Happy New Year Everyone!

Happy New Years!!!

You know you're getting old when the bottle of champagne bought to celebrate New Years a year ago is still in the fridge.

Anyone make resolutions for 2012? I shouldn't because I didn't stick with last years. My big resolution then was to organize my craft room aka the yarn warehouse. That didn't get done but dh promised me the other day that if I emptied the room, he would build some shelves for storage. I'm going to take him up on that.

Anyway, I am making one resolution and that is to take in stride ignorance from others. I will pray for them that they will remember the Golden Rule and think before they speak. I had some tremendous lies told about me and a relationship with a sibling has suffered tremendously because of this. Eventually the truth will come out because the truth always prevails. I have to be very strong to forget what has been said and to offer forgiveness.

Anyway, on a happier note, here's Mariah Carey singing Auld Lang Syne just for you!

(Every now and then my blog may have music playing and you can mute it by scrolling down the column on your right and muting the music player.)

Insomnia and the Munchies

Couldn't sleep and had the urge for some cookies. The only cookies remaining in our house were some rum balls and I'm not too fond of them. Sooo, in the wee dark hours this morning, I made pizzelle cookies! Pizzelles are one of my favorite holiday treats. I didn't make them before Christmas so it was the perfect time to make them. I found my pizzelle iron about 19 years ago at a thrift store for about $5 or $6 and that was a good deal because they're pricey.

Here's the recipe if anyone is interested:

Pizzelles
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon anise seed
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted margarine or butter
2 teaspoons vanilla

In a small mixing bowl stir together the flour, baking powder and anise

In a large bowl beat the eggs with electric mixer on high for 4 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. With the mixer on medium, gradually beat in the sugar. Then beat in the melted margarine or butter and vanilla. Add the flour mixture. Beat on low speed until combined.

Heat an electric pizzelle iron according to the manufacturers directions. (Or, heat a nonelectric pizzelle iron on the range-top over medium heat till a drop of water sizzles on the grid. Reduce heat to medium-low.)

Place a slightly rounded tablespoon of batter slightly off center toward back of grid. Close lid. Bake according to manufacturer's directions. (For a nonelectric iron, bake for 30 to 60 seconds or till golden, turning once.) Turn wafer out onto a paper towel to cool. Repeat with remaining batter. Makes about 18.

YUM!

Note:
Recipe is a modified version of one found in Better Homes and Gardens Cookies Cookies Cookies

This Week's "Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern" Very Late

I'm sorry that I spaced out posting a link for an interesting pattern on Monday. Guess it's better late than never but I do need to be more reliable about it especially since I call it "Monday's Link."

Here's a pattern for a different sort of afghan--it looks like a crazy quilt. Another thing to go on my 20 mile long want-to-do list! Enjoy and y'all have a wonderful new year.

2011 Crochet Projects

Here's a quick look at the crochet projects I completed this year. At the end of every year, I always think that I did more than I actually did. Maybe next year I'll do more. Thanks for looking!

Every now and then my blog may have music playing. If you go to the column on your right and scroll down to the music player you can mute it.

Christmas Greetings

Sending Christmas greetings to all my family and friends out there. To my dear brother, just remember that things are not always as they appear to be. Love you all...

Christmas Presents of Childhood

Once again I was taking a gander at some videos on youtube. This time I was looking for commercials that grabbed my attention as a little girl. I liked creepy crawlers but that was a present my little brother got. He did make me some glow in the dark "bugs" that I played with in bed after we had lights off. What fun, innocent days those were! Amazingly, there is an updated version available.

Here's the commercial that some of you may remember:

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I'm Pretty Happy With My Christmas Present

Santa decided to let me in on my Christmas present early. DH and I decided to get a joint present this year for our home. We had gotten rid of our old dining room set because it took up too much room (it was a large booth-type). DH had found a set in a Sears sales paper. I told him I wasn't too thrilled with the cheap-looking thing it so he told me to see what I could find. For just a few dollars more, I found a nice set with 6 chairs reduced by almost $900 at Penneys! We won't get it until the day after Christmas and that's ok. Here's a picture of it that I snagged from their site:

Sorry for the poor quality of the picture. When I "snagged" it, I could only get the smaller view so when I put it here, it looks kind of bad. :)

See Beautiful Dining Room Sets

Corn, Clean as a Whistle

 A friend sent this to me some time ago and I kept meaning to post it here but, I forgot about it. When I was going through some of the saved emails I had been keeping for some reason or the other I found it. For those of you who like to can or freeze corn, removing the silks can be a difficult chore. The gentleman in this video shows you an easy to do method of accomplishing it. Y'all have a wonderful holiday season!

