Santa's Cookies

It's getting close! I cleaned out my car last night and got Leo's large cage in the back seat. I was hoping it would fit and it did. I just need to put something underneath it to level it out and then put a pillow and blanket in there for him. This will be his second ever trip in a car. His first was when his daddy died and he came to live with me and PeeWee. That was a horrible 5+ hours trip home for us. That's why I put the cage in the back seat so I'll be able to drive. :o) I'm betting he's not going to like it but he has no choice. I want to get us there safe and in one piece.

I thought I'd post a pic of Kylie making Santa cookies last Christmas. I am looking forward to making cookies with her again. This time I think I will be participating instead of behind the camera. I'm going to make her mama take the pics. :o)

Today is our Christmas potluck at work and gift exchange.  I made a bowl of broccoli casserole and a bowl of cauliflower casserole. They were smelling so good last night when they came out of the oven that I wanted to dip in.  I can't wait til lunch!!  The meat is going to be smoked turkey that is out of this world...so moist...from a place called Ken & Candi's right around the corner from work. MMMMMM

This is Victoria's scarf that I made all wrapped up. (The heart and star are NOT my patterns - I wanted to be clear on that)  I'm anxious to see who got my name and what my present will be. I told one of the girls the other day that yarn or a crochet book would make me happy!  I'm easy to please. I don't think a lot of people at work know that I crochet. I guess they'll find out at the exchange. :o)

Here's hoping that your little corner of the world is warmy and not too stressful in anticipation of Christmas. It can get that way real easy, real quick. Take a deep breath and try to enjoy your family and friends. Please remember those who are not with their families, can't be with their families because they are serving their country. Say a little prayer for them and their loved ones.

I'll try to post tomorrow but if I don't I hope you all have a wonderful safe Christmas. Much love to you all!!!
TTFN
Kat
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

4 More Days

Until I am in FL...hopefully land of the warmy sunshine. It's been cold down there like it has here. I'm cautiously optimistic the weather will be good while I'm there.

Yesterday I spent the day finishing up my hooky stuff and wrapping. Unfortunately I did not get pics like I wanted to. And that is mostly due to the fact that I woke up feeling very poorly on Saturday. I think I had an allergic reaction to the new meds the doc gave me the other day. At least that's what I'd like to think. Though yesterday I woke up not feeling good again and today I developed a horrible headache and had to take some Tylenol for it. I'm not one for getting a lot of headaches but that's two bad ones in 3 days. I stayed in my  jammies all day yesterday. Seriously. And I haven't done that in ages. I had no desire to get dressed and I wasn't going anywhere so what was the sense in it?? I was happy to get my wrapping done. And I decided I'm taking my little fo box and doling out what I have left. I'm not going to wrap....just let them go through what I have left and get what they want. That way everyone is happy! The important stuff is done.

So I got to work this morning and checked email and had a link for some wonderful grand baby pics. This is one of my favorites. I think Kylie was tickling Bella......by the look on Kylie's face. :o)  I'm so close to being able to hug them both and smother them with grandmotherly love. I can't wait.

5 more days til Santa. :o)
TTFN
Kat
xoxox

Thoughtful Thursday

This week has been hard to get through. Let's see....first my car, then my dryer, now the ortho doc tells me it looks like my L5 disc is gone. Gee...I don't think there's much more, that is 3 after all so it has to get better right?  I was near to tears the other night when the dryer went and sang the woe is me to Leo, although he just looks at me like 'It's ok mama....we're in it together'. And then I saw on the news the marines who had no legs. And I said to myself...stupid....here are guys who don't have their legs and you're crying about a stupid dryer not working. I was humbled very quickly.

My ex boss talked me into going to lunch with her yesterday to AC Moore. The above pic is my 'haul' from there. I wasn't going to get anything, just look, and all of this yarn was on sale. Geeze......you can't take a yarn whore into a craft store that's having a yarn sale and expect her to walk out with nothing!!!  The ribbon was a quarter....that was my cheapest thing.

I started a cowl last night with the blue/green in the middle. I might frog it...I don't like how it's turning out. AND...geeze louise...I am so glad I'm getting my hair cut in a couple weeks. I crocheted a piece of my hair without realizing it and had to tear part of the cowl out and unravel my hair!! This isn't the first time it's happened (crocheting my hair) but this is the first time it's gotten crocheted that far without me realizing it. My hair is long enough that it's in the crack of my butt. I'm getting it cut when I go to FL, above my shoulder. That will be the shortest it's ever been since I was in the 6th grade. I normally cut it every 2 years when it gets to the butt crack. It's going to be strange but feel good at the same time. Long hair is a pain in the butt to keep. I can't put mine up because I get headaches, so it's always down and getting in the way and getting pulled and tangled. Leo has been stepping on it and pulling it quite regular lately when we are on the couch.

