Knitting and More

Eric is still sick and tommrow is up in the air.  He is currently running a fever. I am hoping that Eric's fever breaks tonight and that he feels better tomorrow. I on the other hand feel much better.  My back is finally starting  to feel better after the December accident. I guess everything gets better In its own time.

On the knitting front my new design is coming out much better than I hoped.  It has a lot of body and swish. I am really loving the Dream in Color Marino Cashmere blend. I also got 8 more inches knit today. This might just be the pattern that will be given at the March Old Pueblo Knitters luncheon and fashion show. I will include a link when the web site is updated.  My plan is to add the second skein of yarn tomorrow. Don't worry this pattern will be suitable for a beginning knitting project.  

The Plague Du Jour

It has been a crazy few days around here. Just when I thought I had enough energy to get the creative juices flowing. The plague du jour has been going around the house. After being up all night with Eric on Tuesday I spent most of Wednesday sleeping and achy.

The new washer is great, I have only done 3 loads of laundry since Tuesday night. With the old washer that would have been closer to 10. So yes I am still in love with my new washing machine.

I think it is time for another nap.

An Update from Google

This is announcement  from Google. If you follow any blogs including mine you will need a FREE G-Mail account from Google.  They ways and where fores are below. Yes I did cut and paste the entire announcement.

"An update on Google Friend Connect

December 21, 2015

In 2011, we announced the retirement of Google Friend Connect for all non-Blogger sites. We made an exception for Blogger to give readers an easy way to follow blogs using a variety of accounts. Yet over time, we’ve seen that most people sign into Friend Connect with a Google Account. So, in an effort to streamline, in the next few weeks we’ll be making some changes that will eventually require readers to have a Google Account to sign into Friend Connect and follow blogs.

As part of this plan, starting the week of January 11, we’ll remove the ability for people with Twitter, Yahoo, Orkut or other OpenId providers to sign in to Google Friend Connect and follow blogs. At the same time, we’ll remove non-Google Account profiles so you may see a decrease in your blog follower count.

We encourage you to tell affected readers (perhaps via a blog post), that if they use a non-Google Account to follow your blog, they need to sign up for a Google Account, and re-follow your blog. With a Google Account, they’ll get blogs added to their Reading List, making it easier for them to see the latest posts and activity of the blogs they follow.

We know how important followers are to all bloggers, but we believe this change will improve the experience for both you and your readers.

Posted by Michael Goddard, Software Engineer"

This is more interesting than my day of napping and cleaning.

24 Plus 3

Today 27 hand knit hats left the house for the Flowing Wells School District Clothing Bank. I really hope the kids like all the colors, I went kinda of crazy with this batch. So more stuff left the house. Yes I have more hats on the knitting needles.  

How to Lighten Your Wallet

I was going to write about Eric and his equine therapy today. About the 2 mintiure horses that competed with each other for Eric time by resting their heads on his lap, one was even licking him.   The equine therapy director said she had never seen these miniature horses take to someone so fast and want to just hang around with someone that they just meet.  Can my friends with farms please enlighten me on this?

Instead I will write about the clueless dude driving a mini van who almost hit Eric while he was in the ramp deployment zone of the Handicapped parking space. You have all seen them the large space right next to the Handicapped parking space marked Van Accessible with the hash lines painted in multiple places in the space.  As I was about to open the passenger door to get my shopping bags, He actually pulled into the ramp deployment zone to park and missed running Eric over by less than 12 inches. I saw him out of the. corner of my eye and grabbed Eric. I ran him up the ramp into the store and made sure he was ok, before I went to get the bags and my purse.  Then the dude decided to park some place else.  

If the van driver had not been so clueless or lazy he would not have had a near miss.  If you want to be a clueless or lazy driver any of the following could happen to you.

You will get a ticket for hitting a wheelchair in the loading zone.  I am not sure what moving violations cost in your area, but it will lighten your wallet.  

Depending on the judge and laws in your area you could lose your drivers license, that will lighten your wallet.  

If you have auto insurance the premium will go up, that will lighten your wallet. If you choose to,drive with out insurance the cost of driving with out insurance will lighten your wallet.  

Depending on the laws in your area you could face jail time.  This will effect your income for the rest of your life.  Oh, and did I mention the legal fees and cost to hire an attorney.  In some areas you are even required to pay for your time in jail.  You might as well hand over your wallet and forget about having one for a while.  

So if you want to have a prosperous year and life, please don't be a clueless driver.  

Cars, Cows and Planes

I have been very busy over the last few days being the 3rd driver. This was not my plan, John got sick so I left him home with the sick boy. Eric is better and at program and John needs a few days to recoup.  My plan for the weekend was going to be spinning, knitting and possibly weaving if I fixed my loom.  The the opening at the Domengis Art Gallery.  

