mind your p's & q's ... a few thoughts

"Mind your P's & Q's" ... so funny how growing up that was used to remind us that we were to mind our own business ~ I had read some time ago that originated from when travelers (mind you this is back to when travel was by horse & carriage) would stop to get refreshed, and change the horses the tavern owner or barkeep would tell the customers' to mind their p's & q's ~ referring to the pints & quarts that the ale was sold in ... not so much so that they could settle their bill when they were done but more to keep them from getting drunk and doing &/or saying something they shouldn't.  

I thought that was a funny thing to grow up hearing "mind your p's & q's" referring to not telling others what we heard (or over heard) in various situations then to read where it originated stuck in my brain.
I share that because this morning so many things have been running through my mind ~ and how we have been told to mind our own business growing up & yet we crave connection with one another so much so that we join online communities to get that feeling of being heard, or understood, or agreed with in some manner.  Even if it is only a connection through joint interest in a game.   Then when that thought settles itself down I can't escape the fact that God Himself wanted, desired, craved fellowship and that is why He created man ~ so that we would have fellowship with Him.  He desired true connection with His creation & so He gave us all a Free Will to chose Him freely.  Once we learn that He Loves Us it can be so much easier to chose to  Love Him back. 
(a bit of a change of thought but I think it can be tied in...)
1 Corinthians 1:9, 10 states: "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement."
I often refer to just verse 9 ~ it is so amazing to me that we have all been called to fellowship with Jesus & that it was God the Father himself that has called us to this fellowship. (fellowship with God!!!)  but as I continue reading ~I know this was directed at the church in Corinth, but that does not mean it isn't valid for all of the body of Christ ~ to realize that when we have contentions among ourselves within our communities that there is a problem.  As the bride of Christ we need to be "perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement" ... to me this means that we need to all get to the same understanding that we are not of this world but just passing through until we go to our heavenly home.  In the process of passing through we need to worship God and have fellowship with Jesus Christ our Lord.  When our focus is on HIM we can mind our "p's & q's" more easily.  
Keep pressing on in the path He has laid out for you ... doing the work He has placed before you often we don't understand the path we travel on but when we press forward & keep standing firm on the Word of God we are rewarded with glimpses of what it all means to one day be standing fully in HIS GLORY forever without end ... oh what a day that will be :)   so don't forget to mind your "p's & q's ~ Press on & don't Quit!!!!  from my heart to yours :)

Baby Sweater photo (finally)

Here's the blue baby sweater

the pattern can be found here : http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/tonis-newborn-sweater.html

it calls for a baby weight yarn & I did work one up using a 3 ply and I loved it so much I actually took the time to work up some gauge swatches in the DMC Petra cotton size 3 in order to make the one pictured above.

Weight loss update/ and something from my heart....

Hi everyone ... if you were wondering how my weight loss journey has been going since my last update you're in luck :)    I'm down a total of 45 pounds right now.  I am just 9 pounds away from my second 10% goal.... I believe I can do it in this next month.   My routine now is to get up every morning & within an hour of getting up doing 30 minutes of "activity" which means my 2 mile walk away the pounds workout.   Some times I will add something more (I have Time Warner Cable so I can go to the exercise on demand channel & select a 10 minute workout to increase my activity level for the morning) ... mind you I have only done this a couple of times but it's really nice to have that option.   (Can you tell I miss the Wii?)  See when I was at my daughter & son in law's home I did use the Wii sports for increasing my activity level every day.   I look forward to my next visit there (coming soon) so I can do my 2 mile walk away the pounds & follow it with the Wii fitness & / or sports.  

I just wanted to say it's great that I am finally eating with more awareness of making the healthier choices, and that I am to the point where if I miss a morning of activity I miss it & look forward to moving instead of just sitting around.... and I am thrilled when I see the number on my scale as it reads a smaller weight on my bones .... but I also know & understand there are many of you who have done all that was "supposed" to work and they haven't had this result.  (remember I was doing all I knew to do Healthy right & gained 20 pounds which led me to my doctor looking for some answers)  Please don't give up on your health.  If you find that what you have been doing isn't working talk with your doctor or find a dietitian who can help you learn different ways to work on your goals.  Also keep in mind that some medications actually cause weight gain.  One other area that is completely different for me on this weight loss journey is that I have my VPap to treat my sleep apnea.  So if you have sleep apnea and have not been treated for it that can really affect your weight more than you realize. ... yes an underactive thyroid, obstructive sleep apnea & pre-diabetes can do a job on one's weight, but with the proper treatment for the thyroid & OSA one can turn the pre-diabetes around to prevent becoming diabetic.  

Now from my heart to yours ~ my prayer is that you will find the strength you need to face your challenges & make the changes necessary to meet your goals.  I know from personal experience that it is not easy to make the changes necessary but once begun and continued it becomes easier day by day.  If you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ I pray you will meet Him and discover for yourself how much He Loves You.  I met Him when I was a teenager.  I always had a faith in God.  I always believed that Jesus Christ was God's son.  So going to church & loving God was a fairly easy thing for me to do as I was growing up.  But one day I was at a church picnic and the minister there took about 20 minutes to share with everyone the Love of God.  This included explaining how God created man in His image and then a woman to be his helpmeet.  How the choice to disobey God brought sin into the world & that everyone born is born with sin in them.  How in order to redeem mankind God sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ into the world with the purpose of dying on the cross so that all who believe on HIM would be saved.  This was nothing that I had not heard before.  This was not "news" to me.  As I listened to him he continued with this tidbit... not only did Jesus love us enough to leave heaven & live life on earth as a man, then willingly give up his life on the cross to pay for our sins he did all of that so he could have a personal relationship with each one of us.  Yes a personal relationship.  One where you can meet with Him daily, through the reading of the Holy Bible and in prayer.  It was as if I had suddenly heard about Jesus for the first time that day instead of knowing about Him all my life. I recognized that I needed to have that personal relationship with HIM.  I wanted more from my prayer life, more from my time spent reading the Bible.  I wanted more of Him in my life.   So when the minister asked who would like to have that personal relationship with Jesus Christ I raised my hand & prayed the prayer he led us in ... it has been 32 years since that picnic and I know I have a long way to go to truly become the person He desires me to be but the journey has been incredible.  I know that there are days when I fail to live for Him but I also know that when I turn to Him He is faithful to forgive me & He helps me to move forward.  I know that there are days when it seems as if I have managed to do everything "right" and on those days I know it's because of HIM who lives in me, it is in His strength that I managed to do everything "right".  My prayer is for you to know HIM as your friend as well as your savior.  My prayer is that you will grow in your relationship with Him daily.  That you will see His hand moving in your life. That when you feel that there is nothing left in this life for you you will find that He is right there with you & He will bring you through.  If you have any questions please feel free to contact me ... I may not have all the answers but I will certainly pray with you.  

Now for those of you seeking the crochet info... I have recently made some preemie hats for Heartfelt Angels.  I began three berets for Kathleen ... she needs them by October 7th so I need to concentrate on getting them all done .... I found the yarn I will use for my exchange partners square ... I hope the pattern I selected will work up nicely.  I need to begin the sweater fronts for Angie's sweater (now that the sweater back panel is done I am really excited about casting on the front panels) ..... yes, knitted, but once I have the front panels knitted I will turn to crochet for the rest of the sweater (so in about 2 more years LOL) .... wait for it ~ it will happen!   I still have to determine which sweater I am making for Carter (I haven't forgotten but want it done soon) .... and there are some friends expecting this November (as well as my daughter) that I would like some items made for them & also my new grandson who is expected this January.   So yeah I'm a little busy these days :)  & you know I love it.

So this week my goal is to get as far as I can on the berets, make some baby items for the November babies that are expected, make my exchange partner's square & mail it out ... and to work on the Missions display board for our church's Missions Convention which is being held Oct. 3 & 4.  

May all your goals for this week be easily obtained/ met and may your projects be "frog-free"!  Write me about anything at all ... if you have any ?'s regarding crochet, or about my personal walk with Christ or even about my weight loss journey please feel free to contact me.

"Hunted"

So I wrote this out late last night & just getting around to posting it here... hope it encourages you.  Let me know ~ leave a comment please.

Hunted … by Anne Fatato Sept. 16th, 2009


Seriously didn't know what to call this topic but the truth is that I was looking out my kitchen window and I did witness something that God used to "enlighten" me ...

Anyway looking out my window I spied a black cat sitting in my back yard. Don't usually see cats in my yard so I stood there to watch & see what it was doing. It looked as if it were hunting. The posture, the intense stare (mind you our back yard looks like a jungle since it needs mowing) and I stood transfixed watching this cat as it stared at its’ prey (which I couldn't see).

Suddenly a movement caught my eye & that cat just pounced on its’ prey so quick & I was surprised by the scene unfolding in front of my eyes. Was it a mouse? Was it a chipmunk? The cat turned toward the house & I could see it's captive caught in its’ mouth. Then what I saw really surprised me. The cat shook his head and dropped the captive on the ground. Then sat & stared at it some more. Was it dead? Was it going to get away after all?

What was that cat up too?

By this time I had to go get my glasses so I could have a better look at this scene as it continued to play out before me as I stood looking out my window. When I returned with my glasses the cat was now pawing at its' prey. I guessed it wanted to see if it had any life left in it. Again the cat picked up its' captive and shook it, released it and watched it, almost daring it to get up & run.

