Happy 2012

I can't believe it is 2012 already.  This is going to be an exciting year.  My oldest graduates from high school and then goes off to college.  She received an acceptance letter from her #1 choice on Christmas Eve.  That was a nice present for her.  She was nervous about not getting accepted, although her dad and I kept telling her she had nothing to worry about.  She has fantastic credentials:  >4.0 GPA, Honors and AP classes, 2 years on varsity volleyball team, National Honors Society member, academic tutor for the school, works part time, great people skills.  Now all she has to do is decide what she is going to study.  She has narrowed it down to business or optometry.  Not exactly similar interests, but I'm sure she'll figure it out. 

With her moving away later this year, I've been thinking a lot about projects to do for her. I've started two things, one a quick project and the other a longer commitment. The first, fast project is a pair of knitted ballet slippers.

These are the Pleated Ballet Flats from Coco Knits.  It is a very fast and fun project.  They look very tiny when finished, but stretch nicely when slipped onto the foot.  It is very important to bind off loosely or with a stretchy bind-off, if there is one (I'm not sure there is).  I bought the pattern and the yarn from Fiberge in Cincinnati while I was visiting my mom last weekend.  I also purchased the Prairie Boots pattern.  Before I make the boots, I'm going to make slippers for my other daughter and myself.

The other Going-Away-To-College project is a blanket.  Kristin likes greens and browns (which I found rather unusual for a teenage girl).  I fell in love with Curve of Pursuit when I saw it mentioned in another blog.  There are so many possibilities for the color variations.  Kristin asked that I make it with the two colors spiralling out from the center.  She wanted it light.  I suggested starting with a dark center and moving outward in lighter and lighter shades.  In the tradition of a log-cabin quilt, I made the center square red to represent the home and heart.  I want her to feel my love when she gets homesick when she moves away. It seems like a fussy pattern right now and there will be lots of ends to weave in on the backside.  I plan to do the weaving periodically as I move along to keep myself from going crazy at the end.


The Christmas holiday was nice this year.  It was different without Dad.  Mom seemed to enjoy herself during the family gathering.  I occasionally hear the sadness in her voice, but she seems to be coping okay.  Her faith is tremendous, so she knows Dad is in a much better place now.

For myself, I'm commiting to taking better care of myself.  I want to live a long time and see my grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Last year was so stressful and it took a great toll on my body.  This year I'm going to try to manage the stress better and take better care of my body.  (Right now is a great temptation because my son just baked some cinnamon rolls and the wonderful aroma is filling the house!)  I want to work up to exercising 6 days a week, eat healthier, practice relaxation techniques, and be more demonstrative with my love for my friends and family. 

So on that note, thanks for taking time to read this blog.  I know there aren't many people who visit, but I appreciate each one of you.  Happy and Healthy 2012 to you!