More decreasing

Haven't posted here in over three years and now my daughter has started her own blog!

Either this will get me motivated again... or it will give me even more excuse to just enjoy watching her.

So grateful for her!  And for an uninterrupted night's sleep, a day off and quiet knitting time.  I cast on Warren last night -- mostly, I think, because it gives me the illusion of autumn approaching.

Plucky Scholar in the lovely Churchmouse exclusive colorway "Mighty Madrona".  As close to fall as we're going to get any time soon.  I'll take it!

Gifts found in writing

Today's Joy Dare asks us to identify "three gifts found in writing".

It's only 10am and I can already list two.

One is a book I finished reading last night:  "A Song I Knew By Heart" by Bret Lott, who apparently lives in my town. (I am slow to catch on to things like that.)   He retells the story of Ruth and Naomi in a contemporary setting... and because I tend to be skeptical of "gimmicks", I borrowed the book from the library on Kindle.  But it turns out to be a lovely, complex, grace-filled story with the bonus of sometimes-beautifully-
described local detail.  (As I was reading his description of dusk over the marsh last night, I realized that I could look out my window and witness the exact thing, live.  Another gift!)

A second gift in writing is a poem one of my mom-friends, Donna Levine Gershon, has just published online:  "The Love Song of J. Alfred Proofreader."  As a wanna-be copyeditor genetically wired for proofreading, not to mention a complete non-fashion-maven, I thought it was a hoot.  And I marvel at Donna's skill.  I think my favorite lines are

I have known the eyes already, known them all:—
At the elevator,
Locking on my Chanel knockoff,
My Snickers bar,
My Duane Reade discount drugstore bag,
Sprawling on a pin
They know I got from the giveaway bin.

(Also, I am grateful that I could even understand/appreciate the reference to TS Eliot.  And maybe that's the third gift.  So here is the original "Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"!)

Socks and rocks. And joyful artwork.

This morning I have some time off.  I pulled out the cuff of a second sock.  And I found a rock...

 I am considering the "Trust God" rock an unintentional gift from our sweet daughter.  (She has been using the happy whiskered cat as her logo lately.)  

Our kids often come home from children's worship with rocks.  Here is a sample from our pile:

I am taking the sock as a gift this morning, too, because it is teaching me to be patient with imperfection.  The yarn, Intention Yarns  fingering weight in the "Faith" colorway, is not my favorite to knit with  --- it is splitty and the fabric it produces feels a little scratchy.  But then there is the quote from Mother Teresa on the inside of the ballband:

"Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls."  All from Him.

Somewhat unrelated...  a piece of joyful artwork from our little one.

Basketball is getting to be a "thing" over here!

Joy Dare

After nearly 2 years of not blogging... here goes again.

Thanks to my mom for the One Thousand Gifts book and to the recent study showing that blogging can be therapeutic for teenagers!!  (if it works for teenagers, it might work for immature adults too)

After reading Ann's book, I've started following her blog and taking the Joy Dare for 2012.

Today's first gift was supposed to be "found at 11:30 am" but it arrived a little early... the 7 year old forgot his book money for the school book fair, and as I logged into my email to let the school nurse/secretary/lifesaver know ... I found a message from her offering to lend him some!

I am still going to try to get myself over there in time for their class to go shopping (another gift: flexible work schedule!) 

I have no recent pictures to share at the moment, but knitting projects are all on Ravelry.  And that is enough for now... always, in fact, enough.

Monday morning throws a curve

Apparently I need further work in the area of selflessness.  (Or in the area of arranging my life more conveniently.)

Woke up nearly two hours ago with not one, but two tummy-aching feverish kids -- the smaller of whom insists on my sitting with him at all times.

Here I am on the couch in my jammies, no breakfast, no shower, wondering how fast I can get ready to take a quick run into work once Daddy is back from his morning workout -- and get back before he needs his own work time.  And how fast I would be able to move if an emergency arose at the hospital & I had to take the two sick ones in with me.

At least there is coffee!

Purse Dump Challenge

This is a crazy fun idea from Stacy Julian!

I am far from the world's most faithful blogger, but when she issues a challenge like this (and I just happen to be at home anyway, waiting for the piano tuner to finish before I go back to work)  --- why not?

