BOO !! HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY

October 31, 2014

Good morning.  It's quite chilly this morning, only in the 40'sF.  We're expecting to make it into the low 50'sF by mid-day.  However, tonight the colder air returns and possibly some rain showers too.  With a little luck, the rain will hold off till after 6 a.m. tomorrow.

Weather permitting, Pogo and I have decided to get together with our "Witchy" friends for tonight's celebration ride.  As you know, tonight is New Year's Eve for witches, so HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you!   May you all enjoy a happy, healthy and prosperous year.  Merry Be.

Some of us gals are getting along in years, and the cold wet weather doesn't sit too well with us.  So, a few of us got together and went on a shorter celebration ride late last night, just in case the weather gets nasty tonight.  It was a bit cloudy in places, but all in all it was a really pleasant ride.

Here's Pogo keeping watch on the weather late yesterday afternoon.   He's been looking forward to our ride all year.   If the weather tonight holds out, we'll get in an even longer ride tonight.  Woo Hoo!

Last night, one of our friends brought her little camera along and took a photo of us.  Everyone really liked how I had hooked Pogo's car seat onto the back of my broom to keep him warm.  Pogo said that it was nice and toasty, and sort of like poking his head out the car window.   I used the photo to make our Halloween card.

My goodness, Pogo just saw his picture here on the card, and is getting all excited.  Who'd have thought that a tiny six pound cutie would have such fun riding around the world on a broom? 

Now I'm going to make another cup of coffee, and do a bit of blog reading.  So, till Sunday, Y'all have a fantabulous Halloween and a super weekend.

Hugs, Edna B.

Sharing Peanuts Can Be Such Fun!

October 30, 2014

Good morning.  Goodness, have you noticed how early it gets dark now, and how daylight comes much later in the morning?   Gosh, I love seeing daylight outside my door at 4:30/5:00 o'clock in the morning.  Now it's still dark at 6 a.m.  In a way, it's sort of depressing for daylight bunnies like me.

Yesterday a few packages started arriving.  I have such fun opening them to see what's inside.  When you order things on-line, you don't get to see them up close until they actually arrive at your home.  Most of the time, it's really surprising to see how nice they really are. 

One of the items that came yesterday was breakable.  Well, it arrived in a big box, and was wrapped up like a huge bee hive.  Wow!  There was no way this item was going to get broken unless a Mack truck drove over it.  Got your curiosity up?  Well, I can't say any more because it just might be for someone who reads this blog.  Hee Hee.

Another item that arrived in one of the packages was a book titled "Stupid History".  I can't wait to start reading it.  Of course, I'll be glad to share any its interesting tidbits here with you.

After lunch, I took a bowl of peanuts outside to spread around for the birds and small critters that live in our yard.  Then I grabbed my camera and try to take photos from the kitchen window.  The rose bush outside the window needs to be trimmed because it tends to get in the way of getting any good shots. (That's the fuzzy green that shows up in some of the photos.)

Usually, the squirrels, chipmunks and Blue Jays are the first to arrive to gather up all the peanuts.  However, yesterday I got a really nice surprise.  The Tufted Titmice were the first on the scene, and got most all the peanuts.  Some of the photos are a bit blurry because these tiny birds were very quick.  They were in a hurry to get as many peanuts as possible, and did not stop long enough to pose for photos.

I even took a few short videos.  These tiny birds are just the cutest little things to watch.   In the end, they managed to get quite a large share of the peanuts before the squirrels and Blue Jays showed up. 

Daughter Deanne stopped by for a while, and we had us a really nice visit.  Pogo just loves his Auntie Dee.  When he see's her car pulling into the yard, he gets really excited, and can't wait for her to come through the door so that he can give her doggie hugs.

Evening time came early, and I put a few more rows on the green afghan while listening to the soothing sound of Pogo snoring away in his little bed.  Yes, he actually snores loud enough that you can hear him across the room.  But it is music to my ears.

Well that's all my news for this morning.  Till tomorrow, Y'all have a magnificent day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Woo Hoo! I'm Back!

October 29, 2014

Good morning.  Gosh, I was beginning to have "Bloggie withdrawals."  Thank goodness for Wayne.  He was able to come by last evening to fix the problem on my laptop.  It wasn't my internet explorer after all.  It was my very own "stupidity" that has kept me from blogging and enjoying my friends' blogs.

Somehow, the tool bar disappeared, and along with it went readable print.  All of a sudden all print was showing up so teeny weeny that I could hardly read it.  I couldn't even read what I was trying to type.  So, if I haven't left any comments on your blogs, I'm sorry.  I've missed my morning ritual of blog reading while drinking my coffee.

The bottom line is that once Wayne got here and I showed him my problem, it only took him seconds to bring back the tool bar and fix the size of the print.  Oy vey!!!  Do I feel dumb or what!!!!!!  All it took was a tiny little right click at the top of the internet screen, and VOILA!

