Forgive me that it has been soooooooo long!!!!

Ok, so just as I start just about every other blog entry by apologizing for how long it's been since I have blogged - this one shall be no different. Here is a breif update on what has been going on since September...

Like I said in my last post that Scott was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. This was discovered in his pre-op blood work for his knee surgery - thus cancelling the said knee surgery until he could get his numbers under control. As of this date I am happy to announce that he has gotten his blood sugar numbers under control and has been given the go ahead by his primary physician to have the surgery done. He has an appointment this coming Tuesday to meet with the surgen to set a date - more on that later.

My Local Yarn Shop (LYS) celebrated their 5th year anniversary of being in business in November with a party to benefit two local charities. We raised over $1300 between ticket sales and the Chinese auction. I won a bracelet made by Abigail Deardorff and 10 skeins of light blue yarn. Dunno what I'm going to do with either just yet.

The very next day Scott and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary. I can't beleive it's all ready been 5 years - some days is seems like so much more and other days it seems like it was only yesterday. We wanted to get a way for a night or two just the two of us but that didn't happen.

As per tradition we went to Aunt Karen's and Uncle Andy's for Thanksgiving dinner. Everything was DELICIOUS as always! I even had 3 servings of corn pudding. I can't remember the last time I had 3 servings of anything. It was soooooo good!!!!!! Earlier that day I had a great idea! Scott and I had been watching the sale adds for toys for LJ for Christmas. And there was a Toys-R-Us right next to a hotel over in Rockaway, NJ. And since we were all ready 1/2 way there at Aunt Karen's . . . and we didn't get a chance to get away for our anniversary . . . an idea was born. Grammy took LJ home from Aunt Karen's and Scott and I would continued to the hotel and went over to Toys-R-Us next door at midnight when they opened and start our Christmas shopping for LJ. When we drove past the TRU around 9:30 there were a few cars in the parking lot but no big line, but when we went back over just after 11:30 there was a HUGE line - but we got in it anyway! We stood in that line out in the cold until about 1:00AM when we finally made it into the store - where it was WARM!!!! We got a few good deals but I don't know that we would do it again. It was an experience that we can now say that we experienced.

Right around that time Scott got a new job with a local Attorney's office. It seemed like a really good idea at the time but after 7 weeks of working there he decided that it wasn't for him. He liked the people that he was working with but the actual work that he was doing wasn't what he really wanted to do. So for now he is job hunting and collecting unemployement. We also discussed it and thought this would be the perfect time for him to have his knee surgery - not only because he wasn't working but because it's winter and he isn't golfing much. If he were to have his surgery now then he would have the rest of the winter and part of the spring to recooperate before golf season 2010 started.

The fall months were pretty good for our Bail Bond business. I don't think it's as much as it could be but we're making a bit of money here and there.

This past December was a lot of the same old same old. I worked for an entire week for the first time since before LJ was born. Because he's in daycare 3 days a week and comes to work with us 2 days a week I have always had an afternoon or two off a week. Closings are dribbleing in although two weeks ago we did the biggest one in Gateway's history. To celebrate Dad booked two tickets for him and Mom to Arizona over President's weekend to visit with thier friends Wilson & June that used to live next to them.

For Christmas I had found a calender on ebay for my Mom from the Papillon Rescue group that I thought was was in Arizona but is actually in Arkansas (AZ - AR - it's close!!!!). I guess it was wishful thinking on my part that they would be so close to the Rescue. Mom has been toying with the idea of getting another dog for quite some time and to rescue one would be the ultimate! Ah well . . .

The most recent news is that Scott has a job interview on Monday with a local Lending institution. YAY! We were hoping that a position would be becoming open soon and it has. Only thing is . . . Scott's knee surgery may now be postponed - again!

