BE IT EVER SO HUMBLE....

Flying over Charlotte, NC around lunch time...

making mittens.

First glimpse of Daytona Beach....almost home!

 A pair of mittens to show for the day spent travelling. 

 Grateful for the time with my family in NY; 

 grateful for the home that awaited me.

HOMEWARD BOUND

Mom and I crafted this together today. 

 A lot of fun and interesting that the month of November is bare!

I managed to make a hat and mittens to match for 8-10 year olds.

And I am mostly packed up and ready to head to the airport.  Time enough for a few more stories, card game and then savoring all of the memories.

MORE FAMILY TIME

We took a little trip to go and see my niece and family 

since they were in quarantine

 because the little boy she babysits tested positive for Covid!  

Several tests later they were all cleared for visits! 

 Even their kittens were glad to see us!

One patchwork pooch found her forever home....

and so did the other!

At the beginning and end of the day, I worked on a mitten to go with the youth hat I made.

  I read the pattern wrong

 (knitting, talking and laughing put me at high risk for goofs!)

 and had to rip out a bit but this one just needs the thumb 

and I expect to do just that and make the other one today!

 

TRULY GNOME

 I started the gnome on Friday and it was finished on Christmas!  What a great pattern and knitting project.  

This was how I ended my Christmas day...very contented. 

 It was a day filled with family; 

parents, siblings, nieces, nephews and even great nephews! 

 And the food was superb with plenty of chocolate! lol

Church by remote today and then a bit more family time!  

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Waking to snow again!  This is the home where love rules.

And looking down the hill way to the back is where my sister lives, next door to my parents.

We had a wonderful time looking at old pictures of Christmases long ago...what fun memories!  This is my brother and me! 

 (ages 5 & 3) 

 I will post a big family gathering for Christmas

 tomorrow just for you!

And the sun setting in the west, out behind my parent's home. 

 I hope the sun sets upon a very grateful heart in your home!

Merry Christmas to all!

 

HOME SWEET GNOME!

Sunrise was very colorful yesterday;  this is looking out my old bedroom window, over the road, neighbors and to the river.  A nice view first thing in the morning when I woke up!

I bought Mom this kit to make gnomes back in October for her birthday;  she made four of the five and saved the fifth for me to knit-I hope to have it done in a few days!

They stand about 10' tall!  So handsome!

I also finished the hat I worked on while in flight on Tuesday-I made this one with a smaller needle for a kid's size.  I've started another and will see how it looks with a K1P1 rib.

 

SAFELY LANDED

I'm safely arrived at my parents-I had dark or storms all the way through the skies so no photos from the airplane!  But this is what I woke up to this morning!  

And some knitting for another hat done yesterday.  So nice to be here with family!

 

FLYING HIGH

I did finish the mittens and they are a match-first try even! lol

Here is the yarn haul for my birthday-I'm set for sock knitting again which means I have attained knitting balance....

Nyki hid in  my sweater drawer which is open because....

I am packing to head north for Christmas!  

Bill is staying home to take care of things here and to tend the cats.  I am going to my parents' home because they made a special request-all three of us siblings will be there for a family gathering.  No,  I am not afraid to travel because of the viruses that are 'out there' because this has always been 'flu' season.

I have woolens, fleece, mittens, a scarf and did I mention woolens packed because it is in the 20's there at night!

By the time you read this, I will be onward bound! 

HEADS AND HANDS

 I decided to make some man mittens to go with the hat.  

I used this pattern for the mitten.

I hope to take it slow and easy today, finishing the second mitten and watching another Star Wars movie

 because---it is my 66th birthday!  

REKNITTING OR TO KNIT AGAIN!

I started yesterday off by baking some gingerbread cookies

 using my Grandmother's recipe.

I frosted them and took them to the church 

Christmas Banquet/Concert in the evening!

They tasted like memories!

During the baking time, I ripped out three hats that I had made last winter that didn't fit anyone!  They were just too wide!  

