Is it June Yet?

I have been subbing for a 5th grade teacher who is in Florida for the last week or so. It wouldn't be so bad, but there is a creeping crud going through the school and I have been pulled from my planning time (you know, the whole 35 minutes I get in the day to figure out what I'm supposed to teach and how I should do that) for.....ta dah! study hall. And not even study hall with my class. I'm subbing for the (voice of doom) 8th grade study hall. Yeccchhh!! Today I was actually scheduled to be in two places at once. Trust me the kids aren't left behind, it's just the teachers trying to catch up.
Let's do some happy news: Did you see? I'm into double digits with comments!!! Yay!!
The HBS (huge blue sweater) had been put aside for slippers that belong to a little girl who's birthday was last week. I'm a little behind. Ah, well. I'm sort of designing them as I go and it's taken a while to get motivated. Pictures to come. I'm also taking socks to school (not that I have time to knit, oh, no. Even during testing, I'm scrambling to catch up with the correcting, et al) so The Husband will get a new pair for Valentine's Day.
Well, must go prepare 50 questions for reading class tomorrow (shhhh, the teacher is supposed to leave them for me, but she is in ....oh, yeah, you've read that part).

Nothing on TV?

Last week The Husband was surfing through the channels and passed right by CSI:Wherever and stopped at the Sheep to Shawl competition at the PA State Farm Show. He said it was the best thing on TV that night. Must use powers for good....

In other news: I'm sure you've heard about Blue Moon Fiber Arts and thier clueless bank. I have always wanted to try these fabulous yarns I hear about on the web and on podcasts. What a wonderful surprise to get a package from Cygnet.
She said when she was at Rhinebeck this yarn just jumped into her arms and she couldn't figure out why. I sent her a few little somethings for the Cygnet-to-be and she knew what to do with the yarn. She sent it to me! Gotta love those blogger friends who totally get yarn as gift. Let's all go over and buy more yarn!

I am still working on the huge blue sweater for The Brother. Back and both fronts are done and so far I have 3 complete skeins of the first batch of yarn left. If I knit fast enough, do you think that will make 2 sleeves, a collar and the button bands?

Samuri Knitter asked a while back that we post our knitting spots. I did this for Crazy Aunt Purl and things haven't really changed but here is a January look at the knitting spot.
Still the same old rocking chair and crappy afghan. But lots of knitting on the window sill. You can see the huge blue sweater (can I start calling it HBS?), red socks for The Husband, and a whole bunch of knitting patterns that I am trying to organize. I had been keeping the patterns I print out from the net (and the few that I have paid to download) in a three-ring binder, but that has gotten so full I can't find anything. Tomorrow I will make a trip to Staples and pick up at least three more so I can have a "Socks" folder, a "Baby" folder, a "Sweater" folder and a "Mixed" folder. Should cut down on the hunting time (note that there is no "Afghan" folder. I have a few patterns I'm just not real interested in knitting such a huge project. Sweater, what sweater?)
The brown footstool in the foreground is really a storage thingee and guess what it is full of? (guess of what it is full?? Heh, Grammer!)
The solitare count is still at 0, and the pounds lost is all the way up to 3. That's 3 out of 20 for my health and 3 out of 90 to get back to a semi-girlie weight. Sigh!! I think I need some chocolate (what were you expecting? I live in PA!). Care to join me?

Numb3rs

You know it's a bad day at the salt mine when the other teachers on your wing offer to kill your students. At least as a sub I know tomorrow will bring another group of children (yesterday's were lovely).

Now for the numbers:
Number of games of Solitare played in 2007: 0 (yes, zero!)
Number of miles walked: 16
Number of pounds lost: 2 (rats!)
Number of pounds to go: 18 (but if I really want to get back to my high school weight it's......a lot more)
Number of skeins of wool required for Brother's sweater: 8
Number of skeins bought: 10
Number of skeins used to knit the back, one side of the front and begin the other side: 6
Number of skeins estimated to finish front, collar, button band and sleeves: 6

Do we see a problem? If I've used 6 skeins, and I need 6 skeins I will be 2 short.

Number of hours wondering if I should look on-line or just frog the darn thing: 3
Number of skeins of Navy blue Woolease at AC Moore's: 0

The Husband drove me around to check at Michael's and wonder of wonders they had Woolease in Navy blue. Naturally it wasn't the same dye lot so I bought enough to knit both sleeves in the same wool. Let's hope it doesn't clash, shall we?

Resolute to the Future

But first, the London New Year's Eve went exceptionally well! The kids watched Wallace and Gromit while the adults cooked and at "midnight" we sang (or listened to) "G-d Save the Queen" and while Big Ben was chiming the kids used bubble wrap to make fireworks in the entry hall. Even The Husband said this was a really good idea especially the bubble wrap and the internet BBC.
Here is a picture of the Tea Table: Well, shucky darn! It appears that while loading the pictures earlier, my computer ate them. Trust me, it was a cute tea table complete with lemon curd, strawberry jam, shepherd's pie and kids. Ah well.....moving on....
The Resolutions:
Years ago I read an article in the Reader's Digest about escaping the "Sarcophagus of Self". There were seven daily steps and whenever I feel a little overwhelmed or that I am not living up to my potential I review these steps. For 2007 I am going to work harder on making each step every day. If you want to play along here are the steps:

Every day:
1. Get some physical exercise. I have already started swimming and the days when the pool is closed I try to take a half-hour walk. Any time we move yarn it should count as exercise. I'm also going back to Yoga at least 10 minutes a day.
2. Get some mental exercise. Stitch patterns? Counting stitches? Some days it's a cross word puzzle (love the Sunday New York Times, why, we have some to do from back in August 2001).
3. Do something for someone else. Knitting Socks for Soldiers. Knitting for the Red Scarf Project. Even cooking something someone in the family loves counts in my book.
4. Do something you've been putting off. This could take a while. There are a whole pile of books near my knitting chair. It could take all year to work through the pile. I also owe two wedding quilts and 5 (yeech, 5!) anniversary quilts. The closets all need to be cleaned out, every room in the house can stand a "clean to the walls" cleaning.......yeah, lots on this list.
5. Say a prayer. Some days it's a short as, "Gee, thanks for the great sunset." Some days it's a lot longer. Most days my prayers start with "Thanks".
6. Get a really good laugh. I don't think this was on the original list, but it's a definite plus to the day. Check out Crazy Aunt Purl or Varsity Butt Dent Squad if you need to be lightened.
7. Do something nice for yourself. It's so easy to feel that you don't deserve anything but if you're not nice to you, who will be?

Two extras that I need to add this year:
1B. I must loose 20 pounds. This has become more of a health issue than a looks issue. I can do things for my health that I would never do just for looks.
2B. Give up Solitare completely. I am unable to stop myself after "just one more game". The only way I can get two to four hours back in my day is to go cold turkey. (The Boys check on me every time I sit down at the computer. "Hey Mom, how's Chim-Chim?" Smart alecs!)
Hope your New Year is a good one!