While Wayne was here, he also hooked my new TV up to my internet.  So now I can watch my Netflix and Amazon Prime movies on my TV.  For goodness sake, will wonders ever cease!  Now if I can remember how he told me to do it, I'll be just fine.  It seems easy enough, but with me one never knows.  It took me forever to learn how to record from the DVR to a DVD. 

Friday, Joe and I got our flu shots, and over the weekend, I spent some time working on my crochet projects.  However even this did not always go smoothly.  Saturday afternoon, I did six or seven rows on the green afghan, and later that evening I had to rip them all out plus a few more rows.  This, of course, does not make me a very happy camper. 

So instead of finishing the green afghan, I still have about 42 more rows to go.  The good news is that I only have to finish this and the lavender afghan before the end of November.  I can do this.  I've also spent a bit of time shopping on the internet, and now I'm just waiting for the packages to start rolling in.

I'm really enjoying the upcoming Christmas holiday this year.  I'm working on a special Santa project, and it's proving to be a lot of fun.  I'll share more on this much later in the year.  For now, though, I have to zoom in on Halloween.  It is supposed to be super cold that night, so I'm not sure if Pogo and I will be able to go for our ritual ride.  We'll just have to wait and see how the weather goes.

Here's a photo of my precious little guy, all curled up in his blankets next to me on the sofa.  He takes over every warm fuzzy blanket that we get.

I also have a beautiful photo to share that daughter Audrey took from her porch a few nights ago.  She wasn't able to get a photo of the solar eclipse, but she did get this gorgeous sunset sky.  This is beautiful, Audrey.  Great shot!

 

 

Now I'm going to start catching up on my blog reading.  Maybe I'll even have a second cup of coffee.  It feels good to be able to read the print on my screen again.  Every hear of that saying "Cheap Date"?  Well, that's me.  It surely doesn't take much to make this old fuddy duddy happy.

On that note, I'll take my leave.  So, until tomorrow, Y'all have a super splendid day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Problems With Blogger - Will Be Back Soon

October 24, 2014

Good morning.  This will be a very short post as I'm having trouble with the size of this page on my screen.  It is very small and I'm having a problem reading it.  So far, I have not located the problem so I'll be calling Wayne soon to see if he can fix it.

All is well here.  Y'all have a fabulous day, and I'll be back as soon as I can fix this problem.

Hugs, Edna B.

We're Having Us An Autumn Nor'easter

October 23, 2014

Good morning.  Oh my, a two car collision has just happened in the street right in front of our driveway.  Dwarf James and I went out to make sure no one was hurt.  Both people involved are okay, and there is a police cruiser on its way here.  Time for me to go back in the house.

Well my goodness, What a day and night we just had.  The rains came down and the winds howled most of the day and got even fiercer during the night.  Around 9:30 p,m, we heard loud thunder, followed by lightning.  This continued on and off for several hours. (mostly off)  Sometime before dawn, the winds died down and the rain stopped.

This morning is cloudy and still a bit breezy.  There are puddles everywhere, and the ground is covered with fallen leaves.  It's a great day to stay inside and crochet.

Yesterday, Pogo had an appointment at the beauty salon.  After that, we shopped for some new sweaters for him.   On the way home, we stopped in at JoAnn's fabric shop and bought a couple skeins of medium purple yarn.  I have a project in mind, but it will have to wait until all my holiday stuff is done.

Here's my handsome little guy lying on his bed, and wearing one of his new sweaters.  After a while though, it got too warm to be wearing the sweater and we had to take it off and put on a lightweight shirt.

Here he is in a lighter shirt, back at his favorite spot in front of the door.  He can spend hours here because there is always so much going out there for him to watch.

After lunch, a delivery truck showed up, and a man was carrying a huge box up to my door.  Oh boy!  It's my new TV.  Dwarf James helped me bring it indoors, and then I dragged it into my living room.  It's the same size as the TV that died, but it is a little bit smarter.  Seriously, it is a smart TV, but I'm hoping that it's not too smart for me.

This morning, I'll put in a call to SIL Eddie to see when he can come by and hook it up for me.  I guess I spoke a bit too soon earlier about the wind dying down.  It has definitely picked up again, and my flag and the trees out front are waving about wildly every now and then.  It has also started raining again.  Yup, it's definitely a great day to stay indoors and catch up on my crochet projects.

That's about it for the news here.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Lots Of Rain Heading Our Way

October 22, 2014

Good morning.  Well, Mr. Pogo decided that we should get up extra early this morning.  So, there was no more sleep for me after 5 a.m.  I guess he thought I would just get up and cook him a hamburger or something like that.  Well what he got was a plate of doggie food.  Guess who crawled into his little bed and went back to sleep?   (No, it wasn't me!)

