The Sweater

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My grandmother taught me how to crochet when I was only five. I have been crocheting ever since. It is one of my favorite creative activities. I make crocheted baby hats for my local hospital’s nursery. It is a ministry my quilt guild adopted.

When I was in elementary school, I lived in a different town than my school. So after school, I went to the CYO facility near there until my grandmother was done work for the day. It was a great place to spend time. There was a full-sized gym where you could play basketball or volleyball, and all kinds of classes you could take such as knitting, embroidery, painting, photography, and many more that I can’t remember.


I took a knitting class. It was the first time I had ever tried to knit. I had the most difficult time learning to use two needles at the same time. Finally, I got the hang of it. I would cast the stitches onto one of the needles and work my stitches with the other needle. I would get a good bit done and stop and examine my work. Satisfied that my piece was looking like it was supposed to look, I would continue knitting.


Finally, the day came when we were to pick a project. I decided to knit a sweater. I thought, “How hard could it be?” so I chose a pretty aqua color yarn and the prettiest pink knitting needles. The following week our supplies came in. We dove into our projects with excitement.


I hurried to cast on the stitches for the body of my sweater and began knitting. I became more excited as I watched my sweater grow. It still amazes me when I see a ball of yarn turn into something beautiful and functional. Anyway, the time came for me to start the sleeves.


This is where it all went terribly wrong. I was supposed to drop a stitch every two rows. I lost count of the rows and dropped too many stitches on one sleeve. I didn’t notice it until I was finished. I ended up with a pretty aqua sweater with one sleeve shorter than the other. I was always going to take it apart and fix it. I kept it for years. Finally, when I married and moved into my new home, I tossed that sweater.


Many years after my first knitted project, I took up knitting again. Every time I cast a stitch on a needle or begin to knit a stitch, but especially when I have to drop a stitch, my memory of my aqua sweater comes to mind. Maybe it keeps me focused so that I don’t make the same mistake on my current project.

Another Day Another Dollar

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Source image by Hugo Kerr on Unsplash

When I was young and raising my children I worked as an RN. I loved it. I never felt as if I was working. I used to dream about the time I could retire and do everything I was eager to try. Quilting, photography, and line dancing were some of the things. I did learn to quilt and take up photography, but I could never get my husband to go line dancing.

I always wanted to travel to Ireland, Rome, and Wales, as well as travel through the States. Overseas travel was never going to happen as my husband was afraid to fly. LOL, I did fly to Hawaii with my grown daughter to attend a program her sister was in. It was beautiful!

What I didn’t expect was my husband dying before we were able to see the rest of the country. And I didn’t expect to be working full time after I retired because I can’t afford to live without the income. I wish I had done some things differently in the past. But there is no sense in crying over spilled milk. It is what it is. So, I feel blessed that I am capable of working. And, I have actually grown to love my job. I am just working at a local dollar store but we have some of the nicest customers and my co-workers are great.

I hope to be able to continue to work for another year and then I think I will be in a position to really retire. I have this image of myself becoming a lady of leisure. Maybe traveling or just enjoying where I am and letting my imagination and the wonderful photos I see from my WordPress family fulfill my desire to see distant places.

We all have to make changes in our lives due to circumstances beyond our control. What makes those changes successful is the faith that I am right where God wants me to be and His grace will give me the strength to go forward.

Where’s The Coffee?

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Yesterday I had to stop at the store on my way home to pick up coffee and sparkling water. I was late getting out of work and was meeting some friends for supper. Lidl being between work and home, I gave the store a chance. I had some of Lidl’s water while visiting a friend and liked it. According to my friend, the price was much better than what I had been paying for my usual choice.

First, you guessed it, there were no shipping carts inside the store. I walked back outside of the store to grab a shopping cart.


Second, I started scanning the labels on top of the aisles for one that listed coffee. I walked up and down each of the aisles but I couldn’t find coffee. What?


Thankfully, I had found the water I was looking for and picked that up while on my coffee search. I reached the front of the store and still had not found the coffee, so I asked the cashier where it was. He told me what aisle it was on, then off I went to get the coffee.

