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!   

A TRIP

This is the weekend that  we get together with youngest son and his family-no matter what.

I was pretty excited to see this quilt still being used-it has been passed down to son's son!

I didn't use binding on the edge and in a few spots the fabric has worn through but the fabric is holding up well on the quilt top and even the backing--it is soft and snuggly!  And still loved.

It is 'old'! lol

And I am happy to say that this photo bomber has come with us to Caleb's and she will be staying with them until he finds her a forever home.  They already have a dog and so their cats are very used to a dogs' loudness and rambunctious romping.  My cats are sighing with relief but it will be several days until they trust the dog is truly gone!  

A LITTLE UPRIGHT

I was able to be out of bed yesterday and of course, I had house cleaning and laundry to catch up on!  Since the knitting machine is right next to the washer/dryer, 

I made another pair of mitts.  

They fit well and will be warm on the cold days!

While I was in bed the last few days, 

I made another two pair of the camo kid mitts, too.  

That's it on my end.

 

BEING STILL

I have been down for the count....like the flat-in-bed kinda down.

It happens but it is hard to be patient with myself when there is life whirling by...I took these flower pics the other day-

this one is the Roselle Tea blossom. (3" across)

The Shrimp plant. (5" high)

The double, double Camelia bloom  (4-5" across)

A fancy variety of Camelia  (6-7" across)

and the white bush is producing more blooms every day!

Look at 5 of the Christmas Cacti which are ready to be placed in a prominent place on the porch instead of in their summer corner!

And in the yarn area...I got this project out yesterday when I could move my arms while in the completely prone position so it was work a bit and then rest my arms/hands...repeat! 

 But I lost at yarn chicken-I only had two more motifs to finish and the yarn ran out.  Now to order some more! 

 Delays are frustrating, aren't they?! 

A LITTLE CITRUS...

Another pair of camo mitts for grandsons...

A bit of crochet for citrus coasters--I added some lime ones!

We don't get colorful leaves until now--this Maple tree survived the flood we endured-you can see a dead one right next to it.

but since we had one frost already, we now see a bit of red/orange and yellow leaves!

We even enjoy a bit of color in our Poplar tree.  (our form of 

Another tall Maple tree which is bracketed by several dead pine trees.

Another source of color--bananas!

 And a Cassia tree covered with blossoms!

WARM HANDS PART II

The second larger mitt was accomplished in no time today--good notes sure help.  I made them with Red Heart yarn. 

 The small mitts I made with Yarn Bee yarn called Baby Camo.  These are made to be kid sized mitts for the Florida grands!  Today was a pretty sluggish day

 so it was nice to have something to do while I was sitting!

 

WARM HANDS

Since the dog is still here because every shelter is full and they can't take her in and no one we know is looking for a new pet...

...the cats are housebound! 

 Lena turned to tv like so many of us during a lockdown!

I played with the knitting machine and made a fingerless mitt.

The second one is well on its way.  

More stats when I finish it soon.

Here is that unknown plant so you can see where it is growing.

The seed pods are turning color--

look how beautiful the centers are becoming! 

 By the way, the plant has been identified as a Clerodendrum Indicum.  Fascinating read.  

The plant is grown in Asia, Hawaii and other tropical areas. 

 I think it is just incredible!

 

TWOS

Two Stockings

I made another Christmas Stocking to donate.  It is the one on the left-made to resemble a chimney with a cap on the top! 

 It was a fun knit;  I learned a lot!

As usual, I took a ton of notes and made adjustments from the pattern to take into account different yarn and machines.  

After a few false starts, I figured out what I was doing!

TWO DOGS

I also completed another patchwork dog.  This one came together a lot easier, as I hoped.  When it came time to hand sew the button eyes in place, I couldn't find the buttons I had set aside when I made the other dog!  I puttered at other things and then did some looking-over and over!  It drove me crazy!

TWO CATS

 It wasn't until bed time that I looked one more time and found a different set for this dog and sewed them in place!

Done is good.

THE MONTH OF RED AND GREEN

I picked this from a 4' plant growing out back--isn't it amazing.  A friend said if I wait a few more weeks, the green seed pods will turn brown and it will be filled with seeds --for friends! lol

This cluster is about 8-10" long!  The flowers are about an inch in diameter--it's quite the flower but I have searched Google and can't find its name!  Feel free to search and get back to me!

I enjoyed a few minutes of coloring with pencil--

a card to add to the stack.  

PATCHWORK DOG

The patchwork dog is completed! 

 It wasn't so bad to sew the two halves together by using another strip of 2 1/2" squares 

--- kinda like sewing the depth strip on a chair cushion 

except this one has a lot of angles! lol

  Let's just say, a lot of pivoting took place! 

Both halves use the same selection of squares, 

just in a different order.

I used a combination of two buttons to make it more realistic

 and I pulled the needle through to the other side

 to give them some dimension. 

 I think my Gram would approve!