Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Happy New Year....

What?  Am I late?  It's already the third of January?  Oops. Well, actually I did know that, but I've been snuggled down pretty securely in the house during these cold snowy days.  But look outside today.
It's a beautiful, but chilly blue sky today.  This, once again, is the view from the back deck where I stepped out in my robe and slippers to take a photo to show you.  I've had a very lazy morning today.  I've had difficulty sleeping again, which has happened periodically since I was around 50 years old.  In talking to other ladies, it's not an uncommon occurrence and now that I'm not working outside the home any longer, I can just "roll" with it.  So this morning after Dennis left for work I went back to bed and actually slept another hour.  By then it was about 7:00 a.m. and it was cold, so for the first time in a long time, I grabbed my Bible and climbed back into bed to read there instead of my normal routine of showering, dressing and sitting in my chair with a cup of tea.  You know what?  It was kind of fun!  Like playing hooky as a child.  I still read my Bible so does it matter where I did it?  Nope!

Now I'm up and have vacuumed and dusted the bedroom and living room and getting ready to go to Hobby Lobby which is right down the street from me.  They have "I Love This Cotton" on sale this week, so I thought I might pick up a few skeins of it.  I can also wander around and look at beautiful things while I try to get my steps in.  It's way to slippery to walk outside these days.

I took the picture below on Friday.  At that point I think it had snowed at least a little bit every day for at least 11 days straight.

Dennis took the day off on Friday because work was so slow, as it usually is between Christmas and New Years, and we went to get a permit renewed at the courthouse.  My little CRV gets around wonderfully in the snow and ice with it's Blizzak snow tires.  But...others don't do so well.  Right after I took this picture a jeep passed us on the left going way too fast.  He spun two complete circles and then went off the road, just missing several other cars while he was spinning.  He also just missed a power pole and a garage.  People were following way too close and we were almost rear-ended at least three times that I saw.  What is wrong with people?  It's not like we never have snow and people don't know how to drive.  And what's up with the huge hurry?  Although we had several other errands, we decided that we, and the car, would be much better off at home.  At the end of the day the news reported over 175 crashes on Friday alone.  And it wasn't even that slick!  People need to slow down!  Okay.  Enough of my rant.  Sorry about that.
 It was beautiful.  But I'm thankful for blue sky today.
I've been hibernating inside most of the time watching videos and knitting.  This is my view.  As I said before, I leave my snowmen out for awhile after the holidays.  My little camper stays out for a month or two longer too, even though Santa is waving from the roof.  It reminds me that I'll be back at the lake before too long.
I do have a couple of finished objects.  I made this scarf for another one of Dennis' co-workers, Paula.  It's really a brighter yellow but looks rather faded here.  Blame it on the cloudy day that I took the picture!  I just used a simple garter band on all sides and the body is k2, p2, alternating every two rows. It's about 6 feet long.  I really like it and will definitely use this stitch pattern in other things.
 I finished a pair of socks out of Paton's Kroy sock in the "blue rag" colorway.  Look how well the stripes match until the toes.  I didn't do it on purpose and I have no idea why the color is off on the toes.  Oh well, no one will see the toes anyway, right?
I started another pair of socks too.  These are made with Regia yarn and I love the pattern that it's making.  I'm gong to finish the heel flap today and then put them in my carry-on to knit on while flying to Omaha on Saturday.  I want them past the heel flat so that in case of interruptions I can just knit round and round.  Notice I'm back to my dpn's.  I like the magic loop method okay, but I always go back to dpn's.  They are much more comfortable for me to use.
We're heading into the deep freeze that is Nebraska for a week.  Dennis will be there for his birthday  for the first time since we moved to Spokane in 1993.  That will be nice for his Mom.  We'll have a late Christmas with Mandy, Brad and Piper too.  We had a new little great-niece born over New Years weekend so it will be fun to see little Madeline Elise.   It will be a busy week, trying to fit everything in.  Plus, we're flying Alaska there and United home.  United has some strange restrictions on carry-on luggage.  Apparently my purse counts as my carry-on!  I usually take a little hand-held bag that holds all of our medications, my Ipad and my knitting onboard with me.  We're trying to figure this out.  We'll have some Christmas presents, plus snow boots, clothes for both of us all in one large checked suitcase.  Traveling in the summer is much, much easier.  Less bulky clothes.  And I am a very light packer too.  I don't take many clothes at all.  We really don't want to pay for another checked bag.  Hmmmph.  It's much easier to drive. 

