Author: LDSVenus

Blizzard on It’s Way

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Snow from my balcony

Snow from my balcony

 

I took this from my balcony when I got home from work tonight.  It’s not a lot of snow yet, but it started between 1 to 2 pm.  I left early, at 4, to try to beat the traffic and the roads were a nightmare!  What usually takes me about 15 min to drive took 40 min.  It was slick, and people have forgotten over the summer how to drive in the snow and were trying to take off like normal from a stop at the lights, yep, slipping and sliding.  It won’t take them long to remember, just hope they don’t cause an accident in the mean time ;P.  There is a blizzard warning out from midnight through midnight Thursday, with winds up to 50 to 60 mph and up to -20 temps.  Possible whiteout conditions. Winter is definately here.

I’ll take another picture in the morning and if they tell us not to some into work because of the roads, or delay coming in I’ll try to put the updated picture in here along with the one above.

Snow strom next morning

Snow strom next morning

 

**Updated Picture**

I took this at about 7am.  The winds have picked up so we will have blizzard conditions today with the blowing snow, and they say from 1 to 3 additional inches of snow this morning.  The last time I saw a Blizzard here was around 1993, and they closed the Mall, that I worked at, for the day.  The place I’m working at has decided on a delayed opening and so I think I will take the bus today and not drive.   It’s official we got 12″ of snow over those two days.

Christmas on a Tight Budget

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I Whisk you a Merry Kiss-mas

I Whisk you a Merry Kiss-mas

 With money a bit short, but still wanting to do something for my visiting teaching companion and the sisters we visit teach, I decided to do one of the favorite crafts I learned.  It’s easy, fairly cheap, but so cute.  You simply buy a nice whisk (they aren’t too much at Walmart), put Hersey Kisses in some clear wrap and stick it inside the whisk.  You then make a tag out of card stock saying “I (or We) “Whisk” You a Merry “Kiss-mas”.  You can decorate the card and I will probably add some sparkles and/or Christmas stickers to this before giving them.  I thought they were so cute when I first saw them, and I still do :).

Still working on the Llama roving and my grand daughter will be unhapapy to learn that I haven’t knit any more on her blanket.  But I will have time to work on it as I search for a new job after this coming week, provided the temp agency doesn’t have something right away.   It would be nice if they do, but it would be ok, if it took a week  so that I can have a vacation (which I haven’t had in over 7 months) even if it is unpaid.   The kids and I decided that we were only going to get things for their children this Christmas.  Maybe things will be better next year.

Winter has arrived.  It’s been in the teens the last couple of nights and 20’s and 30’s in the daytime.  We even had snow on Wednesday evening, then off and on Thursday and Friday, tho it didn’t stick, yet.  The weather will be getting colder, minus temps will come and snow will abound, I’ll just hunker down for a few months and then before you know it, it will be spring again.  I love spring, it’s my favorite time of year, when things turn green again and everything is new.

All Things New

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LDSVenus

 

Well, I finally heard from my temp employer that my job will end December 11th.  So I’m busy looking for another job as there is no guarantee that there will be another long term temp job from the temp agency.   So it will be out with the old and in with the new, hopefully soon.  My youngest son is working on fixing a car for me so that when the one I am driving gives out (and it has some major problems, but hey it’s 21 years old ;P), I won’t be car-less.

 My 3 year old grand daughter went to Church with me today.  Even tho’ Sacrament meeting is 1 hr & 10 min long, she is very good and patient, I know it has to be boring listening to adults speak, I do bring paper and crayons and her mom sends a snack to help with the boring part :).  She loves the nursery that she gets to attend after Sacrament meeting is over,  she calls it her “church school”.  She’s very excited to go to class and sing and play with her “friends”.  Today, I stayed after church for a few min to practice a solo that I will be singing for our Ward Christmas party.  I wasn’t sure she would be thrilled because listening to someone sing when you’re 3 years old can be pretty boring.  But she sat quietly and listened to me go through my solo “Oh Holy Night” with the pianist.  She then looked at me with her sweet little wide eyes and said, “That was awesome Grandma, how did you do that?”  I just chuckled and told her that Heavenly Father put the music in me and all I had to do was to let it out.  3 year olds are so funny and awesome.

