Nothing so good as Home Grown!

Hi There Everyone!

Just had to share this bounty with you today. I dread winter coming as I'd love to pick these veggies everyday. Nothing like the flavors of home grown organic veggies. The first of the season we had to fight with the bugs and slugs for pretty foliage, but just kept adding compost and fertilizer until they got bored and moved on. :D

I hope next year is actually the year we add a green house to extend our growing season. That would be marvelous!!!!

Hope you're enjoying the first day of fall. I'm hoping for a long fall this year. In southern Oregon we sometimes go from the triple digit heat of summer straight to the frosty mornings of winter. I love the fall.............it's my favorite season. I'm getting the bikes out today and filling the tires, oiling and cleaning. Perfect time for bike rides. xoxoxox Moonie

My First Ride in an Ambulance - Eeeeeeee!

Well Lovies,

It's been a scary time for me, but much better than I thought it was going to be for a few hours there. I suppose there are millions of people out there who experience asthma attacks quite regularly and they've adapted if they have their meds with them at all times. But, at 64, I've never had asthma. I've had pneumonia, and that was bad, but asthma attacks? No and it came without warning, unless you call a runny nose a reason to run to the doctor. One minute you're swimming about, having a great time on a hot day, and the next you're on your knees gasping for air. You're screaming in your head for your lungs to please open up, but they feel filled with panko or sand.





About 2 weeks before this, our association management decided to coat the ladies shower room floor with a substance that would make it less slippery. Whatever it was, I'm positive it was toxic and never meant to be used in an enclosed area. My sweetie and I came skipping into the clubhouse, ready to take our pre-swim showers and go for a dip. We were met with toxic fumes that nearly knocked us out. We ran for the exit to the pool and fresh outdoor air. Other swimmers were quite peeved also. There was nothing to do but swim, as there's no way out except going back through the clubhouse. But it became quite obvious in a short time that the odors were invading the pool and we must leave. Complaints of headaches and nausea were shared. We ran for it, but had to take a couple gulps of the noxious fumes before making our way to the outdoor exit. That was enough to send me to my knees, gasping. Have never been so scared (well, until 2 days ago). We sat on a bench trying to breathe and take the short walk to our home, only 1/2 a block away. Sweetie recovered, but I didn't. He ran for our car to pick me up and asked which way we were going - hospital or home. I said home. I recovered in about 1/2 an hour, but had a headache and dry cough for almost 2 weeks. Others complained also.

Two days ago we decided all the fumes must be gone, so we would go for a swim. Fumes were gone, things seemed fine. Went for a swim, but noticed a high content of chlorine, so got out after about 1/2 an hour. Made it outside to that bench again and then my lungs closed up like they'd gone out of business for good. I fought panic like a seasoned phobic, trying desperately to slow my attempts to breath.........in through the nose, out through the mouth, etc., as I moved into the tripod position, expanding my lungs physically. Nothing. Things were starting to spin. R got me to a seat closer to the parking lot and propped me up against the building and ran for the car. He asked me again - which way? - I said home. But this was worse than before. MUCH! After 1/2 an hour I was still gasping, just slower. I walked the 30 steps to the bathroom to get rid of my dripping bathing suit and grabbed a fresh cotton camisole and panties without rips, because I knew where I was headed. I just threw a cotton caftan on as I climbed on the bed. I laid down and became overcome with panic. I could not breathe in that position and I was too weak to move. I called for R, who was on the phone trying to reach my doctor. I must have looked frantic. He hung up and called 911 for the ambulance.