We are both looking forward to Dennis' retirement when we can drive wherever we want to go.  If the weather gets bad, we can just stop.  No timeline to follow strictly.  I used to love to fly.  All over the world.  Get me a ticket and off I would go.  I flew to London and Japan by myself.  Several times.  I've flown all over the U.S.  But it's NOT fun anymore.  They pack us in like sardines and the security is not fun.  Especially now with my pacemaker, because I can't go through the regular detector anymore.  And they overbook most flights now, because sometimes people just don't show up.  Then people get kicked off the plane because they've overbooked.  Not fun.  Am I ranting again?  I don't mean to.  Just trying to explain why it's so much more fun to drive and stop whenever you want to.

BUT....we are looking forward to seeing our girls again. 

And how about all of you?  Is the new year treating you well so far?  I'm going to try to read more this year.  I used to read several books every week.  Now, because I'm always knitting/crocheting, my reading has all but stopped.  So, although I may not get as much crafting in, I'm determined to read more.  That's one of my goals.  My big one however, is working on the "fruit of the spirit" in my life.  As you can tell with my "rant's" in this post, I can definitely use it.  For those of you unsure of what I'm taking about it will involve cultivating love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. These are found in Galations 5 in the Bible.  I also want to make prayer a bigger priority in my life. 

I hope you are all having a wonderful week.  Jamie did something to my Ipad while he was here, so I'm going to TRY to post while I'm at Mandy's next week.  We'll see if it works.

This is my favorite Bible verse and I'm going to leave it with you to start this new year of 2018.

"But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.  Isaiah 40:31

Blessings,
Betsy

21 comments:

  1. I am planning to read more this year too. Beautiful Bible verse. I am so excited for you to be travelling to see family, hope you have a wonderful time. Love the scarf, a beautiful pattern.

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  2. Happy New Year Betsy! Hope you are warm and cozy. Love those socks you've knitted. enjoy your trip to see the girls - you will have such fun!

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  3. That Bible verse was a favorite of my best friend too.

    As for ranting about people? Well, I say Jesus is perfect. We have no rants with him. People on Earth .... well, not so much. I can love them, but still think that they should take driving lessons! ;-)

    Travelling (by car OR air) is not as much fun as it used to be. I have issues with hauling my insulin (must be refrigerated and the airlines won't let me bring on my icepacks). So, no flying for me ....not that I really wanted to anyway.

    Hope your visit with family is purely joyful and that you have a safe journey both there and back.

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  4. I hate driving in the snow. Nothing good comes from it.
    Your trip sounds wonderful! I've got your package ready to go but since you won't be home you could send me your friend's address so I can stick it in the mail directly to her?

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  5. Hi Betsy, here's wishing you a safe and happy trip to Nebraska. Stay warm and pack extra socks. I love the socks that you are knitting . . . you are so talented.
    Happy New Year!
    Connie :)

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  6. I grumble about drivers who go too fast for conditions. My thoughts are they are over confident in their four-wheel drive vehicles. Four-wheel drive doesn't help too much with braking on icy roads. Enough said.

    Enjoy your trip to NE. I love Paton Kroy yarn and the stripes it always creates. Based on the different ties, I'd say you have a left sock and a right sock.

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  7. I enjoyed seeing my 2 little sheep I sent to you left out on your display near your cute little camper. I'm very impressed with the socks you've made. Gorgeous. Have a wonderful trip to Nebraska and I know you'll love seeing your girls and all the family there.

    *H*A*P*P*Y* * *B*I*R*T*H*D*A*Y*!*!*!* to Dennis!

    ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  8. I hope you have a good time with your NE family! I have books I've not read and should not buy any more til I do! Yes, I should read more too and get Melody's quilt made instead of just talking about it. Nice sox! I'm feeling ok, a bit low, with maybe a cold but not bothering me too much. I have been sleeping ok. My issue is that I wake up too early and then have to get myself back to sleep. If it's an hour early I usually stay up. Hugs and safety and love to you and Dennis!

