Wordless Wednesday

Jetgirl1313

I must sing the praises of Jetgirl1313 who made all of these gorgeous, well-crafted stitch marker! You can absolutely see why, can't you? By the way,I think these look like red candies.

Note that she handpaints some of the beads. What a unique style she has!

These were part of a gift bag for a dear friend's birthday. I cannot express just how delighted she was with these beautiful roses.

These would make fun earrings, wouldn't they? In addition to the eye-appeal of Jetgirl's work, I was especially taken with her finish work. Not only pretty, but functional are the pieces that attach to the circle. Did you notice that too? No little opening there to snag fiber!! Hooray!! I know I won't be using those other stitch markers now that I have these!

I especially like these beads with the painted swirls. She is wonderful about special orders, keeping in touch, and speediest service ever!! Be prepared to refresh your browser when you visit her Etsy shop. You will not believe the low prices....really!! I do not know Jetgirl except as an exceptionally satisfied customer who would like to spread the word to other knitters about her wonderful work that has added even more joy to my knitting.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5405268

**All pictures are from Jetgirl's Etsy Store**

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If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

James 1:5

Bob-Bob-Bobbling Along

This is pattern square #4 of the Sophisticated Sampler Afghan by Lily Chin which I adapted by doubling the size. Bobbles are fun and easy to make, so this piece moved along rather quickly.

Bobbles happily joined the family, Diagonal and Plaid. They are displaying their sophistication even at this early stage!! I am pleased.

Just for jollies, here's a web site displaying holiday sweaters "for your pain and enjoyment"! Take a peek at http://weloveholidaysweaters.wehatesheep.com/

This craftser page is for those of you who are planning ahead for Christmas without knitting or crocheting, but it does involve yarn. See what you think. http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=211860.0

Here is a web site with direction for using circles to make a square. Wouldn't a whole pile of these make an eye-catching throw or bedspread? http://undisthreadness.blogspot.com/2006/09/16-circles-square.html There's a discussion about it as "16 Circles Square" at http://www.cast-on.com/%20PODCAST%20TOPIC

By the way, am I the last person ever to subscribe to the "Cast On" podcast? No? Well, if you haven't, give it a listen at the web site via your computer (as you sit and knit). Or, do what I do--download it to your iPod to enjoy any time, anywhere.No one will ever know what your listening to!
The level of professionalism from production to presentation is exceptionally well done which makes it a most pleasant listening experience. Give a try. Tell me what you think of it?

The Roosevelts and the Royals: Franklin and Eleanor, the King and Queen of England, and the Friendship that Changed History by Will Swift
I thoroughly enjoyed this detailed account of the powerful impact of the friendship of these four people during pre & post WWII. The gifts that each offered the world left me so inspired. It truly is a moving book with detailed focus on their humanity, rather like the drifting of majestic clouds to reveal the interactions, emotions, the inner being of each person: FDR, Eleanor, King George, and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

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Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see …. Hebrews 11:1

Friday Fill In

1. When I fell in love I landed with a thud! ;)

2. How glorious when the flowers bloom and it heats up outside!

3. Oh no! The internet connection is down, I'll have to do something useful.

4. Psych is the craziest tv show ever.

5. Cheese and fruit make a great meal!

6. Relax and enjoy beauty in a garden.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to knitting, tomorrow my plans include serving as a greeter at church and Sunday, I want to do some gardening!

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I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Thursday! Books! Dogs!

http://btt2.wordpress.com/Do your reading habits change in the Spring? Do you read gardening books? Even if you don’t have a garden? More light fiction than during the Winter? Less? Travel books? Light paperbacks you can stick in a knapsack?
Or do you pretty much read the same kinds of things in the Spring as you do the rest of the year? ***My reading is determined by my mood rather than the seasons. Like many readers, I experience times when I hunger for one genre over another...memoirs and bios for a couple months, then cozy mysteries for a while. "Beach reads" work year-round too!




http://dogsonthursday.blogspot.com/

Play time involves nips, snarls, and growls!

