It took a long time to finish

Finally finished the baby afghan that I've been working on for month's. Gave it to my friend at work. She really like it and said she could still use it for the baby. Moved on to a new crochet project. Almost finish reading If Hooks Could Kill, by Betty Hechtman. Happy crafting. I will need to wait a few more weeks before I can start the garden. I can plant some potato's. Plan to get a few starters this weekend.     

Long Weekend coming to a quick end!

Already it is Sunday night and my nice long weekend is almost over. It started on Friday with a trip to Costco and then home to get ready for salt fish and grits. My Sister and her family came over and my Aunt and her family. Had a great time and the salt fish was great. Spent time cleaning my bedroom and closet. Gave away some yarn that I will never use and a lot of books took them to Goodwill, I hope they did not throw the yarn away, I gave away some pretty good books. Then worked on and finished my crochet project posting a picture tonight. Also made a great attempt to finish the baby afghan for my friend a work.  Church today and then to my Aunt's house for dinner. Tonight is Game of thrones HBO.       

Windy cold day!

Well spring has sprung in North Carolina but it is really hard to tell. I feel like we are still in the middle of winter. March as always is very windy but the cold makes things seem a lot worse. Tomorrow is hum day and then only one day left and we will have a nice long weekend. Our agency will be closed on Good Friday and I am ready for the day off and a long weekend. We have our salt fish in the freezer. I did a little fur grand dog sitting last week and this weekend. I love the dogs but two Chihuahua's is like having an army. Finally in honor of National Crochet Month I started an afghan. Still trying to finish the knit baby afghan for my friend at work. I need to put on a big push this weekend because she will return to work on Monday and I need to have the afghan done. Since I have a long weekend  I am sure if I push myself it will get done. Game of Thrones starts this Sunday on HBO love it!!! . Happy National Crochet Month! .  

The Lost Finally Returns

I have not blogged in a long time. It seems winter even a mild one leaves me feeling lost, and depressed. I have not worked on much still trying to knit a baby blanket for a friend at work, and still trying to finish reading 3 books. It is not because I don't like the books I really do. They are from some of my favorite author's. Barbara Bretton's Spells & Stitches, Sally Goldenbaum's A Fatal Fleece, and Betty Hechtman's If Hooks Could Kill. I did manage to listen to a great book on my kindle and I loved it! . Last Wool and Testament: A Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery, by Molly Macrae. It is the first book I have by this author. February was a bad month for me. My Grandmother died she was 97 she died 02-03-2013. I she had lived on 02-23-13 she would have turned 98. My birthday was on the 16th.  I am always down when my birthday arrives. I look back on my life and wonder what I have accomplished and I really feel like I have not accomplished anything. I am trying to be happy because today is my Daughter's birthday she's 26. I can't believe so much time has past and how quickly  time goes by. March is also National Crochet Month and I have not crocheted at all. Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day and we have 2 Corned Beef Brisket seasoned and waiting in the refrigerator. Yes I know this is an American thing, never the less, we have the cabbage and I plan to make green potatoes. I hope every one's winter crafting went better than mine. The weather is warming up and I hope to do better in my crafting life.

Great Day!

Wonderful day today! It is the Martin Luther King holiday and Inauguration Day. I did not have to work today due to the Martin Luther King holiday and I have watched all the Inauguration events. I cook the goose that I brought after Christmas. I am very excited. I  have not knit, crocheted since one day last week. I finished listening to the last book in the Fifty Shades Series. It was a pretty good read. I am not sure what all the excitement was about. The part I really did not enjoy about the books was the emailing back and forth. I am posting a picture of the goose that I cooked. It was my first goose and I think it turned out pretty good. I followed Gordon Ramsey Spiced Goose recipe  on YouTube. Happy crafting! The best thing about the rest of this week is it is only a 4 day work week.

The path to good health

Well today was my first time back at Zumba since sometime in November or maybe October. I need to lower by blood pressure and cholesterol. My daughter has started to plan her wedding at this time it is set for April 2014, she has lots of decisions to make and lots of money to save. she's thinking about getting a part time job. It pains me to say that I am no able to help her, at least at this time I can't think of anything. We went to a bridal show on Sunday it was a small show and we got the chance to taste a lot of wedding cake. Weddings can lead to a lot of money between trying to find a venue, photographer, caterer's oh my the money the money. So I need to lose weight because I don't want to be he over weight mother of the bride.  I have added a few rows to the baby afghan yesterday and today I want to try and finish it before my friend at work starts her maternity leave. I am listening to the final book in the Fifty Shades Series so far so good I am not sure how the series will end. I have a love at relationship with the couple. Zumba again tomorrow. Happy crafting.

