Saturday Night

Mom's watching "The Pink Panther" on the TCM channel. We watched "Rear Window" earlier this afternoon. Right now I'm not in the mood for watching a movie on TV. I'll probably sit in the bedroom and knit for awhile. I'm kind of bored which doesn't happen often. Don't really know what I feel like doing. I received two books when I went to MJ the other day. They were belated Christmas presents. I'm too restless to read so I'll put them away for another day.
The temperature is suppose to hit 39 degrees tomorrow. What a relief from the bitter cold. Monday is Ground Hog Day. Can you guess whether he'll see his shadow or not?
I'm available to work for 3 days this week. I hope that that becomes a reality.
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I'm your gal.

Friday

We played MJ yesterday. I only won one out of six games. I've always said that as long as I can win one game I'm happy. It was nice to see all of my friends again.
I went to the grocery store early this morning. When I was home again I got a phone call asking me if I was available to work this afternoon. I did go in to work. It's amazing how tired even half a day of work makes me. I feel asleep on the couch after dinner while we had the news on the TV.
Saturday will be a sewing or knitting adventure. They are the only plans that I have for the day. I will read at church on Sunday. The rest of the day will be a chance to knit on the afghan again. I'm anxious to get it done. Whenever I work on a project, I'm so excited about seeing the finished product, I become impatient to see it done and looking beautiful.
What a January it has been!!! Too much snow and bad weather. I'm hoping that we get a reprieve in February.

Cats And Needles

Where does the day go? I've asked that question before. Time passes whether you have fun or not. I'm writing briefly right now because Coco is sleeping on the couch and I may get another row or two knitted on the afghan while she sleeps. My knitting needles don't click-clack while I'm knitting so unless she comes to look for me she won't know that I'm knitting. Unfortunately for mom, her knitting needles are metal and Coco can hear them even when she's not in the same room. It's the yarn that fascinates her. She pulls at it while you knit. That's not conducive to keeping the stitches on the needle. I remember when Sandy use to sit by the sewing machine when he was a kitten. He would watch the needle go up and down and try to catch it. Luckily, I never sewed his paw. When I sew on the machine tomorrow I'd better close the door because Coco would probably try to do the same thing and I don't want to take any chances. Sandy is smart enough to know not to do that anymore. One's life is so different when you have cats. There's never a dull moment, no matter what you're doing. I should say that there's never a dull moment no matter what you're TRYING to do. Their interference sometimes keeps you from completing the task at hand.

MJ Again

Today was another bad weather day. I stayed home. I haven't even cleaned off my car yet because the snow changed to pouring rain. I hope it's not hard to clean off tomorrow. We play MJ tomorrow. I haven't played since about Sept. 2008. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone and playing the game. I hope that I remember how. After a fun day tomorrow I'll be ready to go back to working on Friday. I hope that something turns up.
Today I sewed the label on one baby quilt and packed it in it's own storage bag. I'm ready to show it to the grandmother and then send it on to the baby's mother. If we'd have a break in the bad weather that might be possible. I also knitted about another inch and a half on the afghan. I think that I have ten inches in the length at this point. Only another yard to go. Only? I have to knit when Coco is napping. I wish she'd take a nap right now.
I found a pattern for another baby quilt which I'd like to make. I'll have to put aside some money for the fabric. It's better if I give it to the mother after the baby is born because then I can put the baby's name on the quilt. So, if I'm invited to the shower, I'll give another gift and promise the baby quilt after the baby is born.
After all the baby quilts are made I can get back to making the one I promised E. over a year ago. It's going to be a challenge to make because it's all curves. I'm going to need my sewing angel by my side while I make that one. So many quilts to make and so little time to make them in. I'm sewing as fast as I can.

Working And Happy About It

Today was a very nice day. I did work and the people were lovely. I'm also working tomorrow which pleases me. On Tuesday night the weather is going to bring some snow so I probably won't get to work on Wednesday. I'm not sure about Thursday, but perhaps I'll be lucky enough to get something for Friday.
Tomorrow my day starts a bit later than today did so I'll get to watch my favorite morning program for a longer period of time. It's a good way to start the day.

