I really am alive!

I'm still here!  I have been crazy busy the past couple of weeks.  I apologize for not keeping up on my commenting on all your blogs, I've been reading them whenever I can, but lately it's been on my phone, and trying to comment on that thing is an exercise in futility.  The kids have been really busy with school  and other activities lately, and hubby has been working very long days and enduring all sorts of drama at the squadron courtesy of some ill behaved junior personnel there, which has been making him very tired in the evenings so I haven't had much in the way of "adult conversation" lately.  So what's a girl to do?  

KNIT!

Isn't this yarn fun?  Looks like I will be doing washcloths this year as gifts, lots of washcloths, LOL...waaaaaay behind schedule for knitting gifts this year, as in just started last night, yikes!  

Other events going on:

Loch made the Honor Roll, big deal for him since this is the first grade they offer that in here.  We are very proud of him of course, but I'm really just excited to get one of those annoying bumper stickers out of the deal.

Baking, lots and lots of baking, for school parties, church functions, and also a girl has to reach a certain level of chocolate in the bloodstream to stay up for that late-night knitting :)  

If you are anything like my husband, you will love this one...

Even though I can now be considered a "scrapbooker", even I can find the humor in this one, because it really is true, like hubby says "do you really need all this crap?"  LOL you'd think they'd replace that bulb a.s.a.p.!

Is anyone else out there finding themselves really not in the holiday mood this year?  Maybe it's because we aren't going home this year, maybe it's the tight finances, or maybe let's just talk about the fact that it was 78º here yesterday... YUCK!!!!  I'm hoping things change soon, my "busyness" of late should relax a bit next week, so I'm hoping that my mood improves along with getting some much needed time back. I feel like I have reverse S.A.D. due to the warm unseasonable temps, this girl likes it cold in the wintertime!

Now we have to leave the house again so the agent can show it (to yet another person who can't get approved for a mortgage)... what a great usage of time it is to drive aimlessly around with the kids and dogs in the car, good times. This time we may go to the park and I can sit in the car and catch up on everyone's posts!

Leaving you with this redneck gem:

'Tis the season!

Another first -

My 1st sweater!  It might not be perfect, but I'm really happy with it anyways.  He wanted a surfing type pullover for the beach, this is the closest I could come.  I substituted cotton yarn for the stuff called for in the pattern because this needs to be absorbent around water as well as easy wash & dry for playtime, bike riding, etc...

for anyone interested, I used the following:

100% cotton Sugar n'Cream self-striping yarn (cheap at $1.99 a skein!)

Pattern is Lion Brand "Kids to Adult Hoodie" (free download)

Notes ** I substituted the above yarn and used sizes 7 & 9 needles and the pattern written for Child-Large with my substitutions fit the 6 year old boy with room to grow.  

Running on empty!

I know this has got to be getting old, but all I have to offer yet again is a bunch of random stuff!  I didn't get half of my to-do list done this week because I had Thing 1 out of school sick one day, then Thing 2 out of school the next, meetings for the squadron's family support group, music lessons, laundromat, and a karate class that is a complete waste of hard earned money, I'm kicking myself for taking a break from their swimming for this - at least they love swimming and had an instructor that knew how to deal with kids.  I got as far as scoring an appointment for a haircut (half the battle), and ordered the tires for the car (they will hopefully be in tomorrow or Saturday at the latest).  

I do however, have an excuse for being completely scatterbrained... hubby is coming home VERY SOON now!  I have so many things going on, all of them kind of small and not stressful, but being that I'm the only one checking things off the list, combined they are overwhelming me.

But here we go:

this week I got ONE sock done :)

Finn consented to be my model for my first hat on circular needles!  I still don't like them, but at least I've done it, the worst part is over.  This was supposed to be a "Rasta Hat" but it was looking a little long in the back for a gal my age so I started decreasing pronto and was left with a kind of Rasta Beret if you get my drift LOL...

Did a quick little carseat type blankie for my niece in Minnesota

This was what she looked like this time last year, and I can't wait to see how much she has grown!  A proper uniform for a Minnesota girl if I ever saw one!

(I couldn't get this one the right size in blogger to be in focus!)

Tonight battling traffic - this trip to music lessons normally takes me 10 minutes, it took 45 today.  It seems that when they trim the buildings in lights everyone must slam on the brakes and gawk...

This is one freaky stuffed sheep, everywhere I turn, there it is - kind of like the Mona Lisa's eyes...

A tomato in December?  You bet.  This was found attached to a vine on the ground that had escaped the big cleanup, it had 2 attached to it so I brought them in the house and this one actually ripened!  Pretty sure the taste isn't stellar though.

Be still my heart...

Now it's back to knitting tonight.  My friend L is as obsessed as I am, she usually calls me about 10 pm needing a break from it, last night she was ranting about her fingers, she has bandaids all over from cuts and callouses!  We are both a little "obsessive" and tend to get violent with the crafts when things don't go our way:) !!  She also has a sewing machine that she walks wide circles around avoiding it :)...there should be a 12 step program for us!

