I'm Working Hard For 'Positive' This Weekend!!

 

      I'm afraid I'm not up to talking much today. It's been a long...long....long....weekend!! A lot of not so smile-worthy things are happening right now, so instead of bringing y'all down talking about that, I'm choosing instead to show you the one smile-worthy thing that 'is' worth talking about!...

      I started the custom-ordered pink baby blanket! :-) I'm not too far along with it so far, but I can thank my non-working washing machine, my extremely bad headache, the snow storm...make that snow STORMS, with an 's' and another one on the way for tomorrow!!! UGH!...and the other non-smile-worthy things that happened over the last couple of days!!!!!...Aarghhhhhhh!
 

      So, please give me a pass for today y'all...and maybe tomorrow. I've got to lift my spirits with the same kind of effort that my dear friends are giving to us!! ♥♥♥ "We love y'all more than you know!!!!" :-]
 

      The really good thing, no matter what happens, is that I always know that with prayer, a good husband, loving friends and family, and a lot of long naps, I can get through just about anything!! ^_^

How Can You Be So Positive

"How can you be so positive
with everything so bad?
When folks are so unkind
and all those doctors make you mad?"

"It's easy!" I assure them.
'Cuz one thing makes it okay.
I wake up every morning,
and I'm breathing every day!

When I can't move a muscle
and can barely lift my head,
I think of all the folks I've known
who now are gone, yes, dead!

No matter what my problem is,
and if I stand or lay,
I'm thankful that my mind still works
and I'm breathing every day!

So how am I so positive,
When things sometimes seem bleak?
It's easy, 'cuz my breathing
keeps on going every week!

Oh yes, I have a choice!
I can be miserable and whine;
Be mean to folks around me,
Be demanding and unkind.

But who would make that choice,
when there's a better way to be?
I mean, who's breathing every day
and writing poems?...ME!

It's Not A Secret Anymore!!

     Say hello to  my 'chunky' football inspired.........candy dish!! LOL The only other thing I have to say about following the pattern to make it is.....AARGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! 

      All I wanted to do was be a thoughtful loving wife, and as a surprise for my husband, make him a pair of football slippers that he could wear on the day of the upcoming Superbowl football game! (February 1, 2015)

      But, as usual when I start trying to follow a pattern to make something that has a bunch of pieces that need to be put together in a certain kind of way.....*flash backs are coming to me of poor wobbly headed Baby Wuglyee! LOL*... my frustration level went through the roof!! O_O

      'Line this up with that...sew this...stuff that...tact on these......measure between this and that....etc. UGH!!! O_O By the time this stupid football slipper huge candy dish....*OH YEAH! It's definitely a candy dish now!!LOL*...was done, I'd sewn and ripped out seams about three or four times!!

     Not to mention the fact that I could only work on it when hubby was out of the house!! O_O ... "Oooooo! Won't he be surprised on game day?" I said to myself....Huh!...The one that got the surprise was 'ME!'

      He came home from work a full hour ahead of time and caught me stuffing the football!! O_O ...*sigh*...And obviously, at this point, I had to tell him the whole 'secret' ... because he recognized the football slipper right away and started hugging and kissing me in wholesome exuberant gratitude! :-)) He knew it was for him because of the size of it!.....'big man thirteen'!! LOL
      He started barraging me with a bunch of questions about whether the other one would be ready by game day, and was I sure they would fit his feet, and were they warm, etc?!...*sigh*...It almost broke both of our hearts....with him standing there wearing the one huge candy dish on his foot, and a huge multi-tooth-flashing smile....for me to tell him that there wouldn't be 'another' one!...EVER!!!!!!! LOL
      If I took the time to look at myself in the mirror right now I'm sure I'd find only a few strands of fuzzy hair left on my head, and a bunch of bald spots with huge blue veined nerve endings sticking out!! LOL...Needless to say, as much as I love my husband...and his big giant size thirteen feet!...I will not...I repeat, NOT!...be making another theretofore named 'football slipper'! ^_^ It's now a dip bowl, a candy holder, an art piece, a football display piece, or WHATEVER he wants it to be! ^_^ Surprise, Honey! It's yours!! ♥ You can do whatever you want with it!...as long as it's not...waiting for it to turn into two of them!! LOL
       

      In less stressful news, there's sun in the backyard!! ^_^ Yes, it's sun that's on top of a lot of snow...and some more snow is on the way tomorrow.....UGH!...but at least it's not a crocheted football!! LOL Some things you just need to be thankful for, and let that be that!! :-) Have a good rest of the day, Everybody!!

