One Lone Oak

I ask myself this question all of the time.  If I’m shoe shopping, out at a bar with friends or even while watching a family with 5 kids at a restaurant.  Is it time to start asking myself that question about my knitting?  Say it ain’t so!

Here is a look at what I’m currently working on.

This is going to be a queen size blanket for Kyra, my youngest daughter to take away to college in the fall of 2012.  It is knitted on size three needles (slightly larger that toothpicks) with sock yarn (about the same gauge as kitchen string).

I know from experience ( below is the one I completed for Cady, my oldest daughter) that this takes about two years to complete.  Other than the obvious reason that it takes a long time I also knit many other projects at the same time.

Because one large afghan isn’t enough I recently began working on this Mitered Cross Blanket.  I’m making mine without the plain panels.  It will be all squares of crosses.  Not sure how big it will be yet.  Depends on how far the yarn goes.

Oh Yeah,  then there is this little project.  I’m only at the beginning and I expect this one will take years, as I’m making it with scraps (know anyone that has lots of sock yarn scraps?  I’m not too proud to beg).  It will be like the ones I made for Cady and Kyra without the striping.  Every square will stand on its own.  I think this will be my favorite because of its randomness.

So I ask you dear reader, how many is too many?

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Ok, so I haven’t put anything on this site in close to a year.  As a matter of fact the url expired a few weeks ago and I really considered whether or not I should keep it.  I’ve always wanted to be a better blogger.  It doesn’t matter if anyone reads it, right?  I knew there would be a lot of new things coming up in my life and that eventually, for the right reasons, I would get back to it.  Little did I know that within a week I would have the burning need to ‘share’.

I drove a cargo van of donations to Joplin, MO last week.  After being ravaged by the deadliest tornado ever recorded in the U.S. they were and will remain desperate for help.  What I did really wasn’t a big deal.  I collected some donations, took them to United Hebrew and added them to the tons of donations they already had.  Then we loaded up and I drove, delivered and drove home.  Yes, it was a long and tiring day but in the scheme of things, not such a heroic measure.  Despite that, it made the news.  I was interviewed for an article in the St. Louis Jewish Light and today was asked to do another interview for the Patch.  Really folks, if driving a van gets so much attention we are in need of many more bigger, more exceptional efforts.

But here’s where it gets good!  I’m a huge believer in Karma and I choose to attribute my small good deed to the larger one that came back to me.  Those of you who know me know that I am an obsessive knitter.  Yesterday I answered a Facebook post stating that someone was ‘de-stashing’ and that tons of yarn was up for grabs! Free!  Yes, I said Free!  Crazy.  I replied to that post within minutes and eight hours later I was the proud owner of over 200 skeins of the most luscious, amazing yarn.  Yarn that I could never afford or hope to have the pleasure of working with.  Yarn for dozens of projects.  Yarn that will last me for years!  There are no words to describe my joy and disbelief at the size of this unexpected gift.  To Sara and Lesley, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.

More good news today!  I got my acceptance to Webster University’s Graduate Program in Community Counseling.  Yep, I’m officially going to be a student again.  Now I know I’ll have plenty to blog about.

Stay Tuned

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I’m lucky enough to have two things I’m passionate about.  The environment and knitting.  Yes, knitting.  I’m a firm believer that if everybody knitted (men included) there would be fewer wars, less anti-depressant medications and more great sweaters out there.  So, since this is my blog and I get to share what I’m passionate about I’ll occasionally be sharing knitting.  In honor of my daughter going to college I knit this afghan.  It is big enough to cover a queen size bed and it took me the better part of two years (with other projects thrown in to keep things exciting).  For you knitters out there wondering, I used number three needles and sock yarn.  For you non knitters out there, that’s like knitting with toothpicks and kitchen string.  It was an ambitious project and I loved every minute of it.  It was all worthwhile yesterday when we were packing the last duffle and room was scarce and I told my daughter “You won’t hurt my feelings if you want to leave it on your bed at home”  her response was “No, I know I won’t use it much but I want to have it with me.”  Music to my ears.  Man I’m going to miss her!

