Still "futzing" with the decorating but having fun!

I'm cleaning too among other things but each day I'm spending time on it.  Needless to say there is no tree yet but give me time! LOL! 

This is my fireplace when there's no fire going....just some votives in a holder.

I redid my mantel....I'm working on a budget so instead of buying some "snow" to put on the mantel, I used some leftover quilt batting.  The  vintage Santa is a box where the chimney is and I got it for practically nothing at a garage sale.  I put my Christmas cards in it.  The little houses I pick up at sales and the thrift for less than a dollar.  There is one in there that is pricier though that is from Ireland (it's the little yellow cottage with the red door).  I've had the old lanterns for years.  If you remember they were on the front porch this Summer.  I hung a wreath from the top of the  mirror and arranged some more battery lights(colored ones this time) in among the little houses so it would look like a little Christmas Village.

 I do have a fire going in this picture and I think I like the mantel now and will leave it alone! LOL!  I have lots more to clean if not decorate before Christmas.  Oh, here's the left side which I couldn't get in the picture and that's where I put the pine cones that were originally on the mantel.

Those books are really old and the green one is a copy of Jack London's Call of the Wild....the first book that I read that really resonated with me and my love of adventure and the North and snow!
I managed to get some bread made today too.........

Can you find the "hidden object" in the picture below?  LOL! 

Yes, you guessed it...."amazing" Grace!  She thinks no one can see her there and she swats at you when you walk by but we've all gotten wise now and steer clear of her! LOL!  She's still a kitten and I think she's part baby goat as she will be sitting quietly and all of sudden it's like someone gave her an electric shock and she'll jump in the air and take off running through the house.  The dogs are fascinated with her...and a bit scared too! Ha! Ha!
Something I've never mentioned on my blog before are the "daily" miracles I receive.  You may not consider them miracles but I do and they are a constant reminder to me that I am loved.
This is just one that I received today among many..........

I was refilling my coffee container and filling the sink at the same time and when I turned around to shut off the water that is what I saw.........I can literally feel the love well up in my heart when these things happen.  Everyone gets them....you just have to pay attention!  I hope you received many today and "feel the love"!
Happy Hanukkah to my friends who celebrate that holiday....it starts tonight! 
I am SO sorry I haven't been visiting much and I know how much I appreciate you all when you leave comments and I promise to do better and I miss you too when I don't visit!  I don't know where the time goes but before I know it, it's getting dark and time for bed and I'm just starting to get going it seems!  I do apologize!  TTYS!!!

The Christmas Spirit 2012 has arrived!

I've been busy cleaning and decorating and surfing the internet for cottage and farmhouse decorating ideas but my house is not conducive to the "cottage" or "country" look.  I cannot get my decorating "mojo" on in this house for love nor money.  But I keep trying...........I thought my trees outside looked nice until I looked at the photo and then they looked too small for the BIG garage door.

I found some battery operated lights at the Dollar Store and was able to put them around my mirror over the fireplace.....

I think I can safely say I will not be on Pinterest any time soon! LOL!  Back to the drawing board!
But below is what I wish my house looked like.............ahhhhhh.......perfect!








or even this.....sweet, small and doable.................

Well, maybe next year.  Of course if I was a REALLY GOOD decorator which it is obvious I am not....I would be able to take any house and make it adorable and cozy!  But honestly, how many brick ranch homes do you see featured as "cottagy and cozy".  I guess I'll be asking Santa for some decorating mojo for Christmas. 
I hope you are all doing well and getting everything done so you won't be too exhausted to enjoy your Holidays!

YOP Update

What a week!  I was on the road back to Mountain Home for the doctor again....different doctor this time! LOL!  I had banking issues, doctors and finally now I think I have things taken care of for the Winter except for Medicare appointment Monday and a few more phone calls.  Retirement is a full-time job!!!!
But I  managed to sit and knit a bit.....I was too tired to do anything else! Ha! Ha!  Here I go again............

 But this time it is not the first sock...............

