The Corbys - Knitting and Other Stuff

Summer

2009-06-22T09:49:00.002-05:00

I miss the sun. It has been such a rainy June. I hope the weather improves so I can spend some time outside.

Ola'

2009-05-13T19:37:00.000-05:00

I'm ready for another cruise! Mexico anyone?

Date Night

2009-05-02T12:37:00.002-05:00

We've decided that after 17 years of marriage we need to start dating again....each other that is. First Friday/Saturday of the month is date night. May is Adam's month. Can't wait to see what he has planned.

Because it is Free

2009-03-16T11:47:00.002-05:00

Yep, I said FREE. My adorable sister Beth runs a blog teaandthee.blogspot.com where just about weekly she is giving away something. This week it is cereal. You remember Kix as a kid don't you. The one you would not touch with a ten-foot pole because there was no sugar in it. Well now they have added honey and Beth has a cereal set to give away.

Check it out and make sure you tell her you heard about it here.

March 2nd...10 Inches Of New Snow

2009-03-02T19:04:00.001-05:00

What else can i say ;-)

Finding Old Friends

2009-02-03T17:41:00.002-05:00

Not old in that we are all up there in years because that is just simply not the case. I don't think any of my friends are a day over 25. But Facebook has been great to catch and find some friends from years ago back in Saline Michigan and some from the more recent past in Northern California.

I love hearing about everyone's mundane days as it always makes me feel mine are "normal".

I am working on my first Fair Isle type sweater and should have it done in a couple of weeks. I promise to post photos along with a couple of some other projects I have made. Currently besides that sweater I am working on a pair of socks where the design looks like little honey combs. Finally, I am working on a baby sweater. I need to do about 6 of them to have on hand as everyone seems to be hatching these days.

Snow, Snow, Snow

2009-01-28T11:49:00.002-05:00

Wow, we have got the snow this year. I am enjoying the bright white, but the cold... well that is enough to drive me crazy.

So I am off to go buy paint to have our "Red Room" (yes we painted a room barn red) painted this week. I am going more neutral. I liked the red but we are looking to get every room in a more neutral palette.

The Inauguration - My Thoughts

2009-01-20T10:47:00.005-05:00

What an amazing event. I thought I would write a bit to leave for posterity my feelings and thoughts on this day. It is overwhelmingly patriotic as you look out over the Mall and see the sea of people braving the cold. It is truly moving to see the excitement on faces of Americans knowing the importance of this event.

This past week whether you are Republican, Democratic, Libertarian or any thing else you must be aware of the significance of the event in a country where race has been the center of politics since it was founded. I am moved that race is taking a back seat and people realizing that people are just people no matter their race or ethnicity. As a student of history and a veracious reader of the past of our country, it is truly astounding the strides our country has made in the past 60 years.

I am reminded of a story I heard this week about my friend's son whose best friend is a little african american girl (they are both 7 years old). They had watched a video about Martin Luther King Jr. and at the end both were in tears. When asked why they were so upset they replied that they were glad they were not alive back then as they would not have been allowed to be friends. It crushed them both to think that just because of the color of their skin (which they don't even notice) they could not even talk with each other. The realization that this happened in the past left them stunned and at the same time grateful to be able to have their friendship today.

In addition, my niece who realized that my parents were alive during the time of Martin Luther King Jr. as was amazed to think that people she knows lived in a time when race was such a dividing factor.

Obama being President is truly an historic event. I am hopeful that this day and his presidency will lead us further toward making us truly a colorless society. That we respect our differences rather than use the as labels and a means to alienate each other. I am grateful to be living in a country that moves forward.

Tears will come to my eyes as Mr. Obama takes the oath as this is a new chapter in our country. It is an amazing event and I am happy that I am proud to be an American. Our country is not perfect but it does allow many opportunities and we have so much to be proud of. From our humble beginnings we have always moved toward freedom and change and today is another part of our continued march forward.

Cleaning out the Basement

2009-01-12T19:30:00.002-05:00

So I have a bit of spring cleaning fever. I am going to tackle the basement this week and LOTS of stuff will be hitting our local Goodwill center. I just can't stand not knowing where every little tiny thing is in the house. Not to mention that all of our stuff used to fit in a 2 bedroom apartment with no extra storage.

