tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42347891318875816952024-03-13T01:06:43.691-04:00KWDreamer DesignsStories about my daily life, my knitting, and my random thoughts!KWDreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05093640360760246905noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234789131887581695.post-29824248064388669842015-08-12T16:58:00.000-04:002015-08-12T16:58:32.725-04:00Books, Garage Sale, and a Lovely Yarn Shop!<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The saga continues regarding my quest to organize my home. The recipe project is finished (see my previous blog entry for details), and I have moved on to our books. When I say "our books," I'm not referring to a bookshelf tucked away in a corner somewhere. Oh, no. We are a family of avid readers who love the feel of a REAL book in out hands. We are slowly being smothered by all of our books. So, we finally tackled them, keeping this thought in mind: "Will I read it within the next five years? If I have already read it, will I read it again? Was it a life-altering book or possibly a beloved favorite?" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It actually worked. When we were finished, we had six banker's boxes full for a garage sale, and 15 full to list on Amazon. My plan was to finish this project before my upcoming garage sale.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I am impressed with how organized our bookcases look now! Can you imagine all of those other books crammed willy-nilly in here too?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So ... the next step is the garage sale, which is this coming Saturday. As I mentioned in an earlier blog entry, I have</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> retired from teaching high school reading, and have a lot of classroom supplies, teaching materials, decorations, and hundreds of books to sell. Adding six more boxes certainly isn't a big deal. The Amazon listings will take a while, and will probably be my "Fall project."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">On to knitting news .....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Well ..........NOTE TO SELF</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">: when purchasing yarn for a child's clothing item, knit the darn thing immediately!!! Why, you ask? Well, I'll tell you. I don't have enough yarn to complete the sweater I am knitting for my grandson for Christmas. No big deal, right? After all, someone on Ravelry will probably have some in their stash, or certainly I should be able to find some online. With the world at our fingertips, surely this should not be a problem. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">R..i..g..h..t. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Only one person on Ravelry has the yarn in their stash, and has not responded to my message of over a week ago. I searched online for HOURS and could not find the color ANYWHERE. So, I decided that two balls of a contrasting oatmeal color would look very nice for the shawl collar. I ordered them from <a href="http://www.loveknitting.com/us/" target="_blank">LoveKnitting.com</a>, and all was well. Or so I thought. Now I have finished knitting the back and half of the front of the sweater, and realize I won't have enough red to complete the sleeves. Guess what I had to do? Yep ...order more of the oatmeal color to stripe the sleeves. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now ....I admit that my gauge was a TAD off ....one stitch less in 4 inches, but for a child's sweater, a tad bigger is better, right? I seriously don't think that small difference in gauge on a child's size 6-7 should have made such an enormous difference in the amount of yarn needed. I will definitely make a note on the pattern in case I ever want to make it again. I will post a picture when the sweater is finally finished. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Better knitting news .....I finally made it to <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/criativity-largo" target="_blank">Criativity</a> in Largo, Florida. What a lovely shop! All of the people there, both working and "playing," were extremely nice. Besides yarnie goodness, the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">shop also has clothing, accessories, toys, games, soaps, and more. Worth a visit if you are ever in the area!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I couldn't resist the call of the fibers, and bought a skein of Petite Madison (75% Merino, 15% Cashmere, 10% silk) in colorway Harvest to make the "That Nice Stitch Cowl" on Ravelry. I think I will leave it as a scarf, rather than kitchener it together at the end. The Purl Bee has an excellent video on the kitchener stitch <a href="http://www.purlbee.com/2013/11/11/kitchener-stitch-video/" target="_blank">here</a>. I plan to take this new project to my daughter's house on my upcoming visit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Until next time, HAPPY KNITTING!</span></div>
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KWDreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05093640360760246905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234789131887581695.post-68688117638093403612015-08-03T14:37:00.000-04:002015-08-03T14:37:35.518-04:00My New Journey - a More Organized Home ...and knitting news, of course!Well, I'm finally getting around to organizing things in my house. It's amazing how much can be accumulated in 15 years and how cluttered things become with everyone working full-time plus!<br />
