Feeling accomplished

Yep, you heard me.  I actually feel like I accomplished something last night and this morning.  I finished my first infinity scarf!  Of course, I had to have pink in it…

I’m not really sure what yarn this is.  I’m thinking it’s Loops and Threads Impeccable…what happened was I came across this afghan I’d started but never finished.  I don’t even know what pattern I was using.  So I decided to tear it out and reuse the yarn.  Then, when I decided to make a scarf, I figured why not use this yarn…hey, it’s got pink in it, right?

I like that you can wear these scarves in a variety of ways…long, wrapped, cowl, tied…whatever.  I think I may make a little tie to match it with some beads on it…what do you think?

This was so easy to make…finished it in less than three hours…chain stitch, single crochet, and double crochet…that’s it.  Oh, and I found the free pattern on ravelry.com.  I can’t believe I waited so long to check out that site (thanks for bringing it to my attention, Donna).

So now, after not working for a month, I finally feel like I’ve accomplished one small thing.  I suppose now would be a good time to start making scarves for charity, wouldn’t it?

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Just another Monday

Come Monday (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Not a manic Monday, not a hated start of the work week Monday…just Monday.  I guess I never thought about how we give certain days special significance when we’re working. It seems like just about everyone hates Mondays. I suppose because most people don’t work on the weekends, Monday means a return to the dreaded work week. Now I’ve pretty much always had jobs where I’m required to work at least some weekends, so there have been times when I really liked Mondays because that would often be the start of my “weekend”.

But still being off of work on medical leave kind of changes how I look at things like that. I woke up today thinking that I could be going in to work today on truck day…a hectic, active, yet kind of fun day…it’s all what you make it! If only I could actually be going in to work…but…nope! Still off, still struggling to breathe, wondering what’s going on and what’s going to happen. I have to admit, it’s more than a little scary. I’ve always worked, since I was 14 years old. So not being able to work has me questioning myself. I mean, how am I going to cope if I don’t get better? What in the world would I do?  I have some money saved up, but not enough to get by on for the rest of my life.

No…stop…I’m not going to go looking for trouble where it might not exist. I see a pulmonary specialist Thursday afternoon and we’ll go from there. It’s not like worrying about it between now and Thursday will do anything to make it better anyhow. In the meantime, I’m off for this week and next week, and then we’ll see. Hopefully they’ll be able to figure out what’s going on and then correct it.

I think I’ll go rummage around in my yarn stash and sit back and crochet a scarf…take my mind off my worries for a while.

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There’s no place like home

When I was younger, I thought Dorothy was crazy.  Home was the last place I wanted to be.  I wanted to be out with my friends, cruising the big city (okay…the small town next to our even smaller town), going bowling or skating, going out for pizza…ah to be that young again…or not. I think I much prefer my life now.  I know what I like.  I don’t worry about impressing other people…either you like me or you don’t…it’s all the same to me.  I enjoy my own company and I thoroughly enjoy being at home.

I came home from work today and started noticing the things I like about my house…this little vignette in my bedroom is one of my favorites.  I did the cross stitch piece for my mom many years ago.  She had it hanging in their guest bedroom.  My step father gave it back to me after Mom died.  It really reminds me of her every time I look at it.

This is another cross stitch piece that I completed several years ago.  It’s in my living room along with a few other needlework creations, some that I did and others that someone else did.  This piece never fails to remind me that we should always treat others at least as well as we’d like to be treated.

This vignette is also in my living room.  I’ve always been fascinated by bee skeps…I found this small one at an antique store in southern Indiana and just had to have it.  No, I’ve never been a bee keeper, but I’d like to do that at some point in the future…you know, once I get my little place in the country.  Fortunately for me, I’ve never been scared of bees!

I painted this bird house and set it inside a heavy cast iron bird bath.  I just thought the bird bath was too pretty to put outside…does cast iron rust?  That was my fear when I was trying to figure out what to do with it.

I put together this arrangement using acrylic water, some river pebbles and 3 calla lilies.  I remember my grandmother growing calla lilies when I was a little girl (many years ago).  And I just have to mention how much I love hand crocheted doilies.  I’ve found several at auctions, yard sales, thrift shops.  But my favorites are the ones that my mom, grandmother and a very good friend (thanks Donna) took the time to crochet for me.  Doilies are little works of art and I have them all over the place…one can never have too many doilies!!

I guess Dorothy knew what she was talking about after all.  There truly is no place like home.

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