So Friday morning I left for San Diego to Teri's place. I stayed the night.  The kids loaded the moving van. I was not allowed to help. I followed the kids, they were driving the u-haul truck and I drove Teri's car.   We stopped for lunch at Brent's Deli in Northridge, California. If you are in the area and have not eaten there it is a must.  With big eyes I ordered the chopped liver appitezier and a cup of mushroom bar.ey soup.  After I finished the chopped liver and fresh rye bread I had no room for the soup and cancelled the order for it.  

We decided we were too tired to drive, so being the worlds rudest sister I called my brother Glen and asked if we could stay the night at his place.  We had a nice talk and caught up on things.  I find my sister in law Marla so amazing, she not only runs her own graphic arts business but keeps up with the driving for my 2 active nieces.  The girls have just grown so much since we last saw them. They are fantastic parents.  

Sunday was the last day of driving to Northern California. We drove through what was once the most productive farm land in the country, too many fields sat empty covered with tumble weeds.  Now if someone could figure out a way to get all those big piles of snow from back east and drop it on the Sierra's or in the almost dry lakes things might get a little better.  We have a national highway system, why can't we have a national water system. Harris Ranch had lots of cows. Yes I said that there would be cows. We arrived at our destination and the kids unloaded the u-haul.

Monday I flew from the San Jose airport to San Diego. I then picked up my car and drove home getting in at about 8 pm. A very long day.  At least I did not have to hit the ground running.  

Air Mattress and More

As I write this post from San Diego, I am eating leftover pizza from our dinner at my all time favorite pizza place, Project Pie. Last night I slept on an air mattress for the first time ever. While I found it very comfortable, after about 2 hours it became unbearably cold. So I got up and grabbed my coat to put over the blanket I already had on the mattress. That helped a bit.  Needless to say my body really liked the hot shower this morning.  

 For those of you who think that I can not pack light, the Big Dog backpack on the bed is all that I packed for everything but knitting until Monday. If Teri can pack light so can I.  Oh and the reason that I a in San Diego is that the kids needed a third driver.  

Less is Better

I am doing a lot less laundry.  Today was the 1st time in 3 days that I have had to do a load of whites. I used to do at least one load a day.  Eric has been very concerned that he is not making enough laundry.  We told him tonight that he did not have to make any more laundry.  That it only means that I will have more time to spend with him.  That we would listen to more books and watch more television together. Also that I would have more time to spin and knit, which will make me happy. 

I wonder if doing less laundry will show up on our power and water bills.  I currently hope so.  Now to reboot my cleaning and tossing now that I can move better again.. I only have 2 major areas to finish.   

Tummy Bug and take backs

Last night was a very long night with Eric. The eyrpy tummy bug that is going around town has hit Eric with vengeance. At he peak of the mayhem Eric made a full basket of laundry in just 30 minutes. This lead to a couple of learning experiences with the new washer.

The first thing I want to say is never ever wash eyrpy laundry on the turbo cycle unless you want to wash the load twice. On low water machines use extra water and a longer wash cycle.

The second thing I learned was that there is a child lock on our washer. It was not on my list of needs, but I have it anyway by default. Reading the washing machine manual at 4:30 am looking for a code is not my idea of fun. The good news is that by 5 am I had figured it out by myself and did not have to wake John to solve the problem.

I guess that this is part of my learning curve on the new washer. Washing machines have changed a lot in the 25 years since I last got a new machine. When I looked at the manual, when it said heavily soiled, I assumed kids playing in mud and dirt. I think that it should have a different section dealing with sick, but that maybe just me because we deal with it a lot.

Oh by the way, Sears sent people out to level the washing machine, without a level. I have yet to do a load but we will see how they did. They still gave the self adjusting spiel. No that does not work. This crew added the self adjusting springs as well. Don't they know people do read the manuals that come with the machines? So I got out the level and pointed out that even I knew it was not level. It also made me uncomfortable when the delivery guys said how nice our TV was.  I made sure to point out that it was 5 years old (therefore not worth stealing).

I am sure that with Eric home tomorrow he will help me knit a few more hats. I have a pile of 6 hats that need tags, with 2 more in progress. We just have to get rid of the fever that came with the eyrpyness before we can send Eric back to his day program.

I am positive that tomorrow will be a better day.

Rethinking Laundry

With the new larger wash tub, I think I will have to rethink the way I do laundry. This is for the better. Today I did the weekly towels, in the old washer it would have been 2 full loads. Today the towels filled a little less than 1/2 the tub.  With the whites I saved 2 days of laundry ( this should read 2 loads in the old washer ) and used a little less than 2/3's of the tub. So I am going to try waiting for 3 days before I do the whites again. That is unless we have a laundry explosion.  So I am thinking I will cut my current  of 25 loads of laundry week down to 10 to 12 loads a week.  Yes I will have the same amount of folding. I am thinking that unless the laundry is eyrpy that I will no longer be doing laundry in the middle of the night. 

