ramblings

Oh dear! What was I thinking when I started this new knitting project last night?

My mother dropped off several bags of yarn this weekend for my stash, thanks mom.

THE DAILY EXTRA-

On average, women say 7,000 words per day. Men say just over 2,000.

And this worried me after I gave our son a haircut Sunday.

On today's MSN -

Surviving the worst hair cut in history...

I've been cutting Mr. b's hair for 38 years but don't think son has let me touch his hair since his teen years? He has the same curly hair I have.

I received this cute hostess gift from my sister - Thanks sis, you're so thoughtful.

More turkey for lunch today. With Celine on the stereo it tastes good.  b

Monday observations

Monday observations:

Cold and snow coming down outside today.

I'm quite sure I won't be cooking this week due to the over-abundance of leftovers in the fridge.

Our cat knocked over the Christmas tree so I will need to straighten it up abit,

 of course she's now in the dog house.

It's time to start a Christmas shopping list.



gingerbread

I'm excited to be seeing a lot of holiday blogging...

handmade gifts, baking, home decorating and beautiful snowy landscape photos.

But really, nothing can beat a cute little elf in her gingerbread jammies can it?

b



It's time

I believe...

It's time...

To officially begin enjoying the season!

A big thanks to son and family, along with my two sister's and mother for making our weekend so enjoyable. b

Whew!

Well, it's Friday night late, we've had our turkey dinner with the leftovers put away until tomorrow.

 Can you believe we go through that much work for a meal?

The gran-girlie's are tucked away in their beds and it's quiet once again at our house.

I thought the table quite lovely. Yes, those are paper napkins, I can't resist a pretty turkey napkin.

Tomorrow promises to be a busy one again with two rambunctious two-year-olds in the house.

So this ol'grandma better get herself to bed...  b

I did things a little backwards this year...

Christmas decorating before our turkey dinner!

Birdie insisted!

Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving!



multi-tasking

Have I mentioned that I am a huge multi-tasker?

Got up early this morning to begin my busy day...

Threw on a pot of ham and bean soup while I began cleaning house for the company we're getting Friday.

Put on the Christmas music then decided why not bring up a few decorations from the basement while I'm down there. And now that I have the house cleaned but completely torn up with Christmas decorating I think I should probably make a few Thanksgiving salads.

 Oh ya, I can't understand why people can't manage their time better! b

tradition

It's time to dig out my traditional Thanksgiving recipes.

The ones I've been making for years and years,

 and some of those my mother and grandmother

 made for years before I began making Thanksgiving dinner.

   Oh, I know they're not our original recipes, but ones we have all discovered along the way and decided they were good enough to add to our collection for holiday dinners.
   There's the pasta salad using Mom's recipe, a corn (daughter's ultimate favorite) and pie recipe from my sister. Another salad is a German tradition from my grandmother. And a recipe for oatmeal buns that I've recently added. No recipe needed for dressing, but I have added a few of my own secrets to it also. Would you believe I like the jellied cranberries out of the can best?
  Guess I never learned to share in kindergarten because I'll never pass these recipes out of the family.
   It's tradition you know?  b

strength and wisdom

Grandparents bestow upon their grandchildren
 the strength and wisdom

that time and experience have given them. -Anonymous

hugs and kisses

It's Friday here with the weekend looming ahead...

Most of you will be scurrying around preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday,

cleaning house, preparing guest beds, planning menus and digging out the good china.

Well, this grandma decided she needs kisses and hugs from the gran-girlie's

and will put off those chores for the weekend.

So what if I have to do double duty and work a little later.

I have my priorities straight don't I? b

comfort food

Can you smell it?

Here's a hint - It's one of the best smells in the whole world!

Well, besides freshly mowed grass and lilacs in the springtime..

Or baby lotion on a new baby and Jean Nate cologne!

How about living close to a chocolate factory? No kidding, we did in California.

Have you guessed what I'm talking about yet?

Homemade Bread! of course.

I'm always testing my bread making skills - trying to improve on them. I wouldn't dare make it as often as I would like to, someone has to eat it you know?

But my Thanksgiving test run went very well...

Just the right stickiness to the dough...

perfect rise,

then a nice golden brown bake.

Come on over and share a bun with me!

Aren't the little buns so cute in this new pottery piece my daughter-in-law gave to me for my birthday?

I hope they come out as well next week.   b



hemstitching

I finished this sweet pink flannel blanket and started another one on the road to North Dakota last week. I love doing handwork while traveling in the car. Mr. b drives and I stitch and gab. I used to love having our kids to myself in the car, have you noticed that is the best place to get a teenager to talk? Of course that was before mp3 players and cell phones.

I like to keep the crocheting around the edges narrow for a neater look after washing the blanket.

I really can't see a new mom blocking it.

I bought this flannel already hemstitched. Hemstitching will soon be another lost art.

 After all, a hemstitcher ranges in the thousands of dollars.

 I hope my daughter and grandchildren will pick up on crocheting around the blankets and pillowcases someday.  b

postcards

I love postcards.

And I have a lot of them! I've been collecting them for years.

I always seem to gravitate to the postcard rack

 and have even been known to buy some pretty local ones.

