goodbye miss raven...

miss raven crossed Rainbow Bridge on Tuesday, October 28, at 4:50pm.  I am devastated at the loss of my sweet girl, my best friend.

I love you, raven, forever and always, to the moon and back, bunches and bunches and some more after that.  You will always be in my heart.  You were the very best thing to ever happen to me and I never, not for even one second, regretted my decision to bring you home.  I rescued you and you rescued me, too.  I don't know what I am going to do without you but I am so happy you are not in pain any more.  I miss you so, so much and I beg God every night to let me see you again in Heaven.

Rest in peace, babygirl

Three down, two to go...

Happy Wednesday!

Or, as Geico likes to say...

It's HUMP DAY-YEAH!

:)

I'm eagerly looking forward to this weekend for a few reasons:

1. NO SCHOOL ON MONDAY!!!
2. Knit group on Saturday!
3. See #1

Other than knit group, I really don't have any plans.  I will be taking down my Christmas tree and decorations.  Don't judge.  I like to enjoy the holiday.  ;)  I also plan on parking my stationary bike smack in the middle of my living room so that it can guilt me in to using it.  I must get to the post office because I still haven't mailed my nephew's birthday present.  His birthday was the 10th.  Auntie fail.  :(

I'm working on a new pair of socks.  I'm so totally in love with them.  I can't wait robe done with them so that I can wear the heck out of them.  :)

I hope you had a great day!  Only 2 more days until the weekend!

:)

The week of forever...

So I went back to work on Monday.

Just this past Monday.

We had Tuesday off due to extreme cold.  Yes, we are wimpy here.  And we are proud of it thankyouverymuch.

Today is Friday and I have to tell you, this week has felt like it lasted FOREVER.  Last night I was actually trying to remember if I actually had a vacation.

Sheesh.

It rained all day today and it's supposed to rain ALL weekend.  I miss summer.  A lot.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to build an ark.

Oh Summer, where are you...

Well, we are home again today.

It is OMG cold outside.  When I let miss raven out early this morning she went faster than I ever thought she could.  She was off and back on the porch in less than two minutes.  Since then we have been snuggled on the couch together under the heated blanket and in front of the space heater.

We are not made for cold, she and I.

The weather is deceptive.  Sitting inside it looks bright and sunshiny and WARM outside.

Don't believe it.

The weather is a liar.

It's supposed to be close to 60 on Sunday.  I think we will all feel like we are in Maui.

And then the temperature is going back down.

Fickle winter.  I hate you.

On the bright side, I have been doing a great deal of knitting today.  Kinda makes up for the ZERO amount of knitting I did on vacation because of the cold.  It's nice to be back in the groove.

Hope you're warm, wherever you are!

:)

Back to life, back to reality...

I went back to work today.

It was good; pretty much what I expected.  I was glad to see the kiddos and they were eager to share with me what they got for Christmas.  I was pleasantly surprised when they sat quietly and listened to my vacation story before they got to tell their own.  There's hope for them yet.  ;)

I have been sick for quite a while now.  This cold doesn't seem to want to leave.  I'm still slightly congested and I can't seem to get rid of this infernal cough.  It's both frustrating and very tiring.

It seems like we might end up with a day off tomorrow.  The weather here, like most of the country, is turning bitterly cold and since a good portion of our student body has to travel outside to get from one class to the next, our administration is leaning toward closing.  I have to tell you that honestly, I would more than welcome the extra day to rest.  It's amazing how tiring being sick can make you.  I went out for a little bit yesterday and, having not been out of the house for almost a week, I was exhausted by the time I got home.  An extra day of rest is very appealing.

Stay warm, wherever you are!  miss raven and I will be snuggling under the electric blanket and doing our best to keep toasty!

:)

Happy New Year!!!

So, last year I said that I wanted to accomplish three things:

1.  Be a better blogger
2.  Make healthier choices
3.  Try something new

I tried sushi.

One outta three ain't bad, right?!

Fail.

So, this year I think I will keep the same goals.  And perhaps I will do better.

