Peeking In On Blogger, And Saying Happy Anniversary To Mr. Wug! ♥

     Hello Strangers! ^_^ It's been a long time since I looked up from my crochet hook, and over my reading glasses, to write anything here on the blog. But that doesn't mean I haven't thought about it!...Thinking counts, right?! ^_^
       And if you're wondering why I'm showing you royal blue, lemonade yellow, and sparkly silver gray yarn....well....I can't tell ya! LOL Or should I say...I can't 'show' you! I CAN tell you. It's the colors for a wedding project I'm working on for a friend. ^_^
 

     I finished the other wedding project. A double wedding ring pattern blanket! :-)
 

     It was a lot of work, but it makes my heart happy to know that her and her new husband will be wrapping up in it on one of these cold winter days, or throwing it around themselves to star-gaze on one of these crisp Autumn evenings, or just throwing it over their legs while they're sitting in front of the tv and watching an old movie or something on one of these 'noting-else-to-do' days! ^_^

     Speaking of which, Mr. Wug and I have had quite a few of those kind of days over the years. Almost 40 years of those kind of days, to be almost exact! :-)) And this weekend will mark about 34 years of those kind of days as married people! :-) Me married to him, with him married to me! ^_^ So I wanna take a minute to say HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Mr. Wug!!! I love you, and all the good intentioned things you do for me!! And also to say: "34 years is not enough. Let's try for a round number like......FOREVER, shall we!" ♥♥♥ ^_^

     Lastly, let me apologize to you other bloggers. I haven't spent much time browsing and chatting this past year. My Bible studies, crocheting projects, tennis tournaments, the Tour de France, etc, took waaaaay more of my time than I ever thought it would! But I've thought about you often, and peeped in when I could. I've seen some of your recipes (even tried a couple), saw your finished crochet projects, saw your travel photos and videos, and read about some of the trials you've gone through too!...Not to mention the fact that the world itself has gone a little more crazy than usual!!! YIKES!!

     We're in the midst of a kind of 'heat wave' here in the northeast United States. Thankfully air conditioning makes an equalizing! ^_^ So, I never even notice the weather that much! LOL I just watch my hummingbirds flit and fly, read my books, and otherwise 'keep it moving!' ^_^ So until next time the notion hits me, I'll be seeing you around! Have a good rest of the summer, or winter, or whatever season that's upon you!! :-) See you soon!!

Butterfly-ish

I'm feeling butterfly-ish.
Wanna flutter...move real slow.
Wanna wander...mind and body.
Not be fast, and 'on the go'.

I'm feeling like I need
a quiet day to hang around.
Have everything wrapped up,
and just block out surrounding sound.

I'm feeling butterfly-ish.
Wanna lay in bed till noon.
Wanna have some time to morph.
I need a tree and a cocoon.

Tomorrow they'll be time
to wanna change and modify;
To spread my wings, and flutter,
like a brand new butterfly.      

Morning Doings!

     Two days in a row of blogging! ^_^ Let me feel my forehead. I must be getting a fever!! LOL...*putting the back of my hand to my forehead*...Nope! No fever! :-) Although I do have a bit of a headache and a cough this morning. I think that might be just my allergies though....Yeah. I still have those!! UGH!
     The backyard has a weird sky overhead this morning. We had rain overnight, and more of it this morning. I'm not sure, but I think the weird sky means we're probably gonna get more rain later this morning....*sigh*...Don't you love hearing about New England weather from a 'wordy' girl with her eyes on a French Open tennis match, with a headache, and a cough?! ^_^
 

     At any rate, I have nothing magnificent or spectacular to talk about today, except to report that I finished another Jane Austen book...Emma...yesterday, and my girlfriend and I paused my blog, and my French Open tennis match, to watch the movie this morning. ^_^ The Gwenneth Paltrow version...So good!
     Speaking of 'so good'...so was my ham and eggs breakfast this morning. Just saying! ^_^

     Okay, off I go to watch Tsonga play. :-) I'll leave you with a glimpse of the wedding ring blanket I'm working on...

     ...and a poem! ^_^ Have a good day, Everybody! ♥


All My Plans Unfurled

With all my plans unfurled today,
and nothing urgent pressing me,
I might crochet another scarf
or have a steeping cup of tea.

I might watch an old movie,
or take a nap, just for a minute.
Or I might take out a book to read,
or jot a few nice words down in it.

When you don't have any children,
and no job to do from home.
You can stay in your pajamas,
and have hair that you don't comb.

Yes, with all my plans unfurled,
there could be lots that I 'could' do.
It's always true...I could be busy,
but kinda nice I don't 'have to'!

