New Blue Chair

I am such a happy girl now. I finally have a nice chair for my craft room. It's the nicest chair I've ever had in my life. And it's all because I had a sore back.....

Recently, I was having some real pain with my back, and went to the doctor to see what was going on. He did an xray, and told me that I have a slight curve in my spine. So, I've been taking pain medicine, muscle relaxers, and steroids to help deal with the problem.

I do a lot of knitting in my craft room, and haven't had a good chair to sit in when I'm in there. So, I knew I needed to find something FAST to support my back better.

After looking at 4 different stores, I found my chair.

It's GORGEOUS!


It was at my local consignment store (Consignment First in Matthews, NC) for a great price.
I'm so glad I got it. Now, I have a beautiful chair that supports my back well. Life is good.

Stuck in Bed with a Bad Back

This week has been such a drag. Somehow, I hurt my back....can't figure out how.
Anyway.....I've been laying in bed on an ice pack for 6 days now, and the pain is just as bad. I have only been able to teach a couple piano lessons this week, so no money for me! :(

So, today I finally went to the doctor. Yeah, I know....it took me too long to make that decision. The appointment went fine, and the doctor gave me 3 prescriptions. Pain, Muscle Relaxer, and Steroid. I dropped off the prescriptions at the pharmacy, then picked up something to eat at KFC (chicken pot pie). I also got a cone of ice cream at a local ice cream shop, since I was a good girl, taking myself to the doctor. Ha! (Mint Chocolate Chip in a sugar cone - YUM!)

After picking up my prescriptions at the pharmacy, I drove straight home, and carried in everything. That was a lot of work, since my back was still hurting.

Ah...finally home. But I couldn't rest yet. Still had to figure out all these medications. Of course, none of them have the same time schedule. I went ahead and took the first dose, then carried the bottles down the hall to my bed. I then grabbed my little laptop computer, placed it on the bed, and settled myself in. After considering all the prescriptions, I decided to make an Excel spreadsheet to help me keep track of my dosage schedule. It took a few minutes to get it all sorted out. I color coded the spreadsheet, then marked the bottles using 3 different colored markers. When I finally finished that little task, I settled down for a LONG NAP.

After 8 hours of glorious, painless sleep, I was finally rested. I think it was the first time I've actually had a deep sleep in 10 days. Wonderful....sweet rest.

My back is still hurting, but not as bad as it was. Now, I'm waiting for my hubby to get home from work. He's bringing dinner from Captain D's. After I eat, I'll take another dose of medicine, and hit the sack again.

I have to play piano for a wedding tomorrow, so I'm going to get as much rest as I can now. I'll probably have to skip a dose of medication tomorrow, so I can make it through the service without falling asleep. Ha!

He's B A C K........

Today, I needed to run some errands, so I grabbed my purse, and some other things, to carry them to the car. After opening the kitchen door, I was promptly accosted by the same black cat I saw a couple weeks ago. He was demanding food again. The nerve!!

So, I made sure I pulled the door shut so he wouldn't go into my house, then carried my stuff to the car. He must have thought I was coming out to feed him, because he quickly walked straight to the food dish I had placed outside for him on that earlier day. (Yes....I must admit I didn't bring it back in yet.)

I rolled my eyes, and announced to him that I am NOT his owner, so he can't expect me to feed him. I mean....REALLY...he can't just prance back into my life and demand my servitude. Unbelievable! Reminds me of some other male interactions in my past.

This time, I wanted to snap a photo of him, so I could PROVE that he is real. (One of my friends said that I must have imagined this cat - and likened me to Alice in Wonderland, with a "cheshire cat".) Ha!

Well, here you go, my friend. PROOF that it's a real cat.

Here he is defiantly claiming that he is my cat, and demanding food:


And here he is sniffing the bushes by my house, trying to charm me into thinking he's a gentle cat.


Once again, showing his "true" nature, demanding attention and food with a wicked, cold stare.


I'm not breaking down this time. I know his game now. He's not starving, and he hasn't lost his way. He's just out to take advantage of me again.....MEN!!

