Bits and Pieces and updates . . .Oh My!

Coffee

Well, how many times does one get a choice in ones own kitchen? LOL Hubby and I differ on how our coffee is made. I'm really old fashioned and prefer the perk type. Tastes better to me. And yes, I do have a coffee pot that can go on the stove to "perk" coffee. Works for camping also. But, hey, how do you like your coffee cooked?????
I only bring this up as do you know how difficult it is to find the "star filters" for my percolators? So far only target has them. And when I do find them I usually buy a dozen or so. But, next time you are in a store that sells percolators, see if they have those star filters. Most places don't. So, why sell the percolator without the filters-intresting . . .

I hope everyone had a great Valentines Day. I know I did. Except for going to see a surgeon for hubby. That one polyp he has that is very large, has to come out. Hubby will be getting a "resection" of that part of his bowel. Plus, his surgery is going to be on "leap day": Feb 29. Hubby will be spending a few days in hospital-Hoag in Newport beach.
http://www.hoaghospital.org/ I guess when one has a colonoscopy, the doctors can use a "loop device" to remove small polyps. The loop device goes around the polyp, then a small current of electricity is sent thru it. This cauterizes as it removes. Hubby's polyp touches the other side of the intestine, so not a good thing to try to remove with the loop. The electric current could cause the other side of the bowel injury. Let me tell you that hubby is really tired of "being probed" where the sun doesn't shine-LOL He says it must be like being taken to a space ship and the aliens are doing the "probing". Hey, hubby is an amateur astronomer, and thinks aliens from "outer space" have been here. LOL Me, well, those little "greys" need to come to my front door, ring the bell, and introduce themselves before I would think they were real-LOL.

Cookie how to

I have made this Valentine cookie for years. It is really good and quite easy to make. I have a couple of heart shaped cake pans, a 6 inch and a 4 inch. But, any baking pan will work. Plus, did you know that Reynolds now makes parchment paper on a roll? No more buying the package of sheets.

Cookie

Here is the cookie I made. And to date, there is only a small piece left. We had "cookie" with breakfast. A great way to start off Valentines Day. Hubby got me a card, some wonderful red, fuzzy type slippers, and a sterling silver pendant. I got him a card, cookie, dinner and well, lets just say that even after almost 38 years, (May 15 will be 38 years), it still sizzles in the bedroom. LOL

I bought myself a few more patterns. I know, I know, but it's an obsession with books and booklets. I have been crocheting for close to 35 years, and I do have a "wonderful" library of crochet and bead patterns. Along with my art books, reference books, antique and vintage books, and some great history type books. That's why I had to buy a larger bookcase.

Bookcase

Yep, I got a "good looking one". Why not? See all those books hiding behind the door . . .

Books

The top 2 shelves are all crochet type books and pamplets. It's remarkable that I managed to keep these for so long. I did thin out the books. All those extras went to my granddaughter. She loved them. Poor thing has tonsilities. She's stuck at home. I heard she's crocheting a teddy bear while she gets better.

Hooks

I keep my hooks in the bookcase too. Now you all know what you can do with floral frogs and giant beer mugs!!
The new patterns I got are shown below. Plus, I am working on the "Strawberry Shortcake" and another doll. you will see the bits and pieces . . .

Patterns

Mr and Mrs Santa

The Mr and Mrs Santa pattern comes from www.bluebearytreasures.com These are just so cute. I might make them with sport yarn first to get an idea of the pattern before I use thread-LOL But these are just so adorable . . .

Here are the "bits and pieces of 2 dolls I am doing. Now, I changed the size of the hook from a "G" down to a "C" as I prefer a smaller doll. I am using "Red Heart" Classic yarn, 4 ply acrylic. It's a lot of smaller pieces, just like doing one of those fanicer amigurumi. If anyone is planning to try these-let me see yours too!!






The latest issue of "Crochet Today", March/April 08, has in their "products & news", page 6, an article of "handy Hooks" from Japan. I love mine for crocheting with fabric and really bulky yarns. I got mine tho about 15 years or so ago from "Annie's Attic". Which they discontinued. But, I have had carpel tunnel surgery wrist and elbow, ( it was from intense gardening when we lived in Washington state), and these hooks feel so good when working with them. So, if you were thinking of these hooks get them now! I went to the site and it is $8.00 for all three. But there is a waiting list as they sell out quickly!! The site is www.kpixie.com

Hooks I recomend

Oh, before I forget, I got a photo of Munch. She usually doesn't sit still for a photo, she really is a "scardy Cat. But, today was different-enjoy her little sweet face.

