful lot to do with it. I really need to find a way to get some sort of organization to this parade because these dreams keep me off kilter all day and I wake up upset. I walk around with this nagging feeling I've missed something important, or forgot to pick someone up.

Not good....

Poll Reveals 430 New Demographics That Will Decide Election

From the Onion---too funny!!!

Completely AWESOME HOUSE alert!

I lurk on Judy Wise's blog often. It is the ultimate creativity blog that just gets me totally inspired. I am going to have to go to one of her workshops to just soak in the creativity mojo!

While looking (and looking...and looking) on her site today, I came across the MOST AWESOME HOUSE EVER on the July 12, 2008 post. GO...NOW..Does it take serious creative balls to paint your house purple, or what?! And it looks great! Hubby, being a little less adventurous than I, might disagree, but my hat is completely off to this homeowner!!

There is a purple house here in Wichita, near Lincoln and Broadway--however, I think it would benefit from the white picket fence, white trim and tons of flowers that the other house has. Isn't it funny how just a few detail can make such a huge difference?

Damn. I want a purple house...

Yeah!

I got an email from Loops yarn shop in Tulsa detailing a trunk show, presentation and meet n greet for Gina Wilde of Alchemy Yarns. She is going to talk about her new book "Shibori Knits" on October 24th. I zinged off a request and got one of the 30 available slots.

Yeah!

It looks like it is going to be a really interesting event. I love felting! And not coincidentally, the Friday before the presentation my friend Cindy, my hubby and I are flying to Mitchell, Nebraska to tour the factory and sale room of Brown Sheep yarns, which is my ultimate favorite felting yarn. Cindy and Cute Man are the pilot and co-pilot--I'm just along for the yarn. Just how much yarn can you shove into a Cessna 182? Well, if all else fails, they do ship...

YEAH BABY!!

Sunday Post

Hi There!

And how was your week?

Did you get everything on your to-do list done? Hmmm. Me?

Ummm..Not so much.

My list this weekend consisted of planting a grouping of shrubs that I picked up for a song a couple weeks ago and actually putting landscape cloth around them so we don't have to deal with weeds. I have a couple rose bushes that are fighting a losing battle with weeds, they will get the landscape cloth treatment too. Has that happened?

Umm...Not so much.

So tomorrow I will get up early and get a jump on it before the heat of the day sets in. Since we are at the end of the summer season, the pots of shrubs must get planted this week in order to give them some time to establish roots. The end of the week is pay day, so I will be making a trip to the nursery for a dwarf pear tree (a request from one of my sons) and a dwarf peach tree. I really want to have the ability to just walk out back and get the fruit we like, in season and not irradiated. We don't have a huge yard, but we can easily accommodate dwarf fruit trees and still have room for a garden. When we moved in, we knew the deck would have to be rebuilt, so everything has been on hold until then. Work on the deck is supposed to start this month, so I am going to get some of the "bones" put in and then work the frou-frou after the construction. It will be so nice to have the deck completed and to have the backyard completed. The boys are volleying to have a hot tub next year and I am beginning to see that it would be nice to have a small one on the patio. Both boys are very active in sports, and it would be good to have a place to soak sore muscles...We'll do a little research this winter to see what will be required and the general logistics of it.

Can you believe it is September already? It seems like this year has just flown by! But I think that tends to be the rule as I get older. Even though I am no longer working outside the home, I have found that I have so many activities going, that I am rarely home. As a result, we have been in this new house for a full year and we are still in a state of disorganization.

I think it is time to start getting the focus back to the house. I get overwhelmed so easily though! That's why we have almost 2,000 square feet of decorating chaos....ARGGGGGG!!

Along with the backyard, I am looking to get the family room finished--or at least heading in the right direction. I know we are going to take down the wallpaper that is currently on the walls, but that may be too big of a project for right now, so we'll do everything but that and save the wallpaper removal for later, unless I get a wild hair... I did get really lucky and found some incredible pictures at thrift shops lately. I even found a picture that I REALLY liked and when I looked a little closer, I realized it is a low print number of a limited edition print that is even signed by the artist! And the frame is incredible! SCORE!!! I also found some other paintings that work really well, and some mass produced but well framed prints that will work wonderfully. In addition I am going to do some drawings and paintings myself. Can you say redecorate on a dime? That's what I'm looking for. When the weather gets cold and we are inside all the time, I want it to be a good thing.

On the knitting front, I am about to close the top of my first fiddlehead mitten. All that is left is the actual thumb. However, I am casting on the second mitten tonight. I may wait to get the thumb finished until I have the second one completed, I haven't decided. It might be better to just have a full mitten finished for motivation. I'm sure this one will go much faster since I am over the learning curve. I love this pattern so much I will be doing more. I do have enough of various shades of the Cascade 220 yarn that I like so much, so I will be doing a lot more.

I know, mind barf....Sorry.

Cluster, Cluster......

This weekend a friend and I went to Lee's Summit, Missouri (Kansas City for all practical purposes..) . All along Interstate 35, before our exit, there was construction that turned 4 lanes of traffic into one.

Not good.

Bumper to bumper on a weekend? I would absolutely hate to see it during rush hour on a weekday. On the way there, we were able to exit before becoming too entangled in the mess. Glad I didn't say something cheeky like " Later, Suckers!"


Oh wait, I think I did.

Damn!


On the way back, guess what? Yep! A clusterflip of massive proportions. I could have sworn I heard someone whisper "Who's the sucker now?" Probably Casper, the smartass ghost.

The picture above is from our vantage point on the ramp. What you are not seeing is that there is a second ramp next to ours, just as bottle necked, that merges into our lane before all of us have to merge into the single line traffic of I35.Luckily, Kansas City drivers are remarkably courteous, so the drivers on I35 were making room for the feed off lanes to enter a few cars at a time. Luckily Staci was driving for this neck of the adventure, so were were at least facing the right direction!

I'm not used to this kind of traffic but I think if I had to drive in it, Kansas City is where I would rather be. Their drivers were really patient and courteous, even when they were behind me and I was trying to figure out where the heck I was. I really don't have the greatest sense of direction, so let's just say I'm sure some of them were thinking I was drunk! Bless them for not flipping me off, honking, running up on my rear or any other assmblege of possible antics.

Rob Thomas - Little Wonders

From an animated film, but the message of the song is good....

GEE-ography lesson

My mother called me this morning with a story so hilarious, I had to share it.

