knitsmitten

Kid writing

2011-11-14T10:17:00.001-05:00

I learned all about kid writing when my daughter started kindergarten two years ago. For those unfamiliar, kid writing encourages children to spell the way they hear the words - all on their own. I love it, especially when I find all kinds of notes around the house. Here is an example:

Knitting for afghans 4 Afghans

2011-11-13T17:25:00.004-05:00

Look here for today's post at afghans 4 Afghans.

NaBloPoMo

2011-11-11T19:42:00.004-05:00

I was recently reminded by Katie at Maylee Beezir that it is NaBloPoMo, National Blog Posting Month. My blog has been very inactive lately, so here goes.

So far in November 2011, I have been plagued with illness. My first health concern was an earache that would not quit. After a week of pain in my right ear, I finally went to the doctor on Friday, October 28. MD flushed a bunch of wax from my ear and I left the office with a prescription for ear drops. I was on my way to wellness...so I thought. That afternoon, I developed a low-grade fever which took 4 hours to go down. Fevers in the 100-101 range persisted throughout the weekend and by Sunday, when my temp reached 102.6 accompanied with headache and vomiting, I reached for the phone. I spoke with the on-call physician and he recommended I go to the ER.

At the ER, I received 3 liters of fluid and anti-nausea medicines and then oral Tylenol. They made sure I could keep that down and I was discharged with RX for Amoxicillin and strict instructions to take Tylenol/Advil as needed for fevers and stay hydrated. My parents were willing to stay with us all that week, so I was able to rest. By Wednesday of that week, I developed I cough and returned to MD on Friday, November 4. I was diagnosed with bronchitis and sent on my way with an RX for Augmentin and a steroid. I went through the week, taking meds as directed.

Yesterday (Thursday, Nov 10) my chest was still feeling a bit tight so, I returned to the MD to have my lungs listened to again. MD ordered a chest x-ray STAT and turned out I have "some" pneumonia. Now I'm on yet a different antibiotic (Levaquin), another week of steroids and inhaler.

Geez, what a depressing post. Huh? November has not been all that bad, has it? It was nice to have my parents with us for the week. Our area had a fluke snowstorm on October 29. Due to the storm, my parents had no electricity. They were happy to be in a warm house with electricity. Brad and Dad enjoyed football together. Mom and I had talks, did some knitting together and teamed up on a crossword puzzle or too. Not to mention they always enjoy time with their grandchildren.

Now Mom is sick. I feel horribly guilty. Of course she says she would have been here even if she knew she was going to get sick. I understand that only because I'm a mother. Get well soon, Mom.

Some Stinky Knitting Ahead!

2011-08-19T08:20:00.003-05:00

Alright, so I get this really fun kids clothing catalog called Mini-boden and I like almost everything in it.

Also, everything in it is very expensive.

A few weeks ago I told the girls to look in the catalog for one thing they'd really like to have for the new school year.

I'm excited because T expressed interest in this coat.

Of course I had to ask if she'd like a scarf to go with it.

We looked at Morehouse site and she picked this one.

I think the coat/scarf will make a perfect combination!

Happy knitting,

Beth

21 July 1989

2011-07-21T12:26:00.003-05:00

69.9 miles Otter Creek, VA to Waynesboro, VA

Found out from Dad today that Keith Haring is "sick".

Had a bad breakfast at the restaurant at Otter Creek - the cornmeal pancakes tasted sour. We rode to a restaurant 30 miles away and had lunch. Phil need a bike shop, so he went to Rockfish Gap Outfitters in Waynesboro while I stayed at the top of the hill. Joined Phil when he found out there was no laundry at top. Had good Ciro's Sicilian pizza and stayed at fire hall (free shower and ice!!) Talked to fireman, Tom Bellamy, and went to sleep.

20 July 1989

2011-07-20T22:53:00.002-05:00

41.9 miles Camp Bethel, VA to Otter Creek, VA

$2 b-fast

3 lunch

11 dinner

Up at 6:30; flat ride to Buchanan. Checked our mail, not too much there.

Had a good breakfast at R&G's in Buchanan, recommended by the sweet lady we met at the P.O.

We decided to go up on the Parkway and I'm so glad we did. So far the climbs have been gradual. We hiked to Sharp Top from Peaks of Otter - 3 mile round trip.

Started biking again at 4:15. We had about a 10 mile climb and a 12 mile downhill (11 miles in 26 minutes)! Neat locks at Otter Creek Visitor Center. Good cheese burger at restaurant, now camped at Otter Creek for $7.

19 July 1989

2011-07-19T10:09:00.003-05:00

77.1 miles Dublin, VA to Camp Bethel, VA

$4 lunch

Up at 6:00

It was a surprisingly quiet night at the motel. I had a lousy sleep.

Breakfast of Lisa's delicious granola. Good dinner at Greenwood Restaurant on Rt 11. Camping at a church camp. Phil had a flat tire in Radford.

18 July 1989

2011-07-18T09:51:00.000-05:00

100 miles Cedar Bluff, VA to Dublin, VA

1.50 Gatorade

4.00 PO

29.00 Motel

A long ride to Dublin much of it (5o miles) on Rt 61 in a valley - beautiful ride from Taswell to Narrows. We had a big discussion in Narrows about whether to continue riding or stay in Narrows. It was 21 more miles to Dublin, so we went for it. I was a lot more tired than Phil, but I'm glad we did it.

17 July 1989

2011-07-17T09:42:00.002-05:00

Day Off

The photo is of me wearing Joanie's cover-up. I took the opportunity to wash all my clothes!

Took the day off from riding. Stayed at Strohm's. Nice relaxing day. We did take time to do laundry, wash our sleeping bags and sew "sheet liners" for our sleeping bags. (our bags alone were getting too hot to sleep in comfortably). Fixed Larry's panniers with the sewing machine as well. Wrote some postcards, went to the P.O., library and mall.

Talked to Jenny.

16 July 1989

2011-07-16T08:07:00.004-05:00

48.5 miles Breaks, VA to Cedar Bluff, VA (Strohm's)

8.50 groceries

Went to the Park Restaurant with Mom for coffee and tea for everyone. Had a delightful breakfast of AP cake and banana bread. Strohm's left for church; Mom and Dad stayed with us until about 11 am. Mom's camera is missing. Phil tryed to talk to the state police to see what happened with the incident. Phil and I had an ok ride. We had some hills, "mere pimples on the face of the earth". There was a lot of traffic on 81 and 19 the last 13 miles to Strohm's. Very, scary, fast, close cars! and a lot of them!

Glad to arrive at Strohm's. Visited, showered, ate good pork chops , potatoes and fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. Ice cream and homemade peanut butter cookies for dessert. Visited briefly and went to bed by 9. Slept great!

15 July 1989

2011-07-15T07:00:00.002-05:00

64 miles Pippa Passes, KY to Breaks, VA

Up at 6:30, coffee and very sugary dunkin' sticks with Charlotte.

On the road by 7:30. We had a much less hilly ride than expected: two climbs in the morning, but gradual, not too steep and a fairly level stretch to Elkhorn City. Stopped in Elkhorn City at "Dairy Cheer - Home of the Smashburger" for an ice cream cone then started towards Breaks.

I had a flat tire West of Dorton.

ENTERED VIRGINIA!

Phil got slapped on the back by some jerk in a pick up. It happened while we were climbing a grade. It scared the crap out of Phil and really pissed us off. Imagine riding along trying to make your way up a hill and some car pulls up right beside you and the guy leans out and slaps you on the back! We got the license plate number from a couple who saw the incident. Phil talked to the state police and the said they will look for the guy.

Met Mom and Dad and the Strohms at Breaks. Ok meal in restaurant at the park.

14 July 1989

2011-07-14T17:52:00.004-05:00

46.2 Miles Buckhorn, KY to Pippa Passes, KY

$2 Post Office

1.50 snacks

7.00 dinner

Up at 6:30 after a lousy sleep. Some kids kept walking by talking, yelling and playing loud music. Had a tough hill just outside Buckhorn, then level to Route 80. We had a slow ride along 80, hilly and we were exhausted due to lack of sleep. Took a nap in Hindman. We called Stroms and Mom and Dad were there!! They (Dad) put a message on their answering machine.

