Weekend Yarns

 

Long before I became acquainted with yarn I though a yarn was a story or a tale, especially one that is incredible and probably made up.

But then a couple of years ago my friend Julie introduced me to crocheting and what the magic of yarn can do.

For awhile after that I was obsessed with making scarves of all kinds. But since then... baby blankets.

So we have 2 sets of young adults in our life who are expecting babies next month. Contrary to popular pre-parenting practices, neither is finding out the sex of their child.

With my self-imposed deadline looming, I commenced to hooking today. With a 50-50 chance I said, let me start with girly colors. Well that didn't last long because my stupid skein was somehow messed up and in knots. So, not that it will effect the outcome, I switched to some typically boyish blues. 

Got a good start... but do you know baseball is on TV now (yay, Twins) in addition to March Madness hoops? Yup. This might take me a day or two. Good thing it was cold and windy with no forecast of me doing anything outside today!

It's 5 a.m. Somewhere

Had a great time today celebrating the upcoming birth of our friend Brenda's first granddaughter. 

Macyn, the momma-to-be, is also a classmate of Carter's. Hard to believe all these little kiddos are adulting now. She was as adorable as ever!

Since we knew ahead of time that it's a girl, I got to bring out the pink yarn again and crochet a baby blanket. Yes, it's a soft as it looks! She got a ton of great baby shower gifts and so many cute outfits. 

The picture up top is the card I gave her. Pretty appropriate for two reasons. One, babies want to drink when they want to drink and mommy better wake up and serve.

And two, I gotta leave the house at 5 a.m. tomorrow to catch a flight out to San Diego for work this week. That means this girl is off to bed for a fast sleep. 

Too bad I don't have a soft pink blanket to snuggle with!

Hooked on Summer

Sitting outside under a hot blanket – even only 4 stitched rows of it – is a bit insane. But hey, I just came from my hair artist tonight and since I had nowhere to go to "run into" someone I knew, I had to take a selfie. 

And yes, it's 90 degrees and I'm crocheting. Babies don't follow my calendar. Or the heat index.

It's actually been an active month for hooking. That's crocheting for you folks with your minds in the gutter.

My new great-nephew Arlo in Minneapolis NEEDED a Vikings blanket!

Then my friend needed a pink and blue blanket for her young granddaughter's birthday in August. I realized since there are only 6 days in August without something on the calendar, I better get it done now. Don't act shocked. There were only 3 unmarked days in July.

So tonight I thought I'd get started on a baby girl blanket for a shower in late August. I fully admit that I didn't last on the swing more than hour. Then indoors and A/C and Netflix called my name. At least I can work on it at my own pace for the next month.

And appreciate Willis Carrier, the inventor of air-conditioning.

Be careful out there. And HYDRATE!

Circle of Life

Thanks to my subscription to Disney-Plus, I have been reminded again about the circle of life. Thank you, Mufasaa and Simba!

Today I had another reminder. Don't tell hubby, but I met the new neighbor and he's a cutie! Don't you think?

During my lunchtime lap around the 'hood, I stopped to chat with the hard-working farm lady around the corner and met this two-day-old sweetie. New life on the farm is always exciting – at least for us pseudo-city folk. The farmer doesn't "ooh" and "awww" over the new calf like we do. Not in front of us, anyway.

Today, that new life took on a new meaning at the 150-year-old farm. Not long after I left there today, there were ambulances and emergency personnel called there. The farm lady's mother – I'll call her the farm matriarch – had passed away. Her health had been declining recently. Not COVID-19 related at all. She was 93. And I bet she worked harder in her life than a lot of us combined.

She can rest now and she's at peace.

And hopefully the cute new guy flirting with the neighbors will bring some smiles.

Back to Nature

With a 70+ degree high for today, we spent as much time outside that we could. First was the non-fun stuff, of course. Mowing, clipping, and removing a crap ton of overgrowth and vines in the backyard.

What did I have to show for it? Well about 2 dozen scratches at least on my arms and legs. And most of this trailer load for the compost site.

That earned me an afternoon on the water with our friends and an evening in the water of my bathtub with epsom salts.

