My year.

Really

Trying to make it a good one. 
This new one that is.
I have no words to go through the good and bad of last year.
Lots and lots of good things, 
and lots and lots of bad things.

so...

Moving on.


It's my birthday, and I'm in Asheville.

These are good things.

There are bad things, but I'll leave them be... I'm doing things about them, no reason to complain, not until I can share in the form of a funny story about this one time I lost all forms of identification.



MY GOAL FOR THE DAY:
Decide what my life story will look like the next few years.
It won't look anything like it,
but you have to try for something.

I will finalize this by the end of the night.

Currently

-back to school
-major that also gets a teacher's license [job]
-major: German/Biology/Math... 
-School: UNCA/Lenior-Ryhne
-place of living/when to move: Knoxville/Asheville/Hickory Now/Fall


So


I'll be back

Gosie & Shot

Found this in my journal from August of this year.

This story was transcribed by me, written by little man E.

Maybe one day you and me can ride on my horses, Gosie and Shot.   They're at my barn; it's by the construction trucks.  We'll say "Faster! FASTER!"

   (I didn't tell Papa about my horses...or my cowboy outfits.)

  Sometimes my horses squeak, but not oftenly.  When they do it's a very loud squeak.

I have a mommy horse too, it's a mare.  AND I have a baby horse named Joshie.  

[I have a lot of horses; Gosie, Shot, Joshie, Dashie...a very small horse, he's a pony....I have a lot more ponies]

One day we'll go on a ride on the ponies... When they run fast it doesn't squeak.

Mable is a pony horse.

   I like to ride her at summer time.  My horses like to sleep standing up.

This is my last hors.  Botchie's a boy.  

Some of my horses are girls; mares are girls.

That wasn't the end.  He had a lot more to say, but that's all I could write down.
    Greenville has a few good people in it... like little man E.

D through F

Returning to the alphabet of things that make me happy:



D-
Driving
Despite wanting to be able to walk every where I need to go (so far...the grocery store, and the best pizza place...) I love driving.  The time alone to think, or the time with friends stuck in a small space...bonding: check.   (see background for a photo)

E-

  Eggplant (fried)

SO YUMMY.  One time I had it on pizza.

F-
   Flats & Taps

The previously mentioned pizza place.
A solid collection of interesting pizzas and draft beers or ciders....  One of these few places that I've found decent ones.  I'm so picky.

Also the BBQ chicken pizza? ah-mazing.

Recently a friend let me into the inner place where the ideas come from.  We shared books.

Recently I have been an aromantic. Not sure if that phase is going to be over any time soon...

I have some pretty serious squishes right now (...kiiiiind of like a friend-crush? a comic to help explain:

)

There has been some interesting debates among my friends....

really

sometimes they're interesting

and sometimes it's just the same conversation

over and over.

I've been knitting a lot, but I don't have any new pictures. 

I have 16 projects that are assigned for me, trying to get them knocked out while it's still cold.

Minus 3 of them.
So...

13.

Oh wait. I forgot a pair of socks.

and a scarf

and a hat....

all promised from a year ... or more...ago.  

so...

16 again.... 19 total.

   

So I have had things to say, just nothing to say yet.

I will get back to you on this...

I can't do without...

- Netflix
I've tried.  I have so far ended up spending lots of money on Redbox and various other "cheap" alternatives.

- ice cream
    to the point that I have never tried.


But these are things that are going to have to leave me this month.  Tis a sad sad day.  No more instant watch, and no more late night runs for ice cream, milkshakes...   Not that I wouldn't partake it if was offered to me, ice cream...not the ice cream run.

   Trying to see this as a challenge, instead of a punishment.  My inability to sustain the amount of spending I'm currently at means that I need to take significant cuts, -- as well as needing to seek out ways to add to the income.  --



Other updates:

-taken 3 loads of this, that, and the other things for yard sale, either to the house, or to a car that was going to the house.  This has included: some of my grandmother's yarn and needles, some of my own yarn, and a decent amount of clothes.-Did I tell you, I got some yarn-y things out of my house?   Not a tear was shed.  Not a tear.

