the Group is for Giving and Bringing Back

Posted on Thursday, 1 February 2007 by Mrs. DoF

Today was the meeting of The Yarn Group.  I laid out the pink blankie at the end of the table.  Another lady had a granny square lap robe done in shades of blues and reds for the middles, then cream color around each and to hold it together.
One had 8 knitted newborn baby hats, and 2 of them had green clovers in the pattern, with cream color for rest.
Another had 7 preemie baby hats in Easter colors.
One grandma had a scarf done in school colors, which she thought should have been finished for Christmas.  I told her that a grandson would think it was worth the wait.

The one man of the group had been working on a triangle shawl last week.  He said he finished it, then already gave it to the woman at the cancer center.  He said she needed to use it more than we had to see it.

I love the Show-n-Tell we do at the beginning.  Our work is so much appreciated.  The oversize box in the storeroom (I believe it is from a clothes dryer) is about half full of Finished Projects.

Then we do some catching up, some good news, and even the not-so-good.

The one who talks so much wasn’t there today.  The person she gives a ride to said she called Tuesday to say she had a prior appointment.  Which meant I actually got to hear the meaning behind some of the chatter.  I try not to talk too much, I mean, I’m not yet the age of a Senior, I just like to sit-in.

I did get one potholder done, and gave a bit of a lesson to a lady about how to turn the corner for hers. 

As we were winding down, gathering yarn, accessories, coats and hats, someone that I love to hear HER stories, turned to me and told me that she is so glad I come to the group.  She says I am an inspiration because I admire everyone’s efforts and finished items with the same enthusiasm, down to the littlest detail.

I didn’t say so, but I grew my attitude from working with kids.
Everybody wants to believe they are loved and appreciated.
I think the youngest and the oldest humans know best of all about the value of having somebody around who wants to care.
~~love and Huggs, Diane

Posted in Crochet | 1 Comment

Watching Over our Next Generation

Posted on Thursday, 1 February 2007 by Mrs. DoF

Ever since I can remember, I have taken care of babies.  As the oldest of 5 children, lived on a street full of Baby Boomer families, cousins dropping off their little ones at our house, I was around babies quite often.

I had a whole bed full of baby dolls, each with a name and needing attention.

When I got old enough to babysit for money, I had several families who called me first, and often by their children’s request.

When I was in LPN school, I loved the time when our group rotation took me to the Newborn Nursery.  All that potential for good citizens, and we were starting them off in a good place.

When I was a TA in a childcare center, the room I loved most was the Baby Room and singing at Circle Time.  Earning wages while rocking a baby to sleep is a fine job for me.

This is why I felt such a sense of shock, absolute heartache, when I came upon this article at the BBC News website.
to not hear them crying

It seems nurses at a hospital in Russia routinely taped shut the babies’ mouths.  The alleged reason is because there is a shortage of staff and the crying interfered with work.

You can look up pages of studies about infant development, and review training manuals for nurses and teachers.  All will tell you this ain’t the way to go about handling a crying baby.

The person who brought out the story had a cell phone which could take pictures.
I’m all for Freedom of Speech in Technology if it can help the babies.

Posted in Thinking | 3 Comments

Baby Blankie in Pink

Posted on Wednesday, 31 January 2007 by Mrs. DoF

The Red Shawl went over like gangbusters with my sister-in-law.  Exact quote “I have received your FANTASTIC PHENOMENAL gift!”

Since I now needed a bit of ‘non-think’ time,  my next crochet project was a baby aphgan worked in a very simple double crochet, grabbing only the front loop of the stitch on the previous row.
No need to count for the pattern or change type at all.
Someone said it looks so even, like a machine made it.
Which is the idea, my brain goes almost numb doing work like this.

