Christmas in July by the book

Our public library has a summer reading program of course, but in addition to encouraging the kids to read more through the summer they also encourage the adults with recording booklets and prizes.  With this motivation and to further encourage my pair, I signed up for

Scanning the new book shelves near the end of June, I noticed several novels and mysteries with Christmas, holiday, or New Years in the title and thought, "hummmm, how about reading Christmas in July?"  Part of my method was to trick my mind into thinking the coming heat wouldn't be as noticed.  My first titles were New Year's Quilt and

As we get ready for holiday, I've picked up several titles to take for reading at the lake.
The Christmas Bargain, The Christmas Clock, and A Christmas Journey.

Well this too got lost into the wonders of summer activities.  I loved reading Christmas stories through July, and I think it partially kept my mind cooler in the heat of the summer.

Sucked into facebook...

and I lost so many hours looking up family, finding friends, and making comments to all of thee above.  Wow, Facebook is a TOTAL time suck.  So here's a very brief update of the news and happenings.

April -
Spring break brought a visit of my parents.  We had fair weather but a wonderful time, including a drive around town with Grammy, a four generation photo op, and opening day for the TinCaps.




I'm not a baseball fan, but I love going to minor league games.  The ball parks are smaller, the fans are great, and the players really are there for the love of the game.  Despite the rain that started during the 5th inning, we were prepared with rain gear & umbrellas, the TinCaps won and we enjoyed the post-game fireworks.  The fireworks were amazing, partially because they were shot off from the outfield.  I've never been so close to the action before.

April also brought rain, showers, more rain, and lots of tornado warnings.  Drove home one night from Wabash with Grammy in a torrential storm, which left me soaked after dropping her at home.  The next morning I saw damage to a billboard and silos at one farm on Rt. 13 which lead me to wonder if I should have even been on the road the night before.  Since I didn't hear an sirens, it wasn't that bad, but....

The kids started spring soccer on their own teams, but they were each on the red team.  Several weeks games were on adjacent fields which meant Mom & Dad got to hang in between fields and watch both.  The both learned many new skills and had lots of fun.

May:
Should have brought the end of school, but with so many snow days (ice days, fog days... you get the idea), we had to make up 9 days of school.  For my pair this wasn't a big deal since they always went to school into June, but there were many families who had vacation plans or college visit plans which were either changed or more missed school days for the kids.

We also so more rain and further delays for planting the fields around town.

June:
Finally the end of school for the kids.  The start of summer brought soccer camp, tennis camp, and basketball camp for the kids.  Using high school talent, lots of kids here in town had fun learning fundamentals and gave parents a couple of hours a day with them running off all that energy.

MM spent a week at Bear Lake Camp, her first year at sleep away camp.  After a big hug at the end of the week, I was greeted with "I can't wait to come back next summer!!"  LB gets to enjoy his week later in July.




Knitting continues as does unpacking, cleaning, and baking.  With summer months bring families for reunions, weddings, and holidays so things at the inn are picking up.  Soon we also head out for our holiday with Robert's family and I can't wait for some one to cook and clean for me.

Happy Birthday

to the biggest change in history....

Irish Eyes are Smiling

Cancer sucks

I know I've been AWOL, but there is just too much happening here and the biggest bitch I can't post about at this time.  I'm still alive, not in jail, and I'm not sick either.  I am still reading all those blogs that keep me laughing so I don't run screaming from my world.

On that note, Carol posted about a raffle that XRX is holding to raise money for one of their own.  Yes the afghan is gorgeous but supporting someone facing treatments far from home is more important for each of us to do. Even though funds are tight for many of us, think about what it would be like for you to face these issues and need help of those you love and those you don't even know.  Now go order your raffle ticket.

Hearts for all

Putting up....

With one child away MLK weekend, I had time to put my first round of bbq sauce.  This is the first time I water bath canned a batch.  One stock pot of sauce resulted in 11 pints ready for the lower pantry shelves.

Next up - jam or marmalade!!!  I have the ingredients for both and just need an afternoon to put it all together and that may come yet this week.

