Bullying - Some Never Grow Up

In one group on CafeMom I created this post - it was removed because it was "too heated". I put it up for a purpose - there are bullies in that group... and they shroud themselves in the cloak of Christianity. It is disgusting. This HTTS (Holier Than Thou Society) even have a 'hit list' of people that they are working on getting banned because they challenge their perspective with logical thinking. I was so annoyed at the the blatant display of favoritism that I actually left that group yesterday. Here is the post for all to read - heated or not - it needs to be shared. I have seen it from both children and adults... it just needs to stop.
I did a bit of research on bullying and learned some interesting things that I thought I would share with everyone.

Bullying, unlike constructive criticism or a simple conflict, is a constant challenge that focuses directly on a person. The target of these bullies generally feels as though they do not have the power or ability to stop it - this feeling stems from the fact that not only is bullying difficult to explain or stop as an adult, it is even more difficult to have to suffer through it on a daily basis. These feelings of despair arise due to the fact that most adult bullying is subtle and often backhanded in nature.

Here are a few signs of bullying - they could be isolated instances or an ongoing pattern:

• Being given the “silent treatment”
• Being treated rudely or disrespectfully
• Refusing to help when you ask
• Spreading rumors about you that aren’t true
• Being yelled or shouted at
• Receiving put-downs about your intelligence or competence
• Your communications are ignored
• Your contributions are ignored
• Someone interferes with or sabotages your efforts
  
• Being lied to or about
  
• Being accused of making a mistake on purpose
• The bully throws a temper tantrum when you disagree with him
• Being put down in front of others

Bullying is not a right that anyone has and it has some serious negative effects on people - both physically and emotionally. It doesn't matter how old you are because bullying knows no age limit. Bullying isn't always direct and physical, plus the type of indirect bullying listed above is statistically more harmful.

One may feel less responsible because they bully in a group or through the anonymity of the internet but that is simply not true. Those that feel the need to boost their self esteem and supposed social standing through the manipulation and humiliation of others are simply bullies... and bullies have no place in society.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CLICK HERE

3 Weeks... It'll Take 3 Weeks

Our house went smoke free this week... Saturday, July 24th to be exact. I had posted earlier that I was reading that book by Mr. Carr - yeah, it was alright but a bit too high and mighty for me and I'll explain why.





I am an ex-smoker and yet I do not hold these qualities to I have to figure out how it happens but it seems as though when some people quit, they get so pious towards people who smoke that it is disgusting. How is that supposed to help anyone? I don't have pity on people who smoke. I don't say insulting things to them, spout off stupid statistics or anything like that at all. I didn't want to hear it when I smoked and therefore I know there must be others who don't want to hear it either, right?

Scare tactics don't work on all smokers - it actually has the opposite effect as intended. Some people continue to smoke out of defiance of the 'statistics'... I know that was part of it for me. The more people harped on me to quit, the more I smoked. When people left me alone about it, I would try because I wanted to... not because I was being pressured to do it.

Here is a secret that I'll share - I was diagnosed with Asthma not long after Hobbit was born. I had a severe attack and was taken to the hospital by my father. They administered three breathing treatments before it got under control and I was allowed to leave. Since then I have been under the care of a fabulous pulmonologist whom I adore... and I didn't stop smoking immediately. I continued to smoke for a very long time afterward - for a variety of reasons that are unique unto me... and whether or not people knew, they let me have my illusion.

My husband smoked - a lot more than I ever did, even on a bad day - and he was getting harped on by people. Not from me because I know I hate to have the HTTS (Holier Than Thou Society) yapping in my ears. It is a personal decision that everyone comes to in their own time and nothing anyone says can change that fact. Pokey decided to quit and the only concrete thing we learned is that it will take 3 weeks for the nicotine to completely leave your body and for cravings to stop.

3 weeks... 21 days... only 16 more to go.

Thursday...

I can't wait for Thursday. It is going to take longer than the duration from Christmas Eve good nights until Christmas good mornings to get here but I can't wait! I have waited over 7 weeks for Thursday and it's finally here. Wait, what's Thursday you ask... Peanut and Hobbit come home!!

Peanut and Hobbit have been gone since the day after school let out this summer. They have been visiting their grandparents who live 1100 miles away. It is a 2 day drive to get there so I knew that they were going to stay for a goodly amount of time but I have no idea how we came to the agreement of 7 whole weeks... but I digress.

