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!

My Blog Won an Award!

I'm pretty excited because my blog won an award! Debi Y. of Hooks, Yarns, Crafts & Gardening selected ME. Now I need to tell you 7 things about myself that you probably don't know.

1. I'm deaf in my left ear and hard of hearing in my right ear. Hearing aids drive me crazy in crowds because noise is very aggravating like fingernails on a chalkboard--those of you in my age category know what that's like :)

2. Because of being a military family, it took me 6 colleges in 4 different states before I was able to get my BA at the ripe old age of 45

3. I was the first granddaughter on my mom's side of the family and my maternal grandmother and I shared the same birthday.

4. I'm a very introverted person, kind of a loner but blogging is bringing me out of my shell.

5. I'm becoming self-conscious in my old age about grammar and punctuation. I know I still make many mistakes but I sometimes lookup things such as "Does a period go inside of parentheses or outside?"

6. I'm a Facebook addict--especially the game Cafe World.

7. I'm older than my husband. Used to bother me until he turned gray and I started dying my hair!

Now I need to pass this on to a few other deserving bloggers. This is a tough decision because there are so many blogs I read. I'll do my best here and keep it to crochet and craft-type blogs.

• Attic 24 
• Handmade by Mother
• Enthusiatic Crochetoholic
• Ramblin' Southern Woman
• The Adventures of the Gingerbread Lady

If I understand the rules, winners should post the award on their blog, tell 7 things about themselves that aren't comonly known in blogland, and select blogs to pass the award on to. I chose 5 blogs because Debi did.

Had to Share a Dose of Humor with You!

Here's a little dose of "silliness" to put a smile on your face. Laughter benefits our well-being and health. I know at my age, every giggle helps. Here's my contribution to improving the health of us all:

WIP Wednesday (01-05-2011)

;

OK Folks, it's a wip Wednesday post! Wish I could say I was cranking out projects left and right but the fact is, I seem to be starting new projects every time I blink! Anyway, here's some of what's going on:

• I found some old rug yarn as I was surveying my yarn stash to see what I had. I found this pattern to make slippers out of it. I'm thinking of making the top out of Lion Brand Boucle but then maybe it won't wear well? Any ideas anyone 'cause I have a lot of that yarn from when Dollar Tree was carrying it.

• Still working (albeit not too much) with these squares aiming for a ghan:

Some of you may remember that my mil found a bag of these squares with extra yarn and picked them up for me.

• As I was supposedly working on my "yarn warehouse" aka spare bedroom/craft room, I found some lighter weight yarn and decided to make a baby cocoon from this book:

And here's the picture of where I'm at with this project:

This seems to be a slow-going project with the lighter weight yarn and smaller hook (F).

I really, really want to organize my yarn but so far my main accomplishment has been to make a bigger mess of it and start more projects out of yarn I'm finding! OK, get it together Sharon, you can do it LOL! 

Have a great day everyone...

Search Amazon.com for cuddle cocoons

Ingenious Idea for a Yarn Winder

For Christmas I received a Boye electric yarn winder. It's ok but the balls it winds are extremely loose and if I try to apply tension to the yarn the machine whines and screams. Anyway, I was wandering through the virtual aisles at Youtube and found this video about adapting an electric mixture and using it for winding yarn. I just might give it a try  :)
 Enjoy...!



Search Amazon.com for yarn winder and swift

First Completed Crocheted Project for 2011

Here is the first project I completed this year. It's a scarf. I made this to wear as a "dress-up" thingie for plain shirts especially turtlenecks. It's not one of those things that would be a good outdoor-keep me-warm thing because of the gaps in the stitch pattern. I found this yarn in a thrift shop some time ago and I decided this would be a nice brainless pattern to work on in between other things. What do you work on when you just need something mindless to keep your hands occupied? Thanks for stopping in and visiting. Y'all come again...

Knit Scarves!: 16 Cool Patterns to Keep You Warm

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern 03 January 2011

I love the look of a ripple afghan so I decided to look for a ripplesque (I think I just made up a new word) pattern to post this week. I came across this take on a ripple afghan. It has what looks to be a few rows of a traditional ripple afghan, then there is a "lacy-looking" ripple. Pretty interesting. Hope the new year is going well for all of you. Hugs....

To Make a Resolution or Not?

