Maybe I'm Back

It is hard to believe it has been a year and a half since I last blogged, and quite a while before that last blog post.  Life here is extremely busy.  I work full time, and I babysit my grandsons several afternoon/evenings a week.  With other activities, the days seem to just fill up.

I have been struggling with health issues lately.  I'm diabetic and have been experiencing some neuropathy in my arm which has been upsetting.  I'm trying a new eating plan which I hope will help.  I also had my second knee replacement this spring and I am still rehabing from it.  It is amazing how long it can take to heal and regain strength in a joint.

Craftwise, I went on a knit dishcloth spree in August and September and knit a new supply for both my daughter and myself.  It was easy knitting while we were camping and traveling.  Now I am working on knitting new hats for my grandsons.  The seven-year-old wants an eagle hat, the four-year-old a dog, and my daughter picked out a fox cap for the baby.  They are so much fun to knit for.

On my breaks at work, I finished up sequined and appliqued felt Christmas stockings for two of my grandsons.  I had finished one stocking last year before Christmas, so now they will all have one.  It was a fun project to do on my lunch hours.  Now I am working on the baby's birth sampler.  I had to break down and buy a lighted magnifier to work on it.  My eyes no longer like 18-count Aida cloth!  I made variations of Beatrix Potter samplers for the other two, so this will be the third and last one.  I am gradually picking away at the projects.  I still have lots of knitting and doll-dressing projects I want to get to.

Jane

Tasha Tudor's Daisy Belle

Neglectful Blogger

It has been a long time since I blogged anything.  My camera went out last year and it was a while before I figured out how to upload pictures off it.  A blog without pictures is kind of dull, yet I have several that are just like that that I look forward to and read every day.  Plus, life just seemed to be going by pretty fast last year.  Maybe I'll do better this time around. 

My life is so full with my job and my family.  I really have time for little else and, to be truthful, don't want much more.  I just adore my grandsons and love spending time with them.  I am so glad that most of the time I can be their babysitter while their mom and dad are at work.  I am so grateful I have a work schedule that, except during session, lets me have flexible hours so I can babysit them.  Finding new things to do with them each week is a fun challenge.

I've been battling health issues since fall, my blood sugar and my asthma, colds and sinus infections.  It has rather beaten me down.  I felt pretty good getting through the holidays and now, working the longer, harder hours of legislative session.  Just about the time I thought I was over the hump and getting better, I was rear-ended on Thursday and am back to sore and achy.  Hopefully there are no serious injuries and I'll be over it soon. 

So here's to hopefully being more consistent with my blogging.  I love having a record of things we are doing and making and the blog is a perfect place to share that information. 

~Jane

Wednesday

Welcome, new reader!

On Sunday after church, my daughter and I and the boys ran over to World Market.  We had seen some measuring cups advertised that looked like a mason jar when stacked.  I thought it would be fun to get us each one but they were out.  So we went by Burger King and got hamburgers and then we went home. 

Sunday night I started not feeling so well.  Since I'd come home and had a three-hour nap, I decided I must be coming down with whatever the boys had the previous week.  Stayed home Monday, just going out to pick my husband up from the airport.  I'm so glad he's home.

Yesterday I went back to work and then came home and made dinner.  While watching "The Voice" I untangled the mess of aprons I had washed previously.  All the ties jumbled up into one big ball.  I just love "The Voice," and Blake Shelton made all the right decisions.  :)

I was in bed early for me - 10:30 p.m.  This afternoon/evening I get to babysit my little guys.  Looking so forward to it. 

~Jane

Saturday

Yesterday I spent babysitting my little guys.  The oldest was still sick...going on about day 5.  He was not very chunky to begin with and five days of not eating has him down to skin and bones.  I did hear he was feeling better today and his appetite is improving.

Today I spent the whole day at home.  I tended the chickens and retrieved the mail.  Other than that I stayed inside all day.  It is rainy and cold and rather miserable out.  The rain has been beating on the windows.

I am still ironing.  I have been so behind.  I wondered why it seemed I had nothing to wear during session this year and now I know why.  All my clothes were in an ironing basket.  I spent quite a while ironing the printed voile curtains I made for Elsie's room long ago.  They are very pretty but it takes forever to iron all the ruffles.  Once I had a pair ironed, I decided the windows needed to be washed before I could hang the clean, fresh curtains on them.  I didn't realize how filthy the windows really were.  So after scrubbing woodwork and shining the glass panes, I have one pair of curtains hung.  The other pair had only had one curtain hanging up and it was grey with dust.  So after a soak, it went through the wash and I will iron both of them tomorrow and hang on the second window.

I alternated ironing with knitting and knit quite a few repeats of the lace edging on my shawl.  I am just loving how it is turning out.  I also found a new show to watch, "Drop Dead Diva," on Netflix and am really enjoying it.  There are 62 episodes, so it should last me quite a bit of ironing. 

~Jane

Thursday

I am so enjoying having hot water again.  I am really missing my husband.  It is rainy and blustery again around here and I'm really getting tired of the weather.  I want to be able to start working in the yard, but right now there is standing water everywhere. 

My little grandsons have been sick this week.  Some kind of virus that has affected tummies and digestive tracts.  My daughter thought they were finally over it all and I picked them up to run some errands.  The kind where I stay in the car with the boys and she runs in and picks up pictures or drops something off to be printed.  We do this every couple weeks and it is so much faster and everyone is much happier than being buckled in and out of car seats and drug through numerous stores.  Well, today we had made it through a couple errands and were on our way to Costco, when Malachi suddenly threw up in the back seat.  Thank goodness for leather seats.  I always have a roll of paper towels in the trunk and hand wipes.  We were able to kind of clean everything up and I turned around and took them home.  I came home and ate dinner and then went out and washed everything down.  Oh, well, the car needed cleaning anyway. 

I made my way through some of the second ironing basket tonight while watching "Mr. Selfridge."  I also knit a few rows.  I am just really loving the shawl.  Well, past time to go to bed.  Did I mention I'm really missing my husband?  :)

~Jane

Tuesday

I started out late today.  Having my husband out of town has thrown off my schedule and having no hot water hasn't helped.  I brought a towel and things to take a shower at work, but even that seemed too much trouble.  Until one of my co-workers invited me out to lunch with a former co-worker and I decided that if I was actually going out in public instead of just hiding in my cubicle, I needed a shower.  My co-workers said that told them how they rated!  :)

At home I've been trying to be busy and productive.  I finished mopping all my floors and cleaning part of the bathroom.  I've been washing the things from the boxes in the garage.  Tomorrow night I'll start ironing it all, getting it ready to list on my daughter's Etsy shop.  I told her she could have all the profits if we can just get them out of my house.  I'm not getting as much done as I had hoped I would while my husband is gone, but dealing with the whole water heater thing sapped a lot of my energy. 

Tomorrow morning the water heater installer will be here and I'm hoping I can get some eggs washed and ready to take into work.  The chickens will need to be fed and watered.  A painting project that is set up in an adjoining room might get worked on also.  Then, once I have a water heater again, I'll wait until I have hot water and take a shower and run the dishwasher before I head off to work. 

~Jane