How fast 18 years go by...

Today Alex is 18! The age of majority. He has been an inspiration to me since the day he was born. He is a loving person. He is brilliant, curious, inventive, and creative. The music in his soul has been a joy to all who have known him. I am lucky to know such a wonderful young man, let alone having spent almost every day of his life with him. I hope he continues to have a wonderful life. He has so many interests and talents. May they continue to serve him well. I can't wait to see what else is in store from him.
Happy Birthday Alex! I love you!

Happy 16th Alex!!!

I don't know how the time has gone so fast. You were a happy, funny baby. Now a young man. I am excited to watch you grow and curious to see where your interests and achievements will take you. You make me proud. I love you <3

Cool Overcast Sunday

Just got back from a walk with Paul. It's beautiful out, though a bit cloudy. Perfect weather for a walk. The snow in the mountains is gorgeous and it's nice to have some moisture in the air. Haven't done much this weekend. We did have friends over Friday. It motivated the family to help straighten and vacuum. It was nice to start the weekend with a semi-clean house. It puts a more pleasant twist on the whole thing.
Went knitting at Yarn Deli Saturday. The ladies are all getting ready to go to Stitches West this coming weekend. I wanted to go but think I should go down to the Big 3 in San Diego with the family instead. So maybe next year( I think it was the same thing last year. Stitches and The Big 3 are on the same weekend.) This year we are trying to unload some cars and find wheels for Alex's Model T. You should check out his blog, Fix the T. He's trying to get it rebuilt to drive cross country to New York next year.
Went on a date with my husband. I can't even remember when we last went out together. We've been raising kids the entire time we have been together and have not given the time we need to to maintain our relationship. The kids are definitely old enough now to take care of themselves for long periods of time. And we need to take the time to repair our relationship due to the lack of communication we have been in the habit of. We had a pretty pleasant date. It's nice to take the evening off from the usual responsibilities. We took that walk together this morning too. I am hopeful.
May be heading to Laguna to help my daughter with her sewing machine. It's cool she is designing clothing. That was my favorite thing to do when I was young. I wanted to be a fashion designer growing up. She avoided doing anything I like while she was growing up. It's nice to have a common interest now.

My Son the Elf

I guess the Holidays have officially begun. My son helped out at the Pacific Southwest Railroad Museum this weekend. Here he is with the other elves from the Santa Train.

A Wonderful Symphony Concert

My son took up string bass this year at school. He's been playing the guitar, rock and jazz. He's really done a great job in the symphony orchestra. Tonight was the fall concert. It was a great warm evening under the clear sky. Just a touch of Santa Ana winds. It was beautiful. To top it off I got to watch my son play with a terrific orchestra.

Birthday Boy

It's been beautiful weather the last few days. Warm days, yet cooling off at night to comfortable temperatures. The Santa Ana winds have cleared the sky. The sunsets are gorgeous. The angel trumpet bushes are perfuming the warm evening air.

I found my son's birth announcement looking through some papers last night. Just in time to show it to him during his birthday party. It surprised him. I can't believe fifteen years have gone by already. He is turning into an amazing young man with a lot of heart. I am so happy to have been part of his beginning. Can't wait to see the things he chooses to do with his life.

Ninja Socks

I finished my first pair of Summer of Socks '08. These are my son's Ninja Birthday Socks. I started them on his birthday (also the first day of SOS). Finished in 3 days. This is the fastest I've ever finished a pair of socks. Of course they are worsted weight, but they did have more complicated toes. They are split toes for flip flops. The best thing is he loves them.
Now to decide on another pair to start and to get out of here. Our trip to New York has been stalled. Hopefully we can leave tomorrow.

Dyeing Sock Blanks and Summer of Socks '08

We were supposed to leave for New York today, but have been delayed til mid-week. It's hard to wait to leave, but then again I still have lots to do and good friends and family to do it with.
Here's yesterday's hand dyed Knit Picks sock blank on the left. The dyes migrated blended a little more than they look in this photo. I hope it knits up as cool as it looks now. The one on the right I painted today. My friend Leigh Ann made a really cool striped one too.