Now at Pippa Passes Hostel to get a good night's sleep. This room is great: a bed by a window, a view of a lot of trees and kittens outside.

6 June 1989

2011-06-06T17:35:00.000-05:00

44.6 miles Ridgeway to Black Canyon

$6 camping

$1 drinks

$2 toe clip

$2 laundry

Up at 6 and on the road by 7:45 am.

Nice downhill ride into Montrose. At Montrose visitor center, we decided to visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument. This involved a 2,000' climb over an 8 mile stretch. It was tough going, but our views of the canyon this evening made it worth it. Looked threatening, like it might rain on us, but we have had no rain since day one.

5 June 1989

2011-06-05T14:57:00.004-05:00

43.5 miles - Telluride to Ridgeway

$26.50 Bike

$2 PO

$10 groceries

$8.50 camp

Bought a new derailler in Telluride. It has a different mounting clamp. I think it will work fine; seems to be working better so far. Looked at all our mail and left town about 1pm. Arrived at campground at about 6:15 pm. Dallas Divide was beautiful. We had a 12 mile uphill stretch out of Placerville. Ridgeway is lovely too. A really nice man owns this campground. Ate pasta and tomato sauce.

4 June 1989

2011-06-04T14:41:00.008-05:00

20 miles - East of Rico to Telluride

$4.00 postcards

$2.00 card for David

Up at 7 am. Had scrambled eggs and pancakes for breakfast after moving into the warm sun. Lizard Head Pass was quite easy compared to those in Arizona. My front derailler fell off; the clamp snapped. We'll look for another tomorrow.

Met Jenny and Tracey on the street and they are putting us up for the night. Dinner of rice, veggies and pint of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia. Talked to Jen. Tried to talk to David, but no answer. We may take a route other than bikecenntenial through Aspen, CO.

3 June 1989

2011-06-03T14:49:00.007-05:00

60.2 miles - Cortez to Campground East of Rico

$2 CampSuds

$3.50 fig newtons and drinks

It's only 7:30 pm, but I'm in my sleeping bag and I feel exhausted. It was a tough ride for me today. We rode 60.2 miles to a campground E. of Rico, CO. The stream, Delores River, sounds lovely. It will get cold tonight. My bowels are acting weird...(do I really want to post about my digestive system on my blog)

Tomorrow we ride 20 miles into Telluride over Lizard Head Pass. Today took us through some lovely country - hard to believe we're just 65 miles away from desert. Got a photo of Rico P.O. I did a lot of thinking today about what I'm going to do. Monday I'll call the guy in Pittsburgh and decline the job inquiry. Tomorrow I talk to Jen and David. I hope I can reach both of them. I'm going to try and relax and enjoy the trip. I don't need to be thinking all the time about what I'm going to do later. I need to enjoy this trip for what it is - great! After this trip will be an excellent time to start training for a triathlon. I'll be in good shape to train. I'll write Brad now; that's what I'll do!

2 June 1989

2011-06-02T15:04:00.002-05:00

No bike riding - day at Mesa Verde

$2 milk and ice cream

$4 gas

$10 groceries

$3 stamps

$1 card

Mailed about 100 postcards thus far. Neil let us use his Jeep to get our rental car. Arrived at Mesa Verde entrance at 9 am. Went straight to Balcony House - 1 32' ladder, 2 - 10' ladders and a a small tunnel in order to see the impressive ruin. Linda, the Ranger from Berkley, did not stress the defensive use of the site.

Tomorrow we ride again and I feel anxious to do that. Phil and I had an ok time at Mesa Verde, but I had a better time the first time I saw the place. Phil and Neil are now returning the rental car. Maybe they went out for a beer. No, just a delay at the shop. Neil took us out for a great Italian dinner at Nero's - spinach linguini w/ tomato sauce, sauteed veggies and mozzarella cheese. Great food!

Called Eric and Lisa. Eric will start a second job at Harpoon Louie's; he works hard. I couldn't handle all the responsibilities right now. Oh, what to do? I hear of the weather back East and I think I could not live there. I may not even talk to the guy in Pittsburgh.

1 June 1989

2011-06-01T15:15:00.004-05:00

No bike riding - day in Mesa Verde area

$3 Walmart

$18 camping

$2 laundry

Up at 6:30 am. Nice chat with people from New Zealand. Coffee from Neil. Eggs and bread for breakfast. I'm doing laundry. Phil's checking on the rental car so we can see Mesa Verde without biking up the mesa!

Neil McCullum - tour of crow and sand canyons.

Ray Williamson - archeoastronomy

15 May 1989

2011-05-15T12:03:00.006-05:00

53.5 miles Carlsbad, CA to Lake Henshaw Resort, CA

Day 1 was rainy and quite cool. We had a dunking of my bike ceremony (rear tire in the Pacific riding to the Atlantic to dunk the front tire) at the beach in Oceanside. We actually started riding from Uncle Joe's house in Carlsbad. Phil got a flat tire 3 miles outside Oceanside. Traffic was heavy early today, but got better further inland. People have been friendly. Ate so I would not bonk today - ate figlets, crackers, banana, cheese and tortilla and fig newtons. Tortilla, beans, and cheese for dinner. it's cold but not raining since we stopped riding.

I'm tired and my legs hurt. In general so far, so good. Beer for Phil, decaf for my at Henshaw Restaurant. Loud music from our neighbors work us; Phil yelled.

14 May 1989

2011-05-14T11:21:00.003-05:00

Happy Mother's Day!

A.M. Rain, Uncle Joe had planned to take us on his sail boat, but that isn't going to happen today due to the rain. He gave us a whirlwind tour of San Diego. It is a beautiful city, a place I'd like to return to someday. Last minute bike shop stop, mostly for Phil to get spokes and stuff. Good dinner at Soup Plantation: huge salad, soup, bread and fruit bar.

Packed our bikes and had an early night.

13 May 1989

2011-05-13T11:42:00.003-05:00

Lousy sleep on train. Arrived in LA about 8 am and departed for Oceanside at 10:30 am. Uncle Joe and my bike were both there, so I'm 50 cents richer. (oh, Phil, ye of little faith)

There were a few minor scratches on my bike the Avocet isn't working. I hope to get that fixed at a shop today. Overcast Day, long nap, bike assembly and dinner at Neiman's (good Mahi-Mahi and Snicker's pie) with Joe, Brett, Alana. Met Jan when returned.

12 May 1989

2011-05-12T15:24:00.006-05:00

Boxed my bike today.

Diagram for front low rider.

Amy, Doug, Jim and Jane's bunch and Phil and I visited Wupatki and Sunset Crater.

It was cool and drizzling w/ some showers.

(started synthroid)

Dinner at Ramona's, beer at Charley's with Jimmy and the Wazoo Peach Pitters.

Jenny, Crystal, Chris, Cindy, David, Phil, Kirsten, Paula, Leona and David all were there to wave good bye at the Amtrak station. Departed for LA at 10:20 pm.

To California!

11 May 1989

2011-05-11T15:21:00.007-05:00

Phil arrived at midnight in Phoenix, AZ.

David and I picked him up after a visit in Sedona with Amy, Doug, Jim, Jane, Sam and David. It was cold and damp in Flagstaff today. Phil and I went for a jog in the snow at Buffalo Park! What a way to start the trip!

Leona, Jenny, Phil, David and I went out to Kachina for Dinner and margaritas. Had an early night to make up for little sleep.

Bathroom remodel: Days 19-23

2010-09-24T22:05:00.005-05:00

Monday - (9/20) - Contractor patched drywall and installed hardware on drawers and cabinets.

Tuesday - (9/21) Dehumidifier taken away, drywall patched

Wednesday (9/22) - Peace at last, no leaks. Now for wall color decision. I painted two more color samples. Do we want to go with a warm buttery yellow or a cool blue? (the yellow won)

Friday - (9/24) - While on the golf course, playing in my first ever golf tournament, the plumbers called. I was too afraid to answer. When I got home, I came home to... glass shower walls installed. Hooray! Now we're looking good.

Bathroom blahs: Day 2

2010-09-20T21:54:00.003-05:00

Blahs Day 2: Today the plumber showed up early. I truly think he was just as upset as I was about the leak. He promptly assessed the situation and replaced a part (the vertical piece that's in the tank). He said the plastic threads must have cracked and he replaced with a new part that has brass fittings. T from the office brought over a huge dehumidifier by 9:30 am. They assured us that no damage was done to the subfloor, newly installed tile or newly installed heated pad.

