Sunday, September 11, 2011

Today.....



Today is a beautiful sunny day....very much like this same day 10 years ago. Aaron and I were watching the Today show at 8:46am eastern time when the world changed. Aaron, who works in the aviation industry, knew it wasn't an accident. I held onto the belief that that's exactly what it was, and not what was feared. All denial fled at 9:03am.

We watched for about another hour, all the time debating whether to pull our kids out of school. We decided to leave them where they were and headed into town. We live in a relatively small town in Connecticut, so finding the streets virtually empty and quiet was not so odd. I went into our bank and while business was happening, people spoke in whispers, as if saying anything out loud would make it too real.

The next weekend I went with some friends to a renaissance faire in Tuxedo Park, NY. As we crossed the Tappan Zee bridge, the traffic was at a crawl. On clear days, you can see the New York city skyline, and it's an awesome sight. That Saturday, it was all clear except for the smoke still pouring from Ground Zero. Nobody honked, nobody yelled at the others to "get a move on", we all just looked. Again, it was made real.

I watched the tributes on tv today, so wrapped up in the scenes from ten years ago, it almost felt like it was happening in the present. Today is a day to remember....remember the heroes that are the first responders....remember the people lost in the World Trade Center towers....remember the families. While it is a difficult thing to do, don't think about hate for who did this. They don't deserve a second of our time today. September 11 should be a day reserved for love, respect, and pride.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Decompressing

While I should've been busy stitching and hooking for the Harvest Moon Festival last night, hubby came home with the idea to take the kayaks out. I agreed immediately and off we went!! His job is stressful, and he usually de-stresses by taking out his boat. Unfortunately, the water was about eight feet too low for a propeller, so it was paddle power time!


This is coming down the channel and into Lake Lilinoah.


After the hurricane, everything from the shore headed out into open water. This is a huge tree trunk that looked just like a submarine floating through the water.
Here's hubby (Aaron) giving what we call the "Andrew" pose...lol


That rock is what Aaron calls "Deadman's Island". We took our nephew to see it, and at the time, he was swimming around it and we saw a little family of snakes...it's now high and dry.


On our way in. What a beautiful way to end the float!

This weekend will be all hooking and sewing!

Friday, August 26, 2011

Bring it on Irene!

So the pantry has been stocked, chainsaw bought, cars gassed, water bought, my boy is home from Alaska, and our daughter .....we're ready for ya Irene!!! The chainsaw was a last minute addition....let's hope we don't have to use it!

I have two projects on the frame so I'll be plenty busy. It's two more Nook covers, and I really like them. Here's a picture of the first one. I'll take a picture of the second one when I start working on it.

I love sock monkeys!


Two finished products....not perfect but a lot closer than the first tries!

Last but not least....pictures of Andrew back from Alaska and Jess heading to her first day of college.


Thursday, August 25, 2011

Keeping an eye out for flying monkeys!



So....some nasty weather is headed our way! Hurricane Irene has decided to make a visit and we're ramping up for the possibility of losing power for an entire week, not to mention 100 mile an hour winds and up to ten inches of rain! Guess that means hooking will be limited to daylight hours only...Oh yeah, and bailing water out of the unfinished side of the basement! Wish us luck!!


Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Movers and Shakers

We had some excitement on the east coast today in the form of an earthquake! Luckily nobody was hurt, but there was quite a bit of property damage especially in Virginia and Washington DC. It was felt here in Connecticut, especially in the tall buildings.

Now we just have to cross our fingers that Hurricane Irene heads out to sea before the weekend!!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

What I've been working on!

The annual Harvest Moon Festival is coming up in September and I've decided to take a table yet again! This is a small fair that is held by our local Boy Scout troop every September, and I've vended for the past two years without much luck. This year I'm sharing a table with one of my neighbors, so I've been working on some things to bring. I came up with an idea of making hooked e-reader and iPad holders, and since I'm not a seamstress, it took quite a bit of trial and error! (oh, and getting another neighbor to help out with the sewing part..lol) I have three fails, and finally hit a good prototype on number four.