Contents of my bag this morning:

• Pager  
• Two card cases  for all those cards (hidden beneath the pager)
• Office key & hospital ID on (splurge) Vera Bradley lanyard
• Knitting and associated paraphernalia (especially love the cheesy pen/measuring tape combo which is, unfortunately, hidden beneath the VB lanyard)
• Mesh bag trying to camouflage "necessities" inside
• Yay yay yay the recently acquired (big splurge) Kindle in its snazzy case
• Smarties in case of low blood sugar
• Camera
• Spiral notebook (& pencil partially hidden beneath knitting & ID/lanyard)
• BlackBerry and planner weren't in there at the moment, but they usually are (hence the big bag)

And now the piano is tuned & I can go back to work!

Nice break - thanks, Stacy.

New Year's Word

I am, as usual, a bit slow to catch on - but I love this idea  which appears to have originated somewhere back here.

Choose a word for the year.

My word is LISTEN.

To my husband, to my kids, to my friends & colleagues...  most of all to God.

John 10:2-4 (New International Version)

²The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. ³The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

Sock on Safari

My souvenir from last week's trip to Austin:

the famed Opal Harry Potter sock yarn (now discontinued and hard to find) ... there was one skein left, in the "Harry und Ron" colorway, in the sock yarn room (ROOM!) at Hill Country Weavers.

It's really awesome yarn - bright, varied colors, and soft as anything.


The sock did some major tourist activity.

Above is the sock on a duck tour (including "splashdown" into Lake Austin).  It didn't dare peek over the edge.

Below is the sock at the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch ("safari, Texas style!")

It didn't dare look out the window very long...

Wildlife, up close and personal.


The sock is done now... just need to finish #2.

Family New Year's Resolution

What better time than now to start going through the Heidelberg Catechism with our offspring?

It's divided by weeks (Lord's Days) -- so this week we got to start with the best Q&A ever, #1:

LORD'S DAY 1

1   Q.  What is your only comfort
in life and in death?

A.  That I am not my own,^1
but belong,
  body and soul,
  in life and in death—^2
to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.^3

  He has fully paid for all my sins with his
precious blood,^4
  and has set me free from the tyranny
of the devil.^5
  He also watches over me in such a way^6
  that not a hair can fall from my head
  without the will of my Father in heaven:^7
  in fact, all things must work together
for my salvation.^8

Because I belong to him,
Christ, by his Holy Spirit,
assures me of eternal life^9
and makes me wholeheartedly willing
and ready
from now on to live for him.^10

^1  1 Cor. 6:19-20
^2  Rom. 14:7-9
^3  1 Cor. 3:23; Titus 2:14
^4  1 Pet. 1:18-19; 1 John 1:7-9; 2:2
^5  John 8:34-36; Heb. 2:14-15; 1 John 3:1-11
^6  John 6:39-40; 10:27-30; 2 Thess. 3:3; 1 Pet. 1:5
^7  Matt. 10:29-31; Luke 21:16-18
^8  Rom. 8:28
^9  Rom. 8:15-16; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; 5:5; Eph. 1:13-14
^10   Rom. 8:1-17

The 9 year old has abbreviated this answer to "GOD!!!" (which is always a safe answer) but i hope she'll someday remember the whole thing. It's the one I remember best from my own childhood... and the one that shows up framed on people's wall, laminated on wallet cards, printed in funeral programs, etc.

Q&A #2 is less exciting, but shorter (condenses down to "sin, salvation and service"):

2   Q.  What must you know
    to live and die in the joy of this comfort?

A.  Three things:
   first, how great my sin and misery are;^1
   second, how I am set free from all my
sins and misery;^2
   third, how I am to thank God for such
deliverance.^3

^1  Rom. 3:9-10; 1 John 1:10
^2  John 17:3; Acts 4:12; 10:43
^3  Matt. 5:16; Rom. 6:13; Eph. 5:8-10; 2 Tim. 2:15;
1 Pet. 2:9-10

The challenge is going to be keeping them engaged - so far this comprises reading the references. ( I want them to be able to find them in the actual Bible; dh is advocating for online lookup.)

Happy New Year!!

Is it OK to knit for a patient?

I don't usually knit for patients. I can't even keep up with my family & friends the way they deserve. (I don't really keep up with the blog, either, but it doesn't deserve the attention anyway.)

Anyway, I think this poor little guy is an exception to the rule. He was finally all ready to go home ... but now his mom has not only been re-admitted, she ended up in the adult ICU.

