To Be Acknowledged

Where have I BEEN?????

Okay, I think my hubby brought home some alien sickness to the house (from work, where the aliens are) and we were all sick since Wednesday night (at least I got my knitting night in!!). First it was Ian, then me, then poor Ben. Tim had recently been sick with a chest cough, so he pretty much stayed the same. I think we're 70% better now. Poor us.

Buying stock in Puff Plus (with lotion) tissues and cold medicine. I easily get affected by drugs, so I was taking Children's Tylenol Cold with Cough....which actually worked pretty well. Today, I'm only "honking" (okay...to ME...this means blowing my nose loudy...to others, it means something TOTALLY different!) my nose every 10 minutes instead of every 10 seconds and my nose is running only every 5 minutes instead of every milisecond...BIG improvement.

Since last week, some really nice things have happened to me, so I will share them...



*Jackie brought over a Thomas the Tank Engine table for Ben that her son, Carter, wasn't playing with and had lost interest in. She gave it to Ben as a gift...FREE!!! Oh, the happiness she's brought Ben (as well as Tim...I see him sneaking into Ben's room setting up these elaborate train track set ups), she'll never know. If you haven't guessed it before, Jackie is WONDERFUL!



*Julie sent me a prize from her fundraising contest....oh, it's super...4 HUGE, GIGANTIC skeins of a soft, spring, leaf green laceweight mohair yarn. I LOVE IT! I love this color, mohair and laceweight. How can I go wrong? Thanks, Julie!!

*Had a blast at the CM Croptoberfest scrapbooking day on Saturday...yes, I did spend 10 hours scrapbooking...and, let me say, that it's REALLY not enough time. You'd think it would be, but it's not. It takes at least a half hour to pack, then unpack and then you need to eat lunch and dinner, etc. I got Ben's ABC scrapbook done and 8 pages of my 2006 scrapbook done...but, I was hoping I'd get the whole thing done! I know, I know, I was dreaming. Got to spend all day with Laurin, her friend Lisa (who is funtastic) and one of my best friends, Chris. We talked trash, got some work done, shivered on those cold, metal fold out chairs and just had FUN. (yes, my knitting friends will be forced to look at my albums on Wed...sorry gals!)

*Tried some of Laurin's yummy Pasta Salad, which consisted of spaghetti, some pepperoni and a fantastic "dressing". Oh, it was GOOD...but it's really not surprising since she is the most amazng cook. It's very frustrating that she won't quit her good paying job to come and live with me and cook for me every meal without pay.......what kind of friend is THAT??? LOL!



*Finished my Haiku Flower sock pattern for Black Pearl Yarns, sent in two finished socks in different sizes and I'm working on the last sock in the Blue Topaz colorway now. Oh, that yarn is orgasmic!!! It's so soft and like heaven to knit with. You really need to buy some...and my pattern when it comes out! (shameless, I know)



*Dyed two skeins of yarn...one for a winner of Julie's contest, Janice, which is on the right and called, "Juice for Janice". The other is more of a strawberry red with orange here and there...they are both in fingering weight superwash merino/tencel yarn and VERY shiny. I haven't put the other on Etsy yet, but if you want it, it's $15...so let me know. I will name it after you, as well! : )

Now to my mom, Karen. I want her to know that I've finally understood. I was thinking last night about all the times she came home from working all day and just asked my sister and I (we're only a year apart) to PLEASE, PLEASE for once, have the table set or part of the house picked up or some of the housework done WITHOUT ASKING. I guess I thought when I was a teen (and probably younger), that I had too much of my own IMPORTANT stuff to do (like homework, watching tv, talking on the phone, eating acres of salad with peppers) to spend a lot of time doing things like that, but I don't remember feeling this way in a mean way, just as a normal, lazy girl would think.

But, NOW, I completely and utterly understand. When, my voice is raised, my throat is hoarse and my stress is high, I feel so FRUSTRATED that no one in the house will take any initiative to help me with housework or even every day stuff that they need to do (brush teeth, go to the bathroom, pick up dirty clothes, pick up dirty dishes,etc.) I think "Why do I have to be the one to always be the motivator?" I mean, sometimes I don't feel like being the "drill sargeant (sp?)". I get tired of having to ask, "Can you PLEASE pick up your dirty underwear?", "Can you PLEASE not leave your dirty dishes in the living room?", or "Can you PLEASE take out the garbage bag when you see it spiling on the floor and the cats eating out of it????"

I had the brilliant, insightful moment when it all became clear what my mom was asking all those years ago and I want to say:

"Mom, I'm so sorry for not helping more. You were wonderful (still are) and I wish I'd helped you more and was less selfish. I love you."

I want to acknowlege not only my wonderful, loving, super mom, but also all of us other moms (or dads) (who are knitters, spinners, dyers and just all around awesome ladies) who, though we don't get paid high salaries in check form (or any, for the most part), we keep things running with love and care.

We are the family MANAGERS, ACCOUNTANTS, MAIDS, CARETAKERS of our lovely children, LOVERS, REFEREES, COOKS and, most of all, CARING people.

I know you'll agree with me when I say that we are very grateful to our husbands (or wives) for working so hard for us, fixing this and that when needed, carrying the heavy loads of wood, keeping fires going and, in my case, checking my oil and changing the litter boxes. But, sometimes, I think we need acknowlegement, too. Don't you think?

To all of us, I give you a great, big HUG!!!!!!!!

Have a super knitting day and I would love to hear some comments on this!