Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Nothing new

It was nice to have a 3 day weekend, but I don't feel rested.

Lets see, Saturday was a craft fair at church. I got fried... even under the canopy. 90 degree weather is not conducive to selling crocheted stuff. Surprised? I knew you would be! I sold 4 scrunchies. However, I was setup right next to a couple ladies that were weaving baskets and I ogled the process. That may just be my next hobby. I went to Joann's the other day to get some size 2's because mine keep disappearing and I looked for basket weaving stuff. No dice. I don't think I wanna get into a hobby that isn't readily available, you know? So for now I will just think about it.

Sunday we, um, hmm. Swam? Yep that was it. I used my George foreman and made steak, cooked some fresh corn on the cob. Um, OH, the pain. I was hoeing in the garden (yeah... my boss was amused too) and I have blisters on my hands and I had to take 2 800mg IBs yesterday (no, not at the same time) because every muscle in my body hurts like heck... and I have nothing planted back there to show for it. Still.

Monday the kids and I went to my Mom's while Travis went to work. We visited with Grandma and she looked pretty good and was in good spirits but got winded pretty quickly. She enjoyed seeing the boys. Then we headed to Mom's friend Christine's place on the beach. ON the beach. We swam in the pool there and walked down the beach a little. We found a couple sharks teeth and Sean was amused by the water that kept chasing him. I think that for the 4th weekend we will borrow that place for a couple nights. It is beautiful!

Sean got a haircut, we visited the bird store and watched National Treasure 2 (I don't remember where in the above they belong but they all got did).

Really, that's it. I finished one of my little socklets but it needs to be bigger. I did the math for that at lunch today, and am about 1/4 done with it. I hope you all had a safe and fun weekend.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Sigh.

I am pretty devastated this morning. As I was driving into work, Jimmy Carter came on to do his regular morning gossip on the Country station I listen to. He starts off by saying that he's been physically sick having to repeat this all morning it's just so sad. Steven Curtis Chapman's daughter Maria was killed in an accident yesterday. My heart stopped, I could breathe and I instantly had tears come to my eyes. You can read the article here. No, I didn't know Maria, nor do I know any of the Chapmans, except that I enjoy his music. But, I do read his wife Mary Beth's blog so it feels like I know them, like they are friends.

I was pretty shocked at how much this affected me. It's 10:02, and it has been more than 2 hours since I heard and I'm still a mess. As soon as I got here I wrote her a note, and that was so hard. I was at such a loss for words. How do you comfort someone that you don't even know and help them to deal with something that you can't even imagine happening. It may sound trite to some but at least Maria is with God now and I know their faith will carry them a long way in dealing with their grief.

OK, that's it from me, I need to try to get something done around here.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Well...

What a weekend it was. They weren't able to bury Uncle Mutt on Thursday like they had planned - it rained so hard there was 6 inches of water in the bottom of his grave! So, they did the funeral home thing then went back to Biloxi to have a drink in Mutt's honor. They got back Friday night. In the time that Travis had been gone I became addicted to a few of the clubpogo games thanks to a 5-day freebie from a friend of mine. So. Addicted. Like "who needs to watch the first 50 minutes of Idol" addicted. My freebie ended today and I re-upped with a 14 day freebie that I found. It's lotsa fun if I don't have to shell out the $40 a year!

Because of this new addiction I managed to weave in the ends of the for-sale round ripple. No, that's it, really. Today at lunch (because pogo is NOT more important than food... or All My Children) I did a couple inches on the sock but I didn't take any pics of it. But, we can pretend by substituting a partial pic of it's twin (except the current one is only about half this long):









Onward and upward to cute kid pics.
Fun at the park:















Fun with Fergus. Sean was concerned about this thing on his head but got very comfortable with him. Letting Fergus play with his eyelashes comfortable. And, when I took the bird off his shoulder he turned and looked at me like I ruined his day and tried to pick him back up. TOO cute!















And finally, as promised like 9 years ago, a pic of me that proves that Sean is my child! Here I am in Jan '78 (I was 2 and 2 months) wearing lovely 70's fashion and Mr Potato Head glasses.









