Insert clever name here

New Address

2011-04-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

http://adventuresofatrailingspouse.wordpress.com/

and a new name. See you around!

An Unexpected Hiatus

2011-04-03T11:34:00.000-07:00

I have been busier than usual. We came back from Costa Rica, Lent started, the boys have been busy with music and sports, and so on.

I was going to post another installment of our trip, but I'm out of storage space for pictures on my blog. Now I need to decide if I should buy storage space for a "free" blog, or if I should move to another blogging program or something else. I like my blog because there's a lot of memories here, but I'm also kind of cheap.

What to do, what to do.

En el Rio Claro

2011-03-08T11:36:00.000-08:00

a post in pictures (Rio Claro is on the Osa)

Hiking in Tropical Rainforest

2011-03-01T21:35:00.000-08:00

We may not have known precisely where we were going,

but we had a good time hiking there.

Even tired, hungry boys.

When the end is this view, it's easy to keep on going.

The Second Day

2011-02-25T20:55:00.000-08:00

we flew to Drake Bay, to stay at Punta Marenco.

Wiz is ready for an adventure.

No one thought Game Boy was weird for drinking coffee at the airport. (Actually, we live in the PNW. I think everyone starts drinking coffee in middle school.)

We flew Nature Air. All of the airplanes have fabulous paint jobs.

The view from our cabina. The Pacific Ocean looks different compared to off the coast of Washington.

Two, sharp-toothed buzzards sitting in a dead tree were also spotted from our cabin porch. We didn't do too much the first day except go down to the beach and play in the waves and find seashells.

One of the nice things about the tropics is day and night lengths are pretty uniform. The sun came up at 6 ish and went down at 6 ish. It was nice to see a sunset (we don't see that many this time of year due to inversions) when we weren't too tired to enjoy them.

And that is our second day in Costa Rica.

So, We Went on an Adventure

2011-02-22T22:30:00.000-08:00

to Costa Rica--the four of us and The Collar's parents. Even though we'd flown on a red-eye, we still managed to wander around a bit the first day in San Jose.

These are Wiz, with the people who stood for freedom. He's pretty pleased that he wasn't much smaller than them.

A palm tree under a tropical sun.

Butterflies in the butterfly garden at the National Museum.

Another butterfly.

Monarch!

One of the stone spheres found in the Diquis Delta region.

The diameter of the largest sphere found. (Wiz is about 4'2" tall. Okay, yes, I use Wiz for scale. He doesn't grow as fast as his brother.)

Can you guess what this is?

A very ornate ceiling for a room we don't usually make ornate.

We didn't do too much that day (red-eye flight, plus one 6'4" tall person + the insomniac, meant no sleep for over 24 hours), but we did see the Mercado, and a few other places, such as the National Museum. We did much more after we slept a bit.

The Wiz Has a Hat

2011-01-29T21:16:00.000-08:00

I spent today avoiding real work.

Wiz has been asking for a snowboarder/ear flap hat for his cold ears (his Raynaud's bothers his ears so he wants hats that will cover them), after seeing my hat. He liked this yarn that was supposed to become mittens or something, so I cast on this morning. After reading the pattern, I realized that I didn't want to make it the way it was written. Hats should be knit in the round! Seams are itchy!

So I fudged it. I did it pretty well, too, and didn't have to rip anything out. I finished it before he went to bed. He likes it quite a lot, but wants me to wash it so it's softer. I think that I can do that.

Game Boy wants one too. But with shorter strings, please. I think I can do that too.

(Details for the knitters are found here.)

Stress Knitting

2011-01-18T12:03:00.000-08:00

Last week, Wiz had a hematology check up. Going to hematology is not favorite activity, and it is especially nerve-wracking when the weather isn't great and I'm driving in interesting road conditions. (This time, the pass was open on the way over, but one needed 4WD to be allowed to go over. When we reached the hotel, the desk clerk asked me if we'd been delayed by the avalanche control. We hadn't, and I'm very glad, because that takes a long time.)

Anyway, there's a lot of time involved in seeing the hematologist. I had not much to do in the hotel, so I knitted. I knitted a two pairs of mini mittens (the pink and green ones) so I'm getting a head start on Christmas this year. (I know, but this is better than making them all in November.)

While we were in the waiting room, I worked on the purse socks. We have about an hour wait after Wiz's blood is drawn before we see Dr. S. I finally finished these socks, which I started in August. I only worked on them while waiting, so maybe it took me awhile, but really, I just didn't have enough waiting room time.

I finally finished my Sitcom Chic, which I can't remember when I started it. I do still need to get a clasp for it, but everything else is finished. I'll get better pictures once I am finished with it completely.

So, yeah, for being stressed out? I did finish a lot of knitting because that's what I do when I'm stressed out. Silver linings and all that.

Protecting My Christmas Present

2011-01-04T14:30:00.000-08:00

This year for Christmas, The Collar gave me a Kindle. I hadn't gotten a cover yet, so I started looking for one. I found the directions to make one.

It can stand up on its own--so I can put knitting patterns on it. Or read while I do other things. It folds up very small. This one isn't perfect, but it does work. Now I can go out and find material that I really like to make one. (This is left over material from other things.)

Maisie's bored. Too much knitting and other things going on around here.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

from a person wearing a new hat. (Cast on yesterday, finished yesterday, will be worn tomorrow.) Davy was sitting on my lap when I used the webcam, so he's in the picture too.

Last year was an interesting one. It was a mostly good year for us, with one major exception, and even that turned out to be a good thing. (Wiz's decompression surgery for the Chiari malformation--scary surgery, but so worth it in the end.)

I'm hoping that this year is better for all. While last year was a good year for us, it was so tough for many. May it bring more good things for all.

Member of the Pack

2010-12-28T10:29:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, new members of the family are last minute, and unexpected but pleasant surprises. (We've had surprise new members of the family before, such as Lulu.)

This is Davy, the Boston Terrier. We found out he was going to come and live with us on Christmas Eve. The boys didn't find out until Christmas morning. They found out that he was coming because I put a picture of a Boston Terrier with the note "Merry Christmas from Davy. I'm coming to your house next week." It took them a little while to realize it meant we were getting another dog.

He's a bit hyperactive (he's been kenneled for a few weeks because his owner has become very sick), but that should settle down soon.

He does have a constant expression of OMG! on his face, but that is endearing.

This one isn't thrilled that he's here, but she's keeping an eye on him. Always. Her displeasure is lessening, and I think they will be just fine in a few more days.

A Christmas In Pictures

2010-12-25T19:33:00.000-08:00

Midnight.

7:00 am.

7:30 am.

7:35 am

8:30 am (it's not a gift, he just decided it was time to play the dulcimer)

Wiz's first MP3 player

Game Boy's Kindle (it'll come in handy in high school, right?)

Star Wars land speeder.

No other pictures of snoozing, watching movies, or eating dinner. All of those took place, but aren't the most exciting of subjects.

It was a lovely Christmas. We had a good time, and we enjoyed the day.

Now I'm tired.

Ready?

2010-12-24T15:59:00.000-08:00

New gift bags.

New pajamas

Camels wearing hats

A tree with presents starting to collect underneath its branches.

Tamales ready for dinner.
Church in 1 and a half hours.

I think we're ready.

Doing the SP Thing Again

2010-12-23T17:47:00.000-08:00

I got a box in the mail. The very best kind of box--one from a secret pal.

Everything was wrapped in great penguin wrapping paper.

There was a slug from Flushed Away for Wiz

and one for Game Boy. (A favorite movie of theirs--they used to sing the songs from it in harmony together.)

Left over yarn bits for more ornaments, including a pattern for wonderful tiny mittens,

with one even knitted up for me. (Aren't they adorable? There's something about small things that are just fabulous.)

A great hat pattern with the perfect yarn (sorry for the color--it just won't come out properly). I want to knit it and wear it and call it my own.

And a can of Cincinnati chili, which I put on the table at the Collar's place. He picked it up, and started drooling. I think he'll be having it for lunch soon.

All in all, a fabulous package from my Secret Pal, Michelle. Hopefully my downstream will like her package, too.

Pictures

2010-12-06T20:45:00.000-08:00

Curlycues on a hat

Mini-hats

Thanksgiving

2010-11-29T20:37:00.000-08:00

Hosted by pumpkin pike

pretty flowers

an early snow (see, the willows hadn't even dropped their leaves yet!)

and our hackberry tree.

Still sick. Working, but no energy left for anything else.

More Finished Objects

2010-11-18T14:51:00.000-08:00

I have now knitted 27 hat ornaments. I have gotten a little bored with plain, so I came up with this type:

little stranded hats, with an XO pattern. These two are the best ones.

I also finished Wiz's piano teacher's fingerless mitts. These are Monkey Fingerless Mitts, by Michelle Johnson. It's Dream in Color Rustic sock yarn, in Maple. These were fun to knit and I might knit a pair for me, too. (I don't think one can have too many pairs of fingerless mitts.)

Soon I have to pick up Wiz from his piano lesson, and I'll give these to her. I hope that she likes them!

And I'm Knitting

2010-11-13T14:11:00.000-08:00

but mostly I'm working, and going to meetings, and hanging out with the boys when the Collar has a meeting. I haven't managed to go to knit group (Game Boy now has youth group, and the Collar goes too), so Wiz and I are on our own then. Maybe next year?

