Lucky Friday the 13th!

I didn't win the lottery but it felt like it!  I had some substantial financial gains yesterday and today and trust me....that doesn't happen very often around here! LOL!  I'll be looking forward to the next Friday the 13th for sure.  Actually before that it was not such a lucky week as I lost my driver's license and I locked myself out of the house!  But today definitely made up for it.
We had flood warnings and watches since yesterday but early yesterday before the rains came I got outside and did some planting.....
some little pansies........

and some white and purple hyacinth that were on "special" at Wally World!

The daffodils are "up and coming".......

and so are the dandelions.........in fact they were there before it snowed and after.....hardy little flowers

It started raining so in we went but I got everything planted, fed the birds and swept off the front walk.  I made some whole wheat pumpkin bread........which is very good and healthy too using pumpkin puree from my pumpkins that I had frozen in 1 cup packages.  The recipe is from a delightful website with all kinds of helpful information about Living Well and Spending Less

and the rest of my yarn came!  Yay!  Yippee!  The package was in much better shape this time.  It must have come over on a different boat. LOL!

More yarn, more colors, more options!

I hope you had a great week and an even greater Friday the 13th!  Happy Trails!

Changing the time is ridiculous...........

It shouldn't bother me as I am retired but the clocks change without me even doing anything and the girls don't know it's changed so they want to go out and eat at their regular time but I like to feed them when the news is on and so it goes.......but today is Tuesday and I got up at 6:00 which is really 5:00.  Oh, it's all so silly! 
But today I'm back in the groove and I got all the garbage out, relined all the containers, cleaned the litter box, loaded and unloaded the dishwasher, cleaned up the kitchen and washed some things that couldn't go in the dishwasher.  I went to the store and got some cat food and then went to the library.
I haven't been for a long time as I've been trying to read my own books but I was reading The Storyteller by Jodi Piccoult and I had it on my tablet and the battery ran low and I couldn't read it until I recharged it and I was right near the end!  Ahhhhhhhhhh!  So, I decided to go see if the library had it and they did.

  Of course, when you're at the library you have to see what else they might have........
 this one is supposed to be a good one....maybe better than Gone Girl which I have not read.

 

This is a cd version of the classic which I will listen to while doing handwork....  

I've read most of Adriana Trigiani's books and was especially fond of her first 3 novels.

 

 I came home from the library, lit a candle, made a cup of tea and sat down to finish The Storyteller which I did...review next Monday.

Part of my yarn order arrived too.....but where's the rest?

The package did not look too good either...it had ripped and someone taped it up and all the yarn was okay but the yarn was not wrapped in plastic inside the bag so some of it was peeking through.  Maybe free shipping isn't all it's cracked up to be.  There was less than half of my order in this package.  I hope the rest arrives soon.

But look at what I did receive..........

2 different views of the same skeins.....but wait!  There's more!  Whenever it arrives...lol! 

 Did anyone watch the finale of The Bachelor last night?  I didn't watch it until last night as I was curious since they said he was from Iowa (my last home for 22 years) and then I discovered he's from a town outside Dubuque...well......quite a ways outside of Dubuque.......but they stayed in Dubuque before the final rose ceremony.  That is my old haunting grounds!

My cousin was a livestock buyer for Dubuque Pack and I have an old lard container from there.  So, I watched the show and I think he picked the right one just from what I could see but it did seem like he was in love with the other one.....did any of you watch it?  I wouldn't want to be 2nd choice....I really thought he wouldn't pick either of them and then pursue it more after the show was over.   But farm work starts soon so maybe he wanted to "get 'er done".  What do you think?

 I hope Spring is showing in a neighborhood near you!  Happy Trails!

YOP Week #36

Same old..same old but progress is definitely being made!  I've been "clearing and cleaning" on the home front here but when I take a "break" from it all I sit and knit 2 rows. I am happy to report I am now on row 44 of 55 with only 11 more blocks to go!  I must admit this has been a thoroughly enjoyable knitting project too.

I saw one the other day that was done just using the larger squares in all different colors and it was very pretty!  Now that I know how to make these squares and rectangles there is no end to the projects you could make with them.  Another great way to use stash too.  I think this is a technique called "short rows" but not sure.  If it is I have mastered another knitting skill.  Yippee!  

I am still catching up with the preemie hats but December and January are done and I am working on the first hat for February.  Hopefully by next week I will be caught up. 
As I told you last week, I joined Cherry Heart's BAL (blanket along) and it is a group on Ravelry to work on blankets of any kind but she did feature a free pattern of her hexie blanket she is working on called "The Weekender".  I thought I would work on it on the weekends until I finish my WIP blanket.  It's a nice change of pace.
I printed off the pattern and also her JAYG (join as you go) instructions as I had done neither before.  I had no trouble with the hexies but I could not figure out the JAYG with the hexies.  The instructions were for squares.  

So, I then "back tracked" and did some granny squares and then followed the JAYG method and I think I have the gist of it now.  I will be applying it to the hexies and see if I can join them using the same method.  It's amazing how simple something is once you understand it. LOL!

 I'm still awaiting my yarn from Deramores!  Any day now!  They're also coming out with 3 new colors in April!  One is my favorite.....duck egg blue which is not what they call it but it looks like the duck egg blue from Debbie Bliss which I love!
 Once the WIP blanket is done and I've caught up with my preemie hats there will be the hexies in the evenings as DWTS's new season is coming up on March 16th!  Mark your calendars!  I also have several WIP knitting projects to work on during the day and then on the weekends for a change of pace...........I'm looking to maybe get in a bit of cross stitch or embroidery.
 So many projects......so little time!

  And then there's sewing too but that has to be during the day as I have to be fresh and wide awake for using machinery! LOL!
I hope you're enjoying your weekend!  Happy Trails!
P.S. I need to check my YOP list and update it and stay on track with it!  It's so easy to get "lured" by new projects.  The "knitting sirens" are constantly calling!