2011 Finished Objects

I had every intention of posting a lovely list with pictures of all of the items that I completed in 2011...I got a new computer for Christmas...I loved my old laptop...but...my NEW laptop rocks! I am taking business classes and my new laptop has a ten-key pad on the keyboard!! I can't tell you how much this makes me happy. It makes life so much easier..

Anyway...Here is a list of my finished pieces from 2011 and as many pictures that I could find.

Haggis

There was...

Crazy Train

Coming Home

Winter Clapotis aka Super Blankie





Stroller Blanket

Naked Star Hat

Josiah's Star

Duffers

DeWayne's Afghan

Stor Lyndburg

Fetching

Josiah's Socks

Sarah's Corkscrew Scarf

Josiah's Hat

Then there were a few that I didn't get pictures of...

Color work cup cozy

Adult head scarf with crocheted flower

Child's head scarf with crocheted flower

Basic hat for the Sunshine Group

Garter stitch bathmat

If I find any more I will edit the post...all in all not to bad though.

I have been doing the "Knit Doctor" at Mocking Bird Moon on Saturday's 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm, it's  a free service, so if you have a knit that is giving you trouble bring it by and lets see if we can fix the problem.

I taught my first actual "class" in 2011...it was AWESOME!!! It was a color work class and we made cup cozies. I am happy to say that the ladies that took the class all seemed very happy and one went on to create a color work owl!! I will be teaching more color work classes and I will be teaching an enterlac class. In the enterlac class we will be making a bag to felt.  I will have the class sample in the store Saturday.

As far and the exercise and weight loss, yes, I realize it has only been three days, so far so good. For anyone out there with a food issue, you know everyday without a binge is a good day. The Bow Flex and I have yet to make friends...it's scary...but before the week is out I will use it. I will be going Wednesday or Thursday to get my running shoes...no, I am not going to start out running...I have been told by a wonderful young man, that didn't flinch or judge when I explained what I was doing, that while I was going to be walking for a while before trying to run, that running shoes would offer more and better support for less chance of injury.  The Academy in Rogers, AR...just saying...

Keep the good vibes coming and wish me luck...

Happy knitting in 2012!

Gotta tend the dragons...TTFN



January 1, 2012…the ugly…the good

Well, here we are…January 1, 2012…and as promised, I am posting my picture, weight and measurements. It’s ugly…REALLY UGLY…which is why I am doing this. What I am going to do is, on the first of each month, I am going to post a new picture and my measurements. I will post my weight on Sundays. I realize that there are going to be major ups and downs…once again, please any negative comments, keep them to yourself.

Weight:               312.6 lbs.

Neck:                    18 in

Upper Arm:        19.5 in

Wrist:                   7 in

Chest:                   55 in

Waist:                   56 in

Hips:                     58 in

Upper Thigh:     31 in

Calf:                       23.5 in

My plan is to post about exercise, food and the emotion that goes with it…I mean, anyone out there with a weight issue knows that there are emotions involved. I thought for a long time that I wasn’t one of those people. I like to eat, I love food and sweets…well, let’s just say that I LOVE SWEETS!!! That’s what is going to be hard, keeping the sweets under control. Then of course there is soda…I LOVE soda…I will be actively working on reducing the amount of soda that I drink…but yeah, there are a lot of emotions involved in my relationship with food…

I will be getting a pair of running shoes so I can start to walk, to keep the hanging, flappy skin from being so bad. Who am I kidding; I’m almost 41 and 200 lbs. over-weight. There will be flappy skin. My goal for the year is to lose 100 lbs. of the 200 I need to loose. Not really unrealistic. 52 weeks in the year and 2 lbs. more or less a week and I should be able to loose slowly and by the grace of God keep it off.

Yes, 200 lbs. overweight…I am 5’ tall on good days 4’ 11.5’’ others and a small bone structure…

I am going to work on portion size, fewer sweets and less soda; adding more veggies, water, tea, coffee, fish and sea food; reducing processed and adding whole foods and grains. I may even add a vitamin, not sure about that yet. I have a doctor’s appointment on Jan 9, so Dr. approval should not be a problem.

On the exercise front, I plan to start walking, slowly; 10 minutes to start and building up. A Bow Flex came to live in my house this holiday season, so…yeah. We shall see how well that goes.

Please send positive vibes…

Knitting…Last year I “stash-shopped” all year. I bought yarn 2 times and they were small buys. I bought fleece once…not so small a buy, 2 full alpaca fleeces…yeah.

In 2011 as far as I can tell I completed 19 projects. I didn’t think that was much until I got to looking at them. I will do a post in the next couple of days with pictures of finished objects.

In 2012, I plan on stash shopping for the most part. What I really want to accomplish is to finish UFO’s this year. I have a lot of them and want some closure…I feel that this is the best way to do it.