Midnight EST June 21 was the start of this year's Summer of Socks. I joined up for the first time this year. June 21st is also my son's birthday so I decided to knit him socks for his birthday. He doesn't really like socks, but when he tried on some I knit he loved how they felt. Sooooo, I am making him some to go with the cap I knit him this fall. I had extra yarn to make sure I had enough for the beanie and never used it. It is Mountain Colors Twizzle in the Moose Creek color.

Socks and the End of the School Year

I am so into knitting socks these days. These are a few of the ones on the needles. Unfortunately my knitting time has been limited so I haven't finished any lately. I have about 6 pairs of socks on the needles and have decided I need to make my son a pair for his birthday I haven't started yet. I am doubtful I will get any finished in time for the end of sock group deadlines at midnight tonight.













I just joined the pair a month challenge and have a great accountability partner. This will be great to have someone checking on my progress from time to time and egg me on. She is going to participate in the 52 pair plunge. I am in awe. I would like to step up my knitting to at least 2 pairs a month on a regular basis and work on other things too. Who knows maybe I'll be able to.
Only three half days left of school. Still lots to pack up and take off the walls, not to mention keeping my students from getting into trouble now that just about all their work is done. Preteens can be quite the pains when they have the opportunity.
My son has had his 8th grade dance. Paul drove him and his friends in my 30 Pierce Arrow. They had a really good time. Today is his band trip to Soak City, Tuesday is the 8th grade trip to Magic Mountain. After that he is a 9th grader.
My daughter is sad her 8th grade friends will be leaving after Monday and she'll never see them again. She really thrived and made a lot of friends the last two years in drama class.
pics later

Flame socks are Finished!!!

Yippee!!! I have finally finished my son's Flame Socks. He has another performance at an awards ceremony on Tuesday so it's none too soon. He's certainly waited long enough for these. These were the first socks I ever started. I ripped them out 3 times before this incarnation.

Mis-Adventures of the Kennedys and friends

This weekend we rented a motor home, packed up, and went down to San Diego to hang out in the Qualcomm Stadium for the weekend. It was the yearly Big 3 old car and motorcycle swap meet. I've been going down there for about 20 years to this event. My parents used to be the ones to get everything down there and we'd just show up and walk around, shop, and visit. Of course they didn't have jobs to go to or kids at home. It's tough to get organized enough to do it. We missed it last year. We don't live in San Diego either.


Any way, DH and DD were supposed to get down there before 8AM Friday, but didn't make it. The rest of us were supposed to leave after work and school or Saturday morning. My older DS and DD decided not to go. I wouldn't have even rented the motor home if I didn't think I was going to get to hang out with my kids. We ended up leaving Friday at about 7PM with our friends Leigh Ann and Robert. When we arrived around 9PM the gate was still open, but no one had the list of space renters and we didn't have the passes they gave us last year. They made us wait until 5AM Saturday morning to go to our spot. Ridiculous.
We kept our spot for next year, but unless we start getting ready for it months in advance there isn't a lot of point. We don't sell enough to cover the space rent let alone the motor home. It would be worth doing if we could get rid of some things doing it. We had a pretty decent time even though DH was a grouch. It was a little cold yesterday, but beautiful today. I guess next year we might do it again.
I did finish my Noro rainbow socks and decided to start the Annetrelac socks from the Holiday issue of Interweave Knits with the leftover Noro. I had some really BRIGHT yellow yarn with me (that I dyed to put a Pikachu on a present for my niece)that goes with the remaining yarn. So I started them. They will definitely be vivid. I'll be able to use up my scraps up. Don't want Noro to go to waste.
I finished one of my son's Fiery Socks in time for him to wear one to his Vista Idol competition.

Back to School

It's been a lovely couple of weeks. The holidays were great. I took my son to Oregon to see his friend. I painted the dining room. I would have liked to have accomplished more, but it was a good couple of weeks.It's really GREEN, but I like it. It's alive!

Tis the Season

My son decorated himself for Christmas. He's such a unique individual...
In knitting news:
I started the Koolhaas hat...wrong. I am continuing it in the same vein. I'll have to figure how to gracefully close it up on top. Maybe it'll make a cool skull cap pattern.
I have progressed to Act III of my Sidewinder socks. A few more rows and I'll have both toes done and be working on the other side of the heel.
Photos aren't loading on Blogger...I'll try later.

Great Day off!

