another borrowed post topic

I just saw this on Cheri's blog & figured I'd borrow it.


What are your middle names?
His is Michael. I'd tell you mine, but then I'd have to kill you.

How long have you been together?
Since August 1, 1983

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
A couple of hours.

Who asked whom out?
He did, after we had spent the whole night sitting on a dock at the lake talking.

How old are each of you?
45--I'm two months older.

Whose siblings do you see the most?
His during the summer.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Oh where to begin...

Did you go to the same school?
We graduated high school together but had never met. Ironically, we met 100 miles away, out of state, where we now live.

Are you from the same home town?
Yes.
Who is smarter?
Depends on the topic. I'm more 'book smart' while he's more everyday smart.
Who is the most sensitive?
Definitely him.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
We hardly eat out, but we both like T-Bones.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Bermuda, or is it Milwaukee? I dunno which is further.

Who has the craziest exes?
Neither one of us has crazy ex's. (dunno which is correct: exes or ex's)

Who has the worst temper?
Both of us can have bad tempers--I can control mine a little better.

Who does the cooking?
Me--all of the cooking actually.

Who is the neat-freak?
I wish one of us was a neat freak!

Who is more stubborn?
I'm Irish. There ya go.

Who hogs the bed?
Him, although we finally just got a queen-size after 23 years on a full, so it's much improved!

Who gets up earlier?
Him. I hate mornings.

Where was your first date?
Friendly's ice cream.

Who is more jealous?
Me.

How long did it take to get serious?
A week or two.

Who eats more?
Definitely him.

Who does the laundry?
He doesn't even know where the washer is.

Who's better with the computer?
He doesn't even use a computer except when he's forced to at work.

Who drives when you are together?
I drive there, he drives home.

A Thanksgiving Meme

I borrowed this from Elizabeth Bienas blog.  http://elizbienas.blogspot.com/  Sad that I'm so lacking in the writing dept that I have to steal! lol



1.What are the traditional favorites?
turkey, stuffing, mashed taters, squash, green beans, gravy, cranberry sauce, and black olives.

2.What new recipes will you try this year?
None--keeping it simple. I will be trying out my new 5 burner range though--woohoo!

3.What part of the meal do you never compromise?
It's basically always the same.


4.Who gets to carve the turkey?
Around here it's not 'who gets to,' it's more about 'who can mess it up less?


5.Family style around the table or buffet style and everyone sits wherever there's room?
Family style since there's only 4 or 5 of us.

6.How many will be at your table this year?
Five, the four of us and ds's gf.

7.Three best pies for Thanksgiving dessert?
Apple and custard--that's it.

8.Cranberry sauce...yeah or nay?
Yaay, but only jellied--no lumps.

9.What time do you eat Thanksgiving dinner?
This year will be early, about 12:30 or 1:00. I like to eat mid-afternoon, like 2-3:00 but ds and his gf have to hit her mother's for a second meal so we're bumping ours up.

10.Favorite leftover?
All of them!

I'm drained.

I visited Dad in the hospital today. He has cellulitis in his leg (his good leg) but it's responding well to IV antibiotics and he will likely be released tomorrow. It's very hard to see him in the hospital. The big, strong hero who used to take care of me is now an elderly, fragile man (at only 71) who becomes scared and almost childlike because of his fear of hospitals. We did have a nice visit though. He told about his time in the Air Force, and some stories of his childhood. Dad was usually off working when I was a kid and when he was home he was very quiet, so I never felt like I really knew him at all. Ever since his stroke several years ago though, he's become more talkative. I love hearing all of his stories, but it does make me feel a little sad and scared, since my father-in-law started telling me all his stories over the last few years of his life. It must be a natural thing, to want to pass on your story and legacy before you die. I need to write them down to preserve them for my children and grandchildren.

It just boggles my mind

I cannot understand how some people can be so clueless, so selfish and self-absorbed. I think that if I ever had to call an ambulance for a stranger on the street I would probably climb into that ambulance and go with that stranger to the hospital just so they wouldn't feel as alone and scared. I can't even fathom someone sending their husband of 46 years, the man who worked 3 jobs, 18 hours a day to provide for said wife and family, who is now elderly and handicapped, off in an ambulance to sit alone in the ER for five hours before bothering to call any of the children. How could you let someone feel alone and scared like that when they are ill and in pain? I don't understand. My stomach is sick just thinking of it. And yet, according to my God and his Word, I am supposed to honor this person. Well I can't.

