The KnittingJeepgirl

2012-01-22T13:39:00.001-05:00

Finished Project #6

It must appear that I'm just a knittin' fool, eh? Not really. I'm just making some simple items for the moment since I'm surrounded by single skeins of sock yarn. Right now, I'm making a pair of fingerless mitts out of the left-over yarn from that pair of socks up there. I'll share a photo when they're finished.

In other news. I discovered a channel on our non-cable/non-satellite TV selections. CoolTV and they play music videos from the past 20 to 30 years. Wow, have music videos been around that long? Damn, I'm getting old. That brings me to another topic.

Gotye "Somebody That I Used to Know" has gotten stuck in my head since I saw the video yesterday so I had to go to Amazon.com to find him. I found him. I've listened to that sock about 10 times today because it's just awesome. So are the rest of his songs that I downloaded.

Kimbra was the female artist in the video with him. Of course, one artist led to another and I ended up buying her CD, too.

Gin Wigmore was also featured on CoolTV. You got it. I downloaded her CD too. She reminds me a lot of Amy Winehouse. I was rather saddened when Amy passed away as I'm a big fan of her's. I bought her last CD, too.

Amazon.com is really going to love me. I did get an Amazon.com charge card so I'm now earning points towards future purchases.

Kindle - will I ever read all the books that I have on that thing? I downloaded and installed my Kindle reader for my PC so I can sit and knit easier while reading. It was amazing how much progress I made on my current selection "Whispers from the Ashes" by Patricia Hester. I now have 12 pages of books to read.

Between all the books and all the yarn I'm not sure I have enough lifetime left. On TV a week ago they said that the average life expectancy for women is around 80. That's less than 30 years for me. I better retire real soon so I can just stay here and read and knit and sit in my yard and watch mother nature and take photos with the 30 cameras that I have.

What to do, what to do? Oh the frustration of it all.......

2012-01-01T17:04:00.000-05:00

No 2 in 2012

Size 12 socks - Custom Order

It felt like it was going to take forever to knit this giant pair of socks.

2012-01-01T13:56:00.000-05:00

The first finished item in 2012!

My first finished item of 2012 for my Etsy shop. I'm also challenging myself to document a year in knitting by sharing photos of all of the items that have been finished. Now, I'm not saying that all of the finished projects were started in 2012. There are sweaters right over here behind me that were started in 2010 and still waiting for those finishing touches such as buttons.

This wool cowl is listed at The Knitting Jeepgirl for $12.50 plus $1.75 for postage. Once you buy something from my shop I send a coupon code for your next purchase.

This year I will be listing more socks for kids & adults along with tiny versions for 18" dolls. I'm also going to be adding fingerless mitts as soon as I figure out a pattern since it will be a first for me. Cowls, scarves and face cloths will still be featured as well.

Stop by, "favorite" my shop and visit on facebook as well.

http://www.facebook.com/reddeviltj

2011-12-09T17:40:00.001-05:00

'via Blog this'

2011-12-03T17:37:00.000-05:00

We had a little bit of flooding this week around here. This is the view of our neighbor's house from our upstairs window. Now, I'm watching a movie here on TV and they're flashing this little icon in the upper left hand corner of the screen saying more rain and flooding is on the way.
Woohoo!
Knitting - still knitting the special-order socks. Size 14 feet require really big socks. I mean REALLY BIG socks. Seems like I'm knitting forever. It would go faster if I just plain old stick to it and not keep putting it down for other things.

2011-11-26T12:49:00.000-05:00

What time of year is it kids?

Is it the Holiday Season? That time of year we all look forward to every year but are never ready for it?

Did you know that Christmas comes the same date every December? Somehow, we just don't get it.

What are you doing this year? How are you shopping? Are you going to support small businesses in your own neighborhood? How about in your own state? Even in the U.S. would be a place to start.

Do our kids really need all those electronic gadgets? If they do, why not have them work for them - you know, like we used to get paid for doing chores around the house so we could buy those frivolous things we didn't need. We just wanted them. Was it because our friends had them? Was it because we saw an ad on TV during cartoons?

Did our lives really depend on having an Atari? C'mon now. Fess up.

I know I am going to buy something from local sellers. I'm going to start with Etsy. Start with my own zip code. Guess what! There are only two Etsy sellers in my zip code.

Try it: 48064. Myself and Adana.

I will be shopping on her site. She makes soap and I'm sure my daughters would love some hand made soap for Christmas.

What else is going on here? I sold a scarf on Thanksgiving. I had just realized that it was an expired listing on Wednesday and renewed it. My last few sales were renewed listings.

Now, the odd thing is, I've got a football game on TV and I'm home with just the cat & dog. Neither of them is interested. What's with that? Maybe I need to go vacuum.

Vacuum what, you ask?

Cat & Dog Hair!

2011-11-06T16:31:00.000-05:00

Since I keep bragging about all the cameras that I own I should probably share a photo or two every know and then. Most of the time I just say that another one has arrived without any explanation.
Over the past couple months we did manage to go out on little one-day adventures. Each time I took the usual Sony a100 DSLR digital and one of my film cameras.
This day, we went to the Antique Tractor show in Goodells and the SplitCam came for the ride.
As you can see, it does some wonderful things. The first time I ran a roll through and took it in for developing I was told that there appeared to be a problem with my camera. Now, I send little notes along with the film explaining that any wierdness that you may see during developing is supposed to be there.
When I got the photos back from snapfish.com I thought this one was rather intriguing. It appears as if "ghost" tractors had been among us. Creepy, eh? I love it.

The newest addition to the collection is another Argus C-3 and a pop 9 which has 9 lenses. Wait, that's only 2. A Colorsplash now resides here, too.
Stay tuned for more interesting photos.
Gotta love film!

2011-10-29T10:31:00.001-04:00

2011-10-22T11:27:00.000-04:00

Pink Socks!

This is my latest listing on my Etsy page. Hand knit using KnitPicks Stroll washable & dryable wool/nylon yarn. The foot measures 4 3/4" without stretching. They are priced at $12.50 with $1.50 for shipping. Right now I have a coupon code available as well - FIGHTCANCER - which can be used for any item in my shop with the tag "pink".

Stop by. If you don't see something that you're interested in, "like" my site and spread the word.

You can reach my Etsy shop by clicking on the link over there on the right edge of my blog.

2011-10-08T15:32:00.000-04:00

Wool Socks No. 26

This pair of wool socks has been freshly listed on my Etsy page today. They are sized for a 4 3/4" foot without stretching. They are machine washable and dryable.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/83429034/wool-socks-no-26-purple-for-children

Now, an update on the latest attempt at dieting. I recently posted that I had purchased Mirafit which has been helping lots of people lose weight. Not this person. I'm really not surprised, though. Mirafit works by keeping the fat in your daily food intake from sticking to your belly, hips, butt, etc. I honestly don't eat enough fat in my daily regular intake to see a difference in a short amount of time.

During my first week of use I actually gained 2 pounds. During the 2nd week one more found me. Week three - a 2 pound loss. So, I haven't seen any benefit yet. Maybe during week four.

My thought is that, since I only consume about 1200-1400 calories per day with less than 30% being from fat maybe this wasn't really what I was needing. I'll finish the two bottles that I bought and see if it works over a longer period of time.

2011-09-20T18:41:00.000-04:00

Old Tractors

They're all over the place here in SE Michigan. Old farmers, old farms, and old tractors. This one isn't looking so well, though. We went to look at some potential new additions to our collection of old things and I saw this looking sad in the back of the dealership property.

Other news:

I'm still trying to lose the tonnage that I have acquired since the beginning of 2011. So, in my quest to find something that works I came across an article about Mirafit in one of my MEDC e-mail newsletters. It's a product that was formulated by two WSU instructors. Since I'm rather partial to Wayne State University I thought it's worth a try.

How's it working?

So far, I have no idea. It's only been two days. I will be patient and will keep you informed if there is any change in the number on my scale. It only took me 8 months to lose two of the eight pounds.

2011-09-18T19:19:00.000-04:00

Cats.

They are the strangest creatures.

This one in particular seems to be the oddest one that I've ever had the privilege of belonging to. He will sit and investigate things for quite a while then just lose interest and wander off to sleep somewhere.

Now, what is all that anyway? It's my stuff. There's yarn, some sweaters that need to be put together, some books, camera stuff, bins of buttons, a pair of shoes and my doll that models my hand knit doll clothes.

2011-08-28T12:13:00.001-04:00

No, I have no idea who this man is but I do know that he owns this old Farm-All. We've been out to a couple antique truck and tractor shows over the past week and it sure is amazing to see what's still out there working and being displayed with pride.
The funny part is, we were thinking we'd love to have something old to restore. Even funnier - we do have something we can restore. Steve has his Fordson Major which is his working tractor. He's also got a Ford 8n in pieces that he can work on. We've got my 1984 Buick LeSabre and our 1978 Empire travel trailer. The not-as-old stuff would be our 1999 Ford F-250 Super Duty and my 1999 Jeep Wranger TJ.
Now, about that TJ. RedDevil has been to the doctor quite a bit lately with a multitude of old-age issues. We've replaced the radiator, shocks, oil pan & gaskets, water pump, thermostat, having the transfer case gasket replaced, and the blower motor resistor. I'm thinking I missed something there but that list is long enough. After all this, I should be good for at least another 100,000 miles.

2011-08-20T08:42:00.000-04:00

Lily season is long gone now and all that I have left standing along the porch are those dead brown canes. Even the leaves are turning brown. There's a plan in the works for the gardens surrounding my house. The perennials are moving over to the edge along the woods and ornamental bushes and grasses are moving in to the flower beds.
I used to enjoy working in my flower beds but they get a bit ridiculous here with the weeds that we live around. This clay doesn't give up the weed roots well so they just sprout right back up.
June was the last time I stopped by here. Since then I've done a couple things. I started a new job on June 20th at Ford Sterling Axle. It's different and actually enjoyable. Getting to know everyone is the first order of business so that I can tell what needs to be done to get them doing what they should be doing.
This summer hasn't been action packed. I think just about the only event that I made it to was the Algonac Antique Boat show. Other than that, I've missed the Tall Ships, the Gratiot Cruise, the Blue Water Cruise, the Woodward Dream Cruise which is today. I can make it to the Antique Truck show tomorrow.
The Paradise Blueberry Festival is going on up in the UP this weekend. Can't get there, either. Not enough accrued vacation time for that kind of trip just yet.
The photo above was taken with my new Oktomat which, as you can see, has 8 lenses. The top 4 open first then it pauses for a second to allow movement to another view. Then they click away. There's one more multi-lense camera that I don't have - the one with 9 lenses and I can't remember it's name right now. It will come to me.
Happy Saturday and I will be back.

