Weekends

Happy Monday friends how are you? How was your weekend? Mine was really good. I picked my niece Hailey up early Saturday morning and she spent the day with me. She is ten going on twenty five. She is a very feisty young lady and reminds me a lot of me when I was that age. Poor kid. HA!!! But I don’t think I was ever that cool.

This is what the sky looked like when I left the house to pick up Hailey. My mom and dad always said Red Sails in the morning sailors take warning. I think the real quote is Red Skies in the morning sailor take warning. But for some reason they always said sails. I guess a reference to ships. This usually means that bad weather in the form of storms and wind is coming. I knew that some really bad wind and storms were expected for later in the evening. I was hoping they would hold off until after I got Hailey back home.

I met Hailey and her mom in Madisonville at 7:45 Saturday morning. Her mom was on her way to work and that was the only time to meet up with her. We went and grabbed some breakfast and then I had to do my weekly grocery shopping. We had such a fun day together. We did some crafts, Hailey wanted to make something for her mom for Valentine’s Day. I got on Pinterest and got some ideas. We did a paper full of hearts that we painted and Hailey framed hers. She will give it to her mom in a couple of weeks so she can have it to decorate for Valentine’s Day.

This is the picture we found on Pinterest. It is not exactly like the one we did but similar. I love hearts, anything that is hearts. I guess that is why I love Valentine’s Day so much.

Hailey also wanted to learn to knit. She was a pro!! She picked it up really fast. I remember when I was ten years old my grandmother taught me how to crochet. Using one needle was intimidating and I didn’t learn to knit until I was an adult. We made a video of Hailey knitting so she if she messed up, or forgot how, she could watch the video. I taught her the garter stitch which is knitting every row but I think she will be able to handle something a little more challenging soon. I gave her a large set of #11 needles and some really thick yarn to work with. She is making a scarf. Be still my heart.

She had finished this much before she went home. I think that is ahhhhmazing!!!!!

So we had a great day. We baked cookies and watched the Kid’s Bakeoff Championship on TV and gave our opinions about who should be kicked off. We took some walks and just hung out. All the while the sky was looking darker and darker.

After I dropped Hailey off the storm that had been brewing all day hit. I was about fifteen minutes from home and I thought I was going to have to pull over and wait it out. I kept driving because I wanted to get home to the babies. They hate thunder and Mark was working late. I didn’t want them to be alone. I was really scared. There were no tornado warnings but there was a thunderstorm warning issued for the area. I will admit I was intermittently praying and using some really bad language. Tree limbs were everywhere and the rain was coming in sheets. Straight line winds took on a new meaning to me. Luckily there was nothing blocking my road and I was able to make it home. I still had power when I got home which was a miracle all its own.

The rest of the weekend was pretty quiet with laundry and finishing my own knitting project. I will show you that later because it is a gift and going out to someone this week.

The weather was picture perfect on Sunday with a high temperature of about 70 degrees and lots of sunshine. Me and the babies enjoyed a couple of long walks and just hanging out at home. I have to say spending the day with a ten year old can be pretty tiring.

On a different note, It seems like every January I take inventory of my surroundings and try to determine how to make my life more tranquil and calm by not having too many “things” around me. This year I tried to combine this thinking with decluttering my closet. You may remember that I started that last year with not a lot of luck. This time I have really been working on it. I have a new post coming in a couple of days about shopping your own closet. It has really helped me a lot.

I finished Sunday evening with my usual laundry detail and getting ready for the upcoming week. I am finishing a book for book club which is coming up this week. We had two months combined because of the holidays so two books to read, one I loved the other, meh. I will share them soon. So, how was your weekend?

Always remember

Love Your Day Your Way!!!

Weekends

Happy Monday, How was your weekend? Did you get to do anything fun?

I had another long weekend. Well actually I only went back to work today after being off since Christmas Day. Let me tell you when I woke up at 5:00 AM I did not want to get up. What happened to all my days off? They go by so fast!!!