Munch

It is the right side of her face that is parlazed. You can just see the tiny "smirk" she has on the right side of her mouth.

Well, enough from me for one day. I will check in as hubby has to do a 2 and a half day clean out before the surgery. And all day on the 29th I will be at Hoag hospital.

We went to the "Fascination of Orchids" show over at the Orange County Fairgrounds. http://www.ocfair.com/ocf/ Now, I could go on about ALL the most beautiful orchids one can ever see. Two buildings full of orchids and orchid related plants. One building was full of vendors selling all you see in the photos. The other building was for the beautiful arrangements done with orchids.
I took a bunch of photos and thought all of the people in the snow and cold would enjoy seeing some beautiful orchids and arrangements using orchids. So, take a break, enjoy the photos and remember "spring" is coming.

I "Slept" in.

Now, I am one of those people who because of the jobs I did, I had to be up early most every day. Plus, I had 3 kids to "manage" so to speak. And now, because "our little princess" Munch, who used to get me up every day at 4, I just get up around 4ish every day. Today tho, I made it all the way to 4:45 am. Oh my goodness, that sure feels nice. LOL
Now, I just don't swill coffee and wonder about how I am going to get thru the day. I get my coffee, feed the 2 fur kids, go check e-mails, then choose ether to go and crochet on things I have been wanting to try. Or, I go and play World of Warcraft. You got to figure that I can't really start anything with banging and the like, Hubby is still sleeping. Most days I go and curl up on the couch, pick up my hook and yarn and off I go. It's quiet. I know the phone isn't going to ring or anyone is going to come to the door. So for a couple of hours I crochet away in bliss.

Amigurumi in progress

It's raining here today. The grapevine is shut down due to snow and icy roads up that pass. Freeways are a mess. Sure glad I don't have to go out in it. LOL this storm is cold tho. Hey, when we are in the 50's for a high, that's cold for us. And we have wind also.

Beach purse

So, I have been finishing up these few things so I can "move on" to more I want to do. Of course classes begin for me on Monday evening. I start with Cartooning Mon and Wed evenings. I love that class. Only a pencil and whatever paper you can find is all that is required.
Wednesday morning and afternoon I will be in a Photoshop CS3 class. that one goes from 10 am to 5 pm. That should be fun and I get to learn the new CS4 too.
Hubby will be doing a photography class. I figure that will be the best way for him to learn what he needs to learn about using a camera.

Easter basket

I also crochet using fabric strips. Here is an easter basket I did. I got into the fabric crochet with all those colorful sheets my kids had. Just couldn't see tossing them. Thru the years I have added gingham fabric to the sheet fabric. Did you know you can find king size sheets at the thrift stores for practically nothing. I'll did up a few photos of the area rugs I have crocheted with fabric. My size "Q" hook that you see is the most difficult to find. I got mine 20 plus years ago from Annie's attic. Annie's doesn't carry them anymore. :(

Well, got to run, Today is sheets day. Tomorrow I do the regular laundry. LOL Plus, hubby will begin his "clean out" starting on Sunday. He is going for another colonosphy on Tues morning. Large polyp to check. So he has to do 2 days of clean out. Then on Tuesday, they are going to put him a bit deeper under anesthesia to check that large polyp. Now you know why I have been up early and crocheting like a fiend-LOL

Different yarns, same hook . . .4:00 am ramblings

Being up early has a few benefits. After turning on the coffees. (Hubby likes his coffee a bit stronger than I do). Opening the door to let the 2 fur kids out, I was surprised by some of our night critters. Right there on the patio was a mama raccoon, and off under one of the bushes was a juvenile. We do pick up the daytime outside food when it gets dark. But they come around anyway. No big thing for me to have critters. I just get my squirt bottle and chase them off to the wood pile so they can go over the wall. When we lived up in Washington state, in the dead of winter, I used to put out a bowl of cat chow for the raccoons. My vet said that was the best for them. Besides, raccoons will also eat snails, slugs, mice when they catch them. So, I figure they help out in their own way. Even down here in So. Calif.

