Well..I finally ordered a planner......

Thanks to Marsha who mentioned the 365 Day Happy Planner.....I googled it and Michael's had it on sale for $12.00!  It was meant to be!  Thank you, Marsha!

 Then I went on Ebay and ordered the Home Planner supplement.............since I am nothing if not a HOME BODY anymore..............

Then I spent the morning checking out accessories on Ebay and Etsy but I will check out the Dollar Store and Walmart first before I buy any of those.  Plus I need to get the planner and see what it comes with and what I need........some of these for sure......
pockets

Stickers.............for sure...........

So many to choose from!  Plus, I need an elastic band with a pen holder to hold it closed and the practical stickers indicating certain tasks and important dates.  There are also charms to hang off the coil...oh, this is way too much fun!   This goes way beyond my love for office supply stores!   This is a new hobby!  Do you have a planner?  Do you decorate yours?  I can't wait until it arrives!  Meanwhile, I will try to restrain myself from browsing and especially buying anymore "planner" paraphernalia.

 Happy Trails!

Down the rabbit hole.............

I have wasted so much time lately on tracking those packages, calling the Post Office, and searching for planners that I feel I haven't accomplished much this week but it feels that way every week! LOL!
I did spend a lot of time on the planner research only to find out Erin Condren's quality had slipped (according to some videos on You Tube) and the price was ridiculous!  So then I found some DIY planners and went down that rabbit hole and the equipment to bind your own using a special cutter for the coils would cost around $100.00 but then of course I could bind other things like journals and my own recipe books and so on.  I'll think about it for down the road but right now I need want a planner.
But I did some laundry and some knitting and this afternoon I made some cookies.  Swedish Browns, a recipe I got from Far Side (Connie) several years ago and they are one of my favorites, easy and I always have the ingredients on hand. 

Swedish Browns

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon corn syrup

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons soda

1 egg yolk

2 cups flour ( heaping)

Mix well, roll into balls then dip them in sugar.  Bake 350 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes. They will practically melt in your mouth. 

I did add some salt and you do not have to grease your cookies sheets but you do need to get them off right when they come out of the oven.  My oven is over 50 years old so it may not heat properly as I had to bake for 12-15 minutes.  I do like them crispy though! LOL!  But not burnt!  Adjust for your oven.  But Connie is right.....they do practically melt in your mouth!

My old faithful cookie tin with waxed paper in between the layers..................

 I love a full cookie tin!

Happy Trails!

 

A nice quiet day...........

Today was a nice quiet day here on the homestead.  They have said rain for the last 3 days but nada.  As for my packages, they are back in Memphis but this time they have put trackers on them so they can follow them like GPS and they have finally talked to Desmoines so hopefully it will be delivered.....sooner rather than later!  Last time I checked this afternoon they were on their way to Desmoines....for about the 4th time.

I did get one of my yarns in the mail today though....my handspun..........oh la la!
I need to find a DK weight sock pattern now or something for Halloween!

Since I "finished" the other gift I have 2 more to go........I started Ben's slippers again and this is how far I am on the first one......they knit up pretty quick if you know what you're doing....hopefully this time I do! LOL!

It was really warm today.....yesterday was 65 and today was 75.....it would have been hotter if the sun had been out.  I'll probably need to turn the AC on as this brick house heats up like an oven by nightfall.
Last night and yesterday was very windy and there have been lake wind warnings and when I let the girls out last night the clouds were scuttling very fast across the moon........I got a few pictures but it was much prettier in person.  I wish I had a better camera.

That 's all for today...it was my spa day and I changed the sheets and ironed too so now I am going to heat up my delicious dinner and settle in for an evening of knitting and podcasts.  I've also been trying to decide if I want an Erin Condren planner and there are all kinds of videos and helpful information on You Tube about them.....who knew?  So, I'll probably watch some of those too.
Happy Trails!

Supplies day.................

