MIssed April 1st

I missed April Fool's Day and it's a good thing. I like to have a good laugh but not at the expense of a practical joke. I like humor but not practical jokes. Mother Nature played a practical joke all day yesterday. We had sun, rain, sleet and snow all in one day. Hope She had fun and got it out of her system. While I'm a winter gal it's time for flip-flops and t-shirts. Of course I hope it doesn't come with the heat and humidity. At least until I get this wool blanket finished. I'm making progress though. I cast on for a very special sweater. Can't mention it here but I know it will be appreciated and worn with love. Yes, another pic of the Earth and Sky set. It was packaged, sent and well received. There's been a bit of drama in our neck of the woods. Someone put duct tape around a dog's snout and threw him out of their truck into the creek. The men who did this were seen by a few fishermen. "Ducky" (as he is now dubbed) survived and is on the run. After a few days of organizing, safe traps are set and spotters are on the look out in an attempt to capture the poor thing. There a lot of woods and mountains for this little guy to hide. He has been spotted and we're praying he's caught soon and receives food and medical care. As for the perpetrators they also need to be caught and prosecuted and they will! Small town talk has a way of giving necessary information.

Sometimes....

Purchased the yarn on March 19th and cast on within the hour of the purchase.
March 25th: Not only is the crib size blanket finished but I made a hat and booties to match from the leftover yarn.
Gotta say sometimes I even amaze myself.....LOL Just goes to prove I really can finish something.


Yarn: Berroco Comfort
Amount: 4 skeins of brown and 3 of the blue
I must admit the yarn is occasionally a little splitty but the end result is worth it. Perfect for babywear.
It's accented it with some free-hand embroidery.
I'm calling this the Earth and Sky Blanket Set.

It's packaged and ready to ship tomorrow. Hope my friend is happy with it :D.

Absent once again

I've been absent once again but that's not to say I haven't been busy unlike Mr. Bettis who is snoozing away.

Knitting from stash is my goal this year so a Rambling Rows afghan was cast on. Not a pretty thing but it will be a warm afghan for next winter. I've already hit the stash for another one as soon as this one is finished.

Another mini Annis was cast on in the Patons FX sock yarn and finished in 2 days. I can't rave enough about this pattern.

A baby blanket has been cast on. It's a gift and there's a deadline as in 2 weeks and it must hit the mailbox. So far, so good and I think it will be in the PO hands shortly.
What's on your needles?

Hey everyone! I am Kathy’s youngest DD, Savannah. As you may know, I am a college student. As springtime rolls in, we here at UMD really kick into charity functions. This year, I am again participating in TerpThon (March 12) and Relay for Life (April 2).

Terp Thon is an organization focused on raising money for the Children’s National Medical Center in DC. It is an event at which we pledge to remain on our feet for 12 hours, like nurses do every day at the hospitals. All donations go directly to the kids and doctors. Last year was UMD’s first Dance Marathon. We raised $56,000, making us the most successful first year dance marathon ever! Our goal this year is $100,000, and we are sooo close!! Check out www.helpmakemiracles.org/event/terpthon to learn more about the event or http://www.terpthon.org/ to see some touching videos of the miracle kids we are trying to help. I am mostly interested in spreading awareness about this organization. But I would also love for my school to reach it's goal and really help these kids out. If you are interested in donating, my fundraising page is http://www.helpmakemiracles.org/participant/smason1 . I know that times are tough, but even $1 donations can add up and go a long way in saving kids’ lives. I would be so happy if you could just help me spread the word about this amazing organization! As always, we are doing this all “For The Kids!”

Relay for Life is an overnight event dedicated to raising awareness and funds for the American Cancer Society. Unfortunately, we live in a world where nearly every one of us knows of someone who has had cancer. In my opinion, this is simply unacceptable. Our goal with Relay for Life is to create a world where cancer can’t claim another year of anyone’s life. To learn more about the event, check out http://www.relayumd.org/ . Again, I am happiest just spreading the word. But if you interested in donating, my fundraising page is http://main.acsevents.org/goto/smason1 . Let’s create a world with more birthdays.

We absolutely have the power to change the world. All we need is for individuals to come together for a good cause. Simply put, that is the goal of these two events. TerpThon and Relay for Life are just two of the numerous amazing causes out there right now. We have the power to save and change so many lives. I understand that not everyone can donate. But everyone can spread the word. Think about it. What if every person who reads this blog told three friends about these causes. Then those three told three others and so on. This is the concept of paying it forward. Imagine how the state of the world could improve if this caught on. I am just one individual trying to make this world a better place. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Because in simply reading this post, you have already helped tremendously.

