Granny Square Pillow

This is simply two large granny square panels joined with a row of single crochet over an ivory pillow. I'm not sure if I want to add some tassles at the corners or leave it as is.

Syringa vulgaris ‘Lucie Baltet’

'Lucie Baltet' Lilac, originally uploaded by lkenyon66.

This past weekend we made the short trip to Highland Park in Rochester, NY to check out the annual Lilac Festival. We hadn't been there more than half an hour when the skies opened up and it started pouring! It didn't take long for us to get soaked and the umbrellas didn't help our pants much as it was coming down at an angle. Luckily, it didn't last too long and then the rest of the time we were there was dry.
My mom and I had been on the lookout for a pink bush when we ran across this beauty. It is the variety 'Lucie Baltet' and dates back to France 1888. I love that the buds start out a dark pink and open to a lighter pink, plus the fact that it isn't a pinky purple, but truly pink. I absolutely am getting one of these for my yard, but it's looking like I may have to order it online as I haven't had any luck finding it at a local nursery.

New Dishcloth Pattern

Finished this new pattern up this morning. I used Lily Sugar and Cream, 100% cotton yarn for this.

2009 Syracuse St. Patty's Day Parade

Bikini Top

After several restarts and one major blunder, I've finally finished half of my latest project! Let's just say that I am now familiar with the practice of frogging. And if having to rip out everything and start over (more than once btw) isn't bad enough, it was nothing (and I mean nothing) compared to untangling the mess I ended up with after trying to make a center pull ball of yarn. Not quite sure where I went wrong, but it took me and my husband several hours to get the yarn rewound and workable again. Anywho, here's hoping that I can make the other side come out the same. ;-)

Sedge Stitch Washcloth

Another beginner project completed, yippie!! This is the free Bark Sedge Stitch Washcloth pattern from the Lion Brand website. I used their Cotton Ease yarn (50% cotton/50% acrylic) in the color stone instead of Organic Cotton like the pattern called for. Compared to the 100% acrylic's I've been working with thus far, it was quite a bit nicer to crochet with. Overall, I'm pleased with the result and think I'll do some up for Christmas gifts this year seeing how quick they are stitch up.

But for now, it's on to my next project... a string bikini top in lime green mercerized cotton. Hopefully I'll have it done before I take off for Florida in a few weeks. ;-)

Irish flicks to help get you in the spirit!

Last March, our local newspaper printed a list of what they consider standout Irish themed films. Even if you're only Irish for a day, why not expand your celebration beyond the parades, green beer, corned beef and cabbage and check some of these out. All of the films have an overall rating of 4 stars or better at Amazon. You can click on the titles to read the user reviews.

FYI - if you're in the CNY area and want to save some $, check out the Onondaga County Public Library before heading to the video store. All the titles I've seen so far came from there.

OK, time to reveal their list....
_________________________________________________________

Films that I've seen -

"Michael Collins" (1996)
"The Wind that Shakes the Barley" (2006)
"In the Name of the Father" (1993)
"The Boxer" (1997)
"My Left Foot" (1989)

"Michael Collins" is my favorite of the bunch - very powerful and moving. The accents are pretty thick in "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" so I would recommend seeing this one on DVD where you can turn on the English subtitles. The last 3 films all feature the very talented Daniel Day-Lewis as the lead actor. I found "My Left Foot" to be a little tougher to get into compared to the others, but well worth checking out nonetheless. It is based on the real life story of the writer Christy Brown.
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The remaining 8 that I have yet to see -

"The Informer" (1935)
"Odd Man Out (1947)
"Bloody Sunday" (2002)
"Some Mother's Son" (1996) - I have reserved a copy of this one - hope to get it in the next few days!
"Into the West" (1993)
"In America" (2003)
"The Secret of Roan Irish" (1994)
"Dancing at Lughnasa" (1998)
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A couple other Irish related movies not on their list, but ones that I found entertaining are -

"Patriot Games" (1992) with Harrison Ford and
"Darby O'Gill and the Little People" (1959) a Walt Disney classic

If anyone else has any recommendations, please feel free to leave a comment.

Cheers,
Linda


PS - In case you're wondering, those are magnetic salt and pepper shakers in the pic. Aren't they just adorable? You can find them here http://www.funtocollect.com/mwahleprachaunandpotgoldsaltandpepperset.html

Small Crochet Shamrock

I've tried my hand at crochet several times over the years and could never quite get the hang of it... that is until a few weeks back. For whatever reason, I'm finally getting it. That's not to say that I'm proficient at it by any means as I still haven't got the tension thing nailed down. Hopefully in time, it'll click and then I'll be able to go a bit faster. Anywho, I've been tinkering with a few beginner projects and came across these super simple shamrocks. They take about 5 minutes to whip up and make cute little pins or fridge magnets. Thank you to Teresa Richardson for posting a You Tube tutorial on how to make them!! Check it out here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGzh-wVHB1w

Christmas goodies

These sugar coated pecans are super quick to whip up and they are delicious. I've only tried this recipe with pecans, but I see no reason why it wouldn't work just as well with other types of nuts. Toss them in decorative tins or candy bags and you'll have nice little gifts for your nut loving friends, co-workers, etc...

