Creating Lace

Moving Again

2007-10-21T13:52:00.000-07:00

Once again everyone I have moved. You can now find out about all my creative adventures at www.creatinglace.wordpress.com.

Tea Time

2007-10-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

Last year I decided that I wanted to start collecting tea pots. So when Christmas rolled around I handed Geoff the Stash tea catalog with a whole bunch of stuff circled. This is the tea set he picked out, and it wasn't even circled. He did a great job because it goes great in my kitchen. Well this past weekend we woke up asking each other the same question we ask every weekend, "what are we going to do today"? Well we decide to go to IKEA. I have always heard great things about IKEA, but have never been. Upon arriving I learned to never return on the weekend. I hate crowds. So while wondering through the store I found these plain white canvas place mats for $.99. I grabbed four, and now wish I had grabbed more. I immediately knew what I was going to do with them.
So when I got home I pulled out my Sublime Stitching book, tracing paper, and my chalk pencil. The iron on's did not work, the tracing paper was to smudgy, so free hand with a chalk pencil is what I ended up doing. I had designs to go by though. I have finished one, and have three left. I think they will go perfectly with my whimsy tea set. Now I just hope the chalk washes off.

What is a MEME?

2007-10-15T07:25:00.000-07:00

My sister nominated me for this MEME thing. I don't know what that is. I understand that you have to say 8 random things about yourself, but what does the word MEME have to do with talking about yourself. So here are my 8 random things about myself (I hope I can think of 8).

1. I am the youngest of 4 kids, and love it. The only thing that stinks about this position in life is the lack of baby pictures.

2. After a minor accident when I was 10 or 11, I can now bend my baby toe completely side ways. Seriously it bends from the middle of the toe. I don't know I broke, but it never healed properly.

3. I currently have 5 different crafting projects going on right now. All of these projects are assigned to a different room. That means I work on them in that room, but occasionally one might wonder to another room.

4. My favorite bible verse is 1 Corinthians 16:14. Do all things in love.

5. I enjoy learning about history.

6. I am trying to go green. I use all of my own bags at the grocery store, instead of plastic. I also try to use non-toxic chemicals in cleaning my house. When it is nice out I try to hang my clothes out side to dry (that is if I remember to drag the drying rack out).

7. I don't enjoy making the same thing over and over again. For example I once smocked 2 dresses in a row of the same thing. I thought my fingers were going to freeze up and I got this horrible stir crazy feeling. Mass production is not my style.

8. I always wanted my mom to teach my to sew growing up. I used to always look at my moms old singer in amazement, and wish I knew how to use it properly. I understand that she didn't have the time. She worked and had 4 kids. But I know how now and that's all that matters. Thanks mom for the inspiration.

There you have it 8 random things about me.

Trees

2007-10-11T19:32:00.000-07:00

If you have never heard any sound come out of my mouth you would not even know that I am from the South. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE having a Southern accent, but my hubby and I agree that what we don't like about the South is the heat. It seems that now that global warming is setting in, the heat is getting worse. We do love cool/cold temperatures, and Fall. I am so glad it is here. I Love seeing Pumpkins everywhere, and everyone celebrating the harvest. I also Love the changing of the trees. Did you know that leaves on trees change colors in the fall as a result of the shortening of the days (once again my nerdiness prevails). I find that fascinating. You absolutely can not beat Fall in the North East. When we lived in New York, I was amazed by how beautiful the dying foliage of a tree could be. Well it seems that Washington is proving to have some beautiful colors as well. Its amazing, because no matter how hard you try to duplicate the colors of the changing trees, you can't. These are colors that only God can make, and how glorious is that! Since the weather is getting cooler I should be cuddled up with some knitting, a cup of tea, and a warm quilt. I just Love this time of year!

I'm Back!!!

2007-10-06T16:39:00.000-07:00

Last month was absolutely crazy, so I took a break from a lot of stuff, including blogging as you can tell. I have to say it was a nice break. Sometimes I find it hard to think of things to right about. But I am back now. I am currently working on 4 projects. In my craft room I have 2 cutting mats. One has one project in the works on it and another on the other.

