I'm Idle, Craft Wise

   I haven't worked on anything, since I finished my black felted crocheted/knit bucket bag. Even Hubs, just this evening, mentioned that I've not been knitting lately. Perhaps I'm just knitted out, for now.


   This working part time thing is cool, it's a weekends only job, so far; at the Hudson Valley Market Place, on the Salt Point Turnpike. I'm actually working for The Awesome Store! I figured "Why not?" since I am so taken with many of their products!


   It's really hard, after being idle for so long, but so far, so good. It's challenging to have to talk to strangers, but I'm learning. Being on my feet is tough, even for the short four hours that I'm there each day. But today my legs hurt less than last Saturday night, and I'm sure that tomorrow will be better too. Slowly but surely, I will get back into shape.


    And with Hubs on the day shift now, I get to see him every night! That is the best thing of all! It's even not as bad as I thought, having to cook dinner every night.

Note to Self...

    It seems that people are taking this hurricane seriously. Even though it remains up in the air which way it will end up going, it's better to be prepared. Either way, we are probably gonna get blasted. It just remains to be seen how hard we get hit.


    So my note to self reads: Do Not Try to Go Grocery Shopping When a Hurricane is Forecast in the Near Future.....


   The fracking supermarket was packed. There were people everywhere. I have never seen the store so crowded before! And the lines? They were long and s l o w  m o v i n g.... I thought I was never gonna get outta there!


    But I made it home, and now I have to start dinner. You all stay safe!

Sara Found Some Old Photos!

    I know I promised you guys a good photo of my dad, well I didn't have one. But it looks like my daughter Sara did! She posted a bunch of photos on facebook last night, so I put some in my computer's photo files.


   Here is an early one, my parent's wedding photo! January 22, 1955!

And another wedding photo, this one is Sara and grandpa at the wedding of my friends, Beth and Tim. September, 1978:

At least that's what I think. If I'm wrong, I'll let you know! This next one is my favorite of Sara, she was so freaking cute!

 

 

The only other photo of her I liked this much, she was running down the hall in a dorm at Potsdam State, with a beer in her hand!

The Unthinkable Happens

    My mom just called me, sort of in a panic. Remember, she is moving in 6 days to a smaller apartment? Well, she told me she just called the management office, and asked if she could get into the new apartment, to take measurements and stuff.


   The lady in the office told her that her apartment won't be ready until the end of November! They are gutting the whole place, putting in new insulation, and all that. So it's taking longer than they thought it would.


    Well, the move is already all planned! The movers are coming on Wednesday! The cable and phone are being activated in the new apartment as of Wednesday! Now she has to cancel all this. It was bad enough the first time, taking over an hour each to accomplish the transfer of services. She is dreading having to do it all again, to cancel the whole thing!


   Her question was, and a valid one at that, is why didn't they notify her that her apartment wouldn't be ready on time? What would have happened if she hadn't called?


    The good news is that now she has more time to get all her things sorted and packed up. The element of panic, and rushing to get it all done, has been pushed off!


   And here is a photo of Mom, taken Sunday, at her birthday party!

Another No Crafting Day

    I know it's late, for me at least. I thought I'd better write my post for the day. I didn't get to photograph anything today, the weather didn't cooperate. And I spent most of the day today at my mom's apartment, helping her pack her things for the move to a smaller place.


   On the good side, she found another of my class pictures from grade school! This one is from 4th grade. I will add the class photos to the list of things I will photograph at some point in the near future. I'd like to see how well they come out.


    Talking to mom today, she told me that the table from yesterday's post was one of the first pieces of furniture she and dad got when they got married. That makes it even more special. I asked her, and my memory was correct, it was originally blonde wood. Very 1950's.


    I know she needs my help; it's very hard for her to sort, and organize, these days. She gets overwhelmed easily. We have all been chipping in to help, and her friends have been especially helpful.


    I am still not working on anything, craft wise. I forgot to ask Sara about the colors for her friend's pot holders. I haven't even started decorating my felted purse, and I used it today when I went to mom's.


    Oh well, there's always tomorrow for crafting!

Still Recuperating, and Other News

    Today, I'm still recuperating, sort of. I feel much better than I thought I would. Spending that much time on my feet was... difficult. It got to the point where I had to just keep walking, or I would have fallen right over.


    After I got home, I took some Advil, and put my feet up for a while. I was actually getting cramps in my leg muscles, and couldn't really get comfortable. But I slept well, and got up to find that I wasn't in too much discomfort. I'm still taking it kind of easy today, but I am doing laundry. Up and down the stairs is fun.


    Last week, I went to my mom's to help her pack up some stuff for the move to the new, smaller apartment. I ended up bringing more stuff home than I packed! She gave me a box of kitchen stuff that she doesn't need, and a coffee table.


    Not just any coffee table. This table was a very large part of my childhood. I have memories of turning it upside down, and playing in it. Looking at it now, I couldn't have been more than 2 or 3 years old! Maybe 4 at the outside. Mom has kept it all these years. She, of course, has painted it. It now has two children in olden days clothes on it, all done up in folk art painting.

   Unfortunately, it also has a pretty good crack in the top. I have asked Hubs if he can perhaps repair it with clamps and some glue.


    Here is a shot of the right side of the top, you can really see the crack.

   And the left side, with the matching daisies.

    Perhaps tomorrow morning, when the light is better, I can carefully turn the table over, and  show you my favorite play area.


    I am currently not working on anything, craft wise. Although.... a certain pregnant lady greatly admired the pot holders I made for Sara.... Maybe I can make her a pair. I'll call Sara later, and ask her about color combinations.


    And P.S. - Today is my mom's 80th birthday! She is from a tiny little town in upstate New York, which doesn't actually exist any more. It became overtaken by another town, as it grew. I think my mom is the only person I've ever known who actually attended a one room school house. It boggles the mind, doesn't it?
  

I Was Totally Wiped Out Yesterday

   Yesterday, I started a new job. It's part time, and so far, weekends only. But after not working for darn near 3 1/2 years, my little four hour shift wiped me out. I am going back today, we'll see how it goes.


    In general, it isn't a hard job, but I find it difficult to engage total strangers in a conversation about the company products and story. Hopefully I will get the hang of it.


   Wish me luck.....
   

Stitch n Bitch / An Eventful Afternoon

    Stitch n Bitch was this morning, and those who were present had fun. I was nervous, and finally got to announce to my crafty friends that I GOT A JOB!! Right now, it's part time, at the Awesome Store, (where else?) at their booth at the Hudson Valley Market, out on the Salt Point Tpk.

   
     At this time, it'll only be at that site, because they are only open Saturday and Sunday. I'll be doing 4 hours each day. This means I will have to be late for my mom's not-surprise-any-more birthday party. It seems brother and his wife didn't get the surprise part. Oh, well.


    So after Stitch n Bitch this morning, I had time to go home and really get nervous before I reported to the Awesome Country store in the Galleria at 2 p.m. I was going there to fill out forms, get my official apron, and have a sort of orientation. It went well, I think.


