JFibers

Day 109

2011-04-20T17:33:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure how Amanda Soule does it everyday... something positive. Today I've cried more than I've smiled and I'm just not sure how to put a positive spin on this.... I found out today that Arnie has cancer in his left kidney. I need to focus now on other things rather than this blog- like finishing his sweater and possibly closing on the house or finding another one and finishing the school year... so I'm going to take a break for a bit. I will be back and resume posting but it may be a bit before I return. I will continue to focus on what positives there are in each day but I may just be sharing them in a different way. Thanks for understanding you twelve readers of mine...

Day 108

2011-04-19T22:03:00.001-05:00

As you know, G is not a big fan of veggies so I'm always on the look-out for ways to sneak them in. Recently we made Thai noodle stir fry and the only veggie he passed to my plate was the broccoli. Not bad. Plus, I've learned that he likes curry. This is a spice that some people have a hard time with and was not one of the staples my mom used in the kitchen when I was growing up, but in college my friends from Nepal would always use curry to flavor their food and the warmth of it was amazing. To discover that G is also a fan was wonderful!!! I feel like this is a discovery that can only lead to new eating adventures.
My friend Kala is helping this adventure today with a giveaway on her blog. The giveaway is sponsored by Lightlife and they have some appetizing looking recipes. Check out this one for Chick'n & Bacon.

Pass the broccoli to my plate and G would enjoy.

Plus, who doesn't love some extra veggies? Oh, right, the man I married... good thing I do!

Day 107

2011-04-18T17:39:00.000-05:00

I brought my camera to school today to take pictures of the student artwork from the art show. Here's Ashley's piece:

It's such a great piece. I'm so proud of all the work she put into it.

I really like the way she created two separate lids and the details in the underglaze.

I'm teaching a Mixed Media class this trimester and for our first project we poured plaster into milk containers and then carved abstract human forms. We researched Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth. We learned how to use carving tools like rasps and sanding paper and we talked about proportions of the human form. The results were amazing. I'm so proud of my students.

Day 106

2011-04-17T20:46:00.000-05:00

Palm Sunday at Dad's

Such a nice day both inside and out.

(p.s. I love my camera)

Day 105

2011-04-16T18:34:00.000-05:00

Student Art Show Day

(ok, so this was officially yesterday but we'll just call it good and I'll post about it today...)

Five of my students submitted work to the Waseca Arts Center for their annual spring art show. Each student created an amazing piece but only one received an Outstanding with a cash price of $10. YIPPIE for my ceramic student Ashley. I'm so proud of her! I featured her work here earlier and I also selected her as art student of the week earlier this fall. I'll add a photo of her winning artwork later- I didn't get a chance to take a pic before the art show and we were pretty busy after....

During our day at the art center, the students participated in an art activity with all of the other students and these were their results:

Each school split the word INSPIRATION into five parts and then each student was to create a piece that included their section of the word. When all the pieces were put together they formed this artwork- pretty cool.....

Day 104

2011-04-15T23:26:00.000-05:00

Friday...
Check out this stop motion film taken by a traveler on a flight from San Francisco to Paris via Air France. My computer applied arts students are working on claymation films stop motion films right now and we chatted about this piece.

SF to Paris in Two Minutes from Beep Show on Vimeo.

Day 103

2011-04-14T22:32:00.000-05:00

Oh my gosh... what a busy day. I am now officially called a different name. That's my happy thing. Only G had to remind me of this because earlier this evening after parent-teacher conferences we called our realtor and she told us that we may have lost the house..... I'll think of happy stuff tomorrow. Right now, I'll just be sad a little while...

Day 102

2011-04-13T18:07:00.001-05:00

What to do? I have this...

Malabrigo Sock- Candombe

Now, what to make?

Broken Cable Rib by Ann Budd

Toasty Twist by Teresa Fox

Socks of Kindness by Chawne

Can you suggest a shawl??? I don't wear them that often but am wondering if this yarn should be shown to the world rather than hidden under my pants.

This is a great yarn and I don't want to "waste" it....

Day 101

2011-04-12T19:49:00.000-05:00

Change of plans... we will not be closing on Friday because the septic system did not pass the inspection. This is not an unexpected issue as we had already known that the sellers would be putting funds into escrow to pay for a replacement BUT we did not know that the lending agent would not approve the loan if the septic was deemed an "imminent risk". OOPS... so the move-in date will change and the painting will have to wait and blah blah blah...
Oh well, we made homemade pizza for supper. That's exciting. And today was finally haircut day for G. Since moving in together, I have taken over the duty of G's official hairdresser (his mom had this honor as recent as six months ago- do you believe he's only paid for ONE haircut in his entire life?). Let's just say that I've been improving and today was "not sooooo bad." This is a major improvement from the last time. Hope your days are going well!

Day 100

2011-04-11T17:26:00.001-05:00

OH LUCKY DAY!!!!!! DAY 100!!!!!!!!!

And check- my house is rented and the tenants move in on May 1st! YIPPIE!!!!
p.s. To celebrate such a glorious event of 100 days of blogging with only two days that Kala had to help support the cause (without internet, blogging is tricky!) and that my MPLS monthly mortgage payments are now being paid for by someone else, Kala is sponsoring a giveaway on her blog in my honor... oh wait, maybe not in my honor or for that matter anything at all to do with me BUT she is hosting a giveaway and you should check it out here.

