Quick Christmas Photo

'Tis The Season To Be......

SCARED OF SANTA!!!!!
I suppose with husband working nights, I just don't have enough to do (LOL)

A worth while read from my nephew's blog

14 December 2007 by bowes

Very interesting perspective by Jay Leno…

I hope you will all read to the end. Jay Leno puts it into perspective and makes us think about the pathetic negativity. That’s right, Jay Leno!!

Jay Leno wrote this; it’s the Jay Leno we don’t often see….

“The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true, given the source, right?

“The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed, and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence, 2/3’s of the citizenry just ain’t happy and want a change.

“So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ‘What are we so unhappy about?’
“Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?

“Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?

“Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?

“Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time, and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

“Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state?

“Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?

“I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough.

“Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all, and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

“Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top-notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings.

“Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.

“This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

“How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world?

“Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.

“Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S., yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don’t have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

“I know, I know. What about the President who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The President who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same President who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The President that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks?

“The Commander-In Chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn’t take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad?

“Think about it…are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the “Media” told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.

“Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn’t have to go.

“They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ”general” discharge, an ”other than honorable” discharge or, worst case scenario, a ”dishonorable” discharge after a few days in the brig.

“So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want, but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds, it leads; and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their actions by “justifying” them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about “how he didn’t kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way”…Insane!

“Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad.

“We are among the most blessed people on Earth, and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative.

“With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, “Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?”

Jay Leno
2007

Posted in Commentary | No Comments

Fa, La, La la la

Yep, it is pneumonia!!! Crap!!
Thank goodness for internet Christmas shopping.

Sick,sick,sick!!

Yuck, I have been sick since last Saturday. I felt fine that a.m. but by the afternoon I was sneezing, runny nose etc. I have never had a cold come on that fast! Anyways after about 2 days I began to feel better then* BAM *fever started, sleepiness crept in, headache and right now ( although, I have no chest congestion ) my lungs feel as though they are under water with a concrete block on them ( fun).....I suppose I should wander off to the doctor tomorrow....maybe....

Anyways I have been knitting and crocheting evenings and below are some of what I have been working on, enjoy!

New Afghan

Here is my Round Ripple Afghan that I have just begun. I chose some Amish colors to match an Amish quilt that I have. It is about 36" in diameter & I am thinking about 65" should be good.

Some knitting & Crochet

Crocheted hat and scarf, just for me!

Too funny not to pass along

I found this on a knitting blog, right now I cannot remember who's blog...It made my day.

Okay, So this is how I imagine this conversation went:

Walmart Employee: 'Hello 'dis Walmarts, how can I help you?'

Customer: ' I would like to order a cake for a going away party this week.'

Walmart Employee: ?'What you want on the cake?'

Customer: 'Best Wishes Suzanne' and underneath that 'We will miss you'.

Family!!!.....ooops, where's Brian?????

Ravelry !!!

I got my Ravelry invite! Happy dance!
I have been spending way tooooo much time just surfing around there. What an amazing site!

You've Gotta Be Kiddin' Me

Now I can say I have heard of everything!!!
Click link to see......

Pretty good b'day!

DH is working all night so I am enjoying some quiet time for my B'day. Started a Tiramisu Baby Blanket for the newest to-be grandchild, got a good book to read , some Yorkshire tea in my mug...can't get much better :))
oh, BTW did I mention the pint of Chunky Monkey.........................................

Life's Good

Daughter #1 loves her new job (Foundation and Prospect Research Officer ,Hospital of Central Connecticut )AND she just bought a house ( i believe the closing was today )
. Daughter #2 and her husband are making me an "OMA"
again in late June 2008!!! Can't get much better than that!!!

Some fall photos for a beautiful fall day! Enjoy!

Scott Lake Tree.

A view of Hebron.

View of Scott Lake from the Bowes' house.

Where our retirement house will sit. The saplings will be thinned to be able to see the beautiful view of the Green Mountains.

Where the livestock (goats) were to go. The house will overlook this field.

Favorite place on earth

Yup, you guessed it...Pawlet, Vermont.
Just another shot I took last week.

To My Sister

Thinking of you today . HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Weekly Ripple Update

Not much done. Four new colors added. Will show more next week. Not too sure of the browns, I am hoping once I add on some more colors it will blend better.

