Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering Gods grace in its various forms.

1 Peter 4:9-10

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Halloween Pics

The wild man as my White Knight :)

So cute!

Yes, that cowl was handmade - good thing, it was freezing!

Aw, another picture???

Fuzzy pic but happy kid!
We had a lovely, though chilly,  time at our church's Trunk or Treat event!  The wind really kicked up the frost factor!  We had to leave before the fireworks show - tired kiddo and frozen parents :)  It was quite nice to see the town out and about at this event, too.  We had advertised for nearly a month, so a lot of labor went into it.  Happy to see so many little ghoulies out and about!  Here's a taste of our church band singing Nickelback's If Today Was Your Last Day off their Dark Horse album:


They pretty much rock the House on Sunday morning!  Wonder if God's up there nodding his head and tapping his toes while he listens :)

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Photo Friday :)

Bedouin Cowl - made for a friend's friend who is recovering from a stroke.  I need to scan the finished pic!



Lacy Bowknot Scarf - separated stitches for the bowknot.

Lace pattern in Bowknot Scarf

Owlie Sleep Sack in progress :)
My awesome niece at the Maine Karate Classic - she's so intense!

Massive tree

Hubby had to use everything he had to heave that log onto the splitter!


The next piece was just as big!
Wild man and his Memere' :)

Look at that punum!

Out cold!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Hope for the Future


Hubby and I have been married for over 17 years and each year seems to be getting better.  We've mellowed a lot and grown much.  I love him more today than when I said "I do" all those years ago.  He is my man, my love, my help-meet, my best friend, my lover.  So many people are unhappy in their marriages and turn to some horrific "solutions" to try to save what they have.  I believe the keys to having a successful marriage are #1 RESPECT for each other, #2 COMMITMENT to each other through all hardships, #3 LOVE and #4 FAITH. We live in a disposable society that says it's OK to get married because you can always get divorced if it doesn't work out.  When my man and I got married, we agreed to never say the "D" word.  We made a commitment to work things out and if that meant going to bed and talking all night to resolve whatever issue we had then we were both going to be pretty darned tired the next morning.  We NEVER go to bed angry - when you do that your problems simmer and steam, marinating in their own stew of ugliness that gets harder and harder to resolve until you've got a hard stubborn crust burnt into your relationship.  Marriage takes hard work and a lot of tender loving care.  Those romantic moments at the beginning of the relationship are fleeting.  Real love takes mutual trust and nurturing.  It grows stronger and deeper as the years go by and you rely on each other more and more.  It is a necessity in a strong marriage for each person to grow and change, to mature, to mellow and age.  We are like fine wines, with the proper care and nurturing, we just get better and better.  I believe a committed, respectful, loving and faithful marriage is the binder for two such people.

I had the honor of meeting a lady today who embodies these things.  She and her husband just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.   She'd known him since she was 6 years old.  When she was old enough to date, she wondered why no one ever asked her out.  Soon after she was married she discovered her husband had warned off all her potential suitors because he had determined she was the one.  She shared this charming story with such a look of love and peace on her face.  Reminded me of my mother - she would have been about this lady's age and she and my dad would have celebrated their 60th this past summer.  I wish I had asked her for more; her name, another story, anything...because she had given me hope for the future.  Not necessarily for me but for others out there.  It doesn't all end in heartbreak and divorce.  My heart was warmed and I was truly blessed by her.

On another note, my darling hubby is getting domestic on me!  He saw this picture in Taste of Home magazine of some fancy schmancy turkey themed cupcakes and decided to get creative!  This is the result of several hours of hard work:

The "Drummie King"

Turkey Cupcake

Lots of turkey cupcakes!

And for the cuteness factor, here's a pic of my wild man with the new beanie I whipped up for him this weekend :)


Ooh, I could just squeeze him!!  Right, I already did! :)  "Mooommmm"
Have a safe and happy week!  Happy knitting :)

XXOO








Monday, October 11, 2010

Yarny Goodness and Fall

Ooh, I just LOVE this time of year!  The nights are deliciously cool without frosting over and the days are still so bright and lovely.  Especially if you can find a nice spot to park your chair in the sun and bask!  This is, by far, is my favorite time of year.  Though I haven't dug out my decorations, yet.  I usually decorate from September to December with fun pumpkins and harvest themes to spooky ghosts, goblins and witches to white twinkle lights, tinsel and manger scenes.  The house always feels so festive and smells so good!  But this year I haven't found the inspiration yet.  It's tough when you live in a small space that constantly needs sprucing up.  We don't have enough room for our everyday stuff nevermind the myriad assortment of glitz and sparkle hanging about.  So I'm thinking Thanksgiving may be the first Holiday I decorate fully for.  I'll dig out a few fun things for Halloween but leave most of it packed away.  Christmas is what I wait for, clean for, reorganize clutter for - just so I can squeeze out as much room as possible for one more ornament!  We want everyone to feel the Spirit when they come to our house!  And just so you know, I am NOT Martha...nothing coordinates, there is not matchy-matchy stuff going on.  Just a bunch of mismatched, glittery fun splashed willy-nilly!  I think the manger scene my Dad places out front is older than I am!  This year we'll have an intimate Christmas celebration at home then travel to our extended family's house the next day.   In any case, I find this time of year seems to fly by way too quickly :)
Crochet Witches Hat
Crochet Shell Stitch Baby Afghan
Crochet Versailles Baby Afghan
I've finished one baby afghan, started another and I'm making a prayer cowl for a lady recovering from a severe stroke.  I've also dashed out two very cute crochet witches hats and I'm planning on making at least one more and making two little ghosts to string them all into a cute little garland.  I have so many projects planned!  I have to start planning out my days better if I want to accomplish everything!  There are hats, scarves, arm warmers, mittens, and cozies on my list.  Not to mention several baby items for pregnant friends.  I really need to prioritize and get cracking!