With help from a class at the library, I've started my first sock, twice.... This is just the class sock but some how in less than three inches I managed to add two stitches so a happy ripping we did go.  Start no. 2 and so far all goes well.  I succeeded in creating the heel flap but I was not understanding from the pattern directions or the videos online how to created the heel turn so back to class.  Today with help, I got it!!!!
Now I'll finish the class sock and try the kitchner stitch to close the toe.  If it too causes problems, Wednesday a group of knitters gathers at Zook's and I will join them.


My first up for a pair of socks will come from a skein of Black Bunny Fibers, South Street.  I picked up this skein last year when Carol was doing a book signing at Loop.  Now in Indiana, South Street is a fun remembrance of my time working on Lombard, one block north of South Street.  This will be a simple sock so the colors show to maximum beauty.


As we are all settled in here, Ms. Tina has begun updating her followers on the trauma of relocating and her new location.  She can't have her entourage neglected.  Her major complaint with the move is that her humans get to move about the full house, but she is only given reign over the family bedrooms and sitting room.

Christmas week recap

Our first Christmas in our new house was a family affair.   But how to spend 12 days with the kids and DH in our new town...?  A break in his schedule brought DH home the weekend before Christmas and kept him here until the 10th.  Wow, he has been around for a long time.

We put up the Christmas tree.  Talk about massive levels of frustration when strand after strand didn't glow.   Thanks to those  strands of lights that just wouldn't light full or at all, one tree was only happening. With the help of LB & MM, the tree was up and decorated.  We turned on the new base for tree rotation, and after a couple of hours rotation the lights started going out.  Since the base for my tree broke, we had to get a new and one that rotates would be a bonus.  With added patience of DH (no I'm not inventing this), we found that the lights turned out for half the rotation.  The base is going back to Brylan after Christmas is put away.  The replacement better work or I will totally loose it.

For the first time most of the Christmas village came out of the boxes.  These two sets are in the main living room and dining room.  With 4 different firehouses, we put one in each guest room to serve as a holiday night-light.  I also put other pieces in the breakfast nook, front entry, and guest sitting room.  

I'm already planning some changes to my displays for next year.  Part of the changes I'm sure will involve more "staged" settings, and other trees in the house.  Heck we have more then enough ornaments to decorate trees through out the house.

Thanks to the Eagles Theater & Honeywell Center, we had four days on movies to enjoy.  The kids we really up for seeing The Polar Express and Home Alone.  I wanted to see the original Miracle on 34th Street and A Christmas Carol (Alistair Sims as Scrooge) on the big screen.  With free popcorn at each showing, we had lots of fun with movies & popcorn all week.  

Along with the movies, DH and the kids spent time at the Y playing basketball, tennis, and hitting the pool during my therapy sessions.  We were so thankful for this high activity time to pull off some of the excess energy that only consecutive days home bring on. 

New Year's Eve brought a return guest from the Thanksgiving holiday.  With an early New Year's celebration with his parents done about 10:30, he enjoyed ringing in the New Year with DH, LB, & MM.  I didn't make it this year.  I was so wiped that by 11:15 I was in bed and snoozed through the end of the year.   

2011 continues our year of firsts here in North Manchester, what a lot to look forward to.

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas...

I gave myself this...

It's a set of Thangles and the fabric for the first block in the Buck A Block club from my LQS!  I joined this project since I have the time.  With all our changes and my 45 second commute, I think starting a quilt top is possible.  Those who know me may wonder at the purple.  The color theme is purple, green and off white, which will be perfect for one of our rooms.  So my first bed size quilt goes for a guest room instead of ours or for family but that's what timing does sometimes.

I don't do the whole New Year's Resolution thing.  After reading this post and with all the changes in our life, I decided it's time to look at where I am and define a purpose to what I'm doing. Part of defining my purpose is to focus on things, people, and what I do.  Our move has blatantly shown that we have too many things and keeping up with all of it takes too much time which directly impacts other things we want to do.  So beyond my new quilt project, my first project of purpose is a strategic purge of things for myself and the family.

