He Does Exist, He Does Exist

Okay - to paraphrase those little M & M's on the commercial " I Do Exist, I Do Exist"!

I know - I haven't blogged in an age or so!

Truthfully, I don't know where time went, what happened to it, why I haven't taken the time to blog, etc.

I do know my camera totally died.  I just figured no one wanted to read what I write, would just rather look at pictures! 

My phone had also gotten on my last nerve so I finally went into this century and got a "smart phone".  And I must say, I love it - i have everything at my finger tips now!  With my laptop blowing up a few months prior, I had lost everything on it - including all my pictures I had taken before my camera died (and no I didn't back up - you think i would have learned my lesson from my prior laptop dying also! Anyway that's another story and I will never buy a Dell again!)   So this "smart phone" , I  bring it home and sit down to figure out how to work it and there in the gallery are ALL MY PHOTO'S! woohoo!  It somehow synced with facebook and my blog and captured all my photo's - it's certainly smarter than me and now I just have to sit and figure out how to transfer the pics from the phone to the computer to the little back-up stick! Again - for another day - I can only handle so much techy stuff every 6 months!)

So what have I been doing?  Where have I been? 

Well I do hooking for the Cinnamon Stick (Spicecupboard blog) and also every year I participate in the Folk Art Sale at the Heritage Center in Harleysville (mhep.org) so I got a very late start working on that.  I also demonstrate rug hooking now and then for my Guild (went to the Apple Butter Frolic again this year), and I also taught a rug hooking class at the cross stitch store.  

Here are some pics (i took with my phone and emailed to myself of some of the projects I have been working on.   See I can figure some things out)  There is a lot I didn't take a pic of like about 20 feather trees and pillows and some mats and things, but here's a sampling...

Those trees are a pattern from Cathy Meyer - Hooked on Primitives!  She's on ebay, etsy, facebook and has a blog - lots of cool patterns and dye book, etc.  She's a very talented lady!  I made green ones, white ones, also hooked some of the penny circles only directly on wool on white and green.  They turned out nice too - no pictures of them though and they all have been sold! 

This is Riley - I finished up the Monday night right before midnight (before thanksgiving)  (my items had to be over to the folk art sale by Tuesday - and I had just taken a picture of some of the items and I layed on the couch - still had my phone in my hand - that would be Riley giving me the stare down of why I was relaxing!  Took three pictures of him - couldn't get him to look directly at me!  Anyway - Riley has been stuck like glue to me helping with everything.  He rarely leaves my side!

 

All three boys went to the vet a few weeks ago (oh what a time! there was some bloodletting!) Anyway - everyone is healthy - thank goodness.  Jonesy still has the heart problem and could have issues at anytime, but hasn't gotten any worse which is a blessing!   He's still my  little man and the sweetest personality you will ever meet!  He will talk your ear off if you let him and he will also purr and snuggle you all you want! Such a sweet little guy!

One evening Riley and Jonesy decided to squish together in the basket!

 

Quentin has gotten so big and he is still so playful and so "helpful" Along with Riley is usually stuck on my other side and MUST help with everything I do.  Here i was on the floor putting together my feather tree kits for a class a few weeks ago (I have another one this Saturday)... just glad he didn't pop out of any one's bag!

I have to say this guy has a wonderful purrsonality too!  Being we had him so long since he was 1 1/2 weeks or so - i don't think he realizes he's a cat - but that's okay - he makes us laugh so much!  Oh and Jill - you were right - what was I thinking when I said I would "foster" him!  He's part of our family and no one will take him anywhere!

Tonight I took a class at the Cinnamon Stick  - we made a "Snowman in a Jar" (ball jar) - turned out cute - and Judy sells these solar lighted lids that fit - so it will light up the inside like a night light (once I charge it up!)   and they look so cool with the old looking mica flakes inside!  I'm sure she will have pics on her blog - if not - i will try to get one of my and post it in a few days.  Thanks Judy for all your hard work putting all those little pieces in a kit for us - it was a fun time!

So that's a little catch-up with me! I have tried to keep up with the blogs as best as I could but was having issues commenting and things. Just know I'm thinking of all my friends out there and miss sharing with you!

Have a wonderful week!

Do you like the taste of Pumpkin?

Welcome to September!

Still humid here in Eastern PA so it doesn't feel like fall is coming but it's starting to look like it at all the stores - all the clothes and food and colors of Fall are starting to appear!

So thought I would share a new find - if you like the taste of pumpkin spice - these are AWESOME!

Oh my Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses!  Yummmmmmm!

Have a wonderful Labor Day!

Long Time Gone!

It's certainly been a long time since I've been on here!   Lots of things been happening!

One thing was my laptop died - May it R.I.P.

Not a happy camper about that either as it wasn't even two years old and during that time it had crashed 3 times where I lost everything (of course I didn't back up!)

