7 Quick Takes Friday, 4/17

1. I haven't been blogging much lately, and that's okay with me. I really curtailed my computer use over Lent and found I had a lot more time for a) knitting, b) caring for my family, c) caring for my home, and d) sleeping. So I feel the trend needs to continue for a little while. I'm cutting back on the blogs I read and not blogging myself as much, so I can be present in my real life.

2. Rose has taken to calling me "Mother" for the last few days. I have no idea where that came from, but it's really cute.

3. We had our family portraits taken this week. Holy cow. I'm still getting over how expensive they are. But we got such cute shots of the kids, I think it was worth it.

4. A phrase I've been hearing a lot on TV and radio has really been bugging me: "really kind of." As in "I was really kind of surprised at his reaction." No. You were either really surprised, or you were kind of surprised. Not both.

5. We're going to Greenfield Village today! First trip of the year -- we're members and we go several times over the season. Can't wait!

6. I actually finished my legwarmers in time for the last (I hope!) cold blast of the lingering winter. They were so cozy and warm!

7. I've been asked by my Godson's mother to knit another Baby Yours in white for his Baptism! Isn't that sweet? I know the photo of the original looks white, but it's really an orange-tinged cream. Plus, Gabriel was such a big boy when he was born that the newborn size is probably already too small. I'm so excited -- off to knit a few more rows!

7 quick takes 2/27

Sigh. It's been quite a couple of weeks, and while I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, I'm still pretty busy and pretty tired. But here's some news headlines.

1. Went to my first Friday Night Knit Night at my LYS last week and enjoyed it a great deal. Had snacks, finished Shannon's second legwarmer, and met a kindred spirit. I hope to make it again tonight.

2. Started a legwarmer for myself. Love it, love it, love it, and can't wait to wear the pair.

3. Jamie is going through a frustrating day-time sleep pattern right now. Gets all tired and fussy and eye-rubby after being awake for less than two hours, so I nurse him and put him down for a nap, then he jabbers in his crib for the next hour before finally quieting down. Don't tell me to keep him up longer, either, because I've tried and it doesn't change anything. It just makes him more miserable. But the one thing this kid has taught me is that he'll be different in a week. So I'm just biding my time.

4. Had an amazing rehearsal last night for a Taize prayer service. I can't even describe how serene and uplifting it was. I can only hope the actual service is as amazing.

5. My dentist tells me I have beautiful gums. "When we make dentures, this is what we try to make the gums look like," he says.

6. Andy: Rose, do you know who that is singing?
Rose: No, who is it?
Andy: It's Dinah Shore.
Rose (flabbergasted): What? Dinosaur?

7. More from Rose: "When we were at Applebee's, the Red Wings were on, and that's why Papa [my dad, her grandfather] was sooo quiet."

Can't believe I actually came up with seven. I actually have a knitting story to share, but I wanted photos first. Maybe next week. In the meantime, Jen's got her Quick Takes and all the rest here.

7 Quick Takes Friday, 2/13

With thanks to Jen for letting me participate... links to some much better thought out and written Quick Takes here.

-1-

I finished legwarmer number one yesterday. I cannot get over how much I love this pattern. I mean, they're just 26 inches of 1x1 ribbing knit in the round. I really think it's the combination of that no-nonsense wool with that fuzzy, soft, lovely silk and super kid mohair. Yarn choice really can make the difference in how much I enjoy a project.

-2-

By the way, if you'd have told me even a year ago that I'd enjoy knitting that much 1x1 rib (let alone tolerate it without pulling my hair out), I'd have laughed out loud. It's hard to explain, but I used to purl "funny." The stitches themselves looked fine in the finished product, but my style of execution was dead awkward. So switching back and forth between knit and purl that often was torture. Then I watched a video at KnittingHelp.com and *ping* a light went on. Yay internet!

-3-

James is feeling better, no fever since Monday. He still doesn't have much of an appetite, though. I offered him some pureed carrots, which he seemed to love a few days ago. He gave me a look like I was feeding him rat poison. It was so comical I wish I had had my camera with me.

