Friday, January 30, 2009

Oops I did it again

It's been a week again. Last weekend I got some sewing and knitting done but nothing good to post yet. I've been suffering with a cold since Tuesday. Aren't kids grand? The girls brought home this virus and naturally I eventually caught it.

The Good News is that the Australian Open is in its second week and I've been able to enjoy watching some great tennis. Roger won again Roddick. (And yes Kristin I did end up looking it up before I watched it). The match was broadcast live at 3:30am ET and I recorded it. I wasn't planning on looking at the score before I watched it. I wanted to see it unfold. But dear Kristin came to work and said they were talking about it on the radio. Naturally, I assumed they would only be discussing tennis if the American won. I couldn't stand not knowing, so I checked it out. I will be the first to admit that I'm a spoiler junkie. I look at websites for tv, movie, and book spoilers, so it didn't ruin watching the match at all. And like I said before, ROGER WON! And a final note, with all the tennis watching I've been doing, I've discovered tennis and knitting are not compatible.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Has it really been a week?!

I'm so sorry that's it's been a week since I blogged. It just seems like January is flying by. But, I promised myself that today would be the day.....I would blog.

So here are the requisite updates:

- Evey dog - She's doing quite well. We've found out she likes to snuggle under the covers in bed. After the Munchkins head off to bed I put her in our bed until I go to sleep and she snuggles down and starts snoring. It's so funny. She sleeps with her legs stuck straight out. There have been a couple of close calls with a cat leaping up on the bed and not realizing she's there. But otherwise, the animals are all doing just fine.

Sunny cat says,"I don't know what all the hubbub is about. She's just a cat that barks!"
PJ says,"What is she up to now?! I think I'll stay safely here behind the sofa."

- Weight Loss - 11 lbs lost since Jan 1st! Whoo Hoo! On my way back to my "fighting" weight!

- Knitting....I'm almost done with my scarf. I'll need to block it to get it to uncurl.
- Favorite things - Paperwhites! I love Paperwhites. At Christmas I bought Kate, Christy and I some Paperwhite bulbs. These were mine last weekend. They smell heavenly!
- Sewing Sundays - Last Sunday Kristin came over and we sewed. I worked on my Chocolat Rose Creme Quilt. The top is almost done. It just needs a couple more borders.
- Frogs - I started my Sister's frog this week. I've completed his carcass.
- The New President - Yes, I did watch the Inauguration on Tuesday. It was a moment I don't think I will soon forget.

- And finally Friday Night Lights, the best show on TV that no one watches. If you haven't caught this show you should try to catch up now. It's a great series. The acting is wonderful (the actor who plays Saracen is not from Texas, he has no accent). A favorite quote of mine from this season is,"When all the scared rats are leaving a sinking market, that's when the real entrepreneurs step in. The true visionaries." from Buddy Garrity. The fact it is repeated by Tim Riggins is hysterical!

Friday, January 16, 2009

Friday, Friday!

Well we've had a good week around here. These are my quick updates before I suck it up and start working.

- Evey - She's fitting in nicely. She a sweet dog. And she's very sassy. She thinks I'm the best thing since bacon (and for a dog, that's saying alot) and she loves the girls. The Munchkins have been very attentive to our newest furry friend. The excitement of taking her out for walks hasn't worn off yet. We all delight to discover some new trick or personality trait each day. Hubbie and Evey have even had some snuggle time. The cats are all dealing with her in their own way. Sunny has decided that she can exist in the same room with Evey. PJ stays her safe 10 foot distance at all times. And poor old grumpy Snickers is living in the basement by her choice. So all in all we're doing great.

- Weight Loss and Exercise - I've lost 8.5 lbs since January 1st. I know most of it is water weight due to reckless abandon eating and drinking over the holidays. But hey, I'll take it. And I'm back on the treadmill. So far 4 days one week and 3 days this week.

- Knitting - Milestone! I finished my first skein of yarn and had to work in starting a new skein. And before that I had to face the reality of unknitting. It was very scary when I had to unravel several rows to fix a problem. I cannot stress enough the concentration it took to get it the scarf back on the needles.

