Happy New Year!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Holiday love from us to you!

Love,
Melissa and Wendy

Wednesday's Child - My Brother's Keeper

When I was a young girl, I used to think about what I wanted to do when I grew up. At first I wanted to be a teacher, and then as a child of the 1960s watching television, I discovered something called the Peace Corps.  I didn’t know it at the time, but it was an ambitious new social program started by the Kennedy administration.  I wanted to go places, see things and help people in far away lands who could not help themselves without me to teach them.  I knew right away joining that organization was exactly what I wanted to do.   

I excitedly ran to my mother and told her I wanted to join the Peace Corps!  She smiled and told me no.  The reality was I, a child, was too young.  I had to be grown and go to college before they would accept me.  I was disappointed, but not for long.  The ’60s moved right along into the 1970s and I moved too, forgetting all about my aspirations to join the Peace Corps.

It wasn’t until in the 1980s when I was grown, married, and already had three children that I realized I would liked to have been a missionary.  But, missionaries went over seas, didn’t they?  I couldn’t leave my family to help other families in need.  The reality was I had too many responsibilities; my children needed me more than the rest of the world did, so I put the thoughts of being a missionary out of my mind and went on with my life. 

By the 1990s my family was just about grown and I started searching my soul again.  Missionary work seemed to be out of the question so I looked in another direction.  By the turn of the 21^st century things seemed to be changing. Hurricanes happened on the east coast and forest fires burned in the west. Natural disasters were happening all over the United States.  I always wanted to go to those places and volunteer any services I could, but my life in the midwest kept me tied here.  I worked in mental health services and with juvenile placement; my children graduated high schools and colleges.

I knew I was never going to exotic lands, not as a missionary; not even for a vacation.  I watched as friends and relatives went to all the faraway places I had always dreamed of while making do with the postcards and pictures they sent.  I also knew I would never be a missionary in the traditional sense because my calling is to teach and work with those around me.  The people I have worked with, been friends with and those I have counseled or in some way touched my life have made all of the difference.  I don’t know if I would have been truly rewarded had things been different.  It doesn’t really matter.  I just continue to do as I am called upon.

And now, one of those ways I can help is with the World Wide Web, and to ask you to click on the link and take a look. A designer of crochet patterns is donating all the proceeds from her very popular lovey blankie to help out a family in need. Please read their story and allow your heart to speak to you.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/minion-inspired-lovey-blankie

My Latest Creations!

My latest creations and additions (some soon-to-be additions) to my Etsy store:

Looking Slightly Ahead

There’s been a lot of sewing and crocheting going on lately in this neck of the woods. A few orders from the Etsy store the last two weeks has been keeping me busy and I’ve been working with Wendy in preparation for a craft fair in September. We’ve been crocheting up a storm to create samples and salable hats for people to buy and order. We’re going to focus on children’s fall and winter hats, but will also showcase some of the other work we’ve done, just in case we can drum up some interest in that realm, too. I’m looking forward to revealing more details of when/where the fair will be and what we’ll be selling in the coming weeks.

Fit Friday - Measurements Round 2

You won't be disappointed to know that I'm not taking measurements today. I'm heading out of town right after work and won't be able to blog until I get home on Monday.

But I'm not leaving you empty-handed today. I want to talk about that one old-fashioned trick that can get rid of your migraines fast (Thank you, horrible ads on my sidebars, haha).

Do you ever get migraines? I do sometimes, now more often than before I started working again. I've found that I can take ibuprofen or acetaminophen or Aleve (whatever that is) and maybe get some effectiveness in kicking down the migraine, but nothing is as effective for me as vigorous exercise. That's right. I just discovered that.

On Monday this week, I developed a migraine around 4 p.m., just in time for the frustrating rush hour drive home. It lasted and lasted and lasted despite the mix of meds I took (even a prescription med at one point). It lasted through the night and through the next afternoon. After more than 24 hours of a pounding, brain-numbing migraine, I hit the road on my Trek hybrid. I pedaled hard for a half mile, turned around, and pedaled hard the half mile home. And that was it. Migraine gone. Normal life resumed.

So next time you have a killer headache that nothing can remedy, strap on your running shoes, bike shoes, soccer shoes, cross-trainers, or whatever, and get your blood pumping.

Treat the problem, not the symptoms.


