Freaky Friday Faves

It's Friday again and if predictions hold, this could be the start of a "Freaky Weekend" so I'm calling this post, "Freaky Friday Faves."  Yes, things are afoot for the weekend and I'm excited to see if they pan out.  But more on that in a minute.  Let's get started on five things that have or had me feeling blessed this week, shall we?

1.  Our little Mika - Isn't she sweet as a daisy in this picture?  It is always a joy to receive a weekly update on the grandchildren, especially since the update is accompanied by new pictures.  I can't wait until she gets here for Christmas.

2.  Our little "spud", Luke - Not to be outdone by his big sister, our grandson, Luke is getting cuter every day as well.  From the pictures we've seen, he seems to be quite the smiley boy and I have a feeling that this is indicative of a good-natured personality.  Boy, I can't wait to hold this little guy again.

3.  It looks like the new iPhone 4s is on its way to our house.  We got the notice yesterday that the Commander's new iPhone was enroute and due to arrive here today.  Since we ordered both phones on the same day, I'm hoping that means that mine will also be delivered today although so far, I haven't received any email to that effect.  Even so, I can live vicariously through his enjoyment of his new phone.  At least I have my new iPhone case here and all ready for my phone, when it arrives.

4.  Snow is in the forecast!  Yes, you read that right, folks.  They are predicting 3-6 inches of snow here in south-central Pennsylvania  for tomorrow afternoon.  This is October.  If the snow arrives as predicted, it will be the earliest appreciable snowfall on record in this area.  Could this be a harbinger of things to come this winter?

5.  Bad A__ Housecleaning - No, that's not me.  I just couldn't resist sharing this picture with you.  A friend posted it on Facebook. I don't know who to credit the pic to (so sorry for that) but just love the humor.  Wow, if I tackled my housecleaning like that, I almost think that dirt would cower before me, or at least run to the neighbor's house.  Sadly, I haven't reached this level of cleaning yet.


Do you have some highlights to share for this past week?  Why not blog about them and then jump over to Living to Tell the Story and click on Mister Linky to join the fun?

A Fine Five for Friday

It's Friday and it's been far too long since I've posted a Fave Five Friday post.  It isn't because I have had nothing to be thankful for on Fridays or nothing of note as I've looked back each week at what has transpired.  It's just been a whirlwind Summer and Fall.  Once again, I seem to find myself entering the narrow rapids where life's pace accelerates and I'm paddling like crazy to stay afloat and make progress against the current of my schedule's demands.  Today, however, I am determined to do a Fave Five post so here goes:

1.  I graduated from my Beginning Yoga class.  I didn't think I'd make it but I persevered and got through the 6-week class.  Since then, I've been managing to do yoga every morning except weekends on my own and plan to head over to the Yoga Center once or twice a week for regular classes, if they'll let me in the door.  I wasn't the most promising student and let's just leave it at that.

Linen Weave Scarf

 2.  I managed to finish two knitting projects.  The first one was a linen weave scarf which was so much fun to do.  I did this one in a local class and everyone's scarf was different, depending on what yarns they used.  I wanted a bright scarf (since when have I ever been subtle, eh?) and I think I accomplished my objective.

Julia Cardigan

My second project that was completed was the Julia Cardigan.  I used a Noro yarn (Transitions) which worked out into this lovely striped pattern.  Now all I have to do is weave in a few stray ends and then work up two button tabs and sew on the buttons.  Unbelievably, it fits perfectly.

 3.  I found a book that my mother is enjoying.  I was having a terrible time finding a book that Mom liked after we finished David Baldacci's Wish You Well.  First I tried a Garrison Keillor book, Pontoon but it had parts that I had to keep editing on the fly as I read it aloud to her.  In fact, I had to do so much editing because of the off-color parts that I was having trouble figuring out where I was and who I was in the story plus Mom wasn't "getting" it at all.  I went home and did some internet searches on "Funniest books for Senior adults" and came up with several promising ones.  I went back to the nursing home armed with a P.G. Wodehouse book and a Mark Twain book (Innocents Abroad).  I discovered, to my dismay, that Mom is now beyond appreciating or understanding witty parodies.  Wodehouse has delicious passages that really play on words but Mom just doesn't get it.  Twain is a master at satire in Innocents Abroad but satire is beyond Mom now at 98 years old.  Back to the drawing board.  Frustrated, I went to the local bookstore's children's section and grabbed several normal books amongst the many paranormal, science fiction or horror offerings available.  Mom never enjoyed the latter genres when she was in her right mind and she sure wouldn't enjoy them now.  Yesterday we started reading The Best School Year Ever.  She perked right up.  When I had to stop to take her down to the lunch room, she told me, "This is a really good book.  I'm enjoying it."  I think we've got a winner.  Yay!