I took an order for 8 apron the other day. I am glad I make them, but I am starting to resent them. This is why I don't make stuff to sell at shops. I get tired of making the same thing over, and over, and over again. One time I smocked to bishop dress with the same pattern. One right after the other. I felt like I was going stir crazy. I need change and inspiration. I like to try new things. So I will slowly get 8 apron done in the next few weeks, all the while wishing I was starting something new. Second project on cutting mat 2. I actually started this way back in 2005. I had all this extra material from bags and other stuff that I had made. So one day I decided to put it all to good use. I cut out a square of paper and made my own quilt pieces from that. I stitched one square together in 2005, and cut out another and for some reason came to a complete halt on that project. Well when my neighbor showed me a quilt she had been working on for along time I got inspired to start again. I love the idea of making a quilt, because you can really personalize it. This will be my 3rd quilt to make and will be a Christmas present for a family member. I am going to hate giving it up. I has a lot of vivid colors in it.
I get to work on my third project while watching TV at night. A couple of weeks ago my sister called while she was in Micheal's (in Alabama). Well she kept telling me about this free pattern for this adorable purse. I was in route to Micheal's myself (in Washington). As I strolled through the yarn I saw the example already knit in front of the Patons yarn, and new this was what she was talking about. I had to make it. Instead of using the Patons wool I chose Lion Brand wool ease. I love doing cables so this was right up my ally.
My last project has been in the works for along time. I need to just hurry up and finish it. I can't show pictures of it because it will be going to my sis. I took the picture above the other night. As the weather has cooled I think all our cold blooded friends are looking for warmer homes. This little guy lives in my extremely small side yard. I often find him hanging out on my grill. I just think he is so bright and pretty. I guess I should name him.

I speak a lot of my sister, and recently she has entered the knitting and blogging world. I think she is on her 3rd or 4th swap and has decided to co-host one. I have kind of put off swapping for a while, but this one I will join. It is the Winter Coffee Swap, and registration begins Oct 24th. What could be better coffee and yarn. I will be updating again soon, so come on back!

Coming Soon

2007-10-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

Updates coming soon!!!

$1,675.10

2007-09-04T19:32:00.001-07:00

The $1675.10 has absolutely nothing to do with the pictures posted below. This weekend my MIL and BIL came for a visit. During the weekend I got a phone call from my bank to discuss charges made to my account. Evidently somehow someone got my card number and expiration date, gave the numbers a test run online, made a card and went on a shopping spree. Everyone wants to know where I lost my card at, but I didn't. I had my card, and the big spenders were in New York (I am on the West coast people). Thankfully my bank will reimburse me. From now on I encourage everyone to start making people check you ID's when shopping. Also keep a close eye on your bank account. I thought my husband had charged the 2 test run charges while he was out of town.

Good News, our bank decided to refund our money! I can now go to the grocery store.
On to our long wonderful weekend. I hope everyone enjoyed theirs. My in-laws came into town on Thursday night. We waisted no time Friday morning to start sight seeing. We went up to Seattle, walked around the Pikes place market. We also went to the Space Needle. I did not know that there was an amusement park around it. We did not go up to the top because just like every amusement park it was super expensive.
The second day we took a trip the Mount St. Helen's. I was so excited about this, because I volcano's and other geographical/historic stuff fascinate me. (The nerd in me is coming out!) But that is an actual volcano behind my hubby and I. It was still steaming and everything. A brief update for those of you who do not enjoy geography, Mount St. Helen's blew in 1980. In the month before it blew the width of the top expanded over a mile wide, and was growing up to 5 feet a day. This was due to all the magma being pushed to the top. Scientist were also tracking that up until is blew the were having earthquakes almost every minute. That was also due to the magma moving to the top and also building pressure. When the volcano erupted it blew 1300 feet off its top, and part of its north side. I really wished we could have gotten closer, but maybe next visit.
The next volcano we visited is not as active. It stands at about 14,410 feet high. With 26 major glaciers, it is the most glaciated peak in the lower 48 states. It has 2 volcanic craters overlapping each other, and each reaching 1000 feet wide. We did not drive all the way up it, but up the side of another mountain to get a good look. We stopped at 3860 feet because the cliffs were getting a little high. I was absolutely beautiful to look at God's creation though.
And last, this was a water fall fed by one of the glaciers. The color of the water was very different because it is glacial water. Five of the glaciers feed into the Nisqually river. the color of it was a little different too. We had a fabulous weekend. Geoff and I can't wait to go camping and hiking in all our new adventure spots.

Bibs

2007-08-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

Friday night Geoff informed me that one of his soldiers didn't show up for work because his wife had a baby that morning. Of course the first thing that popped into mind was what can I make them. So after cruising the net for free bib patterns, these are what I came up with. I ended up getting the pattern here. I didn't want them to be plain, and I don't have the digitizing software, or I would have monogrammed our Battalion crest on it. So I settled on the symbol for the Field Artillery, the Crossed Cannons. I had Geoff show me where to find them on the Internet, re sized it , printed it off, cut it out, and traced them on the front piece of the bib with my chalk pencil. The finished product seemed a little small so fro the next 2 I enlarged the pattern a bit.
I was going to just leave them blank, but couldn't. So I pulled out my Sublime Stitching book. This book has a lot of boy patterns to choose from, so I decided on a car and a truck. I just cut it out, and ironed the pattern on. Then started stitching. The good thing about the patterns from this book is you can use them over and over again.
It really didn't take long for all the stitching. As a matter of fact I finished most of the Crossed Cannons while Geoff made me watch Rambo 3 (Yuck). I love hand embroidery. I first picked it when I was in the smocking guild back home. I just think it looks clean, and elegant. Until next time!

