A Wonderful Uncle

Just popping in to quickly let you know that Alex arrived safely little after noon yesterday and Mandy and Piper flew in about 10 last night.

Our first stop on the way home from the airport was Zips burgers. Those of you in the Pacific Northwest will know what I’m talking about when I say every time he comes home that is the first place we go. Their fries and tartar sauce are amazing.  He was making a silly face and he been awake almost 38 hours at this point.

He ended up not going to bed until almost 1:00 this morning. He stayed awake until we went back to the airport to get Mandy and Piper and then we all sat up and talked after Piper went to bed.

Piper adores her uncle Alex and I believe the feeling is mutual.

Can you see the teacher in him? He taught elementary school for several years.

She really loves her Uncle Alex.

I can’t believe I don’t have any pictures of Mandy yet. 

Alex took me to the doctor yesterday afternoon right after our hamburgers and I was diagnosed with bronchitis and given antibiotics.  I’m hoping they kick in quickly. 

They have all left me for a few minutes to go shopping at Costco.  I’m resting my back and hoping the coughing stops.

Dennis and Alex went and got their drivers licenses renewed this morning. They said it took them all of five minutes at the DMV.   How often does that happen?  They both said it was the most pleasant experience at the DMV they’ve ever had! I guess most people are out shopping instead of getting their drivers licenses renewed.

Tomorrow Jamie and the kids will drive over from Helena and Tara‘s flight from London will arrive around 10 in the evening. Brad doesn’t get to come because they’re making his entire department work. I guess he gets Thanksgiving itself off, but has to be at work Friday morning so there’s no way he can fly all the way here. It’s so sad. We were really hoping to have all of our chickens in the coop this holiday. But, we’re going to enjoy the ones we do have.

I just wanted to share these cute, cute pictures of Alex and Piper with you. My heart is full. Mandy and Alex have decided they want to put the Christmas tree up together this afternoon, so Dennis and Alex have dug all the decorations out of storage and we’re going to get busy as soon as they get home. Oh, it will be so fun to have my kids help decorate the tree again! It has been years and years since that happened.  I hope you’re all having a wonderful Thanksgiving week.

“My heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.“  Psalms 30:12

Blessings,

Betsy 

Monday, Monday

Cough, cough.

Yes it’s me. I’m still coughing. Alex’s flight arrives around noon today and Mandy and Piper are flying in tonight. How can it be that I haven’t been sick in several years and the week my children come home, I’m still sick? I am beyond frustrated with this stuff. I thought I would share with you the things I’ve been working on while I’ve been sitting here coughing and blowing my nose. I don’t know how much I’ll be online this week so please forgive me if I disappear for a short time.

I finished another square for my cozy memories sock yarn quilt.

I also finished a corner to corner baby blanket using a Caron cake. I don’t remember the color way though.

Another baby blanket using Lucy from Attic’s 24 shell stitch.  Neither of these blankets have been washed yet so they look a bit wonky. The purple and white one is 40 x 36“. Pretty big!

A close-up of the cute little shells. I did enjoy making this blanket end it was a fairly quick crochet since I just started it on Friday and finished it yesterday.

Last night I began a new pair of socks. All I have done so far is about four rows on each cuff, but at least they’re on the needles!

I also started another “Which Way Filet” baby blanket last night using another Caron cake.

We’ve had some very frosty days this past week. These trees never lost their layer of frost in over 48 hours. Pretty, but cold.

On this first one you can see the red berries covered by frost. The birds feast on these berries all winter long.

Brrrrr.

And finally, I received a sweet little package in the mail.  It was from a dear blogging friend. I don’t know if she wants me to say who it is, so she will remain nameless for now. But isn’t this just the cutest thing?  I adore sheep. Thank you my friend. I love her.  Her fleece looks much like my hair looks most mornings!

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving week and that you take the time to count each and every blessing. I certainly consider each of you a blessing to me.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”  First Chronicles 16:34

Blessings,

Betsy

“Cough, Cough”

Happy Tuesday everyone. My cold has progressed from blowing my nose constantly to coughing nonstop. I have not left the house since last Wednesday. But I just had to pop on here very quickly because the UPS man just rang the doorbell with a package from Amazon that I think must have been sent by one of you. Look what was in the box.

Three skeins of beautiful yarn. These are going to make some wonderful mittens. Look at those colors. I love them. 

I’m almost positive this yarn came from one of you wonderful blog readers. I just don’t know who. If it was you would you please let me know?  And thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.

I finished 10 more squares for a total of 20 squares to be mailed to the prayer blanket ministry. I have them in a mailing envelope all ready to go to the post office as soon as I feel like I won’t scare everyone off with my hacking cough. Right now I sound like typhoid Mary!

I also finished the lace socks. They were made using Knit Picks stroll tweed fingering weight yarn in the Persimmon Heather colorway.

It is a simple six row repeat and very easy to memorize, even for me.

I started this corner to corner baby blanket yesterday. It is made with a Caron Big Cakes of yarn and a J crochet hook.  It is the Shadowberry colorway. I had just started the border when the doorbell rang.

