It's here and gone...

Dishrag Tag update.....

Here is my time line for the morning:

Patiently pacing, waiting for the mail truck.....

12:10 mail arrived...Yipeeeee!! I saw him put a box in the mailbox...I run down to the end of the driveway...(that's no easy feat when you're my age and overweight according to Wii Fit)



I ripped open gently opened the box.



Check out the goodies Emily sent...chocolate...I promptly ate most of them....and a recipe for Brown Sugar muffins and a set of measuring spoons...I can hardly wait to try the recipe out...it sounds nummy...



12:20 started knitting...I used size 7 needles (the pattern calls for size 6) I tend to knit tight...I ended up with about a 8 and 1/2 inch square cloth.



2:10 finished knitting (and weave in the ends...hate that part)...Printed off label, packed box (realized my children have used up all the packing tape...used scotch tape to seal the box...hope it holds) and drove to nearest "big" town....

3:10 dropped off at post office

I am not going to show you pictures of my finished dishcloth or the goodies I sent to Janice until she gets the package...I don't want to spoil the surprise...

Go Ragtag Racers!!!

Is it just me...

...or do you have the same problem...I need to FINISH a project.

I was asked recently at the LYS what was on my needles...here is what I discovered:

1. slippers (need to finish second one)

2. beanie for Katie (pattern is a bugger...really need to concentrate)

3. socks on two circs for me (love the yarn, not going fast enough on two circs to hold my attention...maybe should just convert to dpns?)

4. Fair isle hat (need to finish the crown)

5. Pay it Forward gift

6. Felted bag (can't find the pattern...)

7. Felted blowfish for Katie (again, not sure where the pattern is or where I am on the pattern...)

8. "Plain Vanilla Pullover" (started last summer...mucked up the decreasing for the neckline and never went back to it)

9. stripped tubular scarf (I am actually working on that one...)

10. New pair of Socks (I just cast on a new pair of socks this week after my visit to LYS in city of my Math Academy....while sitting in the hotel)

11. New Sweater (I am swatching to check gauge on my new cardigan pattern/yarn)

That's crazy!!!!

I need to finish something!

...and...did I mention I need a new pair of mittens for football season? or the numerous dishcloths that I have on needles, just because they are quick and mindless knits!!!

I really need to pull it all together...be a little self-disciplined....show a little self-control....or not...

I wanted to show pictures...maybe I will get a chance on Monday to go to the library and upload pics...so much quicker than dealing with my dial-up...

Let the games begin...

Dishrag Tag has begun!

Go Ragtag Racers!!!(Team #4)

The box is on its way to me from Emily in Alabama....maybe it will arrive on Monday? maybe Tuesday?

Check out the picture Emily has posted as she is packing the boxes...the woman is amazing...Big round of applause for all of her organization and hard work!!!

Dishrag tag

Yeah!!! Teams have been assigned...and all the fun starts this Friday...and did I mention I have the honor of being a team captain??!!! How cool is that???

I am currently at a three day "Math and Science Academy" sponsored by the State of MN....sitting in a hotel...with WIRELESS!!! Yeah!!!

Did I mention I bought myself a new (cheap) laptop computer...and in order to qualify for the 24 months, 0% financing...

I needed to spend an additional $130...so, I also bought a turntable that converts my old vinyl to computer (mp23) format...my vinyl can then be burnt to a CD or put on my i-pod. How cool is that? Stay tuned for details on quality.

"It's a contest!" or "What's your number?"

Emily is having a contest. Go check it out....she's giving away something cool and it's pretty painless....

Here is an excerpt from her:

Here’s the text from the front page of Divvs:

Our primary service is the Divvs Rating. We analyze your connections to other people across all the social networks you share with us, do some Complicated Math, and come up with a simple number that represents how connected you are.

It’s perfect for Craigslist or web forums where you want to keep your personal details private, but want to prove you’re a real person, with real friends. You can share your rating anywhere you can add a link to an image, and you do it without disclosing anything personal.

Think credit score, but social not monetary. Sign up for fun and to help test the system.

