Golden Oldie

New Medicine

2009-09-17T19:45:00.004-06:00

My life seems to revolve around my health the past couple of years. What I do or don't do always depends on how I feel. I have become more hopeful, though, that I'll be able to do a lot more since I began taking Lyrica a week ago.

The doctor told me to take it at night until I found out how it would affect me. The first night I took it was the best night's sleep I'd had in a year or more. The next day I remember stopping for a second and thinking something was wrong. Then I realized that I actually didn't hurt anywhere. Not all days have been that good, but they have been so much better than the days before I began taking the medicine, and I'm still taking only one capsule per day. I'll begin taking two capsules at night on Friday. I'm anxious to see how much relief that will bring. So far I haven't had any side effects, but it's probably to soon to get excited about that.
Update: Since I first started this post, I've begun taking two Lyricas a day. I have almost no pain. I've been able to start walking again, and today I walked two miles with no problems. I'm not tired all the time, and I've been able to do things again that I haven't felt like doing in two years. Needless to say, I feel very lucky that I haven't experienced any of the side effects that are common with this drug. I feel as if I've been given my life back.

I'm Back

2009-08-23T15:40:00.004-06:00

Another month and it would have been a year since I last posted. I'm not sure why I decided to start posting again, but I thought I'd give it another try. I've decided it's best to just try to write something even if it's just for me. I've never been much of a creative writer; I've always been the one who obsesses about spelling and punctuation, and that attitude can pretty much hamper the creative flow. I also consider myself a very boring person. It's very difficult for me to talk about myself. I always took to heart those articles about conversation with other people and how you should ask questions about the person and his or her life. Get them to talk about themselves, and you're pretty much off the hook.

One reason I'm doing this, I guess, is because I've been thinking about keeping a journal. This seems like a better way of doing it, and I won't have to hide it from the kids. One of my nieces is a prowler, and she loves to go through closets and drawers. I find it to be a very irritating habit. It would thrill her if she found something like a diary.

What have I been doing for the past year? Pretty much the same thing I was doing when I last wrote. I'm still working for the newspaper in Snyder, reading my books, and trying to find some relief for my aches and pains. The newspaper is fun, and I feel much more comfortable with the software we use. My bosses are a husband and wife team, and that can be sort of stressful. I admire all the women who have put up with their husbands for years without killing them. I have a difficult time listening to it without putting in my two cents. It wouldn't help anyway, and it just might make it worse for her. (Southern women in my age group were taught to shut up and not stick our noses where they don't belong. When we finally decide we can't take it any longer, we tend to explode! It's never pretty when that happens.)

I'm still not smoking after almost two years. I have to admit that I still want one at least once a day. Part of the problem is having a boss who smokes and refuses to follow the law about not smoking in a business. I still remember how scary it was after the surgery when my right lung was so congested that I couldn't breathe. I don't want to experience that ever again. I don't even remember the pain of the 8 inch incision the doctor made. All I can remember is the pain in my chest.

I don't work at the library anymore either. I stopped working there last fall when I had a difference of opinion with some of the ladies on the library board. Now I just use paperbackswap.com for all my books, and I haven't been in the library since.

I rented the land to my helper, Shane, at the first of the month. I sold him some of the cattle and the equipment. I paid off my loan, and I'm now debt free. It is a little depressing that I'm not involved in it anymore, but I haven't felt like taking an active role for a long time now. It will be for the best, and he certainly deserves his shot at it.

Guess that's all for now. Oh! I have been doing a little crocheting, but it's nothing too complicated. More on that later.

New Job

2008-09-13T14:51:00.006-06:00

I started working at the weekly newspaper in Snyder September 1. I believe I'm really going to like it. It's nice to be able to go to work and do your job without people complaining all of the time. The hours are good, and I get all of Friday off. I probably won't make as much money as I did working for the town, but that's okay, too. The working environment ranks higher than pay for me any day.

I've been pretty tired in the evening, so my reading time has suffered. I've only finished one book this month. I'm reading The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch as part of the Ravelry Book Club, and I don't believe I've ever met a character that I disliked more than Charles. I'll keep reading, though, because I'm hoping he'll get some kind of payback at the end.

I've been picking up my great-nephew from Pre-K since school started in August. The high gas prices and budget cuts required the school system to eliminate the noon bus. I understand perfectly, but some parents really had to scramble to get their kids a ride to their day care. Everyone in the our family works, so I'm the one whose boss is nice enough to let me off for 30 minutes each day to pick Hunter up and deliver him to his sitter. Can't you imagine how strange I look with all those 20 something mothers waiting to pick up her child? There are a few grandparents, though, who have been called into service, so that makes me feel a little better.

These are pictures I took at the lake last weekend. The birds are turkey vultures. I was afraid to get any closer because I'd spook them.

The trees and the rocks kept getting in the way. I didn't want to climb out too far on the rocks because the rattlesnakes are still out. Besides, I had some lake ranger that kept watching me. I don't think there are any laws against taking pictures of a dam and a lake, but who knows since 9/11.

My Name's Hidden Meaning

2008-09-11T17:56:00.010-06:00

I found this on April's blog. I don't completely agree with it, but I bet my family and friends would argue the point.

What Linda Means

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.
You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.
Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.

You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.
You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.
You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.

You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people.
You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts.
You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row.
You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace.
People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.
You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.
You have the classic "Type A" personality.

What's" Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Sandy asked a question about cleaning up after the goats and calf. Goat poop hasn't been a problem, but the calf manure is another thing. She requires a lot more work. It makes a great fertilizer, though.