I am so grateful for the simply wonderful engineering from the LG Washer Group.  Thank you so much.. I would also like to thank my wonderful husband for getting me such a wonderful washer.  By the way Sears called back today and will check to make sure we are in perfect level.  They said it should have been done on Saturday as part of the delivery.  

On a different note when I am not wearing my usual 2 inch heals, I need Teri's step stool to reach in to the bottom of the tub. Teri don't expect to get your step stool back anytime soon. 

I will have to figure out how all this will effect how much extra time I have for other things.  I can see more knitting, weaving, spinning and sewing in my future.  Maybe even a few more new patterns published.  

Up date 11:40 pm, Eric must have heard that I was doing less laundry. Since I first posted this earlier tonight he has made a load of eyrpy laundry...and life goes on.  

Eric's New Washer

Our new washing machine arrived today. We got the LG model WT7700H*A. John did all the research and found the largest, most energy efficient top loader that LG makes.  I would like to say that the washer held what use to be 2 loads in the old washer and did not even top out the new washer.  The washer runs about 30 decibels quieter too, around 50 decibel's instead of 80 decibel's. Did I mention it uses less water too.  

The second load I ran today would have been 1 full load and then some in the old washer.  In the new washer it did not even make a dent in capacity. The new washer weighed the clothes and added just the right amount of water. Kudos go to the engineering team at the LG Washer Group.

The only downside of the whole day was the delivery made by Sears, where we bought the machine.  John had asked the driver  twice, if the machine needed to be leveled. The driver told John that is was self leveling,twice. The delivery man than ran the first wash. We noticed that the machine was noisier and shaking more than the reviews said it would. So John check the position of the tub. The tub was not level.  So John used his level to verify the results.  We called the delivery number and asked that they be sent back to level the new washer. Multiple call were ignored. 

Meanwhile I did some research on the web and found that we could do serious harm to the washer if we used it unbalanced. This upset me to no end that Sears could not install a washing machine properly.  I think that they sell a lot of them too.This made me long for the days of Circuit City, where we bought our last washer when the kids were little.  They got the install done right at the time of delivery. 

By the time I lost it, John figured out how to get the machine level. So how I would some up the day, good job marks go to LG for making a great machine and to John for getting the machine as level as he could. On the other hand Sears needs to make a cheat sheet for its delivery drivers that tells them what each install requires.  They also need to be more responsive to its customers.  Just in case you are wondering Sears did not respond to various tweets on Twitter either.  I guess it is take the money and run. 

The old and new washing machines side by side.  The geek picture of the day is of the 1st load of clothes running.  I could not get the whole tub in the picture.

A New Project

Last night I started a new project. I am actually knitting something for me.  I am using Dream in Color. The blend is wool, cashmere and nylon.  It is a lace weight yarn that I am knitting on US sized 11 needles.  In a a nice verigated blue.  I am hoping that 2 skeins will be enough.  

Busy, Busy, Sore

There have been a lot of late nights with Eric.  Post viral asthma has struck with a vengence.  That has lead to a lot of naps and not much getting done around here.  This has also lead to a flare up for me, right now my elbows and ankles are not on friendly terms with me.   I know things will get better when Eric feels better.  

Amish Shadows

The quilt is fiannly back on the wall after the remodel. I made this quilt in December of 1987. Even after a professional cleaning, I have been told by a reliable source that the quilt has lost that new quilt look. Not bad for an almost 30 year old quilt. Yes that is a Tucson made Bens Bell hanging from the side.  

Yeah for Sleep

I managed to get 7 hours of sleep last night. Needless to say I had a better day. Today. I even got to the mall today with Lisa. Aside from laundry, shopping and knitting not much got done.  

Time Warp

There comes a time in every moms lives called the time warp.  I have entered the time warp. It comes when Eric gets into a cycle of getting sick, recovering some then going back to his program.  Then I just begin to reset my routine, but have not fully recovered from the long nights and broken sleep. Then Eric gets sick again.  After 2 or 3 cycles of this the time warp kicks in. 

I am in the time warp right now.  So that I have trouble sleeping more then 3 hours at a time. So I land up talking a lot of naps.  My meal schedule is so off too, sometimes breakfast at 6 or 7 lunch at 3 pm and then I am not ready for dinner at 6pm so I have an appetizer for dinner. Then I tend to snack too much late at night. 

I am hoping that this cold is the last one Eric will have for a while. I spent the day cleaning and doing laundry.  I am still exhausted but am too hyper to sleep. So I tried spinning lace weight yarn before dinner.  After dinner I finished knitting 2 hats and cast on one more so far.   I am hoping that Eric will sleep tonight and that I can unwind to sleep. I really want to break this cycle.  I am tired of being out of sync. 

