Combat Knitters

Back in early September, Sarge contacted me about a soldier who was needing some knitting stuff. He said she was stuck in the sandbox without needles or yarn. Naturally, I could not let this go on, so I put out a call on my podcast, Twitter, Plurk and Ravelry and the donations came in
Yarn

Project bags

Notions and needles

I mailed it all over in 6 boxes (and one person from the UK mailed another box)
After a couple of weeks, I received this photo in an email

Yes, they are happy!!
Since then, they have figured out how to use the ball winder and swift

Given yarn out to others who knit, crochet or want to learn



Have been learning to knit (Or crochet)


and relaxing the best way I know


Thank you to everyone who helped me out with my call for Knitter 911.
I hope these pictures bring you as big a smile as they have brought me
For more photos

Hodgepodge Wednesday

Happy Birthday Joyce!

1. What's the best and worst thing thing about growing older?

The best is that as you get older you get more people in your life to love. Teenage children grow to become adult friends and grandchildren fill your heart more full than you ever imagined.
The worst is the aches an pains that life gives you. Not just the physical ones, but losing friends and family to illness'.

2. Autumn arrives this week in the Northern Hemisphere...what one thing do you love most about the fall season?

The changing colors of the trees. It is like Mother Nature is putting on her fancy dress clothes and going to the ball.

3. Speaking of fall...pumpkin seems to be flavoring everything these days-are you a fan? What's your favorite pumpkin flavored food or beverage?

I don't like pumpkin. That being said...Last deployment, my snow angel brought me a loaf of cranberry pumpkin bread. I ate a piece to be nice and fell in love! It is the only pumpkin I will eat.

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread
3 Cups all purpose flour
5 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
3 Cups granulated sugar
1 (15 oz) can Libby's 100% pure pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 Cup Orange Juice
1 cup Fresh or frozen cranberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease and flour 2 9x5 loaf pans
Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in large bowl.
Combine sugar, pumpkin, oil and OJ in large mixer bowl and beat until blended.
Add Pumpkin mixture to flour mixture, stir until moistened. Fold in cranberries.
Spoon batter into loaf pans.
Bake for 60-65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Cool on wire racks for ten minutes. Pop out of pans and allow to cool completely.



4. Since we're on the subject of fall...what's the worst fall you've ever taken?

The worst was also the best..yes this is how my life rolls. I was going to college on Edwards Air Force Base and I was invited up to a friends dorm party for New Years Eve. He lived on the 3rd floor of the dorms. I had taken my bag up to his room and forgotten my diet Pepsi down in my truck. I went to walk down the stairs and my knee decided to dislocate on me as I was walking. I wound up tumbling down not one, but two flights of stairs. I was a little scraped up and in a lot of pain at the bottom of the stairs when I heard the most wonderful grumble-rumble voice ask me if I was OK. That voice came from the cutest airman I had ever laid eyes on. Talk about embarrassment!! He helped me up, back to the dorm room and as the story goes, we lived happily ever after. Yep I fell at the feet of my now husband. I'll keep him.

5. If you could own a prop from any film what would you choose?

Mary Poppins Bag- as long as it came with the magic intact. Plus, I have always loved old carpet bags!

6. What's the most interesting word you've read or learned in the past week?

Grr. This is from my Grandson Little Bear. He is learning to talk and I am Grr. Maybe one day he will call me Gramma, but I will take Grr for now.

7. When was the last time you locked yourself out of your house, car, or office? Was it a big deal?

Sarge and I were going to go on a date. Just out to dinner, nothing fancy, and we both went out the door without our keys. Thank goodness we had had our cell phones, because we were able to call our daughter who was 30 minutes away to come open up the house for us. As we waited, we decided to take a walk around the block and talk. We got home just as she was pulling in and we decided to order pizza for the night, snuggle on the couch and watch a movie instead.


8. Insert your own random thought here.

I am still cleaning the house up. More of a deep clean and declutter than normal cleaning. This week, I have been working on the master bath. In that bathroom, I had an old dollar store metal rack that I had baskets on which held my towels and such. I always found it cluttered up the area and was never happy with it. This last weekend I went to a Flea Market here in town and found a cabinet that is perfect for that space. My DIL (Mombear) and I got it put in the bathroom yesterday.
Here it is after cleaning, in my kitchen.