I've been reading a lot of blog posts about making resolutions for the new year. Many have decided to try to do some great self-improvement things but other folks have said they're not going to make any because they always end up not following through. I'm going to make some and I will follow through. I don't intend to make a million bucks because that's too unrealistic--shucks. Here's the plan:

• Be friendlier on my blog. I have to force myself to put a little life in here because I'm a depressed sort of person kinda afraid of getting close to many people because of things that happened in the past.
• Write for 5 hours a week. I've always wanted to write a book. My college advisor, a librarian and library science professor, liked my senior thesis so well, she had advised me to expand on it and write a book. Who would have thought that a couple years later a book would come out on the same topic that I would have written about. Anyway, I think I will write fiction this time around.
• Expand my crochet horizons and use a different pattern to crochet a round(ish) afghan. I've picked it out and even have the yarn for it but have to finish up a few other things first. 
• Organize my "yarn warehouse" aka spare bedroom. I'm too embarrassed to show you a picture of it but I will take a "before" picture and post it when I complete this goal. If you like, you can pester me every now and then about my progress. I will work 30 minutes a day on weekdays. ;)
• Continue to keep a box and fill it with donation items. I tend to slack off with this and I need to keep it up because it would be so easy for me to be a hoarder. Lost everything twice in my life and tend to overstock and not throw out/get rid of  "things."
• Follow-through with my VA disability case. Even my VA counselor thinks I should do it (and encourages me) but I'm kind of afraid of rejection so I just don't do things for myself--totally unlike the young me who could stand up to anyone and put in her 2 cents worth.

That's it for now. I know it doesn't seem like a lot but if I overwhelm myself, I would throw in the towel and not accomplish anything.

Best wishes for a "Happy New Year" for all with prosperity, love and most importantly universal peace.

My Crochet Projects in 2010

Here's the year's wrap-up of crochet projects. I know there are a few projects I neglected to get pictures of but this should be a fairly good representation of what I accomplished.

I didn't crochet nearly as much as I thought I did. Another year is getting ready to start and I'm working on projects for 2011! For the most part, I keep track of my finished projects in my signature at crochetville.org .

Listing from CV signature:

Finished in 2010: Spiral Simplicity Doily, Toddler Afghan, Potholder (3), Dishcloth (15), Scarf (2), Hat and Scarf Set, hat, rr afghan, magic ball afghan, g sq lapghan, rr baby ghan, doll outfit, spiderman ghan, teddy bear shirt, kk hat, rug, hanging towels (8) slippers (3pr), dog sweater (2), coaster set (2), doll (1), Xmas ornaments (4), men's hat (1), little girl's hat (1), edged towels (2), afghan (2), kennel koozie (1)

I can see several things that I don't have pictures of. I'll try to do better next year. Happy hooking everyone....

Crochet Happenings Here...

I missed the WIP Wednesday over at Everyday Crochet so I thought I'd post what's going on a day late.
I have some balls of a boucle like yarn that I got at a thrift store and I thought I'd make a scarf out of it:

I am using this pattern:

From this book (pg. 107):

I finally finished this throw (I know you've seen it as a wip many times):

Here's a closer look at the edging:

To make the edging, have the wrong side facing you and then slip stitch in one stitch and a treble (triple) crochet in the next--keep on repeating.This throw, you may remember, was to go to one of the guests I was expecting in December, but their visit had to be rescheduled.

Another guest had to reschedule their visit too and they were supposed to get this throw:

They're both planning to come through here in the spring so the first one here gets the first pick! :)

I'm not a person who stays focused on one project at a time. The other currently in progress project is a granny square ghan. My mil had found a bag of squares made and there was extra yarn included. I've been working on this for the last few days.I've been making additional squares and some of the squares were sewn together but the original crocheter wasn't paying attention to what they were doing and some were facing right side up and other squares had the wrong side up. I had to take the ones apart that were sewn together and I did have to make the last round on a few of them because I accidentally cut the wrong yarn. The original crocheter did do something that I'm not happy with and that is (s)he left short ends that could not be woven in. I'm concerned with the durability of this ghan with so many of the squares having the short ends. The colors of these squares are beautiful. Here's a look at a few of them:

I also made a pair of men's slippers. I gave them to my son but forgot to get a picture of them before he took off with them. :) (Love ya Matthew!)

