Life

Melissa Gilbert Promoting Her New Cookbook!!!

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Melissa Gilbert - New Cookbook

Melissa Gilbert – New Cookbook

I talked my daughter into giving me an early Birthday present.  She took me to see Melissa Gilbert (Laura of Little House on the Prairie) who was in town, yesterday, to promote her newest endeavor, a cookbook.  The cookbook is wonderful and as a bonus it has many photos of behind the scenes things and stories of the Little House TV series, and in the book she also answered questions that have been asked regarding the series.  All in all a very fun cookbook, and she was very entertaining.  She talked for a little over an hour, including letting the audience ask her questions.  At the end, she signed the all cookbooks.  The audience was so large that they ran out and not everyone was able to buy one, they brought 100 books to sell at the promotion – they hadn’t expected quite so many people,  I had told my daughter we needed to get there at least an hour early, so glad we did :).  Yesterday was the 1st day of it’s release, so my daughter and I got one of the first 100 books sold on the first day of it’s release.   It was a very fun day!! 🙂  She is a delightful person :).

I am working on 4 knitted items, in this order – a comfort shawl for a friend who had her twins too early and they didn’t live (it’s close to being done), the scarf from the handspun from a friends sheep’s fleece, finishing the sweater I promised a very special little one, and a pair of prairie boots I promised another special person. 🙂  Pictures will be provided when I am done with each. 🙂

Spring! & Spinning at the Park

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Blueberry Bush

Blueberry Bush

 

I have been going to put a little garden on my patio for several years now.  Last year I finally broke down and bought 2 large pots and 3 small rectangular potting boxes (you can see part of them in the picture on the left)  and didn’t get the soil for planting, lol.  This year I bought the soil and mulch and started, inside, two squash plants (a zucchini and a yellow squash).  They are officially growing and planted out in the pots.  For Mother’s Day I received a potted blueberry bush – which I had wanted for a couple of years but it wasn’t in my budget, it is shown in the picture at the left.  I have planted spinach in the rectangular boxes and am very excited about having some fresh veggies this summer ;).

I forgot to take my camera out today when I went to the park to spin but you can see the park here from another year.  I try to get out to the park once or twice in the spring to spin.   After being cooped up inside most of the winter, it was wonderful spinning in the shade of the lovely large trees and  was beautiful and with all the green grass and the leaves on the trees, and the temperature was absolutely perfect, such a wonderful peaceful thing to do. 🙂

Winter 2012 – 2013

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1st real snow 2012 – 2103

,Well we did get snow this winter, I’ve just not been real good about noting a lot of things.  We got this snow just before Christmas when everyone was getting a lot of snow dumped on them.  The lower part of our state got about 18 inches but we only got about 4 to 6 inches, but it was a very heavy wet snow.  I’m not complaining, but I know we needed it for the farmers who desperately need the moisture.  After Christmas we warmed up and the snow melted (this would be our normal mid winter thaw), and we got some rain which was needed and I like better than snow and ice :P.  We had a little bit of snow today but it was only a dusting of dry snow.  The thaw is over (dang) and winter is back with it’s below zero temps.  Tonight is suppose to be -3 and with wind chill -21,  brrrr.  Tomrrow should be a little warmer with a temp of 5 above, lol, but tomorrow night is saying minus 4 with wind chill around -22.   Sigh  Glad I don’t have to go anywhere tomorrow night or Tuesday. 🙂  Snow is in our forecast for this coming Thursday.

 I didn’t get pictures of my Christmas cactus this year, it did bloom but was very late blooming this year.  I’ll try to be better next blooming season.  I need to re-pot it again this year.  When I buy the pot this spring (in April), I will also get a couple of large pots (like barrel size) because I am determined to get my balcony garden going this year.  Not sure how well it will do as I don’t get quite enough sun, but I’m going to try anyway :).  I miss having fresh yellow squash and it’s soooo expensive at the grocery store. 

