I finished it!

Three skiens of Sensations Sprinkles yarn, and voila ... a Christmas scarf for my Godmother!

I just might get to my Christmas cards yet! :)

Happy Holidays All!

Knifty Knitter Bag

Earlier this year I purchased 2 skeins of Galway Chunky Paint 100% Wool yarn from this amazing shop that my GF and I like to browse with the intention of making a felted bag for my daughter. Well at long last it is complete and the joint effort of my daughter and I has produced what I think is a cute little "sack" for her.

Now you must realize that I CANNOT knit with needles. I have tried, and even with the assistance from my extremely patient GF I cannot keep my tension consistent, among other issues. As a result I am limited to making whatever my handy-dandy Knifty Knitter will allow me to.

See, I LOVE my Knifty Knitter. And the more I learn to make something other than a scarf or hat; I LOVE it even more. ;)

This is the bag before felting:

This is the bag after felting:

For those curious I made this with the extra large yellow round loom, and the spool loom. It took approximately 1 1/2 skeins of Galway Chunky Paint 100% wool yarn @ 123 yards per skein.

Ribbon Storage

For those of you "blurfing" for craft storage ideas, here's how I store my ribbons that I purchase by the yard. Such yummy colors - makes you want to lick them!

I have found Walmart to be the most affordable place to purchase these floss boxes. The ribbon cards and clips are from Cropper Hopper, usually sold at Archivers in my area.

The carry case which I purchased at Michaels last year came with 3 of the storage boxes. Those cases flew off the shelves lemme tell you.

Bulkier ribbons or on the spool, I store in photo boxes labeled and stacked on my shelf.

Still hoping to get crafty soon and make some cards to post.

I am outraged!

"AIG spent US$440,000 on spa, resort after bailout, lawmakers say"
The Financial Post

"Need a Job? $17,000 an Hour. No Success Required."
NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF The New York Times

It's time I set up my soapbox again and let off some steam! Quite frankly I don't even know where to begin with all the news that continues to surface out of our economic situation. Let's face it, we ALL knew that corporate greed existed and it was excessive, but to this extent???

It really goes beyond anything that I can say or give my opinion on, I think most of us would agree, this is disgusting!

Care to read on ....

http://www.financialpost.com/most_popular/story.html?id=866284

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/18/opinion/18kristof.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

I love Autumn!

Autumn is by far one of my favorite times of the year. I love all the sensory things that Autumn brings. The smells, the colors, the temperature ....

So, today I made a wreath for my front door. A little help from some assorted flowers from JoAnns, a fall garland, a wreath, glue gun and cutters, and voila!!!!

I LOVE IT!

God Bless You Grandma

I have been blessed to see life brought into this world, and I have now been blessed to see life leave this world. On Friday, August 22nd, my Grandmother passed away peacefully. Her wishes were to go be with God and Grandpa and we were with her as she left us to be with them. Her sense of humor and grace gave us all the strength to let her go, and continues to give us strength as we grieve the loss of Grandma in our lives. There are no words to describe the gift that she has given us; it is immeasurable. God Bless You Grandma.

Laughter

I was sitting here this morning and thinking that I haven't posted in awhile. And in doing so, I came to realize that I haven't been as inspired. I think I got caught up too much in my day to day; feeling hurried or rushed ... then tired or lazy ... pick any excuse. So, last night I had the kids have their baths earlier than usual, and we got comfy on the couch, and tuned into some tv. I know, I know, groan, groan ... but sometimes they really do need to just plug in and check out. So, we decided to watch that crazy Wipeout show. Now, I've heard the negative and positive about it ... but I must admit, we enjoyed it for the most part. Why??? Above all else, and at the expense of those poor contestant's shameless efforts ... we laughed, and we laughed and we laughed. God that felt good!!!! I found two quotes that struck me, one of which, of course, made me laugh.

