TAGGED!!!

Jennychrys, I cannot believe you tagged me. OK, here goes. 8 things people don't know bout little ole me (this is scary as I tell bunches already).

Jennychrys tagged me for this meme.
Here are the Ye-Shall-Not-Break-Me Rules:

*link to the person who tagged you
*post the rules
*name 8 things others don't know about you
*link to 8 other bloggers

1. I hate doing dishes, but do them because what's the point in hating something you have to do everyday.

2. I am a complete baby when it comes to pain.

3. I actually consider getting pregnant again so I can do childbirth again and "get it right." This is due to the perseverance I learned as an athlete in high school and the criticism I received from my MIL on multiple occasions. Yes, I consider delivering a baby an athletic event. Don't ask me "why?" I don't get it myself, who knows what the inner scrapings of a woman's mind are about childbirth. I prefer NOT to excavate that. And NO. We have had minor surgery on DH, so no more kiddies. I know my limitations.

4. I sit on the porch (postage stamp size) for as many months of the year as possible on the porch swing. I spin, knit, read, and monitor children there until it is not possible to sit there because of the cold.

5. I am so intolerant of weakness in myself that I will "stare down" whatever it is that is causing me distress. This is so that the anxiety I feel can be worked out. I hate feeling anxious. If you just tackle it, you can 'slay the beast.' This is weird, I know, but.... whatever.

6. I want to have a flock of chickens.

7. I wish I were an artist. Painter, singer, song writer..... it doesn't matter. I just wish I could express myself in art.

8. I fantasize about running and owning a Bed and Breakfast. Too much work for reality, but hey, this is a FANTASY!

Tag!! You're it:
Gina
Diana
Jodi
Tanya

I only have 1 son. He is 3.5 yo. I love him dearly. See what my boy has done.
We had dropped the girls off at the local AWANA program, ran to Ukrop's for apples and freshly milled flour for an apple crisp. DH and I were cleaning up the kitchen when......... DS came in with a flyswatter talking about the kerosene heater. Yes, my pyromaniac dh tries to save money by using a kerosene heater. Ethan knows not to touch this heater with his hand. The flyswatter is another matter.

So the house should be smelling like cinnamon, apples and pecans. Instead, it smells like molten plastic. I think I'm gonna go get in the bathtub and read. Then, I am gonna watch TV and knit with a glass of wine and the apple crisp.

I dream of my own LYS

10 Things I Need in a Little Yarn Shop (LYS):

1. I like being a regular. Please know me or at least my project! I was at NOTS, and I had a delightful experience today! I was remembered. Of course, I had just been there on Tuesday? Still! Oh yeah, I hit Sereknity yesterday...... I had met the owner 1 time folks. 1 time and she remembered that I dream of having a swift someday. Same happened with Gina at Mosaic. People love being remembered. (I have only met Gina 2 x's).
   
2. Carry REAL yarn. Something I can really sink my teeth into. Challenge me!
3. Folks who can knit better than me. That is NOT hard! If I need help, I love having friends I can run to and aren't doing something else. Isn't that the point of the yarn shop concept. If I need help now and Tanya, Robin or (insert your favorite expert knitter here) are at work then I like nothing better than to zip over to my LYS!
   
4. Lots of patterns.
5. Lots of colors. Blow my mind. That hasn't happened yet. I can hardly wait till I can walk into a LYS and be speechless!
6. Coffee? Why not! However, this would be a disaster if clutzy me spilled it on say..... the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino.
7. Lots of gauges. Not a few in each. tons and tons and tons.
8. Have classes that I would consider taking. I have never taken a class. I would like to take a class.
9. An atmosphere of warmth, creativity and learning. A place where people reach out to others, even if they don't know them. A third place.
10. A place I can hang out. Dudes. There is nowhere for a 36yo mother of 3 to hangout with her posse on any given night of the week. We need a PLACE. PM hours. Not late, just not 5.

*sigh* Maybe I will do it after the kids are grown and I win the lottery........ Any takers? Who would like to go into business?

ps: The DIY man successfully fixed the crapper. Mary at NOTS suggested I update you all on the status of my bathroom. Thanks Mary

9:34 pm. I am hiding downstairs at the computer, blogging. As I write, DH, aka DIY dude is upstairs trying to re-"thread" the toilet. This is a disaster of epic proportions. I love the fact that ANdy isn't afraid to tackle plumbing, but, dude... we need the crapper. He began at 6:12pm. Do the math. This toilet backs up to my bedroom wall and a 3yo man cub is sleeping in my bed. The girls have been warned, strongly, by me, to not bother DIY dude. No. Reason. No. H20. Are. They. To. Speak. To. Him.

The plumbing is iffy up there anyway. The sink DOES NOT work, except for a trickle. The aforesaid toilet, runs every 30 min. due to a slow leak from somewhere in the mysterious depths. Why did he decide to fix it tonight? We have lived here 6 years with that toilet leaking. Why tonight?

Now, he stomped down the stairs, bypassing me totally, and is in the bowels of the basement making crashing noises. oh boy. Just so you know, I am ensconced here in the TV room with an Australian Chardonnay and I'm not leaving.

There are some things that I swore I would NEVER do.

CLAPOTIS

A finished object for MIL's Christmas present. The Huckleberry Ascot from Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2007. My model is my 7yo dd.

Going to check the DIY dude. There is only a leak from the bottom of the crapper on 1 side vs. 2, progress. Uh-Oh. Loud tool dropping noise. Nope, not going up there. My technical skills go only so far as to :

• run a crockpot
• run other kitchen appliances
• run laundry appliances
• drive a car
  
• make bread
• successfully use a simple machine (spinning wheel), though it can be argued that a crapper is a simple machine
• change a lightbulb
• jury rig doll clothes

The man cub is up and 'helping' the DIY dude. Gotta go save his life. We'll be fine, don't worry. ha ha ha ha ah

I am going to continue my rant about Starmore, and add some ranting bout digital cameras while I am at it.