Check back Monday night or Tuesday morning for an update on how things are going for Fit Fridays.

A Couple of Firsts

Ivy turned 8 months today. Last night she just wasn’t acting herself; she was grumpy and grumbly and tired, so I took her temperature and put her to bed. At bedtime – about 6:30 last night – her temperature was just over 100. Instead of waking up to eat in the middle of the night, she woke up to moan and whine, which is very uncharacteristic of her. I brought her in bed with me so that we would both feel better.

In the morning, her temperature was soaring at 104.3 and all she wanted to do was sleep. When we finally woke her up, she just laid there and looked at me with bleary, red eyes. No big happy smiles, no rolling or trying to sit. We called the doctor and got an appointment made.

Prognosis: ear infection in her left ear (she’s only ever grabbed at her right one, and never for pain). We were sent home with antibiotics and instructions to dose up on acetaminophen.

Poor thing has been so sleepy and sickly L This is the first ear infection and high fever we’ve ever dealt with, so we’re all in new territory. Hopefully the antibiotics do their thing quickly.

8/29 – Update!

The antibiotics seem to be working and she smiled a little bit this morning when she was nomming down her meds. Her temp was at just over 98, so that’s down too. She’s still feeling ‘blah’ but it’s nice to see her smile again.

A Day at the Races

The dragon boat races, that is!

Today I spent a number of hours getting to know some of my co-workers better, eating great food and, of course, paddling a dragon boat at the Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival. Here are the pictures:

Lining up to start the race. Our boat was the one to the far right (little boats, haha).

Racing.

Winning! We placed first in our first race of the day and finished a boat-length in front of the other teams. Time: 2 minutes, 4 seconds

.

Post-win cheering

Waving to the girls after our win.

Team picture.

Liv learned about getting the husk off the corn as we were preparing for lunch.

So did Katie. She had a good time learning how to shuck.

Even though we took first in our first race and third (2 minutes, 7 seconds) in our second, our finishing times weren't good enough to get us into the medal races. Either way, I had a great time and plan on doing it again next year. It brought back a lot of good Ultimate memories and feelings, too.

Fit Friday

I owe you guys about three weeks’ worth of posts. If you’ve been on the edge of your seat, be prepared to sit back a little.

Unfortunately, the last three weeks haven’t really brought much progress in the realm of weight loss. I’m holding steady at 150, though. Good? Sure. I’m healthy and active.

I’ve also had visitors two of the last three weekends and I always feel really strange about exercising in front of people – I’m still pretty clumsy during my workouts and hate to be the focus of attention. Plus. I want to spend time with my company (family, in this case) because they live 6.5 hours away and I rarely get to see them. To compound the issue, Guy has been out of town at a conference since Sunday, leaving me with his part of the household responsibilities and minimal free time. He got back Thursday and is getting rested up from major airport layovers and time zone changes. I should have more time starting again on Sunday.

Saturday this week is going to be a fun time. The company I work for is hosting two dragon boats in the Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival and I will be a paddler for Saber Dragons II. Dragon boat teams consist of 20 paddlers (8 must be women), a drummer, and a steerperson. I will have Guy take some pictures if he can. It’s sure to be a great time. Look for those pics on Sunday.

And speaking of great times…

Last Saturday, my company hosted an annual employee golf scramble (more fitness!). I’d never picked up a real golf club in my life (mini golf doesn’t count), so I had no idea what to expect. Guy and I were on a team with three other guys, all of which were super fun to hang out with. I learned how to drive the ball, what the differences in clubs are, and how to operate a golf cart. And, of course, I met lots of people who work in the company that I didn’t previously know. What a fun game for a sunny Saturday. Thanks to my parents for coming to visit a day early so Guy and I could go. Who knew 9 holes of real golf with fast-play rules could STILL take 4 hours!?

With all the events my company hosts, I feel like I’ve been transported back to the 50s (a time when values and employee loyalty, teamwork, and loyalty were important). The Company is hosting a family picnic in a couple weeks, too, and I’ve heard there’s a turkey at Thanksgiving and a ham at Christmas.

Something Altogether New

People who really know me know that I've never been on a diet in my life. I've also never bought an exercise DVD.  I've always gotten all the fitness I needed from just being active for fun. In college I played Ultimate Frisbee (aka Frisbee football) and racquetball. After college I played racquetball and starting cycling. After I had kids, well, I chased kids and cycled. And that's kept me pretty fit.