My nephew runs around with this really large guy (think Hoss from the western show Bonanza --for those of you too young to remember Bonanza--Google it) who is just a few bricks short of being able to hold up his cognitive retaining wall...anyway, my nephew and the guys were hanging out, like we Okies are so fond of doing, and chewing the fat..This guy, David, says "Can you believe the Russians have invaded the U.S ?! " and the conversation gets lively between David and one of the other guys. My nephew is sitting there trying to figure out what the heck he is talking about when it suddenly hits him that this guy thinks the Russians have invaded the STATE OF GEORGIA.

I kid you not!

So John has to explain that the Russians are in the COUNTRY of Georgia--not the state. This guy is a little dumbfounded ( I added "founded" on the end of that last word to be nice). Then John had to explain where the COUNTRY of Georgia is.

Can you imagine this guy gittin' in his pickup truck (Rednecks don't "get" in their truck, they "git") to go fight the red threat in Atlanta? I absolutely rolled...

Then I made sure my kids knew where the heck Georgia (the COUNTRY) was..

I kid you not.

Disclaimer::: the "win 100.00 here sticker" on the European map is theirs, not mine. If I had an extra $100 to give out, I'd buy this guy a globe. One that talks...

Consumer Finance (Orlando, Florida)

Today I got not one, but 3 recorded messages from a telemarketing company. On the third one, I picked it up (since the previous messages do not leave a call back #) and got a trainee. I asked him to remove our number, since we are on the no call list, and he said he would try, but we probably would receive more calls since there are a lot of branches of the company he calls " Consumer Financial Services" out of Orlando, Florida..I asked to speak to a customer service supervisor who then told me that by having a Visa, Mastercard, or American Express, I am giving them the right to telemarket me.

BULLSHIT!

Then Tim (not his real name I'm sure) hung up on me.

Say it with me folks "OH NO YOU DIDN'T!!!!"

Let me give you a hint, DO NOT HANG UP ON ME IF YOU ARE A SCUMBAG TELEMARKETER.

So I am doing a little research and am out to scorch some ass. Yep, I'm pissed. I can be nice, but if I get hung up on, the transformation to complete bitch occurs instantly. It's just one of my little quirks....

And how was your day?!

I want one of these!

Click on this link--We need one of these in Wichita! Maybe right next to Twist..what do you think fellow Twisters?

Suzanne's blog (that I found by lurking on the comments of a fellow knitter's blog) also had this quiz. I came out 83% Dixie...Yep Y'all, I did!



I guess all that living in Georgia and Mississippi "done me some good" when I was a kid...

Funnel Cakes

Hopefully they aren't doing a cholesterol check tomorrow when I go for my CT scan!

One website that I love to lurk on is A Baker's Dozen. The owner of this blog has 13 (yes, 13!) kids and has the best ideas for doing things with kids and just general home life management in general. She posted a recipe for funnel cakes today and I just had to try them. They were EXCELLENT.

1. Heat three cups of vegetable oil over medium high heat until it reaches 350-375 degrees.
2. Whisk together 4 cups of flour, 1/3 cup of sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Make a well, then add 2 1/2 cups milk 3 large eggs. Whisk until smooth.
3. Put batter in gallon sized bag. Remove excess air, and seal. Cut 1/4 inch wide hole in bag. Carefully squeeze 1 cup of batter back and forth into oil making a free form lacy web. Cook until golden on bottom, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, turn the cake over and cook until golden brown on other side, about 1 more minute. Transfer funnel cake to paper towels to drain.
4. Dust funnel cakes with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Tip: Cut the hole for the bag small--although it might be a bit thick, the batter rises in the pan and thin funnel cakes are really better. The batter makes a LOT of funnel cakes, so either half it (use 2 eggs in the batter instead of the three for the full batch) or wait until you have a group hanging out. Sprinkled with powdered sugar, they are wonderful hot!

Jag Är En Gummibjörn - Full Swedish Version

If you aren't sick of this song by now, try it in Swedish!
One of my boys pointed out that he seems to like to grab himself a little--kinda like Michael Jackson. I guess that would explain the playground scenes...I know, boo hiss....

Mercy Me - Bring The Rain (Live)

Another song from one of my favorite bands. Enjoy.

Another great song by Lisa Lavie

The End Of Summer...

As of tomorrow, summer is officially over for my boys.

They start 9th grade--I now have high schoolers again. It feels weird that as of tomorrow I only have 4 years before these guys are off to college. It seems like yesterday I was having a hard time coping because Jeremy told me they were kindergartners now and he didn't want me to walk them to their class. I wonder if that still applies..

It just feels weird.

I am still up at 11:30 doing laundry that realistically should have been done earlier. Not that I haven't done anything today. I actually stayed home today to supervise the kids since a friend came in from out of state and was hanging out all day at the house. It's probably a good thing I stayed home since I had to break up a football toss (in the house) and a wrestling match (again, IN THE HOUSE!) . Boys....


I did manage to get some things cleaned through though, so it wasn't all "fun and games"...


I have made pretty good progress on the fiddlehead mittens, although I have hit a part where I don't understand the instructions. Considering everyone else has sailed through the pattern, I'm sure I am over thinking it. I will be hunting down Jen at some point this week for clarification so I can get the first mitten completed. Maybe HelloYarn should let me test knit some of her patterns so she can be completely sure it is DUMMY proof! Other than this, I am totally in love with this pattern. It is very relaxing to knit and pretty addictive. After I finish this pair, I am actually going to cast on another pair in similar colors.

I rented "Indian Summer" from the video store this weekend and finally got to watch it. I read some reviews people loved it. I just couldn't seem to get into it. It seemed like something was missing from the start and it never quite filled in the blanks. The concept was great and there was no absence of serious stars, but...I guess I should have known when the reviews were playing it up as being in the spirit of "The Big Chill".

We have seriously blown the budget this week. School fees and just general school stuff nickled and dimed us--but that should not have come as a surprise. If I'd been smart, we would have saved a little at a time into a school fund. I'll seriously have to think about that before next year rolls around.

I noticed an article on the website of Wichita channel 3 that was talking about a convenience store at 21st and Webb road having WATER in their gas. Apparently there have been several people that have had problems after filling up or getting gas there. One person took their car to a mechanic and they found the gas was 75% WATER!!!!! A little could be looked on as an accident of some sort--but 75%?! That's running a con! I'm sure they are going to get zapped by whoever polices this sort of stuff--they need to lose their ability to sell gas! Steer clear of this place! We're paying enough already-we don't need a harder screw!!

Goals this week:

1. Finish fiddlehead mitten #1 and cast on #2
2. Get all boxes out of library.

That's all the goals--believe me, if I do that, it will be good! I am working on getting my oldest son's room changed into a studio/guest room so I can have all my art/yarn/fabric in one place. It has just been sitting empty and is wasted space.