🎉Happy New Year!🎉

Is anyone still out there??

I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't.

:(

Well, hello.

It's been over a month again and I find myself wondering how I turned into *that* blogger.

You know.

The one who only blogs once every 157 million years.

Or once a month.

Whatever.

Things are going ok.  School is fine.  The weather is cold.  miss raven is as cute and snuggly as ever.  I'm still knitting.  And I'm still not eating very healthy.  Or exercising.

Sigh.

I hurt my ankle on Wednesday.  Pretty badly.  I did the same thing about ten years ago, but back then it was much, much worse.  Thankfully, although quite painful, this time wasn't nearly as bad.  No need to visit the hospital or even the doctor.  Just some ice, ibuprofen, and good friends who let me borrow crutches and an air cast.

I have a long weekend ahead of me and I am so happy.  It's hard to believe that in just a few weeks Thanksgiving will be here and then after that, Christmas.  Where did this year go??

School is going well.  I am enjoying this class but I must admit, I miss my class from the last two years.  I know I said it before but I really, really miss them.  I am always so happy when they stop by to see me in the morning or after school.  It always brightens my day.

I am teaching this year's crop of students how to crochet.  As is usual, some of them have really taken to it.  I don't know if they will end up as advanced as last year's class but it will be interesting to see how they develop.

That's all for now.  My ankle is getting sore and I am in need of more coffee.  I promise to try to be back soon.  I have pictures of knitting to share.

:)

for my "little" brother...

Who not-so-mildly scolded me over the weekend for my lack of blogging.

I'm a slacker.

I own it.

I haven't had much to say.

The school year is going well, for the most part.  I miss the class that I had the last two years, but this class is good, too.  For the most part.

I miss my niece and nephew.  They are growing up and I don't get nearly enough time with them.

Or pictures.

Ahem.  *cough*mybrotherisaslacker*cough*

Knitting is going well.  I've finished several projects lately, including two shawls.  I'm almost done with a pair of socks and I start a new sweater class soon.  I am so excited about this class!  I've been wanting to make this particular sweater FORever and now I am going to get to make it!

Congress is being a bunch of five-year olds and I am SO over it already.  We were supposed to go on a field trip this Friday that has been almost certainly cancelled because the place we were going is part of the National Park Service and since the government is shut down they will be closed.  So I have a class of disappointed children because Congress is acting like a bunch of spoiled children.

Hmmm....not much else is happening.  It is fall now and I hate it.

Sorry, didn't you know that about me?

Fall comes before winter and I hate winter.  Fall makes me sad because I know winter is coming.  I hate winter.  I hate cold.  I hate snow.  I hate winter.

But I digress.

Football is good and my team is not.  Well, they currently have a winning record but unless something odd happens, like, I don't know, the Earth tilts on it's axis or something, we won't have a winning record after Sunday.  I love the Cowboys and we are playing the Broncos.  And Peyton Manning.  Who is surgical in his slicing and dicing of all teams who aren't the Broncos.  Sigh.  Maybe one year soon we won't suck so much.  But hey, at least we aren't the Giants.  Or the Eagles.  hehehehehehehe!

Done for now.  I'm tired and I'm going to bed.

I hope I have made you happy, little brother.

;)

I've got this...

I think.

Most days I struggle with whether or not I am doing a good enough job for my class.  I want them to grow, to develop, to learn, and to have the best year ever.  I (selfishly) want them to always remember me and to think I was the BEST.TEACHER.EVER.

And most days I wonder if I'm doing enough.

The day races by and I think about the times I have had to stop and count to 10, 50, or even 100 before answering someone so I don't yell/sound impatient/seem frustrated.

I think about what I could have/should have/need to have done before the next day.

I think about how seemingly short my break is and why I can't have an adult conversation during lunch...justthisonce.

I think about a lot of things.

And then I see the smiles.

I hear the laughter.

I see the looks of confusion change to looks of confidence.

I grade a math quiz and am thrilled with 10 A+'s and 1 B+!