I didn’t see any coffee. I was thinking to myself, I am in the twilight zone. I went up and down that aisle two more times. Finally, someone in a Lidl shirt passed me. I stopped him and asked him “Where is the coffee?” He looked at me like I was on a bad trip and then pointed to the shelves in front of where I was standing. The problem was the coffee was completely hidden behind a display of stacked boxes, I looked at him and said, “You’re kidding, right?”


He began to walk away. I almost lost it. I asked him how he expected me to get to the coffee. I actually think he was considering telling me he had no idea, but after doing a quick study of my face, he decided to move the display out of my way. I was thinking to myself, “what genius had placed those boxes there in the first place?” Probably him!

Song Lyric Sunday 22nd January

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Song Lyric Sunday 22nd January

This week’s theme is Country.

I love Country music. I think I always have. I have so many favorites it’s hard for me to pick one. But this is definitely a good one.

I chose George Strait who has had 50 No.1 hits in his career and is still going strong. The song I chose for this Sunday is “I Cross My Heart”.

“I Cross My Heart” is a song written by Steve Dorff and Eric Kaz, and performed by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in September 1992 as the first single to his album “Pure Country“, which is also the soundtrack to the movie of the same title. It reached number one in both the United States and Canada. The song is featured as the movie’s finale.

“I Cross My Heart” is widely regarded as one of Strait’s best songs. Billboard and American Songwriter ranked the song number five and number four, respectively, on their lists of the 10 greatest George Strait songs. from Wikipedia

I hope you enjoy it.

I Cross My Heart
Lyrics

Our love is unconditional
We knew it from the start
I see it in your eyes
You can feel it from my heart

From here on after
Let's stay the way we are right now
And share all the love and laughter
That a lifetime will allow

I cross my heart
And promise to
Give all I've got to give
To make all your dreams come true
In all the world
You'll never find
A love as true as mine

You will always be the miracle
That makes my life complete
And as long as there's a breath in me
I'll make yours just as sweet

As we look into the future
It's as far as we can see
So let's make each tomorrow
Be the best that it can be

I cross my heart
And promise to
Give all I've got to give
To make all your dreams come true
In all the world
You'll never find
A love as true as mine

And if along the way, we find a day
It starts to storm
You've got the promise of my love
To keep you warm

In all the world
You'll never find
A love as true as mine
A love as true as mine

No Nonsense – Saturday Mix, 21 January 2023

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The nonsense word this week is “polershmett”

Polershmett: (n) bad luck, misfortune, bad karma

Image from Opencllipart
The store was so crowded
It figures I thought 
I was late getting started 
What polershmett! I thought. 

How I hate big crowds 
It's always so loud. 
You can't find a thing! 
Because of the crowd. 

I glanced at my list 
Devising a plan 
To obtain all the things 
I had written down. 

The aisles I traveled
Grabbing this and that 
Weaved out and in 
Between carts laden with kids, food, and gin.

Oh polershmett! Why today? 
My cell phone ringing 
I answer and shout 
I'm on my way!
 
I felt a little guilty 
For telling a lie. 
Not sure why I did it 
Wishful thinking I guess. 

I started thinking
About the gin
I will need a drink after 
this shopping nightmare I'm in!

When finally I arrived 
At the end of my quest 
I got in line to settle my debt. 

What did I forget? I wondered
I went over my list reassured after checking 
I had gotten it all 
I'm done. 

What polershmett I'm having 
His register had just broken. 
Sorry, ma'am, he said to me 
You'll have to move to another line, please. I'm closing
 
I scowled at the guy that 
was making me move 
to another long line 
which one should I choose? 
With the luck, 
I am having I'll be here all day. 

What's this I see? A new line opening.
Oh good, I think.  I'll be set free.
Then a crowd of shoppers came rushing up to the front
Before I could move a new line had formed. 

And here I still stand Losing my mind.
What did I do to deserve this bad luck?

Meet Gracie and Dixie

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Friday Faithfuls

I love animals and over the years I have had dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, mice, turtles, tortoises, fish, lizards, and a baby opossum who didn’t have sense enough to stay out of our garage. Ok, so the opossum wasn’t actually a pet, but he spent a summer with us feasting on Purina cat chow.