A little windy but mostly sunny and nice on Nepco Lake. Saw lots of kayakers, jetskiers, and boaters out today.

Cindy, Mike, and Jim social distancing appropriately. When the waves didn't throw us all together.

Turtle sunning and napping like a cat.

Swan and geese resting nearby. I wanted to paddle closer, but I've been on the receiving end of hissing geese and it's not pleasant. So zoomed in and tried my best.

Mike and Cindy cooperating with a smile.

My long-haired, bearded husband, not so much. He's not a friend of my camera.

Babies!

"Get in line, kids! Crazy woman with a camera in the kayaks!"

And off they go. Cute.

Other ducks on the shoreline.

And that was about it for wildlife. Not the season yet for tons of flowers. Still, it was just nice – wonderful, actually – to be out and visit with our friends, too.

Glad we could squeeze in work and play today. Tomorrow promises to be rainy and dreary. Sounds like a good day to do nothing, if you ask me!

Hope you enjoyed some spring time today, too!!

Rain Clouds and Silver Linings

Sorry for the lame blog about the cat last night. I just needed to think of something that wasn't so depressing these days. Usually, the princess accommodates. Thank goodness.

Today was another gloomy day. Emotionally and physically. It rained all day and is still raining here. But at least it's not snowing. When my sisters in Minnesota said they were getting snow, I thought, yes, there is a silver lining. We only have rain here!

What other silver linings have I been overlooking this week?

Well, the circle of life has been quite evident. There have been three births to make up for the one death of our friend. Prince Archie (or whatever his title may be) and babies born to a co-worker (her second) and to a friend's brother and his wife, who have tried unsuccessfully for so long. I am excited for them all and can't help but smile!

I also got to see the 21-year-old this evening. I haven't seen him since he was 20! He survived the major 21st Birthday Palooza with friends. Now they're all "legal" in his house. He probably wanted to stay down in P-Vegas but he had to come back for a dentist appointment today. Those are made 6 months out. Not canceling for anything! I think he'll be staying a few days now.

I'm also grateful for work. The people. They've been so supportive this week not calling attention to me ugly crying at my desk. And I've had plenty of work – both at the office and freelance – to keep my mind distracted. It's helped.

Tomorrow and Friday are going to be super tough days with the visitation and funeral. Glad I was reminded there are silver linings in these rain clouds. They won't erase the pain in our hearts but at least we know the sun will come out again.

Eventually. God bless!

Onesies and Twosies

I was already excited when plans came together for me to head over the Fox Cities area to see my friends' new twins. I was even more excited when College Boy decided to go with me. Hubby was golfing so it was a long overdue mom-son day.

Angelo and Robyn's blessings arrived 2 months ago. Technically, since they had to join our world 6 weeks early, they are just over the size of newborns now with the boy, Ettore (et-or-ray) at 10+ pounds and little Sophia now at 8.

Since they were so premature, there were some health issues, as expected. Sophia is home from the hospital so we got to see her first.

Tried to take a selfie with Sophia and she's eyeing me like "who's the crazy lady stealing my spotlight?" She's an adorable little diva. Ha. So sweet to feed and hold!

Went to the hospital to meet the other half. Mr. Double Chin managed a smirk when Mommy finally got to hold him after his other guests. He has a feeding tube but other health issues are improving. Hopefully he'll get to go home soon so the family can be under one roof!

Our friends and former Iola co-workers Tom and Sharon visited at the same time. I made sure I brought my traditional Iola work treat in the "Magic Blue Pan."

Yup. My usual Hornet's Nest Cake (those butterscotchy treats). It was a hit.

I had to be sure I got a picture of Carter with the guys he idolized as a youngster. Loves Angelo and his classic cars and, well Tom (aka T-Bar) is just plain cool. He has known them since the top of his head only reached their waists, and now he is taller than them both! See, when we say kids grow up too fast, we have proof!

On the way home, Carter and I stopped at the mall in Appleton to look around. He was looking for deals. I think we went into every store that had clothes or shoes. And he found some deals. Yay! I may or may not have found some, too. But let's just focus on College Boy.

