§ It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas...

Once again this year, we decided to not put up the large 7 foot Christmas tree and decorate it since our kitty is still too curious and can be destructive. We brought out the artificial fiber optic tree. It's only 4 feet tall, small, and easy-peasy to put up...just set it in its base and plug it in!! It morphs into shades of green, red, blue, yellow, white, and purple. Pretty, but just not traditional [which I'd prefer]. On the plus side, no danger of CATastrophes, and then again, hours spent with decorating a 'real', life-sized tree or tearing down the very same after the holiday is over. (See note below)*

For now, I share these....

Top left to bottom

The small Santa Quilt I made last year and the Santa afghan that is several years old that was crocheted by me...now, it has become a bit 'sacred' to us.  This was our late Tahoe [cat]'s FAVORITE snoozing blanket.  No one could use it, 'cause she was on it the minute I unpacked it for Christmas, and left only to eat and use litter box...then, back on it  - day and night!!  I also purchased another quilt panel and quilt batting.  It's of the nativity.  I just never got around to buying other patch work quilt blocks [because of the covid 19 scare and shopping restrictions] to frame it...besides, I couldn't make up my mind even browsing the internet.  So, the panel sits, waiting for me to work on it.  Maybe soon.  Of course it will not be finished until 2021.  That's okay.

The last two are 'new' and 'old'.  The new [on the left] is a small Santa Fairy.  It just had to come home to sit at my table.  So far he's perched on the couch in the living room.  I'm sure he'll be moved eventually.  And last, on the right, is a piece we've had in our home for the holidays since Tucson, AZ.  It's large [about 3 feet in length] with a metal sleigh and Santa - his bag is filled with toys of mini-size.  [oh, and on the snowy ledge behind the sleigh...a gnome.  More of those comin' up too.]

*I'm working on convincing myself to put up the big tree! I miss it.

§ I'm Done With This!!

Finally, after beginning in March with the stay at home mandate, I finished the pansy afghan on Wednesday. I was more than happy to tie the last square knot and say..."I'm done!" The pattern I followed said to weave in the loose ends of the yarn, but I never do. I tie them. For one purpose; weaving them does no good when the work is run through the washing machine. They come loose! And the weaving process has to be done again. Over and over [each time it's washed]. So I do the square knot and trim off the excess the 1st time around...never any loose ends to deal with in the future!

§ Afghan Update...

In the News for Friday, August 21st, around 8 a.m. in the morning a barge that was in the Port Ship Channel supposedly dredged and hit a propane gas line causing a massive explosion and tremendous amount of black smoke and huge ball of fire [nearly 150 feet high] jutting into the sky. As of this typing up my post, the smoke and flames and cause was of no human hazardous fallout. That remains to be seen, what with the way media cover up stories some times. I never throw caution to the wind these days. Here are three photos I found online depicting the recent explosion [time frame shortly after occurrence] - - -
several severely burned & still 4 crew members missing.

images courtesy of KIII-tv


- - -

I finished the pansies! 88 of them....440 square knots tied, enumerable stitches totaled [I guess I could add the stitches for one pansy [from the pattern instructions] and multiply that by 88 to get total stitches, but lazy]. I had to lay them individually out on the carpet to make sure I got them in a combination that no color is repeated together; then stack them and wrap them in order with row numbers attached to the top pansy. Now, I have to crochet each pansy to the next [8 to 11 rows].

I'm taking a break from it for a week before I begin the ending of the project....

- - -

And, last for the day, we are watching the tropics [those of us living on the Gulf of Mexico shores], there are TWO storms heading our way.  One looks like it is projected to hit around or near Mobile, Alabama as a CAT-1 [named Laura], and the other's path is heading toward Houston, Texas area right now.  Both may change course in the meantime, so #14 [not named as of this posting] Bud and I will be watching this one closely...if Houston, Erik lives there...if it turns westward, we may get hit...again!!
addendum: 2nd storm named Marco

§ More Covid & Current Events HumorThis and That...

...and what do pigeons do to statues? They have a point!! Actually, so does the teacher.
not my two images, courtesy of the internet

...Can we uninstall 2020 and reinstall? Seems my [and yours too?] version has  a virus!!!

...They told me a mask and gloves were all you need to wear to the grocery store. They lied. All the other shoppers were wearing clothes.

...Sometimes I wonder if all this happening is because I never did forward the message a while ago to 10 other people!!

Lastly: I figured I could 'kill two birds with one stone" with this gesture. One, to keep my hands off my face, and two, to beat the heat here in South Texas. One cone in each hand works for me!

