My pity party

Another day of being on the go all day with little to show for it. I made it to the library where I got some good books and some cool dvds: Hamish Macbeth:series one (again) and the first season of Heroes. Remember when I said I don't jump on the bandwagon until it's got a flat tire?

I have plenty to keep my occupied on the knitting front. I just don't know when I'll get to do it. Once again, Saturday is super busy. I have altar guild in the morning and I got the plastic to put on the windows so that must be done as well. I hope I have enough of the outdoor kind since they didn't have any at Stuff Mart.

And I need to get some organizing done this weekend. I keep telling myself I'll be better organized for these trips up to Fond du Lac but I never do and we end up eating out instead. Not only expensive but unhealthy.

But, gosh darn it, I'm so tired all the time and I can't seem to catch a break. I need to get back to tightwadding with a vengeance but I don't know where the energy will come from.

But enough negativity. That's the fatigue speaking, I know.

And the depression.

I would love to have just one day off. I just don't see one happening until maybe Thanksgiving. And I'm not cooking, I can tell you that. I have done every year for just me and Zach but I'm not doing it anymore. Tom will be gone hunting that week but Zach still has classes and just signed up to work Thanksgiving so there is no need to cook.

Something to look forward to. I'll find something to marathon while I knit deliriously. And grab something from McSnacky's for lunch. Who needs turkey anyway?

I get invited to people's home usually. I know they feel sorry for me that my husband is away and it's just me and Zach but they don't understand that we really enjoy just kicking back doing nothing.

Sorry for not being in a better mood lately. I'm overwhelmed and underloved so I need to go have some cuddle time with my yarn and get that love back. Hope to be cheerier tomorrow.

TTFN

Typing with my eyes closed

I started the Irish Hiking Scarf today for a Knitalong that is taking place on a group I belong to on Ravelry.  I had forgotten about it so I was glad I had bought all that yarn this last week.  I cast on a scarf last night but didn't like it and thought this Caron Simply Soft heather would look good in cables.  And it does.

It got mighty cold sitting in the car tonight.  I was ready to get my mitts out of the trunk when Zach got out of class.  But tomorrow I will have them in the back seat before the sun goes down.

I tried to sleep in this morning because I have late nights on Wednesdays and Thursdays and I don't like to drive home sleepy on dark country roads.  I was up until nearly 5 a.m. with pain though and it took two pain pills to just dull it enough to sleep and then Tom came in and played with Professor on the bed while I was trying to sleep.  I asked him to let me sleep late and he did try to.  Then the phone rang and I had to scrape myself off the ceiling.  It was the dr's office with the results of my labs (all normal) and I had to take it because otherwise we'd be playing phone tag all week.

I tried napping in the car but the back seat was too full of stuff and I didn't bother with putting most of it in the trunk.  I will do that tomorrow though.  It didn't help my pain not to be able to stretch out.

I wanted to work more on the scarf but I think I'm going straight to bed.  I haven't gotten more than 5 hours sleep a night this whole week.

So this will be short and boring but I have a puppy nagging me for his bedtime snack.

Keep your feet warm.

TTFN

How do you mend a broken heart?

Aside from listening to a BeeGees tune, that is?

You fall in love again.

And I did.  With two mice this time.  Zach picked out two from the pet store and surprise...they are spotted.  One is black, gray and white, the other is brown and white.  We haven't managed to get good pictures yet but we will.  Just be patient.

Zach named them: Ayeka, and Ryoko.  From a Japanese anime that he watches.  Both girls and both in love with the food dish.

Sigh.  More food issues in the house.  I didn't need that.  No, seriously we just happen to catch them eating.  

Professor is joined at the hip to me lately.  He can't stand it that I'm gone so much so when I'm home he's in my arms, which makes it very hard to type.  Up until a minute ago I was typing with him on my shoulder but he jumped down and is pouting on the bed now.  He's a bit miffed that I'm not in it because when I turn down the covers, he gets his night time treat.

Soon.  Very soon.

I got no knitting done so far.  I played games instead of knitting today while waiting for Zach.  It was just one of those days that I needed to veg out.  And games are a stress-buster for me. Knitting is just fun.

I'm almost done with the back of my cardigan.  I added to the length because I don't like short sweaters but we'll see how that works out with the rounding of the front pieces.  I'm guessing they'll be more oblong than round but I can live with that.

Unfortunately, nothing going on with the weight loss front.  It just ain't happening here.  I need to take my health more seriously but I can't seem to focus enough on it.  The doctor says that's depression and I should be taking anti-depressants, but the interaction with my pain meds can be fatal and since I'm not going back to being in pain all the time like I was for 12 years....

