That's Entertainment.

 

I like to have one display room and this was one such room where I put all my treasures.
It made you feel like you were entering a special place and you felt good.
Pictures of your children, collectible toys, elephant collections, special little things you got from children as gifts. I had a blue and gold vase collection.
Slowly they disappear and only God knows where.
You go out of your way to put things in order and then open the box to discover things missing
like the chinese doll on the bed had a male friend and they were always together but now the male is gone and only paper remains. Mystery indeed.
 I hope it is just mislaid but if it isn't then I guess someone else needed it more than I did  lol
People like to help themselves when they visit so I don't put many things out anymore.
I had a lovely mandolin my husband brought from Russia when he went on a business trip there
and a child entered the home and took it and then broke it in his yard.
He was three and always running to our house.
His Mother returned it saying my son did it but my son never had an interest to touch these things and he was never allowed to go out of the house without supervision.
But that is another story.
In Singapore women do many things like going to flower arranging
classes and what fun we had doing that.
This was where we learned never to make red and white arrangements because it represented blood and bandages.( I love red and white) . Rather disappointing.
Arrangements were popping up everywhere as flowers were cheap
and affordable to do such things at home. My home very quickly filled up with some exquisite
formations which we then had to bring to class to display and compare.
Teachers lucked out because the kids would then bring them arrangements from home.
Here in Canada, we have to grow our own gardens if we want to do the same
but then I am always hesitant to cut flowers as they look so nice on the plant. lol

Why would I want an arrangement if I can have a fence of fragrant flowers all arranged by nature?
Spring cherry trees and apple trees are my favorite.
They last longer, look beautiful,and the wind blows a nice fragrance into the house.
They also attract birds and bees.
If you live far enough from other houses setting up a beehive is not such a bad idea.

Many times I thought of setting up a see through tent, filling it up with flower pots and putting in a bee hive.
Naturally you would have to be covered to enter it but you would have your flowers and natural honey for winter as well a beautiful bees which are friendly little things as opposed to wasps.

In any event bees and wasps don't care where you live.
They set up shop anywhere they want to, even in a busy front yard, as long as it has fruit trees and flowers.
I remember once they set up shop under a tree, which I planted in a 4 x 4 x 2'h  box to keep the dog walkers' dogs from peeing on it. Once one dog pees , all the other dogs walking by, have to give it a shot and the whole day the poor tree gets water logged and finally dries out and dies. lol

They were not bees but wasps and not very friendly.
I had to get out of the car there and was always surrounded by them but thankfully never bit.
They somehow knew I lived there but anyone else would have a hard time
 walking by the  house. Every day I would hear screeches in the front yard. lol
I'd look out and see people dancing.
It was quite entertaining lol

Well at least they kept the dogs from peeing on the tree and dogs from walking on the property lol

Eventually I had to hose them out of there and teach them that they need to find a better home,
 somewhere else.

Some would say never a dull moment but I say
That's Entertainment lol

xoxoxoxo

Puppet Witches

 

I made these every year They are Puppet witches filled with candy, for Halloween.
They were a lot of fun to do.
I gave them out to little children on Halloween night.
I also made them for my sons' class when they had Halloween.
I am not much of a baker but this, I like doing.

I still have one which escaped and is in one of my boxes.
It is sad not to have to do stuff like this anymore.
The joy is in the giving and watching their eyes as they get something more than candy.
Children are the angels in this world.

Listening to news about the priests and Pope I don't see hope for religion anymore.
If Rome does not follow the Bible and is run on corruption and priests who are more concerned with
issues having nothing to do with God, who come in under false pretenses, then they do not represent God.
They represent  man and man's evil ways.
They search to find justification turning lies into truths.
So the message God tried to send man through his messengers, is lost.

It's not about religion and God anymore but
politics and money.

As a believer, I find this quite upsetting.
Although I am not naive that it always existed, the fact that it's becoming a more arrogant
demanding voice as opposed to the dying truth a man is silenced from speaking,
truly shows the new road religion is taking us on.
The road is not the straight road that it is supposed to be.

There is only one truth
The truth could be one of lies, destruction, violence, hate, crime, war, politics, chaos,
or truth could be one of peace where people understand humility, self respect,
patience, love, solitude, and beauty. Being one with nature and God.
Rather poetic but there is a clear division and distinction between the two worlds.

One keeps you in a state of stress and the other in a state of peace and warmth.

Our church never allowed anything but church business in it and the celebration of Christmas for
children where they would sing and have a tree to look at and get a humble present.
But it was all kept simple,
as the fisherman was simple, as the shepherd was simple
as a field of wheat is simple.

The road to God is not long or far unless you look for shortcuts and create
tangents for yourself to follow, excuses, justifications , laws.

The road to God is very simple.
It just one word.
Love.

Question is ....who today understands what that is?

xoxoxoxxo

Lovely Singapore and Life

 

You walk the streets in safety and discover all the flavors and smells of Singapore.
Large Buddha's such as this one, are found every where in the region.
We would find some hidden in the mountains even in Malaysia.
Buddha I think affects every one the same .
You feel solace and peace standing before this statue

 

This is the Famous Raffles Hotel built by the Armenian Brothers.
In it , at the long bar, the first Singapore Sling came into being.
It was awesome standing at that bar knowing that.
They had some haunted rooms and some even said they saw ladies in
long dresses having tea in the garden. They were ghosts. lol
Many famous people have signed the ledger at this hotel.
It is well worth visiting.

