Yarnjeannie's Crochet Cache

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year! Just attaching a photo of my nativity set - I did put it up this year - not on the window sill as planned, but inside the stable which was at my Dad's house. It's really not big enough for the figures I have. At least, the spot I have it sitting in is not big enough. I'm about to head out to the store for some last minute munchies for this evening. My DH is not home - he has gone hunting this weekend, and so will be spending New Year's Eve with his sister. He's not the party type and is usually asleep by 10PM. I have to give the kids a call to see how little Justin is. He's been under the weather since Christmas with an ear infection. Have you all made your resolutions yet? I have - to be stronger and to try not to let others make me feel inferior. To take off some excess weight. To be healthier overall, including swimming at the YMCA. By the way - "Santa" brought me a gift certificate for an i...

Good morning, everyone. A happy and blessed Christmas to you all. Be sure to take the time to relax, enjoy time with your loved ones, and remember the reason for the season! We are spending time with my brother, who lives alone, and I'm so happy that he was able to come to see us. We are also awaiting the arrival of my son and daughter-in-law and baby Justin. I'm afraid we spoiled him terribly. I know that his mother's family also did the same. He received a lot of toys, from what I understand. We purchased a few for him, but I did buy him some footed pjs and overall sets. And lots of books for his mom and dad to read to him. Can't wait to see him! I'll update later with some photos or videos. I just realized what a strange looking Santa this is on my background. He's not staying long! I'll be updating that again for the New Year - soon! LOL!

Well, Philadelphia took the brunt of the storm. We had about a foot of snow fall here in our neighborhood. I have to say it was pretty. Driving wasn't too bad either. At the start of the snow season, the road crews pretty much stay on top of everything. It's when the snowstorms keep coming and the winter drags out that they soon start rationing their salt and counting their overtime, and some roads are left undone. This photo is from our neighborhood:

We are waiting to see what we actually end up with, but I've heard snowfall forecasts ranging from 6 inches plus, to 10-20 inches of snow. The more, the merrier I say. At least for this snowfall. After a while, snow gets wearisome. The only thing that would have made this better is if it had fallen on a Sunday night into Monday. Hoping for a white Christmas too - I hear there is another storm coming later this week. They've just updated the snowfall totals on the news. We are in a band forecast to get 12-18 inches of snow! Yippee! I'll give credit to our local meteorologist Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz - last night he jumped right in forecasting 10-20 inches of snow, whereas everyone else was hedging their bets with 6+ inches. Calling it as he sees it must have something to do with that bow tie he wears! I'm going to spend the day wrapping (always a last minute struggle before), making my list and checking it twice (to make sure I didn't miss anyone...

It's getting closer to Christmas - I am anticipating it for the first time in quite a while. I went shopping yesterday to purchase indoor decorations for my home and it's probably been more than 15 years since I did that. Wayne called from the Bahamas. He's been on his liveaboard scuba diving trip and loving every minute of it. During one call in the middle of the week, he sounded very very tired. He said he's dived with sharks, mantas and even saw an octopus. I'll be glad to see him when he arrives safe and sound this evening. It's early in the morning, the heater has been acting up, and I turned the oven on to add a bit of heat to the kitchen. I figured I might as well add a batch of cookies to it, and put it to good use. I'm also in the midst of two loads of laundry - one in the washer and one in the dryer. I'd like to duck out to Kohls sometime today and look for a couple of cute pillow to dress up the living room. Off to tackle a couple of ...

Well, my turkey defrosted. Dinner went very well. I cooked the turkey in an oven bag and it came out so moist that my DH raved about it. He's not a big fan of turkey due to the fact that it can be dry at times. This was perfect and fell apart when we opened the bag. DS and his family made it to NY to have Thanksgiving with Nicole's family. Little Justin tried out a swing for the first time. He loved it. He also tried a bit of turkey and loved that too. They had trouble taking it away from him. LOL!