I also don't know why castrating the goats keeps them from stinking. Someone told me it worked, and it does. We have a billy goat that's running loose with the cattle on the farm. You can smell him from 30 feet away. They say a mountain lion won't eat a billy because they stink. I believe it must be true because the cattle can't even stand him.

Newest Family Members

2008-08-31T19:26:00.004-06:00

Yes. These are living in my backyard. The goats are my contribution to the green movement. They're suppose to replace the fossil fuel burning lawn mower. (They've been neutered, so they don't stink. In case, you're interested.)

The little heifer calf's mother died, so I'm going to bottle feed her until about February. She's about a month old now.

Some people call orphan calves "bums", but I prefer the term "bottle babies".

These guys aren't mine, but they live next door.

Summer and Teaching

2008-08-25T12:09:00.003-06:00

I found the perfect quote in the book I'm reading that describes what summer meant to me as a teacher. "Summer was the advantage to teaching: your life was always a cycle, you always had closure, rest, and a new beginning to look forward to. Always starting over, you never had time to grow old." Taken from Southern Exposure by Linda Lightsey Rice.

Another Southern Fiction Novel

2008-08-24T13:35:00.004-06:00

Donna Tartt tells the story of how a family tragedy can have a far reaching effect on the remaining family members. The main character is Harriet, a young girl whose brother was found murdered in her backyard when she is only a baby. To make matters worse, the killer was never found. Harriet's mother never fully recovers from the loss and spends most of her time in a drug-induced sleep. Harriet's father separates from the mother and has little influence in Harriet's life. Most of Harriet's upbringing is the responsibility of the family's maid, her grandmother, and her great-aunts.

As Harriet becomes older she becomes more and more obsessed with her brother's murder. A chance remark by the maid convinces Harriet that she knows who the killer is, and she intends to make him pay.

Even though the novel is over six hundred pages long, I never got bored with it. It kept me reading right up to the end.

Four of Five Stars

Today Show Book Club List

2008-08-22T12:53:00.007-06:00

I love lists, and I especially love lists of books. This is my most recent addition of books I must read sometime in the future. I believe the numbers represent the order in which the appeared on the Today Show. (I copied this from a public libray site.)

So many books; so little time.

Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden (#33)

More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl (#32)

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss (#31)

Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini (#27)

The Breathtaker by Alice Blanchard (#19)

Broken for You by Stephanie Kallos (#28)

Bury the Lead by David Rosenfelt (#24)

Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros (#9)

'The Clothes They Stood Up In' and 'The Lady in the Van' by Alan Bennett (#5)

The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer (#22)

Crow Lake by Mary Lawson (#7)

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (#13)

The Dew Breaker by Edwidge Danticat (#23)

The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst (#12)

Drinking Coffe Elsewhere by ZZ Packer (#11)

The Emperor of Ocean Park by Stephen L. Carter (#1)

Fluke, or I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings by Christopher Moore (#25)

A Girl Named Zippy: Growing Up Small in Mooreland, Indiana by Haven Kimmel (#3)

Graceland by Chris Abani (#29)

The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard (#16)

Heir to the Glimmering World by Cynthia Ozick (#30)

The Known World by Edward P. Jones (#17)

Nine Horses: Poems by Billy Collins (#10)

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (#8)

Paradise Alley by Kevin Baker (#6)

The Photograph by Penelope Lively (#21)

Raising Fences: A Black Man's Love Story by Michael Datcher (#4)

Shadow Baby by Alison McGhee (#14)

The Sleeping Father by Matthew Sharpe (#20)

The Time-Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (#15)

The Way the Crow Flies by Ann-Marie MacDonald (#18)

A Window Across the River by Brian Morton (#26)

You Are Not a Stranger Here by Adam Haslett (#2)

I've read The Time-Traveler's Wife, and I have a copy of Fluke that I haven't read yet. I'll search the library for the some others that sound interesting.

I have a new job at the newspaper office in Snyder. It's just a weekly paper, so as long as I spell people's names correctly I think it will be a piece of cake. It will certainly be less stressful than the other job.

Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons

2008-08-19T08:58:00.004-06:00

Ellen represents all of the children who are abused and neglected in the world. She is somehow able to withstand all her dysfunctional family has to throw at her and triumph in the end.

The story is told in Ellen's voice, and this girl is all things Southern. It can make it a little difficult to read at first, but the story is well worth the effort.

I found this one at the library last night while I was working and started reading it on the spot. What I didn't realize was I had found another Oprah Book Club selection. I'm drawn to Oprah's choices for some reason. I guess she and I have the same taste in books.

Rating: Four out of five stars

Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story

2008-08-17T20:14:00.007-06:00

Three Bags Full

by Leonie Swann

rating: 4 of 5 stars

I purchased this book some time ago to read as part of the Ravelry Book Club, but I just couldn't get into it at the time. I picked it up again this weekend, and this time I couldn't put it down. I think I finally stopped trying to think like a sheep, and just let the story flow. Even though I'm not usually a fan of mysteries, the sheep's point-of-view made this a very fun read. I'm so glad I went back and gave it another chance.

I've had two visits to the rheumatologist this summer. This first time was for tests, and the second visit she went over the results with me. The tests indicate that I have lupus arthritis, and the doctor has started me on hydroxychioroquine sulfate (Plaquenil) which seems to be helping. It has to be taken with meals, and my stomach seems to require a LOT of food before it can handle the pill. The first couple of weeks it made me terribly sick to my stomach, but it seems to have leveled out now. Anyway I'm beginning to feel like a human being again.

