I'm Back!

I have been neglecting my Blog for way too long! Christmas has been a whirlwind of crafts and family. I hope to have lots of pics in the next few days.
I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas.
Mine was a little sad because my Daddy is no longer here with us, but I believe he is now in a wonderful place where Cancer and Pain can touch him no more.

The New Year is coming and I have new afghan I am going to make.
I am so excited, it has palm trees on it and looks like it will take me awhile to finish.
I also have an idea for another project that I will share later. As usual I will have several things going at once.
Take care and I will post more later!

Christmas gift

This is the afghan I made for my son for Christmas. I can't remember where I got the pattern, it's too late and I'm sleepy.

If you are interested let me know and I will dig it up. The colors are perfect for his new apartment. I made it longer than the original pattern so he can pull it all the way up to his chin and still have his feet covered.

Our New Employee

This little guy is our newest addition to the wildlife at work. We knew someone was raiding the birdfeeder at night but now we know who.
On a friday afternoon he's the busiest of us all.

Garbage Purse

Ok most people call these candy wrapper purses or potato chip bag purses, I call it my garbage purse. I will use just about anything to make these from Huggies diaper wrappers to Miracle Grow potting soil bags. I really like making them, they are so easy and I can do it while I'm watching TV. I have become addicted. I can't throw away a perfectly good piece of garbage anymore! Do you think I need a support group? Maybe I will form one myself.

I could call it GPCA Garbage Purse Collectors Anonymous.

Mommmmy!!!!

Mommy?

When I saw this little tree frog next to my big tree frog I had to grab my camera. Looks like he's looking to Mommy to protect him.

I love frogs but tree frogs are my favorite.

Teal and yellow lap afghan

Well back from vacation, its back to work and back to crafting. This is my latest lap afghan. It is made with the same basket weave that I used on the last baby afghan. I really like this pattern, it's fast and easy. I used a size K crochet hook so it is soft and squishy.

scarf

This is a scarf  I made and forgot to post. I made it in August.

Pink baby blanket

I made this baby blanket before I went on vacation, I just didn't have time to post it with all the packing and excitement of going away.

This was made for a young lady who was having to start her life over with her four month old baby girl. I wish her all the best of luck.

I'm Back!

This is what I got to look at everyday all day long on my wonderful week off.
The water and beaches here are just beautiful. It was a very relaxing week, we just did whatever we wanted whenever we wanted.

Mostly sitting in a beach chair.
This picture was taken from the balcony of the condo on Labor Day, the rest of the week the beaches were fairly empty.
If you ever get the chance to go to the Emerald Coast... take it!

This is where I will be in exactly 5 days!!!!!!!
Navarre Beach, Fl
My husband and I are soooo ready to be sitting on the beach, listening to the ocean and reviving our souls. The last 9 months have been very stressful. It is time for us to disconnect from all we've been through and reconnect as a couple. A sick family member can either tear a couple apart or make a them stronger. I think this experience has made me realize that I married the most wonderful, caring man that I have ever met.
So dig out your flip flops Babe, the sand and sea are waiting!

This is my dear Daddy. He passed away Monday, August 10th 2009. I miss him so very much.

Ray Freed Matthew


Ray was born in a small town called North Zulch, Texas on May 10, 1933. At five months old, he was adopted by a loving couple, Ray and Elmer Matthew and grew up in Houston. He had countless tales of growing up with his mom and dad, and a neighbor who loved him like a son. Growing up, Ray did a lot of handyman work for his neighbor to help him out.

Ray joined the Air Force in the fifties, and spent much of his time behind a typewriter. After leaving the Air Force, he eventually became an electrician working out of the Local 716 in Houston, until he retired. He has told many interesting stories about all the places he worked as an electrician, including the Houston Astrodome and the Pentagon in Washington DC. He really enjoyed electrical work, and this shows up in his house he built himself, because there are plugs and switches everywhere.

