The end of my spleen-spilling

Friday, Nov. 05, 2004 - 9:49 am

I'm so discouraged. I am sad that Bush won out over Kerry, and that I feel like half the country can't get along with the other half. Some thoughts on the election results:
� The election hinged alot on "moral values." This perplexes me, as I cannot see how Bush is morally superior to Kerry. Like I heard on Morning Edition this morning, I see moral values as including UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE, aid to the poor, protection of the environment. Bush managed to "morally" raise (or rather, not parent) 2 daughters who lie, steal, cheat, and drink underage.
� I am so hurt, personally, that over half the nation voted AGAINST health care reform. You better consider yourself DAMN lucky to have good health insurance. 49% of Americans probably don't. I spend more for my health insurance PREMIUMS per month than I do on my rent and mortgage COMBINED (we are buying a mobile home that is on a rented lot)--not including deductibles, copays, and medications. Now there's no hope for change at all, when this issue is the one that should be the #1 priority of all people. It effects you. It effects your kids. It effects your spouse. It effects your parents. We should be fixing America before we fix Iraq, IMO.
� I am concerned about both candidates' military history (Vietnam), however I think we all should admit that ALL people change over their lives, and what may seem wrong now may not have been 30 years ago. Let's decide elections on issues of TODAY, not what someone did or didn't do 30 years ago.

I am so upset by some gloating Republican supporters that I will probably no longer be reading their blogs. Honestly, it hurts me too much, brings me down, and it's hard enough to be positive about life. I don't need someone calling me a Democrap, lol! Grow up, and get a taste of MY reality. I understand many "Republican" opinions, and I respect them even if I vehemently disagree. Everyone is entitled to their opinion in this country, but how can you, as a (superior?) "moral Republican" teach respect--which I see as a very important moral value--when you resort to name-calling and slander?

Ok, now that that venom is out of my system, I will post about crafts and holidays, and other CHEERY stuff in my next entry. I have loads and loads of pictures, f.o.'s, and w.i.p.'s to share, as well as some holiday prep links.

Please take care, and be tolerant of other people. All other people.

Tuesday, Nov. 02, 2004 - 2:23 pm

Did you? You have absolutely no right to complain about the government unless you vote (unless you're too young, of course!). Get to your polling place and cast your vote.

Monday, Nov. 01, 2004 - 1:10 pm

This entry is devoted almost entirely to.....CANDY. And Halloween. (No crochet content today--tomorrow or the next day for sure, promise ;))

First, some Halloween candy questions:

◄ Is it wrong to eat some of your halloween candy before you even give it away? Heck, how about before it's even the week before Halloween? Have you ever had to buy MORE candy because you ate it all before the big day?

► Is it wrong to sneak candy out of your kids' haul after they've gone to bed on big night? How much can you eat before they notice? Is there an age limit (on the child) at which a parent should stop doing this? When they start to notice?

◄ Do you ever buy candy you don't like in order to hopefully eat less of it before trick or treaters arrive?

► Do you give more candy to the cuter costumes and little kids, and less to the deviant looking teenagers?

◄ What time is the right time to start trick or treating? What time is the right time to turn out the lights?

Now, for the scoop on the Halloween experience at our house, circa 2004.

About a month before Halloween: We brainstorm about costumes. Then for the next couple weeks, I look for bits and pieces to throw together on the decided themes. We also drag out the Halloween Box, which has all our decorations in it. I decorate the house and front porch as best as I can. Sometimes, it doesn't all get up due to lack of time, and grabby baby hands.

Last school day before Halloween: I go to Emma's school halloween parade and party, to see all the crazy costumes, and get some ideas for the next year.

Last weekend before Halloween: We carve all our pumpkins--the kids get to draw their own faces (or tell us what kind of face they want), and then we carve them. Everyone--even the babies--scrapes out their own pumpkin goop (with assistance, since a baby hand can only hold about 5 seeds).

Halloween night: Emma usually goes out with some of her friends/classmates, around 6 pm. Holly, Ryan, Tim, and I stay home and hand out candy. I was going to take Holly and Ryan up and down our street this year, but it didn't work out. They were TOOOOOOOO cranky, so they went to bed early. �

Well, that's all for now, I will have to post some pictures tomorrow. Tim had a migraine today, so was not able to email the Halloween pictures to me today.

