R.I.P. Duke

Yesterday we had to put our best fur buddy down. For two months he had been limping. I thought at first he hurt his little Corgi leg, going down the back steps. But when I took him in, the x-ray showed no break. Well a month later, it seemed to get worse; he was not walking on the leg at all, and was hopping around on three legs. I took him back in she did x-rays again. She referred me to a Vet who specializes in muscular/ skeletal type things...  I went in, hoping he could just operate and fix Duke's leg. But knowing in the back of my mind it was probably due to his cancer... It was.  All our options were not good. Remove his leg, chemotherapy and radiation.  More pain. He has been whining and moaning for weeks, even on two different pain pills.  I felt so awful for him. So I did the hardest thing I have ever done.  And put him out of his misery.  He was only four years old. I don't think another dog will ever replace him. He was the best fur buddy I've ever had.
R.I.P. Duke
6-2-2013 ~ 10-18-2017
Forever in My Heart 

Hello, It's Me...

...I'm still alive.  I haven't been blogging very good... I don't know if I posted about all the problems we were having with our youngest son.  Not that he is a bad kid. He was just depressed and acting on it... Being bullied at school and the school would do NOTHING.  I won't get into it.. But long story short, I think he is doing better. Although I am always "on the watch" for things...    I have been crocheting but I will only post the "major" things I've done since my last post.  This is a blanket (I did two of these exact same ones, I think) One was for my cousin who had a baby girl. The other one was for my husband's co-worker and his wife. They had a girl, too. She had her on Father's Day. Although, he was already a father from a previous marriage. 

This is the sweater set I crocheted to go with my cousins' baby blanket. I also did a hat. I don't know why I didn't take a picture of it...

I got a Santa cookie jar and some Christmas tree plates at Goodwill. They have one shelf that is all Christmas stuff. 

I actually just did this today, start and finished. I re-potted the Christmas Cactus, too. I kind of modified the pattern, it is the Poinsettia Flowerpot in the Handmade Crochet Holidays magazine by Crochet World.  I hope my cactus gets lots of blooms on it this Christmas.

A granny square baby blanket I recently finished for the OB Ward and sent last month. The square was from the 200 Crochet Blocks book by Jan Eaton. I think it was square #101. But I don't remember.

Some of the zucchini from our garden. (Sigh...)  I don't know what I am going to do with them all. I have two freezer bags full of shredded zucchini. My husband is already complaining about no room in the freezer... UGH...  

I have baked a lot with the zucchini, too. Lemon Zucchini Bread, (so yummy!) Chocolate Zucchini Bread, Spicy Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies. They were all so yummy. Plus my husband has grilled zucchini a few times, and put some in pasta salad.

It's Been A While..

I hope you all had a nice Easter. We just spent it alone at home just our family.  I finished the table runner for my Easter dinner table, with a week to spare. I hadn't worked with thread in a long time. 

I don't think I posted this four corners dishcloth I did. A while ago..

I don't think I posted the finished bigger mitered squares blanket, either? I sent it last month.  I'm kind of getting the urge to start another one. But they take me so long. I finished this one with a couple weeks to spare shy of a year.  I didn't work on it all the time, though.

I also don't know if I posted this painting Eon did? I think he totally painted over it, and did another one.. 

... this one. Which turned out super cool. He hung it on his wall. He painted it all black, then used melted crayons for the "rainbow". Just off the top of his head. 

And, I finally got the nerve up to try and make blackberry jam. Well, I didn't just try. :P I did. And, it turned out good, too. The hardest part is (well besides all of it) the sterilizing the jars, then you have to cook the jam (I got splattered/burned a couple times). Then you have to use a special funnel that is wider at the bottom, to pour the jam into the jars.  These are more than halfway gone.  And I still have four and a half bags of blackberries in the freezer. (Gallon size freezer bags.)

This was a few weeks ago? I saw a huge bird come flying in and land on a tree at the back of our property line. I was just standing there, and it happened, I ran and got my camera, and zoomed in and this was the best picture I got. I think it is a Cooper's Hawk? I don't know...  It was big! My husband said it was probably hunting gophers. (Or, he was hoping..)