On the knitting front - I took the class on the Celtic Shawl - had a blast - haven't finished the shawl. As it turned out the yarn that I chose to do the project with I just wasn't diggin it - so I changed to a different yarn - now I'm thinking that the second yarn is too heavy. So it's in a time out for now until I figure out what I want to do with it. I started Elizabeth Zimmerman's Pi Shawl - was going quite well then I put it down to knit a pair of socks for my BIL for Christmas - when I picked it up again I made a mistake and continued to make it to the point where I needed to rip out about 10 rows and start over - then I realized that I didn't rip it out enough so I had to rip it out again - and yet one more time - as for now it's in a time out. I cast on again for the Katerina Shawl out of the Knitter magazine from the UK with a lace weight yarn instaed of what ever yarn they suggested. So far so good :). Now that the Celtic Shawl is in a time out I'm going to take the needles off of it and put them back on LJ's blanket that I never finished and put it in a car so that I'll get some work done on it. I also cast on for a pair of socks recently with a DK weight sock yarn that I checked my gauge for and only need 48 stitches around for a pair of socks for myself. I think these are going to be my lounge around socks.

New Year's was good - low key - but good. We went down to Cookies - had pizza for dinner then brought B back up to our house where we drank and the boys played video games and I knit - we watched the ball drop - had a few more drinks then went to bed. No biggie but fun none the less.

So that's it. I hope to post more this year, so I guess we'll just see how that one goes.

I know . . . I know . .

It's been far too long since I've updated this blog. Lots goin' on - so much so I haven't had a chance to blog about any of it. I'm going to give you some brief highlights . . .

Knitter & Designer extraordinaire came to Mountain Knits & Pearls to lecture and teach some techniques. FAB came to join in the fun!!!

Hubby and I went to Cape May, NJ for Mike & Catherine's wedding. LJ stayed with Grammy and was an ANGEL!

Tammi came to visit and we went to see The New Kids on the Block at Montage Mountain. While she was here we organized a little get-to-gether at Front Row - Jose came.

Brian graduated NJIT!!!! At Grad Party hubby played some volley ball and hurt his knee - B.A.D.

In July we held the very successful 2nd Annual Sydney Decker Golf Tournament.

LJ broke his wrist at Daycare when a teacher fell on him (totally NOT her fault)

Hubby is to have surgery on knee . . . goes in for pre-op tests - finds out his blood sugar was way out of wack.

A TORNADO hit Cherry Valley - OMG!!! A real honest to God Tornado!!!!

Mom & Dad celebrated thier 35th Wedding Anniversary in August.

Hubby is diagnosed with Type II Diabeties.

Didn't get to see much of Shell this summer due to both of us having SO much going on - this will be changing!

Hubby hasn't played as much golf this season partly because of his knee but also partly because he just hasn't.

I'm still knitting away. I haven't really touched socks much since I did the Sock Madness in Mar/Apr. I did finish LJ's sweater that I started last fall. I took a 7 week long class at MKP learning how to do cables. We did the Cable Sampler Scarf from Debbie Macomber's book while reading the book and discussing it. Can't wait for the next book & project or movie & project class!! More recently I joined a class to make a Celtic style wrap - love love love the yarn!

Well, that's the last few months in a nut shell - a very small, condensed nut shell. I hope to blog more and post some pictures soon!

Books I want to "read"

Here is a short list of books that I'd like to "read". I got this list from Kelly Petkin of Knit Picks from her podcast #76 Knitting in Literature

Anne MacDonald
No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting

Maggie Sefton
Knit One, Kill Two
Needled To Death
A Deadly Yarn
A Killer Stitch
Dyer Consequences
And Fleece Navidad

Monica Ferris
Knitting Bones
Sins and Needles
A Murderous Yarn
Unraveled Sleeve
Hanging By A Thread

Mary Kruger
Died in the Wool
Knit Fast, Die Young

Sally Goldenbaum
Death by Cashmere
Patterns in the Sand

Elizabeth Lenhard
Chicks with Sticks (It’s a Purl Thing)
Chicks with Sticks (Knit Two Together)
Chicks with Sticks (KnitWise)

Kate Jacobs
The Friday Night Knitting Club
Knit Two

Ann Hood
The Knitting Circle

Beth Pattillo
The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society
The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love

If you've read over my list and found that I may be missing a biggie - I've already "read" them. They are:

Debbie Macomber
The Shop on Blossom Street
A Good Yarn
Back on Blossom Street
Twenty Wishes - currently "reading" to :)

When I say "read" I mean listen to. I can't read and knit at the same time so listening to audio books while I knit is the very next best thing!