I’m celebrating my 10th Blogiversary on the First Day of Spring, with the St. Patrick’s Day observance of 9 years Quit (Smoking) along the way! To mark the occasion, which totally blows my mind, I thought I’d share TEN for TEN.

FIVE – HOME

Our house is almost 130 years old and we’ve been working on it — maintenance, repairs, improvements — since we bought it 27 years ago. A rebuilt retaining wall, reconfiguring a wrap-around enclosed porch into more useable space, a complete exterior paint job, a new roof, a new driveway & garage, bathroom updates, refurbished floors, a new kitchen… that was all in the first 17 years! In the 10 years I’ve been blogging, we’ve even seen updates to previous updates!

One of the first I blogged about was a re-do of our stairway and upstairs hall — a While You Were Out gift from my family for Mother’s Day 2004.

I reciprocated on Father’s Day with While You Were Out II and a re-do of our bedroom!

The Pergola — a project for Labor Day Weekend 2006 — was finished on November 1st of that year!

There have been bathrooms. Upstairs.

Downstairs.

A big hole punched into a bedroom ceiling to reveal an attic loft. Heh.

Most recently, the French door project!

I do love my house. Our biggest achievement over the past few years has been downsizing in our own home. “Closing the door” at the top of the stairs and turning the majority of the second floor back into an apartment makes it feel more manageable, at least on the inside!

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Previously

• One – Knitting
• Two – Sewing
• Three – The Kids
• Four – Family

There’s plenty more to come… Five to go!

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I’m hosting a Craftsy giveaway. Follow the link below and you could win a class of your choice, up to $59.99 in value.

Enter to win a Craftsy class!

*Giveaway has ended*

I’m celebrating my 10th Blogiversary on the First Day of Spring, with the St. Patrick’s Day observance of 9 years Quit (Smoking) along the way! To mark the occasion, which totally blows my mind, I thought I’d share TEN for TEN.

FOUR – FAMILY

We’ve experienced tragedy and devastating heartbreak in 10 years, as I imagine almost any family could say.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/knitorious/6993849599/player/

Celebrate Michael Day came and went without much fanfare two weeks ago. I actually forgot until his wife wrote a small post on FB. It’s not a day he really cares to remember or “celebrate,” but I reminded him that it’s a little different for the rest of us. He has a birthday in a few days!

Illness and fucking cancer have reared their heads.

Sharon — 1960-2010

Besides my sister, my grandmother, cousins, a stepbrother, aunts, and uncles have also passed away in the last 10 years.

As heartrending as the hurdles and losses are, the never-ending circle of life continues… and there is overwhelming joy… BABIES!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/knitorious/2348137464/in/set-72157604174031806/player/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/knitorious/2347309615/in/set-72157604174031806/player/

Mack, Addy, Junah

Love and happiness… and goofiness.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/knitorious/5489472037/in/set-72157629622542391/player/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/knitorious/5489471471/in/set-72157629622542391/player/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/knitorious/3014602282/in/set-72157629622542391/player/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/knitorious/9578114841/player/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/knitorious/9256450744/player/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/knitorious/13116532443/player/

* * * * *

Previously

• One – Knitting
• Two – Sewing
• Three – The Kids

There’s plenty more to come… Six to go!

* * * * *

I’m hosting a Craftsy giveaway. Follow the link below and you could win a class of your choice, up to $59.99 in value.

Enter to win a Craftsy class!

*Giveaway has ended*

I’m celebrating my 10th Blogiversary on the First Day of Spring, with the St. Patrick’s Day observance of 9 years Quit (Smoking) along the way! To mark the occasion, which totally blows my mind, I thought I’d share TEN for TEN.

THREE – THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

One of the things that freaks me out about doing this for 10 years is my kids and, well, that they were actually kids when I started blogging! They’re definitely not kids anymore; in fact, one of them now has a kid of her own!

Maddy

Maddy was still in middle school when this all began! She’s in college now, working on her education degree. It took a little while to find her path, but she’s definitely found her footing and her enthusiasm for teaching is infectious. I’m so happy for her.

Maddy-moo’s new tattoo — “adding to the garden,” she likes to say — a big bee, and pansies for her mum!

Spring Break is next week and she’s heading over the pond. First stop is London, where she’ll visit friends and also attend the Country To Country Music Festival — a lucky fluke! Not generally a huge country music fan, the line-up is incredible and we’re giddy over it: Brad Paisley, Dixie Chicks, Rascal Flatts, Martina McBride, Dierks Bentley, Zac Brown Band, The Band Perry. Music festivals are always fun. In London? She’ll hop the train to Edinburgh and spend a few days there with Katie, then they’ll both head back to London before Maddy catches the plane back home. We’ll see her again at the end of the month when she’s here for practicum.

Ali

Ali was in her junior year at high school. She’s now married, owns a coffee shop, and is a brand new mama!

Yeah! ‘Nuff said!!

8 Weeks Old!

I’m already enjoying the change in our relationship now that she’s a mother. I see her even more often and we do more together. And that little grandson… it’s no secret how I feel about him!

Kate

In the Spring of 2004, Katie already had a semester at Humboldt State University under her belt (and the only one at that school). She returned to school in the Fall of 2004, the same one that Maddy’s attending now, studied a semester abroad, and eventually earned her BA from UW-Madison. Working for a few years as a book seller while figuring out the next step, she’s currently working on that in Edinburgh, earning her Master’s in Art History — enjoying every minute and sharing many of them!

We share a lot of interests — travel, food, cooking, music — and I’m so looking forward to exploring a few of those things again with her this May in Scotland!

I’m so proud of my girls and can’t wait to see what happens next!

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I’m hosting a Craftsy giveaway. Follow the link below and you could win the class by Natalie Chanin that I love so much, Hand-Embellishing Knit Fabric: Stenciling, Appliqué, Beading and Embroidery — or another class of your choice, up to $59.99 value!

Enter to win a Craftsy class!

*Giveaway has ended*