Knitting Mania!

Before Christmas my daughter showed me a hat she would like to have for Lila and after looking at it, I thought to myself, "I can knit that!".  I haven't knitted in 40 years but it didn't look to hard, so I dug out my knitting needles and bought some yarn and I have been on a knitting frenzy every since! 

I knitted a couple hats for Lila, an ear warmer for her and her mother, various scarves, a blanket for Lila's doll, numerous dish cloths  and a sweater for Lila.   I have a couple projects on needles that may or may not be completed in the near future.  I have also been teaching some of the ladies from my church how to knit and they are all happy with their progress. 

I hope to keep up with this and shower my friends and family with homemade goodness!  Let me know if ya want on my list!

Organizing and Purging!!

I'm excited to have some motivation to get my house organized and decorated for Megan's wedding reception this fall. (My niece asked me if she could have a wedding reception at our home when they come home from Canada where they are going to get married.  Of course I was delighted to have the chance to buy pumpkins and decorate, but....  I have a lot of sprucing up to do before then!   My soap kitchen/project room and space where everything goes that doesn't have a place of its own is the first thing on my list to get organized.  It will be the area where we will keep the extra food and mess during the reception so that my kitchen doesn't look like a warehouse while people are milling around! 

It seems one thing always leads to another, I have gone through most all the cupboards and cabinets in my project room and am now working on the visual surfaces.  I really need to work in the basement also!  Here is one area that I have finished!  I took a photo quick before it became cluttered again.  I want to work very hard to keep it clutter free forever!  I thought you would be impressed after seeing the "before" photo!

 Also on my list of "to do" projects is to paint and update, refurbish our master bathroom.  I thought that was going to happen this past weekend but I got a stomach thing that is going around and basically was worth nothing all weekend.  But stay tuned for the progress on that project.

This weekend Molly, Matt and Lila will be visiting so the project will be put on the back burner again....if I can't think of a way to procrastinate the following weekend, I might get to it then!

Keep me accountable people!  I want to get the house in shape before the big day in October!

The Magic Ends!

We just came home from a very fun-filled vacation at Disney World.  This was our go big or go home trip and we splurged and stayed at the Grand Floridian this time.  It was so worth it not to have to colapse the stroller and use the monorail.  The bathrooms were big enough to spread out all my "stuff" and not feel like I was living out of a suitcase all week.  We had connecting rooms with Molly and her family so my little friend Lila could come visit Mimi whenever she wanted.

Did I mention that we could see Cinderella's Castle from our room and watch the fireworks every night!  Lila liked the nightly boat parade but lucky for us we were able to avoid that a couple nights.  (The music is still playing in my head and it's not a good sound.) 

We had so much fun.  I can't wait to go back.

 

Just had a call from my daughter that little Lila has croup and bronchitis and her daddy has pnomonia.  Both were to the dr. today.  I have a sore throat!  Sounds like we all need a few days to recuperate from vacation!

 

Welcome Zippy

It's been about a month since we said good-bye to our old faithful friend Stewart and already we are welcoming a new puppy to our family.  I'm so glad that Mr. Kay reminded me that it is much easier to go through all the training in the summer rather than late fall.  So I searched for a mini golden doodle and finally made a decision and made an appointment to check out this little guy.  

It was love at first sight..... I can't say enough about the disposition of this puppy, he is just the sweetest thing.  I was prepared to spend a few sleepless nights but the first night we had him I put him in his crate and said goodnight...as soon as the light went out he started whining.  I told him I was right here and it was ok, and we didn't hear another peep from him til morning. 

I wasn't sure I had it in me to train yet another dog but I think it may all work out all right after all!  Stay tuned....there is bound to be a few more chapters to this one!

Yikes!!!

I'm not really an outdoor person....  I like gardening and I love a summer tan, but the woods and hiking are pretty low on the list.  That said, almost every weekend we go to the pond in the mountains for relaxing and food with friends and family.  