It's supposed to be quite windy and rainy today and tomorrow.  Pogo has an early morning appointment at the beauty salon, so I'm hoping that the heavier rains will hold off until later today.  While we're out, I'd like to check out a couple of sales at local craft shops. We'll see.  It depends on the weather.

I have a photo of the "Fried TV" afghan to show you how pretty it is looking.  The colors are named Turqua and Bright Mix.

The yarn that I had ordered last week arrived yesterday.  Oh my, such pretty yarn!!  My fingers started itching to play with all this beautiful new yarn, but first I have to finish up the current projects.  One of the new yarns matches perfectly with a pretty yarn (a shade of green) that I had picked up a while ago.

The green is a soft "new leafy green" (it has no name, just a color number), and the new yarn is Green Tones.  They look beautiful together.

I've already made up a list of afghans and lapghans that I want to make after the holidays have gone by.  So, it looks like I'll be busy for some time.

Well, Pogo and I have to be getting ready to leave shortly.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a wonderful day.

Hugs, Edna B.

An Afghan With A Feisty Personality

October 21, 2014

Good morning.  It's a bit damp and on the gray side here in my little part of New England.  However, the temperature has gone up a little bit.  Today will be in the mid to upper 50's, and in the lower 50's tonight.  It's good weather to stay indoors and crochet. 

Speaking of crochet, I mentioned earlier that I had started a new afghan using colors that match the colors in the "bad TV screen" photo.  In the future, I'll refer to this afghan as the "fried TV" afghan.  Well, I had almost enough rows done on it to photograph, and what did my eyes behold?  There was an unfixable boo boo way back..... about five rows back to be exact.  

I tore the five rows out and started over.  After putting two of these rows back on, I found that I had made another mistake at the very beginning of the first of these two rows.  Here we go again.  Once more, I tore the two rows out.  This afghan is really quite pretty, however, it is definitely not going to be a picnic to work on. 

Today I have photos of a couple of the birds that live around here.  The photo of the Blue Jay was taken a couple of days ago, and the other photo was taken a couple of months ago.  I'm not too sure what that bird is.

Yesterday was a rather quiet day.   I did a couple loads of laundry and worked on designing this year's Christmas card.  I couldn't make up my mind, so I ended up with two cards.  Now I just have to pick one of them and have my cards printed.  This week, I need to get busy deciding on the photos for the new calendar.  I would like to have that ready for printing soon.

Poor Pogo has been having a "Joe and turkey treat" withdrawal these past few days.  Last night,  he finally gave in and let dwarf Mikey feed him his turkey treat.  Boy oh boy, did he ever gobble that turkey down!!!  Hopefully, Joe will be coming home this afternoon after work. 

Well now I think I'll make myself a hot cup of coffee and get back to working on that Fried TV afghan.  Till tomorrow, Y'all have a fabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Only Nine Weeks Till Christmas!!

October 20, 2014

Goo0d morning.  It's sunny and bright outside, but it's a bit on the cool side.  At the moment, it's 45F. and we're only expecting a high of 57F today.  The next few days will warm up a speck but will also be a bit wet.  Fall is definitely here.

I got an email yesterday telling me that my new TV has already been shipped, so maybe it will be arriving sooner than expected.  Woopee!  There is something wonderful about this "on-line" ordering.  One can spend time on the computer researching different stores' ads and prices, order and pay for the desired purchase and never leave the comfort of your living room.

As a matter of fact, that is exactly what I was doing yesterday afternoon.  I subscribe to several fun catalogues, so yesterday I checked out each of  their websites and ordered several gift items to help polish off my shopping list. 

I also ordered (from a shopping channel) a new battery charger which will be very handy to have in case we get some really nasty cold temps this winter.  One day last winter, my car did not start because of the cold, and I had to call SIL Eddie to come and jump start my car battery.  This winter I'll be prepared.

My friend Andrea commented that the colors in the "bad TV" screen would look great for an afghan.  Well, my goodness, I just happen to have yarn to match those colors.  Last night I crocheted a few rows to see how it would look, but I did not finish enough to take a photo.  As soon as I get enough rows done of both colors, I'll take a photo.  Thanks Andrea.  I was wondering what to do with my newest yarn color "Bright Mix."

My little fellow, Pogo, has been going through "Joe withdrawal" these past few days.  Joe went away to "house and doggie sit" for his sister, and there's been no turkey treats for Pogo since Saturday morning.  I've tried giving him his turkey, but he won't take it from anyone but Joe.   Hopefully, Joe will be home soon.

This morning I was looking for a photo to share here, and I sort of got side-tracked a bit.  I took the photo into Photoshop to crop it, but then just got carried away and ended up with a new piece of "Rose Art".  Hmmm, I've definitely missed doing this.  I'll have to make more time to be artistically creative.

