I am a cast-on-aholic..

yes it's true. I am. Today I cast on some of the Red Heart yarn my sister gave me for Christmas. I had asked for 3 skeins of the same, but surprise, I received 3 different, lol. That being the case I thought now what could I do with these? Hmmmm.......the light and lofty is being incorporated with the remainder of the baby blanket light and lofty for an extra special Prayer Shawl. The autumn-y colors are still waiting to call out to me, as is the bulky.

But the one skein, called Monet, so you can imagine it is soft blues, greens, pinks and purples..........was dying to become a sweater. So it is going to be Sonnet, from Knitty.com, which is pictured above. This is an interesting knit item as it is knit sideways! This looks to be fun, there is a slight pattern(if you want to insert it) or it is just knit in a garter stitch...easy-peasy!!!
So my goal is to have one skein knit up a week, at least. Of course I have to purchase more skeins, while the dye lot may not match, I don't think that will be a major problem. It will just add to the uniqueness of the project.

I wanted a cardigan to wear with jeans and a turtleneck and this will just fit the bill.

So off to finish up the kitchen, think about supper and be thankful that I am in a warm safe house.

Knit on.

corrections

Caution: fingers faster than brain.
should read Frozen
honestly................

Cold Weather warmings..

Here is a new favorite of our home:

Rice Pudding
8-10 servings
1 cup white uncooked rice
1 cup sugar
8 cups milk
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt

1. In slow cooker, mix together rice, sugar, and 8 cups milk.
2. Cook on High 3 hours.
3. Beat together, eggs, 1 1/2 cups milk, vanilla, and salt. Add to slow cooker. Stir. 4. Cook on High 25-30 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with nutmeg or cinnamon. Serve warm.
Easy_peasy.

Here is the Salmon-Potato Cakes.1 lb. fresh or grozen skinless salmon fillets
3 cuups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 slightly beaten eggs
1 T. seafood seasoning
2 T. buttoer or margarine
1 Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse, pat dry. In a large skillet cook fish, covered, in a small amount of boiling water for 6 to 9 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Place cooked fish in a large bowl and flake with a fork, cool slightly.
2. Add potaotes, eggs and seasoning to fish. Stir gently to combine. Shape mixture into 6 patties. In a 12-inch skillet cook patties in hot butter over medium heat for 4 minutes per side or until browned and heated through.
(Note: I did not have the shredded hash browns, so I used the cubed type and treated the mixture more as a"hash". Browned on one side and then stirred to brown the rest.)
This was a hit at our house too!

So there are a couple of things to keep you warm this upcoming cold, cold weekend!
Knit on!

Already?

It's Thursday already......and I don't have the things any where done that I had planned on doing this week..of course.
The Monday church meetings went well.........very well, one down, 11 to go.
Tuesday my friend Barb took me with her to FOW's Tuesday morning knitting! What fun. I returned home and shortly after that the 2 Kens from church came and drove my Ladybug away. They planned on making her driveable....and they did!! She is purring like a kitten again, still needs a little more intense work, but she is good for local driving!
Yesterday was a knit, movie and laundry day. I saw 2 or 3 movies(what a slug!) and knit up a storm. Started on the market bag for the shop, thru one skein, 2 to go. Laundry pile did not get finished, back at that today.
For supper last night we had Barb's 4 stack supper or something like that she called it. Bacon on the bottom, onion slices, hamburger patties, onion slices, sliced carrots, topped with sliced potatoes, all in a pan on the stove, add a little water and cook til potatoes and carrots done, about 30 minutes. Comfort food at it's best!
So off I go today to switch cars so I can go to Knit Nite at FOW.
Knit on.

