QUEENS

I just received this book in the mail. I ordered it from Amazon. The seller was in England and it came in a week!! I have had itmarked for three years, hoping to find a good discount. the book came out in 2006. Finally I decided to get it already. It is an expensive book, hard bound all color. A museum quality.
It is a compendium of all known queens of Egypt since the beginning. Fascinating. I will spend lots of time studying. I am very much an Egyptophile.

AFGHAN SQUARES

Eithne taking a look at the finished squares. 18 down, 31 to go. Eithne has her tape with her to check and see if the squares are coming out a unform size.

The flowered skirt is for one dress and the green top goes with the green silk skirt.

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WEATHER REPORT

The first part of the week. We had very warm temperatures. Summer like. What was nice, I could sleep without covers. Sometimes the weight of blankets is just so uncomfortable. Then the fog and northern front moved in. Back to the 60's again. Temps, that is. Changing weather always make me sick. I have been sick all week. I had to cancel an appt. to get new glasses. I hate seeing double and it is even worse with my AMD. Sometimes life is just too much with me. And it's hard to deal with. I can't sew, but, I have been able to crochet on the afghan. I have 14 squares made. Only 35 more to go.
Hb. has been going to the craft shops to research yarn for me. About what is available locally and then I will have to see what I will have to order from the 'Net. I am using all varigated yarns for the afghan, and some of the colors I need aren't made right now. I began with one skein of 'Rosy Mist' by Lion Brand yarns for Vanna White. It's the line: 'Vanna's Choice". That line only has five colors in multi color. So, I am getting other colors in the other lines. Although, I am finding that the size-4 yarn does have a slightly different weight in each line. Interesting.
I was in real need of a new interest. Although crocheting is an old interest, that was just biding it's time, waiting for me to find it again. Like an old friend.
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Scroll down to, April-6. and you will see the beginning of my project.
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ORANGE DREAM

Isn't this lucious. This is the first rose this year. It is an orange rose. I am not sure what it is named. We have two orange roses. But, the tags have come off. One was 'Mojave'. This does look like the colors of a Sedona sunset, doesn't it? Has a lovely fragrance too.
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PROGRESSING --SLOWLY

This is the skirt to the silk dress I am trying to make for Eithne. The spot on my retina,of the right eye, I think has grown a little. And makes it difficult to focus. So this may be the last doll dress I make. Right now, I am working to get the hemming done. After that, comes the trim. However, the dress may have to be left plain.
I am going to call my doctor tomorrow, so he can take a look at my eye. The last appt. he said the spot looked stable. However, macular degeneration is an iffy thing.
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NO MUSIC

I seem to have dropped my tambourine.
under the sofa it rolled,
where it can't be seen.
So there it lies away from my eyes.
and I do not want to go there.
who know what sort of thing
has it's lair.
If I stooped down and looked under,
what would there be,
I wonder.
So, best the tambourine
is for now left.
Because, I am not bereft.
I will just wait for the thing,
My music to return.
By then, I will have found a rhyme.
It will be a better time.
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It's not Browning. But, I think it's fun.
Original Poem by: CGZ
Copyright:April-2009
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GHOSTS OF EASTER PAST

I rather miss having someone to to dye Easter eggs with. My older brother and I used to make on awful mess making eggs. There used to be decals and waxpencils to draw with. We would save a few eggs fpr the last, because Bud would mix up the colors and make icky tones to color some eggs. Drab, and eggplant, goose green, blood brown. Bleh! I always preferred pastels and brights. But, boys will be boys. A lot of the time Mom could hide the eggs outside. Many times in the snow. Sometimes, our dog Tony found the eggs before we did. He thought the eggs were just for him. Bud and Tony always split the loot. I ate mine myself. After about four eggs, I would give the rest to Mom and she would make salad. That was her and Dad's share. It would about a month before we could eat any eggs again. We rather got "egged" out.
We always had an Easter Party at our country school too. Sometimes with snow, sometimes without. Hated it, when there was snow. You know, I believe that maybe the last year or two. What we did, If it snowed, was that everyone brought an empty basket and made an egg to to give to each kid. Then we would exchange cards and eggs. So that made up for not being able to hunt eggs. That way we did have a nice Easter. Oh, yes. We decorated the blackboard and windows with Easter things. Bunnies, and eggs. cut out of colored paper. Things like that We would make small baskets of paper too. Those only held one egg though. They were just for fun.
After I was older, I colored Easter eggs with and for my kid brother. He was rather spoiled. You know, being the youngest is rather like having four parents. always someone telling you what to do and not do. Dave is 10 yrs. after me and 14 yrs. after our brother. Dave has always resented that. Typically, he always wanted to grow up too fast. Just him. Bud and I were content to take time as it came. Life was different for each of us.
I didn't get to make eggs with any of Bud's kids. Oh no. Paulette was too selfish for that. The only time she would bring the boys out to let us see them, was when she wanted something.
My younger brother has two boys. Different Mothers though. I don't think I got to make eggs with Ron. But, We got play together a lot. I mean we got to spend a lot of quality time together. And Dave's younger boy, also, Dave (but not junior, different middle name.) I was able to spend many Easters with him. We made many eggs together.
Since my Dad died, they have all drifted away. I tried to remain connected. But, you know it has to go both ways. So, I guess the connection was not that strong after all.
I believe I may have only attended one Easter service. Very special. Will write about that later.
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The picture is of my basket of Eggs by Peter Carl Faberge' for The Franklin Mint. I have several Of the P.C. F. designs for The Mint. They are all quality items. I don't know why some people find them odd.

