What Happened to Courtesy while Driving?

With the Christmas Holiday, I have been driving 50+ miles one way for family related things (delivering Christmas gifts, spending Christmas with family, spending time with my little niece in from Maryland). As I would drive, I would try to change lanes and have to drive faster to get over because the people in that lane were not willing to let me in their lane. I watched as a truck was forced to use a wrong exit because people in the lane he was in would not let him over.

I have been living in a country area for six years now and I really like not having to get on the interstate. I really like not having to fight my way through the traffic. I watch on the morning news as they tell about accidents that involve many vehicles (or just one that ran off the road).

Are we in such a hurry to get somewhere that we can't slow down (even just a little) and show some common courtesy to other drivers. Let them over into the lane we are in or even speeding up a little so they can slide in behind us (if they are sort of behind us to begin with). It won't shave any time off our commute if we have an accident and it helps us to be better drivers if we show each other just a little courtesy while we are driving.

I hope everyone is able to get to their destinations safely and have happy travels.

I am Weak

Well, maybe not as weak as I think I am, but I bought yarn today. Mostly, I bought more cotton yarn for dishcloths. There are many people who like them so much that they ask for them regularly as gifts (birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas). So I bought yarn. I also bought yarn for my DD's to have new hats and scarves. They like to pick out their own yarn for their hats and scarves and they love to wear these hats and scarves, but today at 11:30 a.m. I bought yarn and I had to reset the clock on my blog to show that I am starting over. Since this is the only yarn that I seem to be using faster than fast, I bought more.

Have a good night and if you are on Ravelry, you can check to see what I bought because at some point I will post the purchases (besides it was on sale!).

Merry Christmas, Everyone

Happpy Birthday, Jesus. I think it is important to say that also. It is His birthday and yet we are the recipients of gifts. My family and friends and I played Santa to many people in our area this year. I am lucky I can participate in this activity. We bought gift cards, made gifts, bought gifts, bought food and shared with as many people as we could over such a short period. It is amazing how many people are in need and how few are able to help. But this year we were able to help and I am grateful (Thank you God) for being able to help. My family (husband and I) like to help as many as we can to make sure that others get the help they need.

My family and I attended church at St. Luke Lutheran church in Cold Spring, KY. Last night. It was wonderful. It has been ages since we were there! More due to distance in miles than not wanting to attend church. We had our neice and had to return her to her father, so we took her to church with us. She said, "Church is boring." My youngest said, "Not our church. It is fun!" I think this is a tribute to Pastor Harry and Sharey Biles. So my neice asked if she could attend church with us and we took her. She really seemed to like it. Then we took her to Grandma and Grandpa's house. The girls ran some more. They have so much fun together!

This morning the girls woke up so very early and they were so happy with their gifts. They received what they wanted from Santa (sort of). Esther got a large stuffed dog and a small one that jumps. Hannah got a "Toothless" flying dragon toy, Magic Tree House books, Nicole got a large fire truck and a semi with color changing cars in it. That made it worth all the fighting they have been doing. They are so happy to get clothes. Board games (Parcheesi, Yahtzi, Monopoly Jr, Memory, etc).

Have a Merry Christmas all and Happy Birthday, Jesus!

If you can do something nice for someone who needs it, please do so. It could be as small as buying some canned goods to take to a food pantry.

Owned by Cats

I recently commented on my Facebook, that you know that you are owned by a cat when you turn on your heating pad and your cat gets on it and you don't move him/her/them. I have arthritis from breaking so many bones and sometimes after shoveling snow (or waiting for it to fall), I will ache and so I turn on the heating pad and then I have to get up and I leave it on because I know that I will come right back to that spot. My cats have discovered that the heating pad is warm and that it helps them feel better also (one cat has arthritis also). My husband thinks it is very funny that I have lost my heating pad to the cats. The cats even wait turns for it. It is so funny to see one cat curled on the pad and then when he gets off to go get a drink, something to eat or use the litter box and there is a cat waiting nearby to get on.

These cats have been such nice company for me when my husband worked third (when we were newly married) and then when he would be sent to other plants in other states, owned by the company (had two babies and a third on the way) and now that he is back on third shift with the new company. The cats sleep on his side of the bed. He also really loves these cats... He laughs that if I am sitting and available the cats are fighting for space on or beside me, but when I am not available, he becomes their next choice.