It's the beginning of the second because I FINALLY finished my first one!   Tah Dah!!!!!  Drum roll please!
I had  no problem this time until the toe.....trying to get the needles with 10 stitches on each of them from the top and bottom position of the sock to the sides of the sock.  The instructions said to not pull the back needle long and to K5 and that would put the needles in the right position to start the Kitchener stitch and close up the toe.  Huh???  I emailed her and said that I end up with 15 stitches on the back needle and the working yarn 5 stitches  "in" on the back needle.  She didn't explain it any better so I fooled around and finally got the needles in the right position with 10 stitches on each needle but not sure how..... so next time I'll run into the same predicament! LOL!    My other issue is this pattern in for a short cuff sock with bigger needles and yarn for learning but now I want to make regular socks with sock yarn and smaller needles and every pattern I see uses DPN's.......now that I've learned Magic Loop.  I'll search some more and I do want to learn DPNs at some point too but for now I'd like to bask and enjoy my new skill and make a regular pair of socks before learning anything else.  I get easily confused! LOL!  Any advice or recommendations for Magic Loop sock patterns and/or good tutorials for DPNs would certainly be welcomed.
I also managed to do a little cross stitch since I still am afraid to knit and watch the telly simultaneously (I'm just asking for trouble when I do that).

     I hope you all had a great week and weekend!  Thanks so much for your comments and encouragement.  I know I would have given up on those socks if it hadn't been for all of you!  Thank you!  I need to play "catchup" once again this week!  Hugs to all!!!!

Feeling better and energized again.....

Whew, Thanksgiving even by myself was a lot! LOL!  I think I was fighting off some bug because I could barely stay awake much less have any energy but I'm feeling like my old self again...even better!

I'm cleaning and clearing out unwanted things and unnecessary clutter of which I have a lot of.  I take breaks though and sit down and knit a round.  I finished the gusset last night and I  must say, for once, I am pleased with how it looks and all the numbers of stitches are correct...so far....I don't want to jinx myself at this stage!  LOL!  Now that the gusset is done I need to knit until it is time for the toe and make it long enough for me to fit my big foot into it.  I wear a size 10 shoe so I have big feet.  I'm 5' 2" but I swear I would be much taller if my feet weren't so big!
I also finished a book I've been reading.  A memoir of sorts by Alice Marie Carey, an American gal born of Irish parents who reside in New York.  The Father is rough, drinks and barely brings in any money but the Mother has a good job with a famous actress/Broadway personality as a housemaid.  Alice grows up among these interesting characters and even goes to Ireland with her Mother to visit as a girl.  When she grows up and gets on in age, she and her husband decide to fix up an old house in the Irish Countryside.  It certainly held my interest but the country parts were the best and I wished they would have fixed up the house themselves but they hired people to do it.  She and her husband never had any children and they led an interesting if unconventional life.    I was also trying to read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn at the same time but I was getting the characters confused as they both take place about the same time in New York and Alice even mentions the book in her memoir so I had to stop reading the fiction and stick to the non-fiction.

Here's a picture of our new "kitty", Bernice? (Still not sure about the name)....better than that first picture where she was hiding among boxes! LOL!  She's feeling more comfortable around us each day and Nitty and Annie are being very good about it all.  She's a very sweet cat....maybe it's the extra confidence you have when you have all 4 sets of claws. LOL!  My Patches was a great cat but she had her moments.  This one is just a kitten about 4-6 months old and has not clawed me or bit me or even scratched me and lets me pick her up and even comes when I call her...maybe I should have called her "Amazing"  Grace?  Is  it too late?  I named her after my favorite Aunt who raised me but I was mostly looking for a name that would not sound the same as Annie or Nitty......I'm thinking Grace is more fitting for her.   Grace it is!  

I hope you all had a great weekend and I'm off to do more cleaning and de-cluttering!  TTYL!

Ravelry YOP Update! Don't get too excited...LOL!

Above is a result of a long and fulfilling Thanksgiving.....no....she's not dead just "full" and we all feel like she looks! LOL!  We definitely "bulked up" for the long Winter ahead!  Ha! Ha!  I just had to share as I rarely catch Orphan Annie like that.....she's so funny!
Anyway....on to the YOP UPDATE! 

