Some Nights Are Just Not Good For Crocheting

April 9, 2015

Good morning.  Today is cloudy and a bit damp.  It's a good day to stay indoors but I do have to go out in a couple of hours.  Today is my appointment with the orthopedic doctor for a routine check up.  I have a nasty headache so I really don't want to go out, but I will. 

Yesterday, Pogo and I went back to JoAnn's to return the sharp crochet hooks.  Of course, while we were there we took advantage of senior discount day and bought a new set of crochet hooks and a yarn holder.

It was so nice out that we stopped at Burger King afterwards.   We picked up some lunch and headed for the park.  Oh what a lovely day it was to have lunch at the park.  The sun was shining and it was fairly warm.  There were lots of other folks there, some walking their dogs and others just enjoying watching the ducks and geese. 

I took some more photos, and was glad to see a pair of swans in the water.  I haven't had a chance to check out the photos and crop a few but I will do that later today.  Last evening, DIL Janet came by and brought me four big pots of purple and orange pansies and a pan of homemade cookies.  Now I can't wait till I can plant those pansies outdoors.

Today I have photos of the other plants that are also waiting to be put into the garden.  I probably shouldn't have bought them, but I can't seem to resist a beautiful bloom.  In the first photo, the one plant in the front (with just buds) blossomed the day after I took the photo.  The blooms are a beautiful red.

I also took a photo of our Christmas Cactus which has been going crazy with gorgeous blooms this year.  This plant gets prettier every year.

Last evening, after Janet left, I settled in to do a bit of crocheting on the green shrug that I'm making.  I finished off the first skein of yarn and attached the second skein.  After putting on a few rows I noticed that the two greens were not the same color.  On the skeins they look the same, but they have different dye lot numbers and are definitely not the same shade of green. 

They don't sell this yarn around here, so I ripped out all rows done with the new skein and set this project aside until I can figure out what to do with it.   I may have to use a variegated yarn to finish this project.  We'll see. 

Next I picked up the new pattern book and decided to try a new scarf pattern.  Oh wow, this was just not my night for crocheting.  I tried first one pattern, and after five rows, I ripped it out because I could not figure out how to make the rows come out right by following the pattern. 

The next pattern that I tried was rather pretty (in the picture in the book).  However, after doing about six rows, it started looking like a bunch of unruly knots.  It was coming out even, but it was quite ugly. Once again, I started over with yet another pattern.  Yeesh, I don't like this one either.  It's time to put everything in the knitting bag and go to bed.

Later today, I'll see what I can do to fix the shrug.  A lot of the new yarns do not use dye lot numbers so I never thought to look at them before I started this project.  A lesson learned! 

Now I think I'll have me a cup of coffee and catch up a bit on my blog reading.  So till tomorrow, Yall have a fantabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.

p.s.  I took two Excedrin Migraine tablets before I started typing this post, and now my headache is gone.  Woo Hoo!!  

A Fun Trip To The Park In The Rain

April 8, 2015

Good morning.  It's sunny this morning and a bit nippy.  Only 39F degrees.  The weather man says it will get up to about 42F degrees and be mostly cloudy all day, with the rain returning for tomorrow and Friday.  Yesterday's rain wasn't very heavy, so I guess we can handle this. 

Yesterday, Pogo and I went to JoAnn's, and I bought some new crochet hooks and a new pattern book.  On the way home, we stopped by the park to see if the ice on the ponds had melted.  Even in the rain, this was a fun trip. 

Most of the ice on the ponds has melted (there are still chunks of ice floating in some parts of the ponds).  There were quite a few gulls and ducks, and a few geese.  I did not see any of the swans yet.  Here are a few photos from yesterday.

I took a few more pretty shots as we were leaving the park.  Once I've cropped them, I'll share them here.   I was afraid that the park birds might not have survived the winter, so it was good to see them.   As you can see, there is still un-melted snow in the park too. 

