Never Ending Yarn

Where does the time go??

2009-11-03T13:30:00.003-05:00

I believe that I've become one of those bloggers that has really good intentions of posting on a daily basis and having profound thoughts to share with the world. Instead I feel more like a hamster on a wheel running in circles doing the same things day and day. Of course these days there are more things in my life so there is even less time to get them all done. Something always has to slide and figuring out that balance will in all likelihood be a lifelong endeavor. So for now, I blog when I can.

This being a fiber blog I will start there... I am still knitting on occasion and spinning when I can. I have several projects on the needles at this time. Socks, a scarf that makes vertical stripes, a clapotis, a shrug... probably more just can't remember it all. I'm very good at starting new projects but run into trouble with my follow through. I used to always make time for my projects to the exclusion of all else. These days I am more likely to make time for myself, for my health and it's a better life.

I've made some progress in my weight loss as well. I am currently at 71 pounds down. I should say that I was at 71 and then I bought a new scale that weighs me heavier. I feel like I took a 4 pound step backwards but in all actuality I have still lost that 71 pounds. It's funny how a thing like that could have been a huge setback for me before, I would have probably returned the scale but now I'm okay. I'm proud of the progress that I've made and I feel good about the change that it is making in my life and in others. I never set out to be a role model but I keep hearing from people that have started to making changes to their life because of what I am doing. I really believe that if I can do this anyone can. Everything that I am doing is common sense... eat less, move more. No magic pill. I had to put in the work to see the results but it was worth it. For me it was a matter of desire. I finally wanted to change my life. I wanted to change my life so I could actually start living it.

So far my progress...

I haven't done a more recent photo in a while, I have lost another 20+ pounds since this was taken. I run into people that don't recognize me and it's a great feeling. Of course I also have people that don't say a word about my weight. Not sure what that is all about. I didn't do this for vanity sake so I'm okay if they don't notice. It's all good.

If you are reading this and you are interested in following my story a little closer or being about to interact with me about my weigh loss, I have a facebook group. It's called "Erica's weight loss journey" and it's open to the public. I feel like it's my duty to share my story with others and to hopefully help someone else be who they want to be. Thanks for your support and for taking the time to read my story. I will attempt (once again) to post more often but we all know how that goes!!

I'm still alive!!!

2009-07-23T12:36:00.002-04:00

It's been almost an entire year since I have updated my blog. Where does the time go? I'm still knitting and spinning but not near as much as I have in the past. I've been working very hard on finding a balance in my life. It took me a long time to realize that my life was very out of balance. My OCD tendencies tend to throw me full throttle into my latest and greatest project without concern for any other area of my life. Finding a better balance has meant pulling back from my creative endeavors and working on myself along with the mundane life tasks that I often ignored.

What does all that mean? It means that I have finally put myself at the top of my list. If you have followed my blog you know that I have never really taken good care of myself. I've tried in the past to lose weight and was successful for a period of time but could never keep a strong enough hold on it. I finally got to the point where I was fed up with myself and I took action.

I began back in February on the 9th. I weighed 252 pounds at that time... I'm only 5'4". First I eliminated all beverages other than water and milk. I started keeping track of all of my calories using a great free app on my iPhone called Lose It! It let me put in my starting weight and my goal weight and how many pounds a week I wanted to lose. It then gave me a daily calorie amount. It also let me enter in my activity and how many calories I burned.

For activity I started by using a workout DVD called Walk Away the Pounds. It's a walking based program that is challenging but not too difficult. I also used a pedometer and tried to add as many steps into my day as I could with 10,000 being my ultimate goal. Little by little I added other activities in like elliptical, tennis, walking outside, dance aerobic videos and more. I can clearly remember the day that I experienced my first endorphin rush from exercise... I was on the elliptical and it was at about 7 minutes. It was an amazing feeling!

My goal is to lose 100 pounds and then reevaluate. I haven't weighed 150 in quite some time so I don't even know what that will look like. In the 22 weeks that I have been working on this I have lost 50 pounds! I've gone from at size 24W to a size 16 and I have found myself feeling stronger and really sticking up for myself. It's been an amazing journey so far and I can't wait to keep moving forward!!

So, obviously today's post isn't really fiber related but it's a story that I wanted to share. I've gotten such great support from all of my friends and family, it's so appreciated. My goal is to post more often and to share this journey with all of you! Thanks for letting me share:-)

My ETSY Store is OPEN!

2008-08-13T13:14:00.002-04:00

Never Ending Designs is officially open for business!

As previously blogged I have become a fiber spinning fanatic! I'm spinning more than I could possibly knit and decided it was time to share my creativity with the world. I'm also using my store to destash some items that I don't have time to use anymore. I will be adding items on a regular basis... I've got about 20 skeins of yarn already spun and I spin practically on a daily basis.

I've added a mini store to my sidebar here so that you can quickly see what is new. I hope that you will take the time to visit and add me to your favorites so that you can come back often!

You spin me right round baby right round!

2008-07-02T22:10:00.003-04:00

I have rekindled a love affair with my Ashford Joy spinning wheel. I don't know what made me put it away but now that it's out, it's out forever! I have been super busy and have some beautiful yarn to prove it. I'm going to a knit & spin night at a local restaurant and it's so inspiring to see what everyone else is doing. Here are some photos of my handspun...

This was hand dyed by me (yay!) I seriously love it. I'm calling it "An Affair to Remember" and my DH is jealous! It was purchased at Marr Haven and was a 60ct Champagne colored merino.

This is merino and mohair. It was a batt and was a dream to spin. This also came from Marr Haven!

This is superwash merino that I got from Jenna. I believe she purchased it from an etsy store. It spun up very well but the ends were cut, like with scissors. Weird.

More merino that was very spin able. More fiber from Marr Haven.

Purchased this through Copperpot Woolies. I was envisioning something very different but I think this is good to. I call it "I Miss the 70's."

This is a small amount of baby alpaca that I mistakenly spun up in the wrong direction. I did a center pull ball and plied from that. I don't recommend it. I'm not entirely sure where this fiber came from. I ended up with two 8oz packages of it. One white and one this color.

This is also from Copperpot Woolies and I love it.

This is from Marr Haven. It was merino and silk and absolutely unbelievable to spin.

I've had this for quite some time. It's Blue Faced Leicester and there is just nothing like it. I basically learned to spin with this and I fell in love. I purchased this a couple of years ago at Friends of Wool.

This is also from Marr Haven. It's more merino! Equally loved.

This is only a part of what I've done. I will post more pics soon. I plan to dye some more roving and I've bought some Cascade 220 that is white in a worsted weight to do some other experimenting. If you don't spin... you should!

Geo caching

2008-05-02T22:30:00.004-04:00

I am not an outdoor type of person. Really it's the heat that I don't care for. I love fall and spring when it's cooler and winter has always been my favorite season. Anyway, last year after purchasing a GPS I ran across this website. I thought it sounded interesting so as a family we gave it a try and we've been going strong ever since.

Basically Geo caching is a high tech treasure hunt. You are given a set of coordinates and then you go out and try to find whatever is hidden. It can be as small as a film canister up to the size of an ammo box. Sometimes it's a Virtual Cache where you simple go to a location and answer some questions or take a photo. They are hidden everywhere. Once you start looking for them you will be amazed that you never knew they were there. I will warn you... Geo caching is very addictive! Once you start you will be hooked.

Here are some photos of places that we have visited as a result of our caching...

Whenever we are going somewhere we always look and see what Geo Caches are in the area that we could visit. The kids love it and it gets us out, sometimes even in nature. I'd love to hear from others that like Geo Caching and I wouldn't mind helping anyone that is interested!

Snaps 101

2008-03-27T20:05:00.003-04:00

Recently I completed a couple of Baby Surprise Jackets that were designed by Elizabeth Zimmermann. It's this awesome pattern done all in garter stitch, knitted flat and then magically transformed into the most adorable sweater with minimal sewing involved. The pattern calls for buttons and in fact, instructs you to make button holes on BOTH sides of the sweater so that you can place the buttons on the correct size after you know the sex of the baby. (Can you say, Run on sentence?) Anyhoo, I was spending alot of time searching for buttons and struggled with finding ones I liked. I wanted buttons with shanks but the selection was kind of blah. Someone suggested using a small clear button sewn on under a regular button, kind of acting as a shank but still allowing the sweater to be buttoned easily. I liked the idea but I was nervous about the choking hazard that buttons posed. I opted to go with snaps.

I had never used snaps, well I've used them, but I've never "installed" them. I went to my local Joann's. Um, not so easy to pick out snaps. The issue I ran into was that there are quite a few different snaps and most require a specific tool to install. So for me, I picked out 3 different types of snaps and needed three different tools.

This is one of the sweaters that I used buttons on. I chose these particular buttons because they reminded me of the rivets on jeans. They just seems to go well with the colorway.

The pattern itself calls for button holes that are made by doing YO, K2tog. Instead of doing that I substituted 2 purl stitches. They didn't change my stitch count and left no holes but by doing them on both sides of the sweater I was able to easily place my snaps. If you need to see a close up of any of these photos you can simply click on them.

These are the parts of the snap that will be on the public side of the sweater. This is the top of the snap, the bottom part of the snap, and two interchangeable pieces that fit into the clear plastic holder.

The set of tools come with instructions that not so helpfully label the snap parts a,b,c and d. It then labels the interchangeable tools A,B,C and D. The clear plastic "holder" is labeled F. It took me a few minutes to figure out what was what.

This is a picture of tool A installed into tool F. This is the piece that will hold your snap front. The smooth part that is on the public side of the sweater.

This is a picture of tool B installed into tool F. They both fit in well, if not snug. I had to use a something to push them back out... I used a fork;-)

Below is snap part 'a' sitting on tool A in tool F. It's somewhat comical, don't be scared! This part in simply sitting in the mold.

Now you can see snap part 'b' attached to tool B. This is actually fitted on. It has some room to wiggle and I tried to center it as much as possible because I'm a perfectionist.

The most important thing to keep in mind at this point is that the public side of this snap is on the bottom of tool F. You MUST place your fabric on top of the tool with the front facing downward. That means that you will be looking at the back of your work while installing your snaps. Take a minute to double and triple check at this point. Don't rush and be careful on EACH of your snaps. Remember the two purl stitches that I used instead of making a button hole? I placed the shaft of the snap in between those two stitches. If you look very closely you can see the shaft.

Here you can see tool F closed down over my fabric. Again, take your time and make sure you are working on the correct side. There is NO GOING BACK with these snaps!

Working on a hard and durable surface, wearing safety glasses (you only have two eyes), strike the surface of tool F a couple of times with fairly good force. When you open up tool F the front part of the snap will be free but you may need to work the back side loose.

Now we move onto the back portion of the snap. This is the part of the snap that is the receptacle of the snap, so to speak. These are the parts and tools that I used. For this we are using tool F along with tools C & D and snap parts c & d.

This is tool D nested into tool F. This piece has a clear rubberized ring around it that will actually hold snap part d in place.

Here we have tool C.

This is tool D with snap part d placed into it.

At this point you will need to place your fabric on snap part d. Again you are using those purl stitches for guidance. In this photo you can easily see the shaft of snap part d. You will have the right side of the fabric face up for this part. If you take a minute to look at the way you want your sweater to close this should make sense.

Snap part 'c' will be placed on top of your fabric over the shaft of snap part 'd'.

You will then lower tool F down, nesting tool C to snap part 'c'.

Once again you will be striking tool F... safety glasses and firm surface warnings given.

Ta-Da! Here are the snaps as shown from the front of my Baby Surprise Jacket!

Now here are some things to consider...

1. I used Mini Anorak Snaps (15/32") along with the appropriate tool.
2. I believe these snaps to be permanent.
3. The snaps will be tight at first. I'm sure they will loosen up over time. Because I'm just not that patient I used a piece of wax paper. I closed my snaps with the wax paper in between a couple of times. It really helped.
4. I don't think that the snaps should be opened by simply yanking on the sweater. You will still want to ease them open. All you need to do once they are loose is to use the tip of your finger between the snaps and they should pop open fairly easy.

So there you have it. I hope that this tutorial will help someone to jump into the world of snaps. I'm here to help if you have other questions. I will be posting another tutorial on a different type of snap soon so keep checking in!

What have I been working on????

2008-03-27T19:39:00.003-04:00

This year has been full of knitting. In fact, so much knitting that I am doing little else. I seem to knit every free second that I have. These are some of the projects that I have completed this year...

These are my Fetchings.
Quick easy knit:-)

Another Booga Bag!
Have made several, love them all!!!

Found this pattern on Ravelry!

I've made 5 of these Baby Surprise Jackets in a month, totally addictive! Pattern available in The Opinionated Knitter by Elizabeth Zimmermann.

On the next two jackets I used snaps instead of buttons. Loved the results!

My First Real Sweater!!!!!

2008-02-05T22:15:00.000-05:00

Ok, I've done an Einstein Coat and I've finished some of my DH's sweaters but this is MY very first sweater. I am especially happy with this one because...

#1. I knit from stash yarn:-)
#2. It was virtually seemless!
#3. I did Kitchener Stitch and didn't have a panic attack.
#4. I only had to redo my neck cast-off once.
#5. Even though my guage didn't match my swatch it still fit.

Now I could go on and on and on but I won't. I think part of the reason I've not really wanted to do sweaters was the time commitment. I tend to get sidetracked and lose interest in long projects. I made this one for my son so it was relatively small. I started it on a Wednesday night and finished in the next Tuesday evening. Less than a week and I am now my son's hero! Problem is that I'm afraid to let him wear it. He tends to unravel hats that I make for him:-( I guess I made it to be worn but it's like my baby and I'm having a hard time letting go.

This is a pattern that came out of the book The Sweater Workshop and I will knit this again. The cool thing about this pattern is the lack of actual pattern. I can do whatever I want designwise.

Here are some photos of my sweater throughout the process...

Let me know what you all think. I'm curious as to whether other knitters out there would block this sweater or not. Have a great night!

Sweater Sampler!!!

2008-01-30T15:55:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's true! I've completed my Sweater Sampler from The Sweater Workshop.

Upon completion I immediately fell in love with it. It's so awesome. I'd like to wear it but can't figure out a way. I tried it on as a legging and it not work so well. I still need to find two buttons for it to truely be complete but that doesn't diminish my love. My favorite parts were the icord cast-off, initialed hem and the afterthought pocket.

OMG, how frightening to cut a stitch and begin unraveling to make this perfect little pocket. It took me at least 30 minutes just to find the nerve. As for my brain fart yesterday on the lace cast-off. DUH! Common sence should have told me that a YO2 is simply two yarn overs. I think the written directions were what was throwing me off. The text basically tells you how to do a single YO. My excuse? Well, in my defence I was sick (and tired) and aparently brain dead. I actually figured it out in a dream... that's where I work out a lot of knitting issues. Being a self-taught knitter with a deep stubborn streak (read: won't ask for help) I sometimes stummble but I never fail to get going again!

I know I sound like a broken record (or should I say a skipping cd or maybe a corrupted iPod) but you really should try this sampler. This is a great project and will build your confidence in ways that you will not believe. Go ahead, go out and get a copy... I'll wait;-)

I'm back, yet again!

2008-01-29T15:13:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time once again. I've been on a knitting/spinning hiatus but I'm back, baby! Currently working on way too many projects. I've actaully knitted 8 pairs of Felted Clogs using a Fiber Trends pattern. I have 7 pairs felted but need to do the last pair. They have all been done this month. I had no intention of doing so many but one thing led to another and the rest is knitting history. For those of you that have not knitted this pattern, the slippers start out HUGE and then felt down to a normal size. It's not a difficult pattern but you do have to pay attention, something that is not always easy to do.

Other projects that I am working on include a Sweater Sampler from Jacqueline Fee's book The Sweater Workshop. I've learned so much from this project. I'm almost done with my sampler but having issues with the lace cast off edging. I'm not sure how to do the YO2's. I'm currently mulling it over and will try again tonight. I am home sick today so heavy duty knitting is a little hard to fathom.

