The Great Cleanout of 2021

So, last week, I introduced you to Swedish Death Cleaning , and today marks the end of week 2 in the Great Cleanout of 2021 in my home. That means I have more treasures to show you before they are relegated to charitable donations (or the trash...some of this stuff goes directly to the bin...lol!) First up is band paraphernalia!

I started in the band in 4th grade, playing the flute. In 5th grade, I tried the clarinet, which I played through the end of 6th grade. Over the summer, I learned how to play the trumpet, which I continued until I graduated high school. Along the way, I also played the trombone for a bit and the french horn for my senior year of concert band and orchestra, alongside the trumpet for marching band, jazz band and pep band. Yes, I was in all the bands! Concert uniforms included blue pants and jackets, and these beauties:

Through the years, I collected sweatshirts (see above) and jewelry and buttons representing my love of band (and music...I have always loved music!) and some other fun things, too.

See the national honor society pins?

Wow! Buttons from the 1985 inauguration
I attended with the BHS marching band!

But that's not all! No, that's not all! In the 6 boxes I took out of the attic to empty, I also found Pop Pop's old Navy uniform (look! the hat still fits! lol), a sweatshirt I made my dad when my kids were very small (December 1992) and my Girl Scout sash from Juniors! 

I'm not sure my dad ever wore this. It has been 
in a box, in my attic for 25 years.

Six boxes. That's 6 boxes my kids will not have to go through when I am gone. Allen and Jess, you're welcome! Also, there are some fun things I found that I will soon be sending your way! 

And the song that runs through my head while I have 25 years of the attic strewn about the living room starts, "From the window, to the wall! 'Til the sweat drips..." The rest of the lyrics are probably inappropriate for my family blog, so I won't post a link... (The song was released in 2002, and I can't believe it lives in my head! Maybe I can blame that on having teenagers in that time period! Lol...)

As I get ready to print my 2020 blog book, I am reminded that my blog is a great place to store my memories, and no one has to clean out the attic if I store them here! And yes, I do print my digital content...it may go up in a fire someday, or it may be something my kids fight over (No! I want Mom's Blog Books!...yeah, probably not), or it may just be a tangible reminder I can look at whenever I want. Perhaps it will give Allen and Jess a chance to do some Swedish Death Cleaning of their own in 30 or 40 years!

From the window the wall, thanks for stopping by, friends! Whatever the status of your junk, may you Knit in Good Health today and always!

Dear Younger Me, Life Edition

If you are a fan of the Christian band Mercy Me, that title just rang a bell, and you may have an earworm for the rest of your weekend. You are welcome. If you have never heard it, here ya go: Dear Younger Me. Again, you are welcome.

Even if you do not know or like the song, the concept is pretty easy to figure out: If I knew then what I know now, what would I tell 5-years-younger me? 10-years younger? 25-years-younger?

Looking up the song, I also learned that this type of letter writing is actually a pretty common therapy technique, which makes a lot of sense. But I am not here today to walk you through my deep, and occasionally dark, relationship with myself. Mostly I am just here, marking time during a pandemic that has much of the world in a tailspin, and a lock-down. But if I could go back to tell myself some things a few (or more) years ago, what would I say?

I might tell High-School Me that the first boy I kissed was not that great a guy, and that the guy I always wanted to kiss was not my dream guy either.

I might tell One-Semester-of-College Me that I do go back someday, and that it is much more fun. 

I might tell Wedding-Night Me that this is the real thing, but that it will be harder than I ever could have imagined. 

I might tell Pre-Mom Me that happy and healthy is way better than skinny.

I might tell New-Mom Me that it IS hard, and it IS bad right now, but it WILL get better.  

I might tell the Me that went to therapy for the first time with postpartum depression after my second child was born that it is okay to tell the therapist everything. It would not be the first (or the last) time he or she heard that story, and this is how you get through it.

I might tell Just-Gave-My-Life-to-Christ Me that this is going to be a good, but hard journey, and that my non-believing husband would one day be an elder in a solid, Bible-based church.