Our invitation to my sister's house - I've declined it. Due to my son's illness (bad cold, maybe?) and my nephew's flu, I've decided to spend Thanksgiving at home. That means running out yesterday to buy a turkey and all the other fixings for dinner. The turkey hasn't thawed out at all, I've got to make the stuffing tonight before I go to bed, and my hands are shaking so bad I can't type very well. I'm not going all out - just some mashed potatoes, turkey and gravy, some veggies and salad. No rolls, no sweet potatoes or cranberry sauce. No homemade pumpkin pie - store-bought. Just thinking of those few items is wearing me out. I stopped at the Amish Market yesterday to pick up a few things there for dinner. Purchased a nice piece of fish for dinner tonight. Looked all over for it and couldn't find it. So we ordered pizza instead. My son found it in the car just a bit ago. So it ended up in the trash. Oh, well. At least we caught it b...

As in difficult! My GERD has been acting up and last night was unbearable. Won't gross you out with the details, but suffice it to say that I was awake from 3:00 on this morning, and each time I tried to drift off to sleep, poker-straight in the chair, I woke up choking. I hate nights like that. I think it's flaring up with the thoughts that I will be returning to work on December 1. The group sessions, as intensive as they were, were a safety net for me. I've not been as diligent with taking my medications on time, and I know how critical that is. My fear is that I'm not ready to return to a situation that caused me to plummet into a depression in the first place. I'm trying, on the doctor's advice, to get back to the things that used to make me happy. Glad to say that my fish I bought last week are still alive. Even been thinking about trying to get back to that sweetheart ripple afghan. As it is, my blogging has been limited at best. I spend most o...

I've decided to try to pick up yarn and hook today and work on something small. Why does something I love so much feel like such a chore? I've also given fishkeeping a try again. This weekend, my husband helped me clean out the old 5 gallon tank (the one replaced when the 20 gallon shattered last Christmas) and some balloon-belly mollies and some skirted tetras have moved in. The little balloon-belly mollies are my favorites. My sister has extended an invitation to her home for Thanksgiving. I think our family will be joining her. We'll cook a small turkey breast at home the day before so that we have some left-overs here at the house. We will get together with family for Christmas either the weekend before or the weekend after, leaving Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to celebrate with our own families. I can't think about Christmas yet. At this point, I want to ask my husband if we can forgo the tree and decorations this year. I don't want them - not yet....

I was watching a story on the news tonight about a little girl dropped off the bus and left alone on a corner because there was no one there to meet her. That happened to my son at the age of 6. I made arrangements for my son to get off the bus at the babysitter's house. One week into the school year, my babysitter went on a planned vacation. I made arrangements to start work a half-hour early and leave a half-hour early, so that I could be there at 3:30 to pick him up when the bus dropped him off. It worked fine for the first 3 days of the week. On Thursday, I got to the stop and waited. 3:30 - no bus. 3:45 - no bus. 4:00 - still no bus. At this point I was frantic. Do I leave and go to the school? Is the bus late? Was he dropped off and someone grabbed him? I'm freaking out at this point. A woman came up to my car, tapped on the window and asked if I was there to pick up a little boy. I said yes, and she told me he was in her living room, having milk and cookies....

Monday's session was hard to get through, as the group focused on me and my problems. It made me not want to return on Wednesday, but I find that my desire to get well outweighs the bad feelings dredged up during sessions. I went in and found that one of the topics was Mindfulness and how it can work for you. I've had a session on mindfulness already and I had some problems wrapping my mind around the idea. I was super-stressed out and kind of zoned-out during the session. Some of it must have sunk in however. Today, I walked out on my way to another appointment and was struck by the sense of the sun trying to break through the clouds - the warmth, the bright light. For a moment, I didn't notice my overwhelming feelings. A few minutes later, as I drove along seeing the trees mostly denuded of leaves, my attention was captured by 3 trees still wearing their autumn attire. One bright gold, one burgundy and one rust, all standing in a row. "Wow!" I though. ...

I have been taking my meds almost on schedule lately. Today wasn't too bad a day. Didn't cook dinner, but had plenty of leftover stuffed pepper soup in the fridge. I did remember to keep my appointment for a haircut. I usually make the appointment for a cut, color and highlights, but being out of work on disability, I'm watching the pennies from one check to the next. Thank God my husband is working. I like the haircut. What necessitated the cut was the fact that my sister offered to help me color my hair this weekend. I couldn't have her see me looking like a dust bunny with legs, so I made a date with the hairdresser. I am trying to save pennies, but honestly, my hairdresser is the only one I will allow to cut my hair. She's done it for years, since the days when highlights were done when the hair was pulled through thin caps with (sharp)crochet hooks. Remember that? I still remember my little one who accompanied me saying "Gee, Mommy - you look ju...

