Yarn Along for May 29th...

" ~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs.  I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~  Ginny at Small Things "  
This is where I'm at:

 I finished Dear Mr. Henshaw.  Now I'm onto Miracles on Maple Hill.  I really think that I read this Newbery book before, but can't remember, so I'm redoing the read.  Some are more recent reads and I'm counting those in my reading tally.  The other book here is Split Second by David Sears.  It is our book for Table of 8 this month.  We've had a LOT of trouble finding a time to get together.  We are making it happen this Saturday night.  But we just got the books on Sunday and didn't know that we were going to get it together on Saturday, so I guess this might have to move to the top of the pile!  It's a short book and it looks good.  4 people get the chance to think through their actions quick before they act.  It's a God book, so it's got that going for it!!

 

 And this is where my knitting is this week.  Found one hand warmer that needs a mate.  The yarn is Red Heart and its not soft, so I'm not really loving working it with it, but it's camo and it's what one kid will love, so pulling it out of the pile and working on it. Making it up as I go.  And then I saw a dishcloth pattern someone was working with and it looked pretty cool, so I printed off the pattern for Alaina's Simple Seed Stitch Dishcloth and started one with some of the big pile of cotton yarn I have all over the place. This is some sunny Lily Sugar & Cream.  I like yellow...it is a happy color. 

 And when I went quilt fabric shopping, I happened upon this happy sheep fabric and I had to have a bit of it, so I picked up a quarter yard and something to go with and made a couple of cuts and found some zippers and whipped up some little zipper pouches for a knitting project.  I made 2 of these one scrap & sew weekend and its a great way to keep your smaller knitting projects from getting tangled up in your bag with your other stuff....and I always have other stuff.  I'm the queen on stuff.  Remember, I have the spiritual gift of clutter.  It's OK.  I'm good at it. :o)
So what are you reading and knitting this week?? stop and check with some other Yarn Along friends...

Yarn Along May 22nd

" ~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs.  I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~  Ginny at Small Things "
 

I finally finished The Graveyard Book.  It was a slow read for me. It was not my normal area of interest.  I've avoided the vampire/dragon/ghost style of book. I'm really not that into it.  But it was a good enough book.  I'm not sure I'm sold on it for kids to read.  My 6th grade buddy - not at all.  Parts of it have good lessons - the beginning and end - not so much.   I think I need to back up 20 years or more to find some clean, calm quiet book.  So back to the Library I went.  Picked up 3 more Newbery books and the newest Debbie Macomber.

I think I'm starting with Dear Mr Henshaw by Beverly Cleary.  I'm pretty sure that I read this once upon a time, but can't remember it, so I'm going to re-read.  And I'll probably be reading Starting Now at the same time.  One thousand gifts is one I'm trying to fit in, but haven't gotten far enough to be really into it.  I have one on my Kindle, Once Upon A Time, There Was You, by Elizabeth Berg...reading in the between.  I'm not so good at this multiple book reading thing.  I drop one and read fully another.  I can't be 'into' 2 books at once...well, maybe a fiction and non-fiction, but not two good fictions.  Gotta quit trying to upset my good reading habits by confusion!!  Are you reading anything good these day??
I've been feeling a bit of the pressure of the upcoming graduation.  I need to complete 3 quilts, 2 pillows, and an awesome scrapbook.  I have one quilt completed and ready to mail, the second top pieced and ready to layer and need to pick up a backing, measure the batting and stick it all together.  I've been machine quilting them on the Juki I bought last year. I'm learning as I go and enjoying the extra quality and durability of being quilted instead of tied.  Next up are the projects for my own senior.  They are very personal and special...and harder to do.  Everything will change for us with highschool graduation.  I have experience with this.
So, there is no post of the knitting that is not really happening.  I took it to one ballgame last week, and it was raining so I left it right in the car.  The next game was nice, but I forgot it at home.  I can knit for an hour or so and not see the results because the yarn is so fine.  I took the vest along camping, but it wasn't calling as loudly as the quilt and it needs a bit of good concentration to get me going on it again.  Maybe next week.  But in the meantime, I've got a zipper pouch with the shawl, a zipper pouch with a Christmas stocking, a plastic bag with one and a start for a pair of fingerless mitts.  Grab and go and never lacking for projects.  Are you that way?  Always wondering which thing to work on?  Or do you just start one and go along with only that until you are done, then find a new project??
Have a great day Yarning Along....