I'm also working on a prayer shawl for my Aunt, a lacy corset,

an Einstein Coat for Mitchell and I need to pull out Lindy's sweater and see where I am with that. I would love to find time to spin but I need to take this one thing at a time. I can become scattered or I can go totally OCD. Either way it isn't the best situation.

I visited ThreadBear on the 18th with my DH. I love that shop. When we walked in we were recognized even though we hadn't been there since March of 2005. Not only did they remember us but they even remembered what we had been working on. Now it is possible that they simply looked us up in the computer or maybe they have some sort of cool facial recognition software program but I'm going to call is awesome customer service. On top of that, this week we received a card in the mail. It was from our friends at ThreadBear and it contained a nice little gift certificate! Isn't that sweet? I'll say it again, I love ThreadBear! Even without the gift certificate I would love you guys!!! Thanks for being the best:-)

So, have you heard of Ravelry?? I've recently joined and I love it. It helps to keep me organized and motivated. You can find me here if you are interested!

Until we meet again!

Hello again!

2007-08-07T09:48:00.000-04:00

I know it's been forever since I have posted. Wow, time have flown. I can't even begin to catch you up... in a nutshell, life happened. I've been enjoying yet another new hobby and I thought I would share it with you all. These are some of my favorite shots, let me know what you think!

Confusion

2006-11-29T08:16:00.000-05:00

This past week has been crazy. The most significant event was a Funeral that I attended on Monday. Who's funeral, you ask? Well... that is a long story. You see, the woman who was laid to rest was technically my Grandmother, Alice. I say technically because I didn't really know her. We actually met for the first time when I was 18. That was literally 1/2 a lifetime ago.

I maybe saw her one other time in these last 18 years. I think the only reason I wanted to meet her to begin with was that I had lost my Grandfather the year before. I felt like I had this other set of grandparents out there and I was missing out. The only problem with meeting her was that she wanted me to meet my "father" as well.

My "father" walked away from my mom before I was even born. I didn't know about him till I was in my early teens. My mom did meet a man right after I was born and she married him 4 months later. They've been married ever since and that is who I consider my dad. In some ways I am closer to my dad than my mom. Don't get me wrong, we've had our differences and the teen years were a nightmare. Today I consider him a friend.

I did stay in contact with my biological father for a while after meeting him back then. I don't remember a lot about it now. Their family was always excited about finding me, the long lost daughter/granddaughter/niece. It never felt right. It just didn't fit. The end came when I became pregnant with my oldest DS. My "father" was thrilled that he was going to be a "grandfather." That was the end for me. I just couldn't live with it. How could a man that was never a father become a grandfather to my child? It didn't seem fair to the man that had raised me as if I were his very own.

So fast forward to Monday. I've not really seen or heard from anyone in the family for 15 years. I'm debating whether I should even go to the funeral. I'm scared and nervous and literally sick to my stomach trying to make this decision. My dad was going to go with me but at the last minute decided not to. He didn't feel it was his place and I understand that. He thought I should go but if I didn't that was okay too. He would stand by my decision and support me. I'm not sure what I did to deserve him but I know that I am truly blessed!

I went, of course. There are some funerals that you just know you will someday regret not attending and this would most likely be one of them. I arrived at the very last minute and went straight to the back of the room. Just from the funeral standpoint it was hard. I have been through so many funerals lately and still struggle with depression because of it. Not to mention that in the last 20 years, the funeral home that I went to has not changed one iota. They still have the exact same furniture, the same everything. Then there's that smell. Anyway, I digress.

I received a lot of comfort from the funeral. Not only comfort from the pain I felt that day but comfort from the extreme pain that I still carried from the last funeral I attended. I think I was in a better place that day and more open to receive the message. When Alice's son spoke, I learned more about her in 10 minutes than I had ever known. It was a good thing.

After the funeral there would be a graveside service. I had not intended to go but decided at the last minute to. At this point no one knew who I was. I also didn't think that my "father" was there. It felt safe. I went to the cemetery and probably would have just walked away but my "uncle" came up to me and asked who I was. Now I know I could have lied or maybe not really answered but I did. The response was overwhelming. The phrase, "out of the frying pan and into the fire" comes to mind. There was no turning back now.

I was probably okay until my "aunt" came up and asked if my "father" had spoken to me. I said, "No, but that's okay, he doesn't have to." I got the feeling that she is the type of person that you don't say "NO" to. Now, just her asking that question was enough to make me burst into tears.

My emotions drive me crazy some times. I'm happy... I cry, I'm sad... I cry, I'm angry... I cry, I hate crying but it's my blanket response to just about anything. The only thing I have ever found that helped with that was Prozac, but that's another post for another day.

Seeing my "father" like that was so awkward. It was like meeting a stranger but being expected to love that stranger. Neither of us were comfortable. What do you say? You say those polite generalities that you would say to a stranger. You ask, " So, how have you been?" Obviously he isn't great... he just buried his mother who had had a massive stroke a couple of weeks before. The only thing that saved us was getting to his car. His wife was there, a very sweet woman, and his sons... my brothers. That was the best part of this entire day. Seeing my brothers.

What you may not be able to pick up on as I'm writing out this ridiculously long story is that I feel guilty. I have massive guilt over this whole situation. Back in '89 I let this family into my life and then one day decided that it didn't work for me. My brothers were 10 & 5 when I met them and I shut them out too. I've lived all these years with this in the back of my mind, always haunting me. I feel like I did this terrible thing that I can never change. The biggest question today is... now what?

I ended up spending 1 to 2 hours with this family. It was overwhelming, still awkward at times but comfortable all at the same time. My brothers were great. I saw my boys in them and even myself. They did some family pictures and wanted me to join in but I just couldn't do it. It wasn't right. It would have felt like a lie. I think I was afraid that by joining in I would be saying that I wanted to be a part of that family. Honestly, I don't know what I want.

These last couple of days all I can think about is what I want to do. I have kids that don't know anything about this. As far as they are concerned, my dad is there grandfather. Can you even begin to explain something like this to 6 year olds. My husband is struggling with it as well. I feel like this is my decision but it's not. This is a decision that I need to work through with my husband. I know that I don't need another dad. How do you tell someone they can be in your life but only "this much?" Do I even have control of this?

I know that writing this out on my blog seems crazy but it does help. I feel like I'm talking with an old friend. I don't know that anyone actually reads this other than Kimberly so it also feels safe to share. Judge me if you want. There is nothing that you can think of me that I haven't already thought of myself. Thanks for listening.

Am I knitting???

2006-11-16T15:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am! Thought I would do a quick post on the subject of knitting. I mean, this is, afterall a fiber blog, right? I've been working on several things in my absence and I will share one of them with you today.

This is Joshua in his Einstein Coat! It's an awesome pattern from Sally Melville in her Knit Stich book. As you might have guessed, Joshua's favorite color is orange. This was knit in Brown Sheep Bulky and was super quick to knit up. My only problem was the sleeves. If I read the pattern right it makes the sleeves way too tight. Chances are I screwed up. I'm currently working on another one in green for Mitchell so I will make adjustments.

Taking STEPS to get HEALTHY

2006-11-16T13:09:00.000-05:00

Today's subject follows along with the what I've learned while I've been away. It's taken me a LONG, long time but I've finally decided that my health is important. I've also figured out that I got to do the work to see the results. Now don't get me wrong. I've always known what I needed to do. I've researched it, I've bought equipment, read books, thought it through, formulated a plan and then... sat down on the couch and watched TV. I've even started watching The Biggest Loser on NBC for motivation. What did I do while watching? Sit on the couch and munch on junk. Here I am with tears in my eyes, feeling their pain but still not able to get up and DO anything.

I'll be honest, I was beginning to feel like it was too late. You know, the damage is already done, what difference can it make at this point. Last week my dad even told me that the only way I was going to lose weight was if I had surgery. Not exactly motivating. I let myself completely fall apart over it. Didn't help that I was totally PMSing. So, what did I do? Well, I turned to my best friend, who, by the way is my husband:-)

We discussed the situation. My way of dealing with any situation is usually humor and sarcasm. I joke that my DH and I are the 2k version of Dan and Rosanne Connor. Somehow when I can make everyone laugh with me it helps. Anyway, we had watched an episode of Oprah that had Dr. Oz on it. We had also Tivo'd a Discovery Health Special with Dr. Oz and we decided that maybe it was time to do this... together. The question was where do you start? I mean when you aren't doing anything it's hard to know what to do.

I'm only a week and a half into my LIFESTYLE CHANGE but I feel better. We didn't go crazy and try to make drastic overnight changes but we are taking it day by day. The big thing that we did was go out and get pedometers. We chose the pedometers that were on the Oprah special because they were highly rated and you could carry them in your pocket or even a purse. I've had problems in the past with pedometers that have to be worn on the waist for the obvious fact that my waist is missing. The only place locally that we could find them was at CVS Pharmacy. Not exactly local but we didn't want to wait to order it online. I don't know about you but any hesitation usually result in no action being taken. You probably want to know what kind we got, right???? It's the Omron Walking Style Pedometer HJ-112. If my opinion matters I highly recommend it!

I've been wearing my pedometer all day since we got them. Well, that's not true. I didn't wear in Sunday at all. I didn't even get dressed that day. Obviously I need to work on that. Anyhoo, I'm working on adding steps into my day. For health they say you should have 6,000 steps a day. For weight loss your should have 10,000. It was kind of scary to see how few steps I actually took. Actually it was eye-opening.

There are countless ways to add steps to your day and I'm doing better. The best way is do actually take the time to go on a walk. Now, I am a big girl. I don't see myself as huge but I probably am. I'm 5'3" and when I started this I weighed 255 pounds. It's considered morbidly obese. There really isn't a way to sugarcoat it. My biological grandmother has diabetes and just suffered a massive stroke on Saturday. My Grandmother that passed away last year also had diabetes and other heart related issues. I'm not in a good place physically at all. For me to get out and walk is hard. I have a lot of pain and to be honest I'm probably self-conscious. Why I care what people think I couldn't tell you.

So anyway, I could go on and on about this. My point is that I figured out a way to get more steps into my life and after these last few days I got up the nerve to get out in my neighborhood and walk. I actually walked the whole subdivision and though I can't tell you how far that is I can share my results...

Now this shows my aerobic steps that I have accumulated today. I had already done 40 minutes of walking at home before this. I'll tell you my secret to walking at home without a treadmill another day.

This is my actual total, so far, for today. Not bad for the time of day. My goal for the whole day is 10,000!!!

I'm very happy with what I'm doing. I've lost 2.5 pounds so far and feel 100% better. I still need to work on my eating habits but it's a great start. The most awesome result is that I'm seeing a much quicker recovery from physical activity. I'll take it day by day and hopefully when winter is over I'll emerge a different, healthier person. Wish me luck!

Time is fleeting

2006-11-13T14:52:00.000-05:00

I have been away for so long. It amazes me how quickly the days fly by. In all honesty I was avoiding you. Not "YOU" personally but you as in the blog. I needed time for myself. Time to heal and time to grieve. Losing my best friend was a lot harder than I thought it would be. That's not entirely true. I always knew it would be hard I just never thought it would really happen. It did happen and I learned a lot from it.

Time is fleeting ~ there is no guarantee that tomorrow will ever come.
Say the things that need to be said ~ I'll explain this one more later.
Take care of yourself ~ God only gives us this one body to last for this entire life, when it gives out... Game Over.
Spend time with the ones you love ~ In the end the only thing that really matters are the relationships we built and the memories that we leave behind.
Find enjoyment in the little things ~ If we wait for something big to happen for us to be really happy that something big may never come.
Believe that there is something beyond this life ~ Have faith and even when you find yourself deep in a spiritual crisis, continue to hold onto that faith.
Count your blessings every day ~ Not just your major blessings but all the little ones that that make life worth living.
NEVER GIVE UP ~ Take it one day at a time, one minute at a time if you have to. Just keep going and never stop. If you fall, pick yourself back up and keep moving forward.

That is not a complete list of all the things that I feel like I've learned but it's a start. So what? Well, hopefully I take these lessons and change my life. I'm 36 and something needs to change. My boys are 6, 6 and 14. I want to be there to see them all graduate from High School and move on to the wherever life takes them. I have to take action to change the path that I am currently on.

As for #2. I feel like I make an effort to say the things that need to be said but I know I could improve. While watching TV the other night about Ed Bradly, the newscaster from CBS that was on 60 minutes and passed away, my son Joshua said something that made me really step back and think about this. There was a group of reporters that were talking about Ed and Joshua turned to me and asked, "Did that man die?" Joshua hadn't been watching the newscast so it kind of surprised me that he had figured that out. I answered yes and asked him how he knew. Joshua said, "I knew he was dead because those people were saying such nice things about him, the kind of things that we always say about people after they die." So... my question is this... WHY DO WE WAIT UNTIL A PERSON HAS PASSED AWAY TO TELL THEM HOW WONDERFUL THEY REALLY ARE?????

How does one start a movement to get everyone to say the good? I heard about an idea on Rachael Ray to do a TOAST party. It's kind of like a ROAST but instead of telling mean jokes you say nice things and toast the person of honor. Would it change the world? I think we would all feel better knowing that we said the things that needed to be said on that day when you lose the chance to say anymore.

Thanks for listening!

I should be sleepin'

2006-05-03T00:51:00.000-04:00

Do you ever have those nights when you know you should be sound asleep but instead your mind it going like a million miles a second? That is like my every night. I have a constant to do list and a replay of every second of my life going through my head each night when my head hits the pillow. When I do actually fall asleep I usually walk in my sleep so I'm kind of screwed either way.

So you're probably wondering what is on my mind right? I mean if you are still reading my post you must be genuinely curious. The answer is I don't know. I've been thinking about this migrant debate and it bothers me. I'm not sure I'm on a side but it bothers me. I hurt for the people. For the children who have no say in any of it and for everyone involved. Today I noticed a large police presence in an area that is home to a migrant camp not far from where I live. I'm fairly certain they were/did raid it. None of it seems right. We are all humans. It just seems to me that the entire world is spinning out of control. I saw on the news that there were protestors at funerals in like Kentucky or Tennessee and their message was that the soldiers dying in Iraq were because of God's unhappiness with gays and lesbians. I don't even know what to say about that. Again, it hurts me. I am the type of person who cries when I watch the news and lately I'm crying a lot.

Closer to home there is the uncertainty of whether my husband or my mom or anyone for that matter will have a job a year from now. How does one live day to day not feeling any type of security about their financial future. I am for the most part a stay at home mom trying to get a home based business off the ground. I have gone so far as to start a second home based business to supplement the first one. I've got two boys that will be 6 next week and right now I can't do a full time job and afford day care. We've got it better then a lot of people and yet we really struggle. I know that God will provide but there is a constant battle between my head and my heart and for some reason it rages most mightily in the darkest hours. No surprise there, huh?

Is it possible to feel sad and content at the same time? I am such a cornucopia of emotions most of the time and tonight I feel a heavy sense of sadness for the world and for the losses that always seem so close. I sit here thinking about my family and this sigh of contentedness escapes from within me. I have this overwhelming desire to hold them close as though tomorrow may never come.

I was listening to a podcast today and it had to do with memories and how everything is a memory except this very small moment in the present. Obviously you have your dreams of tomorrow but your reality is your past. I'm not sure I'm really making memories that will mean anything to me down the line. I'm not sure how logical that actually sounds. I am a professional procrastinator and I want so much to change. I want my boys to have a treasure chest of memories to look back on with fondness. How does one accomplish that?

Funny how in my attempt to rid my mind of excess thoughts I have instead landed upon a bigger dilemma. I know this is suppose to be a blog about knitting and I rarely talk about it. I apologize. I know some of you will tell me I don't need to and absolutely shouldn't apologize, it is, after all, my blog. Still I hope to pull my life together enough to begin sharing my knitting adventure with all of my loyal readers. Thanks for listening and God Bless!

