Books 'n' Flowers 'n' ....Life Jackets?

Lovely Margot at http://joyfullyretired.com/ sent the ARC Spinning Forward by Terri Dulong. Thanks to Margot for what appears to be a fun read!

I've finished filing the pots on our deck starting with this so pretty George & Martha geranium sharing a pot with a Dusty Miller and Bacopa.

Petunias and violas are such a colorful combination along with a few other small plants along the railing of the deck.

For accent, we have...life jackets!! So, we bought a larger pontoon this spring. The seller told us he left the life jackets on the boat for us. OK, that was very nice. We thanked him. As we cleaned the pontoon the other day, I opened the storage bins under the seats and began tossing the jackets onto the lawn. DH carried the heap to the corner patio in the back yard.

Twenty! There were 20 life jackets of every size, style, and color on that boat! All these in addition to the ones we already have!

Most of them will be donated to our church garage sale, although my hair dresser asked me for one to fit her 3-year-old nephew. Comin' right up!!

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Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.   ~ Proverbs 10:12

Trouble in Bloom

Trouble in Bloom by Heather Webber

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

After struggling through 165 pages of this book, I skimmed through to the end. Nina Quinn finds herself involved in a weakly written tome in Book 4 of this series set on a reality TV program. Of course, there's murder, her uncertain romantic status, and many short, choppy sentences. The writing put me off and made me wonder if the author struggled to get this book written. This was an unpleasant reading experience for me because the writing simply did not flow. If you're a Nina Quinn fan, you might want to skip this not-so-cozy book.

View all my reviews >>

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Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again - my Savior and my God!  ~ Psalms 42:11

Mitered Blanket Progess

This blanket is humming along nicely, thank you. I must be in the mood for this project because I rarely enjoy a project that is so repetitive. However the color changes, the constant decreasing on each square, and the puzzling together of the squares equal a fun and engaging process.
Of the darker colors, one set is dark blue and the other is meridian blue. All four blue shades are discontinued Cascade 220 yarns while the cream is Plymouth Encore. True to form, the Plymouth Encore has a more pleasant hand for me. All in all, this is shaping up to be a very special blanket for DGS#4's birthday this summer. I know---exactly when he doesn't need it. He's been requesting a blanket for a couple of years now, so he'll be thrilled. Even in July.

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And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.    ~ Colossians 3:15

Friday Fill-In ##175

#175

By Janet

And...here we go!

1. Salsa and chips.

2. Brats with sauerkraut and you've even got mustard.

3. By the time I get home, I'll be hungry again!

4. Being finished is what I look forward to most when grocery shopping.

5. And I was dreaming of reading on the beach.

6. Guacamole...is there anything else better?!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to lots of knitting time, tomorrow my plans include grandson's baseball games and Mother's Day dinner and Sunday, I want to go to the lake!

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Come and see what our God has done, what awesome miracles he performs for people! ~ Psalm 66:5

Dogs On Thursday

Since Lailah loves riding in our vehicles, we've trained her to be our chauffeur! Here she waits as one of her minions--that would be DH and I--pumps gas into the Tundra. No word on whether she'll be allowed to steer the pontoon, however!

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Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3

The Toy Society

Here's the wee-little baby bear that I made today for The Toy Society http://www.thetoysociety.blogspot.com/ . Wonderful pattern! He's knit in one piece which is then folded in half and seamed. Really! I am so not kidding. Some diagonal stitches across the top corners form the little ears. A few finishing touches for the face, add a bow and he's ready to be found by a child. This is made with Plymouth Encore Sock DK weight yarn and size 6 needles. The pattern is "Bear Pair Teddy Bears" at http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/buddybears.html There's also a crochet pattern available.

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For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.  ~ Proverbs 2:6

Wordless Wednesday

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Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!  - Philippians 2:5-8

Teaser Tuesdays

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

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• Make certain that you exclude 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!

Here are mine from Trouble In Bloom, a cozy mystery by Heather Webber:
 

"Thou, Nina Colette Ceceri Quinn, shall never, ever, resort to a bad comb-over if thou should happen to go bald....Right up there with never wearing dark socks--or any socks for that matter--with sandals and never letting hair on my upper lip grow to the point where someone thinks I have a moustache."

 

What are YOU reading?

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. . . until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.   ~Ephesians 4:13

Plymouth In Progress

Block One of the mitered ghan for DGS#5 is now complete and ready to grow! I've been sketching ways to place these mitered squares to achieve the look I'm imagining. I'm not even going to attempt to describe it! The darker striped blocks are actually two different colors. The top left block is medium blue rather than navy. The lower left block is a gorgeous blue-green. I think DGS#5 will love the stripy-ness of this ghan. It will certainly be a visual challenge!! The yarny goodness is Plymouth Encore in the cream color. The rest is Cascade 220. We all know just how satisfying it is to work with these yarns, don't we? My size 8 needles and I love them!

