Hilarous story... (warning... girl stuff!)

I have been making cotton washcloths for Hannah and for a swap I'm in. While searching for some new patterns I ran across this story... Put your coffee cups down!

THE WASH CLOTH

I was due for an appointment with the gynecologist later in the week. A few days before that I received a call from the doctor's office to tell me that I had been rescheduled for that morning at 9:30 am. I had only just packed everyone off to work and school, and it was already around 8:45 am. The trip to his office took about 35 minutes, so I didn't have any time to spare.


As most women do, I like to take a little extra effort over hygiene when making such visits, but this time I wasn't going to be able to make the full effort. So, I rushed upstairs, threw off my pajamas, wet the washcloth that was sitting next to the sink, and gave myself a quick wash in "that area" to make sure I was at least presentable. I threw the washcloth in the clothes basket, donned some clothes, hopped in the car and raced to my appointment.


I was in the waiting room for only a few minutes when I was called in. Knowing the procedure, as I'm sure you do, I hopped up on the table, looked over at the other side of the room and pretended that I was in
Paris or some other place a million miles away. I was a little surprised when the doctor said, "My, we have made an extra effort this morning, haven't we?" I didn't respond. After the appointment was over, I heaved a sigh of relief and went home. The rest of the day was normal ... some shopping, cleaning, cooking, etc.


After school when my 6-year old daughter was playing, she called out from the bathroom, "Mommy, where's my washcloth?" I told her to get another one from the cupboard.


She replied, "No, I need the one that was here by the sink. It had all my glitter and sparkles saved inside it."

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Did you know that...

February has basically been FOOD MONTH!!! Oh how I wish I had known sooner...

Among other things it's been Berry Fresh Month, it's been Celebration of Chocolate Month, and Hot Breakfast Month, and Snack Food Month, and Sweet Potato Month!!!

And starting today, the entire next week is Pancake Week. IHOP is celebrating National Pancake Day on Wednesday.

From the IHOP press release: 1,400 IHOP restaurants throughout the United States will once again invite guests to enjoy a free short stack of IHOP's signature buttermilk pancakes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. In return, IHOP guests are asked to donate what they would have paid for the free pancakes, or more, to their local children's hospital or another worthy cause. Additionally, Miracle Balloons will be sold for $1 each, personalized and displayed at participating IHOP restaurants from February 1 through February 24, 2009, offering guests another way to show their support of Children's Miracle Network and contribute to the National Pancake Day fundraising effort.

So don't miss out on what is left... Go C E L E B R A T E !!!
Feb 22 - Cherry Pie Day
Feb 23 - Banana Bread Day and (if you have a four legged friend) Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day
Feb 24 - National Pancake Day - GO IHOP!!!!
Feb 25 - Chocolate-Covered Nuts Day
Feb 26 - Pistachio Day
Feb 27 - Strawberry Day, Kahlua Day

and the best...

Feb 28 - Chocolate Souffle Day

Now where is that chocolate????????????

COVER UP!!!

with an apron!

The Apron Goddess is giving away a great gift. It's a book entitled "Early 20th Century Vintage Apron Collection" by June Bartos. There are some REALLY great designs in it. So wander on over to The Apron Goddess blog and enter! Maybe you can make yourself a great vintage pattern apron!

And remember me next Christmas!!! ;)

Do you Quamut???

I didn't. I had no clue what that even was. It just sounds so... ewwww....

But evidently Quamut means "how to" in Latin. So online it's appropriate that Quamut is a "How to" site published by Barnes & Nobel, the bookstore people. For the month of February they are offering all their knit and crochet patterns as FREE downloads. Check it out here for the crochet offerings and here for the knit offerings. And check out the rest of the site. It looks interesting! But be careful... you might learn something.

Reminiscing... Have you done any of these things?

This is something I got from another Blog I read... Clay Hill Farm. waving furiously HI TERRI!!! You're supposed to highlight the things on the list you've done. She just used Yes and No and I think that works great so I'm doing the same thing. Some answers I didn't even need to change!

