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6/28/2010

Mr. Bubble Legs -- Wanna Cuddle?

Here's another toy for The Toy Society that I will drop somewhere along our route as we travel in our motor home. We will leave tomorrow morning and be staying at some state parks, so I know I will find the perfect location for Mr. Bubble Legs. He is crocheted with a size G hook and WW yarn, a quick and easy project. The free pattern download is available at http://www.craftbits.com/viewProject.do?projectID=2456 and is named  "Amigurumi - Bubble Leg Monster".

Have you made any toys recently?
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Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.  ~John 17:23

6/27/2010

At Jumbo

After many years of using our camping trailer, we decided to buy a Class C motor home this spring. Lailah helps DH set up our site at Jumbo Lake.

Most of our time was spent on the lake in our pontoon while DH fished, I read and knitted and Lailah had a job to do!
 
She serves as the chief look-out and does a fine job of it!

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But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.  ~Luke 15:32

6/26/2010

Dead End Gene Pool by Wendy Burden

Dead End Gene Pool Dead End Gene Pool by Wendy Burden


My rating: 1 of 5 stars
This memoir is an extremely disappointing, depressing story about a dysfunctional girl who apparently has become a morbid, unforgiving woman. This disturbing story does not center on Wendy Burden's mother, but on Burden herself. As unfeeling as the grandparents and parents she vilifies, Wendy seldom visited her brother at a psychiatric hospital because "...the inmates creeped me out." The very idea that one can visit a dying grandfather and stand as far away as possible  from him "...while still managing to convey a sense of compassion." is laughable. As pathetic as her life has been, I did not find the author to be a sympathetic character because of her vitriol. The "humor" does work in a few places, but most of the  at humor are caustic and mean.

In writing this book, the author appears to have disgorged her rage and sickness much as her brothers did in the therapy programs that she finds so ridiculous. The fact that the author wants her bleak book to answer her daughters' questions about their grandmother is a disgusting idea.

I do hope that Miss Burden finds peace within. Perhaps, this unfortunate book is meant to be a step towards a more positive, hopeful life. I pray that she finds it.

View all my reviews >>

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Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. ~ Proverbs 19:20

6/23/2010

Chubby the Fish

This crocheted fish is for The Toy Society. I used "I Love This Yarn" from Hobby Lobby and a size G hook. The pattern is fun and quick to make and is a free download at: http://mygurumi.blogspot.com/2008/11/chubby-fish-pattern.html

Read more about The Toy Society at http://thetoysociety.blogspot.com/  I'll be out today searching for a good drop-off spot for Chubby the Fish!
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Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers. ~ Proverbs 11:14

6/22/2010

Dead End Gene Pool

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/
Just do the following:
*Grab your current read
*Open to a random page
*Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

From Dead End Gene Pool by Wendy Burden:
"Many colorful adjectives have been used to describe my great-times-four-grandfather: egomaniacal,
unethical, coarse, brilliant, vulgar, ingenious, pigheaded, underbred, ruthless.
Only one is necessary: rich."
 
Who do you think is her "great-times-four-grandfather"?
 
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Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.
~ Proverbs 9:9

6/19/2010

The Wool and The Mud and The Mountains

There's no challenge in thunderstorms, slippery mud, and swollen rivers to the undaunted knitter as I cautiously drove up Big Thompson Canyon with my arm waving out the window to snap pictures.


Though I've been through this canyon hundreds of times, I am always moved by the beauty of God's hand in creating our glorious natural world to touch us with us love and lift our spirits.


Driving to Estes the day before the Wool Market opened gave me time to drink in Nature...and lots of rain! It was a downpour during the entire two days of my stay.

Flash flood warnings had been issued for several days because of the rain and the run-off of the melting snow. Pulling into the parking lot for breakfast, I heard the roaring of the river that runs through Estes Park.

Though the rain isn't apparent in these pix, it was coming down in buckets, like cats and dogs, like cats and dogs in buckets!

Of course, a welcoming committee greeted attendees as we turned onto Mall Road to drive to the fair grounds for the wool market. These elk appear disinterested, but I just know they were thrilled to see the yarnies arrive in their paradise.
I don't know the numbers for the wool market attendance, but may I repeat...intrepid and undaunted. The Boy Scouts were busy directing vehicles from motor homes to Smart cars to the nearest, that is too say at the other end of the muddy facility, parking spaces. Then I,who tend toward dizziness thanks to meds, grabbed my umbrella, tote bag, and camera to open the car door, stand on the car floor, bravely raise my arm above my head, and snap a few pix of the place. From the puddles in the mud---Have I mentioned the mud?---to the clouds at the mountain peaks, this is the Estes Park Wool Market. You see the tent peaks. The smaller canopies to the right are the food stands. I didn't even bother to stop for food there since I just wanted to get inside the vendors' building and out of the rain.
May I just say that this is a paradise of a different order? After a couple hours of looking-looking-looking, touching-touching-touching, I came away with these lovelies. The first pile-o-yarn here is actually for a designated project. Yesss! I know! Well, I started a side-to-side jacket about six years ago using assorted yarn combos. Yet again, I think I have found the perfect yarn in this 100% wool yarn from Plain & Fancy Sheep & Wool Company from Henderson, Texas. Love the tag: "Made in Texas, USA".  Gotta love them Texans! In the news you can't use dept., our two youngest grands are "little Texans" as my son calls his kids. Cute. But I digress, don't I ever?! So the names of these colors are variegated (love it!), grape, and dark moss green. They're so beautiful together! I am anxious to start this jacket yet again and am doing the self talk about finishing the prayer shawl for my daughter, the modular ghan for a DGS, and the wedding ghan for oldest DGS. Do you get my drift here?


