Julianne's Whats Up Page!!!

YEAR END...

2011-12-30T19:43:00.000-08:00

Wow, so another year has come to an end. This was the hardest year that me and my family ever had to get through. The year that changed our lives so drastically that no one would have been surprised if we didn't make it out intact. Our perfect little family circle was slapped in the face with a reality check that no one saw coming. That, as so many of you know, was the loss of my brother Tommy. At the end of last year he was dealing with the chemo and on his road to recovery. But that all changed on January 7, 2010. He lost his battle. And we lost our light. The struggles that we have gone through to get through day by day have been hard and painful and scarring. Words have been said and burned into our minds, all venting our anger out at who was left in our family, blame being thrown all over the place. I seriously thought at times that we were done. All of us. Needless to say I am done with this year. So glad that it is coming to an end. I just pray that next year will be better. I will dare not say that it couldn't be any worse, because it could. That is what I said last year and it started off at the worst. So my mouth is shut and I am just praying that it will be a little better.

The holidays were extremely hard. Thanksgiving was not as bad as I thought it would be. But Christmas, oh my. I never experienced so many tears and arguments during this time as I did this year. I spent a lot of my time crying on Christmas eve. We all met for brunch with Linda and her family. It was nice, but felt forced because we were all missing that one person and avoiding the subject. I went to the cemetery and took my brother a Christmas tree and decorated it for him. He loved Christmas. I was there for quite some time and again crying. Later that evening MaryAnn and Jesse came over. There was an argument and I just walked out and locked myself in my room. I know, very mature right? Oh well. So some more crying. Then we finally got over it and just accepted that no Christmas miracle was to happen that night and my brother miraculously show up and say that this whole year was just a big ol' nightmare.

The bright spot in my life has been Cathy. This little girl has brought so much love into our lives. She is my main focus on everything. I never thought I would experience this bond and love for someone like her. It is magic when she calls me "mom" or comes up to me and hugs me and tells me she loves me. Or tells me she misses me. Nothing beats the feeling when I pick her up from daycare and she runs to me with arms spread out yelling "Momma" and jumps into my arms so I can twirl her around and hug her with all my might. Watching her during her first Christmas was just a miracle. Seeing the excitement and awe as she heard Santa leave the house with his bells jingling and yelling "Merry Christmas" (thanks to my BIL Jesse). Watching her open her gifts and just getting so overwhelmed with them all. It was funny, she would start to open one, then move to another one without finishing opening the first 1. Too cute.

This is Cathy's official Christmas Portrait with Santa..

Me and my baby at Christmas brunch

My 3 little Monkeys

Me and Miranda

Leaving cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer.

Giving Grandma a special present that she picked out.

MaryAnn and Jesse...My all time favorite picture of them evah...

So that is about it for the year end. Again, hopefully next year will be better and filled with happier posts. May all of you have a Merry Christmas and the start of a wonderful New Year. God Bless You All…..

October Recap!!!

2011-11-07T14:13:00.000-08:00

Okay, so since I am total fail at keeping up on this blogging stuff I thought I would try something new and that is just doing a kind of recap of the month. Hopefully this will get me going on this thing here. The only bad thing about this is that it will be pic heavy…

So, October. Wow, come and gone. I cannot believe how fast time is just passing by. I cannot believe the holidays are here. I am not looking forward to them. This is the 1st time in my life that I wished they would hurry up and come and go. It is hard knowing that there will be a huge presence missing this year. I mean, Halloween was bad so I can only imagine how Thanksgiving and Christmas are going to be without Tommy. I just want to get through the "firsts" of everything right now.

So there was a little bit of fun going on this month. Getting ready for Halloween was fun. We did the pumpkin patch thing. Cathy had a blast both at school and trick-or-treating. She made out like a bandit with tons of candy. She looked so cute.

This is from our Pumpkin Patch excursion…

She also had her 1st social function. She was invited to my cousin's daughter, Victoria's, 4th birthday party. Halloween themed. She did really good. She was really shy though. She is not used to attending things like this. But like my aunt said, with our family, that is not going to last very long. She will get the hang of the social life really quick. Lol…

Here she is dressed as "Batterina" for her DayCare party. I love this costume.

And here she is for her 1st time Trick-O-Treating.

And her loot.

As for school, she is doing great. She loves going. She no longer crying in the morning saying she wants to stay home. I mean even on the weekends she says she wants to go to school. I guess that is good. Or is it bad that she wants to be there instead of with me..hmmmm….Although when I say okay lets go, she changes her mind and says she wants to stay home. She has adjusted so well. She is completely different then when we 1st got her. She has her own little personality. She is stubborn that is for sure and knows what she wants. She is going to be a little lady as well. She loves dressing up and getting all fufu…I cannot believe the love that she has brought into my life. There is nothing better than when she crawls into my bed in the morning before bed and we cuddle and she looks up at me and says "Good morning mama, I love you…." Melting heart at that moment..

So, let me see. I was able to enjoy some adult fun on Halloween weekend. Me, MaryAnn and Jesse went to a Halloween party that was given by my friend Suki from high school. I almost was going to back out and stay home, especially when Cathy was at the door with my mom waving bye to me and trying her hardest not to cry. But I am glad that I went. This is the 1st time we have done anything like this since Tommy left us. We definitely needed it. It was so good meeting up with all my old friends from school.

Also, weird as it was, a friend of mine that I hadn't seen in ages was there as Janie's date. His name was David and we used to talk a lot in like 10th grade. We were together for a bit but nothing came out of it. The timing was always wrong. My friend Mona, his cousin, was always trying to get us together. Anyways, when I was introduced to him he had a mask on so I didn't know it was him but it was weird when he shook my hand and held on to it and just by his body language it was like, "okay, you can let go of my hand now and do I know you or what?" He took off his mask and I kinda just looked at him not registering who he was right away. Then after a bit it hit me who he was. After a bit he looked at me and asked if I remembered him. I started laughing and got up and we hugged. So we talked the whole night and we ended up taking him home. The 4 of us went out to get something to eat 1st. We exchanged numbers and have talked a few times since. Whether this will go anywhere I have no idea. But it was fun and it definitely has been a while.

Now the ironic thing here to me was that here was this person from my past, possibly with a future as friends or whatever and then all of a sudden I get smacked in the face with a blast from my past when my ex's nephew Isaac came up to me. I could not believe he was there. He gave me a big ol' hug. It was so weird. But he has always treated me the same and always called me Aunt Julie.

Well, as for the knitting front, I have been doing a bit since I have more free time now that I am not working. Well I am working but as an Independent Contractor so I do not have set hours. I was in 3 swaps this month. NEVER AGAIN….and tried to join some KALs. I was so bummed with 1 of them. They allowed WIPs so I was determined to finish my Candy Corn Boo Socks for Halloween. I almost made it too. When I got to the 2nd sock and completed the short-row heel (WHICH I HATE WRAPS) and began the cuff, I thought the sock looked different so compared it to the completed 1. Well, they were not the same size. The 1 I was working on was smaller. Ugh….I transposed my numbers on the pattern/chart and did 2 repeats of the pattern on the foot portion instead of 3. So, those will remain in the WIP bin for probably another year…lol.

I have been hooked on making a lot of Rebecca Danger's patterns. I love making these little monsters and critters.

So with the holidays approaching and the lack of a "real" job, I am determined to finish up quite a few of WIPs as they will definitely be used for Christmas gifts.

Well, that is it for now. I will talk to you all hopefully at the end of the month.

CHA CHA CHA CHANGES...........

2011-06-19T22:48:00.000-07:00

Well, again, it has been a while since I have posted anything. Things have been hectic as usual. Life has been changing dramatically and unexpectedly.

Well first off, Happy Father's Day....This is the first one without my brother who we always acknowledged on Father's Day. I miss him so much. It was hard today. My SIL, niece and nephew came by after they went to the cemetery. It was so good to see them. My nephew is the absolute mirror image of my brother, not only in looks but also in mannerisms. It's like looking at my brother. My mom and SIL had an emotional time with each other. My mom kept hugging the kids. She was so glad to see them. I was too. I went and visited my brother's grave site and just sat and remembered all the good times we shared. This was really difficult to do today.

Well, on the changing front, Cathy has finally moved in with me and my mom. It is an experience. A good one. She is constantly making us laugh and has adjusted so well to us and her new home. She loves her room (which was my old office, so now my office is in my room). Learning very quickly the sacrifices you make for children. Her needs are definitely coming first in my book.

So here are some recent pics of her.....Believe me, there are plenty more too.... :-)

Cathy at Easter.....

Easter egg hunt

Swim time with Chloe in the backyard..

Cathy showing off her ballerina moves in her ballerina swimsuit..

Mimicking my mom with her morning OJ, reading the paper with her glasses on...

Mimicking me....working...

Getting ready for her first day out shopping....

Leaving the mall and holding on to "Tia's" (my mom) hand tightly...

So, that is the pleasant change going on my life right now. Good thing I have this to keep me from running for the mountains never to be seen again...lol. I found out last week that the job I have been at for 14 years will no longer be mine in 60 days. Our department has finally been hit by the this sucky economy. Oh well. At least I got enough advanced notice and also an excellent severance package. So I am okay until about the beginning of January. I am deciding whether I want to look for a F/T job working from home or outside of the house. I guess just whatever comes my way is what it will be. But like I told them at work, when the HR person came up to me with tears in her eyes explaining how sorry she was, and I just met her that day, I told her I was fine. Told her that I lost my brother at the beginning of the year and that was the worst loss I could ever imagine so losing my job was whatever... Which is true. Jobs can be replaced, material things can be replaced but a loved one cannot. So I know things happen for a reason and I know that Cathy will be okay and I will do everything in my power to keep her that way. She is my priority now and that in itself will not allow me to give up. So I will make the best of this situation no matter what.

So that is what has been going on the past few months. Changes....and I am sure it is not the last of them. So I will try to be more punctual about my blogs.... ya, okay. :-)

Baby Steps.....

2011-03-30T00:19:00.000-07:00

Well, this time as I post, it is on a more positive note. After arguments and blow ups, finally my mom has begun to let the anger go. A miracle in the name of Rosalinda, my cousin from Indio, came for a visit this weekend. My mom was able to talk to her and vent to her. Lindita just listened to her. She did not tell her she was right or she was wrong. She just listened. Saturday was Miranda's birthday dinner, 20 years old, yikes. Mom was not going to go, especially since it was at my brother's and Linda's house. But after talking with my cousin, she asked her if she thought she should go? My cousin thought for a while and told her (my mom) that it was up to her, but if it were her(Lindita's) decision, she would go, especially for the grandkids. So my mom went. When she got there it was very emotional. Upon seeing my sis-in-law, Linda, they did not say a word to each other. Just hugged and held each other and cried. It was so weird. At that moment I felt a sense of calmness come over me. Then I thought of my brother and smiled. I honestly felt that he was finally at peace. MaryAnn said she felt the same as well. I definitely felt his presence there with us. On Sunday, I talked with my mom and she told me everything that happened with my cousin. You could just see the difference in my mom. She is still hurting and she said she will never be happy again, but she knows that she can go on and let the anger and the what if's go.

So, another baby step was accomplished today. Mom went to Tommy's baseball game. She had not gone to any of them. It was so awesome. And they won. 11-8. They have been on a losing streak. So now he says that Grandma was his good luck charm and now she has to go to all the games.

Also, I am not sure if I mentioned this on here already, but the whole teams uniform shirts have my brother's initials on their sleeve. They will be wearing these all season. Love it....