Again, I can’t imagine who, other than one of you lovely people, would have been the one to send me the yarn. I am very grateful and it was very thoughtful of whoever did send it. Thank you so much!

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” Second Corinthians 9:6

Blessings, Betsy

Ah chooo!

Do you hear that? It’s the sound of sneezing and coughing. I have been down with a doozy of a head cold since Thursday morning. But I thought I would pop in and show you what I have managed to accomplish while sitting in my chair and doing absolutely nothing except blowing my nose.

Out of these little balls I have managed to create...

10 squares so far to be mailed to Virginia for a prayer blanket ministry.

Six more pairs of mittens.

These two hats for the ladies ministry at the nursing home were not made with the little balls in the basket, but with a skein of “I love This Yarn” from Hobby Lobby and then the last little bit was used for a pair of mittens in the above photo.

I imagine most of you who knit or crochet have a basket or box similar to this. Whenever I finish making something, no matter how small of an amount I have left, I put the ball into this basket. Even a yard or two is enough to make the center of a granny square!  It sits in the corner of our living room and reminds me to use these odds and ends up and not waste them.  Just look how much I’ve made with them in the past two days alone and I just took the basket photo this morning. I still have that entire basket left!

I hope you are all doing well. I haven’t left the house in two days and I don’t plan on going anywhere today. Dennis is at the grocery store picking up some supplies for us. It’s not a hardship for me to stay home. I am a homebody at heart. Wishing you all a wonderful Saturday.

“Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.”  Isaiah 25:1

Blessings,

Betsy

Good Morning, It’s Wednesday!

Good morning everyone! It’s Wednesday! Two more days and I can spend the weekend with Dennis. Even though I’m no longer working outside of the home, I still look forward to weekends when we can spend time together. My sister posted a picture on her Facebook page of her husband Mike who passed away last year. I didn’t have one to share on Veterans Day so here is Mike’s picture of his army days.  I believe this was taken when he was stationed in Korea.

I have been busy crocheting and knitting. I told you about the lovely lady in Laurens, South Carolina who is trying to make lapghans for her local nursing home. She ended up with pneumonia and hurting her shoulder and so is not able to crochet very quickly.  She very much wanted each resident in the nursing home to get a blanket for Christmas.  Several of us decided to make afghans for her so she can reach her goal. These were the contributions I finished this week and will be mailing out to Edna today.

The one on the bottom is actually a dark brown tweed and hunter green striped rectangular blanket. The light isn’t very good today.

They may look narrow to you, but she specifically requested 23 inches wide so as to fit in the wheelchairs and not get tangled in the wheels. The top one is a little wider. It is the temperature afghan I began earlier this year and quickly grew to dislike! I was bored. I think it will make a great wheelchair lapghan though.

Next are two hats that I knitted this week for the Wednesday afternoon group I joined last week. It is a lovely group of women who live at a local senior facility.  One lady has lived there for 27 years! Another lady looked like she was much younger than I am and I’m 59!  I managed to show up the week after their big deliveries for the year. They make hats all year. Exclusively hats. Then, the last week in October they deliver them to schools, homeless shelters, and other places around the city. Last year they made over 1100 hats!  Just the six women. I’m impressed.

The first one I’m contributing is is a “Bubble Hat.”

The second is the “CC hat.”  I’m not sure what the CC stands for. One article suggested it was for copycat but I don’t know.  Although I made the child size hat, this one is significantly larger than the pink one. I’ve cast on another and eliminated 16 stitches from the cast on.  Hopefully that will make it more child size. I’m going to take it this afternoon and see if they want it anyway, although it fits me!

This is my new hat cast on.  I think an elementary age girl will love this color yarn.

I also have another dish cloth on the needles and one complete.

Oops! I took the picture of the blue one upside down. You get the idea though.  If you would like to see what the front looks like, there is a photo of two washcloths on my post last week. A few people asked me about the pattern. It is a free pattern called the “Spa Day Facecloth”.  If you download the pattern I just thought I would let you know that I have changed the cast on from 53 stitches to 41. 53 makes it much, much bigger than I like.   41 stitches makes about an 8 inch square.

I’m not sure how to report about the injections in my back. I ended up getting 17 injections. I really can’t tell a whole lot of difference. If I’m standing up for more than 20 minutes to a half hour, my back gets very tight and the spasms begin. It does seem a little better though. After the last round of injections and this set, I have ended up with headaches every day around 3:00 until after I go to sleep. I’m not sure if it really has anything to do with the injections or not. I’m supposed to call the neurologist’s office next week and let them know how I’m doing. Honestly, I don’t know how I’m doing. As long as I sit in my recliner I’m fine. If I’m riding in the car I’m fine. But no sitting in a regular chair like in a restaurant or at church or standing for very long. I know so many people have things so much worse that they’re dealing with, but several of you have asked for an update so I thought I would share it here. I appreciate each and everyone of your prayers.

