Sunday Ramblings

It is only 2:52am and I am thinking about going to bed already.  I have been on a string of nights that are spent knitting and listening to TV shows that I have taped, knowing that I cannot fall asleep.  I can take a prescription sleeping pill and look you in the eye an hour later.  What to do?

Ok, I reduced the coffee (a little bit) today.  I love the peaceful hours of the night and I suspect it is a subconscious choice to be awake when the house is quiet.  Even Tate and Alexis finally stopped yipping and fell asleep by midnight.  They were unhappy at being locked out of my bedroom tonight and making a LOT of noise.  Andy stuck it out till midnight, watching TV with me and Catie finally said "Grandma?" for the last time about 11pm.  So it is now peaceful....quiet.  I can play Farkle, check my Fish tanks on Facebook, read my email and knit.  I do not have to move or answer a single human being. 

Today, I was helping Justin with a paper and as we were reading through some research, on capital punishment.   I came aross a quote by Winston Churchhill. 

"The mood and temper of the public in regard to the treatment of crime and criminals is one of the most unfailing tests of any country. . . . [They] mark and measure the stored-up strength of a nation, and are the sign and proof of the living virtue within. " 

In the next paragraph I read that 92% of all humans executed come from  4 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, China and the US.  It does make you wonder about the company we keep and who we are.

The more I read, the more I realized that we are funny thinkers in some ways.  Conservatives like me are have strong opinions on how criminals should be sentenced.  We don't believe in coddling them, but many like me cannot agree with taking a life.  Yet the article pointed out that there wasn't much difference in the votes of conservatives vs liberals on this issue!  People made their decisions from a deeper feeling than their general political views.  Those same people who liked the death penalty believed we should feed the poor.  They had a conscience, just different values on this one issue.

I get to go to college!  I have Andy, Christina and Justin taking all these cool classes and love when they share what they learn or even better, ask for help.  No one enjoys doing research like I do and my horizons are being expanded by helping them learn.  Andy has turned into a good writer and seems to be keeping up on his own these days.  I miss him asking for help.  Catie shocked me and composed AND typed her own paper this week.  She had places to go and people to see and no time to wait for me.

I finished the first baby hat tonight!  So, I don't want to start another project at 3:10 am and I think I will go to bed.

Fall Thoughts

I bought Cider and donuts at Quality Dairy last night and I knew it was finally Fall.  Ok, it's not the Cider Mill, but it still tasted darned good.  I had to go shopping for new socks last night because my toes were cold and needed a sweater tonight.  Those are all good signs for this woman who hates the heat.

Andy was yelling at me Thursday morning when the thermostat read 65 degrees and I would not turn on the heat.  It felt so good to me!  I am already enjoying opening the window for the first time in 6 months.  The feeling of the cool night air as I fall asleep is welcome relief from the tossing and turning on a hot night. 

In addition to the basket full of half finished Christmas gifts I am knitting, I decided to start knitting little sweaters for the Chihuahuas.  You just knit the leg of a sock and add holes for legs....and VOILA!  You have a Chihuahua coat.  Hopefully that  population will soon be reduced. 

We chose to name the male and female according to personality.  At left top,  is Alexis.  She is adorable, smart and fiesty.  She will take on Josie and give her a good fight.    The little white guy is Tate, who loves to bounce and play until he wants something and then he has a VERY loud little voice that stops immediately when you pick him up.  I remember a little baby boy like that!  Bear is promised and has a waiting list of people who want Wendy's little boy.  We will miss him, but hopefully he will be leaving this weekend. 

It was a busy Friday, as we attacked the house today.  With the Michigan/Michigan State game on Saturday, I know Joe NOT be helping with housework, so he pitched in to help me today.  Catie came home to find us both working like dogs and knew she was in trouble.  She didn't even argue since she had big plans for the evening and is smarter than that.  Andy, on the other hand.....not so smart. 

We had discovered that there were no clean towels and the ones on the laundry room floor did not account for even half of what we have.  It was time to go IN TO ANDY'S ROOM.  Below are the towels I found.....

Now, consider that the laundry basket is about 3 feet high and the towels extend above it at least another foot and a half.  How long can it take to accumulate that many dirty towels?    Andy is the cleanest boy in Eaton Rapids, uses multipe towels per shower and I think doing laundry is against his religeon.  The rest of his laundry was found in the middle of the driveway in multiple garbage bags where they will stay. 