 

I have always loved this lion representing Singapore.
This is at the mouth of the Singapore River.
The junk boats are wonderful also. We used to see the boats come in
in the early dawn with fish to sell to the market. You could buy them fresh from the boat if you came in early enough.
I took my diving lessons off of a boat such as this one.
It's quite comfortable

 

Singapore loves Festivals.
This is the Chng Gay procession.
People are walking on stilts dressed as dolls, clowns etc...

 

This is the National Museum of Singapore built in 1887

 

Lee Kuan Yew Spent many a day building Singapore from  these buildings.
He did a wonderful job. He was known as the friendly dictator. lol
He loved his  city nation and his people.

 

This is one of my 20' x 15' props I drew for one of my sons' school plays.
It took up all the walls in my house to do it. Finally I used the space outside
by the covered parking spot under our town home.
I have to admit I enjoyed it when it turned out. It made the plays so special
and the families would go up to the prop and take pictures with their kids after it was all over.
I sewed up three pieces of material brown at the bottom green in the middle and blue on top
It helped with the painting since the color had blue sky on top and earth on the bottom.

 

I also did the balcony and covered the chair which became fit for a king
in this case Sir Raffles.
The only problem was that after putting so much effort putting it all up other classes complained because
they had a different theme to perform, like space.
It didn't conform with Singapore and her history which was our theme.
But I covered the walls They could have covered mine but they didn't put as much effort
 in their play as we did in ours.
Thankfully this time, the teachers refused to take it down.
You can't hurry such a huge production lol
The kids did wonderful jobs performing.
If only all schools could do this for their children.
What memories they would have!

xoxooxoxoxo

Astro Door

 

 I love my Van. It's a good Van. Never causes trouble always drives so well
I maintain it regularly and it never hicups.

Well I told my boys never to leave my baby outside cause at night, people walk by and vandalize cars.
They stole my husbands truck once and we found it up hill with the ignition torn out, Broke the wind shield another time, Tore off the bumper in a hit and run the third, backed into it and left a dent a fourth and once we caught them breaking into it at the super store and hot wiring it. So we ran towards the truck screaming and the guy blended in with a group of East Indians like he knew nothing about it.
Police began putting out bait cars and catching thieves so now it has quieted down.
So I make sure my car stays indoor and safe.
Well men are men and they can't be bothered opening and closing the garage door so they left my van outside and I am sure someone tried to steal it and broke the interior latch so the key wouldn't work as neither would the electric locking system. So to get into the van we had to use the other doors.

We took it to many places to see what we could do to open / fix the door and the answer we got was we have to break the cover, tear it all off and it will cost you 700 dollars. or maybe you should get a new door.

I told my husband that's ridiculous. You can unscrew it and open it manually from the inside. Once it's open you can undo the rest and fix it. Well it took a while to get the right tools but my husband did it. He finally opened the door and fixed the latch but now he has to figure out how to put back the electrical system so it opens and closes with  the push button switch.
People told him to get rid of the car because there is nothing but trouble with the doors.

Well I always say buy gadgets and you buy trouble, especially with kids who love to play with gadgets. You drive other peoples kids and they have to try out all the windows all the ashtrays all the lights. After they leave, you have to check everything to make sure it doesn't discharge your battery or is unlocked or broken.
 Staying manual is the best way to go but I admit I am spoiled a bit with the gadgets lol
Now, with a key, I can get into the drivers side of my car.
This car motor has a life of 700,000 mi.
It also has a truck frame and serves as a car.
What cars today have frames?
They are just not safe.
You can sleep in it because it has flat seats and seats 8.
It's not bad on gas either
and for the price I paid I got good value. I love my car. It paid itself back many times over already with all the soccer  and cross country trips I took. Its very safe on snowy roads and has good balance.

However it's sad people have become so rude and  heartless so as to cause other people nuisance trouble like for instance, opening the outdoor faucets and letting the water run all night. Imagine if people had to pay for water?
My husband stopped fixing his truck but I am insisting he fix my Van because my men never listen when you tell them things.
Also they don't make my van anymore so I am a little upset with Chevy.
I support North America but but North America doesn't support our own people.
Then people complain they have no jobs.
I am also a bit fed up buying rotten vegetables too because they import them from other countries.
Whats wrong with our produce? We have consumer laws, which make sure our produce is good, and then we eat poison from other countries.
Where is the logic?

It just seems people have to yell and scream all the time to get justice and you get tired of talking to the wall.

Well I am happy to have a car I can drive now. Took us since September to figure it out but we saved 700 dollars. lol
A dollar here a dollar there makes a difference.

Well this was my day today
Have a good one.
xoxoxoxoxoxo

Hello OOGLE .. I mean Eagle. hehehe

Paul Cemmick - Nose to Nose

I can see this happening in BC.
We have many eagles and nests and skiers flying through the mountain air.
Imagine this scenario lol

This is a post card I found and thought I'd share.
Have a good one!!!

 
A DEA officer stopped at a ranch in Texas , and talked with an old rancher. 
He told the rancher, "I need to inspect your ranch for illegally grown drugs." 
The rancher said, "Okay , but don't go in that field over there.....", as he pointed out the location.