I look around an empty room and see evidence of learning, growing, and developing.

And I think...

I've got this.

:)

::crickets::

I truly am so sorry that I have been silent for a while.  I never intended to be.  I was not in a (long) funk about the topic of my last post.  I was however, caught up in the newness of another school year.

The older I get the worse it becomes.  Because of the summer off, by the time I work a whole week of school, I am dead tired.  The last two weeks have actually been really good but I am exhausted by the time I come home at the end of the day.

I have a good class this year.  They are a little talkative and right now I know that I am new to them and they are kind of feeling me out to see if I really mean what I say.  (I do.) Overall, though, I am fairly certain that this is going to be a good year.  At the end of the day today I was asking them what their favorite part of this week was and one of them said to me, "Getting to be in your class."  Awwwww!!!!  Heart melt!!!  Another thing that made me feel good was that every single student I have in my class is in my class because their parent specifically requested me as teacher.  I love being loved again.

I must confess, though, that I miss last year's class terribly.  Having had most of them for two years was wonderful but not having them this year is hard.  I am so thankful that most of them still come by, either in the morning or right after school, to say hello and to give me a hug.  Secretly I hope they never stop.  :)

Not much to report on the knitting front.  I currently have not one, not two, but FIVE projects on the needles.  Two are almost done and I am hoping to finish them this weekend.  One is about 65% completed but I really only have the patience to work on it a little at a time.  The fourth is about 75% completed and that is also looking good for this weekend or by the end of next week.  The last one is a sock.  The dreaded second sock.  Meh.

On the "healthy eating" front...I am doing ok, ,I suppose.  I did really well this week but am currently waiting for a (late) Papa John's order.  (And getting later by the moment.  My increasing level of irritation is directly related to their increasing tardiness with  my order.  My pizza better not be cold.)  I did make the conscious choice to request a light amount of cheese.  That should count for something, right?

Have a wonderful weekend!!

:)

eight

some days it still doesn't feel real.

some days i think i can just pick up the phone and you'll be there.

still.

i just wish i could talk to you again.  there is so much i wish i could tell you; so much i wish you weren't missing out on.

i hate that i think that people have forgotten you.  not me, not matthew, or dad; but other people.  sometimes it makes me angry that they go on like nothing ever happened and i have a hole in my heart so large a ship could sail through it.

i miss you so much.

still.

today people will go on about their business like it's a normal day and i will be fighting a losing battle with depression.  oh, i'll smile and i'll act "normal" because, after eight years, it's what's expected of me.  but inside...

inside i'll be dying a little more.  i'll be screaming for people to pay attention to the fact that the world is not the same because you aren't here.  i'll be crying and i'll be feeling like my soul is being ripped out.

still.

and i love you.

still

Old letters...

Every once in a while I come across something from my past that evokes some strong emotion and it happened again last night.

Let me set the story for you...

I had just gotten into bed and was getting ready to turn off the light when I happened to look at the floor behind my bed and saw...ants.  Currently they are the bane of my existence.  I loathe them.  Anyway, after a few minutes of investigating, I determined that they were after a rogue cough drop in my nightstand.  I'll spare you the disgusting details of how they were swarming all over it.  I ended up cleaning out my nightstand (and under it and behind it and on top of it...).  This involves cleaning out not only the drawer but the shelf-y thing underneath it.  As I was cleaning out the shelf (it was mostly filled with books, go figure), I discovered an old hat-box that I put letters in.  I would guess that about 90% of the letters that were in there were from my mom.  Some going back as far as when I was in college.  I didn't read through all of them because after about two of them I was crying so much I couldn't see.  I put the letters back and pulled out some cards and discovered that they were cards people had sent me in sympathy when she passed.  Cue more crying.  I finally put everything away, washed my face, and went to bed.  With a raging headache.  Which meant I couldn't sleep.

A month from today will be eight years that she has been gone.  It's about this time of the year that I fall into a really creepy deep funk and usually it takes me a while to figure out why.  I still miss her so, so much but I am going to make a conscious effort this year to try to keep myself from sliding into the depression that leads up to August 12.

