Rainy Days and Mondays!

I try not to let them get me down.  Rainy days and Mondays that is.  It's better than snow, so I'm not complaining one little bit.

Hubby and I took Chloe out to play at the lake on Saturday.  She loved running through the snow in the field.  The lake is still completely frozen over.   Can you see the bumper floats that are used to anchor jet ski's in the summer?  Somebody forgot to remove them before the lake froze.  Do you think they'll still float when it thaws?

Even though there is no snow left at our house a mere 25 minutes away, there is plenty here in the mountains and valley's surrounding the lake.  This is looking across the lake.  Yep. Frozen solid, but not solid enough that I was brave enough to walk on it.  It's hard to believe that we'll be swimming out there in a couple of months isn't it?

This is what we found behind our trailer.  With so much moisture, rain and snow this winter, the bank of new crushed granite that the park brought in last fall has erroded.  It looks like well have work to do when we return in a few weeks.  We need to plant some shrubs or grass to hold the granite stable.

A trench big enough to lay in!

After we left the lake, we went to our favorite Thai restaurant in Deer Park.  These are the absolute best egg rolls I've ever had.  We make this drive all winter long, just for these egg rolls.

My favorite dish is their cashew chicken.  Hubby always gets teriyaki chicken.  The lady who owns this restaurant used to have a street food cart in Bangkok.  This is as close to the "real deal" as you can get.  Hubby gets 2 stars for heat but I get absolutely NO stars!

And this is what I'm doing today.  Putting a border on a baby blanket for the local hospital with Sophie cuddled underneath.  In case you're wondering, I alway wash everything before I take it to the hospital so there are no "dog germs" on the baby things.  I'm sure they sanitize them too before actually distributing them.

Yesterday, just for excitement after church, hubby & I replaced the rubber flappers on all three toilets.  Doesn't that sound exciting?  I've made the mistake of using those Clorox drop-ins in the tank and the bleach completed destroyed the rubber flappers.  I won't do that again.  I did like that bleachy smell though when the toilet was flushed.  When I smelled that it made me feel that they were being kept clean in between scrubbings.  Now...isn't that a fun subject for a blog?  Does anyone out there have a product they like to use to keep those nasty lime and hard water stains away that doesn't destroy those flappers?

Not much else happening in my part of the world.  I hope you're all having a lovely day, anticipating spring.  The rain we're getting gives me hope that spring is actually on it's way.  After all, as I said before, it's not snow!

Blessings,

Betsy

Blessed Sunshine

Hello everyone.  My name is Sophie.  My  Mom is on a cruise, so while my Dad is at work during the day I get to come visit my camping buddy Chloe. But, I'm going to let you in on a secret.  My favorite place when I visit here isn't with Chloe.  It's here.  On Betsy's lap while she crochets.  Or knits.  I don't care which she does as long as she has a soft blanket on her lap for me to cuddle in.  I only weigh about 4 pounds so I get cold easily.

Usually Betsy uses fluffy yarn when I visit but this visit she's been using this tiny, skinny little tthread.  That's okay.  It still covers me up nicely while I nap.

This is me. Betsy.  Sophie wanted to tell you all hello this morning.  It's been fun having her around this week.  She comes about 6:00 in the morning and stays until about 6:00 when her Dad gets off work.  He usually eats dinner with us too.  Larry doesn't work on Fridays, so after today she won't be back until Monday.  Nita is on a 10 day cruise to Panama and the western Carribean.  Must be rough!  :-)  This is her 20th cruise in the last 7-8 years!  We call her the cruise queen.  She's been on so many, she goes really cheaply now.  Apparently you get better deals each time you cruise with them.

Most of you will probably remember that Larry and Nita are our neighbors at the lake.  We've known them for over 20 years.  I've enjoyed having Sophie around.  She and Chloe get along so well.  I really believe she thinks Chloe is her mom.  When they got her last summer, the first place they went was Loon Lake.  So she saw Chloe within a few hours of leaving her mother.  She immediately bonded with Chloe and loves to be with her.  I walk them down the street to the mailbox everyday and such a sight they make together.  Chloe a lab and Sophie, a toy poodle.  Big and tiny.  But the same exact color.  It' hilarious.

