I get up, I get dressed....

I get up, I get dressed...... I check my email, and Facebook. Facebook? Why Facebook? I love to play games the most, but they suck the energy out of me. They are fun to play, but they stifle my mind into this little box of crops or whatever. Very sick if you really think about it. Hypnotizing the masses...well, that's a little severe but not too severe... so I am seriously thinking of hitting the "delete"button on that whole thing. I have more creative and enterprising ideas that I can plan for.

Other news: Saw "The Green Hornet" last night with 11 year old and not sure if I liked it. It was incredibly stupid, but funny, lots of action.... I left kind of scratching my head. Still want to see "The Eagle" and a few more...

Am going to take 11 year old ds horseback riding at Arizona Cowboy College. He has been wanting to ride a horse for some time... I used to ride now and then, and it is so fun.

Other news: slow progress on knitting older son's beanie... will post.

note: ds= dear son, dd=dear daughter, dh=dear husband

I know you already probably know that, though.

Ahhhh

Valentine's Date Night was a blast. The movie was mediocre. We saw "The Mechanic". I mean, it was good, but not really good. The Gold Class seats at iPic theater here were very nice, like our theater room seats. Yes, they offered a blanket and pillow, and complimentary popcorn which was good. They had a good looking food menu, but, since we had just eaten, we weren't very hungry. I don't know if I like that idea, anyway...eating real food in a theater? Even though each seat has a little swing-out table, and a place between every two seats to hold a bottle of wine, I don't really like smelling and hearing someone eat food near me when I am trying to concentrate on the movie. I mean, real food smells like balsamic vinegar and feta cheese and grilled chicken smells...and the crunching that goes along with all that. Besides, how can they see their food? It's beyond me, a little crazy.

So, I started knitting a slouchy beanie for Andres, and I am using some Cascade 220 in a light brown color. Seems fine so far. I started it at Alex's basketball game yesterday. He had 2 games, at 3 and 5.

So, too, tomorrow my dear love Russell has to leave again for work. It will be sad, and I will have to comfort Alex the best I can. This traveling is hard on all of us.

Today is an ART Day

Today is an ART day. I have been totally inspired by other mixed media artists on You Tube who share their art journals. So today is ART Day!

Also, it's an early Valentine's Day Celebration, since DH has to leave on Monday. We are going out to eat at Fleming's, and to a movie at iPic Theater here in the Scottsdale Quarter! We reserved Gold Class seats. It'll be such a nice time with my Valentine!!

So the day is pretty much taken with such FUN stuff!

Trials of a Deprived Child

Had a formidable challenge today driving to school with the 11 year old. He protests that I make him eat, and make his clothes match and he is tired of it. Hhmmmpph... the drive seemed like 100 miles instead of 5. I hate to see him so unhappy but life will never be perfect. It'll be worse tonight when he gets home and finds no XBox for a while.

There are lots of thing to say...

Well DH came home Sunday after being gone 3 weeks. He is only here for a week, but we are so happy!!! New work schedule is different and will take getting used to.

I am happy picking out things for my Secret Pal, I just ordered some yarn for her for a Valentine's SP gift from my favorite Loopy Ewe. I think she will really like it because it is shades of pink and she likes pink.

Thinking of some direction I should go...(ha ha life lacking direction...private joke).

Studio is pretty clean now, guess I'll take a pic to show you! Pretty obvious that I just changed the blog around a little, too.

Bought a new pattern book : Celebrity Slouchy Beanies. Can't wait to knit some. Think they are very cool... I have some brown Cascade 220 I think I will use to knit one for Andres, my oldest son, and pray that he will like and wear it.

Had some friends over for the Super Bowl even though Russell had just returned from India, France, London and Connecticut that morning, he really loved to see them. He was tired that night but was OK during the day. The jet lag really hit last night and he was very sick, but feeling a little better. He caught something nasty somewhere....

Still meaning to knit myself a pair of socks......just have to start.

Organizing? Me?

I really am having tons of fun organizing this house. Actually, I feel really good that I have gotten rid of so many things we have kept over the years! Things just seem, well, clearer or something!!!!

Tonight I am taking youngest 11 year old son to his band concert. He plays the sax, and says he is in a duet tonight! Can't wait!...

Haven't had too much time lately to think about knitting, although it lurks in the corners of my mind, sits on my shoulder and waits...

Happy New Year!

Well today our daughter Karin left to go back to Houston... It was nice to have her here for Christmas. Our older son Andres was able to come for a few days, and that was wonderful, too! Today we'll take down the tree and the outside lights when it warms up a little this week. Tomorrow Russell goes back to work and Alex back to school....here we go! Big changes coming as we prepare to move to Connecticut. Lots to do....

Knitting-wise, I am working on a UFO - that Manos Throw I am knitting for oldest son. Next, I'll sew up the Sienna Cardigan I have had done, but not put not sewn together...for a long time... Mine is knit in Malabrigo Worsted Merino Wool in Lettuce. And I do have an unfinished pair of socks which I am thinking of just frogging and start a new pair of socks. Out with the old, in with the new....