These group sessions I'm attending are difficult at times. It's comforting to know that others find themselves in a difficult situation, but once it's your turn to speak... The pain, the insecurities, the grief, the guilt...this is what we're dredging up, little by little. To parents out there who feel that their child is "just doing what kids do" when they tease or make fun of other children - shame on you! You have no clue what you are condoning! Have the guts to make your kid stop victimizing those who are different from them. If you were teased or, worse yet, if you were the bully - stop the cycle now. I went out the other day and bought some yarn, hoping to get a project started. Hasn't happened yet. This overwhelming lethargy and apathy is unbelievable. I did make an appointment to go get my hair cut. I haven't had it done for months. I usually wear it very short, and it's gotten to an annoying length. Yesterday I washed it and let i...

Creative title, huh? Yesterday I wrote that my brain is empty. I have been feeling for a long time that my heart is empty too. I don't want to go to therapy today, but I will. Monday was a very difficult session and I don't want to relive it again. But I must if I want to feel again. I can't tell you how much I love my husband, children, brothers and sisters for sticking by me and supporting me. I do love them but I have so much trouble expressing it. I'm already in tears and I still have 20 minutes before having to leave for therapy. I feel like I'm broken and impossible to fix. I hate this feeling. Thank you, cyberfriends, for checking in with me. To others in my situation - I may sound down right now - part of the bipolar disorder, I guess. Please follow through with treatment - I do intend to leave here on time and make my session, as difficult as it will be. Old wounds have been festering for a long long time and it's time to clean them up.

I've been wanting to post, but I haven't a clue what to post about. Since I can't make a decision, I even left dinner up to my son. He decided on cheesesteaks. Thank goodness for delivery... I've taken my new medication and I think I'll settle down for the evening. I so wish I could pick up my crochet hook to pass the time, but I haven't any interest in it lately. It's killing me. Another session tomorrow. Hope it goes better than Monday's session. This is so difficult... Thanks to all for your prayers. Please keep them coming.

I've been struggling again with depression. I've decided to try talk therapy in addition to medication. My days have been filled with tears and with an overwhelming sadness for many months now. I hope that the new medications and the therapy will make a big change in me. My singular joy in life has been visiting with my grandson. I haven't picked up a crochet hook in ages, with the exception of those chemo caps I promised to my sister in law. I finished them and sent them on their way. I will update this post with photos of the finished caps. Please forgive me for not posting on a regular basis. I do enjoy writing and miss blogging. Please keep me in your prayers, good friends.

I've been perturbed by things I've seen and heard lately. Children who use foul language, backtalking their parents. Worse yet, parents using foul language or saying mean, hurtful things when speaking to their children. Wonder where the child's reactions come from? Let me tell you that words are powerful things. They cut deeply, like a knife, when used the wrong way. Those cuts reach all the way to the soul, and are difficult to heal. Sometimes they never heal. If you know a parent who fits the description above, please advise them to stop. They are wreaking havoc with their child's psyche. Such simple words! But words are mighty things; They cast us down, or lift us up to rest; They charm and strengthen, till our angel sings The last of all the life-songs, and the best. SARAH DOUDNEY, Some Words Words once spoke can never be recall'd. WENTWORTH DILLON, Art of Poetry Use your words wisely - walk away before saying anything destructive. But blurt it out when...

Sorry - I've been absent lately. I haven't been feeling well and hope that I'll be back to blogging on a regular basis soon. I'm about to head out for an appointment this morning, and want to leave early enough to pick up a cup of coffee. I really miss blogging and hope to be back every day - very soon. I do still check in with my favorites whenever I stop by here. Hope my cyber friends are doing well. Take care, everyone.

I have this photo on my desktop at work. It’s my dear little grandson, Justin. I am holding him in the photo, and he is sound asleep in my arms. When things get bad, I minimize all my applications and just gaze at the photo. His little face has some strained carrots on it near the corner of his mouth, his little apple cheeks just begging to be squeezed. He looks like one of those Anne Geddes babies – an angel. That photo has helped me get through some rough days – days when I consider just dropping everything and fleeing for my sanity. I thank God every day for my beautiful little grandson.

