Monday, September 30, 2013

GIVEAWAY & A Couple of Tidbits

It is high time I do a Giveaway for my followers. I have been wanting to do this for awhile and just couldn't make up my mind what to offer up. I know most of you love yarn and I had thought to go that route, but then I thought of this instead.......


I ordered this book months ago. Then, lo and behold the company sent me a duplicate. I emailed them telling them about it and they told me I could send it back. Well, my thinking was this, folks if you would have sent me the packaging and the postage I would gladly send it back to you in Australia, but since it was their mistake, not mine I waited for some sort of correspondence and got nothing. I mean, why should I foot the bill to return something that was clearly their mistake? The extra book has been sitting in my craft room ever since. I don't need 2 of the same book so I will give it away. Now, not to worry, if I should receive a bill for the second book I will make it right. Anyone interested in this giveaway needs only to do these 3 things :

(1) be a follower
(2) leave a comment on this post
(3) tell a friend about the giveaway.

You have 1 week to enter, and this ends on Oct. 7th at 11:59pm Ohio time (EST). Giveaway is open to all. I will ship overseas if you are the winner. Good luck to ya!


I got busy last evening and started to lay out the African Flower motifs. I worked back and forth going around my bed till my back started aching and I couldn't stand it anymore.


I think they are looking pretty colorful and if I can get my back to quit screaming at me I might just get them all laid out in some sort of acceptable color scheme. I am so picky when it comes to the layout. It just seems to take me forever and at this rate who knows how long before it is done.


And lastly, here is the final batch of wood we cut into smaller pieces. The small logs need to be split yet and then re-stacked of course. I gave my daughter the first batch and it was twice as much as this pile. I have another woodpile inside of the privacy fenced area. I bought a new wood rack over a month ago and have yet to open the box it came in. I need to put it together and get that other wood stacked in it. I also bought a new composting bin, and yep, it is still in it's box too.......some day I just might get around to doing all this stuff I plan to do.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

One Down, Another One To Go


I got brother Mike's afghan/blanket done Friday evening. The yarn I used was RH Earth & Sky and Lion Pound of Love in Antique White. It took 4 skeins, or was it 5? of the RH yarn and 1 skein of the Lion yarn. I lost track and I didn't keep the wrappers so I am clueless. I used a double crochet ripple pattern. The foundation chain is a multiple of 11 plus 4.


The pattern I used came from the book "A to Z of Crochet ~ The Ultimate Guide for the Beginner to Advanced Crocheter"  Martingale & Company. I am sure any ripple pattern you might have handy would work.


It was a fairly easy pattern, and worked up fast. I used a size J hook.


I did 10 rows in each band of color.  5 bands of the variegated and 4 of the antique white.


Now I will get busy and join the AF motifs for mom's blanket. I have been dreading that, don't ask me why, I just know I want to get busy and do something else. I know once I get started I will be okay. It is just the initial push to begin.

Brother Mike was over on Wednesday morning and we got the rest of the logs cut into smaller pieces with the chain saw. Well, it wasn't exactly "we" so to speak, but I did help stack the wood, lol. Some pieces are rather big and have to be split with the wood splitter. Now all that is left to do is to grind the stumps and that will happen as soon as Mike orders the equipment. He has been wanting one to use on the stumps at his rental properties.

I also worked on some apples from my trees. I bought an fruit picker at the Rural King store and boy does that work well. The handle can expand to reach the fruit on the higher limbs. The only gripe I have is that the bees and the hornets are working the apples that have fallen onto the ground. The last thing I need is to be stung by a hornet so I have to watch where I step. I have picked a lot of the downed apples up and there are too many to put in the compost bin so I dumped them on the burning pile where I dump the brush and trimmings from the shrubs. My apples are like the ones in the song about "they paved paradise and put up a parking lot", you know, the song where the guy says "hey farmer, put away the DDT now, give me the birds and the bees" he doesn't care if the apples aren't perfect, just don't destroy nature........anyways, I had a 5 gallon utility bucket and by the time I got done peeling and cutting all the bad from the apples I had 7 quarts of home made apple pie filling to put in the freezer. There are still more apples out there. I might get ambitious again before we get a frost.

On Monday I will be posting about a GIVEAWAY so come back again and check it out. It has been quite awhile since I have done anything for my followers. So that is about it for now. I need to get to bed, it is after 2am on Saturday morning. I have a lot to do today. Have a great weekend ♥

Thursday, September 19, 2013

It Is A Dog's Life


 Hi there. I just got back from the beauty shop. Mom took us both and she says I am no longer stinky, that I smell like coconuts now. I don't think I smelled bad before I went. But you know how moms are.


 I don't know why he has to steal the lime light. He thinks he is top dog around here and the truth of the matter is I have been here 2 years longer than him, he is such a pain in the butt. I smell like coconuts better than he does.

 

 Like I said, I smell like coconuts and look at my smile will ya! Does she smile, no she doesn't, she runs off and hides. I am very photogenic. I have a bandana on too. My beautician thinks I'm special and she gave me one.
  

Where is that squeaky ball that he always has to grab and be such a toy hog. I bet he has even chewed out the squeaker already.
 


Mom bought us new treats. She said now she can eat her bag of popcorn in peace and not have to share with us. Mom had to lock him in the kitchen once because he kept jumping on her leg and almost knocked the bag of popcorn out of her hand. Chicken flavored, yummy, and I think she bought peanut butter and cheese flavored too.
 

There he is again. I bet he thought he heard a bag rattle and someone was eating something without him. Can he get anymore annoying than he already is! 
 

Now there is a pretty picture of mom's artificial flowers. She needs to put an artificial bee on them to liven them up a bit. Or maybe a real bee, that would really liven up the place.
 

