Trailerhood

Haven't posted pictures from the Trailerhood lately.  We spent last weekend there but it wasn't too enjoyable as it was too cool and windy to spend much time outside.  This "spring" weather is really getting annoying.  Yesterday - April 23 - we had snow!  We also set a record low temperature, a record low high temperature for the day and the latest day for measurable snow fall.  Yay us.  NOT

But I digress - the trailerhood was empty except for us but we still enjoyed seeing the wildlife of the area.  We woke Saturday morning to wild turkeys in our yard - just a few feet from the trailer.  This one was strutting his stuff as he walked along.

The birds of the area are just beautiful and very happy with the bird seed that Dennis puts out.

The best part of our trailer is sitting at the table in the morning, having our coffee and watching the deer cross the river in the morning.  We saw four go across Sunday morning - I went out and got a picture of one of them.

Since we drove Dennis new truck, the landlord wasn't sure who was at the trailer so he came down and checked on the situation.  We really appreciate how closely he watches the area.  Of course down there a neighbor has their own special form of transportation when they come to visit.

Can't wait for the real spring to make an appearance so we can have a fire pit and sit outside more!

April 2013

I could write about some really sad things that have happened this week.  A bombing took place at the Boston marathon and as I type this I am watching the cable news as they search for the second bomber.  They caught and killed the first one - a brother of the second one during the night.  I could also write about the horrible explosion in the city of West in Texas which is north of Waco.  It happened on Wednesday night - there was a fire and then an explosion that killed a number of people.

But - if you want information on those awful events you wouldn't be looking on my blog.

Last Saturday was a delight - the girls wanted to participate in the Link 4 Life activity at  Cowtown so they ran in the "race" for 5 and 6 year old kids.  It was 1/4 mile and they had a lot of fun doing it.

After the race there were activities like face painting - where you could wait at least 30 minutes to get a heart or some little thing painted on your cheek and food vendors where you could wait another 30 minutes to get some cotton candy.  We convinced the girls that there would be face painting and cotton candy at the next event we were going to and then I said a quick prayer that there really would be.  :)   They did get to see a clown with her monkey (a puppet) and she was very excited to see them as she said she had never had her picture taken with triplets.

Then we went to Belle Plaine for the tulip festival which has been held for many years.  The Bartlett Arboretum is lovely.  I am so glad it has reopened.  It was purchased in 1997 by Robin Macy, an original member of the Dixie Chicks.  She is now a geometry teacher at Wichita Collegiate School.   It is not open every day but check their web page for the times that they have events. 

The girls had a great time - they not only had a face painter, but there was no line and she did a full face painting for only $5 a child which is a very good price.  The girls loved the results.

There was also cotton candy (with no waiting) and other food vendors and various vendors for art and crafts.  It was so much fun and we plan to return again next year.

And if the above pictures didn't give you a smile, perhaps our acrobatic squirrel in our back yard will.

Knitting

I have been knitting up a storm in 2013.  Of course spending six weeks in Arizona allowed for a lot of knitting time.  We would go sightseeing so I would knit while riding around and there were some rainy days sitting in the trailer so I was never bored.  While there I produced:

Slippers –  Stacy, Laura, Becky and me – Grandma’s slipper pattern - love this pattern.  I had already made all the granddaughters slippers before I left.  The pattern is so easy and the slippers are warm and comfortable.  Since returning I made Izzy a replacement pair since she lost one.  :)  (I blame the cat)

Hats – Izzy scull hat, Jessica very complicated four color scull hat, blue lacy hat with yarn I bought at Mesa Market I gave Becky, pink and white hat and a purple hat.

Scarves – crocheted and mailed a green and white scarf for an organization collecting scarves to give to the Sandy Hook residents.  Green and white are the colors for the school where the children were shot just before Christmas.  Three ruffled scarves made with Red Heart Sashay yarn, gave one to Nancy and two to Cheri, and one blue ruffle scarf out of yarn similar to Sashay bought down there somewhere – maybe JoAnns.  Really didn't like working with it but it came out pretty.

Two washcloths of soft cotton  yarn that I love – called I Love This Cotton – from Hobby Lobby

Two dishcloths out of new cotton yarn that I didn’t love because the red bled also bought at Hobby Lobby but don’t remember the brand.