Lailah sports her Rockies rally towel which was totally ineffective against the Cubbies last night.
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He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 2Corinthians 1:4

Wordless Wednesday

Swap Package

Tracy sent swap gifts from Florida including a state towel and key ring. I can't tell you how much fun Lailah is having with the balls she sent!! Nothing like new toys to keep her busy. Max pretty much ignores toys most of the time, but I'm sure he appreciates being remembered! :)With the candy to munch while enjoying my new books, a book mark to keep my place, and a cute little magnet, Tracy sent a very nice package. Thank you!

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Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Matthew 22:37

342,745 Ways To Herd Cats Challenge

I've decided to join the Herding Cats Reading Challenge. If you're interested, visit http://bottle-of-shine.livejournal.com/273294.html

tl;dr = Too long; Didn't read :)

The parameters are simple. List 10 Books You Love. Choose three books from the other lists to read between May 1 and November 30, 2008. I find this appealing because it allows for pleasant, leisure reading while providing a good resource for book recommendations.

Here are my 10 recommendations. These truly are books I love!

1-Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Opening chapters of unspeakable cruelty by society.
Turns of phrase:
***Mother Nature looking like Eleanor Roosevelt.
***Dragonflies darted back & forth like they were stitching up the air.
***Calendar sisters(Spring & Summer)
***"I had no idea what sort of denomination Orthodox Eclectic was, but I nodded like we had a big group of them back in Sylvan."
***"Women make the best beekeepers, 'cause they have a special ability to love critters that sting. It comes from years of loving children and husbands."

Enjoyed the parallel of Lily's secret life and that of the bees.
The element of spirituality reminded of "We all live lives of quiet desperation."
Each finds a way to deal with it. This incredible story is a tapestry of faith, humanity, and the natural world. Beautiful, beautiful...

2-Chocolat by Joanne Harris

3-Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Love-love-love his whimsical view on life---how well he connects with children of all ages.

4-The Senator's Wife by Susan Miller
Excellent---parallels of Deila the Senator's wife & neighbor of newlywed Mary. The stages of women's lives. Great story line, character development in the women & their spouses, Tom & Nathan

5-The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

6-The Preacher and the Presidents: Billy Graham in the White House by Nancy Gibbs

7-Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell

8-740 Park: The Story of the World's Richest Apartment Building by Michael Gross

9- The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque: A Novel by Jeffery Ford

10-A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena De Blasi
Started ho-hum. Wasn't even sure I'd finish it. A memoir: romantic, lush with food and Damask and descriptions of Italy--chiefly the waterways and lagoons of Venice. Everything has a golden hue--even the man with one sharp front tooth! The author paints with words describing her adventures in meeting and marrying an Italian man, giving up everything and moving to Venice. She, a renowned chef and writer from St. Louis. How wonderful it would be to tour beginning in St. Louis and visiting all of the places in her book!! A long,extensive tour to see the richness, the beauty that she describes, the luscious foods and wines she tastes. "A thousand days. A minute. A flash. Just like life I think." A luscious book to savor. I hesitate to begin another and diminish the "taste" of this one~~~

Now I have to choose three from the lists of the other participants. Thus far, I have selected two titles that I want to read. Since people are still posting books, I'll monitor those to choose the third book to read.

Three Books I Will Read Are

1- The Opposite of Fate by Amy Tan
2- The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
3- After All These Years by Susan Isaacs

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Friday Fill In #68

1. The last time I lost my temper I stomped my little foot!
2. Asthma is what I'm fed up with!
3. The next book I'd like to read is jumping off the bookshelf.
4. The Rockies/Cubs game is what I'm looking forward to.
5. If you can't get rid of the skeleton[s] in your closet, dance with them!
6. The best thing I got in the mail recently was a caring note from a dear friend.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to reading, tomorrow my plans include more rest and recuperate, and Sunday, I want to spend the day on the deck!

BTT & DOT

http://btt2.wordpress.com/
"I’ve always wondered what other people do when they come across a word/phrase that they’ve never heard before. I mean, do they jot it down on paper so they can look it up later, or do they stop reading to look it up on the dictionary/google it or do they just continue reading and forget about the word?"
Typically, I think about the contextual use of the word and note any similarities to other words and root words that could "unlock" it. If I want to ascertain the specific meaning, I jot the word in my reading journal or the inside cover of the book and continue reading. Usually, it makes sense even though I don't know the exact meaning.