The yarn was a donation to the Senior Center Needlework Group.  I believe it is acrylic with a polyester silver thread running through the braid.  The blankie will go into the box marked Finished Projects, then onward to a worthy cause such as the Crisis Nursery or for a foster care baby.

finished size is 27” x 27” but that is by accident.
I just made the first chain as long as I thought there was enough yarn to complete a sort of square.  There is a bit of the pink yarn remaining, but in that same donated bag is both a blue, and an off-white of the same type.  I should be able to do a small aphgan in stripes or granny squares some other time.

Right now, I’m working on 4-ply cotton potholders for a benefit sale coming up in about 3 weeks.

Always busy.
Once folks find out I am willing to give handcrafts, the requests keep coming.

~~love and Huggs, Diane

Posted in Crochet | 6 Comments

I was following medical orders, right?

Posted on Tuesday, 30 January 2007 by Mrs. DoF

When I saw the CNP a couple weeks ago, after all the lab work and doing a few range of motion exercises, the best advice she could come up with is to keep doing my walking and cook red meat in iron pans.  Although we are still tinkering with the dosage of the thyroid medicine, it seems the hematacrit? number 34 is on the very bottom of Normal, which means that if it drops one more digit, I would be on the edge of anemia.  This could be a reason I’m sleepy so much of the time.

This is why the Red Cross keeps rejecting me for donation, they don’t want to contribute to any reason which would risk my health.  They did give me a list for foods high in iron, and caution about drinking tea.  I do love drinking my tea, ever since I was a little kid, so I’m saying that hitting age 50 means I’m beginning to fall apart from the inside out.

Saturday, I found myself craving a hamburger, also known as beefy red meat.  I mean really, really wanting one, like I haven’t had a need since the time when I was pregnant with first baby and I ate two hot fudge sundaes in one sitting. 

There wasn’t time or energy over the weekend to get a hamburger.  Besides, ever since Wendy’s closed, I haven’t been able to buy a burger my way.

By Monday, my yearning was really set on a hamburger sandwich.  I worked up an even bigger appetite by walking to the post office.  On the way home, I decided to put my cooking skills to use.  I got back to my driveway, then got into the car and drove to the nearest grocery store.

Angus beef patties were on sale for $2.79 a pound.  I bought 3 packages, giving me 9 patties.  Wheat buns, a tomato, a sweet onion, leaf lettuce, cheddar cheese slices.  At home, I knew waited dill relish and Miracle Whip spread.

Back at the house, even before taking off my coat, I turned on the broiler to get it nice and hot.

Patties on the drip pan 5 inches from the flame, 6 minutes on one side, 4 minutes flipped over.

Meanwhile, I toasted the bun and warmed a slice of onion on the iron griddle.

I piled my sandwich so high I had to use the spatula to flatten it for an easier way to bite in.
I also had a pile of potato chips (did you know LAYs fries with sunflower oil now?) and a bottle of Goose Island Grape soda.

Eating all alone in the kitchen, I could almost remember it as good as the times when my dad took us kids to the cafe next door to the funeral home.

I wrote an e-mail to Husband to tell him all about it, and that I was done cooking for the day, and had clean-up over, so he would have leftovers for supper himself.  He said his own lunch was pretty big, so he fixed something a bit on the light side in the evening.

Today, I took the next burger out of the fridge, reheated it on low in the microwave, and did the same lunch all over again.

Maybe tomorrow, the guys will help to use up some more of the meat.  Not that my cravings are complaining about having nice food in the house.

I’d better get up and work off some of the calories I’ve consumed.
A cycle never ending.  Years to live yet.

~~love and Huggs, Diane

Posted in Food | 4 Comments

When Songs Collide

Posted on Saturday, 27 January 2007 by Mrs. DoF

When one of my sons was in high school, he had a habit of saying “Why was I Not Informed?” way too often.
I thought of his quote lately when my Amazon order arrived.
I don’t remember why I was looking up Mike and the Mechanics.
Oh wait, it was because this was the anniversary week of memorial services for our dads.

