I Think They Liked It

K and T, newlyweds, just got a new puppy.

Look at what I saw when I went puppy loving…

I think they liked their wedding gift.

AuburnChick Wants a Chicken Biscuit Party

For the last three weeks, I’ve been subbing for an English teacher.  She has four classes.

I knew, immediately, that this would be a good subbing assignment.  The students are respectful and work hard.

Last week, there was a fund raiser for leukemia and lymphoma.  It was called Pennies for Patients.  The way the fund raiser worked is that buckets would be given to each first period class.  Every day, first period classes were encouraged to dump change in the buckets.  The buckets would be collected each day, and the change counted with totals accumulating during the week. The class that collected the most money would be rewarded with a Chick fil A chicken biscuit party.

Well, you know me.  I like challenges.  I also like to win.  Put the two together, and you have one very determined substitute teacher.

I went in, guns blazing, encouraging my the 23 students in my first period class to pull out all stops.  Mrs. AuburnChick wanted a chicken biscuit party!  More important, though, was the very worthy cause.

The first day, we only dumped in a couple of dollars’ worth of change.  No biggie.  Word was still getting out, and I was only getting started.

The second day, I grabbed a gallon-sized baggie and scoured my house for change.  We have a large glass mug that we dump change into.  Down it went, into the baggie.

When I went to school, I showed it to the students and made a big show of pouring it into the bucket.  The girls who came around to collect change brought with them a small baggie.

“Honey, you’re going to need something a little bigger than that,” I told one girl.  She grabbed the bucket and carried it off with her.

That day, we upped our total to over $30.  My students were encouraged.

The next three days, we continued to put in money.  My students surprised me by bringing in baggies of their own.

Day #4 arrived, and I could not believe what I saw when I got to school.

The bucket was nearly half full…

One student dropped in six, two-dollar bills!  So generous!

Now, that day after first period, I had Planning.  I became discouraged about some other matter and went back to school a little down.

When I returned, I started teaching my third period students.  Unexpectedly, Chicky made an appearance in my classroom.

She had been in her Leadership class.  It’s a class where the students assist one of the teachers with various SGA activities.  These students do a lot of behind-the-scenes work and are vital to keeping various activities around school going.

They had been in charge of counting the money collected all week.

Chicky proudly announced that my class had collected a little over $114.

Just that day.

Day #4.

I sat in my chair in shock.

My spirits lifted.

My 23 ninth-grade students had collected over $100 in change.

Unbelievable.

Now, something I haven’t told you yet is that every afternoon, the teacher in charge of the fund raiser had been sending emails to the staff giving the top five class totals.  My class started out not even being on the list.  The second day we were in third place, but we dropped to fifth place on Day #3.

The teacher in first place also “happened” to be the teacher in charge of the fund raiser.  She claimed it wasn’t rigged, but rumor had it that she had been throwing in $20 bills…something I could not afford to do.

So, I had gotten even more competitive.  This is such a nice teacher…all of the students love her, and I have chatted with her a few times.  She’s awesome!  But I was out to beat her.

AuburnChick wanted a chicken biscuit party.

Day #4’s total put us in the lead by $50!!!

I was psyched!

I talked about it to everyone I knew.  Other students asked me what I had said to them.  I told them that I’d said I am a soccer mom.  Second place doesn’t get the trophy.  It’s not worth doing anything if you don’t give it your all.

Words of encouragement, don’t you know.

Plus, Mrs. AuburnChick wanted a chicken biscuit party.

After our grand showing on Day #4, I didn’t hold out much hope for Day #5.  I mean, one can only collect so much change.

My students, however, had different ideas.

I got to school early, and the students were already arriving…eager to start dumping in change.

Folks, my students brought in MORE baggies of money.

We made a big deal of each one, holding each up for the class to see before pouring the change in.

Students dropped in $1 bills and dug in their pockets to fish out quarters.

Inspired, I hunted through my wallet one more time.  I knew I had given every spare bit of change, but still I looked in the hope that I had missed a coin or two.

I found 50 cents in my pants pocket and a nickel hiding in my wallet.

I threw in the nickel with an Emeril “Bam!”  My students laughed.

My bucket was now 3/4 full!!

The girls came in to collect my bucket, and their eyes bulged.  I proudly announced that we had collected over $114 the day before, and I was hoping to top that amount.

They looked dismayed, and I quickly figured out why.