The Hooded Baby Blanket Saga Continues......!

     As you can see, I'm in the mood to change colors on my hooded baby blanket now. :-)) I just COULD NOT crochet another row of pink!!!! This kind of shell/popcorn stitch is taking FOREVER to crochet! O_O
     I was suppose to keep going until I had 28 inches of this pink, and then make a pink hood also. Uhhhh.....NO!! ^_^ I'm an Ugly Wuglyee kind of girl. I just can't be 'NORMAL' on every project, can I?!! ^_^ So, there's a lot of pink, a bit of white, some accent lilac, a touch of coral,......
 

     ...and I added a smidge of brown, and a dollop of dusty wheat.....SO FAR! ^_^ 
 

     Hopefully I'll have it all done by the weekend, and if I can get 'Baby Wuglyee' to model it for me, I'll show it to you when it's all done! ^_^ Unfortunately, 'Baby Wuglyee' is not that happy with me these days...after I organized everything and had to find a new 'HOME' for him too! LOL
 

     I told him to talk to Peter Walsh!!! :-)) Oh! If looks could kill....'Baby Wuglyee' would have me 6 feet, and a NEW HOME, underground by now!! LOL

     I don't look in his direction anymore!! LOL Instead, I just look at the beautiful smile on the face of my satisfied customer's face! :-) ...
 

     Wasn't that nice of her to send me this photo?! :-) I love my customers!!...few though they may be these days! ^_^

     Okay, I have a meeting tonight, so I'm off!! See you tomorrow! ♥

 If you don't have time for a poem

If you don't have time for a poem...
(not to write one, I mean to emote)...
then you don't have time to be sitting
and reading this short little note.

And you don't have time for a 'breather',
to pause for a small bit of rest.
No time for a moment's reflection.
No time for a giggle and jest.

No, you don't have the time some are wasting,
with schedules that they have to keep.
No time to be spending on verbiage,
whether shallow or thoughtfully deep.

If you don't have time for a poem,
Then you don't have time for me!
So get up and get yourself going,
there's somewhere that you ought to be!!

Pretty..............Ugly?!

 (Black Butterfly Headband by kaang)

      Hi! ^_^ I'm not here for a long drawn out conversation tonight...*and you can stop hooting and clapping at any time! LOL*...but I did wanna share some pretty things, and some ugly...*scratch that*...some 'not so pretty' things that I made myself! ^_^

      The header photo is showing one of the pretty things! I love pretty butterflies on a headband, don't you?!!...And the only thing they have in common with my 'Ugly Wuglyee' style bedroom slippers is that they both have black coloration included on them!

 (Crochet House Slippers, Gray, Black, and Olive Green by wuglyees)

      Of course, my slippers also have other colors! Some charcoal gray and black print, and olive green soles! :-) ...

      They're like some 'throw-back' colored slippers from my favorite generation...the 70s!! ^_^ *♫ Staying Alive, Staying Aliveeeeeeeee! ♫ :-)) ... What can I say?!....Oh! I know what I can say! I can say that what they lack in 'pretty' they make up for in 'comfortable'!! ^_^

     Moving on to the other 'pretty'! :-) ...
 

 (Crochet Chocolate Strawberry Coaster by MonikaDesign)

      I love Monika's coasters!! :-) They almost look like real chocolate-dipped strawberries!...but..like...chocolate-dipped strawberries that you can eat your peanut butter cookies and milk off of!! ^_^

      Speaking of peanut butter cookies! :-)) ...

      These are my other 'ugly'! :-] They were a quick meal for some desperately 'desserty' bakers! ^_^ Me and Mr. Wug I mean...of course!! LOL...

      Our cupboard was kinda bare, but we found a way to make some deliciously ugly cookies anyway!! ^_^ There were only three ingredients: a cup of peanut butter, a cup of white sugar, and an egg! Seriously...that was all!!!
      We had to preheat the oven to 350 degrees, mix the three ingredients until they were smooth, and put them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper for 6 to 8 minutes!! :-) (Our oven took a little longer, so I guess that old adage about a watched pot never boiling has some truth to it!!...at least it does when it comes to watching ovens for cookies to brown!! LOL) 
      They weren't 'pretty' when they came out, and they weren't as crisp as I like my peanut butter cookies to be, but they sure were good!!!! ^_^ Our dessert craving was thoroughly satisfied!!

      There was only enough milk for one of us to get a glass to sip on with their cookies...You'll just have to guess which one of us drank it...and shared a sip or two. :-)) No...those kind of manners are not 'pretty'!...I'll have to work on that...tomorrow!! Ha! Ha!...Goodnight, Y'all!! ♥

Cooking

Flipping, Frying,
Flambeing, Filleting,
Burning, Browning,
Paring, Pureeing.