We'll see.

Bathroom blahs: Day 1

2010-09-19T23:10:00.002-05:00

This evening we discovered a leaky toilet. Yup, the same toilet that was just installed last week. It leaked over our newly installed tile floor, new sub floor and into our basement crawl space. I'm so upset; I feel like I never want to see these workers back in my house again.

Grounds For Sculpture

2010-09-18T22:17:00.008-05:00

Brad, the girls and I visited Grounds for Sculpture today in Hamilton, NJ. We had never been there before, but were prompted to visit because of the exhibit featuring Keith Haring's work - Keith Haring: A New Dimension. Today, being a gorgeous fall day and the last day of Keith's exhibit, seemed like the perfect day to venture out. We weren't sure how the girls would like it, but they ended up loving the place. It was way better than we had imagined and we all look forward to returning to take in more of the grounds.

Photo of Keith at work (on display at GFS).

Dog, 1986

cut-out plywood with laquer and silkscreen

50" x 38" x 2"

Some of the more interactive sculptures.

Bathroom remodel: Days 14 -18

2010-09-17T22:24:00.003-05:00

Days 14 - 18:

Monday (9/13) - measured for glass at shower. I bought mirror and light fixture.

Tuesday (9/14) - installed cabinets.

Wednesday (9/15) - installed toilet and shower/sink fixtures.

Friday (9/17) - finished electrical work for light fixture, heated floor thermostat and GFI outlet.

Bathroom remodel: Day 13

2010-09-09T22:21:00.003-05:00

Day 13: Tile complete

Monday the contractor, plumber and glass guy are scheduled to be here.

Bathroom remodel: Day 12

2010-09-08T21:17:00.000-05:00

Day 12: Tile in, spaced and ready for grout.

Bathroom remodel: Day 11

2010-09-07T22:29:00.004-05:00

Day 11: shower seat installed

The seat is a nice beige/gray color. Not pink, as it appears in this photo.

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-06T20:56:00.005-05:00

We had a nice weekend. No further work was done on the bathroom.

Saturday night we camped out in Mom and Dad's backyard. It was great fun: sat by the campfire, roasted hotdogs and marshmallows and made s'mores. Sunday we celebrated Charley's 76th birthday. Today, IKEA in the morning then Brad went to the Phillies game and the girls and I ate corn pie at Mom's. It was magnificent corn pie!

Bathroom remodel: Days 6 - 10

2010-09-03T20:11:00.007-05:00

Days 6 - 10: walls primed and ceiling painted, NuHeat electric floor mat installed (Yes, you read that correctly. We're going to have a heated floor!), floor tile laid. Tile NOT yet grouted.

The tile guy is slooow, but he's supposed to be good.

Tree trimming

2010-08-27T22:42:00.004-05:00

I decided that having a bathroom remodeled and getting ready for my oldest's 7th birthday party was not enough, so we decided to have a couple trees trimmed. The majority of the work was done on our ash tree out front. Looks nice huh? Next time, I will take the photos from the same place.

Before:

After:

Bathroom remodel: Day 5

2010-08-27T20:06:00.002-05:00

Day 5: Contractor sanded in early a.m. as requested so we could celebrate Taite's birthday!

He showed up with a plant for her; what a good guy!

Bathroom remodel: Day 4

2010-08-26T19:54:00.001-05:00

Day 4: contractor spackled; painter visited for estimate

Bathroom remodel: Day 3

2010-08-25T19:46:00.008-05:00

Day 3: new dry wall and pipes and marker fun!

Bathroom Remodel: Day 2

2010-08-24T20:41:00.001-05:00

Day 2: new subfloor and half wall for shower

Bathroom Remodel: Day 1

2010-08-23T20:18:00.004-05:00

Day 1: gutted bathroom

See water-damaged subfloor by old toilet and shower.

Look, under the window we don't need a radiator anymore. Ceiling ducts were installed as part of our new geothermal system.

Bathroom Remodel

2010-08-22T21:41:00.002-05:00

Back in March 2010, the guys installing our geothermal system discovered some leaky pipes in the basement crawl space. Turned out to be from the toilet in our full bathroom on the first floor. It had been leaking for some time. We needed to remediate mold and replace some major components: subfloor, floor covering, toilet and shower. We decided it's time to remodel. This will eventually be the master bathroom.

Bathroom remodel - before photos

Phillies Game

2010-08-22T20:44:00.004-05:00

Today we took the girls to their first major league baseball game: Phillies vs. Nationals. There was a rain delay that lasted 1 1/2 hours. We stayed for the whole game and had a great time. Here's my favorite photo from the day.

Day -20: Pair O' Socks Project

2010-08-20T23:30:00.003-05:00

Hooray! The socks are complete and in the mail to afghans for Afghans. I'm hoping they will warm someone's feet and soul all winter long.

Day -3: Pair O' Socks Project

2010-08-03T10:02:00.004-05:00

Yikes! It's August and I did not complete the socks I wanted to finish by the end of July. Here's progress on what I'm calling Day Negative Three. As of now, A4A is still accepting socks, so I will keep on knitting.

Day 13: Pair O' Socks Project

2010-07-19T20:19:00.012-05:00

Because I'd like to quickly finish knitting these socks, this has become a goal-oriented project. Hey, if Chuck can bike Every Day In May. I can finish knitting these socks by the end of July. Right? We'll see.

I was originally knitting these socks for myself, but now I want to donate them to afghans for Afghans. We'll see.

Beth, stop blogging; it's time knit.

Socks needed

2010-06-27T05:38:00.002-05:00

A few years ago I knit a sweater for Afgans for Afghans. It was a wonderful experience. A4A current campaign is socks. If you're a sock knitter, please consider knitting along for a great cause. It'll feel good.

Hilling Potatoes

2010-05-23T20:08:00.007-05:00

Early this afternoon I worked in our garden planting a third crop of lettuce, more carrots, bush beans and zinnias. It was raining lightly; a perfect day for working in the garden.

Last week Taite and I went to open house at Sugartown Garden. We had a lovely visit and we learned that they were looking for help during open work hours Sundays 2-4. Taite was very excited about this opportunity and talked about her "work" all week. Unfortunately she spiked a fever yesterday and has not yet recovered so she could not join me to Sugartown today.

Anna and I headed over there at about 2:30. It was hard to leave unfinished work at home to go work on some else's garden, but it felt right. The people who I met there last weekend were so kind and seemed so excited about sharing. When we arrived just one other mom and child were their to help the two organizers. Anna and I were put to the task of hilling potatoes. I had never hilled potatoes before and was happy to learn all about it. Apparently if sunlight finds the potatoes underground then they turn green and inedible. As the plants grow you mound dirt at the base of the plants so as not to let in the sunlight.

While we hilled potatoes, the other family left leaving just the four of us. A bit later we were joined by friends. Anna and Z played in the sandbox and M and I moved on to thinning chard. We came home with plenty of freshly pick swiss chard to stir-fry at dinner and some chard plants to add to our garden patch at home.

I'm so glad we took the time to go over to work. I learned a lot and the camaraderie was wonderful.

Looking For Some Tax Relief

2010-04-15T09:11:00.003-05:00

If you get out today and want some free stuff on tax day, here's what I found in the area:

My own backyard - take in the view of a beautiful tree in full bloom

Starbucks - make a difference; bring in a reusable mug and they'll fill it with free brewed coffee.

Acme Markets - give your grocery budget a boost; purchase a $300 gift card and they will add $30 to it!

Chik-fil-A at Lionville, PA - come in and enjoy a free chicken sandwich

Word of the Day

2010-04-12T19:00:00.003-05:00

I've recently decided to try to increase my vocabulary by reading the 'word of the day' on Webster's online dictionary. Today I just learned my new favorite word:

frog-march

\FROG-march\ verb

: to seize from behind roughly and forcefully propel forward

Darn It!

2010-03-29T14:05:00.009-05:00

See this size 5 needle tip?

It snapped right in the middle of my dishcloth project and I'm not happy. I'm not blaming KnitPicks for defective workmanship. I set my knitting down for a minute and did not clean up after myself; I think one of my kids sat on it.
Why now?! I'm trying to finish this dishcloth by Wednesday to give as a gift.