Today, Pogo and I are going back to JoAnn's to return the crochet hooks and get another new set of them.  When I opened the package that I bought (yesterday), I found that the tips were very sharp and they shouldn't be.   While we're there, I want to take advantage of today being Senior Discount day.  I saw a couple of things that would be great to put away for the holidays.

Yesterday's email brought me a wonderful surprise.  Beth made a beautiful scrap page featuring some of Pogo's photos.  Thanks Beth.  We love it!!!

Yesterday, I saw a street cleaning machine out swirling dirt and mud out onto the road.  Mind you, it was raining.  For the life of me, I have never figured out why these machines are called street cleaners.   The roads look so much dirtier after the machine has done its job and passes by.  Today, two of these machines were out cleaning???? the road in front of my house. 

Ah well, I think I'll get dressed so that Pogo and I can go shopping while the sun is shining.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a wonderful day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Cloudy With Rain Coming Our Way

April 7, 2015

Good morning. Tis a cloudy day here in my little part of New England.  According to the Weather Channel, we will be having rain for four days, starting sometime today.  Well, I suppose that's one sure fire way to get rid of the rest of the snow that is still hanging around in our yard. 

I also noticed that we have a couple days that will be in the 60's after the rain has stopped.   That will most definitely be welcome!  It will be so nice to be able to put the winter jackets away.  I imagine that the flower bulbs and plants that I ordered a while ago will be arriving shortly.  It would be nice to be able to plant them soon after they get here. 

Yesterday, we did go out for a little while, but only to do errands.  We did not make it to the park, and now that will have to be put on hold until after all the rain has gone by.  Even so, Pogo was just happy to be out riding in the car. 

Here's a photo of Pogo sitting by his door, watching for Joe to come home so that he can have his turkey treat.   Now that it is not so cold, he enjoys sitting here, especially when it is sunny.  My little guy loves the warm sunshine.

 

Last evening, I got all comfy in my lounge chair and reached for my crocheting.  Oh dear, my crochet hook was missing.  I searched everywhere, even in and under my chair, but no luck.  The hook was no where to be found.  I ended up borrowing a crochet hook from dwarf Helen so that I could work on my new project. Looks like Pogo and I will be making a trip to JoAnn's in the next day or two so that I can buy some new crochet hooks. 

 

While I was looking on-line for a couple of items, I came across this popcorn popper.  Hmmm, I wonder if this would be a nice addition to our kitchen (in the main house).  Most all the dwarfs like popcorn, so I think I'll toss this idea out to them to see if they would like one of these

 

Some of the new plants that I bought last week are blooming now, so I'll take photos of them today to share.  Right now, I think I'll go out to see if the mail has come.  So, on that note, I'll take my leave.  Till tomorrow, Y'all have a wonderful day.

 

Hugs, Edna B.

A Nice Day To Be Out And About

April 6, 2015

Good morning.  Today is starting rather nice, with the temps in the mid 50's later today.  We'll be getting rain tonight and tomorrow.   I'm watching the Weather Channel to see how much rain and snow will be falling in California.  They need the water so badly. 

Well Pogo and I had a beautiful quiet day yesterday.  After dinner, Deanne and Eddie stopped by and brought me the most beautiful maroon azalea plant.  I tried photographing it, but the color wasn't coming out right so I downloaded a picture from Google.  Isn't this pretty?  The blooms on my plant seem to be a bit darker than those pictured.

Joe was outside yesterday cleaning the dead leaves from the little gardens close to the house.  Gosh, he uncovered lots of green sprouts.  There are lilies, iris, tulips and jonquils all making their way into Spring.  Now if only we could get rid of the rest of the snow, Joe could clean out the garden on the other side of the house.   Oh well, pretty soon.  Most of the snow has melted, but there is still quite a bit left.

I have a couple of photos of Pogo (taken with my phone) from yesterday.  In the first one, he's deciding whether or not he likes his new little fuzzy doggie.  In the second photo, he's saying "thank you" to Auntie Dee Dee for his new shirt.