Sugar Coated Pecans

You will need:

• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 pound pecan halves
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Grease one baking sheet.
2. In a mixing bowl, whip together the egg white and vanilla until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, salt and cinnamon together.
3. Add the nuts to the egg whites and stir well until the nuts are evenly coated. Next, place the nuts in the sugar mixture, and toss to coat.
4. Spread the nuts out evenly onto the baking sheet.
5. Bake at 250 for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!!

Enjoying wildlife photography - while it's still legal

I discovered this little guy at the foot of my front porch step this evening when I got home from work. Luckily, he was still hanging out once I got the dogs in the house and grabbed my camera. Fortunately for now, I can still enjoy photographing the critters I find out in the wild. But if one group has it's way, that might change...

I'm not going to list the groups name as I don't want to give it any further exposure (if you really want to know - just google this topic), but according to an Aug 8, 2008 post on their website.. their goal is to expose Bird Watchers for what they feel are "cunning, pervasive, horny predators". In particular, they are targeting senior citizens and feel that "they should be discouraged from bird watching and should engage in socially accepted activities instead". They admit that not all birdwatchers are guilty of being perverts, but feel that far too many are and that they are corrupting our innocent children.

I really thought this was a joke, but after reading some of the comments on their site - there seem to be quite a few people who share this view, plus I found several videos on YouTube showing these people out on the streets protesting and handing out flyers. Their website goes on to say that

"A member of Congress, who requested anonymity, is quietly drafting legislature that would levy stiff fines against people caught with bird porn in their possession, either photos or internet images."

So I guess this picture I snapped a while back could cause me some legal trouble one day?!? LOL!


For the record, I was on the beach well before these little buggers showed up, and they didn't seem to mind one bit that I was there! ;-)
Let me also just say that if you are personally disturbed by a TV show or photo that captures natural animal behaviors - it is you're absolute right to get rid of your TV and computer and never come out of your house!

You know, I've been truly stressed out lately about the pending tobacco ban at work - so I have to thank this group of loons for getting me laughing and smiling again.

Labor Day 2008

I spent part of this beautiful day tending to the garden. Five tomato plants were pretty much done, so I pulled them out and planted several rows of snow peas and a row of lettuce. This is the first year I've tried to grow a late season crop, so we'll see how it goes. Hopefully, they'll be ready to harvest before the first frost hits.

A worthy read for smokers and non-smokers alike!

SMOKE LIES NANNY STATE - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: SMOKE LIES NANNY STATE

Tobacco discrimination at work

The speculation and rumors have been circulating for months now, but still no release of the 'official' new policy. The latest twist going around today is that not only are they going to ban smoking on company property (including in your own personal vehicle), but that no legal tobacco products will be allowed on the premises! At first I thought my coworker was just kidding around, trying to get me riled up - but 'twas not the case. How the feck will they be able to enforce this - mandatory oral cavity inspections to make sure someone isn't chewing, car searches to look for butts in the ashtray?!?
Although I've tried to not let it (as nothing is 'official' yet), this has upset me to the point where I can't get my mind to stop reeling - and it's beginning to effect my health in ways that smoking cigarettes never has. Anxiety attacks, trouble sleeping, mad at the world... although I know it sounds crazy, this may very well be the straw that breaks this camel's back.
Before posting a pro anti-tobacco comment, think long and hard about why someone could and should be upset about a policy like this.
Stay tuned for updates...

NYS Fair Pics

Mmmm, there's nothing like the smell of beef, pork and chicken cooking low and slow. Hubby bought his first smoker this past spring and has been hooked ever since, so of course, we had to stop and check out all the various setups, not to mention conduct a few taste tests. ;o)
The fair always brings out the kid in me, and I can't leave without visiting all the various livestock - sheep, cows, goats, pigs, horses, alpacas, rabbits, etc... I'm sure hubby wouldn't complain a bit if I said I wanted to skip them - but he was a good sport and came along with me. I in turn, reciprocated by joining him to check out the old/antique tractors.

New for 2008 was a second memorial in dedication to our service men and women. You can't see it well in the pictures, but there are several brick paths representing each branch of the military that extend from the sculpture. The individual bricks list the name of the soldier, rank and years of service. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my nephew had a brick in the Air Force path.


Pictured below is the Navy leg of the original veteran's memorial where my dad has a brick.


