Lots of things going on!


Seems as if it was only a day or two since my last real post (the last one doesn't count), but the truth is, it's been forever! I know, I broke my promise to myself, and am I ever catching heck from myself. I promise to try to do better!

Now...to get us caught up:

On the knitting front:

I finally finished this pair, in my favorite colorway from knitpicks (discontinued)

This pair is my back up pair.

My first pair of Opal! I don't remember the colorway, but since they are shorties, of course they are for me too.

I wish I could remember what kind of yarn I used for this pair. Lanna Grosso? I'll look if anyone has to know. Otherwise, I'm not moving from my chair.

On the homefront:

Tony has been saving money for the past few years to purchase one of his two dream vehicles. He finally brought it home:

And took it for a ride:

Yes, I am nervous, but as he pointed out, he's been driving a bicycle in traffic for two years and I can't keep him home forever...

I woke up one morning last weekend to find my husband out in the front yard doing this. He told me that it had something to do with being married for 22 years. Yikes!

Was I relieved to see that this was what he had in mind. I've been asking for a flag pole for years. This one is just want I wanted!

Since we are talking about digging in the yard, I was poking around in a flower bed and found this: Could it be St. Joseph? Whoever he is, he didn't work. This house was on the market for quite a while.

And a visit from my grandson sporting a lime green cast. He broke a bone in his hand. This is his fourth broken bone in three mishaps and he's only 14! Today is Mark's first day in his new position. I didn't even hear him leave. So far, he's called and emailed twice. Can't be working too hard.

He spent most of yesterday setting up his home office. This may become interesting...

I'm sure there is more to tell, but the sun is out and I want to be out there too, so more next time!

What would you do to get these:



Would you stay married to the same buffoon for 22 years? I did, but then, I was always a sucker for yellow roses!

Yesterday was our 22nd wedding anniversary as well as Andy and Kailyn's first anniversary as sweeties. It was also Mark's last day in his current position. He's moving over to a sister company in a new, more exciting (for him) position with tons of perks (for him) and lots of new things (like a home office). After twenty years, he needed a change!



Andy bought these for Kailyn:



The answering service sent these to Mark:


It's starting to look like a funeral home in here!

Yet Another Milestone!

Before I forget, Here are the socks from last week and the week before. A sock a week, I can't keep up that pace, can I?

These will probably go to my mother, even though I really wanted to keep them. When Knitpicks discontinued their self striping yarn, I bought a ton of it. For the price, you can't beat this stuff. I bought some of the essential solids from them and was not at all happy. It reminded me of the time I tried to use a very cheap acrylic to learn a new technique. I probably will not use any of this yarn. It has no sproiiiiinnnng. Know what I mean?

Here is the sock I completed last Friday. I got most of it done on Tuesday morning while stressing. It's amazing what stress can do to my knitting. Some people say it throws their gauge off, but I'm too lazy to knit tight! Again, it's knitpicks in my very favorite colorway (Sorry, sis Jill, I love this one!). I have a pair out of this yarn, so maybe I should give these to mom. I have more yarn like this in my stash in case mine wear out!

And of course, here is the sock from this week. Looks like the Friday target will be met. I'm already digging through my stash to see what's next.

And that's all the knitting that has gone on here last week.

Oh? And why was I stressing last week: I was sitting in the PA Driver's License Bureau, almost in tears while waiting to see if we got this:

Oh my goodness, I don't think I was this nervous since I was 16 and taking my test. He passed with flying colors (he can parallel park by just backing into the parking place-his father forgot to tell him he can pull forward and back up to adjust his position). I was almost in tears as I knit so fast my needles were smoking.

I was thrilled, of course, when he passed, and when I saw that he had chosen to be an organ donor, I was doubly thrilled. Then he told me that he registered to vote, I was filled with pride. Then he dropped the bombshell...he's a registered Republican....

His test was scheduled for 8:30 AM. By 9 he was a driver/organ donor/republican and he drove me home. Within minutes, he was on his bike, riding down the drive, on his way to school. I made the same trip an hour later, that's when I took the photo in my last post.