They were students in my main competition’s class.

(insert evil laugh here)

Yeah, I’m mean.

Before they could leave my class, though, one of my students arrived (a little tardy).  She said, “Wait, I have money.”

We waited…

And watched…

As she reached for her wallet…

And pulled out…

A…

Crisp $20 bill!!!!!

We all cheered.  You probably could have heard us from the front office.

I proudly displayed the bill for my class, explaining to the girls waiting to take it that my class had seen it.  I didn’t want it to go “missing.”  And then I buried it into the change just in case it wanted to “fly” off the pile when the girls walked down the hallway.

They left, one girl carrying the bucket with both arms.

I went to the door and watched them walk down the hallway.  I encouraged them to be very careful.  I didn’t want them “tripping” and spilling my precious change on the floor.

Yeah, I’m bad.

AuburnChick wanted a chicken biscuit party.

Chicky came into my classroom later that day.

Wanna know what we collected?

$125!!!!!

Can you believe it?  We topped the previous day’s total!!

That afternoon, an email came across the system.

Chicky’s class had raised a grand total of $273.96!!!  We beat the #2 class by $125.82!!

AuburnChick is getting her chicken biscuit party.

More importantly, the school fund raiser raised over $600.

In one week.

That’s no small change.

My students told me that if I was a regular teacher at the school, I would probably win all of the contests.

If there’s a chicken biscuit party (or chocolate) offered as a reward, you betcha!!

Divine Cookies

Readers, I consider it my duty (and yes, I do mean duty) to report on the latest and greatest finds.

With such a mission in mind, I present to you my most recent discovery…

I introduce to you Divine Cookies.

Oh, don’t let the CVS logo fool you.  These aren’t your everyday generic cookies.

They are divine.

How, you might wonder, did I chance upon these?

Well, you see, one morning, I had to run to CVS on a very important errand.  The specifics will have to remain a mystery because some things just have to be (this adds to my allure, don’t you know).  But the initial reason is not important except that it gave me a reason to go into the store.

When I got there, I did what I normally do and scanned my Extra Care Buck card.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, this is CVS’s reward card.  It allows shoppers to purchase items at advertised prices with the benefit of earning Extra Care Bucks.  These bucks are the same as cash or coupons.  Shoppers can use them when they make purchases.

Now, a few months ago, my mom told me that if I scanned my card at the price-checker thing that hangs from the aisle, I would receive coupons in return.

Mom didn’t lie, and I’ve since gotten coupons on everything from pretzels, to water, to cold medicine.

Sometimes, I’ve been able to scan my card twice to receive two different sets of coupons.

On the particular day I’m speaking of (when I was out running the all-important, mystery errand), the scanner spit out a $1 coupon on any box of Divine Cookies.

Curious, I headed over to the grocery aisle to see which item was the cheapest.

Well, my eyes lit upon the box above.  My eyes nearly bugged out when I saw the words “chocolate,” “caramel,” and “truffle.”

Folks, for a chocoholic like myself, these are like songs from a siren, beckoning me to dangerous waters.  And, like a love-stricken sailor, I heeded the call.

Of course, the practical side of my brain justified the purchase by arguing that the cookies were on sale for $2.50.  With my $1 coupon, I would only pay $1.50.

I know…not free like I wanted, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen the words “truffle” and “free” in the same sentence.

Off I trotted to the cashier, the cookies and the mystery item (the reason for my visit) in my hands.

Then, I went back to school to resume my day (I had been on Planning).

Well, I eyeballed that box of cookies through third period, but I didn’t have time to open it.  I was also dreading it just a teensy bit because my mouth was still sore from having my teeth pulled.  All I had eaten for a week was soup.  I wasn’t sure if I was feeling brave enough to risk eating a cookie.

By fourth period, my fear had given way to anticipation.  Besides that, if I didn’t do something, I was going to have a lot of drool to clean up from the desk.

So, I pulled out the box of cookies.

My students stared, open-mouth, dismayed that I was going to eat a cookie in front of them.

“Hello,” I said, “I’ve been eating soup for a week.  I want something different!”

I saw looks of understanding.  I mean, we’re talking teenagers here…kids who are used to constantly stuffing their faces.

So they had to watch.