We have had a lot of snow and my children have been outside as much as they possibly can, sliding down the hill... They have these little dogs, called Eddie dogs. You can find them at Eddie Bauer outlets. They keep taking the dogs outside to "exercise" them. The girls are too funny, taking to stuffed dogs outside.

The weather people are saying more snow on the way. I pray that it isn't much so the girls can have their three days of school before the winter break (please note not Christmas, but winter).

I have finished another dishcloth, 2 scarves (one very long) and I have started one for a teacher. It should be finished quickly since I am not getting fancy with it.

This is the very long scarf, that I made for my friend, it uses alpaca yarn that her sister found.
This is the dishcloth that I made for my mother-in-law. She really likes these dishcloths.
This is a scarf that I made for a friend's daughter.

Count Down to Christmas: 6 more knitting/crochet days and counting....Merry Christmas

No School - Snow Day #2

We got about 4 1/2 inches of snow here in Lebanon, OH. It is cold and the snow is light and not good for packing (not a wet snow). I turned on the tv and turned on Scooby Doo Movies (that I taped years ago for the girls from television). They watch a little go out and play, come in get warm, watch some more and then go back out to play some more. My laundry just quadrupled and I won't tell them not to go out and play. We had some older teen boys come by wanting to snow blow our driveway, but that is my exercise!! So I told them no thank you and sent them on their way. They did get to snow blow the neighbors' drives. I finished another dishcloth (so many people like them and they can be worked on anywhere and require no thought). I am trying to finish another scarf. I am closer than I think but I have to keep stopping to work on something else and then go back to work on it. Then when I get that finished I have to make a scarf for my DD1's teacher and one for my DD3's teacher. Then I can work on my youngest niece's (DN3) penguin and clown. I need to finish so many things for Christmas, I think I am going to be knitting and crocheting on Christmas Eve! I hope not (at least not under pressure). So time to get back to the needles! Have a good and safe day.

No School-Snow Day #1

In Ohio, we are only allowed to have (I think this year) 3 snow days. After that we have to make up at the end of the year. So today is the first snow day. I knew yesterday that they would cancel, but they had to wait until 5 a.m. to call everyone and let them know that they would officially cancel school. My girls were up and ready to go at 7:30 a.m. It is a long day when that happens. I made coffee and they are presently each settle with a cup of coffee (we use it when DD2's asthma is at it's worst). They are enjoying their mixture of flavored and decaf coffee and that is all they will get.

I let them out to play and they were back in after about an hour, nice rosy cheeks (from the cold) and wet (from the snow stuck to the clothing). They changed out of the wet and into dry and wrapped themselves in blankets and are watching the original "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" with Boris Korloff. Then we'll put in something else for them to watch.

After they came in from playing the neighbor's kids (and yes they have two (2) a boy and a girl-who looks to be the same age as one of ours) came out to sled ride also. They didn't stay out long. I don't think they are used to the weather. But no dogs so far. If they take good care of their dog, I will lovingly accept the dog.

Tomorrow, DD2 gets her cast off her arm! She'll get another x-ray and we will go from there. If she is out of the cast we are signing her (and her sisters) up for karate! Maybe we can try to keep her from breaking any more bones. My DN1 (darling niece) broke her finger and did some serious damage to it, playing basketball....vicious sport!

I finished a few more scarves. (I may have mentioned my friend and I played Santa to a little girl and I made a scarf for her and to hide that, I made many extra scarves for other children). Now to make the scarves for the teachers. One teacher won't be getting a scarf because I want to make her something special (she is a good friend).

Have a good day and stay safe!!

Snow, Snow, Snow

It is not safe to be on roads with all those people rushing to get their Christmas gifts. On Thursday, I drove down to Kentucky to get my car worked on. It had a vacuum leak that needed to be fixed. I took it to the shop I went to when I was in college. I trust the men who work there and when I called to find out what the codes meant and what symptoms the car would exhibit, they were truthful and helpful. I don't trust a lot of the mechanics I run into. They try to scare people into getting the work done and I just don't like that. On my way back down (I borrowed my mother's car so I could transport my children) on Friday, I had to get off the expressway because of an accident where the cars were creeping along (I spent a half hour sitting). On the way back home, another accident where the road became a parking lot. I got off the expressway and it still took me over 2 hours to get home! That is a long time to be travelling and I had to call and wake up my husband so that he could go get my daughter from school. I knew that I was just not going to make it home.

