Recycling

These are some items we recently recycled. The boys stroller and the dog cage went to the curb and were gone within about an hour! I love curbside recycling.

The bowling game, tiny moccasins and blouse were brought to my city's family services. Glad to get a couple items out of the house and garage!

School update

I was busy again with school this semester. I took Research Writing and History II.  They were fun classes, but lots of work. Research writing was interesting and I learned a lot about writing and research writing. I received an A- in that class.
History II was interesting and boring at the same time. I learned a lot in this class too. I did my oral report and paper on Child Labor laws. I also received a 97!! on my final. I was shocked that I got a 97.  My grade for History is an A.

Now that I am done with school til August, I have a lot more free time. It's weird having so much free time now.  I have a lot to do around the house to keep me busy though, and I still continue to crochet.

My boy just has a few more weeks left of school, then he will be off for the summer as well. 

A shawl

This is a Prayer Shawl I recently finished. It is made from Lion Brand Homespun yarn and the color is "Seafoam."  It measures 115 inches across and 50 inches from neck to tip. It's huge, but this is how large I make all my prayer shawls!

I purchased this yarn on a huge sale. I think it's pretty. It's a variegated green color and looks nice. My model didn't really do a good job of modeling, he said his arms hurt to hold it up.

I will be delivering it tomorrow to the church where I donate the shawls.

Baby blankets..........

This blanket is made with Homespun. The washcloths are 100% cotton. This blanket is made for my cousin, she is having a baby boy!

These two blankets are made with Red Heart yarn. Each of the blankets are a large Granny Square Green/white on the bottom and Red/white on the top. I made these in December but I didn't get them sent in time. I'll add them to the box I send this year for the NICU babies.

This blanket I finished earlier this month. I made most of it last year and ran out of yarn and I set it aside. It's made with two strands. One is Bernat baby yarn and the other is just plain white yarn. It's a regular sized baby blanket and not a small NICU blanket.

One positive comment a day

I'm going to try this for a year. I don't know how to keep this post at the top, so I may have to dig for it later.

January 1, 2013
*we took down the Christmas decorations today

A New Year..

Happy New Year! I hope you all have a wonderful 2013.

This year I would like to:
*read more
*learn to book bind
*crochet more
*work on taming my tongue--it's that gossip thing
*read the bible in a year
*continue with my college
*post something positive each day
*pray more

I didn't write a list last year, so we will see how this year goes with this list!

Prayer Shawls

These aren't the typical prayer shawls I usually make. They are called pocket prayer shawls. I make them with cotton yarn and they are about 3x3 inches or 4x4 inches big.

The idea of pocket shawls are for people to be able to carry them. I originally made a batch for the troops at the request of the church I donate the prayer shawls to.

This batch I made for my church.

Dishcloths

These are dishcloths I recently made. The two on the left are made with regular cotton yarn. The four on the right are made with cotton thread. They were interesting to make. I made these dishcloths for a woman at church.

Baby blankets

 This is a baby blanket I made this past summer. It's made with Bernat baby yarn. It reminds me of a creamsicle.

 These baby blankets I made for two friends that know people having babies. The top one is blue/white and it's made with Red Heart yarn. The bottom one is actually pink.

This blanket I made for my boy because he liked the yarn.

Shawls

 This pretty blue shawl is the exact same color as my moms. I made it for a friend of my daughters mom. The mom has a tumor in her brain that is inoperable. I can't do much for her besides pray and make a prayer shawl for her. I made it in early December.

 This beautiful prayer shawl (it's folded here) is made with "Claret". It's so pretty. It's made with a new Homespun yarn called "thick and quick". It's a little thicker than the regular Homespun yarn I normally use. I like it well enough. I originally made this to give the church prayer shawl ministry, but I found another need for it. A friend of mines son died in October and I gave the mom this prayer shawl.

This prayer shawl I made for my sister in law. I asked her what color she liked and she told me yellow. I made this one in September.

Getting caught up

It's been a busy season for me. Christmas is over and I finally downloaded all my pictures from all the crochet I've done.  I'll make new posts for that though.

I also registered for two classes this semester. History and Writing ll.  I am looking forward to taking these two classes and I know I will excel in both classes.

My boy is doing well. He sold 4,500 dollars this fall for the boy scout popcorn fundraiser. He earned 200 dollars in gift cards for WalMart, and a lot of other fun stuff. He gets to go to a Basketball game, museums, amusement parks and a couple other things I can't think of at the moment.

My husband has been working a lot. We miss him and hopefully he will be able to take a week off from work right after the new year.

My daughter continues to do well. And so does my mom!  Mom is getting new granite counter tops in her kitchen next week and is excited about that!  I can't wait to see her new kitchen.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and I hope you all have a wonderful New Year!!

Seven years..............

I love that huge NO SMOKING sign.

Today marks SEVEN YEARS that I have been a non smoker!!

Hard to believe it's really been seven years. I occasionally still miss smoking, much to my chagrin.  But, I simply cannot ever go back to smoking. If I take one puff, I know I will be right back smoking full time.

There have been plenty of health benefits for me too. I can actually breathe.  I don't huff and puff anymore just walking up stairs. I feel better. I am losing weight again too.  I actually can run and not be winded now.

And that old wives tale--that food will taste better?? That hasn't happened for me. But, I think most all food is tasteless anymore anyway.

Maybe I'll take up running for real in the coming year.

World Vision

http://donate.worldvision.org/OA_HTML/xxwv2ibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?lpos=top_drp_WaysToGive&go=catalog&

Each year my husband receives a bonus from work and each year we each receive a piece of the bonus to give to a charity.  Most years I choose World Vision.