Day 99

2011-04-10T20:24:00.000-05:00

My friends are awesome! Look what we made today!

This is an egg dying resist technique called Pysanky. Kathy is our fearless leader and organized the event last year and this year making it our annual tradition. In my opinion it's the best way way to dye eggs. So much fun. Thanks chicas!

Day 98

2011-04-09T21:50:00.001-05:00

So yesterday I went to the house to check out the fridge measurements and took a few pics of the bathrooms to help inspire G's thinking about getting new faucets. Check out the current fixtures:

Here's the rest of the rooms:

First one, room color and wallpaper not so bad but fixtures not the best. Second one, wallpaper and countertop not the best but fixtures not so bad... What to do?

Here's what I'm hoping for.. something like this would be nice... What do you think?

Day 97

2011-04-08T22:23:00.001-05:00

Thanks for all your help with the fridge stuff! We've decided on black with the freezer on the bottom. Yea! Check that off the list!
Today was the first and only varsity home track meet and I was enlisted to help with the timing. It was an interesting evening with many heated discussions about who was in what place. I offered to time for 8th place (last place) and still had to be assertive a few times to make sure I got the right person. Silly other timers....
It was a nice way to spend an evening outside and watch some good athletes and the sunset. Hope your Friday was fun!

Day 96

2011-04-07T22:18:00.000-05:00

Question of the day: If all the other appliances in your kitchen are black, do you have to buy a black fridge to match? Because Best Buy is having a sale and there is no fridge in the new house.... I'm not sure how I feel about black appliances.... any suggestions?

Day 95

2011-04-06T20:18:00.000-05:00

Check out this really cool post by Alisa Burke. She's an amazing mixed media artist that has written a very informative book and posts excellent tutorials and posts on her blog.

Doodle Easter Eggs

I'm getting really excited for this weekend's Pysanky egg decorating party and these designs are very inspiring!

Day 94

2011-04-05T18:56:00.000-05:00

Donezo!!

Today we found out that our closing date might be moved back because the testing of the well, sewer system and air quality in the basement has not been completed to satisfaction. Not the best news but I'm staying positive and despite the fact that these socks are not identical and the closing date may be moved, I know that things will work out in the end and things will fit together eventually!

Day 93

2011-04-04T22:36:00.000-05:00

My family has big feet AND we like tall socks. Not a good combo when it comes to knitting socks for family members. My mom's birthday was in February and I bought sock yarn for her last year so it seemed appropriate that I finish her socks in April of this year (right?). I have been working on these socks for a while and have been distracted by other projects (all house related) so I thought I should get back to these before mom comes to help paint the new place later this month.

Mom likes things to match so I tried really hard to make them twins- identical not fraternal. I was doing great right up until I ran out of yarn on the second sock before I even hit the toe- OOPS! So I did some creative work back at the top of both socks- keeping them identical where they will be seen outside of shoes- and viola' they are nearly complete and nearly identical. Here's hoping I have enough to finish the toe...

Day 92

2011-04-03T23:07:00.000-05:00

After a bit of a drive home and a stop at our local Lowe's to check out garage door openers, ceiling lights, and faucets, I've been knitting and watching this for the rest of the afternoon:

It's super cool to watch the Decorah eagles up this close. I've never seen anything like this before. I think it's truly amazing how far technology has come. To be able to observe wildlife this closely is truly amazing.

Day 91

2011-04-02T22:43:00.000-05:00

Fun fun fun!

Alice and I went down those slides together. Noah was too afraid. That's my girl!

Day 90

2011-04-01T23:18:00.000-05:00

Stealing internet from the hotel we're staying at: Three Bears Lodge. Guess it's technically not stealing if we're staying here. Wish G and I luck on the water slides. Did I mention that I forgot my swimsuit?

Day 89

2011-03-31T22:38:00.000-05:00

No picture today. Sorry folks! I did have a great time with mom tonight in the town of Faribault (Shane, your favorite!!). We had a very nice evening talking about paint colors and home decor and ate at 1st of Thai. The food was great and the service was quick and very friendly. Our waiter saw that we were looking at paint swatches and we chatted about art for a while. Turns out he loves to draw and may come to my classroom sometime to show the students some of his work.
You know, wherever I go, I always make new friends!

Day 88

2011-03-30T19:53:00.000-05:00

Have you ever used a pedometer? Each teacher was given one for our spring wellness week by our wellness committee. We are going to be tracking how many steps we take (and prizes will be awarded). Now, you know I LOVE prizes so I'm keeping track of my steps and taking this very seriously! The suggested number of steps is 10,000 per day. 10,000 steps.... 10,000! Have you ever counted your steps? Cause here are my steps:

That's right, only 5,148 steps in a full day. I'm thinking that this may be like one of Kala's giveaways. I'm pretty sure those prizes are for other folks...

Day 87

2011-03-29T18:42:00.000-05:00

Ok people, apparently you don't like it when I don't post any photos so here's one just for you!

Aubree you would be so proud of me. I went to the store tonight and saw that they had garlic naan (unbelievable for this small town). It is so delicious! And what goes with naan? Well, chicken curry of course. So, I was thinking back to one evening when I was at Tim and Aubree's for dinner and Aubree made the most delicious chicken curry dish. I stood in the store for 20 minutes trying my best to try to remember what she put in it and viola'! I got all the ingredients, came home and made dinner.

