Good Bye St. Margaret's

Today was the last service at the church I work for, St. Margaret's Episcopal Church. The church is officially closed. The picture is the cover of the last bulletin. The first service was Margaret Seton Fleming's funeral in 1878. In case you're wondering, she's NOT the Margaret the church is named for, that would be Saint Margaret, you know...the Saint.

The office will close on Wednesday.

I'm really sad when I think about only three more days of work left. My partner in crime, Diane is so much fun to work with and our Priest, Mtr. Kimberly is wonderful. I've learned so much on this job. Maybe someday I'll find another like it...I can only hope I'll be so lucky.

Here's what has been going on...

I finished a sweater...but haven't bought any buttons yet. The yarn is thick and warm, kinda tweed-y looking. It's long and the sleeves are long...so good for wold fall/winter days in Maryland maybe. We'll see. Gotta get those buttons first.
Just in case you were having a bad day...he's Joey to cheer you up.

Last weekend we went to Opopka (near Orlando) to watch the drumline compete. Since I don't post many pics of Mike, thought you'd like to see him. We were in the stand waiting for the show to start. On our 2.5 hour drive, we took the scenic route and ran across some interest things...

This was a garden shop...with more than you could even imagine, including Godzilla. Alright, alright, maybe that's just a t-rex, but it looks like Godzilla to me.

Atlas was there too.

And Velocity came in third. Here's the WGI website link...Joey's photo is on their front page. You have to check it out! It's the Orlando Percussion Photo Gallery and his pic is the fourth one. You can click ahead or wait in suspense. Great photo...even he likes it!

And Justine got her ears pierced. Just like Veronica. Of course.

Maryland

Well, I thought 2012 was gonna be a big year. Little did I know. We got word last December that Mike's company was closing the Jacksonville office. The good news was that they weren't going to lay off everyone, but only a handful would be transferred to their Maryland office. After waiting to hear, we found out that Mike was one of the few to be transferred. Then after A LOT of waiting, he got an offer letter and finally accepted the job. So it looks like we'll be moving sometime this summer to Maryland. The logistics of what needs to be arranged and coordinated before then seems like an impossible task. Somehow we'll get it done. Saying good bye to our new "family" and friends here will be so heart wrenching. Veronica will go to college in Florida, so there's that, too. I better stock up on kleenex now because I'll be crying for weeks if not months. Anyway, that's our big news.

So Joey had a birthday...

I can't believe he's 16! He's taller than Veronica and still growing...yeah!


On the knitting side...I finished a hat and a sweater. The sweater is blocking. It turned out great...long (butt warmer) and cozy. Might come in handy in Maryland. I'm going to start working on more hats/mittens/gloves/scarves/sweaters...ok, no need to go crazy, I know. It does open up a new pool of patterns and yarns though. And there are a TON of yarn shops in Maryland too. AND they have their own festival: Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. Sweet! I'm working on the that "bright side."

B-day Present

She's got bling!

By The Numbers

182

How's that for a number? 182 Days until the Summer 2012 Olympics in London. That's roughly 6 months. The Olympics run July 27 through August 12.

200 Nations will bring 15,000 athletes to compete in 26 sports that break down into 39 disciplines. For example...Swimming: 950 athletes will compete in 34 medal events. I can't wait to see what Michael Phelps will do this time!

Olympic Stadium will hold 80,000 spectators. I'll be watching from the comfort of my couch.

When I was a kid, I remember being glued to the TV for the Olympics. That long 4 year wait between each one really helped to build enthusiasm for the events. My high school friends and I used to go nuts for Eric Heiden's thighs. When I ask friends now if they watch the Olympics, the feeling is generally "ho-hum". I have trouble understanding this. It's so exciting! Maybe because I've competed (ok, that's a huge stretch of the word) in events that included swimming, biking and running I have an appreciation for the spirit of the events. But I'm equally thrilled with the Winter Olympics and I've never been skiing. In fact, the last time I ice skated, I broke my elbow.

I love the whole package of the Olympics. The thrill of the competition, on-the-edge-of-your-seat finishes, I love the "back stories" of the athletes, learning about the athletes from other countries especially and about the hosting country.

AND the added bonus is the knitting slant...The Knitting Olympics! (Come on...you really didn't think there could be something I love so much like the Olympics and it not include something to do with knitting, did you?) The Knitting Olympics: You cast on a new project during the Opening Ceremonies and finish it during (or before) the Closing Ceremonies. Um, yes, I can see you're doing the math as to how many days that gives you to knit something, not a lot...and the project should be something that would be difficult to do in the time allotted. You know, so you're working hard to accomplish something...like the athletes in the games. Knitting Olympics...get it?

Alright...you can pass on the Knitting Olympics if you must, but please mark your calendar, get your butt on the couch and watch this year!!

Cake Time

Lighting all 18 candles...
"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Veronica..."

Make a wish!

Orangie

I finished Justine's sweater last night. Now she has an Orangie to replace her Greenie.

I knit this for her back in May 2008.

She wanted another sweater out of Crayon, a very soft 100% cotton from Knitpicks that is wash/dry wonderful. Unfortunately, their website shows that every color is being removed. Now, this may mean they're getting all new colors OR they could be discontinuing the yarn line. It is a very nice yarn, but the boucle may turn some people off because it is kinda a pain to knit (you have to have sharp needles). I have two more colors in my stash...yellow and brown. I bought a ton to make an afghan and of course, changed my mind.

Anyway, I made this sweater by creating my own pattern with Elizabeth Zimmerman's guidance in her book, Knitting Workshop. My mom will be so proud! I knit the body, in the round to the chest, then the sleeves in the round (magic loop) to the pits, then joined and worked a raglan decrease till the neck was close to done. I then worked a few short rows to raise the back for a better fit...then the neck band. Done! The sleeves are LONG (per the kid), 19.5 inches. What can I say? She likes a long, long sleeve.

The sweater turned out so great...and Justine never took it off, once she put on the finished product. If you're thinking that Lyra looks pissed...well, that's just her normal cat look.

About 2 seconds after the photo was taken, Mike sneezed and the cat freaked...jumping from Justine's lap and scratching her neck. Never a dull moment.