Another Free Pattern for a Round Afghan

I've been maintaining a list of free crochet patterns for round afghans. A new pattern is here. It is a lacy and feminine ghan. So far I've only made the pattern by Aggie May of crochetville.org but I'm going to break out of my comfort zone this year and try one of these other patterns. Here's a picture of one of mine:

Search Amazon.com for crochet patterns

At Long Last--Pictures of the Dog Kennel Koozie!

Thought I would post a picture of my long time crochet project of a koozie for my granddogs kennel. I was pretty nervous about making something from "scratch" but with the exception of being a couple inches too long, it turned out pretty good. I used 2 strands of yarn: 1 strand of black and 1 strand of "magic ball" yarn. I used almost 4lbs of black yarn! Sorry for the picture quality--I used my cell phone to take it. Hugs to all and thanks for visiting...

Search Amazon.com for dog crates and kennels

On 27 December 1990, The 1st Female Commanding Officer of a U.S. Navy Ship Reports for Duty

Haven't posted much on my other love lately (history).  Here's a bit of history trivia for you:

 On 27 Dec 1990, the first female commanding officer of a U.S. Navy vessel, Lcdr Darlene Iskra reported for duty on board USS Opportune (ARS-41) at Naples, Italy, serving until 1993. After retiring in 2000 and completing a Ph.D seven years later, Darlene Iskra is now a professor and an author of numerous publications about Women in the Armed Forces.

For more info:

• Navy Women History
• Alliance for National Defense

• Probably Wise To Recall: Our First Woman Skipper

  
  
  
  
  Search Amazon.com for darlene iskra

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern 27 December 2010

Now that you are finished with your Christmas projects and have boxes FULL of yarn odds and ends what are your plans to do with it? How about slippers? Here's a great pair made from granny squares and making squares uses up leftovers as every crocheter knows. Is your hook in hand yet? Have a great week!

Search Amazon.com for crochet slippers patterns

I'm Spoiled..

DH has spoiled me again this year. He bought me an electric yarn winder!  Whoo hoo! I'm gonna be a winding fool :). Even better than that is the Kindle he bought me! I'm sooo excited to have it. I've wanted one for quite some time. To be honest, I've been doing the Amazon Affiliate thingie and I've been trying to save my credits to get a Kindle but that  close-to-$20 I have wasn't getting there anytime soon (but I can download books with it). I'm really, really excited like a kid opening up a video game system or something like that. I've downloaded a free book already and I bet most of you can guess what book it is by looking at the picture. What do you the title of this book is?

Search Amazon.com for kindle

Search Amazon.com for electric yarn winder

Just About Ready for Christmas...

After writing this post I got my rear in gear and accomplished all these tasks! We really downsized Christmas this year. Every year I had told myself to stop going overboard shopping and this year I think I have finally accomplished that goal. Of course, not getting in the holiday spirit in a timely manner helped out a lot with that goal. Anyway, without little ones celebrating the holidays with us, we decided to get a small tree that we can plant in our yard--this saved time tree decorating. I only made a few batches of goodies because there aren't enough of us to eat the quantities I made on other Christmases. There has been a change of plans, mil was to have Christmas dinner at her house, but those plans changed and I'm now (as of yesterday) making Christmas dinner at our home and she's making one on Sunday (I don't know why). So, I'm popping a small ham into the oven and stuffing a chicken too. I'm not going to go overboard (2 main courses for only 4 people isn't going overboard???) for dinner. I have to tidy up a little bit and do a little food prep tonight and that's it until tomorrow. Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Another Towel Ring Crocheted and Our Christmas Tree--Finally!!!

One more towel ring finished yesterday. I made it while dh drove me to an appointment in Louisville. This is probably a "spare" gift and will go into my gift drawer. Or, I might give it to a gentleman friend of the family. He's a single guy and this is kinda "manly." ;) I always like to see a man with a dishtowel in his hands lol!

Here's this year's little tree. I can only remember 2 times my entire life that I haven't had a tree to the ceiling. One year I'm not going to go into but the other time was when dh and I had transferred to Hawaii the week before Christmas and were in a hotel room with the kids. I bought one of those small little bitty trees in a pot and did all my Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve--what an adventure that was! We had our Christmas feast at a restaurant and went swimming afterwards. It was really a special time for us and the boys were amazed that Santa Claus had found them so far away from where we had been living.  This little tree will be planted in our yard after the big day. I'm going to dedicate it to the special people in my family who are no longer with us.

No matter your faith and beliefs, may your day be blessed and the New Year too.

