Missin' my hook

Now that the wedding is done and I've begun to settle back into a more normal sort of life. Part of that normal life is one of my all-time favorite hobbies...crocheting!

I had to set down my crochet hook after the summer ended so that I could focus on the increasing deman for my time to be spent on organizing all the wedding details. I didn't realize how much I missed it until I picked up my crochet hook a little over a week ago to begin work on a stuffed animal (my first real stuffed animal, btw). What a wonderful feeling to crochet once again, to peruse the aisles of the craft store for that perfect yarn, to feel the softness of the yarn and the relaxation in my shoulders that occurs when I settle in...ahhhh, pure bliss!

I have many friends who are expecting (babies, if you didn't guess) between now and the end of the year, so now that I've picked up my hook I'm armed and ready to create fun animals and blankets!!! I don't think I'll get all the goodies done by the time each baby gets here because 3 of them are due within 4 months of each other (rain checks anyone?) but I've started and will be a crocheting fool for the next several months!

I'm so happy with how my first stuffed animal turned out that I just had to share some photos. Here he is...

Holy wedding bells, Batman!

I woke up this morning and realized that it is exactly 3 months before the big day! I feel a mix of satisfaction and trepidation as I realize that I have so many tasks complete, yet so many tasks yet to even get started on. I feel very good about what I've accomplished (with the help of friends and family) but I definitely need to kick it into high gear...I DO NOT want to have a ton of things to get done at the last minute!

I'm also feeling a tremendous mix of emotions. The excitement I have for beginning my life with "B" is just boundless but, at the same time, I have so many other emotions mixing with it:

• Fear - of all the changes that will be taking place in my life...new home, sharing a home with another person (pets don't count for preparing for this day), getting to know each other in the day-to-day humdrum of life. And the thing I'm always the most fearful of...the unknown and that whole not knowing what the future holds.
• Sadness - that I'll be further from friends and family than I've been in the past 12 years. They are SO important to me and I get sad thinking that I may not see them quite as much (sniff sniff). I must say, I'm truly bless that "B" totally understands how important my friends and family are to me and has been very sympathetic to know how difficult this change will be.

As I ramp up for the next few months, I'm daily becoming more aware and appreciative of all the wonderful people in my life. My deepest thanks and love to my friends and family for all that you are, all that you do, and for all your love and support...you know who you are!

Scary situation!!!

Tonight I experienced a first...my first REAL car breakdown! I was on my way home from work (running about 10 minutes behind, as usual) and my car was zipping along quite nicely. About 1/2 way home, I stopped at a red light then, when the light turned green and I stepped on the gas, my "check engine" light "binged" and my car stalled...in the fast lane...on a main thoroughfare!!!

Well, I quickly tried to start it back up but, even though it was making a concerted effort, it just wouldn't turn over. So, dial AAA and I got a very slow talker. Very sweet but, when you have cars barreling down on you at 60MPH in daylight so that they can't see the hazards that well...you start to get a little worked up and impatient. I finally had to let her know what a dangerous place I was in and she sped it up a little bit...though, I must say, not much! After about 10 minutes on the phone with her, we were finally done and she did put it in for a rush, which meant someone would probably be out within 1/2 hour. Well, by that time, I was starting to FREAK OUT, because there had been about 10 too close for comfort moments with other cars.

So, then I dialed 9-1-1 to get some cops out there to help. After an exasperating 3-5 minutes talking to the 9-1-1 lady, she FINALLY figured out approximately where I was. Even though I could tell her EXACTLY the road I was on and 2 cross streets within ~100 yards, she needed the town...which I wasn't sure of (UGH!). Thank goodness for the fastest police officers in the East...the first one was there in 3 minutes or less...amazing! And the 2nd was there about another 3 minutes after that! The lovely police officers helped move my car to a gas station across the street...no fun ordeal with no power steering or power brakes when you have to cross not one, but TWO roads in heavy traffic. But with some stellar assistance from the nice policemen, I was in safety in minutes. I did have a dumb "blonde" moment, but I won't go into that!!!