2011-06-12T12:18:00.000-04:00

Who would think that acrylic socks could look so good? I bought this yarn somewhere, ebay maybe? I figured it would be excellent for kids' socks since they're not always careful. The feel of the yarn really didn't remind me of acrylic but more of a blend with cotton.

Wait, let me read the label. Acrylic and nylon. It's so soft, though, that it reminded me of the cotton & nylon blend sock yarn that I had used before.

This is another one of my listings on Etsy. Stop by and check out my shop.

2011-06-11T08:27:00.000-04:00

I'm sure I've mentioned this once or twice before, but, I just cannot stop knitting socks. Now, I have so many pairs that I'm listing socks for Big People on my Etsy site. I knitted this pair from Noro sock yarn. I'm in love with the color changes and it was amazing to me how the colors actually seem to recirculate halfway through the ball of yarn. That's why sock #2 was almost identical to #1.

If you're interested, just look over there to the right and down slightly to the Etsy store slide show that I have here on my blog. That will take you to the socks and the rest of the items in my shop.

Now, I've been up to a couple other things here and there. One needs to remain secret for a few more days. Work has been quite an adventure for the past year. Every few months, or even weeks, I would be reassigned. I work for a company by the name of KnightFM who contracts housekeeping and supervision services to several industries around the world. In Michigan we are mainly at General Motors, Chrysler and Ford Field. I've been at GM at several facilities within the Tech Center and down at Warren Transmission.

Over the past year I have supervised in the Engineering Building, Manufacturing ABC, S. Campus which includes 7 buildings, Aero Lab and now the VEC and 7000 Building. This VEC building is way too dull for me. Why is that? I'm on 2nd shift. But, you know what? I wouldn't want to be the 1st shift supervisor in that building. It's like an ant farm. So, as long as I'm responsible for that one, 2nd shift works for me. I will keep you informed.

2011-05-15T16:53:00.000-04:00

It's supposed to be spring but it doesn't seem to be a "happy spring". It's been raining for days and it doesn't appear to be ending anytime soon. We did have a couple summer-like days over the past week and I did manage to get a slight sunburn twice this year while sitting outside and knitting.
The local dandelions are growing wonderfully. The grass is almost a foot tall. The weeds in the garden seem to be doing better than the perennials and the local farmers haven't been able to plant crops yet.
I have vegetable plants growing in trays here in the house and can't get them out to the garden since everything is so wet. There's no way that we could till the garden to get it ready. When will it end? It might get to the point where we just get the plants in the ground and not worry about all that tilling.

These tomato plants are getting to the point where they're going to be too big for the trays. I've been rotating them daily to keep them from laying down trying to reach what little daylight we've been getting.

The Knitting Jeepgirl by reddeviltj on Etsy

2011-03-26T15:49:00.000-04:00

The Knitting Jeepgirl by reddeviltj on Etsy

2011-03-05T19:04:00.000-05:00

Sometimes the snow on the lawn can actually be rather pretty when it sparkles in the sun. Then, there are other times when it's just time for it to go away and let spring come. It's been one of the coldest and snowiest winters in a long time. I don't want to get up at 3:00 a.m. anymore this year just to get to work by 5:45 a.m.

Work

Now that's another topic. This afternoon I was thinking that maybe work is getting in my way just a bit too much. After all, I'm not getting any younger and there's a few projects I need to get going on. No, none of them are crucial. Just some hobbies that I would like to spend time on.

Weaving

I haven't finished warping the loom yet. Work gets in my way.

Knitting

There's so much yarn here at our house that I could knit for a really long time before I'd have to buy more. Don't get me wrong, I'd buy more before I ran out because running low on yarn would cause a panic that would not be pleasant.

Photography

All of those cameras need to be used more frequently. Right now there are 4 film cameras loaded and ready to go somewhere. Somewhere is the key word here. When you only go to work and come home there aren't many opportunities for photos that are exciting and different. I'm tired of snow photos.

Really, I am tired of snow pictures!

2011-02-19T15:50:00.000-05:00

Weaving

No, this isn't something new that I'm getting involved in. It's more like something revisited. This loom has followed me through 2 moves and really deserves some attention. So, I'm warping it to get started on something to refresh my memory on how these things work. I know it's simple and people have been weaving for centuries, so, what's the problem? I thought I was ready to get started a week ago but discovered that 3 years are crossed over each other. Easy fix!

Maybe tomorrow I'll get around to fixing that. Today I got myself involved in another project that will last for another 5 weeks. I enrolled in an online course on Microsoft Excel 2007. Funny. I should have enrolled in the 2003 class since that's the version on my computer. Oh well. I can use my husband's computer since he has it on his. Oh yes, it's the Advanced class - I think somewhere along the way I missed the intermediate. Just makes it more challenging.

2011-02-06T14:46:00.003-05:00

Weaving

I haven't used my loom in quite some time - about a year, I think. So, I took the scarf that's been on it for a while and finished it off. When I get around to it I'll take a photo and share it with all of you. I'm not totally happy with it since there was a flaw in it and that's why I wasn't so hurried to finish it. Sad to say, it was on the loom for about 7 years. This time, I'm not going to be so slow even though it might take me that long to get these silly warp yarns in place. It will all come back to me. Really, I think it will.

Snow

We've had enough. How much longer?

2011-01-02T11:40:00.003-05:00

Aren't they cute? They're knit to fit a 1 year old foot in US sizes. I can't stop knitting socks so I'm pumping them out. This is the first listing of 2011 on my Etsy shop. Click on the link over there to the right and you'll go right there.

In other news - I'm sorta grounded from doing too much on the internet over the next 10 days. Someone, who is named Steve, was home on Thursday morning playing on the internet. Work-related he says. He downloaded a large file that used so much of our monthly MB alottment that there's nothing left to get us to January 12th when our MBs start over.

So, Happy New Year and I will return in 2 weeks!

2010-12-26T14:43:00.002-05:00

Christmas Weekend

This is a rather odd shot, but, I like it. Years ago I purchased a fiber optic Christmas village that Avon was selling. It's got these little people doing different things - this one is skating. I'll try again before I pack it away for the year since I now have a gorillapod for my camera. Holding still isn't my strongest trait when taking a photo.

2010-11-28T16:23:00.007-05:00

I have been knitting up a storm. Well, not really, I've just been knitting things that aren't actually intended for myself. This is my latest Etsy listing - it's an acrylic/cotton blend cowl. The cotton yarn was hand dyed by me sometime over the past few summers when I was in one of my frenzies. I'd dye yarn like crazy then it would sit around in balls looking pretty in bowls on the table while I try to figure out what I'm going to do with it.

I'm listing this for $25 plus $3 for shipping. I also have a coupon code that you can use to get 15% off from now until December 15th. Use SupportMichigan2010 at www.etsy.com/shop/reddeviltj

2010-11-21T17:41:00.003-05:00

Etsy Knitters Team Treasure Hunt

The fun begins November 25th.

2010-11-19T18:32:00.003-05:00

Unfinished Objects aka UFOs

Why does this happen?

Is it a knitting addiction?

Do we have AADD?

Do we get bored with a project?

We don't know. Someday, there may be an answer to those pressing questions. I started this afghan for my daughter Karen several years ago when her "baby blanket" that she had since birth started falling apart to the point of no return. So, what happened with this afghan? It's hanging on the back of a chair here just waiting to be fully assembled. How old is Karen now? Twenty-two years and in her last year of college.

Will I finish it?

Maybe this winter......

2010-11-15T16:32:00.004-05:00

Wools Socks No. 5

I've just been a sock knitting fool over the past few weeks. Through all of this sock knitting I've only finished one pair for myself - no, not this pair.

This pair is my latest listing on my Etsy site, price $10+2.00 shipping. Handling? Sure, I've handled them. However, I'm not charging for that. What is "handling" anyway?

Today is opening day of firearms season for hunting and I did hear a few shots heard this morning right at the official opening moment. Four shots were fired right around 7:30. I don't know if there were 4 deer out there or if the hunter had bad aim. This afternoon I heard one more shot. The same hunters came back or they loaned their trucks to someone else.

Back to the socks. The yarn that I used is Opal Rainforest, but, I forget which colorway. I thought it was 'caterpillars' but am not sure. Google didn't help me, either. I do believe that it was a discontinued color.

2010-11-14T12:19:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, Millie, Iggy and I went outside to take advantage of the sunshine, especially after I heard on the weather that it could be the last sunny day for a while. The last sunny WARM day for a while.

Such is life in Michigan. We do get used to it. That just means that you dress warmer - instead of just wearing your jeans and t-shirt you wear your jeans and long-sleeved t-shirt. Yep. Layering works well, too.

Millie aka Mildred Violet, is a warm-weather dog. When it cools off, gets windy, rainy, or snowy it's a battle to get her to go outside to do what dogs are supposed to do outside. What a wimp. She loves chasing bugs, rabbits, birds, and anything else that moves unless it gets cold out.

Both the cat and dog are into what I call "weed watching". The wander over to the edge of the lawn and sit staring into the weeds for long periods of time. Every now and then they leap right in after something that we can't see.

Pets.

They are so entertaining. What's Millie doing right now? Snoring on the couch.

Iggy? He just went outside and came right back to the door. It's a windy day - not his kind of day, either.

2010-11-13T17:33:00.004-05:00

Earlier this month - no, it was last month - in October I had a chance to take a 2010 Chevy Silverado home for the weekend. It started out interesting enough. When I pulled into the lot to make the "big trade" I noticed that no one else was bringing a 1999 Ford F250 crew cab 4x4 diesel in exchange for the GM vehicle of their choice. After I stuck up the garage with the exhaust I was given my paperwork and a set of keys along with the instruction that it was "the white Silverado up along the fence".

Sure it was.

Do you know how many white Silverados GM has in their Ambassador Fleet? Let me tell you. A lot.

Not only that, but the one with my name on it was no where near the fence up front. So, I drove around the lot hitting the button on the key fob thinking that one of those beauties was going to flash at me.

Finally. Found it.

Next problem - how to fit the Ford Monster into the space where I backed the Silverado out from.

Not going to happen. So, drove the Ford over to the spot along the fence. Walked back about a quarter mile to the Silverado. Nice truck.

