Its been a while

It has been a very long time since I felt like blogging. Many changes have happened in my life, many good but some scary. I am now homeschooling my son using K12. We started last fall and amazingly enough it has sucked away much of my so called free time. Recently I have been very dissatisfied with parts of my life and have been re-evaluating it. This started when I received a book called The Resolution for Women by Priscilla Shirer for Christmas. The first chapter is about being satisfied with our lives. At the end of the chapter there is a resolution to sign. It says: I do solemnly resolve to embrace my current season of life and will maximize my time in it. I will resist the urge to hurry through or circumvent any portion of my journey but will live with a spirit of contentment.
There is a lot said in that short statement. When I really look at my life I have a lot to be thankful for and even more reasons to be content that I realized. But that is not saying that this is an easy time of life. My only girl is getting ready to leave the nest and she is not satisfied to go to a nearby tree but instead one halfway across the county from me. Rachel will be going to John Brown University in Arkansas this fall which is great but sad also. I have always been close to her and the thought of not seeing her for months can bring anguish. On the other hand its very exciting to see what the LORD is doing in her life and I would be lying if I didn't admit to being very proud to seen my child to Bible college.
Today is a beautiful day that should be embraced for just what it is...today. Tomorrow will take care of itself thanks to the sacrifice of my Lord Jesus!

sometimes we need only to ask

I have had more than my share of computer problems recently. A bad virus on the main pc that wiped out everything. My son has a pc that was in his room, not connected to internet so we were going to use that while I worked on the main one. It got the same nasty virus. Meanwhile my daughter had the laptop in her room and it too is dead. I reformatted the main and its up and running well. The thing is I had a Photoshop program that was only good for three installations. I called adobe thinking that they would laugh at me when I told them of my woes. But they were very kind and gave me another installation! Its funny because when I called them I was certain I was wasting time but after dealing with Knitpicks I figured it was worth a try.
I ordered some of those interchangeable needles from Knitpicks and the first time I was using them one of the cords pulled loose from the metal end. This was distressing to me, I was on a road trip and could no longer knit. When I called them they were also very kind. Yesterday I received 2 cords, the endcaps and the tool for tightening for free.
It makes me wonder...what else do I miss out on just for the fact I don't ask....

3 strikes and your out!

Perhaps the BSJ is not for me. Or maybe I should've took a break in between. I do not know what I did but I really messed this one up! I have my notes and calculations, I counted stitches and
ridges. Everything was going fine but somehow this one is all wrong. I knew before I finished it that it was wrong but since I knit it with Vanna's choice I decided to finish it and let it live on the walking doll from my childhood that resides at my mother's home. I love the colors and stripe pattern in this one. Someday I will revisit this pattern but not for a while!!






I decided not to give up on little sweaters just yet! This is a project I tried several years ago and didn't have the skills to finish it. I don't know what happened to that little wip. This one is knit with the same yarn as the missing one. Lion Brand Cotton Ease. This is some I bought 5 years ago and is a color they no longer make. The stockinette if flowing freely and I am enjoying this knit very much. After all that garter stitch the purls are a welcome change.
I got a package as I typed ....more Lion Brand Cotton ease. I am going to attempt the ribbed lade bolero for my daughter. First real attempt at lace yikes!

BSJ #2

One of my friends from church recently had the most adorable baby boy! This after 4 beautiful girls! I dusted myself off from the last fiasco of the BSJ and cast on another. I used some Moda Dea Sassy Stripes yarn. I am not thrilled with the stripe pattern but its livable. I truly enjoyed knitting this but once again I seem to have gotten lost in the pattern near the bottom. It's out of proportion somehow. But I did buy really cool buttons to accent it with.
My friend and her husband were thrilled with it and that is what matters right? After all in a month it will no longer fit him!




These button are Streamline 3/4" (19mm) ordered from http://www.createforless.com/ after looking all over Billings and not finding them. Aren't they adorable?

BSJ#1

At least once a day I think of my blog and have ideas for posting yet I never take time to sit down and post. I am lazy about the computer these days. I haven't been reading blogs or posting or even emailing unless necessary.
On the knitting front I have been in the baby surprise jacket mode. I started one last year when my great grand-baby was on her way. For some reason I put it aside never finishing it. I picked it up a month ago and finished it. I was using some knitpicks bare yarn that I had dyed and of course I ran out at the end. The only yarn I could find that would go with the sweater was some acrylic stuff that was worsted weight (so I thought, no label) It was actually chunky and made the sweater lay weird. All in all I was not happy with it. It now resides on an old doll at my moms house.

The art of a child

Young Adult Literature

I am enjoying this class despite the fact that it requires to much of my time.
The first book that we read was The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie. This book tells the story of Junior, a Native American adolescent living on a reservation. He is surrounded by alcoholism, neglect and the lack of hope that pervades in his culture. He has one teacher who encourages him to do more with his life and decides to go to a "white" school off of the reservation 22 miles away . At first it is very difficult for him. He feels shunned by the whites. At home on the "rez" he is shunned for "turning white". His family supports him but many times he hitch hikes to school and has little food to eat. He eventually makes a few friends and gets on the basketball team. His first game is against the "rez" team and leaves him in the hospital with a slight concussion. He never gives up and that is what I really enjoyed about this story. His dad's best friend, his grandma and his sister all die yet he never gives up.
This books theme is that there is hope if you look for it and that the effort you put into life is what makes life better.
I cried when I read parts of this. Especially when his dad took off drinking during Christmas because there was no money for gifts. When his dad comes home he has in his boot a crumpled five dollar bill for Junior. Junior realizes how hard it was for his dad, an alcoholic, to save that much for him rather that use it to drink. I would recommend this book to youth because it is good to see how other people live and that your own life is not that bad.
Warning: there is discussions of masturbation and other things some people might not want their kids to read.