gratitudes

Today I am grateful for:

1. Strawberries and other strawberry goodies from the local orchard.
2. Long weekends in the summer...luxury.
3. The ability to send letters in the mail.
4. Girl's Morning Out at my girlfriend's home yesterday...good food and chatting.
5. Songs that make me cry, remember, and honor.
6. The knitting circle...inspiration, laughs and conversation.
7. My art supplies and belief in the creative process to heal.
8. My mom.
9. Barnes & Noble
10. Fond childhood memories...so many people don't have these.
11. My health.
12. Not having to remember to water my plants with all this rain.
13. A summer family reunion to look forward to in August.
14. A clean apartment.

Off to mail Cary a new watch and letter at the post office, do a little laundry and clean. Then some more class prep and finally some relaxed knitting! Another rainy Monday and day off...

Happy Monday!

a good day

My 1st sweater: Pleat-Neck Top pattern in the Spring/Summer 2009 Knit Simple

Here's what was good about today:

1. Cary called me from OCS! It has been 14 days since we got to talk last. He also had a chance to email. The Army is keeping him very busy but he is healthy and good and has completed Phase 1 of OCS.


2. Got to wear my 1st sweater today to the birthday party for my LYS! I love it and am so excited it fits.


3. Spent the morning at the beach. Alone. Mom was going to come with me but she decided not to at the last minute. It was nice to be able to still go.


4. Bought some yarn for a few new projects at the LYS's sale...a shawl, a lace scarf for my mom for Christmas and a helmet liner for charity.


5. The sun was out (most of the time)!


6. I can sleep in tomorrow...

Have a good evening!

gratitude

Today I am grateful for:

1. Rain watering my plants.
2. Sunflowers on my kitchen table.
3. A day off from work.
4. Getting my syllabii started for the fall.
5. The gym at the apt complex.
6. The haddock I will have for dinner.
7. My parents
8. knitting
9. inspiration
10. television
11. coffee
12. the ability to write letters.
13. the possibility of a beach day on Friday???

Have a good Monday!

father's day

I think I have posted this picture before. It is an old picture I scanned in of my Dad holding me when I was a baby. I love it. My mother tells me that every day when he came home from work he would immediately want to hold me and play with me as I got older. I just got to spend a nice Father's Day with my Dad and family. He really is one of my favorite people in this world. I'm so lucky he is my Dad. I gave him some drawing supplies. He is an amazing artist and hasn't done any pen & ink drawings since before I was born or I was little. He's a very creative person but hasn't been able to find the time to do that hobby. I'm hoping he'll take some time out to draw. He is the hardest working person I know.

I got to do some knitting while watching tv with my mom. I am so close to finishing my first sweater but I made a big mistake (dropped stitches, etc) and we couldn't fix it. I thought I'd bring it to the LYS tuesday and get some help. But I played around with it when I got home and I think I have it fixed. But before I knit further I want to make sure. So...the finishing of the sweater will have to wait. Boo!

But now I can start my sister's Christmas present...



See here for the pattern. This photo is from that site...I am making her the worsted weight version (the red-orange). Hers will be a nice muted olive-y green.

So I might start that tonight. While I watch some more seasons of Weeds. I'm loving that show and it's a distraction. There are parts about being alone I'm liking but for the most part I'm lonely. 47 more days til he's home. I haven't been able to talk to him in 9 days. Too long.

Enough feeling sorry for myself....I'm a lucky person today.

I'm off to knit!

rain, rain go away!

At least with all this rain...the flowers are still bright, they are getting watered and my apartment has been cleaned.

Had a nice visit with my family last night after going to my Yoga class. I hadn't been to that class in a little over a year. It made me reflect on how much has changed in the past year...how much has happened good and challenging.

Tonight I am going to the Relay-for-Life in the rain. I'm only going for a few hours...I didn't officially join my friends team but offerred support at all the recent fundraising events with my time.

I'm really missing Cary today....still haven't been able to talk to him and it's been a week. Boo!

It could be worse...

routine & treats

baby pepper and tomato plants

My routine and treats are getting me through...

Being at work today was a good focus. Distraction. Missing Cary like crazy but it is getting a little easier.

Keeping busy and positive.

Enjoying little treats.

Bought some amazing dark chocolate bars at Trader Joe's and am treating myself to a little each night ;)

Also went to my gym class tonight after work. I am enjoying getting back into my muscle conditioning glass routine. I used to go 3x week. In the last few months I started back on Wednesdays. This week I'm aiming for two classes. They really do make me feel good when I am done. Like I've accomplished something! Plus....I got my city resident beach sticker yesterday...so I'm ready for my first beach day...now for the sun to correspond with a day off! So I need to get my *$$ in gear and get moving at the gym!

