Espresso Afghan

The latest project that I finished was the Espresso Afghan for our son and DIL, David and Mandy.

A year plus ago, Mandy sent me this picture out of a Pottery Barn catalog. "Arline, could you make this darker brown and without the tassels?" I don't know, could I? ;)

Mid-October I finally found and special ordered the perfect yarn. Bulky washable wool in DARK brown. By the first of Nov. I was hard at it with a deadline of Dec. 18th. That would leave enough time for it to travel via USPS and arrive in time for Christmas.

I didn't make the deadline. And yes, I cried. LOL! But I pressed on and took the last stitch about 4:30am on Dec. 24th. Now, it's packaged and ready to be shipped tomorrow, Dec. 28th. Maybe it'll be at their home in time for New Years? We'll see.

ANYWAY, here are some pictures. Pictures don't do it justice. They can't show "SOFT" and "SUPER-COZY". They don't show warm and "can I just stay under this thing forever?!" LOL!

Merry Christmas, David and Mandy! I hope you enjoy your Espresso Afghan for many Christmases to come. BIGFUZZYESPRESSOHUGS to you both.

This first picture is the one from the Pottery Barn catalog. I showed the picture to our local knitting Queen ;) and she helped me find the stitch pattern.

The afghan in this picture has been "blocked" and/orpressed to lay flatter with its stitches stretched out. I chose not to do that with the Espresso Afghan. I wanted it to look like it will right after it would come out of the washer and dryer. It's made out of machine washable wool. It won't have to be pampered, hand washed or dry cleaned. It's for living with.

Okay, here's pics of the one I made.

Folded corners

Close-up Texture

Ready for shipping

Another close-up

Opened up and stretched out - 48" X 72"

The final clean-up

The lint-picker knitter in Husband's bathrobe. HA!

Finished!

There have been times in my life when I've thought, "I never finish anything! I start, start, start, but never finish." Well, that's never been true. I have finished lots of things.

In May 2008, I joined a "Facebook" for stitchers at Ravelry.com. The site is only a couple years old but there are currently over 563,008 worldwide. It's a fabulous resource for those who knit and crochet. I can't even begin to tell you all the wonders of Ravelry. If you're a stitcher, go there and join! It's free and you'll love it. I promise.

One of the features available on Ravelry is "My Notebook" where you can put up pictures of your projects, at whatever stage they're in, and write as detailed a description as you'd like. I've been posting my pics and descriptions since joining and here at the end of 2009, I reaped the RICH reward of my postings. I have a pictoral and documented record of the projects that I COMPLETED this year.

I was curious a couple days ago and so I went looking. OHHHhhYEAH! The list is lovely and long.

Espresso Afghan
Two(2) Apple Tree Scarves
Mandy’s Ruggles Reversible Scarf
Two(2)RasBaby Hats
Birthday Socks
Daddy’s Watch Cap
Drawstringed Bagstopper
Elijah Elephant
Eleanor Elephant
Montera Hat
Hemlock Ring
My First Sweater
Selbu Modern Hat
Matthew’s Koolhaas
Koolhaas for me
Jessica’s Koolhaas
NoroStriped Scarf #2

There's the finished list, thus far, for 2009. I'll work on pictures as I can get them saved and over here.

HURRAY! This list thing makes me VERY happy.

Baby, It's COLD Outside!

We've been listening to lots of holiday tunes. I just love them, so we pack them in for a month and then... Poof! They're gone for 11 months. :) So, the title of this post has been running through my head...it is REALLY cold outside! 12 degrees F, according to the Weather Channel. Brrrr!!!

And in between running up here for a woolie sweater or a cup of something HOT to drink, I knit. And knit. And... well, I do have a delightfully fun destraction.

Click on this!

SNOWFLAKES!!!!

A really LOVELY holiday tradition, whether it's done with paper and scissors or online. I love making snowflakes. You can find the ones I've created this year on Popular Front by doing a search for "Arline" on "Planet Earth".

Peace on! (or Piece on, if you're a quilter. ;) )

Well, Of Course... Don't You?!

Biting the Bullet

Okay, it's not a bullet but... AURGH!!!

After several weeks of pure and simple denial, I had to admit that I do, indeed, have problems with my feet again. Plantar fasciitis. Ouch and bummer. It makes it nearly impossible to exercise. Sure, I can exercise, but I WILL pay for it. Yesterday I walked all over the Tri-Cities stores, shopping for groceries and Christmas. This morning I can barely walk. I hate this.

