Week 15 & 16 - New, New, New - Glasses, Sofa, Piglets

I promised I'd show off my new glasses.  Sofia Vergara brand, blue, slightly larger than the last ones.  

TaDa!

I really like these, except it's taking forever to get used to the new prescription.  Mom got a deep aqua color for her new frames.  Stylin'!

John and I have been trying to come to agreement on a sofa for the great room for so long, I forget how long it's been.  A couple of weeks ago we went to Springfield to run some errands and while we were there, we stopped at Ashley Home Furnishings to take a look at what they had to offer.  By the time we left, we'd ordered a new sofa - deep grey leather, power reclining seats, oversized seats for the recliner.  Oh, my heavens, it is so soft and comfy!  

A perfect addition to the great room!  

John and our neighbor, JohnP, picked up piglets yesterday. 7 Berkshires.  

5 weeks old yesterday.  2 of them are ours.  We raise one for our son and his family in Utah and one for us.  Not sure which ones are ours yet, but they are named Pua and Pigg!  They get to live the good life until the end of October when they will go to Freezer Camp as all good pigs should!

This past week was our annual Cherry Blossom Festival here in Marshfield.  It's the 11th year (I think).  Family members of former U.S. Presidents, actors, writers, famous Missourians and various others come every year to present stories of their families, meet the locals, sign autographs, sell their books, etc.  One of the local bakers presented a cookie decorating class and I figured, hey, I have always wanted to learn how to work with royal icing, so I signed up for the class.  She provided the dozen cookies each with a pink royal icing start....we learned how to pipe branches and cherry blossoms.  Here are mine:

Well, I think spring is finally here in southwest Missouri.  We've had lots of rain but no snow for a while. Windy days and cool evenings and warmer days.  

Thanks for stopping by. 

Week 13 & 14 - Caqtching Up

Evidently, I am supposed to blog every other week this year...that seems to be what I've been able to accomplish and what is easiest for me. And I'm perfectly happy with this concept this year.

Since last we spoke, I've completed Round 2 of Sock Madness and have been accepted into Round 3.  That round should start sometime after this Friday, (I'm thinking sometime Monday since Sunday is Easter Sunday). Here are my Round 2 socks:

I used a navy blue for the Main fabric and a pink/white/grey for the contrast.  The only difference in the two socks is that the right side one has 5 repeats of the leg pattern (I was following the pattern and the mods changed it to 4 repeats - I didn't know till after I'd already done the heel - no stopping then!)  I might take off the cuff on that one, rip out the one repeat, and re-knit the cuff.  Or, perhaps I'll leave them and live with a slightly longer sock!

I got to talk to my friend, Shelly, yesterday.  She and another friend are responsible for my being so obsessed with quilting.  I miss her so much. She still lives in southern California.  We get to talk on the phone about twice a year, if we're lucky.  I don't know why we don't talk oftener, why do we never talk with lifelong friends or even new friends oftener?  Time gets away from us, that's why.  Anyway, when we finally reconnect, it's as though we never stopped the last conversation.  We had been on the phone for just shy of 2 hours and I mentioned I needed to get some things done...She mentioned she had tons more to talk about.  I will try to reach out sooner than 6 months from now.perhaps at the end of next month when I know she's gotten home from several trips she has planned.  

Am working on a cute little quilt - a jelly roll from a very long time ago.  The fabric line was called S'Mores - yep, it's marshmallows made into snowmen in brown, green, pink, purple, and aqua.  I'm pairing it with black and it's going to be so stinking cute!  Will get a photo on here soon.  But in the meantime, here is part of one block.

John and I went to his 50th High School Reunion this past weekend.  His class had 30 folks graduate back in 1969.  They've lost several classmates but 10 of them managed to make it to Table Rock State Park.  It was windy and very cold so everyone agreed that 2 and a half hours was enough of a reunion!  We cleared off the pavilion and everyone went home.  I made some quilt squares and had everyone sign one.  Will send a square to those who weren't able to come to the reunion and ask them to sign and send them back.  Once I'm sure I've gotten all the squares returned, I will put them together into a quilt for John.  

Here is the group photo we managed to get.  

Yes, it was wicked cold out there...and starting to spit rain. 

I'm taking this next few days before the next round of Sock Madness to finish up some projects...some quilted, some knit.  Till next time!

Thanks for stopping by. 

Week 11 & 12 - Getting Away and Coming Home

Sorry it's been so long between posts.  I have a wonderful excuse; I've been out of town, visiting our son and his amazing wife and the grandchildren!  We had planned my trip back in January, well before I decided to retire.  So it was nice to have the luxury of not worrying about getting bumped off the flight if necessary.  Fortunately, I didn't get bumped, there was no sweet offer of flights and/or money if I wanted to vacate my seat for a person who had more important things to do than I...

I flew to Salt Lake City a week ago last Saturday.  No problems, not even any remarkable turbulence!  Plenty of time between flights.  Young John picked me up and we got mostly caught up on the ride back to his house.  That began a wonderful week of family, and grandchildren, and getting to know my amazing daughter-in-law even better.  I don't know how she does it, even with carpools and accommodating friends...I'd be totally nuts if I had to wrangle the schedules of 4 children and myself!  