    Yesterday, when I stopped in the Hyde Park store, I made sure I told the owner that I had been very inactive for more than 3 years, and would need time to get back into the swing, physically. She was OK with that. I hope things work out, it seems like it will be a fun place to work.


    On another topic, My felted bag came out perfectly!! My knitting friends even told me I should write out the pattern, and have it posted for sale on etsy or Ravelry. It turned out to be a near perfect bucket bag! It is plain black, so I want to decorate it. I want to embroider on it, and get some metal feet for it.


    I will keep you updated!

My Plans for the Day!

     I got to sleep in, until almost 8! Right now, the coffee's a'brewin, and I get to relax for a while. Then later, I gots things to do.


     First up, is to throw that bag in the washing machine to felt. I add tennis balls to the wash to help. It usually works pretty well. Also on the agenda for today: Driving to the Post Office to get the mail; shopping for my mom's 80th birthday gift; stopping by the Awesome Store to see if they are still interested in my services; and lastly, going to the local jeweler to see about new batteries for two of mom's watches. She asked me to do it. she didn't know where to go.


    Those are the "out and about" things, then I get to come home and wash dishes and stuff like that. I also get to check on my bag, and either put it through another wash cycle, or throw it in the dryer; also with the tennis balls.


    Whew. That's kind of a big day for me, I usually try to never make plans, because something always happens to muck them up. I can see that once in a while it is necessary, though. Then this coming Sunday, we are all gathering at daughter Sara's house for a little surprise birthday party for my mom. Her birthday is actually on Monday, so hopefully she will be surprised.


    Ten years ago, for her 70th, Sara organized a huge party, out at a restaurant, and the whole family came, even my dad's relatives from upstate. This year, none of us have that kind of cash available. But mom will enjoy herself all the same.

Crafting Update

    I just finished the crocheted/knitted bag-to-be-felted! Now to just throw it in the washing machine. To review, I crocheted a circle for the bottom, then picked up the stitches round the edge and knit in the round.


    When I determined it to be big enough, I then had to decide how to work the handle. I knew I wanted one handle, not two. Then I had to do some math. I counted the stitches around, knowing, because of the crocheted bottom, it would be divisible by 12. Here we go: I had 132 stitches, which makes 12 groups of 11. Too small. How about 6 groups of 22? That worked for me, so the next round, I cast off 44, knit 22, cast off 44, and knit 22.


    Then I put the first set of stitches on a holder, to be worked later, and began with the second set. I knew I wanted to evenly decrease the number of stitches, so I started by K3, then K2tog, then Knit across to the last 5, K2tog, K3. I did this every right side row, until I was satisfied with the number of stitches left. It seemed right at 12 stitches.


    Here are photos of the pre-felted bag, with the cable remote for size reference.

 

 

 

Hopefully I will remember to get post felting photos too!

 

An Unexpected Surprise

    This morning, after sitting with Cherub, I went home and made some coffee, for I was due at my mom's by 10 a.m. Unfortunately, I was late. The reason I was going down there? Well, mom is moving from one apartment building to another one in her complex.


    This will be good for her. She is turning 80 years old in six days. She is having trouble with stairs; her current apartment has seven steps up to her place. The new one is a basement apartment, down only three or four steps. The best news? She'll be on the same floor as the laundry. She's downsizing from a two bedroom to a one bedroom. Even though this move is very stressful for her, it will be worth it in the long run.


    She called me last week, all freaking out. She needs help, organizing and packing up her stuff. I told her I would come and spend the whole weekend before the moving day, to help her finish up. Then she called again, a few days ago, all stressed out again. Since I am no longer babysitting in the middle of the day any more, I have the time to come and spend the day and help.


   So we arranged for me to come today. I finally got there by 10:30, I think. One of the things I had to do was cut the lock off of her storage area, she had locked the key inside it. I brought Hubs's big bolt cutters, and it worked! I didn't think I would be strong enough to actually cut the lock, but I did it!


    Once inside, we brought out some boxes to take to the local thrift store. I found two of my class pictures, from the sixties! I found my 5th and 6th grade pictures, of the whole class! Holy shit, I remember all these people, even though I haven't lived in Putnam Valley since 1969!


    Now that I'm home, I am going to look over the pictures a little closer, and remember those classmates. Ahhh, the good old days....

The First Adventure

    I loved my 1970 Pontiac Le Mans. It was maroon, with a black vinyl top. I had gotten it at the end of my first marriage, I needed transportation to get to work. I think I paid $300 for it. It was a really good car, it had the body style of a Chevelle. Sharp! I named him Sting.


    I don't remember how I discovered it, but somehow, I found that once the engine was started, I could pull the keys out of the ignition, and it would keep running. So I got into the habit of starting the car, pulling the key out and putting it in my purse or pocket. At some point, I also discovered that I didn't necessarily need the key to start the car! I could get in, and turn the ignition, and it would start. After experimenting, I found that it seemed to be time related. I found that if it was less than eight hours since I last used the car, I wouldn't need to use the key to start it up again. If more than eight hours, use they key, then take it out. I know, very strange.


    This was the car that I had when I met my Hubs. It was about four years after my divorce that I met him. While we were still dating, the car developed a really bad banging noise in the engine. I took it in to the garage where Hubs was working, and he took a look at it. It turns out that the fly wheel had broken! Since the car was so old, even at that time, it took a long time to find a junk car that they could get the fly wheel from. Eventually they found one, and it was able to be fixed.


    But I didn't have it very long after that, for my birthday that year is when Hubs got me a different car. I don't remember what it was, a Mercury something, and it got crashed shortly after we got married, less than a year later. He took the engine from that car and out it in the Lincoln.


    And that is the last car story I have. So far. I am currently driving the Jeep Wrangler that my beloved Hubs got me for Christmas about eight years ago.


    As far as crafting goes, I am still sporatically working on the handle of the bag to be felted. I have also started knitting a simple baby washcloth from the cotton left over from the border of the cotton lace blanket.

Further Adventures of the Mechanics Wife

    It's a few years after yesterday's story, and I had a different car. This one as a Nissan Stanza, and Hubs had taught me to drive a stick in this car. He was a really good teacher.


    One day, I drove a co-worker home from work; we worked at Jamesway Dept Store. As I sat there, watching to make sure she got inside her apartment OK, I heard, and felt, a minor clunk. With the clunk, the tone of the running engine changed. It had been running at a higher pitched hummm, and it changed to a lower pitched hummm.


     But the car seemed to run OK, and when I got home, I mentioned it to Hubs. Of course, he blew me off. But I persisted. Then one day at work, he got some metal shards embedded in his face. I don't remember what happened, something shattered, I think. His boss, Paul, called me to tell me that Hubs was hurt, and I came right away to take him to the hospital. On the way, he could finally hear that my engine didn't sound right, since his eyes were closed.


   Later that day, as we drove to the pharmacy to get his prescription filled, he told me to go in and get the medicine, he was going to take a look at the engine.