It was a while but sure enough that little chipmunk (I could finally see what creature it was) moved slowly. I watched intently to see what that cat would do now that it's prey was on the move. I was really surprised when that cat just sat there watching. It didn't pounce on that chipmunk for quite some time. It just let it move away.

But not so far out of it's reach. Just enough to make the chipmunk think it might be 'safe'. Then very suddenly up jumped the cat & pounced on the chipmunk yet again.

As I stood there taking in this scene it was very clear to me that is exactly what Satan does to us. He sits ever so patiently, staring at his prey. Waiting for the perfect moment of weakness to pounce on us in order to destroy our relationship with Christ. In any way possible he will attack. As the cat toyed with it's prey ... that is just how cruel Satan is with us. He will shake us & then drop us daring us to show any signs of life so he can attack again.

I watched to see if this poor chipmunk got away or if the cat would actually finish him off. But the cat finally chased the chipmunk out of my line of vision. I wasn't disappointed that the cat & chipmunk were no longer visible to me through my kitchen window becasue the scene that was now playing out in my mind was so much larger than the life & death situation outside in my yard. Here I was basking in the truth of God's faithfulness & love. In the knowledge that whatever Satan may do to "trip" me up and to "catch" me that my God is bigger & stronger & more than able to sustain me through anything the enemy can throw at me. Pounce after pounce my strength is in Christ who is there for me every trial, every testing, every disappointment. He is also there with me in every success, every victory, every joy.

So when I am feeling like I've been chewed on & spit out, pawed at & toyed with I will always remember that the goal is to escape Satan's wiles and move closer to my God. I can overcome because I have an advocate who is always praying for me.

Did the chipmunk escape? I have no idea. How many people are lost in this world being shaken & pounced upon with out a clue that there is a way of escape? And before you ask why I didn't just go out & scare off the cat ... to be honest that thought never entered my mind ... how like us to be silent when we should be speaking up, sharing the truth of God's love & His plan of 'escape'.

Just thought I would share what was on my heart tonight.

So much is going on .... have you played with your hooks & yarn today?

I am home for now.  I do have a decent photo of the baby sweater I made for my new grandchild due this November.... just can't play with it right now perhaps before this week is through ;)

The excitement of visiting my dd & sil has slightly worn off ... like a slow fading away of the fun we had together ... leaving enough of a remnant of the feeling so that looking forward to my return visit builds some fresh excitement for that trip.   Continuing reports that all is well with my daughter keeps my outlook bright. Not knowing who is coming makes life more interesting in that we simply have to be prepared for both genders ~ but in my "own opinion" (which, let's face it really doesn't amount to much in this case since it's a 50 - 50 chance of being "right" or being "wrong" ... my opinion is that she's having a b.... admit it you wanted to fill that sentence in didn't you? ..... Baby is the correct answer ;)   I will tell you who arrived to join our family after they arrive so I can " know" who I'm announcing.

Baby things .... let's see a sweater for Carter (hey he was only born this past March so I'm not horribly late on his little gift am I?)  ... still selecting the right yarn & pattern ... too many ideas to settle on one just yet.   Will need a baby item or two for my new grandson due this January.  Yes my ddil has been told it's a boy!  Yay.  Friends of mine are expecting this November as well so I would like to make something especially for them ... if time permits I will. Keeping in mind that I need to create my granddaughter's shrug for her birthday.  We have decided to make that a "tradition" for my little sweetie. This will be her 4th 'birthday shrug' so I do want to make it really nice.  I think I found the stitch I want to do but I will see.

Then there are some more hats & scarves for Kathleen that are needed rather quickly so everything will be put aside in the hopes that I can get them started & completed fast! 

Combine all of that with doctor's appointments & various projects that have nothing to do with anything else & you find a fairly busy schedule can look daunting from time to time... I know I'm not nearly as busy as most of you are ... seriously I mean that.  I know there are many who hold down a full time job & some who also have a part-time job besides & they still manage to run their errands, and work on their projects that are just as important to them as mine are to me. So I mean this when I say take care of yourself.  Make time to get the rest you really need & also make sure to schedule in your crochet time~ it helps to reduce the stress in our lives (take a few deep cleansing breaths, don't hold your breath ~ let it all out) ....
Relax & enjoy your hooks & yarn.  Play with it & see what you can create.  Or pull out the pattern you've been wanting to make & get it going.  

I've had a good report ~ my "pressures" will be reduced ~ thanks to my recent weight loss.  And as I continue to lose the weight my "pressures" should be reduced at every 20 pounds off.  (for those of you who don't know this is all about my OSA & the treatment for it)

Speaking of weight loss ... I've lost the first 20 (which shouldn't have been there to begin with but without it I may not have gotten the help I needed) ... and 21 more besides!  For a total of 41 so far.  Almost every morning I get up & do my 30 minutes of Walk Away the Pounds the 2 mile walk.  Sometimes I "play" some more to keep the "fat burners" turned on.   Who knows that may be the main reason for the weight loss... but I doubt it.  Instead I really believe it is a combination of everything that I am doing right.  I get my sleep.  I get my "exercise" (okay "activity" if you insist LOL) ... and I eat right.  I enjoy my food very much.

Okay so it's time for bed but before I go I wanted to say I played with my hooks & yarn today & can't wait to play some more tomorrow.
Good night / Good morning ~ either way enjoy your day.

Still in NC and just had to share...

As I sit at the kitchen table looking at my yarn & hooks I think how much I've managed to pack into my brief visit thus far... I have completed the back panel for Angie's sweater... have more clearly defined the design for it and am renewed with excitement in regards to working on this sweater altogether.  
I have designed a micro/preemie hat ... still in the pattern testing stage but once completed will be offered for personal/ charitable use. 
I have been working on something for someone but am not at liberty to disclose any of the details at this time.

I managed a lovely visit at Phootsy's Yarn Cottage.  I  just love visiting this yarn shop ~ first off the owner Freddie Schuh ~ is a delight to converse with, secondly she has a way of making you feel so very welcome to pull up a chair and work on your project while you visit. Her displays just inspire me to take some time working on my projects!  She has beautiful yarns to purchase... this time I picked up  some lovely wool.  Yes you are right handwash lay flat ... did I have a brain freeze moment?  Did I just not read the label?  I  normally do not  consider fibers that need the extra care since I am Lazy and want my gifts (or anything for myself) to be easy care all the way.  But I just couldn't resist giving this yarn a try... it's Galway by Plymouth color  10 (it's a navy blue)  doesn't feel itchy as many wools that I have  petted has.  Soft and feels good  in  my hand ummm babies due  in November & in late January maybe a nice baby hat?  Something small  that can be easily hand washed? There is time yet to decide. 

This month's charity challenge had me searching out micro preemie & preemie hat patterns (hence my sudden play time which led to my own pattern)  ~  keep in mind I'm not at home so sharing a computer means sharing computer time so my search was split with everything else I try to accomplish on the computer (games, reading the comics, email, groups etc) but last night I came across the cutest knit hat for preemies & /or newborns that I can't wait to go home & try working  up.  Yes I know I know I know... but it is soooooooooooooo CUTE I had to  ask my daughter to hook me up with a copy of the  pattern so now I've got it I'm going to play.   I  found it through a search through patterns on Ravelry so join if you haven't  already  and search for : Christmas Tree Hat by Pattie Pierce Stone ~ it  is that cute that I want to make it in  the newborn size for  my sweetheart who is due to  arrive this November.  Of course I  have a lot of  projects in mind so I will have to really  pick & chose the  priority of them all :)  like I mind? LOL

We have gotten the baby's room partially settled, we have to double ck what clothes options exist so we will have a better idea what is needed.  So inventory sometime today or tomorrow.  Tuesday I would like to  pack & relax as much as possible with my daughter since I leave on Wed.

Okay time to  go make some breakfast ~ wishing you all a wonderful day ... may all of your projects be frogless and to God Be the Glory!!!!

Cleaning, weight loss, crocheting & who knows what else?

Yes you read that right ~ cleaning!  LOL if you have read my blog at all you should have picked up on the fact that cleaning just isn't my "thing" LOL hehehe.  But when the living room looked like something had exploded & left the debris to rot it was beyond time to do something.  
Of course you know I didn't accomplish it all by myself.  Thank God for my wonderful husband.  I moved a lot of stuff, sorted & threw away what I could.  But he did almost all of the physical work that needed to be done.  He even went to my craft room (* the one that has yet to be organized) and cleaned up there so all my stuff from down here could be relocated up there.
The results are that I now have just a little more work to do in my living room but at least now if our granddaughters stop by they can sit & play (yeah before they couldn't sit in my living room due to all the stuff everywhere!)