Well, I wasn't so far gone I didn't notice how beautiful, young, tall and shiny clean and pressed the EMT's were. Wow! They were wonderful to me and made me feel more at ease. Put oxygen up my nose immediately to bring my stats up. They were considerably low. We got on the gurney and took Mr. Hare's Wild Ride to Rogue Valley Memorial in record time even with road construction. They gave me a "breathing treatment" albuterol in a Hooka-like machine from Alice and Wonderland. I'd surely gone down the rabbit hole, I was thinking. But hey - I could breathe better. I was calming down.
So, to make a short story longer, 6 hours later, at least 25 blood pressure checks, 7 viles of blood for many tests and chest xrays and more people getting a peak at my breasts than in my entire lifetime......I was informed I have bacterial pneumonia, undoubtedly caused by the toxic fumes from 2 weeks earlier. So, that's why my walks have been so tiring............ I was given an asthma puffer, anxiety and antibacterial meds and bills totalling a little more than $3000. Holy health insurance! Wish I had some. Wish I lived in England, Canada, France or Australia for that matter. Come on Obama - get that Universal health care going!!!!. The only way I could raise that much money would be to sell my car. But hey.........I now have asthma and cannot be walking everywhere in the frigid winter or pollen filled spring through fall.
Two weeks have now passed since this event. I used all the meds as instructed and saw my doctor at the clinic for a follow up. The antibiotics had done their job and now I would be living with two different kinds of asthma puffers in my purse. I think I'm in denial. I have only used one once. I think I just need to process this for awhile until I'm comfy with it. Walking has resumed, but on the small circle, not getting too far from home. And I haven't been anywhere alone for a month or more. So, a certain amount of fear is obviously controlling me. I sleep too much. I seem to have lost my creative zeal. So.......I have my work to do. All comments that might help would be appreciated.
I'll post some pretty pics soon. Getting ready for a yard sale and to clear out the clutter.
Wishing you easy breathing,
Moonie






Hugs to all,


Moonie Girl

Another Birthday

Tick Tock!

So, another year ticked by for me this month. Yes, I'm a double Gemini, which actually makes me 4 people rolled into one, and I'm beginning to look like it - every year getting a little wider! How does that happen? Well, actually, the truth is that I sit on my butt too much these days, causing it to spread, muscles weaken, and things settle. For all you in your 30's and 40's who think this just happens to someone else not as smart and firm as you - HA! I was a 100 lb athletic woman most of my life. You're not immune. Keep moving. Keep using those muscles or gravity will get you too!!!! Not being mean.....just stating a fact.

At 64 I've learned a few things and one of them is - get lazy and you will have to take pills and pills and more pills. Keeping on the move and pumping clean oxygen into your body regularly, daily, that's the secret to youth. I don't look bad at my age, but I don't feel great. Pretty sure it's because I didn't follow that rule.

So, here we are. My sweetie and me on my 64th in my favorite place on the planet; Lithia Park, Ashland Oregon. The place of my birth, my youth.

Calendars, Diaries & Journals

Days and Details

And 1/2 finished projects

Dad asked me yesterday what the date was the last time he was in the hospital. I drew a blank even though it was just a couple weeks ago. I had to come home and shuffle papers and then that didn't seem right either. So, I went to my blog to find out exactly the time line of his last two trips to the Hospital. Time really gets away from a person. Some people remember dates of everything so clearly, but my days seem to all melt into one another. I'm always promising myself I'll put everything down in my day timer, but that's not a physical thing anymore. It involves sitting at the computer, not opening a leather bound binder filled with sticky notes. I'm missing that, actually. I'm wanting the hand written word back. However..........I'm getting a vision of a perfectly ordered life on my computer, complete with pictures, dates, receipts. So incredibly orderly and perfect. My life in review. Kind of like a romantic movie. All scripted with lovely and perfect backgrounds, wardrobes. Sigh..........

WHO AM I KIDDING????? I would Just not get to it for days, weeks. There would be big blanks and there I'd be.....shuffling papers again, trying to figure out what the date was on the last hospital visit, just like today. Oh to be that orderly person I can be in brief segments.......ALL THE TIME! The person who ends the day with 15 minutes at the desk, stapling the notes and receipts to the "daily" page with a few scribbled highlights of the day in my own handwriting. some nice photos of the roses, my latest crochet creation, my loved ones, the sky, the sunset. Ahhhhhhhhhhh.. That's just my fantasy self/life.

However, today I will make more of an effort to be orderly and have information at my fingertips. And I'll finish that tote too! Now........where did I put that note to myself about the hospital dates??????????

Hoping you have an orderly, yet extraordinary day!