There are adjustments and changes in the days, months and years ahead. My last two are fairly independent. They have jobs, they have their own transportation, they have friends, girlfriends and acquaintances. They have hobbies, interests and definite opinions. They are registered to vote (even though their votes will cancel each other out). They do laundry and one cooks, the other has all the local restaurants on speed dial. As Tony pointed out, they can buy porn, go to jail and enlist. I hope he was just pushing my buttons.

I've raised 4 children. I've been a mother for 69% of my life. My oldest will turn 38 next month. Without dependent children, I was sure I would feel useless, without purpose or direction. I was certain empty nesting would make me depressed, lonely, without focus.

I might be wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On the home front, we are planning a restoration of the kitchen. I'm sink shopping. I need an apron sink. Locally, they can be had, for a price. I was kidding Mark when I said I would find one cheaper on eBay. It was no joke. Type in kitchen sink and see. What can't you buy on eBay these days?

The cabinet, however, may not be as easy. As usual, with this old house, nothing is even, equal or standard. Last year when we replaced 13 windows, we learned that there were 9 different size windows in this house. This year we found out our kitchen is a parallelogram. What next?

I guess what's next is that I get dressed and do a few chores and plan dinner. I declared last Sunday a rehearsal for the next international pajama day. Mark tells me that I am entitled to one rehearsal per event, so Celia, we need another pajama day-soon!

Oh, and one more thing...even though your child knows how to do laundry, don't trust them to know what to do when they drop a skein of mother's classic wool on the garage floor. You might end up with this:

That stuff felts nicely, doesn't it? It wasn't a total waste. The 'thing' on the top left made one heck of a dog toy. Not quite sure what to do with the rest of it, though...

Peace out!

Having too much fun...

Oh my, it's been one heck of a week...and I promise to tell you EVERYTHING!!! but first, Hubby came home with a new computer for moi and although it is set up and functioning, there is still a clothes basket full of parts and bits that have not yet been installed...

Back tomorrow at the latest with news, pictures and of course, KNITTING!

Until then, here's a few photos to make you smile!

I can't believe I did it!



Today we were kid-less. They tell me that when your babies reach 18 and 20, this happens. They also tell me that when your later-in-life children reach 18 and 20, you should be approaching menopause with all the related brain farts. I must have been in denial.

We are computer shopping. To make Mark believe that I am being cautious and comparison shopping, I drag him from store to store. Today we were going to Costco, a 30 minute drive and ten Best Buy, five minutes from Costco.

When we are riding in the car, I always take a beverage with me. Usually bottled water, occasionally coffee, but every once in a while, I take a diet soda. Since I am cautious with my husband's money, I buy the raunchiest, cheapest brand I can find:

Because my hubby insisted we needed a stupid, useless, dumb-double-door fridge with through the door ice and water, we keep a REAL fridge in the garage for beverages.

On the way to the car, I reached in and grabbed a diet soda as a treat and put it in the cup holder. As he drove, I knit. We reached Costco and shopped around for 20 minutes or so. I felt thirsty as we left and was happy I had a beverage waiting in the car. As Mark backed out of the parking space, I reached over to open the can. I noticed that there was a blue pull tab and wondered why it was different:

But I opened it and took a huge swig...it tasted strange, but not unpleasant. As I swallowed, I realized what I had done. I lifted the can to check:It was...yes! It was beer! I have always loved the taste of beer, but never drink since I am a cheap (1/2 can) drunk. It has been many years since I drank a beer and I have never had a beer in a parking lot. I felt silly, a little apprehensive (headlines: Grandmother arrested for drinking beer in parking lot of Costco), maybe even giddy. In an instant, I didn't know whether to drink it, pour it out the window, pour it in my purse or hand it to Mark, who was driving.

Before I could act, we were at Best Buy. I opened the door and poured it on the ground and looked for a place to ditch the evidence. I'm sure the next person to place trash in the can at Barnes and Noble will wonder...

The end of an era :-(

Yesterday morning, in the freezing cold, in a pavillion that (partially) shelters the inline hockey rink, we sadly watched our youngest son play his last inline hockey game for the school team.

It's been one heck of a ride. Four years freezing our patoozies off, meeting new friends, watching the kids grow up. We watched some of our players graduate with almost as much pride as we would have our own and welcomed many new comers.