Lastly, is my undesignated purchase made for the love of the colors, and...well, the name is Four Play. But, I digress. This yarn has the softest hand of 50/50 fine wool silk. Some of it may become a shawl for MIL's Christmas gift. The colors are icy and pale. Everything about it is soft, soft, soft. This is Brooks Farm Yarn from Lancaster, Texas. What is it about Texas, anyway? You can visit them at http://brooksfarmyarn.com/
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Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  ~ Philippians 4:6




6/18/2010

The Gate House by Nelson DeMille

The Gate House The Gate House by Nelson DeMille


My rating: 1 of 5 stars
Lots and lots and lots of repetition. An unsatisfying read, this book is vulgar and bloated. I seldom forge through a book that I basically don't like and wish I had not done so with this one.

View all my reviews >>

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But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.  ~ Isaiah 40:31

6/10/2010

Friday Fill-In

#180


1. Reading and knitting on our boat feels great.

2. The solution is sunscreen, a hat, and sun glasses.

3. While reading, I sometimes fall asleep.

4. How about bringing that bottle of water to me?

5. A day on the lake is something I highly recommend!

6. Imagine pure contentment.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to driving to Estes Park, tomorrow my plans include $pending the day at the Estes Park Wool Market and Sunday, I want to get our new motor home ready for our trip to Jumbo Lake!
 
For more info about The 20th Annual Estes Park Wool Market, click here: http://www.estesnet.com/events/woolmarket.htm
 
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Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth - a stranger, not your own lips.  ~ Proverbs 27:2

6/09/2010

Chemo Cap




This chemo cap is another for DSIL who is being treated for brain cancer. I seek your prayers for him, my daughter, and the grands.

This "The Boy Hat" pattern is fast and friendly! A wonderful quick knit! I used size 8 needles and a strand of Panda Soy in fingering weight held with a strand Dark Horse Yarns Fantasy. The free pattern is available at http://limulusknits.blogspot.com/2007/11/boy-hat.html The yarns are completely luscious, soft, and a delight to knit.

Have you knitted any chemo caps? ...prayers with every stitch...

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The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God's help be encouraged.
~ Psalm 69:32

6/05/2010

Back Yard ~ Springtime

My beautiful surroundings on our deck. This gorgeous hanging basket is from DH for Mother's Day. Love it!This is the first year that I've planted ranuncula, such a delicate flower. The layered petals are so pleasing to the eye.

Along the side of the deck, next to the stairs are these refreshing variegated plants whose name I always forget! Right now they have tall, slender stalks with white flowers.
The trellis at the south end of the deck is now covered in Virginia Creeper which, sadly, is crowding the honeysuckle.  Our back yard is so inviting and lush with springtime colors. I spend most of my time in the yard and knitting and reading on the deck when weather permits. Right now, its 89 degrees so I am indoors in the air conditioning, but would love to be out on the deck.
This is the back corner patio, which has a raised rock garden so I can work in it. Its about 3.5 feet high and easy for me to get to without too much back strain.
The cone flowers are definitely robust this year! Soon the purple blooms will add another dimension to the color scheme.
The perennial bellis plants are new this year. The pastel yellows and pinks in the flowers washed out in this pic, but you can see that they are dainty, little flowers.

What's growing in your yard?

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...so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.~ Romans 12:5

6/03/2010

Star-Flower!

Let's say that you wanted to crochet a toy star for The Toy Society http://www.thetoysociety.blogspot.com/  and decided to use the pattern at this site: http://arpelia.blogspot.com/2008/03/super-mario-invincibility-star-crochet.html  If you did that, then you'd have a cutie-cute, five-pointed star.

Let's further say that you were in some sort of daze and merrily crocheted around and around the center circle, then you would have space for an extra point, wouldn't you? Still with me? Of course you are!

Bet you can't guess who made the star with the six points. Well, it could be a flower, couldn't it? I mean, a strategically placed leaf just might make all the difference. Flower? Star?


Well, there you go! A star-flower. I mean, hypothetically, of course.

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A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.  - Proverbs 15:1

6/02/2010

Wordless Wednesday -- Santa Clara



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I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord.
~ Psalm 122:1

6/01/2010

The Gate House by Nelson Demille

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/  Anyone can play along!

From The Gate House by Nelson Demille, page 72:

In fact, many of the old family servants had been planted in what I called "The Stanhope Bone Orchard", including George Allard. I think I actually had a plot there too, but maybe I lost that in the divorce.
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The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
~1 Corinthians 2:14