I'm working on chemo caps for my dear SIL who was diagnosed with leukemia. She has had a transplant and is currently undergoing treatment in Hershey PA at the Hope Lodge. She said that her hair has been falling out from the treatments, so she allowed them to shave her head. She asked me for chemo caps, so I've pulled out hook and yarn. I've finished 3 hats to send to her, and hope to get a few more made. I would like to have at least a dozen, so that she can share them with others at the facility. With each one I complete, I say a prayer for my SIL's complete recovery. Hope you are all having a good night. Thanks for stopping by.

I pulled a name at random from the responses to my previous post. The winner of the book of crochet patterns for purses is Therese! The winner will have 5 days to contact me via my blog so that I can get your mailing address. In the event that I do not hear from the winner by midnight on 9/18/09, I will choose an alternate winner from the remaining 4 names. Waiting to hear from you. Today is a special anniversary. My DH and I have been married 29 years. I can't believe I was so lucky to find a great guy like he is!

The Poconos! The surprise was blown (at least to my thinking) when I turned on the GPS to start out our trip. Up pops the address! Of course, it didn't tell DH where we were staying but it did tell him we were headed for East Stroudsburg PA! Dang! He was thinking we were headed for the Jersey shore. Then the GPS took us on a trip! I thought it would put us on the PA turnpike, taking the northeast extension. Wrong! It actually sent us up the NJ side of the Delaware River. So it was an adventure for both of us. We stayed at the Fernwood Hotel and Resort. I'd read excellent reviews and also some very bad reviews on the place. I was hesitant to book it, but it was the most reasonably priced lodging with availability on such short notice. There were restaurants on the grounds and lots to do in the resort and the surrounding area. We arrived at 10:00 pm on Friday to discover that the king accommodations we reserved in the hotel proper were not available, due to service ...

I've been packing the car and getting ready to leave for...Oops! Almost let it slip! We'll be on the road when my husband gets home from work this evening. It was another hectic afternoon. DS Tom and I chased the min pin up and down the street again! The dog slipped out the side door while I was on my way out with some items for the trip, and off he went! Up and down the street - both sides - at least 5 times! I was half tempted to just sit on the front step and wait for him to tire himself out, but I am just afraid he'll get hit by a car. We live on a street that people like to use as a "cut-through" from one main road to another. They come flying around the corner above us sometimes like a bat out of you-know-where. So up and down the sidewalk I trudged after him, alternating between "Oh, you cute little monkey!" and "Wait'll I get hold of you, you little #!%@^*#!@$!". He did tire himself out eventually and came trotting up to t...

Summer, I mean. Where did it go? It seems like it paid us a brief visit, as it's mostly been rainy and chilly. In fact, it's like autumn weather out there this morning - I feel like I should take a sweater with me. It's Thursday and I'm getting ready to leave for work. I am off tomorrow, and will be packing for our surprise getaway weekend tomorrow. DH has been trying to wheedle clues out of me - he still doesn't know where we are going. Tomorrow, he has to work so I will be packing the car - anything to keep him from guessing where we are headed. The street address will go into the GPS and off we go!

I am waiting for Dan and Nicole to drop off Justin. The kids are headed to a Phillies game today, and I am going to spend time with my little angel until his parents get home. I can't wait to see his smiling face. Things have been difficult at work lately. I feel so burned out in my present position, but it could be the blues working on me. I again passed up the opportunity to bid on a job that opened up in another building - a job that would have meant a promotion - but the way I am feeling lately, I don't think I would be able to do it. I have no confidence in myself at all. I'm working on trying to "fix" myself - seeing my physician about changing my medications and talking to someone through the EAP at work. I just hope that, when things are better, this all doesn't come back to bite me in the butt. I'd like a chance to bid on a similar position when I'm feeling better about myself, but don't want my employers to hold anything against m...

