Blogging Mojo, Dumbkoff Computer, and a whole bunch of other stuff!

I hate it when this happens.....I've lost my blogging mojo. 

I lost it a couple of months ago when my old computer went kaput.  

I know two German words...and I really don't know that they are German, but my Pa said they were when we were growing up.  One is kaput and one is dumpkoff.  I doubt I spelled them right and they probably need some of these ' apostophre' things somewhere....but anyway, the point is....I lost my mojo.  And here's the thing....I thought it was the new computer that I don't love like I loved my Roofus.   See this post.

One reason..for example....why in thee hell does the text get bigger and smaller when I don't do anything to make it bigger and smaller?  It just happens.  You can't see the difference on the blog, it's the way it is viewed when I'm typing.  I'll be typing along and vrrrrooom - text is HUGE or really really small....it ticks me off.  Dumbkoff computer.  Hey I think I just came up with my computer's new name!!!!

 

Speaking of Pa - we celebrated his birthday the other day.  77 Years Young my Pa is...His name is Charles Thomas...but depending on where you know him from, well that determines what you call him.  People that he used to work with call him Tom or Charlie....his immediate family from growing up call him Tommy...one time some sales guy called him Chuck and I just laughed.  Stupid sales guy.  No one has EVER called my Pa, Chuck.  (dumbkoff)  Anyway, people usually get their own birthday post on my blog....but I am forever getting caught up.

 

 Here is the second reason I've lost my blogging mojo.  I have no schedule in my life.  NONE.  Used to be....I'd get up in the morning, say Good-Bye to my Shug, fix my coffee, get on my computer.  Then do things around the house or whatever was planned for the day.  Now I get up and move stuff.....every day.

Move move move move move.....

pile....pile...pile....pile...pile....

Then find a place to put things....CONSTANTLY.  I'm tired of it.  

At night I have no patience to screw around with this new computer.  So I don't.  I lay in bed reading blogs on my phone. But starting tomorrow, I'm going to try to get a routine going again.  I get so much more done with a routine.

 

 The one thing about moving is you find things you forgot you had....

Like this cake stand.

I also found a jar of apple walnut delight.  yum.

I put it on some oatmeal for breakfast today.  You'd pay a lot of money for this at Starbucks.

The other thing about moving....

You realize you have too much stuff. Not that I didn't know this before, but I have also changed my style a bit too.   So, I'm going to get rid of some stuff.  

 

I am going to have a booth, with another Granny Bee, at the Winter Woolen Workshop.  If you look at the last few years, you'll see this is something I am a part of every year.  But I've never had a booth. It's held at two mansions in Kokomo, IN, and people come from all over to attend.  It's always held in February, and this year it is on the 23rd and 24th.  There is a $10.00 fee to get in, which covers both days, and that money goes to the Historical Society.

 I've decided to try a couple of markets this year too, if I can find a couple that will have me.  I have linens, picture frames, old suitcases, tea cups, saucers, etc.

One last thing.... 

Groovy Girl Yarn.  

She is having a super bowl party and SALE this Saturday.  

See her blog (on my side bar) for times and such.  There will be munchies.....and yarn....need there be more!

And I am teaching a basic crochet class on Thursday, February 7th from 1:00 - 3:00.  So, if you want to learn to crochet, sign up, pay up, and show up!

I've been crocheting a dishcloth and a flower (above) once a week.  Just one.  Usually on a Sunday.  By the end of the year I should have a nice supply of dishcloths and maybe a few stashed away for gifts.  I'm not doing anything special...just a double crochet or a garter stitch.  Quick and easy and ready to use.  

The flowers...no pattern....just random.  I am going to hook them all together at the end of the year for a table runner...or two....or three!

OK I'm done rambling, except for one more last thing....my new computer...does NOT fit in my old weathered leather satchel.   Dumbkoff computer!

Cindy Bee

Sunset

 My nephew came up and helped me do some packing again at our house in town.  We've emptied out two bedrooms!  And took a little break to decorate his bike for Halloween.

 Last night Dad called and said to get outside and look at the sunset!  I did.

Of course, the woods is in the way a bit.   

It looked like a big ball of fire behind the trees.  Most beautiful sunset Indiana has ever seen.

My thoughts and prayers to everyone on the east coast.  We got high winds and rain all day, but nothing like you all got on the East coast.  Stay safe cousin Troy, Elizabeth and John, and all you blogger friends. 

