Looking Back and Looking Forward

Well, the Christmas season is coming to a close, and a new year will soon begin. I'm not a big fan of resolutions. Sure, I'll say that I will diet, exercise, and get organized this year, and some of that may actually happen. However, I don't call those resolutions. They're just really good ideas. I'm more interested in looking back over the past year, learning lessons from the past that I can apply to the future, and in looking forward at the year to come.

This year, I have more than a year to evaluate. I have a whole decade. The 00's are coming to a close. What a decade it has been!

2000: I started the decade as a 26-year-old stay-at-home mother to a toddler and a preschooler and a part-time student at St. Petersburg Junior College. My older daughter, Beth, started kindergarten in August. My grandfather had a debilitating stroke in November, followed by two life-saving surgeries. He's still living, but he would never be the same again. I feel like I lost him then.

2001: I graduated from St. Pete Junior College and moved on to the University of South Florida to work on my bachelor's degree. Beth started first grade. I was in class when USF closed its Tampa campus at noon the day the World Trade Center was destroyed. I was later relieved to find out that my brother-in-law was not at the Pentagon, as he was originally supposed to be. He got leave to attend a family funeral in Kentucky.

2002: I continued my studies and my poor attempts at cleaning house. My younger daughter, Callie, was finally potty-trained at the age of almost 4. Both daughters were in school. They were in second grade and pre-kindergarten, respectively.

2003: My perspective on the world and my place in it began to change drastically. I turned 30 on the day the Space Shuttle Columbia exploded. I decided that being 30 wasn't the worst thing that could have happened to me. I took the most influential class of my college career, Medieval History I. I decided that I wanted to be a history professor specializing in the early middle ages. I still have a passion for that period. I also met my best friend, Roy, in that class. The girls began third grade and kindergarten. No more preschoolers for me!

2004: This watershed year witnessed some monumental changes in my life. I graduated with my bachelor's degree and began a master's degree in Religious Studies. My first marriage finally fell completely apart, and we divorced. The children began fourth grade and first grade. Life continues.

2005: Roy and I married and moved to his house in Antioch. I, who had never been a pet owner before, suddenly found myself the proud mother of three dogs: Waldo (lab/chow mix), Arlo (lab/beagle mix), and Hijack (Belgian sheep dog). The girls started fifth grade and second grade.

2006: I graduated with my master's degree, but decided against pursuing a Ph.D. immediately. I began working as a staff member at the University of South Florida. Our family adopted a puppy, whom Beth named Friskie (lab/something mix). The girls started sixth grade and third grade. Beth started middle school! The teenage years arrived.

2007: I decided to start working on a Ph.D. in Philosophy, however I only took one class. It was not for me! I decided to follow my childhood dream of teaching elementary school and transferred degree programs. My great-grandmother passed away at the age of 102. The girls started seventh grade and fourth grade. Beth finally grew taller than me.

2008: I began a second master's degree in elementary education. We lost Hijack to kidney failure on Memorial Day. Beth underwent open-heart surgery to close a hole in her heart. It was wildly successful. My aunt was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of breast cancer. She has survived and is thriving. We gained Yoda (chihuahua/mini bull terrier mix) when he wandered into our yard one day. The girls started eighth grade and fifth grade. Our family and our country stood on the precipice of tremendous change.

2009: At the end of this decade, I am a 36-year-old working woman preparing for a new career. My girls are in ninth grade and sixth grade, and they are both teenagers now. We rescued three kittens: Tigger, Ludwig, and Audrey. Arlo, our oldest dog, was diagnosed with cancer. He has been receiving treatments with a new drug, and the cancer is in remission. I look forward to the future and all that it holds.

For me: I am quitting my job at USF to pursue my internship. I hope to begin teaching in August.

For my husband: I hope we can buy the van that he wants and begin seeing the country within the next couple of years.

For my children: They will be graduating from high school during this decade and beginning their own lives in earnest. I hope they find and follow their dreams. I wish the same for my sister, who will also be graduating high school during the coming decade.

For my brother: I wish him the gift of parenthood. I don't mean the physical state. I mean the mental and emotional changes that occur in parents as they watch their child grow from a newborn into an adult.