The last blow up we had I just prayed and prayed and asked my brother to pray for us and to help mom get through this, now I know he heard me. He is still watching over us and taking care of us.

That is all for now. I just wanted to share this and again, will try to keep up with everything. Take care all.

FML*

2011-03-04T22:45:00.000-08:00

Well, this is exactly how I feel at the moment. It is amazing how much one's life can change at the drop of a dime.

The last time I blogged it was 1/2 hour into the New Year. I was praying that this year would be a whole heck of a lot better after the previous year being the worst ever, I mean how much worse could it get right? Wrong......As we were anticipating my brother recovering from his cancer, only six days later he lost his battle to it. He developed a severe infection which turned into sepsis and was gone within 24 hours after being admitted to the hospital. Needless to say, our lives have been completely turned upside down and inside out....there is no coming back from this and sadly I do not see our family ever recovering from this. There is absolutely no way to describe the pain, anger, confusion to all of this. This is just something that we are not able to cope with.

The hardest thing is watching our once small but VERY close knit family just fall apart. We are so lost with no direction in our lives now. My mom is beyond consolable. She has completely cut herself off from Linda and the kids. She wants nothing to do with Linda. She is so full of anger and blame. She has not allowed me to put the pictures of Tommy back up. She removed them as soon as we got back from the hospital after he died. She has not gone to the cemetary and states she never will. That is understandable. But the animosity she is feeling towards Linda is not. I mean, Linda and the kids are the best part of him. The only thing left of him. I just can't comprehend it. At all...

Any remote chance of happiness is immediately shot down or looked down upon. My dream of having a child to take care of is right at the tip of my fingers. My brother-in-law's niece's daughter is currently living with his mom. She will be 3 years old next month and has been abandoned by her mother. My BILs mother cannot take care of her so MaryAnn and Jesse are preparing to get guardianship of her. She will be living with me and eventually be under my guardianship and hopefully legally become mine. She is precious and cute. I met her for the first time last weekend. She loved me and I loved her immediately. She walked into the door and when I knelt down to say hi to her, she opened up her arms and hugged me and wanted me to hold her, which I did. We had dinner and she sat on my lap while we ate. She is so full of love and needs so much love. Of course, my sister and I see this as a sign from God. His way of bringing a little bit of happiness into our broken family. I feel it is my brother's way of trying to help us through his passing. However, my mother thinks it is a conspiracy on me and my sister's part. That we planned this and that we are trying to replace my brother (as if he could ever be replaced). She is complaining about how SHE is going to be put out and she does not want to be stuck as a "babysitter". Ugh.....how can one be so utterly selfish at a time like this and not consider what this innocent little child needs and how we could give her the opportunity of a good life. I have decided that I am going through with this no matter what. This is my chance to find some happiness in my life and I am not going to let this pass me by. That may be selfish but I believe I am doing the right thing by putting this little girl first....

This is Cathy, isn't she adorable?

Jeez! Okay I guess I really need to keep up with the blogging because this always ends up being a book when I don't keep up with it.

On the knitting part, well, I have tried to be really good about not buying so much yarn. I have been using what I have which too be honest is quite a hell of a lot, even after my major destashing earlier this year. I wanted to help as much as I could with my brother's funeral expenses so I destashed a large amount of my stash. I cannot believe the generosity of the people on Ravelry. I was so blown away by all the support and comfort I was given by people I have never met. In a matter of two days I sold over 1600.00. Some paid more than what was listed and just sent extra. It was overwhelming. I was able to put a very nice obit with picture in the paper and pay for my brother's headstone. I was so grateful for them. I hope this isn't too morbid to put here, but this is the headstone. The shadows from the flowers are kinda in the way.

Well, I guess that is it for now..... and as always, I WILL TRY to keep up with this as much as possible. I will definitely try to keep it up to date after Cathy is here which hopefully will be within the next month or two. And I apologize for just ranting on and on but obviously it was something I needed to get off my chest because once I started I could not stop. Besides, I think this is just therapy for me since not very many follow my blog. Take care!!

Happy New Years!!!

2011-01-01T00:32:00.000-08:00

So, here we are, 1/2 an hour past the old year and into the new year. 2011 HAS got to be better. 2010 is definitely a year that could use a 'do-over'. It was not the best of years. Our faith and family was tested to the max. But all-in-all, we got through it with faith and prayers and the support of our friends and family.

Our family really developed a stronger bond than what we already had. With my brother being diagnosed with cancer and having to go through radiation and chemotherapy, we all pulled together to get through this. Our faith was truly tested. Especially for him. There were definitely a few times that he was ready to give up. But he hung in there and got through all of his treatments. Now we look forward to him recovering. Getting his strength back and trying to get back to a somewhat normal life. I personally know that I am definitely making changes in my life. I will be enjoying life more. Not taking it for granted. I have already quit my per diem job which now gives me more "me" time. I have been doing some more knitting and already working on ideas for next Christmas. As a family, we are planning to do more together. We didn't do much this year. Tommy said that he wants to do more as well. He is not going to let opportunities pass him by. It is funny how when your mortality is put to the test is when you realize that changes need to be made.

So, with that, I hope everyone has an awesome New Year's and that all your wishes and dreams come true and you are successful in whatever you set out to do. Reach for your dreams and do not let anything or anyone get in your way. Peace to all!!!!

Last Round!!!

2010-12-20T10:24:00.001-08:00

Well here we are, the last round of chemotherapy for my brother. I am so proud of him. He fought through this and it wasn't easy. There were so many days that I thought he was going to give up but he made it. It was so heart breaking to see him go through this. So many feelings that I was not sure how to deal with them. They went beyond being scared, angry and helpless. There were days that I would get so frustrated and angry because I couldn't understand why he wasn't trying harder. But he was. He didn't loose his faith. He has become a true inspiration for me. I am more proud of him than I ever have been. I see the change in him. He seems more compassionate and humbled. I hope through all this he will learn to enjoy life and not take anything for granted. I hope we all can learn from this. Learn to let the little unimportant things go and not let them get to us. Thank you God for opening our eyes to what is important in life. Family and Faith. Thank you God for being by our sides as Tommy went through this.

Tommy - Day 2

2010-10-26T07:26:00.001-07:00

So today is the second day of treatment. He has his chemotherapy boost, PEG tube placement and radiation if he feels up to it. Once we get past this week I am sure things will run smoother. Everything is so new and foreign to us. I am sleepy and tired. Not used to getting up this early anymore. Even Chloe is trying to figure out why she has to get outbid bed so early too.

Tommy

2010-10-25T08:20:00.001-07:00

Well my brother begins his chemotherapy/radiation treatments today. He was diagnosed with stage 1 tonsillar cancer. Fortunately it did not spread and was caught on time. The doctors say that he will make a full recovery. It's just the road to get there that is going to be rough. My brother wants results NOW! So he is going to really have to have patience. I pray that he does not get frustrated with this all. We are not leaving his side. He can vent, yell and get angry all he wants but we are not going to let him quit. We are going to go down this road with him and never leave his side. We will not let him see our fear, pain and anger. We will be his strength. His wall to lean on. We will get through this as a family and come closer and stronger with an unbreakable bond.

UPDATE: 10/25/2010 1127
Well, Tommy made through his first day of Chemo. It was a stressful day but we got through it. There were times when he was scared listening to all the possible side effects, but then he calmed down. I was so proud of him and of the strength and dignity that he maintained. I love my brother and I know he will get through this.

Another test with pic

2010-10-22T00:12:00.001-07:00

Chloe going for a ride!

Just wanted to say sorry for the big pic. Guess I have to figure out how to resize.

ETA: Well, that was weird...the pic disappeared so I reloaded it from my laptop. It was there earlier today...hmmm.

Testing.....1..2..3....

2010-10-21T23:48:00.001-07:00

Okay so my blog has totally been neglected. So I am going to try this iPhone blog app and see if it works.

Hello Everyone!!

2010-04-28T21:59:00.000-07:00

Well, it sure has been a heck of a long time that I have done any blogging here...I always promise to be better but things just get in the way. So let me see, what has been going on. Hmmm....well, the last I wrote was about the kittens. They are already 1 1/2 months old. Time sure is going by fast. They are so cute and are getting into EVERYTHING!!! They are so funny to watch. Chloe thinks they are toys and wants to play. She gets a little rough sometimes. She tries to roll on them like she does with Daisy and Fuzzy....poor little things, you hear their little cries...And of course I love all three of them...My sister is supposed to take one (she wants the one on the left). The other two, which are girls, I don't know. I may just keep them :-)

As for everything else, I have been doing some knitting. I worked on a test pattern for a sock that is to be used in the Vampire Sock Club that I am part of. It was fun and I loved the way the colors turned out. This was the first time I ever did a test pattern.

I am also in two swaps..One I already finished and sent off. I made a cowl to put in the package. I should have taken a picture of the entire package before I sent off but I forgot.

The second swap I am working on does not have to be sent out until June 1. I am crocheting something for that. What a difference between crocheting and knitting. Knitting takes longer but the patterns/charts are easier to read. Crocheting is faster but the patterns are more confusing at times. I have to pay closer attention to them.

Well, I am posting this contest that I got off of my friend Dawn in TN's blog. It is called Pay it Forward...it sounds like fun.. So here goes.. Here's the rules copied from Dawn's blog:

"I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this Pay It Forward exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog."

If you leave a comment, please make sure I can contact you to send you your gift!

Well that is about it for now.....again, I will TRY to be better at keeping posted...take care!

New Eclipse Trailer

2010-04-24T11:21:00.000-07:00

New Family Members!!!

2010-03-18T00:11:00.000-07:00

Well, here are the latest members of my family.....

They are the cutest things...But in reality, I know that I cannot keep them. Momma kitty adopted us after her previous owners abandoned her after they lost their house. They even went to the trouble of removing her collar..ugh...So anyways, we took her in. I knew she was pregnant but didn't think she was this far along. She didn't seem that big. But they made their appearance this past Monday, 03/15/2010. My mom called me at my sis' house frantic because she went to check on her and saw a kitten on the lid of a container and Momma Kitty was laying in her makeshift bed. So I drove like a bat out of you know what to get home. I went in the garage and Momma was still in her bed and the little kitten on the container. My poor mom could not get up the nerve to pick up the kitten so she covered it with a small pillow case. Poor thing was so cold. So I placed him with his momma and then heard another loud cry. Underneath our patio chairs was another kitten just yelling. My mom didn't know it was there. So I gathered him up. I was positive he was not going to make it because of the cold and being on the concrete, he was ice cold and a little stiff. I placed him with his momma. I moved them and got them comfortable and warm in the laundry room and there they stayed. So I went back to my sis' house. The next morning I went back home anticipating finding that the kittens didn't make it, but to my surprise, not only were they alive, cleaned and eating, there was another baby. So she had a total of three. They are so cute. She is a good Momma too. I picked up the one that I was positive was not going to make it and he meowed and then proceeded to hiss. I thought that was so funny. He is definitely a survivor...Now to get homes for them..The light gray and white one already has a home and my sis is thinking seriously of keeping one. She likes the solid black/striped one, that is the one that hissed...so we shall see what happens.

Things have been busy as usual but I have got some knitting done. Kind of my stress reliever. Well, that is all for now. I am not going to go back and try to play catch up because this will turn into a book. I will just try to be better at keeping up. Hope everyone is doing well. Talk to you all later...: -)

I AM BLESSED!!!!!

