Challenge Met

I did it!  I faced the challenge and I defeated it.  I finished the striped bag today and just had to get it on the blog before it got to late.  I really like this bag.  I am surprised at how well the colors ended up blending.  I like the shape and size of the bag also.  I decided to add a shoulder strap so it could be thrown over the shoulder and carried with ease.  I hope my sister-in-law likes it and will use it.  I think it is very versatile.  I am so happy this is done.  Now just to get it in the mail. 

I didn't get to start the brown sweater yet.  That will be on tomorrow's agenda.  We spent a lot of time outside today and had a neighborhood pot luck.  Time just got away from me.  I will be taking a day off tomorrow because of the weather and  poor road conditions.  I don't travel well on ice and don't find it necessary to risk life and limb to get to work.  The low tonight is going to be 10 degrees F, so the ice is only going to be worse in the morning.   Besides,  I could use a snow day!

I'm sure I will be posting tomorrow.  I hope you will check in.  Thank you so much to those of you who do.

Staying Warm with Knitting and Crocheting

Scruffy sitting on the vent enjoying

the pretty snow from inside.

Indi just wants to be warm and sleep.

January 31, 6:30 AM, 15 Degrees F

Cold, cold day ahead.  Today may be the day that I finish the striped bag for my sister-in-law.  The colors are blending better than I thought and the bag is starting to grow on me.  I don't know if I told you I decided to make it a drawstring bag.  That may suit my sister-in-law better.  I hope it turns out as I vision it in my head.  Just a few more rows with some finishing touches and I should have it ready to send to her. 

The next project is a brown baby sweater that Big Girl requested.  She called me earlier this week asking if I had any brown yarn.  I told her I was sure I did and asked her how much she needed.  I assumed she needed it for a project she was working on or for her classroom.  She explained to me that she need to know if I had enough brown yarn for me to make a baby sweater for Grand Baby.  She wants one to go with an outfit that she has put together for Grand Baby's trip home from the hospital.  I told her of course I could do that. (What grandmother to be wouldn't want to make something for their first grandchild?)  So once the striped bag is finished I will start the sweater.  That should be enough to fill my day. 

Depending on how much I get done today, I may post another blog later with pictures of the striped bag.  I hope so anyway.

Have a groovy day!

Wonderful NC Weather

Thursday, January 28 at 5:04PM

60 Degrees F

Friday, January 29 at 5:07PM

35 Degrees F

Saturday, January 30 at 4:45PM

24 Degrees F

What a weather week!  It is always amazing to me how drastically the weather can change from one day to the next here in the great state of North Carolina, especially in the winter.   I made certain to take these pictures around the same time each day to track exactly what was happening. 

Thursday was beautiful, with temperatures in the 60's.  If you didn't know better you would believe spring was here. Friday however, we had the threat of snow and freezing temperatures.  Around 7:00 Friday evening it started to snow.  It snowed a good portion of the night and the snow changed over to sleet in the wee hours of the morning.  It has been sleeting ever since.   I think so far our accumulation is about 5 inches.  The weather folks think it is going to sleet for a while longer and then change back to snow.  All of this is suppose to go on until sometime in the middle of the night with temperatures in the teens.  The proposed high for tomorrow is in the low 30's. 

The sleet has been so heavy throughout the day that it wasn't really fun to be out in.  I don't have a lot of snow/sleet pictures right now but hopefully will have an opportunity to take some over the next couple of days. 

Stay warm!

Crazy Week

I love this picture!  I don't know why really, I guess because it's silly and fun, but most of all because it's Elmo!  Never mind I had to run down the parade route screaming "Elmo... Elmo.....over here Elmo!"  
Obviously the guy's real name isn't Elmo.

It's been one of those weeks - silly, crazy and I'm worn out.  So glad tomorrow is Friday.

We are expecting some crazy weather over the next couple of days.  It will be interesting to see what happens.   I would love some snow but we usually end up with ice.  Ice is not fun, especially when it causes grid lock and takes 14 hours to make a 30 minute commute.  Imagine being trapped on a major highway in your car with thousands of other commuters for 14 hours.  Where do you use the bathroom? 
There, that'll give you something to think about.

I'll keep you posted with weather updates as we go.
Hope you have a happy FRIDAY!!!!

