Wyoming Breezes

The urge to finish a project hit me last week, and I spent one and a half days of concentrated sewing to complete Side Tracked . What started as a whim  in January turned into a unique quilt top and used quite a few of my pre-cut scraps. I'd like to donate this quilt if I can find a volunteer machine quilter.

Last night, I watched Jamie Oliver 's Food Revolution on ABC. I was struck by the passion that Jamie brought to this project and angry at the opposition that he faced from the school's kitchen staff and administration. Having worked in three school systems in 33 years, I understand his frustration with the food that is being served to school children throughout the country. When I started teaching, the meals were made from scratch, and for the most part, they were good and nutritious. The cooks pared piles of potatoes, baked their own bread and pastries and cared about the students as if they were their own children: they had a connection and a pride in the food they served every day. Of course, the government provided commodities, but these products were not the entrees, but merely a starting point for these talented ladies. Then, in the mid-90s things changed drastically. The types of commodities the school received were prepared entrees which the cooks heated and served ...

I apologize for not posting recently and for worrying some of you. My health issues seem to have worked themselves out for the time being - still light-headed at times, but I find a seat quickly to prevent another horizontal episode. So why haven't I posted? As impossible as it sounds, I don't have anything to say or share, so I guess a short break is the remedy. This morning the March winds arrived, so maybe they will whisk my ennui away and give me a reason to grumble. Until I find my "voice" again, thank you for your support and kind words.

This project lightened my stash by three skeins. I purchased the Red Heart yarn (Blueberry Pie) at a yard sale for about 75 cents a skein. I have enough left to make one teen hat. It is 27 inches square and knit on size 8 needles. It was my intention to knit a 30 inch blanket, but when I got to 27 inches, I determined I would not have enough yarn.

Thank you for your best wishes and prayers in the last two weeks about my health issues and about my weight-loss quest. It means a great deal to me that you take the time to leave a comment and express support. I was unable to reply to many of your emails because they were set to "no reply." So, if you did not get a response to your comment, it is because I have no way of contacting you. To all of my "No Reply" readers: thank you for your out-pouring of concern and support. Please consider changing your profile (instructions below) so I can respond personally next time. If you want to receive emails back from me or other bloggers, you need to: • go into your Dashboard • click on "Edit Profile" • then put a check in the box that says "Show my email address" (It will not be visible in your comment and is not published anywhere on the blog. It only shows up when someone is trying to answer you from their own email account. It allows them to ...

My section of Purplicious , an Oddball Baby Blanket, was knit with Simply Soft (Lavender Blue) in Seed Stitch . The purples did not photograph in their true colors, simply because of the concentration of blue or red in the yarn, but trust me, they are all purple. Purple is not one of my favorite colors; however, it was a dominant color for the school where I taught for 25 years, and I grew tired of seeing it everywhere. The building was literally covered with all shades of purple. The bulletin boards above the hall lockers were purple, the carpeting throughout the building was mauve, the bleachers in the gymnasium were royal purple, hallways and common rooms had bold purple stripes, etc. Staff were encouraged to wear purple on "game days" to help boost school spirit. I had a lot of purple in my closet in those days - shirts, coats, hats, etc., purchased from the Booster Club. Have you grown tired of a color from over-exposure?

~ Wednesday, March 3rd ~ What a difference just ONE day makes  when the temperatures are in the 50s!   ~ March 2nd ~ ~ March 3rd ~ ~ March 2nd ~ Another storm is due on Friday, but if these temperatures hang around, the snow which has covered the ground since mid-October will be gone, and it may actually rain instead of snow.  It is hard not to have Spring Fever.

We are not retreating - we are advancing in another direction. Douglas MacArthur Could it really be true that Winter is sounding retreat?  From all appearances, it could actually be happening. Last week, the area around this tree was covered with 12 inches of snow, and warm temperatures this week have caused the snow-line to recede. No complaints here. Yesterday, I turned down the heat in two rooms, opened the front door (not the storm door as it is not that warm, yet), let in some sunshine, shook out and laundered the rugs, and mopped the floor. Outside, the birds are singing in the trees. Oh, yes, I think Winter is on the run!

Trust me, working garter stitch with acrylic yarn is much kinder on the hands than is cotton yarn, and my wrist is extremely grateful. This project has been on the needles since January and was pushed aside during my bib-knitting blitz during the Olympics. On Monday, I added another two inches during my volunteer shift at the hospital. I got a great deal on three new skeins of this Red Heart yarn (Blueberry Pie) at a yard sale last summer, and I am nearly finished with the second skein. The final skein should polish off this project. Look what came in the mail last week from JulieK - a lovely crocheted preemie blanket, just large enough for an isolette. Thank you Julie for your generous donation to the baby blanket project.

My mammogram on Friday was anything but ordinary: it was downright scary for me and for the technician. The technician had taken all but the last two images and continued to position me on the machine. I was doing well until the room suddenly turned warm, and I became light-headed. I asked to sit down. Once I had regained my head, the technician took another image, and only the final image remained. She kept asking me how I was doing, and I said, "okay." I just wanted to get it over with and leave; however, my body had other plans. When I came to my senses, I was on the floor with my head on a pillow, a cool cloth on my forehead, and two people huddled over me with great concern on their faces. I answered their questions and rested for a few minutes. When my color returned and my dizziness disappeared, they allowed me to stand up. I refused to be taken to the ER, but promised to inform my doctor. I sat in the waiting room for about 10 minutes under watchful eyes. L...