I could swear that squeeky ball was around here some where. I bet greedy hid it from me. 

  
I found a popcorn crumb! I found a popcorn crumb! How did I miss that! Oh man, I'm slipping!


Boy, mom sure needs to clean up that messy roll top desk of hers! How on earth does she ever find anything in that mess? It looks like it is packed and ready to move away. And she can act like it ain't so bad, but she has another drawer in the kitchen filled with more papers and also plenty hidden in the hall closet. 


Oh boy, look at me. I tried to escape out the back door with one of my toys and mom yelled at me and told me I could NOT TAKE MY TOY OUTSIDE! So I showed her, I ran in here with my toy and refused to go out to pee. Just me and my toy, ha ha ha ha ha! I also left stuffing all over the floor in the one bedroom. Mom had to clean that up, ha ha ha ha ha!

Have a Hot Digity Dog Weekend. As for me, I am gonna go smell my buddies butt and see if she still smells like coconuts. Who knows, maybe I'll even find my squeaky toy or get a pup corn treat. Bye now ♥



Monday, September 16, 2013

New Blanket/Afghan & Future Giveaway


Howdy everyone. You may recall that I mentioned I was going to make a blanket or afghan for my brother Mike. Somewhere in that declaration I mentioned the word bobbles. So, I dig around in the millions of patterns I have, plus the new ones I especially ordered awhile back just to make something with bobbles. My intentions were good, but alas, 3 times I attempted to get the chain count right and messed it up, mainly coming up short by the first row of bob bob bobbly bobs. I was just about to the point of ripping out my hair.


Enough was enough and so I decided that when I have a spare week (or 2), I would work on figuring out how to increase the pattern because after all, I wanted it to be bigger than the average blanket. 
Somewhere in my pea brain I just wasn't getting it! A gal can only take so much chain counting, and bobbles do take a bit more time. 

My mom's AF motifs are now in a Walmart bag, lol, just waiting for me to get the itch to start joining them. Mike's birthday is around the first part of October so right now it is the perfect excuse to hold off a bit on hers and continue with his. 

I have been cleaning house in expectation of my friend from Florida coming to spend a couple of days visiting. It seems I have worked myself into a frenzy for nothing. She is now in Knoxville visiting another friend, will come to the Cincinnati area in a couple of days to spend time with her family member and will make it to the Pork Festival up near Dayton by this Saturday. I have yet to decide if I will be meeting her there. She has to head back to Florida and be there by next Tuesday. I just keep thinking that if she can make it this far North, then I can go the extra mile and meet her. It has been over 20 years since I have seen her. I am suppose to be going to Florida in November to visit with her. All this planning has been going on now for over 3 months and every time I turn around the plans are changing. On the down side, I am a bit disappointed that she can't make it here to my home, on the up side my house is cleaner.

And that folks is about it for me. I do have one more thing to let you know about before I sign off for the night. I plan to have a giveaway the first of October so keep your eyes open and check back for more details. In the meantime, have a good week ♥

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Just An Update On How Boring It's Been


Here is what is new with me.......NOT MUCH! I did steal this photo of my grandson kissing his mom. I babysat for him today. He is such an angel.

On and off I am still plucking away at the weeds in the chain link fence. I am not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel on that job.

I finished up making the 169 African Flower motifs for my mom's blanket. I am putting it aside for a few weeks. I should have done the join-as-you-go method but like an idiot I decided I was going to hand sew all of the hexes together. That will take me at least 2 days to do. Where was my head at when I decided to go with that method? Anyways, I have completely burned myself out on it and need to clear the air. I have not decided whether to give it to her as soon as it is completed or to save it as her Christmas gift. I kinda frown on that last idea, when someone is heading for 83 years of age (in December) you don't wait to give them things. I will not be waiting too long to complete it either, it needs to be done with, once and for all.

I started an afghan for my brother Mike and his wife Faith. The reason I did this was I needed to, lol. It will be done in a cream color with a popcorn stitch design. I just wanted to get it started. I was just itching to do something else and I knew it might be dangerous to lay the AF motifs to the side in favor of this new venture. Of course I have a total of 5 younger brothers, and I'm sure if the rest of them get wind of their sister making afghan/blanket gifts, they will all want to know where theirs is.

Then I have those apple trees loaded with fruit. I would like to make a big batch of apple pie filling and freeze that. Family members love the apple jelly. That would make nice gifts at Christmas. I could do that too, but I ask myself if I am really all that ambitious???? This is the first time in over 42 years that I am not spending my summer and fall canning and freezing produce from our garden. I feel a bit at a loss not doing that, but the yard work has kept me busy all summer........I know, I know, I have whined about that practically every post.

The last 9 dead ash trees are down at last! On Saturday brother Mike and brother, Ralph, came and we finished the job. Once again I have logs in my yard waiting to be cut up, but this time I will keep them for myself. It was such a hot and humid day. We had a bon fire going to burn up the brush and smaller branches. I had us a cooler of pop and water. We were keeping well hydrated. I stayed outside 2 hours after the guys left and when I went inside I felt sick. I am sure it was heat related. I felt so grubby. We had worked over 6 hours. I got cleaned up and weighed myself. I had lost 4 pounds. My dirty clothes were soaked through with sweat.

Well, that is all for now. Not much going on except work, work, work. Oh yeah, more boring stuff.....I got a new sump pump with battery back-up and a new captive air pressure tank. I bought another dehumidifier for the basement and checking into replacing my hot water tank with a new model. The furnace will need checked before we start our heating season. Sooooooooo.......it is no wonder I love reading your blogs. At least I know someone out there knows how to have some fun. Hoping that next time I have some fun stuff too, hoping.....

Love you all.......as always ♥
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