Updated post - Solution: I only had about 12 rows left to complete the dishcloth so I used a size 4 on the left and a 5 on the right. At the end of each row, I unscrewed the needle tips and switched their position. Clever. huh?

You Don't Say

2010-03-12T22:01:00.005-05:00

Steve on geothermal heating - "Your back-up system is like a toaster on steroids."

Librarian on what I ought to do - "You should write a book on parenting."

T. on sadness - "I took my sadness and flung it to Antarctica and Jack the penguin ate it."

Passerby on T.'s cough - "Your kid has croup." (Thank you very much, Dr. Moron)

Feed The Birds

2010-02-14T21:18:00.013-05:00

We've been having fun with the 55 - 200mm zoom lens I got for Christmas. With several bird feeders hanging off our back deck, we have many opportunities for bird watching. Quick, snap the shutter before they flutter!

House Finch -Carpodacus mexicanus

American Goldfinch - Carduelis tristis

Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens

UFOs

2010-01-12T02:03:00.012-05:00

You know those UFOs floating around out there? Some are still on needles, some may just need buttons and there's always that scarf that needs to be blocked. Recently, I've found my UFOs were haunting me and I've made a concerted effort to finish them. Take a look at some of the items which I can proudly say are now complete.

Amy's Socks

Timothy's Sweater

Anna's Socks

December Happenings

2009-12-18T11:30:00.003-05:00

We've been keeping ourselves busy in December. The first Friday of the month we traveled to Philadelphia to see a wonderful presentation of 'Peter Pan' at the Arden Theatre. The girls were a little scared at times, but now seem to have fond memories of the performance. Later this month, T will go to a workshop at the Arden, taught be the young actor who played Peter Pan.

Two weeks after seeing 'Peter Pan' on stage, we were fortunate enough to get tickets to see 'The Nutcracker' at The Acadamy of Music in Philadelphia. Thanks to my parents. The show was wonderful and held the interest of both girls. They are familiar with the story and the music from the ballet.

As Christmas draws near, I busy with shopping, decorating, sending out Christmas cards and planning for an extended family dinner. I'm happy with the progress I've made on the socks I'm knitting as a gift. I won't show them to you yet because it's a secret. Shhh.

Fall Already!

2009-11-22T23:24:00.004-05:00

I'm trying to give myself a bit of a kick start here for some more regular posts by writing a brief summary of the past three months:

August 2009 marked the sixth birthday of my oldest daughter and her first day of kindergarten. She did fine; I was in tears.

In September, my younger daughter turned four. Both August and September were filled with parties with friends and families. I attended Knitter's Day Out, taking a course on working on gauge and blocking. I learned a lot and became a believer in doing a gauge swatch. I bought a fun kit for a "Something Sheepy" hat, some sock yarn and a bag of felted balls. I'm hoping that my daughters will enjoy stringing the colorful felted balls to make necklaces. Since KDO, I've finished the sweater and socks in my July 31 post and I'm 90% finished with my "Something Sheepy" hat.

We had a great time in Hillsgrove in early October. My Dad owns a hunting cabin there with a bunch of other guys - nothing fancy. We spent the days walking to the general store, going on short hikes and playing games. It was a wonderful way to welcome fall. Also, in early October, T learned to ride her two-wheeler bike!

Knitting

2009-07-31T20:10:00.008-05:00

According to my blog, my last knitting project was a pair of mittens for Sam. I'd like to be able to recall everything I've knit since.

I'm drawing a blank, but I do have a couple projects on needles:

Rainbow socks for Anna in Opal, lollipop and a boatneck sweater my friend's new baby boy in Mission Falls 1824 cotton.

Memory jog. I also knit a nice green scarf for Brad. That just needs blocking; plenty of time to finish that before the snow flies. I could probably completely finish socks, sweater and scarf in a matter of hours. Don't you think?

Golf

2009-06-21T22:56:00.011-05:00

In May I went golfing on a real golf course for the first time. My husband, Brad, has been golfing for over 35 years. He used to hit golf balls with a few hand-me-down in the fields behind the house where he grew up. He was on the golf team in high school. He has three brothers who also golf, so golfing has always been his territory and something he has enjoyed with his siblings.

We had discussed the idea of me trying out the sport in the past and I always scrunched up my nose at the idea. To be honest with you, I never really thought of it as much of a sport and I've always been turned off by the costs associated with it. "I'll stick to my knitting", I'd say. And his reply was "that's probably best since you probably would not take it very seriously and I'd want to help you get better".

In March, we went to Play-A-Round Golf in celebration of Brad's birthday. We went with a group of people and had a lot of fun. My sister-in-law had recently purchased clubs and she was starting to join her husband on the course. When they invited us to play at a real course that day in May; I went thinking it would be fun. It was. Here's an outline of my golfing experiences so far, only time will tell where it leads me.

1. At Play-A-Round Golf the most memorable line of the evening was "Whacky, whacky"! One of the women there came up with that line when she'd smack a long drive.

2. At Arrowhead (April 25) , my first outing, we golfed 9 holes late in the day. I had some nice straight shots and had way more fun than I thought I would. Brad shot better than normal because according to him, "he was thinking less about his shots and more about mine". My sister-in-law was surprised I did not bring my knitting.

3. At Blackwood (May 15) we golfed 9 holes and I got to experience a fun, memorable hole. It's so hard to describe the challange of this hole and the feeling when you're teeing off this hole. You're on one side of a small ravine and you have to hit over the creek to the green.

4. While at Bethany Beach (June 16), Brad and I played nine holes late on a windy day. It was a nice course, bathrooms at the fourth hole and nice greens and carpet-like fairways. There were also yardage marker stones along the fairway. He was so close to an eagle on one shot, it was fun to watch. He also shot back-to-back birdies. I regained some confidence, hitting better than my game at Blackwood.

5. Today I bought my own clubs on e-bay.

Happy 20th Anniversary!

2009-05-18T21:00:00.000-05:00

As soon as I opened the mailbox on May 15 and held the package from my brother, the date sounded familiar. May 15. May 15. Then it came to me from the dark corner of my brain. My brother had remembered the anniversary of our bicycle trip across the USA.

So many years prior I had sent him cards celebrating the event. This year, he had remembered and sent not only a card, but also a cd with jpegs he had scanned of his slide collection from the trip.

It has been wonderful looking through those photos and remembering those days we shared. Thank you, brother.

All In A Day

2009-05-17T20:56:00.003-05:00

Finally, here is another post.

Often after the sun sets, I reflect on the day and ask myself, "what the heck did I do today?", feeling as if nothing got done.

So here is today.

7:15 woke

7:45 fixed breakfast for the girls

7:50 packed banana bread for coffee hour after church

8:00 showered. Yep, I actually got a shower today!

8:30 kissed hubby good-bye (he very rarely works weekends, but this was one of those days)

8:45 packed the girls in the car and drove to church

10:10 intergenerational choir practice

11:30 lunch

12:00 cleaned up the kitchen (yep, sometimes I leave all the dirty dishes until later)

12:10 helped child #1 in the bathroom

12:20 resumed kitchen clean-p

12:30 helped child #2 in the bathroom

12:40 went for a walk with the girls who were very eager to push their "babies" in strollers

1:00 asked one of our teenager neighborhood sitters if she'd come by 4-5 pm so I could run

1:15 returned home

1:50 went to YMCA for open swim

2:15 entered the pool

3:05 left the pool and helped the girls with their showers at the YMCA

3:45 drove home

3:50 got a craft and games out for the sitter

4:00 ran

5:00 returned

5:10 computer time suck while the girls played

5:40 fix dinner

6:00 my parents drop by

6:30 dinner

7:15 help with toothbrushing, baths, PJ's and hair brushing

7:20 watch some TV with the girls

7:30 neighbor stops by to pick up George, the fish we've been pet sitting

8:00 read books with the girls and lights out

8:30 down stairs and more killing time on the computer time

10:24 post this

See, I did something after all! All in a day.

Mittens for Sam

2009-02-09T22:05:00.001-05:00

I finished a quick pair of mittens for Sam. I'm wondering if he will actually wear them. What I'm envisioning is a reaction similar to the one from A Christmas Story when the kid got a pink bunny outfit from his grandmother.

