Pictures Galore!!!!

A bunch of pictures I took over the holidays and never posted....here's Grace, all settled in and taking over!

Here's the blizzard on Christmas...the first time a blizzard warning has ever been issued for Arkansas and the last big snowfall like this was back in the 1800's they said.  I called it a true Christmas Miracle because it was my Christmas wish come true! (see the white tail in the middle....a deer friend leaving in a hurry when she spied me! LOL!)

I might have showed you this ivy plant but did I tell you I got it at Walmart discounted to $3.50????  Steal!!!!
  And it's still alive!

I've been getting better at the cross stitch....it's all coming back to me now...........

I've been doing a lot of cleaning and clearing........

after the snow the sun came out and left me a colorless rainbow in my bathroom.........

here's my little Christmas cottage..............I wish it was my REAL cottage............

 like Kris Kringle's below...............isn't it precious?

 

 The moon was out and full one night and I got a picture but not like some bloggers that get gorgeous moon shots..........

I was cleaning and watching the Hallmark specials over the holidays and there were some good ones!  I started taking pictures of the screen of houses and scenes I liked for my future old dilapidated farmhouse/cottage that I want to get in Illinois...dilapidated so I can fix it up just how I want....if it's too perfect I won't have the money or the guts! LOL!  You can tell I stopped what I was doing as my cleaning rag is laying there while I went to grab the camera...

I love the curtains in the big entry to the dining room and the ones on the door with the oval glass......
 There's a better shot below and I have an old floor lamp like that one in the picture.

 This is the best shot I could get of the outside of the house........there was a better one but I missed it....dang!
  I want a few more trees around though......and hills

 Now you're all caught up to the present except for some book reviews which I'll get to this week....there were some good ones!
Today I made yogurt for the first time but not sure how it will turn out..........

it has to sit in the oven with the light on in a pan of hot water for 6-8 hours and then if I want the Greek style (which I do for sure), I have to strain it through some muslin in a collander.

Tune in tomorrow to see how it went.  I was going to buy a yogurt maker (actually I had one I had picked up at a garage sale but when I left Iowa my friend convinced me I didn't need it.....).  A new one is about $40.00 so we'll see how the oven light procedure works....either way making your own yogurt costs a quart of milk for all that you see there instead of $1.00 or more a cupful when you buy it already made.  
A friend of mine stopped by (my book fairy) and she invited me over next Saturday to start learning how to spin on her wheel!  Woo Hoo!  I'm a learnin fool and off to a great start in 2013!!!  Hope you all are too!

YOP Update

Started on	:)	Status	Name	Pattern	Source
2012-08-17		Finished	Double down on potholders!	The Best Crocheted Potholder	Mama's Stitchery Projects
2012-07-05		Finished	Granny Stripe	Granny Stripes	Attic24
2012-04-02		Finished	Ripple throw	Neat Ripple Pattern	Attic24
		Finished	Rose Garden Tote	Rose Garden Tote	Stitch Nation by Debbie Stoller Website
2012-07-29		Finished	Cotton Bath Mat	Simple Cotton Bath Mat	Purl Bee
2012-07-15		Finished	Dishtowels	Soft Cotton Knit Dishtowels	Purl Bee
2012-07-28		In progress	My first pair of socks!	Learn to Knit Magic Loop Socks	v e r y p i n k

Below are the remaining project to be done (hopefully) before July 2013.  You can go to my projects page to see my finished projects and my queue to see the remaining projects on Ravelry.  My id on Ravelry is Saminar.  On Ravelry there are links to the patterns and more info.

Priority	Pattern
1	Blackberry Salad Striped Afghan
2	Everyday Edgings
3	Pinata Bag
4	Cherry Jam
5	Little Urchin Crochet Covered Sea Stones
6	Seeing Stars Blanket
7	Stripey Spring Rug
8	Babette Blanket
9	Tornado Twist
10	Spud & Chloë — Patterns » Situpons NEW!