Each year when I make the phone call, I make a fool of myself and start crying. I cry because it makes me desperately sad that I even have to give to this charity to begin with. But I give with a cheerful heart.

There are many different items that can be donated. Most years I give animals. This year I gave a goat and chickens, then another portion for where ever the need is greatest.

Last year I donated fruit trees.

It is very humbling to me to give to this organization. I am thankful I can give.

Veterans Day 2012

 Today is Veterans day. There are a lot of Vets in my family including me. You never know when you sign up in the volunteer Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines whether there will be a war. And when you are drafted, you know, of course, that it is war time.
Here is a list of my family members that are Vets:
John- Great Great Grandpa- Army- Civil war
Leonard-Dad-Army-WW2
George-Father in Law-Air Force-Korea
Bill-Uncle-Air Force-Korea
Mark-brother-Air Force-Viet Nam era
Bill-cousin-Army- Viet Nam  era
Bob-cousin-Army- Viet Nam era
Steve-cousin-Navy Viet nam era
Bill-cousin-Army- peacetime
Lisa-cousin-Army-Viet Nam era (last of the WACS)
Mike-brother in law-Air Force-peacetime
John-husband- Navy (Naval Academy)Desert Storm
Pam-Army-peacetime
Nick-nephew-Air Force-serving NOW
I am proud of my family members, and everyone else that serves in the Armed Forces, and I am thankful for each and every one of them that served. I am thankful for the men and women that serve in the Armed Forces today too.

This is a picture of me in Basic Training (Fort McClellan AL), I think. It might have been AIT in San Antonio TX.

Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.

Baby blankets

These are the baby afghans I made for the NICU babies this year. It wasn't near as many as I usually make.  Hopefully I'll make up for that in the coming year.

A fellow crocheter on my crochet board collects blankets for the NICU at a hospital near her where her baby stayed.  I make them because I like to make them and my daughter spent time in the NICU when she was born too.

It gives me pleasure to give these blankets to a NICU unit knowing that the babies and parents will appreciate them!!

Disappointed...........

I, like a lot of other people in the nation are disappointed with the election results.

That's ok!! The world keeps spinning and we keep moving on.

I was reminded this morning twice that GOD IS IN CONTROL!! Still. Sometimes I forget that but it was nice to be reminded amidst my disappointment.

Romans 8:27-28

New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁷ Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

I voted

Went at lunch time. Took 15 minutes. I was number 471 of 1500 expected in my precinct.

Now, we just sit and wait and see the results tonight. I am very excited for the results.

Lots of praying for the nation and for this election this year. It's a big one. I know that is said each year, but this year it really does seem to be a big one.

I hope you all got out and voted!!

Seven things...........

I have a Seven things project update.

We periodically put things out to the curb. Most recently it was fish tanks and air conditioners. I love curbside recycling.

Also, I cleaned out my shoes. I desperately needed to do this as the shoes in my closet were piled high on the shoe racks. That's never good. It ruins the shoes and it indicates that a person has too many shoes.

I finally went through them and put them in a large garbage bag. There were about 14 pair of various shoes in very good condition. I will be dropping them off at our local family services. I like this place better than Salvation Army or Goodwill. I feel it serves the local people better.

October

It's been a rough month.  There have been several young deaths in our community. I know two of the families of the young men that died. It's just heartbreaking that this has happened. As parents, we need to be involved in our kids lives, to know where they are and what they are doing. Who their friends are etc. We need to keep the lines of communication open with our young people. At any age. At all ages. We need to pay attention, even if the child is not yours.

I'm currently taking a Statistics class, that I am not doing very well in. It's very humbling to not excel at a class. I received a mid-term e mail from my professor. While I am currently passing the class (barely), I am not confident that I can actually pass the class. I just don't understand the concepts of Statistics. If possible, it is even worse than last semesters Algebra class. I have chosen to with draw from the class. I feel like a loser for doing this, but, I don't think I can pass the class and the last seven weeks have been very stressful for me. Give me a biology, or microbiology class any day and I will get an A in that class! My mind is just not geared for Stats it seems.

On the other hand, my daughter is doing well with her job and life. She seems happy with what she is doing and since she moved back to Minnesota, we all see her more.

My little guy is doing well too. He just finished selling popcorn for boy scouts and did very well! He is still liking school too, which is always good.

My mom is doing very well too. She says her place finally feels like home now. And she has her pictures hung up now! I know that can make a huge difference. She is also getting new counter tops in her kitchen. She is happy about that too.

We'll all make it through the rough times, and be all the stronger for it.

Psalm 118:24
This is the day that the Lord has made;
    let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Twenty years ago

This is my baby girl. Grandpa is holding her. I never let anyone hold her but grandpa.

Twenty years ago on this night my baby girl was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes.  She was very ill for a long time. I had brought her to the doctor three times and they missed this diagnosis. It wasn't until after we had gone out for Halloween and were home that it became apparent that she wasn't doing well.

I was awoken with a very audible voice, that I believe was God, telling me to get her to the hospital NOW. I sat bolt upright in bed, got my daughter bundled up and carried her out to the car. It was 2 am and I sped down the freeway to Children's Hospital.  I parked my car right by the emergency entrance. They took her immediately and started working on her.

After they finally got an IV in and got blood from her, the doctor told me she was very sick. And that she had diabetes. She was in ketoacidosis and not doing well at all. She had lost about 11 pounds too. I asked if she would be ok and the doctor wouldn't answer with a yes. He wouldn't even tell me if she would make it through the night.

