The Re-Hooking Question

It's not something any hooker likes to do - pulling out our work and re-doing it. The truth is, when I first started hooking I refused to do. It just seemed like a pain in the butt, waste of time. When something wasn't working or didn't look right, I either abandoned the project or just quickly finished it and stuffed it in a corner. Seems stupid now! But then again I consider some of those pieces to be good learning experiences (what not to do)

I am hooked on sheep lately and started another one the other night. I found a great piece of darkish brown plaid in my stash which I thought would be a nice background. The problem became evident quickly


His black head, tail, and legs virtually disappeared in the background. It looks like just a white blob. So this time re-hooking was an easy decision. Here is the latest version


Better I think, and worth the extra 5 minutes. Not great pictures because I took them at night. I need to plan better and get my photos in the daylight.

I'm already thinking of another project. I bought a few pieces of new wool at Deanne Fitzpatrick's yesterday. Ahhhh, new wool.....is there anything better?


I need to get a few smallish projects done and listed on Etsy. (So I will have more wool-buying money)


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Girls Night Out

A little mid-week distraction - Girls Night Out. There was lots of laughter, lots of funny stories and



Banana Chocolate Rum Cake. Seriously, heavenly



Then you add a little wine and things inevitably take a different turn.... doesn't this always happen?? MAMA MIA Singalong!!



Oh yeah, we were all Dancing Queens!

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Me....Brave......NOT

Yeah, I'm not going to win any awards for bravery in this post.  And it is fairly certain that there is a zero chance that I will ever survive in the medical field should I ever (god forbid) have to change careers. 
Some of you may already know this, but for you newbies you should know that I have a strong, adverse, irrational and possibly definitely over-dramatic reaction to stitches.
(Got goosebumps just typing the word)

So Mom got her bandages removed today.  The nurse arrived at lunch time before I had a chance to eat.  Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I was helping her get Mom undressed etc and I really wanted to know for myself that the incision was healing properly.  (Yeah, I know - What was I thinking...?)  So the first corner of the bandage was peeled back.......and that's when I saw it......a thread sticking out!  GAW....UGH.....OMG   

I practically got whiplash turning my head, the stomach flipped a little and my legs turned to over-cooked spaghetti.   (See - overly dramatic but its true)  I had to leave the room.  So I relied on the nurse's opinion that it was indeed healing well, and then I asked her (OK, begged really) if she would please apply another bandage.   Whew!!  It's covered again.  I think it's safe to say that this part of the process was much harder on me than on Mom :) 

So after that point lunch was completely out of the question but on my way back to work I did buy these to try and forget......

 These little fella's always make things better.  

Now on to a quick Oscar recap.  I don't know if you watched but if you missed it - you didn't miss much in my opinion.  The intro of Christopher Plummer with the Captian VonTrapp bit was funny and the ensemble performance by the cast of Les Mis was fabulous.  The best part was the music they played when the winners droned on too long with their speeches - the theme from JAWS.  That was hysterical.

The bit with Captain Kirk was just stupid.  I managed to watch until around 11pm and then had enough.  I did miss the big fall!  Dang it.  We always wait for someone to fall up the stairs and it finally happened and I missed it.  I did feel bad that it was Jennifer Lawrence though.  Too bad it hadn't been the dude who accepted his Oscar in a kilt.  Now that would have been a memorable moment.  FLASH!  Lol

Mean Girls

Tonight's the big night - The Oscars. This is an evening when Auntie and I join forces to become "the mean girls". The fashion critiques can get brutal (but we find ourselves quite amused).

I wonder what will be this years Angelina leg? Seriously, was that not the most ridiculous pose? That skinny, boney white leg all awkwardly thrust out.......GAWD! And who can forget the year Drew Barrymore forgot to wear a bra, or the one that wore that swan dress?? Will someone trip going up the stairs? We are so mean

Snacks are all ready, we are in position for the catty mocking to begin


Are you watching??

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Sleep and Sheep

The most exciting thing to happen today is I slept in until 9:30 this morning! It was heavenly. And the rest of the day was fairly normal. I think we've turned the corner.

The most energetic thing I did today was go get a big grocery order. I've been letting things slide this week and we were getting a little low on the basics. I only had one egg left, so it was a good thing we all slept through breakfast ;). And tonight I cooked an actual meal - first time all week. Grilled haddock fillets in panko crust and scalloped potatoes.