Currently I'm knitting several things:

Sitcom Chic (I'm working on sleeve number one, but haven't knit on it for awhile because I'm doing this instead:

This is monkey mitt #1 for Wiz's piano teacher. I have begun the second one, and probably will get to the thumb gusset today. After that, I'm knitting hats and mittens for her daughters.

I am knitting this year's ornaments. Hats! Lots, and lots of hats. Above are 15 hats and I'll make at least 30. They are pretty fast knits, but I'm sure I'll be tired of them soon. They are very cute so far, and I'll still have lots and lots and lots of sock yarn left over. I don't know what I'll do when I run out of left over sock yarn bits. (Actually, can that ever happen?)

More Halloween!

2010-11-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

Game Boy's Pumpkin

Wiz's pumpkin had 4 faces, but they were hard to capture

Both of the pumpkins

Dynamite!

This year's skull meatloaf, a cheerful fellow.

Game Boy's cape, with the hood he added.

I need to write a real post. The boys are busy with music and sports. We're busy with life, the universe, and everything, and together we wind up with a crazy schedule. Now that winter's on the way, I might actually write more.

Halloween and the Like

2010-10-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year. Time for spooky-ish meatloaf

Bunnicula or a vampire bunny, woo!

and making Halloween costumes. Game Boy wanted a cloak, I had no pattern. Somehow we achieved a facsimile of a cloak. Not too shabby for pulling it out of the air.

I know, I'm boring lately. I've knitted a bit (shh, it's Christmas ornaments, but no one wants to talk about that!), and I've been running (not this week though), but can't seem to get my act together to write in the blog. I'm trying to, however.

Setting Down Roots

2010-10-09T18:01:00.000-07:00

We've been here 26 months now.

Once I read that someone was going to live as if she lived in her dream house. I've been trying to do that ever since. (I did work on the house in Richmond, but we moved shortly after I made that decision.) One of the ways I'm trying to do this is to make curtains, hang art, frame posters, and so on. I might even paint. Usually I only really do those things if we are getting ready to sell the house. This time, I want to do those things for us--so we get to enjoy our hard work. (Or my hard work--a lot of it falls to me to do.)

Of course, since I'm trying to pay off debt, I'm not spending much money on that. However, since I have been given lots of fabric as the BBFs find it at their house, I can do some of it on the cheap.

Exhibit 1. Curtains for the singleton windows in the living room. Fabric is obviously Indian, and it matches the drapes on the picture window(s). It also goes very well with the other decor in that room. (We could still use furniture in there, but at least it looks pretty.)

Happy elephants parading on the windows.

Exhibit 2. Heavier curtains for our bedroom. These are more for better privacy and better light blocking. I loved the other ones, but they just don't work keeping the light out. Maybe these will be better. There's still another window (our house has many, many windows), and I want to find something like a tapestry to put on it. It's behind our bed, and if I do this correctly, I can make it look like a picture instead of a window. And it will block more light. As the sun comes up in the summer at 4 am-ish, that would be wonderful.

Add these to cleaning the Harry Potter closet, I had a very busy and productive day.

Alpacas!

2010-10-02T11:11:00.000-07:00

We live close to an alpaca farm, Wheatland Alpacas. Last Sunday, they had an open house.

Baby!

Llama! (But no duck.)

This one had weird eyes, but seemed quite interested in us.

It was fun, and we had a great time looking at the alpacas. They sell all sorts of alpaca products, so I'm probably going to go buy Christmas presents there soon.

Pieces

2010-09-18T22:07:00.000-07:00

At one time, my heart belonged to me.

Then I met the Collar, and I gave him a piece. I felt he could hold it for me. We've been through a lot, the two of us.

After a long time (about 9 years of dating and being married) Game Boy arrived. I gave him a piece of my heart. He was small and too young, and it may have been a burden, but it went with him wherever he went. It goes with him as he travels through his life. I am not always sure where it is anymore.

And my heart lived with them, and with me, and we went to another adventure and the pieces of my heart were with them, and with me, and all was good.

After another little bit of time, Wiz was born. I wasn't sure he would make it (he seemed to be in a hurry for seeing our lovely little planet, and maybe to see other places too), but I gave him a piece. Again, it may have been a burden for one so young, but it went with him where ever he went. He takes it whenever he goes into an operating room, and he takes it with him on all his adventures.

We had many adventures, and my heart did it with me, and with my children, and with my husband. And thus my heart lives more with them than it does with me.

And now, the pieces of my heart are all together--mostly--but I see that they are going to go far. Game Boy is growing, and growing and showing us that he is going to spread his wings and fly from us. He's only thirteen, but the signs are there. Wiz has always traveled a different route than the rest of us--and he is also showing the signs of flying away.

And so a heart, that lived with me, now lives with them, too. It's hard when your heart lives with others.

I think it might be harder if your heart only stays with you.

How to Take Care of Baby

2010-09-08T21:43:00.000-07:00

Maisie adores stuffed animals, especially if they are Wiz's. Wiz finally gave one of his stuffed animals to Maisie, so she would stop stealing Wiz's lemur. Maisie's animal is a grey penguin chick, with a small squeaker in it. We call this Maisie's baby, because she cuddles it, protects it, and gets very upset if anyone takes her baby.

Of course, this means I steal the baby whenever she leaves it somewhere easy to find. And then I tease her with Baby. I do give Baby back, but that means that she must hide Baby from me and Lulu. (Everything gets hidden from Lulu.)

Tonight, she hid Baby on Game Boy's bed. Usually, Baby is stashed under the guest room bed during the day or under our bed at night. She'll crawl under there to make sure no one's harmed Baby.

Parenting would have been so much easier if I'd just stashed the baby under the bed. Who knew it could be so easy?

A Hat, and a Start

2010-09-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

I wanted an easy project to take with me while we were on vacation. The Sockhead hat fit the bill very well.
It's a nice, easy project. I like the way it looks, but not on me. It will have to find another home.

The last time I knit the Collar a sweater, it ended in disaster. (It felted, and I cried. The Collar might have too, but he never told me.)

So, I'm knitting him a sweater. This one is a heavily patterned sweater. I'm working on the back. I do like the way it's going so far. It's nice to have something where you can see it change. Miles of stockinette (such as the hat above) bore me to tears. Too bad that I like the way stockinette looks in sweaters and hats!

I've also started another sweater for me (red, of course), and I've got a pair of socks. There is a pair I'm going to rip (again!), but there is one pair that is chugging along quite nicely.

Red Sweater

2010-09-02T09:06:00.000-07:00

I knit a little sweater for myself recently. This is before buttons.

After I put the buttons on it. (It's hard to take pictures of yourself in a sweater.)

A view of the lacy pattern on the top.

The pattern is Hey Teach from Knitty. I made it a little bit longer than called for in the pattern, and it fits if I don't button it. (Well, I can button it, and it isn't tight, but it gaps on me. It looks fine open.) I've worn it a couple of times already, and it's just right for 60 degree days, which are starting to threaten.

It did not take me long to knit this sweater at all. Even better, I still have about two cones worth of the Lamb's Pride cotton fleece, so I can knit another sweater or two. I think I'll knit Sitcom Chic but with long sleeves rather than 3/4 sleeves.

(It doesn't matter that I have four red sweaters. One--if you are me-- can never have enough red sweaters.)

And Another Picture Heavy Post

2010-08-30T09:15:00.000-07:00

Heaven's Peak (from our campsite)

The boys in a hollow tree

Forbidding mountain

Another view of Heaven's Peak

Three Rogues

Butter won't melt

He made it up there on his own

A view from the middle

Lakes

2010-08-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

because, frankly, the Rockies are full of them. They are absolutely, positively beautiful, too. (See last year's Rocky Mountain National Park for the 2009 pictures.

St. John Lake

Avalanche Lake, from the foot

Avalanche Lake, from the head

Hidden Lake, from the overlook (and Bearhat Mountain)

Another view of Hidden Lake from the overlook

Hidden Lake, from the descent

Hidden Lake from the descent, again.

The sparkling waters of Hidden Lake, from the shore

Bearhat and Hidden Lake, from the shore

The other mountains (can't remember the name)

Wiz, contemplating Hidden Lake.

One of the things we seem to do is we choose hikes that go see water. This is true even here where water is not a common thing. We had a wonderful time.

Lake McDonald, where we canoed and swam.

Falling Water

2010-08-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

Sacred Dancing Cascade

Avalanche Creek

Glacier-fed waterfall into Avalanche Lake

St. Mary Falls

St. Mary Falls, again

Upper St. Mary Falls

Virginia Falls

We also saw

2010-08-24T12:30:00.000-07:00

while walking through the woods, a deer, who found the trail the easiest way to get where it was going.

There were a lot of marmots. This one apparently was utterly exhausted, and found a nice warm boulder a good place to snooze.

This one posed. Apparently the camera loves him, and he knew it.

We also saw, for the first time ever, big horn sheep. They were not as close to us, but we did get pretty decent views. The mountain goats were pretty fearless, but the sheep were more wary.

We did not see bears (which we never do--even when they are supposedly around where we are) but we did see long-tailed weasels, which are harder to find. The weasels were juveniles, and were having fun playing near where we were. The ground squirrels were not as amused as we were.

