Water, Woods And Wool

A Little Man of Leisure

2008-11-26T19:23:00.003-06:00

The front room is pretty drafty so I found the robe that I had bought for the little guy a while back. He is now a gentleman of leisure (if he will hold still long enough).

Too Much Candy Corn

2008-11-05T20:59:00.003-06:00

I do believe that the boy has had too much candy corn this season.

Where did all my pens go?

2008-10-07T18:43:00.002-05:00

The boy's newest game...

At least I was thinking about posting

2008-09-02T20:40:00.012-05:00

Right. So it has been a month and every day I think, "Hmm, I should really post some new pictures 'n stuff." Finally, I am stitting down. Family and friends know that I am a terrible procrastinator. But really....I was thinking about doing it all month!

To get to the meat of things:

1. I needed some home improvement instant gratification.

The hubby and I are still plugging along on the bedroom remodel. When we (I) were still mudding and sanding, I deceided that I would stop what I was doing and start a NEW project. (Again, to family and friends, this is nothing new. When it comes to any project, I think I have ADHD).

Here is the before...apparently the only pictures I have of the dining room are from eight years ago (and thirty pounds ago). As another aside - this picture cracks me up! We all look so goofy!

After:

2. The boy continues to be funny.

We have had this Pampers box for at least a month and it continues to be a favorite toy. Its latest adaptation has been as a lounging-tv-watching-bed.

He has figured out how to use a straw:

He likes cake with blue icing:

He liked going to Chuck E Cheese (oh shudder):

And...he has discovered that he is a boy.

A New Chapter Begins!

2008-08-08T21:13:00.004-05:00

Today, after almost a year from when our little guy came to our home, we officially transitioned from foster care into the adoption process.

Yahoo! (You can see that the baby is actually yawning - so he is a bit less excited than we are).

Maybe in a few more months we'll be a family - legally!!!

On the road to family life?

2008-07-26T16:48:00.003-05:00

So we have made one more step in family-dom and away from being DINKs. Behold...our first minivan. Noooooooooooo!!!!

(Actually, I total dig the van - a Mazda5 - even though it means we are transitioning into yuppie soccer mom status. And....we now have three vehicles...how un-green is that???)

I can do it myself

2008-07-18T20:38:00.004-05:00

There really isn't much explanation needed for these pictures. It is amazing to me, that in just over a year, a little critter, I mean kid, can go from a squirmy, helpless, mushy, "being" to a VERY independent, temperamental, giggly, person. I wonder what can of worms we have opened...

Can't Retire Yet

2008-07-15T14:47:00.003-05:00

So my friend Jessica and I went to the Antiques Roadshow last Saturday. Wow - it was soo cool. We saw lots of people and lots of stuff and some of the Roadshow "regulars." Even "the twins" were there!!! Sadly though, neither Jess nor I could retire on the wealth from our old stuff.

PS. I looked at Jessica's blog and I was kind enough to crop my fat arms out of my picture...for the full flab view, you'll have to read her entry.

Splish-Splash

2008-07-09T18:25:00.011-05:00

I can't help but think of the line from "Flight of the Conchords'" song, Foux du Fafa when I wrote "splish-splash." It is a good description though....

These snapshots were taken on the 4th of July and were too good not to post. The little guy is taking a few steps now and transitioning into total toddler-dom. Giggles, tantrums, molars, trucks, 100% boy.

I'm surprised, with his mouth open like that, that he doesn't down a few gallons of water each time he goes swimming.

Funny kid.

Seven-Seven

2008-07-06T19:35:00.003-05:00

My little bro, John, just had a baby girl! She is three months premature but very healthy and strong!

Here is what my dad sent:

Name: Elinor Ora Love

Born: 07/07/08 at 1:00 a.m.

Weight: 1035 grams (a little over 1 kg, or about 2 lbs)

Where: Dunedin Hospital

Size: about the length of my forearm from wrist to elbow. Her head is about the size of a small orange.

Both Eli and Sara appear to be doing fine, although Eli is in the Natal ICU in an incubator and is wired for sound.

Sara was flown by helicopter from Kew hospital in Invercargill last Friday about 2:00 a.m. John drove up, fighting with an overheating car on the way.

He called us at our conference in Auckland and we were back in Dunedin by 6:00 p.m. Friday. Sara would stabilize during the day, then be back in the birthing room every night. Finally, last night she went all the way.

John had come back to our house about 9 p.m. Sunday and got a call from Sara about midnight. I drove him to the hospital and dropped him off. Eli popped out (literally) at 1:00 this morning. Karen and I were back at the hospital by 1:30 and got to see Eli about 4:00 this morning.

She is fully formed, but thin. She looks more like a little teenager than a baby, with her thin legs and arms. She is breathing on her own. Sara and John got to reach in and touch her. What a thrill! She appears to be in very good hands.

We're all very glad.

Dad

Convalescing

2008-06-12T22:07:00.003-05:00

A week ago today I had surgery on my back. It was a long time coming and I am already so happy that I had it done. A monster ruptured disk had been running my life for the last nine months.

(it should be pretty obvious in the picture what is NOT supposed to be there)

I do have to say that being at home for a week now has opened my eyes to a few things:

1. Daytime TV is horrible
2. I can improve my sewing techniques by watching PBS
3. The baby should learn to take longer naps
4. One doesn't really need a shower everyday if one doesn't get up off the couch all day
5. I miss the office in my own sick way

Anywho...I plan to get back to work next week...but I promise to take it easy (to everyone who has been nagging me).

Bub's new toy

2008-06-02T18:55:00.003-05:00

So one of our cats - Typhoon - has this "bond" with the baby. She is the dumber of the two kitties. The older one - Tsunami - is a wee bit smarter and actually times her feeding bathroom breaks to the baby's nap times.

Anywho, enjoy the clip.

Giggles

2008-05-16T18:53:00.000-05:00

Happy Mudder's Day

2008-05-16T18:10:00.002-05:00

I know I'm a week late on this, but here is how my first Mother's Day went. ha, ha!!!

My first trip to the Zoo was...

2008-05-10T14:22:00.006-05:00

...a little scary at first - where did that dead whale come from?? - , and

...beary interesting, and

...a great way to work up an apatite, and

... exhausting, and

... better with a friend, and

... extremely educational, and

... a really interesting dinner theater concept, and

.... a five-star comedy gorilla comedy routine

... for the birds, and

... really, I said "for the birds already," and

a chance to get a souvenir!

Building walls

2008-04-27T19:59:00.005-05:00

The insulation is all in and we have sheetrock on the north and south wall. Now for the mudding. And sanding. And mudding. And sanding. Etc.

I have a couple of coats of mud on the south wall...in places. I'll need at least another coat on those spots and quite a few on all the wonky corners in the room. Hopefully I don't goober up the walls too bad. There are only a couple of spots in the previous remodel where I wish I had given the walls one more coat. Also, I'm not too concerned about how smooth I get the ceiling. We are going to hang textured wallpaper on the horizontal portion of the ceiling. The wallpaper looks like old tin ceiling tiles.

Why do I bother asking him to smile for a picture????

I have the first coat of mud up on the north wall. It is nice to get the old , original wall covered back up and stop the influx of blown insulation from wafting in from the attic.

I would have loved to have gotten all the sheet-rocking done this weekend, but it didn't play out. We'll see how much we can piece in during the work week.

Its like it always was there or something...

2008-04-24T20:30:00.005-05:00

I can't tell you how rockin'-awesome our contractor was - if anyone in the greater Wichita area is thinking about a remodel job, you should totally look into Heartland Home Improvements. Not only was the job wonderful (due to our wonky old house, everything was stick-built with a lot of cut and fit), but the clean up job - Holy Cats! It is like no one was here, only better. It was like Mr. Clean was here. Okay, I'll stop raving.

Here is what we have so far. Now Pat and I will start working on the sheetrock, closets, and fun stuff like painting and building cool built-in shelf thingys. Trust me, it'll turn out okay! I mean - look how well the office turned out a couple of years ago and it is still standing!

