Precious Purls

It's been nearly a year? Blog, I am so sorry.

2012-02-07T12:06:00.000-08:00

I find myself apologizing to my blog. So sorry for the blatant neglect.

I experienced and epiphany of sorts today.

While driving son number 3 to school I thought about the man who holds the stop/slow sign at the entrance to the bridge construction. Is he cold? Is he satisfied with his career? Does he have regrets?

I saw a mother leave her home with her young son to walk him to school. Coming back I saw her return. I saw her almost sigh, was she happy? Afraid? Satisfied that she was caring well for her son? Nervous of how she would cope with the lonely hours until his return?

I watched an elderly gentleman come out from his home and walk to the curb to retrieve his newspaper from the container beneath the mailbox. I thought about that sweet grandpa. Or is he a grandpa? Is he sweet? Does he live alone? Is he struggling with illness? Is he content with the life that brought him to this point?

On the return journey I was thinking about all that I would like to accomplish in my life. All the desires that loom unfinished or un-begun. And it occurred to me.....it's not all about me. It's about grandpa getting the newspaper, it's about young mother taking her baby to school, it's about Mr. Stop/Slow sign standing out in the cold.

Therefor it's time again to reinvent. I even fancied changing the blog name to something else, something that would better encompass my new vision and outlook. But nothing better comes to mind. So Precious Purls it shall remain.

All three of my fans have requested a post....

2011-02-13T20:44:00.000-08:00

So here it is.

Over the past several months I have composed many many eloquent posts for this forum. All in my head. The problem is when I am thus feverishly writing these amazing discourses I am nowhere near my computer. It's usually in the car, the grocery store, or in the shower where brilliance touches my brain.

The problem is by the time I get to my keyboard to unleash these amazing thoughts, they are either gone (I'm not getting any younger you know) or my perspective has somehow changed.

So since I have no deep thought or brilliant insight to share I thought I would just get everyone (all three of you) up to date on my goings on...

So here's the skinny. I have given up the homeschooling dream due to various reasons. We have been blessed with an AMAZING charter school and the children are very happy. It was absolutely the right decision. I think I have known it in my heart that this is what needed to happen this year but I was afraid. We are adjusting to the new schedule, it's working out, and I'm glad.

The hardest part about sending my kids to school has been the guilt. I think I have pretty much licked that one though. The other day at the store I bought a package of Twizzlers and ate the whole thing myself. I even hid the wrapper from the kids so that they wouldn't know. I didn't even buy a treat for them, no, just celery, cauliflower and cheese crackers. I was the only one who enjoyed candy that day. Despicable? Yes :)

The second hardest part has been the blow to my self esteem, the feeling that I have somehow failed. This has not been completely resolved yet. I did buy myself a pair of jeans at full price because I knew I deserved them but that's not quite enough. Perhaps a pedicure......

Gaps

2010-09-10T23:28:00.000-07:00

Two years ago when I decided to begin the adventure of schooling my children at home I had some worrisome and common concerns. The biggest of those being that I would miss something important and my children would have large gaps in their education. Then a very wise and wonderful Sister-in-law, professional educator and home school mom extraordinaire, said to me "Mary, do you want to know the secret?" "Yes" I said. "Please, please share with me the secret!" To which she replied... "Mary, EVERYBODY has gaps!" After that I felt much better and mustered up the courage to move forward. Well, it's a little over two years later and as we embark on a new phase of our home school experience I am discovering how very right my sister-in-law was.

You see, for the last 2 years my children have been attending a public (state funded) charter school. This charter school just so happens to be an online, virtual academy so all the work is done at home. Well this year we have decided to graduate to becoming a traditional home school family. (Except for our high schooler, but that's another post.) I have been researching curriculum and have put together what I feel is what I want to accomplish with my children. I am nervous, but the structure of the virtual school gave me confidence. I think I can do this.

As the new curriculum materials have been arriving I have been so excited! Delving into them like a starving person. But as I have been reading and preparing to teach my boys I have discovered something rather disturbing. I not only have gaps in my education, I have GAPS. Huge, deep, CHASMS in my brain. The Grand Canyon is but a ditch compared to what I don't know.