Yes, a trip to Walmart although I am still contemplating  Amazon Prime and/or Jet.com.  They both carry organic and groceries and almost everything I need except for Nitty's canned dogfood.  They have plenty of organic and healthy dog food but it is really expensive!  Even the Newman's have dog food now....you know, Paul and his daughter. 
But I went to Walmart today and here are some of the more interesting items I purchased.....they still had some Christmas mark downs so I picked up this Wonder Woman ornament for $1.86 originally $8.00.  The other side say's "always there when you need her..able to do amazing things!"  I was going to put it on my tree as I used to be called "super woman" but nowadays I think my daughter deserves the title so I may save it to give to her next Christmas.

I got 6 packages of this Christmas themed tissue paper which was originally $1.98 per package for $.37 each.  I will use it!

Have you ever tried these tomatoes?  They are delicious and stay fresh for so long in the container.  I usually buy the grape or cherry but now they came out with these larger tomatoes.  They are the freshest tasting for being wintertime.  It's funny, they say there are so many undocumented workers that are working in California on the farms yet all the produce I bought today was from Mexico.  What's up with that? 

I'm trying to eat healthier so I bought some avocados (from Mexico) so that I could have them in the mornings on my homemade bread.  It's a healthy tasty breakfast item.

Remember my Happy Hooky pillow cover I made a while back?  Well, I could never find a pillow form to fit it and so I was going to make my own and you know how that went.  Well, they had a new size at Walmart....12 X 16 so I'm hoping that might work.  From now on though I will buy the form first and make the pillow accordingly! LOL!

Did I tell you I am taking a Craftsy class on dyeing my own yarn?  Well, there is a supply list and quite an extensive and expensive one to start out so it may take me awhile but I was able to get some supplies today.  You can't use these things for food once you use them for dyeing.....they need to be kept separate.

I also picked up one of these...........which I CAN use for other things...like tea etc.........

Now I need to find a 21 quart stainless steel pot and also a stainless steel roasting pan.  Walmart did not have them so the hunt continues.
BTW..........the Swiss steak dinner last night was delicious!  The whole house smelled so good.....yum!  So, I'm off to have some more of it tonight!
Happy Trails!

Tuesday........woe is me........but more so my packages!

Today the garbage man finally got his Christmas "crack"...the saltine toffee I made for he and the postman.  Unfortunately the "goodies" I sent my children on December 28th have still not arrived except for one.  Evidently it's not just our D.C. government that is broken but the whole kit n' kaboodle!  I sent them priority, as always and they have been going up to Desmoines and Desmoines sends them to Memphis and then Memphis sends them back to Desmoines and Desmoines sends them back to Memphis.   They were in Desmoines this morning and it stated "they are on their way to the destination" but the destination must be Memphis again because they have not arrived as of tonight.  I have talked to our local post office twice
and they have talked to the next higher up who said the problem was in Desmoines....duh!  Even I figured that out a long time ago but I have tried calling "customer service" and there is none to speak of and you cannot contact a post office outside your state unless you have a secret code or something.  But the Post Office people can....so why are they not calling Desmoines?  I don't get mad at the local people as it comes from the top....all their silly rules and bureaucracy!  The Pony Express would have gotten there by now!  I also do not get angry if something happens once, I didn't get mad the 2nd time either but this time I have told them I want my money refunded and I will never send my packages through them again.  I will use a 3rd party.  How do businesses survive?  I bet they don't use the U.S.P.S.  I know what the problem is too but no one will listen to me.  Desmoines is a processing hub and it is computerized and they have an error in their code somewhere but they don't realize it and since I can't talk to anyone they will continue to have the error and it will never get fixed! That's bureaucracy at it's finest!  The funny thing is....2 of the 3 packages were mailed to the same address and one actually arrived in 3 days.....the others are somewhere in U.S.P.S. purgatory.  So, I'm sure the food is probably spoiled and the cookies stale but it's the thought that counts, right?  And the $32.00 I spent on shipping to no man's land!  Beware people, beware! 
Meanwhile, the puppy blanket is almost done........but when it's done it will not go to the post office! LOL!  Fedex isn't run by the government are they?

