Another one bites the dust

Well as of August 31st, I will join millions of other unemployed people in the US. Our non-profit has taken some serious hits over the past few months and while I've dodged the bullet for the last three cuts, I didn't make it through this last round. (((Sigh))) So now the soul searching and fun begins as I try to figure out what to do next. There might be some contract work in my field as there are a couple of grants that will come up in September so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. In the meantime, I'm going to do some teaching at the LYS Yarn Explosion and try to keep my chin up. At least I was able to get through the summer with a paycheck. I found out right before our vacation but decided that I didn't need to ruin everyone's fun by dropping the bomb on them. I'm lucky to have a nice stash of fiber and yarn so I shouldn't want for any hobby related goodies. Unfortunately, we'll have to pull Thing 2 out of private school to keep our expenses in check. I think he'll be fine but I'm nervous about the world of public school for him. I'm not going to commit to a new job until at least October so that I can focus on the transition with him. So much happening all at once.

We have had a fun summer inspite of the news. We spent the week of Fathers Day, 4th of July weekend and another entire week in July at the beach. On the spur of the moment, we jaunted off to DC last weekend to see Paul McCartney perform at FedEx Stadium (What a HUGE treat! The man played for three hours non-stop!). And we're thinking about getting another Corgi nearly two years after saying goodbye to Mavis.

There has been some weaving and knitting though not a ton. I kinda lost my mojo for a brief stint. I'll post some pictures when I can take some with good lighting.

So what have you been up to this summer? BTW, go show some birthday love to my knit bud Robin(who I REALLY missed seeing at knit nite) whose birthday is tomorrow -August 7th.

A bit of a funk

I've been called out for not posting in a while. Frankly, due to the lack of comments, I wasn't sure anyone even read my blog so I've wondered if I should even bother. I've been in a bit of an anti-technology funk these days. I've read few if any blogs since Christmas, haven't logged into Ravelry in ages and barely read the news but once or twice a day. I think it has been hard to stay plugged in because bad news abounds. I've retreated from it all in an effort not to get so horribly depressed. I'm of the mindset that I AM my brother's keeper and I feel so helpless to do something for my fellow (wo)man get through these tough times.

I have been knitting and spinning but have had a problem finishing anything of substance. My energies have been focused on reclaiming my house during these winter doldrums. I've succeeded in cleaning the entire main floor from top to bottom and hope to begin to tackle the upstairs in the coming weeks. My crafty room needs lots of work but I hope that I'll find my mojo when I attack that space. So many hidden treasures to unearth.

Since I posted last, we've celebrated several birthdays and events, the most notable being Thing 1's 16th. My boy will fly the coop in a couple of years and I can barely believe he's not a little smiling chub, toddling around our first home. I still have my job but several of my colleagues have recently lost theirs :( My brother is coming home this week after having spent three long years activated with his Army reserve unit. He still has 17 months before he retires. I pray that they don't get activated again during that timeframe.

I promise to post pictures as soon as I take some. What are you up to these days? Do tell :)

A year of firsts

Sorry I've been mia. Work has kept me very busy up until yesterday. I'm not complaining. I'm so very grateful to still have my job especially in light of the fact that many friends, family, co-workers and colleages are losing or have lost theirs. I'm trying hard not to get overwhelmed but some days its hard than others. I've been given notice that I might only have a couple of months before I need to start looking, depending on funding. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and am sending a blanket prayer to anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation.



The year of firsts reference is to our first year without Mavis our beloved Pembroke Welsh Corgi we had to put to sleep last December. Not a single "first" went by without someone in our family remembering it. The first Christmas was the hardest, the first time we dropped food on the floor and she wasn't there to slurp it up, the first snow that she didn't get to roll in, the first trip to the beach without her, the first fourth of July that we didn't have to calm her down from the fireworks, the first Thanksgiving. The last of the firsts was this weekend - the first anniversary of her leaving. I still get choked up when I think of her. I miss her so very much. The Things want another dog and I can't bring myself to do it yet because I'm not ready to have to make the decision to take a life again anytime soon. I doubt myself everyday, that I did the right thing. I pray for her forgiveness if I was wrong. Our lives are richer for her having shared it with us and yet missing something now that she's gone.

Okay, this entire post isn't an entire downer. Just needed to get some stuff off my chest. Since I posted last a lot has happened. I celebrated my 39th birthday (40 is coming fast), Thing One got his learner's permit (yikes!), Thing Two is hitting puberty (ack!) and I've cast on for a few projects. See, I am still knitting...

The penguin was part of a birthday gift to a dear friend, the chalet socks are for me and hubby for the holidays and yes, the thrummed jacket is finally finished but I'm still weaving in a zillion ends.

Mavis and the Rainbow Connection

The Rainbow Connection that Kermit sang in The Muppet Movie is still one of my all time favorite songs. Even when I was a kid, the song would make me cry when I heard it because rainbows and all the hopes and dreams that they symbolize, hold a special, unexplained place in my heart.

On Saturday, I found myself singing this song to sweet Mavis, the wonder Corgi as I helped her over the rainbow bridge.







