Good, good Sunday

Just taking a minute before I decide what I am going to do next.

I had such a great Sunday yesterday. I went to church with my daughter and family and son. It was the 'kids' leading (playing instruments) for the song service. My AZ granddaughter ask for and received an electric bass guitar for Christmas. She played one song with the band. She was very nervous but did a great job. The song service was so uplifting and so was the rest. I enjoyed it very much.

I am taking a break from leading the choir, from right after the Easter service until ???????????. I just needed a break from responsibility and to go hither and yon for a while. I already feel refreshed.

Below are socks, both finished and in the making. The orange ones are ones I made a couple of years ago out of junk yarn. By junk I mean not yarn spacificilly for socks. The toe of a sock in my lap is a new experience. All of the many pair of socks I have made in the past start at the top of the cuff and on down to the toe. Several of the pairs of socks I have made has a toe in one of the socks that is a different color because I ran out of yarn before being finished with the pair. I wanted (and found) a pattern that starts from the toe and goes up to the cuff. I wanted this pattern because I can knit so far, start the second sock and knit each one of the pair in equal distance until I run out of yarn. They may end up only ankle length before I run out of yarn but will be the same color throughout. It puzzles me why there is not enough yarn in each ball to make a whole pair of socks. Could be because MY feet are so long.

To those who encourage

I just received an e-mail from 'my lurker'. A very encouraging letter it was. I don't know this lady personally but she told me she checks on my blog almost every day. I had pretty much stopped blogging because I believe those of you whom I know personally would have gotten tired of hearing about 'all things thread'. My friend Clif, my former minister in Phoenix, is an encourger also. He told me that he believed that I had interesting things to say even tho' I might not have pictures to go with that particular blog. (I had a new computer and had not yet learned to transfer the pictures from my camera) My Lurker has spurred me on a bit. I am almost finished the top of my crazy quilt ( which my baby brother has already claimed) and am anxious to get to it this morning...and not so anxious to get my kitchen cleaned up but decided that I would make a quick post just because of those of you who encourage.

I really have nothing much more to share so I will find some eye candy just because I enjoy looking at the pictures

Have a wonderful and blessed day, I plan on doing the same.

I took the picture from my back door, perhaps last Summer, I don't remember and don't care to take the time to find out. My quilt is calling me very loudly, hang the kitchen.

I have received via e-mail several times a forward that says: every night someone goes to sleep thinking about you, and many other uplifting things. I tried to find it with Google but failed. I wanted to post it on here in case YOU have not seen it. The reason I wanted to find it is because recently I have been contacted by a couple of people I had no idea read my blog. One person called herself 'the lurker'. She stumbled upon my blog perhaps because of a common interest in crocheting. She had been looking for the pattern of the sweater/jacket I made and put pictures on my blog of me wearing the sweater. I got the pattern to her. I am anxious Ms. Lurker to know how you are coming along with the sweater.

Another long time friend contacted me yesterday. She had kept up with my blog because it was pointed out to her by her dad and sister. Two other long time friends.

Just because I don't like to post anything w/out pictures, below are a couple of pictures of some new babies in my chicken yard.

Someday, if I receive that e-mail again, I will post it on here for you to read.

A stroke of brilliance

I (see title) a few days ago so pay attention, I don't get those very often. I brought my shop vac into the house (after I had throughly cleaned it, it had been in the garage since it's purchase) and tucked it neatly under my cutting table in my sewing room. I enjoy making Crazy Quilts because I get something out of nothing. Cleaning my sewing room floor of thread and tiny scraps of material is so easy now. All the debris goes right into the Shop Vac's barrel and not into my vaccuum, which is a pain to clean what with all that falls to the floor.




Kat seems to think I am making it just for her

My jacket/sweater

This is a very warm sweater...if the wind isn't blowing. Like all crocheted items, it is very holy.



That same old lady keeps showing up in my pictures



...and like many of the pictures taken of me this old lady has her eyes closed also.