Art Books

What do I write about tonight? There's not much to say. Coco just got into my lap to see what I'm doing. She likes to watch the computer screen when I'm on the computer. She's so cute.
Our entertainment this afternoon was to get the art books off the shelves and look at different artists' work. Mom had John Singer Sargent's book, D. had the Norman Rockwell book and I was looking at artists of the 20th century. We had an art discussion. D. wanted to know about Pointalism. We discussed Salvatore Dali, the Impressionists, Winslow Homer, and Picasso.
Now it's my job to put the heavy books back into the bookcases. The next time we'll take others off the shelves and see what we can learn and teach.
I love my art books. I've gotten most of them when I've visited the art museums in NYC. Most of my trips were to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I'm hoping that I can go again this spring. I'll check their website to see what special collections they may have. Last year a friend and I visited and spent most of our time in the Roman and Greek exhibit. It was very interesting. That's something to look forward to when spring arrives. Oh, Spring! Where are you? How I yearn for warmer days and flowers blooming. Then I remember that Winter, this too shall pass.

Another Saturday

Today was another relaxing Saturday. I like that kind of day. I did absolutely nothing much to speak of. I did knit a bit until the cats discovered my tote bag of yarn. I had to put it away for awhile and when they nap again I'll take it out. I went out for the mail, but never ventured further than the mailboxes. It's just too cold for my liking. Momis reading right now and we're listening to the Easy Listening channel on the TV. We've decided that there's nothing worth watching tonight which is fine with me. Our taste in movies is not always the same.

Tomorrow I'm picking my brother up and bringing him home for a visit. I'll go to the 11:30 am mass around the corner. I was dressed so warmly last week when I went to church and the church was so warm that I was uncomfortable. I'll not dress in layers for church tomorrow even though it promises to be quite cold out. The walk from the car to the church and back ought to be bearable since it's a short walk.

Gone With The Wind

Where did the day go? I got up at 5:00 am. I can't believe that it's going on 8:30 pm already. The day was a little different than I had planned. I had some phone calls to make this morning. I picked up a family member and brought him over for a visit. After that I went to the wholesale club for paper products. My craft for the day turned out to be knitting. I have 8 inches of a 48 inch afghan done. I'm psyched about getting it done. Really motivated. It looks so pretty in soft pastel green.
I made lunch and supper for my guests, checked my email and took a peek at facebook when I wasn't knitting. I'll probably turn in early tonight as I can feel myself getting sleepy already. Sandy is napping on the bed and Coco is taking her nap on the couch. I hope that they let me sleep through the night. When they wake me up it's hard to fall back asleep.
It wasn't as cold today, but too cold for my liking. I'm starting to get Cabin Fever again. I have no plans for the weekend except for church on Sunday. Maybe I need to go for a walk tomorrow morning. Exercise is a good way to break the ennui. This January seems to be 90 days long instead of 31. Isn't it spring yet?

Move The Walls Out

It was in the wee hours of the morning that I attacked the craft room today. I couldn't sleep so I got up and started organizing and straightening. It is much improved, but needs the wall moved out about 4 feet in each direction. If I could do that I'd have a place for everything and would have everything in it's place.
I picked up the baby quilt. It looks adorable. I also visited the knitting shop and got an address to send for labels for my knitting. I called that store and ordered them already. Tomorrow's activity will be to cut the binding for the baby quilt and to sew the strips together. If everything works out well I'll begin to attach it to the quilt. Also need to get in some knitting tomorrow.
Checked out Facebook briefly this evening. I have more friends. Still not sure what the benefit is to being a member of it.

The Craft Room

Tomorrow morning will be the time I pick up my finished quilt. I will also visit the yarn/knitting shop to get labels for the items I knit. When I return home I plan to work on organizing the craft room again. It's gotten away from me. I'll feel much better about working in there when that task is completed. I'll have to lock the cats out of the room while I'm working because they will follow me in there and only get in the way. I'm guessing that it will take a couple of hours to straighten the things which need organizing. Then when I sit down to sew I'll be much happier, and will have a better feeling about being in there. I'd love it if I could have someone else give me their input as to where to put things. Lending me some time to help would also be appreciated, but I'm not in the position to hire a professional organizer.So, alas, I'm on my own.