2009-11-15T17:34:00.000-08:00

To have the most wonderful best friend in the whole world. My best friend Dawn who is so far away from me in Tennessee knew how stressed I have been with my mom being sick and in and out of the hospital. I wished so badly that she was here in California just to have her here with me. I knew she couldn't so she sent the next best thing. These beautiful flowers and a cuddly teddybear that I named Gidge. So I will always have my best friend here to hug when I need to. Thank you Gidge for being the best friend ever. God has truly blessed me by bringing you into my life 28 years ago. It seems just like yesterday. We have been through so much together and I want you to know that I am ALWAYS here for you too.....love you lots....YBF Julie.

Boo!!!! Happy Halloween!!!

2009-10-29T21:23:00.000-07:00

Wow, I cannot believe that Halloween is this weekend. I haven't even brought candy yet. We didn't decorate like we normally do. With mom being sick and recovering, we just didn't get a chance and were just not in the mood.

However, now Chloe is a different story.....she is so ready. Last year she missed it because she was recovering from her surgery so she couldn't go out Trick-or-Treating. So she is making up for it this year. We are going to my sis' for a Halloween gathering and some Trick-or-Treating.

She just had to be photographed in her coustume....she loves dressing up. She got so excited when she saw it and started jumping up and down so that I could try it on her. Then she pranced around so that mom and grandma could oohhhh and aahhhh over her. She milked it for all it was worth. She is so precious. Okay, So hope all of you have a fun time and get lots of Trick-or-Treaters

Boo!!!

ME STRESSED.......NEVAHHHH!!!

2009-10-23T22:32:00.000-07:00

Hahaha....you know how I know when I am stressed? When I get stuff like this in the mail within a matter of 2-3 days.....

This first lovely package was from Fresh From the Cauldron...she finally re-opened up her Etsy shop and I could not resist.

The second package was from Sunshine Yarns...I have heard so much about it that I had to see for myself how pretty and soft it was...and I was not disappointed at all..

The third package is from Woolen Mill St Yarns by Christina Marie Potter...I have ordered her stuff before and was happy with it...these colors are awesome, just in time for halloween.

And this last one actually was not in the mail but from Jana's NeedleArt. I loved the scarf that was made with it so I had to buy the yarn to make it...funny how I only went in for a set of needles....

So, that is just this weeks goody binge.....at least what has been delivered so far. I am expecting one skein from Rainy Days & Wooly Dogs Goth Socks and another package from Sunshine Yarns (four colorways). She is also holding another order for me but she went on vacation to New Zealand and won't be back for three weeks. Oh well, that will give me time to figure out where to put this yarn because I sure haven't been putting it on any needles. I am working on some socks and want to finish them by the end of this month. It is a KAL for GothSock Groupies. It is the first time I have used some of this yarn from my stash and I love it. It is soooo smooshy..

I am making Angee's by Cookie A. I really like her patterns.

And I am trying to finish up my Esme Drop Stitch Scarf. I had to restart it since I lost my first one. Yep, yarn and needles. I do not know where I misplaced it. I was so upset because that was one of the first yarns that I got from FFtC's Twilight Series and it was my favorite. So since her Twilight stuff is on Moratorium until January, I figured I would have to wait. But she had an extra one and let me purchase it....(Shhhh...that is a secret). So while mom was in the hospital I started it again...

So, for the reasons of my stress induced yarn binge, well, my mom was really sick. She was in the hospital for 9 days but was sick two weeks prior to that. We thought it was the flu but turned out to be E-Coli....I could not believe it. The last time she was in the hospital was in 1983. So I pretty much spent all my time at the hospital and then would get home about 9:00 at night and start my shift for the hospital. I was going to bed around 3:30 each night and getting up early to be at the hospital by 8:00 in the morning. We apparently got her to the hospital in the nick of time. They said if we would have waited even a day more that her infection could have turned into sepsis and she most likely would not have survived. That is a scary thought. Fortunately she was strong and healthy and was able to fight this. She is still recovering but getting better and stronger with each day. It was sad because she missed out on her sister's 50th wedding anniversary. They were renewing their vows and my mom was to be the maid of honor since she was for the first time they got married. She brought her dress and everything and it was beautiful. But she could not do it. She felt really bad that we missed out on going too. I finally convinced her that she was being silly and that nothing was more important than her.

So, during all of this I had to put my dog down. I posted about that already. That was so hard. I still miss him but I know he is better off. And work is slow. We got this new voice activated system which is totally awesome. I love it but now we are running out of work and having to be called off early. We are even having to take an extra day off during the week. So I have been short on hours. I do not have vacation or sick leave left because I used it for when my mom was in the hospital. But they are going to start cross-training us on general transcription so that we can help out there and with our other hospitals. It is just a matter of getting trained. I am trying not too worry too much about it but it is hard. I have my other account that I can work more for to compensate for the lost time with my f/t job but the only problem with that is that they do not pay on a regular time frame so I have no idea when I get my checks other than 30 days after I invoice. So that is it in a nutshell. My justification for my yarn binge....it could be worse and I could binge on something that is not good for me like booze or food...right?

Well, sorry to have gone on and on and on......but it has been awhile...Take care all.

NESTER - RIP

2009-10-06T22:38:00.001-07:00

Today is a very sad day for me. I had to put down my beloved Nester. This was a lot harder than I ever anticipated. He was in my life for 16 years. He brought so much love and joy into my life. He had to have been the best dog ever...he was so good. I know that he is better off now and is no longer suffering and is at peace. I know that he is now running around with his brother Capone and sister Cindi as well as with his cousins Rex and Petey. I am sure he was hoping that this would have happened sooner so that he could be at peace but the selfish part of me just did not want to let him go and I hope he forgives me for wanting him in my life for as long as possible.
Everyone always asks where I got his name from. There is a story to that. My favorite Christmas cartoon is "Nester the Long-Eared Donkey". This is the donkey that carried Mary to the manger. He had long ears and when he would walk he would trip over his ears. When this would happen his mom would say "Ears Nester...." and he would say "Yes, mamma....." and pick up his ears.
I had been wanting to get a puppy for awhile after my poodle Butterscotch ranaway. So Perry and I went to Whitie's Pet Store and there were these adorable cocker spaniels. Of course the one in the back by himself caught my eye. I called him and he got up and walked towards Perry and I and he tripped over his ears...I knew right then and there that I wanted him. Anyways, we left the store. I kept thinking about him and the next day Perry showed up at my work with this precious little black puppy with a big red bow around his neck. I just loved him to pieces and of course named him Nester. He was so smart and cute. He crawled on his belly and he would growl like a little gorilla. He did tricks. He loved getting treats and one day we were sitting in the living room when all of a sudden he dropped a bag of treats at our feet. He taught himself to get into the cupboard and get his bag of treats and bring it to us. So after that all we had to do was say "Nester, go get your treats baby" and he would and bring them to us.
I will never forget the time that he, Cindi and Capone all got out. They just took off running. When I caught up to them the three of them were just walking down VanNess Avenue taking in the sites. I have so many found memories of him. He used to love hearing the piano. When we were living with my sister, he was already old but could still hear a little, and she would play piano for him. He would just lay at her feet and listen to her play. Well, I could go on and on and on but I will keep all those memories in my heart. I miss you Nester and I love you so much. I know you are in a better place. I will NEVER forget you my lil' Boogie Man....love you so much, Mom.

Summer Days!!!

2009-07-13T23:41:00.000-07:00

My sister sent this to me today to cheer me up and boy did it!! I told her it reminded me of her when she was a baby with all that black hair she had.....But it made me laugh.

So let's see what's been going on...I have been in some awful back pain. Had x-rays done today and they were negative which is good and bad. Good because there is no bone damage so my spine is good, bad because now I may have to have an MRI to see if there is a disc bulge or a pinched nerve..ouch...so now it is just wait and see. I have to wait to hear from my doc after he gets the results of my x-rays. Believe me it took every ounce of patience to not print out my report after I typed it and fax it to his office but I didn't think that would be wise.

Well, I am at my sis' house unexpectedly right now. She got a call from her neighbor that Willow had gotten out. So she called me and I had to drive all the way over here. Decided I may as well stay the night instead of driving all the way back home. My BIL is on his way from Hollister to fix their gate so she can't jump it anymore. When I drove in to the neighborhood she was standing on the corner down from their cul-de-sac. She saw my car and recognized it. I called to her and she ran along my car back to their house. She is so silly. I think she jumped the back fence and her collar is missing too....ugh!!!!! Bad Willow....

This is the fence that she manages to clear...with ease.

Now let's see, on to knittning...Well I am squeezing some in here and there..I have to test knits that I am working on...A shrug that is inspired by Alice from Twilight and a scarf inspired by Carlisle from Twilight. I am almost done with MaryAnn's second Monkey sock....I have 2 more pattern repeats on the foot and the toe to go. I am doing it using the Magic Loop method and I love it.

I really can't wait to finish up this sock and go on to more things. This is so addicting and I am surprised at how much I am loving it.

Well, on the work front, it has been busy. However, one of the accounts that I am doing has slowed down a bit which is a blessing. This account stressed me out so bad. So now it leaves me more time to work on another account that I have which is a lot less stressful. For instance, I am done with work so here I am after midnight blogging instead of working..and knitting a bit here and there. I feel this is God's way of telling me to slow down. My levels have been up and down again, I started exercising a little by walking and swimming at my sis' when I stay here. I think the diabetes is starting to have some effects on me now. My hands and feet have been bothering me alot. My fingers are VERY tender. I feel sometimes that I injure a nerve and then my fingers are numb in that spot. My doctor said my long nerves are probably having the effects of the diabetes now. I am freaking out because I would rather loose a foot then my hands or eyesite, then I would not be able to knit anymore. I feel depressed and start wondering and getting angry as to why I had to get this stupid sickness.....Ugh!!! So I am trying really hard to get my sugar levels under control. I am tired of feeling sick and tired all the time. I am going to make it a point to take my meds as instructed, take my vitamins regularly and get more exercise and take time out for me..Wow, didn't mean for this to go on and on and sound so depressing..... So onto happier things, like CHLOE............

This was taken on the 4th of July. She was pouting because she knew we were leaving. She is just too much. She has been sleeping with me lately. It is funny because lately my cats have been wanting out at night and they normally sleep in my room, so I put them out and the first time they did I grabbed her and brought her to bed with me. So now when I go to bed, which is usually about midnight she is already in her bed but she will hear me put the cats out and she sticks her head up and waits for me to call her. Last night the cats went out a little earlier and I left my bedroom door open and I was in my office working. So when I went to bed Chloe was already in my bed curled up in the blankets...It was so cute. I love cuddling with her and waking up with her in the morning all curled up.

Okay, well obviously I am tired and just rambling on and on....talk to y'all later and hope you have a great week.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!

2009-07-02T13:55:00.001-07:00

Well, I know it is a couple of days early but my family has a reason to start celebrating early....

This is my uncle who has been battling stomach cancer since last December. He just completed his last chemotherapy at the end of May and had his CT on June 30th. My aunt called this morning to let us know the results which revealed that he was CANCER FREE!!!! We are so excited and blessed. However, I truly believe that the positive attitude and strength that my uncle displayed during this time is what got him through this. He did not give up. He fought what was going to be an uphill battle. He gave it his all. He displayed an enormous amount of courage and not once felt sorry for himself. He did not let this illness get in his way of anything. He continued with his daily activities and continued going to church every weekend. He never lost faith. He kept his upbeat personality and continued to make us laugh. I remember one weekend we went to visit him before he started his chemo treatments. We didn't know what to expect. When we got to their house, he and my aunt were at the store. So we waited and they finally showed up. My uncle went straight to his room without a word. We thought, ohoh...maybe we shouldn't have come. My aunt came in and said that he would be out. He was preparing for his chemo treatment. So finally he comes out of his room and he is wearing a wig. I am talking ladies shoulder length wig. We all just laughed and that is when I knew he was going to fight with all of his heart and soul to get through this.

