Yummy Moussaka

Hey, Friends, hello to you on this Friday.

How are you doing?

 

Still keeping busy around here with things to do.  Nothing earth-shaking.  For one thing, it's an effort just to keep up with these weather changes.  A few weeks ago we had 15 inches of snow, then we had some days of pleasant warm weather and did some outdoor chores.  Lately we've had rain, rain, and more rain.  Today we had sleet and there's a freeze warning for overnight.  Unsure what to expect next.  I've always maintained that Spring is the fickle time of year and this year it most certainly is.

 

Moving on, doesn't this look delicious?  It was!  I visited my neighbor Malalai this afternoon and she prepared this moussaka.  She is a wonderful cook. 

This week I spent quite a bit of time sorting photos and putting them into albums.  Let's just say that I let them go for too long and it has been a challenge.  I didn't complete the task but I took a break.  Not much more to report.

Thanks for your visit.

Until next time

XO XO XO

Still Here

O my, how quickly time is flying by.

Day to day life has kept me busy and I've not been on the computer much.

Nothing earthshaking, just ordinary days.

 

One of my chores has been sorting through things stored in the attic.

Doing some organizing and some purging . . . also in the garage.

I decided to join in the annual neighborhood garage sale that's coming up soon.

It's not a joint effort with everyone combined in one location but several sales up and down the street.

If some of you blog friends were local I'd put out some of my quilty things that I'd like to purge.

 

This past weekend we attended a family reunion although it was only for the afternoon.  The out-of-towners had come for a wedding and had planes to catch.  Still, it was nice to spend a few hours together.  There were several cute & sweet little kiddos running around having fun.  I took some photos but haven't downloaded them to the computer yet to see if I have some good ones to share.

 

Spring is finally making an entrance.

Just two weeks ago we had 15 inches of snow. 
Winter seemed to hang around longer this year.

 

My neighbor's flowers are in bloom - so pretty.

 

Thanks for visiting.  Have a great day.

Till next time,

XO XO XO 



Happy Happy Happy!

Whoa! 

Another week has slipped by without posting. 

The days tick by so quickly!

 

So, what's new in your world?  I hope you are doing well.

:)

 

Here it's pretty much the same as usual; life is busy with things to do and people to see.

 

The weather is still cold, so unless there are B-ball games that interest John, we've been viewing some movies from our DVD collection.  It's officially spring but it hasn't felt like it yet and we have another chance of snow arriving this weekend. 

Good grief!



I was telling John I'd like to see "Bye Bye Birdie" and when he said that he had never seen it we checked an online auction and were able to buy a copy at a very reasonable price.  We haven't watched it yet but after the NCAA games are over we will. 

 

 

 

Then I did a little bit of shopping online and ordered these:

 

The group of three young men known as Il Volo is SO talented!

 

I'm also a fan of Paul Wilbur and have several of his CDs but had only one DVD and now I have two more!

In an older post I wrote that I wanted to redecorate the guest room and that one wall still had wallpaper backing that needed removed.  When I stripped it, the backing of the paper didn't peel off.  A blogger friend wrote and suggested a product to help me.  I bought it, tried it, and it is great. 

Happy, happy, happy!

 

The darker area on the wall is all that remains to be stripped.  Yippee!

 

I have another busy weekend coming up, I have some prep to do, and so I'll say TTFN.

I appreciate your visit.  Thanks for stopping by.  :)

In friendship,

XO XO XO

Looking For A Little Color

Good morning and happy Wednesday.

It is cloudy and gray here today so I've chosen a few photos with some color to brighten things up.

:)

 

How are things going for you? 

Have you seen signs of spring where you live?

 

Yesterday we had snow flurries off and on and then last night it snowed enough to leave a thin layer of white on the ground.  I stayed in all day yesterday but today I'm going to take myself out for a while.  There is a sale at a shop that I like and I still have a Christmas gift card to be used.

 

This collection of bottles is on the top shelf of the bookcase holding my cookbooks.

My DIL made the decorative tile.

 



I love all the colors in my dishes.

