yarnspinner

I think I am on a roll now!

2007-07-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

Wow, here I am ready to rock and roll and update my blog. Drat! I see that my promise to blog every week religiously has failed miserably. Good intentions, but lack of discipline. Or maybe just time. Either way, I have some blogging to do.

Where do I start? First I guess I should start from the beginning, where ever that is.

I think I should share with you that I got to spend yesterday with my granddaughter Kaylee. I received a call from Chad, my oldest son, saying that Kaylee wanted to spend the day with me. Yes, I bought it hook, line and sinker. Wouldn't you? Anyway, we all ended up meeting at the children's park in Bidwell Park and spent an hour playing on the toys and visiting. Then I got to take Kaylee to the book store so I could buy the new Harry Potter book and we could spend time in the children's section. We had such a blast. She finally decided on a Mother Goose book, which grandma bought for her. We then went to IHOP and had lunch. I did not realize how much fun lunch could be. Her mom came to pick her up at my house at 5:30 p.m, so I had a full day of memories with my Kaylee.

Next weekend will be my first weekend to have both the grandbabies stay overnight with me. I have big plans and I am sure more memories will be created. I so love being a grandma. I just didn't know it would be this way.

Now I should move on to my birthday being on Friday the 13th this year. I am not a superstitious person, usually, though every once in a while when the 13th falls on a Friday, I find I am a little more cautious. Well this year's birthday went off without a hitch. Work celebrated by having cake and champagne the day before my birthday, I got oodles of e-mail cards and birthday cards. My sons, daughter-in-law and grandbabies all came over on Sunday to have a BBQ and cake and ice cream. What more could I ask for? So now I am another year older, but feel years younger. Go figure. Here are few pictures from our time together.

Now, I don't know how many of you remember my past blogs about the doilies that I promised to make my sister Charlotte. Yes, it has been almost a year and one-half since I promised those doilies. But guess what! I finally got them, well at least one of them, started! I have tried to crochet the blue and white varigated doily, and have started and ripped it out at least 4 times. Well, my friend Lynne, also known as the mutant penguin, agreed to come over for pizza the day after my Birthday BBQ and help me get started. And started she did get me. Actually, she came up with the brilliant idea of starting the red and green doily as that pattern was easier. Duh! Never crossed my mind to do that. No, I just would rather frustrate myself by trying to crochet a more difficult pattern. Keep in mind that I have not crocheted for at least 10 years. Yes, I believe it must be like riding a bike, but good grief, I think I need training wheels. Well, the good news is that I am breezing along rather nicely, and I think that this little doily is going to make it way to my sister before her birthday in September. Of course she has threatened me with disowning me if she doesn't have it before her birthday. But, she loves me and she would never follow through on that........right sis? Anyway, I have taken a picture of the both doilies that I will be making so you can see what is going on.

I guess the picture is a little dark so you can't tell that the thread is burgundy, but look how much I have done so far. Of course I won't be starting the blue and white varigated one until I finish the red and green one. Lynn and I decided with the pattern on the left that the center will be the burgundy color and the forest green will be the outside rows. We think it will look beautiful when it is done. The pattern on the lower right is the one that I will be making out of the blue varigated. It should look beautiful when it is done.

I think I have you completely updated for now. I hope you enjoy reading about what's been going on in my neck of the woods. Until next time. Toodles.

What is a girl to do?

2007-06-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know that I promised to blog every week, and I believe that I am almost two weeks from my last blog, but I have good excuses! 1. Work has been hectic. I have a new gal that I have been training and so when I get home at night I am too tired to get on my home computer. 2. New computers were bought for our office and my boss has been trying to get them up and running all week, as our computer guy baled out on us. Keep in mind my boss is an attorney, and he knows pretty much nothing about internet, computers, networks, etc. Got the picture? So of course my computer is the one that he has had the most trouble with. Meaning that I lost my internet access! What a tragedy! So any time that I use to be able to do a little cheat blogging has been non-existent! Can you feel my pain? 3. Last, but not least, I procrastinated and the time just flew by. Okay that's all I am going to say about that. But hope I gave you some good reading material.

So, now how about an update on other parts of my life. Well, my son and his family have gone to Idaho for one week to visit my daughter-in-laws family. They have been gone all of 14 hours and I am missing them already. I talked to them as they were on the road heading out of town at 10:30 p.m. and I could hear my little grandson Jaden fussing and I just wanted to reach through the phone and give him a hug and kiss. Geez, can you believe that I am such a sap for tears! They called me at 11:00 a.m. today and let me know that they had made it safe and that the kids were happy and fully of energy. So I was able to breath a little easier and will just have to wait a week to get my grandma fix.

I had big plans for this weekend, but my back had other ideas. I somehow got my lower back into a bad bind and find that I can only sit for short periods of time and only on hard surfaces. Actually, the truth is that my lower back has been a little soar and tight for the past three days, but I just thought it would work its way out. I continued with my jazzercise routine and my lunch time work out routine thinking it would get better. Well, by Friday I could not even sit for 5 minutes without being in pain, so I did the right thing and got in to see my Chiropractor. He adjusted me and said if I would just do a little stretching and iced it I should be better by Monday. He made it clear that I needed to take a few days off of my usual work out routine in the meantime. Of course, no where in that conversation did he say I would be pain free, but that is what my brain told me. Joke was on me, as I finally had to get out of bed this morning at 10 minutes to 7 because I was in such pain I could not stand being in bed any longer. All I did was pace around the house for the first few hours. Thank goodness I know my limits and called my girlfriend Roni and got some sage advice. So here I am at 3pm, feeling a little better with high hopes of tomorrow being a much better day.

Tell you how good of friend Roni is. She actually came over and we walked to a nearby Jamba Juice store and then walked back home. The walking really did feel pretty good, and I am alternating heat and ice now, with still loads of Ibuprofin. She knew I was going stir crazy so she was willing to give me a little company and exercise on a moderated scale. On top of all that, she has invited me over for dinner, a movie (Cassablance, which neither of has ever seen) and jaccuzzi. Oh my back is going to be very happy. See what a great friend she is! And yes my fellow knitters, I am going to be taking knitting with me to work on too. Remember, I am really far behind on all my projects.

Well, I think I have sat long enough things are starting to get a little uncomfortable so gotta go for now. I will continue to blog when time allows. But rest assured, it will not be 6 months at a time. Heh! I have too much to keep you posted on.

Wow! Things have changed!

2007-06-19T19:26:00.000-07:00

I guess it has been a while since I have blogged. Actually, I guess it has been at least six months since I last blogged. I am surprised that they even let me on. I had to look my blog name and password up just so I could get started, and then I had to create a google account. What the heck! Guess that is what happens when you don't blog regularly.

Well, I have a lot to catch you up on, and my fellow knitters and friends are going to be so excited to see that I have joined back into blog mania. Let's see........I went to Mexico in April, my first time to go any where that required a passport. It was awsome! I went with my sister and niece and we had a blast. We stayed in the Playa Del Carmen area at the Rui Palace hotel. Oh my gosh were we spoiled. I ate, drank, laughed, sunned and relaxed to my hearts content. We decided that we needed to plan another trip there in the very near future. Here are a few pictures just to give you the feel of what I enjoyed. I see I still have a lot to learn on how to post my pictures, but at least you get the drift of what I was trying to do.

