Hobby Lobby 40% Off Coupon.

40% Off Coupon--Good through January 22nd.
Hobby Lobby's ad, good through January 22nd.

What's Going on in My Crochet World?

I'm working on a granny ripple afghan. My other projects have been put on hold because there is a time limit on this one--I plan to give it to a dear aunt and uncle. They don't know about it so shhh if you know them. ; ) I'm enjoying the use of neutral colors. I never thought I'd say that! I had gotten so used to white walls when we moved around in the military that I have gone crazy with color when we finally settled in our own home. My big mistake was when I picked a color for our bedroom that I thought resembled terracotta but it ended up looking like we were living inside a CARROT! That lasted a few years and I now have a soft-blue colored bedroom that is perfect. Anyway, I'm jabbering on here about carrots and colors and what I really wanted to do is show you how far I've gotten on this project. Sometimes I take part in the WIP Wednesday over at Every Day Crochet but I don't think she's doing it this week. Oh, and finally, here's the picture:

Affordable Health Care Act

Is anyone interested in the almost 1000 page Affordable Health Care Act? It's rather lengthy and full of political double talk but it is available for you to read and lookup answers to your questions. I would really appreciate knowing what it entails but I just don't have the wherewithal to read the entire thing! Anyway, I thought it was important to know where it is.

Japanese Companies and the U.S.: A Shared Dark History

Picture from here

This post is about something that has caused me a large loss of confidence in our country's protection and appreciation of our veterans. When I was in college, I wrote my senior thesis on some of the POWs , formerly of the heavy cruiser Houston, held by Japan. I learned that many of the POWs had not only been used as slave labor to build the bridge on River Kwai, but also used as slave labor in many industries that are well known today. The businesses were never penalized for their treatment of our men. If you follow this link you can see a short video about this (embedding for this video is not allow; that's why you need to follow link). I read of this in my research in a book by Linda Goetz Holmes titled Unjust Enrichment: How Japan's Companies Built Postwar Fortunes Using American POWs. The U.S. government has consistently forbidden former POWs from suing these Japanese companies. What can we do to put a hurting on them? We can stop buying any products made from these companies and to be sure that they're not making money off of Americans just stop buying ANYTHING made in Japan. It is shameful that our own country won't force Japan to pay reparations to our heroes when we paid reparations to the Japanese Americans who were were sent to relocation camps. Is a military person any less deserving than a civilian? I don't think so. Perhaps our country should pay the survivors instead of Japan. Unfortunately, there are few survivors left so we better get a move on before they're all gone.


More articles on this topic:

• How the Japanese Used American POWs as Slave Labor
• POW Forced Labor Lawsuits Against Japanese Companies
• Mitsubishi WWII Slave Labor
• Survivors of Japan's WWII Death Camps
• WWII forced labor issue dogs Aso, Japanese firms
• POW compensation bill: Significance for Japan
• Allied POWs Under Japan

Search Amazon.com for Unjust Enrichment: How Japan's Companies Built Postwar Fortunes Using American POWs

Yesterday Ray and I Celebrated Our Anniversary

24 years ago yesterday, Ray and I were married. We didn't have a big to-do, we were both in the navy. I was stationed on a ship, the USS Ajax, and Ray's ship, the USS New Orleans, was temporarily in the yards in San Francisco. He flew to San Diego for the weekend, we got married and he went back to Frisco the next day. The following weekend he came back to San Diego and we rented an apartment and set up housekeeping although in the beginning neither of us spent much time at home. It was nice to have a home to go to away from our ships when we were able to get there. Here's a picture of us on our wedding day (couldn't find the original only this one I played around with). See, I told you it wasn't a big to-do. :)

Tonight Ray came home with these beautiful roses--

Next year we'll have our silver anniversary. Where has the time gone?

Quick Note

FYI I have a new page listed in my blog's header. It is a page of links to free patterns for dog sweaters/coats. If you notice that a link is broken, please let me know and I'll investigate. Enjoy...

