Random Website Monday

Bumpkin's now knows that,
Birdies say "chickadeee".
A black capped chickadee at the bird feeder.
(Note: that some of the dirt in our drive is visible!)You know that you have been blogging to much...
When your child makes a camera out of blocks.

Here is a better shot of her camera.
(She is taking a picture of ME!)

Knitting: went to Knitting tonight, was only gone about an hour. Good to get out and just relax. Need to knit another 1.5 inches on Bumpkins cardigan than I can start the sleeves. It is being made a size 2 in width but a 4 in length.

When I brought Bumpkins down to bed, there was an odoriferous smell emanating from somewhere in the room. After much searching (Athena has a history of placing dead rodents under the beds), the conclusion was made that the smell was the coming from the sink drain. Easy fix- pour water down the drain and the smell vanishes.

Random website: I found this site while looking for free sewing patterns. Vogue 1947-1957.. be sure to check out the shoes from the exhibition.

Remember April's First is April Fools day... what mischief are you planning? me none.. I think ;)

Weather: warm and in the high 30's F.

Z is for:

Zillion.. that is about how
many projects are
needed to be done.

Zilch... is nothing got done.
DH's scarf still needs 18 inches.
(and I knitted alot on that sucker)

Zing.... this sock once had a turned
heel.
It got frogged.

Zis..... is Bumpkin's cardigan.
(you try coming up w/a letter Z!)

Z.... Elizabeth Zimmermann
leggings. (not pictured)

Zany..... Another new recipe: Pineapple Upside down cake. 1/4 c butter melted in bottom of cast iron skillet. Mix aprox. 3/4 brown sugar into melted butter then put 20 oz. well drained crushed pineapple over brown sugar/ butter. Make a yellow cake using pineapple juice instead of water, following directions on box. Pour 1/2 the cake batter over pineapple and the other 1/2 into a prepared 9" pie pan. Bake at 350 for 25- 30 min until done. Let sit for 5 min than carefully flip the pineapple one upside down onto a plate, then carefully place other one on top. Serve w/whipping cream.

And now I have finished the alphabet... what to do now for Sundays. Any suggestions?
It snowed out North (Nikiski) today- but not here. We did get some minimal melting going on though.

Saturday Sky

Today's sky- anther gray day.
(had to put a tree in it so it didn't look
like a piece of paper)

What is hanging out in your backyard?
Thankfully these guys were in someone else's yard!
(if you guessed Bald Eagles- you were correct).

Do you remember the big snowbank?
This is how much it has melted.
A boring shot of the swing set today...
Bumpkins did try to play on it...
but she doesn't like how the snow feels.

This the snow on Easter:
(first visit to the swingset all winter)
And very difficult to swing
really had to raise your legs
to even swing.


Yes hard enough to walk on.

Knitting: Worked on many things this last week. Have only 18 inches more to go on DH's scarf (my goal is to knit an inch a day!) frogged back DM's sock so now it is ready for the turning of the heel. And lastly knit another 4 rows on Bumpkin's cardigan.

Work: been very busy, Wednesday through Friday was 7- 5 shift. DH has been working too, midnight to 8 am. That meant Bumpkins had to get up at 6 am to go to daycare- long days for her. But she did really good, even took some naps there (she usually doesn't nap). Thursday night was a long night for me (for some unknown reason I am having nightmares again. This time 4 of them in a 5 hr period. All the dreams/nightmares were similar, little kids drowning).

So no new movies have been watched, nor books read. Did check out the "History of the Snowman" and another "Saxons, Vikings and Celts" should be some interesting reading.

Made Frito pie in the crockpot. Turned out different- things to do differently: after skinning chicken only add 1 c water to mixture. (Oh yeah.. I used a whole chicken instead of beef). Also made little pocket sandwiches out of the leftover shredded pork- delish.

Strange Stuff Tuesday

Bumpkin's cardigan:

And that is all the knitting that I have done.

More Easter Pictures:

Princess doing Bumpkins hair.

DH petting Obi.

The pool where I work was on National News- ABC- was either Monday or Tuesday if anyone watched it. The picture was of a couple that got marred in front of a water slide. Here is the news article from the Peninsula Clarion.

Will be another busy work week for me. Nige is away at a conference in Palm Springs, so I get his work schedule. The rest of the week is a 7 am to 5 pm shift.

Strange Stuff: A totally different kind of Easter Basket.