Sun

You make water cycles flow.
You give green to leaves and doe.
You add shine to a new rainbow,
and you make the flowers grow.

Without you, we could not sow,
there'd be nothing there to hoe.
There'd be no grass for us to mow.
And our mood would be real low.

Because of you, we go, go, go,
and all our 'ducks are in a row'.
We so appreciate your glow.
Our sunny smile is how you know.

Hmmmmmm...I Got Nothing....Again!

(Pebble Art by MedhaRode)

 

     Nothing to report today. I've been 'chillin'! ^_^ No snow....No busy schedule...No pressure. :-] Just reading...watching tennis...napping....eating....watching the snow in the backyard...and crocheting. Lots of crocheting!!!...Shhhhhh!...One football slipper is almost done. On to the next one!! ^_^ Hopefully there will be some pretty sunsets, some birds flying by, or SOMETHING to report tomorrow! LOL In the meantime, have a good rest of the day! ♥

"Ping!"

Do you find that you have lulls?
Times when life just has no 'Pings!'
Times when all that you've been planning
has been done! ... and nothing 'sings!'

You don't know what you should do.
Taking naps seem so sublime!
Knowing, when you look around,
that No! You haven't wasted time!

Lots of things have all been done.
But many things that you could do.
But nothing 'Pings': "Let's do this next!!"
The lull just gets the best of you.

Right now I'll try to ride the wave.
No expectation. Just relax.
Keep flipping books for inspiration.
Enjoying colors, brights and blacks.

Soon I know I'll be off again,
deeply engrossed in some new thing.
I'll get such satisfaction from it.
And that familiar little...'Ping!'

Get Out Of Here, Winter Storm Juno!!!

       
      Anybody want some snow?!...Come and get it!...PLEASE!!! ^_^ No worries, Y'all. I'm not gonna start this post complaining about the blizzard conditions of winter storm Juno! In fact, I've hardly noticed the fact that we're in the middle of a snow storm! LOL
      

      Oh yes, I've seen the wind whipping around, and across, the backyard most of the day...with a few hours in between of stillness.
 

      And I've seen the occasional 'critter' trying to get out and do a little prowling. ^_^ See the footprints?!...
 

      I think this was the neighborhood cat. :-) He likes to prowl across my patio area, and in and out of the woods.
 

      There was also an occasional bird flying by...very low. Struggling with the wind.
 

      And an occasional human! ^_^ But not 'us' humans!! LOL Hubby and I aren't the least bit interested in strolling around in wet...cold...white stuff!! ^_^

      We've been just enjoying our time together, watching tennis...playing Scrabble...doing laundry...crocheting (that would be me, not hubby!^_^) and eating! :-) In fact, part of what we were eating was a delicious bean salad that a new neighbor of ours walked over to us during the lull of the snow storm! :-)
      It just so happens that our new neighbor is a member of our congregation. (Jehovah's Witnesses) Her and her husband recently moved into our area! :-) How nice to have them so close by...within walking distance during a storm! We can support each other through it, if need be...But so far, we're just winter storm Juno eating and sharing buddies! ^_^
      

      As I said in the beginning of the post though, we've hardly noticed that we're in the middle of a snow storm! :-) If it wasn't for the snow piling up, we would think this was just a vacation in Florida!! LOL

      Okay...maybe a reference to storm Juno feeling like Florida is going a bit too far!! ^_^ 
 

       But it has been a really good day!...I've eaten Cheetos and bean salad until I'm about to pop! And I've beaten hubby...BADLY!...in a mean game of Scrabble! ^_^ In fact, so badly that I'm not sure he'll ever play with me again!! LOL...*slapping my own hand*...Bad Wug!!...I giggled my way through the Scrabble game. I couldn't help it. ^_^ Hubby was so funny trying to make up big words...only to have me come right behind him and get more points with my little words!! LOL If I get him to play with me again...which isn't at all certain at this point!...I'll explain to him more vehemently the whole double and triple letter scoring thing...instead of just taking advantage of a snowed-in victim!! Ha! Ha!