Anyways...it's warmed up a tad here in GA but it's supposed to rain. It's cloudy and dreary today. At least I don't have 4 layers on today. Only two. :o)

I hope it's only a 2 layer day in your little piece of the world! Stay warmy!
TTFN
Kat
xoxo

Can't Resist

It's a very good thing I don't own a chocolate shop.....I would eat all of my profits. And weigh too big to come in and out the door. I am a confirmed choco-holic. I cannot walk by chocolate without consuming some if it's there for the taking.

My ex-boss had a visitor from Austria just recently and brought me some Austrian delights. One was like a Kit-Kat, I guess you'd say. This is it from beginning to end:

It went way too fast!!! But was mucho good. :o)

Notice the hooky goodness in the pic? I scrapped it as a gift for this year. It'll be in my wip box until later, which is kinda dumb because I only lack the edging finished on it. But I changed my mind on who it was to go to and made her a hat instead. So now I have an almost finished scarf for someone else, later on. Suits me.

Ok...need to get back to it here. I have sent out a couple of pkgs. to my favorite blog peeps, plus to two angels. Nothing big, just little tokens of love. Tis the season!
TTFN
Kat
xoxox

PS/Remember my car steering pump went? Well...$353 later....the pressure line side of it that is made up of thin metal got a hole in it. The part was $70.......the rest was labor. :o(  Last night I did a load of wash...my dryer went. Well...specifically I think the heating element went. I can't win for losing. And don't say it....I'm not going to even think it. Anyways...I had three pairs of jeans in the wash (amongst other stuff I hung on hangers to dry)...I put them out on the clothes line and when I got them off at 5 this morning they were board stiff. Literally. It was 14 degrees this morning.

Arctic South

Yes, it is so dang cold here today! That front that kicked the midwest & eastern US's butt yesterday came through and now it's clear and bite-your-butt cold. It's probably in the 40's with a colder wind chill. It's terrible windy out there. At 5 this morning on my front porch it was about 25 degrees. And I know it had to get colder right before the sun came up. Brrrrr.

I was somewhat upset this morning. My car last week blew the power steering pump. So I got another one and got my neighbor to put it on for me, as he mechanics for a living. Well........he put it on, brought it back to me and we took a ride to the bank. It made noises several times and we put more fluid in it each time. So I got another bottle just to be sure there isn't any more air in the lines. I get started to work and it starts making noise again. So I stop at the police sub station so that I can see what I'm doing to put fluid in. I go about 7 blocks and stop at another store to put more in and use up what I have. So I get another pint of fluid. I get going and quickly conjure up in my head the straightest way to work without making turns and go that way. I get almost to work and it starts again. So I stop again and put fluid in it. Something is not right. I get to work and at 8 call a repair place not far from work that I have picked up one of my co-workers from before. I take it there and have to stop again and put the last of the fluid in the bottle I just bought just to get there. I get there, get out of my car and there is fluid all on the back of my car (not to mention the large puddle when I got back to work). Obviously I have a MAJOR malfunction that I'm not at all pleased about.

They still haven't called me and I'm getting a bit worried. I live almost 40 miles from work and none of my co-workers live out that way. UGH

So anyway.......to take my mind off of it.....we drew names Friday for presents here at work and I drew a girl in sales' name. I had a pattern in mind so I went home and worked 10 hours throughout the weekend on this scarf. It turned out lovely. It's not totally to pattern but mostly. It's Red Heart LW1471. I've made several of the hats in the pattern. I wanted to make the scarf, but didn't know it would take so long to make it. It was worth it though, it turned out pretty.

The difference in the ends is mind boggling to me but I followed the pattern on the first two rows and then went with it after that. The flat end is what shows in the pic. I kind of like the other end to tell you the truth. But it is what it is. :o) One of a kind, that's for sure. I hope she'll like it.

So anyways....that's it for today. Sigh.......

Hope you are comfy, cozy, warmy today where ever you may be.
TTFN
Kat
xoxo

Count Down

I can't believe it, can you? Christmas Eve is only two weeks away. Two weeks from today, very early (o'dark thirty), I will be on my way to FL for a week to be with family. This year has flown way too fast.

I was sitting there last night stressing over how much I had left to accomplish in the way of what I needed made for all my gifts. I also had two birthday presents that I needed to wrap up because I needed to bring them to work today to give. Well one I needed to, the other could wait until next week, but I decided nope, I was going to get that out of the way too. So I wrapped up both, made out the cards and added a crocheted flower on the envelope for one and I crocheted a pink heart for the envelope of the other one. This whole time my mind is smoking trying to make sure of what I had left to do so I didn't forget anyone.