Monday it's cold

I just can't seem to get warm today. And of course, I can't just stay home and periodically throw a log on the fire, no, I went to MI Works today at 1 to learn about opportunities to help me find employment!
Have to go back on the 22nd to be tested, as to better know where my opportunities may lie.
Tonight I have my first church council meeting where I am the chairperson, sigh. After yesterday's act, this might be a hard or easy one to follow, depending on how much order I can maintain among the natives.
On the knitting front, I am almost finished with the "can you do this the rest of the way for me" baby blanket by my sister. Understand, she does lots and lots for poor lil ole me, so it is not really work!
Then I have to get busy on the market bag, and the prayer shawl on the needles at this time, drag out my crayon box jacket and of course start again on my surprise jacket, not to mention the american socks and of course my KAL for socks-cabletini is the pattern. So I have much to keep my fingers moving.
Tomorrow I will absolutely get in some me knitting time!
Off to make meals on wheels supper for Tim, Salmon/hashbrown casserole. Sounds strange, but it is very yummy! Not fishy at all.........and hello, Paula Deen, it calls for butter!! So how could that be bad tasting!
Knit on!

Sunday for me,

is a new start. Just as each and every morning is a new day, Sundays are also a "clean slate". Even with the rush, rush of a Sunday morning, it is wonderful.
This morning does not seem to want to come, it is still darkish out side and at 7:45 that seems late to me for sunshine.
Today we are celebrating Tristan's 3rd birthday! Even tho it was last weekend -we are doing it today! The cake is in the oven, the pork loin soon to go into the crock pot and then get the kidlets up and the day is on!
I had better get going for now, I always seem to be the last one to get to the bathroom. Thinks that's because I get everyone else up and running first???
Have a great day and Knit On.

And so it goes.

Friday, another weekend approaches. If I was still a work away from home gal, I would either be glad it was Friday or be glad I only had to work 1/2 day Saturday. For now......it only means it is Friday and the Littles will be coming!
Tomorrow is a Leadership workshop for church and Prayer Shawl group in the afternoon. After those obligations, we will go and bring our Littles home...we missed last week as I was feeling puny. Much much better now, but still not a stitch of motivation, but I am hoping to get it by this afternoon.
I am almost finished with the current Prayer shawl, then I have been asked to knit a market bag like the one I made last spring. I will be paid in yarn, that is ok as I want to be able to get the remainder of yarn for my surprise jacket. Speaking of which, I need to get it back into the rotation, or better yet start a rotation, lol.
Tonight for supper is planned a pizza! Tim found a crust mix which is gluten free, so we will be having that! It has been a long, long time since we were able to have one, so I am looking forward to it.
The weather is icky, I am lucky that I do not have to go out today and drive. Last night coming home from Knit Nite, was enough of a challenge for me for a time. It took almost an hour to reach my front door!! Slick and sloppy were the good words.
Well off to finish up the few rows left on the beautiful robin's egg blue shawl and then crochet on the shell edging(which will not ravel as the fringes do with Homespun).
Knit On.

January thaw?

So it seems today, warmer weather, not sure of the temps, but there is melting everywhere. Just days ago, we had to have the drive plowed out! Talk about money down the drain.....luckily our neighbor does it fairly inexpensive, so it is not too bad a blow.
Started on Cabeltini socks with the yarn Kat gifted to me-I think it was meant for me, not Tim, lol. I joined a KAL on Ravelry to knit a pair of socks a month for 5 or 6 months, I don't remember which right now. But anyways, I will have some socks just for me! Not gifts, but ME. And trust me, ME needs a little self-indulgence at no cost right now.
I have started the task of dis-mantle-ing Christmas at the Teske house. I want to be attentive to how things are packed this year. Usually I am pretty organized in regards to color and rooms, but this year in decorating, I found room for improvement. So while I have a little time during the days, without a guard, I will pack up accordingly.
The Littles aren't coming this weekend, I just don't feel well enough to take care of them. Today is Tristan's 3rd birthday, but as I did not plan a celebration, I figure we can do it next weekend. Perhaps I will be able to visit Kendra and Nicole at school during the week, that would be fun!
So off to get some chicken in the oven for my man's dinner, he is working at the library painting. He did his church job this morning, so maybe we can have a peaceful evening.
Knit On!