It was terrifying. I stayed at the hospital all day and night while she was there. If my mom or dad were there with her, I would run home and get fresh clothes etc. I knew very little about diabetes. My daughter and I learned together. And we finally found a good doctor that we went to for 10 yrs.

She recovered and has done reasonably well since her diagnosis. The pump has made life for a diabetic much easier to manage with fewer sticks with a needle.

I am thankful each day that I listened to that voice and that my daughter is still here.

Proverbs 3:5-6

New King James Version

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Anniversary

Eighteen years ago today I married my husband!!

It was sort of a whirlwind romance. We met in October, starting dating in January, he proposed in May and we were married in September. Not as quickly as some people meet and marry, but sometimes you just know that you know that you know.

It's been a wonderful eighteen years so far and I look forward to, at the very least, eighteen more years!!

Every year I post this on his Facebook wall. This year he posted it on my wall!!

It's Fall!!!!

My favorite time of year!  Today marks the autumnal equinox.  Which just means it's fall.

I waited til late September to get married because I wanted to be married in the fall. I had a beautiful sunny wedding day.

We went to Boston and Maine for our Honeymoon and it was fabulous.

I love this time of year for many reasons. I love the smell of burning leaves, and the beautiful colors of the leaves on the trees.  I love the crisp cool air, and the bright sunny days.  It's the perfect time of year!

I held a Hummingbird

On Monday, my boy and I heard a thud at our bay window. The boy looked out and told me a hummingbird was on the patio floor.  I looked, and the bird looked dead. It was laying there belly up with it's wings splayed out. So, after a few minutes, the boy went out there to look at the bird. He told me it was moving. I think he meant it was breathing. I went out and picked up the hummingbird. I set it in the palm of my hand and it sat up. I could definitely tell it was stunned. It just sat there and I pet it a few times and told the bird he would be ok.

Turns out it is a juvenile male. No damage to his beak from hitting the window or his wings from the fall. He sat on my hand for about 3 minutes. I asked my boy to run into the house to grab my phone so I could take these pictures.

The top picture is of the juvenile resting on a hook after he flew off, he rested there for a few minutes too.  When he first flew away, he flew back to the window, then to my head, then my shoulder. He landed on this hook.

The second and third pictures are of him just resting in my hand.

This was a once in a life time experience. The only thing that came close to this was when we visited Madera Canyon in Arizona and the hummingbirds were accustomed to humans and flew very closely to us.  Before today I had never held a hummingbird. I am thankful this beautiful creature survived the window crash.

A mid summer update

It's mid summer. Another birthday has passed as well as my daughter celebrating another birthday on the same day.  We went out to Red Lobster to eat. It was good.

Unpacking at my mom's is going ok. Not as quickly as I had hoped it would go, but it's coming along. I can only do so much on the days I am there and then something else always comes up that needs doing.  But all the rooms are set up, and boxes are getting unpacked. In between unpacking, I clean her house. It's bigger than her other one, so it will take longer.

Mom is doing very very well. The ortho doctor does not need to see her for a YEAR!! I was shocked to hear that. She will have life long restrictions, mostly of the bending variety. But over all, she is doing very well.

The boy is taking swim lessons and playing baseball. He likes both activities, but is not a prolific swimmer at all. I refer to him as an aqua-rock. But he tries, and he can swim.  His summer has kind of been a bummer because we go to my moms house every other day to help her get settled. That's not a lot of fun for him but I explained that grandma can't do it all herself and we need to help. I think he understands.

My daughter recently had surgery to remove some steel plates and screws from her arms. She was in an accident a few years ago and she required plates and screws to repair her arms. She is glad they are out now and I hope she has less pain now.

I am going to Maryland in August! I can't wait. I thought I wouldn't be able to go this year with my moms surgery,  and school, but I am able to go and I am happy about that!  I signed up for one class this fall, Statistics. I am thinking about going to nursing school, but am still undecided. I am taking classes that are required for the nursing program and are general classes I would need for a degree anyway, so by doing that, I have time to make a decision. It would be a two year RN program. Two years full time.

The husband is working and taking some vacation time this month and next month, which will be nice too. And he is painting our laundry room and putting a new floor beneath the washer and dryer. We recently purchased a new washer/dryer set and thought it was a good time to repaint and refloor that area.

I continue to crochet during the summer. I have several projects I need to finish. I am making my sister in law a prayer shawl. She liked my moms so I thought I would make her one. I also have several baby blankets to make and the mornings my boy has swim lessons I make washcloths for the troops. I can almost finish one during his lesson time.

I think that's it. Hope you all are having a wonderful summer!! It's going by way too fast though~!!

Washcloths

These are six washcloths for the troops. My husband chose the yarn. It's 100% cotton yarn.  I found this charity through my crochet board.

The washcloths are easy and quick to make too. My boy is taking swim lessons this summer and I can work on these easily while he is taking his lessons.

Crochet stuff.............

I made this prayer shawl for my mom. She is always cold. She asked me about one and I told her I would make it for her. She really likes it!

I don't know why I didn't think of making her a shawl earlier, I'm just glad she said something!!

This one is Russet colored. Mom had a room mate in rehab. She was 94 years old and had a hip replacement too. I gave this shawl to her and she loved it!!

July 1 2012

Today my mom is 84 years old. She is doing well after her hip replacement surgery.

She also moved into a new condo. One with no stairs!!  We are still trying to get her settled after the carpet incident. Her brand new carpet came with a flaw and had to be re ordered.