For my father and step-mother: I hope they learn to forgive. My sister may need it.

For my mother: I hope she has found happiness with her new partner and has smooth sailing (both literally and figuratively) in the years ahead.

For my grandparents: All of my grandparents are still living, even the grandfather that had the stroke, but they now range in age from 83-89 years old. I hope they have as many joy-filled years as possible ahead of them.

I look forward to the years to come.

It's a Girl!

I have spent some quality time with T.K. (formerly known as "Norbert"), and I have discovered that she is, in fact, a girl! This is particularly exciting news, since she is the only one of our seven animals who is female. All four of our dogs (Arlo, Waldo, Friskie, and Yoda) and both of our other cats (Tigger and Ludwig) are boys. I feel a little less outnumbered now, but there are still 7 males (including humans) to 4 females (including humans) in my family. But I digress.

I have named the kitten Audrey, after my grandmother's cousin. Both the cat and the cousin have bright red hair, and they are both strong, independent women. I have been spending time with Audrey in our basement storage room, which is where she is currently living. This room is filled with boxes and other items, and Audrey feels secure hiding in its many nooks and crannies. I never chase her out of her hiding places. Instead, I lure her out with a tempting bit of rope. She likes it so much that she will forget that I'm sitting about 2 feet away from her. I also tap my fingers on the floor to attract her attention. Her curiosity tells her to investigate the sound, but her survival instincts tell her to be wary of me.

However, last night I took a book into her room when I went to visit with her. I always sit next to her litter box, because she allows me to get that close to her so I can clean it. Last night, though, I just sat and read my book. Eventually, she laid down by her litter box while I was reading. She was just six inches away from me, which is the closest she has ever come to me voluntarily. As soon as she is familiar enough with people, we can take her to the vet, get her shots and any other medical care she may need. Hopefully, we will also be able to get her spayed. My goal is to be able to take her to the vet by the end of the week.

Kitten on the Loose!

You know that we caught the elusive "Third Kitten" on Monday night. However, it took less than 24 hours for T.K. (I've given up on Norbert) to escape from her enclosure. Fortunately, her enclosure was in our basement, which is sealed against kitten escapes in order to allow Tigger and Ludwig to explore. Consequently, T.K. found the room with the most nooks and crannies in which to hide and refuses to come out. However, she is still eating our food, drinking our water, and pooping in our litter. (I'm extraordinarily grateful for the litter part.) I suspect that she will rejoin us when she is ready. I just hope it doesn't take too long. She has not been to see the vet yet.

Kitten Tales

Back in May, my husband, Roy, discovered two tiny kittens in our front yard. They were under a small fishing boat (more like a Jon Boat) that is turned over next to our shed. There was no sign of a mother, so Roy brought the two kittens into our dining room, where I was eating breakfast, and asked if we could keep them. Of course, I said we could keep them. (He later confessed that he thought I would say we couldn't keep them, because I'm not much of a "cat person.")

It just so happened that we were already to take our aging dog, Arlo, to the vet that morning, so we loaded up the tiny kittens in a box and took them with us. I was not originally going to go to the vet with Roy and Arlo, since I had to go to work, but the addition of the kittens changed that. The vet told us that the kittens were about 6 weeks old (I told you they were tiny), and that they were close to being ready to be weaned. They had fleas, but they were otherwise healthy. The kittens received a flea bath, and I went home with a kitten care bag filled, mainly, with Science Diet kitten food. The kittens settled into life in the Van Neste household surprisingly quickly. They were weaned off of formula in less than two weeks, and they figured out the litter box right away. They are much bigger now. Here is a picture of them at the beginning of August.

Meanwhile...

About a week after we found the kittens, now named Tigger and Ludwig, we discovered that the mother cat and a third kitten were living in our shed. Judging by its size, the kitten was part of the same litter as Tigger and Ludwig. Roy and I decided to catch the mother and kitten, if at all possible. We tried unsuccessfully to catch them several times. They disappeared after one of those attempts. We were saddened by this, but we kept watching to see if they would return. All this time, we kept putting out cat food for them.