I have finished the doily for Teresa and it's blocking on the bed in the guest room right now.  It ended up being about 31 inches across.  I won't show a completed picture of it until I give it to Teresa on the 21st when us blogging girls get to have lunch again.  Yep. I'm going to see Piper again so I get to see the girls.  Yippee!

This is the thread that I used.  I used two balls full.  When I finished late last night, I had exactly 27 1/2 inches left!  I was really getting worried that I would run out before I finished.

What a difference two days makes!  The snow is completely gone!  A "Pineapple Express" roared through late Tuesday night and yesterday and I literally watched the snow disappear before my eyes.  Now we have flood warnings out because of the rapid snowmelt and heavy, heavy rain.  The sun is peaking in and out today and its wonderful.

Not green grass yet, but an improvement over the 16 inches of snow that was on the grass Tuesday!

Yes.  This says 68 degrees on the back deck.  It's really about 52, but the sun is shining directly on the thermometer so it looks warmer.  I'll take the 52 and very happily!  Maybe spring is really on the way?

I think today I will start knitting a simple garter stitch baby blanket.  I need something simple with big yarn and big needles after the doily.  Have a wonderful, wonderful day my friends.  

Blessings,

Betsy

Welcome to my World!

This is my world yet again today.  Yesterday we woke up to about 3 inches of snow.  So we shoveled the drive and headed off to chuch.  Then several of us went to Shakey's Pizza for lunch.  This was the parking lot at Shakey's.

It never stopped snowing.  All day it snowed.  It snowed and snowed.

About 8:00 last night we decided to go shovel again even though it hadn't quit snowing.  Hubby got the snowblower to work for about 2 passes down the sidewalk before it decided to not throw the snow anymore.  I think it's tired of winter too.  :-)

I shoveled the driveway again while he played with, er, worked on, the snowblower.  Did I mention it was only about 10 degrees out while we were playing in the snow?  Which was an improvement on the 1F earlier.

Okay winter.  I'm officially over you.  Freezing rain is predicted for today, but by Thursday it is supposed to be 50F, so all of this will be gone.  We got about 11 inches Saturday night and Sunday.  Then,  Hubby shoveled another 2 inches before he left for work this morning.  So 13 or so just this weekend.

Since March "came in like a lion."  I'm counting on it going "out like a lamb".  Please?

And that's all I have for you this morning.  The doily is within 10 rounds or so of being done so I want to wait to show you pictures.  Of course, now that it's so big, each round takes a few hours so it will still be a few days at least before I finish.

For those of you that have wondered about my CASA training...I have been sworn in by the court in the state of Washington and now I am a certified CASA.  However, I really don't see myself taking a case.  I think my heart couldn't take it.  Too many things to go into in this post, but I would want to protect each and every child and sometimes things just don't go the "right" way in the court system.  As my dear friend Taci said, I don't know how to protect myself from all the emotions and heartbreak that would go with this kind of work.  She works in this field every day and knows full well how things can turn out.  I respect her opinion and love her for caring about me.

Apparently all three of "my" girls, Taci, Gracie and Teresa agree that my heart is too soft for that kind of volunteering and they let me know last time we were together.  I am so grateful that God put these ladies into my life.  They are the most wonderful sort of friends to have.  I wish I lived closer and we could see each other more often.  (And go to the pool with Gracie & Teresa!)

So, I'll just keep doing what I can do with my knitting and crocheting to help the little ones in our community.  I have a batch of baby hats to deliver to the hospital soon, along with some burial buntings.  As sad as that is, they are needed.

There are a myriad of other places I can help and that's what I'll do for now.   God opens doors all the time for me to see where children need love and warm things.  I can do that.

*******Edited to add-Guess what??? It's snowing AGAIN!!!  Yippee!*******

Stay warm my friends and have a lovely, happy Monday.

Blessings,

Betsy