Bell Choir, almost back!

Day 277

I am thankful for a new bell director and a faithful bell choir organizer.  Without these two women we might not be ringing this fall!

We had a fun time last night pulling music for the fall and Christmas seasons.

Breathing Space

Day 276

I am thankful for ease in the day.  I'm enjoying a job where I have catch up moments throughout the day.  I'm still finding my feet and trying to figure out what needs doing and how we should do it but for today I'm thankful for the spaces in my day.

We're getting closer to occupying our new buildings at church.    Unofficial target is now middle of October.  

And I thought yesterday was cool

Day 275

I am thankful for a doors open, fan running, breeze blowing evening.  People seem almost giddy with the cool weather. 

Next hat:

I think I have less than 2 skeins worth of the camo yarn left.   I'd like to get these finished up and shipped out to Hats4Hunger so they can sell them as winter approaches.  Then, on to other projects.

Coolness in the house

Day 274

I am thankful for a relief from the heat.  It was delightful to have a cool house this morning.  I know "heat season" isn't over but I can hope we won't get the drastic temperatures of this last week.

Finished hat:

One week down

Day 273

I am thankful for Friday!  Work has gone well but the first week of school combined with a hot, smokey and humid heat wave makes me happy it's over.

I've been a slow reader and a slower knitter this week.   I have about two skeins of the camouflage yarn left before I leave hats for the hungry and move on to other projects.

The latest:

skuuuuuuurp

Day 272

I am thankful for cool (as in opposite of hot outside) things, air conditioning, ice, ice cream bars, freezer sections of grocery stores, the entire inside of Walmart.  We have had ourselves a short but intense heat wave-that kind of heat that takes your breath away when you step outside.   All week the comment has been "it's so oppressive out there".    Cooler temps are promised by Saturday.   I'm so thankful!

Pizza and Singing, a great combination

Day 271

I am thankful for the new season of choir starting!  We had a pizza-luck dinner and a short rehearsal this evening.  It is great to be together again!

Work, work, work

Day 270

I am thankful for all the things I'm learning for work.  It's a happy challenge to learn to meet both the childrens' needs and the legal requirements.  There seems to be the biggest pile of paperwork to do but I'll learn how to do it all eventually.

Lets get going

Day 269

I am thankful for a new community.  About 3 this afternoon both special ed. teachers popped into my room, unplanned, just to check in and say hello. We're all new to the school and just getting to know each other and the rest of the staff.  I'm so glad that we have a little sub-community to get us going.

I had enough brown camo yarn for a baby hat.  I haven't done this shape before and I like it.

A movie kind of day

Day 268

I am thankful for netflix.  I was surprised this evening how easy it was to watch a movie over the computer.   Really. 

The latest hat is finished:

Dressed

Day 267

I am thankful for Dress Barn and Walmart.   I have just enough outfits to get through a week of work without washing clothes midweek and without wearing my saggy, baggy summer capris.

Other than a few errands today has been about knitting and a nap.   I'm almost done with another boy's hat.   This one will be double thickness.  Instead of making a brim I make the body of the hat twice as much and then pull the bottom up like I would the brim but it's long, like the hat. 

Lost and found

Day 266  Friday, August 20, 2010

I can't believe I was so tired last night that I forgot to post!!!  I was washed out with aching legs and feet, just exhausted. 

I am thankful that I had a good end of the week.  I didn't have to attend extra meetings.  I got a lot done toward next week.  A good day.

At the end of the day I got to the store only to realize I didn't have my wallet.  Went back to the classroom-not there.   Went back to the room where we had our staff meeting and I had my purse-not there.  Went back through all the places I walked through in the office when I had my purse on my shoulder-not there.   Ai!  I went back to the car and made sure it wasn't on the floor, in the other bag, under my feet or seat-not there.  Took several big breaths and went back to the classroom.  I got on the floor to look under my desk and there it was-standing on end next to the leg of the desk.  It must have slipped out of my purse as I picked it up for the last time that day.