We'll keep you posted as we slog through the mudding. (Wish we had sweet, sweet Josh - our carpenter. Dude does a mean mud-job!)

Its looking like a house!

2008-04-16T07:18:00.003-05:00

Recap from a soggy week

2008-04-14T08:48:00.004-05:00

The week started out with a bang...well lots and lots of little ones......

But the crew kept plugging on:

It is taking shape

2008-04-07T20:39:00.004-05:00

Rain is forecast for the rest of the week. The crew focused on the roof sheeting while the weather was still nice.That roof is scary-steep!!!! I'm so impressed that they are able to match the style of dormer on the windows.
He, he, he - it looks like the house is wearing a bib. I think I've been hanging around the baby too long.

Remodel Continues...

2008-04-06T19:45:00.004-05:00

Here are some pics of the progress!!!!

Remodel Begins

2008-04-01T21:18:00.003-05:00

We are off on the journey of adding on a new bedroom to our old house. We went to a contractor for this one as it is a big job to get it framed out. Our contractor is Heartland Home Improvement and their customer service is spectacular! They were one of a fraction of companies that were willing to work on the cut and fit of an old house.

Here is the "before" of the single story that was added on in the 1950's.

As of tonight, they have the old roof off and the new floor on - it was A LOT of piece work.

I'm so excited for the extra space!!

Celtic Braid Sock

2008-03-07T16:28:00.002-06:00

IMG_2692
Originally uploaded by WATERCenter

I mistakenly knit the Cobblestone Pullover sweater for my hubby last holiday. Duh. He only wears t-shirts and is always hot. Sweet man though - he refuses to let me pass it on to anyone else because it is "special."

So, in an effort to force more hand-knits on the man, I am making him socks. One down, one to go. This is the "Celtic Braid Socks" pattern designed by Lynda Gemmell. I am knitting it in Sisu superwash merino yarn in a dark olive color. Both the pattern and the yarn were purchased at Twist.

He better wear 'em!

A Beautiful Quilt

2008-02-20T11:15:00.004-06:00

After the NAI conference last fall, I pledged to make my grad school friend, Liz, a pair of socks. She, in turn, said she would send something made by hand back to me.

OMG.

Let me just start by saying that to me knitting is fairly simple and although a pair of socks may have between 21,000 and 25,000 stitches in them, I really don't think about that. I actually had to stop and break out a calculator to estimate that stitch number for this blog entry. Other types of hand made items - especially those connected to sewing - boggle my mind.

I can sew, however I do it as fast as possible and get away from the sewing machine as quick as I can. Weird, huh?

So when I got home last night there was a package from NY from Ms. Liz. I really have no words. This quilt was done by hand...by hand....pieced, everything. My hubby and I kept turning it over and over looking at the patterning in the stitches - the quilting was sewn in the shapes of snails, ladybugs, dragonflies, caterpillars, etc.

We posed the little bubbi on the quilt for the blog pic but I'm afraid he doesn't get to use it until he gets over his barfing stage and can use a blanket in bed. Sorry little guy. I just refuse to toss this in the wash. (you can see the cute little flannel quilt that Jess and the god-kids made underneath - that one is "wash n' go" blankie right now)

After I put the baby to bed, I laid the quilt over the banister upstairs. I just sat there and stared at it. All the blocks of material, all the stitching, the colors. I am so in awe of what people can create.

The socks go global

2008-02-06T15:45:00.001-06:00

IMG_2602
Originally uploaded by WATERCenter

Holy cats. I never would have guessed that my humble pair of garter-rib socks would go global. Sweet sweet Liz - a classmate of mine - has given the socks their own blog. I cannot tell you how freakin' cool that is.

http://sockandsock.blogspot.com

Homework Avoidance Tactics

2008-02-05T14:35:00.000-06:00

I have not improved as a student - at least not in my behavior. I still look for other things to do besides doing my homework. Anything. Stuff I wouldn't do otherwise. Here are some examples of what I have done over the last few weeks before buckling down to do my readings for class: switching out which plates are displayed on the hutch (granted, the ones that were up were Christmas plates, but still), removing the cat hair from all the couches using lots of tape rolls, and this week, reorganizing my yarn stash.

It had to be done.

The acrylics were with the sock yarn. Mohair was mingling with cashmere. Who knows what might have resulted! The hubby was pretty disgusted with the size of my stash but anymore he knows better know than to comment - it doesn't help anything. The baby hung out in his johnny-jump-up and was okay with the process until I took away the storage bag he was chewing on. He was pretty pissed after that (see picture).

BFF's

2008-01-27T09:58:00.000-06:00

We have been trying to get the two little bubbas together each week - they are such a hoot when they are playing - I swear they learn stuff from each other. Just two weeks apart, we have decided that these two should be "BFF's" - nothing like an arranged friendship.

A sock adventure

2008-01-22T15:58:00.000-06:00

I knit a pair of very simple garter-rib socks out of Magic Stripes yarn for a dear classmate - Liz Thompson. Liz lives in NY, and even though we are in class only on-line, we have connected. It was a blast to meet her last fall during the NAI conference. It was there I decided that she needed a pair of socks. I do not give socks lightly - I have only given away three pairs now - one to my Grammie, one to my mother-in-law, and now a pair to Liz. Socks are getting easier to knit though so my generosity will expand, I'm sure.

When I got to work this morning, this little story was in my in my email in-box:

Thanks for sending us to New York - Liz is lots of fun. Today we got to go out of the house for the first time! Liz took us to the movies to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We saw a movie called 27 Dresses. Actually, we only heard it - but it sounded really good! We got a chance to look around (see picture) but then we went back into the shoes. We were glad though, because that theater was really cold! Liz said that James Marsden was "dreamy" and worth going to the picture for that reason alone.

Before we went to the movies Liz's mother inspected us and seemed very impressed. After the movie we went back to her house and got to come back out of the shoes. Liz's Mom kept admiring us from where she sat and occasionally asked Liz questions about how you made us - it seems Liz is a quilter, not a knitter, so she could only answer based on what the knitters at work said about us when we first arrived.

That's all for now. We'll write again after Liz takes us on our next adventure!

Socks for Veronik Pattern

2008-01-17T12:25:00.001-06:00

sock 003
Originally uploaded by WATERCenter

This beautiful sock pattern came out of the Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts issue. The yarn I'm using is the J. Knits Superwash Me sock yarn that I purchased at my LYS Twist.

One sock down, one to go.

I never have too much trouble with the "second sock syndrome" - I'm always too excited to wear the pair of socks - which is hard to do if you only have one done. I know, I know, I could do "two at once," but I end up getting to tangled up with the two balls of yarn. I'll just keep plugging alone, one at a time.

Wheels make the wool go 'round

2008-01-15T12:58:00.000-06:00

So my friend Jessica and I took a spinning class last fall. Not one of those exercise-y spinning classes (have you seen me lately?), but a yarn spinning class. Can I say it was just wonderful?! Anyway, this led Jess and I on a quest for wheels of our own. We have two things happening now.

First, I bought a pattern on a "no lathe Saxony style wheel" and gave it to a woodworking friend with the promise of a knitterly payback.

Second, I called my dad in New Zealand (land of wool and wheels) and got him looking on TradeMe for used Ashford wheels.

Success!

Both avenues are paying off. It looks like Jess and I will have custom crafted wheels from our friend as well as a traditional wheel from NZ.

This multiple wheel situation (which is f'ing awesome) has led my hubby to ask...."How many wheels do you NEED.?" Good question. I say many. I mean, how many video game consoles does HE need? Anyway, I have already mentally rearranged my dining room to accommodate the wheels. Expect to hear more on the wheels as the year goes on.

Off to a good start

2008-01-10T14:18:00.000-06:00

So far I think 2008 looks promising. Why? I have dropped very few stitches in my knitting. Okay, that's really not the only reason why, but it does add to the cumulative good-feeling effect.

School starts up again on the 14th and this semester I'm taking Interpretive Research and Evaluation. Eeek! I have never been very good at pacing myself through research but if I'm going to get through a thesis, I better learn. This is the only class I'm taking though this semester so my plan is not to get overwhelmed - we'll see how that works out.

