Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do. (Jason Love)

I only have the one child left at home now, and I just want to wrap her up in bubble wrap and keep her close to me. She has other ideas, mainly to grab the car keys and take off down the highway as fast as possible. For the moment we're compromising -- she gets to grab the car keys, but we crawl along in a parking lot until mommy feels a little more comfortable. I figure that this truce will last about two more days.

What a Monday!

1. I said goodbye to my son, and sent him off to boot camp. It was a lot tougher than I thought it would be. I honestly thought that I was prepared to let him go. Apparently not.

2. I toughened up and let my youngest behind the wheel. I knew I wasn't prepared for this. I'm still looking for volunteers to take over.

3. I finally posted the show notes from episode four of Spun in the Sun. They're only two weeks behind. But at least I got them up before we recorded episode five. (We're planning on getting together for that tomorrow night.)

4. I finished the gift for Cassie, and it's wrapped and ready to mail. Finally.

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Yumm, chocolate chip cookies! I love being able to bake treats as a lesson plan. After all, it's fine motor, math/counting, and following directives. And when the cookies are ready, it will be socialization skills (as everyone gathers around for a snack).

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Thank goodness I work at a place that understands me.

Have you heard Episode Four yet?

We posted another episode of Spun in the Sun, for anyone who is interested. There's a lot of web resources, and we're even running our first contest!

Happy Parents' Day!

Father's Day isn't just for fathers. Single moms deserve pampering,too. Yes, we already celebrated motherhood in May. But single moms (or cusodial parents) put in double duty, bearing full responsibility without any "tag team" help. So they deserve to claim both days.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. (Brunch was wonderful.)

Vacation!

I've been on vacation for the past couple of days. When we left, I made sure to pack my laptop (even remembering my extra power cord) so that I would be able to post from the road. I thought that I'd have lots of time to compose really great posts. In fact, I was hoping to take some time and decide what direction I really wanted to go with my blog so that I could improve from the "what I did today" diary format it's been taking.

Unfortunately/fortunately, we've been having a wonderful time and I just haven't wanted to interrupt our family activities to sit at a keyboard. So any posting will just have to wait until I'm back to real life.

Sorry about that. If you want to file a complaint, you can probably find me out in the hot tub.

Feed the Gators - $2

Quick picture to prove we're doing the tourist thing

A late night whine

How come every time I even think of taking some of my vacation days, I get sick?

I actually had a really good story to tell today, but we'll have to wait until the morning -- it would take me too long to try to type it now.

Never let the demands of tomorrow interfere with the pleasures and excitement of today. (Meredith Willson)

I really don't have anything to talk about tonight. I live a boring life. Becka and I decided to have a "wild night out" since my son is still in NYC visiting his sister. Since it was Weight Watchers night, while I was at the meeting she had dinner next door at the Subway. Then we went over to the book store, where I met up with a friend and we sat around drinking Starbucks and knitting. Okay, Becka read anime instead of knitting (she still refuses to learn, the little brat -- I'd love to teach her so that I could excuse all yarn purchases as "for my daughter"), but still. Starbucks, anime and knitting was our wild night out.

At least we stayed there until they closed, even though it's a work night for me, so that should count for something.

If someone wants a sheep, then that means he exists. (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

Thanks to my wonderful friend, Michelle, and her wonderful friend, I got to shear a sheep today.

Okay, I didn't actually get to shear the sheep. There's no way I'm taking the blame for the way it turned out. But I did get to meet a very nice couple who let us visit with them while they sheared their sheep, Lily. Or tried to, since the cutters weren't working properly.

It was so much fun, out in the country with all the animals. Mickie and her husband have two miniature schnauzers, a couple of cats, lots of chickens and one mean rooster, two goats (one faints!), a rescued trotter horse, a ram, and Lily the Sheep. And they're all friendly (except for the mean rooster), so we got to pet and cuddle them all.

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By the way, I finally gave in and joined facebook. You can friend me, if you'd like.

I believe in looking reality straight in the eye and denying it. (Garrison Keillor)

I cast on a new project today. I know, I said that I wasn't going to start anything new until I finished all of the projects I'm already knitting. But this is a gift, so it doesn't really count. Plus, it's a super adorable pattern and it was impossible to resist. (By the way, the reason that there isn't a picture is because it is a gift and I wouldn't want the recipient reading this and seeing it early.)

As I sat and knit this afternoon, I realized something. There are several lies I tell myself, that I know are lies but I believe them anyway. You wouldn't think it possible to lie successfully to yourself, but I do it on a daily basis.

(1) "I will not start a new project until I finish the ones I already started." I've been successfully telling myself this lie for years. I really do mean to finish what I start, but something comes along that's more important, or more exciting, or whatever and the old project is placed on hold while I enjoy the excitement of doing something new. And although I tell myself that I'll go back and finish the first project, but before I have a chance there's another new project taking up my attention. It's the whole LS syndrome ("look, shiney").