Well, the laundry seems to be almost done and it is now after midnight, so sweet dreams!

Rainy Day post...

Not the kind of weather we are having today, but the picture was pretty... I took this picture at Botanica earlier this summer.

I know, I'm not being very creative with the post titles lately.

Cute man and one son is sitting at Lawrence Dumont Stadium in Wichita as I type this. They go to the 52 hour round the clock baseball tournament each year, and this year is no different.....Except that is has been raining cats and dogs all day.

No, they haven't thrown in the towel, but I'm sure they would have liked an umbrella....

Cute man ended up with a nail in his tire somehow, so he has my car for this marathon. Meaning I have been hanging at home with the other son. Have I gotten anything cleaned/organized? Mmmm, not so much. Have I made significant progress on fiddlehead mitten #1? Yep. I will be at the part where I need to put the thumb gusset on waste yarn in preparation for knitting the rest of the mitten in just a little while. I'm not feeling too confident about that, so it may have to hold until Tuesday, when I get to the shop for some guidance. I am REALLY loving this pattern. Hello Yarn has a pattern in the book "Knit Alongs" and I am really thinking about doing that once I finish a couple more pairs of the fiddleheads for gifts. I am doing my mittens in worsted weight Cascade (love the colors!!) with an alpaca lining. I will have enough yarn left over and in my stash to complete several more pairs. These are going to be really warm mittens, which will be perfect for the cold winters in Iowa. I will be starting a couple pairs for oldest son and his girlfriend right after I complete this pair since the cold Iowa winters demand good toasty hand coverings.

As I type this I have the patio door open and am listening to the rain falling outside. While I am sure they are not appreciating it as much at the tournament, I am loving the sound of the falling rain. When they start working on the deck, I am going to have them fix an area where I can sit outside during the rain and not get wet--a little covered porch with screens to keep out the bugs.

My aunts in Lincolnton, Georgia had a screened in back porch that was used for sleeping in the summer since they did not have air conditioning. Isn't that a cool idea? It actually is pretty common in the old South, and they would have laughed that I thought it was anything special, but it was. There is a lot about the South that still pulls at my heart. Southern entertaining is magical. Southerners also tell the best stories. I think that is where I learned to weave stories into everything. Even in Oklahoma we had a lot of time as kids to sit around and entertain each other with stories. Stories are a southern thing. Just walk into any small town southern cafe and listen to the conversations. If you sit there long enough, you will be invited to be part of the audience...trust me.

Good coffee and great friends to you and yours!

Friday night fever....

Sounds like a movie title, huh?

It's been an interesting week.

Night before last, ex-sister in law calls after getting nephew all worked up and tries to pull me into the web. I think she was attempting--actually I know she was attempting-- to make us think twice about backing out of the kinship adoption process. After much consideration, hubby and I decided that it is better if Skylar stays with the foster parents and they adopt him. They have had him for 15 months, and it just didn't make sense to pull him from that even if he is "family". After the ICPC papers arrived from Kansas, we sat down and talked about the fact it would take a month more to get him here and by that time he would be almost 17 months old. Nephew and I talked about it and he agrees, but I get the feeling he is afraid of making his mother mad. So hubby and I will play the bad guys and back out, which will make the process smoother for the foster parents. We have been assured that they really do intend to go through with it if we step back and if anything changes about their intentions, we will start the papers again. We will be calling Kansas SRS to let them know we are not going to follow through.
I am in the process of compiling a complete medical history of the our side of the family so the new parents can have this for future reference since we have some genetic issues that run in the family like lupus. I am pretty sure my sister in law is going to refuse any information--which is childish and stupid--so unfortunately he will only know our side.

My twins start high school Wednesday. It seems impossible to even fathom! In 4 more years, they will be starting college! One of the boys has decided he want to spend at least one year in a foreign exchange program. He is the "adventurer" of the two. The other just wants to stay home. Literally. We went out to dinner tonight and I tried to tempt him into going to the bookstore afterwards, but he wanted to go home and hang out. He is so much like his Dad. Cute man loves to stay home and read--luckily he is open to being dragged all around the city by his "can't stay home to save her life" wife.

Both the boys are in football again this year so Monday nights I will be sitting in the bleachers with a knitting project, trying to understand why a bunch of guys hurl themselves at an object, risking bodily injury while trying to inflict the same, for a $15 ball you can buy at Wal-Mart....Hmmmmm. Bet testosterone is responsible for this...

We got both boys formally enrolled today and I forget each year how expensive public school is. The first time we got "school fee shock" was when we enrolled the oldest after we moved from Oklahoma, where the only thing you paid for was school supplies...It was over $200 today to get the boys enrolled, plus I have to take them for sports physicals Monday. Luckily we planned in advance an put money into the health savings plan. Hubby's employer has a health saving plan that rolls over, luckily, so we have a pretty good buffer. A couple people I know, and the old office I worked at, had a health saving plan that you lost at the end of the year if you didn't use it all. Needless to say, I avoided that one like the plague! It seems safer to put money into an emergency savings account than risk losing it. I know the advantage is that it is pre-tax, but that is not a good enough reason. Having the accumulation of a rollover saved our bacon when I ended up in the emergency room while in Atlanta! I have a biopsy on Tuesday and we will be using that to pay anything insurance doesn't. I am so thankful we have really good insurance! This has been an interesting year health wise at Casa Crazylife!

On the knitting front, I am really plugging right along on the Fiddlehead mittens. I LOVE this pattern!! I will take pictures tomorrow. My colors are not shy, mellow colors, of course!

Should be snoozing in bed but....

One of us didn't get the laundry done this afternoon or earlier this evening.

Seriously folks, I really need to work on some kind of organizational schedule so I can get my house in order. I am now home for several days out of the week, but it seems like I haven't gotten too much accomplished. I am going to give myself the goal of getting the master bedroom and bathroom in order by Friday.

This weekend is going to be devoted to getting the guest bedroom packed and cleared out. My oldest son moved to Iowa last year and the room is still full of his things, as though he were still living here. So it is time to pack it up and make it into the guest bedroom and my studio.

My shopping for the downstairs will entail finding a long curtain rod that will stretch the length of the double patio doors so I can make curtains. We've had long blinds on one side and the other side is broke. I have been waiting for hubby to buy and install another set, but today -- for some odd reason-- I realized that curtains would not only work as well, but be a little more decorative. I plan on shopping at Big Lots and trying to find the curtain rod, however I will also try Target and Wal-Mart if I don't find what I have in mind. I am trying to decide whether I am going to make curtains or just buy them pre-made. That will also depend on the price difference.