I don't expect I will even look at my seed catalogs until after the New Year, so thanks for bearing with my randomness!  This week I am really trying to eat like a rabbit since the winter temps are here to stay now and my lettuce and spinach is not long for this world!

This is kind of long and boring, but I wanted hubby to see his dogs doing their regular thing...

Over the edge...

I need an intervention...

  

 What do you think?

  

Yep, that's exactly what it looks like - a wine cozy...help!

Below, more fun with stash wool...

I really needed a break from socks!

Finn is modeling hubby's new hat, this is the first hat I've ever done in the round!  But still afraid of circulars, I did it on double pointed needles which I'm comfortable with.

Today I attempted to make Mama Pea's Almond Cranberry Cake!  This will be going to Thanksgiving Dinner at a friend's house tomorrow.  Mine doesn't look nearly as beautiful as Mama Pea's, go check hers out and you will want to make it too!  Not sure what happened other than I'm a great cook but a horrible baker... I felt like I needed a degree in rocket science to get it out of the pan!  I will try it again, though, since I'm sure it will taste good (I snuck a chunk out of the bottom LOL) - I just need to work on aesthetics!

On to the BEST thing that has happened since we had the kids....

Hubby was promoted!

He has aced the test for this promotion twice a year, for the last several years, BUT... out of all the sailors eligible for promotion, only 1.9% were being advanced each year.  This is no doubt due to the economy, many servicemembers are no longer getting "out" as usual, preferring to all stay in for the full 20 years!  The pipeline thus has been clogged up with personnel that are normally lost through attrition.  I found out late Sunday night that the results had been released, and a very tense 4 hours or so went by until I found out if he made it...he did!  This had been the source of much stress because a couple of more years and he would have had to get out due to high year tenure.  Now that he made it, he will no longer be in danger of this, and will now receive a retirement paycheck after he finishes serving 20 years... I can't tell you how much weight has been lifted off our shoulders with this one!

I am so happy for him, he works so hard and really deserves this!

This is truly a Thanksgiving we will remember even though we are all apart...and  Homecoming + Christmas with family  + this advancement?  The will be the best Christmas EVER for our little family!

One more little Thanksgiving post set to go for tomorrow, but if you don't log on, have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!

In case you were wondering if I've gone completely insane...

I'll just go ahead and confirm it for you!

FA-LA-LA-LA-LA....

What do you mean it's not even Thanksgiving yet?

even the moose gets a glass ball!

I did stop short of a tree though, it's not that they aren't even available yet, but more that it's a little more fuss than I want since we won't be here for Christmas!

I did however hang tree-like material from the kitchen ceiling LOL!

When you have a husband who has been deployed for the better part of the whole year, it's easy to get carried away with anticipation!

The dogs however, were unimpressed...

Finished 2 pair of socks.

The above pair were supposed to be for hubby. I keep trying to loosen up my knitting - I've used larger needles, tried to drink wine to relax, all to no avail. Doesn't matter what I do, I get ladies' size 6 socks! At this rate I will be the one with the warmest feet this winter!

Finnegan's new woolies:

His feet are so darn cute!

The below lazy dinner is brought to you by: a mom obsessed with knitting socks!

"sssssshhhhhh! wait 'til I finish this round!"

I get to start fresh tonight trying to knit a pair for hubby, the lady at the yarn store suggested valium might do the trick to loosen up those stitches - but I'm afraid I'll end up with a scarf!

WAY too cold, gray & windy again today to garden...

Life in Neuroticville

Time for my weekend wrap-up! Nothing really blog-worthy, as you will see, but thanks for hanging in there anyway!

I apologize for not replying to all the helpful sewing comments I received on those posts, but the reason is that I was "sew busy" (haha) putting into action all your advice that I kind of got caught up in it all!

I spent Friday night cleaning my machine. No kidding, I really did open that bottle of Jack Daniels and pour myself a cocktail while cleaning the heck out of it. It's never been cleaned in 19 years and it's also never been covered! That may be my first project, a sewing machine cover. My kids were in bed and it was really nice and quiet in here, streaming a radio show over the internet and then followed by an hour of 40's big band music that made the whole project feel kind of homesteader-ish.

The next day things got interesting. I was cleaning out my purse and came across one of the coupons for a craft store here for 50% off, Saturday only! I really needed that grid ruler and they are a bit pricey so I told the kids to hurry and we ran out the door to go buy it at about 4 p.m. - we got it alright...

Half off made it 9.99! Feeling very happy, we drove back home.

As we walked in the front door my son says "mom, you aren't going to like this..."

Sprocket, who shall be referred to as "Charlie's dog" from here on out, had torn up the sock I was working on! She pulled out all 4 bamboo needles and they were in bits all over the couch and floor. I had been in such a rush to leave and save some $$ that I had left the knitting on the coffee table!

Bamboo Needles: $13.99

UGH!

Here's a reminder of our furry family members...