    When I came out, he was sitting in the driver's seat, his hands gripping the wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white. He had a very grim look on his face, and was staring straight ahead as I got in the car. I asked him if we were going home now, and he said no, we are going to the garage. I tried very hard not to be sarcastic, and asked him if he found anything. Without looking at me, he remarked that the noise I had heard was an engine mount breaking, and that the engine was falling out of the car. The difference in the sound was caused by the strain put on the engine as it hung there.


   I was silent as we drove to the garage, but inside I was saying "Nah nah, nah nah nah nah!" And once again, the wife knew something was very wrong, and the Hubs wouldn't listen. These car adventures are actually the second and third ones. When we met, I had a 1970 Pontiac Le Mans. Tomorrow I'll tell you that story!


    P.S. there was no permanent damage to Hubs' face, they got the bigger pieces out, and told him the smaller ones would work themselves to the surface and come out on their own. The worst one was a piece of rust that stuck into his eye. That's why his eyes were closed on the ride to the hospital.
  

Adventures of the Mechanic's Wife

    Maybe someday, my Hubs will pay attention, and take it seriously, when I tell him that there's something wrong with my car. Case in point:


    I had a Linclon that he had bought for me, it was silver. It had a vinyl roof, that had tears in it; it looked like Freddy Cruger had tried to get me, and I'd gotten away just in time. One day, I was out by Sylvan Lake, where his mom and stepdad still lived. I got in the car, and shortly after starting out, the car started shuddering hideously. The vibration was horrible. I drove as far as my mom's house, where I stopped to use the phone and call my Hubs.


    This was in the long ago times, before we had cell phones. Hubs was a mechanic back then. He told me that it was probably an air bubble in one of the tires, that can cause a vibration. I insisted it was more than that, this shuddering was really bad. He told me to drive it to the garage, in Hyde Park, and he would take a look.


    My mom lived on Wappingers, and it was at least 20 miles to the garage. I got back in the car, and drove off. By the time I got to the garage, my ass was n.u.m.b. It also took much longer than the usual 40 or so minutes, since I discovered that the faster I went, the worse the shuddering got.


    I finally pulled into the garage parking lot, and went inside. Hubs took my keys, and took the car for a test drive. He wasn't gone more than 30 seconds. He came back with a very grim look on his face. Apparently, he thought I was exaggerating the vibrations.


    He pulled the car directly into the garage, and right onto a lift. As he found out when he actually looked at it, the drive shaft was broken. Let me repeat that: THE DRIVE SHAFT WAS BROKEN.  You would think that might teach him to listen to me, but no. For tomorrow's installment, I have another car related story!

Stitch n Bitch Report

   This morning, we had our weekly get-together, but with a change of venue. We met this week at the Eveready Diner, to celebrate Jan's birthday. We had a lovely breakfast indeed.


    This week, there were five of us. Jan was working on her knitted beaded shawl, which is gorgeous now that it's large enough to see the pattern developing; Kim was working a second sock, Bonny happily crocheted away on an amigurumi (sp?) Christmas elf-looking thing. He was cute!


    Cheryl brought a project to work on, but had lost her place, and left her pattern home, so she just got to eat and chat. Me? I have been working on one side of the handle of the big purse, that's to be felted. This is, for sure, the boring part. But I shall persevere!


      

Keep him on his toes

    Lately, it's been difficult to find TV programs on that I want to watch. You wouldn't think it would be so hard, what with the hundreds of channels available these days.  I've discovered the channel ID, Investigation Discovery. It's been there a long time, but I hadn't watched it.


    I've been filling my evenings with programs about spouses killing each other, and the like. My beloved Hubs wanders through, stopping to smoke a cigar, and watches with me for a little while. The other evening, he commented about my programming choices. He asks me if I've got any plans, if I'm gathering ideas.


    A few nights later, he sees I'm still watching these programs, and he comments that he's starting to get nervous. So I decide to have some fun. Last night, I went into the bedroom, where he was watching his show, and as I walked to his side of the bed, I counted the steps as I took them, softly, to myself.  His eyes got big, and he asked me what I was doing. I just laughed and said "Nothing..."


   Now, he's really getting nervous! I reminded him last night of the old proverb, happy wife, happy life. I just love pulling his chain. I must clear up a few things, I wouldn't want to give you the wrong impression! I am very happy with my Hubs. He's been even nicer to me since the last kid moved out.


    The main reason I'm watching ID, and all these true life murder stories, is that even with all the channels, it feels like I've seen it all. There's nothing on that catches my attention any more. Even all the bad science fiction, vampire, and zombie movies? I've seen them!


    The other night, Hubs poked his head out of the bedroom and announced "There's a zombie movie on! In this one, it's tree sap!" I don't think he was surprised when I announced that I had seen it already.


    So these real life murder mysteries are just something I haven't seen yet. The first ones I watched were all husbands killing their wives. None of them got away with it, which made me feel better. I made sure I let my Hubs know about it, just in case he had any thoughts...


    One last explanation. My Hubs and I do spend evening time together, but he isn't comfortable in the living room. Maybe after we get new furniture? But he is much more comfortable in the bedroom, so he goes in there after a while so he can relax. We don't, in general, enjoy the same kinds of shows anyway.

A Busy Morning!

    This morning, my alarm went off before the ass-crack of dawn. 5:45 seems awfully early to me. But it's only two days a week, and I can handle it. I started the coffee pot for Hubs, whose alarm goes off at 6. This way I can have the coffee I.V. ready for him when he staggers out of the bedroom. He needs to get up on time, since I have to leave at 6:10.


    This morning was different than usual, since after dropping my charge and her mom off at their car, I had to head directly to the Medical Group building. I had a CAT Scan scheduled for 9 a.m. I wasn't sure if that was the test in the extremely tight, long tubs thing, so I took my meds with me, and downed a xanax about an hour before my appointment. I find that I'm getting a bit claustrophobic as I get older. The Xanax helps tremendously.


    So that procedure went well, it wasn't the tight space one. Whew. On my way home, I stopped at the Awesome Store, I needed to get some extra stuff to throw into the soups when I make them. They have cut up, dried veggies in conveniently sized packages. I usually get the potato chunks, to add to the barley soup.


    Anyway, I get there, and the young man who I saw at their Hudson Valley Market booth remembered me, and greeted me warmly. I went in, and the whole place is a mess. It turns out that they are gearing up to make their booth at the HVM much bigger, and they are going to be rearranging the Hyde Park store. The nice young man got my potatoes for me, and as I was checking out, the owner asked me if I was still looking for work.


    Of course I said yes! She told me they would be looking for people to help out at the HVM, and even in the Hyde Park store! As we talked she explained that they hadn't forgotten me, that her daughter kept reminding her about me! I was thrilled.


    She explained that they didn't want to hire me for the mall store, because it's so far; they prefer to hire people who live near each store, as they are more dependable, in bad weather and such circumstances. So she told me to come in next week, and ask about how things were going. I am totally psyched!


   I was home just after 10, made my coffee, and now I'm drinking it and watching TV. I can't wait to see what happens this afternoon!!