Each cookie has chocolate on the top…

The chocolate is stacked on top of a thin wafer…

But the best part is in the middle.  It’s hidden, and you don’t discover it until you take a bite.  I broke one apart so you could see…

Look at that caramel!!  Oh my gosh!!!

It looks yummy enough to see it again.

First, the break…

And then a peek at the yummy innards…

And how do the cookies taste?

Well, duh!  If I “had” to do the play-by-play twice, then obviously I ate both cookies too!

So, my students had to watch me eat the first cookie.  And yes, I was as animated in person as I am on my blog.  Probably more so.

They laughed at my facial expressions.  I can only imagine what I must have looked like.

They wanted me to share.

Now, hold up.  I am a nice sub, I’ll admit that, but I’m not THAT nice!  Good gravy!

I did have mercy on a few students, though.  These students smelled the cookies (yes, they smell almost as delicious as they taste) and gave me the saddest looks ever.  These fortunate few were allowed to split (remember, I’m stingy) cookies with me.  They agreed that the cookies are, indeed, as good as I had been claiming.

Now, if you’re looking for nutritional information such as calories and serving size, you’re not going to find that here.  I think that YUM and YUM will suffice.

It’s too bad I can’t make a commission off of these things.  Since I’ve been eating them the last couple of days, a few of my students have made their parents drive to CVS to buy some.

I’m a bad influence.  I can’t help it.

Blame it on the chocolate

Caramel

Truffles.

Divine!!

It’s Official!

Today is National Signing Day.

If you’re not a sports person, you might not know that National Signing Day is the all-important milestone in a young athlete’s career.

It is the day he/she signs a Letter of Intent…the contract between the athlete and a college.

Important stuff.

We received Chicky’s paperwork in the mail a couple of days ago; however, NCAA rules state that an athlete cannot sign the letter until February 3rd.

We decided to wait until this afternoon because mornings are always rush-time for us.  Plus, I wanted to make sure we did things properly…camera at the ready, of course.

As we set the papers on the table, I felt emotional.  I simply could not believe that this moment was finally here…a culmination of the last 12 years of hard work and steely determination.  I wish I had kept track of the number of practices we’ve driven Chicky to…the number of games she’s played in, the miles we’ve put on our cars, and the number of weekends we woke up at the crack of dawn for.

Twelve years sounds like a long time, but it seems like it flew by.

All for this moment…

My sweet Chicky, pink fingernails and all, is now, officially, a Rollins Tar.

Chicky, if you happen to be reading Mama’s blog, here’s a special message to you:

Today is another big milestone for you.  I am incredibly proud of you.  I remember you in your pig tails, dribbling the ball around as only a six year old can.  You didn’t know what you were doing, but you were having fun.  Oh, how my heart swelled with pride when I watched you play in your first game.

And oh, the laughter that filled my lungs when I watched you get chased by a bumblebee while you took your turn playing goalie.  That goal was so big, and you were so small, and there you ran, trying to escape the bee not concerned one iota about what was going on in the game.

And you grew.

As you grew, you got better, and you gained confidence.

And my heart overflowed with joy as I watched you doing something you enjoyed so much.

Every season, you have gotten better and better.

Oh, how my eyes have filled with tears as I’ve watched you unknowingly inspire others through your triumphs over the challenges thrown in your path.

As important as soccer has been in helping you develop into a shining jewel, I pray that you take away one very important lesson.  Though you sign this Letter of Intent, this game of soccer is not what defines who you are.

Playing soccer is what you do.  It will allow you to get an solid education, give you an immediate circle of friends, and give you a niche to fit into at college.

However, being a child of God is who you are.  THIS is what defines you, on and off the field…wherever you go in life.

I know that YOU know this, because daily I observe you living your life in a way that honors Him.  May you always do so.

Of this, I am and will be most proud.

I love you more than you will ever know.

Love,

Mama ♥

Random Dozen

Yeah, yeah…I haven’t blogged the last couple of days.  Chalk it up to being a mom and a sore mouth, which is healing, by the way but still sore nonetheless.

I have progressed from eating soup to Chocolate Truffle Cookies, so I guess you could say I’m doing better. 

For today’s post, I’m sort-of taking the lazy way out.  Actually, I like doing the Random Dozen postings.  I think they give you a little more insight into who I am (like I don’t already bare all on this blog of mine), but you get my meaning.

So, without further ado, here goes!  Be sure you visit 2nd Cup of Coffee.  This gal puts up the questions each week!