So now with this done, they are now planning their 50th wedding anniversary for October. My mom is going to be the Maid-of-Honor and we are so excited about it.

Thank you God for giving my uncle the courage and strength to fight this battle and come out a winner. I know his faith in you got him through his most difficult times. I love you uncle Tommy.

What Yarn Diet????

2009-06-17T23:10:00.001-07:00

OOPS!!! I guess I blew it huh? I couldn't help it. It was calling to me. But everything was on sale. Well at least the KnitPicks yarn. I had to get it since I am doing a test knit for a Alice Shrug. I commited so I had to follow through right? So anyways, here is my damage...

Three skeins of KnitPicks sock yarn in Black....

From Crazy Monkey Creations (I just love this yarn. It makes me happy. It is so bright and and cheerful and I love the names)....

Monkey Toes - Summer Lovin'....

Panda Toes - Hyacinth Bouquet....

Panda Toes - Ring of Fire....

I also got some books and more circulars... As you can tell I have already marked which socks I want to make....

Actually though, the books and needles cannot be considered yarn. So I didn't do too bad. :-)

Well, I am still working on MaryAnn's Monkey's still. I am working on the second one using the Magic Loop and OMG I love it. It is so easy. I am so totally hooked.

Well, it has been hot the last couple of days. I thought we were not going to see summer (not that I would miss it). But it is now starting to get warm. Let's see how long that will last for.

This and That, Chit and Chat....

2009-06-07T20:23:00.000-07:00

Well, let's see what has been going on since the last time I blogged. Not a whole heck of a lot. Just keeping busy with work and all. I have been trying to squeeze in as much knitting as I can. I still have to complete my Monkey's for my sister. I did one and still have to complete the other. So needless to say, for her b-day she only got one sock...hahaha...but she loved it nonetheless.

I have received packages this month from my sock clubs. I just absolutely love getting these packages in the mail. It is like Christmas once a month.

The first one is from the Vamp Sock Club 2009 from FFtC.... This months package included:

Sonja - Underworld

Volturi - Twilght(silver sock so it is all sparkly)

and and a cool sock pattern called Volturi.

The second package is from the Oz Club 2009 from FFtC too. This months package included:

Scarecrow which is MCN worsted. It is so soft and smooshy. I have already started a Simon Tam with it. I am enjoying working with this.

I also got Dorothy Gail in MCN lace. Very very pretty

I also go another awesome pattern, stitch marker and a mug that was made with me in mind "If I Only Had a Brain"......lol...I love it.

My next package was the last installment of the Dead Poet's Club by Goth Socks/Rainy Days and Wooly Dogs. It is so pretty and the poem is by Edgar Allen Poe. I love it.

The last package was Medusa from Lotus Yarns Mythos Yarn Club. It is so pretty. I am not a greensy person but loved this colorway.

As for what is on the needles at the moment....Jeez too much. I need to quit starting new stuff and finish what I need to get done first.

Well, I am hoping to finish up the Tam in the next couple of days. It is so easy. I LOVE working with circulars. I never had and now I cannot stop. The first picture is of the brim of the hat and the second is the start of the body. Hopefully the final project will be pretty.

I have to finish up my sisters Monkeys. Here is the one that is finished and Chloe admiring it and wondering when she is going to get her pair.

I have a shawl that I am working on and a couple of scarves. So that is my goal. Finish up this Tam and not start anything new until I finish a couple of my WIPs. Although I did buy the new Vogue Knitting magazine which has this AWESOME scarf, socks and shawl that I want to try. Okay, okay......I won't start anything new just yet.

Well, that is about it for now. Not much more to write plus I have to get busy and finish up my work so I can work on my Tam....Take care all...

FRESNO CITY COLLEGE CLASS OF 2009

2009-05-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally it is done. What a great feeling. I did not expect to feel the way that I did during this ceremony. I felt so lucky and grateful to be able to experience this. I know I could not have done it without the support of my family and friends. Especially my mom who did so much for me during my schooling. I owe so much to her for helping me meet this goal. I cannot explain how I felt being there AGAIN. It was definitely dejavu back 26 years ago...whew...that is a long time ago..Well I was so happy that I was not the only 40+ graduating. The ceremony was awesome. So full of motivation and encouragement. It truly gave me a sense of pride being there. Well, my sis was able to get a pic of me on the huge screens they had there, getting my diploma and of me coming down the stairs praying that I didn't fall on my face....

I am somewhere in this group....I'm the one in the black cap and gown...hahahaha...

Well, my family was waiting for me afterwards with lots of hugs and kisses and tears.....

Well, our original plan was to go to dinner the following day since the ceremony was so late, but we wanted to continue with the celebration and decided to go out to dinner that night. Unfortunately we were not going to make it to the Japanese Kitchen for Teppan Yaki since the restaurant closed at 10:30 and it was already like 9:30. So we decided on Toledo's for Mexican food...on our way MaryAnn calls and said that they closed at 10:00, so it was off to RED ROBIN!!!! Yes Gidge, I had our favorite, The Guacamole Burger...yummy!!!!!!!!!

Everyone chatting and grubbing......Jesse had a lil' too much to eat....The margarita's were scrumptious too....

And of course the celebratory ice-cream sundae....YUMMY!!!!

Well, I was so blessed with all the well wishes and gifts. Everyone was so thoughtful and generous. The cards, gift cards (Thanks Gidge...I got me a cute new outfit for the summer! You are the best), and so much more........I got an AWESOME new camera...I Nikon Coolpix S630 in Red (more like magenta) but awesome nonetheless, 12 megapixels and the accessories that came with it, a mini-tripod, an extra battery, carrying case, a 4 GB memory card...that holds TONS of pictures...I could go on and on about it. I just love it.

I loved every gift that I got but the most precious, surprising and treasured gift were these earrings from my mom...I was so surprised and just know how much thought she put into getting them......

And of course here are a couple of pics prior to the ceremony and of course with my precious Chloe............

So anyways, it was a great day and experience of a lifetime that I will remember and cherish forever!!!!!

Happy Monday!!!!!

2009-05-04T22:32:00.000-07:00

Well, I really don't care for Monday's and especially today since I woke up with a migraine and took the new medication that was given to me. Well, it worked but knocked me out completely. So I enjoyed a nice long three hour nap...Now I feel all groggy and foggy from the effects. Anyways, it all was not bad in the long run. I went to the mail box and found in there THREE of my sock club packages. Yea!!!!! I was so happy.

The first one is the Oz Club from Fresh From the Cauldron...

In this package is a circular needle holder with a lollipop in it, an awesome sock pattern "When Worlds Collide" by Dreams In Fiber, silk sock "No Place Like Home" (brownish), and MCN sock "Not In Kansas Anymore" (multicolor).

The second one is from the Vamp Sock Club 2009 from Fresh From the Cauldron..

Bella Swan in silk sock from Twilight and Debbie Pelt in silk sock from TrueBlood as well as an awesome cowl pattern "Deep In The Pines" by Gherkin's Bucket. I am not a bluesy person but this Bella Swan colorway is absolutely gorgeous. I picked it anticipating making something for my sister since she likes blue, but that may not happen after all.... :-)

And last but not least, my second installment of the GothSocks Dead Poets Club.

This is called "Half Broken Hearted". It is absolutely gorgeous. With it came a little sash of lavender and a beautiful poem "When We Two Parted" by Lord Byron....I love it and can really relate to it..... here it is....

When We Two Parted

When we two parted

In silence and tears,

Half broken-hearted,

To sever for years,

Pale grew thy cheek and cold,

Colder thy kiss;

Truly that hour foretold

Sorrow to this.

The dew of the morning

Sank chill on my brow --

It felt like the warning

Of what I feel now.

Thy vows are all broken.

And light is thy fame:

I hear thy name spoken,

And share in its shame.

They name thee before me,

A knell to mine ear;

A shudder comes o'er me --

Why wert thou so dear?

They know not I knew thee,

Who knew thee too well --

Long, long shall I rue thee

Too deeply to tell.

In secret we met --

In silence I grieve

That thy heart could forget.

Thy spirit deceive.

If I should meet thee

After long years,

How should I greet thee? --

With silence and tears.

By Lord Byron

Love it......talk to you later.

FINALLY!!!!

2009-04-28T21:19:00.000-07:00

Okay my fellow knitters....get on your critiquing caps...lol...

I have finally finished a sock.. Yep, one sock. But it's done and now I am excited to start and finish the second sock. I feel more confident about it now. I definitely need more practice. Any hints on eliminating the spaces between the needles? I can't remember what those are called. So anyways, here is a picture of the finished product and of my mom modeling them. Of course I told her I would have the second one ready probably about winter..lol...she said they were warm and cannot wait. Aren't moms awesome...

Well, I feel really guilty. My poor little baby Daisy hasn't been herself for a very long time and just stuck it up to her being a cat. But lately she was just doing strange things like hiding in the closets, under the bed, in my linen closet or just staying outside all day and night (she was an inside cat) but her screaming and howling made me let her become an outside one as well. So anyway, I knew she had skin allergies and they would flair up on occasion and go away. So last week my mom and I noticed that her hair was falling out and she had become awfully thin. Her skin was covered in rash and some welt-type lesions. So I immediately called our vet and took her in. She had some type of something something dermatitis which had turned into an infection. So he gave her a shot and a bottle of liquid antibiotics which she was started on immediately. What a big difference. She is now back to her ol' self. She is walking through the house, in my office, laying on my bed, eating, fighting with Chloe, etc. She has even started sleeping with me, curled up right next to my head like she used too, or on the middle of my back. Her little tummy is fuller. She has always been a petite kitty and at most weighed 8-10 pounds. Poor baby. Of course Chloe isn't too happy about it. She has become somewhat jealous now that Daisy is out and about. So I am giving her extra love too.....

Here she is hiding under the bed in my office. She still refuses to open her eyes for the camera.

And of course Chloe did not like the fact that I was taking Daisy's picture so she literally blocked Daisy and sat up to have her picture taken. It was hilarious and me and my mom were just howling...

This was taken not too long after we returned from the vet. She just immediately started feeling better. She hadn't slept on my bed like this in such a long time.

Now Fuzzy is a totally different story. He is such a big baby. He is my big boy.

And again refusing to open her eyes...she is so stubborn.

And of course Chloe saw the flash of the camera and immediately struck her famous pose...(Look out Paris Hilton).....

Okay, well enough chitter chatter...hope everyone is doing good.....Chow.

CHITTER CHATTER...

2009-04-06T21:27:00.000-07:00

Well, there appears to be a lack of it on my side...I cannot believe how fast time goes by and how easily I am sidelined all the time. I always say, 'Oh I will blog tomorrow to update' and before I know it..weeks, months have gone by....so then I end up with a book and probably bore my followers to death...hahaha...so here goes some updates.

Well, Spring is here. I cannot believe it. The weather has been so pretty. Everything is blooming. My flowers are blooming like crazy. I planted a new tree and some flowers. This Friday I (well, my BIL) will be planting a couple of Italian Cypresses for me and hopefully some more calia lilies since the ones in my back yard are doing good.

