Birch Bay

We couldn't ask for more beautiful weather. It's been warm and clear for about a week here-- a perfect excuse for a holiday.

On Friday B decided we needed a day off. When he said he wanted to go to Birch Bay I immediately thought of the yarn shop there. I hadn't been for a long while and was not disappointed in the least. There was so much there that I would have liked to buy. But this girl has enough yarn to last three lifetimes! Even still I did manage to walk out with some reinforcement yarn for the socks I'm working on. (Kedj, two months is too short for socks to last. Send me your holey ones.)

Annnnnnnnd.......some yarn to make this! Don't expect to see results any time soon. Maybe by the end of the summer because I'm still working on my pi shawl: (from this book).

It's taking longer than it needs to because I keep having to "tink" and, alas, "frog" which is worse. Last night I visited Gran and while there got quite a bit done. Or so I thought. When I got home I picked it up again to work on it and saw that I had a HUGE loop a couple of rows back. I was hoping it was only one row, but nope it turned out to be three! What's the big deal, you say? Well, each row has 576 stitches! (plus or minus--I can't keep track properly. --i.e. I can't count.) So I painstakenly, started to take out each stich. One by one. When I realized it was several rows back I had no choice but to RIP!!! And I did. And it hurt. I worked for over two hours and finally couldn't take it any more. I quit and went to bed only to finally finish in the AM. Now I'm ready to go again and I'll be upstairs if you call, enjoying my mocha on the back porch (which only has five boxes on it now.)

Birch Bay

We couldn't ask for more beautiful weather. It's been warm and clear for about a week here-- a perfect excuse for a holiday.

On Friday B decided we needed a day off. When he said he wanted to go to Birch Bay I immediately thought of the yarn shop there. I hadn't been for a long while and was not disappointed in the least. There was so much there that I would have liked to buy. But this girl has enough yarn to last three lifetimes! Even still I did manage to walk out with some reinforcement yarn for the socks I'm working on. (Kedj, two months is too short for socks to last. Send me your holey ones.)

Annnnnnnnd.......some yarn to make this! Don't expect to see results any time soon. Maybe by the end of the summer because I'm still working on my pi shawl: (from this book).

It's taking longer than it needs to because I keep having to "tink" and, alas, "frog" which is worse. Last night I visited Gran and while there got quite a bit done. Or so I thought. When I got home I picked it up again to work on it and saw that I had a HUGE loop a couple of rows back. I was hoping it was only one row, but nope it turned out to be three! What's the big deal, you say? Well, each row has 576 stitches! (plus or minus--I can't keep track properly. --i.e. I can't count.) So I painstakenly, started to take out each stich. One by one. When I realized it was several rows back I had no choice but to RIP!!! And I did. And it hurt. I worked for over two hours and finally couldn't take it any more. I quit and went to bed only to finally finish in the AM. Now I'm ready to go again and I'll be upstairs if you call, enjoying my mocha on the back porch (which only has five boxes on it now.)

We Go Mad Straightening Pins

After the gospel meeting people often end up at our house because there is nothing else to do. We usually sit around the dining room table and just talk. If they are like me, and most people are, believe or not, they can't sit still and just do nothing. So we put them to work! Why sit around doing nothing when you can be counting beads, folding pamphlets or even straightening pins! Yep. Pin Straightening is the lastest in the entertainment department around here. So that's what we had our company do the last time they were here.


You take a pin and hold it in one hand while you pull it straight with the other. Often it doesn't get straight til you do it several times. Your fingers and hands gets sore and dirty. You get weak in the knuckles (and knees). At the end you promise yourself that you won't ever visit the A's again until all the pins are straight and out of the house! It's that bad.



Each bag has about 1000 bent pins in it. Don't ask why the factory sent it that way. They knew we had bored company? The tediousness got to someone eventually.


We only got one bag done before C went mad.





(But it was only a trick to lead us to think that she went mad.) And happily she has been back since. But not to straighten pins.