The DEA officer verbally exploded saying, " Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me !" 
 
Reaching into his rear pants pocket, he removed his badge and proudly displayed it to the rancher. 
"See this badge?!  This badge means I am allowed to go wherever I wish.... On anyland !!  
No questions asked or answers given!!  Have I made myself clear......do you understand ?!!"

The rancher nodded politely, apologized, and went about his chores.

A short time later, the old rancher heard loud screams, looked up, and saw the DEA officer running for his life, being chased by the rancher's big Santa Gertrudis bull......




With every step the bull was gaining ground on the officer, and it seemed likely that he'd sure enough get gored before he reached safety.  The officer was clearly terrified. 
The rancher threw down his tools, ran to the fence and yelled at the top of his lungs.....                

(I just love this part....)   



 

"Your badge, show him your BADGE........ ! !"

 

No Chicken Necks Here.

 

I made this neck warmer for my son.
He can now be a Ninja!
No chicken Necks here. All hidden.
It's double thick up top, adjustable and
ties up top so you can  stop cold air from coming in when you run and breath.
It is smaller around the neck and widens and you can raise the second layer to cover your head .
Also if need be,  it can turn into a hat because of the tie  rope.If he wears it with a hoody like he always does, he will always be warm because it cuts the cold air wind and rain.

He doesn't like I put grey in it He wanted it all one color.
When he runs, he breaths cold air and is always sick during winter months.
Doesn't count the fact that I went out of my way to make it for him though lol
Kids!

 

This is the capelete . I call it my Robin Hood Cape and now it needs a Robin Hood Hat.
 I finally finished it. It's been lying around a while and I know why. It guzzles thread like a big car engine with all the triple crochets it needs.
. It is modeled by my faithful, loyal darling who watches me WORK.all the time and then listens when I complain about sore muscles and arms . lol
I love it. It keeps the chill off , can be worn over a jacket in these layering places where
 you feel hot and cold every two minutes, good for restaurant air conditioning and you don't have to worry about under arm sweating problems .
At this rate it hardly ever needs to be washed unless you use it for a bib lol
I always have things dripping on my clothes.)
 It hides all the bulges too which is a great
feature for us women. lol

When I folded it I noticed the pattern made for a beautiful skirt for a little girl to wear.
From this one cape I can sew two warm skirts or dress, for a 4 year old child. It would need a camisole,
or maybe not but now I know the pattern is good for other things.

 

Like for instance, it is also good for a Halloween Party.

 My son can become Robin Hood with a green hat, green fleecy hoody and green fleecy pants. lol
I haven't found a suitable pattern yet for a robin hood hat. Might have to design one.

I used to wear many capes.
 One Turned me into a Sherlock Holmes Character and another into
Little Red Riding Hood because it was red. and
a third was black and took me back to the 17th century
 when women and men had these fabulous capes which they swung around and rustled as they walked on city streets , rode horses and hid behind, in the forests.
I became a woman of mystery lol
Clothes can be fun and capture the imagination.

Now finally I hope the threads can be put away and the sewing machine taken out and my fingers and arms can have a rest.
Sometimes it's easier going to work lol but
when you do things at home, they will be to your taste, color  and size
 and you can have a little fun with it.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Depp Means Idiot

This was a funny interview
Johnny Depp had some interesting things to say which I could really relate to on a personal level.
Unbelievable to hear another person say something  I really felt deeply inside of myself.like the part about breathing .I find myself inside of my chest and this is attributed to the American Indian and he is part Cherokee I think he said.There are 4 parts to this interview on You tube and it is worth watching.I have two here which I liked the best



When he talks about his Mom giving him advice, I gave my kids the same with respect to bullying.
As long as you don't put in the first punch, it's self defense . No one can touch you for that.

If the other guy touches you, you have a right to defend yourself because the other person had a choice until then, to seek help, to get a third party to intervene, to stop. Not doing this puts everything he says or does into question.
But if you put in the first punch, it doesn't matter who was right or wrong, you were in the wrong and guilty.
It's a simple way to resolve child disputes lol
My kids got out of a lot of trouble following this method. Schools have a lot of bullies and you have to learn how to deal with them.
xoxoxoxoxo

To Sir Who Will Always Be Admired and Loved.

Sean Connery -
What a nice man. Had some very nice things to say.
God Bless him. I loved it when he said he had a break
when he was 5 years old.
He sure looks great. Hasn't changed at all. lol
xoxoxoxoxox

Goin Strong.

This video is indeed wonderful It made me smile all through it.

Betty White and Morgan Freeman.
and (Clint Eastwood) still going strong.


Good For Them!!!
xoxoxoxoxo

Land Ho!

 

I went to look at seed packets into various stores.
They were selling them for 2.99 and there didn't seem to be very many seeds to play with.
Some of them they already coat with chemicals to make sure they grow.
The dollar store had packets for a dollar which is supposed to be the regular price but they must be last years seeds or older.
So, I remembered what my Dad did.
He took his seeds directly from the plant, dried them and planted them in peat containers.
He had his own garlic, tomato, beans , green peppers, potatoes, squash.
I am not sure about the cucumbers but I would assume he got those too.
By spring he had very nice seedlings to plant.
So far I am drying the green peppers to try but next time I go shopping I'll be looking around for the
beans and anything else I can see with seeds that can be planted.just to see.if it works.