Fall Cooking Time

   This week, the weather has finally cooled off. Now, I love Summer, but Fall is the best season for cooking my favorite things. You just can't get away with making soups, chili and Stroke when the mercury is over 75 degrees.


   Once the temperatures drop, it's the prefect time for my favorite cool weather dinners. In the past week, I've made soup twice, and tonight I'm making a big pot of my favorite Chili. I use the recipe my mom originally got from a woman's magazine in the '60's, but I have changed it and made it my own. This is the recipe I gave to my daughter, and she has already tweaked it to suit her tastes. So it gets better and better!


    The soups I make are mixes, or kits, from The Awesome Store. Our favorites are the barley, to which I like to add beef, and the rice, to which I usually add chicken. We have used the noodle soup too, but like the others better. And of course, you can use any meat in the soup, or none at all, for the Vegans out there!


    I have tried their potato soups, but I am too darn impatient waiting for the milk to slowly heat up, and I've burned them every time. So I've given up on making those particular soups. I believe I made the cream of broccoli soup for my youngest, since he loooooves broccoli. It was delicious, and of course, he had me add lots more broccoli to it. He loved it.


    Then there's Stroke. If you haven't read about this recipe, I wrote about it in an early blog post. There is a story connected to this particular soup. My late mother-in-law used to make it, and it was my Hubs' favorite as he was growing up.


    Today, as I said, I am making my chili. I plan to have it ready for Hubs when he gets home from work. Even if he doesn't want to eat right away, it won't matter. The longer it cooks, the better it gets! I think I may even make some biscuits to go with it! YUM!

More Adventures in Babysitting

    Let's start with a knitting project update. I found the WIP, crocheted/knitted purse to be felted. I took it with me babysitting today, but did not get to work on it at all. My youngest charge actually fell asleep in my arms, and I walked in to put her into bed. As I laid her down, her eyes opened, and less than a minute after I exited the room, she followed me out. She didn't succumb again.


    I thought, just for a short while, that she was gonna pass out in that last half hour before her dad came, but NO. She lounged, but her eyes never closed. I was watching like a hawk. Although, today I did teach her a new word! And that word is "awesome". Her mom heard it before she left for work, and her dad heard it too, before I left for the day. It felt really good.


    I also tried to get her to say her name, her dad tells me he asks her what her name is and she tells him. So today, I asked her what her name is, and she said "Lia". She leaves off the first syllable. So I asked her if she can say "mama", which she did, then I tried again with her name, Malia. Again all I got was "Lia". It's a start.


    This afternoon, while I was in the rest room, I heard strange noises from the living room. It sounded like she was rubbing a toy on the wall. I thought it was no biggie. But when I re-entered the living room, I find her with a pen in her hand, scribbling madly on the wall! She was really pissed when I took it away from her, and told her "No!".


    Now I have a couple of days of relaxation, I will not be needed again until Thursday. That should give me some much needed time to return some water bottles. They are really piling up. I have found that early morning is best for that task. I just hope the new Stop n Shop, that they are building across the street from the current one, has more bottle return machines...


   

Crafting Update and a Gallivant

    The baby blanket is finally done, and is right now in the washing machine. So I have nothing currently on hook or needles. I never got very far with Wingspan, or the Baby Surprise Jacket either. I frogged them both.


    Right now, I am just sitting here, enjoying my new recliner. Well, new to me, anyway. It sure beats the hell out of the folding lawn chair thing I had been using! It's not over stuffed, there is plenty of room for moving my arms as I knit or crochet, which I was concerned about.


     So now I get to think about what I want to make next. I've actually been thinking about making another crocheted and felted purse. I think I have enough wool in my stash. Actually, I remember that I started one, I crocheted a big circle, then picked up the stitches with a circular needle and knitted in the round. I should go find that one, and work on it some more...


    Earlier, I gallivanted out to the Hudson Valley Marketplace, on the Salt Point Tpk. I know the Awesome Store has a booth there, and with their store being closed on Sunday, that was my only choice. I needed more soup mixes. I used the last one in my pantry yesterday.  So now I'm restocked, and very happy.


     

Simply Saturday

    That's right, it's simply Saturday. A good day of the week to stay in your jammies, and just lounge. Also a good day to crochet. I've gotten a lot done on the newest baby blanket today! I just started the last V stitch lace section, which means there are 8 more rows to go, then at long last it'll be done!


    Another good thing about today? I got to hang with my beloved Hubs. He was going to go out and hunt this afternoon, but decided a nap was in order instead. And tomorrow morning, at long last, I will be getting my new chair! A nearly brand new recliner. I can't wait to see it. The fold up chair, that I usually only use for parades, isn't very comfortable for nightly use.


    And if, in the long run, the new chair doesn't fit in with the new furniture, it can go in my craft room. That way I can be sure I'll be comfortable while I'm crafting away.


    I will be sure and post a report on the new chair tomorrow. Maybe even take some photos!


   

T G I F

    At long last, it's Friday! Being as I have never, ever, worked anywhere that had a five day, forty hour work week, this feeling is rather new to me. I'm enjoying it!


    Miss Malia cooperated today, and napped for an hour and a half, allowing me to get lots more crocheting done on the baby blanket. She was even in a relatively good mood too, it seems her snuffles have passed. I wish mine would!


    Today as I drove to Miss Malia's house, my very favorite Nah-Nah song was playing on the radio! That is "Lovin, Touchin, Squeezin" by Journey. A Nah-Nah song is one in which there is a chorus of Nah-Nah's.  Another example is "Angel is the Centerfold" by J. Geils Band. I love Nah-Nah songs. Unfortunately, those two are just about the only ones I can ever think of.

Necessary Adjustments

     It's been a long day, and I'm tired, but I thought I'd better get today's post out of the way.  It has been four days since Hubs started working days. He is temporarily working Monday through Friday, 8 to 5, for training. I must say that I am pleasantly surprised that I'm adjusting kind of quickly.


     I get up in the morning, and if I don't have to sit for the Cherub, I can have my coffee and watch my morning programs. At 11:15, I leave to go sit for Miss Malia. I am usually home by 3:40 or so. That is a good time to do last night's supper dishes, I'm finding. I get them done, and then I can go watch TV, and wait for Hubs to get home.


     Right now, I'm having conflicting feelings, because he's home in the evenings. For all these years, he's been gone in the evenings half of the week, and that was my alone time. I got used to being alone during the day, since he was sleeping, and therefore not around that much. But now my alone time is only during the day, and he's here  every  evening. This is the hard part for me. I am used to watching whatever I want on TV, and eating dinner when I want, and even whatever I want to eat.


     Now I'm having to make dinner every night. So far, it's not been too bad, I'll  just have to wait and see how this whole thing plays out. Like right now, he's in the bedroom watching Thursday Night Football. So I can still watch what I want to.


      I have always told him that I sleep better when he's here. Now I will get to sleep well every night!

