Got Skates?

Oh yeah! This morning was so much fun getting to work. Got to love the ice storms. Snow I can handle as long as not white out conditions. Such as this right before I left work....

And then my DH was there to meet me, isn't he handsome...he could pass for the abominable snow man...hehehe...

I told him no kisses until he defrosts! ;)

Last of the Christmas Knitting Projects

Since a certain couple finally came and had their Christmas with us I can now post the pictures of one of their gifts.

And here they are in front of the Christmas tree ( by the way that tree was up since a week before Christmas until last Monday and never lost a needle!).

Tim, Eve and little Max. By the way Max, Sampson has been looking all over for you and says to tell you to come back real soon!

Growing Up...

Hmmm, where to start. Having the boys home (and all of them in the house once again at the same time) was a blessing and a time of growing up. For me. Not them.

I really have procrastinated writing this post. Because, I guess for one thing I don't want to be maudlin or have one of those blogs that is so negative that when you read it you wished you hadn't. So I am going to share my blessings and that includes the growing up part.

• I was very glad that Tim and Eve made it home without incident. We had a very lovely time, which also made it hard at the end of the week to wish them safe journey back. I think everyone had a great time.
• I am glad that Ben made it back to college and Tim and Eve back to their part of NY.
• Kerry Lee's lay off is over and he starts back to work tomorrow.
• Tim has made some plans that when his tour of duty is over (this summer) he will be back for a visit, but will be relocating to out of state to go to college there. He has always loved the ocean so wants to live near it.

I am proud of them all. They are grown *gulp* men. For some reason this kind of snuck up on me. And truthfully I was really having a hard time with this since last Thursday. I am happy that they are going their own ways, the Lord knows we won't be around forever. But for some reason I thought that they would be back to stay for at least a little while longer. I do have a couple more years yet of Ben coming home in the summer between college semesters, but even that is no longer the same. He has places to go, things to do, people to see and works like the dickens.

And Tim. For some reason I thought that once he got this crazy soldiering (my words not his) done and over with he would want to be back. It was hard to let go, but the boy went and signed papers two days after his 18 birthday, so I didn't have a choice. I always thought he would be back. But he's not. Instead a man came back to visit.

And Kerry Lee is making noises of moving out too.

My mother-n-law had three of her children married within 5 months. Now I understand. I stole one of her sons (lol). I remembered back to when I left home. I was 18 when Kerry and I married. I never have looked back. I remember life being an adventure and I wasn't a bit fearful of what tomorrow will bring. I do wish that I could recapture that feeling!

So the growing part of this for me is to let go and enjoy what is, not what was, in each and every moment of the day.

Dogs on Thursday Post

This week has been fast and furious. Quite busy at work (which is nice!). Then at home we have a house full which I am enjoying immensely! But I will post about that once my boys have gone *sigh :( * However I did not want to miss my Dogs on Thursday Post....

I think I had written that my in laws were getting a new puppy. His name is Tipper (although all the younger generation and myself thought they should call him Gizmo---my in laws didn't see the Gremlins so did not have a clue what we were referring too---what do you think?).

Isn't he cute!

Next up, the hounds and I have been walking everyday at lunch time in town, because they shovel the walks and we can actually walk! Today however we did decide to rough it a little by going to a local park where others had created a few paths and at least the snow was squashed down a little.

So some snuffling was done, playing, jumping and trying not to get to far off the path. We hit a high of 32 degrees today which is still freezing point but it felt like a heat wave!

Can you imagine if they had been off the path! No joke it is over the top of their backs.

It was fun, then we returned to work and the hounds spent the rest of the afternoon snoozing!

Happy DOT's everyone!

Anticipation!

Even though the temperature is only -8 degrees here, we have already been out of the house running errands. Brave souls that we are.

The pups had to have their paw-dicure this morning.
Then I had to purchase new windshield wipers and have them put on.
Then I went to the alpaca farm to pick up something. It was closed.
So OK, plan B. stopped at Gingerbread Junction. They don't open until 11:00 AM.
Hope the rest of the day doesn't go like this.

So as I have cleaning to do around the house today, I thought I would warm up first with a cup of tea (procrastinating, I know), and say good morning to you all out there.

You are probably wondering what any of this has to do with the title of the post. OK I am getting to it!

My son Tim and his girlfriend Eve is coming home tomorrow to finally have their Christmas! I can hardly wait! They will be here for a whole week! So prepare yourself to see more Christmasy type photos. Well you will at least see some more of my finished knitting projects!

Anyways just wanted to share my excitement. Have a great day!

Dogs on Thursday

" Ok Honey Dew, all clear she's gone! So what do you want to play with today? Oh wait a minute our big brothers are here too. Shucks, just another snow day. *sigh*"

The temperature this morning is zero. We have advisories out for Lake effect snow and chill factors of as low as -20.

This kind of weather kind of makes it just a liiiiiittttttllllee difficult to stick to the New Years' Resolution of walking the Pups daily! Not to mention the depth of the snow. Do they make snow shoes for dogs?

It's Knitting Itself!

Well, my dh would probably debate that statement but it is knitting up pretty swiftly. The most interesting thing is the number of different stitches/techniques used with this. So much fun!
See if you can recognise the Mitered Blocks, Double Moss , Seed Stitch, and Half Linen stitches.

And get a load of the ruffle (my first evah) so girly but lots of fun! And I tell you I am having so much fun with the colors too!

Update: Cathy guessed correctly!

It is the Wrap Me Up by Chris de Longpre. Congrats Cathy!

On my way to work this morning...

Fountain Park


The roads are clearer but running out of room to pile the snow. Made it!

