Twilight Craze!

So, I thought I was above it...I scoffed at the people who told me that Twilight was a must read and stuck to my story--"Vampire stories are dumb. You will never catch me reading those books." Working at a junior high/high school with untold numbers of teenage girls all swooning over Edward the Vampire and Jacob Black made me laugh and think "I'm sooooo glad that's not me!" I even found out that they have "TEAM EDWARD" and "TEAM JACOB" t-shirts BUT!!! (you knew there was a but coming, right?) apparently I am incapable of sticking to my guns. Kim checked Twilight out from the library and I was forced to read it. She made me, I swear!! I was hooked. I feel like a junior high girl because even I am picking "Teams" (Go team Jacob!) even if I don't think I'll ever buy the shirt. One of the things that I find so fascinating about this Twilight Phenomenon (Craze!) is that it is so widespread. Even though I never thought there was a chance that I would read it, I was sucked in...I am even probably going to go to the movie (I've even been invited to the midnight showing, though I haven't decided yet if I'm going.) I found a pretty funny blog about it and now when my students are talking about it in class I feel a smug sense of being included; I know what they are talking about! There are 4 books in the saga and they are not tiny books...In the last week (Since Sunday) I have read the last three with the exception of the last 100 pages of the last book and I expect to have those completed by tonight :-) So.....You will understand if when I talk to you I say, "Hi. My name is Tanya and I read Twilight."

"The Cutest Little Cowpoke"

So, Tyler went with Doug and his family to something (Clovis Fest? I think...) in Old Town Clovis and they took pictures there of Tyler with a pony...stinkin' adorable! Somewhere I have a picture of me when I was almost Tyler's same age and in almost the same pose...If I find them, you can bet they will be posted for comparison...

The Way I See It#298

"Our prejudices arise from the fear of things we do not understand. If my generation has a single goal, it must be to promote education--education that advances us not only technologically, but also intuitively and emotionally. In today's fast-paced world, advancing has to mean more than scientific discovery; it is our responsibility to force ourselves beyond our comfort zones and become knowledgeable about the people around us."
-----Jessica Arden Ettinger
Starbucks customer and student at the University of Virginia

Bits and Pieces

This is a blog post filled with bits and pieces--news, paper, fabric, yarn, etc.

A few weeks ago (October 4-5th) I had the opportunity to participate in the First Annual Quilt Camp (there were a lot of f-words, but I can't remember them all...NO, not those f-words silly...they were food, fun, friends, fabric, and some other ones I can't remember...) Everyone had at least one project they were working on (many had more than one!) I have an almost completed quilt top that I cut and pieced while there, Mom finished an awesome Thomas the Train quilt just in time for Tyler's birthday party, and Kim cut and pieced her quilt in the "Yellow Brick Road" Pattern.

I also finished my 3rd knit hat...Granted, it's nowhere near as fancy as Jessie's, but I love it! The color is awesome, the yarn was a dream to knit and the swirls just make me happy. What can I say? I'm a girl with simple needs.

And on the knitted hat front...Kim knit up the cutest fishbowl hat for Tyler for his birthday. It is knit in blue (his favorite color...) and it was even cold enough for him to need to wear it!

Even though I have not yet finished my quilt from quilt camp, I was so inspired by Kim's Yellow Brick Road that I had to rush out and pick new fabrics so that I could make one too...in my spare time...hmmm...well, here they are--washed, folded and waiting for my spare time to come in the mail...

Yesterday, Tyler and I did paper torn crafts(it's the teacher in me)...I was thinking beautiful fall day...

And he was thinking race cars speeding along their tracks...
Here's his finished product. Maybe it's the proud mommy in me, but I'm pretty sure he has a bright future in art!I went with Jessie and Kim to the Civil War Revisited at Kearney Park last weekend and had a blast (hahaha...get it, cannons, guns, blast? hmmmm, nevermind)!!! The battle was great, the kettle corn was very tasty, but the best part of the whole thing was getting to chat with the spinners and seamstresses about their old old old treadle sewing machines. One lady was there with hers that doesn't use a bobbin, but insead does chain stitching, which was a beautiful finished stitch. I have decided that I could become quite obsessed with spinning and may need to take it up as a hobby...a very expensive, but productive and soothing hobby.

At the Civil War Tyler was feeling...hmmm...less-than-chipper, shall we say?

but he did perk up a bit during the battle when he saw the men riding around with swords...

Come to find out he has/had a virus called Herpangina (which sounds like an std, but I am assured it is different). He had painful sores in his mouth and wasn't interested in eating, drinking, talking, or moving ...he was a big lump on a log for several days. One day I can't home from work to find Tyler and Mom (thank you!) in this position, which apparently they had already been in for several hours...

But he seems to be fully recovered; after 3 days off school, he returned yesterday just in time for his school trip to the pumpkin patch. We will be headed off for adventures in Disney Land tonight and I expect that show up on the blog here one of these months...

Yay for Midwives!

Did you know that this week is National Midwfery Week? I would like to take the time to thank my midwife (from 3 years ago...no, I'm NOT pregnant right now!) for all her guidance and knowledge while I was pregnant and laboring...It is kind of neat that Tyler's third birthday fell during the National Midwifery Week because without my midwife, he would have been born in a much different manner. Thank you Jacque!!!

I am a gardener!

sort of...Mom, Dad, Kim and I went down to Reedley to help Grandma out with her yardwork and housework that she has been unable to complete with the use of only one of her arms...see how nicely trimmed those roses and strawberry plants are? yep...that was me!

Tyler and I also went to the Fresno Highland Games on Saturday to watch the dancers (and so I could get some jewelry!)

There was even a little boy dancer who was probably about 6 or 7...Tyler was most impressed with him..."Mama...Do you think I could dance like these dancers when I get older?" Ummm...sure honey...I'll start saving my money now because I'm pretty sure those outfits cost a fortune!

And on the knitting front...I have completed one slipper...Tyler was less than impressed...when he found out there was only one, he moved on to bigger and better things...he's not much on delayed gratification! (Oh, and it's about an inch and a half too long for him!)

I completed one blue hat...sewn up and everything!...super cute...however, since it's destined to be a gift, I am not showing a pic yet...soon though!

And I also started one very awesome red wool-ish hat that has super cool spiral ribbing...which is all mine!! so pics are included of progress...

I'm a free agent...unfortunately

I applied for, interviewed for and was rejected for a position as a 7th Grade Academic Block (Language Arts and World History) Teacher...I know that God has a plan for everyone's life and I learned from Maria VonTrapp that when God closes one door, he will always open a window and that if we ever want to make God laugh we should just tell Him our plans, and all those other catchy little phrases designed to help a rejected person feel better...but it still stinks to lose out on a chance at a great job.

On a more positive note--I am going great guns on my knitting...I have one hat almost done (all it needs now is to be sewn from a flat piece of knitted fabric into a shapely hat), a second hat 1/2 way knit and one small yellow slipper nearly completed. I have learned that I do not really follow a pattern well. Rather than thinking of myself as a "crappy pattern follower" I choose to view myself as an innovative, creative, free-knitting improviser. It's working for me so far...but let's see if the same holds true for when I try knitting a cable.