Perfection

The major push we're having at work is almost over - yay! We'll be able to take lunches again and back to our normal schedule starting on Monday. I am so happy about this and didn't fully realize the benefit of taking a break from work until that break was taken away from me.

And yesterday, through a strange little twist, I ended up being the only one at home in the late afternoon/evening. First I took Joe the wonder dog to the park and we both ran around for a bit. When I came home I sat in the chair in our bedroom and was actually able to knit on the Jaywalker sock for a bit. And in the midst of my knitting I realized that I was experiencing one of those rare, utterly perfect moments in time. The sky was a brilliant blue, the light coming in was beautiful, the birds were singing a merry tune outside and a slight, cool breeze was coming in the window and ruffling the curtains. There was nothing else at that moment that could've made it any more perfect, so that was the moment to stop and praise God for all that He has done.

I found the timing interesting as well since during the sermon at church on Sunday our Pastor was talking about coming to Jesus and finding rest. These last few weeks, particularly because of busy work, have been going at a whirlwind pace and I needed that gentle reminder last night that there is a point to all the crazy running around. Rest and appreciation. It really couldn't have been any better.

~ Elizabeth

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul. - Psalm 23:1-3

Happy Sunday!

Yesterday was a 12 hour crop sponsored by my favorite scrapbook store (even though it's 45 minutes away!). Because of work I got there late and had to leave early, but I still was there long enough to finish one page and a calendar! When I showed this page to friends I did get the comment that I scrapbook more about my dog than my kids. Perhaps it's time to pull out the boxes of pictures of when the kids were little, which would be a lot of fun for me to look through and scrapbook.

I did take my camera yesterday, but didn't even get it out of the bag to take any pictures, so I'll have to rely on the kindness of others and get some copies. I did manage to get in several pictures myself though! And this group is amazing to be with as the talent is just enormous. What a blessing to be with all these people and see what they have created!

And today is the day I've been waiting for - we're joining the church today! I am so very excited about this. Really I think once you find a church that's a good match for you that everything else just falls into place. And since my words and deeds are not always what I'd like them to be I'm particularly pleased to be immersed in the Word. Amen!

~ Elizabeth

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs! Psalm 100:1-2

Italian Food Fun

What a fun evening we had - and typing this I'm realizing just how many of our fun evenings revolve around food!!! Is it any wonder I'm working on that weight loss thing??? Anyway, a guy Keith works with told him about an italian restaurant that was celebrating their 40th anniversary with specials. We misunderstood and went last week, but went ahead and ate their and loved it. So last night the three of us climbed into the truck and headed across town.

The specials were only good from 5-10 and we got there at 5:05, only to see a line outside the restaurant! Luckily it wasn't a cold day, so it was no big deal to stand in line and just visit for about 30 minutes before being seated. The special was that they were rolling back prices to what they charged in 1966!!! We had a choice of 3 meals: spaghetti for 1.09, lasagna for 1.29 or a sirloin and baked potato dinner for 2.29. Too fun! And as we were walking across the restaurant to our seat we hear "Keith" and it was the guy from his work that had recommended the restaurant and his family! We went over and met them all and they were really nice.

The only camera I had with me was my cell phone, so the pictures aren't the greatest and I will admit that Keith and Lynne' were getting a little tired of seeing my camera aimed at them by the end of the meal. They were good sports though and I think they're pretty used to it.

Other than eating last night all I did was talk on the phone to a couple of friends. It's been very special to me to get to know two ladies a lot better lately that weren't even in my life this time last year. And of course deepening friendships with those that were. God is so awesome to put so many great ladies in my path!

~ Elizabeth

"A friendship is a treasure chest where precious and shared secrets are kept." - Unknown

Sock Report

I am so tired I cannot even begin to express it. My poor house is starting to show signs of it as well. Last night when I got home we discovered it would only be Keith and I for dinner, so we opted for easy and loaded up Joe the wonder dog and headed to Sonic for dinner. Joe enjoys the trips because he is convinced that everybody parked at Sonic is there to see him and many do come by the truck to pet him, so he's pleased.

When we got home I was all set to watch women's figure skating and knit, but found out they wouldn't be on tv til much later. I wasn't really in the mood for the bobsled races, so I clicked over to some sitcoms instead. I watched and knitted for an hour and the Jaywalker is coming along nicely. I noticed that the purple strands show up in this picture, but the blue looks more gray here. Since the picture was made about 8:30 last night there was obviously no natural light and this was the best I could do.