All in all, hubby and I had a great day despite my being a little queasy for a few hours after taking a ride on the Top Spin. This wasn't the first time I had ridden this ride, but I'm pretty sure it'll be the last! I eventually recovered and was able to enjoy several other rides, plus we stayed late enough to catch a great fireworks display and I won my first ever game of 'I Got It'!

Not sure what the Top Spin does - click the play button!



Video courtesy of: http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a14_1190564973

Biodiesel from NYS Fair butter sculpture

Nine hundred pounds of butter will end up fueling the vehicle fleet at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF). "Thirty-seven percent of the college's fleet runs on some form of renewable energy, including biodiesel," said ESF President Cornelius B. Murphy, Jr. "Using the butter sculpture is a unique way to fuel the ESF fleet."
After the fair’s 12-day run ends on Labor Day, the butter will be brought to the ESF biodiesel production facility. The first step is to clarify the butter to remove the water and milk proteins. He said it takes about nine pounds of butter to make a gallon of biodiesel, so this year’s 900-pound sculpture should yield around 96 gallons of biodiesel.

Source (and video footage):
http://www.esf.edu/communications/news/2008/08.20.butter.htm

MAD magazine covers

You must 'think of the children'....

First off, I'll be the first to admit that I am way behind where I probably should be in my knowledge of politics and history. I personally hated them back in school, and have only recently, due to the current political environment in the USA, developed an interest in them. Better late than never I suppose.

So here's the deal - something snapped in me about a month ago and just hearing the phrases 'For the children' or 'Think of the children' now makes my blood boil. It doesn't seem like a day goes by anymore without some politician proposing another piece of legislation that will 'save/protect our children'. I wonder if this is a relatively new movement or have I just been oblivious to it all these years? Anywho, I decided to do a little research on Google tonight and came across the following quote -

"The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation."

In my opinion, this pretty much sums up what has been going on. Now, being a newcomer to this whole history thing - I had never seen this quote before tonight and wouldn't have been able to tell you who said it.

Do you know? Here's a clue...
Source: Mein Kampf; the Ralph Manheim translation published by Houghton-Mifflin, 1943. pg 403.

Still not sure - click on the link to discover the author...
http://www.crusader.net/texts/mk/

For more perspective on this issue, please check out this well written post at the blog - What is Going On?: http://swfreedomlover.wordpress.com/2008/05/01/for-the-children-overused-and-abused-manipulation/

CNY Scottish Games / Celtic Festival

Hubby and I goofing around...


Brooke had fun meeting lots of new friends, including this Scottish Deerhound...


Highland dancer competing...
Neither of us could muster up the courage to try some haggis. ;o)
Stone ThrowSheaf Toss
Caber

Rooting the Runners

8/24 Update - separated 'baby' plants from 'mom'

To my surprise, the hanging strawberry basket I purchased at the Regional Market this spring has produced some of the sweetest strawberries I've ever tasted. Since my plan is to build a raised strawberry bed next spring anyways (just have to figure out where to put it), thought I'd try to root some of the runners. Not being quite sure about the best way to do this, I checked out various articles online and decided to use the advice from this site as a guide: http://www.gardenhive.com/fruit/strawberries/grow/runners/

I potted 20 of the best looking runners this morning and the picnic table (aka: Linda's Garden Bench) now looks like a mini strawberry patch.

In a few weeks, the roots should be pretty well established and I'll be able to snip their lifeline to the mother plant.

Coverup for the ugly freezer

What to do with a freezer that works perfectly but looks like hell...and buying a new one is not an option.

A convenient solution for a lot of folks would be to put it in the basement, great idea but ours isn't accessible from inside the house. Next best solution for us, has been to hide it in the garage out of sight! This would've worked better if our garage were attached to the house, but it isn't. With another CNY winter right around the corner, it was time to move it indoors. And really, who wants to run out to the garage or down to the basement to pull out a couple dinner rolls anyways?

The top of the door was in the best condition with just a few little rust spots. So step 1 was to have hubby give it a fresh coat of appliance epoxy spray paint. We would have just painted the rest of it and called it a day if it weren't for the dings, dents and floppy motor housing door that doesn't latch properly. As it was, a coverup was the only viable solution.

Haven't seen these tools in at least a year... I think I remember what I'm doing. Can't screw up this cut so I measure and re-measure multiple times. ;o)

It's all coming back to me now... I sewed 2 rows of basting stiches and then pulled to gather.

Next step was to add the band. It took a little more time than expected to get the gathered piece to be the same length as the band and to make sure the gathers were evenly spread out over the entire piece.

Last step was to attach the skirt with sticky Velcro squares. It's basically done at this point but I'm going to go back tomorrow and sew the squares to the fabric for extra support as I'm not sure they will actually stay stuck. This was a fun rainy day project - and for a total cost of about $20, we now have the convenience of having a freezer in the kitchen.

Before pic: