Playin' In The Flowers!

My crochet work has been a lot of fun so far this Spring and now Summer. I've been in a "flower" phase. First it was lilies, then daisies, marigolds, and now roses. But not just any roses! Although that "same old rose" (you thread crocheters know what I'm talking about) is wonderful, I wanted something new. So I started playing around and studying them, eventually turning to my garden photos. Luckily for many years I've photographed virtually every major flower that has bloomed in my yard. It's just a matter of finding what I wanted. I finally did, and with that, inspiration. I found a pic of a beautiful  lavender rose I'd grown years ago and that was the one I wanted to emulate.  (Oh and if you look closely, the rose has a tiny buzzing visitor!)

It took me about a week of testing ideas (and ripping them out) but it finally hit me how I wanted to do it. The design came together quickly after that and it is now published as a free pattern for a limited time. Eventually it will be "promoted" to my for-sale patterns. It's called the "Backward Rose" and you'll see why when you check out the pattern!

I'm finishing my newest rose design, an individual rosebud, right now. You can find that pattern here. After that I plan to do a Hemerocallis (Daylily) modeled after a beautiful daylily called "Pandora's Box." I can't wait to work on it!

In furkid news, I'm babysitting Macie and Winnie, my doggie granddaughters, while their mama is away on a trip to North Carolina for a week. Macie is an incredibly sweet 6 month old pure white German Shepherd Dog puppy, and Winnie is a 4-year-old Miniature Schnauzer. Then add rescue kids Bailey and Monty, and my used-to-be rescues Sue-Sue and Ladybug, and we have a little Schnauzer rodeo! It's been terribly hot here for well over a week and another week to come, so their outside time is limited. We are fortunate to have a big covered patio in back where they can laze on cool concrete or rugs in the shade. But even still, it's too danged hot.  Tomorrow I'm planning "Doggie Spa Day," will give as many baths and haircuts as I can until I get worn out!

Macie and Winnie on lookout. Macie seems to think she's
the same size as Winnie!

It's been a struggle keeping all the flowers and plants going in this heat with a sprinkle of rain just every few days. One of my favorite things is to photograph gardens right after (or as!) I'm watering them. Here is the garden adjacent to my front stairs. I'm really proud of that Gerbera Daisy (near top center). I overwintered that plant and it nearly croaked but is now all happy and this was its first bloom this year. The big leafy thing at left top is my baby Chocolate Mimosa Tree, which will soon be moved elsewhere. The Stargazers are very pretty this year. The red flowers are just little petunias.

In "me" news, some of you know that I struggle with being a very brittle diabetic and hypoglycemic. In all honesty I haven't been eating correctly for quite awhile. After a couple of very scary hypoglycemic episodes last weekend, I'm trying something completely different. Not the veggie stew I did relentlessly for two years  to lose and keep off 70 pounds. I can't stand the idea of soup right now for some reason. What I'm trying to do is learn about the Glycemic Index and try to eat in a different manner to see if it stabilizes my blood sugar.

Good Stuff, Sad Stuff... Crochet Stuff... Life.

Very good stuff... I just published the last round to the pattern for the Sally's Dancing Angels Doily Crochet-Along.  Thank you to everyone who is doing the pattern! I added a feedback spot on the pattern and would love to hear from you there if you're doing the doily! Thanks! Now I have to do some pretty extensive beading on it with hand sewing (I prefer that method because it gives more precise placement). Then I finally get to give it to her!! 

A close-up of the doily before it's beaded.

More good stuff... my hip continues to heal nicely. I'm about 3-1/2 months post-op, getting around with and without cane. (I do short hops without). I'm so looking forward to doing some gardening, just walking around in the yard being me. We're having unseasonably warm weather here in Omaha, so I may be out there sooner than I think. I picked up starter soil yesterday so I can get some seeds going indoors. Peppers to start, then whatever.... probably more baby mimosa trees, knowing me! 



I've been working hard at getting organized to start selling a lot of my unused yarn on Listia, ebay, Etsy, etc. I need to destash and sell a whole lot of handmade jewelry!


