Day 31

Look how much better those little cute ears are covered now!

Before:

After:

YEA!!!! His poor ears should be warm now. 

I finished it and he immediately put it in his coat pocket and wore it the next day. 

I had to fish it out to take a picture. That is a true compliment to my knitting skills. Love him! 

Day 30

Congratulations to me! 30 Days in a row... I am super impressed! Now let's see if I can post for 30 more days. How did I celebrate you may wonder? I took a nap, visited a craft show at the local catholic church, and watched "Where the Wild Things Are." Have you seen it? It's a very strange film... not sure what I think about it. Definitely not a film for children. I loved the book when I was a kid but I don't remember it being so dark... What do you think?

Day 29

A proper post...
As I started documenting my daily activities, I've noticed that some days I have twenty things to post about and on others, I have nothing at all to say. The ebb and flow of our daily lives is interesting that way...

Last night G and I didn't get home until late and it was a jam packed day filled with lots of activities. In the morning, we met G's mom and dad for breakfast before they headed off to a track clinic. Next, we met with a real estate  management company to begin the process of renting out my house in MPLS. The emotional roller coaster continues and it will be difficult for me to completely remove all my possessions from my first home but it is time to move forward with my husband and we can no longer continue to pay three mortgages without some help. The process of letting go continues...

After that, we headed to Wisconsin to celebrate my dear Alice's birthday. She turned four this year and has become more outspoken and opinionated, which is a plus in my family if you want to be heard. She is girl through and through which is something new for me because I'm not exactly a girlie girlie and this one, she LOVES princesses. The whole party was about princesses and there was pink and purple everywhere. She's such a cutie!

Alice opened most of her presents with this look of determination......

And then there was cake....

And what's a party without a pinata? 

(and of course a snow blower in the background... 

aw, January birthdays in Wisconsin.)

And finally to round out our already busy day, we headed over to Red Wing to pick up an old LARGE TV my mom and Arnie were getting rid of 

AND to present Arnie with his hat and sweater.

As he was trying them on he kept saying, "This is so exciting. This is just really exciting." For an old Norwegian guy, that was a lot of emotion!!!

Now to fix those pesky sleeves....

Day 29

Too tired to write much but wanted to make sure to post something... Some disappointing news about the barn house but potential positive news about another place. Will have more info later in the week.

At Alice's party today, I watched Noah teach his friend Abby how to play checkers. And then he let her win. He's becoming a young gentleman.

Day 28

Sneaky.
HA! I bet you thought I wasn't going to post today... well, I fooled you! G and I headed to the cities this evening to celebrate his mom's birthday and check on the house. I really like that my neighbor is still allowing me to borrow his internet.
Tomorrow is this little girl's birthday party so we'll head over to River Falls to celebrate and then it's back to Waseca... we've got a busy little weekend going on here...

Day 27

Mixed blessing-
In class today I noticed there was a calm that spread through the room..... I looked around and realized that two students were out (suspensions) and a third was home sick. It really is amazing how the absence of two or three high needs students (read super annoying and obnoxious!) can totally change your day. I was able to focus on helping several students throw on the wheel and a few were super happy to have created a cylinder- their first! What an accomplishment. I was so excited to help those few students whom I never get to talk to but then again... the others come back tomorrow. Today was a good day...

Day 26

After school today,  I was called the smiley teacher.... I like that. Ironic because after first hour when I was walking back from the computer lab to my classroom, I thought it was hard to smile today. Then alone in the hallway, I forced myself to try. I thought to myself how silly I must look forcing a smile and then laughed a little at myself and a true smile came to my face. I reenacted this for my students and then later at home for G..... Check it out....

Nice, right?

Some of the custodians in the Philippines also called me smiley teacher when I taught there. Jeepers, I guess I must smile a lot if people from two different countries have told me the same thing...

