Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Spring Hats







Thanks for all the prayers and concerns involving the little "critter" kidney stone. He decided he did not like his location anymore last Monday and things have been good since. They have not decided why after 14 years they decided to start forming again, especially in multiples, but we are doing tests to check and see if they can determine the cause. My MD I work for and myself have determined that it is probably going to be my blood pressure medicine I started in November. This is not good folks because stopping the BP meds is not an option. When I had them years ago, I kept shots in my makeup bag for the pain. I would give them to myself until I could get to the hospital for real strong meds. This was begun after I had an attack at a college football game with the kids--they were 8 and 9, and all the men in my life were at deer camp without phone service. Hard headed as I am, I left the game, loaded up the kids, and drove home to my hospital with my doctors. This was about 2 hours away. Quite an experience!!!! I have done it once and I can do it again, but I really hate to know that these "critters" are back. I call them "critters" for lack of a better word.


Anyway on to better things. I have made use of my down time by crocheting. I made these hats and several more over the last 3 weeks. My daughter has lots of pregnant friends and Angel Baby loves a hat, so I downloaded several patterns, tweaked them to my liking and here are the results. The pics are not true colors. My bag looks like a sherbet parfait. All the colors are so sweet and soft. I have really expanded my crocheting skills. The only things done previously were scarves and afghans in straight lines. I was always scared of circles, but it is all the same.


It is time to head out to work, so ya'll be safe, happy, healthy. Hug those you love. Smile and laugh! Pray for our soldiers and their families. Pray for peace and GOD bless ya'll!!!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Fabric Bracelet





The sun has been bringing warmth to us all weekend. Looks like we are going from sweaters to flip flops quicker this year than I can remember. I even turned my air conditioner on yesterday!! Ya'll have to understand I have worked in an extrememly cold environment for most of my working life, and hot is not an option, especially with hormones ranging!!! My family freezes here most of the time, but I explain very kindly that it is a lot better for them to layer up than to have to watch me strip down and walk around naked!!! They quickly agree and get a blanket. The hubby and little buddy son went fishing a short while ago. Hubby came in late Friday night, and will only be here until early tomorrow. Yesterday was spent handling business with his Mom's estate and catching up on little house hold fix ups. Little buddy spent the night out Friday and did not get into late yesterday, so they are spending today doing the boy things. I have already got a pork loin slowly cooking on the grill, and told them I would have their favorite meal ready when they get in--pork loin, wild rice, asparagus spears with lemon and butter sauce, and pear salads--everyone in the family has a favorite on that menu. Oldest son called this morning to check in, he had been to the farm hunting turkeys. Daughter and Angel Baby have just come over to visit. We are going to browse a little this afternoon for some furniture pieces she wants for her new house. They will be moving to a larger house in April. There are a few pieces of mine she wants and I said no, so we are trying to find her something similar. They have bought new bedroom and living furniture, but the pieces we are looking for are are odds and ends she could use but does not have to have. Things to fill open spots and making for more storage.



The fabric bracelet is a copy from blogland, and I cannot remember where and I am so sorry because hers was so much cuter than mine. I thought I highlighted the site, but apparently in my sickness stupor over the last 2 weeks I have lost it. Anyway, you cut 3 strips of fabric about 1/2 in width and maybe 22 or so inches long and braid it. Do this 3 different times using a different pattern of fabric for each braid. Then you sew the braids together. I used my machine to make the initial seam but hand sewed all the rest as I went down, then finished with a sturdier machine stiich when I got it to the length I needed for my wrist. You can put clasps on, or sew the ends together, either one works the same. Make a fabric flower by twisting strips of fabric and then forming a circle to the shape you want. I found out tapping a little dab of glue here and there made it easier and sturdier for wear. This was made out of some fall fabric I am making a quilt out of, but I have just purchased some red, brown, yellow, and cream fabric that I think will make a great one for summer. As soon as I get the quilt pieces cut, I will start on the bracelet.


Time to move away from the computer for the day. I told ya'll I was afraid all this laying around would have gotten me lazy and I believe I was right. I did go to work Friday and made it 8 hours. Tomorrow they will take the stent out and I hope I getto feeling better and more normal. I am a little concerned that if they put me to sleep to put the stent in, then why are they not putting me to sleep to take it out. I have probably done hundreds of these surgeries over the years, but it has never even accurded to me before why they never came back to have it removed. Oh well, I will know tomorrow! Wish me luck and pray it all goes well. Be healthy, happy, and safe. Hug those you love. Smile and laugh! Pray for our country, our soldiers and their families, world peace, the poor people of Japan. Oh, before I finish, did ya'll see that beautiful moon last night. Now to properly finish---GOD BLESS YA'LL!!!