My picture sure looks squatty.  I'll post it anyway.  I know you'll understand.  This weekend we made our maiden voyage with our camper.  I know, you still can't believe we are camper people.  Well, we are working on it.  This was one of my projects that was toted along to Meadville KOA.  It was not crowded at all.  Well, it's not summer yet.  I have many projects that need to get done before graduation is a month.  WOW!  I shouldn't have said that. Now I'm going to start to panic.  But no.  I'm all over it and it's all good.  I don't have time to escape for a weekend.  But I did anyway.  And I took my first grad quilt.  It was done except for hand sewing the binding on.  It was a good project to take.  I can talk and stitch.  Harder to read and talk, but I did a bit of that, too.  I finished my Newbery book, so I need to stop in and get another tomorrow.  I have another adult book on my kindle that I'm working on, so I didn't go without! 
This is the back of the quilt.  I had a strip of those pieces left over, so I pieced it through the middle of the back to give me just a little more extra to work with.  I'm really liking this quilt.  I did from the beginning, but the blocks were kind of wild...so I used the sashing to calm it down a bit.  I have those strips around the edges of the quilt front too.  I hope she likes it.  If not, she can send it back.  I'd be happy to spend hours under this quilt!!
So, if you are reading this, and it's not too difficult for you to post, please let me know all kinds of good places to camp.  I don't have tons of empty days this summer and I knew that in February...that's why we booked summer vacation in January...otherwise it doesn't happen.  But I'm making a list...and I'm taking notes and I'm hoping to get lots of places eventually.  Do you like campgrounds, state and national parks, or do you do some of that 'boon docking'?  I think that's what it's called...

Is your life crazy busy right now??

How does that happen?  You think you have things a bit under control and you wake up one day and ....NOT!  You are spinning so many plates, you KNOW there is no way they will all stay up.  But, you have no idea which plates to let go, so you keep spinning and hope for the best.  And even when you are done with one plate, there seem to be one or two plates spinning in that same spot.  That is why vacation is so important to me.  I'm going to Michigan this year. For a week.  With the family.  With some books.  With some knitting.  WOW!  Sounds like I spinning again on vacation, right?  Well, the difference is, my family is old enough to take care of themselves for the most part.  We cook together.  I throw in a load of laundry at night if I want to.  I read a book or magazine if I want to.  I might knit one or three things if I want to.  No pressure, no guilt, and if I don't touch any of it, so be it.  But I give myself permission all week to do what I want all day long.  It is a luxury I don't get at home.  For some, vacation is a whirl of activity and sitting still is wasting vacation time.  Not me.  At this time of my life, we all need a bit of slow down time.  So, that week of vegging out in July, of no worries... it's what gets me through time like now...where the TO DO list looks more like a TO MUCH TO DO list... where you look at where you need to get, and think it just might not happen.  The sad part is with so much going on, it's hard to enjoy what you are doing NOW. 

 So part of vacation week, is remembering what we have done and where we have been and getting ready for where we will go.  I am reminded every day of just how lucky and blessed I am.  I have a wonderful family, a great group of friends, a good home church and God to keep us all going.

So this week, as I work on graduation party stuff, attend some baseball games, a scholarship luncheon, a camping weekend, finishing a quilt, starting 2 more, some special pillows, sorting and printing some pictures for the scrapbook which must move higher up the TO DO list...this week, I will be thankful for all that I have, and all that I am.  A reminder to bloom where you are planted...and keep spinning those plates!!
Have a wonderful Tuesday...and keep smiling!!

Happy Mothers' Day

From my family to yours....breakfast in bed, lunch at Meeder's and a little driving around enjoying the scenery.  Some time to chat and some time to sew and graduation invitations starting to come together.  Celebrating with my church family and my own family.  A good time was had by all...

Newbery Update...

This is my current Newbery challenge read.  It started out a little creepy for a young adult, sort of scary, but I think it's going to shape up as we go.  I was having a bit of trouble getting going on these last 3 books.  I've decided that checking 3 out at the same time is not so smart.  And I like to mix grownup books in with this reading, so I'm going to try every other or so...
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This  was the book that I finished. right before The Graveyard book..  I liked it.  Encouraging and a great book for those people like me who like to cheer for the underdogs of life.  I would probably recommend this one to my little reading buddy before the Graveyard book.  You know, when you're in 6th grade, you're not always kind to each other and this is a reminder that there is more...

