Gratitude

Oh, thou my beloved air-conditioner & ceiling-fan.
My heart doth rejoice in the cool air thou blowest
on my pregnant belly...

I'll spare you further poetry attempts.

Look what I got in the mail! A handmade Kiwiana bunting for Lil' Bean from Elijah's Mum (I won't say her real first name, cause I don't know if she's an "out of the closet about her name" blogger or not.) over at Currently Unnamed. She blogged about it here & the mailman must have been speed-skating across the Pacific or something, 'cause it got here fast.

It came with a pretty pair of earrings and some postcards from NZ. I can't show you a picture of those, & I can only show you less than half of the bunting, because my camera isn't cooperating. I got very frustrated with my camera today and it made me dream about something like this, but since the title of this blog is "Gratitude," I'll say that mostly I'm very happy with my camera. The bunting has found a home in the dining-room where it looks so pretty by the fireplace and over the entryway. - I can't decide where to put it.

Thank you so much for the Kiwiana treasures! Made my day, really!

The Night The Lights Went Out...

... in Georgia in Richmond, Virginia.

It was just a minor storm, but I'm one of the lucky 4,400 Richmonders who continue to be without power this morning. Oh, how I have gotten used to the luxury of air-conditioning. I was miserable last night. So hot & humid.

It's going to be 90 F (32 C) today. I decided to leave this morning & have an iced mocha here at my favorite cafe. I'm not a shopper, but I think I'm gonna shop a bit today, just so I can enjoy the air-conditioning stores have to offer.

It's supposed to be taken care of by midnight. Can't wait for the cool breeze.

Oh, I'm so spoiled...

A Cause Dear To My Heart

I started reading Matt's blog over two years ago. Matt's wife, Liz, died the day after giving birth to their daughter, Madeline. In her memory The Liz Logelin Foundation was created to assist families who find themselves in the heartbreaking situation of having lost a spouse or partner.

If I remember correctly, I stumbled upon the blog one night through Jackie's blog.

I did not know then that one day I'd be on a similar path...

Through a comment I made on Jackie's blog a few months ago, Sarah found me. Her fiance died two weeks after they found out they were going to have another baby & she has been a tremendous help for me throughout this pregnancy.

On September 17th, 2010, there will be a "Celebration of Hope" Gala to benefit The Liz Logelin Foundation and I have decided to knit a shawl to donate to the silent auction.

Liz's favorite color was pink. I found a beautiful skein of MadelineTosh in Carnation. Liz & Matt traveled quite a bit. I remembered the Traveling Woman Shawl that had been in my Ravelry queue for a while. Liz Abinante, the designer of Traveling Woman (Ravelry link), has kindly given me permission to use her pattern to create a shawl for this auction. - "A Pink Traveling Woman." I shall keep you posted on my progress.

I want to encourage you to create something to donate as well. You can find more information here. If you scroll down a bit, you will also find a downloadable donation form. The Gala will take place in Minnesota where it gets r-r-really cold in winter. Let's keep the people up there warm while crafting for a good cause!

Another Giveaway

My mind has been blank as to what to create (or offer) for another Giveaway. So, to make it interesting for each & every one to participate, I've decided that "the prize" is going to be individualized for the person who wins. How about that? I'll be doing some blog stalking to find out what you like.

If you don't blog, please tell me a lil' somethin' about yourself in the comment section. Writing, "I love diamond rings," isn't gonna work!

Your task is to guess Lil' Bean's birthweight. The person who gets it right or has the closest guess will be the "winner." The "winner" will be determined at some point after Lil' Bean's birth, depending on my well-being.

To accommodate everyone, you may write your guess in pounds/ounces or in grams. I'll happily do the math on my end. (Did I just say that?) Noah was 8lbs.5ozs.(3770g) at birth, Nathan 8lbs.6ozs.(3810g). However, I'm told that genetics play a role & those are different with Lil' Bean. Guesses over 10 pounds(4530g) will be automatically disqualified. You're mean if you wish that upon me and not worthy of a prize. (Just kidding!)

Your guess is your entry.
Each person just gets one entry with this one.
Have fun!