Using the newly recommended hat pattern which is fantastic in its simplicity and genius because it has the info for any kind of yarn you choose or have at hand!  Winner!  Nice to knit successfully!
 

KNITTING

Another pair of mitts, yarn is Capretta from KnitPicks in Blush colorway. Very soft and warm.

I've been enjoying knitting a hat again-thanks for the inspiration Dee and Nancy and Alycia and Betsy!

Lion Brand hand-dyed worsted.

 Our Florida avocados are back in season!  These are large-5" long and 3 1/2" wide!  They are sweeter than Has and very, very good!  We will be enjoying them on our salads for months now!

ACCEPTABLE DOGS

Lena says she will accept this pack of dogs in the house! 

 I am so glad I finished all four of the dogs-sometimes things don't work out but this was interesting and sentimental to sew.

I tell friend that I really do like to mend things;  a vintage decoration had suffered water damage while packed away for the year and the fabric had actually rotted away.  I was able to patch it and use some holly appliques to copy how it looked before.  Since this was printed fabric, I had to do the best I could.

The use of the silver glitter glue really brought harmony to the patch and the rest of the print! 

 I enjoyed the challenge and my friend was thrilled.  

(This used to be her grandmother's!)

I thought you would enjoy seeing the 'olives' of our wild olive tree.  They are edible to birds and not people!

The olives are the size of small marbles.

 

PATCHWORK PUPS

One dog is completed sans eyes.  

I have the other two halves pieced for the second dog 

and I will hopefully finish them both today!

This is 8' tall--the Angel Trumpet Plant. 

 Yes, the 8" long blossoms smell sweet.

I just had to go and check on the ripening of the Clerodendrum  Trichotomum to see how blue the berries were. 

 The flowers are just as fresh as they were weeks ago.

And I found the info I needed to figure out the mystery wood for the bowl yesterday--it is a Wild Olive tree;  birds eat the berries but they are not for people!  It is an evergreen tree which is cool.  

 

WOOD ON WEDNESDAY

One of the risks you run when you turn 

a piece of green (fresh) wood, is that as it dries, 

it takes a distinct oval shape and can develop splits.

  Some inconsistencies are tolerable, some disastrously!

The bottom blew out a large section where there was a flaw in the wood--I embraced all of these 'problems' 

and just sanded and finished with sealer. 

 I think it will be a pretty art piece as is!  

We still don't know for sure what kind of wood this is. 

 I am looking for a  site to give wood colors and properties 

so I can identify it!

Now this I know the name of--and wow, does it smell wondrous in the back yard because there are two separate blooms like this and each is 12" across!  Incredible.  (Tree Crinum)

 

TURNING NINE

 We enjoyed a birthday party for grandson #2 last night.

  He is into Minecraft and he can tell you everything you ever needed to know about it! lol 

 It is so wonderful to share their lives and see them mature! 

 I was exhausted on the ride home(hence the late posting)

It's hard to keep up with the festivities! 

 (only 3 more birthdays this month!)

NAPS

 Company while I napped yesterday.  

They are glad we are home without the dog--who is now named, Honey, for her coloring and her sweetness!

A PERFECT DAY!

We began our day yesterday with a Christmas time! 

 So nice to spend time together!

Late morning, we went to a great ice cream store

 and everyone picked their favorite flavor; 

 I had a Dole Whip (no milk) and it was fantastic!

Onto the boardwalk from the parking area to the beach! 

 It was the longest walk I enjoyed all week!

Within minutes we saw this group head by--Ella, who is enamored of all things 'horse' was mesmerized!

Caleb and Cassandra enjoyed some down time, too.

The pleasure of playing with seagulls never fails to please.

Ella had quite a following-in air and on the ground!

Eli was happy to build a wall 

and dig trenches for the waves to destroy!

After a delicious beef stew when back to their home, we did a bit of target practice--but this is not a gun; 

 it is a CO2 powered AirJavelin!

  It shoots arrows! 

 No kickback and it was so much fun! 

 I was pleased to see I could hit

 right where I called out each time!  

Goodbyes are always tough 

but we had a beautiful sunset all the way home!