You're Skittles!!! You have a very interesting
personality, you're so unique. You're the kind
of person who always thinks outside of the box.
You're also a very accepting individual, and
believe in inner beauty.


Which kind of candy are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2004 - 1:16 pm

Hello, and welcome to my politics-free post today!

I've fallen in love with Lion Brand Homespun yarn. I have never used it before, but now am using Mardi Gras for a sweater. I am loving this pattern, too, so far. I started working on it Friday, and now have only the sleeves left to do. I will be pissed if it doesn't come out good.

I am also working on another sweater using a ragg type yarn, but I can't think of which pattern it is right now. I have the back done on that one, and will finish it up right after my Mardi Gras one. I am really getting into making these sweaters, and am already looking forward to making other crochet sweaters. For a while, I couldn't seem to find any good/normal/quasi-fashionable/modern crochet tops--only knitted ones--but now I have a little pile of patterns I want to do. Happy!

Well, Halloween is almost here. I am looking forward to seeing all the kids dressed up in their costumes, and posting some pictures here. Emma's going to be a vampiress, Holly's going to be a ladybug, Ryan's going to be a devil. It should be interesting, since the little devil will NOT keep any hat on his head. Oh well!

Here's a fun quiz--I love the new show Desperate Housewives--it's greatly entertaining:

Congratulations! You are Lynette Scavo, the
ex-career woman who traded the boardroom for
boredom, mixed with moments of sheer panic as
the mother of four unmanageable kids.


Which Desperate Housewife are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Friday, Oct. 22, 2004 - 12:42 pm

Yikes, it's been so long since I've written--I have lots of stuff percolating in my mind (drip, drip, ...) and going on at home/work, that I haven't had nearly enough time to update here. Anyhoo....

Even though you didn't ask for it, you're getting a political serving first. I am voting for Kerry--that was a known point--but it was driven home after watching the last presidential debate. Here's why:

� Not all of the un- and under-employed are people lacking education. Therefore, not all of the unemployment problems can be "fixed" by Bush's "educational policies." He insists that employment will be better if people have more education, but that is just not true. Only about half of the jobless people need more education to get a job. The rest have numerous degrees and years of training/experience, but simply cannot find a job to use it in due to the shrinking number of openings. Trust me, come to Rochester, Mr. Bush, and find out. Tell me why I have a Master's Degree, an exemplary work record and ethic, and yet still cannot get a job to use it in anywhere in Western NY.

� Health care. OMG, how can it possibly get any worse than it already is now? We need a radical change, not more of the same. As my situation stands right now, my family will have at least 2 different insurance plans to cover us, in order to make it anywhere close to affordable. And we don't live "high on the hog" either--mobile home, one car, WIC checks, etc. Between my husband and I we work 1 full time and 1 part time job. My employer is offering family health care for about $400/month (not including deductibles, copays, and drugs). We cannot afford this so we have to enroll the kids in the NY state health care program for low income earners. And we are working full and part time! We aren't poor enough, however, to be enrolled at the family level--just poor enough to enroll the kids. I welcome the chance to have government run health care at an affordable rate. It cannot be worse than being jerked around by your employer every year as they jump on the latest insurance scheme/scam.

Phew. I feel better now. I can only hope that someone somewhere learns from my situations, and then is swayed to vote against Bush.

You preferred Bush's statements 44% of the time You preferred Kerry's statements 56% of the time Voting purely on the issues you should vote Kerry Who would you vote for if you voted on the issues? Find out now!

Now, would you like to see some crochet?
Here's Ryan's Halloween costume:
An autumn doily from Denise Crochets:
An "Apples for the Teacher" doily, also from Denise Crochets, that I gave to Brenda:
And a Christmas hat I made for myself:

And last, some family stuff--
Here's a wreath I made using a grape vine wreath I got at a garage sale for 5�. I glued some fall wood cutouts from Michael's on it:
Holly and Ryan, on the way to get Holly's picture taken:
Emma playing with playdoh:

And to end, and unidentifiable plant. Can anyone tell me what the heck this is? It is a live plant, on a stalk/stem with thorns, and the cellophane wrapper said "Pumpkin Plant." The "pumpkins" are almost like tomatoes, but with the deep vertical creases like a pumpkin has. I can't seem to find anything about it on the 'net, but ??? I thought I was being fooled at first, but it is a real plant!?

