A shiny sink makes everything better

Tonight was Halloween!

     This was Ben's second but Alex's first. Ben was so much more into it this year. He walked hand in hand with his cousins up to each door and held up his basket. Each time he would come running back to me with a big smile! The glee in his heart reminded me of how simple life is for him. He loves to be surrounded by his cousins, and is happiest when he has a sippy cup full of milk and his monkey by his side. He seemed amazed that with every new door he approached the strangers inside would repeat the same actions. And with a big smile I got to see me little big boy gain an understanding of the magic of the night. Laden down with a heavy basket of goodies we returned home to Nanny's house to crash from exhaustion.

     My little boy, who isn't so little at almost 35 inches tall is growing up so fast and will tomorrow be starting a new chapter in his life. About a month ago, Ben was diagnosed with being severely delayed in both his speech and cognitive abilities. This was a very difficult thing for me to hear. I knew that something wasn't right; he didn't speak, didn't seem to care if other people were around... He was just different. A mother always knows. So Ben was evaluated and found to be very behind... At the 6-9 month level, the same level as his little brother. Tomorrow Ben has his very first appointment with his speech teacher. I have so much anxiety wrapped up around this visit. Will the house be clean enough, will she notice the dirt under Ben's nails, will she determine that Ben is behind solely because of inadequate parenting??? I know that she is coming here to help Ben, not to judge me. But I can't help my mind going there.
     In the end, no matter what this woman thinks of me, I know I am doing the right thing. This can only help him. Plus, as I said at the beginning of this, a shiny sink makes everything better. How can you stay in a bad mood when there is a pretty, shiny surface staring back at you!!!!

Powdered Pumpkins!!!

Happy Winter..errrr I mean Fall!
          My church has an annual Pumpkin Patch fundraiser, and i was slated to do a shift yesterday... in the pouring rain, sleet, and snow.  It was a unique opportunity to see orange pumpkins turn white and also to see what kind of crazy people come out during a nor'easter to go pumpkin picking!

   There were some really great positives to the weather during this shift: 1) my children went to go play with their cousins, leaving me to a rare moment or peace, quiet, and aloness.  2) Most of the time was spent in my car, albeit trying to keep warm, but it provided me some solid crafting time.  This alone time allowed me to go from start to finish on a project that needed to be done so that I could send out a swap package.  The swap that I am working on now is a Mystery Color Swap.  You are given a person to create for and a color that they want that item to be.  The person that you are sending to does not know who they will be getting something from.  I am usually late with my packages because life just tends to get in the way.  I am super excited that this package is done and ready to go out in the post!  In researching the person that I am giving to, I discovered that she has two big loves: Pokemon and Sailor Moon.  My choices for creation were easy!!!

I introduce to you: Jigglypuff!! This little guy was SO much fun to crochet and obviously it worked up quickly.

My second creation, which I have been working on for about a week: Sailor Moon!!  She was also great to create.  The detail work at the end was a little tedious, but totally worth it.  The details are what makes it so close to the real thing!

Passing the Art

A co-worker and friend of mine, Nicole, asked me to teach her to knit.  I was thrilled with the idea.  I think that the fiber arts are a great skill.  Because of its resurgence among my generation, I am happy to see a new appreciation for the hand-made and craftsmanship.  I gave Nicole a shopping list consisting of needles and yarn and away she went.

Nicole came into work this morning with a spring in her step and a bag of goodies in her hand.  She was very excited for her first knitting lesson at lunch time.  Right away at lunch we started with tying a slip knot and casting on some foundation stitches.  With some awkwardness in her hands she watched as I demonstrated a step a couple times and she attempted to replicate. Very quickly her clumsiness changed to fluid movements as the muscles in her hands repeated the same motions.  Nicole was giddy with excitement about knitting her very first swatch. She even laughed as she stumbled for the first time, her needle splitting the fibers of her yarn.  "I can't talk and knit at the same time", she exclaimed... A battle that many new knitters have.. She will be taking home my copy of "Stitch n Bitch".  This is the book that I used to teach myself to knit and I know that she will appreciate the humor or the writing. 

Watching her learn and her excitement is contagious!  I am looking forward to her continued learning and growth..  Next thing you know... she will be Purling!!!

I Need To Be Committed

                I have said those words a thousand times.  Those five words are so easy to say, but have a lot of weight to them.  Time and time again, I have started on my weight loss journey with the best of intentions.  You name the weight loss program and I have probably tried it.  Mostly I have stuck with Weight Watchers.  It seems to be the one that works for me.  There are no restrictions, but I still need to make the right decisions.  Even if I am not actively “on program”, I still have it in the back of my head as something that I should keep in mind. 