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With the assistance of my youngest daughter, my kitchen counters and cabinets are now greatly improved. The main change was in cookbooks, recipes and spices. At her suggestion, I moved my spices to a different cabinet (something I never thought of doing) and purchased some amazing racks from <a href="http://www.containerstore.com/welcome.htm#close" target="_blank">The Container Store</a>. Next, I went through every cookbook I owned, and marked any recipes I truly thought I might make in the next year or so. I am still in the process of writing those recipes on cards for my recipe box. Yes, I'm still old school; I'd rather pull out a card than fre up the iPad when in the kitchen. I'm passing the cookbooks on to a friend ...reuse, recycle, etc.!<br />
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This was the spice cabinet ...it had a double-decker Lazy Susan in it, but spices were tucked everywhere behind it too. What a mess it was. This makes much more sense!<br />
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<span style="color: black;">My cookbooks were on my kitchen counter, under this cabinet, taking up a huge corner area, always looking messy. Now they are in a nicely organized baking cabinet. My recipe box will fit in front of the cookbooks when I am finished.</span></div>
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And, I am extremely happy with my spice cabinet. As I use up some of the larger ones, I will replace them with smaller ones that will fit in the racks ...then maybe there will be space in here for my Crockpots!</div>
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All of this has reignited my desire to cook, and is the first step on my journy to a neater, more organized home!</div>
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In knitting news, I have started my Christmas knitting. Every year I tell myself I am not going to knit gifts for Christmas, but here I am, doing it again anyway. In my defense, I have two sweaters for grandchildren who will not fit into them for very long if I wait any longer to make them! Here is a picture of the first one, a<span style="color: #660000;"> <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/design-f---wrap-collar-sweater-hat-and-blanket" target="_blank">Wrap-Collar Sweater</a> </span>that I'm making in a size 6-7 for my grandson. The wrap-collar will be in an oatmeal color of the same yarn.</div>
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Until next time ...happy organizing and happy knitting! </div>
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<br />KWDreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05093640360760246905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234789131887581695.post-60097928640740342322015-06-18T11:48:00.000-04:002015-06-18T11:48:03.917-04:00Recharging, Renewing, and Rediscovering.....<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23px;">The past two years have been very difficult. Don't get me wrong, there have been many wonderful times as well. Last July we took our adult children on a cruise for our 30th anniversary, and we all had a wonderful time! </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23px;">In addition, both of my daughters graduated from college this past May, one week apart .....and the younger one is extremely proud of the fact that she was the first! </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23px;"><br /></span>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23px;">Okay, now for the difficult part ... </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23px;">First, Knit 'n Knibble, my LYS (local yarn shop) shut down. I enjoyed teaching classes and hanging out there for many years. Actually, they reinvented themselves and now offer mobile lessons, finishing services, ready-to-wear items and other finished goods, and even do commissioned work (Link: <a href="http://www.knitnknibble.com/" target="_blank">Knit 'n Knibble</a>).</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23px;">Next, I decided to go back to school to reinstate my teaching certificate, which I originally received in 1980. I had the crazy notion that it would be an honorable career move to teach reading to high school students who desperately needed it. What a struggle that turned out to be .....two years of ninth graders in a Title I school with very little administrative support regarding behavior issues. How can you create a warm and inviting learning environment where students are engaged in higher order thinking when you are not allowed to take away their phones (it's an addiction - seriously, there should be a 12-step program), isolate them in the classroom, or send them out in the hallway when they are misbehaving? The phones are a liability issue, the isolation is a "damage their psyche" issue, and the hallway is a safety issue ....in case you are as confused as I was. To top this off, I even had one student threaten to put me in the hospital. So, after two years, I am <b>DONE</b>. Yes, that was bold and in all caps. </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23px;">And finally, an estranged family member decided to reconnect with our family (we were able to enjoy a wedding and the birth of another grandchild), but then his determination to stay removed from the family once again caused us much pain. Enough said, that is dirty laundry that I don't want to air any further on this blog. </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23px;">Now, I am determined to rediscover how to enjoy life. I am updating and revamping my Etsy shop (stay tuned for new items) </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23px;">and dusting off my blog.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23px;">On a final note, I visited my new favorite yarn shop again yesterday with a dear friend. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.fourpurls.com/" target="_blank">Four Purls</a> </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23px;">is located in Winter Haven, Florida and has an amazing selection of yarns and all things "knitterly". I have been going through knit shop withdrawal for quite a while and yesterday's trip was very satisfying. The beautiful bag shown below was a gift from my friend and is a RockFlowerPaper original. The yarns are both from Cascade, the teal is Alpaca Lace, and the gray is Venezia Sport ....they are both destined to become shawls. The lovely wooden yarn bowl will probably find a home in my new camper (more on the camper in a later post), and the purple needle keeper will prevent my needles from poking out of my fabric bags!</span></div>