The pattern is "Pistoulet" by Pfaltzgraff.

 

 

Thanks for your visit.

In friendship,

XO XO XO

Back At Home

I left suddenly a week ago when I received a message from my DIL that she had was a bit under the weather and my son was scheduled to go out-of-town for a few days on business.  I threw my things into my SUV and down the road I went.  While there I was able to spend some time visiting other family members.  It was a good visit in spite of my DIL's not feeling up to par. 

 

 I don't know about you, but there have been times when I've felt this tired at the dinner table.  :)

Grandson Wright

 

Poor little guy, he was SO tired

This little fellow was napping on a little quilt that I had made long ago for his older brother Sam.

Grandson Zeb

I want to extend a thank you to my blog friends who have left comments while I was away.  I spent very little time on the computer and didn't get replies sent.  Thanks for the visits and the comments.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.

In friendship,

XO XO XO

Fabric And A TV

Here we are in March already.  I think in not too many more days we'll be "springing up," that is, setting our clocks for daylight saving time.  Perhaps that will usher in a bit of warmth and spring-like days, even if only a few of them at first.  From what the weather forecast shows it won't be happening here for the next few days, for we have snow coming on Monday and Tuesday both, and possibly on Wednesday.

 

On Friday I puttered about with my fabric stash.  I didn't spend time refolding but I did straighten up the stacks and moved a few of them around.  The bottom shelves are hidden because I snapped this pic while standing behind the longarm machine.  Blog posts seem more interesting with photos so I used this one. 

 

 

 

Here's Mr. John (as my grandkids call him) preparing the stand so he can fasten it to the new TV.

I got the cabinet for the TV at the discount store.  It has doors for the ends (leaving the center shelves exposed) but I told him to not add the doors yet.  I think I prefer the open look, and, if I change my mind, he can add them.  The baskets make good containers for DVDs, both regular ones and the mini-discs that I use in my camcorder. 

 

So glad you popped in for a visit.

See you again soon.

In friendship,

XO XO XO

Little Things

I have been messing with my Keurig for a while and thought it was broken.  I wanted to use this little thingy that will substitute the purchased pods with my own coffee.  It slipped from my hands and the coffee that spilled made this heart shape.  NO KIDDING.  It really did.  John even thought I had shaped the grounds into this heart.  I thought it was just too cute to pass up putting on my blog for you.  :)  The good news is my Keurig wasn't broken, I was just doing or not doing something correctly, I think.  I have the evidence that it's ok in my mug as I write.

 

 

Here's the scarf I've been knitting.  I think it's almost the correct length that I want, maybe just a few more rows.  As soon as it's off the needles I'm going to begin another using the same stitch but it's not for me, it will be a gift later on.

 

I caught John dipping some banana pudding and asked him to smile for me.  He loves that dessert!

Not much else to share with you tonight.  I've been doing a little house cleaning every day.  We're due for a little more winter weather, or so say the forecasters.  I like winter, I like snow, but there comes a time when I like a change, and some warm days wouldn't hurt, even if only a few.  For now I'll just keep warm and cozy indoors.

Thanks for visiting.

In friendship,

XO XO XO

Winter Time Comforts

Hi, Friends, welcome, and happy Sunday!

 

Here is John's stew and let me tell you it was delicious and we both returned to the stove to refill our bowls.  Carrots are my favorite and they were so, so yummy, as was everything else in the stew.  The huge pot was very full and we have lots of leftovers so we plan to have it again tonight.

 

 

One of the nights we had a roaring fire going and it was just right. 

This poor redbird was sitting out on the deck glider in the heavy sleet and snow of a few days ago.  There were several birds there but they flit around so quickly that I couldn't snap pix fast enough to capture more than one at a time.  If you look under the glider you'll see another one.

 

~  *  ~  *  ~

Yesterday I did some blog housekeeping.  When I checked the list of blogs I follow I couldn't believe how many there were.  Some of the blogs don't exist anymore and some have ceased to post.  I wanted to remove some of those.  I accidentally removed a few others (by mistake) but I hope I've caught all of them and became a follower again. 

