Braces no Braces

My daughter saw my new blog tonight and asked me why her picture wasn't on here. So instead of just showing her I thought I would show the difference between the brace and no brace. She just got them off about 2 weeks ago and is very proud.

Socks

I took a picture of the socks that I have in the works. I think they are funny looking but hey I made socks. This is the second pair I have made using this pattern and I think I'm about ready to move on to a new pattern. I want to learn how to do cables, for sweaters and socks. I found a pattern for a scarf that is in cables and it says that its the fun way to learn how to cable. Well we will see. I can see me getting frustrated with all that fun. Once I get the hang of it, it will all be OK but until then.. I like making socks. Especially these wool socks. They are so warm. You know

.now that I look at these socks they looks different from each other. I made them from the same pattern and followed it the same and look at the difference. Strange if you ask me. One looks like an elephant sock and the other looks well.... normal.

I have made up my mind and I'm going to start a sweater next. I'm going to conquer my fears and just dive head first into it. Well, maybe not my head you have to be careful of the needles they can be sharp. As the little engine said, I think I can , I think I can, I think I can. I will post pictures as I go. Woowoo!!

Wow its been a bit since I posted last. I'm a bad girl for not keeping up with this but I'm not to sure anyone reads it anyway. Well I know my mom does, HEY MOM!!!!! My house is so busy right now. Tori is playing competitive soccer and practices 2 evenings and 2 afternoons a week plus the tournaments that come up. For instance she has a tournament this weekend and one in 2 weeks out of town. Cody plays football so there is football practice everyday after school and he plays Jr. varsity and varsity so he has games on Monday and Friday nights. And last but not least Shelby plays rec soccer so there is 2 practices a week plus game on Saturdays except for this Saturday he has 2 games. My daughter plays in the forward position and my son plays goalie or as I call him 'The Keeper' sounds good anyway.

Mom this picture is for you. There is your boy.

The only time I have to knit anymore is either at the practices or before I go to bed. I don't get much done which is driving me nuts. I have been working on this same pair of socks for a couple of months. I should have been finished a long time ago. They are so cute and turned out a bunch better than the first ones I ever tried to make. I think for my next project I'm going to attempt to make this sweater . I have never made a sweater before and I know this one is probably way above my head but the pattern itself after reading thru it doesn't seem as hard as it looks. So, I'm going to give it a shot.

On the crocheting front, I haven't had time to ever begin to work on the sweater I was going to attempt. Right now I'm stuck on knitting. You know just not enough time in the day for a working working mom.

Buon appetito!!! Gratzie!!!

I cooked tonight! Haven't really cooked in a long time. We are usually so busy that I don't have the time to actually cook something that is this time extensive. I found a Italian recipe that I had to try and oh my it is soooo delicious. The 11 year old loved it and ate about half of it I think.

It is called Chicken with roasted tomato's and olives and this will become one of my favorite recipes. You can see the wine I love to drink a really good Merlot that is also imported from Italy. As you can see I have a thing for Italy, one of these days I will get to travel there. We are actually looking at possibly going in 2008 with Gary's niece and her husband. I don't know if I could contain myself if that were to come true.

Well, it is late and I want to go knit some before I have to go pick up my son from the school. His football team played at Ole Miss today for the kick off to the football season here.

Ciao!

A Rose is a Rose

This is a rose off of my 'Blue Girl' rose bush. I thought that I had lost her when we moved the bush from the old house. She lost all her leaves and really looked dead but I couldn't have been more wrong. She is now covered in new leaves with buds coming out all over. I couldn't help but share.

New Toy

I got a new toy. I finally broke down and bought myself a decent digital camera. There was really nothing wrong with my old camera except that it had out lived its time and I wanted to be able to take it with me in my purse instead of carrying around a suitcase every time I wanted to take pictures. So, I splurged and bought myself a Nikon CoolPics P4. For me and what I do this is great. I also bought myself a Nikon N65 SLR also. Don't know what got in to me but I have always wanted a more professional camera. Here are a couple of pictures I took with the new digital of course they are of two of our dogs, Indigo and Dakota. I got on the floor with them to take pictures on their level. Dakota has a place under his eye where one of the cats smacked him and it has caused a skin tag of sorts. Weird!! The vet doesn't seem to think its anything worth worrying over. I can't wait to try out the SLR on the kids and see the cool things I can do with it. I love taking pictures and have always wanted to be better at it. I work with a girl who is really good at it and I wish she would use the talent. She says she is going to teach me!!!
WooHoo!!

On the knitting and crochet front, I'm working on 3 different projects. I'm knitting a pink and black purse for the daughter of a girl that works here. She saw the last one I made for my daughter and wanted on for herself. Her favorite colors were pink and black so that's what I picked out for her. I'm using Lamb's Pride worsted in RPM Pink and Black. On my hooks I have a shrug and a tank top I'm working on. When I finish I will post pictures of those later.

Mom Help!

Sunday after the truck was towed over to the house, Cody was out working on it. I say working because the poor boy doesn't know anything about cars and when I mean nothing I mean absolutely nothing. I took him to buy a manual for that model vehicle so he could get an idea on how it works. It won't take him long to figure it out. Anyway, the door handles on the inside wont open the truck so he has to roll the windows down to open the doors. I'm in the house cooking dinner, fried chicken, broccoli rice Au gratin, spinach, with biscuits with gravy, and my cell phone rings. Its Cody calling from the back yard. I say hello and he is yelling in the phone Mom help me! I'm thinking oh good grief the truck has fallen on him or hes got him hand caught. So I go out the back door quickly kinda of worried and what do I see:

















The dogs have climbed in the truck and he can't get them out. I am laughing so hard at this point that I can't get them out. They thought they were going to go for a ride. Poor babies. I finally got them out for him and made them come in the house but now they think the truck is theirs.

Well its Monday morning already, dang the weekends fly by. Things just start to get interesting and *poof* it's time to go to work again. Oh how I wish I didn't have to work, just imagine all the stuff I could do. I tell you, I really would like to hang out with my mom a lot more than I get to. I really enjoy being around her and talking, we still argue but that's never going to end. And I would love to be home with my kids. Boy could I get some knitting and crocheting done. It's all wishful thinking but I still day dream about it. I don't mind working and I love getting a paycheck but I would love to be able to work at home.

More Pictures of the House

OK as promised here are a few more.

Like I said there is a lot to be done but you know we have the rest of our lives to do it. I have a couple of pieces of furniture that I plan to re finish in the fall and spring to match the rest of what I have, the stuff I'm going to keep that is. I have several antique pieces that need to find the right place in the house. For instance, I have a very old china cabinet but I do not have a space in the eat in kitchen to put it so it is going to have to go in the living area. So, I'm looking for the right place to put it. The Gary has a 100 year old trunk that was his grandfathers, we are not real sure where to put it. We used to use it as a coffee table but now we are using for the t.v. stand. Anyway you guys get the point. Anyway I'm looking forward to getting it all together I'm just not going to kill myself doing it. Besides I'm really looking forward to cooler weather so I can work in my flower beds and start my gardens in the back.

New House Pictures

Here are a few pictures of our new house. From the inside out its a nice house. Please excuse the pictures and such sitting in boxes and on the floor I haven't been able to buy a new entertainment center yet so I'm not sure this is where everything is staying and we are going to get new furniture in the next few months because what we have is about ugly and I think I would rather sit on the floor but the rest of the family won't let me get rid of it yet until we have something new. It will happen but probably not till after Christmas. We have other priorities to pay before we can add on another bill somewhere. Anyway here it is:































This is the outside and the living room I will post more of the rest of the house in a few.