With that done,

the inventory at my local Yarn Shop, I will have you know....I am tired.
Fiber bone tired.....who thought that fiber could whip one, but two days of crawling, walking and a little stool climbing certainly did.
With that done, I have had gratification of stroking much fiber, wool, cashmere, silk, bamboo, alpaca and much much more, I have to get busy.
Get busy finding a job. Love alone does not make the world go round. At least not in this household. So come Monday it is probably "beat the street" or at least the internet searching. I really do not want to go to Manpower and have me placed, but it may come to that.
Looking on the brighter side, I do only need to work for 7 years, so if it is something I did not choose as my first "career", it won't be hopefully for the rest of my life.
On a better topic, I have joined Ravelry's SAM5-knit a pair of socks a month group. I hope to expand MY personal inventory of socks. Selfish you may say, but I believe I should reward myself for the time and knowledge I do possess.
I also have a cute set to create as my take along cross stitch kit for the upcoming camp Stitchalot. It has a scissors tassel, pinkeepn needle pocket and a biscornu pin cushion which all fit in this Hershey's Kiss time in a red, white and blue design. My sister, Mima, got the chart and the tin for me, so I had better get it done, lol. She and I always room together at the camp, we in the last few years, have gone up on Thursday and come back home on Monday, camp itself actually runs from Friday night thru Sunday noon(or so). But since this is the only time we see the Stitchy Sisters, who are friends met thru the internet, we try and stay the extra days.
Stitchy Sisters are a group of women who talk or read by email daily, how is that for a commitment to friendship. We live across the United States with only about 6 of us live in Michigan.
So off to have a cuppa tea and plan the day!
Knit on-or stitch on which ever gets to my hands first today.

so the laundry,

is almost done! Then of course tonight there will be more.
Talked to Momma today and she is making plans for Saturday's Christmas for the family. I feel so bad she got to crying as my youngest sister lives there with her husband, 2 kids(6 & 2) a dog, a cat and they have taken in the daycare persons dog for 2 weeks also, anyway, back to the tears. Mom does not feel well, and they seem to think since she is home she should take care of the kids for them while the sitter is gone.....it is too much for her.
Wish I was closer, they could PAY me to take care of them, and leave Mom alone!
We will be taking the "Littles" and Alex along on Saturday, I hope for it to be a fun time. Last of our Christmas's here........then the daunting task of dismantling the trees and alll of the decorations, but unemployed, I will have time to do that!
Off to knit for a time, I have a pair of fingerless mitts to finish up before Friday evening. and to wrap the gifts for Saturday.
Tonight is Knit Nite, the highlight of MY week!

and so the search begins

today I emailed a resume for a job.......not a career, just a job.
That is all I need, if I could find a way to make money and stay home, I would do it in a heartbeat! While the fact that there is no paycheck coming is a big dark cloud looming, I do like being home. No I haven't organized those closets, cupboards or the craft room. Nor have I managed to finish up the laundry, maybe tomorrow. If Tim would quit changing clothes, I could! LOL.
So we made it thru the Christmas Day festivities, Tim seemed disappointed, but he usually is after our trip to his parents. There is no explaining how that works, but dysfunctional is a starting place....
So he has gone back to work, me I went back to the couch until 9:30.....that has got to stop.
Sorted thru some junk as the refuse company is coming tomorrow, and started on the routine stuff.
But I need to log in daily-at some time-to look for a job. Until this unemployment $ starts coming I am very, very nervous. I have never had to do this and wonder how it will all work.
We are still recovering from the lack of electricity, apparently we picked up nothing for the time we were trying to be warm...but that is resolved now.
So off to plan for supper...leftovers, or steak>>>>no choice for me, leftovers!