I had fun knitting them for him.

Who Needs A Sled?

2009-02-01T21:00:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we had a great time playing on the little hill next to our house. The snow had a thin layer of ice on it so the kids were able to do some "butt sledding" and belly flopping.

When the girls get older they will realize how small the hill is, and be bored with it. But now it's the perfect sledding hill

Playground Mittens

2009-01-27T20:47:00.000-05:00

I've knit two pair of Playground Mittens, one for each of the girls. The Noro Kureyon was a gem to knit with and the mittens are beautiful. The girls are not too much into wearing them, oh well. Maybe next year.

I finally convinced T. to put on the playground mittens and swish her hands in warm water to shrink them a bit. I've got to get her to do it again because they still are not small enough. Or since spring is less than 6 weeks away, maybe I will set these mittens aside for next winter. Who knows how much their hands will grow by then!

Pattern: Crossroad Knits - Playground Mittens

Yarn: Noro Kureyon

Needles: US4 dpn

Happy Birthday, Brad!

2009-01-23T23:04:00.010-05:00

Last week we celebrated Brad's birthday. The girls had a great time making and decorating the cake. Any excuse to bring out the sprinkles and they're in!

My idea to rent him a clarinet has proven to be a huge hit. Most every day he gets it out and practices a bit. Of course he is not pleased with the sound, but I'm impressed and think he sounds great! I had hoped to have his old clarinet restored, but it was beyond repair. Rental costs for the student clarinet can be applied to purchase of a new one. I hope he decides to buy one and continue practicing.

My 2008 Rockin' ABCs

2009-01-10T07:59:00.004-05:00

I thought it would be fun to celecrate events, accomplishments and new products that came into my life for 2008 in the form of an alphabet. Here goes.

'A' Amy's 50th!

'B' Big Apple Circus

'C' "Colonel Hathi's March (The Elephant Song)" The Jungle Book

'D' Diapers No More!

'E' Emma Haring

'F' Flat Stanley

'G' Gilmore's

'H' Harmony Needles

'I' IPhone

'J' Jingle Bell 5K

'K' Knit 2 sweaters, 2 hats, 4 Christmas tree ornaments, 2 dishcloths, a market bag, a pair of socks, a triangular scarf, a putter cover

'L' Lemonade Stand

'M' MacBook, Mad Men

'N' Noro

'O' Obama

'P' Pumpkin Plant

'Q' Queen as in "Dancing Queen"

'R' RE instructor

'S' Sibling GAP Bike Ride

'T' Trailside Cottage

'U' bcmes a cmmn acronym 4 me as I m intrdced 2 txt mssgng

'V' Victory Brewery Gift Card

'W' Winter Olympic Scarf Project

'X' Xylophone

'Y' Y's Owls

'Z' Zingo

Let The Games Begin

2009-01-07T10:54:00.006-05:00

My first finished object for 2009 was mailed today to the Special Olympics Winter Games Scarf Project. I had to use the required Red Heart yarn which was oh, not so lovely to work with. Mine is worked up in a single crochet, lengthwise. For some reason, crochet seemed a fitting technique (I had not crocheted an item in decades.) It's funny because many of my knitting buds thought the same and crocheted too!

Soon the scarf will be in the hands of a worthy group and my hope is that it will embrace a very Special Olympian.

100 Things About Me

2008-12-28T15:15:00.006-05:00

I finally finished 100 Things About Me.

3. I have 1 sister and 2 brothers.
4. The house I grew up in had 12' ceilings, huge pocket doors, a cubby space (our clubhouse) under the front stairs, accessible only through the walk-in closet and a small winding back staircase.

5. I lived there for 18 plus years. The house next door to us on the north side was about 2' away. We would crawl out our attic window and into the neighbors' window to visit.

6. I remember the milkman delivering milk in glass bottles in the box on the back porch.

7. I played high school varsity field hockey.

8. I played high school varsity lacrosse.

9. I never had a cast on any part of my body.

10. After high school I starting running to stay in shape.

11. I like to run; it puts me in a meditative state.

12. I like to run alone.
13. I like sneakers; I really like sneakers. It would be so easy for me to go overboard and buy a new pair every month.
14. My longest run ever was the St. George Marathon in 1991.
15. My most challanging run ever was the Imogene Pass Run 1992.
16. I have not been running much lately.

17. Now I dash - after our two beautiful little ones!
18. I met my husband in 1977.
19. We married in 2001.
20. In March 1987 I had an in-office biopsy to remove a grape-sized tumor from my neck.
21. In March 1987 I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease.
22. In April 1987 I had a staging laperatomy to remove my spleen and move my ovaries, moving the ovaries would keep them from getting "zapped" if I were to get radiation treatments.
23. In Summer 1987 I had radiaiton treatment.
24. I've been cancer free for 20 years.

25. I guess I like a challenge.

26 . My brother and I rode our bikes across the US in 1989.

27. I've climbed Mt. Rainer in Washington.

28. I've hiked The West Highland Way in Scotland.

29. I like to wash dishes because I find it very calming.

30. A window over a kitchen sink is a must for me.

31. I don't like to unload the dishwasher.
32. I hate to iron.
33. Green is my favorite color.
34. I hate teal.
35. I like math and numbers.
36. I think palindroms are cool.
37. The like two kinds of cake: carrot cake and (now) Jan's cake.
38. I like pie, almost any kind of pie.
39. I do not like to talk at movies.
40. I like to stay through and watch all the credits.
41. I never was able to get popcorn or other snacks at a movie as a kid.
42. I like to hike and camp.
43. My feet hardly ever get cold.
44. I like to knit.
45. I blush easily.
46. I am a Unitarian Universalist.
47. I have an undergraduate degree in Geography from Northern Arizona University.

48. I've worked as a cartographer in a County Assessor's Office.

49. I've worked for the USGS as a cartographer mapping Mars.

50. I've worked as a programmer.
51. I've worked in a day care center.
52. I've worked as a janitor at a ski area.
53. I've worked for the National Forest Service in cleaning bathrooms in campgrounds.

54. I've worked for the National Forest Service as a fee collector in campgrounds.

55. I've worked as a forest fighter in Idaho and Montana.
56. I've worked at McDonald's - for about 12 hours over a 4 day period.

57. I've worked as a secretary in Alaska.

58. I like the toilet paper pulled over the top of the roll.

59. I like to play with Playmobil.

60. I like to play board games.

61. Cribbage is my favorite two-person game.

62. I like to play cards.

63. My favorite game these days is Mr. Thurston's Mother's Game, a variation of Oh, Hell.

64. My favorite solitaire game is Accordian.

65. I like to work in my garden.

66. I always notice when someone misuses the words "fewer" and "less"; it makes me cringe.

67. I like to make snow angels.

68. I like to listen to the birds sing.

69. I like to type.

70. Thanks to my sister, I'm a touch typist. In my high school college-pre students were not required to take a typing class. My sister was in college at the time and told me to take typing!

71. I don't have any cavities.

72. Cheetos Snacks Crunchy are my favorite junk food.

73. Lucky Charms are my favorite junk cereal.

74. Ginger Ale is my favorite soda.

75. Someday I want to knit a blanket like this.

76. I like to ice skate.

77. I like to be outdoors.

78. I'm not much of a reader.

79. Someday I'd like to own a yurt.

80. I want an iPhone for Christmas 2008 (got it)!

81. I like eggplant.

82. Geometry has always been my favorite subject.

83. I'm not a good swimmer, I sink.

84. I recently got a Nikon D50 and want to take a digital photography class.

85. Groundhog Day is my favorite holiday (harmless hype), fun movie too.

86. I like to do jigsaw puzzles.

87. The first car I owned was a Pea Green Ford Maverick with 3 on the column.

88. Then, Phyllis, the yellow Fiat.

89. On to, a Subaru DL 4WD wagon.

90. Then, a Isuzu Trooper for a brief time.

91. Then to a 1990 Toyota Camry, what a great car!

92. In 1997 I bought my first brand new car, a Volkswagen Passat Sedan.

93. I learned how much trouble a brand new car could be.

94. In 2005, went back to the realiable Toyota. With our second child on the way we traded in the Passat for a Sienna LE.

