Foggy, rainy and dark today!

A good day to stay in and lounge around or try and get some work done around here!  I spent a good deal of time on Instagram this morning mainly looking at posts from lauramattox89.  If you like quilts, especially little ones, you will love her IG posts!  She has darling quilts, accessories, and decorating inspiration.  I always get inspired after viewing her IG account.
 Speaking of,  I posted my first photo on IG!!!  I used my camera on my tablet and it was easy peasy!  IG is actually much easier to post to and stay up to date with others and it doesn't take nearly the time that blogging does but I do like my blog and my friend's blogs so I'll probably end up doing both.  I have people following me on IG and I never post! LOL!  So, now I have posted and

we'll see if I get any feedback.
Remember this blanket?  Well, it's been frogged but it has also been restarted.  one of the sides was increasing and this has happened before to me.  I evidently get messed up when I turn the corners.  So, I have made it wider....121 chains to start to make the blanket 32" by 32"....hopefully.

I have the first row done and please wish me luck!  Speaking of luck, here are some recipes designed to bring you some............I always forget to make them but maybe this year I won't!

 Here's the link

I am already thinking of gifts to make for this coming year!  I have all those birthdays in July and one the end of January too.  I saw this and thought it would be great for the grands for "hauling all their cash".  Here are the directions and tutorial

and to end on a funny note...........there's this.............I should have seen it coming but I didn't..........

That's all for today!
 Happy Trails!!!

My Mother's 104th birthday!

No, she's not alive but if she was it would be her 104th birthday.  She died in 1999 at the age of 83.  Our birthdays are exactly a week apart and my son's birthday is exactly 2 weeks apart from mine.

Yesterday was another really nice day so I got out and did some errands and got my Prevnar 13 shot which my doctor recommended.  I had my pneumonia shot in 2015 and my pharmacist said once I get this I won't need another one.  Really?  Does he know something I don't know? 

I did some cleaning but not too much.  I wouldn't want to overdo it! LOL!  I paid some bills, cleaned the girl's litter boxes and took a walk.  Oh, I got my blood pressure checked and it was 150 at the doc's office (the top number) and yesterday it was 138....down but not by much.  My bottom number was 58 so no problem there. I'm taking the new medicine for it.  It's really not new just doubled. It was cloudy and cooler today but still nice to work outside so I raked and burned leaves and took a walk.
I worked on my sock today and got 8 rounds done on the leg..........

I also did some stitching on Chicken Joy........that's green but it doesn't look like it..............

I needed to plan a meal and get what it called for as "the rains" are coming............I decided on tacos for tomorrow

It is almost the New Year so I thought I would add some more "holiday hoopla" to my blog posts........and some humor too.............I love to laugh more than anything in the world and these are some of my favs........first though.........we can't forget the food for New Years!
This is on my list for sure.......I am a baconista!           Here's the recipe

I thought this was a good thought........

This is a 'little crafty' project and I want to make it!  I have all the postits that's for sure!  This way I won't forget those wishes!

and now for a bit of humor to make you smile..................so true!!! LOL!

Have a happy night and some good food!
Happy Trails!!!

The day after the celebration.........

It was an absolutely gorgeous day here...70 some degrees F and sunny....if I couldn't have a white Christmas this was a nice stand-in! 
 This was Christmas Eve...........

 There was no fire in the fireplace with the temps in the 70's! LOL!

 On Christmas Day I made my favorite Christmas cookie....Mexican Wedding Cakes or Snowballs as I like to call them............ the Zuppa Toscana soup was excellent.....I also had Shrimp cocktail, some Italian ham and salami and cheese and crackers for snacking throughout the day....my compliments to the chef! LOL!

 I took a walk as it was too nice to stay inside.............

 there' s the lake through the trees............

 I found a red heart on my walk..............a sign of love from above..........

 It was still too nice to go in so I sat outside in my Christmas socks and Santa sweats........

 and knit on my new Christmas socks.........

 As for the last Advent gift...Amy received Bacon Jam.....we are serious bacon lovers...........and there was no hint on my last package but it was this...........

Lovely travel-sized items from Burt's Bees and they came in this beautiful bag..........

I also opened the gift that Grayson wrapped and sent to me.  I accidentally left it there this past summer after he gifted it to me.  He told me that there is a tear in one of the legs but he knew I knew how to sew so he figured it wouldn't be a problem!  I swear that kid always tickles my funny bone! 

I finished the cuff on my new sock yesterday and I'm starting to get into some new colors.....oh yeah!

 I started my Chicken Joy.........the material is a pale green sparkly Aida cloth but you can barely see the white snow I stitched.  I think once I get some of the green tree on there it will show up better....or not....lol!

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I've been working steadily on the baby blanket........I still have a ways to go!  I really like the material it creates but it is a little hard on my hands after a while and I have to give it a rest.

 I hope you had a wonderful Christmas holiday and now to the New Year!
Happy Trails!!!

Merry Christmas.........

My gift to you is to share this beautiful song....especially for those of you who are missing a loved one at this special time of year............ 

Blogmas Day #24 - Christmas Eve!!!

I got going this morning!  I made bread dough last night and baked it off this morning........

I did some laundry and then ran out to the highway and filled up the tank...just in case I need to make a fast getaway!
I started my Christmas Eve socks...............