And what's this new thing the Governor is asking us to do during this 2nd time around? Ummmm, wasn't that we were to stay home? Enlarge this image to see the inbound traffic here in Corpus. This explains the huge uptick in Covid numbers!!




* * * --- * * *

What's on your phone's homepage wallpaper



.my afghan/crochet update:



Outside our patio door:

§ I Can Dream of the Old Days...Life Was Beautiful Then...

Do you like ballet? Do you enjoy musicals? Perhaps you enjoy movies that are a bit different than the action figure come-to-life genre that is so popular these days. It was too hot to go out, so I finished my household chores and sat down and watched a movie that I had seen in the theater a few months back, which came out on DVD recently. I love the story CATS which is based on T. S. Eliot's 1939 poetry book Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, with the songs in the Broadway musical consisting of Eliot's verse set to music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. This version is enjoyable, tho it didn't do well at the box office, at first [when I saw it at the theater] I was kinda disappointed. Then, afterward, when I got home, the more I thought about it, the more I liked it.   Ballet is more of an 'acquired taste' I guess. I like ballet and even opera if I can understand what's going on... The animated costumes for one. How the art-costume direction got worked on is beyond me, but oh my goodness, to see the cats ears twitching as they sing or talk...their tails moving in such an animated fashion is incredible.   Not to mention their hair-like whiskers. The setting, the songs of course, the celebrities with the likes of Taylor Swift, Ian McKellan, Judi Dench, and Jennifer Hudson. I enjoyed it immensely the 2nd time. And, I will keep this in our repertoire of movies to be watched over and over. And naturally, I cried when the song Memory is sang. It happens every time...I get so emotional when I hear that song.  I couldn't help but grab my phone on the table next to me and snap some photos.  Yes, I know the movie is copyrighted, but like I said, I couldn't help myself...

---

I broke down and went shopping. I made a special trip to Hobby Lobby for more yarn. While watching CATS, I crocheted six more pansies for my afghan. You see, I wanted more 'warm colors' in my afghan and most yarns I have are cool colors like blues, purples, and greens.  I had made a special trip and while I was waiting the social distance of 6 feet, I saw this cutie and grabbed him off Hobby Lobby's shelf.  I'm a sucker for stuffed animals. I named him Llary the Llama [yes, why not....two "Ls".]  Bud just shakes his head and asks "Where y'gonna put that one?"

---

Then, I was hungry, and even ventured a bit further against my common sense when I was done with my early Sunday morning walk.  Driving home...I stopped at Denny's and ordered two breakfasts for our brunch. The Ultimate Omelet with hash browns and toast. It was delicious, but would have been better if we coulda dined in. I just can't get myself to do that yet. But, I'm gettin' antsy.  As the lyrics to the song, Memory/Memories...If I could go back to May 2019 when life was beautiful then...I could go out to eat.  As Dorothy, in the Wizard of Oz, says to the Scarecrow:  "I think I'll miss you  most of all".  The "you" in my case is restaurants.

© CATS images, tho from my cellphone, the movie itself is property of Universal Studios.  No infringement intended.

§ I have no title to describe this eclectic piece....

 This is just photos of our last few days with a small explanation to go with it all...

One of my patio potted pink hibiscus.


My car has to have a bit of bling too!  Even rhinestones [I haven't found a good bird decal yet, so I settled for a transparent butterfly].

This puzzle, Texas Bluebonnet Sunrise, was very easy!  Tho, when I opened the box to dump the pieces on the puzzle table, I was shocked to see each piece cut exactly the same as ALL.  I've never seen anything like it before, and I was sure it'd take a long time.  But, honestly, this was one of the easiest puzzles to work that we've had.  We  have three more jigsaws waiting to be put together...one, Cleopatra [art], T-Rex, and the Colorado Maroon Belles [mountains].

After making a huge pot of Chili Verde  [green chili] for dinner last night, I had to make me something special...a banana split with -sugar free frozen yogurt, sugar free caramel sauce and pecans.

Caughtcha!!!  He is up on the counter and looks guilty doesn't he?  He knows he's not supposed to be up there, breaking things....but hey, he's a cat.  Their nature!!

I've now finished 28 pansies for the afghan.  TONS more to go.