My younger daughter, Callie, spotted the third kitten one day while we were leaving our yard to go somewhere. On another occasion, we were returning home from an outing and saw the kitten under another car parked in our yard. We didn't see the kitten again for a while, until Roy saw it in the middle of the week last week. There was no sign of the mother cat this time. We decided to try to catch the kitten again, this time using a human animal trap that we purchased for just this reason. We set the trap up last night, and...

WE CAUGHT THE KITTEN!!!

We have not yet determined the gender, so we have not yet named him/her. I'm calling the cat Norbert for the time being. (Roy hates it, so the kitten will be getting a new name today or tomorrow.) Norbert is not feral, but he/she is very scared. We decided not to take him/her to the vet until tomorrow. Right now, he/she is in the basement with Tigger and Ludwig, although Norbert is separated from them by being in a large dog pen. We think this will help Norbert adjust to domestic life. Once Norbert has had his/her shots and anything else that needs to be done, then we can think about socializing the three of them. I'm excited about the days and weeks ahead!

Come to think of it, I don't really like the name Norbert either.

Staycation, Day 9

I finally felt emotionally stable enough to fix the gaping hole in my grandmother's shawl. I now present... the Super Secret Knitting Project!

My younger daughter, Callie, is modeling it.

This is the Shetland Tea Shawl from A Gathering of Lace. It is done in KnitPicks' Alpaca Cloud laceweight yarn in the Iris Heather colorway. This is my first lace project. It took me three times to get it right, but I did it. Yay me!

I also spent some time today decorating my newly-designated knitting space. It contains an antique rocking chair, an antique hall stand (to which I have attached my ball winder and yarn swift), and an Ott-Lite floor lamp that I purchased during our shopping spree yesterday. The only thing that I would like to add to my corner is a yarn basket for holding the yarn I am currently working.

Staycation, Day 8

I worked on the baby blanket some more, then we went shopping. We shopped for some camping gear, some knitting and crafting items, and some books. I don't usually like shopping very much, but I go out of my way to engage in this kind of shopping.

NO, I did not fix the hole in the shawl yet. I'm not yet ready.

Staycation, Day 7

Today was the day that I decided to block the shawl that I knit for my grandmother earlier this morning. Remember the Super Secret Knitting Project? Yeah, I finally got up the nerve to block it, and when I did, I was nearly crushed. It had come apart in one spot so that it had a GREAT BIG HOLE IN IT. I couldn't see straight. My husband made some wonderfully creative suggestions for fixing the gaping hole, none of which involved my being a total git for having joined alpaca yarn improperly. Anyhoo, I decided that I was not emotionally stable enough to attempt to fix the hole. It will wait for another day.

I also started knitting the baby blanket for my friend today. She is having a baby girl in October, so I have plenty of time to knit it. I spend a lot of my time on this today, especially after the shawl disaster. I am very grateful for a piece of easy, (nearly) mindless knitting to calm my nerves.

I finished the day by watching two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation with my family.

Staycation, Day 6

I mailed some books that I sold on Amazon. This involved a trip to Staples to buy mail supplies, followed by a stop at the Post Office to actually mail the items. My younger daughter, Callie, kept me company while I ran these errands.

I finished the sweater for Yoda the Chihuahua. Here he is modeling the sweater:

All in all, it was a quiet day.

Staycation, Day 5

I spent most of the day today installing my new printer. It took much longer than I thought it would. This was due to the fact that I had to clean up the pile of papers that had been sitting on top of the old printer. (I'm really bad about piling papers on flat surfaces, including the tops of printers.) One advantage of the new printer is that it does not have a flat surface on top of it, so I can't stack papers on it anymore. The second thing that took a lot of time is the software installation. My older computer installed the software at an excruciatingly slow rate. However, the print is now up and running, and it works great! I'm very happy with it.

I finished knitting the first sock in the pair that I started over the weekend, and I began to work on the second sock. I also finished knitting the front of the sweater I am making for my chihuahua, but I did not have the patience to fit it on him. I still have to determine where to sew the arm holes. Once that is done, the sweater will be finished.