VERY proud that my son John is starting college for a Welding degree the first of March. And I think I've said already my daughter Carianne is doing her graduate work in Counseling at UNO.  Go kids!

Here is my beautiful grandgirl Winnie, just hangin' out.

The furkids... very sad news, Koby went to Rainbow Bridge on Wednesday, January 25. He suddenly developed a high fever, went unconscious and then had seizures. We rushed him to the vet but every time he regained consciousness he went into seizures. It was time to let the blessed baby go, and he left in my arms. Koby was one of my "heart dogs." He only wanted to be loved. If you want to read more about his struggle with diabetes and blindness, you can read it here. 

Koby with his beautiful soulful eyes, the
way I want to remember him always. I am sure
he is like this again now at Rainbow Bridge.

I am taking Bailey to the vet this week to have him evaluated. He is suffering from arthritis and some stomach upset, and is 13 years old. I refuse to allow him to suffer. So we're going to determine what his status is. 

Bailey

Monty and Scrappy are doing fine, and I am posting a cute video of Monty to YouTube today. It features Monty in his nightly ritual of hiding Big Bone and putting him to bed. He is pretty hilarious doing this!  I don't have the link yet but just look for it under Sheila Schnauzies.

Scrappy and Monty snoozing back in '05. Wow have they changed!

SueSue and Ladybug are having fun running the place along with their cohort Winnie, my granddog. I think everybody has cabin fever. I know I do!! 


I guess the next thing I crochet will be some type of Valentine's project. The inspiration has not arrived yet, but I'm sure it will.

Won a little crochet contest with this design in 2003.

That's about all the news update from here. Hope everyone is busy doing something to combat the cabin fever! 

On the Way to Week 5...

Well, here it is Saturday already! In two more days I'll have achieved post-op week 5. Good, because I did NOT like week 4! I just overdid it, a lot, and I spent the week paying for it. Do I ever learn? Nah...

I'm getting excited about resuming water therapy, as soon as the surgeon clears me to do it. I started it a few weeks before the hip surgery to build up strength in my other new right hip, so it could support me better. I absolutely fell in love with it. To make things even better, the therapy pool is part of the hospital complex 2 minutes up the street from my house! Yup, definitely excited. It kind of amuses me too, the idea of watching it snow outside the big glass walls while I'm in the nice heated pool indoors!

I've been trying to figure out what the he** is going on with my weight lately. Some of you may know I've lost 70 pounds over a two-year period. Actually, I've only been maintaining for at least the last six months. But somehow I think everything's rearranging, because my measurements keep going down. Now, what's up with THAT!  If only I could get the scale to move down 3 little pounds, I'd stop yapping... it's just a "magic number" i want to reach.  Here is me in my attempt at Old Navy Rockstar Jeggings. Hmmm.

They were too big, but I still like 'em!

Very excited that on my Squidoo site I was awarded "Giant Squid-25" status! I worked hard for it. You have to have 25 very good, well put together lenses (what they call web pages). They do a review of all your writing. It was kind of a neat feeling of validation for me. Right before that, I was named as a "Squid Angel." Angels go around blessing lenses (which gives them a bump in rating).  Here is a photo for one of my new recipe lenses, Chicken Wraps.

Sheila's Grilled Chicken & Veggie Wraps

So was being invited to write an article for Squidoo's "Winter Holiday" issue of their online magazine! I'm working furiously toward a Tuesday deadline on that. Years ago, I wrote a lot for "butyoudontlooksick.com" and really enjoyed it. What can I say, I love to yap!

On the crocheting side, I'm working on a scarf for a friend, a new afghan design, and finishing up a doily design. Busy, busy. No being bored here!

"A Different Rose" Doily - almost complete

The first square of a new afghan design.
More in the "Decadent Indulgence" series. 

I thought this photo was so cute! Ladybug is jumping up for her "Daddy time" that she has to have every time he comes home. Winnie and SueSu have already had their quality time, and off to nap. 

Well, I'm off to do something - hugs to you all!