One thing this weekend was not is a bust. I met my parents up in Windsor. I'd never heard of that place before this weekend, but it's near the wineries in Sanoma. We got there Saturday evening, which was cool. Even the kids vowed to kick back in front of the TV once we got to the time share. Which was quite cozy I might add. My step-mom said she'd been to better ones, but this one was like a little apartment. The next morning they had to do the traditional meet-and-greet with the time share people. But then that afternoon we took a lovely drive to California's Old Faithful (pretty cool), and a winery with free tastings who's name I can't remember (Suitui, I think). I definately want to do it again. The winery thing that is (with not kids). I started this cute little tank that I think I'll be done with in a few days. Maybe I'll wear it next weekend if I can get a sitter. Pleeeease, Daddy! I'm so grateful my dad still allows me to be a mooch at my age. With two, kids, I prolly would never get to do anything if he didnt. My brother does too, and I feel guilty. But if it wasn't for those two and others who help me with the kids, I would never get treated to anything. Well, enough of feeling sorry for myself, I know I don't deserve any of your charity guys, but I'm sure happy to accept it. Oh yeah, I'm promise to update these blogs with pics, but with my dial up (yes, I said dial up) it's taking too long to update them lately. I'll try again tonight if I can get a moment of peace. Ta ta.

I don't even know where to start. I try not to get too personal in this blog that's dedicated to crochet, but it's just starting to take too much effort not to disclose my personal struggles. Last week, I found out that the company that I work for, who already doesn't pay me enough to make ends meet is closing our location in August. I thought to myself, what's next?! The only reason that I've been with this company so long is so that I could find an ideal job (which this was supposed to transition into but never did). No ideal job yet. So, now I have to just get any ole job. I must say, that one thing that I've learned how to do well since becoming a mother is crying with no tears. I refuse to let my children grow up with harsh memories about the struggles I go through to keep them at peace. Don't get me wrong, I want them to understand the value of a dollar, but as I bite into this delicious pear which I can't afford, I can't help thinking "damn!, I can't even enjoy my pear." I don't want them to have these types of mental struggles. I think that more than anything I am angry. Very angry of my current existence. I know what I'm experiencing is nothing new under the sun. I've been doing this solo thing for sooo long now that it is getting really old. I kept hoping to see God's miracle of grace before now (like I normally do). But nothing yet. He hasn't let me down yet, but then again, I haven't been in his presence as much as I used to. No where near. I'm so conflicted!

I haven't been crocheting as much as I'd like to. I don't know where my motivation has gone. However, HP got a chance to wear the tank. She was very pleased with her outfit that day. Telling everyone to look at her top and skirt. Hmmmm, I guess humility is not something that already comes embroidered in the fabric of our DNA. She did look cute that day, and we had a nice time hopping about town running errands. Many who know me, after meeting my daughter frequently comment on how much character I had as a child (they don't put it this nicely). But, I don't ever remember doing the types of things she does. Sure, I gave my fare share of back-talk. But this child, oh my God! She was upset that I put her in timeout, and decided to protest by pulling out her hair. Why would she do something like that? At age 2, can she already know me well enough to know on just how deep a level this type of behavior disturbs me? Pray for us, please. To try to manage some of the many stresses in my life, I've decided to plant a garden. Granted, I'm not doing it whole heartedly. I've cleared out some weeds in the yard, and am going to see what the sandy soil will do. I fertilized too. In a few days, we should start to see something. I can already see the tiny lettuce sprouts. It's hard getting out there in the sun, even though we're covered with sunscreen and insect repellent. The kids seemed down with helping at first, but HP just wanted to through dirt everywhere and DJ spent most of the time running away from nature. I have to admit, there is a bit much of it out there sometimes. I get tired of having to constantly look over my shoulder. Seeing a snake cross your path ain't no big thing. And there are plenty of these fence lizards around to feed them, not to mention the mice. Well, hopefully we can enjoy the fruits of our labor. I'm kinda scared though, because there are still so many signs of construction work out there. I could barely dig in spot where there weren't some rusty nails or staples or something. Didn't they keep track of this stuff? Well, one of the real reasons crochet has been on hold for now is because I'm trying to learn how to knit. Sure am. I'm learning the hard way that fixing a mistake is not as easy as ripping out a row. I want to learn so that I can make some cute sweaters for DJ. There just aren't that many crochet patterns out there. I tried when he was like 5 (my own design), but after trying it on, I decided that it looked too much like it was for a girl. So, I gave it to Dom. I wonder if she still has it. I"ll talk to you again soon, and I promise sooner than a month from now. Ta ta.

