I'm Just Gonna Be Honest With You.......

      I'm just gonna be very honest with you today...I've got only two things on my mind this morning. Tennis...and my crocheting. As you can see from the header photo, which I thank australian open (dot) com for, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal headed off to the court to begin their battle...and I was right behind them!! ^_^
       You can't see me running behind them, but trust me...that's where I was! ^_^ And right now...at 5:08 a.m. in the early morning...I'm sitting with all of Australia...and any other country's crazy tennis fans, like me...watching one of the best matches ever!...Ever!! :-) It's the men's semi-finals!.........SPOILER ALERT:....... Roger Federer, at this moment is up one set...7/6...but Nadal is up in the 2nd set...5/2! :-)
     After this match there will be another great match! :-) Andy Murray versus Novak Djokovic! :-) ... So, needless to say...and I know that any regular readers of this blog are not gonna believe this!... ^_^...I'm not in the mood for much talking today! O_O In fact, I'm doing my blog early so that I can just sit and watch my matches in quiet, without talking, and without worrying about what time I'm gonna get my blog up!...Enjoy the lack of 'going on'. It won't last past the weekend...The Australian Open will be over. LOL
      As I said though, there is one other thing on my mind...crocheting...I wanted to show any of you that were reading my blog yesterday, that I finally decided on the color thing for my "sack" hat...

      I decided to keep it kinda low-key. I made the flower gray also, and I added a sea-foam green pinwheel type button in the center of it.

      I realized that I didn't have any all gray hats or scarves in the shop, and since all gray items fly out of the shop really fast, I decided to put a basic color in there now, and later I can do another one with some COLOR!! :-) ...By the way, if you're interested, I listed it in my Wuglyees shop yesterday HERE.
     I'm working on the scarf right now. I'm putting a new pattern in it. It has a section with a pretty double crochet stitching. I made it up. :-) I probably should write it down, in case I wanna repeat it in the future...You know how my brain remembers things these days...or not! LOL
      Anyway!....Here's where I am so far on the scarf...

      Do you like it?!


     Okay....I gotta go! Rafael Nadal has leveled the match in the 2nd set...7/6! Now Roger and Rafa both have a set a piece, and the score in the 3rd set is 1/1! All even! :-) ... I like y'all and all, but I don't wanna miss any more of it!!! LOL
     Have a good day!...See you tomorrow! :-)

  I Wish I Could Wave Off The Time

I wish I could wave off the time
the way you wave off a fly about to land.
Just 'poo poo' appointments I'm dreading
with a flick and a wave of the hand.

If only the time went unnoticed,
like 'extras' on some movie set.
One shot it's as if they were coming,
the next shot they've not gotten there yet.

I'm dreading the phone calls and chatting,
as if time has somehow just stood still.
I wish I could wave off the ticking,
and hours of quiet to fill.

I know soon the day will be over.
The consciousness is in this rhyme.
Still I'm dreading the fact that it's coming,
and I wish I could wave off the time.

My Gray's Autonomy

(Beaded Cuff Bracelet by ibics)

      No. This time I'm not talking about the weather. The weather here is about 37 degrees right now, and sun is gonna be around most of the day. ..Okay, so we 'are' gonna get some cloudy skies and drizzle tonight....but still...that's not what my post is really about today!

     My post is about my gray hat that I finished yesterday...the replacement for the one my sis-in-law bought when she was up...

          Now that the hat is all done, I'm trying to decide whether to make a colorful flower for it or just do a gray flower with a colorful button. Decisions...*who cares*...decisions! LOL

       Okay, as you can tell...maybe I also have a bit of a 'gray' mood...kinda...this morning too...Why, you ask?!...Oh! You didn't ask?! ^_^ Well, I'll tell you anyway!...My 'Baby Girl' is in the hospital. She has been for a few days now. :-( They haven't figured out why she's experiencing the pain she is. They're in the tedious process of ruling things out.

      And, as if that wasn't bad enough, my "Friend" (who is not a friend at all!!!)...Aargh!...came-a-visiting last night too! You know who I mean, right ladies?!...Now I know for sure that the expression 'When It Rains It Pours' has nothing to do with the actual weather!

      Anyway!!!....Back to my gray....hat! Yeah, my hat! LOL

        With my body 'out-to-lunch', so to speak,...and therefore my brain is too!...I can't decide what to do with this gray sack hat!

       It's terrible to have gray hat choice autonomy, and still not be able to choose! LOL...Do I pair it with that pretty shade of blue that's in that gorgeous beaded bracelet (in the header photo)?...or some other color?...Or just a colorful, pretty button?

     I needed some inspiration from some fellow Etsians. Some with gray items in their shops that they've paired with some pretty colors. I thought I'd show you some of theirs with colors that I'm considering for my gray hat...