Anyway - my old one couldn't be fixed so i had to get a new one.   Went a different direction and bought a different make.  So far so good...knock on wood.

Then on this laptop I tried to get into blogger...No can do - I could read but blogs but couldn't even get into my own blog to update or comment, etc.  So after some research I realized I had to download a different browser.  So long story short - i downloaded another browser but can't get it to work through my AOL account so I can open it separately and work on the blog - Still working on that but I'm a little challenged (okay a lot challenged) in the techy department!

Also my hand problems have been slowing me down on hooking - I have so many things I want to get done but can hook one day and then have to rest the hand for a few days etc.  Going for a shot in the hand end of this week so hopefully that will help -

So here are some rugs I've been working on for sale - and some I have pulled out of my tub which may have been posted here prior -

Last week I went to fabric sale  - I got some good deals -  I think I spend a total of $30

This is about 6-7 yards of wool - colors are off in my pic (of course)  but the top one is a rusty color (so pretty) and the other is more a dull red, and then a gray/beige/camel  color - all washed and beautiful wool -  This wool was $4/yard

This pile is hard to see but mostly nice sized pieces and even some yardage - it was fill a bag for $2.00 well I had that bag stuffed to the gills!

I also bought a tiny serger or $5, a large piece of linen for cross stitch for $0.50 and a few other little odds and ends.

Quentin was helping me so I gave him a wool bow tie - he wasn't happy!

Jonesy said don't even think about tying anything around my neck!

And of course Riley was helping me "fold" the wool after I washed it!  It's good to have all this help.

Not much else going on - from this pic you can see how BIG Quentin is getting - he's almost 11 months old already - can you believe it!  He's got some weight to him too and just getting bigger everyday.  He really is a character and still loves to play so much - Wherever you go in the house - you can be sure you have your "shadow" with you!

Well hopefully this post works and hopefully this computer holds up - Still trying to "adjust" some things and hoping the contraption my husband bought will be able to save the information from my hard drive on the dead computer!  We shall see....

Have a wonderful day!

Clean Ears

Perhaps you already saw this video?  

Well I had to try it and so did a friend of mine - and both she and I were shocked to find not a "silk" on our corn and it cooks perfectly! 

Pretty neat!

June 23, 2012

Lots of things represent June 23, 2012 in our family.

My Mom's birthday is June 23 - She turned 82 years old yesterday.

In 2001 my husband's Mother passed away on June 23 - She was 76 and her birthday would have been on June 25.

And now a new memory for the day - yesterday was my niece's wedding day.

The wedding was held at a place called the Stone Barn.  The wedding itself was outside by two ponds under the shades of some trees.  There were 7 bridesmaids and 8 groomsmen and two flower girls.  The two little girls trotted down the walkway and then realized they forgot to spread their petals so they both went back up and came back down tossing the pedals!

The ceremony itself was short and sweet.  It wasn't a traditional ceremony but very nice.  They promised to love each other for who they are and other promises and were pronounced man and wife.  They walked up the walkway to a sea of bubbles (we were supplied with little bottles of bubbles!)

The reception immediately followed in a building past the ponds.  Inside of a sign-in book there was a large pic of a tree - you had to put your thumbprint as a leaf/branch of the tree and sign your name.  I thought this was a cool idea.  (Of course I haven't been to a wedding in about 10 years so maybe this is common!)  They also had pics of their parents, grandparents and great grandparents wedding photo's on the table.  Very nice.   They also had one of those photo booths where you put on goofy hats and take pics.  You get a pic and so do they and you sign their scrapbook.  Fun idea!

Lots of other little cool things and they did a great job of getting it all together.

So here are a few pics of the evening ( I didn't take very many - there were so many people taking pics it was hard to get any)

This was outside during the ceremony...

At dinner - the newly married happy couple...

Later in the evening... Cheryl (Mother of the bride on the far left) and the bride...

Maid of Honor - My niece Jessica...

My Mom and Dad...

My cousin Randy and my brother (father of the bride) Rusty...

My Uncle Bud and my cousin's wife Debbie...

The father and daughter dance started out very traditionally - then AC/DC blasted from the speakers and the blow up guitars came out.  If you know my brother this is perfect.  We were hysterical at this!

So all in all I'm so happy they had a great day for it - the weather couldn't have been more perfect and everything went off smoothly.  The happy couple will be leaving for their honeymoon on Monday to Punta Canta - sounds wonderful!

The Bubble Bitch

I know, I know, I know.  It's been a while since I posted - I even received several emails asking if everything is okay.

For the most part things are okay - I just haven't felt like I had anything to blog about lately!   Nothing much going on!  So I will just show you some random pics of the past few weeks.

I haven't really been hooking - a couple of weeks ago I took a huge piece of linen and drew about 12 things on it and one afternoon decided to start hooking.  Well I was setting everything up with my tub of worms next to me and putting my frame in front of me and when I finally sat down to hook - this is what I found...