NAI, the National Association of Interpretation, recommended the MSRI program as a good fit for my grad school experience - I'm "settled" and can't go back to traditional, on-campus college life. The program is based in TX, was designed originally for National Park Service folks, and is offered on-line. I was very wary of an on-line program but this one is legit. It is also kickin' my butt! And lastly, as it is out of TX, it means out-of-state tuition. Sigh.

Last December, I applied for NAI Region 6's 2008 Freeman Tilden Scholarship. As Region 6 is made up of KS, MO, AR, OK, TX, and LA, and there was only one graduate scholarship being awarded, I was not optimistic. Two nights ago though, I got the call! Yee-haw! Its not huge $$$ but it will get half of my semester. Plus I get to go to the Regional Conference in Tulsa!!!

Anywho, that and some other things that I'm working on lead me to think it might be a pretty good year. We'll see how it plays out.

On a knitting note, I am tackling the "Sock for Veronik" with the sweet-as yarn that I got with my Twistmas discount...see previous post. I'm sticking in the picture from the Interweave Knits pattern as well as my little beginnings.

Another year gone

2007-12-31T09:21:00.001-06:00

It doesn't seem possible that another year has gone by. When did time suddenly speed up? I could get all introspective about time, endings, beginnings, etc., but those ideas are too cliche on New Year's Eve. Instead, I wish family and friends the best for 2008. May you all never drop a stitch in the sweater of life! He, he, he....couldn't resist.

Twistmas choice

2007-12-20T15:05:00.000-06:00

And the winner was.....J.Knits Superwash Me Sock Yarn in the Wheeling colorway. Ahhh...I love sock yarn.

Merry Twistmas

2007-12-20T13:24:00.000-06:00

Oh my gosh! Shelly with Twist Yarn Shop sent out a 20% off coupon. Do you realize that this has totally blown my day. I am impossibly distracted from all things work-related now. What would I buy? Yarn? Needles? A book? How can I choose? If I don't go in strong-willed, I'll be distracted by all things woolly. Nothing but leaving work and driving to the shop will fix this. Hmmmm. Due to having a baby at home, it has been a long time since I been to Twist. What if they have new stuff to tempt me. Oh dear.

Back to the Blog

2007-12-06T12:46:00.000-06:00

I submitted my last assignment for the semester just minutes ago. Yahoo! Time for the blog for a few weeks.

We still have the baby and he is growing up fast. he is over six months old already!

I am still knitting up a storm...cranking out a lot of sock and have started on my first pair of entrelac socks. I don't think I'll make them as tall as eunny jang did in this picture:

Anywho, just wanted to let ya'll know I'm still out here.

Two weeks of catch up

2007-10-21T11:52:00.000-05:00

Life is busy...very busy. I realize that it is okay to let one's hobbies suffer when there is a baby crying. My knitting is painfully slow and my grad school efforts are NOT honor's material. I have eight weeks of weeds in my garden. I won't even go into the pile projects at work . BUT...it is all worth it. I really barely notice.

Here are some pics from the last couple of weeks. Its unreal how fast the little guy is growing up.

The first is of bubby with his BFF Finn.
Second was taken at the Hamilton's last weekend.
Third is at a wedding a couple of days ago.

Bubba at Work

2007-10-06T09:45:00.000-05:00

It is Saturday morning and Bubba and I are at the WATER Center. There is an eagle scout here working on his project - he is identifying the trees in Herman Hill Park so that we can create a guide book for visitors to use. He recruited about 15 folks to come in and help him this morning with the park-wide identification. There may be some "truth checking" that I need to do, but his teams are doing a great job.

Pat is out at Brian's bachelor party for the weekend so the little Bub and I are working together this morning. I am so thankful that my eagle scout brought his little sisters - they are awesome babysitters. I also like to get the baby used to being held by others. We want to keep him as socialized as possible.

Here is a pic of the girls taking him out to feed the ducks.

Ravelry!!!

2007-10-03T09:07:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! I'm finally "invited" to the beta version of Ravelry!

B.O.W

2007-10-03T08:58:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was the Becoming and Outdoors Woman program. We had a great turnout! There were close to 120 ladies and most of them were first-timers.

This was my tenth year to teach the backpacking and orienteering classes for the event. I just can't get over how happy everyone seemed over the weekend. Maybe it was the weather. The only rough part of the weekend was that I am still down in the back. Hiking across the prairie and rolling under barb-wire fences has not helped either. Hopefully I'll be able to stand up straight soon - I have a prescheduled backpacking trip on the 13th!!

Generations

2007-09-24T13:05:00.000-05:00

We are still enjoying our foster-son and can't believe it will be four weeks on Friday that he has been at our house. We have seen some many changes and developments. He finally seems to be adjusting to our schedules.

Last week I finally got over to see my Grammie -here is pic of the occasion:

Jockey Person to Person Party

2007-09-20T08:18:00.000-05:00

To all who take the time to read my blog - THANKS!!!!! I want to invite all of you to a home-party this Sunday, September 23rd at 3 PM at my place. A close friend is starting off with a new business and I want to support her efforts. I have purchased some of her Jockey Person to Person products earlier this summer and am VERY impressed with the quality and the creative way that the clothing makes me feel skinnier....seriously. The knitted tops are crazy-soft and don't get me started on the underwear!!!

Here are some things that I have purchased in the past (which ya'll have probably seem me wearing waaaay to often). I will not put picks of the underwear up....that's just wierd. If you want to check out the entire new catalog, go to www.jockeypersontoperson.com There are products for workouts, office, casual, and for sleep. There some totally cute yoga pants that keep tempting me. And how freakin' cute are the slippers....ugh...I love shopping.

Am I being to pushy??? Here is another reason to come bum around at my place on Sunday afternoon - you can love on the little baby! I'll also have some yummy snacks and some adult beverage options.

Interested? Shoot me a quick email to libbyalbers@cox.net before Saturday night and I'll send you directions.

Reality Check

2007-09-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a planning meeting on our foster care case. The birth family is working very hard and desperate to have their son back. I don't blame them at all! They have a lot of work to do with classes, parenting trainings, and visitations. Best case scenario, it will be January when the little guy goes home.

Pat and I are working to adapt our mindset to the temporary nature of this placement. There is still a chance that the case may go to adoption, but in my opinion, it is unlikely. We will just enjoy the time we have with the baby and keep working with him so that he reaches the milestones and gains the skills that he needs to be a healthy toddler.

I appreciate SO MUCH all the support we are getting from family and friends. This is a hard, hard process but we believe we are safe, healthy, bright spot in this child's life (and for future placements too). We go back and forth on whether we will try again to have a family via foster care. Its a gamble.

No words needed

2007-09-17T12:56:00.000-05:00

Mmmmmm......Harlot

2007-09-17T09:19:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the long-awaited day when Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, AKA the Yarn Harlot, came to Wichita. OMG...she was awesome! What a hoot. It was so great to have a good laugh! Jessica Mounts and I met before the program and worked on our respective sock projects. Once we got to the presentation (held at East High), you would not have believed the crowd. There were close to 300 knitters in the building, all wielding their needles and projects!

She is touching my sock!!!!!!!! I am not worthy......he, he, he.

A New Journey

2007-09-07T13:44:00.000-05:00

It has been a long sleepy week! A week ago today, Pat and I received our first foster child. We are busy trying to adapt to him and the requirements of the foster care program. I may be away from my extracurricular activities for awhile until we figure out all of the little guy's needs.

Knitterly updates

2007-08-31T09:38:00.000-05:00

My knitting is slowing down now that homework is ramping up. Also around the corner is the rush of school field trips at the WATER Center once Labor Day is over. I do have one project 50% complete - an RPM sock using J. Knits "Kansas" colorway and Lang Yarns' Jawoll superwash for the cuff, toe and heel. You can purchase these awsome yarns at Wichita's newest yarn shop, Twist.

Personally, I am unhappy with the way the gusset connects with the foot so I think I'll stray from the pattern a little on the next foot. I dislike the row of purls that it called for between the ktog/ssk and the main body of the foot.