And I have hooked for a short time today. Once I pulled those first few loops I realized how much I have missed it. This is just a small mat but it was therapeutic


Just a simple sheep and some flowers. Maybe some Spring birds next.... You could definitely call me a "happy hooker" today.

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TGIF

Friday at last. This week, and February in general, has been long. But the weekend's here! My friends (you know, those "terrible" people that forced me out Wednesday) - well, they "made" me go out for Happy Hour after work. It's become a regular Friday thing and I missed last week. Nachos, glass of wine and a spicy quesadillas for take- out. Home by 6pm is the rule. You know, so we don't look like bar flies. Lol Now there's nothing left to do but curl up for the weekend and rest.

Mom is doing well. Yesterday was our last daily nursing visit. They don't come back again until Monday. So that's a great sign. Sleeping through the night is still an issue but we are muddling through.

I'm finally ready to start hooking now. As soon as I get a few strips in place I'll post a picture. Now it's just a piece of burlap with a few black lines ;)

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Forced and coerced

It was terrible! Tonight I was forced to participate in the most unpleasant thing. A Wine and Cheesecake tasting event and the Pub. The 3 lovely conspirators practically kidnapped me at gunpoint ;)

I must say their crime was well timed. We've had 2 virtually sleepless nights. By this morning the "compassion train" had left the Station! I was not a happy camper.

But then there was this


Quesadilla and wine. Then we were presented with a cheesecake sampler plate (and more wine)


Key Lime, Vanilla Bean, Raspberry, Double Chocolate. Ironically presented in my order of preference!

Then the Jost WineryRep came around with samples. Our favorite, and the one that created the most discussion was this one.......


The wine is named 4skin.........Seriously! Apparently the winery sent Jay Leno a case and he had a few jokes about the name on his show. Gee, jokes about that name? ......shocking!

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Tweet tweet

Curiosity got the best of me. I tried but couldn't stay away. Plus, I just didn't get the whole twitter thing and that was driving me nuts too. I "NEED" to know stuff. lol (OK, I'm just plain nosey)
The last few months I've heard hashtag this and hashtag that. What in the heck is a hashtag?? It was everywhere. It looked like a number sign to me. I'm so old thats what it used to be called. Then it (#) became the "pound key". Now its a friggin hashtag! Quit it. Stop changing the names of stuff. It confuses people like me :)

Finally I opened a twitter account. First I thought I would just follow other people, you know, for news etc. Then I had this idea that I would have tons of clever snippets to tweet. HA! Since I opened the account I've got nothing! Nada, Zip, Zilch.

What do people tweet about? Will I get better? Will I eventually think of something clever? And then last night someone tweeted me!!! Seriously I was much too exciting about it than I should admit. (Thanks Deanne) It was like my very first blog comment!

Do you tweet? Are you a twitter-er? I put a button on my sidebar. Follow me - Tweet me - Help ME! I'm a Twit @kjonestoa


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Say it isn't so

Well, last nights Downton Abbey was a downer! Poor Matthew. To finally get the girl of his dreams, and the male heir at last, to be cruising down the country road with a "King of the World" smile, only to get killed in a car crash......What's up with that?? Sigh
At least it might wipe that foolish smile off Isobel for a few episodes. Is it just me or did anyone else want to smack her at the Fair? Now there's 2 babies at the Abbey with one parent. Maybe Mary and Branson will hook up in their combined grief......Now that would be an interesting twist! It seems like a long time to wait for Season 4

I've finished 4 dish cloths and while surfing this afternoon I found a cute free doodle that I think will make a cute little rug. Time to find a piece of linen and try to draw it out. Seems like forever since I hooked anything.

P.S. we slept again last night. Yippee. If things go well tonight, I'm back to work tomorrow :)


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Busy hands

I decided some mindless busy work was what I needed to settle down. So I grabbed the knitting needles. I don't have to think much and it's quite soothing actually.
My very first thing was to finish a project I started weeks ago and abandoned. I started from scratch because I wasn't happy with my first attempt. This one had to be special. It's for the Pink Scarf Project to support women fighting breast cancer. Appropriate, right! This is my completed Infinity Cowl Scarf


I have a similar style one and I love it wrapped around twice. Very cozy. Later this week it will be popped in the mail to Yaya from Whispering Pines blog. They will then be distributed by Donna of Starkey Hollow who will give to chemo patients.

Then I moved on to some dish cloths. This is always my go-to project when I'm fidgety


Mom finally (huge sigh) slept last night - over 7 hours - in a row! Hallelujah
So that meant I got some rest. I'm hoping the trend continues tonight. Her incision site seems to be bothering her more today, but I think that's a sign its healing.

