What a week and it is only Tuesday!!

Last night at church, Sugarloaf UMC, we had the first annual SUM Awards.  These awards were designed to highlight each ministry area and the top volunteer in that area.  I won for the congregational care ministry for my Prayer shawl ministry.

 I won the Golden Needles Award and when the name of the award was announced, I heard a couple of gasps as I am well known for knitting at church functions when ever I can.  If I had planned things out better, I would have been caught knitting in my seat and brought it with me.  The entire night was tongue-in-cheek, but there was a serious side.  The other people that were given awards also work very hard in the church for no real recognition, I know we all do it because we do love what we do.  And that I am humbled to have gotten this award for doing something I love to do, knit and help people.  I have been feeling that I have been slipping in my ministry and in my faith, since my mom passed.  I have been missing something, a hole in my soul, and last night, I really felt the love from all those at church.  I have never really felt part of anything and here at this church, it is truly a family. 

I will be making a new shawl pattern from this book that I was given, I will post as I start making it.  I have some special yarn that I have been waiting to use to make this.  Not sure who I want to give this shawl to, but I know that God will put that person in my life and show me that they need the shawl and the love.

I hope that today is a blessed day for all those that read this blog and that if you like it, please share it and get it out there.  I will be writing again soon!

Another Day knitting Away!!

I belong to this awesome website, Craftsy,com and I really love using it for knitting ideas.  They have online classes and workshops, some free, but I get some great information there and learn how to do new things.  I finally have seen how to do Continental knitting and purling, I could do the knit stitch but the purl stitch I never caught on.  I got the beginner knitting class, there are some great things in there to learn, and I get to keep it forever.  They have crochet classes also, I have a couple of free patterns from there also.

I am working on a great little neck warming scarf, got it from this beginning knitting class, and it is fun to make.  I am getting back on my feet from all the drama of earlier this year, and this is great therapy for me!!

I will post a picture of the finished project in a later blog, just finishing up the first half and starting the 2nd half.  This also keeps me from sewing the cardigan for my daughter, I do hate to sew but I have a training video on this one and how to block correctly, which I was never shown how since I taught myself how to knit.

I hope you all find something to work on, pop on a comment and let me know what your latest project is!  I would love to see it.

11-11-11

Once a century we have this date, happens for each of our months.  But this one is special, this is Veterans Day here in the US and we remember all those men and women who either were called to duty with the draft or volunteered to serve our country.  These brave men and women took a stand and said that our freedoms here in the USA are more important to them then the possible loss of their lives.  I cannot fathom this concept, I would give my life for my kids, but to be in the military and do it for the people I don't know, that takes a special person to do it.  I salute and send my undying gratitude to all those that serve, including my Dad, who was in the forgotten war, Korea. 

Today I want to try and honor those that have served, so I will be visiting the site, www.veterans.com, I saw it on a video yesterday on Facebook.  I want to see what I can knit for them to keep them safe while they are at war, and we are at war.  I have seen some helmet liners and I want to see what else I can make.  I hope to add this to my ministry at church at some point, but right now, my ministry is floundering, I am not being a great leader in this.  Life is getting away from me, I am slipping, and now I need to refocus on my family and my God, putting God first and doing his work here.  There are a number of places that I might be able to add my handiwork, I will have to do more research and get back with you!!

On a funny note, my son who is 8 has decided that he wants to be a soldier when he grows up.  I am proud of that, know it will change, but told him that if he wants to do this I told him that he wants to do this, he needs to go to either the Naval Academy or West Point.  He would have a better chance at the Navel Academy as his great grandfather was in the Navy and we have ties there, but his choice.  He thought that would be cool as he thinks officers get better weapons!!  What an 8 year old mind thinks!!! 

God Bless you and God Bless those that serve and have served!!

Starting Sunday

I have lost 8.8 pounds in 2 months, including a 2 week vacation where I lost 1 pound during it!! I credit that to a change in my thinking, I am much more aware of the portion size that I take and my amount of bad foods that I am allowing in. I am having tons more fruits and veggies when I am hungry, taking a que from my kids who ask for fruit and veggies to eat before junk. Not that they are perfect or I am, but it has been a change in my thinking that I know is making a difference. I am feeling better and eating is a big part of it. If I can keep up my energy with this eating, I will lose the rest of the 43 pounds that I want to lose, maybe more! I also have changed my exercise thinking. I actually walked during my vacation, took out my clothes and shoes and got my butt outside and walked, one Sunday morning for an hour! Since I was not at church I used that time to commune with God, talking over a lot of things with him about life and what I will have to do to make it better. That has been a big change for me also, really coming back to God, making time for him also.

This was a good vacation for me, I am really trying to make the time for me to be with God and take care of myself. Taking time to cook real food and nutrious food for the family, better snacking and exercise for me.  I also need to take time to relax with reading and knitting/crochet.  I have been getting more orders from that part of my life, so I need to get more time set aside so that I can make those items made and sold and make that extra money.

This is a starting Sunday for me, restarting my life!!

Back to work Monday

Well, after being so not motivated to write, I am getting the feeling back!!  Miserable Monday here in Suwanee, overcast, cold (55 degrees in May is so not normal, more like 75) and I am not feeling 100%  I have had a lot on my mind lately, lots of changes going on in my life.  My youngest has her last week of preschool and she is already wanting to go to Kindergarten.  As I will be happy to have the extra hours alone, I will be sad as my kids are growing up.  I do miss the younger years, hard as they were, but that season of my life is over.  Now I have to figure out what to do with my life.  That is not as easy as it seems.  I still want to be home when the kids get home, and I guess I could start doing a lot more at their school.  I will have more time to knit and crochet and make more things for my prayer shawl ministry at church.  But not having a child home to teach and grow, I am letting the schools take that over for most of the day.  I worry about bullies, about the morals that they will see and hopefully pick up the good ones and not have "bad" friends. 

Well this mom will be getting so much more involved with the schools now that I will have the time.  I hope that maybe a part time job around my kids schedule to bring in some extra cash to do some fun things, like a trip to Disney.  I will just keep praying and letting God show me the way!!

Go with God!!

Tuesday is tiring!!

Wow, I am finally finished with my last golf club order from Feb, this was a 4 piece one so it took a little longer.  I am also working on my daughter's Easter Dress, I am almost at the waist, then to the top should move quickly.  I think have to make the front of the dress and sew it all together.  If you hear some screaming, that would be me trying to make the sewing of the pieces look decent!!  I do love the knitting, but the finishing is a bear, but that is also the beauty of it, getting the pieces together and looking good.  When I am done with the back, I will post it.

I am also working on some Easter Bunny Baskets,  these are for the teachers of my kids.  They are too cute and are easy to whip out, so I just have to make sure I have enough White Yarn and Easter Ribbon.  This is a way for me to change my hand movements so that I don't cramp up!!  These are crocheted items, so hands move so differently!!

I have been asked to knit a sample for my local yarn shop, pretty cool as it is a self design from the owner, my friend Kay, and that she trusts my knitting is a great compliment to me.  I really want to get into some designing, I can see things for my kids in my mind, but to translate it, that is the gift I do not have, so I have to learn.  There must be some books or online class that I can take, I will have to start looking for that.

This is a short blog today, I am very tired, have been dealing with migraines with the horrible weather GA has been having these past few days, so I am not doing much but trying to keep up with the kids and laundry!!  We have spring break next week, no plans as my hubby is on Jury duty or he is working, he did not take time off, so we are stuck home.  Now to find things to do.

Go with God!!!