Now, keeping in mind that I started this blog as my knitting blog. Have I been knitting you ask? I am ashamed to say that I have been remise in working on my knitting projects. I have so overbooked myself this year that I barely had time to sleep. Work definately got in the way, and then my Mexico trip was a must, my Denver trip, which I will share here shortly was a must, my Legal Secretary conferences, one in February in San Francisco and one in Palm Springs in May could not be missed. Oh! And we can't forget my grandbabies. I have to spend time with them. So can you see my delemia? Good, cause I sure don't want to keep whining about it.

The good news is that I actually have been working on my socks that I started in January and have the cuffs of the first pair almost done.....hey, what do you want, it is my first pair (tee hee).

Okay, now I promised that I would tell you about my trip to Denver. My girlfriend Roni and I want to Denver June 1-4 to see the play Wicked. Neither one of us had ever been to Denver so we planned a girls weekend, bought the tickets and went. Mind you, we did all this planning last August, but it was so worth it! The area is beautiful! All the culture and architeture, weather, people, I loved it! This place had such a good feel to it for me that I am planning on checking it our more seriously for possibly retiring there. I am serious. Oh, and the play Wicked! It was wonderful! We had great seats and we were entertained far beyond our wildest hopes. We both agreed that we want to see it again, only we will wait for it to come back to San Francisco, so we don't have to travel so far. But I have to tell you, if you have not seen this play yet, go......you will not be sorry and it is worth the money too.

Before I stop for the night, yes I promise to keep my blog weekly updated from here on out. Believe me, my friends will hold me to my promise. Remember my grandbabies? Well Jaden is now going on 9 months, he has four teeth, two top and two bottom front teeth, he is crawling and trying to walk. I call him my little pumpkin. Kaylee, my granddaughter is my little princess and she is precious as ever. She is so good with her little brother and a dear to be around. I actually got to be with just the two of them for a couple of hours on Father's Day, while my son and daughter-in-law ran some errands and we had such a good time. Kaylee and I made cookies, Jaden and I played peek-a-boo and then I read fairy tales to my heart's content. I wanted to post a picture of both the kids, but I guess they must still be on my camera. I will post them a little later, but for the time being, here is a picture of my son Chad and Jaden (daddy and son).

Family

2007-01-28T07:28:00.000-08:00

I just had to share the family picture that we took on Sunday Janauary 21, 2007. My Uncle Bob's birthday is January 28th and I wanted to send him a framed picture of my little family and this is the results. The picture turned out so much better than I had hoped so just had to share it with everyone. The line up of people are as follows: Nathan, my youngest son, is standing behind me on the left, Tia, my daughter-in-law, is behind me in the middle, Chad, my oldest son and husband to Tia and Father of the grandbabies is behind me on the right, Kaylee (whose 2yrs) is in my lap and Jaden (whose 3 1/2 months) is of course on my right. No doubt you recognize me in the middle as the very proud mom and grandma! I am so blessed and happy with my family. Aren't we a good looking group? Poor Jaden would be smiling up until the flash would go off and he would get that startled look for the camera. But that's okay, he is still a cutie.

Pictures as Promised

2007-01-18T06:36:00.000-08:00

Here are the pictures of our Champs group at Knit Wits. I guess the lighting was not as good as I thought, or too good. Or maybe I just need to take a photography class so I can learn how to take pictures correctly. Anyway, the gals in the pictures are Brooke in the purple shirt, Linda who is to the right of Brooke in the middle picture, Lynn who is in the red in front of the window, Heather who is standing behind Roni and Irene who is in the green. Devvy, who is the owner of Knit Wits is the upper left picture. She is a great gal and we love her store.

A New Year Already!

2007-01-17T09:32:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Wow! Here we are half way through January and I have no clue where the time has gone! Sunday I finally was able to get together with my Champs knitting group at the new location for Knit Wits, our yarn store in Paradise. The place is wonderful. It is larger so we actually have room to spread out and still not trip over each other. The chairs that she has for us are soft and comfy too. Oh, and I don't want to be remise in mentioning the fireplace. It gives such a cozy, comfortable feeling to the room. I will post pictures that I took from Sunday, but since I am blogging from work (tsk, tsk, bad girl!) I have the pictures on my home computer. So look for my next post.

I guess something else to get a grasp on is that SP9 ends the 31st of this month. I sent out my last package yesterday to my pal and revealed myself to her. Guess I will have to wait and see if she posts anything about it. My pal that spoils me has been great this time. She has stayed in such great touch with me. I don't go a week without some type of e-mail or comment on my blog. I definately know that I have a secret pal and that she thinks of me often. I was looking at the yarn and purse pattern that she sent me in my first package and plan on starting it this weekend. Of course if my sister knew this she would throw a fit as I still need to make two doilies for her that I promised last February. I just can't help myself, the purse just looks more fun and faster than the doilies. Okay, so maybe I should at least work on the purse and the doilies at the same time. I will think about it.

I guess I should admit that I also have started my first pair of socks. At the Champs session that is what I chose to start. My friend and fellow Champs Roni gave me this beautiful sock yarn, dpns and sock pattern for Christmas. I just couldn't resist getting going on them. Besides, she is teaching me the ins and outs of sock making and the socks are for me. Geez, do I sound selfish or what! Okay, I need to get a grip on myself. How about after I make the socks and purse (tee hee).

Thanks Secret Pal

2006-12-26T17:58:00.000-08:00

I was not able to let my secret pal know that I received her package on Friday the 22nd as my son crashed his computer and was using mine to restore to his. Don't ask me how he was doing that, all I know is that I did not have access to my computer until today. So, all that to say, thank you secret pal for the latest package. I can hardly wait to try out the knitting thimble and to sit down and read through the magazine. I appreciate everything that you sent and it will all be used with great pride.

I just realized that I didn't take a picture of the Christmas card that came with it. I have a card holder that I pin all my cards too and that is where it is. Just know that I also got a sweet Christmas card as well.

I cannot express how good it feels to receive something from my secret pal. She has bee so great at keeping in touch through e-mail and sending her packages as well. I just want everyone to know how great she is and how happy I am that she is my secret pal 9.

I am still here

2006-12-26T17:35:00.000-08:00

Well shame on me! I have not blogged since November 29th! That is just awful. I appologize to everyone, especially my secret pal and my SP9 Hostess. My friends already have given me a tongue lashing and I have meekly asked for their forgiveness. Whew! That is just plain embarrassing!

Well, enough of the groveling and let's get on with what has been going on in my world. I have lots of pictures to share and news to type. First off, I splurged about three weeks ago and bought myself an early Christmas present. Now, all of my friends already know this, but those of you that only know be through this blog have no idea. Drum roll please...............

Taa Daa! I bought a new car! It is a 2007 Honda Pilot SUV 4wheel drive! Since I now have grandbabies, they just didn't fit in my Honda Accord 2 door coupe very well. And let's face it, grandma was having difficulties getting them in and out of the back seat. Isn't it beautiful? I love it and it drives like a dream.

Now, for all the other updates that I owe my fellow bloggers.......I did mostly complete my knitting projects for Christmas. Carla's cable scarf was given to her on the 20th at our weekly coffee date.....I still need to finish it so I took it back so I could do that. I just need to make it a little longer and then it is finished. Thank goodness she understood and loved it anyway.....the next gift was the felted purse for Faith, my receptionist and that was given to her on the 22nd. 100% completed. Take a look at the finished item.