Wild Animals

2010-08-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

Last week, we were camping in Glacier National Park. None of us have ever been there (in fact, the males in this household had never been to Montana at all), so it was a new experience for all of us. It was a great place to see wildlife. Some of the wildlife was less wild than others. There were mountain goats close to (if not on) the trails. I'll have to make two posts of just wildlife pictures.

Mom and babies in the meadow above Logan Pass Information Center.

Different mom and baby at the overlook.

Mom leading the baby out. The babies were funny. If mom was too far away, they bleated continuously. You knew they were definitely goats!

This baby was beginning to grow its horns. Some of the babies were farther along than this.

Then there were the chipmunks. They were supposed to be wild. When we went to Avalanche Lake, we had an uninvited guest to our snack time. This chipmunk probably was only a few feet away from us. He'd come very close to us, and scurry around trying to steal crackers.

This chipmunk was even bolder. He went under our legs while we were sitting on the shore of Hidden Lake. He investigated the inside of my bag, then went over, put both paws on Game Boy's leg, and begged. I'm guessing that people are feeding the chipmunks.

When he realized that we weren't sharing, he ambled over to a log and put his back to us. Guess he showed us!

Tomorrow I'll talk about the other animals at the park.

Thirteen

2010-08-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

Last week, Game Boy hit an important milestone. He turned 13. It's hard to believe that once upon a time, he was a tiny baby who decided to come into the world four weeks early. A baby who did not believe in sleeping longer than one and a half hours at a time.

One who hated wearing hats and learned to remove them with haste.

One who learned to talk early, and now uses those mighty lungs to play trumpet.

Eventually, he started walking at eleven months. Now he's a tennis player and runner.

He's come a long way since he was that tiny, not-quite-ready baby from 1997. Happy Birthday, Game Boy. It's hard to believe that you are already 13. You aren't a little boy any more, and we're starting to see the glimmers of the man you'll become.

A Little Adventure

2010-08-12T15:37:00.000-07:00

We live in an area that is absolutely stunning. (If you don't like sage brush, you may not like it here. Luckily, we do like the desert.)

We haven't been geocaching for awhile, so we went for the first time in a long time. First we went to Sandpoint. While we were waiting to get a fix, the boys sat on boulders.

This is looking back toward Washington (we were in Oregon). The geology that defines southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon is obviously on display here.

Then we drove back to Washington, and stopped to look for one here. It's another place that I'm glad I went, but I don't think I can do it again. I am afraid of heights, and climbing up the trail was hard enough for me.

Two of the sisters. I wonder if the one that was turned into a cave is lonelier than these two.

A view from the top of the trail.

Another view.

It was good to get out and explore. We've driven by the sisters a few times, but never stopped. They are huge! I'm glad that we went. Next time, we may go to Hat Rock. There's so much to see here.

Keeping Myself Busy

2010-07-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

I like to make things. Some things I make take minutes (ice cream and other frozen stuff), some a few hours, and some days, weeks, or months. For instance, soon I'll be starting a sweater for the Collar. It will be heavily patterned, so it will take me months.

Now, I'm knitting a sweater for me. I started it last week (?), and am one pattern repeat from the neckline on the back. It's a really fast knit. I am sure that all the Knitty readers know what it is:

The yarn is much redder than the pictures. When it is finished, I'll take some shots outside.

This project took about 45 minutes. The fabric was supposed to be for pajama bottoms for Game Boy. Surprise! In the three weeks since I bought it, he grew and I would have needed another 6 inches of fabric to make him shorts in the length he wanted. He decided he wanted a pillow case instead. I still owe him a second pair.

The boys jointly picked out fabric for pajama bottoms. (Periodically, they both decide that they want to have the same clothes--and I'd always said I'd never have my kids wear the same outfit. Oh well.) Jungle print (not accurately portrayed) for both boys. Wiz is modelling his pair.

Then there's the second pair of Wiz's shorts--in all of their planetary goodness. He loves all things space. Now the boys have cooler pjs for the rest of the summer. I just need to drag the Collar to pick out fabric for his pj pants now. Wiz picked some out for him, but I'm not sure that is a good idea.

A little sun

2010-07-05T16:02:00.000-07:00

and a little rain and we get this:

Tomato plants, several of which now have outgrown their cages. Now if we'd see more fruit set, we'll be much happier with them.

The flower boxes are full.

Game Boy's melon plants are much bigger even since I took these pictures.

Wiz's strawberries have berries on them. Now the plants have filled in his entire earth box.

Adorable baby tomatoes, although we'll all like it better when they are not baby tomatoes and are nice and yellow little pear-shaped tomatoes.

Rainbow Chard, a family favorite.

Salad greens: many and multiple types.

I thought maybe some would like to see how Wiz's incisions look. He now has his summer cut so we can get an idea of how he'll look even next year. They are still pink, but very flat. He has a bald spot on the top incision, but the way his skull is shaped, the bottom one seems to be covered with hair all the time.

The bottom scar has a bit that will always peek out of his hair line. That's where they removed the outside part of his C1 vertebra. He thinks that they make him look cool.

Socks Of My Very Own

2010-07-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

I have this yarn. It's yarn that many knitters worldwide stalk as if it is a lion on the Serengheti. Me? I lucked into it. A friend (LittleMy) from Knittyboard sent it to me in a secret pal swap. I knit a pair of socks out of it and I wear them at least weekly in the winter. I had a lot left over, so I thought I'd knit another pair of socks. They needed to be special, so I looked for a pattern. I didn't find one. I looked through a stitch dictionary, and found this:

a pattern called lily. Here it is in yarn with decreases and yarnovers.

It looks better on my right foot, because that one is wider. (It's the one I broke back when we lived in Lexington.) The pattern opens up a little more.

On the bottom, is the view someone else will see when they look at my feet (hey, I have nerdy friends). I think it looks like a jelly fish (which is also cool). On the top, is how they look when I look at my feet. I do that sometimes, especially when I'm wearing hand knit socks. They make me happy.

I need to make some decisions about these socks. Do I enter them in the fair? Should I write up the pattern? Or shall I keep them mine, and mine alone?

Growing Things

2010-06-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

besides the boys, of course. (Game Boy is growing like crazy. His feet are officially bigger than mine now.) Knitting is sort of growing. I'm about 1/2 way through a bath mat and I'm half way through the lily pattern on the second sock.

All of these pictures are from a week ago. It's finally warmed up and the sun is out, and now there has been a ton of growth.

Roses and weeds make a fine bouquet.

The tomatoes are blooming.

This tomato plant was broken off at the ground by stupid fuzzy tailed rodents. I rooted the stem end and left the other part. Both parts are doing pretty well.

Greens!

Another tomato

Game Boy's earth box with watermelon and canteloupe.

Wiz's strawberries

Cilantro

My flower boxes are filling in nicely. These were all started with seeds and I'm starting to see flower buds.

Too Much and Too Lazy

2010-06-21T20:34:00.000-07:00

Well, that about says it.

We have been pretty busy since the boys finished up the school year. We've watched a lot of baseball and gardening. Game Boy is at the tennis academy this week, and both boys are either attending or working at vacation Bible camp. The Collar is up in Spokane at a training meeting. I've been riding my bicycle, I've started the couch to 5K (actually, the couch to 30 minutes!), and trying to keep Wiz busy. (Thank goodness for piano. He loves it.)

Yes, sounds about usual.

I have some pictures of the garden, but would have to go up and get the camera. As I said, I'm too lazy right now to do that. We are growing herbs, salad greens, rainbow chard, and tomatoes. I buried a potato, so I suppose that counts too. The boys each have their own garden (one of the volunteers gave me a couple of earth boxes) and Wiz is growing strawberries, and Game Boy is growing melons. Maybe tomorrow I'll upload the pictures.

Happy first day of summer! Maybe ours will finally show up.

Unmotivated

2010-06-12T14:14:00.000-07:00

I'll admit to being unmotivated to write blog entries. I'm not really sure why, though. I can't decide what to write. We've been busy (I always say that) and I've kind of tried to keep Wiz's medical stuff out of the blog this year (because I started a caring bridge page for him), twitter and facebook are faster and easier, and then I've just let two weeks go by and haven't written anything at all. Enough of that! I'll let you know what is going on here, now.

The last day we were in Seattle, Wiz and I went and found the Fremont Troll. He's large, and pretty neat to climb on. Wiz said it was fun, but he was not exactly the most fun part of the trip. That's fair--we did a lot, and we did just see this guy.

Walla Walla now has a wooden bat league (a place for college students to practice the skills they'll need if they go to the pros someday). We went to opening night. Wiz brought a glove, although he seems to think it'll be better if he wears it on his head.

Game Boy loves baseball. He's bound and determined to get a ball this year. We will go pretty often, so he does have a chance.

The Sweets lost, but we had fun watching any way.

I have been knitting some. Right now there is a bathmat in the works, three pairs of socks (one will be frogged because it's too small and two which I'm "designing"), and a stranded mitten. I really want to start a toddler sweater (for a girl--but I don't know why) and another shawl, because I'm wearing my shawls all the time right now.

This is one of the socks I'm designing. It is left over Wollmeise in Red Hot Chili, so it has a very short leg. The design isn't showing up terribly well, but it is a lily on the top of the foot of the sock. I need to start the second one, now.

Seattle and Wiz

2010-05-31T10:24:00.000-07:00

Wiz had follow up appointments in Seattle last weekend. He had an MRI on Friday morning, and a neurosurgical follow up on Tuesday. We drove over on Thursday and came home Tuesday evening. We had 3 and a half days of getting to explore Seattle.