If the blog is playing music, just go to the column on your right and scroll down to the music player and mute it. 

Peace on Earth

I was cruising around Youtube looking for a nice Christmas cartoon to post for me you. I saw this one and even though it isn't the usual Christmas cartoon from the 1930s, it does carry a powerful message for today. Here it is:

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Have a wonderful day everyone and stay WARM!

Quick Look at an Old TV Show

The other day, my uncle was asking me about what we did with the gold fish in our pond during the winter. The truth is, when it gets cold, they go into hibernation and we stop feeding them until the spring. As we were talking about this, I recalled an old television show. I asked my uncle if he remembered this show about a guy who had been buried in the snow, found and when "defrosted" he was still alive. Neither my uncle nor I could remember the name of the show so I did some googling and found out the name of it was The Second Hundred Years;  it was a short-lived series in 1967. Here's a look at the opening of the show. Enjoy!

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Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern ( 19 December 2011)

I'm a bit late getting this week's free crochet pattern posted but it's better late than never I guess. Here's a cute hooded scarf for the cold weather. Hope you enjoy...

Helpful Video for Bernat Dog Sweater Pattern

I had tried this pattern a couple years ago and I just couldn't get it to work. Mikey has made a video that clarifies some of the problems I was having with it. So, I'm posting it here in case I  decide to give it a try again.  You may want to check out Mikey's youtube videos for some other great ideas.



I ended up frogging the sweater I tried to make out of this pattern (I was only using 2 colors), bought a coordinating yarn and ended up making a round ripple afghan. Oh yeah, if there is music playing on this blog, you may scroll down the column on your right to mute the music player so it won't compete with the video's audio.

Have a great weekend...

Tried a Different Slipper Pattern

I tried a different slipper pattern last night. It was quick to make. Unfortunately, it was poorly written. I don't care for patterns that say to crochet for so many inches unless it's a scarf or afghan. The slippers are comfortable though.  Here are a few pictures of the finished product:

You can find the pattern here.

Two on Tuesdays 13 December 2011

Two things that make me happy


1.  Old Christmas movies


2.  Snuggling in a homemade afghan on cold days.


Graphic courtesy of Debi. Go check out her blog.

I'm Just Full of "Posts" Today!

Wow! My 3rd post of the day...I maybe need to get a life or  something. Today I finished weaving in the ends of an afghan that has been languishing on the arm of my couch for a few weeks. It's a Christmas present but the people it's for don't read my blog so I can show you. Here it is:

The pattern is a freebie and you can get it here.

An Old-Fashioned Christmas Cartoon

I love old-fashioned Christmas cartoons. Here's one I'd like to share with you. If there is music playing on my blog, you  may scroll down the column on your right to mute it.

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern (12 December 2011)

Have a small, cold furbaby? Here's a cute pattern for your little one.

Yarn Substitutions

I was just looking for some information on yarn substitutions and I found a great chart here. I thought I'd share it with you. Thanks for visiting!

Prices of Yarn

Did you know that you can buy mill ends of Caron yarn for only $3.29 a pound? The Caron 1 pounders are $9 at Wal-mart. The only thing that you  might not like is that ordering from Caron does not give you the choice of colors. If you buy over $100 worth from them then shipping is free. I think I'd go in with a few friends if I ever order from them. Anyway, here's the link for Caron's mill ends (you have to scroll down the column on your left to where it says "One pound mill ends").Lots of these mill ends available on ebay from various sellers at substantially higher cost but you do get a color choice there.  I know that I'm probably not the only one who is trying to save a penny; that's why I'm sharing this with you. Take care everyone!

ps. Caron's not giving me anything for promoting them.

