Learning New Tricks!

Life-long learning is a good thing, right?  Of course, right!  So, I am learning how to knit...and I found out there is a yarn store in Morgantown!  Uh, oh! 
My first project is going to be a pointy toboggan kind of hat...no, not for some cute, sweet baby...for me!

My teacher is Monica.  She is knowledgable, patient and talented.  She is the mother of one of my all time favorite students...Cozette, whom I call Cozetticus!

I picked the pattern and gathered my supplies...oh, yeah, had to join ravelry, too.

I didn't know about the yarn store when I bought these supplies so I had to go  to Michael's.  No one there was very helpful, so I lurked about in the yarn aisle until an unsuspecting knitter showed up...she was very helpful!

Better color...

Look at those little fingers and needles do their thing...their knitting thing!

And 3 hours later....ta da!  Ok, so we visited a little bit,

and I got to tuck Cozetticus in for the night....

Here are two of Monica's projects.  Not very good photos, but excellent knitting!

Arrrgg.  Sideways and I don't know how to fix it on the new computer.

Can you see it is a lovely cardigan almost completed?

And this scarf that looks woven?  Amazing.

This was my homework patch.  I just tried different combinations of knit and purl.  And then for my second lesson -

- knitting in a circle!  Oh, yeah!  Look out hat, here you come...

It's interesting how, now, every single sweater, or any knitted item, I see, I look very closely to see what I can see....and then my pesky brain wants me to try and figure out how to do it with my own little hands.

Need new yarn already....but, of course!  Only borrowing needles for now.

Yes.  I am a fan of life-long learning!  You?



Happy Birthday To Me!

I love my birthday.  I love the opportunity for beginning a new year...leaning ever closer to older and wiser.  I keep believing the older is worth the wiser.

My little husband always makes my birthday special.  He buys the BEST cards and puts them where I can find them unexpectedly.  He loves me.  I got flowers at work...and new scissors!  He pays attention when I mention things I need.  He loves me.

My bestest friend, Stevie, got me a subscription to Mollie Makes...my newest guilty pleasure.  And there was the gift card to amazon.com and the Happy Birthday sign hanging on the chalkboard this morning.  This weekend I got a cool wool purse that everyone thinks I made...I should just let them think that, right?

Another year full of promise and possibility....love and learning...joy and peace.  What's not to love about that?

Born in 1956 and turning 56....hmmm...that won't happen again.

Yep.  Happy birthday to me!

Loyalty

Two faithful Marshall fans in the middle of the Mountaineer Nation.  Me and Miss Lydia! 
We are..........................................Marshall!
Let's go Herb!  Yes, that is exactly how one of my kids wrote the sign the year we played for the National Championship in football.  Herd.  Let's go Herd!

Amost Heaven: West Virginia! Hello Lucy

Little Lucy, the world travelling bunny, came to visit here in West Virginia....Almost Heaven!  And she was still smiling and happy even after being locked in the dark box all the way here from Utah.  She didn't even have to nibble all of her carrot.  I bet she must have used her backpack for a pillow.

After a couple of days of rest, we took a trip to Tamarack, the Best of West Virginia, (http://www.tamarackwv.com/) so I could drop off 3 pieces of art for a show in the gallery and let Lucy see some of the state's best arts and crafts.

Did you see Lucy perched up in the daffodil? 
Go back and look.  Now, let's go see what is inside the building.

Here is Lucy perched on the frame of one of Dave Houser's

finest pieces of stained glass.  West Virginia has 55 counties and

very few straight lines.  Preston County is the

red piece with the 2 straight edges. 

Dave is from Preston County.

Hey!  Here is one of my pieces of artwork for sale....Just Bee.

This is an Allegheny Treenware gravy bowl and ladle...

they are from Preston County, too.

And here she is in one of Shelia's nice baskets...

another fine Preston County artist.

West Virginia has long been famous for glass making...

look at those swirls and colors. 

 Lucy looking very stylish in there.

Susan Feller made this pretty ruglet. 

I took a class from her once upon a time and made

a hooked pin with a sassy little chick in the middle.

Oh!  Now we're talking. 

Lucy and her new kitty friends. 

They had lots to talk about.

And then it was time for a little ride on the pony. 