 (Pillow/Cushion Cover by Mazizmuse)

(Wool and Cashmere Scarf by BlueMoonRose)

(Granny Square Pillow Cover by CastAwayCollection)

(Earrings by ekojewelrydesign)

 (Sofa Pillow Cover by pillowlink)

(Cashmere Covered Buttons by EmbellishedLife2) 

 (Chunky Cowl Infinity Scarf by lululuvs)

       Any one of these colors would make a pretty flower on the hat, don't you think?!...And, for that matter, they'd make a good accent button color too!...I'll decide and try to finish it today. If I do, I'll show it to you tomorrow.

      I also have to make more headbands it appears! :-] This one sold a few days ago...

          ...and this one sold last night!...

         They're not gray either!...Both turquoise. But hmmmm...! That would be a great color with gray! :-) ...Clearly I need a nap!! LOL Too much tennis watching...and other things...is taking my poor thinking process away!! ^_^

      Have a good day Everybody!...Zzzzzzzzzz!

 
I only have one brain

There have been times when I felt that I needed
an extra brain to remember some stuff.
An extra noggin to handle the chaos,
when my life and my schedule got tough.

A much bigger cranium for non-essentials;
Somewhere to go when my brain wants to bail.
An extra universe inside my skull space,
where I could place all my 'Mental Junk Mail'.

But, knowing my thinking, there's no use
having two places for my mind to stretch.
Two places to toss around ideas.
Just more balls of ideas I can't catch!

My one brain is an occupied scramble.
A pink-celled, forgetful and frustrated mess!
Do I need another brain somewhere,
holding problems that I must address?

No, I have enough things to focus on.
Things so confusing and numerous to do.
So it's a good thing I only have one brain!
What in the world would I ever do with two!

With No Music...What Did I Do Yesterday?!

(Piano Photograph by birdandbloke)

        Nope! No music yesterday. Well...actually there's been no music for a few days now. And not because I don't want to listen to it either!...*sigh*...My speakers on my computer are 'heading for the hills'. :-( When I try to go to Youtube to listen to music...or hear any other video sounds...all I get is a funky vibrating going on in the middle of my songs...if I can hear the song at all!

     My 'techie' girlfriend is on the case though. She ordered me some new speakers and as soon as they get in she'll install my 'sound machine' back in, and I'll be ♫ 'back in the high life again' ♫! ^_^ 

    The truth is...I wouldn't have listened to much music yesterday anyway. I had a lot of studying, reading, and tennis watching to do!...not to mention a nap or two! I'm trying to get all of my 'ducks in a row' so that I can indulge in this last week of the Australian Open without guilty feelings. Guilt that I'm not taking care of my priorities and responsibilities in a timely and respectful manner....Well.....DONE! :-) 

     The only other things I need to make sure about are that the cleaning lady can get in to clean the house tomorrow....*I might be too distracted to make sure the door gets opened! LOL*...and that I have a crochet project on my needle...for the time in between watching the tennis matches...*crocheting is my commercial. ^_^*

    But, believe it or not, I did have some extra time yesterday...It seemed like the tennis players wanted to get those matches OVER quick, with that high heat they were playing in!...So, what did I do with my 'extra' time?!...I made a treasury!

        It's entitled 'Beauty In Beige And Black!'...The header photo was one of the photos I chose. I saw it when I was searching for a picture to share with you to tell you the story about my lack of music yesterday. But as I was looking through the search on Etsy, I started seeing all of these beautiful beige and black items....and a new treasury was born. :-)

     You can follow the link over to the actual treasury by clicking the treasury photo or clicking the name of the treasury. But I'd like to share a few of my favorites right here...

 (Elastic Belt by desirapesta)

(Recycled Leather Messenger Bag by artdecoleather)

(Dog Fleece Scarf by ButterfliesnDreams)

(Knitted Handbag by NzLbags)

(Butterfly Bracelet by ParfaitPour) 

(Camera/Laptop Travel Bag by sizzlestrapz)

      Some really cool items, huh?!...It was fun searching around and finding such nice things for my color scheme. Now if only I had enough money to be able to afford to buy them all! LOL...But No! All of my money has gone to the tax man. Over $700! And it hurt too!!...But hopefully we'll get it back when we file our taxes later this month...*sigh*

    For all of you tennis watchers like me, I'm typing and watching Nadal and Berdych go at it! They both have a set a piece and it's 2 to 2 in the third set. It's gonna be a good one!....down to the very end!!!...Although Berdych is already stretching his legs and stuff. Nadal is running him ragged!! ^_^ So FUN!!!!!!

     Later today I've got to do some practicing on my embroidery stitches...