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KWDreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05093640360760246905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234789131887581695.post-46649906660486896682010-02-11T14:24:00.000-05:002015-06-16T19:47:15.428-04:00Times ….How they have Changed!Messages Gleaned from Songs ….<br />
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Maybe it was just me, but back in the 80’s, I liked the song “I’ll be Watching You” by Sting. To me, it was a guy singing about how much he cared about his girl who had recently left him. My daughters, however, growing up in the 00’s (is that the proper way to denote the 2000’s?), call it the “Stalker Song”. For those of you who may not be familiar with the song (really, can there be anyone out there that hasn’t heard it?) ….it starts out with this verse:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Every breath you take</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">And every move you make</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Every bond you break</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Every step you take</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I'll be watching you</span><br />
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Then, later in the song, it goes on to say: <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Since you've gone, I've been lost without a trace</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I dream at night, I can only see your face</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I look around but it's you I can't replace</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I feel so cold and I long for your embrace</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I keep crying baby, baby please</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Oh, can't you see</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">You belong to me</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Now my poor heart aches</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Every step you take</span><br />
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If you would like to see the entire lyrics, here’s a link:<br />
<a href="http://www.musicsonglyrics.com/ill-be-watching-you-lyrics-sting.html">http://www.musicsonglyrics.com/ill-be-watching-you-lyrics-sting.html</a><br />
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Anyway, was it just me, and my naiveté? Was it always a stalker song, or have times changed so much that teens are immediately cynical about life?<br />
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Television …</div>
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We used to watch television to relax and unwind from our day. We’d let the program take our mind to an imaginary life or place where things were perfect, or funny, or different from our daily routine. Most shows required the use of a brain …..and usually the brain was being used in a different capacity than it was during the work day. </div>
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Now, however, you can’t get away from “Reality T.V.” The reality shows are taking over the airways. I don’t want to see what someone else thinks is “reality” …which is usually FAR from it! I have enough “reality” in my own life, thank you. (I hope there are others out there that feel the same way. If not, sorry.) I’ll stick to watching CSI type shows, and “LOST” (hopefully a good replacement will show up next season, as this season is the last …..I’m extremely sad) …..but don’t get me on my soapbox! I like (and need) a brain workout during the week! <br />
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So, as a result …nowadays, it seems a lot of people are watching less television, and spending more time in front of the computer, playing games, online or otherwise. Is this a bad change? Probably not. Wasting time is wasting time, and improving your mind is always a good thing. <br />
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Pet Attire …</div>
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Of course, I have to tie this to knitting somehow. If you have read my blog before you shouldn’t be surprised.<br />
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Doggy Apparel. Need I say more? Sure, an ambitious knitter or crocheter may have knit their dog a sweater or two back in “the day”. I’m guilty. I’m planning to do it again ….so sue me. I love my doggies! However ….since the movies “Legally Blonde” and “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” came out, doggy apparel has become quite an industry.<br />
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If this kind of thing interests you, here is a link to a site where these and many other garments can be found for your little sweeties:</div>
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<a href="http://www.doggieclothesline.com/">http://www.doggieclothesline.com/</a></div>
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I’m sure there are many other doggy apparel sites, but the wedding attire shown on this one was so cute I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUAdz34OPXnN6vfpaKBzBHQ6rkjjboJ6XupdgcePJLnuh7JX7h5tTJxNsJT4kxnExpwPNvrj-Xy1I8A_RNJS2pJnr66akD0Kkti3tp8nLU-kn_0KcnfvAg8YfZusxDc59RI2isyZSP45cA/s1600-h/chico.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUAdz34OPXnN6vfpaKBzBHQ6rkjjboJ6XupdgcePJLnuh7JX7h5tTJxNsJT4kxnExpwPNvrj-Xy1I8A_RNJS2pJnr66akD0Kkti3tp8nLU-kn_0KcnfvAg8YfZusxDc59RI2isyZSP45cA/s200/chico.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Anyway …the doggy sweater I have in my Ravelry queue to make for my chi-doxy (chihuahua/dashound mix) is called “Walking the Dog”. Here’s a link: </div>
