This week was the blah!

It was a dreary aching week here in NC...every day it rained and the weather played havoc on both of us...Cecil was as still as I've ever seen him..and I was just as bad (but as usual :o(....Arthur Ritis ...was a constant visitor ...didn't know when to leave ...took a lot of steam out of us...
Although it was bad for us , it was good for the trees, Do a close up for a good look at the blooms on the Pear tree on the left ...last year the one on the right bore the most fruit.. I guess they take turns.. I don't know it the bees had something to do with it or if it's just their nature...
Yesterday we also got another pleasant surprise...found that the greens on the side of the house had grown up quickly since last week and were turning to seed...Cecil and I With old arthritis picked a good pot full and I made some cornbread to go with them...I baked a chicken, but we ate so much greens and cornbread...the chicken got kind of skipped over..That's one time we wished the kids could have gotten some of those fresh greens..they were the best greens ever...(we might say that with every pot :o)....
Today the Sun is shining and that's a good thing..No special plans in the working..I got a couple of knitting rows in during the week...and that was a good thing too.
Stay tuned, something is bound to turn up around here. :o)

I'm the Queen in this Castle

The Queen is sucking up the Kings kindness :o)...I think he feels sorry for the old girl...we both are hopping around ....and I guess it shows more on me because I moan and groan :o)....Another Dr. appointment this morning got us both up...and the King made breakfast....it was especially delicious...see I taught him this too! :o)
After the Dr appointment we went to Crackerbarrel for lunch/dinner (I have leftover's in the fridge if either of us need anything else after that meal...boy! this day has been a good one for milking all the good out of it :o)....To tell the truth is makes one a little lazy!...
I hope a certain somebody can see that glass of Ice Water near my plate! and I hope that certain somebody can be told I have a glass of ice cold Root Beer while I write this post :o) haha...and that's the truth. I can't be good all day, I'm almost a miracle...but need to be tempered a little more to be perfect :o)...Well, lets see what tomorrow brings...besides Laundry...

Who says we are "RETIRED"?

I tell you one day runs into the next around here faster than a rabbit will steal a carrot....It seems this week...all we did was pay our regular visits to the Dr and the Podiatrist...and make appointments about eyes :o(....

This has been a very busy week ...every day there was a task to be done..
We planted tree's this week besides getting to the Dr's office....
Got a shot in the hip for the pain,, feels a bit better today...the knees do too.
What can you expect when you get old :o)...The only consolation is that Cecil is older than me :o)

So we both kind of conked out last night and went to bed early and really slept .
I was able to to start my sausage yesterday...I like to cube it up and season it up before I grind it...that I did this morning...So that's done (for awhile).
I was even able to get some knitting in...
Today my plans are to re pot our Corn plant...we got a nice large pot for her...I need some pebbles for the bottom and top...

"You Never Know what a New Day will bring"

Cecil and I were very happy to see that the Peach Tree made it through the Winter and came forth as healthy and beautiful as could be...reminds you of the poem " I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree" < am I getting too mushy here :o)...We worried being so old if we would live to see this tree grow and bear fruit...well, so far so good...just to see that it lives is one blessing..
I think it was a good stimulus to get us off our butts yesterday..and go see about the other two trees we wanted...a Fugi and an Red Delicious...We both felt so compelled to put on some clothes and hurry out....which we did even though the weather was a little dreary..there was promise of sun later...

You always need a Supervisor :o)

Just wanted you all to know that my services are most valuable :o)
You know where you want things and you can't always be silent during the procedure.
I want to be close enough to the project..so I make sure it's done right :o).

One Planted and one more to go

Boy were we blessed..We went to Home Depot and got the Red Delicious and decided to try Lowe's for the Fugi...and lo and behold there it was....There were not many of either trees...and at one store both trees had lost a branch (probably some clumbsy worker)...We were happy that we got out early and swore that some Angel had prodded us out of the house...to get there in a hurry...before the crowd...
Cecil donned his working clothes and started digging in...

