sherriknits

After many days, our family has returned to normal! I am trying to remember to be grateful to be able to do the simplest things that last week seemed like a mountain to get over!

We spent last Monday, Memorial Day shopping for hanging baskets for the porch. We had tried on Saturday, but it was just too much work.

We got a couple of these, you can’t see the ivy hanging down because of they rhododendron behind, but we were happy to find something that wasn’t in a plastic pot!

I still loved the ones we’d seen in Olympia on Friday and Kenny felt like we should go back and get one.

I just love the wildness of it!

Poor Tyler, he couldn’t imagine a more boring way to spend a day, though.

Every area of the nursery we were in, this is how you would find him.

We did try to have fun with him, too, though. I tell you, when I hit the end of my energy that day, I was done!

I knit that day….a fast and fun little project.

A little cleaning cloth from a set of 6. I hope to make the rest of them, but I hate knitting with cotton, makes my hands hurt.

I also started a little sleeveless sweater for Mayah. It’s just huge. I did the 18 month size and I swear she will be 3 when she wears it! I have a few inches left to go on it. The color is washed out even though I didn’t use a flash and I did take it outside. I’ll get a better picture later. The pattern is Boheme and it’s incredibly easy….top down.

I have been looking for a new journal for a long time. I finally found one the other day and then I also found a little one for my purse.

I loved what the label on the back said on the little one….

I’m looking forward to the weekend….the weather is beautiful and is supposed to continue.

I need to get a small boy headed to bed…

oh ps…..another God wink. Kenny got lifters on the Jeep awhile back and had taken off the running board. I have always had a little fear of falling when getting in or out of the Jeep. Now I have to get on a stool to get in because it’s so high. The other day when we were plant shopping, I was trying to get in and the stool started tipping over. I didn’t have a good grip at all and started going down. Kenny did catch me. Later, I was thinking about this fear I have and kind of felt panicky. As I was thinking about the fear, clear as a bell, I heard…..”ahhhh, but you didn’t fall! Kenny was there and he caught you!” The interesting thing to me is how different it was to look at the positive rather than the fear! I could have easily missed that, but I’m so glad I didn’t!

Tags: my life

Definitely getting better, but wow, it is amazing how much something like this flu takes out of you.

Yesterday we decided to get out of the house so we drove to Olympia around lunch time. There is a nursery we drive by all the time that is never open by the time we get up there so I wanted to go there. Big mistake. It was so busy and what I didn’t think about was the fact that it is several greenhouses set together… not a place to be when you’re weak on your feet…so hot and humid! Poor Tyler parked himself on a shelf and would not move until we physically led him outside. Too many people and very expensive, but oh so pretty. We went to a few big box stores to look at plants because now we were inspired to get the front porch done but alas…nothing looked good after the nursery.

On the way home, we decided to go find Steamboat Island Nursery. We see the signs all the time. We drove out that way and followed a sign that said 7 miles to the nursery. We drove out to the end of the island and never saw anything resembling a nursery. I nearly made myself sick on the way back trying to look backward for any sign we missed.

Oh well, nice drive….no nursery.

We considered doing something today towards getting some baskets but it never happened. There’s always tomorrow, just too tired.

I have to tell a little story. The other day I was talking with some friends about those little blessings that happen in a day, the kind that are so easy to overlook if you’re not looking for them. One of my friends said she calls them God Winks. She described it as something that happens that shows you that God knows you and gives you a little “gift” that maybe only you and He will understand.

Earlier this week, I had told Rhianna that I long for the day that Mayah reaches out for me. I know she loves me. I know she knows I have some kind of place in her life…but she is a mama’s girl. She will come to me, but usually she will squawk for the first few seconds. You can’t get in her space quickly. I try to honor that most of the time.

I’ve been feeling a bit down these days…I’m not going to go into it but you now those times you feel a little raw and you just need something special?

The kids were not going to come to church today because little miss Mayah has had quite a time getting over the bug. This morning, I was talking to someone and somehow became aware of the fact that they were there and that she was smiling at me…a big smile. It melted my heart. I walked over and talked to her and she was so sweet. We all got in our seats and the music was just staring and I glanced over to see Mayah push away from Rhianna and reach *reach her arms out to me*!!!!!!! I was touched beyond measure! She snuggled up as much as she will for a few minutes and then wanted mama again.

As I said, I have been feeling a little raw and a little bit into worship, I had to sit down because I just have not gotten my strength back yet. I tend to get very introspective during worship and I began to realize that I had just had a major God Wink through my little Mayah! To add to it, the sermon spoke directly to my heart, I told our pastor that he must have read my mail. It’s never too late, God cares about the infinite details of our lives. I don’t want to share the details because I’m savoring it between He and I but I felt so inspired. It has brought great rest to my innermost parts…all day I’ve been bringing Him my hurts and I feel His gentle touch bringing peace.

God Winks. Gotta love it.

Rebecca really blessed me yesterday. She won the doorprize at the shower last week and decided it wasn’t going to work for her so she brought it to me. This picture doesn’t do it justice and I know it’s just a simple thing, but I can tell it is going to bring me much joy this summer.

