today

2006 - a Vermont farm

This has been a busy busy work week. At both jobs. Therefore there have been no updates, photos, cardmaking or scrapping done! I hate that. One of my New Year's Intentions was to do some art everday. I Guess I did...I took 5 minutes at work a few days and did some process art to sort out my thoughts re: the therapy work day. I did some knitting at my parent's when I went over for my Dad's birthday. I did a little knitting later in the week to get going on my sister's birthday present. But not enough.

So I decided to start off the post with a favorite picture from a few years ago. A family trip to Vermont and a tour of a farm. I don't remember the name unfortunately. But it was so green and so pretty. Currently, here in Massachusetts it has been so cold and grey. This weekend the sun has been bright and the air warm (high 40's is warm here!) for the first time in awhile and I'm loving having it stream in the window on these few days off from the hectic work week. It makes me think about Spring...which reminds me of pictures like that!

Yesterday was fun. Baked some cookies and prepared some food for a get-together last night at my Aunt's house. She was showing pictures of  recent trip to China. She was visiting my cousin who is there teaching English. Amazing photos. I would love to see more of this world. Today I am laying low. We might be getting some snow tonight so I don't think I'll head to the knitting circle tonight. But I do want to make a trip to Trader Joe's and pick up a few things for the week...then I'll work on my sister's knitted birthday mittens. Her birthday is next Sunday and I am no where near ready!

Happy Sunday!

saturday

Washington National Cathedral, Washington DC, 2001

Haven't taken any pictures recently...so I am posting a random old one. From about 2001. One of my favorite places to go. One of my fondest memories of living in DC was one day my dad had driven down to bring me home for a school break. We stopped at the Cathedral on our way out of DC and they were playing the pipe organ. The most unbelievable sound...it shook. You felt it. Beautiful.

Having a lazy saturday morning. The sun is struggling to come out behind the fog. It's hot and humid. Summer. I am going into the city tonight with my mom and sister to see Rent. It was our birthday present to mom. Excited! Wasn't feeling so well Thursday into Friday but now I'm feeling ok. Did some knitting this a.m. A Christmas present. I'm trying to plan ahead. I'm itching to do a little scrapping too. It's been awhile and I haven't been motivated to do any. Maybe in a bit before I head out. Otherwise tomorrow I have all day and no plans....

Happy Saturday!

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!

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!

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!

monday gratitudes

dark purple lilacs on Mother's Day at my parent's - May 2009

Monday Gratitudes:
Today I am grateful for...

1. The chairs on my balcony so I can sit and read - enjoying the sun and my flowers.
2. Lilacs at my parent's house.
3. My mom.
4. The fact that school is over, graduation was Saturday, and I now have a summer of long weekends and short work weeks.
5. Quiet.
6. Pay day.
7. The scent of fresh cut grass coming in the window.
8. Scrapbooking supplies I have.
9. My computer and internet.
10. Cary being home.

Today I am beginning to have some inspiration for scrapping. It has been months. Since January when I had to pack up all my stuff. I recently sort of unpacked my desk and today was reading through my last 2 issues of CK. Getting ideas. For all those months I didn't really read my scrapping magazines because it just frustrated me that I couldn't really do any scrapping. But now I'm getting excited. My old scrapbooks are still packed. But that means I can give myself permission to start fresh. Start now with any subject, photo, event I want. Later I may order some photos of recent things.

Happy Monday!

sunny sunday

shades of grey - beach rocks ~ April 2009

Putting the some of our pieces of our apartment back together after getting word from the ext that we can start putting our stuff away. I'm nervous the problem will come back or not be gone. But SO EXCITED to be living {somewhat} normally again after almost 4 months!

Also have a pile...or I should say box...of papers/journals to read and grade for my classes I teach. Plus 7 senior theses to read in prep for watching thier presentations on Friday.

Lots of work.

Didn't get as much done yesterday as I wanted to {needed to}. So today I will do more. Also going to my weekly knitting circle at my LYS after visiting my family. I haven't done much knitting all week. So I'm looking forward to working on my sweater.

But for now...off to start cleaning!

Happy Sunday!

snow. snow. snow.

Another snowstorm...actually a Nor'easter coming today. Ending with a little rain on the coast (where I am). I love the snow but I'm feeling a little cabin fever today. I wanted to go to Trader Joe's and Michaels. I got my Close to My Heart stamp last night but realized I need a larger acrylic block for it. And I have a few other things on my "wish list" today. Oh Well...it will have to wait.

Had fun at Girl's Night last night. I had Cary drive me in his truck because the roads weren't too great. Loved seeing my friend's dogs and Cary got to meet them. She has a yellow lab Jenny who she's had for a few years. But she got a black lab, "Eddie" 7 months ago. I hadn't seen him yet. Truthfully I was a little worried too because I still miss my black lab "Maddy" terribly and she's been gone over a year. Eddie is a cutie. But he looks just like Maddy. Same size and build. Similar temperment. Except his nose is longer. Maddy was a lab/boxer mix and had a shorter nose and a stronger chest. Her dogs were fun though and very sweet.

So to avoid cabin fever today...here's my list of things I want to do:

• Use some of the $15 itunes giftcard I got in the Yankee Swap last night.


• Make Christmas cookies and/or brownies. Whatever I'm in the mood for!


• Finish the page in Cary's album I started for him for Chistmas.


• Make 2 more Christmas cards.


• Clean the bathroom.


• Do some online window shopping/shopping? at twopeas, etc.


• Do a layout of my own or work on the canvas collage I started yesterday.


• Burn a Yankee Candle...mistletoe or eggnog.


• Call my mom.


• Water my plants.


• Make beef stew for dinner.


• Walk on the treadmill for a bit...if I'm motivated. But I don't really want to go outside so this probably won't stay on the list long!

Happy Sunday everyone!