Hello everyone, my name is Lisa I am a southern girl born and raised in East Tennessee. I love discovering new places and things to do. I have a lot of favorites, shopping, traveling, knitting and photography are all at the top of my list. I am married with my fur babies my only children. This blog is actually named after my beloved basset hound Patches. She passed away a few years ago but will always have a huge part of my heart. Come with me and we will explore some wonderful places and discover some really fun things. Are you ready?
Hello and happy Monday. Things have been quiet over here, and cold. The weather has gone from 7 degrees F in the mornings to around 32 degrees. I guess that is an improvement. I have been staying in as much as possible except when I have to go out for work. I have had a lot of things going on lately that I have absolutely no control over, and that has left me a bit out of sorts and not wanting to communicate much. Thus the very long lags in my blog posting and blog reading. I imagine things will move on as they always do in their own good time.
I have finished some knitting projects. I finally finished the socks I was working on. But not before I had to unravel almost the entire second sock and start over I don’t know what happened but it was just “off”.
I finished the scarf I was working on and another I had started a while back.
I love these colors and didn’t realize they are very similar. The one on the bottom is a much chunkier yarn.
I started a slouchy hat. I am knitting this on size 2.5 needles and I am constantly dropping stitches. The yarn is silky and fine but I am loving it. If I could just get it finished.
I have to show you this backpack my nephew and his wife gave me for Christmas. I am carrying all of my knitting and crochet projects in it. Well most of them anyway.
Isn’t it pretty? My family and friends know if they give me anything with a cat on it I will love it.
My husband gave me this cat cross stitch for Christmas. I can’t wait to start it. It looks just like my Sadie.
In the last week or so the lake at our house has frozen completely over. It doesn’t happen a lot. The picture below I took yesterday. There has been some thawing you can see in places. But a lot of it is still frozen and even some snow still hanging around.
I listened to the best audio book. Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers. It is a mystery for sure and you just can’t help falling in love with Vera. I think I want to be her when I grow up.
So other than a lot of knitting, and staying in and trying to stay warm, not a lot going on over here.
Happy Monday. This past week was a bit of a crazy one. Last Monday started with our four month check up for hubby in Nashville at Vanderbilt Medical Center. That is where he had the kidney transplant and returns three times a year for his kidney checkup.
As usual we go over the day before the appointment because it is about a four hour drive each way. We used to do the drive in one day but it is just too much. So we go over the day before and have a nice dinner and stay at a hotel five minutes from the hospital. It is a little costly, because the hotel rates in Nashville always are, but we get a small discount because it is a hospital visit and they work with Vanderbilt on that. When we had the kidney surgery, several years ago, we stayed at that same hotel for more than a week until we could both go home.
We went over on Monday. I worked half a day. And then came home about 2:00 to leave for Nashville. And of course the threat of bad weather was hanging in the air. It always seems to be when we have to travel this time of year. We had been watching the incoming snow carefully and had planned to postpone the appointment if we needed to. We didn’t. The weather stayed pretty clear just cold!!!! We did run into a little snow going over but nothing on the roadway.
This was a little rest stop about halfway to Nashville.
We got to the hotel and had dinner. We always eat at the Commodore Club at the hotel. They have wonderful food and nightly entertainment.
We had an early morning doctor appointment on Tuesday morning and before we knew it we were headed home. Unfortunately hubby is going to have to have a couple of blood tests repeated but he will be able to do that locally.
It was back to work on Wednesday and we had snow in the forecast for us on Friday. The local weather was predicting 3-5 inches. This probably wouldn’t make most of you excited but we are in the south. We don’t know how to drive in snow. We know how to go to the grocery store and clean out all the bread and milk but we just haven’t learned how to get around in the white stuff.
I went to work on Friday morning and I knew snow was coming. No matter what the weather man, Doppler or whoever, I knew it was coming. When I was growing up my mama and daddy always taught us how to predict snow by the way the way the clouds moved together and the sky would take on a smooth gray coloring. When that happens You know snow is coming. Remember back in their day they didn’t have a weather channel to watch. Doppler Radar did not exist.
As I said I went to work. There was only about three of us there when the snow started at 9:00 AM. We called all the staff and told them not to come in. Finally everyone was gone and I was there alone. I felt confident I would be okay. I had planned to only stay a couple of hours. I had been on the phone with my husband and he said we hadn’t gotten hardly anything at home.