      By the end of our game I think he was wishing that he had chosen to brave the storm!!...Maybe sledding would have been nice! ^_^
 

      At the moment, while the snow is swirling again outside, we're sipping on green tea and watching a fabulous tennis match between Venus Williams and Madison Keys! They have a set a piece, and we're heading into the third! :-) The snowfall from the storm is suppose to be all over by 10 p.m. Tomorrow it'll be all about digging out!...We'll cross that bridge when we come to it! For now....GO Venus and Madison!!! ^_^ And YOU all have a good rest of the day too! ♥

Snow TRAPPED!

TRAPPED! Another snow storm!
Will this "STUFF" never end?!
We've be wolloped, punched, and socked,
and now?! Another one on the chin!

'Adding insult to the injury',
there will be an inch of ice!
I guess winter thought we needed
just a little 'SCARY' spice!

Do I sound bitter? Sick of it?
About to lose my snowed-in mind?!
Well, that would be correct!
That is, the brain cells I can find!

TRAPPED! Sick of snow,
and it's icicles everywhere!
Good thing I have crochet!
It will replace my pulled out hair!

'Hunkered Down'...And Mona Lisa Is Still Smiling!!

(Mona Lisa Inspired Artsy Crochet Hat by wuglyees)

 

      Hello to everybody!...but especially to my fellow 'hunkered down' companions on the east coast of the united states! Ooooooo whee! We're getting hammered by this snow storm!!! O_O The forecasts as to the amount of snow we're gonna get has been going up, and up, and up for two days now! O_O
      I just saw the latest storm model on the weather channel, and it's not looking any better! O_O The storm front is strengthening...Ugh!...and to describe the storm they're using words like 'historic' and 'epic'!...*blink! blink!*...It's a good thing I don't have anywhere to go! ^_^
      The truth is, even if I had some where to go, I wouldn't be able to! A state of emergency has been declared, and no unauthorized vehicles are allowed to be on the road from midnight tonight until tomorrow evening some time!! O_O If they don't mind, I think I'll just stay inside with my 'Honey Bear' and watch the snow pile up out of the window! LOL
      We've got Jehovah God, batteries, Cheetos, yarn, Cheetos, napping pillows, Cheetos, music, and tennis!! ^_^ I think we'll be just fine!!

      By the way, the Mona Lisa reference, in case you didn't know, is to my latest artsy beaded crochet hat!! ^_^ ...  
        

      This one is truly, without a doubt, artsy!!...wouldn't you say?! :-)

      It's also quite soft and warm. A necessary requirement when it's 'snowstorm weather', and there will be blizzard conditions, with snow drifts and wind gusts of up to 75 miles per hour!! O_O

      If we still have power, and I can still see out of my window tomorrow, I'll try to take and share some photos on tomorrow's post. But for now....tennis is calling! ^_^ My 'Baby Boy' (Rafael Nadal) is about to play!! ♥ SPOILER ALERT!.......Maria Sharapova just took Eugenie Bouchard to the wood shed!! ^_^
      Hunker down, east coasters! It's not nearly over yet! They're predicting 15 to 30 inches of snow in our area!!!...*sigh*...Hmmmm...does this mean we should be puting on blubber?! LOL....I'll do my best!! Ha! Ha!

Snowstorm Sublimation

Here we go again!
Another calm before the storm.
Things seem perfectly serene.
Not a thing 'out of the norm'.

I'll enjoy it while I can,
because I know this calm won't last.
Soon we'll get another hit
from another arctic blast.