Get this, I am 44 years old, reading a grammar text written in 1889 and discovering why a vowel is a vowel. When I was in school I learned that the vowels were a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y. I also learned that the consonants were all the other letters. But I never knew WHY vowels were vowels and consonants were consonants. Well guess what, the reason vowels and consonants are separated because of the sound that they make when they are spoken! Who knew! Nirvana! Here is what I read:

"If the voice thus produced comes out through the open mouth, a class of sounds is formed which we call vowel sounds. But, if the voice is held back by your palate, tongue, teeth, or lips, one kind of consonant sounds is made. If the breath is driven out without voice, and is held back by these same parts of the mouth, the other kind of consonant sounds is formed." (from Graded Lessons in English by Alonzo Reed and Brainerd Kellogg. 1901 edition, page 11)

Knowing this somehow opened my mind to language in a whole new way. It gave me an understanding of WHY I had been spitting out the rule "the vowels are a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y" all these years. Perhaps I am the only one who didn't know this (maybe I was absent that day), but knowing it has set me free. Knowledge really is power!

I believe that education is something we live, it's what we do, it's who we are, it's why we're here. Graduation from school is not the end of learning, it is the beginning. Hopefully at some point we have learned how to read, to think, to reason, and how to learn. If you know how to think, you will always be learning and discovering new things and always moving forward. The human brain is not designed to collect and store ALL the knowledge and then access it when it is needed. We are a work in progress and the potential for that progress is endless.

So instead of grieving about the myriad of gaps in my education I am going to celebrate them! Just look at all the wonderful and exciting things I have left to learn! And I have a lifetime to learn them! Building bridges over those gaps is not the answer. You have to be like my father-in-law when he hikes a slot canyon, believe you can do it, stick with it, accomplish it, and find so much joy in the journey that you are always coming back for more!

Make it so.

2010-09-06T17:27:00.000-07:00

A bit of a new look for our next chapter. We've decided to homeschool. I'm nervous, worried and a little bit stressed. I am also excited and hopeful. I know this can be the best possible situation for my boys if I make it so. So here we go......

Proverbs 27:10

2010-05-31T00:16:00.000-07:00

...for better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off.....

I've been wondering about this. Sometimes extended family members get together frequently because they want to. Sometimes the get together occasionally because they feel obligated to. Sometimes they have other pursuits and obligations that are more pressing. Sometimes they must sever the relationship completely. Mind you, none of the above are either right or wrong.... just different.

As a child I didn't know my cousins that well. The ones that lived nearby were quite a bit older than me. The ones that were closer to my age lived all the way across the country (Virginia) and all the way across the world (New Zealand). I longed for what I felt would be a very desirable situation, lots and lots of family, living nearby, and getting together often. Getting together because they wanted to, not because they had to.

So when I was young I created a fictional family and happily placed myself in their midst. Our last name was Dalton (don't ask me why, I have absolutely no idea). As a Dalton I had several brothers and sisters (I have one wonderful brother and two amazing sisters, but I guess I felt I needed more) and lots and lots of cousins. All of these cousins lived nearby, close enough to walk to our house.

Our house was wonderful. It was large and rambling. Two story, a white frame victorian. There were rooms for everyone and plenty of extra beds for guests. The whole place was decorated in a wonderful country/shabby chic. Homemade quilts on every bed, lace curtains billowing at the windows, and a large upright piano in the parlor.

Then there was the kitchen. The kitchen was the most wonderful part of the home. Large and well equipped. Always smelling of something freshly baked. With a large wooden table in the center that would seat at least a dozen people. But the best part about the kitchen was the back door. It was one of those wonderful old fashioned doors that had window panes at the top and lovely frilly cafe curtains. The reason the door was so wonderful is because in it's window was where each loved ones face would appear. They would jauntily wave, utter a hearty hello, and come in. And they were always welcome.