Changing topic LOL ~ I can't wait to see the dietitian this morning.   I have lost 33 pounds thus far.  Granted one week I was ill with the "runs" and lost 9 pounds that week but over all I have steadily been losing and I"m so excited.    First off the whole "exercise" is key thing ... yep it's true.  Second the portion control ~ huge key to weight loss!  Now I don't pretend to know anything beyond my own experience with weight loss so please if you need to lose weight talk with your doctor first before starting any weight loss program, including any exercise program.  
So for me the "activity" of choice has been Walk Away the Pounds (Leslie Sanstone) I worked my way up to the 2 mile workout but have some days where I do the 1 mile workout.  I would like to get back to the pool come this winter for my water aerobics or aqua jogging ~ since that is my first "love" where activity is concerned ;) 
Portion Control ~ yes the measuring cups & spoons have been in full use along with a food scale. 
I feel so much more in control when I take the time to weigh &/or measure my food.  Also key for me has been since getting past the first week (and possibly part of week 2?)  I have no food cravings ~ no food mood swings to deal with.  It is an incredible feeling.  Free!  Free from the urge to eat everything in sight. Free from the desire to have chocolate every couple of hours.  Just free to be me.  I honestly believe this is the time I will reach my goals.  All of the other times I engaged in the weight loss battle I think I always held onto some doubt of my possible success.  This time I have no doubt that I will make it to my "ideal" weight ~ whatever that may be... since my current view of this weight loss journey is to lose 10% of my current body weight (which I already hit the first 10% goal) and once hitting that goal then to aim for the next 10% until I am at the weight I should be (and as I get closer to that weight I will be better able to decide on my ultimate goal with my doctor & my dietitian's help).   That is not to say that I don't have a number in mind it is simply the truth that I want to be realistic & as I lose this weight I may discover that the number I have in mind simply isn't the right number for me.  Why be set up for failure when there is no need to have that final goal decided upon at this time?   I'm taking the baby steps to this destination, no short cuts, no cheating along the way to reach the place I need to be instead simple direct and to the point goals that are reachable are my focus.

Ahh now to get to the best part of my blog ... the baby sweater I had started last year and had then set aside has been completed ~ & it is sooooooooo cute!   I love it and can't wait to bring it to Sarah.   I will take pictures & hope to post them before I leave if not at least I'm only going to be gone for 2 weeks this time.
I've completed the items for Kathleen & I even brought out the knitting ~ the sweater (back panel) for my friend Angie that I started 2 yrs ago I believe???  
I have several projects that must be started & completed soon so God willing I will manage to do them & I have a quilting project in mind so I need to be more organized with my time. 

I leave this Wed. & will be back in a couple of weeks so when I return I will share the highlights of my visit ~ we go to the 3-D ultrasound yay and I intend to stop by & visit with Freddie S. at Phootsy's Yarn Cottage while I'm in NC.  So many exciting things for me ... maybe not so exciting to you but for me they are exciting.   I will be able to see the new catalog that Discovery Toys has put out and see what new things they have that our grand children will be able to have lots of fun learning while they play.
Well the clock tells me I need to leave so I will say have a great day ~ may your projects be "frog free" and may the children in your life play joyfully with you :)

Crochet 2010 Calendar ....

I'm so pleased to say my crocheted square Anne's Square has been published in the Crochet 2010 calendar... it's July 16th. I hope you will purchase this calendar & enjoy all of the beautiful projects therein.

I would also suggest that this square may be used for baby afghans (you determine the size), for shawls, for full afghans, and for just about anything you can use a motif for!!!

I'm so excited and just had to share. Be on the lookout for this cool calendar so you can have one for your very own.

Mama Blogga's group writing project ~ Before I was a mom....

http://www.mamablogga.com/august-2009-group-writing-project/

So the topic of this post is : Before I was a mom.

I know some of you may think what does she have to say now? Her kids are all out of the house, married and with children or expecting children of their own. All of that is true but I'm not so far gone that I can't recall life before becoming a mother. I feel equipped to compare life before & after the arrival of the first child to stretch my imagination & take me to new heights in living life.
Before I was a mom I was in high school. My wedding day took place 2 days after my high school graduation. Before I was a mom I walked daily, basically everywhere. (Not so ever since.)
Before I was blessed with children I had an idea of what I wanted my life to look like (mind you this was before I met "the ONE" who changed that forever) ... I had even gone so far as to map it all out during a discussion with my girl friend ...we were sitting in her room and she was telling me how she knew what she wanted to study in college and how she wanted to be married and have several kids etc ... so she asked me what I wanted to do with my life after high school. I told her I wanted to go to college and I would go into an area that revolved around counseling. I wanted to meet my husband and get married around the age of 24, have the house with the white picket fence around our yard & have lots of room for our babies to grow. Ahh what a day dream that was. The fact is before I was a mom I was just a teenager with day dreams. During the last couple of months of my junior year of high school I met my husband. By the age of 16 I had already had 3 marriage proposals. I had turned them all down ~ first because they were all wrong for me and secondly because I knew what I wanted & expected out of life. Marriage wasn't top priority. In fact 2 weeks before I met my husband I had told my grandmother that I was done with boys for a while. I had decided to concentrate on finishing school and not bothering with guys. (mind you this followed 2 of the 3 marriage proposals) Then I met my husband and all that changed. In the very beginning of our relationship we fought. We fought on the day we met. We fought the next time we met. We fought the third time we met. ... see a theme here? It was around this time I had a phone call from a long distance guy friend ... he was soooo cute but too far away for me... anyway we were talking & I mentioned this guy that I had met and how every time we got around each other we'd end up fighting. For a second I thought the phone had gone dead. Then suddenly he starts telling me how I can't marry this guy because he has our life all planned. He basically proposed marriage to me but the catch was he was going into the service and then following how many yrs he planned on signing up for duty then we would marry at the age of 36. Needless to say he wasn't happy when I told him no thank you.

My husband and I had only met and seen each other for two weeks when he drops this on me ... (the scene: local ice cream parlor Sunday afternoon relaxed atmosphere) suddenly I hear him say; "So when are we getting married?" I respond; "Well I'm certainly not getting married until after I graduate high school." He asked me when graduation was, I pull out a small date book and look it up. He looks at the date book and said, "We can get married Sunday June 25, 1978" ~ yes he set the wedding date for 2 days after my graduation. Mind you I thought this was a joke. He was extremely serious. He went home and told everyone he was getting married and our wedding date was set.
Before I was a mom I was an engaged woman who didn't even realize she was actually engaged.

Monday in school I met up with my friend who had introduced me to my husband. She congratulated me on our upcoming wedding. How could he be serious? I thought he had been joking. And how could he have told everyone so quickly? I went home and that night I poured my heart out to God. I told God how I knew the first 3 marriage proposals were without merit. I also told Him how I had 'planned' what I was going to do with my life. Then I asked God to help me. I pleaded with Him to let me know what I was supposed to do. If this was really the man for me then I didn't want to lose him. But if he wasn't the One for me then I didn't want to lead him on either. Before I was a mom I prayed.
Before I was a mom I had a dream. A dream that set the course for my life. That night I dreamt of my wedding. I could see my groom. It was this man I barely knew yet felt connected with. I saw things in great detail. I saw the wedding gown, the veil, the church including the carpeting. When I woke up I prayed again. I told God that I would take that dream as an answer to my prayer of the night before but that as I lived through the year leading up to my wedding day if at any time something proved to me that I was making a mistake I would call it off. Before I was a mom I was a woman determined to make the right decision.

July 4, 1977 I was invited to attend a church picnic with my fiance's family. I heard how God wanted a personal relationship with everyone. God was alive and willing to have communication with us. Mind you I already believed in God and I had faith that He answered my prayers the dream of my wedding was not the first time I had felt that God had responded to me. When the Pastor asked who wanted to accept Christ as their personal savior my hand was up in a flash. Before I was a mom I was a woman in need of a Savior.

During that year I spent some time with my future mother in law. She asked me one day if I would consider wearing her wedding gown. As we climbed the stairs to go look at the dress I saw her wedding photo on the wall at the top of the staircase. It was the dress I saw in my dream. The veil was different but that was the same dress. I accepted her offer.
As the time drew closer I went shopping for a veil and I came across the same exact veil I had seen in my dream. I felt such confirmation everytime something happended that reflected my dream. One day while we were just relaxing we talked about some things and I mentioned that I wondered if we were really going to get married since he had never actually asked me to marry him. He got down on one knee and asked me to please become his wife.
The day came when we were going to the church (mind you I had never been there before in my life) and when we walked in I knew where everything was... it was exactly the same as in my dream. Right down to the ugly carpeting. (I'm sorry after all this time I still think that carpeting was ugly and it was a detail that proved beyond a shadow of doubt that God had shown me this was the man I was supposed to marry). Before I was a mom I was a woman in love, willing to spend forever with this one man. A month and a half after my 18th birthday I graduated from high school and two days after my graduation I married the man of my dreams (literally)!
Before I was a mom I was a bride. 31 years of marriage, 3 children, 3 children in love (our daughters & son in laws) and now grandbabies too ~ before I was a mom I could only hope and dream of all that life would hold for me and my family ... now I am a mom and a grandmomma and my best advice to share is to LOVE your family every day no matter what!!!!

What's that in the ???

What's that? In the where? Oh NO it isn't!!!! Yes it was. Okay so far so good.
Yes it's that kind of a day around here so far. I have found spiders, mind you they don't bother me as long as they are allllllll outside! But there is one living in my living room (okay so his brothers & sisters, aunts & uncles are all in hiding, and he is the only one I can "SEE") ... and one of these days he will be no more because I will be brave enough ~ or I will give in & call my hubby in to do the dirty deed. As long as he seems content to stay put I think I can arrange to ignore him... but the minute I have to wonder where he's gotten off to then I will not be able to stand it any longer.