(I apologize to anyone to whom this has happened.) 

If your blog is one I visit and comment to, and to those of you who visit me, I didn't intend to remove you, so if I did, please let me know so I can correct it. Thanks for your bloggy-friendship.

~  *  ~  *  ~

I'm going to take advantage of this sunny day to get out and do an errand or two.  We are maybe getting some more snow or ice, or both, on Tuesday, I think.  We still have snow on the ground from the last one but the streets are mostly clear now so I have the opportunity to get my car out of the driveway.  Then when I get back home I will enjoy the rest of my Sunday. 

 

'Till next time.

In friendship,

XO XO XO

More Random Things ~ Passing The Award Along

Hello! Happy Saturday to you!

 

Well, since I posted yesterday about the Liebster award, I've had one blog friend who is willing to play along so I am listing her eleven questions to be answered. 

I'm passing the award along to my blog and in-real-life friend Mimi from "Mimi's Passions."  You can visit her blog HERE.  Mimi, you can copy-paste the questions if you like, and copy/paste the award image from yesterday's post.

 

Here are your questions, Mimi:

 

1.   When did you start blogging and what inspired you to blog?

2.   How did you learn to quilt?

3.   Do you enjoy cooking?

4.   What is your favorite travel memory?

5.   City or country?

6.   What is your favorite TV program or series?

7.   Did you have a part-time job while you were in high school?

8.   How old were you when you learned to knit?

9.   Tea, coffee, or neither?

10.  Do you enjoy watching sports?

11.  Do you belong to a mini-group?

 

Now, to complete the award rules, I'll try to list the eleven random things about myself that I skipped yesterday.  Some of these may be things I've written about myself long ago on previous blogs.

 

1.  I dislike coconut, especially when I can feel the texture, but I can tolerate it if it's only flavored slightly with it.  If it's real coconut, I'm not eating it.  I scrape it off, or pick it off, whatever it takes.

 

2.  I worked as a car-hop in high school.  I earned 40 cents an hour.  And I thought I was lucky to have the job.  As a young mom, I worked for a few years as a telephone long distance and information operator.  I enjoyed being an operator but wasn't pleased with the hours I often had to work (nights and weekends and holidays).

 

3.  I enjoy organizing, just about anything.  I can spend hours doing something whole-heartedly and it seems like I accomplished very little but I feel very satisfied when I get it "just the way I want it."

 

4.  Being a small town girl, I was excited by New York City when I used to visit family that lived there.  At one time I even thought I would like to live there.

 

5.  If I were young again and starting my life over, I think I would like to pursue education and become a college prof, if I made it that far. 

 

6.  While I love to watch movies and DVDs in my collection, I'm quite picky about what I will watch.  It is difficult to find much that I like on cable and network TV these days.  Not much at all.

 

7.  I keep a journal although I don't write every day.

 

8.  One thing I'd like to try is watercolor painting.  I don't know if I have any talent for it but I like the look of it.  My dad is an amateur artist and he gave me some lessons in oil painting a long time ago.  I don't remember why but I lost interest and didn't pursue it.

 

9.  I love to dance.  I don't get opportunities anymore, unless I attend a class reunion or a wedding reception, but my feet still feel the urge when I hear music with a dancing beat.  My favorite dance is the two-step. 

 

10.  I spent approximately one to two hours in the UK once.  I was flying back to the US from Germany and our plane had a sudden problem and needed to land so it could be repaired.  The announcement came on that we would be landing at Heathrow.  It was very late afternoon, drizzly rain, and I saw nothing but the airport buildings that were near the plane.

 

11. When I watch shows about travel I get the urge to visit the places, but in reality I'm a homebody and don't like to travel very much.  After only a few days, I'm always ready to go home.

 

This completes my part of the award.  If you want to play along, be sure to let me know.

 

I'm happy you visited.  Please come back and see me again!

In friendship,

XO XO XO

 

EDIT:  Another of my blogger friends agreed to accept the award.  Visit Valerie's blog "Lifes Little Garden" HERE.  Thanks, Val!