It was excellent and even cooler than me remembering how to make it, was that G liked it. Who wants to meet us at Everest on Grand next time we're in the cities? G might actually be willing to try it now. YEA!!!!!

Day 86

2011-03-28T22:06:00.000-05:00

It's been a few days without a photo I realize but do you know how hard it is to think of something interesting to post AND get a photo of an object that goes along with said interesting thing? It sure is tricky... Today was good and despite another day of not having a photo, some enjoyable events took place. I knit with some Waseca ladies and had a great meal sponsored by Mollie and then it was back to school to speak to the 8th grade parents about registering for classes. It's always a joy to be an arts advocate and I put on my happy shiny smiley face. I think I may have swayed one or two more students to sign up for art... cross your fingers! Then it was back home to cuddle with G. Ah, perfect end to a good day.

Day 85

2011-03-27T21:24:00.000-05:00

Taxes make my head hurt...
G and I talked about paint colors all day long and played with the swatches and made some important decisions and then he went away to play basketball.
I worked on my taxes while he was gone. It did not go well. I filled in all the necessary blanks, entered all the numbers in what I believe to be the proper spots, I crossed my fingers, I hoped that I was doing it all right and then I pressed enter and it said I owed money. So I changed one thing and it said they owed me money. I suppose these are the only two scenarios but how is it that by clicking one button, your outcome can be so different? How do you know you've done the right thing if the outcome is so drastically different when you change one simple piece of info? Standard filing or itemized filing....

Day 84

2011-03-26T19:41:00.000-05:00

Date night!
G and I (mostly I) decided that tonight would be date night. He's been busy this week being sick, going to a teaching workshop, with track practice and a track meet. TOO much going on for G and not enough for me. So we went for a run this afternoon (YES, you read that right! First one of the season for me and I feel like going again tomorrow so you know it went well..... it went ok but I'm trying to stay positive!) and then we headed to the big town of Owatonna for dinner at Famous Dave's. Delicious! We're back home now and getting ready to watch a movie on the couch. Once again, it's the little things in life. LOVE it. Hugs to all of you and hope that your evening was as fulfilling as mine.

Day 83

2011-03-25T20:54:00.000-05:00

Just in time for my paint color selections... Look what arrived in the mail today!

Yea for half price local paint sales! Tomorrow is the day!

Day 82

2011-03-24T19:32:00.001-05:00

WIPEOUT!
Have you seen this show, cause it is FUNNY. I know that it's absolutely ridiculous and silly and completely absurd but I just can't help myself. It may be one of my most favorite shows- especially when you have a day that is a bit hectic. This show just makes me laugh and laugh.

Day 83

2011-03-23T19:08:00.001-05:00

This evening is going to be a blast! G and I are picking out paint colors for our new house. Cast your votes and let me know what you think. The fabric under the paint swatches is our new comforter for our master bedroom with a KING sized bed. I'm so excited to sleep in that large of a bed... so cool.

Day 82

2011-03-22T19:20:00.001-05:00

G is at a meeting this evening and so I'm flying solo at home. We haven't lived together very long but when we are apart, I definitely miss him. It may sound strange but today I am thankful that I miss him. This is a different kind of missing him than last year when we lived apart. Today, I know that he will be home this evening and we can chat about how our days went and about the students that we have in common and how the school lunch was better today than yesterday... the regular things that people who are in a committed relationship talk about; the small day to day things. We have only this had this type of daily routine for a very short time and I am thankful that I only have to miss him for two more hours when he returns instead of waiting two more days to see him again....

Day 81

2011-03-21T21:18:00.001-05:00

Happy news from my friend Farah.... She's going to be a mom to an 11 month old boy named Lucas Lee! I am so excited for her and her her husband, Mark. I've known this lady longer than I've known my G from back in my Philippines' days. We used to talk about how someday we'd marry a great guy and then finally be moms... we both wanted the same things: a husband, a family, a good teaching career, living back in the states near our families. Now, after many years of waiting and working towards our goals, Farah will finally be a mom. I'm so happy for her! Send her hugs!

Day 80

2011-03-20T20:03:00.002-05:00

I have a lot of crafty friends and I am so proud of Kathy for her work on Kala's birthday present. Check out how amazing it is!

Before:

After:

Way to go Kathy! It turned out beautifully!

Check out Kala's post about it here: VeganCraftastic

Day 79

2011-03-19T18:02:00.003-05:00

It was a beautiful morning today as G and I drove to Afton. I have a lovely picture to share but will have to do that once we return home. I actually got sunburned today while we were skiing. The last day of the season was spent with my brother, my husband and my husband's sister.... what a glorious day to be out. And my thighs hurt from all that edging so it must have been fun.

Edited to add photo:

Day 78

2011-03-18T23:05:00.000-05:00

Hey, I checked out the local library today and was ready to be unimpressed but to my great surprise, there are bunches and bunches of knitting books!!!! That's right folks, if you lived here, you too could check out all the wonderful knitting books that the local library has to offer. So, when one of my students walked by restocking the shelves we chatted a bit about the quality of knitting books that they had and she told me, "Yeah, it's cause we have a lot of old ladies that like to knit." WEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLL!!!! We may not be old folks, but we sure do like to knit and now I'm going to tell my fiber arts students to get their behinds to the library and check out some of those books.
P.S. My principal is with the band students on their trip to Walt Disney World and she sent a special email to all the staff reporting that everyone was doing well and a p.s. to me that one of the students was knitting!!! ALLLLLL RIGHTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!