Here's a picture of where on your feet the pain can hit. I'm VERY typical. It hits me in the heel red zone and a bit toward the inside edge. Oyyych!

So, taking this "bull" by the horns, I just made an appointment with a foot doc and by tomorrow morning about this time, I should have this taken care of, or at least a start. The anticipation is gonna kill me! LOL! I'm a big weanie when it comes to my feet. Even the thought of a pedicure sends me into orbit, so this is going to be interesting. Looking forward to a pain free life... that is what will get me to that office and through the procedure. Whatever it takes, huh?!

On the knitting front... I'm stitchin' away. I've got until a week from Wednesday to get it done and into the mail so...

ONWARD!!! I will get it done, I will! I will!!!

Every Moment

Every possible moment is spent knitting. I've got a big project going with a really tight (CHRISTMAS) deadline. I'd show you but then it'd ruin the surprise for the one(s) who will receive... So, ya'll will have to wait.

I started with 20 skeins, I'm about done with the 12th and... OHMY! I will NOT count the days. I WILL NOT! Just keep knitting!!! Knitknitknit!

Oh! I figured out how many stitches (approx) in this particular project. 79,360 stitches.

I'm learning bull-headed tenacity. That's a fact!

HA!

and HO-HO-HO!!!

Pup Pics

Someone asked for pictures of the Puppy. Well, Peanut is 10.5 months old now. He's about as big as he's going to get, I suspect and he is a super-duper little dog. We all love him to bits!

He doesn't consider himself a little dog. He thinks he's a BIG dog. That translates into wanting to be outside a LOT, not really liking to be in anyone's lap (though he is getting kinda cuddly with me) and he LOVES to play with Tux. Which means that if he was clean and white... within a few minutes of rough and tumble outside with Tux, he's a little piggie. LOL! Oh well!

He's not the least bit destructive, he was super-easy to house break...practically did it himself and he loves his toys. The groomer gives him what she calls a farm cut but that doesn't prevent him from getting stickers in his fur. Tonight I get to comb out those long skinny velcro like stickers from BOTH of his sweet soft ears. He hates it but it has to be done. I have NO idea where he managed to find those stickers, I thought I'd taken care of them all but, apparently not.

And then there's Tux. He's our Border Collie. He insists that he IS a lap dog. LOL! I loves Peanut and is very gentle in his rough play. (not an oxymoron, really!) He has BIG brown expressive eyes and a nose that wants to know.

This weekend I was working on our walnut harvest at the dining room table. The pictures say it all. He LOVES walnuts. I think he probably gets more of the nuts that fall from our walnut tree than the resident squirrel couple. Maybe that's why he hates them so much, huh? He wants ALL the walnuts. No sooner had I pulled out my boxes and a bowl... Tux took up a station. LOL! He loves those nuts and wants to catch any crumb that flys out of my grasp. He just laid there, quietly waiting, hoping. :) I made sure he wasn't disappointed. Of course. How can you resist that sweetness!? Or his patience?

Crayola Doesn't Make That Color!

Joy, Prayer & Thanks

Bits and pieces have been flitting through my mind over the last few days. Prompted, I suspect, by the season of Thanksgiving.

One of my childhood memories is hearing my Momma saying something about being happy when bad things happen to us. Huh?! That's insane! What kind of nonsense is that!?

Yesterday, our pastor preached on the subject of Thanksgiving. Timely, in more ways than just the obvious. At least, in my mind. He suggested that while we should give thanks to God for the obvious...all the things we list right off the bat. Home, family, freedom, etc., we should also praise God for the hard and seemingly bad stuff in our lives.

HELLO!!! What is wrong with this picture!? LOL!

And yet... looking back...

This picture is of our second son, all dressed up to play in the snow... wearing a helmet!?

In the looking back through the memories of my life, this picture shows a tiny bit of the absolute hardest thing that I've lived though and continue to live in. Benny was wearing a helmet to protect his head in case he had a seizure and crashed into something. But his troubles began earlier than this. His second birthday was spent in the hospital. Diagnosis - Insulin-Dependant Diabetes. And his third birthday was again celebrated in the hospital. This time it was for seizures that resembled an insulin reaction but weren't related at all.

There have been many times over the last 22 years with Ben that have been HARD and totally completely rotten. One of the lowest points was the fifty-three days of his 8th summer that were spent at Children's Hospital in Seattle. We thought we were going to lose him or at best, bring home a Benny-shaped vegetable. HARD summer.