No, it is not a second pair of socks...oh, how I wish!  But the yellow yarn got very tired so I grabbed another skein.  I am learning so much....in fact, I actually know that I am knitting the gusset of the sock right now.  I think it looks better too.  This is where I ran into problems the last time I "frogged".  I have the cuff down pat now and even the heel flap.  If I can get this gusset then I only have to master the toe and I will have one whole sock and be able to go on to make many!
Here's my cross stitch project which I'm not sure is legal for Ravelry but it is a project on my list......

Wow!  It's been a long time since I cross stitched but I am getting back in the hang of it.  That plastic waste canvas is a "dickens" to work with though.  I'll be going back to something a little more basic after this project.
I finally wrote up a word document to list my projects for this year and to update and include in each Sunday's post.  These are all my needlework projects of any kind although I don't have a category for spinning yet and I want to learn that too but next year and only if I can knit properly by then! LOL!  So, it's not much but it's what I have for now.  Thanks for tolerating my lack of progress! LOL!

Ravelry YOP Project List  from July 2012 to June 2013

(anything added after the original list will be for next year)

(not as many knitting projects as I am learning this year)

Knitting:                                   Started:                                        Finished:

3 dish towels (cloths)               07/15/12                                      07/28/12

Bath mat                                   07/29/12                                      08/29/12

2 pairs of socks                         07/28/12

Situpons

Crocheting:                               Started:                                         Finished

Granny Stripe Table Runner    07/05/12                                       08/12/12

2 crocheted pot holders            08/17/12                                       09/05/12

Blackberry Salad Striped afghan

Everyday Edgings

Pinata Bag

Cherry Jam (crocheted cherry sprigs)

Crochet Covered Stone(s)

Seeing Stars Blanket

Striped Rug

Babette Blanket

Tornado Twist

Sewing:                                                    Started:                        Finished:

Flannel pajamas from existing pairs

Quilting:                                                   Started:                        Finished:

Sew binding on sampler quilt

Finish Uriah’s grow chart/quilt

Cross Stitch:                                            Started:                         Finished:

Cath Kidson little purse                           07/13/12

Applique:                                                 Started:                         Finished:

Finish folk art appliqué quilt blocks        07/13/12

Embroidery:                                             Started:                         Finished:

  The MS Word document doesn't look quite so good in blogger form but you get the gist of it.  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend and even if it wasn't a holiday for you I hope you enjoyed yourself!  Next up........................Christmas!!!!

Thanksgiving - Episodes 1, 2 & 3

I was planning on starting to cook on Wednesday but unexpected calls and complications derailed those plans.  Not a biggy...it's just me and the girls so I figured I'd get up early Thursday and hit the kitchen but when I awoke I wasn't feeling great but thought I'd "forge ahead".  I watched the Macy's parade (like I have since I was a child or since they invented t.v.....I'm not sure which came first) and threw the pie together with my homemade pumpkin that I had baked and at the very end threw a can of evaporated milk in.  I forgot to put it on my shopping list but the heavens were with me (or so I thought) as I found a can in the pantry.  I gave the can the usual old-fashioned method of 2 triangular cuts on each side of the top and proceeded to pour it in when I noticed the color didn't look right and some gloppy stuff started coming out of the can.  I looked for an expiration date and it was April 2011!  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!  I ruined the whole dang pie and the stores were closed here and that will serve me right for not checking and "pitching" out of date items in my pantry!  So, instead I made the mincemeat pie and whipped the whipping cream with sugar and vanilla to go along side of it.  

I went ahead and made the dressing from Robin Mather's book that I've been obsessing about.....The Feast Nearby and evidently didn't look at the amount of servings because this is what I ended up with...........

Robin said to use a large bowl to mix it in....I had to use the bottom of the roasting pan to mix it I had so much!  Evidently it serves 12-14.....I thought she said she was a having Thanksgiving alone?  Evidently not when she made this recipe! LOL! 