My dad passed away January 18, 1989.  I remember that the temperature was 59o and sunny when we were standing at the cemetery.  A young man from the high school played TAPS on his trumpet, and members of the VFW gave a fine send-off to our dad, who was a Disabled Veteran of the US Navy.

My father-in-law passed away January 18, 1991.  There was 7” of snow shoveled off the sidewalks of the church, gray clouds hanging close and dreary.  There were so many people from the university who signed the Guest Book.  We couldn’t have all the family get together until late June for a burial near his mother.

Two years apart, but we have too many memories during this one week.  It turned out to be a good thing we had reason to be busy out of town for awhile.

Anyway, the other day, I was driving home along Fort Jesse Road, when The Living Years came on the radio.  The song was inspired by the death of the writer’s father, and so of course to be hearing it during this, of all weeks, meant I had to pull over into a parking lot until I stopped shaking.
I’ve owned that familiar cd for years, but decided to look up history of the song.

As the Internet is so good at providing a list or connection, I saw other works by the same group on the page.

This led me to Beggar on a Beach of Gold.

The cover’s picture of Mike Rutherford on a pile of gold coins was my clincher, and so I got it from AMAZON.

WHY WAS I NOT INFORMED of this great album?  It was released a dozen years ago.  I believe this is the band’s best work, looking at it as actual music and not the heart-rending sentimental songs of The Living Years.

That page at the link has some nice reviews.  Those folks have better words for describing the musical terms than I do.  Just know that I have listened to it three times already, and really want to memorize the title song.  ~~love and Huggs, Diane

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Snapshot Challenge

Posted on Friday, 26 January 2007 by Mrs. DoF

Mary at Owlhaven led me to a Snapshot Challenge.
We are supposed to pick at least 3 of the categories and list my ‘Snapshot’ of what is happening right this moment.

Reading: _A River Between Us_ by Richard Peck.  Its short and easy chapters (actually aimed for 5th graders) make for great bedtime relaxing.

Music in my head: “Love is all that I can give to you” by Nat King Cole because I was just over at Chookooloonks and saw her Love Thursday picture.  Seems like I get an earworm quite often when visiting there.

Drinking: nothing at this moment, but I sipped down 2 cups of darjeeling tea over lunch awhile ago.

Wishing: I had a paycheck job which I could care about as much as I liked being a stay-at-home mom all those years ago.

Considering: how long the shower can go without feeling a scrub brush on the scum.
A more major thought is how in the world we are going to get that huge chest freezer out of the laundry room since the steps have been re-modeled. We really are wanting the electricity guzzler gaping box to be replaced with a small upright which has shelves.

Feeling:  a bit envious that the guys who live with me in this house have definite other places to be, such as class or job.  Their schedule books fill up rapidly, and the phone rings often. 

Goals: to have a good reason to get out of bed in the morning, and maybe get wages for doing so.  To de-clutter the house some more.  I already carried out some stuffed puppies.

Tomorrow’s To Do List: clean the bathroom, write the much-belated family newsletter with pictures enclosed (ongoing task). Shop for snacks for Sunday School, then go set-up trays on the counter. Write Christmas Thank You notes (how can a month have gone by already?)

Hours gloriously spent in bathtub tonight: I haven’t taken a bath in years. Shower this morning was an extra 3 minutes until the girl cat scratched on the door.

Things Accomplished: dishwasher emptied.  Wrote a rough draft of my resume cover page.

Now You Do It:  Pick at least 3 of the above categories and list your “Snapshot” in the Comments. 

Posted in Thinking | 1 Comment

We’re Done but Others Still Working

Posted on Thursday, 25 January 2007 by Mrs. DoF

The newbie Tech has a blog!
Webs05 wrote about where we were and what we were doing yesterday.  (It’s a WordPress blog, so I hope it stays a good link)  He mentions where we had dinner at the Rhythm Kitchen Cafe. 

He has reason to be tired, he worked like a fiend all afternoon—setting up monitors, carrying printers, taping cables out of the way.