Oh No!!!!!

Oh no....... it can not be time already for the eldest to be able to drive!! Cody is 15 and has bought and paid for his own truck. He actually bought it from a neighbor about 3 months ago but we couldn't get it moved because the fuel pump needs to be replaced. Finally today Cody and some of his friends got the truck moved to our house. He has to get some stuff fixed on it and get the tags and finally get his insurance before he starts to drive. I'm so proud of him he worked and paid for this truck all on his own. He is so giddy right now I don't know if any of us can bring him down of his cloud. I remember my first car, a 1977 Camero. Of course I didn't work to pay for it my parents bought it for me. I loved that car and was always working on it. I had friends that were mechanics and we always were doing something to my car or someone Else's car. It was cheaper that way. I couldn't work on a car now for nothing, however I do still know some of the basic stuff and am trying to teach Cody some stuff. Hehe like hes going to listen to me, mom doesn't know anything right now, LOL.

On the crochet and knit front, I have started my first graph gahn and its going ok for the first one but I'm not sure it is right but its the first. The back is looking a bit like when I do cross stitch but I'm not sure how else it could look. I suppose I will figure it out. I think it looks rather cool except for the back of it.

It's longer than what I took the picture of. I hope it turns out because it is for my youngest child, he has a thing for Elvis.

Very Interesting..

Today was an interesting day. I didn't go to court today my co-worker did because she needs to learn the ropes in the court room. Besides I needed a break from it for a change. It was nice to be in the office alone without all the lies. I do not want to stay in the office and will always go on Tuesdays to court, I love Tuesday court. I was suppose to go to the doctor tomorrow for a nerve conductor test but they called and canceled it till next Wednesday. Probably for the better because my co-worker will be out and there is a lot of work to do.

Soccer practice went well. The girls are getting much better and we were told tonight that colleges will begin looking at these girls soon. Yes I know they are still only like 13 - 15 I think but now is the time for the coachs from the colleges start letting them know what they are looking for in players.

The booga bag I'm working on is coming along well. Probably wont be finished for a couple of weeks simply because I don't have a lot of time to work on it. Maybe this weekend it will rain and I can sit in the house and knit.

The Joys of .......

I am back to knitting. I have begun another booga bag for my daughter and it is looking rather good if you ask me. I am enjoying being back at my craft and relieving some of that pent up stress I have going on. I'm dying to buy more yarn, not that I don't have an entire closet devoted to storing all my wonderful yarn. I have several of those extra large ziploc bags full of yarn then I have a plastic storage thing that has 3 drawers and on wheels that is full of yarn. That is for my cotton and wool yarns the bags are all the acrylic that I have accumulated over the years. Anyway back to the dying to buy more wool thing I'm going thru. I can't right now buy anything. All the bills are coming in that are the transferred amounts from the old house (utility and cable that is) and the new bills for the new house. Let me tell you, two of these are astronomical so I am unable to spend anything at the moment. I have been perusing KnitPicks for the last two days dreaming of new yarn and what I could be doing with new yarn. I want to make socks. I have sock yarn but I want MORE sock yarn. Sad but true!!! I know that in a few years I will be able to buy yarn again ( that was a joke only a few months but seems like years).

Boy its hot!!

Good grief its hot!! It is 99 degrees here right now with a heat index of 101. Tomorrow the temp is suppose to be 101 who knows what the heat index is going to be. I hate the heat, it is to hot to do anything. I will be so glad when some cooler temps come around.

I haven't written in so long, well since we bought the house and got moved in to it. But outside of moving into the new house and cleaning the old house and going to work, nothing really has gone on. I hadn't been able to do much knitting or crocheting because of my hands. They are getting worse all the time. I'm going to have a nerve conductor test done on Friday for my hands to see if it is the carpal tunnel then I get to make the decision to have the surgery or not. Also, because I have rheumatoid arthritis and it is starting to flair and really hurt my hands I have to go to a rheumatologist (I know I spelled it wrong) in September. I don't really know what a rheu.... whatever it is, does or what he is going to do to me but I sure hope it helps my hands. I would really like to be able to crochet and knit again like I did. I miss it. This all started with me going to the doctor about my huge swollen feet. My co workers ganged up on me and made me go to the doctor. I told them that it wasn't nothing that loosing some weight wouldn't take care of but no they thought it was something else. Ok so I went. I do not have diabetes, my heart is fine, my kidneys are fuctioning just the way they should, my liver is fine and all my blood work is fine except for I have rheumatoid arthritis and the conective tissues and joints are inflammed and hurt like hell. After I quit smoking I gained about 50 lbs give or take some. I hate it and I have been trying to get it off but nothing is working because I'm not exercising. I am running up and down the stairs but outside of that not much else. I'm not lazy I'm tired and its to dang hot to do anything outside. Gary and I are going to start walking in the evenings when it starts to cool off some. And I will be going back to working in my flower beds when it cools off. Whatever it takes. I wish we had access to a pool I would swim laps. I love to swim I think thats my favorite form of exercise.

Its up to 100 degrees again with a heat index of 105. Geez its hot.


Carol L.
The Mississippi Hooker

Hmmmm....Just say the word....

Deneen had this great idea to use one word to describe her then ask us copy and paste her request to our blogs.

Friday, June 16, 2006

One Word is All I Ask
Please leave a one-word comment that you think best describes me--it can only be one word long. Then copy and paste this into your blog so I may leave a comment about you.This is not so much about fishing for compliments as it is an exercise showing how hard it is to use just one word to describe someone! When I try, I keep thinking up phrases or at the least, two words. Give it a try & I'll do the same for you if you're so inclined. :)

It's to hot outside for a Husky

As opposed to it being "To Hard out there for a Pimp", LOL. Ok well it was suppose to be funny. Drum roll please................We bought a house!! We closed last Thursday and I began moving us in last weekend. We love our new house and we have more room than we have ever had in our lives. I still haven't unpacked everything and am really sick of seeing all the stuff to be honest. I am really weeding a lot out because I don't want all the junk around and I know in a couple of years I will have more junk. As I said this house is huge compared to what we are use to. The house we were renting was about 1100 sq ft and this one is about 1740 sq feet. It is two stories. The kids rooms are upstairs, they have a full bath and there are three huge cloests in my oldest sons room 2 I use for storage. The linen closet is upstairs also. Down stairs is the large living room with a gas fireplace, behind the living room is the eat in kitchen. There is a large bay window where the table is. The kitchen has one large pantry and one large coat closet. Between the closets is a hallway that has a half bath then further down the hall is the masterbedroom. The master bed room is HUGE. The bath "suite" has a double vanity, a toliet closet and a jacuzzi bath. Also the massive walk in closet is in there also. Back to the kitchen if you go to your left after leaving the master bedroom there is a mud room then out the door to the garage with automatic door. The back yard is fully fenced and it boast a very large storage building. The dogs love being able to go out without the lead. They are so funny to watch playing in the morning, jumping and running all over the back yard. They have never been able to do with before. However, they do not like the heat. Husky's and heat do not mix. Dakota who is the largest and the oldest just wants to go potty and come back in. He could care less about staying out there any longer than he has too. London and Indigo love it. The romp and run and have the best time. They really surprized me they come back in when I call them to come in. I'm just so proud!!! I am so proud of our new home and the eldest finally has his own room!! Whoo hoo!!