So...... I am nearly finished on the Sakina Needles 3ply hand spun sweater. Can I show it to you? No. Because the ******* camera flash is NOT working.

So...... I am nearly finished with the Bella poncho. In 2ply, fingering weight hand spun, wool and silk in Grandma's Garden colorway from CyberFyber. Can I show it to you? no. Because the )(*&*&%^*^%)(*& camera flash is NOT working.

Had some serious discussion with DH bout the merits of the Rockin Sock Club. He was not impressed (and neither was a nameless friend or 2 out there).

Where does all this leave me? Without much to do. Oh, don't get me wrong. There is always things I can do. Piddly things. BORING things to finish,spin, throw out. The problem is.... I am in need of the next challenge. I am looking for my next Everest. I feel like Shackleton encased in ice on Antarctica. The South Pole (IE: Starmore) is just out of my reach.

That's where Starmore Alice comes in. She is the holy grail of knitting for me. She is what I have aspired to. I ran into a gal 2 years ago who spun all her yarns. The sweaters she knit were the swanky fair isles that Starmore is so bloody, genius at producing. Folks.... hand spun, Starmore sweaters. All of those subtle color graduations.... I almost swooned and am still quite breathless. I never thought that I, little ole me, can't make anything fit would ever be able to knit a Starmore. Well guess what, I am ready. Just don't have the cash.

I have other problems as well. Gauge. The 8**** Sakina sweater is a wee bit too small. No matter. Blocking. Yes that will take care of that problem. Unless of course, people actually like seeing me POURED into a v-neck sweater. I do have quite a bit of an upper story. Maybe I should wear it next Tuesday when 'Sugar Shane' shows up with my milk.

Last but not least. Bella. My hand spun, asymmetrical poncho. Don't like her. Blocked her today and she is a bit better. Wondering what curse is upon me. I dream of knitting glory, but my results don't match my dreams. I DO have fun though.

Just a mild rant.

Alice Starmore! Have you ever seen more beautiful designs? I just wanna cuss. I want to knit Starmore and I am so poor...... forget a bout it

Check out Ravelry for Starmore FO's.

Not fair.

I am gonna go pout.

My Precious

Weird things happen to me. Coincidences? I don't think so. I truly believe that God cares for us. Even the minutia of everyday life. Here is a simple, commonplace example:
I have this hat I just finished. A fair-isle tam from the Interweave Holiday Gifts 2007 issue. I love this hat. The wool is from Knitpicks, fingering weight, palette. Multi-colored with pink as the primary color. I only paid $35 for 11 skeins. I was delighted when the box showed up and I cast on immediately. The 1st part was difficult. I had to do ribbing in 2 colors. This is my 1st fair isle project, so figuring out where the yarn and fingers went was challenging. Within a couple of hours I had figured it out. I was in love. A new technique that was fun to boot!

I finished the hat and it has been squired around for lots of outings. So many compliments and I even like the way it looks on me. The girls are each begging for one of their very own. I have lots of yardage so this isn't going to be a problem.

Ukrops Friday. Weekly grocery shopping run. Wore Tam to the store and upon entering my car, post shopping and after strapping in the chitin's, took Tam off because I was a little warm. I came home, and that is the last memory I have of Tam.

Skip forward to Saturday. I want to wear Tam. Gone. Lost. Just like Gollum's precious ring. I had lost my precious Tam and I was in a foul mood because of it. I just knew it was my kids fault because they are always distracting me, asking me for x,y, and z. And in general talking my fool ear off and I can't even hear myself think much less finish a task, put something away , or whatever. In general, I was acting like a prime donkey, aka, ass.

I am pouting in the bathtub and think that maybe I should pray about the Tam. After all, God knows where Tam is and I truly believe that God cares.... bout me, not the tam. So, I pray. Then proceed to rip the house apart. Den? nope. Under anything? nope. Bedroom? nope. Kids bedrooms? nope. Basement? nope. Trash? nope. In the clean laundry pile? nope. Dirty laundry pile? nope. Then drive to Ukrops and check lost and found? nope. Go to bed. No Tam.

Sunday. I want to wear Tam to church. I again rip the house apart this time with the lost and found king, Andy. Andy will find it, he finds everything. No Tam. Not under my bed. Not in any laundry basket. Not in any closet. Again, ask God to tell me where Tam is. I am wondering if THIS will be the time that God doesn't answer me. Maybe all my big talk bout how God cares and is infinitely communicative...... well, you know what I thought. So, I start thinking that God has other plans for me and Tam. Like, how not to act like an ass to darling family over a hat for crying out loud. Don't I have what's really important, like the emotional well-being of my children for example, at the forefront of my mind?

I take a shower and start to pray and tell God that I am at least willing to face my attitude towards my precious and face up to the fact that Tam is lost. "I am sorry God. I am blaming my kids for my own carelessness. I am willing to let Tam go if you will help me." And He does.

Sunday night. Tired, in bathtub again. Get out quick because someone is dropping in on us. I streak to bedroom...... There is Tam in the middle of the floor. Right beside the bed. Not even on the far side of the bed. Right there. In plain sight. Not under anything. Nothing. Right there.....plain sight. Folks, it was NOT THERE YESTERDAY, TODAY OR EVEN 5 MINUTES AGO!

So...... pay attention. God is waiting to talk to us. Ask, seek, knock and then wait. Pay attention. You never know how He will speak.