Thanks!

Peace. Love. Happiness.

Rumpus

The scrapbooking is no longer a scrappy mess. It is now organized in the old tv cupboard. I love it.










Life has become a bit more hectic due to the medical saga so of course that means we are on the move.

When we came home we found the standing lamp on it's side. mmmm....me thinks the white creature in the picture was guilty for this stunt. Must've been quite a race and romp session while I was gone.






Obviously Mr. Bettis was in on the romp and race session and became just a bit over-excited. My GOOD ink pen as in the best ink pen one could ever own became his object of entertainment. *sigh* another one of MY things destroyed by Mr. B.

We had plans for the weekend but they were unexpectedly dashed. What's on your agenda?

Over the Moon

Life has been a bit over the moon here of late. A lot to absorb and ponder........
2011 is coming in with a bang and the days seem to meld together. I'm on a holiday jet lag and hope this doesn't continue through out the year.










I'm not a huge fan of Valentine's Day but did take the time to make another batch of gobs with pink frosting. Yummy with a nice cold glass of milk or a cup of hot tea.










There has been a celebration. My grandmother turned 91 yrs old over the weekend. Three of our 4 children, spouses and our granddaughter arrived for the event. The 4th is in exam week at college but did make a birthday call in between hitting the books.
She had a wonderful time and enjoyed the visit with everyone. My grandmother is a strong woman with a wonderful sense of humor. She's a no nonsense person and tells 'it like it is' (mmm....kind of like 'yours' truly...lol)
She made us laugh more than once on this special day and I'm so glad she had a great celebration.
Happy Birthday Mom-mom.

Here We GOOOOO....

Here we Goooooo!!!!!!

Both teams are good teams but this household is black and gold all the way.













Looking quite regal in his Steeler gear. There are no kerchiefs for the girls because Mr. Bettis thinks kerchiefs are perfect for dragging the girls down the hall (eyeroll here).










The Super Bowl menu: Crock pot chili, crescent weiners, pizza appetizers, buffalo chicken dip, chips, salsa, garlic deer bologna, cheese and of course baked gobs (or better known as whoopie pies) Steeler style.
Here we goooooo!!!!

Ice man

Mr. Bettis and his owner slipped on the ice. Not together but with a similar outcome.
He injured his leg and was taken pulling and tugging to the vet on Saturday. Have I ever mentioned how horrible he is at the vet? Well if not take my word, he's AWFUL!
The car ride is a nightmare let alone his antics in the waiting room until....he sees our favorite vet. Dr. B is a Steelers fan so I think he has an admiration of Mr. Bettis beyond the average vet.
He tore a ligament and is on meds and bedrest. Yeah. Right. Try the bedrest thing with Mr. B (eyeroll here). Even Dr. B chuckled over keeping him calm because he made it clear Mr. B is an overactive dog (as if we didn't know that).

Mr. B's owner didn't fare any better and after much ta-do we headed to the dr's office an hour and half away. After cutting a shine at the dr's office, DH was transported by ambulance to the hospital. I can say 'cutting a shine' because my jangled nerves are calm now.
He's on a boatload of meds, a monitor and resting somewhat comfortably.

We didn't get home until midnight (after my parents made the trip to get us) and I'm exhausted.
I must leave with a bit of humor. We have two sons (both married) and two daughters. After the DH was pumped with pain meds, muscle relaxants and who knows what else he became a bit lethargic and proceeded to mumble something about our THREE daughters. Say what???? LOL Caused the nurse and I to have a good laugh.

Outta the Loop

College semesters have begun for both daughters so we had a family game night last weekend.
Snacks, Wii and a good game of Hands and Foot made for a fun night.

The eldest DD preparing for a strike in Wii bowling. Notice the sweater? It's the Central Park Hoodie in Vanna's Choice Worsted. She really likes the style of the CPH and she places her order for a new one every year.




Youngest DD who is not happy with her last Wii golf swing.

Speaking of outta the loop, we've missed every snowstorm until last week. We were graced with almost a foot of snow. Looks like there's a BIG storm coming for Groundhog Day. We shall see given the weatherman's missed calls this year. I happen to be one who enjoys winter much more than summer. Not a fan of excessive heat, humidity or rain.

Been in a funk lately and the fresh snowfall made me smile :)

What kind of weather makes you smile?