We didn't drive it all that much over the weekend like I thought we might. That had more to do with all the household chores that needed to be done.

So, my opinion of the 2010 crew cab, short-box, 4x4 Chevy Silverado? I loved it. It was hard to take it back on Monday morning. My only issue was that I'm too short for the seat but I'm sure there's a way to solve that problem. I just didn't figure it out. It rides real smooth - not as truck-like as the F250 and my F150 - not to mention the Jeep TJ. People always ask me if the TJ drives like a truck. Silly question to ask a Jeep owner. No, I would never think of putting on my mascara while driving the Wrangler.

In 3 months I can sign up again to try another GM vehicle for a weekend. Will I? Probably not in the dead of a Michigan winter. That would be just a little scary with those wacky drivers out there.

2010-11-13T13:12:00.002-05:00

Autumn Sunset

They have been stupendous recently. Every afternoon I find that I can't take my eyes off of the horizon to the west in anticipation of what show we're going to see. We didn't have displays like this during the summer months, that's for sure. I suppose this makes up for the lack of fall colors in the tree department since it seems that the sugar maples just went from green to gold to brown and onto the ground. Usually, the large maples to the east of our house glow like a giant candle flame for about a week. Not this year. Our pear trees are just now changing colors so they were keeping my attention this morning during the sunrise.

Check back for more sunset photos. Looks like today will bring more.

2010-09-18T12:39:00.003-04:00

RED

I like red. It's getting to be the time of year where we're gonna see a lot of that around here in South East Michigan. The sumacs and the maples are the best. Just outside my window next to my computer I see lots of elm and maple trees. The elm, the ones that are still alive, are just a dull yellow. The maples are taking over the woods since the ash and elm are losing their battle with diseases.

I'm also feeling a little sad today - it's been building all week long. My family was over last weekend for our "bi-monthly" get-together. Not everyone could make it. My oldest daughter, Laura, was one who was stuck working. Two cousins and their families were celebrating their wedding anniversaries. At the same time, another cousin, David in Arizona, was getting married to Delilah. They have one child and another on the way. That's exciting. Maybe in the spring they can have the gathering out in Arizona. We Michiganders would love that.

Another reason for my sadness is that I miss my belongings. I had things that were given to my by my grandparents and my parents. When I got divorced 10 years ago last week I left them behind thinking that I would see them again. Some things got thrown into the trash. My kids were either not thinking or too scared to get them for me. There's a non-stop nagging feeling of being the outcast after all of this. I feel as though I'm no longer going to tolerate being the "bad guy" in the whole big picture. I wasn't the one at fault. I'm just the one who decided to end the marriage as I had had enough. Enough of the mind games, enough of being told it was all my fault, enough of the taunting, enough of the arguments and one-sided conversations. For 22 years I was told I was "nothing without him". Not true. I was told that I was "one of them" now and they came first, my family came 2nd.

My father, who passed away September 12, 1988, even told me on my wedding day that I could back out if I wanted to. I thought about it. Really, I did.

I want my old coins back that my grandfather collected the year I was born. I want the leather coin purse that he put them in for me. I want my music boxes back that my mother gave me each Christmas that matched those of my sisters'. I want the photos that I took of my own children with my own camera. What is he going to do with all of that?

When we broke up he cried and acted like he was the victim. Not so. But, I'm not good at theatrics and don't like attention. I just wanted to be me again.

2010-09-06T17:57:00.003-04:00

Labor Day Weekend 2010

Michigan

This weekend we went on a short journey to Atlanta, Michigan to visit our friends Jeff and Dominique at their vacation home in Canada Creek Ranch. I had been there a few times a long time ago when I was a kid. I think the last time I was there I was at least in the double-digit years so I remembered a little bit about the house where my Aunt Esther and Uncle Herb lived. I remember it as a dark brownish-red log sided ranch-style home. It seemed big, but I think it was really small. There was one house there that looked real familiar like it might be the one. Walking up to it and peeking through the window just wasn't a good idea.

2010-08-24T16:03:00.002-04:00

Isn't it rather interesting looking? I sure think so and that's why it now is a member of my camera family. I just happened to be surfing eBay one day last week and, since I always choose "ending soonest" I thought I might stand a chance of winning. There were no bids with just 1 1/2 hours left. I was rather surprised when I won. Over the past two years I've been outbid every time when I've tried to get one of these authentic Lomography Actionsamplers.

It's mine now!

There's already a roll of film in it and it just might be done by the end of the week. I'm excited to see what I can do with this. I have a "knock-off" 4 lense camera by uboot but the quality of the photos just isn't what I'm looking for.

Stay tuned for the results!

2010-08-14T20:59:00.003-04:00

While I was outside last night picking green beans the sky was changing as the clouds were drifting across. For the past few days they've been saying that it's going to rain and that there would be possibly damaging storms. Nothing. Just a sprinkle. Every now and then the garden does need some water. The tomatoes are coming, the zucchini is already going wacky, spaghetti squash is turning yellow and the green beans are still going strong. I've been grating and freezing zucchini, making zucchini bread, freezing beans, and will soon be stewing tomatoes.

I really need the recipe for chocolate zucchini cake. There's one out there somewhere and my internet search isn't finding it for me. It's pretty much fat-free and uses cocoa for the chocolate. If you know where it is or would like to share it, feel free!

Frog Legs?

2010-08-14T20:58:00.000-04:00

Frog Legs?

2010-08-07T19:07:00.003-04:00

There's something in there with those flowers and it made me itchy. It started out over the weekend of the 4th of July with 3 tiny little water blisters. That turned into a red spot about the size of a dime which eventually turned into the size of an old silver dollar.

Now, I have red spots here and there that I'm attacking with zinc oxide and Benadryl gel. Something's gotta work. With the heat that we've been having it's made my skin itchy even where there are no red dots. I took a Benadryl tablet today and had to sleep it off in the lawn chair. That sure cut into my knitting time.

I just bought the Benadryl gel today so we'll see how I'm doing this time tomorrow. Maybe that will do it. The doctor said to use hydrocortizone but that wasn't working fast enough to make me happy.

2010-07-24T16:01:00.002-04:00

Yarn.

What more can I say about this photo? It's yarn. I'm getting into a dying frenzy again. Maybe not. This weekend I haven't dyed anything yet. It's only Saturday. Tomorrow's another possibility. I'm working on a cotton cardigan with short sleeves to go with a pair of pants that arrived in the mail. That's odd how I have pants arriving in the mail. Chadwick's was having a sale and I couldn't resist buying 2 pairs of pants and having them total around $15 plus shipping and handling.

You do know what happens when a new pair of pants arrives. There's nothing to wear with them. White scares me so I have very few white tops to wear with my pants of various colors. We don't have a water softener and, with this well water, we have rusty whites. Not only that, I can't drink a cup of coffee or tea or even eat something without catching some of it on a white top. Any other color is perfectly safe. It's just the white tops. It's a curse, I say.

2010-07-23T19:15:00.002-04:00

Yarn Dying Season Again

I was working away on a sweater using yarn that I had dyed last summer and decided that I might want some more yarn for another sweater. One color led to another and now I have a pile of yarn on my kitchen counter. What else are kitchen counters used for anyway?

Stay tuned for more yarn photos now that I know what was up with my blogger.

Warning - do not use the option of the "new improved" composer. I couldn't do anything with it.

My Blog Has Issues

2010-07-14T17:30:00.001-04:00

I haven't posted a new entry or photo recently because Blogger won't let me. This paragraph is being typed through a widget in iGoogle. I can't include photos from here.
Let's see what happens and maybe sometime in the future they'll allow me back in.
How sad.

2010-06-20T14:29:00.000-04:00

Happy Father's Day!

That's my dad there on the old sofa with the new movie camera. My mom is over there to the left and those are my sisters Cyndi (the lower edge) and Carole holding her new doll. My dad lost his battle with cancer September 12, 1988 just 4 days after his only granddaughter's 2nd birthday. His second grandchild was born October 15th.

We miss him!

Ronald E. Powell

2010-06-13T12:52:00.000-04:00

Weeds

Even weeds can be pretty. In my opinion, which is far from professional, is that weeds are actually perennials that the greenhouses don't sell. Some are rather pretty and are allowed to grow here and there in my yard. These are back in the clover by our garden.

The Garden.

That's another story. We planted our vegetable plants and some seeds. As soon as we walk away the rabbits have their radars up. The deer start creeping in. We do have a fence around it but it's not quite tall enough. The deer just leap right on over as if they're olympic pole vaulters without poles. The rabbits were just walking through the fence since they can squish down to nothing. So, we wrapped chicken wire around the fence. Now, the rabbits stand up on their hind legs trying to figure out a way in and haven't been successful. The deer haven't stopped by in a couple days which will probably change as soon as they see the beets that have sprouted. We're working on a plan.

The Plan.

We're going to put up some more stakes and run wire between them. Not barbed wire or anything mean like that - just wire. Then we're thinking of hanging grocery bags and pie tins or anything else that might not be pleasing to a deer thinking of jumping over wires that are 6' above the ground.

Will it work?

I will be sure to let you know once The Plan is in place.

2010-06-06T18:14:00.001-04:00

My First Peony

I've never had a peony plant before and am wondering why. There must have been something that kept me from planting these as they are truly stunning flowers. Maybe it was the fact that I thought they all had to be staked or they would fall over and the flowers would land on their faces. That's what's going on at my neighbor's this weekend.

My Current Project

Funny that I call this my "current project" since I have another sweater sitting here on the floor waiting to be put together, another one over there that just needs buttons, a pair of socks that needs to have the ends woven in and another pair of socks on the needles. We knitters are an interesting group, aren't we?

What else have I been up to? I've been driving the F150 to work since the TJ had an issue. So, the radio has been my only source of music. I have discovered two bands that I rather like - Civil Twilight and Ryan Star. Ever heard of them? If not, you need to check them out.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend

2010-05-30T15:16:00.001-04:00

Please remember why we have Memorial Day - if you know someone who has served our country tell them you appreciate them.

2010-05-22T20:16:00.000-04:00

Purple Flowers in the Woods

I don't know what they are but, right now, the woods way in the back is just full of these. Now that I think about it, the only flowers that are blooming right now are all purple. The flax and these mystery flowers. My coral bells are just getting started and I have some others that are rather pinkish-purplish.

Did I mention that I have a new job? I'm back with my former company, and, had I stayed I would have had my 10 year anniversary. Once again, I'm the "new" kid. At least I know what's going on so I don't need to appear like a new kid. That's one good point.