- Sewing - Other than the sewing I did on Sunday (remember Sewing Sundays) on the Chocolat Rose Creme (aka Amy Butler/GingerBlossoms) Quilt nothing so far. But naturally I've been looking at fabric online to buy.

- Laundry - Well let's just say that I'll have my hands full this weekend.

- Christmas Tree - Ahem, well I guess it can't become a permanent decorating fixture in our family room.

So happy Friday everyone and try to stay warm!

Sunday, January 11, 2009

My newest little love

Hubbie finally gave in and agreed to let me get a dog. I'm fortunate enough to work with Kimberly who is a Doggie Foster Mom. At Christmas she received this little gem who met all my dog requirements, small, short hair, can be held like a baby, not a puppy, cute, good with kids, good with cats, and in general very sweet. I snapped her up before she even go to go to PetSmart for adoption Sundays.
I've never been a little dog person. I grew up with a medium size dog. But this dog seems just fine. We named her Evey after the girl robot in Wall-E. The cats are TOTALLY freaked. Sunny hissed and puffed, PJ puffed, and Snickers is in my bedroom under the bed pouting. So stay tuned to the animal kingdom around here!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Finalized list of New Year's ReVolutions

Resolutions...reVolutions sounds the same to me. This year Hubbie and I asked the Munchkins (9 and 7) what their New Year's resolutions would be.
  • The 9 year old - "My New Year's reVolution is to be nicer to my sister." - Yep. Now ask how long she's kept that one.
  • The 7 year old - "My New Year's reVolution is to keep all my stuff together (aka organized)." - Who cried in the car this morning because she couldn't find her homework folder in her backpack where I told her to put it last night.
I can only hope that I will stick to my 2009 reVolutions (cause reVolutions sounds more dramatic) alittle longer than my spawn.

So this year since I have this lovely blog, I've decided to post them in my sidebar. That way every time I log on to take a look, make a post, or whatever, there they will be.

In general, I hope that 2009 will be a better year than last year. Not so much drama. Not so much sadness. I know that there is alot of stuff out there right now that doesn't make it seem like it's going to be a good year, but I'm going to be optimistic, and put a stake in the ground and say,"I'm going to do everything I can to make this a good year for me and the ones I love." So if you fall into that very lucky (sometimes you might question if you're all that lucky) category, then watch out, 2009 is gonna be FINE, dammit!

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Hee, hee....


I started my "for real" scarf. I discovered a few things out already about knitting.

A. The right yarn makes a difference
B. The right needles for the right yarn make a difference.
C. Chunky tweedy yarn is VERY forgiving.

And so I continue with my knitting journey. After this I will knit Hubbie a scarf and experiment with a new knitting pattern!

Friday, January 2, 2009

I did it! I did it!


Ok, ok, I know the sides are all mucked up. And I know there are some dropped stitches in the middle, but I did it. I figured out casting on, the knit stitch, and the purl stitch. Today, I decided to give my poor red tweed yarn, that I'm going to make a scarf out of, a break. It had been unraveled way too many times. I found this cheap-o yarn in the kids crafts bin in my sewing room's closet. So I decided to start a practice piece so that I could get the hang of the knitting "rhythm". So I spent a good bit of the day on Monday fighting with casting on and the knit stitch. The elusive purl stitch escaped me. Then today when I sat down it was like magic, I got it. I guess my brain just had to process the million times I watched these videos. I go tomorrow for some coaching from my knitting mentor, Kate. I feel so good that I've taught myself this much. Trying to start 2009 off right.

2009! Ta Da!

Ok, I usually take a week or so to "finalize" my top 10 resolutions. I really want to try to put some thought into my list cause it could go on and on and on.

Right now on the list for 2009 consideration---

1. Lose weight (this one is not negotiable----I'm turning 40 this year and I refuse to be fat! I've done it before and know what to do, I just got to live up to that commitment for myself)
2. Learn to knit
3. Continue to hand quilt
4. Have more fun with my family and friends (2008 was a downer year)
5. Inspire and teach others with what I know
6. Really get involved in local politics (hello, Forsyth County School Board, this is Melissa)

Like I said, I've more thinking to do so, by next Friday I'll have my final list ready for 2009!