Divvs is kinda cool...tracks the number of social connections you have somehow...and there is math involved...(everything cool has math in it...isn't there math everywhere??)

My rating is a (pitiful) 30.

Check it out and give me a shout out as to your rating...maybe mine will go up ;)

WOW....

...Did you watch the opening ceremonies?

Spectacular...awesome...precision...breath-taking...and I could go on...

I am so impressed.

...when the people popped out of the boxes (the wind scene)....My jaw dropped to the floor...I couldn't believe it!

(I had thought it was cool and probably all automated by a computer program, boy, was I wrong)

I planned on knitting...but, I couldn't keep my eyes off the ceremonies...so, no knitting...

Where does that kind of planning come from? To have that extreme of a vision and to have the talent and the money to make it a reality...wow!

Hats off to China for an awe-inspiring show...

Whiskers on Wednesday...

It wasn't me!

I was just laying here licking myself and the yarn unrolled itself....Honest!



Enough pictures...I'm out of here!

This, that and the other thing....

Lots of stuff to talk about....

First off family news...Andy has been home for the past week...It's been awesome having him around. We did a day about town, ate at the local Chinese Buffet and played some miniature golf...I ended up in last place. Go figure.....

We went to "town" today to buy groceries to send back with him and of course to fill up his car with gas for the long trek home.

(Gas is actually going down...We paid $3.55 a gallon and used a 5 cent/gallon coupon...so actually paid $3.50/gallon...YEAH!!!)

Nathan is back from Bible Camp. He seemed to have a wonderful time and the weather was wonderful all week long. I wonder how long the two suitcases full of dirty laundry are going to be sitting in my living room? I've asked three times for them to be moved....

Have you looked at my counter? ONLY thirty days until the first day of school...and even less until the workshop days begin....sob. sob. sob.

We have a bear.



It won't stay out of our garbage. He/she took down our bird feeder, which was hanging from the eves. I was impressed that he/she didn't break it, just gently licked out all the sunflower seeds. I had three bags of misc. seeds sitting by the garage. The bags were found in the middle of the yard....ripped apart...and I can only find two of them...he/she must have taken one home for later.

We have Chris' motion camera in the front yard hoping to catch him/her in the act...so far...no luck.

Potential problem coming soon...my apple trees are "loaded". I can see broken branches in my future as this bear acquires a taste for my sweet apples. I have had a problem with that in the past. Any home remedies for keeping bears away?

I have been knitting.



The lady that does my hair is due to give birth any minute. I decided to knit her up a small pair of baby booties. On one of the previous posts, I talked about my attempt at a pair of baby booties. They ended up looking way too big...so, I compensated...or shall I say..."over-compensated"...the second attempt turned out to fit a preemie...third time was the charm....and....she was thrilled with the gift.

My good friend Linda and I went to Yarn Harbor, my LYS. And, I got sucked in again.

(Yarn + free pattern + finished object = Alaina has to buy)

Did I have any intention of knitting a scarf this summer? Heck no!! But, here I am...

I have probably finished this thing three times if you count the number of times I have ripped it completely out and started over. How hard can it be? It's a tube scarf! The pattern called for 50 stitches. I cast on 50 and decided that it looked way too small. So, in my infinite wisdom (stupidity), I decided 100 stitches would be a good number.

Well, almost went through a whole skein when I decided it would take way too much yarn...ripped that out...not before I actually calculated gauge and did some math...decided that 80 stitches would be a better number....(Don't ask me why...just believe me...80 seemed like a good idea at the time....)



Nope...still too much yarn....didn't rip it out...thought I should leave it intact in case I change my mind....

So, I cast of 50 stitches and have made it this far....



...and the kicker...I don't even know if I will wear this...I just thought it was cool.....

The Carlton County Fair is coming...I thought I would be all prepared and maybe enter a few items or some framed pictures....It doesn't look like that is going to happen...or...if it does...it will be photography and not knitting...

I thought this picture would look great framed in my dining area...



...and this one in my bathroom...



...or maybe this one....



....as long as I was enlarging and matting and framing...why not enter?