I need to look into something that is more holistic.  That doesn't require any medication, but deals with maybe food and exercise.  Sort of like the proverbial vicious cycle.  I need to control the depression to be able to focus better but I need the focus to be able to eat better so I can control the depression so I can focus better.

Lather.  Rinse.  Repeat.

It was mighty cold this morning and it's much the same out there now.  I got the storm windows up but haven't put plastic on the windows yet.  I only have so much time during the day and while I need to get back to being a tightwad, the pace I was working at a couple of weeks ago was killing me.  Literally.  I was so tired I was on the verge of tears all the time.

I'm going to caulk the windows tomorrow and dig out the plastic so it's ready by Friday.  I don't turn the furnace on until it's all done because I'm not going to heat up the outside.  

I sound like my mother.

Anyway, my goal is to wait to turn the furnace on until November 1st.

I've decided to go back to using the dishwasher and dryer because time is at a premium and it can be better spent doing things that have more return on them.  Sure, I save about $20 a month by using both, but when I factor in all the time spent doing it, it's not a lot per hour. Pennies, in fact.

If I use that time to clear out closets, repair things and winterize the house, that's a better return.

Now I just need to do that instead of reading blogs.

But now it's bed time because my eyes are clouding over and I still want to get in some knitting tonight because a day feels really empty without it.

Stay warm.

TTFN

Pictures, finally!

Yes, I got the camera out and while the pictures won't win any contests, they do show a bit of what I've been working on the past few months.

First off is the sweater I started last night. The color is a bit redder than that and it doesn't show the softness or the drape but I love it so far. I figure it will be a bit delicate though. I'm not sure it will hold up well, but I like the design and the yarn and it's all about me anyway.

Zach's sweater so far. I wasn't sure if I liked the contrasting collar but he does and since it's all about him, he gets to decide. It's soft and pretty light: Caron Simply Soft Heather in charcoal and blue denim or something like that. Too lazy to get up and dig into the bag and look. I'll start the sleeves tonight.

My handspun. I'm spinning Welsh Top on my Mother Marion Kick Spindle. This is a single so it's a bit thin. I'm not sure what it will look like plied. I might try Navajo plying but I'm not sure if I can do that very well on a kick spindle. The color is pretty white, not as vanilla as it looks here.

This represents nearly 8 ounces. Not a great picture, I know.

I did these so long ago I don't remember what the yarn was. I won it on a contest Angie had a while back. I just know it was yummy to knit with and I love the striping. This is for my baby sister for Christmas.
This is also part of my winnings from Angie's contest. Cascade Fixations. The color is more maroon than red. And so soft. These go to my Mom for Christmas. (I'm pretty safe writing this since no one from my family reads my blog.)

These were supposed to be my older sister's sabbatical socks but they never got mailed. It would have been too warm anyway and she probably would have lost them so she'll get them for Christmas.
These are some worsted socks I knit from some scraps of Woolease that I've got a ton of. It's just a 2x2 ribbing. Nothing fancy but I like them. They're sitting on my digital piano that I really need to get back to playing.

These Woolease socks don't match but I like them that way. I only had a little bit of the green and the pink but I like the effect. In most other things in my life I need symmetry but not socks for some reason. Again...the piano in the background.

My crayon socks. More Woolease scraps. These match because they looked better that way.

I raked leaves today after I took Zach to work. He's working a full shift today and hasn't had time between school and work to do it.

I'm off to do dishes and maybe start supper. I have Zach's work shirt to iron and I'd love to sit down and knit a bit tonight. I hope to get the yard mowed tomorrow because it's so tall it's starting to fall over. I plan on using the reel mower so I don't use up any gas. Not to mention the gas mower is still broken and I would have to use the vice grips.

My roll top computer desk. When we bought this we had a 386 that fit inside with the monitor sitting on it (it sat on its side). And you could shut the desk up. We even have a neat key for it. The old printer fit in a drawer to the right. It would still fit there if I had a cord long enough. It looks so much better than the monster desk that was almost half again as long and wide. And very ordinary.

TTFN

R.I.P.

Yesterday was pretty emotional for me.  Wee one stopped eating and while I was holding him trying to get him to eat, he just shuddered ever so slightly and crossed over the rainbow bridge.  I couldn't believe he was gone and sat there stunned for a moment.  