(2) "I'm going to do everything on my To Do List today." Each morning I write the nine items I plan on doing that day. I list nine, because that's how many lines are available in my Daytimer. I choose the things that I really need to do, should do, or want to do. And I try to keep them realistic; where I used to put down "organize my house" I now just limit it to "organize one kitchen drawer." At the end of the day, I probably have done three or four of the items done and the rest are moved ahead to the next day. To make it worse, it's usually the same items moved forward day after day.

(3) "I'm going to stick to stick to my budget." Yeah, this lasts until I want to start a new project, come home from work too tired to cook, or get a call from a friend or child asking if I want to do something.

(4) "I'm going to simplify my life." This sounds really good, but it's based on the previous lies.

There are other lies I tell myself that I believe, like "I will lose all my weight by xxx" or "I'm going to blog every day without fail." Sadly, I still believe myself each and every time.

There is no need to go to India or anywhere else to find peace. You will find that deep place of silence right in your room, your garden,

or even your bathtub.
(Elisabeth Kubler-Ross)

What's the perfect Saturday night activity, when the night in question is rainy and drear? I settled on a beer, some chocolate, a good novel, and a comfortable place to enjoy them...

Thank goodness for knit nights!

Thursday Challenge: Machines

Isn't this the greatest thing? One of my co-workers brought it in, hoping that I could help her figure out how to thread it. Yes, this Singer Featherweight 221 sewing machine still works. As best as I can date it, based on information online and per the machine's manual, this machine was manufactured between 1940 and 1956 (making it 52-68 years old). And it's so pretty!

Spinning Wheels and Socks!

I haven't got that much to report as progress on my knitting this week. Since I gave up washcloths and baby hats, I've started doing more of the little squares for my Sampler Sock Blanket. It's all about the instant gratification, as far as I'm concerned. My final count for May was 37 squares added. (I posted a picture the other day, if you want to take a peek.)

I've been good about working on my Not-Red-and-Black Socks for Becka. I've only got one more repeat of the pattern (that's only 5 more rows!) and then I do the toe and they're done. I've had more fun, and more comments from strangers, working on this pair of socks. I've just got to cast on another colorwork project.

I know, I'm not supposed to cast anything on until I finish everything I already have cast on. Which includes, if anyone is counting, two more pairs of socks, a lace stole, a hand-spun stole that I'll probably frog, and a sweater. After which we should probably count the projects I have queued that I already have the yarn for: a sweater for Cari, a sweater for Becka, a sweater for me, fingerless gloves for Becka, a swifter cover, three handbags, and at least a dozen (if not more) socks. I may actually be approaching sable. No, I didn't mean stable. No one who knits as obsessively as I do is stable. (Just ask one of us to put our needles away, and you'll have proof of that!) "Sable" stands for Stash Aquired Beyond Life Expectancy.

I took my wheel to Spinning/Knit night this evening, and it was wonderful to be sitting in front of it again. I haven't taken the time in the past couple of weeks to spin. In fact, it's been so long that I couldn't even remember what I was spinning, beyond the fact that it was blue. (For the curious, it's "Lakeside" BFL from Spinning Bunny.) I probably got about 2 ounces spun today, and it's beautiful. I think it will be about a fingering weight after I 2-ply it, and it will make a gorgeous shawl. (I'm so into shawls right now.) Here's a closer look:


It's very soft, and I love the way the blues are changing as it spins. I hope 8 ounces is going to be enough for a shawl.

And one last quick bragging comment; although it's really more of a "I can't believe it" comment: our third podcast episode has already had 119 downloads. It's amazing that so many people are actually listening to me!

The only time to buy these is on a day with no 'y' in it. (Warren Buffett)

Anyone have any motivation for me? Because right now, all I can think of is M&Ms and BBQ chips.

You have to find your song, and sing it. (Gail Blanke)

I mentioned that I'm starting to declutter the house. This is something that I've been talking about doing for years, and yet I never actually get around to doing it. Unless, of course, I'm moving. (Which may be why I move around so much.)

Recently I read through a copy of Throw Out Fifty Things: Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life. Just the title alone was enough to get me motivated. I know I could be the person I want to be, if there wasn't so much stuff getting in the way.

So I'm working my way through the house, with a goal of listing 50 things I've gotten rid of. So far, I've got 9 items on my list. That doesn't sound like much, but I've only done the my bathroom so far. And I'm listing things like "3 bags of old makeup, lotions, and perfumes" as just one item.*

Part of me is tempted to post the list, to keep me honest. The other, more sensitive/sensible part, really doesn't want anyone to know the amount and type of clutter I have in my house. Is there really any benefit to anybody if I admit that I finally threw away the two half bottles of wine that have been sitting on my counter top for over a year?

My goal for this week is to clear out the pantry and sort through the closet (yes, an entire closet!) of kitchen gadgets. I'll let you know next week how "Project 50" is going.



*How in the world does someone who doesn't wear much makeup and is allergic to perfume manage to fill up 3 bags with it?