In The Pink

We're in the pink! It was a good day today. We got up at 6:00 a.m. and watched our favorite morning program- "Morning Joe". After showering and eating breakfast I went to the store to pick up a few things. It was cold today but not nearly as cold as it has been lately. By 3:15 p.m. the house was cleaned. We had tea and oatmeal cookies for a mid afternoon snack. I served dinner at 6:10 p.m. and cleaned up the dishes immediately after dinner. We've been watching news programs since dinner and I've checked my email now and then. I joined facebook a few days ago but don't know the "ins and outs" of it all yet. At this place in time it seems to be overrated. Maybe as I learn more about how to use it I'll change my opinion of it. We'll see.

New Administration

Today was a busy day in Washington, D.C. The real work starts tomorrow. I hope that our new President is successful in getting things done. Whether you voted for him or not, we have to hope that the next four years will be good ones for the U.S.A.

Inauguration Day

We watched the Inaugural Parade today which has just ended. We also saw some of the Inauguration speech given by President Barack Obama. Life being how it is however, we couldn't sit there all day to watch the festivities. There were chores and errands to do. Life happens, as they say. It gets in the way of other ideas and plans.

Up And Running

The laptop is working again thanks to a friend and his phone call. I didn't need a new router afterall. I don't understand what was wrong, but I'm thankful it's up and running again. Now I can sit in comfort, like I'm presently doing, when I blog. I can also check a few other items which aren't on my desktop. Thank God for good friends. What would we do without them?

Things To Do

The snow is falling. The wind is blowing. I'm glad I don't have to go out in the storm. My sister ventured out a little while ago for a visit to our home. She left when she saw that the snow started to stick to the grass and the pavement. I wasn't expecting snow this day. Now I'm wondering how much we'll end up with. It doesn't really matter except that I'll have to clean off the cars or worse yet, dig the cars out if the snow is deep. We're warm and cozy and have plenty to occupy ourselves with so we shall not be bored.
I knitted 2 more rows today and will get back to it after supper. Meanwhile I'm perusing my baby quilt books looking for a quilt to make. When I find a pattern I like, I'll take a trip to the quilt shop and decide on fabrics. I want to make a unisex quilt which could be for a boy or a girl since I don't know yet which sex the baby will be. I am scheduled to go to the quilt shop this week. Hopefully, I can make my choices of fabric then. After that the process starts. Washing and ironing the fabric is first, followed by the cutting of the fabric. The fun part starts next when I'll begin to sew the pieces together and the quilt top gets done. Next is putting the 3 layers together, the Quilt top, the batting and the backing. When that's done the quilting begins. The binding and the label will finish off the quilt. Hopefully, it will look like a work of art. A lot of love will have gone into the whole process of completing the quilt. Then comes the best part, giving it away to the expectant parents. They, hopefully, will cherish it as much as I do.

Middle Of The Night

Tonight I'm wide awake. Sandy woke me up about 45 minutes ago and now I can't get back to sleep. I have Coco by my side as I type and Sandy is in the living room sitting very comfortably on the floor. When I'm awakened in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep, I'm at a loss for what to do with myself. I'm a bit groggy so doing crafts is not an option. I'm sure I'd make a mistake or two in what I was doing. Don't feel like reading, that prospect seems boring right now. So here I sit blogging and saying absolutely nothing.
I should check to see if the snow we were promised has started yet. They've predicted 1 to 3 inches for our area. That with the cold temperatures is enough to keep me indoors for the day. My plans right now are to finish the last load of laundry and to continue to knit. I already know what we're having for lunch and dinner so that is not a problem. At 8 a.m. we'll watch the "Morning Joe" crew who have a special program on Sunday. We'll catch " Meet The Press" until it's time to go to church. I'm hoping that the roads aren't slippery. If they are I can always walk to the church around the corner. After church I'll see what's interesting in The Sunday Star Ledger. I know the day will fly by quickly as it always does. Hopefully, at this time tomorrow night I won't be sitting here typing, but will be fast asleep. We'll see!