This is the wonderful supper my friend Katherine sent over. It was delicious.




And lastly, tonight's the last episode of Downton Abbey for the season. It seems like it just started!
I know I haven't been visiting your blogs every day and I owe some of you some emails. I'll catch up eventually.
Kim

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Feeling the love - Part 2

Things are improving a bit. Thursday night and Friday were rough for Mom. She was wide awake and agitated badly after we got home from the hospital. So agitated in fact, she was awake until 6am. And then she got sick. Big Time. After being up all night with her, the clean up task was not fun. But once she "got rid of that" she went to sleep. But less than 3 hours later she was up again.
Last night she slept a bit more but is still restless. We can tell she is having pain but seems a bit more like herself today. She's eating again which is good news. I'm hoping she lets me sleep tonight because I'm starting to feel like a zombie.

But a very loved zombie! And Mom too - she has lots of friends who love her and the phone calls and drop offs have been amazing. Yesterday several of her old friends arrived at the door with donuts, cookies, flowers, fresh rolls, chocolates. A sweet blog friend, Kim sent me some beautiful handmade hearts all the way from California. They arrived Friday morning, just when I was about at my lowest. Perfect timing for sure. Today one of my friends made us a large lasagna. It's party size :) So thoughtful!!

And I can't say enough good things about the VON and our home care nursing support. They were here last night and again today. They've been angels and answered all my crazy questions and helped ease my mind.

So blog friends, we are doing OK. Thank you for your concern :)

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Quick update

Thank you all for the comments, emails and prayers for Mom. It helped both of us.

She made it through the surgery with no major problems. She's back home now but is quite agitated. I'm hoping she will settle down soon and we can get some sleep. It's been a very long day.

Kim
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Feeling the love

This Valentine Eve I can say I am feeling the love. This has been a rough week so far on my nerves. Mom's mastectomy is scheduled for tomorrow. I'm a basket case of stress and nerves but every where around me is blessings. Today a friend delivered this heart shaped cake. In fact, the door has been swinging open ALL day with people coming to visit, or offer support and assistance for the days to come. I am a little overwhelmed. I have a list of friends who have offered to put their day on hold to be a phone call away if needed. It's pretty amazing actually!

Mom's BFF was here this afternoon with a present for ME. She thought I could use a laugh. She bought me toe socks



They're pretty funny! I left them on long enough for the picture but the socks between my toes was driving me nuts! But they did make me laugh. Mission accomplished Alice.

I'm going to ask for a favor. Sometimes I struggle with prayer because it seems like I'm always asking for something. But I'm asking if you could add Mom to your prayers. She's not in the best condition for such a big operation but we don't have much choice.

I so appreciate all your comments. Happy Valentines Day to all.

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Downton Monday

Sunday nights haven't been the same since my addiction to Downton Abbey began. I didn't realize last nights episode was 2 hours long and despite a valiant effort, I only managed to last until 11:20pm. I suppose the never ending snow shoveling took its toll.
But there were lots of memorable moments.
- Ethel (the former prostitute turned cook) regarding her improved cooking skills "A lady needs talents". The Dowager (with a raised eyebrow) "But you seem to have so many". A little jealousy perhaps? ;)
- As Matthew tries to get it on with Mary. Her response - "You'll make me untidy". Hmmm, she didn't say that to the Turkish guy, did she?
- The very un-catholic Lord G trying to get out of his granddaughters christening. "I went to a catholic service once in Rome. All that crossing and bobbing up and down. It was like a gymnastic event". Seriously??
- Bates to James regarding the "sleeping kiss" - "Why do you have to be such a girl's blouse about it".
- I especially love the exchanges between the Dowager and Isobel. Isobel irritates me. "As the kettle says to the pot". LOL

So, what was your favorite line? What did I miss in the last half hour? Who won the stupid cricket match? And why was Lord G being such a tool about it?

I'm off to the theatre to see Stolen Identity tonight. Looks like it will be funny. Have I mentioned how great my friends are, who know when I need to get out of my head? It bears repeating. I'm very lucky :)

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Snow for sale

I've got snow for sale. Any offers? I'll negotiate and give it away for free......No takers? Well, Crap.
I wish I could say this was my last post about weather whining but you know that's not gonna happen! We got lots of snow and wind but we survived. We've had much worse, but I think you're more of a worry-wart when someone is sick in the house.
I worried about keeping the yard and entrances clear, you know, just in case we needed to get out.
I started shoveling this morning early. Here's the back entrance. Note the compost bin (still buried)



I dug out both cars. The front of my car was almost clear but the back end was completely covered. Stupid drifts. The front walkway was waist high. Yes, really!



