YAY!

I passed my RN boards!!!!!!!!!!

My garden

I have flowers! My tomatoes have several buds on them and I saw a pretty white blossom one my sole serviving pea plant! Yay!!!!!

A Box!

I participated in a "Summer in Winter" swap that one of the groups I read in Ravelry put together. The rules were to send a skein of yarn, a jar of home canned "goodness", and a surprise. I recieved my box today from Dina "nrggrl". She sent me some bubbles for that first day of summer, a coffee mug with a pic of what her summers look like, dark chocolate (in the freezer at the moment as it was 80's here today), and napkins with strawberries on them. Some cherry marmalade that looks super yummy! Oops, almost forgot the yarn! Two skeins of Knitpicks Shawdow in "Vineyard" a dark, yummy burgandy. The pic online is more purple than real life.

Why???????

Why can't I do what I know I need to do? Why can't I stand up on my own and speak my mind? I am a good nurse, I take the best care I can of my patients. I can stand up for them, so why not myself? Why am I so afraid of hurting others to the point I don't talk? Or I beat around the bush and don't even adress the issue I really want to/need to talk about? Why?

Do I really need a new hobby?

I have been interested in making dollhouses since I was a little girl. When I was a girl, my grandparents had a renter that made the most fascinating dollhouses that even had electricity! I remember that he entered one into the county fair and seeing there with a ribbon on it. So, R bought me my first dollhouse to build while he was here. A beginner model but still very pretty. It even has gingerbread on it! So, I opened the box and read the instructions. Seems very through. This one is the one I have. Wish me luck!

Stuff and "Purely Decadant"

Well, about 30 minutes ago R left to go back up north. He has a really long day ahead of him, about 20 hours of driving. Overall, it was a really good visit. We went to San Diego to visit with some of my family. He got quite a few "honey do's" done for me that I didn't ask for and wasn't expecting to happen, so that was nice. I would get up for work and he would tell me "I did this and that for you while you were asleep" Was really nice. I do miss being with him, but I know that he made a decision to help out his mom. I will like having the house back in some kind of order as it is like a small tornado went through the house whenever he is here.

He did bring down some "yogurt" for me to try. There were two kinds of yogurt, a soy based one and a cocout based one. I actually prefer the coconut based one more. The consistancy and flavor is more of what I remember what yogurt having. Really very good. He also brought me some "ice cream" made by Turtle Mountain. This was their Purely Decadent made with Coconut milk ice cream. Also very good. He brought me Chocolate, Vanilla, and Cookie dough.
The chocolate and the vanilla taste just like ice cream without any obvious coconut taste. The Cookie dough did taste like coconut ice cream with cookie dough pieces in it. Not really appealing. At least I now know that there are products that will satisfy my cravings for dairy without actually eating it. Now I just need to find out it I can get my local grocery store to either carry it or at least order it for me!

Nutrition and Life

About a year ago I learned through trial and error that I am either allergic to dairy or have an intolerance to it. I am not lactose intolerant. Here is a list of symptoms of lactose intolerance. I don't get any of those. Also, I cannot eat yogurt. Appartently some people who are lactose intolerant can, as the good bugs in the yogurt eat lactose. What I get is hayfever-like symptoms. And a headache. I start to have breathing issues in about a hour after consuming dairy. Not fun! So, I have been trying to delete dairy from my diet. That has been a real challenge. Not only do I crave it about once a week, it is also in just about everything premade! So, I take Zyterc daily and Benadryl when I need it. I also have been doing a lot more cooking at home lately.

I have also been very interested in Once A Month Cooking. It is basically what it says. You cook once a month, stock the freezer up, and eat off that for the month. You then only need to buy fresh produce as you need. I have done something similar before but only two week intervals. I found that I didn't cook enough variety, so I was eating out. This week I have been making staples, i.e. shredded chicken, meatballs, cooked bacon, cooked ground beef, that kind of thing. Freezing those staples, that way I can make several different things. Two things that I did make up as complete foods is chili and burritos. Those things I know that I like and will eat as is. The chili I could eat as chili, or put it over rice or noodles. The burritos are more for work, just take out of the freezer into the frig at work, then microwave when I get hungry.

So I will see how this new way (for me) of cooking will work. At least it got me to clean out the feezers!

Garden

One of the perks to living in the desert is that last frost is in January. I planted to seeds inside in January to be able to plant in the backyard in February. So far so good. So a few weeks ago, I plant some bronze colored Gerber daisys and some bright yellow violas. The garden was empty looking and I wanted some color. Well, I go out a few hours later and the plants are dug up and eaten! Seems to me that my dogs wanted some greens! After the frustration, I went and got some chicken wire and surrounded the garden area. This week I planted my sprouted seeds and felt confident that the dogs could not eat them now. I go outside the next morning and my carrots and lettuce are dug up! No holes in or under the fence. I then remembered that there are stray cats in the area. I replanted the carrots and lettuce that I could find and made a cage to go over that bed as the other beds were undisturbed. So I will see if that works. Hopefully the plants will get left alone long enough to root well and get big enough that the animals don't want to get in there.

Just a cute picture

Lily, one of my new kittens. Her, her sister, and her brother are almost a year old.