Tony did us proud. Four years, three years on the all stars, team high scorer (and that's pretty special for a defenseman) two of those years, team captain four years too. He loved the game and it showed. Although he's played for other teams and he'll probably play for other teams in the future, we'll miss the team spirit of the high school team.

They'll have a banquet in March. Tony will get his letter. I'll most likely cry. Maybe we can call it practice for graduation...I'm such a cry baby!

They lost their last game, 4-2, with Tony scoring the first goal and Justin, a newcomer to the team this year, scoring the other. They played hard and good, the other team out played them. That's life. That's hockey.

Snort, snort, sniffle-sniffle...

Jan with frozen toes!

Whoda Thunkit?
If I remember correctly, my guys were out playing golf in December. We worried about the lack of snow and the potential for drought in the summer. Tony, my youngest, whose ancestors must have been polar bears, hadn't even gotten his winter coat out of storage even though he rides his bike to and from school every day.
Baby, look at us now! We call my hubby Forrest because he loves to plow so much, he does most of the neighbors and some of the street. Can you tell he also has polar bear ancestors? Oh, he was born and raised in Upstate New York!

Check out this view out my window:

At times, we couldn't even see the coffee shop! Oh, and Laura, that's my Thanksgiving tree. I always put it up for Thanksgiving. I leave it up as long as I can, until hubby notices it when driving up the driveway and takes it to the attic. Last year, it was February 27. So far this year, it's still there!

It was so cold that Arnie, who has fur so thick you can't touch his skin, played out doors while Linda, who is a princess, waited for him to come in and play:
He would scratch on the door and then step back and wait for us to come out. I finally got her to go out for a while by throwing treats out onto the patio, then in the driveway and finally, in the deep snow in the back yard:

Linda loved it! Every time I looked at her, she had a face full of snow!

Oh, and Lucy, here's one just for you: Our own version of Lap dog:Of course, the snow was too enticing. Andy and Kailyn dragged out my sled (Used once, remind me to tell you about that some day) and run to the local store to buy more. Our front hill is perfect for sledding, especially since we have great neighbors on the other side of the driveway whose yard flattens out enough to let you stop! Yes, that is Tony, the polar bear, pushing them. No, he doesn't usually wear shorts and yes, he did finally get out his winter coat. He just came from the gym.

Of course, when you have kids of all ages sledding, you get wet clothes and soggy mittens. My son, who is a typical male, found a great place to dry the gloves: On the candles on the kitchen light: Last Christmas, I was proud to hand out my hand knitted socks to my family members. I had been working on them all year. Of course, I didn't photograph that moment, nor the identical one the year before. All I know is that last year I handed out 14 pair as gifts and tucked four pair into my sock drawer. It was tight. I burned a bit of midnight oil in December to ensure everyone got their socks. This year, my goals are the same or loftier. I would like to complete 20 pair. So far, since it has been cold, I have completed three pair:

Hey, if the kids can do it, why can't I?

Because of our crazy schedules, Mark and I took advantage of our empty nest status and went out on Saturday night to celebrate Valentine's day. Chinese. I can never remember which dish is what. I can't tell a king kong from a ching chong or a ding dong. I always let Mark order. The only thing I can remember about Chinese food is to take your rings off before you go to bed that night. Luckily, I did.

Oh, and we had company, our grandson and granddog! This is JR, who is 14 and his dog, Max who is 6 months.

At least it's done snowing, but the temperatures make everything crispy. At night when I take the dogs out, I add another layer of clothes and offer them bribes of the highest caliber to get them to hurry. I was blog jogging this week and saw that Mary Anne, who lives in British Columbia, has Daffodills popping up! Could it be that we really will have an early spring? I'm excited. I planted hundreds of bulbs this fall, thinking one for me, one for the squirrels and one for mother nature...can't wait to see what pops up here!

It's been too long. I could go on for hours and hours...so much to share, but I have to put dinner on and make myself beautiful for hubby and that takes hours and hours each day!

Stay warm and stay safe. I'll be back soon!

ONE?
I just checked. It's up to one degree. One. Did they cancel global warming? Better tell Celia to start planning a Super International Long Underwear day.

I'll post more when I stop shivering. Until then, stay warm.

Some things just get twisted around...