I will let you know besides the uncharacteristic humane side of me showing up on behalf of the spider (and yes it's a rather small one or else it would have been history long before now) ... I have been under the weather. Oh it really didn't seem like such a big deal at first ... just came across as something that disagreed with me (no gall bladder = lots of times when food doesn't agree with me) ... but then one day became two and before I knew it an entire week of "running" wasn't so much fun. In fact I had actually stopped eating as much as I could in order to see if I could get things back under control. It didn't work. It had gotten to the point where even just water made me "run". But as of a couple of hours ago I have to say I feel the best I have in just a little over a week. I think perhaps (*& I hope I'm not jumping the gun a bit here in stating this) that it is finally under control. In the meantime I have lost an incredible amount of weight during this past week. Not the way I wanted to see it go but if it decides to stay gone I certainly won't be complaining!

So far I've managed to remain focused on my goals ~ the food has been great until this past week's episodes... but I know I can & will remain steady on this course now that my stomach seems to be feeling better. I am very close to having lost 10% of my weight. Which simply means I will reset my goal to lose the next 10%. I'm going to see this through even when it is hard. My ultimate goal hasn't been determined yet (weight wise) but I do know I have a very long slow journey ahead of me, and I'm ready and willing to reach the end of this journey no matter how long it takes.
Any of you care to share your tips on keeping your activity level up? Or what foods you enjoy the most that are also "healthy" choices please leave a comment & share away.

Wishing you all a happy healthy day & may all your projects remain "frog free"!!!

I'm still around :)

Okay time for an update. First off I couldn't be happier. I have almost lost the 20 pounds I gained earlier this year. And as any of you who have tried to lose weight knows it goes on way easier (and Faster) than it goes off!
I have not experienced any drastic food cravings, I think whatever was happening to make me "food crazed" before has come to a complete stop (and that was within the first week) ~ now I simply figure out what I'm most hungry for and then see how it fits into my daily allotment of calories & carbs. Now my husband has read that it is more important to keep tabs on fat (saturated fats) along with the carbs becasue there are too many low to non carb choices out there that are very high in saturated fat!
What this all means is that together we have "embraced" this lifestyle. I am getting in my "activity" (simply put Exercise!!!) LOL by doing my walk away the pounds workout. I like that I can get up & turn it on any time I'm ready in the morning. Once done I can go about my day.
Also I have been really enjoying my fruits & veggies.

On a crochet note ... I'm sorry to report that I've been super lazy. I did make the beret & scarf for Kathleen... but I am lacking the baby sweater for Carter, and the completion of a baby sweater for my new grandchild due this November... and I need to make one for my grand baby due late Jan. (early Feb?).... so I need to get moving ~ the truth is my hands have been bothering me a bit and I have been lazy. Lazy Lazy Lazy!
I also need to get the shawl for my sister in law done... er, well , um... started! (& then done)
Not to forget the sweater for Angie that has been set aside & negelected. I need to get back to work on that!!!!
So I admitted my faults ... & am now making baby steps of progress on correcting them ~ how about you? You certainly do not need to confess anything to me but to yourself you do. You know what it is that you have put off repeatedly. Face it cause it is actually much easier to do it than to have to deal with it later. (like dusting off my mantle... ugh it would certainly have been much easier to do months ago when I first realized how dirty with dust it had become)
With that note .... I will leave you with this thought ...
May you find the strength you have within you all along is more than you need to accomplish that which you need to accomplish the most whether it be a crochet or other craft project, or losing weight, or increasing your activity level or cleaning your clutter.
May you have a "frog free" day :)

Week One complete ....

Yes I have met with the dietitian and have a rough idea of what I need to do so I have officially completed my first week following my meal plan as outlined by the dietitian.

Watching my carbs ~ did you know that basically everything (other than meat & some fats) has carbs???? I honestly didn't realize this basic fact that is most likely (which means I was taught this information) taught in a basic health class at school. So anyway to watch my carbs is actually balancing the amount of carbs I eat at each meal and in doing so it basically levels out the way my body has to work throughout the day. I have to say it makes me pause & stop to think before I eat about what I am chosing to feed my body as a source of fuel.
After following the basic meal plan (I chose all my foods from everything available to eat ~ I just make sure I don't consume more carbs at each meal & snack time then advised)... I have lost 6 pounds so far.
The other important key to this is I have to exercise ~ oops pardon me the new "word" is Activity. Increase your activity level in order to lose weight. Besides the dietitian telling me this at least 4 different books that I've been reading through states that increasing your activity is absolutely necessary. The number one recommended activity is walking.
So this past week I have worked hard at doing the walk away the pounds dvd workout for the one mile (hey must build up to the two mile) ... and I admit I groan & moan all throughout it but I Do It anyway.

Okay I'll share more later ... it's time to go walk away the pounds!!!
Have a nice & active day :)

Walk this way ....

So far I have not lost any of the recently gained weight... went to see a specialist who told me that my primary care doctor handled my thyroid correctly. But due to my insistence that something was not right and in view of my recent weight gain he felt that I had Metabolic Syndrome.... which according to the various things I have read means I have a "cluster" of symptoms ... and that I may be insulin resistant or "prediabetic" ... which by the way I have heard once before at least 3 or 4 yrs ago... ummm. I just didn't get it. Not then & apparently not now.

I will be seeing a dietitian or nutritionist soon in order to try & make sense of the incredible amount of confusing information available. One source states reduce your carbohydrates, another states you must chose the "right" carbohydrates ... yet another states, "everyone is different & what works for some may not work for you so you need to slowly discover what works for you through trial & error" .... and don't let me leave off the whole glycemic index... talk about confusing!!
And so my saga has taken on a whole new view ~ I am prediabetic which means if I can get my food choices worked out and increase my activity by a whole lot I can prevent becoming a full blown diabetic. It must work this time since last time it did not.

In case you couldn't tell this is a very frustrating situation. To have realized that I must make positive, healthy changes in my life & was actually executing them only to have a 20 pound gain in such a short period of time really set me back. I just don't function well when the expected results are completely opposite! So I will see how this journey proceeds.

As for the sleep apnea journey ...I'm still trying to find the "right" mask for me ... I recently tried the nasal mask in a size small ... but it was worse than the size medium and I need to see if I can return it for a medium or if it's too late already. I just feel like I can't win for trying.

Walk this way ... watch your step, don't stumble or fall if you do then please pick yourself back up and continue in the way. Yes, life is full of surprises and lots of options for passing your time. But only that which is done for God will hold any real value or long lasting results/ rewards etc. So may I encourage you to walk this way? Walk with the assurance that there is a God who loves you, live your daily walk knowing you are not alone, enjoy your time of fellowship with God throughout each day ... walking & talking with Him instead of ignoring Him to do your own thing. See what God will do if you only seek after Him & serve Him with your whole heart, mind & strength!

and yet will I praise HIM, from whom all blessings flow ~ Thank you God for keeping me safe in your care each day regardless of my circumstances & regardless of how I may or may not feel.

May you all have a blessed day & look beyond your situation to God who loves you & holds you in the palm of His hand, he has a plan & a purpose for your life & if you yield to HIM it will unfold before you.
God Bless you all.

On a crochet note ... I still have several items in the works & more to come :)

Here is the Dress I made for Abigail ... on the off chance that she may be too tall for it when she can wear it I have set some of the same yarn aside that way it can have more added to the hemline before it goes through wear & tear and the yarn no longer "matches" ~ the top photo a picture of the back & the lower one is the front ... showing a corner of my "tag" in the shoulder area.

The pattern is found on Ravelry (if you are a member there you can get it) it's called Hip Dress for Baby ~ original size is for 0-3 months. Mine should be the right size for 12 - 18 months.

That feels sooooooo great to have completed that project ~ better late than never!!!!

That being said I'm frustrated with my thyroid and sleep apnea and the weight I've gained since beginning my OSA treatment... after all I had been told I would lose weight if I dieted & exercised when I was first treated for my underactive thyroid ~ ahhhh NO that didn't work... then when I saw the specialist for my OSA he told me, "don't worry, if you diet & exercise with your sleep apnea being treated you will be able to lose the weight" ~ I should have known better! Dieting & exercising and gaining weight seem to be what I do best. The weight gain brought me back to my gp and he said oh your thyroid is off we need to adjust your meds & test your blood in a month. Meanwhile my weight is still climbing. NO NO NO I just can't stand it!!!

My body has been protesting and my body is losing this battle ... then someone said you need to read about the thyroid diet, certain foods will work against you... huh??? can this be?? if this is true then why didn't my doctor tell me about this back when he started me on my meds years ago????

All I can say is that everyone is different & what works for one may not work for another... and all doctors can do is their very best for their patients... so it is up to the patients to look things up & keep questioning their doctors in order to have/get the best care possible!!! I'm so sorry I took so long to seriously look into these things ... hopefully now I will have some answers. I'll let you know how it goes ... as it looks like it will be a long journey still.

Wishing you all a frog free projects & good health & restful sleep!

Another Month passing us by...

Hi again. I really had not intended to disappear but it feels like I have done just that. And in the time away do I have anything to show for it? The answer would be a resounding NO!
Personally I was really looking forward to beginning the treatment for my sleep apnea and could not wait for all of the benefits that I had been told I could expect to "kick in" that I jumped right in without looking. However within a very short period of time I have gained weight (supposed to help me lose weight), I've had a bit of a problem "adjusting" first it was the machine now it's the mask & yes this has been & still is an ongoing issue. My skin seems to be on the sensitive side (which by the way I knew & told my CRT) ~ I know he is doing what he can to help but so far I wish I could just go back to the first mask and never had any issues with pressure points/sores at all because now that we have the right machine for me I really would like the right mask to go with it.

