What a beautiful wedding indeed!

What a beautiful wedding and a beautiful bride.  I absolutely loved Kates dress.  Very simple, elegant and perfect for her! 

Look at that look of love as they leave Westminster Abbey!

I decided to only get up a little bit early this morning.  So at 4:15 I went to the other room to see what was going on.  Guests were arriving at Westminster Abbey and people were lining the streets to watch.  Of course the most anticipated moment was to see what Kate had chosen to wear.  Kates sister looked absolutely beautiful as well.

I wish the couple love and happiness and may they live a long and prosperous life!

Diana would have been so proud!!!

Royal Wedding

I'm looking forward to catching the Royal Wedding between Prince William and Kate tomorrow morning.  I know that so many people wonder why I want to get up and watch the wedding and to that I guess I would say it's just to see the pomp and pagentry. 

In 1981 when Princess Diana was getting married to Prince Charles I woke up to watch it and stayed glued to the TV to catch it all.  Diana was such a beautiful person inside and out and to see her in her beautiful wedding gown was just a wonderful thing to take in.  I followed as much of Diana as I could without going to the extreme but I loved looking at her in magazines and reading about her. It was so sad that the paparazzi would chase her down and not leave her alone but then again if they had we wouldn't have been able to follow her and what was going on in her life.  It was such a tragic day when I woke up to the news that Princess Di had been killed in an accident in Paris.  How could a Princess have died so tragically?

I truly hope that with Prince William and Kate that the paparazzi has learned from the past and that they let them have some private time....not chasing Kate all over the place, looking for her to make mistakes.  Let them be!  I know, if they do we won't see much about them.  This is true but then again I think they should be given the chance to make this marriage work and give her the time she needs to learn everything she needs to.

Will you be watching?  Have you watched any of the specials that have been airing on TV this past week on the Royals and Kate?

it's been quite a week!

On sunday my hubby, myself, the girls and their families and Krystals in-laws all went to the Vaughan Mills Mall.  The guys were wanting to go to the Pro Bass Store and the girls we wanted to go and just walk around and check everything out.  Well, just as we were about to leave I was bent down in the front entrance and something happened to my back.  Just like that, wasn't doing anything that would have brought it on it just happened!  I figured it would go away as fast as it came on but WRONG!  So off we went.  I drove there and back, walked around for hours looking through stores and having fun with the family.  The guys doing the Pro Bass thing and shopping for their fishing needs.  We all met up for lunch and then walked around again for a bit.  The little girls got pics taken with the Easter Bunny which were so cute and then we decided it was time to leave. 

We all came back here for dinner which we ordered in (chinese) and then off to bed I went.  It was an awful night trying to get comfy and free of pain.  Nothing worked.  By morning I was worse than I had been.  My parents came over for a bit trying to convince me to let them take me to the hospital but I had called the orthopedic surgeon I am seeing for my back and was waiting to hear back from them to see what I should do.  Little did I know that the doc wouldn't see me again until I had another MRI done.  WHAT??? Are you serious?  So needless to say I haven't seen a doctor yet except for the doctor that does my back injections and thank goodness for him.  I had an app't to see him yesterday (thurs) and he was able to give me an epidural to hopefully relieve the pain.  The epidural was the worst but today I am feeling the slightest bit better.  The injecion site is tender and the back is still sore around the lower back/hip area but today I was able to get up and have a shower, wash and do my hair and do a little around the house.  Hubby is doing the laundry which is a huge help being the laundry room is way downstairs so looks like everything is under control for now.  I even managed to wash the hall and kitchen floors.  Also, through the week the girls came over and they helped me out with changing the sheets on the bed, and doing some laundry.  Poor Hannah and Ev didn't get much time with Nana but I just wasn't able to hold Ev for long and I couldn't get down on the floor with Hannah and play with her like I do other times.  She kept asking me to but in the end she helped Nana make lunch which she was quite happy to do. 

So now I'm up in bed resting and taking it easy.  Going to do a bit of knitting now and put some heat on my back and see how that makes it feel.

I hope that this situation is almost over with my back and that I'll be back to normal in no time.

what is your favourite TV show right now?

I am a big fan of The Biggest Loser (have been for many seasons).  I enjoy watching and cheering on the people on this show.  I generally have my favourite that I really want to go all the way.  This year it was Arthur, mainly because he really needed to be at the ranch.  He was 510 lbs when he started on the show and when he was sent home he weighed in at 393.  I know when they do the "what do they look like now" at the end of the show Arthur was doing well with continuing his weight loss.  I hope he has been able to keep it up and when the finale comes along maybe he will win the at home contest.