I haven't done much in the way of crocheting and knitting latley. I have tried but I have been so dang tired from all the moving and such. It's been rather hectic and soccer will be starting again soon. Tori is trying out for the competitive team this evening and hopefully she will make it. That could lead to a scholarship to college for her. She loves soccer and I hope for her that she will make it. Speaking of soccer Saturday the USA team is playing Italy in one of the World Cup matches. I intend on parking my large rear end on the carpet with my daughter and the dogs to watch the match. After that I'm going outside and pull up bushes and work on a flower beds. I can't wait. One of the only things I miss about my old house is my beautiful flower beds. I really miss them. I am going to be digging up some of my plants and flowers and moving them to the new house. I hope they will live and not go into to complete shock and die. I have to go and buy dirt because the dirt that is at this house sucks. It's going to be so much fun!!

Three words I longed to hear

Whoo Hoo Yipee!!! I finally heard the words that I have always wanted to hear!!! You are approved!!!! Not only approved but preapproved!! WhooHoo!!! We are going to buy a house. The very first time for both of us!! We have started looking and think we have found what we want, and we are going to look at it Thursday. We live in an 1100 sq ft house and the one we are looking to move into is 1592 sq foot. Plus lots of floored attic space and a storage building in the back yard. The yard is landscaped and has a garden swing and the most important thing is the back yard is fenced in and the dogs can go out back during the day. Whoo Hoo Yipee!!! We have worked so hard to get to this point were we can own and not rent any more. It's taken 6 years to get our credit cleaned up and get things back in order since all the loss of jobs and what not. Did I mention WhooHoo Yipee!!!! Oh yea I suppose that I did. I am trying very hard to keep it real and know that we should look at more than one. But, well here look for yourself

*The link that I had put in here before won't work because I got word today that someone put a contract on the house. We are still going to put a back up offer on it just in case that the first one falls thru**

Wish us luck and those that pray, pray that all will go smoothly.

Thanks,
Carol L.
Mississippi Hooker

As the time flies on by

As I watched my daughter last night riding Tara, the horse, at her horseback riding lessons, I noticed that she is becoming a young woman. Yes I'm aware that she is only 13, but she was only 3 yesterday, right? Or so it seems. She has picked up riding the horses so well and it just surprises me to no end. She loves to lope and canter with the horses and Tara is just right for that. Tara is a 20 year old Arabian. She is a beautiful horse who even at 20 is still just as full of spirit. Tori was afraid of her the first few times because she is so full of herself but now she is the only one she wants to ride. The had a English saddle on Tara and was teaching Tori how to post. For the first time posting, Tori just about nailed it. But today she is sooo sore. Now she has ridden western and English. I can see her riding in shows before long. I guess we are going to have to look into investing in a horse for that. After her riding lesson, she had to go for practice with her band at church. She sings in a band on Sunday mornings for kids service. But this Wednesday she is singing as the lead singer in the big church. I can not get over how well she sings. Again, holy cow she is growing up. I have forgotten my camera everytime she has a lesson. I am going to make a concerted effort to remember the camera on Monday for her next lesson. My luck it will be raining and she won't be riding.

Back to growing up to fast. My eldest is going to be driving soon. He is 15 and I have purposely held off on him getting his permit because I didn't feel like he was mature enough to even learn to drive. I believe now that he is about ready, so I think next week on my birthday I'm going to take him to get the permit. He is working on the weekends and paying for a truck that my neighbor is selling. Granted it is not much but he is buying it and will be working when he turns 16 to pay for his insurance. Cody has come such a long way. Just 3 years ago I thought I was going to loose him. I'm so glad that I have him safe and happy.

Shelby is 10, soon to be 11. He is driving me nuts acting like a nut at school. He has been in trouble so many times at school that I'm ready to skin him alive. Friday he got wrote up and put in ALC plus lost his field trip and then got suspended off the bus for 3 days. I swear he's going to drive me to drinking. I had been telling him I was going to take him to get his hair cut. His hair grows like crazy and had become to long to deal with. However, he told me no he wasn't getting it cut (BIG mistake on his part) so on Friday when he came home with all these problems I sent him to the back yard told the oldest to go and get my clippers and shaved that boys head. I thought he was going to cry but instead he looked at me and said,"Wow this feels better". Ugggggg!! He is the sweetest boy ever, big heart, loves to be held and kissed on but dang if he don't drive me nuts. I'm really hoping that he is going to mature some over the summer.

They are just growing up to fast. It seems like yesterday that they were just little guys and I'm just getting older. My birthday is next week and I will be 41. I remember when Cody was born and I was only 25, gosh doesn't seem like that much time has passed.

Carol L
Mississippi Hooker

Oh Happy Day!!!

The day has finally come that I will be free of the person I work with forever. She has found another job and is moving on. I wish her well and hope that she will do well in her new job, so well in fact that she never looks back and wants to come back to this office ever again.
My boss has surprised me and is looking at my feelings as well as what is best for the office when hiring someone. We, all three of us, want someone in here that we all get along with and will actually do some work as opposed to playing or doing someone elses work. This office has not been the same since this woman got here but that is all going to change come tomorrow morning. It will be mine for the next two weeks at least. Yes it will be very busy and I will not have much time to do anything but answer the phone and work on dockets and such plus I'm fixing the office back the way I want it. I am senior clerk hear me roar!!!! The title doesn't mean much at all except that I get the priviledge of training the new girl on day to day operations. Oh Happy Day!! I never thought this day would come!!!

On to some knitting or crocheting, I haven't done to much in the way of either. I did finish the scarf for the swap but I haven't shipped it primarly because its been rainy and I didn't want to go to the Post Office. I want to knit a bowl. A bowl to hold more yarn. Oh and speaking of yarn I am dying do you hear me o' husband of mine, I'm dying to buy some yarn. I haven't been able to buy yarn for awhile now and I'm suffering from withdrawels. If you love me you will help me out with this one. Your proceeds this weekend from your guns should really be turned over to me so that I can feed my need. You know my dear one that I have a yarn monkey on my back and there is no cure for the disease I have. Only to buy more yarn will give me my fix. That was a bit corny started sounding like a song for a second there. Hehe a song about being a yarn junkie!! Really I'm a yarn whore, Hey baby want a sock for that foot?? LOL. I think thats what I will be doing this evening I think I will knit. It's a thunderus night some good ole knitting just might do the trick.

See ya'll later
Carol L.
Mississippi Hooker

Foodie Friday

Carol's Chilli

2lbs ground beef
2 large green peppers, diced
2 large yellow onions, diced

1 can diced tomatos, drained

2 cans tomato paste

2 cans tomato sauce (if needed)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 large pkg of red kidney beans, soaked and cooked
or you can use Bush's Chillie Hot Beans (for my family I use about 4 large cans)
chilli powder
cumin
pinch cayenne pepper


Brown ground beef, drain. Put ground beef back on heat and add the chilli pepper, cumin, and cayenne mix well. (I do not know how much of these I use and I think there is one other spice but I'm at work and will have to look when I get home, but I will add it.) In small saute pan, heat olive oil saute peppers, onions and garlic until soft. Add vegetables to the meat and mix together. Add the cans or cooked beans and mix together. I usually add more spices until I get it the way my family likes it. I also usually fix a pan of cornbread to go with the chilli. Think I might make chilli this evening its a damp rainy day that might be good for a change.