Each visitor brought with them a special gift with just their presence. It was a place of warmth, love, and true friendship. There were no feelings of duty. No petty arguments about unmet and unreasonable expectations, no selfish ulterior motives. Just love. Lots and lots of love.

Don't get me wrong. My childhood was ideal. I was very happy, just a little lonely. My brother is several years older and my sisters several years younger, I was often by myself. So I created the Daltons. A place where I could be surrounded by people. People who cared as much for me as I did for them.

You see, I love people. I always have. It's hard though, loving people. People don't always love you back. Sometimes they are much more willing to take than they are to give. Sometimes they are pleasant enough, but very superficial. And sometimes they want nothing to do with you.

There are, however, those with whom you really connect. Those who reciprocate. The whole ying/yang of it all. Sometimes it's your turn to give and sometimes it's theirs. In the end there's a balance. It's called being there for each other, it's called really caring about their needs more than your own, it's called being blind to their little idiosyncrasies, it's called friendship.

So I wonder. Is it better to have a neighbor that is near than a brother far off? And I think the answer is yes. At least it should be anyway. We could all start by turning off our phones in the grocery store and have conversations with real people. It's just a thought.

I want to be the neighbor that is near.

Getting Old Sucks

2010-03-05T08:46:00.000-08:00

WARNING: Depressing content. Not suitable for people who don't have any chocolate readily available.

It's just not fair. Men can get old and nobody cares. Cary Grant was a sex symbol in his 80's (and yes, he was HOT!) Paul McCartney is selling out concerts in his 60's (and he is HOT, HOT!). And the Rolling Stones, don't even get me started...they are almost 100 arent they? (but definitely NOT hot.)

But women on the other hand....women can't get old. If we do we have let ourselves go. We are no longer desirable and we can no longer think for ourselves. Women have to dye, snip, starve, tuck, inject and implant in order to remain viable human beings. (But there is so little left that is actually human!)

I can no longer see (Erma Bombeck, my hero, called it "loss of menu"), my skin is starting to sag, and little lines are beginning to appear on my face. Every thing else is sagging as well and as Erma said..."I can't look at my neck without being reminded that I haven't made chicken soup in a while". I leak, I snore and I waddle. And there are little gray wires that relentlessly poke through the quaff. A former co-worker when asked if he was over the hill would reply "I'm on top", well it's all down hill from here.

An announcer on a television commercial states that age is nothing to be ashamed of then the actress boldly announces that she is 43. Then they proceed to try and sell me a cream that will miraculously make me look years, if not decades younger. As if that's my only hope. SHEESH, 43! How in the world can 43 be an age of which you might possibly be ashamed and that you would most definitely need magic face cream? Well I'm 44. You do the math, It may be too late for me.

You may say at this point, but you have wisdom that comes with experience. Well I'll tell ya, the only place that wisdom of the elderly (and I use that term loosely) is truly appreciated and revered is possibly in Asia. Certainly not in the United States. Sure you can do TV commercials for adult diapers, denture cream, and stuff that will make your bones less brittle. But you still are not Gidget anymore. We sequester our elders in active adult communities. They sit around and play tennis and drink cocktails while the rest of us flounder around and learn life's lessons, all over again, all by ourselves, with out the benefit of anyone wiser leading the way.

Well, I hope I have not thoroughly depressed everyone. Honesty can sometimes be a real downer. The good news is that not all people have this narrow viewpoint (the ones that do are mostly people who sell diet plans, exercise equipment and magic face cream). There are some people in this world (namely my husband, the HOT, HOT, HOTTEST man on the planet!) who can look beyond the package and see and appreciate what is really there. The stuff that you can take with you. I'm talking about stuff like kindness, integrity, faith, spiritual strength, intelligence, compassion and wisdom. The stuff that really makes you beautiful.

All About Bones.

2010-01-15T15:00:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about bones. The instances are rather unrelated and disjointed, but perhaps there is some sort of connection. Perhaps not.

First I have discovered the TV show Bones. It's about the adventures of a forensic anthropologist who goes around solving murders with the FBI. I am surprised, even shocked that I like this show. It's graphic, viewer discretion advised, somewhat disturbing..but at the same time delightful. I am fascinated by the science, the ability to identify, classify and learn from tiny details. To reconstruct someones life just from studying their bones. It's like our body is a journal. The bones remain to tell the story.