I still have a ton of "Kansas" left...even with one sock to go... and am toying with Eunny Jang's entrelac pattern for my next project with this colorway (along with some solid colors of Jawoll).

Also...exciting news. My friend Jess dropped of our tickets for the Yarn Harlot! Wahoo!

Back to School

2007-08-27T13:45:00.000-05:00

I think my knitting is going to suffer for the next nine months. Darn education.

School starts up again tonight and the courses I'm enrolled for look to keep me busy. As it stands, I am nine hours into my Masters in Resource Interpretation from Stephen F. Austin State University. This is an on-line only program that was developed for the National Park Service Park Rangers. Since the National Parks are spread out all over the States, it is logical to have classes in a virtual classroom.

This semester I'm taking two courses again (in the Spring I can only handle one....work is too hectic during those months). Curriculum Based Interpretation should be familiar enough - I have been customizing my programs to school standards for a number of years. However, Interpretive Planning will be a huge jump for me. This is a concept that I have been struggling with while trying to operate the WATER Center's education program.

Nine hours down, enrolled in six, fifteen and a thesis to go. I'm thinking 2010. Sheesh.

Finished Objects

2007-08-23T13:31:00.000-05:00

I finished up the Lacy-edged Tee (knitpicks) and whipped out some booties and the Unbiased bag (kintty). I also lined the Unbiased with a cool piece of fabric that my sis wove some years ago. If feel so strange to actually FINISH something. I need to keep going on this trend.

Busy Busy

2007-08-20T12:01:00.000-05:00

I haven't decided why my life is so busy. Do I take on things I shouldn't? Do I get assigned things that I can't get out of? Do I have too many hobbies? Do I have poor time management? Who knows. All I know is that:

four grants due
need to complete trail grant project - meet with Eagle Scout this week
spinning class in Lawrence
grad school starts back up next week - need to buy books
Christmas knitting
finish posters and displays for WATER Center exhibit hall
RFP for 2007-2008 WRAPS position
Develop position description for 2008-2009 WRAPS grant

Sigh...it is too depressing to type it all out. It all due on or before 8/31.

Back to work.

Kitty Loooooves Finished Projects

2007-08-13T20:48:00.001-05:00

I finished a Mason Dixon Baby Kimono knit in Paton's Paradiso (discontinued...boo hoo). It turned out so cute! I adapted it and made it a little more outdoorsy. The way I knit it, it will probably fit a 12 month old. I'm working on a pair of booties to match.

The funny part happened when I tried to take a picture of the finished project. Kitties love yarn.

Shot #1:

Shot #2:

Shot #3

Ugh.

Babysittin'

2007-08-13T20:38:00.000-05:00

Last week we had the opportunity to babysit for Kris and Jess' baby boy, Finn. He, he, he...ya think we are ready for a kid?

Don't eat Spicy Food Before Bed

2007-08-10T08:55:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of postings this week - everytime I think I'll have a moment to sit down at the computer, something else happens.

I do want to use this time to pass on some sage advice - don't eat pizza before bed. I realized this long ago but had sorta forgotten what spicy food does to my dreams. I end up having the worst nightmares and Tuesday night was no different. That night I had gone out with the Wichita Paddlers for a Tuesday Night Pizza Meeting at Godfather's. Mmmmm.....pizza.

After a very restless night (I won't go into the horrifying nightmares and freaking out that there HAD to be somebody breaking into the house) and being woken up at 4:30 am by the brat-cat (Typhoon) dropping a wooden toy down the wooden stairs (how did she manage that????), there came a hilarious dream:

Pat and I had just received two little girls in foster care - one was two years old and the other was a baby. We were playing with them in the living room and trying to get acquainted. I asked the toddler their names....her name was "Aloe Vera" and the baby's name was "Crochet."

No pizza before bed. Period.

Room Ready

2007-08-06T17:31:00.001-05:00

Although I do not feel ready to have a child...I guess the room is. Over the past couple of months, i sold some of my backpacking gear on eBay to fund our new hobby - parenting. We moved the guest bed out on to the landing and moved the hide-a-bed into the guest room. It means that the guest area is less than private but I have already gotten used to the bed being at the top of the stairs. It does provide guest with access to the TV, though.

I refused to repaint the walls so I had to rip out the wallpaper that I LOVED to put up something less Victorian and more kid-friendly. We are borrowing the bed from Lecia and were given the changing table by her friend Angie. I think we have everything but a car seat, diapers and formula. I figure it is best to see what age we get before buying that stuff. The other side of the room (not shown in the picture) is where the couch is. Above the couch are two big Ikea Lova Leaves - so cool!

Our temporary license came in the mail on Friday - so I guess we are official. Hopefully our Foster Care Worker will call us soon so that we can meet her and start learning the process.

Guess I better start knitting kid stuff!

"P" is for Procrastination

2007-08-02T07:43:00.000-05:00

I know I put things off. Most of the time it is not deliberate. Okay...it is deliberate. But, sometimes I'm just busy. Since last Friday, I have prepped materials and supplies for yesterday's Senior Wednesday Program - "Edible Wetlands." The Interns dug the cattails last Friday, I soaked the roots all weekend, peeled the tubers on Monday, ground and dehydrated the tubers all day Monday (my day off) and cooked late into the night Tuesday night. I finally finished my PowerPoint on Wednesday at 10 am.

The program went off without a hitch - it was great. Then I came to the realization that I had a whole NEW program the next day (at 1 pm) about mussels. Luckily it will be with kiddos. I was naive enough to think that maybe these kids would be able to carve their own shell button or something. Last night (when trying the idea out), I realized that shells are crazy-hard. Plan B - scrimshaw. We'll see how it turns out.

15 Minutes of Fame and Over-work-ed-ness

2007-07-31T17:05:00.001-05:00

After a long weekend (of painting, moving a friend, seeing old friends, cleaning, knitting, and doing work-work), I am back at work. I have decided a need a clone. I need someone to organize and work with the volunteers, someone to plan and prepare the programs and supplies, someone to answer the phone, someone to write and maintain the grants, and someone to work on the operation and maintenance of the Center. So that gets to what...five clones...which leaves me time to knit and garden and do fun stuff.

Anywho, to add a little more...I mean...to give myself additional OPPORTUNITIES, I have been nominated to the KCKA board (we'll see if I get on) and my friend Jan Brock and I had a spread in the Wichita Eagle on our women's hiking business, Cottonwood Adventures. It looks like I best get back in shape. The last bit of my chocolate bar is still dissolving in my mouth...and now...wait for it....I am on a diet. Damn.

So...if you are chicky looking for a Kansas backpacking trip in October...give me a shout.

Also - here is the link to the Wichita Eagle story (the pictures don't come through, but they also convinced me of a diet in my near future).

Muckin' Around

2007-07-28T08:32:00.000-05:00

Friday was crazy busy - at work I had lots of great volunteers helping out with some of the stream maintenance. Vaughn Weaver's interns (Erin and Ashley) worked on one of the water falls for close to eight hours trying to repair the places where the water had undercut the rocks. It definitely looks like some of the big limestone slabs have slipped and shifted over the since they were installed four years ago. If they finally slip off their base, I'm not sure how will get them back up. Anyway - the girls and I hit wal-mart and picked up more rock, gravel and sand for the repairs.

When we got back to the WATER Center, Chris Collins showed up to return the kayaks that he borrowed for the float last Wednesday. It was great to have the interns there to help carry all the boats back upstairs. Chris and I agreed that we need to come up with a new storage systems now that the boats are getting used more.

At 1 pm by teen volunteers (Michelle, Anthony and Sebastian) came in. Michelle and Anthony worked on preparing supplies for one of the kids groups coming next week. Sebastian got in the stream and started gathering up all the aquatic planting baskets for the youth volunteers that would be coming in.

The goal for "Youth Volunteer Day" was to work on the aquatic habitat structures in the creek/stream. Eight kids, ages four through twelve came in and got on their rubber boots. We jumped in the stream and started transplanting watercress into the fountains, helping with the waterfall repair and moving logs around to create better fish homes.