Boiling, Baking,
Mixing, Making,
Simmering, Scaling,
Sifting, Shaking.

Cooking, Crackling,
Cutting, Coring,
Sprinkling, Spattering,
Patting, Pouring,

Broiling, Battering,
Steeping, Steaming,
Timing, Tossing,
Cubing, Creaming,

Slicing, Scrambling,
Turning, Toasting,
Melting, Measuring,
Rinsing, Roasting.

Dipping, Dicing,
Skimming, Sauteing,
Poaching, Peeling,
Mincing, Microwaving.

Gathering, Grilling
Basting, Barbecuing,
Hacking, Heating,
Scoring, Skewering.

Standing, Stirring,
Rough, Tough,
Kitchen, Ditching,
Had Enough!

Crocheting...Pizza...Football.....SCORE!!!

      I've been a bit preoccupied the last couple of days, between snow watching, pizza eating, and crocheting. All....well...most of them...necessities, to keep my mind on the smile-worthy side! :-) But you can probably guess which one of the three activities could be left out!! LOL
      The one thing I haven't been preoccupied with is blogging! ^_^ Did you notice?!...The truth is I haven't been feeling my uppermost best. I had another incident with the old puke bucket...all night. YUCK! And the next day my stomach was not in a friendly mood...At...ALL!! O_O
      It wasn't a flu bug or anything. It was a bad chicken wing from one of the local fast food restaurants! O_O That's what I get for trying to buy something fast and cheap!!...Lesson learned!!...Moving on!! ^_^
      I'm feeling much better now, just in time for another snow storm to hit us this coming weekend!! UGH!...The good news being that I'll have tons of quiet snow-watching time to finish my custom ordered baby blanket! :-) I just finished crocheting the name into it...in little white heart shapes! ^_^       
     

      If you look closely, you can see what her name is...I hope! ^_^
 

      Maybe I'll share the blanket completely finished by the end of the storm...around Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. :-) You probably can't tell, but that last sentence was written with me smiling from ear to ear with hopefulness!! :-)) 
     
      Speaking of smiling from ear to ear, that's what I was doing when one of my dear girlfriends called and said: "Would you guys like to have a pizza for dinner?!" ^_^

      And she had already ordered it!! :-) I guess she knew that the answer would be.....YES!!!!!!! ^_^ She had one side of it all cheese, and the other side pepperoni and spicy sausage!...Now tell me, would you have turned it down?! ^_^

      In other news, my other girlfriend finished one of her crochet 'football slippers'! :-]
 

      She used different colors for hers...her son's favorites, I think. And she let her son stuff it. :-) Can you see his...uhhhhh...generous hand?! :-)
 

      She's almost finished with her second one...except for the stuffing! ^_^ I think I'm kinda jealous!...I know my hubby is!! LOL...Yeah, I know, I'm gonna have to make him a pair of football slippers!!...And soon! :-))
      Okay...time to 'kick'...*football...kick....get it?!* ^_^...this blog post to the curb!! LOL Have a good rest of the day, Y'all! ♥

Do You Play?!

I had some 'Play Time' in my youth,
back when my hips could take the heat.
I couldn't wait to find someone
that I could race, chase down, or beat!

How many times did I 'Hopscotch',
play some marbles, skip a rock?
And a game of 'Tag' could go
until you couldn't see the clock!

All my games were very active.
So much energy, people! WOW?!
But things have changed. It's different,
because I'm so much older now!

I still have 'Play Time' at my age,
but the games are slow and rare.
I like board games, playing cards,
things you do right from your chair.

The games I watch can't be too long.
I'll fall asleep! I'm kind of nod-dy.
And I have to use my mind.
No running round now with this body.

I play with things like yarn,
and with hooks...even thread.
And I play with pen and pencil,
pulling poems from my head.

Whichever way, I have to play!
It's my excuse to have a laugh.
I just have to keep it slow.
Don't want a charlie-horse in my calf!

Sometimes Life Is Harder To Sort Out Than Laundry!

 (Laundry check your pockets vinyl lettering--Washing machine by BuzzingBeesCrafts)

      I'm gonna try real hard to keep this post in the arena of 'smile-worthy'! You'll have to decide, at the end, whether I succeeded! ^_^ And considering the goings on around here right now...it's not gonna be easy!!...The message in the vinyl letters of the header photo today tell the whole story!...{By the way, big thank yous to all of the great etsy shops whose items I'm sharing in this post. ♥}

     So here's the story...once again we're without a working washing machine...*sigh*...It made some funky 'Uh Oh!' noises about mid-cycle...and just stopped!!! O_O There it sat, with no water swishing left and right, and no clothes tumbling over and over each other! 

