Goodbye 2009

Well another year has come and gone. Adam and I were unpacking the office the other day (YES, we are STILL unpacking!) and I came across my old diary's. For the next hour or so I had a good time reading through certain key periods of my life. I think Adam was entertained by listening to me read entries from the beginning of our relationship. It was fun reading about our first kiss and the first time he told me he loved me. (aww) It was fun rewinding my life even further to junior high where every other entry I was "in love" with a new guy that was "awesome" and "really cute".

As I get older I see that time speeds up and that sometimes I am so preoccupied with getting to the "next stage" in my life, that I forget to really appreciate the place that I am in right now.

And I really am in a good place.

This year, as most years, was FULL of many ups and downs. I finished my second year of teaching 3rd grade, which was a miracle... hard year. Adam got a job here back in Ca, and we picked up our life, sold our house, quit my job, and moved 3000 miles away in a Honda packed with pugs and pillows. The move was exhilarating and exhausting. We love it here, but I still miss my little town of Blacksburg. My knitting shop, my friends.

I have discovered a food allergy, which will effect my life forever. I have discovered a thyroid condition. I have learned a lot about my body. I am learning about new foods, and news ways to eat.

In the year to come I want to continue to learn about my body, and live even healthier than before. I want to learn new recipes and explore new grains that my body actually loves. I want to continue not eating fast food, and cutting WAY down on sugar and processed foods.

Who knows what this year has to bring. I have optimism that with the new year comes a new hope and renewed since of appreciation.Who knows what journeys are to come, but Im sure I will continue to write in my little blog "diary" and try to appreciate and enjoy the life I live now... just a little more.

I hope the new year finds you, my friends, with a renewed sense of optimism for a good year!

Obsessed and Thankful

Ok, so now that we are here and getting "settled in" (that's debatable) I have reunited with an old friend- her name is "Knitting". Her and I used to be so close when I was working at the knitting shop in Blacksburg, but grad school came and work came and we just grew farther and farther apart.

Now that I am not working, not going to school, and not surrounded by a lot of distraction, her and I have spend everyday together. Knitting, finding projects, blocking, setting up my knitting space, and actually FINISHING projects. Amazing. As you can probably notice I am knitting nothing but baby stuff and that is for a couple of very good reasons. 1. Baby stuff is so cute, so easy, and so fast. 2. Everyone I know is either pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or just had a baby. So I am knitting all this fabulous knitware that I just LOVE!

My mom is coming to visit for Thanksgiving! I wish my Dad and brothers could come too, but I must be thankful for what I have!!! Bekka and family are coming too, so it should be a nice family day! I will be cooking my very first gluten free Thanksgiving. Thanks to this website I have found some recipes that shouldn't make me feel like I have "special problems" with gluten.
I still need to go to the doctor and take further tests to see if this is an allergy or if it is celiacs disease. We shall see. They reactions I get when I eat it are horrible, and hit fast. It took me a few days stop itching last time. Also, since I started DAIRY I have been congested and had headaches so that makes me worry. (GEEE!!!)

This really makes me wonder how many people have food allergies and don't know it. Amazing.


Thanksgiving kinda forces us to look at our life and find a deep gratitude for things. I was laying in bed last night looking out the window at the bay looking at the most incredible moon I have ever seen. It was a waxing crescent (3rd grade curriculum) that was a very dark deep orange color. It was hanging so low in the sky it looked like it was about to land right down into the bay. As I was watching it I actually saw it move. Like it knew it had been seen and needed to hide behind the earth. That was such a special moment that made me think about how lucky we all are to have this amazing beautiful Earth as our home. Just a nice story for you today.

Well, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!!

Back in Cali

Well- I dont know if anyone ever even reads this anymore, so if you DO read this, please comment so I know I am not doing this in vain.

We made it~ In the past 4 months we have packed up the house, sold the house, quit my job, packed up my classroom, drove across the country, moved into a house, remodelled ("we" didnt do it, but we lived through it).... So I guess you can say we have been a LITTLE busy.

It was very painful leaving Blacksburg. I really have some amazing friends there, and left an amazing job. I wish I could have moved Blacksburg with me. Although it was difficult moving, Im just so happy that I have such a strong and supportive spouse, who loves me- even when I cry all the time~!

The puggies did ok on the cross country trip. Lucys limp got REALLY bad, and we were very worried that she was never going to be the same, but with a lot of rest, and some supplements, she is walking normal. Mango was stressed out to the max ... but is finally settling in. I think her favorite was either... driving in the rain... or... waking up to construction workers pounding on the house.

You might be asking- Have you been busy knitting with all your new found time, and the answer is YES. I wish i could knit ALLLLL day long, but I do other things all day. .... like nap....

I've finally found a local knitting group full of really nice girls, so I am excited to make some new friends!

OK, well. If i see that people actually read this still, i may post again!

Loves from Ca.- Mimi

Here We Go Again

I know its been so long that everyone who USED to read my blog has probably forgotten about it, BUT the mood struck me right today, so here it goes.
For those of you that DON'T know, Adam got a job in Berkeley California! It is a very bitter sweet feeling to know we have to leave the place we have called home for the past 6 years and go home. I know Berkeley we have never lived in, but we are Californians that have been living in Virginia for 6 years. We are so excited to live close to family again! There are lots of pros and cons of living here, as opposed to Ca... oooooh, that sounds like a LIST!!

Pros of living in Va:
1. Its CHEEP
2. Its safe.
3. People are nice. We have made SO many friends here that I know will be life long.
4. We have seasons. I never realized how GLORIOUS Spring is till we moved here, or how beautiful Fall is.
5. I have a wonderful job. I love what I do- most of the time
6. no traffic

CONS of living in Va
1. There is VERY little to do...
2. Restaurants SUCK.
3. Winter.
4. crazy hillbilly people... even though entertaining....sometimes.
5. Fresh produce, or lack of.... seafood...
6. no beach here or sunsets over the ocean.
7. No FAMILY!

Overall, I have grown to love it here, and I WILL miss it, but I am ready. California, Mimi's coming home!! :)
I am excited because we get to live in Adam's g-pas house, and the town has a few yarn shops. One of them has a shop next door called "pugnatious" ... dog store. Yarn shop next to pug shop? Heaven?? Made for ME??!

What am I knitting?? (maybe the list of what I am NOT knitting would be shorter)
Heres what has seen any action lately:
1. baby surprises
2. Adam's Claudia Handpaints pullover hybrid
3. PUG Muscle Tee- see pict (my own pattern)
4. cable beret hat
5. boring socks
6. I made another "fetching" for Erin for xmas- she loved. I made it with Artyarns Cashmere.

What I plan on knitting?
1. more baby stuff (have you figured out whats on my mind these days??)
2. Feb. Ladies- Modified.
3. even more baby stuff..