After a long day of cleaning, Joe prepared homemade salsa and fried fresh tortilla chips for me to take along to my Friday Night Knits.  Love that man and so do all my knitting friends.  It has come to the point where I get a cheer from all the women when I walk in and they are waiting to see what Joe sent them this week.

My blanket is almost complete and just in time to keep me warm this winter.  It will be the first thing that I have knit and kept for myself.  If anyone else wants one, you can put in an order because this one is mine!  However, I am open to making another one. 

I have a method that worked for me last year and I am trying it again this year.  I start about a million projects and whatever is in my basket by the end of October gets finished for Christmas or thrown away.  I start the New Year with no knitting guilt.  Knitters are forever embarassed about the unfinished objects (UFOs).   With this method, I can proudly call myself  The Queen of UFOs and feel no guilt. 

Right now in the basket are: 

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  A Michigan scarf for Joe (3/4 finished...maybe tomorrow),
  
  
  
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  a scarf and ONE matching glove for Cat,
  
  
  
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   a pair of socks for Carol (98% done),
  
  
  
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  one pair of socks for unknown (just have to close the toes),
  
  
  
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  a single beautiful pink sock,
  
  
  
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  a single pretty purple sock that is tight on my foot  (so it needs a small owner),
  
  
  
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  1/2 a sock for Joey,
  
  
  
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   materials for Christmas stockings for  the various children
  
  
  
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   a hat to replace the one Cat lost last year (3/4 done)
  
  
  
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  Sweater for Joey knit, torn out and re-started
  
  
  

For some reason I feel the need to keep the stuff I "plan" to work with nearby and I have to clean up my mess every morning as I settle in to my favorite chair and play in my yarn. This is my command center! I can supervise kids, watch tv, surf the net and knit a sweater, all without moving. I love my little corner of the world.

Now of course, the yarn is another story.  I began organizing the stuff I WASN'T working with right now and took over the closet in our new den.   I couldn't resist taking the photo when I finished.   I need more shelves because I participate in swaps, gaining more and more yarn.  I also buy on sale and stash away things I WILL eventually knit. 

The junk in the bottom corner is a bunch of baskets and bags that are waiting for cubes.  Tomorrow is a good day to head to Target for cubes, since Joe will be yelling GO BLUE all afternoon and never miss me.  Fall works like Spring for me and I get this huge urge to clean and organize and playing with yarn is more fun than washing windows!

I won't have to clean, Andy will be doing the laundry, Joe watching the game and Catie is off to a party.  Maybe I should just get a cup of coffee and knit!

Homecoming Dance 2009

Yesterday was a flurry of hair spray, credit card and cash register "CHA CHING" sounds. and I enjoyed every moment of it. 

Wasn't it only yesterday when I had 2 little girls getting ready for their first dance?  How did those 20 years slip by? 

The perfect dress was just waiting on a hanger at the local department store.  I could not believe when Catie walked in the door, straight to the dress and said "This one, Grandma."  I bought it FAST.  That was too easy.  Then we went looking for jewelery...and shoes.....and on to the beauty shop.  It takes a LONG time to pile all those curls up, but the result was worth it. 

Her girlfriends came over to compare dresses, giggle and take part in the 100's of photos. You just can't stop taking pictures of pretty girls.   We finally let her leave for the dance with warnings not to kiss the boys.  Then we waited for 11pm when the real action would begin.

You have to remember being a teenager after the dance to know the amount of telephone calls, noise, screams and general noise that went on until FIVE AM!  Joe had steak dinners ready for Catie and Nicole when they came home hungry from dancing the night away.  We had hoped they would fill their stomachs and go to sleep.  How dumb we are.

At 4am I sent a rather nasty text msg to Catie.....something about "DO NOT OPEN YOUR BEDROOM DOOR AGAIN!  BE QUIET!"  Since Andy was due to roll in from work soon, it was almost time to start the day and NO ONE had slept.  Love the Chin house on Saturday nights.

Are We Racists?

I was reading postings on Facebook and an old friend had posted this link.  The writer blasts those who attended the recent protest in Washington DC as racists.

http://margaretandhelen.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/i-remember-when-they-were-hooded

I did not see ONE racist sign.  I saw 78,000 people using their Constitutional rights to show their disagreement with President Obama.  They were respectful and orderly and there was not much press coverage given, since they did not require massive police involvement.  RACISM comes into play when people assume that every protest is racially motivated.

