I bought this book because I make hats for the homeless. It looked like fun and I have lots of little balls of yarn left over from all the hats I have made for years now. I plan on starting on the 1st and hope I can get them all done next year. I am starting at the beginning and keep going til I am done. I try to make a hat a week, so I am gonna have to pick up the pace a bit to get these all done.
A year ago I lost the sweetest little girl. She was almost 19. Not only did I lose her but I found the family of the little gray tom I found in my front yard. It was a very tough day.
Both my knit groups made these stars. They are very addictive. Once you have made one, well can eat just one potato chip? I bought this kit: https://www.barrettwoolco.com/products/fabric-star-kit.
However you can just click on the link that is posted on the kit page and see how to make them. Come on you all know you have tons of little pieces of fabric laying around your craft room. I plan on making them for each month/holiday.
Why yes I am cutting out fabric for January as I decorate with snowmen.
A friend of mine gave me the table runner and I had a red bowl from my grandmother and since I made 5 stars they just all kind of go together.
Go watch the tutorial and make yourself some, bet you can't just make one.
We all have our addictions, shoes, chocolates, books, cats, yarn, etc etc etc.
This year I have a new one, they are bobble hot pads. I found the pattern on okiegirlblingnthings, She has some really cute patterns on there. I made several for birthdays and tried to find yarn to make them look like flowers: for instance I made sunflowers with a brown center, yellow bobbles and a green back. I decided I had 3 craft Christmas parties to go to and went to my stash and grabbed all my Christmas looking dishcloth yarn. You do not want to know how much I have (when Hobby Lobby went totally to their brand a few years ago, they put all the peaches and sugar and cream on clearance, i bought carts full).
I wrote down how many I needed and how many each person got and ended up making 50. They are so much fun to make and you can do a lot with the various colors. I plan on making some for me next year for all the holiday months.
My new addiction: These are a few I made. They are called Modern Round Crochet Potholder. You can use them as a potholder but I prefer them for hot pads as the bobble keeps the hot pan up off the counter. Go check out the pattern and make yourself some. They make a great last minute gift and pair them with a dishcloth, well people will love them.
A friend posted the Christmas Chevrolet commercial on FB, it is 5 minutes long. Best grab a box of kleenex before you watch it. Go ahead and look it up.
When I was a kid and we lived in Carlsbad, NM we would drive around and look at the Christmas lights, of course we went to the rich neighborhoods. They had some of the ugliest decorations ever. We would take cocoa and cookies and just have a fun evening.
Later in life my dad and i would still do this and when his dementia kicked in, I would bundle him up, grab cocoa and cookies and off we would go to the rich neighborhoods. Dad would often comment rich people have no taste. Or he would yell stop and sit and look at some house, memories of days past, just being in the moment of Christmas, or? Then he would say we can go now. I never asked, he never told.
I miss those days. Perhaps this year I will get in the car and drive through a couple of rich neighborhoods with cocoa for me and pretend dad is sitting next to me yelling STOP!.
Dad I know you can see ALL the lights from your seat up there and I can imagine how beautiful it is. Christmas was his holiday. If you did not put the tinsel on the tree one at a time and in the perfect place you had to take it off one by one and start over. Do not even think of throwing away that nasty silver tinsel, cos it was pulled off one by one and saved for next year. Afterall it was $.15/box.
Ok not the kind of deer you are thinking of, but the kind where you gasp and go holy crap. I just joined a private group on FB that has to do with WIPS (Works in Progress). I pulled them all out and went through them all. I grabbed a notebook and wrote them down and made a note of what needs to be done to finish them. I have 11 that just need things like ends woven in, buttons put on, etc and 16 that need to be finished knitting and then ends woven in. I knew I had projects all over the house but until I gathered them all I had no idea. I am sure as time goes along I will find more. 4 will be frogged that I did not put on the list.
These are just the knitting/crochet projects. Never mind how many cross stitch patterns I have going and then the Doll House. Guess it is going to be a very busy 2024.
So, how many unfinished projects do you have?
