Happy Anniversary To You "Mr. Wug"!!!

    Good Morning and Happy Anniversary Mr. Wug. I decided that since we've been married  28 years I'd take the time today and list 28 things I've learned about you these 28 years:

    1.) That you're a very hard worker. No matter what the job is, you're in, you're loyal, and you'll do even the dirty jobs that no one else wants to do.

   2.) ...that I think you have dyslexia...really bad! Every time you say: "Sword" and "Heli-cock-ter" it confirms my belief!

   3.) ...that you LOVE gadgets!!

    ...ANY kind of gadgets!

   4.) ...that I wasn't your first love. It was a 1978 Chevy Chevette...

    ...I took her place next to you on our wedding day. But she still had your heart for many years afterward...until I crashed her! OOPS!!

   5.) ...that, even though we took the class 3 different times, your Sign Language still is not very good.

   ...and I'm not the only one that thinks so!

   6.) ...that even when I don't like what you do,...I mean REALLY don't like what you do!...I still love you!

   7.) ...that you like sleep even more than me!...And that's saying something, 'cause I do love my "Naps"!

   8.) ...that even though we both have gained some weight, and grown some hair in places where hair shouldn't be, I still think you're pretty cute! And you dress up pretty good!!

   9.) ...that you love sports...just like me!!!

   10.) ...that even though we never had kids, I know you would have made an awesome dad!

   11.) ...that you never can stay mad with me for very long...even when you try.

   12.) ...that you can't STAND it when I give you the silent treatment. You would much rather hear me yelling. :-/

   13.) ...that you know I love flowers, and you always did...

   14.) ...that you really don't like sitting and watching movies...unless they are "The Rocketeer"! (What's up with that?!)

   15.) ...that you love to go for long rides in the car...Again, just like me!

   16.) ...that you love, love, love to talk when you're at a gathering around a lot of people, but when it's just the two of us you'd much rather point, grin, and nod.

   17.) ...that you love to waste time doing anything else but what it was you were SUPPOSE to be doing! And you'd like to be doing that 'anything else' at the same time as when you were doing the thing you were 'suppose' to be doing!!

   18.) ...that a good meal never gets by you!...Neither does a pastry!!

   19.) ...that you're always beside and behind me, even if it makes you uncomfortable.

   20.) ...that your friends don't always understand you, but they love you and will do anything for you!

   21.) ...that you love to cuddle and hold hands, even though you pretend to be uncomfortable with it sometimes.

   22.) ...that you're not a very good cook. Let's face the facts, you're a very good tryer,...and you DO make a mean beef stew,...but everything else is either not seasoned, not done, or overdone!

   23.) ...that you haven't claimed, sincerely, a side of the bed. You'll sleep anywhere! But you have fiercely claimed your secret junk food 'Stash'!!

   24.) ...that time doesn't mean a whole lot to you...except after it's already gone!

   25.) ...that you can't lie well, so it's a good thing you don't really try to!...Also, you don't avoid telling the truth well either! The question: "Does this make me look fat?" could have you in another mental place for 3 minutes!...And thus, I always already know the answer!! LOL

   26.) ...that if I live another 28 years I'd like to do it all again with you.

   27.) ...that you may not have known how to love when we first started this 28 year journey, but you're very good at it now!

   28.) ...that every anniversary you make me happy that we're still together and that you love me very much.  And I love you very much too Mr. Wug.  Love "Is Something That We Do!" Happy Anniversary! You're my Super-Hero!!

My Super-Hero

He has x-ray vision,

but he`s as blind as a bat.

He sees straight to my heart,

but cannot see my fat.

He`s as strong as an ox,

but as gentle as can be.

He`s sexy in his shorts,

and in a suit-a sight to see!

He`s my super-hero,

even though he can't  fly;

He doesn`t drive a Bat-Mobile,

or freeze time with his eye.

But the things that he can do

far outweigh the things he can`t;

and they give the word "Super-Hero"

a whole new slant!

♫ Yesterday... ♫

    Do you remember the Beatles, Paul McCartney, song entitled "Yesterday"? Well, that's what inspired this post. I woke up early this morning, turned on the T.V. to the PBS channel, and Lo and Behold...the White House Award Performance was on, featuring all different artists singing Paul McCartney songs! It was amazing!