Mom, we are out of water!

Hi!

Long time since I wrote last! It is the beginning of a new year, so wanted to kinda reflect on the past year. Still haven't passed the nursing boards, been knitting and quilting, and my fur baby family has grown by three. It has been a crazy year. But all in all, a good one. R is still up north taking care of his mother as he promised her many many years ago. Ah well. Hope everyone has a wonderful and bountiful 2010!

Out in the backyard this morning. Watching the dogs play, and playing with my new camera!

life

I have been remiss in blogging. I have received my packages from both Summer of Yarn and SP12 spoilers. Thank you to both wonderful ladies. I really appreciate all the time and effort that went into my wonderful packages!!!

My life has been weird lately. Life itself not weird, my head is in a really weird place. I am having some health issues as well as other things that life is bringing my way.

I am trying to decide what to do. Do I keep this blog or not? I think that I have decided that the blog was a wonderful thing, but I just don't want to keep it up. It is becoming a burden to me. I know, what is she thinking, a little blog being a burden!?!?!?! I feel bad not keeping up on it and yet I don't want to add to it. For now, it will stay up but inactive. Maybe later I will try again. Thank you everyone for your time reading my blog and the ones that left comments.

Until next time...........

Thank you!!!!

I am so very behind! I recieved a package from my SP12 Spoiler about a week ago, and haven't blogged about it. Bad me!

My wonderful spoiler sent me a book that I have been looking at for awhile.

It is called "a fine fleece" by Lisa Lloyd

I have had my nose in it devouring the information and the beautiful pictures. I like the fact that the author made two of each project - one from hand spun and the other from mill spun. Sometimes I mixed up which was which! Great information source and wonderful patterns!

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!

I went to see a man about a horse

Actually a lady about a car, but I like that saying :)

My truck is getting older (it is just old actually), an 1989, and a gas HOG (10mpg!!). So, yesterday, I went and testdrove some vehicals. I wasn't really wanting/needing/expecting to buy at that time, but it happened! I did my research extentively for about a week and narrowed it down to three. The Nissian Rouge, the Honda CRV, and the Mitsubihi Outlander. I ended up going with the Rouge. This is not a picture of my actual car, but off the Nissan web site.

It is a Nissan Rouge SL AWD. And this is the key.

Neat huh? I can leave it in my purse and as long as I am withing 2-3feet, I am able to open the door(s). Also, I don't need a key to start the car. I was very concerned about that until the saleslady told me all of the security features about the keyless key. Very cool.

I have AC again!!!!!!!!

I got a Box!

A box was waiting for me in the mailbox a few days ago. Been working, so here it is! It is from my Summer of Yarn spoiler. This box was the in the theme of "red".

There is:

One skein of "Lace Wing Sock" in Crimson

Three balls of "Baby Star" in color 25

Skittles Original flavors

Lindor Milk chocolates (gone!)

Pomergranate Grenade body wash

Strawberry fraise soap

a red hankercheif

and

Loin brand yarn "Just Socks"

I am so excited! Thank you SofY spoiler!!!

Question #8

What is your favorite supper for a hot summer evening?

Ceviche (sp?). Hands down. My ex some years ago brought home this stuff and asked me to try it. It was this salsa looking stuff that had fish in it. It was good!
So, I started making it at home, but I tweaked it some. Instead of fish, I use shrimp. So light and fresh. Now, I need to go make some.

Venting!!!

Warning - this is a venting post. Also a VERY biased view. MY view. Please just bare with me.

There has been a lot of family stuff going on around this house. Stuff I am not really happy about. R left yesterday to move OUT OF STATE to take care of his mom. I know, it sounds all great humanitarian and all, but it's not. The woman needs a husband, not a son trying to take care of her like a husband does (not in that way though, get your head out of the gutter!) You know, honey do stuff.

Granted, we were going to move up to that area (two hours away) after I pass the Nursing Boards. We were going to move TOGETHER at ONE time, not separate and twice.

So, R is on his way up there yesterday and today. A thousand miles away. I am so sad.

Summer of Yarn

I got a box! Well, I got it about a week ago, but between dead camera batteries and family stuff going on, I am just now telling the world what a wonderful spoiler I have.

Camera batteries still dead, will get some tomorrow.

The box is from my Summer of Yarn Spoiler. She (?) sent me a PURPLE (!) themed box. I love purple!!!! I recieved 4 skeins of Rowan all seasons cotton in Pansy. A chocolate bar that I have never tried before, it was very good. I also recievd some chocolate covered candy sticks from Purdy's called Mystics. Very good. And a really cute card.

I will get pictures this weekend. This weekend. I have the whole weekend off. SWEET!

SP12 Question week #5

Ok, I think I am caught up now with the weekly questions.

1) Where is your favorite place to go for vacation/holiday?
Any place where the average daily temp in the summer is less than 90 degrees!

2) Where is one place you’d like to go?
I would like to see Ireland someday.

SP12 Question #4

Iam really, really, late.

1) What yarn (that you don’t have/haven’t used) would make your stash “complete”?
I really like lace weight and sock weight yarns. So, my stash is mainly those weights. I would like to expand the other weights.


2) What yarn do you never want to be without?
Sock yarn!