Mini Vacation

Hello Everyone!  I decided to take a little mini vacation from the computer.  I spend so much time on one at work, I decided that I wouldn't get on over the past weekend. So if I haven't stopped by to catch up, I'm getting there.  It's amazing how much we rely on computers for information and entertainment.  I had over 99 Facebook requests and 172 emails - Yikes!

Do you like the new banner picture?  Those beautiful horses belong to my friend Renee (Hi!)  Since I was off work yesterday, I went to her farm to visit.  Renee and I've known each other since we were three years old....in other words, a really long time.  It truly is wonderful to spend time with her because we can talk about everything and we don't have to explain ourselves.  We just know.  I understand how her thought process works and God help her, she understand mine.  Not to mention, she's just fun to be around.  I always have the best time. This was a special trip though.  I went to see Renee's new babies....of the four legged assortment.  Get ready, because these pictures are just too cute, even if I do say so myself.  Trust me, it wasn't the photographer - it was the subject matter.

See what I mean?  Isn't she adorable? If I remember correctly, this little beauty is just over a month old.

She's quite the poser!  Her name is Khloe.

This sleeping beauty is Sienna.  She was 3 weeks premature & is only a few weeks old.

Here she is with both her mommies.

It was such a relaxing day and I must be honest when I say that I'm envious of the farm.  I really think I was meant to live on a farm. So if there's anyone out there that wants to invest in a farm, let me know because I need a backer - Ha Ha!  I told Car Guy that I wanted to be an alpaca farmer.  Then I saw how expensive alpacas are - Holy Cow!

Since I started this post with pictures of babies, I think I'll end it with pictures of babies.  Below are pictures of some kittens that a co-worker is taking care of.

Again, just adorable! I want to take them all home.  However, since I think Oreo and Smokey might get a little upset, so I won't.  

Well, I hope you've enjoyed a blog of cuteness! It's just a little something to make everyone smile in the middle of the week. Have a good one!

Just a peek...

Since it's the middle of the week, I thought I'd share a little yarn goodness. A peek if you will, of things to come....

Here's a bit of the  spiral...

 

A closer look...

With a little extra added...

Just to make it interesting.

Enjoy the eye candy...More to come soon. Spring has sprung and so have my allergies. I'll apologize now for all the sniffling. Hope you are all having a wonderful week!

LAX - That would be Lacrosse

Well, here it is...Monday again.  The weekend went by so quickly.  We had spring storms on Saturday that caused tornadoes in some areas and were actually all around us but never hit us - Yea!  And they were all during the day, so I was able to sleep through the night.

The one standing sideways between Number 25 and 24 is mine.

Our weekend started with Number One Son's Lacrosse game against one of his schools biggest rivals.  The game was tough and the boys played well but unfortunately, they weren't quite able to pull out a win.  I was a little disappointed.  The opposing team was actually the High School I graduated from.  I have to say that I was a bit embarrassed to admit that I went to school there.  Somewhere along the way they forgot to teach good sportsmanship.  These boys played the game in a "win at all costs" fashion and it was quite ugly.  And the spectators weren't much better and in some cases these were the adults!  I know that some of the behavior that was on display would have gotten players benched and spectators would have been asked to leave when I was in school.  It was a bit disheartening. I hate that this is example that has been set.  Is it any wonder that pro athletes think that they can get away with anything when this is what they've been taught.

Ahem...OK.  The soapbox has been put away.  Sorry about that.  I just got a little fired up. On to happier topics....

Projects are moving along quite well.  I just need to take some pictures.  The mystery swirly project is almost done.  One more round for the border and then blocking.  I have a pretty good feeling that I'm going to finish all my projects and then block them all at once.  Then I'll just have one huge TA-DA post. Oh! That would be so pretty.

Sorry for the short post, but lunch time is over and it's time to get back to work.  I hope everyone has a wonderful week and I hope to be back soon!

Too Much To Do....

So I have been a very slack blogger....I've been lurking on other people's blogs, but not posting anything on mine. I'm afraid I've just been very busy.  As I told a friend the other day (Hi Alice!) I have six (yes, that is 6) family members that have birthdays in May...and Mother's Day - I can NOT forget Mother's Day!  That means that my hooks are flying right now. I don't have a Ta Da post on the Fluffy Stars yet because I'm still weaving in ALL THOSE ENDS...Holy Cow!! I won't block it until those are done.