Those lazy, hazy days...

You know what's great about summer vacation?  Half the time I don't know what day it is.

Seriously.

I woke up this morning trying to figure out if it was Thursday or Friday.

I'm pretty sure it's Thursday.

:)

I'm enjoying my rather quiet week after three weeks of being on-the-go.  I haven't done all that much and it's been nice.  I did go see Despicable Me 2 yesterday and that was a lot of fun.  It was at least as good as the first one, easily, and I LOVED the first one.

I've also been exercising on the bike.  I do 30 minutes a day and yesterday rode almost 7 miles.  I have to be honest, though...by the time I'm done, my butt really hurts.  I'm thinking about sitting on a pillow today.  Also, my hips are killing me.  I'm old and I don't like it.

I've also been really good about keeping track of what I am eating.  It is easier for me to eat more healthy in the summer because I am all about summer fruits and veggies.  Last night I had an apple and a pear for dinner and this morning I had strawberries and blueberries with my breakfast.  I've also discovered the miracle that is the frozen banana.  Seriously.  You must try this.  Slice up and freeze some bananas.  Once they are frozen, throw some in a blender and blend away.  In a few minutes you will have "soft-serve" ice cream.  Last night I added a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter.  Um.  YUMMMMM!!!!

That's pretty much about it for now.  I am going to drink some water, knit a little, and work myself up to ride the bike today.

Tootles!

:)

I know, I know...

I've been gone for a while.

AGAIN.

But I swear I have good reasons this time!!!

Namely these two:

OMG!  Can you just die from the cuteness?!?!

I spent almost two weeks with them (and their parents and my dad) and had the time of my life.  They are SO much fun and it about killed me to leave them.

We did all kinds of things but the best part was just getting to spend time with them.

Once I got back from Texas, where, I must say, it was hotter than Satan's armpit, I went to see my best friend and her family in Ohio.

We had a great, albeit it short time, and I already miss her like crazy.  The worst part is not knowing when I will see her again.  (In case that wasn't clear, it was a thinly concealed plea for her to come visit me.  I'm not proud and I'm not above begging.)

Confession Time:

In my quest for "healthiness" I have been a total and complete failure.  Mostly.  For the last three weeks I have eaten pretty much everything that isn't nailed down.  It just dawned on my that maybe that's why my raven girlie has been spending so much time in the bedroom.  Poor thing is probably scared to death!  Today was no exception.  And then the guilt kicked in and kicked in hard.

Over in the corner stood a recumbent exercise bike that my BFF's parents generously gave to me this past weekend.  I can not even begin to tell you how thankful I am for it.  I got it hauled in to the house and it has been comfortably sitting there for the last two days.  And then tonight, after I had gone through the kitchen like a eating tornado, I decided that enough was enough.  I pulled the bike over to in front of the TV, got my water close by, turned on Jeopardy, and started pedaling.  Thirty minutes and five and a half miles later, and dripping with sweat, I stopped.  And I felt good.  I'm still fat, but I feel like I have taken a step to fix that.  I am planning on getting up tomorrow morning and doing another 30 minutes on the bike.  I would like to go for a walk but it is REALLY hot outside, even early in the morning.

Anyway.  I am hoping to lose 20 pounds or so before school starts in 6 weeks.  I want to start the year off on the right foot and hopefully, by this time next year, I will feel alot better about myself.  And maybe I won't mind having my picture taken...

:)

Put some Windex on it...

So.  I have an ant problem.  I think we've discussed this, no?

Just about everything I have tried makes them laugh at me.  I'm not kidding.  I swear I can hear them.  They are like that creepy little kid Nelson from the Simpsons.

HA-ha.

So anyway.

I was at the Home Depot today to get some edging stones for my front flower bed and I stopped by the insect destruction aisle to see if there was something I hadn't tried yet.  As luck would have it, there was an orange-aproned gentleman there who offered to help me....until I showed him everything I had already tried. If I could have taken a picture of his surprised face for you, I would have.  He seemed genuinely gobsmacked that NOTHING on their shelves had worked for me.

