D-u-m-b Movie review

We wanted to just kick back a little tonight and watch a movie, so we watched one that we had checked out from the library, called "Mysterious Island". It was a Hallmark movie, made in 2005. It had some well known actors in it.
But the movie reminded me of the old "Godzilla" movies, in a way, because certain parts of it were so extremely phony. It definitely seemed like a low budget film.
The 'special' effects just were not all that.

It was based on a Jules Verne book, and I do like his stories.

But the film was nothing to get excited about, for sure.

almost.....August...already???

Is it just me, or does time seem to be whizzing by faster and faster? I can't believe it's already the end of July! I don't want Summer to end!

We have been so busy one way or another...DH and I have been working on the flower garden alot. We both have been enjoying it. It's really starting to fill in with all the perennials. It's been kinda nice too, because we have had a couple of our neighbors, and the postman, comment on how nice it is looking. Nothing like a compliment to give the ego a little boost. So, maybe we have green thumbs, after all? LOL I absolutely LOVE having flowers too...especially the kind that come back by themselves (and smell good too) I have noticed (or maybe its just my imagination?) that I seem to hear more birds around the house, and have seen some butterflies too...something I never really saw a lot of since we moved into town. I love to go out and sit with a cup of coffee and a good book at the picnic table under the basswood tree, and just kick back.

I have been doing a lot of knitting and crocheting lately. I think I am having some serious ADD issues tho... I can't stick to just one project lately! I have several going right now! I have the Boho Bag about 3/4 of the way done. The pattern was in the Jan 2008 issue of Crochet Today! magazine, and I fell in love with it and simply *had* to make it! Now if only I could stay on task long enough to just *finish* it!!!!!

I am also working on a crocheted scarf called "Anne". I saw it on a friend's blog (Susan B Anderson) and she has made several of them for gifts, and they are beautiful. So, of course, this ADD girl simply *had* to make it too!!! I simply LOVE the pattern...it is based on Queen Anne's lace, and it is lacey and lovely!!! I tried Caron's new yarn, Simply Soft Paints for it. It is - wonderfully soft, and the colors are beautiful!

And then... I have a baby sweater OTK that I am making for a gift for a couple at church that are going to have their fourth child sometime in August. And I still have the bag that I was knitting with a pattern from Anni Rodriguez. And I am FORCING myself NOT to cast on or start anything else just yet.

I have also been reading A LOT. My favorite author right now is Brandilyn Collins. She calls her books "Seatbelt Suspense". They are Christian mysteries, and I have been enjoying each one I have read so far! Eventually I would love to invest in them. They are the kind of book that you could probably read over and over. Right now, I am reading the second book in her Chelsea Adams series, called "Dread Champion". I have to force myself to put it down! Its that good.

Sunday after church we had a really nice afternoon. Our oldest DS and his fiancee and our two grandchildren (we have 'adopted' them already! LOL) came over. We fixed a quick lunch, and then took the kids fishing. I guess I earned the *cool grandma* award because:

1. I can bait my own hook
2. I LIKE to stand IN the water (at LEAST waist deep) when I fish
3. When DS lost his rig (bobber, hook, etc) on some vegetation, Grandma is crazy enough to swim out and fetch it for him. LOLOL
4. Oh, and I can touch the fish and take it off my hook unassisted
Funny how these silly things can earn you the 'respect' of kids!!! You gotta love it!!! :o)

Speaking of fishing, a friend of mine is supposed to be here in a bit, and we are either going to go fishing or swimming today (or both) - so I had better get myself in gear and get ready!

Happy Knitting to you friends!

Relaxing Monday...

After a long three days last week of working at Lifest in the Cup O'Joy booth (very fun, but very tiring :o)))) , I took a lllooonnngg nap Sunday afternoon.

Today I spent the day with my oldest son's fiancee, Elvie. We went to the bridal store, and looked at some wedding dresses for their wedding planned in May of 2009. We window-shopped at a few other stores, and picked up coffee at a Starbuck's. YUM!
We hadn't had lunch yet, so I treated her to Red Lobster. Another YUM!!
I LOVE their biscuits!
We spent all day talking, and finding out we have a lot in common! How scary!!!! LOL

I worked on a Felted purse I have been knitting from a pattern by Anni Rodriguez . She makes some very *cool* 'Flap-of-the-Month' purse patterns and sells them on her blog site. I have made another purse from one of her patterns - the one I gave to my DIL for her birthday...and Anni's patterns are very easy to follow, and very clear.

I am still absolutely loving the basswood tree being in bloom. I took some more pictures, and I am going to go sit outside for a little while, and enjoy the scent some more!

Have a great evening, knitting friends!

Tilia americana

The last few nights I have been enjoying going out and just sitting at our old picnic table, which is located in our yard underneath a beautiful, HUGE, old Basswood tree, which is the 'Tilia Americana'. The tree is blooming right now, and the blossoms on this tree are so wonderfully fragrant and pretty!!! We love standing outside and just enjoying the scent from the flowers on it.

One of our neighbors, a man in his late 80's - told us that the tree in our yard was measured by the County and our tree is the largest and oldest basswood tree in our county. If only trees could talk... I bet this one would have some stories to tell!

