The Weekend

Wow.  What a busy weekend.  Now that it is warm enough I think we might have over done...
We:
* hiked with the boys and Corrine.
* ran errands and played at REI.
* dug up weeds in the garden to be rototilled on Monday.
* put together our pre-fab chicken coop and got the ladies situated in their new home (more on that later).
* Happy hour with good friends on Friday.
* BBQ'd
* Sadly on Sunday, went back to work.

17/52

A portrait a week for a year.
This week- wearing mama's running shoes.  I couldn't stop laughing as she attempted to walk from the bedroom to the front door.

Prayers

This past Sunday evening I was sitting on the mezzanine level at the airport (because it is quieter with less foot traffic).  I had my earbuds in listening to Jane Eyre on the Craft Lit podcast.  I was knitting on  my second square swap square when this young lady approached me and introduced herself.  My first thought as I saw her walk up to me was that she wanted to talk to me about what I was knitting.  She had been sitting across the aisle from where I was knitting.  We introduced ourselves (although now I can't remember her name). She told me that Jesus had told her to come talk to me.  Immediately I had my defenses up.  I thought she was going to preach her religion and practice her recruitment techniques.

But as she talked she put me quite at ease.  It was clear that was not her intention.  He told her I needed a prayer and she felt obliged to do so.  She asked if there was a reason that I needed a prayer and I told her of my upcoming surgery.  Surgery has been on my mind a lot lately.  Mostly because my shoulder hurts daily and I'm ready for some relief of the pain.  But I am very nervous of this whole process and I don't know why.  I have had numerous injuries that have required surgery and all has been ok.

She asked if she could do her prayer right there and then.  I said of course and she said her prayer.  After we both said Amen, we talked a moment.  Then she said, have a good flight and I said the same to her.

Here it is almost a week later and this simple gesture by a complete stranger is still on my mind now as much as it was the moment it happened.  Goodness in people in still out there!

Snow Again!!!!!

Today is April 23rd.  This is what we woke up to.  Again.  No wonder the first thing Corrine said this morning was "Beach."
We really need the moisture so I'm not complaining.  OK, I am complaining a little bit.  We've had over 15 inches of snow in April!  Crazy!  The garden will get planted by June, I'm sure of it.

Have a great day!

Random Thoughts on Thursday

Here are a few of the random photos I've taken this week...

It's been cold again.  
The girls in the box in front of the heater vent.
The snowy morning on April 16th.
Corrine with her snowman and Buffett.
A couple of months ago I talked about cutting up lemons to make Limoncello.  The lemons have been soaking in vodka for almost three months.  I had completely forgotten about them.  I found the jug over the weekend while searching for the salad spinner.  
 I'm boiling the lemons with some sugar/honey water.  After they simmered for about 10 minutes I poured the whole mess through the mesh strainer to contain the gazillion seeds.  After that I poured the lemon sugar water into the lemon infused vodka that was in the jug.  Those flavors will soak together for a few days in the fridge.   I'm hoping that it will soon be warm enough to drink some icy cold limoncello!

5 Random Things

Almost a month ago, Colleen at Five Little Homesteaders tagged me to do the 5 Random Things about myself.  I completely spaced it out.  Then last week Sarah at Sezza Knits also tagged me for the same thing.  Ooops.  That was when I remembered.  I blame a lot of things on mama brain, this being one of them.

Here it is, the 5 random things...

1.  When I was in my 20's, I had a lot of issues.  Food issues.  Commitment issues.  Self-Esteem issues. I'm in a much better place now than I was then.

2.  I got my Masters Degree in Gerontology.  I used that degree for approximately six months.  I was a social worker in an Alzheimer's facility.  It was a temporary job to begin with (I was covering a maternity leave).  The day I was hired at the airline, she gave her notice and they offered me the job.  Ugh.  What to do?  I'm still paying for that degree, but I love my airline job.

3.  I learned to knit when I was 5 or 6 and in 4H.  I made a poncho in 70's gold.  It won a ribbon at the county fair.  (I'll have to see if I can find it in my "life in a box" at mom's house).

4.  I have always owned a Volkswagon.

5.  I am a huge believer in Karma.  What goes around, comes around.  And I try to live my life accordingly.

Well, that was harder than I thought it would be to come up with 5 random things.  But there you have it.  Five things that are a part of what makes me who I am!

New (temporary) Housing for the Ladies

Last weekend the ladies got a new home.  The little metal washtub I was using was rapidly becoming too small for them.  Their water did was constantly filled with wood chips and Joni was sitting on top of the heat lamp.  We were going to buy a huge storage tub for their use and then when we finally move them outside, clean it and use it for storage (cause we need lots of storage bins).  I happened to mention it to Corrine's babysitter who is also my assistant chicken keeper (in exchange for eggs).  She was out and about and found this lidless storage for $1.98 at the thrift store.  SCORE!  
Joni on the edge! 
The ladies in their new home
Now they have room to spread their wings.  I have found a pre-fab chicken coop (think IKEA for the chicken set) on Amazon that I like and will purchase in the next week or so.  It's still been too cold for them to go outside yet.  They are in their awkward teenage years and don't have all of their feathers yet and it was 7 degrees last night.  Ideally I would like for them to be in their permanent home by May 1st.  It's good to have goals!