Went with my daughter and the drama class from school to see the play, 'Seussical the Musical.' It was great! I loved the color scheme and set design. Pictures were off limits so I have none. I loved the play though.
After school my son and his friend went down to the coffee shop at the closest shopping center to school and played guitar and keyboard until we all got too cold to go on.
Took hubby to dinner for Sadie Hawkins day.
I think we all had a good time today.
I even worked a little on the newest Dream Swatch. It rolls a bit. I hope it will block. The yarn seems too soft to want to firm up in a certain shape though. I will try.

Bowling party and the rest of the weekend

After taking a class for GATE education all Friday night and Saturday we had the kid party for my son's birthday last night. It was at a bowling alley. We had pizza and sodas and brought a big chocolate cake with us. I think the kids had fun. I have a couple of videos I could use for blackmail if I so chose. We had a house full of kids overnight. My son had a few extra visitors after he fell asleep.
I haven't bowled since before I broke my back- a long, long time ago. It went okay. I started drinking this health drink my daughter shared with me for my back pain. It's called Mona-Vie. It tastes good, so there is no problem taking it. I don't want to say it is absolutely helping, but it certainly may be. I usually have sharp pains in the night when I roll over. I have barely felt them this past week. I was able to bowl last night and this morning I am just a little bit stiff. I think it is helping with my digestion and energy too.
I finished the newsboy cap I was knitting. I like it. I would like it better just a little bit looser. I wish I hadn't sewn it up so tight. I used a couple of my antique buttons to sew on the band.
I worked on my granny square socks in spare moments at my class. I have one with a finished heel flap and turned heel. I have to attach the heel reinforcement yarn to the other one so I can catch it up.

Birthday boy

My son turned 14 Wednesday. We had a quiet family dinner at Macaroni Grill and a yummy chocolate raspberry cake at home. The kid party is this weekend. I think they'll have a good time bowling with pizza and cake. It's amazing how fast they grow up. He's always been a unique individual. I am proud to have such an intelligent, creative child. He is a joy to be around and to watch grow.
Here's the newsboy cap I've been working on. I am going to choose some buttons from my antique button collection to accent the knit band that goes across the front.

Justin's Out of Army Day!

Last night we all went to a great dinner at Sayaka's in Colton to celebrate Justin's official separation date. WheeeeHeeeee! He's really out!
Here are my favorite people...I just LOVE having them all together.

Benefit Concert

There was a benefit concert at the First Congregational Church in Riverside tonight. My husband and son played with some friends. There were some other people playing too. I guess they raised about $400 for Katrina victims.

Everyone is back at school

It's been an unbelievably busy week. I went back to work/school last Friday. The kids went back this Thursday.
We lost a wonderful friend the day we got home from New York. He was hit head on the road I drive to work every day. John Anderson was a really good man. We miss him a lot.
In addition to getting my classroom put together and organized, I've been working hard to move all my yarn, art and knitting books, and craft and flameworking materials out of the guest room. It is amazing how much yarn I have. It is daunting to even remotely figure where it can all go. My son is out of the army and moving home for a while. I am so glad to have him. Having him home is so much better than having hobbies.

What's new in the Woods

Wow, it’s been a few days since I’ve checked in. The watercolor class with Sondra Freckleton and Sally Baker was phenomenal. It is the best class I have ever taken! I have not finished my painting yet. Here is a picture of the still life set up.Here is how far I have gotten on my painting.

The kitchen is progressing. It is now too late to get my garnet granite countertop so I am designing a cement counter with inset tiles of garnet tile and whatnot. Hmmmm, thinking about murals and airbrush techniques for the refrigerator and wall paint… Someone stop me. I almost found a sink yesterday. If it wasn’t an undermount I would have brought it home. We also had a load of driveway gravel delivered to fix the floor of the garage. We filled in some mushy places in the driveway with the extra.
It’s been raining. I’ve done a little antiquing, knitting, cooking, reading, gathering interesting branches and such. My son made himself a copper wrist cuff and baked bread today.
My daughter and I visited Old Forge Hardware and found Mr. Bill. We decided it would be fun to surprise people with Mr. Bill in precarious situations. My son was in on it after we got him the first time. This is what Mr. Bill did today.



We have a visitor a lot these days. Don’t tell, we’ve been giving him popcorn. Paul has named him Gerald.