We went to the zoo, and there was a meeting of the minds.

While he has grown (an inch!) since his surgery, he still fits pretty easily into a dinosaur foot print (Pacific Science Center).

Butterflies are always cool! (Pacific Science Center).

Look! (Space Needle)

Watching the music and light show in the atrium of the Experience Music Project.

Learning to play the drums on the drum kit (EMP).

On the whale (Seattle Center)

Cold, and wet on top of the Space Needle at sunset.

Playing in the tide pool at the Seattle Aquarium.

Olympic Mountains viewed from Elliot Bay (during our harbor cruise)

Seattle from the water.

Skyline view of Seattle, complete with the Space Needle.

R2D2 at the Science Fiction and Fantasy Museum.

So Green

2010-05-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

and so beautiful around here right now. We keep getting flashes of spring/summer here, and maybe it is finally ensconsed. I've been doing lots of gardening, but more cycling.

Today I rode out Middle Waitsburg Road. I didn't go all the way to Waitsburg (it's 20 miles from our house), but I did go out twelve miles. This is the turn around.

This shows how high the wheat is already. Even if it has been cold this year, it is still growing well. The red barn spoke to me.

Some fields aren't planted yet

but most are. It was a good way to spend the morning.

40 Is Busy

2010-05-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

or it has been so far.

Since my birthday, I've been to Spokane (COM Meeting), the farmer's market opened, I've made ice cream three times, the Bishop came down, we had the Balloon Stampede, I've ridden almost 90 miles, and have done the usual things. OH, and The Collar also turned 40.

I haven't had as much free time this year, and when I do, I have so many things I want to do. The blog gets dropped, because it's easier to update twitter or facebook than it is to write a coherent post. I'll stop now, and let you see some pictures of the balloons from this weekend. All of these were taken Sunday morning, from our back yard. We are right in the flight path, so we had them going over early in the morning.

And for those of you who don't know: balloons are loud. Seriously. Those burners make a lot of noise.

Finishing

2010-04-21T17:12:00.000-07:00

Today is a day for finishing things.

I finished Game Boy's new knucks.

I finished curtains for our bathroom.

I finished this very long trilogy (over 1300 pages of fiction.

And tonight I'll be finishing my 30s.

Tomorrow is for starting: new projects, new decades, other new things.

A Love Affair

2010-04-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

One of the things that has surprised me is how visceral my love for where we live now has been. I've lived in a variety of places: Kansas City, Sarasota, Lexington (KY), Madison County (KY), and Sewanee, TN. There have been things and places that I love about all of them, but somehow Walla Walla trumps all of that. When I am out riding, there is always something that takes my breath away (and I'm not talking about riding up the hills).

I rode out of town (easy enough) and went toward Oregon. As I rode down Cottonwood, I could see the mountains with their snowy summits and the green moving its way up from the valley through the foothills. As the altitude decreases, the green becomes deeper and deeper. Spring, with all of its promise, is here. Everything is new and green (soon we'll have shades of gold and brown, with the deep blue sky looking over it all) and it's easy to see why some of the pioneering people stopped here instead of pushing to the coast and said, "This is home."

I agree: This is home. My home, and some days I am amazed that I have the privilege of living here.

Word Clouds

2010-04-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

from here.

What to do

2010-04-08T11:50:00.000-07:00

when concentrating is hard.

The really big clapotis

It covers most of the hammock

The clapotis (pattern on Knitty.com) I started the day before Wiz's surgery. I messed it up, though. I added 6 extra increase repeats. I had to buy more yarn, and I knit only 9 straight repeats. It's warm, and huge, and almost a blanket. It was just complicated enough to be interesting, and not too complicated that I'd mess it up while working on it at the hospital. I wove in the ends the morning before Wiz went back to school for the first time. (I used Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Moondance and knitted it with size 7 needles. Really lovely yarn.)

Swirly socks for the Collar

On the drive over to Seattle, I finished these socks for the Collar. I mostly worked on them in waiting rooms. (Serenity Sock Weight in Picasso Marble--just simple easy stockinette socks.

skinny cozy made with super bulky yarn, so the heavy skinny cozy

Before we went over, I knit this. I have no idea why. I'm not sure it even has much use! But now, I can concentrate again, so I've started this:

Stranded mitten. Complicated knitting is available to me again.

You Think You've Seen Snow?

2010-04-01T22:55:00.000-07:00

Mount Ranier, March 2010.

Yes, Game Boy is in shorts. He usually is. I have other battles to fight.

Zoo!

2010-03-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Wiz's being sprung from the hospital, we went to the zoo. We rented a wheelchair (which gave me a serious workout--who knew they could be so hard to push?) so that Wiz could see the animals and not become too tired. It's a really nice zoo. Wiz and I used to go to the Cincinnati zoo after all of his appointments at CCHMC, so it was nice to revisit that tradition.

It was a little rainy, and a little chilly, but having fresh air was so worth it. We'd all been in the hospital for so much time that being able to walk around and see something different was wonderful. I'll just let the pictures tell the story.

The giraffes were inside their enclosure, but when we walked by, they came out and watched us. When we left, they went back inside!

Seattle Aquarium

2010-03-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

Last week we were in Seattle for Wiz's surgery. Monday afternoon was completely busy with pre-surgery appointments, but we had the morning free. One of the things we try to do is make these sorts of days balance: some unpleasant activities, but some pleasant things too. We went to the Seattle Aquarium with both of the boys. Game Boy and the Collar had never gone, but Wiz and I had. It's a really neat place. There are all sorts of Pacific creatures: fish, birds, aquatic mammals.

Game Boy took a lot of video. He decided it would be part of his homework for science class.
We saw lobsters (this one's particularly pretty)nudibranchs (because they are cool)

and a very annoyed looking bird. We had a good time--and the boys had a better day. When Wiz was released, we went to the zoo (we rented a wheelchair). However, that will be another post.

Where Was I?

2010-03-06T09:50:00.001-08:00

I've been sick and busy. Whee! There's a lot to do to get ready for surgery for a kid. It's amazing how much there is to do. Find things for him to do, find things for his brother, make him new pajamas--so much to do and so little time.

I decided that stranded knitting is probably not the best idea at the moment. I kept messing up the pattern, so I am putting it aside for a bit. I made a giant rectangular thing using super bulky yarn and the Cozy stitch pattern. There isn't a good picture of it yet. I really need to block it better.I sewed a pair of pajama bottoms for each of the boys. Wiz's are monsters (very happy monsters)

and Game Boy's are owls. I have fabric to make each one another pair, but I don't think I have time right now. Today is preparing to go to Seattle for an extended period of time. I won't be updating here much (I'll be using Wiz's carepage for the surgery stuff) but I'll post short updates via twitter and facebook.

(We have a housesitter, so don't worry about the house being empty.)

Wiz is 9!

2010-02-27T11:06:00.000-08:00

He is more and more interesting every day. His skills at building legos are becoming so much better. He build the ship without anyone's help. I think it's a first for him.
He had a Pirates of the Caribbean ice cream cake. (There is still some left, unbelievably.)
He has also decided that rollerblading is the best thing ever. He's been going out and doing this almost every day. He wants to be a speed skater.

Happy Birthday, Wiz. Enjoy your last year as a single digit!

Mardi Gras

2010-02-20T16:34:00.000-08:00

or Pancake Day, if you are so inclined.

Our parish's youth group does this as a fund raiser. After everyone who can eat pancakes is full, we have the No-Talent Show. This year, the little kids sang (no picture) and the older kids did the Spam sketch from Monty Python and played when "The Saints Go Marching In".

Game Boy decided at the last minute to play "Spiderpig" on his trumpet. The Collar played his dulcimer.

Jokes were told, and everyone had fun.

Next up is Wiz's 9th birthday, which was yesterday. I have sewed some pants for the boys and have been generally busy. Everything's copacetic.

Date

2010-02-16T20:53:00.000-08:00

Wiz has a surgical date. He'll be having his surgery on March 9 and will be in the hospital for about 5 days (hopefully).

I'm not going to write much about his surgery here. I've set up a caring bridge page for him, and most substantial updates will be through there. I'll be tweeting (which will update facebook too) short notes.

Back to your regularly scheduled goofiness.

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T19:18:00.000-08:00

and Chinese New Year!

Valentine's isn't my favorite holiday most years, and this year it's even more so. I'm not feeling all that celebratory this year. Last week was really busy, Friday's the Wiz's birthday and we're still in waiting mode. The boys received chocolate from G&G, and all three of the males in my life gave me chocolate. I made them meatloaf. (See above picture--they thought it was funny.)

But I do love secret pal sorts of things, and Valentine's is a great excuse for one of those. My secret pal was sent gifts in those bags that I made last week (yarn, cocoa and candy, natch!), and yesterday I came home from my meeting in Spokane to a package from my spoiler, Sandykins.

She sent me two knitted gifts: an illusion heart washcloth made of the softest yarnsoap in a knitted cover that will felt as I use the soap (the soap smells really nice, too).Of course, it's a knitty swap, so there will always be unknitted yarn too. Sandykins sent me a stranded mitten kit from Sweden (the instructions are in 4 languages, none of them English. However, one is German, so I have a chance to translate it. ) in grey and white. I love knitting mittens and socks. Almost everyone needs them, and they are pretty fast. This pair will be beautiful when I am finished.