I gave my grandson the blanket I made for him. I was going to make it a Christmas gift, but I went to visit him tonight and he is just toooooooo cute! Dan and Nicole are doing such a great job with him. He is so healthy and happy! He sat on the floor and I spread the blanket out in front of him. First he caught the fringe with his toes! I couldn't help but laugh. Then he reached over to touch the figures on the blanket and he seemed fascinated with the monkey. Here's his furbuddy Brody investigating the blanket along with Justin:

I haven't been blogging in the last few days. I'm still trying to get my bearings with a new medication, and I've had some sleepless nights caused by GERD. Some mornings I go to work and would just sooooooo love to put my head on my desk and go to sleep! Anyway, my cyber-friend Sweet Mama Jones has tagged me and challenged me to post 6 things that make me happy, so here goes: My husband, who has stuck by me through thick and thin for almost 29 years now (God bless his patient soul!) My two sons who make me proud every day My sweet little grandson and his lovely mother My brothers and sisters, who are so supportive Our furbabies - 2 dogs and 2 cats. Nothing like coming home from work after a long hard day and having 2 dogs make a big fuss over you. The cats - well, they say "I love you" in their own special way... Crochet I've lost my crochet mojo lately, and hope it comes back soon. I've got lots of projects to do - just haven't found the motivat...

My brother and I went to the grange fair yesterday. One of my sisters and her husband are there this week, selling water ice to the crowds. I wish them some great water-ice weather – hot and sunny – and lots of customers! I stopped in the needlework building and checked out all the needlecraft items that had been submitted for judging. There were beautiful handmade dresses and skirts, afghans, quilts, dolls and toys, table runners and placemats, potholders and purses. I had three crocheted entries in this year. My crochet mojo left me a while back so I wasn’t able to complete all the projects I had hoped to have. I was lucky to have 3 to enter. However, I was pleased with the results. My giraffe-ghan won a blue ribbon. Justin’s “forever pants” with the matching sweater and hat won a second place red ribbon, and the women’s crocheted hat I worked up also won a first place. I’m anxious to pick up my items at the end of the fair. I often find comments written by the judges on t...

Beansieleigh sent me a prize packet chock full of handmade items from her recent Potter-palooza posts. Let me tell you, she does nice work! I have a cat magnet, an owl bookmark, a cell-phone caddy, a tissue-holder, tea, lip gloss, a recipe for Butter Beer and Quidditch Players Pie, socks, the cutest tiny doll I've ever seen, some candles and a crochet pattern. Not pictured is a pencil – like one found in this post: The reason it’s not pictured is because I’ve already taken it to work and it’s sitting in my pen and pencil mug on my desk! Beansie, thank you so much for your kindness. I’ve really enjoyed the surprise package!

I'm a klutz. Always have been. Take the Grange Fair. For years, if there was a hole anywhere to be found in the fields where the fair is set up, I'd find it - and fall in it. Well, I started off early this year. I didn't wait until the fair was up and running and do my falling on the grass. This year, I tripped over the doorsill when I went to turn my crocheted projects in for judging. Never mind that the door had huge signs saying "Watch Your Step!". Never mind that the doorsill and the bottom of the door were painted bright orange! Never mind that the fair isn't even open yet this year! I pulled open the door, misjudged the height of the step, and fell forward on my hands and knees, then collapsed on my face onto the floor! Talk about humiliation. Nothing is as embarrassing as that. No, wait - I had to have 4 people help me off the floor! Yeah, that is more embarrassing. I was afraid to try to get up on my own, having had both of my knees replac...

We used to have a crabapple tree on our front lawn. The crabapple was affected by carpenter ants and was weakening. It broke my heart to see it come down, as each spring we had beautiful pink flowers on it. I was reminded, each time I looked at the tree, of my dear father-in-law, who passed away a few years back. He trimmed the tree back one year for us. I cried when I saw how much of the tree was cut away! He assured me that it would come back even nicer, but I didn’t believe him. But the tree did come back, and it was lovelier than ever! My FIL was right. This spring, I asked my husband to dig up a circular area surrounding the stump so that I could plant some flowers. I decided to plant white marigolds. My brother picked up a flat for me at the Burpee outlet. I planted the marigolds, added a garden gnome and a solar light to the stump, and watched the marigolds come to life. They were beautiful! Until about 2 weeks ago, that is. The plants stopped producing new flowe...

I spent Saturday and Sunday with my dear sister and her husband at their home in S. New Jersey. It was a relaxing weekend, spent in the company of two wonderful people. My sister is kind and caring and spending time with her is special. We didn't have to talk a lot - just being there, away from the workaday world, was enough. I am very grateful to my sister for being there for me. I love her so much! I am fortunate to have such a caring support system around me - brothers, sisters, husband. A lot of people aren't so lucky. Last night, I went shopping on Amazon for Kindle books. Found some bargains. Downloaded 5 e-books - all of them free!

