Sharing

Dave shared his geocaching love with a group of eager kids recently. He hid a box before they met and then led them on the hunt for two caches. They were ecstatic. The younger children loved the trinkets in the caches, and the older ones loved the hunt. I think he converted a few families.

One of the little boys had been on our camping trip. While camping, he asked if I would make him a hat. He saw Aine's new shawl and wanted a handknit for himself. I whipped up a quick scrappy hat and shared it with him. He wore the hat throughout most of the hike despite the very warm weather(100 degree).  I think I may have a convert as well.

Gifts from the Hardware man

"Ask the oldest man in there for help." These sage words guide my actions whenever I enter a hardware store. My dad would tell me this whenever he sent me to the store looking for something specific or a little advice on a project. Although he wore a suit to work everyday, my dad was the ultimate DIYer. Now in his retirement, my dad, or Grandad to the kiddos, works in a hardware store.

This job delights my children. They love going to "Grandad's store." We visit for canning supplies, paint, nuts, bolts and anything else we think we need. A local hardware store is a fantastic place to visit. Most of the people inside know a lot about fixing, installing and creating. Grandad is no exception. Whenever we want to make something or fix what is broken, we ask him. He not only shares expertise but also his tools.

Grandad continually keeps us supplied in tools. He and Grandma outfitted each of the kids with a hammer, screwdrivers, tape measure, etc. Often when we visit with him, he gives us a new tool to discover. Recently he brought the kiddos a siphon.

The next day Aine asked to try out the siphon. She quickly found scissors and removed the bulb and tubing. The two of us went into the bathroom with two cups to check it out. After filling one of the cups with water, I showed her how to squeeze the bulb a few times to start the flow of water. She marveled at the flow of the water. The experiment was performed many times. Aine called Eamon into the room and showed him how to work the siphon. She explained that the source tubing and liquid had to be higher then the exit point of the tube. He also was amazed. The two of them used the siphon for quite some time. I later told them a bit about how a siphon works. It was a terrific tool, and they are glad Grandad shared it with them.

Waiting

Although Benton and I only planted them a few days ago, we check on our seeds every day. I think we are all eager to see something grow in our small garden. I am trying not to yearn for our old garden and its splendor, although it was not large either. Benton wants to plant more seeds, so I am prepping some containers for beans and more greens or broccoli. Do you have a garden this time of year?

Keeping House

Over the last few months I have ignored cleaning. Our house isn't in shambles, but it isn't clean either. The kitchen and bathrooms have been cleaned, and the laundry has been done. Aside from that and a bit of picking up, the house has not been cleaned. This has allowed me to be a more relaxed mama and more present with my kiddos. It also gave me a break from feeling as if all I did was clean up after people.  However my house is disgusting, and it is driving me crazy.

I walk by the shutters and see the layers of dust punctuated with tiny fingerprints. The blinds in the kitchen block the bright summer sunshine when closed and proudly display flecks of food and layers of grime. The carpet has a dirty, worn path where food and muck from the kitchen is tracked throughout the house. The walls have smudges and black marks where hands have travelled. Piles of paper threaten to topple at the slightest brush. The back patio has becoming overgrown with foliage. It truly is a mess, and this week it is changing.

I couldn't stand it any more. I realized no one else in the house was concerned, so if I didn't like it, I had to change it. This means I have been busy. This weekend, I tackled the walls in the kitchen eating area. They were speckled with bits and bobs of dried food and drink. Next was the miniblinds. I truly hate miniblinds. I am not sure why they were invented. They are impossible to clean and they are ugly. Armed with a rag and cleaning solution, I cleaned the evil slats. I also cleaned both bathrooms top to bottom. The floor was my next project, but I was distracted by the kiddos. Who wants to clean when there is fun to be had.