 

Andy had one this week.

Andy Sue had a birthday last week.  She is working so hard studying....anyway, her birthday was Wednesday, but she wasn't free for a dinner date until Thursday night.  We picked her up at her place, found a little Italian place, had a great meal and then left her back at her place so she could pick up her books and meet her friends at the Library.

Counting the days until the last test this year.  Sensing that need for a vaca for everyone in my house.  It's run, run, run...Time for sleeping in...resting up....relaxing...

Happy Birthday to Alex...

Today is the date that I first got the name "Mom".  He gets older, but I never do.  It's like Magic!!

Happy Birthday, James Alexander... Hope your day is SUPER!!

Mouse Problems...

What does it say about the state of my life, when, after moving my desktop computer around a few times in the past month, today, the mouse will only move when I slide it across the box of Girl Scout cookies on my desk... the desk surface?? Nope!  The mouse pad??  nope!  The cookie box? YEP!!  new batteries and try again...the mouse pad?? Nope, the desk?? NOPE!!  You guessed it-- The box of Trefoils.. Don't tell the mouse, but those aren't even my favorites... Do you think it will still work after the cookies are gone?? 
Things that make you go hmmmmm...

Yarn Along...April 17th

Here it is....I have my life back for the rest of the year...well, sort of...back to as normal as possible...lots of taxes are filed ....hurray!!

So...It's probably a good thing I LOVE Yarn Along, or the posting on here would be next to none, lately...

" ~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs.  I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~  Ginny at Small Things "

So for reading, I've finished Just Breathe by Susan Wiggs and I really liked it.  As a divorced woman, perhaps I can relate to parts of it more closely than some.  Whatever, I'd recommend it to you. Got this one on my Kindle from the Library.  I'm sort of getting into that service.  And then I manage my Kindle and return it from my chair.

And while I am finishing this book, I'm also trying to read my next Newbery Book, which is Thimble Summer.  Just getting into it.  Hoping to gobble up the 3 I have here from the Library before I need to renew them...a second time. I have a couple of others on my nightstand, threatening to topple over on me. I'll have to see what else calls my name tonight.
The Yarn...well, that's a slow one right now.  I'm needing to finish up a quilt for a gift before Sunday, so I'm thinking the knitting might not happen.  I've barely gotten anywhere on the Terribly Simple, and now that I've got some thinking time, I need to get the Juliette vest out and try again.  The joy of knitting...you can always try again.
So...tell me what YOU are reading and knitting and check out my Yarn Along friends here.

Yarn Along for April 10, 2013

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs.  I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

Ginny at Small Things

This past week I finished Julie of the Wolves.  I really liked this one, too.  When I started it, I wasn't sure, but I've read so many of her books and liked them, and it must be good to get the award...so on I read and then I couldn't stop.  Usually a happliy-ever-after person, I'm not sure about the ending...but then...who is ever sure???  I found a few other good-looking books by this author on her website.  If you've got kids to read to, or who like to read, stock up on some Jean Craighead George books.  Haven't had a bad one yet!!

When I returned the last book to my Library, I took my list and this was one of the three I brought home.  Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright - winner in 1939.  Just starting it the past day or two and too busy to make a good effort yet.  I need a half hour or so of quiet time to get going.  When I pulled up a picture of this on the internet, I also got a picture of one of her other books, Gone Away Lake, that I read to a couple of my kids and reallly liked!  I'm good with this one.  :o)

I got a new Mother Earth News, which reminded me that I never finished the last one.  Sometimes I throw them in my many bags and drag them around, with the rest of my nest stuff to work and games and in the car and then I don't ever finish the whole thing.  So I'm finishing the last one first...at least that is the plan.  I also read a short book on my Kindle - Winter Chill by Susette Williams.  And I have The Get Yourself Organized Project by Kathi Lipp on there now from the Library.  Don't tell anyone about this, ok??  I've been part of The Fly Lady for a while....read the website...followed the rules...read the book...lent the book to someone I can't remember who that still has it and probably will forever...gotten on several other cleaning/sorting/pitching kicks, but run out of steam.  It's never too late to learn, right??   I am really enjoying this so far and I think I can have a better spring by following some of it...even for a little while... I have a couple of other books on my nightstand, but I'm not so good at multi-tasking my reading, so I'm not really into another grown-up book yet.
On the knitting front, I've been carying the Terribly Simple around with me and had a chance to work quite a few rows last night at the baseball game.  Snuggled down in the bag chair, watching and knitting...it is such fine yarn, it doesn't grow very fast, but the knitting is good for the soul.  Might have to knit some chunky next week, just for the reward of big yarn knitting... do you like to knit fast and chunky sometimes???  Maybe I'll pull out the Christmas Stocking project...or the green Juliette Vest ....
Guess I better link on over to Ginny and the other Yarn Alongers before I'm the last one!!