The very first ISWUC team! We were called Woman Scorned. We had just enough players for one team with one sub (or no subs if someone couldn't be there). Those were some intense games and tournaments. I'm in the center left.

Until now.

Here's a timeline of me!

Back in 2004 right as I was about to finish up my undergrad work.(I promise I'm not naked here, lol!)

After college, about 5 months before I got married. (December 2007)

This is giant me after Katie (baby#1). I probably weight somewhere around 150. Yikes! (July 2009)

A little hike with little kids. I'm about 130 here. (Oct 2011)

OK, not the best picture. I'm all hunchy and pretending to let Ivy take a big bite of my burger (though she would LOVE to take a bite for real.). This was July 2013 at 150.

After the weight from baby #3, my body settled at its pre-first baby weight. 150 pounds. I couldn't seem to bust past that number until this week. I weighed in at 149 (big jump, I know). Maybe it's a sign that my body is finally ready to get over the hump.

This week, I'm starting a new exercise program that I actually bought. It's called Pretty Fierce Weight Loss from Moms Into Fitness. It's a 60-day program of short, focused workouts geared toward busy, post-baby bodies. I bought it, so now I have to do it. If you're interested, follow along on Fridays - starting this Friday - for the next two months to see my progress. I hope we're all surprised by the results (in a good way!).

Wednesday's Child - A Fair Experience

Last week sometime, Bev called me up and wanted to know if I had anything to enter in the Jasper County Fair. I hadn’t really thought about it. After all, I entered something about 20 years ago, hadn’t I? Wasn’t that one time enough? Apparently it wasn’t enough for Bev. When I told her I didn’t have anything good enough to show, she wheedled me with flattery saying how good I am at crochet and how I should be teaching a crochet class, and couldn’t I just look around for something to enter?

Didn’t she understand, only an ARTIST is worthy enough to show their work? I’m not an artist, I just crochet. Most of what I crochet is someone else’s design or someone else’s pattern. Someone else fretted, counting every stitch she made. Someone else toiled over every pattern note she penned. Only an artist sweats the small stuff, deserving to show their work and win the glory. What Bev probably does not realize is I tend to give everything away. There isn’t anything I have made lying around. But, she did apparently know my weakness! All someone has to do is tell me they like what I made, and it’s theirs instantly! Money is no object!! Flattery is the only payment I need to part with an item, no matter its cost to me. I decided then I would scrounge around for something to show at the county fair!

On Friday, Bev came to pick me up for the fair. I dashed out the door with my purse, bottle of water, and a white plastic grocery bag. Inside the grocery bag were two baby hats I managed to find tucked away and an almost finished work in progress (WIP). I was just sewing on the finishing touch of my WIP when Bev parked her car outside the fairground gate. She grabbed her plastic bag of items, and I had so little, I carried mine in one hand.

Upon signing in, we were directed to textile ARTS, our designated area. I proudly laid out my two baby hats and my now finished object (FO). I looked around to the closest tables to me. I was secretly pleased to see there weren’t many entries to compete against. I was mildly disappointed when I found out differently. Saturday is when most entries were expected. It was then I watched Bev, who, like a magician pulling rabbits from a hat, extracted her work from her plastic bag. Did I say work? No, it was ART. My eyes widened with surprise as she laid out an exquisite hand spun, hand woven mat. The mat was followed by a beautiful crocheted wool hat, and right behind them, a pair of tiny, meticulously hand knit mittens fit for a royal child. At that moment I knew Bev had a much better chance than anyone of us for winning a ribbon. No one else entered anything which could compete with her entries.

Following a weekend of curiosity, I convinced my husband to take me back to the county fair on Monday afternoon. We entered the fairgrounds and headed straight back to the open class building. The air was charged with the smell of barbeque and smoke, the sounds of different farm animals calling from their stalls, and laughing children running to and fro. Inside the building there were organized games for children and youth while their parents looked on. My husband and I circled around to the textiles area and searched the display for my items. Then I saw it. There is was…my pink panther inspired iPad cover sporting a blue ribbon! I found my baby hats and they were showing off red ribbons. Bev’s lovely items also garnered her ribbons as well.