Random Things ~ Answers To Liebster Award Questions

One of my blog friends mentioned me on her blog a few days ago for the Liebster award. I wrote to Pauline to let her know that I was away from home and didn't have time to spend on the computer.  Today I read about the award on her blog HERE on her blog "The Little House On The Hill" and will try to answer the questions she listed.

 

How many UFOs do you have?

     One quilt has applique borders that are not finished.

     I am hand piecing a GMFG quilt and I am still piecing the path.

     I have some flimsies that are pieced but need to be quilted on the longarm.

 

Which colour do you use most in your quilts?

     Probably the answer would be brown, ranging from light to dark.

 

What was your first patchwork project?

     I took a class in 1999 to make "Birds and Blooms" by Thimbleberries. 

     There is a photo of it on my blog sidebar.

 

Do you do other crafts?

     I do.  Before I became a quilter I liked to do counted cross stitch.

     I also love to knit and crochet, and recently learned to do filet crochet.

     In the past I made Santas and country dolls that I sold at the church bazaar and a

     few other fiber crafts like Christmas ornaments and such.

 

Do you like floral, plain or geometric fabrics?

     My eye is drawn to small prints and florals.  I don't care at all for batiks or the

     newer contemporary designs.  I use plain for fillers and for backings, although I 

     I use small prints for backings most of the time.

    

How may blogs do you follow?

     I think the number is approximately 190.

 

What do you like most about blogging?

     I am amazed that through my blog and those of others I have made friends all around

     the world.  I also like the journaling aspect.  I can read my old posts and recall things

     I would have forgotten otherwise.

 

Do you like gardening?

     I wish I could say yes but honestly I don't.  I love flowers and the beauty of a garden

     but I dislike the work of gardening.  I hate being dirty and wet and hot and all the

     bending and stooping it requires.  Therefore, I tip my hat in respect to all who garden.

 

What is your favourite time of year?

     O, it is definitely autumn when the air becomes dry and crisp and has a chill.  I love

     the beauty of nature when the trees show their color, the pumpkins and bittersweet;

     I always feel energized by it.  I even love wearing sweaters and clothing suitable for

     autumn. 

 

What is your favourite flower/plant?

     The flowers that speak to me are lilacs, hydrangeas, black-eyed susans, and

     sunflowers ... in no particular order.

 

Do you have a pet?

     Not anymore.  I had a Maltese named Caesar years ago, and have had cats also.

     I am not what I call "an animal person" so I doubt I will have pets in the future.

 

After answering the questions I am supposed to list eleven random things about myself.   I think I will skip that part of the rules. 

 

Secondly, I am supposed to pass the award along to eleven other bloggers.  Because so many bloggers choose to be "award free" these days, I hesitate to name anyone.  But, if you are a blogger and would like to play along, leave a comment on this post and I'll be happy to present you with the Liebster award!

 

* Thank you, Pauline, for thinking of me *

 

Just Like Old Times

When I was staying in Indiana the past couple of weeks I had the opportunity to visit with my friends in mini-group.  Ten years ago I organized the group and we called ourselves the Thursday Quilters because we always met on Thursday, once a month, rain or shine, and spent the entire day having the best time with our sewing, stitching, knitting, or quilting, and lots of talking and laughing, and yep, some eating.  We brown-bagged our lunches and the hostess of the month would provide dessert and beverages and chips.  Perfection.  We limited the group to only six members to keep it cozy and personal.  These gals became my BFFs and still are.  When I moved away I wasn't replaced in the group so when I went back it was just like old times. 

 

I didn't take my camera along so there are no new photos to show but I have recycled one from the past. 

 

I wanted to get a group like this started up here where I now live but it's not been as easy as I thought it would be, for almost everyone that I know works full-time and they are very busy, but I have joined the quilt guild and made several friends through that.  I still think being part of a mini-group is different as it's more personal and lots of fun, so I haven't given up the idea completely.  I guess I need to pursue it a bit more.