So my mission is to get back to 2 bedroom apartment sized living so that I can clean out stuff and pass it on to those that could really use it. I just feel overrun with "stuff" and you just don't realize how much you keep shoving in closets that you rarely open until that day you go to get out the Christmas decorations and BAM there it all is ready to fall out and smack you on the head.

So organization, weeding out and just plain cleaning up in store for this winter.

Job hunting not for the faint of Heart

2009-01-08T13:56:00.002-05:00

Yep, I am looking for a new position. Looking is like having a full time job in and of itself. There are numerous things to consider on the resume. How to construct that perfect cover letter. And for a lawyer, choosing the right writing sample to send. I keep plugging along but in this age of information technology it is easy to get distracting (like blogging instead of working on that cover letter) and overwhelming. Well, off to polish up that resume and pick out that writing sample (and I can state confidently that this little piece of writing will not be it).

Cash, its all about Cash

2009-01-03T16:19:00.003-05:00

So in keeping with trying to do something new everyday, I am paying cash for EVERYTHING. Yep, no bank card, no credit cards. Just back to pre-cyber ol' fashion cash. We figured out that we tend to spend more when we use the debit card, but with cash it is really finite in your hand. So welcome to the Corby Cash year.

Woo hoo.

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T19:11:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year. Here are the long awaited Christmas knitted gifts. First up is Owen and his "Quidditch Sweater" and Cabin Fever Hat. Next is Braeden and his Gecko Scarf.

Next is Olivia and Braeden with their Cabin Fever Hats. I made one for Emma too but I guess I missed getting a picture of her with hers on. Beth, send me one :)

And of course, Adam had to have one too. :)

Now I have to decide what I am going to make next. I just have not yet been inspired. That could be too because I am trying to decide on a legal article to write to try to get published this year. Any suggestions?

Good Bye 2008

2008-12-31T16:48:00.002-05:00

Well what a year. With the down turn in the market forcing me to close my firm; to getting to spend sometime just discovering what I want to do; to being able to spend time with family; to going to Mexico; and to getting to knit my little heart out, 2008 has been a good year despite the ups and downs.

New Year's always makes me a bit sad as I sometimes feel like I have "wasted" time and have not accomplished all I have wanted. However, this year, although I did not get done all I wanted to do, I don't feel as sad as I know we are setting out great plans for 2009. One thing we have promised to do is to Do Something New Every Day. I'll post them.

I will be hitting the job trail on Monday, Jan. 5 at full force. Look out legal world.... I am BACK. I am also going to work on getting our condo cleaned out. I can't believe we have been here for 7 years. For our long time friends who know us to move every 2 years this is a HUGE accomplishment.

But staying somewhere for any length of time you being to squirrel away things in places you did not know you could store stuff. Then, suddenly, the seams on the condo are stretching like those skinny jeans you try to put on but you know you are just 10 lbs to heavy to wear. I have sooooo much "stuff" to get rid of. We are hoping to sell some through consignment shops. I have some art, very collectible art, that I am going to take to Christie's or Sotheby's to have auctioned. Unless you would like to buy direct from me pieces by Orlando Rafael Quevedo or Guido Borelli. Craft items for stamping and scrapbooking are going as well as toys I had for the nieces and nephews when they were small.

I'll keep you all posted on the BIG sale when we have one.

Adam and I wish all of you a very inspiring 2009 and as we are going to do this next year... Try Something New Every Day.

Happy 2009

Merry Couple of Days After Christmas

2008-12-28T21:44:00.004-05:00

Okay so December gets a bit wild for all of us. For me even though I am between jobs right now, I still seemed to have more to do than time allowed. Maybe it was the fact I turned 40. Adam threw a party and we had a great time with friends and the surprise visit from my mom.

I am going by the philosphy that life begins at 40. I figure I have 60 more years and I am going to do some fun and fascinating things. Maybe I'll try skydiving... yeah, right, not that extreme.

