Happy belated Thanksgiving. My mom and I went to RedLobster before to use up a gift card I got last xmas.  I’ve been soooo busy with work that I just wanted to veg out during the day off for Thanksgiving. The weather was really nice here it was actually in the hight 50′s.  Now it just seems like its 9pm when its actually 6pm.  Still got to get used to that when I look at the clock at work.  Ha, when I look at the clock and think its 9 and see its 6 I’m like, WOW. 

It is winter or at least it will officially be winter on dec. the 21st.  Lately when I’ve been taking out the trash I saw that the xmas catus is in bloom.  It’s got all these white buds on it.  Maybe I should bring it in before it freezes.  Also, while checking out the xmas cactus I noticed this praying mantis hanging upside down on the fence and it was sort of making these bobbing swaying motions.  Then I thought OMG this thing is shedding its skin

Then there are these trailing nasturtiums that we planted.  They didn’t do that well all summer then when it got cooler its like they love it and have just trailed all around and got so nice and green and are orange/red and yellow/orange.  I’ve been gathering the chickpea looking seeds to plant next year.  They are just so beautiful. 

Lately when I’ve been at the local foodmart, my favorite being Kroger, I’ve had some fun experiences while shopping.  Usually there is someone there that you click with while strolling thru the isles or is at least experiencing some of the sticker shock or just out to have a good time while shopping and making the best of it and being cordial.  Who isn’t recognizing the rise in food prices.  The older I get the more I notice it and have started sounding like my parents and their parents before them when telling of how low prices were when they were younger.  Anyway, the last couple of time in the oatmeal/cereal section there has been just one box of the whole oats so I get that one.  There is a run on oatmeal or I’m always hitting it on a, NEED TO RESTOCK MOMENT.  The soup section is my favorite because I’m always stocking up on soups (bean and tomatoe )  I have been having some fun convos in the soup section and last time this woman was standing there with me and she grabbed a can of vegetable beef soup and said, I gotta get more of this since my son ate the last of it, EVERY LAST BIT OF IT!  Sympathetically, I turned and said well then he outta be here restocking the pantry with it.  As she rolled her cart away, she yelled back, He’s 30 years old and well his girlfriend has a coupon for the Outback restaurant so he’s out with her tonight for dinner.  I yelled back, Oh heck no, THAT JUST AIN”T RIGHT!  She shook her head in agreement and continued shopping.  I almost turned and said, hey we outta get outta here and go to the OUTBACK and surprise them and tell em were on a date, LOL.  I mean really  I bet that would of taken the snap outta his bloomin onion

Woot, thanks to anyone who voted for Helen in the Riteaid glamcamp modelsearch.  Thanks for your support : ).  She didn’t win first place but she was one of two runners up.  HOW COOL IS THAT!!!!   Hope anyone that was in the path of the storm did okay and is at least on the mend and in good hands with support from family, friends and local support groups.  We had a lot of rain and wind and it got cold all of a sudden.  It was in the 40′s but felt more like in the 30′s, buurrrrr.  The downtown area where I work is a really bad flood zone.  This all happened on days when we arn’t open so I just stayed away except for going out to get the crown put on my tooth and trying to get to the shop to check on my beta fighting fish to make sure he was alright.  After venturing out to my dentist appt. I thought to myself WHY did I even get out in this stuff.  If I didn’t have the jeep I wouldn’t have been.  Then tried to get out to the shop to check on the fish and it wasn’t going to happen because of too much flooding so I just said a prayer for him and got home.  Maybe it seems silly to check on a fish but I care for my critters.  Anyway, have you ever had to have a root canal?  This was my first one and it is amazing how much they cost.  I was petrified for one since when my gum had started swelling and it didn’t want to go away I thought I had mouth cancer.  Went to the dentist and he said it was the beginnings of an abscese, OMG!  I thought it was a one visit thing but you go to a root canal doctor and then go back to your dentist to get the mold of your tooth and the temporary tooth and then go back again for the crown/tooth.  All in all I’m glad to have it fixed and that it wasn’t mouth cancer but wow it is amazing to see what dental work can cost.  Especially if you don’t have any insurance. 

Help a friend/customer of mine achieve one of her dreams by voting for her in Riteaids glamcamp model search competition.  She is a great gal and we would appreciate your help.  You can go to www.glamcamp.com then go to the model search page then go to Helen’s picture and click on it then go to the bottom of the page and click on VOTE FOR HELEN.  There on her page you will also be able to see some of her photos and a video she made.  Today is the last day to vote so get to clicking and thanks for your help .  Also, anyone that is in the path of this storm Sandy be safe!

The sunflower seeds have made it, WOO HOO!  These were so fun to watch grow.  There are several types of varieties and these are the ones that produce the big heads of sunflower seeds.  The others are fun too but they have smaller flowers and they get many different flowers that come out of every branch.  This type has mainly one flower and then it may get another but its not as big as the other.  I’ll save seeds off of this flower head and see if it will grow a big sunflower next year.  Its amazing to see how these plants can stand on their own when they are towering over you.  I did stake one or two of them but the rest I just let fend for themselves and they did grea, even with the couple of storms we had this summer.  Its amazing to see how many bees, birds and butterflys that come around when you have stuff like this growing in your yard.  Looking forward to next summer to see what we can do with the garden. 