I give you the bunched up wedding ghan! There's a lot going on there--not easy to see the stems and buds along the bottom edge and the horizontal row of leaves with the seed stitch. This is for DGS#1 and his bride-to-be. Since the wedding is a little over a year away, I'm not in a rush to complete it. Its a combo of "Nature in Natural" from Lion Brand and the "Entwined Trees" by Nicky Epstein. Once again, we have the ever-faithful Plymouth Encore yarn.

A candy corn ghan from stash is my mindless knitting project since I'm making it up as I knit with--What, children? Why yes, it IS Plymouth Encore. Despite what you may be thinking here, I am in no way affiliated with that company--just have lots and lots of their yummy yarn! Random stripes and a combination of seed, stockinette, and garter stitches make up this baby blanket that will be donated to the Nurse-Family Partnership in NE Colorado.




As I sit at my computer knitting, reading or listening to a book, I look up to watch the finches at the feeder. The tiny goldfinches make me smile as I enjoy the splash of cheery yellow. Doncha just love nature?! I do!

Happy knitting!

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The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace. ~ Psalm 29:11

Cozy Mystery Challenge Book #1

Hooked on Murder by Betty Hechtman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

First in the crochet mystery series, HOOKED ON MURDER, by Betty Hechtman introduces us to Molly Pink and her world. The cutesy name of the lead character did not bode well, however the story and characters evolved pleasantly to move the story along. All in all, I enjoyed this group of characters meeting in a book store, crocheting a group project for charity, and living with the loss of friends as the plot thickened! A satisfying read, HOOKED ON MURDER includes a simple crochet pattern and recipe at the end of the story.
View all my reviews >>

This book is the first completed for the Cozy Mystery Challenge and introduced me to the author.

http://cozymysterychallenge.blogspot.com/

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So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.  ~ Hebrews 2:1

Toy Society Drops

Here are a couple of toys I crocheted for The thetoysociety.com  Silly Square is waiting in --oddly enough--the waiting room of East Morgan County Hospital. I pray that he will cheer and comfort some one who will enjoy him.

Rectangle 2 was dropped at a playground in Brush, Colorado. Another crocheted item, the pattern is available at lionbrand.com .

There is hope for DGS #5, who has been eager for me to make his afghan. He's seven years old and has been so sweet with his hints and hopes. His big brother received the world map ghan a few years ago, so it's well past time for his ghan to be complete! This is the pile of Cascade 220 that will be striped silly with a cream color yarn to make the mitered square ghan from Mason Dixon Knits with my own twist, of course.

The quirkiness of that ghan seems to fit this DGS' silly personality. :)

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Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.   - Luke 9:23-24

Purple Power!

The Rocks won their opening game yesterday. Here's looking forward to a good season! DH and I will be at the Rockies/Mets game at Coors Field on the 15th. We're looking forward to ROCKIN' the ROCKIES!  

                 

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I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.

Psalm45:17

Trudy Hopedale

Trudy Hopedale: A Novel by Jeffrey Frank

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Jeffrey Frank employs the ballot-counting debacle of the 2000 election as a back drop for the coming change in DC and its ripple effects among the D-list social set. Events swirl around wanna-be socialite Trudy Hopedale, a party-giving friend seeker among the influential people. Irony is so heavily slathered on this story that it is...well, ironic. There's some humor, some recognizable stereotypes, and enough bits of history that kept me reading, finally reaching the final page.

View all my reviews >>

Dogs on Thursday

Lailah loves toys and always has one with her, usually her kitten. Whether its rubbery toys like her pork chop, assorted balls, or her Kong, she loves carrying them around and bounding after them when one is thrown for her.

Her favorite type of toy is a stuffed toy like her panda.

She tosses it in the air and chases after it. She shakes it mercilessly while Panda maintains his pleasant demeanor throughout.

Nuzzling and cuddling, Lailah finds every sort of play and fun with her many toys. She loves to play fetch with her stuffed toys, so we toss her kitten or other stuffed item for her to chase. She doesn't seem to enjoy playing fetch with a ball, but is very happy when the suffed kitten goes flying through the air for her retrievel. 

This is all great fun for DH and me as she entertains us with her playfulness and her enjoyment of TOYS!

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When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."  ~~Matthew 21:10,11

Wordless Wednesday: Where I Wanna Be

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Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.  ~ Ephesians 5:2

Toy Society Drop

Rudy the Rectangle is a quick crochet toy that I made for the Toy Society. Love this cute, little pattern at http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/80735AD.html

I used some stash cotton yarn and a size G hook. Quick, easy, and cute!

Mr. Rectangle was last seen patiently awaiting a playmate to retrieve him and take him home. He's at a pretty, little red shrub near the parking lot at Garden Acres Park in Longmont, CO.  I hope by now there is a child who is having fun with this little toy.