After my husband passed away in 2016 I adopted Gracie. She was two years old, very sweet, very well-trained and just a joy to have around. She acted as if she had always been my dog. Her favorite thing to do was to sit against my arm while we rocked watching TV.

This past March a customer came into the store with the cutest puppy. He indicated that he had to place this last puppy or he was going to have to just let it go. I just couldn’t let that happen so that night Dixie came home with me. Now, it’s been many years since I had a puppy. There is a big difference between a trained, older dog joining your family and bringing an untrained, rambunctious puppy home.

Needless to say, she has been a challenge. She will turn 1 year old on January 24th and I am still not sure I will let her live to see her first birthday. She is wild, hates to go to the bathroom outside, likes to chew paper, especially paper towels, and has made me fall several times. She is cute and I love her to death, but she’s going to be the death of me.

She wrapped her leash around me after it rained one afternoon and pulled me down a hill with wet grass. I landed on my belly and slid down the hill landing with my head under the bushes. When I got up my glasses fell off of my face in four pieces. With that, she danced around me wagging her tail as if to say do it again mommy! All the time Gracie just looked at her, then at me and I swear I could hear her thinking to herself why did you bring that pest home with you?

Here are my girls. Gracie in the front and Dixie in the back. They bring a lot of joy into my life. I just can’t imagine living without a pet.

Laundry Day

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Rochelle Wisoff-Fields is our hostess for the Friday Fictioneers for January 20, 2023 and our PHOTO PROMPT is provided by Na’ama Yehuda.

PHOTO PROMPT © Na’ama Yehuda

It’s laundry day Barbie thought with her outstretched arms over her head then climbed out of her tiny bed. She loaded the washer with her skimpy threads, turned it on, and stared up at the window. She could not believe her fate…she was living inside the fantasy of a child. How could this be? Then a smile crossed her face…maybe the child is living inside my fantasy?

Fibbing Friday

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Fibbing Friday 20th January by pensitivity101

1. What is boisterous? A support group for the timid.

2. What is a womanizer? An over-the-shoulder boulder holder.


3. What is a faux pas? An unexpected career move.


4. Define plumber. One who speaks softly and carries a big stick.


5. What is a sous chef? The Veggie man.


6. What is antisocial? Peace and quiet.


7. Why did they call the wind Maria? She wouldn’t answer to Sue.


8. Where would you find a kettle drum? Banging in the pantry.


9. What is a kango drill? A line dance in the bush.


10. What makes bread rise? It doesn’t like to be flat.

The Photo Shoot

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Word Of The Day: Cheater, Futility, Ragtag Daily Prompt Thursday: Disposable, Mischief,  K.L Caley weekly #writephoto prompt Arrowslit, JusJoJan 19, 2023, Complaint

Walking through the ruins with my husband I was in awe of the peacefulness there. I couldn’t get enough shots of them with my camera. I was still learning how to use all of the settings. What a good time I was having with each picture I took. Hubby chuckled at me saying I was just taking the same images over and over.

Gary just thought the disposable instant camera he clung to was sufficient to record our day. I hated to say it, but I told him he was using a cheater camera that didn’t require any talent. LOL Gary was usually such an easy person to get along with, but for some reason this day he just had one complaint after another. Too many pictures, it’s dark inside of here, I am ready to leave, when is lunch?

Trying to explain how the light in each of my shots was different due to the tunnels and the reflection of the water proved to be an exercise in futility. He just didn’t get it. Have you ever wondered if someone doesn’t get it, or if they don’t want to get it? I was beginning to think I should have gone on my little photo shoot alone.

We finally rounded the last corner of the ruins. It was certainly a breathtaking site. I looked at the love of my life and he had a look of pure mischief about him. I looked back at the ruins and before I was a lovely little table set with china and crystal and the most scrumptious looking luncheon. What a wonderful surprise.

As we sat down to enjoy our meal, he confided in me that he thought that I was taking so long taking pictures that our lunch was going to be spoiled.

I miss this man every day. I lost him suddenly on August 16th, 2016. He was good and kind and…ok just a bit annoying and could drive me crazy, but we knew we had each other’s back and I thank God every day for him being in my life.