Ahhh. I just hit the "submit" button on the boys' FAFSAs! Taxes and financial aid applications done for yet one more year. As far as financial aid goes, 3 down, 1 to go! One more benefit (and likely the last time it will make a whit of difference) of having twins -- they'll both be (God willing!) done with college in 2012 and I'll be done doing their taxes and FAFSAs a year from now.
I don't actually mind doing our taxes each year. It is a reasonable mental exercise. But, doing it for multiple people in multiple states nearly drove me over the edge this year. Then, I spent a week putting off doing the FAFSAs, though when I finally, grumpily settled down to do them this afternoon, it took less than an hour to do them for both boys. Not bad.
Now, all that is left is to get all the right forms to all the right people for signatures and make sure they get them sent off in the envelopes provided. Nate's will be easy because we visited him at college yesterday and I got him to sign his forms. Last year Zeben didn't quite follow my instructions, so I'll have to be more stern this year about getting copies of all the signed forms to his financial aid office.
So nice to have this done! I think I'll go for a walk!
ON MY NEEDLES
I've actually been finishing up a couple of projects and really haven't had anything much in progress. I think as a reward for all the paper I've been pushing, I'm going to cast on for two new projects: Nora's sweater in Ultra Alpaca and these funky socks from the latest Knitty. I've got some space-dyed sparkly yarn that would be fun for these socks and they look like an interesting challenge.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
People I Admire
I spent much of the past weekend on campus attending a Posse Plus Retreat. I was part of the "Plus" part as the retreat is mainly for students who attend my college through the Posse Program. They have this retreat every year and invite students, faculty, and staff to participate. I attended the retreat last year and learned a lot about these students and about myself and was pleased to be able to participate again this year. What I come away feeling is that these students are very brave people. They step way out of their comfort zone to attend a predominately white college in Maine and then work hard not to be invisible or sidelined while here. I'm proud to know them. I certainly wasn't that brave when I came to Colby!
While I joined the retreat on Friday evening and all day/evening Saturday, I had to miss Sunday morning so that I could finish the family tax returns. I completed returns for the US, Maine, and Pennsylvania. Yes, I should make the boys do their own taxes, but since I have to complete the financial aid forms for them by March 1, it is just easier to do them myself and get them done. One more year, guys, and then you'll be doing them for yourselves!!
ON MY NEEDLES
Nothing new -- didn't get a moment to knit all weekend. But, I'll make up for it this weekend (see previous post)!
While I joined the retreat on Friday evening and all day/evening Saturday, I had to miss Sunday morning so that I could finish the family tax returns. I completed returns for the US, Maine, and Pennsylvania. Yes, I should make the boys do their own taxes, but since I have to complete the financial aid forms for them by March 1, it is just easier to do them myself and get them done. One more year, guys, and then you'll be doing them for yourselves!!
ON MY NEEDLES
Nothing new -- didn't get a moment to knit all weekend. But, I'll make up for it this weekend (see previous post)!
Time Off
Ahh. It is Friday at last! Actually, it is Wednesday (and Ash Wednesday at that) but since I have the next two days off, it feels like Friday. I've had a very busy, productive, and successful 6 weeks or so at work and am reveling in having a long weekend. My sister is coming tomorrow to go view an art exhibit at a local college and I'm going to make soup and rolls for lunch tomorrow morning. On Friday Don and I have dentist appointments -- which will be interesting for me as a piece of a tooth just fell off on Monday and Tuesday. (Luckily it isn't hurting but it certainly feels like a harbinger of old age.) After the dentist we'll take a leisurely route to my sister's house (we'll be looking for Asian markets in Portland and running a couple of errands) where we'll spend the night. On Saturday we'll all be going down to UNH to take our son to lunch, possibly along with his roommate and his parents. One highlight of that trip will be driving by the house where Nate is making arrangements to live next year off campus. Then we'll likely head home as, by then, Lydia will have eaten all of the food we will have left out for both her AND Pandora and they'll both be hungry!
And, I just realized that the true beginning of summer is just one month off -- when our neighborhood ice cream shop will open for the season, usually on or around St. Patrick's Day! Can life be any better? Full of lovely things to anticipate and experience!
