River valley

I was down in the river valley today.  Someplace I don't go very often.  I get turned around almost every time I go.  It's all curvy roads with wacky angles.  Give me a good straight road with other roads going off at 90 degree angles and I'll be a happy driver!

But 3rd DS farms some land down there and so I have to go once in awhile when I'm needed to help.

It's pretty down there.  Even with everything being brown now.

And the sky today was especially huge looking.

The river winds it's way around generally traveling SE and eventually ends up in the Red River down by West Fargo.  The Red River is one of the few rivers that flow north.  So this water going by today will end up in Canada.

This cow seemed curious about what I was doing.  Her calf was having an afternoon snack.

And once you pop out of the valley you are right back on the flat, flat ND farmland.

With that huge beautiful blue sky.  And the view that goes on forever.

Dilemma

I'm debating what to do with my blog.

I was messing around with G**gle one day and found pictures from my blog...just out there. 

I'm quite upset by that.  I really didn't think they'd just be public property.  And I don't know what to do about it.  I think I can keep the blog from being found by search engines but that totally shuts me off from the world. 

I just don't want my photos out there.

I kinda don't want to stop blogging either.  It's my way of having a little diary of what's going on.

Dilemma.

Tag! You're It!

Karen tagged me today.  I'm sposed to tell 5 things about myself.  So here goes...

1. I've been trying to lose weight since December.  I lost 11 lbs. and gained 2 back.  Uff.
2. I'm itching to knit some lace but I've got 1 3/4 pairs of stranded mittens to knit.  Well those and various other UFOs.  Uff.
3. I'm so waiting for spring.  We still have too much snow.  Even the fields have lots of snow on them.  And there is a 90% chance of more snow this weekend.  Uff.
4. On a brighter note, May 5th is DH and my 40th wedding anniversary and this weekend we are meeting all our kids in MN for a little celebration.  WooHoo!
5. The decisions for the house are finally starting to wind down.  The hardwood is installed.  The tiles are being ordered tomorrow.  We've gotta decide on door knobs and cabinet hardware but when that is done there can't be too many more decisions to make.  Amen to that.  My decider is almost worn out!

Happy Thursday!

I am so blessed.

I have such a full and blessed life.

 

I have my health.

 

I have a loving family.

 

I have amazing friends.

 

We live very comfortably.

 

There isn't a thing I want for.

 

And today...

there was an addition to our family. The little great nephew I knit this hat and sweater for was born very early this morning.  He's a beautiful baby.  8 lb. 15 oz.  Named Cooper Thomas.

 

And the best part...? 

 

We share the same birthday! 

 

Happy Birth Day to you Cooper Thomas!

Sunshine Award!?!

Thank you Karen! I'm not always so sunny but I'm honored that you think so! :)

The award rules:
1. Thank the blogger who nominated you.
2. Answer the 10 questions on your favourite things.
3. Nominate 10 blogs to receive the Sunshine Award and let them know they’ve been nominated.

So I'm supposed to answer these 10 questions and nominate 10 people...well...I've only got a couple to nominate but here goes...

Favourite animal: Cats. No, dogs. Umm, maybe sheep or more accurately lambs. Oh I don't know! OK. Cats.
Favourite number: 13. Yeah I know it sounds weird but it's a pretty good number!
Favourite non-alcoholic drink: Diet Coke
Facebook or Twitter: FB
My passion: Knitting lace shawls
Getting or giving: Ummm...both?
Favourite Pattern: Iceling. It's a cardigan for baby boys.
Favourite day of the week: Saturday
Favourite flower: Lilies
Favourite country: USA

I'd nominate Karen but she's the one that gave me the award in the first place! Karen IS sunshine so it's understandable that she received the award. And witty. Karen you crack me up!

Kym. Her blog posts are amazing with music and beautiful pictures. And Kym is a wonderful person with a positive outlook. Perfect Sunshine Award nominee.

And my second nominee is Cookie. Yes, Cookie you do deserve the Sunshine Award. You portray yourself as a grouch but we all know that you are really a sweetheart and I love to see what you have to say every time you post. Another perfect Sunshine Award nominee.

Dilemma

Here's the thing. I've been going to a book club for maybe close to a year now. It's a bit off and on but is back on again. It's fun. Really fun. We discuss the book but we also eat and have a drink if we want. And laugh. There is a lot of laughing.

There used to be people of all ages but now basically it is a group of 30 and 40 somethings and me. And I'm a good 10 to 15, and in more than one case maybe even 20+, years older than them.