Day 77

2011-03-17T19:01:00.000-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today two students from the DCD (developmentally cognitively delayed) classroom came to show me their St. Patrick's Day masks. They were so cool. Both students were in my classroom last trimester- one for Drawing and one for Painting. They did such a good job. The Drawing student creates observational drawings that are amazing!!!!! I invited them in and we showed the current drawing students their masks. Good times for all.

Day 76

2011-03-16T20:22:00.001-05:00

So G and I had a busy little weekend last week and I've only just now had time to reflect and take a close look at all the pictures from those two days.
I started by celebrating my friend's birthday with a crafternoon event at her place. She finally turned 12 and she received some cool pressies from her friends. Of course, the one that I wrapped had to have LOTS of tape.

All the cool kids were there and that loverly on the right is now engaged!!! We missed Nicole and Aubree obviously!!!

And we ended our weekend like this:

Exhausted at 5 pm. But it sure does feel good.

p.s. I walked home from work again today. The sun and a crisp breeze on my face. It's going to be a glorious spring.

Day 75

2011-03-15T18:09:00.001-05:00

I posted about my flowers before but look at how much

my amaryllis has changed.

Before:

After:

There are four blossoms total and they are amazingly huge!

This is the third time I've seen this plant bloom and so far,

these are the largest. Amazing.

Also, I walked home from school today and the weather was beautiful!!!

Day 74

2011-03-14T19:54:00.001-05:00

So many great things that occurred this weekend! Thanks so much to Kala for guest posting for me while I was packing up my place in MPLS and moving it all down to Waseca- G and I are currently living in chaos for the next month until we close on our new place... we need more space so thank goodness the new house is quite a bit larger than our current rental.
As I was saying on Friday, I want to share the very cool knitting projects that my Fiber Arts students created. This is the last project that they created before the trimester ended. I will miss this class but am excited by their progress! Check it out!

I have a few more softies to share but haven't taken pictures yet. When I get them all, I'll make sure to share!

Guest Post 2 - Knit Yourself a Hedgehog!

2011-03-13T19:09:00.000-05:00

Hi again, I'm here for another guest post! Since Mz. JFibers is a huge fan of hedgehogs, I thought I'd poke around and see if I could find some cute knit and crochet patterns to share. This one is my absolute fave, it's so adorable!

Knit Hedgehog Pattern by Amy Gaines (here's the Ravelry link):

-kala

Guest Post - Knitting Styles

2011-03-12T16:59:00.001-06:00

Since Mz. JFibers is having some internet "issues" I have been trusted to do a couple of guest posts on her blog! Since most of the people who read this blog are friends of both of us, I feel a bit odd introducing myself, but here we go: I'm Kala and my blog is called Vegancraftastic. My blog is a chronicle of my crafty adventures from a vegan perspective and also features all kinds of goodies and foods that I love. Ok, I think that's enough of that, let's get to the post!

While chatting about knitting today with a group of my friends (including JFibers) the subject of knitting styles came up and whether gender or other factors influences which style someone will be drawn to. While there are many many styles of knitting, the two big ones are Continental (picking) and English (throwing). I personally throw, but in a bit of an odd way, or so I'm told! JFibers does a variation of picking with some special Norwegian techniques thrown in and she knits WAY faster than I do - that girl is a machine! The speed seems like the big draw to trying out picking, that and the smaller range of motion. I learned to knit from reading the book Stitch and Bitch, at the time I lived in rural Minnesota and didn't know anybody that knit, so that's why I might hold my yarn a wee bit different that someone who learned from a friend or from taking a class, I had nobody to correct me. But that's the wonderful thing about knitting, as long as you're getting a product you're happy with there is no "wrong" way to knit.

So what style of knitting do you love?

-kala

Day 71

2011-03-11T21:39:00.000-06:00

Very slow internet when you're stealing it from your neighbor so I can't post all the amazing photos I want to today... will just have to catch up when I return home. For now though, check out the knitted softies by my Fiber Arts students. It was so much fun to teach them to how to knit!

ok. just joking... no photos today because the internet is so slow that it won't let me upload any.
Maybe tomorrow!

Day 70

2011-03-11T00:09:00.000-06:00

Busy day....
Up SUPER early being nervous about our new house and my MPLS house being rented out. (yippie!)
Went to school, graded a whole bunch of artwork while students were taking their finals.
Came home not feeling well and took a nap.
Got up.
Played a double -header with my volleyball team.
Went out and threw some darts with my hubby and some other teachers.
Nice way to spend the day... all my happy things....

First phase of this final move begins on Sunday. Fingers crossed that it doesn't snow....

Day 69

2011-03-09T20:11:00.000-06:00

Best thing about buying a new house? Finding out that credits scores can be as high as 800.... that's right. You thought 700 was high? Oh no, I've got scores in the 800's.... That's right folks, I'm awesome.

Even better than 800 though is knowing that mine were bigger than G's...

hee hee.

(p.s. I thought they only went to 700. I had no idea about 800.)

(p.s.s. They do not go into the 900's. G asked about that too.)

