Granny Stripe Blanket

TA DAAA! It's done. This is a picture of it right before I had the border completely finished, but I never got it posted until now.

I couldn't decide how to do the border. I'm a beginner crocheter. I did one thing in high school, and that was it. I didn't want to get too complicated with the border, plus I'm in love with this granny stripe stitch. So easy. I was thinking of not even adding a border.

But I did. I just did more granny stripe stitches as the border. And, I was going to use the three main bluish colors, but I couldn't find enough of the darker one, so I just used the two lighter colors. If I ever come across the third color, I could always add it on later.

For the last row, I just made a double crochet in every hole. Make sense? It was the easiest thing I could think of doing. The one thing I would have done differently was make it wider. Who knew?

I love the bright colors. They make me happy. Remember when I first started my husband didn't care for the colors and I got all worried, but then my blogger buddies said to keep on with it, that I would love it. Well I do. And I just love crocheting. So now, I'm making a blanket out of the colors that I showed you way back when......

Only I'm using white instead of one of the blues, and I call it my Sand and Sea blanket. The actual pattern is called Lakeside afghan and I found it on the Lion Brand website. www.LionBrand.com I'm using a few more colors than they did, hence sand and sea and not lake!

Starting from the left end, the colors of sand, moss, coral, sea, and whitecaps! What? I'm using my imagination here ok?

So I started on it. I mean the pattern says "easy." But on the second row, I came up short...twice. AUGH. So, I took it to my Granny Bee stitchery group. We have a lady in there that is a crochet expert. And as I was reading the pattern to her, it hit me what I was doing wrong! Just like that. I think crochet patterns are weird and I think sometimes it helps to explain it out loud. So I'm crocheting along....and dammittohell (my Dad says that).......

I came up short again! And I could not figure out what I did wrong.....
AAAUUUUGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!! I think I ripped it out three times before....

I figured it out! aaaahhhhhhhhhhh....see the waves.....I feel like I'm on the ocean already.....I got a great idea! I should GO to the ocean to make this afghan.....I'm loving it!

Cindy

Recipe for Apple Walnut Delight

Apple Walnut Delight
12 cups apples, chopped into small pieces
6 cups sugar
1 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. allspice
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground cloves
1 cup walnut pieces (more or less according to your taste)

Combine all ingredients, except for walnuts, in a large pot.Bring to a boil.Then cook raidly to a jellying point. Add the walnuts and mix well.Leave a quarter of an inch head space when filling the jars. (Use small jars.) Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath.

This recipe came from Rebekah Teal, the City Farmgirl from Mary Jane's Farm website.

Cindy

Laptop! Apple Walnut Delight!

I know what you're thinking, what do apples have to do with a new laptop? I'll tell ya what! Grab a cup of tea, or a latte' cause I'm playing around on my new laptop right now, and I'm gonna babble!

On our land we have this old, old apple tree that we do nothing with, but we do get apples from it every other year. (Thank you honey bees) I went there last week and picked a big basketful of apples.


They look bad on the outside because we do not spray them, but when you peel them.....

this is what you get. I've been wanting to make Apple Walnut Delight. I first learned of this recipe two years ago from The City Farm Girl's Blog from Mary Jane's Farm website. And it takes a lot of chopping.

So, I got my new laptop out and set it up in the dining room. I fixed myself a latte'. I got everything ready and popped a movie in my new laptop and watched it while I chopped.

(This is so cool and I was so excited I wanted to scream with excitement. But the effect seems lost when no one is around to hear you!)

chopping, chopping, chopping......You have to chop 12 cups of little teeny pieces, but it is so worth it. This recipe is yummy. I add it to my REAL oatmeal (that doesn't take that long to cook-so stop eating that instant crap people!)

Doesn't Meryl Streep look so young in this movie. It's called Dancing in Lughnasa. It's about five sisters who live in Rural Ireland in 1936. Most definitely a chick flick. (Peggy you'd probably like it!)

I was all excited and started snapping pics of my computer, then realized you can see reflections in the screen, along with the movie. See my granny striped blankey (in our dining room) below the kite to the right? The kite is in the movie. I'll be posting pics of the blankey soon. I've finished it and started another one! I love crocheting. Who knew?

Still chopping.

OK - I did take a break for awhile and went to Mom & Dad's new condo. You see, they just got moved into their condo, and the very day they finished moving, they received a call from my cousin Mark. His Dad, My Mom's brother, was dying. My Uncle lived in Texas, so my parents took off for Texas. They were in their condo for one day before they had to leave, but thank goodness they left. All of my Mom's brothers made it to Texas Wednesday night, and Uncle Bud passed away Thursday morning. So, in the middle of chopping, I took a break and went to their condo to drop off some bacon, tomatoes, biscuits, hook-up their t.v. and get their mail and newspapers from the neighbor lady, so they could relax a bit when they got home. They have had a lot of stress lately. They got home safely Sunday night.