 * * *

To end this post I feel I must explain myself from yesterday. Most were okay with what I posted, yet...I was NOT trying to infuriate anyone with my rant as was posted in a comment.  None of my words were directed to ANYONE  in particular, and I would never call anyone on it. Let me explain further...Long ago, I was a tutor for Spanish I in Colorado; helping students learn to speak Spanish [and read it] properly. So, in turn, when I hear someone mispronouncing so many of Texas' cities [mostly with Mexican/Spanish names], etc. I am always gritting my teeth. Especially since this state is historically Mexico, and population for the majority shows it. I was not intentionally trying to compare NORTH to SOUTH pronunciations in the English Language...only the Spanish [and pointing out one German surname] speaking instances I hear so very often. And I realize there is more than one dialect in all states, and my words/names used yesterday were TEXAS Americanizing the Spanish Language...it's was just me voicing my opinion. As with peCON and peCAN, the same is, for instance, ColoRADo and ColoRAHdo... Sorry to step on anyone's toes. That was NOT my intention, just blogging about my thoughts on the subject.

§ Crochet Pastime & Funny Mask...

I just started a couple days ago on the project, so it's gonna be a slow, tedious, undertaking. The one I made for my mother years ago had only one colored pansy, but I thought to break the monotony, I would make 'em all different until I run out of color combinations, then....repeat as needed.  I also will be using up scraps of yarn saved from other projects beside what I purchased the other day.    I'd have to check the instructions, but I know there are at least 100 pansies to make before it's complete.   That should keep my idle hands busy during this stay at home order.  As of this typing my county in Texas has 83 known cases of the virus...no deaths tho.  That's a pretty low number considering the population of the area.   By the way I did a google search first and, YES, there are green pansies.

Speaking of crocheting. Irene [my daughter] texted me a photo of herself in her new mask. The 'inside' of the mask has a backing of crochet also, to place a filter between the front and back, replaceable filters. Of course with her pig fetish, this is a perfect "fit".

§ Progress Report...

The graph is complete, and I've counted the number of stitches needed for the width to make the main piece of my Day of the Dead 'Sugar Skull' afghan. Between the days we've been out birding, including one day trip to Falfurrias, Texas, I've made slow progress. I have around 30 rows done ... out of a guess of 130 rows.

The weather here feels a bit more like Autumn now. At least the last day or two. Which I'm welcoming with open arms. Bud and I did a bit of yard work trimming trees. We need to get out there and mow the lawn and edge it. The back yard grass is up to my ankles!! I always think I'm stirring up the chiggers in there as I walk. So...dire straits with the mower. Sooner than later!!

Okay, it's a quick report for now, am going to do a couple of more rows, then call it quits for the day and read some. I remain at the point where I won't take time to visit with y'all, except from when I'm hosting my bird photography meme on the weekend. Sorry. I will get back to doing the correct protocol of stopping by with a hello once I get near done with my project.

§ Long time....no see

This photo is of one of our trips to the Grand Canyon when we lived in Tucson Arizona. The shadows of sightseers and of the canyon are perfect for the weekend meme.
GRAND CANYON
ARIZONA, USA
[photo is kinda off kilter, it's taken right from the scanner --no adjustments or alignments]









Yet another 'photo' of shadows for fun...
Have you ever wondered what the 'backside' of Mount Rushmore looks like? Never been? ----well, you're in luck!!! I happened to fall upon a picture of the reverse side of our presidents' faces carved in stone. Remember, you saw it here first. LOL
[ Just kidding of course. This was sent to me via email ]

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY meme button link on my sidebar





SUNDAY'S SUMMARY [a day early]

Another long, but busy week for me here. Composing and adjusting photos, adding the photos to the blog and actually, I spent a day doing more research to find the LDS Center here in town. Probably not much there, but worth a shot in the dark. You see, a long time ago, Bud's great great aunt told him and his mother while visiting her house in Michigan that they were related to one of the signors of the Declaration of Independence. As I was adding some documents to the genealogy blog, a familiar surname came to my attention. I followed it a bit and perhaps she was right. Maybe, maybe so, maybe not. That constituted me searching to see if this city had a Family Genealogy Center. I'll check it out sometime soon to see if they have the microfilm there, it'll need to be ordered from the LDS in Salt Lake City, I'm sure. It would be quite interesting to know that Bud is descended from one of the "founding fathers". It won't be a direct blood line tho, I don't think [If the signor is a direct line, then I'll add notes to my note pages that'll be part of the book for added text in handwriting]. At this point, I'm only doing DIRECT blood lines. My goodness, if I did brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, etc. my book would be humongous!!! Right now as it stands before publication, I have over 300 pages and counting.