Another show that I am really into right now is Parenthood. I really enjoy this show.  At first I wasn't sure but then my daughters would talk about it and how they found it more like real life than a lot of shows.  I would watch it once in a while but then started to see it every tues night right after The Biggest Loser.  Sometimes the talking over each other really gets to much for me but overall the show is excellent.

I can't think of any other shows off hand that I love to watch other than my NASCAR on Sundays.  If we can't be here to watch it we like to PVR it.  Go Dale Go!  88 all the way!!!

What are your favourite shows or do you watch TV?

If you could go anywhere in the world...

all expenses paid, where would you pick to go?  NO, i'm not offering any great giveaway!  Sorry!  I'm just curious to see where you would choose.

I've been asked this question before and I've always had major trouble deciding if that is at all possible.  There are so many places that I would want to experience which would include: Australia, Holland, Peru, Argentina, Ireland, England, Turkey, Italy, Bora Bora, Bali, Norway just to name a few.  I look at pictures of these different places and cities. beaches, buildings etc. that are located there and I am in awe of the beauty and the tranquility! 

I've been on a few cruises and thoroughly enjoy boarding the ship and being pampered to the max while on board so that is another option that I would look into.  30, 40 even 60 day cruises would be high on my list for sure. 

So, I still have no idea which one of these places would be my choice or if I would choose somewhere else altogether or do the cruise option.  I mean, if it were all expense paid how could a decision like that be an easy one?

Would you want sunny beaches, busy cities, bed and breakfast, resorts?

What are you thoughts?  Where would you go?  What is your list of "would love to travel there" places?

Knitting

Knitting has become a favourite pastime of mine over the years but lately having one of my daughter Kandice knitting as well has made it more fun.   (we have tried to get my youngest daughter Krystal to knit with us but she is an avid reader and has a book blog that is her passion) Please check out her blog and let her know I sent you!  Anyways, for me knitting is a way to take a break during the day even if it is only a few rows done and it is a relaxing way to wind down from a busy day.  The only time I find it stressful is when I can't make hide nor hare out of the instructions and I sit there reading it over and over and over and working it the way i'm reading it until finally it sinks in.

My MIL was a knitter as well.   She actually knit socks for extra income for Philosophers Wool, Inverhuron ON.  She did some amazing work with colours and she could knit socks like no one I've seen before.  Some of her socks were featured in the book Sock Hop.  (half way down page)

I inherited a whole lot of wool from her stash when she passed away which Kandice has since used some of it to make a hat.  One day I will attempt to make socks like my MIL with all the different colours but until then I'll just make the ones that have only a couple colours. 

Right now i'm working on a really cute pattern from the Child's Play magazine (from Creative Knitting) that Kandice had found and thought I may enjoy.  There are so many adorable patterns just waiting to be knit in this magazine but the first one I have picked to do is the Nautical Stripes Onesie for my great nephew when he is born in July. 

This shouldn't take long now that I have it started and then I should have some time to make some cute little knit toys to go with it as a shower gift. 

Do you find knitting relaxing or is it just something you pick up and do just because?  What are you working on or do you have many WIPs?

some of my favourite pictures

These are just a few pictures I have on my laptop.  They are of our grandchildren at different ages.

  (no order)

Grandpa and his 2 girls at the trailer summer of 2010

Keira at our house

Hannah only a few months old

Hannah in 2010

Grandpa and his favourite kiddos just after Everett was born

(Oct 2010)

This was taken on our way back from London Childrens hospital after Hannah had her app't with the doc about her hips.  We had to stop so Kandi could feed her...she was hungry!

Everett just a couple months old

Soap nuts!

A while back I posted that I had won some a Yore Laundry Trio package from Yoreganics which included the Soap Nuts, Stain Remover and Whiten and Brightens powder.  I have used all 3 products and I have to say the clothes have come out clean and stain free (we don't have many stains usually)! My husband works for a Home Builder and gets quite dirty (esp. this time of year with all the mud) and he says his clothes are as clean as they were with the detergent that we had been using.  I didn't think he really noticed the laundry but when I decided to try a cheaper brand of detergent on time he was quick to tell me that his clothes just didn't appear to be washed well.  Yep, he noticed!

