Back! ...maybe...

Things need to be dusted off and cleaned up around here! I am thinking about doing just that and starting to blog again. I am feeling particularly inspired lately. Not because I have all of this wonderful wisdom to share but because, well, I don't.
You see, I like reading blogs about people who are normal, people who are like me. People that lose their patience, yell at people sometimes, get distracted and frustrated, don't vacuum or dust or clean their toilet every day (or even once a week at times... come to think of it when did I last dust anyway...) who struggle with meal planning and shopping trips with a little one (or more... gosh I only have one, how do some of you other women do it?), can't always think of fun/educational/engaging things to do with a toddler and subsequently turn on (insert your media of choice here, Raffi and Super Why are favorites around here), who want to be a whole lot better than they really are and are painfully and slowly trying to make their way toward heaven.
I also have been going through somewhat of a tough spot lately and reading other mother's blogs about how they sometimes lose it or have awful days has really helped me get through it. Well, that and the grace of God... So here it is, my own little imperfect corner of the web. I hope it helps someone else, if only by letting you know you are not alone.

FO Friday

Longies finally done!

Musings

I was thinking today about how flowers are testament to the existence of God. Such living beauty, existing for no other reason than to be beautiful, can only come from a perfect and perfectly loving being. Perhaps, even, they exist as a tiny reflection of He who created them, for surely their scientific purposes could have been served in a much simpler, plainer, and more energy efficient manner. No, I think they grow and live and exist in exultation of His glory and goodness and beauty, turning their faces toward heaven as if singing "Glory, Glory, Glory!", silently shouting of His most wonderful grace. To be such a flower, a fingerprint of The One Most High, existing only to please him, must be a wonderful existence indeed.

FO Friday

My latest Finished Objects!
Not much here because I haven't had much time to knit.
First we have a little cell phone cozy which was conjured up to use a small sample of lovely BFL spinning fiber that came with a drop spindle I received as a Christmas gift.

Next we have a little sweater I made for a friend who just recently had a baby. It is a little large (this is an understatement). You can see it being modeled here by my lovely little amazon of a 1 year old. She is off the growth charts for weight and height so I am thinking this should fit the little guy next year... or maybe the year after! :)

Spring

Is here!And so are my new cloth diapers!!
The happy recipient (no action shots yet :( )

WIP Wednesday

So here are some projects I am currently working on:
First up in the spinning department is some lovely purple variegated wool that is destined to be my first pair of homespun socks.
Next we have some 100% silk on the drop spindle my sister got me for Christmas.For knitting we have: Baby Yeti
Some generic man-sized socks
And another little project I hope to feature on my FO friday post this week but it is a surprise for a friend so pictures later.

Back...

After my lenten hiatus from the interwebs. Look for more crafty stuff coming up soon!! ;)

MROL book study week 6

This week's topic was the fifth "P", provider. This is one of the areas I have totally reevaluated in the last few months and continue to assess. Since I began to stay at home full time I have realized a lot of things about being a good steward of our family resources. The biggest thing I have had to overhaul is how we spend our money, especially since there isn't much of that coming in lately. We pretty much went from spending whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted, to being on a pretty tight budget. Curiously enough I have found this to be less restrictive than I thought it would be. It feels more like a challenge than a hardship, if that makes any sense, and I actually kind of enjoy trying to figure out how to best spend the money we have budgeted for various things. This chapter goes far beyond simply living within your means, however. I also find I am thinking more about how to be a good steward of the physical resources around me, turning down the heat if we are going to be out all day, turning off lights in rooms we aren't using, cooking with the idea of creating as little waste as possible and trying to find creative ways to use up little bits leftover from meal preparation. Recently my thoughts have been turning to spring and planting a garden. I hope we are able to plant some fruit and vegetables this year which would help with the food budget. I have even considered going back to cloth diapers but haven't gotten around to that yet. I keep thinking of the last time we put a cloth diaper on DD after she hadn't been in them for awhile. She cried and cried till we took it off and it was barely wet... I think I will save that experiment for a day when I am feeling particularly patient. The biggest thing I have gained from this chapter is realizing that we don't need to be good stewards simply because it is the most efficient way of doing things, but because we are called to do so. Next on my list is to put our living space in order and give everything its own spot or "home" so that everything has a specific place. I am not sure if this will happen slowly, as an evolution, or if I will simply have to just do it in the space of a few days one weekend. I will let you know how it goes.

FO Friday

Well, with all the moving and whatnot, I don't have many Finished Objects to post today but I have two. One I just finished this morning! The first is a dress I started way back in June and gave to my niece for her birthday. It is still a little big yet, hopefully it fits her well this summer.

The second is this hat which I just finished:
I liked the pattern so much I made one for DH too (the other one went to my dad). Best of all I didn't have to buy new yarn, I just used the leftover yarn from the first hat. I am hoping I have enough left over to make a short pair of matching(ish) fingerless gloves for DH.

MROL book study week 4

Well I am a little behind due to all the moving and general busyness around here but I am still following along with this book study. Since I am behind I am going to post on last week's topic, the third "P", partner. What I am taking away from this chapter is the need to really LISTEN to my husband and not enter a conversation with preconceived notions about what he is thinking/feeling. I also am trying to do more things for him and for our marriage and not focus so much on myself. This includes penciling him and his activities into my master schedule (which is an ongoing work in progress) as well as allowing for flexibility so that I don't get irritated when things get off schedule. Also I am striving to make myself more... available (shall we say?) to him on a more regular basis. For more on this topic and the next topic -parent click the picture to go to Jen's (the hostess) blog.