Mississipi Hooker
Carol L.

Last night was my daughters very first horse back riding lesson. She loved it. She had never been on a horse by herself before and she shocked me and the instructor, she handled the horse very well. The horse is very easy to work with and the lady couldn't have picked a better horse to start her on. Now Tori is hooked. So now that soccer is about over with she has something else to keep her out of trouble. I am so very glad we found this it just seems right for her. I sure wish I would loose some of this weight I sure would like to ride myself. I haven't ridden in many years, good grief its been 20 years ago I guess. I love riding. Maybe that will be my motivation so I can ride with my daughter. I want to ride this Arabian horse she has, this horse is beautiful and so gentle. I wish I had of had my camera last night but somehow my memory stick got lost and I had no way to store the pictures. I bought one after we left her house so I will take pictures next Monday of her riding the Arabian.

Foodie Friday

Gary's Crab Burgers1 bell pepper diced, 2 eggs

1 sm onion diced, 2 cup bread crumbs

3 stalks celery diced, 2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb package crab meat, 2 tsp cajun seasoning

1 clove garlc

Saute vegables except garlic until translucent about 5 minutes over medium high heat. Add garlic, saute one minute. Transfer to mixing bowl allow to cool. Add shredded crab, 2 eggs beaten, and 1 cup bread crumbs, 1 tsp cajun seasoning. Mix to burger texture. Adjust bread crumbs if needed. Mix remaining bread crumbs and remaining tsp of cajun seasoning. Form into hand sized patties, dredge in bread crumbs. Cook over medium high heat until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Serve on toasted onion rolls with remoulade with lettace and tomatos.

____________________________________________________________________

I hope you guys enjoy this recipie it is one of our family favorites. It's pretty easy to make and is very filling.

Carol L.

A month..

It has been almost a month since I last wrote anything. I just haven't had time and really nothing to write about, or maybe I just didn't want to engage my brain into thinking that hard. Yea that's it!!! Hehe. Actually, I have been so busy and so much going on that I didn't know where to start. Soccer is about over but we are leaving Friday for Starkville for tournament for 3 days. We haven't gotten the schedule yet but hopefully they will not be playing 8 am games. Those are tough. And we found out on Friday that the girls team will be playing in the Regional tournament in May. So I have to get another hotel room for then. I hope to find a good one with a indoor pool for the kids to play after their games. After that soccer should be over till Fall season. That in itself will cut down a lot on our runnings. Explorers will be the only other thing going on.

I have got to get out with Cody this spring and teach him how to drive. He needs to be able to get his permit soon. He just doesn't listen to well and I'm nervous about teaching him. I have tried to let him drive before just down the street to the house but he doesn't hold it straight. Then will not listen to me about the turn signals he wants to talk over me. Now to be fair to him that's been months ago, so I guess its time to try again. I also worry about teaching him in my V8 SUV. He gives it to much gas and he will panic then I will have a wrecked V8 SUV. I guess I am just not prepared for one of my kids to be old enough to drive.

Easter was a great day!! I drove my mom and my niece with my kids to Hayti, MO to visit some of her family. We had a fantastic lunch and sat around talking about this and that. We saw a lot of the devistation that the tornados that hit the area a couple of weeks ago, did. Lots of metal silo's just crushed like someone just balled up a piece of aluminum foil, twisted metal of all sorts, splintered wood, etc. Scary!!! After we got home, the boys (and girls) all got dressed up to play Airsoft. It was wonderful!!! I got to spend about 2 hours alone, just me and the dogs. It was wonderful to just be alone.

Carol

www.stitchandprayer.com

Crying....

This weekend has been another one of those weekends. Gary and I got into an argument, well actually it was more of a blowout (we only do this about once a year so I guess it was coming) and I cried all day Saturday. I should have been over it by Sunday but no I cried all day then too. I don't know why I am so emotional this weekend but I have been. This morning I was cussed out by one of the defendents that come thru here, normally this wouldn't have bothered me at all but this guy got under my skin. I shouldn't have allowed him to get to me that way but as soon as he left I started crying again. He didn't get his way so he took it out on me and my department. My co-workers witnessed it and he was even chased out of the building my the court clerk and an officer. What I should have done is walked away from the window when he started up and let him stand there for a bit. I shouldn't have put up with him. And he called me rude, sheesh!! Hopefully the rest of the day will go along smoothly and I won't have another incident today.

Horn Lake Explorers

My son is an Explorer. Maybe I should tell you what being an Explorer is. Our police department sponsors a group of young men and women that are interested in law enforcement. Our group are led by a wonderful young man who has done remarkable things with these teens. He is one of our fine officers here in Horn Lake. This weekend they participated in a Police Olympics. Our team of Explorers excelled!! We took home the majority of the gold and silver medals and our group was given the honor of being the color guard for the award banquet. My son was given the opportunity to be apart of the color guard and carried the American flag. I am so very proud of my son. He has come a long way and I believe that he is going to grow into a fine man. This is a picture of him in his Explorer Uniform.

Tagged

Four jobs you have had in your life:
City of Horn Lake
First Union National Bank
Union Planters National Bank
EFS

Four movies you would watch over and over:
Gone with the Wind
Big
Monsters Inc.
Coneheads

Four places you have lived:
Memphis, TN
Jacksonville, FL
Horn Lake, MS

Four TV shows you love to watch:
CSI: Miami
Will and Grace
Golden Girls
The Nanny

Four places you have been on vacation:
Disney World
Washington DC
Williamsburg
Dallas, TX

Four websites I visit daily:
Stitch and Prayer
Crochetville
Crazy Aunt Purl
Desoto Parents

Four of my favorite foods:
Italian
Mexican
More Italian
Tomato Soup

Four places I would rather be right now....
At the Beach
In a Cabin in Gatlinburg
Watching the Iditirod
Piled in my bed with my family watching a movie

Four friends I am tagging that I think will respond....
I dont know which ones would hehehe


Feel free to take this and use it if you want. It was kinda of fun.


See ya,
Carol L.
The Mississippi Hooker

March already

I can not believe that it is March already. Good grief the months are flying by. Does this mean that once again Christmas will be a'knocking before long? I swear since I had children (no there are no new ones) time just flies by. I really wish our lives were not so hurry hurry all the time. To lay down and take a nap and not have to worry about waking up at any certain time because something has to be done or to sit on my front porch and knit or crochet for as long as I wanted without having to worry about taking one of the kids somewhere or answering the stupid phone. Man, can you imagine just slowing your life down to a walking pace.
On a good note, I received my purse/tote from my partner on the Swap Spring Purse and Tote swap from Crochetville. I am so impressed. It is gorgeous and I love it. I hope that the lady I made the tote for likes hers. I'm so nervous about her getting it. I shipped it today so I will be hearing something soon I hope. I always get so nervous about giving anything I make to someone.


I wish everyone a safe and happy weekend.

Bye Ya'll,
Carol L.
A Mississippi Hooker
www.stitchandprayer.com

Oh the pain....

