Moving on.....

Yes, Tuesday was my last day at Shands. A little sad, but I am excited about my new venture at the Malcolm Randall Veterans Administration Hospital in Gainesville. Right across the street from Shands proper. The best part of it all: I WILL NOT BE IN CHARGE OF IT ALL! Hoping to get back on track with my crafts, picking up the needlepoint, cross-stitch and felting I have neglected far too long. Keeping in touch with family and friends more often. I even began the chore of cleaning my house by folding the 5-6 baskets of laundry that have been accumulating (Methinks multiplying) on my pool table. Next is to tackle my closet and get rid of those pesky clothes and actually be able to walk in my so named closet. If you don't hear from me for awhile, I have probably been buried in an avalanche of clothes, yarn, hangers...etc.

The folks I work with had a great spread of food for me...Thanks Lynn! You did a great job of organizing it all. It was greatly appreciated, right down to the Nascar cake. I will be cleaning black frosting off for the next two weeks!

I have managed to make Tablecenter #2.....mexicana with strands of red, orange, goldenrod and bright yellow:

The colors from my cell phone do not do justice to the beauty of this. I will post a better shot from my camera. The damned thing is still too small for my table. This one measures 32" across. Bigger than the copper mist one (which I sent to my sister in law for her b-day. She had hinted at a Christmas gift, but her b-day was a week away.) I need a 54" across. Soo, I guess it's time to move on to another pattern. Will try my Elizabeth Hiddleson Pineapple Centerpiece:

It's coming along quite nicely, but I do believe it is going to be smaller than my table. Again I say...DAMN! I will find one that will fit my table one day. I guess it's just a way for me to keep trying different patterns.

We are off to Orlando and visiting with Bob's family (yes, the in-laws....I really like mine). First a stop at Downtown Disney and the Earl of Sandwich, then to Sam Ash (michaels may be in the pic for me....even if I'm trying to use all my stuff before I buy more), Wine World (ok, it's really called Total Wine, but we like Wine World), then on to Mom and Dad's to visit with Bob's cousin Lauren, her hubby Mitch and their adorable little girl Isabelle. Will post pics in the next couple of days. CYA~!

Tablecenter finished!

This is the tablecenter I wanted to make into a tablecloth for my glass kitchen table. The original pattern called for size 10 bedspread weight cotton and a size 7 hook. Thinking I could get a larger version with size 3 thread and a size 2 hook, I started. Upon finishing it, I could not find my stupid steel pins to block it properly after I washed it. so, here it is at 25". Now to find a clear vinyl tablecloth to display it so the cats won't tear it up.

Home sick

I am home sick, too dizzy to drive the 40+ miles to work. I crawled back into bed at 7:00, to awake again at 11:15am. Those who know me know this definitely means I am not well. I usually awake at 4a, go to the gym for 5:45 and on with my day 5 days a week. Weekends, I am up by 7am. Still feel dizzy, not like eating. Hubby made me banana nut muffins before he went to work. What a sweetie. Since I got this crud from him, I'm guessing he feels a little guilty.
My friend Lupie from Lesser known skeins has nominated me for a Kreativ Blogger award! I am more than honored, but a little embarrassed as I can't figure out how to post the lovely little button to my blog, much less link to hers and nominate others! If someone would help me out, I would soooo appreciate it. Lupie religiously follows me, and I am so happy to do the same for her.

In the mean time, here are a few photos of the heart blanket I finished this past weekend.

I have been driving with this in a box in my car to mail all week. Sad fact is, I work right next door to the post office. I am hoping to get it mailed tomorrow! I made it for a rep of mine at work who had his first baby in February...yes, a little girl. Now on to clean out more of my stash!

Ok, am feeling a little puny. Guess I'll go back to sleep til the boys get home. Have a great day to all!

WOW, it's over

I can't believe my glorious time off is over. I have found and accepted a new job with less responsibility, celebrated a well-deserved Christmas in February with my family, went to Daytona for speedweeks 2 times in 3 days and turned another year older. Holy cow. Now, tomorrow, I have to drag to a job I have grown to dislike tremendously, awaiting the day I can tell them "I quit". The important folks (aka, those closest to me) know, but others have only heard rumors. The reasoning for giving up the ghost are:


1.)Not that driven to succeed. Just give me what I need to sustain


2.)Being home after 8 1/2 hours is a good thing.


3.) Being responsible for my work only is a GREAT thing


4.) did I mention #1?


5.) More time for Beth and family and things I enjoy, rather than the dread of a job I despise and see no point to other than no one else will do it.


6.) Again, see #1


7.) #5 leads to more time to crochet! See picture:

This is a blanket I am crocheting for my new great niece. All I need is 10 more rows and about 25 ladybugs. Madelyn's theme is ladybugs. I hope she enjoys this blanket more than her uncle Mike liked the first thing I ever crocheted...a blanket for him that he promptly threw on the ground......Boys!

