Cable Wrist Warmers

This week I have been making a pair of cable wrist warmers, except I added some fingers without the tips.  I found a great and easy pattern for the fingerless glove (wrist warmer) at JR Crochet Designs.  I had to just make up the part with the fingers.  I placed a stitch where my fingers felt comfortable.  I then single crocheted in a circle for each finger, counting how many rounds I did for each finger for future reference.  Usually 10-14 rounds is enough.  On my next pair I'll try using a half double crochet so it will match the rest of the pattern.  I used Caron Simply Soft yarn and a size J/10 hook.

Garden Progress

I've gotten into a bad habit of only using my phone to take pictures when I also have a camera that works very nice.  I charged up the battery and I will try to use it more often than the phone.

Yesterday we finished putting up fence posts and tying them together with 2x4s.  I need to finish putting up the 3 foot wire fencing.  We will also add 3 feet of bird netting around the top.  I expect to change all or parts of that to shade cloth.  For now, bird netting is a cheap and easy fix.

We're bringing in cinder blocks to make the raised bed border.  Again, cheap and easy, except for the lifting part.  I priced the difference between making a raised bed out of new wood versus cinder blocks.  Cinder blocks are $10 cheaper. 

They are ugly but everything is ugly right now.  It's winter.  I've thought that later on I would let Rowan paint on the cinder blocks and then it will probably look more whimsical.  Live plants would make it look better, too. 

Here are a few pics of what we're doing.  The bed next to the fence is narrower than the other 8 beds will be.  There's some writing in the cement and a bad kitty left their prints.

Water You Doing?

Water.  Sounds basic.  We need it.  I don't drink enough of it.  I'm supposed to drink 63 ounces per day.  This also means I need 63 trips to the bathroom.  That's my problem with drinking enough water.  I have to pee all the darn time! 

Does working up to the needed amount help?  Sort of like conditioning the bladder. 

I'm going to try 32 ounces today and see if I can gradually work my way up to 63.  If you need me, I'm pretty sure you can guess where to find me.

I Wish I Was Better At...

This is my contribution to the New Year's Resolutions theme most bloggers are writing about.  I don't resolve to do anything to completion.  I don't like to set myself up for failure when I can't fulfill a resolution.  I like to set goals of trying new things or improving on things I know how to do.  This way it's not an all or nothing approach, just an adding to approach.

I wish I was better at...Keeping my closet clean.  I'll have my yearly shoe and clothes purge.  I also need to clean some of my shoes.

I wish I was better at...Playing the piano.  I took lessons years ago and could play well.  Now it's harder to find the discipline to practice and keep up the skill.  Ideally I would like to practice for at least 15 minutes a day.

I wish I was better at...Knitting a sock and glove.  Try as I might, I keep getting snaggled on my perfectionism.  Socks intimidate me.  I've made some progress this year.  I actually have a sock on double pointed needles.  The sock is about 2 inches in length and looks hideous.  I would never wear it.  I know that the first time making something it usually comes out looking like the cat had a part in making it.  I'm not sure what I'll do to try and improve this.

I wish I was better at...Gardening.  I'm just lazy about it.  I build up the perceived work necessary in my mind and think it will take hours and hours, or it's going to be very hard work, and procrastinate.  In actuality, most jobs don't take more than an hour.  I haven't had a lot of weed problems.  I need to improve my approach to soil quality.  I need to be more vigilant about protecting the garden from the insensitive cats.

I wish I was better at...Composting.  I do good with this for awhile and then fall off the wagon.  This is completely Jace's fault.  I haven't been successful in winning him over and I have a hard time keeping up composting when I'm the only one doing it.  I also have the compost pile far from the house, which is where I like it, but makes it seem harder to get out there.  The dog tends to smell funnier when I am composting.  I think he may be rolling in it.

That looks like a pretty good list.  I read a blog on GeekMom titled Alternatives to the New Year's Resolutions.   There's some pretty good suggestions you might like.

Let's Finish The Year

2012 is just about done.  As usual I'm ready to move on.  Kind of the clean slate thing.  I've changed the header and wiped my Book Tally clean. 

2012 was kind of hard.  I had to make some adjustments.  I chose to unfriend 3/4 of my Facebook list.  It was getting a little too personal with people I didn't really know.  You know, the weird email from someone who's still got a crush on you.  I also decided to stop posting statuses on Facebook.  I do some on Twitter but it's hard to think of witty things to say all day. 

The biggest most positive change this year was starting homeschooling.  We are now going into our 8th week.  I blog about it HERE.  It's been a delight and certainly has challenges.  I feel we made the right decision and it fits with my homesteader thinking.