      Hubby did everything he could...which amounted to jiggling the door of the machine to make sure it wasn't gonna fly open and flood the floor, checking to make sure it was still plugged in the wall, and staring at it for about forty-five minutes with a quizzical look on his face. ^_^

     

 (antique washing machine Digital graphics download household art printables collage sheets by DigitalGraphicsShop)

      I was in the other room dreaming about how easy washing clothes was when I was a little girl...Of course, I wasn't actually the one responsible for washing the clothes back then. My grandmother was. But I was a good little helper...or at least I thought I was!! ^_^ Imagine how easy it was with a big black kettle swinging over an open flame in the yard, homemade lye soap, and a thick wooden stick to swish the clothes around in the boiling water!! LOL

 (Laundry Room Sorting Out Life One Load At A Time Vinyl Decal by ScriptumVinyl)

      Okay...so I'm being a bit silly. Clearly, washing clothes in a washing machine where you just have to put the clothes in it, push a button, and walk away until you hear the little tune that let's you know your cycle is all done, is a whole lot easier...when it's not broken!!!!! Aargh!! Instead of that, we're here washing clothes...sheets and everything!...in the bathtub, like it's the 1850s or something!! LOL 

      And in hubby's case it might as well be the 1850s because he is really not into this 'washing clothes by hand' thing...AT ALL!! LOL Thankfully the dryer isn't broken!!! ^_^

(Personalized Laundry Room Washing Machine Wall Clock by cabgodfrey)

      Just like life, sometimes things break, the door won't open when you want it too, and you end up having to sort things out in a soggy dilemma! ^_^ But...you do it! And we will too!...Even if checking our pockets found us really short of repair money {almost $300!!!}, and the part that's needed for the machine had to be ordered and won't be in until the end of next week!!...Aargh!!!!! It's a good thing that all of my riches aren't counted in actual cash!! LOL

      Hopefully by the end of next week I'll still be in a smile-worthy mood, and I'll still have at least a few brain cells and fuzzy gray hairs on my head to sort through!!...*blink! blink!*...Y'all might need to  help me....Just saying!! ^_^ Have a good rest of the day, Everybody!...and don't load your washers too much!! That was your warning!! LOL

I Am Rich

I am rich in loving friendships.
Rich in loyalty and love.
I am rich in deep emotions,
and in my love for God above.

I am rich in complications.
Rich in insight from my years.
Rich in belly folding laughter.
Rich in sympathetic tears.

I am rich as I can be,
in things not taken in a flash.
Not all abundance can be counted.
Rich is not always in cash. 

It's A Better...More Cuter...More Sporty Day!

 (New England Patriots FB page - Super Bowl XLIX)

      For anyone who saw my post yesterday, when I was not having a good day...or having a good whole weekend!...I'm sorry. That is all. :-) ... You'll be happy to know though, that while nothing much has changed...except my mental outlook...I'm feeling much better today!...***I think the lack of a headache today might have a bit to do with it though.***

      Anyway!!...I wanted to take a few minutes before the Super Bowl game comes on (Seattle Seahawks versus the New England Patriots, Baby!! ^_^) to show you a couple of cute items I saw on Etsy! :-) ... Starting with this cool and colorful clutch purse!!...

      

 (Multicolor clutch - bulk version - made entirely of LEGO bricks by agabag)

      What a creative and wonderful way to utilize Legos!! ^_^ It brought me right back to when I was a kid...stepping all over them on the floor when I got up to go the bathroom in the middle of the night!! LOL

      And why didn't I think to make my crochet earrings like this (below)?!!!...

 (Boho Chic Crochet Doily Earrings by PinaraDesign)

      Oh! Now I remember why...the seed beads!! LOL The crocheter who made these earrings must have the patience of a black chicken with a yellow stripe, trying to cross a six-lane highway!!....."Wait....wait!....not yet.....WAIT!!!!" LOL They're so cute though...so, it paid off!!

      And I thought this desk (below) was so innovative!...

 (Camille Free Standing Desk by vurvdesign)

      And it has so many great compartments to hide yarn supplies....I mean 'stuff'...in!! ^_^ Or you can play 'Mailman'!! ^_^

      And these scissors below......well, they're just too cute!! :-) ...

 (Mini-Heart Cross Stitch Embroidery Scissors by thecottageneedle)

       The little hearts was a great idea!!