I've begun doing a little crochet work again, but nothing on a major scale. Maybe this winter when there's more to watch on TV I'll be able to get interested in it again.

I quit my job at the City Hall. I couldn't take the people any longer. I will probably go to work at the newspaper office in a couple of weeks, but right now I'm enjoying my first vacation in a year.

Book Talk

2008-04-22T17:53:00.006-06:00

Monday night was library night, but things were slow. Only two people came in during the entire three hours . I had a few books to shelve and then spent the rest of my time browsing through the titles and reading my latest book. I managed to finish The Same Sweet Girls by Cassandra King while I was there.

I love books about the South and Southern women. Some of the best books I've ever read have been about the modern day South. Beach Music by Pat Conroy is one of my all time favorites. Another that I love is Sweet Tea and Jesus Shoes, and if you've never read the Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love, you sure need to give it a try. If you like that one then you'll probably love God Save the Sweet Potato Queens and Sweet Potato Queens' Big-Ass Cookbook (and Financial Planner). (I do think that you have to be over 40 to truly appreciate the Sweet Potato Queens.)

I belong to two book groups on Ravelry that I'm enjoying very much. One group is Book Challenge and the other is the Ravelry Book Club. Book Challenge keeps track of the books the group reads each month and adds them to a list on goodreads.com. Some of the members give great reviews of the books they read, and my to read list grows a little more each day. With the Ravelry Book Club I've read novels that I might not have read otherwise. The Thirteenth Tale and A Thousand Splendid Suns were both excellent books. Now we're reading Here Be Dragons which has been a little more difficult for me to get into. It's certainly not going to be a quick read like the other two, but I will finish it. Next month we're scheduled to read Middlesex which is another example of a book I might not have heard of or read without the Club.

Thanks for the comments. I wish I'd posted about my problem earlier, but I've always had a difficult time sharing information like that. It's great to be able to talk about it with y'all. Luckily, this new medicine and the Extra Strength Tylenol have helped the pain and swelling in my hands. It makes me sleepy, though, and I'm a little woozy right now. Maybe I'll have a good night's sleep for a change.

Golden Oldie Doesn't Crochet Anymore

2008-04-20T16:45:00.002-06:00

I wonder if I can change the name of the blog because I don't have much hope of crocheting again anytime soon.The arthritis pain has developed in my hands, and I can't hold a crochet very well anymore. Right now I'm using the two finger typing method because it hurts my wrists to type properly. The pain seems to be getting worse instead of better, and I know that I can no longer delay a trip to the rheumatologist. Of course it will probably be the end of May or the first of June before I'll be able to get an appointment. The Snyder doctor gave me a prescription for Tramadol, but it doesn't have much effect on the pain.
I have been doing a lot of reading lately rather than crocheting and watching TV. With the writers' strike this season and so many reruns and reality shows on TV instead, I had pretty much lost interest in any of the shows I once watched. Books have become my obsession rather than patterns and yarn.
I volunteer at our little local library on Monday evenings from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. A few come in to use the Internet and I've even checked out a few books for others, but the majority of my time is spent reading or browsing through the shelves. It's a very pleasent way to spend an evening.
I don't have any special type of novel that I'm reading right now. I just go with whatever strikes my fancy. A few retired teachers I know only read the trashy romance novels (their words, not mine), but I have to have something that has a good story to it. About the only thing I won't read is nonfiction, especially those self-help books. I think I'm beyond help, and I don't need a book to make me feel inadequate.
I hope the rheumy can help me deal with the pain. It's hard to imagine having to feel like this for the remainder of my life. My mother suffered from arthritis in her later years. I never knew how badly she hurt until I begin experiencing the same symptoms. I wish I had been more sympathetic to her condition.

Homespun Hat

2008-01-20T16:27:00.000-06:00

This isn't where I intended to start the post, but blogger decided for me. I don't have the energy to try to figure out why, so I'll just type here.

I completed another hat for me. It's done in Lion Brand Homespun with a P hook. Since the yarn is doubled, it's very fast to make. Now I need to make a scarf to go with it. According to the weather reports, I'll probably need it this week. Winter has finally come to Oklahoma.

I'm going to get out my fat jeans and iron them for next week. (My fat jeans are the ones big enough to comfortably wear insulated underwear with. ) Thank goodness I'm allowed to dress very casual at work. Otherwise, I would have frozen to death weeks ago.

I haven't had a cigarette in 11 weeks and 5 days. (I can't seem to quit marking off the days and weeks like that. For some reason I feel the need to keep track of how long it's been since I last smoked.) I'm not taking the Chantix anymore either. The insurance company never approved the prescription, and I ended up paying for the first four weeks. I don't think I really needed it in the first place, but I was so afraid that I would smoke again. The Chantix was a kind of talisman to help me not smoke. I've found that sugarless candy does the same thing, and it's a whole lot cheaper.

Another Cap

2008-01-19T12:50:00.000-06:00

Caps and scarves seem to be the only things I finish lately. This one is knitted and was actually started before Christmas. I finally finished seaming the back and weaving in the ends.

I splurged ($3.50) and bought a model for the caps I've been making. Caps photograph so much better on her than when they're just laid on the table. The cats would love to get their claws in her, though, so I have to keep her hidden most of the time.

The pattern is from Bernat's 9 Family Designs-Bonus Book. You know-one those little booklets that Wal-Mart has displayed near the shelves of yarn. (I do wish they would offer some new ones.)