Back to my knitting. I'm working on a pair of socks that I started a couple months ago and only had one sock done - the 2nd sock syndrome. That's where we knitters get all excited about our new sock yarn, we knit and knit and knit and ignore our housework and other responsibilities until that sock is complete and the toe is grafted. Then, we wait to get started on that 2nd sock. Why is that? Oh, usually it's because we pick up some other yarn that isn't sock-related and we just start knitting.

I should make a point to come back here and post a photo of my latest pair of socks. The progress is going rather well thanks to my ability to concentrate on my knitting and not let that housework, yard work, laundry, dishes, etc. get to me.

119 of 365 - dandelion on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

2010-04-29T21:58:00.000-04:00

119 of 365 - dandelion on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

2010-04-24T21:33:00.000-04:00

This might just look like a vinca vine flower to you.
It is.
There's more to this than just a vinca vine flower.
It's proof that I can now get low enough to the ground to get this photo. For 2 years I couldn't even think of doing this because my neck, back, and leg pain kept me from getting shots such as this one.
It's gonna be a good year!

GM to pump $120M into local factory | detnews.com | The Detroit News

2010-04-21T07:12:00.000-04:00

GM to pump $120M into local factory | detnews.com | The Detroit News

2010-04-20T10:51:00.001-04:00

Tulips are such wonderful subjects this time of year. Here in Michigan we have a town on the west side of the state, Holland. Want to know what they grow there? You're right, tulips. Other plants from bulbs as well. This tulip is from one of those bulbs. No, I didn't get to go to the Tulip Festival, I bought it through their catalog. I also planted crocus but the rabbits must have eaten them years ago since I've only seen them one year.
After the tulips are finished blooming it's time for the lilies to pop up. They're just as entertaining for photos as the tulips are.
Sure wish I could have more photo-time around here.
I need a new job that allows me to do just that. I don't mean that I need less hours. I just need hours where I start work in the morning and go home in the afternoon. Rush hour. I sure do miss it.

detnews.com|Once bustling iron town now mines tourism

2010-04-13T20:59:00.000-04:00

detnews.com|Once bustling iron town now mines tourism

This is a place that anyone travelling through the UP of MI should visit. My great grandfather's even mentioned in the article - he's Joseph Gardipee who didn't make it home one night after work.

2010-04-10T15:09:00.000-04:00

Recycled Sari Silk Yarn
This yarn is so wonderful that I constantly watch for more on eBay. A couple weeks ago I won another skein which finally arrived the other day. What an ordeal that was. I had to be here to sign for it or go to the post office to personally pick it up. Steve thought maybe the item waiting for pickup was his book he needs for school so he went.
I got busted.
Not once this week - three times. I had a good day on eBay on a quiet Saturday. I just happened to be online when the "ending soonest" had a whole bunch of yarns with 0 bids and I won them.
Handicrafter Cotton arrived without the "ordeal" and today, the mailman - known as Bill around these parts - brought my 4 balls of Schachenmayr nomotta bamboo yarn. 2 in cream and 2 in coral.

Now, what to do with all these?

I'll figure something out.

2010-03-30T11:29:00.001-04:00

It's spring so it's time to list those springy thingys otherwise known as hand knits that you can wear when the weather is getting warmer but not quite there yet. This is a cotton cardigan in medium with a finished bust size of 44". It will be featured on my Etsy shop, Artfire and Facebook later this week. If you have any questions or are interested, just holler.

2010-03-24T10:56:00.002-04:00

This bamboo and cotton tank is also available on Etsy. The link is provided below this paragraph. Along with the pink and lavender bamboo yarn is a fine white cotton thread with teeny tiny little balls of colors in yellow, blue, pink and aqua. The finished bust size on this is 40" which gives room to be layered over those skinny cotton tanks, camisoles or tiny tees. The price is $25 with $5 shipping. Give me a shout if you're interested.

Pink and Lilac Bamboo Tank by reddeviltj on Etsy

2010-03-07T18:25:00.000-05:00

Saturday Morning

March 6, 2010

I was on my way to work and saw the sun glowing down the old roadway and had to capture the view.

Anything else going on? I finished another sweater but do need to take photos of all the finally-completed knitwear. I'm amazing myself since I'm actually finishing them!

Facebook | Tough $hit Jim Bunning

2010-02-28T11:38:00.000-05:00

Facebook | Tough $hit Jim Bunning

2010-02-17T10:48:00.000-05:00

This is my current project. It's going to be a cardigan. Yep, just a plain old cardigan. When I say "old" I'm really not that far off, either. This yarn was purchased on eBay a couple years ago or more and it's old yarn that was sold as part of an estate sale. It's Red Heart 100% virgin wool. When I first received it and put it on the shelf I thought it was acrylic like the turquoise that came with it is.
Nope. When I started knitting with it I realized it felt different that acrylic.
Stay tuned for the final project. I might just actually take a photo and post it here.

46 of 365 - Progress again on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

2010-02-15T20:28:00.000-05:00

46 of 365 - Progress again on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

2010-02-15T09:58:00.000-05:00

I am so looking forward to spring and can't figure out why.

Could it be the green comes back? Could it be the air is warmer?

Silly me. It just means that I'll be working later and having non-summer #4.

Who can I complain to?

Superbowl Sunday!

2010-02-07T08:58:00.001-05:00

Can I say that here?
I'm typing this entry from the comfort of my igoogle page. I keep forgetting that I can do this without actually logging into my blog. Thise means I can blog from work without getting busted.
Hah!
I will be back later with some photos. You've got to see what I've been up to.

2010-01-30T18:34:00.000-05:00

Sock Monkey

He's not really a sock monkey. Just a monkey who likes sock yarn. This little guy spent the last week with me just doing things and going places. Last week for the Project 365 I played with little Jeeps. This week, the monkey. I still need to take one more photo of him sometime before the day is over. I haven't come up with anything just yet. I am still thinking of getting some exercise in which means he'll probably follow me downstairs. Right now, he's laying here flat on his back with his arms stretched out in anticipation of his next journey.

Knitting.

As you can see, I am knitting another pair of socks. Last weekend I finished all the pieces for a cropped hooded sweater. Then, you know how it goes - I didn't feel like putting it together. Maybe tomorrow. It's a bulky yarn sweater which means it will go together faster than I knitted it - so really it should already have been sewn together.

Procrastination.

2010-01-19T10:17:00.000-05:00

10 of 365

I didn't realize that I haven't been here since January 9th until this morning. I knew it has been over a week.
Where have I been? Here and there. Mostly working and working on reclaiming myself in my ongoing project. There are actually two Project 365s going on in my world this year. The first one is the flickr photo group Project 365 that I joined. Over the past few years I have watched others commit themselves to posting a photo per day. I'm actually committing myself to posting photos that were taken each individual day. It's gonna get tough after a while. When spring gets here it should get easier on those of us who live in the frozen zones.
The other Project 365 is the "reclamation of Susan". I've been increasing my exercise and continuing to monitor and record the calorie intake. What gives? Less knitting.
I hate when that happens, but, with my schedule being so ridiculous and non-life friendly, that's what I'm going to have to do.
So. I just got in my first 15 minutes of the day. After work tonight, the 2nd 15 minutes.
Go me!

2010-01-09T16:04:00.001-05:00

Have you ever had a song that hit you as one that you can relate to? A song that makes you wonder what it is you're really doing with your life?
I recently did. I was just listening to a CD one day and caught some of the lyrics so I had to look them up. This song is giving me inspiration to do something about all the issues that are causing me to feel as if I'm missing out on so many things that go on around me.

Same mistake

James Blunt

Saw the world turning in my sheets and once again I cannot sleep.
Walk out the door and up the street; look at the stars beneath my feet.
Remember rights that I did wrong, so here I go.
Hello, hello. There is no place I cannot go.
My mind is muddy but my heart is heavy. Does it show?
I lose the track that loses me, so here I go.
And so I sent some men to fight, and one came back at dead of night.
Said he'd seen my enemy. Said he looked just like me,
So I set out to cut myself and here I go.
I'm not calling for a second chance,
I'm screaming at the top of my voice.
Give me reason but don't give me choice.
'Cause I'll just make the same mistake again.
And maybe someday we will meet, and maybe talk and not just speak.
Don't buy the promises 'cause, there are no promises I keep.
And my reflection troubles me, so here I go.
I'm not calling for a second chance,
I'm screaming at the top of my voice.
Give me reason but don't give me choice.
'Cause I'll just make the same mistake,
I'm not calling for a second chance,
I'm screaming at the top of my voice.
Give me reason but don't give me choice.
'Cause I'll just make the same mistake again.
Saw the world turning in my sheets and once again I cannot sleep.
Walk out the door and up the street; look at the stars.
Look at the stars fall down.
And wonder where did I go wrong.

All the Lost Souls

2010-01-05T08:51:00.000-05:00

Cold weather is definitely here. Sunday morning when we got up it was only 5 degrees here. Today, we're having a heat wave. As I walked past the thermometer I saw an "18". Whew. Gonna have to dress down today.
This was the view through my windshield yesterday as I began the long-dreaded journey to the office. After having 4 days off in a row it was definitely a dreaded journey.
I was wrong to think that a new year would bring a new attitude in the office. Nope. Wrong. What was I thinking?
Let me tell you about the personalities we have going on there.
First, we have me. Over 50, a year or two (around 35) of work experience in several environments and common sense and a strong work ethic. When I work somewhere I treat the workplace as if I were the business owner. I also know that in some workplaces certain "antics" would get you time off or fired.
Not where I'm at now. The "youngsters" or the girls under the age of 30 really haven't worked anywhere in what I call the "real world" to experience how rough it can get. They've been here working for my brother-in-law for years. He's not tough enough.
We have the dawdling, the smoking, the cell phone conversations, the computer game playing, the whining about having to work 8 hour days, blah blah blah.
The most annoying is the one who speaks to me as if I'm deaf, dumb, and clueless. I guess since I'm 20+ years older than her she thinks she knows more since she's younger. Right.....

They would never last in an auto plant or an office where they keep an eye on you at all times, where you punch a time clock, where there are rules.
It amazes me that two of them complain about the hours they work, then they complain that they need more, then they complain again.