Almost done with my second sock.  I think I've found some other patterns for Magic Loop socks too so I can keep "practicing"! LOL!  Or I could try my hand at DPNs.  I'm getting really fast at knitting too but still don't watch t.v. unless it is straight knit stitch.  I could have finished them but I have been on another "mission" too since before Christmas.  I made a resolution that this would be my last Christmas in Arkansas and that next year I will be back in my hometown in Illinois.  Every day except weekends I spend time cleaning, clearing , organizing and packing to put my house on the market come this Spring thus less time spent on knitting or crocheting.  I did finally list my projects (above) and haven't picked the next one yet from my remaining list of 10 for this years YOP.  It might depend on money for yarn...like the big blanket! Pricey even with less expensive yarn.  I'll see what I already have the yarn for.  So, you will be surprised to see something new next week....finally!  Thank you for your patience!  I hope you all had a great and safe Christmas and I wish you all a wonderful New Year!

Happy Hearts..................

I've been finding hearts everywhere.............a couple in the sink.........and no, I did not shape them...they just appeared that way

 

juice in a pan........... 

 and a pie crust crumb! LOL!

Have you found any lately?  

The hyacinth bloomed..............

the snow came............

 

 there was Christmas love and cheer being spread around the house.........

 cookies made........

 candlelight and wonderful smells.................

 and our "deer" friends stopped by..........

 I love this time of year and I hope you are enjoying it too!

YOP Update......Christmas Edition

This is the last update before Christmas........I'm so glad I didn't plan on making lots of homemade gifts for others because they would not be finished! LOL!  Meanwhile, for all those of you who did, I have been praying that you get them done in time to enjoy your holiday  ie;  "don't sweat the small stuff"! LOL!  If you don't get them done, take a picture of the partially finished item and wrap it up or leave them a note.....just make sure you enjoy the days ahead...they would much rather have the gift of YOU anyway.  Of course many of you did finish beautiful gifts for others and about this time I am vowing to be more like you ......next year!
Meanwhile....this is what I've been working on.....same old things...........I included the finished sock so you wouldn't think it was the the first sock that I had frogged again and started over!  LOL!  I still cannot knit and watch t.v. therefore you don't see much progress.....you know....all those Christmas Specials!

  I can cross stitch though...sort of.....I'm pretty rusty as it has been over 20 years I think....gosh I'm old!

Here is my little tree in the window...wishing you a very merry and peace filled holiday!

And here's what I'm getting for Christmas......a Christmas miracle for sure!   It was my Christmas wish...it's all I wanted...a snow storm!  Santa....you still be "the man"!!!!  Merry Christmas everyone and Happy Holidays!

Life goes on..............

This card says it all and although this Christmas may not be as joyous or merry for many there are still blessings to be seen all around us and especially in the guise of those who have been so supportive of those who needed it so much this year.  Blessings to all and may peace be yours this Christmas.

Christmas is coming.........

I have no tree up except a ceramic one my Aunt Alice made me years ago but the Christmas Spirit is filling every room of my house and my heart is full of excitement and joy and the dogs are covering their ears because I have Christmas music blasting through the house! LOL!
Yesterday was 12-12-12 which I paid no heed to until today because yesterday I had an "a-ha" moment, as Oprah would call it.  I was cleaning and ran across my books (4 to be exact) about my hometown that I sat down and started reading last night.  My hometown is where I am trying to get to eventually and last night in reading the books and the words and pictures of people who are no longer with us, it dawned on me that I wasn't the only one who felt my hometown was "special"......so many things came to "light" that it lit me up and on fire to get back there ASAP and live out the rest of my days.  When I woke up this morning so excited to put my plan in action, I realized that yesterday was supposed to be "special" because of the date...........it was for me.....VERY SPECIAL!!!!!  I will impart more of it to you in future blogs.  I think you will find it interesting to say the least.  Meanwhile I drew up my plan this morning and have been putting it in action all day.  I have a timeline and I am going on record in front of all of you that God willing I will be spending next Christmas in my hometown!
Oh, no big tree but little ones scattered here and there........this is my kitchen/cookie cutter tree.  I would love to get some more of those battery operated lights and put some on this tree.  I love lights....the more the better!

Here's another little miracle happening right here in my house...........a hyacinth starting to bloom!!!
It started sprouting a few weeks ago and I thought it was a strange time of year but here she is.....
Meanwhile the "Christmas" cactus in the background has no buds....go figure.

Maybe my craziness is starting to rub off on my plants. LOL!
Here's my wish for all of you...........

and peace on earth and goodwill to all!

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!