My Midwife Monday

I had a lovely visit with my midwife today. I feel so blessed to have found such a wonderful, spiritual, experienced, knowledgeable... the-list-goes-on... woman. It's such a change from what you get from your regular "John Doe OB/GYN." - But then again who wants to spend a lot of time with their OB/GYN? Not me! Having a midwife is so different. She wants you to be informed & make informed decisions. She has this very beautiful, spiritual view of birth. I'm just lovin' it!

Friday, August 13th will be a good day for me: "Safe date" to have a homebirth.

I also learned that in the state of Virginia (although it may be so elsewhere as well) you can give your baby any last name you wish. You could even create a name if you wanted to. This was a total surprise for me. It's good news as Lil' Bean will only have a Mama listed on his birth certificate, but he can have his Papa's last name.

He is perfectly sized in the perfect position. She gently pushed on my belly a bit, and he immediately tried to "kick her away" & his heartbeat got faster. It was funny. So, she tells me, he's perfectly alert in there, too.

A perfect Monday. I like me some of those. :-)

Since I like giveaways so much (or maybe just because it's such a darn perfect Monday & I'm in a good mood), I'm thinking about doing another giveaway. A "Guess The Baby Weight" Giveaway. Not sure yet what the treasure will be, but you might want to start thinking of a number...

C i r c u s

It's 105 F (41 C) here today & humid as usual. I really didn't want to go anywhere in this heat. Alas, curiosity killed the cat. I wanted to pick up the lace shawl I had pinned at the local yarn shop yesterday. And I did.

I used the pattern Ishbel by Ysolda Teague. At one point I thought about inserting a lifeline to see if I could work more lace repeats because I had so much yarn left in the skein, but then I lazied out. The mirrored lace was driving me crazy at times, but in the end I couldn't find a mistake. - Phew! It looked a bit small to me when it came off the needles, so I blocked fiercely. So fiercely in fact that last night I wondered if I had overdone it. What if just one loop snapped? Yikes. Anyhoo. It paid off. I think it's oh, so very pretty & a very nice size. (60"/150cm from left to right tip.) (Ravelry link)

I just love the colors. Yes, they remind me of a colorful C i r c u s. So vibrant. The Malabrigo Sock yarn is so soft. Incredible. I haven't found a recipient yet. - I might just need to keep it. And, as hoped, I had enough to knit up a square for the Barn-Raising Quilt & I still have a sweet lil' "leftover" ball. From being a WIP on Wednesday to Finito! I like this productivity level. I'm going to start my next lace project on Friday... A very special shawl. Stay tuned. I'll say Au Revoir with a Southern Sunday Gratitude: P-r-a-i-s-e the LORD for Air Conditioning! A-men. (You gotta say that with a southern accent!)

Farting

I must admit that I'm never good with subject lines or titles. Farting seems to gross out most people, but then again we seem to be fascinated by it in some twisted way.

Not all of this post will be about farting, but there'll be some farts. You might wanna grab a clothes pin for your nose.

Today I got "lost" in an online forum. A woman there had posted a rant about her husband's annoying behaviors. I paused for a moment and reflected on the things that annoyed me about Brent, which brings me back to farting. He farted in bed & it annoyed me. He thought it was funny. In order to annoy me more, he would sometimes pull the blanket up and get really close. I'd think, "Awww. Isn't that sweet." Then he'd fart & laugh. At some point I figured the whole thing out and I started saying something like, "Back off. You're about to fart," and I'd make sure my nose was where the air was "clear." I'm cracking up as I'm typing this. And as I'm typing the words I MISS HIS FARTING I know he's cracking up on the other side of the threshold there.

Brent was a Scorpio, and with me being a Pisces that made for a good combination. He had a lot of wonderful qualities that I appreciate in a human being. He was passionate about the things he did, with a caring & loving personality. He was a very affectionate man. But he also had that wandering eye that Scorpio men are so famous for.

There was a certain intensity to his personality, and a tad of "moodiness for no apparent reason." I'm a person who always wants everyone to be happy & when someone is not, I usually wonder if I caused it. I remember this one Saturday when I visited him. We needed cream for the soup I was making & he was in one of those moods.