It sincerely was a great day. Had good conversations with MY baby on the way there and back with some bonding time with other babies in between.

Counting my blessings by onesies and twosies...

Small Comfort

For ThrowBack Thursday I found this lovely photo of my mom relaxing while my oldest sister Rayna combs her hair.

I had to chuckle when I noticed Rayna is missing one of the bows on her glasses. I wonder how long she had to go to school like that! I know I went through that a time or two in grade school and high school. Good thing nobody teased me. Right.


The other amusing part is that some 20 years after this photo, I was doing the same thing for Mom. Rayna said Mom paid her a few pennies. With inflation, Mom gave me a dime when I'd do it! There's just some small comfort in someone combing, brushing or washing your hair. It's so relaxing, I love it. (We don't pay our hair "artists" enough for their services!)

I told Rayna she better be combing Mom's hair once a day while Mom is visiting her in Texas. I'm sure she'll still love it!

She pointed out that in this photo, unbeknownst to me, my mother was pregnant with my brother Ron. He was born in 1961 and was the 5th "R" and first (and only) boy. I should say only surviving boy.

By sad coincidence, it was 52 years ago today that my mother gave birth to twins – a boy and a girl – three months prematurely. They were 1 pound, 9 oz., and 2 pounds, 4 oz. Sadly, they didn't make it. Less than two years later, Mom was pregnant with twins again. This time, it was also a boy and a girl. Tragically, the boy did not survive, but my sister Rachel did, making her the 6th "R."

Hard to believe my mom was pregnant with twins again in 1968. That makes 3 sets in a row, with my twin and I the only surviving "set." I can't imagine the hole in Mom's heart. Thank goodness Raylene and I came around to give her so much joy.

Well, mostly.

I don't think we give Mom enough credit for her inner strength. I could not handle the death of one child, let alone three babies and years prior to that, 3 miscarriages. I have one sister and several friends who have weathered the same sorrow. God bless all of you!

I hope you find some small comfort surrounding yourself with friends and family who are still here and who love you! Don't be afraid to ask them to sit down and comb your hair. You deserve that.

Heck, all of us mothers do.

Thinking Pink

It's an exciting day in our family! We've got more  girl power!!

OK, I realize yes, there were 7 girls and 1 boy in my family. But we all had boys! Haven't shopped for pink stuff in about two decades.

Until very recently I had 7 nephews, 5 great-nephews and only 3 nieces. Now, in the past month I have added two great-nieces. My nephew Matt's daughter Quinn last month and my nephew Tim's girl Teegan – born today! How exciting.

I would love to show you adorable pictures but I'll respect their privacy and not steal their thunder. I'll just say PINK rosie cheeks are so adorable!

This also adds another January birthday for nieces and nephews. Now we have them Jan. 4, 5, 7 and two on the 8th since my nephew Eric turned 29 today. Wow. It's sort of like our June with my siblings' birthdays. Five out of 8 of us kids have June birthdays. At least we have 6 months apart for shopping.

Not like I plan on waiting to shop like a princess ... or FOR the princesses. No offense, boys, but something tells me these little ladies are going to be spoiled.

As all of us girls should be, right?

Snow Angels

When we got up this morning and it was only 12 below zero with a windchill about 30 below, we figured it just wasn't quite cold enough to call off school. Much to Carter's disappointment, we were right. It was, however, one of those days where you didn't want to take too deep a breath or stay outside even seconds longer than necessary! The painful kind of cold.

My mom recalls that it was 24 below zero -- with probably super dangerous windchills -- 50 years ago today. That was the day she went into the hospital to deliver her first set of twins.

I can only imagine the chaos that day with 5 kids under the age of 12 at home and 2 more on the way. I don't know if they all stayed home awaiting word of their new siblings or went with to the hospital or what. I do know it was probably one of the hardest days they all had to get through.

And it had nothing to do with the weather.

Mom gave birth to a girl and a boy. Sadly, the girl gasped for one breath and died. Her brother held on for 3 hours before he joined his sister in heaven. Like two precious snow angels on a winter's day.