I caught a cold in October, about mid month.  It was a really bad chest cold that was going around (everyone was complaining about it that caught it), I was sick for 3 weeks and finally went to the Dr who thought it might be going into walking pneumonia, and so I took anti-biotics and got better.  Was just getting over that cold and caught a head cold, arrrggg.  5 days into that cold I caught another head cold, beyond arrrggg.  I am just now getting rid of the last of the coughing and was finally able to get my flu shot.  This has been a really not fun winter.  Because I’ve been sick and Thor was sick I didn’t get much done on my knitting or spinning.  The little ones that were expecting sweaters have been very patient but are telling me they seriously need them now, lol.  I have about 1/2 of a spool of the hand spun done and need to get busy on that so I can make the two scarves I promised.  I’ll get there I promise.  So I’m hoping for a better year, wishing all of you a better year as well (I think we could all use one).

Happy Halloween

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I used this for several reasons:

1st – for those who have suffered much loss due to the recent storm that hit our eastern coast and inland areas.  My thoughts and prayers are with you.

2nd – the terrorist attack on our embassy in Libya.  My thoughts and prayers are with the families who lost their loved ones.

3rd – have to apologize for not blogging this month until now.  I caught a terrible cold right after my birthday (yes I had another one of those :P) and was sick for 2 weeks, barely getting up to do anything.  At the end of that 2nd week (still have the cold) I started with a not fun sinus infection.  That at least is better now, just the after effects of the cold which always destroys my voice for anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months. 😦  Since I love music so much and singing even more, that is always a terrible blow to me.  Still can’t sing, but am at least feeling better.  Always think how nice it would be to have a loving companion when I am sick and needing a little comfort.  But it is what it is.

I should be blogging a little bit more shortly.  Be patient. 🙂

Vacation post 3 of 3

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The Dance of the Mountain Gods

We went to the Inn of the Mountain Gods, the Mescalero Apache Tribe casino, for lunch.  It is in the mountains by Ruidoso.  They had this beautiful bronze statue (on the left) in front of the casino/restaurant.  It is called “The Dance of the Mountain Gods”.  Inside I took a picture of a showcase they had with the apparel the Mescalero Apache Warrior  typically wore back in the day, see below.  I had to lighten it up quite a bit because I took it inside, I hope you can see it well enough.

 

 

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It was a fun trip and it was very good to see my dad. 🙂
Last of the 3 posts, dang blog.
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Vacation post 1 of 3

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Roswell Walmart

I went to New Mexico to see my dad.  As you can see, in Roswell, they play up the “Roswell Incident”.  Of course my mom, who was raised in Roswell, always told me that there were no aliens.  My dad said they use to send up weather balloons to test the air for radiation because it was the “cold war” and they were making sure that the country in eastern Europe we were having the cold war with wasn’t testing their nuclear capability.  I personally believe my parents, but you can believe what you want. 🙂   Yes they even have their city lights on the main street down town decorated.  Some people even travel to Roswell to get married because like Las Vegas there is no waiting period.  So if you want to elope, come on down 😛 (I’d call ahead to make sure that is still the case tho’).

 

Downtown Roswell

 

My blog is giving me hissy fits so I am going to have to do this blog in 3 different posts to get all the pictures in.

 

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Spring Has Sprung!!

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Butterfly Shadow Box

I saw the male Robins last week, was sooooo excited – Spring is here, tho’ I have to admit we had a really awesome winter this year.  I always love this time of year, with the tulips, crocus, and my favorite – Hyacinths (absolutely wonderful fragrant smell!!!), and other early spring flowers coming up.  I love everything about Spring!!!!

I went to a craft get together early this afternoon that our Relief Society president does once a month so we can all get together and enjoy each other’s company.  For those not familiar with what Relief Society is, it’s a woman’s organization in our Church that is dedicated to helping others, and uplifting not only others but our selves as well.  There were several projects to choose from but I absolutely adore butterflies so I chose this Butterfly Shadow Box to do.  It was simple and fun. 😉  I’m excited to see what we can chose to do next month.  Hey Sis, you would love this one.

Yes Daylight Savings Time is Here Again…sigh

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a few years ago

Well, since the government obviously isn’t going to listen to me about the stupidity of Daylight Savings Time, I’m feeling  like taking a little of my past back :).  This picture was taken about 12 years ago.  Most women would love to have a glamour shot taken, and so I did.  My hair was much shorter than it is now, and you’d think shorter hair is easier to take care of, but nope, I have curly hair and it’s such a pain to take care of.