Smudgey was the sweetest little tuxedo. She was a feral for 13 years that I know of. I worried over her daily and loved her as much as she let me. I could pet but not pick her up. Feb 2021 was bitter cold for 2 weeks along with snow. She was so small even though I made her a shelter and fed/watered I worried more for her. After 2 days I figured she had not made but nope she showed up the next day. I brought her food in and carried her in, made her a bed with litter box and food/water bowls right by the front door. She must have finally wanted to come in cos she never put up a fuss, the warm house must have been too much for her to resist. She spent most of her time upstairs on my bed. She loved to snuggle many times during the night for about 20 minutes and if you did not snuggle enough she used the claws to let you know more more more. 2 weeks before she crossed the bridge I noticed her spending a lot of time downstairs in my chair with me and Groucho. I also noticed a drastic change in her coat, I knew it was close to time. So a year ago she had a very rough day and that evening she did the litter box thing every couple of minutes, I knew. I scooped her up and off to the ER vet we went. Their take was I could either do dialysis, etc etc etc or let her go. I was not going to put her through getting fluids a few days a week knowing it was not gonna make her better. I opted to give her back to God to watch over. I knew it was what was best for her.
She was a sister to Bucky and Groucho, my 3 tuxes. I still look for her outside as she would sit on the window ledges during the day. I miss her a lot.
I love geraniums, I wish I could leave them outside and they would come back. The past couple of years they have been hard to find around here, but I got this pink one and boy is she beautiful. I am never ready when that first freeze hits and you either bring the plants in or let them go. Well she is not ready to go. She is in my bedroom window which faces south so she gets some direct sun in the afternoon. She is blooming her little heart out. I hope I can keep her through the winter and set her out again next Spring.
My grandmother had a huge red geranium that covered the end of her porch. It would also be in bloom around Christmas time. But then she lived in LA so they bloomed all year long.
Dear Dad: 4 years ago today you went home. I know you are happy being with your family except for Uncle Jerry, I have a feeling he will join all of you soon. Not a day goes by my heart does not ache to be able to sit with you, have a cup of coffee and discuss the world. I know you are in a much better place, the dementia is gone as well as the bad heart. Someday.
When I was in elementary school in Carlsbad, NM, our church participated in UNICEF. The Sunday before Halloween children were given a heavy cardboard sheet with a church on it. My dad and I spent one evening during the week making the church, you folded the pieces up to make a church with a slot in the roof where dimes were dropped in. When we went Trick or Treating we were to say Trick or Treat for Unicef. Most people knew about this and would get a couple rolls of dimes to drop in the churches. Then the next week I would take the dimes and fill in slots on another cardboard piece and then turn them into the church. My goal was always to fill the sheet and if I did not get it full then my dad would pull out his roll of dimes and fill in my sheet.
It was fun to see if you could fill your sheet.
When I got home my dad would empty my sack, take what I did not like for himself. Then my bag was put up on a shelf and I got one piece a day til it was all gone. I always wanted to be in OKC for Halloween. My dad worked for the FAA and the families stayed in an apartment complex called Parkview Village (yes it is still there but nor for the FAA). Imagine if you will 243 units just waiting for kids to trick or treat. The caramel apples, popcorn balls, candy. I could easily fill a paper grocery sack.
We had Trunk or Treat at church Sunday and had 56 kids in an hour. So many cute costumes and all the kids were polite. Tonight it is to in the 30's which means the kids will be all bundled up. Too bad cos the costumes on little kids are worth the price of a bag of candy.
I love Juncos, they usually leave right before the Hummingbirds get here in the Spring and come back a few weeks after the Hummingbirds leave. I wish they stayed all year but alas I just have to enjoy them half the year.
Aren't they pretty?
Many of you know my love for the book Charlotte's Web. Well Charlotte and her kids have been busy at my house. I went out back to feed the feral the other day and look what I found. I guess there was not much for them to decorate but they found the dryer vent.
It is kind of cool huh?
How did we get to October already? That means this year is almost over.
I spied a very large garter snake in the yard Sunday afternoon, I fear he lives under the shed. He can stay as long as he does not enter the house, but if he does well then we will have to re-locate him if I can.
I planted marigolds in this pot, they did well but the squirrels dug them up to plant walnuts in it. However some of the seeds said we are not done and so I have this itty bitty bloom.
The tomato plant is zooming up and blooming and producing tomatoes. It was a nice plant but more plant than tomatoes, but they were good.