Staycation, Day 4

Today began with a trip to the veterinarian. It was time to take our two kittens in for their second round of shots. Here are the kitties:

This is Tigger (left) and Ludwig (right). They are both male, and they are littermates. Roy found them in our yard on May 7, when they were six weeks old. Unfortunately, we have not been able to catch the mother cat or the third kitten from the litter. However, Tigger and Ludwig are thriving. They are a little over 4 months old, and they are definitely indoor kitties. We live in the country, where there are lots of wild animals who would like to make a snack of our kittens. I can't allow that. So, they live in our basement for now.

I also began the sweater for our chihuahua. I have completed the whole back. I will begin the front of it tomorrow morning. The front is much smaller than the back, so I should finish it tomorrow.

The family and I did some more shopping today. (It seems that we're on some sort of spending binge lately!) I discovered that my printer, which is 5 years old, has died. I went to Staples to buy a new one. I got an HP OfficeJet for under $100. Roy also spent some time at Dick's Sporting Goods looking at camping gear. He has this idea that we're going to buy a van and convert it into an RV. I love travelling and camping, so I'm really excited about it, too.

I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Staycation, Day 3

Today, I completed a couple of projects that sorely needed my attention.

I finished the sweater I started for my older daughter, Beth. The sweater is the Collegiate Pullover by KnitPicks. Unfortunately, I don't remember what yarn I used. The colors are Beth's school colors, but they also match the house colors I used when I knit her a Hufflepuff (from Harry Potter) house scarf. Here is the beautiful Beth to model the sweater:

And a close-up of the sweater's design:

I also addressed a problem with my old laptop computer. It has been running slowly since June. I took some time today to clear up the problem and brought the computer back up to speed. Of course, this is a 5-year-old computer, so its speed is slower than most.

I went shopping with the family in the afternoon. We mostly bought household items. I also took advantage of a sale at Joann's Craft Store. I bought several skeins of sock yarn and the yarn I'm going to use in making a dog sweater for my chihuahua, Yoda.

Staycation, Day 2

Yesterday, I worked on purging my library. Most of the books are old books that deal with religion or mythology, so I posted a list of them on Facebook where a lot of my friends are students in religious studies. Sure enough, all of the books have already been claimed. Now I just have to box them up for transfer.

I also spent some time knitting the sock and watching a couple of episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The staycation is off to a promising start.

Staycation, Day 1

The irony about my vacations is that I never seem to get time off from work without having a sick individual, whether human or canine, to nurse. This vacation is no different. I am on vacation for the next week (plus weekends), and one of our dogs requires constant supervision. He is recovering from surgery on his ear that was performed this past week. So, I have decided to use this time to get caught up on some projects around the house.

I finished knitting a sweater that I started a couple of years ago. Here is the finished sweater:

It is the "Heirloom Aran Sweater" by KnitPicks. It is knitted with Wool of the Andes yarn, also by KnitPicks, in "Hollyberry." Here is a picture of me wearing my newly finished sweater:

The family and I did manage to leave the dog (actually, all four dogs and both cats) long enough to do some needed shopping. I picked up the yarn I will use to make a baby blanket for my friend, Cate, who is expecting. The baby is a girl, and she is due in October. Plenty of time to make the blanket.

Currently on the needles: Plain sock in Deborah Norville's Serenity Sock Weight yarn in the "Purple Spice" colorway.

Currently reading: Streams of Silver: The Icewind Dale Trilogy, Part 2

Super Secret Knitting Project Update

Progress on the Super Secret Knitting Project has slowed considerably since the beginning of the summer semester, two weeks ago. Fortunately, I am on round 30 out of 36 on the final pattern round. This final pattern round is followed by 6 rounds of knit stitch, and then I can begin the edging.

I might finish it before June 16!

When it rains...

It has been raining here every day for over a week! There are several things to note about rain:

1. I love rain, because it makes the world feel peaceful.

2. Living in the woods, as I do, it is easy to see the immediate effects of the rain. The plants are much greener and no longer droop. The animals have water to drink. The world seems full of life. Except for my chihuahua mix, Yoda, who spends a lot of time hiding in the closet from thunder.

3. The well fields for much of Tampa are in the part of the Bay Area that are receiving the most rain. That means the Bay Area has more drinking water that they will waste on their lawns and cars when the storm system has passed.

