Blue Skies, Smiling at Me! Nothing but Blue Skies....

 We have had the most outstanding weather with blue skies. We had a little skiff of snow a few days ago that was gone in a few hours. The weather has been unbelievable for January, but I'm not complaining at all. We're even supposed to have a few days next week in the 50's and maybe even 60F again. So nice!

I've been enjoying being home and in my cozy place again and actually have some crafty things for you today. First of all I want to say another Happy Birthday to Dennis who turned 70 last Friday, the 9th. Brad, Mandy and Piper took us out to a sports bar we all like for dinner. It was packed! We got the last available table and there were several groups waiting when we left. We didn't sit around and visit so we could leave the table and let others eat. Instead, we went back to their house and shared a cheesecake that I had made and dropped off at their house. The dogs played while we went out and we were all happy to be together. Miss Piper sat next to me and cuddled a bit. I love that at 13, she's not afraid to show her old grandma affection, even in public. I got to brush her hair while we were at her house. We both enjoy that. 

I took this photo last week for Mandy who had bought Dennis this shirt for Christmas. I wanted her to see how well it fit him. He looks pretty good for 70 doesn't he? I love this guy. Tomorrow he's driving up near S. Dakota with his cousin Curt and Jeff our pastor, to disassemble bunks at the church camp. Someone has donated all new bunks to the camp for the new season. That was so incredibly generous. Tuesday and Wednesday he'll be at the Mission all day. Retirement? What retirement? Ha!

These were what I found with my orchids when we got home from London. There are two more buds ready to open. This plant has done better than any other orchid I've had in the past.

I finished my Christmas socks the day after Christmas, so they'll be put away until next year. I threw the label away, but I believe it was Opal sock yarn. They were doing very well being twin socks until the end of the heel turn. I think the section of white at the bottom of the heel must have been different lengths for each sock because I measured so carefully when I began. Oh well, they're close enough and most don't see the foot of the sock anyway.

I began these in London and they were my flying home socks. I finished the first sock on the flight from London and started number two sock flying from Dallas to Omaha. I haven't touched them since we got home until this morning during Sunday school, when I turned the heel.  These are also using Opal sock yarn bought while in London on my last visit. The pattern is Petty Harbour which is a free pattern on Ravelry.

Because I love Opal sock yarn I ordered more during this last visit. I ordered it on a Monday and it arrived from Denmark on Wednesday. I got all of this yarn for 36 pounds. I'm not sure what the exchange rate to dollars was, but it was worth it. This yarn is so hard wearing. "J" told me yesterday that her Mommy wears her new Christmas socks whenever she is at home. She has to wear business attire to work so no hand knit socks there! :-) I'm so glad to know my kids love the socks I make them.   

If you remember, we spent a few days in the Cotswolds with Alex and "J" when we were visiting. Of course I found a yarn shop in Cirencester where I bought a tote bag and a skein of beautiful yarn. The bag shows some of the different villages in the Cotswolds on the front and back. Isn't that skein of wool gorgeous? It's made from Cotswold sheep. Yummy. It's so soft. Seeing the sheep in all of the fields as we drove around made me wonder if one of them provided my beautiful new yarn?

The back of the yarn label.

The front of the label.  It says, "Colour's of the Cotswolds."

I started this blanket last Monday. I'm trying very hard to clean up my stash a bit and use up some scraps. This was a valiant attempt at using worsted balls. However, the basket the balls hide in still looks just as full. I don't understand it. Are those yarn balls reproducing in the basket? This will be donated to the memory care unit at Parsons House where Mom lived. I have three or four blankets made for them so I'll probably deliver them next week. I have found that the dementia residents really like these colorful blankets and often choose them to use even when more solid colors are also available. Maybe the bright colors trigger a memory?

I also began knitting a matching Christmas Stocking on Tuesday for the new baby due to be born in April in London. We know it's another girl but that's it. I'll finish the stocking by adding the name once the baby is born. Alex, "T" and "J" all have stocking identical to this one.  I hope to begin the counted cross stitch birth announcement very soon. I have the pattern here but need to find the time to get all of the materials together and begin stitching.

My plan while Dennis is gone during the day this week is to get some sewing done. I have had the fabric for three new dresses since before we moved from Spokane. I washed the fabric this afternoon and will cut them out tomorrow and hopefully begin sewing too. 

I also have to shorten some jeans for a single gentleman at church. He's super short and rather round. I do a lot of shortening of sleeves and pants for him. I tell him every time that I'm not a professional and they won't be perfect, but I'll do the best I can. He's fine with that. We both grew up in the same small town in Iowa. I remember being terrified of him when growing up. He was a member of a gang. A REAL gang. Drug dealers, guns, etc. He was actually shot in the head and left for dead. His fiancé was shot and killed. He never married. The bullet is still lodged near his brain. But it completely changed him and his life. He turned his life over to God and is completely different. He spent years in jail and you would never, ever believe that he lived like that before. It's amazing what God can do if you just surrender you life and your will to Him.