Second I read the book "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold. This is a book about life, death, and continuing. (It is also quite disturbing and I can't believe I enjoyed it as much as I did. I guess I am either becoming hardened, jaded, or just maturing perhaps). It is the story of a family and the life that they build around the reality of their daughters murder. Not to let the event define them, but to let go, and although its a part of them, move on. The story is told by the dead daughter. As she watches her family come together in happier times she says "These were the lovely bones that had grown around my absence: the connections--sometimes tenuous, sometimes made at great cost, but often magnificent--that happened after I was gone."

Third, I homeschool two of my sons and my third grader has been learning about the skeletal system in his science class. Two things fascinated me during the studying of this unit. First, bones are alive...they grow, regenerate, and can become diseased. Second, bones are useless without muscles.

So now I am trying to draw some conclusion, make some sort of connection but nothing is staring me in the face as obvious. So take from these ramblings what you will and *make no bones about it. :)

*This term means to have no objection to or state in a way that allows no doubt. It actually dates back to 15th century England and is a reference to the unwelcome discovery of bones in soup - bones = bad, no bones = good. If you found 'no bones' in your meal you were able to swallow it without any difficulty or objection. (http://www.phrases.org.uk/)

Would they sing?

2009-12-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

I have a few minutes every morning when I'm the only one stirring. It's nice to have the quiet and time to think.

Currently I am wondering if the Who's down in Whoville, the tall and the small, would really start singing with no presents at all? It seems to me in the world we live in today that upon discovering their misfortune they would call the authorities, have the Grinch pursued, prosecuted, and demand restitution.

Is it possible that there could be so much love and happiness among a community that "things" really wouldn't matter. It it possible that the priority really could be each other and being together? Is it possible that there could be so much forgiveness among people that the Grinch really would carve the roast beast?

Sometimes I wish I were a Who.

Good day sunshine.......

2009-11-25T10:08:00.000-08:00

I always thought I was a winter girl. Having a December birthday I was convinced as a child that winter was really my favorite season. The funny thing is that the highlight of my entire year was going to the store and getting my summer sandals, and my favorite holiday has always been the 4th of July. Winter girl?....I think not.

I love the sunshine....I love the warm weather.....I love to swim.....I LOVE wearing flip flops every day of the year! I never would have believed it, but I am a summer girl.

If I had a day that I could give you
I'd give to you a day just like today
If I had a song that I could sing for you
I'd sing a song to make you feel this way

I'm ready......

2009-11-20T10:42:00.000-08:00

Well I set a goal that I would post on my blog every two years, regardless of how busy I am! So far so good! Seriously, It's interesting how life moves forward. I'm ready, it's time, I feel now I have something to say.......

Whew.

2007-12-08T16:41:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted anything in nearly a month and I haven't knitted in nearly as long. I could go into boring detail about everything that has been keeping me busy but would rather not re-live it. (Not that there was anything bad, on the contrary. Not bad, just exhausting.) Instead I will simply recount the lessons I have learned.

1. I am a tad too anal about where my dishes are put away. I never though I was, in fact I always prided myself on how open minded I was. Denial I guess, because it really does bother me if someone stacks the pots and pans their way instead of mine.

2. I am turning into a fairly decent cook. It's taken me half my life, but I'm getting there.

3. More than any thing else, children desire time and attention from the the grown ups in their life. Everyone needs to be validated.

4. Getting up in the wee hours of the morning to go shopping can be somewhat productive but is really quite insane.

5. Parents need to take a few steps back and let their children succeed or fail all by themselves.

6. We can not let winning or losing define who we are or how we feel about ourselves.

7. Making 200 hydro bracelets for your son's entrepreneur's club craft fair can prove to be somewhat tedious and quite painful.

8. It's not all about money. More money is rarely the answer.

8. It truly is better to give than it is to receive. But as my wise son pointed out, it's OK to receive because if you are giving, someone is receiving.