The sunset was so beautiful, like many sunsets and sunrises here in my desert when the storm moves thru. I wanted BB to get a picture of the sun but it couldn't happen. Too much sun coming into the lens. The house behind me is my daughters.

We switched places and there are the clouds. Hope for more rain but we are told it may happen in a couple of more days. This storm is on it's way East.

A favorite thing to do.

I have always enjoyed knitting. My first projects started happening between 45-50 years ago. I remember knitting a sweater for my son and one also for a nephew. I didn't start crocheting until about 1975 and jumped right into it with a complicated king size bed spread. I have recently decided that I enjoy crocheting so much more than knitting. I like the look of knitted things much better than crocheted things but crocheting is much more fun. The picture is of a sweater/jacket I finished a couple of weeks ago for one of my daughters. This one has kind of short sleeves. I can make one of these in a week. I made one for myself with long sleeves. I will put a picture of it on this blog in a few days. I made a third one for a lady at church. You can see just a tiny bit of the third one in the lower right hand corner. After three solid weeks of crocheting I have decided it is enough for a while. Now I am making yet another crazy quilt. Making crazy quilts is one of my favorite things to do. It is very like putting together a jigsaw puzzle...and I can get something from nothing. When it is finished there will be another picture.

When the storm passes by

Well, I finally figured out once again how to upload pictures with my almost new computer.

We have had quite a wonderful storm pass by today from about noon until now. I think it has passed. It was great. Rain almost like I remember in California.
Enjoy the promise in the picture.

Yarn, yarn and more yarn

I am excited about this new sweater/jacket. I hope it fits, hope it fits, hope it fits ME. I had to frog 3 rows. You can see some of the yarn lying on the floor. It was growing wider and wider with each row. I am wider and wider as you go from top to bottom of me but not quite that much.

I will keep you posted on the progress. Right now I need to hang some clothes on the line and perhaps take a walk.






This is what my new project looks like so far.

To those who care

Some have been asking about my blog. I have not blogged since I got my new computer and now the new computer is giving me problems.

The reason I have not blogged is because I think a blog is much more interesting if there are pictures. I have not been able to get my pictures on the computer because it is so complicated. BB came over this afternoon and I wrote down step by step how to do it. It requires 12 or more clicks!!!!!!!!! REDICULOUS! There has to be a better way. At any rate, I, as usual am wallowing in yarn. A friend in TN ask me today about what I am doing and I took some picture.

The first two pictures are all the yarns I have chosen (so far) to go into the crocheted jacket/sweater. I am really excited about it. I made another one but gave it to a lady who goes to my church who admired it. I think I am going to enjoy this one even more



The following picture is of the yoke of the jacket. Now...I have to get back to knitting.

Happy list

1. Last night there was 6 at my dinner table
2. Tonight there was only me
3. Whatever, it is always a blessed time. Food on my table.
4. After eating soup my daugher prepared and sent over I was sitting on the back
porch watching people come home. I was already home
5. The biggest ol' moon came up and a Sahauro Cactus was silloeted (I cannot find
the correct spelling for that) in front of the moon.
6. We had two very cold days last week. Freezing at night and not above the 50's
in the day time. It was in the high 80's tonight after dark. Love my desert.
7. I sat on the back porch that my loving baby brother built for me listening to a
classical station on the radio, Chopan, Beethovan (sure wish I could spell)
8. Saw the porch light of my son and baby brother's house come on. Someone must
have forgotten something out in their pickup.
9. Going to bed soon with a good book. TV is for the birds and I am not a bird.
10. Speaking of birds, my cat (Kat by name) likes to go on the back porch with me.
I put her up on the tall table so she won't run away. We had a bat circle us
several times looking for the fairy winged bugs that were circling our heads.
Kat was very interested.
11. A chicken finally layed an egg in a cabinate I put out there. Too many chickens
for the laying space they have available.
12. After 7 p.m. My bed and book is calling.

