Hello, dear Vox neighborhood. You have been sorely neglected and I hope you'll forgive me.

It's just that real life has been at me and my main blog and Facebook have taken up my attention. That is, attention beyond homeschooling, learning how to use my DSLR, cooking, etc.

You know how that goes, right?

So I've been blogging over here lately:

http://inthatnumber.com/

I still talk about my faith, family and food but my knitting seems to have been put on the back burner for a little bit. Once Babette is out of the way, I'll pull my needles out again.

It'd be nice if you paid me a visit!

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Babette Squares
Originally uploaded by Phisch

So here's what I have so far for this blanket. I was going to run out and buy yarn, but that sounded like a silly idea when I checked what I had. I'm really liking the colors here and am working hard on making more neutral-ish colored blocks to help the brighter ones pop more.

It really looks very different when you put all of them together in one place. Of course, this isn't ultimately how they will lay out, but that's ok, it's nice to get an initial view. This is a really fun project, more fun since I'm having to re-learn crochet which I haven't touched since 5th grade.

This is a gift and I think the recipient doesn't really hang out here so it's pretty safe to post (I hope).

Now I have to learn how to sew these together!

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The Mystery Machine

Originally uploaded by Phisch

I just had to share this find with you. Sighted while we waited in a Target parking lot.

Just keepin’ Austin weird!

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IMG_0840

Originally uploaded by Phisch

Boy, are we all tired! More photos here.

I got up really late. Please don’t ask me what time it was, the only sign was that the sun was glaring right at me. “Get up, lazy bones!” it seemed to be saying. It didn’t know that I was up really late finishing up some knitting, so I have an excuse.

Hubby made us all breakfast which was great. He’s been making eggs with bits of corn tortillas scrambled along with the cheese and I actually like them that way. Normally, I really, really don’t like eggs. But these were yummy!

We decided to go hiking around Town Lake instead of Barton Creek. It was pretty crowded, owing to the fact that we were hitting the tail end of the big triathlon of the year (a friend from church was in it). We were not taking part in the triathlon. Just in case you were wondering.

Our walk was wonderful. It wasn’t that hot at all and the crowds weren’t so bad that we were elbowing each other. J wasn’t too excited because he wanted to hike a different path. Eventually, he gave in and decided to enjoy himself. Sprocket was great, she was focused on the walk. I’m guessing this was due to the sheer number of people and dogs (too many to say hi to each one) and the large number of bicyclists (she’s really scared of those). Hubby threw her in the water twice to help her cool off and was paid with a scowl from a bystander. Oh well! She didn’t have a hot dog. Heh. J had gotten a blister so we had to head back. Hubby carried him half way back to the car on his shoulders. J didn’t like that to begin with, but it didn’t take him long to realize the benefits of that form of travel.

We went home then had lunch. After the food settled we went for a swim. Yep, “we”! I even went in (it took much prodding though). The kids had a blast. Never a question about that, though.

Hubby tried to fix the bbq but that thing decided to break on us. So steak was pan-fried but no less delicious. All in all a great day. We’re hoping most of our Saturdays this summer will be just as fun (and tiring)!

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Let me just start off with: I got to spend a lot of time at Super Target today. Call me what you will, but I enjoy browsing the shelves, putting things in my card, wandering, oggling, taking stuff out of my cart, telling J not to wander off, oggling, etc…it’s a sickness but one I know I share with a lot of you. Right? Please right?

Later on in the afternoon, we joined friends at a park. J’s classmate was having a birthday party and we were happy to be invited. The NM got to play basketball and soccer with the older boys while J had a blast running around and squirting his friends with a water pistol. He was indiscriminate: everyone there was a victim of his decent aim. Of course, if you go by how wet his shirt was, his friends were pretty good shots as well.

Pictures? Sadly, no. I didn’t pull out the camera. I was enjoying listening to adult conversation (though my part of the conversation was probably less than adult at times). It was great. My knitting even stayed in my purse, if you can believe it (was tempted but managed to resist). And even Sprocket got to come along and bark when the kids ran past her, laughing.

Good times

And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. 1Jo 1:4

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So my sister sent me the link to the Philippine episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. I used to watch that show, why did I stop?

Mr. Bourdain, after admitting that Filipinos tended to be the loud wheel that squeaked “Why haven’t you come to the Philippines?”, made his way over there some time last year.

Did I see the show? Not at the time of airing. The Pinoy food blogs were abuzz about it but I avoided it.

You know why? Because I knew exactly what would happen. I would really, really, really, really miss the food.

My sister sent me the links for the episode on YouTube and I gave in. But I’ll share them with you:

• Part 1 of 5
• Part 2 of 5
• Part 3 of 5
• Part 4 of 5
• Part 5 of 5

Yes, I miss stew of goat guts, meat and bile. Yes, I miss bitter melon stew with fish paste. Most definitely I miss roast pig on a spit with Mang Tomas lechon sauce. MMMMMM

“The best pig ever” is a serious award from a guy who’s had a few good bigs.