(Sideline: I only drove once in New Zealand. I almost peed my pants. Driving on the left side of the road & needing to go around a traffic circle counter-clockwise spells a-n-x-i-e-t-y for me.)

"Hey. We need to go to the store and get some cream for the soup."

"Well, the bus stop is just up the lane. You know what to do."

I wasn't quite happy with that answer. In fact, I was pissed. But I realized that it was my choice whether or not I would let it get to me. A breakthrough in my personal development of sorts. :-) I grabbed my purse & left. On the way out I said, "See you later."

It was the one and only time when I literally got to the bus stop as the bus was pulling up. Perfect timing. I took the bus into Christchurch. I had a look in the touristy shops by the Christchurch Cathedral, went to the Art Gallery & then to the (totally awesome & amazing) Weekend Market at the Arts Centre where I totally lost track of time while browsing from one booth to the next. I ate something yummy, had a coffee, did some people-watching & then went back "home" - almost forgetting the cream.

When I got back Brent asked where I'd been for so long.

I pulled out all the treasures I had bought.

He said, "You went for cream."

I said, "I'm a woman. I'm on vacation. With money... You were grumpy, so I went shopping."

He said, "I got dressed & when I stepped into the lounge, you were gone."

I said, "You told me to take the bus, so I did." [Pause.] "Well, let me get the soup ready."

He said, "Soup? We're not having soup. We're going out to eat." [Pause.] "You have this ability to diffuse my moods... I can't believe you took the bus."

As I'm typing this I'm realizing that I'm not remembering his kiwi speak the way I used to, which makes me sad.

Anyhoo.

The point I was trying to make is that he wasn't perfect. He was human. There were things that annoyed the bleep out of me. Things that made him unique. Things I now miss.

So tonight, when your significant other farts in bed, take a deep breath & inhale the aroma.

Quick Giveaway

I have a wound up skein of Malabrigo Lace in Cinnabar. It's a 100% Baby Merino. I realized tonight, when attempting to start a project with it, that working with lace-weight yarn makes me fidgety and grumpy. Just too tiny for my hands to work with. I need at least a fingering-weight. I'm not gonna make you do anything fancy. If you want it, just leave a comment before I post my next blog entry - whenever that may be. But please, do knit something with it.

I'm too comfortable to get my bum out of my chaise right now to take a picture, but if you look for Malabrigo Cinnabar in Google Images, you'll get an idea.

I'll happily ship to wherever you are in this beautiful world. To keep things simple I'll announce the winner in the comment section.

Yeah, this giveaway has laziness written all over it, but it will give me an excuse to buy more yarn.

Friday

I've "met" many wonderful people through Kiwi Mummy Blogs. What an abundance of creative, witty, funny, honest & the-list-goes-on blogs there. I was happy to make a small contribution by donating two sets of knitted hens & chicks to the weekly giveaway there. Spring is coming - sooner or later. Better get ready with some spring chicks. Go have a look if you want.

Toasty & Thrifty Thursday

No, it's not a blog post about where to shop for cheap alcohol! Sorry to disappoint.

~ Toasty

If you have temperatures in your forecast like the 100F (37.5C) we're supposed to have in Richmond today, you'll probably think I'm crazy. Who wants to be toastier than that?

I hardly ever get to see pictures of children wearing the pilot-style hats I like to knit.Well, it's winter in the southern hemisphere & Cat J B over at Just this Side of Chaos posted these cute pictures of her boys wearing such a hat.

And being a Waldorf teacher one of my soap-box rants is warmth for wee lil' babies, and I will give you my soap-box link to a short & to-the-point article by the wonderful (I heard her lecture before) Susan Johnson, M.D. Then I will get off my soap-box and send you to look at more sweet pictures over at Little Kiwi Chick.

~ Thrifty

I've mentioned before that, with the exception of some treasures from New Zealand, I've been shopping for Lil' Bean's wardrobe at thrift stores aka opp-shops. Here's his 0-3 months basket closet.

Note to self: Knit some socks!

And thrifty for me, but not thrifty for my friend Laura. This was in a box I received from her this week. Green, my favorite color, and sheep. Awww! Very cute.

It's in the 3-6 months range, but if Lil' Bean takes after his parents, he'll wear it by the time he's a month old.