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern 17 January 2010

Step aside Cake Boss because today's free pattern link is for a non-caloric, high fiber cake that will last practically forever! OK, enough chattering, here's the pattern. Enjoy!

ANOTHER New Project

Nope, I haven't finished the projects I've been working on and yes, I did start another project. I am working on a granny ripple afghan. I need it for someone so the slippers and granny square afghan I was working on are on hold for now. My camera I just got a month or 2 ago is acting up so this picture was taken with my phone camera so that's why it's kind of icky. I really love the colors of this new afghan. I'm going to be sad at parting with it but that's the way it is with so many things I make. It almost feels like I put a little bit of myself in the things I make. Do any of you feel that way or am I being a little bit silly? Anyway, here's the picture:

ps--I think that the teddy bear is going to become my mascot since he shows up in so many pictures I take :)

Let's Read Together

Anyone interested in reading some good old-fashioned literature? Why don't a group of us have a virtual get-together and read the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne? You can download it for free from this page at Project Gutenberg. There are several different formats. You can read it on your computer screen, download it to your Kindle or several other formats that I'm not sure what they are. :) OK, there are 24 chapters. How about if we read 3 chapters a day. The chapters are relatively short so it shouldn't be too much of a struggle. I will set up a posting for 3 chapters each and we can each write comments about what we're thinking as we read--such as compare and contrast then and now and whatever other ideas you may have. I haven't read this book since I was a sophmore in high school (early 70s UGH) so I'm getting excited about reading it again. If the pace is a bit fast for you, that's ok because you can always go back to where you're at and leave your comments too. Let's get reading--first assignment "due" on Monday, 17th of January...

NOTE added 20 Jan. 2011: Didn't get too much interest in reading this so maybe we can do this at a later date with another classic book. 
Search Amazon.com for scarlet letter

Do Your Yarn Projects Ever Come Out the Wrong Size???

You Are Not Alone!!!

Hancock's Coupon Good only 8am - Noon on 17 January.

I will try to be better about remembering to post links for coupons that you may use for crochet supplies or other "domestic arts." Hancock's has a 10% off entire purchase coupon that is good for early birds on Monday, 17 January from 8am to noon. Read the fine print because there are a few items that the coupon may not be used for.

13 January 1992 Japan Admits to Sex Slavery in WWII

On this date in history 1992, Japan admits to forcing tens of thousands of Korean women to serve as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during World War II. 


For more information:

• Former South Korean Sex Slaves Recall Humiliation, Brutality
• Japanese Officer Admits Coercive Sex Slave Trade
• Japanese Prisoner of War Interrogation on Prostitution
• US Congressional Resolution Calls on Japan to Accept Responsibility for Wartime Comfort Women
• The Politics of Apology for Japan's "Comfort Women"

Search Amazon.com for comfort women wwii

New Crochet Pattern Added to List

New pattern listed under today's date on the list of free crochet patterns for round(ish) afghans. If anyone notices duplicates or expired links, please let me know and I'll fix. Thanks.

Made an Earwarmer

I'm making a bet with myself that when son #1 goes on his trip he forgets to bring a hat with him (or can't find one) so I tried out the pattern I posted a link to on Monday to make a set of earwarmers for him. I really like how it turned out. He's not here right now so the ol' Teddy bear modeled it for me. I tried it on and I really, really like it. I can see some earwarmers in my future. Oh, and maybe I better post a direct pattern link for you too. Thanks for checking this out.

Baby Cocoon Ensemble Finished

Tonight, or I should say last night since it is early in the morning today, I finished the baby cocoon and hat I've been working on. The pattern is from Annie's Attic Cuddle Cocoons by Sandy Powers. I noticed that even though I crochet loosely, I had to go up a hook size for this one. So far I don't have plans for this one, I just wanted to make one of these cocoon ensembles. Here's the pic:

I really need to figure out some better backgrounds to use. :) Now that I've finished this project, it's back to figuring out how to make some order out of the disorder in my spare room/craft room until I find some more yarn I have forgotten and get side-tracked making something else again.