This weekend has been busy. I don't mean a little bit but a lot of busy. I left work early Thursday afternoon and took off the entire day Friday to get the kids ready to go to their trip with the church for the weekend. I had unknown amounts of laundry to get done and everytime I thought I actually might be done with it more would pop up from somewhere in the house. Like out of the boys room in the closet or dirty clothes out of my daughters drawers because she was to lazy to bring them to the dirty clothes hamper. I ran that washer and dryer a half of day Thursday and all day Friday, you know my water and electric bill are going to be huge. Friday afternoon my friend Laura called me to ask me if I still wanted the bedroom suite that they had and I told her that I couldn't afford to buy it from her right now and she probably needed to sell it. She told me they were not worried about the money we would make arraingments and I told her that I didn't like to get involved with money matters with my friends because money causes friendships to be lost and I valued her friendship to much for that and no amount of money could replace her as my friend. She said she understood. About an hour later she calls me back to tell me that her and her husband decided to give us the bedroom suite because they knew that we would take care of it. I was shocked. Happy and excited but shocked. I love it, it is absolutly beautiful and I am so very grateful to her and her husband for this wonderful gift. All weekend my youngest son and I moved furniture from around the house to make room for the new bedroom suite. It took Friday night and all of Saturday to get it right but it is so worth it. I also took advantage of the moving around to clean out some stuff and throw some stuff away. As well as cleaning out part of the boys room to make room for the chest of drawers to fit in there. And I took a bunch of my home interiors items that is no longer available and hung up. It is really starting to look good in the house and I'm very proud of it but good grief I am sooo tired today.
Looks like this week is going to be an busy one as well. I have 2 kids playing soccer and all week they have practice then both have a game on Saturday at the same time. Should be fun!!!

Have a great week!!
Carol L
The Mississippi Hooker
www.stitchandprayer.com

To much to do, to little time to do it

I had a great weekend and a day off. Saturday it was only me and the boys, while the eldest drove me crazy with how absolutly bored he was and how he wanted me to drive him somewhere, anywhere it really didn't matter where. Which I wasn't going to do because of the ice on the ground. My youngest stayed curled up on the loveseat watching cartoons. We had lunch and dinner together and I finished my socks, YEA!!! They are ugly but they are warm and they fit my big fat feet. I really should have made them longer on the leg but I didn't take into account that my calves are the size of calves so when I wear them they come just above my ankles. Even so, I am so proud of them that I actually made a pair of socks. I have a ton of sock yarn now because I enjoyed so much making these socks that I want to make more. After I fininshed those socks I started a tote for co-workers daughter to take on a cruise with her. It's crocheted and its just full of fun spring and summer colors. It has a drawstring on the top and the purse part is huge. I can't wait for her mom to give it to her. I told her mom it was for her daughter because she was so good to her mom and took care of her. I have to start an afghan to donate to a charity affair. A gentleman that works for the probation service we use had a massive heart attack and the company doesn't offer insurance so he and his family are very strapped for money to pay bills. His co- workers are holding a benefit for him in a month. They are holding a silent auction in his behalf and so they have asked me to donate something to that cause. No problem. I think I'm going to make the filet ripple I have made before. Its beautiful so I think thats the one I will do. Besides I can get it done quick. I think it will do well in an auction. I hope anyway.


Have a great day,
Mississippi Hooker
www.stitchandprayer.com

Ice, Ice, Ice, Baby, Ice.....

Last night around midnight the weather turned ugly. Not that we didn't expect it, that's all the weather men on the local news have talked about. This "ice storm" has been compaired to the Ice Storm of '94 and how bad it was going to be. Well, I'm here to tell you, it's not looking good. It's still sleeting and ice pellets are falling from the very snow pregant grey sky. It's cold and very slippery out there and I'm not moving out of this house. I'm not even going to take the dogs out my son is going to do that. Since Dakota pulled me down on my hip last weekend on the snow I'm not risking it. I just heard a car drive down the road maybe the roads are as bad as I thought but in my SUV I'm not taking any chances. Lasts year when the ice came it did't hold well in the ice and slid all over the road. Not trying it. Besides with all the red necks around here doing donuts in the middle of the streets I don't think I will even get out. I think I will make a big pot of soup and some cornbread sounds good to me. And finish my socks then I can wear my own warm wool socks that I made. Hehe!!!

Stay warm Ya'll,
Carol L.
The Mississippi Hooker
www.stitchandprayer.com

One of those days.....

It has been the most horrible day!! That person I work with is just plain out to drive me completely out of my mind. Not that I need much help attaining that type of insanity, my kids have helped me out quite a bit. No matter what I say or what I do, I am being rude to her. I don't care if its hello hows your day, its going to come out rude. I have told her and my boss that this the same way I talk to everyone and only she has the problem with it. I'm not bowing down to her or cowering in a corner because she thinks she runs the office, which by the way I am senior clerk in this office. This does not mean I have any authority this means if the head clerk and the other head clerk are out then I'm in charge. Not that I want to be in charge of a woman that has her head stuck so far up her... nevermind you get the point. For two years this crap has been going on and I am now completely sick of it. My direct supervisior says that its the way I say things to her, well I guess I need to sit in my corner and keep my mouth completely shut because nothing I say is good enough. She is going to be able to run the office and be self appointed office manager no matter what. No one in that building works up there with her I am the only one and I hear the crap she pulls and they way she treats people and for some odd reason when things like what happened today happens I get the blame. SHEEEESSHH!! I am just soooo over it all. Ok I need to quit my blood pressure is already up because of this.
On a good note I did however finish my booga bag check this out ya'll
I also completed one sock. Yea I know that it has to have a mate and yes I'm working on that socks mate. The only reason that I'm mentioning this is I am patting myself on the back because it is my first. Yes, I Carol, was a sock virgin. I now have made my first sock and frogged the second. I was about done with the second when I noticed that the heel sucked so I had to start all over. So here is the picture of the lonely sock. It kind of looks like its for an elephant now that I look at it. But it was my first. Wasn't everyones first a bit iffy, wasn't sure if you liked it or not?? Didn't know if you ever were going to try that again?? Oh wait we are talking about socks. I will leave you with that thought if thinking doesnt hurt enough today.

See ya,
Carol
The Mississippi Hooker
www.stitchandprayer.com

Wonders never cease!

Will wonders never cease to happen?? I shore hope not!! I can not believe I actually knitted something that I can use. Take a look.... Now remember it is still drying on a box covered with an old trusty Wal-mart bag. I sure hope it looks that good after it dries.

I'm also trying to knit socks. And so far so its going pretty good. But I haven't gotten to the heal part yet. See....
Not to bad huh?? Ok my dogs are barking at me to take them out so before their eye balls start floating I better get them out to go potty.

Carol L.
Mississippi Hooker
www.stitchandprayer.com

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow...

It snowed today!! I love snow but living in the South we don't get much. Mostly we get ice I hate ice. I think we wound up with about 3 or 4 inches of the beautiful white stuff. The kids had just got out of school when it started and about 30 minutes later my boss walked in the door and told us the mayor told us to pack it up and go home. They actually closed city hall for the snow. Let me ask you how cool is that???? I couldn't believe that we got a half snow day. I felt like a kid again. Too cool!!! Not that we were doing anything to begin with it was slower than snails. So, I get home and start taking the dogs out to potty and Dakota got excited (remember they are snow dogs) and pulled me a bit to hard on the slippery stuff and down I went. The neighbor kids across the street were watching this fat ole lady hit the drive way and be pulled a bit by a large Siberian Husky. You know that had to be a funny sight. I'm a bit sore after ward but I think I actually bounced down the drive way. I'm pretty sure this fat has springs in it. I had to laugh at myself for being so stupid as to wear the shoes I had on in the snow. When I got up I was wet all over and soooo very cold. I hope this stuff does not turn into ice but it probably will.