Challenge

This is my most recent challenge.  No not really, actually this challenge has been haunting me for many years.  This is yarn that one of my sisters-in-law spun and dyed when she was in college.  That was easily more than 15 possibly 20 years ago.  Probably 10 years or so ago she gave me her yarn and asked me to knit or crochet something out of it for her.  This yarn has been many things in my mind and even once was a scarf that was ridiculous.  It ended up being one of those projects that I put away and said I would think on it and come back to it later. Well later is here. As I was going through some things the other day I found the challenge was still patiently waiting for me to pick it back up.  I realized I have had this yarn so long that my sister-in-law has probably forgotten that she ever gave it to me.  That is what I hope anyway.  I hate the thought that she wonders what ever happened to her precious yarn and if I ever did anything with it.  So after reviewing some of my favorite blogs and websites I have decided to make a simple striped bag.  I had to rip the scarf apart (yes the one that was ridiculous), ball up the yarn and started crocheting last night.  I can't say for certain that this yarn will remain a striped bag.  The colors are "different" and are hard to blend, but I am up to the challenge this time, I think.   I'll have to see how it goes and how it feels as we progress.

Starting over (again)...

Please excuse my teenager...

If you have a "challenge" that has been put away for a while, this may be the perfect time to dig it out and give it another go.  Good luck!

Time Flies

Why does time go so fast?  It seems the older I get the faster time goes.  We recently celebrated our Little Girl's birthday.  This was a big one for her.  She is now old enough to drive.  I feel so old.  I can't believe my Big Girl is getting ready to have her first child and my Little Girl is old enough to drive.  For those who don't know there is 8/12 years between our girls.  Sometimes that is a good thing and other times not so good.  Anyway, Little Girl had a great birthday and seemed happy all day long.   Getting her permit was a very big deal and after going for a celebratory hotdog, Hubby let her drive around town for a while.  When I got home I took her to the gas station and taught her how to pump gas.  She made it clear to me that this was another reason women had husbands.  I hope she finds a good man when she is old enough.  It will take someone special to handle all of her "this is why you have a husband" chores.  It was a special day and one of those steps in a young person's life when they get a little closer to adulthood.  Things change in a big way for them.  The same is true for parents.  Our world has changed.  Little by little we are loosing control and the say so we once had for our Little Girl as she grows and matures.  We can only pray that we have done our best and instilled all of the good things that every parent wants for their child.   It won't be long and she'll be off to college, on her own and we will be left hoping we raised her right.  But in the mean time, we will keep working on it, fighting the parent vs. teenager battles, and pray for the best. 

Don't waste your time, it is the most precious gift you have.  Once you give it away, it is gone forever and you can never get it back.  Be happy with the time you have and use it to the fullest.

Exciting Times

Well, we made it.  We had the "gathering" yesterday and I think it was a success.  We had lots of food and fun.  I believe we ended up with about 16 guests (family and friends) and that was a house full.  Everyone talked, laughed and ate lots of yummy goodies that my sister and sisters-in-law helped prepare.  There were gifts galore for Big Girl.  She was very happy and pleased with all of the attention. 

It is always nice to have folks over to share food and fellowship.  Hubby hid upstairs the whole time and later commented on the quantity and volume of talk and laughter in the house.  Isn't that how it is though when you get a bunch of women together?  Some of ladies got to catch up with others they hadn't seen in a while.  Some talked about old times while others shared their troubles.  We joked with each other and laughed, we just had a good time.  Sometimes there's just nothing better than a hen party; especially when your best girl friends can be there and make you feel extra special.

I think there are a couple more gatherings being planned and prepared for in honor of Big Girl and Grandbaby.  These are exciting times.  The anticipation is almost overwhelming as the time draws near.  I hope you will keep us all in your prayers as we make our way through the next few weeks waiting for our little miracle to arrive.

I Love Lucy

This is the baby blanket I made for Grandbaby's Christmas. The pattern for the granny square "Summer Garden Granny Square" and the inspiration for this blanket came from Lucy at Attic24. I love Lucy. I can't help myself. She is one of, or possibly, my favorite blogger. You have to go see her. She is amazing. I love her work, her style and her sense of color. She is such an inspiration. I love everything she does. Reading Lucy's blog and just looking at her work is part of what inspired me to start blogging. Lucy and a couple of others that I read daily and just go to for inspiration and ideas are what really put this blogging idea in my head. Lucy recently had a sweet baby boy and was out of commission for a week or better. I found myself checking her blog several times a day waiting for an update on what was going on with her and "Bump24". I am happy to report that I wasn't the only one checking and worrying. She had hundreds of posts from folks wanting and needing to know what was going on. I never would have imagined getting hooked on blogs; but when you start reading about what other's have going on and they share their lives with you, some how this unexplainable relationship develops and you find yourself caring about complete strangers.

