Day 23: My crazy, whacky, wonky family.

 I am so thankful for all these people that belong to me. I love them all. They mean so much to me. And this is just part of them. At my step dad's memorial get together we had back in June. I miss Gary.

My brother Mark came up from Colorado. He has a daughter, Phoebe, who had his first grandson, Austin, who is 4 I think. And a son, Zach, who has his second grandchild, Abby, who just turned 3. They all live in Colorado and couldn't come for the memorial.

Everyone NOT quite ready for the group pic.

This is one of those pictures where a goofy kid pops up and does something silly right at the moment of taking the picture. Kansas of course.












My beautiful baby sister Heidi and her brood. Oldest daughter Audrey with her dog, Heidi, middle daughter Emilee with her 2 girls Aubree in her lap and Taylor standing, then Samantha in front.

              My oldest daughter Heather 2nd with her daughters. Oldest Chloe, Coryn then Kansas.

 
              And the goofy guys: my brother Mark, son-in-law Jason and hubby Tiny, acting all silly.

                                           My youngest daughter Abby with her hubby Jason.

                                         This was at my house with all the girls, acting silly as usual.

Coryn and Chloe on piano bench with Kansas acting like a dog with Taylor. Silly kids!

And of course my wonderful sweet Momma, Iris, who started all this craziness of a family. Love ya, Mom!

I do love them all. And wish Phoebe and Zach and their kids could have been here with us. I miss them, so far away. So today, I am very thankful I have a family, however crazy and weird they are.

Finally found it.

 I have been looking for this black notebook since the Turkey shoot a few weeks ago. It's where I write down all my sales at the farmer's markets and craft fairs. I always keep about $15 in the baggie for change.

So, since I haven't been able to go to market the past few weeks, I thought I could use that money right now. But couldn't find it. Just a few minutes ago, my husband came in here to tell me something and I looked over at the printer and there it was. Practically right under my nose. I mean literally less than a foot away from me. Good grief!

So I opened it up to get the money out and there's a 20 dollar bill laying across the ones. Huh. I have NO idea where it came from. But it sure will come in handy. Well, I do know where it came from.

Day 21: Random Thankfulness

I missed a whole day! I am so tired and my mind isn't working right now. I can't even think of a title for this post. I feel so random at the moment. I should be so thankful for my husband's health right now. That he's home and is SO much better than he was a few weeks ago. And that he's safe. And that I am able to take care of him while he recovers from whatever it was that got ahold of him and made him so sick. He's so happy to be home. I know he'll get better and better each day. Just being home makes all the difference for this man.

I must admit, I am feeling sorry for myself. I don't even know why really. It seems like when it rains, it pours. We were not ready for this at all. The other day, on a wild goose chase, wasting precious gas, wasting time waiting for a prescription to be filled, I got a little mad. I cried and screamed like a spoiled brat. I did this in my car, driving down the road in the middle of  nowhere. And I had sun glasses on. And I felt better after this happened. I mean, I was hollering at God, myself, my husband, who ever was out there listening. Just a big old fashioned pity party, all by myself. I think it helped, just to let off steam. I guess I needed to do that. I can't even explain why. It just happened.

But then, when I looked out the back window that evening and saw the sky, I was reminded of how I am not alone in all this. I saw God's glory and awesomeness. It was literally ALL around me, everywhere I looked. The sky was lit up in these brilliant colors, all around. I went to the back and then saw the side and the front yard. It was all just so amazing. And it just got more and more beautiful as time went on. God is good, all the time! He will provide. He will be here for me. He will see us through this, just like He has so many times before. And yet I doubt. I am human. I worry. I get mad. And then He does this.

                                   And my animals do things like this to make me laugh. This is Alex, saying hello, on top of the chicken tractor. He's so sweet.

And this crazy silly dog! She had a big flat bread I threw outside. And when she sees me coming, she flops over on her back for me to scratch her belly. She is so silly, this dog. I love her.

So there is plenty to keep me laughing. I just need to look around. And sometimes, it's right in front of my face.

Thank you all for voting for my story about my funny husband.

Please VOTE for me!

http://www.disposableincomekid.com/story/show/5848117664546816/?page=1&sort=submissiondate&order=desc

I found this web site while on Mystic Mud's blog a few days ago. I decided to submit a story. I could win $425.00. Which would be really cool. Especially right now. If the link  doesn't show up, you can go to the Disposable Income Kid site. My story is called This Man Still Cracks Me Up. Please vote for me! I would so appreciate all the votes I can get. And read the story too!

Thanks!

Day 19: Beautiful day!

Although a bit cold today, after some really hot days, it's beautiful. Blue skies, windy, a perfect day to hang clothes out. Which I have done. I wish it wasn't so windy so I could put wool outside to dry. But I don't feel like chasing wool all over the yard. Too much like chasing sheep to me.

                           These are 2 different shots at the same time out front this morning. Amazing!

Day 17: He's home!

This is my husband, all ready to leave the hospital this afternoon. After waiting nearly ALL day to be released. It takes forever for them to get it all together.

But they finally let him go. Just in time to get to Walmart to get all his many many prescriptions filled before they closed at 6.

We are home now! He's in his recliner, all covered up and in front of his big 55" flat screen tv. He's a happy man. (And he'll sleep so much better here. No one waking him up every few hours to take blood.) Had a nice warm bowl of home made soup. Had all his pills. His blood sugar was just 145 tonight after eating! It's been way over 200 most of the whole time in the hospital. And once it was 400. I think it was because he was there and laying in bed doing nothing, eating so much starch and carbs and fruit 3 times a day. Plus all the bags and bags of antibiotics all day for 7 days. I had him up and walking the past several days and that helps lower blood sugar and blood pressure.

Now it's back to the hospital Monday, Wednesday and Thursday to see the doctor and foot specialist. Then make appointments for primary care doctor and diabetic doctor. Here we go, with doctors every week! I think him just being out of the hospital and out of that truck and eating good food, he'll be a new man soon.

I am so thankful for all the prayers that went up for this man. Thank you all SO much! I really don't think he'd be home right now without prayer.

Need help with carding wool please!

This is my new Ashford carder. I would love some input here. Because I really don't know if I am doing this right. I'm thinking I have more felt than really good crimped wool.

And this is so not a thankful post right now! Because this is frustrating to me.

Because this looks like a nappy beard here to me. I am adding Alpaca wool to this sheep wool to make it a little softer. Maybe I'm putting too much wool on the carder? It's pretty thick.

                                                    You can see it a little better here.

This is it rolled up. I am loving the blended colors a lot. I'd love to knit a sweater and hat some day from this.

Here is some I added white wool to. I like this color so much. I am drawn to soft warm brown colors.

So the lady at Ketner's Mill who let me use her carder for the very first time, made a really long piece of roving as she took it off the wheel. She took off a little section at a time and it just all stayed together and she rolled it all up in a ball and let me have it. I can't figure out how she did it. When I do it, it's just one small piece and never stays together.

I have to say this is a little frustrating for me. I have not even tried the spinning wheel again. Well, I did once and just cried because I cannot get the wool to go onto the bobbin. No matter which way the wheel spun. I so need help.

But if any of this makes sense and you can figure out what I'm doing, please let me know. I would love to know if I'm just wasting my time right now.