What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul. ~Yiddish Proverb

I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose. ~Woody Allen

Enjoy your day and laugh ..... please! :-)

My Creations Added

Time to share pics of one of my preferred past times. Card making! Something which I have not been doing of late, however I did find some old pics, and I mean old, that I could post. I will find more, and share these with you. My dear friend, Tracey aka "Fred" (check out her blog in my links) has been inspiring me to get more creative again. I hope to post more soon!

BFFL-You know who you are!

Among the many things in life I am thankful for is my friends. Those who I could count on implicitely to be there for me without judgement, hesitation, question, and because they want to. As a Canadian, who plopped herself in Minnesota 18 years ago, I still to this day, find my world somewhat small. And to be honest, I prefer it that way. I have been blessed to have made friends in life who will be my friends for life. My friend who, despite hundreds of miles that divide us and once a year visits; we remain BFFL. And though we can't help each other out in person, our internet connection allows us to be there for each other. Mwah to you girl! My friend, whom I have been sooooo blessed to have found here in my small MN world, who keeps me sane, quite literally. She's a mother to my kids when I'm not, she graciously gives up her day off so that we can get together (kids and all) to celebrate my birthday, she knows me for all my good and bad, and never judges. (BIG HUG) My friend, whom I have never met in person, who is my sounding board, my cheerleader, my health advisor, among other things (Hug). And my Mom, who was my first BFFL, who has done soooooo much for me, continues to do tooooo much for me, who means the world to me ...... and taught me how to be a good friend. ("Squeeze me with your eyes.") It is my wish that I can bless all of your lives as much as all of you do mine. xoxoxoxoxo

The Tipping Point

So this morning I went to http://www.youtube.com/ just for kicks, as I usually do. One of their latest top picks was this stare down video with Jessica Alba. Okay, so curiousity got the best of me, and I watch the video. It has a catchy tune, it has a good beat for my walks, and I end up trying to find it. I find it on you tube, and then start reading the comments (another thing I do for kicks), and see that many people were doing just as I was as a result of the stare down video. It brings me to this thought .... was her video on you tube, with over 3 MILLION views, the tipping point for the popularity of the song?

Malcolm Gladwell's explanation of his book, The Tipping Point: "I think the answer to all those questions is the same. It's that ideas and behavior and messages and products sometimes behave just like outbreaks of infectious disease. They are social epidemics. The Tipping Point is an examination of the social epidemics that surround us."

I'd like to see more positive tipping points. How's that for a challenge? What idea, behavior, or message could we spread in that infectious way? Think about that ...... I know I will.

Memories .....

Welllllll.....we are but 4 days from May, and we had snow come through this weekend. Hardly enough to count as snow, but certainly enough to discourage those of us who really felt that spring had "sprung". You see .... our new home has a front porch that will accommodate furniture, and I can't tell you how excited I am about that. I cannot wait to sit on my porch with my book, laptop, knitting, or any other task that will keep my idle hands busy. I LOVE Spring and Autumn; they are my 2 favorite seasons. I'm not a huge Summer or Winter fan. It's too hot, and it's too cold! The coming of the green of spring is amazing to watch, and the colors of autumn leaves, and the smell of autumn breezes is the kind of things that bring memories flooding to back to me. I remember as a young girl sitting on my Grandparent's back deck and rocking for many an afternoon with Grandma on her umbrella swing. I could smell her lilac bushes in bloom, and to this day when lilacs are in bloom, the smell of them takes me back to home. When near a lake or ocean with waves lapping against shore, I am reminded of the years that we lived on Lake Ontario, and the symphony of the waves would bring me peaceful slumber. The smell of a campfire ... and I'm 16 again spending the summer camping and at the beach with my parents, and yes, getting into some proverbial mischief that shall not be repeated here. ;) I encourage you to take a moment, and smell around you and see what memories it invokes.