Carol L.
Mississippi Hooker
www.stitchandprayer.com

Looky what I got!!!

I got my package from my partner on the wool swap on Crochetville today!! Oh boy did I get excited!! I squeeled so loud my dogs had to get up from their nice soft place of laying around (known as the most expensive dog bed) the sofa to see what the heck was wrong with their mommy. As I have told you before Dakota just gets un-nerved when I act like there is something horribly wrong (good or bad). She sent 4 skeins of Patrons Merino Wool in Tuscan colors an 2 skeins in grey/white and I'm thinking socks. She also sent a drop spindle and some wonderful roving to spin. She also sent instructions, bless her heart!! I sure do not know how to spin but I sure want to learn. I am so tickled about this package. It feels like Christmas again. I can not wait to do another yarn swap.

On another note, I am knitting a booga bag and I'm so surprised that I was even able to start this let alone be as far as I am with it. I will post a picture this evening to show everyone my progress. I'm running for now I don't have my contacts in and my eyes are killing me. I will write more later.

Carol L.

The Mississippi Hooker

www.stitchandprayer.com

Been sick...what else is new??

Well, I have spent most of last week and all weekend sick. This all started Wednesday with stomach problems and I had to leave work and go home because of it. If that weren't enough then I came down with a sinus infection. My sinus' feel as if someone is poking a red hot ice pick up my nose just for the hell of it. And I know I have lost I don't know how many I.Q. points from sneezing. I'm not coughing (thank you Jesus) its just all in my head. I know some of you have been dying to tell me that it is all in my head, now I have said it for everyone. I feel like, well you know how you would feel if someone had an icepick up your nose. I have taken medicine at night that helps me sleep since I can't breathe and then medicine in the morning that is suppose to not make me sleepy so now my brain is not really sure what it suppose to be doing. All weekend the dogs have encircled me not letting me out of their sight. They do this everytime I am sick. I can't move without a dog, especially Dakota, being right there. Imagine if you will, you are sleeping or trying to because you are sick and being flanked on either side by a Siberian Husky. They lay so close that they actually keep the covers so tight that you can't move or pull the covers off when you get hot. Or try just going to take a hot bath and being stared at by a dog as big as you are. Sunday I was sitting at my new computer watching a DVD and someone knocks on the door, Indigo jumps up and begins to bark, not just any ole bark but this half growl half bark thing. I only mention this because they never bark unless they have to go potty. I don't care who comes to the door they just sit and stare at them. But because I'm sick and its their job to be my fearless protector he starts acting like he's going to kill someone. Turns out it was a neighbor child coming over to borrow barbecue sauce. Silly dog!!!

I crocheted my very first purse for the swap I'm participating in on Crochetville. I have never done this before and it looks right but I am sooooo nervous about sending it to the girl I made it for because I have never done it. I'm so worried that she will not like it or I didn't do it right or something. Everyone that sees it likes it but I'm not so sure its good enough. It's springy I can say that for sure and it will hold up and is washable.
that's all I can think of today, maybe my brain won't be so full of ........what its full off tomorrow and I can write more.

Happy Hooking,
Carol L.
www.stitchandprayer.com

I could be sleeping....

I could be sleeping, but no I'm in court listening to trials. I say I could be sleeping because I'm so sleepy I can't stand myself. I haven't slept well for the last couple of nights because I have crocheted all night in my dreams. I didn't know that crocheting could be so tiring but apparently it is. I am working on a shrug and I'm trying to figure out how I can modify it a bit. So I guess in my waking hours I have thought about it so much that I am now dreaming about it. I think I have it figured out and once I get it part of the way done I will post a picture. I'm using a Knitpicks yarn Merino wool in the color Asparagus. I love it!! It feels so good and once done it is going to be beautiful I hope. I have never made anything like this before so I'm hoping that it is going to turn out ok. I'm going to be putting another order in soon I hope. I can't wait, I'm in love with their yarn. I am taking part in a spring purse swap for Crochetville and I can't wait to get my partners information so I know what I'm making for her. I had so much fun in the wool swap that I'm really looking forward to participating in this one too. I have never crocheted a purse before so I have been scouring the net looking for a respectable purse to create for my partner. I'm so excited!! I got to buy myself a new computer!! I can not wait till it gets here. It rocks and I mean rocks. I can now play my Sims, work on web page, work with my pictures and scrapbooking and anything else that I want to without the computer locking up on me. I can't wait!!!!!

Carol
www.stitchandprayer.com

Work?? What's Work

I'm at work today, not that I want to be here but I have to be here all the same. Especially if I want that not so fat check at the end of a 2 week pay period. It has been a very boring day and when it is boring around here it is soooo very boring and the time drags by. I could think of a bunch of those southern analogies about right now but I will leave that to your imagination. Oh well ok just one, time is dragging by so slow it reminds me of a hot southern day sitting on the front porch sipping lemonaide wishing for snow. LOL Ok that wasn't the best I could come up with but it will have to do for right now. See it has been so slow that my brain has started to puddle up behind my eyes and its making me one sleepy girl. So risking the fact that could get me into trouble, I have been knitting at my desk. Its a terrible picture I took it with my cell phone then tried to fix it on a photo manipulation program. It didn't work!! I still have an hour to sit here and do n0thing but answer the phone when it rings because my co-worker has left for the day and now her job falls on me too. Not complaining because it is slow today. I am so ready to go home for the weekend and hopefully this weekend will be better than the last. My intentions are to sit around and knit and do the normal stuff like laundry and cleaning of the house, but the kids are going to help.

Carol
www.stitchandprayer.com

Mom, Can I have.....It's only......

How many times a day can one mother hear, Mom, can I have______It only cost__________??? Or Mom I want_________? I mean really!!! I now know exactly how my mom felt everytime we passed by one of those displays next to the case register, you know those impulse buy displays. And speaking of, who's brilliant idea was it to put it at kids eye level right where they knew us mothers (and fathers just to be fair) would be standing the longest. Face it gentlemen, you are usually there alone and are as bad as kids sometimes, Oh I can not live without that high powered, micro mag light that opens cans and skins a deer. But for mothers its, mom can I have candy, no you can't we are going to eat dinner soon, but I want it, so spit in one hand and wish in the other (just kidding but I have felt like saying that before). Every day when the kids come home, and no I'm really not exaggerating about this, ok, you got me almost every day the kids come home from school and they need money for something else. I just got off the phone with my daughter who now wants money for pictures at school for Valentines day with her and a friend. She is in 6th grade why do I want to buy pictures that are already overpriced of her and a friend who she won't be friends with next week. Oh I guess I'm being silly I remember being in 6th grade or wait maybe that was....oh never mind!! I just get so tired of being I wanted to death. Earlier today my eldest son just has to have his explorer uniform by Tuesday!!! That's over $170.00 for that. I'm not rich, let me rephrase that, I'm not no where near rich. I'm broke!! He's going to have to wait till next week sometime. Then my daughters school wants money for several different things plus she has 2 projects due and the youngest has projects to do also. All this and I'm trying to get a business started as well. Geez, do I look like I'm made of money (oh good grief I'm starting to sound like my mom). I'm going to leave you today with a picture of our female dog when we first got her in rescue, this is her super model pose . She reminds me of today when I'm thinking, "Just what do you want now
Can't you see I'm trying to sleep??

Adventures in Hooking....