Day 68

2011-03-08T20:52:00.000-06:00

Find a house: check

Make an offer: check

Negotiate Price: check

Get an inspection: check

Re-negotiate for necessary repairs: tomorrow

Move in: oh, so soon.....

Yippie!!!!

Day 67

2011-03-07T19:12:00.000-06:00

Well, just when I was having a hard time thinking of something to write about, my good friend Kala decided to sponsor a giveaway on her blog... Now that's something to be happy about, despite the fact I never win!!!

Pathways Shawl by ButterflyKnit

Day 66

2011-03-06T18:50:00.001-06:00

So, you know when you're looking at a house and you dream about the colors that the walls could be, and the color of the new countertops in the kitchen, and where you're going to put your couch, bed, piano, chairs, dining room table.... well, in there somewhere, I tend to dream about doorknobs and kitchen cabinet knobs and pulls. I know, you may think I'm crazy (you wouldn't be alone- my whole family thinks that's nuts too) but I long to have all of the metal details in my new home have an oil rubbed bronze finish...... Dorky? Maybe. But just imagine this house with all those little details...

I'll invite you over after we sign the papers... then you can make fun of my fetish for oil rubbed bronze too.

Day 65

2011-03-05T19:30:00.001-06:00

My new friend Mary Jo and I went for a walk around town today and the most interesting part was down by the railroad tracks....

such interesting textures and colors and........

signs....

This one says Do Not HUMP....

Wonder what that means?!?!?!?

Day 64

2011-03-04T21:02:00.001-06:00

Things are super busy around here lately. Finishing projects in all my classes, new course descriptions due for registration packets, planning what to do if we have a snow day during finals, writing finals, ordering supplies for next trimester, getting papers together for our house offer.... that's a lot to do in one week.

So, let's take a break for a minute and check out some of the amazing student work from my Fiber Arts class...

Before:

After:

Have I told you how much I love this class?

Day 63

2011-03-03T19:38:00.003-06:00

I am so proud of G and I. Look what we made for dinner.

These wontons were so delicious!!!

They took quite a bit of time to prepare but they were well worth it.

We made two different kinds: cream cheese and pork. So yummy!

Day 62

2011-03-02T17:34:00.000-06:00

What's that I see?

It's 5:30. I just got home from work and do you see that?

It's the sun. At 5:30!!!! The days are getting longer.

They may still be cold but this is a welcome sight!

p.s. This sun picture is perfect for my post today.

Our offer on a house was accepted! Next step, inspection. Wish us luck!

Day 61

2011-03-01T19:25:00.001-06:00

Regardless of how stressful house purchasing can be, how uncomfortable change is, and how terrible it is to not know what is going to happen, I am thankful for this.... I live with my husband and together we work at a school where the kids are trustworthy, honest, and sincere. G and I have been dealing with house stuff this week and I accidentally left my really nice camera out in the classroom when I ran to G's room to chat about the house. I never leave my camera anywhere!!! I really like that thing and in the past have "lost" cameras in schools that I've worked. When I returned to my classroom today in a panic looking for my camera, one student yelled to me as I came running through the door, "It's right here!!! I was watching it for you!!! And I made sure no one touched it!!!!" What a relief. Despite the stressful day and the thought of losing yet another house, it's comforting to know that we have chosen a town where the students watch your back! Thanks Sadie! Here's one of her pieces:

Day 60

2011-02-28T17:05:00.001-06:00

With a nod to my friend Kala, I wanted to let you know about a giveaway she is having on her blog today... you should check it out! She is sponsoring Ohdessa Knits and she has some really cute patterns. I myself am very fond of her Owlet Mitten Pattern.. Aren't they super cute?

And with a second nod to my friend Kala, look what I realized today!?!?!?!?!

Look closely....

Closer

That's right, my conditioner is 100% vegan. Aren't you proud of me Kala?

Day 59

2011-02-27T17:28:00.000-06:00

Ok, being sick really sucks but you can still find something positive about your day. My happiness today was based on this movie:

Seriously, you have to see this movie. I told G today that if we have a daughter, I hope she's tough enough to be a roller girl. I'm such a wimp that I can only dream that our daughter would follow in her father's footsteps of toughness and then I can go and cheer her on!!! A girl can hope, right?

Day 58

2011-02-27T12:52:00.000-06:00

Have you ever been to a SPARKLE PARTY??? Well, let me tell you that they are super fun- mostly because you can make fun of the silly costumes your friends are wearing.... They shall remain nameless but you know who you are!!!

Pictures may be crap quality but it was a night to remember!

Day 57

2011-02-25T19:54:00.001-06:00

Do you know exactly how much work it takes to buy a house? I mean, not just the process of making an offer, signing the papers, and then paying for the house for the rest of your life. But what I'm talking about is the researching to find the right place, visiting the houses, and then all the packing, moving, painting, repairing, rearranging, and finally living in a new place....

We've been in the researching stage for quite some time now and I'm tired already.... I think I'd just like to be done with this part and start the painting part- that's what I really like and can't wait to do again! We may be there soon enough though...

On a separate more professional note, yesterday evening, our media center specialist and an English teacher were at a book signing in our high school library when a school board member and the superintendent came over to ask them a question. They wondered who had created all the beautiful vases that were on display above the bookcases. They were impressed with the skill and wondered if it was the high school art students- well, that's a really nice compliment to receive! The media specialist was so happy to share with them that I was the teacher responsible for the classes that created them and that more importantly I displayed them in the library. She was super excited when I asked her this fall if I could display some pieces there and now we both got complimented for how nice they look in the library. In a year of budget cuts, a compliment from a school board member and the superintendent is reassuring.

p.s. These pieces are quite large- each piece is at least 11 inches tall. Not too bad for Ceramics 1 students. Some of them have never worked with clay before so for their first projects, these are pretty impressive.