He says he doesn’t have a camera with him, so I’ll give ya this link to Decrepit Old Fool at the IMEA last year.  Same hotel.

As my mister and I were coming home, tired as we were, I realized that the folks who stayed there had even more work ahead of them and are going to be super busy for the next several days.

Good Luck to the workers for ISU’s Conference Services, Extended University, and all members who have gathered for the Illinois Music Education Association Conference.

~~love and Huggs, Diane

Posted in Reviews | 4 Comments

Away from my Desk

Posted on Wednesday, 24 January 2007 by Mrs. DoF

My schedule was kept clear today, just in case I would need to help Husband with chauffeur duty.
Ya see, about a month ago, he began a new job category without so much as having to change his desk or phone number.  He is still doing training/ being mentor to the guy who took over his old position.  His old job involves doing temporary Tech work at a place off campus.

However, seeing that all DOF is doing would be set-up, and the newbie/actual Tech is working, Husband gets to come back home this evening,
To do so, he needs a ride, since the work van needs to stay with all the equipment.

That’s where I come in.
I’m go-fer and driver and whatnot for a day.

The weather is cloudy, snow flurries predicted.

Wish me Luck.
~~love and Huggs, Diane

Posted in Family, Partner | 2 Comments

A Link for Laughs

Posted on Tuesday, 23 January 2007 by Mrs. DoF

The best laugh I have had in ages!

Gladys on the Ellen show at YouTube.

It lasts almost 7 minutes, and my sides ache from going awhile.

Enjoy!

Posted in Reviews | 4 Comments

they were Free to a Good Home

Posted on Monday, 22 January 2007 by Mrs. DoF

Back in the days when I was doing home daycare, we brought together a family of stuffed Dalmatian puppies.  There was Pongo and Perdita, and 8 little spotted puppies.  We were trying for the whole set, but small children’s interests waned, and the budget moved on to other things.

The toys were played with for many hours.  When we went to a matinée of Disney’s cartoon version of 101 Dalmatians, I allowed the kids to carry along a stuffed animal to hold while watching the movie.
There we were, sitting in a row, 6 kids and 2 moms, with cute and quiet toys in our laps.

As we were waiting in line towards the exit, at least 3 other moms asked where did we get the toys.  One mentioned that her daughter was soooo jealous, that the kids with me were allowed to bring a stuffed animal to watch the show, especially a doggie just like the ones in the movie.  I got the feeling that she did not appreciate someone else being so lenient, or maybe that the children with me were so well-behaved while holding a toy.

Our toys were packed away in a plastic bag in the basement storeroom for years.  Before Christmas, when I waded my way into that space, I found them.  They seemed to ask how could I have forsaken them, and they were longing for daylight.

I brought them out, tossed away the plastic bag and gave them an airing.  When that wasn’t enough, I ran a couple loads through the laundry. (I’ll bet that added to the reason that my washer machine needed a new pump not so long ago).

This morning, I carried them to the Children’s Room of the public library.  I spoke with the Head Librarian of that department (who was a new college grad assistant back when my group of kids were regulars at Storytime).

I told her the stuffed puppies were a donation, complete with basket, to the Children’s Dept, but my husband said I was to put no restrictions on them.
The library could do with them as they see fit, even if that means selling them one by one at the next clearance sale.

As I was driving home, I was thinking how hard it is for me to let go of just these stuffed animals.  I cannot imagine having a new litter of puppies or kittens at the Humane Society to find good homes for.

As I got out of the car, it came to me that I did not have a recent picture, so I got to looking around on the ‘Net.
I came upon a nice one on Ebay.

Yessirree, this is a set like the one I gave away.
The listed Buy it Now price is $45.

Taking a deep breath now, and going to load the dishwasher.

Life does move on.

~~love and Huggs, Diane
“It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out, it’s the grain of sand in your shoe. ~~Robert W. Service (1874-1958)

Posted in Family | 3 Comments