Beach Day

Hey Everyone!

A few weeks ago I had put in to take PTO this weekend to make sure I got my storage unit moved. With some help I got it done a couple weeks ago.

This was all before this weekends weather forecast was even a thing. It turns out that Friday was almost 90° here in the valley.

Beings that I already had requested the weekend off (Thursday – Saturday shifts) to use rain or shine, I got paid for the days I was off and did not accrue any corrective action steps for going to the Beach on Friday. And yes, I was laughing at my coworkers who were stuck at work, the whole way to the beach and back.

It was 63° and perfect right on the beach, and about 67° on the highway, which was a few hundred yards up from actual beach. It was a perfect summer (in spring) day at the beach.

Thursday I had worked on my first sock from the passprt Mediterranean mystery kit I had ordered from Forbidden Fiber Co, part of the time while watching Mamma Mia. The colorway of yarn from this kit seriously gives me Mamma Mia and & Santorini vibes.

I always seem to have a hard time coming back from the beach, even if I go for a day. I don’t know why leaving the beach affects me so much, but it does.

My beach day, and going through the towns I lived in while I went to college on my way to and from the beach have definitely made me think about my life and the direction I am going. I never would have thought I would be where I am today, and each day I want to be a better person and to make a difference. I am still trying to figure out how.

Vintage Santa

Hey Everyone!

Today, I finally finished up the pair of “Vintage Santa” socks I have been working on for a couple of months.

The yarn is the “Vintage Santa” colorway from Forbidden Fiber Co, and the yarn base is the Pride base. This yarn is from a previous Christmas / holiday palette the company had put out.

While working on the second sock, I have had the Friends of Big Bear Valley eagle cam running in the background on my computer. It’s kinda cool to watch Jackie and Shadow when they come to the nest as I am working on my knitting.

Knitting has unfortunately taken a backseat lately as life and work have been keeping all too busy, and tired. Since life has hopefully calmed down a little bit now, and I put in for a few days off from work this week, I will hopefully be getting some more Knitting done and possibly go to the beach. Summer Weather is supposed to hit later this week, just in time for my anticipated beach trip. I am so not ready for summer.

How are you all doing? What projects are you working on? Reading any good books? Watching any good shows? I am wating for the copy of season 7 of Shetland that I ordered to arrive.

In 10 years’ time

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years time, I see myself living a simple life in a small town or out in the country on some property, with a husband and family of my own. I would have found a church community to belong to and serve in.

If I am still working, I would be working at a small lys or book store in the small town.

I would still be living out here in the PNW, trying to give my children a simpler childhood without all the technological distractions and let them be kids.

I would still be knitting, of course. I couldn’t give up knitting unless it was literally taken from me.

If I lived on some property outside city limits, I would have a garden and grow a lot of my own Berries and vegetables. Maybe have a few fruit tress, and plenty of flowers.

5 things that make me Happy

What are 5 everyday things that bring you happiness?

Fresh Flowers – they always make me happy.

New Yarn – it Sparks my imagination and it makes me happy

A good cup of tea – a cup of Smith Teamaker Portland Breakfast Tea always makes me happy

A full tank of gas – it means freedom and adventures can happen

A good book – a good book I can get lost in.

What Book could you read over and over?

What book could you read over and over again?

Gone With the Wind, Memoirs of a Geisha and The Samurai’s Garden.

I read all three of these books multiple times. I read Gone with the Wind and Memoirs of a Geisha several times each in college. I had to read The Samurai’s Garden in English class one year in High School, so eventually I bought my own copy and have read it a few more times since.

Life has been so busy that I haven’t spent much time reading over the past few years, unfortunately.

Sunsets over the Pacific Ocean

Hey Everyone!

What a weekend it has been so far (my weekend days are Sunday and Monday). Yesterday, I had gone for a drive to get out of the house. I also had made a blueberry crumble, that had gotten dumped all over the bottom of the oven by accident upon trying to get it out of the oven. The oven had to be cleaned and it was a mess.

I made another blueberry crumble this morning. It came out just fine.

