sherriknits

Today is the first day I feel like I’m getting back to normal.  Wow, a wedding is a lot of work!

Today wasn’t really warm, but it was a nice day.  I guess we stand the chance of rain tomorrow, then warm weather returns.  This isn’t  unusual for us this time of year.

I’ve been working on the Mystery Stole off and on for most of the day.  It beats me how some people actually had it done early yesterday.  I’ve found that if I do a row more than 2 times, the yarn starts turning dark.  I’m not sure if it’s the needles or what but I’m sure it will wash out.  I haven’t had too much trouble at all with the pattern, mostly just paying attention because I did a lot of visiting today.  My poor freind was trying to start a square shawl from the center and after living through the weird cast on (which ended up pretty nice), she kept twisting the needles when she had 2 on each of 4 needles.  It made mine look like a breeze!

I’m using lifelines from the beginning this time.  I just cannot get the beads to show in a picture.  They don’t show a lot but when the setting sun hits them, they are really pretty.  I’m sure it will show more when I get farther along and more beads.  This is a perfect introduction to bead knitting because there aren’t too many so it doesn’t slow you up a lot.  I feel pretty confident now in adding them with the crochet hook.  I’m on row 59 of 100 rows for this week’s clue.

The honeymooners made it to their destination at 10 a.m.  They texted me and said they were exhausted after flying all night and couldn’t get their room until 3:30 or 4.  That’s tough.  Arriving that way really causes them to lose a whole day but since they have the all-inclusive package, they can have room service all they want so if they get hungry in the middle of the night I guess they can call for food.  Who knows, I’ve never done anything like that!

Tags: my life

One of these days I might learn.  At least I’m enjoying playing with my new yarn and beads so I wasn’t too terribly heartbroken at having to start over when I realized I was not following directions.  My yarn came today for my Mystery Stole 3.   My first attempt, which got frogged, I forgot that only the right side of the pattern showed on the chart.  I know better than that, but I got about 8 rows into the pattern and was really thinking it was not very attractive when I realized I was not knitting it right.   I got a good start the 2nd time, but although I could see the lace pattern, it still looked a bit jumbled.  As I was waiting for hubby to pump gas (date night!), I realized that rather than knit on the wrong side, I was supposed to k2, p to last 2, k2.  I am not at all sure why I thought it said k on all the wrong side rows.  I was pretty excited that I wasn’t going to have to purl all those long rows!  I also had another problem of every few rows having an extra stitch, which I just k2 tog at the last of the row.  It was definitely causing the pattern to look a bit off.  When I started over tonight, I still had the problem and sat staring that the chart for several minutes when it dawned on me that in the center stitch every few rows, it said to s1 k2tog psso and I had read it as s1 k1 psso.  I thought it was odd, especially that they used the ^ , which I knew meant to k2tog in there. 

Soooooo, I am now on track and LOVING what I’m seeing.   When I purl the wrong side, it really makes the beads show up a lot more.  I think I like bead knitting so far.  It is slower, but I think it’s worth it!  I wish they showed in the pictures.  I didn’t get a chance to try in daylight since my camera battery was dead today.

This morning I got to go to breakfast to celebrate my friend’s and my birthday.  Hers was Wednesday and mine is this coming Monday.  Another friend takes us out to celebrate both at once.  We had a great time and I was stuffed for most of the day. 

While I was at breakfast, I got a call from another dear friend who said she was leaving her laptop off at my shop for me to use until mine gets back.  I can’t imagine having no need for my laptop until September like she doesn’t need hers, but I am totally blessed by the offer.  I spent an hour at least trying to get it hooked to internet because I had to get it hooked to the dsl modem and I didn’t have my “welcome letter” that I got years ago when I got the modem.  I had to call tech support and they got me up and running, but it was’t an easy process.  I was getting mighty tired of crawling under my desk to read things to him from the modem!

The newlyweds headed off on their honeymoon today and I thought they were pretty cute if you ask me.  When they get home, real life starts.  I have to chuckle because I only got a one night honeymoon!  These kids will be home a week from tomorrow, but they were offered the use of a timeshare and bought the package that covers all food the whole time.  I’m excited for them…but I told the bride not to talk to strangers.  haha.  She said she has to since her new hubby doesn’t speak Spanish and she is the one who has to communicate.

I am trying not to stay up all night working on my mystery knitting, but I started a load of clothes and forgot to shut the lid on the washer so I have to wait to switch them to the dryer before I can go to bed.  It’s just too much fun!