I hooked a simple flower and grabbed some scrap material. Everything's much darker than it looks in the picture and this is without the flash! There is some tweaking needed, and I've got two more hooked pieces on the frame ready to sew.

I need a top that will fold over and somehow latch closed, maybe a look over a fabric or wooden covered button. These will fit a Nook, and once I've got the pattern down, I'll start on a few for a Kindle and iPad.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

I need a vacation from my vacation!

So I took my two weeks of vacation and proceeded to run myself ragged until the last three days! Our daughter, Jessica graduated from high school, so we had mucho family visiting from Arkansas, a huge grad party for Jess as well as JD, Andrew's g/f Tricia's brother. We have been lucky enough to become very good friends with Tricia's family since she and Andrew started dating, so since we combined Andrew and Tricia's grad party five years ago, it only made sense to combine Jess and JD's grad party. We got a Little Mermaid bouncy house as well as sumo wrestling suits, which were LOVED, and there's was a ton of food! Here's a few pictures from the party. I have to start collecting pictures from everybody else because I was too busy to take many.

This is hubby Aaron in the bouncy house with his sister Brenda. She came down from Maine to celebrate with us.


Jess in the sumo suit daring one our younger partiers to wrestle her! She was successful in getting her into the suit, but then was out-wrestled!



Our favorite gal Tricia creating the ever favorite bean dip. She dove right in and helped from start to finish. I don't think the party would've been as much fun without her!!

Our son Andrew (who is also Tricia's boyfriend) , had left the day before the party for a job in Alaska. He was originally accepted for a job on the slime line (that's where they gut and clean the salmon) at a fishery on Petersburg Island. Once he went through orientation, the freezer crew manager took him aside and asked if he'd rather work in the freezers. Andrew jumped at the chance, and it really sounds like he's in his element. The day he left had a bunch of us crying a bit, but we all knew it was something he had to do, and he'll be back in a few months....unless he gets a job on a fishing boat in Alaska! I told Tricia she will need to start buying cold weather clothes soon!! :o)

I did get a chance to start a new rug, and got everything but the background hooked.


This is a shot without the flash. The flash made the colors look almost neon (lol) and they really are quite primitive. I'm debating about adding large yellow squash on the very right, but might just leave it as is. Tomorrow, I'm going to work on something I've had percolating for a few weeks. If it works, I'll let ya know, if it doesn't, then mum's the word...lol. I will get back to work on the horn of plenty in the picture above to get the background hooked some time next week if I survive going back to work...*sigh*.

Now it's off to watch a bit of tv, then to bed. Because Aaron and I are kid-less we are off the hook for any fireworks! While I really like fireworks, I hate the going home traffic, so we're just chilling at home...yeah!!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Tired of traveling!

Vacation is on the horizon! In the last two weeks I was in Ohio, then Texas for work, and I am quite ready to be home for a while. We really thought we saw the end of the work list when the hot water heater decided to give up the ghost. 50 gallons of water in our basement soaking into the rug and pad underneath. Poor Aaron spent the better part of the week and weekend replacing the water heater then drying out the rug/pad. He is such a worker....I would've given up by then...lol

I am itching to start a new rug, but there just isn't enough time. I still have four more afghans to knit up in the next month or so, and Jess's graduation to get through. Here's a few pictures of the downstairs spare room and my rug display, and hopefully I will have a couple more to add during the summer.



Sunday, May 15, 2011

Home DIY Project(s)

So, our floors are finished and I'm absolutely in love with them! Of course, my camera is deader 'n a doornail, so pictures will come tomorrow after work. I even hung up most of my rugs in our spare room, and they look pretty good.

Next are both bathrooms (paint and some redecorating), cleaning out the basement, then setting up the guest room. Of course, in between all of that, I have at least two and possibly four trips for work coming up before Jess's graduation and her prom. *sigh* I'm ready for my vacation time!!