Currently on the needles, aren't the colors lovely? The Noro yarn is made in Japan and is called Silk Garden, made up of 45% Silk, 45% Kid Mohair, 10% Lamb's Wool. Absolutely divine to work with. Any guesses to what I am making with it?

Of course this is just 3 blocks that made up block 1, long way to go, and it will have to be blocked upon completion. It must be the colors and the texture because this just flies off the needles!

Just for Fun...

I am a Daffodil What Flower Are You?

You have a sunny disposition and are normally one of the first to show up for the party. You don't need too much attention from the host once you get there as you are more than capable of making yourself seen and heard.

25 Years ago...

View out our dining room window.

We've been really having the winter weather! And right now when I don't have to go out in it, it is beautiful!

It does however put me in mind of the wee early hours of a day 25 years ago to be exact. That was the night that my husband and I made the treacherous trip down Bredinsburg road on the way to the hospital. It was snowing like crazy, and my husband was trying to be careful, keep the truck on the road, be calm and hurry. He could have taken his time.... It was hours later that our first son was born.

So even though my camera shy son "would have rather that everyone forgot his birthday" and refused to allow me to snap a picture, we are celebrating anyways!

Here is a big

Happy 25th Birthday, Kerry Lee!!!

We love you and are proud of you for all you have accomplished and life challenges that you have met and overcome! We wish this year be a year of God's Blessings and happiness for you!

More Knitting projects...

Part of my Christmas knitting that I can now post since the gift has been given is this Wisconsin Hat that I made for my dad. I had made one last year that my husband wears and my dad liked it. For this hat and size you increase until you get 101 stitches and knit 24 inches in length before decreasing. Then you double the hat and fold up the rim. Very warm!

The color was a challenge, I mean how long can camo hold a girls interest anyway? But it will be supper warm for him especially now with all the snow we have been getting!

Dogs On Thursday Post

Honey Dew: Can you see anything? Are they there yet?

Sampson: I don't see anyone...boy this two weeks without our Dogs on Thursday buddies sure has seemed a lot longer than two weeks!

Honey Dew: Maybe if I sit pretty they will stick around and visit for a while.

Sampson: Well you can hang around and wait but I am going back to bed! Wake me up when you see someone!

As you can tell we have missed you all! Happy Dogs on Thursday!

You have to love the beauty of the swirls of ice enveloping all available surfaces. And I try to this while watching that my feet do not go out from under me on the two inches of ice immediately out my backdoor! Kerry even suggested that it may be safer for the pups if I leave them here instead of taking them to work with me today. All the schools have closed. At least they are showing good sense. Snow is in the forecast today and we have an advisory out until 10:00 AM.

Well should be a fun commute into work.

On days like this I think we should learn from the bears and hibernate. Don't you?

Just a quick note

Today the pups and I managed another 40 minute walk on our lunch break. I stuck to the new eating healthy regime ( that includes two whole days without a diet coke!). Had my required 10 glasses of water plus a couple more. I did not manage to get up early to do the yoga routine but given that I am still coughing, it is probably best.

All in all I am off to a good start.

Now off to finish this knitting project...

Goals

Honey Dew, Sampson and I made it out for our walk. I wouldn't say it was a very energetic endeavor as 1. I didn't want to get overheated, 2. the pups wanted to sniff and snuffle about, but we had a great time and it accomplished our goal of getting some fresh air and some exercise. I took them down by the river and we got to see a couple of large flocks of Canadian Geese. (Sorry no pictures today.) The temperature was 37 degrees so it was above freezing.

One of our Dogs on Thursday buddies, G Marie, had made a list of goals for the New Year. I had left a comment for her to which she replied and asked if I had made any....to be honest, I hesitated to make a list let alone post it. I was somewhat afraid to because some of them might be out too big a goal to accomplish in a year. But now I think with her slight nudge of encouragement I will so here goes...

• Unearth my sewing machine from my son's room (this will be a major feat in itself!)
• Actually use the sewing machine to start and finish some projects that have been stockpiling for the last two years.
• Clean out every junk drawer and cabinet in this house (starting with my china closet that my husband thinks is a filing cabinet!)
• Walk the Hounds daily! ( I think I may keep a score card on this blog for this one. Instead of miles though it maybe measured in time or sniffs and snuffles). Though in summer when we can get through the woods and I can let them off lead we seem to go much faster and cover much ground.
• OK this is my big one. I need to loose 40 pounds (joint and health issues, not vanity). I don't know how much one is encouraged to loose in a year but I promise myself to make a concerted effort to eat much healthier and exercise everyday.

Wish me luck.

Coming into the Daylight and out of the Fog

I must be fiiinnnalllyyy getting over this cold/flu/bug/virus whatever it is. I still have a rotten cough but this is how I can tell that I am on the road to recovery...

I SEE dust on my coffee table, I NOTICE how everyone in the house has reverted to dumping stuff on the dining room table, the floor COULD USE a good vacuuming and there is probably about 3 loads of laundry that SHOULD be washed.

See, notice, could, and should. But won't be- not today *sigh*-tomorrow is another day. It has taken all my energy all week just to get up, go to work, do supper, rid up after supper, and go to bed. My sweetheart has been trying, he has been doing a load of wash a day including folding it and putting away. He gets 10 gold stars for that one!!!

I won't be going to Sunday service either as the coughing will just be a distraction. If it is as warm as it is supposed to be I may take the pups for a short walk. Poor dears have been house/office bound all week. Good thing they are bassets and not terriers they would be bouncing off the walls!

Happy New Year- Dogs on Thursday Post

You know how younger children are all excited on Christmas morning and can't hardly wait to get into their stockings?





The older ones however can barely stifle a yawn...

Happy Dogs on Thursday and most of all

have a Happy and Blessed New Year!