Both Brain & Heart...

...are full...

(l-r) Baxter Bell, me, Melina Meza - Yoga for Healthy Aging Training

I've finished my 30-hour intensive; as soon as I finish my final exam (to be emailed to us on Monday or so), I'll get a certification and can market myself as a certified "Yoga for Healthy Aging" teacher. It's a great way to create a longer health span - the time you spend "healthy" in your life, instead of the time you spend sick or affected by some chronic issue. 

And in this week, I not only have half a notebook of notes, picture upon picture of sequences (easier than writing it all down while doing it), and some excellent notes for future reading, but I HAVE SOCKS...

Knitting...

I finished the blue self-patterning pair. I was kind of a "hit" at the training because (huzzah!) I wore hand-knit socks EVERY day of the training. Of course, you can't practice yoga in socks, unless you're doing everything on the floor. But the weather has finally "found" fall, and the studio was cold. Which was fine with me. Rather cold than warmer. 

The blue pair are another "fraternal" set. I'm going to be jazzed if I get a matching set, but so far, unless it's a variegated yarn or solid, nada. 

Everyone was amazed that I was knitting during lunch. Hey, that's my meditation...and I was so close to finishing that I really was motivated to get them done. 

The St. Charles socks are moving along; I'm at the cuff ribbing. The size 0 needles are...interesting. We'll see how this goes. I think it'll be fine, but I'm a bit worried they'll be too big. But I think casting on 64 would make them too small. So I went with 72. I've done several in that size before. 

This is the next yarn up, but you know...I'm not sure. Well, I know it's sock yarn, but I can't find the label. And looking at it, I'm wondering now. Would it make a beautiful shawl? It's soft enough. But then it's neutral enough for a very nice pair of socks. I have to figure out what I did with the label. If it stripes, maybe it's destined for socks. But if it pools and puddles? I could live with a shawl in this yarn. 

Or I could do the shawl and give it to someone. I wouldn't have a problem doing that. 

It did come out of the "12 bags, a pair a month" tote. I haven't been in that closet lately to see how many more bags I have... But "too many" might just cover it. And that's not counting the bag of sock yarn in my office. 

Speaking of which, I've done a little planning.

The Office...

As I sat in a moment of "potty break" in the training, I started thinking about the office area (a/k/a The Dumping Ground). I've started to clear out the crap. Kid #2 has finally, I think, removed all of his stuff, from his recent change of house. 

And I was thinking. I need space for my yoga mat and preferably also the meditation set-up. But we have an oak rocker in the basement that's just sitting and doing nothing. I could get cushions for it, move an Ott light from the dining room (don't ask) and stick that near the window. Then, remove my computer from the front room, putting it back on the desk, where it belongs. Move the file drawers back UNDER the desk, eliminating a hiding spot for Quinn where she gets tangled up in wires, and giving me a touch more floor space... I'd probably get more done that way... 

And a little rug under the rocker. The music stand and guitars. And I thought I could make all of that work. It's a small bedroom, and Hubby did me a huge favor by lining the walls with bookshelves. Though it does make some inverted yoga poses a bit of a challenge. But I really need to cull through things. Perhaps put the fiction books down in the basement on the bookshelves that used to line the hallway. We moved them to gain more space in the hall and hang up a bunch of needlework and photos that I'd done. Which I like, but then I had to put the bookshelves somewhere. And in the basement they went. 

It's a work in progress and I'm going to be fiddling with it for a while. I just need to get back to having a dedicated space to write, plan my yoga sequences, and have a "she-room" since we don't have room for me to have a "she-shed." Now THAT would be ideal...Hmmmmmmm. 

Baking Again...

Not like I had nothing else to do, but in a moment of weakness (or maybe ego?), I volunteered to do the cake for our vicar's retirement. Tomorrow. Which means, yes, after a solid 30-hour intensive yoga training, I headed to the church office where I'm the Administrator, and put in another 4 hours getting things in shape for Sunday (I'd already done the church bulletins on Tuesday for the vicar's review), and drafted and mailed a newsletter. And so I made a cake. 

We're holding a luncheon for the vicar. I'm on the Bishop's Committee and we have a present for her. The congregation is also getting her something - no idea what... but we do know how to put on a feed. I was watching one of the gals dress up the tables. Of course, it's all a fall theme. 

So of course, my cake is pink and green. See, I have this theory. Retirement is a change. I love autumn. I do. I just think that it's depressing as a colorway for a "retirement" cake. "Autumn of one's life" and all that. I kind of like the "jazziness" of pink and green. This is tinted burgundy, and so there's probably more "rose" than "pink" in it. And I had some edible glitter gel, so I put some "squiggles" on the cake. Anyway, my point with the colors was that I wanted it to be more like, "Wow - retirement opens up possibilities! You have a Third Act (or maybe Fourth Act?) Who knows WHAT could happen?" I wanted it positive and joyful. And to me, pink & green exemplify joyful colors. I do have orange, but I thought orange and green were too Halloween... 

I was messing around with the Russian frosting tips again, but I got the frosting too soft. It's going to be a work in progress to get the texture right. On my mom's birthday cupcakes it was too thick. This was too thin. I have to figure out what's "just right."

Here's the thing. I'm about done making wedding cakes. Most halls or banquet venues have stopped allowing "mom-made cakes" and you have to have their nasty stuff. (Sorry - I am a consummate cake snob.) When my nephew got married, I was going to help my mom make his cake, but he wasn't allowed, unless we were "licensed and bonded." Crap - we're RELATED. Not like we're gonna skip out of town!

And my friend Doris had asked me to make her granddaughter's wedding cake. We just had this phone conversation because I told her there was no way I was going to get my kitchen inspected randomly by the local health department, and I wasn't going to spend all the money to get certified as a commercial kitchen. It wasn't worth it. It's probably all for the best. 