Tags: my life

Tonight my daughter’s boyfriend commented that it’s been a long time since he saw me just sitting there knitting.  I am enjoying playing on the sample for the Mystery Stole 3 KAL.  I wasn’t going to test knit until my yarn came, but I broke down this afternoon and wound up some pink lace yarn.  I couldn’t catch the color, but it’s a soft pink and it’s beautiful.  Here is my first sample…

I couldn’t find enough pins to pin it nicely to block, but I do know it will work.  I am not sure if the yarn I am getting is this weight or not.  I liked this until I tried using the beads.  I don’t know if it’s possible to capture the beauty, maybe in the daylight tomorrow, but I love the beads!

The beads are kind of irridescent.  The process is really slow-going, but something worth sticking with.  The needles are sooo slippery and the yarn is so fine so trying to pick up the bead on a crochet hook and slide it over the stitch is a bit of a challenge but I plan to do the real thing on an Addi Lace needle, which is not as slick.  I hope to be able to get a picture that actually shows how pretty it is.

Today, my laptop went off to the hospital.  It’s no small chore to send it off…I had to fill out paperwork, try to get online with a dial-up connection to figure out which of the many numbers was the serial number, and then pack it all up safely and call DHL to come pick it up.  They were there in 20 minutes!  It is more than a little frustrating that my old laptop is so ancient and can’t seem to load a good majority of the pages I want to go to.  I also couldn’t get it to download the latest version of Acrobat Reader so I can get the info for the knit-along.  grrrr.  A friend kindly brought the info up to this point to me today after another friend called her and asked her to.  (thanks, Patty and Shanda!)

I am really ticked that I have yet to receive the label to send back my iPod.  I couldn’t access the page today to find the  number to call them.  I will call tomorrow.  What is the deal anyway?  This has gone on for over a month!  So much for their promise of quick service! 

We got the silliest picture the other night of the little imp when the kids were opening gifts.  Can you see why life is a joy (most of the time) with this kiddo?

I am being “haunted” by this owl.  He was in the barn when we were setting up for the wedding.  I said he was NOT going to be part of the ceremony.  Every time I turned around, he was somewhere the kids knew would bug me…including the front seat of my car.  The culprits were mostly my oldest son and my only son-in-law.  (prior to his holding that position).  It became quite the joke for them.  Well, tonight I came home and guess what is on my desktop on my computer?

Tags: my life

Things just don’t stop happening here.  As if we haven’t had a lot going on, yesterday we have an official new driver in the family!  It would actually have been nice to have this kind of help before the wedding.  The little sis got her license!

Home safe after her first drive alone. 

Big brother was pretty proud.

Immediately following this celebration, we took all the gifts to the newlyweds’ house so they’d be there when they came home from their 2 nights away, before the official honeymoon.  We had a creative helper.

These kids have been blessed!

This doesn’t really look like their hands (the fault of the photographer mom) but the rings are pretty close.

And today I decided I needed to put my mind to knitting again.  I tried to work, but I was so tired that I really just kind of played around.  I did manage to get my laptop hard drive backed up so I can send it in for repair or whatever they are going to do…grieves me…as does the fact that they have yet to respond to getting my iPod replaced!  grrrr

But the high spot is that I ordered yarn to take part in the Mystery Stole 3 knitalong.  I am hoping it ends up being something I like, but I need a knitting challenge and the surprise element appealed to me.  Hopefully the yarn will arrive tomorrow or Friday so I’ll be able to start with everyone else.  I didn’t ever get a chance to swatch, but hey…why start with that now? 

I have always wanted to knit with beads and tonight we left town a bit early to try to get to the bead store before they closed.  Shipwreck Beads is supposedly the world’s largest bead store.  We really were cutting it close and when I ran through the door, the gentleman on duty told me I had 9 minutes.  I needed to find size 8 seed beads and I did know what I wanted.  I was actually able to find a size 13 crochet hook that belonged to my grandma that fit through the little hole in the bead so I’m all set.  I think I understand the concept of attaching the beads this way so I’m confident I can do it, although I won’t be suprised if it feels awkward at first.  I’m up for the challenge.

I don’t know if you can tell how tiny that hook is…I can’t believe it just slides right into the hole in that tiny bead so easily.  I’m excited to try this!

I got to have a nice dinner with hubby…it was our ‘mini-date’ night and we went to a nice (and cheap) Italian restaurant.  Then we got to meet up with the newlyweds at Barnes and Noble just because we had some gifts in the car for them.  We’re dead set on not bothering them too much, but it was nice that they wanted to meet us for half an hour.  They had to stop here on their way home to pick up her laptop (which works!) and another gift that was left here.  I loved listening them talking to the other kids and enjoying each other.  My kids are all used to going to their big sis’s house on Wednesday nights to watch Lost after youth church. 