Our President is black.  We know that.  That does not mean we have to agree with everything he says and does or be called racist.   I wish I could have attended this protest.

If You Wonder Why I Knit.....

Everyone knows that I can be found with needles in hand most of the time.  Knitting and knitting away my days.  I stop only when I have to or when my hand and arm ache (I usually prop it on a pillow).  Not only have I found a wonderful way to create art while relaxing in my chair, but I found a new social life through the knitters in the Lansing area.  I have met so many women who share my hobby. 

I loved to scrapbook until it became too painful with my physical problems.  I just could not stand or sit in a regular chair long enough to enjoy it.  I wasn't even allowed to RIDE the lawnmower any more and it was pretty frustrating.  This report from Mayo Clinic makes it all make sense:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4917058n

Stay At Home Mom

ANDY:  "MOM!  Do you think I can get my birthday present early?"
CATIE:  "GRANDMA!  I need a ride!"
MIKE:  "MOM!  Got any ideas where I can get a trailer to move....TODAY?"
JOEY:  "MOM!  I need to talk to you."
CAT:  "MOM!  Are you busy?"
ANDY:  "MOM....How about if I go buy my present and you pay me back on my birthday?"
CATIE:  "GRANDMA, I want to go see Tami's new puppies.....NOW, pleeeeze!"


Oh, oh.....email from Joe........Can I call his Dr and then pick up his prescriptions?  I guess that is right after I get some laundry done.....Hmmmm, need someone to carry it downstairs and then back up when it is clean.  Nobody around when I need them.  Guess I won't be doing laundry!

Phone is ringing again....promised to do some volunteer work.  Have to work on it tomorrow. 
Phone is ringing again.....Andy is now BUYING his birthday gift...."You don't mind do ya MOM?"
Phone is ringing again....Too busy to answer, in line at Rite Aid trying to get Joe's prescription.....PHONE WON"T STOP RINGING!!!! Aaaaaaaaaaa!

Mike and Joey are both just hitting re-dial!  Is the world coming to an end? 

NOPE!  Mike just wants to ask a question and Joey wants to chat.   Ooops!  It's my brother Dave this time and into Voice Mail....that thing has been full since June of 2008.  I will call him back as soon as I get a minute. 

In the house, Joe is home, dinner is ready and I have to be somewhere by 6.  Eat quick, run out the door...Oh, of course...I have no gas!

Phone ringing....CATIE:  "Grandma!  I need lunch money!  Can you please make sure to leave it for me?"
Phone ringing....ANDY:  "Mom!  Can I have five bucks for a pizza....I missed dinner and it's gone."
Phone ringing....JOE:  "Can you stop and buy ice?"
Phone ringing....MIKE:  "Can you forward me an email?"

Made it to my knit class........whew!  I wish I could turn off the phone, but I can't imagine.

Phone ringing.....My brother Dave...Shoot!  Forgot to call back.  Wonder why?  I haven't been busy.  Can't answer in the middle of class.  I will call him when I leave.

Too late, I get text saying he is in Detroit at the Tiger game.  I should have answered and run away to Detroit!  RATS!

I just stay home.  Don't do much.  Why am I tired?

Knitting Away

It has been a very busy week!  Joe turned 29 on 9/9/09 and we had a nice family party.  School has resumed and I admit I am enjoying my quiet days after a loud and happy summer. 

I have been busy knitting and am on a roll for my Christmas gift list.  I finished this scarf and one handwarmer (the other one is on the needles) the scarf below for Joe's birthday and am working on another for my favorite nurse practitioner. 

Joe and his "Pocket Puppies"

Christmas in September

All year I knit. With my disability, most hobbies are impossible and even knitting makes my hand and arm ache, but I do love to knit. So each night I cuddle in and begin to knit as I tune into my favorite TV shows. I am called the Queen of UFOs, or "Unfinished Objects" on my favorite knitting website, but there is method to my madness.

Last year I began numerous projects and actually FINISHED them in the fall months as Christmas drew near. Again this year I am going into the final 3 months and watching the Christmas gifts pile up. Well, maybe there isn't a "pile" of finished objects, but there will be soon!