yarn along - april something 2013

"~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~"
                                                                      Ginny at Small Things


This week I am continuing with my Newbery challenge and reading Julie of the Wolves.  I finished The Witch of Blackbird Pond and returned it to the library.  I LOVED that book.  I was sure I read it in school and liked it then, but don't really remember it, so maybe I always just thought I read it.  I recommend it to anyone looking for some interesting history.  It's from the past, but it could be today.  How often do we pass judgement based on not enough info...or gossip.. or here-say...hmm....
Julie of the Wolves is by one of my favorite young adult fiction authors, Jean Craighead George.  Before I had kids, I had a job helping the reading teacher at school.  I loved that.  This is the age of books we read aloud, so I got a taste of many authors.  I enjoyed reading My Side of the Mountain, and The Other Side of the Mountain....and others by Jean.  I even convinced my mom, a bird lover, to read them.  She enjoyed them.  So Julie is living alone, trying to get into a wolf family in order to survive.  She has escaped something, or someone and is lost.  Not into it too far, but it's not a long book.  I told the Librarian I needed to renew it, but she said that's ok...just bring it back when you're done.  She's good to me that way!  I did find 3 more Newberry books to bring home while I was returning the witch and attempting my renew.  I think this is a good challenge.  Perhaps I should suggest it for a summer reading with this Librarian, and we'll see who can read more than I can!!  I have a head start, but I'm gonna need it!!  Might I challenge you all, in the near future, to pull out a young adult fiction book, and read it for YOU.  Not for a kid, just for your own enjoyment.  You might be surprised.  Julie of the Wolves won the award in 1973.  I had not read this before, although I had many of her other books.  The author was alive until last year and I think lived in my area of the world.  And if I remember correctly, my cousin and his wife met a family member of hers in Alaska.  It's a small world sometimes....
I returned the WILD book from my kindle, back to the Library.  I was looking for something else in my reading.  Maybe it's the simplicity of the YA fiction, that made reading it not enough fun right now.  There are too many books out there to read something that doesn't trip my trigger.  That's what Cheryl Dingle from my book club told me a loooong time ago.  Not in the book club anymore, but I still hear that whenever I'm struggling with a book that is supposed to be so good.  If it's not good for me, right now or ever, move on.  It's OK.  There is no test on pleasure reading, after all.  NEXT!!
Can't remember the books I picked up yesterday...Thimble Summer,.. The View from Saturday...Graveyard something.... We'l see...

And then there is the knitting...well, the shawl is at a crawl and it is so small, that you hardly notice the difference from last week to this, so I'll wait to put it in next week.  I've spent quite a bit of time since last week's Yarn Along reading other people posts and checking out their yarn projects and making notes..
Thanks for continuing to inspire me, oh Yarn Along buddies!!

Yarn Along March 27 2013....

Yarn Along with Ginny... at Small Things
"~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~"




I've been trying to keep with my reading challenge.  I haven't checked in with my partner in crime lately, but this is my current Newbery read.  It is the 1959 award winner and I know I've read it before, but not for a long, long, time, so I'm going for it.  Not into this one too deep, but liking it so far.  Historical, orphan girl goes to live with relatives - HUGE culture shock.  Anyone else read this one?


This is the one that I just finished.  It was the 1964 award winner.  It was a cute read.  Written in the lingo of a teenager in the 60s in the city.  I'm thinking my friend will get a kick out of reading this, too. Good, wholesome kid book.