Electricity is Wonderful

we had been without power from 8 am on Sunday to 1pm Monday
we had horrible winds and zip it went.
we fared pretty well, no harsh words over being cold.

it only got as low as 45 around the edges, good thing we know how to build and maintain a fire.
I made sausage, peppers, onions and potatoes for supper on the top of the wood stove
In the morning I boiled eggs- gotta make potato salad for Teskes Christmas night, but no worry about that now~!
So now it is Christmas morning, and as usual, I have stocking stuff and the kids presents to wrap. Until the outage I was pretty much on target........oh well, maybe next year!
Happy Christmas to all!

It's c-o-m-i-n-g!!!!

I as the little girl excited about Christmas!!
Yesterday I found, in the basement, a box containing our STOCKINGS! It had been lost for 2 years, and I figured Tim had just discarded of the contents, because it was important to me.
I was wrong, I tell you! There was my stocking and all of the other stockings we last used in Holland. We hang them for everyone who will be here on Christmas day. (I don't hang Douglas' as he won't be coming, I just had a thought..........maybe I should start hanging his!) And most important........................drum roll if you pleases...................my very first homemade Christmas ornament! Yes, that clump of sawdust mixed with Elmer's glue.......with the red and green string to hold it up, that I made in Kindergarten. It has hung on every single tree since I proudly brought it home, except for last year. I tell you finding these was/is an omen. For better things to come. If the sawdust clump is on the tree, the upcoming year has to be better!
Today I sing at church, The Carol of the Mother.
A soft melodic song, a lullaby.........I wish the director of music had taken a little more time to practice with me, but she must have confidence in my style.
So off to get the day started!
Reee

Christmas is coming.......

in 3 days!
Today thru the gift of friends, I was able to do some shopping, and carefully I parted with my dollars. My Littles, will be excited with the choices which will be under our tree. I even got my own Personal Scrooge a gift or two.........he will be sharing them as I may label them from Santa. For truly the spirit of good will and love has enabled me to be able to purchase them.
Tonight, DH surprised me and is taking me to see the newest Nicholas Cage, National Treasure movie, don't get all worried that we are blowing money, it is a whopping eleven dollars for the both of us to go, have popcorn and pop! He informs me it will be my only Christmas present, as he has chosen not to get me anything, my heart is heavy thinking that, he could have not said it and fluffed thru.........filled my stocking with fruit, pudding or even a bottle of Coke, but he doesn't seem to be able to think outside of the box. Oh well, he will someday learn from my example....it isn't about how much you spend, it's about how much thought you had finding the just right gift.
So do not worry about me he will get the hint!
I still have some things to knit up---yikes there is a storm coming and Tim says the littles may just be spending Saturday night(as usual to go to Sunday service), Sunday and maybe the night, if the weather is bad! So there will go my wrapping time.......so I had better re-think my Saturday morning..I can always knit while they are here, they think I only knit for poor children and orphans anyway, lol.
Tomorrow night we will have a birthday cake for Kendra! She was 7 on Thursday! Of course it doesn't seem possible that so many years have passed since that little doll was born.
So off to the movies......and on to the blessed Season.
Christmas love to all who read!

Wednesdays are wonderful days.

I am very blessed in my life to have wonderful friends who love me warts and all. I already knew that my family did but to have these ladies show it really helps.
My Dear friends, in no particular order, Barb, Kathy, Ann, Daryl and Mary have all in their own way shown me- that it is a good life.
Barb stopped by today as I was making soup, bean and chicken vegetable, and rolls and blueberry cobbler for our gift for the Praise Worship dinner. She and I had great fun messing up the kitchen and sampling the soups!
Kathy and Mary have supported me on the phone, Daryl and my dear Ann have sent me the best cards in the mail-all of the support is helping me to realize I do give, I do matter...
don't worry my friends, I will bounce back, it may take a little time, but at this wonderful time of year, I will shine again.
Off to take out the cobbler...looks yummy so far.........