Hehe made you look with a title like that huh??? Calm down it's not what you think. I have started a baby sweater, in itself that is not that remarkable except for the fact that I have never made one before. It is proving to be a challenge because the pattern, for lack of anything better to say, is weird. To weird. To the point it makes no sense to me. Here, judge for yourself :

Yes, the pattern is actually written that way. I think that is where the sleeve is suppose to go but right now it just looks weird. I'm hoping the further I get into this sweater I will understand it better. I can always frog it and find a different pattern. I have never made any type of sweater before and this year I'm going to learn to crochet and knit sweaters. And as I loose this weight I'm going to make myself new sweaters and such.

I took this picture of my kitty this weekend also. She is sitting on the top of my desk looking down on me. Oh, this is Maggie Mae our 5 year old kitty. We have her mom also, Scarlet who is a red tabby. Maggie is our 10 year olds cat, she
sleeps with him and is very lost when he is not there. She loves that boy more than anything else.
You can't see here but on her left side there are two black spots and when she lays down they form he shape of a heart.

I can't wait to get off work so I can go home and knit or crochet, I never know which I'm going to do till I get there and of course how my hands feel. See ya'll later.

Carol L.

• www.stitchandprayer.com


• www.stitchandprayer.blogspot.com

Gosh I can't wait!!!

I can't wait, I mean I really can't wait! I know you want to know what I can't wait for and I'm babbling and won't come on and say what exactly it is that I can't wait for. I just can't wait till the day that I get to open my shop. Securing the money to open is what is holding me up but I feel it in my bones that it won't be long now. I sure hope my fortune telling bones are right!! I'm looking forward to the first time I can help a customer or teach a child in my shop where I have time and supplies. I can't wait till I see that look in someones eyes when they create something out of nothing for the very first time. I can't wait till I make that very first sale. I can't wait till I can work side by side with my children and my husband stocking items or inventoring the items into stock. I just plain can't wait!!! I would like to have my shop in a small house where I have a small type kitchen and several extra rooms for yarn storage and a classroom. I know of a house that is for sale but I don't know who is going to loan me the money to buy this house. Its a good location and I would have to make some renovations like adding parking to the front and the back of the house. I want to make it easy to get in and out of easier since it sits on the busiest street around here. Close in the garage area and that would give me more show space I could use one of the bedrooms as a classroom and the other as a room for just sitting down and knitting or crocheting together. I would have the books and maybe samples of yarn in that room. That would probably be Raggies Corner. I have never been in this house but I have a feeling I know how it is set up and it would be perfect. I just can't wait. I sure hope it happens soon.

Knitting time again......

Just want to break out in song. It's knitting time again.....yea baby....ohh yea.... Ok, OK that stunk to high heaven!!! I am finally knitting the handwarmers my best friend asked me for a month ago. I haven't had time to get it done (well I did finish that baby blanket in the efforts to destash). I love to knit but it is a bit slower than crocheting and crocheting feeds the instant gratification need I have. I love the look of the knitting stitches and how it all comes together using just pointed sticks. By the way, it still amazes me with either crochet or knit, how you can take nothing and make something. How out of a ball, a hank, or a skein a sweater or hat or anything is made. It is amazing to me how thru the ages that these crafts have passed down from one generation to another and how no matter how the times change knitting and crocheting are always accepted. I think it's great that people of all ages, colors, sex, and nationalities are learning to knit and crochet and are finding out that both are great stress relief. What a nice thing to think that these crafts all of us can do in peace. There are no rules and there is not a wrong way or right way to participate in either craft. I know I'm at my greatest peace when I can sit and crochet or knit for hours with no one bothering me, which by the way is not going to happen in my house with 3 kids, bless their hearts. I think everyone should learn to knit or crochet, what a wonderfull world this would be.
I go tomorrow to the CPA to talk about opening my business. I think I'm getting closer to being able to do it. I can't wait!!! I can't wait to sign the papers on my own business, I can't wait till I open my shop and have a grad opening, I can't wait till I sell my first item. I just can't wait. Period!!! I think....no... I believe that I will do good business and I believe that I will make it. I wish I had the start up capitol without taking a SBA but I don't. I really don't want to go into business in debt. I would rather only have the normal bills like rent, utilities and such. I know I can sell enough to do that but to pay back a loan too. That's why I have to talk to the CPA I know he can tell me what I'm up against. It's like going to see the wizard!! I think too I'm going to take my business in to the city next to us because... they want way to much rent in this small town for anything good, we have nothing here but what I think is "bad business" and not enough of desirable busineses. I don't know, I'm still looking where to open. I have a lot to learn but don't mind learning by no means.

Carol L.
Mississippi Hookers
www.stitchandprayer.com

Baby Blanket

I made the cutiest ripple baby blanket over the weekend. I have all this stash, like most of us Yarn a holics or yarn whores, and I decided to take some of it out and do something with it. So I started to crochet and this is what happened. This is Maggie Mae checking to be sure that I didn't leave any tails hanging out.

I will write more tomorrow I wanted to share the blanket but I'm worn out now. I didn't get out of court till 7pm and it was a long day so I'm going to go take my eyeballs out (my contacts.. kinda of gross huh??) then I'm going to knit for a bit.

Carol L.

Mississippi Hooker

www.stitchandprayer.com

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Work! Bah!!

Really that's what I think today, work BAH!! I don't want to be here I want to be at the house doing something I want to do and right now I want to take a long nap dreaming of opening my yarn shop and how its going to be. I really want to work for myself. I do not have any preconceived notions that I will not be working if I have my own business I know I will be working my fingers off. I know that it will be long hours and less time at the house. But... In the midst of working I will be able to sit at some point and crochet or knit and I won't have to answer to anyone else just me. I want to help and teach people to crochet or help selecting just the right yarn for their special project. I haven't gotten to crochet or knit in the last couple of days and what makes it worse is that I don't really have a project I want to do. Don't get me wrong I have tons of projects and patterns that I could be doing but nothing that has just jumped out at me. Guess I will make a dishcloth till I can figure out what I want to do. I may even make and afghan I haven't done that since before Christmas. What I would really like to do is learn to make socks and I think I could handle it till I get to the heel and that just scares the stuffing right out of me. I don't get it, I scream every single time that I have sat down and tried to make a pair of socks. If I could make socks I could make them big enough to fit my big feet and in every color possible that would match everything I own. Oh glorious day the day I can make socks.


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First Felting's

I did it!!! I felted and dyed my first project. Its a hat and its black cherry pink. I don't think it

turned out to bad for the first time and my daughter loves it and I will most definatly do it again sometime soon. I think this time it will be a crocheted or knitted bag or tote. Here's the hat let me know what you think, if in fact anyone ever reads the rantings of a mississippi hooker. I really enjoyed working with the dying and felting process I can see why this could be so addicting. My kids couldn't believe that Kool-Aid actually dyed this hat. My daughter asked me if I had tasted it to see if it tasted good, grossss!! She is a bit on the blond side (she really was blonde and dingy to boot, but I still love her). I used the Lion Brand Fisherman's Yarn. I was warned that the yarn was going to smell
stinky sheep butt when it got wet, I didn't think it was going to be all that bad but, in the words of my 3 year old neighbor, HOLY MOLEY!!! It Smelled to high heaven, if that's what sheep butt smells like we will not be raising sheep anytime soon. After it finished dying I took it to the sink to rinse out before putting it into the washer with jeans, I could see it now my sons and husbands jeans turning pink. Boy, would I be the one getting felted!! Anyway, I rinsed it out in the sink over a mesh drainer. When it was finished the mesh drainer was full of lanolin and you could smell it all over the kitchen. YUK!!! Truthfully, it wasn't all that bad and I would use it again I didn't gag or anything and nothing keeled over dead in the house. So, really its a big exaggeration.
Ok I did learn one big lesson, any item you intend to felt must be made twice the size because, duh, wool shrinks. I'm sure I knew that from somewhere. Oh and by the way, the reason it looks like a bowl in the picture is because I was drying it on top of my grandmothers bowl. The hat no longer looks like a bowl.