 (Vintage Digital Sewing Frame by Mazix)

       I've done a little bit, but it's nerve-racking and frustrating! I need quiet to really get good at it....and since I haven't had quiet...because of my tennis ^_^ ...I've been putting the practicing off. But LIVE tennis will be over in a couple of hours, and my nap after that will only last for a short time ^_^. And since I can't listen to music, and all of my studying is done, I'll have all the quiet I need!!!...So, here I come embroidery!! :-)

       Have a good day everybody!...And don't forget to enter the Giveaway...Click the fuzzy keychain picture on the right hand side bar for details. Seeing someone take my 'fuzzy baby' home would be music to my ears. :-)

Where would we be without music?

Where would we be without music?
Don't answer. I don't want to know!
The thought of no guitar or back beat,
no humming or tapping of toe!

What umph would there be to commercials?
What excitement for games yet to play?!
What missing movie's anticipation
that the  'Dun Dun Dun' would happily say?!

How would new mommies rock their babies,
and calm them to put them to sleep?
Without music the world would be screaming,
but the ocean of silence would be deep.

So, where would we be without music?
In a world with no brain cells to link.
In a big room with nothing to do,
and a bunch of poor folks that don't blink!

Shape Up, Honey!

("Shape Up, Honey!" Treasury by likhomanova)

       I know!....I know!...I need to shape up and be more focused about what I'm talking to you all about these days, but....but.....tennis is on!! ^_^ I'm watching Lleyton Hewitt give Djokovic a run for his money right now!! It's such a good match!!!!!

       So, maybe I'll be more focused tomorrow......but don't count on it. Not until next week...after the Australian Open is over and done with......sorry...*hanging my head in shame....kinda* LOL

     I 'did' wanna show you the pretty shapes that were in this new treasury that my new red hat was put in though...

       If anybody's interested, it's in my Wuglyees shop...for sale...along with all kinds of other crocheted items!.....right now! :-) ...*Just had to say that. We already paid the tax man, but now we need to put that money back in our safe haven before something else goes all 'expensive' on us!! LOL*

         One of the other shapes I loved in this treasury was this one....

(Sea Urchin Shells Fine Art Photograph by ccreativity)

         That's pretty cool, isn't it?!! :-)

      Okay, the only other thing I have to share today is photographs of my latest hat. My black hat with the interesting, although not colorful, button....

         It's very hard taking pictures of a black hat...especially when the button, the ridges, the flower and everything on it is black!...

      ...but I tried! ^_^

         Isn't that an interesting button?!! :-] ... Okay, I know no one is gonna be all into the button like I am, but still!! LOL

     Okay, off to finish watching my match, get some breakfast, and shape up! ^_^ Have a good day everybody!! :-)

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.

Even so, 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!   

I'm Feeling Butterfly-ish

(Felted Slippers by FeltingbyEglut)

      With it being only 5 degrees (Fahrenheit) outside, and nothing going on inside except me and hubby 'hanging around', I'm feeling kinda butterfly-ish. In other words...I just wanna have somebody put some food inside my cocoon so I can nibble when I feel like it, ^_^ and find me some sunshine and quiet time so I can re-organize my thoughts and transform into a rested and unfrazzled individual. :-)   

     Finding sunshine may be a chore today, but finding quiet?...Especially mental quiet...do-able...Very do-able!  :-] I have a meeting this morning that will definitely help me get my spiritual calm...and nothing but crocheting and tennis for the afternoon. :-)

        Perfect for somebody that's feeling butterfly-ish! ^_^ So, let me share some of the butterfly things I found on Etsy (where else, right!) that helped to put me in a butterfly-ish mood. 

        Are you feeling butterfly-ish?!...Maybe you will be in a minute! ^_^ ...Let's start with some butterflies that will make you hear the sound of music...

(3D Butterfly Art by aboundingtreasures)

      ...one that will look pretty around your neck...

 (Victorian Filigree Necklace by ClassicKeepsakes)

       ....some that will be perfect for your packages to sell...

 (Gift Tags by CatTrilling)

        ......some that will taste and look good enough to eat....

 (Edible Cake Toppers by SugarRobot)

       ....some that will be perfect for someone's wedding gifts...

(Stamped Tags by LillyThings)

           ...some that will add just that perfect touch to your creations....

(Crochet Appliques by appliquelove)

        ...some that will transform while they transfer...

(Digital Image Download by Mazix)

         ....and one that will sit in your hair and make you stand out...

(Fascinator by ggspinupcouture)

        So....are you feeling butterfly-ish now?! ^_^ If not....oh well, I tried!

      Okay, I've gotta get some breakfast and get my day started. Have a good and quiet butterfly kinda day.....I will! :-)

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.
Need a tree and a cocoon.

I'm feeling that today
it's time to change and modify.
To spread my wings, add color,
like a brand new butterfly.     

When It's January, And You Can Go ANYWHERE In The World.....