Speaking of knitting...I was talking to one of the helpful ladies at LYS and she asked what I had on my needles...I started rattling off items and I came up with about ten unfinished items...(not counting the Pay it Forward gifts)...SHAME on ME!!!

I need to get responsible and finish a few things...Can you say ADD???!!!

Ohhhh, look at that pretty yarn over there....

I just got home from seeing Mamma Mia. I loved it!! I am a huge ABBA fan....naturally, I loved the music...and I am a sucker for musicals.

I highly recommend seeing it if you haven't already.

Dishrag tag

Emily is once again hosting Dishrag Tag.

Registration opens on Friday, August 1st.

If you missed out on the fun last summer....make sure you don't miss out this summer!

I'm still here.

Just wanted y'all to know I am still here....

Life has been too busy lately. (and the summer is going by too quickly)

I did go yarn shopping. I have been knitting. I hope to post pictures soon....

Stay tuned....

Weight loss and other "heavy" issues...

I have always struggled with my self-image and my weight.

When I got divorced, 9 years ago, the weight came off. I felt wonderful and for the first time in my life, felt comfortable in my own body. It was a great feeling.

I vowed to keep the weight off. Well, it has slowly crept back into my life. The last two years or so has seen me slowly gain 25 pounds.

I tried making small adjustments in my eating habits and/or exercise (or lack of it) to halt the onset of poundage...but, to no avail. I even quit drinking pop, in the past, that move alone was good for 15 pounds, not this time.

I questioned the doctor at my last visit. Seems once you hit your mid-forties, your metabolism slows down, thus making it even harder to lose those extra pounds. (Yes, he tested my thyroid)

As a result of the extra pounds (and a family history) I am now dealing with high blood pressure. Something I was really trying to avoid. I had hoped I could avoid medication by keeping my weight down. No such luck.

As you may remember, I bought Wii Fit this summer to get myself and my boys active in a fun, motivating manner. Well, it worked for about a month. But, my weight didn't go down. So, I lost interest.

I realized the other evening, as I was trying to fit my butt in a pair of jeans, that my "school" wardrobe isn't going to fit me, unless I take action. And, as you can see by my counter on top, school is fast approaching.

Long story short...(Love ya Beck!)....I was reading Megan's blog and she recommends SparkPeople.

Here is what Megan says about the site:

....There are a few things I really like about it. First, it is 100% free. Second, it's not trying to sell anything. I NEVER send a patient to a web site that is trying to sell them vitamins or miracle powdered drinks or anything else. I think all "education" on those sites is suspect at that point.

The biggest thing I think I like about it though is that the site encompasses so much. Not only can you track your weight loss, your daily calorie intake (it does most of the work for you, you just plug in what you ate), and your daily exercise but the site is big on motivation. There are tons of "SparkTeams" that you can join (much like the groups on Ravelry), there are message boards to ask questions and connect to people with your same interests or in your same area (there IS a knitter's group!), and there are SparkPoints.

You earn points for logging on, tracking your food intake, your exercise, drinking 8 glasses of water daily, basically most of what you do on/with the web site earns you points. The points go towards trophies which are displayed on your main log in page...

So, I created a profile for myself....I am "alaina.p" on SparkPeople.

I liked what I saw. The site is going to be very helpful, if I make the effort to use it. One of the things I liked...I struggle with planning healthy meals. The site gives me a weekly menu that I can adapt.

I don't know if this is the answer or not, but I think it's worth a try...

Let me know what you think and if you want to join me on this walk.

camping and such

I have been MIA for the last three days.

I decided to go camping.

I didn't go far...less than three miles.

The weather was gorgeous...yes, we do have sunny, warm days in Minnesota.

Here are a couple pictures...



We watched, admired, and listened to the loons....they are so beautiful...there is nothing like the sound of loons calling to each other early in the morning...



Chris showed off his diving expertise on the raft....such awesome form....ohh...to be young again...

The lake is spring fed and over 22 feet deep at the raft....



We sat around the campfire...we made s-mores and had a great time....

Life is good.

