Movin On Up!

Through It All...

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 00:59:57 -0400

I had the good pleasure of having a 16 year old young man in my home for respite care while his foster parents took a weekend to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. I was so impressed with this young man because despite all the horrors he suffered as a child he is as well balanced as someone can be in his place. Some foster parents took a broken child and loved him and taught him to love himself. He was talking about his future and he wants to work in aeronautics as an adult. We had so much fun watching him solve a rubic cube several times. Even behind his back. by George! I think he is gong to make it!

Sock Monkeys Rule!

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 23:46:17 -0400

Sock Monkeys Rule!

I’ve been working out some baby patterns of late.. Trying...

Sun, 19 May 2013 23:12:53 -0400

I’ve been working out some baby patterns of late.. Trying to get ready for the next sale…

"In Him I live and move and have my being~Apostle Paul"

Sun, 19 May 2013 23:07:56 -0400

“In Him I live and move and have my being~Apostle Paul”

These photo’s are ones my hubby took of a family reunion. ...

Sun, 19 May 2013 23:06:00 -0400

These photo’s are ones my hubby took of a family reunion. The woman you see in the wheelchair and her husband are the oldest of the family. There were 203 members present that are their descendants in these photo’s. They sure like to play; notice the foot races….. :D

Amish made bedroom furniture; made from Sassafras… Can...

Sun, 19 May 2013 22:53:26 -0400

Amish made bedroom furniture; made from Sassafras… Can you believe it?

Brother KH-910 Electronic Knitting Machine… I finally...

Sun, 19 May 2013 22:50:26 -0400

Brother KH-910 Electronic Knitting Machine… I finally have one, of course it’s not even close to new but I’m loving it. My next ruana shawl is going to be so special… My designs can be so much wider….. I have lots to learn though…..

The Esche family was in a horrible accident and was killed. ...

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 00:37:00 -0400

The Esche family was in a horrible accident and was killed. Several preachers ministered to the people that came from around the world to say goodbye to these special people.

My husband is a Amish taxi driver and one of the joys of the job...

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 00:08:00 -0400

My husband is a Amish taxi driver and one of the joys of the job is having the group sing together as they travel down the road or have the privilege of attending one of their services or a wedding. He often tells me he heard the angels sing when he returns home. Our Amish friends tell us they are sang to as babies and encouraged to sing as soon as they can. They learn to harmonize in school as children.

This CD came to us through an Amish group. They told us to...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 23:58:00 -0400

This CD came to us through an Amish group. They told us to share it freely because they are actively ministering to souls. I love their melody and harmony.

Mama has a ‘new to her’ knitting machine and she is...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 23:35:29 -0400

Mama has a ‘new to her’ knitting machine and she is building a close relationship with it. Can you see the helicopters? This will be a blanket for some sweet baby, I hope. I’m working hard to get a few things done for our “Mom to Mom Sale for Education”. I shouldn’t say working.. I am really having a lot of fun… This is my first electronic machine and I might just upgrade after thoroughly learning what this one can do….

Where are you Spring?

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:52:36 -0400

I hear everyone complaining about how Spring is coming so late. Here it is the 20th of April and it snowed today.

My latest pattern is about to be published. I was so surprised...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:46:41 -0400

My latest pattern is about to be published. I was so surprised when the publisher asked me about this pattern (she saw it on FB). She asked me several weeks ago if I knit for children or babies and I had to tell her not very often. Then I saw a hand knit pattern a gal was trying to convert and I already had a pattern of my own, from several years ago, and offered to share it.

I am seriously sharing it now…

Good to his word....

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:37:53 -0400

Today, our precious 11 year old foster son did what he said he was going to do last night. He got kicked out of school until Monday. He didn’t scream at anyone nor did he box anyone’s ears. He didn’t get in a fight with his brother in the lunch line or the hallway between classes. He got into his locker and closed the door.

He is so lucky his friend didn’t get scared and desert the scene. It may have been awhile before he got out of the situation he was in.

First, he lied to me and told me someone threw him in the locker. I had to ask…”Did they kick you in the head and legs at the same time?” He knew that I knew he was lying. I had already heard the story from the school principal, whom I have known for several years. I explained to him his lying was the worst of two deeds. Secondly, I understand the chaos his life is in, I’m not about to add more grief to it.. But, lying will cost him something but I refuse to toss him into despair over it. I might even buy him a candy bar for telling me the truth…

We have these events after visits with Mom and Dad and family counseling. My husband and I have been encouraged to attend the family counseling so we can personally see what is going on. After one of the recent sessions the12 year old asked me to adopt him so he didn’t have to go through the visitations or family counseling anymore. Mom and Dad refuse to bear the responsibility of why their kids are in foster care. They make the kids feel like it’s their fault.

