4/23/09

The flowers are here!










Pictures -
1. My creeping phlox are starting to bloom
2. Flowering bush in the back of our house (the name escapes me!)
3. Hyacinths
4. Flip flop socks (or flocks) described in knitting section
5. My daughter modeling her new "flocks"
6 & 7. A Phoebe, I am very proud of these pictures! It is very hard to get pictures of these flighty birds! I love them, but is so hard to get close, and I got within 12' of them (there were two, I only took a picture of one.)!
8. Mama Robin
9. Purple finch

What's happening - Glen and I did yet some more yard work! We have 2 real nice apple trees at our barn property, but they were both so over grown. So we did some trimming (major trimming), we better get some good apples this year! I also did some more flower garden work. Saturday was 89 degrees! Sunday in the low 80's and Monday got up to 92! The rest of the week is suppose to be back down in the 60's. The kids helped clean out the birdbath and we got that set up for the birds. Of course the birds were so thankful. Our church started what they call "The Contemporary Service" It starts early 9:15 (which is real good for us). They play contemporary christian music (instead of hymns). It is alot more casual, no announcements, no bulletins, just singing, preaching "the message", and prayer. I like it! It is only once a month though, wish it was more.

Knitting - I found some patterns for "flip flop socks". I wanted to try them, they looked simple and cute. I didn't really love any one pattern so I combined about three to my liking. I have named them "Flocks". My first pair I gave to Ashley, I thought she would love them. I was right, she did! I made the pair in two days. Now that I have my basic pattern I can add details like cables etc. Let me know what you think?

Books I have read - Autobiography of a Face, by Lucy Grealy. This book is so good and so sad. Lucy at age 9 finds out she has cancer (Ewing sarcoma) and has most of her jaw removed at 10 yrs old. She under goes years of radiation and chemo therapy, years of disfigurement and taunting. Then finally thirty reconstructive procedures. The saddest part I did not find out until I was finished with the book and looked her up on the internet. She died in 2002 at age 39 of a drug overdose! When I read this I just sobbed. She had been through so much, lived through so much. I also found out that her best friend Ann Patchett wrote a book about Lucy's life and their friendship after she had died. I plan on reading it as soon as it comes in from the library. Boy, talk about how a book can affect you. I don't think I will forget this one very soon.

Reading through the states - I have decided to put my list on my blog only once per month, the first week of every month. So I will add the list next month.

Top 5 - Things you collect
1. Bookmarks (if you didn't know this, these make nice cheap gifts, and my birthday is in May! I have - too many to count, over 50)
2. Tins (I have 25)
3. Books about Alaska (I have 14)
4. The little ceramic animals that come in Red Rose Tea (I have 12)
5. Hello Kitty items (I have many! socks, shirt, earrings, tins, pez, toys, purse etc.)

4/18/09

Vacation over




Pictures -
Little blue flowers by our house
Pussy willows starting to bloom
We did some major yard work!

What's happening - This past week without kids was really needed! I got sooooo much work done! As you can see from the picture, Glen and I got a lot of yard work done. I totally scrubbed the bathroom (on my hands and knees!) Totally cleaned the kitchen, and the playroom. Took out all the rugs and shook the heck out of them (there was alot of "heck" in them!) wiped down all the shelves cleaned the floors etc. everything is all clean now! I also did some work on the old "Ashley room" looks much better. All ready for my parents.
Ashley's boyfriend's birthday was this weekend. So he came up for the weekend. I actually baked him cookies! Which I don't do very often. Baking is not my favorite thing in the world to do.

Knitting - I did manage to get some knitting done. I finished the "Chill chaser" but still need to block it a little. And I am now working on a project that I can't tell you about because of certain people reading this blog, hee hee! I will post pictures of both when time is right.

Contests - Toni at A Circle of Books is giving away 5 copies of "Testimony" by Anita Shreve
Dar at Peeking Through the Pages is giving away 2 copies of
Keeper of Light and Dust by Natasha Mostert

Books I have read - "Sweet Baby", by Sharon Sala. Takes place in AR. Pretty good book. Starts out a little slow but 1/2 way through really picks up. It is about a woman who was abandon as a child. Now in her twenty's her nightmares urge her to find out what really happened.

"The Crazy School" by Cornelia Read. Awesome book! Takes place in MA (already read one from there so doesn't count for my reading through the states). Madeline gets a job at the "Crazy School" a school for very troubled teens. Their therapeutic methods are unconventional to say the least. But then people start dieing, and she is the first one blamed!

"North of Beautiful" by Justina Chen Headley. Great book. Takes place in WA and China! This book is a beautiful story of Tera, a teen girl born with a large birthmark on her face. She meets "Goth boy" Jacob who has a scar from a cleft-palette. At the same time Tera and her mother are dealing with a cruel father and husband. They travel through China with Jacob and his mother and both learn how to be brave and beautiful! This is a wonderfully written book that truly shows that beauty is only skin deep and that you should be who you are and not who others want you to be.