Well, even though I haven't been blogging a lot I have been crocheting. The kids were taking portraits and I also wanted to use this as a moment to display one of my creations. I thought I would use ribbons for the shoulder straps, but H.P. kept pulling at them and unraveling the ends. So, after that failure, I constructed these straps. I still need to find some workable fasteners though. The detail on the front is very beautiful, but it doesn't really offer a secure posting place for buttons. I also need to take some time to edit the pattern. Hmmmm, I'll figure something out. This week has not been a great one. Among other things, not only does H.P. have a mysterious fever that the daycare folks forgot to inform me of when I picked her up, but D.J. fell face first on the pavement at school. I got a call at work today with the scary news. His two brand new front teeth were bleeding, but not loose. In any case he has to wear two fat lips around for a while. On top of all of these issues and not being able to keep up with the laundry (I have to look for a pair of draws for that boy tonight), it's been raining so much that you have to rush home to mow the lawn whenever the sun comes out. I recently terminated the gardeners who were were hardly doing any work and trying to take advantage of me. Therefore, I have to tackle the problem of the back yard lawn that's basically completely overtaken by weeds. The weed and feed won't work if you apply it one day and then it rains the next. This week's forecast has been good, but I've been lazy. Or let's say, I haven't had enough to give to every area in my life that needs attention lately. Pray with me. I've also started another project. This WIP is a serious adaptation of what the designer calls a christening shawl. I plan to use it as that duvet cover for the toddler bed that I never got around to designing myself. I'm working it in cotton thread because the pattern calls for three cones of this beautiful silk that costs $30-40 each. If this works out the way I hope, I'll make the investment, but for now it's the cheap stuff.

Rearview. I think I'll call it "Granny's Baby" 

WIP Well, my model is not being perfectly still, but you can probably tell what this is intended to be. A cute 3/4 length sweater made from variegated yarn, which to me is just awesome. In my opinion, you can't really capture the true beauty of this yarn by tainting it with complicated stitch patterns. So, I've decided to stick with the SC, and it's working out just fine. I'm half way done, but I don't think that I have enough yarn, and my next knitpicks order is pending until April. Hmmmm, what to do...

Try To Visualize... I know it's a mess now, put I have big plans for this area. When I first moved into this house, this was supposed to be my retreat. But, since I had to make room for another child, I lost my office/storage space and this became it. I'm determined to reclaim this space and make it beautiful. I just have to get organized. I've purchased a huge cube shelf at Ikea, which I also plan to use as a divider. This way, I'll get to have an office, a little workshop, and even a retreat. I'm sure I can fit it all in here. I just have to use some extra creativity. Believe it or not, this area looks about 30% better than it did before I shot this picture. It's so hard to find the time to clean up a totally trashed area. My goal is to get it done before the end of Spring. Pray for me.

What's For Dinner?

My kids loooooove Tuna Helper. They thinks it's a delicacy. Who knew? Maybe it's because I started them out on Salmon Fetuccini. We all love this. This is a recipe that I got from my Uncle Arthur a while ago. I fell in love with it and we never get tired of it. It's fast to prepare and make. Want the recipe?

1 Small salmon filet
Equal parts chopped basil and garlic (I like about two tablespoons at least, I love garlic)
1 Pat of butter OR 1 1/2 tblsp of olive oil
1 tsp of Lawry's Season Salt
1/4 tsp of garlic powder, onion powder
6 ounces of heavy whipping cream
1/2 teason of dried rosemary
1/8 tspn of black or white pepper
1 lb of fresh fetuccini

Season the Salmon Filet lightly with Seasoned Salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and rosemary. Broil under oven's broiler for about 10-12 minutes or until filet is cooked through.

In a medium to large wok, saute garlic and basil in the butter or oil and set aside. When the Salmon is done, shred the flesh only into the pan with the garlic and basil, then add the whipping cream. Bring to a light boil, cover and simmer for about 5-8 minutes. Season with Lawry's to taste.