TMI right? I'm sorry but here's the upswing ~ before all of these complaints ~ which basically means before I began treatment for my OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) ~ I would sleep all night and when I woke up in the morning I felt like I had not slept at all. I would sit at the computer and discover that I had dozed off (& no I do not have a laptop) and still felt tired. Go about my day & while I was "active" felt ok but could rest if time allowed. Once able to sit a bit to crochet or read or watch tv etc would find 'napping' does exsist. Often doze off rather quickly when I was able to sit for a bit. Now although I am not "happy" about the issues I've been whining about I must say it does feel good not to be falling asleep moments after I've awaken for the day. No more day time naps unless I really want one & I use my machine for any of those.

So if you have sleep apnea & were afraid to go get tested or you've been tested & you have not been dealing well with your machine/mask please be encouraged to keep working on it until you have the best possible fit for you. I do believe once I'm set up with the right "fit" mask that my other issues will actually begin to be resolved or at least be in the process of resolving.
In case you wondered (I'm sure you must have) why if the mask was so good before the machine was a right fit for me what happened .... the mask was good the machine was good but for me it didn't do what I needed it to do so that took a while to discover. The second machine same thing. Once the 3rd (& so far final one) machine was put into use and quickly proved to be a good fit for my needs the mask for the first time really did what it should have been doing and almost immediately I developed a pressure point/sore (most likely this only happened because I have had cold sores / sun blisters in the past that have left me extremely sensitive and now that that mask was sitting on top of one very hyper sensitive location it brought on a fresh sore) ... I don't blame the mask and actually wish I had not returned it because although I like the idea & feature of the nasal pillows I now use I find that I don't get the same sleep as I had with the previous mask.
I share all of this to say I'm still working on getting the right combination for me in order to have the results all of this treatment should be providing.

On a crochet note ... almost finished with the dress for Abigail. Just need to complete the shoulder straps but since I had gone from a 0-3 months size to about a 12 -18 months size I need to measure a child about that age to get the shoulder strap right. So hopefully next week I can show pictures of this completed.
Still lagging way behind on Carter's sweater ... but I am confident that will be accomplished soon.

Well off for the day ... hope you all have a great day & if there were comments I would not stay away so long.
Wishing you all a "frog free" day :)

contemplative mood sets in & ....

these are the results of that mood ... why is it that I've started projects & have failed to settle down to complete them? Why can't I just settle on the yarn choice to make the sweater now that I've found the pattern I want to make??? Why am I stuck????

Then it hits me that I am stuck. Stuck with no desire to work on these items. Stuck daydreaming of other projects that I'm not willing to begin since I haven't finished the projects on hand. Thinking of more designs that I probably won't manage to sketch out & put into writing.

Then there is the huge personal project I have been living with and not managing to get ahead on ... some days I find myself thinking it will never happen, it just won't become a reality then others I can hardly contain my excitement at the thought of what I might actually accomplish.

It is now that I see I can't manage to divide my time & energy properly to effectively complete all of the things I want to complete. I need to settle my mind on completing one thing at a time & then concentrate only on the completion of the personal project I have on the back burner.

Yes it is all hush hush for now but that is what personal makes it ... it's private & not for public showing ~ it's too new, too in the birthing process to present to anyone for their feed back. So I will take steps to accomplish the crochet tasks and then settle into a routine in order to, (God willing), accomplish the very hush hush top secret project (non crochet related). Seriously I know I will sprinkle some crochet throughout this projects' development since I can't go without crocheting for long periods of time !!! :-)

In the mean time I pray for a healthy pregnancy for my daughter.
Wishing you all a frog free and very happy weekend.

I can barely contain my

Excitement!!! I am happy to say that I have a new grandchild on the way. Whoever is joining my family will be making their appearance this November. And since my daughter & son in law wish to be "surprised" we won't be finding out in advance if it's a she or a he!

I'm so blessed & happy & excited. So what's new with you? I thought I was going to get off the "baby" mode for a bit but now I'm not so sure I can!!!! Well I still plan on taking a short break because I have found myself so far behind on things!!!! For example I still haven't finished the adorable baby dress for Abigail (Heather's daughter) the shower was April 16th & she was born March 10... so good thing I was planning on it being for a 1 yr old at least. But that was my problem I took a cute 0-3 month dress & decided to make it large enough for a 12 month old (but I wouldn't be surprised to discover mine is even larger than that) .... so as I work on it I need to actually settle on the "finished size" in order to keep it in the proper shape & measurements regularly will help. I do promise pictures of this when it is finished.

But that just shows how far behind I am because I also wanted Carter's sweater to be done by now but I just haven't settled on the pattern (mainly because for some unknown reason I'd settled on his sweater being for a 9 month old & the size info for that age is varied & hard to come by) so my flow of excuses runneth over.

Anyway I did take some pictures (of other items) & just haven't had a chance to sit at the computer long enough to play & post. Soon I hope!!!

May all your projects be "frog free" and may your blessings include hugs & kisses ;-)

When will the warmth begin???

Yeah I went there... the weather usually reserved for "small talk" when running into acquaintances we are polite to but really don't want to get into anything "serious" when "asking" them how things are etc.

So anyway it's been cold, damp & just to tease us we get a really nice day sandwiched inbetween. Today however was yet another rainy day ~ can you even picture it? I mean afterall it is April ... you remember the lovely little saying "April Showers bring May Flowers" don't you? Well I think they really mean it ~ Literally!!!
I rarely bother to listen to the weather reports (after all I can easily look out my window or open the door & actually go outside to determine if the weather requires a jacket or heavy coat or whathaveyou... but I had the tv on while in another room & over heard these words "80 degrees on the weekend" ... now I dare to hope that we will actually have such lovely warmth this weekend. Of course I only heard those words & had not been watching so have no idea if I misheard or if it will be as lovely as they stated.

OOhhh I'll get off the wet, damp, cold weather that has been here on & off most of this month thus far.

In turn I will mention that I still haven't begun a sweater for Carter (yes, he's arrived in March and I still failed to get a simple sweater ready for his arrival) ... the dress I decided on for Abigail will take a bit longer since I haven't just sat down to "work" on it... and I started the Charity Challenge for April project... I only pledged one item this month since I saw how far behind I was with my other projects! I belong to a wonderful yahoo group of crocheters and we have a charity challenge each month from Jan. to Oct.

Ahh the sleep apnea saga continues ... although the machine seems great I've now noticed (20 nights after getting the second mask) that I have a pressure point at the bottom of my right nostril. Pressure points are not good things. Also when I called to ask about it & my dry mouth the tech who ususally deals with me was not in so I spoke with someone else & she really did not address the pressure point issue at all but she said she'd send me a chin strap to help keep my mouth closed while I sleep so that I won't have a dry mouth. That arrived today & I just don't see how that will help since it didn't seem to fit me at all.

So I am off to have some fun with my darling lovebugs (yes all 3 of them) they've already requested I bring the discovery toys I have. I must say I absolutely love that they will ask for the "cuppies" (that's from Kamryn the 2 yr. old requesting the Measure Up Cups) and then from Kyla "bring the math game please" and then Adriana requested the "Busy Bugs" (another math concepts activity) ... just go ck it out and if you have any questions call Sarah (her contact info is on the website) Tell her that her mother sent you!!!! (not that that will save you anything but it will please her no end to know I sent you her way)

Okay off I go to play & hopefully get some crocheting time in (yeah I know it's a lost cause LOL) but I've got a new "camera phone" ~ yes you read that right ~ and I'll try to get some cool pics to share :) you never know! It is just possible???
Frog free projects are wished for all of you :) And nice restful sleep!!!!

Random thoughts

Today was an odd day for me. I woke up with plenty of time to be 'productive' however I also woke up feeling dazed & wishing I had more time to sleep. (True that isn't odd at all for me!!!) With the OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) being treated I guess I thought it would be a change for the positive & that I would feel great almost instantly and all things would be put to 'rights' almost as fast. Since beginning treatment on March 7th (yes that's all it's been) I have had a roller coaster of mild ups & downs. And now when I believe the machine & the mask may be the 'right fit' for me I have been dealing with a feeling of congestion & as if a sinus infection is ready to be taking over my head & sinus cavity. Now that would not be so bad but it's like waiting for the 'other shoe to drop' in that I have no idea if this will actually become a full blown sinus infection rendering me to lay about in my bed until the worst of it passes or if it will remain a nagging thought in the background just out of reach but enough of a presence to annoy the ever lovin' daylights out of me... ummm I honestly just wish it would go away completely & never bother me again. But so far it's been about a week of this feeling non-stop.

So that being the case this morning I decided to have a "pajama day" ... I worked on the baby dress (still have a long way to go!!) and caught up on some shows I had recorded. Managed to prepared veggies for dinner yet wonder what the rest of our meal might be... if anything?

Caught up on some blogs I like to read. All in all a rather easy going day.

Just wish I had managed to get up & head to the pool as I love to do and get some other things accomplished today.

Wishing you a great day & frog free projects ... (okay evening, night, morning whatever time it is where you are hope it's great.)