Also who needs to buy peat containers when you can make cones out of poster board or milk cartons
or other plastic containers we seem to collect a lot of after shopping.
Seems my garbage is full of those and they can be put to good use.
Sterafoam is wonderful to poke holes in and can be sewed into wonderful containers.

I also found people saying they received roses for Valentines Day and the stalk
pushed out roots.
So I will try to buy a rose plant and see if I can get other plants from the cuttings dipped in hormone powder.
There is something about roses which also cannot be denied.

I know I got so many cedar seedlings from the acorns I collected and took seeds from.
I had them in zip lock bags until they sprouted and grand little fellas they were.
So nothing wrong with putting your seeds into zip lock bags, poking a hole so excess water drips out but keeps a lot of moisture inside to sprout the seed. Then you unzip it to let it grow and when its time to plant, you just gently take out the rooted plant.

It gives you a sense of not only pleasure but personal peace to see your babies sprout and grow
and it also helps the environment. Each person is supposed to plant 250 trees in a lifetime.

Can you imagine this planet if 9 billion people each planted  250 trees, just by taking seeds
from each tree or cutting?
Palm trees, apple trees, cherry trees, orange trees, lemon trees. What a friendly world it would be.

I know my son enjoyed working with my parents in the garden. He enjoyed planting seeds and watching them grow.
He enjoyed the morning ventures into the garden to collect the produce for breakfast.
It was toast with tomato, cucumber, cheese and hard boiled eggs.
My Dad always had 2-3 white ducks in his back yard. They waddled around collecting all the bugs in the grass. He had a baby pool for them to dunk in.
Ducks are easier to keep than chickens. They are not demanding food wise.
Every morning he would get a few delicious double yoked eggs for break fast.

Because of the campers and summer vacationers who abused their rights, thinking they were in the country,
the town passed laws against the keeping of farm animals.

Every spring city people drive by and dump kittens puppies dogs thinking a farmer will pick it up or go to
auctions and bring in livestock like ducks rabbits  pigs sheep and let them go so they run around every where eating up in other peoples yards and gardens
So the few, spoil the benefits for the local people, who keep things under control.
But then again I think passing laws and laws and laws are negative things.
If you have to pass a law this means some one doesn;t understand behavior and must be encouraged or helped instead of passing lawss to stop him because he'll just go and do it somewhere else while you are stuck with a useless law.


Oh well.
-----------------------

Abe and Esther are flying to Australia for a two-week vacation to celebrate their 50th anniversary.

Suddenly, over the public address system, the Captain announces, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm afraid I have some very bad news... Our engines have ceased functioning and we will attempt an emergency landing. Luckily, I see an uncharted island below us and we should be able to land on the beach. However, the odds are that we may never be rescued and will have to live on the island for the rest of our lives!"

Thanks to the skill of the flight crew, the plane lands safely on the island.

An hour later Abe turns to his wife and asks, "Esther, did we pay our VISA and MasterCard bills yet?"

"No, sweetheart," she responds.

Abe, still shaken from the crash landing, then asks, "Esther, did we pay our American Express card yet?"

"Oh, no! I'm sorry. I forgot to send the check," she says.

"One last thing Esther. Did you remember to send the estimate check to the IRSthis quarter?" he asks.

"Oh, forgive me, Abe," begged Esther. "I didn't send that one, either."

Abe grabs her and gives her the biggest kiss in 40 years.

Esther pulls away and asks him, "What was that for?"

Abe answers, "They'll find us!"

xoxoxoxoxo

Just Elfin around

 

It's Saturday and I haven't seen the week go by.

I thought I'd have two hats up but it was dark Friday night,  and my eyes couldn't see well.
 So rather than having to keep undoing a hat, I left it for another time.
I think I have had enough fun in hat making. lol
Here I had a capelet or shoulder warmer you can wear over a coat or jacket and added a beret to it
Now it's a set.
Living in areas where people have to layer clothing, it makes sense to have
capes.
When I was young I had a few capes I loved wearing.
I wish they were in style again because they are so comfortable and you never
have to worry about sweating in them.
Of course today we have the ponchos but now we are talking a horse of a different color.

I am bubbling because I never thought I could make things like this.
Only thing missing is  youth. lol

 

 OK I lied. lol
Can't sit and look at unfinished stuff. So I finished this little elf looking beanie. I began with huge needles , then toned down to smaller and smaller ones.
I was going to make it in green but I don't have  bright green thread,so I made it in red.
I wonder if my son will like this one. ?
 He put on his Kestler shirt and went to watch the Canuck hockey game.
Kestler is playing tonight.
 I wasn't invited to go , so I sat and finished the hat. lol
Now I am making a thin scarf to go with it and I'd like to make a bow to hold it together so it too will be a set and something different.
 Depending on what color I make the bow, I will try to crochet around the edges of the scarf and hat so it all comes together.
OK so I didn't make a bow tie. lol
Next time

This time I put the two ends together so it stays put on the shoulders and doesn't move.
My husband likes it this way so I think I will make him a few scarves for next year
in black and brown.