Well, after the little skirmish, the cats got fed, and I got my coffee. Off I went to the crochet piece I was working on. Right now, I am doing a couple of pigs from Elizabeth Doherty's book, Amigurumi.
Last week I had stopped and gotten one of the 1 pound skeins of yarn from Caron so to test out a piece for size.

Pigs

I was using a size "D" 3.0mm Clover soft touch crochet hook. I can tell you the gauge of the yellow pig was huge with the Caron yarn. Plus this Caron yarn is reasonably "stiff". So, being a bit curious, I went ahead and did another pig body with Nature's Spun worsted weight wool yarn in #N87 Victorian pink. What a difference. Of course now I have a "piglet" LOL.
A lot of time I will test out a pattern and find out the yarn goes great, but the size isn't what I wanted. Going ahead and testing out another type of yarn, I see if it is becoming the the size I want. In this case, this will be great as I have a "momma and baby". I have to do the legs, tail and ears for both yet. Plus a touch of embroidery for their mouths.

Eggs

Just so I don't get bored with doing the same pattern twice or more, I try to keep a side project going for upcoming holidays. These are larger eggs than called for and acrylic yarn is used. I just found over at the Assistance League of Newport Mesa, a package of small plastic eggs. Cost me a whole dime. LOL I use the plastic easter eggs instead of the foam ones. They are still lightweight, and feel more like handling an egg that was blown out. Of course since there is a plastic hollow core, I wouldn't recommend giving these to kids. For kids, use the foam forms.

I see that is is after 8:00 am so I have to get on my day's chores. I will deep water today. Even tho it has been chilly, even for us, it's also very dry. So, I stick to my once a week deep watering.
Going to put in a roast for supper. Have some yarn work to get ready for spring. My old gazing ball got broken, hopefully Big Lots will have some in. I also have a $20 gift certificate to Roger's garden's. http://www.rogersgardens.com/ Now that place is a gardener's heaven. Can't afford to much over there, but WOW the ideas that can be done at home with just things that have been hanging around. As of right now I have lilies and violets blooming. Plus that entire squadron of hummingbirds. We have close to 2 dozen of the little characters. I think we must be ether in or close to a flyway. Tho I know that a couple of the species have just stayed.

So, everyone have a good day, and I'll check in a bit later . . .

Concerns, string purse & button necklace

I am just going to have to quit thinking so much. WHY does things on ones mind try to detour the body. I mean really. Yes, I am a bit worried about hubby and having to get a second colonosphy. And you can bet it's on hubby's mind more than mine. Hey, we've both talked about everything. We both know what's up. Yet, hubby is a tad distant. And he's a bit off his feed. Which I find unusual. Hubby sees the colon doctor on Mon. 3:30 pm.

Hubby also goes in today to get the second half of his teeth deep cleaned. Poor baby. After Mon, we can schedule him for the extractions of his back teeth. Cleanings were nessessary for overall health. Especially since extractions are in order. Then, after healing for a month or so, hubby will go back in, have the rest of his teeth extracted, and his dentures put in. The dentures will act as a bandage then.

You have to understand hubby's disability. Innocent tremor is a brain problem. It's genetic.His hands shake.

It only gets worse with age. he's on medication and he still shakes. Imagine without the meds . . . Hubby sometimes has to use 2 hands to hold his cell phone up to his ear. He had difficulty brushing his teeth, let alone flossing and all that. Washing dentures will be so much easier for him. And me too. Used to wash Mother's dentures. that I don't mind.

String purse

So, I used to wash Mother's dentures, doing hubby's will be no problem.

Finally got the handles sewed on to the string purse. Regular old cotton thread. The heavyweight stuff. I have some brownish and creamiest beads that I think I will sew or fringe along the curve of the handle seam. And maybe along the side edges. Just want to give it a bit of pizzazz. Living this close to the beach, these purses are great for the beach. The sand can fall out easier due to the spaces from the crochet.-LOL

Button necklace

Lion's Club necklace

Has anyone else been thinking about summer??? I made several of these a few summers ago. no pattern, just crochet strips with buttons crocheted on. Make sure you find the smallest hook you can to go thru some of the button holes. (I dislike drilling if possible.)

How many of you have vintage buttons in drawers, jars, jewelry boxes for safekeeping. This is a wonderful way to display those. And with all the beautiful colors of thread yarn.