And so it goes

unemployment.........sigh.
Filed for that today, tomorrow an eye appt, Friday the dentist...
Wednesday is PRAISE at church........soup supper with rolls compliments of the Teske household. Ok just me as Tim is doing nothing to help, this is not going to be a gripe session, but since I am not working and have no value to him-so it feels-I am the house elf........no Christmas here for me I am told. Well ,buddy boy, that swings both ways, tho my heart is not that hard and never could be.
Tim is so focused about money and complaining about not being able to take a vacation, hello........what about your hurting spouse.
I am sorry Reader, I am just having a couple of poor little ole me days, they will pass.
but I am sad! Hurt and rejected and I need support
Will have to find it else where, in prayer and calls to Mom and Mima who always love me bestest.
On a good note, only 2 loads of eternal laundry to finish. and then I really have to hustle on the Christmas present scene and Kendra's birthday, wonder if I have a cake mix to bake a birthday cake for next week??
Take back the pop bottles and get one!!My allowance is 10 dollars...........honestly that is not enough for gas! So I will just give him a grocery list for things and if they don't appear........then we will do without.
Bad day in marie's life.......but I am healthy and have lots of pretty string to knit or some to cross stitch with too.........and stamping stuff!!
Hey and I have beads, and bracelets to make and a white elephant to find, what could I part with??
Made 2 1-hour hats for the project at FOW...up to 4 to take on Thursday....
So off to knit and let my heart sing with each stitch!

And so it goes

it

Rain, Ice and no snow?

Can it really be early December? It is raining, sleeting and messying out.
As luck would have it, at least for my having to drive, I am at home
Today the plan is to create more Christmas gifts.
One day at a time, looking toward "tomorrow" and I don't mean literally tomorrow, just ahead.

The Annual Open House was a Success!!

After much activity, the Open House on Sunday the 2nd, came off without a hitch! Ok one hitch, we forgot to put out the shrimp! So we have that in the freezer still, lol.
All decorated and filled to the brim with friends and family we kicked off the Holiday Season. There were about 130 people who came out in the rainy dreary weather to join in the fun. And fun we all had, from ages 2-92!!
My knitting gals came and their faces were all aglow! They even sat and knitted for a time, I wish I would have had the time to sit and knit a spell with them. I am sure we will talk about it somemore on this upcoming Thursday. I love the fact that people feel so at home here and that everyone, or most everyone, wants to either stay in the cottage or here in the main house with us!
The Littles were perfect, only one incident where our Kendra fell, scraped her knee and tore her tights-not a bad scrape, but a good lesson in that her new out of the package tights were ruined and she was so proud of them. That's ok tights can be bought new, but our Kendra can not be replaced.
I must also give kudos to not only my sister, Mima and her DH, Chuck but Mom also, the all pitched in and got it not only "on the table" but kept it so.
The rest of the week I am on vacation, yes, after the fact. Much to DH's dismay, I chose to take the time off after, not before, as I explained, if I took it off before, I would have to work everyday!!
Yesterday was a many nap day, after Mom left at 10 they started and I think I had a total of 4 or more........and still fell asleep before 10:30 pm. This morning I feel more like me! Off to do the mandatory morning knit.

So Mom is here...

and so is the Thanksgiving holiday!!
Countdown to the open house is also here.
Tim is still painting and painting.......just finish already.
Who am I to talk, I have curtains to finish up and stuff to stash away.
and decorations and decorations and decorations to drag in and place.
Let the fun begin.
I have to be at a certain point by Sunday evening and I just at this time don't see
it happening....but I do know in my heart it will.
This morning when I let the dogs out, I saw snow in the air.
IN the air is where I hope it will stay!
Off to sit for a spell.
Working on the Professor Harold Hill method, the Think method.
Where if you think about it it will happen...from The Music Man.
I am thankful for all my family and friends.
I wish with all my heart my children could see fit to be loving and caring
and home for the holidays, but that is broken in them for now.
Perhaps one day, I will see them again.
Off to tea and an afghan!