Here's a sneak peak at something I'm currently working on.  There are five of theses pretty swirly pieces. Do you recognize the yarn?  Yup, that is one of the yarns I used for the Stars.  It is such a lush yarn and the colors are brilliant.  I'm afraid my photography skills just don't do it justice.  I'll show you more once it starts looking a little more interesting.  I know, I'm such a tease : )

Speaking of teases....Here is the camera shy Smokey.  Please note that he is sound asleep on my lap, so he has no clue that I'm taking his picture.  It was Sunday morning when I took this, so I didn't even have to use a flash.  Look at that snugly little kitty....so sweet. I just want to hug him and squeeze him and rub his fur the wrong way and call him George.....I apologize, Looney Tunes briefly invaded. Click on the link and you will get to watch what I'm babbling on about.  Nothing like a little Daffy Duck to make your week better.

And on that note, it's time to get back to work. I hope everyone is having a wonderful week! Enjoy!

April's Show and Tell and Why I Hate My Weather Radio

It' so lovely to be getting back into the groove of routine.  I'm finding the older I get, the more I like it.  Does that make me boring??  Never mind, don't answer that.

The blog I'd like to recommend for April's Show and Tell (Pay it Forward) is Jackie at Dog-Daisy Chains.  Some of you may already be acquainted with her blog as she has over 600 followers, but I bet that's not a true representation and she has a lot of regular visitors.
 

Does this look familiar?  It's her banner. I absolutely LOVE her use of color and texture. There is an incredible flow to what she produces and her embroidery is exquisite. There is so much to love....If you'd like to look at some of her artwork - cause that's what it is, you can find her on Flicker and she also has an Etsy store.  Please take a moment to be awed. I definitely was.

Legal Jargon - Disclaimer - the picture above is a copy of the banner of Jackie's Blog.  It is solely her artwork, her photography and her property.  I am not claiming them as mine in any way, shape or form cause I ain't no thief.  Also, Jackie doesn't know me from Adam's house cat so this is not a paid endorsement.  Does that take care of all the legal stuff? Thank you for your time!

Have you ever seen one of these before? It's a weather radio. Now, for those of who don't live the Southern Area of the United States, you may not be aware of the crazy weather we get in the spring.  According to the weather men, there are lots of changes in the temperature and atmospheric pressure.  All I know is that it gets REALLY dark and Mother Nature decides to put on this amazing show of lights, sounds, water, and sometimes wind.  This is not normally a big deal, but sometimes it can get a little hairy.

Picture if you will, a fairly normal Monday evening.  Everyone is tired, as they usually are after a long day.  And since this wasn't a particularly good Monday (not terrible, just not good) everyone is looking forward to the comfort of their beds and a good night's sleep.  All is quiet and well with the world.  It starts raining, then there is some lightening and a little wind. Just as that lovely deep sleep is getting ready to take over the body and releave it of the day's stress - WOOWAAA!  The piercing sound of a siren breaks through the rhythm of the rain. Trying to turn off the alarm clock doesn't make it stop.  It only gets louder and then this strange male voice that is vaguely familiar, but not one normally heard in the bedroom, finally penetrates the fog of the sleeping brain....."This is a warning from the National Weather Service....Severe Thunderstorms and Tornado Watches have been issued for the following  areas.....Seek shelter in a basement or other safe structure.  If you are in a mobile home seek immediate shelter....." Holy Toledo! It's the weather radio letting us know that all hell is about to break loose.  It's amazing that I didn't pee in my bed last night.  The weather radio is a wonderful device and I do recommend them as they have been known to help save lives.  But I'm just wondering how many heart attacks and soiled bed linens they've caused as well.   We slept in the basement for a little bit and then went back to bed.  Just as I was falling back to sleep....WOOOWAA!  Argh! Not again?!?! It finally stopped.  I'm not sure what time.  I just know that when my alarm clock (battery operated, thank you) went off this morning, I was not ready to get up.  Then we had to get ready with no power.  Has anyone ever tried to put makeup on in the semi darkness of dawn?  Not the easiest thing to do. It looks a little wonky.  Fortunately, I wasn't the only one with a wonky face and tired eyes at work today.  I hope to get better sleep tonight....please.