Yarn: Bernat Softee Chunky in Nature's Way

Caps and Scarves

2007-12-23T13:41:00.000-06:00

The cap pattern is found in Leisure Arts Quick Caps by Barbara Shaffer. The scarf is Shelly by Emily Nelson and can be found at Crochetme. The yarn is Bernat Frenzy in Loonie Lilac that I found at Dollar Tree a couple years ago. Even with the heavier yarn the scarf is still light and airy, but of course I didn't get the stitch definition I would have if I had used a lighter weight yarn. The set is going to be a Christmas present for my nephew's SO.
Same patterns and yarn. This set is going to my sister-in-law.

The cap is the same pattern as the previous two, but the scarf pattern is called the Skinny Scarf and is found at http://www.coatsandclark.com/. The daughter of my nephew's SO gets this set.

I'm happy to report that I've used quite a bit of my stash yarn for these projects, although there are still a few skeins left. I may turn those into lapghans eventually.

My Distractions

2007-12-02T19:09:00.000-06:00

Ten days in the hospital allowed me to quit smoking after 37 years. But even with the Chantix the doctor prescribed after I came home, I still get a little antsy at times. The Chantix web sites recommends that you have a distraction for those times, so crochet has been my main distraction since I came home from the hospital. Since the projects were suppose to be a distraction and not a stresser, I've been working on simple items like caps and scarves. I've made 3 women's caps, 4 scarves, 3 toques, 1 knitted men's cap, 2 girl's caps, and 2 girl's scarves. Guess what some of my family members are getting for Christmas this year.

Still Around

2007-10-08T15:57:00.000-06:00

It's hard to know what to say after being away so long. I've been reading everyone's blogs, but I seem to be so brain dead in the evenings that I haven't even left comments. I have been checking your blogs, though, and admiring the work everyone has been doing.
I haven't even been doing much crocheting or knitting in the evenings until recently, and I haven't finished anything at all that I can show. Maybe as it gets cooler I'll get to spend more time with it. I even thought there would be slow days at work when I could read or crochet a little, but I can tell that's not going to happen anytime soon.
Maybe you'd be interested to know how I came to be hired as Office Manager for the town. The City Clerk/Office Manager was suspended in May on suspicion of embezzlement. The state auditor came in June at the request of the DA and began an audit that was released about five weeks ago. Apparently, the girl managed to steal about $80,000 in cash over a period of 3 1/2 years. Anyway, I'm still classified as temporary until she's arrested.
Of course, the town is broke and owes huge sums of money to the trash company, electric company, and various vendors. She is bonded for $60,000, but the town won't get that money until she's convicted or a settlement is made. The town officials really want to see her convicted, though, and they want back every dime that was stolen. Hopefully, our DA will get busy and start proceedings against her.

New Job

2007-08-23T20:43:00.000-06:00

I started my new job on Wednesday as the Office Manager for the Town of Mountain Park. I had applied for it earlier, but I thought they were going to hire someone younger. It's perfect for me right now. The City Hall is only open from 9-3, and I get an hour off for lunch. I'm only 4 and 1/2 blocks from where it's located, so I can even walk to work if I need to. (I have no plans to do that right now. It's HOT in Oklahoma this month.) I'll make enough each month with my retirement check to bring my monthly income up to about what I was making as a teacher in 2005. It's a great feeling to be working again.

It's Finished

2007-08-12T15:54:00.001-06:00

I finally made myself finish seaming and weaving in the ends. Then I took it outside on the hottest day of the year for photos. It's hard to believe it will ever been cool enough in Oklahoma to wear this.

Sweet and Simple Child Shrug

2007-08-10T16:10:00.000-06:00

Publication: American School of Needlework's The Crochet Yearbook, Volume 1

Designer: Joyce Nordstrom

Size: 26" x 6"

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft Brites in watermelon, 1 skein

Hook: I

I have two great-nieces, ages 7 and 9. Hopefully, this will fit one of them, and I can then adjust the size to make a second one.

Hobby Lobby Shopping Spree

2007-08-02T21:49:00.000-06:00

I had to go to Lawton Thursday for an appointment with the dermatologist to have the spots checked where he'd removed the skin cancers. The places had healed, and no further surgery or treatment will be necessary.

I spent 45 minutes getting there, and I wasn't even in the examination room 10 minutes. And I had to give them another $25 co-pay. Since I'd already wasted all of that gas just getting to Lawton, I decided I might as will swing by Hobby Lobby and check out the yarn.

I hadn't been to Hobby Lobby in quite awhile, and I had never bought yarn there before. It was really something of a disappointment. I wasn't impressed with most of the Yarn Bee yarns, and anything that I might have bought had only a few colors and not enough skeins with the same dye lot. They did have a good selection of the Sugar and Cream cotton, and I stocked up on some of that. I also got some Lion Brand Wool Ease Chunky to try a knit purse I found on Garn Studio. There was also some Senso and Luster Sheen on clearance, and I picked up some of that. So the whole experience wasn't a total waste of time, and at least now I know that I'll have to do my buying online.

I want to end with a tip from the dermatologist. He recommended the Neutrogena 70 Sunblock. The 70 has more anti-aging and anti-wrinkle properties than the 45. It might be a little late for that in my case, but I guess I'll give it a shot if Wal Mart carries it.