1. Do you use the labels various charities send you as “free gifts?”

Yes, I do.  I don’t want to waste what’s already been printed.

2. What is your favorite time of day (or night) for skywatching?

I thought I had no preference…until I started typing the answer to this question.  That’s when I realized that I love sunsets.  Especially the ocean-view kind.  Oh my gosh but how amazing!!  You probably remember the pictures I took from the cruise?  Um, yeah.  Words are not adequate…

3. What is the most adventurous you’ve ever been with trying a new food? (Keep it G-rated please)

I’m not very adventurous with food (unless it’s chocolate).  I don’t eat bugs, and I am not a huge fan of meat (unless its a Whopper Jr. from Burger King).  Probably the most adventurous I’ve been is when trying fresh carrot juice for the first time a few years ago.  It’s actually very good, if you can get past the mental problem of drinking carrots.

4. Have you ever heard a rock sing? (Trust me, there’s a reason for this one!)

Unless I consider myself a rock, then no.  And I don’t go around talking to them either.

5. If you could learn a language you don’t presently speak, what would it be?

French.  What a beautiful language, not to mention that I am a Frenchwoman by birth.

6. Al Capone’s tombstone read, “My Jesus, Mercy.” If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?

Heaven-Bound.

7. If you were a famous musician who was known by one name, like “Cher,” “Sting,” or “Jewel,” what would it be? It doesn’t have to be your first name, but it can be, if you’d like.

Grace.  I am so grateful for God’s gift of salvation, and I know it’s only because of His grace that I am saved.  Having a name like that would be a reminder to me to always be humble.  Plus, it’s a pretty name.

8. Have you ever been inordinately “into” a television show?

Oh yeah, baby.  Unfortunately, it’s not one show, but any show I take a particular liking to.  Chicky and Rooster know to wait for commercials to talk to me.  Who knows what they’ve gotten away with because I’ve been distracted by Lost or 24.  Oy…I’m such a sucker for the Boob Tube.

9. When you sneeze, do you go big, or do you do that weird “heenh!” sound that makes people think you’re going to blow your brains out? Any other variation we should know about?

Little.  I’m not into sneeze drama and think it’s dumb when people think they’ve got to spread the sneeze love.  Gimme a break.

10. Do you still read an actual newspaper that you hold in your hands, or do you get your news elsewhere?

I’d rather read the local paper and enjoy perusing the morning copy in the library at school; however, I’m broke and can’t afford a paper every day, so I usually get my news online…via Facebook.  Sad, eh?

11. Are you a good speller?

Yes.  I’m an old-school English student.  I loved everything about English class and relished spelling tests.

12. At what time each day do you start thinking about Lost lunch?

I’m not a huge eater, so I don’t give lunch much thought.  However, since I had my teeth pulled, I think about lunch after I get to school.  I wonder what I can eat that won’t hurt my mouth.  Soup anyone?

A Little Courtesy, Please

Ok all…I’m about to vent, and then I’ll change my “Thanks, Not Cranks” bracelet over to the left arm.

Now, I’m all about Sundays.  God instructed us to observe the Sabbath, and I do try hard to.  My kids are supposed to do their chores on the other days of the week, and I usually sit around and knit on Sundays.

But the first thing that happens is church.

Oh, how I love my church.  I love the music, and our pastors pass along very good messages.

I’d love these things more if people didn’t talk during them.

Begin Complaint #1.

Please tell me if I’m alone in this, but am I the only person who thinks it’s rude for people to talk after the singing begins?

I mean…music is very important for me in a worship service.  It helps me focus my thoughts and adoration on God (where they need to be).

After an especially long week, I needed this morning to regroup.  I got caught up in the music…and then I heard two people having a conversation.

And it wasn’t short.

It was long.

Now, you can try to tell me I should have tuned them out, but it was really hard.  I work with teenagers, and I can mostly tune them out, but that’s different.  Even they know (most of the time) the appropriate time to talk.

Ugh.

Even worse than talking during the singing is when people talk during sermons.

I rarely, if ever, have encountered this situation…until this morning.

I can understand that the pastor might say something that would cause you to nudge your neighbor and say something like, “I do that too.”  However, the two people sitting beside me talked…and talked…and talked.

Then they would stop.  I would try to gather myself and figure out what the pastor had been talking about.  Just as I found myself able to follow the pastor’s train of thought again, the people sitting beside me started another conversation about his newest comments!