There are two of us who no longer have a life outside the office. I would be one of them. For the past 2 years I have done nothing with my life except go to work and come home. I took this time to also take up knitting doll clothes to sell. That didn't work out so well, either. There's something up with that and I'll figure it out yet. My hours that I work aren't "life friendly" either. I once mentioned to my brother-in-law boss that I didn't have a life. He says he likes employees like that. I told him it's gonna come to a stop because I'm losing time that will not come back to me.

Summers are bad. I work until 9 p.m. This isn't good for those who want to grow a vegetable garden. Last summer I was told to go work out there in the morning before work. Ever touch a green been plant when it's wet? You might as well just kill it and get it over with beforehand.

I'm fighting back this year. I call 2010 my Year of Reclamation. If I have to relocate my place of income - so be it. I know I do qualify for other work since I have actually gotten 3 calls to schedule interviews during the month of December. I'm being picky, though. Those 3 jobs also involved working the "late day" hours that I want to get away from.

I no longer wish to have a couple hours in the morning and a couple hours in the evening. I want to get back to having all of my non-work time in the afternoon/evening. I need a block of 5 hours or so at one time. Not a little time here and a little time there. I cannot accomplish anything. I cannot join any groups. I cannot participate in our local town hall meetings. I have given up biking, I have given up roller-blading.

No more.

2010-01-03T15:55:00.001-05:00

Can you smell it? I can. That's my sourdough bread there in the oven. I've gotten hooked on sourdough bread ever since we stopped in at the bakery up near our cabin in the UP. We read about the health benefits and now I can't remember when I ate a piece of store-bought bread.
Now, I do have problems now and then. Like today, for example. The starter was perfect, everything mixed well, the loaves rose perfectly. Then, when I took them out of the oven I remembered that I didn't use cornmeal under the loaves.
What does that do? Keeps them from sticking to the pan. So, I lost the bottom crust on both loaves. It doesn't matter. I'll eat them anyway. I already sorta ate the stuck-crust.

2010-01-01T17:44:00.001-05:00

My first finished item of 2010!

This is my first finished item of the New Year. I can't say that it's totally finished since it is a sock. One sock has to lead to another or it's not fair to the foot that doesn't get one.

I bought this yarn during the summer and can't remember where. There are only 2 yarn stores that I ever step foot inside. One is in Gaylord and the other is in Paradise in the upper peninsula.

It's Trekking XXL color #193 and it will go real well with my wardrobe. Who am I kidding? I don't worry much about matching my socks with what I'm wearing. I grab a pair and if they match it's a plus.

2009-12-31T18:47:00.000-05:00

This is one of the Christmas gifts that I knitted for my daughters. I didn't realize how bad the photo was until I opened it to crop it for posting purposes.
Posting purposes. That sounds funny.
It's Paton's wool/acrylic in tan. I had enough of this yarn leftover from one of my own sweaters to knit this neckwarmer. I think I might make a couple of these for myself someday soon.

It's New Year's Eve. What exciting things have you done tonight or are you going to do? We're staying here at home. Saves on money, calories and having to deal with not feeling so well the next day. I certainly do not miss that feeling at all. The older I get the less days I have to waste on recovery time.

Speaking of the new year. Once again, I am attempting to get rid of my office weight. I was using Sparkpeople for the past couple years but decided to try a new site this year. This time I'm going to go back to www.Caloriecount.com. It's through the about.com site. There's less "fluff" I think. I already filled out the questionnaire to determine what my main problem is. The results of my quiz is simple - I don't overeat, I just don't move around enough. I knew that.

Happy New Year and I'll check back tomorrow with another photo from my Christmas collection. After all, it's football day tomorrow.

2009-12-24T14:48:00.000-05:00

Santa! What are you doing? You need to get up off the floor, get some food and plump up, load the sleigh, hitch the reindeer and deliver those toys!
You'll never get your work done laying around there in that shop!

2009-12-22T21:39:00.000-05:00

Rochester, Michigan
Winter 2009

Every winter downtown Rochester is all lit up. This is the first year that I actually had a chance to walk around and see what it's all about. It's so hard to capture all the buildings in their sparkly splendor with a camera. I had my wide-angle lense with me but still couldn't get it all.

2009-12-05T18:36:00.000-05:00

Here's Robyn again. This time we were out on the other side of the driveway where the row of tiny poplar trees are trying to grow. I'm not kidding when I say "trying" since the rabbits and the deer keep stopping by and nibbling at them. We planted them about 3 years ago and the first winter several of them were chewed down to nothing. Poplar trees, being poplar trees, can have the ability to fight back by sending up several new trunks in the spring. If they survive this winter they may even be as tall as me next year. Robyn thought they were really tall, but then, she's really short. I think so anyway. Anyone shorter than me is really short. She is a doll. Yep, she is a real doll. Just wait until she sees who else is going to be modeling doll clothes here real soon.

You got it.

Barbie.

She arrived in the mailbox on Thursday and she was rather naked. That's how I bought her. There's a Barbie seller on eBay and all the dolls are less than $3 because that's all you get. Just the doll.

That's fine with me.

This outfit that Robyn is modeling is another 3 piece ensemble. The vest is knitted out of that same cotton boucle hand-dyed by me. The sweater under it is a long-sleeved cardigan that can also be worn without the vest and can be buttoned in the front or back.

The jeans are 100% cotton light-weight denim which is perfect for year-round wear.

This is currently listed on my Etsy shop. You know the way. Click on the link over there to the left that has Robyn's photo and off you go.

Happy Shopping!

2009-12-01T11:58:00.000-05:00

Robyn and I went for another adventure after the attempt to walk off with the Great Pumpkin. She decided that it was time to look for a Christmas tree since Thanksgiving was a day or two behind us.

She got as far as the grassy area off the porch and came upon this little tree. She threw her arms up towards me and said she wanted this one.

Imagine her disappointment when I told her it was an arborvitae and part of the landscaping at the log house.

We'll keep looking, she said.

I agreed and we went back inside to change into the next outfit that she was to model for Etsy.

2009-11-28T17:33:00.000-05:00

Robyn and the Great Pumpkin

We went outside today for another adventure. Robyn wanted to wear the new wool hand knit sweater with the heart buttons on the front. I told her she could as long as she didn't get it dirty since the two-piece outfit was going to be listed on Etsy this afternoon. Robyn likes to go outside and see what mischief she can get into so I always need to make sure that she's wearing easy care clothing. This sweater is machine wash and dry wool and the jeans are of 100% cotton light weight black denim.

She tried hard to carry the pumpkin off the porch but it was too much of a challenge for her. We left it there.

If you have an 18" doll or you know of a special girl who has one, this outfit is for sale through my Etsy site which can be reached by clicking on the link down there to the left. I sure would appreciate if you would stop by my shop for a visit. You just might find something you'd love to give for Christmas.

2009-11-24T10:23:00.001-05:00

Weekend Wear for Your Doll

This is my newest listing on my Etsy shop. The short-sleeve cardigan is knit from Opal sock yarn which is machine wash-machine dryable. The jeans are 100% cotton light-weight denim.

While I truly enjoy knitting these little sweaters, I did get a reminder of how challenging sewing little clothes can be. I also discovered that threading needles on my sewing machine and my serger are more of a challenge than they were a few years ago. Those $1 store glasses sure are a welcome item here in my house and pretty much everywhere else i am!

2009-11-22T16:50:00.000-05:00

Saturday Afternoon

Yesterday was a rather hazy fall day and it ended with a thick fog that even made the dog nervous. By the time it was dark we couldn't see our own back yard. We should have had weather like that on Halloween so it would be creepy. I expected it to still be foggy this morning so I could get some morning photos, but, it was gone. There's supposed to be more moving in this evening.

I did get this photo and a few more similar around 4:30 just as the sun was going behind the clouds that were moving in.

2009-11-21T09:14:00.000-05:00

Goldenrod in November

This is what is left of the vast fields of goldenrod around here. When the sun is shining it gives the fluff a ghostly appearance. One day on a trip to the mailbox I must have taken about 20 photos of just fluff in the sun.

Ah, maybe I should have titled this post "Fluff in the Sun"?

I haven't been here in a week or two. I've thought about stopping by. I've even just checked to see if it's still here a time or two. My webpage has been annoying me so I've been neglecting the blog. Often I wonder if I need both of them. When I took my webpage building class we had to build a site and put it out there on the web. My first one was way back in 2001 and when that host went under so did my site. Then, geocities was my next landing. Again, they went away. So now, I'm using GoDaddy.com. It's often a challenge to get it to work the way I want it to. Using an aircard for my internet connection doesn't make it any easier. I have made changes while at work a couple times and it was much easier there. Only problem with that is, when I'm at work I'm supposed to be working.

Huh?

What's with that?

Thanksgiving is coming! Black Friday is also coming. I'm going to be working on several items to list on my Etsy site over the next few days. Maybe this year someone will find me before January.

Wait! I didn't list anything until January. Bad marketing. Me, one with the marketing and advertising background. Often the most educated and experienced can be our own worst nightmare.

Off to work on those Etsy items.

Have a great Saturday and I hope you have a great Thanksgiving.

2009-11-04T19:19:00.000-05:00

Are dogs weird or what?

We were out in the back a week ago getting the hunting stand up in the tree and I noticed that Millie seemed to have an "issue" with this tree. For over an hour she stood there looking at it, sticking her nose in it, and then finally chewing it. The smaller twig-tree that's right next to her head also met it's end. It kept hitting her on the side of the head so she finally just bit it in half to get rid of it. A tree-trimming dog?

I did get a chance to get her to move so I could see what all the hoopla was about. Turns out, it appears that a small animal was storing nuts in there at one time. Nothing currently in there, though, just some old shells and dirt.

Dogs are interesting....

2009-11-01T17:50:00.001-05:00

Petunias

These colors remind me of petunias or the cosmos that I plant every year. That's probably what inspired me to use these colors in the first place.

I just listed this sweater on Etsy today. The size is for a 1 year old with an approximate chest size of 20". There's extra room here for layering.

The price is $15 and $2 for shipping.

2009-10-28T17:18:00.000-04:00

Pinkish Bluish with hint of Purplish

This is one of the most recent listings of mine on Etsy. You know how to find my Etsy store. I have links conveniently located throughout this blog. This is also hand knit out of hand dyed 100% cotton yarn. Yep, it's those darn yarn balls again. I know that I had a photo that I posted somewhere of those yarn balls.

I might just have to take another photo before they're all gone.

I finished another sweater today from more of them but it's not listed on Etsy yet and the photos are still in my camera. I do feel that I like to pace myself with my new listings.