Zero Tolerance and Don't Blame Me

I have three things to say ..... GROW UP .... GET OVER IT ... and stop pointing the finger in the other direction! When are people going to start being accountable again?????

Take for instance our economical woes. Yes, I will be the first to agree that there were less than "straight up" mortgage lenders out there that over-qualified buyers and "re-fi's". Let me say this, as a Realtor, shame on those of you in this industry who knowledgeably put your clients in those situations. Having said that, shame on you "general populus" who knew that it seemed too good to be true, but did it anyways. Like any wave it's only crests for so long, then ebbs into shore and then takes some shore back to sea. This is but a small part of our problem, but no doubt is a large contributor to it.

Now as far as zero tolerance goes .... I'll say it again .... GROW UP .... GET OVER IT! Like the proverbial hot coffee lawsuits against major food chains; are you kidding me? How could you not think that your coffee would be served HOT? Okay so old news, but the best illustration, don't you agree? It seems that "we" have become so intolerant of the less important issues in our lives, and "we", without a doubt, need to become more intolerant of other issues. Take the "in your face" sex sells that surrounds us. I'm an adult; yes, sex sells. But my eyes are not the only ones seeing this, and when 10 year old boys tease my daughter and her girlfriends by asking them if "they are going to have sex with each other" ... now that is something to not be tolerated.

That right there is my "zero tolerance". So "don't blame me" if I coming knocking on your door to talk to your son for behaving like that. How's that for the proper perspective!!!

A "novel" thought .....

So, I haven't blogged in awhile .... Nope, hasn't lost the novelty; just life in the way. And, my to-do list has "read" among the other more important "monkeys on my back" that I must tend to. And how is it that after months of being on the wait list for 3 books at the library, do they suddenly all become available within 2 weeks of each other? So I find myself a bibliophile lately, chewing up worn pages of fictional characters and places; some of which I found myself liking and others not. Currently on the night table: Different Seasons/Stephen King (I wanted to read Shawshank Redemption as I'd enjoyed the movie so much.) ... Remember Me?/Sophie Kinsella (Gotta love "chick lit" for the pure simplicity of it.) ... The Pillars of the Earth/Ken Follet (Really want to dig into this one; waiting for the right moment.) ... The Next Thing on My List/Jill Smolinski (More "chick lit"; love the message. Check out her site!) ....... among others. I did just read Light On Snow/Anita Shreve and I found myself not certain if I liked the book or not. I think given it's beginning I expected a more spectacular ending. The characters were likable; the story quite simple really. And maybe that's what makes it a good book. It doesn't rely on the bizarre or obscene to envelope us. I think I now realize that it's a very real story that relies simply on human interaction to draw us in. A "novel" thought, yes? Human interaction.

What are people thinking?

So, I'm in a parking lot today. After some shopping I return to my vehicle to find the vehicle parked to my left, on my driver's side, is grossly crooked in it's space; so much in fact that it's rear end is IN my parking space. Did this driver think for one moment of the impact that they would have on the vehicle that they had so ignorantly crowded? I was stunned. I was disgusted. Sadly this is not the first time I've experienced this in life. Some years ago, as a first time mother, I returned to my vehicle with my infant in a carrier to not be able to enter my vehicle from the infringed upon doors. And this vehicle today that ruffled my feathers; it was a large over-sized 4x4. So I ask, why, since I choose to drive a mid-sized vehicle, do I have to be inconvenienced by you the driver of your over-sized vehicle, that ignorantly crowds me??? Perhaps as a child you were disciplined for coloring outside the lines and this is your vindication .....

Do you wallpaper?

I do!!!! And I don't mean the kind on my wall. I'm referring to my desktop on my computer. I recently decided to change my wallpaper (yet again) and was very happy with what I found. This particular visit to my favorite search engine, Google, was to solicite motivational wallpapers. And, oh no, one would not be enough. So compliments of http://www.acqyr.com/index.php I came across several and this one struck me particularily important today. Some days my wallpaper is of water, or autumnal leaves or a happy picture of the kids, and as I sit here and write this I realize that that picture alone, the one of my children, not the one I search for out there in the world wide web, should be enough motivation for me to "Be the change you want to see in the world" as said by Mahatma Gandhi. Need I say more?