<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/walking-the-dog-ac-46">http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/walking-the-dog-ac-46</a>It’s really cute, but I’ll have to make the medium size, because Chico is a little chunky. Hence the need for a new sweater.<br />
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Times, they keep on changin’. Sometimes for the better, sometimes not. But through it all, us knitters, we keep on knittin’! (Usually while listening to music, watching T.V., or keeping up with friends on FaceBook!)<br />
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KWDreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05093640360760246905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234789131887581695.post-66657083551894201452010-01-21T14:29:00.003-05:002015-06-16T19:46:20.500-04:00Day-Trippin' in GeorgiaDuring a severe attack of knit shop withdrawal, I convinced my daughter Amanda that we needed to locate a “real” knit shop in her area. The local Michael’s, Joann’s, and Hobby Lobby just weren’t enough. A web search pulled up only two within a 75 mile radius of Fort Benning. One, Darlene’s Knit Shop in Opelika, Alabama, was no longer open for business. The other was Two Sisters Knitting Nook in Newnan, Georgia. <br />
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We left the house after lunch so that both Evelyn and Liam would nap in the car. Strategic planning is not just a good habit, it’s sometimes necessary for mom-sanity! <br />
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Two Sisters is on the corner of a block in a cute little downtown area, surrounded by antique and gift shops and an art gallery. We were greeted with a friendly hello by two lovely women as we entered the shop with a double stroller. The shop was very spacious. Sometimes double-strollers and yarn shops don’t mix well, but in this case, it was fine. We felt very comfortable wandering around, enjoying all of the fabulous yarn. Many of the brands were ones that my local shop, Knit n Knibble in Tampa, Florida (Ravelry link: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/shops/knit-n-knibble">http://www.ravelry.com/shops/knit-n-knibble</a> ) carries, but there (of course) were some I had not seen before. Many were wools; face it, you can have only so much 100% wool in Florida. They also had some cotton yarns that were new to me. <br />
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In addition to the wonderful yarn, they have a lovely selection of buttons, stitch markers, knitting jewelry and pins, t-shirts, handmade soap, sock blanks, needles galore, and bags and change purses made from recycled plastic bottles that were adorable! Definitely worth the trip! My granddaughter Evelyn fell in love with a “princess” learn-to-knit kit, which I had never seen before. I told her that it would be a great present when she gets a little older (she’s only 3).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqx34r2pzUX7J_qK6346njY4E-8K4vsxTRkOgBINRWG5DNqj-8-D9Bou0zbTBYCG0DtQseGjEiI6_BwGAcnaq824Gi1YJ09_AaCdAn-nSwOlOsoWtgts-joxeHT0L6ZQFfqzUYcYp3Tyhv/s1600-h/Booklets+GA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqx34r2pzUX7J_qK6346njY4E-8K4vsxTRkOgBINRWG5DNqj-8-D9Bou0zbTBYCG0DtQseGjEiI6_BwGAcnaq824Gi1YJ09_AaCdAn-nSwOlOsoWtgts-joxeHT0L6ZQFfqzUYcYp3Tyhv/s200/Booklets+GA.JPG" /></a>Well ….I managed to walk out of there without adding too much to my stash. If it wasn’t for the upcoming “Stitches South 2010”, I’m sure I could have easily done more damage to my pocketbook! I bought a sock blank called “Happy Choices” in color 9 (shades of brown) by Plymouth Yarn Company, two flower buttons for a summer toddler top I am designing, two pattern booklets by Kertzer: SRK 424 and SRK 420 (see picture) , two change purses, and two wedges of an awesome handmade soap in pumpkin spice scent. I resisted the urge to purchase a needle-gauge pendant in purple, but it was very difficult!</div>
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Here is information on the shop ….stop in if you are ever near Newnan, Georgia ….it is definitely worth it!<br />
Two Sisters Knitting Nook<br />
15 Greenville Street<br />
Newnan, Georgia<br />
Phone: 770-683-3809<br />
Ravelry Link: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/shops/two-sisters-knitting-nook">http://www.ravelry.com/shops/two-sisters-knitting-nook</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vcLz9XT8KCCUzSugi743-BLhMbfZuWE928y9cAWZkAkDAVnPjPS2EV5BwDb0Lkq20F9SF_NKOuxHWJfWhpT_3MAgtYlIq7yVHzcVHhICbq2w1z2wfNn3PjkqQ8f391LzgOY9aikPaQz-/s1600-h/Liam+Sleeping+GA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vcLz9XT8KCCUzSugi743-BLhMbfZuWE928y9cAWZkAkDAVnPjPS2EV5BwDb0Lkq20F9SF_NKOuxHWJfWhpT_3MAgtYlIq7yVHzcVHhICbq2w1z2wfNn3PjkqQ8f391LzgOY9aikPaQz-/s200/Liam+Sleeping+GA.JPG" /></a>Next, we walked around the block to the opposite corner, and visited “Scott’s Bookstore”. What a wonderful place! They have a huge selection of children’s books, and a little table with a couple of puzzles to entertain the little ones while the parents browse. Of course they also have the other usual sections, best sellers, fiction, educational, cookbooks, etc. Nice place, a great treat for Evelyn for being so good. Amanda surprised Evelyn with “Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar”, and Liam with a stuffed football (even though Liam cheated on the being good part …he slept or ate most of the time). </div>
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Here is information on the shop ….another great find!<br />
Scott's Bookstore<br />
28 South Court Square<br />
Newnan, Georgia<br />
Phone: 770-253-2960<br />
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No website that I could find, but here is the Yahoo Travel description:<br />
Established in 1976, this full service bookstore offers all the books and tapes on Lewis Grizzard, a Coweta native son, plus offers an extensive children's section and numerous services. <br />
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Double Take!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4BkEa9UEHtmOtmwzT8ez_0N6kGmJCpK8Ct_FzWyuYEeZnSWfMPMTh5qSIH2NxnObSOpzkBByiRQZ13Ta1lQo0WpB3nN0JnS9RytywGVRN6H9Sh1TO5R_C7BrYBWD3qmUtt-UivwdMeuV5/s1600-h/Hand+in+Window+Newnan+GA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4BkEa9UEHtmOtmwzT8ez_0N6kGmJCpK8Ct_FzWyuYEeZnSWfMPMTh5qSIH2NxnObSOpzkBByiRQZ13Ta1lQo0WpB3nN0JnS9RytywGVRN6H9Sh1TO5R_C7BrYBWD3qmUtt-UivwdMeuV5/s200/Hand+in+Window+Newnan+GA.JPG" /></a>As we were walking back to the car, we passed a store picture window that made us do a double-take! So of course we had to take a picture. Little town, almost at sunset ….the main street was starting to look deserted because it was after 5pm. Amanda whipped out her phone and snapped this shot ......</div>
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I was already picturing the headlines the next day ….</div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>”Two Strange Women Capture Their Dastardly Deed on Newfangled Modern Phone”. <br />
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An arm, belonging to Newnan Town Founder Mr. <insert here="" name="">, was found grasping the window display shelf of his beloved general store, established circa 1905. Although the women swore they were innocent, the double stroller and two children were not a solid alibi for the crime. Said women are currently serving an undetermined sentence in the local jailhouse.</insert></i></span> <br />
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We were in a small town in mid-western Georgia. Might as well be West Virginia ….if that had actually happened, we would never see the light of day again. I grew up in Miami, spent some time in Chicago and New York for business …..I’d rather be mugged in one of those places than get arrested for dropping a banana peel on the sidewalk in the Deep South! <br />
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‘Nuff said. Come on! It’s WAY past Halloween. What was up with that window?<br />
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We saw a gorgeous house as we were driving into Newnan. On the way out we decided to take a picture of it. Luckily there was a little traffic, and the hometown people were very polite. Amanda whipped out her phone again, and the “Strange Women” did their version of a drive-by shooting as they fled the town.<br />
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KWDreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05093640360760246905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234789131887581695.post-78914324711688963112010-01-11T13:25:00.000-05:002015-06-16T19:43:19.575-04:00New Year’s Resolutions and a New MantraThis year I resolve to:<br />
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<li>Call my mother more often. </li>
<li>Knit at least one pair of infant or preemie socks a month to donate to the hospital. </li>
<li>Get out and walk more for my health. </li>
<li>Finish at least 2 UFOs (unfinished objects) for each new project I start.</li>
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*** Exceptions: designing, new classes, and new babies!<br />
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When our kids were still living at home, we had a family tradition of sitting down together on New Year’s Day and making our New Year’s Resolutions. Like most other people, we tried very hard to follow them during January, but by March, not so much.<br />
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It was a great idea, but unfortunately we always seemed to have very high hopes for ourselves …..many of the resolutions were rarely reasonable. Since the kids have grown and gone their separate ways, my husband Jim and I have not really kept up the tradition. I want to start it up again, at least for myself.<br />
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As the years pass, I continue to better understand my priorities, strengths, and shortcomings. I think my 2010 resolution list is one that I will be able to follow long past March. I won’t guarantee that I will be able to make it all the way to the end of December, but past March will be an improvement. <br />
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Baby steps. That’s the way to accomplish things. Biting off more that you can chew is a guaranteed path to failure. I wish I had taken that advice from my cheerleading coach in high school. It’s sad, but I don’t even remember her name, but I’ll never forget the conversation she had with me at the end of my Junior year. She told me that I needed to choose between cheerleading and dance/drama. Of course I knew everything then, after all, I was 17! I wasn’t about to let anyone tell me what I could and couldn’t do. No one was going to put limitations on me! Well, she tried. I didn’t make the Varsity Cheerleading Squad in my Senior year, even though I was Co-Captain of the JV Squad. Boy was I mad. I immediately tried out for the Marching Band’s dance team, and became a Rampage. And of course, I was still in the Drama Club, and taking dance lessons 3 nights a week. <br />
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So back to my resolutions. We’re only into the second week of January, and I have called my mother a couple of times, I have created a pattern for newborn socks in Sweater Wizard, and have leftover sock yarn ready. I have walked a couple of times, even though the weather is cold ………and, I’ve finished one FO! A sample blanket for an upcoming class I am going to teach at Knit n Knibble in Tampa, FL. It’s my daughter’s design, available on Ravelry …..The Sleepy Owl. <br />
LINK: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sleepy-owl-blanket"> http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sleepy-owl-blanket</a><br />
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This is the smallest version (mine)<br />
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And here is the largest – the original (Amanda’s):<br />
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And, since new babies don’t count when starting a new project ……socks for Liam using my leftover Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino from my Red Beret!</div>
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So, finally, 35 years after my conversation with the cheerleading coach, I’m much older, and a little wiser, and realize that no matter how much I want to accomplish before I die, it won’t all happen. Hence, my small, doable list of resolutions. Baby steps. That’s my new mantra.</div>
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KWDreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05093640360760246905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234789131887581695.post-46093374002543179422010-01-11T11:42:00.000-05:002015-06-16T19:42:04.075-04:00Obviously ObsessedI love knitting. I love the feel of the needles in my hands, and the repetition of making each stitch. I love playing with new yarns, and I look forward to working with old favorites. Starting a new project is always exciting. <br />
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The other day in my local yarn shop, an interesting question came up. Someone wanted to know how many started projects we each have. Well, I have at least 50. Yes, that was a five with a zero following it. A few monogamous knitters in our group were appalled, but to some of the other knitters in the group, that number didn’t sound unreasonable at all.<br />
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How can I possibly have so many projects started at one time? I enjoy making things for other people …….those are the projects that are most likely to be completed in a timely fashion (especially if they have a deadline like a birth, or a special occasion). And then, even though I know that my knitting time should be committed to other started projects, I cast on something for myself. Somehow those projects seem to always get placed on the back-burner when something else comes up. Add to that the at least 12 projects that are ones I use in the classes that I teach. <br />
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50 – 12 = 38<br />
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See, it’s sounding a little better, right? <br />
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It was a sad day this past November when I had to go to the mall to buy myself a cardigan, because the knitter didn’t even have a sweater. After that shopping trip, I decided that 2010 would be the year of finishing knitting projects for me.<br />
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My latest FO (finished object) is a hat for myself out of Vogue Knitting, Fall 2009, called the “#11 Vine and Leaf Beret” by Angela Hahn. I decided to make it in red. I was so excited to be knitting for myself that it wasn’t until the 4th repeat of Chart 1 that I realized I was doing only K2tog (knit 2 stitches together) instead of both K2tog and SSK (slip, slip knit). I just didn’t have the heart to rip it all out, so my lace doesn’t show as much directional change as it should. I decided to continue to use only K2tog for the rest of Chart 1 and for Chart 2 as well. Since I was consistent, it’s not too bad …..it looks like it was intended to be that way. If you place it side by side with the picture of the original hat, you can see the difference, but on my head, it should be just fine. <br />
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At least it’s now an FO for ME!<br />
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KWDreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05093640360760246905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234789131887581695.post-65317015830348191362010-01-01T17:01:00.004-05:002015-06-16T19:41:04.244-04:00Birth of a Grandson & Fuzzy Socks for His Big Sis!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My daughter Amanda is a stay-at-home mom with a 3-year old daughter named Evelyn, and is married to an Army guy currently deployed to Iraq. Her second baby (a boy) was due on January 12th. My plan was to drive to Georgia with my husband Jim on Monday, Dec. 21st (arriving in the evening) and I would stay with her until the end of January. My husband would of course have to leave after the holidays to return to work. <br />
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Since I am writing this blog on January 1st, you probably know where this is going. However, I bet there will be a surprise or two for you in the story.<br />
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The saga began on Saturday, December 19th, in Haines City, Florida. My husband and I were spending the evening at my in-laws house for an early Christmas dinner. Mid-way through dinner, we received a phone call from Amanda, indicating that her neighbor had taken her to the hospital because she had been sick all night, and she thought she was going into labor. <br />
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Jim made an airline reservation for me to fly out to Columbus, Georgia first thing the next morning. First thing. Really. I had to get up at 3:15 am in order to shower and get to the airport on time. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep at all that night, because there were a lot of things that we had planned to do on Sunday before leaving in the car on Monday morning. <br />
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They sent Amanda home from the hospital that night, because after giving her an IV, her contractions stopped. They attributed them to dehydration. So, Sunday around noon, she and Evelyn picked me up from the airport. We stopped on the way home to have lunch, and then decided to stop at the commissary for some groceries. It seemed that it was all a false alarm, but I was glad that I was there “just in case”.<br />