Happy Tuesday!

monday gratitudes

Today I am grateful for:

1. a walk along the boulevard, seeing the ocean, flags waving in the wind, cool air, flowers, tourists appreciating my hometown.
2. the fact that Cary is not in Iraq or overseas.
3. the sun is out for a little bit.
4. a day off from work today.
5. friends who call or message and ask me how I am doing.
6. my family.
7. the ability to write Cary letters.
8. instant bake Cranberry Oatmeal cookies from Trader Joes...mmm.
9. washing machines and dryers.
10. distractions....computer, games, knitting,...
11. knitting group on Sundays.
12. short work weeks in the summer.
13. coffee.
14. blueberries and strawberries.
15. challenges.
16. the saying, "absence makes the heart grow fonder." I think it is true.
17. scent of petunias on my balcony, sight of the purple flowers, yellow and fuschia.
18. the chance to watch the tomato and pepper plants Dad gave me grow.

homesick at home

desert boots

I've been trying to keep busy since he left. It is such a wierd feeling...feeling homesick in your own home. That is the only way I can describe it. I have new found appreciation for women who send their men off to war for years at a time. Especially those who have children. I cannot imagine being in that position. I only have to wait 54 days to see him and we don't have kids yet. And I know he's safe and not in a war. I am lucky. We are lucky. He will be back soon. But it is still hard. It is preparing me for how it might feel if/when he is deployed.

Friday after I left the hotel and he went off to the airport I did some retail therapy at outlets in Maine. Hit LL. Bean and others. Stayed within my budget and got some really pretty things including a few skirts and summer dresses. I rarely wear skirts but do like how easy they are in the summer. Plus Cary loves when I look girly so I figured he'd appreciate them too. I love one skirt in particular from LL Bean...

...so pretty and flowy. Have a basic white t shirt to go with it. Also got a flowery blue skirt and will wear that with just a white t as well. I should own stock in white-t's. I wear them with everything all year round! I know ...boring but they are so easy!

Friday night I went to the paint-your-own-pottery Girl's Night after dinner at a friends. It was fun but I was so overtired from getting up at 3:30 am and getting very little sleep. Saturday I slept in and cooked dinner for my parents and brother and sister last night. It was so nice having them over. We haven't been able to host anyone since January when we had all the issues with the apartment begin. So it was nice to have them over. I'd like to do that again when he gets home.

Today it is rainy and gloomy out. I plan on doing chores: bills, laundry, etc and then going to my knitting circle tonight. I also rented more of Season 1 of Weeds and the movie He's Just Not that Into You. Looking forward to watching that tonight!

Happy Sunday!

sad

Just a quick post. It's been a busy week. Today I'm off from work to help Cary pack up his Army gear. We are staying in Maine overnight and he's off to OCS early in the a.m. For...2 months. I'm sad already.

Trying to make plans to keep myself busy...shopping at outlets after I bring him to the airport, a Girl's Night with friends at the paint-your-own-pottery place, Cooking dinner for my family on Saturday..knitting circle on Sunday. I miss him already.

Also...today is my mom's birthday...it's a "0" birthday though she'd kill me if I said which one! She keeps saying she is "not acknowledging her birthday this year."

Well...off to Maine....

Have a good Thursday!

a day to enjoy

I will be less mopey than yesterday.

The sun is out.

I have the day off.

Cary is home tonight and doesn't leave again til Thursday.

I have a good book to read.

Knitting circle tonight!

Plants to plant.

A day to enjoy....

today

Today I:

• am a little lonely...no one is available to scrap tonight.
• visited my family and Dad gave me a pepper plant and a tomato plant.
• ran out of dirt to plant my new plants :(
• sat outside to read on my balcony...One for the Money by J. Evanovich.
• slept in.
• walked the boulevard.
• am missing Cary.
• am enjoying my Peonies from Trader Joe's.
• am looking forward to my LYS's knitting circle tomorrow.
• borrowed Season 1 of Breaking Bad from my brother.
• organized my clothes.

Feeling a little bored and lonely today. Restless. Had a nice visit with my family. Talked for awhile with my dad and watched tv with my mom for a bit. Chatted with my brother and sister. The apartment feels very empty today. Cary's back tomorrow but then leaving again later this week. How am I going to go 2 months? I have to get it together! How do women make it through a year + deployment? I know it will get easier. I am someone who has so many hobbies and interests that I love spending time alone. I have always loved it. But today it is feeling very alone...

nesting and celebrating

June 1st on the Boulevard

Today's been busy with errands and sending Cary off for his last guard weekend before he goes down south for OCS next week. He'll be gone for 2 months and that is starting to hit me. I guess it is good practice for any future deployments we might face. Today I got a few treats/neccesseties for the apartment. Nothing really exciting...a shower curtain, some new throw pillows for the couch, some fun patriotic summer dishtowels. Stuff like that. I love nesting!

Last night he and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary of when we first met this week. Just a quiet dinner at the place we had our first date. Delicious baked local seafood and a quiet night at home.

As for other stuff...

I finished this layout on Monday (scraplifted the layout from one Wendy Smedley did in an old magazine)....hoping to do a few more layouts this weekend. Trying to get some girlfriends together at my place tomorrow to scrap. We haven't done that since this winter and it was so fun!

"First Moose Sighting"

Materials: Creative Cafe tags, really old patterned paper, Creative Images clear tag, Making Memories tiny alphas, brown pen, distressor, ink, American Crafts alphas.

Well I'm off to catch up on blogs and heat up some dinner. Hoping to do some reading tonight. I know...real exciting Friday night! My favorite kind! Started reading One for the Money - Janet Evanovich. Have heard this series is funny...so far so good. A light read.

Happy Friday!