I might tell Back-to-College-With-Two-Young-Children Me to have more fun. I mean, still be a good wife and mom, but have more fun...and try not to feel so guilty about it.

I might tell Went-to-Work-Without-Getting-My-Teaching-Degree Me that it is ok. I teach all the time...not in the way I had imagined, but I teach just the same...and I love it, just like I thought I would. 

I might just skip ahead here, and tell 2014 Me that the next few years are going to be a nightmare, but in the end, you will have a job you love, you will learn to laugh with your husband all over again, and there will be a pandemic that makes you a little fearful of grocery shopping. 

It is a mixed bag, thinking about going back, is it not? When I think it all through in this way, I wonder if I would actually go back, if that were something I could do. Would you? Do you think Younger You would believe you...?

Hey! Younger, Non-Knitting Me! You will become obsessed with knitting impossibly small things, toy rabbits and anything ridiculous that you can find! 

:::crickets, in Younger-Me's time:::

Yeah. That's what I thought would happen. So, rather than worry about it today, I am going to go knit a sweater that I don't have enough yarn for, in a gauge it is not written for, at a size that should not fit and see what happens. Perhaps I should write a "Dear Younger Me, Knitting Edition" post... Ha!

Thanks for stopping by friends, and Knit in Good Health!

Goodbye, Old Musical Friend

I've got the music in me...I think I always have. But the fourth grade gave me my first real opportunity to learn music. I had plunked out a tune or two on assorted keyboards, here and there, but my family did not own a piano (or any other musical instruments). When I learned that I could be in the fourth-and-fifth-grade band, I think I may have been a little bit excited! When I found out that the pretty, pretty flute was an option, I was ecstatic!!! So my parents rented a flute from the local music store, and I proceeded to torture the dogs with my attempts at making beautiful music with that lovely, sideways, silver woodwind...but playing the flute made me dizzy.

When fifth grade rolled around, the band director gently suggested that I try a new instrument...we needed more clarinets in our little group. Eager to please, and oblivious to the fact that he was probably telling me gently that the flute was not my forte, I proudly brought home that clarinet, and I practiced at every opportunity. I was oblivious to the fact that the dogs had a strong disdain for my new "music-maker," and I put those pooches out when they nuzzled the bell and cried. In retrospect (and having heard beginners on the clarinet within the context of my adult years) I now wish I could somehow go back and apologize to them...I didn't even offer ear plugs!

Well, I played that clarinet for two years, and I think I eventually did ok. We rented it long enough that we owned the instrument, and I know that the dogs complained less (in general) over time, so I have to assume that I got better. Still, I never achieved anything remotely close to the coveted "first chair" in the band...but I really liked music, and I loved to play my clarinet. :)

By the end of 6th grade, I noticed that there were a LOT of clarinets and flutes in the band! In response, I abandoned the woodwind family altogether, and taught myself to play the trumpet during the summer before 7th grade. I also played the trombone briefly in high school, and the french horn my senior year, but it was mostly trumpet. My elementary school band director was distressed rather than proud of my achievement in the brass family, and he kept saying, "No! Sax-o-phone comes next...!," as though loudly over-articulating would bring me to me senses (and back to the woodwinds)! But, I sat 3rd-chair (only two away from first-chair) in the 7th-grade trumpet section...there was no going back!

All these years, I've kept that clarinet. I've taken it out, from time to time, and I've even blown a note or two here and there. Mostly, though, it sits on a shelf, lonely and unused...until this past week. I learned that a friend's son is having his fourth-grade band opportunity, and he's decided on the clarinet. I haven't heard him play, but this kid's personality strikes me as having Benny Goodman potential, so I've offered up the instrument to him and his family, and they have accepted. :)

Goodbye, old friend. May you Sing, Sing, Sing (Clarinet solo at 1:01 in the video), and find new life with a Bloke and a Bird's Boy!

I know...there was no knitting today, but I am making knitting progress...you'll see proof on Wednesday! Until then, I hope that you are finding the joy in your life, music and crafting.

