Thursday, October 25, 2018

Cozy, rainy day in the Ozarks............

I worked most of the day on finishing up the 2018 Halloween Collectible Ornaments (I joke about them like the ones they are always advertising for at Christmas that cost an arm and a leg).  I'll show them to you on Sunday, as they haven't received them yet.  It was a great day to sit and do handwork with it being cold and rainy out so I had my first fire in the fireplace this season.....it was warm and cozy!
I also got a little work done on my Button Eyed cat for Witchy Wednesday which I haven't touched for weeks.
Yesterday I went to Walmart and got supplies (it was beautiful yesterday to be out and about) ...mostly for the girls but I did pick up the Winter issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects..............
I've been reading quite a bit too...........I am now up to 54 of 75 books read for the Good Reads Challenge for 2018.....will I make it?  You're darn tootin' I will! LOL!  Here's what I've finished reading since last time we talked............
I listened to an old audio tape I had and forgot to get a picture..........it was called Natural Remedies for a Healthy Immune system.....it had lots of good advice but for the all that wisdom and recipes I would have preferred a book as opposed to a tape.
I  read this and although Bob Woodward is good there wasn't really much new information even in the conversations he was privy to.   I already knew a lot of it from watching a variety of news providers.  I read another of his biographies several years ago and I wasn't impressed then either but he is meticulous about his sources and accuracy and that I like.
This was an excellent book and written by a minister and every chapter covers something different but so very good if you are a pet owner of any kind.  There are stories and essays and poetry and a whole chapter on how to honor your friend in many ways.  Connie, do not buy this book as your copy is being mailed to you tomorrow.....sorry it took me so long but I had to order it as the one I had was a library copy.  It's a precious book with something for everyone.  Highly recommend!
I also listened to another audio book..............pretty boring, psycho babble.....out of touch with equality and assuming all women communicate one way and men another......oh please!  It was an older tape though but really?   There was one section that made sense regarding a parents relationship with their adult children but the rest of it was non-sense to me.   If I have to walk on broken glass to have a relationship with anyone it is not worth it in my mind.


I got this book at the library as they do have a big section of books by Janet Oke who I love.  This is a sweet, sweet story about the relationship of a grandson to his grandmother.  Highly recommend!  It's short and sweet.
What I'm reading now is this book that I got at the library.  So far nothing I didn't really know except for more about his childhood and relationship with his parents but then more psycho babble and of course blame the mother!  They always do!  I'll finish it but I can't imagine I will change my mind about it.
Another Janet Oke book...really enjoy her stories and so far they are all about strong pioneer women.
I read a few pages of this each night.....lots of good ideas and recipes for the Fall season and for entertaining for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Football!   There are many inspiring quotes and ideas about how to really enjoy Fall.  This woman invented cozy!



I'm also reading A Mary Engelbreit Home Companion magazine. I think I have all of them and I would be hard pressed to part with any of them....true treasures especially since she no longer publishes it.  I also do a Sodoku puzzle every night just to keep the neurons firing! LOL!
That's all for today.  I hope you had a wonderful day and if you didn't there's still time to make it one!
Happy Trails!!!

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Halloween presents and the last bit of summer holding on.......

Yesterday a package came in the mail for me from my daughter and grands Sam and Grayson.....look what they sent me.....so sweet..........some darling cards with personalized drawings inside............

a Trick or Treat garland which I have yet to put up................

Some erasable highlighters...I didn't even know such a thing existed! LOL!  And Postits in a dispenser....just what I need for my knitting charts and more!
My daughter and I are definitely 'office supply' people....lol! Plus some 'goodies' which I have already partaken of......................
and last but not least...Grayson saw this and thought I should have it...........he knows I love bunnies...it is a really cute one too!  Thank you sweet grands and thoughtful daughter!  Sam and Grayson I LOVED your drawings.....they were awesome!  Thank you again!  XXXOOO
Today, besides working on secret Halloween stuff, I burned about 7 years of bank statements.....all done now!  I had an entire plastic container....big one, that was full of old bank statements.....I was so happy I could get rid of an entire container of 'stuff'.....it's taken me 2 days but they're toast now!
Supposedly we have had a frost but my flowers don't know it but they will soon, I'm sure.......here are the last of the flower pictures for this year............
While watching the fire outside I sat and read in the sun again............what peace and beauty there is just sitting outside..........I will probably continue all winter too.....it's the heat I can't take!  It gives me time to spend individual time with Nitty too and she loves being outside this time of year.  Plus, it seems that's the only time I can get a handle on weeds as they don't even die in the Winter here!
I hope you had a wonderful Fall day!
Happy Trails!!!


Monday, October 22, 2018

YOP Week #17



 YOP 2018-2019

Finishes so far:
1.  4th of July xs pillow
2.  Hitchhiker shawl
3.  Felici Hibiscus self-striping socks
4.  Felted wool loafer slippers with leather soles
5.  washcloth (extra large) and back scrubber for Christmas or birthday for SIL
6.   Iowa Hawkeye hat for Sam
7.  Techniques learned so far this year: a) knit cast on, b) reading a knitting chart, c) lace work, d) inserting and using a lifeline

There were no 'fresh ' finishes for this week either....so sad....

WIP's (works in progress) for this week:

1.  Falling Leaves Scarf:  The knitting is done but I need to kitchener the 2 pieces together and them block so almost a finish but not offical.

 I also wanted to share a little tip with you that I discovered after losing my place in the chart a few too many times......The instructor (Debbie Stoller) mentioned using post it notes to keep your place and I did but she just put them on the bottom and moved them up...........I still lost my place so I totally isolated the row I was working on and also used the pink postit to move from section to section as the row was divided into 4 sections.....there is a red line in between each section which I'm not sure you can see.  Anyway, it worked slick for me so I thought I would share it with you all.  I used the postits I had but there are larger ones that would be not so fiddly to move 6 every time you move up a row.



2.  Pickle Dish - worked a little more but didn't get this 'dish' done...


3.  Cubs ornament for Uriah: This is my Merry Monday project and I got quite a bit done.  I am using Perle Cotton #8, I think.  The same cotton thread that I use to blanket stitch my wool applique.  No need to separate the floss....it's all set to go in one single thread.  I may be converting to this for all my cross stitch.  It works great on 28 count material 1 thread over 2.  Plus, there is hand dyed versions of this also.
4.  Santa Sunday Cross Stitch project:  Didn't work on this but instead I worked on Sam's ornament for Christmas.  I always get my projects mixed up for Santa Sunday and Merry Monday...lol!
 This one is almost done too..........but today I needed to work on Halloween ornaments!  Yikes!  I forgot about the 2018 Collectible Halloween Ornaments!  Here I thought I was ahead of the game working on the Christmas ones.....that'll teach me!  Photos next week of those.   They will not be cross stitch! LOL!


5.  Stars and Stripes Saturday: I finished the right hand border on this one and need to add some buttons and do the 'finishing' which I will show when done,
But meanwhile I started another Stars and Stripes free xs ..........

6.  Fall Friday:  I did work on the top border a bit but lots of color changing so it is slow........I have to repeat at the bottom but I do enjoy it and love the hand dyed colors in this one.


7.  Witchy Wednesday:  Nada.........I am totally avoiding working on that 40 count but I need to as it is for Halloween....shame on me!

That's it for this week!
I hope you had a wonderful week and enjoyed working on your projects.  Please stop by and see all the other fantastic projects that other  YOP'ers are working on.
Happy Trails!!!