Weekend Catch Up!

2007-08-12T11:19:00.000-07:00

It has been about a week since my last post I think. Sorry! I have just been super busy. This past Friday my hubby turned 29. I think it is bothering him more than he lets on. The fact that next year he will turn 30 is shocking him. It shocks me that we have been together 10 years now. Since last month I got him a super nice set of golf clubs, there wasn't a thing I could surprise him with. By the way, he hates surprises. So I bought him these two beauties.I told him I got him a surprise and he was expecting a new putter or a nice golf shirt. He was surprised to see two beta fish staring back at him. We are huge animal lovers, dogs in particular. Since we are renting a house where pets are not allowed, I thought fish would be alright. I just have to make sure I don't over feed them (Ashley). Yes I know beta's will kill each other, but there is a divider in between them so they duel without hurting each other.
As you all may know my crafting lately has gone into making BDU aprons for a craft fair, that was yesterday. The ladies in our Battalion worked very hard for about 3 weeks making all kinds of hand made goodies. Here are the pictures of our booth. I have to say we did have the cutest booth there. We made everything from coasters, hand made cards, pot slings, decorative notebooks, and ton of other stuff.
All together we raised $507.00. I think that was pretty good for 3 weeks worth of work. All the money is going to be split up between the different Batteries in the Battalion. I think I sold 8 Aprons, and raised $111.00 out of that $507.00.

I also had business cards sitting out, because I am slowly trying to start a small business of my own. Making Apron, Monogramming, and other home made goodies. If you would like to order a BDU Apron they are $20 for a full sized apron, and $15 for a half with either red or black rick rack. If you would like to place an order, you can email me at creatinglace@gmail.com.
Last, another blackberry bake. Blackberry cobbler, how yummy. I made this for a get together this week. It is so nice not having to pay for fruit. I am currently out, so Geoff and I are going picking today. Have a great Sunday!

The Raffle

2007-08-03T21:25:00.001-07:00

Last night Geoff and I were welcomed into the Battalion. About every six weeks or so we have a Hale and Farewell to welcome the new people and say good bye to the people leaving. Well my husbands battery was in charge of planning it, so that meant I was in charge of the raffle basket. Normally all the E7's and above have to donate $20 dollars worth of alcohol for the raffle bucket. Well since this Hale and Farewell was held at the Tacoma Rainier's baseball game, alcohol was out of the question (they won't let you bring it into the stadium). So I decided to get creative. I collected all the money and bought gift cards. I already had some hand knit dish clothes not being used so I donated them. I monogrammed some kitchen towel with our Battalion modo on them, and made some pot hand holder out of red flannel and left over camouflage material. (I got the pattern for the pot hand holders out of In Stitches.) To top it all off I put in a cookie in a jar mix. We only raised about $75 dollars for our FRG, but something is better than nothing.

Luckily after this very stressful week, my hubby had the day off. We spent the day at the golf coarse. He golfed, and I knitted and picked blackberries. It was about 70 degrees and perfect. We even got to see some Navy fighter jets fly by for an air show, and that was really cool. The rest of our weekend will consist of picking more blackberries and vegging out. Until next time!

Second Batch

2007-07-30T22:11:00.001-07:00

After eating a wonderful dinner tonight, Geoff talked me into going to the golf store. That is one place that I really don't like going to. I think the men that work there dread seeing me walk through the door. I am always haggling them about giving us a discount, and I always walk away with at least 5% off, if not more. Geoff knows now to let me do all the wheeling and dealing. In return Geoff agreed to go pick more blackberries with me. When I was little my grandparents had a huge garden. They would grow everything from okra to green beans. My grandmother would also can all kinds of fruits and vegetable. I remember walking through their damp, dark basement and finding shelf upon shelf of their home grown canned goodness. I have always wanted to try some of that stuff. I would love to have a garden, but seeing how my yard is 5x10 and is covered in moss, I don't think it is going to work out so well. So I decided to try my hand at jam. I picked up all the supplies at Walmart today. After reading the instructions on the pectin box, I was so excited that I could use the cute little plastic cups I got today for some quick and easy freezer jam.
And here they are, 5 cups up freezer jam, and I didn't have to boil the jars. The instructions are super easy, I would recommend everyone make some jam. Or at least try canning some fruit, that will be the next thing I try.
This afternoon I thought that one day this week I would make some bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches on some egg bread. So I through the ingredients into the bread machine and pressed start. But now I have jam to eat with the bread. I am so looking forward to breakfast in the morning.

After all the jam making, my blackberry stash is depleted, so I am sure that Geoff and I will be searching the neighborhood tomorrow night for more blackberries. Until next time!

