I'm an Esme

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

I found out by taking this quiz that I am an Esme. Although, I think it was a close competition between Alice and Esme because whenever I found myself wavering between two answers, they were the Alice and Esme answers (I know they are supposed to be secret, but come on...everyone knows)...Harumph....I wanna be Alice! Honestly, Esme is such an underdeveloped background character that you don't even meet her until a good chunk of the way into the story. She seems so "just there" as a space holder or something. Alice is fun and perky and all the things I like to see myself as...Oh well...

Kitchen Fun

As I was taking my pictures off of my camera tonight I came across some pictures that I had intended to post on the blog, but apparently never quite got around to it...so, better late than never, right? Tyler and I had a rare day off together, just the two of us...so what's a mom to do when she has the day off and her kid doesn't go to school? Cook fun things, of course!

We made blue and green pancakes...

Which, as you can see, were a HUGE hit! Tyler has inherited my preference for dipping his pancakes instead of smothering them...

And then, because pancakes for breakfast was not enough, we made brownies too and Tyler had the opportunity to lick the beaters, the bowl,...everything!
Again...a HUGE hit!

Enjoy your coffee...

I receive a daily joke email from guy on the internet named Pastor Tim and included in each of these is a daily illustration. Sometimes these are funny, sometimes more thought provoking. Last Thursday (2/5/09) he sent this one:

"A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. The conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain-looking, some expensive, and some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.
After all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases, it's just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups and then began eyeing each other's cups."
Now consider this: Life is the coffee, and the jobs, houses, cars, things, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life, and the type of cup we have does not define nor change the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee.
Enjoy your coffee. Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect. It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections."

To me this hit home on two different levels. Anyone who knows me is aware of the fact that I love tea and frou frou coffee. Every day I'm at work (at the office anyway, not so much when I'm teaching) I have a huge mug of tea on my desk that is constantly refilled throughout the day. The design of the cup has long been a source of joy for me. Color, shape, weight, size--these are all elements of the design that I look at when purchasing a new cup for tea. I prefer large size cups (because then I don't have to refill them so often) but the color, shape and weight are very subjective. The color/design has to make me happy every time I see it, the shape and weight have to feel right.

On another level, as I move through life and reach each different stage (or situation) I learn something new (Good news, right??) and lately I am learning that happiness doesn't mean that there aren't bad things in life, it just means that I am able to be happy/content in spite of the different things that aren't "just so".

I like this illustration set forth by Pastor Tim (note: not Tim Neufeld) because it reminds me not to focus so hard on the cup that I forget to enjoy the coffee...so, although my blog is currently titled "Living the Life I love" it could also be called "Working every day to Enjoy the coffee"...

He's in the doghouse!

Tyler that is...His new thing these days is to pretend that he's a puppy...and in his role as a puppy, he really feels as though he needs to sleep in a doghouse rather than his bed. Now, it doesn't really matter to me where he sleeps because even though I know that a bed is more more comfortable than the floor, he seems to prefer the floor...even more so since he now has a dog house.

His other thing that is rather odd for a 3 year old is his desire to have a face mask (or scarf) when he's falling asleep....

Pick up lines for a yarn lover...

So, Jessie has her "Never-not-knitting" page a day calendar, I haunt her blog...Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, also known as the yarn harlot recently posted a hilarious blog about yarn pick up lines. If you like yarn, or knitting, you'll probably want to check this out...this post specifically or the blog in general. My favorite: "Let's go to my ball winder and do all the things I'm going to tell knitters we do anyway." Hahaha...too funny

Stolen! Pondering Production Quote!

I am going to steal a quote from Jessica's blog because I don't have a Never Not Knitting! Page-A-Day Calendar, by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee also known as Yarn Harlot of my very own so I am second hand quoting since I have some thoughts to share on this subject.

" "If you knit in public, then all sorts of people will come up to you and ask you questions about what you're doing. Sometimes this is a good opportunity to spread the word of knit, and I have been known to carry extra yarn and needles just so I can seize the moment and teach a stranger how to do it. Other times, especially if someone approaches me while I'm counting or working on lace, I really wish they would stay away. This is even more the case if ther person asks what seem to be very stupid questions. That's when some days when someone comes up to me and says, 'Wow! That's so cool. Are you knitting?' I have been known to simply say, 'No.'" "

I love to knit in public! (mostly because at home I have Tyler climbing on my lap saying, "Mom, can I help you knit?" which is great because I love that he's interested, but severely limits my productivity) I love how people do a double take when they see me sitting there knitting away (usually at Starbucks) and almost always people will smile (to themselves or to me) and many people will strike up a conversation. They ask about the project I'm working on, they tell me how wonderful it is that the art of knitting (or crochet) is not going to be lost since they see that I am obviously well below the average age of knitters, and many times this segues into other topics of general conversation. Mostly I like to knit in public because it makes me laugh to think of what other people think of what I like to call my "game face"...when I knit (or sew or cook or ....( you fill in the activity that requires concentration) I tend to make a face that looks slightly odd...my mouth hangs open, sometimes my tongue comes out and I generally look quite goofy. To me, I don't care if people see me making this face and it gives me such joy to speculate on what other people think when they see it. Totally worth looking like a goober!

Knitting in public with Jessica and Kim is even more fun because inevitably, we run into other knitters who are also knitting in public (obviously) and we are then able to discuss knitterly things like yarn and patterns and the best yarn stores around...I once read an article that stated that knitters are one of the most friendly groups of people because they are so relaxed from all their knitting. Hmmm...does anyone want to take up knitting yoga?

Give me an S! Give me an O! Give me a C! Give me a K!

What's that spell??? Sock...and that's what I'm making...right now, a sock but hopefully (eventually) a PAIR of socks :-) I have been inspired by Jessica's Never-not-Knitting Pondering Production posts and Cindy's "Shout it from the rooftops" post and thought I'd share what is consuming my time this week...

I am taking a break from my previous Slipper obsession to use this awesome hand dyed 100% merino wool yarn that I got for Christmas (thank you Mom and Dad)! I love how the yarn colors just kind of randomly change and blend and then there are some colors that just pop...and I'm getting much better at using these blasted double pointed needles...

I completed 3 pairs of slippers (2 adult sized and 1 Tyler sized) but only 2 made it into the picture:

I took advantage of the lovely weather we were having (before this blessed rain!) to knit outside while watching Tyler jump on the trampoline. Please note the absolutely adorable, and super comfy RED Adirondack Chair that Mom found at Target. I LOVE this chair, but it gets super dusty so I have to cover it whenever I want to sit in it.

On a side (and totally unrelated note) We went the other day to look for a new company car for Doug since we sold the van and Tyler had to knock every single car that he passed by:

I'm not sure where he learned that you have to turn your hand over (palm up) and knock with one crooked finger, but that is what he did to EVERY car so I'm sure he had a reason. When I asked him, he just said, "Because that is how you have to do it." Can't argue with that logic!