I am still getting ready for the gathering that is this weekend at my house. I am getting excited and so are some of the others who are helping host. It will be fun. I have been tired and feeling a little funky this week though. I have been trying to convince myself that I am not getting sick. I have been talking hard with myself about it and have told myself numerous times that I just don't have time to be sick. However this morning I had to give in and I stayed home from work. I hope a day on the couch will make me all better and I can get things finished and ready for this weekend.

I still have a little bit of knitting and crocheting to finish up before the weekend. So maybe I can work on that today as I continue to convince myself that I am not sick.

Be an inspiration to a complete stranger, you never know who may care for you.

Gathering

I've been busy getting ready for a gathering at my house. I always look forward to having folks over, I enjoy entertaining. However, I don't like having to make my home presentable for guests. Not that it is a disgusting mess but it does need a good cleaning before a bunch of folks come over. I've said before I'm not a great housekeeper. I like to spend my time doing things I enjoy. I want to knit and create and make and do and just enjoy my time at home. I know that when we win the lottery (notice I said "when" not "if"), I will definitely have a maid. Not because I'm lazy but because I want to spend my time doing things other than cleaning.

I did get a little cleaning done yesterday, but spent a good portion of the day crafting. I am making a few things for the gathering that I hope will be enjoyed as much as I have enjoyed making them. I can't post pictures right now because I don't want to ruin the surprise for the guest of honor. After the gathering I will post pictures of the completed projects and show you what I've been up to.

Crafty goodness...



Hope your weekend has been filled with things you enjoy doing.

Beer Appreciation

Who doesn't appreciate beer? Ben Franklin has been quoted as saying "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." Amen Ben.

Hubby has been home brewing for a while now, mostly from "kits", and recently has gone to full grain brewing. He loves it. It is an experience in adventure with perfection being the goal. He has even started making his own recipes. I have to admit he's pretty good at it. Sometimes I get crazy about all of the brew stuff being everywhere and our foyer closet being full of beer. It can be interesting explaining why the closet is full of beer and beer paraphernalia as guests try to hang up their coats. Some may even think we have a problem.

On New Year's Eve hubby decided we should bottle a batch of brew that was ready and then brew a new batch. I don't mind helping because it's kind of fun. However I do have to make a true effort not to take control and do things like I think they should be done. Mainly because I don't know what the heck he is doing when he is brewing and I don't want to mess anything up. I appreciate and enjoy the fruits of his labor so I am careful to do what I am told and not let the control freak in me take over.

Bottling station...



Bottle capping station (my job)...



Lots of beer ready for conditioning...



New brew brewing...



Does this look like a problem?



If you are a beer lover I am sure you would appreciate all that goes into home brewing. If you are a home brewer - more power to you! If you are the wife of a home brewer..... bless your heart.

Keep on brewing!

Great Vacation

No doubt the holidays are over. I had to go back to work yesterday after twelve wonderful consecutive days of no work. Bummer! My vacation time was great. I did pretty much what I wanted to and a little of what I had to do. I didn't accomplish much from my "things to do while I'm off" list because none of that stuff was fun. Who wants to clean and organize on their vacation? Not me. I don't even like to do it when I'm suppose to or should. While I was on vacation I pretty much knitted my guts out. It was great. I finished a couple of small projects and a sweater for grand baby. I looked at a lot of crafty sites on-line and jotted down a list of things I would like to do. I thought a lot and am still thinking about a craft show. I watched a ton of cartoons. I LOVE cartoons, especially Sponge Bob, Chowder, Penguins of Madagascar, and The Misadventures of Flapjack (my favorite right now). I did a lot of day dreaming and planning and just enjoying myself. I didn't dwell much on my troubles and truly enjoyed my family and time away from work.

Beginning stages of baby sweater...


As soon as I can find the camera (again) I'll post a picture of the finished project.

I hope you take time to do what you want and not always what you should. It's good for you every once in a while.

Crying Cold

I am freezing!!! I don't like to be cold or hot for that matter. I like to be just right. The temperatures are suppose to be crazy cold all week, I think tonight we are looking at 17 degrees F. From what I've heard the weatherman say it is going to be cold for a while. I can take cold weather but when the highs are in the low 30's and the night temps are in the teens I just can't stand it. Yes, I'm complaining. I know some folks would welcome these temperatures but us true southerners like it a little warmer.