95. I usually buy white cars. I like white cars.

96. I like snow.

97. In November 2008 I started taking Body Pump classes at the YMCA. The weight-bearing exercise is good for my bones. I feel stronger. Also, I'm enjoying the camaraderie; it's a fun group.

98. Hadn't ran a race since 1999 and I ran a 5K on Dec 17, 2008. My time was 37:11; my time was not great, but I had a great time.

98. I like crossword puzzles.

100. I like to read mysteries.

Christmas Wrap Up

2008-12-26T09:04:00.011-05:00

Celebrating Christmas this year was especially fun with our three-year-old and five-year-old. They were so darn excited. "A" kept talking about how she was going to walk downstairs and see Santa and then run back to her bed. "T" couldn't wait to spread the magic reindeer-attracting dust (oatmeal and glitter) she made at school.

Here are some of my memorable moments:

On Dec 23, "A" did something that made "T" really mad. She stomped downstairs, yanked "A's" Christmas list from the mantle and with pen in fist, scratched the items off the list.
After "T" hung her stocking, she stood back and recited the words to "The Night Before Christmas".
"A's rendition of Deck The Halls cracks me up. She sings "deck the halls with bells and jolly, fa la la la la". Then she announces that she does not know any more of the words.

Stash Burner

2008-12-17T07:30:00.017-05:00

Tell me, can you look at this ornament without saying "aaw, how cute? I think it's so darn cute we'll keep it for our tree, but I do have another on needles as a gift. For me the button at the hanger makes it. I also love color combinations suggested for these festive ornaments designed by Julie Williams. For me it was the quick knit I needed last week. No, I have not wrapped one gift yet.

Pattern: Mini Christmas Stockings

Yarn: Frog Tree Alpaca Sport Wt, oddments from stash

Needles: US2 dpn

Surprise Snow

2008-11-21T10:32:00.008-05:00

This morning we woke to a winter wonderland. Here's what T had to say about that "it's not even Thanksgiving yet!" We built a snowman family and enjoyed the fluke snow. It has put me in the mood for Christmas earlier than usual.

All summer I waited for my parsley to grow and it never did much of anything. Now after a bit of cool weather it's much healthier. I'm going to try to protect it and enjoy it all winter long.

BTW yes, I have been knitting. On needles now is an adorable pixie. I got the kit from E at our knitting group's yarn swap. I'm also working on a scarf for Special Olympics. I've decided to crochet it to give my hands a different action. At night I've been having pain and numbness in my right hand. The project specifies you make the scarf with specific colors of Red Heart yarn it's an awful yarn to work with, but affordable to most people.

A Shore Thing

2008-11-17T22:13:00.002-05:00

This past weekend we went to Ocean City. Fall is one of the best times to visit the Jersey shore. We enjoyed the deserted boardwalk, the view of the rough surf, dancing with strong winds, playing plenty of cards (Mr. Thurston's Mother's Game), plenty of Mack and Manco pizza and family fun!

Knitting In Public

2008-11-08T20:26:00.010-05:00

Imagine my surprise when, on our way to my nieces field hockey game today, we drove by this statue! It's located outside the Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus College. The metal piece is so realistic I thought a college student set a black leather purse next to it as a joke. Do you know of any other outdoor knitting sculptures? If you do, please share.

I know where I'll be knitting on June 13, 2009 - wwkip day.

Vote Today

2008-11-04T06:15:00.003-05:00

Big Apple Circus

2008-11-01T21:56:00.017-05:00

Today we went to the Big Apple Circus in New York City. Marsha told us about it and I'm so glad we got to go. The girls' memories are reflected in their play; they created circus acts and NYC skyscrapers.

Congratulations Phillies!

2008-10-31T21:52:00.004-05:00

Today hubby went to the parade celebrating the Phillies victory over the Tampa Bay Jays for the World Series Championship. He said his walk from work to the Broad Street was like a walk in a "sea of red". He described a huge police presence at the parade: police in cars, on bicycle, on motorcycle and police on horseback. Maybe that's why, reportedly, the crowd was well-behaved.

I remember back in 1980 when the Phillies beat Kansas City. Yes, it's true. I don't watch a heck of a lot of baseball, but when it comes down to these seven-game series for the championships, I can't stay away from it. It is great fun and great for knitting by!

Some Serious Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-30T20:51:00.002-05:00

This year the girls really got into carving pumpkins. T was quick to announce "I'm making mine scary, boo!" However, A was not so sure about the whole thing. She told Gram that she was afraid of witches and Mommy knew it. So, Mommy never told her stories about witches or showed her pictures of witches.

Five Spares, Zero Flats

2008-10-27T19:34:00.011-05:00

Would you sit in a car four hours out and four hours back in a day to ride your back thirty-two miles? On Sunday my two brothers, sister, nephew and I rode our bikes from Meyersdale, PA to Cumberland, MD along the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP). This 32-mile ride completed our ride which we started back in May. Mom and Dad went along to shuttle our vehicles for us, that was a great help.

It was a beautiful day for a ride, clear and a bit windy, but not too cold. Most of the ride was downhill. We rode through three tunnels. One was about a half mile long - that felt long. You could not see the light at the end of that tunnel. That one was well-lit, the others were not lit; we used head lamps. The one tunnel felt like a wind tunnel. A steam engine travels between Frostburg and Cumberland for weekend riders. The bike trail follows along it. At one tunnel, a sign advises "Do not enter tunnel with oncoming train" duh!

As we got closer to Cumberland, there was a beautiful vista looking over the countryside. Cumberland looks like a really neat town. We had a late lunch there at The Crabby Big - a BBQ place along the C&O canal.

Just to log the drive/log. We left my place at 7:15 AM, started riding at about 11:45 AM from Meyersdale, got to Frostburg at about 2 PM and rode on, arriving in Cumberland at about 4:00 PM. We left Cumberland at 5:20 PM and were back at my place at about 9:00 PM.

The Most Wonderful Wallaby

2008-10-21T20:39:00.026-05:00

As far as charity knitting is concerned, this sweater for afghans for Afghans (AFA) was the most rewarding project I've knit. I took on the sweater as a challenge to myself, there was a need for the sweaters and the US deadline was October 14. I finished the sweater on October 13, e-mailed AFA and they said just ship it out to CA and they will get it in time to go to Afghanistan. Phew! I had fun with the whole random stripe thing using the dice (see previous post) and I used up a bunch of yarn in my stash. Most rewarding of all is that it gives me a great feeling to know that the sweater will help keep a child warm this winter.

T was cooperative enough to try it on for me while she was playing in the leaves. I really like the way the colors worked out, even though I ran out of options at the yoke and had to finish up the top-most knitting with purple. It was a pain to knit in all the ends. I really do need to learn the technique of weaving them in as you knit.

The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania

2008-10-13T20:44:00.042-05:00

We spent Columbus Day weekend with friends at a cottage in the Wellsboro area. The weather could not have been nicer. The cottage was located near Ansonia, just yards from Pine Creek Trail, a rails-to-trails bike path which paralells Pine Creek in the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. The photo to the left is the view from the front of our cottage.

Friday night after dinner at the cottage we had enough daylight for a quick bike ride towards Wellsboro. A rode in the bike seat on the back of Hubby's bike and T on the tag-a-long behind my bike.

Saturday morning we all had breakfast and then headed to Colton Point - lovely vistas (right) and a one-mile loop hike. Later Saturday we all biked to Turkey Falls. C is an avid cyclist; he rode on for several hours. The rest of us headed back to the cottage. After a quiet dinner we played some games and called it an early night.

Sunday we cleaned up and packed up for the drive home. We had a lovely and very relaxing weekend, one of those let's do this again next year weekends!

Mad Men

2008-09-28T17:23:00.005-05:00

Rarely do I find a TV drama series that I can't miss. Remember Ed (2001) and Northern Exposure (1990)? Yep, two shows in 11 years.

Fastforward to 2008, AMC's Mad Men beats them all. To me it's fun, accurate, sad and sexy. I've seen every episode. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out.

If you can explain this to me please do. How do the seasons work? I don't understand it. AMC's episode list for season 2 list 9 episodes. I had to search deep into their website to find out if and when there was a 10th episode and when it was going to air. When does season 3 start?