It’s about 8 inches high and irridescent. I put a candle in it tonight and sat on the porch for about 3 minutes because it’s cold out there.

Rebecca and I had a huge laugh yesterday, though, when she brought it to me. Years ago, I got this crazy idea and hung a whole bunch of glass jars from the porch ceiling with wire. I put votives in them and would sit outside all summer enjoying them.

She asked if I had just put them back out. I said I have never taken them down. Her eyes got huge and said…”You left them out during The Storm?” (if you’ve been around for any length of time, you may remember that last year we had sustained hurricane force winds for much of the 36 hour storm….and we don’t get those kinds of winds. Our community was cut off from the rest of the world for a day or two as we had flooding and downed trees and nothing has ever been the same. Now we have logged off hillsides and still have huge areas of fallen trees.

Getting back to the dangling jars….they are all still there except one or two. Who knows where those are, the next county? I don’t think I ever thought of it before she mentioned them, but we laughed and laughed over it. Those are getting filled with candles again, too….this is going to be a porch summer for sure! (even if I have to wrap in a blanket to sit out there)

I’m knitting a cute little project. Hopefully I’ll finish one tonight and will get a picture tomorrow.

ps ~ I’ve had several people tell me they signed up for Swagbucks through my link and they did not show up on my friend list.  If you sign up, please use the link on the sidebar.  I’ve gotten my first $5 Amazon gift card and am over halfway to my second one because as those signed up under me win a buck here and there, so do I!  Rhianna has 5 gift cards.  Shanda is saving for an iPod touch…she needs 3000 and while it may take awhile, it actually is possible!  She has well over a hundred swagbucks in the few weeks she’s been searching through them.  (of course, she won big on one of their promos!)

Tags: my life

you’ve been sick all week? I found this out last summer.

Dishcloths!

I shouldn’t say plural. This is the extent of my knitting for the last week and it was accomplished yesterday afternoon.

I couldn’t do much of anything so I found a new pattern and played like I was knitting for awhile. I was blessed to have 5 friends stop in an knit with me as I made it to work for the first time in a week. So, knitting and chatting don’t make for great progress but it was fun.

It seems several of us picked up a little bug (little????) at the shower last week. I fell to it late Monday night and I have to say I have NEVER remembered getting as sick as this with a stomach bug. I was actively sick for 20 hours and as you can imagine…exhausted. I barely remember anything. Wednesday evening it hit Kenny. Then just as they were announcing the winner of American Idol (yea, Kris!)….Tyler let loose in a way you could not even imagine. In fact, we may take out our carpet in that room! I was up all night with him….ALL night. That poor boy was wretchedly sick. I always wonder what he thinks. He did bounce back fairly quickly the next day and he did think it was kind of cool that he watched tv all night while sick. I would just crawl back to my chair and ottoman as Kenny was now stationed on the couch, and I ‘d run as Tyler needed me.

It wasn’t just contained to our house. Little Miss Mayah got it on Tues. morning and was sick almost as long as I was and just as bad. I felt so bad and there was nothing I could do to help. Kyle was in Canada so Rhianna was having to deal with it all herself. She’s such a good mama. Rebecca got it Tuesday morning, too. She spent a pretty miserable day but at least it wasn’t as intense for her. Rhianna went down early Wednesday morning I think. We hear that Brittany’s niece, the sweety that she was hugging was sick early in the week, too. I wasn’t ever clear if Brittany’s mom and sister actually got it or if they were having sympathy pains for the rest of us. My sister came down with it Tuesday afternoon and I think my mom may have been getting it last night.

All in all, not a very pleasant week at all.

I was so concerned about Mayah and one evening when we were all on the mend, Rhianna surprised me with a video chat so I could see her little smiley face. Makes life better.

This morning, there is a high fog layer and it’s cold outside, but for the last week I’ve been wanting to get outside and breathe fresh air. So, I am sitting out in the cool morning with a blanket wrapped around me. The sun is beginning to break through , traveling down our block as I write. The breeze is gently blowing, birds are singing and it’s beautiful!

My tree across the street got it’s leaves this week. I love how it’s red and then turns dark later on. That tree is my friend.

I’m loving the view on my little porch.

I just lost the sun and my fingers are freezing so I guess I need to move inside and figure out what to do today…we may just try to do a little something although none of us have much energy. We didn’t get date night and somehow I had missed word that the store was closed today so that means so is my shop and I got an unexpected gift of a day off!

(I’d have loved to take up the Mariner’s Facebook special ticket offer but I don’t think I have that much in me….really good deal on tickets though and last night’s game was incredible!)

Have a great weekend!

Tags: my life

We are officially in wedding mode again. It really is different to be the groom’s mom, but the wedding is coming!

It was a beautiful weekend, warm! Last week we had the worst rain and it was so cold. It’s been so strange. We’re used to rain and cool but going from warm and dry to cold and stormy and back to warm is highly unusual. We drove to Olympia the other night and we could barely see coming home.

