Where did fall go?

Oh my  goodness,  in the  blink of an eye  it  seems fall has gone and the holidays  are  around the  corner  already.  I have  been  so busy  getting  ready for the Christmas  season  preparing  gifts  for the grand kids ,  and thinking of  what  to send them  since  they live  so far  from me.   I know that  something  homemade  is  a  must  gift.   So  they are getting  something  to keep them warm  on those  cold winter  days , and  something  tasty  to  enjoy  with a  cup of  hot  cocoa .   I am  busy  making blankets  and  goodies  and my crochet hooks  and knitting  needles  are  very  busy  .  I will have to post  pictures soon of  them.  I  LOVE  to knit  and  crochet  and  it is  seldom that  I do not  every  day.  I love  the  feel of  yarn in my hands,  I LOVE  yarn  I admit  it I am so addicted .  I love  all the  colors  , the softness and  the  gratification as a simple skein of yarn  turns into a  beautiful  little gift.   I  love  looking  at all the colors  ,  the  patterns  that  I can  create  for gifts .  I need no excuse to buy  more  yarn ,  I have  plenty,  but  I can never  have  enough  ,  there  is always  another  project in mind  that  I must  have  more  yarn  for.  It  is my  weakness,  my  guilty  pleasure  and  I  am  lucky that  I can indulge  in the  shopping  spree  now and then for more  yarn .  So  home  made  yarn  gifts  will be  coming  for the  kids  big and small this  year  for  Christmas , so that  I can use  the  yarn  and  I have  and............   to give me  a reason to buy more  !!    Yes  I freely admit it  I am a yarnaholic and  Red Heart  and  Lion  Brand  are my  fix .   So  I will post  pics  very soon  , but  for now I must  do more  crocheting, one  gift  down , another  half done and  3 more  to go !!  Happy  Crocheting  to you !    In the  picture  is  one  of  the  things  I am working  one,  I love  this  pattern ,  so  easy, it is a granny  square  pattern  but  in rows.  It  works up  very fast  and  has the  warmth of a
giant  granny  ! 

Oh my goodness what a summer for me !!

Wow  I had  NO  idea  it has  been soo long  since I have  been here.  So  much  has  happened  and I was  soo  busy  making  baby  girl  things  this  spring , I am the  very  proud  grandma  of  Alyssa Jean Effrick.  She  was  born  on August  19, 2012  in Michigan.  I  was  lucky  enough to be  able to fly  to Michigan  and spend  11 weeks  with my  daughter  and 2  beautiful granddaughters .  I had  not  seen  them  in over a year  and it  was  such  fun.  Plus  I was  there  to meet  my  3rd  beautiful granddaughter Alyssa.  She  is  also  named  for me , her middle name is  also mine.    This  is  Alyssa ,  and  Alexis  my  oldest  granddaughter .  

This  is  my  second  granddaughter  Gabrielle  she is  6  and  Alyssa  

And  of  course  there is  Miss Alyssa  who is  now  2  months old and  growing  so fast.

Before  Alyssa  came  I spent months  working on  little  girl  things and that is why  I have  not  been  here in so long .   I  had  so much fun learning how  to make  tiny little things  for  babies.    Here is a  pretty good  selection of  what  I made  minus  all the  things  I made while  I was in Michigan  for her but  this  gives you an idea what  I was  busy  with  .   

I also  had  made  her  3 blankets  and some  spit rags  and  a  Raggedy Ann and Andy  quilt  but  I guess I forgot  to take  a  picture.  

 Now  I am working on making her  a  pretty  Christmas  dress and  mittens  and  scarfs  for the  girls  since they have winter  and I do not   here in the  south . 

what a crazy winter!!

Well  we  have  been  very  lucky  this  winter  here.  It  has  been unseasonably warm and  sunny  most of the  winter.  Today  it  is  in the  70's , sunny  and  windy.  We  have  tornado watches  up, and  thunderstorms  in the background  headed our  way.  It  has  been  beautiful  for washing  clothes  and  hanging them out.   The  door  is  almost  shut  on  winter  here, and I fear  what  March may  bring to us  this year.  Three years  ago  next  month  we  moved  here  , and  just  before  we  arrived,  a  wicked  snow and ice  storm  did .  We  came  into broken  trees and a leaking  roof and  a broken  water  pipe  under  our house.   I remember  an  ice storm last  winter  that  pretty much shut  down our  town  for a  day or  two  and  bitter  cold  days  last winter ,  but  no such luck  this  year  .......  so  far.