Y'all stay warm....

Great Song!

Someone posted this on Facebook and I thought it was such a great song that I want to share it with all of you.  By the way, I have a music player on this blog that you might want to check out. It's in the column on your right.  Enjoy and remember--"It'll be all right again!"

Whazzz Happenin'

Not much going on here. DH and I spent a lazy weekend. I did finish the baby cocoon I was crocheting. I'll hold off on posting a photo of it until I get the matching hat done.

I'm making the blue one.

Winter storm is supposed to move in tonight. I have plenty of canned food on hand and a few MREs and the camping stove with several bottles of propane on hand just in case we lose power. Also have a few of the gallon-size bottles of water. If we get the word that the water will be cut off I'll fill the bathtubs up for miscellaneous needs. I just expect everything to be ok though.


The oven on my stove stopped working and I haven't had it for 2 years yet! I've always bragged about how quickly the oven pre-heated and I mentioned to dh that it seem to be taking a long time and he said "check it." The darned thing was stone-cold! I had mixed up a batch of cookie dough this weekend and tried to bake some snickerdoodles and I ended up resorting to my toaster oven to make them. The bottoms got a bit too brown but we ate them anyway. :)


Son #1 is going to Colorado this week. Hope he doesn't get snowed in there. I really don't want him to go there especially this time of the year but he's a big boy and I guess he can handle himself.


Need to get to the store to do my "coupon" shopping at Walgreens. Y'all take care...

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern 10 January 2011

Do you need a quick pattern to make a gentleman some sort of headgear to keep his ears warm in this brrrrr cold weather? The answer may be found at Crochet Living's pattern "My Husband's Ear Warmer."

This looks to be a quick and easy pattern that takes a smaller amount of yarn than a more traditional hat or beanie so it's a good stash buster too.

Enjoy  :)

A Case of Domestic/Elder Abuse

The following information I am posting is from public records. I have deleted the victims address for her privacy; the information has been cut and pasted and not modified other than to remove the address information and put Xs in for the alleged perpetrator's name.


XXXXX, SExxxxxxx - (M/?) Age:
Hemet , CA 92545-3878
Reported: 01/05/2011 by Crime Reporter: 5081
Crime Report #: 5625327
Source: Southwest Detention Center SDM PC243(E)(1) Battery On Spouse, Cohabitant, Or Former Spouse
368(C)Bail Amount: 25000
Residing in Crime Beat Zone: Riverside


Previously, it was possible to go to the Riverside County, California's website and do a name search for convictions. Now there is a charge to do this so I'm not posting additional information on this alleged abuser.


Why am I so interested in this case? Because the victim is my long-time friend's mother. SHE has been a long time friend to me too. She's a single lady and this man has taken advantage of her loneliness and good nature for many, many years. There has been numerous episodes of physical violence and "mind games" that he has pulled on her. The last time she ended up in the hospital and the only "good" thing this time is that it was in front of a witness. He is quite a bit younger than her--I believe he is in his early 40s--close to the age of my friend. I live on the other side of the country so I don't get to visit often. He does not contribute monetarily to their living situation--she pays for housing, utilities and food on the below-poverty-level income she receives. He contributes his appetites. He has a very checkered past with abusive treatment of ladies. As a matter of fact, he has been incarcerated twice for similar behaviors. The system is letting my dear friend's mom down. Her previous request for a restraining order was turned down and his past record probably wasn't taken into consideration otherwise I don't know how in their right minds the court in California did not grant her request. I was let down by the system when I lived in California. Because I was in the military, I was granted emergency orders to get out of state because I had documented the lack of protection the police offered me. This was 20+ years ago and I would have thought things had changed after the highly publicized trial of O.J. Simpson.