Happy New Year!!

It's the first day of the year. We did the normal New Years day meal  and had most of the family over for dinner my daughter and her fiance, my sister and her husband and one of my niece's. Today is my sister and her husbands wedding anniversary 28 years today. I've added a few rows to the Diagonal Comfort Blanket it is a new blanket in a solid color. I still can't bring my self to rip of the one I  have been working on for months. I have a yarn shop in High Point that use to have a knit and crochet dr, it was only $5.00 per hour. I will call and see if I can bring it in on Saturday. Still listen to the second book in the Fifty Shades series and still don't understand the excitement. I am ready for a new year of crafting and gardening. I not sure what I should do about my soil it is in bad shape, but I might not be able to resist trying again this year . My Totally Tomatoe's seed catalog arrived in the mail a few weeks ago and I am ready to order  they have Tomatillo seeds! .

The last day of the year!

Wow it is hard to believe that it is the last day of the year. I like to think about my progress and if things in my life have changed since this time last year. My crafting really has not progressed , still knitting a lot of dish cloths and baby washcloths. I did finish one knit baby afghan.  I have read 29 books this year, listen to I think 5 audio books and started 3 books that I have not finished yet. No progress on becoming a better blogger. I blog less this year than last. I did not go to any crafting events this year. It has been a really long hard year. I had to buy have a new roof and just scrapped the money together to get a new hut for my hot water heater. It is on the outside because the house is so small, it has to have a metal structure to keep it dry and unexposed to the elements. Spent a day or two with out hot water. I hope next year goes better and I have a less to  repair. I have a bottle of champagne chilling ready to toast the new year! Happy new years eve crafting!  

Merry Christmas!

Why It's Christmas Day! I hope everyone across the world that celebrates Christmas has a very Merry Christmas. I have had a great Christmas and weekend. My daughter and her boyfriend are now engaged Sunday morning before they went to church he asked her to marry him. She said yes of course and I will have a son soon. We had a great day at their house with family and friends. The only bad thing that happened was I dropped a lot of stitches on a baby afghan that I was almost finished with one that I have been working in since the early part of the year. I can't bring my self to rip it out. I really cant figure out how to fix my mess. This is not a hard pattern, I don't know why it has caused my so many problems. I was on the brink of finishing. Some of the stitches slipped off the needle while I was taking the afghan out of my project bag. I thought I had all the stitches picked up and place back on the needle but I did not and I screwed it up tried to pull that out and then dropped stitches. My last day off is tomorrow and It's back to work on Thursday, well at least it's only 2 days.          

Off work for the Holiday's

I a very tired but also very happy. Today at five our office closed and I don't have to return until next Thursday. Our office is closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after!!! Finally downloaded The Fifty Shades series to my kindle. I downloaded the book from Audible.Com, I started listen to the first book in the series this week. Audible is a great way to go if you are working or crafting. Finished listening to Knit One, Pearl One: A Beach Street  Society Novel, by Gil Mcneil. I really enjoyed it.  I have knit my daughter two potholders from a very easy pattern I found on Lion Brand.com. I found a copy of a very hard to find knit pattern book,  Knit Ultimate Book of Dishcloths & Pot Holders Designed by Ann Emery Smith. Finished listening to The Hobbit enjoyed that also I did it to brush up before I go see the movie. Finally I am almost finished with the Diagonal Comfort Blanket that I started this spring. Happy crafting.      

Another Check in!

Well here I go again, with another monthly post. I am  still reading A Fatal Fleece, by Sally Goldenbaum after starting the read and putting it down for a few months. I am letting go of my all Amish kick at least until the first of the year. I am knitting Grandmother's Favorite Dishcloth's and Dandy Duck baby washcloths. Once again I fear that I have spent the entire year on beginner knitting and not progressed.  I have downloaded The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien through Audible to listen to in preparation for the movie coming out on December 14th. I read the book a long time ago while I was in High School. It was not a required reading I just thought it would make a good read.  When I was young and if I can remember correctly it was during either the Thanksgiving holiday days, an animated movie based on The Hobbit came on tv and I loved it. Last Sunday I meet a friend from work and went to see part two of Breaking Dawn, it was great and I think the best movie out of the series. Well that's it no crochet for the month of  November. I need to step it up and get back into my crochet and knitting habit.

Hello

I have not posted in a long time. I think this is my worst year yet. I have been reading a lot of  novels about based on the Amish I love the books. I have started knitting baby washcloths. Maybe November will bring more time to knit, read, crochet, and blog.

