Green River

I very much like visiting Green River, Wyoming. Not only do I find the scenery beautiful (although I didn't ever really think desert would be my thing, I do really like it there), but some of my favorite people live there too. Can't beat that combination!

Yesterday we walked along the green belt for a while,

(I couldn't resist photographing some of the wildflowers)

and went to a city kite flying celebration thing.

(my husband and my youngest)

(This is my second daughter, sadly her string wasn't tied tight enough for the Wyoming wind and shortly after I took this picture, it flew away. She was very upset about loosing her Sponge Bob kite.)

I'd move there if I could.

remembering

awakened by the phone. it was my husband. he said to turn on the tv.

spoke briefly with a friend a little later, after the second tower fell.

shock.

it was the first day of swimming lessons for my daughter who was four-years-old. she is now eleven.

the magnitude was huge. fear was thick in the silent air,
unusual because we live in the flight path of an air force base.

trying to understand the depth. not being able to. confusion.
why would anyone want to do this?

wondering how many people had died that morning. heart-sick.

9/11 - who can ever forget?

at the grocery store today

As is usually the case, I determined a trip to the supermarket was in order when I heard my husband's voice echo as he called out from in front of the fridge asking if there was anything at all to eat in this house.

I'm a bright girl, I can take a hint.

After picking Tessa and her little friend up from kindergarten, we headed off to Smith's because they give me a discount on gas for grocery shopping at their store. On top of the gas discount (up to 15 cents a gallon), they also have fantastic Manager Specials, which I think is a fancy way of saying something is about to expire and it needs to be sold today (or yesterday). Feeding six people equals a lot of food, so we typically use stuff up quickly. I am not often scared away by "use by" dates looming in the very near future.

Today in the Manager Specials area of the dairy section I found a half gallon of organic milk for only one dollar and we are still literally days away from the September 12th date stamped across the top (grief, it's almost gone just after dinner tonight!). Sitting on the shelf next to the milk I beheld a puzzling sight: Fat Free Half & Half. I'm perplexed by this concept. Exactly what are the two halves if not almost completely fat-full? I thought that was the point. How could half and half taste like half and half if it has no fat? And again, what are the two halves? I am confused. I am disturbed. But most of all I am certain I will never, ever try it.

Little Buddies

Typing that title made me think of "Little Buddy Diapers" from the movie Elf. I love that movie. Probably too much.

Inspired by elements from a few different crochet and knit toys I've seen here and there, I designed these little fellows using up yarn from my endless stash. I think I'm in love.

First came Lola. She was supposed to be a triangle, but didn't really end up looking much like one after all. At first I also mistakenly thought she was a he. We thought the same thing about our third and fourth children too, before birth (for one) and a better ultrasound (for the other) proved us wrong. I don't feel so bad about not knowing with Lola. Yarn can be tricky like that.

Next to come was Henry. He's a little nervous, if you can't tell. I'm thinking about putting him on celexa or zoloft or something.

And lastly, Pat. I don't know. You tell me.

Puppy Victrola

Yesterday evening my poor little Pepster got bit by a little Jack Russell Terrier from up the street. She took their barking game a little too far and now good chunk is gone from his right ear. We took him in to see the emergency vet up the street and brought him home with this fancy new cone, a round of antibiotics and some medication for the pain. He's feeling a little grouchy, understandably. He keeps bumping the cone into everything, including my legs.

I took the above picture this morning on my phone because I knew he'd follow me if I got up to get my camera. I can't get the pictures off of my phone (I'm too lame to bother with reading instructions and such) so I just took a picture of the display screen.

In order to stitch him up they had to completely knock my poor little pup out (too wiggly to do it otherwise) which meant it ended up costing considerably more than I had hoped. After we got home from leaving Pep to get fixed up, my sweet little girls went down to their rooms and each returned with their respective life savings to donate to their beloved, although hyper, naughty and crazy, dog. Their contributions ended up covering half the total cost. I did let them give their money because helping meant so very much to them.

Pepster wasn't released until after midnight, so by then all girls were asleep. However, there was much excitement and happiness this morning which made getting ready for school a bit challenging. Thankfully it's a short day as they all were voting to stay home (no! I'm tired!! I was up all night with a crying puppy).


Our sweet (I think I may only be saying that because he's hurt - he really is a stinker!) little Pep is now, and maybe forever, also known as Conehead.

a view from the passenger seat vanity mirror

photo taken by my oldest daughter

mosaic me

1. marcia, 2. tacos, 3. west high, 4. green, 5. jason bateman, 6. xingtea, 7. nyc, 8. ice cream, 9. doula, 10. my big family, 11. crazy, 12. i don’t have one

Here’s how it works:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker. Choose 3 columns with 4 rows.

The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to? (or, What year did you graduate high school?)
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name. (kid version: favorite animal?)