During that summer, my parents came to visit and Momma brought Benny a children's book called "It Could Be Worse!" Cute book, as I look at it now, but at that moment, there COULD NOT BE anything worse. I was far from rejoicing or praising God for the circumstances that we found ourselves in. It was horrible, absolutely horrible.

But here's Benny now! This picture taken two days ago..

He's sitting on the couch looking at his bird book. He loves to bird watch and then try to figure out what bird it is that he just saw.

Of course, he still has the diabetes and the seizure. And now we know that what the "umbrella" cause of his problems is. He has a Mitochondrial defect, that's at the cell level. And the other thing we know is that it's very unusual for children diagnosed with Mito to make it to their 21st birthday. Benny will celebrate his 25th birthday in February and he's going strong.

So, give thanks? Praise God for these circumstances!? Is that absurd? Well, you know, in the moment it's really tough. I don't even think of  thanks or praise. I'm just thunderstuck and in the moment. But, looking back, I can see God's leading and it's easier. It's much easier to be thankful in retrospect than in the present.

Today I'm grateful that God saw fit to let this mess happen in our lives. Yes, it's hard, but... Well, here... another picture I just found in my files.

I drew this self-portrait back in the late 80's or early 90's. I should frame it and hang it up somewhere where I can see it often. ;) It has some technical problems but hey... whatever. I love it. And it reminds me of the fact that I am NEVER alone. God has promised that He will never leave me or forsake me. He never has. Ever.

Another picture. This one of another period of my life that was hard.

 (click it and bump it up in size. You've got to see the details)

This was home, off and on, for about three years. We were as close to homeless as I care to be. Was it hard?! Tough?! SURE! But there was always enough! Another picture! Same time frame.

That's our little Datsun station wagon. Loaded up with the recycling that I dug out of all the trash cans in the State Park that we campground hosted at. This was after a busy 4th of July weekend. LOL! The inside was loaded with all the glass and other recycling that we could find, leaving only enough room for me to sit and drive. The money from the recycling helped supply the "enough". I have a big butcher knife in my kitchen from that time, I found it stuck in a watermelon in the trash. LOL! It's a great knife and a reminder... He's never failed to supply our needs.

A lot of us are feeling the crunch from the current financial situation in our country/world. Our dollars are worth less, jobs are hard to find, things are tighter and scary. In my little corner, with the problems with Client C's dad and the possibility of losing half of my paycheck when she has to live somewhere else... Ohhhhh... I tell you, the last two plus weeks have been weighing on me. I'm constantly praying... "OH GOD!!! Show me the way out of this!? Show me what I'm to do!?"

This morning in my quiet time, I found and explored 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  NIV

Okay, I can do the joyful pretty easily. It's part of my personality, I guess. And, pray without ceasing. I can do that part. LOL! I'm glad God doesn't put up a "Talk to the hand!" hand when I whine and blather on. But, give thanks!? GIVE THANKS!?

Looking back is a GOOD thing. Remembering how God has led us in the past? A VERY good thing.

"Lord God? I want to live this verse. I want to be joyful, prayerfulled and thankful in ALL circumstances. Remind me of where we've been, give me the faith and courage to press on into tomorrow. Joyful! Prayerful! And THANKFUL!!!!"

Onward!

Momma's First Painting in College

This isn't a great photo, but it's enough for this purpose. Momma painted this in her first college painting class Feb. 1985. She sets the bar pretty high. :)

Still THANKFUL

Woke up with a start. I forgot two MAJOR things that I'm THANKFUL for! They're not things, really but...

- July 2007-

(any of the pictures can be clicked on and made bigger)

I couldn't and wouldn't be who I am or where I am if it wasn't for these two wonderful, beloved people. My Parents!!! I've had a relationship with them the longest of any folks on this planet and we all still love each other and love to be together. There was a serious gap in our holiday celebration yesterday, they weren't here! (along with our son and daughter-in-law) I'd have screamed and pouted a whole lot more but a girl needs to share. Right?! The four of them were at my sister's place near San Francisco.

If I could be the queen and make things really happen, I would buy the place just south of us and have Momma and Daddy for neighbors. I miss them.

