Livinf in a 100 year old farmhouse, Part 1

Our old farmhouse started over 100 years ago as a cube. Two rooms downstairs and two rooms upstairs. The first add on was a kitchen, built overtop of the old root cellar. The old outside south door became a window. Then a bathroom was added along with a large cement front porch and a small back porch. Next the back porch was enclosed into a mud room. Lastly, the front porch became a living room and a small bedroom, and a small cement front porch was added. It has brick columns and screen windows and door.
A remodel in the 70's divided the kitchen into two tiny rooms, a kitchen and a breakfast room with corner cabinets. The cabinets were shallow and built down for the comfort of a family of 4, the tallest of whom were 5'6".

THEN
Our massive family moved in! Seven children, two parents. My husband was 6'5", our sons were 6'6", 6'2", and 6'1". Two of the girls were 6' and 6'1"!! The breakfast nook was ridiculous, the guys looked THROUGH the mesh cabinets. Nothing was big enough to contain our pots and pans, no more than two of us could be in the kitchen at a time. One night I came home from work to a large empty room where my kitchen/nook had been! The guys had ripped everything out in a few hours. What's a mom to do?
I ordered pizza.

SNOW DAY!!

Even though I no longer have school age kids, and it's been a LONG time since I've been a part of public schools, I still find myself watching the closings to see if "we" have a snow day! So, I now give myself a snow day. Jammies, hot coffee, books, knitting, my fave shows on TV, and permission to not go anywhere!
It's only 4-6 inches, but this is Indiana. Panic ensues and there are not enough plows to make it to the low priority roads, such as ours. In all fairness, the drifts can be close to 2 feet with the crazy wind we have. The guys are pretty good at using our 4WD or tractor to pull cars through.
We, however, at this moment, are safe, warm, and fed. A perfect snow day!

Alone, all alone

Although today was VERY lively with 11 of the grandkids here, tonight they have all gone home. Beloved husband is at work, and son is at a pool party. So, it's just ME. I carefully (and selfishly) saved bits of cooked fresh veggies this week and indulged myself in an enormous fritta for my solo supper. Green beans, yellow squash,zucchini,onion, reheated, cooked with THREE eggs (the DECADENCE!), baked it and then topped with fresh sliced heirloom tomatoes a sprinkling of sea salt! Bliss! I feel positively rich!

I continue to be on a hat kick, knitting wise. Just sent off 3 as a donation to a hospital in New Guinea, have three done so far for Soldiers Angels and another week till I need to send them. What else can I get done for them? Maybe some gaiters?

Also still at work on the Biblical Bits for Knit Wits afghan. We start teaching the class in September and need to have a couple done to show the class.
Also swatching for the Classic Oak Cardigan for DH. And secretly working on the Kiki rug for him for Christmas.

Never not knitting!

The Dizziness

Apparently the enduring dizziness is a secondary infection after a first one. It's called toxic labrythinitis. The room keeps spinning, as if my gyroscope in my head spins to right itself when I move my head. Bending over is a definite no-go. Carefully semi squatting with my head held exactly level is the way I am coping. I got some meds from the doc to help and it DOES help, as long as I very carefully manage when to take it. I just want it to go away!

Supper

Again. Every day, every week, every month, every year. Families just expect to be fed. Tonight, I think that I will sooth their hunger with pasta shells mixed with steamed, chopped fresh broccoli, diced chicken, and my famous white sauce, with some extra garlic added. I think for variety I will top it with buttered cracker crumbs and throw it into the oven.

Phew! 4H camp!

We had to be up and at'em today in order for kids to get slots for 4H camp! We got the last 3 positions and were there 40 min after they opened! Wow! It's such a great deal, $47 for a three day camp. And the camp is beautiful. I'm so thankful that we got 3 of them in, now to hope for that one kid to not go so the other one can slide in as the alternate. I love 4H!

I like this!

visited 20 states (40%)
Create your own visited map of The United States

And now that the 2010 camping season is upon us, I think I should plan trips to fill in some more states!

Do you know what time it is?

It's Preseason Football Time!!! Wahooo!!!! Time to change all colors to black and gold, break out the Terrible Towels, and get ready to cheer my Steelers on to ANOTHER Super Bowl!! Oh, I DO love football!

100 things to do before you die. Not sure where this came from. But, here's the weird part, I've done 52 things in 52 years. ????

Copy, paste, and bold what you have done!

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Gone rollerskating

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Acted in a play or performed on stage

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible once

86. Visited the White House

87. Won money

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Had to put someone you love in Hospice Care

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

100. Read an entire book in one day

I love football!