Day 56

2011-02-24T17:37:00.002-06:00

G and I went to see a house today.... potential but possibly some basement issues... who's to say.... fingers crossed...

Day 55

2011-02-23T17:35:00.001-06:00

So the next few days are the ones that my Ceramic students have waited for all trimester. The glazeware firing is complete and the pieces come out of the kiln colorful and shiny. Ashley is an amazing student artist who just started taking art classes her senior year because she has a few free periods. This happened to me when I was in high school too... take all the requirements until finally I get to take art as a senior. She does great work. Check out her thrown cylinder:

I am so proud of her.

Day 53

2011-02-22T18:23:00.001-06:00

While it may be super snowy outside, look what's reminding me of spring inside!

Grant gave me this orchid for our third Valentine's Day and it continues to bloom. I thought it would be so difficult to care for but it is SUPER simple. Three ice cubes per week and it's all set. I love her so much because of her beauty but also because my loverly gave her to me.

My friend Maya gave me this gerber daisy when she came to our place for a knitter afternoon. I thought I may have lost him but he continues to bloom again and again as well.

A bit of water and some sunlight and it's a happy little guy.

This is my amaryllis. I received her from a teaching buddy who didn't want her. She got it as a gift from another teacher and decided she was too much work to take care of BUT yet again, this lady is easy to care for as well. A bit of water and some chit chat and she blooms repeatedly- can't wait

to see her flower again.

Day 52

2011-02-21T19:26:00.002-06:00

Guess what I did today?

Caroline invited me to the shearing. She's pictured here with her favorite sheepy sheep. She calls him Wuzzl and has had him for about five years. She used to ride him to the mailbox down the driveway everyday. He loves to be petted and comes to his name. Whenever Caroline walks into the barn, Wuzzl comes through the flock to get his love'n....

It was so much fun!

Day 51

2011-02-20T14:58:00.000-06:00

We got back to Waseca and I looked through my photos from the Philippines. Look how cool the light painting (also called light drawing or light graffiti) photos are!!!!

Amazing, right???

Plus, look how great I look? Wowza!

Day 50

2011-02-20T00:16:00.000-06:00

Have you ever heard of light painting? The first time I ever heard of it, I was teaching in the Philippines about 8 or 9 years ago. I was sitting at an outdoor patio and a British artist struck up a conversation with my friend Farah and I. We ended up chatting for most of the evening and he took pictures all night long. I have the most amazing picture of me using the light painting technique- I'll search my archives and see if I can find it for tomorrow's post...
Anyway, light painting is a form of photography in which you use a slow shutter speed and a strong light source. The photos are usually taken in a darkened room or outdoors at night and the light source or the camera are moved. Because of the slow shutter speed, the camera records the lights' movements and this results in lines of light on the exposure. The earliest record of an artist using this technique is in 1935 of Man Ray and his "Space Writing."

Picasso also has portraits using this technique...

I didn't start out thinking about light painting today but as I was I trying to take a photo of the moon, it came to mind rather quickly. We were in a moving car and trying to get a photo at night of the amazing yellow dot in the sky was not working out so well..... then the whole light painting idea popped in my head and these were the results.

Not bad for a first attempt.

Day 49

2011-02-18T23:10:00.000-06:00

The batik results are amazing. Some of the students have still not quite completed their final projects but I'm pushing them along slowly and I'll continue to show all of you the finished pieces as they come in... This was my first time teaching batik to an entire class (20 students) and overall, I'm pretty happy with the results. Most difficult part of the entire process? The finishing with the sewing machine!!!! I got lots of practice and I'm doing just great at sewing but I need to learn how to teach the students to use the machine.... I do not envy Family and Consumer Science teachers at all!

M's Fishy pillow

M's covered box

inside

close-up of embellishments

T's pencil case

detail with the velcro on the inside

K's picture frame

the back side...

Have you ever tried batik? It's so cool!

Day 48

2011-02-17T22:44:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I know I should be knitting mom's socks BUT I just had to start knitting a monster immediately. They are WAY to cute to not knit right away! I'm using some of the cheap stuff (YIKES!) acrylic from school but I'm using it to show my students a variety of knitting techniques and I don't want to make them too jealous of my personal yarn stash. I'll keep you posted on the results.

(p.s. stay tuned for batik results tomorrow!)

Day 47

2011-02-16T19:32:00.002-06:00

My happiness today is based on my friend's happiness! A baby!!!!! A baby!!!! A baby!!!!! And she's decided to name him OSCAR!!!!! That is one of my favorites! Congrats Kathy!

Day 46

2011-02-15T18:38:00.000-06:00

Look what was in my mailbox today! How exciting!

I purchased this book to show my Fiber Arts students. The patterns in here are easy enough that beginners can feel successful without overly challenged but are also cute enough that they hold the interest off experienced knitters.

And FINALLY my Interweave Knits arrived today as well. G's parents gave me the subscription for Christmas this year and I've been waiting to see if it could find its way to my new home- YIPPIE, it did and I was lucky that TWO arrived at one time.