I was going to take a photo of his new shirt, but he keeps it near him and lays his face on it.  Here's a photo I just took.  It's fuzzy, but you can see what I'm talking about.  I'm not sure what's so special about this little shirt, but Pogo loves it.  (Maybe he can smell Auntie Dee Dee on it?)

I got to take a nice nap yesterday afternoon, and last night I crocheted a while on my new project while I watched TV.  It was a quiet ending for a really nice day.

Well, that's all my news for this morning.  It's time for me to get dressed so that Pogo and I can go out to do a few errands.  Who knows?  Maybe we'll even take a ride to the park.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantabulous day. 

Hugs, Edna B.

Happy Easter Sunday

April 5, 2015

Good morning.  Gosh, I was hoping to sleep a little longer this morning, but Pogo woke me up early so that I could help the Easter Bunny with his basket deliveries.   Once that was done, I could sit back and enjoy an Easter morning service on TV.

I remember years ago when I was younger, getting up before sun up on Easter morning to go to an outdoor sunrise service.  Local churches would hold their services in an open field or near the ocean or a pond.  It was truly wonderful.  Nowadays,  this old body doesn't get around as much so I watch the service on TV. 

Friday night, the rains got here, along with thunder and lightning and heavy winds.  By mid morning though, all but a few light winds had stopped and the sun was shining brightly.  It turned out to be a really beautiful day.  Friday night, I had boiled up a large batch of eggs, and yesterday I decorated all of them.

I also finished the Aruba Sea afghan, and was able to start a new project.  This time I'm working on a "simple rectangle shrug."  It's fun to be working on something other than an afghan, but this item requires a lot of counting to make sure I have the correct amount of stitches on each row. 

I also have a photo of my new toy that arrived in the mail a couple of days ago.  It's a set of lenses for my cell phone camera.  It has a telephoto lens, a macro lens, a fisheye lens and a wide angle lens.  There's also a mini tripod, a camera holder and a bag to carry it all in. 

So far, I've only tried the macro lens (hand held) but I'll try it again later using the mini tripod.  It seems my hands are not as steady as they were not so long ago. 

The Easter service is over now and I'm watching a program about the story behind some of our most loved hymns.  It's really quite interesting to learn how some of these magnificent songs came about.

The other day, I took Joe to the bank, and while I was waiting for him (to come out of the bank) I took some photos of a nearby hedge that was filled with little sparrows.  When someone walked too close to the hedge, the tiny birds would disappear into the hedge.  Then one little sparrow would poke its head out to see if all was clear.  After giving a little signal, lots of tiny sparrows started popping out of their hiding places.

Well, that's about all my news for this morning.  I wish you all a Happy Easter.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a beautiful day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Do You Suppose That Wooden Teeth Leave Splinters In Your Mouth?

April 3, 2015

Good morning.  Well, I tried my best to sleep in this morning, but my conscience got the better of me and I had to get up.  I needed to put in a call for a delivery of fuel oil, and Pogo was wanting a bit of breakfast. 

It rained during the night, and it's gray with a bit of rain and wind now.  I guess it will be like this right through till later tomorrow.  So lunch in the park is out for today.  Yesterday, Pogo and I got lunch of MacDonalds and went to the park to watch the ducks and geese while we ate.  Would you believe that the park was closed?  There were big trucks there and signs saying that the men were doing tree work all day.  Go figure!

Well, we brought our burgers home, but it just wasn't the same so Pogo would not eat his lunch.  Ah well, I can't blame him.  I was really looking forward to having my lunch in the park too.  When we got home, there was a package waiting for me.  It was something fun that I ordered on Amazon, but I'll save that for Sunday's blog. 

I also got a nice surprise in my email.  Beth made a beautiful scrap layout of Jasmine singing "Over The Rainbow."  We love it Beth.  Thank you so much.