Christmas Truce 1914

A cross, left near Ypres, Belgium in 1999, to commemorate the site of the Christmas Truce in 1914. The text reads:
1914 - The Khaki Chum's Christmas Truce - 1999 - 85 Years - Lest We Forget.

Christmas 1914, WWI is underway and the troops are homesick, melancholy, stuck in the trenches--cold and depressed. The men on both sides call an unofficial truce and an amazing war-time holiday commences! Below are a few accounts of this holiday truce.

Though there was no official truce, about 100,000 British and German troops were involved in unofficial cessations of fighting along the length of the Western Front. The first truce started on Christmas Eve, 24 December 1914, when German troops began decorating the area around their trenches in the region of Ypres, Belgium.

The Germans began by placing candles on their trenches and on Christmas trees, then continued the celebration by singing Christmas carols. The British responded by singing carols of their own. The two sides continued by shouting Christmas greetings to each other. Soon thereafter, there were excursions across the "No-Man's Land," where small gifts were exchanged, such as food, tobacco and alcohol, and souvenirs such as buttons and hats. The artillery in the region fell silent that night. The truce also allowed a breathing spell where recently-fallen soldiers could be brought back behind their lines by burial parties. Joint services were held. The fraternisation was not, however, without its risks; some soldiers were shot by opposing forces. In many sectors, the truce lasted through Christmas night, but it continued until  New Years Day in others. 

Read more: http://wapedia.mobi/en/Christmas_truce

It is one of the most memorable episodes in military history: the famous Christmas Day truce of 1914 when the guns fell silent and British and German soldiers left their trenches to play football in the icy mud of No Man's Land.

The bitter enemies staged an unofficial ceasefire - shaking hands, swapping presents and autographs and singing carols to each other in what Sir Arthur Conan Doyle described as "the one human episode amid all the atrocities which have stained the memory of war."

Now a moving first-hand account of the break in the carnage on the Western Front - one of the most poignant incidents of the Great War - has surfaced in the form of a previously unpublished letter written from the trenches on that remarkable day nearly 92 years ago.

Despite the horrors of daily life for the British Tommy - knee-deep in the slime of waterlogged trenches - the young private describes it as "the most memorable Christmas I've ever spent or likely to spend: since about teatime yesterday I don't think there's been a shot fired on either side up to now."

In pencil on five pages of paper torn from an Army-issue notebook, he tells his "dear Mater" how on a frosty, moonlit Christmas Eve the Germans began placing "lights all along the edge of their trenches and coming over to us - wishing us Happy Christmas etc."

"They also gave us a few songs so we had quite a social party...Some of our chaps went over to their lines. I think they've all come back bar one from E Co. They no doubt kept him as a souvenir," writes the soldier, frustratingly only identified as "Boy."

"There must be something in the spirit of Christmas as today we are all on top of our trenches running about." "Whereas other days we have to keep out heads well down...I had a parcel from B G's Lace Dept containing a sweater, smokes, under clothes etc."

"We also had a card from the Queen, which I am sending back to you to look after please."

"After breakfast we had a game of football at the back of our trenches! We've had a few Germans over to see us this morning. They also sent a party over to bury a sniper we shot in the week." "He was about 100 yds from our trench. A few of our fellows went out and helped to bury him."

"About 10.30 we had a short church parade, held in the trench. How we did sing. O come all ye faithful. And While shepherds watched their flocks by night were the hymns we had."

"Boy" breaks off to help prepare Christmas dinner - "fried bacon and dip-bread followed by hot Xmas pudding", then "muscatels and almonds, oranges, bananas, chocolate, cocoa and smokes."

"You can guess we thought of the dinners at home. Just before dinner I had the pleasure of shaking hands with several Germans: a party of them came halfway over to us. So several of us went out to them."

"I exchanged one of my balaclavas for a hat. I've also got a button off one of their tunics. We also exchanged smokes etc and had a decent chat. They say they won't fire tomorrow if we don't so I suppose we shall get a bit of a holiday - perhaps."

"After exchanging autographs and them wishing us a Happy New Year we departed and came back and had our dinner. We can hardly believe we've been firing at them for the last week or two - it all seems so strange. At present it is freezing hard and everything is covered in ice..."

Near the end of the well-thumbed letter, he tells his mother: "As I can't explain to everyone how I spent my 25th, you might hand this round please...I never expected to shake hands with Germans between the firing lines on Christmas Day and I don't suppose you thought of us doing so."