Okay, on to other news. I finished the panel I've been slowly working on on the Halloween afghan for Irene. I am wondering if I'll get it completed before October 1st. That was my intention when I began the project...to have it done and sent to her by October 1st. Time will tell. Anyway, the solid panel is complete. And I began the other night after dinner while watching a ballgame, the edging. I have two sides of the edging done, now on to the other two sides. Then, getting them all pieced together on each side of the witch panel, and adding some fringe or some kind of finishing work. Then, done. The flying witch panel measures about 48 inches by 28 inches [guesstimate] and it should be, to be considered afghan size about 50 by 72 or so. There will be a large amount of edging involved to get it close to the correct size. I took an image from online made into a pixeled grid in order to get the pattern. Used the colors of yarn, while dropping one color and beginning another color accordingly.

In other news, as I was working on the computer early one morning just before sunrise, I heard the strangest noise outside. Well, not strange per sé, but something not heard much. At first I thought it was a jet plane flying over, low....but then it dawned on me.....IT WAS RAIN on the roof!!! I was elated. A good downpour. Strange phenomenon here this past summer. The storm lasted about 20 minutes [not nearly long enough to do much good on the parched land], but I'll take it. The forecasters here in the city are telling us there is a chance of rain for the entire next week; each day. Whoooohooo. And then, a cold snap is to hit. Cold snap? South Texas? Well, by that, I'm sure they mean the temperatures will finally drop below the century mark. Maybe even the high 80s. LOL


One more thing, then I must go do some visiting to those who have been kind enough to stop by here at Hootin' Anni's this past week ---we've been eating a lot of chicken pot pies. I need to make a full meal sometime real soon. Oh, and the photos of the post below this? Of the Humming birds? [link] Several commentors left note that there are a lot of 'em ----these photos don't show the REAL amount that sometimes hit the feeders. Why, we've had DOZENS at both feeders at the same time. Kinda like a huge invasion of mutant mosquitoes, they are.

...it's back to working on my project now. See y'all soon. If not sooner.

§ It's 'fruitless'...well, in this case, meatless!!!

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SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY




Shadowed horn cleat along the downtown Marina
[the other object to the right of the cleat is seaweed, LOL]









SUNDAY'S SUMMARY




Again, this week was no different than other summer weeks. LOL By that I mean, it's cooking a huge pot of something that'll last the two of us for a couple of days, so I have a day or two to not be in the kitchen preparing a huge, heavy meal for dinner. This week, it was a meatless pasta dish. On the side of stroganov, but with mushrooms only. So I call it meatless mushroom stroganov...and it's a recipe I just threw together years ago, after Bud and I retired. We both liked it...and altho I never write down a recipe of my own, I attempted to make a recipe card for anyone wanting it. [just click on the image for better viewing and saving] Trust me, it's filling, quite healthy, and still very little calorie consumption. Best of all.....it's so simple to make. I serve this steaming hot, with chilled pickled beets and as always a tossed green salad. Bud has two slices of bread with it all [he NEVER gains weight], but if you're counting calories, you may just not want the extra. And, it even tastes MORE delicious reheated. Also, I've been known to make some variants to my own recipe: Adding leftover Thanksgiving Turkey, precooked and chopped Chicken Breast meat...even sautéed some cut up cubes of sirloin to the mushrooms and onions as they cook.... To get the approximate calorie count, I took all the ingredients in the recipe, and multiplied that with the amount of servings listed on each container/bag...added them...and then divided by six ---being six large servings...give or take a few calories if you use the richer butter/sour cream. Another project I started out of boredom this week since I've been indoors so much, because of the heat index outdoors, is another Halloween project...an afghan for Irene. She too loves Halloween as much as I do, if not more...I think I've stated that before. This afghan is done in one large piece with a flying witch and kitty on a broom in front of the moon. I'm going to do it with Halloween colors of orange, white, bright devilish green with a black bordering. That'll keep me busy on those days ahead. Just one day this week we got out early before the temps reached the inferno 90+ degrees and walked about a mile on the beach one way...two miles total. By the time we reached the mile marker on the beach, it was getting pretty darned hot and humid, so we turned around and returned to the car. It feels good getting outdoors and with nature. No combing the beach, nothing on the shore that is worth looking for this time of year. I also have made some plans and am searching for pieces of beads so I can make another sea bean necklace to wear during the winter months with sweaters. Oh and speaking of jewelry [hint]....I finally found what I've been looking for for that is special gift Bud bought me a few months back. I've taken some photos of what he gave me and what I finally found to go with it...so, I'll get those photos up shortly, maybe, hopefully in my Friday Fodder post. I know I keep posting about it, but I just haven't had the time here of late with the death in the family and all...the photos ARE on the cellphone, it's just getting them published on my blog. LOL