Saint Patrick Day Meal for Today

Today was a busy one at the computer ...and in the kitchen...my dinner was done by 3 and smelled so good we decided to eat early :o)...it was as good as it smelled and I really had some ice water with it this time ...somebody and my Dr will love that one.
You may as well say I cooked twice :o) ...we were such pigs we ate up the cabbage and pototoes licky split...( I used the water I cooked the cornbeef in...(what flavor) that's why I cooked more...so tomorrow I can play and choose a pattern to work with...there are a lot of really nice ones and "FREE" I may keep looking if I'm not satisfied...I want the pattern to knock my socks off...not me! :o)...I found a Lace retreat especially featuring those nupps...It's a good idea...something to think about...
I'm just a day or so early , but have a happy St Patrick Day...

THE DECISION

The Decision has been made to dump that pattern..as my daughter says "knitting is supposed to be relaxing" funny how the words you've used come back to you and in the nick of time...I've pulled out my hair ....cussed and fussed ....and tried to kick Cecil around since we don't have cat...(that didn't work, he stayed out of my way :o)
I started the pattern four times with renewed vigor to get it right...:o(
The problem was losing the 7 nupps for the knots in the pattern...as soon as I did 7- to 10 I'd lose one...and life lines for this part of the pattern would be of no help
for me anyway...someone smarter could do it ...let them have it for now..
I have to move on to keep my sanity...
Just about every pattern in that book has from 5 to 9 nupps in it...I don't think I'm ready to tackle any of them except one...So I'm going pattern hunting...I've got several Lace books (even the Bible by Sharon Miller) I ought to be able to find something...stay tuned...I'm in my Pajama's, had a sausage sandwich with a Root beer for breakfast..(after I had coffee)....But I'll tell Ladydi I had ice water :o)
The Cornbeef is cooking..I'll add some Cabbage and potatoes for a dinner I don't have to watch...Happy St Patricks Day...(almost)

It's time to bake something

When most of us become frustrated or need a little comfort we "EAT" comfort foods :o)
Well, I decided I'd try a recipe sent by a friend...some "Pop Overs"...pretty easy to do..and didn't take any special ingredients...so I thought I'd give it a try.
Something has to work right around here...maybe that will give me some thought power how to handle that shawl...
Your supposed to add some butter or Honey in the crevices of them...I will use some "Homemade Pear Preserves" :o) , just thought I'd add that in so most would know I'm worth my salt even if I can't get that @#%$@ darn shawl to working..

Well, at least I know the oven is working...in fact it's working too well, these little Pop Ups got a little too over cooked...with the high temp and then lowered..I'd best to have used my regular 350 all the way, maybe that would have worked better , I'll try that next time.They were Hollow inside, and my friend said that's the way they should be, like a well to hold the butter etc. that'll work..
You just can't sop it like a biscuit :o)

^$@#@#$%^& dab bling it!!

If you see an old lady running around the street in her Pajama's and tearing her hair out ...that would be me...please throw some water on her so she can regain her senses....
I was all happy and secure sitting in the corner in my chair working on the beautiful shawl thinking "what a good girl am I" I was going good for awhile, then all of a sudden once I got around to the purl row to make the 7 stitches into one..the needle slipped!! and there I was with a group of non formed loops! Alas, what was I too do? I didn't know how to rectify that one...and it dawned on me what the heck would happen if I was further up the rows and the same thing happened :o(
Needless to say, I panic ed right then and there...could I fake the stitch?...should I look for better instructions? Oh! Crap!...what's a girl to do?....I tried looking in my stash for another pattern that would satisfy..Nothing!....looked through all my Lace books , Nothing!....This girl has a one track mind...I've got to think of something..that pattern is in my mind...it reminds me of the fox I used to be :o) and come hell or high water I want it back :o)...Don't know what I can do as yet! I'm not afraid to do the pattern , I know how to do the pattern ...except if I goof the 7 stitch...how to fix it and be able to continue...I may have to drop that pattern, but I'm going to exhaust every means and method first...Feel free to make suggestions that I may not follow :o)

The Needles are Here

It's very nerve racking waiting for a package by the post or ups...all you need is one bad experience with either and it puts you on edge for getting started with your project...As you can see this is a beautiful shawl and when I first spied it , it knocked my socks off :o)....but in working with it on a first row of the 7 Nupps (knots) it gave me a fit...hence the "Addi Lace Needles" they better be better than my set of Knit Picks..or it's a waste....Every one of those beautiful little knots you see are 7 (K1, YO, 3X,K1...then on the next row combine them all back into one stitch. ugh!...I hope I don't have to ditch this project because of the hardship of doing it...but you know me ...I'm a gluten for punishment...If it becomes too much, I'll just switch to another pattern...I already have a beautiful white shawl...and I wanted a beautiful Pink one...this fits the bill for me...but I can make adjustments.
So I might not post for a couple of days...