There was also a suggestion from the Queen Jester that the bad TV screen photo would make a good background texture, so I'll definitely make one and post it here for you soon.  Thanks Queen Jester.

Today, I really should do a load of laundry, and then I need to put a few more rows on the lavender afghan.  I've decided that if I do a few rows on it each day, it will be finished in time for the holidays.  This way, I can work on my other crochet projects too. 

Including the lavender afghan, I have three projects I would like to finish by the first of December.  Gosh, have any of you checked your calendars lately?  Time is ticking away, and there are only nine more weeks till Christmas.  Yikes!!  So many stitches to do, so little time!

On that happy note, I really need to get busy here.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a splendid day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Bad News Turns To Good News

October 19, 2014

Good morning.  It's quite early, so it is still dark outside.  Last night, the cooler temps moved back into our area, so I turned the heat back on.   This whole week will be cool with a bit of rain.  I suppose it's to be expected.  After all, it is Autumn.

Well, the TV saga continues.  Friday afternoon, Joe and I went food shopping, and when I got home poor Pogo was rather upset.  It seems that the TV screen went on the fritz again.  I quickly unplugged the TV, and plugged it into the new power surge strip that I had just bought.  When I turned the TV back on it was working just fine.

Ah, but that's too easy.  A little while later, the screen went to all squiggly lines and that was all she wrote.  It was totally fried!  Here's a photo of what I was looking at.  I sent the photo in a message to my SIL Eddie and asked if he could stop by and take the TV out and set my bedroom TV up in the living room.  I spend most of my time in this room.

Later that evening, Dee and Eddie came by, and Eddie unhooked the bad TV and got the other TV set up in the living room.  Thank goodness I had the other TV.  Thank goodness for Eddie too!  Eddie told me that the bad TV could still be used for the input, so he took it to my eldest grandson for his video games.  Wow, recycling at it's best!

Yesterday afternoon I spent some time on-line shopping around for another TV.  I finally decided on one that I found at Best Buy.  It is the same size as my other TV, 40", and the price was good.  Also, I still had my $100 gift certificate that I got when I bought my new phone at Best Buy, and I was able to apply it towards the new television.  Super!!

There was one more piece of good news.  The shipping was free, and my TV should arrive by next Monday.  Obviously this put me in a super duper mood.  I spent the rest of the afternoon putting a few more rows on the lavender afghan, and working on the smaller lapghan. 

While I was doing my research and shopping on the computer, my little guy was happily ensconced in front of his new door, keeping an eye on a couple of young squirrels who were feasting on the bird seed.  It was warm out, so I had the bottom window up a bit so that Pogo could hear all the outdoor sounds better.

Last night, Pogo and I turned in rather early, around 10 p.m., and promptly fell asleep.  This explains why we're up so early this morning.   The first thing I did, was to make a snack for Pogo.  He had slept right through his late night snack and was quite hungry.

Well, that's about all the news for this morning.  Today, I want to get a few gifts wrapped and packed into boxes.  Later, I need to clean out a tall plastic set of drawers to keep my yarn in.  This will make it easier to see what I have on hand.

Now I'm going to mosey on out to the kitchen and make a nice hot cup of coffee.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a wonderful day.

Hugs, Edna B.

An Untimely Visit From The Sandman

October 17, 2014

Good afternoon.  No, I didn't just get up, but I've been busy looking through camera memory cards to decide which photos I might want to use for my next calendar.  I haven't decided for sure, but I might just pick out all flower photos this time.  Hmmm, I'll have to give this a bit more thought.

Last evening I watched part one of the finale of my favorite TV show, Project Runway.  Well, at least I got to see most of it.  That last commercial before the end of the program did me in.  I blinked and the Sandman tossed a whole bunch of sleep sand in my eyes.  Much later I woke up in time to watch a re-run of the program.  However, I did not stay awake long enough to see the ending this time either.  Oh well, I taped the show, so at least I'll get to watch it later.

This morning, Pogo and I decided to sleep in as late as possible until finally his tummy started calling out for food.  Because he did not eat his supper last night, (he was already full from the turkey that Joe fed him), I warmed it up and gave it to him for breakfast.  A nice juicy hamburger.  Oh yes, he ate every bit of it.  Not one sniff left on his plate.

A strange thing happened to my television yesterday morning.  It stopped working and was making a nasty horrible loud noise.  The screen was totally black, and the remote control would not work any more.  I finally had to shut the TV off by pulling the plug out of the electric outlet.  Then I put in a call to my SIL Eddie.

Eddie and Kevin came by after school to see what the problem might be.  The first thing Eddie did was to have Kevin plug the TV back into the electric outlet.  Well, will wonders never cease!!!  The TV came on and the remote was working just fine.  Phew!  I was thinking that I would have to buy a new TV,  but now I won't have to. 

Eddie says the problem was most likely a power surge.  This afternoon, Joe and I will go food shopping, but first we'll stop by the hardware store to buy a surge protector.   I surely do not want to have this problem happen again to my TV.