 I  found  out  at Christmas  time  that  my  dear daughter  is  going to have  another  little  bundle  right  around  my  birthday  this  coming  August.  I am  so excited  to be a  Grandma ...... again.  This will  make number  8  for  us  and  I look  so forward  to another  joyful event.  Of  course  with the  little  one  coming  comes a flurry of  activity  knitting and  crocheting  baby  things.  We  do not  know  if  it is a boy or  girl  yet, so of course  there is the  colors of yellow  green and  peach  that  are  pretty  generic ,  but  not  as  pretty  as  the  favorite  color  of  mine ....... PINK.   So  I wait ,  making  little  generic  items   until  we  find out   if  pink or  blue  is  the  right  color.   Then  the real flurry of  knitting will begin making  sweaters and  booties and  all the  cute  little  things  you can think of  for  girls   if  that is  what the  baby  is.    Why  oh  why is it  so  difficult  to  find  really  cite  patterns  for items  for  boys  and things  to make for them.  For  girls  just  about  anything  you can imagine  to make  there  also is a pattern but  for  boys  ,  how many  hats  and  sweaters  can you make  ....really?    So  I wait .........

Jake  the  wonder  dog  is  still growing and  growing  nicely .  He will  be a year old  in 2 months  and  what  a  well behaved and  sweet  boy  he  has  become.   Any doubt  I had  that  he  may not  be a Golden  Labrador  Retriever  has  been erased.  He is  all  Lab,  from his  pretty  color  to his  goofy  I love  everyone attitude  to his  love  of  water,  yes  he is a Lab.   If  you go to tak a bath in this house  make  sure the  bathroom door  is  tightly  closed  behind  you  or  you  very  well may  have  a peeping  Tom  watching  you or  a  bath mate  joining  you in the tub.   He  is  such a  good  dog and  my  best 4  footed  friend.

 

Well  Nascar  season is  now  in full swing  and I am a very  happy  girl.  I love  Nascar!!!  I eat  , sleep  and  breath  Nascar, and  this  is the time of year  I live  for  .     We  were  lucky  to get  tickets  to the  Nascar  Preview  weekend this  year  and  I got to meet  lots of the drivers , see the cars and  get pictures  with  my  favorites .   I  truly  admire and  I root  for  Carl  Edwards  and  Trevor  Bayne.  I got  to meet them , chat  with them and  have  a  picture  taken  with  them this  year.  They  are both  the  kindest, most  polite  and  very  friendly  drivers.  They  really  appreciate their  fans and  they are  so willing to take the  time  to visit  with  each one.   I  am looking  very forward  to supporting both of them this season and  I pray they  have  a safe and  very successful  season this  year.  

Well that  is about  it  for now.  You all take care and I will be back again soon to let you know if  I am  knitting  pink or  blue  !!!

The winds of winter

It  has  been such a  quiet  and long  winter  already.  Things  are still pretty much the same  here .  My  husband is  still not  back to work , he is  still waiting  on more  surgery  to come on his  neck. The  small puppy Jake is  now a big  boy  and  still so sweet and  turning into a wonderful  dog.    The  chickens  are  still here and waiting for  snow  I think , but  they seem to  enjoy every mild  day that we  have been blessed with .  The  weather has  been unusually  mild  and I know that  winter is  going to sneak up  on us  soon and  pounce  when we least  expect it.   We  now  have  my adopted sister  living with us  .   She  has moved here from  Arkansas  looking for a fresh  start.  Her  son  that is in the Marines  will be stationed close  by  in North Carolina soon and  she will be glad to be  closer to him and to see him when he visits  .  Other than that nothing much changes .  Life  goes  on  day  by  day  with  little  change and  I am  anxious for  spring  with all the  mild  weather.