Season of Changes

Summer will be officially over soon.  The school routine is back and I'm starting to think about the future. There are a lot of changes coming soon.  It is appropriate that it will soon be autumn, the season the most dramatic changes.  We've taken Blake on a few college visits.  Now we need to get working on his applications.  Kristin has several dental school interviews lined up.  Trisha has started her clinicals.  Ed has done some goose hunting and will be off to Chattanooga for another Ironman triathlon.  I'm working on several projects and trying not to focus too hard on how many days I have left to work.  (Eight weeks from this past Friday for those who are counting.)

Trisha's lab coat has been tailored.  I shortened the sleeves and the hem as much as possible.  I think it turned out well.

The other morning when I was leaving for work I noticed this beautiful cloud.  It made me think of wool roving.  I had to fight the urge to call off for the day and pull out my spinning wheel.

I finished the Java socks.  These are getting tucked away now to give to Trisha for Christmas.

My "take-along" project is now a pair of socks for Ed.  I'm trying the afterthought heel technique.  We'll see how they turn out.  I hope to gift these for our anniversary in a couple weeks.

I also would love to have the Custom Fit sweater done by mid-October.  A couple of my sisters and I are planning on going to Rhinebeck.  I would love to have this sweater to wear there.  At the rate I knit, though, I doubt I'll have it finished.

Decision Made

I didn't mean to be away so long.  Honestly, I don't know where the time has gone.

As I mentioned in my last post, I had a big decision to make.  I decided to take the retirement offer.  I will be leaving my job sometime in November.  The plan is to take the holidays off and then find a job in January.  I feel very good about my decision. In fact, I don't have a single ounce of angst. A friend tells me I should be at least a little worried, but I don't agree.  Ed and I put a lot of thought into this decision.  It is the right thing to do.

The week before having to make the decision, we took a vacation to Florida.  It was very relaxing.  The mornings were spent on the balcony reading a book and drinking tea.

In the evenings we went out for dinner and then explored a little of Orlando.  We didn't go into any of the theme parks, but we did visit Downtown Disney (terribly under-construction!!!), Universal's shopping district in front of the park and Disney's Boardwalk.  It is a tradition to spend an evening walking around the lake at Disney's Boardwalk and then watching the Epcot fireworks.  It was a beautiful evening with dramatic clouds.

After coming back home, it was "Back to School" time.  The girls headed back to their colleges and Blake got ready for his senior year of high school.

Here's Trisha in her lab coat.  She will begin clinical rotations this year.  I have a bit of hemming to do on her lab coat.  Believe it or not, this is an extra-small!

Here is Blake's last "First Day of School" picture.  This is bittersweet.  It is a great picture of him, but I'm sad to see my baby grow up.  The smile on his face is genuine.  He was very excited to head back to school.  He loves his classes and is going to have a great year.

Kristin sent me a "Last First Day" picture.  She is a senior in college and will be wrapping up her undergraduate work this year.  She is in the process of applying to dental schools.  So far two of the 7 she applied to have asked her to come for interviews. She's hoping for at least three more interviews.  We're keeping our fingers crossed.

Many of my weekends are still spent traveling to Cincinnati to visit my mom.  She is in a nursing home now and is showing a few signs of dementia.  Her personality is volatile and I never know what attitude I will encounter when I visit.  Some visits are emotionally difficult while others are very pleasant.  No matter how she is I still treasure every minute I have with her.

The weather for the past week or so has been in a very tropical pattern.  The days are hot and humid with thunderstorms popping up late in the day.  Below is a cloud with a rainbow coming out of the bottom that I saw while coming back from Cincinnati last weekend.  This picture doesn't do it justice, but the rainbow was very vibrant.

On the craft front I'm trying to finish up a couple UFOs.  The first is the Jenny's Faith shawl.  I just recently realized that I am using the wrong size crochet hook.  It will end up being smaller than planned,  more like a neck scarf than a shawl.  I was wondering why I wasn't using up the yarn as fast as I thought.  The pattern called for two skeins but I'm still on my first.  Then I reread the directions and discovered my mistake.  After I block it out a little it should be fine.

I'm also trying to get these socks finished.  These will get set aside to give as a Christmas gift.

I'm not sure what I'll pick up after these are finished.  There are so many UFOs still hanging around.  But there are also so many fun projects to start.  Time will tell.