But it's nice to know my church will let me bake for them any time I want to! That being said, this recipe looks like a good one to try for the next coffee hour. Though Heaven knows we don't need more sweets. I love baking cookies and it's nice that, with the braces, I can't eat half of what I'll be baking this Christmas. 

It's really time for a sugar detox. Hubby got me the stuff for smoothies, and even though it's colder outside, I really do need to get my sugar addiction under control. Because it's wayyyyyyyyyyyyy off the scales. 

Random Picture...

So our church is almost 200 years old. And it's haunted. I went in today to drop off the bulletins and some other stuff, and said hi to God and the ghosts. I had to turn up the heat because we'd just had the organ tuned and it was too cold. 

Well, my phone was acting up and kept shutting off. And it's nearly November, so it gets darker early and I was having trouble seeing the thermostat, but too lazy to turn on lights. 

I was all, "Ok guys... quit spazzing my phone out..." and I finally wrapped everything up and got packed up for home. The light was beautiful. It's a lovely building. 

As I took this, my phone took another dive. But THIS time, I saw the message on the screen... 

"Battery critically low." 

Some days, it's not the ghosts. It's the battery. 

It's Been a Long While...

...so sorry... You have to love technology (no, not really). I had a phone glitch, then a computer glitch, and then just good old fashioned "schedule glitch" where it seemed that "the hurrier I go, the behinder I get."

But I'm back; tons of pictures, some progress, and some stories. 

Take Back the Night...

So in October, while the rest of the US is donning pink everything, I'm wearing purple through the month. Lost in the Breast Cancer Displays is the fact that October is also "Domestic Violence Awareness Month." Tippi and I were at the table with the Will County Children's Advocacy Center, and here's a small display of the portraits of those who are killed in our county by means of domestic violence. 

I wish I could say that it was a small list. Or that it had stopped growing. But neither is true. And I did get upset a few years back, because the organizers included two boys, and there were some women who went bananas. "Take Back the Night is for WOMEN." Really? Those kids were MURDERED. By a PARENT. If that's not "domestic violence," then I don't know what is. Shame on those women. 

Anyway, that was her first appearance; we took pics with people, I didn't have her cards with me, but I did get a lot of questions. We were in a very loud gym, and she handled the chaos like a pro! That's my girl!

Knitting...

May never end... I'm thinking that I will be sending on this part of the layette, and the blankie for Christmas. I just won't get it done by the baby's due date. Between the cotton really driving my hands nuts and my schedule driving me nuts, there's just not enough time in my days anymore. I have it with me today, but haven't knitted a stitch, having my day job to actually, well, I don't know - DO -- so knitting waits till a calm bit. Which doesn't seem to want to happen a lot lately. Sunday, I didn't knit at all, having church and then a trip to see Kid #2 and deliver the remainder of his stuff... Saturday, though, I did knit almost all day. And I paid for it. 

This is where I'm at with the blanket. At about 5.33" it's got a ways to go. I'm actually zipping along doing almost a repeat a night, though we can translate that into "12 rows a night" and I'm measuring at the end of each night's production. I have to knit 28" and then do the ruffle. The ruffle is knitted onto each side, but you then have to seam up the corners. It seems like it could be easier, but at this point, my energy is into just getting it done. I'll work out details later. I swear, I should have remembered I had the Ann Norling (see the sweater) and created that set. It would have been easier. 

Fall is Here...

And not only in the temperatures, but in the flora and fauna. This is a picture of the tree out back at home. The fall color has likely peaked, but it was lovely while it lasted. I've got a lot of shots of the trees. And when I was driving home from visiting Kid #2, I stopped at 3 very old cemeteries. Had lots of fun wandering and photographing. At some point, I should bring the large camera, but my phone didn't do too badly. I love the effects I was able to get with some of the buttons on the phone.  I'll keep experimenting, and will try to do some more PhotoShop, especially on some of the more ancient tombstones and compositions.

This picture is of the coral bells out back of the office. I love how the dew is on them. It's a beautiful plant that has survived last winter and I expect will survive this winter. Which, depending on the weather channel you happen to be listening to? Will either be "colder" or "warmer" than last. But everyone so far is saying that it'll be far less snowy. 

My dentist said he loves Hubbys pics "because he has an eye for composition." And he's right. We can take the same photograph and his will be a "photograph" -- while mine is a "picture." It has to do with his eye for pictures, for sure. Also, he can still use manual focus on the camera. With my bifocals, it's harder. However, the manual focus on the camera phone seems to work much better. Go figure. 

So Kid #2 is 99% settled. He still has a few clothes left behind, but I drove Hubby's Boat (the Explorer) so I could bring him the bike, the desk and a bunch of boxes. I kept a close eye on the bike, because last time we were out, my bike popped off the frame! I didn't want to have to get his bike run over. The drive up was via the back roads, so I had time to scope out the cemeteries. Creepy? Well. I guess. But  the older ones are really fascinating. This is, obviously, the front gate of St. Mary's Cemetery. It was the last one I stopped at. In the original, it's full color, but I used the "antique" button on the phone to get this. 

There was also this crypt... In one of the other ones (the cemetery down the block from The Kid), there was a crypt, but it had its glass boarded over. This one had the lovely brass patina with the metalwork on the door, but I was able to glance in (it was locked). This is what I saw, with a little help from the fancy details on my camera. Sadly, I didn't save this as a copy, but you get the idea. The bit of glare in the upper right is from the afternoon sun. I stuck the phone right up onto the glass. I did darken up the walls of the crypt and tried to get the stained glass to pop. Click on the picture to see the rosary left by someone. 

By the way, I don't know what's up with the pictures today... I'm getting some weird spacing issues. Bear with me. 

Ebola...

For the record, Ebola is not President Obama's fault. Look - it's really simple. Banning travel is an insanely stupid act. What if the person comes on a plane from London? Or Ontario? Or Mexico? Or China? You can take other routes to get here -- and I don't believe there's a "one-stop flight" from Liberia to the US. 

The temperature taking at the airports is only a panacea to comfort us. 