I still have so many pictures to look at for the rehearsal and decorating days for the wedding, but it’s a huge chore.  I’ll just make flikr pages as I get them done.   Hopefully I’ll have more knitting content to share in the days ahead….a nice change of pace.  I did work on my Tofutsie socks today in the car in spite of that fact that all those days of being tangled in my purse bent one of my size 0 addi’s pretty bad.  I got it somewhat straightened and it should be ok. 

And now, to bed!

Tags: my life

We had the most wonderful day.  Over 300 people showed up, it was horribly stormy off and on, but at the most important moments, it was perfect.  We had to start 15 minutes late because people just kept coming an coming.  There was a huge downpour as the most people arrived.  Someone told me that there was a line of cars a mile long!  I wish I could have seen that!  I put all the pictures from the wedding day on flikr and if I can figure out how to get them linked here, I will do it soon but I need to go to bed.  We slept about 4 hours last night, both hubby and I got sick when we got home.  It probably had to do with not eating much all day but junk, then eating dinner at 9:30 pm. 

We had an ice cream social and it was so much fun!

The little imp walked the grandparents in and then me.  He did such a great job … that aisle was so long!  I have to find out who was in the area that he slowed up and smiled every time down the aisle.

After everyone was in and in place, we chose a dramatic entrance for the bride.  Everyone had come in from the side, but we had the bride and her daddy stand on the other side of the barn doors and at her big moment, her cousins opened the huge doors and there they stood.  Everyone tells me there was a huge gasp and people were sooo moved….but I missed it.  I was too caught in the moment.  I also missed big brother start crying.  He’s my sensitive one.    Little sis cried, too.  She didn’t expect it, but when she saw her brother cry, so did she.  The little imp knew he was to stand on his piece of tape and when the ring bearer tried to get him to step off, he looked very firmly at him because he knew his job.  When the ceremony was over, his job was to come to hubby and I and take us out.  People were so impressed with the job he did.

 We had so many comments on how caring the bridal party was towards each other and the fact that the pastor knew the kids well and was able to share some very thoughtful stories about each of them.  He shared that the bride had always known God would bring the right man along and she was willing to wait.  Everyone saw the change in them before they did.  No one was surprised when they realized they were interested in each other.  I think I was the only one who didn’t see it coming…probably because I was the one who most wanted the day to come.  haha

Pictures soon!

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What a wild few days and a few more to come.  I am not sure I can even remember yesterday.  I do know we ran errands all day long but I seriously cannot remember what I did.  I do remember coming home, though, and as we drove up were greeted with this!

Batchelorette party in action.  Each girl took the bride to a place that had meaning to her.  We were excited to get to see part of it. 

Here is this memory being shared.

And off they go.

Today we spent much of the day decorating.  Getting tablecloths on the tables was a bigger job than I thought.  Lots of help, though.

Everyone helped.

The little guy disappeared.  There is very, very rarely a time that we aren’t aware of where he is.   When the farm hand came in and asked if he could take him for a tractor ride, we were all so amazed.  He’d made a friend, which is not unusual.

Can you see how the gentleman is showing the little guy how it all works?  He had a ball!

I think he didn’t mind so much that he had to spend the day here!

We didn’t make it back to town in time to go get the soft-serve ice cream machine (an hour and a half away)  but we did go back to the bulk grocery store an hour away to get all we needed and hubby has to get up early and be at the rental place at 8.  When we got back to town, we went back out to the ranch and look what we walked in to see.

She had turned all the lights on and was sitting there alone just looking at it all.  I forgot to take a picture from the back showing the chairs.  Everything is still in the rough stages, but we have lots of help arriving tomorrow.

As we left, it was so beautiful.

I can’t believe I have the energy to post this but needed a quiet time to myself. 

Oh!  I almost forgot!  I got my Ravelry invite today!  I signed up for it when they first announced it, but hadn’t heard yet and heard they were letting people in in big chunks so I re-signed up.  Not sure which one I finally got in on, but it’s pretty cool!  I really don’t have time to check it out yet, but go look!

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Today was the last kind of not busy turned busy day this week.  The rest are just plain busy. 

This morning it occurred to me that we had to get the sequins tightened back up on the dress because it is headed to the bridal shop tomorrow for steaming.  I called the girl who said she’d help me and she said she could come if it could be ‘right now’.  She’d had every intention of calling me to find out when she could help and got busy and forgot, too.  I am so grateful that she came so quickly.  She fixed the dress and the bridesmaid’s dress that the lace had ripped on.

Then we headed out to the ranch to check it out again.  We had every intention of doing the ceremony in the field….