Cliffy's doing ok - still sore throat but that's to be expected. That's it from me for now. Have a great day.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

I hate late night calls

Monday night Travis and I were watching House and at 9:45 the phone rings. This is never a good thing. His Uncle Mutt, who was in his 90's, died. Mutt lived in MS and was Travis' namesake (his name was Travis Templeton Fondren... my Travis is hoping they add the Templeton to the gravestone else it would be a bit creepy), he's taking it pretty hard. He and his Dad left this morning for MS. We told Jake last night and his "Why did Uncle Mutt have to die" was heartbreaking. Last time we went up to see him, Jake was about 3 (sorry, no pic with Mutt, but here is Jake and I):









Our trip started in MS to visit with Mutt, and some other family members, then up to Memphis to visit his Aunt Gail. When we got there Gail asked how Mutt was and Jake says "He's old". Well, good to know! So funny. The first time we brought Jake to see him he was about 6 month and toothless. We went to lunch and Uncle Mutt teased him saying here, you can borrow some of my teeth... as he pulled a spare pair of dentures out of his pocket!

He was a great man who could tell a great story, and he will be sadly missed by many people.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for blogging, knitting, crocheting (although I did finish up a baby blanket last night), being awake, sleeping, etc... the last 2 have been useless.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Happy Mommy's Day!

I hope all the Mommies out there had a swell Day! Mine was pretty good, except for the mortal wound, but I hope it will be OK.

The rest of the Ft Lauderdale trip was great, and we made a slight pit stop at A Stitcher's Haven in Plantation. I got a skein of On Your Toes in light blue, which is SOOO soft that I walked around the store petting it and my co-workers laughed at me. It's beautiful and I already know what I will make with it (that pretty pink one on the cover). I was thisclose to casting on in the car. I have some pics to share though (the blue/green one is not current - durning lunch today I am halfway through the gusset):















I did good on my trip, lots of finishing done. Before I left I told Travis that for Mothers Day I wanted a dustbuster to replace the one I got when we got married which no longer works. He said, Oh, well I can get you that but I was going to get a bird. Awww. I like birds. And his idea of bird (cockatiel) is cooler than my idea of bird (parakeet). I decided that I really needed the dustbuster and that was a better choice. When I got home he let me pick one out at walmart on Friday night - I like it lots.

Saturday I was supposed to go to a baby shower but due to crappy truck problems Travis had to go to work, so with kids in tow I headed to my Mom's to see Grandma in her nursing home (she got VERY sick while I was gone - more on that later) and my Uncle Kevin here from Texas. (As an aside, my Uncle Kevin used to live in Canada, and we totally have Jake convinced that they kicked him out because he kept forgetting to say Aye. It is TOO funny). When I got back home after a nice visit, Travis had gotten out of work early and went to his folks house to get the bird cage out of the attic. We now have this:









His name is Fergus (after the character in the old tv show Roar). He is young and sweet, no biting and is happy to be held by adults and kids.

Sunday Morning at 6:30 Sean woke up, and no amount of milk would let me get more sleep. at 8:30 I woke Travis up and told him it was my turn to sleep, seeing as how it is my day and all. He packed up the kids and went to the park, they left around 9. I heard them leave, then at noon I heard them come back in. In between... I slept. Like the dead - I did. not. move. It was so nice! That afternoon we went to the in-laws to have Mom's day supper and let the kids swim. I had forgotten Sean's swimmer pants so he played in his diaper. Diapers are VERY absorbant.














Finally we freed him after he couldnt step over the side of the little pool anymore.










He really enjoyed himself! We ate supper - burgers and dogs, and when we were done Jake hadn't finished his burger so I gave some pieces to the dogs... hence the mortal injury. Baloo's tooth went through my thumbnail and it bled profusley for a few minutes. I had blood all over the floor, on the oven, it wasnt pretty. It hurts now only when I touch it. At the moment it doesnt hurt when I knit or crochet - thankfully! Hopefully it will get better and I wont lose the nail or have it ugly. We'll see.

Grandma and Cliffy update: While I was gone, Grandma got sick with pneumonia and was sent to the hospital. She went to the nursing home on Saturday when we were over there. Cliff got results from the biopsies from his surgery and found cancer in his lympth nodes. He'll have to get chemo along with his radiation which is not a good thing. He's in such high spirits, and hopefully it will go well for him. Please keep them both in your prayers. Thanks! Have a great day.

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

On the road again

I'm on the road at a very nice Hyatt Place in Ft Lauderdale. It is warm outside and I am awaiting my co-workers so we can go get liquor, er I mean food at the Irish pub across the street. They tell me that there will be shepherds pie. The room is great, living room, kitchen, den, bedroom, bathroom all tied into one. We'll see how well the Fox is tonight for Idol.