So guess what he told me?

No lie...dude said, "Try Windex.  That's what I use and it seems to work."

All I could think of was the dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding (one of my all time FAVORITE movies) who used the window cleaner on EVERYthing.

So.  I bought a bottle of the blue spray and home I went.

I have to tell you.  My house smells streak-free clean and the ants seem to really hate the stuff!

Way to go Home Depot guy!!!

I also bought some liquid ant traps that the little beasties seem to enjoy as well.  I keep encouraging them to drink their fill and then take some home to the family.  From what I could tell their nest is UNDER my house and I think we all know I am NOT crawling under there.

I am more than a little concerned about the weather we are about to have.  There is a chance of severe storms tonight (WHY must is ALWAYS be at night?!?!) and then tomorrow they are calling for tornadoes, hail, and massive power outages.

Sigh.

I mowed the lawn today so at least, if we do get all the rain they are calling for, I won't have a jungle to cut down after the fact.

Finally, to prove that I have, in fact, learned to knit socks, I leave you with the following pictures:

hehe...how did that cute face sneak in here?!?  

;)

WWKIPD...

Happy World-wide Knit (and crochet) in Public Day!

I spent the late morning/early afternoon with the girls from my class.  Almost all of them crochet and they have been wanting to get together since the end of the school year because, in 11 year-old time, 2 weeks is like 200 years.  It doesn't matter that they communicate through some electronic device just about every single day...being together in public (sans parents) is WAY more fun.

Am I right, girls??

;)

I found out today that they have been reading my blog.

Just great.

Now I can only say  nice things about them.

;)

lol!!!

We did have a good time today.  Lunch at Panera and frozen yogurt from Sweet Frog.  And of course, a lot, A LOT of talking and giggling.  They make me laugh so much!

On the knitting front:

I had to completely frog the shawl I was working on.  I screwed up somewhere and since I couldn't figure out where, I just pulled it all out and re-wound the yarn.  I was upset while doing it but I have made peace with it...and found a different pattern.  I am hoping to start it early this week.

My Jaywalkers are almost done.  I am on the heel gusset of the second sock now, although I did discover that I dropped a stitch when I was doing the heel turn.  I managed to pick the stitch back up, but now I am going to have to do some creative "tweaking" when I am finally finished the sock because there is a small hole where the stitch was dropped.  I *should* be able to fix it, though, and am hoping to post pictures of both completed pair of socks by Wednesday.

I have two other sock patterns I want to give a try as well as the Clapotis, which was all the rage a few years ago (or more).  I have some really pretty yarn for that one.

I am having the worst time with ants this year.  I have sprayed and sprayed outside with all kinds of ant-killer (including the kind that is supposed to put a "barrier" around the house for up to 12 months) but I feel like it is nothing but sugar water because nothing seems to deter them.  Every time I think I have them beat, I find one or two more in the kitchen and/or bathroom.  If anyone has any suggestions on how to get rid of the little pests, please feel free to let me know.  It is driving me CRAZY!

Well, if I am going to get those socks done I had better get back to working on them.

Happy Weekend!!

:)

Sushi, Monkeys, and Laundry...

How's that for a title??

I have come to the realization that blogging in the summer is boring.

Don't worry.

I still plan on blogging.

But honestly...

;)

Things are going well on my vacation so far.  By this I mean that I have managed to squeeze in a nap on most days and have gotten quite a bit of knitting done.

The last several days is had been over 90 degrees outside so not much going on out there.  It's a little cooler today but the humidity is still pretty high.

On Friday I had to take my truck to get the emissions test done.  Thankfully it passed.  Phew!  After that, I went to the salon to get a color touch-up and a trim.  It feels so much better and actually looks good.  For now.  Then I decided to go out for lunch.  Nothing fabulous...there is a Wegmans (a nice grocery store) in the same shopping center as the salon so I decided to get something there and ended up with sushi!  Now, before I start talking about how brave I am and stuff, please do note that the "sushi" I ate was a California Roll.

