After a Long Disappearance...

Yes, I am still alive...in case you were wondering.
All I have to say for myself is that I do acknowledge that I have a weakness in keeping up with things...perhaps it's tied in with my bad habit of procrastination? I don't know...but there it is - my full confession. Perhaps I'll do better now. I'm granting Lizzy full permission to hold me to it as soon as she's finished throwing her little party.

So, what have I been up to? Lots. If you take a look at my site, you'll see that it's being majorly updated - lots of new stuff! Once I get all of my new things on there, I plan on making a nice banner. It's just plain wrong to have text up there when I love to make pretty graphics. I also noticed that I really need a new blog banner, too.

Knitting - lots of knitting! I always knit when I listen to John MacArthur (you can download his daily radio shows at gty.org) and audio books (LibriVox.org - free audio books that are in the public domain, meaning before 1924). As usual, I'm in the middle of several projects, but I like it that way. I like to do a little bit of one thing, and then change and do a little of another. Once in a while I'll have a project that I do straight through, and usually very quickly. :P Last week, I started and finished both a shawl and a cabled scarf. Right now, my main projects are a set of placemats for my grandma, a triangle lightweight shawl, and a pair of socks. I'm determined to knit a pair that are the correct size. I think I've got the right pattern this time. Pattern writers need to realize that not all women have a medium-sized foot. So many patterns are for women with medium-sized feet....that's not a 9 1/2! I guess I need to learn how to edit a pattern to make it bigger...but I think I'll learn to knit socks better first. :P

Reading. :) Have any of you read Mark Cahill's books? I highly recommend them. One Thing You Can't Do In Heaven and One Heartbeat Away. Check them out at MarkCahill.org.
I'm also reading the gospel of Matthew this month. I enjoy reading the Bible in different translations or study Bibles. We have so many good ones. The Modern King James translation by Jay P. Green is very good, and a recent addition to our library is the "restored" 1599 Geneva Bible that Marshall Foster gave to my Dad (he basically ran his table at the CHEF conference this year, and a few years ago, as well. He's such a nice guy, and has blessed us with wonderful products from his table). My Dad also has John MacArthur's study Bible (a father's day gift from his children) and I have E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible. Today, I read from The Message Bible...a very interesting translation. I think most are familiar with The Message by now? "The Bible in Contemporary Language". Parts of it are translated very well, I think....other parts not so much. :P One passage, in particular, made me laugh today. It's from Matthew 6: "And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?" Ha, ha! I can see it now...God is sitting up in the balcony with his little spy glass watching the Pharisee's on stagereciting their elaborate prayers....um, yeah.

I also like to take walks when the weather allows. Here are some pictures from them:
Exploring the Lake
Old gravel road with a creek (only the first 19 - the others are older)
The old horse stables

Soo...the conference went well this year. I had a table for my jewelry again, and it sold pretty well. However, I managed to get a bad ear infection because of the air conditioner blowing on my all of the first day. That wasn't fun. :( Photos can be seen here. About the time that I got over that, my dog got sick. She's 16. After much worry on my part, she did recover, and is almost her normal self now. :) She doesn't jump anymore, and has some trouble with the stairs. But I can deal with that. I'm so thankful that she was spared to me, because I can't imagine doing without her.

A question for my readers (if I still have any left): For future posts, what would you like to see most? Graphic art from me? Drawings from Ahnnah? Something else? Leave your suggestions in the comments. :)

I guess I'll leave off there. I have a book to pack for Paperback Swap for Mom and it's getting late. Goodnight!

Awards and Honesty

I was given the "Honest Scrap" award by Erin at Erin's Artistic Expressions and Lizzy at Tinker Girl's Blog. Thank you, both! :D

Here are the rules:1. Say thanks and link to the person who gave you the award.2. Share ten "honest" things about yourself.3. Award this to seven people whose blog design/content you admire or who have encouraged you, and inform them of their win and of the rules of this award.

1. I have perfected the art of procrastination. :P

2. Currently, I'm in the middle of at least 5 knitting projects.

3. I can read 630 words per minute and I plan on getting faster after going through exercises with my mom for a month.

4. I plan to knit at least half of the gifts I'll be giving for Christmas, and wish that I could do more.

5. My walls are awesome...they're covered in Lizzy's drawings, and now my sister's, too! :D I'm working on getting them all framed.

6. If I gave you the numbers of music files, photos, fonts, and Photoshop brushes that I have on my computer, you'd probably faint.

7. I teach more of my sister's school subjects than my mom does. I think they both prefer it that way. :P

8. I can use sign language in front of a large crowd with no problem at all, but ask me to use my voice and I'm a nervous wreck...even with a small crowd.

9. I actually enjoy it when the electricity goes out...I just wish that everyone else wouldn't complain so much and act like it's the end of the world.

10. I now have 3 different instant messenger programs on my computer. I mainly talk to 3 people, and each of them use a different one. I like Windows Live the best, and am glad that I can talk to Yahoo users with it. I wish that I could use it for Google Talk users too...maybe some day. :P

Lizzy also gave me a second award...

The rules are: I have to list 5 facts about her, and then 10 about me... Then award ten other people.

Is this payback for the previous tags I've given you, Lizzy? :P I've been sitting on #2 of the above award for a week! And now I have to come up with 10 more things?! Sheesh!

5 Facts About Lizzy:

1. She has Russian ancestors and is proud of it...though sometimes I think she wishes she had Irish blood flowing in her veins. :P

2. She is the artist behind my wonderful new profile picture. :D

3. Her colored drawings amaze me, and I wish that she'd do more of them. (Maybe we could start a petition? :P)

4. She owns horses and is currently training one that was born on her farm not too long ago.

5. She's planning on having a Russian-themed wedding.

Now me again....

1. I hoard candles and have more than I know what to do with. I inherited that trait from my grandma.

2. I express my feelings through poetry, but more often when I'm sad and gloomy. Therefore, a lot of it has not been read by anyone but me. I also have a lot of little pieces that have never been completed. I'm sure my stack of post-it notes with little rhymes on them has reached 100 by now. :P

3. Saltine crackers are my comfort food, but I've become so addicted to them that they're often my lunch too, and my midnight snack. I once had a whole package without salt...and still ate them anyway. :P

4. It's very hard for me to type a line without a smiley of some sort at the end....or an extended line of periods.

5. I am extremely cold-natured and wear long sleeves throughout the summer. Yes, it may be hot outside, but that just means that the AC is on inside.

6. As a result of fact #5, I have a supply of blankets in every part of the house that I frequent. Since winter is coming, I'm going to have to re-supply the living room. My mom actually began getting cold last year, and skinny as my sister is, she's cold too, so my blankets get used. The thin ones that have always been there have become dog blankets...I guess everyone likes my thick fleece ones.

7. In the areas of books, coffee, and chocolate, I am my mother...I can't get enough of them.

8. I have what you could call a "second breakfast" every day. After the main part I have something that I can eat as I drink my coffee (or tea...depends on the day). Multi-grain bread with honey, toast with strawberry preserves, cinnamon graham crackers, cookies, etc.

9. If I had to pick one of the cleaning jobs that I'm in charge of that I like the most, I'd actually choose cleaning the toilets because it's quick and easy. Washing dishes is much worse in my mind because you actually have to put your hands in the dirty water. That's why my younger sister gets to wash them, and I get to dry them and put them away. :P

10. After working on this for nearly two hours, I need to wrap it up because I need to have dinner ready for when my dad and brother get home at five. Mexican Pasta with Texas Toast. :D

I'll tag Firieth and Unveiled Hope. If anyone else sees this that hasn't been tagged yet, then go for it! ;)