Read about the Toy Society at http://thetoysociety.blogspot.com/

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You are the light of the world.  ~~~Matthew 5:14a

Wordless Wednesday -- Pool-side

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They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the LORD to care for them.  ~ Psalm 112:7

A Meme for Fun!

Copy, paste, and bold what you have done!



1. Started your own blog



2. Slept under the stars



3. Played in a band



4. Visited Hawaii



5. Watched a meteor shower



6. Given more than you can afford to charity



7. Been to Disneyland



8. Climbed a mountain



9. Held a praying mantis



10. Sang a solo



11. Bungee jumped



12. Visited Paris



13. Watched a lightning storm at sea



14. Gone rollerskating



15. Adopted a child



16. Had food poisoning



17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty



18. Grown your own vegetables



19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France



20. Slept on an overnight train



21. Had a pillow fight



22. Hitch hiked



23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill



24. Built a snow fort



25. Held a lamb



26. Gone skinny dipping



27. Run a Marathon



28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice



29. Seen a total eclipse



30. Watched a sunrise or sunset



31. Hit a home run



32. Been on a cruise



33. Seen Niagara Falls in person



34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors



35. Seen an Amish community



36. Taught yourself a new language



37. Acted in a play or performed on stage



38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person



39. Gone rock climbing



40. Seen Michelangelo's David



41. Sung karaoke



42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt



43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant



44. Visited Africa



45. Walked on a beach by moonlight



46. Been transported in an ambulance



47. Had your portrait painted –



48. Gone deep sea fishing



49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person



50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris



51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling



52. Kissed in the rain



53. Played in the mud



54. Gone to a drive-in theater



55. Been in a movie



56. Visited the Great Wall of China



57. Started a business



58. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment



59. Visited Russia



60. Served at a soup kitchen



61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies



62. Gone whale watching



63. Got flowers for no reason



64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma



65. Gone sky diving



66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp



67. Bounced a check



68. Flown in a helicopter



69. Saved a favorite childhood toy



70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial



71. Eaten caviar



72. Pieced a quilt



73. Stood in Times Square


74. Toured the Everglades



75. Been fired from a job



76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London



77. Broken a bone



78. Been on a speeding motorcycle



79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person



80. Published a book



81. Visited the Vatican



82. Bought a brand new car



83. Walked in Jerusalem



84. Had your picture in the newspaper



85. Read the entire Bible



86. Visited the White House



87. Won money



88. Had chickenpox



89. Saved someone's life



90. Sat on a jury



91. Met someone famous



92. Joined a book club



93. Had to put someone you love in Hospice Care



94. Had a baby



95. Seen the Alamo in person



96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake



97. Been involved in a law suit



98. Owned a cell phone



99. Been stung by a bee



100. Read an entire book in one day

I'm thinking that one's advanced age certainly has an effect on the number of emboldened experiences!

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Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.  - 1 Peter 2:2-3

Dogs on Thursday

Lovely Miss Lailah lounges on her pillow/toy. She loves to do battle by dragging it around and fighting it! When she tires of it, she simply lies on it to relax. Note her frog-legs position--so funny!

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With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous. ~ Proverbs 11:9

Wordless Wednesday

The Toy Society

The following statement is from http://thetoysociety.blogspot.com/

"About The Toy Society

The Toy Society spreads the love throughout the streets of the world. Nothing to it really just a bunch of handmade toys looking for a nice home.What started as a small street art project in Australia is slowly spreading around the world.Should you come across a member of The Toy Society on your travels collect them up and take them home with you! But don't forget to let us know about it here.
thetoysociety@gmail.com"

Scrappy Snake was dropped at a park to wait for a playmate to find him. He is crocheted from scrap yarn.

Three bunnies were knit with worsted weight yarn. This bunny is waiting in the gazebo at City Park.

Belonging to "The Toy Society" is a true blessing! I made my very first drops yesterday and felt sooo stealth. Like no one would see a gray-haired lady of some girth with her beautiful Boxer bouncing around on the end of a leash!! I did wear sun glasses, after all. I quite enjoyed the entire experience after a few tense moments when a police car was behind me. Did someone notice that I was driving to the parks? Did they note the plastic bags I left behind? Am I appearing suspicious rather than my imagined stealth? The officer’s right hand turn solved all of that, but there was that lady getting her mail. Was she watching me? Ah, the thrill of it all! Most importantly, I hope there are four children enjoying three bunnies and a scrappy snake who were waiting to be discovered.

My first drop was at a large park where I left a Bunny to ride the bouncy animal. I still haven't quite decided what that animal is! A squirrel? The final drop was to leave the last Bunny on the climbing wall at a park on the other side of town.

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A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. ~ Proverbs 17:27