~  *  ~  *  ~

 

Is anyone experiencing silly new Blogger issues?  Yesterday and today both I've had trouble with leaving comments (won't post but I get a circle with a red X and a message), when I save or do things re my dashboard I get error messages . . . frustrating.  Maybe it's just me? 

 

~  *  ~  *  ~

We did get some snow and also lots of sleet.  Our streets are a big mess and I won't be going out today.  I would watch my new TV but it's not here yet.  The one I chose was on sale at such a good price that there were none left in stock so they let me pay for it and it will be here next week.  That's ok, I have so much from which to choose that I don't know what to do first, it will depend on my mood . . . do I want to sew?  or knit?  or putter around in my longarm room?  or get cozy with a movie and a blanket?  probably more than one of these, once I get moving.  :) 

 

Have a wonderful day, or evening, depending on which part of world you are.

Enjoy, and make it count.

In friendship,

XO XO XO

Goodies We Can't Live Without

Hello, Friends!  It's a cold day here where I live and we're expecting snow later this afternoon. 

 

John and I received this Keurig for Christmas from my son and DIL and it is really great for times when I want only one cup and want it quickly! I went out this morning and it was so windy and cold and when I got home I wanted to warm up my insides.  The cup brewing in the pic is Green Mountain Nantucket Blend and it had a very good flavor. 

 

 

 

While I was visiting at my sister's house last week she let me use one of her freezer cups like in the photo below.  I loved it and got me one today.  

 

 

Notice the cookie jar in the photo is full of snacks.  I thought I'd better fill it up just in case this snow we're expecting makes me extra hungry!  I try to limit the sweet snacks but these just jumped right into my shopping cart and what could I do.  I also bought a small ham so John can make some of his famous ham salad.  He's a very good cook.  He's making beef stew for dinner tonight.  That sounds good for a cold and snowy night and we'll have a fire in the fireplace while he watches his game and I knit or do some hand applique. 

 

Now that I have my sewing room all tidy I am motivated to do some tidying and organizing in the room next to it where I have my longarm machine.  Seriously, I just have too much stuff and no more space.  The storage closet is crammed full, the shelves are full, and the clutter is getting annoying.  It's difficult to part with the things I love and I love everything in there.  So I just make do.  I rarely get anything new for either room, even fabric, because I have just about anything I need for sewing and quilting and I doubt I'll live long enough to get everything used up.  I sold some of my fabric (it was like emptying a tea cup from a huge bucket of water) to my mini-group friends back in Indiana when I was visiting.  I have two Gee Bend reproduction quilt kits I'd like to sell.  I don't think I'll ever get them made and I have so many FQs that I'll never get them used up either.  Sigh.

 

Thanks for paying me a visit today.

In friendship,

XO XO XO

Tidying Up

Hi ~ how are you this evening?

 

I spent the early evening down in my sewing room doing some cleaning up.  I didn't really make many changes but I did move my sewing machine across the table that I use so I can face the opposite wall when I sew.  I'm thinking about getting a larger TV in there and wanted to see how I would like sewing in the new spot and also what size TV screen I would want.  It feels good to have the room tidy and all dusted and swept. 

 

This morning we had planned to go out for supper but by this evening neither of us really wanted to go.  It's cold and we were feeling like just staying home.  John watched a ballgame while I did my cleaning, then I had a grilled cheese sandwich and after that I was still hungry so I popped some popcorn.  It tasted so good.  Now I'm tired and thinking it's a good night to turn in early. 

 

I got a lot of positive feedback on this morning's post and I appreciate each of you taking time to comment.  Thanks!  See you next time.

Can We Talk?

Hello, Friends and happy Wednesday.  I hope you are having a great week so far.

 

First, I have show and tell:

 

Imagine my surprise when just recently I received a package in the mail from Australia.  A friend that I met through our mutual blogs sent it to me for Christmas but it took the slow route, apparently, and didn't arrive until February.

Look at all the lovelies I received.  A snowman placemat, a jeweled initial key ring, some holiday tissues, and a red beaded ornament.

 

Thank you, Sue!

I love my gifts very much.

