Blue Sky and Yellow House!

Good Friday Morning my friends!

Glenys has asked for the pattern for the cabled baby hats I posted a picture of earlier in the month.  This is my go-to pattern for the hats I donate to the hospital for the newborns.  Here is the link on Ravelry:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cabled-baby-hat-2

Since it's a free pattern on Ravelry, does anyone know if it's okay for me to type the pattern out here for people who might not have a Ravelry account?  I've never actually posted a typed out pattern for copyright reasons.  Don't want to step on any toes!  If it's okay though, I'll happily type the pattern out for anyone's use.  It states on the pattern it's not for resale.

It's been a busy week here.  The painting is now complete and we had a day of downpour rain yesterday, since it didn't seem to wash the paint off I think we're okay!

Our son that lives in Montana has been taking a small group seminar at a church on the stateline of Washington and Idaho all week.  We still haven't seen him!  They've been keeping the participants very busy with classes and then attending different small groups all week.  We're going to try to meet him for an evening worship service tonight after hubby gets off work and then take him for a late dinner.  He's planning to come home with us for the night so we can get a chance to talk for a bit before he leaves.  He has to go home tomorrow morning so it won't be a long visit at all, but better a little visit than none at all.

I had to take Chloe to the vet yesterday as she wasn't healing from the scratches she got on her face a few weeks ago.  It turns out she has a canine form of lupus and they had to put her on prednisone and antibiotics again.  Poor baby.  The medications have made her very lethargic and she's just laying around now.  I feel so bad for her, but overnight with the medicine the swelling is gone and the scratches already look better.  The gave her the "collar of shame" yesterday, (The cone collar so she won't scratch.)  She's doing so well though I haven't even had to put it on her which makes both of us happy.  She looked so pitiful at the vets office when they tried it on for size.

Doesn't she look tired?  This is what she's done ever since they put her on the prednisone.

And look what the painter put on the front of our house by the door!  He saw that I collect angels when he was in the house and he free hand painted this for me at no charge.  It's beautiful!  He said if we don't like it we can just paint over it with the extra yellow paint, but I don't think that will happen.  I love my newest angel and the message it brings to all of our friends and neighbors.

Absolutely not one stitch of knitting has formed on my needles this week!  I don't know when that has happened last.  I've been busy with the painters and then I got caught up in blogland and have been catching up on several blogs I follow regularly.  I found a new one and became obsessed with reading every post from the very beginning of the blog a few years ago.  It's about a woman and her husband who have left their Amish roots.  She tells about her childhood all the way through the decision to leave the community to present day and why they chose that step.  It's in chronological order and it reads like a book.  In fact, she has now been asked to write her story for a publisher.  I wish I could find a way to live a simpler life and even though they've left the Amish, they are still raising their children to appreciate the simple life.

So that's what has happened to my week.  Chores and responsibilities have been done, but no knitting or crocheting except during Bible Study last night.  However, I'm going to my knitting group this afternoon so my needles will be flying once again!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the sunshine if it's out where you are.

Blessings,

Betsy

Complete except the doors!

The painting is complete except for painting the doors and putting my things back on the porch and patio.  Ryan, (the painter) will be here in a few minutes to finish up.  I am so impressed with how hard these young people have worked.  Here at 6:00 a.m. both Monday and Tuesday and they worked until almost 8:00 p.m. both days.  And I never saw them stop for a break!  I know they must have eaten at some point but I can't figure out when.

Here's the front now.  It looks a bit "mustardy" in the pictures, but I think it's more yellow.  Chloe has been so happy.  Ryan brought his golden retriever Bella yesterday and they played ALL day.  Boy did she sleep well last night.  Bella is still a puppy at only 11 months and Chloes is getting to be an "old lady" at 5 years old.  It was obvious that Bella had much more energy than Chloe.

 Chloe is waiting for a friend to come play again!

Have a blessed day and I'll see you soon.