Thanks again, Sandykins! I haven't sampled the chocolate, but it is hidden from the horde. It made my weekend.

Game Boy is Awesome

2010-02-12T10:00:00.001-08:00

Yesterday afternoon, Game Boy's school called. We were invited to come to the Academic Awards assembly at 8:15 because Game Boy was receiving one of the three 7th grade awards (there are three per grade for Respect, Responsibility, and Doing the Right Thing). Of course we went. He earned the award for Doing the Right Thing, because he doesn't get into trouble, he's on time, does his work, and tries to include everyone. He's quite pleased, and we are really proud of him.

The Jazz Band also played. He got to play his solo again, but the highlight was playing Ozzie Osbourne's "Crazy Train". It was really funny to hear a middle school band playing that. They were pretty good, though. Once The Collar gets his video up, I'll try and embed it here.

Closer

2010-02-10T21:30:00.000-08:00

to a surgical date. (Wiz and I are trying to have fun with the whole situation. Like the button?)

Wiz and I went over the mountains and through our meager snow (Washington isn't going to be pretty this summer. Snow pack is where we get our water in the summer.) to Seattle for his pre-op visit. It went well--we cracked up his neurosurgeon several times. He especially likes the button. The neurosurgeon(s) want to consult with Wiz's hematologist, but we are scheduling surgery. He's been having some symptoms.
We always stop at the rest area past Yakima. We couldn't *quite* see Ranier, but we did have some good views. It was really warm on the trip over. I like the snowy mountains with the desert views. There's a sign on the highway between the Tri-Cities and Yakima that says it's a Washington Greenway. It has never been green when I've gone through. See the foreground? That is pretty much everything we see from Ellensburg to Walla Walla.

Seattle was pretty when we arrived (today it was chilly and wet just like the rest of the state) so I took a few pictures from our cousins' porch. They have a view of the Space Needle (Wiz is still obsessed) and the sunset was amazing yesterday.

Spring is definitely on its way. There were flowers blooming in Seattle (a few in our area too--but it's just crocuses here.)

Weekend Busy-ness

2010-02-07T21:32:00.000-08:00

The Collar has a new hobby: he's knotting a prayer rope. He has been working on this for a few days. It's a pretty complicated knot. He wants to make 100 knots--currently he is at 57.

I've been knitting a few things. I finished one of the carry around and knit while waiting socks for the Collar. The colors spiral around the leg and foot. I've started a second sock, and it appears that it will be similar spirals.

I've started another pair of mittens. See?

I've also been sewing bags again. These ones are sort of lined and aren't drawstring at all, but I like the way they look. They'll work well as small project protectors.And finally, a gratuitous picture of the boys. Wiz had quarters, and spent them on mustaches out of a quarter machine. Game Boy seems to like his way too much.

All in all, it was a quiet but busy weekend. I made things, and did laundry, and we watched the Superbowl. Game Boy watched all of it except for the half time show (he wanted to know why the bad singers were on) and Wiz is thrilled because football is over until fall. He doesn't like to watch football.

This week will be busy. On Tuesday, Wiz and I head up to Seattle for his pre-op appointment. After that, I have a meeting in Spokane. The blog is kind of dull right now--I'm working and Wiz has had a lot of medical things going on. With all of the dull weather (grey is so not my color), we haven't had any real adventures. Maybe as spring shows up, we'll be out and about more.

And a correction: the fabric for the curtains is from India, not Ethiopia. The theme of the room will be places the Collar's family have been/lived, which is still not early American garage sale. Ha!

Quick and Easy

2010-01-31T16:24:00.000-08:00

makes me feel as if I'm accomplishing things.

Our family room is really, really dull. The Baseball fanatics sent me some fabric that they brought back from Ethiopia. Some of it became curtains Saturday.
When we have a chance, we are going to frame the Ethiopian posters and hang them up down there. A room with a theme and it isn't early American garage sale.

Wiz picked out a cotton/wool blend yarn in pinks and purple and asked for a hat to wear after his surgery. It had to be a bit loose, not itchy, and cover the back of his head and upper neck where his incision site will be. I asked my friends over at Knittyboard for ideas and showed him the patterns. He picked this one.

It was an easy and fun knit. It worked very well with the yarn he chose (Sierra Quatro: a pima cotton/wool blend) and it was easy to down size for him. He is quite happy with it. I hope that it will do the trick!
Pattern: stella's hat by Melissa LaBarre
Yarn: Sierra Quatro in colorway 86
Needles: size 6 circular and dpns

Mods: Knit on smaller needles and shortened the body of the hat to fit a small boy. That's pretty much it!

It took me very little time. I started on Thursday and finished on Sunday.

TWO FOs

2010-01-24T17:08:00.000-08:00

Here we are, the last week of Januray, and I have actually finished 2 items. (Actually, 4 because mittens come in pairs. )
The first are the lovely Annemor #4 from Selbuvotter: Biography of a Knitting Traditon, by Terri Shea. You'll see a lot of these, because I've joined a knit-a-long for the patterns out of the book. So far, one pair down. 11 to go.

These were knit for Game Boy. Warm, toasty mittens, with dogs on them. The pattern had a flower on the end, but it was too long for him, so I dropped the flower. He really seems to like them. If he'll wear them, I can't say. We shall see.

The other finished object is Jasmine, for the sister who comes right after me in the birth order. I'd knit for my other sisters, so it was her turn. She chose the color. I used Bamboo and Ewe yarn from Jo-Ann's. It is pretty soft, and not bad to knit with at all. I hope that they fit her.
This picture is a better representative of the color and the mock cable cuff. The one below shows the entire set.

The next project is a hat for Wiz. He'll be having part of his head shaved and he'll have an interesting scar, so he wants a hat. On our last trip to Seattle, we went to Acorn Yarns. I'm not usually a retail therapy sort of person, but we wanted to get a little fresh air, and it's a couple of blocks from our cousins' house. Wiz picked out this yarn: Cascade Yarns Sierra Quatro. If there's enough left over, I'll be knitting him a pair of fingerless mitts.

I'm almost to the heel on the Collar's first sock. One more inch--I only knit them while waiting for other things (like listening to Wiz's reading, sitting in waiting rooms, etc.) so I'm doing pretty well on it. No pictures yet, but the color patterning is pretty amazing.

A Winter's Walk

2010-01-18T17:51:00.001-08:00

Today is MLK, Jr. Day, and all of us were off work or school. It's not usual for us to have that opportunity, so we took advantage of it. The weather cooperated, too. It was somewhere in the 60's today, so we went off to the park with the dogs in tow. (It's still winter--see the snow on the mountain?)
There weren't as many birds around today, but we did spot this pair of ducks.

I'm always last, because I take pictures. Of course, it means I take pictures like this. Lulu is some where ahead of us but here are all the boys and Maisie.

The water sparkled today--the sun may not be out for long (but it's out longer EVERY day), but when we see it, it's spectacular. With few clouds, and the sun, the sky is that intense blue I remember from last spring. I've really missed that blue.
Even when the earth is fallow, you can see the beauty of this place. The fields are waiting for spring, and the mountains are still in their winter mode. Spring is coming, and after today, I can actually believe that.

Pictures courtesy of the new camera. I love it.

Other news:

We still haven't heard about Wiz's biopsy results. I expect that this week. I'm trying not to think about his upcoming surgery. I'm saving the Bearfoot yarn for while he's in the hospital. Maybe.

I'm halfway finished with a pair of mittens for Game Boy. I'll try to take pictures soon. I'm also working on socks for the Collar (which look really strange) and a pair of fingerless mitts for my sister (one is completed, one is halfway finished).

Oh, and I did knit some Christmas presents. I'll tell you which things were presents next time.

Starting Off With a Bang

2010-01-07T11:04:00.000-08:00

Wiz had several doctors' appointments in Seattle this week. We drove over Sunday, and met one of my knitty friends for lunch. Wiz wasn't feeling well, but it was nice to meet one of my virtual friends.
Monday was only one appointment. We saw the neurosurgeon, who will be doing Wiz's surgery. While we waited, he drew random dots on the whiteboard, and then drew a picture. This was serious to him.
This is the orca and her baby that we see every time we go to the hospital. Wiz loves this. He wants to count all of the faces in the two orcas.One thing he has always wanted to do is to go up into the Space Needle. We finally had time. It wasn't the best day to go up (rainy, foggy, and cold), but we went up anyway. It was really neat to see Seattle from up there. It's probably better on days that aren't cold, rainy and foggy, but we had fun.

The fog was actually a bit better after the sun went down, and we saw this when we were wandering around Seattle Center before we headed for dinner with a couple of my college friends.
We also saw this fountain in front of Key Arena. Wiz thought it was beautiful and amazing. The water was coordinated with music. He wants to go and watch it again.
Tuesday was all appointments, all day. He was exhausted after it was over.

The weather was clear and sunny on our way back. This is part of the Stuart Mountains that we saw from the rest area between Cle Elum and Ellensburg.
I've been trying to find something wonderful in all of these trips for medical appointments. This one was particularly good.

A Good Beginning

2010-01-01T17:15:00.001-08:00

We had warmer weather and sun today. We took full advantage of this fact, and went to Pioneer Park with the dogs. I took the new camera.