Almost There

5 and 1/2 more weeks of student teaching. Not that I'm counting or anything! I can't wait to get back to my regular school. It's so much more fun there. This school I'm at is so business-like. No one every laughs. The kids can't catch a break...literally...they have to work right through their snack break and just have a short recess and lunch. They have no social time at all. They're not even given any time to go to the bathroom, poor things. I feel so mean but I have to uphold the rules of the teacher I'm working under. She even made them do work during their Halloween party! They had to get a plate of food and go back to their desks and keep working. And for all of it, I don't think their test scores are any better than the scores at my regular school. All that said, I have learned a lot, especially about teaching reading & writing, but I'm ready for it to end.
I just got an order of Shimmer yarn from Knitpicks and am going to cast on today for a Clapotis shawl for a Christmas gift. I hope I can finish in time! It's supposed to be a very easy pattern and most people seem to complete it in a month, but when it comes to knitting I am not 'most people.' Why do I frustrate myself like this? Every year it seems I wait for the last minute and then decide to start some big project with a looming deadline. I drive myself crazy!
On the family front, ds seems to be doing great living out on his own. We used to see him a lot, but now we hardly ever do : (  I'm happy for him, but I miss him a lot. Looked at a college with dd this weekend. She liked it well enough but still mentions joining the service sometimes. I'm praying she'll change her mind herself so that dh & I don't have to lay down the law and tell her we're not signing permission for that. We have to get going on that college application soon so she can get a dorm. We took a bunch of pics the other day hoping to get a good one to use for her sr photo. Here are a couple of possibilities. They haven't been cropped yet, or photoshopped, so just a preview...

Busy busy!

I've spent all weekend doing a lot around the house. I primed and painted D's old room and we made it a den. Moved in the bookshelves, my computer desk, the recliner & a side table.

That left half the living room free, so we made that back into a dining room (like it used to be). It'll be nice to have more room when the kids come home for meals instead of being crowded in the kitchen. Of course, this made the kitchen empty so we moved the patio set inside, just until I decide what to do in there. It's t the far end of the kitchen, and we don't really need another table, so I'm considering getting a wicker loveseat, chair and coffee table and just having a little sitting area. It's a nice bright spot because there are two windows on both walls and it looks out into the woods. I also did some work in the garden to get it ready for winter. I'm bushed!

I also made some time for knitting. I'm currently working on a pair of fuzzy socks. I've actually been trying to make socks for about a year, but have ripped them out every time. Then I learned how to do 2 at a time on 2 circs, toe up. I'm almost to turning the heel, and so far so good! I finished my Shawl That Jazz several weeks ago but never got around to posting a pic.

September Goals Update

I think it's close enough to the end of the month so that I can update. Here are the goals I set for September:

SEPTEMBER GOALS:
1. exercise: 1 good 60 min. workout on weekends, 2-3 30 min. workouts during week
2. plan dinner and clothes the night before
3. get to bed by 10pm, 10:30 at the latest
4. pay bills weekly
5. write more often (here and in my journal)

Well, I've done pretty well on numbers 2,3 and 5; not so well on 1 and 4. Will continue to work on those.