Day 25

Grandma's machine

I came home Sunday with a purpose. I needed to sew around the edges of some muslin fabric for my Fiber Arts class Batik project. My students cut their fabric pieces to fit their frames and I needed to sew the edges so they wouldn't fray when I washed the fabric. My grandmother had given me her sewing machine when she moved into an assisted living residence and I had tried to sew in the past but it was NOT a pleasant experience. The thread kept breaking regardless of the tension and stitch length and I just did not have any fun. Well, I got the machine tuned up last summer and WOW does that machine hum now!!! Turns out if you have the needle in BACKWARDS, things don't work so well. OOPS....  

What a beauty! 

Closer....

Closer....

Closer....

And done!

Thanks to Grandma for the machine and thanks to G who immediately upon my return from the cities asked me if I wanted any help putting the sewing machine back into its table. Since the move, it has been sitting on the floor and before I could begin, I needed to replace it in the sewing table. What a great guy to volunteer, get the tools out, and then lay on his back to replace all the screws.... I just love that man and all the great practice I got sewing in straight lines!

Day 24

Holding for ransom!

Hee hee... just joking of course. This is a teaser for my good friend Maya. She thought I lost it but really I'm just keeping it so she has to come visit me again. Love ya!

p.s. in case we think I lost it again, it's at my place in Waseca.... not Minneapolis, or Buffalo, or Red Wing, or anywhere else that I live or visit or want to travel too. Hopefully you'll get this back soon!

Day 23

Oh Sunny Day...

What's that you say?

 It's been so long...

 I thought you were lost...

 But with temps this high...

I realize you were just waiting until we really needed you. Sun on my face and a relaxing drive home listening to the cd "Oh Brother, Where art thou" after brunch at Pizza Luce with my Knitting Chicas. What a good day. 

Day 22

Returns...

You can never be down for too long.... someone will always do some small little thing and remind you that you are appreciated and that you make a difference. This is the reason for my posting this year. Paying it forward... if I post positives and try to remind myself that things are good, someone else may benefit and pass it along and the cycle continues. I had a hell of a day yesterday at school. It was just not that pleasant at all.

However, a student stopped me in the hallway as I was hurrying back to my classroom from the computer lab and said he had something for me... I was a bit taken aback, as I don't have this student in any of my classes and asked him what it was. He whipped out a coupon for a free large pizza and said "You always enter the contests and so it's your turn to win. You weren't even close to the right number but you deserve to win so congrats." This student also talked to our principal earlier in the week and told her that he felt Mr. Popp was the best teacher at the school and should not be cut.

The back story to this is that I helped out his girlfriend when she was in an uncomfortable situation and now he was sending his gratitude back to us...

Thanks kid! You made my list of good things today.....

Day 21

Remembering a friend.
I just received an email today tell me of the passing of a friend. We met in college my junior year when I returned from my study aboard in Norway. I was readjusting to campus life and taking a math course for my education license and Selam was in the class to fulfill her graduation requirements. The class was too large so they asked us to split ourselves into two groups and Selam came right up to me and asked me which half I was going with. We became study partners and friends. I remember helping her through the course and in return found a great friend. We continued our friendship despite the fact she graduated that spring and moved to the cities. The following year when I graduated we met again in the cities and spent many evenings together with Purna and Cookie... Purna and Selam were inseparable from their freshman year and thus I became good friends with Purna as well.... Today I will be sad that Selam has passed but I will also remember all the fun we had together and that I was so thankful to have a friend when I came home.....

Day 20

Indecision.
Today I'm thankful for indecision on the part of my local school board. To cut or not to cut... that has been the question for many school boards around the country and when a local referendum does not pass, these cuts hurt. My friend in the agriculture department could have lost her job tonight. BUT, the line item that included her position was tabled and the school board sent it back to the administrators for some other options. She's not out of danger yet but sometimes indecision makes for a good day.

P.S. Free pizza on parent/teacher conference night is also really amazing!

Day 19

And the giveaway pays off!
Recently I won a Susan B. Anderson giveaway. This was really amazing because I never win Kala's giveaways and I always get picked on for it! Well, my gift arrived today and it's beautiful! I've already picked out several pairs of mittens that I need to knit and with the negative zero temps recently, I may be knitting these to wear in the house... it's super cold down here!!!

Hugs to all of you who cheered me on and wished me luck despite all the times I failed, I held on to hope and it paid off! Yippie to new knitting books!