I don't post a lot about my personal life, but if anyone has any good thoughts for our youngest son to send up... He is going through a very difficult time right now. :(

Scrap Strips Blanket

I finished the twin sized scrap strips blanket. I started it early last year like March? I don't think it took me a whole year. But close..  And, I noticed the first strip (which was actually the last strip, I work backwards...) Is a lot lighter than all the other ones.  Hmmm. 

I was digging through my bag of paper/card making stuff today and saw my Iris Folding papers/printouts..  I thought "I want to do one of those."  Since I don't have any double sided tape to finish the actual cards I made...  I do have regular tape.   I haven't done a cat one yet. 

I racked my brain trying to think of a good background color to go with orange...  I think this is pretty good.  I really enjoyed making this. Which is something I can't say often..   I still do need double sided tape to finish it though.  I can wait a few days til payday though.  This is technically "scrap strips", too. But paper. And you need more than just strips you do need a couple strips of each color. Depending on what you are doing. Small shapes you would need less..  I think I posted the link for Iris Folding before but it has been a long time...  Here are a few I did before.  A snowman one I did..  I had another guitar one I started, too.  It's actually all done, I would just need to do the handle.. 

We had a 60 degree day a couple days ago (or maybe it was yesterday?).  And all the frogs came out!  I noticed this one on our house. It was there for two days. It's gone now.  Well I "had" to show it to Duke....  Ugh...  He was obsessed with trying to get it. But, fortunately for the frog, his legs are too short. :P   There was another frog on the pavement, but I think it was already dead because it wasn't moving when he tried to get it. We had to get it out of his mouth and throw it out of the backyard. 

I finished another row on the mitered squares blanket. I actually have done five more squares since I took this picture. I decided to change it up and do one, two, then one on top of the first one, then another and another. Instead of straight across.  Isn't it amazing...  :P

Not a very good picture, but I started a Hufflepuff Scarf for Eon.  :D  He said he wanted one that was online (it was fleece, and had an emblem on it). I said (all excited). "I can knit you one!".  Of course he rolled his eyes and said "I don't want that crochet stuff." :0  I said "I can knit one, not crochet.." He wouldn't even look at any on Ravelry. :(  Well, later on I asked him again and he said, "Maybe THAT one." So, I started it. It's the Vintage Hufflepuff Scarf, a free download at Ravelry. We missed Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, in the theater. So, now we have to wait until it comes out on DVD..

Saturday we were low on food. I was thinking about making  french toast, but we didn't have any syrup. Or butter... I thought pancakes, but again, no syrup. Then I remembered the gazillion blackberries in the freezer... So I made some blackberry syrup. My husband would complain about all the blackberries this summer. But I said "It's free food, and it might save us one day." Well that day came..   :P We have since gone grocery shopping.

And I made oatmeal raisin cookies cookies, too,.

Some FO's, A WIP, And Food...

This is a sweater/hat/mitten/booties/sleep sack set I did, to "go with" the little outfit I bought for the OB Ward. Technically, the sleep sack doesn't really "go"...  I wanted to do the blue band in a camo yarn. But, we are flat broke so no money for even one more skein right now...  I had to use what I had.  But the sweater set goes with the outfit. :)  I don't even know if I will be able to send this this month, either.   Anyway, the bear hat is Osito's Infant Hat. The sweater is Bella Bambina's Cardigan for Babies. Booties are Crochet Newborn Booties. I wanted something in worsted weight. I like this pattern. The mittens are Ruth's Crochet Set: Mittens. My computer (internet) is sucking like usual, today. So I will try and add the links later. But the sleep sack is Bev's Newborn Cocoon.   I was kind of thinking maybe I should do a bear blanket to go with this, then it would be a whole layette.  But I don't know if I have that much ambition... Plus, I have two other blankets I still need to finish.

Another little outfit I bought. I might do a set to go with it, too. Since I might not even be sending it til next month.

And this is the "WIP" I have... (One of the two blankets I mentioned..) My bigger mitered squares blanket. Last time I posted about this, I was still not even finished with the second row. So I feel pretty good about how far I've gotten on it. And, I love it. 

