...or maybe Spring is just a bit too late...
...well - I hope they get the best nesting site for all their trouble...
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Early birds...
I think these geese may think that they returned a bit too early...
...or maybe Spring is just a bit too late...
...well - I hope they get the best nesting site for all their trouble...
...or maybe Spring is just a bit too late...
...well - I hope they get the best nesting site for all their trouble...
Monday, March 30, 2009
Rear Window
Although I love the old Hitchcock movies - I can't see anything out of my rear window...
...I just had to snap a photo of it because it looks exactly like the 'frosted' privacy windows - I suppose that's where they got the idea...
...I just had to snap a photo of it because it looks exactly like the 'frosted' privacy windows - I suppose that's where they got the idea...
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Earth Hour
Did y'all participate in 'Earth Hour' last night? We did and we had so much fun...
Scout finished reading C.S. Lewis' 'A Horse and His Boy'...
Saturday, March 28, 2009
RED-SR
Scout is now one belt away from his Poom Belt (Jr. Black Belt) - he'll test for that one in June...
It was a super test - he was more prepared and at ease than he has ever been at a test - I was so glad that he wasn't nervous and was actually looking forward to the test - He did two breaks - and one was a knife hand (I'll try and find a picture of it in the 10,000 that I took)...
I am one proud Mama...
It was a super test - he was more prepared and at ease than he has ever been at a test - I was so glad that he wasn't nervous and was actually looking forward to the test - He did two breaks - and one was a knife hand (I'll try and find a picture of it in the 10,000 that I took)...
I am one proud Mama...
Friday, March 27, 2009
Winner
Sweet Raesha from My Love sent me a little packet of goodies...
I won these separately in giveaways on her site the pretty card from Valentines Day
and the lovely vintage ribbon from an earlier giveaway...
I love the card and am saving it for someone special...
...and the ribbon - it's so pretty - I can't decide what to do with it - but I think I might use it as a border on a plain white pillowcase - what do you think?...
Thank you so much, Raesha!
I won these separately in giveaways on her site the pretty card from Valentines Day
and the lovely vintage ribbon from an earlier giveaway...
I love the card and am saving it for someone special...
...and the ribbon - it's so pretty - I can't decide what to do with it - but I think I might use it as a border on a plain white pillowcase - what do you think?...
Thank you so much, Raesha!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Blizzard - Again
Lest this really does become a 'Weather Blog' - I'll be posting about my Lutheran World Relief Quilts soon...
But after the rain and sleet everything froze up again - and we had another blizzard with 50 mph winds and about 4 inches of new snow...
This is the same picture of the 'lake' in our back yard from yesterday...
But after the rain and sleet everything froze up again - and we had another blizzard with 50 mph winds and about 4 inches of new snow...
This is the same picture of the 'lake' in our back yard from yesterday...
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
The Weather Blog
We have really 'interesting' weather in North Dakota...
...and it's Springtime so you never know what you'll get next...
I love how the wind is playing with the swingset...
...the entire field is flooded and it extends over the road to the right...
I know these photos are sort of dark - but that's how the weather is - dark-windy-rainy-sleety...
...this is the "LAKE" in our back yard - complete with whitecaps...
...this picture was taken later in the day and is a little bit lighter - look how much ground you can see - YIPEE!!!
...and it's Springtime so you never know what you'll get next...
I love how the wind is playing with the swingset...
...the entire field is flooded and it extends over the road to the right...
I know these photos are sort of dark - but that's how the weather is - dark-windy-rainy-sleety...
...this is the "LAKE" in our back yard - complete with whitecaps...
...this picture was taken later in the day and is a little bit lighter - look how much ground you can see - YIPEE!!!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The Robins Return
Can you see that little guy - there near the tree?
We still have plenty of snow and ice, but the birds are returning - so Spring can't be far away...
We can see patches of brown grass - Jack is thrilled...
We still have plenty of snow and ice, but the birds are returning - so Spring can't be far away...
We can see patches of brown grass - Jack is thrilled...
Monday, March 23, 2009
Trophies and such...<
...or How to Make Your Own Pinewood Derby Trophies for Next to Nothing...
Each year I have given all of the scouts in my den a small trophy as a way of saying job well done - and for them to have a memento from the big race (regardless of their place) - I'll have to corral all of the Scout's from years past and photograph them all together...
For this year's trophy I stained a wooden base and ordered a shiny gold topper with a steering wheel and two flags.
I needed a label so I spray painted some Avery labels gold. Then I'll print the award title on them and stick them on the wooden bases and put a layer of polyurethane over it all.
The little gold toppers have a bolt that is too long for my base - so they had to be cut off - that took a lot longer than I expected - Whew!...