This is what is loaded onto my birthday gift.  Did I mention that I got a kindle for my birthday??  Well, I decided if I was going to spend a lot of time traveling to and from college football games this year, I'd better have something to keep me occupied when it's too dark to read.  I've borrowed this from the library system onto my kindle.  Part of my hesitation of e-reader was that I borrow from the library a lot.  I've found that it is really easy, and although the selection is small but growing, I've got a whole list on the wish list that I can load on.  I read two of my Newbery books on my kindle, but not many remain, so I'm on the system website, seeing where I can borrow them from to pick up at my local library.  This is handy for me.  In my school years, our system did a program called Books By Mail where you ordered books and they sent them to you along with the return sticker and postage.  It may have been geared to older folks, but for country girls on limited funds and limited trips to the town library, this was a great way to keep us in books.
ANYWHO...this is a book that I've been seeing several people posting they are reading, so I thought I'd give it a shot.  Not too far into this one either.  I have a confession.  I have never been a multiple book reader.  I read one, then another, rarely ever do I have more going at the same time.  So, if it's darker I'll grab this on my kindle.  If it's bright, I have been picking up The Witch book.  As I get into them, I'm sure one will pull me stronger than the other for those toss up times.  Maybe it's just a weird hang up I have.  Used to know someone who would stop reading a book she liked just so it wouldn't end.  Not a problem with me.  I'll stay up into the wee hours to finish...

Now for the knitting.

alright. so it was a little upside down... maybe you don't notice.  all better now.. But this is Twist and Twine yarn that I have used in a different color before, and now this will become a Terribly Simple shawl... I'm all for it...might throw around the knits and purls a bit, but for now, simple is good. This is supposed to be a mocha or latte or something brownish color...the other had red/orange and it's really a great look all knitted up.  I ordered these last year as winter seemed to drag on forever...  Sometimes I just need to feel the yarn running through the fingers and not think about a pattern or instructions... how about you?  Are there times when mindless knitting calms you down and mellows you out???

Now you've read mine, hop on over to Ginny's Yarn Along this week and see what anyone else is reading and yarning ...

BIG DAN >>> 1004 points !!

 This morning after getting to work, I got a phone call from Dan's basketball coach.  He was reviewing the stats for the awards assembly this morning and realized that he was missing the stats from 3 playoff games.  When he added them in, Dan had a total of 1004 points.  This was AWESOME news.  In the history of stats in our school, there has only been one boys basketball player who has gotten to 1000 points.  It was Dan White, who played when I was in school and he did this in 1981.  Today we got to stand beside the next 1000 point Dan.  He told me what time the presentation would be and invited me there for pictures. 

OK...So there's a little mom pride going on here.  But is was a great place to be.  Part of the way through the season, we checked with the coach and we had an idea how close he was.  And we added on points every game...and we knew when we were within 50 points... We didn't really want him to know and dwell on it.  I'm doing some mom bragging here, but he's always been a kid who looks to see who's open.  He passes to his team mates a ton and is happy when someone else has a good game.  He is a leader and an encourager.  I didn't want that to change by him being desperate to get those last 100 points.

Next year he will be headed to SUNY Cortland to play football.  He is the boy who still kisses his mom every night before bed and after his games.  There will be some adjustments for our house.

Proud of you Dan.  For ALL of your talents.... Love, Mom

Yarn Along March 6th 2013

" ~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs.  I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~  Ginny " at Yarn Along

This is my first completed knit project in a while.  It is the One Skein, One Night cowl...gotta be a different night than what I've had lately!!  But hey, it's FINISHED!!  Looks like a little green in there, but not really...it's called almond and it's just some Debra Norville, but I like it. Might have not bound it off as loosely as I had planned, but it's all a learning curve in life...

 