Whew.  Then I went back to all the people I had told about my lost wallet and told them it's found.

Shaggy

Day 265

I am thankful for getting to meet new people.  Four of the five special education people are new to the campus this year (can you imagine being the principal?) and we went for lunch yesterday and today-as many as were available.   We have one yet to meet-late hire.

I finished the special olympics red and white scarf this evening.  All that knot tying was not fun.  I won't be using the butterfly loom that way again.

My brains spins over work

Day 264

I am thankful for clarity about the classroom.  This is finally beginning to feel "right".

Photo day!

Calendar/Circle time:

Reading room and playhouse:

Speech area:

The, as of yet, manageable mess on my desk:

Preparation

Day 263

I am thankful for Mrs. S. and Mrs. W, my wonderful classroom assistants.  They both worked a half day today in exchange for comp. time later.  The classroom blossomed.  Furniture was arranged,  the calendar area went up, schedule was discussed, and within hours we had a habitable, nearly ready for children, room.  Maybe some pictures tomorrow.

The lysianthus that I picked up last week at the grocery is blooming up a storm.   I decided to keep it in the kitchen until the weather cools off.   Hopefully it will overwinter well outside and bloom again.

Stop and go

Day 262

I am thankful for getting errands done.  6 for 6 today.   The new school is quite chaotic right now between start of school and some last minute moving of classrooms.  I can't ask for help with furniture being moved, the computer to be set up, or where things are kept because all the people needed for those things are busy, busy, busy.   I'm hoping this is not typical but I suspect it's fairly normal.   I just need to learn the best times to snag people when they might have a minute.

Yarn projects are moving right along:

These butterfly looms are easy to string but the tying, with this particular yarn, is rough on my fingers.  I'll have to try the loom again with a different yarn and tying technique.  

And a little more on the boy's hat:

Scattered

Day 261

I am thankful for sermons that make a person think.  We're still studying Jonah-who knew that four chapters of Jonah would have so much to talk about.  Today the message was about doing what God has set before you to do.  I've been "getting there" all summer about starting another new position at yet another new school.  Today's message reinforced what I've known and what my sister reminds me of....this job is mine to do.   Welcome back to preschool, Ms. B.

I was so scattered today.  I ran a couple errands after church and forgot little things at both stops.  I couldn't settle in with anything I did today.  Turns out it was a migraine brewing and thank goodness for meds, both prescription and OTCs.

Even so, I did get a little knitting and a little wrapping/tying done. 

Another "boy" hat:

The next scarf section:

A good day

Day 260

I am thankful for occupations of the day.  I trimmed some palm fronds, did some knitting, solved a few word puzzles, and met my brother for dinner.  Great day!

Trimmed fronds and trimmed tree:

Trying a "butterfly loom" to make a scarf.  It should take 3 sections this size:

"Every Word" game right on my Kindle, I didn't think I'd like it so much but I do. 

2nd Placeholder

Day 259

Oh my, coming right up on the t-minus 100 day countdown!

Still off visiting.

Placeholder!

Day 258

Off visiting, thankful for the opportunity!

Giving it away

Day 257

I am thankful for a quick visit with friends and family.   We had a little dinner at Panera's and off they drove heading home from a few days camping at Shaver.  I had a quiet day with a little knitting and a little reading.

It looks like August is charity knitting month.  I'm happy for that because knitting is  more fun when it's for someone or to benefit someone.  I decided to continue making hats for the Hats for Hunger project and to knit a scarf for Special Olympics Winter 2011 athletes.  This year they are hoping for 2500 scarves to be donated.  The colors are Red Heart cherry red and Red Heart white.  Knitters and crocheters can use any pattern.  The size should be 5" wide and 55" long. (just in case you thought you might want to join in!)  Scarves-for-special-olympics

My second scarf for the bell choir fundraiser is finished:

Nice surprises

Day 256

I am thankful for surprises.   I was surprised today to find a favorite flower among the grocery store floral section.   Lysianthus:

I was also surprised to find a section of pastel to rich coral colors in the yarn I'm using.  So pretty:

And, no surprise but the baby hats are off to Malawi.....or will be soon.  I delivered them to my friend.  She has a few more knitters to collect from and then her friend is coming to visit and take the hats away. 