Multi-tasking

What a horribly cold day it was today. I went out this morning to buy a few necessities, like milk and bread. I did some laundry and spent a good portion of the day knitting. As I knitted I sat on the couch with my legs up on the couch. I had a nice warm afghan covering my legs and was visited from time to time by my two cats. I couldn't stop in the middle of a row to greet the cats because I would have lost my place and messed up the entire row. So, at the end of a row, I put the knitting away and Coco curled up on my lap for awhile. When she had enough, she got down and sat on the floor. I was able to resume my knitting for another row or two. The pattern in the afghan is beginning to take shape. It's going to be very pretty when it's done. Since I can't do 2 things at one time, I have a hard time listening to the tv while I knit. That's when I tend to make mistakes in my knitting. So, most of my concentration was on the knitting with a pause now and then to hear the tv. Multi-tasking doesn't work for me. I like to do one job at a time, do it well, and then move on to another task. I suppose that I'm a product of my generation. Unless it's a mindless task, I need to think about what I'm doing.

Getting Ready

We watched CNN all day today, following the train ride from Philadelphia to Washington, DC. The coverage was very interesting. Tomorrow we'll probably watch more of the coverage. Our favorite morning show will be on at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning. Usually, it's only on weekdays. It is exciting to watch history in the making whether you voted for the president elect or not. DC is getting ready for the Inauguration on Tuesday, January 20th. If they call me to work that day, I will, but something tells me that I won't be needed that day. In that case, I'll be watching the ceremony and the parade from my living room.

TV News Coverage

It's one of those days when I feel like writing but have nothing to say. Mom watched the Dog Whisperer tonight on TV. It's amazing to me that people hang on to some of the dogs they have. One couple had 2 wolves which they needed help with. I guess I'm not that brave (or dumb) to live with 2 wolves. The two cats I have are more my style. I'd never consider living with a wild cat of any sort.
The "miracle on the Hudson" was the main focus of the news today. What a refreshing change from the usual - bad economy, murders, wars and all the other news which brings you "down". The news about the outcome of the plane accident was uplifting. God was watching over them. I'm so glad that it turned out the way it did. One thing I noticed about the news coverage of the event was that very little credit was given to the NJ side of the river and those New Jerseyans who helped in the rescue effort. The NY News tends to dismiss NJ as just "backround". Finally, today, credit was given to NJ by certain News sources. Remember to give credit where credit is due even if the help comes from NJ. We're not a suburb of NYC.

A Very Cold January Day

Went out this afternoon for a dentist appointment. It was too cold for my liking.
This morning I got a lot of housework done. So tonight my plan is to knit. I'd like to do at least 8 rows tonight. I have to write down what I'm doing and cross it off as I go so I won't forget where I am if I get interrupted. Like I've mentioned before, I repeat these 8 rows for most of the afghan. I'm hoping my memory will serve me well and that toward the end of the piece I'll be in the rhythm of what I'm doing.
Tomorrow I'll stop at the grocery store in the morning. My plans for the rest of the day are not definite yet. If I'm home I'll knit. If the mood strikes me I may visit my favorite quilt shop and the knitting shop next door. I want to get labels for the knitted pieces I do and give away. I could use some more muslin for quilt labels also.
It's going to be just as cold tomorrow. I'm so glad that I have a heater that works, and a warm coat to wear. I made a knitted scarf a few years ago which also comes in handy. They're saying that it will snow on Sunday morning. I'm hoping that it's just a dusting.

A Good Thing

This evening I knitted 10 rows. The cats didn't bother me. There is hope for them yet. Tomorrow I plan to do rows 11 to 18 which is where the pattern changes. Then I repeat rows 11 to 18 until the afghan is long enough. I'll end by repeating the first 9 rows. I'm using a size 15 knitting needle so the project will go a bit faster than I expected it to. That's a good thing. We're making progress here!
I will also do the label for the baby quilt tomorrow. When it's done, I'll sew it into place. I can't wait to show the finished quilt to the baby's grandmother. Then I'll send it on to the parents of the baby.