Boil your pasta, rinse, drain, and pour directly into the salmon sauce you've just made. Toss well. You can use the extra basil by mixing it with a nice green salad.

See, I told you that was easy. And so, so, good.

Ok, so the zig-zag skirt's been finished for a while now... but I haven't worn it, and I probably won't till next year cause it's too tight. Grrrrrr! I checked my gauge over and over. I guess I just got tired of ripping out and tried to just visualize it going on effortlessly and hanging just right. It didn't work. Oh well, something to look forward to.

Well, alright now! I'm finally figuring out how to use this bloc. So, please enjoy the links I've listed and shoot me an email from time to time. Hopefully soon I'll be displaying my finished works, but I'm getting all backed up for some reason. I want to clean my room, which for some reason doesn't fall under the general category of house keeping. Oh yeah, I've been trying to stay on top of that, unsuccessfully. I'm trying to design a 3/4 length toddler cardigan and also construct my Josie's Poncho. Wait I minute! How did I start neglecting my crochet all of sudden? I'll be back on top in a minute.

Happy Birthday to Me! Happy Birthday to Me! Yeah, I guess. I almost tried to forget it but I couldn't. No big plans or anything, but nowadays I just feel blessed to have a good day. My two girlfriends came out on Saturday. I love you sooo much Dawanna and Ronnie. Just out of the blue they decided to come visit me. We went to the "pre-opening" of West Sacramento's new Ikea and spent way too long there. And then we came home and played in make-up. I didn't know before Saturday, but that's exactly what I wanted to do for my birthday. I'm really considering starting a diet now (I was just gonna let myself go before). But I sent Dawanna away with some clothes that I can't fit anymore because she's lost 67 pounds! OMG!!!! Girl, you look great!

I bought a huge shelf at Ikea without even knowing whether or not it would fit in my car. It did! And I was even able to close the trunk. Although I did have to leave one of my children behind (just kidding, he rode in another car). We got three very long and heavy boxes into the house without incident. On Sunday the kids and I went to the Black Expo and the first booth that we saw had a great job listing. Then we made it all the way home with a trunk load of groceries before the big rain storm hit. Yes!

See what I mean? Two good days in a row. A great b-day present. I think I'll buy a lottery ticket, maybe two.

Flower Pillow One decor item down and who knows how many to go. This girly room is always a work in progress. I guess I'll have to break for a moment to complete some of that year-end paper work.

The Fruit Hat I was able to convert what used to be just a sock hat into this sweet fruit hat with the arrival of my new yarn in the mail. Yipee! Another finished project. No matter how small, I always get excited.

I've started a flower pillow.

As seen on Crochetme.com. This is in celebration of the fact that the crib has been officially converted into a toddler bed. I have a definite idea on what I want to do for the bedding (her theme is Butterflies and Bling), but I don't know where I'm going to get the materials from yet. I need cotton crochet thread in a large variety of "springy" colors. If you have any ideas let me know.

I'm having crocheter's block.

I've just ordered some variegated yarn, and plan to make a funky sweater for the toddler. I'm so excited. Exhausted too. I'll keep you posted fa sho! But in the mean time, I don't know what to do with my crochet energy. I guess I'm forced to tidy up. Help me, Lord.

Chic on a Halfshell Indeed

Well, the daycare will accommodate my new schedule. I will have to scoop the kids out of bed at about 4:20 am so that I can be to work at 5:00 am. My new purse and I took them to Chuck E. Cheese last night so that I can deal with my guilt.

I used two rolls of Aunt Lydia's 100%Mercerized Cotton thread for this project. It's what I had left over from the flower jumper. $1.50 each.

A jumper good for all seasons.

And also durable enough for this wild child. My thanks to Betty Branden and her book, Crochet For Babies & Toddlers. Superb!

Pink Sweater

My lovely model and the inspiration for 80% of my projects. Thank you, baby!

Zig Zag Skirt from Interweave Knits Crochet magazine.

This skirt is like my life, unfinished but still beautiful, high quality work. Yet totally unforgiving. I'd better get over it soon and get a high quality girdle before is gets too hot to wear this 100% wool cutie.

My co-workers an I have just been informed that overtime is required over the next four weeks (at least 8 hours per week). I am unhappy about this. I am praying that the daycare providers will comply. I will be extra patient with my kids. I will not cry. I will crochet a purse for myself.