Somehow, that always makes me think of that maven who has cornered the market on 'living'. She fed my need to be a SuperMom so I canceled that subscription. Anyways, this isn't about that kind of 'good things'. It's amazing how quickly things can turn around. On Tuesday, I worked a full day training. I learned to use a register. That was the scariest part for me, but I'm good now I think. While I was at work, M got phone call after phone call. By the time I got home, he had 3 interviews scheduled!!! PTL! Yesterday's interview was near Wildfiber. The closest LYS to today's interview is 2 Old Divas. Tomorrow's interview is near The Sheared Sheep. Like how I think? I'm hopeful that one of these will turn into a job for M.
Yesterday, I was able to spend the day at the day with our homeschool group at the County Fair. It was FREE! We went as a school group, and even had a pass for parking. When we watched the cow milking demonstration, the kids all got a FREE milk to drink. And after watching the pig races, each adult got a coupon for a FREE pound of bacon. We had packed our lunches...a huge savings. So, we were able to enjoy a day out with minimal cost. I don't think I would have had the same appreciation for that last spring. I think we may be going to the Aquarium next week for FREE too.
My favorite part of the Fair was the spinning demonstration. One of the spinners has an etsy shop. I drooled over the hank of yarn that she had spun from the Ram in her backyard. 6's favorite thing was the Seep Dog demonstration. They had the Sheep Dog chase the sheep down for the sheep shearing. 5's favorite thing was grinding dried corn into cornmeal with a hand crank grinder. 3's favorite part was the Pig Races.
When I got home from the Fair, there was a package waiting for me. Allison sent me a 'pick me up'! I should have taken a photo first, but I didn't. Instead, I CO right away for a washcloth with the yarn and pattern in the package.
I typed this yesterday, but with scheduled blogger outages...I couldn't add photos. I'll try to add them later.
9.25.2008
9.22.2008
Faith
I was at work just to fill out paperwork yesterday, and then I needed to buy some black pants as none of my 'stay at home mom' wardrobe fit the uniform. My first full day is Tuesday. I will enjoy the work most days...I think I'll be really tired when I'm out until midnight then getting up with the kids in the morning.
With well over 100 resumes out there...someone has to call for M soon. Like everyone else, we'll be waiting to see how the economy responds to the bail-out. While I'm waiting...I need reminders like this. And a friend shared this quote with me. "Second only to suffering, waiting may be the greatest teacher and trainer in godliness, maturity, and genuine spirituality most of us ever encounter." by Ben Patterson. I know I'm learning. I know this process is a chance for growth. I would like to be more open to the training, more grounded in my faith instead of shaking like a leaf.
Knitwise: I haven't posted much. I've turned the heel on my 2nd Sanity Sock. I'll have to decide if they are going to be a Christmas gift, or open up the toe on the first sock and add a few rows before the toe decrease. I followed the pattern, and they are a bit too short for me. They would however fit my SIL perfectly...she's about a 1/2 size smaller than me. Over the weekend, I started an afghan with homespun in my stash. I don't really like this yarn, but considering it's been waiting in my stash for so long...and the prospect of 'free' Christmas gifts is enticing, I CO. Then, my middle child claimed that this one should belong to him. I did knit a blanket with homespun for when my oldest turned 5. Middle child never picked out yarn for his 5th birthday. I'll just keep knitting and decide later who this is for. No one is likely to turn away a soft blanket.
With well over 100 resumes out there...someone has to call for M soon. Like everyone else, we'll be waiting to see how the economy responds to the bail-out. While I'm waiting...I need reminders like this. And a friend shared this quote with me. "Second only to suffering, waiting may be the greatest teacher and trainer in godliness, maturity, and genuine spirituality most of us ever encounter." by Ben Patterson. I know I'm learning. I know this process is a chance for growth. I would like to be more open to the training, more grounded in my faith instead of shaking like a leaf.