Goodwill and Salvation Army thrift stores will be seeing frequent trips from me.  Of course I'm certain there will be many rounds of "but I really need/love this & that," so I'll keep you updated on where we end up.

Goodbye - Hello

   This is a great statement for tonight and tomorrow...Thank you Mr. Eliot.

For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.
~ T. S. Eliot ~


Blessings to you and yours for a Happy New Year.

Shake, Rattle, & Roll

Weather in Indiana is never predicable.  For the kids first day of school in October, they were greeted with tornadoes.  We had snow before Thanksgiving.  Ice which closed school the last day of the 2010 school year.

Still not to be topped, this morning greeted us with an earthquake, http://www.indystar.com/article/20101230/LOCAL/101230007/4-2-magnitude-earthquake-hits-north-central-Indiana?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|IndyStar.com.  I was serving breakfast and there was a sound jolt and then a short shaking in the house.  Nothing fell, even in the china cabinet.  The kids slept through everything and LB didn't believe DH when we told him.  He had to confirm it with our guest and the internet.  Talk about a child of the 21st century.

This still won't encourage me to live on the West coast.   Our earthquakes won't have us floating off into the Pacific.  Besides I still don't like their other seasons - fire, drought, and mud slide.

Wonder what we'll enjoy from Mother Nature next year...

And the children were nestled

All snug in their beds, and after I finish the posting, the adults will too.  Why is this note worthy - because for the first time since our arrival in North Manchester, the entire family is sleeping in their own beds with the mattress that goes with each.  YEAH!!!!

Yes the unpacking continues and this weekend major progress was made with more of my sewing area settling in, DH is finding power cords for the ever growing collection of electronics, and the kids are just trying to hide and get out of helping.

Now it is time for me to enjoy a long quiet night with my pillow.....

And it continues

Today we've had another full day of light, spirit encouraging, snow.  Unlike Philadelphia, the plows were out early this afternoon starting the clearing and sanding.

We spent the day in wrapping packages, addressing envelopes, and watching holiday movies.  First round of packages are under the tree.  After the kids are in bed I'll continue the wrapping with packages for them.  I don't dare put those packages under the tree, LB would be too tempted to open packages either right away or when he thought no one was around.

Now the kids are THRILLED because the school district just called letting us know that we have a 2 hour delayed opening.  Neither has said so yet, I'm sure they are each going around with fingers crossed that school will be closed tomorrow.  I however would prefer they get their little tushes on the bus at 9:30 tomorrow morning.  A few errands remain to finish my shopping, while waiting for online orders to show on the porch, which don't need any help.  I also have a big round of sewing to start for the family.  They would be too curious about what I was working on and they would just be in the way as I work.

So as I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord the streets to clean......

Let it snow...

Our place in the snow

"Indiana is so much cooler then Philly...this is a second day of snow and it's not winter yet," states the MM.  Then she HAD to call her bff to make it known.  It's cold, snowing, and we are decorating for Christmas.  Just a perfect way to call in the holiday.





Saturday we headed to the Honeywell Center for Toyland - an afternoon of crafts, snacks, and picture with Santa.  The Honeywell Center is fully decorated so we took advantage and found several spots to take out holiday photos.  These are the ones that didn't make it for the Christmas card, so great having multiple shots to work with this year.



Sunday was the holiday concert by the Manchester Symphony Orchestra.  We missed the first half of the production due to a late check out and early arrival of this weeks guests.  With a whirlwind round of cleaning with participation from everyone, we arrived at intermission and enjoyed the MSO with the chorus from Manchester College performing the Messiah.  James fell asleep during the show, but he NEEDED the nap.  The rest of us enjoyed the music and were impressed by the vocal quality of many of the soloists.

After the concert, we headed to the local Mexican restaurant for DH's birthday dinner a day early but better then on a school night. The evening ended with a lovely meal.   I love their idea of the full celebration for a birthday - whipped cream on the face while wearing a sombrero.  Well it was a weekend full of holiday activity which was enjoyed by all.

