Afghans 2015

I have been crocheting nonstop since March and have created quite a few afghans, totes, and other items since that time. My grandma taught me to crochet when I was a kid, my mom retaught me about ten years ago, and she retaught me yet again this go around. It's been a lot of fun finding patterns to create, choosing colors for people, and having something to do in my down time. Since I started so early, I didn't really feel stress to finish anything until I decided last minute to crochet an afghan for Steve. I neglected my house and Matt (not really, but kind of) until I finished it.

I thought about taking a month-long break from crocheting before starting up on this year's crop of gifts, but my fingers are already itching to start on some patterns my cousin gave me for Christmas.

Here are the blankets I made this year. I wish I was a better photographer so you could see better just how nicely they turned out. I tried to put the pictures in the order I made them, but Blogger was being weird and I didn't want to figure out what was happening.



I gave this to Steve...obviously. It was a lot of fun to make, once I figured out the mistake
from the blog from which I got the pattern. It took a long time to make because I wanted it to be wide
and tall enough for Steve to fit under comfortably. I really like how it turned out.
I used Red Heart yarn so it's thick and very warm. It was my third-to-last blanket.

Steve was just as surprised to see Matt's mini-me blanket as he was to see his own.
It's cute that they have matching afghans. Matt loves it...although not as
much as the blanket my mom crocheted him when he was born. *smile*
I used leftover yarn from Steve's blanket, so it's the same kind. It was
my second-to-last blanket.
 

This one was the first afghan I ever made. It was for my brother Corey's birthday.
It was made with four strands of yarn; white, black, red, and gray; that I held at the same time, so it's
thick and warm. I used Red Heart yarn.
I wish now that I would have made it a little bigger, but it is a good lap blanket.
 

This is the second afghan I made and is a Christmas present for my stepmom Paula.
I used Caron yarn and it turned out so soft and silky. It was a simple design but elegant and comfy.

This was the third blanket I made. I gave it to my mom for Christmas.
Again, I used Caron yarn - five different colors - and it is quite soft but warm.
This is the most complex blanket I made and the longest to make. Also my favorite.

This is the last afghan I made and it was for my sister-in-law Jenny's birthday.
It was converted from a baby afghan...I just made it wider and longer. I
couldn't find the right kind of yellow in the softer Caron yarn, so I used
Red Heart yarn. I love this yellow and would have been happy to keep it. :)
 

I made this one for Steve's stepmom Janie. It is a take on granny squares but instead
of doing lots of little granny squares, it's just one big round.
I was crocheting Paula's afghan when we visited Janie and Ron in Oregon, and
Janie mentioned that she'd like a pink blanket and a blue one for Ron. So, that's what I did.
This was used with thicker, coarser Red Heart yarn but the pattern made it so lacy that
it turned out quite soft. It was my fourth blanket.

I decided to make Ron an afghan to match Janie's but in blue, as per her request.
I used Red Heart yarn again but this time used a smaller needle than the pattern directed
so it turned out tighter, less lacy. I like it better an wish I would have done Janie's the same way.
It is afghan number 5.

Wonderful Weekend

Did everyone have a nice weekend? Mine was spectacular. Here's a rundown of the ingredients that came together to create a wonderful three days:

1. Grilled Deliciousness. We bought a grill from one of Steve's AF buddies at the end of Fall last year and were finally able to use it last week. We first used it Wednesday night for grilled pork chops and they were yummy. On Friday, we grilled hamburgers and last night we grilled hot dogs. It's amazing how different things taste when they're grilled as opposed to using a grill pan on the stove. I'm already thinking of foods to cook this week on the grill. And, it's fun to see Steve learning how to grill and how proud he is when it turns out so delicious.

2. Sarah and Aaron. Friday evening, we had dinner with my wonderful friend Sarah and her boyfriend Aaron. Having used up most of our date night budget for the month, Steve and I decided to have a date night at home. I had wanted to call Sarah to find out about her new guy but decided it would be even better to invite them over to join us for the evening! It was great to see Sarah and to chat with her AND it was extra special to see how happy she is in love. Aaron seems like a super nice guy and obviously has excellent taste in women. After dinner (grilled hamburgers, baked tater tots and sweet potato fries, and coleslaw), we played Trivial Pursuit. It was a lot of fun although I kind of wish it had left more openings for asking Aaron more questions about himself. :)