Quick Post

Just a quick post because I'm really suppose to be working! I commented on Mom's blog how I can't blog every day because life is too busy. I have a lot of things stored up in my mind to blog about: our anniversary trip, the police visit to our home while we were gone (nothing serious), a great find of something I've been looking for for ages, Heidi's new acquisition, knitting progress, etc. You get the idea!

This morning at 5:55 I woke up with tons of energy! Instead of rolling over and going back to sleep I told B that I was going to the meeting room and could he take LJ to school? Well, he heard the school part but thought I had said I would take her! I guess he was half awake. She did get to school o.k. but I think there were a few minutes where the two of them were looking at each other and wondering where I was. I almost always take LJ to school so it left them puzzled for a bit.

I've started to walk again. The weather has been just too beautiful to stay indoors all day. The girls do a lot of running and a lot of horseback riding but those things just aren't for me. I would rather walk. Sometimes I take the Loop which is about 3km (2mi) and is just about right for me. Other times I walk to Starbucks and reward myself with a latte.

But my best walk is the one to the lake by our house. I can do this walk in about 20 minutes if I walk around the lake twice so it's not a real invigorating jaunt. That's why I take my knitting and my crossword puzzle book along with me. You see, benches have been placed strategically around the lake inviting you to rest. Even if you don't need a rest. And no, I didn't time the 20 minutes while I was sitting down! I did the walk first and the next time I went out took advantage of the benches. While sitting there this last time an old man and his wife sat down next to me. I scooted over to give them room and he thanked me. They were so cute! He in his turban (they were East Indian) and she in her sari. When his wife was situated he got up and made a jaunt around the pond, and after checking on her, made another loop.

You see she was quite ill and had to use a walker to get around. Even with the walker you could see that it was a struggle. It was very touching to see the concern that old man had for his wife and the concessions that he made for her.

On Monday we had Lily's three girls for supper while Lily and Biker went out. The littlest one is in my Sunday School class and started to sing "Who Did Make the Flowers Grow?" (complete with actions) when we placed the Legoe flowers by the path to our Leego house. Can she sing! I guess only in the privacy of a home! I could have used some of her volume a couple of weeks ago when I felt I was singing a solo with a backup of three little mimes.

So this didn't end up being a quick post. And it's almost lunch time. So much for work. One needs a slave driver for a boss or at least a time card.

Anniversary Surprise

Now when you think of a surprise for your anniversary you usually don't think of the police.

When B and I were in Oregon enjoying our anniversary dinner we got a text message from the girls. It said:

WE JUST GOT YOUR MESSAGE WE GOT HOME OK BUT SOMEONE WAS SEEN GOING THROUGH THE BACK WINDOW WE WENT TO STRBUKS

We were a little alarmed, to say the least. None of the kids had been answering the home phone nor the cell phones. (LK was away in Hawaii) So when we got that message we thought we ought to come home. Thankfully, we had just finished eating so it hadn't spoiled our dinner!

On our way out of town we called G and D and asked them to help us out by looking into things for us. They said that they would go over to the house and meet the girls out front. We still couldn't get a hold of Teege and again tried to call him.

The police had gone to our house when a neighbor called and told them someone had been seen putting a ladder up to our back window and climbing in. Someone with a red bandanna. The officer then climbed in through the window as well and searched the house for intruders.

Finding none they left by the front door leaving it unlocked and all the lights in the house on. They also searched Heidi's purse and left her driver's licence on the counter.

Back to Cannon Beach. We hurried to the inn where we were staying to check out. Commiserating with us the staff cheerfully gave us a full refund. As we were walking up to the desk the manager held out a bottle of wine for our anniversary celebration! We declined.

Finally, when we had driven for about an hour towards Canada Teege called and said, "What's all this about someone breaking into our house? I think it was me. I forgot my keys and had to climb in the back window." The red bandanna that the neighbors saw was his red work cap. I chalk that misnomer up to the language barrier.

Relieved B and I decided that we didn't need to go home. You bet we turned the car around and went back to the inn to enjoy the rest of our annivesary trip.