Knit in Good Health!

Once Upon a Time...

Bogged down with the stuff of summer this week, but here's an old family photo...

Back row: Pretty, Pop Pop, and Pretty's Sister

Front row: Dollface, Pretty's Mom, Mork

Wow! We are all so YOUNG!!!

Taken at Cedar Point (in 1990-something) I noticed this on display at my mom's house the other day, so I thought I'd share it with you! Don't we look like a happy (and hot, sweaty, and tired) bunch of amusement-park-goers? We've always had fun at Cedar Point, and I went with my family every summer, up until just a few years ago. When I was a little girl, I wanted to live there, and some of my favorite summer memories are in that park! I think I'm feeling the itch again this year, but even if we don't get to go, it's fun to remember all the years we spent running from ride to ride, and then teaching the next generation to love those rides AND plenty of new ones, too!!! If you haven't been to Cedar Point, it is a worthy destination...even if you are a state or two away!

While I'm thinking about how to fit in a trip to Cedar Point, I guess I'll get back to the grind...maybe there will be time to knit today, and maybe not. Either way, it's going to be a busy summer!

What is your favorite summer memory?

Long ago and far away

So, you all know what's going on in the here and now of our lives. You  know that Pretty and Mr. Pretty are currently living their Happily-Ever-After. But who are these fuzzy people?!?

She's 18, just graduated high school.  She's smart, and her parents and teachers think she should go to college and educate herself for a good career, but she's in love with a boy, and he quite obviously loves her, too. She likes music and children, and this is the first serious boyfriend she has ever had.  All she wants in this life is to marry this boy and spend many happy years with the love of her life.  

He's 19, and graduated high school last year. He's smart, but shy, and he recently joined the Navy. He was accepted to the "Nuke" program, and he'll be leaving for boot camp in a couple of months, and then he'll work on nuclear submarines. Today he is marrying his high school sweetheart, and looking forward to many happy years together with the love of his life.

Wow. They have no idea. They have everything going for them, and nothing at all. Life is going to be hard sometimes, but today they don't care. Today is the happiest day of their young lives. Awwww, isn't that sweet? But that was long ago and far away.

Fast forward, two-and-a-half decades:

She's 40-something, plays with yarn, and she loves the Internet and her electronic gadgets. Her children  are grown, and she has been married for more than half her life. She works full-time as secretary in their church, knits once a week with her friends, and she is thrilled to be a gramma.

He's in his 40s and likes sports and being outdoors, and he also enjoys reading. His children are grown, and he has been married for more than half his life. He is a service technician by trade, loves his Kindle, and he can fix just about anything.  Pop-Pop is how he's known by their darling Peanut.

Wait, can these really be the same people? Yes, and no. They are the same, yet completely different, and there were times they thought they might not make it. They have thought, "This isn't what I bargained for," and, "You're not the person I married..." Still, they stuck it out, "grew up" and grew together.  Although they still have their differences, they are livin' the dream, baby!...happily ever after (most of the time).

I'm glad that we did it the way we did. It wasn't usually easy, and there were lots of times it wasn't much fun, but we have such a rich history together. Who I am is so deeply entwined with who he is and who we are to each other...you don't get that until you've spent serious time together, and we've been writing our story for over 25 years now. "For richer, for poorer," "in sickness and in health"...those phrases mean so much more after some time has passed, and it's a sweeter joy that we share because of the hardships we've endured together. 

So, Meatloaf, you've got it half right...it was definitely "long ago, and it was far away," but I don't think it gets it any better for us than it is today!

What's your story?

PS - Happy Anniversary, Pop Pop! I love you more today than ever!

Eat the House?!?

One of the things I have loved doing at Christmastime for quite a few years is building gingerbread houses! I make my own gingerbread, and cut out house pieces, which I then bake and trim and assemble into houses. I started with one, big house that we would take with us to Grandma's on Christmas day when the kids were little...gosh, I don't even know how long ago, but I'd say it's been around 12-13 years... 