 

What's on my mind . . .



When I began to blog back in January of 2007, it was simple.  There was no Followers gadget then (at least that I was aware of).  Nowadays it feels like blogs have become popularity contests, with giveaways or other methods to attract Followers.  I guess I am old fashioned.  I figure if anyone wants to read my blog (or Follow) it's because they like it, and if not, they won't be returning, simple enough. 

 

A bit of my blog history ~ My first blog was called "Simply Quilted" because I focused mainly on the quilting theme.  One day I was trying to delete some photos from older posts but I messed up, and in my frustration, I impulsively deleted the entire blog.  At that time a blog couldn't be undeleted.  Within a few days I was sorry and started over with "Cootie Bug" which I continued until I had technical issues with Blogger.  When I couldn't correct them, I created a newer blog called "Cootie Bug 2" (which I later renamed "Cootie Bug Connie").

 

Over two years ago I went through a major life change.  Along with wanting a fresh beginning, I was having some privacy issues, so I created this blog.  Since then, I have attracted former readers and some new ones.  

 

I don't do giveaways, I don't offer free patterns, I don't have photos of fascinating travel, or pets, or gardening, I don't raise chickens, and I don't refinish furniture. 

 

I guess I am asking you for constructive criticism here so if you want to leave a comment, be honest.  Soon it will the 300th post on this blog and it's caused me to ponder.  Truly, this is not a pity party, but I am rather sorting things out in my mind.  Thanks for "listening."

 

And with that, I'll say

'Till next time

 

 

Edit:  this is not about quitting blogging; I wrote this to seek opinions on how to make my posts more interesting.  I realize nobody can tell me what I need to learn on my own.  But your comments are welcomed, just the same.  Thanks, Friends.  :-)



A Few Words

 

 

Thank you to my friends who have commented or emailed me regarding my previous post.  Due to illness of a family member I've been needed elsewhere for the past several days.  At this time things are going ok and I've returned home to "recharge my batteries" and catch up on a few duties. 

The words in the image above are good for such a time as this.

 

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.

xo xo xo

Will You Be My Valentine?

 

Life has had some unexpected detours recently and I've had to take time away but I do want to wish my blog friends a happy Valentine Day.  It's my hope to return to blogging in the near future so until then . . .

 

Be Happy

 

and

 

Thanks for your visit

 

XO XO XO



February = Hearts (part deux)

Until a few days ago I've been doing my online bible study at the dining room table.  I grew tired of the mess that I had there so I found a new location and moved my notebooks and old laptop and things off the table. 

 

I wanted to soften the dark table top so I washed this quilted table cover that I made ages ago and then collected some quilted hearts from around the house to see what I could come up with for a centerpiece.

 

 The basket of hearts

This pic is a wee bit blurry ~ unhappy about that

 Next I tried the hearts in a crystal bowl ~ not large enough to hold all of them but it will do

 I gathered some other things from here & there around the house

* I tweaked a bit

* and tweaked a bit more

 

 

I like the look now.  I think I'll leave it this way through the month.  I may try it again with the basket to see how I like the contrast of the dark against all the lighter objects.  But I want to enjoy it this way for a while first.

 

I'm so glad you came by for a visit.  Thank you!

February = Hearts

A happy Monday morning to you, my friends.  Here we are already in the month of February.  The days go by so quickly, don't they.  I snapped this photo when I made a stop for a cuppa at least four or five years ago.  The barrista who waited on me gave me permission to take all the pix I wanted. 

 

 

Did you watch the Super Bowl?  It was on our telly, John was enjoying it quite a bit and I sat with him, my hands were busy knitting away on my scarf.  I made a boo-boo and had to "tink" (that is un-knit, or knit spelled backwards) a few rows and soon had the error corrected.  I guess I purled when I should have knitted a stitch and it threw things off.  We didn't plan a party but John did have some BBQ chicken wings.  I don't care for them so I had a simple meal of a chicken pot pie which I happen to love.  I missed watching Downton Abbey but since I already have the dvd we watched the episode on Saturday so we are up-to-date.  I have saved the last episode on the disc which will air next week, I presume, and am trying to keep my suspense going as long as I can manage.  Isn't that silly?  I could just watch it . . . but I'm trying to stretch out the pleasure of seeing it. 