Everyone have a great yarn of a day,
The Mississippi Hooker

www.stitchandprayer.com

To teach a Male to knit

My husband goes thru periods of time where he gets bored. Who doesn't I ask him but he just gets really bored. He says he needs a hobby and I think he needs a hobby. I have suggested to him many times that I would teach him how to knit or crochet just till he finds that special something that makes him happy. And yes Gary it has to be special or you will never want to do it again. My thinking is that learning something new never hurt anyone. You may not like it and may never want to do it again but learning it will never hurt, unless he pokes himself in the eye with the knitting needle and that might just smart a bit. He has just never taken to the idea that he just might like to make something out of knit or crochet who knows where the possiblilities lie. He loves to camp and be in the woods I can think of bunchs of stuff he could make that would save money and time when he in fact goes camping again. Sunday he blew my mind and asked me to teach him to knit. I told him I would a little nervous because I don't know where this is leading and not sure I can stand up to his expectations in the teaching department. Well, I was excited so I ran out and went to the local Wal-mart and bought him some camoflouge yarn, I thought it might be more manly than some of the fru - fru yarn I have. I brought it home and offered as if to offer a sacrifice to him, I say hunny I bought this for you if you were serious about learning I thought this would be more manly. He liked it. Whew!!! Well that night after the kids had gone to my moms for a couple of days we sat down to learn to knit. He just about got it. He got the casting on, no problem. Taking that first knit stitch was a whole 'nother ball game. I have never seen needles go in so many directions trying to get that yarn thru that first stitch. I stood behind him and tried to help him that way finally he got that yarn thru. I cheered him on and he just looked at me and said thats it I can't do this any more tonight. So fast foward to last night, I walk in from the store and there sits my handsome husband in my chair knitting. Wonders never cease.

I have a crochet lesson to give this weekend and I'm looking forward to it. Its my first and I hope that I don't confuse this poor girl. I hope that I can be clear and concise and she understands. I would like for her to love this craft as much as I do.

Carol
www.stitchandprayer.com

Getting close now

Well, with another year creeping up on us..... quickly, I can't help but think just how quickly time is getting away from us. It seems like yesterday that I was playing with my barbies at my friends house, graduating high school, having my children, you know all of lifes first and seconds. I don't feel 40 in my mind I know that I am. Time seems to be getting faster and faster every day. I turned around to find that my children are half grown. I remembe when they were small and how I would half wish they would get older so they could do this or that by themselves then the other half wanted them to stay small forever. When they were babies I would pray to God please let them stay small for a little while longer but it was not to be. They have to grow up. My eldest will be 16 this coming year and driving is in the future, gosh that scares the pants off me. He makes me nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs as is but driving I don't know that I'm going to make it thru it. 16... geez where did the time get off to??? It wont be long that they will be in college, getting married and having me some grandbabies and yes in that order. I can see me know sitting in my rocking chair with 10 cats around me (with clean litter boxes no if ands or buts)knitting or crocheting away with my grandbabies around me. Believe me when I say that will be me. I can wait for all that I still want to be young right now, not youngER just still young.
I wish everyone a very Happy New Year everyone stay safe and out of trouble for the new year. Happy Crocheting/Knitting!!!

The Mississippi Hooker
www.stitchandprayer.com

Whew!!! We made it!!

Whew I made it!! I got all my projects completed and everyone loved the afghans and ponchos that I crocheted. I gave my niece a basket full of yarn and a case full of all the hooks, plus a book on teaching children to crochet. I can't be with her enough to actually teach her and she begs me to teach her but they won't let me have her over so I gave her the stuff and when she has questions when she is at my moms I will help her out. It's a long story about her but her mother is trash and her grandparents have joint custody and the mother doesn't want me to be around her because she is afraid that I will take her back to court for custody for what Brooke tells me and I will if ever I find bruises on her or her sister. Ok another subject before it gets my blood pressure up. I have also learned to knit and have knitted my first pair of wrist warmers I used a half a skein of Lamb's Pride bulky wool in Victorian Rose. I actually made these for my friend at work. When we are in court it is soooooo cold in the court room that we can harldy type in the orders from the judge so I made her a pair to keep her warm in there.





I'm pretty proud of myself seeing that this was my first. I thought I needed to know how to knit as well as crochet because when I open my yarn shop.
I received some pretty good and special gifts this year. My husband bought me a 1/2 caret diamond ring and I got a great photo printer. I have never gotten a ring before so that was something special. I hope that everone has had a wonderfull Christmas and a very happy and safe New Year!!!.

Carol
www.stitchandprayer.com

To Felt or Not to Felt

I made an adorable hat last night and started working on a scarf. Tonight, if I get out of court at a decent time (which at this point it is not looking good) I plan on felting it then on Thursday I hope to dye it. I don't think I can get both done in one night especially if I have to work late. I'm sure we have several trials today and they are going to move slow so its probably going to be a long one. I know as soon as its done and it turns out the way I think it will my daughter is going to confiscate it from me. I'm going to dye it with Kool-Aid color/flavor black cherry. I have seen it used before and it turns out beautiful. I may just have to hide it because I know she is going to get it. I might even use it as another Christmas gift for my sister in law. I don't know if she would like it or not but maybe she would.

I am just about finished with all my Christmas crochet and I think I will make me something. All the stuff I have made I have never made myself a thing. I want to make me a big afghan for me to curl up in while I'm hooking or reading. I had made myself a hat but my daughter once again confiscated it. She is always getting my stuff. I let her I can always make myself another one.

I'm adding a picture of my oldest boy to this post. I rarely have a picture to show of him and I'm rather proud of this football picture so I want to share. He is a goodlooking boy and I am proud of him.

Horn Lake Christmas Parade

Our city had their Christmas Parade last night and me, 2 of my kids, and my niece rode on the City Hall Float. We about froze our butts off!!! We were on that thing for about 3 hours sitting in hay with Santa Clause over our heads. He was throwing candy to all the kids which was hitting us in the head. My kids and my niece wore the scarves I made for them and they looked so cute.



Today I took a couple of pictures of My daughter and her friend wearing the scarves that I made for them and the first hat I had ever made.

Fingers are numb

My fingers are numb, thats if there is actually fingers still there....oh yea I see them!! I have crocheted till I can't feel them any more and still want to do more. I made all the kids a scarf including my niece and a couple of kids that go to my daughters school. My kids and my niece are going to be on the float for the City this year in the Christmas Parade. They want them to wear pj's and sit in front of a fake fireplace with an "old" lady reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas". Its going to be cold so I made the scarves. I don't know how to do mittens or socks yet. I'm going to try my best to take a picture of all of them on the float wearing their scarves, I just think they are to cute.
I still have 2 more scraves to go and I hope to get them done this week because I have some yarn in my stash I want to make something out of this next week. I really don't think I can finish any more big projects before Christmas because I have so much else going on. But maybe I can try.

The Mississippi Hooker