The new lapghan I started is coming along fine.  After I  got a few rows done, I tried it out on Joe's lap while he was sitting in the lounge chair.  It could have been a little wider for that particular chair, but I think it might be just right for someone sitting in a wheelchair.   Once it st finished, I'll try it out on Joe again. 

Meanwhile, I might make the next one just a wee bit wider.  And I'll use girly colors.  Actually, I want to make something in the colors of one of my roses.  Hot rosy pink, light peachy pink and an orangey yellow.  Hmmm, interesting.

Lately, I've been busy shopping on-line for a few items that I need for holiday gifts.  Today I got two packages in the mail.  Even the contents of the packages will be given away, it's still fun to open things that come in the mail.  Oh my, these contents are really fun!

Today I have a photo that I took through the kitchen window.  It's a Tufted Titmouse coming to have some lunch.   When we fill the feeder, we always sprinkle seed on the ground for the ground feeders.

That's about all the news for today.  By the way, today is my post number 2302.  Who'd have thought when I started this blog several years ago that I'd still be writing on it today.  My first post was on January 19, 2008.  It's been a great way to meet lots of new folks and make some wonderful friends.

I also have a cute image that was downloaded from the web.   My daughters and I are short, and for good reason!  LOL.

Now it's time to have a look in the fridge to see what's for lunch.  So, till Sunday, Y'all have a fantastic weekend.

Hugs, Edna B.

Starting A New Project - A Lapghan

October 16, 2014

Good morning.  Well, last night I fell asleep about 10 o'clock and woke up shortly before 2 a.m.  At this point, I was awake so I decided to finish the green afghan.  Once that was done, I tried to resize my favorite pattern down to wheel chair size. 

For colors, I'm using Buff and Camouflage, and I have twelve rows already worked.  I'm not really sure if the size is right, so later when Joe gets home from work, I'll try it on his lap to see how it fits.  At the very worst, if this is turning out too small I can give it to a young person and increase the size on the next lapghan.  Here's a color swatch of Buff and Camouflage.

It has been in the upper 60'sF here all night,   Today will be in the low 70's and I had thought that Pogo and I might have our lunch at the park.  However, we're supposed to have thunder storms with rain on and off all day so we may have to change our plans.  Tomorrow and Saturday are supposed to be nice so maybe we can go to the park on one of those days. 

Yesterday I had a follow up appointment with my orthopedic doctor.  The results were that I'm doing okay.  Should the insurance company try to mess up my meds again, the doctor will take care of it.   This was very reassuring.

Daughter Deanne stopped by in the afternoon and brought me a gorgeous lighted angel to put up with my Christmas tree.  I will have to take a photo because it really is quite beautiful.  Later, DIL Janet showed up with a box of mmm, mmm, mmm delicious pastries for our dessert.  The assortment included blueberry pastries, apple turnovers, lemon squares and lemon Danish pasties.  Are you drooling yet?

After supper, Wayne stopped by to return my little travel notebook.  It had needed a good cleaning out.  I like taking the notebook with me when I go to anywhere because it is smaller and much lighter than my laptop.

Well, I've finished my cup of coffee and I've set Pogo's breakfast on his little dinner mat, so now I think I'll see about catching a small nap.  Before I do, let me share this wonderful button that I found on the web.  It is sooooo me!

That's it for now folks.  Till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Some Great Ideas For New Projects

October 15, 2014

Good morning.  Thank goodness I fell asleep early last evening because Pogo was waking me very early this morning for his breakfast.  At 4:30, to be exact.  He slept right through his late evening snack last night, so that's why he's hungry so early this morning. 

And what did this good mama do?  Well, I got up and made him some breakfast, that's what.  And while I was at it, I made myself a nice hot cup of coffee to enjoy while I sat at my laptop and played catch up on some blog reading.

Today is another gorgeous day where our temperature will get up to the mid 70's.  It's been such a pleasure being able to keep the windows open again.  Unfortunately, the cooler temps will be moving back in this weekend.  In the meantime though, I'm just loving these warm temps.

A couple friends of mine were very surprised that folks actually made sweaters for their chickens.  To be honest, I was quite surprised myself.   But think about it.  Chickens get cold too, and sometimes they lose a lot (or all) of their feathers.  A sweater could make them quite comfy.

I downloaded this image from Google (author unknown) to show you just how adorable chicken fashion can be.  If you're interested, just search for crocheted (or knitted) sweaters for chickens on Google,  and you'll find a wealth of free patterns.  Your chickens will love you!!

I also came across a blog that had a pattern for wheelchair lapghans.  Basically, these are just a bit narrower and shorter than a lap afghan so that they fit comfortably on the lap of a person in a wheel chair.  I downloaded the pattern and will try it out.  It's supposed to work up rather quickly.  Once I try the pattern, I'll retype it and post it here if anyone would like it.  These would make great gifts to donate to a veterans hospital or nursing home.