School…I ended last semester with a 3.25 GPA and took 12 hours. This semester, I am taking 18 hours and feel much better prepared for the time and effort that it will take to make it through. I hope that I can maintain my GPA if not raise it up.

Well…here it is the ugly and the good…

Gotta tend the dragons…TTFN

Almost 2012

December 29, 2011

As I have stated before, I am going to be making some changes this year. I have decided to go public, as public as this blog is, with my struggles with my weight.

I am 5 feet tall and almost 41 years old. I would say that it was time to make some changes.

On January 1, 2012, how cliché is it to start on the New Year, I will post a picture of myself, my weight and measurements. This is not something that I do lightly. It is something that I am sure I am not the only one out there that needs to do this.

I am taking inspiration from Crazy Aunt Purl on this one.

It is not going to be easy…or fun. It is going to be hard and heart wrenching and embarrassing.

I am not doing this for pats on the back. I would really appreciate any negative comments, if any, to be kept to one’s self.  

I would love to join Weight Watcher’s but being unemployed, I can’t afford it. This is my answer to that problem. I will blog.

I am going to try to post several times a week, I would love to post daily, but life happens.

I will fill in more information in the next couple of days.

As always I will be showing knitting progress and projects and basic stuff.

I don’t know if anyone even really reads this so, let’s see what the year brings.

Must tend the dragons…TTFN

Christmas 2011

I truly hope that everyone out there had a really Merry Christmas. I hope that families were together and that family feuding was at a minimum.

The crew here at the Dragon barn are well and had a good Christmas. The kids were happy. The family well behaved, the adults.

As I get closer to New Years I am going to try to post more often. I am going to be making some very real changes here this year...changes in health, life and spirit.

Take care and hang on.

TTFN

3.25

Just a quickie this morning...

I pulled out my first semester of college with a 3.25!

I am totally excited about this.

I hope to do better next semester.  Please wish me luck.

I will be posting knitting pictures after Christmas as there are a few gift knits that I want to keep a surprise.

TTFN...

Year End and Year Beginning

Sorry for the long radio silence. Life has been crazy. School coming to a close and finals...OMG!!! Finals! After being out of school for 20+ years I have to say that I wasn't quite ready for just how much work school was going to be or for finals.

I can't believe that after a year that I am still unemployed. That has been really hard. I feel like my self worth has lowered because I don't get up every morning and go to a job. I mean, I do home school, but even with that I have fallen behind trying to keep up...if that makes any sense. I take care of my children, but I notice that I am not as patient as I should be because of how I feel. Of course, I am getting to that time in life when the change is looming on the horizon...

I really never planned on being out of work for a year. Of course, with the exception of people on Wall Street and the government, I don't think any of us expected the economy to tank this hard. It's Christmas time and I feel bad because I don't have the money to do the things I would like to for my kids or for D...and that breaks my heart.

Of course all of these things compound and grow and compound and grow...

I don't like the place that I am right now...my weight, my attitude...life in general. I am discontent and restless. I am sure that these things have to do with the fact that I have been unemployed for a year...it's a vicious cycle.

I am going to make some changes in January. Start out fresh...so cliche.

I think that I am going to take a page out of "Crazy Aunt Purl's" book and do a monthly check in...maybe more often. I have plans to take something very personal very public...well as public as this blog is...

For all of you our there coming for knitting content...I will have some to post soon. I am doing a couple of commission pieces and I will have the second done tonight/tomorrow morning and will post pics then.

You know the funny thing about tending to the dragons...it's a lot like herding cats sometimes.

Discontent

So sorry for the radio silence. Life and school have both been kicking my butt.  I had to accept that English Comp I and I did not have a winning relationship. I will be taking it next semester to offer more time and such to it. 

I have to say that Comp I was really a challenge and I think that if I had the opportunity to take it in a classroom I would find it easier. On line you are required to read everyones posts and respond to a minimum of three with 5 lines minimum response. It was very time consuming considering when you posted for the week it was usually 15 - 18 lines. I really have to say that I wasn't expecting it to be that time consuming. My bad.

There has been knitting, but not a lot, see reference to school kicking my butt.

Has anyone else out there had problems adjusting to the time change? I just can't seem to get my sleep regulated.

I am excited to say that I was approached by the wonderful women from Mockingbird Moon last week and was asked to work as the "Knit Dr." on Saturdays from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm. I will do my very best to live up to the name. I was humbled and honored.

Fair warning that there are no pictures and I am kind of blue so if you want to stop reading, now would be the time.

I find that I am really discontent these days. I can't seem to get focused or settled and I am just really not very happy right now. I don't know if it has to do with the weather, with my age, with the coming on of the change or what. I just know that I am not in a good place right now. I just want to survive the holidays and then make some major changes in my life.

Gotta go tend the dragons, they are close to breaking their chains...TTFN