WIP Wednesday

It's after midnight. I can't sleep. Time for WIP Wednesday!

Ishbel (Ravelry link) using Malabrigo Sock in Archangel.

I just love the colors & the yarn is so soft. I did the small stockinette section, but I'm planning on doing the number of lace repeats one would knit for the large version. I got that idea on Ravelry. And if all goes according to plan, I will have 20g of yarn left - enough to make a square for the Barn-Raising Quilt, which is a project that needs some attention as it's approaching its One-Year-WIP Anniversary. I'm also trying not to neglect Nathan's Wonderful Wallaby & I'm working on some special hens & chicks. More about that later this week.

I'm looking forward to seeing your WIP Wednesday projects!

Tataa! It's Tuesday.

And my WIP Wednesday from last week is done!

I should know by now that lace needs blocking, but I continue to be disappointed when a lace project comes off the needles, all out of shape & uneven. When I had cast off the 480+ stitches and the blanket was not a square by any means, I considered frogging, but then the choleric in me emerged and I decided to block it into shape according to my liking. And blocking did make all the difference.

Little Boy Blue. 30"(75cm) square.

A sweet, tiny blanket.
And it smells so good from the Eucalan Eucalyptus Woolwash.

Another lace project is already on the needles. More on that at WIP Wednesday tomorrow.

Sideline: I do realize it must be awkward for blog readers from New Zealand & Australia to read these "a day behind" posts. I actually think it's funny. The United States is an advanced nation, but when it comes to the time, here in America we're always behind. ;-) Brent & I joked about that a lot. When it was Saturday for him, he would often call me to point out that I still had another workday ahead of me. Likewise, on his Mondays I would make it a point to emphasize how much I was enjoying my Sunday.

Monday

Some Mondays are manic, some are mellow. Others are mushy & melancholic. This one is marked by lots of mucking around and mulling things over.

I had a marvelous experience with Matrix Energetics yesterday around midday. Has anyone heard of it? I'd been feeling miserable for a few days and it really made me feel a lot better. Very meaningful indeed.

I also realized that it's okay to state my needs and to distance myself from those who want to leave their meaningless muck at my doorstep. I don't have to own their problems. It may sound like a simple realization, but for someone who always wants to fix things & be helpful that was a big step.

Last night I had this dream. The classroom I was substitute-teaching in had a train track & a highway meander through it. How mental is that?

I'm listening to memorable music.

I managed to mail some mailings at the mailing facility. (Being a teacher, I'd mark that sentence with a magenta marker for repetitive word use.)

Then I treated myself to a milky mocha.

When I came home, I couldn't help but notice how magnificent that sage has become.

The mother-me is still missing my mischievous boys.

Back to knitting with that multicolored Malabrigo now.

How's your Monday going?

Just Somethin'

A dear childhood friend gave birth to a baby daughter, Leonie, at the beginning of the month. I talked to my friend on the phone for a very long time today. There's something about hearing a birth story, I tell ya! As we spoke, my friend's mother & father, the first-time grandparents were there holding the lil' one & rocking her. Then my friend told me that her partner, a gardener, takes their daughter for a daily walk through the garden after he comes home from work; how he shows her everything; how they (well, he) count the apples ripening on the apple tree...

What a sweet picture. Doesn't that just make you go Awwww? I'm so glad for her lil' daughter. I know she's chosen a special, close-knit family to be born into. Although I was overjoyed and it was so nice to talk to my dear friend for over an hour, I couldn't help but sigh after I got off the phone.

Lil' Bean is coming into this world under very different circumstances. I suppose all paths are unique. I have to trust that it's that way for a reason. There won't be grandparents holding him and rocking him to sleep. (Brent's parents passed away years ago. My mother has chosen not to be part of my life anymore after learning of the pregnancy. My father lives on a different continent.)

And there won't be the loving arms of a father who will take him for a walk... along the beach, maybe. - Brent loved living so close to the ocean...

Why on earth would a child choose to be born into such a difficult situation? My heart aches thinking about all the things Lil' Bean won't have in his life, which makes me even more grateful for all the love that is coming to us in so many different ways from friends near & far; friends I know in person; friends I may have never met.