One of my curses is that I seem to be empathic.  I don't just feel sorry for people or animals.  I feel what they go through.  I really feel it. So I sat there in the car and sobbed.  And I still tear up a bit when I think of how he died.  It just got to me so much.  And I felt guilty about it, too.  Feeling like if I hadn't tried to get him to eat, he would have lived a few hours longer anyway.

But the truth is, I think  he had a skull fracture.  His wee head was caved in over his right eye and I don't think he would have lasted anyway.  But I still feel like it was my fault.

I'm still grieving over my cat of 17 years and she died two years ago.  I had her put down because she had multiple organ failure and I didn't want her to suffer, but I still feel like a murderer.  I was going to bury little bit by her grave in our back yard, but instead I put him under some mulch around a tree I park near at Moraine Park in Fond du Lac.  

Circle of life and all.

So for therapy I went out today and bought a bunch of yarn on sale at Stuff Mart.  I got enough of the Plush that I had already bought to make myself a sweater because a) I love the color and texture and b) I need some clothes for church.  

So I cast on Fashionista Cardigan from Knit 'n Style, August 2007.  It's a pretty simple cardigan, which I need right now.  Something that doesn't require a lot of concentration.  The back is pretty standard, but the front is somewhat circular with a garter stitch button band and only one button, meeting in the middle.

I'm making it a size smaller than I wear because I have to get this weight off.  I'm going to go on a protein heavy diet, probably South Beach, because I've had to watch my blood sugar these past couple of weeks for the doctor and my sugar was excellent the day I ate that way.  Other days, it was okay but not great.

I also need to live a long time because that will be my revenge for some of the crap I've had to put up with in my life.  I plan on outliving those who are making me miserable.

I'm going to finish up the neck on Zach's sweater tonight and start the sleeves tomorrow.  It's getting cool enough he needs them.  I also have to put plastic on the windows this weekend and get the winter stuff out of the bins in the basement and air them out.  It's finally fall here with winter right around the corner.

One of my purchases today was some Lion Brand Homespun for a prayer shawl since I've stolen the red Plush to make a sweater.  This is a chocolate brown with some color variations that will go well for anyone.  I'm thinking of making a lapghan instead this time for one of the older gentlemen in our parish.  Not sure yet.  It does seem to be screaming shawl though.

Another purchase was a couple of skeins of Caron Simply Soft Tweed in a purple.  That might be for Christmas.  Don't know for sure.  I think there's enough for a hat and mitts.  Or a scarf and mitts.  I'm sure it will let me know soon since Christmas is around the corner (and no one has drawn names in Tom's side of the family yet.)

I'm way behind on email so I apologize ahead of time to those I owe email to.  This schedule is grueling in many ways.  I'm having to pick up the slack on some of Zach's chores because he doesn't have time for all of them anymore and all of my own work as well.  He's doing what he can and has never given me any grief in that department.  He has Monday afternoon off but he has some errands to run and that's the only time he has for that so there is no time for him to rake the yard because he works all weekend.

So I have to do it. And it has to get done so...there you are.

Just think of all the exercise I'll get done.

Monday, we're also getting a couple of mice from the pet store (and this is a pet store that doesn't deal with breeders...what they sell is mostly rescues so I like to shop there...plus they called today to see how the bitty one was and commiserated with me when I told them he was gone.)  I find that I really need to have a pair right now to help get over this really stupid heartache.  I got the old aquarium out of the basement from when we had the anoles...complete with wire top...and cleaned it up.  I bought some of the stuff but Zach is going to get the mice and the bedding with his first pay check.  He wouldn't let me buy it all.

And lest anyone think I have forgotten the Professor...he's been super cuddly the past two days. It's so odd how they know.  A few weeks ago he got into the trash and got a chicken bone.  I got it from him (over protest) and scolded him (mostly out of fear for his safety.)  Tonight, Hannibal knocked a chicken bone off the counter to him and when I walked into my bedroom, Professor was standing there with this thigh bone in his mouth looking very guilty.  When I asked him what he had, he dropped it immediately and hung his head.

I laughed.  And I really needed that laugh.  I took it from him and gave him a treat instead so he was happy.

Well, I'm off to bed and knit some more and watch Sanctuary and Ghost Whisperer, which I taped earlier.

And finish up Wire in the Blood, season 3.

And maybe read a bit.

And...oh, yeah...most likely sleep.