Friday, March 18, 2011

Cupcake Kind of Day!




I thought I would start this glorious day off with a fun happy picture. It's a "cupcake kind of day" is my motto for this day. The good Lord has blessed us with sunshine, warmth, and many blessings so yall enjoy! I have been seeing these precious pin cushions all over blogland, and I just had to have one. This base is a dipping sauce cup that ended up in my cupboard at some time. I had 2 at one time but this is all I could find at present. I glued the ric rac around the base and top of the cup. Next I filled the cup with rice so keep it sturdy. I formed some pillow batting into a ball and covered it with felt--glued the felt, but the next one I will sew a loose stitch and pull it together. If you use glue, use it sparingly. I then cut a piece of fabric that would cover the felt ball and did the sew trick, pulled it together, and tied it off to form the top. I sewed the center in with several tacking stitches to make a dimple in the center. At this point, I glued the edges of the fabric/felt ball to the dipping cup. Then, I made a little fabric flower by folding a 1-2 inch width of fabric in half and gathering the bottom to make a ruffle. After that I folded and turned the ruffle to make a little flower and hand sewed it at the base to secure the ends. I glued the flower into the dimple because I will not be putting pins in that part of the cushion. The final step I did was to make a bow out of a matching strip of fabric and there you have it--the bright, fun, funky happy for the day!


Spring break is coming to an end, and I have enjoyed this week watching my youngest grow up. He has become very independent and his logic of things is great. I have been home most of the week due to the kidney stones, but I am going back to work today. The weekend was spent in the hospital trying to pass them, but there is one who really enjoys where he is. Please pray that he leaves soon!! Hubby comes home tonight, and we have not seen him in 10 days. He tried to come home when I got sick, but I told him by the time he got here, it would probably be over. There was really nothing he could do, but look at me. Older kids have jumped in and supervised little brother, transported him to his destinations, and kept him fed. It has been so nice seeing all my kids taking care of each other and me. If one of the older was busy, the other stepped in. Little buddy spent the night with my daddy some, and friends some while I was in the hospital. He had so many offers of places to stay, I thought it was neat he decided to stay with his granddaddy the first night. I have a wonderful group of friends and family. I have been so pampered this week, that I am afraid I have gotten lazy. I love my kids and family.



Time to get up and going. Ya'll take care. Be safe, happy, healthy. Hug those you love. Smile and laugh!! Pray for the victims in Japan, our troops in Irag, Afganistan, and other parts of the world and that the conflict in the Middle East will soon end. God bless ya'll!!!!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Hello!





Wow, I did not realize how long I have been gone from this blog! I may not have been posting, but I have been crafting. The pic above is a ruffled scarf and hat I crotcheted. The pattern for the scarf came from www.lionbrand.com. I used the Lion Brand Homespun yarn because of it's "wooliness". It is a really easy pattern, and only takes about an hour to complete. The hat is an adaptation of a pattern I had. I added a scalloped edge and changed a few rows from dc to hdc. My friends laugh at me all the time because I cannot follow a pattern completely. I am always changing it up. I made about 10 of these for Christmas presents for family next year, but we had a 4 inch SNOW here and I ended up giving away about 5 to friends at work who did not have scarves. The little doll model is something I picked up at Hobby Lobby during Thanksgiving. I got it because it makes me think of what I believe MC will look like when she is older. She loves to go hug on it. I should take it down, but she loves it so it stays up. It also makes a great hat and scarf model.


We all are fine at the moment. I have had a very hard winter. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure in November, flu in December, stomach bug is January, and just passed a kidney stone this morning!! I told my doc the other day that I had been so healthy all my life, and it looked like I was falling apart. He laughed and said you are ok, your resistance has just gotten down. He prescribed sunshine, and so I am in the process of booking our week in Destin for this summer. I told my Daddy the other day that the first warm Saturday, I was going to the lake to hang out. We lost Jack's mom last week. She had been sick for 7 1/2 years, and not known anyone or able to do anything for herself for the last 3 years. It was a sad time for everyone, but a blessing in some ways. She will not suffer anymore, and Heaven is better to have that Angel there.


S due in from school any minute, so I better get off here. Today starts his Spring Break. I sure hope it warms up next week for them. Going to be around freezing tonight, just not right for the south! Yall take care. Be safe, healthy and happy. Hug those your love! Smile and laugh! God bless ya'll!!!!!!!!!!!!