changes

I haven't posted in a while. I've been distracted by a new blog I found, so I spend a lot of my computer time reading that. Also, Ben was gone all last week, and I don't usually post while he's away. So, what's been going on?

Well, I did a little experimenting, and now I have a new pet. In the form of sour dough bread starter. I have to admit that it's pretty amazing to me that that even works. It just seems like it wouldn't at all.

I've made myself a housekeeping list of sorts. There's all sorts of little jobs around here that seem to get neglected simply because I don't think to do them, so I've tried to come up with an organized way to go about things. I started with all the things that are done daily, and then made additional lists for each day of the week for things that are done weekly. For instance, on Monday, I do the daily list, and then the specific Monday tasks of adding chemicals to the pool and brushing the cats. That way, it's much more likely that things like brushing the pool down, or pulling weeds or cleaning the tub and shower will be done every week. And I'm not putting it all into my day off. I should add things in for the first, second, etc week of the month, so then I'll have things that have to be done monthly on the list too. The only thing I can think of that's monthly is dusting the doorjambs and ceilings. Anything else?

Anyway, I'm actually enjoying my list, and it's helping me make sure that I don't put things off till later, or let them go so long that they're hard to deal with.

Emily is back at work now, and it's been super great to have her! Everyone was so happy to see her!

Ben found out last week that we're moving. He doesn't know exactly when yet, but he's changing positions and will be a category analyst now. We're most likely going to St. Louis. As for a timeline, it's pretty hard to tell. But he's going to meet with his boss today and will know more about that tonight. I'm pretty happy about getting out of the desert and into a place that has seasons. And snow! It's a little stressful to consider selling the house, but I just trust that we'll be able to move on if that's what God is sending us to do. And I have to say, I'm not really looking forward to all the packing. But mostly just the logistics. The actual packing and sorting might actually be fun. It'll give me a chance to really go through all the books and fabric and yarn. I know I'll have to purge a good deal of it, but I'm looking forward to that, because it'll make what I keep easier to use.

Projects:

• I got some entredeux yesterday for the baptismal gown for church, so I'm going to work on that this evening and tomorrow.
• An apron, in a style I think Angie will like, but I think I might keep this one for myself and make her buy her own fabric. Not because I'm mean, but because this one is turning out so cute, I don't know if I can part with it. Anyway, that's all cut and ready to start sewing, with bias tape bought yesterday too.
• Lots of crocheted pinwheel trivets and knitted dishcloths. I'm working my way through a bag of sugar n cream cotton I bought last month.
• I've been inspired by news of our move to get out that black and red and white sweater for Ben that's been so hard on me. I might rip it all out and start over, but I want to work on a sweater for him now that I know we're going somewhere he can use it. And I want to work on my pink and black and white one too.
• Lots of socks in varied states of doneness. I'm actually feeling more compelled to finish these too, considering that they will be much more useful in St. Louis than here as well.

You have new Picture Mail!

Columbo loafs.

You have new Picture Mail!

I just love these shoes.

My entry...

... for the Reusable Bag Challenge on Craftster.

Protesting Animals

I've only got four votes so far, so my chances for winning this one don't look good. But I'm pretty proud of how cute they turned out. I have to admit that only one is completely sewn. I'll have to get the rest done so we can use them when we go grocery shopping.

This Week

Well, I've spent the greater part of my week so far working on a surprise for my parents. I would post pictures, but I wouldn't want to give anything away. Not that the chances of ma and dad actually seeing my blog are at all high. I don't really know if they understand what my blog is. But anyway, I won't be the one to ruin the surprise. ;)

I also did a lot of yard work this week. Chopped down lots of weeds, pulled lots of weeds and sprayed lots of weed poison. I hate weeds. But the yard looks slightly better, and I think I got enough poison on the ground to keep the evil vine-y grass from growing into the pool motor for a little while.