The only things I could think of to do were (1) pray, and (2) knit him an earflap hat.

The pattern is at http://heyjulie.wordpress.com/2007/03/20/babykids-earflap-hat/

from Horn Notes Blog: Quote of the week--Farkas on "stagefright"

Philip Farkas reflects on predestination and the CSO

I just happened to find this while randomly surfing horn-related sites. The title caught my interest because performance anxiety has always been an issue with me (much less lately, until an actual professional principal horn player happened to sit 4th in our community orchestra's little concert yesterday!)


Hm, wonder if Farkas was a Calvinist...

Outer space

Daylight savings time is a painful thing! I think this shot of the Bear sums up the feeling. He has been very interested in outer space and planets lately (thanks to the Magic School Bus space DVD). One of the 4K classes at school made this mural -- he was thrilled to find it and name all the planets! Unfortunately he couldn't figure out where Pluto was ... it's hard to explain that since that DVD was made, Pluto has been demoted from "planet" status.

Yes, he is wearing his sister's old dress -- we are still choosing not to fight that battle!

In knitting news I have finished one of the toe-up Ambrosia socks!! ... but now I can't find the other ball of Ambrosia. Not a problem since there are so many other unfinished projects in my house...

Valentine Fever!

Such excitement! Eleanor (The Weast) awakened us with "Happy Valentine's Day!" and I realized i hadn't gotten their valentines & gifts ready yet. It didn't bother them to wait & play with the guinea pigs. Eleanor likes to lie down on her back with a "guinea" on her chest/belly to snuggle.



Their gifts spoke to the desires of their little hearts ... the Weast got a fairy book and the Bear got 2 Matchbox cars (a Corvette and a Jaguar).

Eleanor proclaimed that "there are 4 great things about today: Half day of school, Dress-down Day, Valentine's party... " oh dear, now I have forgotten the 4th.

Henry insisted on dressing all in red (see above with his new cars.) At school he kept announcing to everyone he ran into that "I got cars for Valentine's Day!" He also informed me that "I will always love you, Mommy!"

Not much spare time...

Four months later...

One lizard has in fact died (though long after the last September post); another has joined us. However it's been nearly a week since I've seen either of them in their cage (escaped??)




Not one but TWO guinea pigs have joined us. (That's Snuggles on the left with the Bear, Cuddles on the right with the Weast) . They wouldn't think of trying to escape since they know they have a good thing going with all the food the kids keep giving them!

I've finished some socks; started a sweater, an afghan, and part of a baby blanket project. Still have many unfinished socks and a few sweaters...
I am giving up yarn-shopping (and book-shopping and scrapbook-equipment-shopping and clothes-shopping!) for Lent.






We have had Halloween ...





































and Thanksgiving...






(yes, i know that is a crocheted shawl... the school provided the costumes!)






and Christmas!












I think she really did enjoy the performances.

Last night we had a "car show", complete with spotlight, before bed. No documentation, unfortunately!

life is good...

I think the second lizard escaped

Well, this is lizard Number One, captured right outside the Bear's preschool classroom window. He has been living with us for two weeks now.

The Weast caught Number Two out on our porch day before yesterday. This morning he looked limp and grayish brown, slumped in a corner of the cage... I sincerely thought he was dead. But by this afternoon he was quite perky. In fact, since having opened the cage to give the critters fresh water and food ... now i can't find him at all.

Either he is living the free life somewhere in our house, or he's really good at the camouflage thing.

Stay tuned...

Potential Halloween costume?

The moral of this one:

Never let your older sister dress you in her designer original "caveman costume" -- or at least never let your mom take pictures! Think future (eg rehearsal dinner) possibilities...

Busted!

The Weast keeps things safe on our neighborhood sidewalks. No speeding Bears allowed!

Something else to do

Doesn't everyone need a blog? Why not start one & see what I have to say... there is certainly no shortage here of cute pictures of the kids, and stories to go with them.

I know, these pictures and stories should go into albums, not online. But today I'm home with the Bear (child #2) who seems to be sharing some GI bug with me, so this is "gift time" anyway. Forget whatever was on the planner for today. It is Thomas-watching time!

And now he announces "I'm feeling better! Can we please go to the bookstore?" Hmm... can we indeed? after I called in sick? I think not!