After work, I get to spend time with my "yarn friends."  I'm really looking forward to seeing these lovely ladies and learning more about them and the craft we all love. I hope everyone has a wonderful day and gets to do something fun with yarn  :)

Observation from a Road Trip - A List

Car Guy's family adventure was a road trip to Georgia to pick up some parts for the 914. This trip made me realize a few things:

1. I HATE traffic in big cities. We live in a medium size city. It's really nice. Not too big, not too small. We went to Atlanta and the traffic was insane and stressful.

2. I can only handle so much time in a crowded mall. There are way too many teenagers in the mall and they are loud and rude. I repeatedly told my boys that I had better NEVER see them act like that, or else.

3. A glass of wine and a meal that I didn't have to fix after traveling 500 miles is superb and people watching can be more entertaining than television.

4. Women past a certain age should not wear their hair in pigtails that look like they are sprouting out of their ears. They also shouldn't drink an excessive amount of beer in a short amount of time and start making out in a restaurant bar...just saying.

5. Young men should make sure that the belt they are wearing secures their pant ABOVE their rear end so that I don't have to see what kind of boxers they are wearing. I don't want to see that...especially at dinner.

6. Traveling makes my boys & Car Guy irritable, which makes #3 REALLY special.

7. Hotel beds sleep really well after a long day.

8. Road trips make coming home more special than # 3 and the bed more comfortable than any hotel bed could ever bed.

Oh it's good to be home.

One Row Left!!!

Yea!  It's Friday!  I don't know about the rest of you, but this has been a long week. And dreary!  Ugh!  We've needed the rain, but I'm over it!

Before I get to my fuzzy stars, I want to say "Happy Birthday" to a few of my blog friends.  Teresa, Sandi and Alice are, or have turned, a year old.  This made me look back to see how long I've been blogging and I found out that I've been throwing my "random thoughts" out into the blogosphere for a year as well.  My first post was March 31, 2010.  I can't believe how fast the year has gone by.  So thank you everyone for sharing it with me.   I am honored and blessed to have spent the last year getting to know you all. You have enriched my life immensely.

How do you like that cake?  It's actually a picture of the cake that was made for my 40th birthday - He He!  Notice the black decorations?  I doctored the photo to make the candle a 1 (one). Makes me think I need to find better things to do with my time!

Now on to fuzzy stars! Just a few photos to show the progress....

Three rows done!  Yea! One more row to go and then I'll have to weave in all those ends. UGH! This is going to be a tedious task. There will be sixty stars in total with two ends to weave in per star.  I sort of worked the starting end into the center ring while I was going along, so they won't take as long. I hope.

Here is a close up of one of the colorways.  As I mentioned previously, this is a gift for someone and I know that this will be her favorite colorway. I thought about doing it in this one only, but decided to add the other colorway so that the wrap/scarf will go with EVERYTHING in her wardrobe.

This is my favorite as I have a tendency towards warmer colors.  All in all, I think it's turning out quite lovely.  I'm getting to the point where I'm wanting to be done.  Do you know what I mean?  When you get so close to the end, but you're just not quite there and start getting impatient?  That's where I am with this project.  So close, but not quite there. I think I will be able to finish it this week-end except possibly for the blocking.  Car Guy has a family adventure planned, so this will give me time in the car to work on it.

Because of various things going on this weekend, I'll have April's (already ?!?)  Pay It Forward the first of next week.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week-end and gets to enjoy beautiful weather.  North Carolina will be sunny, windy and cool (around 60 degrees F).  Not quite spring, but getting closer! Soon, Car Guy and I will be going around topless......um, the car that is...not us...no way...not EVEN going there....Cheers!

Lunch Break

Today has been a really odd day. It started out with snow....that's right, snow. Big, beautiful, fluffy flakes drifting slowly down....only to melt on contact with the warm North Carolina ground. My home state is notorious for odd weather, but it really was quite pretty. I think this weather has put everyone in a rather quiet mood.

