Blog Neglect

Somebody probably better call blog and family services on me. I have been seriously neglecting the ole blog. Fortunately, it just sits there quietly starving until I come back.. I'm back. :)

So, I've been knitting. Knitting, knitting, knitting. And making progress on my schoolwork. Slowly but steadily, row by row, bit by bit.

This year, I've completed two pairs of socks, a headband, two baby blankets, two hats, two pair of fingerless gloves, and a baby sweater with matching hat.

I'm most impressed that I'm actually nearly finished with the sweater for Keith. Plus three other pairs of socks are in varying degrees of progress.

Chelle's Works

My lilac is finally blooming this year, and as promised, is as fragrant as I could ever want.


Grandma turned 90 on Sunday, and there was a party, with much food and vaguely familiar faces from distant past..



Well, there is work to do, dinner to figure out, and schoolwork to do, and a little girl STARVED for attention (and food -- much like the blog) Seems somebody is always feeling neglected no matter what I do. *sigh* Ah well. back to life...

Givin it Homemade...

Dreams of Free Food

I keep having this dream. I'm with other people, usually in a bus or a van, sometimes a car or a caravan of cars. We go and we park, and we walk through gravel paths in oriental gardens. Lots of bamboo. Bricks arranged like fans lining the paths. There is an older trailer home at the end, more gardens around it, and a little hand made, hand written sign along the path that says the food is free. There are tables and chairs set up in different areas in the garden, there is one area on sort of an island in a pond, or between streams. You walk across the bridge, through the bamboo, and you're there. They serve Chinese food. You can also sit inside the trailer, where apparently they make the food.

I don't know the significance of this place yet, but I've been there many times in my dreams. Perhaps part of the significance lies in where I choose to sit. And what I choose to eat. And whether I even ever get to sit and eat, or if I spend my time wandering about trying to find someone, or something.

And certainly, that the food is free.

St. Bernards, Squirrels, and Hot Chocolate

Did you ever find yourself suddenly, randomly realizing some minor childhood belief that never was challenged by reality? I was just driving down the road, and realized that I still had this belief that the St. Bernards went up in the mountains looking for lost people in avalanches, with those little barrels around their necks containing HOT CHOCOLATE! Naturally, what else would you want to get you through? I'm pretty sure that they actually do have the dogs, with the barrels, that go find people. As I recall, there were two, Bruno and Heidi up at Timberline Lodge, though I think they were mainly mascots and not rescue dogs. And apparently, if dogs are carrying the barrels, they contain brandy, not hot chocolate. I suppose they've been phased out somewhat by those tracking devices climbers use now. But even thinking about it now, with my adult brain, I still want to believe they'd bring me hot chocolate and dig me out of the avalanche.

Oh, and we still have squirrels in our ceiling. One of these days, I'll be sitting on my couch, knitting, watching South Park, and a ceiling tile will pop out and a squirrel will land in my lap.

And I'll wish I had a St. Bernard.

Getting Organized

So, I spent a good bit of my morning yesterday, trying to get everything AAMI organized. My next step is to get a whole slough of copies made of some forms. My little duck sewing box is keeping a space and keeping everything from tipping over right now, but probably will need to find a new home eventually. See that coffee can on the shelf, next to the computer? That's my new highlighter pen disguise. The hope is that it might help to keep them from walking off, if they are sealed in a can.

The really good news is that I did finally find my desk. Honestly, I wish I had a better space for studying, rather than my work space. I'm not sure how to switch my brain into school mode from work mode, without getting distracted one way or another mid stream, all day long. But, that's a problem that tends to follow me no matter what I'm doing. Obviously, something I need to work on.


My poor printer is rapidly losing it's battle with old age. I'm to that point now of trying to decide if I want to invest in one more toner cartridge, or go a little more and just get a new printer altogether. I've been Jonesin for a color laser printer for quite some time. I'm sure the toner for those is going to cost me even more than the ones for this dinosaur as well. I just have so much to print these days, and this poor printer... it just barely knows how to communicate with these new fangled computers, and oh, to have color. *sigh*

Anyway, the day is starting here. Lunch for Charlotte, Breakfast for Charlotte, kids to school, drop of money for school pictures, then drop of the payment for extended-K, then head over to get my hair done, then off to the library to vote, and pick up a book, then back here to work for a bit before heading back to pick up kids at school. *whew*

Killer Bees in the Morning

As promised, pictures of the Killer Bees Naga Socks. Gotta love the colors.


This crawled in this morning while it was still dark outside. Fortunately, the creature seems fairly good natured. ;)

And I do have my coffee. (yes it's a Hello Kitty toaster, and it makes Hello Kitty toast)

Something to gripe about

I've been a member in good standing of a "certain druid organization" for nearly 10 years. Paid my annual dues, even volunteered my time and resources to promote the org locally. Right now, my only reason for renewing this year, is that I have been in it for 10 years, and I'd hate to break that streak of being a member of anything that long. But really, what do I get in return? The classic answers are 1. dedicant/study programs and 2. guilds. I finished the initial study program, not really interested in doing much else with that. I'm studying midwifery, not much room for other study.

The guilds - great, except now they want us to dig deep and personally donate extra to sustain our guilds. Like we shouldn't expect the organization to do that. Or like the organization can't AFFORD to do that. Which is hogwash. (pardon my farm)

Otherwise, all I really seem to get from the organization these days is inane drama. Which is sort of entertaining, but I can watch Days of Our Lives for free. Why do I want to pay annual dues to watch people bicker on-line? Every 4 to 6 months or so, there is an interesting discussion, and I guess I'd hate to miss that. Or would I? Maybe I'd rather be knitting...

Currently on my needles, I'm about a third of the way up the body on Keith's sweater. It's going a lot faster than I'd expected it to. I also started a pair of Naga Socks with my new Yarn Pirate colorway called Killer Bees. I'll take some pictures later after the sun comes up.