3. Bike riding. I love riding my bike. I love the feeling of wind blowing through my hair, my legs pedaling hard and fast, the world rushing by at a fast, but still see-able speed. I love that I see parts of my neighborhood that I wouldn't otherwise because they are "too far away" for a walk. Not that I couldn't walk them, but I usually don't have enough time to walk that far! A seven-mile walk takes me almost 2 hours but the same distance took me 45 minutes to cover on bike. This weekend my biking became even more enjoyable. First, Steve attached a water bottle holder and an odometer to my bike. I love love love knowing how fast I'm biking and how far I go. Second, we bought Steve a bike! Yesterday evening we went on our first bike ride together and it was wonderful! The man is in much better shape than me and has stronger legs, but I was able to keep up with him most of the time and he didn't have to go too much slower than he probably would alone. It's yet another thing we can do together. Yippee!

4. GMAT. Spending 3 hours in a way-too-cold testing room, overly taxing my brain on a Saturday morning wouldn't add up to a great way to spend the morning except that I got a pretty decent score. The average score for students that are accepted into the Masters of Accounting program at WSU is 560 so I really wanted to get higher than that. Also, I wanted to get into the 600s, just a personal goal. I scored 620! It doesn't guarantee that I'll get into the program, but at least I'm confident that it won't hinder me from getting in! And, it feels good to have it checked off my to-do list. It also means one less thing for me to have to study during the week.

5. Spring. I loved the weather this weekend. It was warm but not hot. I wore shorts and a t-shirt on Saturday. Nice! At one point, on base at the dog park, it got a little nippy so I put on a sweater, but I ended up tying it around my waist when we went for an afternoon walk along the Ogden River. I even got my first sunburn of the year - just a mild one that faded by Sunday morning. I love seeing green buds on the trees and daffodils and other flowers blooming all around my neighborhood. Birds chirping, grass turning green, and the smell of dirt make my heart swell when I'm outside either walking or riding my bike. I realize it's still early Spring and rain/snow are going to happen, but just knowing that Spring is here makes me happy. The only downside is the swarm of mosquitoes that are going to start showing up. It's something I would have forgotten about (since my hometown doesn't have mosquitoes) except this weekend I also got my first mosquito bite of the year. Sigh. Oh well, it still doesn't erase the joy of Spring!

I hope you all had a good weekend, too, and that this week is full of wonderful things for all of us. If nothing else, hopefully we'll survive to get to next weekend! :)

Finding Passion

I am a romantic. I always have been, though I do my best to temper it with a healthy dose of pragmatism whenever possible. All my life I daydreamed about finding my true love, the man I'd love with all my heart and spend the rest of my life with. I didn't neglect my life waiting for Prince Charming, but I was always on the lookout for him - even those years when I was totally against ever getting married.

It's amazing how much mind space and time has been opened up now that I have found the love of my life. Some of the time I spent daydreaming about finding Prince Charming has now been channeled into thinking about Steve and our future together, but there's still quite a healthy chunk of time leftover. I find myself spending more time thinking about the other aspects of my life that, though never neglected, certainly weren't in the foreground of my thoughts. Things like my career and what to do with my time when not at work.

I'm realizing more fully that my life lacks passion...not in the romance department, but in every other one. I'm grateful to have a job, don't get me wrong, but I'm not enamored with it. It's a dead end job with no potential for advancement and it's not really what I want to do with my life - it lacks challenge and definitely is beneath my potential. So, I'm wracking my brains trying to decide what I'd like to do for a career. It's not very easy. I never had an idea of "what I want to be when I grow up". I definitely learning what aspects of a job appeal to me and what don't. Ideally, I'd like something that could eventually enable me to be my own boss.

Anyway, that's a subject for a complete and substantial blog post. I'm also realizing how little passion I have for any hobby or extracurricular activities. I enjoy doing several things; cooking, hiking, walking, reading, tennis, but I don't necessarily feel PASSIONATE about any of them - even cooking, though that's definitely the closest one. I talked it over with Steve a few nights ago and he suggested trying some new hobbies. I may not be cut out for passion in my hobbies, I may just be too lazy to care that much about anything, but I figure it's worth a try. If nothing else, I'll have a little fun.

The first thing I'm going to try is gardening. I'm actually pretty excited about trying it. Steve and I don't have a yard, but we have front and back patios that would be ideal for potted gardens. I anticipate having a good time planning what to plant, spending time with Steve picking out pots and soil and then spending the spring, summer, and fall maintaining our garden...oh and enjoying the fruit of our labor! I'm not known for my growing skills, but I plan on researching how to care for the plants we choose and really spending time nurturing them.

