Stress Reaction

...Adrian and Aaron. My eldest son and his youngest.

Aaron is the baby. It is heartwarming to find that your child is a good father. I love them all more than I can ever tell them. I pray good things for them. For peace of heart and mind. For acceptance for others but especially for themselves. That they will always be close. That life is kind.

...Bichon Frise. My fluffy children Chantilly and Einstein (Chantilly is on the left, Einstein is on the right. Doesn't he look just so intelligent?). Who couldn't use a little unconditional love?

... is for Catlyn. My beautiful fifteen (going on thirty) year old daughter. She is intelligent and talented and destined for great things in life.

Like her mother she has strong opinions. I pray for her prudence and wisdom. I also pray that she will never feel like she is less than capable because of her gender.

*…cake and cookies. Because they make me happy.

Despite my commitment to The D Word, you can see the temptations that surround me. Not that I am complaining. That would be less than gracious! I realize that I am blessed with abundance!!

...drugs. Just one of the tools of my trade. The prescribing of, not the dispensing of.

In reality, my view of medicine is less about the medication, and more about the person. But to be sure, the drugs are often necessary to save a life. We owe a lot to drugs for the steady lengthening of the average life span. My own rather large derrière is a testament to how little it has to do with lifestyle.

...entertainment.

Though I have long known I was born at the end of the Baby Boomer generation, I have since found out that I was born at the beginning of Generation X. My love of, and fascination with the digital age, I believe, lands me square in the latter category.

Though my love of reading, knitting, spinning and all things textile makes me some kind of genetic throwback, I'm sure.

...floss!

I love me some floss! Back before I rediscovered knitting, and became the queen of sock yarn hoarding, I was a floss glutton (At one point, I was able to boast that I had every color that DMC had ever made). I have floss, and kits, coming out my ears, and while I may be in retirement before I have time to knit all my yarn and stitch all my floss, I have every intention of eventually getting it all done. Because, like Lolly, I love color. And I think the results are so worth it!

I call this my Millennium Sampler. I finished it late December 1999 after working on it off and on for several years. So I figure I have another hundred years to complete the next one!

...GRIN!

After the week I had last week, what with the run in with the Unhappy Woman and all, I thought I would attempt to turn the tide and bring a little light and laughter to the world!

Amen!

...Harmony Kingdom Black Box's. These are called Treasure Jests, and each little box opens up to reveal a secret with a twist inside. They have little hints and odd references carved all around the outsides as well. Dry British Humor. Gotta love it! (Pick and click and learn the secrets)!

...Jenny Dolls. Art glass dolls in the simplistic Amish style designed by Vi Hunter and made by Mosser Glass. Released in 48 unique colors, once a month between 1979 and 1982. So far, I have only managed to locate eighteen. I think they would inspire some rockin' sock yarn colors!

...kids. My kids specifically. The reason I work, plan, laugh, cry, live and breathe.

...Liam. The oldest son of my oldest son. He's two now and a total bundle of energy. I love him lots, but he makes me glad my kids are older!

And for...

...The Lion King. Just because it was fabulous, and so totally worth mentioning. If you get a chance to see it, take it. My kids and I sat mesmerized for the entire show. Just wonderful!

...Melissa. My oldest daughter. In Sophomore English the students received extra credit if the parents wrote a something to tell the teacher about their student. This is what I wrote. It still describes her best.

She Grew

Too fast and so soon.

From little toes and long dark curls, to tight blue jeans and midriff tops.

She grew.

She always liked dressing up, and always liked to play restaurant.

She ran with other girls her age, and tore the knees of jeans.

She grew.

I was afraid, for awhile, that the growing up would be the growing away; and for a time it seemed that way. But I have found a beautiful friend, a lovely young woman with whom I enjoy spending time.

She has a beautiful voice. She sings with abandon and with joy. She takes the gifts of God and brings comfort to the aches of this world.

I watch as she takes in all that the world has to offer and sorts and sifts and mines the gold and the jewels and that which is precious and doesn't let herself be taken in by that which is fake and fading. I cry as her heart breaks and thank God that her dreams never fade.

I am impressed that so often her first thought is not of herself but of others. That she seems not to take her blessings for granted, but instead seeks to bless those she holds close to her heart. She has an endless well of cheerfulness.

She stands now, with the world so large and all the possibilities before her and she does not tremble and seems not to be afraid. She knows who she is and knows where she belongs and at the same time does not profess to know it all.

She grew.

In faith.
In beauty.
In love.
In hope.
In peace.
In wisdom.
In self-control.

In my heart.

She grew.

…New.

Though a firm believer in tried and true, sometimes there is nothing so exciting as something new.

To go along with my new job (which you have heard about ad nauseam), there is the new drive to work. Now to fully appreciate the new drive, you have to be familiar with the old drive.

And the new drive. (And this would be rush hour)!

No more hubcaps or road rubber screaming past my head! Woo-Hoo!!

It is the perfect length. Long enough to either prepare for the day, or to unwind from it, but not so long as to seem tedious.

…New computer.

I finally took the plunge and went with a Mac, and I love it. While the switch from the PC has been somewhat costly, I am so happy with the OS that I am seriously thinking about replacing my kid's computers as well.

…and new socks.

While still in love with the CTH Cabin Fever colorway, I have concluded that my struggle with the original socks was in fact the colorway. I just don't think that it was a good match with my TT recipient. I am much happier with this choice in both color and pattern.