Saturday Barbeque

A while back Doc and Bashful had a barbeque and invited us to attend. They had just set up a new trampoline and wanted to try it out. The kids had a blast and even some of the parents took a turn. Doc showed us some flips--Yikes! Everyone gasped when he nearly fell over the edge! Thankfully, Dave promised to put the safety net up for them later that week.

Poor Little Guy cried every time his dad got on the trampoline and jumped. To help him overcome his anxiety Doc took him on the trampoline. No, he didn't attempt any flips but did bounce a little while with him.
Some of us stayed inside to enjoy the peace and quiet.





Lily had enough of me taking pictures and my, "I'm only practicing!"



Note the message on the cover of the magazine. Not so subtle, is she? I finally got the hint and moved on to subjects who were a little more fun.


Check out the latest entertainment. This little guy finally figured it out but not before he attempted the one handed clap. (I wish I could figure this video thing out. I've spent too much time loading this one up to the blog. So I'm going to have to be content with just the one.)

One Handed Clap

one handed clap

I Think I'm Going to Buy New Walking Shoes

No, this is not a good price since it's in litres and not gallons. I figure that when it's translated to gallons it's over $5 per. With the $US/$CND exchange so close these days you can figure out how much we're paying for gas.

Do I want to eat or do I want to drive? I think I'll drive since I need to go on a diet anyway. But then again if I walk I probably won't need to go on a diet. Maybe I should do both!!

Speaking of which I need to go pick up LJ from

school. I should walk.

There was a mother's day tea last Friday. All the moms got a rose at the end. I didn't have my camera so check the chatty housewife blog for May 14.

What's the Resemblance?

Here's an update on the bangs situation: They're not quite as long as I led you to believe by posting the picture of the horse yesterday. But almost. When she pushes them to the side you can see her eyes.

There are advertisements by Fido (a wireless phone company) and Fido that are being circulated here in BC that use pictures of dogs that bear a resemblance to people or the other way around, maybe. Not saying that the people look like dogs, mind you. Yet the hair and fur are often similar. The face shapes are often the same, too. You be the judge and let me know if you think Laura and the horse's hair is the same. That's all.

We had a Greek dinner for Laura's birthday yesterday. Gran came over for the evening and helped us to celebrate. The cheesecake was not Greek--her choice. We could have had baklava but that would have entailed a trip to Vancouver and that would have added another two hours (round trip) to my already very busy day. Now I remember why I don't cook a meal like this but five times a year. It takes a lot of time.

Happy

Birthday,

Laura!!!

A Sunday School Treat

A recital of many, many verses. (The most I have ever heard any one recite!)
"Dorcas Had a Needle, David Had a Sling"

Bethany, Abby, Morgan, Tara, Josiah

"This Little Light of Mine"

Hannah, Melissa, and Chloe

Just a few pictures from our Sunday School Treat. As you can tell it's not only for the kids! I think the parents had fun too.

I Think I Have Too Much Time on My Hands

A Little R and R

The roads to Lynden from Blaine on both sides of the border stretch endlessly. You get the feeling you could drive forever and a day. It's very peaceful just to look off into the distance and "vegetate". I could do that since I wasn't driving.

Sometimes B and I take the afternoon off just to re-group. Yesterday was one of those days. Since we had to pick up stuff at a parcel depot for the girls (and their horses!) we took the opportunity to have lunch out.

This is part of the endless road along the Canadian/US border

A Change of Pace

I don't always knit, eat, drive girls to the barn or work on an on-line bead web site. Sometimes I crochet too.
A crochet pattern of "Grandmother's Flower Garden"
(a favorite pattern among quilters)

Horses, beads, food and knitting

My life these days revolves around knitting, food, beads and horses. Or so it seems from all the pictures on the camera. It probably is a pretty accurate "picture" of my life. But my kids play a huge part in what's going on too. It's just that they don't want me to blog about them ... too much. So I don't and then you get horses, beads, food and knitting.

This is the food part.
Our favorite Mexican restuarant.

This is the horses and knitting part.

And these are part of the beads. (Red Jasper Round Faceted 8mm)

Christy

She is 50 and not long for this world. Her bright spirit is a beautiful thing to behold. Don't you wish you could be this happy facing death from bone cancer?