Frogging

Any of you who knit or crochet will know what I mean by frogging.  Remember that sweater I started using popcorn stitch.  Well, I decided I just didn't like it and did the rippit, rippit, rippit thing - more commonly known as frogging.  I started another sweater using that same yarn..and I like it much better.  But, as these things go, I got a request for a white sweater to be given as a Christmas present - so I have put the first one (intended for myself - therefore lower on the priority scale) aside and started a plain white sweater in a nice, soft boucle yarn.  Pics to follow.  Then, while I was working diligently on the white sweater, I received a notice in the mail that there will be a bazaar at the long-term care home where my mother-in-law stays.  They are looking for donations of baked goods (probably none coming from here!), hand-crafted items or other things that they could use at their bazaar.  So, I went searching in my finished-goods bin to see what I had that I could send.  I managed to collect one large plastic bag, plus one smaller one.  These are items that I made from time to time, from odds and ends.  Most of them are baby items, since those are small enough to use up odd bits of yarn.  Hopefully these things will benefit the home and people looking for gift items.

Last time Munchie was up - for his Birthday / Thanksgiving dinner he was getting ready to leave for home, when he noticed Poppa's new truck sitting in the garage.  Typical of little boys everywhere, he was quite taken with it and wanted to explore further to see if it met his high standards for vehicles worthy of transporting small people.  Here he is sitting in the driver's seat and checking out the toys.  He was sure that the horn should honk if he pressed just the right place on this steering wheel, but he never did manage to figure out just where to push.  He was quite taken with the truck though and spent the whole trip back home trying to convince Daddad that he should  buy a truck.  I don't think he had any luck there either, but he can always have a ride with Poppa when he is at Poppa's house.  Of course, he's going to have to grow a tad before he can actually drive it!

Here is the latest in Uncle Shaun's abandoned series.  With relentless vigilance, he still finds these great shots.  This is the autumn example.  See the fallen leaf in the lower right?  See how it matches the colour on the abandoned coffee cup?  Uncle Shaun has a great eye for photography and as usual I love the abandoned series.

While I was exploring my finished-goods bin, I found this one-piece snowsuit that I had made before Munchie was born.  Obviously he never got it, and now he is too big for it.  However, I like it too much to give it away, so I think I will give it to a little friend of Munchies.    The nice lady who looks after Munchie while Mumma is at work has a little boy who is younger than Munchie, and I think this outfit will just fit him nicely over the cold winter months - so I do believe that is where this one will go! 

The pictures are a little dark, the lighting at my work station (Hee- or armchair) are not ideal for taking pictures, but I don't want to move the stuff out of my area, until they are all finished and ready to go.  Poppa is here waiting for his breakfast, so I'd better run along and get it for him....besides Squeegie is starving, and there's nothing worse than a hungry bear!

Birthday Tales

The other morning when we headed out to take me to work, we were greeted by a sight that had us both thinking fondly of the villa in Florida.  Our front yard was white-washed with frost.  All the neighbour's roofs were white.  The leaves on the trees had a frosty-white tinge on top of their fall colours.  The air was brisk and chilly.  While it looked very pretty, it reminded us that soon there would be snow arriving in Canada.  Poppa got thinking about tuning up the snowblowers and digging out the shovels.  And I started thinking about which shorts to pack for Florida and making lists of things that I mustn't forget to pack.  You know, the camera and the wire to plug it into the computer, so I can post pictures for you.  Luckily, by lunch-time the frost had disappeared and the grass was looking green again - but the air still had a chill in it, and people were sporting heavier jackets. 

Munchie had a wonderful time on his birthday.  He enjoyed ripping the pretty paper off the parcels that magically appeared in the parlour.  There were lots of wonderful things inside the packages.  He got this new outfit from Nanna and Poppa - and this noisy - oops, I mean wonderful musical instrument from Mumma and Dadda.  He really liked the xylophone/piano - it seemed to be a favourite toy for the rest of the weekend.  Of course, there were lots of other toys too - a tool box full of little tools, a chain-saw (yes you read it correctly - a chain-saw with noise) and  a walking/riding toy that was lots of fun.  I think Daddad liked the toys just as well as Munchie did - he tried them all out and patiently sat on the floor where he could help Munchie master all the noisy (oops I mean exciting) toys.