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That night, Amanda was up most of the night with back pain. I didn’t even realize that she was up; I slept like a baby myself after not having any sleep the night before. In the morning, she calmly said, “I think we need to go to the hospital now”. So, Amanda called her neighbor to watch Evelyn …..children are not allowed in the hospital because of the H1N1 virus, and I tried to act calm as we had to scrape ice off of the windshield of the car before we could drive to the hospital! Remember, I’m a Florida girl ….ice? What’s up with that?<br />
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Amanda insisted that I not drop her off at the door of the hospital; she felt we could park and walk in. It wasn’t an extremely long distance, but it was VERY cold, and, not having ever gone into labor myself (both my deliveries were scheduled c-sections), I really didn’t know what to expect, and since she had been through this before, I decided that she was the expert and my job at this point was to do whatever she wanted. So, we walked in. And then …….we walked, and walked, and walked some more! The maternity triage department was on the opposite side of the hospital, on the 4th floor! Amanda knew this, by the way. Remember, she had been there two days earlier. At this point, I was beginning to think I was in the presence of a super-being. <br />
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We get to triage, and they are exremely busy. <i><insert a="" and="" begin="" couldn="" do="" here="" i="" it="" justice.="" lot="" medical="" of="" procedure="" speak="" t="" to="" whole=""></insert></i>Amanda is hooked up to a couple of monitors. The baby definitely didn’t like one of them, because he kept kicking it, and the “boom boom” sound echoed through the department at regular intervals. My husband the drummer wuld have been proud. Amanda, on the other hand, was not necessarily appreciating being treated like a bass drum. <br />
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After a while, we started to smell smoke. Yes, I said <i>SMOKE</i>. The gas-smelling kind. Then we started to hear bells ….you know, the kind you hear in a department store that usually mean they have spotted a shoplifter? The nurses were scampering around, and looked a tad too busy to answer questions like …”Should we be concerned about a fire or something?” <br />
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A little while later, the intercom came on with “Code Red in the kitchen”. I looked at Amanda, and said, “Code Red? That doesn’t sound good”. A few minutes later, the intercom came on again with “Code Red in the dining room”. At this point, I wanted a schematic of the hospital, but I doubted that any of the nurses would accommodate me; they looked entirely too busy.<br />
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During all of this, I called my husband, who was already on the road heading toward Columbus. He was pretty surprised when I told him that we were in the hospital, and that she was being admitted. He had pretty much decided that Saturday was a false alarm, and that he would probably not be with us when the baby decided to arrive. Now, however, it was a race against time …he wanted to make it to the hospital before the baby showed up.<br />
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Cutting out about 4 hours, where Amanda when to Labor and Delivery, and we both napped a while (epidurals are a wonderful thing) ….Jim showed up about an hour before Liam David Hatcher entered the world! <br />
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Back to the smoke …..after Liam was born, we found out that floors 1, 2, and 3 had been evacuated due to a fire in the cafeteria! (Remember, we were on the 4th floor.) <br />
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Best Christmas present ever!<br />
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So, as a result of this adventure, knitting was put on the back-burner for about a week. I can’t remember the last time I went a whole week without knitting! I needed a quick fix, so I decided to cast on a pair of socks for Evelyn; child’s size 8. I had some leftover yarn from designing my Garter Stitch Stocking Gift Card Holder (a free pattern on Ravelry); Regia Softy in color 425, a cream ……it was perfect for the project. I used Sock Wizard to create the pattern, and decided to make sport socks, because I was not sure how much yarn I had left in the skein. <br />
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I finished them in 3 or 4 days (with lots of time off to play with the grandkids)! I think she likes them, don’t you?<br />
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By the way, did I mention that Amanda knits too? Check out these cute pictures!<br />
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KWDreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05093640360760246905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234789131887581695.post-87525490440555757872009-12-26T19:40:00.000-05:002015-06-16T19:39:19.003-04:00Thanksgiving in Hunter’s Haven 2009Hunter’s Haven is a tiny community just outside of the Ocala National Forest. My family has spent Thanksgiving weekend there for over 40 years. Every year brings a new adventure; at least that’s what we choose to call them ….adventures.<br />