Ben's been kinda stressed about work lately. I worry about him getting too stressed out about things. I think part of it might be that he's supposed to be on a blood pressure medicine, but he ran out of the samples the dr had given him, so he just quit taking it. Grr. That man. But I've outsmarted them all. I called and got them to call in the prescription without having to see him first, since she just saw him when she fixed his toenail. I'll have to get him in to see them in a month or so, but for now, he can be back on it, and I think it'll help him feel much better.

I've been knitting dishcloths a lot too. They're pretty much just plain knitting, so I can read while I do them. I finished Paula Dean's book. But now, I don't have any books around that will stay open on their own. That's okay though, because all the yard work really wore out the muscles in my hands and forearms, and I don't know if I can hold the needles right now anyway. So I might just read the paperback romance my MIL gave me. She said she thought I'd like it because of the cover. She was right. This makes me feel like my questionable taste is pretty obvious.

I work the rest of this week. Next week, Emily is back to work and the schedule changes again. I'm so glad Emily is back. I missed her! And everyone is going to be so much happier now that the schedule will be back to normal, and Em will be taking the extra shifts back.

We've been watching the series, Rome. It's really good. I ended up re-ordering the netflix so they'd all come in a row. We don't usually do that with series, because they can get boring all in a row. But this show is so good we kept wanting to watch the next disc instead of the movies we had. I do have to make a warning that even though it's an interesting show, there's lots of nudity and sex. Like, close-up male nudity. I was shocked and slightly embarrassed.

Yes, I did give in and go back to Netflix. They got me with that whole "watch movies on the computer" thing. But I still might switch to Blockbuster. It seems like such a good deal to be able to just change them at the store. Realistically, I should not have a movie service, as it promotes such a sedentary lifestyle. But I should also not be baking every week either, and I can't seem to stop either. They're both just so much fun!

I've been listening to Hatchet on my mp3 player. It's really good. I've got to wonder why I haven't ever read that book before. Probably because I had the very mistaken idea that it was about a dog. It's not. It's also making me want to re-read my side of the mountain. Again. I just love survival fiction. I'm so weird. I can't stand to be outside and sweat and get *shudder* bugs on me, but I love to read about wilderness survival. And I always think "it'd be cool to go camping" before I remember some core truths about myself.

Well, I should get on with the rest of my day. I have to run a short errand, and then I think I might read, or watch a movie, or something like that. I've had a pretty full week, so I think I'm going to give myself the afternoon completely off.

Why are there so many songs about rainbows?

So, we're back home again. We have been since Tuesday night. On our way through the airport parking lot when we got home on Tuesday, we go absolutely soaking wet. It was pouring. I thought that was kinda ironic.

I've been back to work, and just getting the house back in order since we got home. I made some brownies with chocolate icing on Wed. I told Ben that I'd made extra so he could take some to work, but when I got up yesterday, he'd taken the whole pan. Not so much what I meant. But there were plenty when he brought them back after work.

I totally raided the housewares section of the Amish hardware store. I got a bench scraper, and a dough scoop, and another huge spatula, and a bowl scraper. I love that store so bad.

And at the grocery store I got some more of the dried bean soup mixes. I made "holiday soup" for dinner last night. It turned out pretty well, but I think the ham got over cooked, since it was leftovers that had already been heated up at least twice at easter. I think next time I make the soup, I'll try to find a ham hock. That's what it really should have in it. Other than the ham though, it's really just a ton of mixed up beans and grains. Kidney beans, lima beans, black eyed peas, split peas, lentils, barley. And beans and stuff I don't know the names of, but it was pretty tasting and filling.

I'm on my way to work again today. I'm excited because today I'm going to finish my "Back to School" themed boards. Two words: Crayola Bikini

That's all that's going on with me, pretty much. I was knitting a dishcloth this morning while I read Paula Dean's book. It's a pretty interesting book. And I've finished my Harry Potter of course. I saved it for vacation, but didn't get to read as much as I'd planned to, so I finished it up on Wed. morning.

I guess I should definately take some pictures of all the things that I bought while I was on vacation, but that will probably wait till Monday, since I have Monday off. I have to get to work now, though.