There are what? Almost 319,000 people in the U.S. How many have DIED from Ebola? Well, just one - and there appears to be some doubt as to whether he was a US citizen or not. Regardless. 

ONE PERSON.

It's really not an "epidemic" here, folks. If you're in Liberia, well, then, yeah. Otherwise, unless you're up close and personal with bodily fluids, including blood, vomit and semen, you're probably going to be ok. The virus is NOT airborne, so not even a sneeze or cough will be a problem. 

Stop listening to the hysteria. Take reasonable precautions just as you would with a virulent flu (Bird flu, anyone???) and just stop the panic. 

By the way, over 20,000 people died of AIDS before Reagan even decided it was a problem in this country. Over 20,000 AMERICANS, folks. 

So wake up, do your research, and turn off Fox News. 

Oh, and we wouldn't need a "czar" if the Republicans would stop piddling their pants every time the NRA wants something. Seems the NRA doesn't like the nominee for Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, because he said that "gun deaths are a public health problem."

Well, gosh-darn - can't have that kinda socialistic claptrap. So they've blocked his nomination. And now blame OBAMA because there's no Surgeon General. No. I'm not kidding. 

I wish it was just a joke. Well. It IS a joke. But not a good one. 

Tried...

Kombucha. My friend Kristy is brewing her own. It's full of probiotics and good bacteria, and it is a tasty beverage. But it's too fizzy for me. I know I could probably adjust the rate of fermentation if I had the time to brew my own. But I did end up trying a concoction from the local health food store. 

Didn't like it. 

Because I have such an active social life, the next thing coming up is a colonosocopy and endoscope to finally (a) rule out any possibility of bleeding in regard to the anemia diagnosis; and (b) catch up on diagnostic tests. It's been close to 10 years since I've had either and it's about time to get that over with. At least I'll lose 5 pounds in the prep and have a good nap that day. 

I'm also getting myself prepped for the iron infusions. Seems that the 6-session infusions will work better (less chance of side effects) than the one long 6-hour infusion. And November 1 is my "do-date." 

Yes, "DO" date. I'm getting my diet cleaned up in a more sensible fashion than just eliminating all the food groups and eating 6 crackers with 2 tablespoons of cream cheese for lunch. 

Between the diet clean-up and iron, I'm hoping to be fit as a fiddle soon. 

Job Update...

There isn't one. Seems a high-up muckety-muck told my boss that they didn't want to move me to the new building "because someone from the College will have her ordering their lunches and answering their phones."

What? My boss said it was all she could do to keep a straight face and say, "You don't know her very well, do you??"

So. There's supposed to be a Dean "contemplating" my resume. We shall see. I'm resigned to the fact that I'll likely have to find a new job, but I've already decided to stay here through the close-up of the building. 

At some point, I have to spend some serious time scanning websites and applying for jobs. I've applied here and there, but have had only 1 interview. I need to get the freelance stuff up and prepped, too, but I know that will take longer to get off the ground. 

This gives me some breathing room, at any rate. It just feels like it's coming at me too fast, though. Which is just about normal. 

Random Picture...

She's so not a lady! But this is one of Raisa in mid-nap. Couldn't resist the intertwined front legs. Such a yoga-dog. 

She's coming into her teen period, doing  a bit too much "husky resource guarding" and there have been some power grabs. Usually, we don't let it get too far along. She's tried it with both Tippi and Quinn. I don't think Tippi would get to "blood" stage, but I'm perfectly certain that Quinn would. 

Raisa needs to learn her place, and so far, it's up to us to make sure that it's all figured out. 

See what I mean about the pictures??? What is up with that, Blogspot?? Don't go changing the settings on me. I don't like my pictures all chunked together. 

The Perils of Technology...

So my new Nokia phone came in. It's a doozy. Technology way beyond what I was thinking, and that's only the camera part. I'm not a total idiot. I went to take a picture of the lovely African Violet that's blooming.

And I can't figure out how to focus the stupid camera. Ok, the CAMERA is not stupid. Obviously, it's me. This is the Nokia that has the whiz-bang gazillion-megapixel camera that's supposed to be just about as good as my Canon EOS. If I can figure it out. 

Can't wait to see the pics. 

If I can figure out how to take them in the first place. 

And I just went ten rounds with Hubby, trying to figure out where the pics from the old phone landed. We found them, sort of. They're not completely off my old camera. Which of course is frustrating. 

Can't someone make an app where, I get a new phone, I press both phones together and the new one sucks the information over??? It would be worth a million bucks (probably more) if there was such a thing. 

Knitting...

Nothing in a few days. I've just been spinning my wheels. Don't even have enough done on the Pink Sock to make a dent in the progress chart.

BUT... I'm going to re-think my "project days" thing. I think it needs to be a "project week" thing, particularly for the knitting. I can still cross-stitch on Sundays, since I can no longer take those projects out in public. 

Not that they're awful. Just that I can't see them as well unless I have a magnifier and my Ott Light. 

But I think I need a WEEK with each project. See, I don't knit all day. I don't knit fast, either. So to have Monday be "Pink Sock Day" -- unless I have a solid couple of hours, I make no progress on the project. And that's frustrating. So I'll keep the same LIST. But instead of each day, I'll pick the week and that will be my project for the week. I should be able to make some strides toward completion at that point.

Does that make me a "process" or "progress" knitter? Well, I do like the PROCESS of knitting. But even better, I do love to finish stuff and see progress. I want to wear (or give away, as the case may be) what I'm working on. I don't like to have endless stuff that never gets finished. (Go ahead. Laugh. You know you're just like this...) I mean, honestly...

When someone asks, "What are you working on?" I don't want to say, "The same sock I've been working on for 2 months now." Either they'll get the impression that I'm terrifically busy (and sometimes I am) or they'll figure I'm pretty dim (and sometimes I am). 

I seriously want to get the stash managed. Come on, you know I mean it since I've already dropped a trunk-load of "stuff I will never knit" at the church for the prayer shawls. And in truth, the only way to really enjoy the NEW stuff is to FINISH the stuff that's been there a while. 