I don't know if I ever posted the hat I finished for Eli?  If I didn't, then I haven't posted about Steve's either.  He wears it to work every day. :D  So it was a win. 

And I made myself another hat, too.  

It's the Iced Edge Granny Squares Hat pattern. Someone posted a link on Facebook. And I really liked it. I haven't actually worn it "out" though..  But I do like it.

And, I downloaded some food pictures I posted on Facebook...  A good old fashioned chicken pot pie.  I stopped making this for a long time, because I thought the kids "hated" it. But, it must have just been our oldest son...   They ate the whole pan.  So, I started up a "Pot Pie" tub in the freezer.  In one of my "tightwad" books a reader wrote in to say she keeps a tub in the freezer of all their leftover vegetables, and any meat that doesn't get eaten at dinner. Then when it's to a certain level, she makes a pot pie with it.  With as tight as money has been for us (Christmas, then Eli's birthday, then Evan and Jayce's anniversary, we can't catch a break...)  I thought it might save us one night for dinner time.  

Some Monkey Bread I made...  I thought I hadn't made this since we lived in Nevada. But Eon said I made it when we lived in Tennessee. I don't remember it, though..

We had some strong winds one night...  Guess it was stronger than I thought. This is a neighbor's tree, down the road from us. In the road.  That was a huge tree, too. The bottom of the tree was past where that trailer is.

Update since my last post (earlier this morning) Eon texted me.

Eli's Birthday

I made the usual cake... But, I did a different frosting this time (I will not use this recipe ever again. No matter how much powdered sugar you add, it never seems to thicken..)  It still tasted all right.  I re-used the happy birthday candles from Eon and Steve's cake. (Not going to do that again, either- they melted all over the cake.)  

Opening his first present... Clothes, for work..  (He got a job, finally. Yay.. But not yay...  I won't go into it..)

Is this one blurry, or is it just me?  

We tried to get him "adult" presents. Since he is 20 now..  Look, a smile. I think he liked it.

I had to sneak a picture of Eon in. Ha ha... He didn't even know. :P

About to blow out his candles..   

Since this post is about birthday(s), I thought I would add a belated birthday card I made for a pen pal.  Her birthday is the day before Eli's. And, we technically celebrated Eli's birthday the day before (on her birthday), because everyone had work/school, then Eli had work that afternoon. So since no one would be home at the same time, we did it a day early. Although, it turned out that they changed his schedule that day (and two or more other days, which is part of the "not yay" part of his new job- they change his schedule almost every day.) .  Oh well...     I just made the card up.  I wanted to do a "Bee-Lated" birthday card. But different.. I printed out the "Happy Bee-Lated Birthday" on white card stock, cut it down, Used a punch my Mom gave me to do the lacy black part..  And an envelope I got with my Christmas photo cards. I made the card the size of the envelope..  I have 19 more of them. So...

Eon is at a friends' house. He has been asking to have this friend over or go to his house, forever...   I would rather have had his friend over here.  But...   We went over there, "interviewed" (aka talked) to his Mom/Boyfriend..   I still am not comfortable about it.  Note to self: Do not watch the episode of The Hunt with John Walsh where a girl goes to her friends for a sleepover, and the friends Mom's new boyfriend rapes her; on your son's very first sleepover EVER... (I had no idea what episode it was, I was just watching TV..)   I kept thinking "I must be crazy...  Maybe I should just (sound like a crazy person) go over there and say I changed my mind about him staying the night..."  Other than Eon talking about this friend, and me seeing this friend almost every day, I know nothing about these people except what was said yesterday. :/   I have been texting him, so if I didn't have that... I would be an absolute nervous  wreck. Except he hasn't texted me back yet this morning... So...  :/  

Snow Day

Today was supposed to have been the first day back to school after Christmas break. But, they cancelled school due to "ice and sleet".  Which is fine with me...  I didn't sleep good last night. Neither did my husband (he woke me up because I think Eli woke him up... Sigh...)   Maybe I will sleep better tonight.  I took a picture of the mitered squares blanket again. I finished the square I was working on and 1 1/2 more since the last picture. :P  

I made a new muffin recipe a couple days ago, pizza muffins. I didn't have pepperoni, or olives... I just did the cheese. They were pretty good, especially hot out of the oven with spaghetti sauce. :)

Serving suggestion. :P

We still have a lot of candy canes left from Christmas...   I was bored this morning and lined them all up.  I will have to figure out something to make with them... No one seems to be eating them.