                I have found that I do a much better job when I feel like I am accountable to someone besides myself; a buddy, a online group, a challenge.  I think that it is sad that I have found that I don’t care enough about myself to want to do it only for me, but if I feel like I will be letting someone else down, I will make sure to get it done…

                A little victory: Since my restart, I am already down 1.5 pounds!!!  I know that this is the easy part…. But I am still happy to see the scale moving in the right direction.  In my journey already I have found a really really yummy snack in my quest to eat my points. 

Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Granola

                2/3 cup Trader Joe’s Country Pumpkin Spice Granola

                2 Tbsp. Dark chocolate mini chocolate chips

Add both ingredients together, mix, and enjoy.   

                The points on this is high – 10 points, but as a way to use up points and get something sweet, it is a great treat!!  This could also be good eaten with milk as a cereal!

               On the creative front:  I have finished the hoodie for my iPhone.  I have gotten a lot of comments on it and generally people think that I am very strange!

The current project is a amigurumi of Sailor Moon for a swap that I am doing.  I am really enjoying this pattern.  I think that I could start using this as a base for making other dolls as gifts for people!

     

A Full Fiber Diet

Most people in my life are aware that after my two children, I have two major loves in my life: the fiber arts (knitting, crocheting, and hopefully one day spinning) and food! Unfortunately the combination of fiber and food has gotten me into a lot I trouble. I am majorly overweight (read: 80 pounds) and majorly in debt.

I cannot blame the singularly on one issue. I have been struggling since getting out of grad school because I of course timed my graduation perfectly with the economic downfall of our country. I also know that I don’t have the best spending habits. I am driven by want and desire. When I decide that I want something, I have to have that thing. It doesn't help that I married a man that has similar impulsive tendencies. Also add into this recipe a dash of depression and viola!!!! We have DEBT!!!

In the last handful of years I have been getting myself to a manageable place. This habit of change has been fuels by the birth of my two boys, a year apart. Yes... We are Irish! I want to do better for them and I do t want them to know want when they are old enough to know the difference.

Now that I have addressed one major problem in my life it is easier to see the two other growing issues... The growing waist line and the growing fiber stash! Lets address the easy one first. I have bins and bins of yarn. It of course all has projects designated, but there is one major problem.. We live in an incredibly small apartment with limited space for things to be “out and visible”. All of my yarn is in big boxes in the closet. I have no idea what I have. I have a hard time getting into the closet to see it. So that means, when I start a new project, I inevitably go out and get more yarn!!! This does not make for a good situation for either the budget or the stash issues! In the last few months, I have been doing much better using what I have on hand that I can get access to. My dream…to one day get out all of my yarn and create a catalog of what I have so that I can “shop” to my heart’s content in my own yarn store.

The growing waist line is a bigger issue. This has been many years in the making. In the past 6 years I have had two MAJOR surgeries and 2 kids (both c-section). Talk about taking a toll on a body. During this time, I have moved 4 times, changed jobs twice, gotten married, and lost my grandmother. Talk about stress! I have also been battling depression. I have not been formally diagnosed, but having worked in the past in the mental health field, and having a strong family history of depression….. well you can put 2 and 2 together. All of this has lead me to find comfort and solace anywhere I can. The easiest place to find those two friends is in the kitchen. You can take anger out with the chop of the knife and feel the warm embrace of an old friend with a soup or hot cocoa. Because of this I have ballooned up to 80 pounds of extra weight. Because of some joint issues that I have, it is hard for me to exercise in the way that I would want to. And because of my schedule, it is hard to find the time. But really, it is just easier to make excuses. I know what I have to do to lose the weight and yesterday I recommitted myself. I have set myself a lofty goal of 10 pounds by Thanksgiving, a mere 4 weeks away!

Now to the reason for the title of this post… A full fiber diet! I have set my goals, lofty as they may be… 10 pounds in 4 weeks. I know that I can do it if I try really hard… To make a big goal less scary there should always be a prize!! I have set my prize and I am excited! I stumbled onto a website/yarn store that has a great web presence and following. I have spent a lot of time browsing through their stock and had to dry off the screen a few times because of the drool.. This is luxury yarn, more expensive than what I usually purchase. But, there is something special about working with fine yarns… it moves faster across the needles… it is kinder to your hands… it is…an experience…. I want to thank The Loopy Ewe for inspiring me. For each 10 pounds that I lose, I will be making a purchase from this website or a luxury yarn for me. I will make something for me. I find it difficult to carve the time out to work on a project if it is for me… but I deserve the time and the dedication. So I am going on a full fiber diet! I will be consuming more fiber in my quest to lose more weight and to gain more fiber!!!