     I sat there crying (a good cry) and reminiscing about the 'yesterdays' of my life...My immediate yesterday included me finally starting the black and white scarf I've been putting off for weeks now. I'm trying to decide, at the point I am now (which you see in my header picture), whether to just leave this little alternating black and white on the ends, and the rest black, or to add some other patterning throughout it. I'm open to suggestions.

    But then my thoughts of yesterday started to go further back. Yesterday, or so it seems, hubby and I were married. We were wide-eyed and full of wonder about our adventures ahead in this thing called 'marriage'.  Tomorrow will be our anniversary. It'll be 28 years!! WOW! It's gone by so fast!!! At times in the past we have planned big shindigs, gone on wonderful trips, bought each other expensive gifts, and carved out spaces of time where we could just be alone, in order to mark this day for ourselves. I asked hubby last night what he wanted to do tomorrow. He said: "I don't know. We don't need anything..." I said: "Yes we do. We need SLEEP!" He giggled and said: "Sounds like a great anniversary!" So, guess what we're doing ALL DAY tomorrow?!! :-))

    On a completely different subject, speaking of yesterday, this is sitting on my living room table.

   ...I think this comes from a long 'yesterday' ago. My sister gave it to me...No! It's not a pile of money! That much I do know! That would have been a good anniversary gift though..but...

    ...it's a little bit too melded together to spend! LOL It's actually some kind of paper weight...I think! She picked it up from some tag sale or collectible place I'm sure. She gave it to me. Yesterday it dawned on me that I never found out any information about it like I had wanted to. All I know is that it is as heavy as real coins would be....Maybe it really is real coins!...And I'm not sure exactly what kind of currency it is either.

    I can see that it's not American coins though. Do any of you recognize them, or know what it could be?!...It looks like this on the back...

   For sure, somebody was using this 'yesterday'!!...Frankly, There's no real reason I'm talking about it. Just came across my mind again yesterday...Guess I better get to thinking about today! Gotta work on my scarf some more, write something for my hubby for our anniversary, and maybe listen to some more Beatles songs. I've got a whole collection of them that I never take time to listen to...until ♫ "Yesterday" ♫!

{I wrote this sappy poem on our 20th anniversary. Be patient with it! :-))}

Heart House

"Yours is the heart I live in."

That sounds so strange, I know;

But there's  no other way to explain it,

after 20 years of loving you so.

Your heart has opened so wide,

to comfort me from fears of my past;

And it has closed so tightly around me,

when my insecurity felt so vast.

But the thing I most want you to know,

from now til the last breath I take,

is that not only is it your heart I live in,

but my heart is the home that we make.

Its a home with constant nurturing,

security, safety and peace.

It beats only for you every day,

with  a strength that never will cease.

And while the streets of our hearts keep growing,

giving us new places, forever, to roam,

We know where the road has turned 20 years now;

Our hearts have just said: "Come on home."

I Feel Pretty...Again!

    Oh boy! Did I need a little primp and pampering yesterday!!! I'm going to have to use all of the tact I can muster for today's post, in order to tell you about my day! Let me start out by saying: "I'm 50, almost 51 years old." I'm at the time of my life where emotional things are much more manageable than they were in my 20s. (I could be referred to as a "stone fool" back then in how I behaved in some situations!) But the physical changes are proving to be a real challenge!!

    I woke up in a pool of sweat from head to toe...and then some! My...*cough, cough*..."friend" is visiting again, after a 6 month hiatus!!! UGH! And all of a sudden I'm developing gray chin hairs!!! LOL Hubby got a good old laugh out of that. {I guess that's fair because I certainly laughed at him the first day I saw that bush of hair growing out of his ears!! Ha! I jokingly told him that it looked like he was trying to grow a 'Chia Pet' out of the side of his face!} Needless to say, I did not wake up feeling like my girlie self! I had to do something about that right away!!