We even had a few practice runs of the boy walking me in.  (how am I going to keep from crying?)

Then we went in the barn…

(see how strong he is?)

As we walked around planning for the reception, my sister had this brilliant idea.  I think the whole thing may take place indoors now.  It’s a good thing because it is threatening to rain and we have a violin and cello that cannot be out in the open.  They are willing to sit in a little portable tent, but who wants to sit in the rain?  There is a chance the weather will move forward and be nice, but it may solve a lot of hassle to do it indoors.  We won’t have to drag the chairs up and the people won’t have to walk on the uneven ground.  They can even drive right up to the barn doors.

The hay bales will be stacked however we want them and the wagon will be outdoors.  I guess some people have left it in though so people can get up there to speak.  Since there isn’t much of that, I doubt we’ll leave it there.

I had to leave there in a rush to get to my nail appointment.  That was interesting.  Quick, though. 

This evening, I got a phone call and went out on our deck and as I was talking, I see a little boy’s name written on the side of the house!  I didn’t realize he would choose to write out his last name, too.  When questioned, he told me the bad guys did it…he didn’t.  Of course, that didn’t go over.  He didn’t get ice cream tonight until he confessed.  So, guess what he got to do?

This isn’t very clear, because it flashed in the window, but you can see how happy he was to be doing this.

Blessings of the day:  I had several friends call and e-mail offering their help in any way.  I also had a friend e-mail and almost insist that I borrow her iPod!  Aren’t friends the best? 

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This morning I got up early and headed out of town to find ribbon for the jars for the flowers for the table.  lol  The bride and I found some really cool lantern type candleholders at JoAnn’s….and the great thing is that they were 60% off!

I then went to my sister’s house and we spent hours tying ribbons on jars.  I could not believe that we had almost exactly the amount of ribbon that we needed for the jars.  The last few, I use 3 strands of skinny ribbon on the big jars and they were cute.  We used lots of different kinds of ribbon. 

I left there to race home so hubby could go to work for a short time.  I have spent hours and hours tonight trying to get my email configured on my home computer.  I think I mentioned that this computer is brand new.  No one will ever use Outlook Express but me anyway.  I had to talk to 2 tech support people to get help getting them configured.  I have forgotten so many of my passwords so I spent time getting them set up also.

I called to find out why I did not get my mailing label for my iPod.  Apparently they sent it, but I never got it.  Therefore, I get to wait another 24-48 hours to get another.  I am not a happy camper.  I called to ask them about that, then I asked if this was the number I talk to to get my laptop repaired.  lol   They had to send me to another number.  After I did everything the lady told me to do, she determined it needs to be sent in.  I had almost finished giving her all my info and the phone went dead on her end.  I waited awhile to see if she’d call back, I wonder why I thought she would.  I’m glad I wrote down the number so I didn’t have to call the iPod number again.  I got a guy who finished the call and I think the news isn’t that great after I told him the other issues I was having.  There is a good chance I can get my hard drive backed up before I send it in, though…and that is good news although I will have to pay for it.  It will save me months of work, though.  I hope I learned my lesson on backing things up!!!!  He said they may just replace my laptop, which does not thrill me in the least because it won’t be the same thing at all.  I am really bugged.  I think I want an Apple like my daughter’s.

I had a very long talk tonight with the mother of the groom.  My cell phone died while I was talking to her, though.  It doesn’t seem like my week when it comes to electronics!  I am the gadget girl and this is so amazing to me that I am having as much trouble as I am. 

But…I can laugh and I can count my blessings!  And you know the cool thing that happened to me today?  A friend offered to pay for me to have tips put on my nails!  I have never done that before.  She just wanted to bless me.  I cry these days at the drop of a hat, mostly good tears.

No pictures today, I am too lazy to get down on the floor to attach my camera to the tower.   I might not get back up! 

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I hope you had a good day.  We did.

I put all my woes out of my head and enjoyed the day with the love of my life.   

We went to first service at our church today … our middle two were on the worship team so we stayed through second service worship.  What a joy.  We were asked to gather around the dads and pray for them.  Every single year, I cry and am completely incapable of praying for my hubby.  I had to ask the kids to do it.  Why?  I am so, so grateful that my children have what I never had.  They have a father who loves them is there for them.  I told him on the way home, when I started crying again, that it isn’t out of sadness that I cry but sincere gratitude for who he is.  Another fun thing is that our daughter’s boyfriend’s dad did the sermon today.  He did an awesome job on sharing the importance of being a daddy. 

On the way home, we stopped at the meat market and fruit stand and bought dinner…steak, baked potatoes, and fruit!  Yum!  Lovin’ those fiestaware dishes!

