Miscellany

Among my New Year's resolutions this year was getting fit. I haven't usually been a fan of exercise, at least if it feels like exercise, but I'd started walking and found myself enjoying it a lot. So when we got back from Utah, I stepped up my walk to 8 mi./day. I LOVED it. My family, not so much -- they disliked the amount of time it took me away from home. I'd planned on starting interval training (i.e. Couch to 5K), and, having found a podcast that went with it, decided to start.

Day 1: Super Easy (seriously, after 8 mi. walks how could 2 mi. intervals not be easy?!)

Because of this, I didn't take the next day off and so,

Day 2: Super Easy ---- Until I injured my knee.

Thinking this was not a good thing and that perhaps taking a day or two off would be wise, I did just that -- I took 2 days off. Since my knee was feeling better, though not totally healed, I decided I would do Day 3, but power walking instead of jogging. Bad idea. Bad, bad idea. Two weeks later I'm in the doctor's office having him tell me my knee is deranged (yes, he really did say that!), that I need to see a specialist because he suspects an injury that may require surgery to fix, and on crutches for the foreseeable future. Did I mention that Day 3 was a bad idea? Of course, I'm sure 2 weeks of pretending that it wasn't really injured didn't help either, but we're just going to ignore that. *Sigh* You may feel free to join with me in hoping that staying off of it and taking anti-inflammatory drugs will make it magically go away on its own. :)

In other news, we decided to upgrade the operating system for our computer. Turns out we also had to upgrade the memory. ($cha-ching$) Thanks to that little adventure, I now know that there are 2 types of RAM on my computer, and how to replace them. This was not something I'd had a burning desire to learn, but I find myself pleased by it anyway. Then I installed the new OS. Unfortunately, my hard drive is full with stuff that I know nothing about, the new and old OSs have programs on them that are not compatible, I can't get the entire new OS to load, and now many programs are just not working. Isn't it simply fabulous how much easier technology has made our lives?? And so, there will be no new photos until I can figure out how to make everything work because, one of those programs that's not working is my photo program. (Note to self: Add "become computer guru in less than 1 week" to to-do list.)

I've been knitting and spinning like a fiend, but don't have much in the way of finished objects to show for it. Mostly because they are all big projects, and I have apparently contracted knitting ADD (having a total of I-don't-even-know-how-many projects currently in process). I'm sure that the fact that I've read a total of 16 books this month, with another 4 that I'm currently enjoying has nothing to do with it. Ah, well. Maybe I'll add "Give up sleeping" to my list of New Year's resolutions. Then again, maybe not.

Eulogy

The funeral for my mom was on Saturday, January 3, 2009. I believe that she would have enjoyed the services, and that they did, if fact, honor her memory.

At the request of some from the services, I am posting the eulogy that I gave.

How do you sum up a life?

When my dad asked me to share a little about my mom, a passage of scripture, as it often did when thinking of her, kept coming to mind. It's found in Proverbs Chapter 31 verses 25-31 and reads as follows:

"Strength and honor are her clothing; she shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all." Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates."

If ever there was a woman who exemplified this passage, my mom was it. From as early as I can remember, my mom was always there, giving of herself, generously, with no expectations. She never had an unkind word for anyone, but was always looking for the best in people. She made you think that if you could just be half the person she seemed to think you were then anything was possible. No matter how busy she was, if you needed her help, advice, a listening ear, or some encouragement, she was there for you. Her days were long and filled with hard work, with seldom any rest to be found, and she struggled with poor health for most of her life, but she never complained. She had an inner strength that, no matter the challenge, caused her to never give up. When I was little I used to marvel at her patience thinking that if ever there lived a saint, she was it. As I got older I became sure of it. Always humble, she never made much of her self -- she was always too busy making much of others. Warm and friendly, loyal and trustworthy, always with a ready smile, she was the kind of person you wanted to spend time with and were proud to call "friend". People, her family and friends, were her treasure. When I moved to Arizona, I was no longer able to see her often, but we would talk nearly every week, and she'd always tell me how blessed and rich she was because of all of us -- her husband, children and grandchildren, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, cousins and friends.