Momma started having memory problems about 10 years ago. Alzheimer's. Matthew was three then. Jessie was 5. They don't remember her any other way. SOOOoooSAD! But I remember. My Momma is one of the most creative women I know. My earliest recollections are of her creative (YUMMY!) cooking. Back then if you'd go to her kitchen and open up the cupboards you'd think there wasn't anything to eat. There'd be jars and containers of lots of stuff but it's all ingredient stuff. Nothing to just pull out and eat. Nothing to just warm up, unless you'd open the fridge. Usually there'd be a warm-up-able left-over in there. ;) Momma cooked from scratch. And she could COOK!

Earlier in my recollections she was a retoucher for my parent's photograpy studio and then later for other photographers. She was SO good at tranforming those negatives! That's like what air-brushing is in today's modern photography. But that was labor intensive and wasn't reversible with a click of the mouse. She won awards for her phenomenal work.

- Pro-Photography Days-

The year she turned 47 she went back to college. Amazing. I have a painting right above my computer screen that she did in her first painting class. (I'll take and post a picture of it later this morning) UNBELIEVEABLE. She blew her teachers away. Within a few years she had completed all but her thesis to achieve her Masters of Fine Art (MFA). The highest university degree available to an artist.

Momma worked as an illustrator for a company here in Walla Walla until the Alzheimer's made it impossible. They say that one of the first things to go with Alzheimer's is your sense of smell. The second must be creativity. It's close.

Most of the paintings that Momma did in college were destroyed in a fire. There are pictures, I think, of must of her work, but still. OUCH!!! I have some of her ceramics from those days. Her major was in ceramics but when she left school, she never picked it up again. We TREASURE the works of her hands and mind.

Daddy is one of my best friends. That's a fact. He says we grew up together but... really!? Have either of us grown up yet!? LOL! Personality wise, we're very much alike. It's pretty easy for me to connect with him because of that, I think. We've had some great times, wonderful memories.

My Daddy takes such good care of my Momma. I'm so proud of him. I'm inspired by the love and devotion she showers on her. And that nasty disease has transformed her sweet personality into one that is rather hard to get along with at times. Daddy's incredible sense of humor has gotten him out of many a scrap with this new woman that he's married to.

When Momma started to not manage in the kitchen very well, Daddy set about to learn to cook and bake. "Can I do this?", he'd ask?! LOL! OF COURSE YOU CAN! Daddy is as creative as Momma is! It exhibits it self differently but WOW! So, with the help of the internet, some coaching and Momma's cookbooks he set to it. He's a GOOD cook now. He's mastered the basics and keeps exploring. I'm so proud of him!

Daddy went back to college just a year or so before Momma did. He finished his MFA. Get the picture!? This man is very creative and very talented.

And Daddy has a huge appreciation for music. When we were kids there was a massive LP record collection that we were encouraged to enjoy. Many genres. As a result, I have a great appreciation for many types of music and while I'm not a musician, by any means, Daddy's appreciation for this art was past down. It's a most lovely thing.

I think the thing that I'm most grateful for when it comes to My Dad is that he's always been there for me. When I need a shoulder, he's there. When I have an idea to bounce around, he's there. He's a good listener and a good talker. LOL! I appreciate that so much. I always know that he loves me dearly. Not only because he says it in words, but he says it with his eyes and actions. LOL! There's nothing like a DaddyHug.

Momma and Daddy have been married for 53 years. They have four daughters. US! Arline Marie, Lora Lea, Deanna Cheri and Linda Glee. Even our names are creative. All of us girls got a big dollop from their combined creative gene pool. And now there are 11 grandkids... music, art, culinary and more.

- Christmas 2004-

And so, this morning-after, I wake up, remember and am absolutely swamped with love, admiration and gratitude. I love you Momma and Daddy. THANK YOU! Thank you SO much!

Thanksgiving

Wow! The day is done and I'm heading for the horizontal in a few minutes but first... BLOGGING! ;)

I planned to take lots of pics today, but alas, I got busy and forgot. Jessie took a few this morning. When everyone woke up this morning they woke to the smell of pumpkin and apple pies and fresh baked dinner rolls. I handed her the camera and... here's the best of the results.

Three Vegan Pumpkin Pies (SOOOoooGood!) Three Fuji Apple Pies (OhhhhYUMMMM!)

White and Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls. Some coated w/ wheat bran or poppy seeds or sesame seeds OR

 with pizza seasoning herbs mixed into the dough. Nestled all together in the same pan to raise and bake snuggled. Pretty and fun, not to mention delicious

We have a lovely day. Good food, family and friends. There were eight of us around the table. After the food was cleared away three of us tackled a new jigsaw puzzle. It's got a 1000 pieces and the goal is to finish it by Christmas. (that and a few other things. LOL!)