Now we need a few suggestions
on a place to store new snow,
because our backyard is all full,
and it's too much snow to tow.

Come on 'sublimation'!
Take this snow into the sky!
We have another snowstorm coming!
And our snow pile is waaay too high! 

Just Wanted To Share Some Smiles....And Maybe A Few Tears!

You Want Some Snow?...Or An Artsy Hat?!!

      If you look really closely at the header photo you'll be able to see the big snowflakes that are coming down in the backyard right now. And which, in fact, have been coming down all day!!...with only a slight hour or so long pause.
 

      It's not bothering me though...because I have Melbourne Australia tennis...and artsy hat crocheting! ^_^ I also have soup and applesauce raisin bread!...Thank You, Honey!! :-) ♥
 

      I also had a bit of studying to finish (my Watchtower magazine article for the meeting tomorrow), and some television shows I missed during the week...because of watching tennis! ^_^ I usually don't talk a lot about one of my favorite shows, 'Parenthood'. But it's been so good...especially the last few weeks...and it only has one more episode until it's gonna be off the air for good! :-(
      I think the storyline caught me from the very first episode, with one part of the show's family chronicling the trials and joys of raising an autistic (or aspergers syndrome) child; another part of the family showing the challenges of being an interracial family; and the grandparents showing the stages of getting older {all the kids moving out, moving into another, smaller, home, severe illness, etc.}...And there were other thought-provoking family challenges too.
      I've enjoyed the realness of the storylines...sometimes mirroring my own families trials at times!...and I've shed a few tears and laugh out loud moments along the way too! ^_^ Oh, if only families...including mine!...would just do things the way God intended!!! How much easier life would be!! :-) But...then what would this world do television shows about?!!! LOL

      Anyway!...I've got much more important things to occupy my time anyway!! ^_^ One of those things including my latest artsy hat project!! :-) ...
 

      Yes, it's finally finished! :-) And it was no 'picnic' either!! O_O
 

      This particular triangle-shaped applique was made of a crinkly material covered with all kinds of artsy beads, pins, chains, and stuff! :-] But I had to figure out some kind of 'artsy' way to attach it to my hat!! O_O
 

      If you look at the edges of the triangle, you'll see that I had to sew some crochet yarn through the material and the hat all the way around! O_O No small feat!!...and I've got sore fingers to prove it!! ^_^
 

      But, in the end, I like it!! ^_^ It's clearly not the kind of hat everybody will want to wear, but there's got to be somebody out there...an artsy type!...that will just love the ease and one of a kindness of it!

      When I put it on Shequita, she kinda reminded me of the woman in my wall hanging! :-) I can't find the post right now, to link it for you, but if I do...I'll come back and link it for you...{UPDATE: I found the picture of the wall hanging!! It's HERE!}

      In the meantime, the new day of tennis in Australia is about to start and I don't wanna miss it!! ^_^ Also, I started a new artsy hat...the Mona Lisa inspired one I told you about a few days ago! :-) I'll keep you posted. ♥ Enjoy your tennis, fellow Australian Open followers!! ^_^

Snow

Yes, I knew you'd finally get here.
Every year you come around.
Even when you're not so punctual,
you always make it to the ground.

No, I'm not always glad to see you.
Every sighting leaves me cold.
Even when you're kinda pretty,
you always remind me that I'm old.

Yes, you make me kinda grumpy.
Every word of you brings woe.
But even when I call you "white stuff",
you still fall as poetic, snow

'Virtual Date', Tennis...And Football?!!!