 

I want to say thank you and welcome to my new readers and followers.  I always enjoy making new friends through my blog.

It is looking like today is going to turn into a busy one so I am posting early.  Thank you for taking time to stop by for a visit with me.  I wish you a very good day.  Be safe and be happy.

My Knitted Scarf ~ Directions For Knitting

We woke up this morning with some new snow on the ground.

 

Not a deep snow, but it's all white and pretty again.

 

I swept some away from the sliding door and found it to be light and fluffy.  I threw out a bit of corn for the birds and squirrels, for they were already there, waiting.

 

I was looking out the kitchen window above the sink and my eye was drawn to the windowsill.  I have a collection of little collectibles there and see them always, but these pieces especially caught my attention this morning.  I bought the Dutch S&P shakers on a visit to Nashville, Indiana (more commonly referred to as "Brown County") in a little German shop.  The Jadeite salt shaker is the only piece of Jadeite that I now own.  I think I may have collected a few pieces at one time but I must have sold them in my antique shop booth down in Kentucky back when I rented it.

 

 

Scarf directions:

For those who have written me to ask for directions for my knitted scarf, here you are.  I am not using any scarf pattern, just knitting the double moss stitch. 

 

Cast on your desired number of stitches, choosing a number divisible by 4. 

 

(For my scarf I casted on 36 stitches and my scarf is approximately 10 inches wide, using size 10.5 needles.)

Rows 1 and 2:  Knit 2, Purl 2, and repeat to the end of the row

Rows 3 and 4:  Purl 2, Knit 2, and repeat to the end of the row

 

Continue repeating Rows 1 through 4 until your scarf reaches the desired length, ending your scarf with Row 4, and bind off in pattern. 

 

This is an easy-peasey scarf.  I should be using my long needles instead of the 10" size, but here's my reason I am not:  I knit in my recliner and it's a very small size chair.  When I use the 14" needles, I am not as comfortable as the needles keep bumping into the chair arms, etc.  So, I manage by using the 10" and just squish the rows back a bit to keep the stitches from slipping off as I knit.  No worries.

 

 

Happy knitting, or whatever fills your day.

Thank you for taking the time to visit me.





Knitting Needles In Motion

One of my blogger friends wrote on today's post asking what others are working on.

 

I'm still knitting on this scarf and am making progress.

 

 

It looks uneven because I'm using straight short needles and have the stitches scrunched together.  I have longer needles and also circulars, but am I using them? 

 

No. 

 

O Silly Me

 

A close-up of the double moss stitch

 

 

What's on your needles? 

 

Or what's your quilting work-in-progress?

 

 

Keep toasty warm on this cold Friday night.

 

Thanks for visiting.



It's Here!

Season 3 of Downton Abbey arrived today!

 

 

I may have to watch the final episodes this evening.

 

A-N-T-I-C-I-P-A-T-I-O-N

 

Oh yeah!

January Leaves Us With A Bit Of Snow

Just as predicted, the mild weather left us and the cold winds blew in with snow flurries and dropping temps.  According to the forecast tonight will be as cold as, or colder, than our recent cold snap.  It definitely will be a fireplace evening when we return home from doing errands in a little while. 

 

 

 

The view out the front window

 

 

Mr. Squirrel is getting his fill of corn so he can snuggle into his nest later

 

 

 

This morning I counted five male cardinals on our deck.  Where were they when I had my camera handy? 

 

Last evening John looked out to see if our new friend, Mr. Owl, was there and he was!  Perhaps if we keep watch regularly we will find him on his tree branch.

 

We have to go out soon so I'll close here.

Thank you so much for taking time to visit me. 

Wishing you a most pleasant day.

Sam Is Having A Birthday

Today is grandson Sam's 10th birthday. 

 

He's the little one on the right.

 

On the left is his cousin, my grandson Owen, who turned 10 last month.

