Daylight Savings Time

If we change the clocks ahead next weekend, can spring be far behind? I sure hope not. Spring will officially begin toward the later part of March, but what I'm interested in is spring weather, spring flowers, singing birds, sunshine, warm rain, and being outside without wearing a heavy coat. There will also be flowering trees, crocuses, daffodils, tulips, forsythia, lilacs (my favorite spring flower) pansies, and the grass will start to get green again. Every year I say the same thing which is that I hope we HAVE a "spring" and don't go straight from winter to summer heat and humidity. It will be nice to get out and walk when the weather is comfortable, not freezing. The best part of spring weather is not having to use the AC or the heat. Think of the $$$ we'll save! I'll be able to open the doors and let the fresh air and sunlight come inside. Sandy and Coco will be in their glory when able to smell fresh air. Maybe Coco will stop trying to run out the front door everytime someone comes in or goes out. Also, if I save my pennies (dollars really), I'll be able to play golf again with friends. What a great way to spend a day!

Saturday At Home

It was a nice day today. I finished the cleaning early and was able to enjoy the rest of the day. My sister visited this afternoon and surprised us be bringing supper. All I had to do was heat it up in the microwave. No cooking! What a break! Right now Sandy and Coco are napping. Mom is reading in the living room. When I finish blogging I'll get back to my knitting. I ordered a book from the local library which I've been meaning to read. It's called, "The Devil and The White City". Both my sister and my mother have read the book and they highly recommend it. All of my friends who belong to book groups read the same books that the other groups are reading. I've tried to read some of them but I can never quite get into them. They also come highly recommended by them but don't seem to hold my interest. I prefer non-fiction, biographies, if they're well written, and mysteries. I don't enjoy reading about dysfunctional families and don't like the way many of the books end. I don't like doing "sad". So don't depress me or I won't finish your book.

That Time Again

Today I spent most of the day cleaning. Since I've gotten older I can't do it all in one day, so tomorrow I'll do the bedroom and dust the LR then I'll be done. Cleaning is not my favorite way to spend the day ,so when the mood strikes I take advantage of it. Having 2 cats requires more than not having cats would. There's always cat hair to vacuum up off of one chair in particular. When I'm done I feel great, and the place looks great again. Tomorrow I'll start the bedroom early so that I'll have the rest of the day for something a little more fun to do.

Patience

The only thing left to do tonight is to finish another row. I will have added four more inches. I needed to take a break before I started to make mistakes. It's fun while I'm doing the knitting, but I become restless in a sense because I'm anxious to get it done and start another. Patience, patience, patience, is something I have to practice while I knit.

More Outside Activity

I need more "outside" activity. It was nice to get out today, but I need more. Stimulating conversation while one knits or quilts is helpful. I guess it would be good if I knew some of my neighbors more than casually. However, at this time I have no idea if we'd have any similar interests. Wouldn't it be convenient to walk to a neighbor's home instead of hopping in the car and driving to the next town to get together?

Fun Today

We played Mah Jongg today. I sat in for only 3 games, but didn't win any of them. I did come close and I tried 3 hands I'd never done before. It's part luck as is most every game you play. It was fun to be out with the "girls". I've already eaten supper so I plan to work on the project I'm working on for the rest of the evening. Tomorrow night I'll be "out and about" again. Our small quilt group meets at a friend's home. I like these activities because they don't cost anything unless it's your turn to be the hostess. That is when you need to provide refreshments. I need more activities like the 2 I've mentioned. Of course there's Pinochle, but I was thinking of a day time activity with the girls. I wish that someone would invite me to play Bunco. I know I'd enjoy that no brainer of a game with a bunch of the ladies.

Time Flies!

I don't know where the day went today. It's already after seven o'clock at night. I did some grocery shopping and another errand, made lunch for us, and answered a few phone calls. It was a leisurely day, but I was hoping to do more knitting than I was able to do. I will get to that after blogging.
Tomorrow we're playing Mah Jongg at 11:00 am. I'll probably only stay until about 2:30 or 3:00pm. We bring our own lunches and the hostess provides dessert. They usually have other snacks available which we don't need on our diets. The gesture is appreciated, however. I'm always happy if I can win 1 game for the day. Needless to say I'm happier if I can win more than 1, but am not disappointed if I don't. It's a fun day to spend with friends.