      Okay, my Etsy finds are done!...But before I leave, let me congratulate Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic for being the Australian Open tennis champions for 2015!! :-) ...

 (Serena Williams & Novak Djokovic - Australian Open Tennis Champions)

      Maybe next year Maria Sharapova and Andy Murray!...unless my 'Baby Boy' (Rafael Nadal) is playing!  O_O Then....well...never mind!! LOL

      Okay...Super Bowl game time!! :-) Even though I live in New England, and I do like the New England Patriots, I wouldn't be mad if the Seattle Seahawks won either. As  the expression goes, 'I don't have a dog in this fight'! ^_^ My Dallas Cowboys went out and so did my focused interest! LOL

      Don't tell hubby though!...We always take sides when we watch, and he likes Seattle! O_O Go figure!! He lives in New England too!! LOL...So, the Patriots are my team for this one....for 'rooting sake'! ^_^

(Seattle Seahawks FB page - Super Bowl XLIX)

      I'm enjoying the pre-game stories and stuff, but I can't wait for the game to actually start!! :-) Where are my 'eats'?!! ^_^ GO PATRIOTS!!! ♥ If you're watching, enjoy the game!...If not, enjoy the rest of your weekend! :-)

      I may be right back here in a bad mood tomorrow...we have another snow storm on the way. AARGH!!!...It's suppose to start tonight, and drop another 8-12 inches on us by Tuesday morning early. O_O ..."Come on 'WHITE STUFF'!!!! Don't you have a map to the north pole or somewhere?!!!!" LOL

You Ever Have A Day?

You ever have a day when everything you do goes wrong?
When every hour in the day seems very very long?

You ever have a day when everything you say that's right....
gets misconstrued and turned around, and people wanna fight?!

You ever have a day that if you think of it again...
it just makes your body quiver and you want the thought to end?

You ever wanna fix things, but you couldn't find a way...
even though you said out loud: "It will be different today!"?

Well, that was me, and I am thankful...that was yesterday!

I'm Not Suppose To Be Here Now!

 (Loc Tube in Red, Black and Green by KnottyRowCrochetShop)

      Normally, on a day like today, I'd be somewhere putting on my 'smell-goods' (perfume, lotion, powder, etc.) and fixing my hair, getting ready for my meeting. (Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses) But the weather has caused a snag in the plan this morning. Ugh!

      Because of the 'nor'easter that came in last night, there's ice on the roads, ice in the Kingdom Hall parking lot, ice on the cars, ice....ice.....ICE!! So, instead of sitting here listening to a public talk on a Bible subject, and having a congregation discussion about "The Resurrection of Jesus - It's Meaning For Us", I'm sitting here blogging about hats, and watching minute-by-minute weather reports of how icy the roads are!! Ugh!

 (White Brooch Felted Cloche Hat by ZiemskaArt)

 (Knitted Tube Wrap by CarraigDesigns)

 (Black Green Tube Hat Headband by missbelluk)

(Terra-cotta and blue Versatile bulky hood style cowl and Hat by myknittingworld)

      I entertain myself with good thoughts about the whole situation though. Thoughts like..."It could be worse! I could be trying to make my way through freezing cold weather, briars, and darkness, with a broken arm and no shoes on my feet, like that little seven-year-old girl who survived the plane crash! :-( 

      Poor little thing! Her dad (the pilot), her mom, her sister, and her cousin...who were all on the plane with her...died in the crash. :-( She realized they were dead, so she followed a light in the distance...over hills and stream-beds, through cold, darkness, and briar patches...to get to help. And she survived!!

      Me?.....I survived a phone call telling me the meeting was cancelled this morning due to icy road conditions! O_O Yeah!...I'm good!!!"...It's all about perspective, isn't it?! ^_^

        With the extra time on our hands this morning, hubby and I decided to make a plan! We're gonna make some beaded jewelry, wash my hair, organize his tools, crochet another hat (that would be ME! LOL), eat, and take random naps! ^_^Don't you wish you were here?!! ♥ Have a good rest of the weekend, Everybody! :-)

All My Plans Unfurled

With all my plans unfurled today,
and nothing urgent pressing me,
I might crochet another scarf
or have a steeping cup of tea.

I might watch an old movie,
or take a nap, just for a minute.
Or I might take out a book to read,
or jot a few nice words down in it.

When you don't have any children,
and no job to do from home.
You can stay in your pajamas,
and have hair that you don't comb.

Yes, with all my plans unfurled,
there could be lots that I 'could' do.
It's always true...I could be busy,
but kinda nice I don't 'have to'!