Millie and I hung around outside for a few hours today since I was home and the sun came out. Both on the same day - amazing. Those silly lady bug look-alikes were rather vicious, though. They were landing on my face and bouncing off Millie. She didn't like that so much. We probably brought a few of them in with us like we did the last time we spent some time outside on a sunny afternoon.

2009-10-22T20:35:00.000-04:00

What happens when I see colors like this out in the woods behind our house? If you know me well enough, you won't have to wait for me to give you the answer. I'll drag it out for just a little bit first since I can think of a couple other topics to touch briefly here.
Today wasn't as nice as yesterday. We did get a chance to go outside for just a short time. All 3 of us, me, dog, & cat, walked to the mailbox and back. It's about 900' to the mailbox so it isn't a fast walk when the "kids" are with me. Millie, the dog, needs to sniff everything. I mean everything. If she finds something particularly malodorous she has to roll in it. She found a dead mouse in the driveway today. Funny, I don't remember it being there yesterday when we took the same walk. Maybe it was under enough leaves so neither of us would find it. Then, there's the cat. Iggy seems to make a painful-sounding yowling meow sound with every step while we're walking. Almost as if he's telling us to stop so he doesn't have to walk so fast to keep up with us. After all, he is a cat. All cat owners know that they must have it their way.
Once we got back to the house Millie had to go find the dead toad that's by the apple tree. You guessed it - roll around on it.
That brings me to a few dog questions. Anyone out there know why dogs feel the need to roll on dead stinky things, eat cat you-know-what out of the litter box, eat cat food, and kleenex out of the wastebasket? What's with that?
Back to the fall colors.
When I see colors like that, you guessed it, I buy yarn. White yarn. White yarn that can be dyed into vivid colors that I see outside in the fall. I don't do that so much in the spring since everything seems to be green. In the fall we have yellow, gold, green, red, orange and brown.
I didn't need anymore white yarn. I have a lot of it already. Maybe I just don't want anyone else to have it.
How else can it be explained?

2009-10-21T20:40:00.000-04:00

I finished another sweater this morning. Can you believe it? That's two sweaters in two weeks AND I also knitted 2 scarves in between. How am I pulling this off? Spare time. Not really spare time. It's more like a reduction in hours at my "day job". My "day job" really is like my day/night job since I work until 8 p.m. Have I mentioned that before? I do tend to repeat myself from time to time.
This sweater has a finished chest measurement of 24" and is 8" from the armhole. According to the "vintage" pattern that I use it's sized for 6-12 mos. Back in the day we used to allow more space for the kids to move around in. Now, they fit clothing closer to the body. That could be because of the economy which during down times clothing manufacturers use less textiles so that they can cut back.
This yarn was hand dyed by me. The pink/green yarn that is. The white is undyed natural cotton boucle. It's all boucle.
I think I've mentioned before that I have an addiction to yarn. Beyond the yarn addiction is the addiction to dying yarn.
It gets even worse.
After I dye the yarn I just can't bring myself to actually use it so I put it in baskets, bowls, tins, etc. and just look at it for years.
That has to end. You see, I have about 10 cones of natural yarns in various textures and fibers that needs to be dyed and this "previously" dyed yarn needs to go. I'd make sweaters for myself but I already have a few multi-colored cardigans from hand-dyed yarns. I need to let some of this go to another good home.
So, if you're interested in providing this sweater a new home, go to my Etsy site which can be reached by clicking the photo in the Etsy mini over there along the edge of my blog.
Thanks for stopping by!

2009-10-16T20:14:00.000-04:00

It's only been 2 days since I've been here to my blog and something appears to be different. The photo uploader was different. The text editor is different.
Seems to be working, so I won't complain.

Here's another photo that I played with. It's two put together in the form of an HDR. Again, I totally forget what HDR stands for.
High Definition Resolution? Heavy Duty Rendition?
I can't remember.
I could look it up, but, I'm not going to.
The lottery is still growing and there's about 3 hours left to buy a ticket for tonight's drawing. I went out today and passed several locations where I could have purchased a ticket or two. But, I didn't. Maybe next week if it keeps getting bigger and bigger. After all, if I'm going to win I might as well make it worth my while.

2009-10-14T15:49:00.002-04:00

What would you do with all this money? That sign was from yesterday. It's even more now. No one won. How can that be? Ya think anyone's gonna be buying tickets this week for the next drawing?

I don't think it's a good idea. No one should buy tickets this week. Make a statement. Stay away from the Mega Millions this week. Buy tickets for another game. Say to the US that you don't need all that money.

Why am I saying all this?

I want to win! That's the only way I'd get the odds to work in my favor. We still have a $3 winner to turn in from March. Yep, we hit the big one. Got the Mega Ball. Nothing else. Just the ball.

What to do with all that money? Buy 3 more tickets, of course!

So, all of you out there with big dreams of paying off your mortgage, car loans, charge cards, etc. and buying a yacht or motor home and doing nothing but travelling for the rest of your life - forget it - I'm winning.

When I do, I'll pay off my mortgage, truck payment, charge cards but won't buy a yacht or motor home. I'll buy new tires and rims for my '99 TJ, a 2" lift, new soft top, and stereo, some fog lamps. When I'm done fixin' the TJ I'll move on to the '84 LeSabre. It needs tires, paint, hoses, and it'll be ready for the Dream Cruise 2010.

So, like I said - don't buy tickets.

Remember, don't do it.

You'll wish you hadn't if you do. Think of what else you could buy with those dollars.....

2009-09-29T08:34:00.003-04:00

Millie and I went for a walk on Sunday. Good thing since it's looking like the weather won't cooperate for another for a few days. She's a curious one when we're out there. She sticks with me but will stop and listen to the birds and the far off dog barking. When I stop to take a photo she stops to look at me with an expression that appears to be saying "Again?"

At one point she rustled up something bigger than a bird in the bushes and took off after it. I was wondering if I lost my dog but she was right back with me a few minutes later. I didn't move on, just stood there trying to get a ladybug to come out from under a leaf for a photo. No such luck with the ladybug but my dog came back. I took her ID tags off when she got her new pink leather collar. Those tags really should get attached to the new one - not that our name or number is on it. We should do something about that.....

2009-09-16T10:14:00.002-04:00

Bass

I don't remember if they're big mouth or small mouth but I do know they have big mouths. Maybe that's it - they're small bigmouth bass. They're small because they're still "babies" in the grand scheme of fish life. We put them in our pond 2 years ago and they've been busy. We have baby bass all over the place along the edge of the pond. These bigger guys, along with the bluegill, follow us as we walk along the lawn. It's so odd being followed by fish. Do you ever see them follow you when you're out in a boat on a lake fishing? Nope. Here they know who feeds them.

2009-09-15T10:59:00.002-04:00

Impatience

I'm not sure if that's really the sensation that I'm feeling these days. Could be.

Why am I suspecting impatience? After I reached the big 50 almost 2 years ago I felt like I wanted more time for myself. More time to do what I wanted to do. More time to see places, do things. I'm calling the "Ronald in Me."

My dad always wanted to do more, always wanted to see more places. He had hobbies and interests that he pursued. One to the point where it wore him down during the holiday season but he felt a sense of accomplishment in January when it was all over.

Me, I want to use up this yarn that I have stashed here and there throughout the house. I want to pick and do something with all those vegetables in the garden. I want to go places where I haven't been before and some that I have been to. Steve hasn't seen much outside the state of Michigan or along I-75 between the UP and Florida. He needs to get out more.

My father, Ronald E. Powell, passed away September 12, 1988. This is our 11th year without him yet there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of something that he said to me or something that he would do in a situation.

I quoted him on Saturday to someone on the www.greatlakes4x4.com site. "Things can be replaced, people can't."

While he was fighting cancer I was pregnant with Karen, daughter #2. She was born October 15th and has the same personality and patience that he had throughout all the years I had with him. We think she was 2 weeks late so that she could wait for his personality to catch up with her.

He also told me to do what I want with my life and not let others tell me how to live it. That, I do believe, was in reference to the father of my children who was always in control. I allowed it because it was the easy thing to do. I'm not like that anymore. No one needs to control anyone. Relationships are a "no control" zone. That's the way I see it.

Live your life! It's the only one you get. My dad only had 56 years of his.

2009-09-13T20:16:00.002-04:00

Hibiscus

This year's hibiscus aren't as pretty as previous years. Most of my flower bed is less-than-lovely this year. We had so much rain in the spring that the leaves on the shasta daisy plants got some sort of black mold spots on them and the coneflowers had awful looking petals as well.

The vegetable garden is so wet that the cucumber vines just turned brown and curled up. The bean plants got all rusty and the beans that were on them grew too big too fast so they were rather unchewable. I did get some earlier in the summer before the week of the monsoons hit. My tomatos are getting black squishy spots on them which is eliminating about half of what's turning red at this point. Michigan has had some odd weather this year. We've had colder nights, weeks of rain, then weeks of dryness with cold nights. My first ripe tomato didn't even hit until the last week of August.

Now, wanna talk celery? I have so much that I have no idea what to do with it all. Yes I do. Don't let me fool you. I read online that celery can be dehydrated so I tried it. I works wonderfully. So, a bunch of celery can be reduced to a jar full of little shrunken pieces. Wonderful for adding to soups and sauces.

We have 3 huge pumpkins out there, too. Photos are somewhere on my old computer. I'm working on my new "refurbished" computer that I purchased during one of Overstock.com's Sunday free shipping sale days. Got this hard drive, keyboard and a mouse for $128. Can't go wrong. I'll keep using my Maxtor external drive for storage of my photos. My Gateway laptop is still working but has become a cool-weather friend. When the temperature surrounding it gets above 70 it decides to overheat and just shuts off. Oh well. I've had it about 4 years. We tried to just find a new hard drive for it with no success.

Back to watching the PBS show about those Grizzly Bears in western US.

2009-09-12T17:43:00.004-04:00

I learned something new today! I've been seeing these mosaics all over flickr and other sites and had no clue how this was done. One of my flickr contacts had one on his page earlier this week so I asked him how he did that. He sent me the link for a tool that does it for you. All you have to do is pick a flickr set and how many rows/columns you want and there it is!

I am not a football fan, but, we've been working extra hours and sending some of our office staff and all available sales and techs out to Ann Arbor, Ypsi and down to my alma mater Wayne State. What are they doing there? Why, they are selling and installing Comcast to incoming students. Some of these kids order so many services I have to wonder if they're going to do any homework this semester year.