Luke is getting bigger

 5.  I finally got some new pictures of the grandchildren.  It's been ages since the kids sent us pictures of the grandchildren (or it seems that way).  Yesterday Laura sent us a bundle of pics of Luke and Mika.  Little Luke is getting really big.  She said he is now wearing size 12 month and some size 18 month clothes, even though he is only 3 months old.

Mika, the Explorer

 Mika is continuing to thrive back in the States.  Although she hasn't gotten much heavier, she seems a lot taller to me and she is swimming, climbing, running around exploring everything, and now....potty training.  Laura reports that Mika seems more excited about the fact that she can easily pull her "undies" up and down now than  actually getting excited about using the potty.  I'm sure this is a stage we all went through. Ha!

Celebrating 50 years at Country and Town Baptist Church

6.  I have to add a sixth "Fave" today.  This weekend is our 50th anniversary celebration for our church.  We have a full weekend of activities planned and many former members coming from out-of-state to help our congregation celebrate this milestone in our church's history.  I've had the privilege of writing a series of "decade" monologues, beginning with the Sixties, that I got to record and that were then put into a video montage.  It really gave me a sense of how long our church has been part of this community and a part of my life, since we came to this area and joined it in the late 80's.  It should be a meaningful and fun time to look back at where we've been and look forward to where God is taking us.

What are you thankful for this past week?  Hop over to Living to Tell the Story and see how you can join the fun in posting your own Fave Five post.

Fresh Off the Cob

It's Friday and time for a listing of five favorites from my week.  Can you guess from the title of my post what the majority of those favorites will be centered around?  If not, perhaps this will give you a clue:

1.  The niblet has landed.  Little Luke Evan P. made his debut yesterday afternoon and we couldn't be more thrilled to greet his appearance.  He's even more of a miracle because in order to carry a baby to term, his mom has to give herself daily injections of a certain type of blood thinner and take megadoses of particular vitamins as soon as she knows she is pregnant.  Plus Laura is one of those unfortunate ladies who suffers from morning sickness almost 24 hours a day for the majority of her pregnancy.  So little Luke is truly a labor of love.

2.  Our daughter-in-law was able to have a relatively easy labor and delivery.   Laura's first experience with labor and delivery (little Mika) was quite an ordeal lasting several days in hospital.  This time around, the expectant parents went into the hospital early yesterday for inducement and Laura delivered by 3:30 in the afternoon.  Jason tells me that Laura was an "awesome pusher." 

3.  Laura was able to have her sisters help as "doulas."  The hospital was very accommodating in letting both of Laura's sisters stay with her and Jason to act as her doulas.  When Mika was born, Laura had a doula assisting up in Canada and she found her to be very helpful.  I'm not sure what all a doula does but I think they are a birthing coach and do things like give back rubs, etc. during the labor. Poor Jason's back was giving him fits again (I know, he really doesn't deserve any sympathy when his wife is going through labor, right?) so he was so grateful that he had help to give those back rubs and run errands for Laura, too.  Plus Laura and her sisters are very close and I'm sure it was extra special to have them be part of this wonderful occasion.

 4.  I'm thankful for the miracle of technology that let us see pictures of Luke so soon after his birth.  Can you imagine the old days when grandparents and other relatives living halfway around the country from their children would have to wait for days to get pictures in the mail?  Last night, we were texting pics to relatives within seconds of receiving them.  And just look at that sweet little face!  He's a blonde, which I never imagined would happen although I don't know why I'm so surprised.  His mom IS a natural blonde.  I think he's too cute for words but I'm never at a loss for words so that won't stop me.