We have so much to do once they get home - Peanut needs to go and get set up for her Senior Year whilst Hobbit needs to go and get set up for Kindergarten and those two years are monumental as anyone who has been through them can attest.

I can't even begin to fathom how big they have gotten and how much they have changed over this summer. There were so many things that I have missed - not epic moments but moments nonetheless. I know that we talked on the phone several times a day and Skyped (yeah, that is now a word... like 'googled') as well but it's not the same as being there. I couldn't just scoop them up and hug them whenever I wanted. I couldn't look over and watch them being sweet to one another or playing beautifully by themselves.

Oh I know, I'm waxing nostalgic and within a week there will be fits and tears and I'll be wishing I could run away from home at some point with my hobo bag on a stick but for now, they are perfect angels and I can't wait for them to come home!

Nightly Rain

I thought I would share since we have officially entered the rainy season.

Back To My Previously Scheduled Knitting

Now that I have completed Buford III and LoriJean's Wrap, I am back to working on Peanut's Capelet. I had hoped to have it done for her before she got home but I'm not sure that will be a reality at this point... I have 3 days.

I love this capelet and the yarn is so deliciously soft and silky. My mother called to tell me about the clothes each of the girls got for the upcoming school year. Peanut's sounds more mature and grown up while Hobbit's sound just as they should for someone her age - cute.

Oh well, back to work... you know what they say about idle fingers and all. I'll post some progress pictures along the way since I am most definite that I don't have to be secretive... no child reads their mother's blog... and sometimes that is a very good thing.

Happy Birthday Buford III

Date: 25 July 2010
Time: 14:03
Name: Buford III

It is with a great sense of pride and honor that I would like to announce that Buford III has come to life. He has traveled a great distance to be here and he must travel a bit more to get to his boy Jack.

Buford is currently writing Jack a note but just prior to hopping off to the dining room table to compose, he sat like the wonderful bunny he is for a few photos.

So please, come and meet Buford III who can't wait to set off on grand adventures with his boy, Jack.

Knitting is Therapeutic

That is a very true statement - at least for me. Knitting is very therapeutic. I have used it to take my mind off a variety of different things and I always wondered why other people don't do the same. You hear people all the time talking about how stressful 'such and such' a thing is - and I always want to reply with "so knit"... seriously.

Knitting has helped me to quit smoking, lower my blood pressure, lose weight and relieve stress. Those are just the top four things I could think of at this moment in time. If you asked me on a different day, I would give different answers.

Now, I was curious if I was simply a sheer genius or if there were others who share my theory on knitting being therapeutic so I did what any highly educated and intelligent person would do - I 'googled' it! Do you know what I found out... I am not the only one who thinks this way and large studies have been done regarding just this topic! There is even a site entitled "Stitchlinks" which is dedicated to quotes from every day people who want to share the benefits with others.

So the next time you are feeling frazzled, just sit down and play with a ball of yarn and a couple of sticks... you'll be glad you did!

LoriJean's Wrap - Completed

I finished LoriJean's Wrap this morning and she seemed truly surprised to receive it... which truly surprised me. I felt sure that she figured out what I was doing since I am really bad it being coy. I was so glad that she appreciated it.

Here are a few photos of the completed item. It was made out of the softest yarn and the colors complimented her skin tone and hair perfectly. I forgot to take my camera to lunch but I did remember to do a small 'photo shoot' prior to wrapping it up and dashing out the door to lunch.

The photos are in the following order ~ the front draped over the arm of the chair, the back view of the wrap draped over the chair, detailed view of side edge and then the detailed view of the top finished edge.

All in all, I am really pleased with how it turned out. I hope that LoriJean gets many years of warmth out of it and every time she wraps it around her shoulders, she smiles with memories of a wonderful afternoon.

Ladies Who Lunch

I just got back from the most wonderful afternoon with my dear friend, LoriJean. I hadn't seen her in years even though we only live about 30 minutes from one another. It was so nice to sit down over lunch and catch up on everything from work to kids to husbands/significant others and ourselves.

