Bron's Blog II

When I Said I Wasn't Buying Any More Yarn

That did not, of course, apply to Cotton Ease.

Especially CE in the discontinued "Pistachio":

Gee, Mom - I couldn't help myself!

We closed on my father-in-law's house yesterday. The sale was fraught, but obviously the sale woes took a backseat to our real sorrow in recent weeks so I didn't bother regaling you all with the details. We took a hit on the price but it was a small one & we were lucky.

It's gone, it's done, and that's the last house we'll be selling for awhile. 3 houses sold and one purchased in 3 years. That's enough!

Things are looking up around here.....

I've even chosen a couple of new patterns to start! Next time there might actually be progress pics for you. Will wonders never cease???

 

Oh Yeah, Christmas Is Coming!

I sent in my final big project for NMSU. Now I just have to worry about the actual final on Dec. 6th. I sent in another sheltered lesson project for my LEP class - that will be wrapping up before Thanksgiving. My curriculum class is percolating away - at least the assignments are due in very small increments.

So this weekend I'll be planning a month-long unit on Science Fiction.I decided to push back the Arthurian legends to second semester & do something funky. (I also thought if my kids read and/or talked about another myth their eyes would cross & steam would start escaping ears.)

I'll take pics of the decorations in the room - we're planning on building a mother ship to hang from the ceiling. It's Dylan's idea to put a plastic cow in a tube of blue plastic wrap & hang it from the bottom of the ship.

I'm telling you - I'm too cool for school!

So, yeah - Christmas is coming and with it the end of my class woes. Here's a little dishcloth in it's honor:

Here's progress on my "Traveling to Bruges" scarf (slow, but sure):

Here's a pic of one of the 9 new windows we had installed yesterday (including a new slider in our bedroom):

Our energy bills were SO high in mid-summer & mid-winter. These were pricey but should pay for themselves over the next 4 years. Plus they look really spiffy!

This is the first weekend I've had in over a month in which I feel like I have time or inclination to look at a new project. Not sure what it will be. I still have to finish this sweater:

But I'm not feelin' the vibe right now. It's more of a spring sweater so I might wait until spring to finish it. Or at least late winter1

I'm off to check my Ravelry cue. Surely there's something in the 180 or so projects listed that will catch my eye. ;)

Have a great weekend!

Happy 16th Birthday, Dylan!

Just please, someone tell me......

where in the HELL did all the time go??????????????????????????????????????????????

Swamped

My last big project is due on Friday to NMSU (the gifted class) and it's giving me serious fits. I'll probably be incognito until that is finished & submitted. I still have my LEP class and my curriculum class too, plus 34 fable books to grade from my 3 classes so if you see bubbles floating up from Albuquerque, that's me....drowning.

Tomorrow all the gifted classes are going on a field trip to UNM to see the Mayhem Poets. I've been on this trip before so I know the kids will love it, but it means an entire day away from my computer and the work I have to do!

Doug's birthday was the 16th and (obviously) he had a quiet day so soon after his Dad's funeral. I, however, had a package come in from France last week. (He tried to claim it as a B-day present, but I told him the bracelet's colors just weren't him):

My swap pal, Daniela, sent me the latest Bergere De France yarn sample/pattern catalog as well as 4 lovely balls of cotton yarn AND a bracelet she made herself. :) Thanks, Daniela! As always, the package was lovely and arrived at the perfect time.

I also received a couple of knitting books in the mail. One's a keeper, one's going back to Amazon.

I really like Melissa Leapman's newest, Continuous Cables:

Very much like Elsbeth Lavold's work with the closed ring cables, this book is still Leapman through & through. I don't know if I'll every knit from here, but the charts & patterns & tips & tricks are well worth the $$ just in case. I mean, seriously. How cute is this baby sweater?:

Sorry for the glare on the pic, but that back motif is wonderful. I might knit this minus the hood.

I also got the Mason Dixon newest:

The stories are cute, the writing is folksy, but I'd never make a single pattern in here. Well, maybe the mitered dishtowel, but I can't keep it on the shelf just for that. Nothing at all against the book, it's just not me. :) So - back it goes.

We're still dealing with death certificates and flowers coming in, so even though we'd like to have closure with my father-in-law's death, I know this will drag on for a few months. Sigh.

Dec. 10th is my party day. Nov. 16th my last LEP assignment is due,  Dec. 6th is my final for NMSU, and Dec. 9th is the last CNM curriculum class.