About an hour later he called and said I should come home. I had finished everything that had to be taken care of at work. I headed out. And let me tell you I had almost waited too late. I have an all wheel drive car but many people don’t. There were cars all over the road. It normally takes me about 20-25 minutes to get to work and back home but Friday it took me almost an hour to get home.
Views from my office window and you can see it was really coming down.
So we had a great snow weekend. That is after I got home safely and made sure all the loved ones were in safe and sound. Hubby was off all weekend so that worked out great. I was so lazy during my snow days. You know you’re not supposed to do anything when you have a snow day or two. We went out and took pictures and took the drone up to get some shots of the lake and other areas. I knitted and read and listened to some of my audio books. It was such a wonderful relaxing weekend. A lot of the snow has melted but it was fun while it lasted.
Some of the drone photos:
How is your week going is it cold and snowy? I know some of you, in different parts of the country, are experiencing some really nice warm sunny days. I know ours will be here before we know it. Have a wonderful week!!!!
The new year hit us with some cold weather. I am talking frigid, freezing cold temps. But come on it is January here and that is to be expected. I think it is refreshing. Ask me about this in the middle of February and I will probably be singing a different story.
I didn’t make it to midnight on New Year’s Eve. I fell asleep around 10:00 PM and woke up just a little after the new year arrived. I have to say I am ready for a new year. I don’t really do resolutions but I usually pick a word for the year. I am still thinking on that one. To be honest with you I usually forget about the word halfway through the year.
It is a cozy Sunday around here. Did you notice my coffee mug. My niece gave this to me for Christmas. I opened it and said “wow that cat looks just like Gus”. It was Gus!!! and all my other kitties. She had the mug made with pictures of all five of my kitties. I love it!!!! My family really knows how to make me happy when they buy me kitty gifts. I have to show you all of the kitty gifts I received but I will do that in a separate post. We finally got all of the Christmas decorations down and stored away. I have had the best day just knitting and drinking coffee.
I am knitting a sock for my nephew’s girlfriend. I had hoped to get them finished before Christmas but it didn’t happen. I just finished the first sock and have started the second one. The second of a pair of socks is never fun, but you have to keep going. I am also working on a scarf. Just a simple, all knit stitches, scarf. I can’t remember where I got the yarn but it is just wonderful. It pulls perfectly and is just a joy to knit. I am taking my time with it because I hate to finish it.
One sock down and one to go.
I can’t wait to wear this scarf it feels so cozy.
I worked most of the week. My sister and I had mammograms yesterday in Knoxville. We have also decided to start the process of genetic testing. We started the testing for that yesterday as well. We have so much cancer in our family. Five of my six siblings have had some form of cancer. Two sisters had breast cancer. I am a fanatic about having my scans and tests, but we are curious about all of the cancers we may be predisposed to. It is something that we need to know not only for us but for nieces, nephews and grandchildren in our family. We started the process yesterday but it will take several weeks to get results. It’s scary. I was against this for several years for many reasons. But more about that later.
While we were at the hospital I went to the Oncology floor, where they do chemo, and donated my hats I had knitted and crocheted. They had a pretty good stash but with the cold weather coming I am hoping someone can use them.
These are the hats I took with me to donate.
We had planned some shopping afterwards but the appointment lasted a little longer than we had planned. And it was sooooooo cold!!! We went and had a nice lunch and made a couple of stops and came back home. I had a grocery pick up so I did that and came back to the house to snuggle in for the weekend.
I have been listening to an audio book. The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout. I have loved all of her other books. This one is not one of my favorites but it is still pretty good. I like to listen while I am knitting and then when I am driving. I am also reading Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand. I waited for both of these books for several weeks. I got them through the Libby App. I am about halfway through both of them. I need to finish because I know there will be another long wait if I don’t.
We have a short trip to Nashville this week for a four month check up for hubs. That is if the weather cooperates. We will have to see.
I hope you have a wonderful week and stay warm if you are in this neck of the woods, or other cold places.
I leave you with a picture of sweet Kitty Kitty enjoying the bit of sunshine we had yesterday. Yes she may be a little annoyed with me for bothering her nap.
This is perhaps the least specific blog you will find. A variety of DIY projects, book reviews, health tips, yoga poses, fashion ideas, recipes or something altogether different depending on my current mood. I've never been pigeon-holed into one category so neither is my blog. Strap in and enjoy the ride!
Southern Patches 