Parenting

My youngest daughter turns twenty-four today. She is having a difficult time finding her way right now, which means I am struggling along with her. She is independent enough to want to do it all on her own but still too young to realize that we all need support from someone or something. As her mother, I am in the tough place of wanting to fix it all for her and at the same time, knowing that I can't. And that I shouldn't, even if I could. So we both just keep talking and crying and laughing and loving, and trying to see the life that just keeps happening all around us, for better and for worse.

 

 

Happy birthday, to my sweet, sweet Melissa.

 

 

 

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Good Times

I finished the grey boot socks for my oldest daughter, Meredith, and will be mailing them tomorrow, as she is still getting cold weather up there in Brooklyn.

Now, I get to decide on my next project! I should finish something already on the needles, but I'm itching to make something from one of the new knitting books I've bought recently, Kate Jackson's Sunday Drive, and Cecily Glowik MacDonald's Landing. Also, I need to look through the new issue of Knit Wear, which I picked up yesterday. Speaking of knitting, I had fun at one of the local yarn stores last night. They have an annual pajama party knit night, where you show up in your pjs, bring a dish to share, and knit for as long as you like. I lasted three hours and it was a blast, with door prizes and lots of fun. I won a felted needle case, which was similar to one I'd been coveting, so that was great. Plus, I got to taste some great food and hang out in my pjs, which is my favorite Saturday night outfit. Win, win.

Here is a picture of the socks, with Gracie, for scale.

This is what Gracie was doing Friday night, while Steve and watched another episode of Game of Thrones.

An interesting perspective of Gracie.

And one of her in her favorite chair. Not that she is spoiled, or anything.

 

Four more teaching days until my spring break begins! As far as I know, I'm staying in town the whole time, doing whatever I want. Which should include sleeping late, knitting, reading, and hopefully a bit of spring cleaning. Have a great week, everyone!

 

 

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Waiting for Break

We are coming up to the midpoint of second semester, and my students and I have finally found our rhythm. The administration continues to be amazingly supportive, which has been a huge help. I implemented a new strategy/lesson into my daily lesson plan at the beginning of the second term, and it's proving to be quite successful on a number of different levels. It's really an old concept, Daily Grammar, but I'm using a book called Caught Ya, that has pre-written lessons incorporating punctuation and grammar within a story line. The one I'm using is loosely based on Romeo and Juliet, but in a more modern format. It's kind of hokey, but it has turned out to be a wonderful way to begin class every day. The daily repetition gives my lower level students a chance to contribute a right answer, and I've noticed I'm getting more participation than I expected. Plus, the regular routine gets the students settled down more quickly than they used to do. Having said all that, I can't wait until spring break begins! I have six more teaching days plus one workday before break begins, and it can't come too soon.

 

I'm still working on Meredith's grey knee socks, but the end is near. I just turned the heel on the second sock, so it won't be long now. I'm trying to finish quickly, so I can start something new. Photos next time, I promise.

Meanwhile, here's Gracie, ready for some snuggling:

And here's one of her favorite places to hang out and get a little sun.

I think I should have named her, Queen Grace, don't you?

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Another Saturday

Steve and I finished watching the second season of The Hour last night, and as a result of staying up very late, I slept in this morning. (When i found the link, I also found out it was the final season. Drat.) After I got up this morning, we ran some errands, and as I type this, I've already had my bath and am in my pajamas. And I have a batch of homemade granola slow baking in the oven, so in other words, it's been a perfect day.

 

I finally got it together enough to make Alana's recipe using her book, The Homemade Pantry. I've loved her blog for quite some time, and as soon as she published her book, I bought a copy, but I don't think I've actually made anything from it until now. When I want to feel like an earth mother again, it's one of the books I read before going to bed, but that's not to say the recipes are difficult. It's just that I've wandered so far away from who I used to be, when I was a young mother with young children, and reading her blog and her book is a way for me to reminisce. So anyway, the granola recipe has been on my to-do list for quite some time and today it all came together.

It won't be completely ready until morning, but that's okay.

 

Meanwhile, here's another picture or two of Gracie, the cat who used to be super shy, but now is only a little bit shy.

 

 

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Spring Forward

I celebrated DST by walking to the beach on Sunday. It was beautiful, as you can see, with the temperature around sixty degrees.

 

I love the dune grass against the blue sky.

And the white of the waves splashing in the foreground, and a sailboat further out on the Bay.

To prepare for the work week, I bought a large container of Greek yogurt and divided it up into six small Mason jars, with honey on the bottom. Then I packed two larger jars with a mixture of almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries, to keep at work. Now, each morning I can just grab and go, for a fraction of the cost of stopping at Starbucks and picking up one of theirs.

And just to keep with the new theme, here's Gracie, lounging on the fleece throw I made last Christmas. She looks a little annoyed for some reason, doesn't she? I think she's tired of me taking so many pictures of her.

 

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I Used To Have A Knitting Blog

I am so happy that I adopted Gracie. When we first got her, the only way we could see her was by looking at her crouching under a bed, and now she rules the house. This is her favorite morning spot.

Although she loves sitting on my lap, something I was afraid she would never do.

And here's her playful side, enjoying another sunny morning.

Melissa came over a few weekends ago to raid my craft room. She whipped up a birthday banner for one of her roommates. I love her approach to crafting, it's so much more fearless than the way I do it.

Oh wait, I do have a knitting photo. Steve draped a cowl around his Napoleon statue. Cute.

I've been drowning in schoolwork this semester. Traveling from room to room instead of being in one place has been great for my organizational skills, but tough in other ways. I hate not having control on my environment, so much so, that I yarn bombed my cart. Hopefully next year I won't have to travel. We do it so no classrooms go unused, and the administrators try to make it fair for as many of us as they can. I didn't have to do this first semester, which was a blessing, so it's my turn now.

I love teaching high school English though, and I am so glad I made the decision to transfer. Every day is a learning experience and I love seeing what my students think about things and helping them make connections between their lives and literature. Quite an honor to be here, no matter how frustrating it is at times.

But today is Saturday and I am planning to meet a friend for lunch and then meet another friend for knitting. Not too shabby, eh?

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Sock and Cat

 

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March

So Gracie has settled in pretty well. She hangs out in the sunroom with us in the evening, curling up in the bed I placed under the end table for her.

And on sunny weekend mornings, she takes advantage of the warm spots.

Such a cutie.

Such a difference from the scared and nervous cat I brought home six weeks ago.

My stepdaughter graduated from the police academy on Friday. Here she is with her husband, a police officer in a different city than her. Cute couple.

Stephanie and Lindsay, in a sisterly embrace.

And the proud papa. He worries about her, but that's what papas do.

I've been knitting and teaching; the second semester started and I've been swamped at work, getting to know the new group of students. Fun but busy, so not as much knitting time as I'd like. There never is, is there? Still working on the knee high boot socks for Meredith. I don't feel like I can start anything else until I finish them, although I'm thinking of sweaters from the book Landings, by Cecile Glowik MacDonald. Check it out, it's a gorgeous book! Happy March!

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