While my blueberry crumble was baking this morning, I wound the yarn that came in my spring mystery box from Forbidden Fiber Co.

While I don’t know what this colorway is called, it reminds me of a sunset at the Oregon Coast this time of year.

Weekends always seem to go by so fast, don’t they? I like to try to get as much knitting in on my weekends, since I don’t typically feel like knitting when I get home from work during the week. This is especially true when what I do for work is literally to earn a paycheck and have health insurance, and it’s not something I am passionate about or even see staying at more than a couple of years. There is no career there for me. In the position I am in, I will cap out pay wise in less than 3 years, and it’s not an income I will ever be able to support myself on my own with. I also have no desire to go into management in this company. Being a freight lead was as much management as I will ever do, and I came back down a pay grade and responsibility wise after 10 months in that role. So my weekends are super important to me, to pursue my interests and what I am passionate about.

Socks, Work, Lunch Dates & Cabela’s

Hey Everyone!

It has been a crazy couple of weeks. Work has basically been all consuming at this point and has been kicking my butt. The insanity has been real.

I got a long weekend with the snow days, and had another long weekend this past weekend because I started my new schedule this week.

Over the weekend I had gone out with a good friend of mine I met through a previous job, working at World Market. She and I have kept in touch over the years that we have been gone. It’s been almost 2 years since we worked together. We went and got coffee and then had a late lunch at a French restaurant down the street from the coffee shop we went to.

It was a great afternoon, and great to catch up with her.

I also finished up the first Vintage Santa sock in the pair I am working on. I also cast on my first Shamrocks & Clovers sock since my yarn arrived on Saturday.

While working on my knitting projects I binged watched “Wednesday” on Netflix as well as the Murdaugh documentary, post double murder convictions and sentencing. I had caught the last few days of the trial, verdict and sentencing via the legal commentary channels I watch on YouTube.

Today was my early start day at work. It was a long day since I didn’t sleep the greatest last night. I did stop at Cabela’s after work, since I am kind of obsessed.

Last Day at Work

Hey Everyone!

Yesterday was my last day at the store I had been a freight lead at for 10 months. I spent my last week of freight split between freight and signage.

Yesterday, before I left, I was given a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

It was super sweet of the store. I definitely was not expecting anything based on my experience at my first store.

I spent the past week and a couple days training for my new position at the store I have been at for the past 10 months. It was nice getting to start learning my new job at the store I am comfortable with before going to my new store. So I am going to my new store with a bit of training under my belt.

With the Sheep or Something

Hey Everyone!

When I got home from work, I had sent my brother the following message.

“Today feels like one of those days where I should be driving on the other side of the road, drinking my 6th cuppa of the day before going back out to working with the sheep or something”

It is a rainy, wet, rather dreary day. As I was driving home from work, it was one of those thoughts that it was like “what could I totally go for right now”, tea, yarn, sheep, and Scotland are the passion.

I have been training for my new job this past week. It’s definitely been a steep learning curve. I have also had a bit more time to knit in the afternoon. I am also enjoying having a bit more energy than I had while working nights. I am sure the 3am – 4am mornings will catch up with me, but this period until it does has been a nice reprieve.

Nordic Noel

Hey Everyone!

Last night I finished the second sock in the pair of Nordic Noel socks that I have been working on.

The yarn is a sock set I ordered from Bumblebee Acres Fiber Farm, and it’s on the coquette yarn base.

Over the past year and a half projects have taken forever to finish as I have been working nights and slept during the day so it has taken pretty much everything I have to just get through the routine of eat, sleep and work. I am hoping once I am back on days in the next couple of weeks that I will be able to put in a little bit extra time to knitting in the afternoons, after work.

I am definitely hoping the new position I accepted and will be starting soon will be what I need as I transition out of night and freight, as well as focus on what the future holds. Over the past few years my faith has taken a backseat to choices I made, as well as taking the jobs I have had where I have worked nights over the weekend. The way the schedule works for my new position, I will have Sundays off, which is a huge blessing as I have realized how much I have missed practicing my faith and how important it is for me to be around other like minded individuals.