Doors

 We've lived in this house since December 14, 1989. And I hated the front door almost from the start.

Ralph insisted on the curtain on the inside, and the door always looked like a back door, not a front door.

The storm door wasn't any more to my liking. I'm not sure why it took me 32 years to insist that the doors be replaced. In the beginning, we couldn't afford it. Then I was working and just didn't think about it. Then I was retired and didn't pay any attention to it, til one day, the doors had to go!

So we went to Home Depot, but I didn't like any of their doors enough to want to live with them. So a couple of weeks later we went to Lowe's, and I really liked these doors.

The inner door was available in several colors, but I like the red tinted. And I just love the oval glass insert! And the storm door also has a full sized screen for summer. 

The guys came yesterday, did the installation, then couldn't find the keys to the inner door. Tore the trash bag apart, looked all around, nothing. They had to go back to Lowe's and get another lock set. The one guy said that has happened before, that the keys weren't packed with the locks. If it were me, when it happened once, I'd make sure I had keys before I even left the store, but that's just me.

A little afghan kit that I had packed away, just in the mood for something quick and little.

My GoodReads stats for the year so far! I have time to maybe finish one more book. My original goal was 100, then I upped it to 150, so I passed it easily.

My handsome nephew Mike and his gorgeous wife Samantha! The sweetest couple you ever want to meet. They are so good to little Joey, they have him for days at a time. Just good people.

Post holiday

 We had a very merry Christmas. The weather was gorgeous, in the 50's! So Heather had the sliders and some windows open, which I was happy about, since there were 20 people there!

I didn't take a lot of pix at Heather's, and what I took were of Julianna!

She's just so cute! I had a chance to sit and talk with her, and it was great.

We took pix here, but didn't remember to take any of us with gifts at Heather's.

Manda got over 4 inches of snow yesterday! Luckily it was clear Christmas Day after a dusting Christmas Eve, so Becca and Brandon were able to spend the day with them. Steph and Dan are supposed to go up today, but it was dependent on the Oregon forecast today, and I have a feeling that they won't make it.

Does Ralph know me, or what? 

I'm still taking a break from my cross stitch. I have two baby afghan kits, and I started one last night. 

A Terrible Week

 Last Saturday our neighbor Dianne died. She'd been sick for years, and her husband Dave was devoted to her and supervised an army of visiting nurses and therapists. So while it wasn't a surprise when she passed, it was still sad. 

The funeral was Thursday, December 23. What an ordeal for the family so close to Christmas. No time is good, but holiday time is supposed to be happy. My heart aches for all of them.

And Sunday was David's birthday. Frank and Charlotte got together with Sharon's family to have David's favorite dinner, chicken pot pie, and watch his favorite movie, A Muppet Christmas Carol. I hope they continue that wonderful tradition.

Snakes are done! My weather app goes out 10 days, so I finished them on Wednesday. We delivered Ben's to Frank and Charlotte today, since they will see Ben tomorrow, at Sharon's. 

A completed hat! I also made a light purple beanie, both for Julianna. I tried them on, but with my short hair, it's not a good look. 

I finished wrapping this morning. Tonight I made green gunk, AKA Watergate salad, and a Black Forest Trifle to take to Heather's tomorrow. I'll put together a green salad in the morning. 

This year has sucked in general. We've had 4 deaths- our friend Nick, my cousin Denise, David, and now Dianne. Barbara shattered her wrist, and John and Morgan both broke ankles, and Ed fractured 6 ribs. Ed just got back to work, and John is working two mornings a week and struggling to do that. 

I'll be glad to see the end of 2021.

Warm December

 Which is better than a blizzardy one!

I'm making a hat, and it's making me crazy! I switched out some of the colors, and skipped the pointy row. Starting the silly thing was awful- chain 72, join, being careful not to twist. Yeah, right. I finally appealed for help on one of my crochet groups. The advice I got was to do the chain, then the first row, then join. That worked out well, or there would be no hat. 

I might give this a try, it's just a granny with seams at the arms. I'll see if Juls would be interested. 

I'm taking a break from the cross stitch. On the 21st I'll be able to get temps thru the end of the year, so I can finish up the snakes in time to give them for Christmas. I'll be glad to see then end of them. 