So that's where I stand right now. I have the Pink Sock with me and if I get a chance today, I'll knit some on it. Otherwise, it'll be tonight after dinner.

Healthy Habits...

Rather than go "Diet & Exercise" -- Anyway, I am horrible today. There must be Something Coming On because I could eat a bear. While it's still alive. I'm afraid to get on the scale tomorrow. But I will do it anyway. I have to. Probably won't like what I'll see, but there you go.

As far as exercise, I'm on Day Two of the Weighted Hula Hoop. My tummy feels a bit battered because it's got nubs on the inside of it. This is exactly the one I have. See those "handles" there? Yep, rib punishers. I can only go about 3 minutes at the max. I know I should be doing up to 10 minutes, but I don't think my ribs can take it right now.

That being said, I'll keep working at it. I'm in the office 4 days out of the 5 we're open, so even if I can get most of the days at lunch, that's good. 

I'm also wanting to clean up the stash/craft area so that I can keep my mat rolled out - incentive to actually get on it! I'm going to be going to Florida this summer (I know - who really WANTS to go there, but it's for the Zonta convention) and I have a skinny mat I can toss in my suitcase. 

I was inspired by my friend Donna - I trained with her. And she's got a travel mat. I figured that, since I rarely share a room, I can just take this one to Florida and use it after the meetings. I probably won't do anything in the a.m., or if I do? Who knows? 

Just so I get into a routine. I would love to walk more, but I'm headed BACK to the allergist. After 5 years (yes, FIVE YEARS) on allergy shots, they no longer work. I was one year off the shots and everything was good. Now, however, because of the polar vortex, allergies are going to hit the roof. They're calling it the Pollen Vortex and if you click that, you'll see a pretty good article about it. So I'm headed to a new allergist for a sub-lingual (under the tongue) system. Hubby's doing it and not only is it cheaper than the shots (insurance doesn't cover this way of doing it, though), he's seeing quicker results because it's a DAILY drop or two under the tongue instead of a whopper of a shot once a week.

The shots - for me at least - have to be mixed with epinephrine and I can't do that anymore, I don't think - because it speeds up the heart rate and I'm now on 2 meds to SLOW it down. I'm ok with the dentist doing it because it's a quick-acting thing to put in a crown or fix a cavity. But the allergy shots? The shot gave me a "second bicep" on the outside of my arm, and that was WITH the stuff to ensure that the reaction wasn't bad. And the lump lasted for days. No, thanks. 

So I've got the appointment set up and we'll see what happens. 

Easter...

Turns out that I have some breathing room! I'm boiling the eggs tonight. Will do the cakes on Friday, and the deviled eggs on Saturday morning. Hubby can handle the ham. I think that's all we have to do except for yanking the potica out of the freezer. I have mislaid the list (!) and so I'm not sure that I've got everything covered. 

Speaking of Easter, you all know the song by Leonard Cohen, "Halleljuah." I'll link a YouTube here. But that being said, here's the "Easter Version" of that song. As you know, if you listen to Cohen's words, this song isn't about the religious aspect of "Hallelujah" -- it's the physical aspect of that exclamation. 

However, a very talented woman took the time (and did get permission, you'll hear in the video) to Easter-ize the lyrics. I think you'll like what she's done. I'd love to sing that. I also appreciate the artistry of the Jeff Buckley version. 

Music...

Seagull 25th Anniversary Guitar

Speaking of which, I've taken guitar lessons for 12 years now. Arguably, my mom's 15 years as a piano student were much better spent because she played beautifully and I'm still not there yet (Oh, I play in public, but I could be a lot better if I concentrated on practicing more -- MUCH MORE). So we're working on "Canticle of the Sun" and there's a part in there where Jeff, my teacher, finally says, "Look - you've gotta learn a couple of power chords." Power chords are simple chord formations that slide up the neck (which in guitar means going toward the sound hole) -- so you keep your fingers in basically the same position, but slide up a certain number of frets. It's all based on the lowest note in the chord. 

Power chords are usually reserved for garage bands because they're supposed to be easy. We shall see... A church song with power chords... 

So I also recorded (on the new phone) the a capella version of the Exsultet - I figured I should capture it because I don't have a whole lot recorded. Perhaps in my dottage, my grandcat or (ha) grandKIDS may want to hear how grandma sounded when she could sing. 

Jeff and I have been loosely working on recording us, with me singing and him doing harmonies where appropriate. But it's a process where I'm learning to use the recording equipment on my laptop, not necessarily for my posterity list. 

Random Picture...

Springtime...

Just to remind you that spring, even though I know so many folks still have snow, is finally here. 

A few years ago, we had a large feeder on a pole in our front flower bed. It was a cylinder inside a "gazebo" kind of device. Well, Mamma Robin decided that it was nicely waterproofed and this is what she did one spring. 

Hubby took a series of pictures from nest-building through laying to hatching and it was awesome. Really watching how all this happens is amazing. The only thing was, some idiot took a baseball bat to a number of things in the neighborhood: a few pole lamps, our bird feeder, several rear-view mirrors -- what a jerk! And we never replaced the feeder. Instead, we got one of those "module" types, which is actually better because it's squirrel proof. The little buggers can't figure out how to get beyond the baffle up the pipe and so far, we've been able to move it as front yard maple has grown. Though we're running out of room! 

Happy Spring! Happy Easter! Blessed Passover!

So Far...

...aside from the predictable side-effects, I haven't had too difficult of a time adjusting to the 24-hour cardizem (generic, of course!). I do have a headache, and it's like a low-humming piece of machinery. You know it's there, but you're not concentrating on it too much. 

If it persists through Wednesday, I'll call Sis and ask about it. That will have been a week, and I think that's perfectly long enough for any low-dose headache. I'm kind of tired, but perhaps it's anxiety -- I am restless because I'm afraid, never having had a "normal" headache, that this headache will turn into a migraine. 

