Gorgeous Fall Days

We are having a string of some beautiful fall weather. It is supposed to rain tonight and tomorrow, but we really need it, so no complaints here. Then, more beautiful crisp days are predicted. Spring and fall are my favorite times of year.

I brought out my half finished sock yesterday and started on the foot. It looks gray in this photo, but the color is really a dark green it’s called Lost Lake Heather. I never did find the four pair of hand knit socks that were lost in the move. They were supposed to be Christmas gifts and it’s very frustrating for me.

Last night while we started watching the first season of “The Chosen,” (I know, I know, we are way behind the times,) I started a shawl. It’s really a baby blanket pattern that I got from Mandy, but I just made it narrower at about 24 inches wide. I got the yarn for one dollar a cake at Michael’s in a clearance bin. The label was gone and both of the cakes I found were half pulled out of the cake. For one dollar that isn’t a problem. I’m just hoping there’s enough yarn to make a 4 1/2 to 5 foot long shawl. 

Last Friday my sister went with me to pick up my ID from the University of Nebraska Medical Center where she volunteers rocking babies in the NICU. I’m officially a volunteer there now too. With my ID I’m actually allowed in the hospital during these strange times. I was told that Prayer Shawls are needed more than baby hats right now because so many more people are making the hats, although of course they will accept any that I bring in. With winter coming, it will be nice to give out warm shawls to people having chemotherapy, etc.

I also finished all of the Christmas ornaments for family. These two are for Caleb and Kyleigh and since I don’t think they ever look at my blog I thought I would show them to you. It only took me multiple attempts to sew these together. Three of them were sewn with the hangers inside! Now, I can see doing that the first time, but three? At least I have one gift done for each of them. At the rate I’m going this year it may be all they get!

I have 124 pairs of mittens in this bag ready to go to the elementary school here in Omaha. Zoey helped me count them and pack them all up in the bag. She is a big help as you can imagine.

I just sent Mandy a text telling her that we went for a walk a little while ago. It took a little over a half an hour just to walk around the block! It’s like walking a two year old. 🤣 Every new sight, sound or smell, it’s like, SQUIRREL!!! Then we come around the top of the hill and she sees Grandma’s house and it’s a dead run for the front door. She loves her Grandma and I think the feeling is mutual.

She has progressed to sleeping with us most of the night now. We had said we weren’t going to do that. Ha! She’s cold. What can I say? She is the sweetest little snuggler. She gets right underneath either my chin or Dennis’s chin and snuggles in and doesn’t move for hours. How could you possibly resist that? She always starts out in her kennel and then after her 2:00 am puppy potty break Dennis takes pity on her and puts her in bed with us.

I posted this on Facebook the other day. If the woman happens to be me it’s doubly true!

I had a dermatologist appointment this morning at 8:00. I think because I was a new patient, everyone else was taken in first. It was almost 9 before I was taken to an exam room, but I really did like the doctor when I met him. He’s very young and friendly and it’s the same doctor my sister goes to. Since skin cancer runs in our family it was one of the first things I wanted to make sure I had a doctor for. And big surprise, he took off a spot while I was there this morning. My grandmother had psoriasis all over her body and all of my siblings have it. I’ve been very lucky, living out in Washington it hasn’t bothered me at all. Coming back here I’m starting to get some spots of it though. Oh the joys of getting old!

Take care everyone. I plan to do some knitting this afternoon and then I have to try to think of something good for dinner. It’s always a challenge trying to think of something different isn’t it? stay safe and well.

Blessings and love,

Betsy 

Fall Days

The days here just seem to roll one into another. Dennis is still working from home every day and I am entertaining the puppy! We went for our first real walk this morning down the hill and back up. We’ve been walking with the leash in the house and in the backyard to practice. I think she did very well on her walk. Puppies are easily distracted! Leaves, birds, ants. They all catch her attention. And when a car drove by a few feet away on the road she ran and hid behind my legs! She is a busy little girl and much more energetic than her sister Lizzie, but we love her to pieces. 

She absolutely loves Dennis‘s mom. When she realizes we are walking over to Mom’s house she turns into a wiggly bundle of fur that I can barely hold in my arms. She gets on her lap and gives her so many kisses! Mom loves it. She is very much an animal lover. I think if it weren’t for her age she would be getting a puppy too!

This is her favorite spot on these sunny fall days. We put her bed in the only spot of sunshine in front of the front door and she’ll lay there for hours. Of course she has to have a few of her favorite toys with her too.

She still seems so small to us after Chloe.

She and Lizzie both play until they drop. They are great friends, and you can tell by this photo just how much bigger Zoey is than Lizzie. She is a tiny little thing.  They are both sharp as tacks. They learn very, very quickly. When they want to, of course.