FO and WIP

2007-07-10T18:53:00.000-06:00

I was reading Kelly's blog and found this little cosmetic bag pattern that she had made. She modified hers to use as a little tote for her crochet, but I'm going to use mine as a holder for all those things that sometimes float around on the bottom of my purse-mints, gum, lip balm, etc. This isn't a very good picture of it. It's actually much cuter in person.

I used Sugar and Cream in gum drop and a H hook. There's actually a mistake on the bag because for some reason I crocheted into the back loops of about four stitches. It's not noticable really to anyone except me. It just irritates the heck out of me for doing something so dumb.

I'm still trying to use up my stash. It seems as if I've been trying forever, and I'm getting pretty tired of it. It sounds as if I have a large amount of yarn, but that's not really true. I'm just slow as the seven year itch.

This is my first knitted sweater that I've been trying to seam together. I've managed to seam the shoulders and attach the sleeves to the body. Now if I can just get the sleeves and side seams done, it will be FINISHED. I used 3 1/2 skeins of Homespun in quartz and size 10 knitting needles. Let me tell you that this thing weights a ton! It was a good beginner's project, though. You can see the pattern here.

I had to edit this post quite a bit to get the link right. I hope Bloglines doesn't notify you every time I hit Publish Post. How embarrassing if it does!

What I've Been Up To

2007-07-06T18:05:00.000-06:00

We didn't have Internet Wednesday night and most of the day yesterday. Last night we had a thunderstorm with lots of thunder and lightning, so I turned the computer off and unplugged everything. I don't have much faith in surge protectors since I lost a TV, a VCR, and the modem on my first computer. It's best just to shut everything down and wait it out.

I'm gradually adding pictures to Ravelry, but I'm taking it slow. I wish I had kept better notes on my projects like some of the others. It takes time to look that stuff up, but it will be a great record of projects once I get everything entered.

Yesterday I did sort through two totes of yarn and projects. I found a couple of WIPs that I had forgotten about. One of them is a child's cap that I started while Mom was in the nursing home. It uses sport weight yarn, so the ribbing is done on size 4 needles. I realize now why I stopped working on it. After a few rows my hands went numb, and I had to stop and give them a rest. I'm through with the ribbing now and was able to switch to the size 6 needles for the stockinette part. My hands don't seem to mind those, and I made quite a bit of progress on the cap today. I should be ready to start the decreases soon.

I'm still working on the rectangle grannies. I have 96 centers done, and I've added the second round of purple to about 75 of those. I'm weaving the ends as I go, and that become mind numbing after awhile. Why do I start projects like that anyway?

I sort of set the ruffled cardigan aside for awhile. I still haven't gotten up the nerve to sew the sleeves to the body. I get it out, stare at it awhile, and then put it back in the drawer. Part of the problem is that the Plush yarn is hard to sew with, so I know if I screw up it won't be easy to take it out.

We had a quiet Fourth of July here because of the weather. There's usually a celebration in the park across the street from the house, but it was cancelled because of the flooding. The past few years it's been so dry that you had to stand guard constantly to make sure none of the fireworks caught your yard or house on fire. (Yes, there's a city ordinance against setting off fireworks in the city limits, but there's no police to enforce it.) This year everything is so wet that I don't think you could start a fire with a flame thrower. Anyway, the neighbors were nice enough to set theirs off before 12:00 p.m., so all in all, I had a very pleasant Fourth.

I'll leave you with a picture of the youngest members of the family. Normally, they're outside cats now, but when it was flooding I let them stay inside. Clockwise, you see Tiny, Beavis, and Butt-Head. Butt-Head got his name first because of his actions. I guess a nice way to put it is that he's developmentally delayed. He reminds me of some guys I know. Nice to look at but not a lot going on upstairs.

Ravelry

2007-07-02T16:03:00.000-06:00

I got my invitation to join Ravelry, and after giving it some thought I decided to go ahead and sign up. I hesitated because of the time involved in setting up my own notebook, but I just couldn't resist having access to the work of other crocheters and knitters. It really will be a great resource, and I wish those who came up with the idea a lot of luck.

I finally got a project listed in my notebook. It's embarrassing to even think about how long it took me to figure it out. Flickr and I got off to a rocky start. I did something stupid at the beginning of the relationship, and Flickr refused to tell me what I had done wrong so I could make amends. I finally became so furious that I completely broke off all contact and cancelled my account. But I continued to think about Flickr and how much I needed it, so last night about 12:30 a.m. I reintroduced myself under an altered screen name. It worked, and I was able to get a picture up. (I'm not normally such a sneak, but I was desperate.) I'll take the relationship slow for now and work my way up gradually.

The coolest feature I've discovered about Ravelry so far is that I can do a search for a yarn and see projects that others have done with the same stuff. That's great for someone like me who is trying to reduce her stash.

Same Song, Different Verse

2007-06-30T07:22:00.000-06:00

There hasn't been a whole lot of crochet going on around here. I've finished some dishcloths for Christmas, and I've started on some magic square potholders to go with them. My mind just hasn't been on crochet because of other things that have been going on.

This was the view yesterday morning when I got up.

It was much higher this time, and people to the southwest of me had to be evacuated from their homes because of the high water. There was suppose to be an Old Settlers Day Reunion in the park across the street, but the rising waters flooded them out. They had difficulty getting some of the vendors out of the park, and some of the trucks and travel trailers had to be abandoned until the waters went down.

I moved my pickup to the street on the west side just in case the water got up to the house. Luckily, it never got closer than the driveway.

The electricity was off for seven hours which made waiting very difficult. We Oklahomans like to check our weather quite frequently, and not having TV made that impossible. (I've put a weather radio on my shopping list.)