Moonlight

Graduation

One Giant Step

There are things you don't know whether to share with anyone or not. Windows into your personal life that aren't such a good view. But there are some things you need to get out anyway. So, I trust you won't judge too harshly. Here goes.........

My grandson graduated from high school last night. He's a great kid, almost a man. We differ in philosophies and politics, but who cares, I just adore him. I didn't receive my invitation to the ceremonies however. I did recieve an announcement the day after his graduation. I guess I should be grateful for that. My daughter and I haven't spoken in almost a year and only live about 3 miles from one another. My heart aches every day, but what can I say........ sometimes it's best to just release your children to find their own way.

Now Charlie will take his first steps in life to make all his own decisions, become the person he wants to be and what he can't have, hopefully he'll be gracious about it and be grateful for what he can have. I wish for him to find compassion, respect and appreciation for his elders and his peers. I wish him much love and little heartbreak and hope we become close again some day soon. All my love, good thoughts and wishes to him, his mom, dad and sister at this very special big step in his life. This is His time now....... let him use it wisely and fully, enjoying every possible moment.

With much love,

Grandmother Moon

A Memorial Day Weekend to Remember

What can I say? This was the worst weekend I can ever remember. I woke up early Saturday morning to the phone ringing. My mom was telling me dad was in the hospital and had a touch of pneumonia. Said he was OK and would be spending the night at least. Dad just had his pacemaker replaced two weeks ago, and I had been concerned because he wasn't getting his groove back very fast. This explained it.
Later in the day, my sweetie told me his back pain had gone beyond the point where any amount of Ibuprophen was going to help, and tearfully stated he'd had enough and we should go to emergency. So, dad on the 3rd floor, and Rayne on the 1st floor. They gave him a shot in each cheek and took an xray. The good news is, no cracks or breaks in his spine, but symptoms of nerve damage are real and must be followed up with an MRI in the near future. For now, it's medication to take down the swelling and give those nerves time to heal if they will. This is so difficult for a man who is always on the move......Mr. Fixit........a gardener......a furniture refinisher.....a home remodeler, to be in bed for months is very, very difficult. Whew! What a weekend.
Dad is home, with meds, with a no-salt diet, with hope to get better so he can tend his garden this summer. Speaking of which.......I'm on my way over there with dinner and to transplant the tomato plants. Here are some pics from the last few days.

Took a little chicken noodle casserole to mom and dad along with some jello salad, some ensure and straws to drink it down. Mom is looking too skinny! I told her how to mix some instant coffee in it and add ice. It'll taste like an iced Mocha!!!! :D

My roses! They are spectacular and abundant this spring. I have spent every available hour trimming, feeding, spraying, the past few evenings to calm down from the hectic days.

These intense Pinks are glorious and the yellows so sweet!

Is this the perfect pink rose, or what?!!!!!


And this coral.........arousing!!!!

So, now mom is not feeling well. She's very tired and woozy, she says. It could be stress. It could be more. If she's not better tomorrow when I do the plantings, we will be going to the hospital.......again! What did I do to deserve this?????? Guess I'd better speed up the crocheting. When I crochet a lot, things seem to go smoother. Let's see.........what shall I attempt now? Any ideas?

Until tomorrow,

Hug with your eyes like a puppy or kitty if you can't hug with your arms.

Moonie Girl

Stripy Totes

Forgot to add a couple more pics to the last blog.

Lucy.......this is for you!!!! I know how you love stripy anything! :D

So, I now have 3 stripy bags to hold my big projects. I could have crocheted big bags, but I want to use my precious yarn for the projects themselves.

And, here's a couple bonus pics to show my latest hats and bags.

YUM???

City Wide Yard Sales 2 Counties!!!

OMG! I have never seen so many yard/garage/estate sales in my life!!!! And I would have if they had happened. Sign of the times, I guess. People are getting rid of excess to fatten their wallets, or - in my case - to pay the utility bills, etc. Street after street of sales. We had planned to go to nearby towns also, but ran out of energy, time AND $$$. It was like a treasure hunt that paid off.