Well, last weekend we were in SF for my nieces "18" birthday. I cannot believe that she is 18. I remember it like yesterday when she was born and her mom said to me, 'well, here is your lil' girl....' Lil' girl no more. But she is still my baby. We had so much fun. She made out like a bandit. She was so excited because her parents got her a laptop. She was totally surprised by that. So we spent all day in SF on Saturday. We went to the Wax Museum, ate at Bubba Gumps, rode on the cable cars to Market Street, shopped, shopped and shopped....

Well, as for the knitting stuff, I am still working on things little by little. I really wish I could just take a whole weekend and just knit without having to worry about working, doing errands or other inconvenient things that take time away from my new addicting hobby. I have so much yarn that I want to use. I cannot believe that I ended up in four sock clubs. Whew!! But it is so much fun. I love all the stuff. I have been saving patterns like crazy on my Rav account and put the favorite ones with the yarn I want to use. I also finally got my swift and ball winder. But I have not had time to try the swift. Hopefully this weekend. I am working on the Easy Drop Stitch Scarf using a colorway from FFtC called Esme (a Twilight character). It is so pretty and soft. I love it. And I started the illusion scarf up again and hopefully will finish soon...

Well, let me see what else. Oh ya, with time going by so fast, I forgot that I graduate next month. How's that for letting things slip by? I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to participate in the ceremony this year because I have a couple of classes that I won't be done with until this fall but they are allowing me to participate next month instead of next year. Cool huh? So May 22, 2009 is the day. Boy, do I have a story for that particular day. That is the day that me and Perry (my ex-husband) got together and we celebrated that as our "Special Day" for 19 years. When we split up and he left on our wedding anniversary, I decided to serve him papers on our "Special Day" since he ruined our wedding anniversary day by leaving...I know, childish huh..but it sure felt good when he signed the divorce agreement and asked what date it was and I told him 05/22 and he just gawked like "how could you do that?" My response was, "funny how 20 years can be wiped out in exactly 20 minutes (that is how long he took to read the documents)" and grabbed the papers and left. So my point is, now this day will have a good memory with all of the years of schooling finally paying off....

Okay. Well that is it for now. I cannot think of much more to say. I could actually but I don't have the time to jot it all down and I am sure no one wants to read a novel of nothing by me...... Okay, everyone have a great week and Easter if I don't pop in before that....and Chloe says hi to and is excited for Easter too. She keeps trying to get into her Easter basket.....Chow!

My Word too....

2009-03-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks Gidge....

Your Word is "Peace"

You see life as precious, and you wish everyone was safe, happy, and taken care of.
Social justice, human rights, and peace for all nations are all important to you.

While you can't stop war, you try to be as calm and compassionate as possible in your everyday life.
You promote harmony and cooperation. You're always willing to meet someone a little more than halfway.

What's" Your Word?

Latest Going Ons....

2009-03-03T21:14:00.000-08:00

Hi there, well just thought I'd jot down a few little paragraphs to keep you updated. Well, this past saturday we spent all day at Hoover High where my nephew played his first high school baseball game. It was a double header. I was so proud of him. He started as catcher, he pitched three innings, hit a double and had an RBI..... He hasn't pitched for about three years and had no practice, but you sure in the heck could not tell...he did so good...here are some pics of him in his glory...

Now onto the knitting...Here are my recent goodies....I finally used the GC that I got from my sister and BIL for my b-day to WoolGirl and I was not disappointed. And I also received my second Twilight series club shipment and the yarn from Rowan that I ordered for the Esme tester scarf that I am working on. I decided to go with a different yarn because I didn't want to wait....I figured I could return this yarn, yeah right????? For those who know me too well, well ya' know, that is not going to happen...

I am expecting my last custom order from FFtC probably by tomorrow. After that, I am definitely going to have to stop this.. I joined her Vamp Club and her Oz club which both start in May. Hmmmmmm..........hopefully I can hold off for that long....

Oh ya, guess what Gidge???? Guess who wants to learn how to knit? Yep, MaryAnn (my sis). I told her I would give her my cheap yarn to practice with. She even wants to learn how to dye and spin one day...can you imagine her doing that? For those of you who don't know her, this is a girl who DOES NOT own one pair of jeans, goes shopping to the huge malls in slacks and heels, who does gardening in high heeled mules and all of her jewelry on, does not put gas in the car, TOTAL PRISS.... She is modern day version of Green Acres...but I love her to pieces...she is my soul mate and I am more than happy to share this with her...

Okay, well this is just a quick lil' note so hope you enjoy the chitter-chatter...Julie

My Weekly Fix.....

2009-02-23T22:20:00.001-08:00

Okay just a quick note to show my weekly fix that came in the mail today. I got my new yarn babies....I just love them...I got one from the Twilight series and three from the TrueBlood series. They are so pretty. I honestly cannot say which one I like the best.....These will hold me over until next Monday when I get my final order before the Vamp Sock Club starts and these all go into moratorium until the club is finished. I cannot wait to sign up for the club. Since we can only get 12 during the club period, I had to order what I could before because I knew I would not be able to choose just 12 during this period and NO WAY could I possibly wait until January 2010 when they are available again..... Here are the four together...

This one is just so awesome. It is from the TrueBlood Series and it is called Fangtasia....

This one is so pretty and soft...it is from the TrueBlood Series as well and is called Pam. I am not familiar with the characters because I haven't started reading them yet.

The next one from the same series is called Jason Stackhouse....I love the colors...

And last but definitely not the least is from the Twilight series and is called Sam Uley. I just absolutely love the richness of these colors.....

So here they are, my new babies....now to try to figure out what to make with them...hmmmmmm.... I did decide to make the Love Bites scarf using the Fangtasia...I am most likely going to start the Esme scarf tomorrow using the Esme colorway that I got last week....heaven......

OH DEAR.....HOUSTON I THINK I HAVE A PROBLEM....

2009-02-19T23:17:00.000-08:00

Well, I got off work early today and decided to use my extra time wisely. So I went to Jo-Ann's just for a set of US 17 straight needles for this scarf that I am making. It is a test pattern called the Esme scarf. And also search for the yarn that is required. The pattern calls for Rowan Romance yarn. So of course Jo-Ann's doesn't have it. So I left there with a few "EXTRAS" that I probably needed like a need a hole in my head. I did do some bargain shopping though, the Bernat Sox yarn was 5.99 a skein. The Premier sock yarn was 4.99 a skein, so for a buck more, I got double the amount of yarn with the Bernat Sox yarn, so I got two of them. But oops!!!! I forgot to put back the Premier sock yarn.... But I had good intentions.... And all the double pointed needles were reasonably priced too...

So I decided to stop at Janna's Needle Art to see if they have that yarn or something similar to it. No such luck. Well, you know how rude it would have been to not get anything from there, so I had to walk away with a little purchase.

And, then I got PMd from SquibStitcher that my next batch of Twilight/True Blood colorways were ready....So I paypal'd from my cellphone....Bad Julie....But happy....Hey I have to do my share in boosting this economy right???? I did pay a couple of bills and went grocery shopping as well, so we have food at least....Chloe, Nester, Fuzzy, Daisy, Me and my mom will not starve.... So here is a picture of my loot and of what is on its way.....She hadn't put all the labels yet when she sent me the pic....I cannot wait.... I did not realize how bad it was until I took everything out to admire them...... A monster has been created...hmmmm who can I blame for that...Gidge????? Okay, gotta get back to work so that I can pay for my addiction....Chow!!

Happy Valentine's Day From Me and Chloe!!!

2009-02-14T17:27:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day.....Also, Chloe wanted to send her love and show off her new Valentine's Day outfit as well....she definitely is not camera shy.....She is my little cupid and the best one I have EVER had......lol....

She also got a little pink purse and posed with her lil' Valentine Heart buddy....Isn't she precious???? Hope your day was filled with lots and lots of love....mine was. Talk to you later. Julie

GOODIES...GOODIES....GOODIES!!!

2009-02-11T22:38:00.001-08:00

Yep, that is exactly what these are. MY GOODIES! I just have to share with you all the pretty little packages that showed up in my mailbox yesterday.....

These are pure heaven.....I got them from my fellow Twilighter SquibStitcher.....I wish I could say that this was part of her Sock Club that I plan on joining, but it is not. Since there are going to be so many beautiful colors to choose from with the club, I knew I would want them all, so I deciced to buy some now and during the Sock Club select the rest. She is also including colorways based on the True Blood series. So anyway, this is the first of my three pre-Sock Club orders. Next week I have another order going in and then a final one before the Sock Club starts.

So here they are individually: Alice Cullen, Esme Cullen, Rosalie Hale and Emmett Cullen

I cannot decide which is my favorite or what I am going to make with them. I am just drooling and cooing over them right now.....

Oh ya, and I got this package from my first Sock Club...I hadn't had time to post so here it is....Again, based on the Twilight Series....

The kit included 350 yards of fingerweight superfine merino wool, "Something Blue", two patterns to choose from, a sock pattern or a stole, incorporating the Infinity symbol....It is very pretty and I cannot decide on the socks or the stole. The stole requires all 350 yards and the socks require only half....so I am still debating. Well, just wanted to share my treasures with you. Oh ya, and she also threw in some cute little stitch markers.....Fun...okay, chow for now.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

2009-02-09T18:59:00.001-08:00

Hi there,

Well, this weekend I celebrated my birthday with my family. It was so much fun. We had so much food, I think I am still full from it, my cake was yummilishis and I got so many neat things.

Well first of all, my birthday was Thursday, February 5th. I woke up to a couple of pleasant surprises....

My mom got me my lil' yearly Ty Beanie Baby and a card. My brother-in-law dropped off this awesome gift basket from him and my sister plus two books that I have been wanting to add to my vampire collections.....

Later on in the day I received beautiful flowers from MaryAnn & Jesse and a huge bouquet of balloons and teddy bear from my mom.....

Me and my mom just had dinner at home and she did the sweetest thing ever....she baked me a cake and frosted it.....I must admit, off ALL the fancy shmancy cakes I have had in my 44 years, this was definitely the best cake EVER!!!!!

So on saturday, all the fun begins.....Chloe wishes me a Happy Birthday....She knows she is my best present ever....

MaryAnn ordered my birthday cake. It was white cake with strawberry filling, with blood red roses and black writing on white frosting....she said that was the closest she was willing to go for a Twilight inspired cake.... It was yummy and pretty............

Now for the good stuff, like I said I was totally spoiled and well taken care of this year (as I am every year :-)).....

My sister and brother-in-law totally surprised me with my gifts. I got a Gift Certificate to WoolGirl (so Gidge, get ready because I will be calling you for advice on how to spend it) and an authentic Ed Hardy purse (my secret vice for designer purses has given me a reputation....) The only thing was that she had to order it and it didn't ship out until Saturday so she gave me a picture of it. I just can't wait. It should be here in a couple of days...

From my brother and sister-in-law and kids I got this really really cool bag for my knitting projects.....My neice picked it out and she sure does know her aunt Julie very very well....

My mom got me a very cute pair of pajamas, and the Charlain Harris True Blood series, again contributing to my fascination of vampire series'..........

So here is all of my loot......

But most of all, the best gift ever is spending it with my family and just enjoying each others company, laughing and making memories. I am truly truly blessed to have such a great family. I am very fortunate to have them in my life, to have them there for me through every trial and tribulation that I have had in my life.....that is my Best Present Ever.......Well, I just wanted to share my happiness with everyone. Talk to you later.....Julie

GRANDMA........I MISS YOU!!!!!

