Cars

Enjoy this post, particularly as you scroll down and read about Mr. Bettis's choice for Chan, The Knight & the fur-girls.

Hubby spent the hottest weekend of this year at a car show. My dad has a show car and he's been wanting to attend one of his shows.
I don't know much about older vehicles but they seem to have enjoyed the show.









He's driving it off the car trailer.













Here it is, spit shined and ready to go.
It's 1959 Italian made Bianchina. It has bells and whistles (and I'm not exaggerating, it really has a bell and a whistle horns). It is also a convertible. There were only 1500 of these made between 1959 - 1962. It's a 2 cylinder and gets 75 mpg. I'd say this was the first "smart car."








It never takes long for a crowd to form around this little car. Which means dad has found someone new to talk about the car:).











Some of the trophies that dad has won at the shows.

While at the car show hubby got to thinking about Chan and her search for a car. Then he got to thinking about her fur-girls riding in style.

So pictures were taken for Chan to consider as vehicle choices. Mr. Bettis has seen the pics and has given a lot of input. Keep in mind these cars do not have air conditioning but Miss Sissy could hang her head out the window with her ears blowing in the wind with style.

This is Car #1. Mr. Bettis thought it had a sleek look and gave it 3 paws.

This is Car #2. A nice Bel Air. The color choice is good and there's a large back seat. Mr. Bettis gave this 4 paws.

This is truck #1. Mr. Bettis was a bit concerned about seating for the fur-girls and only gave it 2 paws.

This cadillac had everything and I do mean everything. Loaded to perfection. Mr. Bettis thought Miss Sissy would love the convertible and he knows she and her sister would need special seating. But he thought this was perfect for Sissy's ears blowing in the wind. He gave this 5 paws until he saw the following truck.

He gave this truck 5+ paws. The front was perfect for Chan and the Knight. It is red for the fire department and just look at the little truck for the fur-girls. Couldn't you just see Sissy and Gretchen in the little truck? Perfect!

So go ahead, comment and feel free to pick your choice for Miss Sissy and Miss Gretchen. You can choose for Chan and the Knight but Mr. Bettis says it really isn't about them but all about the fur-girls:). Sorry, Chan.

On and on......

Life has been challenging but it is what it is.

Took the DD to her orientation at college. She seems to be adjusting well with the exception of the teensy, weensy room. Little rant here, considering her tuition is out of this world, wouldn't ya think the rooms would be a bit larger? She waved good-bye with a smile on her face and otherwise all is well. Not sure if we're both putting on a good front or we really are adjusting to the upcoming transition but I think parents know when "it's time." I believe her 2 week stay in AZ was a wonderful and mature experience. Hey Jessi and Chan, I'll post more pics of her trip just as soon as soon as she uploads them to her mother:).


Alita is moving along. S-l-o-w-l-y. I'm on Row 115. There are a zillion stitches. Okay. Not quite a zillion but you know what I mean. I try to put on a few rows everyday and I'm on the downward stretch. I like the pattern so that helps.









I decided I needed to start more projects. Gets difficult when all of my needles are in use on UFO's......lol

I started the Forest Canopy shawl from Poems Sock yarn. I'm not sure how this yarn would wear if I actually made socks from it. It is a single ply thick and thin yarn and it just doesn't appear to be durable enough for sock wear. But I do think it will make a gorgeous shawl.






I dug around in the stash and found this skein beggging to be cast on. Forget the fact, this will be the 4th pair of green socks on the needles.
Now what which UFO do I hibernate so I can cast on these babies.....lol

As my non-blogging friend Sara says, "knit like the wind." I'm going to do just that:).

Another Day

My mood has been in a funk. The downward economic spiral has not helped. Neither has the continuing cool temps and the threat of rain every single day.
I try to find solace in the little things of life i.e. pets, family and knitting/crocheting.
Ms. Phoebe was at my computer "typing" away on the keyboard. She was fascinated with the movement on the monitor. Now if she could only clean off my desk.