I had just enough flour left this morning to make banana bread with my mini loaf pan. One batch filled each tin.  I somehow gained five pounds over Nov-Dec, so I am trying to be good.... Sigh...  But I love banana bread.   

New Year, New Rug...

We got a new rug for the bathroom.. Exciting, I know.  :P

But, it makes me happy. Now I don't have to look at the ugly floor by the tub any more. I hate that!! No amount of scrubbing or soft scrub with bleach will fix it.  Makes me wonder what the floor underneath it looks like. :/    This house was built in 1960. And I think some of the things in this house are original to when it was built...  :/   Anyway.

One of the things I got for my birthday was a wax seal kit.  My  husband says he doesn't know what I like/want. So one day when we were at World Market, I said "You can buy me this for my birthday."  :P  A couple of people who write to me use wax seals, and I think they are so neat.  This kit has three seals. 

I finally tried it a few days ago. My first one, and it came out pretty good. (The second one I did did not turn out so good.)  

I don't think I posted about the hat I was knitting for Eli...? Well technically I started it for Steve. But, #1. He hasn't even worn the one I did knit him. #2. Eli got the job he went on the interview for last week. (I am not thrilled about it, but... I won't go into that.)  He will be working outside, maybe. Pumping gas. I am not sure if he will be a cashier inside the kiosk, or pumping gas, too. It is part time, 20 hours a week. And they don't stay open 24 hours-- so I at least won't have to worry about that. 

Anyway, I finished it on December 31st.  So it was my last project of 2016.  I think he likes it. He actually smiled, and put it on.  :)

I have been working on my bigger mitered squares blanket. It's my "TV knitting" project. I should say "Netflix knitting". Since we don't have cable..   I decided it will be for the OB Unit.  I am doing it the same as the other one I did, but casting on 23, place marker, 23. Instead of 16.  It's the Knitted Patchwork Recipe pattern on Ravelry. Free download.

I am going to have to get Duke a cone of shame...   Look what he keeps doing to himself! He's chewed the fur right off (on both sides of his tail!), and I don't know what is going on...   I think he got fleas. (Maybe I need the cone of shame...)  :(  I haven't been doing his flea meds on a regular monthly basis. I thought I was doing okay. But, I looked at my calendar (where I write it down).  I think (unless I forgot to write it down) I missed from May-September!!  I could have sworn I did a couple months in the summer. That was when he had his surgery.  I thought I did.  Well, I did see a couple of black bugs on him which were probably fleas.  Sigh...  Makes me crazy even thinking about it. I have given them both baths (not an easy task with Duke, he weighs over 50 lbs, and fights me trying to get him in the tub-which isn't easy without him fighting me).  Did that twice now. Put flea meds on them. Vacuum everywhere, put baking soda on the rug (only carpet in the house- I guess I should be glad about that now), and on their dog bed. Vacuumed that, and immediately took the vacuum bag out to the trash bin. Put a flea collar in a new bag, and vacuum again. Sweep, mop, clean their kennel out with bleach water, move the kennel, clean underneath...  clean the whole laundry room; baseboards walls, cracks... I have done this a few times. Wash all their pillows and sheet in their kennel in bleach water.  Anyway. I am not sure if it was because of fleas (I think it was because of the little red spots?), or what...  I also got him a flea collar.  He seems to be itching less, and I haven't seen any more little black bugs.  He must be a flea magnet. He got them once when we lived in Tennessee, too. Living in super humid states doesn't help... Maybe we should move back to Nevada, no fleas there... :(

He loves being outside...   Here he is after I opened the door (because he scratched on it) "I want to come in".... (You can see his flea collar..)   

Then he runs away "Ha ha just kidding!!" He's a brat.  :P  It's a good thing he's so darn cute.  He loves the snow. Right when he did that (scratch on the door then run away thing), he ran over and started eating it.