This past weekend was quiet, rainy and dreary.  Perfect for sitting around watching movies and working on the Starry Night Wrap. On a side note, if you get a chance, I strongly recommend the movie The Tourist, with Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp.  It has several clever moments and a lovely twist.

This is actually a picture I took at lunch today.  I decided not to go anywhere, but eat at my desk and work on this.  Don't you just love the colors of the yarns?

Here's another picture of the yarn, up close and personal because that's how yarn is. I cannot get over how pretty this yarn is and the fact that I only paid $1.00 a skein. It's very lush looking.  It can be tricky to work with because it has a tendency to stick to things, but the final product will be well worth a little aggravation.

Here are some pictures of the actual motifs in the different colors.

I'm afraid I took these pictures with my phone, so they aren't the greatest, but you get the idea. It's moving along rather quickly.  I've already gotten two rows completed - see, told you it was a dreary weekend!  The thing that is going to take the longest is weaving in all those ends......Ugh!

Here's a quick question for everyone...How many of you go straight from one project to another?  How many of you have more than one project going at once?  I do both and was just curious to see if this is normal or just me.

Now I want to take a moment and thank everyone for their sweet  comments when I was in my little funk.  It's like I told a friend, I think it's just all this rainy weather coupled with the tragedies taking place all over the world.  I think we are all just feeling the World's pain.  I'm doing much better, but I do appreciate all the warm thoughts you sent my way.  I'm sure they are the source of the improvement in my mood.  

Well, my lunch break is over, so I better get back to work.  I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

New WIP

Hello Everyone!!  I hope you are all doing well!  That's my Mickey Mouse mug that my sister got for me filled with my latest obsession, Chai Tea.  Yummy!  This picture was taken at work, where you get a small glimpse at my messy desk.

I hope everyone has had a wonderful week. It's already Thursday, which means the weekend is almost here.  What do you have planned?  I think we are going to wing it and see what happens.

As the title implies, I've started a new project.  It's from Kristen Omdahl's book Crochet So Fine.  If you ever get a chance to, be sure to check it out.  She has some of the most beautiful designs and the ones in this book are all done with lighter weight yarn.

The one I'm working on is called the Starry Night Wrap.  I found this really pretty lace weight mohair like yarn at Big Lots for $1.00 a skein!  It's an acrylic yarn, but doesn't feel like it in that the yarn is sooo soft.  Here's a picture of the first few motifs. Unfortunately, you really can't see the colors in this picture, but I'm using two separate colors and alternating them.  We've had some rain, so the lighting was terrible.

Speaking of books...I met Tuesday night with my friend Dawn to share a little hooking time and met her friend Melanie.  I was in desperate need of some estrogen time (girl time) since I'm surrounded by males all the time.  We had a wonderful time and I think we might actually get Melanie to put down the needles for a little bit and turn her into a hooker like us :-) Anyway, back to my original point of books....Dawn purchased a new crochet book this week, sat down to look at all the pretty things and get inspired and realized that she already has this book!  Instead of taking it back to the store and getting her money back she brought it with her Tuesday night and gave it to me! It's Crochet Inspiration by Sasha Kagan and it contains a TON of eye candy.  Aren't I so lucky!  Isn't she so sweet?!? I can't express how thrilled I was to receive this!  I don't know how many of you are part of a knitting or crochet group, but I have to say, I'm really enjoying being the new kid with these ladies.  They are so sweet, hysterically funny and we speak the same language....we share a love for yarn porn and that's a wonderful thing.

Since my Sainted Mother's birthday has come and gone, I can finally show you what I was working on for her.  I was afraid to post anything earlier for fear she might pop in and see it - Yikes!  I would have hated to ruin the surprise! The pattern is Blue Curacao by Doris Chan and is in her Amazing Crochet Lace book. I used three different variegated yarns and if I do say so myself, it turned out beautifully!

Well, I think I'm all caught up in telling you what's been going on around here.  I'm off to see what the rest of you have been up to.  I hope you all have a wonderful week and get to enjoy your week-end!