The last week and a half of school before Xmas break will be SO enjoyable! I'll be able to concentrate only on my students and have fun with them. Then, I'll have over 2 glorious weeks of winter break to revel in having nothing to do before getting back down to business in January with student teaching, a reading class and another gifted class. Ugh.

So - there IS light at the end of the tunnel....it's just that right now it's a flickering candle flame rather than a roaring bonfire.

Random Stuff

Isn't this the best kind of post?

The service was lovely, the rain held off. We all choked up during Taps.

Everyone looked very handsome:

And Colin was brave enough to get up at the service and read a poem he'd written last week in honor of his Opa. We were all so impressed and touched.

Let the healing begin.

In other news, I started the Traveling to Bruges Scarf:

Using some yarn I received from my swap buddy in France. :) More details next time.

I was very honored to receive the "I Love Your Blog" award from Nancy.

Thanks, Nancy! Your timing was wonderful - it brought a smile to my face when I needed it most. :)

Nancy's blog is always one of my favorites because, as she pointed out, reading her blog is like talking to an old friend. It's a good thing she has no plans to quit (you don't, right?) because I would miss her greatly.

Yep - I know I need to nominate 4 people and I will - I promise! Just give me a few days to decide. :)

I'm going to leave you with a face:

Who wouldn't love this face?:

Cheers!

The Pleasure Of Finishing

Isn't limited to just large projects:

And I have another smallish project from the fall IC started.....

Tomorrow is the funeral (I'll be at school for the morning, then off for the afternoon) after which is my curriculum class. No rest for the wicked.

But at least the funeral will provide some closure. We're having a military send-off & Doug will receive the flag. The only problem is that it's supposed to be raining cats & dogs. Blech.

Just cross your fingers there's no more hail!

"Take Immediate Action To Protect Life And Property"

That's the first time I've heard that warning from the National Weather Service since moving to Albuquerque 24 years ago. But they were right. Twice a huge storm cell moved over our house with 65 mph winds, sheets of rain & lots of hail:

 

Pretty amazing stuff.

It's a little one the cool side today, perfect for showing off my completed Lace Scarf:

This is from the fall IC - pattern by Doris Chan. I used 1 1/2 skeins of Cotton Ease in "Cactus."

Nice!

Now I'm not so sure I'll be giving it away at Xmas........

A Non-Depressing Post

Because we all deserve one.

Here's my progress with Lace Scarf:

I'm about 1 1/2 skeins into it - I'll finish off the 2nd skein & call it good. It should be long enough to double around the neck & pull through when it's finished.

I purchased a new knitting book (and several more are on their way):

It's a book full of good, classic patterns. At first I wasn't sure if I would keep it, since my shelves overflow with good, classic patterns, but I really liked these cables:

And this one might be worth the price of the book:

I think I'll keep it.

About 4 weeks ago I ordered a ring from, of all places, Avon. It was all sparkly with sapphires and itty, bitty chip diamonds and it reminded me of the ring Doug bought me for our first anniversary, which I lost years ago. (I still get upset when I think about losing that ring.)

This ring was back-ordered and I was waiting impatiently for it to arrive. As luck would have it, it came in on the 7th, the day Dad died, and I was able to pick it up Wed. at school:

It sparkles quite nicely in the sun and goes well with the diamond/sapphire ring I had made a couple of years ago. Every time I look at it I'll remember Dad but that's OK. :) It's a pretty ring for good memories.

Today is finally the day for Dylan's road test. Keep your fingers crossed!

And....Life Goes On

Thanks to everyone for the condolences. Doug and I have read every one and they are much appreciated.

It's hitting all of us very hard. I've been a member of the family for 20 years and Don & I were like father and daughter. I loved him dearly.

Doug just shared that the hardest thing for him right now are the evenings. He used to call his father every night to check on him if he couldn't visit that day. Now there's no-one to call.

It's especially difficult for Doug because he lost his mother when he was 13. His Dad's been his best buddy his whole life.

The funeral is Tuesday at 2. Thankfully my father-in-law preplanned & prepaid so there was very little to do past making the difficult phone calls. It will be a full military funeral - he wanted that for the boys.

I stayed home with Doug today (my first time having a sub for my class - how bizarre!) and finished up this potholder that I started a few days ago:

My FIL would've appreciated the rather morbid irony.

James Donald Green 1919-2008

He was a veteran of WW II and Korea, a loving husband and father, and one hell of a great guy.

He's past the pain now and that's a very good thing.

We got our wish. It was quick, peaceful, and we were all there with him.

'Bye Dad - I hope you know how much we'll miss you.