I looked it up on the this site, and found that Basswood has an interesting history. To quote: "Native Americans and settlers used the fibrous inner bark (bast) as a source of fiber for rope, mats, fish nets, and baskets. Basswood is still valued for its soft, light, easily worked wood, especially for turned items and hand carving. It once was the material of choice for prosthetic limbs, but these are now made from synthetics. Other uses have included boxes, toys, woodenware, drawing boards, veneer, venetian blinds, excelsior, and pulp. Native Americans used fresh basswood sap, which contains moderate amounts of sugar, as a watery drink or boiled it into syrup. They also ate young basswood leaves and used the cambium for soups and breads. Various medicinal uses were made of leaf and bark extracts, and Iroquois used freshly cut bark as an emergency bandage for wounds."

Here are a few pictures taken of the blossoms at night.

KICK BACK

I didn't write this article...but it is very wise... so I am sharing it with you all.

Kick Back
Do you feel guilty if you allow yourself a few minutes' luxury of daydreaming? there's always something to do, isn't there? Paul MacCready once stated in a speech:
"The only ideas I've ever had have come form daydreaming, but modern life keep people from daydreaming. Every moment of the day your mind is being occupied, controlled, by someone else--at school, watching television....You need to just kick back in a chair and let your mind daydream."
Schedule it on your calendar if you have to, but carve out some time when you can put your feet up and stare out the window. Take an hour and go sit quietly under a tree, with no book, no companion and no agenda.
One important idea that might come to you while there is that there is nothing you face which is bigger or more powerful than our God.
So go ahead. Kick back and try to imagine anything--anything--bigger than God. Then strengthen yourself with the image of God wrapped around you.
What comfort!
--Rocky Henriques
The Timothy Report
www.timothyreport.com

Gigi's Cargo Sweater

I told Momma I was going to do a post about the cute little sweater she finished knitting for her little Gigi! Gigi is one lucky girl, to have such a large wardrobe! (she loves to go 'shopping' at the pet stores, to pick out new 'outfits' and the occasional new toy!)

Momma knit this using the Cargo Sweater Pattern from a Paton pattern leaflet called "It's a Dog's Life #1"

She says I am teaching her to knit...but she already knows how! She just was out of practice, but I am elated to say, has become "re-addicted'' to knitting and yarn, thanks to me!!! (LOL- I corrupted my Mother!!!)

Here's GiGi modeling her adorable sweater...she was quite sassy when I was doing our "photo shoot"...the last shots show how tired she got...modeling is tough work!!!

Getting worn out...but fighting it...

Down for the count!

Best Buds sleeping after a tough day of being a designer, and a model!

It's been a while, hasn't it? I haven't been able to think of anything scintillating to write about...I have been visiting other blogs, and have been impressed with other bloggers cleverness and creative and witty use of words to explain what otherwise would be mundane. Alas, I don't posess that gift of eloquence. (but I am giving it a shot here...can you tell???)

Life has been pretty average around here for the last few weeks since I got back from Mom's. She's hanging in there. I contacted an RN that we had worked with way back in 2004. She is called a Chronic Care Coordinator (or something similar to that. I am too lazy to get up and look at the card.) Her name is Susan and she is wonderful, and Momma likes her. So Susan is kind of helping us with some ideas and working with all the different Drs.

I will be going back out there in the near future again, I'm sure. I would like to be able to stay home for a while though, and enjoy being with my hubby, who I miss so much when I am in California.

Hubby and I have developed Green Thumbs!!! We are so impressed with ourselves...lolol. We actually have a Garden. I mean...one that LOOKS like a REAL garden. We have been enjoying working in it, and have found it really rewarding and relaxing. We have mostly perennials, a hosta bed with many different varieties sizes and colors of hostas, and some different colors of Astilbe that are close to blooming. We planted three different varieties of crabapple trees in the front yard, to provide food for the Cedar WaxWings in the winter. And we bought some larger tomato plants (because I didn't get to plant them until a week ago) and they are doing well.

Our next plan is to relocate some rose peonies - our house is an old one, and in one of the back "corners" of the yard, there is a tangled mess of old fashioned roses, rose peonies, ferns, and I don't know what else! The roses smell wonderful, but the dumb things are blooming on the neighbors side, but not ours. :o( (our neighbors like that.) So we are going to get (or make) a trellis so that we can train the roses (they are climbing roses) to bloom where we can enjoy them too. I don't mind sharing with the neighbors, but I want to see them too. Then relocate the peonies, and discover what other treasures are planted there.

We 'inherited' our youngest DD's long haired doxie, Tootsie. He fits right in with our other dogs! And he LOVES all the squeaky toys that our dogs don't play with any more. He drags them ALL out, and has a blast!

I gave him a trim the other day, since its been pretty hot and humid here lately. It actually looks halfway decent.

We had to have our other kitty, Sterling, put to sleep the other day. He was 16 yrs old! He just was going downhill, and we didn't want him to suffer. It is so hard to have to make that decision though. I know its for the best, but I can't help feeling guilty.

Tomorrow after church, we are having a barbecue with our bible study group. The couple that opened up their home for the study (which was Max Lucado's "3:16-The Numbers of Hope") are providing steaks...so I figured I'd go all out and make what has become "Mom's Famous White Chocolate Cheesecake". It's always so funny to me how when I make that, my kids turn into whiney, pathetic, begging creatures...and they all want some. It amuses me no end. I guess you could say I am easily amused. And of course I love to torment them with it...but I always make an extra one, so the little beggars can have some. :o)

Enough nonsense for now... I am enjoying the beautiful summer weather...even the frequent thunderstorms. I hope you are all doing the same.

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time."
--John Lubbock