For my sweety, it's almost his birthday, so when I saw the high back black leather swivel office chair.......I bolted for it. Talked them down $5 to $20 and stuffed it in the trunk. Also found a brand new in box French Mandolin veggie slicer in stainless with all the goodies. He's always wanted one of those.....$5

Then, for me...........Oh my goodness..........I hit the mother lode!!!!!

These totes are absolutely fabulous!!!!! The blue stripy one is enormous. It will hold an afghan and have plenty of room to spare. Canvas, lined with waterproof nylon. Almost new - $2 Yummy! I was so excited. Then I found the pink stripy one with leather bottom, straps and lovely lining. NEW! $8. Plus a leather strappy bag I haven't taken a picture of as it's dark brown and doesn't show off well. It was $10 because it's a Tignanello!!!!!!!!! Made me palpitate!!! So many exclamation points here. Sigh.........it was just so much fun.

Oh...........the recipe cards and box......these are so cute with the most adoragle fairies on them. I'm usually not a fairy person, but these are really special. High Quality. $2. for the box full.

Now..........for those of you who know I'm crazy about making hats.........I found a beautiful hat box too plus photo box - both beautifully lined. $4 for both. Aaahhhhhh!

So, tonight I'm really wasted! Wore myself out having so much fun. So, when I discovered a puddle of water under the sink, it just didn't seem that traumatic. We both got on our hands and knees, removed the disposal, which was loose and the leaker, re-attached it tightly and didn't have a nervous breakdown over it.

I will stay home tomorrow. I will, I will. Surely all the good stuff is already gone. Right? Don't you think? Besides......need to vacuum, dust, clean out the closet. Oh dear......I'd better go look at all my neat new-to-me treasures again.

Have a happy weekend,

Moonie girl

May is the New April

Good Morning!

The saying goes that April brings showers and May flowers. However, this year May gets it all! Showers and Flowers!!! We get the sun for a bit in the afternoons if we're lucky to tend to the new garden and mow the grass. The rest of the time.........CROCHET!!!!! I have been busy with hats and bags and the new one planned is going to be the happiest things I've done yet, but you'll have to wait for that.

I'm still in the summer floppy brim mode with the hats and have added a single strap to some of the bags as well as embellishing with a few flowers. Makes me smile.

This one is crisp fresh white with sea scape green, deep ocean blue and a touch of intense purple, as in purple mountain majesty. :D A celebration of the season! You can see this set at my Etsy store.

Well, I had hoped to share the garden, the koi pond and 2 more hat and bag creations, but it's Friday morning. And around here Friday morning is Garage Sale and Estate Sale Day. This weekend is the biggest day in the valley for those......kind of a kickoff of the season. City wide yard sales are posted by the hundreds on Craig's List today and we are mapping our stops as I type. So, it's off to get dressed and out the door by 8 am. I'll take some snaps and share them with you in the next couple days. So for now, I'll leave you with a little picture of my cats. :D Merlin is standing with Buddha Bear in black and Latte' at his feet. Aren't they superb?!!!

Hugs and happy treasure hunting to all,

Moonie girl

Hospitals, Loved Ones & Crochet

Good Morning!
Or.....should I say "Good painful Morning". I was so uptight all day Tuesday that my back feels like someone hit me with a large hard object between the shoulder blades. That is where I hold my stress. I need a massage, a swim, some yoga exercise maybe - right after I share this with you.

It was quite a day. I left home in the morning in the middle of a rain/hail storm. It was a good old fashioned Oregon Coast-type rainstorm. I hydroplaned my way to the hospital where my father was having his old pacemaker replaced with a smarter, fully charged new one. I decided to plop my wet self down in the waiting room and give mom and dad some space in that tiny cubicle waiting for surgery. I would go in just before 11am to wish him well and collect mom to go have an early lunch in the lovely new cafeteria.

I realized this new Cardiac waiting area was also the Pediatric waiting area. Now, why in heaven's name would a hospital combine those two things??? Snotty nosed, hyperactive, ill crying children in the same waiting room as families anxious to see if their loved one's ticker had been fixed and they had survived????? Between worries over dad and practically seeing the germs fly through the air in my direction, I was a bit of a basket case from the get-go. Swine flu anyone???? Lordy!