A Snow Day

The coldest day of the year we delivered the college DD safe and sound. We tried to help her put her stuff away but Miss OCD has her own way of putting stuff away.
It was rather uneventful and we were back on the road in no time.
We stopped to visit our youngest son and daughter-in-law on the way home and met their new addition. Please meet Super Diego. He's a rescue greyhound and without a doubt a very sweet dog. He has very warm friendly eyes and very quick to become your best friend.
Due to medical issues we spent the night and Super D (as our son calls him) slept in our room. We had a lovely visit and after a hearty breakfast we hit the road once again.


*sigh* Unfortunately when we arrived home we found the placemats were dug out of their keeping place on the baker's rack and thoroughly destroyed. There's only one dog who can reach these and yes it was Mr. Bettis. I do believe we interrupted the placemat party because they they were still quite 'wet'.






It's a snow day here today. The husband is home from work and the snow is piling up.
The weathermen missed this one but I must say they've been missing the snow predictions all year so it's nothing new. The farmer's almanac has been much more reliable.

It's very pretty and I'm enjoying the day. Chili in the crock pot and knitting on my needles. I'm off to enjoy.

Load 'em up...Move 'em out

It's 10F outside this morning and that's with the sun shining on the thermometer. Brrrr....it's COLD. Today is moving day for the college DD. Somehow she's taking back more than she brought home for winter break.

Do you see Mr. Bettis inspecting the packing?








I have no idea where the last 5 weeks went but they flew. We had a lot of fun over that break; Family game nights, cooking, knitting, baking and of course the holidays.
Her dad's famous saying when loading up the kids (when they were younger) was 'load 'em up, move 'em out'. So here we go.....








I couldn't leave without posting a WIP. I've been wanting another pair of handknit gloves so when I missplaced mine I cast on for these.
Why is it when you're desperate for a handknitted item you can whip it out in no time? The first glove was knit in a day and I plan to finish the second one in the car today.
BTW: I found the original pair of gloves so now I'll have two pair :D. One happy knitter here.

Just when I think......

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes for our daughter. The trip only produced more questions than answers and she will undergo more testing. *sigh*
The trip to the hospital was a blizzard nightmare and when the truck driving hubby was gripping the steering wheel and the girls were silent I knew it was serious. (couldn't tell anything by this blogger's sweaty palms...lol) There were white-outs and we crept at 25 mph most of the 75 mile trip. Instead of 1 hour 15 minute trip it took us over 2 1/2 hours. The return trip wasn't much better.

I did get a little knitting accomplished between 'braking' and gripping my own 'steering wheel' (aka the knitting needles). Keep in mind I'm the co-pilot ;).
I've been trying to find the right pattern for this yarn and I think I've found it, Hermione Socks. I can't find a link but if you're a ravelry fan you can find it in the pattern section.

We were gone 9 hours and apparently Mr. Bettis was bored. My snow boots are by the front door where they've been for over a month. No one bothered much less knew the boots were there however I found them on the kitchen floor minus buttons (and we have not found them so I'll let you guess where they went). The elastic button straps and velcro straps have been thorougly chewed. *sigh* Just when I think he's behaving he proves otherwise.

Disguised blessings

Been absent for a little while. There have been many blessings in my life and when I don't choke up I'll blog about them but for now just know that I have the best friends in the world.

I've been quiet about a few things and hesitate to post too much but feel I should at least inform those who read this blog. Our eldest daughter has been dealing with serious medical issues for quite a while and after much testing we are heading to a University Hospital for further evaluation.

This picture is a repeat pic and forgive me for re-posting it but I absolutely love it. It describes our daughter to a tee. She's a laid back kind of gal and has an infectious personality. Quiet but full of little quips that make you laugh. Loves animals and as of this writing just called to tell me that she captured a stray dog and is transporting it to a new found home.

I love snow and hope we get a good snowstorm although it's not looking too favorable here. However that could be a blessing in disguise as we'll be in the car for several hours traveling to the hospital. I'm packing the knitting bag and a few snacks (gotta have snacks you know). I'm starting on Christmas gifts already. There have been quite a few gift requests from my crew and trust me, the list is long ;).

What are you knitting?

New Year Greetings

I'm not a huge fan of the New Year holiday. Personally I think the song, Auld Lang Syne is one of the most depressing songs I've ever heard. I'm also not one for resolutions, I've made them in the past and by Jan 31 they're totally forgotten. But if I were so inclined to make any resolutions, I'd strive to be better organized and kinder to others. What if any resolutions are you making?I've been very blessed to have a loving family and true friends in my life. I wish for everyone to have a Blessed New Year.