Time for another word cloud.....

Decoration day...

It's what Memorial Day used to be called.

I'm shocked by how many people celebrate this day off from work, but don't know why they are celebrating.

What bothers me even more is the kids that don't know why we celebrate this day.
I know my boy didn't know why and I had to explain it to him.  I'll have to talk to my daughter and get her viewpoint on this too.

I just want to thank all the service men and women for serving our great country, and the men and women that continue to serve our nation to maintain our freedom.

But most of all, I want to thank the men and women that served our nation and sacrificed their very lives for all of us. And the families that they left behind. Because that is what this day is all about after all!

Hummingbirds

They are here!! They are three days late this year and we are shocked. We all thought with the warm weather we had that they would be early. We are glad they are here!!

Blankets.....

These are two baby sized blankets I made recently for a raffle for Battens disease. Look it up.

They are made with Red Heart yarn. One variegated and one solid color.

I also have made two other baby blankets and about 20 tiny preemie blankets. Unfortunately I did not get a picture of those, but I might be able to get one from the person I sent them too. If I get a picture of them, I will post it.  They are my annual contribution to the NICU babies.

I finished a shawl that I started some time ago. I'll post that later.

There hasn't been much time to crochet, but in the last four months I managed to make the preemie blankets.  And I made some cotton 4x4 squares for the troops. A local church had this project and I contributed to that. This summer I will continue with more preemie blankets and I am making a shawl for my mom.  She is having hip replacement surgery at the end of the month. I may need to fore go my trip to Maryland this year.

Update...........

This semester is finally over! I am so glad to be done. It was a tough four months and I still don't "get" algebra.  BUT, I passed! In fact I received a B in my Algebra class and an A- in the writing class. I am shocked with the B. I never ever could have done it without the help of my  tutor-my husband! He was so patient with me most of the time.

I will be taking Statistics in the fall. Only one class. And I decided not to take any summer courses for various reasons.

The boy is doing well in school this year and he is playing soccer right now with baseball following. Six weeks of each.  Then he will be taking his normal three sessions of swimming this summer. We also purchased a season pass again to a local water park. He will have a moderately busy summer. I also foresee some fishing going on as well.

The girl is doing well. So glad to be seeing more of her.

My mom is doing well, sort of. She is moving to a new place in about two weeks. She is also having hip replacement surgery! Just found out about that this week. So glad I am not taking a summer class, especially now. Mom is moving into a lower level unit so that she doesn't have stairs. With her knees, and now her hips, it will be much easier on her.

My husband has been busy with work, that business will end shortly.  He won't be having the crazy schedule soon, and I will be happy and so will the boy.

A note on the seven things project. I continue to rid my home of "stuff."  Most of it is clothing that the boy has out grown. Just recently I gave two pair of winter boots to a friend. Glad to be rid of them too!!

There's so much around here that I haven't had the time to do in the last four months so now I am kind of catching up.  I baked banana bread yesterday,  and burned it!  But I have been hungry for home made baked goods.  I need to make chocolate chip cookies too. YUM.  I have stuff to put away and organize, and I hope to get to the stuff eventually. It's kind of nice not having to run off to school or spend most of my free time studying and writing papers!

That's it for now.  Hopefully I'll be able to update more.

Spring!!!!

It's Spring today!! Though we have had some unseasonably warm weather all month.  Like in the 70's type of warm weather. Which is very unusual for us.  But, our ground is still frozen.

I haven't posted much lately because I have been busy with my college classes. The Algebra and Writing have taken over my life. I had a spring break but it wasn't even at the same time as my boy had his break.  And, I still had homework to do the week I was off school!!

I can't believe I haven't posted in two months!! That's a long time for me to not post.

My boy had another birthday in early March. He had his usual Dinosaur cake, and he brought dinosaur cupcakes to school. This year we also made a goodie bag for the kids in his class. Fun stuff, no candy. The kids seemed to like them.

The picture in this post is of a Barred Owl that visited us earlier this month in our yard. The boy spotted it and we all ran to the window to watch. It stuck around for about 45 minutes and moved from tree to tree a couple of times. It was fascinating! And Owls are really weird animals. It turned it's head. It was really weird.

My daughter is doing well, along with her cats!  Sometimes I miss cats, but with our one Jack Russell, it would never work.

I know I have more to add, but can't think of anything at the moment.  I'll try to keep up better with the blog.

School this semester....

If you think of it, you could pray for me for this semesters class.

I am taking a basic college math course and it is giving me fits. Even with my husband helping me.

I feel very defeated and I don't want to feel this way at all.

My brain needs to understand this stuff because I need this class. I need to take this class and pass it.

I'm also taking a writing class which I foresee being a cake walk compared to the math class.

Thank you!!

A round ripple

This isn't a great picture, but it's a picture of a round ripple I made.

It's made for a woman having her third baby boy and I wanted to make something different for her. So, I made this out of cotton, and it's a round ripple. I liked it a lot when I was done with it.

I also made some cotton wash cloths for her baby.   She like it all!  I'm happy she like the blanket and wash cloths.

December 31, 2011

Another year has come to an end.  We had lots of new stuff in our lives.

The little guy tried snowboarding this winter, and of course he loves it!! No surprise there, he also loves skateboarding and they are similar. Second grade has been good for him too! Had the fall conference and learned some good new things about my boy!!  He continues to thrive in school.

I also started school. It was huge for me to step out of my comfort zone and actually go to school. It was even harder for me to stand up in front of 30 people and give an oral report, but I did it and I am glad I did!! I am taking two classes starting January 9.