Feeling Like Crap, and Blanket Progress

   Yesterday, I felt like such crap when I got home from babysitting that I crawled into my bed shortly after. Unfortunately, I was still there when Hubs arrived home from work. Not finding me in the living room, in my customary position in the chair, he panicked a little and came running into the bedroom looking for me.


   He was so sweet, and concerned for me. Today I feel a bit better but Miss Malia is definitely not feeling well. Poor baby was miserable today. Her mom left these nose drops, but I was totally unsuccessful in my attempts to put them in her nose. I think I now have an idea what it feels like to wrestle an alligator.


    But I did get some work done on the new baby blanket today. Malia was fascinated with watching me crochet, and playing with the yarn as it came out of the skein. I stopped when I got the exact middle of the blanket. Here is how it looks:

    Unfortunately, it's wrong way around. The beginning is on the right, and the center is on the left. But I'm very happy with my progress. I just wish I could shake this icky ucky sick feeling.

Settling In

   This being only the second day that Hubs is actually working during the day, we haven't truly settled in to the new routine yet. Especially since both mornings, I had to get up before he did. My early morning charge, the Cherub, needed me yesterday and today this week.

   
    So the rest of this week will be interesting, in the mornings. Hubs' alarm will be going off at 6:05. I get to stay in bed, if I can manage to get back to sleep. Somehow, I doubt I will be able to accompish that. But I will do my best.


    I made us a nice dinner last night, our favorite meat on a stick, and garlic mashed potatoes. Yum. I'm finding it convenient that Hubs is gone during the day, now I can wash dishes and vaccuum all I want to (not that I want to...). It's difficult to do those things while someone is sleeping, and you can't make any noise.


    Progress on the next baby blanket is coming along. I just started on the second skein this morning. The shower for this mom is in less than two weeks now. I'd better get a move on. It shouldn't take that long at all, and I will do my best to get it done and laundered before the shower day.

In Which Everything Changes, Kind of

    I was just sitting here, in Hubs' recliner, when I had a thought. You see, things are about to change in our lives. And this is a pretty major change, at that. Right up until I had my thought, I was OK with this change.


    I am still OK with it, but then I got to thinking. Let me explain: You see, Hubs is taking a new assignment within his company. He is going to be working on the day shift. Still twelve hours, but during the day. And it just occurred to me that this could change the whole dynamic of our relationship.


    When we met, I was working a twelve hour night shift. He was a mechanic, so he worked a normal day time job. After we got married, it took me three years to get him to give up his job, that he was not happy with, and come work where I was, in manufacturing. He took to it quickly, and within a year he was in the maintenance department.


   So, we have never really spent every night together. In fact, when we were on opposite night shifts, we never spent the night together at all. When he was working, on my days off, I would go in with him to bed in the morning, and nap for a few hours.  


    Well, that's not totally true, either. We did work the same night shift for over a year, and for that time we did spend our nights and working days together. 


    Anyway, back to my thought. Does this mean we will suddenly be conventional? After 24 years of being unconventional, I'm not sure how I'm going to like being conventional. Cooking dinner every night? Will I start doing the dishes every evening after dinner? I shudder at the thought. I think I'm too old to start being conventional at this point in my life. But one thing I am sure of,  it will certainly be an adventure!

The results are in

    I took measurements of the blanket before I washed it, for reference. I really wasn't sure if it would shrink, and if so, by how much. It has now been laundered, and post wash measurements taken.

   
   Before wash, it was 42 inches long, and 30 inches wide. Afterwards, it was 40 inches long and 29.75 inches wide. So it lost two whole inches in length, and only 1/4 inch of width. Which is still a good size!

    Now I get to take a break, for as long as I can stand not to be doing something with my hands. Which might be a couple of days, or even less. I was working on another blanket, of the same pattern, when I decided to start the last one. I guess now I will have to start on that one again.


    Here is a photo of the bottom edge, so you can see it close up.

 

 

                                                         

                                                           

Count, Count, Frog, Repeat

    In this blanket I'm currently working on, every 4 - 6 rows I need to count stitches to make sure I still have 151. Basically, every time I start a single crochet section. As I was working on it yesterday at Stitch n Bitch, I got to a counting row. I decided to stop, since I felt it would be rude to stop being social long enough to count 151 stitches as I do them.


     Later in the day, after Hubs left for work, I picked it up again. I'm getting close to the end, and I'm getting anxious to finish. I start counting as I crochet.... and at the end I have 148. Not 151. I screwed up somewhere. I do another row and count again. It's still 148. I count again, the row I just did, the number doesn't change. Crap.


    I decide to check the V stitch section to see if I can spot the mistake. I go back and forth all four rows, more than once. It all looked fine to me. I decide to count the stitches of the last row of single crochet, before the V stitch section I had just finished. Whew. That took a while to figure out how to say. But there were 151 stitches.


    Finally, I find the mistake. I had to frog the two rows of sc, and the row before them, of V stitch, and maybe two V stitches in the row before that.  I missed the second leg of a V stitch near the end of the row. I fix it, and quickly catch back up to where I was.


    I am currently working on the last V stitch lace section, then comes the pink border. After that I will carefully count the stitches as I sc across the top of the blanket. I will do four rows, the same as the sides. Hopefully I will remember how many stitches I make across the top, and can repeat it across the bottom. Then I can launder it, and it will be done! TAH-DAH!


    Since I wrote the above, I have been working feverishly all morning, and am currently doing the second short end. Two more rows of that, and I will be done!  Well, after I sew in the last few ends, anyway. I think I like it. Tonight I will take some photos, and wash it, then report tomorrow on how it turned out.

Waffling

    This morning after I got up, I was hanging out with Hubs until he went to bed. I realized that I didn't feel all that terrific. I was going to Stitch n Bitch no matter what, it was just my plans for after that were going to be affected.


    I had decided that since I didn't have to babysit today, I would take the opportunity to go to the craft store and see if they had restocked their cotton. After that, I thought I might try and find some new fleece sheets. But since I wasn't feeling great, I waffled about the sheet shopping. I was just going to go check on the yarn and then come home. Possibly even go back to bed.


    While at Stitch n Bitch, I felt decidedly better, so I waffled again. The sheet shopping was back on! I got to the craft store, and waffled again. Then I un-waffled. I figured since I was so close to Kohl's I would check there for the sheets. They wouldn't cost as much there as at Bed, Bath and Beyond... WRONG. On sale they were still over $80.


    So I did exactly as originally planned, with the waffling thrown in for free. By the way, the craft store had restocked the cotton, and I was able to purchase the last skein needed for the baby blanket. So now I can relax about it. And the new sheets are in the dryer, I will put them on the bed in a little while.


    I did so much waffling today, I'm surprised I'm not dripping in syrup.

Preparing for Stitch n Bitch

    Today, I very nearly finished using all the yarn from conjoined twin #1 on twin #2. I made myself stop crocheting, and I sewed all then ends in. Then I crocheted a little more. I had plenty of time, since my charge napped for three whole hours today.