Sometimes On the ski slopes I see people wearing things you don't see in stores and now I know they are home made and unique. This makes all the difference.

The sun is shining and now I think the threads have to be put away and new things have to begin. Have to think about a garden this year. Plant tomatoes cucumbers shallots and green beans. Would be nice to plant a few sunflowers.
As for today maybe going out to get some fresh air is a good idea.
Gets a little clausterphobic sitting in the house.
xoxoxoxoxoxox

Essence of a Face

 

To look at a face is to read it.
What does it say to fellow man?
A child, sad, contemplative, deep in thought.
A brother wishing the child see no more.

 

A brother,  full of concern,
trying to read the eyes of the child.

What would life be like without a face?

Would it be a different  human race?

Would all things matter as they have in the past?

What would life be like in a faceless world?
-----------------

Yesterday they spoke of Germany, during Hitlers time, finding a way to transcend time.
and the aliens we speak of, as little gray men, as people from the future
who have come to the past,trying to correct the mistakes man made.
They found evidence in the teachings of Buddha, the Bible
and in the Chakra mountains . There are 156 earth chakras
and people say they were built with alien help.
Interesting info about these chakras.
 http://www.librarising.com/esoterica/earthchakras.html

Hope you had a nice Valentines Day. Mine was full of chocolate and brandy
So I had a VERY GOOD TIME! lol
Today is sunny and birds are chirping outside.
Have a good one.
xoxoxoxoxoxxo

Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day!!

Today is a day for

LOVE

HEARTS

and

  EXCLAMATION!!!!

Today is a day for

CHOCOLATE!!!


Have a great day!!
xoxoxoxoxo

Yesterdays' Child

Yesterdays Child

 

This one I finished last night. It's Yesterdays' child. lol
 It has a visor which can be worn up or down and ear flaps.
My son already wore it and liked it a lot.
He faced booked his hats to his friends and they all liked it as well.
So I guess people will be looking for hats like these to wear

 

Picture this. One stitch, throw ball
One stitch , throw ball
One stitch , throw ball
Otherwise Tanya will bark till you know how to do things the right way.
This is her hat and my son's friend got it as a present with her compliments lol

 Gentle Love





This one is dedicated to a virtual girlfriend Very nice.

One day you will look up at the sky and you will see how a small star follows the milky way.
Look closer to see a pony's tail, the southern winds' son.
Hurrying to his love, only once a year when the earth is closest to his planet
This was a long time ago
He flew down to earth hitting the stars with his hooves He flew to a mountain which reminded this traveler, of a tent from afar.Over an empty land.
He saw his love with her black tail and mane She saw him too
He waved his mane to her and called her to him
They pranced over the mountains a long time and then ran down to where the land meets the sea.
where there was lots of wateer and grass.
He splashed the water with his hoof. They dansed a slow dance and the birds sang of their happy love.
They were destined for each other
He said to her
It's time for me for only once a year the earth is closest to my planet.
The unbelievable day flew by like in a story book. (fairy tale romance)
They flew over plains and meadows and mountains and deserts
At sunset they had to say good bye.
He looked at his beloved and with all the strength he could muster he ran and pushed up into the stars
She also ran after him but stopped from fear, upon reaching a cliff .
She raised herself up on her back hooves and neighed after her lover
Listen
If the stars begin to burn it means some one needs it.?
Listen.
You will hear the whispering of the ocean and hooves upon the sand
Look up at the sky
You will see a planet
It must be a miracle
25th day of Sept = Day of the Ocean

This planet is a miracle = crystal waters, whispering of the waves, rolling stones, and
a planet that sings.

Home In the Blizzard

I love gypsy music and  I always come back to it because it is so heart breaking
 and keeps one grounded. to the heart and soul.
This song is about a Siberian man who was betrayed by his wife and is too proud to go back home.
He stays outside in the cold. while she sulks inside wanting more out of  life than what she was getting.

In Montreal we had a restaurant where gypsies danced and sang while you enjoyed a candle light dinner.
I never understood anything they sang but you don't have to understand it.
The music speaks for itself.
 My Spanish friend must have understood because she would sit teary eyed all night. lol

It inspired me to write the following .lol

----------------------------------------------------
 The Blizzard.

A frosty wind whispered over the plains
All white, speckled  and splendid
It took your breath away

A golden man stood watching,
Hunched and in despair.
He walked out  to touch it...
The rich, warm,
Swaying, yellow hay.

He walked out into the field 
Following a blizzard storm
The holy host of ghosts
Covering the field that day.
He walked  forsaken and heart broken
With no one left to care
 He walked with arms so gently swaying
To meet the devil in his lair.

He walked, with eyes so clear and brilliant.
He walked alone and without fear,
His final entry into living, was by the
Gentle closing of the door.

As the blizzard swirled around him
 Stronger, wilder, grew the beating of his heart
The powdery snow did not deter him
For he was home and free.

The howling wind blustered,
Bleated and beat his face with diamond grains
 He saw his love in fractured memories
Buried, as life is,  inside flames

It's empty now
No fire warms it
No hat hangs by the heavy, wooden  door
No boots seen drying from a work day
No soul to fill the love filled home he knew

The home was buried, cold and lonely
The man was gone , a whisper in the wind
All that was left were powdery ashes
In a frosty speckled ,
 Forsaken plain.