2009-01-27T21:55:00.001-08:00

Well, today is 15 years since my grandma was taken from us. I miss her lots. She was so special. She was a tiny, short, fiesty little person with a laugh that would make you laugh right along with her. I really didn't get close to her until I was older, like after high school. My mom and I spent most of our weekends going back and forth to my grandmas to take care of her grocery shopping and any other errands that she needed done. Up until the day she died we had that routine. So needless to say, when she died we were left with wondering what we were going to do with our weekends. It was hard but we adjusted.

It is weird because this weekend we went to visit my uncle before he started his chemo treatments. My aunt gave me this little prayer book that belonged to my grandmother. She read it every night while she was staying with my aunt and she gave me her rosary. These items are so special and I will cherish them always.

Well, I just wanted to let my grandma know that I was thinking of her and that she will never be forgotten. I LOVE YOU GRANDMA!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!! AND EARLY B-DAY SURPRISE FOR ME....

2009-01-22T21:03:00.000-08:00

Well, my mom celebrated her 71st birthday....She seems to be getting younger with age.... I am so grateful that she is so strong and healthy. I just hope that I can be as fortunate when I am her age. We sent her flowers which she loved. And of course she had her picture taken with Chloe. It was so funny, when they delivered the flowers Chloe was at the door and walked out onto the step to greet the delivery person. I about freaked out because I thought she was going to take off running. I tried to be calm because I was in no way dressed to go running after her. But instead she jumped up and down all excited. I think she thought the flowers were for her. So I guess I will have to send her some for her birthday too..... She is too much.....

Well, we will be celebrating my mom's b-day this Saturday after we get back from Sunnyvalle. We are going to go visit my uncle before he starts chemo on Monday. We are just going to have dinner and cake at my sister's house. Really quiet compared to her 70th b-day last year...

Well, my birthday is not until next month, but I was so pleasantly surprised with a delivery for me. Dawn S., my best friend in the whole wide world surprised me with an early birthday package. It was filled with yarn, needles, a book on knitting socks, a couple of dishcloths that she made. One with a flamingo and another with a martini glass in the pattern...she just knows me so well, stitch markers and gauge.....it was so much fun....I was expecting a little care package that she said she was sending, you know just some needles and patterns, but boy did she surprise me......

Also, I stopped at one of the yarn shops that I just found out about, Janna's Needle Art, and got some yarn from there. I just fell in love with everything and had to get out quick before I got in trouble. I want to make a list of what I need and then go in. They were so nice in there. They offer classes on Saturdays too...yea!!!! The other shop in town, Ancient Pathways, does too but mostly on Tuesdays and Thursdays which are nights that I have school. I just loved the colors of these yarns. The thin shiny one which is a mohair blend is for a scarf that the owner had made and was on display. It is really easy and basically just for looks. It will not keep you warm at all. The other yarn is by Cascade, Jewel Hand Dyed 100% wool. I have no idea what to make with that. Any ideas?????? Let me know.

As for my socks, I am coming along. I am working on the heel part. I was almost done with that part but realized that I was slipping the stitches wrong so re-did it. It looked okay but I didn't feel comfortable knowing that is was wrong.....

Well, that is about it for now. Hope you enjoy the pics........TTYL....Julie

Sock Update

2009-01-12T12:33:00.001-08:00

Well, here is a picture of what I have done so far. I am having way too much fun..heehee...

Lots and lots of fun......working with these DPNs is a lot easier than I thought they would be. Chow.

FIRST SOCKS!!!!

2009-01-09T23:51:00.000-08:00

Okay, well I have started working on my first pair of socks. I have just got done doing the cuff for the second time. Well, here is a pic. My camera makes it look more pastel than what it actually is.

The first time I dropped a stitch and tried to fix it but it just kept slipping and slipping and by the time I was able to grab it, I was better off just starting over so I did.

Well, it looks small but my BF Gidge says that they stretch. I sure hope they do. They are for my mom since she ALWAYS gets the first of whatever I make so fortunately she has tiny feet and skinny ankles.

I am like addicted and can't put it down. When I am working from home, I type a report , work on a round , type another report , work on another round ...no wonder I am working until 3:00 in the morning ...hahahaha...

So here is what I used:

Yarn: Red Heart - Heart and Sole w/aloe

Color: Water Color Stripe

Needles: #3 DPNs (pattern called for #2 DPNs but I tend to knit and crochet tight)

Pattern: Self Striping Knit Socks by Red Heart #LW1619

Well, I will give you an update when I get more done........Chow.

TELL ME ABOUT YOU!!!

2009-01-09T16:38:00.000-08:00

Tell me about YOU!
YOU
1. Name:
2. Date of birth:
3. Where you live:
4. What makes you happy:
5. Currently listening/the last thing you listened to:
6. Do you read my journal?:
7. If yes, what makes it especially good or bad?:
8. An interesting fact about you:
9. What do you love at the moment?:
10. Favourite place to spend time:
11. Favourite lyric:
12. The best time of the year:
RECOMMEND
1. A film:
2. A book:
3. A band, a song, or album:
PLUS
1. One thing you like about me:
2. Two things you like about yourself:
3. Look at my friends-list and tell what you like about one of our mutual friends:
4. Put this in your blog so that I can tell you what I like about you.

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!

2009-01-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, one question....when did we go from dressing up, getting excited and heading out for a night of dancing, champagne, and fun on New Year's to staying at home and vegging in pajamas and not even watching Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve but instead watching an oldies DooWap music concert and admitting that that was the best time ever.....

I guess we are getting old huh? Nah....just appreciating what is important in our lives and putting that first. It was great just eating and watching movies and hanging out with my family. My niece and nephew stayed with us, MaryAnn and Jesse came over. Tommy and Linda stayed home because Tommy had to work and was not feeling too good. I enjoyed having the kids over and am grateful that they would rather stay home with us instead of going out and partying it up with their friends. I am sure that one year that will not be the case so I am enjoying it all now....

And of course there is Chloe....She enjoyed all the company and showing off her new New Year's outfit that she got for Christmas....

Well, I have attempted at one of my resolutions...learning to knit socks....So be ready Gidge to get bombarded with emails and phone calls...

So wish me luck.......

Okay, well again, I hope everyone has a great New Year's and a blessed one. Take care.

WHAT A MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

2008-12-30T23:56:00.000-08:00

Well, our Christmas was nice. We celebrated it a little earlier than normal because we were all so beat and plus Linda (my SIL) had to get things ready for our Christmas lunch/dinner at her house. We all celebrated at my house on Christmas eve and then with my brother and his family and in-laws at his house on Christmas day.

I got some really neat stuff. We kept things to a minimal this year. This is my loot.....

....... My brother-in-law Jesse did not disappoint this year and got me my perfume. That has become a tradition for him. My ex-husband used to buy me some type of expensive perfume every year and the first year that we were not together, Jesse stepped up to the plate and took over. He is the best. They broke the mold with him. So anyways, this year he got my Absolutely Irresistable by Givincy and notice that it is RED......I also got a new vampire series books "The House of Night Series". My sister could not believe that I asked for that. I got two calendars, of course one is the Twilight one, I got my annual Precious Moments dated Christmas figurine, lotions, pajamas, pens, "Horton Hears a Who" DVD and some pretty underwear and bras from Victoria Secret which I did not include in the picture.

Jeez I look tired....I was exhausted, I did not get to bed the night before until 3:30 in the morning and had to get up at 6:30 that same morning.....

Chloe had a blast and enjoyed posing for pics and watching everyone open their gifts .....

but she had more fun opening hers. She got a new outfit. It is so cute. She will be wearing it for New Years. I will post a pic. And here is the baby with her baby.....she still gets dolls for Christmas.....

Well, like I said, we spent Christmas Day at my brother's with his in-laws and that was fun. Here is a pic of Jesse and my Brother giving the meaning of FELIZ NAVIDAD......HAHAHA....

They are too funny......and they were sober....

Here I am with MaryAnn, still looking tired, and MaryAnn and my mom......

And I had to post this....This Jesse and Willow, his and MaryAnn's baby, taken at their house....she is as spoiled as Chloe......

You know what I just realized, it has been a year since I have been blogging....My first post was 12/28/07. Wow time goes by...and here we are getting ready for a new year...So who makes and keeps there resolutions? I make them sometimes but never keep them....I always have good intentions though......I just get so busy and caught up in everything....So let me see, I guess I can list a few things and see how it goes right?.....

1. Get healthier. I am not going to say that I am going to diet or whatever, because it never works. Instead, I will just concentrate on getting healthy, exercising more (I have no choice with school this semester) and keeping my diabetes under control.

2. Be better at keeping in touch with everyone....even if it is by blogging...that still counts. I have to realize that life is too short to take anything for granted. With all the scares we had this year with relatives being sick, it was too scary.

3. FINISH SCHOOL AND GRADUATE!!!!!!!!!!! YEA!!!!!!!

4. Try to save money.....although that may be hard now that my friends have got me hooked on knitting and I want to buy all the beautiful yarn like they do and I even joined the Woolgirl sock club.......Okay, so maybe I have to get ANOTHER job.....yep, that will take me up to four jobs...hahahaha....well, that will blow my fifth resolution immediately.

5. SLOW DOWN.....try not to work so hard (see #4 for the results of this one)....hahahahaha.....

Okay, that is enough silliness.....I just resolve to enjoy each and everyday and be happy and love everyone around me and make the best of everything.....

I hope you all have a great New Year!!! I know I will with friends like you in my life....

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!

ANOTHER VISIT FROM SANTA'S ELF!!!

2008-12-20T17:38:00.000-08:00

WOW.....I must have really been good this year. I got another surprise today from my new friend Dawn in Lancaster....I was really surprised. Again, I love the handmade gifts because of all the thought put into them. I am excited to try her soap and the washcloth is beautiful. And what a beautiful family. Here are a couple of pics of them.... Thank you to my BF Dawn S. for introducing me to this wonderful person.....

Well, I guess I need to get caught up on some of this blogging. I cannot believe that Christmas is next week. Good thing is that I have my shopping done and I only have to wrap everything. We got our tree the weekend after Thanksgiving and got it all decorated. Chloe had fun picking out her first Christmas tree...

She has been really good too about not taking any ornaments off and just admires the lights...

The house is all decorated and the lights are up, they have been for a couple of weeks.

I still find myself adding touches here and there to the decorations. I even decorated my bathroom which I never do. As you can tell, red is my favorite color...

Well, Chloe is ready and I had to fight with her to get her picture taken in her Christmas outfit. She didn't care for the Santa coat too much but she liked the dress...she is so silly...

She prefers to keep warm in her sweaters......

Okay, well here is a pic of the scarves that I have done for my family. I am almost done with the one on the right, that is for my sis-in-law.....they were easy and nothing fancy so be gentle with me....I hope they like them.....Next year I plan to post some more advanced stuff..... Again my camera is not very good with the color. The one in the middle is actually purple and black but looks more live a blue/purple in the pic....

Well, I guess that is it for now. Hope I didn't bore you to much....hope everyone has a great Christmas and I will talk to you soon.....love Julie

I GOT A VISIT FROM SANTA'S ELF!!!

2008-12-20T11:53:00.000-08:00

I feel so special. I got this in the mail today and absolutely love it. My best friend in the whole wide world, Dawn Spencer, made it for me. I love receiving gifts from her because you know they are made with lots of love. I truly appreciate it especially considering that she is suffering with her pain and all....but she doesn't let that stop her. What an inspiration she is to me. I only hope that next year I will be able to send handmade gifts as beautiful as hers. But this year everyone will have to be happy with the store bought stuff..heehee...which I need to get in the mail TODAY!!! AGH!!

Well here are a couple of pics of my beautiful present. My camera does not do it justice.