Thank you, friends.

Smile

Children enjoying their "meat" bribe. Must have been time to get a haircut.
Sure enough.

I miss my children & I'm a bit under the weather. I've been looking at old photos. These pictures are over a year old (April 2009). Two days between them. Nathan actually prefers his hair short. Noah prefers his hair ala Jimi Hendrix. Anyhoo. I miss these goofy children.

Disclaimer: Yes, we eat meat. Yes, my children like to pig out at Whole Foods. No, we don't drink sweet milk & soda often. And no, I don't bribe my children with meat. Sounds like a good idea, though. ;-)

A Sweet Moment

The picture doesn't do the moment justice, but this brought a smile to my face yesterday: Clothing drying out in the bright & warm sunshine. The wee lil' things in newborn size for Lil' Bean's homebirth box right next to that humongous shirt Brent left me...

Announcing The Winner...

Two blog posts today. WIP Wednesday can be found here. I wanted this announcement to be on the top of the page, though.

Lots of people got the name right. Lots of little treasures waiting to be mailed to: a simple quilter * Kelly * emerson-j * renee ~ heirloom seasons * Twig & Toadstool * Folky Dots * Wendi * highwaycottage * momma rae * Rachel Sime.

Please e-mail me your address if you're one of the lucky people!

I mentioned the name in this blog post and yes, it's Nuriel.

Anyhoo.

I drew the winner the "old-fashioned way" this morning. I made sure those with multiple entries had multiple lil' pieces. It was all legit. And the Babynaming Laceshawl goes to...

Enjoy!

WIP Wednesday

This blanket is inspired by two blogs I like to read.

Sharon over at down---to---earth inspires her readers to keep it simple, homemade & to use what you've got. I love her wisdom. I had lots of this pretty Robin's Egg O~Wool left, but in varying dye-lots. I've finally decided to unravel this project, too. I just didn't "get" the pattern anymore once I got to the sleeves & the baby it was intended for is almost one year old in the meantime. The perfectionist in me wanted to go and splurge on oodles of "matching" fancy yarn. However, I don't think the baby will one day need to see a therapist because his baby blanket was created from different dye-lots. I decided to use the remainder of the O~Wool I have for the center & I will use variegated sock-yarn leftovers for a colorful border if the O~Wool doesn't create a good size.

Franklin over at The Panopticon has created some stunning baby shawls, like this one or this one. And y'all know I like me some lace-knitting. :-) He calls them baby shawls because they are not the kind of blankets you wanna see dragged around on the floor. I'm a lace-pattern-designer-wannabe - emphasis on wannabe... For now I'm happy modifying the designs of others. For this blanket ('cause dragging it around on the floor is gonna be okay with me) I chose a simple fir cone lace pattern & I'm knitting it in the round from the inside out.

The beginnings of "Lil' Boy Blue"

I also wasn't gonna let another Wednesday pass without some progress on Nathan's Wonderful Wallaby, "Fisherboy." Sleeve #2 is almost done! Yay! He will be going on a camping-type trip in September & I hope to have it finished by then. A hanknit hooded sweater just seems a perfect thing to have for somethin' like that.

Giveaway - That's All

Just a reminder that the Babynaming Laceshawl Giveaway closes Tuesday. You can still enter here. I will announce the winner and Lil' Bean's name on Wednesday. I decided to spend a day knitting rather than blogging about knitting. By WIP Wednesday time there will hopefully be some progress to report.

Sentimental Sunday

The memories of traveling to New Zealand a year ago are vivid in my heart & mind this month. A year ago today I was here - with Brent. I've seen quite a bit of this world. Without a doubt, Akaroa is on my top five list of beautiful places...

Random Saturday

I've been in a knitting frenzy. It's nice to have the time to just sit & knit & reflect & drink Barley coffee. This is my third soaker. The information on what yarn is best for a soaker is so varied. I didn't want to knit them all of the same yarn and then find out that my choice was off, so I'm knitting a rainbow of soakers from a variety of yarns. This one is a Malabrigo one. Way too big. It's so hard for me to go back and remember how tiny these wee lil' babies are. When Lil' Bean is born, it will be around 12 years to the day that I gave birth to Nathan.

