Genealogy on the Internet.

I had a great time at class--Genealogy on the Internet. I had my laptop with me. Unfortunately I wasn't near a plug so I could not keep up with all the web sites as we went along before my battery got low. I did save a few in my genealogy favorites list and will be adding others to get me going. Most I had on my old computer, but never was able to transfer my favorites over to my laptop.
It was good to see Sandy again, as well as her family (except for the puppy princess.)
And I even managed to knit a few rows on my latest pair of socks.!

Leaving the Nest

A little time to post before I attend an afternoon genealogy on the Internet class at the local library. I haven't had much time to work on it but with unemployment looming in my future again, I may have time to spend on research again.
News on the family front. Oldest son is soon going to be moving out. We had gotten subtle hints, like Oldest Son asking about the cost of propane. But when someone at the local farm equipment shop mentioned to Hubby that Oldest Son was going to be his neighbor. When confronted, he admitted as much. His boss bought the house with a barn and a few acres. Oldest Son gets to live in the house, and apparently the barn will be rebuilt to house some young heifers. It will be a few weeks, because the water is turned off and he has no idea what is there as far as appliances and furniture and such. I may have to go shopping with him, as well as rummaging the attic.
All youngest son cares about is that there is a washer and dryer. No more doing brother's laundry.
Better go for now to eat and get ready for class.

The Need to Blog

I can't believe, now that I finally have a blog, and NEED to get online occasionally to post an entry--now my younger son has a my space page and I can't get a chance at the computer. All week, I no sooner think to myself, when I finish this row (red baby blankie) I will get online, than younger son decides to turn on the PC and stays on line for all hours.
Grrrr.
Busy day today--had a holiday off, so was grocery shopping by 8:30am. Then the book store. Bad news, spent too much.
So then later, I go to the library to blog away, and younger son is ready to leave NOW!
So, better luck later tonight, or tomorrow.

Brrrrrrrr!

What a chilly weekend. Snow --not as much as was promised. Cold--again, not as cold as promised but we got down to 0 degrees last night. I mostly just stayed home and vegged out.
I did have to go to town to get taxes done. Hubby had to stay home--he got a piece of sawdust in his eye and wimped out on me. I told him to stay by the phone and we got it done with only 2 phone calls to him at home.
I did get a lot of knitting done on the baby blankie for my great neichew. I have one funky needle that keeps coming off the cable. I may have to replace that set of needles. But so far, so good. I may have to look for some glue and see if that works, but gluing anything to metal is an iffy business.
Now that Spin Night has been canceled, I will need to make time for that at home--probably like before, I will spin while watching the races. Daytona 500 is less than a week away--Feb 17, and the Shoot-Out is only Feb 9--the dry spell will soon be over.

Stop and Go on the Blankie

Since I finished my cherry festival socks, I decided it was ok to start something else. And since there is an upcoming baby shower for the mother of my great neichew in February, I figured best get cracking on the blankie to go with it. I started with the cherry festival worsted. But since it took the dye differently than the sock yarn, after several rounds, I decided to rip it out. (Oh no!) The worsted is more pink and mauvey (is that a word?), while the sweater made with the sock yarn is more reds. I went to the local yarn shop and found some Wool Ease (which is machine washable) and it matches wonderfully. And trust me, that hat looking object, will be a baby blankie.

I better start working on it a little more.

Vestry devestment

Well, I am officially off the vestry, after our church annual meeting today. The meeting seemed to go well for the most part. We also have some men on the vestry again--3 in fact. But I sat in back and tried to hear over the kiddlings who kept coming in and out of the Sunday school room. I also did some serious knitting on my entrelac shawl. I won 6 skeins of Cinnamon Swirl from eBay that my local yarn shop had posted. I plan to make another for the church to sell for our church building project, after this is done.
I also finished the final Cherry Festival sock, so I have to make sure I have some red clothes to wear tomorrow.
Better check the laundry.

Week in Review 2--Merrily We Go

And so it starts. I found out, after my day off on Thursday, that the blood bath, so to speak at work is starting. Well in a way. They are consolidating offices. One of our offices is closing next week and in order to keep her job, the girl there has to drive another 40 miles to another office. One of the drivers up north told us his commute will go from 6 minutes to 45 minutes. Needless to say, morale is down.
Earlier in the week, some of the people who are in charge of the depot and safety were in the back office where I work. The two of them started talking about his office going here and the others office will probably go there, and maybe could go here or over on that side, and we want to keep the middle of the room open. And so on, total oblivious to the fact that most of us around them are the ones whose jobs are doomed.
Afterwards, both of them realized how tactless they were (dare I say, typical men?) and both offered apologies. One was even afraid to show his face for a while.
Now we wait. I put in job applications, and field reject notes.
Such fun. Excuse me while I go knit.
That reminds me. I started the blankie to go with the cherry festival blanket. Bad match. I'll save that yarn to go with the other skeins to make me a sweater. I will need to get some that goes better with it. Maybe a solid. I hate to give another sweater without a blanket to go with it. Isn't it terrible? I may have to buy yarn?

