yup!

You Are an Espresso

At your best, you are: straight shooting, ambitious, and energetic At your worst, you are: anxious and high strung You drink coffee when: anytime you're not sleeping Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

this brings happy thoughts

Today's 10 on Tuesday is

10 things you like to do on vacation:

1. eat local foods
2. sightsee
3. shop
4. sleep
5. knit
6. sunbathe
7. read
8. drink (not the water)
9. go for long walks
10. not think about work!

come play along with us

These day's I'm really needing a break. But it's not coming for quite some time... and so I plod along.

did you know?

How fitting that I am teaching students to knit this month! DD and I have been enjoying making a friendship bracelet with the kit she got from friends for her birthday.. uses embroidery floss and a loom type thing made of thick foam (there were 4 included with patterns for the colors of the floss... 2 square and 2 circles)

There's still plenty of time for you do participate. Here are a few links to find out some more information:
Craft Association
Family Crafts
Kids crafts

world wide water day

how can you save water?
use low flow toilets and shower heads
replace washers or faucets
Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth
If it's mellow let it yellow if it's brown flush it down
shower with a friend ;-)

for even more (and better) suggestions visit
Water: Use it wisely
Save water 49 ways
Think at the sink
Think of how you can save this precious resource.. we all need it!

some saturday

we got up (OK... 3 of us slept in the living room last night) got ready for gymnastics... DS2's class went to lunch and then on to the DaVinci center for brain awareness week!

After that we stopped at Salvation Army and I picked up 8 sweaters... 7 to frog and the last to felt at least the front and perhaps frog the sleeves and back.

I'm frogging the aran sweater. It's been a real pain to undo the neckband from the body. But I have the side with the buttonholes about frogged. This sweater is really beautifully knit.. a shame to frog, but the yanr will be gorgeous when its washed and dyed. and I love the buttons...

I finished another square for the lizard ridge and am on square #3 for the Way afghan. Also knitted some more rectangles for the blankies for Linus Project. I've done 2 in chenille so that there is a soft cuddly corner to love on the blanket.

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of my dad's death. I think of him every day. He's probably cursing about the whole bail out issue and especially AIG....

happy crafting!

thoughts

1. my school knitters did an awesome job this week. They are ALL knitting successfully. I am so proud of them.

2. I've thought about the Peruvian sweater... I may deconstruct it and make some bags! A large one from the body and a smaller thin one (or wine bottle cozies) from the sleeves :-)

3. The aran sweater I believe is handknit from handspun.... just started deconstructing... after I'm finished and given the yarn a good bath, I think it will be dyed and will become GORGEOUS aran weight singles...


there is only 1 workday left this week.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Yesterday 12 students came for PSSA knitting activity. 2 had knit with me last year. One I started to teach to purl but today she fell back into knitting (she had left her original at home). It's a great group of kids... they learned to use a knit cast on yesterday which took a long time for them to put on 28 stitches... and today they started to take off. We had 90 minutes to knit and I'm so proud of them!

on a more serious note, the board meeting is tonight. I wish I could be there, but it's time to put own children before my school children.

one of the subs at school brought in 2 sweaters for me. One is Peruvian colorwork and so beautiful... I hate to frog it... but I know this wool doesn't felt well (I've tried with a different sweater) the other is a bulky aran knit with really neat buttons that remind me of coconut shell.... I'll frog that one. It seems to be hand knit... what a shame, someone obviously spent a long time knitting it.....

Didn't do 10 on tuesday today cuz I didn't have the energy to find 10 songs I hated.

here's to a happy tmrw!

not whining

but I'm worn out... school has done that to me. The drama and stupidity of the board of education and administrators not really thinking about the ramifications of decisions they are choosing to make and how those decisions will affect lives, in so many varied ways makes me sad, frustrated and yes feel physically ill.

tomorrow PSSAs begin and with that a new crop of knitters. I have some returnees who will be learning to purl so that we can add some variety to our blankets. We'll donate to Linus Project again this year... it's nice for kids to be making things for other kids.

My colleague sent me a copy of an excerpt from a welcome address given to parents of incoming students at The Boston Conservatory on September 1, 2004, by Dr. Karl Paulnack, Director of the Music Division. And rather print it here, you can click here if you care to read it. It is truly deep, inspirational and moving. Dr. Paulnack graduated from William Allen High School, in Allentown PA, not far from my home. Many of my friends went to school with him. This address doesn't just speak to music, it's really insightful to life... thanks Tommy for the mail.

On another knitterly note, I have 2 squares for the Way blanket finished. I'll use these patterns for my new purlers as well. I've been so consumed with the department news that I am afraid my knitting class will suffer...

i leave you with heavy heart.. perhaps I'll have pictures later in the week to post. I'll remember the camera to take pictures of my cherubs knitting.

I also have a tutorial to post about making your own knitting needles.
so much to do and so little time/energy right now.

peace friends...

short and sweet

and prepping for the PSSAs: knitting needles to sand and patterns to prepare for my cherubs.. teaching the experienced to purl this year.. so they can then follow a pattern.

Chorus: still finishing writing out the parts and need to record some vocal tracts.... too much work far little time, and plan the stuff for the t-shirts.. there will be pictures of them. Hopefully they'll look awesome

School: have these monster amount of papers to grade for 6th grade and the end of the marking period is here... that mans hand out 750 grades... bleh!
personnel is a huge mess and our department is falling apart... ugh!

knitting: started a wedding present from the Walker learn to knit afghan book but this will be all one color, socks OTN for me, DH's vest needs the math to be done for the armhole decreases

diet: about 8.5 pounds and holding... haven't measured the waist lately but it was at 4" The lack of sleep definitely is bad for the diet...... makes me hungry

I've found some great pages lately, that I'll post links to in the sidebar... really wonderful crafty fun blogs!