It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas

My tree is up finally. Every year we say this year we will buy a smaller tree and we even think we are buying a smaller tree and every year it is the same tree! We have to cut the top to make it fit and move the furniture to make space. But I love our tree. Like all of you, I am crazy busy with my to-dos. I have 2 gifts to finish.
The gifts I bought on-line are piled up in my foyer unopened. So I still have to sort them out and wrap, wrap, wrap. I have to clean my house and prep for house guests, food shop, etc., etc.

So this will be my last post before Christmas. I wish you all love, peace and happiness. Talk to you next year. Time to think about my resolutions :(

Something Homemade for Christmas

I have no decorations up. I have done my cards but not mailed them. Very little shopping (online only) . I completed a scarf (which I love, link to pattern on previous post) and started a shawl. I put so much pressure on myself to do homemade stuff for Christmas and then have no time, but I made these today and I feel like I did something !!! These are super simple to do, just melt a Hersey's hug on a pretzel then add an M&M. They take about 10 minutes to make, look so cute and people love them. Recipe here. Such a little thing that put me in the mood to maybe bake and who knows maybe even go out shopping :) My little helper was not much help at all. She basically just wanted to eat my supplies and lick my utensils but we had fun.

Just A Little Update

I spent thanksgiving at my sister's. That's her in the left hand corner. It was nice. No fights and that is a big deal in our family.

I have actually started to craft a little. I have been playing with paper. I find that when I do this I don't think or worry. Unlike crochet which lets me think too much. I made 2 mini albums to put in my dd and her dh's stocking. And have also started to make a scrapbook for my dh of his family tree. I crocheted a scarf to give one of the gymboree teachers http://www.knittingdaily.com/freepatterns/crochet/Float_away222-1.html and am giving the other teacher one from my stash of fo's.

My mil is in hospice but hanging in there. My son who is 23 went in for an annual checkup and they found his ekg was abnormal, so now he is going in for a stress test. I am quite stressed about that.

My grand daughter is almost 4 (in April) she has become a hand full. Now that it is cold out she only wants to stay in side and play pretend with me. She puts on costumes and wants me to do voices for all the characters. By the end of the day I am exhausted. This is my son trying to give me a break so I can cook dinner. She really needs to go to school now. We will probably enroll her in a pre-school in January.

I am doing most of my shopping on line because I cannot go shopping with her any more. On the weekends I have to try to do my cleaning, laundry, food shopping etc. You guys know the drill. All you stay at home moms, you know how hard this job is. At least she goes home at night with her parents. But This is my dd busy season and so she is dropped of sometimes before 7 am and picked up after 7 pm. It is a long day. If I could only get her to nap!

Well take care all. Don't let the holiday's stress you out too much. I will probably do a couple of posts before Christmas.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL

I have so much to be grateful for. I hope you all get to spend time with the ones you love.

Life Goes On...

because what is the alternative...right? We are going through some difficult time right now, but we have to keep moving forward. My mil is near the end of her time here with us. I would like to see her go on to a better place without pain. But letting go is very hard, especially for those that are the closest. I am still sad over the loss of my kitty and do not feel ready to be strong. But we do not get to choose what we want to deal with, we have to deal with what we are given. My brother, thought it would be a great idea to just bring me a kitten and that would make everything OK. But I am not in that place right now and had to convince him that I was not ready. It was a hard thing to do and I am sure he cannot understand.

Happy Halloween

I hope you all had fun. I was a beautiful day for us. Watching all the adorable little princesses and goblins parading up and down the street really lifted our spirits.

I even started to look at patterns for a project to crochet. Now that's progress.

Good Night Kitty

We had to put down our cat today. She was 18 years old and her body just stop functioning. She was a sweet little cat and we will miss her.

A Little Sugar and Spice

Things can't be that bad when you have such sweetness in your life. My last post was a little bit down, but I do have so much joy in my life and I am truly greatful. One of these days, I will have my house and life organized. I will crank out the creative projects and I will post tons of pics of stuff I've made. But in the meantime, I can't complain....

Where did my mojo go?

It feels like last year I was not happy if I did not have at least 2 or 3 wips to feel guilty about not finishing. But now I just can't seem to start something. I don't even have the desire buy yarn. I need some motivation and inspiration. I got my invite to join the Ravelry group and hear nothing but good things about it. But I have not even taken the time to look around there. I am afraid that it is a time sucking spot and I don't need another one of those. I can't remember the last time I spent time at the ville, fiber freaks or dogwood dreams. I've lost it and don't know how to get it back.