Random Website Monday

And our Spring flowers.
Pussy Willows.
(they are the small white fuzzy things).

And this is what we had for dinner;
Enchilada Style burritos.
Made plenty- now won't need

to cook for tomorrow.

And this is what DM gave
me for Easter.
4 skeins of fun fur-

Today was a veg day and then errands. Went to Kenai Fabric to buy some US 7 dpns. well when I was ready to leave Bumpkin's was not. I had to bribe my child to leave a fabric store! Wonder if fabric/yarn will be predominate in her life.

Random Website: World clock. (it is a depressing/eye opener of a website).

Happy Easter!

Oh Wow! Lookie...
Stuff is..


"What's in the jellybean?
CANDY!"

Delicious!
Oh this Strawberry Shortcake..
So very Good.

"This creme filled egg
Is really good".

Looking for Eggs at home...


And now Eggs at Church!
There is an egg in the box..
Reach.
(Blogger ate my picture it is the one at the top)

More Eggs!

Thing 2 picked up Bumpkin's in order
to find the egg...
She still couldn't find it!

Hope you enjoyed your Easter as well as we enjoyed ours.
And yes the Corned Beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, buttermilk biscuits went over very well, Dessert was strawberry shortcake. We had dinner later than I wanted to, but it worked out as everyone was still full from Breakfast at Church and Princess needed a nap before her long drive back to Anchorage.

Princess said the drive back was awful! Lots of snow, 4 troopers, a car in the ditch and a tow truck. Thankfully she made it back up there all right.
DH is at work tonight, he took Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows with him to read. Nice stay awake material.

Knitting: nothing.. to tired.

Weekly yard picture and Saturday Sky

Saturday Sky.
Before the sun came out.

And the weekly yard picture.
Still lots of snow!

And the dyeing of the eggs. Princess is assisting in this project as I had to make dinner.



And this is what you do w/the egg dye when you are done dyeing the eggs. Make letters and pictures in the snow.
















Knitting: Cast on for Bumpkins Cardigan am 10 rows into it. Turned the heel on DM's sock and am now ready for the gussets. Princess has requested that I not make her a shawl but instead make her a cozy for her ipod touch. She also asked me to teach her how to knit. She knit 3 rows pretty good for a start.

Went to a 3 yr olds birthday party. What a blast that was.. but now I am waiting to see if all the sugar that Bumpkins consumed is going to have ill effects tonight. Have a bucket handy just in case. It is going to be a LONG night.

Uh oh... I organized and have put the Easter stuff in a safe place. And here it is 1:30 at night (on Saturday night or is it Sunday morning) and the Easter Baskets still aren't made. They will get done in the morning. I did put the corned beef onto cook though. Hope that it cooks ok.

Spring!

DM's yard on Monday March 17.
She has a lot more snow than I do!

knitting: am way to tired. Actually did cast on for a gauge swatch for Bumpkin's cardigan. The swatch ended up being 4.5 inches w/ US 7 needles instead of 4 inches so I will redo w/US 6 needles.

Today is the First day of Spring and what kind of weather do we have? Well the temps maybe went to 32 F. It looked like snow, smelled like snow and felt like snow. And finally when I drove home there was snowflakes falling. Which now has tapered off and the wind is really blowing.

Princess wants to change her guess is there anyone else who wants to bump up their guess? Speak up now. Otherwise all guesses are locked in and we wait to see who is right.
Hmm... and now to think up the prize. Should be a snowman or something springy? I am thinking Spring- so off to look at some Spring time patterns and colors.

On another note: I am glad that Spring break is almost over (I come home from work totally exhausted!)

Contest!

A when will the snow be gone contest!
(This is A Sticky! Please Scroll down!
There are way more posts!)

Now how to run this contest... one thought was to take pictures of my yard and have people guess what snow pile would melt first and when. Second thought was to post yard pictures and have guesses as to when the snow piles would be gone (completely).
Finally I decided that the contest would be when will the snow be completely gone. (The little corner of the house that still has snow long after all the rest of snow has melted doesn't count.)

And now for the rules:

1. Post a comment with your guess as to when all the snow will melt.
2. Please include a way for me to contact you. (If you don't want your e-mail addie public than you can e-mail me separately).
3. The winner will be whomever is closest to the actual snow free day (no snow in yard around swing set!)
4. I will be posting weekly pictures of the swing set to assist you in your guesses.
5. Contest closes... March 20 2008.