.
A Lady's Life.

Learning Through Fables and Stories.

 

Learning Languages can be quite fun when you learn it through the eyes of a child.
I remember my parents learned English from my books.
As I was growing and bringing home books from the library, they were also reading them.
I never minded until I reached high school and then my Dad would take an interest and take the books to read when I had homework to do. lol

He would sit and compare what he did in Europe compared to what we were doing at our grade level and it was just
not good enough for him.
He said Europe taught much better and more.

Needless to say I was not happy having these discussions with my Dad. lol
Like I had something to say about it. lol

But I found this book amongst my slew of books which I must say I enjoyed reading to learn Russian.
Its a bunch of childrens' folk fables, from 1957, Moscow.
In those days, we had to order the books from specialty shops from New York who ordered them from the USSR.
Those were serious times back then. No one wanted to have anything to do with the USSR.

I remember my parents watching Hitler and Stalin documentaries on TV, soldiers marching ,bombs blowing up cities and it was very painful for them to watch.
My Dad pushed me to learn Russian as he thought this would be a good job for me as a translator.

For me, as a child, I wanted to understand what this was all about, and the best way was through books.
I have to say I loved the childrens' books the best and still do.

I couldn't understand why bad men were allowed to rule and kill people
and I still don't.

I would read books like War and Peace in three languages, just to see how the meaning of the story
changed through interpretation.:English French and Russian.
The interpreters use the meaning of what the person wants to say instead of translating word for word.
and I am not sure that this is a good thing to do..
Some words and phrases may result in a person getting the wrong idea about what was said.

B ut then so would the interpretation, if it is not interpreted correctly.

Why not learn about the culture of a people as well as a language.
It then makes a lot more sense.

Looking back today,when so much has changed, it makes me feel bad for that generation of people who had to run and run and run all their lives, just to be safe.
Then I wonder , did they ever feel safe again after experiencing such atrocities?
I don't know.
I just know they became harder, stronger people, who knew how to survive and make the best with what they had.
They never complained or whine about anything.
They had no expectations.
They just worked and saved and deserved everything they got..
Quite a difference from todays 'world.
where your work is not paid attention to.
People look at what you own and what can be taken away from you.through taxes.
It all looks and sounds good on the top but it never works the way it sounds
just like these childrens' fables we read in these books about animals.
Hmmm.
xoxoxoxo

Lo and Behold

 

A snap of the fingers and lo and behold
another hat popped out of a ball of thread.
This is the first time I tried a hat with a rim but it was not that bad to do
and I already have orders from my guys for more like them.
Every one likes hats with rims especially the boys.
So I will make a few more and then pack up shop.
Try doing other things lol
I must say these few days have been fun doing shorter projects with quicker results
Usually I take on huge projects like afghans and throws and shawls.
But these were quick fun projects and you had time to go out shopping and get some fresh air and make supper and wash floors in between. lol

 

I accidentally deleted this blog so I will add the hat into this one
Putting them all togather is easier to see


 

This is the Winnie the Pooh hat but sailors can also wear it with the front up.

 

This was a fun beret to make.
My son was not happy I turned it into a girl hat but simple hats you can buy for a dollar at the dollar store.
This was done so I could have some fun.. I never used buttons on a hat before.

 

This hat is very warm with ear flaps and the visor can be lifted up or kept down.

 

Tanya decided to help out with this one.
Picture this.
 One stitch and throw ball. One stitch and throw ball
Otherwise she will bark till the throw ball happens lol

                                            She is a good girl this one. Knows her stuff.

 

This beret goes very well with the capelette. Now it's a set.

 

Couldn;t resist trying another hat with a spike at the end.
Its a beanie worked with three different sized needles.
It's not supposed to be doubled on the forehead but I like it doubled so I made it that way.
I wonder if my son will like it?

I made the scarf so it doesn't unwind and stays on the shoulders.
It keeps you warm I must say. My husband likes it that way and so probably I will make him a few wider ones  for next year in black and brown.
The one here finishes the set. It's bright and cheerful.

The last hat (or the first one) below was the ski hat which my son loved and took. It looks great on him.
Sorta like a sea mans hat. Maybe a scarf like the one above would suit it as well.

 

The first and the last hat will be for the best lad lol
He will enjoy wearing them. I guess he will like the one with the ear flaps too.
His friend also likes these hats. They tried them on and face booked them to their friends who also liked them lol



 

This is the capelet I finally finished modeled by my loyal and faithful darling.
who puts up with all my so called WORK!
I call it my Robin Hood Cape.
It needs a Robin Hood Hat.
I love it cause it is warm, can be worn over a jacket, good for layering, covers bulges, and doesn't need washing
as much because you don't have to worry about underarm sweating.
I love capes and wore them when I was a kid a lot.
I had one where I looked like Sherlock Holmes which did a lot for my imagination and solving mysteries era
 and a black one
which took me back to the days of fryer tuck and Princesses hiding behind dark cloaks.
Now I will be Robin Hood and tomorrow maybe
 I will make myself a Little Red Riding hood one.

This capelet my son could wear for Halloween with a robin hood hat and green fleecy hoody and tights

See. This is why I like doing home made things They are so versatile.

