He's Here

 7 pounds, 13 ounces
20.5 inches long
9:48pm August 30th





Our first grandchild ... Dominic ...

                                     and we are in love.

What Happens on Monday?

at Crochet By The Sea 

Stop by and visit with Faith and hook-up and share your thoughts, stories, crafts, whatever, of the things that you enjoy.

Ahhh, crochet ... oh boy oh boy, do I enjoy that ...

Pulled out my Christmas afghan that I started last year, want to have it for the holidays this year.  Our little one's afghan is growing so that should be done shortly (and no, he's not here yet, his due date was yesterday, in a way I was grateful that he stayed put during the hurricane).

And most of all, what do I enjoy ... the stars, the sun, the moon ... all that is around me.  The crispness of the air that tells me Fall is in the not to distant future.  Such beauty, blessed by Him and ours for the taking.






 

Good Night Irene

and thankful to say that.  Hurricane Irene came and is almost gone with minimal effect.  A large limb across the driveway, lots of twigs and branches and leaves swirling about, saw and drove through some flooding, but again minimal.  Every so often strong wind gusts are still coming through and I expect some more fallen limbs at the very least but the predictions are good ... sun for tomorrow.  Actually, the sun popped out for a little bit this afternoon and for the most part dried up the roads.  A bit more then an hour north of New York City, not too far from the Hudson River, we weren't sure what was in store, at least by what we were being told.  Last night the grocery shelves were bare as were the streets.  It was good that people paid attention, made their purchases and retreated to their homes.

Many were not as fortunate as we were.  My heart goes out to them, I will keep them in prayer.

It takes a day like today to realize what we have and what really matters.  Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, take care, be safe.

Tuesday Treasure

The sounds and sights of a late summer day ... it is glorious.  A crispness to the air, streaming sun painting stripes across the back yard, the sounds of the tractor in the orchard preparing for the harvest which will come in a few weeks.

A pleasant morning home today so a later start.  Enjoying the quiet, coffee to be made, prayers to be said and then house care.  All in all a God blessed day.  I am thankful. 

To your day ...

 blessings in abundance.

Sunday Morn

A sabbath, a time and day to slow a bit and take notice of that around us.  The blessings that are tucked in every nook and corner of our surroundings.  Some times it may be hard to see but they are there.

Summer is passing over to fall, you can feel it in the air.  That tinge of cool lurks in the air now.  Love it.  Its inviting me to do some serious home organizing, starting this week (about time!) so crochet and cross stitch may take a breather for a bit.

May the blessings of this Sunday fill your heart.

God bless

Thursday Thoughts

Do not go where the path may lead,

go instead where there is no

path & leave a trail.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

The rain is still at it, day three and counting.  On and off down pours last evening made for a bit of difficult driving and some flooding.  Thankfully, it has calmed back to a steady shower. 

Guess the tomatoes and basil have gotten their fill of water.  I usually try planting basil inside in pots and get an ok amount but this year I had planted two plants outside and its amazing.  The plants are large and the flavor of the basil is incredible.  We're enjoying tomato salads almost every day.

Found a new recipe at Kalyn's Kitchen -  Pasta with Hot Italian Sausage, Kale, Garlic, and Red Pepper Flakes ... this is a serious keeper!  I have never used kale before but certainly will now.  Served this with a tomato, onion and basil salad, fresh french bread and it was a feast.  I tried for leftovers but what was there disappeared a short time after dinner.  You gotta try this ... you'll love it.

May you be showered

with blessings.

Its been an umbrella kind of day.  For the most part, just a soft, steady, summer rain.  One that can make sleep most appealing, however other duties prevailed.

Unplanned but accomplished was the cleaning out of a hall closet.  One of those take something out deals and see something else that really has no purpose or use anymore which led to the next thing you see and so on and all of a sudden a closet dejunked and straightened.   Looks quite nice now, if I say so myself, but the highlight was a crochet project that I finally paid attention to and brought out of the closet.  Hmmm, this has been around now for ... ahhhh ...quite a while.  Its actually a fairly good size, almost fitting the top of a queen sized bed.
Do you see the hook in it?  I'm happy I left the hook with it, now I just have to pick up and continue with no second guess as to which size I was using.  How's that for an excuse for the hook collection I have been building?   

Well I think this is all I have patience for.  I have been having quite a difficult time getting this far with Blogger today.  I still can't see my followers nor can I follow other blogs and more often then not can't leave comments.  I really hope this straightens out soon.

Anyway, hope that wherever you are, your evening/day is blessed.

Thursday Thoughts

They shall grow not old,

as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them,

nor the years condemn;

At the going down of the sun

and in the morning;

We will remember them.

 - from Laurence Binyon's World War I Poem,

"For The Fallen"

Remembering Seal Team 6

and their families

in thought and prayer.

What's Doing Wednesday

A rainy night last night and the perfect setting for crocheting.  Started this pattern I found at Ralvery called  I Love This Wrap which is so generously provided as a free download.  Hopefully this will be the first of many.  A few of us will be making these and others and lapghans for residents of a nursing home.  Looking forward to this and sharing what we do with yarn and hook.

I always seem to have several (many) projects going on but this is going to take precedence over anything else for a while.   We will get together next week and set our meeting and crochet schedule to see what we can complete by the holidays.   Starting to collect toiletries and trinkets as well.   Will share as time goes on what we have completed. 

Happy Crocheting!

Tuesday Treasures

What a delight to find in my mail box the package from Sandy (Sunflowerz Crochet) with my win of her giveaway ... Stitch Holders.  First you just have to look at the cute way she wrapped these up.  Is this just too cute?  Simply adorable.

But the best is what's under the wrap ... I think these are so pretty.  These are my newest treasures.  They will be with me whenever I crochet, which is almost all the time!  

 What a pleasant way to mark my rows of crochet.  Thank you Sandy!

Back in the groove ...

 a few days away ... good friends, good food, good time ... recharged.

The drive produced a scarf, not a shawl as I originally planned, but I'm happy none the less.  A little peek here of it made in the double strand crochet thread.  This will be especially nice with my brown vest and white sweater for this winter.    Its a very simple pattern and goes up easily and quick.  I like the drape and feel of the crochet thread.  I am anxious to see how this works up in yarn and have started one using Caron Simply Soft.  Hope to share the pattern shortly.

And speaking of shawls ... there will be shawls though in my future.  Interestingly enough I received an email from a sweet friend who is cleaning out her mom's stash and has yarn to share and mentioned making shawls.  Looking to get some made for nursing homes.   I think this will be my project for the fall and cold weather.  I like that, doing what I love and hopefully making someone happy.

Here's to the start of

a wonderful week.

Road trip, out the door shortly.  Of all things I take the crochet bag packed first, never leave home with out it!  We'll see what the hook has in mind for the drive.



Thursday Thoughts

  “Friendships begin because,

even without words,

we understand how someone feels.”

~ Joan Walsh Anglun

What's Doing Wednesday

 A cross stitch finish.  My third one for Fall, my favorite season.  Just hope that I can get them finished and ready for display to enjoy.  Busily going through designs I have downloaded to select the next one.  Not sure whether another Fall, maybe Thanksgiving or Christmas.  I also have to begin to tackle the Winter design I purchased ... the one that is large and that I wanted to work on over time.  Let me tell you, it will certainly be over time.  But's that a story for another day.

As in my previous posts, my next project will be a shawl, actually I hope to make two shawls.  One for the warm weather, nice for summer evenings when there's a bit of coolness and one for the winter months.  Stitchy McFloss suggested a red heart shawl and I love it.  Looks like it would be cozy and comfy for the cold weather.  You can find it at   http://www.redheart.com/free-patterns/friendship-shawl .  I think we'll do a crochet-a-long on this one probably sometime around/after September.

For the summer type shawl I have been looking for some airy, light, almost flimsy pattern and after searching for quite a bit decided to grab something out of my stash and a size N hook and wing it. I found two different double strand crochet threads.  The peachy came from Walmart a few years ago, on sale for something like $1.39.  And the blue Royal came from the Dollar Store.  Those I have 5 or 6 of.  I'm letting the hook do its own spin and see where this goes.  Its going to be simplistic with probably only single and double crochets.  I may even try a size 10 thread to see what that does.  I think this will be my car project for the weekend.

So that's the needle and hook adventures of the moment.  Moving that hook, threading that needle, such a really great thing!

Good Morning

Stepping out in a few.  Do have a finished cross stitch, hope to get a picture later to share.  I think I have found the potholder I was looking for too, finally!  I have several other stitching that I want to do too but the the fingers are get itchy for the hook as well.  Will be taking a short trip this weekend so looking for a crochet take along ... doily maybe, or maybe I'll find that summer airy shawl.  I do have a shawl lined up for much cooler weather (thanks to Stitchy McFloss), will share that link later as well ... mention was made of a possible crochet shawl crochet-a-long, do I hear of any interest?

 In the mean time,

 have a good day,

blessings and joy. 

Projects, projects and projects...

Understand, which I'm sure you do, I have lots of projects in different stages of completion ... crochet, cross stitch, knitting  (not much on the knitting front though), patterns waiting to be sewn, painting ... goodness, probably too many to mention.  However ....
seeing what Stitchy McFloss, Sandy Sewz and Debi have and are making I'm pretty sure my list is going to get longer.  Will you just take a look at these beauties ...

Stitchy ... Stitchy McFloss  ... is making a shawl. Is this just gorgeous! Got me to thinking, I could use such a pretty thing to warm the shoulders now and then ... soooooo, I'm looking for a shawl pattern, lite and airy. Stitchy is doing hers in knit and I know right now I don't have the patience for knit, but will look to do one in crochet. You don't think the fact that she's sampling chocolate during her knitting had anything to do with this do you? Hmmm, there's a double calling here.

Sandy ... Sandy Sewz ... just completed her first quilt.  I am in love with this.  Everything about it!  The colors, the style.  Heard me being called here as well.  On my list to learn how to do. 

And Debi ... Crochet, Crafts & Gardening (Hooks and Yarn) ... designed this wonderful 4 hearts square.  I have to have a lapghan for those chilly winter nights, especially around Valentine's day with this pattern!  And Debi so generously shares her patterns.

Yup, my to do list just got longer.  Can you blame me?