We have received over 7 inches of rain at my house in the last week, and more rain is predicted for Memorial Day Weekend. Our thirsty state sure needs it.

~ Update ~

My fantastically amazing husband fixed our water tank on the one dry day we had last week. He's not completely done renovating the water system, but we once again have running water in my house. Yay!

Rain!

It's raining!

My Granny always called May "the month of clouds with no rain," and she was right until recently. Florida's weather has always seemed unpredictable to the untrained eye, but it actually followed a regular pattern for about a century. My Granny has lived through most of that century, and she could almost always predict the weather for any given period of time. Florida's weather rarely varied from its set pattern.

Now, though, thanks to climate change, Florida's weather has changed drastically and become quite unpredictable. We have been living in drought conditions for over five years, so rain is more than welcome, even if it is unusually early.

I hope this means that our rainy season has come early.

Interesting Times

All I can say is: Oy vey!

This could be the busiest week I have had in a long time. That's saying a lot, since I work full time, go to school full time, and have a family.

Monday: My family gets news that our oldest dog, Arlo, has cancer. He has a tumor that on his neck that extends into the lymph nodes. He is 17 years old, so we are hopeful that the tumor is slow-growing and will not greatly affect his natural life span.

Tuesday: The eye of the storm. I even have the day off from work. We run errands.

Wednesday: Our water tank dies. We have well water, so we have a contraption that pumps the water from the ground into a water tank, where it waits to be used in the house and/or yard. The pump is fine, so we have water available, but we have to use buckets to bring it into the house. It's kind of like living in Little House on the Prairie.

Thursday: Roy goes outside to look for pipes with which to fix the water tank and discovers two kittens in the leaves beside the pipes. We take the kittens with us when we take Arlo to the vet for news about his tumor and options for treatment. It turns out that the kittens are almost 6 weeks old males who are not yet weaned. We decide to keep the kittens. Arlo's tumor is slow-growing, and we agree with the vet that Arlo will receive injections to further retard the tumor's growth. He gets his first injection. This should allow him to live out the rest of his life without diminishing his quality of life. He is 17 years old, so that may not be a long time, even if he didn't have cancer.

Friday: Roy is supposed to purchase and install a new water tank. (Did I mention today is Roy's birthday?) I am faxing resumes before I pick up the children, pick up dinner, and help wean the kittens.

The weekend lies ahead of us. All I can say is: Bring it on!

Signs of Summer

The lovebugs have arrived. I don't mean that romance is in the air. I mean that a black insect that lives solely to procreate has shown up again, as it does twice a year in Florida. Sometimes the lovebugs are so thick that it is like driving through a light fog. They smash against vehicles in great numbers, and a chemical in their bodily fluids will take the paint off of those same vehicles. They stain the clothes of anyone foolish enough to swat them. They will go away eventually, only to return at the end of summer.

Magnolias and Dahlias

One of the things I love about living in the South is its foliage. Our magnolia trees are beginning to bloom, and the air is heavy with their sweet scent. Surprisingly, magnolias don't make me sneeze, unlike most other flowers.

Speaking of flowers, my dahlia was blooming nicely a couple of days ago:

Important Decision

I have come to an important decision. When I am done with the super secret knitting project, I will make something special for my aunt. She was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, and it was at stage 3A. Not good. I made hats of various colors for her to wear when she lost her hair. It felt really good to press my skills into such practical service.

Now, I would like to make her something that will make her feel beautiful while simultaneously sending the message that my aunt is a survivor. All I need is a few items, like yarn, needles, and notions. Actually, I need everything. My stash is not really equipped to handle spontaneous lace knitting.

Fortunately, the super secret knitting project is starting to slow down as it gets bigger. This gives me time to order the necessary supplies for this next great project.

I apologize for the secrecy. Both items are gifts, and the recipients probably read this blog. All will be revealed in due time. However, you can follow my progress on the super secret knitting project in Ravelry.

Progress and Patience

I have finished the first of the three pattern rounds on my super secret knitting project, and I am beginning the second pattern round.  You can follow my progress on it in Ravelry.