Anyhow, I hope to have more time in the VERY NEAR future to keep up with my blog. and my friends. and most importantly, my family!

Vacation....Day 4!

Yes, I am once again on a break from that dreaded 4-letter word, WORK. I have been consumed not only with the tight budgets at the hospital, but also with the fact that NASCAR season is starting up again! We have tickets to the Duels at Daytona for Thursday; the qualifying races for the Daytona 500. I cannot wait! Next to crochet, following the races is my favorite past time. I love to be in the crowd, hearing the roar of the engines speeding past at 200 mph. Feel the cars as they tear around the track. Oh yeah, if this is being a red neck, then a redneck I will proudly be labeled.

Anyhow, since we received our tax refund last Friday and have been making the boys wait for their actual Christmas presents, Monday was the day to celebrate. We gave Jeff cash, Steve a new mountain bike (what, no bass or amp? I wonder what happened?), and Timm a new TV for his room so he can play his X-box 360 and not have to fight Dad or older bro for TV time. Bob and I were laughing walking out of Best Buy with a 4 lb 22" tv. 20 years ago, not only could we not afford a tv that big, but it would have taken a flatbed cart and 5 best buy associates to load it into the car. Amazing what technology can do!

As for our Christmas in February, I am waiting for my Saturday visit to the Nascar trailers. Can't decide what I want for my b-day, but will check it out on Thursday. That way, I can have a plan of attack for shopping day!

I have been crocheting some. Here are a few things I have in the works:

The first is a heart baby afghan for a rep-friend that I know. He and his wife are having their baby at the end of Feb. The second pic is of my Dublin Country Throw (from the Caron site) and Big Bow sweater from the winter 2009 Interweave Crochet. Both are for me. If I can ever get them done.
I also need to start an afghan for a great niece due at the end of next week. Her name shall be Madelyn and will involve ladybugs. Will post a pic of the idea soon.
Ok, back to enjoying my relaxing time off. Daytona, here I come! Go Tony Stewart and Elliott Sadler!!!! I LOVE this time of year!

WOW!

Again, another long time since my last post. I have been a busy bee at work. I have also been crocheting in every free moment. I finally finished my friend Dave's transplant afghan:

I finished it on his birthday, which was 01/19. Funny to me to call him "friend". For five years he was my "boss." I called him dude. Hey, I even have this in the mail! That's gotta be some kind of record for me. I'm very pleased with the way the blanket turned out. It's extremely warm, but I am tired of making those danged squares!

Work has been a pain as the paperwork piles up, but the people that need my attention are more demanding by the day. I am seriously thinking of going back to the bench. Steven needs help in algebra, and I can't help him if I'm not home til 7 pm. Money's tight, even in the hospital business, so everyone is being asked to do more with less. It's really tough and leaves less time for the things I like. Will just wait for now and see what the future brings, plugging away as best I can, but making sure I make time for my boys.....

I hope to post more pics this weekend. The holidays were fun and family filled. I have reconnected with quite a few high school friends on facebook. Fun finding out what they have been up to. Myspace is still mainly for the nieces and boy's girlfriends.

On another note, Sam, Nicole and Ethan went to Washington DC for the inauguration of Barack Obama. Oh to be young and fancy free and to on road trips like that again! (OK, they went with Layla and her mom, who had the trip well-planned). They were cold and had to stand way back by the Washington monument, but they were THERE! AWESOME.

On Monday, I leave for Baltimore Maryland for a lab inspection. I haven't been that far north during the winter in over 20 years. Can't wait to see how that goes!

OK, I'll save more fun stuff for the weekend. Hope y'all are staying warm and safe where ever you may be!

Happy Holidays!

Wow, hard to believe Christmas has passed and it's been so long since I've been here. I've been busy at work and home, not even close to ready for Christmas. Put in a full day on Christmas eve at the lab, drove from Gainesville, Florida to Apopka (Zellwood Station, to be exact) for the annual DiBiasio Family Christmas. Think Chevy Chase and Christmas vacation, just minus all the lights. For the first time in 22 years, hubby had to see his family without me for the first few hours. It was odd being the last one there, as we are usually the first! My two youngest went with their dad early; all cousins wanted to see Stevie's shaved head. He had grown his hair for 4 years. I now have a 15 inch ponytail to send to Locks for Love. But Stevie complains his head is cold. Soooo, we have to find all the Superman logo hats we can.....Steve says that's his symbol....."S" is for Steven, after all!

Jeff and Sam came with me. I was hoping to have Jeff drive, so I could relax and crochet. As I have said before, the best laid plans.......no crocheting and I drove. The ghans posted here are gifts for folks at work.

Here's what I have been working on for an exchange. Late, but almost done:

That's all for now. Will post more this weekend...purses I have been making, too! I hope you all enjoy the holidays with your family and friends!