Spinning and Winter

Today we had a fairly good winter storm. We got slightly over 1 inch of rain at the house. I drove home home from spinning through heavy rain and sleet.  I can't believe the number of drivers that drove recklessly speeding and weaving in and out of traffic. The good news is that I made it home safely.  

I left the spinning wheel in the car until it stops raining, it was hard to get the wheel into the car in the rain.  I am hoping that the garage will not get to cold tonight for it.  I am happy to be able to spin now.  I had to stop spinning after the car accident on the 7th of last month.  Physical therapy is still hard and progress is going in inches, but I will take my inches.  

Here is a picture of the snow on the Santa Catalins.  The snow level has not been so low in years. 

The Rollercoaster

Eric is on the mend after being sick for a few days. What ever this bug was, it brought on a few late night/ very early morning asthma episodes.  I am trying to unwind from the most recent one.  For some reason in the middle of the night they take longer to get under control. This one took about 90 minutes to get under control. Then wave 2 of the series of El Niño inspired storms hit and that took a few more minutes to resettle Eric down.  

It is now just past 2 am and I feel wide away and sleepy at the same time.  I am too tired to knit or spin yet too wide awake to sleep.  The physical therapy seems to be working, I was able to use the spinning wheel for the first time since the accident. 

I think that I am finally unwinding and will try some more sleep. Later today I plan on working on my indoor todo list and then do errands once the rain slows down. Have a wonderful and productive day. 

A Slow Day

Today I did the unheard of, I slept in until after 11 am. I think that my body needed the sleep from all the broken nights of sleep with Eric.  I think I might of slept longer if my back did not hurt so much.  I did manage to get my whole pt routine done.  

We went out shopping today for a new washing machine, we bought our current machine before we moved into this house so last century is on its last legs.  All we can get are rebuilt parts which are not as good. We landed up putting the machine on order. John said that the machine was for me.. Eric is sure the machine is for him. So to clarify the new washing machine is going to be for me as an I love you present from John. Then  Eric will be in charge of making the laundry so that I can use it more.   My hope is that with a bigger washer will cut down the number of loads of laundry.

I also found out that it is not the best idea in the world to knit with black yarn at night.  Now I have to Tink out a full round tomorrow when the light is better. See that strand of yarn, that is what I need to fix. 

Day 2 2016

As I was guzzling a glass of luke warm tea after 5 pm tonight, I briefly thought of banning any one getting sick for the rest of the month. It is really putting a major crimp in my day having to start the laundry in the wee hours of the morning. Getting no more than 3 hours of sleep at a time. I am starting to fall behind on commitments.

On the other hand I think I am so tired that I am stuck on knitting hats. I am almost finished with the second hat of the year. Maybe if I get some more sleep, If I can get some more sleep maybe I can finish the Dream In Color Cowl. 

New Years Day 2016

Today was another early day with Eric.  He had created 3 loads of laundry long before dawn. Since John and I managed to stay awake until midnight , the 3 hours of sleep was not enough. So today was spent napping instead of getting the display organized for the downtown Libaray. My first nap was from 4:30 am to 7 am.  The second nap happened when I fell asleep during the Rose Parade. So after that nap I found the Rose Parade on another channel and took another nap. Then of course I fell asleep when I put my eye drops in. 

So my take away from this is to pray that Eric sleeps through the night. Hope against all odds that he will not make 3 loads of laundry made in the wee hours of the morning.  Yes I know that in this house 4 loads of laundry in one day is not too bad.  Remember to TiVo the Rose Parade next year. I think even with the naps a solid night of sleep might be better. 

I also finished and cast on another hat today. My total rows knit in the last 4 days was 326. I am also approaching the 50,000 rows knit. I have 18 hats ready to donate to the Flowing Wells Cloths Bank, but would like to knit 6 more before I bring them in so I can give them 2 dozen hats. I just have this quirk that I like to donate even dozens when hats and scarfs go in.  

Goodbye 2015

It has been a very busy and sometimes hectic year around here.  We finished our kitchen remodel. We finished the craft room remodel. We did a lot of decluttering.  Teri thought the house looked like it did 20 years ago with the exception of the new kitchen. A few dozen items were knit for charity.  All in all I think we had a good year despite a few bumps in the road. I would like to wish everyone a happy and healthy 2016.  

Cooking Dinner

Tonight John and I used the broiler for the first time. I kinda guessed what I should be doing, after all it is just a broiler. Well, I have used broilers since oh so last century and this was not like any I have used in the past. John started reading the directions as I was cooking. First of all the broiler has a high and low setting, yes really. Apparently the high setting is used for searing the meat. The low setting is used for standard broiling. Oh and chicken must be broiled on the bottom rack of the oven. Over all it took longer to cook the meat, but it came out perfect.