Cat stamped



And Grand kid approved



(yes, fuzzy pictures, sorry)

Junk shopping and a cheap foodie weekend

Lorrie came over for the weekend. I miss her and we agreed we need to get together more often.

While she was here, we played!
Saturday started with Waffle muffins!





Banana nut!



Then we headed off to do some errands.

We saw a Flea Market along the side of the road and we had to stop. I bought a rack that I will hang shawls on and a cabinet for my bathroom. Yes! Finally somewhere to store my towels! I know, I get excited over the little things. After that, we headed down to New Holland Brewery to meet Lori for lunch. Yum! Reuben's all around.

We then hit a few junk stores.

As some of you know, I call Sarge my "Knight in scuffy combat boots" well, outside one store, we saw a suit of armor. No combat boots. I checked, no balls either!

Yep sent this picture to Sarge, he got a charge out of it.



Then we went to Hobby Lobby where I found the cutest little balls of yarn



Which I plan to make up into mug rugs. They are 38 yards each.

After that, what was there to do but stop and get drinks and the makings for Waffle Brownie's with Ice cream (Diet be damned!) When it was cooked up in the waffle maker, we split it in half, Topped it with ice cream, peanuts, chocolate sauce and whipped cream.



 Went down well with Margaritas and Scrumpy's--YUM!

On Sunday we woke up and relaxed. Coffee and crafting!

I played with my new mini loom. I never had one as a kid.



New cotton hot pads *grin*

While Lorrie knitted booties.

I also introduced Lorrie to the world of Roku. Yep. It's worth getting the box.

About 3ish she had to head back to her side of the Mitten.

Good thing I get to see her again at Northern Michigan Lamb & Wool in two weeks!!!

Crap room to Craft room - take 2

The cleaning of my crap room probably would not have happened this year if it were not for Knittin' in the Mitten coming up. I am getting donations and I need a spot to put them.
These last 3 months since Sarge left, I have been going places and doing things, but when I get home the pretty yummy stuff I purchased, just got thrown in the crap room with intentions of cleaning it and sorting later. Well, This weekend is later and here is what happened:
(not the best photos, taken with my iTouch, but it was what I had handy)

Everything pulled off the floor of the crap room and brought out to the living room. (Note: this does not include all my fiber that is already sorted in the craft cubes.)



I sorted everything by fiber size and style.



Pulled out all my WIPs (work in progress) and PIGS (projects in grocery sacks)



Then sorted the fiber into the correct cubes in the CRAFT room.



CRAP room to CRAFT room is almost complete. I still need to sort the desk out.

Either I need to knit, crochet and spin faster or I need to stop making purchases for a while.

Catching up

August always seems to be a busy month for us here at Casa Coggie. This year was no exception.
I left on the 8th for Schaumburg, IL, north of Chicago, for Stitches Midwest. This is a convention for people who play with yarn and fiber. I went over on the Lake Express Ferry which made traveling easy. 30 minutes from home, I boarded the boat and then only had a 90 minute drive down to the hotel.
Here is my flickr set.
It was a wonderful, fun filled weekend among people who talked my language.
When the show was over, before I headed home, I took a trip to Ikea for the first time. I bought just a few items, I want to go back and buy more!
Main purchases were two more lamb skin rugs and two end tables for the living room.

Then on Friday I headed over to Midland, MI for a friends wedding.We had the rehearsal and dinner on Friday night before setting up the reception hall. Then on Saturday, the wedding was at 3pm. The weather was perfect for an outdoor wedding. I was the "Best man by proxy" so I was not able to get a lot of photos.  Flickr set here I wish the couple many years of happiness together.
On Sunday I headed home and just lazed around all day Monday.
I am happy to be home and ready for a few weeks of not going anywhere!

Hodgepodge Wednesday

Join us by clicking the link

1. I'm joining my daughter1 in the 101 in 1001 challenge. Essentially you create a list of 101 things you hope to do or accomplish in the next 1001 days. What's one thing you'd put on your list?


One thing in 1001 days, hm-mm. Welcome my husband home from the sandbox.

2. How many remote controls do you have in your house? What's one item in your home you wish could be operated by remote control?

I have 5 for the entertainment center and one for the fan (can never find it though). Not sure what else I would need a remote for.


3. What does having it all mean to you? Is it attainable?


Happiness and security. Yes, I think each person can achieve both.