There is a phrase that I had heard a long time ago and it made me giggle - Ladies who Lunch. I always thought of it as such a pompous thing. Hoity toity women sitting around picking at over priced, under portioned food making nice with each other when in reality they despise one another and are only there because of some odd sense of duty. You see it in movies all the time. It's is rather ridiculous in that sense.

Today it dawned on me that I have become a "lady who lunch"s but in a completely different manner. I sit around and pick at reasonably price, over portioned food catching up with people I adore because I have truly missed their company. Time gets lost (we literally were there for 3 hours!) and life's beautiful stories get replayed for the enjoyment of all involved.

Being considered one of those ladies who lunch is a pretty sweet gig... if you do it right.

Procrastination... My Nemesis

Yes, you read that correctly... procrastination is my nemesis. I don't mean to do it, I honestly don't ever consciously feel myself do it and yet here I am at a quarter of four in the afternoon and I have yet to pick up my knitting.

Granted, I do love the thrill of beating a deadline but why do I push myself to be in such a situation. It would make more logical sense to just sit down and knit. I love knitting, it keeps me sane. I don't find it to be a chore or anything and yet, I'm here with my computer on my lap writing... oh don't feel badly, earlier I was fiddle farting around in my forums.

I shroud the procrastination in such lovely disguises as 'waking up' but we all know what it is - putting things off because something else give the allure of being more appealing and then guilt slowly sets in.

Oh procrastination, you are my nemesis and I will defeat you... just not today.

Knitting "Glee"fully

I'm sitting here watching my DVR'd episodes of Glee while I work on LoriJean's Wrap. I am coming to the painful conclusion that I might not get it done in time. Some modifications might be in order... either that or not take it to her when we have lunch on Friday.

I really wanted to get it done and surprise her - I think she will love it. I've got 11" completed. The average wrap length is 5' from wrist to wrist so that means that I am just about 4' short... that is a LOT of knitting.

Perhaps I can do a modification of my own pattern and when I get to 3', I can add a decorative button for closure at the end. I don't know - all I know is that I should probably wrap this up and work LoriJean's Wrap instead. Finger's crossed.

Best Cheesy Beef Enchiladas in the Universe!

I love to cook - it's true. I have a passion for good food. I fancy myself to be a decent cook and this is fed into by my expanding waistline and Pokey's accolades regarding whatever I serve him. Last night I created the greatest supper and I thought that perhaps you might like to make it as well.

I had a recipe for Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas, which is great, but I wanted beef ones. I didn't have a recipe for it and I couldn't modify my chicken one for obvious reasons if you knew the recipe (it calls for chicken stock and beef stock would just not work out right). So I did what any normal foodie would do - scoured the internet for ideas of how it works and what to do. Here is the final product. Enjoy!

Enchilada Sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp chili powder
8 ozs of tomato sauce
1 1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp onion powder

Directions for sauce
1. Heat oil on medium heat, stir in flour and chili powder. Stir continual so as to not burn the flour and wait until it turns a golden brown before proceeding.
2. Gradually stir in the sauce, mixing in all the flour and chili powder thoroughly. Add all other ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes on a low heat until heated through and flavors are infused.

Cheesy Beef Enchiladas
1 lb ground beef
Enchilada Sauce (recipe from above)
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I use a Mexican blend)
8 oz sour cream divided in half
1 can of corn
10 medium flour tortillas (I use the Mission Sun-dried Tomato ones for added flavor and color)

Directions for Cheesy Beef Enchiladas
1. Brown the ground beef and drain it.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees F
3. Remove 1/2 cup of the sauce and set aside.
4. Add corn and Enchilada sauce. Simmer for about 5 minutes to infuse flavors.
5. Add half of the sour cream to mixture and stir in well. Simmer covered until desired consistency, stirring occasionally.
6. Put 1/4 cup of sauce in bottom of 11 x 13 glass baking dish.
7. Pull out tortilla and place a line of cheese in the middle. Add beef mixture and roll up.
8. Repeat until you run out of room in your dish.
9. Sprinkle leftover sauce over top, add cheese and bake for 25 minutes.
10. Remove and let stand for 5 minutes prior to serving. Place a dollop of sour cream on each enchilada and enjoy.