And my black cat Licorice comes daily, more than once a day now and eating a lot, putting on that winter weight and coat. I think he is just going to be a small cat. I get about 10 feet from him right now and then he backs off. It all takes time with ferals, some never let you pet them. Little Bit hung around for many years but only the last month of his life he leaned against me one day let me pet and love him and then a few days later he was gone. I knew his time was near cos he looked awful, his coat was a mess and he let me pet him. He knows I loved him and took care of him but he just never trusted me enough to get close.
How did it get to be that we hit Autumn (Fall) this week and that means DST is not far behind, i hate it. Anyway my neighbor boys were selling mums to help with out of town costs for their baseball events. I do not care for them, but I do love the color on this one and it is HUGE. I can not wait til all the blooms are flushed out.
I had 3 years of my life at the place I volunteered. Some crap went down this summer and it all turned into such a negative place that I had to leave. I would have gone there forever until I could not anymore, but sometimes stuff happens and you find you have to let it go for your own health and sanity.
The sad part is I will not be dressing Scrappy any longer. I have my own Scrappy that I use when I make clothes for the store one. Seems like lately Scrappy keeps getting moved and stuff ends up on her table and when I come in I have no idea where she is. They do not seem to care, so another reason to leave.
So what do I with the house, well I will finish it and keep it for my own Scrappy. I have so many ideas for Holidays, etc, clothes, etc and I do not have to worry about people stealing stuff, yes people would steal stuff i put out.
It is time to move on and God will find me something else to do. Meanwhile I am getting some things done around the house and enjoying being home and not worrying about whether I did something to piss off the snowflakes.
HG would have been 23 today. I got her from my secretary at work who had found her under her deck. We had a horrific storm and unfortunately her mom never came back to get her. She did not want a kitten so I took her. Had to bottle feed her for a few days and she grew into a big girl. She could be sweet and ten she could turn on you like a cat does.
She had that Hershey Kiss nose and the little black beanie on her head, she was mostly white with some black, I should have called her Holstein after the cow breed.
I miss you girlfriend and someday I will be with you again. Leave Bucky alone, granddad will hold you as much as you want as you always loved that.
I have a new feral been since April 2022 since LilyBug disappeared. She was so pretty and I wish I knew what happened to her, I was planning on bringing in her.
I named him Licorice cos he has that black shade of black licorice (and yes I do love black licorice). Right now he stays across the yard from me and we shall how his pans out.
LilyBug: she was a sweet girl.
3 years ago today I lost this little fireball. Bucky Crookshanks. She had liver cancer and it came on so fast we did not catch it until it was too late. Not much we could have done anyway. She was 16. She was a sister to Groucho and Smudgey.
She was so onery, did not understand the word no, and she jumped off the kitchen island and broke a bone in her foot. Did that stop her nope she would clomp around the house and smack me in the face when she got on my lap with the cast.
When she would hear Charles Payne voice she would run in and jump on the TV stand and watch him, she also hissed when she heard Pelosi.
I miss her a lot and I no longer have to worry about things getting knocked off the counter. She is in kitty heaven with her buddy Harry, those 2 were the best of buds.
Do you ever have those days where you just can not take any more. Mine started about 2 months ago. I had finally got all the vet bills paid from last year and was gonna coast along and save up some money for my Personal Property taxes at the end of the year. Well that was not to be.
First there was the cell phone that died, then the car needed a valve, then my almost 24 year old a/c died, then I broke a crown, and then there was the annual vet bill. As if that was not enough.....
Took the Murano in last week for a safety inspection, she is/was 18 years old. She did not pass in fact she failed yugely. A whole page of things for many many many hundreds of dollars into the thousands to get her past the inspection. They had to order some parts and when I went home I was just done. I seriously could not take any more. As I sat there I decided I was not going to put more money in the car at her age and that I needed to go ahead and get a new one. I got to the point where I did not really feel safe driving her cos everything was falling apart.
I went to the dealer the next morning and got a new car. Well we all know you not only pay for the car but all those extras like processing fee, destination fee, etc etc etc. You are at the mercy of what is on the lot so I had to pay a little more. And now I have car payments for the next 4 years. On top of that is a down payment and sales taxes.