My husband continues to do well at work. He is active with the boy scouts, and I volunteered to be popcorn mom next year! I'm sure he'll help me. Hubby and the boy are still trying to go up north ice fishing at his brothers house, but, surprisingly, it's not been a cold even winter yet to get any safe ice.  Maybe in January or February.

My daughter is doing well, though I wish she were closer. She comes to visit when she can though.

My mom continues to do well too.  She is getting older and stairs are a bit hard for her with her knees, but she's doing well. I continue to go at least twice a month to clean her house. Sometimes we run errands too. We always go out to eat lunch on cleaning days.

As I reflect back on 2011, it's really been a good year for us.  We are all healthy and well.  Trying new things and just going on with life.  I think of friends from my past, as I always do, and wonder how they are doing.  Hoping all is well with them and their families.

I hope 2012 is good for all of us!! Enjoy the new year!!

Merry Christmas!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! 

We went to the candlelight service last night and it was beautiful.

Yesterday we had my family over to celebrate and today my mother in law was over.

The little guy had fun!!

Winter Solstice

It's that time of year again. Today is the shortest day of daylight of the year.

From now on til June, the days get longer.

We have no snow here in Minnesota and none in the forecast through the new year.  The last time we had a brown Christmas was 2006.  I'm ok with that since I know we will not go through the whole winter without snow.

School update

I finally received my grade for my History class. I got a 93 on the final and an A for the class. I am very happy with that grade.  It was a great first class to take to get back into the swing of school.

I registered for the Math and Writing classes and bought the books. Unfortunately they were not rentable. What a scam college book prices are!! 

So, I start school in January two days a week.

Six years and counting!!

Today marks SIX years that I have been a non smoker!!!

I got a new toy this week......

Oops, I mean a new phone!! In my life, I think the greatest invention has been the iPod. And now, the iPhone!

When I was a teenager, there was no such thing as a cell phone. I listened to a transistor radio, later an 8-track and tapes, and finally  stereo instead of mono records!

To have this thing called a cell phone, that isn't just a cell phone is wonderful. It has all my music on it, games, GPS, and it has texting! Oh, and it's a phone too. I can finally text people now and I am thrilled with it.  It may seem silly to some, but to me, it's just great.

And I do love my iPhone as much, if not more than my iPod!!

Thanksgiving

I'm here with a belated Thanksgiving update.  We had a quiet Thanksgiving this year, just our moms were here with us. Hubby smoked the turkey and I made all the fixings.  It was yummy.  Made a homemade pumpkin pie again this year and it was so easy and tasty.  We will be hosting about 20 for Christmas dinner and gift opening.

School is almost over for me. I received my final test last night and I will turn it in next Wednesday. I am glad I have a week to complete it.  I also signed up for Spring semester classes, two of them this time. I signed up for a basic Math class and a basic Writing class. I need to take more than one class at a time if I am ever going to finish.  But I am glad I started with History. It was a fun, easy class and I actually learned a lot.

Our new windows are all in and they all have new coverings!! We especially love the bay window, it really opens up our house!

For the second time in about a year, my mom was thinking of moving. Mostly because the stairs up to her condo are becoming an issue. So, we looked at another place that she really liked. Until she figured out her finances and decided she didn't really want to move. I don't care what she decides, I just want her to be happy!!  So we have been looking at Stair Aids. It is a chair thingy that attaches to her stairs and it brings her up the stairs. Her building management allows these in the buildings and it isn't that expensive. I think it will be the perfect solution for her.

I got my hair cut a few months ago, a little shorter, then I went and got it cut even shorter. I wasn't sure at first, but I really like it shorter. I think I'll keep it this way. And, in May, I quit dying it, so everyone can see my gray now!

I also went for my 5 month dental hygiene appointment and I need another root canal. The dentist fixed the tooth a year ago and was skeptical that it would work. It didn't and I now need a root canal. The silver lining is that the tooth already has a crown! Yay me. So, I now will have NINE crowns and FIVE root canals in my mouth. The dentist told me some of this is genetics (thanks dad).  Because I do brush and floss every day.  Meh...............

My little guy is doing well in school. He likes school a lot and is a quick learner. Thankfully he loves to read too!  He keeps busy with boy scouts and Awana during the week. He's busy, but not too busy, which is perfect.

Husband is doing well too. He has done a lot of Christmas shopping and between the two of us we are done. I just need to wrap, and I will have my little helper helping me!!

The daughter is doing well too. Keeping busy with her job and cats and going to school.

I think that's about it. I've been crocheting, though not as much lately. I have a few things to post and I'll get to that soon.

Have a happy December!!

11-11-11

Today is Veterans day.  I've made posts about this day before, and there isn't much left to say other than "thank you".

There is one new Veteran to add to our family list. My husbands nephew is currently serving in the Air Force.

More Dishcloths

The ones above are just plain white dishcloths I have made over the summer and am just posting about now.  I think plain white is pretty!

The ones below are colored dishcloths. I never think about which color to crochet, I just grab a ball that looks pretty and crochet!! I have cotton yarn in a lot of different colors and sometimes I crochet the same colors.

Well, OK then..............

This about sums me up.