Wow...

I walked to the mailbox expecting just the normal pile of junk mail and bills ...and lo and behold...a package!!! For me!!! I was totally not expecting a package...and...what a great package it is!!!

Everything was "wrapped" in a little bag with a bright blue bow...So cute.

(The bright sunshine kinda wiped out the colors...)

Jessi/Bubblesknits was my spoiler for the Keepin' Cool in Summer Dishcloth Swap.

She went above and beyond the call of duty...What a thoughtful package....I absolutely loved everything in it...it felt as if I had shopped for myself...Gather round and look at all of the awesome stuff she sent my way....



This sock yarn is from Sophie's Toes the color is "Garden Party". What a great color choice for a summer swap! I can hardly wait to cast on a pair of socks with it. What a great choice! Thank you Jessi.

Jessi also included two skeins of cotton yarn. One "peaches & Cream" in a color that I have not seen before and a skein of Knit Picks "Cotlin", which I have never used. I am looking forward to checking that out...(thanks for the tip Jessi of using smaller needles)



Other goodies...a set of flowery/summery notecards with a matching magnetic "to do list" (looks great on my refrigerator), a hand cream, a whole bag of Crystal Light drink mixes (see picture below) to keep me cool, a miniature body bar, and a set of "designer" handkerchiefs...they have an "A" on them....(How did you know I cry a lot? LOL)...She also included a "sock blocker" keyring, complete with yarn to knit up the little sock...(see first picture) I can't wait to make it.



and...this awesome little cuddly sheep. Isn't he absolutely adorable?? And he is as fluffy in real life as he looks...makes me smile everytime I look at him. His name is "Woolsy"



She also knit me not one...but...two beautiful dishcloths....One in a light tan



...and the other in a light green...very, very nice...





She also sent me this very, very awesome sock bag from Gypsyknits. I LOVE it!!! I can hardly wait to go "public" with my awesome bag. It is absolutely adorable...with little Knitting chickens on it...

(I know it is sideways...sorry)



And...last but not least...the chocolate...(and a picture of the Crystal light mixes that I mentioned above)...Jessi was worried that the chocolate may have melted..well, it did...but, that didn't stop me from enjoying it...

Picture this...I am in the kitchen, literally licking the chocolate out of the little containers...Nathan comes into the room, stops and exclaims, with this horrified look on his face..."Mom, you have chocolate all over your face!" Sorry...no pictures.

It was awesome!

Thank you Jessi for a great package. I know how hard it is to shop for someone else, but, you really nailed it! I love everything!

{{{BIG HUGS}}}

This and That...

We spent the first part of the week at a Wisconsin Dells water park. (A mere five hour drive with two teenagers...need I say more?)

Andy and Katie met us there...which was awesome...we don't get to see enough of them...

It was tons of fun...I do not do "dry" rides...I have this insane fear of falling and I get sick...but...I will do water rides...

However....Chris convinced me to go with him on one of the rides...we had to sit in a big tube...and go down a huge chute....all twisty-turny...then...looked like we were going to fall off of a cliff...and we went straight down...

I closed my eyes and screamed the entire way down......won't be doing that one again.

I did, however, enjoy all the other rides I went on....my favorite being the lazy river...got myself sun burnt...again....



Here is Chris in the lazy river...trying to avoid Mom taking his picture...

Happy 4th of July.....



We spent the day at Bayfront Park in Duluth...which is right on Lake Superior....Listened to our favorite band....and of course, enjoyed the fireworks....weather was nice...music was good...fireworks were awesome...and it only took us one hour to leave the parking lot afterwards...



..and one last shot of the fireworks...



Hope your holiday was as awesome as mine was....

Whiskers on Wednesday

Wherever I go...she follows...I don't even know where she is when I leave a room, but, she will show up where I am...and of course, when she shows up in whatever room I am in...she acts all nonchalant....like it's a coincidence that I am in the same room as the room she happens to be in...

I find it touching...she just wants to be in the same room as me...

Heck...my children try to avoid being in the same room as me...lol...guess that's why I have a cat.....