I am also looking for a small freezer. Hopefully I can find a small one that we can put downstairs so I can start doing some freezer cooking. I have several cookbooks where you make several entrees and freeze them, but I haven't done anything with these yet. One is the Super Suppers cookbook and several of the recipes look really good. Wouldn't it be great to spend a day cooking then have 30 days worth of entrees ready to just thaw and cook? When I go by Sam's Friday, I am going to pick up an industrial size box of freezer bags and aluminum foil to get myself ready. I am hoping to be able to get the kitchen in good shape and organized so I can do 15 days worth of recipes to try out some of the different recipes. If anyone in Wichita sees a great deal on a small freezer, email me and let me know. I'd definitely appreciate it! I don't think we need one of the really huge ones, but a small one would be great. Just something that would allow me to get a month's worth of entrees, plus other extra stuff (frozen pizzas, ice cream, etc.) in there so I can shop the sales more efficiently and buy in bulk when the good deals come along. Having meals in the freezer will also help out if I am ever down for the count like most of last week or gone from the house for whatever reason. Although hubby is an excellent cook, it would be great if all he had to do was pull an entree out of the fridge on days I am not able and he has worked all day or the boys could get dinner started in the oven before he gets home. It would just make things easier all around.

Big goals--now I just need to get some action behind them. Since it is getting cooler, I'd love to have the inside of the house in order so we can turn our attention to the outside of the house. There are several hedges that are not only severely overgrown, but in need of being removed. The previous owners planted them right up against the house and I noticed they were pushing up underneath the siding.

Not good.

So they are going to be either completely taken out or moved to the area between our house and the neighbor to the East. That would allow me to reuse and recycle, but I'm not sure all the bushes are the kind I want to reuse. One is really huge and will probably not make the transplanting, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

I know, much ado about nothing...

Sliding towards school season..

The boys have started 6:30 a.m practices this week--yep, lovin' that.

NOT!

However this is the signal that school is just around the corner. This summer went quickly, as summers often do. I had hoped we could get out of town more often and take at least one long trip to somewhere interesting, but truthfully we are not summer travelers.

We prefer to travel in the Fall when it is cooler and we can be outside more. I am going to look at the boys school schedule and plan a trip to Iowa to visit oldest son and his girlfriend in approximately two weeks. We also have several weekend trips to Kansas City planned this Fall to take classes at the Culinary Center and to Cabellos.

All said, I am looking forward to having the cooler weather come. Most of the yard work as far as building new flower beds and any landscaping has been put on hold until then. I also want to build an enclosure and coop for some Bantam chickens. We can have hens in city limits, but not roosters (understandably). I have always wanted chickens, so this Fall I am going to have the coop and pen area built so that it can sit through the winter season and be ready for chicks in the Spring. This will also let me see how the snow and wind will wrap around the coop and allow me to be able to make any changes before the chickens actually get here. I have talked about it for over a year, so this year I am going to make it happen. I was going to put the house and pens under a tree that grows right up against the fence in the corner of the yard, but have decided not to do that since it might allow cats an easy way into the enclosure. Instead we are going to cut that tree down since it is pushing against the fence and crowding out the redbud tree next to it.

The boys start high school this year. It seems weird. Time sure flies and before you know it, they are grown up.

I have put down all my other knitting projects (except the shawl, which is plugging along) in order to concentrate on the Fiddlehead mittens. I really like this pattern. As predicted, I had to go up a needle size and knit the largest size. I am still needing to go up a needle size to actually get gauge, but I think by knitting the largest size, I will be fine. The pattern is pretty easy to follow, but as with all colorwork, you do have to focus. I am working on loosening up my knitting though. I usually knit tight anyway, but since colorwork tends to pull in, I have to really concentrate on getting more relaxed stitches.

I am seriously considering learning to weave this Fall. There are classes being offered at CityArts and I have wanted to learn for a long time. One of the ladies that teaches the advanced weaving class comes into Twist from time to time. Last time she was in, we had a conversation about weaving and I was hooked. I will have to put all our family activities on the calendar for this season and see if there is time. The boys are freshmen this year and they both play football, which means Monday night games. Usually hubby goes to the games solo since the rules of football escape me, but he is working towards his master's degree and I think he may have class on Mondays. That means I will be going. I am glad we are starting a mitten of the month club at Twist.

I am anticipating lots of bleacher knitting.

Changes

More than a week ago, this was the scene out my back door. Apparently there is going to be a new house in the neighborhood. These guys took two days to dig holes, then a huge influx of workers hit the next day and got the foundation poured. After that, it rained for the next week. I am going to send this construction crew to the drought ridden South since prior to their arrival, we had no rain and nothing but blue skies! The foundation and retaining walls are now up, but I guess they are waiting for things to dry out. This frantic bit of activity has given my three dogs unending amounts of entertainment as they stand on the second story deck and bark furiously at the construction crew (who ignore them, imagine that!) until I yell at them and make them come inside. It is going to be an odd shaped lot and it is also right up against the public park. I'm not so sure I'd want that house, but to each his own.
I had to share some cute beagle pics. This is Buddy after a hard day of...well, a hard day of just being a beagle....Doesn't he just look exhausted?!
Put down the damn camera, human. Geez! Who gave that darn human a camera? Which is also what the girls at Twist say...I'll post THOSE pics tomorrow...and yes, Jackie, Jill, Shelly, and Sally--there are pictures of you. I think the photo of Jackie should be our KIP logo...just a teaser for now.

And Jill, you were wrong-photoshop CAN erase your handcuffs and the cop... oopsie! Did I say too much?

New Adventures

I have been lusting after this book by Dorie Greenspan since it hit the shelves, but really couldn't afford the $40 price. I found it in the bargain section for $8 and snapped it up. I love this book. There are so many really good recipes in it that I just couldn't decide which to try first. So I have decided that I am going to start at the first recipe and bake the goodies in the order they are listed in the book. I will try one recipe each week and give you feedback on it. Tomorrow I will be making the first recipe: Blueberry Orange muffins. They sound great. Next week will be corn muffins.

