Sunday, March 30, 2014

Baby Dreams: Crocheting like Crazy

I thought I would share part of why I have been such a bad blogess lately. It would seem that since hearing the words, "It's a girl" I picked up my crochet hooks and have not put them down yet. Hearing my cousin who is due 10 weeks after I am is also having a girl, has only reinforced this idea.
In the last few weeks I have created item after item for both my baby girl and my new baby girl cousin. Here is a sampling of the ones I have finished. This isn't counting ones that are started but not done.

I will begin with the rainbow blanket I made her, which I just finished last night. Like the earlier one I made which I then reworked to make bigger and gave Bug, it uses granny square patterning.
Next is a pink and grey and blue dress and hat set that I made her. It is very ruffly. Again like all my work this was done with no pattern. I simply saw a picture of a cute dress and decided to try it.


Next up is a pink and brown monkey blankie I made her. It is also done using a granny square pattern.









Last but not least is a sundress set I made for her in yellow and green with a matching set of slippers and headband. I am currently working on the same set for my cousin in pink and lavender.










So there you have it... why I have been such a bad blogess. I will try to write more now that hopefully spring is coming and my garden will be going in soon.

Dreams of Spring: Life in the North Country


Taken March 30th
Winter this far north can feel like survivalist living. I for one greet the first blades of green grass each spring with the same joy and disbelief that you could imagine a person lost at sea greets the shores of the first land they see. When spring finally does arrive you feel as though you truly did survive something life changing. The first days the light stays past 4 PM it is as though you are seeing the sun for the first time.
So in these days before spring officially makes it's arrival, I find myself dreaming of warmer days, and all that entails. One of the greatest things about life in the North Country is getting back to nature, digging in the dirt, being surrounded by all that is green. Since winter takes up half the year here, we often have to spend that time planning or dreaming about the warmer times, in order to make it through the dark and cold.
There is so much that spring will bring. My compost bin will come to life once more, though it may need a new stock of worms, with how cold it got this winter. My seedlings will soon begin to sprout in their little pots on my window sills. Spring will bring walks to the park, the scent of fresh manure and soil. It will bring green grass and the scent of lilacs in the breeze. Dandelions will peek their little yellow heads up, dotting the landscape in bright beauty. The Farmer's Market will be back in Ive's Park, with all it's fresh goodies. Geese and ducks will return to lay their eggs. The sun will shine and the air will be warm and fresh.
I suppose these are the reasons so many of us stay from year to year, no matter how cold the winter winds blow. Every spring we get the joy of seeing our world reborn. It is a luxury not afforded to many. I for one love living here, there are not many places left in this world like it. I know that in a few weeks you will find me with bare feet on soft new green grass, with dirty hands covered in compost and soil, a smear of dirt across my face most likely, as my little son and I plant baby seedlings in the ground. Then we will sit back and enjoy this chance to watch life grow as the days get longer and warmer and we once again forget how long and cold winter is, until next year when like children we huddle around fireplaces and dream our dreams of spring once again. This is the cycle of life in the North Country.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Victim Blaming in Bullying

So I realize in the last few months just taking on work, a high risk pregnancy, and homeschooling Bug has been enough on my plate, so this blog has fallen short a bit. Yet one news story this week caught my attention and I knew I had to write about it. Recently a 9 year old boy, Grayson Bruce, was asked by his school to stop wearing his Rainbow Dash backpack to school. The reason for this was that he was being bullied and instead of dealing with it by removing the bullies, or maybe sensitivity counseling for the bullies and their parents, they instead blamed the victim and told him to remove his backpack. I wonder if they would have had a boy remove a Spiderman backpack if he were being bullied for it. No I would guess not, but since My Little Ponies are considered "girlie" this poor boy was singled out, punched, pushed, harassed, hurt, and then the pain was made worse when he himself was blamed for it. This is not unlike telling a teen girl who is raped that her short skirt "invited the rape". Grayson's mother started a FB community called "Support for Grayson" and I for one am fully behind him. I know you all know that Bug loves MLP, and we have honestly never had anyone try and prevent him from being himself or say anything negative about it. We have had a few friends and family members who just don't understand but they know how we feel about it and they have been supportive. Recently Bug got a Rainbow Dash hoody which he proudly wore to school. Not only were all his teachers and classmates supportive they thought he was pretty cool. So Grayson we stand behind you. Bug is just like you and so are many many other little boys. You be you and be proud of it!

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Asya Rose's 1st Angelversary

Well March 4th 2014 was one year to the day since I gave birth to our daughter in our bathtub. It was a natural water birth, and was wonderful in almost every way except for that she was born at 14 weeks and was already gone. That life that had grown inside me for 4 months was just blinked out. All in all though that day is one I look back on positively. It was beautiful to hold my baby in my hands, even if she was born sleeping, and was so tiny and lifeless. This year I spent the 4th thinking about that day. I looked at her roses, I sent prayers and thoughts to her in heaven. I felt her little sister kicking away inside of me, and hugged her big brother. All in all I felt at peace. It was a very long and hard year, with great pain and great joy. Now as I am almost 30 weeks with River I am over joyed to finally be able to bring our Rainbow Baby home, but also at peace with my Angel Baby in Heaven.

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