It's sparkly yarn but you can't tell in these pictures...........its in the 60's F today so I went outside and sat in the sun and knit.  I'll be doing that tomorrow too along with a nice walk in the sunshine!  I defrosted the shrimp and made cocktail sauce and prepped the other snacks.  I'm making the soup now.
Last night Amy received body butter in her favorite fragrance and my hint was "Dirtie Birdie" and it was a travel hand sanitizer in the First Snow Fall fragrance and a little ceramic bird.............

Here's the joke for the day although I think it's brilliant!  I wish I would have thought of this when my kids were little! LOL!

When I was little I always wondered why no one made Jesus a birthday cake to celebrate his birthday?  Well, evidently I wasn't the only one that wondered about it...............Here's the link to them

Just in case you're in need of a "fast and furious" gift for someone....these ideas might fit the bill.....here's the link

Well, I'm off to check on the Santa Tracker and see how close the big guy is to the U.S.  This morning when I checked he was in Russia heading to Pakistan and he had already delivered like a zillion presents!  How he does it I'll never know but oh so glad he does!  I plan on having some eggnog, soup and homemade bread and Christmas cookies for dessert.  I'll be watching Christmas Eve services on t.v. later.  I wish you all the merriest and happiest of Christmas's!  Remember!  "He knows when you are sleeping and he knows when you're awake".....so I'll be hitting the hay early! LOL!  Or should I say "Ho Ho Ho"!
Happy Trails!!!

Blogmas Day #23

   I am tired!  I got the cards in the mail today and I came home and took a nap! LOL!  Maybe it's knowing I got it all done except for my baking.  I think I'm behind on 2 days of Advent gifts so here goes.........
Day #21 Amy got a set of Burts Bees Lip Balms and I got the hint "lip smacking good" and I got a lip balm too!  I can never have enough of these laying around the house....I'm always using them.

Day #22 Amy received some Pillsbury and Cinnabon candles and melties and my hint was "No words" and it was a book...........this book was written by the same man that held the grief camp that the grands attended and he also ran the grief counseling session that Amy attended.  Amy had him inscribe the book to me.........very thoughtful....this book might come in handy over the holidays....

I'm pretty tuckered out so here are your Christmas Tidbits for today............

 This is a great idea!  For all those casseroles that come out of the oven especially over the holidays.....here's the link to the tutorial

These Cranberry Orange Shortbread cookies are excellent!  My daughter makes them all the time and they are yummy!  Here is the recipe

That's all for today folks!  I'm ready to put my feet up!  I hope you had a good day and I hope you're ready for tomorrow night!  Not only is it Christmas Eve cast on for Christmas socks but it's Santa and
the Santa Tracker..............just Google it tomorrow!

Happy Trails!!!

YOP Week #25

Not much crafting this week but everyone got their presents on time!  I've got my groceries and now just some cards and baking....the really fun part!   Well, actually it's all fun now since I'm retired.  I can remember when it was a very stressful time and not a lot of fun for "Mom" since it seemed everything was my job.
Yesterday I worked on Stars and Stripes Saturday for a bit.  I got my floss in the mail so I can now continue with it...........

I also started the blanket for my pharmacist who's baby is due the end of January.  It the Tiramisu blanket by Alicia Paulson.  It is crocheted and I am using Lionbrand Wool-ease.  I made it wider than it called for as it looked so tiny!  I like the pattern it's producing but it's not a  'fun' crochet as you have to pay attention even though it is simple....I do anyway!  LOL!  There will also be a border on it when I am done.  I have 10 of 30 rows done.....again that is not big enough!  That would be 2 more sections the size of what I have there.....huh?  Good thing I have a lot of yarn for it!

I have my Christmas Eve sock all ready to knit on Christmas Eve........I have the Christmas yarn, a snowflake progress keeper from Betsy, a project bag (although I had wanted to get a Christmas bag made for knitting and one for cross stitch...maybe after Christmas), chiagoo needles, pattern and a counter in the bag.....all set!

Here is my Chicken Joy cross stitch all kitted up and ready to start on Christmas Day............note the fancy project bag! LOL!

Here are your Christmas Tidbits for today...........this joke actually had to do with an article on traversing the holidays with family and others you may have a hard time with...........

Here is the link...a lot of good information.  It's how to deal with drama and difficult people over the holidays.  I don't have that problem since I spend my holidays alone and actually, it's pretty nice but I would love to see the grands open their presents.  Maybe we can Skype this year.

Here is a real feel-good cute video so please check it out....I didn't know how to put it in this post...I should learn how to do that!   Here's the link
If you love animals you will love this Christmas video!


This is just one of many kid-friendly games for the holidays.....the one below looks like fun.  I think people bring white elephant gifts for this...I did it once years ago and it was hysterical! Here's the link

Here's a Pioneer Woman recipe...I have several of her cookbooks and all her recipes are phenomenal!
They are not low calorie nor are they necessarily healthy but they are delicious for sure!  Enjoy!  Here's the recipe

 

I did do one other 'craft' this week...........I made some little memorial ornaments for the Christmas tree.................

  That's all for this week folks.....I'll have a double Advent gift post tomorrow as Amy was at the hospital last night.  Tracy is doing well but he is getting released Christmas Eve so there is still a lot to do.  They have no handlebars or railing in yet, no ramp.....he does have a wheelchair but it can only go in 2 rooms and he has a scooter thing that can traverse the rest of the house but it is still tricky.  I'm sure it will be nice to be home at Christmas though!  

I hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or whatever you might celebrate!

Happy Trails!!!