Anyways, when i first opened the package I thought "what the heck, with a smell like that it can't possibly get the clothes clean and fresh smelling"!  But it did clean the clothes and has continued to keep them clean and fresh.  I just recently refilled the bag with a new round of the soap nuts.  You use approx. 5 nuts in the mini bag that comes with the nuts and depending on the water temp and the softness/hardness of the water will determine how often you change them.  Usually 4-6 loads is what you would expect to get.  To check and see if the nuts are still good to use put them in a bottle with some water and shake.  If you still get some suds then they can still be used if not it is time to change them.  They can be put in the composter which is another plus.  I have really enjoyed using them and will likely order some when I am getting low.  The soap nuts are actually berries that come from the Chinese Soapberry Tree, or Sapindus Mukorossi, in India.  So for anyone with nut allergies these are safe because they are berries!

For more information be sure to check out Yoreganics website! 

Your knitting and crocheting time - 2KCBWDay7

Your knitting and crochet time.

Write about your typical crafting time. When it is that you are likely to craft – alone or in more social environments, when watching TV or whilst taking bus journeys. What items do you like to surround yourself with whilst you twirl your hook like a majorette’s baton or work those needles like a skilled set of samurai swords. Do you always have snacks to hand, or are you a strictly ‘no crumbs near my yarn!’ kind of knitter.

Most of my knitting is done in the comfort of my bed in the evening while watching my favourite shows on TV. Most times I have my laptop open and ready in case I need to pull up a video from KnittingHelp.com which has been a godsend to me. I try to take my knitting with me if I am heading to the hospital for my back injections so I can work on it while waiting my turn but to be honest I'm not sure how comfy I am knitting in front of strangers especially if they are knitters. I always worry that they will look at me and wonder what on earth I'm doing...who taught her how to knit?, why is she doing that? and so on. So for the most part my knitting is done at home.

When I'm knitting I have my coffee and of course I get the urge to snack as well. Chips, ice-cream, yogurt, muffins, rice cakes...yummy! I can't imagine not having my snacks while knitting or crocheting.

Something to aspire to – 2KCBWDAY6

Something to aspire to – 2KCBWDAY6Is there a pattern or skill that you don’t yet feel ready to tackle but which you hope to (or think you can only dream of) tackling in the future, near or distant? Is there a skill or project that makes your mind boggle at the sheer time, dedication and mastery of the craft? Maybe the skill or pattern is one that you don’t even personally want to make but can stand back and admire those that do. Maybe it is something you think you will never be bothered to actually make bu can admire the result of those that have.

The one thing I would love to attempt is Fair Isle.  I'm not sure if it is something I would want to use often but I would really love to attempt to give it a try.  Why haven't I you ask?  FEAR of not being able to do it!  To much going on all at once, holding more than 1 strand of yarn, making sure the yarn isn't pulled too tight, carrying the yarn and so on....

Entelac is something else I aspire to do one day!

And now for something completely different– 2KCBWDAY5

And now for something completely differen? – 2KCBWDAY5

experimental blogging day to try and push your creativity in blogging to the same level that you perhaps push your creativity in the items you create.

There are no rules of a topic to blog about but this post should look at a different way to present content on your blog. This can take one of many forms, but here a few suggestions: Wordless, photographic post Video blog post Podcast Cartoon/sketch of an idea Write about a subject from a different perspective (for example, you could write about a day in the life of a knitted sock from the point of view of the sock). Interpretive modern dance (why does someone always suggest this? A poem or piece of rhyming verse Stop motion animation .

So being this is experimental blogging day I thought I would post this video I came across one day. I enjoyed it in a strange way and watched it right to the end. Had a good laugh and really never gave it another thought until I read what day 5 was about. So I set out searching for this video without knowing the name of it, the author of it in fact nothing more about it other than it was a "funny knitting video". Hope you enjoy it.

Where are they now? 2KCBWDAY4

Where are they now? – 2KCBWDAY4

Whatever happened to your __________?
Write about the fate of a past knitting project. Whether it be something that you crocheted or knitted for yourself or to give to another person. An item that lives with you or something which you sent off to charity.

Over the years most everything I have knit or crocheted has been given away as gifts or just made to give to someone out of my home.  So to be honest I really don't know where things end up over the years.  I guess I hope that they will be passed on and on until of course they are wore out.  I've made baby sweaters, afghans, baby blankets, scrunch socks (always a favourite of mine) that were given to nieces for gifts and of course I made them for my own daughters when they were much younger.  I would love to find a pattern for these again so I could make some for my grand daughters.

Anyways, I guess I'll never know where these items are now!  I am embarassed to say that a couple patterns I've attempted have been set aside for a long time only to be unravelled when I couldn't figure out where I was to try and pick up on it again but really that has only happened 2 times that I know of!

Wouldn't it be nice to know though if the items we make with love and anticipation for gifts to loved ones be handed down the line to others who will wear and enjoy or play with and enjoy?  I sure hope so!