Anyway, you can see the latte' has been replaced with wine and the Dancing movie has been replaced with The Notebook. Another chick flick. Have you seen it? Well watch it, it is GOOD. And who doesn't love what's his name. My Sister has a picture of her and him together. He was at the Indy 500 the same time she was. It's coming to me........James.......Hmmm, wonder if she'd send me that pic, via e-mail, so I could post it on the blog. What do you think Sister? Will you send it? Please.

So since I am rambling on this post, and changing my train of thought, I'm going to ramble a bit longer. Here's why. The movie The Notebook is another one that I own. I have watched it several times. It is about TRUE love. And we have true love right on our land. We have these two geese, they are not pets, but they are no longer afraid of us. One of them has a broken wing and they stay together on our land the entire year. They never leave each other. My husband says geese mate for life. Us humans should take a lesson from them! Anyway, we named them Noah and Alley. Watch the movie. So back to Apple Walnut Delight. Here it is in the pot.

Cooking to a jelly-like consistency, which takes longer than I remember, but still...Yum.

And here it is after I processed it.

I will post the recipe after I go home and find it on my home computer. I'm at Panera right now (so cool-snicker snicker), and I don't have much on this computer and I can't find it on the archives of Mary Jane's Farm. It's yummy on oatmeal I tell ya.

Cindy

PS - Garner. James Garner.

PSS - My laptop needs a name. Any ideas?

Tree Toppin'

The reason you would do THIS

to a tree is....

a) You want to see the tree die a slow death.

b) You enjoy picking up sticks.

c) You want the entire neighborhood to know you are ignorant when it comes to arbor care.

d) You felt sorry for the guy who came through the neighborhood with a chain saw and a pick-up truck, and wanted to give him some work.

All of the above are correct answers!

a) It might take a few years, but topping trees usually kills them slowly. You open the limbs up for disease and fungus. What was once a majestic, beautiful tree now looks pathetic.

b) What was once huge, strong, beautiful limbs are now going to grow back into tiny little twiglets. They will be flimsy and you'll be picking plenty of them up all over the lawn every time you get a storm because you've weakened the limbs.

c) They know it now.

d) The latest news says the economy is picking up. Don't feel sorry for guys in trucks with chain saws. They know nothing about trees. Hire an arborist, who had to get some education concerning trees before they "trim" them. They need work too. Don't be an idiot and DON'T TOP TREES. IT IS NOT GOOD FOR THEM.

Cindy

Uncle Bud

We lost a very much loved member of our family yesterday. Our Uncle Bud passed away. That is him in the yellow shirt and this picture was taken a year ago. He will be missed.

Cindy

Project Yellow Box

I got all excited the other day because one of the blogs I follow posted Project Yellow Box. I was wanting to try some new recipes,as fixing dinner is always a challenge http://meetmeatmikes.blogspot.com/2010/08/project-yellow-box-by-pip.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MeetMeAtMikes+%28meet+me+at+Mikes%29 (I don't know if I did that right. You should be able to click on it and go right to the post. Plan B-look in my side bar, click on Meet Me at Mike's, then go back a few posts to Project Yellow Box.)

I knew I had one of these yellow boxes in my basement somewhere.....so I looked and looked. I remember ordering it back in the 70's??? Maybe 80's??? You would get a set of cards every couple of weeks or so. Hmmm, did I sell the yellow box in a garage sale at some point? NO! I did not. I found it!!! It was in the basement! And you will only understand my excitement of finding something in my basement if I were to allow you in it, which I will not do! Now, my yellow box is Betty Crockers, not the Australian Women's, but how different could they be, right?

And look what I found!!!! FONDUE RECIPES!

WOOHOO! Jackpot! Why was I now double excited? Because a few weeks ago, I got this for three bills at a garage sale!

I was going to give it away as a little gift to someone, as it was brand spankin' new still in the box not even opened yet.....but when I found the fondue recipes, I had to open it.

I went back to the basement to hunt for this groovy 70's material to take pictures of my fondue set and yellow box! No I have not kept this material since the 70's. (someone else did and I bought it at their garage sale!)

See the plastic still on the little forklets? What people sell that they never use!

So I start thumbing through the recipes and I'm getting bummed.

Salmon Noodles Romanoff

Creamy Fruit Salad (using a can of fruit cocktail? - seriously - not fresh fruit)

Oyster Stew (I do not like Oysters)

Vichyssoise under men's favorites?

And the fondue recipes....

Swiss Fondue (Swiss cheese aged 6 months-in Indiana?)

British Brunch fondue (cheddar Cheese)

Campfire Fondue (heat 1 can of condensed cheddar cheese soup)

you get the idea....

What happened to Y & Z?

{Sigh} So then I got out a few cookbooks and started thumbing through them. I think this winter I'm going to have a huge cookbook 'look-see' and make a garage sale pile of the ones I will probably never use. Might even see Yellow Box in that pile.