Speaking of "out with the old".... I am also embarking on getting rid of tons of scrap-booking supplies which at one time I thought I needed.....(Cough....ahem) we'll go into that later...

Gotta go but will be back soon.

Happy New Year!

My SECRET PAL 16 QUESTIONNAIRE

I am here, back, and posting my Secret Pal 16 Questionnaire! Now, blog of mine, you are an official part of my day planner....

SECRET PAL 16 QUESTIONNAIRE

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely not like? Love Malabrigo Silky Merino, Madeline Tosh anything, Dream in Color, Lornas Laces, many more….I don’t really like cotton s like Peaches and Cream or some acrylics. I don’t like rough wool or acrylic.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? For my circs I have a Namaste Circ bag, for straights I have an old vintage vase, for sock needles, well, I just have them in a plastic bag.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I first learned in Junior Girl Scouts, and made a pair of mittens with my troop. Didn’t knit for a very long time, then relearned as an adult about5 years ago while volunteering at the Senior Center. The rest is self-taught from books or Knittinghelp.com, or You Tube videos. I am an intermediate knitter.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Yes, Amazon.com, the loopyewe.com, eastsleepknit.com, woolgirl.com

5. What’s your favorite scent? 1. Cinnamon apple harvest type scents, pine, also some fresher scents. Like jasmine too, and sometimes patchouli

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Oh my yes. Favorite candy? See’s chocolates….also Strawberry Twizzlers, Snickers with almonds, chocolate covered espresso beans, chocolate covered dried cherries…Haribo Gummy Bears… Also love any kind of almonds…

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I sew – aprons, curtains, pj’s, pillows, and I make dolls, folk art dolls. I embroider/cross-stitch, paint, make altered objects and use mixed media (all kinds of vintage sewing trims, old buttons, cool old and odd stuff)

Do you spin? No, I don’t spin … (yet! lol)

8. What kind of music do you like? I love Bruno Mars!! Also Mike Posner, Norah Jones, Alicia Keys, Corinne Bailey Rae, Michael Buble, Bryan McKnight, Brian Culbertson, Diana Krall, Boney James, Dido, Seal, to name a few. Pop and smooth or contemporary jazz. Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? Yes (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

9. What’s your favorite color(s)? I love almost all colors except neon. I like deep rich colors, purple, reds, blue, greens, including sage but not pea green. Any colors you just can’t stand? Neon, light earthy colors that look non-descript.

10. What is your family situation? Married for almost 27 years (March 17, 1984) have a daughter almost 25 who lives and works in Houston Texas, a son, 23, who lives and works in West Lafayette Indiana, and a son, 11 years old, in 5^th grade. Do you have any pets? Yes, Maya, an 8 year old border collie/English Setter mix from the pound, Lalo, almost 4 year old AKC black and white English springer spaniel, and 7 year old Frankie, domestic brown tabby.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Love mittens and ponchos! Once we move to Connecticut in the spring, I am sure I will wear hats as well. Love hand knit socks.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Socks! Also lap blankets, some sweaters, hats

13. What are you knitting right now? Finishing a Manos de Uruguay Throw for my oldest son…

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I use both. Love circs and straight sock needles. Sock: bamboo or some type of wood. Circs: I like Addi Turbos or Crystal Palace or a real treat is Lantern Moon…

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yes and yes!

17. How old is your oldest UFO? A year or a little more-it’s the Manos throw I am working on...

18. What is your favorite holiday? My favorite holiday is Christmas not only because we celebrate Jesus’ birth, but it is festive and I love to have family come home and gather, and I love to cook and bake and feed people!! What winter holiday do you observe? Christmas

19. Is there anything that you collect? Vintage sewing trims and unusual buttons and trims, papers, and cool stamps like from stampington.com.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? At this time, I can’t think of any but I will. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? none -I love a magazine called “Where Women Create” by stampington.com, and I LOVE almost all of their magazines. I just got the most recent issue of WWC for Christmas!! Regarding Knitting magazines, I like Knitscene, Interweave Knits and Vogue Knitting and as well.

21. Are there any new techniques you’d like to learn? More intarsia, I suppose.

22. Are you a sock knitter? YES! What are your foot measurements? I wear size 7 to 7 1/2 shoe, wide feet

23. When is your birthday? November 27

24. Are you on Ravelry? Yes! If so, what’s your ID? MariaE

Sunday

Happy Sunday.....our dear niece Kristen and her husband Daniel are expecting their first child October 30, 2010! Wish I could go to her showers...just sent a gift to my sister Anna...and now to see what I can knit for that little guy! They named him Mason.

Missed You

Missing my blog. Admit I kind of forgot about it with life happening. Getting back to it and to my painting and knitting and general artistic endeavors. So, if anyone is still around, lookout! Will post my adventures. Hugs to you!