What am I thankful for this year. It's been running through my mind all day. There are many things, but I'll list some here.

~~ An ever-present personal God. The more I know and experience, the more I love and am grateful.

~~Sid, my husband. As I think about what I was looking for in a man when I was out there looking... (like it was an intellectual thought?!) I didn't have a clue. But THANKFULLY, I ended up married to Sid. In our 32 years together there have been the normal ups and downs but I love him more today than yesterday. I'm SO grateful for this GOOD man in my life. I'm thankful to have him be the father of our children and my partner in raising them. ;)

~~My four fabulous kids. What can I say, I'm so proud of them all! Each very different from the others and yet...there are wonderful commonalities. I love my kids! I'm so proud and grateful to be their Momma.

~~My daughter-in-law. I had four kids and said ENOUGH! But, I was wrong. It wasn't enough. :) I'm so grateful that my eldest son found and married my beautiful, sweet daughter-in-law. She's as different from me as you could imagine and I love her all the more for it. I'm blessed and grateful.

~~My three sisters. Through thick and thin, they have been there for me and with me. I love my sisters. I wish we lived closer together, I'd love to see them more often but...there's always that cell phone and email. ;) Reach out and touch.

~~My home. Even though it's not "finished" the way I would like it to be and may not be for a very long time. I love this place. I'm grateful that we landed here. What a blessing it's been to live here.

~~My job. Of course the income is something to be grateful for, but more than that, I love the fact that I'm able to make a difference AND that I can do it without sitting in one place all day long. I flit around... here and there, all day. Never boring. And I'm so grateful. PLUS, I have been blessed with the most wonderful clients ever.

~~My friends. Over the years friendships have come and gone, many have just changed. But then, I've changed. It's all good. I'm SO grateful to be where I am right now, with the people that I am with right now. My heart gets bigger, growing and maturing. My life is richer, funnier and the "load" is lighter. I'm grateful for my friends, past and present.

~~I'm grateful for electricity. I take it for granted... and then the power goes off. Even if it's only for a few minutes, it's painful. ;) I'm spoiled, I know. But I'm also thankful to have it.

~~I'm grateful for computers. It's love/hate, generally, but it helps to get and keep me connected to folks.

~~My cell phone. Another love/hate. LOL! But it's mostly a lovely thing, because of the connection thing and because it's a tool to help get and keep me organized. Since I need all the help I can get with that... I'm grateful!

~~Water. This is one that's easy to take for granted. Really easy. We've got a good well out here on the "farm". Our water is good and it's cold. This summer we got a used hot tub. Ohhh, the bliss after a long day like today (I was up at 3:30am!)  I love water. Hot showers followed by cold, back and forth... love it. Water is my favorite beverage. Pass my water bottle, will you please? Water to cook and bake with, water to clean up with. Water to wash the clothes and mop the floors. Water to help keep all my MANY indoor plants alive. Water to freeze into ice cubes for that really cold drink. Water for the garden and yard. What would we do without it?! I'm grateful.

~~ My snuggly bed. LOL! That special place where I hit the horizontal. Bliss. Cuddly warm flannel sheets in the winter, crispy, cool cotton sheets in the summer. Always, there's the nearly weightless down comforter. Sometimes a quilt. My funky buckwheat hull pillow. Ooohhh, I'm grateful! LOL!

What's that sounds?!!!!??! Did you hear that?! What is it?

Ohhhh!!!! I know!? It's my bed calling my name. Hear it?! "Arrrrrrleeennn! ArLEAN!!!! Come here, Princess! No peas under this mattress. Come, relax... Sleep... rest..."

How can a girl resist that, I ask you?!

Onward! ;)

**Thursday Morning Weigh-in

Exercise is painful, at best. I'm not exactly sure how to solve this except for keep going with the food plan until I've lost more and my feet don't feel it as much. I dunno. And the food plan has been working pretty well. There's always room for improvement, I know, but...

Today's weigh-in -- 251 pounds. I'm down 6 lbs. from my start 21 days ago. It's not going fast, but it's going.

In the past I've been able to lose weight fast because I did the food with exercise. Some might think extreme exercise. LOL! It doesn't seem extreme to me but then...what do I know!?