Started your own blog - yep, you're reading it.
Slept under the stars - yep.
Played in a band - yep - middle school. you aren't missing a thing.
Visited Hawaii - nope.
Watched a meteor shower - yep, more than once.
Given more than you can afford to charity - yep, what goes around comes around.
Been to Disneyland/world - lived in both California and Florida, so both.
Climbed a mountain - hiked. knees won't let me these days.
Held a praying mantis - nope.
Sang a solo - NO!
Bungee jumped - nope - never, never, never. Amen!!!
Visited Paris - sigh... someday.
Watched a lightning storm at sea - no, but watched plenty of them from the beach.
Taught yourself an art from scratch - yes.
Adopted a child - i'd love to but i don't think it could be now.
Had food poisoning - yes, once or twice!
Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty - nope. But I saw a small replica near lincoln center.
Seen the Mona Lisa in France - nope, but someday.
Slept on an overnight train - yes. i was only 11 but it was a blast!
Had a pillow fight - yes.
Hitchhiked - i don't remember but i don't think so.
Taken a sick day when you’re not ill - pleading the fifth here!
Built a snow fort - nope.
Held a lamb - no, but i've held baby chicks.
Gone skinny dipping - yes.
Been to a Broadway show in NY - nope.
Ran a Marathon - nope.
Been in three states at once - several two's but can't think of a three offhand.
Ridden in a gondola in Venice - nope.
Seen a total eclipse - yes.
Watched a sunrise or sunset - yes, lots.
Hit a home run - nope.
Been on a Cruise - nope, and don't want to any more.
Seen Niagara Falls in Person - nope, but would like to.
Visited the birthplace of your Ancestors - yes, but just the last two generations.
Seen an Amish community - yes, lovely people!
Taught yourself a new language - tried, but wasn't successful.
Had enough money to be truly satisfied - yes.
Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person - nope, not yet.
Gone rock climbing - nope.
Seen Michelangelo’s David - do books and tv count?
Sung karaoke - NO! and never will.
Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt - yes, amazing.
Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant - i've paid the bill for the person/people in the vehicle behind me at a fast food several times.
Visited Africa - nope.
Walked on a beach by moonlight - yes, and the beach is lovely any time of the day or night.
Been transported in an ambulance - yes, but as a passenger with my daughter as the patient.
Had your portrait painted - yes, in pastels for my first husband. Still have it.
Gone deep sea fishing - yes, never again.
Seen the Sistine Chapel in person - nope, not yet.
Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris - nope, not yet.
Gone scuba diving or snorkeling - nope.
Kissed in the rain - yes.
Played in the mud - yes.
Been to Grace Kelley’s grave in Monaco - nope.
Gone to a drive-in - yes.
Been in a movie - nope. but my husband and son have! hubby twice! a major one too! i've been on tv several times.
Visited the Great Wall of China - nope, not yet.
Started a business - yes.
Taken a martial arts class - nope.
Swam in the Mediterranean Sea - nope.
Visited Russia - nope.
Served at a soup kitchen - nope.
Sold Girl Scout cookies - yes.
Gone whale watching - nope.
Gotten flowers for no reason - yes.
Donated blood, platelets or plasma - yes.
Gone sky diving - NO!
Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp - no. but my late father in law was a german pow.
Bounced a check - yes, but not on purpose.
Saved a favorite childhood toy - yes. and i have bought a replacement for one on ebay.
Visited the Lincoln Memorial - yes.
Eaten Caviar - nope.
Pieced a quilt - yes.
Stood in Times Square - nope.
Toured the Everglades - nope. even thought i was born and raised nearby. been on the fringes.
Been fired from a job - yes. i didn't fit their agenda.
Seen the Changing of the Guards in London - nope, not yet.
Been on a speeding motorcycle - yes.
Seen the Grand Canyon in person - nope.
Published a book - no, but hubby and i have talked about writing one.
Visited the Vatican - nope, not yet.
Bought a brand new car - yes.
Walked in Jerusalem - nope, not yet.
Had your picture in the newspaper - yes.
Read the entire Bible - yes, when I was younger.
Visited the White House - nope.
Killed and prepared my own meat - nope. but i've fixed and eaten something i saw someone else kill. (trout and rattlesnake)
Had chickenpox - yes.
Saved someone’s life - nope.
Sat on a jury - nope.
Met someone famous - yes.
Joined a book club - yes.
Lost a loved one - yes.
Had a baby - yes. lost one too.
Seen the Alamo in person - nope.
Swam in the Great Salt Lake - nope.
Been involved in a law suit - yes.
Owned a cell phone - yes.
Been stung by a bee - yes.

What will YOU come up with???

I ran across this idea on another blog and saved the info for "future reference". I guess the future is NOW! :)

The idea is to find the sixth image in your sixth image folder, and then tag six people to do the same.

This is the sixth image in the sixth image folder on my laptop.


The picture was taken almost two years ago. That's Gamer Boy planting a Silver Maple tree in the back yard in memory of his father. (He is actually RE-planting a tree. The first one died.) I really think this picture is kind of funny because Annie was looking out the window and all of the sudden she started sniffing the window screen. It looks like she is sniffing HIM!