I so love this colorway. I think the poop-stains would blend right in.

Up next is a square I created real quick last night using O~Wool Balance. It's for an upcoming Friendship Quilt swap. 12" square. I used the entire skein with maybe a yard to spare. I wanted a square that was knit from the inside out, like the Barn-Raising squares, but I didn't wanna do just plain knitting, so I used the leaf lace pattern from Evelyn Clark's Leaf Lace Shawl pattern. I kinda like it. 11 more to go. Yikes.

Please ignore the dusty wood floor.

And then for the proud Mama moments... Nathan drew this picture a couple of months ago & entered it into an art contest. When we checked out the website the following month to see who the winner was, we were sort of bummed out. Nathan's picture didn't make it & the winning one seemed much less sophisticated. Well, today the mailman showed up with a big envelope. I didn't recognize the return address & opened it. Inside was a note saying that Nathan won this month's art contest with his picture, but when I look at the website I still can't see it there. I called him to let him know & he was quite happy. They are on their way to Minnesota where they will spend a few days at a lake house. They were traveling through his beloved Illinois as we spoke.

Autumn Cardinal (Nathan - 11 Years Old)

My older one gave me a proud Mama moment this week, too. In 7th grade the school does give grades in preparation for a transition to a non-Waldorf high school. It was a report filled with "A" and "B+" for Noah. Proud Mama I am.

Last (but not least) I wanted to thank all of you for the lovely comments you leave me. I rarely ever respond to them, but I want you to know that they are quite inspiring to me. They make me smile & lift me up when I need it. Namaste!

This Pregnancy

Six weeks to go, but more likely seven, but then again maybe as little as four...

I can still fit my "fat jeans," if I button them below the belly. I'm quite happy with that. I gained way too much with my two older boys. It got a bit uncomfy today and I wondered how to unbutton & unzip my pants gracefully in the middle of a crowded cafe.

I'm still working on creating a beautiful home for the boys to come back to after some weeks away & for the baby to be born in. I feel like I'm a bit behind. I'm only now knitting the third soaker. I have yet to order cloth diapers. (Help, Renee!) I still need to find a comfortable baby-carrier in the midst of too many choices.

I'm happy with some decisions I have made. The sweet little baby things I have found when thrift-store aka opp-shop shopping are just amazing. I've received so many wonderful hand-me downs from friends. I think people go way over when it comes to spending on weddings & babies. It's so nice to have things simple & low-key.

I continue to crave crunchy green salads, which is good & iced Mochas, which is probably not so good. My Hemoglobin had been as low as 7.2 g/dL, but it's now a healthy 12.5 g/dL, which is good. I credit Floradix & Pulsatilla for the ultimate success. I think my body doesn't make the best use of mineral-based iron supplements. Anyhoo. Physically I feel good.

My emotional state is a bit wobbly. I'm mostly happy & cheerful. I've been listening to a lot of music & Lil' Bean seems to like it. I love our new house. But, I'm slightly fearful of the next few weeks. - What if something goes wrong? I'm afraid of more death. It's this silent thing that creeps up on me - usually at night. I don't quite know what to do with it.

The Babynaming Laceshawl Giveaway is still happening. You can find the link here. Looks like I will be sending out lots of lil' gifts to people. ;-)

Unplanning The Plan & Somethin' Finished

The plan was not to unpack the boxes labeled "junk" & to store them in the attic... indefinitely. Doesn't that sound like a plan you could have come up with, too? I mean, by golly why would we ever need "junk?" Of course something useful could be in one of these "junk" boxes, so throwing them out now would not be an option.

Please do tell me that so far what I'm saying is totally reasonable, normal, logic & makes sense. :-) I like it when people tell me I'm normal. A few years ago I had a therapist for a couple of weeks & I vividly remember the day he told me he thought I was perfectly normal. :-)

Anyhoo.

Here comes the curve-ball.

I picked up the last three boxes I had stored at a friend's house today (not "junk") & my extensive knitting needle collection that I was still searching for wasn't in any of the three boxes. Big bummer! The only logic explanation is that they ended up in a box that got labeled "junk." Gasp! I guess I'll be unpacking all the "junk" boxes anyhow & I bet they will turn up in the very last box I will unpack no matter which sequence I decide on.