One Down, Several To Go

It's done! I finished the baby quilt today. All I need to do is to put a label on it which I shall do tomorrow. Next Thursday I'll pick up baby quilt two and finish the binding on it. Then it'll be two down. I have a third baby quilt to make after that is done. My sister's quilt remains on the back burner. I'm anxious to work on it since I started it before the baby quilts. It's a full size quilt and will take longer to finish. What a sense of accomplishment you get when you finish a project. I will spend the rest of my leisure time knitting tonight. I'm anxious to get the afghan done also. I love to see the finished piece no matter what it happens to be. I must mention that Coco sat by my side while I sewed today and she didn't interrupt me once. I'm hoping that I'll be so lucky when I start to knit. There's something about yarn and knitting needles that attracts her. Sandy was also attracted to yarn and knitting needles when he was young, but he's gotten over his fascination with them. I'm hoping for the same from Coco.

Back To Normal

This morning I knew that Coco was her usual self because she started to tease Sandy by grabbing his tail. She is lively, she's eaten, and she follows me around from room to room.
It is snowing here. The temperature is colder than yesterday. I have a few household things to accomplish, but then I plan to sew until I finish tacking the binding on the baby quilt. Hopefully, the two cats will not jump on the quilt while I'm working on it. It took me 2 hours last night to finish a side and a half . By using those calculations, it should take another 4 hours or so to finish sewing the entire binding on. With breaks taken now and then, I should be able to accomplish that. Then I'll get back to my knitting. I've done 2 rows already and have 7 more of the same to finish before the pattern changes. Wouldn't it be great to get those 7 rows done today also? Big plans for a snow day.

Coco Came Home

Coco came home with me this morning. She was really out of it. She slept from about 9:30 am when we returned home until about 2:30 pm. Unfortunately for me, she slept on my lap so I couldn't do a thing but hold her. When I would put her down near the food and water, she didn't eat or drink. Actually, she laid her head in the food dish at one point. So, I picked her up again and settled in for a long rest with my feet up on the couch and her almost around me neck. She's much more lively now although not quite herself. By tomorrow I'm sure she'll be the same Coco I know.
I returned from my quilt group a few minutes ago. I managed to get one whole side of the quilt binding tacked and started the second side. NO interruptions! That's the secret to getting anything done.
Tomorrow promises to be much colder than today and they're predicting a snowfall of 1 to 3 inches here. I plan to stay home and sew. Time's a wasting! I have to get these things done. If I don't, I'll be backed up with projects to finish.
Hopefully, it'll be a productive day of sewing tomorrow.

Plans

This afternoon I took Coco to the Vet's to be spayed. We don't want any more little kittens. I felt bad leaving her there, but I know she'll be ok.
I stopped at a local craft store afterwards. I want to knit something special for someone. I did find 2 beautiful colors with which to work. I'll get started tonight. I'm chomping at the bit, so to speak.
Last night we watched a movie called "Shadow of a Doubt". It stars Joseph Cotton. It's an oldie but was an excellent movie. Tonight we're watching "Gaslight" which I hear is also very well done.
Tomorrow night my quilt group meets. I plan to finish the quilt I had to put on hold while I was sick. Hope to get a lot done because I have another one waiting for me to pick up next Thurs. I'll need to do the binding on that one also. I feel like if I don't work quickly, I'll fall behind.
A friend asked me to join Facebook today. I'm not quite sure what that's all about. She said we could learn together. Interesting!

Today

This morning I went to work for a half day. Afterwards I went to the Polytech and had my hair done. They do such a good job for a little bit of money. Since snowflakes fell all day reminding me that Saturday will be a snowy day, I stopped at the local grocery store to get the supplies we'll need for the weekend.
I hadn't eaten anything all day so when I returned home at about 1:30pm I had lunch. Mom was watching a movie and Coco was playing with a toy mouse. She played for a long time. Sandy slept through it all.
After I clean up the kitchen I plan to knit or quilt for the rest of the day. I didn't get in a walk today because I was so busy. It'll begin to get dark in about 45 minutes so I'll do the walk tomorrow. There aren't enough lights for an evening walk. The day went quickly as most busy days do.

A Brisk Walk

This morning I started my walking regimen. I walked once around the complex. It was cold and damp. I dressed warmly and wore a hat. I hadn't walked any great length since the warm weather. It wasn't easy the first time out, but will get easier each time I do it. I will do 1 time around again tomorrow and then try twice around for a few days.
After walking I took the books back to the library. I didn't get any new books today because I have so much knitting and quilting to do. I had put a hold on that while I was ill.
I also took a short ride today just to get a change of scenery. I picked up lunch for us before I returned home.
Tomorrow I will work for a half a day and afterwards will have my hair done at Polytech. I should probably pick a few things up at the grocery store since they're promising snow for Saturday.