I guess I'll have to admit defeat on the Knitting Olympics. Though I plug along on these the timing was just terrible what with our manic work schedule right now. That's ok though, it gave me the push to get these going and I'm thoroughly enjoying the pattern and the yarn. I can't wait to finish the first sock and try it on. If these fit as much as I love the way they look I can see me being the Jaywalker maniac like many others are.

And I haven't forgotten the socks from the Jojoland Melody yarn - shown in the banner at the top of the page on my silly cat. That yarn is wonderful, too. I'm really kind of thinking that my favorite sock yarn seems to be whichever one I'm working on at the moment!

~ Elizabeth

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. - Isaiah 40:29

Church and the Home

Sunday morning was the last class at church prior to our joining next Sunday. I knew for sure that this is the right church for us because as soon as I opened my eyes Sunday morning I thought "Oh good, I get to go to church today!". The class consisted of church leaders telling us about different opportunities available in the church, such as missions, music, women's groups, etc. It all sounded so good I was ready to sign up for everything!

And before the class we went to church service where our new pastor (installed last weekend) did his first sermon. It's so exciting as he is just on fire and I feel like the church is going to be even more awesome.

Afterwards the three of us went to Mimi's Cafe for brunch and so that we could the momentum going and talk about the church. They brought out this cute wicker basket filled with jellies, honey and peanut butter alongside the muffins and toast. I of course got teased for taking the picture, but I really think I like this idea and am going to expand upon it in my own home. While I don't have individual condiments served with my meals, I think there will be other ways to use this idea.

~ Elizabeth

"Whether you come in to visit or just to rest when you enter our home may you be blessed." - Unknown

Joe and Chocolate

I was actually inspired to do a layout on Joe (not a surprise), but the surprise is how cool it looks in my head! So all morning long I've been working to get the perfect photo of him for what I need and I think he's getting a little tired of the camera. I believe we're up to 38 pictures is all and I don't find that unreasonable! I did notice though just how gray his little face is getting. He'll be 6 years old in March. Hopefully I'll be able to get the perfect photo and will be sharing this perfect layout soon.

I've also decided that Girl Scouts are really not "all that" like I thought they were. All these years I've admired their programs and such, but not any more - no way. We received our cookie order Saturday from one of the little darlings we ordered from and I have already polished off an ENTIRE BOX of Tagalongs! Oh those little girls smile so sweetly and get you sucked in with their worthy cause and all, then they deliver the boxes of chocolatey, peanut buttery goodness and you try to resist, but the siren call is soon too much. So either it's a big conspiracy or I simply have no will power at all.

~ Elizabeth

"Put a smile on your face, make the world a better place. " - Hershey's Chocolate

Pity Party

Please join me in my pity party and I'll share my whine with you....

I'm at work today - it's Saturday - I should be off and doing something fun. Last Monday started our "push" to get work done and through February we're working 7-4 with no lunch break. But wait - that won't be enough - let's work the next two Saturdays as well. Yep, I'm bitter. I'm trying really, really hard to look past this though and hold on to the fact that I really do like my job and where I work. Except for right this minute. ;)

My February life will probably consist of work, eat and sleep, so blogging is liable to be either sparse or boring for awhile. But sometimes we gotta do what we gotta do to get by in this world.

Oh the good news is tomorrow is the DAYTONA 500 Baby! Now if I can hopefully stay awake for it! LOL!

~ Elizabeth

"Among the humble and great alike, those who achieve success do so not because fate and circumstance are especially kind to them. Often the reverse is true. They succeed because they do not whine over their fate but take whatever has been given to them and go on to make the most of their best. " - Sidney Greenberg

Sleeping Boys

Oh my - it's winter again! We hit a record high of 85 yesterday and now this evening wintery stuff will be falling from the sky. After dinner last night Lynne' and I took Joe the wonder dog to the park like we do many days. When we pulled up at 6:31 my rear view mirror said it was 77 degrees outside. We ran around, but the wind was already from the north and COLD, so we came back sooner than normal. In fact, we were only out there for 15 minutes and during that time the temperature dropped to 62 degrees! That's quite a hefty little drop for only 15 minutes - basically a degree a minute.