Autumnal Equinox

It is the first full day of Autumn. I am happy about the change in season.  It is raining at this moment. It was a not to hot day today.  I am knitting a baby wash cloth and reading  The Betrayal, by Beverly Lewis. The fall garden is going great.  All of the  greens and collards are coming along. I did not think it would rain today but I am happy that it did. It just a few weeks we should be able to harvest the kale. Happy Crafting.

Mother and Daughter Day

Great day my Daughter and I took the day off from our jobs and spent the day together. We met each other and then traveled to Charlotte. We made out first trip to Ikea and wow it is huge and has lots of nice stuff.   After Ikea we went to  3 yarn shops the first Yarnhouse they had a great sale and I brought 3 balls of Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran, it was on sale for 60% off so 3 balls cost just a little over what one skein normally costs.  The second shop was Basket of Yarn and the lady in the shop was so nice and I loved the shop, she had great yarn I really want to buy this great yarn, I don't remember the name because I did not write it down, I can't remember a thing if I don't. The yarn because of the texture made just a simple knit stitch scarf look like a complicated pattern. The third and final shop of day was Charlotte Yarn this was a quick trip it seemed like a nice shop and when we arrived there was a group sitting on the chairs and couches working on projects and talking, it looked like everyone was having a very good time. I did not get to spend much time in the shop because my Daughter does not knit or crochet and she was getting bored looking at yarn. I hope to go back again one day. Then it was off the Cheddar for lunch and a quick look around Concord Mills. I had a great time and enjoyed spending time with my Daughter.  One the reading front I am reading The Covenant it is the first in the Abram's Daughters series by Beverly Lewis. I  am on a Amish kick at this time. No crochet projects at this time and all knitting seems to be on hold.           

Had to get in at least one post for August

It has been a long time since my last post. I think this year will be worst than last year if I don't get any better at posting. I final have the new roof and it is great it looks so much better and I feel much better about getting rain. It has not rained since the roof has been finished. No crochet this summer and not much on the knitting front. I have added a few rows to  a scarf I am working. I put down baby afghan and for some reason I just can't pick it back up.  I will I am sure. I have spent a lot of time reading. Mostly books about the Amish. I have a nice long weekend coming and I am glad. Yet another summer has come and gone and no vacation. Maybe one day I can afford one. Started Zumba again. This time it is two day's per week at my job provided by a woman at work who is certified in Zumba. I am really enjoying this class much better than the classes I started off taking. I feel less pressure to be perfect. Maybe it is because I feel the need to be less perfect with the steps among my fellow co workers. The fall garden went in this week 2 varieties of Kale, a mustard-spinach, a rape, a mixed green, a turnip, and lettuce. We are thinking about adding beet just to see if it will do okay. If we don't get beets the tops are good too.

Trying To Enjoy My Days Off

I will not call it a vacation , I have days off and I am not enjoying them. First the office was closed yesterday for the 4th, my Daughter and her Boyfriend and her dog came to the house for a cookout. We put ribs, chicken, hot dogs, and kelibsa sausage on the grill. A new grill that Kendra's boyfriend had to put together. That was not so bad. Then before all of the eating could begin my Mother decides to call my Aunt to see if she wanted to come to the house. Well she could not come she needed to visit a friend in the hospital. My Mother talks her into letting her babysit her grandchild that she's raising. She is 8 1/2 and not that she is a bad child but if I had my choice I would not spend a lot of time with little children. I have raised my one and only child and that's all I wanted to be involved with.  The next time I take days off and I don't do anything but sit at home, I will make sure my Mother is visiting her sister and their Mother so I can be alone. I finished reading  The Half-Stitched Amish Quitting Club, by  Wanda E. Brunstetter today it was a great read. Try to start a scarf today but did not get to far. Worked on my dirty bedroom today. I made a little progress, but I still have a long ways to go. I could be on an episode of  Clean House or Horders Buried Alive. I finally have the money togethter for the roof, I need to get one more estimate and then I will go with the man my friend at work told me about. Only asked for another person to come by because my Daughter kept nagging me to see if I could find someone cheaper. I wish I would have waited until after the man I want to do the job was finished and then told her about the roof. The weather is still really hot and dry so my garden is not doing very well. Happy crafting and gardening.      

How Hot Is It!