We Must Always Remember

9/11. A day that has been burned in our hearts and minds forever. One of those few days that you immediately recall where you were when you heard the news. Some of the others include the space shuttle disaster in 1996 and the OK city bombing. And though I cried buckets of tears over all of them, it's the 9/11 tragedy that has affected me and my family the most. I still cannot think about it without crying. I'll never forget when I first heard the news. I was waiting at Walmart for an oil change to be done on my car. Two men started talking about it: "Have you heard? Airliners have crashed into the World Trade Center! They think it was terrorists!" I thought they were insane, or that it was some sort of bad joke. My car was ready shortly after, and while driving home I listened to the news reports. It was surreal. I couldn't believe it was happening until I got home and saw it on tv. Horrifying images. As I sat watching, the phone began to ring. You see, several of our family members work for the two airlines involved, USAir and United. A couple of them were in the air as it happened and a couple were on the ground working the ramp in Boston. It took several hours and many phone calls before we would find out if the pilots were on those planes. Thankfully they were not. They were, however, in the air and were forced to land at the closest airport to where they were flying above at the moment the skies were shutdown and they were stranded for several days. Not a big problem compared to what could have been,just stressful at the time.
After many days of watching the coverage on tv, gallons of tears later, hubby and I determined that our lives would never be the same and that we needed to take action. We had made our living via the airlines, built our family and our home on the income that was no longer there. I needed to return to the workforce, however my former jobplace was a hundred miles away. There was no one in my industry nearby. My children were young and I was adament that no one else would raise them. I couldn't be apart from them for 8 or 10 hours a day. I decided the only thing I could do was get a job at their school. That way I would have the same schedule as them, no babysitters or daycare would be needed. That decision turned out to be the biggest silver lining of the entire tragedy. I took the job thinking it was temporary, surely the airlines would recover and I could stay home again, if not, I would find something better. Much to my surprise, I loved it! It was the best, most fun job (if least paid) that I ever had! And now, eight years later, I'm finishing up my teaching degree so that I will one day have my own classroom. I guess I won't be staying home or finding something better anytime soon! As for hubby, life in the airline industry post-9/11 was extremely stressful. It took three years of searching, but he finally found a job close to home that is perfect for him, one that he enjoys, one that has benefited the entire family. There is always a silver lining--sometimes you just have to be patient for it.
My heart, my thoughts, and my prayers go out to the thousands of families who continue to be affected by this event, to those who have suffered tragic personal loss, horrible personal injury, as well as extremely difficult financial losses. Lives will never be the same. We must always remember.

September Goals

Summer's over--back to reality. Back to work and school. I've been so caught up in all that for a couple of weeks that everything else has taken a back seat. You should see what my house looks like! In trying to get re-organized and back into the swing, I'm going to take a suggestion from Elizabeth Bienas's blog http://randomsnapshots.typepad.com/random_snapshots/ and post monthly goals. I'll try to keep them realistic since it never seems to work out when I create goals like: lose 50 pounds next week, or; keep home spotless, or; do everything perfectly and on time.
With that in mind...
SEPTEMBER GOALS:
1. exercise: 1 good 60 min. workout on weekends, 2-3 30 min. workouts during week
2. plan dinner and clothes the night before
3. get to bed by 10pm, 10:30 at the latest
4. pay bills weekly
5. write more often (here and in my journal)

more than a month?!

I'm not doing very well here. Oh well. Despite it being summer, with no more classes and a reduced working schedule, it still feels busy! I did take some time of to be a slug--literally sitting around reading, knitting & watching tv. But then I got back to life--cleaning, working, etc. I've done a lot of gardening this summer. I attacked the perennials that have gotten out of control, dug them all up, split them and replanted all around the yard. I added some new stuff too, including two butterfly bushes. They smell fantastic and the butterflies and hummingbirds really love them!

Summer school ended yesterday and I start my student teaching assignment on 8/25. I'm very nervous about it! Next week I'll be going in to help set up the classroom. I can't believe it's already here!

One book I read recently has really provoked a lot of thought. It was "Skinny Bitch" by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. It's about going vegan for a number of reasons. The authors feel the humans just weren't created to eat meat and dairy, and I'm wondering if that's where some of my stomach issues stem from. Also, the book discusses the various (disgusting) practices in factory farming and meat & processing plants. I wondered how much they might have been exaggerating things, but the small amount of reading I've done on the net substantiate a lot of it. I'm waiting for a couple more books to arrive from Amazon on the subject, but I have already pretty much given up almost all meat and dairy and can already see/feel a difference physically and on the scale. The other part of the book is on going organic. They discuss all the chemicals, hormones, antibiotics that are put into everything these days and how it all affects our bodies. I seriously wonder if that's why we have such high numbers of things like cancer and autism. I had been trying to get back to more whole foods for a while now, but this has spurred me on even more. I have been trying to buy more organic foods, but it's so expensive! Anyhow, I'll just see where this brings me and go with the flow. If anyone has any ideas/advice on going vegan I'd be glad to hear it or even just your opinion on the matter.