Another mouse

Apparently Tom just threw the baby mouse out into the yard because Professor found it and brought it to me.  This was a few hours later and it was still wriggling around a bit.  I agonized over what to do and ended up bringing it into the house and warming it up.  I figured this little guy lasted over 3 hours in the grass after a fall of who knows how high and was still kicking.  I wasn't going to let him just slowly die a painful death of starvation and hypothermia.  If he was going to die, he was going to die warm.

Initially I gave him some milk from an eye dropper and he took in one gulp and wouldn't try any more.  Then I opened up a can of sweetened condensed milk that had expired and gave him a bit of that undiluted.  He took a bit more of that and so we stuck with that until after Zach's class.  I bought some powdered baby formula and he's been drinking that with gusto.  Still having difficulty getting it into his mouth instead of his nose though because he keeps moving his head all over the place.

We keep him warm with a hot water bottle and kept him in a box in my armoir so the cat didn't get him last night.  Today I bought him a little carrier (so much for frugality, eh?)

Oh...and guess who got up every few hours last night to feed him?

By this morning his color was much better and he's so much stronger.

When we came home last night with this baby mouse in a bucket, Tom told me to take him back to the wood pile and let him die there.  I said I wasn't going to let him die and Tom responded with, "Well, why not???"  I told him I just wasn't going to let it die and he didn't speak to me the rest of the night.

Sheesh.

So...here's the big guy.  I don't know how old he is but his eyes and ears are still closed over and he has no fur.  But he started squeaking last night and it was so cute.

I think he might make it.

On the knitting front, I bought some Red Heart Plush that was on sale at Stuff Mart to knit another prayer shawl.  It's very soft but I don't know how well it would hold up.  Still, it's bright red and that should cheer up anyone's heart.

I'm turning the heel on the bumble bee socks but I still haven't finished the collar on Zach's sweater.  I don't like to take that with me because knitting black under a street light isn't very good.  I know the socks are black but I could do those in my sleep.

Another bonus is we don't have to go in until 6 tonight for Zach's class so I'm going to take a well-deserved nap.

Tomorrow is Zach's birthday but I can't tell you what I bought him because he's been known to read this blog so he'll just have to wait until tomorrow.

TTFN

Why are there only 24 hours in a day?

I meant to post yesterday but couldn't come up with a single thing to talk about.

I managed to finish the prayer shawl late last night.  I breath a sigh of relief that I have finished something.  It goes in the wash and then in a bag to keep as much of the animal hair off of it as possible.  I also finished the front of Zach's sweater.  I don't like the neckline because I think it's too big, but I hope the ribbing will take care of that.

I'm going to print out Jared's neckwarmer and knit up my handspun dorset.  That will feel so good this winter.  I would love a cowl and might look at that instead, but I don't have enough of the dorset for that.  I do have enough of the Cascade 220 though.  I definitely want wool.  Acrylic just wouldn't be warm enough.  I also have problems keeping hats on.  They slide off my head for some reason.  I've looked at my head bald and it doesn't look pointed to me so I don't know why it does that.

I'm drooling thinking of starting that kit I got from Joan.  But not today.  I need to wind the yarn into a skein first.  I use medicine bottles and do it by hand.  Slow going but it usually looks pretty good.

Professor brought in a mouse today after his morning run with Tom.  I guess he got lonely for the other one.  This one was a baby so Tom put it back outside.  Last night I took him for a walk and we went past a house that has tons of Halloween decorations out.  One set of decorations had spooky organ music and some life-sized figures moving about.  He stopped, cocked his head and looked so confused and then started barking at it.  I laughed out loud and then chuckled all the way home.  He just couldn't figure it out.

Another very full week coming up.  I started supper for tonight while I was fixing last night's supper.  I don't know what I'm going to do for Wednesday.  Zach has that funeral to acolyte but I should have time to throw something together.  Once I have the meat fixed, it's a bit easier. Coming up with ideas...not so much.  I've not been eating meat lately.  I will when I crave it but as long as I'm not, I'm not going to.  Anything to get my cholesterol down.  The dr wants it down by 50% by two weeks.  I think she's dreaming but I'll give it a go.  If I can get it down, she'll prescribe a cheaper medicine.  Otherwise...I'm back to spending $30 a month.  I've got samples I'm taking now.

Well, off to hang out the first of three loads of clothes today as it is supposed to rain tomorrow and I'm not home much on Thursday.

TTFN

More Sunday blatherings.

I didn't get as much done yesterday as I had hoped.  I'm looking right now at the dirty kitchen floor thinking that it will keep until tomorrow, but supper and the dishes, of course, won't.  The yard needs mowing and Zach usually does that but with his schedule, finding the time is harder for him. He has assignments in addition to his school, so it's not like his actual class time is the totality of his school time.  And this week he's been asked to serve as acolyte for a funeral so he has no time this week to mow.