Christmas Re-cap

This was the best Christmas ever. It was a handmade holiday here and although there were a few unfinished gifts it was a complete success. There were leg warmers....


Sweaters.....

hats.....and so much more....

There was a letter from Santa inviting the 'kid' to continue her hard work and someday she may be asked to join his Astro Elves at the North Pole. We all know Santa depends on the Astro Elves for his once a year flight...right?? ;)

He knows she is studying astronomy so he gave her a special gift.
There were gifts left from Santa and we send special heartfelt thanks to him for his generosity. We believe in Santa Magic!

It was a special Christmas and I don't want the holidays to end this year. For a little while we could forget the struggles and bask in the warmth of family and the True Meaning of Christmas. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

One More Sleep....

Like a small child, I'm anxious for tomorrow morning. I refuse to re-visit this past year tonite (or even today with a very sick husband) but will instead focus on the True Meaning for this holiday. We have very few gifts and we're still struggling, however, just like the Whos down in Whoville of Dr. Seuss's classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas we will enjoy the day with family/friends in spite of it all.
I wish for everyone to have a very Merry Christmas and enjoy the Miracle.
"God Bless Us Everyone"

Two More Sleeps

Two more sleeps till the Big Day and I'm still elbow deep in cookie dough. This makes two weeks worth of cookie baking. I'm all cookie-ed out. But we have tins and tins of cookies in the pantry. Today was the day for gingersnaps and the good ole standby sugar cookies.The youngest was here to help whip those babies on the cookie sheets.

Several sheets full of yummy goodies.

I am a cookie cutter collector. I have no idea why, I just like to collect cookie cutters (I also use them). Holiday and everyday cutters, doesn't matter I love 'em all. The last ones to jump in the cookie bowl are the teeny tiny cutters. Great for using up that last bit of dough.

We finished with an entire cookie sheet of bite size goodies. Wrapping is finished. Cookies are baked. Breakfast casserole will be done tomorrow. I'm missing something.......oh yeah....the unfinished knitting. Oh well, there's always next year :).

Three more sleeps....

I haven't left blogland, just been busy. Elbow deep in cookie dough and knee deep in wrapping paper. Still finishing gifts and it appears there are three gifts that will be given on the needles. I hereby state ALL knitted gifts for next year will be finished by Dec 1st 2011. hrmph! (You may want to mark that on your calendar and remind me Dec 2nd 2011 when I'm moaning about unfinished gifts)
A finished hat gifted in the nick of time . This was for our granddaughter and her mom loved it. I also made some really cool crocheted food stuff and completely forgot to take pics.

Nine pans of homemade sweet rolls were also on my agenda. As if I didn't have enough to do.
Some down time was spent watching the daughters play Wii. The youngest is attempting to box.
Our eldest daughter having a grand time laughing at her sister's silly antics.

Time is running out and the big day will be over all too soon. As of this writing, the husband is complaining of a sore throat, chills etc. This blogger is in denial of her own scratchy throat and chills. Say it isn't so.........

A Fun Meme

I read this at Chan's Place and enjoyed the meme so much I'm borrowing it.

1. Hot Chocolate or apple cider? Both!
2. Turkey or Ham? Turkey
. Do you get a fake or real-you-cut-it-yourself Christmas tree? Fake. Although I plan to have real next year.
4. Decorations on the outside of your house? Wreath, evergreen under the windows and lights along the roof
5. Snowball fights or sleddin’? Both!!!
6. Do you enjoy going downtown shopping? Not much of a shopper but I remember the fun of shopping downtown when I was a kid.
7. Favorite Christmas song? I have two faves White Christmas and Silent Night
8. How do you feel about Christmas movies?Love 'em especially the classics
9. When is it too early to start listening to Christmas music? Never too early
10. Stockings before or after presents? Before.
11. Go to someone else’s house or they come to you? Go, go, go, and I don’t like it! I love seeing the family but know all too soon we'll be home for the holiday
12. Do you read the Christmas Story? If so when? Christmas Eve before bed
13. What do you do after presents and dinner? Chatter with family
14. What is your favorite holiday smell? Sugar cookies and shortbread
15. Ice skating or walking around the mall? Skating. I’d rather have a beating than go to the mall.
16. Do you open a present or presents on Christmas Eve, or wait until Christmas day? Oh we wait until Santa has delivered the goodies so Christmas day it is
17. Favorite Christmas memory? I have two: One snowy Christmas evening, my dad pulled us on a sled down the middle of the road to my grandparent's farm.
The Christmas (I think I was 7) Santa left my kid size pink kitchen set and a new doll in a cradle
18. Favorite Part about winter? Snow and wearing all my handknits
19. Ever been kissed under mistletoe? mmmm.....can't remember ;)

Willy-nilly

There's a willy-nilly kal happenin' on ravelry and there's a sock on my needles. I had every intention on working on them all day today but somehow I was distracted.