(Tennis Love Fine Art Print by RawArtLetterpress)

      Soooooo...when you're a tennis lover, like myself, and you've been watching tennis for a whole week...without talking about it non-stop on your blog, I might add!...what do you think you wanna talk about all day long Friday with your hubby, on your regular 'virtual' date night?! ^_^ You guessed it! Tennis!! ♥ And when you have a great date night partner, like I do, he'll let ya!! :-)

      Of course, talking doesn't always happen! ^_^ And when that's the case, there are some perks to having a wife who is preoccupied when Australian Open tennis time comes! And here's what they are:

     1. Quiet! :-) ... Your usually attentive wife is not asking you every 15 minutes: "What are you doing?"

     2. Peace! :-) ... You can take naps, eat Chitos, watch tv...holding the remote!! ^_^ ...drink orange juice out of the carton, and waste enormous amounts of time doing...NOTHING!...without anyone caring!! LOL

     3. Cooking!...You can try new recipes {*hubby is making some kind of apple bread right now!* O_O}, ... or you can make your...regularly sneaked...grilled tuna with tomatoes, hot peppers, and potato chips...along with massive amounts of mayonnaise...YUCK!!! LOL...without your wife giving you the 'stink-face' and trying to wipe the mayonnaise out of the corner of your drooling mouth!...YUCK!!! ^_^ 

     4. Lack of needed communication skills!...You can just say "WOW, Baby!"..."Yep!"...or "I think so."...without worrying about what you're saying, because any conversation actually coming your way right now is just your wife trying to let you know that you still matter to her......Not that she actually wants to talk to you!! LOL

     5. Camaraderie, without teamsmanship! :-) ... In other words, you can cuddle right next to your wife, watch tennis too, or just take a nap....using ALL of the cover for yourself!...without chastisement! ^_^ In fact, you might get a little pat or a backrub during the commercial breaks of a good game!! :-)

      And lastly, you get to spend your 'virtual' Friday date night with your shoes off, PJs on, and yet still be in Australia! :-) ... This is a particularly wonderful perk because right now, here in Holyoke Massachusetts, we're preparing for a snow storm that's due to come our way tomorrow. O_O With temperatures barely above the freezing mark, and snow on the way, sitting in 'virtual' Australia in the hot sun, with crowds of other tennis lovers, is just how you have a great date night with your tennis loving wife!! ^_^

      Okay...enough of that silliness!! ^_^ Let me show you how far my artsy berry blue hat has come!...

      I only have about six more rows to do, and then it'll be all about the artsy applique! :-) I have lots of sewing on and placement prep to do in that regard. But I'll have plenty of time to do it too, with the snowstorm keeping hubby home, and me not being able to work on....*looking left and right to see if hubby is reading over my shoulder*...a certain pair of crochet football slippers! :-)

       I did sneak some photos of how they look right now....*Shhhhhhhh!*...This is part of the side...

      And this is one of the slipper soles...
 

      And yes, I am making them for 'Big Foot'! LOL...My husband wears a 12 or 13 size shoe!!! ^_^ ...My girlfriend and I are making football slippers at the same time. She's making a pair for her little boy...size 8 1/2. She has both of her shoe soles done already!! :-)) So, needless to say, it's taking me waaaaay longer to do mine!! LOL

      I've been hiding them from hubby and messing with his head too!! LOL I told him my girlfriend was making a pair for her little boy, and he said: "WHATTTTT???!!!! O_O You mean her little boy is gonna have a pair before me?! O_O I thought you said you were gonna make me a pair?!!"...I said: "Awwww! Don't worry honey, I'm still gonna make you a pair......eventually." Ha! Ha!

      It's kinda wrong that I'm letting him sulk off and be so disappointed, isn't it?! ^_^ But I think he'll forgive me when I hand them to him on 'SUPERBOWL Sunday'!!!! ^_^ That's coming up on February 1, 2015!!! :-) ... I guess that means I better try to find ways to get 'Big Foot' out of this house after this storm passes!! LOL

     Okay, I'm done talking now! ^_^ Have a good 'Date Night' or weekend, Everybody!! ♥

Eclectic Tastes

I've got eclectic tastes.
Yes I do! That's what I said!
I'm not afraid of being different,
Country raised and city bred.

If it's pretty, then I'm in,
but just as fast I can be out,
because I don't like what the hoopla
about some things is all about!

I think different can be cool,
in many colors, not just white.
And not just worn by 'one person',
with a body shape just right.

It's good to have 'eclectic' tastes,
and to just be who 'you' are!
But be careful, because 'eclectic'
quickly can become 'Too Far'!!