I am visiting my sister this morning in S. New Jersey. I picked some potatoes from my garden before leaving the house. One of my plants was quite yellow-looking, signaling that the potatoes were about ready for picking. So I pulled the plant out, dug around in the dirt with my fingers (got dirt under the nails to prove it!) and voila! That's before cleaning - they look much more appetizing now that they are washed. I left two at home for my husband, in case he wants to try any tonight for dinner. They really are a nice size, and no blemishes! The medium sized potatoes in the photos are about the size of a baseball. Here they are after cleaning them up: I am surprised and pleased at how many I got from one plant - unless some of these came from the plant next to it? Can't wait to try them! Waiting for a call from dear Nicole to see how Justin is this morning. I hope he had a restful night, and that his parents got some sleep too.

Thank you for your prayers. Justin is home from the hospital and resting. We were just visiting with him. Due to the effects of the anesthesia, he is sleepy. But he did wake up long enough to wave to us and take a bottle from his mom. He must have been hungry, because when he saw her coming with it, he held his arms out for it. I'm so happy that the surgery went well, and that he will bounce back, and especially glad that he's too young to remember it.

I would like to ask my cyber friends a big favor: Please say prayers for my grandson Justin. He will be in the hospital tomorrow morning for some outpatient surgery. I ask that you pray that God and his angels will see Justin safely through the surgery and deliver him back into the loving arms of his mother and father, so that they may continue their blessed vocation as parents to this wonderful little boy.

I have been reminding myself of all the good things I have in my life. It’s been hard to focus on the good lately. So here goes – probably have listed these things before, but I need to list them again. A dear sweet husband – we’ll be celebrating 29 years together in September. Two wonderful sons who really have been the light of my life A darling little grandson who I love more than I would have thought possible, and his sweet lovely mother- I would be proud to call her my daughter I have loving brothers and sisters who care about me I have a job (ugh) to go to – some folks can’t say that these days I have a roof over my head and food on the table I have all of these things to make me happy - why am I feeling like I'm stuck in the mud? Reminds me of the little old lady I saw at an Atlantic City casino last year. She was walking in the wrong direction on the moving sidewalk. For every forward step she took, the sidewalk moved her backward an equal distance. Fortunately, someo...

This is the end of a four-day weekend for me. I didn't intend to take a four-day weekend, but I've been having something of a rough time changing over from one medication to another. I hope to be able to make it back to work tomorrow. DH Wayne was on a scuba-diving weekend, and it was just DS Tom and I at home. DS Dan stopped by yesterday to have dinner with us. I threw some hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill and we had a nice little visit. I only wish he could have brought baby Justin with him. Justin was spending Friday and Saturday with his other Grammy. It was nice of her to take the baby and give the kids some time off. Of course, she also had the pleasure of Justin's company! He is such a sweet baby, with a smile that melts your heart. The kids just had his photos taken again and he is a charmer. Take a look at this face! Wayne had a good weekend at Dutch Springs, working with an open water diving class. He is really enjoying the sport. I'm happy f...

A big thank you to my sister Karen for allowing me to share her video with you! This is a box turtle spotted in Karen's back yard, digging a hole for her nest. She eventually laid eggs in this nest as well (not sure how many) and covered them back up. My sister will attempt to make sure the nest is kept safe from predators and will be watching for the young'uns to make their appearance in the fall. She occasionally finds turtles swimming in her pool as well! If you want to share this video or photo with friends, please link to this page - thanks! I am using it with my sister's permission - she holds the rights to the video and photo.

When I was younger, I loved reading. I always had my nose buried in a book. Before I got married, my soon-to-be mother-in-law taught me to crochet. I set the books aside, and soon crochet patterns filled the bookshelves where hardcover novels and paperbacks once resided. Late last year, I purchased an Amazon Kindle, and I’ve read more in the last 8 months than I have in the last 8 years! It’s left me in sort of a dilemma. Now my crochet WIPs are sitting idle while I take some time off to read a novel. Yikes! I just finished 3 (yes, 3!) books in the last week and a half. I started with “Blood Brothers” by Nora Roberts. I hadn’t read any of her works before. “Blood Brothers” is the first of a trilogy of horror fiction novels. The second and third of the series are, respectively, “The Hollow” and “The Pagan Stone”. I enjoyed the story line for the most part – fast forwarded through the love scenes, which were a little too descriptive for my liking. But hey, that’s why I like t...