My dd is trying to add another little pumpkin to the family and hopefully that will get me going; making cute little baby things. Although I don't know how I am going to manage watching a baby and a preschooler!!! I am barely hanging in there right now. I think we had better start looking for someone to help me. It is no fun getting old.

Home Again

I had a great time at Vegas. I do not gamble much which is strange to some people. They always want to know why I go there if not to gamble. I love the shops, restaurants, the hotels, shows and I don't mind dropping a few $ in the casino. However, I cannot sit and bet big $. I start to think of all the things I could buy with this $, like shoes, jewelry, gifts for my little pumpkin and then I can't enjoy it.

We went on the new skywalk in the Grand Canyon, which was an awesome experience. I really enjoyed it but was also sad to see the commercialization of such a beautiful natural wonder of the world. There is lots of construction going on and they told us they are building an airport, a hotel and a casino right on the canyon. We also went to Hoover Dam and Red Rock.

Now that it is officially fall, I am a little disoriented. I am home more and can't stand that my house is disorganized. I need to get back into the swing of things. I want to start crocheting again and getting my crafting organized. In general I need to come up with a routine so I don't bounce between guilty and overwhelmed. Before I know it the holiday crunch will start. That is a scary thought!

Vegas Baby

I am on vacation for a week at Las Vegas. As usual I am running around trying to do everything at the last minute, so this will not be a very long post. I so need this time with my honey and away from the rest of my family and friends and (some of those so called friends). I hope to reconnet with my dh and myself and when I come back I need to get my house in order! Have a great week.

Cropping

Like many of you I have boxes and drawers and envelopes full of pictures. And for the longest time I have been wanting to start scrapbooking them. I bought magazines and read books. I even bought paper, albums and tools. But when I sat to actually do a page, I started going through the pictures and was totally overwhelmed. I had no clue where to start. In my mind, I figured I had to start with my earliest pictures and work my way to the current ones. I thought I had to use every picture I had. The thought made me dizzy. So, I put everything away and felt like a total loser! One day while I was at one of my pumpkins outings, one of the mothers mentioned that she was taking pictures for a scrapbook about camp. We started to talk about scrapbooks, and I explained how I felt about scrapbooking. She told me "...don't be silly. Buy some pretty paper and some stickers, pick out some pictures you like and put it on a page". Those few words were like a bolt of lightning to my brain. I suddenly felt like it's no big deal. I browsed through one on my books, Clean & Simple Scrapbooking by Cathy Zielske and I was inspired to do a page. She also said something so basic but that was a wake up to me. Put your photos in albums or photo boxes and only scrap the ones you want to. Duh, that made such a difference. So I took my latest photos from out stay at the shore and made a few layouts. I cannot tell you how much better I feel. It is like a weight off my shoulders. I can now justify all the $ I spent and I look forward to making more pages.

Hopefully, while I am doing this I will be inspired to crochet something. I am just not feeling it. Not another shawl, scarf or hat. Definitely not an afghan, not ready for another one. I bought a pattern from Crochet Garden which I love, but it's a sundress. I meant to do it for the summer and never got to it. I could probably go through my stash and find something I can start or finish. But like I said I am not feeling it. I am afraid to go to Michael's or AC Moore, because I can never seem to walk out without spending way too much $. Now that I am cropping, I have to avoid hoarding paper and stuff.

So for the time being, I am going to do a few layouts, read all your blogs and wait for the feeling to hit me. Love reading all your blogs and sooner or later one of you will post something and suddenly I have to have it!

Here She is...

My summer project. I have posted that she was done, but now that I have taken the pictures and posted them, I can really say done. It was a fun project but I really hate weaving in the ends. I still have a lot of yarn left so I am making a giant granny in the same colors. More ends to weave in! My gr d thinks it is her blanket but I want to keep this one for myself.

Soon it will be Fall...

Although I love the Fall, to me it is the beginning of winter. I am not looking forward to the cold weather. I will miss going out every day, working in my garden, my flowers, the beach, the pool, the parks and sitting out on my deck.

But maybe I will get my crochet mojo back (I hope!). This summer I only worked on my ripple afghan. I love how it came out but it took me the whole summer and it is still not 100% done. I decided to add a picot edge and mama mia, what a pita that is. I have done 2 sides and have 2 more to go. Then I will be done!!!! I will post pics after it is complete.