This and that

I haven't had very much to share in quite some time. Today I thought I would find something if I just started typing..........nothing yet.
A rattler crawled out of the bushes heading for under the porch last night. I was sitting on my front porch at dusk watching the sun go down and my temporary house guest was walking home from my daugher's house after a brief visit. I called to her to watch for snakes ( just being silly), her eyes dropped to the ground and thankfully, saw that very snake. She was as antimated as I have ever seen her. She is usually very quiet and reserved. She went to the garage the next day and dug thru her belonging and found 3-three-many flashlights. :-)

I have about 50-50 roosters to hens and one duck. Poor duck... the roosters believe she is a chicken. I am beginning to think that we may end up with Duckins! I keep telling her to sit in the tub of water I have out there for her and she will be safe. She tends to ignore me.

I am still walking every day that I can. I believe I will be more inclined to walk more often when it cools off a bit more. We are promised it will be in the 90's next week.

Choir practice starts on Sept. 2nd. I am looking forward to it. I have the choir area rearranged (with the help of our church handy man) and all the music at the ready, including the Christmas cantata. I have arranged the Christmas and Easter cantata for the last 3 seasons but just couldn't get inspired this time so I ordered it. It is 'The Love of God at Christmas' It has a bit of a special meaning to me. When I was just out of high school and getting ready to start San Jose Bible College, I was in a trio. We sang one Sunday morning at Curtner Ave. Church of Christ (where I was married several years later) and my future husband was in the congregation. He saw and remembered me and remembered the song we sang.

Our record heat for yesterdays date was 106 degrees. We reached 105. That may happen again today. I am staying in the house a lot. I had to make a run to the bank yesterday. Sometimes life just required being on the run. I plan to be in the house all day today!!

Now I will try to find a picture for you that you may not have seen.


The following picture is of two of my granddaughters. The one with the big smile is my AZ granddaughter and the little one trying her best to get her picture taken is my TN granddaughter. This picture was taken in June when some of us were able to go to my TN grandsons graduation.

Watch, oh watch please.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EYAUazLI9k

Such a pretty sunset

I am 'throwing you a bone'. I have been walking more and more and it is becoming much more enjoyable. A couple of months ago when I first started walking it was because I had to. Now, I sometimes look forward to walking. I walked both yesterday a.m. and then again at p.m. I don't leave cornrows anymore dragging my heels the last part of the way home. I have almost no problem with my knee anymore. For many years, when putting on a pair of slacks, I had to balance just right, lift my left foot as high as I could (which was not very high) and then pull the foot the rest of the way up with my hand to get it into the leg of the slacks because the knee just simply would not bend enough. Now I have no problem bending that knee. Happy day.

While I am walking I am composing things to write down for you. By the time I get all the way home everything I thought might be of interest to you seems inane so it disappears from my mind. So...for today, below is the 'bone'. Something that is so very NOT inane. Enjoy my desert sunset and I will try to find something to share another day.

MEANDERING

I haven't had anything of any interest to the whole group of you for several days so...nothing here.

Sitting here, working on my newest project, I have been thinking of things that I might put here, so, taking a meandering path, here is what I have thought of.


TECHNOLOGY:
I accidently was able to transfer pictures from my camera to my new computer one time, now I can't find the path. My baby bro told me last night he would show me AGAIN, but we both got distracted and we forgot AGAIN. I have a few pictures on the camera that you might be interested in but they, sadly, remain on the camera for now.

CHICKENS:
I lost a chicken several weeks ago to a trap. It got caught inbetween the hogwire fence (wide weave to keep the larger wild animals OUT and the chicken wire to keep the chickens IN) and It was hidden and not found until the ants had feasted very well.
I almost lost another chicken to a similar trap. I went out to feed the chickens yesterday and there were chicken feathers all over the ground. I looked for chicken parts, believing that an owl or some such thing had gotten in and feasted once again but no, not so. Last night when I was filling all the containters with fresh water, I spotted the poor little chicken trapped between the large basin that I have in there for the duck to rest in (not big enough for the duck to swim but enough for it to get it's duck longings fulfilled), trapped between the duck basin and the fence. I pulled the basin away from the fence and out the chicken popped. Poor thing had spent the whole day trapped in that place. Fortunately, it was protected again the sun for most of the day.