Homemade Waffles

I have some nice buttermilk in our fridge today, so this morning, I decided to make some homemade waffles. I grabbed my 1974 Betty Crocker Cookbook, and turned to the recipe.

It called for two cups of flour, and I decided to substitute one cup with whole wheat flour.

They turned out very nice!


My hubby took the first bite, and said, "These are MUCH better than the ones at Waffle House!"

What a sweetie..... :D

Unintentional Cat Owner

For the past week, there has been a black cat continually greeting me at my driveway when I come home. He acts like I'm supposed to be his owner or something. "Fusses" at me for not letting him in the house. I speak to him, and say, "Listen, I'm not your owner, and I'm allergic to you anyway. Go home."

But, he has persisted. This morning at 5 AM, when my hubby was leaving, the cat was there. My hubby said, "Whose cat is that?" I replied, "I think it's ours now." Anyway, it was time for me to sleep, because I had been up knitting all night. So, I said goodbye to my hubby, turned off all the lights, and went to bed.

When I woke at about noon, I looked outside, and the cat was sitting on the steps, staring up at me. Unbelievable.I had my lunch, got dressed, then put my stuff in the car for piano lessons. Then, I heard a little "meow". I walked to the mailbox, and carried the mail to my car, and heard the "meow" again. I looked all around, and finally found the cat sitting on our ROOF! I looked up at him and said, "I don't know how you got up there, but I can't deal with you right now. Besides, you don't even live here!" And I left to go to teach piano lessons.

I got back home at about 7:30, and was promptly greeted by an irate cat. I very clearly said to him, "Listen you....you're not my cat!" He ignored me of course. So, I went in the house and put down all my stuff. The cat was staring at me through the door, meowing loudly. I figured that he must be hungry. So, I opened a can of tuna, put it in a small bowl, and carried it outside, placing it on the edge of the driveway. The cat POUNCED on it, and quickly devoured it all. Poor thing. I wonder where he came from?

Anyway, I walked outside after a while, and rinsed out the bowl. Then just stood there, looking around the neighborhood, looking to see if anyone would come and claim this cat. No such luck. The cat is VERY friendly, and was rubbing up against my legs, stretching up to touch my hands occasionally. I didn't pet him, because I'm allergic, you know.

I looked online, and didn't find any mention of a lost black and white cat in my area. He's really a gorgeous cat. Tall and regal looking. Shiny black fur, white face and neck and paws. Pretty. He still has claws too, so he can protect himself outside. (I noticed the claws when he stretched up my leg.)

I wonder where he came from?

My New Cell - Verizon Blitz

I've been having trouble with my cell phone, because it hurts to text. It's a very simple phone, with no bells or whistles. So, I was having to click buttons several times just to get one letter typed for texting.

I have arthritis, and my cell phone was just making it worse.

So, my hubby decided to try to find a better phone for me. He's such a sweetie.

We were out on a date night at our local mall, and he said, "Let's go look at the phones at Verizon." We already have an account with them, so they were quick to help us.

I didn't like the look or feel of ANY of the phones on display, so I kept asking to see more. The sales rep brought out 3 other phones from a cabinet in the back of the store.

After looking at all three of them, I decided to go with the Verizon Blitz. Easy to use, and it has a full keyboard for texting. The phone is very small - about the size of a make-up compact.


The cover slides open easily to reveal the texting keyboard.


This little phone is just right for my arthritic hands. The buttons are easy to push. So long old phone!

Sick at Home :(

Bummer. I'm sick again.
I'm so sick of being sick. I just seem to catch EVERYTHING now that I'm in my 40's.

It's probably because I teach piano to my students in their homes. I'm exposing myself to different germs several times a day. You'd think that it would make me build up an immunity to different sicknesses, but it seems to work in reverse in my case.

Anyway, I always get sick when school starts back again. All my piano students are back in town, and I have several lessons a day again. So, I'm hoping that I will work this sickness out of my system quickly, and be back to normal.

I have a fever, sore throat, backache, headache, achy joints, and exhaustion. I've been taking the Walmart brand of Effervescent Cold medicine, just like Alka Seltzer Plus. It helps me rest, and makes me feel better immediately after taking it.