Now this afternoon my new a/c is leaking, the area where the condensation comes out in the pipe, so i am waiting for the tech, this better be a free visit cos I have no more money to give.
And our pastor is gone and we have a new one, I will not get into how utterly depressed I felt Sunday knowing our pastor was gone and we have no idea what is going to happen to us> I have a feeling I may be looking for a new church.
I just want to get in the car and drive and drive and drive and just get away from all of it. I seriously can not take any more.
I made ice cream today and think I will drown my sorrows in it this evening.
I somehow felt you sitting beside me in church holding my hand because our pastor is leaving next Sunday. This has hit me pretty hard. He came during the lockdown of COVID, I just lost you and I was stuck at home by myself with my thoughts of dealing with your loss. Once we went back to church the pastors's sermons felt like they were written to me, during the week I would often go back to something said and dealt with some things. I was ready to completely leave the church, one organized religion has gone way too far left for me, like they have forgotten what we are all about, and the previous pastor. I found a purpose in going to church again, dropped some of the groups that were a grief for me and joined a couple that speak to what we are to do be doing as a church.
Dad, I think you would have liked Tim and his sermons. We could have discussed them during the week. I know you will be with me next week as I face another loss in my life.
Some days the pain is barely there and others it hurts my heart so bad that you are not here on earth any more. I know you are always there for me, I talk to you daily and I know you often reach your arms down and give me the much needed hug from you.
Some day we can sit and discuss the world and I am looking forward to it. I love you and miss you.
This morning I noticed the bunny is back. There have not been any ferals for over a year and I have a ton of clover so maybe they feel safe coming back to the yard.
My tom was up in the window where the mulberry tree was I figured he was bird watching, nope the little squirrel has found the ripe mulberries and is helping himself to it. I best get out there and pick them so I have at least a few.
The tomatoes are coming on, I sure hope the plant does not rot from too much rain. I could use some heat for them. I love cherry tomatoes, they usually never make it into the house, cos warm tomatoes right off the vine, well there is nothing better.
Tina Turner is on her way to heaven at the age of 83. She led a very hard life but managed to pull herself out of it and make an amazing career. I was privileged to see her in concert a few years ago, and WOW she was so full of energy and the crowd went wild. RIP Ms Turner you deserve a long rest now. I can only imagine God has booked you to give several concerts to those up there. My dad always said she had great pipes and legs. Dad, I hope you get a chance to meet her one day.
You need to read this chapter as it foretells what is happening in our country right now. It is all part of the New World Order to destroy the US so we become a 3rd world country and we might be lucky to get bread and water. Look up the 15 minute cities, look up coinless society, they track every penny we have and if we spend on what they do not want us to spend money on we get our money taken away. No gas cars, no gas appliances, eating plant based (that stuff is NOT healthy), eat crickets and other bugs, etc.
Wake up sheeple, they are about to come get us and it will never be the same again.
43The foreigners who reside among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will sink lower and lower. 44 They will lend to you, but you will not lend to them. They will be the head, but you will be the tail.
From Raptor Resource Project:
From Raptor Resource Project;
This morning once mom got around the 6 leapt out of the nest, unlike last year it went pretty quickly. One jumped off the back and was missing for a bit but finally made it's way to the water. While he kept trying to catch up the current kept sweeping him back. Boots on the ground caught him and the vet said he had a paralysis of some sort probably due to the fall and landing wrong. He is in good hands now and the other 5 are busy swimming with mom and dad.
The geese are back on N2B at Decorah and today the first gosling hatched. Remember last year they just jump out of the nest, so tomorrow or the next day they will start jumping. 4/6 made it last year and we watched the last one frantically try to find a place to jump. I know I kept talking to him to just go but nope he kept running around the nest. I hope I get to see them jump. Good luck little goslings, there are 6 again this year.
I got a new outfit for Spring sure is better than all that green. I love the yellow and all the other colors and the shawl feels good cos it is still cool out.
So my dresser put the walls and ceilings in to see how much room there was and start placing furniture in to see how much room there will be for other things.
First floor from left to right: kitchen, dining room, half bath, and elevator. Second floor from left to right: bedroom, full bath, laundry room, and elevator. Third floor: living room w/fireplace, craft room, half bath, and elevator.