A Modified Recipe

Dinner was good tonight, but I had to modify the recipe because it called for white wine and I couldn't open the wine bottle. It was a bottle of wine which I happened to win at a retiree luncheon. I got the cork screw into the cork, but the cork wouldn't rise out of the neck of the bottle. The cork screw came out of the cork as if it had never even gone inside the cork at all. After about 4 attempts to open the bottle I decided that we'd have to do without the flavor of a dry white wine. So, our spinach fettucine with shrimp, small white beans and a number of spices was just cooked with chicken broth. Actually, the dish had a good flavor, but I guess it could have been better with the white wine. Another disappointment for the cook in the kitchen.

A Quiet Evening

It was a quiet evening. I knitted, blogged, and emailed. A friend called to reschedule our quilt group meeting to Friday night instead of Thursday night. That will work out better for me since I'll be playing Mah Jongg on Thursday afternoon. My cats took such a long nap today that I know they'll be waking me up in the middle of the night again. That's not very pleasant, to say the least. Tomorrow I'll finish some laundry while I practice the guitar and knit. I'm more than half way done with my afghan. I'm on a roll. I'm getting excited about seeing the finished project. I wish that my knitting labels would arrive. I'm also anxious to see them. I want to attach it to the afghan as soon as it's done. Then I'll start the second afghan. I can't wait to see that take shape! So, until tomorrow, I'll call it a day.

No News Today

Today will be a no news day for me. I'm taking a break from the negativety. I went out to pick up meds this morning. This afternoon I knitted. I also found my guitar books and got the guitar out of the case. I'll trim the fingernails and tomorrow will practice playing chords again. I perused some magazines which have been waiting for me. Supper is over and the kitchen has been cleaned up. Sandy and Coco are sleeping on my bed. I'm sitting in the bedroom on a comfortable chair with my feet up. When I'm done blogging I'll get back to my project.
Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. I'm making a special dish for supper with spinach fettucine and shrimp. Can't wait to taste it.
I'm noticing that people aren't emailing as much as they use to. Most of the emails I get are of the "cutesy" variety. I guess there's not much to chat about out there. I know that when you stay home day after day because it's too cold to go out, there's not much to write about.
Incidently, we asked my brother, D., what he was giving up for lent, and without hesitation, he said,"My New Year's Resolutions."

An Unplanned Nap

It will probably be a late night tonight because I fell asleep after supper. I slept for 2 hours. I guess that I really needed the sleep. Both Coco and Sandy slept at the bottom of the bed while I napped. I was surprised to see both of them there when I woke up. I'm wide awake right now and wouldn't be able to fall asleep at my regular bedtime.
I'm finding it rather depressing to listen to the talking heads anymore. Problems, problems, problems is all they talk about. Nobody ever solves any of the problems nor has a solution that would turn things around. It might be time to stop watching the programs I usually watch. Even if it's just for a change of pace and something else to think about. Talk, talk, talk, it's time to do something more that talk! Action speaks louder than words.

Baby Blue and Pastel Yellow

Today I found a pretty yellow and a pretty blue yarn to knit an afghan with. Since I need to use 2 strands of yarn when knitting this one, I'll be using both the pastel yellow and the baby blue yarns. I can't wait to see it when it's done. I was lucky to find the pastel colors since the store had a sale yesterday and most of the pastels were sold out. In a few weeks I'll go back to look for a variegated yarn to use with a white yarn. That will be for something different. It was good to get out briefly and have a change of scenery. I was kind of disappointed that there wasn't more of a selection at the store.

This Week

This week will go quickly just like they all do. I'll be busy doing things in the house for a few days. On Thursday I hope to play Mah Jongg with friends, and on Thursday night I will attend my small quilt group gathering. I won't be quilting this time, however, I'll be knitting. Since we work on our own projects, no one will object in the least. There will be a trip to the post office tomorrow for stamps so that I can mail my bills. My taxes are ready so I may pick them up this week. I'm hoping for a few half days of work this week. Afternoons are my preference. They are usually few and far between, but my mornings are filled with assisting a family member with a number of things. So, I'm sending out vibes for afternoon work to come my way. Hope that comes to me.

Knit, Knit, Knit!