Ugh.

I seriously considered leaning over and saying something, but I didn’t want to make a scene.  I kept wondering if it was just me being over-sensitive.

I don’t think it was.

I considered saying something after the service was over, but I don’t think God wanted me to, because they left during the singing that we did right before we were dismissed.

My point in this rant?

Have a little courtesy.  If you are sitting in a gathering where there’s a speaker, close your lips and listen.  Maybe you’re not interested.

Ok.

Do those of us who are interested a favor and maybe think about nodding off.  Or nod your head like you are listening and make your grocery list in your head.

Or better yet, pass notes to the person beside you.  At least you’re not speaking out loud.

Ok…Complaint #1 over.

Time for Complaint #2.

Leaving church with that in my head, I headed to Walmart to buy two Sunday papers.  You know that I buy two of them because I want two sets of coupon inserts.

For the last two weeks, my paper has only been carrying one insert…either the Red Plum or the SmartSource.

Not cool.

I trucked myself down to the newspaper office last week and demanded (um, yeah, that’s what I did) my missing set of coupons.

I was rudely informed that coupon inserts are only guaranteed to home delivery subscribers.

Say what?

So, because I cannot afford to subscribe to your paper but am buying one at the newsstand, you’re going to punish me by charging me more for the issue as well as keep part of the paper from me?

Not kosher.

I was not a happy girl and told the woman that I’ll probably subscribe to a way-out-of-town paper that promises I can have whatever I want.

Except that I don’t have the money yet.  Cause I can’t find a job.

Sigh.

This morning, while at Walmart, I opened up the papers before buying them…just to make sure I was getting the two inserts promised.

I only found one.  For the third week in a row.

Well, fully irate, I marched back to the greeter, informed her that I was not buying the papers because they were missing inserts (which I don’t blame Walmart for, but I didn’t want her to think I’d read the paper and put it down without paying for it), and I walked out.

I started coming up with a plan on how I was going to write this and that letter and call this and that person.

What I wound up doing was driving to Books a Million, hoping that it would carry out-of-town papers.

They carried the New York Times (no coupons) and my local paper.

On a whim, I opened small-town paper and guess what I discovered?

TWO COUPON INSERTS!!!

Say what?

This made no sense, but I live in Podunk, USA, where we tend to do things backward, so maybe it makes perfect sense.

I walked myself and two papers to the cash register, where I used my frequent buyer card to save money on the papers, spending less on them than I would have at Walmart.

I felt smug as I walked out.

I beat the system…this week.

I am still plotting, though.

Phone calls will be made.

Belts will be tightened (even more than usual) as I try to figure out how I can subscribe to an out-of-town paper, receive my coupons, and kiss the local one goodbye forever.

Ok.  Complaint #2 over.

Do I sound grumpy?

Yes.

Why?

Because I’ve mostly eaten soup all week because I still have two holes in my mouth, and I just finished Prednisone (which is a moody sort of medicine), and when I try to eat, my tummy hurts.

Really, though, all I wanted was quiet (church sermon) and coupons.

Am I being greedy?

Happy Sunday all! 

Super-Secret Project Revealed!

So, I know I’ve been teasing you over the last few weeks…referring to a Super-Secret Project but giving few, if any, hints.

Well, I am thrilled to FINALLY be able to reveal what I’ve been working on!!!

But first, a bit more of a tease.

I began this project on October 5, 2009.  Chicky and I had received an invitation to a friend’s bridal shower.

“K” and “T” were getting married!  They are a very special couple.  Both graduated from college in December, and T just got hired on as a full-time youth pastor at my church.  He’s been an intern for quite some time and is very close to the local kids.  K worked at the church last summer and became very good friends with Chicky.

This is a couple that adores being with teenagers.  They have been such a blessing to my own family, so I knew a special gift was in order.

I quickly decided on a project as, of course, a knitted item was in order.

I bought the yarn…

Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool - Color 098 (Natural)

I was ready…confident that I would be able to finish the project in the three weeks time-span to the shower.

The knitting gods laughed at me.

I mean, let’s face it.  It was Fall…the holiday season.

I worked when I could, but other projects came up.

But then things settled down, and I finally focused all of my energy…

To finish…

The Tree of Life Afghan

Folks, can you believe that this pattern is free?  You can find it here.  There’s also a Ravelry group dedicated to this project.