Finally Fiber Friday.

Some new yarn I recently purchased.
Plymouth Baby Alpaca Worsted, nice and soft but with a very loose twist.
The orange is Jo Sharp Alpaca Kid Luster...I am thinking of frogging the Falling Waters scarf (in the below post) and doing that pattern with this super soft yarn!

Here is Ripple # 4...boy, I have really caught the Ripple Wave!!! This baby is 300 stitches across and the width measures a whopping 92"!!!! It will hang down enough on our double bed to make a full bedspead not just an afghan!
I am really lovin' this blanket and it looks much better in person than the photo. I will try to get a better pix next week, when I promise to post my progress.

Some scarves I am working on for International Scarf Exchange 5.
On the left is the Falling Water LAce scarf-unblocked- done in Rowan Tapestry.
On the right is blue Plymouth Baby Alpaca Worsted in a free Plymouth pattern. In grey is that same pattern in Rowan Classic Silk Wool DK ( great stuff to work with ). The last one is some Malabrigo in a solid varigated ( gives it a nice faded jeans type of look ) using the Corrugater pattern.
Now to decide which one to keep going with.

Federal Goverment: Shame On You!!!

We are NOT ( or should I say, cannot ) retiring due to our close proimity to the proposed NYRI.
The Federal Government has ruled that a private owned company from another country CAN take eminent domain. Hundreds of homes will be taken in our area of Rock Tavern. We are not under eminent domain but due to our closeness the banks are running scared on mortgages.
Shame on you!!!

Have I mentioned how much I love Autumn???

GARDENWORKS, Salem, N.Y. 12865

Beautiful Pawlet, Vermont

Wanting to be there right now!!!

No school today, took Owen trekking!

Can anyone identify the bridge in the above photo???

Please, never forget!

We miss you, Gerry!!

I Love Fall

Things have been so hectic this summer that almost all knitting/crocheting was put on hold.
Busy with my business, trying to sell business/home, and youngest daughter's wedding made it virtually impossible to find any free time. Husband is away for a few days setting up *help* to begin building our new home so this is the perfect time to pick-up-sticks again. Does that make me happy! You betcha! I cannot believe the mental relaxation that knitting/crocheting gives to me, I think I would wither up if I could not, for some reason,anymore!
I began the Aran Pocket Shawl this afternoon with what I now think is my all-time favorite yarn! Alpaca with a Twist....man this stuff is soooo soft and it knits up like butter, I am using the Highlander ( tweed ) in a very pale green.....Don't look too very closely as there is a "pimple in the middle of the forehead", glaring mistake!!!! Argh, I must have been too relaxed as this is a no-brainer of a pattern!!! I'm sure that when it is worn it will never be noticed but as of now it is driving me insane & I'm not about to frog back a few rows....nope, no way! Can ya find it?????

Here is a great pattern. Granny Chevrons from Jan Eaton's book 200 Ripple Patterns.
I am using 17 different colors of Plymouth Encore with a G hook. This one is a bit smaller in width than the pink/grey ripple below and only hangs down about an inch on the sides of our bed.

This is the pink/grey Soft Waves Ripple Afghan, also from Jan Eaton's book 200 Ripple Patterns, that I began this past spring. I had frogged it as I was not liking using an H hook with this yarn....now with a G, I am a happy camper!!! Also it is Plymouth Encore.
This one is for us, hoping to have it finished to use as a bedspead in our new home this spring!! Yes, it is very large!

Cuteness of the day!

The Wedding!!!

Sandy setting up for the wedding

Little did Sandy know that about 3 hours later a 10 minute T'storm with 60 mph winds would blow everything down!! She stood in horror as she watched the tent rise up in the air and land by the corn field!! But *The Men*, devoted as they are, worked till the wee hours of the morning re-setting up the tent and displays to calm the hysterical bride!!
All ended up well, we had a good time -even Phil-and I had hardly any time to snap digitals...hoping I get some from friends as I don't want to wait for the professional to get here.

The photos of Dave dressing Owen were not staged by the photograher we just happened to catch them ( of course then we called the photographer up ). That was the end of the dry eyes...myself and the bridesmaids were wiping tears after that!!

High stress level--rant!

