I Feel...

Today's Ten on Tuesday post is another writing prompt:  I feel.  So, here we go...

1.  I feel happy to be in my 40's.  It's such a freeing age.
2.  I feel blessed to have a daughter who is so intelligent, empathetic, and kind hearted.  She "gets" things that a lot of adults don't get.  She speaks her mind, and she speaks out against injustice.

When she was young (maybe 6 or 7?), we were leaving the convenience store close to our house.  It's in a little strip mall.  I'm waiting for the light to turn green when I hear, "That's not right!  That's not fair to say no-one Chinese!"  She was very offended.  I was trying to figure out where this outburst came from, when I saw the sign:  No. 1 Chinese.  As in, Number 1 Chinese (restaurant).  I quickly explained to her that, sometimes, No (period) is used to abbreviate the word number, and that the sign wasn't really stating that no Chinese people were allowed.

3.  I feel like there's never enough knitting time.
4.  I feel tired.
5.  I feel stressed (most days).
6.  I feel especially stressed when I realize that my daughter will be able to drive in a year (increased car insurance), and that she'll soon be old enough for college (again, money).
7.  I feel extremely thankful for what I have: my family & friends, a home, food, a car, a job.
8.  I also feel thankful for knitting and for yarn.
9.  I feel happy to have so many hand knit items to wear.  I can't stress enough how COLD this winter has been!
10.  I feel happy, too, that I have people who read this blog, even though I post sporadically and tend to ramble.  :-) 

This Winter

I don't normally mind Winter in PA.  I really dislike the heat & humidity of Summer, so Winter is ok to me.  I don't love snow.  When I was in Kindergarten - 2nd grade, my family lived in North Chicago and I saw/experienced enough snow to last my lifetime.  But I can tolerate Winter.  The cold temps (that have been especially cold this year) are great for knitting and for wearing hand knits.

But this Winter...this Winter has broken everyone.  Including me.  Last week was the first full week of school my daughter has had this (calendar) year.  EVERY week, we have gotten a snow storm.  Or an ice storm.  EVERY week her school has cancelled at least one day.  My work schedule has been crazy (either I take off, or arrive late).  And the ice.  I am SO. OVER. The ice!!  I look at ice and just want to cry - rather than attempt to walk across it one more time.  I feel like every place I go, I have to walk on ice.  I fell once this season - and my body hurt for at least a week afterwards.  And I know so many people who have broken bones from falling on ice this year.

My sense of time this year is all out of whack - and it's not that good to begin with.  This is what happens when you have 2 days at work, one home, 2 more at work, then off for 2 days...you get the idea.

So, I thought I'd share some pictures, showing what's been going on in my life:

That's our back yard.  The bird bath farthest from the shed sits in a garden.  This picture was taken from the bathroom window - I had very little interest in actually going out in the snow this year.

 

This is the start of one of the patterns in the January 2014 Rockin Sock Club shipment.  It's the Paper Lanterns Shawlette.  The 'paper lanterns' in the edging will lay flat when the shawlette is blocked.  I am LOVING this pattern and this colorway!

 

 

We were babysitting my friend's little boy this past weekend.  Here, Kyra made a "hammock" for him, using a blanket & her legs. 

 

What have you been doing this Winter, to keep yourself occupied?

 

Ten on Tuesday

Today's Ten on Tuesday post is a little different.  It's a writing prompt.  So, here it goes...

1.  I am feeling accomplished and well-organized because I cleaned out my filing cabinet & made files for my current needs (expenses and such).  Now, when I have a receipt or a bill (or pay stub, or report card for my daughter), I just walk over to the filing cabinet, pull out the drawer, and drop the item in the appropriate file.

2.  I am excited that my 1st Rockin' Sock Club shipment of 2014 arrived.  The Sock Club is one of my Christmas gifts and I love it (because I get 6 shipments throughout the year!). 

3.  I am super excited that one of the patterns in the January Sock Club shipment is a shawlette.  I love shawlettes and think everyone should have at least one - they're so versatile! 

4.  I am proud of myself for going through my yarn stash and rearranging some of it (so that it's better organized).

5.  I am on a mission to knit scarves to leave around Downtown Lancaster, for anyone who needs them.  This was not my idea - I saw a picture on facebook, of someone in Canada who is doing this.  I think this is a wonderful idea, though.  I have some Paton's Classic Merino in my stash - that I bought for one thing or another - that makes soft, warm scarves.  I'm making them wide, so that people can use them as a head and/or face covering, too.

6.  I am looking forward to the changes I am making in 2014.  That's another post - I just need to add links to it.

7.  I am also nervous about 2014 because there have been some major financial changes for me, and I'm not sure how things are going to work out.

