Tuesday Tunes ~ Peanut inspired edition

I spent a good portion of last night on Skype with Peanut. We talked, listened to music, watched videos and just had a good time for about three hours. She loves "The Phantom of the Opera" and is a fellow fan of Michael Ball... so I know she's going to love this rendition (that is Claire Moore, if you're curious).

Motivational Monday ~ 10/10

Welp, I faltered a bit last week and let other things take over what I had planned so I figured that this week, I will simply try again.  I don't consider it a failure because, to me, the only way to fail is to fail to try - you're beaten before you even begin.

So for this week, I'm going to amend my list and see how I fair with it - I didn't follow the guideline of being specific which allowed me to cheat myself and 'rationalize' my way out of it.  Not this week, bucko!

• Physical ~ Do the Wii Fit after Pokey leaves for work but before starting chores.  Do the Step exercise twice.
• Social/Emotional ~ Make a date one night this week with Pokey.  No computers, just curl up and watch one of our favorite movies together.
• Mental ~ Continue to learn about lace pattern/chart reading.
• Spiritual ~ Knit for the hour that I wait in the car pick up line.  Relax and focus on the natural soothing rhythm of the process.

I think by being more specific, I will be better able to stick to what I have outlined.  I have a really bad habit of negotiating or rationalizing things out for myself.  Perfect example, I rationalize out the laundry process as my "Physical" because I have to go and gather up all the laundry, sort, stoop to pick it up and put it in the washer and then take it all out of the dryer, fold it and put it away.  Last week I tried to convince myself that it counted as my "Physical" but honestly, that wasn't really any type of movement that did my body any type of good... but I was gullible, tired and accepted it.  I cheated myself basically.

This week, I'm not cheating myself.  I am going to do as I laid out and try to get things moving in a positive direction.  I want to, I honestly do... all I have to do is get started and that is the hardest part.

How did y'all do last week - any tips or tricks or neat activities that you discovered?

Are you... outdated?

This is something that I have been noticing a lot of lately - outdated blog rolls.  It's rather frustrating and a tad confusing to me.  Here is how the scene usually plays out ~ I am reading one of my favorite blogs and I take a scroll through their bloggy goodness list to see if anything catches my eye... when something does, I'll click it - very excited to find a new morsal of deliciousness but quickly let down when the date on the post is back in July... of 2009!

It makes me wonder - do they not actually read the blogs that they listed?  I do - when the color changes from blue to pink, that says to me "Hey Mama, check it out - we wrote something new for you!".  I clap my hands, smile like a dork and read what they've lovingly offered me for the day.  I can promise you that all the bloggy goodness that I have listed are active and they write regularly.  I think my oldest one is three weeks from updating but when she does - yowzah!

So here is my lighthearted, full of love and blessings for your soul plea - check your blog roll every once in a while.  Those of us who wander through would like to see someone who, I don't know, actually writes every now and again.  I promise, if a post hasn't been made since '09, deleting them won't hurt their feelings - they won't even know!  On the off chance you do, tell them I said to... it's okay.  I've got your back.

Sunday Snaps

I found actual signs of Fall this week!

Hobbit has been enjoying the slightly cooler weather, rollerblading every chance she gets.

After three froggings, my Nerd Wars scarf is finally taking shape - and looking pretty good I think.

Buddy has been very clingy this week, not sure why but giving him extra cuddles.

All in all, it's been a most amazing week around here - full inspiration and wonderment.

Oh my, Miss Aibileen...

source

All I want to do is hole up in my bathroom and  have a good cry!  That was just the saddest and most wonderful end to a story that I've read in a long time.  It made my heart break and soar with possibilities all at the same time.  I told Pokey that we can now watch the movie - we MUST watch the movie.  He agreed and totally gets it when I tell him about needing a good cry but couldn't because Hobbit just wouldn't understand. 

My Pokey, God love him, cries during good books and movies.  It is a trait that caught me off guard the first time he did it because in all my years, I've never seen a grown man cry, not even my daddy.  Even when PopPop died, he never shed a tear that I ever saw... I honestly don't know if he's even done it to this day.  So to have married a man who can read a book with tears streaming down his face or watch a movie and blubber right along with you - well, I've grown to appreciate that aspect of my husband.  He's my best friend for a reason - and the best person to watch a chick flick with because he gets just as upset as I do!  He just gets it.

Weekend Wonderment ~ 10/7 - 10/9

A rather quiet weekend, really.

1. Plug away on my Nerd Wars:  Giving Geeks (Think Pink) challenge project.
2. Try and finish "The Help" and then start Debbie Macomber's "Hannah's List".
3. Make a new dessert from my Disney cookbook... thinking of Twinkie Tiramisu.
4. Work at least 4 rows a day on my Hallow Pullover sleeve.