I'm making Swiss steak for supper with mashed potatoes and whole kernel organic corn.......

I haven't made this in years but when I was young my Aunt Edna used to make this and it was my favorite meal!  She was a great cook....I am not. But I am trying to recreate her recipe so we shall see.  This one is from Cooks  website and I will let you know how it tastes...especially if it tastes like my Aunt Edna's!
Happy Trails!

It's Monday...what are you reading?

What a whirlwind week this has been and it seems like I will be spending January just prepping for the rest of the year.  Trying to organize all my projects and plans and time to fit them all in is a work in progress.  Okay....so my word of 2017 is FOCUS and that is what I need to do right now.  This post is all about the books....the ones we love and the ones we hate and the never-ending TBR list.
My first book of 2017 has not been chosen yet.  It's difficult because I almost feel like that first book of 2017 sets the tone for the rest of the year so I must chose carefully.  Nonsense, I know, but that's the way my mind runs sometimes.
 I thought I would share some book blogs with you that I found and that you might be interested in:

Books on the Nightstand  
I am always late to the party it seems.  This blog/podcast has ended but there are many episodes you can go back and listen to and I have and still do. With all my handwork projects, I truly enjoy audio podcasts as there is no need to look up and take my eyes off of what I am working on.

Modern Mrs. Darcy
This is one of my favorites for sure and her recommendations are always spot on plus she keeps you informed of the better quality ebook titles that are on sale

Book Journey
This is Sheila who is so good at what she does and her love for books truly shows

Here are some others you might want to check out.........
Farmlane Books
Dove Grey Reader
Dear Author
Book Date
Omnivoracious  This is Amazon's book review page
My Friend Amy's Blog
Podio Books
The Horn Book   This contains book reviews for children's and YA books
Abe Books Blog

At this time of year most of the book sites and blogs have a list of The Best Books of 2016 which is always fun to peruse and there are also book challenges where you can challenge the number of books you read and try to up it and also change the type of books you usually read.  Step out of your comfort zone in the safety and security of your reading genre.
I will be joining the Good Reads 2017 Reading Challenge.  Last year my challenge was 50 books and I went over that by a little so this year I raised it to 75 books.  I also joined the challenge set out by Modern Mrs. Darcy which is really a suggestions list of types of books to read and you try and read one from each category to "spice things  up a bit".   There are 2 lists. One is Reading For Growth and the other is Reading For Fun and I will attempt to complete both.
Well, this post is plenty long enough so I think I will post about what I've read and what I'm reading next week.  If you have any good suggestions for other "bookish" blogs or interesting reading challenges out there, please let us know!  Happy reading and Happy trails!

YOP Week #28

 I've been feeling a little overwhelmed lately with all the things I want to do and make this coming year.   I'm trying to fit it all in and yet stay organized.  So, I made little "rules" for myself along the way based on last year.  Rule #1:  I will only have 3 areas of projects going on at the same time....in other words something for me, a gift and a WIP (work in progress) that has been put aside and needs to be picked up again.   I'm not sure that is going to work but that is my goal.  It may take awhile for it to take affect so "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain"! LOL!
This is a gift to finish.  A Corner-to-corner crocheted baby blanket for a puppy.  I haven't decided if I will put an edge on it.  If I do it will probably be an off white scallop or picot edging.  My goal is to finish it this week.

 I also made my first project keeper but the only lobster claw clasp I could get at Walmart was this one which is way too big.  It's okay for this acrylic worsted but not for anything else.  I have lots of little charms but now I need smaller clasps.  I can now see the need for progress keepers too and I want them on all my projects.  It's a motivational tool! LOL!  Above you can see yesterday's progress.