My question is how the simple act of making dinner has become more complicated over the years? After all we have been using fire to cook with since the caveman days. I think I have the closest version of the 1960's Disney/GE house of the future in Tomorrowland vision of the perfect kitchen that is available today. Although I am still waiting for the table that will clear  itself, wash the dishes and reset the table. Not to mention the self cleaning house. I think that we may have been lead astray as to what would happen to the kitchen of the future. Until it arrives I would recommend that everyone read the manual.

Now if I could just find a manual to explain why my sinuses try to drain every night at bedtime.

The Party is Over

We dropped the kids at the airport this morning.  They have arrived at their destination safely. We then headed to Costco to pick up a few items. We put everything away and finished the leftovers for lunch.  Laundry has seemed to have grow exponently today. 

Now that everything is back to quiet, I plan on finishing the rest of the of decluttering. Most is in Teri's room. The down side of decluttering today so far has been finding more partial yarn skeins that I am using for hats.  So I guess I will be making a few more hats.  By the time the house is done, I hope it will be warm enough to work in the garage.  

Car Keys

You know that the visit has ended much too soon when your children return the car keys.  The week went much too quick. I am looking forward to more visits from my very busy daughter Teri. 

A Very Early Morning

This has been a crazy morning so far.  The barametric pressure started dropping around midnight.  By 12:30 I had the beginnings of a very bad headache.  Around 3 am when that began to fade Eric woke up with leg cramps. I took care of that. Then John helped with a full change out.  I hated to wake him, but since the little bump on the 7th I have not been able to do a complete change out of Eric by myself,hopefully pt will fix that soon. 

I am also sure that Eric is doing his part to keep the pipes from freezing this morning by making more laundry. So as my headache fades I will try to fall back asleep to the sound of the washer running.  If the 1st load of the morning does not do it, I have another one ready to go.  

Teri Time

We are getting a brief visit from our daughter Teri and her friend Tej. Eric and Teri are enjoying their time together. John and I are enjoying the time too.  I have been too busy to blog much.  

Fruit Cake

I have finally found a fruit cake that John likes. I used the King Arthur Flour traditional fruitcake mix.  I did add some fresh pecans and extra candied cherries. I also used soy milk and margarine instead of milk and butter.  It was very easy to make. The only change that I would make is to butter and flour the pans  or use parchment paper on the pan bottoms, because the cake did stick to the pan 

It would not be a holiday around here if someone did not get sick. This time it is Eric's turn. He got the tummy bug going around thanks to those who refuse to stay home when they are sick.  All I can say is that it was a long night and the last load just hit the dryer at 8:30 tonight.  His fever also broke tonight.  

We are also enjoying Teri and Tej's visit.   

Another Use and a Fond Farewell

If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that my craft room has had a major design change. What most people don't know is that the white cabinet on the wall also hides a Murphy bed.  The bed is now down in anticipation of Teri coming home for a visit.  I really like the versatility of having a multipurpose room, although when down the queen size bed takes up most of the room. The shellfs that John put up elimated all the bags that use to be on the floor, that way we can add 2 chairs and a foot stool in the room for company.  It seems so strange to me that my darling daughter has now been out of the house and on her own long enough to be considered company. 

I would also like to say good bye to the first pair of socks that I knit by hand. They are now amassing wholes in all sorts of places.  I have the skills but not the inclination or matching sock yarn for repairs.   So at this time I would like to say darn, darn socks.  Now they have been darned. They will not be heading for the landfill but rather they will be part of the stuffing for another dog pillow. 

Now to post the pictures and get on with my day.   

A Finishing Touch

Today Mike Levy from The Blind Guys here in Tucson installed our new Hunter Douglas Vignette Modern Roman Shades with the new Power View Motorization. The instlation went very smoothly and they fit the space to perfection.  The pebble is easy to use and we can even use or pads and phones to adjust the blinds. 

But I need to digress for a moment. John did our homework. He researched every Hunter Douglas shop in Tucson. We interviewed 3 Hunter Douglas shops in Tucson before we picked out The Blind Guys. We are very happy with the results. Durning the day the fabric has a red brown color and at night it looks more brown. 

The smaller blind is run off a battery pack.  The larger blind is running off an AC plug.  All that is left to do is to take down the curtain rods from the last window coverings, that will be done after our vist with Teri is over. 

I would like to make it very clear the we did not receive any condersition from either the Hunter Douglas Company or The Blind Guys.  The money for the  blinds came out of the money we budgeted for the kitchen remodel.  