He moved to Conroe in 1968, where he built a home for his family. He wasn’t the best carpenter, but this didn’t deter his determination to have his own house in the country, away from the rat-race of the city.

Ray was a very easy-going guy and as laid-back as anyone could ever be. He was so laid back that he was sometimes thought of as a procrastinator. But this procrastination was simply Ray taking the time in his life to enjoy the small, simple things that made him happy. Some of these things were: Going to the corner store every day to get a breakfast burrito and a Conroe Courier; Reading western novels; Watching Channel 11 news, Wheel of Fortune, John Wayne movies and Mash on TV; Watching Astros baseball games. He also worked the daily crossword in the Courier, sometimes calling his daughter at work for assistance and to tease her a little.

It is hard to say what his favorite food was, but he had a special place in his heart for: banana pudding, meatloaf, grilled hot dogs, SOS (we all know what that means), and barbeque. He wasn’t a fussy eater, being laid back in that category too. If he really liked a food, he called it “more-ish” because he was going back for more.

After he retired from the IBEW, he had a woodworking shop built and filled it with a lot of tools, and later a lot of sawdust, as he created many projects. He made wagons, rocking chairs and curio shelves. When he tired of working in his shop he would occasionally take a quick trip to Kinder to hit the slots.


Ray really cared about those close to him and would do anything for them. He adored his daughter Connie and thought the world of his grandson Matthew. During Matthew’s four years of college, Ray paid for all of Matthew’s gas for his car. If you were to ask Ray or Connie to describe how they felt about each other they would simply say they loved each other. Although this was a simple answer, there was something deep and powerful about the way they said it. He didn’t wear his emotions on his sleeve, so it was sometimes hard to know how he felt about something, but his actions told the story. This is evident in his relationship with his best friend Cecil. Ray and Cecil played dominoes almost every day during his retirement, and they sat and told each other the same old stories, just like old buddies do. He cared so much for Cecil that, when Cecil was called home to be with the Lord, it seems like a part of him went with him. He was never the same after that. He never played dominoes again. Dominoes were a sacred game for Ray and Cecil only.
Ray’s activities in life gradually slowed as the shell that contained his spirit began to wear out. But even when he was in the hospital for tests or recovery, no matter how bad the situation, all the doctors and nurses and aids grew to adore him. He was always quick with a witty comment to bring a smile to the face of someone just doing their daily task. He made their job easier, and they were always impressed with his ability to make them laugh, when it should have been them cheering him up.

When it became apparent that he was nearing his life on this earth, he decided that it would be best to perish at home, with the daughter that he loved more than life itself. He died on August 10, 2009, with his daughter Connie at his side, just the way he wanted it. He never wanted much. Just what was important.


Written by Son-In-Law Edwin Miskell

When I went outside this morning I was hoping to catch sight of the hummingbirds. I looked out and saw him on the shrimp plants so I grabbed my camera and sat and waited. I think I need to play with the settings to get a better picture. I was just excited to be sitting there when he came to feed.

Copper Shawl

I made this Copper Shawl in just a few days. It is very easy I just did a half double crochet all the way across and then put a shell border around it.

I used a size N needle because the yarn is chenille and it makes it soft and squishy if you use a large needle.

Multi color afghan

This is another afghan I made for the seniors.

It is all half double crochet stitches.

Candy wrapper purse

This is the purse I made for my Mom.

I've become addicted to saving the potato chip bags and candy wrappers and any other plastic bag that would work.

Maybe I will make some for Christmas gifts.

Just finished this purple afghan for the seniors.

Half are granny squares and half are double crochet squares, with a shell border around the whole blanket. It looks like I used different kinds of thread but they are all the same. I think some of the skeins were tighter wound than the others.

In response to the comment from vettech. Thank you.

Its just the basic granny square. With 6 double stitches in the corners and 3 double stitches in the other spaces.