    I am saving my crocheting for tomorrow's Stitch n Bitch. After which, I will be traveling to a craft store to see if they have restocked my color of cotton yarn. Hopefully, they will have done so, so I can buy one more skein. That's all I need, one more skein.


    Even if that purchase doesn't work out, I will be making a trip to our local Bed, Bath and Beyond store, for king size fleece sheets. It's getting chilly enough at night these days for them. We sleep on flannel the other three seasons. Really. Even in the Summer. I need to buy new ones, because I can't find the bottom sheet from last years set. I have no idea where it is! The pillow cases I have, and the top sheet I have been using all along. But the bottom sheet has disappeared.


    Those of you who are regular readers may remember an early post, about Hubs and myself using separate covers on our bed. It was my defense mechanism against freezing to death. My beloved Hubs was, and still is, if given the opportunity, a terrible covers hog.


    I will keep you updated on the sheets, and the blanket too. Wish me luck at the craft store!

At Long Last, Photos

    Yesterday, I was able to get the promised photos, while Miss Malia was napping. It turns out that the new blanket is only about 2 inches shorter than the original. But that's OK with me. I do like the new one better.

                     

^ Here they are side by side, new on the left.

 

 

^ The tops to show they are even.

 

 

     And the bottoms to show the new one is shorter. I have one more promise, there will be no more photos of said blanket until it's finished... I am sure you are all heartily sick of hearing about this one project.                                                                            

 

 

In Which I Gave In

    I gave in and went to Fishkill with Hubs yesterday. It makes him feel better, even though the house is now occupied, he still hates it. Now the downstairs bathroom sink is leaking. He knows how to fix it, but because it's such a tiny sink, he needs to take the whole sink off the wall. Unfortunately, when he put it back in place last time, he made it really, really secure, so it's going to be difficult to take off the wall again.


    We didn't get home until after 8 p.m. and I was really tired, so I didn't get to blog last night. I didn't have that much to say anyway. I am glad I got to see the kitten, Gizmo, since he had just had surgery that morning. He was still groggy and sleepy when we got there. He had gotten neutered.


    I didn't realize it, but that baby is nearly 5 months old. He is still so little. It makes sense now, since I found out that he was the runt of the litter.  So he will never get very big. That's not a bad thing, Ozzy was also a runt.  Big cats are cool, but little ones are better.


    On our way down to Fishkill, we made some stops, and got the air pillows we need to close the pool. So that's on the menu for next weekend.


    I am taking my camera to Miss Malia's today, so hopefully I can get some photos while she naps today.


  

Blecchhh

    When I woke up this morning, I didn't feel very well. After a cup of coffee, I decided to go back to bed. When I got up again, I felt much better.


    After Hubs got up and had his coffee, he decided it was time to cover the pool. So we started the prep work. He got out the air pillows, and my job was to fill them. They are very expensive, so he wanted to try and use the ones from last year again. It was not to be. We kept finding holes, and patching them, then new holes. Eventually, we realized the one pillow was so brittle, it was springing new holes just from us touching it. Not fun. And being as it was late afternoon on Sunday, every place that sold the things we needed was closed. I barely made it to the hardware store to get a new nozzle for the garden hose. I got there 20 minutes before their closing time.


    So, I came in and took a shower, after putting the pot 'o soup on the stove to reheat. Beef barley soup is good the first night, but even better the second. Hubs mowed some lawn, then went up to his friend Gene's farm.


    Now it's late and the whole darn day is gone. It's time to go to bed soon, my alarm is set for 5:45 a.m. Woot woot.


    Hubs plans on going to the Fishkill house tomorrow, I probably won't be going with him. I got laundry and other stuff to get done. I hope he doesn't get upset with me. I will have to tell him to give our grandkitten a kiss for me.

No Time For Photos Today

   Well, that, and the weather was wonky all day. So, no photos of the Conjoined Twins, as I have taken to calling them. They are the same, and connected by a single strand of yarn. I just have to hope I don't get them mixed up at some point. Right now, it's easy, the new, smaller one is smaller than the old, bigger one.


    I ran errands today, got Hubs a new package of cigars, checked on his new meds at the pharmacy, and changed the cat box. Time for a party! Then I made plans to go out shopping later in the day with friend Kim and her Cherub.


    After thinking about it, I decided to make dinner before I left, so if Hubs woke up and was hungry, he could eat whenever he wanted. I made a big pot of soup. It was delicious. I make the soup mix from The Awesome Store, here in Hyde Park. Today was the barley, and I added beef. That is one of Hubs' favorite soups.


    So off I went, shopping. The first place we visited was Mother Earth, the natural stuff store, or the Hippie Store, as some call it. I was looking for some body butter. A friend had given me a hemp oil body butter a few years ago, and it's almost gone. I've been searching for it all over. I thought Mother Earth's was a good place to look. They don't carry that line. However, in the store was a table set up, with two young men behind it, with oodles of body butter that their company makes. I talked to them, and ended up purchasing a large tub o' body butter!


     They have all kinds of scents, but I chose Port Royal. It's fruity, and I like it. Of course, Hubs does not like the smell. I quickly treated my hands, elbows and feet after I got home, needing only to use a little off the inside of the lid! This stuff will last quite a long time!


    Then we stopped at Best Buy, then Michaels Craft Store. Lastly, we hit Marhsalls. I was especially looking forward to this stop. I am in the market for new fleece sheets. They usually have superior sets at Marshalls. Today, however, they had none. So I looked around, and found a nice, bright pink purse, but it cost $150 so I put it back.


    I didn't buy anything at Marshalls either. But, while Kim was on line with her purchases, Cherub and I went to the shoe store right next door. I was in desperate need of new slippers. And I was not disappointed. I found some cool, really soft, bootie style slippers. They are black on the outside and super bright pink on the inside. Many thanks to Cherub for helping me find two alike of the same size. They were mixed up in boxes with slippers of another color way.


    All in all, it was a productive day, even if I didn't get to take any photos. Hopefully I can make up for it tomorrow, or even Monday.

In Which I Get Clever

    This morning, at Stitch n Bitch, I made the decision that the cotton baby blanket was too big. So I stopped working on it. But I didn't really want to frog, and wind by hand, six whole skeins of cotton. So I got a clever idea.


    I decided to start the next blanket with a new pink border, like the old one, and then start the body with the other end of the skein I was using. I would use up the skein, until I was frogging the old blanket, as I worked along, to use on the new blanket. With any kind of luck, I would get to the pink border of the old blanket by the time I was ready for it.


    I started shortly after I got to Miss Malia's house this morning, having stopped at my house to pick up the pink. She was naturally very curious about what I was doing, especially since I prefer to count out loud. It's just easier for me, I tend to not lose count that way.


    So far, it's working very well! I have gotten a lot done, all through one skein of the body color, and started the second. It helped (not) that Miss Malia didn't nap until 4 p.m. But she did sleep for a total of three hours. After an hour and a half, she came out from the bedroom, climbed up on the couch, and fell back asleep for another hour and a half. Sweet!


    All in all, it was a very long, nine and a half hour day. Not my usual four hours. But I do get a three day weekend this week, I don't go back until Tuesday.


