Better Late Than Never!

Ok, so admittedly, I am not a serious blogger - yet!! I've been away so long I didn't realize Blogger had updated - LOL! Now I have a few days of vacation so, I'll try to catch up.

We spent Thanksgiving in Las Vegas with HWFRCA's (code for hubby - read an earlier post to learn his identity) family. One of his sisters and her family lives there. HWFRCA treated us to a stay at the Monte Carlo hotel & casino. It was my birthday present (B-day is December 3). He also bought me the Nevada Brighton bracelet. Now I have 3 Brighton state bracelets - California, Hawaii and Nevada. If you are a collector, you know that you can only get them in that state. It's sort of the jewelry version of the stickers travellers used to put on their suitcases or on the car windows that show where they've been. Me - I kinda like the jewelry!

We had a really great time! Got to spend time with his family and have some fun seeing the sights of Vegas.

We hadn't been on the strip in years and were all excited to take our bucket of coins we'd saved to play the slots. Little did we know that the machines no longer take coins!! What a let down! We kept our money. It's no fun to put your debit card in a ATM machine,get a paper ticket and feed it to the slots. So much for progress.

The highlight of our trip was getting to see this. SIL & BIL treated us and another of HWFRCA's sis & hubby. It was our Christmas present! Unbelievable!! You really should go while she is still there. It was totally worth it even if we had paid for the tickets ourselves. We got all the schlocky souvenirs - program, her CD/DVD, a red commemorative commuter coffee mug (sorry no pics of that) and had one drink while waiting for the concert. White wine in a clear plastic cup and a beer = $19. But it was SO worth it!!


This is the water show at the Bellgio. I think it starts at noon and runs on the half hour probably until midnight or so. It only lasts 5 minutes or less and is set to music. It's kind of like an aerial fireworks display. There are jets in the water in front of the Bellagio and the water shoots to the height of the hotel or higher.


Here is another view at night. It's really spectacular!

We went to the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay. That was a letdown. I expected more - bigger SHARKS. The billboard ads are very misleading. It was so much trouble just to get there.

You know, you're on "Vegas Time". That is to say, it is always really busy and tons of traffic. Takes awhile to get from point A to point B. So, the eight of us walk across the street to Paris and wait for a taxi and end up taking a limo instead.




Here are half of us - and that's the SIL/BIL in the rear who graciously gifted us with the Celine tickets.
The funny thing was that while we arrived there in a limo (it was my sweet MIL/FIL's first limo ride!!) we departed in a TROLLEY!! Too funny - too bad I didn't get a picture of that.

Anyway, that was our Vegas Thanksgiving and we were truly thankful!

Project Runway

Ok, so I don't watch the show. Never. Not even once. But the pics I took recently at Hula Girl's birthday party made me think I may have created "R.U.N.W.A.Y. M.O.N.S.T.E.R."!!

Me: "Please try on the cute tank and headband Maga knit for your birthday?"
HG: "No!"
Me: "Please? I just want to see if they fit."
HG: "No, maybe later. I wanna go play right now."
Me: "Puleeeeeze?"
HG: "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhkay...humpf" (stalks off to get clothes)


So we vogue...


And we vogue...


...and we VOGUE some more!

Sheesh!! She wouldn't let me stop!!

Take it with me standing here.
Now, standing there.
Take it with me holding the cat...
Now with me and my dolls(sorry - blogger ran out of room). Even after bathtime she was relentless with the taking pictures - I'll not bore you with those.

Thanks to Wendy for the tank recipe and the dream swatch pattern! They turned out ever so mod! Helps to have a cute model (insert totally & unabashedly immodest grandmother!!)

ALAS, POOR YORICK!

Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow
of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hath
borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how
abhorred in my imagination it is! my gorge rims at
it. Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know
not how oft. Where be your gibes now? your
gambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment,
that were wont to set the table on a roar? Not one
now, to mock your own grinning? quite chap-fallen?
Now get you to my lady's chamber, and tell her, let
her paint an inch thick, to this favour she must
come; make her laugh at that.

Shakespeare, isn't he magnificent? I mean I LOVE the beauty of the spoken and written words during his time. Alas, Poor Readers! I haven't the talent to write the melodic symphony of words that Dear William was master of. Part of the reason I haven't posted in awhile is well...I wasn't feeling inspired. No one really reads me (that doesn't bother me so much as that it is a total waste of time if I'M the only audience because it takes me away from my knitting and sewing time - and really - I don't need to write this stuff for posterity or myself - it goes around and around in my head all the time anyway). And then there's the fact that I haven't taken photos of any of my finished "WORKS" either. "WORKS" - dontcha love that term?!! It makes any of us undeserving, so-so knitters sound rather like an ARTISTE!! Love it!
Anyway, so sans photos...I made Wendy's "recipe" for a GF tank in Gedifra's Wellness Color, variegated purples with a matching Dream Swatch for my Hula Girl.