I've been home all day today with no interruptions other than from pets. I've got my first attempt at home-made yogurt in my new yogurt maker right now, a crockpot full of tomatoes stewing, some celery in the oven drying (new experiment) AND two loaves of freshly-baked sourdough bread. Last weekend's sourdough bread was tasty but flat and not very golden brown. Part of my problem appears to be my lack of upper body strength to knead the dough. It also doesn't help that I'm too short to comfortably work at standard-height kitchen counters.

That reminds me - got to order that bread hook for the Kitchenaid mixer.

There's an acorn squash in the microwave right now for dinner. Since I'm having dinner alone this evening and have already had trail mix and peanut butter twice today, I'm having squash. I don't know what else I'm having with it, but, I'm having squash.

I have the football game on right now but have no idea what the score is. Let me see. 20-24 Michigan.

2009-09-11T21:29:00.003-04:00

Featured Property of the Day, September 11, 2009

Amenities include the following:

1 bedroom which includes queen-size bed and bunk bed

Great room which features eating area, kitchenette, couch, sink, refrigerator

Number of baths - 0

Outhouses - 1

Year built - sometime around 1950

Improvements - Hmmm. Can't say that there have been any improvements in the last 60 years.

This weekend there will be some improvements made if all goes well. As you can see, the roof needs some repair. We decided that it was time since we can't afford to build a new cabin and this one has character. On the walls inside are snow depths and records of deer hunting seasons of decades gone by.

2009-09-04T10:45:00.002-04:00

Newberry, Michigan

August 2009

We went on vacation last week. I know, I've been back a few days and have had plenty of time to update my blog. Nope. I haven't. There has been work, tomatoes, green peppers, and other stuff like smelly laundry to take care of every morning before I head off to work. When I get home from work at night it's already 10 p.m. so there isn't much time to do much other than knit.

I'm currently working on a natural wool cardigan on size 1 needles. I love fine-guage sweaters since they work so well for layering under other sweaters or jackets. I'm going to have enough of the yarn left when I'm done that I'm going to dye some of it and knit a vest. I do see that vests are out there again this fall.

2009-08-19T10:34:00.002-04:00

Hummingbird Wars

Over the weekend we noticed that there were two hummingbirds coming to the feeder. Soon afterwards, we figured out that there are actually 3. This one is the less colorful of the trio. They were having aerial battles over the feeder. I have been looking for another one thinking we may attract more of these little hummers but now I'm wondering if we'd just have more wars. It was entertaining.

This morning while I was sitting here at my computer this same hummingbird was right here at the screen like it was asking for something. When I'm sitting out on the porch it comes to within 3-4' of me and just hovers there. Could it be that it's asking for its own feeder or it just wants me off the porch? I'm waiting for it to come back to the screen again so I can attempt to get a photo.

My blog has a new look. I decided it was time to try something new. So far, I think I like it. It's calmer or something along that line. Let me know what you think - that is, if you saw how it looked previously.

2009-08-18T10:26:00.002-04:00

Gazania Daisies

I'm wondering if these beauties will come back from seed next year. Anyone out there know? I guess I could always check the internet for that answer, or, I could just be patient and see if all the seeds that I've been tossing in my flower bed sprout in the spring. Ah, the suspense.

I have lots of rearranging to do in the flower bed. The coneflowers have spread and they seem to like the front row. They're along the rocks where they shouldn't be and are hiding the short guys. I'm also going to replant some of the coneflowers up front where the lilies are since I have nothing of interest on the east side after the lilies are done blooming. I had cosmos up there but only 1 came back from seed this year. In between the lilies are some hostas that also need a new location.

Guess I have some projects for September and October. Next year my flower beds should look like I actually had a plan. I didn't add any new perennials this year so I could see what's going on.

Family Tree Search

I got an idea this morning from a member on the migenweb list. She suggested that I check out the free family tree building websites, so I did. When I get a minute or two I'm going to wander back to one of them and list my branches and leaves that I've got so far. It's been an ongoing project for me for about 5 years now and I only really work on it during the winter when I have longer hours in the house. One Saturday when I was home alone I did actually spend eight hours working on it. Researching and plotting are time consuming.

Knitting

I'm knitting another pair of socks. This time I'm using a string-like cotton that's hand dyed in shades of purple, sage, and some natural. I bought the yarn from a seller on eBay and it's been in a cabinet for a couple years. I already made a sweater using the same yarn, and, after I find some buttons that I like, I will take a photo and post it for all to see.

2009-08-15T11:35:00.002-04:00

The Road Ship

I can't remember if I've blogged about this newest addition to my collection of old stuff, but, I'm gonna do it today. Mainly because it's the Woodward Dream Cruise weekend here in Metro Detroit. We're not taking the Ship today because it has some issues yet and it would be rather embarassing just trying to get there.

We have discovered that it has a bad thermostat which is an easy fix. There's one tire that has a belt showing which could mean a blowout AND it just plain needs to be washed and buffed. I'd like to have it repainted and can probably do it for less than $1000. Anyone have $1000 I can have?

Maybe I can sell yarn. I'll bet ya I have enough yarn and fabric in my stash where I could raise at least half of the cost of a paint job for the Ship.

Hmmm.

Another exciting milestone today! In the past two years I have gained, lost, gained and half-lost 20 pounds. I have been struggling since January to get back below 130. Today, the scale said 129.8. So close. Guess what we're doing this evening. Yep, going out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant with another couple. I don't need that. Not today. Between the sodium and the fat in the Mexican food I will probably be at 134 tomorrow and it will take me another 3 weeks to get back to 131. I was charting my progress until it flatlined.

I'm using the Walker Diet protein powder method this time. I have 3 cans here at home and 2 more on the way. I'm sticking with it until I get back down to where I should be for a 51 year old 5'1" female.

Back to my kitchen. I'm slicing, blanching, freezing and packing away veggies for the winter.

I also need to feed the hummingbirds. Steve just informed me that he had one staring him in the face through the door just now. Silly hummers. We were watching the Hummingbird Wars yesterday. Three of them are all trying to claim one feeder. Next year I want to hang 3 feeders and see what happens. It's comical. Somehow they do manage to empty it daily. I don't totally fill it since I don't want the sugar water baking in the heat that we're having this week.

Back to work.

2009-08-07T10:06:00.002-04:00

Mug Rugs

What are Mug Rugs?

You use them under your coffee or tea cup.

They can even be used under those beer cans!

These can be found and are available for purchase on Etsy.

You can access my site through the link on the right.

Thank you!

Happy Friday!

2009-08-03T10:26:00.003-04:00

Our Back Porch

This is how our back porch looks this week. Since the photo was taken the orange Homer bucket has been relocated. That's what we use to go back and forth to the garden to pick zucchini and tiny pickle cucumbers.

Steve started pickling last week and in 6 weeks we'll see just how they turned out. I've been blanching and freezing zucchini for over a week. This past weekend I started on the turnips since we're going to have more than we can handle at one time. Turns out they do make mashed potatoes taste just a little zippy.

I chopped up some Hungarians this morning to freeze. One of them was just slightly hotter than the rest and I wasn't thinking and touched my nose. That's how I found out that it was just a little hotter. I started sneezing after that one.

Knitting. I've decided that I didn't want to put a bunch of fabric up for sale on my ETSY site to sell as supplies so I started ripping it up and knitting it into "things". So far, I've made 2 sets of mug rugs and one skinny scarf. Not all fabric rips well. The knots that are appearing in the mug rugs just add character.

It's rather windy here today so when I attempted to sit outside to absorb my daily dose of vitamin D while knitting I had to come back in. My project was trying to get away from me.

Not a potato chip on paper plate kinda day.

It's going to be a long work week. 12:00-8:00 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10:00-5:00 on Saturday. So much for accomplishing much of anything this week - or for the rest of the summer as far as that goes. I spend pretty much every moment that I'm here doing laundry, trying to straighten up, vacuuming is hopeless since we come in and out so much right now, blanching, freezing, bagging, blah blah blah.

That's why I'm sharing the photo of my back porch. If I can't enjoy it, maybe you can. I look so farward to enjoying the warm afternoons on the back porch. We've lived here for 5 years, the first two years were spent just working on the house. Three summers ago there was hope that we could relax together but then I had my work schedule turned upside down. Last sumemr started out with a "tease". May and June were normal then we went on a vacation in July and I returned to work with a new job assignment. I worked until 6:00 p.m. for one week then until 8:30 until September. The "tease" happened again this year.

Friday I had a conversation with my supervisor who told me that I have FOUR HOURS in the morning to go out and do yard work, pick vegetables, etc. before coming into work. I told her that I really didn't since it takes me an hour to get ready for work (shower, makeup, hair, get dressed, breakfast, make lunch) and almost an hour (50 minutes) to get to work. So, if I keep the same schedule as my husband I have TWO hours in the morning. So, NO, I do not get much done.

Yesterday when I was expressing my feelings to my mom and sister Steve told them that I was just whining to get people to feel sorry for me.

I had to tell him last night that I have never done that. I spent my entire first 40 years around people who could care less how I felt since they lived their lives around themselves so I never mentioned how I felt. When I did it was as if they didn't believe me because I always said I was fine, or doing well, etc. So, why would I bother?

Now, at the age of 51, I bother because I do not want to keep going on this way. At this point in my life I should have a say in what I do and when I do it. But, it's Family that's doing this to me. I work for Steve's brother.

Who says family looks out for family.

Not here.

Back to my last few minutes of knitting before I have to leave to go to another fun day at the office waiting for the phone to ring or keeping busy by calling the same customers that my co-workers have already called several times. It's a tough economy and, if someone doesn't want cable right now because they can't afford it, they're probably telling the truth.

2009-07-28T11:00:00.002-04:00

Pink Painted Daisies

I just love these painted daisies and planted 6 plants 2 years ago. This year they've matured nicely and are showing off. I'm pretty sure that I also bought the darker shade of pink as well but haven't seen any of those yet. Maybe I really didn't.

This summer hasn't been turning out any different than the last two summers. 2006 was the last summer that I actually was able to enjoy the short Michigan season. Why is that? Work and what keeps happening to me in that category. In 2007 I was given an "opportunity" to supervise 2nd shift. Ok, so there was a 10% shift premium which still isn't all that enticing when you wait all winter for summer to arrive so that you can be outside, do gardening, grow vegetables and prepare them for winter storage.