My sister Melanie goes to a craft night every month with her in-laws. This is what the ladies made in September. She didn’t have any place to put it and so she gave it to me. So far the puppy has ignored it completely. It is one of those glass blocks that is used in showers.  I think she did a great job with it and I’m really happy she thought of me.

We have been talking ever since we moved into this house about how disappointed we were not to have a fireplace anywhere. Knowing how well the electric fireplace heated the whole camper, we decided to get one for the family/craft room. It seems to put out a lot of heat although we haven’t needed to use it yet. It has nice storage for CDs and DVDs and even can be used as a mantle piece for the stockings at Christmas. I think it will work nicely even if it isn’t a real fire. It will be nice not to have to have stacks of wood and carry it in.

We had the television sitting on the six drawer shelf below. It was turned on its side in the family room. I think it works well this way too. All but one of those drawers are empty. I should be able to fit a lot of yarn in there don’t you think? 😂

I did manage to make one more baby hat for the hospital this week.

Along with making the cross-stitch portion of the ornaments for Kyleigh and Caleb.

Some of their neighbors came over after Piper went to bed the night before her birthday and asked Mandy if it would be OK to put this up in the front yard for her so she could be surprised in the morning. They have some amazing neighbors. They all know that Brad works out of town and they go the extra mile trying to do small things for Mandy and Piper. Piper was so surprised and happy as you can see by the smile on her face. She loves her puppy. Lizzie was her birthday present, a few weeks early and she’s thrilled with her. Papa and I bought Lizzie some clothes for this winter and gave Piper a gift card so she could go shopping. How we love this little girl. We are so happy to be close to her now.

I have to cut some boxes up today to put in the recycling bin. It’s amazing how quickly they accumulate. We are still waiting to hear when the contractor can start working on the bathrooms. We are really hoping it will be done before Thanksgiving so we’ll have another shower for Alex and Tara to use and the rusty sinks will be gone! 

I hope that you are all having a wonderful October day and are staying well.

Blessings and much love,

Betsy 

How much is that doggie in the window?

I’m singing the same song and second verse this week. Not much gets accomplished craft wise because of a certain little four pounder that has taken over our house! How could I not have remembered how much work puppies are? Would we give her back? Absolutely not. She has wormed her way into our hearts. She is a biter. I know her teeth are hurting her and that’s why she’s chewing on anything she can including our hands and toes.  Every morning Dennis puts her in the bed with me after he takes her outside and I wake up to her smothering me with kisses. I love it!

I had to go to the dentist this afternoon and while I was gone Dennis put her bed up onto his desk so she could take a nap in the sunshine. Guess who has her daddy wrapped around her little paw? Her brown spots are getting darker by the day.

Piper got her school pictures back already. Her grandpa doesn’t like it because he says it makes her look about 16. I think she has a beautiful smile and I love her hair.

Three days in a row these two were able to play together. Friday I brought Lizzie to our house while Mandy worked at the schools fundraiser all day. Saturday was our obedience lesson so they were together all afternoon.

On Sunday Mandy had a memorial service so after church we went out to their house and stayed with Piper and Lizzie. These two were exhausted at the end of all three days.

I finally started working on some Christmas things this week. In the move, four a pairs of hand knit socks were lost. I kept hoping they would show up somewhere, but we have never found them and we’ve been through every unpacked box at least twice, most four or five times!

I have started the ornaments for the grandkids. Mandy, you can’t let Piper see this.😍 Obviously this one is for Piper and all I have completed is the cross stitch portion. I still have to finish it.

This one is for Kyleigh and I just started it last night. It is the same design.

I did finish Lizzy‘s doggy sweater and gave that to Mandy and I also made two baby hats that I have put away to take to the hospital.

Honestly it’s all I can do to keep the house halfway presentable with this puppy. I don’t remember housebreaking taking quite this long before. She’s doing very well, but only if we remember to take her out. She’s not really letting us know. If any of you have tips or tricks for housebreaking puppies feel free to let me know. I’ve had a few comments from past posts and we’ve tried everything that’s been suggested.

Dennis and I got our first shingles Shingrix shots last Wednesday. (I have no idea if I spelled that right.) Thankfully it didn’t bother him at all, but I ran a low-grade temperature for two nights and my arm was swollen, red and hot until today. Since I have had shingles in the past, the doctor wanted to make sure that I had the shot. Since our insurance covered it we figured we better get the shots now while we had the coverage. I have had more vaccinations this year than I have since grade school. We have to get the second shot sometime after November 22. Then, unless we get the Covid booster, I think we’ll be done with shots for a while.

I hope you’re all doing well. I’m enjoying reading about fall in all of the various areas you live in. And of course it’s spring down south. I’m praying that you all have a great week.

Blessings and love,

Betsy