Knitwise: I haven't posted much. I've turned the heel on my 2nd Sanity Sock. I'll have to decide if they are going to be a Christmas gift, or open up the toe on the first sock and add a few rows before the toe decrease. I followed the pattern, and they are a bit too short for me. They would however fit my SIL perfectly...she's about a 1/2 size smaller than me. Over the weekend, I started an afghan with homespun in my stash. I don't really like this yarn, but considering it's been waiting in my stash for so long...and the prospect of 'free' Christmas gifts is enticing, I CO. Then, my middle child claimed that this one should belong to him. I did knit a blanket with homespun for when my oldest turned 5. Middle child never picked out yarn for his 5th birthday. I'll just keep knitting and decide later who this is for. No one is likely to turn away a soft blanket.
9.21.2008
Kitters arrived on Friday. My children are over the moon. Unlike a typical rescue cat, this one laid down on the living room floor when they let him out of the cage. The SCAR (Southern CA Aby Rescue) workers commented how unusual this is. It is normal for a rescue cat to hide under a bed for a week. Now, Kitters did hide under the bed for a bit yesterday afternoon, but I think that is just because 3 shadows had become too much. He re-appeared when the little ones were asleep. Now...we need a new name. We've tried a lot...but usually one of us doesn't like the name. We'll take any suggestions now.
And today, I start my new job. I applied at Michael's (yes, the craft store) and they hired me quickly. I'll be working in the framing department. I'm excited to use color theory and layout experience from college and my working days. I'm not thrilled to be away from my family. I'm also a little sad that they pay less than I gave my babysitters. When M does return to work, I'll have to have my mom or someone else cover the gap between when I leave and M returns. I couldn't pay a sitter! I'm hopeful that soon this money will be the additional income that we add to our savings account to replenish it. In the mean time, every little bit will help.
I'm learning a whole new way of life. My laundry comes out just as clean if I fill the little cap less full for each load. Half my normal amount (which was still less than called for) of fabric softner will still soften each load. I'm hanging clothes to dry while it's hot (well, I used to hang my clothes, but now I'm hanging most loads). I did want to live a little greener, so this is helping. Just in case we need to relocate, we're finishing up the projects that we have all around the house. Last weekend I finished stripping most of the grout in the kitchen and resealing/polishing the floors. Last night, M worked on the cupboards. Last summer, we had started using Briwax on the cupboards and then changing out the knobs. For a year now...we've had 2 kinds of knobs in the kitchen. I'm glad to be finishing these projects...and hopefully we won't be moving before we enjoy them.
Off to church...then off to work.
And today, I start my new job. I applied at Michael's (yes, the craft store) and they hired me quickly. I'll be working in the framing department. I'm excited to use color theory and layout experience from college and my working days. I'm not thrilled to be away from my family. I'm also a little sad that they pay less than I gave my babysitters. When M does return to work, I'll have to have my mom or someone else cover the gap between when I leave and M returns. I couldn't pay a sitter! I'm hopeful that soon this money will be the additional income that we add to our savings account to replenish it. In the mean time, every little bit will help.
I'm learning a whole new way of life. My laundry comes out just as clean if I fill the little cap less full for each load. Half my normal amount (which was still less than called for) of fabric softner will still soften each load. I'm hanging clothes to dry while it's hot (well, I used to hang my clothes, but now I'm hanging most loads). I did want to live a little greener, so this is helping. Just in case we need to relocate, we're finishing up the projects that we have all around the house. Last weekend I finished stripping most of the grout in the kitchen and resealing/polishing the floors. Last night, M worked on the cupboards. Last summer, we had started using Briwax on the cupboards and then changing out the knobs. For a year now...we've had 2 kinds of knobs in the kitchen. I'm glad to be finishing these projects...and hopefully we won't be moving before we enjoy them.
Off to church...then off to work.
9.18.2008
Nothing yet
No cat yet. Kitters (soon to be re-named) had to take a little trip back to the vet for observation, so the rescue woman decided she would bring him by this weekend. I forgot to ask if that meant Friday or Saturday.
No job yet. Today, M got a call from the firm he was hoping to hear from and they hired 2 people, but just not him.
No job yet. Today, M got a call from the firm he was hoping to hear from and they hired 2 people, but just not him.