8.  I am SO sick of ice!  The cold, I can handle, but the ice?  I'm done with it!

9.  I am glad football is over, so that my facebook newsfeed isn't clogged with football posts.

10.  I am feeling like winter will soon be gone and then it'll be hot & humid and I hate being hot and in humidity.  This also makes me feel like I have to knit everything really fast, because I'm running out of knitting time (since I rarely knit in the summer).

I'm So Excited!

I am so excited!  I received two packages, containing yarn, in the mail this week!

The first was from Eat. Sleep. Knit.  I joined their Yarnathon (go Team Octopurls!).  This is my first purchase from the company.  I got my yarn and my Welcome Packet (which contained all kinds of fun stuff).  Here's what I bought:

Madeline Tosh ASAP.  Have you ever touched this yarn?!?  It is so soft!  It's going to become a hat.  I made a deal with one of my cousins.  He bakes.  He offered to bake me a cheesecake if I would knit him a hat (he saw a picture on facebook, of the Yarn Harlot's Unoriginal Hat that I knit & he liked it).  I think it's a good deal.

The other yarn that I bought is this:

Two skeins of Madeline Tosh Lace yarn.  This yarn is very yummy, too!  And the yardage!  Over 900 yards per skein!  I don't have a plan yet for these two skeins.  Any suggestions?  I'm thinking a lace stole/shawlette or shawl.  The colors are Spectrum (the blue/green/purple skein on top) and Worn Denim.  I love them!  Sometimes, I just put those skeins on my shoulders and "wear" them.

The other yarn I received this week is this:

 

Have you heard of Yarnbox??  If not, check out their site.  You answer a few questions about your yarn and color preferences, and whether you knit or crochet (or both), choose your subscription length, and then you get a box of yarn each month (for however many months you want).  Each box contains at least two skeins of yarn and two patterns.  It's very exciting!  Here's what was in this month's shipment:

 

 

The yarn is from Knit Collage.  The skein on top is Stargazer Silk & Sequins (and yes, it's silk, with brass sequins strung on it).  The multi-colored skein is Pixie Dust.  I'm thinking that this yarn will either be a cowl or a scarf.

 

So, now I'm kind of hoping that the cold weather will last for a while, so that I can knit all of the items I have on the waiting list in my head!

Let's Talk About Winter

Today's Ten on Tuesday post is: 10 Things You Like About Winter.  I know, I know.  If you live on the East Coast, or in the Mid-West, you're sick of the cold.

I am a pretty warm person, so the cold doesn't bother me as much as it bothers some most people.  While I can't say that I love winter, I am enjoying it this year.  Having said that, I have to tell you that I don't enjoy all of the aspects of winter - ice, I'm looking at you.  I am SO over ice!  I hate walking (and falling!) on it, and I hate driving on it.  But we're not here to talk about my dislike of ice.  Here are the 10 things I like about winter:

1.  The cold weather makes me want to knit!  And, really, this could be all 10 of answers.  I don't feel like touching fiber when it's hot.  So the cold weather is a nice change for me.  It makes me want to knit EVERYTHING!

2.  Being 'snowed in'.  I have to admit that I took some time off work this year, to be 'snowed in' with my daughter, when I really could have made it to work.

3.  Soup.  Cold weather makes me want to make soup.  And I made an amazing quinoa vegetable soup (twice) this winter!

4.  Reading.  I love to read.  The cold weather gives me an excuse to spend more time reading.

5.  I get to wear my hand knits!  I LOVE being able to wear things I've made.  I love that I have these items (I feel so clever, and well-prepared).  And I often wonder what non-knitters do in the winter.  Maybe they would enjoy the cold weather more if they had hand knit items?  I have a cashmere Mobius scarf that keeps me so warm and is so very soft...I love being able to wear it.  And when the temps get really cold - like they are today -  I just pile on more hand knit items (the Mobius scarf, a shawlette around my face, a hat, thrummed mittens).

6.  Hot tea.  I love drinking hot tea made from loose leaf tea.  I love shopping for tea, and picking out the types and flavors that I want.  Hot tea and a book!

7.  The cold weather gives me an excuse.  If I really don't want to go somewhere or do something, the cold weather is a good "reason" not to go (or do it).

8.  The beauty of nature.  Snow on trees - beautiful!  And going outside while it's snowing (or just after it's stopped), and the world seems so quiet and peaceful.  Or, those cold days with sunny blue skies.

9.  Ice.  Ok.  I know I said I dislike ice.  But when you see ice covered trees, they're so pretty.  And around downtown Lancaster, there are interesting icicle "sculptures" on things like lights and street signs.  Ice can be beautiful (as long as I don't have to try to walk on it!).