We had a break overnight, but it suppose to rain again this afternoon and tomorrow.

The fences on the farm are gone again and will have to be repaired as soon as the water goes down.

The good news is that we thought we had lost a baby calf that was born during the flood, but Mama and baby showed up yesterday.

Flooding

2007-06-22T13:08:00.000-06:00

These pictures were taken last Friday morning after the third straight morning of rain. We had a total of 6 inches in three days. This is the third time the fields have flooded this year. We even got another half inch over the weekend, and today we've had another two inches so far.

When the water went down enough on Saturday an electric fence had to be put up on the west and south side of the pasture because there just wasn't a fence anymore, and the cows were getting out.

If You Don't Have Anything Crocheted....

2007-06-21T16:11:00.000-06:00

This picture was taken about 9 p.m. Tuesday night. I thought it was beautiful.

Early Wednesday morning about 2 a.m. it began to rain heavily.
By 9 a.m. Wednesday the area around the house looked like this. (That's Minnie Pearl, the neighbor's miniature horse. She was a little upset by the rising waters.)
There's a park across the street from the house. You can see the pavilion in the background. There's a creek that runs through the park that overflowed its banks.
This is the road that runs past the house.
This area has always flooded during heavy rains, and there doesn't seem to be anything that can be done about it. It's never gotten into this house, but the neighbors to the southwest haven't always been so lucky.

Vegetarian Chili

2007-06-14T14:51:00.000-06:00

Pour the following into your slow cooker. Do not drain.
1 can of black beans
1 can of white beans
1 can of pinto beans
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of garbanzo beans
2 14 1/2-oz. cans of stewed tomatoes
1 pkg. of prepared chili seasoning

I also added salt and dried onion, but those are optional.

Cover. Cook on low for 4-8 hours.

I like mine with grated cheddar cheese (2%) and chopped green onions on a hot dog bun.

Even my nephew liked this, and he's one of the pickiest eaters that I've ever met.

Another Doctor Visit or The Year I Meet My Insurance Deductable

2007-06-14T07:49:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I had an appointment with a dermatologist that I scheduled weeks ago. He's very popular with the acne age group so there's always a long wait for an appointment. I just had to settle back and wait because he's the only one listed as a provider by my insurance.

Doctors often make me very nervous, so I made a list of all of the places that I wanted him to check. Of the seven on my list only two were suspicious. He took biopsies of both, and the results are suppose to be back next Wednesday. If I don't hear from him, then I can assume there's nothing to worry about.

I've finished the ninety-six centers for the granny rectangles, and I'm moving on to the second round. I only have the one skein of purple, and I want to use it up before I buy more. I figure that will help me estimate how many more skeins I need.

Rectangle Granny and Cardigan

2007-06-10T20:36:00.000-06:00

There isn't much progress to show on the ruffled caridgan. I've reached the stage where I need to sew the pieces together so that I can crochet the ruffle. Today I practiced seaming a couple of swatches together, and I think I have the hang of it. I have the sleeves pinned to the cardi, and if I feel like it and can catch a time when the cats are asleep, I'll start sewing the sleeves and sides.

I saw an afghan pattern on eBay for an afghan made of rectangular grannies. I found a pattern here and came up with this. It would be different from any other afghan I've ever made, but who knows if I will ever finish it.

Last Saturday I did get to go with some friends to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. It isn't far from where I live, but I don't visit it often. It's especially pretty there this time of year when all of the wildflowers are in bloom. We saw buffalo, longhorn cattle, and elk. We stopped at Meers near the reserve and had longhorn beef burgers and the best peach cobbler I've ever tasted. Four people ate for less than $40, too. I bet you can't beat those prices anywhere.

Even though I enjoyed the time I spent with friends, I was exhausted when I got home. I had been to the doctor earlier that week because I hadn't been feeling well at all for the past couple of months. I got the results of the blood tests on Wednesday, and I had tested positive for Lupus. Now I realize that one blood test isn't probably enough to say that I have it, but I have some of the other symptoms. I've been extremely fatigued and many days it feels as if every bone in my body hurts. The arthritis medicine the doctor gave me is helping some, but I'm afraid to do anything for fear the pain will worsen. He wants me to see a rheumatologist, but those people are few and far between in this part of Oklahoma. The nearest one is at least two hours away, and I don't think I can make the drive alone. I haven't decided quite yet how I'm going to manage it.

My Next Project

2007-05-25T10:13:00.000-06:00

Thanks, Bron and Priscilla, for the compliments. The vest was fun to do, and I may actually wear it.

For my next project I've decided to try something with sleeves. I had seen these one done by someone at Crochetville and realized I had the yarn in my stash and the pattern. It's the Crochet Ruffle Cardigan done in Plush. I had purchased four skeins in Wine some time ago, and I was thrilled to discover I had enough yarn in my stash for the cardi.

I don't know why I have such a block when it comes to wearables except that I don't have a lot of confidence in my ability to sew things together. I can duplicate any stitch or pattern, but sewing things together is like running into a brick wall. I reread all of the instruction books I have and watch the videos online before I begin and think I've got it, but when I pick up that needle I just freeze. I swear I'd drive 50 miles to take a class on finishing items if I could just find one.

Vest

2007-05-24T13:11:00.001-06:00

This is the vest I began a little over a month ago. It's finally finished with the ends woven in. It still needs a good blocking, though. The pattern is from The Crochet Yearbook, Volume I that I purchased last year from bookcloseouts.com. I used about 5 skeins of Paton's Grace and a F hook. If I had known I was going to have so much yarn left over, I would have made it a little longer. As it is, this one ends at about the hip bone.