Wasn’t able to make it to the MDSW festival, so sad, but will for sure make it next year.  Plans just didn’t fall together for it to work out this time.  So decided to take a class.  I saw the LYS was offering sock knitting classes in the evening.  WOOT!!!  So I signed up.  Sue at The Knitting Corner (owner/knitter) was teaching the class.  Last nite was the third class and I, TURNED MY FIRST HEEL EVER, and now proceeding on the gusset.  We are working on double points and I decided to get an extra set of needles and work the other sock sorta at the same time as the other.  In other words work the ribbing on one then the other.  Work the heel flap on one and then the other ect. till ya have two socks.  So far I’m ahead of the other sock since I got the heel flap and now working on the gusset on one and haven’t worked all the ribbing on the other sock.  Working them back to back like that sorta keeps things even at least sort of so you can have two similar socks.  I mean I’m not that fussy about it but heck arn’t the two feet sorta just at least different if you really look at them anyway.  I’ve got this habit of wanting to try or at least fantasize about trying other things to see if they would look cool as I’m working on a project and that isn’t always helpful.  I’ll get all caught up in the ideas for the project I’m wanting to work on or try that I loose all interest in what I’m working on.  So that is why I love classes because the teacher and other people can help you stay focused and there is a determind goal your reaching and the teacher can sorta coral you back on the tracks of finishing what your their to do, LOL.  The socks I’ve made in the past were the tube sock variety that hug the foot with spiral ribbing and were just fine but I’ve always wanted to learn how to turn a heel.  It’s sooooo cool.  I love the teacher/shop owner Sue she shared all her tips for knitting the socks and I hope I remember them.  I think this is the perfect project for me right now since its small and you can carry it around with you.  Plus its great for using leftovers too if you just want to use up a decorative yarn on the ribbing at the top.  I bet I could use up the handspun I’ve done and make up some funky socks.  Can’t wait to try that but gotta get the basics of what the heck I’m doing down for now.  Will post some pics later when I get a chance.  SOCK HAPPY

Here’s my favorite ornament.  A panty hose people : ).   

Here’s a not so great pic of my favorite ornament.  It’s out all year and hangs on the kitchen cabinet so ya can see it all the time.  Its a panty hose people.  Remember when there was a panty hose craftin phase and all sorts of soft sculpture stuff was going on, HA.   Well, I love this one and I suppose it helped keep tons of pantyhose from being added to the landfills.  Don’t know if you can tell from this pic but she’s got little toes and tiny sculpted arms and fingers.  She’s even got a sculpted tush but didn’t get a pic.  Her hair is a swatch of embroidery floss and she’s got a small heart button sewn to one of her hands and she’s got those wiggly eyes.  I think she’s the greatest.  My mom bought her at a craft fair eons ago and she’s been hanging around ever since . 

Hope everyone had a wonderful x-mas!

There’s a hole, there’s a hole, THERE’S A HOLE! in the middle of my icecream.  Ha, its goes clear thru to the bottom, H E L L O ooooo in there.  Anybody home?  Heck, that holes so big I could rent out the space and make some extra income.  Dang, now that’s what I call inventory control.  If I had enough gas in my car I’d go back and say, What’s Up.  With the way things are, I got a whole plan to my outtings, ya just don’t go back tracking too much on the account of how much gas is these days.  Oh well.  I bet someone gave out too much icecream 3 customers ago and now their trying to make up the difference, LOL.  Ahhh, my cup is half full

Lately I’ve been making this banana bread.  While at the market/Kroger and checkin out the naners there were these boxes of banana bread mix.  I thought, hummm, I wonder how that would taste.  Intriqued at the possiblities I bought a box.  Got home and had some bananas that were already about passed it – started looking for a bread tin and there were none to be had but there was a small sized bundt type pan.  It worked out GREAT!!! Now I’m hooked.  This is the second batch and it never remains whole until i can snap a picture of it, LOL .  I’d definately recomend this mix and I actually like it better in the ring tin.  The recipie doesn’t call for walnuts but I added those.  Also, one of my customers gets her eggs and milk and veggies from this local farm.  During her last visit she brought me a box of these beautiful free range brown eggs.  She said she bought too many and wanted to share them.  What a sweatheart she is.  They are so fresh and you really don’t want to go back to mass produced egg purchasing again.  The yolk sits so high when you crack them so they are like just outta the nest like a couple of days ago kinda fresh.  Remember the pictures of eggs showing how they start to look after a week, then 2 weeks, etc. etc. and how the yolk would be flatter as the egg got older.  Well these yolks were like off the chart – perky .  Anyway, that being said, I’m not a big egg eater unless I’m putting it in a baked good.  So having a carton of these beautiful eggs reminded me of when my dad used to like pickled eggs.  I remember my grandmother and mom making them for my dad - he loved them.  So decided to try some of those out.  They are pretty easy to make and I found the recipie on allrecipies.com.  They are made with beets so that the egg gets coloured from the beet juice and they turn purple.  So they are in the fridge and the recipie said they would  be ready in about 5 days.  The eggs actually look kinda grose in the jar, yuk.  Still waiting to see how they will taste since I’m not a big egg eater.  Not even sure if I’ll like them, ha, I’ll let you know,  

Here’s the rainbow slouchy hat I finally finished.  It’s the skinniest yarn I’ve ever worked with.  A single ply german sock yarn and its knit on size 2 needles (holy-knit-o-la).  I really like how it turned out and never thought I’d knit something with yarn that thin but there you have it.  I started on another one in a blue handspun yarn that the LYS was selling and that will be in the works for awhile since at the moment I’m going round and round and round till I can begin the decreases for the top.  Oy-vay will I ever get there, hmmmmmm.  Also, including a picture of a t-shirt I saw while at the thrift store.  It was in the 99 cent rack (my favorite rack) and almost bought it but was sticking to my budget and had to make an executive decision so took a pic instead.  In case you can’t read it – it says, Keep working for the Lord – the pay isn’t much but the retirement plan is out of this world.  Now that I see the rainbow hat posted up next to this shirt they would go together well, Ha, shoulda bought it