Sometimes, it would be so much easier to just knit my sock monkeys… And,mind my own business…..

The Counselor has asked my DH and I to sit in on the family counseling between our foster sons and...

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:36:21 -0400

The Counselor has asked my DH and I to sit in on the family counseling between our foster sons and their dad and separate sessions between the boys and their mom. She wanted us to see what is happening in their sessions. I now understand why….

Mom and Dad both play the blame game and make every session about them and leave the boys feeling as if they don’t matter and at times they make the boys feel as if they are to blame for being placed in foster-care.

Tonight, I watched the 12 year old blow up and tell his mom that he is tired of her talking bad about their dad and he is tired of their dad talking bad about her. He is tired of not knowing when he will get to go home. He feels like he keeps hitting a brick wall and it’s killing him. All he wants is for his parents to validate his feelings; tell him they don’t blame him for being afraid and frustrated. He wants to hear that his feelings matter and needs to hear they are sorry about the family being in this mess. He wants to hear they are working hard to turn things around.

All he hears is every one of their sentences begin with I. I’m not to blame! I didn’t do anything to cause this! I never asked for this to happen! How do you think I feel? Do you think you have it worse than me?

My heart hurts for kids whose parents don’t have the moxie or the wisdom to tell their kids they are sorry for the pickle they are in…. And, if they could; they would change the situation.

I haven’t mentioned to anyone that Jason asked me to adopt him…. They did hear him say he wants to remain where he is and stay here until he is 18.

God help us….

This is what I am working on for our Mom to Mom sale. We are...

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:09:06 -0400

Baby Security Blankee. Sweet!

This is what I am working on for our Mom to Mom sale. We are using the proceeds for Missions

It is finished....

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 11:00:24 -0400

It has finally happened…our Aspy son is living out in the community. Even with two new foster sons; our house is so quiet. A particular kind of quiet. Maybe because our parting was not a sweet sorrow but a bitter pill; gone down hard.

Matthew had to leave our home or we did. He had developed an opinion of himself and his rights that meant his continued living at home was going to create even more chaos. He had become one of the adults running the home and he began parenting the foster kids against our many requests to leave them to us.

I feel like an awful mother lately because I am happy he is moved out and happy that I don’t have to hear his voice telling these boys they don’t have to listen to us and how sick to death of us he was. We had no right to ask them to take their shoes off at the door or tell them to clean their rooms. He refused to help with chores including those that would be beneficial to him, like doing his laundry and taking care of it. He couldn’t see the sense in it.

My husband finally got so angered with Matt that he threatened to knock his block off. No, that’s wasn’t what he said… He said if Matt had been any other person, he would knock his block off. Matt then threatened to break my husband necks and it just went south from there. Matt went on a total rant and ranted for hours.

Then, my husband laid a twenty dollar bill on the table and told Matt he would pay him to leave. All he had to do was grab some clean clothes to take with him and the money was his. And, he can’t comeback. Of course, we called our son in law and made arrangements for Matt to stay there…

We have learned something from this adventure. When Matt got something in his head there was no changing his mind. He turned 20, soon to be 21 years old and his philosophy was; he is a man and there isn’t anyone going to tell him what to do. Period!

There might be people that disagree with us but the peace in our home was so worth it. Matt is in a safe place; and living his life… Fair trade….

Still love making those sock monkeys. I have a new pattern...

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:12:07 -0400

Still love making those sock monkeys. I have a new pattern going on that makes it more interesting and fun. I’m seriously thinking of doing a heritage set …..

I am so proud of my daughter; she is so talented…. This...

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:06:31 -0400

I am so proud of my daughter; she is so talented…. This is her speciality and it’s pretty much an art that is fading away…

artandsciencejournal: Luke Jerram’s Aeolus: an Acoustic Wind...

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 19:23:28 -0500

Luke Jerram's Aeolus: an Acoustic Wind Pavilion

Luke Jerram's Aeolus: an Acoustic Wind Pavilion

artandsciencejournal:

Luke Jerram’s Aeolus: an Acoustic Wind Pavilion

Luke Jerram Aeolus allows viewers to experience the changes in the wind. The title of the work comes from Greeky mythology and means the ruler of the four winds. As the artist describes the work,

“The sculpture a giant aeolian harp, designed to resonate and sing with the wind without any electrical power or amplification. Vibrations in strings attached to some of the tubes are transferred through skins covering the tops, and projected down through the tubes towards the viewer standing beneath the arch. For those tubes without strings attached, the tubes are tuned to an aeolian scale and hum at a series of low frequencies even when its not windy.”

You can listen to the artwork below:

For more information on Jerram’s works, click here.

- Lee Jones