 I have made progress on my Jingle socks which are for me............loving the yarn and the knitting......
West Yorkshire Spinner's yarn and Karbonz DPNs.....my favorite needles so far are Addi's circulars for socks but I could change my mind.

 

Okay, this is where I run into my first glitch with my new system of rules. The cowl below is for me but so are the socks above but the cowl has a deadline of January 31st because I have joined the Red Heart Lover's group on Ravelry and the January CAL or KAL (you can knit or crochet as long as you use Red Heart yarn) ends on 1/31 so I will be putting the socks away and working on the cowl until finished.  I am using Red Heart Fiesta worsted from stash and the pattern is a tutorial on You Tube   
called the Circular Scarf (I think) by Love4Nails.  It is an excellent tutorial and I have made 2 of these before and I love them.  Goodbye turtlenecks and hello cowls!  I am hoping to finish this coming week.

Below is the first slipper of another gift (oops.....there goes my rules right out the window!).  I finished one slipper and was so proud of myself until I went to try it on.........it was way too small and it was supposed to be for my son who's feet are even bigger!  What?  So, I revisited  the pattern and realized that the length of the slipper based on foot size was supposed to measured from the beginning of the stockinette stitch NOT the garter stitch.....measure twice.....cut once!  DUH!!!!!!!!  Oh well, it will be used as a Christmas "pocket" to fill with greens and some tiny Christmas ornaments and berries next year.    

 So close but no cigar!

 Meanwhile, I was able to order some "slipper gripper" fabric on Amazon to sew on the bottom of them when I do complete them.  The deadline for this is January 18th with time for mailing in front of that.  I would like to have blanket done too so I can just mail one package.  So, as soon as the blanket is done I will be picking up this project again...........I was able to get a start on it (this was before I set up my "rules")..........so the cuff is done.  I'm using a really cheap circular needle from Walmart and have since ordered a Chiagu circular size US 4 as I feel like I will be making more of these slippers.

I also committed to Inside Number 23's KAL(knit along) which is a year long (but with monthly prizes) Harry Potter KAL.  The rules are it has to be at least 50 grams of yarn and Harry Potter related either by yarn or pattern or some connection to HP that makes sense.  So, I will have to put the Christmas socks away, finish the cowl and get started on Hermione's sock pattern using this Sirdar yarn which was in my stash for my Summer socks.  It reminds me of watermelon thereby my Summer socks.  These also have a deadline of 1/31 and I need to plan what to do for February in case I need to order supplies.

 In honor of my birthday last week I acquired a little more stash...........my first handspun yarn by Happy Handspun Yarn on Etsy.   Isn't it beautiful?  Don't ask what I'll be doing with it.....right now I just want to display it like a work of art!

 I was really out on Etsy looking for Harry Potter related yarn when this little number caught my eye and several more too but we won't talk about that right now...............just feast your eyes on this Christmas miracle!  These are going to be my Christmas Eve cast on for next Christmas if I can wait that long! LOL!  It is called "You'll shoot your eye out" from the famous Christmas movie "A Christmas Story".  It is from Brazen Stitchery on Etsy.  She has many more beautiful yarns but this was the last skein of this one......for now...........I talked to her and she does repeats so just contact her if you see something you like.  Right now she's working on Valentine's Day....oh be still my beating heart! Did I tell you I also joined Yarngasm's Box of Socks KAL for 2017 on Ravelry? A pair a month for 12 months and at the end you have a "box of socks"!

Well folks....that about wraps it up for this week but I will be very busy behind the scenes until next week.....there may be more CALs and/or KALs and I still need to plan my next Harry Potter project and I am trying to follow a de-clutter challenge  on Mary Organizes which is a great site...thank you, Marsha!  Plus, there is definitely going to be major updating on my projects page on Ravelry, my YOP list and my blog in general.  I love the new year......one more chance to try and get it right! LOL! 
Happy Trails!