ON MY NEEDLES
After getting pretty far along on the hood, I realized that I was going about it all wrong -- it can't be knitted on because the knitting was going in the wrong direction if I did that. The cast on edge is the front edge of the hood, not the bottom (connected to the sweater) edge. I'm going to be very close on yarn, so I'll just have to make the hood a bit smaller. No problem. This is a "doing errands on Saturday morning" kind of sweater anyway. Done soon -- maybe this weekend!
And, I just realized that the true beginning of summer is just one month off -- when our neighborhood ice cream shop will open for the season, usually on or around St. Patrick's Day! Can life be any better? Full of lovely things to anticipate and experience!
ON MY NEEDLES
After getting pretty far along on the hood, I realized that I was going about it all wrong -- it can't be knitted on because the knitting was going in the wrong direction if I did that. The cast on edge is the front edge of the hood, not the bottom (connected to the sweater) edge. I'm going to be very close on yarn, so I'll just have to make the hood a bit smaller. No problem. This is a "doing errands on Saturday morning" kind of sweater anyway. Done soon -- maybe this weekend!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Pulling in for Lent
I recently read an interesting article about going on a financial fast and after sharing the information with Don, we've decided to give it a go for the beginning of Lent. Looking ahead, there are a couple of spending opportunities that will conflict with our goals, so we are going to handle those by setting a spending budget. For example, the annual fiber festival is two weeks away -- I usually go overboard, so am going to set a strict spending limit (including going out to lunch). We're also not beginning this with Ash Wednesday, but waiting until Sunday. This week is school vacation and Don and I plan to take a much-needed couple of fun days at the end of the week, including, possibly, taking our son and a friend out to lunch and buying curtains for Zeben's room which we just painted. Then, we'll buckle down and spend as little as possible.
Because we are really quite frugal to begin with, we're also making a commitment to use up as much of what is overflowing in our cupboards as possible. We'll certainly continue to buy fresh veggies and fruit, but are going to try to use up some of the sauces and canned goods we have way to many of, and to use things in our freezer. I have a habit of trying to take advantage of good sales, but often stick things in the freezer and never get back to them. For example, there's a turkey in there -- the thought occurs to me that it would be a good idea to get that out and thaw it over the week to cook next Sunday. I'm going to do it!!
Of course, the other way to be frugal is to work on unfinished projects instead of purchasing new. I've certainly got plenty of those hanging around.
ON MY NEEDLES
The slouchy cardi is done, all except the hood. I blocked and pieced all of the sweater, and then decided to pick up and knit the hood from the edge of the sweater instead of knitting it separately and then sewing it on. About 9 inches to go!
The neckwarmer from Malabrigo is almost done -- just need to do the grafting.
And, the only other thing on needles right now is a pair of mittens.
I need to get back to my Vivian Hoxbro cardigan, but need some significant time to figure out where the pattern goes from here as her book does not provide a complete graph. The sleeves are done and I'm at the point where I need to cast on for the backs and fronts and move toward the center.
And, I'm getting myself psyched to start Norah's sweater from the Fall IK. Just have to finish that Slouchy Cardi first!
Because we are really quite frugal to begin with, we're also making a commitment to use up as much of what is overflowing in our cupboards as possible. We'll certainly continue to buy fresh veggies and fruit, but are going to try to use up some of the sauces and canned goods we have way to many of, and to use things in our freezer. I have a habit of trying to take advantage of good sales, but often stick things in the freezer and never get back to them. For example, there's a turkey in there -- the thought occurs to me that it would be a good idea to get that out and thaw it over the week to cook next Sunday. I'm going to do it!!
Of course, the other way to be frugal is to work on unfinished projects instead of purchasing new. I've certainly got plenty of those hanging around.
ON MY NEEDLES
The slouchy cardi is done, all except the hood. I blocked and pieced all of the sweater, and then decided to pick up and knit the hood from the edge of the sweater instead of knitting it separately and then sewing it on. About 9 inches to go!
The neckwarmer from Malabrigo is almost done -- just need to do the grafting.