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A friend and I were discussing this evening the little things that don’t cost anything but are a wonderful part of our lives and how some people overlook these wonderful little but comforting things.  Some of the things I love are: a warm & gentle breeze blowing across my face and watching my hair swirl in the breeze, watching the waves in the over grown grass as the wind blows across it, the smell of freshly mowed grass in the summer time,  listening to and watching the geese as they fly south in the fall and come back in the spring, listening to the birds in the spring and summer singing their little songs outside my open window,  the beautifully fragrant smell of fresh roses and lilacs, the feel of velvet & satin, the feel of a very soft fiber going through my fingers as I spin, the comforting sound of my knitting needles as I knit, watching huge snowflakes as they fall (from inside my warm apt :P), watching the lightning streak across the sky followed by the boom of the thunder,  the feel of my ferret’s fur (he’s very soft) :), hearing the voice of an old friend or family member.  The list could be very long, but these are a few of the things I love.  I’m sure you could come up with a few yourselves. 🙂

Better Late Than Never :)

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Polypay Lamb Roving

OK, I know I promised a picture of the lambs fleece a couple of weeks ago but I’m busy getting use to having nothing to do :P.  Actually, I’m adjusting to a new routine so I haven’t gotten to the things I usually do. I have been re-arranging my apt, and getting ready to go through boxes that should have been gone through so long ago.  One day this coming week I will put a box in the middle of the floor and just sit there going through pitching and re-boxing as needed until I have one box down and however many more to go, my goal is to get rid of at least half of my boxed stuff.  My bedroom is almost reorganized, just the stuff on the top of the bed I wasn’t sure what to do with, but I will have to make a decision this coming week on what to do with those things (mostly papers – that is what I have the most trouble sorting through) so I can sleep in it again – tho I have to admit my love seat is pretty darn comfortable :).

The roving is from a Polypay lamb.  Since I didnt have anything to put it on out there, to keep it from getting more vm (spinning term for vegetable matter – grass, weed seeds, etc, etc) in it for a good shot of the whole fleece,  I just left it in the plastic bag to get a picture.  I’m keeping it in my car as I’m not sure my neighbors wouldn’t appreciate the “delightful” smell of sheep coming from my apt :P.  I will make arrangements to get it out in the mail this week to the mill where they will be turning it into roving.  It should be very nice and I love that it is white so that I can play with dyes ;).  Then in a few months I will have some nice Polypay lamb’s roving to spin.  Maybe next year if I get another fleece I will try to scour and card it on my own. 🙂

Fall Make Way For Old Man Winter

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LDSVenus

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Up front  just so you know, I am not a winter person.  Snow is awesome if you are looking out a big picture window at it in a nice heated room, and you don’t have to get out in it.  Warm snow would be terrific. 

My ferret and my bird shed and molted in preperation for winter in early August this year, about a month earlier than normal, during a heat wave.  We have been having cooler than normal temps in September and today, while I was walking to where I park my car for work, I saw geese flying over head,  headed south.  And altho’ I love watching and listening to the geese, it’s a bit earlier than normal as well.  So I’m getting ready for an early winter!  I wouldn’t mind winter so much if it wasn’t so, you know – COLD.  Guess I will be thinking about how nice it would be to live in Hawaii in a month or two :P.

My son gave me some of the fiber off of his goat.  All goat’s soft under fiber is called cashmere except for the Angora goat which gives mohair instead.  His goat has a lot of guard hairs which have to be picked out, so I have it at work and during my lunch break, since it only takes me about 10 to 15 min to eat, I sit there with tweezers and pick out guard hair and vm (vegetable matter) from the soft fiber.  The more guard hair I get out the softer it is.  It’s pretty dirty tho, so as soon as I get the picking done, I will need to wash it before I spin it.  I think this will be a long, on going project. 

 ***Just wanted to make mention that there is an actual cashmere goat that produces very nice cashmere fiber, but as I said before all goats produce cashmere (again except for the angora goat) tho not as abundantly and not the same quality as the actual cashmere goat does, but it’s all soft :).****