Today I returned to work. I trimmed the bushes and trees in the backyard. I even hosed down the patio furniture and the toys which occupy the space. Benton came out to help me and enjoyed spraying the patio himself. He watered our small garden plot, and I added some vermicompost. Together we then planted a few seeds in our humble garden. We now hope to grow a eclectic mix of chard, kale and spinach. Luckily they can be used somewhat interchangeably, because that is how they are planted. The space looks so much better and inviting now. With the weather cooling slightly it is a space we enjoy for relaxing and eating breakfast.

Once inside, I continued my cleaning of the window treatments. With the miniblinds out of the way, the shutters were the next task. I went through 6 rags cleaning them. They were so dusty! The house already feels much cleaner. The view out of the windows seems brighter. It has been a long time since they were dusted. It is my #1 hated cleaning chore. I will clean every bathroom twice before I dust. It seems like such a pointless task, but it is so nice when it is done.

Tomorrow is the kitchen floor. After that I will concentrate on more purging of my stuff (still working on the yarn reduction). The garage should be tackled as well, but I will wait until the outside temperature is below 100 degrees. In the meantime, I will continue to grab small bits of time for fun and knitting.

Seed Stitch Cowl and Hat finished today and photographed on my clean patio

Full of Greatness

Last night, Aine spent the night with her Grandma. I don't know what they did yet, but I know Aine was beyond excited. She called Grandma a few weeks ago requesting a date day. She was very specific that she wanted to spend time with her grandmother by herself and spend the night. It was fine if GrandDad was there, but none of her cousins or siblings. We arranged a time with Grandma, and Aine has been counting the days.

With Aine out visiting, Dave and I were able to spend time with the boys. After a long day Benton fell asleep very early, so we were down to just one child. It was so nice eating a late dinner together with only Eamon. We were able to just focus on him and really listen. He talked and talked and talked a bit more. The topic was Minecraft, of course. We talked about his favorite things to do on the game. He taught me a bit more about the new update that was recently released. Dave added his insights into the game. It was fantastic.

During the discussion I asked how many people play the game. Dave asked Eamon if he remembered. The figure is around 3.5 million people. I was astonished. Minecraft is a game that no large software company would have made, yet it is a fantastic game with a huge following. It was developed initially by a single developer in the course of 7 days. His name is "Notch," and Eamon thinks he is pretty cool. Notch now owns his own company, employs 6 or 7 people and is a multi-millionaire. It is estimated that his game made around $33 million dollars. I find this phenomenal as he did not have the backing of a major software publishing company or advertising and the game sells for around $10-13.

This discussion about the creator of Minecraft led to talk about knitting. Ravelry started when a couple(Casey and Jess) had an idea to create an online forum for fiber artists which also included methods for organizing and storing information about tools, patterns, yarn, etc. It is now a business which employs other people and is huge in the fiber community. It is also a platform for new knitwear designers to gain attention and market their wares. I just read about one of these knitwear designers online on a great blog I follow. She has published 10 designs and is only 13. And her designs are good. Casey, Jessica and Lily found something that excited them and are pursuing it just as Notch is pursuing his passion.

Dave and I then turned to thoughts of what our passions might be. What truly drives us and brings us happiness. What would we do if time and money were not factors. Eamon added bits and pieces to the talk. The three of us talked about finding what you really like and following that for success. We really want our children to know themselves, find their passions and enjoy what they do. To have the freedom to accomplish this feat is a great gift. If this happens, I know I will have done a good job.

So, now I am thinking and ruminating. What do I love to do? What skills do I have? What is my contribution? I have ideas and I think I am much closer to an answer than I was several years ago. I am more comfortable with who I am and continue to learn and expand my knowledge daily. I think reading and knowing about others who have followed and shared their greatness on many different levels has helped. We are full of opportunity, I just need to figure out how to find my greatness and share it.

Today, ask yourself, am I doing what I love in some part of my life? What is your greatness. (Share it if you want. I would love to know!)

Apples

Apple picking in the desert is a bit different than cooler climates, but still oh so much fun!

