Laura's Teddy Bear Picnic

In memory of our dear friend, Laura, who passed away last September we hosted a teddy bear drive the last two weeks of February at the yarn shop. We successfully collected 245 bears - they are being donated to Highline Medical Center's ER were each bear will find a new home.

Today the kids and I went to empty out the window - it took a while but it was lots of fun. We loaded up all the bears into large bags - it took 5!! We plan on hosting a bear drive each February - maybe next year we can get more!!

Thanks to all that helped and supported us during the drive!! Special thanks to the gals Fashion Bug for helping to collect them.

The Crud

YUCK!! I have been down and out with the crud for the past week. My ear is so plugged I can't hear, my sinuses want to explod and I burst a blood vessel in my eye coughing. Neeldless to say I have been about worthless all week. I can't hear the kids, I can't stay awake long enough to knit and I am getting really tired of hearing myself breath. The TV is turned way up and I can hardly hear it. I have an all together new empathy for people who are hard of hearing - I'm going bonkers!!
Thankfully my eye is healing and this morning I seem to have just a smidge or hearing in my right ear - maybe there is a ligh at the end of the tunnel.

My Baby's A Black Belt!!

Could I be any prouder??? My baby (OK - so he's 14) got his black belt in Tae Kwon Do today!! We all got up early to be sure to get their in plenty of time to get great seats. He did fabulous on his forms and sparring - then came the board breaks. I was sweating bullets - he went up there with all the confidence in the world. He powered through his first board like no body's business and then he clobbered the second board with just as much ease. I - in true mother form - started to cry. Every time I looked at him I had more tears of joy running down my check. He got his belt and then proceeded to wear it around the rest of the day. I kept joking that he is now my personal body guard - watch out!!
As for happenings at the shop - our teddy bear drive is coming along quite nicely!! We have collected over 70 bears so far for the Highline Medical Center in memory of Laura. We have lots of new yarns - be sure to stop by and check them out. Come in before Feb 28th and bring a bear - we will give you a coupon for 10% of a future shop.
Off to the Puck and Purl event at the Seattle Thunderbirds game tomorrow - I will let you know how it goes after I get done watching the NASCAR race - Go JR, Tony and Kasey!!

Snow Melt Sale-A-Bration

Now that the snow it melting away come join us for our Snow Sale-A-Bration!! All wool and cotton yarns are 20% off and all sock yarn is 30% off now through December 31st. We will be open on Monday, December 29th from 10am-6pm for the sale. We will be closed on January 1st for inventory - UGH!!
OK - now that the work stuff is out of the way, how was the holidays? Mine was pretty sad at times 'cause I was missing my Dad a lot. (by the way - all the snow was from my Dad - thanks Daddy) My husband spoiled me quite a bit for Christmas - had to ask him what he did wrong. I got a new TV, a new laptop and a digital camera - maybe I can actually start getting some pictures up here - that should shock everyone. The kids had a great time on Christmas too! Mom usually comes over and brings her homemade sticky buns - this year with all the snow she was stuck at home. Austin asked me to make some sticky buns so I tried and failed - not as good as Mom's. I finally was able to get out in the afternoon and go pick her up - thankfully she brought the sticky buns - so we didn't have them for breakfast - we just snacked on them the rest of the day. Pete made a wonderful dinner and then I took Mom back home.
Hope everyone got what they wanted, enjoyed the snow and had lots of fun stuck at home knitting and crocheting through the storm!! :)

SNOW SNOW SNOW

My apologies to all for taking so long to post again. My apologies also to anyone that tried to come to the shop the last few days or today after we closed up early. Snow has blanketed the lovely Pacific Northwest. Yes, I own a 4-Runner but, no, I don't care to drive in this stuff. It is not really my driving I am worried about - it would be all the other idiots that don't know the meaning of a little space and or how to slow down during in climate weather. My vehicle is to make sure my children, husband and myself arrive at our destinations safely (and looking good) not to assure that the morons on the road have something to bounce their uninsured piles of scrap metal off of. (oops - did I get a bit testy??)
I have tried to make the most of the snow days - I was able to finish several Christmas projects and not ship my children off to some strange foreign land with no return address - tempting as it as been, they still are pretty cute when they are sleeping. Tomorrow should bring a fun filled day of snowballs and snowmen right up until 1pm - then the whole world shall stop for Seattle Seahawks football in the SNOW!! Love the football - especially in the snow or mud.

It's August

OK everybody - it's August and it is time to get crackin' on those gifty items for this winter!! I have a few on the needles right now - can't tell you what they are because some people that shouldn't see might. We are full of ideas at the shop so stop on by and let us give you a hand.

Our visit with Debbie Macomber was so much fun!! Thanks to all that stopped in and helped us make it such a huge success!! A special thanks to those that took picture - we were so busy we didn't have much chance to snap photos ourselves.

The much anticipated Stitch n' Pitch is fast arriving - we can hardly wait! Not only will it be a fun day at the ballpark but it is also my birthday. Seriously!! It will be so much fun to spend the evening with a bunch of fiber fanatics - almost as much fun as the birthday party a while back at the Rocksport or the Jose Cuervo camping trip. If you must know about the Rocksport or the camping trip please ask - they are both very long detailed stories that hold much amusement at my expense to everyone who was there but I am willing to share. :) If you can't laugh at yourself amongst friends ---

Hope to see you all at the game!!

The Curve Ball

I'm sorry I haven't posted for a while - life has thrown me a huge curve. I had the wind knocked out of my sails on Monday, June 30th as the strongest, most influential man in my life -my father - passed away. As we spent the past week getting ready for the celebration of his life, we spent quite a bit of time reflecting on him, going through pictures and sharing memories. I realized more in the past 7 days what an amazing, caring, fun loving person my father was than I honestly had ever seen in my life. I guess the saying is true that you don't know what you got 'till it's gone. Don't get me wrong - it's just that things definitely take on a new, deeper meaning when they are no longer there.
Daddy was the fixer of all things wrong. He fixed skinned knees, broken hearts and speeding tickets - yes - speeding tickets. (I got a big one once that he laughed at and then paid for because the story behind me getting it was so funny) I think back on several times in my life when all I wanted was him. On 9-11 he was on his way back from Alaska - I didn't feel even remotely safe or at ease until I knew he was back across the boarder. Having him around made everything - I mean everything - seem like it would all be OK. Things have a way of working themselves out.
Several years ago he took 6 of his grandchildren to Disneyland. Last Januay he decided he needed to take my girls - they weren't around for the first trip. This past May Dad, Rose and Ann took the girls on their greatest adventure - the flew to Disneyland and spent three fun filled days playing with Grandpa. They were all beaming when they got off the plane but especailly my Dad. He had successfully taken each and everyone of his precious grandchildren to the greatest place on earth!
I will miss my Dad always but he will live on through his 5 children and 8 grandchildren.
Thank you Daddy for being my Dad - for being the best Dad you knew how to be. Thank you for instilling the values in me and my children that you did. Thank you for showing me through yourself how to be a better parent to my own children. Thank you for teaching me to be strong but not too strong, to brave but not too brave and most of all to always have fun no matter what you do. I love you dearly and always will - you will live in my heart and in my memories forever. Scope out the good fishing spots in heaven - someday many, many years from now I will see you again. I love you!!