9.16.2008
So the cat is coming to live with us...
Are we crazy? I hope not. Kitters was at the vet. Turns out my neighbor was just playing up the drama. He only needed a few teeth pulled. The Aby rescue took care of that considering our situation. Kitters will be coming to live with us tomorrow night. They're bringing a bag of food to get us started too. I can't say enough about how great these people I've met are...and how sweet this cat is.
On the job front, I've lost count at the number of resumes and phone calls. No interviews even lined up at this point. We're not really sure where to go from here. But, we'll continue to trust. Thanks for all the prayers.
On the job front, I've lost count at the number of resumes and phone calls. No interviews even lined up at this point. We're not really sure where to go from here. But, we'll continue to trust. Thanks for all the prayers.
9.12.2008
Prayer Request!
Today we got some bad news about the job that was all but offered last week. The company is planning on filling more than one position...and now they want to interview 4 more next week before making their final decision. It turns out that one of those interviewing is one of M's old co-workers, one of the 4 laid-off. By the time they finish those interviews, that would mean that we don't hear anything for at least another week...probably 2. We can't wait that long. M has continued to send out resumes...but still no more interviews lined up.
I know that many of you are praying. I just wanted to give you some specifics.
Please Pray...
that M stays encouraged.
that we all stay HOPEFUL.
for more interviews!!!
for us to grow together as a family, even when this situation makes tensions high.
I know that many of you are praying. I just wanted to give you some specifics.
Please Pray...
that M stays encouraged.
that we all stay HOPEFUL.
for more interviews!!!
for us to grow together as a family, even when this situation makes tensions high.
9.11.2008
Family update
Out to lunch in Napa, my FIL took photos of our little clan. Most of the photos actually looked something like this one.
It's funny...a part of me wants some fancy shmancy family portraits. But, truly...that's not who we are. I love this special memory of our day in downtown Napa...wiggly kids and all.
9.10.2008
When I'm not knitting, I might be reading....
I think that many knitters also like to read. When I was over at Chan's Blog awhile back, and then on Katie's, I saw posts about The Big Read. The Big Read is an NEA program designed to encourage community reading initiatives and of their top 100 books, they estimate the average adult has read only six.
*Look at the list and bold those we have read.
*Italicize those we intend to read....(I'm skipping this part for now)
1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling (some but not all...)
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams (I've read all four of the trilogy.)
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan (In progress.)
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
Did you make it to the bottom of the list? I'm glad that I've read about 1/3 of these books. But, I need to read more. I'm starting a new book this week (not from this list). There's a few knitters that I'll be reading The Red Tent with. I'm excited to read as I've not picked up a book since last spring. So...if my knitting time suffers...It's because I'm reading.
*Look at the list and bold those we have read.
*Italicize those we intend to read....(I'm skipping this part for now)
1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling (some but not all...)
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams (I've read all four of the trilogy.)
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan (In progress.)
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
Did you make it to the bottom of the list? I'm glad that I've read about 1/3 of these books. But, I need to read more. I'm starting a new book this week (not from this list). There's a few knitters that I'll be reading The Red Tent with. I'm excited to read as I've not picked up a book since last spring. So...if my knitting time suffers...It's because I'm reading.
Daytime kitty.
Turns out my next door neighbor picked up the kitty. She has a cat/dog door, and this kitty is super friendly. While the neighbor is at work, her kitty will hang out in the yard with my kids. I'd say this is a good trade off. We'll keep him company...and she can make sure he's in her house at night. He has some dental problems. He probably needs to be on a soft food diet, and I'm sure they didn't cater to his needs while he was at the shelter before the rescue picked him up. I hope he is happy with the neighborhood here. We can all love him.
9.09.2008
Are we a cat home?
Except for the gecko, we've not yet looked for a pet. They seem to find us though. This morning, I turned around and there was a kitty walking in my living room! My first though...well, after "What's that cat doing in the house!?"...was, "That sure looks like Reggae!" Sure enough. I called the phone # on the tag for the chip company and the cat wasn't registered yet. Several phone #'s later, I left a message for the So.Cal. Abyssinian Rescue. This cat sure thinks he belongs in our house. If we can't find his owner...we might just have a new kitty for a bit. I can't leave him with no food. Here's 5 eating his breakfast outside...because he just couldn't be away from the kitty.
