Anniversary!

Four years ago I married the hottest, most amazing guy I'd ever met. Today, I am not in love with him as much as I was back then -- I love him more. Does this sound possible? Well it is! I can tell you that it gets better with time. It does require work and commitment, but what a payoff! God is first, but as far as humans go, Greg is my rock. He makes my world a brighter place; he gave me Andrew and Elijah! He makes things possible for me to do; he's one of the most generous people I know. It always comes back to this one fact: he loves me unconditionally, and that's amazing to me.

ICE

Hey everyone, I just found this, and it sounds like a good idea:

Paramedics will turn to a victim's cell phone for clues to that person's

identity. You can make their job much easier with a simple idea that

they are trying to get everyone to adopt: ICE.

ICE stands for In Case of Emergency.

If you add an entry in the contacts list in your cell phone under ICE,

with the name and phone no. of the person that the emergency services

should call on your behalf, you can save them a lot of time and have

your loved ones contacted quickly.

It only takes a few moments of your time to do.

Paramedics know what ICE means and they look for it immediately.

ICE your cell phone NOW!

Slinger

Slinger
Originally uploaded by faithdarling.

Andrew sees me carry Elijah around all day in the sling, so the other day he decided he'd try it out. After looping it around him and making "baby fussing noises" for a little while, I took pity on him, and loaded him in it in the "toddler hip carry". (There's all kinds of ways to carry your baby in this thing.) This was so amazing to him that he wanted to stay in it forever. Of course I had to unload him after a little while, which was a very sad moment for him. To make things All Better, I put the sling on HIM with his stuffed horse in the pouch. After I'd cinched it all up, he was thrilled beyond all telling, and this cheesy grin was frozen on his face for a good while.

Today Andrew, Elijah and I went for our First Walk. I was pulling my stomach in to excercise the transverse muscle for the whole 40 minutes, which will eventually lead to a flat stomach.

I never quite got my stomach back after Andrew, but I am determined to do it this time! I'm sick of not being able to wear any nice shirts on account of the bulge.

I've bought this book called Loose Your Mummy Tummy, and the techniques in there are solid. I also bought a tummy splint, which holds the muscles together when I do things like lift either baby, stand up from sitting, or whatever. It also reminds me to pull my stomach in on my own anytime that I think of it.

I will get back in shape again if it kills me. Here's to (middle of the year) resoloutions!

Where have all the music lovers gone?

Vomitorial Corpulence: Skin Stripper (Heaviest band I've ever heard.)
Commit Suicide: Synthetics (One of the best drumers in death metal. And, no, despite the name, they don't encourage or condone killing one's self.)
Michael Hedges: Oracle (Greatest steel-string, finger-style guitarist ever.)
Madison Greene: Nowhere Near Nashville (Really good folk-percussion band. They put on a very good live show too.)
Tortured Conscience: Every Knee Shall Bow (Well done death-grind, fronted by Jeff Lenormand of Vulgar Pigeons fame.)
Frost Like Ashes: Tophet (Good black metal from Kansas City.)
Mike Knott: Strip Cycle (I don't think Mike Knott needs an introduction.)
Calibretto 13: From the Secret Files of the Danger Brigade (Although not around anymore, these guys played a unique blend of hyped-up acoustic-rock that will be greatly missed.)
Raft of Dead Monkeys: Joey… (Half of Ninety Pound Wuss and half of Roadside Monument formed to make this cult classic of a band.)
Earl Scruggs: The Essential Earl Scruggs (The greatest banjo player ever and the originator of the three finger picking style, or "Scruggs-Style Picking".)
Decahedron: 2005 (Shelby Cinca of Frodus / The Cassettes; Jason Hamacher of Frodus; and Joe Lally of Fugazi, later Jonathan Ford of Roadside Monument / Unwed Sailor, formed to make this great, unique band. Although I completely disagree with their lyrical approach and beliefs--anti Bush, anti-War-on-Terror--I respect their music and their passion.)
Stretch Arm Strong: Engage (Great hardcore from South Carolina.)
Necrophagist: Epitaph (The best death metal I've ever heard. These guys are not just your average metal heads, they are absolute virtuosos on their prospective instruments. Some of the most technical stuff I've ever heard. And all four of the band members live quite a distance apart from each other. So when they write, they'll e-mail the different parts they've written back and forth, and then, during the few times they get together to practice, they can all play these ridiculously technical songs. The lead guitarist taught himself how to play guitar, in secret, even though his parents forbade him to learn the instrument in their house. I would put him right up there with some of the best guitar players in the world. Amazing!)
Alethian: Dying Vine (Decent metal from Lebanon, PA.)


G.

Elijah the happy guy

Here is the first picture of Elijah being happy. I couldn't believe I actually captured the moment! He has proved to be a fussy little guy, quite unlike Andrew -- I think Elijah has some digestion issues, which makes it hard for him to stay content.

Today he smiled at me a bunch of times. He was lying on his back after I changed him, and he just started grinning this huge, crooked grin and gurgling at me. He just gets cuter every day!