    Of course a bath had to be first! A big tub full of hot water and a whole lot of bubbles is usually my idea of a girlie day, but in this circumstance a shower would certainly do the trick! Don't you just love a shower?! It feels like your old self just goes down the drain, and leaves behind this new and pretty improved you! Somehow a wash-up from the sink just doesn't do the situation justice. But sometimes you have to do what you have to do! Anything to get clean!!

    After I'm all washed up, the real work starts! Then comes lotion from head to toe.  Everywhere except my face, that is.

     Girls of my skin color have to worry about being what we call "ashy", dry white skin everywhere. Trust me...it's not pretty!!...For the face area, I use Noxema.

    I've been using it every since I was a teenager. I use it to moisturize my skin, as a foundation under my make-up, and to remove my make-up! It's my little wonder in a jar!...A lot of people don't like the mentholy smell of it, but they are the same people who are always asking me: "What do you do to keep your skin so nice?"...I don't think they REALLY want to know!...Anyway, after my skin is all moisturized, then comes the powder...

    ...but only very lightly in strategic places, to keep you from feeling that uncomfortable perspiration. :-)

     I like this brand because, again, it has a mentholy, cool, refreshing feel. The fact that it's medicated is a plus. To all those sweat germs I say: "If you don't start nothing, there won't be nothing!!"...Next comes underarm protection.

    Again, I have used Soft & Dri since I was a teenager. I have found over the years, must be because of hormones or something, that I have to use the spray at that "time" of the month. (Girls, you know what I mean.) For some reason my body chemistry changes then! If I use my usual stick...

   even though it has what it calls a "power stripe", in about an hour I'll start to wonder why some smelly trucker has always been and gone everywhere I'm going. Then I lift my arm to say "Hey!" to someone and realize the trucker...is ME!!! LOL

    The hair comes next, now that I can lift my arms in safety! I comb, braid, curl, flip, whatever! And I always finish with a little bit of Vitapoint in the part, and all over the hair.

    A little bit goes a long way because it's not really for moisture. It's for shine! I know it doesn't look like it, right?! But that's what it does! It makes your hair look all shiny and new, like you just came from the beautician or something! It's great to put on before you comb your hair too, for detangling purposes.

    Okay, I'm almost feeling like a girl again! One more step! Perfume!!

    And for me it's not just any old perfume either! I'm allergic to anything with a floral scent. So once I found this perfume by Estee Lauder, "White Linen", that has a pretty clean scent to it...I was in!!

     It's the only one I've used for years. And the fact that a free tote or make-up or some free gift comes with it just about every time I'm about to run out...is a definite plus!!...So, a little spritz...

    ...and Ahhhhhh! I feel pretty again!!

{A repeat of this poem was in order! :-)}

Dress And Feel Better

When I am feeling bad,

and I am about to drop a tear,

I make myself feel better

putting pearls upon my ears.

When your hair just won't  act right,

and you're  feeling kinda fat,

put some perfume on your wrist,

and wear a fancy, frilly hat.

There's  nothing better than some frill,

and high heels down off the shelf

to make you stand a little straighter,

and feel good about yourself.

Wear some bold and brighter colors,

and some jewelry everywhere,

and you'll  look so good to others

that you'll  feel like what you wear!

Change your mood-and sport some flare!

Are All Yarns And Threads Alike?!

      Now, I know, 'right off the bat', that today's post is going to be a 'yawn fest' for some people. That's because if you already crochet or knit you'll know this already, and if you have no intention of ever crocheting or knitting you're going to be bored to tears with all of the details. I decided to write it though, as a reference point for the people who would be buying items from my "Wuglyees" shop on "Etsy".

    I really started thinking about this post recently when I was asked by someone on "Twitter" which threads and yarns I was using to make my necklaces. It seems like such a simple question, when, in fact, it's anything but!!...I use different kinds of threads and yarns depending on what I'm making, and on what effect I'm after in the finished product.

     For instance, with my necklaces I almost always like to use thread. But there are all different kinds of thread!

    Look at these 3 blue threads closely and you'll see what I mean. The first one is a smooth cotton, the 2nd is silk, the third multicolored one is what I call 'soft cotton rope' thread. I said 'that's what I call it', because if you look at the wrapper on threads of this kind the only info they give you is whether it's 100% cotton or not (which is the ones I like to use), and a bar code and where it was made. This...