Faith loves it and I have to admit I am very happy with how it turned out. The two last items that I needed to finish were for Christmas Day. One was a scarf for my daughter-in-law Tia and the other was a sweater for my granddaugher, Kaylee. Well I have to admit that neither was completed 100% by Christmas Day, but they were both at about 90%. So, I wrapped them both up and gave them to each of them and then took them back to finish this week. Tia's scarf is just a little too short for her liking so I am making it longer and Kaylee's sweater has to have the button band knitted. All in all I am happy with my projects.

So let's talk about Christmas. Mine was just wonderful! It was the first Christmas with the grandbabies and they just made it so special. Kaylee, she's two, was adorable. You should have seen her face when she came out to the frontroom at 7am and saw all the goodies that Santa had left her. She was just plain amazed and in awe. My boys are in their mid 20's and it has just been too long since I saw Christmas through the eyes of a child. It was a blessing that I am so thankful for and will cherish for a long time. I would post pictures, but the last couple I tried to attach to this post didn't show up. So will save you the boredom. (ha, ha)

I hope all of you had a blessed Christmas and I wish you a Happy New Year!

Getting Ready For Christmas

2006-11-29T08:40:00.000-08:00

Okay, so we are officially into the Christmas season and I am not ready! I am working on my presents that I had planned on giving, but am I really going to get them done? You tell me. These are what I have going (or as you will see, not going): Kaylee's sweater (I need to do the sleeves and them put it together), Faith's purse (I am 1/2 way done), Tia's scarf (haven't started it yet), Todd's cap (haven't started it yet), Cindy's purse (haven't started it yet), secret pal's slippers (I have 1/2 a sole done), Two doilies for my sister Charlotte (not started yet). I know, I am doomed! All these projects sounded good back 6 months ago. Where did all the time slip off to? At least it is obvious that Kaylee, Faith and probably Tia will get their gifts. I am thinking that I will have to go to plan B for the others. Heh, they have birthdays, I can give their gifts to them then, or next Christmas is still available. See there is always options.

The truth be known, I work well under pressure and usually can pull things together, but I didn't realize that with my son and his family moving in with me that I would not have the time to put towards knitting. After all, my grandbabies want my attention and I just can't ignore them. And Kaylee, my granddaughter, just hasn't gotten the hang of not taking my knitting and running off with it. She thinks it is a game and wants to be involved in whatever I am doing. And let's face it, by the time her bedtime rolls around (9pm) I am too tired to pick up my knitting. Heh, I just thought of another option.......I could put a picture of what they were suppose to get and wrap that up with a note of the expected finished date. Creative don't you think? Okay I hear and see all of my CHAMPS gals laughing and rolling their eyes. I do like to entertain. (ha, ha)

Anybody want to place a friendly wager on whether I get any of them finished? Come on, I love a challenge.

Blogger Problems

2006-11-20T11:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, I am frustrated and want to know if anyone else is having trouble with their blog? When I try to look at my blog, without signing in, it only shows the last post as November 7th, yet in my edit posts section my last post was November 13th (which is accurate). I still can't seem to post the picture of the baby booties either. Now I know the Novermber 13th post was there at one time, as Roni commented on it. Would you guys let me know if you can get on my blog and is it current?

I guess this is my punishment for blogging when I am suppose to be working! (big laugh here)

Thoughts about the weekend

2006-11-13T18:08:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was my Legal Secretaries November Quarterly Conference that was held here in Chico. Each association is able to bid for the conference to host it in their local, and Southern Butte, won the bid for this conference. This made it extremely convenient for me, as I could sleep in my own bed every night. The conference ran from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning. There were good classes and lots of women that attended. I usually am very tired after conferences and this one was no different. It is more a mental tired than physical. We do a lot of business in the Governor's meeting and then we have the classes where we are suppose to learn things we don't know, or brush up on things that we think we know. I had a great time and enjoyed everyone as well. But you know, there was one thing that has just stuck in my head from the whole conference that I want to share with everyone. Our local female police leutenant spoke to us at Sunday brunch, and she quoted something to us at the end of her time that I cannot get out of my head. She said it was in a book written by Victor Frankel (not sure if I spelled his name correct) and the quote was this......."the ability of us to choose our attitude, regardless of the circumstance"..... I struggle so much with this issue of attitude and circumstances that it just hit me square between the eyes. So simple, yet so profound. Anybody else feel the same as me? Too serious, right? Okay enough said.

Now, I don't want you to think that I didn't take time to knit this past weekend. I actually knitted to unwind. I have been working on a scarf for my secret pal for her November package and finished it Saturday night, actually, Sunday morning as I had insomnia. But, the point is I finished it and it is wonderful. I asked Brooke to put it on so I could take a picture of it so here it is.

Isn't she lovely? Oh and I gotta tell you that I only just learned that you can drag and drop your pictures anywhere in you post, thanks to Roni! That is why all my past pictures have been at the top of my post. Silly me!

Anyway, what do you think of the scarf? Isn't the fringe a perfect finish? Again, thanks to Roni's suggestion. I didn't even have it as a thought in my head.

I put it in the package to my secret pal, along with a couple other things and in the mail it went today. She lives in New Jersey, so I am sure that she will use it to keep her neck warm. I have to be honest, I was a little tempted to keep it, but was a good girl and didn't.

So one project down, a million left to do. So I am exaggerating a little, but not much. I decided to start the boodle bag next that I owe Faith for her birthday this past September. I love making this purse and it goes fast. Now keep in mind that my secret pal sent me a new purse to make (an I must admit it is killing me not to start it next) but I gotta get these IOU project done before my friends and family write me off. I thought I would cast on Todd's beret tonight too. What the heck, remember the above quote. I get to choose my attitude regardless of my circumstance. So my attitude is "don't worry, be happy". Sometimes I just can't stand myself I am so witty.

Oh! I just thought of another picture I wanted to post. I made the muckluck booties for Jaden while I was in Idaho, but never let you see them. They are too big for him right now. But he will be able to wear them by six months, I am pretty sure. Well darn it! I can't get the picture to post! Guess I will just have to try it again later.

I Got A Package

2006-11-12T18:37:00.000-08:00

Look what I got in the mail on Thursday! I have been in a conference since Friday and only am now finding time to share this wonderful news! My Secret Pal sent me this lovely pink yarn and pattern to make a felted purse! And check out the card she sent too. It is an old fashioned shoe. I know the picture isn't as good as I wanted, but try to look closely.

I can hardly wait to get started on the purse. Okay, I know, I have lots of UFOs, some that are suppose to be presents for this Christmas. But what is a knitter to do? It is screaming "knit me", "knit me"! You gotta understand. Right?

Anyway pal, thank you very, very much for the gift. I really like it.

My SP9

2006-11-03T12:27:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to put a quick post on my blog to tell my secret pal that I got her Halloween card yesterday. It looks like the post office tried to eat the corner of it a little, but it is the cutest card. I am so pleased with the amount of contact my pal has kept up with me. I don't think I go any longer than three days without some type of comment on my blog, e-mail or card from her. She is great and if they run a contest for the best secret pal, I am definately entering her name. Just wanted to let everyone know how great she is so far, and we have only been going for three weeks now. Yahoo! Lucky me!