If anyone is putting one of those Australian Yellow Boxes in their garage sale pile, let me know and I'll trade ya for my Betty Crocker.

So, what are you fixing for dinner tonight?

Cindy

Free Laptop!!!!

My shug has been siding our house (for like three years). See those back two windows? Those are my kitchen windows...that very back section is a new room we added on a few years ago. That is the 'normal' height of a one story house. Those are 8 foot ladders.

So, tonight I was talking to my cousin, Vickie, on the phone. My shug came in and said, "just let me talk to you for one minute." I asked Vickie to hold on. Then I told her I had to go. You see.....My shug announced that the siding was done, and that if I would climb to the top of the house, like he had been doing all night, he'd buy me a laptop! Of course, he didn't think I'd do it!

The ladder was a bit wobbly....and he thought I'd chicken out. The higher I got the more wobbly it got...but jeez loueez a laptop....

I'M GETTING A LAPTOP!

See you at Big Ben Coffee Shop, Panera, or Starbucks...with my new laptop...downloading pics to my blog. Well, I can't use it at home, we're still on dial-up! But hey Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!!! I'm getting a laptop!! I'll be the one with the pink Very Bradley laptop bag, until I make myself a funky felted one this winter....hmmmm, I'll have to think of what I want on my new laptop bag...maybe bees.......or my bee lady.....or a bee skep..........

And,the other news of the day, I had a hot flash today.
Third one in my life.
AAAUUUGGGHHH!
Did I mention I hate peri-menopause?
Well, I'm telling ya again...I hate it.
But I'm gonna love my new laptop!

Cindy

HOT...HOT...HOT

Last night it was 94 degrees outside at 8:00 p.m. We have been under a heat advisory for the last few days in Indiana. Even my bees are too hot. When it gets too hot in the hive, some of them hang on the outside of it. There are about 50,000 - 60,000 more in the hive right now!

But that's not to say they still don't work. They do. They are filling up those supers (smaller boxes on top) with honey.

I extracted two supers the other day and got around 65 pounds of honey. (I explained extracting in a previous post. Check it out if you didn't see it)

Being a beekeeper is a lot of heavy, hard work, but I love it. Did I mention hot?

Cindy

Moving

Can you believe my parents are selling this?

Have you ever went to your parents house, and saw a "For Sale" sign in front of their house? A for sale sign in front of a house that they lived in for 31 years? And you knew nothing about it, until you saw the sign!

Well it happened to me a few weeks ago.

And that....was this....which they actually did put in their moving sale, so technically they are selling it,

but this is what I saw. UNBELIEVABLE!
And here is the really unbelievable part. They sold it in one week. In the city with the 2nd highest unemployment rate in the nation. Some lady happened to be walking by, saw the sign, made an appointment to see the house, then made an offer. So my parents decided to move to a condo, made an offer, and it was accepted. All within a two week time frame.

We got together for one last family picture in front of the house. And they had us go through their stuff. Do you know how weird it is going through your parents stuff, when they are there? It's weird. But they weren't going to have room in the condo because it's smaller. When we finally adjusted to going through their stuff, we started taking EVERYTHING and had Mom running around saying, "nooo NOOO you can't take that!"

I took this. Dad said if I was going to take it, I had to know the history behind it. It was what he put his clothes "and stuff" in when he got out of the army in 1956, which made it more special. I could not put my clothes and stuff in this even for a weekend. It wouldn't fit. I have too much stuff. Including an old suitcase collection that I will show you sometime. Anyway, I can't believe they saved it all those years because our Mom does not save anything!

I also took this. No history, just southern cute. I also took a few yard ornaments, cement statuary type stuff.

Then came the moving sale. (way back on the table you can see my granny stripe blankey. I worked in it during the slow times)

Christy stopped by the sale to chat for awhile and tried to help Mom get a chipmunk out of the garage. No luck. The chipmunk went under a shelving unit and stayed there until the sale was over.

I got bored and decided to try on curtains! I was going to wear it as a shawl but Mom said, "no way am I giving that to you. Every time I see it on you I'll think....she's wearing a curtain." Well, it would have made a lovely curtain, but when I came back from running an errand, they had everything cleaned up and out of there. If I wanted anything I would have to go to Goodwill and get it!

And this is Mom in what I think would have made a lovely gift for a fisherman. An apron, oven mitt, and four fishing books. The whole thing would have been less than 10.00! I don't think it sold.

Good thing I snagged these gardening books before they were taken away. I held them out in case the Master Gardeners want them.

Mom and Dad seem pretty happy creating all of this chaos for everyone!!! Hey, I wanted that coffee carafe' doggone it!

Cindy

Happy Birthday Sister!

Hey everyone, wish my Sister a Happy 41st Birthday!

I'm pretty sure she was not drunk here!

hmmm, maybe a little here....(It's Vegas baby)

Sledding with Taylor (daughter) in 2006

With Captain Sparrow 2010

Easter 2010

40th Birthday

Fun at Hacienda!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISTER!

Cindy