This sling has been invaluable to me. Sometimes it's the only way Elijah will fall asleep. Also, whenever we go out anywhere, this is a pretty sure-fire way to mame sure eveyrone has a good time. Much better than strolling along with a wailing baby!
I feel so self satisfied today: this morning I made up the dinner list for the next two weeks, wrote up the grocery list, and then went food shopping -- all before nap time! (Don't worry, I am giving myself a pat on the back.)

Well, both of my little men are sleeping, so I'm going to go knit. Been looking forward to this all day!

It's official...

Ok, I was caught between two names that I really liked. My judging panel (Greg) went over the entries, and decided that The Needle And The Damage Done was super cool, but that Flash Bang Fibers was fun, flashy, and easy to rember as a link -- also, much shorter to type. So the final decision is that there are two winners: Sarah and Sarah. The main title of the blog is Sarah K's, and the sub-title and url are Sarah S's. Soooo.... Sarah K, you have a choice between a Burgundy wristband with a black "+", a white "+" (sort of like the first aid sign), or a combination of those colors in a word with up to five letters. Sarah S, the same to you except I was thinking, since you knit too, would you rather have stitch markers? I was just about to make a beaded set for myself, and I can send you some if you think you'd like them instead. They're blue beads, not pink (shocking, isn't it?) =)

I finally got my Photoshop up and running, but then I forgot to post the picture of Elijah this morning, and also forgot to put it on my thumb drive that's always with me, so I can't post it from here either. Oops! Look for that on Monday.

For all of you who check this blog to get your Daily Dose Of Darling, I've just added a button to this site that allows you to sign up and recieve updates whenever we post! I'm learning more about HTML all the time, and I feel so cool. (My secret to understanding all things HTML has to do with the fact that I know Sarah S and Jesse D -- thanks guys, you make me look like I know what I'm doing! ...Sort of) =)

Dinner, create!

Today is the 14th. What does that mean to me? It means that it's the day before payday, which equals Bottom Of The Pantry Dinner for tonight. So I was pondering, should I make pancakes? (Greg dislikes those) Crepes? (No leftovers for Starving Greg's lunch) Fried eggs over rice? (Ditto) Aha! I have the perfect soloution! It is my very favorite "nothing to eat" meal: Sundried Tomatoes and Peas with Carmelized Onions over pasta. This is my "famous" improv dish, which relies entirely upon grocery staples with a long shelf life. I ALWAYS try to keep on hand: Onions, sun-dried tomatoes, frozen peas, frozen corn, and pasta.

After carmelizing the thinly sliced onions (sprinkle generously with salt, saute over med/high heat until golden, then turn down the heat and cook the hell out of 'em = 20 min to an hour-and-a-half) and soaking the tomatoes in boiling hot water (only needs to be done if they're not packed in oil), I chop the softened tomatoes up, throw them and some sliced garlic into the large saucepan with the onions, add some spices (whatever's on hand and looks good -- today it'll be dried oregano, marjoram red pepper flakes and thyme, and then I just happen to have some "fresh" herbs in the freezer: basil and finely chopped rosemary, possibly some scallions.)

The dried herbs are added a little before the tomatoes to soften and release their flavor, the fresh at the very end so they're still, well, fresh. Then just before I'm ready to serve, I throw in about a cup or so of the peas, corn (if I have any), and toss them with the freshlt cooked pasta. maybe I'll even throw in a lightly beaten egg or two, for protein. (It cooks right in the hot pasta/etc., and helps the "etc." to adhere better to the pasta, making every bite sure to be full of sweet and savory goodness).

If it were not for my two little men, I might even throw together a batch of rolls, since I've got plenty of yeast and flour, but I'm not feeling QUITE that domestic today.

So now, perhaps we weren't at the bottom of the pantry after all.

NOTE: This meal marks the first Real Meal that I've cooked since Elijah was born. Horay for me as I step back up to the stove!

Rock!!!

This week's listening list:

Saviour Machine: Behold the Mask
The Ws: Trouble With X
Embodyment: Corrosion of the Flesh
Sanctifica: Spirit of Purity
Vaakevandring: Demo 98/99
MxPx: Panic
Vroom x2: Things Not To Do
Speedy Delivery: Vestige of Glory
Spudgun: Spudgun
The Soul’s Unrest / Orcrist: Demo
Lengsel: Solace
Detrimental / Fetal Decay: Split (I'm only a fan of Detrimental, not Fetal Decay. What a horrible band name.)


gerg

Name Game ending soon!

Alright Ladies and Gents, the "contest" for the Name Faith's Knitting Blog is ending soon. Last date for submissions is this Friday, July 15th. The "winner" will get one custom made wristband (aren't I so generous?), created with you in mind, with a simple design of your choice. So (in my mom's words) "put your thinking cap on" and let me know what you come up with!

In other news, Elijah smiled at me for the first time yesterday. He was looking right into my face for a while with this quizical expression, and then just broke in to a huge grin. Adorable! I've got a great picture of him with a plesant face on (the first one!) but my Photo Shop is being a poopy head and I can't use it at the moment, so you'll just have to wait to see it. Another post for another day.