Happy Resurrection Sunday (or if you prefer... Happy Easter)

Happy Easter Sunday .... a day to remind us that our sins have been forgiven ~ if you don't understand it's so simple that it sounds complicated... in an "egg shell" LOL ...
God created us (humans) for fellowship (relationship) but the first man & woman disobeyed God bringing punishment to all humans their disobedience is called sin (which every human being is born with) and the punishment that we were to have was forgiven when His Son Jesus Christ died on the cross. Jesus took our sins upon himself so that we could be restored to a right relationship with God, His Father. So if anyone believes that Jesus is their Savior they will be saved. That's right anyone who believes will have their relationship with God restored so they can have eternal life with HIM. For those who don't believe they will have eternity without HIM which is called "hell".

Wishing you all a happy wonderful Easter.

Project underway

I've decided to make a dress instead of a sweater for the upcoming baby shower. Yeah I know I have been saying for months now that I wanted to make a sweater for Heather's baby but I came across the cutest baby dress and just couldn't resist wanting to make that instead. With the baby afghan finished & a cute outfit already selected and the last piece to complete the gift about to be started I went on a pattern search. Yes I was looking for baby sweaters but you may understand what it's like to go on a pattern search & be distracted by all the possiblities.

Anyway I was doing my pattern search in the usual places I started with Lion Brand's pattern finder and although I loved a lot of the options most of the ones that I wanted to make were knitted & we all know I'm toooooooooo Slooooowwwwwwwww when it comes to my knitting hence the crochet passion I have come to know & love. I will eventually knit some of these adorable baby sweaters but for who I just have no idea!

Then I moved on to Ravelry's pattern base and oh my pattern heaven! So if you haven't joined head on over & get your self an invite to join ~ it is an incredible online community of fiber artists, if you crochet, knit or weave or spin or just love fiber you really should ck it out!

http://www.ravelry.com/

So here I was strolling through the baby patterns (crocheted ones although some of the knitted ones could definitely tempt me!!!) and came across this pattern Hip Dress for Baby.
I've completed the first three rounds and although I am making it larger than the pattern calls for I believe it will be perfect for when the baby is bigger. Pictures to follow (next week some time as it is Easter weekend and all).

Wishing you all a very Blessed & Happy Easter ... may the Lord Bless you & Keep you.
And may all your projects be frog free!!!!

Crochet Update... yay :)

Finished the items Kathleen requested. However I did "change" something. I have made the scarflet that she has requested each time basically the same with very minor differences based on the "personality of the yarn". And don't tell me you haven't noticed that some natural fibers have a "personality of their own" because I know most of you if you've worked with any natural fibers you've seen this for yourself! Anyhoo ... I really took Kathleen's concern about the amount of yarn required to make both the beret & the scarf into consideration. I really have no control over how much yarn is used for the beret.
I made the first one and just did not trim it the way I ususally do (which I think it looks fine but I don't know how she will react to no scalloped edging) as it turned out I had so little yarn left that I did not think I would manage to make a flower that she also prefers. So now I had both berets finished and was looking at the yarn to make the second scarflet (scarflet by the way is a short scarf that you wear close around your neck either held together with a button or the "button hole" is large enough for you to pull the other end of the scarf through) ... ~ I decided what did I have to lose? I would design a new one that hopefully used less yarn to complete while hopefully still being "cute" enough to please Kathleen. (after all it is her yarn & she asked for the other scarflet) .... so I hope to see her soon in order to give her these items & see how she reacts to the changes I've made. As for the flowers to adorn her scarflets ... I did manage to have just enough of the dark brown left to make two small loopy style flowers and on the second one I added the last of the first yarn and worked a very small round to make that flower "match" the scarflet it was being sewn onto. I am not sure how she will react but I hope it pleases her in the end.

With these projects finished I can now concentrate on the baby sweaters I need to make and also see if I can write out the pattern for the one I want to design. I still need to write out the pattern for the scarflet & flower I made today.

I need to get back to some of my other long term projects like my shrug and Angie's sweater!!!! I want them to be finished soon before I get all distracted and the shawl/wrap I want to make for my sil ... I will see if it's possible for me to get these finished and off my "to do" list sometime soon. :)

Wishing you all frog free days!!

What a Day today has been ....

Today is Palm Sunday. One week from now Christians will celebrate Easter Sunday ... the Resurrection of Christ ... which is our Hope! For since He came, died & Rose again we now have the Hope of His return.

Church service this morning was incredible. The presence of the Holy Spirit was so strong. I know that God's word states that He inhabits the praises of His people and this morning was not unusual for our body of believers. But there was a difference this morning. For this morning I felt a weight of love for the lost like I've rarely felt before. I know I've "felt this way" before but not at the level of intensity that came upon me this morning. I also felt as if God wanted to challenge each one of us to Trust HIM and to step out in faith to believe for our needs. He will increase our faith if we lack the faith to trust HIM for all we may need from HIM. So here is a challenge to you. If you are new in your faith or perhaps the zest of your faith has been fading ask God to increase your faith. Ask Him to prove Himself to you again. Allow yourself to seek His Face yet again, and don't be shy about waiting on His reply!

Now I'll get off my soap box and tell you I've made some limited progress on my crochet projects. I've completed the snuggle sq. for my granddaughter. I've finished one of the two scarves (minus the decorative flower that usually adorns it) but I'm really doing my best not to start the 3rd hank of yarn she gave me ... but I don't think I will be able to manage a decent flower with the very small amount of yarn left from the first two hanks. Time will tell.

I am working on a design for a baby sweater. I have an idea I just need to see if I can execute it properly, and write the pattern on time!!!
Also I need to get the second scarf done and the baby sweaters that I should have finished already. So how do you like that for being late??? Oh yeah it happens.

So I wish you all a great week as Easter approaches take my challenge seriously. I know that God will meet you where you are.

Wishing you all frog free projects :)

PS ... I almost forgot to share with you ... one of my patterns has been published in the online e-zine Crochet Uncut ... it's called Toddler Scarf. (I made one for each of my granddaughters.) I hope you'll ck it out & let me know if you like it.

April Fool's ??

So today is April 1st. Also referred to as April Fools Day as long as I can recall. Personally I do not go in for all the April Fool's day gags, jokes, and pranks however if you can think of a really clever one & manage to pull it off then I can appreciate it.

I am not all that clever, nor would my execution of any of the pranks, gags or jokes be smooth enough to pull it off without a hitch! Instead of making lame jokes or a miscalculated prank I'm better off just ignoring the whole "April Fool's Day stuff" and concentrate on the important things happening around me. For example I have completed the second hat for Kathleen & need to get the scarves finished. I have one made without it's trim or flower and the second one is not even on the hook yet. So I must get to work on that. Then there is the charity challenge for this month ~ Blankets for Deployed Daddies... the idea is you make a specific sized baby blanket using a specific yarn & pattern they send your blanket to a daddy who is deployed to sleep with for a week so that their scent is now in the blanket he sends it to his wife so their baby can sleep with it & learn his scent. I think that this is sooooo cool!!! So I have this project waiting for my attention. Then there is the ever desired snuggle requested by my lovely granddaughter & she has been waiting for about a year now... I finally purchased the correct yarn for this and have actually started it but set it aside as there are more pressing projects to work on (see above mentioned scarves for Kathleen!!!) Not to mention I still have 2 outstanding baby projects to begin since they were expected (by me) to be completed long before today!!!

Oh so many things & yet I am so behind on their progress. But today I am really excited because I will be visiting my niece & nephew & their newborn my "great nephew" this morning. I am so happy for them & can't wait to hold this beautiful boy.

So I'm off to get ready for my visit and to get my projects lined up for working on when I return home.

Wishing you all a prank free & frog free day :)

It's Friday but Sunday's Coming ....

Technically that "title" is true but not in the sense that I want to discuss. You see Resurrection Sunday (you may think of it as Easter) is coming. And I'm thinking about a really great sermon about how it was Friday (when Jesus died), but Sunday (the day He was Resurrected) was coming ~ we can go through so many "Fridays" in our life where we really need to be encouraged that Sunday is on the way. When Jesus died for our sins that Friday, his disciples must have felt terribly alone, and confused. You see they didn't know what we know about the Resurrection Power that was coming until Sunday when they discovered He had risen from the dead & was no longer held in that tomb. So when we face our worst day or night that may equal a "Friday" experience but we can hold on to the fact that Sunday is coming.

Of course if you do not have a relationship with God, do not believe that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead you will have your "Friday" experiences and be stuck with little or no hope of a resurrection Sunday on the way. I don't know how you will get through your difficulty without the strength of a faith built on God's mercy & grace. For me I could not survive without my faith in God, nor in my ability to Trust Him with everything.

Yeah I know this may sound "preachy" however if I have this great relationship and never share it with you then how would you ever know about it? How would you know that you could ask me why I believe, and know that I would tell you about the many times when I needed God to see me through & HE did! How when I thought I could handle things myself, in my own strength & how I got to the place where I made stupid choices that left me feeling alone & confused and as if I had managed to get so far away from Him that I did not think I could ever find my way back into His grace. Yet in all of my stupidity God never left me alone. He simply stayed by my side and let me see how my choices were really self destructive. And He waited until I admitted that I really did not like what I was doing & how I was behaving, how I was feeling & how far I had run from Him. Then He let me open my eyes to the truth that He never left me. That He did not like my choices either but that He still loved me. HE Loved me enough to forgive me when I confessed my sins and repented of my wicked ways. And now I know that for me those areas of my life that I was weak in before I am now much stronger and can lean on HIM to resist the tempations that may come my way.

I don't share that to sound as if I've "arrived" at perfection. Rather I share that to say I know how difficult it can be to stand firm daily in my faith. And that God provides the strength I need in order stand firm when I lean on HIM. When I lean on myself I fail to get through the day.

