Land o’ Sunshine

Can I tell you HOW much I despise that phrase?    Let me tell you how my day was wasted.  Ok, technically those hours were not wasted, squandered is a better term.   I did laundry, emptied the dishwasher, reloaded the dishwasher, goofed around on Ravelry.   Did I get the post office?  No.   Do I need to get to the post office?  Yes.   Will I get there today?  Doubtful.

Delivery between 9 & 1.  Ha.   The mattress arrived at 1:45.   They left and the doorbell rang.  Back again.   Wrong box spring delivered.   Lovely.    Will I buy from this particularly company again?  No, indeed we will not.   Unhappy all around–from shopping to delivery, they were one giant mess.  

I was tagged by Anne for a 6 things meme.   What the hey.  Not all of these are my random things, but they are indeed random. 

1. My husband always says wardrove rather than wardrobe (in reference to the collection of clothes in the closet, not the piece of furniture).  It drives me bonkers.   Sometimes I think he says it that way on purpose. 
2. Sunshine Daughter calls laundry her “hobby lobby”.   Do you think we visit a particular store often???  
3. I love forsythia bushes.   They are my favorite springtime surprise.   I think the yellow of the flowers with the brown of the wood is so beautiful.  Then they fall off and you are left with this unsuspecting, normal-looking, green bush.    It is Clark Kent of bushes. 
4. Sunshine Son #2 has a lisp.  He doesn’t always pronouce his “l” sound correctly.   It is cute.   It is one of those little things that I don’t want to forget.   
5. Posts without pictures.  Did you start skimming?  I would have.   Zero pictures = BORING.  Too many pictures = way too long to load the page.   So know you know.  I’m a skimmer.  
6. I don’t think I have gone one day without a load of laundry in some state of process.   Needing to be washed, washing, drying, needing to be folded, folding, needing to be put away.   I despise laundry–even more than deliver between 9 & 1! 

This is the meme that really isn’t (at least to me).   It came from Red Dog Knits.  Post what you are doing to reduce, reuse, recycle and save resources. 

This is something I really struggle with, because I can be really lazy and not wanting to take the extra time to go green.   Sometimes it just feels SO big, what can one person do?   If that statement was believed by all of us though then we wouldn’t get anywhere.  

1. Since we have started recycling, more than 65% of our Thursday pickups are for the recylce truck.  
2. I can totally thank the kids for this next one.  Their clothes are reused and rarely do I buy new clothes–consignment/thrift shops all the way baby.  
3. Gardening is the way to go here.   Although our garden is not as productive as we would like, we do get bumper crops of something every year–zucchini, tomatoes,  or cuccumbers.    Last year I started to pickle somethings–zucchini & cuccumbers–and this year I’d like to make some spaghetti and tomato sauce.   We spend at least $15 a month on spaghetti sauce and tomato sauce (it is a miracle our kids don’t look like spaghetti and meatballs, they really do eat it that often). 
4. Electricity.   We use a programmable thermostat and set the temps to 73 for the summer and 72 for the winter (those are a daily average).   I really try to keep the air and heat turned off whenever possible.   
5. For the past 4 years, we have been a one car family.   We just purchased a ten year old compact car for the husband’s daily commute.  
6. Charlie’s Soap.  I don’t know where I heard about this but I tried it for the first time not too long ago and I LOVE this stuff.   It is super eco-friendly and less expensive than the laundry soap from the box store.   Longer post on this later. 

Ok, so our global footprint is still pretty large, but it is something I am working to reduce.   So if you are still reading this, take the meme back to your blog and share what you are doing to go green!  

Two posts in one day?   Two memes in one day?   Have I hit rock bottom?  Almost.  More on that later.     I picked this one up from  HeartKnits.  You need to bold the things you have accomplised and anything in italics are things you would like to try/attempt.    Feel free to show off your knitting accomplishments.   Not to shabby since I only started to knit ONE YEAR ago!   Wow.   

Afghan
I cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette Stitch
Socks–top down
Socks–toe up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens–cuff up
Mittens–tip down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater–ok, this isn’t 100% complete yet, but I am 75% through the Wallaby. 
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting // modular knitting
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting // twined knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (including Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit–One of the boys wants to learn, but I am having a hard time teaching him to knit lefty. 
American / English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Buttonholes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with double pointed needles
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit–see above about teaching child.
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling / Felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting

Kitchener BO
Purses / bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning / self-striping / varigated yarn
Stuffed toys
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs / fingerless mitts / armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug / bolero / poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

Tag, you’re it!   I’m it twice actually, from Udandi and man there was another blog too…. I should have written it down, but I knew I would remember.   I am also tagging myself from ZigZag Stitch and from the Rainey Sisters.   Now how does that trackback thing work…. 

Here goes.  

1.  I despise earwigs.  Don’t know why or when I came to loath these creatures, but man they are gross.    I can tolerate most other insects, but even squashing these suckers grosses me out to no end.  This picture does no justice to the yuck factor of these insects.   

2.  I love coffee.   Dunkin’ Donuts is my favorite.   I stalk the store for a sale.   They were a dime a dozen in Massachusetts, but here in the Piedmont, there are TWO.  Luckily, there is one right down the road.   Yippee!   Starbucks is great, but a little price prohibitive and most of the time, I just want a light with sugar French Vanilla.   Ordering at Starbucks can give me a little panic attack. 