Unable to find the water in the hot tub (It was just there! I saw it!), Lailah decides to perch on her favorite outdoor spot.

All is quiet in the back yard. Lailah is satisfied with her watch duties and takes a moment of rest. Her normal standing position allows her to survey the bunnies, squirrels, and birds who normally keep her quite busy with jumping down from her perch, running across the deck to the grass, chasing bunnies, birds, and -- of course---treeing the squirrels. Her perch position affords a view over the back yard fence to bark at any movement she spies. Her bark has gotten much LOUDER, by the way. It remains rather high-pitched, giving it a piercing quality. yep.

Being a dog who enjoys perches, Lailah has several ideal locations in the house. The bay window in the living room is a favorite, serving much as the hot tub perch. The difference is that the barking, running, and chasing does take place within the house since she cannot get out to the deck and yard. Is it any wonder that I pretty much know where she is at all times---except when she's getting into something forbidden!

Max sleeps. I am going to keep my camera on my person to capture Max in action---standing, eating, playing with Lailah. It happens.

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Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. Hebrews 10:24

Wordless Wednesday: Wall in Red

Sampler Ghan: Part Deux

Officially known as "Square 6" from Easy Afghans by Family Circle designed by Lily Chin, I have thought of this square as "plaid" since the moment I first saw it.


It may well be a misnomer on my part, however the interplay of lines and textures just spoke "plaid" to me. And, thus it is.

And two became one. This is a wedding ghan for dear nephew and his bride, so my corny reference brings together the first two squares. Love the lines, love the single color, love the Berroco Comfort yarn! Love--love--love! Hey! I think I have a theme going here!

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Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all. 2 Thessalonians 3:16

I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman

I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman by Nora Ephron

This book of vignettes on being 60+ would have lost much of its audacity had I not heard it read by the author on my iPod. The nasal New York tones flowing with New York stories added a dimension of wit, satire, and frustration. It was like listening to an obnoxious, gossipy, self-centered lady -- impossible to ignore, highly entertaining and covering topics from manicures, apartments, hair care, marriages, divorces, the bikini triangle, Bill Clinton, and JFK--a tour de force/farce--magnificent.

Ephron has written about women at different times of life, so Google her and find one that fits you. Well worth the read!

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And don't forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God. Hebrews 13:16

Sampler In Progress

Berrocco Comfort yarn is soothing on the hands! Just love working with yarn and my size 8s. Rather than make the afghan I had first selected, I have decided to make a sampler ghan---so much easier to handle. I have completed one 13-inch square, a diagonal ridge design by Lily Chin.

It is "square 5" on page 135 in Easy Afghans by Family Circle. The color is "oatmeal", the only color I plan to use in this wedding gift for nephew and bride.

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I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Friday Fill-In

1. I love springtime in all its glory!

2. Fruit and pastries are foods I love to eat for breakfast.

3. It seems I'm always searching for my glasses, my keys, my memory...

4. Snoring is a great way to end the day.

5. I think I need some chocolate!

6. Hugs and kisses are what I've been craving lately.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to recuperating from bronchitis, tomorrow my plans include recuperating from bronchitis even more and Sunday, I want to end bed rest if I can!

Books-n-Dogs on Thursday

Dedicated to Fireflynights.

"Pick up the nearest book. (I’m sure you must have one nearby.)
Turn to page 123.
What is the first sentence on the page?
The last sentence on the page?
Now . . . connect them together….(And no, you may not transcribe the entire page of the book–that’s cheating."

Chocolat by Joanne Harris Page 123
First sentence: "For some reason she wants to abet them."

This would be the famous abetting scene in which the gypsies arrive unabashedly as visitors and sell supplies for cash-money. Then there is the "hiss-thump!" of the breathing machine that prevents pere from indicating what should be done about the gypsies---how to get rid of them.
The decision to speak to the woman is daunted by the disdainful look of the MAN with a glass in his hand. He was drinking something!

Last sentence: "He looked dangerous, violent, in his filthy overalls and long, loose hair, and for a second I felt a thin stab of anxiety for the woman."