A friend sent me this image of another fun project.  Button flowers.  I don't have a pattern for these, but it should be easy enough to make them by following the images.  These actually remind me of something I seem to remember from my childhood.  Hmmm.  These would make rather pretty shade pulls.  (Do they still use shade pulls?  Or am I dating myself?)

Before nodding off to lala land last night, I put a few more rows on the bright green afghan, and now there are only three more rows left to finish it.  Ooooo weeee!  Tonight I'll finish this one and maybe work a bit on the lavender afghan.  I seem to procrastinate when it comes to this lavender afghan because I just don't love it anymore.  Maybe I'll like it better when I put some more rows on it.  If not, I'll just start it over. 

This morning I have a follow up appointment with my orthopedic doctor.  After that, I need to start my spaghetti sauce for tonight's supper.  DIL will be coming by and pasta is our favorite food.  Pogo will be having steak.  Oh you lucky dog!!

Well that's all the news for this morning.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Hip Hip Hooray For Us Oldies!

October 14, 2014

Good morning.  The sun is already shining, and today is going to be another fabulous day.  Last night, I turned in early, trying to catch up on some much needed (nighttime) sleep.  Before dozing off, I did manage to put a few more rows on the bright green afghan, bringing it to within the last fifteen rows.  Oh my, is it ever turning out pretty!

I would like to thank my blog readers for their supportive comments to my rant yesterday.  I, too, am planning on doing my best to attend my own 100th birthday party.   To celebrate this happy thought, I went on-line yesterday and ordered some more yarn.  I thought I would like to try making an afghan with a medium purple and mixed purple tones. 

I also ordered a couple of books on how to take better photos and videos with the cell phone camera.  As long as I'm going to be around for a while, I'd like to learn how to use this little gem better.  I also want to learn how to post these little videos on my blog.  I sat here one day and took some videos of the birds playing in the puddles outside my door.  It would have been fun to share them.

Today, I have some fun photos (not mine) to share.  If you have pets and love to knit and crochet, you'll love these.  One of the images was very blurry but the sweater was so cute that I tried to clear it up enough to share here.

I was looking for crochet patterns for doggie sweaters, and found lots of fun items to make for our furry and feathered babies.  Yup, you heard that right!  I even found a pattern for a sweater for your chickens.   A lot of the patterns are for knitting as well.  The patterns are free, so if you are interested you can find them here:     http://allcrafts.net/crochet/petscrochet.htm.   

I think I'll go make another cup of hot coffee now and see about what kind of mischief that Pogo and I can get into today.   So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Should Americans Have A Duty To Die At 75?

October 13, 2014

Good morning.  It's gray outside today but it is warmer.  We are at the beginning of a week of warmer temps.   Days will be in the high 60's to mid 70's, and nights will be in the low 50's.  Oh my, I just love it!

Did that title grab at you?  It was the headline (big big headline) on a page in this weekend's newspaper.  According to the newspaper:

"Ezekiel Emanuel, a physician and one of the architects of Obamacare, writes in the October issue of the Atlantic Monthly that Americans are too obsessed with living long lives.  For many reasons, including diminished mobility, a ""tsunami"" of dementia, and sparing adult children from the pain of a long decline, Emanuel argues that 75 is a pretty good age to aim to stop"

"Emanuel insists he isn't advocating death at 75 as a way to ration health care or save money.  But with health care costs outpacing official estimates, conservative critics of the Affordable Care Act worry Emanuel's musings might eventually become law."

In a commentary by Ben Boychuk, Mr Boychuk writes:  "Emanuel coauthored a 2009 article for Lancet, a widely read and well-respected medical journal published weekly in the United Kingdom, which laid out ""Principles for Allocation of Scarce Medical Interventions.""   Emanuel and his colleagues considered how best to allocate resources based on several different models before settling on a ""complete lives system."" Put simply,  it prioritizes young people at the expense of old people."

Is it any wonder that I have more crabby days than I should?  This year I will reach that magic age where, according to Mr. Emanuel, I should dig myself a big hole and jump in and pull the dirt in over me.  Gosh, that only leaves me a few weeks to finish my Christmas afghans.  I don't know if that's going to be enough time.

I'm sorry to disappoint Mr. Emanuel and Obamacare, but my meds are expensive because I have asthma.  Being old has nothing to do with it.  Furthermore, if I'm really that decrepid and useless, why do I have to still pay taxes?

It costs the health care system  (my tax dollars)  more to give free drugs and medical care to all the illegal aliens than it does to pay for our senior citizens' health care.  If the government would take back just one teensy weensy bag of the billions of dollars that it gives away each year, it would have plenty of money to take care of our Social Security system and health care for us old geezers.