3.  I like the Boston Red Sox just to annoy my husband (Yankee FAN!).   When I lived at home, I liked the Yankees to annoy my father.    It makes for fun baseball watching to have a little rivalry. 

4.  The bathroom tub had a double ring.   Gross, I know.   There have been some very dirty children in the house lately–sand, mud, more sand, and more mud.    There are two rings to account for the two sets of baths for Sunshine daughter and Sunshine sons.  Despite the fact that cleaning bathrooms is the thing I usually reserve for visits from my friend Martha or my mother.   Yes, the double rings are gone.  

5.  Crap is a “bad” word in our house.  That’s a quarter, thank you.  Of course there are other bad words, but unless there is plumbing or carpentry involved, they aren’t usually heard around here.  Say junky instead. 

6.  I don’t drive and will never own a white car.   I have had two car accidents.  Both invovled me and a white car.  Both cars, not mine.   Both cars, totalled.    Sorry Mom.  

7.  Every Wednesday at 10pm, for 16 weeks, I have watched Lost.   Every Wednesday at 11pm, for 16 weeks, I say to Sunshine Husband, “WHY DO I WATCH THIS SHOW?”    Ok, who are those women in the Looking Glass Hatch?   What the HECK is going on?   Of course I will watch next Wednesday and be even more annoyed since there isn’t going to be another episode until December!?!   Well, at least that knocks two blogs off my reading list for a while. 

7.  There are currently 9 ball point pens, a highlighter, a Sharpie, and 3 pencils at the bottom of my purse.  I don’t know why considering I don’t have any paper in there. 

Optional random fact:

8.   I hate folding doing laundry.   

This is a tag-free zone.  Consider yourself tagged.   Be sure to let me know!  

I saw this meme while reading Udandi & the Craft of Money and knew I had to participate.  

I feel the meme deserves some Grey’s Anatomy-esque monologue, but I just don’t have that kind of skill, so here it goes, my latest 5 obsessions:

1.  Blogs.   You knew that didn’t you.   I wish I could find remember the first blog I stumbled onto.   At first they were just knitting ones, mainly found through that first blog.   Hubby just upgraded Office and there is an option to get the RSS feed reader in the email.  He nearly blew a gasket with all the feeds I have.  (Edited to say I ditched the email feed reader–TOO SSSSLLLOOOWWWW)  There are knitting blogs, craft blogs, mommy blogs, twin blogs, money/frugal blogs, foodie blogs, organizing blogs.   If I aspire to it, I’m sure there’s a blog about it in my RSS feed.  

2. Knitting.   Knit, purl, yarn, patterns, blogs.    There is a new yarn shop in town.   I make a trip there at least once a week mainly to look, though they have been winding skeins for me lately too.   I won’t admit how much my shopping carts have in them at the Loopy Ewe & KnitPicks!   Socks, sweaters, stitch patterns, oh my!   There are so many creative knitters out there, EZ, Barbara Walker, the Yarn Harlot, and man all those great bloggers!    

3.   ABC TV.   Not every show, but enough to say I watch it almost every evening.  (Yes, I know it is turn off the TV week)  Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Dancing with the Stars are the shows I would hate to miss.  Lost:  I don’t trust Juliette, why isn’t Kate preggers yet, and what is up with the black thing & the mysterious box that gives you what you want?

4. Oatmeal Bars.   I found a recipe on Recipezaar and then two weeks later the same recipe turned up in the April Family Fun Magazine.   They are SOOOOO yummy.   We make them at least twice a week.    I make them for me the kids.   Our favorite add-in is mini chocolate chips. 

5.  Harry Potter.  Hubby & I are reading the series again in anticipation for the July release of book 7.    Here is what I think:  Harry is a horacrux, Harry and Voldemort will die, and I really forgot alot of what I read the first time.   Right now I am starting book 4.  

A runner-up for #5  is Cheese-Its, but ONLY the Cheddar-Jack kind.   I bought a new box on Saturday and I discovered they were not the right kind.   I was so bummed.  

Memes.  

Six weird things about me.  I have been avoiding doing this.  I mean do you really want to know these things about me?   Besides, they seem pretty normal to me, ok not all of them.  Well here it is.   I was tagged by Rhea from one potato . 

THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the “6 weird things about you.” People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says “you are tagged” in their comments and tell them to read your blog.  Normally, I am not a rule breaker, but let’s not get silly here.  

 1.   I am consumed by this baby bottle.   Where does the “milk” go.  How do they make these things???  I used to have one when I was a kid and I still remember playing with the thing for HOURS.  Turn, full.   Turn, empty.   Repeat.   If you know, DON’T tell me.   It honestly amuses me to no end.

2.  When I eat Tacos–at home or from Taco Bell–I crumble them into a taco salad.   At home, I make the tacos, fill them and then break them apart.  

3.  I get really annoyed when someone leaves the table without pushing in chairs. 

4. When going to parties/events, hours before I NEVER want to go.  Of course I do go and 99% of the time, have a great time.  

5. I love to eat frozen french fries, frozen.   Not tons, just 4 or 5 before they go in the oven. 

6. I have been known to pick lilacs from cemataries.  

Ok, from my understanding, I should tag other people.  Since I have no “people”, there will be no tagging.   Let me know if you decide to play so I can see how I compare to your weirdness.  

Stay tuned for another meme from January One.