On another note just when I thought I was over with the deep cleaning, I found more things to recycle. I am also making another trip to Goodwill this weekend. It seems to easier to get rid of things that we don't need anymore. 

A Really Horrible Day

Today was one of those days that I never want to see again. No do overs would make this day any better. Tommrow must be better than today or I am going to spend part of the day baking brownies, fruit cake and what ever else I can think of.  

A Great Day

I have a very serious request from my east coast friends, please take your freezing weather back. Last night was our first hard freeze of the winter. Yes, we do get hard freezes in Tucson.  We have at least 2 more days with lows in the 20's and highs in the 50's. It is a little, ok a lot too cold for me. I know it is still December, but I am ready for spring and summer. Not to be picky thought I would like it between 80 and 110f.  The only positive I can think about for the cold, at least I get to show off my knitting for a month or 2 a year.  

Every thing that John and I could move out of the living room has been moved. Tomorrow we are in for round 2 of carpet cleaning.  We are also cleaning the tile and grout at the back of the house, then having it sealed.  I took the time to do another round of deep cleaning.  The living room as not been so empty since the kids used it for a playroom oh,so last century.  

On a really high note, we picked up the van from the auto body shop today.  John and I are so happy.  Eric does not seem to care one way or the other as long as he gets to hang out with his friends.  I also went to Grandmas Spinning Wheel to wind my yarn for the "Deadwood Cowl" by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark, with Dream in Color yarn.  Now it is time kick back and to knit.  

Ugh More Paperwork!

As you can see by my two piles, I am just a little bit behind in filing Eric's paperwork and ordering books on "tape" from the Libaury of Congress. I will start with the filing and then go on to the books.  Maybe I can get one of the two projects off my plate today.  The to be shredded basket and the recycle basket are handy. Wish me luck. Ready set file....

Happy Holidays

As I light my grandmother's menorah for the last time this year, I would like to wish you and your families a year of learning and health. 

Finished

Eric's bathroom is finished the faucet and pop up drain were put in today.  

Granite and Cabs

The bathroom granite went in today.  This really changes the look and updates the bathroom. The sink was also put in too. He plumber will be here tomorrow to put in the faucet.  

The van will not be ready until next week. So today we tried the taxi. Besides being expensive they got Eric to his program 1 hour late and picked him up 1 hour late.  I am not impressed.  Eric really wants his van back. 

Bye Bye Old Bathroom Counter

Today the old counter in Eric's bathroom was removed.  I should have emptied the drawers. After that was finished I went on a hunt for a size 8 by 16 inch circular knitting needles to start a new project. All I can say is that I found more projects. Knitting needles in every size that I did not need. And a box full of projects that need to be knit.   Oh well I will post some pictures of Eric's bathroom demolition and do some more knitting. 

Random Thoughts

It has been quite a while since I painted a frosted cake with cocoa butter and cocoa blended to different shades of brown.  I should do that again soon. 

Getting real tired of parents of special needs kids complaining how hard it is to take care of their children once they have been placed in a group home for someone else to do all the work.  If you really want to complain join the ranks of us who care for our kids all the time.

I am really upset with the person who hit my van that I use to take Eric to his day program. I did not realize how hard or expensive it would be to get Eric around with out the van.  I guess he is not 5 years old or 30 pounds anymore. They really put a huge whole in Eric's life.  

I think I bought too many DVDs for Eric's holiday presents.. I may need to do more shopping. Only 3 gifts were not DVDs.  

It's getting harder to tell the difference between a drunk and distracted drivers on the roads. So please don't drink and drive. For heavens sake please put that cell phone down. If you don't want to pay attention to your driving please be a passenger.  

Hopefully the carpets will be dry enough to put things away tomorrow.  This is getting to be too much for me. Yes I know how unorganized  I normally am, but this is much worse.  Now if I could just remember where I put the?

I love the not on the menu chicken vegetable soup that they make upon request at China Phoenix at Oracle and Ina in Tucson. It can really make my day and is even better than brownies. I love their dim sum too, but don't get there often enough for it.  

A Bump in the Road

Today was a very busy Monday. I had started the laundry, dropped Eric off at his day program and just finished my errand. Then I got the call that Eric was eyrpy and wanted to go home. Just as I was making my left turn into his day program my car got bumped by an inattentive driver. Aside from a headache that lasted a few hours, I am fine. The van however is my worst nightmare.

John drove the car across town to check out the ramp which at this point seems ok, but then again it has not be on a lift yet. So then John headed to the body shop. The original plan was for them to make a list of parts that they needed to order and call us when all the parts arrived. So much for plan A. The rear was so mangled that they will need to tear down the back of the van down to find out what parts we need and the van will be in the shop about a week.