I’m almost finished with the 2nd spool of Llama roving.  Soon I will be plying and getting a skein of yarn ready to give my son.  It’s very soft stuff, but it is slower than I thought because I have to stop and pick out a little vm (vegetable matter) as I spin, so it slows me up a bit, but I have enjoyed the softness of this fiber :).  I hope my son will enjoy knitting with it.

Suri Alpaca

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click on picture for larger image

click on picture for larger image

 

 About 2 weeks ago I received a 1 oz sample of Suri Alpaca.  I have not had the pleasure of handling or spinning Suri Alpaca.  The fiber is very silky and drapey as compared to Huacaya Alpaca that has more spring or crimp, both are very soft.  I need to finish the Llama that I have on the wheel so that I can try this out.  I love new fiber experiences. 🙂  I appologize for not putting this picture up sooner, my life has been a zoo for the last couple of weeks.  I put Ann’s card on the fiber so you can see where this lovely fiber came from or you can click here to go to her website.

 

click on picture for larger image

click on picture for larger image

 

 I have also finished a fleece tied blanket for my grand daughter Leena.  Her birthday was a few days after mine and things and time got away from me.  This was a little bit larger project than I anticiapated (probably because I had not done one before ;P).  But it’s finished and it looks very nice.  The color on the underneath side matches the bow tie on the teddy bears.

 

 

I have throughly enjoyed the wonderful 60’s that we’ve had here yesterday and today.  It is like an early spring and so very wonderful.  I will try to hold onto the wamth and sunshine during the upcoming cold winter that is sure to come soon.  But then spring will be just around the corner. 🙂

Relief Society Enrichment Meeting

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The Christmas Nail

The Christmas Nail

 

 

We had a Relief Society Enrichment meeting tonight.  For those who are not LDS, the Relief Society is a women’s organazation in the Church.  Tonight was a fun “Enrichment” meeting on keeping Christ in our lives during this upcoming holiday season, we had a skit performed for us by some of the sisters to the “Night Before Christmas” poem changed to be about Christ instead of Santa and then we did a really cool craft, the picture you see entitled ” The Christmas Nail”.  I love these meetings.  I miss the spiritual uplift I get from our Relief Society meeting on Sundays (it’s a class similar to Sunday School, which we also have) as I teach in Primary (children’s classes) during that time, but the children are fun too, and I get my spiritual uplift from Sacrament meeting and preparing the lessons for Primary. 🙂

With warmer temps coming this week end I plan on taking advantage of the wonderful 60’s while I can before our negative temps arrive in six weeks or so.  Hope you all have a wonderful week end as well.  🙂

Nauvoo

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Nauvoo TempleI went with some friends yesterday to the Nauvoo Temple, in Nauvoo, IL.  It is as amazingly beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside.  It has a spectacular spiral staircase in one of the corners that seems to go on forever, the other 3 corners have a square type staircase that is also beautiful.  Spirial staircases are not allowed anymore for safety reasons, but they were able to get special permission to keep the one.  The peace inside was also amazing.  I’m so glad I was able to go.

The picture is from the Temple website, I’m sorry that I forgot to take my camera to get a my own picture of the outside of the Temple and the Temple grounds which were very beautiful as well.

I saw alot of sheep on the way to and from the Temple :), all I could think about when I saw them was spinning some of their fleece ;P.  On the way home we stoped in Kalona, IA at the Stringtown Country Store, which is run by the Amish.  They sell bulk spices and other things.  It was interesting and fun and I brought some often used spices home with me.  I was also able to find the freeze dried yeast that I like to bake with so much.  All in all it was a very good day.  I also found an email waiting for me when I got home, from the classmates site that I had just rejoined, from a long lost friend that I had been praying to find, I was so happy to hear from her.