Today I have photos (Dwarf Helen took these on her phone)  of our house kitties, Sunshine and Blackie.  They get along very well with each other, and Blackie being the bigger of the two tends to look after Sunshine.  If he thinks you are going to hurt Sunshine, he will bite you.  Otherwise, he is quiet happy cat.  This is Blackie.

 

The two cats nap and play together a lot.  So far though, Pogo has not decided to befriend either of them.  Strange.

I was very glad to hear that many of my blogger friends feel the same way as me about feeding their fur babies first, or going without to make sure they are fed.  Taking care of our pets and other animals is a very important issue with me.

Well, last night I put a couple more rows on the Aruba Sea afghan.  Who knows, I might just be able to finish it up soon.   I think there's only about four or five more rows to go on it.  If the rain keeps up, maybe I can finish it off over the weekend. 

Speaking of the weekend, I have to get busy today and start hard boiling eggs.  I did promise the Easter Bunny that I would help by getting some eggs and baskets ready, so I'm thinking that today would be a good day to get started.  I picked up all the fixings yesterday while I was food shopping.

Did you know that Walt Disney had wooden teeth?  Wow, who'd a thought!!!  On that note, I'll leave you and get started on this new day.  So, till Sunday, Y'all have a fantabulous weekend.

Hugs, Edna B.

Wizard Videos Are Now On You Tube

April 2, 2015

Good morning.  Today is supposed to be a really nice day.  At the moment it is still quite cloudy, but the weather man says that the sun will come out and temps will be in the mid 50's.  Gosh, I hope so.  Pogo and I have errands to do and we want to do lunch in the park today.

For anyone wanting to see the Wizard videos, but not wanting to deal with Face Book, I have good news.  Last night, daughter Deanne was able to upload three of the videos to You Tube.  So if you want to see the videos, go to You Tube and type into the search space:   (then hit Enter)

Avon Community Theater Over The Rainbow
Avon Community Theater Muinchkinland
Avon Community Theater Dorothy Meets Cowardly Lion

They will all say: posted by dee jaynes.   If you do watch any of the videos, please be sure to click on the "thumbs up" icon.  We all send you a big "thank you".  I discovered that at the bottom right of the videos, there is are icons to click that make the video fill the whole screen or look like a theater screen.  I tried the theater screen and it was awesome.

This morning, I want to share an image I borrowed from one of my girls' web sites.  In my wildest dreams, I can't imagine any animal or child having to beg for food.  I know it happens in the real world, but it shouldn't.

 I never sat down to eat until after all my kids had their food, and I never sit down to eat until after my fur babies are fed.  If there was/or is only enough food for the kids or pets, then Mama had an extra cup of coffee.  You know I left a comment on this image.  "ABSOLUTELY!!"

The other photo that I have to share is one of my new "Stepper".   It's actually rather neat because it does not take up very much space.   I can't stay on it very long, maximum one minute at the moment.  But I step on it several times throughout the day. 

Note the scatter rugs.  I don't take any unnecessary chances with my little guy.  If he has an accident on one the scatter rugs, no big deal.  They are washable.  Although I must say that he doesn't really have very many accidents. 

Are you ready for a few more useless tidbits of information?  Did you know that peanuts are one of the ingredients in dynamite?  Or that holes are put in fly swatters to lower air resistance?  Aren't you glad you asked?

Senator Bob Dole once said "Life is very important to Americans."   And Louisiana State Representative Donald Kennard said "We are trying to change the 1974 Constitution, whenever that was passed."

The peanut is a vegetable and a member of the pea family, while almonds are members of the peach family.   There are no bananas in banana oil.  It is a synthetic compound made with amyl-alcohol and gets its name simply from its banana-like aroma. 

Last, but not least, did you know that more cat food is bought in Britain each year than can be eaten by the number of cats in the country?   Hmmmmm, makes one wonder who is eating all this cat food!  (All information supplied from the book "The Ultimate Book of Useless Information", authored by Noel Botham & The Useless Information Society.)

I'm off now to start this busy new day.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a magnificent day.

Hugs, Edna B.