-4-

Yesterday Andy couldn't get his key into the ignition of his car. It just wouldn't go in. It was the strangest thing. So he took my car to work, and I Googled "Ford Focus key won't go in" and apparently it's a very common problem with the Focus. He's had his for nearly ten years, so I guess we're lucky this is the first time it's happened. I called a locksmith (seemed to be the most common solution among others with the problem) and he replaced the cylinder with the tumblers. It's working now, I hope it doesn't happen again.

-5-

So I had plans to take Jamie to his sitter's house, run a couple of errands, and clean the house from top to bottom yesterday morning. Needless to say, the first two items didn't happen, and the third was seriously hampered by himself. I do a pretty good job keeping the house tidy while still caring for the kids, but I wanted to do some heavy-duty stuff yesterday, and it just wasn't going to happen. Maybe this morning...

-6-

I got the spring issue of Interweave Knits in the mail yesterday. I'm always so excited when that magazine arrives. But I was a little disappointed in this one. It has some cute patterns, but with the exeption of the Diminishing Ribs Cardigan, nothing that I would actually want to knit and wear. Well, I also liked the sleeves of the St. John's Wort Cardigan, so that may be an inspiration for something.

-7-

Andy's taking the youth group to CYO Rainbow this weekend. I always dread this weekend alone with the kids, but it always turns out fine. And it makes me very very grateful that it's really only this one time a year that he's away, not multiple times like husbands with jobs that require regular travel.

7 Quick Takes Friday, 2/6

I can't believe it's already Friday again! Time for my 7 Quick Takes -- don't forget to visit Jen at Conversion Diary for hers and the rest.

-1-

Yesterday I taught a song I learned at my grade school to the school choir at the same grade school. That particular layering of memories was a very interesting experience.

-2-

With the encouragement of my friend Jazmyn, I'm trying out Twitter. So far I'm reserving judgement, but I have enjoyed reading "tweets" from fellow bloggers and real life friends. And the idea of "microblogging" is very appealing. Here's my page, if you'd like to read my very random thoughts and what I had for dinner (mushroom ravioli, yum!).

-3-

I wish I could go back in time and make all my usernames the same on all the sites I frequent. Not only so my friends from different sites would recognize from site to site, but also so I would feel more like just one person!

-4-

Andy and Rose are attending a Daddy-Daughter Dance at the school where he teaches tonight. It will be their first, and both are so excited about their "date," they could hardly talk about anything else at dinner last night. It's going to be so sweet.

-5-

However, because of #4, we will have to miss the Annual Alumni Concert at our high school. It's a great tradition. The current choir students present pieces from their repetoire, an alumnus or group of alumni perform, and then at the end, all alumni attending are invited up to the stage to sing two pieces that have been sung for decades by the choir. Andy and I met through the choir, so there's that added level of specialness. We haven't been able to go for the last few years, but I was really hoping to go this year since I've reconnected with a lot of choir friends through Facebook. I just didn't feel like arranging for a babysitter for Jamie just to go by myself. Oh well, maybe next year.

-6-

My little James is sitting up better and better. I know you're not supposed to compare your children, so I won't. I'm just glad he's finally doing it. Look how hard he's working to get at that toy! And here he is, not too schlumped over.
-7-

I get to have some "me" time tomorrow morning with my best friend Rachel. We're going to shop and have lunch together. I can't wait!

7 Quick Takes Friday, 1/30

-1-

I've never been so grateful for coffee as I am this morning. I've definitely come down with something.

-2-

What is Twitter? I've been through the little "What is Twitter" show they have on their homepage, and I've looked at people's pages, but I just don't get it. It seems to be akin to the status updates on Facebook. Do any of you do this, and what's the difference from Facebook? And what's the appeal, for you?

-3-

The Yarn Harlot apparently just started Twittering. And apparently, she follows Wil Wheaton. Who knew?

-4-

The hand is still painin' me a bit. I may have to go see the doctor. I really don't want to.

-5-

Because of #4, I haven't been knitting as much, and I've actually been watching TV instead of just listening to it and glancing up from time to time. I finally saw a commercial I've heard about a hundred times, and there was a kitty in it, and I never knew -- I love cats. (oy, can you tell I have no brain this morning?)

-6-

People, if you buy something you had no intention of buying, but buy it only because it is on sale or you have a coupon, you're not really saving any money.