Once I was in safety and waved goodbye to the officers, the tow truck driver came not more than another couple minutes later...about 20 minutes ahead of the estimate (yay!) He was able to tow my car about 10 miles closer to home to his shop at no charge (the shop waved the 9 miles over the AAA allowance...whew). Tomorrow they will run diagnostics on my car and provide me with an estimate (cringe). A couple people thought it might be my fuel pump, which I guess isn't a huge expense, so I'm hoping for something like that.

Well, this whole ordeal was very stressful. I was certain someone was going to plow into the back of my car with me in it, but God just did not have that planned for my day. What I did learn is how helpful people can be:

• 2 cars stopped in the lane next to me to make sure I was getting assistance
• The police officers were great and didn't even make me feel stupid with my dumb blonde moment.
• The tow truck driver was ever so sweet and helpful and the other guys at the shop were so nice too.
• My friend, who I was supposed to make dinner for, drove ~20+ miles to pick me up and take me home.
• And thank good for the Vincentown Diner and for comfort food...diner's make the absolute BEST grilled cheese sandwiches!

Now car-less, I will have to work from home tomorrow (thank you God that I have a job that I can do that with!) but, unfortunately, I will miss our company's afternoon at the Phillies game. It's a free 1/2 day off work but, since I don't have any way to get there, I'll have to work the whole day and will not get the bonus of connecting with my colleagues. Oh well, again, I guess that's just not what God had planned, but still it's a little disappointing.

I'm hoping for a better day tomorrow...and for relatively good news about my car and the amount of $$$ that I'll have to fork over (another cringe).

Relay for Life

On July 26-27, 2008, my mom, brother, future sister-in-law, and family friend will all be walking in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, in Milwaukie Oregon as part of the Curves for the Cure Too team. Relay for Life raises money to fight cancer and raise awareness of cancer. It honors cancer survivors and remembers those who have lost their lives to cancer.

I don't think there is one person whose life hasn't been touched by cancer. My family has experienced the emotional and physical challenges with two members of our family having fought the battle. My grandma lost her fight after a long, hard battle when I was only 7 years old. My brother never got the opportunity to know her. My mom will be honoring her with a Luminaria candle.

But cancer hit me the hardest when my brother Matt was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma at the young age of 8. I was 17 yrs old when he was diagnosed and it completely shook my world (as it did everyone in my family). When asked what the worst day of my life was, there is no question in my mind...I remember it vividly like it was yesterday. Shortly after finding out that his tumor was malignant, my brother was admitted to the hospital for testing. His tumor was in his throat and, since they couldn't start chemo until they finished testing, the tumor continued to grow until it nearly blocked Matt's airway. I will never forget one day toward the end of his stay shortly before they would begin chemo, my mom had gone down for coffee and I sat in the room alone on a counter. I was watching that little tiny boy with his "ET finger" on (the pulse-oximeter). In his sleep he would gasp for air, then hold his breath and I would just wait to hear him breathe out. That is probably the most scared I've ever been in my life. I truly thought I would lose my brother.

Now, when people ask me the best day of my life, I can also remember that day like it was yesterday. About 6 months after his chemo started, my brother's treatments were done. He had gone through the post-treatment testing and we were waiting to hear the results. My brother stayed with the next door neighbor after school and I would always come home after school, then go get my brother. This particular day, I went home and checked the answering machine. I'll never forget the voice of the doctor as she told how Matt was better, no sign of cancer anywhere! So when I went to pick Matt up at the neighbor's house, I was able to tell Matt that he was all better. Well, Matt is now a healthy 26-year old and has been clear of cancer for 18 years! His recovery was largely because of the new medicines, protocols and diagnostic techniques resulting from cancer research. If we had faced his Lymphoma 10 years earlier, he would not be here with us today.