I only did a very narrow path, but it still took awhile. Made even worse because my boots filled with snow while I scaled the bank. Ahh, winter fun.

I'm watching a little Grammy Red Carpet before Downton and finishing knitting the pink scarf. I'm trying not to dread Monday morning because this is a short work week for me.

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Still falling

Yes, the snow is still falling and blowing all over the place. Blustery is a good description. The drifts are high in places. One car is buried, the other almost bare. Both front and back doors have high drifts. Until it stops snowing there is no point in shoveling yet.

Except for a tiny but very necessary shovel job. The drifts were far too high for Millie. I had to make a little hole for for her "to go"



This afternoon I watched Moonstruck with Cher and Nic Cage. An oldie but entertaining. I finished binding the rug



And then treated myself to a glass of wine and made homemade pizza for supper.
Now I've picked up the knitting needles for awhile.



Although I'm dreading the snow clean up tomorrow, today was kind of relaxing. Nowhere to go, a warm house, good food, a little red wine. Restful!

I hope the rest of you in the storms path enjoyed your day.

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Stormy weather

Winter is about to wallop us with all its fury. All hope of this storm fizzling out or veering off course have faded. It's coming whether we like it or not. (And I don't like it!)
I think I'm ready. All the "distraction devices" are charged - iPhone, iPad, and the new kindle arrived today! Several episodes of Downton Abbey are downloaded. I have a brand new piece of burlap waiting for a new project. The butterfly rug "might" get bound. I bought yarn just in case the knitting-mood strikes.

I also stocked up on groceries. The store was wall to wall people all doing the same thing. The first thing you always do when there's a storm coming is buy bread and milk! There is a hysterical video on YouTube. I wish I knew how to post it here but if you search Bread & Milk, its only short. That's what half the people in the store looked like. Lol

I loved the comments on my last post. I agree with all "the bugs" you shared. It was fun. I think we may have another "what's bugging me" post soon.

Ok, time to batten down the hatches, tuck in and wait out the weather.

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confused

Lately I've had lots of things rolling around in this old brain. Mostly things I don't understand. Really serious head-scratcher stuff ahead....

- Why is Manti Teo headline news for weeks? Is he the first young person to be duped on the Internet?

- How desperate was that model for money to do that GoDaddy commercial? Still ewwww

- What is this trend on the Internet with cats and bread on their head? Have you seen this? What does it mean...?? I don't get it. Do you?



- Anonymous help? I've been getting a fair number of very helpful anonymous comments (which are quickly deleted), directing me to some very useful websites. Hmmm, yeah right! I'd be more than happy to share this "helpful" info. If you have bad credit, are looking for a "special" date, or my favorite.....if you need help with genital warts......(yes, I said it) just let me know because I can send you the links. LOL I hate spam!!

Just a few things that have been bugging me lately. What's bugging you?

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Rubbed and kneaded

After work tonight I went for a deep tissue massage. She worked me over real good. In fact, she darn near killed me. It was awesome :). I left there feeling just like jello.
Not only that, she threw in an extra little treatment - an exfoliation body scrub on my back and arms. Smooth as a baby's butt right now! I really do have lovely people in my life.



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Chatting on the Porch

Today I'm joining with Patrice at Everyday Ruralty for the weekly Chats on the Farmhouse Porch.  I wish it was warm enough to sit on the porch for real.

Each week Patrice posts a series of questions for us to answer, so lets get on with it.

Questions

1. What is your favorite time of day to read? If you don't enjoy reading, then what is your favorite time to watch TV/movies? 
I like to read a bit when I go to bed as I have often have trouble falling asleep but the lighting by my bed is not good.  So I ordered a new kindle paperwhite as it has a back-light.  It should be here in a few days.  Can't wait! 

2. Did you watch the Super Bowl? If so, what was your favorite commercial? If you didn't watch it, what did you do Sunday night?
I watched the half time show.  Luckily half time ended before Downton started.  I watched the commercials the next day on YouTube.  In Canada we don't see the same commercials that air in the States.  Loved the randy seniors/taco bell ad and the farmers ad.  But if I have to see the Go Daddy commercial one more time, I'm going to vomit!