The truth is we have friends who we can call on no matter what time of day or night & know that they will be there for us. God is that friend to me. He is always there for me. No matter what.
And He is who I want to lean on first & foremost.
So as I sit here thinking of this upcoming celebration of Christ's Resurrection I pray that all of you have a relationship with the Savior of the world. That you know you can have eternal life with God. That you can face your "fridays" with the hope of the Sunday to come.

Wishing you all a very blessed day.

Things I Love Thursday ~ my cell phone's camera feature

I must admit I tend to be 'behind the times' however slowly I enter into this "day & age" I want you to know I eventually "catch up" to everyone else! So here I am, have had my cell phone for a few years & almost never used my camera feature. But as I was enjoying my granddaughters I discovered that using the camera was fun. Let a few more years go by I just have to tell you who knew you could actually send those pictures taken with your cell phone's camera to your email address??? Or to other people's cell phones??? Well I finally "arrived" at this stage of technology and today while visiting my niece at the hospital following the arrival of my great nephew I took some pictures with my cell phone's camera & then sent them to my family members then sent them to my email so they could be saved on my computer!!!! YAY for cool cell phones with decent cameras built in them.

So yes who knew? Well knowing me all of you knew before I did that this could even be handled all from your cell phone!!!!

Wishing you all a great day ... call someone or send them cool pictures from your phone to theirs!!!

Works for Me Wed. ~ yay!

So I try to "enlighten" myself by reading other blogs that share what works or doesn't work for them and really enjoy reading Jill's blog ~ she seems to always share something interesting & since I'm a grandma to 3 adorable girls she often has things to share that I can relate to even though my children have all flown the coop. Reading her blog today & seeing the games she has recommended inspired me to share our favorite toys/games source as well. Discovery Toys has educational toys & games geared for all ages from birth to adult. I know that they have been around for 30 years & that their goal is customer satisfaction.


I know because I had called regarding an item purchased that needed a new piece & they sent one out no questions asked. Another thing I have found that amazes is me is that I have purchased several of their games and play them with my granddaughters. The one I absolutely love is Flip Flop Faces, but as I bring my games for play time with the girls they always want to play with the Meausre Up Cups. These cups are for 12 months & up ~ but they have so many ways to be used that they can easily be for children in elementary school! My 2 yr. old sees me & always says Cuppie Cuppie ... we take the smallest cup & hide it under the larger ones & we take turns with who hides it & finds it. She is really good at this game & enjoys it very much I can't wait to play with her outside so I can show her the basic math skills these cups help you teach your children. The other game I bring I use with my 4 yr. old granddaughter (I can't wait to play it with her cousin who is 3 so I will be patient a little longer) it's recommended for 5 + yrs. & it teaches & reinforces basic math skills of addition & subtraction. Kyla & I will go sit at the table & play game after game, and often her little sister will join us & watch while we add or subtract.
We alternate between them and I always ask her which one she wants to play. She loves it! This is a great way to bond over math & have fun doing it... she is starting Kindergarten this fall.


So many games so many options however one really great thing about their games/ toys is that they also make their products with every need in mind. If your child has special needs you would be surprised at the options they can provide for you to be able to play with your child in an educational way. Just ask a Discovery Toys Educational Consultant about your child's needs & what toys & games are best suited for them. (If you don't know a DTEC you can always ask my daughter Sarah for suggestions.)

Wishing you all fun filled & frog free projects :)

Sleep update / crochet update/ life update ...

Ahhhh Choo!!! yep I've been sneezing. I am a bit confused, but what else is new?? I never understood how important humidity could be to one's health. Too much is often not good & too little or none is not good. I've lived in my home for 21 yrs (this May) and our oil furnace is forced hot air & no humidifier on the furnace ~ makes for one dry environment. I've survived these past 21 yrs. with sinus issues on & off during the winters. Now that I've finally come to understand the importance of getting on top of my sleep apnea and dealing with the therapy for it I'm learning that humidity or the lack thereof is a bigger factor to my well being then I ever realized.
You see the machine that sends the positive airway pressure is drawing the air from my room (my environment) through a filter, into the machine & through the hose into the nasal mask I wear to sleep. This air is what I breathe in during my sleep. If it is too dry it will cause me to be too "dry" in my sinuses etc. So between the "vendor" as my doctor has called them & my doctor I am very confused. My vendor tells me that I need my doctor to prescribe the machine & my doctor tells me that he wrote a generic prescription because he is not in the business of selling machines. So between the two of them I am left wondering what went wrong??? Since the vendor has an idea of which machine might best meet my needs he should have brought that one to me instead of one he felt might not be able to handle my humidity needs based on my pressure settings. Not knowing who to believe has given me a headache.

Waking up in the early hours of the day (anywheres from 3 to 4 a.m.) is not my idea of good sleep. I'm certainly not ready to begin my day at that hour. But I have had to add water to my water tank on my machine every morning when I awaken at that time. Since we bought a room humidifier and have it set up a few feet from my machine I really hoped that it would help but there hasn't been any improvement. Anyway I will have a new machine on Wed. to try this all again & hope & pray that finally we will have the "right fit" for my needs.

I've been going to the pool M-F and doing my best to move in the water and get my weight under control. I'm huge ~ & for me this weight ~which I do realize is just a number on a scale~ is way too large a number in my opinion. I don't like how I feel, nor do I wish to "learn to live with it" anytime soon. I want to see it begin to go down & continue on the downward path until it reaches the best "number" for me. (Only God knows what that number is but I promise you it is not the number I've been seeing when I do step on the scale!!!)

So God willing as my sleep apnea gets treated & brought under control so will my weight. I'm trying to make the best choices every time I have to decide what to eat. When I want to make brownies & can talk myself out of doing that & chose to eat fruit instead I think I'm on the right track ... the only problem is I have no idea how long I can continue to make the right choice. So far though I have managed not to make the brownies for a week now.

As for my crochet update ... still need to complete the items for Kathleen (too tired) and for the baby gifts (again too tired) ~ but while playing online I came across a beautiful afghan pattern that I thought you all would enjoy ~ even if you never want to make it for yourself or for a gift it is so beautiful you should enjoy seeing it! Check it out & let me know if you agree.

http://www.happyyellowhouse.com/htm/atw.html

Now here is another link from happy yellow house that you may enjoy ~

http://www.happyyellowhouse.com/htm/crochet.html

I love the free patterns here & thought you migh enjoy them too!

Now please leave comments ~ you can ask me anything ...you can share anything you can agree or disagree but seriously I'm wondering how to survive with a comment here or there every couple of months!!!!

Where did the week go????

So umm I have nothing to say. Well we know that's not true! I always seem to have something to say however it usually is stuff no one really wants to hear (or in this case read) about. For example we went to the store to get a humidifier (I still have no idea how to select one, so we opted for the one where the information on the box indicated it had permanent filters that never need replacing! So it's supposed to be a very easy care item. Get it home & open the box to discover it was a "returned" item. Normally returned doesn't always mean defective & in this case I might have considered keeping it if it did not smell of cigarette smoke. I am not kidding this thing stunk horribly of smoke. That & the water still in the bottom of it indicated it was a used item!!! So back we go & I send hubby to the customer service so he can get in line while I go grab a replacement from the shelf. Two on the shelf; one in a horribly ripped box and the other is open, no plastic covering so it looks like a returned item. Grab the one in the ripped box and head to the cs line. Our turn so I explain to the woman that I want this item opened before I will take it home in case it turns out to be unacceptable. And once we see the pristine condition of the humidifier I tell her I want the box the rejected one came in... back home and my humidifer seems to be working just fine. ~ So basically nothing noteworthy really & my hubby actually told me that the sales woman certainly did not care why we were returning the item nor did she care that I said the other one should be taken off the shelf since it looked to be a used item also.
This evening we will go see our beautiful 4 yr. old granddaughter sing & dance at a talent show fund raiser at her church. I am sure it will be fun.
Okay still working on Kathleen's items expect to get them done very soon.
And the baby sweaters that I need to get done ... yep very soon.
Still adjusting to the machine/ dealing with the dryness / humidity needs etc. Not feeling as good as I did those first couple of nights on the first machine yet. So if this doesn't change soon I will request a different machine for my treatment.
Wishing you all frog free projects :)

Fresh week ~ what to say?

Well I missed the fun of the pool today because I got to sleep so late (or should I say so early this morning) ~ all is well Thank You God. But it was a long & boring night.
I've started the second hat for Kathleen so hope to have it finished by tomorrow night or early Wed. then if there is enough yarn left over to make the scarf that will be good.

I've got an idea for a baby sweater so if I can get some time to play with it I would like to make it for my friend's baby.

I have been having a little bit of problems with my computer since my Norton's 360 expired. I downloaded CA security 2007 from Time Warner (because we have tw for our internet provider) and around the same time I joined facebook... so I am not sure if the trouble is due to facebook or the virus protection (I"m sorry it makes me believe it is 2 yrs old & therefore outdated based on it's title) ...

As for my OSA & my bi-PAP machine ~ I'm still on this journey. The doctor sounded confident that if I keep using my machine & deal with my moisture issue by getting a humidifier for my home (along with the one on my machine) that possibly I will see some marked improvements.

So let me leave you with this... take good care of yourself because no one else will. Sleep is vitally important so make sure you get enough of it to do your body good!