Then I drilled a hole in the center of the base and screwed the little topper onto the base...
...added the label and Voila - you have a nice little keepsake trophy - total cost about $2.00 - not including the paint stain and poly which I already had...
...The label says "A Pinewood Derby Winner 2009" - pretty generic...
Each year I have given all of the scouts in my den a small trophy as a way of saying job well done - and for them to have a memento from the big race (regardless of their place) - I'll have to corral all of the Scout's from years past and photograph them all together...
For this year's trophy I stained a wooden base and ordered a shiny gold topper with a steering wheel and two flags.I needed a label so I spray painted some Avery labels gold. Then I'll print the award title on them and stick them on the wooden bases and put a layer of polyurethane over it all.
The little gold toppers have a bolt that is too long for my base - so they had to be cut off - that took a lot longer than I expected - Whew!...
Then I drilled a hole in the center of the base and screwed the little topper onto the base...
...added the label and Voila - you have a nice little keepsake trophy - total cost about $2.00 - not including the paint stain and poly which I already had...
...The label says "A Pinewood Derby Winner 2009" - pretty generic...
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Final Pinewood Derby
The Pinewood Derby was late this year (it's normally in January so the Boy Scouts haven't yet graduated) so the Pack 'invited' the new Boy Scouts to come back and race as Webelos 2. I should have posted these preliminary pics sooner - but here is Scout sawing...
...sanding...
...finish sanding...
...painting...
...designing...
...finish painting...
...Voila - the finished car...
...tweaking with Papa and adding graphite...
...weighing in...
...an 1/8 of an ounce over - we removed some weight...
...weighed in again and were an 1/8 of an ounce under (go figure) so we added the weight on top back - a perfect 5 ounces...
...added to the lineup...
...streaking down the track (it looks like I need to adjust some camera settings)...
...a really close one...
...the trophy table...
...only 3 of my former Cub Scouts came back for the race - more about their trophies later...
...It was a really fun and hectic day...
...sanding...
...finish sanding...
...painting...
...designing...
...finish painting...
...Voila - the finished car...
...tweaking with Papa and adding graphite...
...weighing in...
...an 1/8 of an ounce over - we removed some weight...
...weighed in again and were an 1/8 of an ounce under (go figure) so we added the weight on top back - a perfect 5 ounces...
...added to the lineup...
...streaking down the track (it looks like I need to adjust some camera settings)...
...a really close one...
...the trophy table...
...only 3 of my former Cub Scouts came back for the race - more about their trophies later...
...It was a really fun and hectic day...
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Grandma's Birthday Shawl
Today is Grandma's Birthday - Happy Happy Birthday to Grandma - a lot of year's Grandma's Birthday is on the first day of Spring - but this year it is one day later...
I made Grandma a Prayer Shawl - I matched the leftover Bay Columbia Minerva with some Caron Eco and using the same size 13 needles and 60 stitches I knit in St St for 250 rows - Mom said because Grandma is short I shouldn't make it too long...
...the pockets were also Mom's idea (as was the color - blue - Thanks for all your help) - I picked up the center 15 stitches on each end - with wrong side facing and knit in St St over those stitches for 30 rows - then stitched the pockets to the shawl - then did a Single Crochet border around the entire shawl for 5 rows and on the tops of the pockets for 3 rows...
...vertical gauge is 18 rows = 4 inches
...horizontal gauge is 13 stitches = 4 inches
Pocketed Prayer Shawl Pattern
for the body of the shawl
Using size 13 needles cast on 60 stitches.
Knit in Stockinette Stitch (knit one row; purl one row) for 250 rows - bind off.
for the pocket
With wrong side facing pick up center 15 stitches at each end and knit in Stockinette Stitch for 30 rows - bind off.
Lining up the vertical rows - stitch pocket in place on front of shawl.
for the border
Using a contrasting/complimenting yarn - starting at one corner crochet a border around the shawl using Single Crochet for 5 rows. Also single crochet a smaller border at the tops of the pockets - single crochet for 3 rows. Pull yarn through last loop and weave in ends.
I made Grandma a Prayer Shawl - I matched the leftover Bay Columbia Minerva with some Caron Eco and using the same size 13 needles and 60 stitches I knit in St St for 250 rows - Mom said because Grandma is short I shouldn't make it too long...
...the pockets were also Mom's idea (as was the color - blue - Thanks for all your help) - I picked up the center 15 stitches on each end - with wrong side facing and knit in St St over those stitches for 30 rows - then stitched the pockets to the shawl - then did a Single Crochet border around the entire shawl for 5 rows and on the tops of the pockets for 3 rows...
...vertical gauge is 18 rows = 4 inches
...horizontal gauge is 13 stitches = 4 inches
Pocketed Prayer Shawl Pattern
for the body of the shawl
Using size 13 needles cast on 60 stitches.