-7-

Jamie is 7 months old today! I can't believe how quickly the time has flown.

I can't believe I was able to put this together this morning. I feel so lousy. Please visit the originator of 7 Quick Takes for a much better post, and links to others who participate in 7 Quick Takes Friday.

7 Quick Takes, 1/23

-1-

I've been awfully weepy this past week. Probably just a combination of hormones and the season, but still tough.

-2-

One of my comforts in this cold spell has been to wear my flannel nightgown with a pair of handknit socks and this wrap I knit. It's so Louisa May Alcott/Laura Ingalls Wilder that I want to bake bread or something. Oh wait, I did!

-3-

Today I will treat myself to a massage after I play the school Mass. It's something I like to do every other month or so. I'm so grateful I have the time and the extra money to do it.

-4-

What is it with cats and paper? Nuala has never been a lap-sitting kitty, but put a piece of paper down and that's where she wants to be. Even if it's on a lap.

-5-

Since I read The Green Beauty Guide and learned how the terrible stuff we put on our skin gets into our bodies and into our environment, I've been slowly replacing the old stuff I use up with greener options, and trying some of the easier "recipes" from the book. The first thing I replaced was the kids' shampoo and soap. Then I bought cleanser and moisturizer for myself from Aubrey Organics. Because I'm a cheapskate at heart, I really wanted to finish up my old cleanser and moisturizer. So I used the old stuff in the evening and the new stuff in the morning. Well, the difference in how the Aubrey products smell, and feel going on, and make my face feel throughout the day compared to how the other products do got clearer and clearer over the last couple of weeks, until last night I couldn't take it anymore and I just tossed the old product. The miserly part of me was groaning, but the rest of me is very glad.

-6-

James has graduated to Rose's old car seat. And as much of a pain as getting Jamie in a snowsuit and putting him in a regular car seat is, I'm so very happy that Rose has moved up to her booster. It's so much easier than buckling her into a harness, and she loves being a big girl who can use the car's seat belt.

-7-

Real Simple magazine's question of the month was "How do you alleviate stress?" and not one, but two of the readers' answers included knitting! There was even a lovely photograph of a basket of red yarn. Nice.

More 7 Quick Takes can be found at Jen's place!

7 Quick Takes Friday, 1/16

With thanks to Jennifer at Conversion Diary for letting us play along!

-1-

I bought myself Stephanie Pearl McPhee's Page-A-Day Calendar, Never Not Knitting, just after Christmas. It came with an offer for a free online page-a-day calendar that comes in your e-mail. There were a number of choices, including Cats and Brain Teasers, and I chose 365 New Words a Year. It's been a lot of fun to open the e-mails, scroll down just far enough to see the word, and quiz myself before checking the definition. Then, there's always a link to click for more information on the history and etymology of the word. Yes, I'm a word geek.

-2-

Living right across the Detroit River from Canada, I'd come to enjoy CBC Radio 2 for classical music and great programs like Vinyl Cafe. So I'm sad that they seem to have changed formats from nearly all classical to more eclectic. I have nothing against eclectic, but it was nice to have an option in addition to Detroit's WRCJ for classical. At least there's classical in the afternoon, and Vinyl Cafe is still on Saturday mornings.

-3-

I made a dastardly treat yesterday. But next time I need to make sure the butter is super soft and mix the ice cream in quicker. It was still pretty yummy (For those of you worried about Jamie, we didn't have it until after he was in bed since he sleeps most of the night, and I only used a splash of rum).

-4-

Is it just me, or are people using the phrase "It is what it is" an awful lot lately? I have nothing against the phrase in particular, but I'm getting tired of hearing it.

-5-

My little project is almost done (Ravelry link, because I believe the recipient occasionally checks in on this blog). I knit it up in four days, and it's taken me the last three to seam it. I hate seaming, but for this one, it's worth it. All will be revealed on Monday.

-6-

Last night I was mulling over ideas for this post as I was putting Jamie to bed, then came downstairs to jot down a list to remind myself this morning. Of course, my mind blanked out before I remembered them all. I was thinking and thinking about the last one, willing it to come back into conscious memory, and then it did! And then I clicked my pen with gusto! And then I realized that I was holding the pen upside down and the ball point was already out! And then I said "OW ow ow ow ow" and forgot what I had remembered.