So pics tomorrow and off on a work trip on Tuesday!

Monday, May 9, 2011

Grenfell Mission rugs on Antiques RoadShow

I'm a huge fan of Antiques Roadshow, and just love hearing about the different items as well as seeing people's faces when they're told how much things are worth. Tonight, in Billings, MT, there was a lady that had brought in a Grenfell mission rug, and this is the second Grenfell rug that I've seen on the show. The appraiser, both times, has said the rugs were "woven". These rugs were NOT woven, but are actually hooked with stockings that were dyed to beautiful soft colors. I'm not quite sure where he gets the idea that the rugs are woven, and he even said that kits were given out to the residents to create the rugs. How would someone "weave" a rug without a loom? They wouldn't, they would HOOK the rugs and sell them for extra income.

Ok, got that off my chest...it has been bugging me since the first rug he appraised...lol

Monday, April 18, 2011

Our Ranger


Our sweet dog Ranger has gone on to heaven. He was 15 years old, and up until just recently, still had times when he would act like a puppy. Even with all the work and responsibility that goes along with owning a pet, he brought more joy to our family than I could ever imagine. Our vet is wonderful, and made the end process much easier and brought us much comfort.

We still have our Coco (lhapso apso), and two cats, Zeke and Lily, so our house is still full of animal chaos, but Ranger was the dog that grew up with the kids. He will be missed.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Work to do before boating season!

This winter hubby and I decided it was time to replace the floors on the first floor of our house. Our dream has always been wood floors, so we dove right in....we meaning he does the hard work and I stay out of his way! I'm helpful like that. We picked amber bamboo floor and have planned on doing a room at a time starting with the bedroom. With that finished, a new bed all set up, and the walls are still bare...filling the wall are my job..lol Here's a picture of the floors and I have to say I'm really happy with our choice!


The living room is next, and right now is a complete shambles!



The walls will be a lighter color and the floor is the same as the bedroom, so I'm pretty excited about it getting all done. Tomorrow I leave for a work trip so hopefully the painting will be done and the floor started by the time I get home.

On the crafty front, I've been knitting afghans for presents. I have six to do and they have to be done by June....once they've been gifted, I'll put up pictures of the afghans and the "giftees"...lol I'm sure they don't have a clue about my blog, but I don't want to take any chances. I have also drawn up an easter rug that I need to start hooking.



I could only fit the main pattern in the picture...it's a rectangle with a simple border and I'm planning on prim pastel colors. Prim to me, has always meant dark colors, but I'm trying to break out of my "color box"...lol I'll post pictures as I get it hooked.

Back to NASCAR and the Indy 500....always makes me hook faster...lol

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Antique Treasures

We have had a few good weather days in between our snow storms, and I grabbed one to head out to a local antique store. Seymour Antiques is a huge building with three stories of antique heaven! Two Saturdays ago, I dropped our daughter off at work and headed out for a few hours of shopping therapy....it's a great cure for cabin fever!

I wish I had thought of taking pictures of the little vignettes throughout the shop, but as soon as I saw a beautiful spinning wheel, I was done. Usually when I see something I just HAVE TO HAVE, I will walk around looking at everything else, and if I am still thinking about it before I leave, then it's meant to be mine. Of course, the spinning wheel had to be mine! I'm not sure if it actually works, but my spinning teacher has offered to take a look at it when the snows stop and everybody's driveways are safe to drive again...lol



Here she is, residing in our guest room until I can clean her up a bit. I also spied a cute little straw hat that has a G. Fox label. G. Fox was a department store that was bought out by May Department stores, of Filene's fame. I remember the "modern" G. Fox store at our local mall, but from a little research, G. Fox was "the" place to shop in Hartford, CT and opened in 1847. I can only imagine shopping there for parasols, gloves, and gorgeous little straw hats like this one.