Fabulous Frankie

Isn't that one of the sweetest pictures?  That's my Sainted Mother and her man Frank.  They are possibly two of my most favorite people in the world.  I've already mentioned (on several occasions) how wonderful my mom is, so it only stands to reason that she have a wonderful man.  This is their profile picture on facebook.  Mom has her half as her picture and Frank has his half as his.  Too cute!

Yesterday was my Sainted Mother's birthday.  I won't tell her age...that's just not done.  Besides, even if I did, you wouldn't believe me.  Let's just say it was a big one, so the Fabulous Frankie, my step daddy, went behind her back, contacted all of her closest and dear friends, and threw a surprise party for her.  And boy was she surprised!  He did such a wonderful job. Got the cake, picked out the menu for a sit down meal, picked out the wine...all of it.  Amazing!

My Mom and Dad were divorced a long time ago.  Like most kids, I was upset by the whole process, but I was old enough to recognize that their marriage wasn't healthy. I was asked once if I still wished that my parents were together and I said yes and no.  Yes because most children of divorced parents wished that their family was what it once was and no because I would really hate to have missed out on knowing this wonderful man who has made my mom so incredibly happy.

Look at that picture again.  Look at her smile....'Nuff said.  That's why he's fabulous.

The Dumps and Disappointment

For the most part, I'm a pretty cheerful person.  I detest being depressed and would rather laugh any day.  But, for whatever reason lately I find myself in the dumps.  I know part of it is due to a couple of disappointments I've suffered lately.  Disappointments are unavoidable and just a part of life.   But it doesn't take the sting out of them - The thing you  you were reaching for, but is going to remain out of reach through no fault of your own.  The people who are not what they seem or worse yet, not what you thought they were...Ouch.  But life moves on...Couple that with all the disasters around the world and the dreary weather we've been having and I've managed to come up with a good old fashioned case of the "Blahs."  The rain seems to be suiting my mood.  I just want to curl up under a blanket for a little bit and tell the world to go away.

The problem is that my life isn't suited for my mood.  I don't have time to wallow in the blahs. No self pity allowed here.  I have a job, two precocious cats, two very active boys and a wonderful husband, all of which require love and attention. They don't know how to react to me being "down in the dumps."  This means they make comments about me being grouchy or short on patience and they are right on both counts. I know this.  I don't need it pointed out to me. Trust me, I'm much harder on myself about this than they could ever be.  I've been telling myself it's time to put my big girl panties on and get over it, then something stupid happens and throws me right back to where I was - Blah

It will pass.  It always does, but I'm hoping all this will improve soon.  I'm taking tomorrow off from work.  Car Guy and I are spending Saint Patrick's Day with some wonderful friends.  We are going to celebrate a birthday boy (man) and toast him with green beer.  It's supposed to be a beautiful day, so hopefully this little mini break will give me a chance to "get it back together." And if not, then I will find a corner this weekend, my blanket, a cup of tea and have a good old fashioned cry.  Never underestimate a good old fashioned cry.

Smokey and Oreo

Occasionally, I get some cute pictures of my kitties.  Mostly of Oreo because evidently, Smokey is camera shy. But every once in a while, when they've had a little cat nip, I can get some cute pictures.  I apologize for the picture quality because these were take very quickly with my phone.

Most of you don't know this, but Oreo has a shoe fetish. He likes to lay on them, stick his head in them and generally be near them. And it doesn't matter if there are feet in them or not.....

He likes to nuzzle....

And cuddle....

wave hello.....

And generally be cute.....

All this arouses someone else's curiosity.



And allows me to get this....Hello Smokey!

So I'm guessing, and I've heard this is true, that his brother's funny behavior, mixed with a little nip (cat or otherwise), makes some people, umm...cats a little less inhibited.....

Wonderful, Dreary Weekend

Happy Monday Everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful week-end.  I know I did.

It started out Friday evening by sitting in the bleachers at the High School to watch Number One Son play in the LaCrosse Game. Number Two Son was at a sleep over and missed out while My Sainted Mother, Car Guy and I froze our buns off.  It was freezing!  On top of that, I don't know anything about LaCrosse other than they throw the ball with these funny sticks with nets on the ends and they want to throw the ball into the goal at the other end of the field...that is my very simple view of the game. So you can imagine my surprise when I hear one mother complain that the other team's player had "penetrated the crease." What?!?! I found out that the crease was the circle that surrounds the goal and no one is allowed in the crease other than the goalie.  Whew! Glad we cleared that up!