I think I also used too much bread but she said 2 loaves...next time one will suffice for me.  It made several casserole dishes and 3 quart freezer bags full!  I froze all but the small one and prayed I would like it as there was so much of it!

 By that time I was really tired and decided that God was trying to tell me to relax and take it easy so I did.  I watched some football (Iowa State was on but they lost to West Virginia...this day was not going well!) and I knitted.

The neighbors had a "boatload" of company and they brought over a big container filled with everything anyone could want on Thanksgiving Day!  No dessert though but I had that covered!  I poured a nice glass of wine and enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I hope you all did too!

P.S.  Let that be a lesson to you (and especially to me).....clean out your pantry and cupboards and get rid of all expired items! LOL!  Now you know why I don't entertain....it's dangerous  business!  If you ever get an invite from me, be afraid....be very afraid!

P.S.P.S.  The mincemeat pie was SO easy and SO delicious!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!!!

 Getting ready for the big day!   I am still wanting to be Robin Mather's best friend as her Thanksgiving that she spends by herself in her book, The Feast Nearby is just like I usually have mine.  I'm thinking we were sisters separated at birth!

Above is the prep station and yes, Robin I hate to admit it but I do love me some candied yams with brown susgar and butter and mini-marshmallows on top!  I think it's the only thing we don't agree on though and I just wanted to get that out.  The remainder of my Thanksgiving is just like hers....a free-range turkey with sausage apple dressing, roasted brussel sprouts, oh....24 hour salad (a family tradition although I'm the only "family" in attendance! LOL!), mashed potatoes and gravy, scalloped corn, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie and whipped cream (no CoolWhip in this house!).  I did buy some mincemeat hoping I'd make one of those too but really?  How much can one person eat?  I wish I had some of those individual pie dishes but then it's a big jar of  mincemeat so once opened it doesn't make any difference.  Maybe I'll save it for Christmas.
I bought a little pie pumpkin for .89 and am making my own pumpkin pie filling.  Once you make one from a real pumpkin you'll know why......Libby is good but not like fresh!

  seeds for toasting later......

and the pumpkin all baked and ready to be made into pie........(it's so easy...REALLY!!!)

and apples for the sausage stuffing.

The weather is gorgeous here and the leaves are in their last stages of floating down from the trees but beautiful for a walk in the woods and to work off that dinner tomorrow!

I will enjoy my day with my girls and they'll get some turkey tomorrow for sure, the new member of our family is settling in well with them and vice-versa. 
 Robin states that she enjoys a day of cooking, eating, knitting, reading and some wine.  I'm all set for exactly that....what a treat! 
I hope you all have wonderful plans for a day of "thanksgiving" whether you are surrounded by family or  celebrating solo.  I know I am very grateful for all of you!!!!!

Ravelry YOP Sunday Update

 This is so embarassing.....I haven't accomplished anything lately. I have excuses but I'm sure you don't want to hear them. LOL!  Anyway, I am very happy to announce though that despite the lack of PHYSICAL progress, I have learned a lot!  By the time I finish this pair of socks (still on the first one) I expect I will no longer call myself a novice.  I won't be a great knitter but I will no longer be a beginner either.  I changed colors in the yarn because that poor yellow yarn was getting SO tired of being knitted and frogged and knitted and frogged plus I thought a new color might bring me luck and it did!  Here's my little lonely sock with the cuff done and the heel flap.

I also purchased this book on circular knitting and so far it has been a big help, along with www.knittinghelp.com    and my pattern and video tutorial on Learning to Knit Magic Loop Socks that  I purchased from Very Pink    Yes, it takes a "team" to teach me!  But I am learning...albeit, slowly!
 I like the workshop book because it covers all types of circular knitting....dp's too which I still want to learn someday.  The reason the shamrock cow is atop the book is because I have kept it open for so long I couldn't get it to close without a weight on top of it! LOL!

 I also came upon a another pattern I like and downloaded it but can't afford the yarn right now PLUS it is NOT on my YOP list.....what was I thinking????  Tee Hee!  It's from Alicia Paulson who I adore!  I need to check and see if she's on Ravelry!