I am back in the group

2006-10-29T17:17:00.000-08:00

I am so happy to announce that I am officially back in with my knitting gals. We met at our favorite hangout, Knit Wits, and spent two hours with them. I have so missed this interaction. Not to mention that I am creating again. There was a gal there teaching a class on Mary Jane slippers, so I took the class. They are crocheted, which I was a little rusty at, but heh I got back in the groove and am making slippers for my secret pal. I think she will like them. They are in pink and white yarn and should not take me but one good evening to complete. Okay, so maybe two or three good evenings. But so what. Devvy also showed me this awsome shrug that I want to make next. I am thinking for a Christmas gift, but maybe I will make one for me first. I really liked it, and it is made out of Alpacca yarn. I was a good girl and didn't buy the pattern or yarn yet, but told Devvy to keep on out for me as I would pick it up next time I am there, which should be in a couple of weeks, I think.

In getting ready for my knitting group I of course had to organize my stash and knitting projects. Boy was I overwhelmed. This is everything that I have in the works that I put on the back burner while I was knitting for my new grandson:
1. Kaylee's sweater for Chritmas
2. Kaylee's hedgehog for Christmas
3. Two crocheted scarves for my sister for her birthday, which was September 11th
4. Cap for my cousin Todd
5. Socks for me
6. Vest for me
7. Bogga Bag Purse for my receptionist Faith for her birthday, which was September 9th
8. Poncho for me

I guess it isn't that bad, I could have 10 projects in the works instead of 8. Is this normal? Okay, so I started a new slipper project, knowing full well I have all these UFOs, does this
make me a full fledged yarn harlot? I read her blog and I believe I fit the description. Yeah, me and all of my friends and fellow knitters out there. It is so comforting to be a member of such a great sport. Enough on that subject.

I have to share with you that my little granddaughter, Kaylee, just came in and gave me a little tickle session. She is so adorable. They just got home from going to her other granny's house and started calling for me as soon as she walked in the door. I just love how much she shows her love for me.

Yes my home is full of life, and I love it. I guess I didn't explain that my son, daughter-in-law, granddaughter and grandson arrived her Tuesday morning at 2:00 a.m., to live with me for a couple of months. They have gotten their old jobs back and start to work on November 1st. I am already making the Thanksgiving dinner plans. I have been told that everyone will be here for it. Which means it will be everyone living in this house, plus my other son, Nathan, and anyone else that gets invited in the meantime. I love to cook and have people come to my home. It has been a while since that has happened, so I am excited.

I am being called to help out with dinner (my job is the baked potatoes) so better go for now. I definately will post more knitting news later. Who knows, I might even have slipper pictures to post.

Catching Up

2006-10-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

Well I have been back home for exactly one week today. Work was not that bad, much to my surprise.

On Saturday, while I was at WalMart, my receptionist, Faith called to tell me that she had gotten into an accident. No one was hurt thank goodness, but her car needs a little repair. She tangled with a big SUV. She said it was in an uncontrolled intersection and the SUV hit her. Of course the lady in the SUV feels differently about it. But it seems to me that since the SUV ran over the top of the front of Faith's car, that Faith was there first. Oh well, guess she has some stuff to work out, and unfortunately she only has the minimum insurance.

On another note, I just finished talking to my son Chad. He and the family are leaving Idaho tomorrow to move here! He said they should be here tomorrow night! It is a little ahead of schedule so I didn't get the carpets cleaned, but I guess they will need to be cleaned after they move anyway. I was going to paint the computer room, where the babies are going to sleep too, but I guess that is gonna have to wait until they move too. They only plan on living with me until the first of January, so no big deal. Thank goodness I started cleaning out closets and such yesterday, but today I am going to have to kick butt to get it all done so there is room for their stuff. Oh well, I function well under pressure.

I feel like I am getting back to my old self too. I actually have room on my calendar for a knitting day with my knitting group. We are getting together on the 29th and I can hardly wait to see them. It has been almost three months since I had time for them. How sad is that?

I have my Legal Secretaries Conference Committee meeting this Wednesday too. Our conference is only 10 months out and there is so much still to do. This should be the we gotta get in gear meeting so I expect that we will all be ready to start getting things going and on board. It is a great group of gals, so I have no concern that we won't get things done.

Oh! I don't want to forget to talk about SP9 either. My spoiler has been keeping in constant contact with me. She is wonderful! I came home to an e-mail from her and she has sent me a couple more, plus comments on my blog. And it is only one week since it started! Wow! I feel very lucky.

Now, don't think that I have forgotten about my gal I am to spoil. No, no. I made sure to send her an e-mail on the 16th, and I am putting her first package in the mail on Monday. She is a realitively new knitter, but an advanced crocheter. She also is a cat rescuer. She lives in New Jersey, just like my SP8 gal. I wonder if they know each other. Chances are probably pretty slim. I am very excited to get to know her better and to spoil her through the holidays. I will post more about her later as we go.

Guess I should get to going, as the rooms aren't going to clean themselves. Darn!

Here is Jaden

2006-10-16T14:24:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Idaho last night and am posting the pictures of my new grandson, as I promised. Jaden Lyle Tiraterra was born on October 4 at 5:12 p.m., in Nampa, Idaho, weighing 6lbs, 8 ozs and 19 inches long. He looks just like his daddy and this grandma is extremely proud. I missed his birth by approximately 1 hour as my flight didn't get into Boise until 6:15 p.m., but I still got to hold him and welcome him into this world within the first two hours of his little life. As you can see from the middle picture, his big sister Kaylee is very proud too.

I cannot begin to share how enjoyable the last week in a half has been for me. I got to play grandma not only to Jaden but to Kaylee. My son Chad and I got to reconnect as mom and son and I got to get to know my daughter-in-law Tia better too.

I also got a surprise in that my son and daughter-in-law have decided to move back to California. They will be staying with me for a couple of months until they are able to find their own place. Two days before Jaden was born, my son Chad lost his job. Due to this situation, the kids decided that maybe they needed to move back to where both of their families live and see if they could get their old jobs back. They contacted their old employer, who immediately said "when can you start?". They will be starting their new jobs on November 1st, so plan on arriving in Chico the end of the month. They admit that the Idaho move was one of the worst ideas they ever had, but a great learning experience.

This grandma is shouting "Christmas at my house" already! Yahoo!

SP9 Questions & Answers

2006-10-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? Definately cascade and Noro yarns. I find that the fun fur drives me crazy since I can't see my stitches.
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? Zippered needle case.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? beginner moving into intermediate.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? I have a wish list on Amazon.
5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.) Peach scents are my favorite.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? A sweet tooth does not describe my addiction accurately. I am a sweetaholic! Peanut Butter Cups, Milk Chocolate of any kind and Lindor Truffles.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? Crocheting, one step painting, sewing, scrapbooking, stamping, ceramics, you name it, I try it and usually like it.
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I like a variety of music. America, Eagles, Journey, England Dan and John Ford Coley, Van Morrison, Cher, Motown, Jo Dee Messina, Shania Twain, Kelly Clarkson, Phantom of the Opera. The only thing I don't like is RAP.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Green and Peach, in that order. Any colors you just can't stand? None come to mind.
10. What is your family situation? I am divorced and currently live alone, but that is due to change the 1st as my son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren are going to live with me for a couple of months. Do you have any pets? I have a 13 year old fat cat named "Cuddles".
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I wear all of them.
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? So far I think felted purses are my favorite to knit.
13. What are you knitting right now? I am knitting a sweater, hat, purse and scarf
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? A handmade gifte is my favorite gift to receive
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Depends on what I am making, but I think circular and bamboo. I have never used plastic and don't think I want to even try.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? No, but I sure would love to get one.
17. How old is your oldest UFO? It is my baby sweater and it is 4 months old.
18. What is your favorite holiday? Definately Christmas.
19. Is there anything that you collect? Dolphins and tea cups.
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? Look on my Amazon wish list. I do not have any knitting magazine subscriptions, but would love one.
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Cable.
22. Are you a sock knitter? That is what my next project for me is, learning how to knit socks. I have the yarn and the pattern, I just need to sit down and get going. What are your foot measurements?
23. When is your birthday? July13

It is almost time

2006-09-30T13:17:00.000-07:00

Well it is almost time for me to leave for Idaho for the birth of my first biological grandbaby. We know it is going to be a boy and his name is going to be Zackary Lyle Tiraterra. The Lyle is after my father. I am so excited and can hardly wait to see my son and daughter-in-law and my granddaughter Kaylee (Zackary's ) 1/2 sister.