Tomorrow I'll be working from about 6 until 8 or 9, but hooray overtime. No chance of blogging then. And, if anyone is in the area there will be a large-ish RV show at the Broward County Convention Center. Come, buy an RV, say hi to me!

There is a yarn shop 12.63 miles from me that I cant get to - pity. I could have used me some good souvenir sock yarn! Speaking of sock yarn, I'm not so sure that I will have enough of the Kroy for the little footlets that I'm making. I am finally on the gusset decrease (which is weird on this pattern) and it seems like I am making zero progress, yet running thin on yarn. Bizzaro world I suppose. I will work on the other brown/white/grey socks too on my trip. They tell me I cant knit at the show, but if I have a book with me I can read it. Sounds like discrimination to me! Oh well, cant win them all.

I'm out for now, have a great day.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

I accidentally started another sock, and updates, and Sean Video

Whoopsy!
I am really enjoying my Favorite Sock book, and that is where this came from. It may or may not be for Damarys (she doesn't LIKE socks, well socks that show anyway)(muggle):











I did come pretty close at finishing the other sock I accidentally started - I should finish it up on the drive to Ft Lauderdale:










I had also started another round ripple in purples for an upcoming craft fair, and it is almost done, but too big for car crocheting, so it is relegated to the couch.

Speaking of updates... Cliffy had his surgery on Monday, he is doing well and should be out of the hospital Thursday or Friday. Travis is nursing an upper respiratory infection and has been on meds for about a week. Jake got diagnosed yesterday with strep and is on meds. I went to my doc just-in-case and, yep, I'm on meds too. Poor Sean, he doesn't stand a chance. We are watching him very closely and TRYING to keep the boys separated. It doesn't often work, but we are trying. My uncle Kevin comes into town later this week, and I am looking forward to skipping Davy Jones and spending time with him.

And finally, a video of Sean. He discovered how to pull the plug in the tub and was very proud of himself on being able to put it back. Enjoy. I will be blogless until probably Monday, just a heads up.

Friday, May 02, 2008

dummy fun

I started working on the sock at lunch today, then remembered the leg in my trunk. I went to fetch it and see how the sock looked:












Then, when my hour (read: All My Children) was over I took another pic to see if I'd made any progress. This is actually knitting up pretty quick.









That's it from me, just sharing my leg.

So much to say

I'm sorry I've been so neglectful, part of it was a business trip, part of it was work stuff and just. plain. tired. But... I have pictures!

Last weekend when we went for a visit with Rere at my Mom's place. Sean fell asleep in the hammock swing:










And has the markings to prove it!










It was a nice time and a nice visit, and of course I didn't get a picture actually OF Lorraine. Whoops!

My business trip was up to the Sawgrass Marriott near Jacksonville with 3 of my co-workers. On the trip up I worked on the sock:










Damarys and I shared a room:










We had lots of fun and I only lost at Scrabble by like 12 points. We had some noisy neighbors though..but they are cute:










It was a good trip, we went to the beach where the sun was RIGHT in my eyeballs:










Then to dinner which was on the inter coastal. Very pretty view and I was amused at the falling skier and this seagull who was perched on top of the 'Big Scary Plastic Owl'. I had thought that BSPOs were meant to scare away birds, but apparently no one told the seagull this.











On the way home we took the scenic route, laughing at funny business names and street signs. We stopped at a roadside yard art hut. For the low, low price of $2800 you can get either a 9 foot rooster or gleaming golden 7 foot Mary. I settled for 2 types of local honey:

















And finally, yesterday was Macy's big prop and display sale. Lesa (my co-worker) and I got there around 9 and things were going QUICK. I just wanted a foot, but I got a foot, display stand that is a post with arms on 2 sides that hold hangers(that I haven't photographed yet cause it's still in Lesa's trunk) plus some Christmas gift boxes which I love. I spent $26. Here's my foot. It's a little cracked up at the top so I think I will have Travis cut it down a little since I don't need the WHOLE leg, just where a sock covers ;):












That's it for pictures. An update on Jake though... Remember that he lost his first tooth last Thursday? He lost his second... on Friday! You should hear him say should and seven and Sean. Too funny. Yesterday was Travis and I's (or is it mine's or me & Travis'... whatever) 9 year anniversary. We went to Fat Willie's Fish Camp for supper, I had crab legs. Sean doesn't like crab apparently. Tonight the in-laws are keeping both kids and Travis and I are going to see a movie. I have no idea what is even out but I'll figure it out soon. Have a great weekend. Next Wed I leave for Lauderdale for 3 days so it will be a short blogging week again. But hooray overtime!