It's that time again. That time when all of my creative energies are scrambled. Nothing I make looks or feels right and I can't rap my mind around what I'm doing. It feels much like the weather, I can't make up my mind as to what to do with myself. Even as I write this I'm second guessing everything. I think it's the craziness that is in between winter and spring. It happens every year, and I could blame it on a number of things, I will be blaming it on the move, or lack of move.

A few weeks ago we had seen a Judge in the case of Justin's inheritance of his fathers dept so we could move into the house in Carver. Since then we have been in limbo. We are waiting for paperwork so we could secure a loan. Justin will be paying the gov. (more specifically Minnesota Medical Assistance) $56,000 dollars to live in the house that his family has lived in for four generations before. Money we don't have but will be trying to obtain after the paper work goes threw. we need the money to get the papers, but we need the papers to get the money. ( I just love how gov. works.) Then after that we still have to move. I am looking forward to it, and dreading the stress of it all at the same time. I just wish we had a magic genie and have it done already. No such luck.

Convention season is coming soon. MarsCon in March, then a retreat with the knitting group in April then ConVergance in July, then Ren. Fest. in August. Not to mention the Special Olympics Swim matches coming up in March and April as well, then Track and Field in the Summer.

So much to do and it seems so little time. I know that it will be fun. I know I should be concentrating on the now and focus less on the whole picture, just feeling a little over whelmed that's all. So I'll focus on the positive. Jerid is doing awesome in his Swimming. I have a wonderful support system of friends and family.

Sorry no picture today sorry. In my last entry I posted my Jade Dragon mobius Cowl for free, I hope people are enjoying it.

It's that time of the year where I'm desperately trying to hold on to the positives in my life.

The court date for Justin's probate is next week and all that should be good.

It is for the most part. The down side is because Justin's father didn't have a Will, we will be paying down his fathers dept, that is if we want to keep the house that has been in his family for four generations.

Which is something we want. We want to keep it in the family,we want to live in it and we want to fix it up and do what his family did in it, which is raise a family and live our lives in it till we are old and grey. Then give to the the next Generation.

We don't mind taking up that burden we would except it. The down side is, we have to get the money. Although everyone we talk to believes in the cause and thinks it's only right that we do this, that is where it ends. No one is willing to co-sign for the loan that we would have to get to do it. Which is what is bringing me down. The total lack of faith in us.

So I'm forcing myself to think positive. Think about all of the good that has happened for us, all of the help, and good will we have had to obtain our goal thus far. To be thankful for the people in our life, they didn't have to do what they have already done, they did because they are good people. Also to be grateful for what we have. Family and friends.

I have to admit to be grateful, thankful and positive isn't easy for me, especially now. So this picture I'm posting is a white board with sentences that my son, Jerid, wrote this school year. He is in the Special Olympics swim team again this year and doing well. They think with training he could compete unassisted, which is a big leap from last time (assisted with life vest, to unassisted and no life vest) Every little and big milestone makes me smile. I have to trust that the universe has a plan for us, I just wish it co-excised with ours.

Thanks for reading.

In Knitting News... Today I went to my usual Knitting spot, the place I try to knit at least every Sunday. I saw some fellow fiber artists, I thought it was very cool and tried to socialize to meet new people, that seem to have a love for the arts of fiber. Then I had to remind myself a very important thing. Knitters are an intresting breed and there is two types of knitters in this world. Ones that are social knitters, they knit out side of the house to meet new people and want to socialize outside and inside of their inner circle, thus creating a bigger circle of friends. Then the other ones are anti-social knitters they knit out side of the house but are not intrested in meeting other knitters, their inner circle is just fine and there is no need to expand it. I often find that most of the knitters where I live (Chaska Area) are the anti-social knitters, sad to say. I hope to find people in my area willing to expand there social knitting circle entill then I'll just have to knit alone in the city I live, and drive to MPLS, for my social circle. In Jerid news... I was in the coffee shop (as said above) when a person who works with Jerid came up to him and said hi. She told me that Jerid is doing more and more Swimming on his own. Without a flotation device. He is also jumping off the diving board and is going into the deepend willingly. This is exciting news, consitering where he was a few short monthes ago. He is making great gains in his physical development. I'm very proud of him. We still have alot of work left to go, but the journey is the best part. In Moving to Carver News.... In my previous post I anouced that Justin's dad had past away. He apparently had no will and so everything is pending. The county wants over two-hundred grand from his astate and it's not worth that much. The house has been in the family for four generations and may be lost to the county because of Bill had no will. We are looking in to get a Lawyer because we have been working on the house for over three years. We were mostly moved in and have put alot of money and work into the home we were hoping that would be owned by a 5th gen. Hartley. If anyone knows a good lawyer, or knows the laws around this sort of thing please let us know. Thanks

I would like to start off this blog by mentioning some people that have past away. Justin's father, Bill Hartley. (Pictured)

He past away on Feb. 16, 2011. Loving father, son and friend, and so much more. Though he is gone from this earth he will always be in our hearts and memories. He will be missed.

Also a long time friend and much more, Lea Ortloff. (not pictured) I have known her for a little over 17 years. (over half of my life) She had a lot of struggles, and pain, she seemed to always put on a happy face. She was a very loving person and though she had many illnesses, and physical challenges she was a fighter, and one of the strongest people, next to my late husband Eric, that I knew. She past away March 25th, 2011. She will be missed as well.

Our knitters group that gets together on Wednesdays at lake Nokomis Coffee shop in Mpls, MN(anyone is welcome and the coffee and sandwiches are good too!) put together our second annual Knitters retreat in Paynesville MN. at the Bug Bee Hive Resort. This year had been extended from three days and two nights to four days and three nights. Though I had the opportunity to be there Thursday, I chose to go there Friday.

We all worked on a preplanned project of a lace shawlett or a lace hat, although next year we are thinking it would be easier not to do lace because we like being social and working lace, being social and having wine do not mix well, though it does produce some interesting results and some interesting stories after words.

We also went into town and did some yarn shopping and we also stopped at the quilt, and bead shops as well.

At this retreat I had fully intended to blog about the whole experience. I just had to much fun and decided to write about it later.

I'll show off finished projects soon I promise and more pictures too!

Jerid has been going to Summer Camp this week, two more weeks to go. He seemed to develope a cough, I took him to urgent care, but it seems nothing medical, I guess I have to up his juice intake, and make sure he eats, gets rest. I am fearing he may be sick soon. I really hope it's just allergies. I don't want to take him out of Camp, he really likes it. I like that he does. We talked to an elder care lawyer today. sigh. We couldn't stay longer then an hour and she insisted on getting paid right there. Two hundred an hour...How can you sit there and look at people and seriously expect two hundred dollars for sitting on your but and looking at some papers, saying things to people that may already know. I am appalled at the amout of greed that people have. Ok, rant over....Sigh, I just wish things weren't so complicated when it comes to keeping a family house in the family. Justin and I have finally come to the conclusion that we just need to move to Carver. It would be in His dad's best intrest for some one to live in his house, on the premise that he will return home, he can't live alone.