My cat fuzzy thought it was pretty too but I had to explain to him that it was for me and not for him...I think he understood.

Thanks Gidge....I love it and I love you...YBF...

A Few of My Favorite Things.....

2008-12-03T19:41:00.000-08:00

1. What is your favorite Christmas carol/song? Little Drummer Boy (Bing Crosby/David Bowie version).

2. White lights or multicolored? Both.

3. Do you you have a cut tree, live tree or an artificial tree? Fresh cut tree.

4. Eggnog, mulled cider, or hot chocolate? Hot chocolate with lots of whip cream.

5. Do you decorate your house with lights? Of course, ever heard of the Griswalds'..they don't stand a chance.

6. Do you write a Christmas letter? No.

7. Do you like receiving Christmas letters/photos? Yes, very much.

8. What is your favorite Christmas story/movie? This is tough, "The Little Drummer Boy", "Nester, the Long Eared Donkey", "Santa Clause" "Jack Frost" too many to name...

9. Have you ever made a gingerbread house? Yes both me and my sister did, and then my brother walked by and poked his finger on the roof of my sis' house and it all collapsed....

10. Poinsettias or holly? Poinsettias
11. Do you display a nativity scene? Yes. I do more than one. I have a small Precious Moments one that I put in my room.

12. Do you bake Christmas cookies? Yes.

13. Ham or turkey? Both

14. In what languages can you wish someone a Merry Christmas (without cheating)? English, Spanish.

15. Do you know all the words to Jingle Bells? I think so...

16. Do you put presents under the tree? Yes.

17. How do you eat a candy cane? Suck on it and bite of small pieces at a time.

18. What is your biggest holidays pet peeve? People being scrooges and grumpy.

19. What is your favorite Christmas tradition? Opening our gifts on Christmas Eve around 10:00 and then going to midnight mass.

20. What was the best present you ever got for Christmas? Too many to count but probably the best was around 14 years ago when my brother showed up at our house on Christmas Eve. We hadn't talked four about a year and he showed up and we finally got to meet my nephew who was 6 months old. Since then we have not had any more silly arguments that would keep us apart like that and are closer then ever.

THANKFUL FOR ALL MY BLESSINGS.....

2008-11-28T23:44:00.000-08:00

Well, I hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving. There is so much to be thankful and grateful for. I had a very nice time at my sister's house. My whole family was there, my brother's in-laws joined us. We really enjoyed the time with each other. My mom doesn't think the world of my brother's FIL but decided that life is too damn short to hold grudges and stuff so she decided to let bygones be bygones. Let's see how long that will last..hahahaha....
Well, I said special prayers for a few of my family members that are not in the best of health at the moment and ask that you reading this will do the same. My cousin Rachel, who is like another daughter to my mom, had unexpected open-heart surgery this past Monday...my Uncle/Nino is scheduled to have surgery in the next week or two for stomach cancer. Fortunately it is not malignant and contained in one area but they will be removing half of his stomach and my BIL's cousin George is scheduled to have surgery on Monday for renal cancer. They are running tests to rule out bone marrow cancer as well......So needless to say, these folks need ALL the prayers and good thoughts possible and I know that my good friends will help me with that...
As for our annual Family Christmas party, well my sis has decided to cancel it considering all that is going on. We just do not have it in our hearts to try to celebrate and be festive when three of our loved ones are not going to be there because of their recuperation.
As for the rest of this holiday week-end, I will be just vegging out and enjoying some very needed ME time. I am working on my knitting projects and reading a little. I have to start decorating for Christmas too. House lights are already up. I love Christmas lights....they make me happy.....
Okay, well that is about if for now. I hope all had a blessed day and please, never take for granted what we have been blessed with and appreciate every little minute that we have with our loved ones......Take care...love you all...Julie

IT'S TWILIGHT TIME!!!!!!!!

2008-11-20T20:08:00.001-08:00

I cannot wait to see this movie. I wish I had it in me to catch the midnight showing but that is not gonna happen. So I have to wait until Saturday. I am so excited and hope that it is as good as the book. I loved all the books and read them all in a month. I hope she goes ahead with the 5th book after her partial draft was pirated and put on the internet. Anyways, after reading these books it left me wanting more.....And how gorgeous is Edward Cullen.... My goodness what I would give to have a vampire like that bite my neck..... hahahaha.... I am bad, but look at him.....

And of course, silly ol' me went to EBAY and got me a replica bracelet of what Bella wears and a bookmark with the crystal heart that Edward gives her and a small apple.... I also ordered a necklace with the famous "lion fell in love with the lamb" quote on it but I haven't received it yet.

Here are some of the magazines that I have found and of course I had to have the desktop on my computer. I have it on my laptop, my desktop computer and my computer at work....I also got the CD and of course the free small poster that came with it is hanging up in my office cubicle. And you can see all four books that I have already read and plan on starting read again.....OBSSESSED.....I know....

Well, anyways, now that I have gone on and on like a highschool girl, let's get back to reality.

Things have been crazy crazy crazy with work as usual. Why does it seem like I never have enough time for much. Actually though, I have had a little more time on my hands lately. I am doing PMs again because they fired our PM person. I had to drop my classes this semester. I had a hard time with that decision but I was really making myself sick. I was doing everything the doc said to do, lost 20 pounds, started working out and eating right, but my damn sugar levels were still up in the 200s low 300s.... I started to feel like crap and was taking extra insulin (oh ya, not sure if all of you know that I have diabetes). So anyways, I skipped class a couple of nights and got some rest and my levels dropped back down to normal. So I decided to drop and retake next semester. Only this time I will still be taking 2 PE classes and my speech class but my PE glasses are not as vigorous as these two were. I will be taking physical fitness and yoga. I will still be able to graduate next May. I already got my notification in the mail that I have been accepted to the graduation program in May. So I am excited. And then in June I go on my cruise....that is my graduation present to myself. I am so excited.

Well, I have been doing some knitting and will post some of my projects. I am working on scarves and trying to get as much done as I can by Christmas. I am giving them as stocking stuffers for my family.

Another reason I have a little more time on my hands is that I am no longer doing one of my accounts that I have been doing for about 5 years. So I need to re-budget but that is okay. It was becoming a burden and they were not paying like they had been so it was no longer my priority. So although it was a loss of income, it was a blessing in disguise and I am enjoying not having to stress about it....

Well, speaking of work, I guess I better get busy and start my work so I am not up until 3 in the morning.

If anyone of you go see the movie "Twilight" let me know what you think.....

I will try to get pics up soon of my projects.....Just wanted to touch base with you all.....Talk to ya later.....Julie

UPDATED: 11/21/08 7:28 p.m.

Hi There!!!

2008-09-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

Boy, again time just seems to slip on by.....I have been busy with work and school. School is truly kicking my butt...what was I thinking taking two PE classes one right after the other. OMG....I have worked muscles that I have not even thought about since high school and I swear, I think I found some that were never there to begin with...is that possible? And I swear that one of my PE coaches is obsessed with crunches......ouch.... ! Okay so by the time I am done I BETTER have six-pack abs...hahahaha...that is funny.

Okay, well let me see, what else. Well, I have been keeping busy with my house. Doing little things here and there. I cannot believe the holidays are almost here. We have pulled out our fall decorations and have started decorating. I love the fall/winter. All the rich colors and stuff...I just wish it would stay cold. It is hard to enjoy the fall season when it is 103 degrees out there...what's up with that? I want rain, clouds, wind and snow.....!!!!!!!!!

Okay, enough ranting and raving....Chloe is doing good. She is soooo spoiled. OMG....she is just too funny. My mom carries her around like a little baby...she gets sad when she knows we are going and talk about the silent treatment when we get back home. She has us wrapped around her little paw....here are a couple of recent pics of her...

Here she is with my mom dancing. She loves to dance.....

Well, speaking of time just going by so fast, we just celebrated my nephew's 15th birthday. He is the same height as me now and taller than my mom......His voice is changing too...it is so funny....

see how much taller he is than my mom... and then there is Miranda who just turned 17 and got braces...it is so funny, before we could never get her to smile right in her pics and now her smiles can't be big enough....we are already planning her 18th birthday party....oh dear.... and again if you notice, little Tommy is taller than her and two years younger....

Okay, well here is something that Dawn (Gidge) will be happy to hear. I have started knitting...yea!!!! I have not picked up a pair of needles since she was last here in California and gave me a quick lesson. Then I got jealous of all the beautiful things she has created and wanted to make the same pretty stuff too. So what do I start with, what do I make, what will go quick once I start and not be too hard...all these questions. Finally I decided to make a small baby blanket for Chloe. I tried with the very soft yarn by Carin and was getting frustrated with the needles and yarn. The yarn kept slipping off and separating...ugh...So then I decided just to use the regular ol' baby sport yarn and that was so much better. Then what pattern? I don't know...so I decided to make what I guess you can call a sampler blankie for her. I am making 6 squares and each one with a different stitch pattern. I figured this way it was small enough to get fast results and good practice on the stitches before I attempted to do the more advanced projects. So in two days I have completed one square and I am starting the next..... This is what I have so far...

I casted on 50 stitches and just went from there and continued until I thought it was a good size. So, I know it is not much compared to all the stuff that I have seen from Gidge and her buddies but I will get there. And OMG I never thought I would say this but it is much quicker and easier than crocheting. I am excited and can't wait to nail the techniques down. I honestly think I can be totally addicted to it.....Okay, well that is all for now. I will keep you posted with the progresss of my blankie.....Talk to you later and have a great day....Luv Julie

Just Wanted To Say Hi....

2008-07-20T22:59:00.000-07:00

Well, hello all. How are things going? Good I hope. Things are going good and are just as hectic as always. I have two weeks left of this summer semester. Then I will have a two weeks break and start it all over again. But if all goes well, that will be it for now. I will have finished and will get my degree....YEA!!! This means so much to me. I don't want this to sound bad but it is something that no one in my immediate family has done. My sister or my brother. I will be the only one to have reached this accomplishment. Something that I will have succeeded at instead of failed. My sister and brother have both succeeded at their marriages whereas I have failed, my brother has succeeded at having a family with kids, whereas I have failed on the kid dept. So this is something that I can say I have done and succeeded at. Okay, well, I didn't mean to go in that direction....on to better things.
Well, Chloe is doing great. She has brought in so much joy and happiness to our lives. So much that my mom has finally decided to retire permanently now. I am so excited. Even though she won't admit it, I know that Chloe had a lot to do with it.
Well, this is going to be short and sweet as I have to get busy and study for my final. Taking this online class is alot more difficult than I thought it would be. I really miss the actual teacher/student interaction. Oh well, but I am still doing good in it and that is all that matters. As long as I pass....Talk you you later. Here is a picture of Chloe being patriotic .....

Here she is wanting to help with laundry..........

And her and my mom after a long day of play....

Okay, hope you enjoyed!!!!

I HAVE A NEW LOVE!!!!!

2008-06-29T16:50:00.000-07:00

Well, hello everyone....how's it going? Good I hope. Sorry that I have been MIA but as usual, the hours just seem to tick by and by because of life's daily activities....Let me, the last time I wrote I had just completed my school semester. Now I am about three weeks into my summer school semester. Plus I started yet ANOTHER per diem job. But it kinda all balances out since I haven't been to my last per diem job in quite a while because they are so caught up...