So we are without transportation for Eric for a week. The "maybe good" news is that Eric is home sick today and tomorrow. Which means we should not need the van. The bad news is that I have never signed Eric up for transportation services so we don't know how we are getting Eric to program when he is feeling better. It is a little too far to walk and the big hill on 1st avenue would be awful going both up and down.  Not to mention the lack of sidewalks for most of the way.

Since I always like to end on a good note, and this is a hard one today. As of the time of this post there are less then 8 hours left for December 7. Tomorrow will be a whole lot better.

Still Awake

I am having trouble unwinding tonight. Just as I was dosing off, Eric had an asthma episode. Between giving him his meds and watching him until his color get better took 30 minutes. That was 30 minutes ago. I know its going to be a long day and a very long week. I am debating trying to do some cleaning, start some laundry or knitting to unwind. I want to be asleep before tomorrow. There is nothing like a sick kid in the middle of the night to get this mommy going and unable to slow down.

Eric Paid it Forward Today

Today Eric had a chance to pay it forward.  After his day program we drove to to the mall where the Salvation Army and a number of community sponsors were collecting toys for kids. So we loaded Eric up with craft projects and toys.  He was very happy to help.although I must say that the new design of the kettles made it a little hard for Eric to put money in the kettle.  

Ta-Da

The craft room is just waiting for a carpet cleaning on Tuesday before I finish putting things on the floor. No not junk, but organized boxes, spinning wheels, a loom and an Ott Lamp. So what do you think, is it better than before?

An Amazing Haircut

Today I took Eric in for a long over do haircut. Yes depending on where the hair was cut, 2 to 3 inches came off. He looks all nice and handsome.  I have to admit that this was a pretty ordinary haircut. What happened while I was putting Eric's wheelchair back together was extraordinary.

A gentleman went up to the cashier and paid for Eric's haircut and tip. He asked for Eric's name and wished us a Merry Christmas.  We as a family are extreamly greatful for this random act of kindness. As a family we would like to ask you to help us pay this forward.  This can be done at your convince. 

Eric's main charity that he likes to help is the Ronald McDonald Hospility House, which is a lot like the Children's Inn at NIH which we were a frequent visitor when Eric was in elementary school. Eric currently collects tabs for the  Tucson Ronald McDonald house. If you are in Tucson you can give the tabs to me or drop them off at the Tucson JCC for Eric to drop off. You can even drop them off yourself. If you are not in Tucson you can drop your tabs off at your local Ronald McDonald House.  The tabs are sold for scrap metal and go to pay for the utilities with excess funds helping out families. If that is not possible you can drop a few coins in the collection box at your local McDonalds. 

If you are in the Besthda,Maryland area you can drop off can food items, new toys, toiletries or a check to the Children's Inn at NIH. The Children's Inn is a godsend to the families that have to travel across country for treatment. 

Another charity that Eric likes to help is our Community Food Bank.  If you can give a can of food to the food bank or your Temple or church pantry, that would be another great way to pay it forward.  We would like to thank you in advance for all your help. Working together we can make the world an awesome place.  

More Progress

Today I figured out that I can have too many large bags to store small craft project bags. I emptied a whole bunch of bags and found at least 5 projects per bag.  John put he smaller projects on the shelf. I should have the craft room finished this week.  I also found more yarn for cotton hats while I was cleaning today, enough for at least 8 more hats.  I figure that if I complete at least 1 project per week, I should be finished in just a few years with the bulk of my projects and a few more tubs of yarn.  Did I mention that I also found 1 bag with at least 4 hats in progress.  Below is a picture of the 5 bags that I emptied this weekend.  

Candles and Cleaning

Today I helped on a 5th grade history project. I got to help Lisa's son Matthew learn to make hand dipped candles. We almost got 50% of the project finished today. I think a good time was had by all. Although I did forget to take a picture of the finished project.  Hint, hint Lisa. 

The unpacking the kitchen is still going on. Another box was emptied today, and I will finish putting it away tomorrow.  I also went through my weaving supplies with a realistic look at the warp and some weft.  Lisa left with some. Some more is going to Jody and I kept just about 50% of it.  Although more might leave with Jody. I have already re pourpsed one of the boxes for my shrinking box of candle making supplies.  

A nice chunk of of Teri's floor was cleared and more things are finding their way to a new home in the house or out the door.  I am working on knitting UFO's too. I am hoping to make a lot of progress on all my knitting and sewing  UFO's. The Zennig of the house is going very good, but the pace has slowed down a lot.  I still believe in the 5 minute method. 

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving today. We had a laid back day. I got to use the oven for the first time since we bought it. The good news is that it was easy to turn on and the tempature  was  spot on. No more guess work and an separate oven thermometer.  The only problem was when dinner was finished, I could not find the off button.. Maybe I should have read the directions that came with the oven.  John was great and came to the rescue, he found the off button.   I might have to read he book before I use the other features. 