 This is her new baby's room and I want it too.....not the crib but the beadboard walls and rose covered wallpaper...and of course the blanket in Mama size.
I also found a used copy of her first book which is very inspiring but this happens to be sewing although she is a great knitter and crocheter too.

So, I apologize for not getting more done....you all are so inspiring.  I wonder if anyone will ever say that about me someday? LOL!  Being accountable to this group has helped me stay the course and I am grateful to all of you for what I have learned!  Full steam ahead and thank God for the internet!

Well.....my surprise did not want her picture taken!

But here she is......the newest member of our family!

  I was not intending on getting another cat after my dear Patches died last year but a series of events let me know this cat was meant to come live with us.  I've always said my pets choose me, I don't choose them and it was certainly true in this case! I was outside working on,  guess what,  "caulking" and a friend pulled in the driveway.  She said she was on her way to put up an ad for this cat to be adopted at our local grocery store.  She said for some reason she decided to pull in my driveway.  I said absolutely not as I could not afford any more animals.  She told me that for this particular cat they were waving the adoption fee, having her spayed and all her shots and were throwing in food for a month and a litter box!  I took a look at her picture and she had the same exact coloring that my Patches had.  So, I finally said yes as it was the cost that was keeping me from getting another and also if I traveled I had no one to take care of her.  The dogs always go with me.  Barb, the friend, said  "I will take care of her if you ever need to go out of town"........so what could I say....she was needing a home so badly and all the doubts and obstacles were overcome!  She was spayed the other day and Dave, from our Animal Rescue organization here in town, even took her back this morning to the vet as he wanted to ensure she was doing okay before I picked her up.  Her name is Missy but I'm not sure how long she's had that name.  She's about 4-6 months old.  Usually I don't like to change their name if they are older and have become used to it but in this case I might.  The problem arises because all my "girls" have names ending in "y" and they get confused when I call them because "Nitty" and "Annie" sound pretty much the same to them.  I've started calling Nitty, "Nit" to alleviate the confusion so another animal with a name ending in "Y" may not be something I want!  Hopefully, I will get better pictures of her but for now she is residing in the messy guest room where she ran after I let her out of her carrier.  She's slept all afternoon pretty much and so I will leave her be in there with her food and water and litter box and maybe tomorrow she'll feel like venturing out.  The poor thing has been through a lot this past month so we'll give her her space and let her come to us when she's ready.  The sad part is, when I brought her in and put her on my bed, Nitty got so excited and was wagging her "stump" of a tail and whining as she thought it was Patches (come back from the dead, I guess!).  I kept telling her it wasn't and of course poor little Missy felt threatened and that's when she bolted to the guest room!  I can't say I blame her but Nitty is so confused....I KNOW she thinks it is her old friend Patches, not that they were ever bosom buddies, but Nitty is friends to everyone even if they don't return the sentiment.
So, that was my exciting news for today.  You'll probably be hearing updates as we move forward with our new little family member and hopefully some better pictures down the road!
Hope you enjoyed your Saturday, it was a gorgeous day here...warm and sunny!  TTYS!    

Oh Happy Days!!!!!

Look what I got in the mail today!!!!!! Oh!  I'm so excited!!!!

I ordered a wool applique ornament kit from Alicia Paulson at Rosy Little Things   I love her needlework and her color sense and her decorating and anything and everything she does...oh yeah....her recipes and cakes too! LOL!  She's an amazing young woman and SO talented!  Hopefully, if I follow the instructions and stitch well it will turn out looking like this..........

She has several ornament kits and you can also just buy the instructions and download them but I wanted the full kit for my first one at least.  Aren't they just precious?  I know I needed another stitching project like a hole in my head but for some reason it seems like when I am the most overwhelmed with unfinished projects there is nothing that motivates me like a new one! LOL!  I'm sure a therapist would have a "hay day" with that one! 
I spent the day paying bills, going through paperwork and clearing off my desk so what a reward I will be enjoying this weekend for all that boring work that doesn't really look like you've done a thing all day!
Did you notice the blanket under the kit?  I snagged this baby from a friend who was on her way to the thrift shop with it!  I took everything off her hands and she didn't have to make the trip! LOL!  I placed it on my bed and love it especially the pattern.