Bear

Today as I was playing with "Bear" our little 5 week old ball of fluff, I realized that there is nothing as much fun as playing with a puppy. You cannot walk by that puppy without stopping to smile and half the time you just have to stop and play. He discovered my yarn today as shown above. I am trying to knit and he is chasing the ball of yarn.

GO CATIE!

Catie has been working for YEARS for Thursday night. She always wanted to be a cheerleader, just like her Mom. She had her first cheerleader uniform at 2 years old and began cheering in elementary school for the city football teams. Thursday night was her first High School game and she did a great job!

As I watched her hoisted into the air over and over, I was thankful for all those gymnastics lessons we had paid for and suddenly the hours spent sitting in the parking lot waiting were worthwhile.

Just like Mom, she is tiny and so she is always on the top of the pyramid, making us hold our breath until they toss her in the air and catch her. I am sure Karen was proud of her girl on Thursday night.

Tawas Bay

I once asked Justin to draw or paint something for me and when he asked for suggestions, it was exactly this scene I described. Instead, he took this photo on our recent weekend in East Tawas. Maybe someday he will draw it for me, since I love his art.

The Tawas Bay is my favorite spot to go and replenish and relax. It's beauty continues to astound me and as soon as I hear the sound of the waves, smell the pine trees and feel the breeze coming off the lake, I feel at home.

Spending summers on the very spot where this photo was taken left me with a lifetime of good memories. This photo was taken in front of my grandparents cottage, which now belongs to another family. I have been able to rent the cottage next door and the new neighbors are kind enough to tell me to feel free to use their beach area. I wander over and the memories flood over me, taking me back to a simple time in my life.

I remember summer mornings when the lake was freezing and I didn't care. It was THE LAKE! I really didn't know any better, never having been in anything but one of the Great Lakes. I remember working until I was a strong enough swimmer to swim to "The raft" and the feeling of victory the day I did it. Now it belonged to a motel owner who yelled at us to get off, but we didn't care. He wasn't going to swim out and get us.

I can still see my Grandpa's Cocker Spaniel, Sandy, looking out the window as he waited for his beloved owner to come up the walk dressed in his yellow corduroy vacation shirt. He wore a white shirt and tie every other day even into his retirement years. I remember him buying me comic books to pass the lazy afternoons. He had chosen classic literature in comic book form. Smart man....I read them all.

I think of blueberry picking with my grandmother on Sundays after Mass and lectures from my grandfather on how to drive carefully with her in my car. I remember squeezing into the tiny kitchen for Sunday dinner of roast beef, which was served EVERY Sunday.

I look at each cottage and remember the last names of the families who lived there and how much fun it was to return each year to see my favorite people. It was amazing to realize this year that many of the cottages are owned by children and grandchildren of those same people. Maybe what I love, is that it does not change. My childhood awaits me when I get to Tawas Bay.

THE EATON COUNTY FAIR!!!

Anyone who knows our darling Catie, knows she lives to go to any carnival that hits town, but the Eaton County Fair is her favorite day of the summer! As soon as she saw it listed in the newspaper, she began planning and calling her friends. Today is the day and she and her girlfriend waited patiently for me to get up, then finally brought me a cup of hot coffee to give me a nudge.

She will ride EVERY ride at least 3 times, eat every treat that she can afford to buy and then beg to stay, just a little longer. I am all ready for the phone calls begging for just one more hour. Photos to come.........

More Graduation Photos

Above are Andy and friends, as they enter the stadium for graduation ceremonies. It was a beautiful day and we were all thankful we could use the football stadium instead of the gym, which was very hot during Mike's graduation. Below, Andy receives his diploma.



I hadn't posted much about these past couple of weeks, since it has been such a busy time. We were getting ready for Cat & Paul's visit and of course, for Open House and it is a never-ending project. Poor Joe has spent every waking hour that he is not at work, in the yard. I am useless when it comes to that kind of work and wish so much that I could help. My friend Tami continues to come over frequently and provide the gardening help that I am unable to do. I am so grateful.

Andy is hating every minute of this preparation and will be REALLY happy when his day comes. Catie says she can't wait for that day. I think they are under the assumption that they will do no more work for the entire summer.

Andy Graduates!