Photo courtesy of Dawn's Blog

Saturday morning looked kind of gloomy, but was a wonderful day.  It started with me "getting my knit on" by meeting a new friend at Panera Bread, which is coffee shop/cafe.  I met Dawn at 9:00 am and we spent a couple of hours getting to know each other and teaching me some basic knitting stuff.  Dawn came in wearing the GREATEST tie died jeans. OH how I wish I'd had my camera and had taken a picture.  They were so fabulous! Dawn is an incredibly talented lady and I so enjoyed spending time with her.  You can check her out here.  She does beautiful work and her little snow people are too cute for words as you can see from the picture I pirated from her blog.  (I don't know all the legal jargon, but that picture is the property of Dawn's, is her creation and I am in no way claiming it as my own.  I think that covers it because I ain't no thief. )

After a morning of knitting, I rushed over to the craft store to get more yarn and some circular needles.  We'll see what kind of damage I can do with those after I finish my sweater.  Speaking of my sweater, I've been working on my knitting and I've just about completed the back.  Not too shabby if I do say so myself! (I will post pictures as soon as I take some!) One thing I did learn this weekend is that I knit like a lefty and since I'm self taught, for the most part, I thought that was pretty funny. Since I've only ever knitted two scarves I don't know if this will cause problems with patterns or not.  I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Saturday afternoon, Car Guy, Number One Son and I went over to my friend Sue's house so that Car Guy could help them try to fix a problem with their son's car.  We had a wonderful lunch of Tortilla soup.  I've never had it before, but it was YUMMY!  Some chicken, peppers, avocados, tomatoes, lots of spices all served over tortilla chips and cheese. It was a wonderful treat.


Saturday night we went to our friends' house for going away party for their son, who left this morning for Texas for Air Force basic training.  I know it's a bitter sweet moment for them as they are very proud of their son, but will miss him terribly. We wish him the best of luck

Sunday morning we woke to pouring rain and flash flood warnings in the low lying areas.  We got dressed and the whole family went to the Oakcrest Family Restaurant for brunch. After brunch, we went home, I got my  list together and headed to the grocery.  I have to say that grocery shopping on a rainy day is no fun.  But I got all my shopping done, went home, made some home made, baked macaroni and cheese...Yum!  It's the perfect meal on a yucky day. Then we settled in to watch The Real Housewives of Orange County marathon that led up to the season premier.  I swear, that show is like watching a train wreck. You just can't turn away.  I have to admit that after watching all that drama, I feel pretty good about my life, my friends and family! At last check, I don't think I have a knife protruding out of my back but I have a pretty good idea that those ladies would cram one in rather quickly if it would benefit them in some way! With friend like that, who needs enemies!

Well, that was my weekend.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Monday!  I'm off to see what you've all been up to!

Show and Tell Time!!

Andrea's Paper Pine Cone

In case some of you haven't figured out, I LOVE to laugh.  I think laughter is one of the most WONDERFUL activities in the world.  And a good, almost pee yourself, can't get enough air, tears streaming down your face laugh is the BEST. And every once in a while I find someone who does this for me.  Car Guy is one of those people.  He comes up with stuff that cracks me up and I never know when he's going to roll out these little gems of his.

Well, for March's Pay it Forward, I wanted to share someone else who makes me laugh like this and I don't have to cook for her, clean her house, help with the mortgage payment or sleep with her for that matter....sorry, TMI.  Her name is Andrea and she is The Creative Junkie.  A friend suggested her blog to me and anytime I need a good laugh, I go visit.  I've never personally met Andrea, but her snarky, sarcastic, biting humor is wonderful.  Fair warning, in her own words, she's "prone to letting an expletive or two fly." so if you are the least bit sensitive to four letter words, don't go visit. As I'm not easily offended (because I live with a bunch of guys) I didn't notice until I read a section out loud...oops! Her blog is not a craft blog, despite the name - although she did blog about the beautiful Pine Cone that she made (pictured above). She hits just about every topic in the world and is just as random as I am. She even shared her great wisdom with  What's She's Learned About Facebook. That Facebook post was the first one of her's that I ever read, and I literally did just about pee myself.

So go check her out, say hi and have a good laugh because we all need a good laugh!

I'm Knitting!

Holy Cow!  Check this out!  Thanks to all those who encouraged me.  I know the picture isn't great (Wow! Didn't know my thighs looked that big, Ugh!). The colors are a little off.  I took it with Car Guy's iPod, but I had to show you the progress.  I'm still really awkward.  I'm having a hard time figuring out how to hold the yarn, but I'm getting there. Evidently, I make funny faces while I'm knitting

I'm afraid I'm being a little ambitious...which may be my downfall...but this is going to be a sweater. No scarf here.  No sirree! We are going to start out big....which means it may end up in a basket.  I hope not.  I'm meeting with a friend of a friend on Saturday and she's going to help me out. I'm so excited!

I'm off to try to get a few rows done before bed and I still have to get my bread in the oven. I'll be back soon with March's "Pay it Forward." I can't believe it's already March?!?!  Good Night!

Dreary Day

It's a dreary rainy day and I think Oreo has the right idea.  For the most part, rain doesn't bother me but for some reason, I want to go home and hide today.  Probably because this has been a long stressful week.  Too much to do and not enough time or energy. I'm wanting to relax and savor the weekend.  Hope everyone gets the chance to do that!  Happy Friday!

Geese

We are fast approaching the season change.  Bulbs are starting pop up in yards.  I'm seeing green patches in the grass.  The leaves are budding on trees....and......the geese are pooping all over the driveway again.  This used to bother me.  Hose off the drive...check your shoes before entering the house.....hose off the shoes....warn guest to check shoes...clean the poop out of the carpet......clean the poop out of the floor board of the car.....

That all changed last spring.  You see, there was this male goose and he had an injured wing and couldn't fly.  I felt so bad for him because all the other geese would fly off and there he'd be, all by himself, by the pond.  It got to be a daily habit for us to check and make sure he was still there.  Then one day, he had a guest with him.  This guest would disappear, but always come back.  Evidently, she really liked our injured goose, because she stuck around and the next thing we know, there were five little downy geese hanging out at the pond with them. They hung around until the babies were big enough to fly and evidently that was enough time for our injured goose to heal because one day, the whole family was gone.

Every time I'm feeling a little down, I think about that goose.  At first glance, he was an injured bird, all alone in the world.  But he really wasn't. He had a full life that we weren't even aware of. So many of us are like that.  There is so much more than what's on the surface, you just have to get past the poop.

Happy Friday!!

It is currently midnight, so I can wish everyone a happy Friday!  I should be in bed, but I wanted to stop by and say hello to everyone.  It looks like The Boys and Car Guy are finally healthy - YEA! Just in time for the Regional Wrestling Tournament this weekend.  While they were recuperating, they had to have something to amuse themselves, so they pulled out Car Guy's Scalextric Racetrack that I gave him for Christmas when The Boys were little. Car Guy bought a huge piece of plywood and put it on top of the pool table and he and The Boys set up the track.  All three boys had fun with it.

 While everyone was sick, I had to do something to keep busy, so I did a lot of crocheting for the store.  I'm afraid that the picture color isn't great, but I made a granny square baby blanket, a little girl's hat and in the picture, you can see the beginnings of a scarf.  I finished the scarf up tonight.  The yarn is Vanna's Choice which is a soft acrylic.  It's much softer after it's been washed and the reason I use this yarn for the items I make for the store is that it is machine washable.  So many people don't want to have to take the time to hand wash items any more.

I also finished the star baby blanket. I think I'm going to have to make a bigger one with heavier yarn for Number Two Son.  He really liked this one.  Of course, since he's now almost six feet tall at the age of fifteen, it's going to have to be a lot bigger than this one.

And finally, I made another little girl's hat and scarf.  (Again, I'm not crazy about the picture.) This one has fuzzy, fun yarn around the edge of the scarf and the brim of the hat. Very frilly.  I think that Car Guy and The Boys weren't feeling well because their masculine world had been invaded with pinks, purples and other frilly items while I was working on these projects. They just aren't used to a lot of froufrou in their lives.