Whew

Day 255

I am thankful for "it's not so bad."  I went into my new classroom today to look around.  It's not so bad.  Any messiness is is because the furniture is out of place and my boxes from my last school are scattered all over.   It looks like I'll have lots of time before school starts to go through the files and get some planning in.

Another good knitting day:

Anticipation

Day 254

I am thankful for anticipation.   Informal word at church is 4-6 weeks until we occupy the new Chapel and Worship Center.  The current goal is to be in by Reformation, 10 weeks away.  After singing in the window opening all of us in choir are hearing whatever we sing how it might sound in the Chapel.

Water and fence animal creations #2  Hippo/croc cross or cat/hippo cross?:

Latest hat, headed for Hats for Hunger:

Heat respite

Day 253

I am thankful for a beautiful, temperate day.  We had a lovely morning.  I was able to take time to trim some palm fronds (usually if I start a job the gardener will finish it-though I'll get after a few more on Monday) and to spread ant bait around the house.   This evening when I went out it was very nearly cool.  When I came in I switched from air conditioning to swamp cooler.  I don't get to use it too often in the evenings. 

Knitting is feeling better and better as long as I take lots of breaks to rest or exercise my hands.  I had enough of the plum yarns for a 2nd hat.   Next up are some youth sized hats in camo colors. 

Ant wars

Day 252

I am thankful for super stores.   Today, in 45 minutes, I picked up ant bait, ibuprofen, yarn, soy milk, avocados and bananas.  Along the way I found a picture frame that was on my list, a children's book with bees that count to 5, and garden gloves.

I'm waging ant war.  I can usually keep them in check with little bits of Terro gel but this summer they have been persistent so I'm doing a perimeter dust in the morning.

The plumberry set is finished!

Gadgets

Day 251

I am thankful for technologies.   Even among all their distractions they can lead to times of study and worship.  I'm happy to have a copy of my study Bible on my Kindle and on my laptop.

The pink rose stages a comeback:

Seen on the wall leaving church last evening:

I'd love to take a piece of chalk and trace it!

A new space

Day 250

I am thankful for summer choir and our director.   Sunday we're singing two pieces we know well and so had extra time to take a hush hush tour of the new buildings.  We sang at the unfinished window opening of the chapel and the acoustics made us all swoon.

Back of the Chapel:

 Front of the Chapel:

It's been a very good knitting week.  The purplish hat and scarf are coming right along.  The purple of the brim is exactly the color of the blue berries I whirred in the blender this morning.

Bright

Day 249

I am thankful for time to rest and take naps when I don't feel good.   I feel a little better but this is one persistent infection.  In the meantime I finished the yellow scarf today.  I made it to the end of the skein with only 12 inches left.  :*)  I think the yarn is aptly named "Sunshine". 

And scarves....

Day 248

I am thankful for ice and antibiotics.   I've been struck with a summer sinus infection and antibiotics and ice pack to the rescue.  Thanksgiving also for insurance and docs. 

I was thinking I might finish the yellow scarf today.  I came close:

Hats and scarves

Day 247

I am thankful for opportunities for giving.   A nine year old girl started a group at Ravelry, a knitting and crochet social networking site.  She makes and donates hats to Hats for Homeless and invites the rest of us to do the same.   The hats get shipped by their makers to another child, whose name I forget, who sells them at craft fairs and anywhere else.  Then, he uses the money to buy ducks and geese from Heifer International.   Along with making hats for the cancer center I'll send a few to HFH as well.  So cool.

After the yellow scarf I'll start this hat/scarf combo:

Then a scarf for Sis with yarn straight from Peru!