Not to be outdone and realizing Jonesy had found a soft place for an afternoon nap, Quentin takes over...

He sure is giving me the eye that means DO NOT DISTURB. 

Riley of course can't believe his little brothers are in my tub (Of course he may be mad he didn't think of it first!)

Ever make sticky buns/cinnamon buns from frozen bread dough?   Last Thursday I decided to do that (and of course I picked an awfully hot day to bake!

I really don't have a recipe but you thaw the frozen bread dough and then roll it out in a long rectangle  - then I brushed the dough with melted butter, and  sprinkled a mixture of brown sugar and cocoa powder (just something I add) and cinnamon on the dough and roll it up.  I then cut it like you would a roll of cookie dough.  I place these little spirals/circles in a throwaway foil pan that I have put in the bottom of the pan melted butter, brown sugar, more cinnamon (cause I love it) , and chopped nuts (i used walnuts cause that's what I had!) and let sit and rise... this is a pic of them rising - i usually let it go for about 2-4 hours - this pic is about an hour into it...

Then you bake it for about half hour at 350 degrees...

Oh yummm...  the house smells so good.  As soon as I got them out of the oven I overturned them onto a cookie tray I put a piece of parchment paper and then slide it back into the pan

Oh they were so good - I had a "piece" from the first pan out of the oven and at that moment decided I can't have all these sitting around - so as soon as it was all down I loaded up the Subaru and off I went delivering hot buns to some family and friends!  Okay I won't like - I kept some for us too!  It's certainly easy peasy and besides the dough it's generally ingredients you have lying about the house!

Well from these pics you'd think all Quentin does is sleep - but that's not true - that boy is on the move continuously and if he does lay down, if I leave the room he's up and following me - mostly with a toy.  He  loves to play!  And can you believe that today Quentin is 9 months old! Wow! He's getting so big!

His favorite spot to watch the birds in the big tree (and notice Kathy - he's got that green toy with him - looking at me like daring me to touch it!)

Oh and I'm still not getting any hooking done - if they aren't in my worms then someone is sleeping atop my frame...

How cute is he - he just got done posting a pic on facebook of himself...

I think this is Quentin resting while the cinnamon buns were in the oven...did I mention he also helps with everything you do!

Again in one of his favorite spots - a rare moment of rest...

A friend gave me a mouse that squeaks (and sounds real) - Riley took to it and had a ball playing with it...

So besides spending days playing with the boys (in the air conditioning) I don't know what I have been getting into yet it seems like there isn't time to get anything done.  Go figure!

I did manage to spend a few days on the beach earlier this week.  I am whiter than white and was trying to get some color on my legs since there is no way I'm putting on a pair of panty hose tomorrow (for my nieces wedding) in this heat (it's outdoors!).  Well of course I managed to keep them white and get my shoulders a dark pink!  Well never fear - I tried that rub on tan stuff - I think I got enough color to get away with it - but I do hate that stuff - can't stand the smell of it!

And this pic is for Linda!  I can't use my powder room - it's been invaded by bags of bubbles - I can't close the door and running out of room to store them!  I have more over my washer and dryer too! LOL 

 

Okay let me explain - my husband can get all the bubble wrap he wants from work (they wrap huge machines and get parts in and just toss it away) so he brings home these bags of bubbles for my "rent payment" to stay at Linda's when I go to Grant Street (Rent is 2 bags of bubbles each visit!) for her husband for his business. Now this is what happens when I haven't gotten there for a few weeks!  LOL  Oh and did I tell you that Linda and Rick call me the "Bubble Bitch"?  Next time I get there I'm wondering how I'm going to fit all this in my little Subaru along with me and my hooking! (It's always a challenge - I think the most I took at one time was 9 bags!)   Anyway...let's hope when I do go next time it's not windy or my car will lift off in flight - Hey wait - that might be a good idea - no traffic! 

My Pop ended up in the ER on Father's Day again but he's home and everything is okay for now.    Thank goodness because I know he would have been absolutely heartbroken to miss his granddaughter's wedding tomorrow. 

My toe is still a little sore but no pain at all with walking anymore.  So basically healed from the fall!   Been having some issues with my hands again but working through that also.  Always something I suppose!

I have a question about blogger if any of you know.  I tried to go in and add some blogs to my blog list but when I it "add" - the screen to do so is off the screen to the left so to speak but I can't do anything with it and enlarging the screen doesn't work?  Any ideas? 

Anyway....like I said - it's been pretty ho hum around here lately.  I haven't been on the computer too much either but do wan to to sit down one of these days and get caught up on my blog reading and group postings, etc.  Wish I had a good excuse but I don't!

Have a wonderful weekend - and if you are in parts of this heatwave - stay cool!