Regardless of how little this government thinks of old farts like me, I think I'll just hang around a while and see if I can't throw a monkey wrench into their plans for us useless citizens.

I'm done ranting for now.  If I keep on, my blood pressure will just go up.  Oh no!!  Then I'll have to take some more medicine!!  Oh dear, my bad!!  $ $ $ $

I had an inquiry as to what "Wildflowers" looked like as yarn.  So here's a swatch that I downloaded from the Red Heart Yarn website.  Pretty, yes?

Pogo has been in the pantry barking his little head off for the past ten or fifteen minutes.  So, I think I need to go see what is annoying him.  Most likely, Sunshine is in the laundry room taunting him.  I think it's time I took another "crazy pill."  (This image download from the web - author unknown)

That's it for this morning.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a magnificent day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Yes, Virginia. Squirrels Really Do Have Built-In Umbrellas.

October 12, 2014

Good morning.  Brrr, it's a tad chilly outside this morning.  It's only in the upper 30'sF.   If things go as planned, we'll probably make it up to 61F by noontime.  By noon tomorrow, it should start to warm up for a few days.  Woo Hoo!

Friday, I did bake those cookies, and oh my, were they ever good!  So good that I made another batch of them yesterday.  And yes, I gave the bulk of them away to the dwarfs.  I still have enough cookie dough left to make another dozen cookies, plus there is one more bucket of cookie dough in the freezer.  I think I'll wait awhile before thawing the other bucket.

It rained most all day Friday.  Not a heavy rain, but enough to make lots of puddles in the driveway.  We watched the birds and squirrels feeding, and I learned something I hadn't realized before about the squirrels. 

They have built-in umbrellas!!  Their tails!!  Have a lookee at these cute photos of one little squirrel using his tail to stay dry.

I guess this is what is meant by the saying "stop and smell the roses."   I've watched squirrels my whole life and never noticed how they use their bushy tails to protect themselves from weather.  For some reason, once you reach a certain age, you begin to notice all sorts of fascinating things that were always there, just never noticed.

I have another cute photo of another squirrel who spotted me looking at him through the window.   It looks as if he is saying "Don't stare woman!  Take a picture!"  So I did just that.

Yesterday, I did spend time on my laptop looking up some things, and last night I crocheted on that beautiful bright green afghan.  I'm thinking that today I'll add a load of laundry to the mix and really make things exciting.  Who knows, maybe I'll go hog wild and push the vacuum around a bit.  The dust bunnies may as well enjoy a little excitement too.

I have some new yarn.  Oh, did I forget to mention that we decided to do our food shopping at Walmart this past Friday, and I always check out the yarn department when we go there.  Who knows what goodies will be lurking in the yarn aisle.  I bought some Buff, Jade, Gold, Camouflage and Wild Flowers.  I have all sorts of fun color schemes running rampant through my mind!

Well, it's time now to make some breakfast and re-fill my coffee cup.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a fabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.

From Peanuts To Cotton Balls

October 10, 2014

Good afternoon.  It was a tad bit cool during the night, and Pogo and I were in no hurry to crawl out from under the covers this morning.  Needless to say, the extra sleep felt really good.  It's time to turn on the heat, at least during the night.  We still have some nice days coming, but the nights are getting quite cool. 

Well, yesterday I did not get to bake the cookies.  So, I think I'll try again this afternoon.  I really did not do much of anything yesterday but I was really busy doing this nothing.  It's just amazing how absolutely nothing can take up so much of one's time!

Today I have some fun photos that daughter Audrey took in the cotton field by her home.   We think the farmers have switched to growing cotton instead of peanuts because we've been importing so many peanuts from Africa.  Hmmm, I was not aware of this.  Peanuts are a big part of Virginia's history. 

Well anyway, here are some photos of the cotton blossoms.  Thanks Audrey.  We don't grow cotton up here in the North, so these are quite interesting.

Other than baking some cookies, today's excitement will be a trip to the supermarket for some groceries.  Unfortunately, Pogo will have to miss this outing.  The food store just won't let him in.  I've tried telling them that he is a service dog, for my mental health, but they just won't give in.

I'm sorry I haven't had any new photos of Pogo and Sunshine lately, but Pogo is not in any hurry to become buddies with her yet.  Sunshine has swatted Pogo a few times (gently) and now that she seems to want to play, he is having second thoughts about her.  We'll just have to give them more time. 

Well that's about all the news for today.  If I don't get busy with the cookie dough pretty soon, we won't be having any cookies today either.  So, till Sunday, Y'all have a wonderful weekend.

Hugs, Edna B.

A Bit Of Moon Lore

October 9, 2014

Good morning.  It's been another sleepless night here.  Although I must admit to a nice long nap yesterday afternoon, and dozing off a couple of times while watching TV last evening.  I guess in the end, it all works out.