5.  I'm so thankful for a happy, healthy family and can't wait to get on that plane next month to see them all.  Well, ok...maybe "happy" and "plane" in the same sentence is kind of stretching it but the idea of being there to see them is definitely worth focusing on.  And speaking of focusing, every time I look at that little niblet's face, I just keep thinking he looks like a "Biff" or a "Griff."  Can't you just see this big, hulking blonde kid coming off a football field with a huge grin and walking over to his mom to give her a hug?  However big he gets, I am positive that he is going to be a cuddler who will always have a loving spirit.  After all, every family needs a cuddler and his daddy was one of the best.  And he has a loving family with a great big sister standing by to show him the ropes.  Blessed beyond measure are we all.

What have you been thankful for this past week?  Head over to Susanne's Living to Tell the Story site and join in the Fave Five Friday fun yourself.






 

Feel-Good Friday

It's Friday and time for another "Fave Five" highlights from my week.  I don't have to think very hard to come up with five blessings this week. How about you?  Here is my list of five:

1.  Great Biopsy Results - Topping the list (and I won't shock you with pictures) is the fact that I got my stitches removed from the site where they cut out the mole and I also finally got the results back from the tissue biopsy of the mole itself.  The mole was benign.  Yay!  That is such a relief and such an answer to prayer.  I'm glad to have the whole thing behind me now.  I even made it through the stitches removal on my own, without dragging the Commander with me.  I DID sing while the technician was taking the stitches out.  It was a "4-song" procedure WITH repeats but she finally got them all out.  Thank goodness because I was running out of songs and verses.

2.  Fresca the Wonder Dog got her summer clip.  She's feeling much perkier now and is no longer leaving clumps of fur rolling around the house like tumbleweeds.

3.  My Schacht Sidekick spinning wheel arrived.  Schacht has finally designed a travel wheel and it is great.  I even managed to set it up myself and have started spinning this colorful Corriedale fiber from Southern Cross Fibre which I specifically picked out of my stash because it was color-coordinated with the turquoise wheel.  Sometimes I amaze myself.

4.  I'm making progress on the Shadow Boxes Cardigan.  This is the back piece.  It is an example of "illusion knitting."  Using a mix of garter stitch and stockinette stitch, you can create patterns that appear when you view your garment from certain angles.

In this case, it is a "checkerboard" design that shows up along the bottom of the cardigan.  There will also be a different design on the sleeves. I'm using some very soft, heathery alpaca yarn which is so nice to work with that I have to remind myself that I have to keep knitting and NOT stop to fondle the fabric. 

5.  Our son posted some more pictures of little Mika this week for us on Facebook.  He also put up a little video of her running around "scaring" family members with a big stuffed snake toy and laughing uproariously.  It is so much fun to see her developing a sense of humor and to watch her begin to play "make-believe."  Babies are sweet but oh, how much fun when they reach the stage where their personalities really are developing and their creativity is emerging.  NOW we're getting into my area of expertise!  Whee!

So what have been the highlights of your week?  Why not go over to Living to Tell the Story, where you can find out the details on how you can join in the "Fave Five" blogging fun?

A Week of Blessings

It's Friday and it's been far too long since I last did a Fave Five post.  Time has a way of slipping past and so do good intentions.  But today I shall actually have the time and the inclination to list five wonderful blessings from this past week.

1.  Special computer glasses - After my recent visit to the ophthalmologist, I decided to order a special pair of lenses for working on the computer.  My new eyeglasses have magnetic sunglasses that come with the frames.  The eye doctor suggested ordering an extra set of the sunglass frames and having special lens inserted into that frame (instead of the sunglass lens) that would give me just what I need to see the computer without having to tilt my head back.  It is the slickest arrangement.

Now, when I'm sitting in front of the computer, I just take the little sunglass frame and hold it up to my regular glasses and (pop) the magnets engage and the computer reading lens frame snaps right onto my regular glasses.  The picture above is me with the computer lenses attached.  You can't even tell the difference.  I am also finding these perfect for playing the piano, something I had almost given up in recent years because I could no longer see the music  clearly.

2.  New Fiber to Spin - I have some nice Masham to spin up in a colorway called "Emerald City", referring to the Wizard of Oz.  I've never spun Masham before but it is a very long fiber and it is always fun to try something new.