Nothing to do but settle into my crochet project, a summer floppy hat and matching tote bag in natural beige cotton. The hat was finished and I was creating a bag to go with it using the shell pattern detail of the hat, but having no pattern for the bag, just making it up as I went along. I had a good idea how I wanted it to look and it was working surprisingly well.

"What's that??? What are you making?" a pediatrics nurse on the fly put on her brakes, backed up and demanded I show and tell. Ha! I did and she gushed and oooooowwd and awwwwwd, begging to take the hat into the ward to show the other nurses. She promised to be right back and kept that promise with 2 other nurses in tow. They wanted that pattern badly and they were going to compliment and flatter me until I gave it up. :D I did, of course. I'm so easy. :D Out came the pattern from my project bag and it no sooner saw the harsh tube lighting than it was snatched from me and disappeared into the xerox machine in the other room. Now, everyone in the pediatric ward will be on their way to Wal-Mart to buy a big cone of natural color Peaches & Cream cotton yarn. That's my private stash! I should learn to keep my mouth shut!!!!

So, after a bit more hooking, I grew impatient and called the nurses station in the holding tank again. She invited me in to see dad before he was wheeled into surgery. It was 11:15. Mom and dad were hungry, nervous, anxious. At 12 noon, when the wooden stool was causing my sciatica to scream in agony, I bugged the nurses station again to politely inquire about the hold up? Afterall, an hour late, IS an hour late. No word....just wait. At 1:30, with no explanation for the wait, we were becoming quite anxious. They administered some Valium to dad and his eye lids were 1/2 mast within 15 minutes. Yay! Give me two please!!!!!! Dang. At 2pm they finally came after dad and mom and I wobbled down those long, long hallways in search of food. ANYTHING! We had rather unhealthy choices for a hospital, but at least we stopped feeling faint.

We made our way back to the waiting room to join another couple waiting for a new pacemaker patient and a family with too many kids to count, one with a horrible cough, one bouncing off the walls like a Ninja and one very sweet, curious 9 year old girl in love with crochet. She just walked up, leaned against the post and said "I love your crochet project. Is it a purse?" All grown up like, she told me she'd been crocheting since she was 6. She made hats for her sibs and was working on a baby blanket for the newest addition to the family. She said it took her very long to make things and she was good at it but very slow. She couldn't wait until she could make things as beautiful as mine. Her eyes were star struck. First time I've ever felt like an idol of some sort. My goodness......I was thrilled and told her to just keep on practicing because it would come easier and better that way. About then, her mother and grandmother said it was time to go and she disappeared with a wave and admiring look. Sigh. Made my day, week, month. Very special.

I had finished that bag at warp 10 speed with the help of a lot of anxiety, except for the straps, which I just finished at home,

at 4pm when a nurse stepped in to say dad had been taken to his room. She led us down 3 miles of corridors and a ride up two floors and another mile of walking to dad's room. We would never find our way out after this. NEVER! I was actually worried.

There's my dad..... 84 years old, sitting up in bed with the food menu in front of him as he is starved and wants food now! He's all pink and feeling fine, anxious to share his experience with us. They did not put him out, he says. Just used a local. He says those surgeons and nurses chat like crazy through the whole thing about everything but the surgery. Mom and I just looked at one another and said "why do we worry? He's like the EverReady Bunny, complete with batteries!" On that, I pointed my weary bones down the hallway in search of the right bank of elevators that would take me to the North Entrance parking lot. I was elated I found my way with only asking directions once, however........ we were having a wild and crazy hail storm, the size of pea gravel, like I haven't seen for years. My car was 2 football fields away. I was going to get wet. I didn't care........just wanted to get out of that place and breathe some fresh air!

I got home just in time to take my sweety to his chiropractor visit. He can't take 20 steps without writhing in pain. I'm afraid I'm going to be back in that hospital in another waiting room soon. I wonder how much it would cost to have a bubble made for myself.......

Reality Bites!