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GRANNY SQUARE

This is a picture of a new project. It is the first Granny square I have made since way before I was married. I decided I wanted to try and make another small afghan, maybe similar to the first one I made. That is the yarn I purchased last Thursday. I thought perhaps pink would inspire me. I do not have a pattern to follow. I just went on the internet and found some pictures and counted stitches and rows. I do have a bit of a problem remembering how to advance to the next row. So, I rip out a bit. But, I work it out as I go along.
The first little afghan I made, I used yarn that I had left over from other projects. Mom had told me to go out to the store room and go through some of my junk. And decide what to keep and what to throw away. Gah! What a chore. Well, I came across the box of yarn. I thought, what am I going to do with this? There really was a lot. I didn't want to just chuck it. So, I put it aside, and continued. Later, I took the yarn into the house. Mom, asked me what I had and I told her. "I guess I will see if there is enough for a small afghan". Mom replied,"humm, Ok."
I did get that project made. It came out more laprobe size. But, know what? I had to buy extra yarn to finish the thing. Came out short a few squares. And also the type of yarn to crochet it together!!!!! Hah! I ended up with some yarn left over.
Found out, that's rather par for the course.
When my parents moved to their new place, Mom kind of did the decor in a country style. So, she asked me if she could have my afghan to drape over the back of her new sofa. Well, what could I say? She was my Mother. It graced the back of the sofa as long as she lived. After she died. It disappeared. I have no idea where the afghan is or what happened to it.
Oh yeah, now I already have four banker boxes of yarn, accumulated over the years from various projects. HA,ha. But, none were suitable for what I have in mind. Isn't that just the way it is?
What I'm working on now may just end up as a pillow only. Because, I think I will need at least 72 squares minimum. For a lap robe.
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A DAY OUT

Finally. A nice day. The 4Th. I had a dental appt. Getting a cap on a tooth. So, far it has gone OK. Then I had Hb. bring me home so, I could eat a bit. Then the TV cable went off. We had to wait until it was fixed. We had planned to go back out. They had no idea when the cable would be repaired--so-drat. We had to stay home and wait. Or there would not be any TV until the next day.
This the first time I have been able to go out in months, other than the doctor or dentist. ever. The cable was repaired by 4:PM. So, we went out. We had so been looking forward to going out. It was a lovely Spring day too. Actually it has been nice all week.
So. first, we went to a fabric and craft store I have been wanting to go to for months.
At the fabric store, there wasn't much of a selection. Because, people aren't sewing much. Mostly quilt fabrics. Quilt fabric are nice. But not as finely woven as dress material. However, I found two pieces that would do. One in blue and the one in pink. I purchased a skein of worsted weight polyester. I want to try and make a Granny Square Afgan. Similar to one I made very long ago. It may end up more a lap robe, than an afgan. Also, a 3yd. spool of Sage color ribbon. Just what I was looking for. Fairly successful shopping. Am usually not that fortunate.
I decided, I just might have the energy left, for the book store. Well, I did, sort of. But, I didstay too long. I was really tired after standing in line to check out.
I did manage to find three books of different content. The first is a book of directions for knitting tiny animals. The Geographic has the lastest about Hatshepsut. She is one of my fav historical heroines. The other book is a new edition of short stories by my favorite fantasy authors: Patricia McKillip. Her writing is so amazing.
Well, I made it back to the car and said to Hb. Ok, that's it. Go home now. He was most aminable.
I was tired for two days.
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