3.  Family Picnic Day with Mom - the Commander and I got to spend a lovely day with Mom at the annual Family Picnic at Mom's nursing home.  As a funny aside, one of the nurses told me recently that Mom's former roommate (who had always been very verbally abusive - swearing and yelling at almost everyone) had hated Mom because the lady thought Mom was trying to steal a male nurse away from her.  Apparently the roommate thought this male nurse was married to her and Mom was brazenly trying to steal him from her.  Gee, who would have thought that my mom was such a hussy at age 97?  Thank goodness that Mom was able to change rooms and now has a very sweet lady as a roommate.

4.  An understanding dermatologist - I had to have a fairly big mole removed this week from a sensitive area.  It was my first time ever having a mole removed and I was terrified.  Thankfully, my dermatologist was very understanding and prescribed Valium and a numbing cream just to get me in the door.  Then she was very patient with me through the whole procedure, even bringing in her own iPod and hooking it up to play soothing music.  Thank goodness that is over with.  Now I'm just praying that the results will come back as benign.

5.  Celebrating 32 years of marriage - Hard to believe that it has been 32 years since the Commander and I exchanged vows on the base in Nea Makri, Greece.  It is indeed a cause for celebration because I couldn't have picked a better husband.  We are as different as night and day but I think that is part of what has kept us together....that, and our faith in God and our commitment to each other.

I was also blessed to come across the slides of our wedding and honeymoon in Scotland and England.  This picture was taken in the Highlands of Scotland.  Pictures have such a wonderful way of bringing memories flooding back.  I guess that's why I put so much effort into taking them and preserving them.

So what have been the highlights of your week?  Why not go over to Living to Tell the Story, where you can find out the details on how you can join in the "Fave Five" blogging fun?

Five Muscle-Building Struggles

It's Friday yet again.  Another week and another list of "five."  Has this been a tough week for you?  It's been a bit of a grinder for me this week.  Yet I'm reminded of one of my mother's favorite sayings that goes something like this:  "We fall to rise, we sleep to wake, are baffled to fight better..." from a poem by Kipling.  We can't all have sunshine and lollipop weeks but we can learn from our struggles.  So here are five things that I've been struggling with this past week.

1.  Saying "goodbye" yet again to my son and his family.  We had a wonderful two weeks together here but now they are back in Texas where they'll remain at least until the new baby arrives.  I hate saying goodbye but have to remind myself that you can't say "Great to see you again" unless you've first said "Good-bye."  Therefore I shall concentrate on the anticipation of our next visit together.

Photo courtesy of Photos8.com

2.  Feeling relieved that we missed the terrible storm damage but yet, strangely guilty.  It's a  paradox, isn't it?  I feel happy that we did NOT get hit with those horrible storms and tornadoes that ravaged other parts of the country and, indeed, other areas of our state.  Yet, I feel rather guilty for being happy since so many others have had their lives turned upside down by these events of the past week.  I've encountered this feeling before but in connection with cancer, when I've heard of acquaintances who have lost the battle with cancer while being grateful that I'm still here.  I think it's called "survivor guilt."

Photo courtesy of  Photos8.com

3.  I've been struggling with the idea of how much of our lives we waste just "waiting" on things to occur.  It seems like there is always some goal or event that I'm "looking forward" to.  Usually it goes like this in my mind. "I can't WAIT for the time when I can (you fill in the blanks).  Or "I can't WAIT for (xxxxx) to happen."   If I put half the energy into the here and now that I put into biding time, I might actually accomplish something.  I don't want to be one of those people who gets to the end of their life and suddenly realizes that they never really did much living.

4.  I've been struggling with how old I'm looking.  Gee, when I saw some recent pictures of myself, I could no longer deny that I look middle-aged.  Graying hair, wrinkles, sagging skin, jowls, oh, my! Who time-traveled my internal "twenty-something" self into this aging body?  It's hard to maintain a spring in your step when the springs are rusting.  Then again, maybe I just need to find a better skin cream.