Summer 2008 started out slightly better. There was a new job which kept evolving due to certain people who worked there who didn't give me the opportunity to figure out just what was expected of me. The parties who were supposed to fill me in on that were either not there or in their own world. So, upon returning from a vacation with my husband, I discovered that my job assignment had been changed and I was then moving into the call center. Two weeks after moving into the call center my shift changed to "late". Once again, going home in the dark and not having much time to get anything accomplished in the morning. So, to fix that problem I decided I was working part time. The weather then decided to cooperate less and most of our vegetable plants decided that they would follow suit. Bad year for harvesting anything other than tomotoes.

2009. Worse than 2008 or 2007. I get "promoted" and am now "Lead" which means I'm closing the office at night again. When you get off work at 9:00 p.m. and have at least a 30-40 minute drive home there isn't much time to do anything in the evening, especially if you are trying to stay on the same sleep schedule as your significant other. I'm starting to wonder just who that is.....

Depression doesn't seem all that impossible to me anymore. People say "you have plenty of time in the morning to work outside and get your household chores done". Sure I do.

I start work at noon. That means that I do have to allow for that get-ready-for-work time and the drive time. It's also wet outside just after dawn - unpleasant to work in the dew and mosquitos. But then, that's what I should be doing, right - according to others.

Speaking of the "others" - those are the ones who also ask me "Do you have any extra zucchini or tomatoes?"

Now, do they honestly think that I'm going to work in the dirt on my day off and give stuff away?

Silly people.....

I have to go to work now and I sure hope your summer is way more exciting than mine.

Now that I think about it, my only sources of socializing for the past 3 years is at the office or online. People just don't hang out much and events just don't happen often in the early mornings.

Maybe we late-workers need to start something!

2009-07-23T09:52:00.003-04:00

1999 Jeep Wrangler TJ Sport

We're still together. Out of curiosity I dug out my title to see just when we became close friends. July 21, 1999. Now, that is a day of independence for me as well as a day of new acquisition. That date marks the first major purchase that I had made in my entire life that wasn't influenced by a male. My dad mde the decision for me when I purchased my first vehicle. Sorta. He took me to a Buick dealer where a friend worked. I really wanted a Blazer 4x4 but insurance would have been too high. My 2nd choice was a Buick Skyhawk. Nope, no V8 stick for me. Oh well.

What did I get? I'll show ya.

1976 Buick Century

We were together for a few years. Not as many as the TJ and I, though. I think it was only about 7 years. We had fun, though. Unfortunately, the Century appeared to have a magnet in it that attracted other vehicles of all shapes and sizes so I always had a dent or scrape somewhere. I finally gave up on getting them fixed.

Back to my knitting so I can get some relaxation in before I head off to the snake pit known as work. It's vicious there and I've never experienced anything like it. I kept thinking that as we get older we can find a job where we're working comfortably, doing what is required of us plus a little more because we just want to. But NO, I get one where you tread lightly because there's always some youngster there who wants to trample you. I've been fighting back, though, and will continue to do so for us over-50 workers.

2009-07-20T10:00:00.002-04:00

1984 Buick LeSabre Limited Edition

This is my new car. Yep, I know it's an old car, but, it's a new car to me. We bought it with intentions of fixing it up so that I can drive it when I'm in the mood to drive something older than my old TJ that turned 10 this year. Up until 2 years ago we had a 20 year old Sahara. Our F250 is up there, too, but those diesels are supposed to go on forever. We'll see. It kinda looks like the body surrounding the engine may go first.

We tried to bring the LeSabre home over the weekend but discovered that the old car has a couple issues that may have made the almost-3 hour drive not so enjoyable. I did get a chance to open up the old 4 barrels to see what it could do. Good thing the driver's side rear tire didn't let loose during those "try-outs". The steel belt is about to pop out on that one.

Ahh.

The wonder of it all.

2009-07-01T22:28:00.002-04:00

I'm knitting another sweater.

Are you surprised? If you know anythng about me you wouldn't be surprised at all. Now, am I going to finish this one?

You bet ya!

This one is on the cover of Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 2008. I sorta had my eye on it for a while but wasn't really inspired. So, what changed? I don't know. I went in my basement on Saturday morning to do some laundry and saw this tape yarn sitting there on the shelf. I counted 12 of them so I decided to find something to do with it.

This photo was taken on Saturday but I'm way further along now. Not done with the back yet but would have been if I hadn't had to "unknit" several times.

You gotta pay attention to what you're doing when lace other fancy stuff is involved!

That's what I have to keep telling myself. I'm so outta lace-knitting practice.

See ya later!

2009-06-23T18:16:00.003-04:00

I'm playing around once again. Ever see those cool prints and wonder "How do they do that?" Ever curious and wanting to try something new, I did some searching on flickr. I found a group that explained what this was and how to do it. I keep sending photos to them to post, but, after checking the group rules last night I realized that they're not going to post any of my photos because that's not what they do.

Duh!

That wouldn't be the first time that I submitted photos to a group without following the rules correctly. Sometimes you just have to read them to know what it's all about.

In other news.....

That's funny, isn't it? Nope, I'm watching the evening news right now and they just said that so I had to.

I just saw a story about people finding charges on their cellphone bills from various messaging sites that use facebook. Beware when you take those silly quizzes that your friends challenge you to. I guess some people are finding big charges to text messaging memberships.

Who needs it?

I don't take those silly quizzes.

Heck, I rarely update this blog.......

Knitting.

Yep, I'm doing it. I finished a pair of socks last week but haven't posted a photo of them yet. They're out of the yarn that I hand-dyed all by my little self.

This week I'm using Opal Rainforest in the Doktorfish colorway. I had to look up those doktor fishes to see just what they are. Guess what! They are lavender, yellow, gray and blue. Imagine that!

Bike riding!

Ah yes. I've gone and rode my bike - two times in 1 week. Whew, am I exhausted. Not really. I just wanted you to think I went on a really long bike ride. Considering that I haven't ridden my bike in a year or more, 4 miles was a really long bike ride.

Back in the day (not so long ago in a galaxy real close by) I would ride daily for a minimum, yep a MINIMUM of 10 miles per day. I'll get there. My challenge right now is my silly work hours. Sucks the daylight out of my day.

Hmmm.

What other topics do I type about?

Gardens. We've got baby plants all over the place. Here's to hoping the deer and rabbits leave them alone this year.

Photos.

I have another camera. Bad me. Really bad me. This one's not a manual Minolta but another Maxxum. This one takes panoramic shots and does the time/date stamp thing. You never know when you want a wide photo with the time/date on it.

No - I just can't say NO.

Darn it all......

Happy Tuesday!

My Review of Satin-Trim Henley

2009-06-17T18:11:00.001-04:00

Chadwick's

Longer-length waffle knit henley with satin-trim placket and raglan sleeves. Machine-washable cotton/rayon/spandex. Imported.

Misses

I'd love one in every color!

reddeviltj Casco Twp., MI 6/17/2009

Sizing: Feels true to size

Length: Feels true to length

Sleeve Length: Feels true to length

Pros: Stylish, Great Color, Washes Well, Versatile, Good Fit, Comfortable, Flattering

Best Uses: Wear To Work, Casual Wear

Describe Yourself: Casual, Bargain Shopper

I found the sleeves to be longer but that's just how I like them. Often, the sleeves are too short, even for me and I'm only 5'1".
The fabric is soft and the colors are so vivid.

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2009-06-04T13:14:00.002-04:00

Two of my favorite colors!

I have always had a "thing" for blues and greens but chartreuse and robin-egg blue together have always been "it" for me. I just can't help it. You know how we all have something in our lives that gives us that warm feeling? Some of us are into chocolate chip cookies, ice cream, peanut butter, ice cream with peanut butter together on chocolate chip cookies? (I must be referring to myself here, eh?) Blue and green come in second for me now that I think about it.

After these two colors it's gotta be yellow and orange - coming soon since the lillies are getting ready to start blooming.

This is my latest hand-dyed sock yarn. I started by knitting it into a big square then dyed it. This was the "pre-set and wash" stage". Right now, it's out on the porch drying and I really didn't lose any color. I love when it works out that way.

Other thoughts. I do have them but really haven't used my blog to "air" them out. However, over the past couple weeks I have been so annoyed, so insulted, so disgusted with what I've seen and heard in the workplace that something has to be put in print so help me move on.

I've been told by co-workers who have been receiving the schedules of their choice that it's "what they know" and that they have children. That's why they need to work early and leave early. That's why I'm working late and not having the opportunity to work the desired hours.

Now, that would be considered discrimination in my mind. Because my children are grown, one a college grad and the other halfway there is the reason that I don't get "privileges"?

"What they know" - right. We all know something. I took that as saying that she knows more than me? I'm not quite sure how a twenty-something can know more than a 51 year old. Baffles me.

The latest was a post on Facebook this morning stating that "they couldn't get by without me" while this person was on vacation. That was the big insult to me since I was "covering" her. The assignment that I was given went smoothly. Extremely smoothly. The reason she needed to be called while she was on vacation was her own doing. If you're going to be out of town you certainly need to share the information that is required for the company to carry on with business. She didn't.

In my mind - she failed us. We did not fail.

Now that I've posted all of this I do still have to go into the office this afternoon. After all, I'm not special enough to have the early shift nor am I special enough to have any real responsibilities other than just sitting in a cubicle answering phones.

Someday I'll find a new job where I can, once again, use my brain.

How did all of this happen? I work for someone who has never worked for anyone but himself and hasn't had a real taste of the "real world" and has his own opinions of those of us who have been in other environments - in particular, the automotive field.

I'm just hoping that he never has to "go there" as he may not "fit in".

2009-06-02T10:45:00.002-04:00

Tree Eater

That's what I call this deer. I'm not sure if it's a buck or a doe but am thinking it may be a doe since it just eats non-stop all day. It starts out in the morning circling around on the south side of the property then works it's way across to the north side. I was just inside the door when I took this photo which explains the odd coloring. The photo below was taken from the porch. The eating just kept continuing the whole time I was taking photos and actually talking at the same time. Its head would pop up and look at me like I was nuts then kept eating.

The favorites are the trees we're trying to keep up near the house and the ones we've actually paid for. Our crabapples were chewed by the rabbits and the apple and pear trees were eating from the top down by the deer.

This past Sunday I went out in the morning to look at the columbine that are growing at the end of the porch. Wanna know what I found?

Flowers on stalks with no leaves. Yep, the rabbits at the leaves right off the plants but left the blooms. These stalks are 2' tall.

I don't like rabbits.

Not anymore.