Easter Tomb Cookies

2006-04-14T08:53:00.000-04:00

This was shared with me and I wanted to pass it along. It's a really good multi-sensory way for kids to understand the Easter Story.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Easter Tomb Cookies
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

INGREDIENTS

Bible
1 c whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch of salt
1 c granulated sugar
1 qt. or gal. size zipper bag
wooden spoon
tape

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place pecans in ziploc bag and let kids beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read: John 19:1-3. Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Add teaspoon of vinegar into the mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30...Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When he had received the drink,Jesus said,"It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sins. Read Luke 23:27 A large number of people followed Him, including women who mourned and wailed for Him.

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup of sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalm 34:8--Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him~and John 3:16--"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12-15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18--"Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." And John 3:1-3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

Fold in broken nuts.
Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. Drop mixture by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.
Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60 As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.

Place the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66 "Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how." So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting a guard.

GO TO BED. Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 "I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, buy your grief will turn to joy." And John 16:22 "So with you~ Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy."

On Easter morning, open the oven and remove the cookies. Take a bite. Notice~the cookies are hollow!

On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.

Read Matthew 28:1-9 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples: "He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him. Now I have told you." So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell His disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them, "Greetings," He said. They came to Him, clasped his feet and worshipped Him.
Source

Combined Knitting

2006-03-12T11:06:00.000-05:00

I am a self taught knitter. On February 13, 2004 I simply decided to learn to knit. I bought one of those kits with the fun fur to make a scarf. Fun fur and size 13 needles along with absolutely no idea how to knit do not and I repeat, do not go together. Long story abbreviated I learned to knit using the throwing method which I'm sure has another name that I cannot recall at this time. I hold my yarn in my right hand and "throw" it over my needles. I worked for me.

While learning to knit I tried the continental way of knitting which would be holding my yarn in my left hand. It felt very awkward at first but eventually I was able to knit this way. Purling was another story. I tried and tried and tried but alas I did not succeed. For awhile I would knit continental and purl by throw. It wasn't the best way but for large amounts of stockinette it was fastest.

This past week I've been listening to a lot of podcasts (see earlier post) and I heard Annie Modesitt on KnitCast talking about how she knits different. I caught myself thinking, "Well, how does she knit?" Fast forward to last night and I'm knitting away on a sweater and listening to Knitting News Cast when she starts talking about having the exact same problem I had. Not being able to Purl Continental. When she too mentioned Annie Modesitt I knew it was a sign and I had to investigate. I checked out Annie's website and in minutes I was knitting and purling not continental but by "Combined Knitting."

Now don't get me wrong, it took several rows to get somewhat comfortable and I'm still working on it so that it's second nature. It's basically a row of knit that is knit through the back so that when you purl the stitch is seated on the needle in such a way that the purl stitch is very easy to accomplish. I know my explanation leaves a lot to be decided but if you check out the link to Annie's site it has great animations along with clear pictures. My advice is to give it a try, you might like it, in fact you might love it! Also, thanks so much to Annie Modesitt for sharing! Knitters are so awesome!

I'm back!

2006-03-10T09:37:00.000-05:00

No, I didn't really go anywhere in the physical way but mentally I checked out a couple of months ago and now I have returned! Been busy and feeling very burned out. Still breaking through a haze of depression but I'm going to make it or die trying... that didn't come out right, did it?

Have you ever had so much information that you wanted to share that you just didn't know where to start? So, that's where I am. I will quote the famous Flylady and tell myself, "You are never behind, jump in where you are!"

I am, as I write this, listening to a podcast of Brenda Dayne's Cast On show. You see, I have wanted an iPod for quite some time and finally talked my DH into letting me get one! I could have gone for the most expensive and 30GB capacity with video but I showed amazing self-control and got the 1GB Nano instead. I'm loving it. I've got about 200 songs on it and room to put some podcasts on and it's awesome. But I digress...

Cast on is a knitting podcast. I am probably the last person on earth to discover these but I am hooked. Brenda is from the US originally and not in Wales. She puts together a really nice show with some very interesting music. I caught some of her older podcasts and she had a song by Deirdre Flint called The Bood Fairy. I laughed out loud while listening and then played it later for my DH who also found it funny. Anyway, you can click on Deidre's name and go to her website and listen to the song. I plan to add it to my regular music list on my ipod. What can I say, I sort of like folk music.

ANYWAY, I am really ADHD today... I know what you non-podcasters are thinking, listening to knitting? How does that work? My answer, just listen to one. Brenda is wonderful at painting word pictures and describing her "Sweater of the Week" and you can really visualize it. She deals with all kinds of subjects, all things knitting. You do not have to have an iPod to listen. There are all kinds of podcasts on knitting and every other subject you can imagine. I listen to Cast On, Knitcast, Sixty Second Survivor and my Church podcast for Ridge Point Community Church. These are just my favorites (so far) and I'm still searching. Check them out!

Okay, so I could go on and on but then I'd probably take a couple months off to recover from the burn out. Hopefully I still have some readers and you will have all forgiven me for abandoning you. Life has a way of getting away from me.

On an unrelated to knitting note... I have a personal question. Do you know anyone that is getting married? Maybe you are. Have you registered? I know of a wonderful registry and if you contact me I can give you all the details. Just click on the email me button or leave me a comment and I will contact you. It is a very generous registry where you can actually get up to $200 in free products. If I weren't already married I would totally do this!

So, have a wonderful day! Knit if you can and even if you can't!!!!

Happy New Year!!!!

2006-01-01T22:36:00.000-05:00

Okay, so the day is almost over but the year has just begun. New Year's has always been a downer for me... Why? I have no idea. I'd probably need a psychologist to dive into that. Anyhoo, hope everyone survived the holiday season and enjoys a happy and healthy new year!

BUSY!

2005-12-11T10:53:00.000-05:00

Knitting Content...

I have been so busy. I have knitted my Lucy Bag completely and just need to felt her. Has anyone made this? Are the handles for the tall worsted weight version SUPER long? I was shocked at how much knitting was involved. I could have knitted a sweater for all the stitches that went into it. I used Cascade 220 and though I wasn't impressed at first I fell in love as time went on. It's quite soft. I'll post picks once I have her complete... I need a sunnier day and December in Michigan do not a sunny day make!

Not Knitting Content...

I've been working too. I go in one day a week at my "real" job and deal with mobs of angry elderly americans that are totally confused as to what medicare program to chose. Worst part, we can't legally give them help to amount to anything. If you haven't already guessed I work in a pharmacy and I'm so not in love with my job these days.

On the other hand... I have a NEW JOB!!!! I don't actually consider it a job because I have an awesome time! The money has been incredible and I have made so many new friends. I'm able to be creative in a whole new way and I seriously am thrilled. Last month I got a "bonus" worth $143 and this month I will get one "bonus" worth $141 and I'm working on getting an additional $175! So, are you wondering what I am doing? I am selling quality kitchen tools and teaching classes in the home to help make meal preparation and mealtime an enjoyable family experience. I am a new Pampered Chef Kitchen Consultant! I just could not keep that in any longer. I know I am not allowed to have a site dedicated to pampered chef but since this site is for knitting and my life I had to share this wonderful experience.

I've done a couple of home based businesses in the past and had fairly good success but nothing like this. It's mind blowing. I work 4 hours a week at my "real job" and bring home like $40. I could work a little more but it's a stressful job that sucks the joy right out of me. Last month I had two shows and got a commission check for a little over $250. This month after my two kitchen show, a few individual orders and a catalog show I'm hoping to be at about $440. That's obviously not taxed and I do have some expenses to cover but for a few hours a show and a totally enjoyable experience I am very happy with that extra money. Some of you may think it's tacky to talk so openly about money but I wish someone would have told me about this long ago.

Not to bore you to death with the details of my life I will ask a favor and then go quietly into my day. If anyone is interested in PC let me know. I won't be talking about it like this again because I am unsure what I can and cannot say. You can check out the catalog on my other site and maybe get some ideas for Christmas. I'm so close to my goal for this month but would appreciate any help I can get!

Knitting progress...

2005-11-30T15:11:00.000-05:00

I've been working as much as possible trying to comeplete as many hats and mittens for our Church to send to Turkey. It's been a super busy month so I didn't get as much done as I had hoped. Oh well, it's not like I can go back in time to change it so I must move on. I was able to complete 6 hats and 2 pairs of mittens. I'm including a couple of pictures of my creations.

Is it just me or do you get really attached to the projects that you do. It's like a knit a part of myself into everything that I make and then send it out into the world. You just never know who may be affected by what we have created. It humbles me to even think about it. I thank God for the many gifts the He has given me:-)

Hats, Scarves & Mittens, oh my!

2005-10-30T20:46:00.000-05:00

I just received an email from the woman that I help to run our Church knitting group. A team of people just returned from Turkey recently where they visited a school of children that had NO winter clothes. The group is going to buy the kids each a coat and they asked if we would be able to knit them each a hat, scarf and mittens. They need to be done by December 1 to be mailed.

There aren't many of us in our knitting group so I'm a little nervous. Add to that the fact that my pinky and ring finger on my left hand have been numb for most of today and my back is in spasms in between my shoulder blades. The spasms aren't new, been down this road before but the numbness... That's a different story. I have had numbness at night for YEARS but NEVER during the day. Who knows. I just hope it doesn't keep me from knitting.

I'm trying to find a good (read easy) pattern for a set of all three. I'll keep looking and hopefully there is something out there. Send good wishes my way and hopefully I can help make a difference.

Knitting Projects...

2005-10-29T23:00:00.000-04:00

I have been knitting. It's hard to find time lately but I know I'm much more relaxed when I knit then when I don't. I was suppose to have a class today but it was cancelled. Kind of a bummer but life goes on, right?

This is the stocking, not quite finished. I have to be in just the right mood to do the Kitchener stitch, ya know?

I used Reynolds Lopi and really enjoyed the project. I'm not usually one to add a lot of color so it was interesting for me. The pattern called for the "leg" to be knit flat and then begin knitting in the round just before the heel flap. I didn't see the point so I just did the whole thing on DPNs. You get the funny little jog at color changes but it's not really noticalbe. All in all I'm happy with it and considering doing some for Christmas gifts.

I've also been doing mittens. I am suppose to do a class and I thought I should get a little more experience. This is the pair that I did with two strands of mohair, 1 strand of a loopy type mohair and another novelty.

It's hard to see the different yarns from the picture but I do like how they turned out. These were knit flat and then sewn. The pattern says "one size fits all" but I think NOT! I had to add 4 extra rows durning decreases and probably could have done a couple more. I'm not crazy about the seam on the inside and at the thumb. May have to modify this for knitting in the round.

My last mitten is still without a partner. I did like this pattern but I'm trying to decide on the color. Can you say, "SANTA?"

For this one I had to put the thumb stitches on waste yarn and then later pull it out and pick up the stitches. I'm sure that's the normal way to do it but I have not done it. Little scary. Easier than I thought. Hard to not have holes even with a couple of extra stitches picked up. In the end I used my beginning tail to do some cosmetic surgery and all was well.

I just plain suck...

2005-10-21T14:38:00.000-04:00

Yes, that's right, I said it... I'm terrible. I have thought about writing a hundred times in the last month but yet I haven't. So here we are again. Me apologizing for not posting and you saying, "Whatever!" I make no promises but I will try to do better, again.

The last month has been busy to say the least. I've been getting some samples knit up for classes at my LYS and just finished a sock class today. I've got a Christmas Stocking class starting next weekend with one person signed up. I'm not sure about this teaching thing, I'm pretty good at one on one but get kind of thrown off in groups. I'm thinking that with practice it will get easier so I'll stick with it and hope for the best.

So, I know this isn't much but time is running out. I'll check back in later. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Gmail Invites anyone?

2005-09-19T18:31:00.000-04:00

I have recently become a Gmail lover. It is awesome. When I first signed up I had 19 invitations to give out and then today I found that I have 100 invites. So, my question for all of my readers is... would you like to try out Gmail?

My favorite thing about Gmail is how it puts together messages with the replies that follow. I am in a few Yahoo Groups and I used to get my messages individually but it was overwhelming. I switched to daily digest and I felt like I was behind the times and could never follow the conversation. It seemed like people would either not trim their posts or would completely eliminate all traces that would help it make sense. Gmail allows you to do individual messages and groups together the original message with any replies. It's awesome!

So anyway, if you are interested email me and I will send you an invite right away.

Things I love!!

2005-09-18T14:20:00.000-04:00

Today is one of those days that I love. It feels like fall in every way. Cool weather, colorful leaves, and actual crunchy leaves on the ground make me happy. I am so not a fan of the summertime heat. I love, love, love fall. To be totally honest I also love winter and early (as in cool) spring.

As long as I'm on the subject of things I love I feel a list is in order. Now topping this list would of course be God, Family and good friends but beyond that you will find the following... in no particular order...

Football, specifically the Miami Dolphins!

Gotta love Tivo especially when you combine it with Directv

As a new convert I must say that Gmail rocks! Totally cool:-)

I have a favorite LYS but Threadbear is the bomb!!! A must visit for anyone in MI.

Totally easy way to stay up to date on all the wonderful blogs out there.

Groups bring together people with like interests!

Excellent knitting magazine. Realistic patterns with wonderful articles!

I so miss our local Red Lobster but I still love it.

Best Wood Fired Pizza hands down. Regional but wonderful!

I love TV but fall is about SURVIVOR! Rooting for a local this year, Gary but would love to see Stephanie succeed as well, go guys go!

My question to all out there... what do you love???

Free Pattern Friday!

2005-09-16T22:25:00.000-04:00

Wow, it's been a week since I last posted. How sad. I don't know where the time is going. Today is a month since my Grandma's passing. She is deeply missed by all who knew her!

For my Free Pattern I bring you one that I have seen on another blog and actually got from Threadbear's newsletter. It's a crocheted cell phone holder made from Berroco Suede. It was an easy project considering I didn't really crochet before I attempted it.

The original pattern can be found here. I really liked it but...

I felt it was unbalanced and decided to do it with two buttons instead. Either way works very well, it's just a personal preference.

This is an alternate view.

If you can find the suede in the new Tri-Color or Suede Deluxe it is awesome. I made a couple but for some reason I can't keep them... very popular!

Introducing... Free Pattern Friday!!!!!

2005-09-09T22:01:00.000-04:00

I LOVE free patterns. They are just plain awesome. What more can you ask for when you stumble upon the perfect pattern and it doesn't break the bank. I have lots of pattern books with very nice patterns but I seem to get more excitement out of the free patterns. I'd like to thank those of you that share your hard work with the likes of me!

This is a hat pattern that I thought looked kind of cool. I knit it out of Lamb's Pride Worsted in Limeade. I omitted the loop at the top.

So, if all goes well, I will be posting a new free pattern along with my progress every Friday! Hope all enjoy. For more free patterns sign up to receive the Threadbear newsletter. It comes weekly and has about 4 or 5 free pattern links. Both crochet and knit are represented. Thanks Matt & Rob! Knit on :-)

Preemie Project

2005-09-08T22:35:00.000-04:00

I have been crocheting some hats for the Preemie Projects Pumpkin Push. I've ran out of orange yarn but will hopefully be able to get more soon. I have used three different colors and brands of yarn as you can tell by the pictures but I'm happy with how they turned out. Not really being a crocheter I'm quite proud of them. I'd like to think that my Grandma would be proud of me too!

Wrapped up in CNN coverage...

2005-09-08T22:18:00.000-04:00

I have spent this last week and a half like most people around the world, glued to my television. I've cried and cried and questioned every decision made by every person. It's such a tragedy, it just breaks my heart. It's almost more than I can handle so I can't imagine how these survivors are able to deal. I won't bring politics into it at this point, there's plenty of time for that later I suppose. My thoughts and prayers and plenty of tears go out to the survivors and all of the families affected by this incredible force of nature and the depressing aftermath.