I have been busy knitting in my spare time (this being said tongue in cheek) and wanted to share what I have been making for Zackary. I am very proud of myself, as I am a relatively new knitter (since the beginning of the year) and these are my first booties and hat. I am currently working on a pair of suede boot booties that probably won't get finished until I am in Idaho. But hey, airports and airplanes are good places to knit.

I also squeaked in under the wire for signing up for SP9. I only just signed up today. Wew! I was afraid they were going to close the sign-ups before I got it done. I know, I know, it would have served me right for waiting until the last minute. But, in my defense, I have been burried in work, life and extra cirricular committments. Ask my friends, they will all vouch for me and tell you that they haven't seen me either. It looks like I will be back amoung the living by the end of October. I promised my knitting group that I would be at our November get together (I have missed the last two and am going to miss the October one). I really do miss my fellow knitters and our get togethers. (Picture a very sad face here)

I think I will go out today and start picking up goodies for my SP9's first package. Maybe I will find something in Idaho to add to it. What a great idea! This time of year is so much fun because of the change of seasons and the holidays that we will be celebrating. So many ideas and choices. Wow, I can hardly wait!

Guess I better get to getten. So much to do and so little time to do it in. Gosh I just shine when I am under pressure. I probably won't post before I leave, and won't be able to post while I am gone due to no internet service at my son's house, but I promise to post the very next day after returning from my visit..........to be continued.

Shame on me!

2006-09-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

Wow! I just realized that it has been way too long since I have posted to my blog. Yes I have been busy, but good grief 2 1/2 weeks since I last posted. Shame, shame, shame. The truth is that I not only have been too busy to blog, but I haven't been able to get together with my fellow knitters "Champs". They are meeting without me, which means that I am the topic of conversation. (at least that is what the rule book says). You know, those that don't attend either get put on a committee or get talked about. Actually, my group of friends say the same thing behind my back that they say to my face. How cool is that!

Well, I got my tickets to fly to Idaho to witness the birth of my first grandson. The due date is October 6th and I will be flying in on the 4th. I will be staying for a full two weeks and hope to further bond with my new daugther-in-law during that time.

I have finished the yellow booties, started the baby blanket and will be casting on the next pair of boot type booties this weekend. I am going to a conference in Rocklin and plan on taking my projects with me. Brooke (one of my fellow knitters) and I will be rooming together, so if I run into any trouble I have someone to help me figure things out. My plan is to arrive in Idaho with two pairs of booties, blanket and hat for the new baby, Veggie Tales video, color book and stuffed animal for Kaylee and bunches of mom hugs and support for Chad and Tia.

Though my calendar is overflowing, I will try to be better at keeping my posts up to date. I still have yet to sign up for SP9, but plan on doing that this weekend.

August Package Has Arrived

2006-08-30T20:14:00.000-07:00

Today was a day that I thought would never end! It was brutal and I came home completely wiped out and depleted. Yet to my wonderful surprise I had a padded envelope waiting for me to open from my revealed secret pal, Meredith (aka dyedpink). The card depicted my day in a nut shell. I loved it. And the items Meredith sent me were wonderful. The stitch markers are hanging off of the card, but I wanted to make sure you could see them clearly so laid them out on my white tile counter. Aren't they stunning? They are a beautiful aqua with black marbeling through them. A perfect choice for me. And the book is one of my wish list books from my Amazon list. I am thrilled and pleased for the choices.

Thank you not so secret pal, another wonderful package that made me happy.

Sad to see it end

2006-08-25T08:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I wasn't sure what I wanted to post this time, so have been giving it a lot of thought. I could post about my conference I attended last weekend in Southern California, or I could post a picture of my pregnant daughter-in-law with my pregnant looking son, or pictures of the baby booties that I am currently working on or sharing what I have coming up in the next few months. But I decided this morning after reading my e-mails that I wanted to post about SP8 drawing to a close.

I just want to say, that I have enjoyed this experience more than words can describe. My gal that I have been spoiling has appreciated me every single step of the way. She has allowed me to go places I probably will never be able to visit, though I am going to try and she has shared her life so eloquently on her blog that I really do feel that I have known her for years.

My mom raised me that it is much better to give than to receive and I do live by that motto. But, what I guess I never got until now is how much I "get" back in return. Everytime I read her blog or when she responds to my e-mails or even when I am typing my e-mails to her, I find that I am smiling the whole time. How awsome is that!

I have sent my last package off and it should be arriving today at its destination. With each item that I chose, I felt a little pang of sadness that it would be the last thing I would be choosing for her. I have obviously revealed myself in this package and she will now have a name and a face to go along with everything else. Have I had fun? Absolutely! Will I do it again? Probably. It does take a little time and effort, but I have to admit it was so worth it.

If anyone would like to check out my wonderful gal's blog, please visit kaekiknits.blogspot.com. You will not be disappointed with what you read and see. She has a wonderful gift of expression and a heart that jumps out at you from her sharing.

Now, I do not want to be remise in talking about the gal that spoiled me as well. We had a little rocky start in the beginning, but she has been wonderful to me. Her packages and contact has been positive and I do feel spoiled in return. I hope that she will continue on with future SPs, as I think she feels she didn't do a good job. So I want to make sure she knows, she did GREAT.

Thanks to all for such a wonderful experience.

What a wonderful time

2006-08-14T18:22:00.000-07:00

Uncle Nathan with Kaylee

I had a most wonderful weekend with my family. My oldest son Chad, my daughter-in-law Tia and my sweet granddaughter Kaylee where here from Idaho for a visit and a baby shower for my soon to be born grandson, Kyle. I cannot begin to tell you how much fun this grandma had with her little darlings. As you can see, Kaylee is going to be quite a musician. She loves the piano and of course grandma encourages her too. I went to the Silver Sand Box to pick up a musical mobile for the baby shower and low and behold they were having a hugh sale! I left there with five new outfits for Kaylee and boy was it fun shopping. Kaylee was so excited when I took the outfits out of the bag, she loves to try on clothes and she was a blast to watch her get excited with each outfit. They left today, so now my home is empty and quiet. I will be traveling to Idaho the end of September, first part of October for Kyle's birth, but it seems so far away. I got to read "The Little Engine That Could" (at least 5 times), color, watch Disney's "Shaggy Dog" and play to my hearts content with Kaylee. She is the apple of my eye and I am so proud to be her grandma. I have to admit that I didn't get a lick of knitting done while they were here, but I think that is forgiveable. I did buy some new yarn to make booties for Kyle just before they got here. I actually thought I would knit them while they were here. But, that didn't happen so now I will take them with me when I go to visit at his birth.