Not a lot of things on my weekend plate but enough to keep me content.  I have decided that I if I can sit down and simply do 4 rows a day on my sleeve, it will either respark my love of the project or simply complete it... either way, it will get worked on.  I know my poor husband would love to wear it, even though I keep joking with him that I'm just going to make it a sweater vest and call it done.  At this rate, he might be starting to believe me on that one.

I am loving "The Help".  This next statement is not going to make sense to a lot of people who have read the book but it makes me homesick.  I spent a large portion of my life in Alabama so the dialect that Miss Aibileen and Miss Minny speak in, and how I hear Miss Skeeter, sound like home to me.  Sure, my mama is a Yankee and sounds nothing like these characters but the place I call home does... and there is nothing sweeter than sound of a relaxed, genuine honest-to-goodness Southern drawl.  It's heavenly and it's home to me.

My scarf is coming along  beautifully.  The other night, Pokey went to bed early because he didn't sleep well the night prior which me left up all alone.  I put on "Luther" and then "Ellen", all the while working on my scarf - paying close attention to the pattern and not letting my mind wander.  I have made some good progress on it and hope to double it in length again over the weekend.  If I am fortunate to keep up the pace I have set for myself on it, I should be able to finish it (and a matching hat) before the challenge month is up.  I'm only shooting for the scarf, the hat would be a Team Unity project bonus.

I've been having a hankering for something sweet for about two weeks now.  Nothing I have tried has satiated my desire so I've decided to venture into new dessert territory.  This recipe for Twinkie Tiramisu sounds really interesting so I'm going to add the missing ingredients to my shopping list and see if it will work.  Either way, it will be delicious, I'm sure.

So that's my weekend in a snapshot - what do you have planned?  Anything exciting?

We'll see

Seriously, isn't it the most precious thing ever!

I go back to the library tomorrow after being off for several weeks due to being sick.  I'm not really sure I want to but I decided that I would give it a go and see how it all turns out.  I did back down my volunteer hours to just Friday though because my house was suffering.  I have no idea how I managed to tend to my home and family when I was still working 50 hours a week at Disney.  It amazes me that anything got done at all really.

I am thinking that after Hobbit goes back to school from Christmas break, I might just stop going all together.  I don't want to commit to it now but I'm thinking that is the plan.  The obnoxious woman, Ms. Stinky Britches, is supposedly going to be in there with me during the day now instead of the actual librarian since she needs to be in the classrooms.  This is something I am honestly not looking forward to at all.  I do believe in the power of positive or negative energy and that woman is a nuclear plant of negativity.  I certainly don't want to be around that for any extended period of time.  Besides, I have a lot of knitting to catch up - just look at this, this, this and even this!  Not to mention I just found the cutest ornament pattern ever that I want to make a million of before Christmas gets here.  Doesn't knitting trump everything anyway?  I thought so - which explains my backlog of laundry that needs to be tamed down today or I will officially lose sight of the washer and dryer!

So basically, I am over my volunteer phase at Hobbit's school.  She has settled in nicely and things are finding a rhythm so my favorite phrase lately, when I've been asked to do something volunteer oriented, is simply "We'll see".

Hell or high water

It was doubled in length when I lost my count.. goodness me.

I swear, I will get this scarf finished, come Hell or high water.  The first go round, I somehow dropped 4 stitches.  The second go round, I lost my place singing along with an episode of Glee.  This time, I didn't change my needles out when I should have but I am not going to do it now.  I actually kind of like it on the larger needles so I'm not frogging it again.

As it stand right now, I'm almost back to the same length I was at last night when I attempted to tink it but ended up doing a full blown Kermit.  Man, first project challenge of my first ever Nerd Wars and I think that my nerves have somehow gotten the better of me. 

Deep breath.  Calm down.  Just knit.

Tuesday Tunes ~ 12 weeks left

Did you know that there are only 12 weeks until Christmas? Yeah, I know - it kind of snuck up on me too. I chose this song because of the meaning and I'm dedicating it to Peanut... because having her home is all I want for Christmas.

Celebrate Color - October

I slacked off in September - sickness and Hobbit issue, you know.  This month... this month I am going to complete one single project if it kills me!  I love the challenge presented by Stitched in Color: Celebrate Color... and I want to win the prize - is that wrong?  Yes, that's wrong... but it's true!

Just today I posted on my Facebook wall about how if anyone was looking for birthday or Christmas presents for me and was at a loss - Jordana Paige knitting bag would be perfect (Satchel style in pink, if you're feeling generous).  The bag is just part of the grand prize... there is also the most beautiful yarn that you have ever seen (from Tanis Fiber Arts) and a Knit Picks Zeyphr Circular Needle Set.  I mean seriously - I let out an audible squeal of delight.