Happy Guessing everyone.. this contest is open to everyone (including those bloggers/readers who are familiar with Alaskan Springtime).

*hint sometime in May wouldn't be a bad guess. March would though.

ETA: this is now a sticky so please scroll down to read the regular posts:

Random Website Monday and Strange Stuff

Knitting: Did several rounds on Bumpkin's leggings have about 2 inches left then one leg is finished!

Have been working some long hours at work again- and yes it is Spring Break! When I went to pick up Bumpkin's from Daycare tonight there was a sign posted that the facility will be closed Friday. I am glad- it is a Christian Daycare (church affiliated) DM will be watching Bumpkin's on Friday. Princess will be driving home that night.

There was no post on Monday because, I somehow scratched my eye and had to switch to glasses. Glasses haven't been worn in almost 2 yrs, so my eye hurt (so bad that the sun hurt and I couldn't take Bumpkins outside to play) and then adjusting to glasses was interesting. Imagine looking at the wavy carnival glass mirrors, now walk- that is what wearing glasses is like. Makes for very interesting stairway experiences. Hopefully Wednesday I can go back to contacts.

Random Website: Back to the wardrobe we go and how many ways could you wear one dress? This individual made it ONE year with a simple black dress.

Strange Stuff: If you checked out the Holiday Turducken at Christmas/ or Thanksgiving. Then you will definitely want to check this one out, the more intrepid readers may want to create this Easter Turducken (my family would say that this is will give you Diabetes- I know that isn't how you become Diabetic! But it will give you a good dose of Sugar overload).

Weather: today was in the 30's, Monday was in the teens in the morning and got really nice later. The snow from last week still hasn't completely melted from the drives.

Y is for...

Y is for: Yet another cute kid/kitty picture.

Y is for: "You think that I'm to big for this box? I do to fit.. think that a nap is now in order."



Y is for: Yeppers another knitting project. This one is DM's sock being knitted on US 2 dpns and sockotta yarn. Cast on 52 and gauge is 7 sts. to an inch.








Y is for: Yes it is a fish!
Specifics: US 8 needles took about 80 yards of purple/silver acrylic remnant. 2 hrs.

Family updates: DH got a job... he is a rent-a-cop ie.. security guard. Thank you Homeland Security for this job. (It is going to be a very high risk job come summer though. Homeland Security has decided that all ports will no longer be considered beach access. One of our ports is major beach access in the summer for the commercial set net fish sites and those fisherpeople will no longer have access to their beach sites that have been in their families since set netting started. So it affects a huge group of people for their livelihood and way of providing for their families. Another hit to our local economy).
Other family updates: we are on Spring Break. Sure would like to see some Spring! The snow from 2 days ago is still on our driveway! Princess says Anchorage has almost no snow.
Bumpkins and I went to Kaladi Bros. for a Ravelry knitting meetup. She was so good! Watched Dora (Thank you Princess) drank an Italian soda and ate a cookie that was good for almost 2 hrs. And I got some knitting time in on her black leggings that are now ready for the inside leg increases. No sewing this weekend and this is going to be a long week at work.

Weather today: Sunny and maybe 37 F.

Weekly yard picture

Our Saturday Evening sky: picture taken at 7:20 pm.

We all are excited that it is daylight so late in the day!
(I did miss the snow falling this morning though).

And this is what the Swing set looked like Friday March 14 2008,
Saturday morning there was a light dusting of snow on it.

Knitting: missed the Ravelry knit group meet up today. But have cast on and am now 2 inches into a pair of socks for DM. These have to get done before March 26th- they are for her Birthday. Last night Thing 2 requested that I mend some store bought gloves for him. I replied that I could knit him a pair, but I didn't know how to mend. So last night I went on Ravelry and found him a vintage glove pattern that is knit on 2 needles. Now I need to find the DK/sport weight yarn to make them.

Went shopping today.. yikes food is expensive! Other than eggs , milk, sour cream and bread I shouldn't need to go shopping this week at all! Yes I am all ready for Easter, even have the fixings for Easter Dinner.
Easter Dinner Menu:
Corned beef (7 + lbs of point cut in fridge)
potatoes (10 lbs on the shelf)
carrots (2 lbs in fridge)
small green cabbage (in fridge)
Rolls
Dessert... shortbread cookies (unless Princess requests something else).
I know that traditionally that this should be made on Monday March 17th, St. Patrick's day. But it is my families most favorite meal and Princess will thoroughly enjoy it.