I guess, my post is not TOTALLY sans photos - just no photo of the actual knitting. Just hoping no p*rves are looking at my girl here. People say she looks like her grandma, what'dya think? Anyway, so I didn't get any photos of the finished knits on or off the recipient. But - they turned out really cute. She's not so impressed with my knits. KIDS!

And since I'm posting about non-knitting stuff...don't I have the CUTEST 92 year young mama?



Prayer Request Update
The friend from church with thyroid cancer is undergoing radiation treatment. He chose to do it at home, rather than in a plastic bubble in the hospital and so he is quarantined. His family can't get near him. He had 3 types of cancer. Once he is able to go out in public again, he'll make another trip to the hospital to have a test to see if the cancer has spread. He and his family really needs prayer.

And I have an unspoken for one of my best girlfriends.

I also have a couple praises. HWFRCA interviewed for a new job and it looks like he will probably get it. It would be a raise for him but an hour commute one-way each day to "Egypt". But it's a less physical job than he has now. And I also want to praise God for my job and what will be happening with it soon! GOD IS GOOD!

Oh, and here is some shameless self-promoting. I recently became an Indepent Consultant with BeautiControl. See my beautypage.

Talk to you again soon and hopefully there will be actual knitting photos!

Alooooha, Good Lookin' Cousins!!

When we went to Hawaii in May, our luau tour guide, Alii, called everyone on our bus that. "Good Lookin' Cousins" as opposed to the ugly ones on the other tour bus!! So, after that, HWFRCA, me and the friends we vacationed with were constantly calling each other Good Lookin' Cousin. It was hilarious!! Probably loses something in the translation here...

So, I haven't posted lately.
Reason #1 is that it's been in the triple digits here with very high humidity and I have no energy or creativity.
Reason #2 is that I have a lot of knitting content to mention but I haven't taken pictures of my FOs or my WIPs.
Reason #2.1 is because I don't want to talk about the knitting without pics and then later when I DO have pics, rehash it all.
Reason #2a is because I downloaded all my Hawaii photos but didn't delete them from my camera yet because we keep forgetting to buy the CDRWs to back up our 'puter and it takes FOREVER to download over 300 pics...

So...let me share some of our Hawaii trip with you. You know you want to see the pics, don'tcha?!! That's me and hubby up there on the flight from our hometown, on our way to our first Hawaiian vacation - woohoo!!

This is the AbFab view from our upgraded suite with no less than 2 balconies, 2 baths, huge livingroom and bedroom!! The hotel overbooked and had to upgrade us!! I could wake up to this view of Waikiki and Diamond Head in the distance the rest of my days - ahhhh...
Well, that's all the pictures for today. Blogger is not cooperating AGAIN and not uploading more photos. I'm really frustrated with it. You get what you pay for though, and this being free, well...more pictures another day

Is there such a thing as too much of a good thing?

Margaritas, yeah. Pizza. Yes, step on the scales. Chocolate. Hmmm, nah - usually it becomes too sickeningly sweet and I've had my fill - for a few minutes anyway - tee hee!! Money. No way!! Although, I saw a cartoon that pictured a TV showing Paris Hilton buying a diamond-studded dog collar for her pooch and the caption read something like "The main reason why Warren Buffett didn't leave his zillions to his children." Yeah - I guess that is too much of a good thing.

But yarn? Too much of a good thing? How do you know? It's hard for me to gauge that (no pun intended). Here I sit at my computer in the room that is a combination sewing/crafting/computing room. I see excess all around me. Too much fabric, every notion and gadget known to the crafter!! No less than 3 sewing machines and a serger. Skillions of books and patterns. Sewing, quilting, cross stitch, knitting. In the living room sits a 65" TV and a collection of over 300 dvds. In the garage, a half dozen or more LARGE radio-controlled airplanes. (I have to throw in the refernce to HWFRCA because, he will read this someday and well - it's ammo.
Isn't he cute with his pretty plane?!!

So, the yarn stash up there. That is my sock yarn (except for a couple new additions since the picture was taken) minus the 4-5 pair of socks OTN. Count it. Enough for more than 29 pair! But they are beauts, aren't they? All their hand-painted yumminess. Too much, well it is getting to be too much for the 2 giant storage tubs that hold ALL my yarn. Hon, you want to go to Tarzhay with me so I can pick up an under-the-bed bin for my sock yarn?

The Results

Our friend at church, who underwent throat surgery on Friday got the news yesterday that the lump they removed at the base of his throat is stage 1 cancer. The family needs our prayers - him as well as his whole family. They ask that we pray every day. Me, I will call 911.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:1

A prayer of protection, which to me pretty much covers it all.

I left my heart...