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6804 Days!  That’s how many days it’s been since my oldest daughter  was born.  That’s a lot of days (and a lot of nights)!  Many laughs and a few tears.  That’s a good ratio of laughs to tears!  The time has come for her to leave the nest.  Tomorrow I take her to college.  A college that is almost as far away as she could get and still be in the continental United States.  I’m getting a lot of “how are you?” from friends and family.  Is there something wrong with me?  I’m not falling apart over this.  I’m so excited for her and this amazing adventure she’s about to take.  I know as long as she’s doing well I’ll be doing well.  I don’t want to think about when she’s sick or sad or overwhelmed or……and I’m not there.  I think I’ll do great until I listen to tears that are 2077 miles away (yes, I looked it up, so what?).

Int the meantime, it’s planning, packing and packing and packing.  I think somewhere there is a joke about how many suitcases does it take to get one 18 year old girl to college.  Here’s the answer, six, and they’re big.  Are you laughing yet?

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Ok, so this blog thing is obviously new to me.  Coming up with what I think would be of interest to others is challenging for me.  So to have some accountability and to help get me into the habit I decided to take a 30 blogs in 30 days challenge.  In the words of Julia Roberts “Big Mistake.”  Talk about setting myself up to fail.  I realized that I don’t want to post on this blog just to post.  I want to post when I really have something to share.  If you’re interested, even better.  What  don’t want to do is to ‘fill space’ so I’m crying uncle and letting that challenge go.

That being said, I do have something exciting I want to share.  My business coach, Kimberly Schneider – The Manifestation Maven, interviewed me for her Webtalk Radio show and it’s now available to listen to.  Let me know if you learn anything new or if you have any questions you’d like answers to.

Ciao!

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What a lovely night at the Alternative Art Fair.  Here are some pictures of the work in my father’s booth.

You never know what you’ll see around the next corner.  Aren’t they great?

Ok, so maybe I did look at the art, a little bit.

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This is one of my favorite weekends in St. Louis!  There are so many places to go and people to see.  Tonight I’m looking forward to the Alternative Art Fair, Art Outside 2009, at the Schlafly Bottleworks.  If you get there make sure to check out my father’s booth.  He won second place in his catagory last week at the Queeny Park art fair.  What he does with wood is pretty special.  I’ll try to post some pictures tomorrow.

Saturday night will be The St. Louis Art Fair.  I’m not sure if I go to that one to see that art or just to see everybody I know.  Oh, who am I kidding.  Maybe I’ll look at some art.

If you see me at either place.  Say Hi!  I’ll put you in my next blog post.

Enjoy~!

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Our new book:

ECOnomic$101, Simple and inexpensive solutions to Greening your home and lifestyle is in it’s first printing as you read this.  Copies ordered now will be shipped in about a week.  E-book versions are available for immediate download.

ECOnomic$ 101

We’ll be sharing some of the information from the book in posts to come.  Stay tuned!

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I guess this is what having a blog is all about.  I have something on my mind and I now have a forum to vent.  Poor readers who choose to listen (that’s you!).  Ok, the other day I left my car in a Starbucks parking lot while I drove to a meeting with my brother in law.  When I got back to my car there was a nasty note written on a napkin, tucked under my windshield wiper.  It referenced the Green It! magnet on my car and the cowardly, anonymous author called me a faker (they underlined it for impact) and a trendfollower.  They accused me of being a hypocrite for driving a gas guzzling SUV.

Now, first of all, let me say that while my car isn’t a hybrid it gets me a respectable 20mpg.  Will my next car be a hybrid?  I’m planning on it.  If I had an extra $25,000 would I run out and buy one?  You betchya!  But, right now this is my vehicle and I love it.  I couldn’t drive anything smaller and still have room for everything I need when I do green audits and lighting audits.  Does this anonymous coward realize that?  Do they know that I work day in and day out helping people and businesses live greener lives and lower their carbon footprints?  I think not!  Will I let this obnoxious person slow my efforts.  Of course not, and I’d love the chance to tell them so face to face.

Getting this note really upset me.  Can you tell?

I’m feeling better now.  Thanks!

Lesson learned;  Don’t judge without knowing the facts and if you feel strongly enough to comment have the chutzpah to sign your note!

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My friend, Liz Schneider and I have been working very hard to get this blog, twitter and the Green It! facebook fan page up and running in a connected way.  I think we’ve just about achieved success.  Then, watch out world!

None of it would have been possible without the help of my sister in law, Susan Koritz.  This user friendly blog app wasn’t very friendly to this user

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