-7-

I know Christmas is over, even for us Catholics, but I had to share one last picture of the season (the plants are fake):

Isn't he the cutest thing?

7 Quick Takes Friday, 1/9

With thanks to Jen for letting us share the fun. Hers and all the rest can be found here.

-1-

It's been really fun to discover new (to me) blogs through the 7 Quick Takes project. A couple of them I've enjoyed enough to follow and add to my sidebar. And I love that many participating bloggers have been kind enough to leave comments. Thank you!

-2-

I probably shouldn't put this in writing since, if I do, it'll all change tomorrow, but for the last 5 nights my little James has only awakened once, at 5am, to nurse, then slept again until his normal wake-up time. I'm trying not to get too excited, but it's the first real consistent nighttime sleeping pattern he's had. Also, having had a good night's sleep myself, I don't mind just getting up for the day and getting started, in fact, it's been quite enjoyable to have an extra hour to myself every morning.

-3-

Maybe I should use the extra time to start writing in his baby book. He's already 6 months old and I've filled out maybe a page and a half. Ugh.

-4-

I have my virus scan to run early Friday mornings. Looks like I'm going to have to change that time now that I'm hoping to actually use the computer at that time. It makes everything run so frustratingly slow.

-5-

Speaking of frustrating, my town's marching band (of which I was a member) has been getting pressure to change its name before they go march in the Inaugural Parade later this month. They are the Wyandotte Marching Chiefs, in homage to the Wyandot tribe that once lived here. Now a professor in Wisconsin, who as far as I know has never been here and probably doesn't know much about our town or its history, thinks they need to change the name of the band, and all the uniforms. In two weeks. *sigh* I do want to be sensitive. Can anyone out there give me some gentle insight into how "Chiefs" is disrespectful? I hate to be glib, but it's certainly more respectful than "Fighting Irish!"

Update, 1/10: I got word from a mom of one of the band kids that the Chief of the Wyandotte Nation actually flew in from Oklahoma yesterday, visited with the band, said he was very proud of them and fully endorsed their name. Yeah!

-6-

I figured out my Blogger sign-in problem. I had bookmarked the start page instead of the Dashboard page. Once I replaced my bookmark, I didn't have to sign in every time.

-7-

I have to replace my kitchen faucet. I don't want to, I don't know when I'm going to have time, but I have to.

7 Quick Takes Friday

With thanks again to Jen, for letting me participate.

-1-

I started a hat yesterday. Twice. I have to start it a third time this morning. Here's to hoping it goes better today.

-2-

I have to keep a notepad nearby to jot down any thoughts throughout the week that I may use for 7 Quick Takes Friday. My mind seems to go absolutely blank when I sit down in front of the computer to write. The same thing happens on Facebook when I go to fill out my profile information. "Interests? What are my interests? Do I have any?" Ridiculous.

-3-

Blogger won't remember me. When I check the remember me box, I still have to enter my e-mail and password the next time I come back to make a post or check my blogs. Google remembers me just fine, so what's wrong with Blogger? If anyone has any insight, please share.

-4-

I've been following Flylady for about 3 years now, on and off. Lately it's been off, what with the expected disruptions to our routine that a newborn brought. But now that we're settling into a new normal around the house, I've been re-incorporating some of her ideas back into my housekeeping. I don't follow to the letter, but I can really live with the idea that a little bit of work every day is better than killing yourself cleaning like a crazy woman a couple times a month.

-5-

I want to strongly recommend this book: The Green Beauty Guide (here's a good review). Even if you're not heavily into organic buying (I'm not) and even if you just check it out of the library (I did, but I'm going to buy it soon), it has some very important information about how the beauty items you use can affect your health. If you are a parent, I must even more strongly recommend reading it.

-6-

Our little downtown bakery closed earlier this fall, and I'm still sad about it. They were so wonderful there, they knew us by name, and their breads were simply beautiful. Someone has since taken over who doesn't even bake, they have all their breads and pastries shipped in. I went in once since this new management and haven't gone back. It smelled like smoke in there, cigarette smoke! and he didn't even know what pumpernickel bread was! I said, "Brown bread, dark brown bread." "This is brown," he said, motioning to the wheat bread. Wheat! Wheat is nothing like pumpernickel and you run a bakery? Argh!