  So I've dragged out some left over projects just to tide me over...the orange is someone's new Christmas stocking.  I got going on them 2 summers/falls ago after seeing some great looking felted stockings at a LYS.  Figured the kids were getting older, going off to college and life, I'd make them stockings to take and keep theirs from their childhood to use here.  And 'cuz I'm sentimental that way and can't part with the matching ones. Made one for kid #1 and another for his girlfriend... started this one for kid #3, the Texas Longhorns fan and because I was finding so much awesome oranges at my fiber fest trip and yarn store travels...and I really like it...don't know if he does or not!!  But then kid #2 says - "I have a stocking.  Don't need another one."  Ok then!  I was asking for her color preference and that's what I got.  Then I got going on some other stuff and this is good mindless knitting, because , although they are not as big as Cheryl's (which could hold 2 elves and a small dog), they are pretty long going... just knit and watch movies and talk and whatever...no checking the count and checking the instructions...just therapy knitting... I'm wanting to get back to my Juliette vest, but after you've frogged it out 2 or 3 or 4 times, you just need a break and then a stretch of quiet knitting time to get it off on the right foot...hand....needle...so, it sits in the bag, waiting for its release from time out.  But that's OK...
And I also unzipped one of those great little bags I made a few S&S weekends ago and found a few rows of another Sunlight Shawl for Sad people, so I got that out.  I wore my other one on Sunday to church and was kind of expressing how I wished I hadn't hit the panic button about how much yarn I needed to finish with a picot edge, which looks great, I might add and not nearly as hard as I feared!  Although I really like this shawl/scarf, thinking I might hop around on Ravelry a bit and see if I find one that grows wider more than longer...does that make sense??  If I could draw it here, you might get what I'm saying...so instead of the point being a right angle of 90 degrees, having it be wider, so I would get more width then length. I'm not so far to avoid starting this over.  I'm a big girl now and realize that there is too much time in knitting to continue, especially if you love the yarn for you, on a project that just won't work for you.  Start over and give it another chance.  Life's all about second chances, after all... ;o)
 



 This is the book I finished last night.  It is my second read in my Newbery challenge with Kate. 2011- Moon over Manifest was a good read. Here's a bit of a review.   I really enjoyed this book.  I've loaded the next one, 2010 - When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead into my kindle, but I'm trying to finish this other book that I renewed at the library last night-City Girl, Country Vet.  Since I work part time at a vet clinic, I figured I'd be able to relate to it.  So far, so good.  It was just that in trying out my new Kindle with Library books, I checked out my Newbery book with only a 7 day limit and then tried to hurry to get it read.  Now I'm ready for this, and my next NB I figured out how to check it for 21 days.  Hoping I won't need it that long, but I had to recheck M over M for another day or 2 to get it done.  Maybe next year I'll take a Caldecott challenge.  I do LOVE picture books!!

Also on the reading pile for this week's Yarn Along is the continuing saga of The Happiness Project.  The first project on the list in the book was to launch a blog and HEY!  I've already got on!  I'm ahead on one thing!!
Hating to admit that I fell waaaay behind the Bible reading already for this year, so I'm just puttering with the Journey devotional from Lifeway.  I got a year of this a while back and really liked it, so it's a good fit.  Hope you are readin' and knittin' and having a good end of the winter!! 
Check out the others on Ginny's Yarn Along List and see what they are up to...

Yarn Along for the End of February 2013

"~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs.  I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~"  Ginny at Small Things....

So, since this seems to be what drives my blog posts lately, I'm here for another Yarn Along...
Starting with the Knitting...I'm still working on that one night, one skein thing!  I know, pretty silly, but I don't have a chunk of time right now that I work on it for a longer stretch.  I've dragged it to basketball games, but those are now over.  It's been on more car rides than my mom in the past month or two, but just short ones!  I told my mom the color reminds be of buttered popcorn, but maybe a little well-done, because there are brown spots on it!  Just the way Uncle Russ used to like it!  I do like it and think it will go with a lot of things...kind of a blended snuggle piece, not so much a POP!  I'll do one of those soon. I started knitting this with a skein of Debra Norville, but got all snarled last night, so I took the time and patience to wind it up to a ball.  Ready to go for the next session.. I used to watch my friend knit with a skein all the way to the end, but I guess I don't have the gift and end up tangled and have to stop to ball-wind in order to go one.  How about you?  Of course, with a hank, you always need to wind....it's kind of therapeutic, right?  ..the winding....

 Still working on the Happiness Project.  I read further into it before the year started and now I'm kind of reviewing the monthly things, along with not stopping where I am.  A little AADD?!?!? Hopping around and around.  I have decided to follow the idea of someone and read through as many of the Newbery Award books as I can this year.  This is YA fiction and started in 1922.  The first one went pretty quick.  I checked my bookshelf and pulled out one we own.  Number The Stars by Lois Lowry from 1990 is my first finished book.  Also, I've challenged a 6th grader to do the same thing and she's done - maybe 1979? We are open to counting the ones we've read already in the past few years.  I have also loaded  2011- Moon Over Manifest into my early Birthday present and am slowly working on it.  I don't have a cover for it yet, so I'm a little scared of toting it around.  I said if Dan ended up going to SUNY Cortland, I'd have to have one of these to read on the dark trips back and forth.  Made a couple already when it was dark at least one way and just too sleepy.  Hey, if the light is bright enough, I might be able to knit by the light of my Kindle!!  What a thought.  Also discovered when you plug it into the USB of a laptop that goes to sleep on you, the charging  goes to sleep as well... Live and Learn ..OLD DOG - NEW TRICKS!!
Hop on over to Ginny's Yarn Along and see what others are reading and yarning about .