Well, I am sure you are wondering who this new love in my life is...right? Well, her name is Chloe. She is so sweet and I love her to pieces. She is about three months old and I have no idea what she is other than a mix of maybe daschund (which I have never really cared for). But she is the neatest little thing and so full of love and energy....My mom is on cloude nine. She is already spoiling her. It is funny how things happen so unexpectedly. I have been seriously looking in the ads and I am even on mailing lists but just really hadn't found what I was looking for. Last weekend I went to the pet store and they were having their adoption day. I saw a couple of cuties that I wanted to bring home but thought that I would wait. I figured if I went back the following week and the one that I liked was still there then I would take it. Well, that never happened. On friday my brother called me to tell me he found a puppy and if I wanted it. Well he brought her by my work and I was hooked. So we have been having fun with her all weekend. She is a character and already spoiled. I guess the time was right. It is almost a year since I had to put Capone down (my furry chow) and it was hard to get over that. Not to say that I am completely over it, but I am able to move on now. So this was good timing. Anyways, just wanted to fill you in on my latest news. I will try to keep you all posted more regularly, but you know how that goes. But I really need to make an attempt at it since I got in trouble for not and Dawna was going to start sending out the FBI or Missing Persons out to look for me....lol...Okay, well here is a picture of my baby....Isn't she adorable!!!!!!!!!!!!

SCHOOL IS OUT!!!!!! WHEW!!!

2008-05-16T17:35:00.000-07:00

Well, what can I say. This was a long and fun semester but I am so glad it is over. I got A's on my finals and ended up with a "B" in my Psy 5 class and an "A" in my Psy 15 class. YEA!!! I guess I am not as dumb as I though I was....hahahaha....
Well, now I have a couple of weeks before summer school starts. I just have to keep reminding myself that it will all be worth it. So what do I plan on doing during my little break? Hmmmm....finish some crocheting projects, read a little and rest. However, right now we are so backed up at work there is OT like crazy....Of course I feel guilty if I don't contribute to the OT along with everyone else. But at least it is voluntary and I can do a couple of hours here and there.
I cannot believe how hot it is already. We are having our first heatwave....102 today.. . I think I will fit in some swimming at my sis' house... . Of course Willow will want to join me... . Speaking of pets, I have decided to get another dog. So I have been looking like crazy. I want another Chow and found this No Kill Rescue Shelter called Adopt-A-Chow. It is in LA so I would have to travel over there....but that is okay. They do have some puppies right now. They are so cute.... They look like lil' lions.. . I miss my Capone so much but I am ready for another lil' lion now....
Well, things have been okay. My family is doing good. My sister and brother-in-law just got back from NY. They had a blast. I didn't get to go this time because I needed to stay and watch their house and take care of their lil' critters....And I was having finals. Oh well, maybe next time...We still are planning our family vacation for next year to Rome/Italy. . So that is something to really look forward to.
Well, this is a short update but my mind is blank right now and I think it is because of all the studying......my brain is mush right now...Well, take care everyone and I will talk to you later. Chow.

What Does Your Name Mean????

2008-04-02T22:26:00.001-07:00

Well, I think this fits me to a "T", whether that is good or bad, I don't know, what do you think?

What Julie Means

You are fair, honest, and logical. You are a natural leader, and people respect you.
You never give up, and you will succeed... even if it takes you a hundred tries.
You are rational enough to see every part of a problem. You are great at giving other people advice.

You are a very lucky person. Things just always seem to go your way.
And because you're so lucky, you don't really have a lot of worries. You just hope for the best in life.
You're sometimes a little guilty of being greedy. Spread your luck around a little to people who need it.

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.
You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.
Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.

You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.
You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.
You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.

You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.
You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.
At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

What's" Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

SPRING IS HERE!!!!!!!

2008-03-26T23:04:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!!! Hope all is well. I finally have a moment or two to jot down some lines. I just love this weather. It is so beautiful and I love working in my yard.....I have finally done the landscaping in my backyard (well my gardener did) but I picked out all the plants, trees and flowers and where they should go.....So that is a lot of work isn't it? Well here are some pics of the completed project....

Even Daisy likes the flowers and stuff. She is an inside cat but has snuck out a couple of times and once she realized her clean white paws got dirty she ran right back in.... She is so silly....
Well here is the front of the house. I cannot wait until the roses start blooming....I just love roses and I thought I lost my hydrangea plant with the freeze but it is coming up full bloom....YEA!!!!!!

Can you see the azalea bushes. They are kinda small but they are fuscia, purple and pink....they are going to be so pretty....

Okay, well enough about my landscaping project.....So how was everyone's Easter? Ours was good. We just did the usual you know, park, BBQ, cracked a bunch of confetti eggs and hid Easter eggs..

My brother in law Jesse has got to be the best BBQer EVER......His ribs just fell of the bone they were so tender... But the best part was spending it with my family.....

The only sad thing about it all is that the kids (my niece and nephew) are too big for Easter Baskets.....so we make little gifts for ourselves filled with goodies and CHOCOLATE..... Yummy...............

See the cake that I made? Since my sister gives up sweets for lent, I always have to make her an Easter Egg Cake..................And of course she doesn't share...just kidding. Well, all in all it was a good day....and we had fun.

So anyways, not much more has been going on...Spring Break just went by way too fast. Work has been really busy as usual. I am so excited because I made some changes and decided to slow down on one of my per diem jobs. I told them that I would do evening stuff during the week if needed but NO MORE WEEKENDS for them.....So now I only work one weekend every third weekend for my F/T job....yea......I am so glad things worked out that way. I really need to slow down and have been wanting to for awhile. Now hopefully I can get busy on all my unfinished crocheting and scrapbooking projects and FINALLY concentrate on getting a hang of this knitting thing .....I am sure that will make you happy huh Gidge???? Well, I guess that is all for now. I have to get back to working on my term paper..... Talk to ya'll later..........Julianne....aka......Julie

Mom's 70th Birthday Party ~~~ Total Success

2008-01-28T21:20:00.000-08:00

Wow..........Thank goodness it is finally over. Although now it is kinda blah with all the excitement come and gone...But what a blast we had. My mom looked so beautiful and was so surprised. She is still speechless and is walking on a cloud. She cannot believe that we pulled this off without her knowing. I have NEVER seen my mom this surprised.

Everyone showed up and we danced and laughed all night long. Old friends from school even joined in. My mom is so deserving of this. She has always been there for us, especially for me, through all the difficult times in my life. I don't know how I could ever repay her for everything that she has given up for us and for always putting us first. She is my inspiration and motivation to keep on going and do my best at everything I do.It was so nice to see all of her brothers and sisters share this moment with her. Family is so important and we are not getting any younger so seeing them together all at once is just something you cannot take for granted.

It was so funny when we got there and everyone yelled surprised. The look on her face was undescribable. You could see the total shock and then the tears. Then when we were sitting at the head table and the Mariachi band came in, she started crying again. Then I looked at her and said "Now you know why MaryAnn (my sister) was missing in action for such a long time". As I explained earlier, my mom was getting a

little upset because my sister was not coming around much and didn't seem like she had any time for us. My mom didn't know what to say. She laughed and said I know, I am sorry. I can't believe you guys did this to me. I never would have guessed. So all in all, it was worth it and boy was my patience tested. You don't know how many times I wanted to scream and let her know exactly what was going on. But I managed to get control of it because I know all of the hard work that my sister put into this.

Well, other than the party, things have been going good. School has been good. I have already taken three tests which I did really good on. Two A's and one B. So I am happy about that. Work as usual is crazy and busy. Well, I guess that will be it for now. I need to get ready to start my shift. Sometimes I am so grateful to be able to work from home. Stay in my jammies and drink my coffee....... Well, hope you all have a good day, week, month.....love ya, Julie

WHAT A WEEK.............

2008-01-11T22:56:00.000-08:00

Well, here I am the first crazy full week of the New Year and the above picture is exactly how my brain was running this week.....Wow, I just hope that this is not what the rest of the year is going to be like...For starters I began a new semester at school...I am taking two classes, crazy huh? But I am sure that it will be all worth it. I just hope I don't loose my mind while doing this...That would be ironic considering I am taking two psychology classes. Social Psychology and Psychology of Religion, the latter seems to be one interesting class. Just last night was my first night and wow....talk about explosive. It is amazing the different views that people have about religion and the whole Psychology vs. Philosophy....yikes...This class is definitely going to be full of debates which is what the instructor wants. And we have to do a presentation, that is scary. I don't know that I can do that. I have no problem doing the paper but having to present it to the class, that is going to be a tough one. Maybe if I talk to the instructor about it and explain that the only way I could probably get through this is if I present it to the class with my back to the class. If not, then I will either get sick in front of everyone or pass out.... hmmmm...I will have to try to figure that out. Well, because of school I had to make changes to my work schedule. I have to start work at 5:30 in the morning on Thursdays so that I can go to both of my classes on Thursday. Then come home and make up any time left for my shift and study. I sure have been drinking lots of coffee.....

Work has been crazy as usual. So many people are out sick and just can't seem to get rid of that darn virus going around and around....I just knock on wood that I don't get it...I would hate to get sick and expose my mom to it. She is going to be 70 years old in a couple of weeks. I cannot believe it. We are planning a humongous Surprise 70th party for her. She has no idea what we are up to. So on top of everything else going on, I am helping planning this party with my sister and trying to keep it all underwraps from my mom which is hard because she lives with me. So I have to make secret trips to my sisters to help her out with things and try to keep my mom from getting suspicious. It is so funny because she thinks that MaryAnn (my sister) is drifting away from us because we hardly see her and she always is so busy...and my mom doesn't understand why I cannot say no to my sister when she needs something and I jump when she calls and I head right over....little does she know it is all for her. It is going to be funny when she realizes this. She is going to be so surprised. I will definitely be posting pictures of that big event.

Well, I guess that is it for now. I have to get up early tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. to go to a birthday party out of town. The following weekend I have to work and attend a banquet on Friday night for my 10 years of service for St. Agnes Medical Center...woohooo.....then the following weekend is the big party and then the following weekend after that is my scheduled weekend for the hospital and the weekend after that is the weekend after my birthday....Well, I guess I pretty much answered my pondering mind as to whether the rest of the year is going to be as crazy as this week.....maybe I can just sleep that whole weekend as a birthday present.... I doubt it....Oh well, life is too short to let it just pass you by. I guess I will get plenty of sleep when I die....LOL.....Okay, have a good night all..... Sweet dreams...

Reflections!!!

2007-12-28T22:21:00.000-08:00

Hi there!!

Well, as the year is coming to an end and a new one is embarking, I thought now would be a good time to reflect on the past year. I must admit that this year has had to have been the most rewarding one for me.

The biggest accomplishment was getting my new home. A new home that I got on my own. Just me. No husband or significant other to help out. Just me. I never thought divorce could end so good, but it did for me. I am so grateful for my family and friends who supported and encouraged me through this new journey. To be honest, I would not have made it without them by my side supporting all of my decisions.

I also completed another course in Psychology. A few more units closer to getting my Psych degree. I was hard considering that I took it smack in the middle of moving and trying to settle in and working tons of overtime. But it truly paid off.

Well, my family and I did a lot this year. We enjoyed quite a few baseball games, a football game, Christmas parties and lots of other fun stuff. We try to make the most of everything and not take too much for granted.

There were some disappointments this year as well. Having to put one of my dogs down was very emotionally draining. But I have come to terms that he is better off and is no longer suffering.

Well, this new year I look forward to spending more time with my family and and continuing with my education. I plan on staying in better contact with my friends and do more fun things.

Well, I guess that is enough reflection for now....I don't want to bore you...hahaha....

I will keep in touch after the new year starts and see how things are going for all...

Take care and Happy New Years!!! May it be prosperous and filled with all the blessings of your desire..

Julie