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For example, there was the year that my brother’s Ford Bronco was stuck in the dirt, and my brother-in-law had to pull him out with his Toyota Truck. As someone was videotaping them, the Bronco broke free and crashed into the Toyota. This happened about 30 years ago, but we all still talk about it. The Ford versus Toyota battle is the equivalent of the Hatfields and McCoys where my family is concerned. <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419711493436761378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieajN6tISoFnzU6CATEdCxB4gNtX0rhIYEneUkPAsyOBnIZ6DNXFwvOeForuUEEsQ7LXVLHoW7HVAsvLjPLglG4nWFmOlfZvtprrMAM-3-CKKqIP5jxhLBEpYS3Ym2mJq137Rdw8TPDzGq/s320/ford+-+toyota.bmp" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 132px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" />Then there was the year that my brother drove into camp, jumped out of the truck hollering that he “got one”, and everyone came running to see the deer. Much to our surprise, he stopped just outside of camp and tied a dead squirell to the back bumper!<br />
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Well ….this year we had quite a few surprises. My daughter Amanda was sitting on my sister’s porch when she looked down and saw an 18 inch orange, yellow and black snake. In the ensuing frenzy, she couldn’t remember her Daddy’s rhyme: “Red on black, you’ll be back; red on yellow, a dangerous fellow”. Really, who would remember that in a panic? She screamed for her dad, and he quickly became our favorite snake-slayer. Yes, it was a coral snake. <br />
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419714637415721890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9yCmF0JcjAYaO8ZrTbRSck77mlamw3l1vAZfqs2sDoZHOjfK1tmwxs4YqF7BeFA8gzouDPhuLrFXZ74PcFf1PBqtH0zs7bWUdZcXiULby4-dEr6vIQhsCpDxyNJYQxGQ-LU9_94Ito2ea/s320/coral+snake.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></div>
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Oh! Important note: do not try to take four dogs out of the camper for a walk at the same time ……...especially if two are not used to being on a leash, and one of those two is a Chocolate Lab. Just saying. No, really. I have multiple bruises to prove it. You’d never know they were capable of such behavior from the look of the picture below, right?</div>
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419715933584859794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XmLRvLJ1Ff06C09jeE1WPB_WURwLu8SouWNjDmRxvj9QpMFF3K2DsS6xzvwm_u2aVR1m8D4VDqwyicMrXZIbjOe-eYCRrzzZDG4JImZpl55riobHhk-lhrRsF8_Fw8B3IGU_cOiijBUd/s320/dogs+in+camper.bmp" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" />But the best story from this year involves a late night, dog food, and garbage. Campers should know better, but, ……….well ………we were a little distracted after the coral snake and the “not-so-graceful” fall out of the camper. Let’s set the mood ……</div>
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It was a dark and stormy night …. (just kidding). It was a pleasant night. We had the windows open; after all, Thanksgiving in Florida usually isn’t cold. Amanda was sleeping under the front window in the bed converted from the table. She had her two dogs with her ….the Lab, and a Jack Russell Longhaired Terrier. My granddaughter Evelyn was asleep in the bunk in the back. My husband and I were asleep in the bedroom at the front of the camper with our two dogs, a poodle and a Chi-Doxie (or Doxie-Huahua as my husband has dubbed him). It was a peaceful night, or so we thought. <br />
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When we got up the next morning, our trash was strewn all over the yard and down the road. And ….the un-opened dog food bag that was on the picnic table was gone. A bear had come through camp, and our dogs did not make a sound! Here’s my thoughts on how it went down:</div>
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Cast of Characters:<br />
Mr. Bear – the Black Bear<br />
Bryant – the Chocolate Lab<br />
Molly – the Jack Russell Terrier<br />
Yvette – the Poodle<br />
Chico – the Chi-Doxie<br />
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[Mr. Bear approaches the camper.]<br />
Bryant: “Hey guys! Do you smell what I smell?”<br />
Other dogs (in unison): “OMG! Yes!”<br />
Bryant: “<b>DON’T SAY A WORD!</b> If you do, I will deal with you later, understand?”<br />
Chico: “Why do you always think you are in charge? This is MY camper!”<br />
Bryant: “I have teeth bigger than you. <b>SHUT UP!</b>”<br />
Other dogs (in unison): <i>whimper</i><br />
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[Mr. Bear grabs the garbage, digs through it, throwing stuff everywhere. Disgusted because he didn’t find much to eat, he turns to leave. All of a sudden, he sees the bag of dog food. His eyes open wide, he starts to drool a little out of the left corner of his mouth. He looks around to make sure his other bear friends are busy near other campers. He hops up on his hind legs, and like Fred Flinstone at the bowling alley, he tippy-tippy-toes to the bag, grabs it and runs like the wind!]<br />
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Bryant: “He’s gone. This <b>NEVER HAPPENED</b>. If anyone asks us about it in the morning, just act like those penguins in ‘Madigascar’ ….you, know …..just smile and wag guys, just smile and wag”.<br />
Other dogs (in unison): <i>nod emphatically</i><br />
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[Ten minutes later….back at home, Mr. Bear is leaning against his favorite tree. The bag of dog food is in the crook of his arm, opened. Slowly, he reaches into the bag, pulls out a morsel and throws it into the air. He catches it in his mouth, slowly turns his head, smiles and sticks out his tongue.] </div>
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419717836415536946" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkaAy-TsAT8eE1q4X4G282ybQPcsZiN17_KOsy5xDmUtozziIln9RlVyqn8-ptf3zxmIb1cke_LI_Zw3wPBXIcraGzKGTwvDdo_LFjYpBSfhDM7rR8Xr5RXJAVvjTBs-9xoizcrut2n5y0/s320/bear+with+tongue.bmp" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 214px;" /><br />
I bet later he laughed about it with his friends.<br />
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KWDreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05093640360760246905noreply@blogger.com0