I just can't do it today.  I'm so stinkin' tired I can barely move and if I don't at least take it easy today, I'll be worthless all next week.  But I don't get the day off.  I have some rugs to hang out, supper to cook, dishes to do, and hopefully time for knitting later.  

I've been doing research online trying to find even more frugal ways to live.  I'm not really seeing anything new out there except I can use all kinds of coupons to get name brand discounts which don't cost as much as the store brand that doesn't have a discount.  Wait...that's not new.  I had to go back to the store today because I didn't realize we were almost out of eggs and we were also low on potatoes so I got those.  And a few fresh veg so I could make some vegetable soup for my suppers this week.

It all adds up though.

Church was excellent, as usual.  My Secret Sister gave me a coffee cup and soup bowl in bright colors: green and yellow and pink.  Flowers, which normally I'm not too fond of, but this isn't very girly at all.  I feel so at home there.  

I'm getting closer to finishing the stole.  During the peace today I went over to hug the woman who will be receiving it.  She broke her hip last summer and hasn't been as active as she used to be although I wish I could be as active as she still is.  It's just something I wanted her to have to cuddle up in this winter, especially as she had to have her dog put down last spring.  It will be the first winter without him.

I should learn from her that adversity doesn't mean you have to throw a pity party.  

Off to knit before taking Zach to work.

TTFN

I won!

Joan had a contest a few weeks ago and yours truly was one of the winners.  What did I win?  A kit to knit a Heather Undulating Waves Scarf.

The beads are Swallow Hill Creations, color Black Diamond.

The yarn is Schaefer Yarn, Heather.  It is 55% Merino Wool Superwash, 30% Silk, 15% nylon.

Forgive the blurry pictures, but the color is pretty true.

I think I'm going to have to adore it for a few weeks and pet it for another few before I can finally bring myself to cast on.  I've never knit with beads before but this looks like a good project for a beginner.

If you can spare a few prayers or good thoughts for Joan, I'm sure she'd appreciate them. Chemo is dragging her down.  Yet she does so much.  She is truly an inspiration.

I didn't get any knitting done last night because Zach and I moved both desks.  The monster desk was so heavy.  We managed to slide it out the front door and leave it in the yard for the thrift store guys to pick it up this morning.  The roll top divides into two pieces but the upstairs is a converted attic so the stairs are narrow and curvy and it was so hard to get the bottom piece down.  I had to take the door off the hinges and Zach and I were drenched with sweat before we got done.  

I was going to wait until today to put everything back together, but I'm really fussy about things like that and have to have a clean house in order to sleep.  So it was about 2 a.m. before I was done enough to call it quits.  And I had to get up at 9 a.m. for the thrift store guys.  It actually took me until nearly 4 before I could sleep.  I had to unwind.

I found a few crochet patterns for baby blankets from crochet pattern central that Jan recommended.  I've got a lot of baby sport weight that I need to use up and I haven't crocheted a lot lately.

Not that I don't have a lot on my plate right now.  I had to wash out Zach's shirt for work tomorrow because he only gets two and he works on the grill so they need to be washed out every day.  I know that he needs to learn these things for himself and he will.  He's asked me if he can start taking over some of the laundry.

Sigh.  I know it's ridiculous but I like doing laundry and don't like anyone else doing it.  But I also know that he needs to do these things for himself so I just have to bite the bullet for a few years and let him take over.

But timewise he didn't have time to wash his shirt out and I had some other hand washing to do so I did it this time.

I was hoping to take some time off today and relax, but the kitchen is a mess and needs some deep cleaning and the bathroom needs to be scrubbed tomorrow.  Zach generally takes care of the weekly cleaning of the bathroom but once in a while it just has to be scrubbed.  

But Tuesday morning I'm sleeping in.  I swear it.

On the plus side, my blood sugar levels are coming down because I've been more active.  I'm still not dieting and my relationship with food is ever so much better.  It took a lot to get past the panic that if I just ate without measuring or counting calories, I would gain weight.  Well, I've lost 2 pounds this week.  

I no longer think about food 24/7 and I don't eat between meals much at all.  Only when I'm hungry and even then, sometimes I just don't think about it enough to bother.  It feels like I've been freed from bondage.  It really does.  Quitting smoking felt like this, too.  Once I got past the cravings, it felt so great to be able to plan my day without thinking about when and where I could smoke.  Or waking up in the morning hacking my lungs out and then grabbing a cigarette.