Slippers--Again :)

Here's a couple more pairs of slippers. You can wear them cuffed or not cuffed.

Pattern.

May We Live in Peace

On this anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, let us pray for peace in the new year and an end to all wars.

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Two on Tuesdays 06 December 2011

It's Two on Tuesday day and here are 2 things that make me happy:

1. Having my sons over to visit.

2. Still having some great friends from long ago when I was in high school.

Thank you Debi for allowing me to use your picture.

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern (05 December 2011)

Do you know of a small dog that has a hard time staying warm in the winter? Sweaters just not warm enough? Here's a pattern for a scarf and leg warmers that should do the trick! Thanks for stopping in and visiting.

Hot Off My Hook

Here's a picture of a scarf I just finished. Easy peasy pattern to make.

I had bought the yarn at a Goodwill store a couple years ago. I spent 50 cents for it. This turned out to be not only an easy project but also an inexpensive one.

Finished Christmas Blog Remodeling

Hi everyone. I just finished my blog's Christmas decorating. I have Christmas carols that play automatically when you visit. If the music bothers you, you can scroll down the column on your right to the music player and mute it. If the music is extremely irksome to you, let me know and if I get too many complaints I'll switch the music player to manual. Thanks for visiting!

Two on Tuesdays 29 November 2011

Two things that make me happy:

Reading on my Kindle.

and

Crocheting love into gifts for family and friends.

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern (28 November 2011)

Crocheted dishcloths seem to be a favorite of many people. Here's a pattern for 3 designs. They make a great last minute gift for Christmas too.

A Thanksgiving Prayer by Linus

May you have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving Day.

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern

Here's a pretty afghan pattern that is nice for both Christmas and year round. Hope you enjoy it.

Took a Break from the Afghan I'm Making

I had to take a break on the afghan I'm making. I needed a color change and I wasn't getting that on a single color afghan. I decided to make a hat for a quick change of pace.

The pattern is here if anyone is interested in. I didn't intentionally use the same color as is in the pattern. I do think mine came out pretty close to the modeled one.

Here's the picture of mine:

This is the 3rd time I've used this pattern. I tend to get "stuck" on a pattern and make it a few times before I move on to something else. I have made at least a thousand round ripples (ok, maybe not quite that many), granny squares afghans, slippers and now wave ripple afghans. I think it's time to move on to a different pattern for a few projects.

Wave 'Ghan for Son and DIL

My DIL requested an afghan made out of one color for Christmas this year. So here's a look at the one I'm making for them:

My DIL wanted it to be one color, and it needed to match another afghan I've made for them. I'm sorry the picture is kind of blurry; I had a really cheap camera at the time and was pretty new to digital when  I took this picture.

Guess I better get busy with it. Thanks for stopping in.

ps--They never read my blog so they won't see the picture of it.

VA Disability

Here's my boys and me a looooong time ago!

I finally did it. I had an appointment at the VA hospital to increase my disability rating. I've been listening to my one VA doctor for several years encourage me to do it but I just didn't have the energy to do it. My one condition is currently rated at 10 % but I have all the symptoms plus more than what the 60% rating is. The VA disability system seems to be similar to what I've heard about the Social Security Disability Program--deny, deny, deny and then after an appeal or 2 you get it. How frustrating and I think they like people like me who throw in the towel after the 1st time and don't appeal such as I've done in the past. This time I'm going for it.

Two on Tuesdays

I saw on Debi's blog that she is going to post 2 things that make her happy. I thought that was such a great idea and I'm going to copy her idea too. Here are 2 things that make me happy:

My chihuahuas-- Nellie Belle and Opi

The 2nd thing that makes me happy is chocolate (imagine that)!

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern (14 November 2011)

I love, love, love crocheted slippers. Here's an interesting pattern for some. These might make a nice Christmas gift for someone on your list. Thanks for visiting!

Started Slipper Marathon 2011~

Every year, I crochet many pairs of these slippers to give out at Christmas time. Here are the first ones I finished making for this Christmas:

This pair is for a man

This is going with the Serene Seas Afghan I recently finished.

If you're interested, here's a link for the pattern.

Happy Crocheting....