Portrait of an ISTJ - Introverted Sensing Thinking Judging
(Introverted Sensing with Extraverted Thinking)

The Duty Fulfiller

As an ISTJ, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you take things in via your five senses in a literal, concrete fashion. Your secondary mode is external, where you deal with things rationally and logically.
ISTJs are quiet and reserved individuals who are interested in security and peaceful living. They have a strongly-felt internal sense of duty, which lends them a serious air and the motivation to follow through on tasks. Organized and methodical in their approach, they can generally succeed at any task which they undertake.
ISTJs are very loyal, faithful, and dependable. They place great importance on honesty and integrity. They are "good citizens" who can be depended on to do the right thing for their families and communities. While they generally take things very seriously, they also usually have an offbeat sense of humor and can be a lot of fun - especially at family or work-related gatherings.
ISTJs tend to believe in laws and traditions, and expect the same from others. They're not comfortable with breaking laws or going against the rules. If they are able to see a good reason for stepping outside of the established mode of doing things, the ISTJ will support that effort. However, ISTJs more often tend to believe that things should be done according to procedures and plans. If an ISTJ has not developed their Intuitive side sufficiently, they may become overly obsessed with structure, and insist on doing everything "by the book".
The ISTJ is extremely dependable on following through with things which he or she has promised. For this reason, they sometimes get more and more work piled on them. Because the ISTJ has such a strong sense of duty, they may have a difficult time saying "no" when they are given more work than they can reasonably handle. For this reason, the ISTJ often works long hours, and may be unwittingly taken advantage of.
The ISTJ will work for long periods of time and put tremendous amounts of energy into doing any task which they see as important to fulfilling a goal. However, they will resist putting energy into things which don't make sense to them, or for which they can't see a practical application. They prefer to work alone, but work well in teams when the situation demands it. They like to be accountable for their actions, and enjoy being in positions of authority. The ISTJ has little use for theory or abstract thinking, unless the practical application is clear.
ISTJs have tremendous respect for facts. They hold a tremendous store of facts within themselves, which they have gathered through their Sensing preference. They may have difficulty understanding a theory or idea which is different from their own perspective. However, if they are shown the importance or relevance of the idea to someone who they respect or care about, the idea becomes a fact, which the ISTJ will internalize and support. Once the ISTJ supports a cause or idea, he or she will stop at no lengths to ensure that they are doing their duty of giving support where support is needed.
The ISTJ is not naturally in tune with their own feelings and the feelings of others. They may have difficulty picking up on emotional needs immediately, as they are presented. Being perfectionists themselves, they have a tendency to take other people's efforts for granted, like they take their own efforts for granted. They need to remember to pat people on the back once in a while.
ISTJs are likely to be uncomfortable expressing affection and emotion to others. However, their strong sense of duty and the ability to see what needs to be done in any situation usually allows them to overcome their natural reservations, and they are usually quite supporting and caring individuals with the people that they love. Once the ISTJ realizes the emotional needs of those who are close to them, they put forth effort to meet those needs.
The ISTJ is extremely faithful and loyal. Traditional and family-minded, they will put forth great amounts of effort at making their homes and families running smoothly. They are responsible parents, taking their parenting roles seriously. They are usually good and generous providers to their families. They care deeply about those close to them, although they usually are not comfortable with expressing their love. The ISTJ is likely to express their affection through actions, rather than through words.
ISTJs have an excellent ability to take any task and define it, organize it, plan it, and implement it through to completion. They are very hard workers, who do not allow obstacles to get in the way of performing their duties. They do not usually give themselves enough credit for their achievements, seeing their accomplishments simply as the natural fulfillment of their obligations.
ISTJs usually have a great sense of space and function, and artistic appreciation. Their homes are likely to be tastefully furnished and immaculately maintained. They are acutely aware of their senses, and want to be in surroundings which fit their need for structure, order, and beauty.
Under stress, ISTJs may fall into "catastrophe mode", where they see nothing but all of the possibilities of what could go wrong. They will berate themselves for things which they should have done differently, or duties which they failed to perform. They will lose their ability to see things calmly and reasonably, and will depress themselves with their visions of doom.
In general, the ISTJ has a tremendous amount of potential. Capable, logical, reasonable, and effective individuals with a deeply driven desire to promote security and peaceful living, the ISTJ has what it takes to be highly effective at achieving their chosen goals - whatever they may be. 

Careers for ISTJ Personality Types

---

Whether you're a young adult trying to find your place in the world, or a not-so-young adult trying to find out if you're moving along the right path, it's important to understand yourself and the personality traits which will impact your likeliness to succeed or fail at various careers. It's equally important to understand what is really important to you. When armed with an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, and an awareness of what you truly value, you are in an excellent position to pick a career which you will find rewarding.
ISTJs generally have the following traits:

• Value tradition, security, and peaceful living
• Will work long and hard to fulfill duties
• Can be depended on to follow through on tasks
• Loyal and faithful
• Stable, practical and down-to-earth
• Family-minded
• Dislike doing things which don't make sense to them
• Dislike abstract theory, unless they see the practical application
• Natural leaders
• Prefer to work alone, but work well in teams when necessary
• Extremely observant, they take in facts via their senses and store them internally
• Vast, rich inner store of facts which they rely on to understand problems which they encounter in their lives
• Profound respect for facts and concrete information
• Make decisions objectively, applying logic and rational thinking
• Dislike change, unless they are shown it's benefit in a concrete way
• Have strong opinions about the way things should be done
• Appreciate structured, orderly environments
• Have very high standards for their own behavior and the behavior of others
• Not naturally in-tune with other people's feelings
• Able to accomplish almost anything if they put their minds to it
• Community minded "good citizens"