-7-

The good news is, we kept in touch with the lovely woman who made the cakes there. We've always gotten Rose's birthday cakes from that bakery, and when we learned they were closing, we made sure we asked Amy for her number. She is going to make Rose a blue cake. Rose has been hoping for a blue cake since right after her last birthday (her favorite color is blue). So it's going to be blue frosting with four white roses and some holly. I'm so glad.

7 Quick Takes

I finished a Christmas gift this morning.

***

I finished this a few weeks ago. Can you guess what it is? Is it a Batty Bat?

Nope, it's a cute little hat!

Unfortunately, everytime I've put it on him, it's made his eczema flare up. :( Maybe his skin will clear up by next winter, and he can wear it then. There's certainly enough room for growth.

***

It's a snow day today. I love being married to a teacher. We're supposed to go carolling downtown tonight, but if things don't clear up, well, I wouldn't complain if we got to have a night at home.

***

Rose had her very first Christmas program last night.

Her class did great! They recited a little piece about Mary and Joseph looking for a place to stay, and then they sang a song about Santa.

***

Some geek jokes:

How can you tell that a mathematician is an extrovert? When he talks to you, he looks at your shoes and not his own.

A neutron walks into a bar and asks the bartender, “How much for a martini?” The bartender says, “For you? No charge.”

If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the precipitate.

***

I've been feeling very nostalgic lately. I don't know if it's the season, or if it's because I've reconnected with some good friends on Facebook that I never thought I'd be able to find again, but I've been thinking a lot about how I used to be, how my life was, and how my life has turned out. It's a strange sensation, not unpleasant, but strange.

***

I always seem to forget in December that there's another month and more activities to follow after the holidays. In the past it hasn't been such a big deal. But Rose's birthday is on January 3, and having the family over is something that I don't like to throw together at the last minute. Somehow this year I have to start getting ready for that sooner.

This 'n' that, part III

One of my favorite bloggers occasionally has posts entitled "7 Quick Takes," and basically lists things that are on her mind as an exercise to post even when she doesn't feel she has material for a longer post. She's a brilliant writer, and her longer essays can be very thought-provoking or very funny, and often they are both. But I love her Quick Takes, and thought I'd borrow the idea for today.

Then I realized that I'd done it before, and called it "This 'n' that." Well, no wonder I liked the idea so much. So, while not as entertaining or well-written as Jen's, here's today's "This 'n' that."

...
I bought a new cordless phone yesterday. The old one had had it's battery replaced several times and the current battery (bought quite recently) was just not holding its charge for more than, oh, two minutes. It was a great source of exercise since when it would ring, I'd try in vain to press the answer button as the display flashed LOW BATTERY, drop it and dash up the stairs to the corded phone and, usually, miss the call. This happened at least four times a day. So the new one has charged for the recommended 20 hours and is all hooked in... and I'm sitting here waiting like a loser for someone to call me so I can try out my new phone. Why don't I call someone, you ask? Because I want to hear it ring!
...
Jamie has eczema and I feel so bad for the little guy, partly because of the itching, and partly because it took three visits to the doctor to nail down what the rash is. Poor little dude.
...
I am having a crazy busy week, but I think I've gotten done all the little tasks that I can get done at home. Everything else has to be done at church or school. Tomorrow happens to be the zenith (or nadir, if you will) of the activity -- a funeral, rehearsal with the school choir, and a harp gig all within 5 hours -- and guess what else? The moon will also be full. I'll be so glad when it's Friday night and Rachel and I are chowing down on Indian food.
...
I've been on Facebook for about a month now and I still am a little perplexed by it. I enjoy keeping up with my old friends, but I just don't understand a lot of the other things that go on in that site. I like the games, though.
...
I've been sneezing my head off today. I hope it's just allergies, as in addition to the funeral and harp gig, there's school Mass Friday and a wedding, too. I told you, crazy week.
...
Rose starts gymnastics tonight. I hope it helps her to become less clumsy than her mother.

