January recap Part I

I'm sitting here typing, trying to be quiet as my Shug naps, and the wind blows like crazy outside.  Yup, we are expecting more snow yet again.  Lot's more.  And I couldn't get warm today, so I'm typing with my hand warmers on and sipping hot chocolate, with marshmallows.  Yum!

I'm wondering where January went.  On one gloved hand, New Year's Eve 2014 seems like it was eons ago, and on the other gloved hand, January flew by.

Did I tell you NYE was our anniversary?  I think I told you.  We've been married 19 years.  We went out in the afternoon with Vickie (my cousin) and Robert (my cousin in law) to a casino in Indianapolis.  We also went to eat at Hacienda, a mexican Restaurant in Kokomo, for dinner.

Vickie and Robert went home around 10ish and my Shug and I went to a movie, partiers that we are!

Doesn't NYE seem like a long time ago?

On Thursday of NYE week, I got an emergent call to bring Composition notebooks!  "We need to make resolutions!"  Said caller.

So, I made some resolutions with my crochet friends.  

When Debbie arrived we told her we will be making resolutions today.  "OH" she said....she's new to the group and thought we'd be crocheting!

We seem to do this every year now, and it's really kind of fun.  

And I'm always getting in trouble for being too detailed.  I can't help it.  It's what I do.  For example, I resoluted to....

Lose 20 more pounds by June 30,

 ten more by March 30, 

which is 3-4 a month.  

See, that's what I do.  I can't leave it at Lose 20 pounds....I have to get detailed with it.  Break it on down.  And Amanda always chastises me about it.  So I also resolute, every year, to hang with nicer people!    

You will see why I haven't lost any pounds the whole month of January in a minute.  

But first, I have to tell you,

Debbie had her Ghost Radar app on her phone And the words

Name

Mine

Method

Student

and Italian appeared. 

What does it all mean blogettes?  

Will I Be going back to Italy, as a student, to learn a new beekeeping Method, that I will call my own, and name after me?  Will I?

On the 11th of January we went to Vickie and Robert's house for a surprise 50th Birthday party for Robert!  My Shug and I got there early, along with Ashley and some others, to decorate.  Ashley had seen something on facebook about how you can pop a cork on a bottle of wine by pounding it against a cabinet, inside a shoe.  Well, don't believe everything you read on facebook!  And for crying out loud DON'T tell Vickie we were banging shoes with wine bottles on her cabinet doors!  Good grief.  We weren't even drinking! yet

 

SURPRISE!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

So, a football game was on tv and it was the Colts, so several sat around watching the game.

but after Robert opened gifts (we wrapped his sunglasses that he left at our house on NYE)

we decided it was time to play games.  Mom needed to "buy" some quarters off of me to play games and some would wonder, 'you actually SOLD quarters to your Mom.'  Um, yes I did and I don't feel bad about it!  She taught me well!

We played "Screw your neighbor" and "Left, Right, Center"  Both fun games that apparently make you laugh a lot!  Because we did.

This is my Uncle John and Aunt Nancy

And this is my Aunt Betty and Uncle Ike.  (with my Shug in the corner looking at his card very seriously)  We decided we want to see Aunt Betty and Uncle Ike's closet.  We didn't decide that, of course, until after they left.  They always wear matching shirts.  ALWAYS!  They are so cute, don't you think?

I think we are having much more fun than the guys watching the game (playing on their phones)

Even though my Sister put up her "W" for winner, she was a Loser, just like us!

Then the next weekend, we tried to all get together for Dad's birthday, but the weather was AWFUL out and my brother and his family couldn't make it.  They had the longest drive.  The rest of us did go for dinner at a locally owned Italian restaurant.

Then we went to Mom & Dad's for more games and Birthday cake from a locally owned bakery!

Joey helped Mom cut the cake,

and I think Trent was telling him to make the pieces BIG

because he did!  How am I supposed to lose ten pounds by what...March 30?

Theresa and Dave looked on, wondering the same thing I'm sure.

Dad wanted a picture of him and Adrienne.

 

He said, "Make sure you get our stomachs in the picture!"  Ummmmm, Dad...SHE is pregnant, remember?

My brother and his family are trying to come up this Saturday for Dad's birthday since they missed it.  Guess what?  It's supposed to snow.  Guess what else?  It's snowing now.  Right NOW!  I'm warmed up though and My Shug woke up from his nap, so I think I'm going to go snuggle with my dog, watch some tv, and knit a bit on my Shug's scarf. 