The happy moment this week was putting on the first sweater I knitted. I finished it this last spring and thru a unfortunate machine malfunction, shrunk it immediately. It was so tight in the arms and the body that it felt like a girdle. UGH!!! Tuesday night I put it on and there was give in the sleeves! I could move and bend! The body part was a little looser, too. OHYEAH!!!

I'm SO grateful!! Thank YOU, GOD!!!

I live in GEEKSVILLE

Here's pics from right after I got off this computer after writing the last post. HA! The house is quiet, why should I complain? JUST what I wanted tonight. Time to decompress and they have been unknowingly filling my need. BLESS THEIR HEARTS! LOL!!!!

First the DadGeek - He's working on some electronic thingie. (it eludes me, what can I say)

And then the ManBoyGeek - sitting on the East side of the living room

And DaughterGeek - sitting on her bed downstairs

And last but not least - BoyGeek -on the West side of the living room

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse... okay, the dishwasher is running but hey! That's GOOD! ('specially since I didn't load it! Jessie did! LOVE that girl!)

Nope! I'm still breathing! Really!

And I'm actually okay and even GREAT in many ways! Work has been more than hairy but, all is well tonight.

This afternoon I was blessed to be able to talk with the head social worker at the local Dept. of Developmental Disabilities.(the folks who send me my paycheck) You know, what I do as a service/care provider is SO much like being a parent. The similarities abound. Starting with there is no manual, no how-to instructions, not even much in the way of how-not-to. I'm wingin' it most of the time. Going on gut, reason, conscience and prayer. A wing and a prayer. Yikes! Anyway, in talking with the head social worker, I was able to settle down in my soul. She affirmed that what I'm doing/have done is good, fine, great. We're in slippery ground sometimes and it's just GOOD to know it's okay.

And then tonight I was able to talk to a client's family member. Again, it's such a wonderful thing to be able to communicate and verify that we're on the same page as to how to proceed.

So, prayer, gut, reason and conscience... it seems to be working. All is well.

HOWEVER! LOL! Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I come into the eve of this holiday absolutely wiped out. We'll have family, etc. over for dinner and I'm not even sort of ready. YIKES!!! LOL! I've surrendered to the exhaustion and will be heading for bed before 8pm (that's about 25 min. from now). I'll be up EARLY and it WILL all come together and be wonderful. It will. And YUMMMY!

Last night I had two people say that they've missed my blogging this week. Well, I am flattered. And amazed! LOL! You read this stuff?! I fell incredibly blessed to have you in my life. THANK YOU for noticing and for commenting. I do want and need to be here writing it out.

There are two things I've observed about the blogs I love to visit...(you'll find a list of lins somewhere here to the right) The first is that they are blogged on regularly. Most every day. The other thing (SO important for me the visual babe!) is that there are PICTURES! So, that is what I'd like to work on. Daily. Yes, daily (though there are times when it just can't be) and pictures. LOTS of pictures!

So, here are a few pics from the last week... gotta catch up, right?! ;) The wonderful, great and beautiful... Gotta love 'em!

These jars of applesauce make me HAPPY! Other than my first go at jams this summer, this is the only canning I've done this year. I'm almost glad that this IS all, but... Anyway, I'm HAPPY I was able to get these canned. Yippee! And this batch is DELICIOUS!!!! YUMMMERS!

Sid brought me home this beautiful Amaryillis. I've really enjoyed it this week.

Ben's in the background. This week has been a painful adventure for him. Starting on Friday... pain in the side. Sabbath he lost his cookies first thing in the morning and Sunday found us in the ER. He was in PAIN! Guess what! A kidney stone. So, he's been home this week drinking lots of water and taking it easy. Yesterday it passed and today he's much better. WHEW! He's glad that's over. LOL!

This isn't the greatest picture... I'll try again later. My grand-aunt and uncle gifted us with this STUNNING orchid. I have so enjoyed it. She made sure there were several buds on it so we'd be able to have extended beauty to enjoy and it's been lovely and amazing. I never thought I was an orchid type until I was gifted with one... OHMY! I love them! Plants that is. I've still have an aversion to the kind you pin on your shoulder. ;)

And finally a picture of the most beautiful part of my week. Down-right-gorgeous if I do say so myself! ;) This week our daughter experienced her first "prom". At their school it's called a "banquet" because there's no dancing but it's the same basic idea. Fancy dresses, hair, makeup... girls and guys... this one was a girls-ask-the-guys event but Jessie decided she'd rather go with her girlfriend(s) so... they all meet at the tall beauty on the top rights house to get ready. They helped each other with make-up, hair, dresses...then three of these girls pictured had dates, the rest hung out together. After it was over they and the three guy dates went to the home of the middle front's home for an after-party. FUN!!! Anyway, if you don't know who MY favorite beauty is, she's the one in red on the left. :) I'm proud to be her Momma! Hair all swooped up, all grown up looking. *SIGH* What can I say?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVE!