My Typical At Home Day

Having nothing to say for the past 5 days, my blog has not been kept up. I still don't have much to write about but sometimes when I begin to write, something comes to mind. Nothing worth writing about happened today. It was just a normal day at home. Things like crafts, reading or TV fill my day on days like this.
Tonight we're expecting a snow/ice storm so I'm planning on another day indoors tomorrow. I may have to clean the car off, however. I'm hoping to work on Thursday.
My day starts at 6:00a.m. when I begin to watch "Morning Joe". I find it so much more interesting than shows like the "Today" show. The participants discuss current political topics and a sense of humor is also displayed in the discussions. In the evening after the regular news, I sometimes like to watch Lou Dobbs. He claims to be an independent in his political views and the discussion sometimes causes me anger or frustration. Why? It does so because while you're listening to the show you feel that something MUST be done about the different issues raised and you feel powerless to do anything about them. After having my "Irish" raised, I need to watch something more docile and easy going until I calm down. Sometimes just listening to the music channel fits the bill. In any case, that's a synopsis of my day when at home. You can understand why I need to get out and about now and then.

Work In Progress

One idea I had while laying in bed last night staring at my closet, is that this would be a good place to start if I were to make a resolution for the New Year. I shall go through my closet, get rid of what I don't need, and organize and straighten up what remains. This will be a huge undertaking since I have a very long closet. I will not give myself a deadline for completion at this time. That would only cause pressure and I don't work well under pressure. The first thing I will do is go through the tote bags and pocketbooks to see what I can purge or give away. Next will be the shoes. What haven't I worn in a long while? What no longer fits comfortably? After these things are sorted, I will be one my way. The harder things to go through will be the clothes hanging on the hangers. I'll know what fits and what doesn't, but what about the blazers I haven't worn since I retired? I love them. They're not really out of style. I must have collected at least 10 over the years. I have them in every color that I ever loved. There could be occasions to wear them, but they take up so much room in the closet. Thinking that one through is a dilemna. In any case, I shall not buy any more clothing this winter since I have enough now.
When the closet is done, I have 2 bureau drawers to go through and straighten. That will be an easier task.
So, those are two of my "goals" or "resolutions" for the new year. As I'm thinking about it, I usually give myself "goals" to achieve as I go about my life. I often make progress but don't always achieve the end result I'd like to achieve. I'll forever be a "work in progress" I guess.

Gifts

This evening we're enjoying the New Year's Concert from Vienna, Austria. We watch this concert every year. It's enchanting! The orchestra plays the music of the Strauss family, Johann and his 2 sons. The ballet also dances to a few numbers that the orchestra plays. This year's host is Julie Andrews. It's her first time as host. Usually, Walter Cronkite has the honors. Julie is giving a lot of history about each piece and the composer. It's interesting, but I'd rather have less of the history presented in such a dry manner, and more of the music or dance which is exciting and exhilarating.
I've been noticing the members of the orchestra as the camera pans over them. It's a truly handsome group of men and women. Individually, a few of them stand out as being more handsome than the others. What talent they have! I'm sure there has been a lifetime of practice on their instruments. I believe that musical talent comes easier to some than to others. The ones who excel have a "bent" for music. It's almost part of their DNA. What a great gift to be given, the ability to make music that other people enjoy listening to. It's often said that each of us has been given gifts by our creator. I never stopped to think about what "gifts" I've been given, in that way. There have always been things to be thankful for, but which are our gifts? That's something to think about as this New Year begins. I bet it's not an easy list to come up with. One gift I know I don't possess is the "gift of gab". Maybe one gift is that of being a good listener. This question has sort of intrigued me. I'm going to see what I can add to the list. Are we given one great gift, like musical talent? Or, are we given many smaller gifts, like the gift of gab, for instance? I'd like to know what you think about the "gifts" we we're given by God. I don't mean the obvious gifts, like family, friends, but the ones we're not aware of until we give it some thought.