Betsy

Painting Day

It's finally here!  Yesterday the two painters were here from 7:00 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. prepping the house for paint.  They power washed and then taped all the rails, trim, windows and doors-all except the back door so we would have an exit.  Of course it was the hottest day of the year so far.  It got up to 85F and we couldn't open a window.  It made for a hot night sleeping, that's for sure.  Then there was a windstorm during the night that threatend to undo all of their hard work.  And they were sure hard workers.

I was running around the backyard at 2:00 a.m., picking up pillows from the yard furniture and praying it wouldn't knock the ladders over!  All was well, and they were back at 6:30 a.m. to start painting.  Take a look...


Before -

 During -

 The back before any trimwork. 

I just took these about 10 minutes ago, so it's fairly up to date. 

I'll post finished pictures as soon as it's done so I'll be back soon.

Blessings,

Betsy

Sunshine Saturday!

There are a few puffy clouds up there, but overall it's a beautiful day.  Hubby and I have accomplished much today.  Well okay, to be honest hubby has done most of the work.  He's accomplished much and I've watched him.  :-)  We took both of our cars to get the oil changed early this morning.  While waiting, we walked to a restaurant a block or so away and had a very nice breakfast.  The cars were done by the time we were finished eating.  How's that for planning?

Hubby has been busy vacuuming leaves, edging, trimming and now he's mowing the yard while I puttered inside and out.  We're having our house painted on Monday and Tuesday IF, and that's a big IF, the weather cooperates.  Here is a picture of the paint color that they put on yesterday for a sample.  What do you think?  Would you believe that the bright yellow was the original color when we had the house built 10 years ago?  That's how much it faded.  Hopefully this will be a better quality paint than what the builder used.  We were going to do it ourselves but have decided we're too old, hubby doesn't have the time and I'm afraid of heights.  We would have to rent scaffolding etc. and not that much money would be saved.  So, I'll show you a picture of the completed paint job soon.

My ruhbarb is coming up nicely and I'll be able to pick some very soon. Hubby can't wait and neither can I.

These are little pocket necklaces that I'm making for another blogger to take to Namibia in May as gifts for the villagers.  I just found out about the project two days  ago and I've completed 9.  I would like to send her 20, but I need to get them in the mail by Tuesday.  She will put little trinkets in them before she leaves.

 Aren't they cute?  I love how they are using up all of my bits and pieces of yarn for a good cause.

The grass is greening up nicely and growing in just the past week.  I'm getting anxious to plant my garden, but I know that NO ONE plants gardens, flowers or vegetables in this part of Washington until at least after Mother's Day.  We could easily have lots of snow yet.  Last year we had snow in June!  The garden was terrible last year.  Not a long enough growing season.  I'm seriously thinking of just planting flowers and buying my veggies!  To work so hard and have no harvest is disheartening.

Okay dear friends.  I'm off to sweep the trimmings off the driveway.  That way I get to spend more time with my handsome hubby!

Thanks for the nice compliments on the never to be completed blanket.  I need to get going on it again.

Blessings,

Betsy

Rainy Tuesday!

Wow, it was a busy weekend for us here!  I guess that's what happens when you're gone for a week.  I've been playing catch up with laundry and everything else.  I have accomplished everything on my to-do list for today, except ironing and I will do that as soon as I finish on the computer.  Absolutely no knitting was done this weekend, but hopefully, when the ironing is done I will find a few minutes this afternoon to work on the infamous baby blanket.

The family from Walla Walla drove up yesterday and bought our pop-up camper.  They were happy that we were asking so little for it.  Basically we asked what we paid for it last fall.  I posted it on Craigslist Saturday, he called 10 minutes after I posted it and they were very happy with it.  I hope they enjoy it.  Maybe we can get a hard sided camper at some point in the future, (one with a bathroom!)