This 'n' that, Part II

I'm at the bind-off of the first toe-up sock, and instead I'm sitting at the computer posting a blog entry. Why? Because I really want to use a tubular bind-off to make it nice and stretchy, and because I've never done tubular bind-off before, and it seemed like a great idea and check my on-line resources for guidelines (never mind that I've already got step-by-step instructions in a book on my bookshelf), and because I'm very easily distracted once I get on the web, here I am writing about why I should be knitting right now.

Hmm.

I got a call from MiniDisco while I was browsing. I had placed an order yesterday for a replacement remote for my MiniDisc player, and they were actually phoning to tell me they were out of stock for that remote and wouldn't get more in until Monday, so they wouldn't be able to ship my order until Monday. Now, I ask you, how great is that? I mean, today is Friday, and it wouldn't have been a big deal to me if they shipped it today or Monday, but they were thoughtful enough to let me know that.

I love my MiniDisc player. They're not very popular in the U.S., so anything I need to buy for it I need to order from MiniDisco. I was torn between buying it and buying an iPod for a long time. The iPod is sleek and cool and has a sweet interface, but the MD records digitally, and that was going to make it much more useful to me. That's how I was able to make the CD for the school choir. Record on the little unit, upload the sound into the computer via USB, edit, and burn a nice little keepsake. I also make rehearsal CDs for my adult choir with it. And a single 1 GB MiniDisc will hold up to 45 hours of music, either downloaded or ripped from my CD collection. The only thing I don't like about it is the software I have to use on my computer to transfer music to the unit.

On a completely different note, I was reading Real Simple magazine yesterday, and there was a question, "What was your most embarrasing fashion moment?" It got me to thinking. When I was a kid, and that includes my teenage years, I didn't know enough about fashion to realize if I was in fashion or out of it. Therefore, little embarrasment occured, since you have to know about your "error" in order to be embarrassed by it. But, my first year of college, "mall hair" was really big. In both senses of the word. (I've searched for images of this style, and I'm having a hard time finding one. This is why I need a scanner.) My roommate was much more knowledgeable than I in these matters, and she had humongous bangs (fringe) that, in that time, were just wonderful. She taught me how to achieve these bangs: first, comb hair spray through your bangs. Then, curl them up with a hot curling iron so that you have what looks like a sausage lying across your forehead, and spray them again. Let that sausage sit there for a few moments to set, then take a comb and, coming down from the top of the sausage, insert the teeth of the comb into the hair and twist your wrist back towards the top of the head. This usually resulted in a great globe of hair, which you then teased into more globularity (is that a word?), then sprayed it once again. Well, we did this every morning. One morning, I was sidetracked somehow between step 2 and step 3, and ended up heading to class with that sausage lying firmly along my forehead. I didn't realize I hadn't combed it into a globe until I had nearly left the dormitory, when, thankfully, I caught a glimpse of myself in the glass of the door. I ran back up three flights of stairs, shouted at Connee, "WHEN were you going to tell me my hair looked like this!?", and frantically started in with the comb. She hadn't noticed, of course, she'd never have let me go if she had, and we both had a huge laugh over it. In fact, she probably still remembers that. I should call her up to see if she does.

This 'n' that

I've been having some groggy mornings lately. The sun is up earlier now; it should be easier for me to get out of bed. Today I almost scooped coffee grounds into the toaster instead of the coffee maker.

...

I was knitting on Green Gable and watching T.V. and a commercial came on for a sleeping pill, I can't remember which one. Anyhow, there's a shot of a sleeping couple in bed under a blanket, and a giant pill floating above them, and the pill has two layers. The narrator is speaking about how one layer dissolves quickly to put you to sleep fast, and the second layer dissolves slowly to keep you asleep. While he is saying this, the first layer breaks up and sprinkles onto the bed, forming a second blanket, then the other layer does the same thing, forming a third blanket. And at the bottom of the screen, it says, "DRAMATIZATION." Good thing, because I thought maybe a giant pill did float above your bed and turn into blankets. ?!?

...

Rose loves to ride the carousel at Greenfield Village. She's been calling it the "horse-go-round" for a couple of months. Well, as of the last visit, she's realized it's not really called that, and now she's calling it the "carouself." With an f. Cutie pie.

...

Love,

Kim