We always wander around the aviary. The birds were pretty busy today.
While the sun was out, the views were their usual stunning selves. Now I have a camera that can capture it better, too.

It was a lovely wander. By the time we made it back home, the clouds were back and the rain started.

Occupo lumen! Especially when you live pretty far north.

Good Bye, 2009

2009-12-31T11:47:00.000-08:00

You turned out to be a pretty good year.

We didn't move.

We did sell a house.

I started a new job.

The boys are doing really, really well.

The Collar still loves being here.

To all who didn't have a great 2009--May 2010 be a better, happier year for you.
For those who did have a great 2009--May 2010 be more of the same.

December 09

2009-12-22T09:49:00.000-08:00

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December 2009

We have had another busy few years.

Last year, The Collar accepted a call to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Walla Walla, Washington. In July, we moved from Richmond, Kentucky . We were able to visit Kate’s family in the Kansas City area on our way to Walla Walla. It was a long trip, and we learned a few things: the West is a beautiful place (even better than Kate remembered from a family vacation in 1976), the boys get along surp

risingly well in the car, travelling with a zoo is tricky, and Twin Falls, Idaho is a favorite place to visit.

Once we settled into our new home in Walla Walla, we began to explore our new home. Walla Walla may be small, but there is a lot to do. Between wineries and outdoor activities, we are constantly busy. When school started, our new lives began in earnest. Last year, Game Boy began middle school. He began to play the trumpet and made a lot of new friends. Wiz began second grade at his new school. Both did well, and are continuing

to do so. We also experienced an unusual winter for Walla Walla. There was a lot of snow. For the first time, the boys were in a snowfall that they remembered that was more than an inch deep!

This year has been one of beginnings and endings.We sold the old house in Kentucky. The Collar continued in his ministry at St. Paul’s. Kate has stopped teaching online and has begun a new job as manager of a food bank. Game Boy has started jazz band and played basketball (where did we go wrong? :D) and is a generally busy seventh grader. Wiz has begun to play piano and is enjoying third grade.

The Collar's Parents parents visited in June. We had a wonderful time. All of us went to the Olympic peninsula together (Sequim) and saw glaciers, Pacific beach, and Hoh Rainforest. We also saw a Mariner’s game, and Game Boy was able to see his favorite player play again (Ken Griffey, Jr.). It was an amazing trip. The boys want to go again.

In July, we went to Kansas City for Kate’s parents’ 40^th anniversary. We saw a lot of family that we don’t often see. It was wonderful. We stayed at Kate’s sister Maggie’s home and the boys had a wonderful time playing with the cousins. On our way back, we spent a day at Rocky Mountain National Park and went to Shoshone Falls in Idaho..

Wiz has been doing relatively well this year. He finally saw a neurologist due to his severe headaches. He has been diagnosed with migraines that we are trying to control. Because of his symptoms, he has had an MRI of his brain and spinal cord. We did find a problem, but it’s not serious at this point, and it has nothing to do with his migraines. In the new year, he has an appointment with a neurosurgeon to discuss treatment options (which could range from nothing to watchful waiting to surgery) and he will have his annual bone marrow biopsy. We are grateful that he hasn’t had any severe illnesses this year.

We hope that everyone has a blessed Christmas season and has a wonderful new year.

Love from The Collar, Kate, Game Boy, and Wiz

P.S. Maybe next year Kate will have a tripod so she can be in pictures too.

What's New In Pictures

2009-12-19T18:20:00.000-08:00

and a bit of text.Woo! New bicycle. (Game Boy has adopted my Kona Dew. I need a bicycle to ride around town. Therefore I bought this.)

New hair color--really red in the light. More subtle when it's not.
And new glasses. With new lenses. Aren't those ear pieces fabulous?
Meatloaf, striped hat shape. It was quite nice.

In other news, we shed a few things around here. We SOLD THE HOUSE. After 18 months on the market, it finally sold. We are so relieved. It was a good house, but it needed to be someone else's good house. Now it is, and two families are having happier Christmases because of it.

I also have turned in my last set of grades for the forseeable future. I just couldn't keep up with two "part-time" jobs, so I gave up my teaching job. It will be better for me, because I won't be as busy as I was. It will be better for all of us.

Sometime next week I'll do an end of year wrap up. Maybe. Who knows? I certainly don't.

New Nephew!

2009-12-05T13:37:00.000-08:00

Which means, of course, baby knitting. I knitted him a blanket. I wanted to use richer colors, and all of these are named for food. I've been referring to it as the foodie blanket.
This is the button that I chose to sew to the blanket for the attachment loop (aka attach it to carrier, the stroller, whatever, so it doesn't get lost loop). Dream seems like a nice sentiment for a baby. This is the softest blanket ever. I hope that E loves it, and it gets dragged around and tattered like a good blankie should.

Welcome to Earth, E. It's pretty nice here.

What I've Been Up To

2009-11-28T14:12:00.000-08:00

Working, mostly. In two weeks, I'll turn in my last set of grades, and I'll only have one job. This will be a relief. I have two part time jobs, both of which really aren't. It will be good to have less juggling! (O, hai, free time. I miss u.)

Wiz has been to the doctor a lot this month. We saw the neurologist, the hematologist, the gastroenterologist, and the cardiologist this month. Neurology will want to see him again (unless the neurosurgeon needs to see him/do surgery), hematology and gastroenterology are pretty much permanent, and cardiology has signed off. Wiz has no heart problems. WOOHOO!

I've been knitting little things. First, I've knit 20 ornaments:I've knit a tam/beret.
Bottom of the beret. The brim. The top. (Mountain Colors, Weaver's Quarters in Sagebrush, which seems appropriate, since we are right on the edge of sagebrush habitat.)

I've knit a pickle. (This is for a tasteless, silly ornament exchange. I think it fits the bill.)
Finally, Game Boy made a boat out of duct tape (and got a hair cut). I think that the boys will both get duct tape in their stockings this year. There is just so much fun out of a roll of it.

New Frames

2009-11-21T17:02:00.000-08:00

Not a planned purchase, but completely necessary. I think I like them. I know I like seeing.

Now it's November

2009-11-07T15:35:00.000-08:00

and I have more pictures. Right now, weekdays are really busy. I haven't felt like blogging because I'm tired of doing anything much on the computer.
We had our usual skull shaped meatloaf--later than usual but we had it.

We had the first Saturday in forever when we didn't have any place we needed to be. So we went to Rook's park.
We saw a Great Blue Heron, who seemed to like to pose.
Wiz wasn't actually annoyed at this point. Maybe he was--I had just told him that it wasn't bamboo, but horsetails on the bank.Here are all three of the guys.

And here are the Blues, from town. That is snow up there. It seems to fall, then it melts, and it comes back. I don't mind the snow--if it's up there.

Halloween! and other things

2009-11-01T21:08:00.000-08:00

Um, bad blogger here.

I started a new job. Did I tell you? Between that, the courier job and the teaching online gig, I've been a wee bit busy.

We had Halloween (and a party at church) complete with pumpkin carving. The Collar made the famous kitty litter cake (I've never been so glad to have an excuse not to eat gluten), and the kids (and me!) carved pumpkins. (Mine's the spider, Game Boy's is the one with the saw sticking out of the head and the tongue, and Wiz's is bottome left.)

Game Boy also carved one at a birthday party. Blades in the head are apparently this year's theme.A blurry picture of my jack-o-lantern, all lit up.

Game Boy is playing basketball this year (and I avoided even seeing Kentucky play when I attended) and he's in jazz band (someday I'll send you to the link of his concert). Wiz is in crazy medical time (this month, so far: neurology, hematology, and cardiology--January already has a neurosurgery appointment), and I'm busy with the new job. The Collar is ALWAYS busy. I suppose we have no time to get into trouble.

I'll try to post more often. It's been a crazy time this year.

Legos For Dinner

2009-10-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

Meatloaf, again. (This ground beef seemed fattier than usual, so the pre-cooked picture is better.) Both the boys love legos, so, what better kind of meatloaf than a lego brick?

I finished a present for my niece K. Poor K. I sent two sets of fingerless mittens to her house, for her sister. Well, one pair wound up her brother's so she was left out. This pair is just for her. The picture doesn't show it, but there's a slightly sparkly thread in the yarn, so I think that they are perfect for her.

This morning I started another ornament. I think if I can make at least one a week, I should be doing all right by Christmas. They don't take long, but I really want shorter needles.

Time to fold the laundry. I won't have time later this week.

Saturday Sum Up

2009-10-17T13:09:00.000-07:00

It's been extremely busy around here. It doesn't seem as if I am doing very much, but when I blink, it's already the weekend. I know I've been saying this a lot, but it's always true!

This week was full of busy. I've been applying for jobs (I want something steady and that I can count on), and it finally paid off. I am going to start as the manager of a food bank close to home. One of the things I've become interested in due to my own dietary issues and to feeding Wiz, is food security. The food bank will allow me to work to help others who don't have that, have a bit more security in knowing where their next meal will come from. As the boys have gotten older, I've really wanted to do something that will make a difference in the world. I hope that this will make a difference in my little corner. I'm really excited about it.

The Collar is at convention and spent the week setting up a demonstration about resources for it. He's giving this seminar 3 times this weekend. He'll be back on Sunday afternoon.

Wiz's MRI results have come back. He has some issues, but hopefully they will be something that is monitored rather than corrected. I am not happy that there were abnormalities, but I'm trying to see this as a good thing to catch, rather than just bad news.