In my garden, many of my tomatoes are still green and the squirrels are having a feast with them. I have to pick them as soon as they get a little pink before they take a bite. It is really pissing me off. Next year I will do my planting totally different. I planted too much in a small space and some of my plants are choking. And I need to fence off the squirrels somehow.

I have done some crafting!!! I finally completed a layout page for a scrapbook. I have been reading about it and buying supplies and tools here and there for the longest time. I was so intimidated to actually just make a page. Then one of the mothers at the park said to me just get some nice paper, glue the pictures on and put some stickers. For some reason that just made me feel I could do it. I looked through one of my books called Clean & Simple Scrapbooking by Cathy Zielske and I felt inspired to do a very simple page. It is no great work of art but it is my first page and it is the beginning of a new form of expression for me. I am happy with it.

Summer Fun

I have been very bad at blogging this summer. But that is a good thing. I have been having such a good time enjoying the weather, my grand daughter and family that I have been too exhausted to blog, crochet, craft or even cook. My house is not it's usual orderly self, the laundry is sometimes piled up, my bills are sometimes late, my fridge is sometimes low. I think my family is starting to realize what would happen if I quit. The funny thing is that it took my quitting my job to realize that I was a slave the chores. The world has not ended because we had takeout twice in one week and the laundry was not there when they wanted it! It is a pressure I put on myself and I feel foolish now. But I think I will make up for lost time from now on.

We just came back from a week at Long Beach Island. It was a fabulous family vacation. My mom, my sister and her husband, my nephew, my daughter and her husband, my little pumpkin, my son and my husband and I all shared a beautiful beachfront house. There were no fights or even any arguments. I think this is a family first. I took over 150 pictures before my digital's battery ran out. These are a just few. They speak for themselves.

So, the ah ha moment is -- enjoy life when you can. The chores will wait patiently. But life will pass you by.

I'm still alive and well

?....but I have been busy enjoying the summer with my granddaughter. I am doing all the things I could not do while my children were little, because I was a full time working mom. Now I get to go on trips, go to the pool, the beach, the park, the movies, etc. My house is a little messier and I am not cooking like I use to but no one is complaining.

My garden needs a little more care. Soon I will have tons of tomatoes and I just can't wait. i need to find some new recipes.

Hot Time In The Summer

It has been very hot and sticky here for about a week. Really feels like summer now. Too hot to cook or crochet. My daughter and I my grand daughter to Hershey Park for the weekend. It was her first time in a hotel and she loved it. I took some pics with a real not digital camera and will post them (maybe) when they get developed. I spent a day with her at Keansburg Beach at a water park and a day at Mountain Creek water park. When we are home we are outside in my pool or at the town pool. She is learning to swim and is fearless and adorable. We are really having a blast. I am so sorry I was not able to do this with my own children, but I was a work outside of the house mom. Those of you that are lucky enough to stay at home with your children enjoy every moment. Time goes so quickly.

On the flip side, I am so tired when she goes home that I have not done laundry, cooked, my house is a mess, have not paid bills (or blogged). Oh well!!! Maybe I will be a little more appreciated after this.

Today was much more comfortable. A perfect day. I spent it at the park with a playgroup. Then came home and did some laundry. Tomorrow I am going to do a playgroup at the town pool and then maybe I will throw a couple of burgers on the grill. I may even pay some bills and do a few rows on my ripple.

That's how I roll now!

STILL ON VACATION, SOME ANIMAL PICS AND A JOKE

I am still hanging with my family. We have been cooking, having cocktails, talking, hanging out by the pool. Tons of dishes, dirty towels, laundry but lots of fun. We went to the Bronx Zoo. This place is amazing. I never get tired of it. We are leaving for Hershey Park for the weekend. The kids will have a great time. Monday I will be going to a water park with my little pumpkin and then try to get my house and myself back to normal.

AND NOW MY ANIMAL JOKE. (please if you are offended easily... don't read further!!!)

A monkey is sitting in a tree smoking a joint when a lizard walks past and looks up and says to the monkey, "Hey! What are you doing?" The monkey says, "Smoking a joint, come up and have some!" So the lizard climbs up and sits next to the monkey and they share a few puffs. After a while the lizard says his mouth is dry and is going to get a drink from the river.