So ends my week end.
 I hope you all had a wonderful week end.
xoxoxoxox

Winnie the Pooh Hat

 

(click to enlarge)
This is the hat I finished last night.
It's Purple and white
I really like it.
It is to be worn like Winnie the Poohs hat with the front up and the back hanging.
Great for the beach.
Its very nice for the summer sun cause it covers everything and prevents sunburn and mosquitoes from alighting..
I guess I could pin a flower to the front, or add a light purple kerchief,. or leave it as is.The way it's made is that the white sticks out in the front and the purple sticks out on the inside or vs versa if you want it to be that way.
Now I need a top to go with it.
The beret is covered with buttons stamens and flowers that look like leaves. The top pom pom is two colored white with a yellow center sorta like a sunny side up egg.
It's a pretty cute hat.
Something different from all the others I've made.

I also had time to make two small wigs for Raggedy Anne Dolls or something like them
One is yellow and curly and the other is red and straight.
They were fun to make and easy even to make them  for adults for occasions like Halloween.
Now I have to paint faces  and make dolls to put them on.lol

I love doing things like this and especially when they turn out.

Yesterday I made mussel shrimp soup with potatoes and vegetables It came out very good.
Also I tried out the new tacos with filling from Costco.
I put cheese on them and microed them.
They were delicious and I will definitely buy them again.
Tanya my small dog couldn't get enough of them. She ate four and would eat more if I let her.

Well what can I say. If the dog likes them.......  lol

Case closed.

So, all in all  I had a pretty good productive day.
 I went to bed at 2 am got up at 5 slept another two hours and
 now am ready to go.
I find the less you sleep the less you need to sleep.
The more you sleep the more tired you feel.
But it catches up to you eventually and then you need a good full 8 hours.
But hey...There will be enough time to sleep when I  am finally laid to rest.
But then I will be too busy exploring my new life. lol

xoxoxoxo

What Lurks in the Dark

Times have sure changed
and yet
Nothing has changed.

Every time you turn on the TV its about war or gay issues.
Today it was about gay rights in Boy Scouts.

So tiresome.

The only thing I see changing today is people labeling people.
Gay men have been in Boy Scouts from day one.
Now, they want to be open about it.

I listen to these psychologists and psychiatrists talking about the MYTH
that Scouting is not about sex.

Hello!

Skating is not about sex. Dancing is not about sex. Baby sitting is not about sex either.
Children are not about sex. Religion is not about sex. School is not about sex.
But sex happens.
What utter rubbish!!
Society today made everything about sex.
This obsession with sex is a disease in our society.

We've learned nothing from the story of Babylon and are heading down the same path today.

I am a Mother who raised two boys.
I was never concerned about gay issues, as much as I was concerned about
silent predators that lurk in the dark.

This was why I always made my presence known.
I was always there. I was unpredictable.
My presence resulted in never having to discuss with my children
to "beware".
I was doing the bewaring and the kids were doing the kid things.

This is what parenting is all about.

Kids do not need the burden of carrying all these adult issues that are forced upon them today.
We do not need such an open society where nothing is left to the imagination.

Nothing is sacred today because of all this so called "Openness" going on
but it doesn;t change things.
People are still doing the things they did in the past.
People are still being hurt
and children have their innocence stolen from them
with the MYTH
that knowledge will save them.

My son comes home and tells me Mom I am a grown up man.
You raised me well and you don't have to worry about me
and yet when I go out and don't come home on time, he worries. lol

Why?
Am I also not informed about life?
Truly I am .
I teach it every day to my kids.

The truth of the matter is that no one is safe.
Laws do not prevent abuse from taking place.
A predator has all his avenues figured out before hand.
Accessibility is of prime concern.

When we have a sweet tooth and told to guard the cakes,
how many of us will be able to resist having a small taste, if even
on a finger tip?

They show us the gravy commercial where you don;t have to make gravy from scratch
anymore and it tastes just as good.. People dont believe you and keep tasting it.
In the commercial the hostess didnt leave with her turkey.
She stayed behind to watch, to make sure there was not too much tasting done.

I think these psychologists and psychiatrists should not preach to people
what they know nothing about.
Kids should not be their guinea pigs.
Kids do not belong to them.
Parents have right of say, where they want their kids to be and with whom.

 I remember when they told parents they were going to be jailed for sleeping with their kids.
Sleeping with kids is very normal and yet here they were giving bad advice again.
Dr Spock was another big mistake. Kids were raised undisciplined because you left them in control instead of being in control. This resulted today in forcing drugs on kids which can and should be avoidable.
With help like this who needs advice?
Who needs to pay school taxes
if you can't say no to things you don't like.

I know, as a Mother, I would not send my kids to Boy Scouts alone, regardless of what
they accept or don't accept. Either my husband or I would have to be there.
I was a Den Mother in Cub Scouts for this reason.
If you can't say no, there is no point to have kids.

Make them in test tubes and raise them in communes like fish.
This then will be a brave new world and none of these issues have to be discussed anymore.
Until then, beware of what lurks in the dark.

----------------------------------

Allergies? Other Problems with hidden danger
Enjoy


s lol

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Superbowl - A win for Baltimore.

Congrats Baltimore on winning the Superbowl game!!!
It was a close call but you did it!
Well Done!!

This week end I finished two hats .
Actually the white one is a beret and  still needs some leaves but I haven't  made them yet.