I am visiting with family members in southern New Jersey this weekend. We are attending a graduation party at the home of my sister and her husband. They live in a beautiful wooded area, with a great pool and barbecue area. My sister is a wonderful hostess and they always have such a great selection of food and drink for their guests. Along with hot dogs and hamburgers, we had potato salad, macaroni salad, "sloppy joe" barbecue, pasta, baked beans and more. Another of my sisters brought along a fruit salad, and my brother made a unique salad, using watermelon, mozzarella cheese, basil and balsamic vinegar. Sounds weird - must admit I made a face when he told me what it was. But it was delicious! Recipe here . When we arrived, my sister showed us a video she shot on her camera of a box turtle digging a nest to lay her eggs! That's something you don't come across every day! I am hoping that she will be able to share the video with us via e-mail. I'd love ...

The shark dive at the aquarium was great! Wayne had a real blast! He didn't think he'd have so much fun and he wants to do it again. So I guess we know what to get him for Christmas this year. Putting some videos on: Dan, Nicole and Justin were able to come to the aquarium to see the dive too. The baby is sooooo cute! He won't remember his grandpap in the tank with the sharks, but at least we have it on video for him when he gets older. It was so cute to see Wayne waving to the baby from inside the tank!

We are going to the Adventure Aquarium in Camden today. For Christmas, I gave my scuba-diving fanatic husband a gift certificate for one of the "adventures" at the aquarium. Diving in the big shark tank! We'll be there to cheer him on at 3:00 and I'll be taking videos! My husband has logged over 150 dives since taking his first introductory lesson a couple of years ago. He is always disappointed that he hasn't seen any sharks on his dives. (Me? I'd be thrilled not to see any sharks!) So if he wants to see sharks, this is his chance. Best to do it in a controlled environment, I think. One where they've already fed the sharks, so they won't be inclined to take a nip or two! I'm anxious to meet up with my son and his little family too. They have been on vacation in Atlantic City and had a wonderful time. I missed them so much! Nicole posted the sweetest little video of baby Justin at the Atlantic City Aquarium. I could watch it over and ...

  I've been working on the Sweetheart Ripple afghan before work and at lunch time. I really need to spend a good bit of time on it this weekend. Maybe Sunday? I've got a bit of a headache right now - disagreeable ride home from work today. Don't you think there is too much noise pollution these days? Ever sit in a line of traffic next to someone with their radio at maximum volume? Ever feel your steering wheel vibrate from the bass emanating from two cars over? (((shudder))) I'm glad I only live 20 minutes away from my job. We had to listen to a racket at work too. They have been updating our sound system and PA system all week. Someone decided to put an obnoxious radio station on, with lots of electric guitars and pounding drums and they cranked up the volume to levels that made you cringe! OMG! It took two days of complaints from employees in various departments, but someone finally changed the radio station to something a little more mellow. When you’re co...

On my computer’s desktop at work, I have a photo of my grandson Justin and his lovely mom, Nicole. It makes those difficult days bearable to be able to look at their sweet smiling faces! Nicole is such a good mom – I am really glad my son found her! As always, Justin is just too cute for words! I brought my afghan to work with me today. Since DS Tom has no work today, I won’t have to leave at lunch time to pick him up and drive him home. I had hoped to complete the Sweetheart Ripple afghan in time for entry into the Grange Fair in August. It is slow-going, however. I’m finishing a little less than 4 rows an hour, so working on it solely at lunch time won’t work. It’s single crochet, with some treble crochet front post stitches thrown into the mix. I also made it slightly wider than the pattern called for. I really do love the look of the afghan, though! It was designed by Kim Guzman – kudos to Kim! I’m awaiting delivery of two doll patterns. I love making dolls. I have no...

I am so disillusioned with the human race today. Yesterday the news covered a story that took place in Darby PA. Some sick little SOB set fire to a cat! A young boy was reported to have been seen in the area where the cat was discovered by an animal control officer. The officer found the cat was alive – just barely. A vet tried to save it, but it died. They say that by the look of it, the young cat – a year old at most – had been mistreated all of its young life. Multiple older injuries were present before the cat was ignited. In fact, the last few hours it lived were probably the only hours it was given love and caring attention. That is too too sad! There is a $1600 reward for the identification of the person responsible for the cat’s death. I hope they find him. That person needs help, before their cruelty escalates to unspeakable proportions. This is how serial killers get their start. Our pets give us so much love that they deserve to be treated with the utmost care a...