Cindy Bee

My week in review!

Last Sunday evening we had the boys I used to watch and their parents, along with my parents, over for dinner.  Their Mom told them to put their arm around each other for the picture.  Some things never change!

On Tuesday, I played cards at my parents house.  They play every Tuesday evening.  Growing up, us kids had to stay away from the card table, therefore, we suck at card playing.  But they get desperate sometimes and use my sister or me for a sub.  Tuesday they needed both of us.  Top pic is my sister, Dad, Mom.  Bottom pictures is Uncle John and Vickie.  My Mom's side of the family has played cards forever.  We used to get together on weekends and all of us cousins would play together while our parents would play cards. I miss those days.Oh yeah, you see money on the table because they play for 50 cents a game!

I spent one day getting my beehives ready for winter.  I put entrance reducers on the openings and I'm feeding them some of the honey that didn't pass quality control!  I thought it was too dark and thick.  Apparently a drought can do that.  Not enough moisture in the flowers (nectar)..so I was told.  The reason you make the entrances smaller, as you can see from the pic below, the regular size of the entrance is big enough for a mouse, vole,  mole, chipmunk,  to get in and hide out and eat honey.  Raccoons can stick their arm in a hive and they will eat the honey and the bees. So we have to reduce the size of the entrance in the winter months, to help the bees survive.

I went to a Rotary meeting/luncheon.  These are people I worked with at Purdue.  The guy on the left was the director and the guy on the right was our speaker.  He is an ex-FBI agent.  Very interesting person.  It was so nice to be with these people again.  Us ladies still get together once a month for breakfast.

 My nephew (yes I have a nephew!) came over and helped me pack up the potting shed.  We worked hard all day long.  It was sad for me.  I love my potting shed.  We built it on concrete foundation with the intention of never moving.  I have to leave it behind.  It was kind of nice having his help.  He is so tall (6' 5") that I didn't need to get a ladder to take stuff off the walls!  I spent a lot of hours in that shed.

Dad came over one day and brought me a latte'.  We sat on the porch and enjoyed the view at our new place.

Friday night, as you know, I made slippers at a party at Groovy Girl Yarn.

Saturday, I didn't get any pics, but it was a fun day.  Went out for lunch with family and friends.  Apparently, tenderloins are a mid-western type of food and my cousin had family from the East coast visiting.  There are about three places in Kokomo that have really good tenderloins.  We went to one of them.  Then afterwards the ladies went downtown shopping while the guys went on back home.   After having such a busy week, I was glad to have a relaxing day.  Stay safe John & Elizabeth. That Frankenstorm looks pretty scary!

Cindy Bee

One room done!!!!!

I have worked so hard today I broke my gloves.  Yup...broke 'em!  The cuffs came off!  And they were so cute Dammittohell!  And for that reason...Mother....and Gloria....I do not like to clean.

But clean I did!  The upstairs bathroom at the house in town is now clean,

empty,

and ready to be viewed by a potential buyer.

I only have eight more rooms to go, plus the basement.

  I shall not be deterred!  

Cindy Bee

Packing and Relaxing

I have been busy packing boxes and emptying shelves....

preparing for our move. I just can't believe we will be moving this summer. I'm also getting ready for our Easter celebration. We've had it at this house for years. For those of you wanting something fun and different to do, have an Easter egg hunt and include adults. It's hilarious.

I don't think I ever showed you this bag I made a couple of months ago. I'm carrying it now.

I made the bag out of a wool coat I got at a garage sale and cut up. And the granny squares....I got them at an auction last summer. You can check out that post here if you want to. They are an outside pocket on the bag. I was planning on doing some more embellishing on the bag, but it never happened. I'm not much of an embellisher. It requires a lot of thinking on my part and I'm just done thinking right now!

And when I'm totally exhausted, I sit and crochet, and usually fall asleep. Here is the crocheted afghan I've been working on. I know some of you liked it better without the border and some of you liked it better with...and a couple of you suggested I add the blue. I did. And I like it with the blue. I felt like the blue just tied it all in together. Added some consistency to the mis-matched grannies.

Without a border

With a blue border...

I am having blogger problems. When I download my pictures they all want to stay together and the words want to attach to the pictures. I don't know why this is happening all of a sudden. Do you?