4. What's your favorite movie soundtrack?

Oh man, one- I love show tunes. I guess for musicals it would be Camelot but for regular movies it is the soundtrack from either Dirty Dancing or Beverly hills cop.
5. Describe the best view you've seen from a rooftop.


I have never been on a roof top. I have been in high rises, but never up on top.


6. What's your least favorite thing about summer?

Humidity. I like dry heat.



7. Our weekly Hodgepodge falls on the first day of August. In ten words or less sum up your July.

Very busy, driving, tons of laughter and good friends.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Today I got to talk to my husband. He has had a very hard, long week where he is stationed. I wish I could do more to help. I just pray and know that God will give him what he needs. Please add your prayers or thoughts to mine. Thank you.

Weekend Up North

Getting off the couch by way of friends is awesome! As I posted last time, I really have to push myself to leave home, but once I am out, I do OK.
I had a wonderful with Shannon and Shirley up in Boyne City.
As I drove up on Friday, I saw this sign

Pretty cool in my opinion.

Shannon and her husband, Chris, took me out to dinner at

We had a wonderful meal and lots of laughter!
On Saturday we headed out to the Castle Farms Fiber Festival First stop was back to Cafe Sante for breakfast. I forget to get photos, but I had Tiramisu waffles and pineapple juice. YUM! Dining overlooking Lake Charlevoix was worth going back for.

After breakfast, we took a short ferry ride

Cool touristy thing to do and we were off to the Castle


Giant Chess set in the back ground



Behind the fountain was the Enchanted Forest
After a day of Shopping (pictures later), we went to Murphy's for a late lunch

That night we spent spinning and knitting while chatting and laughing.
On Sunday, we stayed close to the house in the morning. Shirley came over and gave me a refresher with her sewing machine. She has a dream machine, one I will probably never own, but it gave me confidence to bring my machine out of hiding and sew again.
Here is the bag we made together

Eyeballs!!! It is lined with frogs.
For lunch we headed out to Red Mesa Grill. The food was WONDERFUL! a twist the norm.
I had to laugh at the Chihuahua on the menu- yes, I knew they meant cheese, not the dog.
I tried the Grilled Pineapple Quesadilla
and the Armadillo Eggs
I asked for the recipe for both. Will be sharing on the podcast once I get the amounts correct.
Shannon had the Queso

It smelled so good!
 When we got back to the house, it was sadly time for me to head home.
We hugged and promised to see each other soon.

Thank you Shannon, Shirley, Chris and little man for a wonderful weekend!!!

Scales

I woke up this morning with a clear head. My first thought was that I have become the worst thing I could imagine, a Dependasaurus.

What is that you ask? Well that is what the spouse of a deployed soldier that needs that other person to function is called. I have become dependent. I wait for the email at night or look first thing in the morning to see if they are online. I need to talk over stuff with him in order to make a decision. When I don't get to talk with him, I do nothing. Not a good way to live, but that has been what the last 2 months has been like here. PJ days are too easy to have and my house has become a shambles because of it. As I had my coffee this morning, I took a long look at my house, my actions and my life and just did not like what I saw. I have become the opposite of out of control. I have become lazy and uncaring about the house, my appearance and have a lack of wanting to really do anything.

I guess the first step is admitting you have become a Dependasaurus, now how do I shed my scales and become independasaurus?

Last week, I was sent a swap package and in that package were some To do Lists. I have listed the large and small tasks from the house down. I am giving myself a month to get the house and hopefully myself, whipped into shape. I have papers that need to be gone through, clutter that needs to be eliminated and cleaning that has to be done. I need to get up every morning, get dressed (yes that has become a problem) and get busy. I need to take pride in having a clean house and having an organized life. I know there will be days that I will be able to talk to sarge, but I need to do more than just function on days I am not able to.

After I have cleaned the house to my fullest, I want to hire a steam cleaning company to come do the floors and maybe Merry Maids to give the house a deep clean.

I need to do more than survive while Sarge is gone, I need to live. I need to show him that the reason he is overseas is so that we can live normal happy lives and me falling into the not normal range is not what he needs to hear about. I will try to post my progress of the descaling.

Shawl Kick

I have been on a shawl kick lately.

My husband brought some home to me from Afghanistan:








I am also knitting some:

Hitchhiker shawl done in Alpaca




Eyjafjallajökull Shawl in Little Traveler




Rustic Autumn shawl done in my hand spun