Yesterday, we took the girls and went Christmas shopping for my brothers-in-law, my brother, my nephew and sister-in-law. We also bought the girls some clothes (my older two need clothes) and shoes. #1 DD shoes were ripping out (they were only a month old) #2 DD outgrew her shoes and #3 DD still had good shoes that were only a month old and she wanted a new pair also! She melted. I reminded her that she was going to get a new dress for Christmas. She could choose...new shoes or new dress...she chose the dress.

Overnight the rain changed into snow. It just isn't safe to drive with all those people in a hurry to get their gifts. I just don't want my stone to read, "She died for Christmas gifts." So the girls and I stayed home. I let them play in the backyard (no dogs, I don't have to be right here when they are out there!!!! (I sang my new song...Ding dong the dogs are gone, the evil dogs are gone!) I am betting that with all this lovely snow there will be a school cancellation due to snow. I hope not. I have too much to do and I would like to get finished, but I will deal with whatever happens.

So if you are anywhere where there is snow, Enjoy! If not, but are waiting for it, Stay Dry. Have a good Sunday!

They are GONE!!!

On previous posts I have told about my evil dog owning neighbors. These are the people who own 4 dogs that come into my yard terrorizing my children and biting one of them! I have taught my children (and other people's children) what to do should those dogs come into my yard while the children are out there. I have kept shovels (heavy duty) close to my door so that should I have to go out after the dog to protect my children (or other children) in my yard, I could. I have prayed that they move and God answered my prayers. They moved (I feel for their neighbors in GA). Recently, I thought I would search the woman's facebook and found that she told her friends that I am an evil cop-calling-dog-hater! So very funny to me that I am to blame for all her troubles with her dogs. Dogs that she had to have! Dogs that she didn't train! Dogs that she didn't exercise! I think the last is most important to note. She even told the police that it was my fault that her dogs would get out of her yard, run into mine, bite or corner my children. It was my fault because I have children and cats!

They put their house on the market in September, had an offer on the house in October and moved out in November!!!! In this housing market it was a prayer answered. I have still not met the new neighbors, but that is okay, I know that I will eventually.

As for dog-hating....I love dogs. I would take care of previous neighbors dogs. One neighbor's dog, would leave their yard and come onto my back porch. I would open the door, he would come into my house and play with the kids. I would yell over to the owners and let them know that I had their dog. They would bring over his leash and say to bring him home when he was finished playing. They were a great couple and I was sad to see them leave. But they needed a smaller place (he had bad knees and couldn't take the stairs).

The next neighbor had a dog. This dog was so sweet. She would bark at my husband because she didn't trust men, but she loved the girls and I took care of her. She would come over to my yard with her owner on a regular basis. Her husband was transferred to CO soon after buying and moving into this house.

I also could control another neighbor's Rottweilers. Both dogs were female and the most loving, sweet dogs (although one would corner my husband and I would have to go rescue him). They would always come to my house for me to love on them (they were two doors away).

I would take care of my parent's dogs. I grew up with Chihuahuas, shepherds, dobermans and a collie. My neighbor growing up had dobermans and greyhounds that I took care of when she went out of town. I stayed at her place over weekends while in college to care for her dogs. I walked all these dogs and loved all of them. So I find that dog-hater label funny. I only hated her dogs because of the fear they created in my children. My one daughter is still afraid of dogs, especially if they get excited and make noises. My other daughter backs away from dogs when they get too rambunctious. As for the cop-calling, sorry but if you can't take care of your dogs, then I need to involve police so that you understand your job! They had to go to court over the attacks on my children. I think they only got the idea that I didn't like them when I called the police on them and the dog warden.

By the way, the woman claims that she is going to be a veterinarian...seriously. I don't think that will be a good thing. I hope that they bought a place with lots of land.

On the crafting front. I have made several dishcloths (with two on needles in my bag) and 3 scarves (with one on needles). I am also making this really cool hat/scarf combo called an Athena Smoke Ring that is on needles. It looks really nice when it is finished.

My middle daughter is still healing but has been falling down a lot (sometimes with help from a boy pushing her from behind). She is not supposed to be running (yeah right), she is not to be playing contact sports (does tag count), she is not to be participating in PE (there wasn't any running or contact sports involved), she is to be wrapped in a blanket to go outside for recess (seriously what idiot thought of that one-a nurse). She is not to climb on the play equipment (like that would happen). I get some interesting phone calls from the school about her.

Well time to go to bed....have a good evening all.