3:00...little kids gone
4:00...teens gone
5:00...interns gone

Whew...no wonder I don't get my office work done!

Twist!

2007-07-27T08:32:00.000-05:00

I ventured over to Twist, the new yarn shop, yesterday over my lunch break. (www.twistyarnshop.com) Wait...backup. I went to the bank and withdrew some cash, then I ventured over to the new yarn shop. Oooooooo.....so many temptations! I picked up a Twist logo bag and a prezzie for a friend. I was totally amazed by the awesome "yarn hammocks" that owner Shelley had designed - she so should patent them! After work I went back to knit and chat with some of the KIPpers. He, he, he...its so great to see other people as giddy about yarn as I am. I had forgotten how fun it was to talk gear with knitters.

Rejuvination

2007-07-26T08:49:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who has harassed me about my blog post being a year old...it is shameful.

Here is a start of a new round of posts:
Float of the Flying Fish
Chris Collins (http://www.wichitapaddler.org/) and I put together an evening float on the Little Arkansas River. Last night, a dozen of us met at the fire station at 21st and Coolidge to put in. The heat of the day was already dissipating and the shaded banks made the float even more refreshing.
Immediately after putting in, our flotilla saw the strangest sight - one that repeated itself throughout the float. Jumping Shad! The water was like popcorn in a popper - fish jumping out of the water and scattering in every direction. Some even jumped over the bow of our boats. The resident herons and egrets were thrilled as we "herded" the fish in their directions.
Lia Keller took some gorgeous pictures of the trip...see them on http://baskinginbliss.blogspot.com/ and http://knitandfit.blogspot.com/

We Met Alton Brown!!!!

2006-05-04T11:40:00.000-05:00

Jessica, Pat, Kris and I went to the small town of Florence last Saturday (20
miles east of Newton) for a fund-raiser a brisket feed where Alton Brown of "Good
Eats" was filming an episode of his new show,"Feasting on Asphalt". He was
there for some bbq joint. I guess the premise of the show is he and some
french chef travel across america on motorcyles stopping off at "good eats"!
Well Saturday he and his crew stopped in Florence. That night the town was
having their anual town brisket dinner at the high school gym. Alton and his
crew decided to stick around and help with the event........so needless to
say....WE MET ALTON BROWN!!! and got our picture taken with him. He is
genuinely a very nice guy. the personality that he portrays on his show is
how he was!!! Along with getting our picture taken with him Jessica had him sign
his autograph on her marriage license! (It was the only paper she had in her
purse. ) His comment was, " This is a first. I've never signed a marriage
license before!" He was so friendly and cute too!!!

Oh yeah and the food was awesome. What a great time!!!!

The Rest of the Office Update

2006-04-09T11:01:00.000-05:00

OK, so we got the desk delivered and the office set up (minus all of the junk that will eventually need to go in it somewhere, and we haven't finished the closet yet--though you'll have to come here to see that because it will be too cramped to take pictures). I tried to update this last night but it wasn't uploading pictures correctly so we'll try it again now with the last few pictures I have.

Here is the new closet door we put in.

This is the pass through that goes from the right hand cabinet into the closet behind it. Practically, this will allow us to store long items and still be able to get at them since the back of the closet will probably be blocked with clothes. Impractically, we thought, someday, a child might like it for a "secret room" type place. Now if we could only successfully breed we might make use of it. Our nephew Tanner loves it, though. Also, that is a monkey hiding in there now. The Puma (Newton's own superhero, who likes to visit people and leave surprise presents when they are on vacation) left this for us a few years ago while we were in Canada. He looks good in here.

Here is the new desk. It is mighty. You can sort of see the carpet in here too. We also go the pictures hung. Yea for us being productve!

Last one. This is just the outside wall with drapes and pictures up. Libby puts alot of stock in things like drapes, so I figured I would share them with everyone.

OK, that's that. Lots of pictures, but considering how long this project has taken I suppose that makes sense. Thanks for taking the time to look it over.

Office Update

2006-04-08T10:30:00.000-05:00

So I thought I would post some pictures continuing the process of our construction (oh, and this is Pat, in case anyone cares). This way we have an easy way to show everyone what's been done.
this could be rather long, since we haven't updated this in several weeks, but bare with me.

This is the only process picture we have of the "overhang" that we built to cover up the heat duct that goes through the room. Libby also wired a light into it. My desk goes underneath it in the finished project.

And here is the finished project.

This is the system we used to create the bookshelves. These boxes we built and stained then attached to a 2x4 that we attached to the wall along a stud. Each end box was 1x8 size to accommodate the dining room door and the closet door. The four middle boxes were 1x12 depth.

And here is what they looked like with both boxes up and the shelves put in. There's still plenty of "froo froo" crap that has to go on each of these, though, before it's all said and done.

Here is the row of shelves up. We still needed to finish cutting a few of the shelves themselves--we had to cut each to individual measurements since concepts of "square" and "accurate" were foreign to us.

And here is the finished project with all of the decorative touches added (we may elaborate on them in the future, but this is what they're going to look like for the time being). As you can see, all of this work created JUST enough bookshelf space for the books that I already had. Guess I'm going to have to sort through them and get rid of enough to make room for future purchases. Which is fine. I have some books I stole from Newman's library as a college student that I really don't need anymore. I mean, The Prague Spring? Who cares. And you wouldn't believe the Hemmingway collection I have. You'd almost think I liked the guy.

And our desk is just arriving so I better close this and continue later!

Ya'll Deserve An Update

2006-03-18T20:02:00.000-06:00

Sorry....its just that my life has totally revolved around work and the renovation. Here are some long overdue pics starting with the oldest and working up to tonight.( Ugh...Blogger isn't letting me upload any more images tonight...here is through about two weeks ago. We have all the wiring in, sheetrock up, walls painted, lights installed, and most of the library cases built. I'll just have to try to upload more later).

Phase 3 Complete

2006-03-02T15:48:00.000-06:00

Last weekened we had a "Sheetrocking Party." I was so impressed at how many of our friends (sporting their toolbelts) showed up to hang sheetrock in the new office. The room now has walls again and the long process of mudding (Phase 4) can begin.

As of today, we have the first coat of mud on most of the seams. I wish my mom, the "Queen Mudder," was here! I have to continually go over my seams and sand them and they still look like something a 1st grader would do. I thought I had gotten the closet to an okay state, but after putting paint on it.....oh, lord. Lets just say that its a good thing its a closet. Mom is amazing though...a veritible Michaelangelo of Mud.

Anywho, we are continuing to mud along and taking breaks to strip the original woodwork, hang lighting in the closet, stain new trim boards, and paint completed walls.

I'll get some pics up in the next post!

Betcha Can't do THIS in Your House!

2006-02-15T21:52:00.000-06:00

I have a lot of sketches laid out on paper for this office. Sometimes you just need a bigger visual, though. The best part of this remodel has been spraypainting the sketches directly onto the floor. He, he, he. This is actually the space required for our wine fridge, wine rack, shelf and coat rod. A motley assesmbly, but you'll soon see the "vision" as construction continues.

Look for "Phase 2" to be continued this weekend. I'll try to be better about getting pics out to the world as the project progresses.

-Libs

Phase 2: Rough Construction

2006-02-15T21:24:00.000-06:00

Phase 2 of the office/library is the electrical rough-in and and any additional framing that needs to be done before insulating and sheetrocking.

Himself drilled all the holes for the electrical but the wiring was/is up to me. I really like doing the electrical but I would be lying if I said I was a confident electrician. Before, I always had my dad double checking my work to make sure it was right. Now, I'm on my own (well, with a few frantic emails sent overseas). I did do a little refresher via Google. I have put all the sockets on one line and I am convinced that I need to pull another line over to the light switches that will feed off to the three seperate light fistures (dad?). Hmmm...so can I connect those two main lines and put them on the same breaker (dad?). Please, please, please do not let my insurance agent read this!!!!