And just to include some pics....here's one of my little hummer buddies--isn't he cute?? and one of my flutterbies on the flutterby bush.

Missing in action

So, what have I been doing the last couple of weeks (besides not blogging)? Nothing, absolutely nothing! I have finished all of my college classes and work is out for the summer, so I have become a complete slug. It's been very nice to have no schoolwork hanging over my head. I never realized how much pressure I was really under, how I never fully relaxed for the past several years. Anytime I sat to read or do anything else I always felt like I should be studying or doing homework. I didn't realized it until I finally finished--what a sense of freedom! I literally felt like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. I have totally taken advantage of not being under deadlines. I've been reading, knitting, watching tv. Until yesterday, that is. Dd wanted her bedroom painted so I happily obliged (I kind of like to paint). Going up and down that ladder, stretching, reaching...it felt good to move again! So now that I have more time and I've rested up, I'm getting back on track--going to exercise more, eat less, catch up on all the household projects I've been putting off.

Bummer--just found this!

Apparently I wrote this on 6/27 but never finished it or posted it. I have really enjoyed the feeling of freedom this summer!

After 7 years of working full-time and taking college classes at night I have finally finished school! No more coursework for me--all that's left is student teaching in the fall. I never noticed how heavily school work weighed on me. I literally feel like weight has been taken from my shoulders. I can finally relax, sit and read a book or knit, without that overwhelming feeling of "I should be doing homework, housework, etc..."

a lazy way to post

I've seen this on a few blogs recently so I thought I'd borrow it...

Outside my window... The sun is shining, a welcome site after 3 weeks of rain
I am thinking... about either sitting down with my knitting or going kayaking, can't decide
I am thankful for... the sun
From the kitchen... marinating some steak to grill
I am wearing... my nightgown
I am creating... socks
I am going... to a surprise sweet 16 party today that my dd's bf is throwing for her, although she knows about it
I am reading... Prayers For Sale by Sandra Dallas
I am hoping... to get more motivated
I am hearing... hubby playing the drums
Around the house... it's a mess, all of it
One of my favorite things... coffee
A few plans for the rest of the week... read, knit, clean the house, meet up with friends from out of town on Sunday evening

I miss crafting

I just spent a few minutes in my studio making a birthday card for dd's boyfriend. (OMG--it just hit me that he's 18 yo now!! She's only 15, almost 16. Scary!) I realized that I've hardly scrapped or stamped at all in a long time. I really miss it. I miss being creative. Only 2 more weeks of classes and then I'll have some free time again. Woohoo! It's been many years. I'm going to enjoy it!

Starting over (post attempt #2)

So, I first posted my weight here on New Years Day 2009, 150 days ago. Today I am still the same weight. I have gone down, and then back up. I need to lose this weight. I'm already on one med and don't want to have to take more. If I continue the way I am I will require meds for other weight-associated diseases. If I lose the weight I will probably be able to stop taking what I'm currently on. My hips and knees will probably hurt less, and I will look and feel better in general. I need to get serious and disciplined about this. I am starting over today.

Starting over

Oh crap---I typed this long post, got some error message and lost the whole thing! Test, test...

Images from yesterday's parade and ceremonies. I think we all need the reminder once in a while to pray for those fighting for us now and to remember those from the past.

The sky, the sky, the beautiful sky

I have always loved taking pics of the sky and clouds. In fact, my kids tease me because my camera is always pointed upward. I'm currently taking a photography class to complete my fine arts minor, and was very happy that this week's shoot sheet included sky pics! Here are a few that I snapped last night...

Yesterday dd was cleaning out one of my cupboards (she's my personal organizer) and she came across an old portable cassette player (remember the walkman from the 80's??). I made her bury it quickly in the trash before the dork saw it! LOL

He's so technologically savvy....not!

What a dork! Dh found an old portable cd player in some remote corner of the house and has been walking around listening to it ever since. I've got to get the man an ipod.

Sunday

It's a beautiful day here, sunny and warm. Might even be able to open the windows and air out the house! (gets kind of yucky after a long, closed up winter) I pretty much spent most of the day yesterday knitting, so today I have to make up for lost time. Have to finish up some school projects, make notes for a final exam, and clean up the house. Yuck. Oh well, the fresh air and some fun music should make it go quickly and maybe I'll even get some more knitting in.

