In a Slump

Maybe it's the holidays...maybe it's health related. I don't know why, but I seem to be in a knitting slump right now. I finished my son's Christmas sweater the last week of classes, only to find out on Christmas morning that he had grown since I started it. I may have to add more to the length and sleeves and do some redesign on the collar 'cause I just don't like how it turned out. I had started some toe-up socks last week, and ripped them out about as quick as I cast them on. They were too wide. I cast them on again last night, but just can't get motivated.

Maybe it's because my mother-in-law is in town. I think she believes that I spend much too much time knitting...time I should be using to clean my house. I'm sorry, if Steve married me for my housekeeping skills he was seriously mistaken, and he'd have to be really SLOW because we've been married 16+ years and if he hasn't figured it out by now...Well, whose fault is that?

Seriously, I'm taking a little break. I stayed home from work yesterday fighting a cold - much better today. I only seem to get sick when I allow myself time to let down a little. Why is that? I tried researching it, but everything I found said that stress contributes to lowering immunity, not relaxation. I seem to thrive on stress; I get sick when I slow down. Maybe by slowing down the cold catches me (Why would anyone want to catch a cold?) When I'm moving full pace it can't catch up.

I'm planning a major sewing project for the weekend. I don't, as a rule, consider myself a seamstress. I've made skirts, and doll clothes as a child, and once made a dress, just to see if I could. (I wore it for a couple of years before it started falling apart. I'd call that a qualified success.) I made cushions for the window seat in the house. From knitting, I know the basics of clothing construction, and I can read a pattern. This is a major project more in terms of its importance to me. I'm making myself a clerical robe to wear for some upcoming preaching engagements! I'm planning to use good fabric in a natural color and take my time. If it works well, I may make more in other colors like black or navy. I'll post pictures if it's worth looking at. Stay tuned!

Back to work...lots of reading to be done for my January class. Happy New Year!

Kim

Chance of flurries...

We've had a flurry of activity as of late! Three weeks before Thanksgiving, my dear, dear husband suggested that maybe we should finish some projects before my inlaws came for T-day. Well, it was my busiest time of the semester, but house projects are one of my favorite ways to procrastinate! In the next several weekends, I painted the entire upstairs hallway, yanked up nasty carpet on the upper portion of the staircase and the upstairs hall, cleaned the WHOLE house, and Steve and I painted the living room! I had a paper due Thanksgiving Day (It's okay, it had originally been due two weeks earlier, and the prof extended the deadline) and the Monday after, and suddenly got busy at work, too. Somehow it all got done, and the relatives were well fed.

Then, last week, we got flurries of another sort! Ten inches of snow! The kids had snow days on both Thursday and Friday. It was beautiful and fluffy and VERY COLD! The kids had early dismissal on Wednesday and the dentist cancelled their appointment, so we baked cookies. I'm really not that kind of mom, and that is the first time I ever remember doing that. It was so successful that last night we made peppermint wreath Christmas ornaments.

This week is back to flurries of activity. We got our tree Sunday, but haven't brought it in the house yet. Last night was Scouts for Steve. Tonight, Aaron has an All-City Children's Choir performance, tomorrow Eileen and I have church activities, Thursday night is Aaron's school program, and Friday, I have a sit & knit at the house! And today is my birthday and I have NO IDEA if Steve and I will ever get a chance to go out and celebrate. Oh well, I did get some nice gifts from friends. :)

Here's hoping all will have a blessed holiday season!

Kim

Welcome to my world!

I'm new to this blogging stuff. Been considering it for some time, but didn't get to it until now, and mostly just because I wanted to post a comment on a friend's blog, and had to register to do so.

I tend to stay busy. Someone asked my daughter what her mom does, and she said, "My mom is a full-time student, works four part-time jobs, and still manages to be home two days a week."

I guess that pretty much sums it up! I am a full-time student at Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, MO working on a Master of Divinity to begin a second career in ministry within the United Methodist Church. My first career is/was in civil engineering specializing in water and wastewater. I still work ~20 hours per week as a civil engineer. My other jobs include teaching knitting through community education, helping out one of the professors at the seminary, periodically substitute preaching for friends, and teaching workshops, along with a variety of volunteer activities through my church.

I live with my husband, two kids, two dogs and a cat in a 100+ year-old house on four and a half acres. This is an old picture. The plastic shutters are now gone, and there is more landscaping in the yard, but it should give you an idea. We love working on the house, but recently the time has been hard to find. We did manage to plant some trees last weekend, but it was a holiday! This weekend I really need to get some studying done.

I hope you enjoy my blog, and I'll try to write regularly.
Kim