Blackberry Cream

2007-07-29T20:37:00.001-07:00

I have had an absolutely fabulous day with my husband. He has been so busy lately that I feel like I never see him. And it seems that the busier he is, the busier I am. So today we slept in, had a late breakfast, and went out for lunch. I have to say that living in the Northwest is wonderful because of the fresh seafood. After we got back from running around, he went with me to pick blackberries. that just made my day. Before Geoff got back in the army I worked for a lady who had blueberry bushes all over her farm. Although I never picked any, she would bring them to us at work and they were so good. After having those blueberries, I wanted some kind of berry bush in my yard. Well come to find out blackberries and raspberries grow wild all over up here. My neighbor pointed several huge bushes out earlier this summer, and even though they are not in my yard, they are in walking distance from my house.
I told Geoff that from now until all the blackberries are gone we will be picking every Sunday evening. My next mission will be to figure what to make with all those berries. Jam is a must. I didn't have all the stuff for jam tonight, so I conjured up my own blackberry sauce. While it was still hot, I spooned it over vanilla ice cream. As the ice cream melted, it made a blackberry cream that was so sweet, and so good!!! I revised my recipe and posted it below.
This is one of those pictures that I took myself. Yes that is an apron, and no I did not make it. A dear friend made it for me out of one of Geoff's BDU tops when he got out of the army. Well I have examined it, and have started making these for an upcoming fundraiser. So, yes I am crafting, but I am just making a lot of aprons. I will be glad when the fundraiser is over so I can make some really fun stuff.

Lacey's Blackberry Sauce
1/2 cup of crushed blackberries
1/8 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons of cornstarch

Put crushed blackberries in a pot with water and sugar. Heat over medium low. Add the cornstarch if you would like the sauce to be a bit thicker. Bring to a boil, stir and it is done.
Serve over vanilla ice cream or some kind of cake. (I don't care for tart blackberries, so I use a lot of sugar. Use less sugar if you would like some of that tart blackberry flavor.)

Choices

2007-07-20T12:43:00.000-07:00

After moving into our current home, I had a discussion with my landlord about painting. My entire house it stark white, except for the kitchen. (The kitchen is a beautiful light silvery blue.) Well he agreed to have the house painted. Next was the choice of color. My landlord is a pretty laid back guy, that would agree on anything light. So the other day I went and bought paint samples. I love yellow, so I picked 3 shades and here they are. I chose to paint big patches all over the house. It is a very bright house, and I wanted to see how the light was going to make the paint look in all the rooms. Before I went to bed after I painted all the patches I had an idea of which color I would like the best. Well the next morning it was confirmed. I decided on French Sonnet, (the middle color). The bad news is it will be this fall before the house is painted, so I will have to look a paint patches the rest of the summer.

Totally Worth It

2007-07-14T18:30:00.000-07:00

I almost finished my capri's pants I have been working on. I pin up the hem and tried them on to see if they fit before finishing them off. I think I need to take a class on how to measure myself. I am going to have to figure out how to take them in about 2 or 3 inches. The crotch reaches half way down my thighs. I really need to learn to make samples out of muslin first. I also have to shorten the hem about 2 more inches. If I were to wear them out right now, it would look like I was just in the flood. The satisfaction of almost completing a project was great, injury in all. On another note Geoff came home the other day and said he invited a couple over for dinner. At first I let him know that he should ask before he starts inviting people over. Next my mind started racing about menus and recipes of what I can fix. I decided on Zesty Herb grilled chicken, macaroni and cheese, and was completely at a loss for what I should fix as a 3rd dish. I started looking through cook books. Well in a wonderful church cook book called the Disciples in the Kitchen, I found several corn casserole recipes. I picked the easiest one with the least ingredients. It was absolutely wonderful. I know I should have taken a picture before we dug in, but I forgot. Our friends even went back for seconds. Now I am glad Geoff invited our friends over, because I found a new recipe. So here is the recipe below. Enjoy!!! Corn Casserole
1 can cream corn
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 stick butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 box jiffy cornbread mix

Melt butter and cream cheese over low heat. Pour in corn, and mix well. Add cornbread mix, (I stirred the cornbread mix in throughout the mixture). Pour into casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Sewing Fingers

2007-07-12T14:10:00.000-07:00

In my 27 years of life so far I have never been to the emergency room. I know that is hard to believe considering how clumsy I am. Well today ended that. I really don't remember what I did to do it but I some how stuck my sewing machine needle through my finger. I know the picture is blurry. I took it with my phone while waiting in the ER. You can just see the tip of the needle sticking through the bottom of my finger. Fortunately I just barely missed the bone. Talk about going crazy. I am not a medical person. Any thought of needles (other than sewing and knitting) makes me cringe. And even though I freaked out, it was only because of the thought of how they were going to get it out.
Fortunately my honey came to my rescue and held my hand. I did cry because it did hurt, but I had a wonderful technician. He made me laugh the entire time. So the lesson for today is don't try to sew your fingers to anything. It hurts!