Guess you can tell that Uncle Nathan also has a soft spot for Kaylee. Yes, she is our first and only grandchild so forgive me for being so single focused. My youngest son, Nathan is a great Uncle and Kaylee loves him dearly too.

My daughter-in-law Tia is a jewel as well (she and my son Chad are in the picture on the left). I could not of chosen a better mate for my son. She is a wonderful mom and I love to watch her with Kaylee. She is so calm and gentle with her, even when she is disciplining. Can you tell how proud I am?

Aside from being a little sad that they are gone, I am one very content mom and grandma.

Whoopie a Package!!!

2006-08-08T21:30:00.000-07:00

Look what was waiting on the porch when I got home from work tonight! Since I come through the garage, I have made it a habit to open the front door and look on the porch for any surprises that have come my way while at work. Low and behold, today when I opened the door there was actually a package sitting on the bench just waiting for me to find it. Of course I brought it right in and opened it up to find the wonderful items that you see in the picture above. The yarn is so yummy and the colors are beautiful. I have plans on going to our local yarn store, Heat Strings, with my girlfriend Roni on Friday so I can find a couple of special patterns just for this new yarn. I know you can't really tell by the picture, but not only did I get the obvious items that you can see, but my secret pal put in a very nice two page letter as well. I guess she is suffering with the heat right now along with flooding, though she said that part had not affected her as much. I do need to admit that the yarns that my secret pal has sent me will only be used for me. I just can't see myself making something for someone else out of yarn that a special person chose just for me. So, call me selfish if you want, but it is all about me, me, me.........besides, I will think of my secret pal everytime I wear what it is I have made out of her wonderful yarn gifts.

Oh, by the way secret pal........cuddles loves her treats from your last wonderful package. I think she may have actually put on a couple of pounds thanks to your treats......she is so shameless.....wonder where she gets it from?

Speaking of treats, I love how you make sure there is always something sweet to enjoy. Good choices.....my sweet tooth thanks you too.

Count me duly spoiled and happy. Thanks bunches secret pal.

Fallen behind

2006-07-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

Wow! I didn't realize how far behind I had fallen in my posting. I did try to post before leaving for work today, but my computer was not cooperating so it won and I gave up. I am at work right now, being a bad girl, and doing a quick post before the bosses come in. I am sure they would understand and won't mind. (ha, ha). Anyway, my plan is to try again tonight when I get home to post what I started earlier, so I will have two posts in the same day. That has to count for something. Right?

The heat has really made me lazy so my projects are moving at a very slow rate. I have however been working on my booga bag for the past few days so it is almost ready to be felted. The thought actually ran through my head last night that maybe I should give it to my sister for her birthday in September. We will see if I really do that or not, as I specfically chose the colors that I wanted for me.

I am really excited about this coming weekend. My daughter-in-law and granddaughter are going to be arriving on Friday and staying for two weeks. My son will be here on the 11th and they will all leave together on the 14th. We are having a baby shower for them on the 12th so that should be fun too. I have not seen Kaylee, my granddaughter, for three months now, so I am sure she has grown lots. I do however, get to talk to her on the phone once a week, so I hear how much that has changed. She will be three in October and she is my special little pumpkin.

I decided that I needed to start making something for her soon-to-be-born brother (my grandson) Kyle. I can't believe that I didn't get started sooner. Heh, what is a little stress and pressure, I can take it. After all, I am a knitter and that is what we do to ourselves. (ha, ha) Besides he isn't suppose to be born until October 5th. See, I have lots of time.

As Promised

2006-07-31T07:08:00.000-07:00

Wow! Where has the time gone? I can't believe I am this behind in posting to my blog. My appologies to all that have been checking in and finding nothing new. I do have valid excuses though. I started reading the yarn harlot and just could not put it down. It acutally is Roni's fault. She is the one that loaned me the book. And of course I still had to make sure I got my knitting time in, and my bosses insisted that I still make time to show up for work. Can you believe that? Oh well, I am finally ready to post and will treat you with promised pictures of Cuddles, my cat. I must admit that she didn't make it easy for me. Everytime I was ready to take her picture she would disappear and refuse to come out when I called her. Go figure. I guess she is a little camera shy. Anyway, last night I snuck up on her and snapped a few pictures and then this morning when she wanted to have her breakfast I snapped more. So here she is..................

My Knitting Bags

2006-07-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, I don't know if I did this right, but here are my knitting bags. Yes I have three, but I don't think that is unusual. The mess to the left is all my bags dumped out together. Obviouisly the other three are my knitting bags in a more organized arrangement. The blue bag holds a sweater I am making for my granddaughter. The big sinus rinse bag holds a booga bag I am making for myself, a hat I am making for my cousin, a scarf I am making for my daughter-in-law and two scarves I am crocheting for my sister. The last bag holds a poncho that I will be starting for myself in the next couple of months along with all my accessories needed for knitting.

I Got A Package!

2006-07-12T22:37:00.000-07:00

Look what was waiting for me when I got home from jazzercise tonight! My secret pal might have taken a little longer than others to get her package out, but wow did she do good. Look at all the goodies! Talk about a smorgasboard! Take a good look at the yarn in the middle. She dyed it herself and in my favorite colors, green and peach. How awsome is that! And then look at what is in the front, my favorite candy. Yummmm. She even sent a goodie for Cuddles, my cat. I just can't go on enough about what she sent. It took her time and true interest to pick out the things that she did. I count myself very fortunate to have her as my secret pal.

Believe it or not, I actually called my friend Roni and told her she had to come over to see what I got. We browsed through the magazine and drooled over the patterns, while sampling the candy of course. It is going to be hard to decide which one to make first, but heh, I can make whatever I want, whenever I want. Right? Oh and let's not forget the foliage yarn. It is sooo pretty and soft. I love it. Choices, choices, choices, what shall I make out of it. And I can't miss telling you about the Yankee candle that she sent. It is in peach, again my favorite scent. Oh, and the package of green lying on the counter to the right are point protectors shaped like socks. How cute is that. And the felted cat, I can hardly wait to start making it. It looks so adorable.

I guess you can tell that I am very happy and excited with my package. I hope my secret pal really gets how happy she has made me. Thank you very much.

What a Surprise!

2006-07-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

Wow! My Champs group is awsome, not to mention sneaky. Sunday was one of our scheduled movie, food and knitting days. We were to meet at Roni's house and bring our favorite snack and knitting project. Everyone showed up, conversation began as well as knitting projects, plates were filled and off we went. It was all as usual until it was time for the DVD movie to begin. I decided that I wanted my dessert with the movie, so I got up, announced I wanted cake, and walked into the kitchen. Teri had made this wonderful sounding "earthquake" cake, but it looked to good to cut, so I told her she should cut it up. Keep in mind I am obviously not in the loop......so she says she will cut the cake and for me to sit down and she will bring me a piece. I still didn't get it.......so the next thing I see is Teri and Roni walking out of the kitchen with cake dish in hand, on fire and singing "Happy Birthday" to me! All the other gals chimmed in and it was wonderful! I was so surprised and elated. I just can't tell you how my friends made me feel I got a beautiful plant, a "you had to be there" card and a gift certificate to one of my favorite yarn stores! How great is that! Do I feel special and loved? You bet your sweet bippy I do. Thanks ladies......you really did make it a special day for me.

