Tuesday, December 31, 2013

My 41 Knitted Projects in 2013

JANUARY
1. Color Affection Shawl
2. Kroy Socks
3. Armenian Hat (not pictured)






FEBRUARY
4. Lorna's Laces socks



MARCH
5. Bonne Bouch Bag (not pictured)
6. Pale Blue Socks
7. Haidmaiden Yarn Socks
8. Americana Socks
9. Recess Socks


 

APRIL
10. Featherweight Cardigan
11. Cupcake Hat (not pictured)
 

 



MAY
12. Tunisian Crochet Trill Infinity Scarf (not pictured)
13. Streambed Socks
14. Groovy Anklets


JUNE
15. Something Red (Blue) Sweater
16. Cupcake Hat II
17. Cool Anklets
 


JULY
18. Ladder Tank
19. Washcloth (not pictured)
20. Washcloth (not pictured)
21. Elfe top



AUGUST
22. Joie de Vivre sweater
23. Chitten Socks
24. Malabrigo Socks
25.Mini Mochi Socks

26. Sockotta Socks (not pictured)


 
SEPTEMBER
27. Jaena's Fox Hat
28. Jaena's Fox Mittens
29. A Good Yarn Socks



OCTOBER
30. Kelsey's Fox Hat (not pictured)
31. Jessica's Fox Hat (not pictured)
32. Lila's Beret
33. Liz's Beret
34. Intarsia/Steeking Mug Cozy




NOVEMBER
35. Partition Cardigan
36. Two-at-a-Time Socks
37. Sycamore Vest
38. Thanksgiving Socks



 

DECEMBER
39. Crock o' Dye grey Socks
40. Mermaid Cowl
41. Crocheted Flower Baby Hat (not pictured)







Monday, December 30, 2013

The 52 Books I Read in 2013

JANUARY:
1. Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
2. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
3. Maus II by Art Spiegelman
4. One Perfect Word by Debbie Macomber
5. Beloved by Toni Morison
6. Elsewhere by Richard Russon
7. The Breakthrough by Jerry B. Jenkins
8. Bleakhouse by Charles Dickens

FEBRUARY
9. The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
10. Peaches for Father Frances by Joanne Harris
11. Growing Up Amish by Ira Wagler
12. The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle
13. The Graveyard by Neil Gaiman
14. The Maze Runner by James Dashner

MARCH
15. The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano
16. Let's Pretend this Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
17. The Cutting Season by Attica Locke
18. The Kill Order by James Dashner
19. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
20. The Death Cure by James Dashner

APRIL
21. Uglies by Scott Westerfield
22. Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
23. Healing Stones by Nancy Rue and Stephen Arterburn

MAY
24. Calling Invisible Women by Jeanne Ray
25. The Half-Stitched Amish Knitting Club by Wanda Brunstetter
26. The  Supremes at Earl's All You Can Eat by Edward Kelsey Moore
27. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

JUNE
28. Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klassman
29. Flight Behavior by Karen Kingsolver
30. Healing Waters by Nancy Rue and Stephen Arterburn
31. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
32. Healing Sands by Nancy Rue and Stephen Arterburn
33. Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell

JULY
34. The Light Between Two Oceans by M.L. Stedman
35. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

AUGUST
36. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gehman
37. The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan
38. The Shunning by Beverly Lewis

SEPTEMBER
39. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
40. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling)

OCTOBER
41. Under the Dome by Stephen King
42. The Silver Star by Jeanette Walls
43. The 30 Day Praise Challenge by Becky Harling

NOVEMBER
44. The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
45. Quiet by Susan Cane
46. The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis

DECEMBER
47. The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
48. The Last Runaway by Jennifer Chiaverini
49. Odd Thomas by Dean Koonz
50. The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen
51. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
52. The Bible by God

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

65 Years of Marriage and a Special Moment with Mom


My Mom and Dad celebrate their 65th anniversary today!

I'm so blessed and proud to be their daughter. Theirs is a love story few can claim. This is especially true now that Mom's Alzheimer's is pretty bad.  Thinking about the times I see Dad love and care for her nearly makes me cry. And watching Mom respond and feel so secure with him even when she doesn't remember that he is her husband is beautiful.

And this visit Mom gave me at special gift.

Tuesday morning I was in the kitchen with Jess. We were trying to be very quiet while talking because the extra voices confuse and frighten mom, who was still in bed in the next room.

But my mom has exceptional hearing, and called out, "Beth, is everything okay?"

I was shocked. She called my name. Her voice was clear, sounding like all the mornings when I was a girl. I reassured her that nothing was wrong, that I was just making some breakfast.

"When do you have to leave for school?"

"I leave in about an hour (for home, not school). Do you want to get up?"

"No, I'm lying here, being lazy."

I felt a little dazed, realizing my Mom knew me for a few minutes. It was the wrong time period, but she knew me! She recognized my voice.

It seems that the more I come, the more she "knows" me. It's not always as her daughter, but she knows "Beth" enough to feel secure with me. What a blessing. It helps me know my weekly visits matter, not just to Dad, but to Mom.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

A Week In Pictures 4


Sunday
Em, my lovely niece, made some delicious crème brulee for Father's Day.

