Update post

- Shane and Erika and little Ethan were here this weekend. We drove around downtown, stopped at the Parthenon in Centennial Park, ate at Panera in Green Hills, ordered Famous Dave's, played Uno, walked around Gaylord Opryland, sipped coffee, and had an otherwise lovely time. We hope they find excuse to visit us again some time.

-Lael had battled a yucky stomach virus since Saturday night and appears to be nearly out of the woods. I miss my normal, happy girl.

-I worked in the nursery this Sunday at churh during the 8:45 service, but rushed home to be with Lael and Eric instead of also going to second service to hear the sermon. That's the second time in two weeks I've missed attending service. Next week- I'm there!

-Thursday, I went to the zoo with LaDonna and her three kids to take advantage of the amazing non-winter weather. I actually got a sunburn. We rode the new carousel and played for a long time on the "largest community-built playground of its kind in the country"- the Jungle Gym. The kids are always begging to go in there, and I am always hesitant because it is really easy to get separated and much of the equipment is too advanced for Dean, leaving him frustrated. They did get separated, and Dean did get frustrated but in the end it worked alright.

-Amy hosted the sewing party this past week, and it was nice to see everyone. Only at the last minute did I know i would be able to attend, so it was a real treat. I know Travis was happy I showed up. The food was great and I got a bit of knitting in while we watched the women's free skate in the background. I heart Sasha Cohen, whom many of us Gilmore Girls geeks agree looks similar to "Rory".

-I didn't medal in the Knitting Olympics. In fact, I still have a good deal more to do before the sweater is complete. But, if nothing else, it kick started my drive on a project I've become rather bored with. The remaining sleeve is now almost finished.

- the Knitty surprise is up. I think Starsky is a knockout.

-I quit nursing Lael two weeks ago, and find that my weight has crept up by a pound even though I have been excercising more and eating less junk. Hrm. My skin is also out of control. Crazy girl hormones.

-Eric got a trial of Adobe Photoshop Elements for me, and I haven't tried it yet, but I am excited by the photo potential.

-For the first time, after getting some of Heather's prints in the mail and being impressed, I used Walgreens to print some of our digital pictures. Not happy. The prints that came out are fine, but I ordered a "family pack" of one shot and the 4x6s and 5x7s were fine but the 8x10 came out with a head cropped off. I called to see what could be done, and the Walgreens employee said, "that's just the way the computer does it". I was baffled. After further pressing, she said they would redo it if I came in and that they "probably wouldn't" charge me. Probably? I hear that Wolf Camera on West End is one of the most knowledgable, professional photo shops in Nashville. I was already planning on trying Wolf next, now I'm certain. Maybe I'm just too nitpicky- I want helpful staff and great prints.

-We got a new fish and let Dean name it: Rounder. "Cause he goes round 'n' round".

Little Bro

Everyone needs to give a big welcome into blogland to my brother, Colin. He started a blog this week with much resistance. Plans are for it to be a photoblog and I'm looking forward seeing more of him.

Also, send out big congratulations to him- he has been accepted for transfer to SDSU in the fall and found out this weekend. I am so proud of him! I love you, Colin.

Going Green

To some of you, this is going to make Nashville look extremely backwards. But, our neighborhood has no curbside recycling. Parts of the Metro Nashville city do, but we are actually part of suburban city within the Nashville county that is not included in Curby, as it's called. And when we first moved to Tennessee, we were over the line in Sumner county where there was, again, no city effort at recycling.

Having grown up in the very earth-minded state of California, I was shocked when we first relocated. "You mean, I just toss this can right into the garbage...this perfectly recyclable tin can? Gulp. Okay, I think I can do it.... Are you sure?"

Many of you don't know, but in middle school and a part of high school during that prime "finding your identity" time, I was very into Earth and recycling and saving the animals. I subscribed to E magazine, and had Greenpeace stickers on my folders. I honestly couldn't tell you much about Greenpeace, or plenty of environmentalist issues, but I felt like I could get into something greater than myself. And I did. I became a Christian in the tenth grade. Along side that I became a bit more focused on normal American high school life- grades, friends, sports and a boyfriend. Our house still did the recycling thing, because it is a way of life, but it was no longer about me being an "environmentalist".

As the years passed, and I moved, and married, and became a bit more interested in conservative politics, the earth-loving crowd became the "tree huggers". Even though most of their motives are good I have disliked the way many of the animal rights, recycling, earth preserving groups put all of their causes above PEOPLE. And as a Christian, I am all about people. There needs to be a balance. But I also feel this pull to take care of the things God has given us, because we should be responsible with what we are given. The common Christian term is that we are to be "good stewards". So, if you can just as easily toss a plastic bottle in a bin for recycling, as you can toss it in the garbage- why not? If you can keep things from going to a landfill- why not?

As of last week, even though I have to haul my own stuff to a drop off location, we are recycling our paper, plastic, glass, and metal. Before, we were filling a large kitchen garbage bag a day. Last week, we made it six days before that trash can was filled- and much of that was kitchen scraps. So, now I've been looking into making a compost pile in the garden to use our green waste. I'm not a gardener, so I don't know what I'll do with the rich black soil, but it seems silly to wrap up biodegradable waste in plastic bags and bury it beneath the earth where it can't be used.