Preparing

2007-07-09T21:58:00.000-07:00

If you haven't figured is out yet, I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan. The other day I was in JoAnn Fabrics and started chatting with some young girls looking for cloak patterns. I told them that if I were not 27 I would be in full Hogwarts dress for the release of the book and the movie. I have all 6 books, including book 5 and 6 on CD. I have found a great use for these audio disc's. I listen to them over and over again while sewing, cutting patterns and working in my craft room. I was going to make pajama pants the other day and opted for some linen capri's.
So as I prepare for all the HP excitement, I am working away. Until next time!

What's Been Going On?

2007-07-07T19:48:00.000-07:00

Someone left me a comment asking "What's been going on?". When I sit down and think about it, a million things rush through my head. For a while I was using the excuse that I was unpacking. I can't use that one anymore. All the boxes, except one are gone. Now I just have some miscellaneous things to hang, and my bedroom to sort out. I finally finished my Hogwarts Sock Swap Socks. I made the mistake when I first found out who my partner was and contacted her. I really hope I didn't ruin her surprise. As soon as I finished those socks I picked this up. This is my moms birthday present. When I was at home over Christmas she went with me to the LYS. She saw a bag made of the same stuff and said she wanted one just like it. Well I bought the supplies and quickly determined that I did not like the bag pattern. So I made one up for myself. I used Lambs Pride and some fun pink stuff. (Sorry, I don't remember the name of the stuff.) I think I cast on 75 stitches on some circulars. Washed, blocked, and started sewing.
I found the material to line it with on clearance at Jo Ann Fabrics on the 4th of July. I saw it and new that nothing else would go any better. I decided to line it after making my Booga Bag. I don't like the way felted purses stretch. So I hope my mom doesn't look, but if she does, Happy Birthday and its in the mail. When I first started blogging I stated that I am a multi-craftster. Anything knitting, sewing, or smocking, and I am happy. I have been itching to start sewing again. I can remember sitting in that nasty room in Korea and thinking about things I can make once I have my sewing machine back. Well its back. I have a ton of things to make, like all the accoutrement's that go into making a bedroom beautiful. I have material looking at me waiting for me to put my Sew U book to use and make skirts and shirts out of them. Yes ladies and gentlemen I am going to attempt to make clothes.
Many people don't know what smocking is. Well this is it. I have only made 3 smocked outfits from start to finish, that includes the pleating. I had to give 2 away as gifts. The picture above was my very first. It was meant to be a gift, but I loved it to much. I couldn't give it up. I justified it by saying that if I ever made another I will need one to go by. I want to make more. The sad thing is I don't have kids. I do have a couple of pregnant friends though. So this dress, my first to ever make, is on my wall for inspiration.

I will try to post more often, now that we are pretty much settled in. But if I don't its because I am doing FRG stuff again, keeping up with voluteer hours, and trying to figure out knitting on 2 circular needles. Thank you Heather, I am loving them so far! Until next time!

Owl Landing

2007-06-23T14:20:00.001-07:00

My owl landed on Thursday! I was so excited. Thank you so much Heather for my wonderful package. I immediately took it to my neighbors to share it contents.Here it is. Beautiful yarn in yummy sweettart colors. A decorated folder with sock patterns. Circular needles, I can't wait to try, and some yummy chewy sweettarts. The dog in the picture is Belle, and she belongs to my neighbor.
Here is an up close shot of my Hufflepuff socks. There so light, they are perfect for Washington weather.
I know my family is expecting pictures of our new home, and the area. I am sorry I haven't posted sooner. I have been stuck trying to organize stuff I didn't even know I had. On top of all that Friday my dear hubby took command. Taking command is the best job for a captain in the Army. It was sudden notice, and we have only had 2 weeks to prepare, so we have been a little busy with that as well. Until next time!

Out West

2007-06-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

I have not disappeared. I have just been enjoying living in a hotel (interpretation; be gone as much a possible, so boredom doesn't set in). We have one more week of hotel living before we move into our new digs. I will have a real house. I am most excited about not having to share my washer and dryer with a barracks full of guys. Here are some pictures from our trip out west (hubby found the camera cord). All the pictures were taken in South Dakota. For all of you who live in South Dakota, you live in a beautiful state. Can't you just imagine Laura Ingalls running over these rolling hills. All you see for miles and miles are farmlands and rolling green hills.
This is the closest picture I could get of that statue. It was in the middle of no where, and I had to get a fast picture before we passed it.
In the middle of South Dakota was an 1880's town. That's the only thing off that exit. This picture was taken outside of it because we didn't have time to walk through it.
Last but not least, was the town of Wall. Since we entered South Dakota we saw signs for free water in Wall, Wall Drug advertised in Kenya, London and on various news agencies. There was actually a sign for Wall Drug every mile or two. The dinosaur was outside the town, and stands 80 feet high. The town itself was like a little western town with all kinds of souvenirs. I had a wonderful Buffalo burger there. It truly was a lovely trip. I would recommend a trip out west to anyone, for no other reason than to see the vastness of Gods green earth. Until next time!