Yes, really, truly. And I ESPECIALLY love STEELER football!! Happy fan, happy fan. I love it when I get to watch a really good game. And yesterday's game against the Chargers was a good game..up until the 3rd quarter. Then it was just Steelers playing Girl Scout troop #35. Chargers came back in the 4th, but never had enough to overcome the advantage that the guys got in the 3rd. Got to get to the Superbowl and a chance to make it SIX!!! WOOT!! Dancing everywhere today!!

What could be cuter than a little one in handknits?

Why, TWO of them of course!!!













Danny and Paulo are doing great and just get cuter every day! They are 6 months old now! Wow, time flies!

Fall outlook

This is the view from my deck, looking east at the moonrise. My favorite maple tree in full color, the air crisp and clean and piles of leaves ready to be raked and jumped into by teams of grandkids.
My soul tells me it's time for woodpiles and canning jars, simmering apple butter and fresh baked bread. My body tells me it's time for a long nap....

Fall

I know it's fall because these keep falling off my knitting needles. So, so cute. Really fast and easy. The only drawback is the craving for candy corn!!

Adopt a Terrorist Day

OK. Perhaps that sounds a bit off. But, here's what happened...
One of our boys, a corrections officer, was stopped for a minor traffic violation, a forgotten turn signal, his first ever. As the officer ran his driver's license, Homeland Security pinged him as a potential terrorist! Living under an assumed name! Hauled into jail for questioning, car impounded, driver's license stripped, horrific mess! Bear in mind this is a 31 yr old who has NEVER been in any kind of trouble at all!
Now, the REAL story. Thirty years ago, when my dh and I were married said son was a baby. Bio-dad was a nonplayer, neither seen nor heard after son turned 2.. No contact with my son for the rest of his life. So, son used my husband's name for 12 years of public school, college, driver's license, MARRIAGE license, SECURITY clearances for jobs, all cleared by the state. But apparently, three months ago, Homeland Security changed laws and a legal alias is no more. It would have been nice to have been told!
So, in order to clear everything and be able to use the only name he has ever used, as his legal name, we went to court today and my beloved husband legally and truly adopted my only biological son as his very own. I cried as my darling son and I held hands for the judge's decree. It was such a moving moment. My husband standing before a court of law and asking permission to be "Dad" in the eyes of the world. The court reporter was beaming at us. The judge was smiling, dh was beaming, ds was grinning, and there I stood, crying. I am so lucky!

After death malaise

Well, I'm dead. My black and red death hat arrived yesterday. It's really a nice way to go. Except...IT DOESN'T FIT!!! Sigh. I can just squeeze it onto my enormous head and then the corn silk hair enables it to creep maddeningly up my noggin! Sigh. Two HA games, 2 hats I can't wear. But, they do fit DH perfectly; he of the teeny skull!

Hat Attack 2 - Morty

How evil is it to murder your own child? Well, if it's Hat Attack 2, it's just normal! This little beauty goes to my assigned target, my very own daughter who lives just 100 feet from me! I can't say I loved working this pattern. It sort of got boring on the third repeat, with one more repeat and decreases to go! The Therapi yarn was OK, but not fabulous. It had these weird things in it that looked like pieces of raffia. ?? BUT, HA2 was FUN! I'm just not in a hurry to do it again.

Hat Attack 2

So much fun! But I must knit faster!!! I see my enemy, and she is almost done!!! I still don't get the whole Fibonacci thing, but, honestly, I don't care either! Math...blech!

Danny and Paulo

The twins, whom I somehow lost the pictures of..IN my digital camera!

Babies and knitting

Four grandsons in 4 months. Knit, knit, knit! I'm seriously tired of knitting baby things. One more blankie to finish by Wednesday. Then I think I'll do something for me, maybe a shawl? That great black and white one I've been collecting yarn ro make? Or some fun hats for CHristmas gifts? I spent the day sorting and organizing for the Ravelry Olympics. So much yarn! Gets me all excited about projects!

So much camping desire, so little towing ability

I LOVE to camp. First tent camping, then pop-ups, and now a travel trailer. I love all of it. The break from routine, the joy of travel, even a few miles! I love messing about with dutch ovens and fire. We just bought a beautiful Jayco Eagle trailer and it is PERFECT for the two of us. Now, that's assuming that the boys set up "the man cave" in the humongous tent. I am even perfectly willing to go by myself, or just with the boys, except for one tiny detail....I CANNOT tow a trailer! Arghhh!! The whole" back up this way to go that way" makes my head hurt. Sigh. SO I am at the mercy of the One who is capable of driving and towing anything on Earth. It's probably for the best. If I could tow it, I might never come home!