Reading through the states -
1. California - Echoes, by Erin Grady
2. Florida - In Her Shoes, by Jennifer Weiner
3. Iowa - The Learning, by Ruthann Weaver
4. Massachusetts (Cape Cod) - A Year by the Sea, by Joan Anderson
5. South Carolina - Bastard out of Carolina, by Dorothy Allison
6. Kentucky - The Believers, by Janice Holt Giles
7. Minnesota - Hit By a Farm, by Catherine Friend
8. North Carolina - Scrambled Eggs at Midnight, by Brad Barkley & Heather Hepler
9. Montana - My Hutterite Life, by Lisa M. Stahl
10. Kansas - Waiting for Summer's Return, by Kim Vogel Sawyer
11. Idaho - Indian Creek Chronicles, by Pete Fromm
12. New York - The Lives they Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic, by Darby Penney and Peter Stastny
13. Arizona - Whispers, by Erin Grady
14. Alabama - The Florabama Ladies' Auxiliary Sewing Circle, by Lois Battle
15. Alaska - Building from Within: Alaskans Who Build Their Own, by Joan Koponen
16. Colorado - Tomboy Bride, by Harriet Fish Backus
17. Wisconsin - Welcome to Tyler: Whirlwind, by Nancy Martin
18. Arkansas - Sweet Baby, Sharon Sala
19. Washington - North of Beautiful, by Justina Chen Headley

Top 5 -
When flipping through magazines top 5 pictures you are attracted to.
1. Good looking men! Duh!
2. Roads (old roads, paths, trails)
3. Houses (interiors and exteriors)
4. Lighthouses
5. Water (lakes, Ocean, Falls, streams)

4/6/09

Birds and flowers and kittys, Oh My!







Pictures -
Top 2 pictures - Male Goldfinches
Birds hanging from upside-down feeder. I am not sure, but I thing these might be Pine Siskins???? Anyone know?
Daffodils by my side porch (Photo credit - Ashley)
My sweetie Martina, like a princess, on top of the pillows.
Ha ha ha ha, sticking her tongue out when she sleeps.

I'm on vacation! No kids for a whole week. Boy, do I have plans. Yesterday I reorganized Ashley's old room. Looks much better. My husband walked in and went "Wow". I still want to move some of my craft stuff (knitting etc.) in there.
Other stuff to do - Clean bathroom, clean kitchen, "spring clean" playroom, change sheets on bed, wash and hang out towels, read, knit.

I met with Ashley today for coffee, then we went to the library. I picked up 4 great books - "Autobiography of a Face", "North of Beautiful", "Truck: A Love Story", and "The Crazy School". I have been wanting all these books for some time now. Lets see how many I get done before they are due.

This weekend Glen and I went to Ithaca for breakfast and shopping. Went to Staples, Petsmart, Barnes and Noble, and ate at Friendly's. My fish tank was down to only three fish and I have been wanting to get some new ones. So I got 12 new fish at Petsmart! All small ones, I have decided I only want small ones from now on.

Ashley spent the night Sat. night. We all watched "The Village" I love this movie! Then on Easter morning Ashley and I made breakfast (waffles, homefries, and bacon) then we went to church. In the evening we went to dinner with Glen's parents. It was a very nice Easter Day.

I am asking for prayers for a special friend of mine. Her name is Pat, and is kind of like a second mother to me. She calls me her daughter! She has been in such pain for a long time now, and just found out that she needs a hip replacement. This will be done in June. I will keep you updated.

Books - Welcome to Tyler: Whirlwind, by Nancy Martin. This was a quick little read. Quite simple and fun. Love story. That's all I have to say about that.

Reading through the States:
1. California - Echoes, by Erin Grady
2. Florida - In Her Shoes, by Jennifer Weiner
3. Iowa - The Learning, by Ruthann Weaver
4. Massachusetts (Cape Cod) - A Year by the Sea, by Joan Anderson
5. South Carolina - Bastard out of Carolina, by Dorothy Allison
6. Kentucky - The Believers, by Janice Holt Giles
7. Minnesota - Hit By a Farm, by Catherine Friend
8. North Carolina - Scrambled Eggs at Midnight, by Brad Barkley & Heather Hepler
9. Montana - My Hutterite Life, by Lisa M. Stahl
10. Kansas - Waiting for Summer's Return, by Kim Vogel Sawyer
11. Idaho - Indian Creek Chronicles, by Pete Fromm
12. New York - The Lives they Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic, by Darby Penney and Peter Stastny
13. Arizona - Whispers, by Erin Grady
14. Alabama - The Florabama Ladies' Auxiliary Sewing Circle, by Lois Battle
15. Alaska - Building from Within: Alaskans Who Build Their Own, by Joan Koponen
16. Colorado - Tomboy Bride, by Harriet Fish Backus
17. Wisconsin - Welcome to Tyler: Whirlwind, by Nancy Martin

Contest- Dar over at "Peaking through the Pages" is having a giveaway for BoneMan's Daughters by Ted Dekker
I am a little late for this one(ends Wed.) sorry Toni "How Not to Look Old" by - Carla Krupp A Circle of Books.

Top 5 - Things you allow yourself to indulge in.

1. Coffee (I buy good coffee, I do not buy coffee from the grocery store, I usually buy from Gevalia or Gimme coffee, or from some other coffee shop)
2. Books (I do usually try to buy on sale, I also get from book swaps and the library)
3. Yarn (Always buying yarn!)
4. Going out for breakfast (My husband and I go out for breakfast every weekend)
5. Pizza (We get pizza every Fri. sometimes we get takeout and sometimes we go to Napoli's)