P.S. I am almost finished with one of my Hogwarts socks. I am going to get to knitting!

Home Again

2007-05-24T23:55:00.000-07:00

Last night around 10:30 Geoff and I finished our 4 day journey out west. We drove a grand total of 2685 miles, that does not include all our pit stops. I am so glad to finally be here. Even though it will be a bit longer before we are completely settled, I have a peace that this is home for the next three years. I would like to thank our family and friends for your prayers for safe travels. We really did feel them. I would also like to thank God for keeping us safe, and giving us perfect weather for traveling.

From start to finish we traveled across 9 states and saw some breathe taking views. I did take pictures, but the camera cord is still MIA. It was amazing to see how beautiful our country is. As I sat behind the wheel I thought God really knew what he was doing in those 6 days that he created this place we call home. Of course then my inquisitive mind kicked in and I pondered how he came up with the idea to put mountains here, and water there? I just hope I can remember all these questions I want to ask him when that time comes.

I will have more to write about as we settle into our new life here, so until next time!

Adjusting

2007-05-10T04:31:00.000-07:00

Geoff and I made it back home safe and sound Sunday afternoon. I even got to surprise my sister. I will say that jet lag can be a bear. When I came home for Christmas it took exactly a week to get over. I think I am coming out of it quicker this time because I am not taking naps during the day. I don't know how Angelina Jolie travels from one side of the world to the other non-stop.

We did have a layover in Japan. I was so excited. First thing off the plane we hit the Golden Arches (McDonald's). It was so good. After that I hit a book store in search for Japanese crafting magazines. I found three, and since my i-pod was not working and boredom was sure to set in on our 11 1/2 hour flight, I bought them all. They have some pretty interesting ideas and patterns in them.

I will admit that the ride home from the airport was a little overwhelming. I could read every sign that I saw. Everything I need or want is right at a store just down the street. I would say that American drivers are better than Korean drivers but in some cases that is just not true. Although we do drive slower, there are some pretty crazy drivers out there.

I have started on my Hogwarts Socks, and am so excited. I woke up at 2:30 last night and just started thinking about stuff to put in her package. I would have posted a picture, but I think Geoff let the movers pack the cord that hooks up to my computer. Well, until next time!

North Korea

2007-04-30T21:17:00.000-07:00

Saturday, Geoff and I went with some friends and took a USO trip to the JSA(Joint Security Area). I had been wanting to take that trip since I arrived in Korea. Well, we finally went, and I am so glad we did. It is amazing how interesting history is when you are older. If I had been a kid and gone on that trip I would not have appreciated it near as much as I do now. I also learned a lot. I have only posted 5 pictures because blogger will only allow me to post 5. If anyone knows how to get around this so I can post more, please let me know. This first picture is of a ROK soldier, Geoff, and myself. If you are an avid news watcher you might have seen this room we were standing in before. Along the DMZ, there are a series of buildings where half of the building is in North Korea, and half is in South Korea. This is the building where they do a lot of those peace talks. The ROK soldier is guarding the NATO flag there on the table. We were warned not to touch him, or try to go in front or behind him or he would use some fancy Tae Kwon Do tricks on us. In the picture, Geoff is actually standing in South Korea, and I am standing in North Korea. There was another guard at the other end of the room, and he was guarding the door into North Korea. If someone tried to open the door, the North Korean guards on the other side would pull you through and not let you go.
The picture above of Geoff and I was taken in the blue building on the left. Those are North Korean soldiers having there picture taken right on the border. I actually got up close pictures of them while I was in that building. They were taking pictures like regular people. It was a very sad feeling to know that those people, that were not even 5 feet away from me at times, hated me because I was an American. I know my husband and other soldiers deal with this all the time while on deployments. But I had never experienced it for myself. I just wanted to scream you don't even know me. Jesus loves you. We were all created equal. But they couldn't understand me anyways. Plus if I had I would have probably gotten in a lot of trouble. We weren't supposed to speak, point or make any kind of gestures at them.

When I took the picture above I was standing on the steps of a building built by the president of the Hyundai Corporation. He had the building built in 1998 before he died. The purpose of the building was so that the Korean Families that were separated during the war could have a place for reunions. Sadly the building has never been used. Since the building is in South Korea, the North Koreans are not allowed for fear that they might defect.

