The ramblings, musings, and observations of a cool chick (newly defined as a 30-something mom) living in the Pacific NW.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Hodge Podge
There hasn't been much exciting stuff happening to blog about [cue crickets chirping]. Sorry for the lack of posts. I've been in a knitting frenzy trying to finish up my most recent project in time for the baby shower at which it will be given, and I'm finally done as of this morning. Cute, yes? It has a front zipper, which was sort of a challenge for me to put in, not being skilled in the sewing arts. The collar is a court-jester style, which is sort of fun. It's for my friend and neighbor, who is having her 3rd baby - a boy. She already has 2 girls, so this will be quite a change for their family. Next (as in this afternoon) I'll be starting a crocheted baby blanket for my youngest sister who is pregnant with her first child. Very exciting indeed. HER shower is near the end of July, so I need to get busy. I've made this particular blanket before, and I LOVE the finished product, but making it can be somewhat grueling. It's not difficult to make, but it's tedious and endless. It's the same two stitches repeated for an eternity, and that repetition gets to a person. No shaping, no color changes, no excitement. But it's beautiful when it's completed, so it's worth it.
On another random note (remember, this is the Hodge Podge post), I snuck away this past weekend to the Oregon coast for a girls weekend with some friends. The same friend I traveled to Palm Springs with last fall and her playgroup. My friends' in-laws own not only the place in Palm Springs, but a gorgeous place at the beach to boot. They live quite well. It was a fun getaway and I got to know some nice ladies over the course of the weekend. One of whom has many similarities to me (according to the others) and it was sort of tripping them out. Apparently many of our mannerisms, speech patterns, and overall personalities are very alike. Also, we have similar hair color and complexions. Our kids are the same age, and they are currently living in another town a few hours away for a few years, much like Mr. Chick and I did for law school. They'll hopefully be back in less than a year. Turns out she only lives a few miles from me. We even wore similar outfits (unplanned!) to dinner, which sort of sealed the deal on our long-lost twin status. One whole day of the weekend was spent doing various crafts. Scrapbooking, mostly. These ladies are master scrapbookers and the sheer volume of supplies they each brought was staggering. But the pages they created were beautiful. Not being much of a scrapbooker myself, I brought my knitting (naturally). I got to sit and knit for hours, chatting away and sipping cocktails the whole time. A perfect way to spend a day if you ask me.
The last day of the weekend, Mr. Chick and the kids came to pick me up instead of me driving back home. His aunt and uncle happened to be visiting the Oregon coast so we met up with them for lunch. Here is what it is like at the Oregon Coast in spring:Note the lovely shade of gray. The mist. The general sense of dampness. The need for coats and hoods. THAT'S the Oregon coast (Cannon Beach - see Haystack Rock?) for 10 mos out of the year. Of course, the wetness didn't stop the kids from wanting to jump the waves and splash about in the freezing water. Which, naturally, got them soaked from head to toe. And sandy. And Mr. Chick was in charge of packing for the day. Which meant he brought their swimsuits. Like the kids would be prancing about on the beach in their swimsuits in 58 degree rainy weather. Uh-huh - NO. To his credit, he did remember a change of pants for each of them - not anything that matched their shirts, but a change nonetheless. But no towel. Nothing with which to actually dry them off and de-sand their feet, etc. Lunch was a tad uncomfortable, to say the least. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted!
Last random note of this post: I'm still being (mostly) diligent with my diet and I'm down nearly 8 lbs. I put on a pair of jeans I hadn't worn in awhile - for no particular reason - and I could tell they fit looser than before. So all my hard work is starting to pay off. If I stick to it I just might hit my goal of being down 15lbs by Nicholas' birthday, which is a month away. THAT would be a great way to usher in summer: 15lbs lighter and celebrating my sons' 6th birthday. I might not even feel guilty about having more than one piece of birthday cake!
Note the lovely shade of gray. The mist. The general sense of dampness. The need for coats and hoods. THAT'S the Oregon coast (Cannon Beach - see Haystack Rock?) for 10 mos out of the year. Of course, the wetness didn't stop the kids from wanting to jump the waves and splash about in the freezing water. Which, naturally, got them soaked from head to toe. And sandy. And Mr. Chick was in charge of packing for the day. Which meant he brought their swimsuits. Like the kids would be prancing about on the beach in their swimsuits in 58 degree rainy weather. Uh-huh - NO. To his credit, he did remember a change of pants for each of them - not anything that matched their shirts, but a change nonetheless. But no towel. Nothing with which to actually dry them off and de-sand their feet, etc. Lunch was a tad uncomfortable, to say the least. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted!