It's throw size but it adds a layer of warmth and color on top of my quilt.  See the divet in the bed.....that's where I "nest" every night! LOL!  I have a feather bed topper and by the end of the week you can see where I've "nested".  I fluff it up every Sunday when I change my sheets and then it is like climbing on top of a cloud again.  I LOVE my feather bed mattress topper!  Here's a bigger view of the pattern which I would like to replicate.  It looks like whoever crocheted this used a variegated yarn for the "flower" and then a rust color for the background and yellow for the borders and more rust for a big outside border.  If anyone has or recognizes this pattern I would appreciate any info on it as I want to make one like it in a different color scheme(s).

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow as I have a BIG little surprise to share with you and I am SO excited about it!  Hope you all are healthy and happy and have wonderful plans for Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving is my mode every day....just look around you or watch the news and you'll realize how much we all have to thankful for!  Happy Friday!

Back in the 'groove" I'm hoping.............

Whether it was allergies or a cold...I guess I'll never really know but I struggled through it and never went to bed but I didn't blog either....sorry.  I took a lot of breaks and kept slogging along trying to get the "caulking" done but it's still ongoing....what a slow arduous job!  I did manage to cook up some Fall food though and apple cheddar treats for "the girls"!  I think I am in hibernation mode...moving slower, wanting to curl up in the blankets and eating comfort food...a lot!

This was for me with some cornbread on the side..........made with this..............

I'm trying to eat local which saves energy, helps the local economy and promotes local farmers.  Also, for health reasons as I don't really trust our food supply much anymore with corporate farms and how they treat the animals too so I try not to give them my business.  Bison/buffalo is very much like ground beef only there's a little sweetness to it but it is healthier as they are allowed to live naturally by grazing on grass.
I'm not a big meat eater but I have some old favorite recipes that just wouldn't be the same without meat.  Does that mean I'm too old to change?
I made the girls apple cheddar biscuits that they seemed to like (my girls love cheese!) but they only get minute amounts.

Here's the recipe for the Apple Cheddar dog biscuits compliments of Martha Stewart...........

·                            YieldMakes about 16

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Ingredients

·                            2 cups barley flour

·                            1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal

·                            1/3 cup shredded cheddar

·                            1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

·                            1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

·                            2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1.                           Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper; set aside.

2.                           In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients and about 3 tablespoons water to form a dough. Roll out mixture between two sheets of plastic wrap to 1/4-inch thick; remove plastic wrap and cut out biscuits with a 3 1/2-inch bone-shaped cookie cutter. Reroll scraps and continue cutting out biscuits.

3.                           Space biscuits 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until nicely browned and firm.

4.                           Transfer biscuits to a wire rack. Turn off oven and place biscuits on wire rack in oven overnight. Remove from oven and store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

I've also discovered a new, improved breakfast.  I usually have yogurt and toast but then I went from Yoplait etc. to Greek yogurt which is healthier and has more body to it and I LOVE the taste of it....Chobani, Stoney Field and then I found Fage!  Oh, it is the cream of the crop , literally when it comes to yogurt!  YUM!
I was buying the flavored which is pricey so I decided to buy a big container of the plain and "dress it up" myself.  I think Tammy of   T's Daily Treasures
was the one that gave me the idea of honey and walnuts which are quite a healthy combo with the yogurt and it is out of this world delicious!

Of course I have to have a couple slices of my homemade bread toasted with a little jam..........

I must be "bulking up" for the long Winter as it seems all I think about lately is FOOD!  I had better watch myself or this could be a long, fattening Winter! LOL!  I hope everyone is fine and dandy and that people who had devastation in their lives are able to move forward a bit and pick up the pieces...literally.  Good thoughts and prayers go out to all of you!
P.S.  Stay tuned as I have a surprise coming Sunday and I'm also going to start making my own yogurt!