If you look at the building in the picture there is a guard standing in between a door and a window at the top of the stairs. He watched us the entire time with binoculars. In the window next to him there was someone else watching us also. There was also a guard tower to the right (its not in the picture) full of North Korean soldiers watching us like hawks. I said before that we were not supposed to point. Well you find out how hard it is not to point when you are not supposed to, and you are looking at some interesting stuff.
This is a town in right across the border called Propaganda village. I don't remember the real name of the village. They call this Propaganda village because up until 2004 the North would blast propaganda over loud speakers about how wonderful their country and leader is. Ironically, there is no one that lives in this village. Occasionally, there are people spotted just taking care of the buildings. I think they built this village to make it look like they had a booming economy.

On the South Korean side there is a village called Freedom village. The south Koreans hung a huge flag in this village for all to see. In retaliation, the North created what is know as the tallest flag in the world (in the picture above). The North Korean flag now stands twice as high as the one in the South. The North Korean flag also weighs 600 lbs.

This is the bridge of no return. The last time someone crossed this bridge they were held hostage for 12 years.
This is where the treaty of PanmunJeom was signed. It started the armistice between the two countries. It is actually in North Korea. When I took the the picture above I was actually surrounded by North Korea on 3 sides.

We saw a lot more that we could not take pictures of. We went into a tunnel under this mountain that was dug by the North. It was found in 1978, and the North says that they were doing coal mining. The mountain they were digging in was made of granite. There are 4 tunnels that have been found. The North continues to say that the South dug them, but if you look at the the marks in the rocks you can see that they were dug from North to south. The tunnel I went through was big enough that 30,000 troops could pass through it in an hour. I am sure there are more tunnels that just the 4 found, but they have not been discovered yet.

It was a very interesting and educational day. I wish we could all just get along. It might be a while before I post again because we are on the move again. Plus, I think the movers packed up the cord to my camera. Until next time!

Sweet Tarts

2007-04-24T22:18:00.000-07:00

These socks make me think of Sweet Tarts. A favorite of mine. I love the small ones, but I really, really love the big chewy ones. I never would have thought these socks would look like that by looking at the yarn. The colors just remind me of sweet tarts. Geoff thinks I am crazy, and has no clue why I keep saying that. Anyways, they are made from Wick yarn. It is soy and polypropylene. I wasn't crazy about working with that yarn. It snags really easy, and if you don't pull the right end you get a horrible tangled not (speaking from experience). As a matter of fact I came really close to frogging these socks and turning them into a summer tank top. My sister is just learning to knit and is trying to make a ribbed tank top from the Stitch' N Bitch. I thought what fun it would be for us to make the same thing at the same time. After analyzing my yarn a little more I decided I wouldn't like it as much if it didn't make that slight swirly pattern. So socks they became.

We are getting really close to leaving. In a week we move into the Casey Lodge. It is all so mind boggling to think about. I can't believe 10 months has already past. Sometimes being and adult is such a pain because time goes by so fast (compared to when you are a kid). Thinking back we should have done more. I never made it to Insadong or Namdaemun. Those are just different shopping districts in Seoul. But after seeing several parts of Seoul they all look the same. To be quite honest I have found that South Korea is a pretty expensive country.

Every now and then I have brief moments where I freak out because were on the move again. Those moments pass very quickly as I remind myself everything will be fine, you have done this before, God is in control. I've thought a lot lately about everywhere we have lived as a married couple. It is hard to believe that in the last 7 1/2 years we have never lived in one place longer than 3 years. Technically that only applies to me because Geoff spent a year out of those three years deployed. That doesn't include him going to the field either. As of right now our next 2-3 years should be in on place. I don't mind moving all the time. It is always fun to see where we end up next. Until next time!

Don't Ask

2007-04-22T16:49:00.000-07:00

Many of you already know that my husband is in the military. Hence the reason why I am living in South Korea. In a couple of week we will be moving back to the states where we will eventually face the inevitable, his deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan. The other day Crystal sent me this email.

The Worst Things You Can Say to a Woman Whose Husband is Deployed

I have a lot of friends with husbands who are deployed right now. For most of them this is at least their second or third deployment to go through as a couple. So the other day I was talking with a friend whose husband is currently deployed and we started talking about the most annoying things that usually well-meaning people say to us regarding deployments. We agreed that we are always polite in our responses and that we realize that the offending person usually had only the best of intentions. But here's what we came up with as the things we get asked or told that really make our skin crawl. They're not in any particular order. Feel free to add some of your own in the comments.

1. "Aren't you afraid that he'll be killed?" (This one ranks in at number one on my "duh" list. Of course we're afraid. We're terrified. The thought always lingers at the backs of our minds ---but thanks, you just brought it back to the front. Maybe next you can go ask someone with cancer if they're scared of dying.)

