Thank Goodness For Junk Mail. It Keeps Me Busy.

November 24, 2020

Good morning.  The sun is shining and it's 35F degrees.  It may get up to forty degrees before dropping down to freezing early this evening.  You know, I think bears and some other animals have the right idea.  They stockpile some food for the Winter, then pull the door to their den closed and hibernate till Spring.  

Today will be a good day to deal with some junk mail.  I have two big bags of it saved up, so that's going to be my project for today.  I don't really feel like working on anything special so the junk mail will keep me busy.  

I guess I could also round up all the catalogues that have come in these past couple weeks.  There must be at least two bags full of them too.  I get an armful of them every other day or so in the mail.  

I think I'm going to have to go back to sleeping upright in my lounge chair.  I'm not getting very much good sleep lying down.  After just a little while, my breathing starts getting wonky so I have to sit up for a while.  

How about a couple more "Find the Differences" puzzles from Dover?  These are always fun.  Each one has ten differences to find.

I did address a few envelopes, so maybe I'll do a few more later this evening.  With it getting dark so early the nights are really long now.  I wonder if that has anything to do with not sleeping good.  Hmm.  Ah well, I can always take afternoon naps.

Now I'm off to do a bit of blog reading before tackling that junk mail.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all stay safe and have a fantabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Another Good Day Here In My World.

 November 23, 2020

Good morning.  Today is gray and it is supposed to rain most of the day.  Morning temps will get close to sixty degrees and then start falling to the thirties this evening.  That makes this a great day to stay in and crochet and address envelopes.

I've been working on the blue pocket shawl and I'm running out of yarn.  I did put in an order for some more of this yarn plus some for the scrubby dish cloths that I'm going to make.   Here's the scrubby yarn that I ordered.  I'm getting the blue, orange, green and red.

I found another rather pretty shawl pattern.  This one looks really nice for every season.  

Pogo woke me up early this morning, looking for his breakfast.  And he was definitely hungry.  Licked his plate clean!  Once his tummy was full of good food, he went back into his little house and was soon snoring softly.  I was going to enjoy one of my apple turnovers, but now I'll have to wait until Pogo wakes up.  He loves apple turnovers, so he'll be wanting some too.

Law & Order, Criminal Intent is on now for a couple hours so I'm going to watch it.  I enjoy this program.  Even if it is a re-run.  On this happy note, I'll take my leave.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all stay safe and have a fantabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.

I'm So Very Proud Of My Children

November 22, 2020

Good morning.  Tis cloudy right now but we should be getting sunshine on and off all day with temps in the mid forties.  Throughout the night, temps should rise just a little and be warmer tomorrow.

This morning I've been watching the Create channel.  It's a variety of all different crafts.  There's oil painting, water color painting, cooking, sewing, knitting, crocheting, quilting, beading, gardening, household fix ups, etc.  Something for everybody.  This is all a part of Rhode Island PBS (TV).  

It's been quiet around here.  The newest dwarf was all moved in on Friday, and the envelopes to my card order arrived yesterday.  The cards will be along soon.  Meanwhile I can get started addressing the envelopes.  

A reader recently asked if any of my daughters also crocheted.  When the kids were growing up, I taught them all (my son included) to knit and crochet, to sew at least straight lines ( to keep their clothes mended), and whatever else I could interest them in.  Together, they all crocheted a beautiful afghan as a Christmas present for my parents, and they crocheted Christmas gifts for their friends.  

They all also worked with me in my ceramic studio and local schools, creating and teaching.  They are all excellent cooks.  (not me, but they are.)  They have all spent some time working in the health field, taking care of people.  I'm  very proud of them.

Yesterday was one of my tired and quiet days.  Today seems a bit perkier.  I worked on the blue pocket shawl on and off the last two days, and I'll work on it for a while today.  Whoever wrote the pattern made a few boo boos.  It's taking more yarn and more rows to make the shawl than the pattern calls for.  No problem, it's still quite pretty.  

I did find a simple pattern online for a scrubby dish cloth that I think I'd like to try.  As soon as I decide what color I want to use, I'll place an order for the scrubby yarn.   I'm leaning toward Fall colors.  Orange, yellow, green.  

Now I want to catch up with some morning blog reading.  Before I leave, let me share these cute T-shirts that I found online.

Till tomorrow, Y'all stay safe and have a fantabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Getting Into The Spirit

November 20, 2020

Good morning.  It's early so it is still rather gray outside, but the temps are a bit warmer.  It's 46F degrees and will climb to the mid fifties this afternoon with some sunshine.  Sounds good to me!

Yesterday turned out to be a good day.  I managed to get a few gifts wrapped, and three packages ready for mailing.  After wrapping for a while, it was time to stop and pay some bills that need to go out in this morning's mail.  

After supper, I crocheted for a while, adding another twenty rows to the pocket shawl.  My day was busy, and now it was done.  Today I'll try to get another package ready for mailing.  It feels good to be getting some of this done.  I'll be able to take my time addressing envelopes next week.

My cactus plants are starting to bloom now.  I haven't checked them all yet to find out which season cactus they are, but I will soon.  This particular plant is the Thanksgiving Cactus, according to Google, and it's a pale pinkish lilac color.

One of these days, I'm going to order a Christmas Cactus with yellow blossoms.  I saw a picture of one and it was just beautiful.  (photo borrowed from Google)

Ah well, the morning is slipping by and the sun is shining now.  It's time for me to get started on this new day.  Let me leave you with another little Holiday box from Dover.  

I'm off now.  So, till Sunday, Y'all stay safe and have a fantabulous weekend.