And, the only other thing on needles right now is a pair of mittens.
I need to get back to my Vivian Hoxbro cardigan, but need some significant time to figure out where the pattern goes from here as her book does not provide a complete graph. The sleeves are done and I'm at the point where I need to cast on for the backs and fronts and move toward the center.
And, I'm getting myself psyched to start Norah's sweater from the Fall IK. Just have to finish that Slouchy Cardi first!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Gone in a Flash
January has always been one of my favorite months, harking back to Jan Plan term in college. It always meant a slower pace, going to bed earlier than usual -- kind of a hibernation, if you will. This January, however, screamed by so fast I feel like I missed it altogether! It went by so fast, in fact, that this is still in our dining room:
We managed to get the tree down in time for it to be picked up curbside and put the ornaments away, but everything else got collected and stacked on this table and is still there. I may, if I'm lucky, get it all put away during school vacation in a couple of weeks.
So, if anyone else tells me I have plenty of time now that the boys are gone, I'm going to have to clue them in! I guess I just have the talent of being able to fill any amount of time or space I'm given :)
Speaking of filling space, I've moved all of my knitting and spinning stuff into Zeben's room. It isn't organized yet, but it is there. I did manage to clean up the desk and get the bills paid and the tax stuff organized. Now I just need a day to do the taxes and fill out the FAFSAs (after this, I only have to do FAFSAs one more time!!! - speaking of time flying by!) so that I'll be able to tackle the yarn/fiber without guilt.
OFF MY NEEDLES
We finished the sweater! Zeben started it over break. He knitted the sleeves and body up to the yoke and then I took over. I finished it last week and blocked it on Saturday.
Didn't we do a nice job? Now, of course, Nate wants one. But he wants his in black, red, green, and yellow. Hmmmmmm. Maybe for next winter -- I think I'll start on his quilt first.
And, tonight I finished the sleeves for the slouchy cardi. The next step is to block the pieces and then sew it together. I've never blocked before sewing on a sweater before -- apparently it is something I SHOULD have been doing. Who knew? Once sewn together, I'm going to pick up and knit the stitches for the hood instead of knitting it separately and sewing it on. That way I can manipulate the size somewhat -- some of the photos on Ravelry have shown the hood to look too big for my tastes.
My only other project at the moment is a Cité neckwarmer for myself in Malabrigo Sock. The color is a delicious red-purple with hints of blue throughout.
We managed to get the tree down in time for it to be picked up curbside and put the ornaments away, but everything else got collected and stacked on this table and is still there. I may, if I'm lucky, get it all put away during school vacation in a couple of weeks.
So, if anyone else tells me I have plenty of time now that the boys are gone, I'm going to have to clue them in! I guess I just have the talent of being able to fill any amount of time or space I'm given :)
Speaking of filling space, I've moved all of my knitting and spinning stuff into Zeben's room. It isn't organized yet, but it is there. I did manage to clean up the desk and get the bills paid and the tax stuff organized. Now I just need a day to do the taxes and fill out the FAFSAs (after this, I only have to do FAFSAs one more time!!! - speaking of time flying by!) so that I'll be able to tackle the yarn/fiber without guilt.
OFF MY NEEDLES
We finished the sweater! Zeben started it over break. He knitted the sleeves and body up to the yoke and then I took over. I finished it last week and blocked it on Saturday.
Didn't we do a nice job? Now, of course, Nate wants one. But he wants his in black, red, green, and yellow. Hmmmmmm. Maybe for next winter -- I think I'll start on his quilt first.
And, tonight I finished the sleeves for the slouchy cardi. The next step is to block the pieces and then sew it together. I've never blocked before sewing on a sweater before -- apparently it is something I SHOULD have been doing. Who knew? Once sewn together, I'm going to pick up and knit the stitches for the hood instead of knitting it separately and sewing it on. That way I can manipulate the size somewhat -- some of the photos on Ravelry have shown the hood to look too big for my tastes.
My only other project at the moment is a Cité neckwarmer for myself in Malabrigo Sock. The color is a delicious red-purple with hints of blue throughout.
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