Week in Review 1--Knit Nite

It has been a hectic week. I was really sick last weekend, and the result was no postings to speak of all week. I had been ok in the morning Saturday last weekend but by after noon I was wiped out.

I made it to work on Monday and by Tuesday was ready for Knit Night. We had our first meeting in our new location--a local wireless cafe. As the pictures show, it is very nice. Unfortunately I had to leave early, but it was a very nice spot. Very bright and comfortable. I look forward to next week.

I had to leave for my last vestry meeting. Not too painful, and not to long so I go off the vestry on a high note. Sunday is the annual meeting and then my term is over.

While at both Knit Night and vestry I made massive progress on my entrelac shawl. I got the idea to get some hand-dyed yarn and making another to donate for sale/raffle for the new church kitchen.

Ode to Winter--Lost

How I long for the crisp and snowy days of winters as they were:
Cold and clear, Shiny and deep, with temps that make you go brrrrrrrrr!
I hate this rain in wintertime, with muck and mud galore.
Give me the drifts of deep, deep snow—yes that’s what I adore.
Moonlight’s glow on snowy fields, and lake effect’s soft flakes
Sub-zero temps and piles of snow. Now that’s winter, for goodness sakes!!!!!!

Composed during the non-winter of 2006-07, by me, but it certainly fits today.
(I especially hate thunderstorms in January--The nerve!!)

Blah and foggy

Yucky day, I have come down with Younger Son's cold and have been battling that today, so I can hopefully go to work tomorrow. I was supposed to read at church today, but called a friend to read in my place. You can't just throw someone into reading the epistle lesson when it is by Paul, who never seemed to grasp the concept of periods.
Foggy day too; all of our snow is gone, or almost gone. Temps are mid or upper 40's and the ground is mud and slop.
I hate non-winter winter weather.
I will have to look up my poem, ode to winter-lost.
But first I am going to take a nap. I'm even too tired to knit or spin.

One Last Day of Rest

I truly enjoy having an extra day off, as most of the world returns to work. After delivering Younger Son to school, I got a few things from Wal-Mart, and then off to the library. I much prefer cruising the Net and making my posts from there on the hi-speed connection available there, as opposed to dial-up at home. After my Oldest son connected at home several times, and then tried it on a wireless from a local parking lot hot spot, I never see him on the computer at home any longer.
All in all, this has been a fairly productive time off. I finished the Cherry Festival baby sweater, except for buttons, BUT all the ends are woven in. And I have made amazing progress on the Entrelac shawl. I can't wait for that to be finished.
I will soon have to start with the Cherry Festival blankie, but am confident that will not be a problem, as long as my great neichew does not make an early appearance. I have over 2 and a half months yet.
And this week starts spinning, new time, same place. If I can't make it every week, especially once the NASCAR truck season starts, I can at least make one or 2 a month. I better get home and start spinning some more of my rose gray alpaca. If I don't hurry, Jane will be done with hers before I am with mine.

Happy (Red Neck) New Year

Happy New Year to you all.

Time for resolutions--Not sure I I want to make any though. Maybe a good one would be to be employed by the end of the year. I want to spend time with my Bible reading. And to post at least 2 times a week here. I don't think that is too ambitious.

I mentioned the traditional New Years Eve I had in my previous post. I guess Oldest Son was being pretty traditional for him also.

He who owns the Red-neck hippy bus, and although he has a perfectly good red truck, he still prefers to drive Old Black. And last night was no exception.

Old Black--decked out for the holiday season. Luckily the lights were off while traveling down the road,

But is it any wonder I have such gray hair?

End of the Year

Probably a couple posts today. End of one year, and the beginning of the new.
I had my traditional end of the year movie and dinner day/ladies day out with some friends. We saw a total chick flick--PS I Love You. I went through a napkin and 2 tissues. But oh, what fun it was. And beautiful Irish scenery. And before the movie, lunch at a great buffet with lots of great food and variety.
And later, after Hubby came home from the local livestock auction--homemade chocolate ice-cream. Many years ago he got an electric ice cream freezer for Christmas. Now mind you, he never uses it. Its always the boys and I mixing and adding the ice, water and salt to the noisy beast every New Year's Eve. In the past I would blend up a quart of peaches and add that to the mixture, but lately the preferred flavor has been chocolate--made by just adding cocoa powder until it looks dark enough. Very scientific.
And of course watching old movies on tv. This year, TCM had a Fred and Ginger Film Festival for New Years Eve. I managed to stay up for 3: The Gay Divorcee, Shall We Dance, and Top Hat. Love those old movies.
All that, plus the ball drop in New York.