Peace, Love & Understanding

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Missing Thatcher

You know, you would think after 11 years, my heart would be healed but it isn't. I still miss this little guy every single day. When he left this earth, my heart was torn in half and half of it went to Heaven with him. I know some people don't believe animals go to Heaven but I do. I know I will see him again and he will come running out of the pearly gates to greet me one day.

I love you Thatcher - I miss you so much.

(He confiscated the baby afghan I was making for my Godson - I think he was jealous)

Friday, January 22, 2016

Funny Friday - with a Modern Family

I saw this episode again the other day - oh my gosh - it cracks me up. People Aren't Food, People Aren't Food - your friends will run away if they're afraid of being chewed.

Monday, January 18, 2016

Mystery Crochet-a-Long Finally Finished

Last Spring, I decided to do a Mystery Crochet-a-Long. It was my 2nd one. The first Mystery CAL, I absolutely hated the design, so I frogged it and decided to use the yarn for something else.

This one, I stuck with it - I didn't HATE the design, but I will be frank, I wasn't really happy with it either. I finished all the squares on time - right along with everyone else, but I never pieced it together. There are several reasons for that.

1 - I knew it was going to be small. They said it was an AFGHAN but it isn't, well, maybe it is - for a baby!! I felt ripped off. I thought I would have an afghan when done, but could tell it would be small and also - folks on Ravelry, who did piece theirs together kept saying it was really small and they were disappointed in the size.

2 - I didn't "love" the design. Again, I felt kind of cheated. We made these long chains in the corners and were told - "just wait until you see what we do with these" and then..... nothing - we didn't do anything with them - they didn't add a thing to the look of the squares. Also, there was this little bobble in the middle of the square that I thought would be built upon but....it wasn't - it is just a little ugly blob.

So....I set it aside and said, I'll piece it together one day. Since I had a long weekend and since I want to finish up all my WIPs before starting a new project. I decided this weekend was it. So....here it is, the completed ~~afghan~~ ~~baby afghan~~ ~~lapghan~~ foot blanket.

Finished size 30" x 36"

Friday, January 15, 2016

Funny Friday - Psychic Connection

Friday, January 1, 2016

Happy New Year - 2016

Happy New Year

It sounds so strange to say the year "2016". I swear it doesn't seem that long ago when folks were having a hissy fit about Y2K and here it is 16 years later!!

As I do with each year, I have goals (I don't call them resolutions) - they are what they are goals. Things I try to achieve year - sometimes I meet those goals, sometimes (a lot of times) I don't. I often start out with the same goals this year that I did last year. This year is no exception but I do have some different ideas about some of them

2016 Goals

Draw closer to God - I don't feel as though I am as close to God as I once was. I haven't been praying as faithfully as I used to. I haven't been reading His Word as I once did. I still attend church but not with the same enthusiasm as I once had. I suppose there are lots of reasons for that. After my brother suddenly died, it was hard. I wasn't mad at God but I kept trying to understand Him. I finally felt like I started healing when I decided to stop trying to understand Him. I had to work on forgiving God - it felt odd to forgive the Great Forgiver - to ask Him to help me forgive Him. But I have. So this year, my goal is to get closer to God. I will do that by praying daily, reading the Bible daily and putting my focus on Him instead of on me.

Obtain better health - yes, I need to lose weight, and I would be lying if I said that wasn't part of this goal, because it is. However, the main goal is to get control of my health. To make better food choices, to exercise more and to remember that my body is a temple - it is here to serve the Lord and I can't do that to fullest if I feel bad from poor health habits. I have an eating plan and exercise plan in mind and plan to follow that. I don't really want to share it yet because I don't want the focus to be on the details - I want the focus to be on the big picture.

Crafty goals - this is a repeat of sorts. I don't have as many WIPs as I once had. I do have 2 or 3 at the moment so my first goal is to finish those. Part of this goal is to remember why I do the crafty stuff I do. I do it because I enjoy it. I love making something with my hands. Part of why I use to enjoy it is because I loved giving homemade gifts to people but sadly time has taught me that there are people that appreciate that kind of thing and there are people that don't value them - they toss them, donate them or shove them in the top shelf of a closet never to be used or seen again. I believe I know how to sort that out now. Most of the crafty stuff I make from now on though, will be just for me and my pure enjoyment of making whatever it happens to be.

Basically, that is it...I guess my mantra for 2016 will be God, Health and Craft - haha!!
Although I won't be scrapping it, my One Little Word for this year will be "Awaking" - awaking to my new closer relationship with God, awaking to better health, clarity and freedom.

Happy New Year - I hope 2016 is a good year for us all.

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Freddy's 2015 Antics - Final Days

Freddy's time here in the southern U.S. is almost up but he wants to have a little more fun

December 18th
Freddy loves playing with Army men.

December 21st
Freddy knows that Michael likes chocolate

December 22nd
Time has come to say goodbye until next year (click on the picture to read the message that Freddy left for Michael)

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Freddy's Antics - 2015 Version

In 2013, I started a new tradition with my boss, only he doesn't know it is me (at least I don't think he knows it is me) - My boss, Michael, has he own personal Elf on the Shelf, named Freddy!

I posted all of Freddy's antics back in 2013. However, last year...well...let's just say it was an awful time last Christmas - I was out on Family Medical Leave and I didn't get to help Freddy with his adventures (Luckily my awesome friend and co-worker took over for me so my boss still had his daily elf visits).

I was a little hesitant to let Freddy return this year for various reasons but my co-workers thought that he was ready to come back and have some Christmas fun.

So...here is what Freddy has been up to so far this month.
(Remember, you can click on the photos to make them bigger)

December 1 - He came back into town so he just made his presence known.

December 2nd - Freddy must be a fan of Jack Nicholson and/or Stephen King because he decided to recreate a famous scene from the movie, "The Shining

December 3rd - Freddy loves magnetic games - I guess because of his magnetic personality

December 4th - Silly Freddy - playing with a novelty push pin toy

December 7th - It's Monday - guess Freddy had some extra time over the weekend and made Michael some Elf-sized cookies

December 8th - Nothing like a good sip of fresh Orange Juice to give a busy elf some energy!

December 9th - Playdoh is fun! Freddy loves to make Christmas Trees with Playdoh.

December 10th - What is this? Freddy had some Team Elves join him for a friend came of Elf Football.

December 11th - One of Freddy's elf friends, Teddy from Tennessee, decided to stick around a extra day. He must love games - yesterday was football and today is Twister!!

December 14th - Look at this!! I guess Freddy had such a nice time riding his bike in this nice weather over the weekend that he decided just to ride it on into the office Monday morning.

December 15th - Hmmmm - Freddy told me I should have taken a picture of him with one of Michael's favorite candies - Junior Mints, but I forgot. Michael left a note next to Freddy to explain what happened to them.