2 Years Already?

Yesterday I had been retired officially for 2 years.  I swear the time flies by quicker now that I have all the time in the world, and some days (weeks) I honestly don't know that I accomplish anything but it is ok. 
When I retired the first thing I wanted to do was thoroughly clean my house, I have half the attic and half the garage to do.  Living in a climate that does not allow a lot of time in those spaces it is going slow but I am making progress and this year I expect to get it done.
It is fun going through boxes with papers from first grade to my Masters thesis.  I have found things I forgot I had and things I thought I did not have anymore.  I have done some painting and am making a list of things I want to do to my inside of my house. The outside has steel siding and a new roof so that is done for life. 
I am doing charity work which I wanted to do so that keeps me busy.  My yard still needs some serious attention but once again the weather here does not lend one to playing outside a lot and when you have allergies well that limits time even more, however I do have all the time that is left to me to play with.
I strongly urge if you can retire and be financially secure do so.  You won't regret it, you can do whatever you want and if you don't get those chores done today well there is tomorrow.  Do it, don't put it off, time is short.

Merry Christmas

Red Velvet Fudge

I made a batch of the red velvet fudge, you need 4 hands and two people for this.  I modified the recipe and the pan size.  It is very rich and very good. 

Pink Slipper Project Recognition

This is the charity I make slippers for.  I wish I did not have to make slippers because that would mean there would not be a need for domestic abuse shelters.  But that is not the case, so I will keep making slippers to send.  This is the good news from the Charity.  Make sure to get a copy of the magazine to see what the charity is all about.


We've been keeping a secret but the time has come to share. We want everyone to know that The Pink Slipper Project has been selected by Creative Knitting magazine to be their featured charity in their Spring issue which is coming out on January 6, 2015.
Joyce, Judy and Judy's son, Mike, have worked on a new logo. Not a lot different but some. The Editor asked for some information about the group. That was written and sent.
They were going to select some photos to use ...so you may see a pair you made. Joyce, Judy and I are excited to see the issue. A reminder - Creative Knitting magazine has a circulation of 250,000! You may see a lot of new members joining us. Please welcome them.

There are still things Judy and I are working on and the week after Christmas will be busy preparing. We are going to need a lot of challenges if we get a lot of new members wanting to help out. Good thing I have a long list of possible shelters. We are starting 2015 with some major publicity! The women and children in shelters will enjoy even more slippers. If we set a goal for next year, it would have to be over 4001!

Snow

Had our first snow overnight.  3".  I hate winter and the first snow always makes me realize every winter how much I hate it.  The sky is that pretty pink at night when it snows and while it is pretty, I still wish I lived somewhere where the only snow I see is on TV.

New Toy

http://www.sockruler.com/

By now you know I knit socks and lots of them, I have one 7" ruler that I always keep at hand to help me do my measuring on the cuff and foot, well no more.  Yes I did order one of these and thank you to the lady who invented this. 

Naked Ladies and Cookies

It is that time of year where we have cold for a few days and then it wams up the poor flowers don't know what to do.  My naked ladies and crocus are coming up, it is about 3 months too soon for them.  Crazy things they are so confused.

 Can you see Groucho in the window upstairs.  When I left this morning at o'dark early she was in the window saying goodbye.

We had our annual cookie and candy sale at church today.  Here are some pics.  Lots of good food, chili was good as well for lunch.

 

D20 is now an Ambassador

It's Official! Mr. Soar is now Ambassador Decorah!

Saving Our Avian Resources writes:
...

~ Officially on staff! ~
Kay has received official word from US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) that the 22 June 2014 juvenile eagle admitted from Decorah, IA / Winneshiek County is no longer being held under Kay’s federal rehabilitation permit, this juvenile eagle has been transferred to Kay’s Live Eagle Exhibition Permit!
Decorah will be his name!
Now Kay will begin his formal training needed to be an education ambassador on the fist. Kay will make leather jesses for him and attach. (Look at photos of Thora to see her leather jesses.) Once “jessed up,” then Kay will start fist-training. Before Decorah is ready to carry out his duties as an education ambassador for SOAR, he will need to be comfortable sitting on Kay’s fist, learn to step to her fist, to the perch, and back, plus he will need practice going in and out of his travel crate! Decorah needs practice sitting on a bow perch (this is what you see Thora sitting on in photos). That’s a great deal of adjustment. There is no set timeline for these activities… how quickly Decorah responds and gains comfort will be the determining factor on training progression. This isn’t a one-week course… this is an open-ended course that requires much consistent work. (My own experience with education red-tailed hawks over the years tells me that each bird is unique and each will learn and adapt at their own pace. Plus these skills must be practiced often, even if no programming is upcoming.)
Kay is not only going to be working with Decorah, but will be supervising SOAR volunteers Tyler and Terrie to gain the experience needed to someday be additional handlers for Decorah. Both Tyler and Terrie have much experience working with SOAR’s education red-tailed hawk, great horned owl, barred owl and more. USFWS recommends that persons working with a live education eagle gain 500 hours of experience working with eagles over two years. This experience is to include handling an eagle, caring and feeding eagles, captive husbandry techniques (perching, jessing, housing requirements), and medical management. In addition, they will need to present programs using a glove-trained eagle under the supervision of Kay.
I’ll do my best to post updates on training of eagle and humans! His posts will no longer be on the website patient page... Will probably put any updates I get on the home page. Decorah will not be added to the Education page that lists our ambassadors until he is ready for those duties.
Linette / S.O.A.R.
https://www.facebook.com/…/SOAR-Saving-Our-…/422229164528389

Loopy Academy

I finally finished my projects and got them uploaded this morning.  My cowl, hat, and mitts.  Wonder what we are making next semester.  Yes they need to be blocked but I had to get them up today as the deadline is Dec 31 and I want to make sure they get loaded in the contest. 