I'd also like to start biking. We're going to buy bikes when the weather turns warmer and we have a great biking/walking path really close to our home. In fact, I'd also like to try rollerblading again! I have art supplies I bought with the help of my friend, Doug, but have always been too busy (and scared) to sit down and paint. I'd like to try my hand at painting. I may be horrible, but there's the chance of finding something I'm passionate about. You never know! We're also getting a dog in a couple months, so that will be fun and interesting. Steve thinks maybe I'll be good at dog training. We'll see. And maybe this winter, when the weather turns bad again, I'll take up sewing. My mom once hinted that she may give me her old sewing machine and if she does, it may be fun to start sewing fun projects like curtains, pillowcases, and maybe even skirts...if I get decent enough.

At any rate, I feel good about what life has to offer. I am blessed to be in love with the most wonderful man in the universe. I have a decent paying job. And, I have the means and opportunity to explore the offerings of life. Life. I guess that is something I'm passionate about. I love living. I love my life.

I'll do my best to record my attempts at these hobbies, successes and failures. Hopefully there's more successes than otherwise. And, hopefully you have passion in your life. If you do, I'd love to hear about your passions!

Softball

I joined my work softball team on a whim. Last Spring, while watching the softball games of various friends and family members, I thought how fun it would be to play softball, to be a part of a team, run, hit the ball, move my body. Someday, I told myself, someday. Well, when the email went out inviting employees to join the co-ed team, I found myself responding. I attended the team meeting and got nervous, big time. These people could play...one of the gals is one of the softball coaches at SUU (where I work), which isn't intimidating at all. I told them I'd try my best but that I had never played on a team before so please don't expect too much.

I got more and more nervous, especially because playing kept getting put off; one practice was canceled, I couldn't make the other one, two weeks of games were canceled due to snow, so by the time our first game rolled around, I was sick with nerves. I don't know how to throw a ball and it had been over a year since I'd picked up a bat. And, friends and family were going to be in the stands watching! Sam, my ex, came up from St. George and gamely played catch with me beforehand, giving me pointers and plenty of encouragement.

Once the game started, I had a blast - I knew I would once I settled down. I play catcher. In this league, catcher is given to the worst player on the team...all I do is catch the ball when the pitcher pitches it. If a play is being made at home, I step out of the way and let the pitcher run up to take care of things. I don't care that I'm the worst player on the team. It's better than being in the outfield for two reasons; 1) I can't throw the ball, so if I was in right field and the ball managed to make its way to me, I'd have to throw it in and would look absolutely ridiculous and b) I'm in the game - I may not have a lot of responsibilities, but I get a hand on the ball a lot, get to practice throwing the ball (to the pitcher), and I get to chat with the umpire. I love it.

How have I been playing, you ask? Not too great, but not too shabby. I've had a couple hits, a couple strike outs, and made it on base one...I walked. My goal is to get on base due to hitting the ball and then to someday actually score. They aren't lofty goals, but they're mine and I like them.

My team is awesome. I'm one of three Julie's, which we all find terribly amusing. The guys on the team aren't as scary and demanding as I'd feared they'd be. They're very patient with me, give me encouragement, and give me high 5's when I do something even resembling a good job (like when I almost caught a foul ball). As a team, we laugh a lot and have a good time. And, we actually do a fair amount of winning, which is an added perk.

Two years ago, I would never have contemplated being on a softball team. Oh how my life has changed. I'm actually living it instead of letting it roll by like a twig in a stream. I'm doing things that I always held myself back from doing because of my weight. I love that my body can run, not very fast or for very long, but the feeling of the various parts of my body working in harmony to produce this feat is tremendous. I love when I swing the bat and can feel the power of my muscles in my arms and back. I'm about as graceless as a horse on roller blades when I throw the ball, but I'm getting better, and sometimes, every once in awhile, I throw it correctly and I can feel the difference. My body works and I revel in it.

I'll probably never be the best player on any team, but I love playing the game. I love being active and part of something outside myself. I love the sounds of the game; the ball hitting the bat, the Ump calling Strike (unless it's on me or someone on my team), the cheers of the people on the bleachers, and the kids running around laughing and having a grand ole time. I love the way my hand smells like my glove afterward. I love that my mom and friends come to the game to cheer me on. It's so cool to get up to bat and to have them rooting for me, even when I hit the ball right to the pitcher. I love putting on my jersey (#32) even though it's just on loan and I don't get to keep it. I love that my previously white(ish) shoes are now dirty from the red softball diamond dirt. I simply love playing the game.

