Day 1 of 2010

I spent a nice quiet morning with the pups. We were all thinking about what would be in my best interest for 2010. RP, Stan and Zippy helped me decide on four goals for this year.

1. Keep my portions of food between 1/2 and 1 cup because they noticed I was piling stuff way too high on my plate and that can't be good for me. If I get too big, I can't comfortably play with them or help out with their Dad who has a cranky knee and hip.
2. Exercise five days a week, because when I do, I am more relaxed and less likely to bark at their Dad.
3. Knit only from the yarn in my stash because they have concluded that I have plenty of choices for a variety of projects. And really, because enough is enough.
4. Complete St.Brigid, my forever sweater, because they can't wait to cuddle up in my lap when I am wearing it.

I'm looking forward to taking my AAPC online courses in medical coding, medical terminology and anatomy which will hopefully lead to future employment.

And most of all, I look forward to enjoying the company of my family, friends and critters.

A few weeks in Nov 09

Its hard to believe its almost Thanksgiving,. Its been a warm, rainy Autumn in Blue Bell. Many of us have been battling the viral bugs and upper respiratory infection that crop up this time of year. I'm hoping to return to the gym soon. My lungs are still a bit irritated from being ill. I definitely need to get back on track with my eating and exercise.

The past few weeks I've been busy knitting baby items, started a fair isle hat, am making progress on Rachel's afghan and hope to get back to St. Brigid soon.

I'm happily helping out with the twins, Robert and Caitlyn. They are now 5 months old and growing beautifully. My other two munchkins Celia and James are doing fine too.

Rachel will be spending this holiday season with Adam and his family. She enjoys them very much and feels very welcome.

Deb and Bill are trying to sell their townhouse and make a move into a bigger home. Its a slow frustrating process for them, especially with the economic crazies.

In my spare time I dream about owning an alpaca farm. Without dreams we are lost.

Here's a few pics from the past few weeks.

October 09 Update

Since my trip to Rhinebeck, Rachel and some of my friends and their children have been dealing with upper respiratory ick. Fortunately not swine flu, but there is plenty of that around. Several nursery schools and day care centers have been closed.

Since my last post, Celia celebrated her 1st birthday, Robert and Caitlyn are now 4 months old, both growing beautifully and young James is seriously being 2! I love them all and are so happy to be involved in their lives.

Rachel is gearing up for her Italian luncheon at school this week. She spent Halloween here and we had some good laughs. I am not fond of this holiday because I find the older children to be rude and greedy. I wonder if there is any parenting going on these days.

I'm working on my baby knitting, making slow progress on St.Brigid and also enjoyed shopping for alpaca yarn courtesy of my friend, Deb. She has 6 alpaca and had their fleece recently processed for the first time. I purchased some tri-color 3 ply, light worsted weight alpaca and some alpaca/merino/bamboo roving for a friend to spin.

Her are a few pics of knitting, new stash and Halloween. Please ignore the kitchen counters!

Rhinebeck 2009

I travelled to Rhinebeck with Jen for the very first time this weekend. We had a fabulous trip. The festival is very large but very well run. People are friendly and polite and the vendors all offered beautiful yarns and fibers. Rug hooking is also gaining in popularity. The weather was cold and rainy, but it did not dampen our enjoyment. Here are photos of my new stash. All my choices were handspun wools and one alpaca/bombyx silk blend. The kangaroo was a surprise too.

20 Years Old

Rachel is now 20 years old. On Oct 1, 1989, after 32 hours of labor and 2 hours of pushing she arrived at 8:27PM. She was asleep and purring. The years have been filled with love, like, fun, happiness and awe. Rachel has amazed us and continues to do so every day. Here are a few photos through the years. Deb, her sister is 15 years older. The girls are close and I am so thankful for that. One with Grandpa Morris in NJ, with Kishka, our black standard poodle, who was a puppy in this photo taken in California and of course one with RP taken Oct 1.

Children are the best.

Summer comes to an end

Summer is coming to an end. I am ready. The past few months have been lazy and relaxed. Rachel was busy with school, coming home most weekends to unwind, play with the pups and of course, putter. Adam visited also and then the two of them headed to NC for a much needed break.

I happily spent time with all the new babies in my life, while watching their new moms figure it all out. They are all doing a fantastic job raising wonderful children. I adore them all and am so thrilled to be part of it.

I look forward each week to meeting with my knitting friends. We are an eclectic group who have interesting conversations and laugh... sometimes, well most of the time, uncontrollably! We could write a book.

I'm finishing knitting projects, have a few more promised baby items to knit and am tackling Alice Starmore's "St. Brigid." Also, getting the bug to knit a complicated Fair Isle...but have not decided which one.

During the upcoming months, I plan to take a few more online courses and decide whether or not I will pursue a medical coding certification.

We are also starting to think about our future. What to do with the current house, where to go, are alpacas in my future? Much to think about, much uncertainty and many what ifs?

Pups are fine. Do you think they would like alpacas?

Here are a few miscellaneous photos from the past couple months. Looking forward to Autumn.

As the weeks go by

Is summer over yet? I am ready for cooler temperatures. The weeks go by, but feel very unsettled. And at times I've been kind of cranky and not in the mood for much.
My laptop recently went kaput. We bought a new Toshiba. After a few days, it was obvious the gizmo was not configured properly, so we returned it. I am getting used to my new Sony. One of these days I would love a MAC, but its not currently in the budget. In addition to that expense, Rachel and I also needed new cell phones.

The weather has been hot and stormy. My container plants have been happy and I do miss my big garden. Tomatoes and cukes are starting to come in. My basil, parsley and oregano are plentiful.

My weekly knitting groups keep me sane. I am finishing the baby items I've been working on. All of the babies are doing fine. I especially enjoy being the traveling granny. It really is such a treat.

Going to the gym has become part of my daily routine. This surprisingly has been easy for me. But, I need to get back on the wagon with my eating habits. I think my food issues are part of why I become cranky and unsettled. Funny thing how I know this, but lose the motivation to keep myself accountable and behaving responsibly.

I plan to start a Medical Terminology online course in a few weeks. That will keep me busy and feeling productive. I'm continuing to monitor the medical coding and billing field to see how health care reforms will affect my future career plans.

Rachel has been coming home on the weekends. We putter, sometimes cook and today was especially fun...she started knitting again. I hope Rachel continues. She is a very good knitter.

The pups are fine. Feisty as ever. I bought them a wading pool and they are not too sure about it. I have three eccentric, comical, goofy critters.

I am bored with summer and ready for the comfortable fall weather and winter knitting. Here are a few pics of what we have been up to.