This is the little system we have on the floor of our pantry. I've got paper goods in a pile, and bottles, jars, cans etc. in the blue tub. I can't believe this seems "new" to us, but our brains have to be retrained. I've taped a sign to the top of the trash lid to remind us what can go to the bin and Grant loves checking the bottoms of plastic bottles for the recycling code in the triangle since we can't take some plastics.

Some great compost info is here. One of the most economical options is here, while the tumblers have their advantages, but are significantly higher in price. My grandma, a gardener, has been composting for as long as I can remember, and she just has some wooden posts to frame a large wire (maybe chickenwire?) enclosure. Of course, with her, not everything goes in because she tosses a lot of scraps to the birds, foxes, and other critters. :-)

"Bad weather in Dallas? Really?

You don't say."

While on the phone yesterday with Eric's parents, they asked if I'd seen the news about the bad weather in Dallas. It was of interest because Tim and Angie live there, but it was a sore subject for me because the bad weather in Dallas caused a horrible mess for us this weekend.

Shane and Erika and Ethan were scheduled to fly into Nashville Saturday evening around 4:30pm, spend the night, and then leave in the morning to drive to Knoxville to visit her brother and his wife for the week before heading back to Nashville for some beard grower's fun and hanging out with us. The flight was continuously cancelled or delayed and they didn't land in Nashville until 2:15am on Sunday. Ethan, it sounds, was a very good baby considering the crazy day he'd had. Anyway, we didn't get settled into bed until 3am and I think Erika and Ethan didn't fall asleep until 4am. Whew.

Sunday morning we lounged around- letting the kids play, eating crepes, and talking a bunch. I can't wait until we get them back next weekend!

Valentine's Part III

Friday night, Eric and I had our official Valentine's Day date. Thanks are due Kris and Mary for watching the kids and enduring Lael's fussy behaviour.

We had a most amazing time. Dinner at Stoney River. The theme for me was lobster! Tempura lobster tail apetizer with lobster bisque and mozarella tomato salad (the tobacco onion garnish was soooo good) for an entree. It is only fitting that this former vegetarian should fall in love with one of the most expensive meat choices out there. Bring on the lobster! Eric enjoyed the Cowboy bone-in ribeye. The priority seating (not a reservation) worked nicely; we had to wait about 30 minutes. Lunch the next day was leftovers. Yum. My husband looked most handsome all evening and we reflected on all the years we've shared. God has been so good to us.

Afterward we walked around the mall while Eric, unfortunately, had to address a work situation over the phone. It could have been worse. The end of the date included a stop by Starbucks and CompUSA for my iBook AppleCare coverage. Really, you'd think CompUSA isn't all that romantic, but trust me, it was wonderful to walk hand in hand with my sweetie WITHOUT THE KIDS.

And can I just say, one more time, that the man I married is a sight I still love? We were a handsome pair that night. It helped that my hair was cooperating and I was wearing a new sweater in one of my favorite colors (brown).

Valentine's Day Part II

There will also be a part III, as Eric and I haven't actually gone on our date yet. But, he's already given me my gift. It's so funny, because I was just telling a friend on the phone the other day that we don't really do extravegant gifts for each other on Valentine's Day but that we usually go on a date and enjoy being with each other. I am completely happy with that- in fact, I wouldn't wish for more!- but this year, Eric threw me for a loop.

I am typing this from my very own new iBook!!!!

Eeek! It's very cute and new and I can't wait to get to know it better. This whole "switching to Mac" thing is very complete now. Eric sold the PC to someone at work and the iMac is now upstairs in the office running as the main machine. I normally have a used laptop from Eric's work in the kitchen as my computer, and happily so. But, the thoughtful sweet part was that he told me I should have something better than the cast-offs from the office to "be creative" with. Writing, photos, movies. Who knows? All I know is I have a new tool and that my husband is my enabler. :-)

And I must say, I think he's excited that I'm so excited about a "gadget". Hee.

Regarding Love

16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

1 John 3:16-23 via BibleGateway

Happy Valentine's Day!!! May you abound in love while abiding in Him.

Knitting Olympics

Ms. Harlot,

Congratulations on the overwhelming success of Knitters Without Borders, your books, and your fame throughout blogland. You obviously have influence and use it wisely. And, you’ve done it again with this “Knitting Olympics”!

With this fun banding together of common craft individuals you’d nearly done it. You nearly drew me in. I mean, I love the Olympics. I love knitting. Why wouldn’t I be on board? I even like a challenge.

But this whole thing is just going to have to happen without me. You don’t know the two Spidermen that weave webs with my yarn. You don’t know about Tiny Walking Girl that grabs the row counter and runs as fast as her toddling legs will take her so that she can clench the bitty thing in her hands for hours because it is Just Her Size. You don’t know that running this house and getting a shower every day is about all the challenge I can handle and that I’m lucky I ever get to knit, let alone with a 16 day deadline.