I'll try to get more pictures in on a more regular basis.  I do want to show you the rolltop computer desk.  It was designed for a 386, way back in the olden days and the monitor, of course, is too big to sit back into it so you can't roll the cover down.  And the tower is on top instead of on its side under the monitor, but it still looks so much better than that monstrosity we used to have.  And it takes up 1/3 less room.

I'm off to fix something for lunch because I'm hungry.  I'm fixing pizza tonight.  Vegetarian for me.  And cooked from scratch.  The guys swear my pizzas are better than take out.

TTFN

I have a few minutes here...

I'm taking a short break from being frugal since I wasn't before.  Yes, I'm still a bit bitter about that comment.  I now fix supper in the morning three days a week so I've got supper to take with us.  I do dishes when I come home at night instead of using the dishwasher.  I'm hanging clothes...outside if the weather is nice...inside on racks if it isn't (I was already doing this.)  And of course, sitting in the car waiting for Zach instead of driving home and coming back to get him (again...already doing this.)

Last night when I got in at 11 p.m. (after leaving the house at 11 a.m) there was a package waiting on the table for me.  I'll let you know more about it tomorrow because it won't do to describe it.  It needs pictures!

Also waiting for me was a dirty kitchen but I was too tired to do anything beyond putting things in the dishwasher to hide until today.

So today I swung by the thrift store to ask if they could pick up this monstrous desk and they said, why yes they could...for five dollars.  I considered just loading it up on the truck but I knew that it would stay there for weeks at a time so I was decidedly unfrugal and said that was fine. They'll be here tomorrow so I've been emptying out the drawers (and throwing a ton of stuff away...sneaking it out to the bin before anyone *coughTomcough* sees what I've thrown out.)

We've been invaded by Japanese beetles and stinkbugs.  What joy.  Earlier I felt something on my neck and absent-mindedly picked it off and boy howdy! what a smell.  Japanese beetles are like the skunks of the insect world.  When I came home from shopping today, the south side of the house was speckled with the stink bugs.  I gave them a wide berth and waded through a swarm of the Japanese beetles to get in the house.  And I brought them with me.  All of them. They prefer the view from the front door so I've been sweeping them back outside every now and then.  Both pets cringe from them so I'm guessing they've had a taste already.

I plan on spinning tonight while watching Ghost Whisperer and Sanctuary, then switching to knitting while I watch the rest of my Buffy dvd.  I've got Wire in the Blood, season 3 to watch tomorrow and Saturday, although I have it for two weeks.  And I found a great book by Patrick Taylor called An Irish Country Doctor.  It feels a lot like Ballykissangel and is a great read. There is another book by him at the library that I think is a sequel.

And I broke down and got Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on cd again so I can finish it.  And then Order of the Phoenix.  I have missed knitting while waiting for Zach.  Video games get old after a while.  I'd like to finish the prayer shawl...aka Invisibility Shawl in worsted weight...next week.  The nights are getting cooler and it would be nice to give it to the lady to curl up in.

And I must finish Zach's sweater.  I don't know why I'm resisting the neck on this.  It's not the least bit hard.  And after that are the sleeves, which I love doing.  Why aren't I motivated?  I think I'm done with socks for a while.  I'd love to knit my dad a pair before Christmas though. I'll have to wait and see how my frugality is working out.  I brought my grocery bill down by about $50 this week, but we'll see if that is a trend or a fluke.

I noticed at Stuff Mart today they have revamped their yarn section and are getting rid of some Red Heart stuff, stocking up on sport-weight baby yarns and Vanna's Choice.  I petted it for a while and then reluctantly went about my business.  I liked the colors, too.  And they seem to have Caron Simply Soft stocked up again.  For a while it didn't look like they were going to keep it.

So I might not finish the sweater coat because they don't seem to have that color anymore.  I never buy enough of Red Heart at a time because I can always get it and don't have to worry about the dye lot.  Maybe this is a sign that I don't really want to make it.

Well, my time is up and I have to get back to work and finish up the kitchen and then when Tom gets up go upstairs and empty out the rolltop so I can bring it down after he leaves.  I'm going to put the monster desk outside tonight because it's not supposed to rain and because I don't know when the thrift store guys will be here tomorrow.  I don't want to manuever that out the door at 9 a.m.  I'm getting Zach to help me though.  I don't plan on doing this all by myself.

I hope to have those pictures tomorrow.  I'm so excited about what was in that package and can't wait to share it.

TTFN