Cindy Bee

Come on get happy!

My Shug went to work today.  

The snow is coming down like crazy.  

Churches are canceling and there is a weather advisory out for our area. 

And I posted this picture on Instagram.  

Do you see what I see....look closely.....

 new shoots on my jasmine plant!

 And there is this petunia that is blooming in this houseplant! 

And look at this bloom on my ......oh jeeeesh....I can't think of the name of the plant!......it's my age.....hmmm...not clover.....but it reminds me of St. Patrick's day......anyway, it's blooming.

Yup, I got up today and it was snowing so hard it was almost a complete white-out.  The e-mail on my phone isn't working, which is how I stay in touch with my Shug, and CH 6 isn't working on the tv so I can't watch Joel Osteen. 
Minor irritations!
A lump in my oatmeal...could be so much worse.
Do you see what I'm doing?
I'm choosing to be happy.
 I'm going to pop in a movie, drink a home made latte', and do some stitching!

What's with the happy attitude you say?  Well, I'm going to do 100 days of happy! 

I'm posting a picture of something that makes me happy on Instagram for the next 100 days.
cindybee58 on Instagram (I wish I was more computer savvy and you could just click on it and be there, but I'm not, so you can't)
I think it's meant to be. 
I just learned about hastags yesterday....and I'm posting it under
#cindybeeshappydays

I feel happy already!  

I do!

Do you?

Do 100 days of happy too then!

I read this post on Julia Crossland's blog and I decided I'm doing it!  

Make fun of me if you want,  or get happy yourself!!!

Cindy Bee

A little more color please!

 A couple of weeks ago our town got 17.5 inches of snow.  I think our entire state closed down for the day.  Even the factory where my Shug works closed. I didn't leave the house for several days because he needed the only all wheel drive vehicle we have to get back and forth to work.  So finally, after a few days, I ventured out.

 One of the stops I made was to this strip mall.  I thought I'd show you how high the mounds of snow are, from where they plowed the parking lot.

 We have had more snow several times since this, so it's just snow upon snow upon snow upon snow.

 I'm not complaining.  No sirreee.....not at all...

 

Ok, I might have muttered a bit of complaints when I couldn't see around this stop sign to see if anyone was coming.  (the other way does not have to stop) And yes the snow is pretty.  But here's the deal.

 I wish it would be more colorful!  

I need color this time of year. 

You see,

we have Spring,

 Summer,

Autumn,

 Christmas which is very colorful and festive!

 Then we have white....lots and lots of white.  For months on end.

 I did get a glimpse of this red out my studio window this morning,

but it only lasted about five minutes.

So I'm thinking, snow might be a bit more fun if it would come down in colors! 

Like the color of this purple hyacinth that I bought at the grocery store the other day.

(I wish you could smell it!)

 We could play guessing games...what color will the snow be today?  Pink?
Which is the color I'm hoping these tulips will be!   (my Mom's side of the family would probably place bets on the color of the snow!)  I think colorful snow would make winters more FUN!

 But since I'm stuck with the cold, white, stuff, here is what I'm doing to stay busy in our studio apartment.

 Baking....which makes it awful hard to stick with my healthy eating plan.  How do you do it?  You resolute to eat healthy in the new year, but you crave comfort food?

Besides eating starch and sugar,  I'm still stitching and crocheting for the Winter Woolen Workshop (February 22/23)

 I made this bag, with lining, after two tries.  I will get this pattern figured out sooner or later.  My Shug said, "it isn't a watch" when I was trying to figure out what I cut wrong.  Insinuating that it doesn't have to be perfect.  Well, Mr. Shug....what if I said that about your 2x4's! 

(love the lining too)

 Remember this bag?

 Someone suggested I embellish it, and maybe add a pocket...

 So I was fiddling around with this little grouping, and I posted a pic on Instagram and BTowlsy said, "stiffen the hanky with some backing and go for it" which I think is a perfect idea.  I'm going to try it.

 I also made these handwarmers....look at that blue hand!  I got the hand at the Goodwill store (not in our town) I'm thinking I'll paint it a different color, when I can get outside and paint. 

And lastly, I'm working on this....which is a secret....sshhhhhh.....
 
and
PS -Come by Groovy Girl Yarn on Saturday between 11-4 and make a colorful cupcake pin cushion for only $5.00. 

See ya soon,

Cindy Bee