    I am so tired right now, I can't even take a photo of my progress on the new blanket. I'm looking forward to seeing them side by side, connected by the yarn. I will take one tomorrow, and post it for you see.


   

This Week's Craft Report

    I have made significant progress on the crocheted baby blanket this week. However, I don't have enough yarn to finish. I made the trek all the way down to the craft store to get more, two days later, and they didn't have any. It's too far to keep making the run every few days. Does anyone have any idea how long it should take to restock? Any guess is fine.

     Do you see the fatter lace sections? There are supposed to be seven of those in the finished blanket. I am currently not quite to the sixth one, and I'm on my last skein of yarn. I did think ahead in one way. I haven't yet worked in any ends, so I can still frog the thing and do it over with a smaller hook. It's kind of on the big side. I like it that way, but it has been pointed out to me that some people think baby blankets should be small. Why? They are small for so short a time!

 

 

And if I do decide to frog it, I may not be needing that last skein of the stupid yarn after all... Here is a closer shot of the pattern:

 

 

And now for a surprise. The other day, I got home before Hubs did. When he came in, guess what he brought me?

 

 

He really is the sweetest man. It's hard to believe that in a few short months, we will celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary. The time really does fly.

Sam's Club, Part II

     Oh yes, there's more. First, though, let me state that I remembered the third thing on my short list. It was rawhide treats for the dog next door. Hubs had asked the owner if it was OK, and he said yes. So that was on the list.


    Anyway, there we were, wandering around Sam's Club. And after we found the pickles, Hubs discovered a display of nacho cheese sauce. Now, keeping in mind that we don't eat nachos on a regular basis, why would we want the stuff? Apparently Hubs decided we needed this item. He put the following in our cart... I put the DVD next to it, for size comparison.

   The funny part is that he tries to convince me it's a good purchase by telling me that he looked at the smaller cans, and they were more expensive in the long run. Forget the fact with that a couple more of these cans, we could fill the hot tub!


     In small print, at the bottom of the can, you can see the weight. I took another photo, just of that, so you can all see what I am dealing with.

         And the best part of all this? I read the label after we got home, and the serving size is 1/4 cup, and it has 630 mg of sodium in it. My Hubs is supposed to be lowering his sodium consumption, not elevating it to stroke levels. So I have no idea what we will do with this giant can of nacho cheese sauce. But it was a bargain at only $5!!

A Visit to Sam's Club, OR, How to Totally Skeeve Your Hubs

    Yesterday, we visited Sam's Club. I had a short list of stuff we needed, I really only wanted some of their fresh rolls to have with our BBQ dinner. As usual, Hubs had other ideas. He always complains that he can't walk out of that store for less than $200. It really is his own fault.


    I wanted three things: the rolls, pistashio nuts, and one other thing that I can't remember right now. I do remember that we got everything on my list. As we were wandering through the store, I spotted giant jars of pickles. Great big, dill pickles.


    Now, knowing how my beloved Hubs feels about pickles, I haven't eaten one in a least 20 years. To be fair, I feel about egg salad the way he feels about pickles. And I refuse to make it for him. So we have both given up something we loved.


    Anyway, I can rarely resist a chance to mess with him. I pointed out the jars of pickles, and asked if I could get one. He totally surprised me when he said yes! So into basket went the pickles. He was totally skeeved about the whole thing, shuddering convincingly. I made sure he had to handle the jar and put it on the belt at the checkout, then again by putting it back in the cart!


    After we got home, he made me carry it in from the truck. And later that night, we discussed what he called The Pickle Rules. I am only allowed to eat them on nights when he is working, and before 8 p.m. That way the smell has almost 12 hours to dissipate.


    To be totally truthful, I will eat the dang things whenever the heck I want to.

In Which I Meet My New Grandkitten

   I was very excited to go to Fishkill today, since I would finally get to meet my adorable new grandkitten. His name is Gizmo, and he's been living with Julie, Jesse and the roommates for about two weeks now.


    So let's get right to the photos! I took a bunch of them, while he was playing in his cube tent, then after, while he was resting.

 

 

 

He is such a cutie, it makes me want a kitten all over again!

 

 

 

On to new a project!

     As I mentioned in yesterdays post, I bought some really soft cotton, which I am using to make another blanket for one of the babies that are coming. Now, I have never made a cotton blanket before, so I have no idea what will happen when I wash the blanket. See? Yet another very good reason to launder something you make, before gifting or selling.


    I am curious to see if it shrinks or not. Even if it does, it's a bit long, so it should be OK. I made one of these blankets for Julie, Jesse's girlfriend, and after washing, it was actually a square. I have no idea how that happened, it had never happened before.
It just goes to show you, you never can tell what any yarn will do, even if you have used it before!


    This blanket will be a first for me, besides being made of cotton yarn. I made a border of pink on one long side, when I get to the other side, of course it will be pink too.  This time, I am going to put a border on the top and bottom of the blanket. I have never done that before. I have never even put tassels on one. I am not a big fan of tassels.  So here is a photo of my progress so far!

    I thought that just two sides being pink wasn't enough. I think it will look good being totally surrounded in the pink. And this baby is definitely a girl, so the use of pink is OK.

My Cat Has Lost His Mind

    Ever since Ozzy came to live with us, I have trained him to leave my yarn alone. We had a little talk. I told him that if he wanted to live here, he would have a very easy life, and in return, all I asked was that he not use my yarn as a plaything.

    In all these years, he has pretty much stuck to our agreement. He got a little confused when I started knitting, as opposed to crocheting, but he soon caught on that yarn was yarn, no matter what I did with it.


    This morning, I was sitting here, drinking my coffee, when I looked down at the cat, who had been running around and howling. Now, this is not normal behavior for him. The only times I've seen him act anything close to this, is before a really bad snow or rain storm.


    Anyway, I look down at my cat, and he's got my big center pull ball of animal fiber yarn in his mouth! The ball is hanging out of his mouth! I don't remember which animal it is, it's really soft, so it might be Alpaca. I had been watching him, since I caught him pawing playfully at the knitting attached to that ball, just yesterday.


    After my coffee this morning, I made a run to a craft store for more yarn for the next pastel rainbow baby blanket. When I got back, there on the floor was a ball of Sugar n Cream, which he had obviously used as a plaything while I was gone. It was all messy, I'm sure you can picture it in your mind. It was not a full skein, but less than half of one, that was leftover from the madness of the skull potholders.


    News on the blanket front! I finished the circular pastel rainbow baby blanket last night. Yippee skippee! Now I can take a well deserved break to work on other baby blankets, for the same babies. For your information, the circular blanket is 39 inches across. The star shaped one was 49 inches. I'm thinking I will be sticking to the star shaped one, in the future. Unless Sara likes the circular one better, that is.

It's "That Time of the Year" Again...

    No, I'm not referring to Fall, or even pre-holiday time. It's about husbands. My beloved Hubs has a cycle, not unlike a woman's monthly cycle. Except it only happens usually about twice a year. We have been married nearly 24 years now, so I have become accustomed to this.