How hard can it be ......

.... to put the laundry away? Isn't most the work in sorting it, washing it, drying it, lugging it around the house? I must confess, it is one of my worst habits, and terribly annoying for my husband.

Okay, so, tell me I'm clever (either that or weird). We have a two-story home now with the laundry on the main level. The first month or so, I'd "hump" the laundry hampers up and down the stairs. Yes, I know .... good exercise ..... however, not good on bad backs, sciatic issues, or swollen ankles from too many slips and falls. Not to mention, the fact that I'm terribly clumsy. So ... back to the laundry ....

One day, my light bulb went on. I have a laundry chute!!!! An unconventional one ... but I have a laundry chute. So, bombs away, each load goes over the railing and onto my foyer floor, which is within feet of my laundry area. And in fact, this accomplishes two things, not only does it simplify the up and down the stairs issue, but it also makes me do it right away, because the thought of my family's dirty laundry in the foyer for all to see, is less than appealing.

Now, what to do about putting the clean laundry away ...... ;-)

The Sense of a Goose

I recently heard this, and was very touched by this. I am sharing it here, and wish I could give credit to it's author. Read on ..... enjoy .... and give it some thought.

Sense of a Goose
Author Unknown

When you see geese flying along in "V" formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way:

As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in "V" formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.

People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front.

If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those people who are headed the same way we are.

When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point.

It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs, whether with people or with geese flying south.

Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

What messages do we give when we honk from behind?

Finally ... and this is important ... when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshot, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their group.

If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that.


Author Unknown

Thank You, and I Mean It!

... I really do! I don't just say it because my Mother taught me to know better ... I really do mean it!

"Gratitude, appreciation, or thankfulness is a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive." (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

See here's the thing ... it's a positive emotion! I really do enjoy giving thanks to someone as I go about my day. You may be the Librarian who just helped me locate that elusive book I was hoping to read, the Cashier who rang up and bagged my groceries, the Parent who offers their support, the Children who help care for the pets, or the Husband who works so hard each day that I am afforded the luxury to have a flexible work schedule ... YOU are one of many people I am grateful for in my life, and I appreciate it.

I am a huge believer in "paying it forward". It is more than "what comes around, goes around". Paying it forward is positive! Who could argue the need for postive moments in our world? Our world can be as small as the home we occupy, the town we live in, or this entire world we cohabitate in. And even if we "pay it forward" within our little world, it finds it's way to the next world, and it's reaches are far beyond what we will ever know, or hope to know.

Smile, say thank you, pay it forward ..... and mean it ... you will be amazed at the difference you will make.

so this is it ....

... I am to join the masses, and blog ... what shall I blog about? ... am I to subscribe to the voyeurism of the world and post my life into a blog fishbowl? ... perhaps ...

The day's events? Most notable? My son's painful toenail story, and how brave he was? His recent contribution to the tooth fairy? Or, his 6th day of a dry night in bed? Or, how about the fact that it happened all in the same day!!!! Ah yes, that's it! In this and with each moment that I am now trying to enjoy wholeheartedly, I am finding more and more of myself as a mother, wife and woman.

Or is this about me? Have I decided to blog for my own reflection? In my continuing effort to "soul search" and define myself I see this as a useful tool. But, having said that, I realize, why the need to "define" myself? Am I yet again, joining the masses, and one of many, many women in society today who find themselves struggling to find our soul again? ... perhaps ...

And what about this society of today? Oh, where would I begin? And how large a soapbox shall I stand on to voice my thoughts on that? Where would I begin? Dare I even open that perverbial "Pandora's Box"? ... perhaps .....

... I'll save that for another post ...