We surprised hubby big time this year.  We all went together and got him tickets to Kenny Chesney and Brooks & Dunn.  He was so shocked and soooo excited!  Too bad I have to go with him….haha!  Actually, our oldest daughter, the bride, really had her heart set on taking him by herself but the concert is the day she gets home from her honeymoon, she’ll be in the air during the concert.  She apologized for me having to go.  lol    I am really excited about it!

We have more than one imp:

After dinner, we drove an hour and a half to see the house the newlyweds will live in.  Once again, we went in 2 cars…no options there…and I wish I would think to take a picture of the little imp twisted around smiling at us.  I had to call Dad and ask him to make him turn around because the mom in me said this was totally not safe!

The house is pretty cool!  It’s an older house with lots of quaint touches.  The bride is not excited about the green carpet, though!  Anyway, there is a floor vent in one of the bedrooms and the groom said he’d go down and talk to the little imp through the vent. 

Waiting….

Here’s where it gets silly.  We waited, and waited.  No groom.  Finally I went downstairs and hollered to him, he was somewhere else in the house, so big brother and I went under the vent and talked to the boy.  He got so excited, he wanted to come down and do that himself.

Ok, then we started trying to find the groom.  When we called him again, he answers us from the basement!  We asked him why he was down there?  Trying to find the vent!  LOL  He had no clue that we were already done playing the game.

To be fair to him, he hadn’t looked down it, so he had no idea what was underneath and in an older house, it’s kind of funny how many directions you can go!

Anytime the imp sees a closet, he attempts to visit Narnia.

All he managed to get was a dirty face.

Tomorrow starts the crazy week.  The bride and I head out of town at 8 to get some ribbon … we have NO craft stores here and get to drive an hour to find one!  We have a few quick errands to do, then get to my sisters to do the table decorations. 

Somewhere in there, I hope to get a call in to get my laptop taken care of.  This is awful, I keep realizing what I have lost access to….like email addresses (help me!)  I can’t get in to my business email account until I call the provider because I can’t get the setup to work.  Gosh, what a pain!

Sock progress:

I am almost done with the heel flap.  I knit in the car but slept part of the way.  I was also getting multiple text messages that were greatly interfering with my sleep. 

I do hope you had a great day!

Tags: my life

Well, today we finally made the trip to try on the tux for real.  It is on it’s way for alteration and to get the ivory shirt we had ordered.  Big brother went along and the little imp really loves to imitate.

He loves his new ’suit’

He worked hard at cooperating. 

Let’s see, what else is going on today.  I did lots of forward-backward-forward knitting on the sock.  I am ready to be doing something else, but I did start the heel flap tonight.

And the weather today?  I hope it changes by next weekend or we’re having an indoor wedding!

I came home from work and found this in the refrigerator.

It was just so colorful, I had to take a picture.

And now for the sad news.  Right now, I am on the new computer we got yesterday for my work.  That in itself is exciting but I had to find all my disks to get any photo editing software on here.  I also found the kids had not put any anti-virus on here so I did that, too.

But why am I on this one?  I left tonight for a short time to take the little imp to buy a Father’s Day card and when I came home, my laptop was DEAD!  Nothing I do will make it start.  It did this same thing when it was a few months old and they sent someone to fix it.  Now it is in the extended warrantee and I bet I get to send it to them now.  I did all kinds of bookkeeping today and I did not back up my work and to be honest, I can’t remember the last time I did.  Shame on me, I know.  I am so bummed out.  Do you realize how much stuff is locked inside your computer?  Not to mention I had to figure out how to get into my domain stuff since they give me a bizarre user name consisting of very random letters.  I can’t figure out how to get into my shop’s email so I’ll have to call them on that one.

And to add to it, I am really mad about my iPod.  They are in no rush to get my mailing label e-mailed to me so I can return the defective iPod they sent me.  I have been without it for over a week and whenever they decide to send me the label, I am looking at a week’s wait.  So much for the quick turnaround they told me about when I bought the extended warrantee on that one.  I use my iPod to fall asleep to, I have pretty big sleep problems and have found listening to books is the ticket for me.  I finally had to resort to the Ambien the doctor gave me months ago.  I do not like taking sleeping pills at all and was so happy with the solution I had found.

I am just a bit melancholy tonight, but I need to step back and count my blessings.  I know I have a lot to be thankful for and I need to choose to look at those things instead. 

At least I started knitting on the sock instead of playing with my laptop!  (although if the truth were to be known, I am pretty good at doing both at the same time!)   lol

Hope you’re having a great weekend!

Tags: my life. Kids. Knitting. Sky. Socks. Wedding!. Whatever