Thursday, February 26, 2015

Ahhh....I finally feel like I'm catching up a bit...............

Does it bother you when you fall behind on even your basic household tasks?  It does me and I'm talking basic here not immaculate (in my dreams).  The weather has me running to Walmart in-between storms whether I want to or not.  So yesterday I went to get supplies and today I stayed home and got "caught up"....a bit.
I did laundry, cleaned up the kitchen,cleaned the litter box, watered the plants, fed the birds, ironed and there's a supper ready and a dessert and while I ironed I listened to an audio book.  How seldom it is anymore that I can mulit-task so it felt good and although I like ironed items...ironing is boring in and of itself. 
I also printed off some directions for a new BAL ...a "blanket along" being hosted by Sandra who is the hostess of the blog Cherry Heart which has the most gorgeous crochet.  She is having a BAL for any blanket you are currently working on, an old WIP that you've set aside or a new one you want to start.  Sandra will be working on her Weekender Blanket made of crocheted hexies.  She is providing the pattern free of charge and has the colors she is using all published in case you want to use her colors.  The yarn she uses mostly is Stylecraft DK yarn found at Deramores and we all love that yarn because there are 68 colors!!!! Plus it is the best acrylic I've found and it is on sale until the end of February and free shipping to the U.S. even though they are located in the U.K.  I have received packages from them faster than I have some companies located here in the U.S.  If you go there be sure and click on U.S.A. at the top to get U.S. prices in dollars else it will be in lbs which is fine for my friends in the U.K. but not so much for us stateside! LOL!
So, I am organizing my Stylecraft and getting ready to place an order!  I think it is on sale at 15% off if I'm not mistaken and it's already a reasonably priced yarn.  Thank you, Deramores!
Lucy of Attic 24 showed how she wrapped her colors of Stylecraft around clip type clothespins and wrote the color on the end of the pin so she could use them when she was designing a new blanket.  I'm going to do the same thing...........
 Here's what I have so far..............I'll be working on this tonight so I will know what colors I have and be ready to place an order tomorrow.  I'm still working on my knitted blanket and I have 16 blocks left but "The Weekender" will be my weekend project and there is a Cherry Heart group on Ravelry too.  I'm excited!
If you are the least bit interested you should join in.  Everyone is so supportive in the group and Sandra couldn't be nicer or more welcoming.  She also has tutorials on her blog for projects and stitches.  I printed off her JAYG (join as you go) instructions as that is how I want to join the hexies on my blanket. (50% less ends to weave in).
Well...supper's ready and I am hungry!  Kielbasa, fresh asparagus and a "fan" potato
YUMMO!  And Grey's Anatomy is on t.v.
I hope you had a great day!
Happy Trails!








Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Well, blow me down and call me Dusty!

What a week....so much for my long cozy winter.  I went to blog on Sunday and the dog (Nitty, think big, think Rottweiler) and I were playing and she leaped up and her head came into contact with my nose and I saw stars.  I fell back on the bed sure that it was broken and the pain...eye chihuahua!  Finally, it eased a bit and I sat up and then the blood started running out...big time!  It is not broken but Sunday was not my best day.  I tried to blog Monday for "It's Monday What Are You Reading" and couldn't access my email and still can't for some unknown reason and by the time I got back around to blogging it was suppertime.  I'm tired, disheartened, and  weary but..........I will "carry on" as the Brits say so here is some bits and pieces of my week so far...or last week.  I can't remember...it might have been that knock on the noggin or have I always been this way?
 It snowed..............

 and then there was freezing rain (thank you Lord for keeping the power on!).....
everyone was cold and hungry around here.........
We stayed inside for most of it and cuddled up....except when the girls needed out or to feed our feathered friends........
Nitty and I are going gray at the same time! LOL!
Annie has to have a blanket she gets so cold..........
and Grace is the only one that actually likes having her picture taken.
The ice stuck around for a few days making going anywhere pretty dangerous so we hunkered down.....
I had picked up some Pepperidge Farm Caramel Pecan rolls in the refrigerator section at the store when I went last week so I baked those  up.............
yuck.....the filling looked like the rolls threw up and it tasted almost as bad.  The plastic packet the filling came in said brown sugar but it tasted like prune.  I looked at the ingredient list and there were no prunes in them but there were a whole lot of chemical names I couldn't pronounce.  I was really disappointed as Pepperidge Farm was always good or used to be.  I would not recommend them at all.
Maybe I've just gotten so far away from "processed" "chemical laden" food that it's really awful tasting to me now.....and that's a good thing!
I finally got out to the store yesterday and got some milk, and birdseed and potatoes....a big 10 lb bag for the same price they had listed for a 5 pound bag.  I always wash up my vegetables and fruits when I get them home that way they're ready to use and I don't have to wash them before I use them except berries.  You don't want to wash berries until just before you use them or they'll get moldy and spoil faster.
They also had a few items marked down for quick sale........$1.11 for all this asparagus.....
and I got 2 green peppers for .25 each.
The other night I dreamt of a caramel apple cake with salted caramel icing on it.  So, I searched for a 
recipe and I found one!   HERE
It's a Paula Dean recipe so I was a little suspicious...........she uses lots of sugar and IMHO overdoes it..............but I always follow a recipe to the letter the first time I make it....

I was right.....very sweet!  It's a good cake and heavy with fresh apple pieces and lots of nuts but way too much sugar....I'll make it again but just an 8 inch square pan and LOTS less sugar, Paula! 
That's all the news for now....I am knitting and crocheting and hoping to get some sewing done here pretty soon too. 
Happy Trails!

Oh!  P.S.  For some reason the storm took down my clothes pole....or was it those deer?  I told you it was a strange week!