Which brings us to how we should do our receiving......

9. It's all about gratitude.

The craziness is pretty much over, it's time to relax, do some serious Christmas baking, and......KNIT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happiness to you in your life ahead!

Tender Mercies.

2007-11-11T21:44:00.000-08:00

I have been looking for a set of size six double pointed needles for quite some time. I prefer the old fashioned metal ones that they don't make anymore. So you can see that something like that would be rather hard to find.

Our townhome community had it's semi annual carport sales on Friday and Saturday. A neighbor, knowing my passion for yarn, called me up and said she had small bag of yarn and some other knitting stuff. Would I like it ? She would let me have it for 50 cents. Well, nearly 2 and a half minutes later I was at her carport, two quarters in hand.

Well you guessed it, mixed in with the yarn was a set of vintage metal dpn's SIZE 6. Heavenly Father loves me, and he knows the desires of my heart. No matter how small and seemingly insignificant those desires may be. Such a loving and caring Father. I am constantly amazed.

Here is my Sunday hat with flower. I took the idea from this knitted flower pattern. I used a vintage button for the center and sewed a pin to the back.

I have finished 3 hats for the 20 hats project. Look here for pictures. They are so fun to make! I guess part of it is the instant gratification of having them done so quickly! But the thought of my creations keeping a little tiny head nice and toasty warm, makes me smile.

Here's a shot of one of Simon's games. (he's the gray and black dude in the center) Their team made it into the finals so we have two more weeks of games to go. Go Warriors!!!

Happiness to you in your life ahead!

The Tummy Bug

2007-11-06T20:55:00.000-08:00

Nothing much to report. We have all been taking turns with a rather virulent tummy bug. It has passed (no pun intended) from one member of the family to another and then back again. The good news is that after a day and a half it's pretty much over and one can get back one's feet as it were.

I did make it to church on Sunday and I had many compliments on my hat. (I will post a photo of the finished product soon.) I also finished two hats for the 20 Hats Project. (Which I will also post photos of soon.) I am trying several different patterns to see which ones I like. This one is cute, but you really do have to bind off loosely or the sides are noticeably different lengths when you go to sew them together.

I have really over booked myself. I need to learn to say no. This week I have to be over at the school every day except Monday. Today was my day to work in the office and make copies for the teachers (just an hour and a half while Levi is at school, they have several "copy parents" that come in and help out, reduces copy machine traffic I suppose). Tomorrow is Simon's Entrepreneurs Club meeting (they asked me to help out with the 6th grade group, last time I didn't really do anything and I don't know if they really need me, but I said that I would go). Thursday is my morning to help out in 1st grade ( I go every other Thursday, this is something I really enjoy, the kids are so delightful!). And Friday we are having our first meeting with Isaac's Odyssey of the Mind team (whew).

And to top it all off I am team mom for Simon's soccer team. I need to decided on a end of the season, thanks to the coaches type party and email everyone and let them know what is going on.

So goodnight from me the 1st grade room mother, copy parent, Odyssey of the Mind coach, soccer mom, maid, chief cook and bottle washer, nurse, homework tutor........you know, what the world calls a "stay at home mom".

Happiness to you in your life ahead.

20 Hats Project

2007-11-01T22:55:00.000-07:00

Today while browsing the new patterns on Knitting Pattern Central I stumbled upon the 20 Hats Project. Members have a goal of knitting 20 baby hats for a hospital for Christmas 2007. I'm very excited to participate!

Speaking of hats, here is the hat I made for church on Sunday. I'm still working on the flower.

It's a little more gathered at the top then I expected, but it looks good on. Kind of reminiscent of the 20's flapper look, especially with a big I-cord flower on the side! Charlston, charalston, hoochy coo and boo boop pa doo.