Knit in Stockinette Stitch (knit one row; purl one row) for 250 rows - bind off.
for the pocket
With wrong side facing pick up center 15 stitches at each end and knit in Stockinette Stitch for 30 rows - bind off.
Lining up the vertical rows - stitch pocket in place on front of shawl.
for the border
Using a contrasting/complimenting yarn - starting at one corner crochet a border around the shawl using Single Crochet for 5 rows. Also single crochet a smaller border at the tops of the pockets - single crochet for 3 rows. Pull yarn through last loop and weave in ends.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Ugli
That's not a typo...
Scout and I saw these interesting fruits at the grocery...
...and since we rarely see anything very interesting in our grocery store - and then once we saw the name of the poor thing - we decided that we had to spend the $2.29 to obtain a poor little UGLI fruit (actually it's pronounced hoo-glee in Jamaica)...
...it's a cross between a grapefruit and a tangerine and when you open it up - the fruit sits loosely in what appears to be a skin too big for it...
...it was very sweet and juicy - the segments were a little tough and papery 'though - but still it was very good and I'd definitely try it again...
Scout and I saw these interesting fruits at the grocery...
...and since we rarely see anything very interesting in our grocery store - and then once we saw the name of the poor thing - we decided that we had to spend the $2.29 to obtain a poor little UGLI fruit (actually it's pronounced hoo-glee in Jamaica)...
...it's a cross between a grapefruit and a tangerine and when you open it up - the fruit sits loosely in what appears to be a skin too big for it...
...it was very sweet and juicy - the segments were a little tough and papery 'though - but still it was very good and I'd definitely try it again...
Thursday, March 19, 2009
LWR Health Kits
It's that time of year again when we gear up for the big Lutheran World Relief shipment - for us the deadline is May 15th...
This is the list of what you need to put in a Health Kit - it's not a lot really...
Then tie it up as directed and drop it off at your local Lutheran Church...
Scout loves buying the goodies and putting together the packets assembly line style - we did Health Kits this week and we'll do some School Kits next week - It's a fun way to get kids involved in donating...
This is the list of what you need to put in a Health Kit - it's not a lot really...
Then tie it up as directed and drop it off at your local Lutheran Church...
Scout loves buying the goodies and putting together the packets assembly line style - we did Health Kits this week and we'll do some School Kits next week - It's a fun way to get kids involved in donating...
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Spring Band Concert
Scout's Band Concert was last night... 
...it was very nice - he's wearing green 2nd from the left in the 2nd row...Here's a clip from 'Shortnin' Bread' - enjoy...
...it was very nice - he's wearing green 2nd from the left in the 2nd row...Here's a clip from 'Shortnin' Bread' - enjoy...Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Multi-Dryer Eco 3000
We spent the day yesterday at the local college at Marketplace for Kids. It's a program for 5th graders to invent and market an 'invention'. Scout's invention was his plastic bag dryer that he made for me - with its spiffy new moniker - the Multi-Dryer Eco 3000.
They also took 'classes' at the college - Scout took a Web Page Design class and they had a super motivational speaker - and an 'ideas' class...
We had a great day and it was a lot of fun looking at all of the 'inventions'...
Sunday, March 15, 2009
One Last Time
Scout asked if he could go sledding 'one last time' this year - it was very warm today - the high was about 35° F and it really has begun the big meltdown. I still think there will be a few more sledding opportunities...
...the packed snow was just a little bit wet on top - adding to its slipperiness - and the ramp was AWESOME!!!
...the packed snow was just a little bit wet on top - adding to its slipperiness - and the ramp was AWESOME!!!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Prayer Shawl - Vintage Yarn
One of the ladies from church donated this yarn for a prayer shawl - she said she'd had it for a long time and had tried to crochet something with it but it was too 'narly'
It's Columbia Minerva Himalaya - and I don't think it's still made - I googled for it and could only find it on ebay...
The colourway is 'Bay' and it's a pretty blend of blues/greens/purples...
The shawl is just knit on size 13's in reverse stockinette over 50 stitches (about 300 rows - as I only had a week to get this one done - my goal was 50 rows per night). Then today I crocheted a border in single crochet for three rounds. It measures 24" by 62". I hope she likes it.
It's Columbia Minerva Himalaya - and I don't think it's still made - I googled for it and could only find it on ebay...
The colourway is 'Bay' and it's a pretty blend of blues/greens/purples...
The shawl is just knit on size 13's in reverse stockinette over 50 stitches (about 300 rows - as I only had a week to get this one done - my goal was 50 rows per night). Then today I crocheted a border in single crochet for three rounds. It measures 24" by 62". I hope she likes it.
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