(p.s. G and I looked at four more houses today...

nothing super great but there is some potential out there.)

Day 45

2011-02-14T17:18:00.001-06:00

I read several knitting blogs every day. Kristen Nicholas has a great blog for those of us who wish we live on a farm but haven't quite made it there yet. She offers insight into the details of raising sheep and she doesn't sugar coat anything! She currently has two lambs living in her house so that they are able to survive. She has written several books and has recently created video tutorials to go along with her books. In my fiber arts class I'm teaching the students to knit and embellish their work with embroidery or other items to add details. I'll be using her videos in class and thought I'd also share them with you....

This one helped me to create eyes for my frog softie:

Day 44

2011-02-13T19:24:00.000-06:00

And a heel is turned....

Day 43

2011-02-12T19:42:00.000-06:00

Needles and needles oh my!

I experimented with some needle felting today. The one above is a flat piece that I'll change into a trivet to protect the table from hot plates. The one below is three-dimensional and going to be a little fishy that I got a few years ago at Shepherd's Harvest from Mielke's Farm. Yes, I know it may look like a lime green cigar right now, but you just wait.....

Day 42

2011-02-11T19:25:00.000-06:00

Hey! LOOK UP!!! Doesn't that new blog header look SOOOOOOO cool??? I made it today using Photoshop (at school- don't tell!) I was experimenting with something for class and realized that I could use the program to improve my blog header. I may use this as an assignment in my graphic design class... what do you think? Any suggestions for improvement?
(P.S. If you want me to make YOU one, just let me know and I can whip one up for you!)

Day 41

2011-02-10T16:59:00.005-06:00

And the winner is...

zimme345 said...

You are doing a giveaway! I'm so impressed :)

My favs are the Brooklyn Tweed Strago mittens.

Grant and I used his graphing calculator to get the results (he's such a math nerd). Kala was actually the winner but I never win her stuff so congratulations Kelaine! (Just joking of course Kala... it really was Kelaine's number that came up- the third time around- no wait...hee hee) You will receive your book in the very near future. Hugs!

Day 40

2011-02-09T22:36:00.000-06:00

I was observed today at school during my Fiber Arts class. The mentor teacher that observed me walked into the room and was excited to see that we were doing batik. She remembered creating a piece in junior high school and just loved working with the materials. As I looked around the class and watched students at different stages of the project, I realized that when I was in high school, this was my favorite type of class as well. Some students were waxing, some placed their pieces in the dye bath, some were using sewing machines to complete their piece and some had moved on and were learning how to knit. My class in high school was called Crafts From Around the World and my instructor, Hanson, just recently retired. I actually interviewed for her position just last spring. I didn't get that job but I am so content with my current position that I'm pretty sure this place was meant for me. The crafts class only lasted one year due to budget cuts in Red Wing and my Fiber Arts class is also on the chopping block BUT, I write the curriculum and as long as the state standards are met, I can teach any lesson that I want. Fiber Arts may be out but with a new title of Mixed Media, the content remains. Hand crafts have a special place in my heart and the students and my fellow teachers believe they are important so despite the name change, fibers will continue to be taught in Waseca.

P.S. I promise to show the final projects when I take a few more pictures. We're just finishing them up this week....

Day 39

2011-02-08T17:32:00.000-06:00

When I started working at the high school this fall, I was super excited about a class that I was going to be teaching called Fiber Arts. This type of class is not generally offered in high schools so I felt lucky to be teaching it. Today, some students finished removing all of the wax from their batik projects and here are some of their finished pieces.

The next step is to use this fabric to create an artwork- a pillow, napkins, a t-shirt design, patches for jeans..... I can't wait to see their final projects.

Day 38

2011-02-07T20:21:00.000-06:00

Mmmmm.... this jelly is so delicious. It's a little piece of summer in a jar.

This was made by my friend Flannery from cherries from the cherry tree in my backyard.

Ahhh, this may be the only batch made from that tree but it sure is delicious.

(The house goes on the rental website this week. Cross your fingers for a quick rental agreement!)

Day 37

2011-02-06T22:03:00.000-06:00

The Super Bowl...
Check out my knitting progress on my mama's sock while I was at a Super Bowl party. Everyone watched the game but I knit during the game and then watched the commercials. They're the only reason to watch, right?

See that beautiful wooden piece in the pic? That is my beloved Knitzi. I absolutely love it! It has saved me many a time from having bent needles. What a pain it is when you return to your knitting only to find you can't work on it because your needle is lost or broken. This has not happened since I got my Knitzi.

The black bag was made by my good friend Kala over at Vegancraftastic. This was the first bag I purchased from her when she was just starting out. LOVE IT! She saw me use it this weekend and commented on how my Knitzi sticks out the top... OOPS... I should have used my larger bag but I was in a rush when I left the house and grabbed this one.

I hope your Super Bowls were fun.