 



Sam and I live too far apart for me to visit him today so I'm saying my happy birthday to him here.

 

This pic was taken when the boys were 3. 

Time has flown by!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SAM!

 

With love from your Grammie

New Favorite Saying

Finding Blogs About Decorating

I thought I'd do a search for some decorating blogs; I've found some and almost each one has a long list of links to others.

 

I noticed that very many of these blogs have many, many Followers -- many have Followers in the thousands!  Most quilting blogs have Followers in the low-mid hundreds, with a few exceptions, so I conclude that blogs about decorating have a much wider audience, which makes sense.

 

Another thing I noticed is that the majority of these highly-followed blogs sponsor ads, and while I don't mind them, they can be terribly slow in downloading, which is annoying.  At times I've been a little disappointed, for after the wait time for a blog to download, I often found there are many photos of things painted white, and floral vignettes, and although the photos are lovely, I was hoping to find blogs that do go into depth about redecorating a room, makeovers, that sort of thing.  I'm sure it takes more than a glance at a blog to discover its treasures so I will continue to follow the leads, clicking and linking away.  Sounds like fun!



Wondering What To Do With The Guest Room?

Yesterday I wrote about scraping wallpaper border backing in the guest room. 

I took a few snaps this morning to share with you. 

 

The room has only this one window which is a very deep window well outside and the view is the support wall.  An adequate amount of light comes into the room so it isn't dark, and nobody can see in, but at night the bare window has a "black hole" effect that I dislike.  There was already a curtain rod so I dug out some curtain panels that I bought a long time ago at a Goodwill store and hung them temporarily to soften the look.  With this length I can display things on the wide sill at the bottom.  The curtains look like filet crochet and the pattern near the bottom is of star quilt blocks.

 

 

  This small quilt is vintage and was handmade.  I bought it from a friend back in Indiana when she offered it to me at a great price.  It was on a quilt ladder in the room but yesterday I spread it across the bed to let it rest and also I wanted to look at these colors with the bed.

 

A close-up of the green iron headboard

This older dresser and attached mirror were John's. 

This low oak dresser or chest is a piece I found at an antique store years ago in Terre Haute, Indiana and I got it at a great price.  I love the patina of old oak furniture.

This is where I began scraping yesterday on the wall above the bed.  I used a spray bottle of plain water which loosened the paper and I scraped it with a putty knife. 

 

This is a close-up of the corner of the window wall where I peeled wallpaper.  The white is where the backing also came off as I stripped it, the darker color is the paper backing that stuck to the wall.  I am unsure that I will attempt scraping the entire wall and instead may first see how well I can deal with it the way it is, whether I paint or re-paper.

 

An old "before" picture of the wallpaper

 ***

As the room is an eclectic mixture of furniture,  I am trying to decide how I want this room to look when I am finished.  My taste includes country and cottage looks.  I don't think I am pulled toward a modernistic style for this room. 

 

Given that the backing remains stuck to this entire wall, I may choose to hang wallpaper again; if I do, then do I want to paper only one wall?  What colors and design do I want?  Or, perhaps I may wish to paint it and if that is my decision, how well will the paint cover this wall with the backing still left on?  I truly do not want to have to scrape it with a putty knife and I don't want to use a steamer as in a few places the backing that has come off also removed the paint beneath it. 

 

One more thing, I want to hang curtains that will cover the window at night.  I will keep them open but want the option of closing them.  I believe I will leave these crocheted curtains inside the window and just add longer drapes on another rod.

 

I don't feel gifted with the eye of an interior decorator, but I know what I like and dislike.  I simply need to pull my thoughts together and come up with a plan before attempting anything.

 

~ * ~ * ~

What a difference a week can make. It was so cold last Tuesday and today we have 60s and lots of rain is on the way and possibly storms. I heard thunder earlier but it was quickly over.  I haven't yet decided what I'll do with the rest of the day but since the morning is nearly over I suppose I'd better be getting on with it.

 

I will see you next time. 

 'Till then, have a lovely day and evening.