The lizard is so stoned that he leans too far over and falls into the river. A crocodile sees this and swims over to the lizard and helps him to the side, then asks the lizard, "What's the matter with you?" The lizard explains to the crocodile that he was sitting smoking a joint with the monkey in the tree, got too stoned and then fell into the river while taking a drink.

The crocodile decides he has to check this out, he walks into the jungle, and finds the tree where the monkey is sitting still finishing the joint. The Crocodile looks up and says, "Hey!" The Monkey looks down and says... "Fuuuuuuuuck, dude... how much water did you DRINK?!"

I hope you all had a great 4th of July. We had bad weather so we hung around the house and went out for dinner. No reservations needed.

I LOVE AMERICA!!!

On Vacation

I am not going away, but my family is coming to visit from Florida for a week. I will be busy entertaining and spending time with my house guest. No crochet and no blogging. Hopefully I will have some good pictures next week.

Searching For People With Big Hearts

I don't normally do stuff like this, but I should. I have been looking for a charity and stumbled across this one in one of the cal sites. It is perfect for me right now, since I have many scraps from my ripple and a square at a time seems about all I can handle.

I know many of you crocheters do charity work, so if you would like to add another good cause to your list, check this one out.

A Very Good Day!

Today was my idea of a perfect day.

• Got 10 hours sleep (with help from Ambien)


• Pumpkin woke me up at 7:30 am


• Watched Sponge Bob in bed, drinking coffee and hot chocolate


• Breakfast out on the deck


• Lunch with great grandma


• Went for a swim in our little pool


• Leftover sausage and peppers and pasta salad for dinner


• Glass of wine alone after everyone went home!!!


• Life is good!!!

Thank You

I get a lot of emails with interesting stuff, funny stuff and some things that just make you say huh! But this just touched the inside of my heart. I have a 22 year old son, almost 23. I nag him constantly, complain about what he does and doesn't do. But I cannot imagine the pain of losing a son or daughter. I feel so indebted to the young men and women giving their lives for their country. And my heart goes out to the families that are suffering such an unimaginable loss. Whether or not I support this war and I will not go into the politics of it. I support our soldiers, their families and all those affected by it.

I wish I knew how to post this video directly on the blog, but I can only put a link. Please check this out. This woman is awesome!

http://www.militarytimes.com/multimedia/video/hancock/

I am in love with my ripple. The colors are so warm and refreshing at the same time. It makes me happy to look at it, touch it. But I am hating those ends. I always try to avoid projects with a lot of color changes for that reason. This is one project that is worth it. It was supposed to be 10 colors and I left one out, the teal. Now I have to figure out if I should just skip it or work it in somewhere. The colors are named after food, grape, honey, chocolate, berry, bordeaux, so I get hungry every time I look at it... :D I am supposed to be doing laundry, so I have to go. Just could not wait to share!

Wow Time Flies When Your Having Fun

I just spend the entire evening on-line. Why? Who knows, but it seems once I sit down in front of the computer, an hour turns in 4 or 5! I ended by reading my entire blog. It really is nice to have a record of one's life like this. But in reading it, I noticed that time really does fly. Everything seems like it was just yesterday. Really! My little pumpkin is getting to be a big girl and I am getting to be an old lady. What's up with that? And I realized that I need to stop complaining about life beeing stressful, etc. Because just when things get all comfy, cozy, warm and fuzzy; something happens to screw it up again. I need to just chill out, smell the roses, drink the coffee.

Something else I noticed, we started working on fixing up the house last November. Christmas came and we dropped the ball. At this rate we will be rushing to get things done for Christmas again. And what's up with that?

Gotta go, need to make a list for my dh... :D

Starting The Ripple

I have been lurking The No-End-In-Sight Ripple-Along for weeks. It has given me a whole new inspiration. I was on the verge of feeling burned out by crochet. Another shawl, shrug, scarf, sweater? I just wasn't feeling it. Then I found this Ripple-Along. Not sure how I got there but the creativity and use of color with such a simple classic pattern is just what I needed. Just looking as the beautiful creations that this group is working on, gave me just the boost I was looking for. In addition to the never ending display, I have also found a whole new set of blogger. They are so talented and creative that I feel renewed and excited about trying new things. I am starting my afghan tonight. This will be an ongoing project and I will also be working on small projects here.

I will also be starting to put together a scrapbook for my dh. I hope I find something to give me a push on this project. I have been dragging my a$$ on this one for a long time and father's day is coming. I hope to have something by then.