There you have it - my cheesy beef enchilada recipe. Now, when I roll up my enchiladas, I do it a bit differently because I don't want to lose any of the yummy goodness from inside so I'll share what I do there. I fold up in the sides and then roll it up from the bottom so it's more like a little package. This keeps everything inside and no one will ever get that one with nothing in it because it all cooked out into the pan. It also makes it easier to get out since it is self contained.

It's Silly But I'm Tickled

You may have noticed that I have posted a few patterns lately that I created. I did this in order to put them up on Ravelry since they have to have a website link in order to be shared. I checked my pattern contributions when I logged in to Ravelry today and they have all be marked as favorites. It's silly, but I'm tickled.

The highest number of hearts (the icon they use for "Favorite") is 29 and the lowest number is 3. They belong to GiGi's Booties and LoriJean's Wrap respectively. I just put LoriJean's Wrap up last night but to have it be loved three times already is amazing to me.

I don't know, I guess it's just nice to see that people appreciate your work. I am pleased that other people are enjoying my creations as much as I do. It truly is the little things in life that make it worthwhile.

Hobbit's Hat

I have a lot of friends who are either pregnant or know someone who is pregnant. I love babies and making baby items - my friends know this so they make a point to tell me about "so and so's shower" or "did you hear so and so's pregnant"... feeding into my baby knitting addiction in hopes that I will offer to make them something to give or receive.

Trust me, I don't mind at all since most of my friends, surprisingly, are not crafters. Well, they craft but apparently scrapbooking is more their thing while getting tangled up in yarn is mine. It's cool - a creative mind is always a beautiful thing.

I always had the hardest time finding a cute hat that would match the one I would make the mommy (she always seems to be left out during showers so I will always do a little something for her if I have time)... you know what this means, I created my own pattern. It wasn't difficult, shoot I run a charity whose main focus is making hats... I had this one covered.

So here is my pattern for all ~ Hobbit's Hat   

Lovely Ms. LoriJean

I have a dear friend that I am going to have lunch with on Friday. I am so excited that I can hardly wait - here is what I just realized though... back in October, she made an off handed comment that she would love a wrap that I had made for my best friend for Christmas. I told her I would make her one and left it at that.

Now, I am not one to offer and then never deliver so I am going to make my lovely friend LoriJean a wrap - and it will be an original just for her. Here is the pattern, it's so simple and easily adaptable to anyone.

LoriJean's Wrap

Material: 20ozs of bulky weight yarn; size US 10.5 needles (you will need to switch from straight to circular when the stitches get to be too much but be sure not to join them).

Directions:
Cast on 1 st
Row 1: Inc into front and back of first stitch.
Row 2: Inc into front and back of first stitch, knit across. [3 sts]
Row 3: Inc into front and back of first stitch, knit across. [4 sts]
Row 4: Inc into front and back of first stitch, knit across. [5 sts]
Row 5: Inc into front and back of first stitch, knit across. [6 sts]
Row 6: Inc into front and back of first stitch, knit across. [7 sts]

Row 7: Knit 3, yarn over, knit to end of row.

This is where the 'pattern' begins and you can work it this way for as long as you wish to get the desired length you want. I have yet to place this on my needles, I still have to go and get some beautiful red yarn this afternoon, but I am going to guess that I will end at around 200 stitches... but that is the beauty of it all - it is adjustable!!

The average wrap is 5' across so when you get to the desired length, then begin the following pattern on the next row:

Knit 3, *yarn over, k2tog, knit 2* repeat from * until the last 3 stitches which will be knit.
Knit next three rows.
Bind off and weave in any ends.
© peppermintmochamama

Enjoy and I'll post photos when I'm done - I've got until Friday to get it done... time to make my fingers fly!

Oh Boy - Buford is Coming!

So I went to JoAnn's to find out what in the world Velvetspun yarn by Lion Brand Yarn was all about... and I still don't know! They don't carry it in the store. This made me wonder, as I wandered up and down the aisles plunging my hand into the bins to find the perfect yarn, do the people at LBY keep some of their stock 'in house' so that you have to order it online in order to see what it is like?

Now that may sound silly to some and ingenius to others - to me, it's insanely impractical. As a person with severe allergies and asthma, I have to pay careful attention to what I use in regards to yarn. Nothing, unfortunately, will ever be made out of angora unless I have a death wish. Certain chemicals and dyes from other blends make my hands break out in hives. These are just a few of the issues I have run across over my knitting years. All that being said, it simply means that I will never know about Velvetspun if this is indeed what they are doing. I won't order a yarn I can not feel unless I completely trust the manufacturer and have never had a challenge with them... this is not the case for LBY.