(Large Wheelthrown Stoneware Textured Sphere by blueroompottery)

      I am beside myself with frustration right now...at Blogger!! Grrrrr! I did a whole blog post, with links and everything, about my 'Virtual Date Night' trip to Melbourne Australia, and then when I went to post it everything disappeared except the header photo and link!...UGH!... I don't have the energy, and I'm not in the mood to do it all again now. :-( 

      I'm just gonna say...We had a good time. If I muster up enough 'want to' later, I'll come back and upload the whole story. But NOT RIGHT NOW!!! Grrrrrr! Sooooooo frustrating!...I need breakfast...and a nap! {The poem below is my attempt at changing my brain chemistry right now....See you later.....maybe! LOL}

I will Be Happy!

Today I will be happy!
I've decided, and so "There!"
And it won't depend on clothing,
or the way I wear my hair.

My 'Happy' has to be
from my head down to my toes.
And not coincidental,
but because that's what I've chose.

I am trying to be happy
when there's always such bad news.
But the good news is that happy
is a way to squash the blues!

So today I will be happy!
I've decided. Enough said!!
There'll be plenty of time for sadness,
and for taking to my bed.

Are you thinking that my poem
is too 'Optimistic/Sappy'?
Okay, you could be right.
Don't burst my bubble. I am happy! 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 (Map Art Pendant Necklace by badcandy)

          Okay, after breakfast, a nap, and a little chat with the hubby, I'm back. ^_^ I just had to come back. I mean...I found these great shops on Etsy with beautiful photos of Melbourne, and I just had to share! :-) ...{Unless labeled otherwise the shop I shared most of these photos from (the black and whites) is called FlashPhotography.}...Come along with us on our 'Virtual Date' as seen through the eyes of these shop owners. :-)
      Come along with us and see early morning Melbourne, looking out to Port Phillip Bay. An ordered maze of roads snaking their way around the sprawl of the city...

       ...and early morning Melbourne from the clouds...

     ...Then come with us and take a walk through Melbourne's most interesting and quirky Webb Bridge, a pedestrian and cycle bridge, designed to represent the fish traps used by the original Koori inhabitants of the city's Docklands area...

     And "Everyone who's ever been to Melbourne has surely taken a free ride on Melbourne's famous Route 35 City Circle tram!"...she says!...

        ...We hadn't!!...What was wrong with us anyway?! LOL Too much time spent watching tennis, no doubt! ^_^

(Fabric Panel by jennylouvintage)

      Okay, back to our tour!..."Up these stairs is another world ... the bustling, frenetic world that is Melbourne! Taken at the edge of the Yarra River looking up the flight of steps that leads to the Princes Bridge, walking up brings you to Melbourne's famous Federation Square and Flinders Street Station..."

      Once we got to the top we were at the place where Melbournians say: "I'll meet you under the clocks". :-) Meeting under the clocks with the bustle of people...delightful! :-) ...And then we went and took in some of Melbourne's culture.

     Did you know that Melbourne has many cultural institutions, such as museums and galleries, events and festivals, public and street art, popular and live music, independent music and film, and fashion?!...Well, it does!...And some famous modern day actors from Melbourne include Cate Blanchett, Rachel Griffiths, Olivia Newton-John, Guy Pearce and Eric Bana!

 (Greeting Card of the Yarra River at night in Melbourne by FrancescaChen)

      We had a little something to eat...I'm not gonna talk about it! ^_^ Suffice it to say that I'm not a fan of EVERYTHING I ate in Australia! But.....they've got meat. I like meat!...And even if I'm a little picky about what I put in my mouth, they still have one of my favorite things...hands down!....tennis! :-)) So who cares if they have Vegemite! LOL...Wait! I said I wasn't gonna talk about it! ^_^

     After thoughroughly being entertained, we got away from the bright lights of the entertainment precinct, and took a walk down Melbourne's Yarra River at night. Soooo quiet and calming...

       A pretty great place to go for a 'Virtual Date', don't you think?! :-] ... Especially if you don't let Blogger bug you so much!...Thanks to FlashPhotography for allowing me to share the photos from her shop, which are for sale right now...just saying! LOL

      Thanks to the other Etsy shops in this post also. Melbourne would not have been the same without you! :-) We thouroughly enjoyed our trip. The only thing that would have made it better would've been if we could stay until the end of next week...when the Australian Open was over...

 (Tennis Ball Pottery Bowl by LASpottery)

        ...and if we didn't have snow staring us down outside our window right now...reminding us that this is Massachusetts in January, and that there's a warm climate and nice people far far away, in Melbourne Australia, right now. :-( Probably people who aren't enjoying the high heat, but thoroughly enjoying the high drama of the tennis! :-)

(A warm sunset over Melbourne by jackslomovits)

        We miss you already Melbourne, but thanks to you...we still have our 'happy' intact! ^_^ (See poem above) Okay, now I'm gone for real!! LOL