Finally, my future sister-in-law I'm sure will be walking in honor of her dad, who lost his fight in the recent years. We all have family, friends, co-workers or acquaintances who are dealing with or have dealt with cancer in one way or another. There is so much work left to be done. The Relay for Life is a great way to participate physically and/or financially. All money raised is used to support research locally for all types of cancer and important patient oriented programs.

I am asking that you consider supporting this worthwhile cause. Either in prayer, by participating in a local Relay for Life, or by sponsoring one of my family members who is participating in this event this weekend. The donation is tax-deductible and can easily be made by clicking on the link provided above. Your contribution, large or small, will be greatly appreciated and benefit this very worthy cause.

If you would like to sponsor one of my family members participating in the event this weekend, please click on the link above before August 10, 2008 the click on one of the following names on team Curves for the Cure Too page and it will direct you to the individual sites where you can make your donation:
Ann Nodurft
Matt Arneson
Esther Duggan
Jeanne Lang

Thank you for your support.

"Green" with envy

I can't wait to have a house of my own so I can have a garden. I've been hearing from Dirkey and my mom about how beautiful their gardens are this year and then I see pictures and I'm "green" with envy (not really, but I couldn't resist the opportunity to throw in a terrible pun).

Starting in my high school years and thereafter, we always had a garden. Then I had to go and move 3000 miles away so now I cannot enjoy the spoils. Leave it to my mom to make me homesick:) Although I didn't fully appreciate at the time all the benefits of having a garden (maybe it was the incessant weeding, canning, etc...hmmm). But now that I'm older, I am looking forward to having one of my very own. Not sure about the canning, though...jury's still out on that one.

Check out Dirkey's blog to see pic of her beautiful garden and first harvest. And here are some pics of my mom's garden:

My brother put the stone wall up...talented, huh?

And check out the green beans...

Is there such a thing as a safe house?

In addition to planning a wedding, "B" and I are also looking for a house. We're hoping to have something that he can move into sometime in the Fall (sooner if we find a "gem"), then I'll move in once we're married. We went to 5 open houses on Sunday and only one of the houses was even worth considering. However, as we were leaving we decided to check out the sides of the house and "B" noticed a Radon-elimination system. Yikes! We had already decided not to go to one open house that day because it stated that it had one of these. So, we were starting to wonder a little more about the whole Radon thing.

I did some research today and found that pretty much all of Eastern Pennsylvania averages higher than acceptable levels of Radon (a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is tasteless, odorless, and invisible that can cause lung cancer when not detected and in higher than acceptable levels). Every home has some level of Radon, the question is the amount. So, in my research, I learned a lot more and I'm thinking that maybe it's a GOOD thing if a house has a Radon-elimination system, instead of a bad attribute of the house. This way, we wouldn't need to install it...it's already set up, especially with the elevated levels of Radon in many homes in Eastern PA.

What an eye-opener, though. A few days ago I had no knowledge of this house problem and now I know probably more than I ever would have liked. It got me thinking of all the crazy things that you have to keep your eyes out for when looking at houses: Radon, mold, foundation and/or sinking problems (we actually looked at a house where it was evident that the garage had "sunk" about 4 inches!), vermin (the same house with the sinkage also had a dead mouse on the back porch...hmmm, somebody needs to watch "Sell This House"), etc. There is just so much to think about that it can be overwhelming.

I don't think we're being overly picky, but we certainly want a house that will be safe for our future family. And, although neither of us minds doing a bit of work, we don't want to have to do a major overhaul either. It's fun to look at the houses but, when you are looking seriously and want to buy one in the next 4 or 5 months, it can be a little overwhelming, especially with the additional stress of wedding planning activities.