Day 18

Replacements
I gave G a lovely alpaca hat a few years ago for Valentine's Day and he wears it whenever the weather is chilly. His temperature tends to run on the hot side so he's not a knitted sweater sort of guy but I have made socks for him. He likes his hat a lot but it really bothers me that it is so short. He doesn't complain but I'm tired of looking at his poor cold ears....

I'm making this one LONGER so his ears will be covered and I won't feel guilty any more.
(P.S. This is what I started when I was watching the French movies from the previous post!)

Day 17

Foreign Films

I really enjoy foreign films- especially those in a Scandinavian language- but G is not always a big fan. This week on my Netflix queue, The Chorus (Les Choristes / Chorists) was sent to me. G opted out but I thought it was a great film with a good message and a few of the characters had amazing singing voices. It's about a music teacher who begins a job at a boarding school for orphans and "delinquents." It's a French film and I don't speak any French but I love to listen to different languages. It really touched my heart. Plus, I started knitting a new project so I watched it on my computer in bed and knit... what a cozy evening. 

Day 16

It's a warm socks and sweatpants sort of day today...

I made these socks in Dec. of 2008 and wear them a lot in the chilly winter months. They keep my toes nice and toasty. They're knit from Meilenweit Color 1002 on size 1 needles using the Chevron Pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks. Love.

Day 15

Knit Day:

Gotta love having friends over to knit. Good food, fun conversation, and lots of knitting inspiration. YEA!

Day 14

Bittersweet.
Today we found out who was to be cut at our school. The referendum did not pass and fortunately G or I have not been cut BUT two of my friends will not be returning next fall as their entire programs have been cut. Sad news. I'm thankful that G and I will be employed but feel terrible for my fellow PLC members.

Day 13

There's nothing like earning stickers after a difficult day at work. I love living with my husband.

Day 12

It's so interesting to me to read Norwegian knitting blogs like Med Pinner and watch videos of Norwegian knitters. The more I observe other people knitting, the more I realize I must have learned the Norwegian style of knitting. I remember teaching myself how to knit from a video that was loaned to me by my high school art teacher. I played that video forward and backward and paused it so many times that I'm sure I must have decreased it's overall life span by several years. Now, looking back, it must have been a video with a Norwegian knitter as I knit and purl just like this:

So cool to learn about what you were taught and to make connections to the culture. Good thing I speak Norwegian and understand all the important parts... good luck to all of you!

Day 11

Contrasts:
Last night I went to a knit night that was hosted by a lovely person whom I am hoping to make my new friend. Her name is Mollie and she's a great hostesses! Mollie lives in the country and getting to her house at dusk was a bit daunting considering it was snowing. I didn't bring my camera but it looked something like this:

only darker and harder to see where you were going...
which is very different from my previous drives to knit night that looked something like this:

Aww... the changes... hugs to all you city dwellers... and a big high five to Mollie (don't want to scare her away if I hug her too soon... hee hee)

Day 10

Progress on Arnie's sweater is fast BUT, unfortunately I keep having issues. The first issue, Arnie doesn't live here. It's so much easier to knit for someone if they can try the project on occasionally. But I'll just keep plugging away. I love the color and I'm really learning a lot by problem solving. I'm using Elizabeth Zimmerman's Classic Brooks Sweater with Cascade 220. Good thing I knit super fast so I don't get discouraged.

Day 9

Working on large projects is sometimes daunting but if you break them down into little parts, they can be accomplished bit by bit. Whether this be a knitted item or other handmade craft or for me, exercising. I am not a fan of exercising but I do want to feel healthy and fit. I'm used to being a certain size and as of late (Christmas was super yummy!!!), I've not been feeling just right. So, now, I'm not only going to blog everyday but do my best to exercise at least three times a week. New year, new goals. We'll see what happens. I think this may help a bit:

Day 8

What's better than one pair of new shoes? Two new pairs of shoes. Especially shoes that are on sale! Yea Zappos.com!!!!! I tell you what, this was definitely the week of opening packages!!! My feet can't wait to wear these to school on Monday.