I have a couple other projects on the back burner. It's interesting how the creative process goes. Sometimes something just feels right and sometimes it doesn't. I have unraveled pieces that represented hours of work because I knew in my heart that I would never get around to finishing them. I am trying to knit something special for my sister for Christmas. (I can't say what it is, because she reads my blog and it's a surprise.) I am on my third try and hopefully this one is a keeper. I don't know why this one has been so difficult, maybe because she is one of the most important people in my life and I want this to be perfect. She is also an extremely patient and understanding person. And being related to me she is used to getting her Christmas gifts around Easter.

I'm having company for the weekend and my house is a mess (as usual). The laundry is piled up and I haven't emptied the dishwasher yet from yesterday. Ah, but at least I have my priorities in order knitting, blogging, knitting, and watching my season one collection of The Mary Tyler Moore show. Life can be beautiful!

Happiness to you in your life ahead!

Halloween.

2007-10-31T21:31:00.000-07:00

It has been a good day (as Halloween's go).
Here is a brief accounting of the days events:

First Grade Halloween Show

Me. Wearing my costume.
(Apple Hat from Cheap Knitting Patterns.)

Party, party, party!

Two little devils and a skeleton.
( I knitted the devils headbands and tails using
Darling Devil Set from Lion Brand.)

We took the boys out trick-or-treating for a while this evening. When we came home we sorted the loot and put the majority of the chocolate in bags in the freezer (clearly labeled as to who's loot it is, of course) for future munchie attacks. I did find time to finish my lavender hat for church. I'm now working on the flower. It didn't turn out quite the way I expected, but I am still pleased. It's getting late and I am tired. So, happiness to you in your life ahead,

Elvis has left the building.

Just a Monday, I suppose.

2007-10-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

Today has been long and difficult. I haven't felt well and I spent the afternoon in bed. It is so frustrating to not get things done when there is so much to do.

I did start on a hat. Yesterday in church the Relief Society president said that November was hat month and that if we wanted we could all wear hats in support of a Sister in our Ward who is on her 4th round of chemo for breast cancer. She wears a hat every Sunday so now she won't be the odd man (or woman) out. I think it's a sweet gesture and will be fun! I am using the blue blog patterns: beginners hat. I am doing it in a nice lavender color and I hope to add a funky I-cord flower with a vintage button center. We'll see how it turns out.

A while ago I made this baby bassinet that I got from cheap knitting patterns. Although I have boys I have to knit something pink every once in a while just to keep my sanity. The boys thought it was cute though and said I had to make a baby for it. The pattern I used for the baby is Bev's little pocket muggins. Bev's version doesn't include legs, but Levi kept insisting that the baby needed legs. I just made two more arms and they worked out just fine. My boys are my biggest fans. They love everything I create, that makes me happy. Levi says "Mama, did you "mitted" this? I love it, it's beautiful"! What more remuneration could one want?

I also knitted part of Simon and Isaac's Halloween costumes. But that's another tale for another day.

Happiness to you in your life ahead!

Hello.

2007-10-26T13:25:00.001-07:00

During a conversation with a very dear friend of mine I found myself apologizing for going on about some details that she didn't really have to know about. She assured me that it was all right and that I was just an out loud thinker. I thought for a moment and realized she was spot on! (after all thats what friends are for, right?) I tend to work things out verbally. This can be somewhat difficult for someone who is home all day with just a four year old for company. Which brings me to the allure of a blog. A place for my thoughts to go when my brain is full and there is no one around to share the load.

Besides raising boys, knitting has become what I think about most. I'm addicted and perhaps a little bit crazy. Which I have noticed from reading other knitting blogs is not at all unusual. In fact I feel that slight insanity is indeed the norm among the knitting community. We talk of our ever growing yarn stashes and we create amazing things like bananas, aliens, and digestive systems.

Being a mom, a wife, and a knitter is indeed a full time job. The pay is decent and the benefits are glorious! I wouldn't change a thing. As I struggle with health problems and the day to day stress of life it is my faith that gets me through. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for two hands that when equipped with two pointy sticks (or 4 lovely little dpn's) and some yarn I can create something delightful that will make someone else smile.

Being still a somewhat new knitter I hope to some day create and post original patterns. But for now I will just share my projects and whatever else comes to mind...............

Happiness to you in your life ahead!