At this point, some of you will be thinking, "oh, well the inspector will let you know if it is wrong." Although I work for the government and love being a public servant, I have sorta failed to get building permits for any of our projects (except for the shed--that would be pretty obvious for that to just "appear" in our yard). Its not that I have anything against paying for the permit or any of the monetary aspect...its just our house...there is no physical way that we could bring this 100+ year old house up to anything that resenbles "code." Its just easier this way...don't try to argue. Look at the picture of our existing electrical if you don't believe me. Someone fifty years ago thought..."hmm, we need 'nuther outlet in the bedroom. Well, let's just jerk in the wires from the kitchen and screw an extral terminal to this here board. Shoot, one of the screws missed the dang wood block. Ah well, it'll do."

Good times, good times.

We also discovered a few cobbled together old cloth-wrapped wires with ceramic insulators. The wires are still live and it appears that they run into our dining room. They are probably what is giving me power to run the computer right now.

On a super-cute note...kitties love construction. It must be the dirt. They totally butt-dig this room right now and eagerly come in to see what treasures (of the ancient mousey kind) that we have uncovered each day.

Phase 1 Complete

2006-02-15T21:02:00.000-06:00

Himself and I finished up the demolition on Saturday, February 11th. What a mess! The ceiling was half filled with cellulose insulation that had migrate from the exterior wall and all filled with a hundred years of dirt that had worked its way down from the floor above.

It took three trips to the dump to get rid of it all.

When tearing out the east wall we found a cool mouse nest full of all kinds of history. I scooped it all into a storage container so that I can go through it and see all the things that this other "resident" used when it lived in our house.

Take a close look at Himself in this picture...what a dirty boy! Notice he is wearing his wedding ring...after this pic was taken, he managed to lose it for over a week. Long story (very long story) short...it was in his work glove.

Alright People, I'm Not Dead

2006-02-15T21:00:00.000-06:00

Just been crazy busy with work, demolition and applying for grad school. I'll start inputting all the updates tonight.

Sorry! :)

Demolition, Week 2

2006-01-23T18:46:00.000-06:00

We have all but one wall stripped down to the studs. The west wall was by far, the worst. Behind the lathe was blown-in cellulose insulation. It took us two trips to the dump to get all the insulation, lathe, and wall board out of the house. By that point we were to pooped to tear into the remaining east wall.

We have been making a "wish list" for all the things that we (I) would like to include in the office when it is complete.......things like carpet, lighting, desk, etc. However, unless I'm getting a 100% return on my federal taxes, we (I) will need to make our list a little shorter.

West wall before:West wall showing lathe exposed (notice all the dust in the air):

Blown-in insulation exposed:Hard at work:

Its Not Valentine's Day Yet

2006-01-23T18:21:00.000-06:00

I usually start making fun of people who still have their Christmas decorations up once Valentine's Day. I figure I still have three weeks left to finish up my Christmas stuff, so I'm actually AHEAD of the game! Here are the rest of the pictures from our happy holiday:

"Favorite Prezzie" picture at the Albers:

Family picture at the Love's:

A few funnies to enjoy:

Office Space: Step one, Demolition

2006-01-12T17:58:00.000-06:00

So what is the project for Casa de Albers in 2006?

Office Reconstruction: what once was a bedroom on the main floor (before we lived here) will now become a library and office.

We are tearing out everything in the room that Himself used as his office.
It took about a month, but Himself got all the books and stuff packed away and
moved to the garage. His desk and computer are sitting in the dining room
right now.

We have about half of the antique moldings taken off and the
majority are in one piece. We'll store that until its ready to go back up.
Now for the fun (and dusty) part: tearing out the walls down to the studs.
Woohoo!

Once the tax return comes in we will run new electrical and create floor to
ceiling bookcases and cabinets. I'd like to turn 1/2 the closet under the
stairs into a "wine cellar." There will be a wooden tongue & groove
ceiling, new lighting, new desk, new carpet........I can't wait!!!

Do you know how many fights (discussions) Himself and I will have during the
reconstruction process? Too many to count! Ha, ha.

A Friend to Dye For

2006-01-08T15:27:00.000-06:00

My friend Lecia came up last night so that we could spend the day kool-aid dying some of the wool that I got from the Big Stash.
Check out the results!

Senior Wednesday

2006-01-04T09:56:00.000-06:00

Today is "Senior Wednesday" and I have been rushing around getting tables set up and making sure that there is enough space between chairs etc. This can be a hard group to please. I am actually concerned that two of my tablecloths don't match...I wonder what they will say. The topic this month is geology so I have put table coverings on all the tables to keep them from getting scratched. I still need to go shopping and get refreshments such as fruit, muffins, etc. At least its not "out of pocket" anymore since the program received a Kansas Health Foundation grant. Still need to print out sign in sheets, make coffee, hang geology posters and pull out some rock samples. Whew...still have 3 hours until program time so I'm doing okay.

Resolutions

2006-01-03T13:20:00.000-06:00

Short Term:
Update blog re: Christmas, New Years, etc. this week!
Complete 6 more inches on Himself's scarf...kudos to Lia...that pattern is awesome! It is the Irish Hiking Scarf and I'm doing it in a merino called "tree bark mix." My first attempt a cables and I'm hooked!

Long Term:
Lose weight (as always) and don't quit excersing once summer has arrived...remember last year....boo...hiss....down 10 lbs, ran 2 5k's and then pow...its was all sedentary from then on!
Eat better (makes the above resolution easier)
Quit bitching (money, work, jobs, etc)

Realistic:
Knit something for ME!
Work over "grandma's garden"
finish the terraces by the canoe launch
finish the garden by the shed
clean out the loft in the garage
remodel Himself's office

Am I destined for failure...nah...I'll just file a change order somewhere mid-year.

Summary of the rest of the Days

2005-12-24T07:16:00.000-06:00

Well, since the Canadians pulled away this morning and I haven't updated the blog since they arrived, I better just dump in some pictures and tell you what I remember.

Day 3: I worked 1/2 day and then came home. Everyone went and walked around downtown Newton to do some last minute shopping. The Canadians bought a super-cute chess table at Ten Thousand Villages.
We did our gift exchange that night since the weekend would be filled with family. Molly and I were overwhelmed with knitting goodies!!

JF waits patiently for prezzies. Poor guy...next year he will learn to put more onhis wish list!

Kitties got their stocking. They look totally thrilled, don't they? Two little packages of kitty treats...guess next year they should be better.

Himself's pile of loot. He pretty much scored books and gummies. Both items will probably last him about 8-10 weeks. Notice that his prezzies are sitting on the Canadian's new chess table.

LET THE OPENING BEGIN!!!!!

Molly and her new watch! Her one non-knitting gift. She is going to have to take out a couple of links out since we have freakishly skinny wrists.

Ok, I lied. She also got a pair of shoes. BUT...she bought the shoes herself a few months ago and had them shipped here. JF decided to wrap them earlier in the day and count it as his present to her. I don't know where my sis and I found them, but our guys are soooo much in common.

The Canadians brought Himself a HUGE Tim Horton's coffee mug that holds like half a gallon of coffee. Mmmmm....Tim Hortons. I guess the refills are only $4, but that is a hell of a distance to drive to fill'er up. We'll have to make sure we bring it on our next road trip to the Great North.

Molly got me some kick ass Fleece Artist sock yarn. I can't wait to find just the right pattern to knit it up.

Molly, Himself and I tried so hard on our yarn shopping for the Christmas prezzies but it was a little anti-climactic after our huge stash bust the day before. The great thing was seeing what someone else picked out for the other person. Himself got me about 6 skeins of recycled sari silk yarn..wooohooo!

The aftermath...eating, reading and vegging.

Recap of Days 1-2

2005-12-23T10:54:00.000-06:00

Day 1
Wow. So I am having a total blast with the Canadians! They rolled up to Casa de Newton about 3:30 Wednesday afternoon. From that point Himself went into Wichita to play poker and the Canadians and I went to Applebees for some grub.

Molly and I dropped JF back at the house, grabbed our knitting, and drove to Wichita for the KIP (knit in public) meeting. Everyone always seems to have so much fun...so many projects, yarns, stories, coffee, etc. After the meeting, we went to Target to look for holiday shirts. Not finding exactly what we needed, we were strong and walked out without purchasing anything.