We also go there during the week and take care of the weeds and to cut back the natural growth from the picnic and living area to keep the snakes and wildlife at bay....at least while we are there.  

Check out the tree!  That is a 6 foot black snake crawling up to check out the bird's nest.  Apparently there were no birds or eggs in the nest because once he checked it out, he came back down the tree and eventually slithered away.  Ugh....  So while back at the pond it won't be enough to watch where you are walking, I will also have to look up to make sure there are no snakes in the trees!  

A couple of us voted to kill the snake!  But Mr. Kay (who calls himself the chairman of the board) vetoed that idea and the snake lived to terrorize us again.

Best Buddy

It's a very sad day for me....we had to put my best buddy down.  He was losing his eyesight as a result of his diabetes.  We made the decision last week and I'm proud to say that his last week was a great week for him. Instead of eating the special dog food that was prescribed for his bladder stone, I allowed him to eat whatever he wanted.  Just this morning before we left for the vet he finished off all the beggin strips!  Yesterday we went up to the pond and he got to hang out  up there for the afternoon.  It's so sad to loose a pet.  I took a vacation day today and did some retail therapy.... it helped for awhile.

RIP Stewart, you were the best!

Summer projects

This Summer is all about fixing up the space in the mountains.  Last summer we had a few picnics up there and sat around and discussed all the work that we had to do and how we might go about it.  We did the bare minimum.

 This summer we bought a camper that will be delivered on Saturday.  My nephew and his wife already have had their camper delivered so we plan to spend a lot more time up there relaxing.....but first we have a lot of work to do!!!!   We have electricity this year so that in itself is a step up, onward to figuring out how to get enough water in the spring house to be able to pump out to the campers. 

Last weekend I asked Mr. Kay if he would make me a serving table to put under the pavalion.  We have lots of picnic tables but it is a bit annoying to have to put the food on a picnic table and reach across the bench part to get your food....  so I went to Etsy and found a table that I thought would work for us and gave him the plans and a few days later I received this lovely table.  I did a bit of tweaking the original plans of course, I asked him to put floor tiles on the top of the table and as it turns out I like that look. 

 

Next up, a set of corn hole boards.....  just ordered the Penn State decals for them yesterday.  

 

Favorite Flower!

Each week when I walk out into my gardens I see something that makes me smile and think "oh, they are my favorite!"  This week it is the iris, last week I was admiring the Lupine and the week before that as I smelled the Lily of the Valley I remembered that was one of my favorites.   Our lilac season seemed very short to me this year, I only had one or two bouquets in the house and they were gone!  I guess flowers are a little like children...they are all favorites, we love them all!   

 I have several varieties of iris, I am amazed at all the lovely colors available.  I am impressed by the very little amount of work required to maintain these beauties!  Just plant and forget about them.

This weekend summer officially arrives....  I just love summer and the flowers and warm weather!

Memorial Day!

It's Memorial Day weekend and our first picnic at the pond for the summer.  We ate, we crafted, we rode 4-wheelers, played in the sand and just had an enjoyable time!  Many more good times at the pond this summer since last week we bought a travel trailer.  Tim and Emily have already moved theirs in and ours will be coming soon.

Theses are the beads that Molly made.  She made a bracelet out of hers.

I haven't blogged in a long time but I got a new computer recently so I thought it was time to jump back in.  My dear little granddaughter is 14 months old already.  She came to grammy's this weekend to hang out while her parents attended my son in law's grandfather's funeral.  I took a day off work and we had a good time, she played and napped and then we shopped.  She made out ok on the shopping trip!  

Lila has been going to sign language class for a few months and while she develops her language skills she knows how to ask for more (bottom left), she can tell when she is finished eating and doesn't want any more, she can say please and thank you.  She knows some animal signs and more.  

It was nice to have them all spend an extra night here last night.  Finally today I've gotten all the toys put away and the house back to normal....until the next time.