Okay it is hot in the State of North Carolina. Today we made it to the mid 90's tommorrow according to the reports we will hit 100.   I am half a step closer to getting a new roof. Hopefully by sometime next week I will have enough money to get the roof and maybe enough to get the two dead tree's cut down.  We shall see.  Still working the Diagonal Comfort Blanket, slowly but surely maybe before the summer ends it will be complete. Just finished reading A Hand to Hold, by Kathleen Fuller. It was the third book in the  A Hearts of Middlefield Series, I really hope it is not the last but the end makes me think it is the last for the charactors in this series. Sunday I picked up a new book by Wanda E Brunstetter it is The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club. I think I will start reading it tonight when I go to bed.  I have downloaded my first Audio book to my Kindle, at least I think it downloaded  if it did download I might listen and do a little knitting add a few row to the blanket. I really need to get a crochet project going.

Need's and Wants

I need a roof and I want to go to the beach. I don't have the money or either one. It is a sad thing to be almost 50 year old woman with a full time job and not be able to with the income I earn take a vacation and do the necessary repairs to my home. When I say we need a roof I mean we really need a roof. We are in the process of trying to get a loan. On my job I am not allowed to borrow money from my mandatory retirement. I can from my voluntary 401k but I don't have enough in this retirement to borrow the entire amount. I don't think I will be able to get the loan. The loan officer at the bank was not very encouraging. I have not been to the beach since 2006 and it was during Christmas. I have not been to the beach in hot weather since 2005 the year my Daughter graduated from high school. She now finished college and in graduate school. I don't feel that I am living I feel that I am just existing. I know before anyone brings up the point I am in a lot better shape than so many people never the less it does not make me feel any better. I am sorry to whine but that's the way I feel. I am unhappy and depressed. I am still working on my working on the Diagonal Comfort Blanket, do far things are going okay. Please believe me when I tell you the pattern is not hard, but if you are watching tv or drinking a lot of wine you will mess up. No crochet at this time. I have finished reading An Honest Love, by Kathleen Fuller and started reading A Hand to Hold, by Kathleen Fuller. I have for now put aside A Fatal Fleece, by  Sally Goldenbaum. Today while I was at Walmart I picked up a new book The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club, by Wanda E Brunstetter. It has been a hot but good weekend. My Mother and I meet my Daughter at Costco yesterday to do some  shopping and the we went to lunch at Olive Garden, I love Olive Garden. I had my favorite soup and salad. A trip to Whole Foods and I have decided to start buying our meat from Whole foods. Every time we go to the grocery store and look at meat it has been injected with a solution.   So many things to think about. Oh well True Blood it's Sunday night.

I am trying to be a better blogger

Well I had great plans to become a better blogger this year. So far I am not doing so well. So far my summer seems to be going okay. I have read  books and started a 4th since my last post. I am still working on my baby afghan. Yes I did have to start all over again missed a stitch while I was watching t.v. and could not fix my mistake. So now that I am back on track I try to work on the afghan during my lunch break in my office so I don't get distracted.  No crochet projects this month so far. The books that I read  the last 2 books in the Lizzie Searches for Love Series book 2 When Strawberries Bloom, and Big Decisions, by Linda Byler. Love the series. Then I finished A Man of His Word, by Kathleen Fuller another great read. I love reading books about the Amish. They are easy reads and very relaxing. Now I am reading A Fatal Fleece  Sally Goldenbaum only 38 pages read so far. Had a great weekend. My Nephew graduated from High School on Friday so happy for him. Spent Saturday with My Daughter and My Mother. My Daughter's thinking about buying a house or townhouse. Her rent keeps going up every year and it is now more than my mortgage. She wanted us to see house that she looked at, so we did it was a very pretty house but the bedrooms are small. Then we went to Olive Garden. It was my first trip back to Olive Garden since my birthday in February, and my first time back since I tried to make the Zuppa Tuscan soup. I did the soup and salad and I must say I think I did a good job making the soup at home. My garden is going well I hope yours is too. Happy crafting and gardening.

Another Weekend

Well my weekend was okay. It was pretty quite and I did not get a lot of reading, crochet, or knitting done. Saturday night I went to the airport to pick up my daughter. She spent the week in China. She said she enjoyed the trip but at times it could be stressful. She states so many people and  the food a lot different than the us. She stated that  a lot of people wanted to take pictures of her because most of the people that live in China have never or hardly ever see an African American or Black person and especially an African American woman. She had the chance to ride on the high speed rail. She said it did not feel like you are going that fast. Her school did not include a trip to the Great Wall and she was very disappointed.  All in all she said she had a great time but she was happy to be back in the United States and North Carolina. They toured companies in China to see how things worked.