This morning I also made reservations for a condo at  D'Sands in Lincoln City Oregon for a week in May.  It will be a travel month for me to be sure.  I'm going to visit my mother-in-law in Nebraska for 10 days during the first part of May.  Then to D'Sands and to visit our daughter for another 10 days later in the month.  Am I spoiled or what?  Poor hubby has to work and can't go to visit Mom, but he is going to D'Sands with me.  I can't wait.  I love the ocean and who knows?  Maybe I'll get to see Teresa again!

So - I deleted a bunch of pictures from my earlier posts and looky here!  I can show you pictures again!  The first two photos are of the blanket for our newest grandchild yet-to-be-born.  It's done in sections.  First the center is done in two panels and sewn together and the cream border added.  Now I'm working on the first half of the sheep border.  It's taking a looonnnng time!  Can you see the bobbins of yarn hanging off the ends?  Sometimes I have up to 20 bobbins hanging off the back of the work!  There is another border that goes around the sheep border too!  This is about 6 weeks of work.  I usually whip out a aby blanket in a day or so.  This is a new experience for me. :-)  I only work on it at home though because it takes lots of concentration and has lots of yarn hanging off the back of it that keeps tangling up in each other.  I think it will be really cute when it's finished though, don't you?  I've never attempted something like this before and although it can be frustrating, it's fun too.  There are so many ends woven in on the backside that I'm going to have to find a way to put a back on this to cover up the mess.  Any ideas?

 A little bit closer look at the sheep.  Sorry the it keeps rolling up so I can't get a decent picture for you.

 Here are a few burial gowns for the preemies at the hospital.  I'll be making a hat and gown delivery in the next week or two before I go to Omaha.

 And here are a few of the baby hats I've done in the last week or so.  These are my "carry around" project.  I always have a baby hat on the needles in my purse.  I knit standing in lines, waiting at red lights, etc.  It keeps the blood pressure down!

 

I'm so happy to be able to post pictures again.  I can't wait to hear what all of you are doing this spring.  We had a beautiful weekend, now rain and hopefully sun again by the weekend.

Have a wonderful day!

Blessings,

Betsy

Sunshine Saturday

Hello everyone! I'm sorry I've been away so long. I'm still trying to decipher the picture mystery on Blogger. I think in order to post pictures, I'm going to either have to delete some old ones or pay. I think I'll begin with deleting a few and see what happens. But that will be next week when I have more time.

I've been busy traveling the past week. We went to our son's in Montana for Easter weekend. Three egg hunts with the grandbabies on Sunday and a WONDERFUL resurrection Sunday service. It was a grand fun-filled time. Hubby took Monday off work so we were able to stay an extra day. We drove home Monday and then Tuesday morning I travelled alone to Portland, OR to see our daughter. She is expecting her first baby and asked me to go the the doctors visit with her so I could hear the heartbeat. Oh that little one was kicking up a storm in there. I just can't wait to meet this little person sometime in September! I drove back home yesterday and finally relaxed a bit today. Almost 1800 miles driven in 7 days! My car definitely needs an oil change.

While in Portland I took a side trip on Thursday to Multnomah Falls to see a blog friend Teresa. She is also in the Lucy group on Ravelry. It was so good to meet her in person. She volunteers at Multnomah Falls and is a wonderful person. I'll have to figure out how to add links to others blogs on here. I know you would all love it. She posts beautiful pictures of the Columbia Gorge and her farm. And she is a much more regular poster than I am!

My new ipad just decided to quit working while in Montana so hubby and I took it to the geeks at Best Buy this morning. They did what they called a hard reset and it was just like new. Literally. All my information was gone and I had to start all over. Very frustrating. They said sometimes the software has a "little hiccup" and this happens. So I've been trying to reinstall all of my apps etc. this afternoon.

Hubby and I decided to put our little pop up camper on Craigslist today. We have one man interested and he's driving over from Walla Walla tomorrow to look at it. Yes, there is really a town called Walla Walla, Washington! Sounds funny doesn't it?

I'm hoping to be better about blogging, but with so much illness this year, I just haven't had the energy. Hopefully with spring arriving, it will be easier!

Have a wonderfully fabulous weekend.

Blessings,

Betsy