I'm knitting as fast as my fingers let me. Only a few more days and I'll be done with one baby afghan. After that's done, it's back to square one for I'm knitting a second baby afghan. I'll go to pick out the yarn tomorrow if time permits. I'm having fun, but time's a wasting. The second afghan will be the same pattern as the first.The difference will be in the color. I'll determine that when I go to the store to see what lovely choices they have. If I knit a third baby afghan I'll change the pattern and color. You see, the first two will be for twins. The third is for a baby who will be a cousin of the twins. There will be a baby born in my family also. I haven't decided what I'll make for that blessed event. I'm waiting for my labels to arrive. When each afghan is completed I will secure a label to the bottom-"Hand Knit By ______". They're beauties and knit with a lot of love.

A Wonderful Day

My day out was wonderful. I had my hair done, stopped to get Mom a few things and was also able to do something I wanted to do. The air was cold and it was windy, but I didn't mind. It was kind of refreshing after being inside for so many days. I'm watching the news as I write. They mentioned how doing some crafts like knitting and quilting can ward off dementia in the elderly. Also, playing cards and other games may help in that respect. As long as your mind is engaged in something useful and active it will help. Watching TV is not something which would stimulate the mind and brain. So, not only should you get physical exercise for your body, it is also necessary to exercise your brain.

A Day Out, Tomorrow

Tomorrow I will go to the Polytech and have my hair done. I am looking forward to the experience. I haven't been out and about all week except for a stop at the grocery store. It'll be nice to have a change of scenery for a couple of hours. If there is any time left in the afternoon I plan on another stop and a trip to the bank. When I return home I'll feel refreshed from a day out and will get back to the task of finishing the baby afghan.

A Nursing Course

The V.N. came today. She gave Mom a good report. We will be getting oxygen to use when she needs it. Dealing with that will be something new to learn. A friend mentioned that we should have had a nursing course or two when we studied to become teachers. I'm thinking that that would have been a great idea. I'm learning as we go through all of this.

A Long Lost Friend

Tonight I heard from a former HS friend whom I had not spoken to for over 40 years. What fun! We laughed and laughed as we remembered some of the things which happened in our town. We had worked together our senior year at a grocery store in town. We had fond memories from that job as well as from school. It was her impression of me that I was the sweet, quiet, girl who got away with murder. I don't remember it exactly that way, but she made me laugh at her description of me in those days. It's funny how the years fade when you reconnect with someone from your youth. I'm also finding that I'm reconnecting with people from HS and college through facebook. I'm not quite adept at using that site, but I've been surprised by some of the people I've connected with. Using that site makes me feel like I'm 15 years old again. You ask someone to be a "friend" then you wait to see if they accept you as a "friend". I asked a HS classmate to be a "friend" yesterday. I haven't gotten an acceptance to my request yet. It makes you wonder why? What was their impression of me or feelings about me in HS? In the real world of maturity, you don't really care, but the 15 yr. old in you can't help but wonder.
I've found that all through life, you have to put yourself out there. Sometimes you're accepted and sometimes you're rejected. You learn to take the good with the bad. If you don't, you sit home alone your whole life. Just let it roll off your back like water on a duck. For everyone who rejects you there are probably several more who accept you with pleasure.

Raining Now

It's suppose to rain and mix with snow today. It started to rain a little while ago, but so far there's no snow. The ground is cold so the blacktop looks shiny like there'd be black ice. I'm glad that I don't have to drive anywhere for the rest of the day.
It's getting redundant, but guess what I'm doing today? Yes, I'm knitting. Looking forward to finishing the project in a few days.

Good Hobbies

Today I added two inches to the baby afghan that I'm knitting. If I can knit 4 inches a day, I will be done in 6 days. Then I can go on to something else. That means that tonight I have to knit 2 more inches on the afghan. That should be easy to do because the night is still young.
In April I'm going away for a weekend to a Quilting Retreat. I'll use that time to finish at least 2 projects which I have already started. They'll be nothing to do that weekend except to quilt and sew. It'll be a comraderie of quilters. We are helpful to each other and often get tips on completing projects. I'm looking forward to that time away. I hope to get a lot done.

Today was a very productive day. I got a lot of rows of knitting done on my baby afghan. After blogging I'll get back to it. I'm enjoying the process but can't wait to see the finished afghan. I also found 2 more friends on facebook. One is from HS the other is from college. It's kind of fun to discover former friends after so many years.
Masterpiece Theater is on tonight. They'll be showing a Charles Dickens story, "Oliver Twist". I'm hoping that it will be as enjoyable as other stories they've aired. It's too bad that MT isn't on more frequently. Sometimes there's nothing worth watching on the other channels. I'm for getting rid of "junk" on TV. If there's nothing good to watch there's always music. If there's no music, the sound of silence is often welcome.