While neither one of us had won the purple division ribbons which would have entitled us to go to the state fair, we both came away with first and second prize ribbons. I’m glad Bev talked me into entering the county fair this year. I could have lost the blue ribbon I wanted; I would have been ok with that. Most importantly, when I left the fair grounds that Friday evening, I left with a good friend and I found my humility patiently waiting for me outside the gate. In the end, it was I, who had won the real prize.

Wednesday's Child - More About Yarn

After talking with my friend Bev on Friday, I realized she still needed answers. We made arrangements for me to drive over to her house so I could help her as best I know how. I packed lots of yarn into my great big pink craft organizer on wheels, stuffed a garbage bag full of yarn, jumped into the car and away I went. I parked my car and Bev met me at the door, as if she had been watching for me. Although not actually wringing her hands in despair, she appeared to be slightly anxious. After sitting on the couch with her I found out why. Bev is fairly new to crochet and was confused and had a lot of questions. Here are some of them.

The label on any skein of yarn gives a lot of information on how to use it, including washing instructions, the best hook used with it, and the yarn size or weight.

Question 1: Which yarn is best to use? 

My answer is this: Use what you like and are comfortable with. Experiment with different yarns to see how it looks or feels. Different textures of yarn make things interesting. The yarns that can be bought from the craft stores and from places like Wal-Mart tend to be standardized. Red Heart and other large yarn makers use standards for color rather than different dye lots. You can be assured of getting the same color and quality every time. The yarns you purchase from the local yarn shop are different. A lot of their yarns are hand dyed and/or imported and are not typically labeled, so enough yarn with the same dye lot needs to be bought in order to finish a project. 

A US Standards Chart

Question 2: What do mean when you talk about the “number” of the yarn? 

The label which holds the yarn also gives a lot of information. When you look at the label, you will find a number on it of 1- 6. The number on the label tells you what size, or thickness, the yarn is. Knowing the weight of the yarn helps to determine the outcome of the work. For instance, if you want to crochet a pair of wool socks, the number one wool yarn would probably work best. It is commonly called fingering yarn, is a superfine yarn, and best used for socks and baby items, or things that need to be lightweight and comfortable. The larger the number, the heavier the yarn.

Here you can see different types of yarns and their thicknesses.

These are both #5 yarns, but you can see that there's a difference in the thickness due to what they're made from.

Question 3: What hook should I use? 

Use the hook that best works with your yarn. The hook size determines the outcome of your work. A larger hook makes it bigger and a smaller hook makes it smaller. The European standard is different from the US standard. US hooks used to go by letter only, but now include the millimeters (mm), too. Some older hooks, like Grandmom’s, didn’t even have a letter or number. When the pattern calls for a gauge, the hook you use could make the difference in whether a garment fits or not.

Using a gauge to measure a crochet hook. (Hint: This gauge can also be used to measure knitting needles.)

Question 4: How do I use a measuring gauge? A lot of times, the pattern will call for a 4”x4” test square. This is an important step when size matters, such as an article of clothing. The measuring gauge helps to determine how many stitches per inch is needed, and you can use a larger or smaller hook as needed to accomplish the specified stitch per inch. The measuring gauge can also be used to size crochet hooks and knitting needles. The gauge has measured holes to pass a hook or needle of the same size through. The holes are labeled by letters and millimeters (mm). This could be useful when you are using European pattern standards and your grandmom's hand-me-down hook.

Using the gauge to measure a 4"x4" swatch.

We sat on her couch with a nice beginner’s pattern and bags of yarn to choose from. The pattern called for an N size hook and a bulky #6 yarn. The garbage bag contained everything from crochet thread (which is a #0 by the way) to the chunkier, bulkier #6 yarns. She was able to see differences in the different wool yarns (3-4), finer baby yarns (#1-3), the heavier chenille yarns (#5-6) and everything in between. The pink rolling organizer held every hook I’ve ever owned from numbered steel hooks to large lettered aluminum hooks, all the way to a couple of plastic P and Q sized hooks.

The label for a #6 yarn.

We measured crochet hooks and knitting needles using the gauge. We studied and compared all the yarns and chose which color to use and then gauged her stitches. We laughed, took pictures and had fun. Our afternoon was filled with crochet and friendship.

Before I took my leave, I imparted one last tip to her: Whenever you’re in a yarn or craft store and you’re not sure what you need, it doesn’t cost anything to ask questions and most clerks are happy to help.