I slept most of the day today, and was only able to knit a few rows before collapsing. It's been a good day for the internet though. :D

Sandy's Scrumptious Sausage Stew

YUM!!!

Today, I made a new stew, using ingredients I had in my kitchen.
My hubby and I love it!

Here's how I made it. I'll add more details on sizes of cans, etc. later.


Sandy’s Scrumptious Sausage Stew


Brown 1 pack of sausage in frying pan
Drain off all oil, and press between thick paper towels to remove more oil
Put sausage in large pot

Add the following:
1 can tomato soup & ½ soup can of water
1 can of sliced okra, drained
1 can of corn
1 can of green beans
stir these ingredients well

Season with:
Sea Salt
Basil
Curry
Paprika
Sage
Cumin
Black Pepper
1 small packet Splenda
Stir seasonings into stew

Cook (covered) on medium-low heat for about an hour
Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes

Add:
small basket of whole mushrooms
Half of a large sweet onion, chopped in big chunks
Can of diced tomatoes
Stir and continue to simmer for about 45 minutes

Knitting with Some of my Handspun Yarn

A long time ago, I spun some beautiful blue merino wool on my spinning wheel.






This week, I actually used some of it to make a nice hair scrunchie! :)

Here's My Little Teapot....Short and Stout. ;)

This morning, I had a nice little pot of hot tea. Good Earth Vanilla Chai. Very yummy. I was able to get more than 4 cups out of my small teapot, and it stayed hot the whole morning. I covered it up with two kitchen towels.

I think I'll make a nice handknit tea cozy. :)

The teapot is EXACTLY like the one my mother had in her kitchen when I was growing up. I found this one at an antique store in Charlotte. The cup and saucer set was a Christmas gift from my step-children.

Sheep Shearing Day at Rising Meadows Farm in North Carolina

This past weekend, on Valentine's Day, I decided to go to a sheep shearing day with a friend. It took place at Rising Meadow Farm in Liberty, North Carolina. It was a wonderful day, and the weather was perfect!

We rode in her little Smart Car, and really enjoyed talking and looking at the scenery.


When we got there, we went straight to the sheep barn to watch the shearing.




Here are some of the sheep, waiting to be shorn:


More sheep:


Here's one of the sheep, about to be shorn by the master shearer. It just quietly let the shearer grab him, lay him down, and cut his hair without complaint.


Here's the shearer, hard at work, giving the sheep a good haircut.


Here's the sheep after his haircut.


And here's the big fleece that came from that sheep.


We also saw a brown lamb being shorn. Once again, it was quiet and patient during the haircut.


There were severals bags of fleece, ready to be purchased. I think it was cool that they included
the name of the sheep each fleece came from.


After watching the sheep shearing, we wandered over to the next field, and saw some alpaca or llama. (It's hard for me to tell the difference between those two animals.)


They were so friendly, and would just walk right up to you. This one went straight to Brenda and stole her heart on Valentine's Day.


I got a visit from that one as well. I think he liked the way my handknit alpaca wristwarmers smelled. :)


After walking around the farm, we went into their little shop. I checked out the roving, to spin on my wheel at home. I decided to buy 4 balls of Corriedale in a light natural shade.


Brenda bought some of the handspun yarn the farm had prepared.


After our long drive and walk, we were tired, so we sat down outside to eat the picnic lunch Brenda had prepared for us. Thanks Brenda!! Next, we drove to her place, to sit and knit for a while. It was a perfect way to end our day together.

Spears Weaving Loom Instructions

Several people have asked me to mail them copies of the Spears Weaving Loom Instruction Book I have with my size 4 loom. I'm tired of copying it and mailing it, so I've downloaded it to my Flickr photo account.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/59646927@N00/sets/72157613723481111/

I think it should be fine, since the instructions were printed so long ago. I don't think a copyright applies. But, if anyone hears differently, please let me know, and I'll remove the link.

Take care, and happy weaving!

Cooking and Eating

Last year, I was on a low carb diet for most of the year, and 3 months of the year before. I plateau-ed, and never lost more than the 40 pounds I lost in the first two months of the diet.