The other day, Rhianna and I went to the kitchen store that is going out of business. So sad. The economy is just killing business in our town. On the way back, we cut through the alley. I have to tell you a funny story. About a week ago, my family’s business had a tree that has been coddled and cared for off and on…and then neglected…and then coddled. It’s been moved here and there. Finally someone said we just need to get rid of it, so my brother put it outside with a FREE sign on it.

After several hours, this fellow came in with a skateboard and asked about it. He wanted to know why it was there. We said it was dying. What if it lives, he said? Well, then enjoy it, we said. So, off he went with the tree. I saw him headed off down the street with it and he was so happy.

Well, when Rhianna and I were headed back to the store, we had to stop and laugh. The tree moved one block away and actually looked pretty happy in it’s new home!

Can you see it there next to the telephone pole? lol

Lately the happenings downtown have been more than a little interesting. I can’t talk about some of them but let’s just say the police have been involved and maybe some not real bright thinking people.

Last night we got to go on a double date. I totally forgot about my camera until we got to our favorite little place to visit. When we started getting together with our friends, they wanted to do dates like we do….simple meal, coffee at Barnes and Noble and a few magazines or books. Since it was so nice, we asked them if they wanted to go for a little drive to see our favorite place. The roses aren’t climbing yet and my camera was ready to die, but I got a few pictures.

It was so calm and warm!

There was a party going on on the dock but no one seemed to mind us.

And then today was the shower. I could not have gotten many more worse pictures than I did. How in the world, I don’t know.

At least I got a decent one of Brittany.

I loved watching her with her little niece.

‘

She listens intently.

Look at the look on Brittany’s face….she loves that girl and the girl loves her auntie. So does little miss Mayah!

Mayah sat in the grass for a minute. She’s still not going anywhere..she does not like that grass!

I ran over to her house tonight to watch her for a few minutes (less than 10 min.) and she screamed bloody murder for the first 5 minutes. I finally took her outside and sat on a stump where she tried to enjoy the cats. Can you say t.i.r.e.d.???

I love her whether she screams or not. Some day she’ll figure out that Grammy was the one her mommy screamed for! I got lots of lovies earlier today, though!

Tags: my life

I have got to post more often…but then life has not been all that exciting.

I hope you all had a nice mother’s day, especially if you are a mom. I had a great day with my kids here for dinner. I didn’t really get many pictures, though.

Rebecca made a great salad.

Here was my dinner with contributions from all of them…..bbq steak!

My beautiful daughter-in-law to-be!

Tyler was entertaining Mayah…

and then he was done….I can’t remember why he was doing this but it was pretty silly…

I’m pretty excited. I got my first $5 Amazon gift card for using Swagbucks to search online. If you google, why not do it the swagbucks way? It’s free and they add up. Right now, $45 swagbucks is enough for a $5 Amazon card. I search, they pop up here and there, I click to confirm and continue on with my searching. My good friend won $50 swagbucks one day as a bonus, she’s up to well over 90 in no time at all. If you sign up under me, I get them when you do (other than the bonus ones) and if people sign up under you, you benefit. Rhianna knows someone who got a car seat with her swagbucks! Over $150 for free!!! For “only” 3000 sb, you can get an iPod Touch. lol

SWAGBUCKS

Go check it out. I’ll wait here.

Ok, done with the commercial.

We had therapy today. I learned something. Do not expect Tyler to do well for the therapist after taking him to Target and Macy’s and having him type out the info for Ben and Brittany’s wedding registry and then ask him to help find the aisles they are located on. He was *done* with any and all kinds of thinking after that. They ended up playing ball instead and again, no pictures.

On the knitting front….I needed a totally mindless project after the craziness of the weeks since my brother’s surgery and the fact that now my mother-in-law is now in the hospital.

This is a wrap and the pattern is Gaia. It was designed for the yarn and I don’t have to think at all I”m quite a bit farther on it but haven’t taken a picture for several days.

I also made my brother a hat.

It is the Boyfriend Hat and is finished and gone with no pictures either.

We’ve got heavy rains this week so I am guessing maybe more knitting will get done.

In the meantime, I think I’m going to see if I can accrue some more swagbucks before I go to bed!

Tags: my life

We are supposed to have a storm tonight. I used to look forward to them, but still a little jittery after last year’s monster storm.

Ok….I really hope I don’t get in trouble for this, but I went to see my brother the day after his surgery and look how great he looks!

How amazing is that? I haven’t seen that light in his eyes for years and I am too happy to not share this.

Today I was driving through town and I almost rear-ended the car in front of me. I had to drive around the block to take a picture. That’s my brother they are talking about.

There are other signs around town. The day after the fundraiser, this same shop had a sign up thanking the community for being there. I’ve seen letters to the editor, too. Overwhelmingly wonderful.

I am knitting but too lazy to take pictures since I already got these on, but I will share the first sock of one of my dear friends!

I taught her the kitchener stitch after church and she got the toe closed. Cute, eh?

I started knitting a small shawl but I ask myself if I will really wear it. I just got some Kureyon sock yarn and am doing a mindless pattern that I really like, created just for this yarn. I’ll get a few more inches then show you.

And now, I am going to try to take a nap before I have to go to a meeting tonight.

Thanks so much for all the support for the sister of the brother who had brain surgery!

Tags: my life