I'm not bashful about asking family or friends to please bring

me one from wherever they're visiting.

Of course postcards from our own trips are the most treasured.

I hope someday the grand kids will appease their old granny

by listening to her rambling stories

 of places she's traveled to.

Our daughter's finance officer made a fast and furious trip this last weekend to Sacramento, California and found time to send me postcards! Isn't he the greatest? We're keeping him around for a very long time. b

Canada

We were feeling adventurous this weekend

and decided to see the International Peace Gardens

bordering the United States and Canada.

Daughter Knit and Pearl says,

"No passports needed but be sure and bring ID!"

So feeling confident I grabbed my billfold and away we went...

                               The border of the US and Canada runs between these two pillars.

                                            We were able to drive on both sides.

I thought it was awesome to see the border clearing for miles between the trees.

It was a sad moment viewing these steel beams from the World Trade Center.

And now for the rest of the story...

We drove into a line to re-enter the U.S. and I proceeded to dig  out

my driver's license from my billfold only to discover I had left the license

at home after using it to vote with!

Needless to say we spent some intense minutes waiting in line discussing the possibility of not being able to return into the country. The border patrolman was a very stern fellow indeed and informed us we needed passports to return into the country, gulp. After examining our documents and questioning us he issued a serious warning and gave us the green light to return home.

For a few minutes I felt like a woman without a country.   b



The North Country

Oh My!

We had a nice long weekend in North Dakota

with the daughter and her finance officer.

Other words to describe it could be

fun, exciting, stimulating, adventurous, scary...

But best of all it was just downright relaxing!  b

old and rare

Yesterdays msn news on the value of Cabbage Patch dolls, Beanie Babies 

and other collectibles got me to thinking...

 Who can predict the future of collectibles?

These items aren't even old much less antiques yet?

 Anyone see what that Honus Wagner baseball card sold for?

Or how about that old Superman comic book?

I wonder what experts predicted about Picasso's art?

I say hang on to those old things,

who knows what will be rare and hard to find in another 30 to 40 years.

Just thinking...   b

bad news

Ahh, received some sad news this morning on msn.com -

Some old toys, more specifically Cabbage Patch kids and Beanie Babies,

were bad investments and are worthless.

Yes, that would be sadly true for anyone that bought the toys for investment purposes

 and kept them in their original box high on a shelf away from children.

The toys at our house were lovingly abused.

 I am always thrilled to run across them in our "Ma & Pop Museum of Old Toys"

 with their tattered clothes and hair.

Priceless wouldn't you say?   b

standard time

   Did you turn your clocks back this morning?

   Did you enjoy an extra of hour of sleep or an extra hour of crocheting like I did?

   It promises to be another beautiful day here and I'm hoping I can get my mr. to put up a few Christmas lights.

   A big pot of chili and chocolate chip cookies are on my list.

   Maybe the cookies will get me those lights put up? 

   Hey, bribery works...
                   always has, always will.        b

It's a comin...

Do you see what I see...

Do you hear what I hear?

I'm seeing and hearing Christmas commercials already. I must be getting used them to them arriving so early because it didn't seem to bother me and I'm finding myself humming a few bars of the music.

Daughter knit and pearl and I agree we can't wait until we can officially turn on the music.

Seeing how the commercial world just won't let us live in the moment...

I've learned how to mix a little Christmas and Thanksgiving together.

Have a nice weekend.   b

another week

Good Friday All!

 I'm going to dream about this bowlful of yarn the rest of the day, hey! no calories here.

I love brown heather shades, this is called Barley.

I didn't have a particular project in mind but when I saw it was on sale...

I knew I had to have a few skeins.

I'm thinking a vest? or scarf? and mittens!

Or wouldn't a throw be beautiful, not enough yarn for that.

Gosh I haven't knit an afghan for years, hmmm.  b

Watt Ware

Watt are you doing today?

Mr. Postman

Where in the world is Pearl going?

I think Pearl is hoping for a vacation...

Is she dreaming of a stream where the salmon are swimming?

Or the coast where a shrimp boat just came in?

I'm sure wherever she's going it will be on a fishing trip.

"Okay Pearl, the guilt trip worked,

lets go open up a can of Fancy Feast."  b

worms

Don't forget to vote today!

I wonder...

Would it be a contradiction to vote for a state-wide ban on smoking

and for medical marijuana?

And how low would our taxes REALLY be if they were actually lowered every time a new candidate promises to lower them when he gets to Washington?

Or if they did give more money to schools?

I'm pretty sure my sign would read like this:

Vote BARB

It's my way...or the highway!

At my age I would vote for a shorter work day/week

 and lower the age of retirement for all workers

and not just government employees!

Uh-oh, bet I opened a can of worms with that statement?

Go ahead and write me in for US Senator...b

November

Caught the sun coming up this first November morning.

In my mind I am already planning Thanksgiving dinner. I love everything about cooking this large meal for my family. I can't wait for that first bite of turkey dressing and pumpkin pie.

Can I share one more Halloween picture with you? The gran-girlie's made the sweetest honey bees ever!

These sisters are inseparable until grandma is trying to get a photo of them together.

.

I finished this flannel baby blanket this weekend.

 It won't sit on my shelf long as it's already been claimed.

b