I have a project that I cast on last night and it is the color that I always think of when it comes to October.  Nope, not autumnal at all... but PINK!  Breast Cancer Awareness Month is in October and since I lost my Mamaw to it when I was just 4-years-old, it's an important topic to me.  I always find a way to give to them - either through charitable works or monetary donations... this year it will be through a gift donation.  I am making a scarf (and hopefully a hat to match) to donate.

I hope for all of you ladies who wander by for a visit, please remember to do your monthly self-exams and set up for your yearly mammogram.  Early detection saves lives - and I'd like for y'all to be around to hang out with me for a long time to come.

A new weekly segment, possibly... who knows really.

When I worked outside the house, I needed to be super organized.  I learned the ways of Stephen Covey and executed them without fail.  In a true work environment, it is a dream come true - a real life saver... but in my world now, it doesn't really work.

Sure, I can write down that I am going to perform certain tasks at certain times of the day but let's face it - it might not happen then because of unforeseen challenges.  This is not something I would have figured on outside of the workforce.  Shoot, inside the workforce, I was better able to manipulate timings than I am at home.  You would think it would have been the other way around, but it honestly isn't.

This has caused me to have to relearn, or morph, the ideas and principles that I do know into something more logical and fitting for my new world.  Instead of blocking hours of my day, I have to do zones of time with goals.  Having hard and fast time frames to accomplish tasks doesn't really work for me now - it has to be more fluid.  So I did what any other hyper-organized, anal retentive individual would do - I revamped, tested and revamped again until I was able to find a solution that worked well for me.

One thing that has helped me stay focused during the week is to do what Stephen Covey calls First Things First, via my Weekly Compass.  It basically is a motivational tool to help you remember to see the big picture and to keep balance in your life.  This has been one of my most important tools for so many years.  Even when I couldn't figure out a system that worked in my home, my Weekly Compass kept me sane.  I always do it on Monday and now, I thought I would share it with you in a possible new weekly segment called "Motivational Mondays".

There are four segments to the Compass ~ Physical, Social/Emotional, Mental and Spiritual.  All you have to do is write out the most important thing you want to do that week for each segment.  You can't be vague either - you have to have detail or else you can't really hold yourself accountable.  Here is my Weekly Compass for this week:

• Physical ~ Start working out every day - 10 minutes a day this week.
• Social/Emotional ~ Talk with Peanut twice this week.
• Mental ~ Learn how to read a lace pattern working.
• Spiritual ~ Knit peacefully for an hour a day.

Those are my goals for this week.  If I write them out, I am more likely to do them.  If I review them every day, I am more likely to accomplish them.  So every Monday, I am going to figure out what it is that I want to accomplish that week and I will share them with you.  I don't know how long this will last, how detailed it will get or where this ultimately will lead... but do know that I already feel more calm and in control of my day.

Just so you know, I did not get any type of endorsement or anything of that nature from Franklin Covey Inc.  These are just my personal thoughts, opinions and ideals that I wanted to share.  If you would like to learn more than I urge you to click the links throughout this posting.  I was first introduced to this system over 10 years ago through a 3 day workshop by my then employer and it was the most transformational three days of my life.  I have used it ever since, in some form or fashion - I just wish I would have learned back when I was in school... man, that would have been a true lifesaver!

Sunday Snaps

Somebody stayed on green for two weeks straight...

So somebody was surprised with a trip to see her favorite mice...

Someone also caught up with an old friend...

Someone else got a much welcomed surprise...

But most importantly - someone spent the day at home with us.

This has been a most magical week indeed.  Hobbit is getting adjusted to her routine at school, we got our annual passes to Walt Disney World and Peanut spent the majority of yesterday "at home" via Skype.  It was one of those weeks that just felt perfect and for that, I am feeling truly blessed.

An Afternoon with Sissy

It was nice to have my house "normal" again - with the voices of BOTH of my girls echoing throughout.

Surprise in the post.

You know those nifty box totes that the super cool knitting kids carry?

The ones with the cutest fabric combinations and the amazing TARDIS quality of being bigger on the inside?

Only the coolest of knitting kids have these cute square totes...

You also know how all the super cool knitting kids always use Independent Artisans hand dyed yarn?

They always make the most amazing patterns and colorways...

They use superwash merino which is to die for, no pun intended.

So you know how all the super cool knitting kids have these two things?

Thanks to Dianne, I'm a super cool knitting kid too!

Shame on you, Knit Magazine

They don't pay their designers!

I just heard from a friend of mine that she has not been paid in almost three months for her work in Knit Magazine.  Three months!  Several other people haven't been getting paid either - technical editors and knit designers.  This is their livelihood - no paycheck means no income for these people.

If it weren't for the hard work and dedication of the technical editors and knitwear designers, Knit Magazine would have nothing to print.  How do you think they would take it if we all took their magazine, without paying, for one whole quarter of the year?  I think they might be a bit peeved, don't you?