Of course there are always other things that are just as interesting as new toys.  One of Munchie's favourite things when he went for a stroll during those lovely summer months, when Mumma stayed home with him, was the flowers growing in flower-beds along the route to the grocery store.  One of the first sounds he learned to make was his approximation of the word flower.  He was quite interested in my gerbana daisy and managed to knock off one of the largest blooms on the plant.  Of course, then he wanted to taste it - so we had to take it away.  I originally bought that plant to sit on the little table on the front patio that Poppa created in the summer - but what with the frost arriving and the nights dipping below zero, I thought I would try bringing it into the house to see if I could keep it until next year.  Some of the leaves are looking a little crispy and yellow, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best.

Now, I must introduce you to the newest member of Auntie Colleen's menagerie!  This is Jolly Roger.  Isn't he marvelous?  Uncle Shaun and Auntie Colleen went on our annual Studio Tour.  This is a day when local artists open their doors to the public and allow folks to wander around and browse among the many artistic creations available.  Inevitably, this tour leads to a new acquisition for Auntie Colleen's collection of unusual critters.  You really should click on the picture to see a larger version.  Roger is truly unique and oddly beautiful for a metallic object.  He makes me think of a bird in colourful, shining armour - I think we should call him Sir Jolly Robin!  Kudos to the artist who had the vision to create Roger - he's lovely - he will surely make Uncle Shaun and Auntie Colleen smile for many years to come.

Fall is coming!

There are several indications that fall is approaching with great rapidity.  I can tell by the renewed interest in the Maple Leaf as indicated in this picture!

A Happy Turkey Birthday

Thanksgiving day was a wonderful day.  Gramma Grace and Aunt Peggy were delivered in time for dinner, by Auntie Marcia and Uncle Jozsef.  They came in for a very brief visit, but didn't stay for dinner.  Poppa went out and looked at their new car - he says it is really nice.

Munchie had arrived with Mumma and Daddad on Friday night - just in time for bed, but he wasn't very tired - so he stayed up quite late playing with the toys here.  He doesn't see them very often, so they always seem new to him.

I haven't downloaded my pictures yet - I've been busy since Kev-Inn is still moose hunting, so I'm filling in for him at work.  But, Mumma did send a picture of Munchie eating one of his birthday cupcakes.  He looks so serious because he is wondering what is wrong with his little nose.  He actually managed to eat a couple of little cupcakes without making a huge mess.  Shortly after this picture was taken, he tried to wipe the icing off his nose, and managed to get some in his eye...........but he loved the cupcake!

Autumn

The fall season is approaching way too quickly.  However, as usual, it does provide us with a great deal of visually pleasing perspectives to admire.  Uncle Shaun has managed to capture a wonderful panoramic view of our local park.  Isn't it lovely?  He took this a week or so ago, and it is quite probable that now, the green trees are not looking so green.... but I love that one brave little tree who dares to show his fall colours ahead of all the others.  The little show-off!

Mumma has gone back to work.  Her time at home with little Munchie has come to an end.  He has a baby-sitter come in to keep and eye on him now - while Mumma heads off to work each day.  She is really busy there, so I don't get much news.  Last time I checked, Munchie was adapting all right, but he seemed to be a little miffed with Mumma for leaving him there all day, instead of taking him with her.

He is still flourishing though.  He recently discovered that he has a tongue in there with those teeth and just can't seem to quit experimenting with it to see what it can do.  I received this picture last Saturday morning.  It is so cute, we can see the tongue and the teeth!  Those little teeth are getting large enough to see in a smile now.  And...........Saturday is Munchie's first birthday..........and.........guess what!?!  Munchie is coming with Mumma and Daddad to have dinner and a visit at our place.  We have invited Grandma Grace and Aunt Peggy out to join in the celebration.  With Mumma back at work, we haven't been down for our weekly visit in a couple of weeks...so it sure will be great to see our little family again! 

Roof

Hey there!  Have you been wondering what Poppa is up to?  Well here is a clue.  That is Kev-Inn and Poppa up on the roof of the workshop.  The time had come to replace the shingles on that roof, to make sure that the rain and snow didn't soak all Poppa's tools and make his nails rusty.  It took two days to get it all done.  Kev-Inn took an afternoon off the first day, and a whole day the second day..and they finished up just in time for supper.  The roof looks a lot better and Poppa is pleased that it is finished up before winter arrives. 

Of course, it would have taken even longer, except for a very special helpher who turned up to give the guys a hand - oops, I mean paw.  Yep - you guessed it, that is Squeegie up there on that roof.  He wandered on down to the workshop, to see if could be of assistance.  It was really hot up there on that roof in the sunshine - and they were glad of the help.  So Poppa helped Squeegie up the ladder, and he picked up the hammer and got to work.  Poppa says that Squeegie worked hard and he is going to get him some KFC on Tuesday to reward him for being such an exemplary bear.