I have plans with friends this evening, but if the ice really comes I of course won't go. No sense in driving in the ice when we have a lifetime of fun evenings in front of us!

This morning both of my boys get picture time. There's a whole lot of sleeping going on at my house this morning! The funniest one is Meeko though. For some reason he always wants to sit on Keith's chair and Keith and the cat don't get along at all. I really think that's why he sleeps there - he knows that the fur he leaves behind will annoy Keith!!!

~ Elizabeth

"Scrubbing bubbles does not make a good hair spray." - Mom

Olympics A Go-Go!

DOH! Somehow I got my dates wrong and thought the Olympics end this Sunday, when really I have another week. So this athlete is putting her knitting shoes back on and is back in the race! My arms are doing better after intense therapy (wearing a brace) and I'm hoping that will be all I need. I did manage 4 rounds on the Jaywalker last night while watching LOST!!! (looove that show). And with the Daytona 500 this Sunday I do anticipate lots of "in the seat in front of the tv"time, which translates to lots of knitting time in Elizabeth world.

OK, we've had the sports report, so on to the weather. Here in the Dallas area we're supposed to hit 80 degrees today! And then a cold front will move through and our high on Saturday will be 38 with the possibility of a wintery mix precipitation. Too funny! No wonder everybody you meet is sneezing and such. I keep hearing that those thoughts are old wives tales, but I believe firmly in it. And I'm not really all that old. ;)

So I think we're planning to go out on the motorcycle tonight while the weather is good. I did look at the house this morning while getting ready for work and briefly thought that I need to do some cleaning, but really if the weather will be bad this weekend there's plenty of time for that then. I hate to rush these things.

~ Elizabeth

"For the man sound in body and serene of mind there is no such thing as bad weather; every day has its beauty, and storms which whip the blood do but make it pulse more vigorously." - Henry Ryecroft

Chocolate Dessert

Valentine's Day was so nice! Keith, Lynne' and I went to Olive Garden for dinner and we all shared dessert. The picture is a little out of focus - largely because I was shaking with excitement!!! Oh it was good!

And we did have a "just us" Valentine dinner the night before. I stopped at Hobby Lobby to get an ink pad (half price!), Keith stopped at his hobby store to get some glue and we met at Souper Salad. Our theory was we'd go the day before to beat the crowds. While we were eating dinner we did chuckle over how "romantic" our Valentine's Day was. But that's ok - we love each other very much and really don't need an official day for it.

And, sad to say, we might have an "Athlete Down" situation at my house for the Knitter Olympics. Unfortunately they happened to coincide with a very busy time at work and my carpal tunnel is screaming at me. I'm wearing braces during the day as well as my usual to bed routine and they still hurt. I'm afraid that the knitting might have to be put aside for a few days. I'm going to take Yarn Harlot's words to heart though and remember that it isn't seemly to whine and snivvle about it when things happen. Real life dictates that this athlete also work, so that's what will happen. Or I could be like a certain ice skater a few years back and wail the "Why me?" curses! LOL! And I know that I will finish these socks, just need a few days rest.

~ Elizabeth

"A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success." - Unknown

Scrapbooking Calendar

While I was out playing with friends on Saturday we did take time to crop for a little bit before having dinner. I had gotten this kit from ebay and love the idea. It's actually a mini cd holder, but any more I do will be regular size simply because that's what's available to me. Very simple calendar, yet very cute!

Knitting Olympic Scandal!

I rather suspect that the Review Committee will be seeking me out soon when they hear that I went out shopping and eating with friends all day Saturday rather than working on my event. Oh the shame.... Olympic drama at its finest... So anyway, here's where I am on the Jaywalkers. I HATED this pattern at first because KFB and DD was killing my fingers - especially pushing those size 1 killer needles through. Then I relaxed a bit and let go of the death grip on my needles and now it's flowing along nicely. LOVING the yarn and the pattern didn't require a lot of concentration which was especially nice yesterday afternoon. We did a lot of channel flipping between Olympics, Nascar Bud Shootout and Dallas Stars Hockey.

~ Elizabeth

"Girls just wanna have fun!"

Jaywalkers - Day 1

Friday night the in-laws blew through town and stopped by for a bit. They were at the house for less than an hour, then we all went out for dinner together before they left to head home. A very short visit, but nice anyway.