This has been a rough couple weeks at Casa CrazyLife. I had a little incident with a kidney stone over a week ago and I have had a heck of a time getting back to my old self. Today I literally slept until 3p.m, which was the time I had to leave to get to my mittens class. I was supposed to get a call last week from the doctor's nurse to set up the details on another test that needs to be run -- that has not happened. I am starting to get "pissy"-no pun intended. I think I am definitely going to be changing doctors since I realize I have very little faith in the clinic and the doctor that I have been seeing. He doesn't explain anything clearly (Thankfully Shelly's mom came to the rescue on that) and is really odd about not making eye contact. I will be calling Monday and trying to get some info from the nurse. If they have lost my stuff that I brought in, you will probably see the clip on the local news under "Woman goes nuts on incompetent doctor"... I am getting pissed off enough that my friend Sue made me promise to talk to her and vent first before I call their office. Come on people, all I'm asking for are answers!! If there is not an answer this week, I am going to have them transfer everything over to my OB/GYN and ask her to arrange the proper tests and refer me to a doctor she recommends. Actually I am going to do that anyway. Ok, I'm done griping! I am looking forward to finally feeling like my old self though!

On the knitting front, I started the Fiddlehead Mittens for the class taught by Jen at Twist. I had missed the first class since I was sick, but I caught the second class. We have one more class. At first I could not figure out the I-cord cast on, but Shelly showed me and it finally made sense. I love this cast on! It is really the best cast on for mittens since it makes a firm, decorative edge. I may have to frog and start over though since I noticed my stitches are getting REALLY tight. Luckily I'm only a couple rows into the pattern, so it is not a big deal. I am going to spend a lot of time working on these so I can get the first one done this week. I'm sure the thumb gusset will be a new experience.

Friday night, cute man and I joined Cindy and Sue for sushi at Tokyo restaurant on Rock Road (near Applebee's) in Derby. There is a Tokyo in west Wichita that is owned by the same guy and both have fabulous sushi. The same guy also used to own Ichiban in east Wichita, but closed that one when the Derby store opened up. If you have a chance, go have sushi there. The spider rolls are the best I've had in town and I really like the Henry's roll too. We appreciate that there is usually not a long wait period and we can go dressed casually. The prices are also really good. They have a grill too, but we have never had that. I'm sure it is every bit as good as the sushi though. And yes, we sometimes go to Sumo for sushi, but I really prefer Tokyo because it is much more relaxed. This was the first time Sue had had sushi. Cindy and I are not sure what she thought of it. I used to think I'd hate sushi before I had actually tried it. However, after trying the spider roll, which is cooked crab, I was hooked. From there I tried the smoked salmon rolls and everything in between. The only one I'm not too crazy about is the eel, which is cooked. I know a lot of people who LOVE eel rolls, so obviously it is just my personal taste. My son will eat a plate of the eel rolls by himself if given the opportunity. One of the kids is really chomping at the bit to learn to make sushi, so I am going to take him to Overland Park this October to take a sushi class at the Kansas City Culinary Center. I have taken several classes there and love them every time. They have classes on just about everything. I wish we lived closer! I'd live there! I've taken a tamale class, a french pastry class and a healthy cooking class (on the same weekend I took the french pastry class--tee hee)..I did notice the Wichita Center for the Arts here in Wichita has a couple cooking classes this Fall, so I am happy that is an option. There is a soup class--it looks like cream based (potato, corn chowder, curried chicken) soups, but I'm game. I'll probably sign up for all the classes at the Center for the Arts since I really want it to take off and be successful. We NEED a cooking school here!!

Good Day!

Cute Man and I have been married for 18 years as of today.

Actually the wedding was on the 28th of July, but the preacher apparently wrote the 29th. We didn't even notice the date was wrong-it was our photographer who noticed. By that time, the certificate was already filed, so we just say we have a 2 day anniversary.

Our wedding was a really small but fun event full of family and friends. We got married at the university chapel on the grounds of Oklahoma State University. Since I was a florist at the time, I did all my own flowers and decorations. My high school best friend (and bridesmaid) made my wedding headpiece--it was beautiful. My oldest son was 4 years old at the time and was the ring bearer. My 4 yr. old niece was the flower girl. All throughout the video you can hear Brandon and Brittiny calling to each other and giggling. It is sooo cute. We had a special ceremony where Eric presented Brandon with a special family medallion and recited a thing about how this medallion symbolized a blending of the families. The neat thing is that it had three intertwined wedding ring with a pearl in the center. Brandon told the story of when he got married for years.

A friend of my mom in law made the cake. It was a huge three tier Italian cream cake with cream cheese frosting--unbelievably good. In all the pictures of my wedding cake, it looks like the leaning tower of Pisa. The lady that did the cake forgot to bring the supports that went under the layers to support the stacks, so the weight of the layers started a tilt...Luckily the cake made it through the wedding and the reception.

My Mom catered the after wedding party at her house in Stillwater. I threw my wedding bouquet off the front porch of my parent's house.

Some of my friends still say it was one of the most fun weddings they've ever been at. What I remember most is that it was very relaxed--we just sat around and talked for hours.

The real fun started after the reception when we went back to the church to clean up and get my clothes. Someone had come in before us and cleaned--taking my clothes with them. We were supposed to be the only ones with the keys to the church. To this day we still don't know what became of my clothes, but my girlfriend (Lisa) bought my first set of clothes as a married woman since everything I had was in Tulsa, where I lived at the time....This was the first time my husband had ever met all of the gang from Enid. I think he was a little intimidated by how downright rowdy we could get.

Oh, and did I mention the whole Enid group came to the house in Stillwater that my husband was living at (he was in college, I worked and lived in Tulsa) and spent our honeymoon with us? And did I mention that one of the gang included an ex boyfriend who also happened to be my maid of honor's ex also--that's actually how she and I met-we've been friends for over 20 years now, but that is a story for another time.... Stories like that even I can't make up! This guy made a really wonderful friend, but a really lousy boyfriend, so we stayed friends and he was invited to the wedding. At any rate, we all survived the night...But there are a lot (!!) of other stories that go with that night...Like how Christine and Eddie almost got us arrested after having a fork chase under the table at a restaurant. Little did we know there was a table of 8 or 9 highway patrol/cops having dinner and watching our obviously snockered antics. Geez. Those are some of my funniest memories.

I have really been blessed with good friends and a wonderful hubby who just rolls with the punches..After 20 years together, he's still the center of my soul.

Happy Anniversary Cute Man!

Long post --finally

I have been down for a whole week--literally. I won't go into details, but I have had a steady diet of percocet and water for the whole week and have just gotten to the point where I can actually get to the computer to post. Things are looking up, so I am anticipating finally being able to get to Twist and The Beadery this week for at least a little while. The bummer is that I think I missed the fiddlehead mittens class at Twist that I have been looking forward to.

Damn.