I think all the buttons and teams everyone is coming up with are really cute, really. And the fact that I click on knitting blogs and all anyone writes about are the Knitting Olympics is inspiring. And the whole reference to there being more knitters in the Knitting Olympics than athletes in the actual Olympics makes me want to jump in all the more to kick the total over 4,000.

But, I never officially signed up. And I have tons of things to do. And teams are already assembled. I mean, I can watch the Olympics on TV and still knit; I don’t have to be an Olympian. Right?

Right?















Oh, just sign me up already.

Sincerely,
Tisra

That's me. Last minute olympian. Kinda like Emily Hughes. During the opening ceremonies I re-started on my Ribbi Cardi from eons ago. As the country names were highlighted and the cute sign carriers in their Alps skirts pranced around the stadium, I knitted and purled with the thousands of others across the globe. My challenge to myself is to finish the cardigan before the end of the olympics. I have one more sleeve, a button band, a collar, and seaming it all together. We'll see.

I love Number 10

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Tisra!

1. In Ancient Egypt, people wore glittery eyeshadow made from the crushed shells of tisra.
2. Tisra cannot swim!
3. Tisra can grow up to three feet in a 24 hour period.
4. Tisra will often glow under UV light.
5. It is bad luck to walk under tisra.
6. In the kingdom of Bhutan, all citizens officially become tisra on New Year's Day.
7. Carnivorous animals will not eat another animal that has been hit by tisra.
8. If you break tisra, you will get seven years of bad luck!
9. An average beaver can cut down tisra every year.
10. Tisra has only one weakness - the colour yellow.

I am interested in - do tell me aboutherhimitthem

Finally, at 14 months old!

We've been tinking with the new Mac and putting the digital photo library into iPhoto, which is different in many ways from Picasa. The point being, I haven't yet got it all figured out and, therefore, haven't dumped new pictures into the computer. What's a post without a picture? So I haven't posted.

But, here's a short update for now:

- LAEL IS OFFICIALLY WALKING! She spent over a month walking around here and there and sometimes for hours, but never fully abandoned the crawl until Friday (definately Saturday). We have a toddler now. Watch out world- "Party Girl" is on the loose!

It seems like I had much more to update on, but it all seems minor when compared to my baby girl WALKING. Hee. I'm giddy about it...she's so darn cute with her "pigtails" and the clumsy walk. Now she's got to get in the habit of wearing shoes for longer than 3 seconds!

Girlfriends

Heather came to visit, as expected. She arrived Wednesday afternoon and left Friday afternoon. Quick, but good. Just as I had suspected, we talked endlessly. Some things silly, and others quite meaningful. We hit the gym twice, enjoyed lunch at Phat Bites (in spite of three restless kids and no highchair), made a trip to Threaded Bliss, ate dessert at the new Cheesecake Factory (thanks Heather!) and stayed up entirely too late.

I taught her how to knit (Cascade 220 in a lovely green), and hopefully she'll have a scarf the next time I see her!

iMac

This is the computer's view of Eric and I, as taken by the cute little black square at the top of our monitor. We've done it. We switched to a Mac. I've hardly played with it, as Eric has been putting all our old information into it, but the machine is just so darn cute. I love that form and function play together so nicely. A few years ago, we test ran a G4 (I think) and liked everything but the price. This week, Eric tested out an open box buy that was fully returnable within seven days and we decided it was worth getting. We'll return the open box buy (as it wasn't the model we exactly wanted) but yesterday went to the Apple store at The Mall at Green Hills and picked up the keeper. They gave us a home school discount (love that!) on the machine as well as the AppleCare- totaling $150 saved. Also got a free printer/ scanner/ copier (after rebate). So, we have a 10 month old Dell machine if anyone is interested. And a printer. And a scanner. All you people always asking my computer-smart husband what they should get for their home PC might want to inquire. :-)

There are still so many sweet moments that flash through my memory about our recent trip, especially since Eric has begun working on his video editing for The Video of our trip. It's gonna be good. Anyway, here is a sweet shot of Grandma and I knitting away. Since my renewed knitting interest a year and a half ago, I hadn't knit with her. So this was relaly special to us both and we snapped some pics and took some video. Let it be said that Grandma's knitting needs to be viewed in slow motion...she is just that fast! But I guess that's what happens when you've been doing it for over 50 years. I can't gush about how much I love that woman. Isn't she beautiful?! I hope I look that graceful and elegant years from now. Oh. And do you remember the shoulder warmer I had published at chiagu.com? I gave the original garment to her as a parting gift.

Visitors

Yay! Heather is coming to visit for a few days and will fly in this afternoon. We haven't had this much time together in over a year- I want to say it was when Dean was born. I imagine my throat will be sore from all the gabbing.

And then, in a few weeks, Shane and Erika and Ethan are coming to visit. It will be their first time in Tennessee; we can't wait to show them around and introduce them to a thing called "winter". Californians are such wimps. :-)

I love company.