Now, you know me, and you know I like cables and fancy patterns.  This project kept me interested.  The tree sections were actually the easiest and fastest to complete…

These panels alternate with garden sections, which required a new technique for me…using a crochet hook to pull the yarn from back to front (trust me…it’s not too hard when you read the instructions)…

The sections in-between were simple garter stitch…easy-peasy!

There are different arguments out in internet-world about the best way to complete the border.  I didn’t read ahead in the instructions, so I was oblivious.  I pretty much did what I was told and knit it separately from the rest, attaching it by using my own modified version of the mattress stitch…

The border was very simple but very elegant, forming leaf petals.  I worked on the border when I subbed for a history teacher for a week.  My classes spent most of their days watching movies…which allowed me a lot of time to knit as the movies were long, and my students were incredibly well-behaved!

Now, I’ve gotta say that I mustered up some brain power and smartly decided to leave live stitches on my needles, not binding off the edging until I was absolutely sure it was long enough.  I knit 58 repeats, stitched them to the blanket, and promptly ran out of edging.  So, I knit another 17 repeats, adding this portion to the blanket’s edge, and discovered I needed one more repeat!!  Oy!

In total, I worked 76 pattern repeats of the border.

The border really made this project complete.  It added a very elegant touch to what was already an incredibly amazing project (if I do say so myself).

Rooster and the Mr. held it up so I could get pre-washing/blocking pictures…

Now, allow me to tell you a story…real quick (yeah, right).

See, I knew I was going to have to wash this blanket…for several reasons.

First of all, this blanket almost had a bad accident, courtesy of Pele, mischievous pup that he’s become of late.

You see, one morning, shortly before Christmas, I had left the blanket on the table while I ran to the store.  When I returned thirty minutes later, I walked into the house to see a long, cream-colored string hanging off of the table.

“PELE,” I hollered, following the trail the string had left.

I followed it to the den, where my heart stopped.

There, on the floor, lay my up-to-then-completed blanket (maybe 1/3)…on the floor.

I checked it for holes.

Nothing.

However, I did notice that some of the stitches had come off the needles, which forced me to tink back the section I had just worked…about 12 rows.  At 180 stitches per row, um, well, yeah, you can imagine how mad I was.

And relieved.

But in the process, that blanket had been drug over a very hairy floor.

So yeah, I knew I was going to have to wash it before gifting it.

No easy task.

Fishermen’s Wool is 100% wool, which means no washing machine, and no dry cleaning (I checked).  Only gentle hand washing.

I feel like a bad gifter, putting this kind of burden on a newlywed.  Oh well, it’s warm and pretty…just don’t throw up on it!  Washing it is not my idea of a fun way to spend the day.

Anyhoo, I stuck the blanket in the tub, covered it with water and added a dash of dish detergent…

I took the water spray nozzle thing-y and rinsed it completely afterward.

And then I tried to pick it up.

Folks, this is one heavy blanket when it’s wet!  I had already mashed some of the water out of it, but oh my!  I laid towels across the ping pong table and rolled the blanket in them to remove more water…

Then, I placed fresh, dry towels on the table and blocked the blanket.  I wanted to open up the edging so it would lie flat.

The blanket took a few days to dry…especially with the cool temperatures we’ve had in Florida.

Then I had to wait because one of the newlyweds went out of town for a week.

Oy!  I was so excited to gift it (and blog about it)!!

And then last night finally arrived.

Gift time!!

K and T came to the house so they could open the gift in front of us.

I was so nervous!  Would they like it?  Would it match their decor?  Would they realize that I want them to USE this…not be afraid of the 100% wool thing?

I needn’t be afraid.  I think you can tell what they thought of it from the pictures below…

K inspected the work up close…

Final stats on this project:

Began on October 5, 2009
Bound off on January 18, 2010

Used 4.6 skeins (2,139 yards) of Lion Brand Fishermen’s Wool (Natural)

Knit on size 8 needles

Finished blanket size:  78 x 58

A special message to K and T:  Thank you for giving of yourselves so freely and unconditionally.  You have already had a profound affect on the children in the church.  More personally, though, my own children love you.  We have come to think of you as family.

We’re thrilled that God led you to each other, and I pray that when you look at the blanket, you will be reminded of the Lord and His promises.