Now then, aren't we all so happy that Joanne's writing of the mid-section is what it is! :)

Max & Lailah:

"OK. Got it. Spring snow storm. Can we come back in now?"

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Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Ephesians 5:17

Wordless Wednesday: Coors Field Atmosphere

The Afghan

In the late 70s, I crocheted a Christmas gift for my parents. An afghan made of left-overs yarns. I made it extra large for no apparent reason. Dad was diagnosed with cancer shortly after that Christmas. He was 57. By the grace of God, he lived for 9.5 years through struggles with experimental treatments and the tortuous side-effects. Covered with the afghan, he told me it was so warm--just what he needed.

After Dad's passing, Mom told me that the nights were the loneliest time. She'd wrap herself in the afghan late at night and mourn my Dad. It has been two years now, since Mother passed. Yes, she was soothed by the afghan during her final illness.

I didn't want the afghan back. I told my sister No. My husband put it in a box for me. I could not deal with that afghan. It stayed packed for over a year and a half. I recently brought it out. I did not wash it. It had the scent of my Mother. Now, as I deal with chronic illness, I wrap in the old afghan. Warm in the arms of my parents.

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I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people. Leviticus 26:12

Friday Fill-In and More!!

1. Tonight I saw all the mistakes I made in a new knitting pattern I'm doing. Fixed now!

2. Joyfulness and thanksgiving makes me wanna dance!

3. Splitting a few appetizers between friends: Me, "Do you want to split one?" Friend, "Oh yes, They look decadent!" Moments of eating pleasure, then Me, "Do you want to split another one?" Friend, "Of course! Why not?"

4. Alecia, a gracious woman at church, is someone I'd like to get to know better.

5. The smell of Easter lilies reminds me so much of springtime!

6. A kiss from DH and that made it all better.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to recuperating from a tough week of health problems, tomorrow my plans include continue recuperating with the help of meds and breathing treatments and Sunday, I want to have fun at the Rockies/Diamondbacks game at Coors Field. I plan to have reasonably recovered by then!

In Response to Questions in the Comments (Love comments!)

The Santa Fe pic on Wordless Wednesday was taken about two weeks ago when DH and I took a road trip to Tucson to see some Rockies games at Spring training camp. And now, the season has begun! We drove through two days of white-out blizzards in Raton Pass in northern NM.

While in Santa Fe, we visited the Georgia O'Keefe Museum for the first time. I was enchanted by the peaceful atmosphere, the simplicity, and the thrill of seeing original O'Keefe works! I bought a couple more small prints to add to my collection.

Arriving in Tuscon meant trading snow for mild sunburns!

Then on to Scottsdale for another Rockies game.



And, yes, we did drive a little way on Route 66. My first trip on 66 was in the '60s when my grandparents took my middle sister and I from NE Ohio to San Diego and many other interesting places in the West. I remember Colorado and Denver on the drive home and decided CO was a most amazing place. Never in my wildest imaginary journeys did I ever consider that I'd move to CO in 1974 and remain here to this very day!

Moving right along....

The Friday Night Knitter's Club by Kate Jacobs
My notation in my reading journal says, "so-so/got bored with it." Knowing that its a huge hit among knitters, and apparently others as well, I feel like a turn-coat, a heretic. But, here's the thing, I stayed with it to page 204 and could not get engaged with the characters. It seemed predictable with some stereotypical characterizations. I put a bookmark after page 204 and returned it to the bookshelf where it is resting comfortably.
So that's my true confession. But, that's just me. I'm just saying....

On Max being relaxed.... Poor boy. Though always Mellow Max by nature, he now suffers with arthritis at 10+ years of age. So, yes, he may be a bit zoned-out on pain meds and the anti-inflammatory med, well also, the Benedryl and thyroid med--all prescribed after weeks of tests at the Colorado State University Veterinary Hospital and our personal vet. Maybe he's groovin' to the Eagles (who completely predate Max) or Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band or "How Much is That Doggy in the Window". Anyway, he's not crying...or moaning. Nope, not many action shots of Max, good ol' boy... My sweet Max. :)