I, for one, am not going to purchase their magazine any longer until they start showing more ethical business practices - start paying those whom they have been neglecting for the past three months!  If you would like to see how outraged the knitting community is, just look up on Twitter because the designers are being very vocal - as they should.  Who's going to join me?

Knitwear designers unite!  Ethical treatment and wage disbursement for all!!

Weekend Wonderment 9/30 ~ 10/2

I know, I lead an exciting life... what can I say - we can't all be glamorous.

This is the first day in almost two weeks where I feel about 95% normal... and that means that I feel well enough to conquer my house.  The minions who live here have trashed it, by my standards, so it must be gone through with a trash bag and then scrubbed until I feel better.  In the normal world, I'm sure it isn't that bad but I was raised by a clean freak neat nick type of woman and even though she doesn't believe it because I try to surpress it, her OCD-ness has passed on to me.. joy of joys.  So here is my weekend wonderment ~

1. Dust, scrub and otherwise make my house sparkle like a cartoon fairy attacked it.
2. I'm torn between White Chocolate Chip Cookies or making some Peppermint Bark - either way, there must be something sweet in this house so all occupants are happy with the world, therefore Hobbit and I will be playing in the kitchen - our favorite thing to do together.
3. I have grounded myself from starting any other projects until my sweater is done.  That means this weekend will be devoted to sleeves.  I honestly haven't felt like knitting in two weeks so that puts me behind schedule since Nerd Wars starts tomorrow.  Oh well, find the joy in the finished project and work until you can see the end, right.

So that is going to be my weekend in a nutshell.  I am sure there will be movies, games and silliness in between but the meat and bones of it all lies in those three little things.   I really should stop writing and get started with first item because the sooner I can get it done, the sooner I can start on the more exciting aspects of my oh so glamorous weekend.

How about you - anything fun and exciting happening in your world this weekend?

That was fun

We spent yesterday tooling around the Magic Kingdom, celebrating Hobbit's good behavior in school.  Yes, I realize the irony of skipping school to celebrate but that's what made it perfect.  Here are a few shots of the day...

Riverboat transport across Seven Seas Lagoon

Space Mountain - I teared up a bit because this is one of Peanut's favorite rides and she wasn't with us.

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa

Castle Forecourt show - Goofy, Minnie, Mickey and Donald

Pokey loves Eeyore and I surprised him with a character lunch with his favorite character.

Getting some bouncy, flouncy, pouncy, trouncy love from Tigger.

Harper's Mill on Tom Sawyer's Island.

Windmill over on Tom Sawyer Island.

Loved this guy's shirt... I had to take a picture of it.

My cheesy group

There was a rainbow over the Magic Kingdom last night.

Main Street is dressed up for Halloween.

My moment of the day... well, one of many.

Hobbit talked the ears off of any character - telling them how she had the best
parents in the world because they brought her to see them today.

So that was my day yesterday.  Today, relaxing and knitting is on the agenda.. that's it.  Nothing more, nothing less.  Oh yeah, and I'm on Team Fraggles for Nerd Wars - go Hensonians!!

And the waiting continues

Today is the day we find out our teams for Nerd Wars.  I have been on pins and needles all day.  I know that the Game Master has to sleep at some point but doesn't she know that I haven't be able to concentrate, constantly checking my email for messages, Ravelry group boards and pacing back and forth so much that I may have worn a trail in my carpet!  I know I've been thinking about hardwood floors but come on!

Sure, I may have my first spot dedicated to a new group but what if there weren't enough members and I get put in my second group (which after much investigation would have actually been my first group)... or if that group were full and I get placed in my third group (which, following the same course of logic would have been my second group)... do you not know what kind of torture this is for an OCD planner Type A personality like myself - it's a nightmare!!

Literally, just now, my email notification went off and I about had a heart attack thinking that it finally showed up.  The one single letter that will decide where I am to spend my next three months of hard crafting work - but it was just someone from commenting on a photo from my 365Project.  I think it might be time to just close the lid and get a shower or take a nap or read a book... anything but sitting here, willing my notification letter to arrive... but first, let me just check my messages.

Isengard - I've seen it.. and it's awesome

After over 7 hours, I was able to get patched and in game... and Knitwise went to explore the new areas.

My lvl 52 hunter, Knitwise Windingweeds (area is made for 65+) overlooking Isengard area.

Knitwise Windingweeds, founder of Bombadil's Band of Merry Misfits, taking in the view of Isengard.

Isengard - newest update released today for Lord of the Rings Online game.

Oh yeah, I'm letting my freak flag fly high tonight!  It took me 7 hours worth of attempts to long on and get the patch downloaded from the over-crowed servers.. and then another thirty minutes just to get back online and ingame.  I need a new flash-boost drive because this update made my 4GB one obsolete.  Oh well, small price to pay for such fabulousness.  Enjoy a first glimpse... and let your freak flag fly proudly today - and every day.