Much more her size than that gigantic thing at Kristen's house.

One that would have fit under this beautiful hand made saddle.

On the way home we went over the New River Gorge Bridge...

well, we went over it on the way down, too,

but the pull off was on this side and not that side...

this bridge is the longest single arch span in the northern hemisphere...

or maybe the world!  It was a little bit scary for Lucy sitting there....

 She was very brave, but didn't want to lean out far enough to get this photo that shows how you walk out there to do the under the bridge walking tour.  It even made my knees shake.

 If you want some more info, you can try to read the sign.

One day I wore this necklace to school and my 5th graders wanted to make one of their own. 

Since I taught them how to sew to make their poetry pockets, they have bitten by the bug. 

It's sweet.

Here's Lucy waiting with the supplies for the kids to come up

(during their lunchtime!) to sew. 

 They were very excited to meet her and hear about her travels so far. 

 They checked out her Passport to see everywhere she has been.

Look at all these busy hands....

After seeing all the kids busy making their own necklaces, Lucy decided she would like one of her own.

So, being an easy touch for an international bunny, I made her one. 

Remember the comment about the big horse at Kristen's?  Well, I don't have horses, but I do have a dog that is just about as big as a small horse...especially if you are a small rabbit.  But the Mercy girl is very friendly, so aside from a few slurps all is well.

 I guess dog riding is an acquired talent...and she wasn't even standing up!

It was great fun to host Lucy here in West Virgina. 

Afterall, everyone loves Lucy, right?

I hope she has a great time on her next stop. 

I wonder if she is starting to miss her momma back in Austrailia?

Don't you wish you could travel by post?  See the world a stamp at a time....

Have You Noticed?

Have you noticed that there has been a veritable dearth (ha...that makes me smile that I used both of those words in the same sentence...wonder if they are spelled right?  or used right, for that matter...oh, no matter, they still made me smile) of homebuilding recounting going on here of late?
May need to rename the blog to HomeBuilding Slowdown...
My little husband had that little hernia incident early in December, so we planned to take the month off.  He healed fine and the doctor said he could do whatever as long as it didn't hurt...really?  You need a medical degree to prescribe that?  Anyway, we were about to think about getting back to work again and he noticed another bumpy right above where the screen repair on the 1st one is.  Now we have a 2 week take it really easy order.
Wonder what people think when they see me schlepping a 35 pound bag of dog food out of Tractor Supply with my husband walking empty handed beside me?  teehee   He does open the doors!
We are also a little bit out of money for the time being.  I refuse to eat our entire savings or the money set aside for buying the furniture and appliances and such for the inside.  The husband is starting a new job and I am loving my tutoring job so the money will come and we will continue.
Having bouts of excitement and terror when I think of all the things I want/could have in the inside of the new house.  Pinterest is dangerous.  But, hey, I USED one of the ideas I pinned for First Friday at church the other night so I am feeling justified at the looking and dreaming and pinning.
Speaking of my tutoring job - I probably could have taught for years to come if I could have found a way to do it this relaxed.  I just don't feel the pressure I did before.  My lesson plans take about 4 hours and get me through the week.   I'm having great fun with the kids and we are making progress...well, many of them are.  I checked the winter benchmarks in reading comprehension for my 5th grade group and told them they had done MUCH better.  One of the little darlings said, in a voice filled with joy and pride, "I thought I would.  I read the whole story this time!"  Oh.  There's and idea!
I have gained the upper hand with my eating habits again and am feeling much better.   Looking forward to buying some new clothes in the Spring...or maybe just getting out the ones I haven't been able to wear for awhile!
I am using my new computer, which is fun, but I don't know how to do photos on it yet, so no pictures.  Sorry.  Other Mac users want to tell me how to do pictures?  Just a program I need to load?
The weather has been unseasonably balmy for here.  Hoping that winter will come with all her white and wondrous glory any time now.

All in all, I am in a peaceful place for now.  I am feeling nudges to start a Scripture Alive group with a few of the kids at church.  I want them to learn to read and hear the Scripture as a story...
I am creating without the rush of Christmas or shows or any of that...
Reading some and yes, I even take a nap in the afternoon if I want to!
After all, I am retired.

I think that's all.

Thanks for reading.