I did this necklace when my Mother was in the Lions club. Blue and gold (yellow) colors. The lion's head as the focal. Just balance both sides of the necklace with regular buttons added in. Or not. make this necklace as full or not as you like. I love my peasant skirts in summer. With my tunic t-shirt tops, these are wonderful to wear.

Well, dentist first today, then milk, cat food, return movies, paint, stuffing, all on the way home. Maybe lunch out would be nice too . . .

Later . . . everyone have a nice day

"Our Christmas" with a nature surpise

Goodness, was Christmas wonderful. It's been awhile since I have been able to "do" a Christmas like this.I mean, "lord love a duck, I just went for it this year. Yes, I spent a bit of money, but a lot of my stuff for decorating had been "tucked" away for years. Mostly the outside garlands and such. Hubby really out did himself to make sure I had a great Christmas too. He was just so sweet. Christmas mornings tho, after coffee and the sun finally makes it's way high enough that one doesn't need the headlights, I have a tradition to go to the beach, on Christmas. I've been doing that since the very early 60's, when my mother moved out to California from Chicago. I mean, imagine the people who do vacations at Christmas to visit Newport Beach and Southern Calif. They pay mega bucks to go a view the ocean on Christmas Day. Well, so do I-LOL The Santa Ana winds started blowing that morning about 3:45 am. Being the light sleeper I am, I got up. Cats-one wanted in and the other wanted out! Lowered the umbrella, sat on the stoop had a cig and my coffee. Waiting for dawn.

The berms are in place to keep the high tide at bay as the moon was full also. You can see the winds just pushing back at the waves. It was beautiful. Windy and chilly, but beautiful.

Had to get the birds in there. The Newport Beach pier. The surfers were out and other couples were out strolling too.



I just had to get this kind of shot. With the moon full, during high tide, the waves are 8-10 feet. We are walking on the other side of the parking lot so we had a buffer from the winds.

We got home and opened presents. Oh boy, I got several small boxes from Victoria's Secret. Us girls have to have our "Mona Lisa smiles" which mean only our "lovers" know that that means we are wearing something a tad "naughty" under our clothes. LOL Hubby got me not one but 2 robes. Nice and warm. Love em'. A couple of crochet hard bound books and a beading book. A USC lawn chair, and a couple of tops. My daughter got me "Leopard" for my Mac and the top version of Vista for hubby, WOOT. My sons got me the most beautiful soup mugs from "Mud in your eye" pottery.
I got hubby some newer t's and sweatshirts with great things on them. another pair of slippers, geek light, and a planetary watch.
Hubby also got me a throw in Leopard spots. Oh, I like that-LOL

The turkey came out just perfect, and we ate in the dinning room. We sat at ether end of the table. That was cute. Felt like being in one of those old movies. We just needed the butler to serve.

While hubby was doing the dishes, he got a special visitor. One of our hummingbirds took a wrong turn and ended up in the house. Hubby had to catch her before she really hurt herself on the windows. When a hummingbird is "caught", they won't fight or move to much. They can't afford to use up any extra energy. Also, hummingbirds can't walk. They have to perch or fly Now, these are hubby's hands. His hands shake due to innocent tremor. He was so gentle with this bird. And being nervous, he shakes more. But, this tiny bird just laid quietly in his hands. Truly a Christmas gift from heaven. I took the little bird out to one of the feeders and other hummers. Zoom, she was gone . . .

Spent the rest of the evening watching the first season of Rome. Hubby needed to catch up so we can jump into season 2. and then well, nite nite all. Dreams of sugarplums and wonder

New overnight grip!

Ok, I was laying down with the heating pad on my back, channel surfing when I saw this huge tote on HSC. I admit I don't usually watch those channels, but this did catch my eye. This is from the Iman collection. I got the carmel/python. Now this is a huge bag. It is sitting on one of the patio chairs here.
I really needed a new overnight grip as my old one was a "basket" purse.


I've had this basket tote for almost 25 years. It's been everywhere and been thru just about everything. Now, I will retire it for yarn. It is still in good condition, just a bit faded. I love it as I can just rinse it out, let it dry in the shade and voilla, good as new. It's just that I thought it was time to "move on".



So, here you can see the both of them together. Imagine if I am on the train going up to Seattle. My stuff in the Iman tote, and a crochet project in the basket. Works for me.


But, let me know what you think of my new tote.

Deborah