Well, this turned into a letter didn't it? I'll stop babbling now and let you get back to your life. But first I have to tell you what "J" said to me yesterday on Face Time when I asked her how soon she was going to bed. Her answer? "Grandma, I'm going to go to bed straight away after I go to the loo and brush my teeth." It amazes me her vocabulary. Straight away? And of course, the loo. Our son is becoming British too, using words like bin for garbage can, lift for elevator, boot for trunk, biscuit for cookie and on and on. I love our conversations. :-)

Take care my friends and I'll be back soon.

Blessings and love,

Betsy

THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS

Text: Daniel W. Whittle            Music: James McGranahan

    1.        There shall be showers of blessing:
  This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
  Sent from the Savior above.

 

Showers of blessing,
  Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
    But for the showers we plead.

2

There shall be showers of blessing—
  Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
  Sound of abundance of rain.

3

There shall be showers of blessing;
  Send them upon us, O Lord!
Grant to us now a refreshing;
  Come, and now honor Thy Word.

4

There shall be showers of blessing;
  O that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
  Now as on Jesus we call!

5

There shall be showers of blessing,
  If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
  If we let God have His way.

  

Update

Just a really quick update for all of you who have been praying for me and thinking of me. The doctor called and said that the "likely malignant mass" is most likely benign! Great news! The not so great news is that I have to have ANOTHER specialized colonoscopy with a different surgeon who will remove the mass and have it re-tested. Apparently it will be a very involved surgery that takes a different specialist. And, oh goody, I get to drink that lovely cocktail once again. I'm waiting for a call from the scheduler.

Thank you so much for thinking of me and praying for me. I'm a firm believer in prayer and I'm absolutely positive that is the reason it is now called benign.

I'll be back soon with knitting news. Love to you all.

Blessings and huge hugs,

Betsy

Sunshine and Warmer-Home is good.

It's really good to be home. Seeing our kids and grand-baby was wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. But the traveling? Not so much. I still say the airlines used the covid era to move the seats closer together and everyone in every airport seems to be angry. I find that sad. Life is too short to argue with everyone about everything. I prefer to assume that the other person meant no wrong and try to fix whatever the issue is.

I have just a few more photos of our trip. Actually, I have a LOT of photos but they all have "J" or our DIL in them. When we first arrived the kids had had a carpenter building shelves in their living room and painting it. He finished on the 2nd Sunday we were there. Everyone went out the next night and purchased the Christmas tree. It took three different places to find one that still had a tree since it was the 23rd. It was a beautiful tree though. I also thought the carpenter did a very good job on building and painting the beautiful shelves and cabinets. He also painted the ceiling and light green walls. The kids plan to get a different area rug and coffee table. This room was the "reception room" in Victorian Days. Their home is narrow and tall. I think I may have said in my last post that our room was 34 steps UP, on the top floor. We overlooked the rooftops of London. It's a beautiful nighttime view and we saw fireworks while lying in bed on Christmas Eve.

I baked sugar cookies with "J" one afternoon and the next morning after breakfast we got busy decorating them. She had a wonderful time and Grandpa joined in too. Even Mama and Papa took a short break from work. Our son works from home managing his company in Japan and our DIL was working from home the week before Christmas.

"J", DIL and I decorated a few new Christmas baubles. We had so much fun. I have no idea why this typing in blue with an underline, but I apologize.

Isn't the fireplace pretty? I made them their stockings the year that "J" was born. I've just started a new one for the baby due in April. The mirror can easily be taken down and set aside when they want to watch TV or a movie. They have a projector on the opposite wall that shows on this wall.

We had this lovely phyllo dough twists and camberbert (spelling), cheese on Boxing Day when relatives visited. It was so delicious. There was so much food on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. I thought sure I would gain weight but actually lost 5 lbs. Maybe it was going up and down those stairs constantly.

This was dinner one day. Toad in a Hole. It's Yorkshire pudding batter poured around sausages and baked. It was really good. There was gravy to poor over the top.

Any of you feel the same way? Look at all of that lovely, lovely yarn.

It's been a busy few days around here. I had my colonoscopy on Friday. The prep was as awful as usual. I'll find out the results in a few days. They removed two polyps and found a "mass" that they biopsied. tattooed and called "likely malignant." I'll find out the results in a few days. I do hope he is wrong. I know I should be more concerned but I'm not. Whatever will be, will be, and God is in control of all things. We'll take it one day at a time and meanwhile, life goes on. 

We had a wonderful Sunday school class and Worship service this morning. The music was everything beautiful and seeing everyone again after after 4 Sundays of absence was great. I missed last week because after our flight arriving late, late Saturday night, Dennis woke me up and I fell asleep again. I woke up two hours later, way too late for church.

I'm sorry I missed commenting on your blogs on Friday. I was out of it from the anesthesia all day after no sleep at all from the prep on Thursday night. It's like jet lag all over again! I'll be back to visit again soon.

Blessings and love,

Betsy