Mystery Gift Game

My sister-in-law, Rachel, posted this on their blog, and I thought it was a fun idea. Plus, I like getting mystery gifts. Well...I've never been given a mystery gift, but the premise sounds fun. AND, this year, my goal is to give all home-made gifts for Christmas, so this will give me some practice. Here are the rules:

The first three people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you.This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2- What I create will be just for you.
3- It'll be done this year.
4- You have no clue what it's going to be.
5- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 3 people who do the same on your blog.The first 3 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!
Who's in?

Reading Railroad

I love reading. I love opening a book and escaping into a different world. I love the smell of books, especially old books. In Fahrenheit 451, one of my favorite books, the old English professor talks about that wonderful book smell, saying they smell like some exotic spice from the Orient. I agree!

Here are some books I've enjoyed recently:

1. The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne. Yes, the guy who wrote the Winnie the Pooh books. Did you know he wrote a mystery? Just one. According to the Introduction, he was quite a mystery fan, but he had some pretty strong feelings about what should and should not be included. So, he wrote one to meet those sentiments. It was so popular that his publishers begged for another one but he refused - there was nothing left to say. Then he created the Winnie the Pooh characters and became known as a children's writer. Anyway, it was a delightful book. Booklogged, I especially thought of you when I read this since I know you love Winnie the Pooh and a good mystery. It's witty and the characters are engaging. I'm sure I'll reread it many many times in my life.

2. Emily Post:Daughter of the Gilded Age, Mistress of American Manners by Laura Claridge. I love biographies! History is chock full of interesting stories and this promises to be one of them. I haven't actually finished it, but what I've read so far has been fascinating. I had no idea that she had lived through such a scandal - one that ended her marriage. I hate putting this book down at night to go to bed!

3. Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. They are a fantasy series and I wouldn't recommend them to just anyone. Unlike David Eddings books, this series contains some pretty heavy material. There are 11 books, each over 700 pages, but that's not what I mean by heavy. The subject matter is sometimes dark and overwhelming. At some point in each book, I have to shut the book and breath. Then I have to talk myself into continuing to read because I've become too emotional and stressed out. The characters are amazingly drawn and the hero, Richard, is just about the best hero in any book I've ever read. He's flawed enough to be human but perfect enough to help me trust him when things are looking grim and hopeless. Really, one of my favorite series, just be forewarned that you may experience difficulties. My older brother couldn't finish the first book! I just finished the final book a couple days ago and feel like I really accomplished something. Most importantly, I like how it ended. Whew!

4. Murder in Three Acts by Agatha Christie. She is definitely the best-represented author on my bookshelves. One of my goals in life is to own all her novels and short story collections. This book contains Hercule Poirot who I adore, though not as much as Miss Marple. For Miss Marple's best work, I'd recommend The Thirteen Problems, a collection of short stories. I don't have a favorite Poirot story. My all-time favorite Christie novel, though, is And Then There Were None. It's creepy, but in a good way. Kind of. I have a recurring nightmare about this book, but I still love it. I couldn't guess who the murderer was! However, if you read this book and love it as much as I do, don't ever see the play. It was horrible. Sarah can attest to the horror I felt when we watched it a few years ago. *shudder*

5. An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde. Who knew that Oscar Wilde was such an interesting guy? Before I read this book, I looked him up on Wikipedia and discovered that he was quite the colorful, flamboyant guy! Anyway, I love this story. What witty dialogue and fascinating subplots! A quick, fun read.

6. Conagher by Louis L'Amour. I own four of his books, and have read a few others. I've enjoyed every single one. The four I own have been read countless times. This one is probably my favorite because of the title character. He's a real man. The kind of real man that I would like in my life - a hard worker, honest, stubborn, caring, strong, unafraid to get dirty if needed. Like all the books of his I own, this one has a hint of romance. I like it like that, just a hint. Don't want to muddy the story with too much. And, this is a pretty good story.

There have been others, but I think these are fairly representative of the books I like to read. Once I finish the Emily Post bio, I'm going to start another series of 11, though I imagine this series is going to be a lot easier to read - the first book is called The Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery. Someone mentioned on their blog that they read The Key Lime Pie Murder and I was intrigued - a combination of my two loves; food and books! So, I bought the first three in the series and if I like them, which I bet I do, I'll buy all the others. My original plan was to read them while recovering from my surgery, but is it a good idea to read mysteries with such yummy titles after weight loss surgery???

Happy reading!