Roll Of The Die Sweater

2008-09-18T13:19:00.009-05:00

My Roll Of The Die Sweater is one of my WIPs - it's a Wonderful Wallaby for afghans for Afghans. I have six different yarns to use in the striping. I've assigned each yarn a number. In order to randomly stripe, I roll. This may be the fastest Wallaby I've ever knit because I can't wait to roll the die! Fast and fun.

In other related news. When we make it to the main library, I love to walk past the shelf of new books to see if any new knitting books have arrived. Usually I only look at the craft section. However, this week my eye was drawn to another section of the shelf and I found Dice: Deception, Fate & Rotten Luck. Can't wait to read it.

Tree houses revisited

2008-08-14T21:18:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I visited Longwood Gardens with my girls and my niece. This time I remembered my camera and got this shot from the treehouses.

One of my childhood favorite books is Andrew Henry's Meadow. It began my fascination with tree houses. If you've never read it, go ahead, buy a copy and you'll understand. It was out of print for many years, but now you're in luck. In 2005 it was reprinted in celebration of its 40 year anniversary.

Also, I finally replaced the photo in this earlier post with a treehouse photo of my own.

The Cemetery

2008-08-02T21:49:00.003-05:00

This is the most beautiful cemetery I've ever seen. It is a small cemetery on top of a hill in rural Pennsylvania. To get to the site you have to drive down a narrow dirt road in the middle of a field. At this time of year the corn is high and lined the road on both sides creating a tunnel effect.

My grandparents are buried here.

Loss

2008-07-29T23:20:00.004-05:00

Today my grandmother died. She was 97. I was at home with my girls and watching a friend's daughter when I got the call. Within minutes of hanging up with my mom, my friend returned from her appointment to pick up her daughter. Immediately I told her of the call I just received. Luckily she was there to give me a nice warm hug. She stay at the house for a few minutes while I walked and I cried.

Gram has been in poor health for a long time. On most of my visits with her at the nursing home, I don't think she even recognized me. Some days she'd be quite agitated and some days she'd be calm and quiet. Last week my Mom reported that Gram was vomiting and in pain. It was decided that there was not much to do for my Gram except to give her some pain medicine. She could not handle tests to find out what was causing her discomfort.

My Mom called me on Monday and said that Gram had asked my uncle "not to leave her alone". He spent most of the morning by her side there at the nursing home and Mom decided to go up and take his place. I drove up to join her. When I saw Gram, I leaned up, kissed her and said "it's Beth". For some reason I felt like she knew who I was. Later I learned that earlier that day my uncle held a photo for Gram and she had correctly identified the names of her children on a photograph - all 12 of them!

While there Gram kept repeating over and over again 'Jesus loves me, Jesus love me' - sort of creepy. She threw up blood while we were there and then kept saying 'why does this keep happening to me?' - sort of gross. But what I'll remember is how I sat by her side and held her hand. She looked into my eyes and at one point, when I pulled my hand away, she reached out to grab hold of it again. She wanted me there and you better believe I wanted her there. I will miss Gram.

Fun In The Sun

2008-07-25T21:20:00.003-05:00

Several weeks ago we got a flyer in our mailbox advertising 'Fun In The Sun Day Camp'. It was to be held right around the corner at a neighbors' home for 3 to 10-year-olds, Monday - Friday, 1pm to 4pm. The camp is run by neighborhood teenagers. What a concept! The price for one week of camp? $40 per child with discounts for multiple children in the same family. What a bargain!

Was this the camp for my oldest? I had no idea, but I wanted to support these local entreupeners and decided to sign her up. I went in with no expectations, figuring I did not really care if my daughter went to camp or not. I was in it to support the neighborhood teenagers.

As it turned out my daughter had a wonderful time. She particularly enjoyed the crafts, coming home each day with something she had made. Things including a decoupage cigar box, a simple wind sock made from paper plates and streamers, a tye-died shirt and a bird feeder made of a milk jug and wooden paint stirrers. On the last day she greeted me with a big smile and a gold medal around her neck. The ribbon on the medal was personalized (by the teenagers) with 'Fun In The Sun Camp 2008', her name and 'Best Painter'. She was so proud and can't wait until next year. What a week of fun!

As Seen On TV

2008-07-02T22:07:00.004-05:00

Back in December we bought a very comfortable sectional for the family/TV room. I don't even like watching television, but now that we have that comfy seating, you can find me in there quite often with my feet up. Usually I knit instead of paying much attention to the tube, but it's hard for me to keep my eyes off those As Seen On TV commercials. They crack me up - check out the AwesomeAuger.

Big on Bridges

2008-06-24T15:04:00.004-05:00

I'm big on bridges. When I first went to college I studied civil engineering, dreaming of designing bridges. Pictured above is The Senator William V. Roth Jr. Bridge along Rt. 1 in Delaware. We crossed over it enroute to Bethany. It is the most amazing bridge I've ever seen. Quickly I pulled out my cell phone to take a snapshot. Not a bad photo for a cell phone huh?

Socks and Scarf

2008-06-22T21:35:00.018-05:00

At Bethany Beach I made a lot of progress on knitting projects. I started a new pair of socks for me with Panda Cotton. I had two socks knit to the heel beginning, but I frogged sock B last night after realizing I had caston four fewer stitches than sock A. After trying it on, I decided I really needed those four stitches for a comfortable fit.

I made good progress on my landscape scarf as well. It is fun to work on, but I find that it takes a great deal of concentration for me. Luckily I have the simple socks on needles now for mindless knitting.

I also took a good look at the Mobeius scarf I made awhile back. It would be nice if it were a bit wider, but I tried a few times and did not like the way it was looking. I've decided to leave it the way it is and make my next wider. The scarf drapes fine when it is wrapped twice around my head and I like the way it fits as a gaiter. If it were wider it would work better when I pull it up over my ears. Oh, well, next time.

Bethany

2008-06-21T21:22:00.003-05:00

We spent the week at Bethany Beach with my parents. It was very relaxing. The girls had a great time at the water and it did not take long to get into a daily routine of waking, breakfast, beach, back for lunch, naps, back to the beach, dinner and bed. We had plenty of time to play cards after the kids were asleep.

Fore! The Golfer In My Life

2008-06-12T18:46:00.019-05:00

Pattern: Spiral Rib Putter Cover by Sarah Peasley

Yarn: Knit Picks Andean Silk - Cinnamon #23507, held two strands together

Needles: US 5 dpn

Start Date: 06/03/08

Finish Date: 06/11/08

Notes: Maybe I'll knit Sarah's club covers to match! Row 2 of rib pattern was hard to follow.

Last night I casted off a putter cover for my hubby. This is the third one I've knit for him, so I hope this one is around for awhile. The first one he lost on a green somewhere. Therefore, on the second putter cover I attached a note saying "If found, please call ph # and my wife will knit one just for you. Thanks." That cover fell apart.

Hubby said that the second cover fell apart because it was not heavy enough, it had to be knit more tightly. I tend to knit very loosely so this time I held two strands of worsted weight yarn held together and knit on US #5 dpn. If this does not hold up I'll felt the next one.

Hubby, here is another putter cover for you and I hope it is strong enough to withstand the rigors on the course and I hope it brings you good luck on Saturday!

New Garden Square

2008-06-05T22:00:00.008-05:00

In case you haven't noticed, I've been playing some catch up with posts. After a bit of a writer's block, I'm back to blogging again. Over the weekend, we started our new garden. Hubby got the 4x4's lined up and in the ground using these nifty anchor joints. (Thanks to Marsha for the suggestion.)

The girls had most fun watching us and taking photos. Especially as the sun went down and the camera flashed with every photo they took. Now we have plenty of photos of the car, their bikes, the driveway and us (or parts of us) working on the new garden.

I went ahead and filled the bed with this soil, recommended by Mike McGrath of You Bet Your Garden. Personally, I despise his call-in show, but I have used his suggestions for container gardening with much success.

I know it is way too late to start much from seed, but we'll see how it goes. My sister has to thin her young spinach so I'll have those plants. Also, I'm not opposed to buying plants.

Note: I planted some Cosmos seed in one of the 1' squares on 8 June 08 and I noticed sprouts already today, 10 June 08. Is that possible?