Booking through ...

It’s Thanksgiving here in the U.S. of A. so …
What authors and books are you most thankful for?

It's been along time since I've participated, I do love so many books but those I'm most thankful for are those that capture the imaginations of my kids.  Currently those are Percy Jackson and the Olympians are taking MM into the adventures of Ancient Greek mythology and anything else related to Ancient Greece.   For this adventure and the joy of watching a child curled up reading any book, I am thankful.

Blessings for all our gifts

For all the blessings which we received, our lives are enriched.  We are thankful for each friend who has touched our lives and pray those touches continue for years to come.

May your table be filled with family, friends, and good food.

Setting up shop

or home as the case may be....

This piece has graced a wall in my house for years,  but now it truly has found a place in our new family room.  The piece was done by Kathy and I was so happy finding it fit the space so perfectly both in colors and size.  This is also a room guests use, so I hope this continues to bring warmth to all those who come into our home.


Last week I found a box on the front porch which was not expected.  Being in a small town has increased my online ordering for supplies and other things, but this box wasn't from any of my orders.  I opened it to find Lisa sent a beautiful housewarming gift.  Lydia is a wonderful addition to my teapot collection.  This is a shape is one not previously part of my collection.  In addition to the pot are two pouches of tea, Holiday Spice Black Tea and Indian Spiced Chai.  These will be enjoyed during our cold winter nights.

Leaving friends and family behind on the east coast has been hard, but finding a place for each has been wonderful.  One thing we didn't have to leave behind is our Tina.  She didn't come with us on the first trip, but DH did bring her out when he made a special trip out with my best china and glassware about 2 weeks ago.  The kids are especially happy that she's come but I think Ms. Tina and I will return to our quality time while everyone is out of the house.  To welcome her home, we did pick up a new cozy bed for her which she's enjoying.

Blessings to those protecting us

I am so thankful my kids had school today.  Their classes put Veteran's Day into the mix of standard lessons and showing that their time in school is their service to those who protect their ways of life.

As friends serve overseas, I am proud and grateful to all of those who put their dedication to this country above service to self. My prayers for your safe return to family and friends.

Haunting Halloween

Our Mario and MM Kitty enjoyed many Halloween activities this year.  Manchester College held an early Halloween event with crafts, games, and trick or treating. MM went for the evening and had a blast until the last floor of the haunted hall.  That scared her into hysterics and took alot of calming from both Nana on the way home and Mom at home.

Saturday was trick or treating for kids in town.  LB in his full Mario and I went around part of the neighborhood and found fun houses with decorations from simple to very extravagant.  He even survived at stop at the house of Medusa.

MM kitty stayed on the porch with Nana and enjoyed handing out candy to the wide variety of costumed kids that came.  This included many princesses, fairies, a grim riper, and assorted little bees, butterflies, and

Back Home in Indiana

After an uneventful drive, the family is settling into life here in North Manchester.  Sunday was spent unpacking the kitchen and getting clothes sorted so the kids could be registered for school on Monday.

Starting school on Tuesday was a fun send off as the bus stop is just outside our back door.  The bus drivers talked and sorted out one route so both kids are picked up by the same bus.  Gotta love small town features.

If you saw the news reports, Tuesday was not a typical day for the kids.  About 10am we heard a siren for the tornado warning but didn't really think much of it.  We did get nailed with a lot of wind and rain.  In fact the trailer, we brought the first round of boxes and furniture out in, was blown off the parking pad and into the street.  It wasn't in traffic so we waited to move it back. Near 11:30 the siren sounded again as the storm settled down.Mom and DH headed into Wabash to run some errands and found out the Walmart lost part of the roof, power was out for many in the area.

MM and LB had a bigger impression of the storm.  At separate schools their respective classes were sent into the safety shelters during the tornado alert.  For each class their bathrooms were the safety shelters so MM was entertained that the boys were uncomfortable and LB that the  girls in his class were uncomfortable.  For them this was just the adventure to start their times at their new school.

I'm sure we will each have more adventures as we begin life in our small town America....