And here's an "it was an insomic Wednesday night" finished project...

Malabrigo Silk-Merino. I just really liked the colorway.
Off to Australia it goes to Kat J B's youngest child...

Heartache & WIP Wednesday

It was the kind of day that makes you wonder if things had turned out better had you just stayed in bed. Lots of strange things happening around paperwork-related things that really annoyed the bleep out of me. As I was driving home, I started crying & screaming. Why did he have to die?

I flung myself on a living-room chair where this caught my eye on the bookshelf & things went downhill from there...

It's one of my favorite pictures in the book New Zealand Landscapes by Andris Apse, although certainly all the pictures are stunning. What an idyllic homestead in the midst of these beautiful hills! It reminds me of Canterbury, although it's actually near Tahora on the North Island. Brent gave me the book for Christmas. He had given me The Penguin History Of New Zealand when he first visited in April of last year. It has 500+ pages and I never read the entire book, so Brent joked that he would only give me picture books from then on... and he did.

He wrote in the front of the book, "Happy Christmas 2009, Cadi! The landscapes are better with you in them. Maybe some places to visit next time. Much love, Brent"

Less than a month later he died. "Next time" was supposed to be now.

Sigh.

Deep breath.

Now let me climb out of the pit to do the WIP Wednesday thing...

Something finished. Yay! I love the buttons.

Plans for this stash from bottom up: 12" square for a Friendship Quilt swap; Percy Lace Shawl; mini shawl.

A pilot-hat (Malabrigo) in the back (I finally got started, Cat J B!) & a Vanilla soaker in the front.

This should get the reward for "the longest lasting WIP ever." Remember? At one point I had three sleeves done, now I've "progressed" to one done.

Working on gathering the things listed on the homebirth supplies list.

And still unpacking...

Noah's bookshelf is coming along.

Ever heard of a dresser full of Legos? Well, it's reality in our house. There was a time when I wanted to sort them by color - in rainbow order. Crazy, huh?

Mini Shawl & Kitten

I'm falling in love with these wee little shawls that would be pretty on a doll or as a fancy drool-cloth on a baby. This one was the result of playing around with a lace pattern & just wanting to see how it looks. It'll be available in my Etsy shop in a few days.

And a lucky snapshot of one of the kittens. Yin or Yang I cannot tell. The only way to keep them apart is by looking at the tip of the tail.

Pea Pod Knittsie

Here's what I do when I avoid unpacking boxes labeled "JUNK." Yes, my children packed quite a few of those...

Last night I finally created my auction donation to the school. A former colleague & his wife welcomed their first baby in May & they won this custom-item at the auction. The color is a light green. I used organic Classic O~Wool. I'm still looking for the perfect buttons.

I've always loved the Pea Pod Baby Set (Ravelry pattern link), which is unfortunately no longer available at the Interweave website, but I strongly dislike needing to sew things up, so I decided to tweak it and make it into a bottom-up Raglan construction minus the neck-edging.

The pieces before joining.

It was my first top-up Raglan & the first few rows were quite tricky!

But eventually I could see that it was gonna work out.

And it did. Done minus buttons.

Moi House

First off, I must mention just how much I miss my children. They are spending the summer with their Dad in Kentucky and I can't wait for them to be home and see our new house and the sweet little kittens. Nathan has a bad case of swimmer's ear. He was so miserable when we spoke the other night & complained that his Dad was making him take "unnatural Tylenol" (rather than homeopathics). I thought that was kinda funny. They are camping over the holiday weekend & I hope he will still have fun, although he can't swim in the lake. I made Noah's day yesterday when the bookstore had 20% off all used books, and I got five hardback Harry Potter books for $35. Only #2 missing now. He reads them over & over again, so the paperbacks just didn't last.

Anyhoo.

If you came here for the Babynaming Laceshawl Giveaway, you can find the link here. Have fun. It's been great to read all the comments thus far.

Now on to the house...