Wait just one minute.....I said to myself. What is in my finished box? So I get the fo box out and start going through everything. Huh........with what I had in there, plus my already heaping stack waiting to be wrapped, I have enough that I only have to worry about the three men on my list - my son, my son-in-law, and my girlfriends husband (who has done a lot for me).  My son's is part way done. It's this pattern at Pammy Sue's called Good and Plenty.  On everything big I always start and then get bored with it, put it down and then at a later date pick it back up. I'm running out of time!!! Tis ok....the other two are small items and can be finished in a couple of hours. But I really need to get cracking on Eric's blanket. Where's that whip??? Oh wait.....can't whip myself. lol

I was thinking though that I need to lay everything out and start taking pictures and do a large Christmas post of all the presents I made this year. I'm so proud of myself. The only money I spent this year was for some books for Kylie, a couple little animals and their cages for both the girls (play, not real) and when I was in Office Max a couple of weeks ago - two books that were at the counter for mom's and dad's to get for Kylie and Bella's mom and dad. I hate that - what do they call stuff like that at the counter?? Sucker items?? lol They sucker you right in. You can't help but see them, they're staring at you yelling out 'Hey I'd be a wonderful present!!!' And so the story goes, and ya'll know I'm stickin' to it. ;o)

So anyways....look what I found in my stash of pics! Dang it. It was right there in my blog pics folder the whole time and I missed it I can't tell you how many times.  My tattoo of the male angel carrying the soldier to heaven. As you can tell it's a large tattoo and took two sittings to finish. Actually I had the wording put on afterward, some people couldn't tell what the tat was. I was po'd to say the least. I won't tell you what one girl said. Those were fighting words but hey...I kept my cool and just gave a look that could have killed.  I'm very protective of those who fight for our freedoms. They lay their lives on the line and a lot of them have lost their lives for us. A lot of them won't be with their families for the holidays like we will. They will most definitely be on my mind.

Ok I better get some real work done here. It's Friday and I am ready to get out of here today! It's been a long week for some reason.  Have a wonderful, warm, and safe weekend in your little part of the world ok?
TTFN
Kat
xoxo

My Christmas Card To You

I got this in an email this morning and wanted to share with all of you who read my blog.

TTFN
Kat
xoxo

Niki's Book Review Give-Away

There's a wonderful COOKIE book give-away going on over at Niki's. Check it out here!

In Regards

When I wrote my post yesterday about my dad I quoted from Elizabeth Edwards something the news had quoted the night before (not rightly I might add) that she said about the days of our lives.

When I heard the news last night that she had passed I was in total shock. The news the night before made it seem like she had a little while left and I thought she might make it past the first of the year. This did not come to pass.

I feel so badly for her children. I have been where they are. My mother passed from complications due to breast cancer. The only difference between them, and me and my siblings, is that I think she probably tried to prepare them the best she could that the end was coming and what to expect and they all were able to say their goodbyes. I did not have that luxury, we were blindsided by my mother's death. It doesn't make how I feel toward them any differently. It's the same feeling to lose your mother at a young age whether you knew it was coming or not. It's a feeling of loss and not understanding the why of it. They know the why of it but I'm betting they don't truly understand the why.

I'm going to say something that some might not agree with, but this event in my life left a lasting impression on me and made me do a 180 in my belief in God. How can a God take a mother from her children??  Believe me, through the years I have talked to many friends about this, and I've heard it all about the why. My thing is this - Jesus loved the little children - and then my mother went away leaving 5 children from the age of 7 to 15 that needed her.  I went to Sunday school and church when I was younger. Until this happened. To this day I truly don't know what I believe but that one event changed me for the rest of my life. Of course....how could it not?

Now their life is changed. I can't tell you how much I feel for them. Please remember them in your prayers.
TTFN
Kat
xoxo

Today, Tuesday December 7th

Today is Pearl Harbor Day. It's also my dad's birthday. He's not here to celebrate another one this year as he just passed in August. I woke up this morning thinking about him and wishing he was here so I could call him up and wish him another happy one. Today is a very hard day for me. 

He was the only parent I've had since I was 15 when my mom passed away. I am next to the oldest of 6. My older sister, who is 11 years older than me, was my mother's daughter when mom and dad married. In essence I was my dad's first child. I was most like my father, in build and looks. I inherited his 'non-stinky' feet. :o) We talked about that a few years ago. That was the last time he drove up to see me for a week. It's strange because I remember the hug when he left so well, it was a really tight hug. I can still feel it.