Man, things are so crazy here....As I mentioned before we are planning a move in the upcoming future. I have a business on our property so selling the complete package is a totally different experience than just selling a home. We will be selling through a kennel/horse farm broker. I have been told -thru the grapevine - to expect at least a 2year wait to sell. So, this past week I have interviewed various kennel brokers and have decided on one that I felt appropriate for our needs. I Flickr'ed her a set of 43 photos of home, interior exterior, kennel interior exterior, filled out a marketing sheet, got together my Schedule C's for the past 3 years, yada yada yada. After she reviewed everything she told me expect to be out by January. Whoa, wait a minute!!! No can do. We have to build the new house......stress..... Husband is leaving his job next Friday, has 6 weeks vacation, then will find out in September what his pension will be, in which case, if he decides to take his pension he cannot work in his field for 6 months. Fine. That will give him time to build. September he has a meeting with his company boss to see if he wants to continue full time or cut back to a 3 or 4 week schedule and , of course, prices will be discussed.Great, his decision. Personally, knowing him ,I think he will continue on in one form or another. So, the decision was made that we will build our barn first, in case we need to get out and store our belongings until the house is complete. We made the decision that we will not market the kennel and home until Nov. 1st knowing that the winter market in NY is slow....Broker says that will work and expect to be out by July but ya never know may be a year... maybe March......still stress.
Along with that I took a gamble this summer ( our busiest season ) that my kennel helper, who has been with me all through her graduate school, will not get her *real* job until September....WRONG, she is leaving this Friday....stress..... Now I will be working 7 days a week for the rest of the summer....stress.... Husband had Dr. check up yesterday and his usually low blood pressure is now high!!!....stress.... could it be that he is stressed also???? Man, such life changes.... I am sure hoping that this year will be the last Thanksgiving/ Christmas I will have to work....I am soooo ready to not work anymore.
Also have daughter's wedding this August which is turning out a little fancier that I was hoping...stress....was hoping to lose those 20 lbs. that I put on over the winter before the wedding....no way!!!! I still do not have a dress and no time whatsoever to shop...stress....Oh no, who is going to work the afternoon of daughter's wedding since my helper is gone...stress...
A few quick phone calls by my manager to a girl who worked for us through high school and college ,but did not this summer, and she agreed to come in that afternoon as a favor...Yeah!!!
Husband & I unfortunately are pack-rats and we have so much sh*t to go through it will take a year and right now I have no time to do....stress ...Talking with broker she suggested that we live sparsely and pack into boxes BEFORE November everything and anything that we do not use on a daily basis.....yeah, right, do you know that I have enough yarn to fill an entire bedroom and I'm NOT parting with it. Please give me more hours in the day. Our next step is to have a *mixed property* appraisal done which usually is value of building/property plus one years business gross....more stress.
With all this my Lupus has reared it's ugly head ( gee, wonder why ) so I am having much trouble moving no less working and packing, along with that( and the 20 lbs. I desire to rid myself of) my steroids had to be increased soooo puffiness will be following shortly.... egad anything for the quiet life right now.

On a brighter note my eldest daughter finished grad school this spring ( MPA ) and has been sending out resumes right and left. Yesterday she had 2 interviews and the one looks promising and she is very excited about it. The job was not advertised yet and they contacted her, it is for a Playhouse in Connecticut ( where she lives ) if she gets the position she would be Executive Director of the Playhouse, running the place and doing Grant Writing...they talked with her for an hour and a half and she thinks it is really a great place (albeit it does not pay much ) They will contact her in 3 weeks. Daughter interned with the Red Cross and the person interviewing her used to work there and is friends with her direct boss at the internship, they already checked her out before she went for the interview. I am really hoping she gets it.
So, that's the story, and now I must get off here as I have about 2 months of bookkeeping to catch up on.
Later all!!

Finis !

Here is a photo of the finished Granny afghan that I made for my daughter and her future husband!
It seemed to take forever and was getting quite *warm* to work on in these hot summer months.
I am pleased with it and also VERY glad to have it finished!!!

Stick a Fork in Him........

He is done!!!!
May I present Champion TRK 'N Stylebrites Yours Truly also know as Jeter or affectionately called "G-Man".
GOOD JOB G-MAN!!!!!