I decided to make this blanket for a couple of reasons.  The Tree of Life Afghan symbolizes a couple of things…

1. The Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden…a promise of eternal life spent with God one day to those who accept His love and sacrifice for us.
2. The start of your own family tree.  May God bless you abundantly in the many, many years to come.

This gift was from the entire AuburnChick home.  I may have been the knitter, but each member encouraged me by their words and ooohhhh’s and aaahhh’s.  They also reminded me that I needed to stay on the ball and get it finished before it turned into a one-year anniversary gift!!

May you enjoy many chilly days snuggled under this blanket, and may you feel God’s love (and our’s) upon you during those, and all, times.

We love you guys!!

Coconut M&M’s!

About a week ago, I stopped to gas up the car.

Of course, I had to go into the mart and get some chocolate.

No, the Mr. was not following me this time.

Maybe he should have been.

This was not the regular gas station I stop at, so I was surprised when I spied these…

Have you ever seen Coconut M&M’s?

Neither have I!

I bought them out of curiosity.

The white M&M’s had little umbrellas on them…

I’ll admit that I was a little leery at the thought of trying them, but still, it was chocolate, so I was game.

I popped one into my mouth, and I pleasantly discovered that Coconut M&M’s are DELICIOUS!

There’s only a hint of the coconut taste.  It’s very similar to Almond Joy, minus the almond.

Oh my but soooo yummy.

The next day at school, I was talking to the receptionist about the little treasure I had discovered.  She had never seen them.  At just that moment, one of the school’s administrators walked out of her office and, upon overhearing me, said, “Coconut M&M’s are my favorite!”

We had a lively discussion about them, and I told her where I had purchased mine.  She was grateful for the information because her store had been out of them for some time.  It would seem that these are not carried by most convenience stores.

Too bad.

The Mars company is losing many potential sales!  C’mon stores…STOCK THESE BABIES!! I mean, who’s not going to want a little taste of paradise?  Especially in the middle of winter?!

What Did AuburnChick Do Today?

Today was busy.

Still, I made sure I carved out time to visit my local Panera, which opened YESTERDAY!!!  Many thanks to the student who told me!  I ran out during my Planning/lunch and grabbed Black Bean Soup, bread (I could only eat the soft innards), and fresh lemonade!  YUM!

Later, Chicky’s team was playing in the Regional Quarterfinals.  I took my knitting along, not really expecting to actually knit.  My bag is like a security blanket.  It goes everywhere with me.  But, lo and behold, I did actually knit two rows of my newest project (the Super-Secret Project will be revealed in a few days, I promise)…

Chicky’s team won!  Yay!

I managed to keep my mouth shut for most of the game.  Yay!

Wonder what I’ll be doing tomorrow…

Life in a Small Town…

…means that you can’t slip out and get slushies or chocolate without the hubster knowing about it.

I mean, c’mon girls!  Don’t ‘ya sometimes just want to indulge in a little chocolate therapy.  Shouldn’t we be able to do this guilt-free?

I’ve been subbing for a teacher who has 2nd period planning and then early lunch, so I go in, teach one class, and get time to re-energize.

That means chocolate, right?

So, a couple of days, I was in Happy Land.  I’d gotten my donuts and Reese’s.

Yeah, I was a happy girl.

I was heading back to school, and who should call?

The Mr.

“Hey,” he said.

“Yeah, what do you want?” I answered.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“Who me?” I asked, all innocent-like.

“Um, I’m behind you.  Where’d you go?” he persisted.

Rats.  I didn’t want to lie.

“I went to the store.  BTW, what are you up to?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

Sometimes the man uses his brain.  He did not allow me to steer him off his line of questioning.

“What did you buy?” he asked.

“Stuff, okay?  Chocolate stuff.  I NEEDED it.”  I said.

“Uh huh,” he said, unconvinced.

End of conversation.

I wish this was an isolated incident, but it’s not.

Today, I picked up Rooster from band practice.  I decided I was in need of a Sonic Icee.  See, I had interviewed for a history teacher position today, but I didn’t get it.  I was a teensy bit down in the dumps, and my mouth was a little more sore today than yesterday.

Rooster was totally okay with taking a detour on the way home.

And then we saw it…

The Mr.’s car.  He waved as he drove past us!

Rats.

What did we do?

We drove home.

Sigh.

Guess the icee will have to wait for another day…when I’m sure the Mr. is tied up at work.