Blogger and SPAM

2005-08-28T12:38:00.000-04:00

Some changes to my blog… if you are leaving a comment you will now have to do one of those word verification things. I received my first spam comment and decided to try this. If I continue to get spam I’ll have to stop the anonymous comments. It just sucks that it comes down to this. I get so much spam in my inbox and then on my blog, enough is enough.

Has anyone else started using the Blogger for Word add-in? It allows you to post directly from Word with just a few additions to your Word tool bar. I may be way beyond the times but I like this feature. First of all, word shows misspelled words right away, secondly I don’t have to worry about blogger eating my posts and thirdly, if you didn’t have DSL it would be a whole lot easier to write and then post without spending all that time on the net. I’m just trying it out so I could find reasons not to do it later but for now, I like it.

I will be posting some actual fiber related content soon so please come back and visit:)

I'm Back Yet Again...

2005-08-28T12:24:00.000-04:00

Hello to all. I’ve been back for a week now but just couldn’t bring myself to post. I really appreciate all the wonderful comments. I hope to respond to each person individually but finding the time is proving difficult. Please know that if you left a comment, sent a card or emailed that it meant the world to me. You are all so wonderful.

Tuesday August 16, 2005 4:45AM

2005-08-16T06:42:00.000-04:00

That's the exact time my Grandma Bernice Mitts passed away.

I'm still in shock, working through denial and anger simultaneously. I'm alone, I sent my DH to work. We are so desperate for money that I didn't dare ask him to stay with me. He'll get 2 days of paid funeral time and he's going to ask for two days of vacation but I don't know if he'll get it. I'd like so much for him to be with me when I go to Arkansas but I don't even know if that's possible. I'm not even sure I should be alone right now.

I have a million thoughts swirling around in my head and a pain in my chest that takes my breath away. It's more of an emptiness really, you might even call it a hole. Perhaps it's the piece of my heart that my grandma took with her to heaven. My life will not be the same without her in it.

Thank you to everyone that shared this experience with me. Being able to "talk" to you has helped me more than you'll ever know.

Still holding on

2005-08-15T11:27:00.000-04:00

My grandma was transferred successfully to Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff, Arkansas last night. This morning when my dad called he said her blood sugar was over 500 and that she was in a diabetic coma. As they are working to bring her blood sugar down her blood pressure seems to be bottoming out as well. It's hard balance all of her symptoms. They are also checking to see if she has had a heart attack. She is in really bad shape and she is so afraid.

The address to the hospital is:

Jefferson Regional Medical Center
1600 West 40th St
Pine Bluff, AR 71603

Her name is Bernice Mitts and she is in ICU. The hospital also has a page to email patients on their web site. We need a miracle at this point and prayers of comfort and peace would help more than I can say.

When I was explaining to my 5 year old twins how sick grandma was they tried hard to understand. Mitchell has been overly concerned about what will happen to her house. He says that he will pray for her in the morning, at breakfast, at lunch, at dinner and at bedtime and that she will get better real quick. Joshua asked if grandma had to go to Heaven alone or if God came down to get her. When I said that I thought Grandpa would come back for her he said, will he be driving a car? They make it hard for me to wallow in my misery for long.

I'll keep you updated as the day goes on. I may even post some knitting content on here just to take my mind off of everything else. Thanks again for listening and Tracy, I wish you lived closer too, I sure could use the hug!

It's me again...

2005-08-15T02:16:00.000-04:00

2:16am and I'm still up. Today has been a roller coaster ride. I know my update earlier was positive and I'm keeping hope alive, but things aren't good. My Grandma "took a turn for the worse" in my dad's words. Her oxygen saturation is 72% when it should be like 100%. She's vomiting, and last night they were suppose to do something for her breathing when she slept but they didn't and now she needs a ventilator to help her breathe. She was suppose to be taken from Monticello to Pine Bluff around 11pm. That was the last time I was able to speak to my dad.

I feel like I've cried every tear that I could possibly have. I keep thinking that if I just stay busy enough I won't think about it. I'm afraid to sleep. You see, when I'm stressed I walk in my sleep and talk in my sleep and I've been known to cry in my sleep. I just feel like I should be doing something. It's so hard not being there. Like my knitting in some waiting room will make a difference, right? It's dumb, I know. Try telling my heart. It's just not listening to reason tonight.

Someone left a comment about how lucky I was to have had my grandparents around. You are absolutely right. I was lucky. I didn't lose a grandparent until I was 17 years old. As lucky as I was, that doesn't stop me from wanting to have another day. One more phone call. To be able to tell her that I love her. A hug. To just sit with her and hold her hand. To smell her scent. I know everyone has someone that they feel this way about.

It all seems so inconsequential. I mean there are people all over the world who are suffering and we just go on about our day. I mean I'm not a mother of an 18 year old that is risking his or her life in Iraq, fighting a war that is over. I'm not a child in Africa starving or watching my parents die of AIDS. I'm not a tourist that lost half of their family to a tsunami and had to walk away without even a body. I'm just a woman who feels lost tonight, waiting and wondering. Helpless to stop this out of control desperation, this feeling that my world is spinning out of control. It's almost more than I can take.

Asking for a Not So Random Act of Kindness UPDATED 8/14/05

2005-08-14T01:39:00.000-04:00

****My Grandma is staying in Monticello and seems to be doing better. The transfusion helped and there is a new sense of hope. I changed the address for anyone that would like to send her a card. She is still in ICU, thanks for the wonderful comments, you are all wonderful****

It's almost 2am and I've done everything that I can to keep my mind and/or my hands busy. I spent the majority of the day crocheting pumpkin hats... 5 in total. We went to Church at 6pm and at about 6:30 my DH's phone rang.

No one calls my DH but me so he didn't even think to turn off the ringer (or rather he forgot). So when the phone rings at a time like this when no one usually calls... you (or I) panic. It was my mom calling from Arkansas. Seems they were transferring my Grandma to ICU.

She's just not improving and today she seemed especially out of it. They will stabilize her and then transfer her to a hospital in Pine Bluff tomorrow. Tonight they gave her a blood transfusion and she is on a respirator, or something similar, to help her breathe because she's having apnea when sleeping. Half of her heart is not working and she is filled with air(?) that is causing her to have trouble taking full breaths.

Tonight she had to stay by herself and she was really afraid to be alone. My heart breaks to think of how frightened she must be. I'm so not ready for her to leave this earth but I can't stand to see her in such pain. She's tired and she is now saying that she is ready to go.

I've probably said this before but my grandma is my best friend aside from my DH. She is the most amazing woman that I've ever known. She is my hero. You cannot describe her without using words like... strong, loving, kind, giving. I've learned a lot from her and I could selfishly wish for more time, she's only 74, I've only had her in my life for 34 years. What about my sons? How can they grow up without her? I know that I would not be the person I am today without her influence, I want that for my boys too.

I know that I have no control over when my grandma leaves us. It's in God's hands.

I can't tell you how much the kind words from you all mean to me. I received a Random Act of Kindness Friday from Sue in Lake Placid. I don't have her blog address here in the dark so I'll post it tomorrow. Everyone has been so wonderful. Thank you.

If anyone would be interested in sending my Grandma a birthday postcard, her birthday is Friday. You could mail it to her at:

Drew Memorial Hospital
778 Scoggin
Monticello, AR 71655
ATTN: Bernice Mitts

I don't know her room number yet but I would hopefully have it by tomorrow. I think it would be special for her to receive mail from all over the world and to know that there are strangers out there thinking & praying about her.

Thanks for listening to me ramble on in the middle of the night. If you have read this far you are a remarkable person and I can't thank you enough for listening. God bless you all!

When it rains, it pours...

2005-08-10T11:00:00.000-04:00

An update on my Grandma Bernice... She was placed in the hospital on Monday with an infection in her legs that goes up above her knees, I can't remember what this is called. She had gained 10 pounds in water weight over a weeks time and was not eating. A cardiologist said she has blockages in her legs and upped her meds to try to rectify this. She is on Demerol for the pain and up until just this morning had not been showing signs of improvement. I guess she is a little perkier today so that is hopeful. I talked to her for a minute and it was really hard. I cried, of course. She just sounded so weak and worn out. She reminded me of my Grandma Louella a year ago just before she passed away. If you are a praying person, I would appreciate your prayers for my Grandma.

My Mom and Dad are heading out by car today to Arkansas to be with my Grandma. I wish I were able to go but I just can't afford it. I did just spend time with her over the 4th of July so at least I have that. I felt that trip was important for my boys to be able to get to know their Great-Grandma. She really is a wonderful lady.

While talking to my Dad today he got a call from my Uncle. My Dad's cousin Sue passed away last night or this morning. She had had surgery for an obstructed bowel and then started having more pain. When she went back in they found that her bowel had died. I don't know all the details but my understanding is that she was on life support and my cousin Whitney had to make the decision to stop the life support. I can't imagine having to make that decision and the pain that they must be in.

As I struggle with the emotions that are overcoming me, I'm thankful for being able to tell my story and for the kind words and understanding that I receive from you all. Funny how it's easier to write my feelings here under "anonymity" than it is to voice them to the ones closest to me. Thank you for listening.

Guilt

2005-08-08T17:33:00.000-04:00

Okay, it's been an hour or so since I ranted on Nextel and though I am still not happy with the situation I do have a different perspective. I believe that this whole phone thing is only the tip on an iceburg that has been building for quite some time.

Obviously money is an issue, but it's only money, right? It really isn't that important in the long run. I mean, you can't take it with you. My DH and I have come up with a few ways to make some cash through our clutter and we'll see where that leads us. I know that my mom and dad would help us if it got that bad. After the boys go back to school I can work at least a couple days a week and I will be teaching more sock classes this fall. I'm just going to turn this one over to God and do what is in my power to do.

The thing that is weighing heaviest on my heart & mind is my Grandma. She will be 75 on the 19th of this month and she is not in very good health. It's hard for me to even think about her not being here. She has been a good friend to me for years now. I rarely go more than a week without calling her and I can talk to her about anything. My Aunt just told my Mom that it would be a good idea for her to come as soon as she could, as things are deteriorating quickly. It's hard for me to even write about this. My DH probably thinks I've lost it, then again he's used to me crying for no apparent reason. My Grandma is the reason that I am as creative as I am. She and my Aunt Polly were always crafting something whenever we would visit them in Arkansas. Some of my best memories of my time with her include learning something new. Just recently I started crocheting again because it made me feel closer to my Grandma, after all, she was the one who taught me way too many years ago.

The other thing that has helped me to put things back into perspective? Well, I read this article on the net tonight and it touched me deeply. I often think about all of the families that have lost someone to this "war" and my heart breaks. I won't go into my own views but I will say that any loss of life is a tragedy. It's hard to complain about my cell phone bill when there are men and women dying in the name of "democracy."

Nextel and mistakes made

2005-08-08T16:05:00.000-04:00

We have had cellular service with Nextel for the last two years. We paid close to $100 for two phones and couldn't even get service where my mom and dad lived, a whopping 15 minutes from our home. We finally decided that we needed a change.

We checked out a lot of other companies and decided on Cingular. They had more coverage where we needed it, roll over minutes and my family would be able to call us for free, mobile to mobile, anytime. I went ahead and called them about three weeks before the end of our contract with Nextel. Cingular asked if I wanted to transfer our old numbers over to them and I said yeah. This was where it all went wrong.

It's not like I deal with cellular contracts all the time and I really screwed up. See, I thought that if I paid through the end of my contract it shouldn't matter the exact date that I switched. My DH called Nextel on the day we signed up with Cingular and the person he talked to made it sound like that would be okay. Just pay the last bill on your account and everything is fine. Problem is... everything is NOT fine.

Today I get a bill in the mail for $444.57. We are being charged late fees for both phones because we transferred the numbers before the right date. I am literally sick to my stomach. We are not in a good place financially as it is and this is more than I can even take. I don't know what to do.

The part that really makes me angry? Nextel calls and says if we come back they will wave the early termination fee. Why would we want to come back after that? It seems like such a dirty tactic. I have a much better deal with Cingular, 3 phones on their family plan with tons of minutes and long distance for less than I was paying Nextel for mediocre service. I guess you live and learn and then never use nextel.

Thanks for letting me vent. I know I would be better served by praying over this but I'm just not there yet. I'm too angry and hurt and filled with anxiety. I know, that's exactly the reason to pray. Thanks again.

The Preemie Project

2005-08-04T18:52:00.000-04:00

I joined the volunteers at the Preemie Project on Monday. I've knitted a couple of hats so far. It's been so long since my boys were babies that it's hard for me to figure out sizes. The two hats I have completed are very different in size but hopefully I'm on the right track.

This hat is called a Petal Hat.

With Halloween in mind...

a Pumpkin Hat.

For comparison

I didn't block the Petal Hat so it's a little smaller looking than it really is. I believe it will be okay. I told my DH we need a new baby so I have someone to try my creations on... medically that won't fly but it was worth a try. Feel free to drop off an extra babies you might have around though;)

I am a bad, bad blogger:-(

2005-08-04T17:45:00.000-04:00

Why am I such a bad blogger these days? Well because I've been knitting of course. Not to mention trying my hand at a bit of crochet. I find that the less I blog the more I knit. Strange huh? I've finished several projects and have plans for more! It's nice to finish things for a change. I'm usually such a good starter that finishing is a challenge. This has been nice.

Anyway, I do have pictures to make up for it. I will break up my posts into smaller bites so I'll start with socks.

I joined the Six Socks Knit Along a while ago and procrastinated until the July 26th to start the Chutes & Ladder Socks. Part of it was just too much other stuff going on and part of it was fear. I haven't done a lot of cabling and the idea of doing it in socks was too much for me to handle. I had to work my way up to it. So I started on the 26th and finished both on August 1st. I did the magic loop technique, which I love, and I think they knit up considerably faster. This is the completed pair, a closer view of a single sock and view from my eye.

I worked out a lot of my issues with these socks. This weekend I will be teaching a sock class at a LYS. I'm kind of nervous but feeling a lot more confident after these socks. I'm currently working on a hand out with helpful tips so if anyone has any helpful tips I would appreciate it. I'd love to hear from other "sock teachers" as well. Feel free to send me good vibes!

Yes, I'm still here or should I say I'm baaaack!

2005-07-14T20:13:00.000-04:00

Wow it's been a while. We have been home from Arkansas for almost a week but it's been so busy. We drove 3000 miles in the last 2 weeks and I am wore out. I'd like to share some of my trip with you all, or should I say ya'll?

This is a picture of the M&M car... it's a Nascar driven by Elliot Sadler. I don't actually follow Nascar but I LOVE M&Ms :) It was parked at a Holiday Inn in Monticello. I doubt the driver was there but it was cool to "find" the car.

On the road back from Arkansas to Michigan we drive over a massive and quite frightening bridge when we go from Missouri to Illinois. The boys thought it was pretty exciting... they only asked about it for 200 miles before we got there. This is the beginning of the bridge.

The actual state line is right in the middle of the bridge and this picture shows it.

While traveling on Interstate 57 through Illinois at Effingham there is a huge Cross on the side of the road. I have seen it for several trips and I always wondered about it. The sight is breathtaking at night and still awesome during the day. I was able to take a couple of pics and found some info on the net.

A closer, not so clear view.

I will post more tomorrow, see you then!

Greetings from Monticello, Arkansas

2005-07-03T22:06:00.000-04:00

Yes, we made it safe and sound. Let me say for the record that it is hot. I feel for the people that live in the south full time. I'm especially amazed at people who do not have a/c. I'm not sure if anyone down here is without but it can't be pleasant at all.

Surprisingly there was not all that much traffic on the way down here. We left at 4:15 pm EST and arrived about 5:45 am EST 900 miles later. I am not a fan of driving all night but I took the advice of my dad and did it anyway. NEVER AGAIN. You see, when you drive all night while your children sleep you find yourself at a major disadvantage the following day. It's so not fun. We will be stopping for the night on the way home... even though I hate to pay for a hotel room. Oh well, my sanity is much more important and safer for my children.