-I've started a beautiful pair of socks....4 times.  The color-work is never in the colors I want it to be.   but I think I've finally settled on black and blue....  We'll see how it goes.   (Also, despite wanting to add to my income, I have failed repeatedly to complete what others have requested and are willing to pay for...)

-In other news, this is the first day that I didn't nap...in two weeks-ish.  Annnnd....I can't sleep.

Something Remarkable

'The only thing you have to do to blog, is something remarkable, and then tell people about it.'
My remarkable thing?   Paring down, minimizing, and the various knitting projects.

I have a town house full of things, I could blame my house mate for some of it, but really she only owns a few things in the shared space, other than her art things.  She's generally fantastic, she even says thank you when I wash some dishes (not even all the dishes).


Although I was already starting to pare down -- my car has been full of this and that for a few weeks now -- a recent financial change has forced it more upon me.  I've been trying to sell this and that, extra dresses and shoes, taking old tvs and printers to Trade It...and now I'm prepping for a yard sale.  I plan on taking over my parents' yard in a couple weeks.


Not sure where to start, but I'm starting.  Getting rid of a few things makes it easier to get rid of more things.  I'm looking forward to looking around and loving everything I see, instead of kind of enjoying most of the things.

A-C...Minus C

A good friend has left the country for a year.  She has a lovely blog where she tries to post three things that make her happy, or that she is thankful for.  A wonderful, cheesy, great idea.  That doesn't come across as cheesy when she does it at all.  For her sake so she can feel more a more included, I'm going to attempt to keep up a little better with this, and in her honor I'm starting with a thankful for/what makes me happy list.....
  But I'm going to do mine alphabet style:


A
Aran Armchair.

This arm chair makes me happy, and I hope one day to have something similar in my house.


B
Broooobeeee!

   Elias dressed as Brobee for Halloween.  (There's a party in tummy, oh yummy a party).
I didn't get to see it on Halloween, he apparently only did for a small amount of time, before taking it off at day care.  (No trick-or-treating for this little vegetarian.... he likes broccoli!)

C
Cars
    Cars have been acting up lately, but it's really great that I can get in a car to go someplace instead of walking, or Oregon Trailing.  I think this is a little pathetic of a thankful-ness thing.   Buuuuuut that's all I have right now, I'll come back to C.

*       *      *     *

The time writing this blog should have been spent writing a paper about Footloose.

But you have no idea how angry it makes me to watch a crap remake of a decent movie...and then have to write a college paper about it...

Okay.  I am attempting to knit awesome things by the end of the year.  (and ace my classes...  or at least... bace my classes...)

Things requested:

Hoodie-cozy - Anna C.
Star Trek-cozy -Anna C.
Owl - Katie F.
Fish Hat(s) - Jessica H.
Sweater vest - G.
Mittens - Jon C.
Sweater? -Katie R.
Wrist warmers - Krystal L., and Trish M.
Mittens.  -B.D

....

More to be added I'm sure...

I haven't forgotten...(and I'm sorry! Some of you have been waiting almost a year...)

1. Owls  for Katie F
2.  Mittens for Jonathan C.
3. Leg warmers for Anna's friend
4. Star wars or hoodie beer cosby for Anna
5. Wrist warmers for Trish
6. Homemade things for...Julie W.,  Bill, Katie H., Gabbie, Drew, Michelle N., Wendy H., and Chris


What I'm actually doing...

1. Baby blanket
2. Socks
3. Way too much Hulu and Netflix
4. Buying yarn

I joined a blog along.   Such a nerd.

So, keeping with the nerd thing I will pick the nerd projects I want to complete this year.

To start with I will make this.  Or something similar.
R2D2 Rock on.

Nothing completely finished lately.  Working on a sock, and finishing up a sweater vest for a mini man.

I admit it, I post according to the number of hits in the past few days.
It is currently at Zero.

Therefore,  I'm posting.

While spending time (finally) with my favorite second eldest female cousin, we discovered this sign.

Not in a sketchy place.

Just a usual restaurant bathroom.

...

I only can wonder what event caused that sign to be placed.

Okay, done thinking about that.


Hey.  Second eldest female cousin, apply for jobs in eastern NC!  I know we can find housing for you.  (This goes to all other far away cousins and friends)

Finished knitted things.....

A wash cloth with a cabled owl.  