The pattern had only one mistake, and it was a minor one. It said to seam up the shoulders and side seams, but there are no side seams. I made a few minor adjustments. I was suppose to double crochet around the edges, but I used a single crochet instead. The pattern in the book used buttons, but since I seldom wear a vest buttoned, I left those off. The one thing I don't like about the pattern is the last row on the bottom edge. It's a wrong side row, and I'm just not crazy about that. I tried adding a single crochet row along the edge, but it didn't look right either. If I made the vest again, I would add another single crochet row along the edge, so the final row would be on the right side.

Tiny

2007-05-21T14:26:00.000-06:00

I'm babysitting Tiny while his mom is at the vet being spayed. (At least I think it's a he. He's not too crazy about me turning his butt up in the air to try to figure it out.) It's hard to believe this little fellow is almost 7 weeks old, but he's eating solid food and drinking water from a bowl. He'll use the litter pan if I can catch him in time. Next week it will be his turn to go to the vet for his shots. Hopefully, that will make it easier to find someone to adopt him.

That's fiberfill from a play toy that you see on his right eye. It looks like that toy is going to have to be trashed.

Right now he has a tummy ache. I left some of the other cats' food bowls on the floor, and I discovered him with all four feet in one the them chopping away. I have a can of goat's milk that I need to mix up for him and see if he'll drink it. Cow's milk isn't good for them, and kitten formulas are very expensive. Goat's milk is a much cheaper substitute for the formula.

His mom is the last of the females that needs to be spayed. Now maybe the neighbor's toms will go home and leave us alone.

Now I don't want you to think I'm some crazy old lady that goes around picking up strays. I just happen to live in town that's a dumping ground for unwanted pets. The ones I can catch have all gone to the vet for shots and to be neutered or spayed. It will take me all summer to pay off my credit card, but at least there won't be anymore kittens.

I splurged the past weekend and bought a pizza and rented some dvds. There's a new pizza place in Snyder that just opened up, and I wanted to try their pizza. It was really very good.

I rented The Wicker Man, The Fountain, and The Illusionist. Bron had mention The Wicker Man once, and she said it was bad. I wish I had listened to her because it's a really, really awful movie. The Fountain had nice special effects, but it was boring otherwise. The Illusionist, though, was really pretty good, or maybe the others were just so bad anything would have been an improvement.

Round Ripple

2007-05-20T08:59:00.000-06:00

The pattern is from the book, 100 Crochet Projects by Jean Leinhauser and Rita Wiess. (I know I've also seen it in one of those little books published by Coats and Clarks, but I can't remember which one.) The afghan is made with 7 skeins of Light and Lofty in Tahoe and a N hook. The finished afghan measures about 60" in diameter. It's nothing fancy- just another stash busting project.

I'm thinking I'm going to really like this new autosave feature on Blogger with the way our Internet has been behaving lately. We've had nothing but trouble for three days, and it's very frustrating to have a post ready only to have the Internet go down. I do try to post, but I sometimes lose what I've written. (As I get older I seem to have less patience, and it doesn't take much to frustrate me.)

I'm going to have to buy groceries this afternoon before the rains come again this week. They're forecasting a chance of rain for the entire week, and buying groceries when you drive a pickup with a regular cab is not something that you want to do in the rain.

I'm thinking about trying to make my own vegetarian chili. I used to be able to buy it in the can, and I'd make hot dogs with it. I can't find the chili in the cans anymore, so I'm going to be forced to try to make it myself. I've found one recipe that sounds pretty easy and can be cooked in the slow cooker. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Mindless Crochet

2007-05-16T13:55:00.000-06:00

I made this in a couple of evenings last week while we were having some wild weather. It's a very simple shell pattern that I found at Bernat. The pattern called for Galaxy yarn, but I substituted Light and Lofty in antique blue from my stash. Three and a half skeins made an afghan about 31" x 35", excluding the fringe. I like to use my N Crystalite hook when working with this yarn rather than an aluminum one. For some reason the Crystalite just works so much better for me with this type of yarn.

I had planned to donate it to the nursing home, but I'm afraid the fringe would be dangerous for a nursing home resident. I wasn't going to add the fringe, but the afghan needed something, and I didn't have enough yarn left to crochet an edging around it.

I love how quickly this yarn worked up! If I ever make any more afghans for gifts, I'll certainly use the bulkier yarn.

It's Been Awhile

2007-05-15T16:47:00.000-06:00

The month of May has been a time of extreme weather in Oklahoma. Tornado watches, thunderstorms, heavy rains, and flash flood warnings seem to be the norm for us this year. After more than two years of drought I shouldn't complain, but we are saturated right now. Oklahoma lakes are finally beginning to fill again, so I guess some good has come of it.

I haven't finished the crochet vest. I just can't seem to make myself finish it. Maybe when the weather calms down I'll be able to concentrate on it again.

Yesterday it had dried up enough that we could move some of the cattle around. We had a couple of calves that needed to be worked, and we wanted to return some of the mamas to the home farm. Things went well, and we were able to get it all done in a few hours. It's a good thing we finished, too, because I woke up to rain again this morning.

I have been crocheting, but it's been mindless crochet. The kind that you can stop and start again without trouble when they have one of those severe weather warnings on TV every few minutes. An entire evening of those warnings can really make you a nervous wreck. The crochet is necessary during those times, or all I would be able to do is pace the floor until the bad weather passes.