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~ Yes, I got glasses! Funny thing, wearing them gives me a feeling of anonymity, as if they were sunglasses. The frames are blue-green because all the other colors were meh. It’s so nice to see the world like God put on a sharpen filter over everything.

~ Yesterday was the last official day that J had to have a band-aid over his stitches all the time. It looks really raw but it’s obvious it’s getting better.

~ NM has been steadily working on cleaning his room all afternoon. But, fortunately, he’s also playing with some toys that have been neglected for a while (like his electronics kit). His soccer season ended with a couple of lost games. I said yes when he asked me if he could be with a different team next year.

~ I opened an Etsy shop. Maybe we can make this hobby pay for itself? Maybe? LOL. I’m writing up my first pattern for a hand knit and someone’s offered to test knit it for me.

~ The cold that grabbed hubby on Mother’s Day is still with him. He’s coughing now, though.

~ Praying for my sister. She is hoping to pick up a nice photo job. If it works out, it would be great for her portfolio (which, to be honest, is already good).

~ Hubby has updated my OS to Windows 7 release candidate. So far, my favorite thing is the rotating image for the desktop background. Clearly, I am someone concerned with functionality. *cough*

~ I have bible study to look forward to next Tuesday!!! This is great However, this time I will be facilitating the group solo instead of having a partner. May I admit I’m nervous? I am though I know I shouldn’t be. It’s not about me after all, amen?

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The Aftermath

Originally uploaded by Phisch

More photos here (check the link again for videos).

So, after they asked so often and today decided to ask nicely (and I had the materials needed) I finally gave in and let the kids play with—scratch that—experiment with a non-newtonian fluid.

I found a recipe for Oobleck which, if you are a fan of Dr. Seuss, you may be familiar with. The rest of us call this plain old cornstarch and water. Mixed in the correct ratio, you end up with a mixture that behaves like a solid or a liquid, depending on what you do with it.

The kids were inspired by an episode of the show Timewarp. Basically, the show is just about time lapse videography. The hosts of the show filled a trough about 3 feet x maybe 12 feet in size with a mixture of cornstarch and water. Then they filmed themselves as they tried to run across it. It was ok at first, but at the end of the trough, well, they ended up knee-deep in the stuff.

Our version was just a couple of cups of cornstarch in one cup of water. That was interesting to mix up! But the boys whacked it, smooshed it and generally made a mess. It was fun for them and a boon for the dog who was happy to play the part of mop.

Now NM thinks we should buy an inflatable pool and fill it with this stuff. Then dive into it. Ouch!

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2009-05-04 knit cuff

Originally uploaded by Phisch

I made this for a friend’s graduation with silver wire and freshwater pearls, randomly placed in the knit cuff.

Okay. This is dangerously fun to make.

There is instant gratification, there is the adventure of something knew and unexplored, there is pretty when it’s all said and done. I really don’t want something like this to hook me, but I’ve already looked up how to make viking knit cord and I think I might try to make it but if I start can I stop or will I be just as obsessed and what good will come of this if I do start since I don’t wear much jewelry anyway?

Oh dear. I think I will blame my neighbor. She just *had* to give me a spare pair of jewelry pliers, didn’t she?!

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Prickly pear flower

Originally uploaded by Phisch

More photos on Flickr here.

Field trip today! I still can't get over how much cool stuff is in and around Austin.

The boys and I packed up bright and all-too-early and headed north by north west to Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge. We made it there! Amazing because I got lost in Cedar Park when I ran out of State Hwy. 183. Technically, it went on but it turned into a---shudder!---toll road. Hubby kindly checked Mapquest for me and we re-routed and made it.

What a drive! Cedar Park is pretty but beyond that, we saw some real Hill Country. It was so gorgeous since the recent rains have brought us so many wildflowers. Our bluebonnets have gone and been replaced by swathes of yellow, orange and red against green grass. I really, really missed my Miata!

We did get there late but we still enjoyed all the stations that the US Fish and Wildlife Service people had set up. The kids learned insects were arthropods, what kinds are beneficial, how to catch them, all about birds, the endangered ones the Refuge was set up for, bird songs and calls, and what kinds of creatures live in the streams in the area.

That was the highlight.

Where my boys were very hesitant to participate in the discussions at the stations (at first, but they did warm up eventually), they were so excited about their stream expedition. What boy wouldn't want to get in galoshes and traipse up a stream with a net? J, with mom's help, caught a big pollywog and almost caught a froglet. N caught a water skipper but, with mom's help, it managed to jump out of the net. Another in our party managed to catch a pollywog AND a water skipper, but one at the other. Predation in action!

After getting the galoshes off and soaking, socked feet in sneakers, the boys and I headed out on a short hike. They examined the corn crib of the old homestead that was built there and we got to hang out around another creek.

The drive home was just as fun but J missed most of it since he fell asleep after he was done eating his snack.

NM's favorite part: going in the water.

J's favorite part: going in the water.

Should we get them some mud boots?

* * *

"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made..." Rom. 1:20

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