That first year, I made lots of mistakes, and the gumdrops nearly caved in the roof of my first house, but we had so much fun! I remember the "Ooooh!"s and "Ahhhh!"s  that emanated from even the grumpiest of relatives when the sweet house was revealed, and these were rivaled only by the gasps of "Whaaaaat?" that accompanied my suggestion that the kids all grab kitchen utensils to break into the cookie masterpiece and devour it! ("Hold that butter knife upside down, and really smash into the roof!," I encouraged my nephew...my mother-in-law? Mortified!...too funny!)

Through the years, I've made big houses, smaller houses, teensy-weensy houses, and I've even made Gingerbread House Cookies to mail far away. 

I mailed gingerbread cookies to Mork in Afghanistan last Christmas!

It's so much fun, and so kid-friendly, that even Peanut helped with the decorating (and sampling of sweets) last year. :)

We used a lot of sugary breakfast cereal to decorate a
masterpiece to share with this sweet toddler.

For the past few gingerbread seasons, I have really found my groove. The buying and baking and building and beautifying is quite a process I've discussed at length in the other blog, and it's too much to do all in one day...so I take it one step at a time. One day to buy candy and decorations. One day for baking. One day to make candy windows and assemble the houses, and then a day (or 2!) for decorating! So far, for the 2012 Gingerbread Season, all I've managed to do is purchase the candy.

Hey! I've got candy! This is a GREAT start!

I promise to show you how it all turns out, but I'll probably need a couple of weekends to get it together. As I know you probably have holiday plans and/or projects of your own in the works, I am sure that you will understand. Thanks for that.

What are your plans and projects for the 2012 Holiday Season?

Sweet Christmas Memories

Food. I love food. Salty food, squishy food, and sweet food especially...I love it all! I suspect this is part of the reason I do not wear a size 2. =/ Food and I have spent many happy holidays together, and this Christmas season will be no exception. In fact, I made my first batch of Christmas cookies before I even turned over the calendar to December this year!

I shared these with an appreciative bunch of friends Nov. 27th!

I love to bake cookies all year, and my family has their favorites (to be sure), but I especially love Christmas cookies. Unlike other bakers, I don't usually spend lots of time on roll-and-cuts that need tons of decorating...I mean, I like sugar cookies as much as the next gal, but at this point in time, I have holiday baking down to an art. Drop cookies are definitely the easiest and quickest, so I stick mostly to the chocolate chip, peanut butter, and oatmeal varieties. To save time, I set myself up to mix several batches at once, then I freeze balls of cookie dough, ready to bake. 

I actually made 5 cookie doughs this day, but I ran out
of cookie pans to display them on! Haha!

When it's time to bake, I simply take out the cookie balls, choose a sprinkle option and bake. Much quicker (and less clean up on baking day) than actually making all of the cookies at once! To prove my point, I'll share that I actually watched 3 episodes of Downton Abbey on my Kindle Fire while I mixed up cookie dough a couple weeks ago! On baking day, I did the dishes and some general kitchen tidying while I baked 5 kinds of cookies for that plate you saw above...and virtually NO cleanup at all...holiday baking win!

A couple of the cookies on this plate are clear Christmas favorites of mine, and it's just not really Christmas if I don't make them: Nut Butter Balls (with the powdered sugar) and Holly Bunches (the green ones). These cookies are not only scrumptious, but they dress up any cookie plate (even a store-bought one...shhh!) for the perfect holiday presentation. Check out this link for the super simple recipe for my Holly Bunches, and dress up a cookie plate this Christmas. I promise that I will also share the Nut Butter Ball recipe in the next week or two! Yummm!

What's your favorite Christmas Cookie?

A Lifetime Ago

I remember where I was a lifetime ago, at 7:30pm. 

