11 months down... hmmmm

11 months and honestly I’m not sure what to say about it. I find myself shifting from thrilled that 11 months are behind me - meaning that many less in front of me, to crazy thoughts on how the wait may extend even longer than the now expected 24 months to, god forbid, 36 months (hopefully the later is just crazy wait anxiety and will not come to pass!)
Like everyone else waiting in line for CCAA to call our names, the 2 day referral period this month – going from 10/24-10/26 (for those few of you who read this who aren’t involved in the adoption process yourself this means that China matches babies to waiting families monthly on average. This month they only matched two days of LID – log-in dates – The lowest number in Chinese International Adoption history!!
This was a bitter pill. However.. Just after reading the e-mail informing me of the pitifully low number of referral days, I received an altogether different e-mail. One of my single adopty friends who is Chinese received her expedited referral. Oh happy day! Once I saw the referral photo of the most amazingly beautiful girl I’ve seen in some time, the sting was gone, hope renewed.
Yes I’ve been waiting 11 months of what I originally thought was a 10-12 month wait, and yes the referrals this month made me only two days closer to bringing my daughter home, but my friend’s referral made me smile, it gave me joy and it restored a little hope that although it won’t be soon, someday my daughter will be home.

Warning: get your kleenex

...then click on the link....

Families meeting their children in China

This is all I want.
This is why 2 days of referrals is so difficult
This feels further and further away

Sea Shelley's spring break

One of my 5 cutie-patootie nieces came to visit over her spring break. Here's the few pictures I was able to take.
Michelle's spring break here
I lOVE when my nieces come to visit and am so sad when it's time to go. We had a great time skiing - she's really getting good! Then had a few relaxing days at home where we went out for a manicure and pedicure and then hung out at my favorite independent book store. We also went to see "the last Mimsy". Cute flick - she loved it.

Miss you sea shelley!

What a differnce a day makes.

The first picture is leaving church yesterday morning. My friends were walking ahead of me and it was such a fascinating picture. They were in a line with the snow falling heavily and little 3yo Lala carrying her prized balloon.



Today was a much better day. a signature Colorado day with crisp air, bright blue skies and plenty of sunshine. The tulips made it through the storm and frankly, looked quite happy about it.


Now, about those referrals... I think CJ said it best with"donkey balls!" 2 flippin' days! This wait is soooo difficult. M also had a fabulous post on the difficulty of the wait. I sincerely echo her thoughts. This limbo land could really drive someone to the edge. Personally, I'm a fairly spontaneous person. I make a decision and then am very impatient with waiting. I like to dive in and "Just do it". The wait we're experiencing here just leaves me time to worry - while others plan, obsess - while others plan, or ignore it - while others plan.
Last year at this time, I thought I'd be the one getting my referral this month. Now it looks as though it's this time next year... or, god forbid, even later than that.

Happy Easter

The poodles are looking for the Easter bunny - they're going to be sorely disappointed because I don't think he comes out in SNOW!

(Thanks Kitt for the photo advice)


Happy Easter everyone.
We woke here to more snow. It's been dark and gloomy for the last three days with light dusting of snow each morning. But, today it's a regular snowstorm... go figure.
I'm not sure that my once beautiful orangy-red tulips are going to survive. The blossoms on the pear trees in the back are looking a little frosted - just like the lemon-ginger pound cake I made for Easter lunch today.









*note... these photos - except the cake - were taken yesterday. Today there is much more snow but I'm too cold and tired of it to go out and take new photos.

Anne was here!

Tonight I went to The Tattered Cover to hear Anne Lamott. She's my pure, real, hillarious spiritual hero. Funny lady, incredible writer, single mom. Her most recent book is out and she's doing the bookstore tour to promote it. The latest is called Grace (eventually) Thoughts on Faith. I've only read a little from it so far, but it's another thoughtful raucous book of essays where her life & thoughts speak to the deeper truths in everyone. Although I've not had the drug addicted, alcoholic, broken home life that she's lead, I find myself nodding a big "uh huh" to the universal pain, revelations, and views of the holy she describes. Love her! Now even more since I've heard her in person.

For some reason my blogger will not let me do links, italics, bold..anything excpt post a picture. What's going on? Is it because I got a new computer? All you Mac users, I'm new. Is it my Mac? Must I do something different?

Yes the last two weeks have been a challenge. My faithful pc laptop decided early one Tuesday morning to die. A little cough, sputter then the screen was blank. I took it in, "too much to fix to be worth it, Get a new one" was the declaration from the computer guy. Well, being subject to marketing, I bought a Mac. The commercials about security of the new Vista and then taping the camera to the PC's head were the ones to push me over the edge. I must reward such great marketers and buy their product. So far, I've been pleased although I've had little chance to use it. I'm hoping I'll fall in love with it as the guy at the Apple store promised.

Yipee skipee

10 months today... 10 months closer.