A Nice Lunch At Home :o)

After that lousy breakfast out...We decided to have Lunch prepared at home...
So after clicking my heels twice to get me home in a hurry after shopping, there I was and hungry after traveling to get my Stevia < I've been without it too long...
I prepared a simple lunch..Cantaloupe,boiled egg,slice of hot pepper cheese,bologna,Salomi and crackers..it looked pretty...it wasn't heavy at all...and it was enough...For dinner pork backbone (you might call them neck bones, same thing) cooked down tender with gravy and a pot of rice< yummy, maybe some broccoli and cauliflower if Cecil wants...while I do laundry that I skipped doing Monday...So that when my needles come I can spend the day knitting without interruptions....

What's up for today!

Yesterday I spent all day testing needle sizes for the Lace shawl project...and then towards evening...Late! throughly discousted I ripped it all out!....I believe the problem is with my needles...and I've tried several kinds...what I needed was a real point...Balene was too rubbery...Bates didn't have the correct size...Knit Picks point didn't do it...skael point not sharp enough...So I've ordered the "Lace Needle", my daughter had one and I fell in love with it at first sight...here's hoping that order gets here fast....
I have a neighbor that has trained her dog to bark to be let back in ...and she has trained him to bark at 8am...needless to say.My bedroom is at ear shot of his bark
he wakes me every morning...so she is training me right along with her.sometimes I want to throw a shoe at her..and the dog...
We went to Breakfast this morning < it was lousy as hell! the food was all dried up...and we got there by 9:45am lt looked like it was sitting out all night, I have never seen it like that before...things must be awfully bad.. I spoke to the waitress about it...she went around stirring things up...that stirring couldn't help being all dried up food...I needed to eat at home, eating out here lately has left me disatisfied...I need to run out again ...I'm out of Stevia and started back to drinking too many Root Bears...

Lazy Dazy Saturday!

I've been waiting for a lot of things by "Saturday"...wishing the oven would be fixed, hoping that the yarn I ordered would already be here and I would have started my project since last week...and would have done enough to take a little free time and get outside in the promised "Warm Day"...in preparation for Spring...but instead, it seems it all started A-- backwards...The oven was fixed yesterday...
The yarn finally came this morning ...and also the package one of the kids sent that finally arrived in Greensboro after going to Kansas and back! what an error!..
I had a case of a bad stomach and spent too much time in the John this morning...which led me to making one of my old standbys, "Homemade Chicken Noodle soup for a cure...it has worked since I was a kid...
needless to say all the going out in the warm weather has been shot to hell...best to stay in and do something constructive.
First thing get the corrections to "Knitting Lace of Estonia" printed and saved that my daughter was kind enough to send me...
Now I'll just mull through the pattern that caught my eye...to understand what my next steps will be...I love the pattern and love the yarn "Lace Marino"..a lovely project..and I need the break before thinking about another weaving project.

Other Day ...one down two to go!

You never know how much you miss something until you don't have it...Last night I wanted to bake some biscuits...NO OVEN...This morning I wanted to make some Sausage Biscuits...NO Sausage and No OVEN...seems you just can't win around here....:O(

Then a new day and the Service guy came early...The Oven is Fixed Hooray! :o) So far...it's going good.
I hope today is also the day that the yarn I ordered almost two weeks ago will get here, they weren't late getting their money,... also a package from one of the kids...is also late...maybe I'm being impatient...I just want my stuff...
I have no plans for outside work today,..Cecil has the Spring bug and is outside busy trimming things down...it's kind of cloudy out and I feel like I'm still fighting a cold...no need in overdoing so early in the season..