Serene Seas Afghan

Afghan is totally done! A quick wash and a trip to the post office to send it to a special person as a surprise. I used this pattern. The pattern is quick and easy and by varying colors and width of "stripes" you have many, many looks to choose from. Thanks for stopping in and looking. I'm off to the dentist in 5 minutes. Y'all have a nice day.

This picture shows the colors pretty much as they are.

Finally, I'm here...

I'm sorry that I haven't been visiting many of your blogs lately. I still feel kind of under the weather although all my medical tests are coming out normal. Insomnia and horrible dreams when I do sleep wake me up several times a night. Tomorrow, I'm having my root canal finished and then I have to make an appointment to have a permanent filling put in. Anyway, that's enough of the not so nice news and on to something better.

We harvested our potatoes. Didn't get many I think because I had used some of the small, gourmet potatoes that had eyes on them to plant. Hubby didn't want to pile our tires higher and fill them in with more dirt; so........... we had a small harvest of small potatoes. I plan on steaming some of them one day next week as a side dish with supper.  Below is a picture of our small harvest and no, the darker ones are not souvenirs from Opi and Nellie Belle! The "meat" of the darker ones is actually a beautiful purple color. If you're wondering what tires have to do with potatoes, we plant potatoes in tires and stack additional ones on top as the plants grow and add more soil.

On to crocheting : I'm weaving the ends in on the latest afghan I'm working on. I'm only going to show you the colors and not post a picture until it is totally finished. I'm going to call it "Serene Seas."

Hope everyone is doing well and are staying warm....

Rose in Bloom Dishcloth

Still not feeling tip-top so I haven't been here too much lately. I have been working on an afghan that is a little over 1/2 finished. Hope to have a picture of it before too long to show you. Anyway, I took a break from the afghan and made this dishcloth when I was waiting at the doctor's office. I think it is cute enough to use as a small doily under a flower pot or something similar. I used a free pattern from Maggie Weldon called Rose in Bloom Crochet Dishcloth. The yarn I used is Peaches & Creme Orange Sherbet. Thanks for stopping in and looking. Hugs...

.Monday's Link to Free Pattern (24 October 2011)

Here's a pattern for a quick angel decoration to make for Christmas. Enjoy!

"Autumn Review" Afghan is Finished

Today I finished an afghan and I didn't even have to hide the unwoven ends in before taking a picture because it was a completely finished project!   I'm calling it Autumn Review. Here's a look at it:

The dark green stripes look brown in the picture but they are honest and truly green. The other colors are pretty close. I used the pattern/tutorial from Attic24. I crocheted a sequence of 3 rows of 3 colors until it was about the length I wanted and I ended with the same color I started with (green).

Tomorrow I'm having a root canal on my abscessed tooth. I hope to be feeling back to par by the weekend. Take care everyone and thanks for looking.

ps--I've already started the next afghan. I ended up having to squeeze in another one before Christmas.

I've Been Out of Commission Again!

Been down hard with an inner ear infection and abscessed tooth. Hope to be almost back to my "normal" state in a few days. Have to go to dentist Thursday for the third time and I'll be having a root canal on the abscessed tooth done. When it rains it pours.....sigh....

WIP Wednesday 12 October 2011

I actually have 2 things I'm working on. Last week I posted pictures of an afghan I'm making for a Christmas present. It's about 1/2 way done. Since I showed you a picture of it last week, I decided not to bore you with another one but rather to show you the scrap 'ghan I'm working on when I get the urge to use a different color. This 'ghan is wider than the other one so I'll be working on it and using up scraps for quite a bit of time to come. OK, here's the progress on the scrap 'ghan:

Click this button to see what some other folks are up to:

Have a great a creative day....

WIP Wednesday (05 October 2011)

This afghan will be a Christmas present for a dear friend of ours. He has been a true friend to us so I wanted to make him something special.

Click the button below to see what other's are making.




Take care...

Polka Dot Afghan Is Finished

I know I haven't been here lately. My medications have been switched around and my concentration is off and I sleep a lot more in "shifts." Anyway, I wanted to come on today and share some pictures of the afghan I finished for my brother. Here they are:

This is the pattern I used for the squares.

Thanks for being patient with me and stopping in to visit!  Hugs....