And here the kids have lined up their kitties to meet the new one.
He doesn't sit still for a photo...so this is the best I got this morning. I'm sure there will be more. Tonight we're going for a walk to see if he belongs to a neighbor.
And what I said about them finding us. 2 years ago we had this kitty. Oreo lived with us for 3 weeks before I found someone to rescue the kitty. She needed to be rescued. Then 3 was only 18 months and couldn't understand gentle. Oreo lived on the roof of our shed...and always came when called. Good thing we still had the kitty dishes I bought last time.
9.05.2008
Frugal Friday
Ironically, it was just before M lost his job that I found Gayle at The Grocery Cart Challenge. She's started hosting a Frugal Friday recipe swap. I've wanted to post before, but had challenges getting to my computer on a Friday. Yesterday I made something we all really liked. No real recipe. I'm curious if someone else would try it and let me know if they like it.
1# Beef Stew Meat (smallish cubes)
4t. Beef bullion
1t. Cumin
1t. Lemon Pepper
1T. Dried Cilantro
1 can tomatoes (I used Hunt's new Fire Roasted, but I'm sure you could substitute.)
1c. rice
Water
Brown the meat in Dutch Oven or other soup pot. It doesn't need to be brown through, the rest will cook with the rice. Add Spices, Tomatoes, Rice, and Water. (At least 4 cups of water, but you could add more if you wanted this to be more soup than stew.) Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes for the rice to cook through. Serve with some shredded cheese, sour cream, extra diced onion. I left the onion out when cooking because my kids don't like it, but this would be really good with a diced onion thrown in when the meat is browning.
Seriously. I'd love to know what someone else thinks about this. And I need a name for this recipe too. How many servings would you say this is? It will definitely feed 6 probably with left overs. I know it's a little HOT to be eating soups/stews, but Fall will be here soon. M accidentally thawed the Stew Meat so I had to come up with something. I'm glad my family liked this. Will yours?
1# Beef Stew Meat (smallish cubes)
4t. Beef bullion
1t. Cumin
1t. Lemon Pepper
1T. Dried Cilantro
1 can tomatoes (I used Hunt's new Fire Roasted, but I'm sure you could substitute.)
1c. rice
Water
Brown the meat in Dutch Oven or other soup pot. It doesn't need to be brown through, the rest will cook with the rice. Add Spices, Tomatoes, Rice, and Water. (At least 4 cups of water, but you could add more if you wanted this to be more soup than stew.) Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes for the rice to cook through. Serve with some shredded cheese, sour cream, extra diced onion. I left the onion out when cooking because my kids don't like it, but this would be really good with a diced onion thrown in when the meat is browning.
Seriously. I'd love to know what someone else thinks about this. And I need a name for this recipe too. How many servings would you say this is? It will definitely feed 6 probably with left overs. I know it's a little HOT to be eating soups/stews, but Fall will be here soon. M accidentally thawed the Stew Meat so I had to come up with something. I'm glad my family liked this. Will yours?
9.04.2008
Gram Knits #4
It's been awhile since I posted one of these. While I was up in Napa, I did more cleaning of my Gram's craft room. I found this magazine...I just had to share. The September issue cost 10 cents!
M took the kids to the football game. I'm heading to the Corner Bakery for a Mom's Night Out with some other homeschoolers. I just need to decide to bring a sock or a cloth?! Hmmm. Maybe both. =0)
9.03.2008
Why is it so HOT?!