Cardizem relaxes the blood vessels so that your heart doesn't have to work as hard. Maxalt, the migraine med, also relaxes blood vessels so the migraine loses its grip on your skull. One can't be too relaxed, obviously. As it is, the Maxalt would knock me out anyway. I'll have to ask the doc about that, and hopefully, this last go-round with Mother Nature will be the absolute Last Gasp. My mom says that after that, the migraines tend to go away. Huzzah!!

Still haven't gotten my EKG device yet, but Hubby says it's been shipped. So we shall see. 

Technology...

I will tell you that the Samsung Galaxy 4S has a much, MUCH better camera than my Nokia 900. But the bad thing is, I can tap the Nokia's screen to take the picture. With Red (now the nickname for the Samsung), I have to tap the screen to focus, then hit the camera icon at the bottom. You also zoom in by pinch/swipe movements. Anyway, it takes really nice pictures, and once I figure out how to get them to the computer, I'll share some. 

I also know that I can use it as a music device so that when I'm teaching my Yoga class, I can use an in/out cable and download practice music instead of rooting around for CDs. 

It still looks like we'll be purchasing the new Nokia phones sometime soon. Just not sure when. Hubby is researching some backup/transfer programs so that all our apps and stuff move over when we get to setting up the new phones. Kid #2 isn't sure what kind he wants, but he's going to just do his research. 

Estate Stuff...

The IRS is a joke. The saga is this: My idiot brother was "sticking it to the man" (yeah, please do roll your eyes) and didn't file tax returns for several years. He was sporadic in the years he DID file taxes, and for at least one or two years, he was on total disability because of a work injury. 

So I've been working with the paralegal to get all the info to backtrack - file those years that he missed. The irony is that, nitwit that he was, if he HAD filed, he would have gotten decent returns. When he died, he had a total of somewhere around $50,000+ in IRS liens. The lesson here, children, is this: FILE YOUR TAXES. 

Because if you don't do it, the IRS does it for you. And guess what? They file at the highest percentage they can. And charge you interest practically from the moment they THINK about filing the returns. 

So we have all but about 2 years. I spent a day or so tracking down W-2 forms via some pay stubs he kept. This was in the way-back times of 2003-2009 (not all of those years, thankfully). But he worked at smaller companies - many merged or just went out of business, or the original owners weren't around. For one particular year, we had to petition the IRS to send us the W-2 info. Obviously, anyone that works realizes that your employer files this kind of info with their own returns. 

I got a letter back from the IRS. It basically said, "No tax returns were filed under this SSN for that year."

Ummmmmmmmmm. Yeah. I know that. We're trying to file the taxes. I dutifully sent it off to the paralegal, who promptly said that the IRS is not making this easy. I noticed. 

When I got the letter and read it, it was right after the a-fib attack. I hollered, "FOR GOD'S SAKE YOU MORONS, I KNOW THAT HE DIDN'T FILE THE TAXES!!!" while flinging the letter across the room. Quinn headed for her cave. Tippi looked at me as if I had just flipped a cog. And Raisa -- well, she's a husky, so she barely noticed. 

That low-dose headache ramped up to about a 7 or 8 on the pain scale for about an hour after that. 

Anyway, we're trying to pry a W-2 form out of the IRS. Then file the tax return. Then hopefully have enough proof so that we can knock the liens down a bit. And then close the Estate. 

I just want this over. 

Yoga...

I'm teaching a Karma Yoga class. Karma, of course, is the concept of "what goes around, comes around." As part of my training, we're required to teach a class to those who are underserved in the community. So my friend G set up a class for me with a local rehab place - alcohol and drug rehab, that is. 

I have a very simple sequence for them, since she did it last year and said that "you never know who's walking into the room." We have 15 students coming, and she's staying to help get things set up. 

It will be interesting to teach this kind of population. I mean, often in Yoga, you get folks who are in rehab for stuff, but normally it's physical ailments, not addiction. 

And next weekend, I have my last "intensive." A Yoga "intensive" is a concentrated course - in this case, 4 days - with a teacher. I'm honestly really not looking forward to it. I think that I was in a groove a while ago (like a year ago when I was in the midst of the training) and now I'm not in that groove anymore. 

I don't mind taking the extra courses. I think you never stop learning. But I think that the long days are just not my cup of tea this time around. Anyway, it's the last one of the entire curriculum, so anything beyond this will be one-time seminars. Next is preparing my final thesis (not a whole big honkin' thesis - mostly "what do you want to talk about in regard to Yoga" that we're required to do), and then I'm going to be certified as a 200-hour teacher. 

Knitting...

Today's Free Choice WIP is the Blue Baby Jacket. I'm close - well, not totally close, but let's face it: a lot closer to finishing THIS than Kid's Afghan... I'm just starting the right shoulder and will finish the right front today, I think. Sunday will be the March Snowman, but later. 

Boy Sweater

Sunday is also the twins' FIRST BIRTHDAY!! Think about this: 

 These were the sweaters I made for them!! I'm thinking they don't fit anymore, since Boy Twin is already in 2T, according to my mom... These sweaters only go up to a 12-month size, but I bet you could just do a little math (!) and figure out how to size it up a bit more. I wouldn't go all the way to 4-T, but I think it would still be cute on a 2-T sized kid. 

Their sweaters were done in super-wash wool. It looks like it's held up really nicely, since I last saw them in the winter. 

If you remember, they also got blankets that were the color of the sweaters, but not "masculine" or "feminine" patterns. Though I now wish I would have done the Feather-and-Fan pattern. 

Just because I never have yet... 

Girl Sweater

The Blue Baby Jacket is in an acrylic. I'm thinking that it won't hold up as long as these will. But I don't mind because it's a stash-buster, and let's think about this: the size is for a 12-month old baby. 

Whoever gets this will grow out of it in about a nano-second. So it won't be a situation (I think) that it'll have time to pill or anything. The kid will be out of it that fast. 

