Sometimes, it's gotta be about the fiber

I used a spinning wheel yesterday for the first time ever.  I was not that good at it.  But there was yarn!

In addition to spinning wheel adventures, I got to be with some of my favorite people, in a beautiful location, and my dog got really tired.

And so did my kid.  Cat added for scale.

I am better at using my spindle than I was as a first-time driver on a wheel.  I'm doing up fiber from yarnieanonymous on Etsy.  Here's the package I got...

And here's what I've done with it so far:

See the sparkles?

Caterpillar Yarn--143 yards of about fingering-weight

And, because I can: Easter/spring flower arrangement:

Because sometimes, it's not about the fiber. :)

Staying Home

I am home today.

In general I don't like calling in sick to work, though I like staying home.  I like getting stuff done and not having to worry or stress.  I miss the kiddos though I know they'll be fine.

Today I'll be going to the doctor's, which I also don't really like.  I think I'll think about something else for the time being, like the reflection of the tree outside my window on this computer screen, which is quite lovely, or the pile of laundry I need to do.  Or the phone calls.  I think I should start making those phone calls.

I've been tracking everysingleday for 8 days, and for 15 of the last 23 days, and I am officially down 11 pounds since January.  Kind of wish I felt better.  Maybe the doctor will be able to help today.

In knitting news: Shawl of Doom still at 70%; I'm reducing for the toe on one of my socks; both my April Spin-Along order and my yarn order for my summer OWL are in the post.  Think I'll get up and do some stuff.

ETA: I have a very tight muscle in spasm at the base of my ribcage.  I will not need any kind of procedure, just ice and advil.  And I got a bunch of stuff done, which is Good.  And my OWL yarn is here!  I put it away upstairs so I will not knit half a sweater before Term starts.

Breaking Through Barriers

Okay, I'm going to start by being realistic.  Scales can change day-to-day, up and down, influenced by a variety of factors including water, menstrual cycle, and the angle Venus makes with the Moon and Uranos.  You know: whims of the fates, etc.

But I have had a pattern for quite a long time.  I have got on the scale and seen a number.  The number was higher than I wanted it to be, so I started watching, being careful, and a few days later I would see a new number, N - 2.  I would rejoice! And try more.  And soon, within a week or two, the number would be N - 4!

Then, oh, then, my body's monthly cycle would change around and the number would go back to N - 2.  Okay, I would tell myself. It's just water weight from carrying around all that fluid.  No biggie.  But then stress or chocolate cravings would take over, and I'd muddle my way through that time of the month, not keeping up with even a slight exercise practice, eating whatever popped off the shelves, and I would end my monthly cycle back at N, or even N + 1.

This time, though, I made it through my miserable crampy logy couple of days with the help of my friends and with just a little walking, and keeping track of my food.  I was at N-4 when it started, and I went back up to N - 2, just as always, but at the end? I was back at N - 4!  Good going, Lauren! Keep up the good work!

And then? This morning?

N - 6.2

The number on my scale is one I didn't see when I was exercising for months last winter.  It's one I haven't seen in a good two years.  Even though I realize it will probably be gone tomorrow, (Moon, Venus, Uranos, you know!) it feels like I have broken through a barrier that has sneered at me for years.  I can keep on.

I can do this!

Mobile Blogging?

Well, I don't know how useful this will ultimately be, but I can apparently blog from my phone. 
Right now I am sitting here waiting for the kids to get out of school.
Today I discovered that I can use the speech recognition software on my phone to chat in facebook. I can also use the barcode scanner to put nutrition from starbucks into my my fitness pal account. Technology win!

There's a blue bird in this tree... about dead center.  Hard to see though.

Knitting break??? WHAT???

Well, you don't think I'm gong to completely stop knitting, do you?  But it's the April Holidays in the House Cup.  We're still a couple of days out from knowing who won.  Professors are still calculating Bonus Points, Things are being discussed, and a ton of off-month activities have been posted (including the silliest April Fool's Joke ever.  Really, awesomely epic, and included a manatee in a space suit.  How could you go wrong, right?)

So, no knitting for points this month.  So I have a pair of socks going--trying to perfect my knit-to-fit method--and I just finished and sent out my Reducio swap yesterday--and I still have the Epic Shawl of Doom to complete, since it didn't get done for a badge this month and it still needs finishing.  And I'll be swatching for next Term's OWL later in the month--but I'm really aiming at that being the only new thing I cast on this month.

I shall fill my time thusly:

• I shall SEW!  I have several projects that want working on.
• D1's new comforter/blankets.  I've had the fabric for a year now.  Seriously.  I could at least get one done.
• The corners (and this is hand sewing, as I almost busted my machine trying to do it that way) of a blanket I've been making for ages for River.  Sigh.  
• The lining of Mary's Christmas stocking
• I shall BE HEALTHY!
• Thanks to OneNeedleKnitting, I found a site called MyFitnessPal.com.  It is another diet/weight loss/exercise tracking site.  All right: I love SparkPeople.  I love the SparkPoints; I love the trophies; I love that so many of my friends have found their way there.  But their nutrition and exercise tracking tools are hard to use.  So here's the plan:
• I will track my food and exercise on MFP.  The mobile app is easy to use and has--get this--a bar code scanner! I can scan about 90% of my food instead of trying to look it up!  So easy!
• I will use "quick track" on Spark People to keep track of fruits and veggies and exercise (I get SparkPoints for minutes tracked, but I get to eat more on MFP for exercise tracked, so I will do both.  It's not that hard).
• I will re-vamp the House Cup SparkTeam to make it a little more user friendly and encouraging.  More challenges!!! Hooray!
• I will continue to walk or do some other kind of exercise at least 5 times a week.
• I will continue to track my food.
• I shall conquer Lego Harry Potter!
• After the boy goes to bed
• I have my own copy for the DSi hidden carefully away.  Someday I shall also play it on the Wii... but I won't hold my breath.  April I will play a little LHP every night.  I've already finished the first Year, but I still have a lot of stuff I can go back and get after I gain more spells.
• I shall READ
• The Hunger Games.  So good!
• The Spark.  I'm finding it much more interesting and empowering than I thought I would.
• Catching Fire (book 2 of the Hunger Games cycle.  I will move on to book three if I have time).

So that's the plan!  I like plans.  But not much actual knitting will happen this month.  Still, wanna see what I did last month?