It was built in 1910 in Barton Heights, which was actually the first suburb ever in Richmond. Original hardwood floors & fireplaces, but modern bathroom & brand new kitchen. Porch in the front. Deck in the back. Lotsa berry bushes & gardening potential. Psst... Maybe even chicken underground potential...

Picture a lil' pond there to the left (or right?) of the path & two or three fruit trees on the right side of the house... and lots of flowering this-n-that here-n-there... - At least that's how I picture it one day.

Rainbow organization - just slightly over the top. Actually, it looks very pretty, but it requires knowing the spine color of a book to find it quickly. Not very practical... Well, but pretty.

A little peek into the dining-room. The picture was Nate's Mother's Day Gift to me in 2007.

The living-room mantle gives me an opportunity to display my green glassware & there's still room for many, many more pictures. I'm still looking for the box with my big yarn & knitting needle stash.

I'm craving crunchy green salads & fresh berries. Not a bad pregnancy craving to have.

All pictures of the kittens are a blur. They just don't hold still at all...

Tataa... A Babynaming Giveaway!

I came to this yummy local cafe this morning to have a bacon-cheddar-spinach wrap (so good) & a hot mocha for breakfast, and to use their internet connection to create this post many of you have been waiting for.

So, I've created this shoulder shawl. I hope you will like it, 'cause I'm giving it away. I used the Flower Basket Lace Shawl & Scarf pattern by Evelyn Clark. The shawl measures 60” (150 cm) from left to right tip & about 24” (60 cm) from top edge to bottom tip. – A generous size. The yarn is organic Merino O~Wool in Cranberry (or Mulberry?).

Your task is to guess Lil' Bean's name! Sorry if you think that's boring. I'm not quite ready to let the blogger-world actually name my child. ;-)

Here are the hints:

(1) I'm sticking with the cultural origin out of which my older boys were named & to the same beginning letter as well.

(2) It's considered a boy name, but I find it has a unisex quality, so I would also give the name to a girl.

(3) I've mentioned the name in a blog post earlier this year.

I don't know if Brent would have loved or hated the name. He would have had some strong opinion one way or the other, though. He was just that kinda guy. After he died, one day I stood on the playground in a sunny spot & looked up to the sun. Suddenly I knew in my heart that this should be the name. I've asked Brent to make another one pop up in my heart if he didn't agree, but nothing has come to me from the spiritual realms, so I'm assuming he agrees.

Here's how it'll work. You can have up to four entries. Please leave a separate comment for each!

(1) Leave a comment with a name guess.

(2) Leave another comment if you are following this blog.

(3) Blog about this giveaway & leave another comment with the URL to your blog post.

(4) Tell me your location. I always love to know where people who read my blog are from.

On all your comments, please leave me an e-mail or your blog URL so I can easily contact you. I will use random.org to generate a winner since my children are out of town, so they can't do the "draw a name out of a hat" thing. You do not have to guess the correct name to win.

If you get the name right, I will send you some yummy handmade chocolates a lil' surprise in the mail, but it won't be a shawl.

Entries will be accepted through Tuesday, July 13th, 2010 - midnight wherever you are!

Have fun!

House-impressions coming up in the next few days.

Happy 4th of July Weekend!

(Added July 4th: The Ravelry link is here. And of course I will send it to anywhere in the world!)

Update...

The laceshawl is drying. I pinned it at the local yarn shop. It's looking good. Stay tuned for the Babynaming Laceshawl Giveaway starting Friday, July 2nd!

Still no internet at home. Laptop still suffering from something...

Good news.
~ Lil' Bean is head-down. "In the most optimal position," according to my midwife.
~ Iron-levels are on the rise (big time). Yay!
~ And then something really hilarious. I've always been on the chubby side of the spectrum. Well, my blood sugar level after the diabetes test was very low, so I've been encouraged to eat more frequently to keep my blood sugar up. That is so funny to me. I've always been told to 'slow down' when it comes to eating. With my two older boys I gained around 70 pounds. Eight weeks to go & I've gained fifteen this time around. Just very pleased.
~ We have a set of kittens. Yin & Yang. They were supposed to be two boys, but turns out one is a boy & the other a girl. Very mischievous. Hilarious. Super-cute.

Bad news.
~ Still no pictures, so you must imagine everything. :-)