I hope Jen offers it again. There was no way I could have been in class and in the condition to actually knit. When I could actually concentrate on knitting at various times this week, I cast on and started working the Barbara Walker pattern above. It is a relatively simple pattern, but it does require that you pay attention. If you look really close at the project, there are mistakes in the first series of 8 rows, but I just said to heck with it and moved on. This is going to be a really long wrap shawl for the theatre with crocheted edgings, so if anyone picks out the mistake in the middle of all those rows, I will diagnose them as OCD and stay away from them...

The animals in my house have a rough life. On the back porch, Charlie cat and Speckles are having a vigorous workout..cat napping is rough business!
And that porky pig butt under the couch pillow is actually a very chubby dachshund.. Blonde dachshund with a piggy pink belly...how cute!
And yet another shot of a teenager in a papason chair nest....

And that is all the excitement this house has seen...ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Family Time in Oklahoma

Yesterday, we went to Agra, Oklahoma to visit my in laws and celebrate my niece's birthday. As you can see, there is a little bit of a size difference between the older kids and their young cousin...
Problem solved....Goofy boys!
I'm not sure if they are the Three Musketeers or the Three Stooges.
My awesome sister in law and the birthday girl. Isn't my niece so cute! She was a little bit intimidated by all the big boys running around, but I think we both agreed that girls rule, boys drool....We women have to stick together.

My mom in law, dad in law, sister in law and cute hubby. Unfortunately Roxanne's husband had to stay in Texas for work and church stuff, but we'll catch up with him the next time we get to Texas.

It was a really good end to the weekend. I enjoy hanging out with my in-laws. I'm a pretty lucky girl to have a magnificent hubby and in-laws I adore. I'm truly blessed on many levels.........

Repeat after me...

I will not knit a lace pattern while talking.

I will not knit a lace pattern while talking.

I will not knit a lace pattern while talking.

CRAP!

Frog...frog..frog...

CRAP!

Friday Post

Boy, did I ever sleep in today!

The boys didn't have weight lifting/pt at the school today (it ran the full summer for the football kids) , so we use Fridays as our crash day. I took one of the boys to the doctor because he has been complaining about his leg hurting. I was afraid he had pulled something during practices and definitely didn't want him to be out the entire season by making it worse. Turns out he has a quad (?) strain--that means he will have to lay off the lower body conditioning for a week, then the doctor will decide if we need to do physical therapy to get it worked out. Chances are that just letting it rest will do the trick though.



What do you have planned for the weekend? I am planning to take a crochet class at Twist this Saturday so I can finally help customers that come into the store with a crochet question. Usually I have to hand those questions off to Shelly but I think it would be nice if I could actually be able to handle them.

Sunday we are running to Agra for my niece's b-day. My mom in law and I usually go to Texas for my niece and nephew's b-day, but this year my sister in law and her family are coming to Oklahoma. I am off to search for something pink with lots of sparkles tomorrow. That's my girl!



As far as my pledge to not buy anything new for the next 2 months, that has kind of crashed and burned. I bought 4 (YES 4) skeins of Lorna's Lace's sock yarn while I was at the Newton Beadery. Candice had ordered the neatest colorway that just had to be adopted. I am crazy about the red, yellow and blues in the Lorikeet colorway, so I had to have it. I also picked up a couple skeins of Cascade Venezia to make a shawl. One of the skeins and I had a run in last night and I spent a considerable amount of time having to untangle the mess. You know it is not going to end well when you pull from a center pull ball and half the ball pulls out. I can't even BEGIN to tell you how much fun that was. NOT. Let's just say there is a REASON I do not try to help with untangling yarn at the shops! All's well that ends well doesn't apply to the mental scarring that occurs if I have a role in untangling yarn...

And along with yarn from The Newton Beadery, I bought volumes 1 and 3 of Barbara Walker's stitch dictionaries from Twist Yarn Shop. The sheer number of patterns in book 1 (500!!!) is mind boggling. These books are more of an investment than most stitch dictionaries, but I haven't found any dictionary that comes even close to the depth and clarity of these. They will more than pay for themselves in a very short time. Book 3 is mainly charted patterns with a really good tutorial. I have completely fallen in love with a charted raised spider pattern in this book. Wouldn't that be awesome to have a spider relief on your back shoulder or right over your heart? I know, that sounds strange--but I think it would be really neat. I am a little twisted that way. I want a sweater in red Alpaca With A Twist yarn, in a simple stockinette body style so the spider just pops out at you.

It has struck me that it would be good to learn to knit from charts since I noticed there are more knitters that are bringing in charts. Shelly gracefully volunteered to work through some of the charts with me, so I hope she doesn't mind if I take her up on the offer.

2008 is going to be my year for learning and growing in my knitting comfort zone. I am also trying to get UFO's done and frogging half done projects that are not going to be worked on for a while. Ideally I would like to have a maximum of two projects going at any point. Right now I have several that I started and put down...Into the frog pond they go! I am going to finish the shawl and the North Hampton wools sweater (the boys are looking forward to wearing this) before I work on anything else...ideally. I am not promising to not have a sock project on the needles at all times--I usually do. However, I am going to make an effort to get things completed so I can actually have things to show for my efforts.

Lincoln-Kennedy Similarities

My kids brought this home from school --very interesting!

*Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
*John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.
*Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
*John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.
* The names Lincoln and Kennedy both contain seven letters.
*Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
*Both wives lost their children while living in the White House. (NOTE FROM ME: I'm not sure why it is stipulated as "wives lost their children"..assuming John and Abraham were the fathers, it seems odd to write this as applying only to the wives...I know, picky..)
*Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
*Both were shot in the head.
*Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's secretary was named Lincoln.
*Both were assassinated by Southerners.
*Both were succeeded by Southerners.
*Both successors were names Johnson.
*Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.
* Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.
*Both assassins were known by their three names.
*Both names are comprised of fifteen letters.
*Booth ran from the theatre and was caught in a warehouse.
Oswald ran from a warehouse and was caught in a theatre.
*Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.

And who says there is nothing interesting about history...

What A Tangled Web We Weave....

Sometimes, even the pros can get in a pickle.

Usually I'm the one doing fancy funky cat's cradle-string-arty-things with customer's yarn while winding it--but this time it was Shelly's turn.

And what an adventure it was.

Did I mention it was NORO -- the velcro of yarns? This stuff would stick to a greased pig..AND NO !! I HAVE NOT TRIED IT...So after doing interesting designs, she called for reinforcements. Wisely, she did NOT call for me.

EXPERIENCE is not always the best teacher, but in this case, it was pretty darn entertaining.