You may notice that when I post a pattern or discuss a yarn, Bernat comes up a lot. That is because I know that every single yarn I use from them is 'safe'. While all of this is pondering through my head, I realized that I had been rubbing this one particular treasure for quite some time. I pulled out the skein and literally laughed out loud - it was an Alpaca yarn by Bernat. Granted, the giggling from the aisle that only held myself made a few turn in opposite directions but I didn't care. I had found Buford!

He is going to born out of Bernat Alpaca Natural Blends in color code 93040 (Ebony) and he is going to be beautiful.

GiGi's Baby Booties

I was helping a girl in one of my forum groups with her pattern for baby booties when I realized that I had created a fabulous one when I made GiGi's baby booties. I shared it with her and she was floored over how simple and easy I made it.

That got me to thinking - why not put it up on Ravelry for others to use. It all came about because I got frustrated with the other patterns that people had out there. I guess they figured that the more complex they made it sound, the more impressed you would be with their creation. That mindset doesn't work for me at all - I'd rather a person be knitting stress free and enjoying their creation rather than wigging out over the overly complex pattern.


With all of that being said - here is the patter that I have named "GiGi's Baby Booties". Enjoy!

Wow - That Was Fast!

So I went to my favorite pattern site in the universe, Ravelry, and BOOM - I found the items I'm going to make Jack!

The first is a gorgeous baby blanket. I am going to change the yarn though to something more cuddly than just plain old Lion Brand Yarn Pound o' Love... that and I'm allergic to something they put in there. It makes my hands break out something terrible. I am wondering if JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts still has their Bernat Satin on sale - I remember seeing a beautiful shade of blue and green.

The second is a sweet little bunny blanket toy. He was too precious not to want to knit. The only modification I might make is to make the inside of the ears a satin material. I'm not sure though, we'll see how his personality comes out when he's done. The pattern calls for Velvetspun, which I've never used, so I'll have to go and run my hands over it to see. I'm all about how the yarn feels - if it isn't yummy, I'll use something else.

Oh, I'm so excited!

Baby Jack

So a sweet husband and wife that I used to work with in Mississippi have had their prayers answered. They are now the proud parents to adorable Baby Jack. He will be 2 months old tomorrow and I am going to start him a present box. A few items will be bought but there will be some special homemade things as well.

I am torn between the standard booties and hat or perhaps a blanket and a stuffed animal. What to do, what to do. I love making baby clothes because not only are they precious because of the size but because they also give me instant gratification, as they work up rather quickly. I also have not had the chance to many boy items as of late so this will be extra fun for me!

Time to sit down and think of my sweet friends and Baby Jack while perusing through patterns - when the right one comes along, I'll know.

Vacation Starts at 4:30 p.m. EST

Yep, that's right. Pokey gets out of work at 4:30 p.m. and he does not have to go back until 8 a.m. on Friday.

We're a bit skint at the moment so trying to find things to do that don't cost any money. We have thus far found a bunch of museums and art galleries that we could wander around and get lost in. That's about it though... sad, isn't it.

We live where everyone else wants to vacation and we can't find anything to do! Beaches are a common destination but we aren't 'beach people' - hot, sticky, noisy, sand going where no sand belongs... just miserable for us (at least while the sun is up and everyone is there - after hours is a different story and one of our favorite destinations).

Amusement parks have become so flipping expensive that it's insane. Do you know that for just the two of us to walk into the door of the most ghetto of amusement parks in the area would run $140!! To simply set foot inside the gate that is - no food, no souvenirs, no drinks, no nothing and go to one of the better parks is only $2 more but it's a 2 hour drive.

So with those two options coming up bust, we have decided that we are going to go on little dates through out the five days instead. One day we thought we would play miniature golf in the dark, another day we thought we would go to the museums and art galleries, another day we might go have a picnic on the beach (after sunset of course)... all in all, nothing over the top.

Now Pokey is a bit upset over the fact that we can't "go and do" but I look at it this way - he's home, the kids are away and we're alone... that's vacation enough for me.