So, between the sick men, work and hooking, I've managed to stay out of trouble....that just doesn't sound right.  Now I'm working on another hat...this time, for an adult.  We'll see how it turns out.

I'm off to bed now.  You probably won't hear much from me this weekend as I will be sitting in the bleachers at a high school yelling at my child to "Pin Him!!!!"  So I hope everyone is enjoys their weekend, takes good care of themselves and is sure to drink plenty of water (Denise)!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

I hope this lovely day finds you well and happy.  Don't you just love that picture?  Those people so lovingly embracing are my paternal grandparents.  This is possibly one of my favorite pictures because my Grandfather was very old school and stoic, but I never once doubted that he loved my Grandmother. This is one of those pictures that is timeless in it's beauty and the emotions it conveys.

I am happy to report that the icky sickness has left our house, except for the occasional sniffles.  The Boys are back to school and Car Guy is back to work.  I managed to get through all this with just a cold and can honestly say that I'm quite happy that's all I had to endure.  I don't know that dealing with sick males and being sick myself would have gone over too well. As you all know, Mommies aren't allowed to get sick....

I was able to get quite a bit of hooking done and hope to get some descent pictures to post tomorrow. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful day and receives lots of love!

Quick Note

Just a quick note to "Hi!"  I'm still alive and working in the infirmary that my home has become. There are three very pathetic, sick males in my house at the moment and one mom who's not allowed to get sick.  There is a lot of '"not feeling" going on right now.

The baby blanket is done, along with a really cute hat and some booties! I hope to post picture soon.....once I'm able to quit my nursing job. 

 
Hope everyone else is able to dodge the flu bullet.  Take care!!

February's Pay It Forward or Good Old Fashioned "Show and Tell"

It's so hard for me to believe that February is already here!  It seems we spend so much time rushing the week, wanting the week-end to "Hurry Up and Get Here" and then wonder where the week went.  I guess it's just one of those crazy paradoxes of life.

So it's time to introduce everyone to a "new" blog.  I've probably spent way too much time browsing the blog world and I've come across some really great ones. I think, at the rate I'm going, my list is so long that I might start doing two a month. I do have one question for you.  I've noticed that there are a lot of blogs where people used to post regularly, but aren't anymore.  They have some really neat information contained in them, even if they aren't currently active and some of them have amazing "eye candy." Are you interested in seeing those as well?  I could possibly make those a mid-month "Show-and-Tell."  I would love to hear back from you on this one.

Drum roll please.......

Elaine Thronton's Cosmic Earth Beads

This blog comes to us from Elaine Thornton and is ChatElaine Jewellry.  I don't know Elaine, but we share a love for lamp work beads. It's been a few years since I've made any, but it is a beautiful craft to be involved in and this lady makes some really beautiful beads.  That is some her handy work over there.  Love the swirls!  She also makes some really cute ghosts, angels and Christmas tress. Pop over and take a gander. And if you have a little money to spend, she has an Etsy store too! She also is participating in the "One World One Heart" Blog event.  

The "One World One Heart" Blog event is kind of like a blog world open house.  I just found out about it and am a little disappointed that I didn't know about it sooner because over 1000 bloggers participate from around the world. If a blog is participating in the event, they will be displaying this lovely little badge somewhere on their blog.

"Joyride and The Muse" by Lisa Swifka

This leads me to that other blog that I want to share with you and it belongs to Lisa Swifka at A Whimsical Bohemian.  She is the host of the "One World One Heart" event and also an amazing artist in her own right.  I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE what she is trying to accomplish so I greatly encourage that you pop over to her blog and read about this wonderful event she is hosting. She created this lovely little character to the left, (Joyride is the bird and Muse is the rider) and Lisa is giving them away as a door prize.  Aren't they absolutely quirky and adorable!  Also, before I forget, click HERE and this will take you to a list of blogs that are participating in the "One World One Heart" event. 

I hope you enjoy nosing around with these two beautiful, talented ladies.  Be prepared to sit for a while and be mesmerized. I'll be back to my regular posts soon with the normal wrestling updates and a ta-da moment for the baby blanket.  Have a joyful day!!!