I was plugging along and decided to block/steam the box of knitted gifts. Happily steaming away until.....the iron konked. Now mind you, I am in complete denial on anymore hits in this household and that includes another broken appliance. Unplugging and re-plugging, checking the electric outlet, asking the hubby to check the breaker box etc and it refused (yes 'it' refused) to work. Hitting the iron on the ironing board probably did not help but there wasn't any heat or steam so it didn't matter one way or the other and frustration was in control. Keep in mind this little denial game lasted an hour. In the end the iron was still konked.

So the eldest daughter came to the rescue and said I could use her iron. Just as soon as it could be found in her boxes of stuff. For those who don't know, she just moved back home. An hour later and the 'new' iron was up and running. I became bored with that job so I moved onto the next.
Sewing perked my interest and I wanted to sew some pj pants for gifts. All well and good if I had elastic. This meant a trip to the fabric store. An 1 1/2 hour later and I was home with elastic and lost interest in sewing. That will wait until tomorrow...or the next day.....24 hours have passed and this is the progress of the socks that must be finished, wrapped and under the tree by Dec. 24. *sigh*

Then the hubby decided he wanted to make cinnamon hard tack. Sounds great, doesn't it? Except for some unknown reason the husband who can build a house and repair a car cannot function on his own in the kitchen. Which bag of sugar should he use? Do we have food coloring? Which cookbook has the best recipe? Where's the candy thermometer?

We searched for an hour trying to locate the candy thermometer. Correction. We searched for an hour looking for Mr. Gadget's handy dandy fancy schmancy candy thermometer. Needless to say, I've been (falsely) accused of 'hiding' his thermometer. Now just why would I hide a thermometer? I like candy too you know. So a trip to the market was in order (although they don't sell the fancy schmancy one). We now own the el cheapo one as Mr. Gadget calls it.

The day wasn't a complete bust, I do have some lovely cinnamon hardtack to show ;).

p.s. If you happen to see a couple of elves dressed in handknit sweaters please put them under house arrest and contact me immediately. The little rascals have some gifts to finish over here.

Slowing the Season

This year has been tough in so many ways for this little household. We're taking the tough and turning them into blessings (not an easy task but we're doing our best). Due to unforeseen circumstances (medical saga and it's little games) there will be NO purchased gifts this year therefore changing the holiday dynamics in this house.

So, this year, I'm joining gMarie and others by taking the "Slowing the Season" pledge.

"Please join us in our effort to reduce stress, reduce our carbon footprint, really slow down and enjoy the holiday season this year and in years to come. Exchanging gifts isn’t a big part of holiday preparations. For me and my family, the holidays are not about how much you spend, how much you give or receive, but spending time with loved ones making memories.
In an effort to achieve this goal – I plan to do the following to the best of my ability:

~exchange gifts only with my immediate family
~give handmade gifts with meaning;
~give supplies to make a something that the recipient would enjoy;
~participate in free, local holiday events;
~buy from local artists whenever possible; and
~try to create one new family tradition.

We're just reclaiming the PEACE and JOY of the season.
If you care to join us in slowing the season - feel free to use my badge (or create your own) and add the pledge to your blog. Between now and Christmas share little ways you are reclaiming the Peace and Joy of the Season with you family."

I'm ad-libbing here:
There are a few friends on my gift list.
All of my gifts are handmade).
We have a lot of deep rooted traditions here so I had to give the new tradition a lot of thought. I called mom and we came up with a plan; we're attending Christmas Eve Candlelight Service with my 90 yr old grandmother at her church. Mom and I are taking cookies and tea to her home afterwards so the family can visit. She doesn't know it yet and she will be surprised and delighted.

In spite of the trials and tribulations this past year found necessary to bestow on this house, we are blessed. I wish for everyone to slow down, breathe in the Christmas Air and have a peaceful and blessed holiday.