Separation Anxiety or Inklings of Empty Nest Syndrome?

Beginning in middle school (5th grade) at daughter's school, the classes have a start-of-year field trip. Each year, they go a little further away from home than the year before. This year, seventh grade is in AL for space camp. The school says that the purpose of the trips is for team building and bonding of the students in the class. Personally, I think they are trying to show us parents that quicker than we think, our babies are going to be leaving the nest and heading out into the world on their own.

As I watch the young woman-child who only yesterday was the baby we brought home from the hospital, my feelings are bittersweet. She's growing up so quickly and is so eager to take those independent steps into the world. This child of mine is the center of my universe and without a doubt my reason for living. That's as it should be, I think. Why else would we have children? It is hard to believe that around this time of year 2011, I'll be sending my baby off to college and this house will seem far too big, too empty, and too lonely without her in it. That 6 years will pass in the blink of an eye, just as her first 12 1/2 years on this earth have passed. So you see, by taking our kids further and further away for this team building, the school is trying to make us parents realize that soon our nests will be empty and our babies will be grown. Regardless, she'll always be my little girl.

Way to Go, Kiddo!

Today was the first game of the volleyball season. Daughter is playing on the Middle School B Team this year; it's her second year. The B team won their match, and daughter helped her team score 7 points. Yep. I'm the proud mom!

How Strange is THIS?

Did you know that they make artificial toe nails? Isn't that strange?? I'm talking the fake press on toe nails similar to fake finger nails. Maybe I've been living under a rock or something, but I had no idea women were walking around with plastic nails glued to their toes. I've seen them with their prettily French manicured toe nails and thought perhaps they were just blessed with nice nails. I really can't see me gluing fake nails to either my fingers or toes, but hey, to each her own!

I did a bit of shopping last night for my Knitty SP 5. It was fun, and of course I threw a couple of items for myself into the basket. I don't think I was the best SP 4--too much going on with work and the house move--so I'm determined to be more attentive this round.

Speaking of my SP, I am working on a little something for her. Don't expect a picture, as I don't want her to guess who I am. Likely, she knows already (and the round hasn't officially even started!) as I had a little G Mail glitch this week which probably exposed me! As for this little something, let's just say that I've never worked with this yarn or anything of this gauge before. It's interesting. The pattern is not challenging, but the yarn is!! And that's all I have to say about that.

We're experiencing cooler temperatures here in Georgia-lina. Husband and I walked outside last night and there was almost a nip in the air. It was muggy, though, because we'd had a heavy rain in the afternoon. The day time highs have been around 88 this week with lows around 66 at night. There's been a breeze blowing, and the trees are dropping some leaves. Can it be that fall is around the corner? I sure hope so.

Warning....Major Whining Ahead

I am so effing tired that I really just do not care about posting to the blog or really doing much of anything else these days. I must have been running on pure adrenaline getting ready for my work meeting and getting through that. I'd hoped for some down time once it was over, but work has been busier and more stressful than ever. Come hell or high water, I'm taking Friday afternoon off and hopefully the whole day the following Friday. It's either do that or die at my desk!! I am not SuperWoman, and I'm really sick and tired of trying to be.

There will be no pictures on this blog until I make it to the store to buy a new card reader. Our old one has decided to choke every time we ask it to open the 512 MB camera card. That's OK. I don't much feel like taking pictures anyway.

I've not touched my spinning wheel since we moved into this house back in June. There's been no time. I have a fiber sample from NoNoKitty that I need to spin up and report back to her on. I'll eventually get to that.

I finished the Regia socks for daughter. Interestingly enough, I knit the second sock too long and had to rip back and re-work the toe decreases. I'm not sure how I managed that.

I frogged Branching Out last night and started over. I wasn't happy to leave mistakes in it, and it was full of them. Those were bound to show in the blocking! I'm now two repeats along with the pattern and it looks good. For some reason, row three of this pattern gives me problems. I'll have to be really careful not to mess up.

We had a treat here the other night. The mother dear and her two babies were in the yard. We drove back in the front yard when they were eating, and they ran off into the woods. They soon came back and ate some blueberries and things in the backyard. We watched them for the longest time.

The scuppernongs in the back arbor are really growing and turning golden. We also have some wild grapes in the side yards that are starting to ripen. We'd like to make some jelly with some of them once they are ripe.

That Song Stuck in Your Head

Have you seen the Chase credit card commercial that presents the various stages of life when one might presumably need a credit card? As if! Credit cards are evil!! Regardless of my feelings about credit cards, I love the song. It is one of those songs that just gets stuck in your head. Admittedly, I have trouble understanding the lyrics, but the tune is haunting. Click here for information about the commercial, the artist who sings the song, and lyrics.

Summarizing the Past Year

I won't attempt to tell you the entire story of my past year, as the Reader's Digest condensed version will likely suffice.

A year ago, my department held our first annual department-wide meeting. It was a big deal. Our department is primarily a regionally based one, so getting all 300+ of us together was huge in more ways than one. On a fateful evening in August 2004, on a bus headed to a private party, I was asked to chair the planning of the 2005 meeting. Thus, my journey began!

By October 2004, a committee was somewhat formed, and my chairing duties began. We met weekly to review feedback from the previous meeting, plan for the upcoming meeting, and attempt to stay within budget. We had to decide what training courses to offer, find presenters, and help write presentations. We needed to find a venue that would be suitable for all 400+ attendees (including 16 international attendees), and we had to find a "fun" activity which everyone would enjoy. There were also bits and pieces (huge bits and pieces) to complete. Whatever happened with this meeting, good or bad, everyone would know that Donna was in charge. How's that for pressure? I'd say that the last month has been my busiest, but my family may disagree.

I left on Wednesday to go to the meeting and got back Sunday. We had some unexpected things come up, most of them outside our control, but I guess expecting the unexpected and reacting appropriately is really a test of one's abilities. After all, that's why I agreed to plan this meeting in the first place. I wanted the exposure (as in letting the big wigs know who I am) and I wanted to test myself. I think I passed. I found within myself strengths and talents that I did not know I had. It was an amazing feeling. It appears that most everyone enjoyed the meeting. My boss's boss gave me a lot of compliments on how things went, and she's not one to give compliments lightly. They mean more coming from her than they would from anyone else.

So now, life returns to normal for me, or at least to whatever normal is supposed to be for me. Husband said not to fear, as they'll give me another big project soon. I'm sure he's right.

Yes, She is Still Alive

Work has been incredibly busy, especially the last few weeks. I'm planning our department meeting--a meeting of over 400 people including a lot of executive level VPs and the like. We leave for the meeting next week, so my work life has been entirely devoted to that.

I've had some knitting time in the evenings and have finished off a Lacy Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I don't like it. It's not lacy at all. I do still need to block it but don't think that is going to help much.

I'm also working on Branching Out from Knitty and loving it! It is an easy pattern, but one that requires concentration.

I have my second Irish Hiking Scarf in the works, too. I love that pattern.

Earlier in the week, I finished the first sock of a pair for daughter. It is a horrible striped Regia yarn that I just hate and she loves! I have about 4 inches of the cuff of the second sock started and hope to finish it this weekend.

Pictures? Well....maybe this weekened, maybe not until after my meeting!