When we got home we watched the opening ceremony and I cast on the first Jaywalker. The problem I'm having is that I always enjoy watching the Olympics, so I didn't get a whole lot done. My favorite part of every one of the Olympics is watching the athletes parade in. It's awesome to watch the young, hopeful faces and a great geography lesson as well. This picture was taken first thing Saturday morning.

The rest of my Saturday was spent shopping and eating with friends as we celebrated one of their birthdays. Wonderful time together and lots of laughter. I wasn't able to stay and scrapbook into the night as I needed to get home and in bed, but I enjoyed every single minute with them.

And tomorrow is day one of new member class in church and I am REALLY looking forward to it. Every person I've talked to at this church has been great and it will be good to get to know them better.

~ Elizabeth

"True friends are the people that are there for you unconditionally. They are the people that never question you and support you no matter what the circumstances are. They are the people worth living for." - unknown

Cleaner Desk!

Well who'da thunk it? You really CAN be more creative in an orderly space!!! Last night I spent some time in the office cleaning and actually found the top of my crop table. Obviously I'm not finished with it, but this is where I stopped and even made some cards last night. Very exciting and fun! So all those gurus that talk about being more creative when there is not chaos around you perhaps really DID know what they were talking about - LOL! I also do realize that there are the artists among us that blossom in chaos, but I am obviously not one of them - nor do I consider myself an artist. ;)

~ Elizabeth

Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us that we may be saved. Psalm 80:7

Yarn Photo

Since I'll be casting on tomorrow for the Knitting Olympics, I figure I better post a picture of my yarn - and of course Joe! This yarn is Socks That Rock in the Lapis colorway. There is a strand of purple running through that the flash must've washed out. So much fun to handle this yarn and I'm looking forward to knitting with it.

Speaking of Joe, he had a vet appointment again this evening. Still has a skin infection, so back on the antibiotics. He had a blast there though because he is convinced that it truly is all about him and he let everybody play with him. Oh to be a dog sometimes!

~ Elizabeth

"Find the good. It's all around you. Find it, showcase it and you'll start believing it." - Jesse Owens

Sock Team USA

OK, not only did I join the Knitting Olympics - I found out there is a Sock Team so I joined it as well! Just really seemed right since my event is the pair of Jaywalker socks. For part of my training I pulled out the Socks That Rock yarn last night that I'll be using and fondled it a bit - does that count?

A brief recap - my job is beyond boring (but I love it!) and I have lots of time to think during the day. So yesterday I was pondering the Knitting Olympics and how it's taken off like crazy and why we like to do things like this. I know that the outside world (non-knitting, non-blogging) would think it all silly.......and maybe it is. But in the course of our crazy lives having little silly things to band us together can't possibly be a bad thing. And if I end up with a pair of knitted socks when all is said is done I'll be thrilled! Keith and I enjoy watching the Olympics and now I will not feel guilty sitting there night after night watching tv and knitting. So go Sock Team USA! : )

~ Elizabeth

"We all have dreams. In order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort." - Jesse Owens, Olympian

Routine Please

Today I'm back to routine again! My mind is still very discombobulated, but I'm starting to think that might just be my natural state now.

Mom and I had a good time at the knit-in at The Gourmet Yarn Company Saturday night and our picture is even up here! It's a really great group of ladies and the shop is quite nice, too. I had no problem at all finding things to buy. ; ) AND...I finally was able to get a set of #1 dpn's - woohoo! I need them to do the next sock that I have planned, so I'm pleased.

And....I tried to resist, really I did. But the siren call wouldn't let me sleep at night, so....I have joined The Knitting Olympics! I'll be doing the Jaywalker socks (I had tried to resist their siren call as well) and have a beautiful yarn cake of Socks That Rock yarn ready to cast on Friday night. Go Team USA!!!

~ Elizabeth
(sorry no pictures today, my empty mind couldn't wrap around that)

Rainy Days and Candles

How in the world I managed to make it to this ripe old age without falling in love with Yankee Candles I'll never know. Probably I tried to convince myself that other candles were just as good and most of the ones I've gotten in the past were very good. But last night Lynne' and I went to the mall so that I could go into this store specifically for a gift for someone. I got the gift - and three candles for me! This is the one I'm burning this morning and last night was Lemon Lavender. I'm going to have to watch myself as I would like every single candle in that store!

