Growing Love

Hello friends,

I have not fallen off the face of the earth, I promise. I've merely been busy with finals prep, the house, and the gardens. I wish I could say crochet as well but the hooks will be coming out this weekend!!!!!

I planted and transplanted hostas and ferns, trimmed the bushes in the front a bit and will be more ruthless this weekend when I have more time, moved some irises, cleared an area by the curb and put some of the seed balls and zinnia seeds down there.

Last year the neighborhood kids cut all of the irises the same day they bloomed. This year, I'm planting something that they can cut and take to lol!!! I remember all too well wanting to pick a flower in my grandmother's gardens and her getting bent out of shape. I don't care if they pick one or two of the irises, but leave me a few to enjoy!!! So I'll be moving those closer to the house.

I still have the striped grass to plant and cannas to get into the ground but I'll save the cannas for this weekend since the area they go into requires a bit of amending the soil.

I got an 83% on the chapter final today which makes me pretty proud given how much I've struggled.

My next big crochet project is to try to replicate the center of this casino rug in the form of a wall hanging. I think it could be done by using a round ripple pattern (which I've never done before) and making heart motifs to attach in each corner and then devising a border. I'm going to attempt anyway. If any of you crocheters out there have suggestions for me, I'd love to hear them! In the meantime, I have a baby blanket, scarf, and afghan to finish.

We'll be painting the dining room this weekend, working in the gardens, grilling out, enjoying friends, and just hanging out. I'll post pics here once the painting is done. I want to put borders up but haven't yet found what I want - I'm looking for something that will give a tea room feel, even something with teacups in the design. I thought Mary Engelbreit had a wallpaper line, but all I can find are the wallies and not many of those. I'm open for suggestions if you know any good wallpaper vendors.

That's what I've been up to. What about you??

Cup of Tea

Good morning friends,

I hope the morning light finds you happy and in good spirits.

Well, I (barely) passed the re-test so I get to live another week! I've begun going through review problems and setting them up; solving them as I have time but since setup takes me so long I thought that would help with the test anxiety if I could set things up more quickly. I've also spent some time on identifying terms and going through looking at problems and identifying when I should use a reciprocal and when I should get an lcd. I found a math anxiety bill of rights on the mathpower.com website and it will be posted in my math books and notebooks from here on out.

Today will be kind of busy for me. I have work, dinner, and then I'm heading over to a friend's house to pic up a Steam Vac she has, then it's settling down to solve the math problems I set up last night so David can help me if I need it. Maybe, just maybe I will actually get to crochet for the first time in a week!!!! I have gorgeous new hooks to do it with!!!!

What are you up to today???

Thoughts on Change, Education and Life in General

Good morning friends,

Well, the inauguration is over and a new era in our country's history is beginning. As I was watching the first African-American president take the oath, I was so moved that tears began falling. Yes, I am a sap but I was thinking "If ever there was a doubt that in AMERICA a person can come from any background, race, religion, etc and become something great, there is the proof." How incredibly inspiring that is. Whether you voted for him or not, that is one thing you should take from it. I hope that this man does great things.

Well, midterms are over and I survived but not without several moments of "give me the icepick so I can drive it through my forehead" and "I don't care anymore. It is good enough." I don't know when I've been so frustrated with a class as I have been with this Word for the Law Office class. I prefer doing my algebra to the WORD class and that's saying alot.

I went thrift store shopping a couple of weeks ago and found the piece in the picture above. What beautiful work and it was in the Goodwill! I had to rescue it~~~I don't yet know how to do filet work but I so admire it. Isn't it a beautiful iris?

I'm working on a scarf right now of my own design and if I realllllyyyyy like the end result, I will post the pattern here. Keep looking for updates.

Well, I have to get moving. What will you do today that will bring you closer to God and give you peace?

Slip Sliding Away

I think Zinger has the right idea - just chill out and enjoy being home!

I had a potluck today for the Secret Christian Friends group. Each person is paired with a prayer partner, so you pray for your partner daily, and send a card or small thing once a month and then in January we have a nice potluck and gift exchange.

Not much going on today though I do have to get motivated and DO MY HOMEWORK!!! I'm just not feeling like today but will get some done anyway!!! Then I'm going to sit down and work on an afghan I need to get finished and start a shawl.

I finished this scarf this morning. It was the gift for my Secret Christian Friend.