Ok, well part of my job is coordinating events. We had a gala. Guess Who, was the entertainment? It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it, right? I'm not bragging - just playing around trying to post a picture on my blog. I'm such a techno-dummie that 1)I don't know where the cable is to my camera, 2)if Idid know where it was, I don't know how to download and 3)this photo was easy because it was on a disc from the photographer and all I had to do was email it to myself. Come on folks - cut me some slack - I'm a newbie!! Anyway, it happened a few months ago but it was really cool. Over 550 folks in black-tie & gowns with a catered dinner in a huge white tent. The concert, to a sold-out crowd of over 1500, was in our little hometown theater. Other than the obvious photo, a highlight of the evening was when Guess Who laid down his mic and told his people to cut the sound and music and he sang an entire song a'capella! It was entrancing! He was very impressed with our little "gem" of a theater. It was an evening to remember for me and HWFRCA!!

Prayer Requests

Our small group from church met tonight at our host's house. A man in our group who, sings in our praise team, is having surgery tomorrow morning. He has a growth on his thyroid (at the base of his throat) the size of an almond. We won't know at least until after the surgery if it is cancerous, if not later. He is self-emloyed an his wife works in their business. We (about 12 or so) held hands and prayed over him. We know he is in God's hands.

Another friend/coworker who used to attend our church, has a son who has just been moved to the Pelican Bay prison. I'd never heard of that one, but apparently the very hardened, serious criminals are there. I don't know what he did and his mom is in denial. He has a small daughter that barely knows her daddy. There but by the grace of God, go I.

If anyone happens on to my blog...be sure to send up a prayer for these 2 families!

Welcome to the 21st Century!

So, here I go...blogging!! If anyone comes upon this lowly blog, my apologies. It is a work in progress. As I learn more about this thing called blogging, hopefully it will improve. I know nothing about having a spiffy personalized banner or how to add photos or any of that cool stuff. So, you pro's out there - bear with me!! I know we all prefer pictures with our written content, and I know that many of you will see this very neanderthal blog with no pictures and WAY too many words and just pass me by. That's ok, I wouldn't blame you - hopefully you'll come back someday soon and find I've learned a thing or 3!!

For those of you still reading, here is a brief introduction. I'm a married, mother of 4 sons - 2 of which are twins. They are all young adults out on their own. 2 are married and 1 has a 6 year old daughter. The 2 married sons live in the same smallish central California town as me and the other 2 live in Arizona. 1 twin in each state, as it were.

I'm a Christian and involved in my church family. If hearing God, Jesus Christ or The Holy Spirit bothers you, then that's your problem! No apologies here. I'm not going to preach or anything like that but hey - it's MY blog and if I want to mention God sometimes, I will!

As my blogname states, I sew and I knit - mostly. I'm a self-taught crafter. Well, except for crochet - I did learn that from an aunt as a preteen. I taught myself knitting in high school, knit a couple of sweaters and then gave up the needles for the hook. I gave up the hook many years ago for cross stitch, which was given up for machine embroidery and quilting on my very fancy Swiss sewing machine my wonderful hubby who shall from hence forward be known as He Who Flies Radio Controlled Airplanes or HWFRCA. (Ok, so I'm not too original - but that does tell you something about him!) I picked up my needles again about 2-3 years ago and knit many of the obligatory scarves one does when one learns/relearns to knit - well, I did! I caught the knitting bug and since then, the sewing part comes in spurts. If I could sew with my machine on my lap in my comfy chair & a half w/ottoman while watching TV, then I think I would get lots more sewing done!! I guess that is one of the reasons why I love knitting so much is that it is a portable craft. You can knit a sock with very little to have to tote around with you.

In an effort to have some sort of knitting or sewing content, today I opened my 2 large plastic storage bins of yarn to catalog my VERY blog-worthy sock yarn stash. I photographed it, made a very crude, numbered drawing of it and catalogued it on a spreadsheet. When I learn to download photos, etc., I will post pictures. Until then, use your imagination! What I discovered is, that I have enough sock yarn to knit at least 29 pairs of socks!! That doesn't include the 4 or 5 WIPs (oh, please don't get me started on WIPs in general!!). I just finished pair number 4, in Socks That Rock, Fairgrounds colorway from the STR Rockin' Sock Club 2006. I'm a late joiner and that is the first pair in the club for me. They turned out pretty good although, I'm not so good on the dreaded Kitchener stitch. I just have the buttons to sew on the cuff (that is, once I trek back to Hancock's to get another card of buttons - only got a card of 3 and I need 4 - DUH!). I love handpainted sock yarns and so far these are the ones I have collected (including WIPs - not in any particular order) - Vesper, STR, Claudia Hand Painted, Lorna's Laces, Koigu, Brooklyn Handspun, Yarn Botanika, Yarntini & Scout's Handpainted Swag.

Socks aren't the only thing I knit - but I'll save that for another post. I know by now I've lost even the most diligent of blog readers out there. Therein lies the rub - methinks I do type too much!! I'm pretty quiet verbally - but get me on the computer and I could go on and on and on...well, you got the picture!

Hope you'll come back and visit me again soon! And hopefully, there will at least be pictures!

Thanks for stopping by!
Marsha