ISTJs have one character trait which puts them at a definite advantage in terms of career success - Perserverance. An ISTJ can do almost anything that they have decided to do. However, there are areas in which they will function more happily and naturally. An ISTJ will do best in a career in which they can use their excellent organizational skills and their powers of concentration to create order and structure. ISTJs seem to fit extremely well into the Management and Executive layer of the corporate business world.
ISTJ

responsible, planner, private, loner tendencies, perfectionist, organized, detail oriented, organized, would rather be friendless than jobless, realistic, observer, clean, focused, does not talk about feelings, finisher, punctual, private, does not appreciate strangeness, not adventurous, not spontaneous, follows the rules, dutiful, avoids mistakes, conventional, likes solitude, insensitive to the hardships of others, prepared, anti-tattoos, things rules are important, cautious, security seeking, prepares for worst case scenarios, logical, analytical, does not accept apologies easily, hard working

favored careers:

data analyst, scientist, researcher, engineer, financial planner, statistician, office worker, government employee, lab technician, nuclear engineer, office manager, biomedical engineer, account manager, ceo, investment banker, analyst, academic, systems analyst, pharmacy technician, network admin, genetics researcher, research assistant, strategist

disfavored careers:
entertainer, artist, filmmaker, musician, actor, fashion desinger, singer, music journalist, comedian, massage therapist, photographer, dj, model, author, bartender, painter, school counselor

Mid-Term exam

I got a "B" on my mid term exam.  

My paper..........

I received an "A" on my report. I'm so relieved.

Had the mid-term exam this past Wednesday and I feel good about that too! I was prepared and knew all the information.

School and stuff

School is going well. I gave my first oral report in a million years. I was a bit nervous, but it went ok.  I also wrote a five page report. It took me forever to write the outline and all day to get to the final, turn in paper.  I think it will be ok. I will find out on Wednesday how I did.

Wednesday is also my mid term test. Lots to study for, but I will know the information by Wednesday.  I will be prepared.

My boy is selling popcorn for Boy Scouts again this year and doing very well at selling.  He will outdo what he did last year, and then some. He loves getting the "credit cards"  which are really just gift cards.

He is doing well in school again this year.  I am so thankful that he likes school and I hope he continues to like school!!  He thinks it's funny that we are going to school at the same time and that I have a backpack now too!!

I have some crocheted stuff that I have made over the last few months. I need to put the trim on a shawl, and there are piles of dishcloths to post about.  I am giving those to my Sisters-in-law for Christmas.  Then I am making a few blankets for another dRaffle.  A woman I know husbands passed away about two months ago from cancer. She and her little boy are alone now and I donated two baby afghans for the dRaffle.  I am almost done with one of them.  I find that I don't have as much time for crochet, since homework comes first. There is a lot of reading.

  We are getting new windows, and a bay window in our house, that should happen any day now. They are much needed and I hope to see improvements with the sound, and with our utility bills. When we got our new roof, we noticed a huge difference.

We also redid our one bathroom. Took off the border, repainted, got a new sink cabinet and counter top with sink.  It looks nice.  The only thing in the entire house we have left to re do is the master bathroom sink, cabinet and counter top. Otherwise we have redone everything in this entire house. Floors, carpets, walls, cabinets, roof, windows, patios, driveway and yard.

Hubby is doing well. Mostly working straight days with some weekends thrown in there. I sometimes miss him having a few days off during the week but we make it work.

We bought my mom an early Christmas present. We got her a flat screen TV for her den and a small flat screen tv for her kitchen since she likes a tv in her kitchen. I told her she would LOVE it and she does!!! I'm so glad we got them for her early, I just knew she would like watching tv on them with HD.

I tired my hand at canning this year and I think it went well. I did applesauce and some tomato sauce. Hubby helped and I am grateful for his help!

That's about all I have for now.

September 24..............

1994.

Today is our 17th anniversary. I'm so glad that God put me and my husband together.

I love him just as much, if not more, today than the day we were married!!

Speaking of school...................

There is a group on Facebook from my hometown. Just reminiscing about the town we grew up in.  It's fun and interesting and a great way to reconnect.

There was recently a thread talking about Kindergarten, and how some people didn't go to K, or went to a private K, or in someone's house, or church.

This wasn't too surprising to me but some people didn't even go to Kindergarten!!!  In my town, it was not required to attend K until 1970!!  I am one of the people that never attended Kindergarten.  But I remember learning to read in first grade with the Dick, Jane and Spot books.

A couple of my older siblings went to private K,  but my parents had to pay for them to attend.

It was an interesting memory for me about my very early school years.

School.......

Second week of school and so far it's going well.

Little guy starts next week, then we will really be busy.  He will have Boy Scouts one night and every Wednesday he has Awana at church.

Dishcloths

Here are some more dishcloths I've been working on. 

They are easy to work on.  I've been bringing yarn and hook to the little guys swim lessons and sometimes I can finish a whole dishcloth~!

More baby blankets from summer

These are all more baby blankets I made this summer.

Most of them,  except the big blue one,  are going to the NICU charity.

Getting caught up

These are some baby blankets I have made over the summer.

They are called Round Ripples and they are fun to make and they work up quickly.

These blankets are going to an NICU charity.

School.............

I am ready to start school on the 24th!! That is really soon.

I bought my books last week. I just need three books, but I was shocked at how expensive they are.

I am shocked about how expensive three credits of a college class is too.

My daughter has told me what to bring in my backpack so I am all set to go.

I'll update again after school starts.

The Slump...........

I've been in a huge slump this summer.

I'm not sure why either. Maybe it was my birthday this year?

I find myself reminiscing a lot lately. It sure doesn't help that there is a facebook page from the city I grew up in full of nostalgia. Memories of my teen years. And highschool.