The green one is a ski hat , very warm since both hats have wool in them.
They both look very nice on a head. lol

 

The week end went by very quickly. We did our shopping at Cold Storage. I find the food there to be very good, especially the meat and bread but even things like lazagna and Shepherds Pie , Gyozas, bread and cakes are all very good..We also get more burritoes for the buck. This is good when you have boys/men who need a quick meal in between their heavy schedules .

 The meat they sell in big packages so when I
got home I cut the roasts in half and then into cutlets so they can be cooked quicker. The pork chops were very thick so I cut them in half. The burgers were very thick so I put them two to a bag. I put spices on everything, so the freezer smelled so good when you opened it.
 By the time I finished bagging, I had a full fridge of meat.

Then I went to Michaels. for glue and some thread. I got a few balls to make sure my stock didn't deplete.
The glue was too expensive so I went to the dollar store next door and got it there. I also found the storage bags. The kind you use the vacuum to suck the air out of , there. I was extremely happy because I had been looking for them every where and you couldn't beat the dollar store price lol I can tell you there was a huge line up at the dollar store as opposed to Michaels although the one in Richmond is pretty busy
Finding reasons to go out for a breath of fresh air is good but it's still chilly outside.

Being busy with my little projects, I didn't see the week end go by but it sure does go by fast.
I also don't see the time. By the time I look up it's 3 am so I rush to bed to wake up at 6 or 7 am.
My eyes became tired and one began to tear so I stopped working.
Then at the store the other one began to tear.
This was a sign that I had to go to bed earlier. lol

Happy Monday every one.
xoxoxoxoxo

If Mugs Were Hugs I'd Love My Mugs

 click to enlarge
I love mugs.
They are large, sturdy, easy to drink from and keep the heat longer and
 they can talk to you all day long.
They can become your very best friend
 as these mugs show.
You could write quite a long diary on them.

Buying a mug can be quite a complicated procedure.
What do you want it to say?
How does it make you feel reading it?

 Like for example, you could wake up to Mug Me.
Which could mean hug me, kiss me, let's cheer together....
and No .....
It doesn't mean it's an invitation to get mugged or robbed. lol

So I put up  a few mugs to enjoy a cup a morning joe in.

----------------------------

When your world becomes confusing, leave it to a woman to clear things up for you lol

Door Problems resolved.

 

Nothing is a secret anymore. Poor Papa Smurf , exposed.

 

Hee hee heee!

xoxoxoxo

We Are the Catchers In the Rye

 

I found my book Catcher in the Rye.
It's a book I picked up often to read from time to time.

It's a book that is significant because it applies to many themes and not just to suicide
as we are led to believe.

If anything, it should be a story about struggle and survival.

There is not one person in the world who could not relate to this story because we all suffer
 anguish and struggles but we live.
We survive.
We march forward and don't look back.
Some people we may know to be dying all their lives and then you go before they do lol

In any event ,  Watchers are not people who commit suicide.
The Hero of this story was like many of us are in this world, especially Mothers,
who watch their children .
The Hero was a defender of children and their innocence.
What could be more pleasant than watching innocent children, playing in fields of rye and yet you know
in  their playful innocence,
  they will not see danger, in terms of a deadly cliff?
or even a lion or some other predator?
Life is like that.
We never know where this cliff is, as we play, study, work and live our daily lives.
We get distracted a moment and that's all it takes.
So we need watchers around us to protect us.

The book is also about maturity levels.
Most people don't go past high school.
Some go on to study and develop their brains to resolve more complex issues.
Some learn from life
Some never learn.
Some are watchers who suffer and learn for us all.
Some run away and hide and refuse to face what they learn and see to be ugly.
But together we can pool our information and survive.

You see, life is ugly and therein lies the beauty.
We are obsessed with it.
All of it.

We look at Poppies in the field
as if they were the result of beginnings and not ends.
They arise from ugliness and darkness into the light.
We look at fields of rye in terms of life and survival.

The Catcher in the Rye was about a man suffering but he is responsible for his own
suffering.
Yes, the world is ugly.
Many ugly things happening out there
but
in between all this ugliness is beauty, love, compassion, freedom
and eternity.
Life, is about learning experiences and taking small steps to discover it all.

 If we could believe in religion for a moment, we could believe that we sent ourselves to this world to experience everything that we've experienced in our own lives. So there is no one to blame.

We came to  learn that all problems have solutions, even the ugly ones.

We are the historians, the librarians, the secretaries and the watchers

Some say too much knowledge leads to too much power and then people have problems dealing in normal

social life and situations and this then leads to suicide.

Nietzche spent all his life thinking, only to conclude we will all die.lol

Sure, we will all die but it's not up to us to know when or how and if we go beyond the grid, into infinity, 

we will see that there is no such thing as death. There is only slumber and life.

Astronauts and pilots know the feeling of going up so fast, they lose consciousness but they are not dead.

Life encompasses everything. 

We are all Catchers in the Rye. We are all connected in our innocence and guilt.

We are all survivors and poppies growing in fertile fields.

In this knowledge we can find strength and power to live .

It is no wonder poppies are one of the most popular flowers in the world .

We empower ourselves looking at them, as we empower ourselves watching many good things

while shutting off, all the bad.

xoxoxoxoxo