Little Ms. Jenny 8 balls (I'll tell you THAT story at the end of this post) thought she could sweep right in and get that wild tangle of Japanese wool under control lickety split. Well, I had to get out my camera. After a few minutes, you can see how successful THAT turned out.

Of course, I was totally heckling from the sidelines.

And in an attempt to get it under control, Jen struck the YARN VIXEN pose you see below.

From this day forward, knitters with daughters have an alternative to the "penny birth control advice" that comes in so handy. You know the one where you give your daughter (niece or any free range teenage female whose offspring you don't want to raise) a penny and tell her that the way to prevent babies is to take that penny, squeeze it between her legs..

AND DON'T DROP IT!

As modeled above by Jen, a strand of yarn will do in a pinch if you've spent your last penny on yarn....

FOR THE LOVE OF NORO, JEN-- DON'T DROP THAT STRAND!!!! Actually, I think I'll save the story of why I call her "Little Ms. Jenny 8 Balls" for later...I'll just leave you hanging.

Note added later (7/17) : As typical ME --I got the names turned around (reality dyslexia?) --JEN was winding and Shelly came to her assistance. I came in at the point that Shelly had the look of determination on her face in the fisrt picture. It didn't make the situation any less hilarious, but I did want to make sure I at least tried to stay true to the situation. And they did get it untangled, after I got a LOT of really good pictures and blackmail photos for later...

Blah, blah, blah.........

I am ashamed to say that I have no pictures to spice up this post. I REALLY planned to have pictures of my earrings I've made, pottery I've made or something at least vaguely entertaining, but....

So please just sit back and read a spell.

This was a pretty lazy weekend, which is really what I needed after so many trips to Stillwater and points in between. It was nice to just relax. However, as a result of actually being in the house for more than a couple hours, I realized I have some serious catching up to do on the housework. Can you guess what I will be doing tomorrow?

Oh, and I will be running to pick up some laundry detergent. Exciting, eh? But this is no ordinary laundry detergent...Hubby and I stopped by Food for Thought, the natural food shop on Central here in Wichita and they were passing out samples of Meyers Clean Day laundry detergent. I thought "Nice" when I got the sample--free soap for a load of laundry. Tonight I poured it in the machine and absolutely fell in love with the Basil scent. It was outrageously good smelling! And it cleans better than my other detergent, which will remain unnamed. Figures. We switched to Seventh Generation dishwashing soap for the same reason. Not only is it easier on the environment, it totally out cleans any dishwashing soap I've ever used. Go figure. And no, I'm not being paid to hawk these two products. They REALLY work...Since I stock up on Seventh Generation when it is on sale, I am going to price the Meyers tomorrow and get at least one bottle--it smells too good to not buy. Let me guess, you are absolutely spellbound by my laundry adventures..Sorry, it's been a slow weekend so that's as good as it gets for now.

On the knitting front, I am searching for a small table to put my ball winder and swift. I started to buy the stuff to build a table yesterday and then realized (OK, my hubby pointed it out) that I had $60 of materials in the basket for a table I might be able to find cheaper...I plan to hit a couple thrift shops in the morning for THE table. Not just any table--THE table. I'll know it when I see it.

I hope.

On the yarn front, I'd really like to say I have behaved in the arena of yarn buying, but that has NOT been the case. We got some really wonderful colors of Crystal Palace Panda Wool in at Twist, and before I knew it, I had given several skeins of it a new home. And if the Lorna's Laces sock yarn in the Lorikeet colorway is still at The Beadery on Wednesday, guess who it is going home with? I have been slobbering over it for several weeks and have decided if it is still there, it is a sign that I should give it a home. I'd really hate to leave it homeless. I might be a smart ass, but I am very yarn compassionate. Can't leave it homeless, can I. That would be cruel....

My name is Rhonda and I am addicted to yarn....

and books..

and beads...

and....

Beach dreaming...

We had originally wanted to fly to Pensacola, Florida to hang out at the beach during this month, but with the kids football and weight training camps, that hasn't been possible.

Hubby suggested we use our stimulus check and go in September when the crowds are not so great and the beaches are not so hot. Sounds good to me. So I have spent part of the day surfing the web to see what rates are going to be and it does appear they will be cheaper. I love the ocean and I really can't wait to go.

A couple years ago we went to Gulfport, Mississippi and were really disappointed with the way the beaches looked and the fact that the city was pretty dirty. That was right before Katrina ran through the area.

When we talked to the boys, they were sure they did not want to go back to Gulfport since we really were looking for a beach that they could collect seashells. It appears there are a lot of places up and down the Florida coast where we can look for shells and the hubby and kids can snorkel.

We might go to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi one of the days we are in the area. I was completely in love with that town and the fact it was wiped away by Katrina really made me sad. I want to see how everything has changed and spend some $ there to contribute to the local economy. I know it won't be the same, but I can't imagine there won't be something magical there. The people in that town were part of the magic. The funny thing was the last time we were in Bay St. Louis-prior to Katrina--there was a hurricane during that time also and we watched it as it moved across the Bay into New Orleans. It mainly encompassed a lot of rain, but nothing the size and force of Katrina. Residents were like, "Oh, it's just another hurricane". I can honestly say that flying in a small plane and hitting an unexpected storm pocket sucks(radar and air traffic control don't always have up to the minute info in a fast moving storm), but other than one scary incident, we had no problems flying in. I am hoping we avoid hurricane season or at least an active hurricane--this time.

It has been way too long since we were at the beach and it is time to get back! Ideally I want to stay right on the beach so we don't have to drive and park. One of the boys and I like to get up extra early (5:30 a.m.) and walk the beach. It would be so much easier if we just had to walk outside to get to the ocean. I love being on the beach and watching the sun rise. There are a couple hotels right on the beach that are looking pretty good. Other than going to the Naval Aviation Museum, everything else will involve putting our toes in the sand.

Can you tell I'm looking forward to it?

How To Make a Center Pull Ball Left Handed

This is a good illustration of the technique--even though there is no sound. It is always good to know how to do this if you don't have a ball winder available..'cause eveyone needs to know how to pull their balls from the center...snicker, snicker. Yep, had to drop the humor down a level...or three.

Lazy Sunday..with bumps

Hubby took the kids to the movies to see "Hancock" so I had the day to hang out and be completely lazy. It was delicious.

The peace was just interrupted by a phone call from him reporting that they just tried to start the car to come home and it wouldn't even turn over. CRAP. The dishwasher decided to give up the ghost earlier this week--we don't need anything else to break! He did call 5 minutes later to say he got it started and will drive it home, but I may be taking it to Enid in the morning to see what the heck is wrong with it. I don't need to get stranded when I'm going up to Newton.

