daughters

Posted by ann

D#1 arrived home on Saturday for a surprise visit! She hatched this plan with her sister. The Boar and I were chatting with his mother (who was also In The Know) at the kitchen table early yesterday afternoon, when in strolled D#1. What a great surprise to see her and it is a real treat to have her home for a few days. She is officially done working for the college at the beginning of August and will be home for 2 weeks before her fall semester starts.

I am constantly startled at the mature young adult she has become. This is more surprising to me than the first tooth, step etc. I suppose because it changes my role – I have gone from Mother/Enforcer to Mother/Adviser and it seems to be an overnight ~~demotion~~ transition. As I have said, it is startling and bittersweet, but also wonderful. I am enjoying these teen aged/college years more than I ever expected.

Although, it is a very bad sign indeed that they are now successfully conspiring against me.

Posted by ann

Q. What is a knitter to do when the urge to knit lace is upon her?
Q. When she has the yarn, but not the pattern?
Q. When everything she thinks of is not good for one reason or another?

A. email Margene

how about a closer look?

I told her that I was searching for a lace pattern for one skein of Schaeffer Anne Handpainted Yarn . I bought it a few weeks ago when the Boar and I were cruising around Long Island and ended up in Greenport, home of Now and Zen Fiber Arts Gallery.

Well Margene is not only sock knitter extraordinaire, but also something of a lace maven. Within seconds, she had my answer – The Flower Basket Shawl!

Posted by ann

I am a palm pilot junkie. I have had one for many years and cannot be without it. I endure a fair amount of teasing because of it — I have everything in there – addresses, lists, calendars etc. Whenever anyone asks about it, I go on and on. I am in love with my pda!

In all of this time, it never occured to me to have a scheming schedule. I have always been more of a free spirit schemer – scheming whenever the mood struck ……

Aquarius:

When you obsess on your adversaries, you risk becoming like them. The more you shape your life through your responses to things you don’t like, you invite them to define your destiny. You’ll have to be on guard against falling prey to this mistake in the coming weeks, Aquarius. While I don’t suggest that you totally ignore the forces that oppose you, neither do I recommend that you regularly wake up in the middle of the night and spend hours plotting your next ten moves against them. Confine your scheming to a circumscribed period–say every Saturday between 11:30 a.m. and noon–and devote the rest of your time to creating what you love.

[horoscope via Free Will Astrology]

Posted by ann

Did you know that I am still doing Weight Watchers? That I have put a running tally on my sidebar? I haven’t pointed it out before because for the past three weeks I have been playing around with the same 1½ pounds. It’s very frustrating when that happens. Well, this week I have gotten past that! look to the right and you’ll see…….

Yes, I have now officially lost 19.6 pounds! and I swear that if I had used the bathroom once more before last night’s meeting ended, the other .4 would have come off.

For the past three weeks, I have sat in that meeting and listened to this one guy talk about a mantra that has worked for him. Let me just say that the word mantra makes me suspicious. It instantly puts me on edge – it seems all new age, touchy feely and I have a very deep vein of practicality. So when I first heard this guy talking about his mantra, I thought to myself what a moron. I think I may have even whispered the same to my girlfriend who is doing WW too.

Then the following week where I had gone up a bit and was sitting there all cranky & pissed, someone else spoke up about the mantra. About how the first guy inspired them and they tried the mantra and it worked. I had a brief thought of oh great now there’s two morons. But the proof is in the pudding (ha! gotta love a fat girl slinging food puns all around the place) and I gave it a try.

And then there were three morons. Sure enough at last night’s meeting I spoke up about the mantra.

I suppose I should tell you the mantra. Who among us doesn’t have a few pounds to lose?

Here it is ….. every day, a couple of times throughout the day I say out loud, I Am Going To Lose Two Pounds This Week!

I have very high hopes of making it to the twenty pound mark next week and would like to honor the occasion by having another contest! email me at purlingswine@yahoo.com and tell me your best mantra …..