Again, just plain buttons for this blue one and the next one which will be lilac. Out of the Button Bin, and not fussy. There's no sense getting cute buttons, because the yarn does most of the work here. It's turning out beautifully, and anything I'd buy would just compete with it. Aside from the fact that any baby in any sweater --- well, the BABY is the star, right? The hand-knit item is just an accessory to the adorableness of Baby. 

Blue jacket progress

I have yet to show my friend D how this is going, seeing as she's the one who handed me this yarn and said, "Here - I won't knit with this; it's just been sitting in my closet."

Granted, for a while, I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it till the jacket idea hit me...

We missed getting together this week, but I did run up to Wool and Company for their sale. And I got buttons (at home, otherwise I'd have taken a picture) for the February Lady Sweater. The buttons are triangular and have a Celtic Knot as the design. I figured they would be classier and the knot "resembles" the lace that will be the bottom of the sweater. They didn't have a great selection of buttons in a colorway that would go with something that, in one light looks lilac and in another, looks periwinkle. 

I also managed to pick up a canvas bag, on sale for 25% off -- and then some of the stuff I picked up INSIDE the bag was another 25% off. Apparently, you could fill your bag and if what was in there wasn't already on sale, you could take advantage of the pricing. 

Dang. I should have picked up the Travelers Scarf... it would've fit in the bag and at 25% off the $90 it would have cost, it would have been worth it. I hate when a good idea hits too late. I'll just have to hope that by the time the next sale comes around, there's a big -- I mean MONSTROUS - hole in the WIP pile. Because I don't want to tackle a 12-foot-long scarf till I have a handle on the stuff I've already got in the works. Or in the closet. 

I started the "conversion process" for some old magazines I have. I tabbed the magazines, and I'm scanning what I want. Putting it on a jump drive for reference (rather than creating another pile of papers, I can index what's on that drive), and then I will find a home for the magazines. Maybe the Senior Center in town will take them. 

Easter Already...

Easter bunnies & tree

I haven't even put up the knitted bunnies... I don't know what happened to Lent. It hit me last night when Hubby says, "Oh, is Sunday the day we sing Lacrimosa?" Ummmm, no, that would be Palm Sunday, but holy moley.... That means I'm really, REALLY behind in working on the Exultet. Crud. 

We've set our Easter for Holy Saturday, and because one of the teachers didn't want to shift her schedule, I'm working Holy Saturday. More specifically, Holy Saturday afternoon. Which means I have the morning (and the Friday before) to do deviled eggs, a Lamb Cake, and get the majority of the dinner prepared. 

I don't normally believe in cloning, but perhaps this would be a good reason to do so. 

Anyway, Easter is at an odd time. It just seems like it hasn't been Lent, even. My dining room table has become a junk pile again, and I didn't even put a spring-ish table cloth on it. The bunnies and eggs, if you remember, were created for an art contest, and they didn't win because obviously there's a prejudice with fiber-art being considered "real" art. And nobody thought that the Fannie Mae ribbon was cute, either. 

I have to create a coaster or some sort of felt pad for the base of the tree, since it's metal, and I should have put it up. I may still - will have to see how this next week goes. 

Random Picture...

Raisa decided that since Quinn and Tippi both had "belly rub" portraits on Facebook, she wanted one too. 

Rub my belly. Now. 

Well. No. 

She just wanted the belly rub. Needless to say, I can't knit and belly-rub, but that is totally not Raisa's concern. Rub the belly. End of story. 

She's going to miss the first Intermediate Obedience class because of the birthday party, but we're already a step ahead with her "heel." As long as I have toast. 

Still no heat in sight, but plenty of sniffing going on. Not sure we'll even get to the Obedience class, but we're keeping a good eye on her. 

Off to get some more tea and knit on that jacket. It'll be nice to update the progress charts. 

Corporations are NOT People!

So SCOTUS is going to hear the Hobby Lobby case. For those living under a stump somewhere, Hobby Lobby (with about 50 other corporations - all FOR-PROFIT) is suing the Administration because they claim that the ACA provision on requiring payment for birth control is "against their religion."

And of course, since corporations have political feelings, at least according to Citizens United, they apparently also have religious feelings too. And Hobby Lobby's religious feelings are offended - nay, shattered - at the thought of having to pay for contraception for its female employees.

What's scary about this is that they've already won a significant victory, courtesy of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, which wrote:

"We see no reason the Supreme Court would recognize constitutional protection for a corporation's political expressions but not its religious expression." 

This is in Denver, just to give you a more complete picture. 

See, this is my problem. Well, first and foremost CITIZENS UNITED is my problem. A corporation, by definition, is not a person, no matter how many guys in black robes in a courtroom may say it is. According to Investopedia, a corporation is a legal entity that is separate and distinct from its owners.

But the lovely people of SCOTUS gave us, instead, this definition: a company or group of people authorized to act as a single entity (legally a person) and recognized as such in law.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Don't get me wrong; I'm no lawyer. But let's just use some good, old-fashioned logic for this one.

People formed corporations for many reasons. One of which was so that they would be protected INDIVIDUALLY should someone sue the corporation for any reason. Such as: unpaid bills, injuries to workers, injuries due to product liability... See - if you and I owned a business, The Stitch & Tea Shop, let's say, and we were going merrily on our way, we would be serving tea, providing an area to allow people to come into our place of business and sit with needles and floss or sticks and string, and exercise their right to congregate and enjoy our tea and atmosphere.

But say we, as trusting individuals, never incorporated. And say the knitters and the needleworkers got into a fiber war. Needles were thrown. People were hurt. Guess who they'd come after? 

You and me as owners. Individually. I could lose my house. You could lose your house. We would lose all of our savings. 

Another example: One of our workers gets scalded by a pot of hot tea. She sues us for medical expenses because she's badly injured. And she also includes pain and suffering - burns are horrible things. 

We lose. Everything. Because we aren't protected by the fact that the CORPORATION exists outside of US as people. 