Since I was discouraged, I put the low carb diet aside, and quickly gained back all the weight I had lost. Discouraging, but that's the breaks.

Now, I'm eating cakes and cookies and bread again. Eventually, I'll get back on a diet, but I'm not sure which one I'll choose. Maybe low carb, maybe something else.

In the meantime, I'm eating cake. Ha!

Here's the one I made a couple weekends ago. My hubby and I loved it.


The following week, I made a "Cranberry Kuchen" from my very old Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

My Meme

I'm considering myself "tagged" by Nancy Knits. She made a list on her blog, answering questions for a "meme". I'd never heard of a meme before, so I read her link to a site that explains it. I still don't completely understand it, but I'm going to answer the same questions she answered. (tee-hee)

10 Years Ago I:
looked like this:
Was a lonely single mom, looking for "Mr Right"
Was the Organist at Mallard Creek Presbyterian Church
Was engaged to "Mr Wrong", who cancelled the engagement a month later
Enjoyed playing games with my kids on Nintendo NES and Super Nintendo
Was lucky to find good deals on necessities at thrift and consignment shops
Was reading most of Jules Verne's works (my favorite was "The Mysterious Island")
Had just finished reading The Bible all the way through for the second time

5 Things on Today's "To-Do" List:
Have breakfast with my husband :)
Run errands: Cancel wireless internet & gym membership, pay car insurance
Teach 5 piano lessons
Work on knitting Christmas gifts
Computer time: Knitting Help Forum, Ravelry, Facebook, Yahoo, eBay, Flickr, Blogger

5 Snacks I Enjoy:
Almonds, Pecans, Cashews
Hot Tea or Coffee
Combos (Cheddar Cheese Pretzel)
Skor Toffee Bars
Breyers Butter Pecan Ice Cream

5 Things I Would Do If I Were a Millionaire:
Give some money to charity
Pay off all our bills
Buy a solar-powered house, and a cottage in the mountains
Visit Ireland, Scotland, Hawaii and Alaska
Finally have a new car, preferably an electric one (charged with the solar power at my house)

5 Places I Have Lived:
Indian Trail, NC
Wingate, NC
Charlotte, NC
Belmont, NC
ending up back in Indian Trail

5 Jobs I Have Had:
Piano Teacher
Independent Insurance Agent
Executive Assistant at Aetna/US Healthcare
Church Secretary at Mulberry Baptist Church
Telemarketer & Receptionist for Dr. Paul Homoly

Teaching an Embroidery Class

Recently, I taught a crewel embroidery class to a group of home-schoolers. It was a lot of fun!

I started off by gathering together lots of sportweight wool yarn for the students to use:


Next, I stitched a simple design, using the stitches I would be teaching to them:


Next, I traced a simple design onto linen fabric and placed them in hoops for each student.




I taught 8 young girls how to do the following stitches:

Straight Stitch
Stem Stitch
French Knot
Couching Stitch
Padded Satin Stitch

I think the class went well, and several of the girls were asking lots of questions. A success!

Embroidery Work - Nice on Hot Days

Recently, our air conditioning was not working, so our house was SUPER HOT!!! (It was over 90 degrees overnight, even with 10 fans running in the house.)

Since it was so hot, I could not bring myself to knit or spin. So, I got out my new needlework stand, and pulled out some embroidery kits that have been waiting for me. I decided to work on a candlewicking kit called "He Loves Me Knot". Very nice. I just love my new needlework stand!





Here's what I've gotten done so far:


I really enjoy doing embroidery for a change. :)

Relaxing Day at Home

Today has been a wonderful day.

My hubby and I started the morning with a nice hug and kiss. I'm so glad I found my soulmate. We are good for each other. :)

He is a restaurant manager, so we usually don't have the chance to have breakfast together. But, today he scheduled himself to go into work in the afternoon. So we had breakfast!! He's on a low cholesterol diet, and I am on a low carbohydrate diet. So, needless to say....cooking breakfast took up a LOT of counter space!


Real eggs for me..."Egg Mates" for him.
Real cheese for me..."Smart Beat" cheese for him.
Real butter for me..."Smart Balance" spread for him.
Sausage for me.....turkey for him.

