Between Loads

is like walking on a sandy beach - yeah - I keep telling myself that

I am still knitting and really need to post pictures of FO!  I have been busy though:

It’s official - this week I became a licensed Real Estate Agent!  Becoming an agent is something I have wanted to do for many years.  Be careful what you ask for :)  Almost 2 years ago I accepted a job with my Broker as a bookkeeper and assistant and completed my RE agent coursework over the holidays.  I have purchased and sold several homes of my own over the years, both in rural areas and the Twin Cities - and know how it feels going through the process.  Contact me with any questions you have both as a buyer or seller - Our team is highly experienced in all areas of the market. www.customerdrivenrealty.com

More to come!!

LOVING MY GLOVE CLASS!  But I am not loving my gauge swatch.  We figured out our math etc. and I worked my glove just past the thumb gusset…I am running between 7.5-8 stitches per inch instead of the 8 I had on the swatch…no problem.  I was at 56 stitches, should drop to 54 as per the math, but am going to drop to 52 and see if that works.  I want these babies to fit!  These are so much faster to knit than socks - fewer stitches for me and many fewer row

Susan is such a trooper with all my emails.  Thanks Susan! 

I can’t believe so much time has passed.  I already feel like I lost my summer…but the fall is also flying quickly by.

When last I posted I sounded quite morose.  Come to find out, my thyroid indeed had been affected by my surgeries and was basically at zero function.  Good news - I lost 10 pounds - bad news - my husband was ready to commit me (or at least take me to the emergency room) when I was HOT for hours, super anxious and basically sounded like a fruit cake.  The thyroid- although small - is a very powerful gland!

Anyway - I am working with doctor on my meds and feel much more like myself.  This has taken most of these past few weeks.  To top it off, dh was in NY for a week, scout weekend camping with son when he got back, then got another short term gig - in town but no less crazy.  He was camping again this weekend and next weekend (MEA already!!) our family is invited to a friend’s cabin!  This last weekend was our school festival as well as a band competition.  My 14 year old gets to complain the most about the cold as the colorguard girls were in their very lightweight, no arm covered costumes on the Eden Prairie football field Saturday night with the horrible wind and cold.  They did a great job though despite the fact they were freezing.

The boys survived camping in tents as well with 4000 other people and enjoyed a wonderful fireworks display and band performance after a very cold, but fun filled day working on advancement, meeting race car drivers and black hawk military personnel - oh yes there was a trapping station - to name just a few things they did. (Did I mention my son is REALLY interested in hunting and trapping?  He has a few snare traps set up around the yard.  I had to have him point them out so I don’t set them off)

The best part of my day was my WONDERFUL class over at The Yarnery with Susan Rainey and Glove Anatomy!!!!  She is a great teacher who never dispoints.  I have never made gloves and am sooooo excited to learn her secrets!  I have plans for at least 2 more pair after my initial ”test” pair. I have 2 more Sunday afternoons with her and a great group of knitters.  She is also teaching this at Amazing Threads in November so if you have a chance, check it out.

Gotta go - really have to get things back to square one around here.  I did a lot of shoveling in children’s bedrooms yesterday and washed practically every piece of clothing/towels we own!!  Now to get them all put away.

Lame title…anyway.

Update - overall my voice is better but I do not feel like myself yet.  I won’t go into it but I will just leave it by saying that I am just going to give it more time and hope to be feeling like me again soon.

I don’t think I am particularly fun to be around right now, I am trying to distract myself and get out of everyone’s way by getting ready for a huge destashing of our house later this month.  DH and I are going through every nook and cranny and will be using ebay, craigslist, and a garage sale to get rid of the stuff.  Let me just say that it is amazing how much stuff you can accumulate for other people and organizations in your house! We called my son in DC to ask him about all his stuff in the storeroom.  We will be taking pictures and having him OK what to get rid of.  He can use the money more than it being in my house.  I even had the kids go through the back entry closet yesterday.  It seems like the shoes multiply with no help and I do not want to rummage through the bin this winter to find mittens that do not match and hats that are too small.  I washed everything and it should be dry today.

I even had everyone strip all the beds and wash all the blankets.  The kids use the blankets to wrap up while watching TV and some of them were getting a little gamey due to being wrapped around bare feet all summer and being dragged across the floor.

Even though for most of the state school doesn’t start until Tuesday, we had 2 start last Tuesday.  It should be a good year - 4th and 7th grade now.  The 4th grader is really appreciating the wonderful organization of his teacher and the 7th grader is chomping her bit to get to the high school and she learns more about the variety of activities and classes. The 9th grader has been very busy with Colorguard and I am sewing 2 costumes this weekend - their first competion is later this week I think but I just do not have my calendar organized yet…sigh.

I did put a package in the mail for my mom yesterday with a book I ordered and the vest so she should get that on Tuesday? hopefully.  My buttons are still not sewn on to my free sweater but I did buy more yarn!  Michaels had the Patons wool on sale for $3.99 a skein so I picked some up for a sweater for myself.  I also purchased the Lion Brand Fisherman wool - maple tweed? - for a sweater for my husband.  It should only take 4 skeins so I sent the kids through the line separately with cash and a 40% off coupon :)  Hey - Don’t judge - I saved a chunk of dough!

I have been knitting some odd items that I will probably send to the indian reservation in South Dakota.  I am trying some new quick patterns.  I know what the weather service has said about the El Nino effect on our weather but I am more likely to believe the Farmer’s Almanac forecast.  How many times have they been wrong?  I also have other evidence by the crazy activity in my yard of the mice and chipmunks - and it is only September!  They are crawling up the downspouts and burrowing into the landscape much more than ever!

We are having my daughter, son-in-law, and grandson over for lunch today.  I can’t believe he starts 1st grade on Tuesday! 

Gotta go - I have cinnamon rolls in the oven.