I have been known to cry because of being too cold - ONCE. We were pier fishing in the winter, it was so cold and wind was really blowing. I was trying to suck it up and hang tough with hubby. I pride myself on hanging tough. I try so hard to be a tough girl, but the older I get the softer I get.

Anyway, it was freezing butt this day we were pier fishing and I just couldn't take it any longer. I cried. I mean I really cried. I am not a crier so when I say I cried, I really did and it was a big deal. Hubby asked what was wrong and I told him between snubbing that I was cold and I had to go in. He laughed and said okay. That was years ago and even now when it is really cold (like it is now) dear hubby will ask if I'm going to cry.

Lots of good and a few not so good memories of pier fishing. Most of the piers we fished are gone now. Changes like that can make you not like progress.

To bad the good ones are gone.



Hope you are warm and toasty.

Over so soon?

Well, it's official, the holidays are done at our house. I have taken down all of the decorations, packed it all away and cleaned it all up. This is always a sad time for me. I love the holidays. I love the excitement, anticipation, preparing and giving that goes into it all. I love the feeling of the house when you walk in from a long day and see a sparkly tree and gifts and goodies all about. I love the feeling that the season gives. I love how people are different during the Christmas season. People seem to be happy and have an air of excitement about them. People are friendlier and tend to laugh more. I don't understand why we can't keep that feeling year round. Why we can't keep that spirit in our hearts and carry it everyday. Maybe we do and it just bubbles to the surface during the Christmas season. Or maybe it's just something special that happens only at Christmas. Maybe if we all tried really hard and made a true effort to keep that spirit we could hang on to a little bit of it throughout the whole year. What do you think, want to give it a shot? I will if you will.

Here are a few pictures of some of our holiday fun. Enjoy.

Yes, I'm Crazy

It's true, I am crazy. I have been avoiding this whole electronic communication thing for the longest time. I have been quoted as saying "the Internet is the devil". I don't do facebook, or myspace or even text. I have even been known to tape a small list of important phone numbers on the back of my cell phone because I didn't want to take the time to learn how to save them in the phone. Told you I'm crazy.

I don't really know why I have been avoiding this electronic world we live in, guess I'm just old school. It's not that I don't appreciate all the internet has to offer, it just seems sometimes it goes to far; way beyond what we imagined it could be. With that said, I have come to realize I am addicted to blogs. Not just any blog, but a select few that I check daily if not multiple times a day. I love it. I love to see what folks are up to, especially crafters. I love to read about other peoples' lives and what goes on in their worlds. I'm not sure why really, maybe it's just being nosey, however, I do find a lot of inspiration in what I read.

Any way, after a long talk with myself and several hours of trying to set this thing up, I have created my own blog. I'm not sure what I've gotten myself in to or what I may have agreed to by accepting several "terms and conditions" in building this blog, but I just gotta give it a try. I don't know who would read it or why, but I want to do it. I'm not sure what I will write about, I just know it will be about life, crafts and beer.

I love crafts, all crafts. I also love craft shows/fairs. I have been a crafter all my life and can't imagine a day without some craft inspiration. Even if I don't have time to sit down and create, my brain is always crafting. My craft interests are always changing and mixing. I love the feeling I get when I am working on something for someone as a gift or "just because". Crafting with a purpose (other than self satisfaction) is a great feeling. Right now my purpose is the anticipation of our first grandchild. I have been busy with a baby blanket, sweaters, and bibs. I am also tossing around the idea of putting together a small craft show in the near future. I need to think on it a little more before I really go whole hog with it.

My hubby is a home brewer and has found much happiness in making his beer. I have found much happiness in drinking his beer. He loves brewing almost as much as I love crafting. It all started several years back with a simple Mr. Beer kit. That simple little kit exploded into a plethora of brewing stuff that I could have never imagined (which is okay because I can always use it as ammunition when words are said about my yarn stash). There is always talk of brewing and bottling and of course we always have to sample his work (that's the best part).

I have a wonderful life. Even with all of the ups and downs it is wonderful. I have an amazing family, the best hubby and kids anyone could ask for. Yes they make me crazy sometimes but they put up with me and that kind of evens things out.

I hope this will be the first of many posts to come.

May your 2010 be aweful (full of awe)!