"Take Me Out To The Ball Game"

2008-06-01T21:41:00.004-05:00

Recently, from one of their magazines, my daughters learned "Take Me Out To The Ball Game". How can you know that song and never been to a ball game? So off to the field we went. We saw the Reading Phillies play the Harriburg Senators. It was the day of free baseball caps for the first 2500 kids, dollar hotdogs and run the bases after the game - at $9.00 per seat.

We had no idea how our two-year-old and a four-year-old would do at a game, but it was worth a go. They did great. We sat through the first three innings (at one point moving away from an obnoxious heckler) These seats in yellow section 7 were good, why were they in front of this guy? There were plenty of empty seats, so we moved above several rows and off to the side a bit. When the girls were ready for a walk we explored a nice shady outdoor eating area and enjoyed a snowcone. We went back to our seats until the long awaited seventh-inning stretch and then headed home. What a way to swing into June!

Note: ok, so I wrote my post before reading the Wikipedia reference for the song, apparently the guys who wrote the song had never been to a game. I think that is hilarious. I guess we did not have to take the girls after all, but I'm sure we did.

Relay For Life

2008-05-31T21:05:00.001-05:00

Today we attended the Relay for Life. I've been involved at various levels for several years now. I've been a team captain and a team member, but for the past couple years we've been regular attendees. We like to support the cause and watch the girls play the games that some teams set up for the youngsters. This years highlight was to watch them stand in a wading pool of water and see how many marbles they could get out of the water using only their toes. Or was the highlight that hubby won a round of golf for a foresome at an exclusive private country club? Bottom line is that money was raised for a worthwhile cause.

A Couple New Dishcloths

2008-05-27T20:34:00.002-05:00

I knitted a couple new dishcloths for our hosts during our recent trip to Pittsburgh.

The blue one is the Criminy Jickets Garterlach Dishcloth and the yellow the Sunny Days Dishcloth from Knitting Pattern Central.

Market Bag

2008-05-22T22:02:00.000-05:00

Tonight I finished the knitting part of my Everlasting Bagstopper. Can you believe that all I had to do was cast off and the bag sat there on my needles for over a week? The bag turned out great and was fun to knit. I absolutely love the result. Now I just have to figure out the handles. I'm thinking of using some sort of webbing.

Great Allegheny Passage: Day 2

2008-05-21T06:47:00.006-05:00

On Sunday morning despite the heavy rains, we were ready to roll. We planned to ride 74 miles from Ohiopyle, PA to Cumberland, MD. Before we got on our bikes, my brother taught me some back stretches; my sister enjoyed putzing (see photo on left). We were riding by 8 am, stopped in Confluence for breakfast at Sister's cafe 11 miles down the trail at about 10:30.

My bike was covered with dirt my trunk and so much grit in the teeth of the zipper that I could not pull it shut. I poured clean water out of my new Sigg bottle all over the zipper so I could close the bag. Sometime in the early afternoon, the skies cleared. We crossed an impressive 1900' bridge and rode as far as Meyersdale. At which point we ended our ride. I was the

one who first said (without a doubt) that I was ready to stop riding for the day. We all plan to return to complete the 30-mile stretch from Meyersdale to Cumberland sometime in 2008.

It felt great to be back on my bike. I had fun hanging out with my siblings, but I was ready to return to my girls and hubby.

Great Allegheny Passage: Day 1

2008-05-20T08:13:00.019-05:00

After a delicious breakfast at my sister's friends' "wanna be" B&B in Pittsburgh, we loaded into the van. Truly our hosts in Pittsburgh were lovely; she always dreamed of owning a B&B so to have the four of us (me, E, A and Pop) spend the night was like a dream come true for her. She even went out and bought four new sets of towels in four different colors (not boring white) so they would not get mixed up!

Our weekend goal was to bike 130 miles on The Great Allegheny Passage. Pop agreed to drive the van as sag wagon. We started riding in Boston, PA with information from a local bike shop owner that the trail was closed four miles ahead due to a mudslide. He did not have specific information so we decided to ride on. The photo to the left shows what we found. After waiting a few minutes, the dump truck pulled off and the digger stopped digging to wave us by. It was a bit slow going through the mud, but on through we went.

Day one took us 56 miles from Boston to Ohiopyle. The air was cool and the sky was clear until the last mile into Ohiopyle when we rode through a downpour to the MacKenzie House. The days' highlights: deer, daisies, waterfalls, meeting up with Pop who rented a bike, pb & j on bagels lunch (note: it tasted good at the time, but turned out to be too much of a gut bomb for me, don't eat that for lunch next year).

An Early Mother's Day Celebration

2008-05-08T15:17:00.004-05:00

My oldest daughter had a Mother's Day gathering at her school yesterday. Her teacher compiled a booklet of recipes that the children "wrote". She asked each child, "What is your favorite meal that your mom makes and how does she make it?"

Here's T's recipe:

"Mommy makes the best mac and cheese! She takes the mac and cheese out of the box and puts it in a bowl with water. She puts the bowl in the microwave for 10 minutes. She takes it out and then we eat it!

Knitting Knews

2008-04-28T22:23:00.021-05:00

It's sad to admit that the last time I posted about a completed project was back in February. I don't have too much to report, here goes. My recent knits include a couple hats and some felted Christmas ornaments.

Hat one (left) I worked up for myself in Morehouse 3-strand Merino. I was hoping for different pooling, not so stripey looking. The yarn was great to knit. So far even though I did not have many cold day opportunities to wear it, I've been able to wear it right against my ears with no itch. I made hat two (right), the Halfdome Hat, for my husband. It was designed specifically for the Bay Area. However, it woks just as well for us here on the Eastern seaboard and guess what? My husband wears it!

I made felted ornaments for a friend and I'm really happy with how they turned out. They are knit swatches which are felted then cut to shape.

Architecture

2008-04-27T21:00:00.001-05:00

During our visit to Longwood Gardens today, we explored the most impressive tree houses I've ever seen. In every detail these were not your ordinary backyard treehouses. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, so I'll update this post with photos of the place as soon as I can.

At The Lookout Loft, a treehouse overlooking the meadow, we enjoyed a leisurely hike through the woods. At The Birdhouse, a treehouse towering high in the sky, we walked on floor boards reclaimed from an old toothpaste factory.

However, oddly enough, I got to see my favorite architectural feature on the property all because my four-year-old daughter had "to go potty". Of course there was not a toilet in sight. So, we quickly ran to the closest building - the lovely Peirce-du Pont House. At the door an employee, intent on clicking her counter to keep track of the day's visitors, looked up.

Me: Excuse me, can you tell me where the closest restroom is?

Employee (E): For her? (pointing to my daughter)

Me: Yes.

E: Walk in the library to the front left, just push on the corner wall and it will swing open to a bathroom. It is very small, but I think she'll be able to fit in. And don't tell anyone about it.

Me: Thank you.

We quietly made our way into the gorgeous library. It was full of chairs and plenty of people enjoying some sort of film. Sure enough we pushed against the dark wainscoat in the corner of the room and it swung inward to a narrow corridor leading to a commode and sink. This bathroom was just as well-maintained as any garden I've ever seen on said premises. It had a tile floor and a small marble-lined sink area. If you ever visit Longwood Gardens, be sure to visit this bathroom. But, don't tell them I sent you.

Welcome Flat Stanley

2008-04-07T16:07:00.002-05:00

Recently a surprise envelope arrived in our mailbox from friends in New Hampshire. What fun to open it and find that Flat Stanley had made it to our door!

Flat Stanley started out in a 3rd-grade classroom in CA. The instructions asked us to mail back a postcard from our area of the country. The classroom will be plotting Flat Stanley's visits as he makes his way around the USA. Thus far Flat Stanley had been in Hawaii, Michigan, Missouri and Colorado.

Flat Stanley stayed on as a visitor in our home a little longer than I had planned, I wanted to make sure he got a chance to visit local historic sites: Independence Hall and Valley Forge. He enjoyed our Easter celebration with traditional ham dinner and a family favorite at the table - dandelion salad and of course the egg hunt.

At one point I could not find him. After a diligent search, I found Flat Stanley stuck between the CVS and Genuardi's circulars in our recycling bin!

Good Bye, Flat Stanley, have fun on the rest of your journey!

Leap Year

2008-02-29T09:42:00.002-05:00

For all you knitter's out there. I suggest you celebrate Leap Year by frogging a project that you've had sitting around for more than ten years that is less than half complete.