Today we all attended the Monticello Baptist Temple with my Grandmother and family. There were 15 of us in attendance. It was a very good service that really made you think. It was wonderful to be able to sit there with my grandmother. I haven't been to Church with her since I was a little girl and let's be honest, I'm far from it today.

Well, I should get going. My DH is bathing the boys and would probably appreciate my help. Forgive any spelling errors, my brain is fried and spell check is considered a pop-up on my Aunt's computer. God bless and Happy 4th of July:-)

Headin' South...

2005-06-30T22:55:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to let all of my loyal readers know that the family is going down to Arkansas. My Grandmother and some of my extended family is down there and we wanted to take the boys for a visit. Ironic that I am planning this trip for the exact moment when the cool weather finally comes to Michigan. It's not suppose to last long but still... I loath the heat. Oh well, it's all about family right?

I may be able to post while down there but in case I can't I wanted to explain my absence. I hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th of July. May we all enjoy what freedom we have left, if you know what I mean.

Awesome!

2005-06-26T01:25:00.000-04:00

Thanks to all for the feedback you have given about my beaded stitch markers. Specifically I'd like to thank Allena, Lu, Jenn, Charleen, and Laura. To answer Jenn's question... the white and colored swirly bead were found at Meijer, an upper midwest version of Wal~Mart. Though to be fair, I think Meijer came first. Anyhoo, I will post the name of the maker when I can remember who it is, in other words, next time I buy some I will let you know who makes them.

Today we ventured out in this unseasonably warm weather to visit a LYS that has recently relocated. While I was there I happened to ask if they wanted to see the beaded stitch markers I had made. They said yes and proceeded to ooh and aah over them. One of the owners asked what I was selling them for. I had no clue. I hadn't really thought it would be so easy. I knew the other LYS in town would be interested since the owner is a friend but I hadn't decided on a price as of yet. They were definetly interested and asked that I come back with a price and they would carry them in the store. Cool, and I wasn't even trying.

When I went to Lizzie Ann's Wool Co. she was almost as excited as I was, maybe more so. I sold 66 stitch markers to her and she gave me some ideas for other markers as well as some other beaded products that she thought people might be interested in. I was so happy with my sale that I immediately went to the craft store to buy more beads. I spent tonight in front of the TV setting up 60 more markers. Who knows where this might lead. I just thank God for giving me this gift of creativity. He's so awesome!

OCD, beads and stitch markers

2005-06-24T23:59:00.000-04:00

This week I tried my hand at making my very own beaded stitch markers. I only planned on making a few but then the OCD kicked in and well, before I knew it...

I made 155 stitch markers. So, how does this happen you ask? I wish I knew. I seem to do this anytime I find a new crafty interest. Add to that my manic nature and I am a stitch marker making machine.

Some closer views of my hard work.

Some close ups, not all that clear but I think you get the picture.

I had so much fun making these. I'm not entirely sure what to do with all of them. I was asked by my favorite LYS owner if I wanted to sell them. I'm not sure what the market is for these. Comments would be so appreciated it. If you have ever sold them I'd love all the details. For now, I will go.

Still dish clothing...

2005-06-24T22:36:00.000-04:00

Current progress on my 5th of 6 dish cloths is coming along...

Now if you pay close attention you will notice the stitch marker... yes, I have ventured over to the land of beading.

I mean really, who could resist the urge to bead their very own stitch markers when they are everywhere on the knitting blogs. I've received beautiful ones myself as a RAOK and just had to try.

I should be sleeping, but...

2005-06-21T23:51:00.000-04:00

I found this on Scattered Marbles while ring surfing. Found it interesting, wanted to share!

Your Birthdate: October 6

A birthday on the 6th of the month adds a tone of responsibility, helpfulness, and understanding to your natural inclinations.

Those born on the sixth are more apt to be open and honest with everyone, and more caring about family and friends, too.

This is a number associated with responsibility and caring - this birthday lends a degree of concern for others.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Graduation...

2005-06-17T20:59:00.000-04:00

Last month Mitchell completed Preschool and participated in a Graduation Ceremony. He was so excited!

This is my nephew Tristan along with Joshua
waiting for the start of the ceremony.

Mitchell in his "cap" along with his diploma.

Finally this is Mitchell along with his teachers,
from left to right... Amy Fleck, Mrs. Dobbin, and
Deb McVane.

I want to say thanks to the wonderful teachers at Mitchell's school for all their hard work and caring. They seemed to genuinely care for Mitchell and they nurtured a new maturity and a love of school that I hope he never loses.

Dish Cloths

2005-06-17T20:44:00.000-04:00

I have been working on knitting up some dish cloths for my Aunt Polly. She sent 6 skeins of yarn home with my folks while they were on vacation. I decided on knitting Mitered Squares and just kind of winged it.

I'm working on the 5th one and it's taking me more time than I had hoped. They are quick to knit I just have so many other projects going. Soon, soon I will have them complete.

Where does the time go?

2005-06-17T14:47:00.000-04:00

I've probably written a dozen posts in my head but have not found the time to share them. Maybe it's a summer thing, perhaps the recent heatwave has caused me to be less than eager to sit in front of this computer.

I have been knitting in my absence. I am currently working on finishing some dishcloths that I promised my Aunt I would knit for her. I'm in the middle of a sock that I am working on in order to teach a sock knitting class at my LYS. I was asked by the owner but I'm just not sure.

The idea of teaching is frightening. I can't say that I have never taught anything. While in the Navy I did some teaching of computer software but nothing major. I taught my husband to knit and I don't mind sharing my knowledge when it benefits another. I guess it's the thought of me being the center of attention that scares me to death. I am not a "center of attention" kind of gal. So anyway, I am knitting on this sock while working out my plan of attack for teaching. Must face me fears!

Also on the needles is a sweater that I am working on completing for the above mentioned LYS owner. This is a sweater that she began 5 years ago and has now passed on to me to complete. It's a new experience for me to knit on someone else's knitting. I suppose it's good practice in controlling tension and understanding different styles of knitting.

I have joined the 6 Sox Along. I'm kind of nervous about the commitment but I think it'll be fun. I simply fell in love with the current pattern. On Tuesday at my regular Sit & Knit we had a new knitter join us. She was knitting the Chutes & Ladders socks and they were amazing. Thank you Lisa for joining us, it was wonderful to have you in our little group. Hope to see you on a regular basis!

So, as you can see, I am knitting even though I have no pictures to show for it. I promise to post pics soon, perhaps later this evening. Have a wonderful night!

Michigan

2005-06-05T19:44:00.000-04:00

I found this on Soap Fiber Gal's blog! Thought it was cute... most all applies.

You Know You're From Michigan When...

You define summer as three months of bad sledding.

You think Alkaline batteries were named for a Tiger outfielder.

You can identify an Ohio accent.

Your idea of a seven-course meal is a six pack and a bucket of smelt.

Owning a Japanese car is a hanging offense in your hometown.

You know how to play (and pronounce) Euchre.

The Big Mac is something that you drive across.

You believe that "down south" means Toledo.

You bake with soda and drink pop.

You drive 75 on the highway and you pass on the right.

Your Little League baseball game was snowed out.

You learned how to drive a boat before you learned how to ride a bike.

You know how to pronounce "Mackinac".

The word "thumb" has a geographical rather than an anatomical significance.

You have experienced frostbite and sunburn in the same week.

You expect Vernor's when you order ginger ale.

You know that Kalamazoo not only exists, but that it isn't far from Hell.

Your favorite holidays are Christmas, Thanksgiving, the opening of deer season and Devil's Night.

Your snowmobile, lawn mower and fishing boat all have big block Chevy engines.

At least one person in your family disowns you for the week of the Michigan/Michigan State football game.

You know what a millage is.

Traveling coast to coast means driving from Port Huron to Muskegon.

Half the change in your pocket is Canadian, eh.

You show people where you grew up by pointing to a spot on your left hand.

You know what a "Yooper" is.

Your car rusts out before you need the brakes done

Half the people you know say they are from Detroit... yet you don't personally know anyone who actually lives in Detroit

"Up North" means north of Clare.

You know what a pastie is.

You occasionally cheer "Go Lions- and take the Tigers with you."

Snow tires come standard on all your cars.

At least 25% of your relatives work for the auto industry.

You don't understand what the big deal about Chicago is.

Octopus and hockey go together as naturally as hot dogs and baseball.

You know more about chill factors and lake effect than you'd EVER like to know!

Your snowblower has more miles on it than your car.

Shoveling the driveway constitutes a great upper body workout.

When giving directions, you refer to "A Michigan Left."

You know when it has rained because of the smell of worms.

You never watch the Weather Channel - you can just assume they're wrong.

The snowmen you make in your front yard actually freeze. Solid.

The snow freezes so hard that you can actually walk across it and not break it or leave any marks.

All your shoes are called "tennis shoes", even though no one here plays tennis anyway.

Your major school field trip includes camping and cross-country skiing.

Half your friends have a perfect sledding hill right in their own backyard.

You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Michigan.

Get Your Own "You Know You're From" Meme Here

More cool things for your blog at
Blogthings

A very special Random Act Of Kindness!

2005-06-03T11:42:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's mail included a package from Laura at Knits For Sanity! I was caught completely by surprise. Inside I found a set of beautiful stitch markers. Each one had a word on it; Peace, Dream, Believe, and Hope.

These are words/sentiments that I hold dear and feel like I've lost lately. It seemed like this RAOK was a sign to help put me back on track in a more positive way. Thank you so much to Laura, words cannot fully express my gratitude!

Beautiful weather...

2005-06-01T17:36:00.000-04:00

Happy Wednesday to all! I am so amazed at the weather we've been having here in Michigan. It's currently 82 and sunny with a nice breeze. I'm not usually fond of the warmth but with a breeze plus shade I'm doing okay.

In honor of this wonderous day I bring you an assortment of photos! First up I have Joshua along with his dad (my DH). Since I posted Mitchell's first fish it's only fair that I post Joshua's too. Joshua only wanted a "wittle" fish and he was happy with this Catfish!

I, of course, feel obligated to post pictures of nature. These flowers are from my folks house and they are gorgeous this year!

Knitting progress... still working on my Goody Bags for Teacher Appreciation Gifts. I have given out 5 and have 2 others finished with 1 more to go. I am debating doing one for the Speech Therapists at Joshua's school but I haven't decided. Time is running out.

This is one on the needles...

and soon after, same bag complete with a partner!

The last one I completed was done in Opal Sock Yarn and I loved it. The yarn was a gift from my secret pal and I loved the colors. I am working on putting the pattern into a .pdf and then making it available to all. I'll keep you posted on my progress!

Happy Memorial Day!

2005-05-30T13:36:00.000-04:00

It is the VETERAN, not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN, not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN, not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN, not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN,
who salutes the Flag,

It is the veteran,
who serves under the Flag,

DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, PLEASE GRANT THEM ETERNAL REST AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

Thank you to all those who have served to protect us. I would like to personally thank the following...

My Dad, US Army
My Uncle Dale, US Army
My cousin Dennis, US Marine Corp
My Grandpa Menear, US Navy
My Uncle Jr, US Army
My Uncle Pat, US Army
My Uncle Jerry, US Army
My Uncle Mike, US National Guard
My Dad's Cousin John Richard, US National Guard
All of the men and women that I served with while in the US NAVY!
Plus countless others in the my family who have served for generations back

Mitchell caught a fish...

2005-05-25T15:43:00.000-04:00

This long!

This is Mitchell with his Dad proudly showing off his first ever fish!

Not to be forgotten is Mitchell with his Grandpa! I'm not sure who was happier!

Like I said, this is the first fish Mitchell (age 5) has ever caught, in fact today was the first time he has even gone fishing! It was caught off a dock in Saugatuck, Michigan using a night crawler and a $20 fishing pole we just purchased today. The Carp weighed 15 pounds and measured in at about 29 inches. It's going to be hard to top but at least we have the proof.

Are knitters obligated to have a cat???

2005-05-23T16:06:00.000-04:00

I've always noticed the abundance of cat photos (dogs too) on knitting blogs and have somehow refrained from posting about our cat. I snapped this photo and thought it was just too cute not to share.

As you can see from the picture his name is Whiskey. He's been with our family for almost a year and a half. He came to us from a shelter and he's a great cat!

Believe it or not, I have been knitting

2005-05-23T15:49:00.000-04:00

My infrequent blogging has allowed me a surplus of time to knit and weave and spin! I have lots to show for it but I will start with my most recent knitting project.

Last week I decided I wanted to make something for my younger boys' teachers for the end of the year. Money is, well, isn't. I do however have yarn as any good knitter does. I looked through all my patterns and searched the web but found nothing that fit the bill. What's a girl to do? Design something of course!

Using left overs from socks I came up with this...

I know it's nothing like a sweater but I have to say I was on cloud nine when I finished the first one. What a high to be able to just sit with yarn and needles and make something from a picture in your head.

I've finished 3 so far and need to do 2 more by Wednesday. I'm half way through the 4th so I think I'll make it. Here are the 3 that are complete, the one is filled to give you an idea of how it looks in action;

I plan to fill them with Dove chocolates or Hershey Kisses. It's not much but it's a small token of my appreciation. After I finish these 5 I need to do at least 3 more for Joshua's other school. Doesn't that seem like an awful lot of teachers for two preschoolers?

My babies are 5

2005-05-23T15:41:00.000-04:00

I am so late in posting this you might wonder why I even bother. On May 12 my "babies" turned 5 years old. I'm still not sure how this happened. I certainly didn't give them permission to grow up yet... they are. Since they love to see themselves on the 'puter and I wanted to share this happy day with all, please allow me to present...

Mitchell...

and Joshua.

Sniffle, sniffle.

New product from Knitterella!!!

2005-05-23T15:23:00.000-04:00

Introducing... Gift Tags! I am posting these pics by permission of Knitterella They are not quite ready for purchase but will be very soon!

The knit version:

The crochet version:

They come in an awesome tin that could easily be repurposed for all sorts of things once the tags are gone! I would love to post a picture of these but for some reason I can't.

I can easily see them attatched to all sorts of handmade gifts. I can't wait to buy them myself!

I have a confession...

2005-05-23T11:10:00.000-04:00

I have a confession to make. I don't usually share this and few people outside of my family know but I felt it was time to come clean. I am one of about 14.4 million people in the US that suffer from depression.

It's been an on going problem since my early teen years and the episodes seem to be shorter in duration and more infrequent. I take meds when it gets really bad. So, why don't I take meds all the time you ask? Well, it seems that the longer I am on an anti-depressant the more manic I become. To be honest I kind of like the manic episodes for awhile. I get so much more done. I remember in my mid 20's when I first started taking prozac... I didn't need as much sleep, could keep my house spotless, and bake dozens of cookies. It's great but then I need to recover.

What does my depression have to do with anything anyway? Lately it's become harder for me to keep up with this blog. I didn't realize it was the depression at first. I thought I was just losing interest but then it occurred to me that everything was getting harder to do. Depression takes so much out of me. Everything seems impossible when I'm that far down. Just having a conversation, putting thoughts together is just too much for me to deal with at those times.

I'm not "cured" at this point but I'm beginning to feel better. I'm taking baby steps to get things done so I don't get overwhelmed. Hopefully every day will get better. I appreciate that my readers haven't abandoned me through this period of time. Thanks to all of you!

Autism Legislation... show your support!

2005-05-15T18:02:00.000-04:00

As most of you know, Autism is a cause that affects my family. Please take a moment to read the following information about new Autism legislation. Contact your Senator to make a difference. Thank you!

Combating Autism Act of 2005 (S.843)

Combating Autism Act of 2005 (S.843) would commit an unprecedented $860 million in federal funds to combat autism through research, screening, intervention and education efforts, in effect doubling the current National Institutes of Health's current autism funding level.