Hubby is home safe and sound. The dive gang did a wreck dive off the Jersey shore today. The Stolt Dagali was the wreck they dove. I worry about these wreck dives, but Wayne assures me that he follows all the safety rules. He dove to 105 feet, but he wasn't inclined to investigate the interior of the wreck. The captain of the boat advised them not to. He expected heavy traffic on the way home, and I was surprised to see him arrive about an hour earlier than I expected him. Glad he's home! He reports seeing a pod of dolphins and possibly an ocean sunfish breaching while he was on the boat! I wish I weren't so afraid of the water - I'd like to see some of these things! I've been watching the Deadliest Catch marathon on TV, ran a couple of errands and did a little crocheting today. Here's a photo of my latest acquisition. A giraffe tea kettle! I had one of these years ago and it was broken. I thought I'd never be able to replace it, but found this...

What a beautiful day it is! Happy Fourth of July to all! I took a walk through the garden today. My friend called me the other day and said she had something that looked like little tomatoes growing on her potato plants. I had never heard of such a thing, so I took a look at my potato plants. They are growing like weeds, and I also have "pomatoes"! I googled them and they are actually the fruits of the potato plant. They show up on the plants when the weather is cooler than usual. We have indeed had a cool and rainy June. They aren't edible fruits - toxic, in fact. But they say that you can remove the seeds and plant them as a novelty in your garden. Seeds must be sown indoors in the winter as they take a long time to grow. If you actually want potatoes, though, your best bet is to grow them from seed potatoes, as we did. My cherry tomatoes should produce a nice crop. I already have a lot of little green cherries now. There are a few larger green tomatoes o...

He went to bed and bumped his head and couldn't get up in the morning... Doesn't that take you back? I was at Dutch Springs today with my husband, who was helping to teach a student diver. I was waiting for a pizza at the restaurant on the grounds, and the sky was a little overcast and it was "spitting" - just a few drops of rain. A little boy was singing the above rhyme as he played beside his parents. It made me think of myself at his age. I sang the very same ditty on many a rainy day when I was a kid! Some things never change. I decided on the spur of the moment this morning to accompany my husband on his dive outing. I'm not a diver, so I took a bag of soy yarn and a crochet hook and pattern with me. I figured on whipping up a scarf while I was waiting for the divers to finish up their three dives. I took my Amazon Kindle with me in case I wanted to take a break from hook and yarn and read a bit. I actually started out with the Kindle and never did...

My friend’s daughter-in-law asked me yesterday to tell her how to weave in ends – over the phone. I was at a distinct disadvantage, having come home from work with a miserable headache. I had taken a couple of Tylenol PMs, extra strength, and was semi-conscious in the recliner when she called. I tried to describe to her what I do when I change colors or add a new skein of yarn to a project. Even as the words came out of my mouth, my brain was saying “What on earth are you trying to say?” I can only imagine the poor girl wondered the same thing, and wondered what I had been smoking… She gave up trying to decipher my utterances and said she’d call back again another time (politely omitted the phrase “when you’re not stoned out of your gourd”). Honestly, it was just Tylenol! The PM stuff in it got to me, I guess. I even slept through dinner time! This morning, I came to work extra early and whipped up a small swatch using two different colors. I wove in two of the loose ends wi...

It's finished! I had such a good day and was able to get so much work done on the afghan. I think I am quite happy with it, and the only other change that I might consider making to it would be to add a couple more leaves to the tree on the side with the large giraffe. I bought the pattern here . I fashioned the clouds without a pattern, working them from the top down instead of from the bottom up as the pattern called for. I also worked the larger cloud with a larger hook. The original pattern called for 2 clouds of the same size. I added one more character to the mix as well. I hope you can tell what it is (clue - it's not the beagle!). Worked without a pattern as well. I hope it doesn't spoil the look of the afghan. I can't believe it's finally finished. I know that I will enter it in the Grange fair, but to be honest, it won't matter to me if it doesn't win a prize. Do you know what will mean the most to me? I will give this afghan to my grands...