We have plenty of wildlife around here to keep Mr. Bettis busy. Here's Mr. (or is it Mrs?) Rabbit sitting within feet of Mr. B. Just far enough out of the fenced area so Mr. B can bark..........and bark.....and bark. 6:00 am barking.

Mr. B was barking up a storm at the front door on Sunday evening. Lo and behold a mama bear and her two cubs crossed the front lawn. The minute they heard Mr. B's big mouth they went on a sprint. I was fumbling with the camera and of course missed the picture. Our SIL and Vet Girl were visiting and they tried to get pictures but to no avail. The bears will be back. Did you know that each bear needs a 10 mile radius to survive? In the meantime, mankind continues to push them out. Don't get me started, I could rant for days.

Given my funky mood concerning the economy and the ongoing medical saga, I decided that a crochet granny square afghan from stash yarn was a must-do project. So I dug in my Red Heart stash and filled a basket with colored yarn. Yes folks, I said the nasty yarn word Red Heart. First off, my yarn purchasing power has been cut off and secondly, you can't beat an afghan made from the stuff. It is durable. Throw it in the washer with a little fabric softener and viola! A soft blanket.
This is a bright and cheerful project and I can't put it down. We're going to need this afghan in the winter as our furnace temperature will be kept on the cooler side this year.


The temperatures have been cool around here this summer which means I can bake in the oven without sweltering. Hubby saw a farmer selling fruit and vegetables along the road on his work commute. He brought home a nice bag of tomatoes and a large box of peaches. Yum! .








I made peach crisp last evening.

Preheat oven to 400F. Peel and slice 4 large peaches. Place in a small casserole dish. Toss with 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons flour.
In a small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons butter, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/3 cup flour and 3 tablespoons sugar until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle on peaches.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until crust is golden brown.
Serve warm and add a dollop of ice cream if desired.

Puppy dog tails

Vet Girl and the brood visited over the weekend. They were here on Friday night and then again on Saturday for a BBQ.

Diablo in his finest. He is the sweetest German Shepherd. Full of energy and very curious.

Princess Destiny who truly believes she is the princess of all. She hates getting her picture taken.

This is the newset arrival, Little Vidia.

She and her siblings were found abandoned on a back road. A neighbor was walking her horse when she found them. She gathered them and took them to her horse barn. She said she had a "gut feeling" and went back to the area looking for the possibility of a few more pups. After searching for a while she heard whimpering. Sure enough there was another little boy puppy. He was timid and shy and she took him to be with his siblings. She bathed them, administered medical care/shots, pulled ticks from them and gave them food and water. After a week of care and attention and making sure they were not sick she is giving them up for adoption. She is keeping one and her sister and a friend adopted the other two. Vet Girl was smitten with this little girl and so she has joined the family.

She is a very sweet and adorable puppy. Thankfully this has become a happy ending to an otherwise sad story. These puppies have found loving homes. However so many dogs/puppies and cats/kittens are left to fend for themselves and it breaks my heart to know animals are abandoned to fend for themselves. Nichole & her "kids" have a banner on their blog where you can donate to the ASPCA. Feel free to hop over to her place to place a donation if you wish. The economy is not good but keep in mind that no matter how small the donation, every little bit helps.

Little Vidia sends puppy kisses to all who help stop animal cruelty.

Help! Vaccination......please

Ever since the knitting gods came after me with their pointy sticks admonishing me over gauge issues I've been afflicted with startitis. HELP!!!!!!!


Chan close your eyes or put on the shades:). Making Chan's gag gift with Anita opened a color world to me. I wouldn't normally choose the color orange but I have been smitten. I think the knitting gods have had something to do with this color change for me.