Traffic "Violations"

So I have this endless frustration with our nation's road ways. Hypothetically, I'll be driving along a stretch of secondary highway, where the speed is marked "State Speed Limit 55". I'll then drive through a section marked "Speed Limit 35", and continue to drive that speed until I see the next speed limit sign. The problem is that I never see the next speed limit sign. It's not there. Quite obviously, since I'm now being passed by the angry line up behind me, the speed has changed back to 55, but there was never a sign to tell me that. At what point do I default back to the state speed limit? As we all know, unmarked roads can be assumed to be driven at the state speed limit, but when does the road I'm traveling on become an unmarked road? Two miles after the last speed limit sign? Three, four? This is an endless frustration for me.
Also, last night, as we were driving home from Binghamton, we drove through four road work areas. All four areas had the usual speed reduction signs and the warnings that fines are doubled in work areas. The frustration was that, there was no designated ending for any of the work areas. I was driving the designated 55 miles per hour in the work area, waiting for the "End Work Area" sign, followed by the "Speed Limit 65" sign. These signs were never there. But the thing that really made me see red was when, upon entering each subsequent work zone, I saw the same signs, telling me to slow down to the work zone speed limit. How could I slow down if I was already slowed down and had never left the previous work zone????!!!!!!! This happened four times, and I pretty much gave up all hope for New York State's highways.


Gerg

of names

In Andrew's vocabulary, my mom finally has a name. He had decided to call both his grandpas "Poppy", so the other day he dubbed my mom "Pappy". The unfortunate thing is that, while "Poppy" is a perfectly fine name to call your grandfathers for the rest of your life, "Pappy" just won't stand the test of time. Toddlers are funny creatures, I tell you!

In other news, I've become disenchanted with the name of my knitting blog "a stitch in line", and am going to change it. The problem is, I'm fresh out of ideas, and need your help. The name doesn't have to be knitting or craft related, it just has to be catchy and fun. The current name sounds as though it was dreamed up by a stodgy 60-year-old trying to be clever. Please help!!

Podcasting

Just today I have discovered Podcasting. It's like radio on the internet, except that the broadcasts (or "podcasts", I guess) are stored online and then downloaded to your computer as MP3's. The coolest part is that it's all free! I, of course, have subscribed to "knit cast", but you can do a search for any topic under the sun and comeup with some pretty interestibg results. OR, you can even broadcast your own! You can read more about this here to learn more about it. Happy listening!

THE MUSEUM OF BURNT FOOD

"Woah" and "ohmygoodness".

THE MUSEUM OF BURNT FOOD

A bloggin fiend

I've succumbed to the cyber pressure and have created my very own knitting blog...or crochet...or whatever else I'm working on at the moment. Everyone else is doing it. If you're even remotely interested, you can click here to check it out.

The "firsts" of today:
1) My first day home alone with my babies. Grace or Joy has been with me since Elijah was born, so it's been a day of challenges. We went grocery shopping, and then I nursed Elijah while putting away the perishables and made and ate lunch with Andrew. Multi tasking at it's best!

2) While I was preparing lunch, Andrew let himself out the front door. Not a good first, but I'm glad that I saw it happen! The front door is always dead bolted now, because that's a bit trickier to undo, and a few inches higher. Should hold him off another day or so.

Normally at this time I'd be taking a nap, since it's Andrew's naptime, but there's no one to handle Elijah, and he's decided to be Mr. Ultimate Fussy Guy, so I've got him in the sling and am bouncing on my exercise ball while I type. This seems to have finally calmed down him down a bit. I shall go now and see if he'll sleep so I can too.

Once naptime is over, I have to make carrot cupcakes (my Aunt Terry's recipe with the cream cheese/coconut frosting!) and get myself and the little guys ready for a dinner tonight that Greg's batallion is having. That's in two-and-a-half hours, so I have no idea how I'm going to get it all done, but I will make an effort.

Back

The long weekend has begun, and we're back in Binghamton! I say "long weekend" not in a bad way -- Greg has Monday and Tuesday off as well as the usual weekend, so it literally is a long weekend for us (as I hope it is for many of you!)

We are staying at my parents house, and will be spending the day (along with my family, Peisch grandparents and my Uncle Henry) at the Darling's (Pete and Jill's) for the 4th of July. We're going to have a BBQ (or "a cook-out on the grill", for those of you who consider BBQ to be shredded, saucy meat on a bun), swim, boat and maybe fish in the pond, and end the day by setting off several hundred $'s worth of fireworks.

Today, Greg and Caleb set off to fish and swim at the Darlings and then purchase the fireworks stash. I've had a very satisfying day of eating, nursing a tiny guy (which accounts for my possibly sloppy typing at the moment), and napping. My sibling are supposedly cleaning the house, and my Peisch grandparents just arrived from NJ with my Uncle Henry.

So that's my day.

Oh, as a side note, my parents computer is severely screwed up. Something happened to the system manager (I think that's what it was), so their color is wierd and the date is stuck at June 2nd. Pretty much they need a new computer and have needed one for some time, but now it's getting really rough. This is pretty much a dinosaur...if anyone knows of a stray computer that needs a home, it will be very loved and cared for if adopted by this home. (Well at least loved and well used) =)