Day 2
Molly and I have been knitting every opportinity we can get. I'm still working ona pair of socks for Grammie (due 4 PM Saturday) and Molly found a really cool tea-cozy pattern.
We have a special treat today. We are meeting a friend whose mom's church was ready to trash a huge room of yarn that had been originally collected to start a knitting group at their church. In a way we feel we are rescuing the yarn from certain death.

(After visiting the stash): My lord....there were more boxes than I could count...some of them huge refreigerator boxes full of WOOL, mohair, silk, linen.......it was totally overwhelming....Molly and I are at a loss. What really is irritating is that churches are always looking for $$....they have no idea how many thousands of dollars they could have made if they had an enterprising parishoner that would have sold the stuff on ebay.

Here is what we made off with (and I swear, you couldn't tell we even touched anything!) We could have opened our own yarn shop had we taken it all (shit, we could have donated 1/2 the $$ back to the short-sighted church that gave it away)!The rest of the night, Molly and I divided the yarn and finally had to resort to a coin toss when it came to some hanks of Rowan and some handspun Penguin yarns. We both agreed that this was well worth the 1500 mile drive to Kansas! The guys however (after much eyerolling at our pilles of wooly bliss), said thatt if either of us purchased any yarn before next July that we would be in serious trouble!

After the yarn party we resumed our positions to finish the projects we already had started (although the new wool was calling at us...eventually we had to move the stash upstairs so it would have less influence).

JF was busy playing his "Civ 4" game. Its cool how much he an Himself are alike. If fact, JF forgot one of the disks for his game and the Guys had no problem pitching in, going to the game store, and buy a whole 'nuther copy of the game. We like yarn, they like games...we can't really bitch too much.

Pat settled in to the couch and that pretty much summed up Day 2. I have to work a half day on Day 3, but after that we plan on going to the shops in Newton, knitting, and doing our prezzie exchange before the big Family Rush on Day 4.

Just a few more hours

2005-12-21T09:54:00.000-06:00

It must be a mothering instinct...I am so worried about the Canandians right now. I know, I know they are big kids and dive in snow all the time but its 1500 miles of driving! I'll feel better when they pull in and I hear that everything was okay.

They Are On Their Way!

2005-12-20T16:49:00.000-06:00

Well, the Canadians are on their way to our house. Keep your fingers crossed for good weather on the roads 'cause they are pulling a 25-hour marathon drive. Hopefully they will roll into Casa de Newton in the early afternoon.

So what is planned for Day 1 of the Canadian-Newton Reunion? Knitting of course. I plan on dragging Molly to the KIP meeting at Spears for a good time involving wool and coffee and pie. JF....well, he'll probably just stay at our place and sleep. What about Himself, you might be asking? He has his poker night. We do have priorities as a couple...knitting....poker....

Day 2: I have taken this Thursday off for vacation and I have NO IDEA what Molly and I are going to do. The only thing planned is an eveing of raiding a good friend's mom's church lady's yarn stash. Confused? Don't worry about it. All you need to know is it equals free yarn.

So much to do.......so relax!

2005-12-18T08:17:00.000-06:00

Wow...just a few more days until the holiday and Himslef and I have a ton of stuff to get done!

Knitting (To Do):

Albers: Father-In-Law and Ben
Canadians: JF (Molly is getting so much I have forgotten all that I have knitted for her)
New Zealanders: Done!
Dad's Family: getting conventional prezzies
Mom's Family: regular prezzie for T&J; need to finish socks for Grammie (that have been sitting unfinished since at least August)
Office: Kayd's (at least started), Doris (still yarn), Brian...SOL

House Cleaning:
(The Canadians will arrive on Wednesday and the house looks....."well lived in" is the term I would go for. I have cleaned the toilet anbd tub, but other stuff takes too much time from knitting. MUST DO TODAY!)

Cookies:
YEA HIMSELF! Thank goodness I married someone who likes to be in the kitchen. I almost feel guilty sitting and knitting while he is standing, slaving away over the oven. Whew....maybe I should clean the house to make up for it.
This year we will be distributing:

Peanut Clusters
Fudge
Sugar Cookies
Brown Sugar Cookies
Applesauce-Oatmeal Cookies
Butterscotch & and Choc Chip Cookies
Heath Cookies
Lace Florentines

See what I mean...I totally need to clean the house to make up for not having to do any of that!

Relax: Make sure to spend precious knitting time playing board games with friends and goofing off in the snow! Take time to sit in the hot tub and dare friends to roll around in snow piles made by Himself. CHECK...at least I can take that one off the list!

IT belongs in SH**!

2005-12-12T10:00:00.000-06:00

So why no posts recently? IT. What is IT? (for those of you unfamiliar with the Yarn Harlot). IT is the dreaded holiday...the day by which all knitted prezzies must be completed. IT is what I have been spending all my time on. IT is what I do after work, on my lunch breaks, when I'm stuck at a train stop, when my friends are over, etc.

Let me give you an example of IT. This was yeaterday:

Well, yesterday we had Christmas with Himself's grandma and then on to Cheney with our godsons. I was still working on the scarf for one of the boys so I knit the whole way to the farm, back from the farm to Cheney, and wove in the ends right as we pulled in the drive. Whew. After I gave it to him, he said he wanted tassels, so I put those on while he was playing with other stuff.

So that is IT for now.

First Round of Christmas Knitting DONE!

2005-11-26T19:51:00.000-06:00

Family and Friends know that they are all getting hand-knit prezzies for the holidays (so don't expect much else...hint, hint). As of today, Saturday, November 25, all the knitting for the New Zealanders is done! The scarves have been wrapped and sealed in ziplocks for the trip across the ocean and will be shipped on Monday (john's scarf is still being blocked as we speak). Hopefully, this will get the gifts there around The Big Day and not sometime in February as has been the case in the past.

So what is left still to do before The Big Day? I am feverishly working on the items for Alan, Kathy, Jon, Ben, Skye, Himself, Kris, Steve, JF....oh, I have to stop lising them or I'll freak out.

Gotta get back to the needles. Happy Turkey Weekend!

Elk River Trail, Part Deux

2005-11-26T19:23:00.000-06:00

Back to last weekend's adventure...

6. How to create a "Bum Fire" in three easy steps:
A. Find an old can and punch holes in the bottom.

B. Make sure air passes through the holes...try blowing in them!

C. Viola! A Bum Fire...and its Leave No trace too!

7.What's for dinner? Jan packed awesome meals for the trip and we enjoyed chicken alfredo, chedder biscuits, and lemon bars for dinner. No, we didn't wait until dark to cook...it gets dark at 5:30 in the winter!

8. Off to bed. Jessica and Lecia discuss the finer points of staying warm that night.

9. Make sure to always keep your campsite clean. HA! It looks like we were planning to stay for a week! (I wish). Yes that's me on the left knitting...he, he, he.

10. Take a luxury item with you for fun...so Libby...how is that knitting coming???

11. Make sure you have friends along to help with the load. Tracey helps Lecia get loaded up for the hike out.

12. Grab a boyscout at the trail head to take a final picture.

The Elk River Trail Will Never Be the Same

2005-11-21T06:13:00.000-06:00

Cottonwood Adventures held a hike at the Elk River Trail on Saturday and Sunday. What a blast! All the girls that came on the trip had previous backpacking/hiking/camping experience so the trip required little if any "teaching" and more just having fun and enjoying the experience.

The trip was a hoot...from ill-fitting packs to leaking water bottles to "how to shit in the woods"...the Elk River Trail will never be the same.

Here is a little colorful imagery from the trip:

1. Fitting apack at the trailhead: Yes that is a knife in my hand. Lecia's exact words: "Cut this shit off of here."2. Happy Campers: Tracey and Lecia chillin' (literally) at "base camp."
3. Knitting trailside: Working on the "Panta" pattern with some Noro Shimano

4. Leaky Water Bottle = Soggy GORP.

5. TO BE CONTINUED...

Fast Asleep

2005-11-17T17:47:00.000-06:00

Last night was the monthly KIP Meet-Up at Starbucks. Besides talking about knitting and chick stuff, we got on to the conversation of gardens. No, I'm not a food gardener. I have tried over and over and over again. For some reason I can't make them work. I don't know if I don't harvest enough or what. I love seeing the seeds sprout in the spring and the plants grow up tall, but after that I get bored. My gardens are all about the plants and the constant change of blooming periods.