It was supposed to be a square, but came out as a diamond. 

Elias is modeling a great little bib, 

with a owl that you can't see too well.

But it's there and waving.

Finally a wrist warmer/glove thing.

I must have been going through a blue period this week.

****

Apologies for the horrible quality of photography...

Book review or something

So I started reading book, and it's been quite a read.  So I'm writing a book report.  Accept it. Read it. Start a conversation, or don't.

What Paul Really said about Women

It's by a pastor who took the greek of Paul's writing about women (and marriage), and broke it down over again.  He took the english, translated it back into Greek, using the best words to create the same meanings in Greek that are in the English translation...turns out those words were completely different.

I haven't really gotten into it, but the first chapter, he explains the views in the world at the time when Paul was writing, in the place where Paul was writing and writing to; Athens had a different view from Rome, Cairo different from Sparta...  The philosophies came from Greece, Egypt and Sparta had more a sexually equal society but didn't have philosophers who were respected to pass on the ideas.  When men from Greece did visit, they were appalled at the idea that women were given so much freedom (in Egypt they were independent, able to own land, and pass it on to their children, which is really impressive)

...

I'll get back to this.

Pen

I can't write with out a pen that inspires me.

The ink, the paper, the sound...

Scratchy or smooth?

It's so sad when the ink runs out.
  This typing is usually uninspiring, the screen uncomfortable to look at, too bright, white and the type is never what I want.

It's kind of depressing.

*******

Not a lot to say.

Work in progress Wednesday... on a Thursday

Since last week I haven't started anything new except these squares.  

Just a basic granny square, with some pretty fun colors.

And a little one who arranged them for me, and is climbing on the couch.






I finished some wrist warmers, and a sweater...

Puppy!

This weekend I finally stuffed the dog I made for a friend.

Here he is. . .next to his donor creature.

I was completely out of stuffing, and the nephew was being born, I had an hour to sew on his face and stuff him.

The donor creature was sacrificed, perhaps to be stuffed again at a later date.

A in process picture.   And a decent view of his face.

The donor is blind-folded for his own safty.

Oh no!  I forgot the ears!!!

There we go.

*Note for the pictures:  Slinky because I'm the $link$, and the flower is a special one that a little guy named Guy made for me.. . ..   Years ago, he's not that little any more.
   

As a senior in high school, I had received my first ever flower for Valentine's day, from my first ever Valentine.  I left it out on a table, while I served the couples at church.  When I returned, it was shredded, thrown away with little traces of left overs mocking me.  

   The kids had come to eat at that table, and destroyed.   I was sad and "Oh no! That is really sad!" came out of my mouth.  Guy was the last kid to leave, and asked what was wrong, because he was one of the best kids ever.   

   I explained.  

The next Sunday at church he presented me with this flower.  

And I still have it.   

Seven years later.

It meant a lot.

Wait...  It's been 7 years since high school?  ...  25 - 18...  yeah, that's 7.

And here it is on the way to it's new owner.

 

...

It was received with lots of love.  

...

And now there is a request for owls. 

  Owls of every kind.  

As many as I can make. 

:)

New babies do this to you:  More cute toys!

The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating - in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life.”

- Anne Morriss

*found on THIS blog

I'm sitting in the living room, wrapped in a blanket I've been crocheting for the past 3 years.  The AC is barely on and there's a fan blowing on my feet.  Today I had some good times with the Man, studied for Test #3 for my summer class (A average thank you), and worked on squares for a blanket #2, also crochet.  Oh, and I've started a project I can't tell you about, but it's for Kate R.  (Not included in WIPW.  It's knit, and not my original idea. But it's classy soft wonderful yarn, so it's still going to be great).

After much back and forth with checklists and transcripts and course equivalent lists, I almost sure that if I keep going on this degree, I have about 26 classes left to go.  (Other degree under consideration:  Middle Grade Education with 22 classes)

I am considering blogging about financial adventures, certainly more knitting projects.

And I will always be dreaming that I'm half as interesting as Kelly.   Amazing grad student @UNCW.  She rambles, and rarely remembers to add a paragraph break, but work it.


(okay, you got me, I'm not sitting in the living room any more, I'm at work.  About to wake up the baby.  But I was when I started)