To quote a little of the poem "Mother Mine":

O Mother mine, if I can be
To little ones who look to me,
A mother half as sweet and wise
And tender; if they but surmise
That in your likeness I have tried
To grow, I shall be satisfied,
Mother dearie, Mother cheery, Mother mine.

I love you, Mom.

In Memoriam

Mother Mine
author unknown

O Mother mine, when I was small,
You seemed to me my all in all;
The sunshine shimmered in your face;
The flowers blossomed in your grace.
You laughed with me when I was gay
And kissed my childish tears away –
Mother dearie, Mother cheery, Mother mine.

O Mother, as the years rolled o'er
Our heads, I loved you more and more.
When weakness laid its hand on you
You were so patient, brave and true;
You seemed the sum of all things good;
My dream of perfect womanhood –
Mother dearie, Mother cheery, Mother mine.

O Mother mine, if I can be
To little ones who look to me,
A mother half as sweet and wise
And tender; if they but surmise
That in your likeness I have tried
To grow, I shall be satisfied,
Mother dearie, Mother cheery, Mother mine.



In loving memory to LaRee Cuthrell, October 13, 1933 - December 28, 2008
Gone, but never forgotten – the world is a better place because you were in it.

For My Mother

With all that's gone on lately, I wanted to let the world know how precious my mother is. So mom, whether we have days, weeks, months, or years left, each hour is a gift; and I'm so glad to know you, and to call you mom.

For My Mother
by Brenda McCunn

With words I wish I could express
The joy you bring, the happiness
Your love imparts to all you meet.
With tenderness so sweet
Your gentle smile lights up each day.
Ever guiding by example, the way
In which the wise do tread.
Your life showing there is no dread
In giving all, selflessly, to those
You love. Forever changed are we whose
Lives have intertwined with yours.
Beyond this time your legacy soars
To generations who will rise and call you blessed.
©2008 Brenda McCunn All rights reserved.

Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:
"Many daughters have done well,
but you excel them all."
Proverbs 31: 28-29

When It Rains...

October descended upon us with it's usual brand of crazy. 5 birthdays. All within one week. Two of them in. my. house. And the one we threw a party for, we all got unexpected presents. We had the unutterable joy of spending the next month ill. Thank God for antibiotics and OTCs that work, and that we are all now well. So, that was our October, and most of November, too.

Which brought us to Thanksgiving. Ilene came to spend the holiday with us, and she and I spent a quiet weekend at home while my guys spent the weekend racing. We had the traditional dinner of turkey with all the trimmings. I had fixed an 18 lb. turkey for 4 people thinking that we would have plenty of leftovers. It was all gone within a week. I couldn't believe it. But we enjoyed it. :)

Now that December has arrived, we do a little each day to decorate and get in the spirit. Jordan put up the tree, but has yet to add the decorations, I'm trying to do a bit of baking each day so that we can all get completely overloaded on sugar (because, seriously, what's Christmas without that???), and Jordan is LOVING the new tradition of the chocolate Advent calendar. I love this time of year.

Happy Birthday Scott

Love you!

October/November Projects

A bath puff, using Priscilla Hewitt's Cotton Bath Puff pattern, crocheted with Knit Picks CotLin in Kholrabi. The yarn was from the Georgian sampler, and is lovely. Knit Picks recommends this yarn for (among other things) making dish cloths. I think it is much nicer that the dish cloth cottons I have used, and would highly recommend it.

These were started in December of 2006. I got the pattern from a Christmas KAL on the Knitting Help forums. I knit them using (I think) Red Heart Super Saver yarn, and have had these knit up for over 1 1/2 years, but had never gotten around to stuffing them or adding any finishing details. So, I finally got around to finishing them. I sewed up the edges and stuffed them with polyfil, ordered some sterling silver beads from Artbeads and stitched them on, and made hangers by twisting together some of the leftover yarn and stitching them in. I am pleased with the way they came out though I don't have any plans for them yet. But having a present stash on hand is a good thing.

I also knitted the La Luz Eye Mask from handkint Holidays, worked on the MS4 stole and the Galveston shawl, started the (slightly modified) Viking Socks, and am crocheting a kippah that one of the members of our homeschool group commissioned. I'll post pics and details of these later.