And I've been knitting. Lots. I finished the spumoni socks. They are soft, comfortable, and cheerful.
I'm knitting my niece a pair of fingerless mitts. I'm done with the cuff on one, and just need to add the thumb and weave in ends on the other. They are kind of sparkly, so K should just love them.
When I really want to finish something quickly, I've been knitting Christmas ornaments. This year, it's tiny little socks. (It takes about an hour to finish one.) I am going to buy myself a set of 4" dpns because of this:Yes, it's really annoying to have these long needles to deal with when I'm knitting such a tiny thing. Besides, I want to knit gloves, and fingers are about as small.
That's the Saturday Sum Up.

Good Bye, Summer Food

2009-10-12T18:50:00.000-07:00

We've had a couple of freezes. Saturday I picked all the rest of the basil (about a gallon bag) and tonight's dinner featured basil. The tomatoes are the last from a friend's garden.
Dinner tonight:
Caprese Salad, Pesto and Pasta (corn/quinoa), and Italian sausage. So good, and so seasonal.

Reminders

2009-10-08T19:03:00.000-07:00

The Wiz had an MRI today of his brain. It was both with and without contrast, so it took a while. Because he's a wiggly little boy (46 pounds--the nurse weighed him because she hoped I was wrong, but nope, I was right) he needed general anesthesia, so it took a bit longer than it might have otherwise.

When he woke up, I reminded him he couldn't have breakfast to which he responded that he knew, because he'd done this before. We drove the 5 minutes to the hospital (shortest hospital drive for us EVER).

We arrived at 6:30. We checked in and he helped give out his information: full name, birthdate, and so on. He knew exactly what they were going to ask, and just started answering the questions. We sat for about 5 minutes before we went back for his prep. The nurse would tell him he's brave, and he informed her that he was used to it. He told her his memories of other times he'd had anesthesia.

I'm really amazed that he did nothing when his IV was inserted. Usually he screams bloody murder, but he did very well. He chatted with the anesthesiologist about how HIS hospital was better than this one, but this one was okay. (His hospital is still Cincinnati Children's--even though we go to Seattle Children's now.) Even without his ADHD meds this morning, he was pretty self-possessed and able to carry on a conversation that the rest of us were also in on. It's times like these when I see how mature he can be. Medical tests and hospitals always bring that out in him. At the same time, he was clutching a stuffed animal. He's really not that grown up.

After he went to MRI, I went out to the waiting room. The Collar had two parishioners (Wiz is his most frequent hospital visit) at same day surgery so I got to talk to him too. It was nice to have someone to talk to while waiting. He couldn't stay the whole time, but I was happy to see him. He stayed about a half hour with me, which was great. I knitted the whole time I was waiting for Wiz to go to recovery. I knitted quite a lot of a sock:
My finger is on the spot where I started this morning. I have about 25% left and I'll have a new pair of socks. Waiting room knitting is always productive for me.

Finally, after nearly 2 hours, I went back to recovery. He was trying to wake up, and giving us all palpitations because he kept trying to get up before he had muscle control. He also kept trying to talk to us, which is new. He'd never tried to talk to me before he was fully awake. His waking up process took a pretty long time--at least an hour after I went back.

He was happy though--he was given a couple of toys, allowed to eat cookies, and he and I went to breakfast (Coffee Connection Cafe--his choice) and we were back home at noon. It's been a quiet day since.

Now I need to get cracking on his other medical stuff for this fall. We have all his Seattle appointments to set up.

After that, I can pretend he has normal health for awhile. Denial can be useful.

Keeping Busy

2009-10-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

It's fall, the boys are in school, I'm teaching, and we are always, always busy. The grapes are ripening and the leaves are starting to change.
I knitted another Christmas stocking, single row stripes, using a new to me technique that required no weaving in ends.
Finally, I found a laptop desk that will work extremely well for holding patterns.
Saturday was a nice day. We didn't do anything that we had to do. We went out to breakfast, we went to the farmer's market, we went to Sheep to Shawl, we went down to Milton-Freewater and wandered the pottery studio and went to the cidery. I forgot my camera, so there aren't any pictures of any of that. Sigh.

At some point, things will have to slow down, right? It might be nice to go out and do something fun without feeling like we're playing hooky.

Again With the Busy-ness

2009-10-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week, again. I feel like I'm running on a treadmill. Luckily, I was able to ride once this week. I took some pictures because it was really pretty on Monday.
That's a dust devil, off to the east of where I was. You can see which fields have been harvested, which are ready for harvesting, and which ones are ready for burning. The sky is quite blue right now, and it goes on forever.

I do wonder sometimes how they can farm some of the hillsides. They can be quite steep.
I've been knitting Christmas ornaments. Last year it was miniature sweaters. This year it is socks. The pattern I've come up with that will be the "official pattern" fits a GI Joe's foot quite well. They are a very fast knit, so I'll be able to knit them pretty easily.
Another pair of fingerless mitts. This is the fourth pair I've knitted this fall.
Skull and crossbones washcloth, knit on Talk Like a Pirate Day.
A jack-0-lantern dishcloth.

I've also finished a sock (to wear) and started a stripey Christmas stocking. The stocking's at the foot, so I should be finished with that one soon.

Today it's cold and rainy, and Wiz is home (sent home yesterday with a fever) so it should be a relatively quiet and peaceful day. Of course, he's not actually sick today...

Stuff and Nonsense

2009-09-22T18:29:00.000-07:00

You pick which is which.Christmas stockings: a wedding gift and samples for the class I am supposed to teach.Oak leaf shaped meatloaf, because Wiz has decided it's fall, even though we're still hitting the upper 80s and lower 90s. (In his defense, it is chilly when we are walking to school.)A jack-o-lantern dishcloth, washed and ready to use.A skull and cross bones dishcloth, knit on talk like a pirate day. Aaaaarrrr!

I've also picked up a temporary part time job, logged 125 miles this month (I've been busy, and sick) and have about an hour or more of homework help/supervision for the Wiz.

It's only September. I hope it becomes easier!

Two Rides

2009-09-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

This week I've gotten to ride twice. (Hopefully, I'll get to ride again tomorrow.) It's amazing how differently both rides were.

On Monday, I went for a ride with the Collar. Last week, I'd been sick with a fever for a few days, but thought I was better. It was not much fun. We rode to M-F, very, very slowly. The wind was fierce--I really felt as if I was going to be blown off my bicycle. It's very dry right now, so there was a lot of dust in the air. The mountains were blurry due to the dust, and M-F looked almost as if it were on fire. Dust + asthma meant it was a very exhausting ride for me. Add on the fact that I was still recovering, it was a miserable ride for me. (The Collar enjoyed it more.)

Today I rode down to CP. This was much nicer because the wind wasn't as ferocious. There wasn't dust in the air, so breathing was much better. I felt faster (and I was: 15.0 mph Monday, 15.7 mph today). The sky was bright blue and the wind was crisp (not gritty and warm). Some of the difference was feeling better today and some of it was the weather wasn't against me. I am probably more recovered from last week, too.

As I rode today, I thought about what I see as I ride. I ride past historical sites (Whitman Mission), vineyards, onion fields, and wheat fields. I can almost always see the mountains. I see other cyclists, runners, and farmers. The horses here do not freak out like the ones in Kentucky did. They just watch me go by. There's even a farm with a flock of goats.

There's a reason I've ridden over 1100 miles this year. I'm not afraid a dog is going to attack me and there are so many places to ride. My cell phone works every where, so I'm not afraid of breaking down either. (Of course, I had a lot of help with child care this year, too.)

I can't wait to see where I go next year.

Knitting

2009-09-12T16:12:00.000-07:00

is what I do when I'm uploading things for class or I'm sick. This week was both. I did play tennis with Game Boy once (he beat me!) and run once and ride once (22.5 miles) but I was sick Thursday and Friday, and I did do a lot of tinkering with my classes. I promised my niece who has Raynaud's syndrome that I'd knit her a pair of fingerless mitts. Wiz was enamoured of the pair, and didn't like that I was making it for his cousin. (He wanted a pair to wear to school. He loves his pink and purple ones, but the kids at school make fun of them.) When I knitted the second mitt, I knit it too short. I think he used the force on me. Instead of ripping it out (I started this pair on Tuesday) I decided to knit two more so I'd have two pairs, one for Wiz and one for M. Both pairs are now finished. Wiz is currently wearing his. He loves them. Hopefully his cousin will love hers too.

Tan

2009-09-07T13:02:00.000-07:00

If you want to know what a really, really fair skinned white chick looks like after riding over a thousand miles, here you go:Yes, my fingers are tan, but the back of my hand isn't as tan.
Wrist and back of hand.Shortest short tan line. Yes, I AM really that pale.

Summer is Over

2009-09-05T13:11:00.000-07:00

We know this because this weekend is the fair. The public schools are out for the fair on Friday, and since Monday is Labor Day, we have a four day weekend.

Friday is Kid's Day at the Fair, so we went after lunch and stayed until it was dark. The Fair is always better after dark. We rode some rides, looked at animals and other exhibits, listened to music, ate some snacks and dinner, and rode more rides. Game Boy had four friends showing animals and we were able to see them do that. I'm always kind of surprised that the boys haven't asked to show animals too.