5.  I've been struggling with a sinus infection and an ear infection.  For the past two weeks, I've been dealing with a virus that has had me coughing like crazy and quite congested.  Earlier this week, my one ear got all blocked up and painful and sure enough, it was infected.  Now, 3 days into a course of antibiotics, I still feel like one ear is stuffed with cotton balls.  At least my normal loud ear-buzzing has dulled to a low roar because of the temporary deafness in the one ear.  My substandard hearing  reminds me of a funny video my son told me about on YouTube.  Let's end on a lighter note, shall we?

If you'd like to participate in Fave Five Friday yourself, head over to Susanne's blog at Living to Tell the Story to read how you can join in the fun.

Five Ways to Exercise with a Dog Bed

It's Friday and this week's Fave Five are brought to you by my little granddaughter, Mika who has arrived for an Easter visit along with her mommy and soon her daddy.

These babies are always wanting to be walked!

She gets plenty of exercise walking her babies around the house in the doll buggy but she still has plenty of energy so Mika has invented another way to get exercise with something that many of you might already have around the house......a dog bed.

The one-armed, sideways push-up

1.  The one-armed, sideways push-up - To help you get rid of stubborn "love handles", put your top half into a dog bed, flip onto your side and then, holding one leg off the ground, do a push-up using one hand only.

For fat necks

2.  The head lift - For the more energetic, after you have done your side arm push-ups, continue to flip your body over and balance our weight on your head and one leg and do push-ups using your head for support.

The back arch

3.  The back arch - Now, borrowing a move from yoga, flip completely unto your back and, supporting your self with your arms at your sides and your tippy-toes, arch your back like a cat but in a reverse arch, forming the letter "C".

The bicycle

4.  The Bicycle - Now put your legs up in the air and "pedal" like crazy until you get tired or can't feel your feet any longer....whichever comes first.

The modified lotus

5.  Modified Lotus - Don't forget to allow time to assume a lotus position so that you can center your breathing and think positive thoughts.

Stare-off

6.  The dismount - Finally, when your exercise time is complete (or when the actual owner of the dog bed arrives to claim it), vault over the edge and congratulate yourself on a great exercise session.

To join in on the Fave Five posting fun, mosey over to Susanne's blog at Living to Tell the Story and click on Mr. Linky to add your own post.

My Fave Five Ridiculous Picks of the Week

It's been a quirky kind of week, my friends.  Since I'm trying to learn to "go with the flow", I think I'll continue that quirkiness by giving you my five favorite ridiculous things I encountered these last seven days.

1.  Bacon Sundaes - Yup, you read that right.  Denny's Restaurant has come out with a "bacon" promotion and one of the things on the menu is a bacon sundae.  The ingredients are candied bacon, maple syrup, and vanilla ice cream.  Now I'm all for sundaes and I consistently like to swipe my bacon through the leftover syrup when I eat my pancakes but I'm just not sure I can eat sundaes and bacon together.  For some reason, the vanilla ice cream makes me think of Crisco lard when I see bacon on top of it.  Well, here's a little video about Denny's bacon offerings, if you are hardy enough to want to try this treat.

2.  An iPad Jacket - I was reading through one of my iPhone magazines the other day and stumbled across this nifty pullover that lets you stay warm while you walk AND compute on your iPad. 

It's available from Alphyn Industries and you can find it here if you are interested.  It's even on sale.  The normal price is $285 but it's on sale for $185.25 right now.  Of course, you will look like the ultimate geek when wearing it but hey, be a free spirit!

3.  Donald Trump as a possible Presidential candidate - My hubby told me the other day that the morning news was reporting on people who were "favorites" right now to run for president.  Apparently Donald Trump was on their list.  Oy!  And I thought the unibrow guy who ran for PA governor was a problem.  I don't think I could take a whole campaign of "The Donald's" hairdo.

4.  New Gmail Motion Development - In an inspired move, Google has developed a new way to handle your email if you use Gmail.  It's called Gmail Motion and it involves a sophisticated body movement recognition system invented by Google that will simplify how you read and respond to your email.  Watch and learn, Young Grasshoppers!

5.  Rising Gas Prices - I'm not laughing about these but I still find them ridiculous.  It has become somewhat of a game with me to see how often in a week our gas prices can rise and sometimes, how often in a day.  At this rate, we'll be hitting $5 per gallon in no time.