Wild man crunching away - don't these Red Delicious look scrummy!!

Wild man has the day off today and we're making the best of it.  Movies, playing outside and games for this afternoon.  He's been patiently waiting for Mummy to finish playing on the computer!


So I'll sign off for now.  Have a lovely, safe week and happy knitting!

Books on Tap for 2011

  • Knit Together - Debbie Macomber
  • Captured by Grace - Dr. David Jeremiah
  • Murder Most Foul - A Collection of Great Crime Stories
  • Fireproof - Eric Wilson
  • There's Something About Christmas - Debbie Macomber
  • Questioning Evangelism - Randy Newman
  • Murder Uncorked - Michele Scott
  • A Sacred Sorrow - Michael Card
  • Prayer: Does it Make any Difference? - Philip Yancey
  • Get Out of That Pit - Beth Moore

Books Read in 2011

  • What a Sista Should Do - Tiffany L. Warren
  • 90 Minutes in Heaven - Don Piper
  • Forgotten God - Francis Chan
  • The Purpose Driven Life - Rick Warren
  • Dead Reckoning - Charlaine Harris
  • Shadowfever - Karen Marie Moning
  • Chill Factor - Sandra Brown
  • Heaven Has a Blue Carpet - Sharon Niedzinski
  • Dreamfever - Karen Marie Moning
  • Wednesday Sisters - Meg Waite Clayton
  • Stealing Home - Sherryl Woods
  • Bound for Murder - Laura Childs
  • Bloodfever - Karen Marie Moning
  • Faefever - Karen Marie Moning
  • Darkfever - Karen Marie Moning
  • Under Her Skin - Susan Mallery
  • The Red Pyramid - Rick Riordan
  • No Wonder They Call Him Saviour - Max Lucado
  • I Still Dream About You - Fannie Flagg
  • I Am Number Four - Pittacus Lore
  • The Last Olympian - Rick Riordan
  • Spider Bones - Kathy Reichs
  • A Thread So Thin - Marie Bostwick
  • The Battle of the Labyrinth - Rick Riordan
  • The Search - Nora Roberts
  • The Titan's Curse - Rick Riordan
  • Wicked Appetite - Janet Evanovich
  • The Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan
  • Awakened - PC & Kristen Cast
  • The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan
  • Photo Finished - Larua Childs
  • Keepsake Crimes - Laura Childs
  • Sizzling Sixteen - Janet Evanovich
  • The Icing on the Cupcake - Jennifer Ross
  • Fleece Navidad - Maggie Sefton
  • Dyer Consequences - Maggie Sefton
  • The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree - Susan Wittig Albert
  • Heaven Has a Blue Carpet - Sharon Niedzinski
  • Dreamfever - Karen Marie Moning

Books Read in 2010

  • The Yada Yado Prayer Group - Netta Jackson
  • Silver Borne - Patricia Briggs
  • The Hole in Our Gospel - Richard Stearns
  • A Winter Marriage - Kerry Hardie
  • So Long, Insecurity - Beth Moore
  • Knit the Season - Kate Jacobs
  • Dead and Berried - Karen MacInerney
  • Murder on the Rocks - Karen MacInerney
  • where do i go - Netta Jackson
  • be sweet - diane hunt
  • The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown
  • Raven - Allison Van Deipen
  • Push (Precious) - sapphire
  • Faces of the Gone - Brad Parks
  • The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry
  • Burning Lamp - Amanda Quick
  • Fired Up - Jayne Ann Krentz
  • The School of Essential Ingredients - Erica Bauermeister
  • Matters Arising - Sarah Harrison
  • The Sheen on the Silk - Anne Perry
  • I Saw the Lord - Anne Graham Lotz
  • The Dangerous Protector - Janet Chapman
  • The Seduction of His Wife - Janet Chapman
  • Re-reading all the Tintin graphic novels - Herge
  • The Sugar Queen - Sarah Addison Allen
  • the last time i saw you - Elizabeth Berg
  • Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen
  • Wild Ride - Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer
  • Dead in the Family - Charlaine Harris
  • The Girl Who Chased the Moon - Sarah Addison Allen
  • Grave Secret - Charlaine Harris
  • Crawl Space - Sarah Graves
  • The Honey Thief - Elizabeth Graver
  • The Otherworldlies - Jennifer Anne Kogler
  • Saving CeeCee Honeycutt - Beth Hoffman
  • A Face at the Window - Sarah Graves
  • Draycott Eternal - Christina Skye
  • Shelter Mountain - Robin Carr
  • Virgin River - Robyn Carr
  • Death by Cashmere - Sally Goldenbaum
  • An Ice Cold Grave - Charlaine Harris
  • Grave Surprise - Charlaine Harris
  • Grave Sight - Charlaine Harris