The view from the top of the Ferris Wheel during the day.Two boys, resting.The view from the Ferris Wheel by night.

The Ferris Wheel

This morning we went to the Farmer's Market. We're still getting warm weather food, but the cooler weather options are creeping in. We were able to buy zucchini and greens. Fall is definitely starting to show its face. (There's a chance of snow in the mountains--if that happens, I'll post pictures. We aren't anywhere close to that down here in the valley.)

Whitman Mission

2009-08-30T13:20:00.000-07:00

View from the hill where the monument is

We went to Whitman Mission yesterday. A raptor rescue group was there with some of the birds, so Game Boy collected change and we went. (We turned it into folding money first.)

As you can see, it was another beautiful day in the dry part of the Pacific Northwest. It's not cool yet, but we are starting to see the bright blue skies more rather than the washed out blue of the really hot temperatures. We saw where the mission used to be (it's all gone now), the monument on the top of the hill, and the mass grave of the victims of the massacre.

near the mission building sites

One of the things I always wonder when we are wandering around all of these historical sites is why did a group stop here, and not somewhere else? Walla Walla Valley is beautiful, and there is water, but it must have looked like a lot of nothing to people in the nineteenth century. Of course, I wonder why they stopped in Kansas, too.

Wiz and Game Boy in the tipi.

a golden eagle

The birds were all raptors that have been rescued and rehabilitated, but cannot go back into the wild. Game Boy wanted to see them. And so we did, twice.

Barn Owl, Game Boy's favorite

Peregrine falconGreat Horned Owl
Red-tailed Hawk

American Kestral, Wiz's favorite

Then the evening was spent at a party for friends' son and new daughter-in-law, welcoming her to Walla Walla. It was a beautiful evening to be at an outdoor party, and we all had a wonderful time. The sunset to the west was full of colors, while the mountains to the east had a lightning show for us. A peaceful way to end a nice day.

And in other news

2009-08-29T17:48:00.000-07:00

The basics for this week:

Game Boy sprained his ankle (Sunday morning was spent in the ER).
The boys started school on Tuesday.
The first day of school included both boys' schools being on lock down, and requiring parental signature to get out. (There was a standoff down the street from our house!)
I rode my bicycle 114 miles this week.
I'm over 1000 miles for the summer.
I haven't had much time to knit. Even at knitting this week, I sewed a project together.
We went to Whitman Mission today, but that will get its own post, with pictures.
We finally picked three tomatoes. They aren't doing well this year. :(

And that's the news this week.

What's New

2009-08-22T09:58:00.001-07:00

This picture has nothing to do with this post. It's just a funny picture of Wiz. He's wearing the batter's helmet backwards, because it looks like a knight's helmet.

As you may know, Wiz suffers from migraines. We finally made it to see the neurologist. The most likely diagnosis is classical migraines, so we are supposed to keep doing what we are doing. We'll probably add a couple of supplements (the neuro wants me to run them by the hem first though) and keep track of his migraines. If they are worse, we'll pull out some of the big guns.

The neurologist is a thorough guy, and doesn't appear to like to drive, so he is letting us get the MRI (why the diagnosis is still most likely and not set) down here if the hospital can do one with sedation. He's happy with phone consults, so he also decided to have a baseline EKG run, so if we need to have the big guns, he'll know which ones to avoid. This is where things have gotten interesting.

Yesterday, we got the results from the EKG back. There is some sort of abnormality (don't know what) so we now will be heading to the cardiologist for a consult and probably more testing. It's unlikely to be anything too bad, since this kid one of the more poked and prodded of the 8 year olds, but it does need to be checked out.

It's going to be an interesting fall.

Lazy Summer?

2009-08-19T14:06:00.000-07:00

Hardly.

We've been growing vegetables and fruit:(Oh, I love chard. I'm going to grow more next year.)
I finished another pair of mittens. These are Annemor #5 (aka the raven mittens) for the Collar. It's a kid sized pattern, but with bulky yarn and size 6 needles they sized up nicely for him.

Soon we're going to Office Depot because the most wonderful time of the year is soon approaching. (School starts Tuesday for the boys. For me, it started on Monday. Not fair.)

Summer Swapping

2009-08-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

happens so fast!

Every time I do one of these, I think I have the best upstream ever. (All of them have been fabulous!) Summer Trails has been amazing.A very full box!

We're supposed to be tourists for our downstream pals. You can probably guess the themes that I sent. (Wine, onions, and outdoor activities--all of which you can walk to from our house.)

My spoiler is from Iowa. She sent me things that are representative of her community. She definitely put a lot of thought into this.

She knit me fingerless mitts in a yarn made locally. They have a cable up the sides. I don't know if she designed the pattern or not, but they fit me, and I'll wear them a lot this winter when I'm working. (Why does typing make my fingers cold?)

Then there are the stitch markers. The blue ones are to represent Delft pottery and the others are tulips, which are representative of her town.And then there's this yarn, which matches one of the colors in my new dress. Maybe there's enough for a shrug! (It's Therapi in a coral color.)

And a gluten free cookie, which I'm saving for after the birthday cake is finished. Yum. A cookie I didn't have to make.

Game Boy is 12!

2009-08-15T21:24:00.001-07:00

His boring birthday cake, with 13 candles (one to grow on)
An ipod, with green earphones, so he can listen to Weird Al all he wants (oh, and Miles Davis, too)

A very cool frisbee from his little brother
and every 12 year old boy's wish: a personal mountain of ramen.

On this day, (not so much of a surprise, as I'd been in preterm labor for a week. He was however, supposed to be a mid September baby) Game Boy was born. He was in the ob's words, a remarkably polite baby: he was born at 4:11 pm on a Friday afternoon, during office hours, and made no one stay late.

He didn't sleep much (ever!) and is just now learning the joy of sleeping until 8:00 in the morning. He's always been an active kid, and he still is. He loves cycling (cyclocross starts soon!), playing his trumpet, hiking, walking the dog, and finally has begun to love to read.

As he put it today, he's finally old enough to start 6th grade! (Last spring, he was one of the students who gave the incoming 6th graders tours of the school. Half the kids were older than him.) Happy Birthday, my dear Game Boy.

Waterfalls

2009-08-06T12:56:00.001-07:00

The canyon near Twin Falls, Idaho. The Snake River carved it out.

More of the canyon.

All of the Shoshone Falls (there are a lot of them of varying sizes).

Wiz, Game Boy, and the Collar. The viewing areas were up *really* high.

There were two groups visiting: one was a Taiwanese tour group, the other a Spanish language documentary crew.

The big falls.

And that was our last stop on our road trip. Who knows what we'll see next?

Long Car Trips

2009-08-03T14:12:00.000-07:00

means I knit a lot.

First there were these:A pair of plain man-sized socks. Knit Picks Felici, colorway Meridian, although I think of it as earth and sky.
Then there are these:
"Darlarna" from Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush. The yarn is Wollemeise in Red Hot Chili. I chose the yarn because they have quite a bit of yellow, and I knit them while watching Le Tour de France. I finished them on the last day of the race, too!Finally on the trip back west, I started another pair of socks. These are "Denmark" also from Knitting on the Road. These are knit in Colinette Jitterbug Fire (I think). I finished the whole pair on Thursday in Oregon, before we hit Pendleton. Cool, huh?
I now have two more cheerful pairs of socks to wear this winter. :)

Rocky Mountain, HIGH

2009-07-31T16:21:00.000-07:00

Emerald Lake

Jack rabbit

tired Wiz

Game Boy and Collar up by Alberta Falls

snow fed waterfall into Emerald Lake

just pretty

Emerald Lake

panhandling chipmunk

another small waterfall

all of the boys

Nymph Lake

Just a few pictures from hiking in the Rocky Mountain National Park. It was a nice, cool day (unlike how it is here, right now) and we were able to do quite a bit of hiking. We saw Bear Lake, Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and Emerald Lake. Then we hiked to Alberta Falls.

The chipmunks are very tame. The jackrabbits not so much.

In Which We Eat Lunch

2009-07-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

at the geographical center of the continental United States.

No, really. We took US 36 (not the interstate) and I saw a sign that said the geographical center of the continental US was only 4 miles off of our route. It was lunch time anyway, so off we went.

I hoped there would be some place to eat our lunch there.
First, there's the monument:There is also a chapel, which was locked, and had all the windows broken out of it. It is a strange place for a chapel.
There is also a picnic shelter. We found that we had company for lunch.He came down and stood next to us once he found out we had crackers and watermelon. He was a really big rooster.
There was also an abandoned/closed hotel, just short distance away from the picnic shelter. If you've read Neil Gaiman's American Gods, you might recognize the setting from the book.
Personally, while his theory on why there isn't much tourism around the area is more fun, I think it's more likely because of this:
That would be everything around the monument. There are fields, a farmhouse, and a friendly rooster. Don't get me wrong, feeding the rooster was fun, but I don't think it's much basis for tourism.

After lunch, we were back on the road, Wiz and I were in our first thunderstorm/rainstorm in a LONG time (Game Boy and the Collar were in one at camp), and we watched a dust storm pick up while we drove into Denver.

And now, all four of us can say that not only have we been to the geographical center of the continental United States, we fed a rooster there.

Happy 40th Anniversary!

2009-07-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

Today was my parents' 40th anniversary and their party, which all 6 of us attended. All of the cousins were there, too. It was very nice.