Yarn Along for February 20

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs.  I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

So , my report this week is not so much progress!  It is tax season and I know that gets old, but that's life here.  Reading is more like Good Housekeeping on the fly.  I did load an ebook on my iphone and read it this week.  A freebie called Catch A Falling Star.  Pretty good, and I'm trying out the whole ebook experience.  I still like the book smell and watching the bookmark progress it's way toward the end.
  I did stop into the Library yesterday and return a few Mary Jane's Farm magazines that I had read through and a knitting book and picked up a few things to bring home with me.  I was reading someone's goal  of reading all the  Newbery award books and remembered starting something like that once before, so I found a list and don't remember reading Number The Stars, so I checked that out for this week and then I saw a Gail Levine book and thought I'd try one of those so I grabbed Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg.  I always liked reading that age of fiction and it should go quick, which is a huge bonus. Sorry Elaine, it should go quickly.   Also grabbed City Girl, Country Vet by Cathy Woodman.  I work part time in a vet office, so thought this might be entertaining.  I might even understand some of the vet lingo!
Knitting- that whole one skein, one night project??  I haven't had the night yet, so I just carry it around with me and pet it every once in a while and someday, I'll sit down with it for a night and make a difference and you will want to knit one then, too!
But until then, you might just want to hop over to Ginny's blog and check out today's Yarn Along...you know...people who are really getting their knitting projects moving along!!

Yarn Along Feb 6 2013

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~ Ginny at small things


sorry - pretty blurry photo with the phone...working lunch today- I'll try again...
leftover over homemade rolls and chicken wing soup...

Started a new cowl...I think cowls are my new go-to portable project.  Lots of patterns to be had on Ravelry.  This is one skein, one night...just my kind of project.  I might be more of a one skein>one month knitter right now!! I inter-loaned 3 knit fiction books
- I finished  How to Knit a Heart Back Home by Rachael Herron, and I'm slowly going through Knit in Comfort by Mary Krugger.  I've already renewed them, so I'm thinking I'm due again this Friday and one of my Rachael Herrons  will go back unread and maybe KinC will be left hanging for now.  Some seasons of the year and of life just don't work well with getting books read.  I've found that sometimes magazines bridge that reading gap.  Still working on the happiness project, but February is a tricky month.  At least the sun is shining.  Hop on over to Ginny's Yarn Along and see what everyone else is doing.

For Friend Elaine - who's saving us a BIG table....

 OK,...confession time.  I don't know how to do one of those snazzzzzy collage-y things with music...so if you'll just go along with me and click the play button, then scroll down through here, it will be sort of like reading a book along with your cassette player when you were a kid... :o)

 Elaine
August 26, 1960--January 29, 2013
She lived a wonderful dash

  

My feet are deep down in the sand
The waves are pouring life into my soul

It's clear to me from where I stand
There's nothing else I want in this old world

I'm not afraid of letting go
If today's my last day, you should know

That I've loved so many people
I've traveled this great world

I've spent time with Jesus
and I've held my little girl

I'm not holding back for next year
I'm living for today

When I take my final breath
I know I'm ready
 

Heaven waits for me

My husband is the strongest man
All our family and our friends make me smile

Yeah I've had my share of broken dreams
Sleepless nights and suffering
But all the while

That don't matter in the end

Cause I've loved so many people
And I've traveled this great world

 I've spent time with Jesus

And I've held my little girl
I'm not holding back for next year

I'm living for today
So when I take my final breath 

I know I'm ready

Heaven waits for me

Maybe I'll go quietly
in my sleep with you next to me

Maybe it's a slow good-bye
or I'm out of here in the blink of an eye

No matter how I leave this place
I know I'll see my Savior's face

With the ones I love right next to me
It's a beautiful thing, life's a beautiful thing

I've loved so many people
And I've traveled this great world

Yeah, I've spent time with Jesus
And I've held my little girl

 

I'm not holding back for next year
I'm living for today

So when I take my final breath
I'm not leaving with regrets

I know I'm ready
Heaven Waits for Me