However, I can guarantee that next pay period, I am definitely going to sign up for Triple A road service. We let our old policy lapse--I am going to get it again. It is worth the peace of mind. Towing can get expensive!

I'm frustrated about the car and the fact that it seems like these things happen when money is earmarked for better things. DAMN.

Changing the subject....

I got to do a little exploring last time I went to Stillwater and was surprised at all the new housing developments that are going in. A lot of them are really pretty gated communities, which seems to be a growing trend everywhere. Stillwater is really growing in leaps and bounds though. There is a winery on Jardot that I am going to have to try next time I am there. I didn't realize we even had one in Stillwater, so I am looking forward to trying them out. There is also a bead store and a quilt shop I am going to have to explore when I am there. It seems like there are a lot more shopping options downtown, as well as a new wine bar next to Aspen Coffee Company. It's always a good sign when a downtown is thriving. Chain stores are good and fine, but the strength of a community is in the local businesses. I try to shop in local businesses as much as possible so my dollars benefit the local economy. I find that I have moved away from shopping at Wal-Mart at all except for rare occasions.

I have to go to Stillwater at some point this week to complete wedding flowers for a friend of my niece. I was a florist through college and much of my time in Tulsa, so wedding flowers are a snap to do. The only thing I dislike doing are the huge plate sized corsages made of chrysanthemums and tons of ribbons and hanging gizmos that are popular at college homecomings. I hated making them-and looking at them. Yuck! And believe me, when I think something is tacky, it it TACKY. I have a high tacky tolerance! If you have never seen one, it may be that it is a Southern thing.

The only other thing on the agenda tonight is to finish (hand) washing the dishes and to make a New York style crumb cake. One of the boys tried to talk me into buying a box of crumb cake mix at the store the last time we were grocery shopping. I looked at the preservatives, the price and the quantity of the finished product and explained we could whip on up twice the size, half the price, without all the preservatives and much better--from scratch. He is going to help me make it tonight. I love the recipe that I found in "Afternoon Delight" by James McNair. The cake is flawless and smooth, the crumb topping is perfect. I usually double the topping recipe since I love a lot of topping..The twins are 14, more than old enough to start learning to make some of their treats from scratch.

After that, I am going to work on a pair of earring I designed this weekend. I found some really cute lampworked penguin beads the last time I was in Tulsa and I am going to add some 8 mm Swaroski crystal cubes so it looks like the penguin is sitting on an ice cube. I thought that's be cute--I'll post them after I get the cubes on Wednesday at the Newton Beadery. I've been making a few earrings lately. I got a really wonderful book "Perfect Match" that has some really good ideas and inspirations.

National Anthem USA

Happy Independence Day.

No matter what your ideology is on the war, please do take a moment and give thanks and prayers for our soliders both here and away.
God Bless America!

State Fair Rant

Exactly WHO gets to think of the theme for the Kansas State Fair?

Last year it was "IT'S A WILD RIDE, BABY".... Definitely a testosterone induced theme. Every man I've ever run into that used that line was usually a little more prideful than he was a ride-full...

If my mother is reading this, SORRY..Oh, just who am I kidding. She survived my teen years, she's numb...

This year, the "powers that be" (or the powers that shouldn't have been) decided to go with "PICK UP SOME BUNNIES"

WTF?!!!

And the illustration is of two decked out hooker bunnies smiling. Again...

WTF?!

Maybe it is a generational thing, but have the people that decided that was a cute theme ever heard of "bunny bopping"? Great! Now Kansas will be known for hooker-looker bunnies you are supposed to pick up. Or we could be responsible recyclers and play with a combination of 2007 and 2008 : "Pick Up Some Bunnies, It's A Wild Ride Baby!"....

The billboards just creep me out. It takes a lot to do that!

Isn't there some law, natural or man made, against that?!I'm sure PETA will be jumping right on that like, well, two bunnies bopping....


I guess Kansas residents should just be thankful the theme makers didn't have cats on their minds. Can you imagine where we could go with that?!

Aren't you glad I'm not going there?!


Note to horrified friend Cindy: Yes, I know your parents read my blog...Hi Cindy's parent's! I love Cindy to death and am trying hard to influence her moral character.

Oh, and the bail bondsman thought Cindy was a hoot!

Giggles

There has been a sad passing. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71.

Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours.Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded.

Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, he still was a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions.

Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, two children, John Dough and Jane Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart.

The funeral was held at 350 for about 20 minutes.

(I wish I could take credit for this, but all the credit belongs to Year in Bread. Since they specifically said share it (see below), I am. I hope it made you giggle too!)

As per Year in Bread:

If this made you smile for even a brief second, please rise to the occasion and take time to pass it on and share that smile with someone else who may be having a crumby day and kneads it.

Hanging Close to Home

Today started off pretty darn bumpy from the get-go.

Luckily it has calmed down and I am not feeling like the world is spinning. I'm not sure what I got ahold of, but all day yesterday I had moment where I lost my balance and felt like things were spinning. But just for brief moments. I attributed it to not enough sleep when I went to Stillwater to run my mother around Tulsa, but today I was REALLY sick. So sick I stayed away from the yarn shop -- and that means I was feeling BAAAAAAAD. I definitely don't think Shel or any of the customers would approve of my sharing this. I am feeling better now, I'm hoping it was just a one day bug. You never know what you get exposed to sometimes.

I am in the process of getting the supplies together to assemble a water garden for the back yard. I really learned a lot in the class I took at Botanica and am really itching to get a water garden started. When I was in Stillwater, I noticed they have a Water Garden Society. They had a garden tour the previous week. Figures! I will keep an eye out for the water garden tours here in Wichita and in Tulsa also. My goal this summer is to get our backyard in shape and make it into a little retreat for hanging out. We are looking for a dwarf pear tree to complete the tree planting. When we moved in, one of the twins wanted a cherry tree and the other wanted a pear tree. We found the cherry tree and it actually put out little mini cherries this year, now we have to find a pear tree. I want to find a dwarf one so it will be easier to keep the fruit picked. I vividly remember the tree in my friend's yard that didn't get picked regularly. The bees were really aggressive--I do not want that.

On the knitting front, I am still plugging away at the OU mittens for one of the boys. I'll be doing OSU mittens next. I am also really looking forward to the mittens class at Twist at the end of July. I would love to be able to get some of these done in time for Christmas, but I'm not putting any pressure on myself in that arena. I will however be canning a lot more jams before the summer ends for the Christmas season.

Are you planing to make or buy Christmas gifts this year. What kind of handmade/homemade gifts are you planning?