Been a busy week, but the weather is BEAUTIFUL!! My loving hubby got me a barrel planter and this is what I've done so far. I'm thinking I'll plant some more of those English Daisies (don't they look like pretty dandilions?) when I'm sure there won't be a frost. I also planted some "Dragon's Blood" and some Phylox near our driveway.

The house is finally sided. I'm so glad not to have to paint ever again. I won't be so glad to pay the loan, but it wasn't that bad and it did need to be done, so what can you say?

With the great weather, I have gotten some geocaching done. Although, getting a new GPS was a great reason to go out and test it!!!

Am working on chapter 7 of the mystery novel I did for NaNoWriMo. This is total re-write mode. Some of what I wrote is really good, but some is just .... well, you get the picture. I don't know what I'd do without my critique group. They really help me turn the crap into something I can use. This dream of being an author might actually come true one of these days!

Made an awesome choker the other day. I really like the colors of this one. Didn't think I'd ever be able to crochet wire! How cool is that?

Easter Bunny Name My Easter Bunny Name is Cuddles Hucklebunny Get Your Easter Bunny Name at Quizopolis.com

One more knitting project finished. This is the "Easy-Care Cactus" from a book called "Funky Knits." I used leftover yarn from the armwarmers I finished last week. Knitted up super fast!!! Now I need to make another as a moving gift for a relative!

HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY!

One more knitting project finished -- Armwarmers! These are the "Hurry Up Spring" Armwarmers from S&B Nation. The yarn is "Freedom" by Twilleys of Stamford that I got in Omaha. Since I wasn't sure how much to get, I still have a ball and half left.

This was the first time I'd ever used a cable needle, so that was an adventure until I got the hang of it. The little one is happy with them, though!!!

Next project? I think I'm going to knit a couple of cactus for someone I know who is moving. She won't have to worry about transporting them -- or killing them, either!

FINALLY! It took years, but it's done!!! The braces are finally off!!!

Honestly, I wasn't ever sure this kid would have straight teeth. She's had orthodontic work for the past three or four years -- a pallet expander and then braces on the top and bottom. Now there they are.... Straight teeth!!!!

Other things going on around here? Not much. I'm knitting some arm warmers for the kid and have one finished. The second is about a quarter of the way done. The HP sweater? Oh please! I'm still not done with the back of it!!! I do have one "fuzzy sock" almost finished and am ready to start the second, but she wanted the arm warmers first. Hopefully, they will be done by Friday (they're green!) and she can wear them for St. Patty's Day.

Haven't been geocaching because we now have a FOOT OF SNOW! YUCK!

Our Eastern Star official visit is finally over. Thank goodness!!! So much practicing for one day. I guess I think we should do well all the time and not just for someone else, but maybe I'm in the minority there.

Some news from my Daughters of the Nile group, though. I was elected to go up the line there. I really enjoy the idea of working for the Shriner's kids! As my daughter would say "that makes me warm and fuzzy!"

My home is too quiet. That's all there is to it.... My daughter is off visiting grandparents -- homeschooling lets you take "spring break" whenever -- and I knew I would miss her. That was pretty much a given, right?

What I didn't expect was the silence I'd find in my home. There's no giggling. There's no crazy rambling about American Idol or some other TV show I don't pay much attention to. There's no loud music coming from her room or having to yell "turn it down" three or four times, either.

Her absence has reminded me of how short the past dozen years really have been. As much of a cliche as it is, it really does seem like yesterday when she was so small she needed a step-stool to brush her teeth. Now the braces will come off in less than two weeks. Just yesterday, she would "measure" her hands against mine and I could bend my fingers down to touch the tops of hers. Now she's almost as tall as I am.

In the next four or five years, we'll be looking at colleges (currently, she is looking at an art degree somewhere) and I wonder if I'm doing the right thing for her. I pray that she will be happy and healthy. I pray that she'll do God's will. I pray that I will be able to guide her as she makes some of these huge decisions in her life. I pray that her dad and I have given her a good set of role models for parenting and adulthood and all that.