10.  The cold weather reminds me of how lucky I am, and of how thankful I am for the things that I have (a home with heat, a car with heat, an indoor job, hand knits, food, water).  I know that there are many people who don't have these things and the cold weather is very dangerous for them.

What do you like about winter?

Ten on ...Wednesday?

Ok, so I missed posting my Ten on Tuesday post on Tuesday.  I was "snowed in" yesterday.  Schools were closed, I decided to stay home from work, so my daughter & I had a snow day together.  What that means is that I read and knit and ate.  I didn't even think about blogging.

So, here's my Ten on Tuesday.  My 10 Favorite Breakfast Foods:

1. Green Monster.  It's a smoothie.  You can find the recipe here.  But really, you can tweak that recipe and add or delete items to your taste.  No matter what I add or delete, I keep the protein powder, the chia seeds, and the spinach.  One of these days, I'll try kale in my Green Monster.  Green Monsters are my favorite breakfast.  They're quick and simple and the benefits are so amazing.  I feel full.  My blood sugar is very good (in fact, it often goes low with these) when I have this for breakfast, and I don't crave junk when I have a Green Monster.  I make better food choices for the rest of the day.  I use an unflavored rice protein powder, vanilla almond milk, frozen berries (so I don't have to add any ice) and banana (along with the chia and spinach).  Sometimes, I also add vanilla extract and some coconut palm sugar.  *These are also great after you've been outside, shoveling snow.

2.  Oatmeal.  I use rolled oats.  I heat the water, add the hot water to the oats, cover the bowl and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.  I like to add brown sugar, dried fruit, nuts, and a little milk to my oatmeal.

3.  Cereal.  Kashi Go Lean Crunch is my favorite cereal, but I also like Frosted Mini Wheats.

4.  Protein bar.  I use this one.  It also has fiber & other nutrients.  I have only tried the chocolate.  I've been an Arbonne consultant for more than 10 years.  I love & use the products, so it only made sense for me to become a consultant in order to get a discount on the products.

5.  Cream of Wheat.  I generally buy the instant kind.  Sometimes I get the flavors, but there are always too many packets of the Maple & Brown Sugar flavor (which I don't like).  I usually just get the "original" flavor and add brown sugar & milk to it.

6.  If I'm going out for breakfast, I usually get either pancakes or French toast.  And home fries or hash browns (whichever the restaurant has).  This is not a great meal for me - too much sugar.  But I'm picky about eggs (& I have to be in the mood for them), and I don't eat meat.

7.  Scrambled eggs.  Or a biscuit/egg/cheese sandwich.  Again, I really have to be in the mood for eggs.  I'll make this myself, or get one from McDonalds (this is really the only thing I ever eat from McDonalds - I'm just not a fan of that place).

8.  Bagel with cream cheese.  My favorite bagel flavors are sesame or egg.  Cream cheese, it depends on my mood that day: fruit, plain or vegetable.

9.  Toast with peanut butter (and butter).  Simple and quick.

10.  Greek yogurt with chia seeds.  I try to consume 1-2 Tablespoons of chia seeds per day. 

That's my list.  Those of you on the East Coast - today is a perfect day to wear (all of) your hand knits!  Make it a great day!

Feeling Like a Grown Up

The Ten on Tuesday topic this week is:  Ten Things That Make You Feel Like A Grown Up.  Here's my list:

1.  My job.  Going to a job every day  - in bad weather, in the summer, between Christmas and New Year's Day, and when I don't want to. 
2.  Planning a trip.  The whole process of planning (& paying for) a trip makes me feel grown up.  I really felt this way this past summer, when I decided to take my daughter & two of her friends camping at Assateague.  I had to plan the food, make sure we had everything we would (or might) need, make sure I knew what to do in emergencies, make judgment calls about the weather. 
3.  Having a child.  The responsibility of it, and the decisions that one needs to make.  I'm a single parent, so my decisions are mine (good or bad).  It can be a little overwhelming sometimes.
4.  Being able to go where I want, when I want.  For the most part I can do this.  Of course I have places I need to be (like work) at a certain time.  But in my free time, I get to decide where I go.
5.  Making life decisions - career, where to live, to have a child or not, how to spend my money, etc.
6.  Having a car.  And car insurance.  And repair costs.  And gas costs.
7.  Buying food.  I decide what I'm going to eat.
8.  My self-awareness.  I know myself and am so much more comfortable with myself than I was as a child and teen.
9.  Saying 'no' to some people/things/events.
10.  Doing things because they need to be done - even when I don't want to do them.

What are some things that make you feel like a grown up?