**Thursday Morning Weigh-in

The moments of truth... doncha just love 'em?

Okay, this week I did stay away from the sugars and the free-form fats (the loose runnin' around kind, detached from it's original source, i.e. corn oil detached from the corn cob, etc.) The between meals thing got sketchy a few times and the "enough" did, too. Exercise was almost totally avoided. I walked on Thurs and Friday but then didn't walk again until yesterday when Sid and I were having a discussion in the car, I was driving and then... I decided walking was a better option. I pulled over, got out and walked home. (a couple miles) LOL! Well, it worked. Cleared my mind, calmed me down and we talked later after I got back home. So, we could say 2.5 days of exercise out of 7? That's not okay. And yes, I knitted on some of those non-walk days.

One thing that has remained consistant (THANK GOD!) is my quiet time in the mornings. Yes, indeed, THANK GOD!

So, today's Thursday and it's time for me to get up on the scales and see what the physical results of this week are.

~253~

Down a pound. Not much. On the "Biggest Loser" this would be my day to go home. But, I AM home and it's okay. Not great, but okay.

A pound. Ever noticed how big a pound of butter fat is? ;) Okay, I'll not complain...

I'll just get on that TREADMILL!!! 7 out of seven this week. Walking EVERY day.

ONWARD!!!!

You know you're going TOO fast when...

Last Thursday was a crazy day. Top to bottom, just plain crazy. I was busy all morning running around trying to "redeem the time" around here and get stuff done. Busybusybusy.

"OoohNO! I'm out of time!!! I need to go pick up my client from her work! But first..."

ZOOOMMmmm off the the shower. Hurryhurryhurry. Get out, get dressed, fix hair and face and... OUT the door.

Into the van and it's pedal to the metal. Well, not so far that I get a ticket. Just keep zippin'. Zipzipzip.

Got to her work just in time and we were off to whatever it was we were doing that afternoon. I don't remember now. But we picked up Client D at her place and the three of us always have a good time!

You know what they say about how time flying when you're having run, right? Well, it flew by and then it was time to take Client C back home.

In an earlier post I talked about what we found when we got to her house. I won't go into detail, but basically we found her dad unconscious, had to call 9-1-1 and... we know now that he had a stroke. All this was, OF COURSE, very upsetting to Client C. At some point it was overwhelming, so Client D took Client C outside for a little walk down the road. I stayed behind because I was the only one there who know anything at all about C's dad.

At some point, I knew that the paramedics had things under control and my "help" was no longer needed, so I went looking for my ladies. Up the driveway and down the road. I met them and we walked back to the house together. Stopping a couple times for hugs.

About half way back down the driveway I realized something. OHHhNOOOO!!! And then I started to LAUGH HARD! C and D couldn't figure out what was so funny. I mean, this is NOT a funny situation. Well, when I showed them my discovery, they HOWLED right along with me.

You know what I discovered? You'll never believe it. LOL!!!! (well, if you know me you might. ;) )

I had put my jeans on BACKWARDS!!!! (okay, okay. I'm fat enough that the button and zipper are unnecessary. I just pull 'em up and over the belly and they stay put.) Can you believe it!? MESSED UP! When I put them on I thought  it was kinda strange that they needed to be rolled up in the front to fit but... they actually fit better backwards and stayed on better BACKWARDS then they do when they're on right!?

OHME!!!

You know you're going TOO fast when... you put your clothes on backwards and don't figure it out for HOURS.

Ohhhh! I hope no one noticed before I did!

LOL!!!!

Where am I?

For the last few days I've been trying to think of what to say here. I've started a couple posts and I'll continue to work on those but... for the time being, here's the facts. ;)

My client C's father is now in a care facility. While I haven't received the final word on this, it looks like I'm out about half of my income. C will be cared for by her family or a local group home and my services will no longer be needed. I will MISS her terribily, to be sure. And the income... well...

So, over the last few days I've been on the road called "Trust". I'm not real good at this one, I guess I need this practice.