Now I'm not going to tag six people... I'm going to challenge anyone who reads this to do it! Who knows... you might find a picture that you haven't seen in a while that brings back good memories. It did for me.

Wow! Check this out!

Teresa, from Slowing Down A Bit, is paying it forward with a shoebox giveaway! No, there aren't shoes in it. But that is all I'm going to tell you... You need to go to her site yourself (click here) to see what she's put in it!

And yes, Terri, if I win, will share the wealth and I'll let you have the key finder. :)

What a cool Valentine's gift it could be. (I'm so easy to please!)

Now the hard part begins...

I just got notices that the wool I had spun and the cotton yarn I had dyed are both going to be arriving soon. Now I am perusing my books and patterns to decide what to make out of them. MAJOR decision. They both are beautiful but the wool turned out more stripy than I imagined it would. It wasn't anything the spinner did, I just didn't take into consideration that the white would be against all three other colors. Duh!!!! :) Since the stripy yarn is merino I might make something I can felt.

The wool went from this...


To this (with white wool added as one ply)...


And this is the hand painted cotton...


And this is what I started last night...

I'm not sure how big it will end up. It's starting out to be a blanket for Dak and I or, if I get dizzy, it will turn into one for Princess Junior. :)

Gamer Boy has been working overtime to get through his driver's training class. He has been doing almost nothing but studying and taking notes. He could finish his class work within the next one or two weeks! Then comes the permit. ACK!

Free Starbucks could be yours!

My friend, Terri, at Clay Hill Farm, is having a February giveaway. The prize? A $25 Starbucks gift certificate!!!

Now I'm not a big coffee drinker but I do like their chocolate mocha (extra chocolate) with a shot of peppermint. And it doesn't even have to be Christmas time!

So click here and take a trip over to Clay Hill Farm and enter her giveaway. Who knows... maybe I'll see you at Starbucks!

Latest project - finished and delivered. And another WIP.

This is what I have been working on for the past few days... It is a 5-sided baby blanket for one of Princess Junior's nurses who is due in April/May. She is having a boy so I wanted to use blue as the main color. I used Hobby Lobby's "I Love This Yarn" so it's nice and soft.

This is what I did for the edging. I didn't want to use scallops or anything "frilly". I really do like the way this looks. It can be tedious but it's not that hard and I think the result is worth it.

The main thing is that she really like it.

And I'm looking forward to working with the cotton yarn I am having dyed. This is what one of the skeins looks like... I love it!!!!! I have some wool in the same colorway being spun with a ply of white. And the woman I am getting it from has some bamboo blends coming in that I can have custom dyed. Those will be great for Princess Junior because of the bamboo's antibacterial properties.


Right now I'm working on another 5-sided blanket. It started out as a oblong "square" but I couldn't get it to not cup in the middle. For some reason I am not having that problem with the 5-sided version. Go figure. I didn't like the color pattern on the square one either so I took advantage of the frogging and am doing it differently. I'm using some soft yarn I got from Mary Maxim a while back. I am getting ready to weave the tails on. I usually do that after doing a bunch of rows rather than at the end of each color change. I may experiment and see if I can do the corded border in five colors! :)

Semi-snow day

As expected, county schools called off for today. But Dak still had to go to school because they didn't call off college classes. They rarely do. I guess they figure college students are better drivers on icy roads. Go figure.

But they did delay the start of school by two hours so he got to go in a bit later. This is exactly what happened a couple weeks ago on the first day his class met this semester. Only today they were due to give speeches. That always throws a wrench into things because they have to make X number of speeches and it throws scheduling off.

Let it snow, let it snow, LET IT SNOW!!!!!!!

YES!!! I feel a hot cocoa and movie night coming on!!!!!!


This is what's coming down outside my house. It didn't look like this when Dak and Chatty left this morning about 10 am.


This is what the yard looks like now. Med supplies arrive today so there will soon be footprints and handcart wheel tracks leading up to the ramp.



About one and a half to two inches and still coming down. You can see the flakes coming down in the picture. County schools closed early today and I'd really be surprised, no, shocked, if they didn't close them for tomorrow. Almost all of the surrounding counties already have called off school for tomorrow. There was even a bus accident this morning, one slid off the road. (No injuries but buses are the main reason they close the schools around here.)

I'm glad Princess Junior doesn't have any appointments this week but I do have to go out later... have to pick up a couple prescriptions. But I'm going to wait until Dak gets home to run out for it. Might need to get some milk for that hot cocoa too! And gotta hit the Redbox for the free Monday movie.

What??? You don't know about Redbox's free movies on Monday??? Check out www.insideredbox.com and sign up to get the latest news and promo codes for FREE movies! How cool is that!