All of my Christmas decorations are still in place. My husband doesn’t believe in taking any of the decorations down until after the new year. After Christmas I am usually over it and ready to get the house back in order. I hate to tell you this but I saw some Valentine cushions at T. J. Maxx right before Christmas and I bought some. I put them up and I won’t get them out until after all the Christmas decorations come down. There was also some heart shaped dishes that I resisted but may have to go back and get. Just saying. But I just love Valentine’s Day. Me and my husband don’t really celebrate or anything but I love the color red and all of the decorations and I love hearts. I have tons of heart earrings and heart necklaces. I am always drawn to hearts. And I just love love. It is happy!!!! Well usually. I know Valentine’s Day can be sad too but I believe it is what you make it. I have many many many Valentine’s of all shapes and sizes, hint, many of them have four legs. HA!!!

My fingerless gloves. Not the best picture but I do love them.

Winter has a beauty all its own.

Scruffy loves his walks.

Winter sunset

I did have a good weekend. I was still nursing the back pain from the fall on Christmas Eve. I guess some rest and relaxation is what I needed. I stayed at home most of the weekend with some knitting and reading and watching movies. I DVRd the Little Women movie with Catherine Hepburn playing Jo. I also want to see the new one and see how they compare. I have the book and have read most of it but I need to reread and finish it.

I knitted some fingerless gloves over the weekend and had some long walks with Scruffy. It has been very warm here. It was about 70 degrees here yesterday and windy. Not like winter at all. Come on winter show yourself!!!! I’m probably going to regret saying that.

I am reading a knitting book my husband got me for Christmas, Knitting in America

https://www.amazon.com › Knitting-America-Patterns-Profiles-Americas

and Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty. They are both awesome!!! Liane Moriarty is one of my favorite authors I have read several of her books.

Have a wonderful week and a happy New Year and always remember

Love your day your way!!!

Weekends

Are you ready for Christmas? I am never ready. I always hear about those people, and maybe you are one of them, who say “yes I am ready”. I am always shopping and cooking until the last moment. But isn’t that kind of what makes it fun? Yes yes and that is my story and I am sticking to it.

Another long weekend for me since I had Friday off. What am I going to do when I have to work a full week?

I started out on Friday like a crazed woman with a mission. I slept in a little later than usual but my main goal was to get a honey baked ham from the Honey Baked Ham Store. Is that just a southern thing? Anyway they are fabulous!!! My husband requested one for our Christmas Day dinner with his family.

On my way to the city I saw these lambs in a field and I had to pull over and take a pic. I would love to have some sheep some day. We had a really big frost can you see?

I did not want to go to the Honey Baked Ham store in Knoxville. If you have ever been at Christmas time or Easter or any other major holiday you know what it is like. Cars are actually lined up on the highway trying to get in. Once you get in the store you have to take a number just to pick your ham. You better know ahead of time if you want bone it or bone out. Then you take the number to a tent set up outside, to deal with all the overflow customers. There is where you pick up your ham. And you better not even blink an eye at how much it cost because it is a “Honey Baked Ham” and it is Christmas!!!!! There is even extra security there. The whole time I am thinking yeah!!! my husband has never had this experience. If he had, would he really want one of these hams? But who am I kidding they are amazing.

I did not go to Knoxville. A friend at work told me of a Honey Baked Ham store in Alcoa which is actually closer to me. Only about 30 miles away instead of 40. I went at 9:00 AM on Friday morning. There was no one in the store!!!!! WHAT????? How can this be? I actually went in and picked the ham and paid for it all in about five minutes. This even included a conversation with the clerk about the benefits of getting a bone in ham, which may be more expensive but much more flavorful. Thank you very much. I was dumbstruck. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I wandered back to the car in a daze. I actually had time to do some more Christmas shopping before I had to take the ham home.

So I ran by the Walmart in Alcoa to pick up Kitty Kitty a condo. They had some really nice ones for about $69.00 but you did have to assemble it yourself. Oh well I am sure me and the hubs can do that.