I can't even comprehend how my mother held it together. Did she have to comfort her surviving children or did they comfort her? The really tragic chapter in this story is that that was not the end of it. When she got pregnant again -- also with twins -- it was another day of mixed emotions. Again she had a girl and a boy. Sadly, the boy didn't make it through the day. My sister Rachel, praise the Lord, was so tiny but she held on. And is still going strong 48 years later.

How my mother must have feared one more pregnancy 4 years later. And to find out that for the third time, she was going to have twins. How much grief and despair could she shoulder? Somehow, by the grace of God, my twin sister and I were born normal. Well, yes, I do stretch the word "normal" a bit. But we were healthy and alive and here to stay.

Jim and I went to the funeral home tonight for visitation for the mother of one of his high school friends. I could see it was hard enough to say goodbye to a parent. I can't even fathom the reverse -- saying goodbye to your child, at any age, knowing they still have so much life ahead of them. Bless all of you have been in this situation. You have my admiration and support.

We know a family today that is close to dealing with this tragic turn of events. Their poor little girl Hannah has been battling leukemia for several years now. After just celebrating last month that she was cancer-free, she now faces a new batch of medical issues from pneumonia to fluid around her heart. I don't know how much her little body can handle but I am asking you to please pray God will give her the strength to do it.

We just don't need any more snow angels today.

Oh, baby!

I was holding off on blogging yesterday, hoping for some baby news that didn't come until today.

Early on in the day Wednesday my friend Jana had this "feeling" she was in labor. She wasn't in pain or anything -- just had some symptoms similar to when she gave birth to her first son nearly 4 years ago. When I left work last night, her husband, who admitted he couldn't possibly know anything about labor, said he just didn't think it was time. (Part of that might have had to do with the fact they didn't have the name finalized quite yet -- though they knew it was going to be a boy.)

I don't have the details yet of what transpired after working hours, but at 2:22 a.m. today a healthy Charles Edward was born. Charlie.

I was telling Carter at breakfast that I hope I get to see her today. "Oh, so she can work?" I quickly had to explain that I hoped to see them at the hospital -- that she wasn't going to be back at work today already -- though Jana is so dedicated to her job, I wouldn't put it past her.

I don't expect a 10-year-old to understand labor. He thinks one day he was in my tummy, and the next he was out. Of course, I look at him with such love in my eyes, I sometimes forget there was any pain.

I bet Jana will refresh my memory later!

The Christmas Shoes

One of the Christmas books I read over break was called "The Christmas Shoes." I also saw the movie of the same name, which followed the basic story line of a boy who wanted to get a special gift for his dying mother's last Christmas. A stranger helped him buy a pair of sparkly shoes for her to wear when she meets Jesus in heaven.

Yes, it was one of those sappy seasonal stories that required a box of Kleenex, which means, of course, I loved it. By coincidence, my parents also had a "Christmas Shoes" story to tell as their part of our family Christmas program this weekend.

We were entertained with some funny songs by the "Three Wise Queens" and the "12 Days of Christmas" (acted out by some surprisingly willing participants, a.k.a. nephews). Since it was the fifth day of Christmas, my brother also shared his interpretation of the symbolism of the five golden rings. We heard some singing and the reading of the Christmas story. My oldest sister read some Christmas poems she received 25 years ago while living in California (did you know I was a writer even back then?). My guys and I performed a skit about special gifts we'd like to give each family member -- if we were actually Santa and Mrs. Claus.

My parents concluded the program, sharing the story of each of our births (like how much we weighed and comments from the doctor, family members and friends), then hanging a pair of our baby shoes on a "tree." For each of my three siblings and one nephew who died shortly after their births, Mom and Dad hung an angel. They told us how we've all taken a lot of steps through life and left footprints on their hearts. Although I couldn't see through the blur of my tears, I am sure there wasn't a dry eye in the room.

After the program, Mom and Dad offered to let each of us kids take our pair of baby shoes home with us. But I noticed at the end of the night that none of us wanted to disturb that tree. We just couldn't bear to leave those precious angels by themselves ... for they have left a footprint on our hearts, too.