I'm already imagining the craziness that this coming weekend will bring. "B" is working to schedule appointments to view some homes we're interested in (2 or 3, I think), we are finally getting our engagement photos taken on Sunday afternoon, and I'm going to a BBQ at a friend's house. Whew! I don't think I'll be getting much rest:)

As I write this I realize it sounds like I'm complaining about the stress, but I really am SO incredibly thankful for these events in my life. I mean, I asked God for all of this...loving husband, family, home of my own, friends...ALL of it. Yes, it's a lot of life change in the course of a year, but it is also very exciting and, dare I say, fun?!?

Have you ever "tasted" yarn?

My close friend MamaK and I went to a "Yarn Tasting" this past Friday, hosted by Woolbearers, a yarn store in southern New Jersey. It was their 2nd Annual event, though the first of its kind for MamaK and I. So "what is a yarn tasting" you may ask? Well, it goes something like this:

At each seat there was a box filled with goodies, lots of little balls of yarn to try out. Oh, did I mention that all the yarns were "green"? Since I've never been exploratory in my yarn usage, this was a great way for me to get my feet wet...well, my fingertips, anyways. Each of the little balls was labeled with the kind of yarn and there was a sheet of paper to take notes.

All the ladies just dug right in and started working with the fun yarns, while the waitress came around with coffee and tea. Lots of talking, lots of knitting, and then there was me...crocheting. I got a lot of flack from the knitters, but all in good fun.

As the ladies got further into the night with their knitting (and crocheting), the waitress came around with a scrumptious dessert platter and took our dessert orders. Mmm, the chocolate-peanut butter dessert :-p The ladies fell in two camps, those that put down their crafting to enjoy dessert, or those that left their dessert for their crafting.

After dessert, more talking, more knitting (and more crocheting) and boy how the time flies! Since crocheting uses up more yarn, I was able to finish my sampler of all the "tasty" yarns while we were there. Check out the Mini Me pic...crochet vs. knit (though I did have a bit of a headstart). I kept all the tags on the yarns so I can refer to it later to decide which yarns I want to try out on an actual project.

My favorite of the "green" yarns were the Baby Boo (so soft), the Royal Bamboo, the Tapes (both the Soy Silk and the Bamboo), and the Wool Bamboo. Can you tell I'm a fan of Bamboo?

Since neither MamaK nor I were quite ready to call it a night, we decided to go to a nearby diner. MamaK did more knitting, we ate grilled cheese (mmm, comfort food!), and more talking of course. We hung out at the diner until MamaK and I both became incoherent due to sheer exhaustion just before 11:00pm...boy, I'm getting OLD!

Thanks to MamaK for sharing in the experience and making the night extra fun. Thanks for taking all the pics, too! I'll keep my eye out next year and hope we can do it again!

Oh, and here is a pic of my completed sampler.

Visit to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary

This weekend my close friend "B" and I went up to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania.

I was there with my boyfriend in the fall, late in the migration season and, unfortunately, didn't see many raptors. However, at the time I knew I would be back for the exceptional hiking and boulder-climbing that the mountain has to offer. Well, I can tell you that I certainly wasn't disappointed this weekend!

"B" and I took a hike totalling approximately 6 miles. I'm not talking a nice easy path to walk along...no siree! This was all out HIKING! Steep hills, crossing large boulder fields, climbing boulders, and a few gentle paths...but not many.

We started out on the "River of Rocks" loop, which was our intent all along. This is 4 miles in total and descends 700 feet going down one side, around the end of the river of rocks you see in the picture, and up the other side (yes, UP 700 feet!) After the "River of Rocks", we went on to the end of the "Escarpment Trail" to the "North Lookout". The "Escarpment Trail" was pretty much boulder climbing at it's finest. While on the "Escarpment Trail" and on "North Lookout", we saw loads of raptors, mostly black vultures, with a few hawks and what we think was one osprey. At one point we saw 12 raptors soaring above!

We finished off with a short jaunt to the "Sunset Overlook" and hiked the relatively easy path on out, some 6 hours after we had set off on our day's journey. All in all, a great day with no real injuries, lots of good times with a great friend, and great exercise. Oh, and I'm still experiencing the sore muscles!