Champs

2006-06-28T18:55:00.000-07:00

Here we are this past Sunday afternoon at my home doing what we do best. Knitting! These are the gals that make up our Champs group. Champs stands for "Chicks having a movie and potluck". The "s" is because there are more than one of us. Lynn, the gal on the right in blue jeans and white Tshirt, is the one that came up with our name. We try to get together at one of our homes once a month. We eat a little (okay so maybe a lot), watch a chick flick and knit till we drop. It usually starts at noon and goes until 5 or so. We also meet twice a month on a Sunday for a couple of hours at our favorite knitting store "Knit Wits". We started out as 5 and now we are 8. These are a great bunch of gals and I enjoy getting together with them. Anne, the one in the rocking chair is one of our newest additions. Sunday was her first day of learning to knit. There are a couple other gals that were there too, but I can't seem to get their pictures to go where I want them. Alas, I guess I will have to put them in another post.

She Does Exist!

2006-06-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

Hurrah! I heard from my secret pal! I actually got a three page, count it three page, letter from her on Saturday! She lives in Cleveland and is a transplant from San Francisco. She asked a lot of good questions, which I immediately sent the answers to via e-mail. She really sounds fun and I think this will be a great experience. I wonder what she will do next? Hmmm......

Relay for Life Cancer Walk

2006-06-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

What an experience I had this past weekend. I stayed for the full 24 hours of the relay and walked approximately 24 miles total. This is the first year that I have actively participated in this worthy event and count myself abundantly blessed for doing so. The little girl on the left center picture is Jasmine. She is one of the beautiful people I met at the relay. She is 10 years old and a cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 3 years and has had 3 stem cell procedures. She is a survivor and a beautiful young lady. She charmed our whole relay team and adopted us for the weekend.

The picture on the left is our whole team. We all did our part from obtaining donations, taking turns walking laps, running errands, selling raffle tickets, etc. What a great bunch of gals I jazzercise with. Again, I was abundantly blessed.

The picture on the right is the booth that we set up for the relay. We sold tickets for numerous baskets of goodies and a lapsteel guitar. We brought in over $800.00 just for our raffle sales (all going to cancer research). Our total sum that our team was able to raise through donations and raffle sales was a little over $6,300.00. We were not the top team in donations, but we did receive a certificate for the "Best Rookie Team".

The one lap that I will forever be touched by was the 9-10pm luminaria lap. A bag pipe player, fully dressed in kilt and all led us slowly on the first lap playing Amazing Grace. I tried to get a good picture, but it was too dark and it is hard to make out. Please just close your eyes and try to visualize it hearing Amazing Grace in your head. We all cried and were touched deeply. I am actually tearing up right now as I remember the moment.

My mom had breast cancer and went through a double massectomy. She also had two sisters that had the same type breast cancer. My mother was a survivor and so are my aunts. My mother did pass away 5 years ago due to her heart, but not due to the cancer. Cancer research is something that I passionately support. I will always have a link to the site if you want or need more information about cancer research and the Relay for Life. Our team is already set to sign up for next year's walk. It is scheduled to be the weekend of June 9th and 10th. I would not miss it for the world.

We were told at the closing ceremonies on Sunday that the total amount that was donated from our area Relay for Life event was a little over $330,000.00. Well above the goal that was set for our area. They said that donations can still be sent in until mid August, then it will close and the next year's event will start taking donations the end of September.

I encourage all of you to participate in this worthy charity. In whatever capacity you are able. If you can even just go to observe the Relay for Life, I would recommend it. You don't have to be a participant to attend. If you can only go for a short time, then I would suggest that you either go for the very first lap (only survivors can walk that lap) or go for the luminaria lap. Your life will be touched in a way that you would never imagine.

I hope that I have shared my experience enough for you to visualize it for yourself. It was my honor to do so.

What a day!

2006-06-09T17:22:00.000-07:00

I just got home from a day that could have been worse, but was bad enough in itself. I am a little disappointed with my bosses, but I guess Iwill get over it. They came out at 4:30 and said I could go home 1/2 hour early today. Yipee! That was one of my issues that I brought to their attention thismorning that they shot down. Oh well, guess they were feeling a little guilty after all. Enough of that, on to bigger and better things

Tomorrow is the Cancer Relay for Life that I am participating in. My goal was to raise $400.00 towards it and at last look see, I have raised $435.00. Thanks to all my friends and family that sponsored me in this charity. As most of you probably know, my mom and two of her sisters had breast cancer. This is my pet charity that I do support heavily. I have alway financially supported the Cancer Society, but have never participated in the relay before. I joined the team that my jazzercise class put together and I plan on being there for the full 24 hours. I am signed up to walk the track from 8pm to 9 pm Saturday night. It is the patriotic lap (apparently they have named each hour) so I will be wearing my American Flag T-shirt and blue shorts. I can't express how much I am looking forward to being a participant.

On another topic, I talked to my oldest son last night (the one that just got married in December and recently moved with his family to Idaho). They have found a house and he started his new job Thursday. I told him that he needed to call me once a week to keep in touch, and he was shocked. He kept saying "once a week?" Of course I was a wonderful mom and made him feel guilty and insisted that it was the responsible and loving thing to do. I will let you know how well he does at it. Of my two sons, he is the worst at keeping in touch. So, I figure that I will be the one making the contact on most occassions. But that is okay, I am the mom and I am the one that wants to make sure the relationship flourishes. Gosh do I miss my little granddaughter, Kaylee. They will be coming back in August for a visit and baby shower (for the new baby that is due in October) . I am looking forward to their visit.

Last piece of news is that I got a call from my oldest sister who informed me that my niece, her youngest daughter, just got engaged on Tuesday. Her fiance gave her a two carat diamond platnum ring. My sister said it is gorgeous and Sarah (my niece) is floating on clouds and all giddy. If you knew my niece, you would know how different that is for her. She is a very focused, career oriented, no nonsense gal (Police Officer in Southern California). So congrats to her, Auntie is very happy for you.

I guess that is the end of my updates and news. I am still trying to get a good picture of my fat cat "cuddles" to post. But she isn't cooperating.

What you lookin at?

2006-06-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

I went looking for a picture of my fat cat to post as I wanted to share who she is, and instead I found pictures of my son and his girlfriend's cat Nikko. The three of them lived with me for about one month (May) while they were waiting for their house to be finished. Anyway, I came across these pictures and thought they were so cute and wanted to share them with everyone. The picture on the left is at their old house and the picture on the right is at my house. Animals can be so entertaining. Wonder what they think about us. I will have to go take a new picture of my cat Cuddles and post it a little later so she can have her 15 minutes of fame too. I never left any of my knitting out while Nikko lived with me. I am sure you can figure out why. He is one curious cat.

My First Felted Purse!

2006-05-29T07:52:00.000-07:00

What do you think? This is my first felted purse and I love it! I am giving this to my son's girlfriend for Christmas. I am extremely proud of it. Purple is her favorite color, so I know she will love it. The thought of her birthday at the end of June is tempting me to give it to her early. I don't know if I will be able to stop myself from giving it to her then, instead of waiting for Christmas. If I can't restrain myself, I guess I will just have to make her something else for Christmas. (tee hee)

I must confess that I love knitting and have become addicted, like all good knitters. But, I find that my everyday life, such as work, is interferring with my craft. I don't know how my girlfriends can have so many knitting projects going and getting completed, when I am struggling with just two at the moment. If I didn't have to work, sleep or eat I think I would make much better progress. Oh well, I am sure I will figure things out, or at least get a little faster with my knitting.