It's such a sweet little hat. I can see it on a little girl wearing a flower-sprigged pinafore, white tights, and little ankle boots that had to be buttoned up with a button hook. Once all our new floors are in and the painting is done, I'm going to hang it up in our downstairs bathroom where it will reside alongside a child's white apron (ankle length), a child's nightgown, and a pair of women's bloomers.

On the rug hooking front, I finally got the small circle mat bound! Binding is my least favorite part of rug hooking, but I make myself bind each rug as it's finished so I don't end up with a bunch of unfinished rugs!

The up close photo shows a more realistic color to the background. This is a green/black/gray check pattern that's right off the bolt. I found it at Joanne's Fabrics, and it hooks up great!

I also finished a knitted afghan that is to be a graduation gift for one of my daughter's friends.
My plan is to do one for each of her absolute bestest friends...these are girls she has known since elementary school, and are still fast friends. There are five more to do, so I'll have a bunch of knitting in my immediate future! Of course, I'm itching to do another small rug, and I'm thinking of doing a series of round and square chair pad size mats that will be modeled after blocks from Baltimore Album quilts. I need some flowers in my life with all this wintery weather!

Stay warm and safe!!

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Signs from the Universe?


I have a confession...I'm a chatter. Ask my husband or kids, I seem to have conversations with people when I'm out all the time...lol During a few of these little chat sessions, I've discovered quite a few closet rug hookers in my area! Whether it's someone that hooks rugs with great detail using skinny little worms, or funky primitive rugs made from a design they draw themselves is pretty great. These fellow hookers all seem to be looking for a local supplier of hand-dyed wool, so when I tell them that I dye my own wool and have sold it online, they ask for my contact info. Now if this happened once or twice, I'd just look at it as a coincidence, but this has happened no less than four times in the last week and a half! Short of being hit over the head with a bag of wooly worms, I think I get it! We need a hooking group as well as a place to get some really great dyed wool quick, and I'm going to be the person that gets the group started and really start working on getting my name out locally.

Can't wait!!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Everybody should find this much joy at least once a day!!

First finished rug of 2011

So, I fought my creative block by just hooking a little mat using wooly worms I already had. I really like how it turned out!

One view from up above, and a close up of one of the circles. I still have to bind it, but as soon as it's done, I think I'll put it on Ebay and see what happens. I have sketched out my next small rug/mat. It has a Valentines Day theme, and as soon as I get started on it, I'll post some pics!

Our snow is here to stay for a while. Temps are dropping and school in our town is closed for a third day. Not sure why we're still closed, but the kids got a mini vacation out of the deal! I am working from home today, trying to play catch up from my last two trips.

My plans for tomorrow involve starting to simplify some things around here. My goal is to start being more self-sufficient. This means less trips to the store, and spending less money. To start on that goal, our kitchen is going to get a major clean out, and I'm going to put up some homemade quick mixes for pancakes, quick breads, etc. A really great resource is the blog chickensintheroad.com. Suzanne moved to a farm a few years ago, and has come across some really great ideas on being self-sufficient. Her blog is on my sidebar, so give her a visit! Check out Clover and the cookie crew. Those critters will crack you up!!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

SNOW DAY!!

Aaahhh....back from Pennsylvania just in time for the snow! Glad to make it back before the storm so I'm comfy and cozy at home. Here's a couple of pictures of our house buried in snow.

The view from our garage.

The picnic table on our deck.

Maybe I'll get some hooking done today. I'm finishing up a smallish rug, so I'll post pictures later on when it's finished and ready for binding!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

A lazy Sunday....


preceding a busy week! Watching "Singin' in the Rain" and doing a bit of stitching. Gene Kelly - dreamy.....Donald O'Connor - great dancer/funny man.....Debbie Reynolds - beautiful singer/dancer....Cyd Charisse -hauntingly beautiful.....a great movie all around!!

Samplermaker