I'm learning how spoiled I've been these last few years. I never gave a thought to running the A/C. I never thought twice before going to the grocery store...we were able to afford those things. I've experienced so much in life. I really have seen true poverty. I was in a bread line in Russia in 1993. I've been to Mexico and met families who live in cardboard homes. We have a World Vision child. I've always donated animals through organizations like Heifer to help families earn an income for themselves. I've enjoyed being able to help others. Now, I've been in a position of needing help. Not like I need a roof over my head...or rice for dinner (at least not yet). But, we were having a meeting at the local coffee shop. Someone offered to buy my latte. I couldn't say no. It's so different...needing help. It's opened my eyes again to other's needs. I think this will help me to see where someone else needs encouragement. I'm so grateful for the people that have been blessings in my life the last few weeks. I pray that this changes me. That I not only remember to support the hungry children of the world...but also my neighbors.
We've not run the A/C since July (except the day of 3's dental work). Today it was 88 in the house. It's almost 11pm and it's only cooled down to 84. It's too HOT to knit. Except for the projects yesterday...all I've been able to work on is washcloths. I have so much pretty yarn...and I'm too hot to knit.
This may be over soon. I think we'll be careful about working back into normal spending, but it looks like M will have a job soon. The interview went well today. We're just waiting on a background check. I'm thrilled...this job will be better than the one he was at. I've been trying to focus on how God's timing is ALWAYS right. This company has only been in this building 3 months. If M had started looking for a job months ago when things were first unsettled at his old place...then he wouldn't have found this job. 3's dental work wouldn't have been covered if we had tried to do this work 4 months ago...there was a convenient insurance change that was newly in effect when we tried the new dentist. I could never plan something better than HE can. But still, why is it so hard to trust when it seems "security" isn't secure?
And...why is it so HOT?
We've not run the A/C since July (except the day of 3's dental work). Today it was 88 in the house. It's almost 11pm and it's only cooled down to 84. It's too HOT to knit. Except for the projects yesterday...all I've been able to work on is washcloths. I have so much pretty yarn...and I'm too hot to knit.
This may be over soon. I think we'll be careful about working back into normal spending, but it looks like M will have a job soon. The interview went well today. We're just waiting on a background check. I'm thrilled...this job will be better than the one he was at. I've been trying to focus on how God's timing is ALWAYS right. This company has only been in this building 3 months. If M had started looking for a job months ago when things were first unsettled at his old place...then he wouldn't have found this job. 3's dental work wouldn't have been covered if we had tried to do this work 4 months ago...there was a convenient insurance change that was newly in effect when we tried the new dentist. I could never plan something better than HE can. But still, why is it so hard to trust when it seems "security" isn't secure?
And...why is it so HOT?
9.02.2008
See...there is knitting!
I have been knitting. My socks have been my carry around project. I was totally thrilled that they completely match the bag I'm using. (It was from my first swap...thanks Katie.)
I'm still working away on my BYOB. I didn't knit the handles first. Now, I'm a few rows away from needing them so I'll have to work on those and for that I need to be able to sit for more than 2 minutes. This is with Cotton Ease from Grace, and from my stash.
I'm still working away on my BYOB. I didn't knit the handles first. Now, I'm a few rows away from needing them so I'll have to work on those and for that I need to be able to sit for more than 2 minutes. This is with Cotton Ease from Grace, and from my stash.
We started school. I have yet to update my other blog because this is the first chance I've had at my desktop. This is usually where M is sitting sending off resumes and responding to emails. Another interview Wednesday at 3:30. We're praying this is the one! We can't go much longer without him getting just a job (not something that's a career job...and me possibly starting to work nights at the mall or a grocery store...or maybe a lys...hmm...wonder if they would need me?)
We've been studying Massachusetts this week. Anyone from MA want to send us a post card? Next week is Maine...and the following week is New Hampshire. I'd love to be able to collect postcards from every state this year. I wonder if that's possible.
***ETA: It was killing me that these photos didn't show up. I've had that happen a few times when I upload using Picassa?! They're just fine if I go the old photoshop way of cropping and saving smaller.
We've been studying Massachusetts this week. Anyone from MA want to send us a post card? Next week is Maine...and the following week is New Hampshire. I'd love to be able to collect postcards from every state this year. I wonder if that's possible.
***ETA: It was killing me that these photos didn't show up. I've had that happen a few times when I upload using Picassa?! They're just fine if I go the old photoshop way of cropping and saving smaller.
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