Friday, Oct. 08, 2004 - 1:40 pm

Ok, I'm trying to keep up with blogging trends (ha!), and so have attempted to add an rss feed/bloglines feed/syndicate this site. Hopefully I did it right, so that I can be added to anyone's blogroll that subscribes to bloglines. ??? I am kinda sketchy on the details of this, because I really don't feel like reading all about rss feeds and the like. I guess I am not a true computer geek. Thanks, Donna, for introducing me to this stuff. [Update: I just spent an hour reading some rss articles, and view sourcing in blogs, and now I realize that I need to add an rss "feed" which apparently some other blogging sites are providing their bloggers with. I have emailed Andrew, the Diaryland dude, to see what he can do for Diaryland users. I also found out a little about how to make my own valid feed using notepad, but I don't have time for that today. I'll try to jump back on this in a day or two, but for now, please keep checking back here manually.]

It has been a week of frogging. >:o[ I started a stole, I hated it--riiiiiip. I started another stole pattern, too narrow--riiiiiiiiiiiiiiip. I started some coasters shaped like footballs (should be simple enough, right?), could NOT figure out the pattern--riiiiiiiiiiiiiip. Started a pumpkin, and also could not figure out WHAT they were talking about--rrrriiiiiiip. Started a hat, and when it was supposed to be down to my ears, mine was only at the crown of my head still (???? what the ????)--rrrrrrrrip. Started another hat, and this pattern is also goofy (IMO), but I am NOT ripping any more, so I am playing with it so it fits me. Damnit. And you better bet that I will be putting pictures of it up here when it's done, since it's taken me so long to get into it.

You Should Vote for Michael Badnarik

Two Points. Your Libertarian Vote Just Landed in the Trash Can!

Wednesday, Oct. 06, 2004 - 4:16 pm

Eee-gads, I am not sure I like this color combo, but I'm a little too lazy right now to change it. I guess it'll do. �

I've got to take some pictures tonight, after I do some blocking and packaging. I've got a few fall doilies (WHY do I enjoy making these useless things?!), and other fall projects to show ya.

If you want to read a Halloween mystery--not scary, but funny--check out Sparkle Hayter's Robin Hudson series': It's a LOL book! I just laugh when I read her titles on Barnes and Noble.

I'm not really sure I understand this quiz, but I liked the smiley I am:

You are "Face with Glasses"

And I thought this was amusing, because I don't think I could be called "punk" by any stretch of the imagination:

You're a punk rock mommy! DIY is probably your
motto, because you're a punk mama at heart.
Your kids are getting your independent spirit
and guts, and learning to solve problems
themselves. You love it when they show their
independence, even when it's breaking your
heart.


What kind of a freaky mother are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

All righty, that's it for today. Next time I will give an update on our health insurance crisis, so I am sure you'll want to tune in for that, lol!

Monday, Oct. 04, 2004 - 8:37 pm

Hello again!

Happy fall--Here's a picture of part of my fall display in front of our house:

...and a some pix of a pumpkin hat I made for the kids:

I've got lots of other "Pumpkin Hook" projects under way, and of course you can expect more pictures when I get a chance to finish the projects, lol!, and then post them.

I love fall, and Halloween, and can't wait to carve pumpkins, and get pictures up here of all the little monsters at our house.

You know how my job SUCKS? Well, it just got a bunch worse this past week. Our lovely headquarters in Eagan, MN just rolled out the benefits package for 2005, and we will now be paying MORE THAN DOUBLE FOR LESS COVERAGE in 2005. I am so pissed, because we are, shall we say, "living on the edge" as it is. I'm going to have to give up yarn and poptarts to make ends meet now. Everyone at work is furious (because of course they gave us no warning of the 135% increase), and morale is so bad it's almost funny. Ahhhh, big business, you gotta love it. The company's talking about beefing up security because it is afraid a distraught employee will go postal. Way to go, **** Group.