If we HAD incorporated: Stitch & Tea, Inc. -- then the only thing that our worker (or those darned territorial stitchers & knitters) could sue would be the CORPORATION itself. Not you and me. And the CORPORATION may lose everything, but we'd still be able to keep our homes. 

That's why it's done that way, kids... This whole "corporations are people" thing is insane. And politically driven so that unending amounts of $$$ can be poured into elections. Even those little local elections are being affected by outside money. Courtesy of the Supreme Court, bought and paid for. 

So now Hobby Lobby says it can't provide contraception costs to its female employees because doing that would offend the religious sensibilities of its owners, who it is said "exercise their religion in the way they control their company."

The Administration has already exempted religious organizations (all non-profit) from the burden of providing contraception. But what gets my goat (and the reason why I will never stop into one of those stores again) is that Hobby Lobby is HUGE. To the tune of $186 MILLION last year. And that's profit, kids. They do give to charity - mostly to places like Liberty University - which is a whole other blog entry... 

But the point is - this isn't some faith-based community organization. It's a major company. And major companies should play by the rules. 

I can see how my own employer wants out of this (I work for a Catholic school) -- it's a religious non-profit school. 

But I can't do the "for-profit" thingie... I also can't do "corporations are people." Historically, people SHIELDED themselves and their families from any liability with a corporation. Now? What? When some employee at Hobby Lobby has an ectopic pregnancy, can she sue? I bet not. 

And I bet that the owners wouldn't care anyway. Likely, they'll say it was "God's will" and even more likely? They'd fire the woman who sues. 

Regardless of any statistics which clearly show that supplying birth control leads to fewer unplanned pregnancies, fewer abortions and healthier women -- they don't care. Somewhere in their Bible, God spoke against birth control and that's good enough for them.

It's not good enough for me. And I hope that it's not good enough for SCOTUS. As Kid #2 said to me the other day, "I thought we had all this settled way back a long time ago."

So did I.

Yoga...

Had to sub the senior class because the original teacher is on vacation. Very weird, particularly since my mom's in that class. Apparently, I did ok. Nobody got hurt and they all said they'd be back Wednesday! 

It's an odd dynamic. I felt odd giving direction, but they're fairly well trained and they didn't need much. So I ended up finishing the class, and thankfully, nobody wanted to linger. I had my work clothes in the truck. Whizzed up to work, slammed my door and closed my blinds and did a quick-change. Brrrrrrrrr - it was 28* outside, and putting on cold blue jeans was not what I wanted to do!! 

Doing a lot of subbing... Tonight I teach my regular class. Wednesday, I sub a 9 a.m. class and the 7 p.m. class I usually TAKE. Thursday night I sub as well. 

That's a lot of yoga for me, particularly since I do also have a day job. As a matter of a small rant, some of our other teachers always ask for "more classes." But never step up for sub duty. C'mon, folks. Can't have it both ways. No sense putting a zillion classes on the schedule if you can't fill the studio. No matter how much you enjoy teaching, if you can't bring the mats to the studio, it's economically unfeasible. Pack the classes - have 10 or 15 consistently. That makes it more fulfilling for you as a teacher. Truly, without getting all fuzzy about it, you can definitely see the energy level in a class of 2 - 4 students as opposed to a class of 10+ - the energy in the larger class is much more palpable. 

Knitting...

So yesterday, per schedule, I did counted cross-stitch. Well, first I dusted off the fabric that was stretched on the frame. It's been there a good year. (go ahead, giggle)

Flower Thread

Then, Hubby pulled down the boxes of floss so that I could pull the colors. We found all of them, and I had to wind them onto bobbins (keeps them from tangling and me from flinging said tangled mess across the room). Hubby tried, but managed to mangle a good hunk of Flower Thread. It's a bugger to card this stuff anyway, since it's single-ply and very persnickety. But that's ok. I managed to get it onto the bobbin, and I will probably have to lop off about 1" of floss. I mean, seriously - look at those two skeins. Almost hair-thin. 

Hubby decided to go checking E-Bay because I need more black and more white. It's almost impossible to get now, at least in stores - even the specialty needlework stores. It's no longer available in the big stores - even when it was manufactured, you had to go to a specialty store or show to get a goodly supply. We got the first large batch on E-Bay years ago. Now, especially since the project is a monthly snowman, as you can imagine, I need more black and white. 

March Snowman

I have all 12 of them. And I think about 2 or 3 others from his series. His designs were very popular way back when counted cross-stitch was at its heyday. I've made January, February, and December. I'm working on March now. Each is done on linen, and I've done them in both regular DMC 6-strand floss and in Flower Thread. DMC 6-strand is more vibrant. Flower Thread is more old-timey and muted. I framed December, but January and February were both my sad attempts at quilting. I quilted them into a banner and each month, at the appropriate time, I hung them. December was actually done on a glittery fabric, Lugano, and I added beads. I added beads and buttons to each of the others as well.

I'll likely add buttons where the snowman's chest is. I like giving them some dimension, and while I do have beads and metallic thread, with the main chart being executed in Flower Thread, other embellishments aren't appropriate. And I'm not sure if I'll quilt March. Hubby can get some 3/4 round trim and I can paint or stain it to make our own custom frame. I'm not sure yet -- have to see what this looks like when I'm done. 

The key to substitution for Flower Thread, if you're interested, is simple: Flower Thread is a 4-digit number. Lop off that first digit and the last 3 correspond to regular DMC 6-strand. So you really can go either way, but due to the texture of the thread you need to pick one or the other. 

March Snowman started...

So I get the chair settled. I get the lamp set up and the magnifier. I look, in shock, at the fabric (32-count linen - which means 32 threads of fabric per inch)... and I realize that I really, REALLY need the magnifier!! I used to be able to do this stuff without it. Old sucks.

I cranked the frame onto the holder, and then asked Hubby to give it another crank at the back so that the frame would be stable - it was slipping. He did. The crank broke. I guess I should've oiled the wood more.... So no stand. I've got to balance this on my lap. Luckily, it's a small piece, but I really do need him to fix that by the time I get to my mom's angel!!

