Yarn and more yarn

My WEBS order arrived and I've been sorting and bagging with the patterns.  Every year, I wait for their anniversary sale so I can stock up on Plymouth Encore.  It's a good yarn for little people and busy mommies who throw everything in the washer.

I also got some Berroco Vintage to make my son a new hat and scarf.  I haven't used it before, but the reviews sounded good. He picked the color, a nice medium gray that will be good TV knitting.  When the yarn arrived, the Berroco had a strong chemical odor.  I gave a couple of skeins a bath in Soak and aired them outside, which seemed to do the trick.  Might have been the dye.

We went to Phoenix over the weekend and had a great time with Nicole and Patrick.  We celebrated our 33rd anniversary in style with good food and a trip to the Musical Instrument Museum in Scottsdale, AZ.  We were there for 4 hours and could have spent many more.  I didn't even finish the exhibits. 

Not much new on the employment front.  I've filed with a state for a new geriatric care business, to hopefully pick up a part time contract.  Since we will be headed to Iowa in a couple of weeks to visit those cute grandsons, I'm mostly wrapping up loose ends and puttering around the house. 

Hope your week is a good one.

Eating Chocolate

Well, I found out today that my job offer from a month ago was rescinded.  I had a couple of days of being excited about the new opportunity, a decent salary and benefits before they decided my degree might not be appropriate to the position and put me on hold for a month.  It sucks and I'm eating the pity chocolate my husband got me.

We closed our care management business 3/31 so I currently have no income, nor any immediate prospects for income. I still have the nonprofit consulting business structure but have never made much money at it.  May be time to spend more time promoting that.  I'm also creating my own sequester, and making another round of budget cuts on our household budget.  Good thing I made that last order at the WEBS sale for sweater yarn for the grandsons, cause I'm on a yarn diet the rest of the year.  Time to thin out the stash :-)

Anyone have experience selling on Ebay?  Thinking this is a good time to sell some of the crap I've collected over the years.  I keep reading the minimalist blogs and it sounds great, but I'm a pack rat, from a long line of pack rats. 

Lots to think about...

Limbo

Just a quick update.  Some of you may have read a post I put up briefly last week saying I have a new job.  Unfortunately, there may be a glitch, so I'm sitting in limbo.  Time to finish my taxes and clean house.  Oh yes, and knit so I don't tear my hair out!

Windows Wide Open

It's a beautiful day today, full of sunshine and the feel of spring.  I opened up all the windows to let the house air out and started cleaning.  We are almost done with refinancing our house to lower the payment but still have the appraisal to do.  Thanks to all the scandals in home loans, the appraisal process actually involves going through the house and looking at the upkeep.  Since July, I've taken care of most of the major fixes, although lots of small nagging ones remain.  Neither Guitar Guy or I are very handy when it comes to household repairs, so they have a tendency to pile up. 

This weekend I'm trying to get the house show ready for the appraisal and realized pretty quickly that I'd better be shooting for good enough.  With the windows wide open I see the dirt on the glass, the dusty window sills, the cat hair clinging to my kitchen cupboards and the bugs in the light fixtures.  In the bright light of a sunny Saturday, I can see it all!  Since I don't know what day the appraisers will show up, I'll just keep plugging along, doing the best I can. 

My break is over, so back to the dust bunnies!

Thawing out in Sunny Arizona

I know I'm being a whiner, but it has been cold for Arizona the last 4 days.  I have been wrapping up in a blanket, wearing my wool socks every day and doing dishes to warm up my hands.  I've already put a pair of fingerless mitts on my knitting list for future cold snaps.  Today, we are back to beautiful weather in the high 60's and life is good. 

This coming weekend is the Havasu Balloon Festival http://www.havasuballoonfest.com/  In its third year, the festival continues to grow and attracts 30,000-50,000 people.  We all get to enjoy the site of balloons drifting across the sky.  Last year I worked a booth and was able to watch them inflate the balloons and take off.  Put it on your calendar for next January and stop by for a visit!

I'm not sure where the first half of January went.  Spending the first week of the month with a heavy cold didn't help my productivity.  I still don't know what 2013 is going to bring for my work life, but am allowing this to be a fallow period (as Roxie so wisely shared) and let life unfold. 

Today I will finish putting the Christmas stuff in the garage and wrap up some year end paperwork.  There may be some knitting and NCIS in there as well.  Tomorrow is termite treatment day.  Whoopee!

The Gift Revisited

Home again, after our Christmas visit with a little gift from the boys.  My head is clogged, throat scratchy and I can't stop sneezing.  Grandchildren have the best germs!

Guitar Guy has a gig tonight for New Year's Eve and I'm staying home to drink tea and knit.  I started laying out my project list for 2013 and think I already have too many!  I ordered the Downton Abbey yarn from Jimmy Beans Wool to do the Mystery KAL.  I've never done of those before and am looking forward to it.

Yarn is on its way for a Water and Stone sweater for Nicole and another sweater for Rowan.  I think I might try a Baby Surprise Jacket for Ash and have several sock patterns planned.  A baby blanket for March and a Spiderman cap also made the cut.

I've got to finish Ash's birth record cross stitch and think about starting a stocking for him.  Don't know whether I'll get that done before next Christmas or not but I'll give it a try.

Hoping 2013 brings love, laughter, good health and prosperity to your house. Happy New Year one and all.

The Gift that Keeps Giving

It started Monday night when my d-i-l announced she didn't feel well.  Norovirus had struck the house!  Over the last few days, one by one, we have fallen victim.  Instead of feasting we are gingerly nibbling crackers and taking lots of naps (in between loads of laundry).

My poor Rowan has never had a stomach virus and was horrified.  We struggled through opening presents on Christmas day before falling back in to bed.  My son became chief cook and nursemaid, while his wife went back to work at the hospital.  Last night he succumbed too, so the grandsons are at daycare today.  Guitar Guy and I are feeling much better today and looking forward to our daughter's arrival tonight.  Hopefully she will avoid the bug and we can enjoy the rest of the week.

It hasn't been all bad, as we've had some time to play with our grandsons (and do some snuggling)

 Sir Rowan prepares to defend us (with his fierce face)

 Pop and Rowan play pirate vs. knight

 Pop overacts the death scene before falling on the floor

Baby Ash sits in his Bumbo chair for the first time.  Very proud to be sitting up like the big people.

Hope your family has a wonderful holiday and is staying healthier than ours!