The garden was awful.  Terrible in fact.  I spit on it!  Not really.  I'm pretty sure the dirt was just dead.  I didn't amend the soil as often as I should and it finally said No to growing anything.  There were also cat problems.  Lots of walking, digging, and generally laying on top of the plants. 

We started building another garden off one side of the house.  It's 32 feet by 39 feet.  It will have around 9 raised beds, fruit trees and fruit vines.  We're almost done fencing it in and have started putting in the raised beds.  We have 6 weeks to get everything in and start planting.  Seeds have been ordered. 

I took a year off from doing anything business oriented.  I have thought about starting up the Etsy shop again.

And of course house projects.  There's always house projects.  I'm hoping to actually finish some in 2013.

A big thanks to those who have continued to follow this blog! 

2012 Is Almost Done

What a pity, a pity, a pity I say to you.  There was much to write and lack of writing.  I'd like to sum up the last months. 

While your summer was filled with excitement ours was not.  At least not in the normal sense.  We went to a convention which we spread out over 3 weeks due to an abundance of rabbits.  We turned a 3 day weekend convention into a 3 week convention.

We have passed Kindergarten and moved into First Grade.  We are having serious doubts and downfalls.  We are planning on pulling her out of school and homeschooling at the Winter Break...if not sooner.  We did see and review the new iPad Mini.  Putting that on my list of wants.

We are still gardening and rabbiting.  I hope to have some delectable update photos...if the stupid cats would stay out of the garden...

~Julie

Goodbye Grand Meow Meow

I know from the title you are expecting a story about a cat.  It is a story about the passing of Rowan's Great Grandmother, whom she calls Grand Meow Meow.

For quite a few years Grand Meow Meow has not felt well.  She went to the hospital many, many times every year.  She had mastered all of the "Golden Years" ailments, diseases, syndroms, and disorders.

Over the years it became apparent that she had acquired enough old lady credits to move into Silver Meadows, otherwise known as Land of The Living Dead.  (Don't kid yourselves folks)  But still she persevered.  There was even a piece of paper that proclaimed she was to stay alive or else!  Even though, in her lucid days she had said not to do that.  Thankfully not really when she no longer remembered who anyone was or where she was, someone reversed her decision so she could remain in a world full of strangers.  Sounds mean, I know.

I can only hope that she derived great pleasure from the little girl who would go see her and eat ice cream with her and talk to her for hours.

One night Grand Meow Meow outwitted everyone and escaped into the great beyond and left this Earthly world.  Now we were going to experience a funeral.  For Rowan, a first funeral.

If you're a parent then you know this is one of the scary unknowns.  "Oh dear, how in the world are they going to act?"  Will there be shock, amazement, bawling, screaming, fainting, or even disinterest.  Mostly we worry about the bawling and screaming and hey-my-kid-is-making-a-scene reactions.

Rowan decided she needed flowers and made a lovely card with hearts and butterflies.  She picked a nice somber dress.  Now we were off to the funeral.

At a funeral there are a lot of missteps, unless you happen to go to a lot of funerals.  There's issues of culture and religions.  Where do you sit, who do you give condolences, who do you tell first.  We made it through all of that and now it was time to walk past the coffin.

I walked with her while she carried her flowers and card, looking ever so small and shy.  As we reached the coffin I picked her up and she whacked the flowers on top of the coffin, "smack."  "Ga-bye Gramma," in her best Boston accent.   I placed the card on top under the big flowers and we walked on.  Not too bad.  Whew!

Then the wind blew.  Whoosh goes the card.  Spinning and fluttering like the butterfly drawings had come to life.  The card came down and settled, sliding into the...burial hole.  Oh. My. Lanta.  Of course Rowan DIVES for the hole to save the card.  No no no.  This is going all wrong.

Luckily, I have been blessed with sometimes lightning speed reflexes.  I don't know what one of those speed measuring guns would have clocked it, but I bet it would have said super fast.  I grabbed onto her and stopped her from going in head first after the card.  Nervous laughter.  Keep moving Rowan.

The rest of the funeral proceeded without further event and we returned home thankful and a little sad.  Rowan talks about wishing she could go eat ice cream with Grand Meow Meow and twirl in her ballet skirt for her. 

I'm glad she has these memories.  For most of us at funerals, we are older and knew the person for awhile and had experienced their imperfections, some of which can be horrific.  But for a child who only knew someone at the end of their days eating ice cream, it is a pure memory.   Not a memory edited over time, just 2 companions sharing the day.  I'm really happy Rowan has that. 

Now reality is slowly sinking in.  It makes Rowan sad for a little while.  No more trips to Silver Meadows, no more ice cream on lazy Saturdays.  "They're giving her room to another old lady, right?"  Yes, Rowan, they gave her room to another old lady.  She ponders for a moment but is soon off on another adventure.  I wish handling death could be this easy all the time.