After doing some Christmas shopping I went home. I had a couple of hours before I had to be at a Christmas party at the assisted living village where my mother in law lives. When I got home I decided to rest for a few minutes. My husband decided to assemble the Kitty Condo. I heard him in the kitchen going HMMMMM HMMMM. I thought oh dear Lord he is trying to put the condo together without using the instructions. It’s a man thing. I went in to help him.

It turns out the Kitty Condo was harder to put together than you might think. You put it together from the top down. A little backwards if you ask me. We finally got it put together and only contemplated divorce once or twice. Kitty Kitty was all about watching us but when we put it in the corner for her she wouldn’t go near it. GRRRRRR!!!

Look at Kitty Kitty all interested in the assembly of the Kitty Condo. Not so much once it was put together.

This is the finished Kitty Condo. If you look closely you can see Kitty Kitty on the lowest level this is as far as she has ventured.

Over the weekend Mark and I watched our favorite Christmas movie of all times. A Christmas Carol with George C. Scott. If you haven’t seen it I highly recommend.

Our Christmas tree and a kitty kitty in a basket gazing at the tree. I am almost Christmas ready. How about you??

Merry Christmas to all of you I hope you have a wonderful time with friends and family and all of your loved ones. Remember those that can’t be here with you and cherish those who are.

Alway remember

Love your day your way!!!

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Weekends 12-14-19

Happy Monday friends. How was your weekend?

My weekend was really good because it was three days long. I took Friday off as a vacation day and I will be taking that extra Friday off until the end of the year. I love having a four day work week. I think it should be mandatory. I feel like I get so much done having three days off. Oh well. Such is the life.

So on Friday my sister Sandy and I went Christmas shopping in Knoxville. It was crazy!!!! But what else can you expect less than two weeks till Christmas.

My main focus for this trip was a pair of AirPods pro for my husband. He put them on his Christmas list. We don’t usually get a lot of gifts for each other. We get one big gift for each other. We got a new Apple desktop computer this year. We have our MacBooks but when I am working on my blog and doing photos I like a desktop. Our old computer bit the dust about six months ago but in all fairness we had had it for about ten years so it served its time. Rest in peace you did an awesome job!!!

So I, in my ignorance is bliss way that I have sometimes, marched into Target and requested the AirPods. The dude behind the counter practically burst out laughing. We are out of stock we may have some in by the 16th but I heard they are on backorder until after Christmas. Ok. I thought, I will check at Best Buy I am not panicking yet. But I did have this little worrisome voice in the back of my head saying “haven’t you heard those are the most popular Christmas item this year” I went to two different Best Buy stores and they informed me they wouldn’t have any in until after Christmas. The clerk even chuckled a little evilly at the second Best Buy Store, well that might have been my imagination considering my panicked state of mind, and said everyone is sold out they are on back order everywhere. Ok. Ok. I got on line and searched EVERYWHERE!!! “Not in stock” kept appearing. I am starting to panic a little o.k. a lot. I have a plan. I think some of the stores will get them in just before Christmas. At least the Apple store right? I will magically be at said store at the perfect time to snag the AirPods. Yes that is my plan. Wish me luck and I will keep you posted.

We left Knoxville fairly early because it was just getting too peopley.

The rest of the weekend was spent doing laundry, reading, knitting and grocery shopping. I baked a ham on Sunday to have for dinner and then have leftovers during the week. I also made home made pizza to have in the fridge and some peanut butter balls to take to work and deliver to some people that I promise them to every year. Can you say carb overload!!!

I found this book at a thrift store and am re-reading it. I had all of these when I was younger. I love the Little House Books.

Peanut Butter Balls are my signature dessert to make for Christmas

I have been in a sock knitting mood. I don’t know why socks all of a sudden but I do love to knit them. It’s almost like working a puzzle because you have to do all the different parts, cuff, heel, toe etc. Maybe that’s just me. HA HA.

Mark got the new computer hooked up and we are awaiting the fiber optic cable that will be coming tomorrow. We have hoped wished and prayed for fiber optic to be introduced to our little remote area and it finally is!!!! It’a a Christmas miracle. We are beyond excited.

I hope your week is wonderful!! It’s Christmas Crunch Time but Always remember,

Love your day your way