Chain 5 and join with a slip stitch in first stitch.Row 1: Chain 3(counts as a dbl st) 2 dbl st ch 2 3 dbl st ch 2 3 more times.Row 2: Slip stitch in next 2 dbl st and in next ch 2 sp, ch 3 2 dbl st ch 2 3 dbl st in ch2 sp. ch 2( 3 dbl st ch 2 3 dbl st ch 2 in each ch 2 sp around). Join with a slip stitch.Row 3: Slip stitch in next 2 dbl st and in ch 2 sp. Ch 3 2 dbl st ch 2 3 dbl st in corners space *ch 2 3 dbl st in next ch 2 sp. 3 dbl st ch 2 3 dbl st in corner* Repeat from *to* around.Just keep repeating pattern until you get to the size you want.This is the first time I have written the instructions for someone. I hope it is not too confusing. This pattern can be found just about anywhere.

Hawk

This is the closest to the house that I've seen the hawks that live in my area. We have about 4 living very near my house. I know one lives in a tree across the street because I see it fly into the same tree almost every afternoon. With the hawks and the cats we very rarely see any snakes. They can stay as long as they like.

shawl

These are the new shawls I made for the seniors.

Dilly the Armadillo

We have a new friend.
I call him Dilly. He just kept rooting around looking for bugs and ignored me completely.
Don't you just love those little ears?

Baby afghan

This is the baby blanket I made for my friend Mary's grandbaby.

Rocky the Raccoon

Meet our night time visitor.

We've named her Rocky.

We can't fill the bird feeder anymore because she empties it at night.

I tried to get a picture of her in the birdbath but she ran away before I could snap the picture.

Next time....

Mom's Birthday

For my Mom's birthday I made her three bracelets. I've just started making bracelets for fun.

I got her this book from Avon. It's called Mom Tell Me Your Story. It asks questions like where did you go to school, how did you me Dad....

Fun stories that you might not have learned about her.

I got one for myself too.

Isn't she beautiful?

Aren't they precious?

That is my step Dad Fred.

He is very special to me too.

Father's Day

Father's Day was very nice. Daddy was having a good day.
These little hamburger and french fry desserts were a BIG hit! My Mom's birthday is the same day so I made a special one for her.

The hamburger is a cupcake with a brownie for the patty. Colored icing for the ketchup, mustard and lettuce. The french fries are sugar cookies.
They are really very easy to make the hardest part was finding low sugar or sugar free mixes. My Dad and Step-Dad are both diabetic. Pillsbury makes a low sugar Sugar Cookie mix and a low sugar Brownie mix. The cupcake was made with a sugar free mix. I can't remember the brand name.
I got the idea from Bakerella (one of the blogs I follow).

New washer and dryer

Last week my old washer crapped out (again) so I got a new washer and the dryer to match. I don't think I have ever had a new matching set before, this is very exciting! We had to rearrange the cabinets because after I ordered them my DH asked the dimensions and just our luck they were going to be sticking out in front of the back door! Lucky for me my sweet DH is a very handy man and we just moved the cabinet down next to the back door and now they fit. I really like what we've done because it makes the room look bigger.

Angel Wings White Baby Afghan

I made this baby afghan for my friend Susan. I got the pattern from Leisure Arts Contest Favorites Baby afghans booklet. It is called Angel Wings. There are some very nice baby afghans in this booklet. I will be using some of the patterns for my senior afghans. I like to try new patterns and stitches so it should be alot of fun.

Candy Wrapper Purse

This is my new candy wrapper purse. I got the instructions at
candywrapperpurse.blogspot.com

It took about 2 months to gather all the materials together. I used just about anything I could find. Potato chip bags, candy bags, power bars, Ulta bag, veggie bags, popcorn chicken bags and many others.
It's a lot of work but I enjoyed putting it all together.

Sweater redo

I've had this sweater forever, as you can see I was wearing out the cuffs. I cut the sleeves down and used them to make pockets.