I saw this on my friend Cassie's blog and thought it looked like fun (and I was right, it was!). You should try it too, but please let me know if you do so I can be sure to take a peek at your mosaic. :)

Slippers

A month or so ago my mom gave me a pattern she had recently found for these very comfy slippers. She says she thinks she learned to make them in home ec. in junior high school and is not sure where the pattern originated. I knitted up a pair in a day and delivered them to her as a surprise the next day. I was fortunate to get lots of the chunky yarn the pattern calls for at 75% off from a local craft store. Always love a deal like that! Now to knit some for my husband and me. Finding a slipper he likes is difficult at best and he liked these!

first day of school in pictures

crochet bereavement sets

Earlier this month Candy requested larger gowns for Emmazing Grace (I hope these are big enough). She posted a link to Toni's Burial Gown - a little crocheted dress that is very pretty. From there I got the link to her hat/bonnet. Within 3 days I had 3 little bereavement sets finished all but the flannel for lining. I was able to get that yesterday and now, finally, all three are ready to be put in the mail.

I made this using Caron Simply Soft yarn.

Running a tie through the bottom to makes it a sleeper sack.

I don't remember what yarn this is as it was left-over from
some I used to knit blanket for my niece a few years ago.
It is a super soft baby weight that is special to me.
I added an Offray bow and booties to this set.

A white sleeper sack that was made from
Caron Simply Soft which would, I think,
be suitable for either a boy or a girl.

Tomorrow is the first day of school. With my youngest starting Kindergarten, I'll be able to make a post office stop all by myself. My goodness! That is quite a concept.

Window on the Wall

(completely cheesy alternate title: Windows of Opportunity)


I first saw a window used for wall art at my very fashionable, youngest sister's house. I think she said she and her husband had seen it at a parade of homes. Immediately I fell in love with the idea and remembered the windows that had been in the garage when we moved in this house. One of those windows ended up above the piano in our living room. (picture above)


When we redecorated my mom's kitchen (well, unfortunately less me and mostly my siblings. I would have liked to have been of more help but, alas, I wasn't) Mom used an old window from their house on the wall above the table (above picture). One afternoon my sister and I (or perhaps sisters - I can't remember) were charged with the task of looking through the stack of windows to find the best one. We did and I called dibs on the other nice one (because we all know how binding dibs are). That is the one I used over my stairs (below picture).

I purchased a small, rectangular box at Hobby Lobby with a 40% off coupon, a bunch of artificial flowers for half off and using some styrofoam that came in a box of something my husband had ordered, I made a window box to hang beneath the window. Because it is the outside (with the flowers) I hung a small curtain from the side that is against the wall. My mom used an old rice sack from her grandmother's house for a curtain on her window.

I made some curtains

Earlier this year I started redecorating just about everything I touched. As the weather warmed up, I started moving outdoors which, unfortunately, left some things undone (I say: waiting for this fall/winter when it's too cold to play in the garden). The completed tasks, however, included some MUCH wanted rooms/spaces: my room, the stairway, the kitchen, upstairs bathroom. Nearly finished are the downstairs hall, laundry room, big girls' room. FAR from finished: the computer room & even further: the family room. Anyhow, so there are three windows on the stairs, one up high, one on the back door and one down on the stairs. I wasn't ever fond of those window coverings so I was excited for the chance to change them. I used fabric I've had forever along with fabric my friend Michelle has had forever and happily donated to the cause.

back door: before & after


***


above the stairs: before (ugly, boring and too long white shade) & after (taken at night, but it does let light into the basement - I like that. That was the only good thing about the old shade)


***


there is no before for this window, but it had only the white blinds that are still there. I like this curtain because I can open it to let in light, or close it (which it's been most of the summer) to keep out the heat. The stairs are MUCH cooler this year than they were last year. Yay!

"Mommy and Tessa"

a chalkboard drawing by my five-year-old daughter

Remembering Lucy

for the babies


Lenore's Gown
Michelle's booties

Itty-bitty Buntings


no-pattern crochet blankets
(bottom one is from previous post)


I miss her little face
I miss her small hands
I miss her cute ears
And her tiny bird legs
And her feet
I'll never forget:
I once calmed her down when her parents were busy
Because her mama had showed me how
And once she fell asleep under my hands
And how when she looked at you, it felt like she could see your soul

Sam, Sarah - I will never forget your daughter.

more granny squares

Last week I worked on some other granny squares in addition to the scarf ones. These were and are special to me. For several years I have wanted to make blankets for the hospital. I am not much of a sewer though, and knitting takes so long that I have trouble sticking with the task. Granny squares are quick and, I think, beautiful.
I like the way the blanket turned out with the three large, solid squares and several (I haven't counted them, I don't know why) small, multi-colored ones. It is for a little boy I've never met, made while thinking of Lucy and her new baby brother.
18, there, I just counted.