It's here! It's here!

My luxury yarn splurge arrived today, in all it's colorful glory. Isn't it gorgeous??

It feels good too. I'm knitting up my gauge swatch tonight so I can pick up the right size needles tomorrow after work, then tomorrow night I can cast on my shawl. It's a simple, casual shawl that can be worn with jeans, but also dressed up. It's going to be fabulous!!

In other exciting news...the elementary school I work at has been chosen as NH's best elementary school for 2009. I'm so proud and excited! I love where I work. The admin is awesome and I have wonderful co-workers. Plus, the kiddos make me laugh every day.

How great is that if you have to work?

First week of April

Phew--time is flying! My student teaching assignment is almost finalized. That's a relief. I'll be working under a friend of mine in a nice school, so it should go well. It's still scary to think about actually doing it though.
Had my 45th bday this week. Yikes---talk about middle-aged! Suddenly it's hitting me. I had a great day though. The kids got up early and cooked me a big breakfast. Got some beautiful cards and flowers, and my Blackberry. A friend gave me a lavendar scented relaxation basket with nice goodies in it from Bath and Body Works along with the makings for some nice cosmos. Dh and I went out to eat at our favorite place. A fun day!
I'm more than halfway up the front of my mauve sweater (already did the back), and it's coming along nicely. I placed an order for some Koigu Kersti yarn (this one:http://www.yarnzilla.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_1096_1389&products_id=6727 ) to make this shawl http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/shawl-that-jazz . I cannot wait for it to arrive--I think it will be gorgeous!

Wow, a whole month has gone?! Boy time flies! I've been busy getting my student teaching packet ready--it's almost like finding a real job. Lots of paperwork, dealing with idiots at my college, and researching various school districts. In the end though, I lucked out...instead of having to commute an hour away I was able to score a spot at a school right in the next town, in 4th grade (my favorite) and I'll be working with a good friend of mine! Such a relief.
In other news, I haven't scrapped much at all. I did however, attend a fun crop in CT with Lorna and my SJ girls on 3/7! They're always good for some laughs and great conversation. I did a mini winter album from a kit that came out really cute, and the next day I did a couple of other random lo's. I've been doing some knitting--am working on the back of my Cricket sweater. I've been checking out some new (to me) yarn shops over the past couple of weekends and getting a lot of inspiration! I have resisted the urge to add to my yarn stash but have purchased a couple of books. One is on beaded knitting. I was going to knit a beaded shawl for dd to wear to bf's prom, but she wasn't crazy about the idea so I didn't bother. I will make one for myself though at some point. It would be nice to have something pretty like that for a wedding or other event. Most people plan the accessories based on the outfit--I'm usually the one trying to find an outfit to match an accessory! lol

half over already?

I can't believe it's Thursday already and I have to return to work in just 4 days : ( I haven't accomplished all that much yet either, other than go to classes and have my niece up for a couple of days. We have also started the big prom dress hunt. Wish me luck with that--I'm gonna need it!
Today I am going to (in this particular order):
knit on my sweater for a while and watch tv
go snowshoeing
do homework
read (for pleasure)

winter break

Finally...a vacation! Well, not a vacation really, but a break from work--yahoo! I love being able to stay home during the day. As much as I like my job, I do still miss being at home even after 7 years of being back in the work force. Guess I should have married rich!
I'm going to use this week to catch up on some stuff around the house as well as focus on getting my eating under control and making exercise a habit again. I started off with a bang this morning--shoveled out from 2 feet of snow!
I also plan on doing some snowshoeing. I bought a couple of pairs the other day and it's so much fun and a great workout. It reminds me of kayking in a way...when I'm out on the water (or on the snow) I'm focused only on what I'm doing and the scenery around me. It's almost meditative, and a great escape from the world for a while!
The other two things I want to get in this week are knitting and reading. My current wip is a raglan sweater that I'm praying will come out wearable (I'm not the best knitter in the world). As for reading, right now I"m working through The Power of Less by Leo Babauta. It's a great little book that gives great tips and strategies for organizing your life, which I desperately need!