Once again no work on the house last night, but once again we all had a lot of fun. I stopped on the way home from work and got my hair trimmed, so that always makes me happy. Then Lynne' and I went to the mall and Best Buy, since she needed something there. While at Best Buy I got the new CD by Barry Manilow - The Greatest Songs of the Fifties - and a $5.99 CD that was 20 best of bluegrass gospel. Keith didn't care for the gospel one as he said it's too "hick" sounding, but I really like it. And the Barry Manilow one was strange - one side is a CD and the other side a DVD on how the album came to be. We watched the DVD, I went to wash my face and get ready for bed and I heard the Righteous Brothers version of Unchained Melody playing, which obviously Barry Manilow cannot ever match. I went into the office and we ended up singing, dancing and laughing to the song! Joe got all excited and tried his hardest to dance with us, but he didn't know the steps. Good times.....

This morning I'm not listening to either of my new CD's because I'm listening to the rain! Just when we were starting to despaire of ever having rain again, the Lord smiled upon us and sent some down. I'm thinking that perhaps there is a lesson on trust in here somewhere. : )

Tomorrow I'll be heading up the road to my monthly scrapbooking album class in Whitesboro - always a fun time. It shouldn't be too difficult to get ready for since I haven't unpacked the bag from last time since no scrapbooking has been done. That's exactly why I need to get this room more organized though is so that I can sit down and scrapbook or quilt. And maybe that's why I enjoy knitting so much. Since it is portable I can pick it up and do it anywhere. Anyway, after the class and probably after having lunch with friends I'll be heading farther on up the road to OKC to mom's house. Tomorrow night we'll be going to her knit shop for their sit and knit night, which should be fun. We'll also be working on a secret project on Sunday, having dinner with Gary and Michele Sunday night, then Monday we'll be going out to the cemetary to Daddy's grave site. Other than the obvious, it should be a good weekend.

~ Elizabeth

"But I trust in You, O Lord; I say, You are my God. My times are in your hand." Psalm 31:14-15

MMmmm......Coffee!

Given enough coffee I could rule the world! Not that I want to be in charge of anything though. In fact, last night Keith and I were filling out some paperwork for our church transfer and one of the things they gave us is a Spiritual Gifts Questionaire. When all was said and done I scored a zero on the leadership category, which came as no surprise to any of us. Being in charge of anything at all is simply not a goal of mine. I am a sheep and really don't mind being led around. : )

But back to the coffee - again I have to thank Coffeemate for the wonderful flavors they come up with for us. What a wonderful pleasure to start the day! And I also love my assortment of fun coffee cups that I've gotten as gifts through the years. Isn't that a cute golden retriever? And it's not even Joe, though it looks exactly like him.

We had the most awesome evening last night and I'm not even going to feel guilty for not working on the house. Lynne' was at school last night, so when I got home from work Keith and I decided to hop on the motorcycle and ride for a bit, then stopped at Taco Bueno for dinner. I am still shocked that I'm enjoying that as much as I am since I was so against it for so long. What seemed funniest to me though was eating dinner last night with our helmets sitting on the table beside us. Usually when you see a couple in a restaurant with motorcycles they look a little different than we do!

~ Elizabeth

"Always keep an open mind and a compassionate heart." - Phil Jackson

Meeko Belly

Poor Meeko tried so hard this morning to get me to stop rushing around getting ready for work and instead to stop and rub his tummy. I couldn't resist for the most part, but alas, duty called and I had to leave.

Keith and I have started a "mission" to get our two extra rooms cleaned and organized and decided if we spend about an hour each evening working on that, or the garage, or painting - you get the idea - that we should have things pretty well in place by the summer. Well I got home a little late last night, the doorbell rang and a friend had dropped by - yay! We talked for awhile and then she had to run and fix dinner for her family, I went inside and ate, then tried to decide what I would do. Keith had a monster headache, so he decided to lay on the couch and catnap while watching tv, so what's a woman to do but grab the cell phone and start calling people? : ) I ended up talking to my brother and according to the phone timer we talked for.......drumroll......2 hours and 41 minutes! The most amazing part about that is that my phone did not have a full battery when I called and somehow it lasted throughout. It was a really good conversation, hopefully for both of us, and it helped me straighten out some rough feelings I'm having about Monday's anniversary of daddy's death. So a big "High Five" to Cingular for letting me talk so long!

~ Elizabeth