Baby steps, people, baby steps.

It was really good though, and now I think I am kind of hooked.  Like, I really want more.  Sooner rather than later!  :)

Sock knitting is going smashingly well, also.  This means that I am on the home stretch of the first Jaywalker. I am hoping to finish it and it's mate by next week.  This is a good thing since I currently have two other projects on the needles with plans for two more.  And yes, one of the new two is a pair of socks.  MONKEYS!!!!  These are the socks I have wanted to knit since I learned how to knit.  I think that I am ok enough to tackle these and I am super excited about it.

Now I am off to finish folding laundry and drink more coffee and knit.

I love vacations!!

:)

blah, blah, blah...

I love Summer.

And vacation.

I took a two hour nap today.

:)

I did get up early this morning, though, and spent about an hour outside mowing and trimming the lawn.  I'm not lying when I tell you that the dandelions were about thigh-high.

Pardon me while I hang my head in shame.

miss raven is very appreciative of the yard work.  It's tough being a foot and a half tall and having weeds whack you in the face and butt and all over when you are trying to bark at the helicopters.

I also returned books to the library and spent an outrageous amount of  money at Target.  I have my eye on some really cute curtains in there, too, and I am debating about whether they are gift-card worthy.  I'm picky about what I spend my gift cards on.  ;)

I am also working on my second pair of socks.  They are pink, I love them, and I am about halfway done with the first one.  I promise to post pictures when I finish it.

Tomorrow I have to go get the emissions test done on my truck.  It's overdo and if I don't do it soon my license will be suspended.  Sheesh, Maryland, don't you know people are busy?!?

I also have a hair appointment tomorrow morning.  I am thinking about letting it grow to all the same length, keeping it short in the back and angled down to a bob in the front.  Not sure though.  I'll talk it over with my stylist tomorrow and see what she thinks.  I generally let her do whatever she wants as long as I don't come out with some funky colored hair or looking like a boy.

I am also going to start doing yoga tomorrow.  We'll see how that goes.  Hula-hooping is also looking like an option.  I really want to try the Bar Method, but there are no studios close to me.  I am thinking about getting a  DVD of that and doing it at home.  I've heard it's a killer, though, so we'll see.

Ok.  Time to go work on a sock!

:)

So far...

so good.

Although, I have to be honest, I don't feel like I am on summer vacation yet.

More like an extended Memorial Day weekend.

It has been nice so far.  I took miss raven hiking in a park.  Yes.  Us.  Outside.  Communing with nature.

I draw the line at camping, though.

I also went to my LYS, did some grocery shopping, and went to the Zoo.  I love the zoo.  Best time to go = early  morning before the loud groups of children arrive.

I have lots of other plans for this summer which may or may not include the beach, Ohio, and Texas.

I love summer!

:)

A month...

It's been a month since I last blogged.

I'm not making excuses, I'm not apologizing.

I  needed a break.

The end of the school year is so stressful for me.  This year was no exception.  Nothing bad...nothing bad at all.  Actually much good.  It was just....stressful.

School ended yesterday.  It was bittersweet because I love my class so much and I won't have them again next year.  I am not moving to middle school, have no desire to move to middle school, won't move to middle school.  So.  I am done being their teacher.

It was hard to say goodbye, even though the day was long and I was so ready for dismissal.  It was still hard to say goodbye.

I'll see most of them next year because 14 out of 15 are coming back.  The one that isn't is moving, unfortunately.  It will be hard to see them in the fall and know they aren't coming to me anymore.

My summer vacation began yesterday.  As long as we had everything done and were all checked out, we were allowed to leave when the kids did.  I was so happy about that!  I worked my butt off (not literally, sadly) this whole week so I could be done by Friday.  When I walked out the door, I had a huge smile on my face because I know that, aside from having to pick up my last two checks, I am DONE for the summer!!!!!

And so I promise that, although my summer vacation has begun, my blog vacation is over.

:)