While the family went to church.  I got unpacked. Tidied the kitchen for Jill, and then knit on my Sock Madness Round 1 socks.  Since Sunday is Family Day there, when the kids came home from church, everyone changed into their 'comfies' - this usually means flannel jammy pants and comfy t-shirts.  No visiting friends, no going out to dinner, just staying home as a family.  Now, that doesn't mean they stayed indoors and got onto everyone's nerves.  The kids went outside to ride bikes- without friends.  Then they came in for 2 hours of Quiet Time - each in their own room, no talking, no coming out till Quiet Time is over.  Wow, what a concept!  It was lovely.  With so many kids in the house, it does tend to get a bit - well, LOUD! While quiet time was on, I sat in John and Jill's room with them and chatted while they emptied their bureaus in preparations for the delivery of their new bedroom furniture the next day.  

When Quiet Time was over, the thundering stampede arrived in the master bedroom.  Claire and Hewston found a package of fake mustaches in a throw away bag and here is the result.

Apparently, I needed a blond mustache cause of my grey/white hairs.  Giggles all around.

The grandchildren are all involved in so many activities.  Dance team and lessons for Char, Dance for Will, Dance for Claire, Piano for Will and Hewston, Scouts for Hewston, Young Men and Young Women (church groups) for Char and Will.  Wowza!  Char has dance classes on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, for about 3 hours after school.  Church groups on Tuesdays for Char and Will.  Again, I say that Jill is an amazing mom to be able to juggle everyone's schedule the way she does. 

William's school has a monthly Birthday Lunch so kids who have birthdays that month can have their family come to lunch with them. Jill and I picked up Claire from kindergarten, then drove over to Chick-fil-A (William's choice) and got lunch.  We drove over to the school and had lunch with our Big W.

That's his friend, Boston, behind him.

Thursday, Will's actual birthday, he requested chili for dinner.  Jill made some yummy chili - and here is our birthday boy with his birthday chili! And Hewston is the photobomber!

Then Jill and I were off to a painting party at her church.  The womens' relief group at her church put on a lovely painting party - probably 30 women were there.  I've always wanted to do one of those and jumped at the chance when Jill asked me if I wanted to go.  Not everyone painted what our lovely young teacher was teaching - but it was fun and I'm proud of my first ever picture.

I'm definitely going to try to get to another one here, now that I'm retired, I will have more time since most of the time, the paint parties are over 40 miles away and in the evenings.  I can sleep in the next day!

Char had a 2-day dance workshop down in Provo on Friday and Saturday.  She really IS an amazing dancer- very gifted.  Of course, I really don't have any expertise in the field, but I've seen her dance and she takes my breath away!  Saturday Jill had carpool so I rode with her to take Char and her friends to the workshop. 

Isn't she a beauty?

John was going down that evening to pick them up.  About  4:30 Jill gets a call from Char...she's crying and upset.  It seems she was in a workshop and they were learning 'tricks' and the girl next to Char was way too close and, well, the girl kicked Char in the eye.  Char fell backwards and hit her head. When she got up and got back into position, the girl evidently was still too close and kicked her in the eye AGAIN!  Poor Char had a swollen cheek, a black eye, and a knot on the back of her head - probably had a mild concussion too.  She stayed at the workshop the rest of the evening - did not dance but observed.  And there was another mom there who had room in her car so she called Jill to see if all 3 of the girls could come home with her instead of John driving down there....why, yes, please!  I saw Char when they came home from church on Sunday.  Poor girl has shiner!

That's actually the day it happened.  By the time I saw it the next day, the corner of her eye was a lovely rainbow of black and blue and purple and the red along her cheekbone was red and orange.  I left her with some frankincense oil to clear up the bruising...girls her age don't like bruising for any longer then they need it.  

Just before I left, Claire decided she wanted to learn to ride her bike without training wheels.  Jill took the wheels off and John went out to work with her.  I think he talked to her and instructed for about 2 minutes and she took off!  

There's nothing like watching your own baby teach HIS baby to ride a bike!

Just before it was time to leave for the airport, John took this picture of all the grands and me.  

I didn't get any chance to see Emily - she's down in southern Utah at college. But I spoke to her a couple of times briefly on the phone.  John and I are darned lucky to have the children we have and who have given us the grandchildren we have.  They are kind, loving, smart, creative, and drive everyone crazy. And I wouldn't trade them for all the yarn in the world!

Speaking of yarn, I finished the Round 1 socks for Sock Madness and sent in the required pictures...I have been accepted into Round 2.  Won't know exactly when that round starts till after Round 1 ends (noonish on Thursday) Then it's time to wait for the specs on Round 2 and wind my yarn...Here are my Round 1 socks - Demogorgons Lair.

Fraternal socks - not meant to match - thank goodness.  

Thanks for stopping by.....sorry this was so long!