GROWING OLD ALONE:
Another 'fortunately' I am not really alone. besides my Father in Heaven, I am surrounded by people who love me and have people who love me that live far away. But, being a widow with a GREAT attitude I can count the benefits.
I CAN DO WHAT I WANT TO DO WHEN I WANT TO DO IT.
DON'T HAVE TO CONSULT ANYONE ABOUT PLANS.
CAN GO TO BED OR NOT WHEN I WANT TO.
CAN LET THE DUST AND CAT HAIR BUILD UP UNTIL I, ME, MYSELF, CANNOT STAND IT.
COOK OR NOT IF I WANT TO OR NOT
HAVE WHAT I WANT TO EAT AND NOT WHAT SOMEONE ELSE WANTS TO EAT
GO OR STAY WHEN EVER I WANT

I would love to have my HONEY back again but I try not to look back. Loving life the Lord has given me.

Thats it for now, until I can pull those pictures off the camera and on the computer to share with you

Way too funny

These pictures came into my email this a.m. entitled
NEVER LEAVE YOUR MOTORCYCLE AT GRANDMA'S HOUSE WHILE ON VACATION
I couldn't resist sharing.............:-)

July 18, 2009 Storm in the desert

We had an amazing storm blow through here last night. I won't even bother to tag each picture, just look, enjoy and even perhaps be happy you were not here. As for BB and me, we danced in the rain and tried to stay out of the lightenings path.

Old age and Peek-a-boo

No pictures today, I am too tired to fool with trying to find the proper one to post.
Old age and peek-a-boo? Here is the relation. Peek-a-boo, meaning that diabetes is playing peek-a-boo with my body. I have been very healthy all my life. Now that I readily admit to being an old lady, I have to admit that he body is not what I wish it would be. I have had a couple of blood test, the first when having my yearly physical. The second was a follow up on the results of the first test. I won't bore you with the numbers on the glucose test but the doctor didn't like them. I am not a huge sweet eater but do indulge when an occasion arises. I have cut out the honey in my oatmeat every morning and try not to be tempted with other sweets. I have started walking 1.8 miles every day that I can. The second test showed that I had knocked the number down about 11 points and the doctor said 'No treatment needed at this time and see me in 6 months". Yeah! But oh boy! That walking is sure hard on me. My body tried to lose about 3 lbs but I am fighting the weight loss,
I put it right back on again. Sad. I walk every day that I can. Sometimes I just can't make myself get out that door. Too tired,(go to bed tired, get up tired) too hot,(it was 106 degrees when I went to bed at night, no way was I going to walk last evening) not time enought today,(Church) but I will keep trying because I have a dear sweet friend/neighbor that is a nurse and tells me that just a bit of excercise with beat back the disease.

Tomorrow, if I don't find an excuse not to walk, I will take you on my walk with me with my camera.

Hodge Podge of pictures

Here is another picture of the esteemed graduate and a friend at the reception at the school where he graduated.




This is my AZ granddaughter and my China Doll stretching her neck to be sure to get in the picture




Lily and one of Spencer's best friends. Note the hat. In Music City area the kids pretty well set the style. Whatever appeals to them at the moment is what they wear I suppose. He is a cutie. I know someone who wanted to get better acquainted with him but I won't tell you who she is.



I like to call this picture, "Show me the way to go home..." Some of you may remember the words to that song.



Spence




My favorite TN son-in-law, Kala's sweet dad. Sadly I didn't get any pictures of Kala's mom at all. At least none that she would appreciate me showing the whole world.



This is a picture of all my baby chicks and one duck who thinks it is a chick. They are all fully grown now. This picture was taken the early part of June. My baby bro and my favorite AZ son-in-law both have jobs at grammer school's (I don't know what grammer school is called these days. When I mentioned something about the grammer school I attended my AZ granddaughter ask me if I was especially poor in grammer and had to go to a special school) At any rate, as a science project it is a common practice in grammer schools here to hatch chickens and the teachers have to find homes for the new babies. We have them :-)