I knitted like a crazy woman this fall for the holidays but it was fun. Owen finally got a sweater from Auntie D - although at 9 his reaction was "Great... clothing (picture eyes rolling and that disappointed look that the cool Aunt did not get him a Wii game)". Well at least it wasn't a pink bunny suit complete with feet. I knitted 2 things for each of my nieces and nephews. Emma got a hat and mittens, Owen a sweater and hat, Olivia socks and a hat and Braeden a sarf and hat. The hats were the "hot" item the kids loved. I'll post a photo. Olivia, I believe has yet to take hers off.

We enjoyed a week in Michigan visiting with family but as usual it seems so crazy and hectic we barely have time to relax and just enjoy each other. Especially when you factor in that 4 of us have birthdays in December t00. Mine is December 13, Olivia's is the 20th, Adam the 21st and my brother-in-law Shone's is the 27th. It is a month of parties and holidays for us.

We arrived back in Connecticut and we are getting ready for a GREAT 2009.

December Already

2008-12-03T11:52:00.002-05:00

Wow, time flies. It is December, we have the decorations out and now I am planning my baking. Without a job at the moment, I am going to take some time this holiday season to bake some goodies. My family loves the peanut brittle and toffee. I am making extra batches of those.

I am also taking time this year to "weed out" my Holiday decorating items. We have soooooo many and soooo little space. I did not think we had that much stuff. Some we are giving to goodwill and others I am going to put on E-Bay or hold until we have the biggest of tag sales in the Spring.

Wishing everyone all the time they need in December and I'll post my baking forays and of course pictures of the finished holiday knitting.

Contest at ChooChooKnits.blogspot.com

2008-11-30T21:02:00.003-05:00

My new friend Karen has a great knitting blog and "general" things about life. I met Karen in a crazy knitting contest called Sock Wars. We both learned a lot about certain knitters in that contest but the best part was we ended up becoming great friends. Since we hit it off so well and had hit some bumps in Sock Wars, we knittted socks for each other. We both love knitting and have amazingly so far only communicated via e-mail and ravelry.com.

Check out Karen's blog and enter the contest.... You just have to let her know what it is you are secretly addicted to. If you are like me and love knitting you know it has be buying yarn, yarn and more yarn.

Choo, Choo...... have fun. And I'll post a picture soon of the socks Karen made for me.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T14:33:00.003-05:00

We put up our tree and are busy cooking the turkey and all the fixin's. We miss being with our family. Sometimes it can be a bit lonely in Connecticut without all the family. They are all gathered around the table in Michigan and I know they are having fun. We are very thankful for our family and cherish the time we get to spend with them. We are looking forward to Christmas and getting to see all their smiling faces.

Christmas Knitting

2008-11-03T11:44:00.003-05:00

So, I have started the Christmas knitting. I know my nieces and nephews won't be reading the blog so I can reveal my holiday knitting for this year. First, I am making socks for them, at least the girls. I have been on a sock making kick so I have yarn left to make some smaller sizes. I love the Yankee Knitter pattern.

The big project is the Quidditch sweater for Owen. It is coming along fine. I just have to finish the sleeves and then seam it all together. I hope to have that done this week. (Although I am perplexed as to why my gauge is correct re: width but the height is a little too tall - I am always seeking to understand the mechanics of knitting better) I am making the sweater found in the Charmed Knits book. It contains other Harry Potter inspired knitting too. Great for kids and adults who love the Harry Potter series.

Go to A Stitch in Time in Bethel CT to get all the supplies to make these items. I post pics when I complete the projects.

California and Mexico - We started again

2008-11-01T18:41:00.004-05:00

Okay so we had to start over again. This time, I'll try to keep more up to date.

We just had a fabulous trip to California and Mexico. We had dinner the first night in California at our favorite restaurant in San Pedro - Whale & Ale. Here is photo of Dora and Rob Klopfstein the piano player. Even after being gone for 6 years all our friends were still at our favorite watering hole. http://www.whaleandale.com We highly recommend that if you are in the LA area you go to this restaurant. Just tell Andrew, the owner... Adam and Dora from Connecticut sent you.

We just got back from our 2nd trip to Mexico. We love the ports we visited on the cruise last year so we did it again. We went to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. Here are a few photos.