Cindy Bee

My week in review...

This past week was Spring Break for the boys that I watch. I decided to mix a little fun with a little work, since I didn't have a time deadline every day. So, besides doing a lot of painting, and packing, I also went shopping with my Mom, sister, and niece, had breakfast with my nurse/blogger friends, and went 'sailing' with my friend Teresa. Busy busy week. My Shug asked me this morning if I heard the bedroom door slam shut in the middle of the night! NOPE! I was that tired. I'm assuming it was because we had the windows opened and the wind blew it shut. Yesterday the weather went from wearing a coat and having the heater on in the morning, to a rain storm, to getting in the beehives as it was so hot and muggy and sunny outside.

BTW- I learned at the breakfast with my nurse/blogger friends about things like D-Cube(sp?) which is a term used when a patient comes in with bed sores and such on his body. I learned that if you pinch the skin on your elbow just right, it looks like a nipple of a mom that's been nursing for about six months. ewwwww......I am just not nurse material.....ewww again. I also learned how to do, and properly say, the word picot.

Which is a crochet term....

which, now that I look at it, looks a little bit like nipples! Good Lord these women I hang with!

My friend Teresa did not used to go garage sailing and now look!!!! I'm sitting in the car cracking up laughing....which is one of the reasons I go sailing. It is a social thing and we laugh and have fun.

'Hmmm, wonder what I could do with a head board'

I'm telling her that the bed would be cute as a "garden bed."

Yup it would! In the car it goes. Look at the back of her car.

I had fun. That is my coffee carafe' and pillow. Most of the other stuff is hers, but she has the booth at Treasure Mart. We refer to it as the shop. And her garage is a studio. And she gets items at good prices, creatively uses them or paints them or fixes them up, and passes the deals on to customers. The stuff in her booth is reasonably priced. I'll try to get some pics of it for you this week.

After sailing we went to our new house to pick out paint colors. I had an idea of what I wanted.

But taking the paint chips to the actual place that you are using them makes a huge difference. Check out this post for the results.

It was a paint, paint, paint, week. My Dad and I finished painting the garage this week. I am trying to pick out paint colors as Sherwin Williams is having a sale that ends today. And when Teresa and I were sailing we went to a sale that had paint, free until gone! Some gallons were brand new, or still very full, and it was good paint! I took all of the beige colors, whites, and this bluish color....

If nothing else I can use them in the mechanical room, closets, and pantry. They were FREE! The guy that lives there is a professional painter and these are left overs.

They had prices on the gallons, but they were FREE I tell ya.

And this folks....was the icing on the cake. This is a hand sewn, hexagon quilt top that I got for $16.00.

I'm visualizing lots of snuggly warm blankets on the porches to wrap up in at our new house.

If my MIL won't finish it for me, I'll probably just turn it into a blanket. Why? Because I've discovered I'd rather use it now, than wait for me to maybe quilt it someday. It won't happen if I wait and I want to use things now.

Wait until Mel sees it!

I told Teresa I'm going to buy another quilt at the next sale. I was joking of course, and there were only three sales...but would you believe this!

I got this blanket, hand made blanket, for $3.00!!! When I picked it up and showed Teresa she just started laughing and said, "God is good!"

Now, a lot of you are asking me why I continue to go to sales when I'm moving and getting rid of stuff. For one, because I am changing the style that I have and these quilts go with my new style. Remember this post with the pictures of what I want to do at our new house. They use a lot of whites and blues on the walls and quilts and afghans and pillows for color.

Two, I paid less than 20 bills for these two items....

And three....it's fun.

Then I got to work. When I got home, I started tearing into the house, packing stuff up. I gave Teresa three boxes of stuff for her booth. I have three more to get ready to go.

I'm packing stuff every day. And look....

The more I get rid of, the more I like this place. So it motivates me to get rid of more. I told my Shug that in the new house, if we can't use it, I'm not keeping it.

I've got this much done so far. A long way to go, but I heard somewhere....

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. I keep repeating it....over and over...

Cindy Bee

PS - Sorry about the long post. I'm going to TRY to just do quick short posts, but as you can tell I've been away from blogland for awhile. I keep trying to catch up with all of you, but since the weather has changed and we are working on the house a lot more, I haven't had time. I will try to do better. We don't have internet out there so I can't even get online when I take a break.