"So after a fashion we've enjoyed? our Christmas. Hoping you spend a happy time with George Boy as well. How we thought of England during the day. Kind regards to all the neighbours. With much love from Boy." Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-410741/Historic-letter-telling-WW1-football-match-found.html#ixzz18CUF18ta

Kurt Zehmisch of the 134th Saxons recorded in his diary:

The English brought a soccer ball from the trenches, and pretty soon a lively game ensued.  How marvellously wonderful, yet how strange it was.  The English officers felt the same way about it.  Thus Christmas, the celebration of Love, managed to bring mortal enemies together as friends for a time.

The Truce lasted all day; in places it ended that night, but on other sections of the line it held over Boxing Day and in some areas, a few days more.  In fact, there parts on the front where the absence of aggressive behaviour was conspicuous well into 1915.

Captain J C Dunn, the Medical Officer in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, whose unit had fraternised and received two barrels of beer from the Saxon troops opposite, recorded how hostilities re-started on his section of the front.

Dunn wrote:

At 8.30 I fired three shots in the air and put up a flag with "Merry Christmas" on it, and I climbed on the parapet.  He [the Germans] put up a sheet with "Thank you" on it, and the German Captain appeared on the parapet.  We both bowed and saluted and got down into our respective trenches, and he fired two shots in the air, and the War was on again.

We must all remember this event as a symbol of what brings us together and what really matters in the world.  The world can be a cruel and evil place at times, but even in the middle of the carnage of World War I, enemy forces could embark from their trenches and shake hands. 

So in conclusion, I say to all on here (and yes I even include the Manchester United supporters) Merry Christmas and may God Bless you all during this special time.

The picture for this article is a cross, left near Ypres in Belgium in 1999, to commemorate the site of the Christmas Truce in 1914. The text reads:

1914
The Khaki Chum's Christmas Truce
1999
85 Years
Lest We Forget.

More information: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/96825-the-night-the-guns-fell-silent-football-christmas-and-world-war-i

Still Not Ready for Christmas; Made a Plan!

Christmas seems to creep up on me every year and before I know it the day is about here and I'm not ready. Some sad things have happened close to Christmas in years past and I have to give myself a virtual kick in my backside (virtual because I'm not in very good shape!) and remind myself that life has been very good to me and that there have been so many more special Christmases and only a few sad/bad ones will not tarnish other Christmases--besides that I really have many, many blessings in my life and memories of tons of happy Christmases (decided "tons" was an appropriate word--tons of food, presents and that sort of thing). All the pretty decorations, projects, foods, trees and other neat stuff folks in blogland have posted are motivating me and making me feel a wee bit ashamed of myself for not being ready yet. So, here's the to-do list:

To-Do List

1. Gifts--Shopped for 1st time yesterday! Got all the gifts except 1 1/2! Need to finish crocheting dog crate cover for grand-doggies! Only need to finish-up sewing the pieces together and then weave in an almost infinite amount of yarn ends.
2. Tree--This year we got a "real" tree. Real as in planted in a pot and ready to be put in the ground. Need to decorate and it should only take 1/2 hour at most :). I chuckled when I first saw it and told dh that I hoped one of our strands of lights was SMALL enough lol!
3. Run to grocery store for just a couple items.
4. Bake some cookies. The big day's meal will be at mil's house so I don't have that to worry about that.
5. Misc crochet projects--If it ain't done by now it ain't gonna get done.

Plan

1. Get my rear off this chair in front of the computer and get moving!

2. Get the tree decorated and bake cookies today

3. Tomorrow I have an appointment with doc so while I'm in town, go to grocery store and get the last of the gift shopping done.

4. Friday night--make hot chocolate and eat cookies while wrapping presents.
5. The next few evenings, finish up grand-doggies crate cover while watching the tv with dh.

Sounds easy-peasy so that's my plan and I'm sticking to it! 

Hugs to all of you and yours and may your holidays be joyous....

Search Amazon.com for holiday stress management

Hobby Lobby Coupon

Hobby Lobby Coupon - Hobby Lobby

Remember to read the fine print because there are a few exceptions. Anyway, this time of the year saving a little money at the store comes in VERY handy.

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern 20 December 2010

Need a last minute little gift to stuff a stocking with? How about a Santa pencil topper? This is a cute project and small so it should go fast. Have a great week...