This legislation was drafted by parents of children with autism and the organizations which advocate on their behalf, and the offices of our Congressional sponsors, Senators Santorum and Dodd. The Combating Autism Act of 2005 builds on the provisions of the Children's Health Act of 2000 and would authorize $860 million over five years to combat autism through research, screening, intervention and education. It also reauthorizes the National Institutes of Health Centers of Excellence Program in autism originally created in 2000, doubling the number of authorized centers.

With the introduction of this new legislation, Senators Santorum and Dodd propose an attack on autism, raising the federal government's commitment to an unprecedented level. The proposed legislation will cut across federal agency lines to more effectively fund autism research and expand autism treatment and early diagnosis.

Cure Autism Now chapter leaders, including Karen Beveridge, Beth Eisman, Doug Fischer, Maureen Reilly, and Stuart Spielman, joined co-founder Jonathan Shestack and CEO Peter Bell in support of the Combating Autism Act of 2005. Prisca Chen Marvin, board chair of NAAR, Bob and Suzanne Wright, co-founders of Autism Speaks and Lee Grossman, president and CEO of the Autism Society of America, also conveyed their strong support for the new Senate bill at the press meeting.

The Combating Autism Act of 2005 would give the director of NIH the authority to expand collaborative research for autism and autism-support programs that will have a striking impact on the autism community. The legislation requires the development and oversight of a strategic plan and budget for research on autism, based upon recommendations contained in the existing Autism Research Roadmap and Matrix of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee.
The proposed Act would provide grant programs for every state to develop autism screening and early diagnosis and intervention programs--perhaps the most important thing that could happen, short of a cure.

Specifically, the “Combating Autism Act of 2005” calls for the following:

Authorizes the Director of the NIH to create an “Autism Czar” to coordinate NIH based-research, develop and oversee budget implementation. The proposed legislation codifies existing programs at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Collaborative Programs of Excellence in Autism, increasing the Centers of Excellence on Autism from eight to ten.
The proposed legislation also calls for the National Institute on Environmental Health Sciences to create three Centers of Excellence on Environmental Health and Autism. Calls for the Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary to provide a program of information and education on autism and its risk factors to health professionals and the general public. The legislation authorizes $10 million a year for the next 5 years for early identification and prompt referral for services and education for parents and requires an annual report to Congress.
Authorizes the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to commit $75 million a year for the next five years for grants for states to develop autism screening, diagnosis, and intervention programs and to create statewide screening systems to ensure that all children are screened for autism by the age of two.
Reauthorizes the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s (CDC) epidemiological surveillance program with respect to autism at $12 million a year for the next 5 years, and authorizes $25 million a year for the next five years for technical assistance and data management to states related to autism screening, diagnosis and intervention programs.

Autism is considered the fastest growing developmental disorder in the United States, occurring in as many as 1 in every 166 births. Despite this strikingly high prevalence, autism research remains one of the lowest funded areas of medical research in both the public and private sector. Congress must intensify its commitment to increasing and enhancing the federal government’s contribution to autism research by passing this landmark legislation.
While we have made significant progress in recent years increasing autism research dollars at the federal level, much more must be done. Our government must rise to the challenge faced by an absolutely overwhelming number of our children. This legislation, S-843, is critical to our ability to continue advancing our search for answers for children and families today and for future generations.

How can you help?

You can help by contacting your home state Senators in Washington and ask them to co-sponsor the “Combating Autism Act of 2005” known as S-843. You can help make a difference right now.

1. eFax a letter to your US Senators - free service

2. Print your letter to use as script for telephone call

3. Telephone your US Senators

I'm back... Are you still there?

2005-05-08T00:45:00.000-04:00

First off, did you know that if you hit enter after typing the title you will post? This was news to me. I obviously meant to tab, why can't this computer read my mind?

Anyway, I am feeling much closer to human and thought I would write. Thank you to those who sent well wishes. Jill, I am so missing you at Sit & Knit. Feeling down right lonely to be honest. I'm glad you are doing well though! I will email... I am getting so overwhelmed, please don't take it personally.

Today I ran across a post while reading my bloglines that really got me thinking. It seems that Lynn from Bacon, Cheese and Oatcakes is calling it quits. I don't recall seeing a lot of posts from her but I clicked on it and read the whole story.

I was surprised to find that she too has a son with Asperger's Syndrome. I haven't went through and read her entire story but her last post has stayed with me all day. It seems that she has lost her desire to blog. This I understand. It takes time and work to build a blog. Sometimes it's just too much.

She raised the issue on anonymity. It appears that her blog has received some attention and is being read by large numbers. The double edged sword being some of those people are not reading it for pure reasons. I struggle with self censorship all the time. I don't want to offend people that I know and I don't even want to offend complete strangers. So some subjects go untouched.

Some days you just need to rant about someone but you never know who's reading what you are writing. I could just not care but that doesn't seem like the Christian thing to do. Of course as a Christian should I be ranting or even having these feelings in the first place? The answer? No... I shouldn't rant about others, I should be understanding and even pray for my enemies. The feelings are natural but how we deal with them is the key.

It's funny how everything is coming into focus as I write this out. In some ways blogging can be like a prayer. You are able to slow down and hear that little voice in your head and then you know, you know the answers.

Some might say that writing about Christianity is offensive. To some I suppose it is. Up until late winter of 2004 I might have agreed. Today I feel that it's a such a part of who I am that I can't not write about it. My faith has changed my life and given me hope like I have never had before. I'm not going to force people to listen to my story but I will quietly share it with all who listen.

I've never been one for small talk and I never back down from a debate. If you know me personally then you know that I have strong opinions about everything and sometimes struggle with when it's appropriate to share them. Of course these days I pray for guidance as opposed to simply saying whatever comes to mind.

I guess what I am trying to say is, I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be true to who I am through my blogging and sooner or later I will offend. Not because I wish to offend anyone but to write without offence is to not write at all.

Not feeling so hot

2005-05-04T12:39:00.000-04:00

It seems like weeks since I've posted anything. I'm still here, just not feeling worth a darn. I've been in bed since Monday and though I feel a bit better I'm still no where near 100%.

I got my last package from my Secret Pal on Saturday. Thanks so much Ruby! You are the best. I plan to post pics when I'm feeling human again.

Thanks to all that voted for my Stained Glass piece. I appreciated your votes and all the kind words.

I will leave you with this picture and hope that what I have posted makes some sort of sense...

Vote for me!!!!

2005-04-29T00:30:00.000-04:00

As long as I'm on a roll here I thought I would ask a favor of all you readers... please vote for me! I have entered a contest on Delphi for a stained glass project that I made for my DH. The contest actually ends on the 30th.

This is the piece that I entered...

I really hate having my picture taken so this is a rare occasion. So please, go, vote... even if you don't vote for me, vote! Go ahead, do it now, I'll wait right here for you! Go to Delphi and drop down the "Select a catagory" menu and choose large panels (2 sq feet and over). It's called 'Dolphin's Rule' for obvious reasons.

Fluo Scarf complete

2005-04-29T00:01:00.000-04:00

Finally finished the Fluo scarf that I have been working on for sometime now. I am working hard to knit up all the WIPs I have accumulated. If only I could stop accumulating new WIPs.

By the way, link to yarn is not my store. Just thought I should support a person with such a lovely name!

Bush + Prime Time = Bad

2005-04-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

Obvious rant alert...

I am so not happy about Bush crashing prime time tonight. It's plain rude. Granted I didn't watch it so I don't know what he had to say but couldn't it have waited? I mean how many people actually watched it? Since I have Tivo it was taped but I skipped right over it to get to what I ACTUALLY wanted to watch. Forgive me if you don't agree. Why couldn't he do it during the gameshows? UGH...

Rant concluded

It's been a while

2005-04-28T23:43:00.000-04:00

I know, you've heard it all before. Busy blah, blah, blah. I remember back when I first started my blog and I would post everyday if not multiple times a day. Currently I am having trouble finding time to do it. I have lots to say but no time to say it.

So... in knitting news. I have finished the socks for Joshua that I was working on.

Right away Mitchell asked when I was making him a pair. Of course I couldn't say no. He picked out his own yarn from my stash and I started them right away.

I knit Joshua's on DPNs but decided to do two circulars instead. I can't believe how much faster it went. I started Tuesday night and finished the first one Wednesday evening. I'm past the gusset on the second sock.

Feeling pretty good about the two circs but curious about the magic loop technique. I'd love to hear thoughts on preferences.

April is Autism Awareness Month - Day 25

2005-04-25T23:30:00.000-04:00

Potty training can be difficult when you have a child that is not able to communicate their needs. Who am I kidding, all kids can be difficult but autism does have a few extra wrenches thrown in.

We started the process just before Joshua turned 3 and he took to it right away. He totally understood what he needed to do. The problem came when it came time for him to just do it. He needed help but was not able to tell us.

At times we had some success using a picture of a toilet that he could give us. We were not having luck consistently and were beginning to become frustrated. It seemed like we should take a break for a while. After all, he was only 3 and we weren't having luck with Mitchell either.

Over the summer while Joshua was in summer school his class started potty training. They used a sensor that would cause an alarm to sound when they began peeing. Joshua was not the first child to use this so when it was his turn he knew the drill. He is kind of the "policeman" of his classroom and had been keeping track of all the buzzing.

There were a couple of accidents the first day and then something snapped. He put the sensation together with the sound and he "got it." It was exciting for us and made Joshua so proud. We continued to use the sensor for a couple more weeks just for reinforcement.

We never had a problem at home after we stopped using the sensor. The only problem he had was at Church. He had tried to tell them he needed to go potty but I guess they weren't able to understand him. He had an accident. This was very traumatic for him. It was like he felt failure on a huge level.

The next week I printed up small pictures of a toilet and laminated them. I let them know that when Joshua needed to use the bathroom he would give them a picture. I also let Joshua say that he needed to go potty so they would know what it sound like. That service he used the bathroom numerous times and by the next week it was all good. The newness of asking had worn off and there was an understanding with all involved.

I believe that with all kids there is a trigger to help when learning anything. Children with autism seem to respond well to visual and auditory triggers. Of course they sometimes don't respond well to visual and auditory stimulation. You really have to get to know the child and figure out what they will respond to. For me it can be frustrating but at the same time it's a labor of love.

April is Autism Awareness Month - days... too many to list :-(

2005-04-24T21:32:00.000-04:00

Wow, seems like forever since I have posted. Let me just say that I have been totally overwhelmed with everything lately. Which I shall now turn into my autism post!

For those of you that read my blog on a regular basis you will recall my post earlier this month on independence. Joshua running to the bus on his own without a look back. Lets just say that was the one step forward and we are now on the 2+ steps back. For some unknown (to me) reason, my experience with autism is that progress is slow and often painful.

That glimmer of independence is followed up with a week or more of, well... challenging behavior. I don't know why this happens but knowing that it will happen seems to help. Seems like it's just part of the process. Almost like he can't settle into the success immediately. Taking that step back brings him comfort.

Independence can be overwhelming to anyone but for a young child with autism it's almost more than they can handle. Patience is the key. Take every day as it comes and don't spend a lot of time comparing one day to the next. It's a psychological trap that I don't recommend.

Not much knitting going on...

2005-04-21T23:32:00.000-04:00

Do you ever feel like you are the energizer bunny? Not by choice. Like there is no down time and you can't seem to stop. I sometimes wish that you could press the pause button and just take a breather. That's how this week has been.

I'm still working on Joshua's sock. I am fighting this second sock syndrome. What is it about socks and mittens? I'm always so excited when I finish the first one. I really need to get over this failure to finish. It stresses me out to not follow thru but I'm always looking for new projects.

I mailed my final package to my secret pal today! I almost paid for express mail ($17.40) before I realized my mistake. Post Office guy was rather rude but that seems to be normal.

I've been noticing a lot of knitting themes in shows lately. Last Friday night I watched Joan of Arcadia and the whole show was about knitting and how it was a metaphor for life. It was a really great show. Tonight there was a negative reference to knitting on CSI. A woman was talking about retiring (not by choice) and asked what she was suppose to do... knit? I took offense but I figure it's their loss. They don't know what they are missing.

On that note I will bid my few readers ado. Have a wonderful Friday!

Love The Incredibles

2005-04-20T10:47:00.000-04:00

Which Incredibles Character Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

April is Autism Awareness Month - Day 19

2005-04-19T23:30:00.000-04:00

Remediating Autism?

To address the core deficits of autism* any remediation program which seeks to restore healthy relationship functioning in a developmental way, needs to empower parents–not professionals–in establishing the primary relationship through which this can be achieved.

* For references, download the new Autism Spectrum Quarterly article by Dr. Steven Gutstein: “Relationship Development Intervention–Developing a Treatment Program to Address the Unique Social and Emotional Deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorders."

But what can you do to help, as a relative, friend, teacher or aide?

1. Consider "lending an ear".
Understand this will be a marathon for the family, and not a sprint. Take a deep breath. Relax. Then consider lending an ear.

A remedial autism program is not focused on age-appropriate, “fitting-in” skills. Rather, it is a long-term approach focused on long-term quality of life goals: genuine emotion-sharing, true friendships, community involvement, independent living, etc. For many, just believing this is possible is sometimes the most difficult part of getting started or maintaining enthusiasm during the inevitable ups & downs, so offering some open-hearted listening to parents as they work through this, can be a major help.

2. Be patient & celebrate the small miracles.
Understand this is a developmental process which starts at the beginning, even if the person with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is starting the remediation process as an adult. Be as patient with a person on the spectrum beginning remediation, as you would be with an infant.

A 14 year old on the autism spectrum may have good language or IQ, but may have completely missed out on the 4,000 hours of practice that a typical three-year old has used for building trust, experiencing the payoffs of being excited or soothed by parents, communicating non-verbally, coordinating with others, and enjoying basic relationship competence. So, don’t expect the motivation or skills for advanced abilities like typical friendships to occur, until well into the remedial work (Stage 8, of the RDI® Program.) In the meantime, celebrate the small miracles you will see unfolding.

3. Provide opportunities for the person with ASD to engage with you.
Understand that the only person who can really remediate the autism is the person with the autism themself. Provide ample opportunities for them to engage, without direct prompting or pressure. If persons with ASD are to generalize their abilities over a lifetime, they need daily reserves of mental and emotional energy to do the work only they can do, and the right opportunities to develop their own inner drive & confidence to succeed.

Create an Inviting Communication Environment
Changing the communication environment for a person on the spectrum can make a dramatic difference in their desire to engage with you and to use their communication in new and vastly expanded ways. Here's how you can help:

• Increase the importance of your own non-verbal communication.
• Slow down your pace of talk and use fewer words to increase mental processing and thoughtful speech.
• Do not reinforce non-communicative speech.
• Try not to use more words in any utterance than the person with ASD does. If he or she normally speaks in two or three word phrases try to keep your own phrases to that length. If the person is completely non-verbal, use very short phrases.
• Don’t continue to talk until the person with ASD provides a meaningful response to the first set of words that you have spoken.
• Emphasize quality of communication over quantity.
• Make sure that thoughtfulness is preceding speech. Allow plenty of thinking time before expecting a response (wait 45 seconds).
• Use a ratio of 80% declarative (experience-sharing) communication to 20% imperative (means-to-an-end) communication:

Declaratives include:
• Sharing emotional reactions
• Comparing/contrasting
• Reminiscing
• Brainstorming ideas
• Planning future experiences
• Affirming your emotional bond
• Increasing coordination
• Repairing misunderstandings

Examples:
• “Woohoo!” “Great!” “We did it!”
• “I like the black car more than the blue car.”
• “Yesterday we saw a cute dog.”
• “The red one might fit.”
• “Tomorrow we'll make chocolate waffles.”
• “I love you.”
• “This is too heavy for me.”
• “Here I come.”
• “Sorry. I meant before lunch, not after lunch.”