I forgot to cook the green beans, so we used the stuffing as our vegetable.  Before you say stuffing is not a vegetable, mine is made with a ratio of 80% vegetables and 20% bread. We had freshly baked sweet potatoes instead of whipped sweet potatoes. Since we used luncheon plates we did not over stuff ourselves. We saved some room for a slice of apple pie with ice cream. 

John added another shelf to the craft room. We will work on filling it this weekend. We are busy doing the little projects around the house. The kitchen is still in flux as we decide what goes where and then change things up yet again.  

To Spam or Not to Spam, That is the Question

This is an open letter to all the charitable organization's out there.

How To Land In My Spam Box

I know that raising funds for your charity is very hard work. Lets face it there are millions of charitable organizations out there. You do everything you can ethically to raise money and you are still not reaching the goal that your board of directors has said that you need to reach this year.

So you cross the ethical line. You think that because our parents or grandparents supported your cause that I should too. Is this because the letter addressed to them, but sent to my home address are regularly put in the recycle bin? So you start sending out fundraising letters to my e-mail account addressed to them. In fact I receive multiple e-mails a week, because it does not cost you money to send them out.

I really want you to think about this. Would you call my phone or ring my doorbell asking to speak to the person you know is dead. Probably not. So why then is it your new mission in life to clog my e-mail account by sending letter after letter to people in my life who have departed this world for the next? You organization has been told multiple times that they have passed. If you don't beleive me just Google their names.You do know how to use Google, don't you?

My generation thinks that my e-mail address is my own, albeit it may ultimately belong to my Internet Service Provider. Only a copywrite guru knows for sure. It does not belong to a family line. My parents or grandparents were not allowed to use my personal e-mail address when they are alive, even more so now that they have departed this world. If you must really send out letters to our dearly departed on a regular basis, please contact me once by snail mail asking for the name of the cemetery and the plot number. I am quite sure that they would enjoy the attention, as they currently don't receive much mail.

In the meantime just know that all e-mail sent to dead relatives via my e-mail account will be put in my spam box. No exceptions to this rule. If you still do not understand this, please send me your home number and what time you eat dinner and I will call then to explain it to you.

Results.

I meant to spend the day finishing with the cleaning and organizing of the craft room. I got distracted. I instead spent the day working in the living room.  So far I managed to fill 3 boxes for Goodwill. Hopefully we can get it out of the house tomorrow. With each bit of decluttering I do, I feel a little lighter. The space around me seems to be getting larger, with more room to move.

The things that I pared down today were baskets, about 50% are leaving the house. Flower vases seemed to be another thing that we have too many of, so far 7 are leaving the house and I will still have a nice selection of vases.  What are the odds of me finding anymore vases? How did I land up with so many vases? Also since we went to a new drawer storage system, all my old dividers are leaving the house too. Some things that seemed so important to me in the 1980's and 90's just don't seem to be necessary anymore.  I am a lot more casual when we have company over.  Can we all give a collective bye-bye to the individual butter plates. Yes, special plates just for butter, the thought of having a proper table and pulling them out then washing them by hand both before and after a party is gone.  

As a family member of generational pack rats it seems at times very hard to do all this decluttering. I think back to one of my grandmothers houses and my parents house and have made a conscious  decision to change my ways. It is a long and slow process. I strongly suggest that family members be patient and not do any pushing. You might cause a stalling of a project that you so dearly want. 

If One Nap is Good then....

Today started out very busy with 2 errands before Knitting Guild.  We had a lovely yarn tasting with Vicky Konecky from Grandma's Spinning Wheel here in Tucson. I so wanted to break my yarn diet and head over to Grandma's after the meeting, but I was so tired that I headed home instead.

I took some homemade chicken soup out of the freezer for lunch. John cut up some fresh carrots and celery to add to the soup. Before it had finished thawing and was warm enough to eat I had fallen asleep. Two hours later, I did not have time to eat the soup, but instead went and picked up Eric at his program. I did manage to cover a person's desk in yarn, knitting needles and knitting books before I left the building. I do love to do a good yarn bombing every once in a while.

We were not home for 30 minutes before I fell asleep again for another long nap. It is my hope that these naps today will help my body heal from both the cold, which is still lingering but also the arthritis flare up that it has caused. John served the soup for dinner along with some fresh bread.

After dinner I packed up some more charity to leave the house tomorrow. This time hats, scarfs and special needs bibs. They will head over to the Flowing Wells School District Clothing Bank.

Three's

Today was a day for 3's. I worked in the craft room cleaning and decluttering for 3 hours. I managed to fill 3 full bags for the recycle barrel. The last chore I did today was fill, you guessed it 3 boxes for a Goodwill pick up on Friday. So today has been brought to you by the number 3.