I don't have any pictures of crochet, so I'll show you some farm shots instead.

This is some of the cows coming to see if they can talk me out of any food.

This is the wheat field that we baled for hay.

One, Two, THREE

2007-04-21T08:31:00.000-06:00

I had to rip out the back of the vest because it seems I can't count to three. I was suppose to skip three chain spaces for the underarm, but I left four spaces instead. I had the entire back done and had started on the left front before I even noticed there was a problem. I tried the back again last night, but couldn't keep up with what row I was on and had to frog again. (This is not mindless crochet, and I was trying to watch 24, Season 3, Disc 2. Not a good idea to try to do both at the same time.) I'm going to have to write down the row numbers and cross them off as I complete each row.

Demon Kitty all grown up. Sorry about the sleep in his eye. He hadn't had his morning wash yet.

Placemats and Tablerunners

2007-04-18T12:47:00.000-06:00

Bron's been working on things for her new home, and it made me remember that I have some patterns from Annie's Attic for tablerunners, placemats, and things like that. Of course, I had to go through my pattern collection and look for those patterns and booklets.

This one I thought was done in separate leaflets, but all of the patterns are combined into a little booklet. It's title is simply Dining Decor and was published in 1983.

Then I found one called A Dozen Mile-A-Minute Placemats and Matching Tablerunners. I was surprised to see that most of these are done in acrylic yarn like Red Heart. There are only three out of the twelve that I would actually like to make.

The last one that turned up was purchased on sale from Annie's last year. It's called How to Crochet the Celtic Way. I've actually made one of the trivets using this method, so I can say it's much easier than it looks. The trivet was pretty flimsy, though and wouldn't do much to protect your table.

I've wasted all of the time I can, so I guess I'd better get back to work. I've got towels to fold, and sheets to put into the dryer. I need to mow grass, but everything is still fairly wet today after the rain yesterday. Besides, my nephew has had my lawn mower for a couple of weeks now and hasn't returned it. I've left him a message telling him that I really need it back. I love the boy dearly, but he's just like the rest of the Neys (except me). He borrows things and doesn't return them. Then you have to nag and nag until it's returned. or in some cases, just go steal it back.

Work in Progress

2007-04-17T07:41:00.000-06:00

I'm still trying to reduce some of my yarn stash before buying too much new yarn. Last year I purchased some Paton's Grace from ebay at a great price, but there were only six skeins. I found this vest pattern in the book pictured below that used Luster Sheen, so I decided to give it a try with the Grace. Amazingly, I was able to get gauge with an F hook.
This is the book that has the pattern I'm using. I purchased it here. It's organized into four sections based on the seasons and gives a variety of patterns.
It's worked up quickly once I was able to establish the pattern. It was pretty rough going at first because the youngest cat is pretty needy and wants to sit in my lap whenever she's awake. Everytime she jumped in my lap I lost my place in the pattern and messed up the count.
This is an attempt to show you a closeup of the stitch pattern.

I'm on the back now, and then I have the left front to do. The only seams will be the shoulder seams. There's a bottom edging added last to give the vest more length.

Kitchen Stuff

2007-04-15T12:35:00.000-06:00

Little Kitchen Helpers by Leisure Arts is what I call a "pity purchase". It's one of those purchases I make when I'm trying to be frugal, but I'm feeling very sorry for myself about the whole experience. It's that feeling I get when I look down see only food and cleaning supplies in my cart. (Surely I'm not the only person who finds cleaning supplies depressing.) If I can pick up something like this, I can feel so much better about the whole shopping trip. These little books are cheap, and they aren't fattening. That's a win-win situation as far as I'm concerned.
I used this little book to make the pot holders shown below.

The pattern for these three dishcloths was found on the ball band of the Bernat Handicrafter's Cotton I used.
The knitted cloth was made from a pattern found in the latest issue of Creative Knitting.
These two pot holders were made using two strands of cotton held together and crocheted with a K hook. These are very quick to make.
This pattern also came from the book shown above. It was actually suppose to be made using two colors, but I didn't have a solid color that matched. I'll probably use it as a hot pad because it's too big and floppy for my taste. I won't put the hanging loop on the next time I use this pattern. I decided to leave it on this one because the loop is made at the beginning of the round rather than at the end. I was too lazy to frog it and redo the edge without the loop.

All of the above took about ten skeins of the Handicrafter Cotton. You get fewer yards with the Handicrafter, so another brand would probably make more than seven items.

Deneen's Cap

2007-04-13T17:24:00.000-06:00

This is my version of Deneen's cap published in the spring issue of Crochet Me! She asked me to test the pattern for her, and I agreed. This is a great pattern with some interesting details. The fbsc she used on the edge adds interesting detail and texture, and she used method of making color changes that I had never thought of before. Everyone should give it a try. You can see it at http://www.crochetme.com/ and read about it on her blog at http://deneens.blogspot.com/.

Here's a closeup of the stitch detail. You can see the fbsc along the edges.

She also has a great dishcloth pattern she developed using the fbsc to give it a good texture for scrubbing those dishes. I like this pattern not only for the texture, but also because the cloth isn't huge and doesn't stretch out so much when it's wet.

A Work in Progress

2007-03-19T14:53:00.000-06:00

My blog here does show up as a feed to my Yahoo 360 place. Yay me!

Setting this blog up is slow going for me because I can't seem to find the time to work on it. It's definitely more difficult to use than Yahoo 360, but I think it will be worth the effort in the long run.