Day 36

2011-02-05T21:16:00.003-06:00

Today was full of errands that involved getting my house ready to list for rental and playing with some of my knitting buddies. I don't know if I've ever accomplished so much in such a short period of time...
1. Pick up prescription from my former pharmacy which they were supposed to mail to my new address.
2. Get keys copied for possible new tenants- must go to a locksmith to get the do not duplicate type of key- try two stores before going home and checking on the internet (thank you neighbor for once again allowing me to "borrow" your internet) to locate a third store and CALLING first to make sure they were open.
3. Hope on over to Crafty Planet and meet Kala and Maya. Run into my friend Jennie the Potter and give her hugs and catch up. WAYYYY cool store by the way! My first visit.
4. Eat at Holy Land Deli- also my first visit- DEEEEELICIOUS!!!
5. Drive to Three Kittens (you guessed it, my first visit) and meet Janine Kosel- co-author of this book: Norwegian Handknits. Maya gave me this book as a wedding present and it's just beautiful. Janine and I chatted about all the Decorah, IA folks we know- small world.
6. Drive back to Joann's to pick up some materials for school.
7. Continue on to Panera for an afternoon hot chocolate- Kala's first visit to Panera. Did you know they now have a rewards card? Check it out... I'm signing up for sure!
8. Walk over to Borders and peruse the books... I'm still waiting for this to come out in paperback. HURRY UP ALREADY.
9. And last but not least, a trip to my local Target for more plastic storage totes to pack the rest of my belongings in for the ride to Waseca. (not my first visit!)
Whew!
Oh, I forgot to mention...
10. Talk on the phone the whole day with the guy delivering my appliances tomorrow and my rental management contact to arrange the photo shoot of the house, the signing of the contract, and the large sum of money I'll be handing over with the hope of tenants to follow.
WOW.... I'm exhausted. 8:30 and I'm already tucked in bed. Sleep well everyone!

p.s. I'll be dreaming of this tonight:

Stock photo: too dark to take decent photos at my place- sorry!
Click on it to be directed to the original website.

I bought it today and I can't wait to make a boneyard just like this one.

Day 35

2011-02-04T22:29:00.000-06:00

WARNING, WARNING.... This post may contain meat photos... for all you vegans/vegetarians, you may want to avert your eyes....

This is proof that G and I do indeed cook!

No frozen pizzas tonight. This is one of G's favorite things to make in the crock pot. It's easy, it smells delicious when you walk in the house after a long day at work, AND you have leftovers. G is all over the meat but I threw in the potatoes this time and I'm pretty sure it was appreciated.

What a great meal(s).

Day 34

2011-02-03T18:44:00.000-06:00

WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!!!!

Ok, so you know how I won Susan B. Anderson's giveaway?
Well, guess what?!?!?!?!? The good folks at SOHO Publishing Company accidentally sent me a second copy of the book!!!
Sooooooo, that means that I GET TO HAVE A GIVEAWAY!!!!!!
Are you ready?
In traditional Kala style.....
To enter, leave a comment here on this post telling me your favorite set of mittens you've knit. For an extra entry, follow this blog and leave a separate comment letting me know you've become (or already are) a follower. Please make sure to leave a way for me to contact you if you win! Giveaway ends February 10, 2011 and is open to US folks, good luck :)

Day 33

2011-02-02T17:35:00.000-06:00

They're so cute when they're that little...
Well, I decided. Socks it is!!! Mom's birthday is coming up in Feb. and since I purchased the yarn with her last year, I figured it was time to start on them. I'm using Sockotta because this mama has some hot feet. It's a blend of cotton, superwash wool and nylon so I'm hoping it will be cooler than 100% wool. I'm using the Garter Rib pattern in Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Day 32

2011-02-01T20:07:00.000-06:00

Now what?
G and I decided to rent out my MPLS house. It was a tough decision but we feel that is for the best right now. It's so hard to know what the future holds and a year long lease is quite some time... will we be here in Waseca this time next year? Will we still be in a rental house that has brown icicles hanging from the roof that you dodge on warm days as they melt down onto your head while struggling to open the sticky back door? Will we be parents? (oh, cross your fingers for that one ladies!!!)
There are so many unanswered questions... I am trying my best to focus on this one right now and let the rest figure itself out....

What should I knit next?

My current clogs have holes in the bottom- after five years, that's pretty good.

These are a pair I made for my aunt Bonnie last year at Christmas.

Socks are always fun... check out that green grass in the background.

I have yarn for my mom's sock ready to go... now to just choose the pattern.

I could always attach this arm on my Kyoto sweater....

Ahhh... so many choices, so little time.

Day 31

2011-01-31T16:04:00.000-06:00

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

2011-01-30T18:48:00.000-06:00

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

2011-01-30T07:57:00.000-06:00

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

2011-01-29T22:58:00.000-06:00

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

2011-01-28T22:29:00.000-06:00

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

2011-01-27T18:07:00.000-06:00

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

2011-01-26T16:58:00.006-06:00

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

2011-01-25T18:57:00.000-06:00

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....

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

2011-01-24T20:18:00.000-06:00

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

2011-01-23T19:20:00.000-06:00

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

2011-01-22T15:50:00.000-06:00

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

2011-01-21T08:53:00.000-06:00

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

2011-01-20T21:00:00.000-06:00

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

2011-01-19T19:18:00.000-06:00

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

2011-01-18T17:34:00.000-06:00

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

2011-01-17T20:50:00.005-06:00

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 Choru s (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

2011-01-16T17:08:00.000-06:00

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

2011-01-15T20:37:00.000-06:00

Knit Day:

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

Day 14

2011-01-14T18:17:00.000-06:00

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

2011-01-13T19:40:00.003-06:00

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

Day 12

2011-01-12T14:07:00.001-06:00

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!