Wishing you frog free projects & great sleep :)

Lots of "New" things here ...

So much to say & where to begin??? Okay first my friend Heather had her baby girl Abigail on Sat. (I haven't had a chance to see her yet but knowing her parents I'd bet she's one beautiful baby)... thankfully the baby shower is in April so I have time to finish her gift. (I'm so close to finishing the baby afghan it should be soon.)

Oh I've started back to the YWCA ... which means I'm back in the water!!!!! I can't tell you how much I missed being in the pool. It's been way too long. I'll just leave it at I had a gain of 13 pounds with out my exercise. So first thing this morning I was back & I was in the water for 2 hours. Being in a pool is heavenly to me.

But the big news is my bi-PAP machine. First off when they advise you to allow 6 to 8 weeks to adjust to the use of it, they aren't kidding! So I would not describe this as the "honeymoon" phase ... it's more like the love/hate relationship just before the wedding due to all of the wedding details that can drive a couple totally insane.... I woke up from my second sleep study feeling very strange & weird to the point where my only way to describe it was I felt as if my brain were 'awake' or very alert... something I had not felt in a very long time. So I think that made me believe I would feel that way automatically once I started using my machine at home.
Well let's be honest here ... in the sleep center my sleeping was all monitored & if I needed more air pressure or less it was being controlled by the technician down the hall. Here at home the machine is set to the setting prescribed for me. However the truth is this adjustment period is to see if this machine & this setting is the right "fit" for me & my needs.

As for the use of the machine it's not too bad ... I will need to decide where I'm sleeping and set it up & leave it there ... I can't just fall asleep anymore without thinking about where I want to sleep & how I'll be able to set up my machine. You see any "planned sleep" including naps is to be done with the use of the machine. So it does present me with the need to "think" before I "sleep" ... which if that doesn't make you laugh ... WAKE UP it was too funny!!! But since I've been waking up with a terrible back ache (weight gain but don't tell my hubby I've been blaming the bed) I chose to sleep in my recliner and oh my I slept!!!!! I slept all night through!!!! Okay you may not realize this but I haven't slept the whole night through since I can remember. I slept last night from 11 to 4:45 am. For me that is a really big deal. I felt like I wanted more time with the machine so opted to go back to sleep for 45 minutes longer and when I got up at 5:30 I felt good. Not Great. But really good, and even now after having gone to spend 2 hours walking in the pool I'm not tired. That is really Big news for me ... after years of waking up tired and any activity where I would feel good afterwards was always followed by the need for a nap I'm really excited that I'm seeing this kind of improvement so quickly.
On the down side I did notice my sinuses are much drier than usual and I'm just concerned about this leading into any kind of sinus infection. The machine I'm using does have a humidifier but it doesn't stop the air pressure from drying me out this I've learned really fast. My view is that I'd much rather deal with the dryness than go back to not having real restful sleep.

Okay that's boring ... the class at the bead store was so cool! I made 2 bracelets. I could have actually completed a 3rd & begun a 4th but I really don't work with my wire often enough to have my hands /fingers in shape to have worked on it much longer. The other ladies who came to the class were making their bracelets and most had 3 done by the time I was leaving. Pictures to come ... I haven't had a chance to take them yet.
I loved the class & I will admit I think the larger beads would have been a bit better I used small ones & they look great but the others made theirs with larger beads & they just looked better (imo) and I think they worked up a little bit faster (just a bit) ...

Okay running out of things to share ... will continue to let you know what's going on with the sleep apnea/ bi-Pap machine ... and the love / hate relationship.

Wishing you all frog free projects & real restful sleep :)

Something new ....

Facebook. I have heard of it. I thought it was basically a lot like myspace. Apparently it's so much better than myspace. I've been told that 'myspace' is so last year, "facebook" is today.
So I joined facebook. Oh yeah my kids are there (well most of them anyway) and amazingly so are many people I've met or known over the yrs. So this is the "something new" in my life right now. Can I spend any more time on my computer???? I don't know. But it seems I already have been.

On the theme of something new... I will be attending another class at Diva Beads & Jewels (near my home) bracelets ... something about her work just draws me to that lovely little shop. I wear very little jewelry & yet I want to create beautiful pieces. When I have taken classes there I always walk away excited to work on this new skill. Wire wrapping & oh well all I can say is I'm very excited to be able to attend this class (I've missed out on at least 4 or possibly as many as 6 classes that I really wanted to take since last Sept.) When she finally gets me in on one of the regular beading classes look out. So far it's always something to do with the wire wrapping & beads or stones that I've been most fascinated and therefore compelled to try.
That is tomorrow night. So I won't have to wait long.

On a crochet note ... working on Heather's baby afghan ...and happy to report it is now very close to completion. I need to make a baby boy sweater, and I need to make another sweater for Heather and I need to get Kathleen's hat & scarf done... at least now I've got her yarn wound into a ball. I'll work on her hat today. ( I hope)

May your projects be frog free & may your day be full of creative fun.
Oh and drop me a comment ~ I really never know if I'm writing to myself here.

Things I Love Thursday ~ Abreva

Abreva is expensive (to my budget anyway) at $16 or more per tiny little tube. (And I do mean tiny). However if you suffer from cold sores like I have then you may find out like I did what a Godsend this tiny tube of medicine can be. I was driving home from I don't remember (church meeting?) and as I was driving I noticed the first pain of a beginning cold sore. I called my husband to tell him I was stopping at the drug store to find out if there was anything that really workded. Prices were outrageous. I actually asked a pharmacist for help in selecting one of the choices before me. I was told Abreva was supposed to work but only if you caught the cold sore at the immediate first sign of it. If you missed that initial first sign & used Abreva on the cold sore it basically wouldn't help.

I spent the money on it because I believed I was at the very first sign of the cold sore. I really wanted it to work. I was surprised when it did work. I am happy to report I purchased that tiny tube of medicine at least 2 yrs ago. I still have medicine in it & I have used it to reduce the life span of many cold sores. You see you really are instructed to use a very tiny amount of this cream & if you miss the very first sign of the cold sore you will be wasting the medicine as it works quickly at the onset. I literally carry this around with me so that if a cold sore is about to start I've got my abreva with me to immediately go to work.

So gotta tell you I do Love my Abreva & I especially love that I haven't had as many outbreaks of cold sores as I once had.

Sleep Over accomplished

Everything went well on Sat. I managed to have only one small amount of stitching left on my quilt front. Class went nicely. I learned that you can actually accomplish a project in the 2 hours allotted for the class if you actually make the 9 patch and then simply sew it to the batting (which would then be called machine quilting!!!) then add the back panel ~ right sides together trim edges if needed (but you should be sewing about 1/4 inche all around so shouldn't need much in the trimming department... when sewing around you should leave the center section of the last "side" unsewn so that you can turn (pull ) right sides out. Then make sure your corners are all pulled (pushed) out and stuff with either a pillow form or with fiberfil. Sew last section. Very pretty pillow!!!
But since I chose to embrioder on my 9 patch the teacher, Sandra, suggested I get a heart traced on my 4 unadorned squares to use the sewing machine and sew the front panel to the batting. Only I decided that I would like the hearts better if they were "stuffed". I used some left over fabric, cut into 4 pieces approximately the same size, folded all 4 and cut out a heart shape. They were a little too big so folded them all again & cut again. I thought they were perfect, Sandra helped me pick out a stitch on my sewing machine to sew them to the panel. Once I finished that I had to very carefully pull the hearts away from the panel in order to place a small slit in the back of them so I could stuff them with fiberfil. All I can say is that made my 9 patch come alive (in my opinion) ... I really like how it looks. So as class was ending I put my work away & have my "finishing instructions" from the teacher. I chose to do several things to the front of my "quilt" so now in order to attach the batting to the panel I need to use some random stitches here & there. When I manage to finish the work on this I will post pictures.

Picked up my sweet heart for our sleep over date. She was all excited. We played a couple of games while papa made dinner. Dinner was fun. More games. Snack time. Followed by getting ready for bed. Watched a movie. Snack time again. Brush teeth and get settled in bed. Told her some stories so she would settle down. Her on the air mattress, me in my recliner.
She was very happy to know that I would be right there if she needed me for anything.
Sleep was so very peaceful. For a little while anyway. She got up needing a drink, then potty time. Got back to bed. Back to sleep. But at 4 am she was standing right in front of me ~ startled me awake. She climbed up & snuggled in my arms to tell me that I was snoring so loudly it scared her. So she is snuggling & I'm dozing off only to hear, "there's that sound again".
Me snoring. She was so excited about all the things we were going to do when we "woke" up but she couldn't settle back down to sleep. And everytime I dozed off she woke me up because my snoring was loud and scary. The day went well & we returned her home safe & sound & a bit tired ;-) so she told her mom about how I snored and how loud it was LOL. Her mom said well I guess you didn't sleep very well on your sleep over & she piped up with no I slept great it was a great sleepover and I want to do it again. Sweet heart she can come anytime but next time papa is sleeping in the recliner! (He snores sometimes but if he does it is usually on the light side.) And God willing my CPAP machine will be here & all set up before she sleepsover again.

My son turned 30. My love bug slept over & all went well. Sunday after church we went to my other son's home for dinner and the girls all got to play togther. Ate a wonderful meal. Then brough her home. Got home ourselves and fell asleep. So getting back on "schedule" hopefully today.

Wishing you all frog free projects & restful/ peaceful days.