Afghans

This is Mary's grandbaby afghan. I got the pattern from Annie's Attic Mile-A-Minute Baby Afghans.


This is Susan's afghan. This is similar to a previous afghan I made for Susan to raise money for the United Way. The pattern is from Vanna's Favorite Crochet Gifts book, with a little variation.

Organizing necklaces

This weekend I organized my jewerly box. I have a lot of costume necklaces and they were getting tangled, so I decided to organize them. First I had to dig around for things I could use to hang them on. I also did not want to put any holes in anything so I thought I would hot glue the hooks to the side of my shoe rack. I used picture hangers and extra pieces from mini blinds. The little plastic pieces you use to hold the blinds in place I used for wide necklaces.

Chicken Stuff

Chicken Stuff

2 chicken breast diced small
2 celery stalks chopped
1/4 onion chopped
mushrooms sliced
one carrot chopped
garlic chopped
white wine
olive oil
one can diced tomatoes
tomato paste
Italian seasoning

Heat olive oil in pan, saute carrots, onions, celery and garlic. Season with Italian seasoning.
After a few minutes pour in some white wine simmer for a few minutes. Make a well in the pan and add chicken, cook until no longer pink, stir all together. Make another well, add tomatoes and paste and let simmer for a couple of minutes. Add mushrooms. Mix everything together turn heat down to low, cover and let perk.
Serve over noodles.

Fake Pizza

My Dad has become a very picky eater since he got sick. Finding something for him to eat is becoming a real challenge. This weekend was one of those weekends! He still loves pizza so I came up with this easy version.

One slice of bread toasted just until starting to dry.
pizza sauce
4 slices of pepperoni
shredded mozzarella cheese

Take the lightly toasted bread smooth on some pizza sauce, top with pepperoni and cheese. Then comes the hard part. Toast the whole thing in the toaster oven!
Voila! Fake Pizza!

This is my latest lap afghan for the Seniors.

Three more lap afghans for the seniors.

This one is my Purple Stripes afghan.

This one I got the pattern from "Crochet" magazine.

This one I decided to see what it would look like if I just took the bits and pieces of left over yarn and sewed them all together. Turned out pretty cool I think.

Meatball Soup

20ish meatballs-cooked
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can sliced mushrooms or fresh
1pkg frozen mixed vegetables
1 can chicken broth
1 can cream mushroom soup
3 potatoes peeled and cubed
1/2 onion
2 tbls butter
1 tbls chopped garlic
Italian seasoning
salt to taste
water

Peel and cube potatoes, put in a large pot with about a cup to a cup and a half of water. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, mixed vegatables, chicken broth, cream soup and meatballs. May need to add a little water to cover everything. In a small pan saute onion and garlic in butter and Italian seasoning until onions are clear. Add to pot. Salt to taste. Simmer at low to medium heat for about 30 minutes. Really good next day.
Serves 6 to 8

No Bake Sweet Potato Pie

No Bake Sweet Potato Pie

1 large can of sweet potatoes
1 sm tub of Cool Whip
1/2 individual serving of applesauce
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 4 oz pkg of instant vanilla pudding
1/3 c. chopped pecans
1-1/2 tblsp butter melted
1 tbls brown sugar
pie crust

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Mix melted butter, pecans, brown sugar and put in pie crust before cooking.
Cook pie crust according to directions on pkg or your own recipe.

Drain sweet potatoes, whip with electric mixer until fairly smooth, mix in pudding, cool whip, spice, and half a serving of applesauce. Put in refrigerator until pie crust has cooled. When cool put in crust and serve.
Serves 6

Shock of all shocks, my picky son loves this recipe!

These are 2 of the 3 afghans I made for our United Way Campaign last year. Different people donate items and then we have a not so silent, silent auction. The one with the trees I got out of one of Vanna White's pattern books. It is crocheted using 2 strands of yarn.

The snowflake afghan I got the pattern online at http://www.artoftangle.com/snowflake.htm

Very quick and easy.