I have two packages arriving, hopefully today, then I'll have all the gifts I need. I still need to make a trip to the bank. Hard to believe it's almost another Christmas.

December!

 I finished the neutral afghan!

It fits the top of our queen bed. It's all packed up to be given to the recipient.

We went and looked at flooring for the kitchen, and this is our favorite. The owner is supposed to come assess the current floor to see how to replace it. He's sure they can't get to it before January, which is ok.

I downloaded a free pattern for a temperature quilt, and joined the Facebook group for it. Whether I'll do it is another matter.

I did some work on the snakes, they are actually more than up t date. I'm ready to be done with them, these are numbers 5 and 6, and it's the end of the second year of making them. Time to move on.

I downloaded directions for this crochet stitch. 

And I think this pattern is really cool. My main focus will be the counted cross stitch, again, and an afghan for my great niece Tori. She asked for dark green and neutrals. I won't probably get that going til after New Years.

We having a warm weather stretch starting tomorrow, in the 50s and 60s, so no white Christmas for us, which is ok.

December is here!

 Wow! We're on the down side of 2021! And what a freaking mess the country is in! Covid still going strong because of idiots, the Supreme Court is a freaking joke, school shootings still going on. What a pathetic state of affairs. 

But, snakes!

They are up to date, and almost done! I don't have any planned for next year, since I've ran out of little kids in the family to make them for. Ben and Joey are the youngest in the family that didn't get snakes last year. On to bigger and better things!

The neutral afghan is coming along! The longer sides take over a half hour to do. I'm not sure how big I'll make it, I'll know when it's done and/or I get low on the colors. 

I'm taking a break from the cross stitch, to get the afghan done.

We ordered doors for the front! I've hated the existing doors for as long as we've been in the house! I love the look of these! The door is custom, so about 35 days is projected. So, after the new year, which is OK. I even picked out the hardware for the doors!

Also, I want the kitchen floor replaced. I've given up on Lowe's, and got a recommendation from Mike for a place. I like this one a lot, from their website. I hope to go there next week and get that moving. 

Gobble Gobble

 We had a lovely Thanksgiving!

It included a geography lesson, when Heather and Julianna weren't sure where Finland is. I don't remember why the subject of Finland's location came up, but explanations involved two globes and several cell phones. Fun times! The food was wonderful, and the company terrific!

Time to change the qsnap! Or maybe put it back into the big frame. First I have to give the snakes and the neutrals afghan some love.

And I want to give this hat a try!

I made these bar cookies, a recipe from Facebook of course. Six different kinds on one sheet! It was bowl and labor intensive.

We all liked them, and I left most of them for the kids, or I'd have eaten the whole platter!

We got our Moderna boosters! My arm was tender for a day, Ralph's was sore and he had a headache. That's ok, we're protected!

We went to my high school class's 50th reunion! It was close to us, and we called it a date night. I'm glad I went, and I talked to several people. But of the 3 girls I was closest to, Doris and Linda have died, and the other Linda is in Arkansas. It's the first reunion I've gone to.

And I can't believe November is almost over!

Mid November!

 Once Halloween is past, the year is basically over. The time goes so fast. 

The memorial service for David was very well done. Heather spoke, Sharon spoke, Juliette spoke- they all sobbed thru speaking, and did very well. Frank spoke, and a few of David's friends spoke. I'm glad it's over, the delay between his death and the service was hard.

Works in progress updates! And I finally caught up with all the Chicago shows! That was a lot of episodes. Now I can start working on the shows on the DVR. 

Rainy Friday

 Totally a dreary day! Manda and Steph cancelled their trip here. They were coming for David's memorial service, which is tomorrow. But Dan wrenched his knee badly, and Steph didn't want to leave him for so long. And Manda is stressed by the number of unvaxxed in the family. Much as we would have loved to see them, we understand completely. 

Library run and lunch at the Meadows Diner earlier this week!

My favorite Vietnam Vet had a free breakfast at the diner, a free lunch at Olive Garden, and got a voucher for a free dinner at Texas Roadhouse!

Starting a new page on the cross stitch, neutrals afghan is coming along, and snakes are up to date!