   It's a lot like a woman's PMS. He is very moody, and extremely grouchy. And touchy? OMG. Nothing I do is right. Nothing I say is right. It seems my very existence bothers him. The only saving grace for me is that this only lasts a few days. All I can do is try to stay out of his way.


    He is currently in day one. I think it started sometime during the night last night, his second of his four work nights this week. I should've figured it was coming,  I missed one of his "tells". He usually calls me from work. He didn't call me last night, and he was in a foul mood when he got home this morning.


    We usually discuss his work issues, I've found it helps him relax, to get his mind off of it. His work is extremely frustrating for him, and there is nothing he can do about it, especially since he works alone. I can't go into too much detail here.


    He is usually such a sweet man. We've been handling the empty nest thing pretty well, and usually enjoy each other's company. I have a photo of him, to show you how cute he is. This was taken at our son's high school graduation, in 2008.

    OK, his hand is kind of in the way, but he really is adorable. You can all ask my friend Mikki, who lives in Florida, because she's met him. She worked for one of the parts stores who used to bring auto parts to the garage where he used to be a mechanic. She told me at the time, he's a big teddy bear.


    Anyway, when he's in his "cycle", I try and keep things more picked up, do the dishes more often, that kind of thing, just so he doesn't have that to complain about. I just have to duck and cover. It should only be a couple more days....

Randomness

    There are so many thoughts running through my head tonight, it's hard to keep them straight. I have no idea which one, or ones, will decide to come to the forefront to be heard at this time.


   I believe I'll start with a pastel rainbow circle blanket update. It's darn near finished. Three more rounds to go. And of course, they are the three longest rounds, they seem to take forever. But it's very satisfying, all the compliments I'm getting on  these blankets. One more blanket to go, for Sara, then I'll be done. I believe I can take a break before beginning the last one, I probably should wait for an announcement of impending parenthood.


    Babysitting went very well today. Miss Malia was in a good mood, even though she was pretty tired. Within 20 minutes of her mom leaving, she had fallen asleep for her nap. Lately her naps have been lasting about an hour and a half, yesterday's was very unusual at three hours.


    Today, as she sat on the floor surrounded by her blocks, I told her to find certain numbers on them. She got every one! "Find a 3!" She looks around at the blocks, and picks up one with a three on it. "3!", she hollers. I kept going with some different numbers. She got every one.


    There is also good news. My legs aren't hurting as much these last couple of days. It seems to be worse in the evening, especially after a long day. I was getting a bit concerned.

Adventures in Babysitting

    What a week it's been. Monday, Miss Malia decided to throw her wooden blocks all over the place. I had had enough, especially since a few had come close to making contact with my face. I started picking them up and putting them in their bag.


   Naturally, she objected to this, loudly. I got her to stop by picking up a block, and showing her the number on it. I asked her "What number is this?", and she would answer me, then I'd put it in the bag. I tried to get her to help me, but she wasn't buying it. She did, however, get every number correct. I even took a 6, turned it upside down, and asked her "Now what number is it?"! She got it right, she yelled "9!". I kept flipping it back and forth, while she laughed. "6! 9! 6! 9!". Remember, she's now 20 months old. Eventually, we got all the blocks put back in their bag.  She did start crying again when I closed up the bag. But she got over it quickly.


    This morning, I went to watch the Cherub. I seem to remember her mom, my good friend Kim, telling me to make sure she got all her before school stuff done. This morning, however, the Cherub wasn't cooperating. She told me more than once that she didn't need reminding. I told her that I thought it was part of my job to do so. When we picked her mom up from work, I made a point of asking Kim if it was indeed a part of my job to make sure she gets her before school stuff done.


    It turns out that I was right, but it's a good thing I checked, I wasn't really sure. In the process, I royally pissed off the Cherub. Perhaps I could have waited and asked Kim when Cherub wasn't around, but I am not good at waiting for things like that, I tend to forget. I just hope she will get over her snit, and we can still be friends. After all, she is my BKF (Best Kid Friend).


    Today was unusual, in that I went right from watching Cherub to Miss Malia's house. My alarm went off at 5:45 a.m. and I left my house at 6:10. I finally got home at 3:40. It was a very long day. Made even longer by the fact that I had intended to go to bed early, but one of my very favorite movies was on, so I had to watch it. It was People Will Talk, starring Cary Grant, from 1951. It's an absolutely awesome movie.


   All this, and it's only Wednesday! What other exciting things are in store for me the rest of this week?

Another Blanket, With a Twist

    I know, I know, I normally wouldn't make another blanket out of the same yarn, so soon. But with my daughter having two pregnant girlfriends, I really had no choice. The finished pastel rainbow star made it's way to Sara's house, for her to gift at baby shower next month.


    I will admit to my heart skipping a beat, watching her caress the beautiful softness of the blanket, while asking if she will get one too when she has a baby. Of course she will! In the meantime, pastel rainbow #2 is nearly done. I wanted to do it a little differently than the usual one, so I made this one a circle. It has the exact same color progression, just not in the twelve pointed star.

    This is what the whole thing looks like ^ , and here's the closer view:

    In case you've noticed, I haven't written a whole lot in the last few days. I have not been feeling all that well. My legs hurt, it's hard to stand up and walk, at least at the beginning. Once I get moving, I'm usually OK. But I do feel like I've pulled muscles in the calves of both legs, so I'm like double limping. Strange, I know.


    And, so you know, the circle afghan pattern is from the Lion Brand Yarn website, the free pattern section. It's the same pattern I used as the basis for my Jeep tire cover.

Bits and Pieces

    Just typing the title for this reminded me of a true story that happened to me. I was in high school, and one summer I went to visit my aunt Diane in Florida. I actually got lost after I got off the plane. I got in the wrong vehicle, not the one my aunt sent to get me. I got to see a lot of towns around the area where my aunt lived.


   I finally found my way to aunt Diane's house, and she was very relieved. But that isn't what I really thought about. It kind of leads up to it. My uncle had found a small stray dog, and they had adopted her, telling themselves that she was for me. They named her L'il Bit, as she was, as my uncle said in his heavy southern accent, "Just a l'il bit of a thang."


   She was so adorable, we fell in love with each other immediately. As far as we could tell, she was a Chihuahua. She slept with me and everything. Unfortunately, when it came time to go home, my parents wouldn't let me bring L'il Bit home with me. I was heart broken.


   So L'il Bit had to stay in Florida. She lived another couple of years, until my aunt and uncle's dog had his way with her. This dog was really huge. He looked like a giant size Rottie, only on Dachshund size legs. His name was Sam, I remember. Sam had to weigh at least 80 lbs. And he got my tiny L'il Bit pregnant. I heard that she died giving birth to his puppies. I am surprised she was even able to carry them to term.


   I don't even have a photo to remember her. I just have my memories of that summer. I had intended to write a piece today that contained bits and pieces of different things, but got sidetracked. I'll save that for another day.