Daughter Audrey sent me some of the moon photos that she had taken.  She said she stopped two or three times on her way to work early yesterday morning, but was only able to see this orangey red sliver of the Blood Moon.  By the time she reached work, the moon was no longer visible.

Last night, there was a beautiful Hunters Moon in the sky over Audrey's home.  These are photos that she took from her front yard.  She took the second photo through tree branches to get this different effect.  Great photos, Audrey.

I looked up the full moons on Google and found some very interesting information.   "The October full moon is referred to as the Hunters Moon because after the fields have been reaped, the leaves begin to fall and the deer are fat and ready for eating.  Hunters can ride easily over the fields' stubble, and the fox and other animals are more easily spotted.  The full moon name for October's full moon was also the Blood Moon, or Sanguine Moon, because of its bright color."

This information and much more can be found at:  http://fullmoonphases.com.

I'm looking at the weather forecast for the next week, and it is just depressing.  Not only is Saturday going to be really cool (about 54F degrees), but it will only be in the 30's that night.  Brrrrr!  Too cold for this fuzzy bunny.  Right now it is only about 41F degrees, and it should get up to about 64F degrees by noontime.  Gosh, I really miss August.

There's been a lot of discussions in the news about how different airports are trying to protect travelers from the Ebola virus.  It's really scary to think that we can't even travel by plane anymore without worrying about being infected with deadly viruses by other passengers.  I'm not looking forward to flying anywhere anytime soon.

Yesterday, a microburst with winds of 100 miles per hour ripped through Easthampton, Massachusetts,  ripping trees out of the ground, tossing automobiles around and damaging homes.  Unfortunately, I do believe that all of these damaging weather patterns are becoming the new norm.  I really hope that I'm wrong.

A few months ago, I bought a couple containers of cookie dough during a school fundraiser, and I froze them.  I took one of the containers out of the freezer to thaw, so today I think maybe I'll be making some cinnamon raison cookies.  Mmmm, mmmm.

It's time now to rustle up some breakfast.  My little guy is curled up beside me patiently waiting for his food.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a wonderful day.

Hugs, Edna B.

No Moon Show For Boston

October 8, 2014

Good morning.  Well, so much for taking photos of the Blood Moon.  I checked the sky at 5:30 a.m., and kept watch for a while, but there was just heavy cloud cover up there.  Around 6 a.m. I saw a clearing patch of sky, so Pogo and I hopped into the car and headed downtown to a supermarket parking lot for a better view of the sky.

As you can see from the photos below, there was no moon.  At least not in our area.  There was, however, one shiny star up there twinkling away.   We only stayed for about twenty minutes, but during that time we watched the dark clouds begin to move out.  We may not have seen the Blood Moon, but we did get to watch the beginning of a gorgeous day. 

Right now, it's only 7:30, and already the sky is clearing.  There are bits of light blue and white clouds peeking through what's left of the dark clouds.  Right now, the temperature is around 62F, and working its way up to the low 70's by early afternoon.  Beginning tonight though, the cooler temps will be back.

Yesterday's excitement consisted of doing a couple loads of laundry.  Groan, groan.  It's pretty bad when doing the laundry can be called exciting.  On the other hand, actually being able to do this is exciting (in a way). 

I'm watching the Weather Channel, where they are showing all sorts of great photos that folks all around the country took of the moon.   Some of these photos are just amazing.  Ah well.  We'll get another chance too see this moon next April.  Hopefully, the skies won't be so cloudy.

Today I think I'll get a couple of holiday mailing boxes taped up, complete with address labels.  I would like to mail some of these boxes out early and hope that the recipients would set them aside and not open them until it is time.  However, some folks' fingers get very itchy when they see a package and they can't wait to open it.  So, I'll just pile the boxes up in a corner of my bedroom for now. 

I still have some holiday crocheting to finish up, hopefully by the end of this month.  After that, well I'll just keep on crocheting.  It keeps my hands nimble.  And besides, I enjoy doing it. 

Remember yesterday that I said I would hold off giving Pogo any more of his doggie food to see if that was what was making him sick?  Well, before I could pick up this dish, he ate the rest of the food.  And he kept it all down.  Well, darn!  So now I know it's not his food. 

He had a very good night, and as soon as we got home from our photo shoot this morning, I gave him a dish of doggie food for breakfast and he ate all of it.  He seems to be back to normal this morning, so maybe whatever bug he had has worked its way out of his system.  Gosh, I surely hope so.

Some folks have been asking about Sunshine.  Well, she's beginning to adjust to her new surroundings.  Every day, Pogo and Sunshine get to spend a little while checking each other out.  It will take a while for these two to become friends.  Sunshine is beginning to feel more comfortable around Pogo, just not enough to become chummy yet.   I'll try to get some new photos to share.

Well, that's about all the news for this morning.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a magnificent day.

Hugs, Edna B.