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  9. I will never understand why people can't just slow down, especially when they know that road conditions are not good. Making the decision to head home was probably a very good idea. I pray that your travel will be uneventful. Honestly, my boys had an awful time getting here and it cost us so much more money than expected. I wrote American Airlines and aired my grievances but they say they are not liable for what happened. Long story. Yusef leaves Sunday night and I'm really hoping he doesn't run into any delays and additional travel woes. I have piles of books I want to get through but usually read in spurts. Crochet is something I do every single day even if I'm not working on any particular project. Always happy with yarn and hook. Today is my husband's birthday. Sending early birthday greetings for Dennis. Warm wishes, Tammy

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  10. Maybe I should crochet a pair of socks myself. I have a ton of yarn to play with.

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  11. Oh sweet friend, try to stay warm. It's been so crazy. We have not been above freezing since Christmas Eve. The other day it was -1 degree...and we are suppose to be in the south! No snow, just flurries here, and bitter cold. Did I happen to mention that I hate winter? I pray you two have safe travels and that the airport is not as bad as usual. I agree, driving is always more fun...it might take longer, but you can explore all kinds of different and new places along the way. Wishing you a day filled with much joy and many blessings sweet friend. ((hugs))

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  12. Its ok to chat Betsy. Your thoughts are important. I will try to make you laugh however. IF you look up Sebastian Monascalco and watch his short comedysketch on airport security I think You;ll laugh. Then watch WHEN THE DOORBELL RINGS!
    TIme with Piper.....whoaaa good days ahead

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  13. Happy New Year to you, sweet friend. I trust this year will be a happy, blessed, healthy year for you and Dennis, and I hope your time with your dear family will be wonderful. The flying sounds so hard...I have never been a person who likes to fly, so I avoid it at all costs! May the Lord bless you all and keep you safe, and always know that I am praying for you. :)

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  14. Love those socks, Betsy! Have a great trip and lots of fun with Piper. Have a Happy New Year, too!

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  15. That verse was our homeschool verse wnen we started homeschooling. Those socks are cute! I'm rolling up some yarn to crochet some slippers using a pattern I use for making baby booties. And it's okay to say Happy New Year. We are only five days into the year. Have fun with your yarn crafting!

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  16. Hi Betsy, Happy New Year! I am behind on reading my e-mails and commenting but getting caught up posting mine and commenting on some today. Love that scarf. Did you do the edging and middle all on the same rows? I saw where Hobby Lobby had that yarn on sale and thought about getting over there today as last day of the sale now but didn't make it. Oh, well there will be another sale and I have not used up what I have yet! No, it doesn't matter about mismatched toes on sox. Just enjoy! Whoever sees them will think you planned it that way! I don't like to fly either! Miss our Fifth-wheel when we could pull our little house behind us! Nancy

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  17. Hope I pushed the right button to post! Sometimes I forget to push the Publish button! LOL Nancy

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  18. I am sure you are on your way to visit your family by now Betsy. I hope you have event free travel and get loads and loads of hugs from your two girls. Wishing Dennis a happy birthday as well. Stay warm.

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  19. I am busy catching up with all my blogging friends! I can't believe how far behind I got! A tip for sleeping better which you might have tried already...I sleep like a rock but the few times when I have woken in the middle of the night I looked back at my day and realized I wasn't as active as I normally am. The girls help me because I am up and down letting them out and in all day but also I go up and down the stairs to the basement as I am organizing and just plain running around the house doing chores. Not sure if that helps but I hope so.
    You are a busy lady with your jet-setting! How fun to see all your relatives and for Dennis to be able to spend his birthday with his Mom. I love the scarf and the socks! Great yarns! I love the Hobby Lobby cotton....it is so soft and I love the colors. Have a great trip!

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  20. Hi, I know you made it to Nebraska to see the kids/families --since I saw that precious picture of Little Miss Piper in that pretty yellow dress.... I know you had a great time.... Can't wait to hear and read more about that trip...

    We are fine --and I'm working on my goal for 2018... I am continuing to work on my health. I have had several minor things wrong with me this past year .. Many of them were caused by stress I'm sure. SO-I'm working on all of that this year.

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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