The top skein is knitpicks sun-kissed. Not so orange but it is pretty. The middle is a skein of alpaca/merino and the bottom is a skein of cashmerino. I dyed both of these skeins and I'm casting on today. Probably a shawl so I can look like a pumpkin going out the door.....lol









The knitting gods enlisted their buddies, the crochet gods to really give me a good dose of Startitis. I have a lot of Noro sock yarn. So my mom and I decided to crochet an afghan from the sock yarn. May I just say, this is addicting! I was going to make this for the youngest son and his wife for Christmas but Mr. Smarty Pants Jr didn't want an afghan that looked like a "technicolor dreamcoat." Good! It's M-I-N-E.....all mine......(greedy laugh).






Of course a new pair of socks to be cast on were not left out of my severe case of Startitis. I downloaded this pattern from a wonderful designer , Verybusymonkey, who only charges $3 for her patterns. Because of the economy she reduced her prices. Isn't that wonderful? These are the Paisely socks. So if you're on Ravelry, check them out.







I must give credit when it's due. Grace made a beautiful afghan called Alita. So the knitting gods preyed on my desire to knit Alita and ........well.....you know, I had to cast on. I love this pattern.
The color is a bit boring but I decided it's for the Mr. Smarty Pants Son who didn't want the "technicolor dreamcoat" afghan. Hrmph!






In order to throw off the knitting gods and Startitis I worked on my window frame of pictures. I want to put a black background behind the pics but now that it is on the wall I may have to print more black & white photos. I don't have many pictures of the three older kids as adults so I'll fill up the panes with the youngest DD and her adventures. Trust me, we have plenty of those pics. LOL



p.s. Is there a vaccination for Startitis? If there is, please direct me to the closest knitting clinic:).

Mama's Got Brand New Shoes & a Puppy!

Mama needed new shoes. The DH offered to take me out of town to shop for shoes and visit with the sons & their wives. However, I have not had very good days (medically speaking) and I knew the 4 hour round trip was not feasible so we shopped locally. Last evening we went to good old walley world and a local shoe store.
Mama and "pal" (the brace) got brand new shoes. Now this may be a rather simple shopping experience for a normal person but you have no idea what this entails. The shoes must be comfortable of course (no more shopping for the pretty, cute shoes....... wwaaahhhhh). The insoles must be removeable for "my pal" to fit. They must be durable and since I'm frugal, could the shoe manufacturer please keep the price reasonable. Oh, don't forget the handknit socks must fit inside the shoes. It only took an hour to finally find a pair that suited my pal. (Seems pal was more picky than me.) DH was very patient and brought box after box of shoes for me to try. He did mention once that he liked a certain pair and I suspected he was only telling me that so we could move on. I had to get a larger size to accomodate "my pal" which didn't make me very happy at all. Seriously, since when does a woman want to admit her shoe size? LOL




My Pal and her new shoes!!!!

I thought about orthopedic shoes but mentally, I'm not ready for those.














New socks cast on for my new shoes. I need a little style, you know:)
This pattern is Vilai from Cookie A's new book Sock Innovation.













I know what you're thinking, this woman is nuts if she got another puppy with Mr. Bettis & Co. You're correct. There's no way I'd bring in another pet of any kind into this house.

This is the new puppy. I'm thinking of a name so any suggestions are welcome. Isn't it cute? It is sitting HIGH up on the tv console cabinet beside an antique cookie jar far far away from Mr. Bettis.
The cats are a different story.






Chan also sent a tiny tin with tea. Look at the little sprinkles. I love sprinkles:). The tea was delish. Thank you, Chan.

Sissy and Gretchen sent treats for Mr. Bettis & Co. and I wanted to get pictures. However, I set the treats on the table and went off to find the camera. When I returned the treats were G-O-N-E! Little Miss Gypsy & Molly were eating their portion under the table. Mr. B was watching them, licking his lips and wagging his tail. Sure signs that he devoured his share in no time flat. Sorry, Chan, I really wanted to get pics for you and the girls. They enjoyed them, though:). Give the girls a hug for sharing.

One man's trash is another.......

I hope everyone had a wonderful July 4th holiday. It feels a lot like fall around here with temps in the 70's during the day and low 50's at night.