Meanwhile, I am waiting patiently to hear from one of my job references.  I need to have my references turned in to complete my application.  This will then allow me to register for the county job fair for teachers.  This all needs to happen before 4:45 pm tomorrow afternoon.

I'm not nervous in the least.  Ha!

Our Errand

Who buys cow poo?

Apparently, we do.

Granted it is refined, granulated, and neatly packaged cow poo, but it's still cow poo.  I have no qualms about owning cow poo and using it to fertilize our newly-purchased crape myrtle and magnolia trees.  I am a mother and, by definition, have had my fair share of experiences with people poo.  Cow poo is not that different, just bigger.

What I have difficulty with is the actual purchase of cow poo.  The cow no longer needs it, so shouldn't it be free?  However, the most difficult part of this for me is the fact that there are cows across the street from our house.  That is, there is actual cow poo across the actual street from our actual house, and we (inexplicably) drove miles away from our house to a retail store to purchase cow poo.

I feel very American right now.

Super Secret Knitting Project

I am working on a super secret knitting project. It's for my grandmother, who will be visiting me in June. I want it to be a surprise.

For those of you in the know about such things, I am knitting an item from A Gathering of Lace. I am using yarn and needles from KnitPicks. The yarn is Alpaca Cloud in Iris Heather. The needles are KnitPicks Options nickel plated needles.

I began work on it last night, and I am pleased with my progress. I will begin the first patterned portion tonight.

I have started this project twice before, and I got mixed up both times. Hopefully, the third time's a charm!

Wildlife Watch

Roy and I spotted a male Summer Tanager in our front yard on Saturday! I don't ever remember seeing one before, despite the fact that I have lived in its range for most of my life.

Gifts from the Knitting Fairy

I live in on 4 1/2 acres of land in the woods.  The distance between my mailbox and my house is measured in miles.  Specifically, the mailbox is 1/8 miles from my house.  It is something of an event, especially for my four dogs, to get the mail everyday.

Yesterday, my husband and I went to the mailbox together.  We walked slowly, wary of the spider webs that invariably are strung between the trees and shrubs that line the winding path from the house to the mailbox.  We passed through the inner gate, beyond which the dogs are not allowed to venture.  There are several layers of trees above the path between the inner and outer gates, making it somewhat dark, even in the middle of the day.

Approaching the outer gate, I noticed an unusual object lying in the path.  As I got closer, I noticed it was a box.  With a label.  From KnitPicks.

I turned to my husband and exclaimed, "The knitting fairy has visited us!"

Indeed, the knitting fairy had left us a box full of the things I ordered from KnitPicks last week.

I love the knitting fairy!

Is it possible to be in love with a classroom?

I don't mean the class. I mean the physical building. I just visited the classroom at a local elementary school that has all of the amenities a teacher could possibly want in a classroom. It is large, with enough space for several centers of various kinds. It has a science counter that runs most of the length of the room but is located outside of the main classroom area. The bathroom is shared with another class and is accessible by walking past the science area into a short hallway. I really like this classroom. It actually makes me sad that there are classrooms that do not have these amenities. Maybe all classrooms will be like this one in the future.

Anti-Procrastination Day

Today's Anti-Procrastination Day project is to clean out the only drawer in my desk. Well, it's not really in my desk. It's really in a kind of cart that goes with my desk and is currently sitting under my desk. My goal is to make it so that I can put the office supplies that are currently stacked on the top shelf of my desk into the drawer.

I am currently reading: The Last Secret of the Temple

Mission Accomplished

The shelf is clean!

Anti-Procrastination Day

I am trying to follow the FlyLady system of organization. Today is Wednesday, which means it's Anti-Procrastination Day. Each week I pick a project to work on. This week, I am going to clean the shelf above my computer. That may not sound ambitious, but it has needed cleaning for years. That is the point of Anti-Procrastination Day. It is the day to work on things that you have been trying to ignore. I can no longer ignore this shelf, so clean it I must!

Family

I spent yesterday with family that I haven't seen in a while. In many ways, I was reminded of why I don't see them often.