Also this week, a beautiful 9 year old little girl stopped fighting Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. She has gone to be with the Lord. This little angel and her brother have been homeschooled their entire lives. (See more on her fight at http://www.hannahbearski.blogspot.com/ ) I met this little girl. Her mom used to watch my little one when I was finishing my college degree. Life moved them across the state and I wasn't able to comfort the family in the way I wanted. I couldn't even hug my little one as I had to tell her that her friend Hannah had died. Sometimes life just sucks.

So hug your kids. Love them. Be a part of their lives no matter where your kids are in life. You only get one shot at being the parent. Make the most of it.

Better late than never, right? This is the choker I knitted for the exchange I mentioned in earlier posts. I made this one out of Yarn Bee yarn found at Hobby Lobby with a button I already had. Great for Valentine's Day!

You Are an Espresso

At your best, you are: straight shooting, ambitious, and energetic At your worst, you are: anxious and high strung You drink coffee when: anytime you're not sleeping Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

YOU ARE CATNIP


What herb are you?
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Could explain why my cats love me!

Did this choker "just because" and then found a little "mouse" who liked it. Glad to give her something that she thinks is cool as my daughter is a little sick of me making stuff for her.... Gotta love teens!!!

Got a few projects going on. Still working on that Weasley sweater. I just don't seem to be motivated to do it. And I'm working on a choker exchange. I've never done anything like that before, so I'm a little nervous. What if my partner is WAY better than I am and what I send is junk compaired to what she sends? I know, that's not what the exchange is about, but still, I worry!

Did get some geocaching done. Didn't find the cache, but I think I know where it is. I'm planning to go back this week and find it for sure.

Haven't done a lot of writing. I'm still working on my NaNoWriMo story. Yeah, I got the 50,000 words, but the story still needs some work. I am also working on a western that needs to be fleshed out a bit.

Add to that the "Official Visit" craziness that goes with Eastern Star and elections coming up in Daughters of the Nile and I've been one busy woman. I think the man and I need a little vacation!

The shawl is done! Finally!

The dress here is our "Star Dress" this year. As "Electa" I opted to do this in red and black to match the dress. I doubt our Masonic Center will ever get really cold (I must still be young, the "pasts" all seem to think it gets mighty chilly!) but it is nice to have!

Made a shirt for my loving husband, the coin collector. He got me a new embroidery maching for CHRISTmas, so I wanted to make sure he got something for it. This was the first one I "designed" from scratch, so I really like the shirt. And he agreed with the "AKA: The Nerd" line, so I don't even feel bad about that!

Am working on a shawl now... I must be old. I never thought I would own, let alone MAKE a shawl, but I am. I'm making it out of some ribbon yarn in red and black. My other current project is the "Weasley Sweater" for the One-Armed Bandit (see post 12/23/05). I hope to get SOMETHING done this week to post, but it's not looking hopeful!

OK, I'm a bad mom. My daughter will spend CHRISTmas in a cast, but that's not why I'm a bad mom. See, the kid was playing basketball last week and fell, putting her hands out to stop herself. Yeah, that didn't work so well! She cracked one of the little bones in her wrist. This particular little bone is attached to the same tendon that is attached to the elbow, so she's now in a cast up to her shoulder....

Still, that's not what makes me the bad mom of the day. It was waiting 3 days to take her to the doctor!!! The kid never got swollen, never bruised. I really thought it was just a "good" sprain (if there is such a thing).

But don't worry! She's milking it for all it's worth!!

I still feel bad, though!!!

Finished the lovely HP scarf my daughter wanted. OK, so I really hated making this one. First, did she have to pick green and gray (silver)? Slitherin colors....

The second thing that got me on this scarf was that it was plain boring!!! Knit One, Purl One for more than 6 feet!! Change colors every 24 rows... Not the most exciting pattern, but she likes it, so it's all good!

Made some really cute hats for Christmas gifts.

My daughter is a Job's Daughter (www.sdjd.org) and one of the ladies made all the girls hard candy. She put them all in babyfood jars and I made some little stocking caps to go over them. This was the first project I ever did without a pattern!!! May sound silly, but I'm pretty excited!!!

You are interchangeable.
Fun, free, and into everything, you've got every
eventuality covered and every opportunity just
has to be taken. Every fiber is wonderful, and
every day is a new beginning. You are good at
so many things, it's amazing, but you can
easily lose your place and forget to show up.
They have row counters for people like you!


What kind of knitting needles are you?
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