There is a ton of work to do and once the walls and floors are in things will go quicker. Most furniture has been purchased but a bed and sofa will need to be made and the bathroom tub and toilets will need to be made.
The new goal is to have this done mid September for my birthday instead of year end. I know my dresser is tired of working on this but no turning back now.
Stay tuned for more progress.
I have not watched the Decorah nest because the original pair is no longer there. A new pair moved into the N1 which was the original nest from Dad Decorah. The new female laid 2 eggs and the first one hatched a couple of days ago. Today we find it passed. Do not know why but it sucks all the same. Here is hoping the other egg survives and lives a long time. Soar high DH1.
The frame of my house is all dry and ready to start work on the inside. The floor will be painted gray as a faux concrete slab the house sits on. Much of this house will be the whole purpose behind Scraps which is to recycle, repurpose, and reuse. Did you know you can get scrap wood at Menard's and some of it is pretty good when you cut around the bad spots. My dresser has sacks full of plastic stuff that she washed after using the food product that she plans on using in the house. I can not wait to see what she does with that Activia yogurt cup.
BTW the cat in picture behind my house is Fritzy one of my dressers kitties that have crossed to the Rainbow Bridge. Fritzy was left behind when her owners moved and did not take her, so of course my dresser who takes in all the ferals snatched her up. Fritzy only lived 11 years as she had cancer, she was a Norwegian Forest Cat.
As my dresser dressed me in green again I told her I was tired of green, she reminded me March has 31 days and promised next year to mix it up a bit. My outfit for St Pats is the same as last year and maybe next year when the house is done she can spiff it up a bit. My outfit last Friday was new with a pom on my hat, I do love those berets she makes, they also keep my head warm.
I understand I have a new outfit for this next Friday with some Eastery Spring colors, I can't wait.
I have no idea what happened cos how did the picture get knocked over, my dresser can straighten it up next week.
My dresser went to a wedding this afternoon. It was for Mary and Zach. Mary used to work at Scraps where I live and she was one of my favs. My dresser saw Zoey walk in when they were outside before the wedding started. Then after the wedding which was outside on a freezing cold day(at least it did not rain), when they were in the ballroom waiting to start the rest of the day here walks in Eleanor, another one of my favs. There was also Emily, Mary's sister, who used to work at Scraps as well. My dresser was very happy to see some of her favs as well. I saw pics and Mary looked beautiful, did you know she got her dress free at one of those events where they give away prom and wedding dresses? It was perfect for her. She had the most beautiful crocheted sweater on, I want one, hello my dresser I want one of those sweaters.
Anyway my dresser had a great day catching up. And if anyone has the potato casserole recipe my dresser wants it.
Groucho almost made it to 19. She was the sweetest cat I have ever had. BigBoy and I miss her so much. Happy Birthday
Those that know me well know Monopoly is my favorite game, I have several versions of it. One of my friends posted this and I want one.
https://goodshomedesign.com/giant-monopoly-quilt
You would have been 99 today, all the things you have seen in your life. I know you had a goal of 104 (not sure why you picked that but pretty sure the dementia picked out a year out of the air). I know grandma has baked a pineapple upside down cake and there will be chocolate and fried chicken. All your siblings are there but one so it will be quite a day for you.
I am having chocolate in your honor today. I know you have your long johns on today cos it is cold and snowy. I wear your sweaters around the house cos it is like you are here giving me a hug on those days that are unbearable that you are not here. I miss you so much but I know someday we can do your birthday together again.
Give my kitties a hug and have a wonderful birthday. Love you.
Today the Bluebirds are back, they love the Boardwalk Blend I put out on the deck. The Flicker and Starlings are dueling it out for the suet, I need to put more out as we are to get snow tonight. The Downey has been up eating as well. The Juncos are picking up the pieces of suet the Flicker drops. And there goes Mr Hawk while the little birds scatter.
Meet Lucy my new shared pet. She belongs next door, an 8 week old female black lab. She is the cutest and so full of energy. They are at the parade today and I am babysitting. My first pet was a black lab when I was 4, my dad got her at the pound, she was full grown. She was not a full lab and do not what else she was and she did not like water, it got on her belly and she was done.
I look forward to watching Lucy grow up and be a part of her life.