What I'll do from here remains unclear except for a VERY clear "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might" (Ecclesiastes 9:10) and the phrase "the work that lies nearest". Well, working here at the "nearest", could keep me busy for a long while. ;) but it doesn't do much in the way of payin' the bills.

Food and exercise have been a bit dicey. Not off the charts, by any means but, I must be very deliberate and conscious about my choices. Food is my chief default mode (more on that later) so this is also an exercise in surrender.

"You are my Rock and my Fortress; therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me."

I'm here at home now, except for about 13 hours a week when I'm out with client D. There is MUCH to do here at home, but the pull is toward sitting around, watching TV and knitting. (I DO have knitting that needs done but...) or toward the warmth of my bed and sleep. I don't think that's what this time of partial unemployment is about.

So... ONWARD! "In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust"

"Did you have a good day?"

This evening I got a text message from my Sister Dea. (picture from July 2007, David & Mandy's wedding)

"Did you have a good day?" the text message said. Instantly I wanted to TALK to her, not text her. LOL! Technology. PPpsst! And within a few minutes we were visiting over our respective cell phones. She was waiting for her son to finish football practice and I was up to my elbows in apple peelings. Technology. Love it, hate it. Over all... it's truly wonderful. I'm grateful.

So, in answer to her question... did I have a good day? I'm not sure I would call it good. Interesting? Yes. Stressful? Yes, off and on. Terrifying? Absolutely, but there again, off and on. :)

Yesterday afternoon the inevitable began to become reality. My client C lives with her aging father. He has been sliding downhill for the last year that I've been in their lives. Each day I watch as his memory slips away. Each day I see him going, going. And for a months I've worried, fretted and then remembered to PRAY for the best possible outcome for him and for my dear client. I knew that at some point, I'd no longer be able to help C because her life would be turned upside down and she would move into another place. My service wouldn't be needed and... Well, yesterday, I believe we got a lot closer to that day. Maybe yesterday was that day. I don't know yet. All I know is that C's beloved Dad is in the hospital with a possible stroke. It seems unlikely that he will be able to take care of himself, much less C in the future. But I don't know. Time will tell.

When I got home from work yesterday, there was NOTHING I wanted more than anything to eat anything and everything in the entire house. EAT!!!! I want to EAT!!!! I ate a simple supper and RAN downstairs, away from the food. Over the next few hours, I kept exclaiming that I wanted FOOD. Our kids were sitting around with me and Matthew would say, "No Mom, I'll sit on you to stop you if you need it." HA!!! I love it. I did eat too much popcorn but it could have been so much worse.

So, stress, terror, interesting, mixed liberally with prayer, Bible promises, brainstorming, surrendering.

I feel like I'm at a cross-road again. Where am I going from here?

I called one of the case workers at the Dept. of Developmental Disabilities. (where my paycheck comes from) He rattled over some places I could go to apply for a job. There aren't any available clients through the DDD.

Sid and I have talked about what our needs are. It appears that I'd need 20 hours a week at minimum wage to be able to cover the expenses. Or... we could sell our place and I wouldn't need to work at all... And off my mind goes again. And again, I have to surrender the thoughts and feelings, the fears and anxiety. Again and again.

"Did you have a good day?"

Along with all this my mind rolls over and over again the words that I'm hearing as I walk and listen to "The Hole in Our Gospel". Add to that what I'm reading in my quiet times. "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Matt. 22:37-39

How can I come to terms with the extreme needs of my "neighbor" (those without parents, home, food, clean water...etc.) juxtaposed with our families "needs". Lord! What do You want me to do?

Surrender.
Surrender.
Surrender.

Some things, many things I don't understand or know. MOST things actually. But I believe that the God of the Universe, the one I call Father and Lord...I believe that HE knows ALL the answers and when He's ready, in His time... He'll make it very clear to me what I can and should do. I'm claiming this verse as my very own today...

“I’ll take the hand of those who don’t know the way, who can’t see where they’re going. I’ll be a personal guide to them, directing them through unknown country. I’ll be right there to show them what roads to take, make sure they don’t fall into the ditch. These are the things I’ll be doing for them—sticking with them, not leaving them for a minute.” Isaiah 42:16 (Message)

How was my day? :) Absolutely AMAZING!!!! I can't WAIT to see what tomorrow brings! LOL!!!!

ONWARD!!!! YYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeHAAAaaa!!!!

P.S. If you're so inclined, please pray for and with me. I would really appreciate it.