My mom getting older and needing more help doesn't help either. Then the guilt if I can't help her right away.

The daughter living in a different state is pretty rotten too.

Starting school is scary again. I was pretty confident when I was talking about it but now it's really going to happen. What happens if I do poorly??

I'm taking my trip soon. Just for six days. I know I will enjoy myself. I always get a bit of anxiety about flying though.

Loss of friendships. I know it happens in life and it's certainly happened to me. Sometimes I just wonder why. Did I say or do something. Wracking my brain trying to figure it out sometimes drives me nuts. Trying to get in touch with people again and not succeeding. It's sad to me.

The upside of that is finding long lost friends again through facebook. People that new you back when. It's fun to catch up again.

I have a bunch of crochet work that I need to post. Every time I go to post it, I think, "why bother". I know other crocheters are interested in my crochet stuff, but most of the people I know don't crochet.

I am in a rut. Hopefully I'll get out of it soon.

Happy Birthday!!!

Today is my birthday. And my daughters birthday.

Happy birthday Daughter!!!

Something to think about

1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for. 2.. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way. 3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you. 4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you. 5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep. 6. You mean the world to someone. 7. You are special and unique. 8. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you. 9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it. 10. When you think the world has turned its back on you take another look. 11. Always remember the compliments you received.. Forget about the rude remarks. Good friends are like stars......... You don't always see them, But you know they are always there.. "Whenever God Closes One Door He Always Opens Another, Even Though Sometimes It's Hell in the Hallway" I would rather have one rose and a kind word from a friend while I'm here than a whole truck load when I'm gone. Happiness keeps You Sweet, Trials keep You Strong, Sorrows keep You Human, Failures keeps You Humble, Success keeps You Glowing, But Only God keeps You Going

June Blankets

More baby premmie NICU blanket that I have made with a variety of yarns. Most of the same stuff I've been using.

Pondering...........

One of my Facebook friends posted this on her wall and I copied it to my wall and received some interesting responses.

Something I've pondered over a lot. I wonder what makes some people so supported in everything they do or happens to them? A virtual endless outpouring for some folks. Where as there are some who are no less needing or wanting and yet no matter how much they reach out they are virtually alone. This doesn't relate to anything in particular, just a thought I've had over the years.

I've seen this happen in real life and I've seen it happen on message boards.

Here is one reply:
"Some people don't connect as well to others. Introverts no matter how nice may never have the QUANTITY of supporters, but they may have QUALITY support of a few. Maybe what looks one way to an outsider isn't true at all."

It makes sense to me. But I wonder why the same people receive the outpouring over and over??

And again, perspective is everything. We never know fully what is going on in someone else's life. Sometimes it's hard to not rush to judgement.



It's an interesting topic.

Summer solstice......

It's that time of year again. The Summer Solstice. Yay.

That means summers has officially begun.

Except that is cool and rainy here. Meh......

Leaving on a jet plane....

Sort of. But not until July.

We have a busy summer with some trips coming up.

The hubby has a business trip to St. Louis that he will be going on. We were invited along but I declined for the little guy and myself. Too much involved with all of us going away. Dogs to Kennel etc.

Then later in August the boy and hubby are going to Boy Scout camp. That should be fun for them. It happens just a couple days after I get home from my trip.

I've been going to see my cousin once a year. This is the same cousin that is my Aunts daughter. The Aunt I used to go see ever three months. Well, not just my aunt, but I really went to see my Grandma. But now I go see my cousin. We've always been close and we have fun. The little guy is old enough now to stay home with daddy without mommy, so I am going!! Hubby bought the ticket last night!

Then the little guy and hubby are going on a day fishing trip. Just a daddy and little boy thing, and I'm ok with that!!!

They will also go to hubby's brothers house for some fun. That's just a weekend thing and I will stay home with the dogs!!

So, in between our regular summer stuff, we have the trips. It's really not as busy of a summer as it sounds. My goal was to not be sitting around the house everyday and so far it's been good.

June 14

Not only is it Flag Day today but I have several friends who were born on this day.

So, happy Birthday friends!!

It's also my cousins anniversary. The only reason I remember is that I was taking care of my grandma so my aunt and other cousin could attend her wedding. My one cousin laughs at me because I remember these obscure dates in the family.

The same cousin needed to know when my grandma had started a medicine and I was able to tell her. So, a lot of times she calls me and asks me about family history. Most of the time I remember the date!!

Flag Day 2011

Today is Flag day, here is a link to more info on it. It's an interesting read.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_Day_%28United_States%29

College

I am officially a college student!!

I have a college ID card, and I have registered for my first class.

School starts in August. I am very excited.

Orientation was last night and I was able to register for my class.

I didn't realize how expensive college it, plus I will need to buy books for classes.

It feels funny to say I am a college student.

My little guy is done with school til fall.

There will be some sad changes at his school. One of the teachers left to be a stay at home mom. We all expected that but she will be very much missed in the fall.

The other teacher had been there for twenty-five years. She was also the principal. She will be greatly missed. The only thing I can say about her leaving is that it was handled poorly for the students and parents. It's a small private school and more like family and I know a lot of people are hurt by how it was all handled.

My husband is starting a different position at his job. No more rotating shifts, which will be nice in some ways. I think I will miss him having days off in the middle of the week!!

The hubby and boy went to an amusement park yesterday. Season tickets were purchased and I can't wait to go with them next time.
They played mini golf, rode bumper cars, rode roller coasters and many other rides. There is a water park there too, but they did not participate in that this visit.

That about sums up what I've been up to lately.