I would really like to go to Japan or London next year and visit with Alex and Tara. However, I just don’t know how I will be able to ride on an airplane that long. If it weren’t for the fact that our children live so far away, I would just learn to live with it and adjust, but it’s hard when I want to go see my kids and my body doesn’t cooperate.

OK, enough whining. I only brought it up because a few of you asked.

I can’t believe that Thanksgiving is two weeks from tomorrow! Mandy and Piper will arrive on Monday evening. Alex will fly in from Tokyo on Tuesday. Brad and Tara are flying in on Thursday from Omaha and London respectively. Jamie and the kids will drive here either Tuesday or Wednesday. Our house will be overflowing and I love it!  I am a happy and excited mom and grandma! Dennis is taking from Tuesday through the rest of the week off for vacation too.

I hope that you are all having a wonderful week and staying warm. I’m also keeping those of you in Australia in my prayers. The fires there right now are horrific. If you haven’t heard about the fires, please check out the blog on my side bar called “Calligraphy cards-Shaz in Oz”.  She posted this morning with some photos of what’s happening right now.

“ Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” Isaiah 54:10

Blessings,

Betsy

Remember

Remembering all of our veterans and active duty to serve this great country of ours. Ours is a military family. My father served in World War II.

My parents were married hours before he shipped out.

My oldest brother Roger, also served in the Navy during the Vietnam war.

My brother-in-law Mike Danahy who passed away last year, served in the United States Army.

And my wonderful husband Dennis served in the United States Air Force.

I know I have photos of Dennis somewhere in his uniform but I couldn’t find it this morning. I wish I had photos of Roger and Mike in their uniforms for you.

Suffice it to say, I’m very proud of the men in our family who sacrificed for the rest of us to be able to enjoy our freedom’s.

May God bless all of the veterans and currently serving members of the Armed Forces and their families on this and every day.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”  John 15:13

Sunshine!

We have had some glorious, glorious sunshine this week. I have even been able to leave the patio door open a little so Chloe can wander in and out at will.  Poor Chloe had to have three teeth pulled last Friday. Since she is at least 13 years old, it’s amazing that those are the first teeth she has had any problems with. She was a trooper. She is still eating soft foods but seems to be doing very well.

The verdict is still out on whether the injections worked last Tuesday. I haven’t had actual spasms since then, but my back sure does feel tight. I admit, I haven’t pushed things either and have been babying it. I probably should get more aggressive in my activity and see what happens.

I finished a stack of dish cloths that are destined to be gifts. I can get three of these dish cloths out of one skein of Hobby Lobby‘s “I love this cotton.”  Each skein had about 1 1/2 yards left after I bound off the third cloth.  I like this pattern because of the ridges. They make scrubbing dishes and counters very easy.

I also finished one baby blanket and I’m joining the squares for a second one. These will be for charity. I have not washed or blocked the completed one yet so it’s a little bit wrinkly.

I made the squares one round smaller on the second blanket and I will put a larger border on it.

My fall decor is still in full swing here. I probably have a bit too much out, but I do love the colors.

Dennis was craving tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches over the weekend so I decided to fancy them both up a bit. I added some garlic and onion powder and diced tomatoes to the soup. The sandwiches were made with smoked gouda and cheddar cheeses, both shredded and melted on sourdough bread. Oh my goodness! This sure stepped up the normal tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. And it did nothing for my diet!

Halloween was a very cold day back in Nebraska, so Piper was bundled up in all kinds of layers to go trick-or-treating. Notice the mittens I made her!  She chose the colors while we were face-timing. I took her to my yarn closet and she picked the skeins out. They match her coat perfectly! She does have quite the eye for color, even from 1500 miles away!

I think she had two pairs of pants underneath her costume along with a couple of tops too!  But that wig! I think it’s hilarious!  *** edited to add: Piper was a character in the new Disney movie “The Decendents.”  She is the daughter of Queen Maleficent, but I don’t remember her name.  Apparently the movie focuses on the children of the evil villains in the Disney movies.

Mandy sent this photo last night. Apparently there was a Little Mermaid live event on TV and Piper was enthralled. She has always loved the little mermaid. I think it’s her favorite Disney princess.

My little knitting bunny is enjoying the fall colors too!

And finally, there was a package delivered in the mail yesterday. It was full of these sweet thank you notes from the children at the elementary school for their mittens. Sherri these also belong to you for the mittens that you donated.  They made my heart melt.

I was told about a knitting group that makes hats for charity at a nursing home. They meet on Wednesdays for an hour in the afternoon. I think I’m going to drop in today and see if outsiders can join in. I miss being with other ladies and I think the companionship would be fun.

I’m getting excited. In less than three weeks all of our children will be here at our house for Thanksgiving. It will be the first time we have all been together since Piper was nine months old. Almost 7 years! Although they won’t be here very long, I’m sure looking forward to spending the time together and seeing all three grandchildren interacting with each other.  We will also celebrate Christmas with them while they are here. I have to tell you, this grandma can hardly contain herself. :-)

I hope you’re all having a wonderful week and enjoying some of the beautiful crisp fall weather that we are.

”Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.”  Isaiah 25:1

Blessings,

Betsy