This is Marley, the good dog, MY dog!

and this is Sprocket... hubby's dog!

BAD, BAD DOGGIE... see she's even on the couch while Marley was being her usual well-behaved self.

To top that off, Thing 1 comes home from school today with the below library book and starts in with "can we get a Border Collie, pleeeeeze?"

Yeah, I'll get right on that. Just what this little urban homestead needs, another herding dog with no sheep to herd! To be fair, our choice of pets tends to fit right in with our personalities, OCD, Type A, and neurotic! Funny how that works out...

I spent the whole day cleaning house yesterday, not really the "moving out" kind, but things that really need to be done so they won't weigh on my mind. Cleaned windows, plantation shutters, under the stove and fridge, that type of thing. Hubby will also be happy to know that I have converted the bed back to a bed LOL. Pretty much the day after he left, I put the wide side of the bed up against the wall and arranged all the pillows day-bed style instead, giving me an extra 12 square feet - you laugh....

Organized a sewing area for myself.

Still knitting.

Garlic still not planted.

I meant to plant that darn garlic today, but woke up to 38º and thought, nope! First it rained for a week straight, now we have 30 mph north winds on top of the cold temps moving in! As soon as it gets in the 50's again this week I'll do it. Yes, I'm a northern gal - I do actually enjoy winter, I just don't particularly like digging my hands into 38º cold wet soil in the shade and can't-catch-your-breath wind! I prefer a hike or sledding or watching it from the window!

Wow, a lot of rambling for a not so exciting weekend! Truth is, I'm enjoying the break. Just because I can garden 3 seasons doesn't necessarily mean I always want to!

I end on a sad note. Two of my blogging friends lost furry loved ones recently. Jill from A Berry Good Life-Farm Girl lost their doggy friend Allie, and Chicken Mama of Tales of Chicken Mama, Lady Homesteader (Mama Pea's daughter) lost her beloved homestead cat Annie Blue just today to an incident with wildlife. Take a moment to include them in your thoughts this evening. I know most of us are also pet lovers and have probably been there a time or two, it never gets easier.

Monday?

Yeah, I couldn't think of a creative title today - it's a little of this, a little of that! First, a couple of photos from last night...

I liked this one because it could have been taken in another era! That's Finn streaking through the yard.

Below, the kids trick or treated yet another year with their bags made by yours truly! I thought as they get older they would whine for the huge bags with cartoon characters, etc the other kids have, but they surprised me!

I felt a little lazy today because I had a 20 minute nap with the dogs and also finished a sock, but BEFORE I did that, I managed to get quite a bit accomplished in the morning. Beautiful weather for yard work, high was only 53º today and sunny, I was able to wear my favorite outfit of jeans and a quilted flannel! I mowed the lawn for the last time this year (have I mentioned how nice pooper scooping is with frozen poop in the morning? It's the little things that I'm most thankful for LOL). I also got all the Halloween decorations out of the yard, all packed up and back into the attic. When it's over, it's over around here! I must admit I looked longingly at the Christmas decorations while I was up in the attic, but left them alone. I just want to keep moving on to the next holiday because it makes it seem closer to hubby's homecoming. I wasn't going to do any Christmas decorations this year since we will be driving to Minnesota, but who am I kidding? I am a total sucker when it comes to that stuff! Ask hubby, he thinks I'm nuts with my tradition of decorating the tree right after Thanksgiving dinner. He groans about hanging lights so many years it's me on the ladder stringing lights on the house!

Here's a few photos from the garden today:

Above, the "dwarf" (LOL) burning bush behind the garden is really on fire right now!

Below, starting to see broccoli!

Pak Choy, random lettuces

I never really gave marigolds much thought before as fall color, but these I started from seed last spring are just going gangbusters when the mums are starting to get scraggly

I was surprised by these raspberries while mowing the lawn! I know there was probably more if I had been actively checking, but Sprocket eats them - these were up higher than her head!

A few days ago Mama Pea asked her readers to post photos of their kitchens at night, kind of a "what a passer-by might see" kind of photo. I struggled with this one since from ground level you can't really see much (we are on a crawlspace foundation), and from our narrow porch you are smack dab IN the window pretty much. Combine that with a long narrow galley kitchen plantation shutters and this is really all you get!

Below was taken standing on a chair outside my kitchen sink window LOL

I'm thinking now a better shot would be from my living room side window, but since there is no porch over there, I would need a tall ladder and I'm not digging that out of the shed LOL! Go ahead and post yours so we can all be peeping toms! I've seen some really great photos of some of yours already, would love to see more!

The kids are off school tomorrow, election day? Seems silly, but the school is probably a poll location now that I'm thinking about it. Nice, because we get to have dinner at a normal hour tonight instead of super early like usual. We are having a nice hearty winter dinner to match our weather, venison meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy & green beans! Basic, but good!

Looking forward to more of the above this evening after the kiddies are in bed!

In case you are wondering, that's a DOG napping at my foot - Sprocket is kind of an odd specimen LOL