I've been quiet for a few days. Okay, more like a week or so. There are those out there who cannot believe that I'm quiet. LOL I have some personal stuff going on and I have chosen to be mum about it on here. However you can email me, if you like.

Now onto some fun............

We decided to go on an "adventure." Our church has a thrift shop that is open every Wednesday. The proceeds go into a community mission to help those in need locally.


I found some nice goodies today at the thrift shop. I love this small bowl and it was only $1.00. Looks lovely on my antique cookstove.



My grandmother had a set of dishes with this very design so of course I had to buy it. It had a $2.00 price tag so cha-ching, it's mine.










I fell in love with this candy dish. Look at the sculpted flowers. Aren't they gorgeous? There's a small chip on the pink rose but that didn't stop me from the $1.50 purchase price. The stamp on the bottom says Italy.

I just can't stop admiring this dish. The colors are beautiful and ya'll know I like color:).








Then this little bone china tea cup from England was screaming to come home with me. The price? 75 cents. The stamp on the bottom says Salisbury with a handpainted gold number.



Anita mentioned making a dusting cloth thingy. We found the pattern and now Chan is in on the action. Feel free to join us to make a re-usable dusting thingy (it fits on those swiffer/biffer handles).

It's a crochet project and I have to make something to dust my new finds. These goodies are HIGH above Mr. Bettis & Co. Now about those cats..................

The "World Traveller"

The "World Traveller" (as she calls herself) arrived at the airport on Sunday at 4 pm. Her father was monitoring the flight map and made the (not-so-smart) announcement to this worried mom that the plane disappeared from the map. I was hyperventilating when she called and said her plane landed 1/2 hour early. She arrived safe and sound.



Her friend went along with us to meet up with her and as you can see, he's lugging the heavy suitcase. There are two weeks worth of clothing in that bag plus the souvenirs and rocks. Yes, I said rocks. She had little bags of rocks from her trip.










Since she is back, I can now say where she's been. See those beautiful palm trees and the blue sky? The trees are not native to the area she visited but they were planted there. I haven't quite figured that one out but they are beautiful.
The temps hovered between 99F - 107F.

In case you didn't read previous posts, she was chosen for an all expense paid 2 week trip on an Earthwatch exhibition.







This is one of the places she visited on her exhibition, The Grand Canyon. She spent 3 days at the Arizona University studying Mars and the geological correlation between Earth and Mars. Then they spent 6 days "in the field" camping.
She said she was standing on a rock to get this picture. Not something her mother needed to know.











This seemed to be a highlight of her 8 person team, Route 66. Didn't take much to please these kids.












The hiker and the Painted desert. She climbed a volcano, a crater, studied petroglyphs, stayed at the Native American Reservation, toured the Petrified Forest, built a lab robot, gave an hour long presentation to scientists and had an all around good learning time.

Another thrill for her was a picture of Mars. They met with the THEMIS Camera inventor. The group was permitted to use the THEMIS camera to attempt capturing a picture of Mars. After 4 days of the camera rotating to the designated spot, it captured the shot at a 20 degree angle. Because the camera has never captured a 20 degree shot of this particular gully on Mars, their picture is at NASA to be studied. It will be preserved in their data and will be seen all over the world via internet etc. She and her "colleagues" are named as the discoverers of this particular camera shot. NASA presented each of them with a picture/poster of their discovery with their names etc. This was quite an honor for them.

She made 7 new friends from all over the United States. She tried many different foods and found she actually liked some of them. She loves hiking. She used 4 digital camera chips for pictures (and I certainly won't make you sit through all of those.........lol)

She has chattered non-stop and I now know more than I need to know about the geology of the Earth and Mars. I must admit I have looked at the pictures in awe. Given we will probably never get anywhere in our lifetime (medical, economy, loss of retirement etc) I will live through my kids' pictures:).

She insists she is going to the Moon and until I sign the parental permission form, it won't be happening........LOL