Why didn't I start on the angel again, you ask? Good question. Answer: I haven't picked up a cross-stitch project in about 4 years. My eyeballs are used to knitting. Check out the picture to the right. That's tan thread (for the snowman's shillelagh). It's on tan linen. Bad idea on my part, but I thought as I went along, that it might work. I should've pulled a darker tan. I'm not ripping it out. If I have to (and I don't want to, because the hallmark of these designs is "folk art"), I will outline the thing. Maybe only in parts, as in a shadow so you get the idea of where the outline is. That tool on my finger is a laying tool. As you pull the thread in and out, it can sometimes twist. When your work is judged, as mine has been in years past, the judge would ding you for "twisted" stitches. The laying tool catches the thread as it lays over the fabric and helps smooth it over. It looks better anyway, so you should do it if you can, just to make your work look nicer. 

Not mine - an example only!

I just searched for "completed" projects by this designer. Wow - didn't know he did a whole whack of redwork! No - not interested. It's fascinating, but boring to use the same color and I don't like backstitching everything. I'll keep with what I'm doing. 

The picture to the left shows an example of what it looks like. It does look better on white, but I'm not starting over! This person pinned a shamrock pin on the vest (nice idea!) and used some shamrock buttons to make her pillow-door-hanger thingie. 

My quilted ones are slightly bigger, about 8x10" and they are hung on a dowel with tabs across the top. I will probably steal - ummmmm, borrow - the idea of the shamrock pin, since I have one that I never wear. Except I'll likely put it on the hat, since I will use small black buttons where they go down the middle of the tummy for the pieces of coal. Or I can use black beads. That would still work. 

As I'm working on it (and rats - we missed Cosmos last night, but we were watching Ingrid Bergman), Kid #2 says, "Wow -- I haven't seen you do THAT in a long time!" Hey, as long as I'm plowing through WIPs. It's all about the goal now. 

Today is Pink Sock day. I haven't knitted yet. But I have time. For what it's worth, I really did want to work on the Kid Afghan yesterday, but I kept to the schedule. I have almost gotten to the part on the snowman where his stick intersects his hand. That's progress indeed. 

Technology...

We are apparently having technical difficulties. Both the hard-wired and wireless networks are a bit wonky. Which makes me wonder why in the world we want to be MORE wired? Google, Apple and Microsoft are all bringing out Dick-Tracy-Type watches. 

I'm sorry. I'm wearing a watch. I wear a watch every day. Except if I'm having surgery - they make me take it off. If I'm not wearing a watch, I feel distinctly undressed. 

Seiko Kinetic Watch

My granny used to complain about my watch. It's big. She loved the little tiny ones that "ladies wear." But she couldn't see the dial. Before you laugh, please note that my sister just got a watch with a face about twice this size. She really needs to get new glasses, but who am I to tell her?? I did ask of she could lift her arm...she whacked me. It probably left a bruise. 

Here's my lovely Seiko self-winding watch. It does things. Like tell time and tell me the date.  Which is really all I require of a watch. Oh, it's also glow-in-the-dark and it's waterproof, just in case. I wear it constantly - seriously, even in the shower, when I'm in a pool - it's just a part of me. I'm not the only one who still wears a watch. I've seen us... there are a bunch of us who still feel the need for the thingie strapped to our wrist.

The good folks in technology, however, feel that we need MORE. 

They feel that it's not enough that our cell phones are mini-computers. They feel that we don't rely on their technology enough. We're not "wired" enough. We're not "connected" enough. 

New technology

We need........ A watch. 

One that tells you "before you know you need to know" (I'm not making that up) -- just what's going on with your e-mail, your Facebook, your appointments.

In other words, strap this little guy on and you will ALWAYS know EVERYTHING. Like the breaking news of who's on the latest cover of Vogue. Or what your friend had to eat at lunch. Or when the boss is looking for you.

Sorry. 

We all need a gigantic time-out. We need to unplug. At least once a day, everyone needs to take a device-break. And at least once a week, unless of course you're a doctor, nurse or other person involved in basically saving lives - you need to turn it all off. 

All of it. 

The other day, there was nothing on television. Yeah, I know - 500 channels and nothing on. But there was nothing on that I was interested in. It was a Saturday morning. Hubby had already left to take the dogs for their daily constitutional. I got up, Kid #2 was still asleep. 

And I left the big whiz-bang TV off. 

He got up and said, "Can't you remember how to turn it on?" I said, "Yes. Nothing's on." Of course, he checked. And agreed with me. And then we sat. Enjoying the quiet. It was remarkable. We read the paper, had our morning tea and just ... sat. In silence. 

What a refreshing thought. Instead of constant background noise, instead of constantly knowing who's doing what, instead of the buzz, beep and tweet of electronics... there was silence. 

Hubby likes the background noise. I have to say I miss the days when I got up, got my tea and started my day in silence. Maybe that's why I like to read and knit and do needlework. I can, for the most part, tune out the din. And I find that I'm more refreshed when I do that on a regular basis. 

Random Picture...

MY chair!

Silence is golden. Silence, with a Ninja-Husky-Dog? Can be dangerous. The first swath of silence came while she managed to snag a tissue out of the trash and shred it... Aaack!!! We got that away from her and I went back to skimming the paper prior to my early yoga class.

I went to take a shower. Hubby was switching the laundry. I come out. This is what I see... Madame Ninja-Husky-Dog appropriated my chair. Again. Apparently, when I'm not in it, she thinks it's hers. 

I called "Off." She looked at me. I tried again. Got the same "Who, me???" look and tugged at her collar. She reluctantly ceded the chair to its rightful owner.

It's bad enough that Quinn still hides under it in the back. It's a non-reclining-recliner since there's usually an Elkhound head under it. 

Now - there's a Husky butt IN it. 

I can't win. I should just accept that.