Old Mother Hubbard

Today I sent a text to Dave telling him that I felt like Old Mother Hubbard. With the weekend spent camping, our food stores were bleak. Nothing in my pantry or refrigerator looked appetizing. Aine wanted pizza, but we had no tomatoes for sauce. Eamon wanted a sandwich, but we had no bread. I wanted anything that would taste good. The only person able to be satisfied was Benton with his request for cereal. I stood with the refrigerator door open staring. Finally I was struck with inspiration. Eggs!

I had hard-boiled a dozen eggs a few days ago. Usually the kiddos gobble them up. They were eating these a bit more slowly, so I decided to whip up some egg salad. This is something new for my kiddos. I am not sure they have ever really had it. I was in potentially dangerous territory, but I forged ahead.

I shelled five eggs and finely diced them. I added some pickles, mayonnaise and mustard. I added some red onion to mine. I whipped together a garden salad and cut up an apple I found in the bowels of the refrigerator with one bite out of it. I even added a small piece of chocolate leftover from our camping s'mores to their plates. It was a huge hit with Aine and Benton. They both declared it delicious. Eamon told me he could do better and proceeded to smear peanut butter onto a corn tortilla. Everyone was happy.

With success in the air, I decided to bake some bread. We needed a loaf to take on an upcoming picnic. I loaded up the bread maker in hopes that it would not heat up the house. The smell of baking bread wafted through the house and pleased everyone. The kiddos said it looked so delicious. I must admit that it did look pretty.

The day culminated with a few trays of snickerdoodles emerging from the oven for our picnic. It is amazing what can be made from a cupboard that appears bare. I guess we had more food than it seemed when I stood in front of the pantry. I wonder what I can make tomorrow.

At Long Last

While camping this past weekend, Aine asked me to teach her to knit. I think my heart leaped a bit. I have shown Eamon and Aine how to knit in the past several times. We have used looms and actual needles, but it never seemed to spark their interest. They would do just enough to make an i-cord garland and set it aside.

As soon as she asked, I jumped into action. Fortunately I had some cotton blend yarn and a set of straight needles with me. I made a camping dishcloth on the ride north with the needles and yarn. Aine wanted to make one too. I cast-on. She watched intently as I showed her the knit stitch. She asked a few questions and then set to work. Aine sat for a long time with her knitting. She called her big brother over to admire her handiwork thus sparking his interest. I pulled out another set of needles and yarn (you can never be too prepared). I cast-on again and set him to work. Aine offered to help him if he got stuck, since she was an expert. The two of them knit for quite some time. They would oh and ah over their projects. When our friends arrived to the campsite the next day, Aine eagerly told them that she could knit. She pulled out her little dishcloth and proceeded to show them. She now tells everyone that she loves to knit!

As they sat engrossed in their knitting, I worked on the shawl I started last week for Aine. I was able to finish it the next day when I stayed at the campsite while the others went crawdad fishing. It turned out well and used two full skeins of yarn. It is soft and squishy and in its natural unblocked state. Aine loves it. She immediately took it and put it on her shoulders. She wore it the whole time we were camping.

Moody Kerchief  (ravelry link) for my little girl

Since it was quiet at the campsite when I finished the shawl, I cast-on for a pair of mittens using more of my stash yarn. The pattern is Shelbourne from Knitty. It took me a few tries to read the pattern correctly. I insisted on trying to slip one instead of skip one, which I could not get to work. Once I figured it out, both mittens flew off the needles. They are thick and should keep my fingers warm when we are in cold weather. The yarn is from Three Irish Girls. I belonged to her Stash Menagerie Club a few years ago. I made myself a hat and cowl with part of the yarn, but still had a bit leftover for the mittens. I now have a matching set!

Matching Mittens (ravelry link) for me!

As I sat knitting by the campfire, I listened to a new audiobook. Since I had finished Crossing to Safety earlier in the week, I needed a new audiobook. I started Little Bee by Chris Cleave. It is a startling story full of sadness and resilience. I am about halfway through the book, but eager to find out how it ends. I am still reading Ellis Island at night, but my progress is slow. I usually fall into bed exhausted.

How are you doing as you knit and read with Ginny?