If you'd like to play along with your own "Fave Five" list today, head over to Susanne's blog at Living to tell the Story and click on Mr. Linky to add your own blog post.  Then read what the rest of us have posted.  You might even make some new blogging friends.  It's a great group of people.

P.S. For those of you who are busy gesturing at your in-boxes right now, I'm going to take pity on you and let you in on a little secret: #4 was an April Fool's joke.

In the Grip of a Good Gripe

It's Friday and it's definitely been awhile since I've posted any Friday Fave Fives for everyone.  Well, since I've been "enjoying" a cold this past week, my mood has been less than sunny.  Therefore, I've decided to give you a list of five pet peeves of mine to go along with my grumpy mood.

Who in the world invented 3/4 length sleeves?

1.  I do not like 3/4 length sleeves.  In my opinion, these are the most worthless things ever invented in the clothing industry, with the possible exception of the thong underpants and bikinis.  Maybe if I lived in a year-round warm climate, they might be ok, but in winter, they do NOT cover enough to keep a person warm.  Yet, the 3/4 length sleeve is being sold on just about everything up here during the winter months.  I even have a winter coat that has 3/4 length sleeves.  Except for the fact that it is a gorgeous chocolate brown Dr. Zhivago style fake-fur trimmed wool coat, I would have dumped the bugger long ago.  And have you ever tried to put on a sweater over these sleeves?  The sleeves aren't long enough for you to grasp them with your hand while you pull on the sweater with your other hand so you end up with the sleeve halfway up to your armpit once you have the sweater on.  Then you have to go fishing to try to retrieve it back to where it belongs.  Ugh!

2.  Trying to fold fitted sheets - Has anyone ever mastered the art of folding fitted sheets by themselves?  If you have, I'd love to know the trick.  I've tried different methods over the years but all I've ended up with is a puffy lump of sheet that clogs my linen closet.  Inevitably I just go find my hubby and have him help me while the inner child in me is screaming, "I can do it myself!"

That CAN'T be!

3.  Diet weigh-ins on Mondays.  Why in the world does my diet group have to weigh in on a Monday evening?  It's cruel and unusual punishment.  Everyone knows that social functions which involve eating occur on Fridays and Saturdays and then on Sundays, most folks go out to eat after church.  That doesn't give ANY time for the "miracle of the disappearing pounds" to occur.  You need at least 5 days for that to happen.

28 degrees?  It's March, for Pete's sake!

4.  Winters that don't know when to say "goodbye."  March is almost over here in Pennsylvania and yet the cold temperatures are still hanging on.  This weekend we are only going to get up into the 40's and down in the 20's at night.  They are even calling for some possible snow flurries to show up tomorrow.  Bah, humbug!  Winter, you have overstayed your welcome.

5.  The crazy way TV shows are scheduling their seasons this year.  I am finding myself alternating between totally confused and totally annoyed with some of my favorite shows.  It used to be that a show would start its season in the fall and then continue through to mid-to late spring.  Then it would go on hiatus until the following fall.  Now I've got shows that start up and run for 3 or 4 episodes and then stop for 2 or 3 months.  Then they start up again and run a few more episodes and then go off the air for a month, and so it goes.  There are mid-season premieres and fall hiatus and some shows are starting back up in June and my Dr. Who is starting back in April.  I need a personal secretary to keep them all straight.  To make matters worse, in this age of global communication, some British fans of a show I watch that just finished up Season 3 over there but is only in Episode 3 of Season 3 over here, (are you totally confused yet?) just spilled the beans on the ending of the Season which had a major shocker.  They did this on a public forum that I belong to with fans from both sides of the pond.  So now, I'm bummed and I haven't even gotten to the halfway part of the season yet.  But not all hope is lost.  I'm also watching the American version of the show which just started its first season.  Here's hoping that they write a different arc.

I could go on but you know, I'm feeling sunnier now that I've got those gripes off my chest.  I think I'll throw the sheets in the dryer, turn off the TV, manhandle a sweater on over these 3/4 length sleeves, bundle up in some goose down, and head over to my local yarn shop while trying to avoid the bakery on the way. 

If you'd like to participate in Friday's Fave Five posts yourself, visit Suzanne's site at Living to Tell the Story to read how you can post your own Fave Fives.