The saddest gardening season is fast approaching. The last hints of color are in the mums and a few leaves are still on the spirea, forsythia and sumac. We had our first hard freeze two nights ago (even a couple of snowflakes), and the elm trees and osage oranges are responding by covering the ground in their last leaves.

This photo was taken in the first part of October when all was still green and the plants in the Big Garden were mature from a summer of growing.

I have to remind myself that the gardens need this. It is a natural cycle and keeps the insects and disease at bay. It is hard to walk out in the dead of winter and see naked trees, beds that look barren and devoid of life, and wilted planters.

Soon though...in just a few months...all that is sleeping now will reawaken into bursts of color and life. Buds will appear on the apple tree in the Fruit Garden and the tulips, long forgotten, will pop up again and surprise me with their vibrancy.

Thank goodness for knitting or I would never make it through the sleeping season.

Ready, Set, SHOP!

2005-11-16T08:39:00.000-06:00

Christmas, Solstice, or whatever you celebrate is just around the corner. For those of you who do not have The Family overseas, I need to inform you that all your holiday shopping should be done by now and ready to ship. In fact, you may be running a little late already. Thankfully, I started knitting prezzies back in May.

However, if you are The Family that lives on the other side of the world (or even just on the other side of the county line), you know that shopping has become soooo much easier with Amazon.com. All you have to do is search a wish list and ship it to the reciepient and "poof" shopping is done and most of the time it comes wrapped!

So what are we all wishing for this year?
The Americans: Libby & Himself (check it out...Kathy Albers jumped on the bandwagon this year!)
The Canadians: Molly & JF
The New Zealanders: Who knows what they actually want...they are getting scarves and they better like it!

Give A Girl A Chance

2005-11-12T14:12:00.000-06:00

A beautiful Saturday afternoon in Kansas (a little windy, but still nice) and I am at work. Poop, poop, poopie, poop. Its my own fault for being nice. One of the guys who helped build the WATER Center needed a venue for his son's wedding. The bride is a few months pregnant and they are financially strapped, etc. What's a girl to do? I'm just too nice sometimes.

I do have to say that I really feel for the bride. She is young and beautiful and probably deserves more than what she is going to start off with. At 1:00 (wedding is at 3), she was the only one here. She was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and setting up all the tables and chairs by herself. Her friends that were supposed to meet her decided to go out to eat instead. So picture this: a young woman (maybe 20-ish), four months pregnant, two hours before her wedding trying to pull everything together. She was amazingly calm. I wish her the best of luck and hope that she can keep that kind of strength, focus and determination through out the rest of her life.

.............................................

2:45: Well, the wedding guests are starting to arrive and its getting a little wild. It very windy outside so everyone is congregating inside the building and the set-up crew (that finally arrived) is still setting up the reception area. Note to self: weddings are insane, make sure to elope in next life.

............................................

3:30: The 3:00 wedding finally started and in about five minutes it was over. What is the status on the bride? Poor thing, as soon as she hit the wind, her veil blew off and into the fountains. I'm sure she is probably about ready to collapse with emotion and stress.

..............................................

Reception: (Is it totally wrong that I'm craving some of that cake???) Everyone has been seated, there is music in the background, cheese, veggies, and crackers for snacks, and things seem to be going okay. **I have only managed to knit one row during all of this (why do I even bring it?).

Yea...I finally weaseled in and snagged some wedding cake!

5:00: Many of the guests have already left, the cake has been eaten, the snacks are gone and the bride and groom are opening prezzies. The bride was sweet enough to come find me in my office to ask what time they needed to leave--she was afraid she had overstayed her time.

Well, I think they are starting to break things down. I can smell candle smoke and the noise level is dimished. My accomplishments for today: two "sets" of rows done on Molly's scarf (the scarf that won't die--been working on it since August) and the realization that there are amazingly strong women out there whoface struggles that I cannot begin to imagine.

Best wishes to all the girls out there--keep your head up and grab life by the ________ (you fill in the blank!)

Kansas Hiking for a Japanese Magazine

2005-11-12T06:57:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was Veteren's Day and as a government employee I had the day off. What to do with all that time...sleep? read a book? How about guide a day hike on the Elk River Trail for three gentleman from Japan? Great idea!!

For those of you who may not know, my friend Jan and I have a hiking and backpacking guide service called Cottonwood Adventures. Typically, our focus is on getting women involved in backpacking through trips and outdoor education courses. Our reputation has spread(scary thought) and we were recruited by the Coleman Co. to lead three visitors from Japan. The visitors interests included hiking in Kansas, nature, historic Coleman products, and American culture. The visitors, all guys, included a representative/interpreter from Coleman Japan, a Japanese outdoor magazine, and a photographer.

We met at 7 a.m. in Wichita and headed east to Beaumont for breakfast at the historic Beaumont Hotel. The guys ordered a "typical American breakfast" of bacon, egs, hashbrowns and biscuits. They seemed to really enjoy the atmosphere of the small diner in the Hotel.

From the Hotel we continued east and stopped at the scenic rest stop in Greenwood Co. The guys remarked that most Japanese have never seen the horizon line -- they see it on the ocean, but not on land. They were struck with the beauty of the rolling flint hills and the sheer distance visible all around them.

Next stop was at the Conoco at the junction of Hwy 400 and 99 to top off water bottles and then on to the trail. At the trailhead we ran into friends of ours who will be joining us for a Cottonwood Adventures backpacking trip next weekend (small world!)

Throughout the journey along the trail we stopped to talk about Kansas natural history. We found a skeleton of an armadillo - an animal the visitors were not familiar with. Later in the day, we saw one rooting for grubs. This close encounter was a real treat for the guys. We discussed Kansas geology and reveled in the natural limestone outcroppings, tunnels, and cravasses.

Jan and I dropped our packs at our scheduled lunch stop before we all continuted on. The guys really wanted to get down to the lake so we bushwacked down a slope, around some poison ivy, over a bunch of fallen trees before reaching the lake shore. The phototrapher took a number of pictures lakeside.

At about 1 p..m. we truned around and headed back to the creek where all our lunch gear was waiting. Knowing that the guys were interested in Coleman products and Americana we brought two different types of Coleman stoves to prepare the meal on: the Xpert and the F1

We prepared jambalya, corn bread and carrot cake. I brought in two bottles of wine: a red zinfindel and a shiraz. I filtered water from the creek to prepare the meals and we also discussed the specific cooking technique/equipment that we use: the Bakepacker. While we were eating, our friends came by on the trail as they were hiking to their overnight spot. By the time we cleaned up from lunch, the sun was already getting low in the sky (damn winter). The photographer had expressed an interested in visiting the dam and shooting some pictures of the sunset over the lake, so we booked it on the way back to the cars. We stopped momentarily to watch six wild turkeys as they walked through the woods below the ridge we were hiking on.

On the trip home we stopped at Toot's Diner in Howard, KS for hamburgers, curly fries and pie. All in all, it was a great day. The only mishaps were: I hit a squirrel (boo hoo) abd a bird (yikes!), and narrowly missed two deer. (These theings ONLY happen when I'm driving Pat's car). Coleman will be bringing in more international visitrs in in the spring, so Jan and I may get a chance to take our business world-wide once again.

More letters from the trail next weekend!

And so it begins...

2005-11-09T18:28:00.000-06:00

Well, I have broken down and created my own blog. Hmpf. I guess this will give the world a chance to experience all my adventures in knitting, hiking, and environmental education. Watch out world!

I have been working away on my Christmas knitting projects - scarves for everyone! The great thing about it is that everyone wears the same size! Attached is a photo of all the current WIPs (works in progress). Yes, there are three there...I just get tired of working onthe same pattern all the time so I switch back and forth. Hopefully (its getting more desperate now), I can get everyone's done by the holiday.

Off to go knit!