Monday
Can't wait for Dad's grapes to ripen.
I just love Dad's beautiful roses.

Tuesday
I just finished Jane Eyre for the umpteenth time. It's a favorite.
 
Wednesday
Jess celebrates her pre-birthday with a cake and a few friend.

Thursday
Jess's official birthday. She records the day.

Friday
Kelsey leaves for her first ride on her longboard.

Saturday
I knit a cute cupcake hat for a friend. It's from "Itty Bitty Hats" by Susan B. Anderson.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

A Week in Pictures 3

Sunday
I'm trying to catch up on my reading, but writer's keep writing new, interesting books faster than I can read.
 
Monday
VBS started today. Here's our VBS princess!
 
Tuesday
Kelsey and I took Jaena to IWU to register for classes. Like usual, Jaena wouldn't let me take a picture of her. So here's one of Kelsey instead. She sat in the McConn Coffee Shop area and read her book all day. Jaena's registered for voice lessons, piano class, and music theory among other classes. She's excited about spending her days studying music. You can tell by how big Kelsey is smiling, right?
 
Wednesday
We stopped by Ivanhoe's, in Upland, IN, on the way home for shakes and sundaes. Delicious!
 
Thursday
 Porch-time with Jen and Jody. I forgot to take a picture. So here's a picture of my lovely porch instead.
 
Friday

I finished "Flight Behavior" by Karen Kingsolver. It's well written, but I don't agree with her on everything. I think she's the only writer that could make me wade through so much science to know the end of the story though.
 
Saturday

 I finished my Something Red sweater. I love how it turned out, but it needs a special button. I haven't found the perfect one yet.

Monday, June 17, 2013

A Week in Pictures 2

Sunday
 

Jaena, Dad, and sisters.
Jaena and I pose.

Pappy and Jaena
Jaena graduated. I can't stand it! Turn back the clock! NOW people!!
 
 
Tuesday
 
Jaena surprised Jess with a wristband that got her in to the Meet and Greet for "Little Mix", her favorite girl band from London. She was so excited, she was speechless!
 
 
Wednesday


 
I spent some time checking on my beautiful roses.
 
 
Thursday
 
 Best time of the week. Lunch journaling group with my girls.
 
Friday
I'm working on my "Something Red" sweater in blue.
 
Saturday

We spent the day hiking at Turkey Run State Park.
 

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Summer Journaling and Reading

My daughters have made this English/Writing major momma proud.

One of the first purchases of the summer for each of them was a new journal. At one point I was even standing in the bookstore texting pictures of journals because Jess needed one "now" and didn't want to wait until she could get to the store herself.

It's interesting that each of them journals differently. Jess writes everyday and tapes pictures and mementoes into her journal. Already she needs a rubber band to keep it shut. Kelsey journals important events she wants to always remember. Jaena purchased a journal with staff lines for songs she writes.

Me: I have a little of everything in my journal. My devotions, my prayer requests, meeting notes, quotes I want to remember, books I've read this year, knitting projects completed this year, books I want to read, what I'm grateful for, sermon notes, doodling and even more. It goes with me EVERYWHERE.

The girls and I stopped by the Half Off Bookstore in Indy this week and spent way too much time and money there. Kelsey decided she spends more money on books than clothes. That's saying a lot for a teenage girl! One purchase was "Sense and Sensibility" by Jane Austin. And Jess asked for a particular book for her birthday this week, "100 Words Every High School Freshman Should Know" by Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries.

I just finished "The Supremes at Earl's All You Can Eat" by Edward Kelsey Moore. I'm starting a book of short stories, "Vampires in the Lemon Grove" by Karen Russell. This will be the 30th book I've read so far this year.

It's going to be a good summer of reading and writing at my house. I'll try to catch a few pictures of journaling and reading in action.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

A Week in Pictures

Saturday
 

 My oldest celebrates graduating from high school.
Where did my baby go?
 
 
Sunday

 
 Poor Jess, this is what she looks like when awakened by a camera flash.
 
 
Monday

Leftover open house cake turned into birthday cake. (I won't quit my day job to become a cake decorator!)
 
Dad turned 86 on Friday.
Mom turned 85 and Jaena turned 19 on Monday.
My brother, Kevin, has a birthday tomorrow.
 
 

Tuesday

My baby win the award for raising her Lexile level (improving her reading ability) the most this year!
Her hard work paid off!
 
 
Wednesday
Napping on the new couch.
 
 
Thursday

Jess graduated from 8th grade. She is officially a high-school student. Notice my camera skills? Jess is fuzzy, fellow student, Briley looks better, and the sign behind them looks great!

Reading "Tigers in Red Weather", by Liza Klaussmann. She happens to be the great-great-great-granddaughter of Herman Melville. You know, "Moby Dick", "Typee"? I'm envious.

 
 
 While waiting for a friend to get off work for lunch I took a few pictures of the tree above my car. I love my sunroof nearly as much as I love trees.
 


I also did a little knitting while waiting. This is my WIP, Something Red sweater, by Knit and Tonic. I know, it's not red. It happens to be the forth blue sweater I've knit. I must branch out and try another color.
 
 
Friday
 

We visited Chizzy's, in Galveston, IN. The ice cream was delicious! Orange-pineapple. Yum!!