I will write more on that when I return... I'm off to the mountains for a little ski weekend with some other single adoptys
The kids are hanging out at Kitt's for the weekend.
Happy St. Paddy's to you all.

news flash

My sister sent me this e-mail and Ithought it responsible to share it with you:

I thought I should pass it along. Check your driver's license. Now you can see anyone's Driver's License on the Internet, including your own!I just searched for mine and there it was..picture and all!!Thanks Homeland Security!Where are our rights?I definitely removed mine. I suggest you do the same.Go to the web site and check it out.Just enter your name, city and state to see if yours is on file. Afteryour license comes on the screen, click the box marked, "Please Remove."This will remove it from public viewing, but not from law enforcement.

http://www.license.shorturl.com/

Put a fork in it...

...and call it done. Yep, that's right. I just can't conjur up the excitment for Id0l anymore. I've seen it thru all the previous 5 seasons, planned my schedule around it or made sure the VCR (yes, I still use one of those) was programmed to record (and yes, I know how to program it). I just can't get excited about this year, so I'm done (I really can't believe I'm typing these words).
Tonight, if it weren't for multi-tasking the evening would have been a waste. However, I was able to finally address envelopes to send 100 good wish requests out to non-cyber friends and family.
And, then I did a little knitting on a fair isle hat I started in 2004. ...here's the hat. I started this in 2004 whan the pattern came out and then set it aside. After finishing Sheldon, I was ready to start Norberta (see prev post), but decided I have too many unfinished objects (UFO). So now my idea is to finish a UFO before I can start a new project... So, Fair Isle sampler hat then Norberta, then 2nd sock, then ?
Here's my progress....

This is what it "should" eventually look like.

My picture is a little dark, but the colors are really fun. this is my first 2-color stranded work so I'm learning a few things. Like "throwing" yarn. I learned to knit continental - or holding the yarn in the left hand. When using 2 colors, you hold yarn in both hands, you"pick" up the yarn held in the left and "throw" the yarn held in the right.

Also, with all the color changes, I've learned to "spit-join" the ends. It indeed involves spit and with all the different colors, my DNA is spread throughout the hat. It's quite a process, but saves the HUGE headache it would be to sew in all the ends .

I'll let you know when it's done.

Meet Sheldon

I saw Sheldon on Knitty and fell in love. I started making him on my flight to Hawaii and because he's a quick knit, had him almost completed by the time I returned. The knitting indeed was quick, however, he's a little fiddly to put together, and given my sewing skills are lacking...well, it took a while. but, here he is!

Apparently green turtles are quite popular in Hawaii and they were the subject of many children's books... This one's a cutie with great pictures.

next... Norberta!

Idol idles

apparently I'm confused.... I wrote this last week and saved as a draft rather than publishing.. Really no loss for the blogging world, but still...

American Idol…Boring! I actually skipped the girls’ night opting to go out for a burger and beer instead (unheard of over the last 5 years). There’s no one this year with the appeal of Chris Daughtery, Bo Bice, Kelly Clarkson… I think Sundance may have stepped up to the plate, but America got it wrong and he’s gone home. What’s with that? I guess all the teenage girls and boys are voting for Sunjiah like Simon said “they like your hair”. The boy has no charisma or stage presence, much less his singing…. (And Haley? she can sing, but should be on the Grease competition - the other chick that went home was awesome)
Ah well, I guess my vote didn’t count this time. Frankly, I’m losing interest in AI this year, but that probably won’t keep me from watching…much like rubber-necking at an accident – you just can’t help yourself.

We'll see what tomorrow has in store

Did you vote????

I've been planning to do another post about my trip to Hawaii - it really wasn't ALL work for me. However, I'm admittedly obsessed....

I'm not sure that America got it right last night....American Id0l I mean. This is the time of year when I won't answer my phone on Tues or Wed eve for fear of missing a note - torture sometimes, yes. But I do love it. I agree with others that the women were much better than the men, but it's still early. This year doesn't have a frontrunner like Chris from last year although some of them are interesting.

I'm not good at all the names yet, but I think the right men went home. I do, however, think we got it wrong on the women. The chick that sang the pretenders song should have gotten the boot. She didn't sing one note in tune Ah well. sometimes the saps out there voting for the underdog get the wrong person kicked off the show. She should have gone and the white urban chick (Nicole - maybe) should have stayed - wrong song for her, but she really is a much much better singer.
Whada U think?

Aloha

Aloha,

I'm just back from a refreshing week long conference in Kona, Hawaii.
Beautiful.
My sister went with me. Her job was to keep the room in check, scout out the resort, and most importantly - mai tai research - a damn fine job she did.

Here's my morning.....





And here's hers!

Book group challenges

So tonight I'm hosting book group at my house. We've been meeting monthly since late '99 and it's an interesting and fun group of women. The way we work the group is that the host makes the main course and everyone brings everything else. The host also picks 3-4 books to choose from for our reading for the next month. My problem is that I've come to a creative halt (those of you awaiting sqishes will be feeling the impact of this).
In the group we have
1 vegerarian,
1 who doesn't eat beans,
1 with a gluten allergy
and 1 allergic to nuts.
Quite a challenge when creating the main course. I think I've found the solution here. It's cold - read 5 degrees - outside so I thought a warm soup will feel good - this one looks like it will taste good, too... So, for the archives, does anyone have any yummy recipes that are vegetarian, wheat and bean free, without nuts?