I was doing laundry when my water broke. Mr. Pretty was giving Mork a bath, and I was folding whatever had been in the dryer. At 7:30pm, I bent over to retrieve the next item, and I felt it...not a "whoosh!," but more of a "trickle." I finished folding and took a shower. After all, I was 9 months pregnant, and my bladder was not as reliable with a giant uterus pressing on it...maybe I just peed a little? Once in the shower, I was certain that I did not need incontinence gear, but a trip to the hospital sounded like a good idea.

We packed bags, took Mork to his designated sitter, and hopped I sat gingerly in the car for the trip (at least 30 minutes away, with train tracks in a couple places). I was eager and anxious, and getting more so as the contractions began. They intensified quickly, and once at the hospital, everything happened so fast...

"Wow this hurts! They seem really close. Can I have pain meds?"

"No, you're not dilated enough... (quick physical exam) Wait, she's ready, give her the meds..." (pain meds administered through IV)

"Did you give them to me? I think it's time to push...?"

"No, you're only at 6cm... (checks again) NO, let's get her to delivery, NOW!"

All in all, the labor was just over 3 hours, starting during the laundry. Dollface entered the picture, screaming her healthy lungs out, at 10:37pm. I'll probably be sleeping at 10:37 tonight, but I'll be dreaming of a baby Dollface:

I thought that first 6 weeks went slow.
I was sooo mistaken.

She's still cute today, all grown up! She's even cute with a mustache...

Friends are good. Friends who let you
use their hair as a mustache
are PRICELESS!

She's so young. When I was her age, I was giving birth to my second child...weird. I love you, Dollface! Happy Birthday!

(No pressure here, Dollface. You and Snake will have kids when you are ready...and someday you will also be twice as old as your "baby." THERE's something to look forward to!)

When we left the hospital with our newborn Dollface, one of the nurses leaned in real close to me in the wheelchair, and she said, "Honey, if you have any more babies, and your water breaks at home, I want you to lie down and call 9-1-1...the next one will come faster." Yikes. We did not test that theory. Dollface is our "baby," and she has been in a hurry since before she was born. 

Today, Dollface is exactly half my age. That is to say that I was her age when she was born. Wow! Where have the years gone? Wherever they've gone, they've gone in a hurry... 

Are you in a hurry for anything?

Happiness is. . .

Even though the edges of Frankenstorm approach, I'm going to carve a smiley face out of my pumpkin...

I like smiley pumpkins, and people, and this has me thinking about when and where I find my joy and happiness. Happiness and joy have been abundant in our lives, when I have been looking in the right places. Check it out:

Happiness is sometimes quiet, like a sleeping kitten.

Don't wake the "baby." That will happen soon enough.
Take time to bask in the warmth of a quiet joy.

Happiness is sometimes fleeting, like the rain.

So sing and dance in the rain, and enjoy
happiness when it finds you.

Happiness is totally attainable, if you're willing to get messy.

Sometimes you have to get some gunk outta your life to be
happy. Sometimes you've gotta do that more than once.

Happiness is the reward for making other people happy.

On this mission trip, happiness is a bag of rice for
Mom, and a balloon animal for the kids.

Happiness is more lasting if you're willing to be silly sometimes.

A little dose of silliness can really pick you up
on a cast-iron day.

Happiness is love, like a big shade tree on a summer day. 

Love covers a multitude of sins. It eases forgiveness,
and erases regret, making everyone happier.

Happiness is a box on your head (unless you're the dog).

See "silliness" and singing in the rain above.
Please, do not put a box on your dog's head.

Happiness is bubblegum and baseball, but it's not usually "24/7."

Of course, you can't have bubblegum and
baseball 24/7 either.

Happiness is perfectly pedicured-and-posed, prom-ready toes.

Put your best foot forward, and happiness will find you.

Happiness is sweet, like a little chocolate-y treat once in awhile. 

You could eat one of these every day, if you wanted to.
It's a pretty good "swap" recipe from the Hungry Girl.

Happiness and joy are a way of life. You can't always be happy, but then again, you can't always be anything really. Happiness and joy ebb and flow through our lives every day, and you will find them more often when you are looking for them (and helping others find them, too). If you're hungry for happy, open your eyes and your heart. It's there, just waiting to be found.