We live in a wonderful old (circa 1842) farm house that sits waaaaay up on a hill:
One of the best things about it is that although we have an acre, we are close to all the things that I could ever want, including a kick-butt coffee shop spitting distance from us:

This is the view from my kitchen window. The house in the distance is the coffee shop

Yesterday, I went to have coffee and conversation with a few friends at the coffee shop. Now, I could walk, it's easy to get there, but my driveway is very long with obstacles like a leaning tree (the one visible in the photo above) and a sharp turn at the top-not that the tree and bend matter when you are walking, but it is slippery!

I drove. Not the Jeep Cherokee that I usually drive in winter, but the Caravan that makes me look like a soccer mom (I am a hockey mom-there is a difference). It does not have 4 wheel drive.

I tried to come home. I got as far as the sharp bend at the top and started spinning. I knew that as icy as it was, I would not be able to back down the drive. I put the van in park. I kept moving. I had no clue what to do next, so I engaged the emergency brake. I was still moving. I called Mark.

He told me not to worry, that it would not move much, there were snow banks on the down side of the drive to slow it to a gentle stop. That's if you didn't cut your wheels:

Mark was not at all shocked to hear that I was sideways in the drive. He remembers all too vividly the time I got a full size van stuck in a curb side mailbox...
All's well that ends well...Andy got it out before Mark got home.
Peace,
Jan

It's my Anniversary!
I have a program on my computer that keeps track of the time that I have been smoke free. This morning, it said this:

I have been quit for 2 Years, 4 hours, 52 minutes and 46 seconds (730 days). I have saved $6,014.19 by not smoking 36,510 cigarettes. I have saved 4 Months, 6 Days, 18 hours and 30 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 1/31/2005 6:55 AM

What it didn't say is that I smoked from the time I was 15 until I was 54. Some days I only smoked one or two, many days I smoked 40, some days I smoked 60!

I'm ashamed to say that I smoked while pregnant, even though it was only a few...but since they say smoking causes low birth weight and all three of the boys weighed over 9 pounds (some significantly over), I can't help but think that I might have given birth to adults if I hadn't smoked.

I know...it's nothing to joke about!

I'm ashamed to say that when Mark had a heart attack at 43 and the cardiologist said to him: YOU DO NOT SMOKE!, I said I am not ready to quit.

I am ashamed to say that I walked out of a SMOKE ENDERS class that the school district provided when they made all campuses smoke free.

I am ashamed to say that my younger sister's death from lung cancer at 45 did not shock me into quitting.

But I am proud to say I did it myself. I set a date three weeks in advance, bought a ton of sock yarn, a truck load of bubble bath (the only two things I did that I didn't smoke while doing) and quit with two cigarettes to my name.

I tried the patch for a few days, but it made me hyper. I did it cold turkey and alone. I had one bad day (the fifth), but as a rule, I was no more grouchier than I am usually (but it's hard to be more).

I told one friend in advance, but not my family. I didn't say anything to Mark until he asked, three days after I had become smoke free.

My house, my car, I...am smoke free.

YEE HAW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who's kissing him now?

Last night we had coffee at the coffee shop that is within spitting distance of our house, with friends. We do this most Tuesdays.

It was snowing...again...Mark plowed the drive before we left and cleared walk ways when we came home. I guess Linda was appreciative because she did this:

Now, before you ask, YES! This picture was taken yesterday. YES! Those are Santas on the shelf behind them.

I collect them. I started when Tony was young and now have from 140 to 150 in all sizes. The smallest is less than an inch and the largest is five feet tall. Each year, Tony helps put most of them out. Each year, the display changes and EVERY year, they stay up until at least February. When the collection was very small, they stayed on one shelf in the family room year round.

There is another shelf, just as packed, on the other side of the kitchen as well as many still in the living room. My house looks so pretty with Christmas lights and trees...(YES, I said TREES, as in five or six. I love Christmas decorations!) that I wish I could leave them up all year!

What the well dressed, well trained, insane and partially frozen dog owner wears...