I may not have much in the eyes of some of the world, no fancy home or car, no expensive clothes, jewlery or things, but I feel very blessed and very happy with what I have, because I see others with less.  I have a job, for the time being, that supports me, a safe place to lay my head at night, food on my table and an older vehicle, that tho it needs a lot of work, is blessed to run and gets me safely to church, work, home and errands,  I also have things to do and things to give to others, what more could I want?

The Illusive Flu Shot

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Venus5ab

 

 

I took off of work early today to go to a flu shot clinic at my local grocery store.  You know the regular flu shot, not the H1N1 (swine flu).  Everyone else has had their flu shot clinics earlier in the fall and for some reason they either didn’t make enough vaccine or people are paranoid and flocking to get them, so I thought, I’m lucky to find one that is getting in some more vaccine.  WRONG.  I went at 3pm because the clinic was suppose to be from 3 pm to 6 pm and they had said to get there early because they might run out.  I went in and waited in line and when my turn came to be waited on, I was told that they didn’t get their vaccine in and that they had posted a sign in the store last week end.  Last week end I shopped at their store in another area, so I didn’t see the sign.  I lost 1 1/2 hrs of work and no flu shot,  sigh.  I’d go to a Dr to get it, but Im just working a temp job and I don’t have insurance so I don’t have a Dr and the free clinic doesn’t offer them.  I hope I don’t get the flu this winter, sigh.  I’ll be glad when I find a permanent job and can have regular benefits again.

Back to spinning the Llama.

Fall is Here + Geneology is Fun!

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It's offically fall

It's offically fall

 

 

I was wondering if the leaves were going to turn this fall.  Things were green until about 1 to 2 weeks ago, and leaves were starting to fall off the trees without turning colors.  I took this last night at my church and the beautiful fall colors are finally here.

 

I went to a Family History (geneology) Symposium this morning.  Geneology is really fun to do and it’s so cool getting to know more about those in your family who came before you.  My mom was very into doing geneology before she passed away, and my dad gave me copies of all her work plus he even made an album for me and my brothers and sister of him and my mom from all the pictures he had showing my moms life and relatives and his life and relatives, it’s very cool.  My mom had found that my 5th great grandfather died in the Alamo.  If anyone is interested in doing their own geneology you can go to familysearch to get started and there you can also down load a free geneology softwear called PAF (Personal Ancestoral File).  If anyone has any questions about getting started if you will email me I would be happy to direct you to other websites.  I may try, as time allows, to set up a page on my website with geneology information.

Christmas Cactus in Bloom

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Christmas Cactus in bloom

Christmas Cactus in bloom

 

 

My Christmas Cactus is just blooming away.  Those flowers are sure a pretty pink color.  I really need to re-pot it this coming spring into a larger container, I’m pretty sure it’s probably root bound.   I have a friend in TN that has a really large Christmas Cactus but she has potted it in a larger container ;P. 

 

My church had a talent show last night.  I took my spinning wheel and demonstrated spinning and had samples of fiber and spun yarn and items that I had knit from the hand spun yarn.  It went over well.  I had fun and saw some awesome talents from the other members, singing, instrument playing, skits, jokes, it was all good.  I love the talent shows. 🙂

**Thanks son, it does look better :).

Spinning the Llama

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click on picture for larger image

click on picture for larger image

 

This is the chocolate Llama roving that my son bought for me to spin for him.  It is turning out a beautiful  heathered brown. 

People have said on my spinning list that the Alpaca and Llama are dirty fibers to spin, wonderful but dirty (because they roll in the dirt), and I thought how bad can they be?  Well, this was professionally processed and it still has some dirt.  I can’t even imagine trying to spin the unprocessed fiber.  Still I’m sure it would be worth it, because it’s soft and this one is a breeze to spin.  It will get another washing after the yarn is plyed and skeined and I’m betting there will be dirty water. 

I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to spin it thick enough as I’m use to spinning sport weight to baby weight yarn and my son wanted worsted weight, but it seems to like being worsted weight so I’m happy :).