I actually went to visit my grandfather, who has been in a nursing home for over 8 years following a stroke. He was not doing well, despite my father telling me that my grandfather was doing better yesterday than he had been the day before. I really went to tell my grandfather goodbye. This was really to provide me with closure more than anything else. He is not cognizant enough to really notice that I was there. I'm glad I went. The next time I go up there will probably be for a funeral.

My grandmother (aka Granny) was happy to see me, and I was just as happy to see her again. She is a lot of fun, most of the time. That is, she is a lot of fun when she isn't busy trying to beat you over the head with Jesus. Most of our time was spent talking about family and touring our hometown of Sanford. The tour was mostly for my husband Roy's benefit, because he had been to Sanford in the past but had never taken a guided tour of it. We went downtown, past Lake Monroe, through the old Swedish neighborhood, and to the cemetery where our family is buried. We also saw the house where Granny was born, an old bungalow built in 1922. That was nice. I want to visit Granny again soon.

We visited my great uncle Sonny. He is now in a nursing home, but he is there because needs help taking care of himself. He is not in the same nearly-vegetative state as my grandfather. He actually seems to enjoy living there. All he needs is some music, he prefers the old crooners, and his Oz books.

My father is a different story. He is a very angry man, and he was less than pleased to see me. I will be spending as little time with him as possible in the future. Actually, I feel really bad for him. He was a teacher for over 30 years, but he never learned to be happy with himself. Now, he has aged much too fast, and he looks older than my 71-year-old husband does. Sad.

I guess other people have normal families. I have this one.

Genealogy Blog Up and Running!

I have created a genealogy blog, specifically for me to post genealogy-specific items that may not be of general interest.

My genealogy blog can be found here: Berit's Adventures in Genealogy

Happy Birthday to me!

Today is my birthday.  I am 36 years old.  Unlike many people my age, I still like my birthday.  My Mom called me to wish me a Happy Birthday, and several people have posted greetings to me in Facebook.  I am spending the day at home trying not to do much school work and doing some work on my newest creation.

Speaking of my newest creation, I have decided to revamp my genealogy page.  I have had this page for some time, but the information on it is old.  I am updating the information and refreshing the page, complete with new background and a brand spanking new css file.  I have discovered the joy and convenience of the css file, and I intend to make it work for my website.

I have also decided to create a blog just for my genealogical findings.  At present, this makes sense to me.  We shall see how much sense it makes after I have set up the blog and played with it for a while.

I'll keep you posted.

One Step Closer

I passed my Professional Education test! This was the third and final standardized test I had to take to become a certified teacher. I have not completed everything I need to be certified yet, but I am one step closer.

Spinning Wheels

I have finished the colorwork and the neck on the sweater. I just need to sew up the neck, graft the underarms, and weave in the ends. Tomorrow. I don't have time to finish it tonight.

I am taking my third exam tomorrow, and I haven't studied nearly as much as I was thinking I would. Sickness sucks. I am going to review a few things tonight and hope for the best tomorrow.

Update

I haven't posted for a while, so my New Year's Resolution is to be a better blogger. Here's what's happening right now:

1. I am desperately trying to finish knitting a sweater I could have sworn I was going to have finished about two weeks ago. That didn't quite pan out, so I am trying to justify knitting instead of doing schoolwork. Perhaps starting this sweater between Christmas and the beginning of the spring term was a Bad Idea.

2. I am trying really hard not to be sucked back into doing genealogy at a time when I need to concentrate on my schoolwork. This is working better for me than finishing the sweater is, but the lure of genealogy is very strong. It lurks on the edge of my thinking at all times, waiting to pounce when my defenses are down.

3. I am taking three classes toward my master's degree in Elementary Education during the spring term. This is where my energy should be focused. However, I find my spirit flagging in the current economic crisis. Florida's legislature has decided to solve the state's current budget crisis by cutting education spending -- again. After all, who needs education? Our legislators certainly don't!

4. I am taking the last of my three state exams for teacher certification next week. I should also put some energy into studying for it.

5. I am applying for teaching jobs. I hope to begin teaching in the fall. I am currently finishing the application process. I will begin working on my resume next week, probably after I finish my exam.

I really need to finish that sweater.