Another Saturday

Today went quickly, as most days do. I got the grocery shopping done and the scones made. We had a visit from D. and E. My sister surprised me with a box of candy for Valentine's Day. I ate the caramels from the box already. Chocolate covered caramels are a favorite candy of mine.
Before I call it a day I will knit a few rows. Coco and Sandy are napping so I shouldn't have a problem.

Happy St. Valentine's Day!

Tomorrow is St. Valentine's Day! I'd like to wish you all a great day.

Today was a relaxing day here. Not much accomplished. This weekend is free. I plan to knit as usual. I may even sew a bit. There will be church on Sunday and the Sunday papers. I haven't planned the menu yet so I have no idea what we'll be eating. I may make scones tomorrow. They will be nice to have with tea in the afternoon. I guess that will be my "gift" for Valentine's Day. Have a good one!

Slow and Steady

Several more rows have been added to the afghan I'm knitting. I timed myself doing a row. It took 11 minutes to finish one row. Now I know why something hand knitted is so expensive. It is time consuming. Time is valuable and people want to be paid for the time they put into making something. So, although the yarn wasn't that expensive, the afghan is very valuable because it took so much time to make. It is a labor of love. At the rate I'm going I can finish 5 rows each hour. I wish I had counted how many hours I've worked on the project. It would be interesting to know how many hours the finished project took.

Preparation

Tomorrow is a "straightening up" day. I'll change the sheets, do some laundry, shop for a couple of items from the grocery store and vacuum. Hopefully, I'll be able to get some knitting done during the afternoon.
I'm making fillet of flounder tomorrow night for dinner. We haven't had fish in a long time. Growing up we had it often. I'm not really a big fish eater, but Mom likes it so I thought I'd give making it a try again. Yesterday I made Garlic and Thyme chicken breasts with roasted red potatoes. It was delicious. Mom only ate part of her meal last night. She wanted to finish it tonight so I had a night off from cooking. There are pork chops in our future and I have a recipe for spinach fettucine and shrimp which I'll try soon. I'm just trying to keep it interesting. For lunch today we had a garden salad. Mom had a sliced hard boiled egg for her salad. I cooked sugar free pudding last night which we had for dessert today. Fresh fruit will be the snack for tomorrow. I manage well in my small kitchen. I wonder how it would be to have a large kitchen with a lot of counter space for working? It would probably make things a little easier when preparing a meal. I've learned to work with what I have however. I do like to cook. I just don't like the clean up. That seems like work. The cooking is creative and therefore, fun to do. When I think about my grandmother and what she had to do to get a meal ready, I feel fortunate and know I shouldn't complain. In her day they didn't have frozen foods. Preparation was more difficult. There were NO microwaves to reheat meals. She had an Ice Box which required Ice which was delivered to the home. I could go on and on, but you get the picture. We have it easy today in comparison to what our grandmothers and mothers had to do. I'm thankful for the free time the modern life allows me to have. We do tend to fill it up with things. I guess that happens because we want to feel productive. We want to have a full life.

Knitting

Tonight I was able to get back to my knitting. The two cats were sleeping on the bed so they didn't bother me. Usually, Coco tries to catch the yarn as it's moving. That's very annoying to say the least. The length of the afghan is growing but it's not even half done yet. When I pass the half way mark I'll feel like I'm making progress. It looks very pretty. I've ordered labels for my knitting which hopefully will arrive soon. The white afghan had to be put on a back burner because there's no deadline for finishing it. There have been a lot of babies born lately. Since they don't stay babies for long, it's necessary to finish the baby projects now.

A Weather Tease

What a beautiful day today! The temperature hit 65 degrees which is unusual for February 11th. I'm ready for more of this type of weather so I can play golf with my friends. If we're lucky enough to have more nice days I can go to the driving range and work on my swing. It was a perfect day for a walk also. How happy a good weather day makes you when it happens in the middle of a freezing cold winter. Come on Spring! We're waiting for you.

Quiet Here!