Imperatives Include:
• Obtaining desired information or objects
• Influencing someone to provide a specific response
• Reciting scripted words in response to an associated setting
• Cueing for a specific response
• Testing knowledge

Examples:
• “Put your coat on.”
• “Which one do you want?”
• “What did you do today?”
• “Give me that balloon.”
• “Stop that. Come here.”
• “Say ‘thank you’.”
• "Wave good-bye.”
• “What color is this?”
• “Look at me.”
• “What is the right answer?”
• “What do you call this?”

Busy Day

2005-04-19T22:12:00.000-04:00

I promised some pics of Kris for his birthday and as usual the day got away from me. I have problems with my scanner but was able to find one semi-recent photo to share.

This is Kris, now 13. We will celebrate his birthday on Friday with the grandparents. He spent most of the day playing his Gameboy Advance SP. What can I say? Did I mention he's 13?

KRIS IS 13...

2005-04-19T00:01:00.000-04:00

My oldest son is 13 years old today... April 19.

I'll post more later, probably some embarrassing baby photos or something like that! Happy Birthday Kris, I love you!

April is Autism Awareness Month - Day 17 & 18

2005-04-18T23:05:00.000-04:00

Having a special needs child is tough. It's hard on everyone involved. I think the area that suffers the most is marriage.

I'd love to be able to give you advice on how to keep your marriage happy and healthy but we struggle with this as well. I think the most important thing is to realize the danger. If we are aware and vigilant we are less likely to let things spin out of control.

Communication is vital. It's a good idea to spend time alone and to have some sort of outlet for the frustrations. Marriage is rarely easy and requires a lot of patience from both parties. What ever you do, don't give up easily.

I believe that all children need a stable home and that two parents are better than one. This is experience talking. I've done the single parent thing... not easy. There are days when you are certain you can't handle it and when you are single, you have to handle it. Having someone you can count on for support is priceless.

As for me, right now my marriage is strained. We both want what's best for our kids but we both seem to think different things are best. I can be stubborn so I try to take a step back and see it through my DH's point of view.

With two kids on the autism spectrum, everyday can be a challenge. I pray every morning that I'm up for it. I'm so very blessed. I know that God will never give me more than I can handle.

Not sure how this happened...

2005-04-17T14:45:00.000-04:00

Your Linguistic Profile:

75% General American English

15% Upper Midwestern

5% Midwestern

5% Yankee

0% Dixie

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Considering my mom is from Arkansas and my dad is from West Virginia I am completely shocked at my scores.

April is Autism Awareness Month - Day 15 & 16

2005-04-16T23:48:00.000-04:00

Friday was Joshua's first Dentist appointment. Usually I don't do a lot of prep work on Joshua but with something as important as going to the dentist this journey started over a year ago.

First we would take Joshua with us when we went to the dentist so he could be in the waiting room. Later we would take him back to where we get our teeth cleaned. Little by little preparing him.

Joshua had no desire to see the dentist for most of the time that we were preparing him. The change occurred over night. At his school at Dentist came in for a visit. She talked about all the normal dentist stuff and gave them each a toothbrush, toothpaste, coloring booklet and stickers. From that day on he has asked to go to see his Dentist.

I made the appointment for as soon as I could but of course there was a wait. During the wait I didn't mention it at all. Starting Monday of this week I casually dropped the appointment into a conversation. Wednesday we talked more in depth and then on Thursday we talked about what to expect. By Friday morning he was telling me he was going to the dentist and he was really excited.

We got there a few minutes before our appointment. I usually like to arrive about 15 minutes early but I didn't want Joshua to get to involved in the toys or lose his excitement. This is a picture of him waiting.

When we were called in Joshua checked out everything. He is so visual that it's hard for him to pass by sights unseen. He spied some sunglasses in the room and asked for them. This is him wearing the glasses while getting his teeth scraped.

The hygentist did a great job of explaining everything before she did it and if Joshua were not autistic it would have been perfect. People tend to be too wordy and fewer word are better. For instance, when she squirted the water into his mouth and then put the suction in she would say, "okay, now close your lips around this tube." I sort of translated. I would simply say, "close mouth." Autistic kids tend to get lost in the words.

Joshua did really well with the entire experience. He handled the cleaning with no issue at all. I was worried about the vibration of the polisher but he didn't seem to mind. This is a picture of the cleaning.

When the cleaning was done he received his new toothbrush and a sticker. This was the highlight of the visit. Now we had to wait for the dentist. This took a few minutes and Joshua's interest was fading fast.

When the Dentist came in Joshua did pretty well. I prompted him to say hi and he did. He really didn't want to sit still but did great. This isn't the greatest picture but it shows Joshua being examined by the Dentist.

He didn't have any cavities so he won't go back for 6 months. He really did super. I was very proud of him and I believe that he was happy with the whole experience.

Mitchell has been going to the dentist for a year now. Sometimes there is no reason to rush into experiences that may cause anxiety. I'm glad we waited.

One of the deals I made with Joshua over going to this appointment was a trip to the dollar store and me posting these pictures on my blog. I don't usually make deals but wanted today to be special for him. At the dollar store he spent his own money to buy a doctor kit. He spent the rest of the day pretending to be a dentist.

One sock down... no second sock syndrome for me!!?

2005-04-16T22:40:00.000-04:00

I have finsihed one sock for Joshua and am working on sock #2. It is so hard to do socks, not from a knitting stand point but from a losing interest angle. My motivation is Joshua, patiently asking over and over and over again when his socks will be done.

I've gotten a few comment asking what yarn I used for the socks. I ordered this from Mary Maxim. It was on sale and I don't know if they carry it all the time or not but it is very nice with vibrant colors.

A closer view without cuff. I haven't tried it on Joshua yet and I'm hoping it will fit.

I received a lot of advice and I so appreciate it. You are all so wonderful!

Buttonhole Bag nicely felted!

2005-04-16T21:52:00.000-04:00

I'm quite happy with the results of this bag. It turned out great. I used the lighter blue on the bottom but I'm not sure why. You can't see it unless you purposely look at it from the bottom. I've bought some new yarn to do another one.

This is the bag standing up...

A view of the bag flat...

The pattern is from Mason Dixon Knitting with a few of my own modifications. If you are making this and you are careful during the drying process you can form it so that it will stand on it's own. You might already know that but just in case I wanted to share!

Lucy Bag

2005-04-16T19:59:00.000-04:00

I have been working on a Lucy Bag from Two Old Bags. I'm using Cascade 220 and it's slow going. Mainly I'm working on a lot of little projects in the middle of this one. It seems quite lacy and I just don't know how it will felt. I'm using the yarn that it calls for but it doesn't seem right. I think that's why I'm not working harder on it.

This is my progress so far...

This shows how lacy it looks.

It's a pretty large project so I'm nervous to keep going at this point. I may take another skein and do a swatch to see how it felts.

Good Intentions

2005-04-16T11:01:00.000-04:00

I really wanted to get in some posts today with tons of pics but instead I will work. They called me because they had someone call in sick. My first response is... No. I have problems with my back and long days on my feet tend to be an issue. I said I would let them know. Anyway, long story short, I'm heading into work early:-(

As a teaser for my later posts I will leave you with some pictures of the progress I am making on socks for Joshua. He picked out the yarn and is very excited. He looked at where I was and said, "Mommy, my feet are bigger, keep going." So helpful.

I actually have this sock done but I just don't have time to post that pic. Please check back later and I will have more. I will also post my Autism entry on going to the Dentist.

Question for all sock experts out there. Do you have to block socks and why and how? Leave a comment is you can answer or click on email in the right hand column. Thanks in advance. Have a great day!

Fiber troubles and love...

2005-04-14T22:45:00.000-04:00

I've been spinning for a short time now and don't spend as much time as I should practicing. I've been working on some fiber that was from Brown Sheep Co. I had two bags of it and the first bag spun up okay. It wasn't great and I had some problems with drafting. The second bag is, well...

...it's a mess. Half of it is passable but the rest is just bad. Maybe if I had more experience it would be okay but for this newbie it just ain't happening. I've decided to put it aside for now and see if experience helps.

Last night I went to Friends of Wool for an open spin. I have never actually spun around anyone that knows how to spin. I struggle with going to new places so I was totally nervous.

I learned a lot. Number one I learned that the fiber I had to spin was considered a top and probably not the best thing for a beginner. I worked on it for a while without much luck. When I asked about other fiber they brought out something else for me to try. This stuff spun up so easily. I was able to spin a really consistent ply and was loving this stuff.

The fiber that they gave me to try was Bluefaced Leicester. By the far the best stuff I had ever used. I didn't want to stop spinning it. I asked about buying some and was able to pick up 2 pounds of it. I'm tempted to go back and get more. Yeah, it's that nice!

I also picked up a couple bundles of Baby Alpaca. It's soft as buttah!

I'm glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone. I learned a lot from these women and I'm going to try to go back more often. I may even take a begining spin class.

Buttonhole Bag Progress

2005-04-14T20:45:00.000-04:00

I finished my buttonhole bag over the weekend but am just now getting around to posting pics. It's still in it's pre-felted stage. I was able to get it felted this morning but I'm waiting for it to dry. So, without further ado...

The third time was the charm with a few pattern rewrites. This was a fun bag to knit and I already have some BSC Lamb's Pride for my next one. Hopefully tomorrow I will get the finished product on line for your enjoyment.

April is Autism Awareness Day - Day 13 & 14

2005-04-14T08:23:00.000-04:00

The following is an article that I received via email. I feel it is a good outline of what

Is this Autism?

Think of the person(s) you know on the autism spectrum. Do they have:

• speech or language difficulties: no speech? delayed speech? echolalia?

• sensory issues: over-sensitivity to sounds, lights, textures?

• motor difficulties: fine motor? gross motor? motor planning?

• emotional regulation difficulties: anxiety, depression, aggressive behavior?

• physical or diet-related difficulties: allergies, limited diet?

• repetitive behaviors: “stimming”, hand-flapping?

While “autism treatment” programs may target these areas of difficulties, all of the above are really co-occurring conditions, existing along with the autism. An individual could have all of the above, and not actually be on the autism spectrum at all.

So what is Autism?

Again, think of the person(s) you know on the spectrum:

1) Can they share experiences with you? For example, if they are non-verbal, can they share their emotional reactions to a mutual experience by smiling or laughing with you? If they are verbal, can they also share their feelings about what an event meant to them personally?

2) Can they borrow your perspective? For example, if they don’t know how to handle something, can they look to you to help them resolve uncertain or ambiguous situations? Can they be soothed by just a reassuring look on your face? or notice if you are approving or disapproving?

3) Can they “dance” with you? For example, can they do their part in coordinating with you when playing“peek-a-boo”? When walking side by side with you? Can they start or stop with you? If verbal, can they converse reciprocally?

4) Can they reflect on past experiences & anticipate future experiences? For example, can they use an experience they had yesterday or last week, to avoid a negative result or repeat a positive one? Do they seem to understand consequences?

5) Can they “go with the flow”? For example, if plans change, can they easily adapt to new conditions? Can they see things in shades of gray, rather than in black and white?

What autism researchers have found in the last five to ten years, is that it is a combination of these five core areas of difficulty above, which define Autism Spectrum Disorders: (1) Declarative, experience-sharing Communication, (2) Referencing, (3) Regulating, (4) Episodic Memory, and (5) Flexible Thinking.

Impaired Social & Emotional Functioning
It is actually these areas of impaired social and emotional functioning which present the greatest obstacle to quality of life for people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). And the devastating impact that these impairments have throughout the lifespan has been well documented.*

Even when individuals with ASD do develop some social and emotional skills such as eye contact, emotion recognition, and turn-taking, these skills appear to be contained within a limited domain, characterized by encounters that are managed using scripted, predictable actions bereft of the emotional components of communication. Moreover, these encounters are driven primarily by the desire to use social and communicative behavior for instrumental purposes; that is, as a means to obtain specified goals.

Regardless of language abilities, IQ, academic success, or the presence of other co-occurring symptoms, individuals with Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome or Pervasive Developmental Disorder have difficulties in:

Declarative (Experience-sharing) Communication: If they are non-verbal, they may point to get what they want, and if they are verbal, they may ask questions, make demands or talk at length about their special interest, but verbally or non-verbally, they have an inability to share their experiences and feelings with you.

Referencing: They may learn to recognize and label various facial expressions, or be taught “eye contact,” but they can’t “borrow your perspective” to help them resolve situations of uncertainty.

Regulating: They may learn to follow procedures and scripts, but can’t “dance” with you, in back and forth interactions, if you are being spontaneous or unpredictable.

Episodic (autobiographical) memory: They may have good rote or procedural memory, but lack the kind of personal memory which allows them to reflect on past experiences or anticipate future ones.

Flexible Thinking: They may understand rule-based thinking, or use black-and-white thinking, but can’t rapidly adapt, change strategies or alter plans based on changing circumstances, think of multiple right answers, know when something is “good enough” or see “shades of gray.”

The RDI® Program addresses all these core areas of difficulties identified by autism researchers* in a step-by-step, developmental way.

* For references, download the new Autism Spectrum Quarterly article by Dr. Steven Gutstein: “Relationship Development Intervention–Developing a Treatment Program to Address the Unique Social and Emotional Deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorders."

April is Autism Awareness Month - Day 11 & 12

2005-04-12T10:54:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was the first day back to school from Spring Break. Joshua was so excited to go back. Being only 4, the bus comes to the end of our driveway. When it arrived we got ready to go out and I opened the door. The minute I got the screen door open Joshua was gone. He ran to that bus like Dash from the Incredibles. He never even looked back.

I spent a lot of time yesterday thinking about this. In a way it made me sad. I kept thinking that my baby is growing up. He doesn't need me anymore. Now I could have wasted the entire day being bummed about this but instead... I celebrated!

Independence is awesome:-) At the beginning of this journey I couldn't imagine a day when Joshua wouldn't need me. I couldn't envision a future at all. I was completely stuck in the day by day struggles. To see the rays of hope are priceless.

April is Autism Awareness Month - a reprisal...

2005-04-12T09:50:00.000-04:00

I'd like to revisit yesterdays subject in order to clear up something. I want to say that I'm afraid I portrayed our Church as being less than caring. This cannot be further from the truth. They are, and have always been, wonderful with Joshua. The purpose of my story was to show everyone how important education is.

There is always a period of adjustment whenever you enter any child into a new situation, much less an autistic child. Yesterdays post was my account of that period of adjustment. My hope is that the next autistic, or special needs child to come into our Church will have an easy time of blending right into the program. I think we all learned a lot from this experience and it's knowledge that is always there to draw upon in the future.

April is Autism Awareness Month - Day 9 & 10

2005-04-11T09:55:00.000-04:00

As I have been making these posts I have been working off of a list of ideas that I had brain-stormed. The list contains themes that I feel every non-autistic parent/person should know. The problem, I don't just want to write about topics... I want to share my passion. I need to feel moved to share my experiences, that is what today's posts are all about...

About a year ago our family began attending Ridge Point Community Church. Prior to this time we had not been attending Church so this would be a new experience for the boys. When we registered the boys I made sure that they knew that Joshua was Autistic. Joshua and Mitchell spent time in a Sunday School setting while we, along with Kris attended the service. It was a good situation for all.

One night I get a call from the head of the Children's Ministry. She was concerned about Joshua and how he was doing at Church. I probably took on a defensive attitude but felt like there was always a fight where Joshua was concerned. She suggested putting him in the nursery instead of the classroom. I took a moment to digest and to keep myself from saying something I would regret and simply said, "No". I went on to explain that if we put Joshua in the nursery we would be setting up the routine that he always went to the nursery. On top of that I felt the expectation was below his capability.