On to the book selection... again, no ideas - nothing is jumping out. The one suggestion I have is The Glass Castle which was recommended to me as a great read and uplifting story. The only other one I'm interested in reading these days is this one.

I'll let you know how the chowder turns out.

PS. If you're dying to see more pics of my crazy poodles, Kittbo took them to the park again and posted her photos here. She also has baby poodle Jackson with her - what a cutie. Warning: lots of pictures.

Awwww...

Anniversaries...

Hopefully, I'll say more later, but this was a week to remember. The 16th was the 8 month anniversary of my LID... the 17th the 1 year anniversary of CCAI's single lottery... and the 18th the 1 year anniversary of me being notified that I had "won the lottery". My application was accepted and this journey began.
The past year has been somewhat surreal with many highs and lows. Among the highs I would have to include meeting so many new people, both in-real-life and virtually that I would otherwise not know. I'm grateful to you all for being a part of this past year and I anticipate good things to come.

So, I've been away from the blog for a while. I guess I needed a push to get me back and Maggie provided just the thing. It's an interesting little meme having to do with a book. I have to say that getting just a few lines from the middle of a book is a little unsatisfying. I think this would be better with first lines from books, but I'll obey the rules...

1. Pick up the nearest book.





2. Turn to page 123.

Done

3. Write down lines 6-8.

"Puck thinks that a combination of lucky accidents, including
factors that could have been adverse, have contributed to the
Chino's success, as if the farm itself were a delicate organism that..."

4. Tag 3 people.

Well... I will follow the usual habit of the Wicked Witch and say it's an "all tag". If you want to participate, please do! (feel free to use the first lines from the book if you want) - I can't help myself, here the first few lines of this book: "The playwright David Mamet and the theater director Gregory Mosher affirm that some years ago, late one night in the bar of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Chicago, this happened:..."
See, first lines are much more compelling...

b-day wishes

Happy Birthday to one with a generous heart.
Happy 2007, wicked witch

Merry Christmas

So, as it turns out, I wouldn't have been able to travel home for the holidays even if I'd planneed on it. The blizzard kept DIA closed until noon Friday and then only a few flights made it out. And, if driving... I-70 was closed to the Kansas boarder until Friday eve while they cleared huge drifts from the interstate. So, I stayed put and have had quite a lovely holiday.
Saturday was cookie baking day.
Then Sunday - Christmas eve - I was busy around the house until late afternoon when I went to Christmas eve service. Funny, it started snowing - AGAIN - just before I left home. Now as I said on the last post, DOT has been able to clear the mainstreets quite well, however the side streets are a nightmare with 8-12 inch ruts that you'll crash through or that act like rails taking you careening thru the streets - parking even worse. After finally finding a lot to park in and hoping they'd be gracious and not ticket me while attending Christmas Eve service - I parked and nearly broke my neck getting to church. But, I arrived, got some cider to warm my chilled bones, and found my seat with my friends.

After the service, I went to dinner with my firends in this picture - they are my family away from family. Lala and Hgirl are the sweetest and make me excited to have my own little one some day.
After dinner I drove home and got stuck in the frozen over ice rink that used to by the alley behind my house. It was 9pm, so I figured noone will be traveling the alley on Christmas eve, so I left the car until a kind stranger in a beat up Jeep Cherokee with only 3 tires - the 4th being one of the spare donut thingys- pulled me out today. (The roo hung it's head in shame for being bested by a 3 wheeled Cherokee.)

This moring woke bright and early and headed for Copp*r Mtn resort for a little skiing. It was a beautiful day with good snow, short lift lines and happy people everywhere. Kittbo drove up - thank you very very much, and we had a great day of it.






Happy Holidays everyone.
Peace to you and yours.

Yum Yum

Someone from the ALT group posted the link to My husband cooks. After being housebound from the blizzard wanting so badly to bake cookies, but having no supplies..then viewing My husband cooks... On my first outing I headed straight for the market to get eggs, flour, cocoa... all the fixins for some yummy Chiristmas cookies. I was able to shovel my way out of my garage, and once off the sidestreets and onto the mainstreets, the roads were ok. The grocery store however, was bare. I was able to get all that I needed, but if you were there for fresh produce - outa luck! The trucks were having trouble delivering shipments after the blizzard - I think a lot of people were having to improvise for their holiday meals.
But, for cookies, all OK! Sat night I spent in front of the stove making all the Christmas cookies that My husband cooks made. Look at their blog for the recipes and much better photos....


The toffee has a great flavor, but I wasn't able to get the "crunch" - I don't think I cooked it long enough...next time.


These chocolate cookies are devine! The texture light and crisp, the chocolate flavor... heaven. Try them.
I also made the chocolate shortbread and the creme anglaise clouds (substituted sour cream for creme anglaise). They're all so good and I was able to give some away to my friends.