Here is some information on domestic abuse I found online--there is more information available there than what I have posted:

Understanding domestic violence and abuse

You don’t have to live in fear:

Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at:
1-800-799-7233

Domestic abuse, also known asspousal abuse, occurs when one person in an intimate relationship or marriage tries to dominate and control the other person. Domestic abuse that includes physical violence is called domestic violence.

Domestic violence and abuse are used for one purpose and one purpose only: to gain and maintain total control over you. An abuser doesn’t “play fair.” Abusers use fear, guilt, shame, and intimidation to wear you down and keep you under his or her thumb. Your abuser may also threaten you, hurt you, or hurt those around you.

Domestic violence and abuse does not discriminate. It happens among heterosexual couples and in same-sex partnerships. It occurs within all age ranges, ethnic backgrounds, and economic levels. And while women are more commonly victimized, men are also abused—especially verbally and emotionally, although sometimes even physically as well. The bottom line is that abusive behavior is never acceptable, whether it’s coming from a man, a woman, a teenager, or an older adult. You deserve to feel valued, respected, and safe.

Recognizing abuse is the first step to getting help

Domestic abuse often escalates from threats and verbal abuse to violence. And while physical injury may be the most obvious danger, the emotional and psychological consequences of domestic abuse are also severe. Emotionally abusive relationships can destroy your self-worth, lead to anxiety and depression, and make you feel helpless and alone. No one should have to endure this kind of pain—and your first step to breaking free is recognizing that your situation is abusive. Once you acknowledge the reality of the abusive situation, then you can get the help you need.

Signs of an abusive relationship

There are many signs of an abusive relationship. The most telling sign is fear of your partner. If you feel like you have to walk on eggshells around your partner—constantly watching what you say and do in order to avoid a blow-up—chances are your relationship is unhealthy and abusive. Other signs that you may be in an abusive relationship include a partner who belittles you or tries to control you, and feelings of self-loathing, helplessness, and desperation.


Below is a little bit on elder abuse from helpguide's site (more info is available there):

What is elder abuse

Your  elderly neighbor

There’s an elderly neighbor you’ve chatted with at civic meetings and block parties for years. When you see her coming to get her mail as you walk up the street, you slow down and greet her at the mailbox. She says hello but seems wary, as if she doesn’t quite recognize you. You ask her about a nasty bruise on her forearm. Oh, just an accident, she explains; the car door closed on it. She says goodbye quickly and returns to the house. Something isn’t quite right about her. You think about the bruise, her skittish behavior. Well, she’s getting pretty old, you think; maybe her mind is getting fuzzy. But there’s something else — something isn’t right.

As elders become more physically frail, they’re less able to stand up to bullying and or  fight back if attacked. They may not see or hear as well or think as clearly as they used to, leaving openings for unscrupulous people to take advantage of them. Mental or physical ailments may make them more trying companions for the people who live with them..

Tens of thousands of seniors across the United States are  being abused: harmed in some substantial way often people who are directly responsible for their care
More than half a million reports of abuse against elderly Americans reach authorities every year, and millions more cases go unreported.

Where does elder abuse take place?

Elder abuse tends to take place where the senior lives: most often in the home where abusers are apt to be adult children; other family members such as grandchildren; or spouses/partners of elders. Institutional settings especially long-term care facilities can also be sources of elder abuse.

Abuse of elders takes many different forms, some involving intimidation or threats against the elderly, some involving neglect, and others involving financial chicanery.

I believe, that in my friend's case, this is not only a case of domestic violence but also a case of elder-abuse. Elder abuse can affect anyone of us because let's face it--none of us is getting any younger and we may depend on someone for our care in the future.


Unfortunately, I live over 1000 miles away and can do little to help. She is welcome to come for a visit to get out of the situation and have the time to just relax and maybe get back into crocheting :).She doesn't have any other out--only her prayers and ours. If you have a chance, would you say a little prayer for her safety?


Thank you.

Two More Free Round Afghan Patterns Added to List

I added to the list of free round afghan patterns. There are 2 new patterns under today's date. The list is here or you can go up to the blog's header and there is a place to click there too. Y'all have a great weekend!