We continued to talk and I got a lesson I will never forget. When you tell someone your child is Autistic you typically get one of two reactions. Either they ask questions and want to understand what it means to be autistic or they write off that child and think to themselves 'Well, I won't expect much from him'. I had made the assumption that people would ask questions when they didn't know or understand something. That's not the case. Without meaning too, they had set the expectations so low for Joshua that they were now having behavior problems.

I couldn't blame them. I should have educated them but I thought everything was good. Now she is telling me that he won't sit for story time, he isn't doing the craft projects and he is disruptive. Even though he is not yet 4, something is not right here. I explain to her that Joshua has been going to school full time for almost a year and he does all of those things and more at his school. After some time I figured out that they had never expected him to do any of those things and, in my opinion, Joshua lived up to the expectation.

The question became what do we do now? We were asked to commit to attending one service. Our Church has 3 identical services... 6pm Saturday, 9am and 11am Sunday. We for the most part were coming on Saturday but attended Sunday if we were unable to be there Saturday. I committed to Saturday because it was the best for Joshua and Kris. At that time Saturday services were smaller and it was a lot less stressful for both of the boys.

The head of Children's Ministry wanted to have an aid for Joshua and though I was not against it I had a different idea. I recommended a visit from Joshua's current school. They could come in and help them to understand how to motivate Joshua to do what they were expecting. She was willing to try it but seemed to really want an aid. I simply asked that we try this and see how it goes. That's where we left it.

A week or so later Joshua's teacher from Ottawa Area Center came to the rescue! Linda attended a service and though I don't know exactly what she did, I haven't received anymore phone calls. Joshua started bringing home crafts and when I ask him now what he learned at Church he tells me. He even came home this past weekend talking about another boys in his class, Conner.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that we should not make assumptions about a person's capabilities. It does no service to our kids to not set the same expectations as the neurotypical (non autistic) child. They may need accommodations made but then again, they may surprise you. Joshua has yet to back down from a challenge where his autism is concerned. Never sell them short, children don't know they can't do something until we tell them they can't.

An explaination... excuse

2005-04-10T23:52:00.000-04:00

I have not done my Autism posts the last couple of days and I felt like I needed to explain why. This cartoon should clear it up.

Tomorrow I will post... Got chocolate?

Children and love languages...

2005-04-10T14:22:00.000-04:00

I often find myself looking for answers as to why my kids do what they do. I picked up the book The Five Love Languages Of Children and some of my questions were answered.

My twins can be like night and day when it comes to personality. Mitchell lets you know that he loves you by drawing you pictures, lots of pictures. He "writes" letters and gives away his stuff so that he can show how much he cares. He was apparently filled with love when he decided to draw a mural on his closet door...

The photo is blurry but it shows Mitchell learning a lesson on where we are allowed to draw and cleaning up his messes. He is using a Magic Eraser and without veering too far off subject, let me say that these are wonderful! The colored pencil wiped off with absolutely no problem. I can remember scrubbing to try to remove crayon from walls when my oldest was younger. Not fun.

My point? If I didn't know Mitchell's love language I would have probably blown up over the drawing. He wasn't intentionally trying to ruin his door, he was showing his love. Obviously I don't allow him to draw on anything he sees fit but I was able to understand and calmly help him to understand why we don't do that.

Joshua shows his love through physical contact. He has to be near you. He sits on my lap, plays with my hair, climbs in bed with me in the morning and becomes glued to me. I am so not complaining. A couple of years ago and Joshua wanted no part of physical contact. In some ways that is the biggest change in him with the progress he has made concerning his Autism.

On days when I am overly busy and I don't have (or make) time for contact with Joshua I see a big difference in him. He is whiny and withdrawn. I work hard to build in a few minutes here and there for us to sit together so that he can show that he loves me and so that he feels my love too. This is one of those times...

I'm doing something in the bedroom and he is near by. He is especially happy because both myself and my husband are in the room. These are the moments that Joshua lives for.

As for my oldest. I'm just not sure. If I were to guess I would have to say he feels loved when he is 'receiving gifts'. He seems to show love in a variety of ways with no clear cut love language. Of course now that he is nearing 13 he seems to be changing daily. I'm going to try harder to figure this out.

Buttonhole Bag

2005-04-10T13:44:00.000-04:00

I found the "unPattern" for a Bottonhole Bag on Mason-Dixon Knitting. It's such a cool blog. I love the concept. I started the bag last night while watching The Alamo.

It started out bumpy, I could not find circulars in a length that would work and I knew I had some. Come to find out DH was using them for a project. That is one of the drawbacks to having a knitting husband, you have to share:-( Finally I got the right equipment and I started to knit. I knit the base according to the directions with no major trouble. Then I started the sides. The bottom was knit with 2 strands held together but it didn't say whether to continue like that or not.

After some debate I decided it should be single strand and off I went. I got about 3 inches up the side and changed my mind. The pattern calls for 3 skeins. Two plus a small part of the 3rd. If I made my bag single strand I would have an entire skein left over. Obviously I screwed up. So... I ripped.

Now, second try, I am back where I was when I ripped and I'm thinking everything is good. I stop there for the night and figure I can finish the bag today. I got up early with the boys and I sit down to start again. Two rounds later I glance at the pattern and something catches my eye. Back when I started the sides it said to knit one round then do a round of increases. Below that it said to repeat those TWO rounds TWO more times. Apparently the 2 two's blended together cause yep, you guessed it, I didn't knit between those rows. Looking back it looks like crap. You really can't increase on top of increases. Maybe it was the movie but I'm suckin' here. So... I ripped.

I've got a double strand, I'm knitting a row between my increases and I'm caught back up with where I last ripped from. So far so good. I can't tell you how stupid I feel. One thing I have learned is that no matter how good you think you are at reading patterns, you actually have to read it. There are differences in writing style that can throw you off when you think you know more than the person that wrote it. Ok, I learned my lesson, enough already!

This is my "3rd time is a charm" progress.

Promised picture

2005-04-10T12:55:00.000-04:00

This is the picture of the Chinchilla Scarflet that I knit. As I said in a previous post, I'm none too fond of this fiber. It doesn't look that bad in this photo but when I put it on... no.

Chinchilla Sucks!

2005-04-09T00:22:00.000-04:00

Just my humble opinion... not trying to offend. I gave the chemo cap a chance and I simply could not do it. It's knit from the top down starting with 3 stitches. I could not see where I was and I kept losing my DPNs and to be honest, I gave up.

I did however knit the Keyhole Scarflet. I was able to figure out when to knit and purl, something that is difficult due to the texture of the yarn. I finished the scarf and well... not my thing. Maybe it's the color, maybe it's just me. The real clincher, DRY CLEAN ONLY. That is totally unrealistic. I know Berroco makes a lot of other very nice yarns but Chinchilla is not for me.

I will post a picture tomorrow of my scarflet. Until then, ta ta!

Now Norma Knits Hat

2005-04-08T18:40:00.000-04:00

I found the pattern for this hat on Now Norma Knits. It seemed like a neat little hat. I used some acrylic yarn that I had hanging around and knit it according to her directions. It went fairly fast... size US15 circs with a double strand of worsted weight yarn. My boys must have huge heads because I couldn't fold up the brim. For the next one I do I'll cast on maybe 10 more and work for 6" longer. All in all it's a great pattern and if I had kids with normal size noggins I think it would be perfect!

This is the hat at it's full length.

This shows the hat with the brim folded up.

This is the ever so handsome, not usually so still,
Joshua modeling said hat. He is my little helper.

I'm going to start on a chemo cap next but will come back to this one soon. A special thank you to Norma for sharing the pattern.

My New Booga Bag

2005-04-08T18:14:00.000-04:00

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was going to live dangerously and not do a sample swatch to check how much my yarn would felt. Well... it felts very, very well. It was a bulkier yarn than the pattern called for and I figured it wouldn't shrink as much since it was knit tighter. My thinking was that it would make a very dense fabric.

It started out like this...

I used my new mesh bag. It worked soooooo good. I picked it up at Kmart, part of the Martha Stewart Home Collection. I never go to Kmart so this was kind of a surprise find. It is a super fine mesh that holds in all the fuzzies but lets the water pass through easily. I love this bag!

The final product. It really shrunk. The difference in 3 minutes was huge. It wasn't doing anything and then... BOOM! Marjorly felted. I like the fact that it is stiff enough to stay open. That'll make finding things inside easier. The yarn made all of these tiny loops on the bag. I don't know if it will show if you click on the picture but it looks wild. I usually brush the bag out with a cat brush but I'm not sure I want to get rid of the loops.

For those of you with attention to detail you might notice that I strung the handles up wrong. I couldn't figure out why it didn't seem right and then my DH pointed out my mistake. Oh well, at least I'm not completely crazy.

Answers to Autism Quiz...

2005-04-08T10:53:00.000-04:00

If you answered 'FALSE' to all you are 100% correct.

The questions with answers:

1. If a child is not functionally fluent by their 5th birthday, they will remain mute, so it is critical that developing speech be the first goal for a non-verbal child.

False.

Without an interest in coordinating actions and perceptions with a partner, or learning about others' internal experiences, speech alone without a solid foundation in non-verbal communication becomes a vehicle for chaos, or a means to control others.

2. If you teach a child enough words, he or she will be able to have reciprocal conversations.

False.

Language without communicative intent can actually be a major obstacle in developing reciprocal conversations, so it is critical to work on speech and language development only within the context of genuine emotion-sharing and social referencing.

3.It is important to teach eye contact to children with autism so they can be successful in social relationships.

False.

While eye contact can be taught as a rote skill, this would be like teaching a severely dyslexic child to pretend to read. If we just work on eye contact, the child doesn't learn to reference. Instead the child just learns to look, without intent to use the facial information that's being presented. However, children on the autism spectrum can learn to reference quite naturally, if we start by providing them the motivations for doing so.

4. ABA (Lovaas, Discrete Trials) and other interventions have been proven effective for treating autism, and children who have undergone these treatments have been followed to see how they do as teens & adults.

False.

Studies on ABA or other early interventions have not used core deficits of autism as outcome measures and there have been no teenage or adult outcome studies of children treated with those methods.

5. If a child can be taught to “fit in” and superficially appear normal, he or she will be able to make friends.

False.

Friendship skills are actually a highly advanced form of social communication, requiring a solid foundation of emotion-sharing, referencing, and co-regulation, all of which are core deficits of those with autism. However, individuals on the autism spectrum can actually learn all these skills and can go far beyond "fitting in," if given the opportunity to do so with a competent guide.

6. Social skills groups are effective in teaching people on the spectrum to have relationships.

False.

A number of studies have shown social skills groups are ineffective in teaching people on the spectrum to have relationships or to generalize Theory of Mind skills outside the treatment setting.

7. Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome have a better prognosis for quality of life than people with Autism.

False.

While it is a common belief that individuals who have Asperger's Syndrome, (those with no language delays and an average to high IQ) enjoy a better prognosis for quality of life, all three major outcome studies to date have shown this to be false.

8. Mainstreaming & academic progress are signs of a good prognosis and if a child can get into college, he or she can go on to have a pretty normal life.

False.

The outcome studies showed that academic ability to participate in post-secondary education did not result in higher levels of independent living. In fact, one of Howlin's studies showed that adults on the spectrum with IQs over 100 were actually less successful in quality of life than people with IQs between 70 and 100.

9. If a child spends most of his time focused on developing his computer skills, someone will want to hire him someday, regardless of his ability to collaborate & work as part of a team.

False.

Computer skills alone have little value in the marketplace. Robert Bailey, President and CEO of PMC-Sierra, says hi-tech employers look for employees with teamwork and communication skills, plus the ability to solve problems quickly and creatively in extremely fast-paced environments where change is constant.

10. People with autism may not have the same emotional or social needs as everyone else. They might be happy living a life without friendships and intimate emotional relationships.

False.

Adults on the autism spectrum are not "aliens" with different needs. Many have said they desire the same things we all do: Joy. Friendships. True allies. Marriage. Comfortable work environments. Confidence in managing their worlds. By stopping, slowing down and becoming competent guides, we can help individuals on the spectrum make the amazing discoveries which will allow these needs to be met.

Did you think it was hard? Were there a lot of answers that you didn't know? Sometimes being blissfully unaware is a comfort. I understand not knowing. Prior to my boys' diagnosis I didn't really know. I had seen some movies dealing with Autism and had a general idea but I didn't "need to know"... until.

I believe that if "we" started educating people, be it parents, teachers, doctors, better we would be able to intervene earlier with more successful outcomes. I say "we" because I, myself, must be part of educating as well. My experience is that teachers learn about Autism when they have an autistic child in their class. That's too late. By the time they are up to speed the year is half over. My opinion? All educators and anyone and everyone in the schools need, at minimum, a baseline understanding of these kids. I'm talking about the lunch ladies, the recess monitors, the secretaries... EVERYONE. Often it is the unstructured classes and times during the day that cause autistic/asperger kids the most trouble.

This whole month will be me, up on my "soapbox," screaming for someone to hear what I have to say. I don't see myself as making a huge difference but changing one life is huge! My prayer is that everyone who reads these posts will have their life changed just by the knowledge that they gain. Thanks for taking the time to read my story. It means the world to me.

April is Autism Awareness Month - Day 7

2005-04-07T10:42:00.000-04:00

Today I bring you a quiz to test your knowledge and to hopefully raise awareness. Later today or tomorrow I will post the answers. The quiz is from an email that I received from RDI Connection. Good luck! Don't worry, I won't be grading you on this.

True or False?

1. If a child is not functionally fluent by their 5th birthday, they will remain mute, so it is critical that developing speech be the first goal for a non-verbal child.

2. If you teach a child enough words, he or she will be able to have reciprocal conversations.

3. It is important to teach eye contact to children with autism so they can be successful in social relationships.

4. ABA (Lovaas, Discrete Trials) and other interventions have been proven effective for treating autism, and children who have undergone these treatments have been followed to see how they do as teens & adults.

5. If a child can be taught to “fit in” and superficially appear normal, he or she will be able to make friends.

6. Social skills groups are effective in teaching people on the spectrum to have relationships.

7. Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome have a better prognosis for quality of life than people with Autism.

8. Mainstreaming & academic progress are signs of a good prognosis and if a child can get into college, he or she can go on to have a pretty normal life.

9. If a child spends most of his time focused on developing his computer skills, someone will want to hire him someday, regardless of his ability to collaborate & work as part of a team.

10. People with autism may not have the same emotional or social needs as everyone else. They might be happy living a life without friendships and intimate emotional relationships.

April is Autism Awareness Month - Day 6

2005-04-06T19:50:00.000-04:00

I received this wonderful email today with a link to something that is very relavent for my month of sharing. I am not going to copy the entire article but I will send you to it. The article is quite long but worth the read. I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe day.

Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew

April is Autism Awareness Month - Day 4 & 5

2005-04-05T16:30:00.000-04:00

No, I didn't get a chance yesterday to post and that is the subject of today's combined message.

After you have children you hear everyone talking about how important routines are for you and your baby. I agree to a point. Autistic kids love routines and mine are no exception. The problem that I personally have run into is that routines do not help my kids be flexible.

Both Joshua and Kris are comforted by knowing exactly what is going to happen next throughout their day. I run into problems anytime we become to tied to a routine and something changes. When Kris was younger I never told him what we were going to do for the day because once I did it was set in stone (as far as he was concerned) and we could not deviate from that plan.

There are a lot of ideas on ways to help autistic kids with this issue. I've tried schedules that are written in pencil. When something comes up I change his schedule and try to explain that sometimes things happen that we can't control. With Joshua I do the now/next thing. I say now we are doing this and next we will do that. It helps at times like when he is excited about going outside when it's dinner time.

I find the worse cause for problem is going to the Dr/Dentist. My son believes that is the appointment is at 2pm and we arrive at 1:45 we should be with the Dr/Dentist by 2pm. It can cause some massive anxiety with each passing minute. But it's a life lesson.

I know that to some extent all kids deal with this and probably some adults too. It's not exclusive to Autism and is worth dealing with early in life.

*Never Ending Yarn*