Project of Tapestry Class

Last night was the second meeting of the "Tapestry" class...homework was weaving the bottom of a box that was selected to be a pocketbook once woven at the bottom and all around the four sides with a design of your choice...Laurie McNeil is teaching this fun class.(to get an idea visit her blog, "slowly she turned"on my blogs to visit list)..Everyone had done their homework and we were taught the finishing parts of the assignment and now on with doing the design...The design I chose was not one that would have been more comprehensive for a beginner (in other words I needed something a little more easier :o)...back to the drawing board...A couple of students had their ideas already formed and was able to begin...Oh well!, it won't be the first time an idea didn't come , then when it does, I'll have too many!
UPDATE:
I just found that all the pictures from Slowlysheturned have been posted in "Flicker" under "Tapestry Box" ...for those of you who are interested go there!

This is the Total Size of the Box

Just think, one day this will be a finished project (I hope)and it will be lovely (I hope)...:o)...
I have to find a design that I'd be able to live with..and one that I'd like to work on...no fun working on something you don't like ...it never gets finished...

It's a Winter Wonder Land :o)

While we slept like bears hibernating...Mother Nature was painting everything white!
It's a funny thing that one can finally sleep without waking...Cecil and I got a good treat last night...neither of us woke up at all last night (a rarity for diabetics) a good nights sleep...then a telephone call...ugh!...Rolling out of bed and checking out the window "Snow"..No wonder we slept so well, Mother Nature has a way of lulling you into a deep slumber that makes you un-aware of what's happening outside...that happened to us one night during a terrible storm..We heard nothing!
Don't know if the house is so well insulated...or the Creator decided we didn't need that extra stress :o) who knows! I like the thought.:o)

A peek out the window of Snow

Everything looks so nice and clean....all the snow painting everything white. I'm hoping it's going to kill some bugs that give things a fit with the warmer weather.
Expecially those big flying bugs that look like wasps,(I don't know what they are) but are not and don't bite, but they are ornery creatures and show they aren't afraid of you...they come mostly in july...on real hot days...and get right in your face as if they want a closer look at a human...I can "feel" them...they are not afraid, I am of being bitten.!!

The Oven Conked Out Yesterday!

I was so happy that I decided to put the Cobbler in the oven yesterday for the first thing to get it out of the way...Lucky thing for me! getting some biscuits ready with dinner...I noticed that it was taking too long for the bell to ring...now wonder, I re-tried to make sure I had turned the knob correctly...no luck...Darn it
The darn element is probably burned out....I cleaned the oven two weeks ago...maybe that's the culprit...just burned it out...(automatic cleaner).
So for breakfast this morning I made old fashioned Pan Bread, since I had no oven... it's the worst I ever made ...well one of them anyway!The omelet was good for a change..and so was the Neese's sausage < but my sausage is better, but I've used it all up...Pork Sale ..hurry up and get here......

Sunday Pear and Apple Cobbler on Saturday :o)

There are times when your just in the mood to make something sweet that you can nibble on for a couple of days (if it lasts that long in this house) I was going to make it a Peach Cobbler , but instead I needed to make some room in the freezer so decided I'd try out some Pears and Apples that I still have plenty of...and so I did, in fact I made it larger than the last time..so there would be a second helping for both of us...So I made what I call a Lasagna pan full ...and the picture shows it very well ...and it is indeed good.. I'm glad I made a large one ..so today Sunday, we have dessert :o) I even have some ice cream to add to it ...(Diabetic Coma) The mixture of Pears and Apples are a good taste together..I also added some Raisins and Crasions (the spelling might be off for Craisons< they are dried Cranberries.I even added some Peach juice that I saved from the last jar of canned Peaches I used to make a cobbler ...Cecil said it tasted like a Peach Cobbler, he was all the more happier...:o)

Cecil's Choice was Short Ribs & Stewed Potato's

You gotta keep em happy so you can knit in peace :o)....see there is a method to my madness :o)...If there is a lot of good food he can get for himself to nibble whenever he likes...and micro wave to his heated desire...he is happy , and out of my hair....and I can sit in the chair and knit watch TV or snooze :o)
The picture looks kind of bland , but it's really not..in fact I had a second helping and that's saying a lot..
We watched a couple of good programs on PBS..Gaither Gospel hour and then and Evening with the handsome and talented Quincey Jones..An African Dancig Group, we didn't go to bed until 11:30 the TV was excellant this night ..we felt like we went out...:o)