I basically feel very welcomed. I'm one of the last ones to join so I'm not an original member and there are times when I feel like I could be cramping their style so to speak. That they might be more relaxed if I wasn't there. Kinda like having a mother at a slumber party.

There is another book club starting in town and it will probably be mostly people more my age. Do I switch to the new book club and be age appropriate or stay where I am? What would you do?

Blogger improvements. NOT!

Blogger has changed how posts are done and as of now no one can comment because my IntenseDebate comments have disappeared. I don't have time to figure it out now but will as soon as I can.

Grrr!

----Well, I checked it over and clicked a couple buttons and it seems like commenting is back to normal even if Blogger is a whole new thing. o.0

Why do they have to fix something that isn't broken???!!! Augh!

Kym's March Madness

Kym needs you to help her decide the winner of her own "March Madness" playoff between the Black Cardigan and the Tote Bag.


If you go vote on her final two contestants you'll be entered into a drawing for a prize....and please mention my name in her comments so I'll be entered too!

Springish

The calendar has been saying spring for a few days now.

The juncos are back. But the grass is barely thinking about being green.

The robins are also back and are hanging out at the local watering hole.

I searched the yard far and wide to find something trying to be green and found these flowers. But there are no leaves popping out. And there are no spring flowers showing around town yet.

If I knew how to put audio on here though, there would be a symphony of birds singing. From early in the morning to sunset the birds are singing their hearts out.

What a wonderful thing after the silent winter.

And as for knitting:

I've almost finished the potholders. A bit more knitting and then a good hard felting and they'll be good to go. Yay!

Remember...

In an email today I told one of my DSILs that she shouldn't worry about Christmas. (She has had major health problems that are getting resolved now but are still an issue.)

I said that Christmas will come no matter what we do or don't do.

And that we should enjoy the season and not stress over it.

I seriously need to listen to myself. If you need a picture of someone stressing over Christmas you could just look at me.

I need to stop it.

Ok, me. (And any of you that want to join me.) Take a deep breath. Let it out. Relax. Look at the pretty lights and decorations. Ignore the "to do" list for just a bit.

And remember the real reason for the season.

Good morning!

It's that time of year when I'm actually up to see a sunrise!

It really is a nice time of day...

The 3rd Iceling is coming along... So many boy babies in our life... Whoever is in charge of these things, maybe the next baby that comes into our lives could be a girl?? Just hoping...

Deer hunting season opens at noon today. I wish everyone good luck but please be safe and also know what you are shooting at before you pull the trigger. And for the out of state hunters, please don't leave your vehicle parked in the middle of the road with your doors open. Other people drive on the gravel roads too...we aren't as nonpopulated as you might think!

Why this cracks me up I don't know. But it does!

An award!

I've received an award from Karen. Thank You! Karen is a super mom and knitter and has a fun blog. Your sense of humor cracks me up, Karen!

There are a few things to do since I got this award...

• Thank the blogger who presented it to me and link to their blog
  


• Share 7 things about me
  


• Pass this award on to some newly discovered blogs

Seven things about me.

1. I got married when I was 19 years old. I realize now just how very young that was. DH was 19 also. But that was 38 years ago and it's still working. That's the main part!


2. I have 3 sons. My pride(s) and joy(s).


3. I am a mother-in-law twice. I hope I'm a good one! They certainly are wonderful DILs!


4. I am a gramma 3 times. I love 'em to death!


5. I attended some business college. But it was boring and I wanted to get on with life...


6. I have a half sister and 2 half brothers but I don't think of them that way...usually...unless they do something really embarrassing and then I don't know them! ;)


7. I basically hate housework. Especially washing dishes. Oh, and folding socks...

And now I'll pass this award on to:

• Lindsey


• Kym


• McKenzie

There are many more blogs that I read but these are the newest, to me at least, and so I think they fit the criteria. :)

Have you seen this?

This is a link to a story about knitters saving penguins that have been soaked in oil.

Yay! Way to go knitters!

Kitties, fall harvest and knitting*

The kitties have been closely watching the birds that are hopping around the backyard these days. There have been robins, flickers and assorted sparrows.

Claus & Teddy are quite the team. Always checking out what the other one is doing and then deciding if it is interesting enough to participate.

We've been having wonderful Indian Summer the last week or so. Temperatures in the 70s and even 80s yesterday and also for today. But there are signs that fall and the unavoidable winter is on it's way.

The county road crew has been getting ready for the winter snows.

They have shaved the roadsides down as close as a new Army recruit's first haircut.

The freezing temperatures from a couple weeks ago has turned the leaves yellow on the trees and killed the soybeans and corn.