Hello Again,

When I have a choice, I direct my mind in a creative direction. Planning the next project, choosing colors, visualizing the finished product, feeling the excitement build. It's how I keep myself "Up". Otherwise, I just slide down the rabbit hole into the darkness of reality or perceived fears which are usually unfounded. Are you like that? I have a feeling more of you than not are, as we are all pretty much the same as humans, yet feeling that we are quite different from one another. Strange.

My concern today is my father, and then of course, my mother. My father has had a pacemaker for 8 years. It's time to change it out. He is now 84 and has been plagued by back operations for the past several years. The problem with him having surgery is about the blood thinners he has to stop taking for surgery. It has resulted in a stroke a couple times....scarier than the surgery itself. So.......I'm worried, of course. And worried for mom who is a little frail. They have made it through worse, but they're a little tired right now and not really up for this.

I'm not a care-giver by nature. Am rather awkward in that role and tend to hang back and ring my hands. However........there is just no way to turn this into a creative project with exciting colors, so I must face reality and try to help them when myself is teetering precariously. So.......cleaned their house yesterday. Should really cook some lovely things that can be frozen today and deliver them tomorrow as the next day is surgery day. I must ask my father if all is in order or if there is something he'd like to discuss before the operation. So difficult for all of us. Sigh......... And then I must take care of myself so I don't spiral out into the Universe or crumble into pieces. How shall I handle the stressful day in the hospital (me who suffers from panic attacks and phobias), waiting for news on a stress level of 10 (not good at all) ? Well, I'll take my crochet, of course. I need to plan something colorful with a familiar pattern because following new directions would certainly end in an odd looking item when my mind is racing with fearful thoughts.

So, I have decided. I'm going to start a cotton yarn tote bag with sturdy handles and colorful flower appliques. I have made 3 of these in acrylic. This new one shall be in springier colors with a base of Natural color and using up all the ends of all the skeins of every color of the rainbow. I want it to be a happy bag. Cheerful and positive. Fun and free. No worries. No fears. Just simple joy of existance.

Thank you once again Lucy, from Attic24, for your inspirations and your joyful expectations in life. Blogs are much deeper and much grander and many times more helpful than anyone ever guessed. I certianly hope I've helped someone work through their "reality bites" problem today.

Happy Hooking!

Planning Mother's Day & The Garden

Good Morning All!

Today seems like a perfect day for me to make plans, organize, get a handle on some loose ends and half-formed ideas. I have been getting ready for Mother's Day for about a month now. So, things are well formed and handled as far as making some hooky gifts to give and to sell. (Picture above is one example. See more in my Etsy Store )I'm ready in that department, but as far as personal plans.....still up in the air. What would my mom like to do? If it's a warm sunny day, I suspect she'd like to go for a nice drive and have lunch somewhere quaint. I'm thinking about the crowds too. So, I should have two plans maybe. One that involves a mountain lake and a picnic basket, and one that involves a nice cafe' in the lovely little town of Jacksonville. Oh, I'd better get some pictures for you who don't live in this area. It's such a picturesque place. Well, that's what I'm working on in my head today. What are you working on? Your garden???????

My Garden.........

Well now, is that pitiful or what???? I'll have an update or two tomorrow, hopefully. The tomatoes and other tender starts will go in next week when the night temps are more reliable. Love those fresh veggies and herbs. This is the smallest area we've ever had for gardening, but it's OK. We can always dig up the grass if we need more space considering the prices in the grocery store. Maybe I should consider more canning this year, especially fruit. Must decide.

So, time to get myself together today. Hope you have a wonderful one. And if you're having trouble getting out of your own way today - just start thinking about what you can do for someone else and go do it. That's what I'm doing today. Thinking about myself is just tiring!

Hugs,

Suz

Tuesday Surprise

Hello out there!

Today's a surprise for me. Tuesdays we go to my parents house to clean, organize, tackle projects. They are such wonderful people, and at 84 they need a little extra help with chores, repairs, and projects like a spring garden. Today was going to include a lot of the latter, but dad called saying mom wasn't feeling well today and could we make it another day. So.....what to do with a day that wasn't planned when the rest of the week is? How about straighten the garage a little.........look for that shower part so we have two working showers again......find a few other necessities buried in the abyss! Found the shower part. Yay! One step closer to having my shower back after 3 months of sharing his, which is fine, it's actually brighter in there, but all my stuff is in mine. You know what I mean.