Yarn Along

It's Wednesday and that means it's time for the weekly yarn along.  I'm joining wtih Ginny and everyone for an update of reading and yarn!  It's all about the books and knitting.  Last night I finished and blocked the first of the squares I'm making for my Square Swap group on Ravelry.  I volunteered to  make two squares for April so that if I need someone to make a square for me in May after shoulder surgery it will be good Karma.  
 My aunt gave Corrine this book.  She LOVES Pete the Cat.  We read it at least once a day, sometimes two or three times.
I started reading The Casual Vacancy.  I'm at the beginning of it and I'm not sure about it yet.  I know several people in the Yarn Along group have read it and did not like it.  The book has started out very slowly.  But I'm not sure if I am having a hard time with it because I absolutely loved the Harry Potter books.  This is nothing like HP.  Two of my good friends (we are all HP fans- so much so we waited in  line at the midnight release of the last four books) have started it but have not finished it.

Happy Yarn Along Wednesday!

Spring Time in Colorado

Yesterday it was in the upper 60's.  I pruned some roses in the front yard and it was pleasant.  By late afternoon the wind had picked up and it started to rain.  There were thunderstorms and tornadoes in the Northeast part of the state.  

This was when I let the dogs out this morning and it is still snowing.  Luckily because it was warm yesterday the roads are fine, but it is 16 degrees outside right now.   I know the calendar says spring...

14/52

A portrait a week for a year.
Easter morning before we set off for Oma and Papa's.  Corrine insisted on carrying her new (to her) CU Buffs backpack.

Random Thoughts on Thursday

A few thoughts running through my mind today:

*  I am learning to be patient.  It's a must with a toddler who says constantly, "I do it."  Deep breath in.  Ok. You do it.

*  Why is it always nice weather when I am at work and not home to work in my garden?  So much to be done.

*  Why must I fax documentation to the flexible spending people from TWO YEARS ago?  Why are they just now getting around to it?
above the early morning clouds outside of Los Angeles
* I think I have pretty much decided to buy a chicken coop.  I found a one on a website a friend sent to me.  I was going to build a chicken tractor and had an idea of combining three of them that I liked into one.  However, the purchase of a kit may in fact just save my marriage, so I'm all for that.  We won't kill each other over "some assembly required."

Have a great day! 

Yarn Along

It's Wednesday and the weekly Yarn Along.  Time for a knitting and reading update.  That's right, it's all about the books and yarn!  I am work on several projects.  This project is the square for the April square swap.  It's the one I've started three times because I didn't like the way it was turning out.  The black blob on the bottom is my photography assistant, Brickman.  I'm almost done with this square, then I can block it to get the puckering out of the pattern and then off it goes.  And I'll be back to the citron and sylvi. 
I have been reading Bone Bed.  It's the new Kay Scarpetta book by Patricia Cornwell.  Dr. Scarpetta bothers me at times with her feelings that every one is against her and she can't trust anyone, even those close to her. But that didn't stop me from staying up late on Sunday night reading.  Just one more chapter.  I finally had to make myself turn off the light.

I've been playing around on the computer this afternoon while the kid naps.  I've got a gazillion things I should be doing instead since I've been gone for five days.  One of those things was to work on my blog.  I am not the most computer savvy person in the world.  Blogger is pretty easy to use and when I get to playing one of the easiest things to do is to change backgrounds.   I had wanted to add pictures to what I think is the header, but couldn't figure it out the way I wanted so I just changed the background again.

Another addition is the follow via Bloglovin tab.  I also "claimed" my blog (although I'm not sure what that does but I did it anyway).  Which is what the gobbledygook is below.  
<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/4469773/?claim=6sma6rzfhb7">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

OK.  I'm going to quit while I'm ahead and still actually have a blog to type on!  Ha.

My New Glasses

A couple of months ago I received an email from a company called Firmoo.  They were offering a free pair of glasses in return for a review on my blog. I was going to turn them down until I started reading some other blogger reviews on the Firmoo website.   I decided I needed a pair of glasses that I can keep in my suitcase. 

I don't really need glasses (thank you lasik!) except for driving at night. My depth perception at night is not good.  I got some glasses a year ago and keep them in my car. Even with insurance I paid over $300 for my glasses. So after thinking on this offer for a couple of months I decided to accept it.  

The really cool thing Firmoo has on their website is a virtual try on.  You upload a picture of yourself and try on glasses.  I couldn't get it to work. My picture kept loading upside down even though the picture on my computer was right side up.  I even tried to flip my picture on my computer and then upload it.  I just wrote it off as having an 8 year old computer that sometimes just doesn't have the right operating system to communicate with new technology.  

Anyhoo, I ordered these really cute brown glasses (my others are black) without the benefit of "trying them on."  I have a hard time ordering anything off the internet that would normally be tried on or felt for texture first.  The glasses I chose  don't fit my face as well as the ones I purchased (and tried on) a year ago.  They are super light weight though. 

The ordering process was really easy.  There were a couple of questions I had while on the order form, but hovering over the question mark made little help boxes appear.   The glasses were shipped from China and I had them in a little over a week from the time I hit the submit order button. 

Firmoo has a program where your first pair of glasses is free, you just pay shipping.  If you are looking for an inexpensive fair of glasses and you are OK with buying items over the internet, try them at Firmoo.  http://www.firmoo.com/free-glasses.html

Firmoo provided the glasses, the review is all mine.  



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