Hugs, Edna B.

Goodies In The Mail

November 19, 2020

Good morning.  Tis gray and nippy outside so far.  The temperature is 27F degrees, but it might get up to at least forty degrees by early afternoon.  It should warm up a few degrees through the night and into tomorrow.  

The Fed Ex man brought me quite a nice surprise yesterday afternoon.  Two boxes.  One box had some gifts that I had ordered, and the other box held all my new calendars.  Wowsie!  The calendars came two days earlier than expected.  

One more reason to love that Vista Print company.  They are having a great Black Friday sale starting November 27th with up to 60% off everything.  The code to use at checkout is 20BFCM.  The sale runs through December 1st.  

The mailman also brought me a package.  This was a crochet booklet and CD  that I had ordered, called 500+ Crochet Stitches.  I thought it might be interesting, and it is!

I've looked through a lot of the stitch patterns on the CD and some of them are really nice.  I'm hoping to learn some new stitches.  

Today I'm going to be able to wrap and package a few items.  Woo Hoo!  I'd like to get a few boxes out of here by the weekend.  One is already to go, one just needs its label and one is waiting to be packed.  Slowly, I'm getting there.  My cards will be here soon and I can start addressing the envelopes.  I like to send them out the beginning of December.  

On this happy note, I think I'll get started on wrapping and writing labels.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all stay safe and have a fantabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.

A Busy Day Has It's Rewards

 November 18, 2020

Good morning.  Tis 32F degrees and sunny.  We may even get up to 35F degrees this afternoon, but then temps will drop to 29F degrees after supper.  Tis just a wee bit too nippy for this old gal.  Here's a funny for you.  I was poking around on Google and found an article that said that Winter is the shortest season.  Hmmm, I wonder what sort of juice the author of that article had for breakfast.

Well, yesterday I did call the company that supplies my oxygen equipment.  After explaining the problems I've been having with my large concentrator, they said it was an emergency and someone would be out as soon as possible.  I moved the concentrator to the porch right outside my door.  I don't want to be letting anyone indoors. (I'm being careful so I don't catch anything.)  

Sometime after four o'clock, I called the company to see if they were still sending someone out here.  They said he had a long list and would get here as soon as he could.  I then asked them if the man could also check my portable concentrator.  The little window on it keeps saying change cylinders.  ???  They said no, these parts would have to be ordered, and would take at least two weeks to come in.  They would order them and let me know when they come in.

To make a long story short, the fellow finally showed up last night at eight o'clock.  He brought me a new concentrator and took away the old one.  The bottom line???  I've been breathing so much better all last night and this morning.  

Today I have another little box from Dover for you.  This one is a Gingerbread house.  I think if you check around at Dover's website, you can probably find these little boxes for other occasions.

I also worked on my Christmas card yesterday, and woo hoo!  I finished it.  I went online and uploaded my design and ordered my cards.  They gave me a fantastic coupon!  Wow, I love a great bargain!  Folks, if you haven't already ordered your cards, try Vista Print.  I've been using this company for years for all my printing needs and they are great.  I got an email this morning saying that my order has already been processed and shipped.  

Last evening, I ripped out the pocket wrap that I had started and began anew.  Pretty soon I had twenty eight rows done and it was time to call it a night.  Here's a photo of it after just a few rows.  I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Yesterday, Amazon gave it's employees a take out turkey dinner from Boston Market.  Deanne brought her dinner to me, and Pogo and I had it for supper. Yum Yum!  Thank you Deanne and Amazon.  Today I will cook a pot of spaghetti sauce.  Yup, we're having pasta for supper tonight!  

Well, that's my news for today.  Now I'm off to do a bit of blog reading.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all stay safe and have a fantabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Brrr! Too Cold For Me!

November 17, 2020

Good morning.  Tis a bit nippy this morning with temps in the thirties.  Today we should get up into the low forties with maybe some sunshine.  But tomorrow morning - aha!  When I wake up temps will only be in the twenties.  Brrrr!    

The calendar says that it's not Winter for another five weeks, so I wonder why the wicked cold weather can't wait until then.  Ever notice how Winter comes about a month and a half early and lingers around for a month or more after the season is supposed to end?  Whatever happened to the four season theory?  

Yesterday wasn't a good breathing day so I did not get much accomplished.  However, last evening I did finish up all my little crochet projects.  You know, all the yarn ends that need to be worked in, etc.  I don't normally leave any of the ends for later but this time I did.  Big mistake!  But, they are all done now.  

This morning I have to call the company that supplies my oxygen equipment.  There's been an orange light blinking on the big concentrator since last evening.  Plus an annoying quiet whistle.  I'm using my portable concentrator until someone from the company comes out to fix the big concentrator.

I even started working on a new project.  The wrap with pockets.    I chose a medium blue yarn and did a few rows to see how it would look.  I need to make a few changes to the pattern though, so I'll rip it out later and start over.  I'm adding a few stitches to make it wider.  I'll take a photo after I get a few rows done.

Today I thought I'd share a paper craft from Dover.  It's a little box for holding a small gift.  I'll also post a picture of the cover of the book in case anyone is interested.

There are a couple more little boxes, so I'll post them tomorrow.  These were free downloads from Dover Publishing.  

I'm just waiting for my calendars to get here so that I can start wrapping and labeling a few packages.  Today I'll work on my Christmas card.  I'd like to get it finished and sent off to the printer.

Now it's time for me to do a bit of blog reading before finding some fun mischief to get into.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all stay safe and have a fantabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.