Knitting Obsession...

This is my third attempt at these little newborn baby hats. The first one didn't turn out, second one was okay, but this third one is really coming along. I've had to pull out my book and learn to decrease and refresh my skills for binding off, but think I might actually be making some progress on the road to teaching myself to knit.   

Hope everyone has a great week-end!!!

Times on the Mount...

I have been a bit under the weather this past week with allergies. When I use Benadryl it takes me a day and a half to get over the affects of it in order to know if I feel any better, so haven't posted much and may not for a few days.
But as I was sitting here this morning reading "My Utmost For His Highest" and watching Fuzzy play with his cars and laundry baskets I thought I would share an entry from the classic version. There is always so much good to be found in this little book. Sometimes it can just be a reminder. I wrote a post on it when I first started blogging.

I am not a big fan of blogs with long pages of stuff to read, so I will apologize in advance.

 His new favorite pass time.

OCTOBER 1st Entry:
"We have all had times on the mount, when we have seen things from God's standpoint and have wanted to stay there; but God will never allow us to stay there. The test of our spiritual life is the power to descend; if we have power to rise only, something is wrong. It is a great thing to be on the mount with God, but a man only gets there in order that afterwards he may get down among the devil-possessed and lift them up. We are not built for the mountains and the dawns and aesthetic affinities, those are for moments of inspiration, that is all. We are built for the valley, for the ordinary stuff we are in, and that is where we have to prove our mettle. Spiritual selfishness always wants repeated moments on the mount. We feel we could talk like angels and live like angels, if only we could stay on the mount. The times of exaltation are exceptional, they have their meaning in our life with God, but we must beware lest our spiritual selfishness want to make them the only time.
We are apt to think that everything that happens should be turned into useful teaching, it is to be turned into something better than useful teaching, vis., into character. The mount is not meant to teach us anything, it is meant to make us something. There is a great snare in asking-What is the use of it? In spiritual matters we can never calculate on that line. The moments on the mountain tops are rare moments, and they are meant for something in God's purpose."

Oswald Chambers

Hope you have a great day!!!

Sunday Pleasures...

1. A Beverly Lewis movie to watch.
2. Spicy Chicken Soup for supper.
3. An apron all cut out and ready to sew.
4. A pot of Mums to plant.
5. Kitties to feed.
6. Chihuahuas to hold.
7. Blessings to count.

Scarlet Beauties...

My entire flower garden has either burned up from the intense heat and lack of rain or been chewed to death by hordes of grasshoppers. I went out to pull weeds today and discovered this bit of splendor scattered about.

  

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever...

John Keats 

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup...

I made some really good Spicy Chicken Soup last night at my daughter's house. It was too spicy for Tall Feathers and Fuzzy, so they had pigs-in-a-blanket and corn-on-the-cob. They were content and didn't seem to notice that we were sinfully indulging in possibly the best soup we'd ever had.

This recipe came from the blog Mennonite Girls Can Cook. If you haven't been to their site be sure to check it out.  They have a recipe today for Spice Cake that would go great with my morning cup of coffee. I may try it this weekend.

 The only change I made to the recipe was to use fat-free grated cheese, fat-free sour cream and salsa with no sugar. 

 We are having left-overs for lunch.

While eating we both decided-Mennonite girls can cook.

Have a Thrilling Thursday!!!

Boys to Men...

Fuzzy lovin' his cars and trucks.

Happy Birthday...

Today my mother would have turned 79 years old. She was a rare combination of funny, generous, kind, and tender-hearted. She had a heart for those in need. She was part Cherokee Indian and loved to knit, crochet and sew.

She loved roses.

So many times I've missed you

so many times I've cried.

If love could have saved you

you never would have died.

Your precious heart stopped beating

your twinkling eyes closed.

But never a day goes by

that your not in my heart and soul.

                                                                      unknown

1932-2008

Have a happy week!!!

The Candy Caper...

Here's how it went down:

Last night we took Moondaisy to see a community play and returned to find this.

   I had made her a bed on the couch so she could lay and read.

 I'm sure when Piper jumped up on it she never intended to eat the Reese Cups. She probably even tried to talk herself out of them.

The minute I made the discovery she knew she was in trouble. She peeked out from behind an ice chest, ran to her crate, looked at me once and refused to make eye contact again, but I'm guessing it was well worth it.

Hope you have a super Sunday!!!

Grandparent's Day 9-16-11...

  I love Grandparent's Day.

 A card from Crazy Hair.

 First grade and a wonderful tour guide.

 Then on to fourth grade. 

 Brown Hawk.

Have a great weekend!!!

Shadows...

Today is the Weekend Shadow Blog Link Party over at Crafty Sue's.

This is a true story. I was sitting outside taking pictures of  Fuzzy on September 7th when I noticed he had discovered his shadow. He would look at it then move to another spot and look at it again. I took these pictures and that very night I saw that Crafty Sue was having a Shadow Photography challenge. What are the chances? What a coincidence. 

Follow the link on over to Crafty Sue's for more Shadow pictures.

Have a nice day!!!

Easy Baby Quilt...

You can make this quilt just by looking at it. I did. Decide how large you want your quilt to be. Cut your squares and half squares large enough to achieve that size. Arrange them according to the picture. My squares and half squares are 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches.The dog torso is a rectangle and two squares with appliqued ears, head and circles. You will need to draw the ears, head, and circles and embroider the tail. I used two long and two short rectangles around the dog.

I saw a much smaller version in a magazine (that I can't remember the name of) and worked up my own pattern pieces (I don't know if that qualifies as fair or not). I just played with it until I got it the way I wanted it.  

I had this one machine quilted, but it could easily be hand quilted and would quilt up nicely. I would probably quilt along each seam-line (in the ditch) on the blocks and the dog. The white around the dog would be nice done in cross-hatch.

This quilt makes a great shower gift.

As a fun finishing touch to your gift you might go on ebay or etsy and find this vintage pup at a reasonable price.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!!!

Safe Haven...

Early this morning I opened the wooden door to let the dogs out and right there on the porch directly in front of the glass door was this beautiful dove.  I grabbed for the camera as Fuzzy knocked on the glass. The second time he knocked she flew up into the tree. Needless to say I didn't get the picture I wanted, but thirty minutes later she was still in one of the trees.

It's dove season in Texas, so she was probably glad to find this little boy's house in town where she could feel safe and watch him play and she wasn't leaving.

Have a terrific Tuesday!!!

linking to: Communal Global.

Remembering 9-11...

Dog Daze ...

It's time once again for

BRENDA'S PHOTO CHALLENGE

the theme is:

 Dog Daze of Summer.

This is how my grandkids beat the "dog daze."

They literally live in the water.

Enjoy your weekend!!!

A Fuzzy Friday...

Here's hoping you have your own "Fuzzy Friday"!!!

Four Corners Apron...

I absolutely love aprons. This is one of my favorites. It's called the Four Corners Apron and is put together similar to the log cabin quilt block. Daley, my youngest, went to a quilt guild meeting with me several years ago. The speaker was demonstrating how to make this apron. Daley liked it, so I bought the pattern for her. Last Christmas she made one for each of her sisters. They turned out positively "delicious". I am going to go through my "stash" this weekend and see what I can come up with. I would like to make one in reds and greens for Christmas.

This one is hanging in my daughter Dusty's kitchen.

Have a great day!!!