Full Bloom and Bucky

Apparently this is the full bloom, how gorgeous is this, one other bloom is open like this this morning.

Somehow I don't think Bucky cares.  As long as she does not eat it.  I don't need an emergency trip to the vet.

D20 update from SOAR

~ 12/9 Update on the Decorah juvenile eagle ~
Below is the update from the SOAR patient page... technically, this juvenile is still a patient. Hopefully, I've answered many of the recent questions seen on this page about this eagle. ~ Linette
Remember, because of how this humerus fracture healed and where the necessary calcified lump formed, this juvenile only has about 25% use of his right wing, he cannot move that wing. His best option remains being transferred to an eagle... education permit.

When the Iowa weather turned cold, the education osprey needed to move into his winter quarters (the 20x20 heated ICU room) and this juvenile was moved into an ICU crate and was placed across from another eagle patient (Spencer - also a juvenile - admitted 11/5/14) to be a model eater! The Decorah juvenile eats well when by himself. When it was time for Spencer to move out of ICU, the Decorah juvenile moved, too, both to the 20x20 back room. Spencer bullied Decorah and wouldn't let him have food. It is very stressful to be bullied. Decorah was removed from that room and put back in an ICU crate, temporarily.
SOAR's 15 years of experience in working with eagles has taught us much. A juvenile male eagle is the lowest eagle on the social ladder and a juvenile male eagle that had never flown free before admit is even lower. With an eagle that is not very dominate, like Decorah is now, it is difficult to put him with another eagle and know that he (Decorah) is getting enough food. For now, his best housing option is in the snowy owl's summer quarters. This room can be heated, as needed, to keep food and water from freezing. The Decorah juvenile will not have competition for his food and his stress level will diminish.
So why did Decorah and Boone Forks get along so well? They were both admitted as nestlings. As they grow into the next stages of life, attitudes change and juvenile eagles become less tolerant of other juveniles and start to establish pecking order and dominance.
Visit www.soarraptors.org/patients.html for updates on many patients.

Nativity Scene

There was a large nativity scene for sale at our fall fling at church.  I looked at it several times, there is even a light for night time.  It was not selling and finally the treasurer said I wonder how much someone would offer (we had a $15 price tag on it.)  I said I would give her $5 and so I brought it home.  It is made in Germany and there is a price on the bottom of Mary for $65.50.  One of the ladies in my bible study group brought it in and said it was over 20 years old.  I wonder what it would cost today.  It is almost perfect in condition, one of the guys is missing a hand but other than that it is perfect.  Check out the camel. 

Christmas Cactus

I bought a Christmas cactus years ago, it is in my very sunny and light plant room and has grown huge.  I read that the reason it never blooms it is needs some dark kind of like a poinsettia.  So I picked up a piece and rooted it.  In my bathroom upstairs it nevers gets any direct sun and so it has a bloom on every stalk.  How gorgeous is this?

D20 update

From SOAR:

Kay reports ~
"Decorah is in an ICU giant crate and is eating good. [Linette adds... Logistics again... the would-have-migrated education osprey needed the room the juvenile was in as that room can be heated for the osprey and this osprey does not do well in a crate.]
He is still vocalizing whenever I walk in the room – so I’m going to take that as a greeting and a good sign. Having him inside has been helpful in getting him used to people walking around and seeing that we ...are not so bad… we bring the food!

We will be getting his large pen ready for him this Sunday -- new perches, turf, etc. This is room that we will be able to heat, as needed."
Kay promised she will try to get a photo once he is in his new spot. No guarantees, when, okay?!

Mr Greenjeans Sweater

No this is not a post about Captain Kangaroo, although I loved that show when I was a kid.  This is one of the more popular free sweaters out there to knit.  I finally have made mine.  You can find the pattern on Knitty.com.  I modified the cuffs of the sleeves as I only wanted a short rib at the bottom.

I used Cascade 220 I had in my stash and yes that is an elephant button, I thought it was perfect.  Now I have a new sweater to wear.  I am on the lookout for my next pattern as I have a salmon red yarn in my stash calling for a new sweater.  Off to find a new pattern.

Decorah Nest

Today is give Tuesday where you give money to your favorite charities.  If you feel generous RRP and SOAR can use our funds.  Anyway it is all day chat and panning on the nest.  The camera person found mom and dad.  They are gorgeous.

If you look at the top you can see the two white heads.  Mom and Dad scanning their territory.