As I have mentioned before, Linda Lou is a new member of our family. She's now 14 months old, gaining weight (she was emacited when we adopted her from the shelter. She's a purebread Mastiff and should have weighed 115 when we got her. Instead, she weighted 88), she's now up to about 115, only 10 pounds underweight. Fully grown (Mastiffs tend to grow until they are 3.5 or 4 years old), she should reach 150 to 175 pounds. Yes, that's a lotta dog!


She seemed to be partially housebroken when we got her, so I only had to reinforce her training. I found a great article on training a dog, and I followed the instructions to the letter.


Linda does well, but her internal clock is slightly off. According to her ability to tell time, she is programmed to live somewhere about 210 miles off the coast of New Jersey. She gets up every day at 4 AM.


The program is to take the dog out to the same place each time, not to make eye contact, but if they 'perform' their duties, you are to praise and give them treats.



Has Linda gotten with the program? I think so, with modifications. Who really understands is Arnie, our 6 year old purebred brown dog.


The first modification was that I am not a patient woman at 4AM. I began issuing verbal commands: "Pee, Linda!" and of course, "Linda, poop!" Each 'act' is followed by a cheese nip cracker and verbal praise.


Now, I cannot take one dog out without the other tagging along. Arnie, with all his wisdom, joins us. His ears perk up when he hears the "Pee!" command. When he hears praise, he knows it's cracker time and runs back to get one too. Yes, the dogs have me well trained.


Last night, it was snowing. As I wandered around the top of my driveway, I wondered what the neighbors would think if they could hear me out there, giving commands.


Then I realized that if they did, the worst would happen: they would look out their windows and SEE me.


Would you like to SEE what a well trained dog owner wears at 4AM on a snowy day? Since I'm already dressed for the day, you'll have to be happy to see the components. You may never see the entire outfit on one body at the same time. I'm pretty grouchy at 4AM and might do bodily harm to anyone who aims a camera at me.


First, there is my happy flannel night gown:

The patten and color changes daily, blue one day, pink or purple another day, but the style stays the same: mid calf length.

Then, because it is cold out there, I wear Mark's terry bath robe:

Bright blue and light blue vertical stripes!

And those favorite socks:

And of course, the crocs and my coat:

And because it was snowing last night, I added a hat and just before I walked out the door, gloves and of course, Cheese Nips!

Now aren't you glad you don't live next to me? Come to think of it, the only person (besides me and the dogs) that might enjoy my colorful outfit is LynnH from Colorjoy!, and that might be a little (ahem) colorful for her!

But it works...and that's what counts, isn't it?

Blogs, Dog, Jogs and Clogs...

No, I have not been jogging, but I have been blog jogging...This past week, I've been reading blogs. Some, I have no clue how I found them, some I forgot to put in my favorites and will probably never see again, but some, those of old 'invisible' friends, made me feel like I was back home again. I tried to leave comments each time, but there were quite a few that I didn't. What a shame, comments are such fun!

I have NOT been clogging, but I did have a clog event. Some of you know, but many don't, that I have foot problems. Last April, I had foot surgery on TOP of my right foot, only to be told that the problem was on the BOTTOM of my foot and that more surgery was needed.

I procrastinated because they told me that the minimum time of absolutely no weight on my foot (and that includes driving) was 2 weeks, possibly 3. Procrastinating was probably dumb since I walked with a cane from January through September. Not because my foot was bothering me, but because I was walking wonky and it threw my knee out of wack.

In September, a friend of mine suggested I try Crocs, or as Vicky calls them, Tupperware shoes. I was sceptical, but I bought a pair. In two weeks, I was walking without a cane. I called them my magic shoes! After a month, I could not imagine wearing regular shoes.

Since they are 'ahem' unfashionable, I decided to buy them in every color. At first, I had navy with vent holes. Next came bright blue and then when Mark's father passed away, I bought black ones (to be saved for formal occasions). Formal crocs...hmmmmmm....

Because they are plastic, and I have a young dog who loves to chew, I keep them under my bed, lined up neatly. I just reach under the bed and pull out a pair and put them on. No muss, no fuss...until last week when hours after I was dressed and active, Mark asked about my shoes. I looked down:

Guess I'm going to have to be more careful in the future. One bright note...if I lose them, I do have a pair almost like that up in my bedroom. There should be a double space here, but this @#$@#$ blogger won't let me have one.