    ...and this...

   ...though, look and feel completely different. And in working with them, they handle completely differently. The multicolored rope-like one is my favorite. It's soft, easy, and goes where I want it to go, and doesn't fray every time you touch it! The smooth cotton and the silk are not easy to work with. I have to be much more careful, and work slower, in order to make sure all of the strands are staying where they're suppose to stay.

    I do have what I call my 'Premiere' thread though!

    It's 100% Mercerized Cotton and just FABULOUS to work with. And yes...it is as soft as it looks...

    ...but not the kind of soft so that every time you rub it it gets all fuzzy!

      It doesn't do that. That's why I love it! It comes in all kinds of colors...and all kinds of widths. This is the same kind, but thinner...

     I have some white threads of another kind. Soft also, but with a different feel. It's hard to explain. See if you can tell the difference when you look at it...

    My premiere white thread is Portuguese thread...

    ...This thread is literally imported from Portugal! I had about 3 boxes at one time. I have one box of it left. After that, I don't even know if I'll be able to find it anymore. The 2 stores I bought them from no longer are in business. So if you buy something in my shop made out of Portuguese thread, know that you're getting something really special! I made the frame on this "Anniversary Poem" out of this thread.

    Speaking of special, I use a very special metallic thread on a few projects too. I used it on this "necklace". I LOVE the way they look....

     ...I absolutely HATE the way they twirl and roll up when you're working with them!! You have to keep stopping while you're crocheting in order to unroll or unravel it so that you can continue! It's very time consuming and takes a lot of patience. If not for how beautiful the end product looks, I wouldn't bother with it at all!! This "bridal necklace" was one of my 'Patience Projects'!!!

    For my other items, non-jewelry items, I use all kinds of yarn. Usually soft yarn, unless I'm working with some extras, something I bought for a particular project, or some yarn that was given to me. ( That happens sometimes. My friends are recyclers too! :-] ) Mostly, I choose to use this...

    It's soft to work with, and beautiful when it's all done! I made this "hat" out of it....This blue is another brand that I use. It's 'Lion Brand'...

     I don't use it as much in projects where I know the person will be using it a lot because it will 'fuzz up' some if you fool with it too much...This next one I don't use that much just because it's a BEAR to work with it!!

      ...If you're working with a simple pattern, like a scarf, it's fine. But if your project has a lot of detail, this is not the kind of yarn you want to use. The reason is because it's very hard to see your stitches as you're working. You have to KNOW where you're going every minute!...I pretty much can crochet with my eyes closed with most projects, but not with this yarn!! Although, I did make this "man's scarf" using some of it.

    I used this yarn once. I made this "scarf" with some of it. I bought it from a shop on Etsy...

    It was beautiful, but I don't think I'd work with it again...unless by request...because I didn't necessarily like the inconsistent grade of it. Some sections are thin, while others are really bulky, all in the same thread.

    It's not a dislike for bulky though, because I love this soft bulky Angel Hair yarn!

     I used it, along with another yarn, in this "scarf".

So, that's it! To those of you who don't knit or crochet, but you read it anyway, thank you for the attention. I hope that, if nothing else, you now at least know what some of my things are made out of in my shop. And if you ever want me to make something for you, now you know what to ask for!...

    To those of you who DO knit or crochet, I'm always on the lookout for something new to crochet with too...remember my recent wire?...so let me know if they're some secret thread or yarn you are using!

When I am alone

When I am alone,

with just my pen and pad,

I can talk about myself,

whether I'm happy, tired or mad.

When I am alone

all the words just fly

from my brain of 'Busy'-ness

to the sight-line of my eye.

When I am alone

there's no veiled conflict;

There is only what I think,

and my ball-point Bic.

When I am alone

I can just be calm;

and if there's been a fight,

words can soothe like balm.

When I am alone

I confirm, with glee,

that I really like myself

and that "I'd  be friends with me!"

When I am alone

there's  no loneliness;

and whatever I am feeling

I don't  have to guess-

I just put down pen, and press!