As October comes to a close, I hope you will be finding the joy in a holiday filled with candy, and silly-ness, and maybe a chocolate muffin (or two?) with whipped cream. Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

Where are you finding your happiness and joy?

Halloween is almost here...

I wish I still had these little people to decorate for Tricks and Treats:

Cute, cute little cat! And a painted turtle. This was during
the heyday of TMNT, and we were so into that!
Dollface and Mork circa 1992

How much more adorable does it get? Oh right, there's this too!

I hope he forgives me for posting a picture of
him in tights, but he's Robin Hood, for
goodness sake! She's Tink!
Dollface and Mork circa 1994

Sorry the pics are fuzzy...they are pictures of pictures in my scrapbook. I just needed to get back on the blog-horse today, and Halloween seems like a natural thing to blog about in October. I remember, back in the day, I sewed and painted and crocheted and glued to come up with cute costumes for the wee ones in our family (while they would still let me). These were fun times. The only thing that might have made them better is digital photography! I've got lots of photos, but not a lot of good photos...developing was expensive!

What are you (or your kids) wearing for Halloween 2012?

Too young?

Back in the day, "they" all said we were too young. 

Too young to fall in love...

True love's kiss...

Too young to know what we wanted...

Too young to get married...

At this point, we could barely believe we did it!

Too young to move so far away from family and friends...

Too young to have kids...

Two kids in  a little under two years.
Wow! We look young...and tired.

Too young is what we've always been, so we'll keep going, and our own kids have followed our lead.  Both chose wonderful mates, and married in their early twenties (we were 18 & 19), and last year our oldest and his wife made us grandparents!  Just in case you think we are too young to be grandparents, here's a video of our Peanut with her Pop-Pop (from July 2011)...

And if you need a little extra dose of cuteness, here's a little video from just last week, too!:

We are totally rockin' this "too young" thing, don'tcha think?

Have you ever been too young?  What did you do?

You want a cookie?

Welcome to the new blog! (Edited to add that Pretty has decided that two blogs were silly. She merged the two in December, 2012.) If you have come from a link I've posted, you probably already know that I am Pretty.  If not, Hi!  I'm Pretty, and this is my new blog!  If you want to know a little bit more about me, please check out the "About" page, and maybe the "Meet the Family" page.  There will be more detail as we get to know each other.  :)

Since there's lots of time for us to get acquainted, I thought I'd start with a cookie recipe.  Everyone loves cookies, right?  Right.  So, check out this link for Grandpa Joe's Anise Cookies.  I'll wait while you go and have a look...

Here's a picture, too!

Now, looking at these cookies, you might have guessed that they don't have chocolate, or creme centers, or oatmeal in them.  This is a cookie that my very Italian grandparents kept on the kitchen table at all times.  As kids, we would come in, sit down and open the round, white, cardboard cookie container (the kind that comes filled with sugar-sprinkled Christmas cookies in December) and have a cookie. They were always dry, not too sweet, and tasted faintly of black licorice...that's the anise.

Sometimes, if you timed it just right, Grandpa Joe would come into the kitchen to refill his coffee cup while you sat there with your cookie.  He would add milk from the quart in the fridge,   filling his cup to the very top, and then he would bend down to the counter to take the first, slurpy sip without lifting it.  Then, he would take a cookie and there you were, eating cookies in the kitchen with Grandpa.

Of course, it was usually about this time that Grandma came in to shoo Grandpa out, and rush around the kitchen to cook the pasta and toss the salad so that we could all eat!  I don't remember her ever shooing me out of that kitchen, tho.  And I don't remember her ever telling me that I couldn't have a second cookie...or a third, or a fourth.  

I love the memory of my grandparents' kitchen, and these cookies are only a part of the magic.  I love knowing that my Grandfather baked ridiculously large batches of these cookies, and stored them in a box in the pantry, covered with a towel.  Most of all, I love the way being in that kitchen with my grandparents made me feel loved. 

What's your favorite cookie?