3.  Have you been watching Downton Abbey?Who's your favorite character? If not, have you seen any interesting TV or movies series lately?
Yes, I am addicted now.  It's hard to pick a favorite character but my least favorite is Matthew's mother.  She just gets right on my nerves!

4. Do you enjoy home parties for selling items? (like Pampered Chef, Southern Living, Mary Kay)
No, I try to avoid them  whenever possible.  If I "have" to go, I end up feeling obliged to order something, whether I want to or not.   Now if someone were to start a "WOOL" party, that would be different :)

5. Please finish this sentence. If I work very hard, I can__afford to buy more wool.....Lol

Don't forget to visit the other participants in this linky.  And Thank You Patrice for hosting.

The Un-Monday and a little Downton talk

This afternoon, just as I was getting home from work, I received a text message from a far away friend - just saying hi and hoping I had a good Monday. Monday?? This may go in the category of "may never happen again", that was the first time all day that I realized it was Monday! Can you imagine??

It may have something to do with the way my day started. First I arrived at work, plopped down in my chair and across my desk was a brand new monitor. A giant big-ass monitor! Now that's a nice surprise, right? Then the carpenter arrived to put up my new wall at the entrance to my office.


It just makes a little alcove into my office and its amazing how much it cuts down on the noise. It's gonna be great :). Soon it will officially be the "cave of silence".

So, I notice there are lots of Downton Abbey fans in my little blog circle so I thought a little day after wrap up might be fun. Every week there are always a few memorable lines.
The Dowager Countess talking to the doctor "Lie is so unmusical a word"
Didn't you love it when the ladies all stood up to Lord Grantham at the luncheon (cooked by a former prostitute), and refused to leave? Gasp! Violet again, "It seems a pity to miss a good pudding"
And my favorite - Mrs Patmore "Do I look like a frolicker?" (Snort). Uhmm, the answer is NO



What was your favorite line?

Thanks for all the compliments on the rug. You're all sweet. I hope you all had an un-Monday.

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Super What??

Clearly I'm not a football fan so all the big game hype was lost on me. It's the one sport I can't seem to understand. Some guy catches the ball and everyone else jumps on him. That's the extent of my understanding of the game. Sad, I know.



But I did flip channels to catch the half time show :). Is it just me or was it a bit of a letdown?? Beyonce was good but I guess I was expecting more.

The other Super news for the day was that I finished hooking the rug! The never-ending project! Well, I "might" be finished. Lets see what you think


Originally I planned on hooking a small border (note the outer line). The truth is I'm kind of sick of this rug. BUT if you all think it needs a border, I will listen. Or I could rip out that outer line and just bind this sucker up.

Thoughts?? I'll await advice. Gotta go - Downton Abbey is starting!

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Sweet indulgence

Today I decided to spoil myself a little. Take a bit of a Me Day. I started with a great breakfast at the neighborhood church. Toast, eggs, sausage, hash browns and coffee for $6......tasty!

Snows a coming tomorrow, so naturally I had to go buy bread, milk, and toilet paper. Gotta have all the essentials. My grandma would run to the store at the sign of the first flake. I guess it rubbed off on me :)

Then I picked up these lovely delights - French lemon macaroons


An acquaintance's daughter has started a small gourmet bakery at home. I bought a dozen. Eleven by the time I drove home. One "fell" out of the box, into my mouth on the way :). I made tea in a fancy china cup, watched some mindless home Reno shows and nibbled on macaroons for the rest of the afternoon.

Now I'm settled in, indulging in wool. I don't think I'm going to meet my goal of finishing the hooking this weekend, but I'm going to try.



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Gratitude and the GYB giveaway draw

First, I cannot thank everyone enough for the support regarding my last post. I have read the comments over and over. I also received several emails, including 2 people who have actually scheduled mammograms. That's awesome.
By the way, I will be getting mine when all this is over. One blessing in all of this is that Mom is unaware of what is happening. The other blessing is the support I have from friends, online and in person. I am full of gratitude.

Now, that's the end of my pity party. I am focused on the positive and moving forward. (And the end of January, which truly did suck)

February 1st is the day we are supposed to draw our giveaway for the Grow Your Blog Party. I found lots of great new bloggers and gained some new followers. Yay!
Now, luckily I said my giveaway was a surprise, because with all that has been going on I really haven't given my prize much thought. But I promise after the next 2 weeks I will have my goodies together.
I used the old faithful random generator and.....



...the winner is Parsley

Yay! Parsley has been a faithful follower for awhile. Please contact me with your address and in a few weeks your surprise will arrive.

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