feeling a little stressed

So I got my 10 page paper written yesterday, but I still have a shitload of homework to do. I need to write a couple of 1-2 pagers today. Plus I have to write a couple of letters of introduction for my student teaching packet, have to send a couple of emails to set up observations, write a letter requesting a leave of absence to send my superintendent, and possibly do taxes (for us, ds and dd this year), get a pot of gravy going in the crock pot, and pay a couple of bills. Pretty sure I won't get to the taxes today, but I HAVE to do everything else. PLUS I have class in Manchester tonight, 60 miles away, so that leaves me about 5.5 hours to do it all. Crap, I'm screwed.
On the homefront--dh is feeling much better after being sick as a dog since Thursday, but now dd is coming down with something. She went out to the dance studio today but I don't think she'll last long. It's winter carnival week at school too, so she might be missing a lot of fun activities. The worst part is that I have to be down in the southern part of the state for most of tomorrow for school so I won't be here to take care of her : (

I'm a failure at project 365

I quit. Yup--didn't even make it 6 weeks. It was a great idea, documenting the year through a photo-a-day, but I just don't have the time. I don't need to be making myself feel guilty about another thing, kwim? It's not worth it.
It's Valentines Day...my valentine is sick with the flu, so there won't be any romance or gifts for me today. Oh well! I'm actually taking off for the day anyway...have to drive down to Boston and visit the Museum of Fine Arts for a class. I'm looking forward to browsing through the artwork, and am hoping the textile exhibit will be open. I'm also looking forward to a sub from my favorite Italian deli (LaCascia's, Medford) and maybe a bit of shopping in the city.
Happy Valentines Day to you!

Silly dog!

Excuse my stupid dog language voice!

Day 39

So these are the new, new glasses. I returned the others. I'm much happier with these.

Excuse the no makeup and miserable cold face. I'm all stuffy.

Day 36

Silly dog! Ds was emptying the trash the other night, so Julia stuck her head into the top to lick it (gross, I know). Well the edge got stuck on her tags and she couldn't get free. It was hysterical to watch--she couldn't figure out what the heck was going on! I grabbed my camera and snapped a few pics and even took a video. Maybe I can figure out how to post it here.

Day 36

So this didn't turn out like I hoped.

We had a beautiful pink sky the other night.

I do love the birch tree though--it's my favorite on our property

and I can see it from where I always sit to work at the kitchen table.

Day 35

We're having a horrible time this year with ice dams on the roof. It's

causing leaks in a lot of the windows and some stains on the ceilings. It's such a lovely

look to have towels and tupperware in all the windows.

Day 34

Current knitting wip (work in progress). Hopefully it will

actually turn out wearable this time.

Day 33

I think at this point my truck could auto pilot here since we drive it so often. Dd is here

about 8 times a week, which is 16 trips back and forth. Anything to make her happy right?

Day 31

Boys and their toys!

Day 30

Day 32

Just cuz it was a good hair day!

Blog Tag

So I was tagged by my beautiful friend Kelly. Had to find the 6th picture on my computer and post it and then tag 6 more friends.

This is a photo of a quilt that I took at an art gallery during a college class field trip. The picture does not do it justice. It was created out of gorgeous rich pastel prints with gold threads running through it. It was taken during the dead of a New England winter and the quilt reminded me of summer and just made me want to get in my studio and sew!

Day 29

Isn't she just the cutest thing? Anytime she comes in from the

rain or snow she loves to be wrapped in her blankie!

Day 28--snow, lots and lots of snow

Dd and her boyfriend coming back from a walk in the woods--yes the snow is as deep as it looks, up to their thighs, and still coming down. What a workout that walk must have been!

Day 27--stylin mama

Yes, I do go out in public like this...capri sweats and boots,

every morning to drive dd to school at 7am.

You should see what the top half looks like!

I would be mortified if I ever broke down or had anyone see me!

I know you're all sick of hearing about school, but it's where I spend so much time, money, and energy, so I figured there should be a day dedicated to it in my project 365.

Day 25

What else to do on a frigid winter day but curl up with a good book?

Day 24

Bob houses are starting to appear on the bay. No matter how thick I know the ice is I'm scared of being out there. See the truck on the left? Crazy!