Anyway........I have to make this fast today because now that I've made it clear I want these things done, I have to participate. (cussing a little) ;P But, I was reading my favorite blog, Attic 24, by my favorite blog artists, Lucy, when I told her the things I've crocheted this week while she was on vacation and promised to have pics available and some instructions. So.....here we go!

I have a friend who is about to lose her hair, so I thought I would crochet a cute cotton curly brimmed hat with some little flowers for her. I chose some pinks for the flowers because that's her favorite color. The pattern for the hat can be found on http://www.lionbrand.com/ and the little flowers are my own pattern. At least I think it's my own because I've never seen this pattern anywhere. I have two versions, 5 petal and 6 petal. I'll try to make the instructions as clear as possible.

Suzi's Little Flowers

100% cotton yarn

Size D (US) Crochet Hook

• Pattern is for 5 petal flower. For 6 petal, use (11) sc and make 6th petal.
• Ch 4, slip st to make a circle
• Ch 2, (is 1st sc) and 9 (11) more sc inside circle, sl in top of ch 2 st
• Change color of yarn if you like at this point
• *Ch 3, 2 dc in next st, ch 3, sl st in next st.* (one petal made)
• Repeat * - * 4 more times (5 for 6 petal flower). Sl st and fasten off.

I hope that was clear enough for you. Not as clear as dear Lucy's instructions for sure, but the best I can do today. Here's a pic of the finished hat and some cute detail I added.

See this little back area......... The hat was a little loose, so I wove some green yarn in and out about 6 times and cinched it to make a little bow. Now, she can let it out easily should it shrink when she washes it. Just a simple little solution :D Don't you love the viney part?????

So......... Enjoy and I welcome comments. Have to run as "Sweetheart" is now turning into a whiny bear!

xoxox

Suzi

Hello out there!

I'm wondering if you might feel this way too....... Monday Mornings always scare me. I'd like to sleep through them, actually. Sunday is my day to ignore all obligations, forget about bills and problems and pretend all is well in my world. So that sets up Monday morning as a reality check and these days - that's not fun. In fact, it can be down right scary. So......I've decided that I need to view Monday differently. Maybe designate Monday as....... say, Cleaning Day. However, that is definitely NOT something I look forward to either. Let's face it....I'm not a planner or a list follower. I do get a lot done, but not always what is important to do. I create pretty things. That should be my only job, Right??? The rest of the ugly stuff should be handled by someone else, someone who's passion lies in detail and organization. Right? Oh for life to be so simple.

So, getting through the day without at least a panic attack or two, high anxiety being normal, is usually Monday's main task. I've tried many different tactics, avoidance and denial being the most often applied. And how's that working for me????? Ha! Not well. So, today I'll tackle things head on. That should be interesting.........................maybe I'll just crochet a little something first.

Come On In, the Water's Fine!!!!!

So, I'm new to blogs as you will discover easily. Not classy and professional YET, but give me time. Just started reading a few blogs around the first of the year when it was too cold to go outside and I was feeling rather lonely and unfocused. At first, I felt like I was somewhat of a voyeur.......then realized I was not only learning new things, I was finding a re-awakening of my crochet passion for one thing. Needed that to offset the gray winter with some lively colors. Thanks to some lovely ladies in Britain, who love to crochet and enjoy life's simple blessings, I found a way to actually enjoy this winter even in the midst of such a horrid recession. I sell my crochet items on etsy.com with so many creative people. I also sell a little on ebay and Craig's List. I'll post links to my items as soon as I get more organized in this endeavor to communicate, provide information, entertain and hopefully create a fun sanctuary for those of you out there like me......who have a lot to share, but little time to connect the "old fashioned" way. :D

Thanks for visiting and hope you find something to make your day brighter here. I plan on adding music, some videos of fun, educational and entertaining items, a couple games. In otherwords, providing a place you all like to come and hang out.

Blessings, Namaste', TaTa & Gooday to all,
Moonie