I am still working on the sweater for my granddaughter for her Christmas gift. I am sad to admit that I am having a little trouble with it. But I think it will all turn our okay. I just need to remember not to knit when I am tired. I tend to make hugh mistakes. (ugh!) Anyway, as with all my projects, I will post a picture when I am done.

2006-05-20T07:24:00.000-07:00

Well, as promised, here is a picture of my shimmer purse that I made. It is the first purse I made as a new knitter. Each of the gals in my knitting group made one, in different colors of course, and then four of us took them to our conference and used them for our banquet night (except one, she took it to conference but forgot to use it for the banquet). Yes, she felt bad. I must say, our purses were stunning and we didn't look too bad either.

2006-05-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

I wanted to show what items I have made so far in my venture with knitting. The gray scarf was the very first item I made, and yes I kept it for myself. Then the green scarf was my third project, which I kept for myself. I made a shimmer purse as my second project, but I will put that picture on another post. My fourth project I have yet to finish. It is a spring fling purse. I actually have it completely done, except that I still need to felt it. It is going to be my son's girlfriend's Christmas present. I will post the picture when it is felted. The next project I made was a scarf in blue and black just like the red and black one and the last scarf that I made was the red and black one. Both of these I gave away, one to my cousin Pam and the other to my sister Charlotte. I am currently working on a sweater for my granddaughter for Christmas and of course I will put a picture of it on my blog once it is done. I think that covers what I have made so far to date. I want to try my hand at socks next and of course baby booties for the new grandbaby that is due in October.

2006-05-07T14:22:00.000-07:00

This has been a Maxine weekend. Gotta have my coffee to start my day, and a doughnut is not a bad idea either. It appears that I have a busy week ahead of me. I will be attending a conference for my legal secretaries association as the newly voted in Governor. In other words, I have to pay attention and vote on issues that are of great importance. Darn, that means no sleeping during the reading of the reports. Two other gals from our local association will be traveling with me, and they just happen to be in my knitting group as well. We have planned on leaving early and finding some yarns shops in the area to visit before the conference starts. What a great idea! Anyway, we will be leaving on Thursday and returning home the afternoon of Mother's Day. Not so sure why they decided to hold this conference on Mother's Day weekend, but what is done is done. My youngest son has already made a comment on "so much for Mother's Day". But, he still is going to make me dinner, so it is not a complete loss. I will keep more coming after I return from my conference. Until then, it is Maxine all the way. Oh, and yes, I will be taking my knitting projects with me to the conference. I will always make time to knit.

Answers to SecretPal 8 Qestions

2006-05-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

Well here are my answers to the SecretPal8 Questions, enjoy:

1. What is/are you favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely "not" like?
I love working with Chenelle. The ultra silk I haven't used yet, but it is beautiful and I am anxiously looking for a project in my level of experience. Eyelash or fun fur is so hard to see your stitches and is extremely frustrating for me, as I do drop stitches once in a while. I don't like the synthetic yarns that feel sticky.
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I am embarrassed to say but right now I have my hooks and needles in their original holders in a big shopping bag.
3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill leverl to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
No doubt about it, I am a newbee. I started knitting in January of this year and am throughly addicted. I have made four scarves, two purses and am currently working on a little girl sweater.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
No wish list, but what a great idea. I will need to check into that now won't I.
5. What's your favorite scent?
I like peach scents and light florals. Nothing real heavy or overbearing.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I have a hugh sweet tooth. Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. Probably peanut butter cups are my all time favorite and milk chocolate truffles. Yum.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
Keep in mind that I am a newbee. I don't spin. But, I do like to crochet, one step paint, scrap booking (just learning that), stamping, ceramics (though it has been a while since I have done any), sewing and maybe more, but my mind is blank right now.
8. What kind of music do you like? Can you computer/stereo play MP3s?
I like pretty much everything except RAP and heavy metal/hard rock music. I am not sure if my computer or stereo can play MP3s, but they probably can.
9. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love Green especially grassy green and forest green. Peach is also one of my favorite colors as well as teal (as you can tell). I had my colors done years ago and was told that I am a warm color person. I don't really like the flourescent colors, a little to bright for me. I like soft, muted shades.
10. What is your family situtation? Do you have any pets?
I am currently single, but my boyfriend is living with me. I have two adult sons (24 and 26) my oldest just got married last December (they eloped) and my new daughter-in-law has a little girl 18 months old and they are also pregnant and due in October. My mother and father are deceased, but I have two older sisters of which I am very close to my oldest sister who lives in San Diego. I have one cat who is 13 years old, fat and neurotic.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I wear scarves and gloves, hats once in a great while, but I don't seem to have much of a hat head, and I love ponchos.
12. What is/areyour favorite item/s to knit?
Well, so far I have only made a few scarves, a couple of purses and am working on my first sweater. But out of all that so far I love making purses.
13. What are you knitting right now?
I have a few projects that I am working on, but I am told that is normal. I am making a sweater for my granddaughter for Christmas, a cap for my cousin and a scarf for my daughter-in-law for Christmas.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Are you kidding, I love handmade gifts.
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Well I like circular for making things in the round (obviously), but I don't like using them for straight items. I currently use bamboo and like them. I have used aluminum a couple of times, but I think they are too slick for me.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Nope, to both though I have thought it would be great to get a winder.
17. How did you learn to knit?
The truth be know it was by gosh and by golly. I had made a goal for myself this year that I would learned to knit and I had a girlfriend that had learned last year, so she invited me to joint a little knitting group at her favorite yarn shop and it just took off from there.
18. How old is your oldest UFO?
Remember I am a newbee, what is a UFO?
19. What is your favorite holiday?
No question about it, I love Christmas. I have always loved to decorate and make goodies and gifts for family and friends. I love the feel of the Christmas season, the music and open my home up for anyone that would like to drop by. My boys know this is my warm and fuzzy season and they enjoy it to the max.
20. Is there anything that you collect?
I don't know that I really collect per se, but I do like dolphins, birdhouses and hummingbirds.
21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on?
I am open for any books, patterns, needles or magazines. I am new, so am just building my stash. Though I would like a good pattern to make something out of the ultra silk and suede yarns.
22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Right now I want to learn how to cable.
23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I want to be but unfortunately I have not made socks yet. My other girlfriends have made their socks already, but I missed that class so have to make it up. I am not sure how to measure my foot, but I wear 8 1/2 shoes.
24. When is your birthday?
July 13th.

2006-04-15T09:48:00.000-07:00

cablegal said...
As you can see I am well on my way to completing my blog. I think there is nothing that I have forgotten, though I understand I need to make a couple of corrections in my personal information. Sometimes my mind is a little foggy when I need to remember certain titles. I am probably in the majority for that issue. Anyway, thanks for your comments and I look forward to receiving more and posting more myself. Today is a full knitters day and I am excited and looking forward to all the creative juices flowing. Next stop is signing up for SP8. Whoo Hoo!
9:28 AM

New birth

2006-04-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

I have only just begun to spin my yarn. Stay tunned to see what spins next.