In some happier news, our new pets--3 zebra danio fish, named Zipper, Jerry, and Luna--are faring well. This is what they look like (these aren't ours, but a stock photo, as I couldn't get ours to stay still for a portrait):

Thursday, Sept. 23, 2004 - 1:22 pm

Yipes! It's been ages since my last entry. I have been soooooo swamped at work, due to us being short a couple people, that I have not had time to do my normal amount of websurfing, blog updating, and pattern printing. It sucks!

Ok, first some child content, then some yarn content:

First, I have a couple pictures of the mischief that Ryan and Holly have recently gotten into. (Luckily, since Emma is 10 and [mostly] well-behaved, she has not assisted the babies in their messes. Of course she's got her own "issues" such as wanting to have sleep overs every night....) Their latest craze is "draw paper"--coloring with pen, crayon, pencil, eyeliner, anything they can get their sticky little paws on. And not always on paper. The first casualty was the arm chair, the next was the couch--where the pen exploded.

Ryan also loves to color on the floor, walls, and toys. I don't have any photos of these yet.

Holly got her hair cut like her sister's, and it looks fabulous:


Ryan loves to eat tomatos just like you'd eat an apple (he calls them "apples," and apparently doesn't care that they taste differently):

Obviously it's a little messier than an apple, but isn't that cuuuuuuuuute?

Onto some yarn-chat...
A while ago, I mentioned that kept some yarn in our wine rack, now that we don't drink wine that much anymore due to Tim's migraines :o( Here is a photo of that:
I love the way it looks, and I swap the skeins out with ones that are colors of the season, or that I am using right now.

I created a new Crochetville crochet along that I am calling Pumpkin Hook. Marj, aka Ladywyntir, kindly made a button for us to use, if you'd like to participate. All you need to do is crochet some kind of fall decor--pumpkins, ghosts, anything in fall colors, etc., and you can display this button on your blog:

Please join us, and send me photos of your creations! I will create a gallery soon, I promise!

I bought the book and am re-learning how to knit. My grandmother taught my sister and I long ago, and we started many, many scarves, but I want to learn to make sweaters, and other stuff. I can knit, purl, decrease, cast on and off, and am slowly learning other stitches. I made a scarf from a pattern in the book. It takes soooooooo much longer than crochet, that I am kind of annoyed with it. I have started making a tank top, and then frogged it and am following the knitting pattern but doing it in crochet. I want to make myself complete a knit top, too, though, so I will have to get back into it very soon. Or else I will get mad at myself.

Ok, that's enough for today, I may pop in again tomorrow to add more interesting photos and content. I will end with a quiz that I was saving til it was really hot here in upstate NY, but that probably won't happen now that Fall is here....

Your Icecream Flavour is...Neopolitan!

You aren't satisfied with just one flavor. They say variety is the spice of life and this shines through in your Ice cream of choice! Just don't eat all the chocolate and leave the strawberry and vanilla behind!

What is your Icecream Flavour?

Find out at Go Quiz

Friday, Sept. 10, 2004 - 9:41 am

Ok, I have lost the bloggin' fever this past week or two, but need to add a quick post so everyone knows I am still alive and kickin'. The company I work for is having a company picnic today so I only have to be chained to my desk for another 2 hours today--woo hoo, woo hoo. The bad part about it is that this part of the state is in a state of emergency with flooding (due to Frances rain, I guess), so it is likely to be one SOGGY park. Oh well, still better than being "at" work!

Here's a recent picture of the little bohemoths:

They are QUITE a handful--more on that later. I have some pictures of what the 2 smallest have been up to, and it ain't all good.

This is my completed pillow for the crochetville pillow along--it is in fall colors, and I made up the pattern (such as it is). I added an edging of boa around it and left the 4th side open so that I can easily change pillow coverings when I have more made (or someone spill juice on it). �

Here is my finished purse for the crochetville bag along--I like it much better, now that it's assembled. I added daisies on each side, and velcro closures:

I have also completed my scarf for my scarf swap buddy--I hope she likes it--she said she wanted a really long one, so this one is realllllly long--almost 7 feet! I think it's pretty cool though. It's a color pattern I made up as I was going along. **Stay tuned for photos**

In honor of my husband, Tim, I found out what my name translates to in Diablo II "language": Blight Slime the Hungry. I thought that was pretty funny, since I eat CONSTANTLY, lol! Here's the place to find out what your "monster" name is!

And finally, some info about my real name: