I finally figured it out!

We've been working on a sampler afghan in our crochet guild chapter, and there was one block that was giving us fits. Another member rewrote the pattern, and that made it a little easier, but I still struggled with it for a few hours before I figured it out. Woohoo! it really is a cool pattern (it has a bargello look to it), just hard to read and not see. I got it when I had the pattern and a sample block in front of me. I have posted a couple of pictures below as it was in progress.
I really like the way the square turned out, and I will post a picture of the completed square when I have a picture of it. The afghan will actually be mostly single color squares of the red and blue, with two squares that are red, white and blue. I think I will place those two in near the center of the afghan (it will be 4x5 squares) corner to corner, but I am going to have to lay it out and see how it looks. I still have 4 squares to make, and when I get them all done, I will lay it out and take some pictures of it. I'm looking forward to getting it done, and still trying to decide how to border it. The pattern is just three rows of single crochet (one of each color), but I think I want to try something else.

I promise I'll get a picture of my so cute little bug posted soon too. It has to quit raining long enough that I can go outside and take one without getting soaked! We haven't seen the sun in almost a week, and we had the wettest swim meet (for the spectators) that I think I have ever experienced. It's been cold and wet, wet, wet! My house is starting to feel like waterfront property, unfortunately, the waterfront is what used to be my lawn!

And summer goes along...

The kids have been out of school for a full month now, and I think they are starting to get bored. We have swim practice every morning, and we are halfway through the summer swim season. Three more dual meets, then league finals. Oh, what peace I will feel when the season is over. It's been a pretty good season so far, and we only lost one half of one meet to weather (lightning). Overall, I must say I think it's been good and the boys have enjoyed themselves (even having to get up before 7 am for practice!).

I am teaching a writing class starting next week at Wichita State University, and I have yet to get my act (read: syllabus) together. That and I have to make sure I have assignments to use. It is a 4-week class, and the core for students in the major. Basically, it means tons of papers to grade! And knowing this, I am getting as much time crocheting in as possible.

I have been working on a sampler afghan, and the pattern is not very well written, so I am doing some deciphering along the way. I have 15 of the 20 squares made, and would like to have it finished. I am excited about starting a couple of other projects soon, too. Ah, not really enough hours in the day to do everything I want!

More projects complete and a new car, too!

Well, once again it's been a long time since I have posted anything here. I have been busy taking care of lots of things, and getting a new car after the accident, and now looking for a new job.







First things first, though:
I have completed several crochet projects and am getting ready to start a few more. I am not nearly as talented as my incredible younger sister whose blog can be found here
She knits incredibly wonderful stuff and spins her own yarns, too. I love to check out her latest projects and see what she has on her needles. I don't knit, just crochet, but she has inspired me to pick up my hooks again and dive into the yarn. The latest creations are a couple of rugs. I got the first from my mom because she just couldn't hold the three strands of yarn comfortably. It was about 1/2 done, so I brought it home and finished it. You can see the whole thing at the right, and a couple of detail shots. I finished it in about three hours. It went so fast, I had to make another one, so I did!









I am thinking I want to re-do my kitchen in sunflowers, so I went ahead and made this rug up in black, gold and off-white. It is a modified granny-square pattern, and also worked up super fast. The main blocks are hexagons and the fillers are triangles. My daughter liked it so much she wants me to make her one inNebraska red and black to take with her to college for her dorm room. The yarn for that one is in the bag, and ready to go. The pattern she chose is a little smaller (the white rug is about 4 feet across and the yellow/black one is just a little smaller), so she can fit it under her loft bed.







That's it for crochet news today, but in other news, I got a great little car to replace my poor little squashed bug. It's another little bug, a '99 this time, with fewer miles that my '01 had, and it's yellow with a black leather interior, heated seats, and turbo-charged. It is clean, clean, clean, and in great shape. It is so fun to drive! I'll post pictures of it when I get some taken.

Oh...it's Monday

Well, yesterday was Mother's Day and it was a fairly relaxing day, which was good because the whole previous week was certainly not! The car accident on Tuesday pretty much just wrecked my whole week in having to deal with insurance, trying to get a rental car, and everything that goes along with it.

However, I did take time yesterday to wrap up my afghan. I think there might be a few stray ends that need to be woven in, but it's basically finished. The pictures show it in pieces, then the finished product. I'm pretty happy with it, as it is the first pieced project I have ever done. My mom laughed when she saw I was working granny squares. She used to make granny square stuff all the time. In fact, my fifth-grade picture was taken in a granny-square vest made of oranges browns and white. Very 70s. I am having a lot of fun with the idea of piecing, and looking forward to making more! In fact, I even ordered a used book from half.com that is all about granny squares and has a bunch of projects (including a couple of really ugly skirts) that was printed in the 70s. Truly retro.

Now that one project is done I think it must be time to start another...

Yikes!

Thank heaven for airbags! I was on my way to work this morning and wham! as I was driving through an intersection (where I had the right of way) a car pulled out in front of me to make a turn. She didn't make it and neither did I. Unfortunately, neither did our cars. But thankfully nobody was hurt. My poor car. I love my bug!

Here I go again...

Okay, so my sister tells me I need to get better at posting regularly and put some pictures of my crochet on as well. I will try to get better at posting, and have some pictures to upload later of an afghan that I am in the process of piecing. I have finished the squares and am stitching them together. Then I will get the border on and have it ready to take to my crochet guild meeting in a couple of weeks. I will post a picture of it when it is finished also.

Life is busy and the art museum has lots happening. We had the major opening for the late spring/summer show a couple weeks ago. And I was in Dodge City this weekend for a communicators conference. Lucky for us we missed out on the severe weather that ran through the central part of the state. However, we had a harder time getting home since we couldn't go back through Greensburg. That is a disaster, and I can't imagine what it must be like for those people who have lost everything.

Okay, so I have posted some pictures that make me happy. Most of the pictures on this blog are rather inane, but I like them. And I like pictures that have a happy feeling about them.

Wow, it's been a while...

I've never been good at journaling, and I guess blogging isn't any better. I'm getting ready to fly to Seattle to bring home my oldest son's car before he deploys to Iraq. I will get to spend a day with him to just do some sightseeing in Seattle and Tacoma. It's hard to see him go, but he and I knew what was coming when he enlisted. On a happy note, that means I'll get to see him for a couple of days, and I'll also see my parents, because I will stop at their place on my way home. It's a long drive from Seattle to Wichita.

I have also been trying harder to do some things that I love to do, like reading and crocheting. I found a local crochet group, a chapter of the Crochet Guild of America. Hooray! I now have something to make me sit down with hook and yarn. I love the feel of the yarn and hook in my hands, and even more that working up a piece is something that is visible as it works along. My sister is a dedicated knitter and now even weaves her own fibers with which to knit. I'm not there by any means, but I do love to stand in the yarn aisles of the local craft store and just feel them and look at them. I'm eager to try some new patterns and make some wearable items. Maybe I'll even post a picture of the next item I make! I have socks, and scarves, and ponchos, and hats, and even a jacket or top or two on my list to get made. Lots of yarn just waiting to be loved...

Mmmmm, Cool Weather and Sunshine!

I just had to take a few minutes today to write a little note. Yesterday as I was walking down the steps to the museum, a squirrel came running up the steps, with a mouth full of acorns. He stopped just about 2 feet in front of me, looked at me for a minute, then went on his way. He was so cute, and just getting ready for the season.

The air this afternoon was crisp and bright with a bit of wind blowing. The comm department had a wiffleball tournament this afternoon. I would have liked to go and watch (it was hilarious last year), but I stayed in the office for an afternoon of docent training. This art thing is really pretty fun! The comm crowd will be going to AJ's for food etc. this afternoon, so I will join them there.

I'm back to fulfilling my regular duties for the museum, and it feels good. Mailing lists, editing copy, contacting people about ads, it's all good.

I Need to Get Some Sleep

It has been a few days and I think I should write a few words (and I think I'll share a picture or two, too). It's late and I still have some writing to do, but I spent some time just messing around. The American Journalism Historians Association national conference is in Wichita the next couple of days and I presented on one of the panels today. I actually went home for a few minutes then went to the reception. Amy needed to go by her house for a few minutes, and we sat and visited for a little while until her husband came home. They went back to play pool or cards with some friends and I thought I would work on some of this giant project that might almost be done!

Instead, I wasted about 3 hours just playing around on the Internet! I think I needed the break, but now it's getting late. I really must sleep for at least a few hours--I have another presentation at 8:30 a.m.!

I wanted to post a couple more pictures from this summer that were just fun. One afternoon I went outside with Kyle (he's 10) and we drew sidewalk chalk pictures. The other picture is just one of my toes, but it felt so good to be barefoot!

Today was a clear, crisp fall day, and I had lunch with a good friend. It was a beautiful walk downtown.

Just Time for a Quick Post

I'm thinking this evening about those "Three Beautiful Things" and am happy to have run across that blog at this busy time in my life. I am glad to have been reminded to stop and see the beauty in each day. So, with deadlines and pressure looming, I feel a true need to recognize three beautiful things about today:
1. A terrific husband who dropped everything to save me from myself, even when it was inconvenient for him.
2. A great friend who was also willing to take a break from her busy life and act as a guest speaker for my class.
3. Sunshine peeking through the clouds, a light breeze and a crisp fall day on which to take a brisk walk across campus for a few short moments.

I'm sure I could list dozens more, because I am surrounded by beauty.

A Pleasant Sunday

This is a picture from master's graduation. There were five of us that walked across campus together, and these ladies were a terrific support in the two years it took to get through the program.

I took a few moments out of my busy schedule yesterday, and ran across a blog (from Blogs of Note) that is called Three Beautiful Things. It was a stark reminder to me that I have much to be grateful for, and that I am surrounded by beautiful things. We have been blessed with gorgeous fall weather here in Kansas over the past few days and I was able to enjoy a few minutes outside today. I had to come to work (and I didn't really want to), but I work in an art museum, and am surrounded by interesting (some beautiful, some not) items, and it is always enjoyable to leave the office and go upstairs to the galleries. I can also look out my window and see a beautiful waterfall wall made of granite.

I think I have been letting myself see the negative lately because I feel overwhelmed. But I know that God watches over us, provides us with people that care about us, and gives us the beauty of the world if we will but see it.

My two pictures I posted yesterday are examples of things I enjoy. Lest anyone think that Kansas is lacking in beauty, check out the incredible sunset. The other picture is my blanket. I think it has a fun design and I am looking forward to the cooler weather that is on it way this week. I look forward to changing leaves, hot chocolate, sweatshirts, and the crisp fall air.

A Couple of Happy Pictures

Starting off

It's been a crazy week, in my life and in the news. With a son in the Army and the possibility that he will have to go to Iraq, the news of the highest number of American soldiers' deaths in some time over this past week is distressing. A school shooter that killed 5 little girls and seriously injured 5 more in a small, one-room Amish schoolhouse is nearly unbelievable. Somehow, a school shooting in an urban area or a large school, while upsetting, is rather more expected than one that happens in such a peaceful community. And Mark Foley, a former U.S. representative, resigned over charges that he had inappropriate communications with pages. Hello, what are politicians thinking that they are immune from the common decency that guides the rest of us? It matters not what side of the aisle they are on, they seem to all feel the same: We can behave in outrageous fashion and get away with it because we are the privileged. Although I must admit that it doesn't look as if Foley is getting away with it.

At work I have been on a special project that is taking over my life, and I hope it truly ends next week. I am glad I have a great husband that helps out a lot. He cooks dinner, makes sure the kids do their homework, does laundry and grocery shopping. I am one lucky woman! Well, I am taking time that should be devoted to getting the monster project done, so that's it for now.