In the next day or two the late fall harvest will start. We could have really used more time for maturation of those crops but Mother Nature can't be deterred from her plans.

The wheat harvest was bit disappointing. The amount of straw suggested a big crop but the amount of grain in the heads was a different story. And the quality wasn't the best either. This summer just wasn't the best for any of the crops. It was too many things. Too cold. Too hot. Too wet. Too humid. But farmers are basically eternal optimists. Next year will be a whole new chance to try again.

And I'm doing another Iceling Cardigan. This time it is for a niece's partner who is expecting a little boy in December. The yarn is acrylic which I'm not totally happy about and I'm not sure about the colors either but the new parents are inexperienced in the baby department and I thought it best not to burden them with a sweater that needs special care.

I hope to not wait quite so long to post next time!

*This post brought to you by a suggestion from Cookie! Thanks Cookie! :D

I've got nuthin' but some randomnesses...

This is the 3rd time that I've started this book. If I can't make it through this time it'll probably be 3 strikes and you're out. It's just so wordy. A whole page to describe a woman's face. It could have been done in 1 sentence.... Taken separately her features were unremarkable or even unbecoming, but all together they made her a beauty. There. That wouldn't have been so awful for the author, would it?? But then I'm a bit of a believer in "Less is More"...

Onward!
The Sea of Dreams baby blanket is coming along. It's the next on my "finish this project NOW" hitlist. It is really quite easy going except for a few rows in each repeat that make no sense to me and so I'm constantly checking the chart to make sure I'm on the right track. Uff.

The fall flowers are doing their best to show off.

Russian Sage.

Joe Pye Weed and Veronica.

We've got apples! The squirrels are having their way with them though and so I'm thinking that I need to get ahold of 1st DDIL and we make a raid on the tree and get them picked. Ready or not!

There are plenty of apples but the bulk of them are at the top of the tree. /sigh

The bugbane has yet to bloom but the hostas and columbine are finished.

I love my ruffly daylily that always looks a little deformed.

And the rose is still going strong. If I get out and clip off the old buds I'll have blooms for a long time yet...

Well, that's it folks. My life is dull these days. Harvest is going on though. Maybe I need to get out to the field today and get a few combining pictures...

Greetings from the middle of the night

Well, I haven't done this in a long time. It's about 2:30 am and I just can't get back to sleep.

DH had the tv going in the bedroom giving it just the right amount of light to attract the miller/moth that is in the house, which attracted the cats, who kept jumping on the bed and the headboard and the nightstand and barely missing landing on my face.

It was more than I could take and still get back to sleep.

I've tried the computer but even Solitare isn't doing it. Maybe a little reading. Or maybe I'll try the bed again. The cats are quiet now.

Wish me luck.

Random

Mother Nature cooled our temperatures down a lot and Jack Frost came to decorate our windows....








Sunrise through Jack's handiwork.












Our kitties are best of buds and can be found cat napping together. They have claimed the couch as their own. We need a lighter colored couch so the hairs don't show so much!










I've almost finished a pair of socks for me and have decided to knit a hat for the "Warm Hats not Hot Heads" project. It is also nearly finished. Photos to come....

Do you recall...

Ivory Soap Flakes? I always used it to wash our boys' clothes when they were infants. We've got snow that looks so much like it...with a little sparkle thrown in for fun!

Does anyone else remember Ivory Flakes? Or am I the ancient one? :)

Wandering mind

On Thursday I was on a clear liquid diet to prep for a colonoscopy. I never realized how much random, mindless eating I do during the course of a day. There were so many triggers that made me go to the cupboard or the fridge for something to munch on. I finally had to go play the piano to break the urge. And that is something I could do more often to keep from eating. And a big plus to that would be that I'd get back to playing piano.

My dad had colon cancer. He was totally cured because he noticed the symptoms and took quick action. And now because he had it, I & my siblings need to have a colonoscopy every 5 years. The prep is much worse than the actual procedure. I sleep through the procedure. The gallon of golytely is another thing. The assisting nurse at the procedure called it swamp water. I can't think of a more appropriate way of describing it. But please, please, please, if you need to do a colonoscopy, do it. Don't put it off. Just do it.

Our weather is edging towards winter. The leaves are all gone. It is in the 20s overnight and the sloughs are starting to getting a thin layer of ice around the edges. I'd take this weather for the rest of the winter but I know that won't happen. Snow will come. And stay. Eventually.

And now just a couple shots of the kitties, lounging around in the upstairs hallway:






































Happy Weekend Everyone!