Storms

We had a couple of rounds of thunderstorms today. It really felt like Spring. We even got some hail for a few minutes. Nothing severe, just a nice welcome, anything but snow falling from the sky. I pulled my car out of the garage this morning and let the rain wash it off. I'd parked under a tree about a week and a half ago and the birds got it good. I know, I should have washed it long before now, but you know how it goes. The rain got the gross stuff off.

Tomorrow is Juliettes. The girls are finishing up their journeys. The Brownies are making puzzles to teach some younger kids the order of the colors of the rainbow. The Cadettes are putting on a badge workshop focusing on air pressure experiments. So the projects aren't straight from the books, but they do represent something the girls learned along the way. And they are much more doable for our size group and the fact that they all live in different communities. And they will enjoy themselves. Take that Girl Scout Police. (Yeah, I have issues.)

After we wrap up the journeys (Breathe and Wow, for those of you playing along at home), we're going to do pets and plants. Not at the same time. We've got a field trip to a vet office scheduled next month, and I think I'll see if the girls want to try to make some homemade dog biscuits. No clear plans for plants yet. Any ideas?

Have a good week everyone!

Crochet class

Violet had her crochet class today, turned out to be private lessons. There was only one other girl who had signed up for the class and she had to cancel at the last minute. The crochet lady was game to go on and taught Violet 4 crochet stitches. One of the library ladies was there and another came in to learn to crochet.

They offered to let me stay, but I knew Violet would be more comfortable with me not watching her. But when I picked her up she offered to teach me the basic stitch. I guess she'll have to teach me the names of the stitches too.

The class was part of their hobby corner for teens. They seem to do it every other month. I'm going to encourage her to go back in May for the next one, regardless of the topic. She loves arts and crafts so much. The library lady who was there is the one who oversees it. She works with a lot of the teen programs. I'd like for Violet to get involved with their Teen Advisory Board and to be a volunteer with their summer reading program. But those are both things she'll really have to want to do. I'm thinking if the librarians ask her to join, she likely will. I think they'd both be really good experiences for her (if it is her decision) and confidence builders. Just like crocheting was.

Tomorrow we've got nothing scheduled. Those are my favorite days! Maybe I'll get my crochet lesson.

Perky

Well, perkier at least. I am feeling better. I never did figure out what, if anything, was wrong with me. (Insert your own joke.) But I do have more energy back.

Which was a good thing because work kept popping up all day. I couldn't believe how much stuff came up today after the last week or so had been so nice and quiet. I didn't get it all done, but I can work on it more tomorrow. I'm done for the day.

Tomorrow is the crochet class and I'm looking forward to spending 2 hours at the library reading and bumming around. It is close enough that I could drop Violet off and go back for her, but she preferred that I hang out there while she was in the class. I don't mind. How could you object to 2 free hours in a library? They have wifi, so technically I could work, but I'm not going to. Actually, since I cannot confirm how secure their wifi is, it is best I don't work on client projects anyway.

I am rereading The Chosen for the Classic Moms discussion tomorrow night. It is a great book and I thought I'd refresh my memory of it since I read it over Christmas time. Besides, it doesn't make any sense to start a new book right before a book discussion. If I finish it, I'm going to browse through the library's magazines or maybe leaf through some cookbooks. Mainly, I'm going relax and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Actually, our library is so cramped and crowded that there generally isn't any peace and quiet it in. But no one will be asking me to do anything, so that will still count.

Did I tell you I officially became our homeschool group's treasurer this week? We are a mostly online group. My only responsibility is to collect the $2 per family dues that are paid to our state group that we are an affiliate of. I volunteered to collect the dues this year and our contact person asked if I just wanted to be treasurer. Since I'd rather do that than anything else, I agreed. The funny thing is, over the last few years I've almost quit the group a dozen times. Guess I'm not going anywhere.

Except to bed. Good night everyone!

Achy

I am tired. I feel like I'm coming down with something. But I've been feeling like this since Saturday, you'd think I'd have it by now. I have a headache and my muscles ache. For a short time yesterday I had a scratchy throat, but that went away. Sigh.

Maybe it is time change syndrome. Or it could be allergy-related and have something to do with the daffodils poking up and a few buds forming out there. Whatever it is I wish it would go away.

I'm not sick enough to say I'm sick. I just don't feel good. I tried to sleep in this morning but the snore-alarm next to me started going off. It is so hard to get the snore-alarm to stop that by the time I do turn it off I'm too awake to go back to sleep, so I didn't bother trying. I just got up and had a cup of tea and a bowl of oatmeal. That helped, but I'm still not myself.

At least I don't have anywhere in particular to be today and there's not a lot of work to do. I think I'll make the snore-alarm cook dinner tonight.

Maybe I'll be perky again tomorrow.

Reader

I finally set up my favorite blogs to come to me via Google Reader. Yeah, about time. I'm so behind on my internet life. Wish I could say my real life were more interesting, but it is not.

Here's what I've been up to: work, Violet aced decimals in school, I'm still knitting, Girl Scout cookies were ordered, delivered and life has gone on (have I mentioned I hate cookies?), I filed our taxes, my state is corrupt, weather is cold and blustery but at least most of the snow has finally melted.

This week Violet has an American Girl book club meeting and is taking a crochet class at the library. She agreed to take the crochet class as long as I promised that she didn't have to teach me to crochet afterward. In Classic Moms class we will be discussion The Chosen by Chaim Potok. What an awesome book, I completely recommended it!

Hope you are all having a good winter!

Sending up a flare

The blizzard hit. Boy howdy, did it hit. I think we got somewhere around 2 feet of snow. It is hard to tell because of all the drifting. We have a 6 foot fence in our backyard, you could probably step over it in spots. I only remember one other snow close to this big and I've lived here all my life. This was a doozy.

Schools, libraries, businesses, government offices, all closed today. Many have already announced they will be closed tomorrow too. Even the sledding hills are closed due to too much snow.

Okay, the sledding hills really are closed, but it is because they can't get the parking lots by them cleared out and a lot of the roads are still impassable.

Even the local groundhog, Woodstock Willie, called in snowbound. And on the only day of the year he works. I hope this doesn't mean we won't get a spring. If the groundhog can't even get out of his hole to make a prediction, spring will still come, won't it?

I don't have any photos yet. I'll try to post some. Just picture lots of white, that's what it looks like.

Our homeschool decided not to close. We voted to be off in June, rather than today and tomorrow.

Tonight the deep freeze is hitting, but at least the wind has died down and the snow is over. All that's left is the digging.

The Patchwork Scarf

Here it is, my first ever knitted scarf:



It is uneven, there are a few holes, I was just figuring out how to change colors. But it is the best scarf I have ever knitted. I'm going to wear it proudly. I think I did quite good for only having had one 45 minute informal knitting lesson less than 2 months ago.

Freakmom's note: if you don't like it, keep it to yourself. Freakmom doesn't post to please you, nor does she knit to meet your approval. Freakmom is 44 years old and doesn't have to put up with that crap any more.

In other news: I'm still reading my magazines. I'm almost done. It was my own little self-indulgent venture. For those of you who've known me for a while, you know I've had a lot of changes crammed down my throat the last 2 years and I've lost a lot of control over my life. My free time is almost non-existent, some days I'm doing good to have time to have proper personal hygiene. I'm trying to take back my life and let go of some of my anger. Getting the chance to go through these old magazines has been fun, relaxing, and a taste of the old life. Time well spent if you ask me.

Happy New Year everyone!