It's been a pretty uneventful week. I did not one creative thing other than gather supplies. New colored pencils, yarn, thread, even a batch of wool sweaters from the thrift shop. I think last week was my 'feed my creative spirit' week. This week, I'll have to make my spirit get busy and burn off some of those calories.

Oh, and speaking of calories...I was sitting at my computer, surfing, when I saw some movement out of the corner of my eye. It looked amazingly like a roll of paper towels flying past the door way. Since I was home alone, I felt the need to investigate:

Yes, we have to thank Linda Lou for protecting those paper towels after the cat did it! And I would love to have a double space here, but once again, @#$@# blogger will not let me have one no matter how many times I edit this post!

Other than a trip to the dentist for Mark, who claimed that his dental work hurt worse than having a baby...(excuse me, you had a 9 pound, 14 ounce filling????) and one for Tony who said he'd rather have a baby, at least people sent you flowers and cards, it was a boring week.

Maybe next time?

Peace out,

Jan

The stuff I'm made of...

I've been blogging, journaling, note keeping, calendar marking and talking to myself for about six months now. In keeping with my OCD personality, if I could not blog perfectly, I refused to keep a blog. I missed the opportunity to share many experiences, accomplishments and observations.

I don't do resolutions. This year, I made a mental list of those things I'd like to do. This far, January 14, I have broken every one, so it's a bust...so my INTENTION is to blog once a week...

If you don't hear from me by next Sunday, make noise...I'll hear you!

Now, what you have missed since July 5, 2006, the last time I posted any personal news on my old blog, One Red Sock:

Andy started his new job at Castcon Stone, Tony worked all summer at improving his golf game and working at the country club. I knit socks...

Mark and his father (Dave) went to Geneva, NY, for their third annual 'farewell tour.' They also made a side trip to have breakfast with our dear friends, Patricia and Sandro, who own Riverqueen Housboats in Ivy Lea, Ontario.

At the same time, I attended an 80th birthday party for my uncle Tony. More than 100 of his friends and relatives came. He promised to come to my 80th...

At the end of August, we celebrated Tony's 18th birthday...

And early September saw Andy turning 20...

Andy and Kailyn...where you see one, you see the other!

September also saw Tony going back to school for his senior year. In October, we all got together at our home to celebrate my mother's 75th birthday. It was the first time we were all in one place since Christmas!

That same weekend, we added to our family...with an 11 month old English Mastiff pup named Linda Lou. She was a skinny 'rescue' when we got her, about 88 pounds-that's almost 30 pounds underweight! She's up to 110 now, about 15 pounds underweight. She's quite a character...and a cuddler...

In November, my mother's cousin, Walter, and his darling wife, Jenny, came from Canada. Mom and Walter had never met! We got to celebrate Walter's birthday, take them to see Pittsburgh from the overlook and Tony and Walter got to talk sports

(Tony even got to point out the stadiums from Mt. Washington)!

Christmas came all too soon. The boys are men now and the threat of coal in their stockings was not enough for them to pretend, for mom, that they still believed in Santa.

We all got together at my mother's again. This year was just as much fun as last...As usual, the stockings were hung, and filled...and once again, we did the family picture. As usual, some of us didn't quite get with the program (I'm not naming names!). Sadly, on December 26, my Father-in-law lost his long term battle with cancer. Like my Mother-in-law, he generously donated his body to science. We held a beautiful memorial service on January 6. Each of the 14 grandchildren and his great-grandchild placed a yellow rose in a vase on the alter. Mark P, my brother-in-law, Lauren, his daughter, and I spoke and Pastor Tim said the most wonderful words to share with us. It was an honor. Dad will be missed by his family and many friends.

Mark, Andy, Kailyn and her parents managed to stay awake until midnight on New Year's Eve...a first for Mark!

And here we are...almost to today. I'd like to share what I said at Pap Dave's memorial, but it's all too new for me to share yet. I think he'd be proud.

Now...in closing, my knitting tally for 2006 was:

• 3 Irish hiking scarves
• 4 hats
• 18 pair socks
• 2 pair clogs
• 2 clapotis
• 1 shawl
• 30 dishcloths
• 2 doll sweaters

It's been a very good year!

Whew!