It's Already November!

Happy November 1st to you all!  Can you believe it's already November?  I can't.  It's been a year and that's all I can say.  I'm ready to begin afresh.

One bit of news.  You know how in my past few posts I've talked about rain a LOT?  Well, here in Spokane we got almost an inch more of rain in October than has ever been recorded in one month.  Not just in October, but in ANY month since they began keeping the weather records.  That's a lot of rain.  Good to know it wasn't just part of my crazy imagination, thinking we had lots. :-)

Let's start out with some cute faces, shall we?  Just some of the thank you notes from the children who received mittens a couple of weeks ago.

I love how the teachers took photos with them wearing the mittens.  How sweet and thoughtful was that?

89 pairs were taken to the school.  There are 82 first graders this year so there are a few extra pairs in case new students arrive.  I just wanted to share some of these cute faces with all of you.

Teresa, (Teresa Kasner) is making a C2C crocheted blanket and generously shared the free pattern with me.  It was so fun to make and is 38 inches square.

Here's a close up.  I admit, I cheated and used a baby yarn that was white with pastel flecks so I didn't change colors every two rows as the pattern called for.  It was MUCH quicker this way and no ends to sew in.  Nice!  This will go to the Crisis Nursery.

I completed another square for my sock blanket.  Each nine patch square is about 12x12 inches with the cream border.  I really like how these are going together and are pretty much no-thought knitting. Something I'm enjoying right now.

I had a set of salt and pepper shakers that were the mill type grinders we bought years ago while at the Oregon coast.  Well the salt mill quit working so I took it apart, cleaned it well, re-filled it and it still didn't work.  I bought new salt crystals and it still didn't work so look what Dennis bought for me this weekend.  The Pioneer Woman's S & P shakers.  I love them.  I'm going back to the "old-fashioned" shaker type.  Lots less to go wrong with them. :-)  Aren't they just happy and cheerful?

A photo of my flowers from Trader Joe's taken this morning, almost 4 weeks after I bought them.  Still looking okay but starting to wilt.  I'm buying new ones today.  These have made me very happy for almost a month.  For $3.99 I think this is quite a bargain.

Looky what else Dennis bought for me! I love this.  It's a 20 ounce mug and I've been using it everyday for my water.  Quite perfect for me wouldn't you say?  My favorite color is purple/lavender and of course my last name being Queen he couldn't go wrong with this mug.

Now for Miss Piper.  This may be overload, but being a Grandma I'm invoking my Grandma rights and sharing anyway.    :-)

Mandy made her this cute sweater last week.  I think she did an amazing job on it and Piper models it so well.  Yay!  My daughter likes to knit too!  Yippee!!!  How fun is that?!  Isn't it beautifully made?

Our little "Doc McStuffins" for Halloween.  Grandpa and I sent her this for her birthday.  We got her a set just like it two years ago but she had outgrown it.  She loves playing Doc with her babies and stuffed animals.

Daddy, (Brad) and Piper trick-or-treating.

And my girls.  I sent Mandy and Piper matching "Snappy" hats last week.  I was hoping I made the right size for Piper since the pattern didn't go that small.  I think they are both so beautiful.  And they fit.  And they like them.  It makes my heart happy.

So, today was interesting.  A mammogram with a pacemaker.  I don't recommend it.  Ha!  Oh. My. Goodness.  That was painful but done for another year.  I thought they were painful before and that didn't hold a candle to this time.  She did show me the picture in 3D of my pacemaker being squished by the machine.  Quite interesting. Ha!

Then I had a second ultrasound on my arm from the bee sting.  They still aren't sure what's going on. The radiologist even came in and talked to me.  He can't believe how swollen it still is after almost 7 weeks but didn't see any absesses or pockets of infection.  He made sure to say that I could still have infection but he can't see it with the ultrasound.

I did get out of the bone desity test that they do with physicals for us old ladies.  They realized I had one last year so I didn't need that one.  Yippee!  That would have been the only pain-free test all week and I didn't have to have it!  Oh the irony of it all.

I have the mylegram on my back on Friday so Dennis has to take the day off to stay with me.  I'm not supposed to be alone for 24 hours. No walking around afterwards for those 24 hours. Just to the bathroom.  That will give me lots of time to knit, right?

I looking forward to the new year.  A new start.  Feeling much, much better.  The past two years haven't been great healthwise, but it has given me the opportunity to appreciate my friends who have been there for me.  Driving me to appointments when I couldn't.  Praying for me.  Listening to me whine.  :-) And lots of YOU are included in that group of friends.  It's also given me lots and lots of time to knit and crochet for charity, so it hasn't been wasted time.  I look at those little children's faces wearing the mittens and I realize that God can use me wherever I am, in whatever state I am in.  And He can use you too.

I hope you're all having a lovely week so far.  I think of you all very, very often and I'm so glad for each of you.

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Psalm 18:2

Blessinsgs always,
Betsy