We were able to share the mushrooms, spinach, herbs, spices, red bell pepper and onions, though. It was yummy!!!

After breakfast, my hubby spent some time on the internet, and I went to knit in my craft room. I've really been enjoying Librivox lately. It's a really cool website, with free audiobooks online. All of the books are in the public domain, and recorded by volunteers. I'm listening to all of Frank Baum's books about the Land of Oz. I had no idea there were so many books about that place!! It's really cool to listen to it for free.

While I was knitting and listening to Librivox, my hubby was taking a shower and getting ready for work. Before he left, he went to check the mailbox, and returned with a small package for me. It was an embroidery kit I had gotten on eBay. It's really cool! It's a crewel embroidery design of a knitting bag, with an initial on it. I'll probably use an "S" for "Shandeh" or "Sandy". :D


After my hubby left for work, I listened to the first three chapters of "The Wizard of Oz", and got a good bit of knitting done in the process. Then, I started getting drowsy. So, I took a 3 hour nap. How wonderful!!!

When I woke, I made myself two cups of hot tea.

My absolute favorite tea is on the left. It's "Good Earth Organic Original Sweet & Spicy Tea". If you let it brew long enough, there is no need for sweetener at all. It's naturally sweet, and is a natural source of antioxidants. :)
The tea on the right is one that I occasionally have. I must really be in the mood for it though. If I drink it too often, it reminds me of furniture polish. :P It's "Twinings Herbal Revive", with lemon and Chinese ginger.

I think I'll go back to the Land of Oz and knitting for a while. :)

Sewing for a Friend

A friend of mine from the Knitting Help Forum asked if I could sew a dress for her granddaughter. She chose a pattern from my collection, and specified the type of fabric she wanted. I took my time choosing the fabric, because I wanted it to be just right.

Then, I started sewing. It took a while, because I am a slow worker. I just want things to be right, you know?

I'm always careful to press open each seam as I sew it. I handsew certain parts, just to make it correct. And I read the directions WAY too many times....always afraid that I'll miss something.

I was a bit frustrated with this particular pattern, because they made a mistake in the bodice instructions. At the end, I had to rip out a couple seams and re-do them properly. If I didn't have sewing experience, I would have been thoroughly confused. I'm glad I've been sewing for 30 years!

Last night, I finally finished everything. The zipper is added, the snaps are attached, and the hem is sewn. It's lovely!

Here's the front:


And here's the back:

Hey! I MADE some Spinners on The Sims!

I've been a Sims fan ever since the first "The Sims" game came out. I have every single expansion pack for the original series of games.

When I received "Makin' Magic", I think I only played it for one week before "The Sims 2" was released. At that time, I just removed all the old Sims games, and installed The Sims 2 instead.

I've spent the last 2 years struggling through LONG waiting periods.....waiting for the game to load.....waiting for the Sims neighborhood to open......waiting for my Sim to walk across the room.....waiting for my Sim to ride the taxi to another neighborhood.....waiting, waiting, waiting.

And not really enjoying it, I might add. :(

So, last night, I decided to REMOVE the Sims 2, and put my OLD Sims back on. Boy, am I glad I did!!!

I installed ALL of the old games. The Sims, Livin' Large, House Party, Hot Date, Vacation, Unleashed, Superstar, and Makin' Magic.

When I started playing, I waited for the game to load. And that's the only waiting I had to do. :D

After spending a few minutes with the game, I realized that I never really played "Makin' Magic" at all. I opened up the "Buy" screen to put some items in my little Sims house, and I found a SPINNING WHEEL!!!!! Oh My Gosh!!!! I was so excited, I was about to BUST!!

So, of course, I decided right then and there to make a castle full of ladies in long dresses, so I could have them all spin at the same time.

:)

Yay! I Found Some Spinners!

Today, when I was at Cottage Yarn, in Mint Hill, North Carolina, I was talking to one of the friendly shop clerks. She told me that there are a few spinners that would like to get together this weekend in Mint Hill.

I'm so excited!!!! FINALLY, I have found some spinners that I can sit and spin with. I'm really looking forward to it.

:D