Our last of five walked across the stage on Sunday afternoon and I admit, the tears flowed. I could not believe baby Andy was a high school graduate. I had fun taking photos, as usual and we will celebrate officially on June 12 when we host Open House.

Growing Up FAST!

The 8th grade graduation dance was last Saturday night and Catie looked beautiful and just a little too grown up for her grandmother. Wasn't it just yesterday that my first grandchild was born? I remember the first moment I held her and she actually smiled at me. I claimed the dimple as "just like mine". Now she is using my makeup. Where did time go?

The Story Blanket

I have been knitting for months on a blanket made up of all my scraps of yarn and many that I have gotten by trading with other knitters by trading yarns. Today I received a request to use the photo of my blanket for an auction to benefit a children's reading program.

The project was fashioned around this children's book about a woman who had a beautiful blanket that she spread in the park for the children to sit on while she told them stories. When she noticed a child needed something warm, she unraveled a bit of her blanket to create warm socks and mittens.

St Peter Festival Weekend

I had fun last night with Daniel and Alexis riding the merry-go-round (NOT!) until I thought I was going to barf! It was great fun watching their faces, but Grandma got really dizzy. Catie and friend helped on the next spinning dinosauer ride and they rode the train by themselves. (Grandma wouldn't fit in the little cars, as I explained to Daniel.)
It was kareoke night and I was disappointed that Laura only got to sing once. There were so many singers! After she left they were calling for her to sing. Fr. Ben and Kay did a duet.
I don't cook much on Festival weekend and the kids know the food is across the street.
Daniel jumped into one of those line dances where they are calling out the instructions and he can dance! He was wonderful and did a lot better than I would have. We ended up embarrassing him because we were all laughing so hard. We couldn't believe how well he kept up with all the adults.

What a Week!

Andy now has BLUE hair! After his purple streak to match Sam's prom dress, he headed down to change it back. It didn't work. He was at the salon for hours and hours, sent me photos of himself as they piled the chemicals on, but he came home with "Cotton Candy Blue". He says, it's not for long. Graduation photos should be interesting to look back on someday.

Catie and I spent the evening dying yarn. We wound and wound, soaked and dyed, rinsed and hung our new creations to dry. I am loving that dye set I got for my birthday!


Thursday night the St Peter Annual Festival began with a Mexican Fiesta!


Catie, aka "The Carnival Queen" has been counting the days until it began and was across the street as soon as the rides started up tonight, allowance in hand. She has been saving her money, ever since I told her I wasn't paying for FOUR days at the carnival. NOBODY loves rides like Catie!




Joe and I were cashiers for the food booth last night and he was patient as I kept getting up to take photos of so many friends throughout the night.




The Mexican food was great, the beer flowed, the Mexican band played, people danced and a great time was had by all, even Josie and Rocky who came over for a bit!

Friends and Family

After a couple of years of just not caring what the yard looked like, it looked a MESS! My back will not allow me to even begin to garden, muchless take on the huge project that it was before our friends arrived to help. My friend Tami and her daughter Megan arrived with tools and energy. They began tearing weeds out of flower beds and creating new ones.


It was work day or as Mikey called it "my day to be the Yard Bitch". Andy's friends showed up and I called Justin to get him out of bed and called in all my favors. Nobody wanted to dig the pond, but those boys did it for me!


Catie got the job of picking rock, most of the day. She removed them from the beds, washed them and carried them to pile around the new pond.


Joe and Megan got right in the dirt and worked like dogs. I brought out water, drank coffee and watched with gratitude. It didn't seem fair, but it was all I could do.


Megan's creation in the corner that used to be where the dogs dug.....


More to come.........we are still working!

Happy Birthday to Daniel

Even though it was 2 weeks later, we gathered on Saturday to celebrate Daniel's 4th birthday in a rural park. We were hoping for warm weather, by waiting, but the wind blew and the sun only peeked out most of the morning. The kids absolutely didn't care! They ran through the park, up and down the slide and made S'mores.


Daniel had been shopping at Meijer with me a couple of months ago and when I told him I would buy him a toy, he led me right to a Diego bike. After I explained that bikes were special presents for birthdays and Christmas, he quickly recovered and picked out another toy. Little did I know that he would remember and talk about that bike every day until his birthday. The worst part.........the store ran out!!!

Joe and I searched the internet, called every store we could think of and found the last Diego bike in the world. It was worth it to see his smile!