Mavis
Dec. 22, 1992 - Dec. 8, 2007

We took her into the vet with the intention of scheduling surgery for a blown disc in her back and found by accident that she had huge cancerous tumors on her liver and lungs. Saying goodbye and having to make the decision to let her go is the hardest thing we've ever had to do. We spent a third of our lives with her. She was like the middle child. She vacationed with us, shared our food (even though we know she wasn't supposed to) and endured the brattiness of two kids. She loved the beach and the snow (and got to play in the first snowfall we had on Wed.), hated cameras and lightning and refused to fetch anything. She escaped from the yard anytime she was given a chance, chewed the buttons off of my handknit Annie Modesitt corset (yup, she ruined it), jumped on the furniture when she thought we wouldn't notice and rolled in yucky stuff everytime we gave her a bath. The daughter of champion AKC registered Corgis, she'd agressively herd you in the direction she wanted you to go in at a moments notice. She shed non-stop (I'll be vacuuming up her fur for many, many months), gave us big kisses with her Gene Simmons-like Corgi tongue and was the most fiercely loyal friend you could ever ask for.

Mavis wasn't with us nearly long enough but the time she shared with us will last a lifetime. We were so blessed to be owned by such a loving animal. Thank you for choosing us, sweet Mavi.

Skool's Out 4 Summer

Everybody, sing the song with me. Yippie! Thing 1 and 2 are out of school for the summer. They actually got out on Thursday but today is the first day that I've gotten to enjoy the full effect of sleeping in. Ahhhhh. Snuggling up in the sheets while the faint murmur of the Today Show lulls me back to sleep. On the one hand, I won't have to drive two plus hours each day schelepping them to and from school and to misc. activities. I REALLY get to flex-time with my job so the reward is if I get up early, I get to knock off mid-day and go to the pool and work on my tan - ha ha ha! And I won't have to make lunch, pry the boys out of the bed with a crowbar and yell like a pit crew chief to go, go, go so we're not late to school. On the other hand, I turn into slave driver and entertainment director for the next three months. Anyone want to take bets on when the words "I'm bored" are first uttered in this house? I'm hell bent on not letting them turn into couch potatoes and glaze over in front of the tv or video games. And yet again, I want them to have fun. Which means, I have to come up with lots of chores for them in the coming weeks. It won't be all business around here but I do have a paying job to do and I don't want to hear bickering, cartoons or video games all freakin' day. We'll see how good parenting skills rate in a couple of weeks. Don't place any bets on how good those are, Peeps.

I have some serious catching up to do and this is the one week in many where I'm not out of town for work and can do just that. Yes, I've been knitting. And I've also been spinning and workin' the dyepot and even dabbling with some designs. I've got many FO's to show you and lots of life stuff to share, too. The winds, they are a changin' round these parts so I have some adjusting to do but I'm up for the challenge.

In the meantime, I leave you with a random picture I took while visiting Raleigh last month. They were selling these sock monkeys at The Gap. I got bored while Thing 1 tried on the millionth pair of jeans so I snapped their picture. I should have bought all of them because looking at their picture makes me laugh every. single. time.

ISO of cheese to go with my whine

Warning! Kvetching ahead. Duck and cover if you know what's good for you.

So much stuff has happened recently and its hard to know which end is up most days. The Tech tragedy was bad enough and while I know I wasn't directly affected, I WAS directly affected. Add to that coming home from spring break to the sad news from our friends who were pet sitting that one of our beloved fluffy-butt guinea pigs had passed on to the other side. She was 6 so I'm sure that it was old age but it was still a sad moment for all of us. Needless to say, I've been a puddle of nonstop tears for the last month.

The canine fluffy-butt, Mavis, came home from the kennel after spring break having a hard time getting around and I can tell that her back legs are bothering her. We're giving her pet meds and trying to keep her off all of the stairs but I fear that her time with us is growing short. She's 14 and has had great health most of her life so we feel blessed that we've had her as long as we have. But I'm having a hard time envisioning the day my sweetie won't be there to greet me at the door.

And the other fluffy-butt piggie has been sick for the last two weeks with some mysterious illness that has left her back legs swollen. The vet has run a bagillion tests, she too is on MANY pet meds and is only marginally better. I literally fall apart when small animals and kids are suffering so this trifecta has nearly done me in. Guess I'm just a whimp like that.

Work is kicking my butt and I'm on the road every week from now until August. Gas prices rose 10 - 20 cents in the time I drove the kids to school and back home this morning. The vet bill. OY the vet bill. My joints are inflammed again for no apparent reason so its hard to exercise. I'm on the pill again to get my hormones back on track. So far, its not working so great. Thanks to the pill, my hoohas are ginormous. And I'm fat and summer's right around the corner. Yeah, I need a huge slab of cheese for all of this whine.

Okay, now that's off my chest. Yes, I am able to see the silver lining of life every now and again. I have wonderful friends, most of them fiber friends. They keep me sane and feed my fiber addiction. Sedalia and Maryland Sheep and Wool were wonderful again this year and I've got the goods to prove it (more in another post I'm afraid). My family is doing well and have been so very loving. Got to see Mom, Dad and Grandma last weekend. All of the Things gave me a SpaVA gift certificate for Mother's Day (pedi, mani & massage here I come). I wake up every day to the song of birds, the warmth of the sun and surrounded by the love of my family. I am grateful for so very much. I'm just having a hard time digging out of the dumps right now.

So I'll try to come up for air every so often and post a little something. But don't be surprised if I'm MIA for big chunks of time. I AM knitting and spinning and I promise to show you soon what I've been up to.