2. "I don't know how you manage. I don't think I could do it." (Though this is really annoying, I feel bad about mentioning it because I know that it is intended to be a compliment. Still, it's not like all of us military wives have been dreaming since childhood of the day we'd get to be anxious single moms who carry cell phones with us to the bathroom. We're not made of some mysterious matter that makes us more capable, we just got asked/told to take on a challenging job and we rose to the challenge.)

3. "At least he's not in Iraq." (This is the number one most annoying comment for my friends whose husbands are in Afghanistan. As one friend put it, "What do they think is happening
in Afghanistan? A huge game of golf? Guys are fighting and dying over there, too."

4. "Do you think he'll get to come home for Christmas/anniversary/birthday/birth of a child/wedding/family reunion, etc?" (Don't you watch the news? No. They don't get to come home for any of these things. Please don't ask again.)

5. "What are you going to do to keep yourself busy while he's gone?" (Short answer: Try to keep my sanity. Maybe there's a military wife out there who gets bored when her husband leaves, but I have yet to meet her. For the rest of us, those with and without children, we find ourselves having to be two people. That keeps us plenty busy. We do get lonely, but we don't get bored.)

6. "How much longer does he have until he can get out?" (This one is annoying to many of us whether our husbands are deployed or not. Many of our husbands aren't counting down the days until they "can" get out. Many of them keep signing back up again and again because (gasp!) they love what they do.

7. "This deployment shouldn't be so bad, now that you're used to it." (Sure, we do learn coping skills. And we figure out ways to make life go smoother while the guys are gone. But it never gets easy and the bullets and bombs don't skip over our guys just because they've been there before. The worry never goes away.)

8. "My husband had to go to Europe for business once for three weeks. I totally know what you're going through." (This one is similar to number two. Do not equate your husband's three week trip to London/Omaha/Tokyo/etc. with a one-year deployment to a war zone. Aside from the obvious trip length difference, nobody shot at your husband or tried to blow him up with an I.E.D., your husband could call home pretty much any time he wanted to, he flew comfortably on a commercial plane, slept between crisp white sheets and ate well, paying for everything with an expense account. There is no comparison. We do not feel bonded to you in the slightest because of this comment and, if anything, we probably resent you a bit for comparing a combat deployment to a business trip.

9. "Don't you miss him?" (Like number one, this one gets a big "duh" from me. Of course we miss our husbands. If we didn't, we'd get divorced.)

10. "Where is that?" (I don't expect non-military folks to be able to find Anbar Province on a
map, but they should know by now that it's in Iraq. Likewise, know that Kabul and Kandahar are in Afghanistan. Know that Muqtada al Sadr is the insurgent leader of the Mahdi Army in Iraq and that Sadr City is his home area. Know that Iran is a major threat to our country and that it is located between Afghanistan and Iraq. Our country has been at war in Afghanistan for six and a half years and at war in Iraq for four years. These basic facts are not secrets, they're on the news every night and in the papers every day---and on maps everywhere. You've had time to learn it. Do your part by at least knowing what is going on.)

Yes, people really do ask questions like that. It has been a while since my husband has deployed, and I still get asked some of those same question. I have even forwarded this on to friends of mine whose husbands are deployed, and they all agree. The bottom line is even if you have the best intentions for someone, just think about how that person might feel before you ask a question.

No More Music to My Ears

2007-04-18T16:07:00.000-07:00

So Tuesday I was walking off post bopping along with my ipod when I was stopped by an MP. He told me that there is a new rule, or General order saying you can't listen to musical devices while walking or running on post. The reason to many soldiers put on a set of headphones, turn the volume all the way up and go running down the street. They expect everyone to see them and they don't hear a thing.

Well I agree and disagree with this new rule. I agree that some people are stupid and need to turn there music down. If I can here what someone else is listening to then their music is to loud. But this rule should not apply to you if you are walking or running on a sidewalk, which I was. Last time I checked there are not any vehicles riding down sidewalks on post. Off post is a different story. I have almost been ran over many times by mopeds on sidewalks off post. I already have to restrain myself from singing on the bus, and when I walk down the street. I don't want all these Korean people to think I am crazy.

I love to listen to my ipod when I am running. The right music can motivate and energize you so much. So now that the weather is nice and I can run outside again, this new rule is really making me mad. I do not listen to my music all the way up. I here ever car, truck and tank that rolls down the street. Besides it is already a rule that if you are running you have to wear this reflective vest, so everyone sees you. On top of that I think the maximum speed limit on post is 25. So if someone did get it by a car it probably wouldn't hurt that bad, it might just teach them a lesson to turn there music down. I could not pay attention to the rule and listen to my headphones anyways, but Geoff is afraid that I would some how get him in trouble, and we would get extended. We can not have that. So at least while I run I will no longer be listening to my ipod, but I will continue to listen while walking on the sidewalks.