Spring Goals

Well Ali over at Skeins her Way is having a Spring 2008 Knitting goals contest. (has it been a year already that I have been seriously blogging and reading other peoples blogs? Wow!)
Anyways here are my goals for Spring projects:

1. Finish knitting DH's scarf
2. Finish knitting Bumpkin's leggings
3. Finish knitting DM's socks
4. Get a good start on Bumpkin's cardigan
5. find yarn and cast on for Thing Two's gloves
6. Find yarn and cast on for Prayer Sister's scarf
7. Find yarn for Secret Sister
8. finish sewing cat neck pillow
9. finish DH's guitar quilt
10. Make Bumpkin's jacket for Easter
11. Make matching jacket for Doll baby for Easter
    
12. Finish up UFO's of sewing doll clothes
13. Attempt to finish Princess' jack-a-lope slippers
14. Clean up craft room!
    
15. Enjoy spring!
    

Tuesdays strange stuff

I wanted to post a picture of DH's office over at the studio. But it was late when I got home and I left early today. So no pictures of the knitted fish either.

Knitting: nothing today.

Talked to my boss and another coworker and both said that Bumpkins probably did pick up a RWI. Thankfully her immune system fought it off, she still is sick only now w/a normal cough and just has clear snot.

Strange stuff: Since obviously I am still into biology items: and for your favorite OB/Midwife or anyone else that deals with delivering of babies. I give you this and this doll (not making one for Bumpkins any time soon).

Weather today: cloudy w/a snow shower, snow accumulation 1/4". Temp tonight driving home: at work 29 F with dry roads, in Kenai 31 F with Black Ice, Bridge Access 30 F with dry roads. There is a good sized ice puddle in our driveway.

Random Website Monday

And the snowbank that may not be
completely gone by
JUNE!

Look! a little bit of spring. This little thing looks like dirt. And now for a close up of the ... yeah it is gravel! This is a very good sign that Spring will be here soon?




Knitting: Have picked up Bumpkins leggings- had to frog several inches to fix the fitting problem. It was right last fall when I started them, but she grew A LOT since then and so had to redo the lower leg. Also cast on and completed a fish. Learned how to do kfb and ssk. Used up a little bit of remnant yarn. (To late to take pix and post that one).

Bumpkins was sick this am. She had a scary cough- not the good hacking that she has had. But it was almost a whooping sounding thing. She drank some water and took some cough syrup and slept from 6:30 to 10:30. When she woke up at 10:30 she was so thirsty. Spiked a temp and ate dry Kix w/ginger ale. Very lethargic this lasted until noon. After that she was fine. Now the scary thing is she hasn't gone anywhere since Friday night when we went to the pool. The whole time I was thinking "Great she got sick from the pool. RWI (recreation water illness): giardia, crypto, e-coli. I was seriously stressing out! But like I said she is fine now. Strange

Random Website: We all watched the movie "Swiss Family Robinson"... now we can vacation like them. A Treehouse of our own for 2 nights or the whole weekend! A bit rustic though.

Weather: 40+, cloudy. Did you know that sawdust works better on ice than kitty litter? The sand from 2 weeks ago is melted odd shaped divets into the driveway that provide no traction against the ice.

X is for...

X is for: Extra special.. this is what I received in a Pots and Tops swap over in Ravelry. A calorimetry and a coif. Both knitted in Araucania Nature Cotton. She also sent a Seafood Gumbo recipe w/notations that looks really good. All this came from Redwood City California. Thank you PalomaBella.



X is for: extra squished! (It is a VERY large stuffed dog on top of Athena- she escaped right after I took this picture).









X is for: x is for x-ray vision... you can't see me "I hiding!"









Finally finished!
Specifics:
Easy Mittens
Knitted w US size 5 dpns
Jiffy mohair bulky yarn
Started Feb 2008 finished March 9 2008
Very easy knit- when focused. Grafting is needed for the top and thumb openings.


Weather today: mid 40's lots of melting!

Dinner: was leftover picnic ham cubed w/cooked apples mixed w/leftover peas/carrots and topped w/mashed potatoes. Gravy went over the top (was supposed to go in it).
Saturday's Dinner: Picnic shoulder ham, 2 chopped apples and 1 c water in crockpot for 7 hrs. Served w/ rice (leftover) and carrots/peas.

Only 3 people have left entries for the contest!

ETA: Sorry folks but I had to go to more secure access- there was some weird/bad stuff happening.