 I also worked on a cape for myself.  It was a very cool pattern - you start with 92 stitches then increase in an interesting way every right side row until you have 492 stitches. Then you do ribbing.  I finished it after we got home

Also after I got home I made the girls' vest from a pattern on Ravelry called Entrechat.  I think this is probably my favorite knit pattern I have done.  It is interesting and fun to do plus comes out darling.  I have enough yarn to make another one and plan to make one to enter in the fair.  I found butterfly buttons to use that set off the angles of the vest perfectly.  Audrey told me she wanted pink but Izzy and Lily had a hard time deciding what color they wanted so I took them to Twist yarn shop and let them pick out their yarn.  Lily went with red and Izzy picked out a goldish brown.  That was a fun shopping trip as the girls got to watch Shelly, the owner, use the swifter to wind the balls of yarn. The girls were amazed!

Inbetween projects I have been making hats for the NICU or to give to other charities such as the cancer society or one to give to homeless.  I love making hats and found that knitting purple during KState games seems to help them win.  Well, not really but there are quite a few of us on Twitter that think our knitting helps.  :)

The black and gold hat in the middle is for WSU fans in the NICU.  I knitted on one during the basketball games and they made it to the final four!  I have some bright red, blue and purple yarn ordered through Twist to make some preemie hats in all the Kansas college colors.   Hats are such easy projects to work on so I have one started all the time. 

I also have a new crochet project started that is not going well at all.  So far I have ripped it out three times and if I didn't have so much yarn bought for it I would give up.  I rarely do complicated crochet projects - that is my total relaxing hobby for when I am stressed or recuperating from a surgery.  Crocheting is supposed to be mindless - this is not!  But now it has me mad and I am bound and determined to win.  When I finish I will post a picture.  Of course the thought of it being finished makes me laugh at this point.

I took up knitting six years ago about now.  It was just after my dad passed away and the girls were born but were in the NICU and it was a very stressful time.  I had always wanted to learn to knit and had tried three times before but giving up. So this time I got a book, yarn and needles and every night for weeks I would try.  I would usually rip it out by the end of the evening but the next night would try again.  I finally got a dishcloth made and the rest, as they say, is history.  Since then I have made many projects and taught others how to knit.   I am so glad I stuck with it.  

Spring -where are you?

I love spring and am fortunate that I do not suffer from allergies like most people.  I do have allergy problems when the sap starts coming out in the trees but it doesn't last long and isn't bad.  So with Easter coming I have been excited about spring's arrival.  Imagine my disappointment when I woke to go to church Palm Sunday and saw this:

Needless to say, I missed Palm Sunday services for the first time in quite awhile.  The temperature was 22 and the wind chill was 11 and I was not going to venture out on the roads.

Easter Sunday was greatly improved.  We had a great time with Jimmy's family.  The girls had been here a couple of weeks earlier and helped me decorate with all my spring/Easter things which they love to do.  They want me to get more decorations as they finished the job quickly. 

On Easter I went to early service so I could come back and finish up dinner preparations.  I fixed the ham in the crock pot and it was the best ham I have ever made.  I bought a spiral cut bone in ham - put brown sugar on the bottom of the pot and put cloves, pineapple slices and cherries on the ham.  Then I mixed brown sugar, pineapple juice and Sprite together.  I poured half on the ham at the beginning and poured the rest on two hours later.  I slow cooked it about four hours.  It was marvelous, darling!

After dinner we headed outside for an Easter egg hunt which the girls loved then they flew the little kites I got them.  They had small inflatable kites at Walmart - Spiderman for Lily, Cinderella for Audrey and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle for Izzy.  The girls loved them.  Of course here in windy Kansas there was no wind to fly the kites but they didn't care.  They ran and ran through the yard getting the kites to fly above their head and had a great time.

Dessert was a big hit and so simple to make.  Prepare coconut pudding as directed on the package, mix in cool whip then layer angel food cake pieces, pudding and fresh strawberries - repeat until you run out of ingredients or the bowl is full.  My recipe called for two packages of pudding and 12 oz cool whip but I should have cut it in half and will next time.  Every one thought it was very good.

One more picture  - the girls with my goose.  They loved putting that costume on it.