Day 23

New glasses are always fun! Not sure I like these but am going to give them a few days.

Day 22

Oh no... just when I thought I had all the Veras I wanted... the spring catalog arrives.

Notice all the sticky notes poking out from the pages.

Beautiful new styles, gorgeous prints.

What's a girl to do?

Day 21

Jillian kicked my butt this morning! Dd and I watch the Biggest Loser every week, so when I happened to notice this dvd at wally-world I figured I'd try it out. Cocky me--I figured "I've been exercising, I can handle the intermediate workout." Yeah right! The beginner one was tough enough! Jillian rocks, but I could never stand for her yelling at me like she does those poor people on the show. I'd tell her where to stick that weight bar in a hurry!

Day 20

This is me...yes really...stop laughing! It's me 23 years ago, on my honeymoon. Ignore the big hair--it was the 80's after all. But look at that body!! I had trouble finding clothes small enough... imagine that! I know I will never be this tiny again, but I can do a lot better than I'm doing now.
Printing this pic out for motivation!

Day 19

This was pretty much my view for most of the day. I did a crapload of driving today. First appt. was 45 miles south of home. Next appt. was 25 miles north of home. Then had class tonight, 65 miles south. Total miles driven today--270. I'm tired. (eta: darn it! on my computer you could see my eyes very clearly in the rear-view mirror but it got lost in the upload, oh well!)
Oh, and btw---yes, I snapped this shot while driving down the interstate at night, something I don't really recommend trying. Let's just say the flash is blinding.

Day 18

He's always re-arranging his kit and making me take photos, which he emails to the guy that custom-made his drums 28 years ago. Like he still cares. lol Anyhoo, this is the only pic I took today.

Days 16 and 17

I LOVE TO READ! It's really hard to create time to read when you're also having to read so much assigned crap for school. My name finally came up on the reserve list at the library for this new book, right at the same time my 3 new classes were starting. Luckily it's an easy read and a nice escape from reality. Combining two of my favorite passions--reading and knitting--what could be better?!

MR. TECHNOLOGY...Better late than never! This man barely touched a computer before a couple of years ago when he started a new job. Now dd has to fight with him for computer time.

Day 15

My day 15 photo is a pic of a pic taken many years ago.

It's my sister, who's birthday is today, January 15.

Happy Birthday Anrol! (remember that?)

Slacker!

OK so I've fallen behind in posting my project 365 pics on my blog, but I HAVE been taking them, and that's what's important, right? So I'll catch up on posting them now as I know you've been waiting with bated breath...











Day 12
Addicted...totally...it's the first thing I do when I wake up, the last thing I do before bed, and anytime I can check my mail and boards during the day, I do. What did I ever do without the internet??

Day 13

Aren't they pretty? This has to be

my favorite Vera pattern ever!

(well, so far anyway)

Day 14
And they're saying this is the warmer part of the week.
See that? It's a negative sign in front of that 3.8 degrees, and it's only going down from there.

Days 10 and 11

Received my new yarn and cast on a new project...one that I hope to actually finish and wear this time. It's a sweater, supposedly a very easy, beginner-friendly pattern. Time will tell.

My newest toy! I've been wanting a camer small enough to carry around in my purse all the time. Went shopping with a Christmas gift card and decided I needed this more than clothes.

Day 9

I'm such a mean mother! Dh and I went out to dinner tonight at our favorite restaurant while dd was at dance, and we brought her home Subway--a poor sub-stitute! lol

Day 8

I love listening to hubby play the drums!

Day 7

This watch truly is me. Is it not a thing of beauty?
Mother-of-pearl face, rose-gold details, diamonds on the bezel, sporty yet elegant.
:::sigh:::
Sadly, the price tag ($595) is not me.

Days 4 & 6

So I'm a little behind...I have been taking pictures every day, but yesterday I was gone from 7am to 10:30 pm so I didn't have time to post.


Day 5: Speaking of time...this is what rules my life these days...the clock. It's always telling me that I need to do something or be somewhere and that I am almost late for whatever it is!




Day 6: Sometimes it feels like the only time I get to see dd is when I'm driving her somewhere. It's ok though--I'm glad she's busy and happy, and sometimes the best talks happen in the car!