Last week here at work I was looking in my emails for a certain email and came across two archived telephone messages from my dad. He had called on my last birthday twice and left me a message both times. Obviously it upset me because there was dad's voice, same as always, except the voice is now gone.  I have an eternal birthday phone call from dad.

The pic you see is some of my desk eye candy, and a pic of dad, taken about 2 weeks prior to his passing, with my niece and great niece. I couldn't look at this pic for a few weeks after bringing it to work after he left us. I can look now, but not long. It gets better each day.

If your parents are still around, hug them as much as you can, they won't be here forever. And with the words said by Elizabeth Edwards as reported on tv last night 'The days of our lives are numbered. We know that.'  Yes, we do and are reminded of it all the time.

I love and miss you greatly dad. Happy Birthday!
TTFN
Kat
xoxo

Calendar Girl

Happy Friday from a very cold Savannah GA!

I don't have a whole lot today. My back is giving me fits and I feel 100 years old. I did get my referral from the doc in the mail yesterday for an appt on the 16th. At least I hope it's for my back. It doesn't say the doc's specialty on the notice. I looked through the phone book but he wasn't listed under anything specific so I have to call later on.  It could be for something else because I had blood work done while off and I haven't gotten the results back yet.

Anyways....I did get an email with my calendar pic in .jpg so I thought I would share it again since the other pic was a tad blurry since it was taken with a cell phone of the sample calendar before print. I do have to say that all of the pics were awesome, thanks to Shirley at Fancy Pants Photography.  Mine, if you didn't see it before, was themed around crochet. The round ripple I have on me is the one I just finished up for my grand baby, Bella, for Christmas. 

You can see a lot of my tats....or excuse me...see that I have A LOT of tats, in the pic. And there are some that you can't see. :o) The one I wish could have shown was one I got 10 or so  years ago of the male angel taking a soldier to heaven. Let me look real quick to see if I have one here I can add in so you can see.  Well I looked all over this puter and not one pic of that tat. I know it's on my laptop at home. Sorry.

Well I hope you have a wonderful, loving Friday and that your weekend is just as much if not more.
TTFN
Kat
xoxo

How Long Does It Last???

This is basically my range of emotions this morning. Ughhhhhh.  How long do I have to keep dealing with this crap? I told my dr. last Tuesday that he lied. He told me it only lasted 2 years. When I told him he lied he had a smirk on his face that I just wanted to smack off. The Psycho came out in me but I contained it. Wasn't easy.

Hope your Friday Eve is WARM and fuzzy. (It's cold here)
TTFN
Kat
xoxox

The Pink Booty Lady

Ok, I said I wasn't going to post a pic of her, but what the hey. I'm embarrassed but at the same time I laugh because she's not your 'average' booty lady. (Do we know what an average booty lady is??? lol) I figured we all may need a hump day laugh.

What I should have done was pull her apart and start over from the booty down. I was feeling good about her until I put the butt cheeks on. After that it all went to heck. A co-worker said Monday that I should just crochet a skirt, which I tried and it's just not working out. I made other clothing articles for her and they turned out jam up. I was ecstatic about the shirt and shawl....which btw the shawl is a pattern that I scaled down just to see how it would look. I made this a while back also and stashed it so I don't have the pattern. Please pardon me on that. All I did was add a button. The other accessories are just piddling.

I'm really at a loss now. I started another amigurumi doll and she's not turning out either. So I think my amigurumi skills are going down the tubes. I thought I was getting better at it but found out different. So without further ado...........

Sigh........I seem to be doing a lot of sighing lately.

I do want to get on to another subject real quick like. Please......where ever your travels take you, take a second look when you are driving. We have lost quite a few people riding motorcycles lately in our area, and they all have been the fault of the other driver. Sometimes bikes are hard to see, but if you take that second look you may save someone's life. Those people riding those motorcycles had families. Those families are now minus one member because of someone else's carelessness. With the economy the way it is, a lot of people have taken to riding motorcycles because they're cheaper on the gas bill, so there are a lot more of them on the roads. I haven't ridden mine as much as I used to because of my back but I have gotten more hesitant to ride sometimes because motorcycle fatalities are up. I've had quite a few near hits in my years of riding and they were pretty scary. I definitely had an angel riding with me each one of those times. Please people......just take that extra second, that extra look of both ways, especially since the rush is on here at the holidays. Thank you.......from all of my fellow motorcyclists.

So on that note, have a wonderful hump day! It's a little over 3 weeks til Christmas folks. Can you believe it? My how time flies.
TTFN
Kat
xoxo