It's so quiet here! The cats are asleep. I'm listening to Solid Gold Oldies on the music channel. You'd think that that would break the silence, but it's still quiet here. "Mony, Mony" is playing now. I remember dancing to that song. It never made much sense to me, however. Although that was true of several of the songs we danced to. I'm speaking about the ones where you could understand the words that were sung, especially the fast music. Don't get me wrong, I'm a child of the 50's and 60's and I love "our" music. I'm reminded of a song from my parents generation called "Alexander, the Swoose." That song didn't make much sense either. " Alexander was a Swoose, half swan and half goose. Alexander was a Swoose." That's basically what the entire song was about. It's nice to be young, you don't always have to make any sense at all. Not that we always make sense now, but if we don't we should start to worry, 0r, someone else will. Kind of like this blog I'm writing. Does it make much sense?
Need to stop writing, I have a kitten on my chest again.

Did you ever try to type with a kitten on your chest? She moves from side to side trying to find a comfortable spot where she can nuzzle and also see the computer screen. As long as she stays off of the keyboard I guess I'm okay.
Went to the hospital today for a few hours. E. and I left at about 4:00pm. Sandy and Coco were glad to see me. Can't believe how fast the day went. Mom kept saying "It feels like a Saturday". E. and I would look at each other and smile. "That's because it is Saturday, we told her." She wanted to know what happened to Friday. I guess that being in the hospital has caused her to lose all track of time. She should be coming home in a couple of days. I've already found 4 delicious recipes in my WW books which I'm planning to make for us when she gets here. On Monday, I'll try my friend's spaghetti sauce. I'm going to cook it all day in the crockpot instead of staying at home and watching it cook while I stir the pot every now and then. I hope that it is good. I'll make a bigger batch the next time and freeze some. First, I have to find out if everyone likes it so I'll make a small amount.
Tomorrow I'll go to church in the morning. I'll have Mom's car washed then visit her in the hospital for a while. I'm anxious to see how Coco and Sandy react to her home coming. Coco has never been here without Mom. Sandy, of course, usually is here without her. She'll be glad to see them.

Weekend Plans

When this weekend arrives, we'll be having a reprieve from subfreezing temperatures. All next week promises to have March like temperatures. What a winter it's been this year and it's not over yet. I'll be so happy when spring arrives in all it's glory.
Tomorrow is a food shopping day. I'll finish some laundry, vacuum a bit and finish cleaning.
This evening I gave myself a pedicure. Tomorrow I'll give myself a facial before I shower and wash my hair. I may go to mass tomorrow night instead of Sunday morning. Sunday is a day of rest. I'm hoping to do just that.

Lots To Do

Today is laundry day. I've straightened the place up. Tomorrow I'll vacuum the LR/ and clean the bathrooms. I'm glad that I get up early, because I'll have everything done by 10:00 am. Afterwards I'll take the tax stuff to the accountant, then visit at the hospital. I'm not sure when I'll be bringing my relative home from the hospital, but I want everything to look nice when she gets here. Maybe I'll make scones in honor of her homecoming. I just need advance notice so I can bake them. I'm planning on Saturday, but I haven't heard yet.

A Crazy Week

It's been a crazy week. There have been several trips to visit at the hospital, a snow storm and freezing temps this morning. My neighbor and I have decided that we're tired of cleaning off the cars after a snowfall. It's gotten "old". I did also manage to work on Monday. That's when all the excitement started. There's never a dull moment, even in retirement.

Sunday

A friend from HS emailed me today. Haven't seen her since HS. It turns out that she lived in my area for awhile. She now lives down the shore. It's so nice to recall all those memories from when we were in school together.
This morning I was the lector at the 8:30am mass in my church. It's something that I really enjoy doing. They're having a luncheon for volunteers this month. I may go even though I don't know anyone else who is going. Maybe I'll meet someone I don't know.
Tomorrow I'm subbing for a third grade teacher in my town. I like the school I'm going to. Everyone seems to be so friendly and helpful.
After church, when I returned home, I was able to knit for awhile on the afghan I'm making. Coco was asleep in the bedroom so I had no interruptions.
E. came over late this afternoon. I made dinner for the three of us. We had filet mignon and a baked potato. I was sorry that I didn't have salad stuff to make a salad, but the meal was good inspite of that.
The Superbowl in on tonight, but we'll attempt to find something else to watch. My team isn't playing. Sometimes Masterpiece Theater has a good show on. We're depending on that tonight.