daily yarns 'n more

still needing some warm comfort food around here

A Christmas gift from our Texas kids.

This was a really tasty soup, that warmed us up on a cold February day.

February is gone and I'm not sure where it went.  The March winds will start to blow and hopefully it will blow the snow away. 

The deer are starting to move to the open areas for food, they must be wanting spring to be here as well.  I spied these guys on my way home from town.

Then in the evening we saw as many as 25 deer feeding in the neighbors field.

I want to share with you something of importance.  I received an e-mail a few days ago, it's about having a GPS in your phone and camera.  I think it's worth looking at.

You all have a wonderful day today.

an earthquake and a snow storm hit in northern illinois

We felt the snow, but we sure didn't feel the earthquake.  But, our son and DIL felt the earthquake.  So much so that they thought the porch fell off to their second floor apartment and when that was okay they thought a car had hit the house. You can read about it here.

The salt trucks are out this morning.

 

The wood pile is completely buried.

A path is shoveled to the chicken coop.

The drive home from work yesterday was awful.  After a snowstorm it's always neat to see the aftermath.  I don't think I want to see the aftermath of an earthquake tho.

buddy walk 2009

cocoa mulch danger

I received this e-mail and thought it was worth posting about.  Our dog Sadie would be one of the dogs to eat this mulch.  She is a non-food eating dog and will eat anything that looks and smells good to her.  Who in their right mind would make a mulch that has Cocoa in it's name?  To me that spells danger...Dog in yard, eats mulch in yard, that smells and possibly tastes like Chocolate...NOT GOOD!

Please tell every dog or cat owner you know. Even if you don't have a pet, please pass this to those who do.

 
Over the weekend the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target to use in their garden. They loved the way it smelled and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden. Their dog Calypso decided that the mulch smelled good enough to eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a few times which was typical when she eats something new but wasn't acting lethargic in any way. The next day, Mom woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk . Half way through the walk, she had a seizure and died instantly.

Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company's website, this product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs and cats.

Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey's, and they claim that 'It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won't eat it.'

This Snopes site gives the following information:http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp

Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman's Garden Supply and other Garden supply stores, contains a lethal ingredient called ' Theobromine'. It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs.. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks. Theobromine is in all chocolate, especially dark or baker's chocolate which is toxic to dogs. Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine.


PLEASE GIVE THIS THE WIDEST DISTRIBUTION!!!

warm weather won't melt this guy

I told you yesterday that I would show you something that I had found in the yarn shop that we went into.  We walk into the shop and started to look around when I spied this guy.  The owner of the shop and the customers there were checking out my felted bag and I was checking out this guy.

The shop owner knitted this snowman and everything on him is knitted except the pretty bow on his hat.  The shop owner said that they change the snowman's attire from time to time.

Some more fun yarn stuff...

On Ravelry I found a really neat link that someone posted about, making your own Wool Dryer Balls, instead of using costly dryer sheets.  These are a great way to use up that scrap wool yarn balls you have lying around and just can't throw away {if your anything like me you can't} and it's just not enough to make anything with.

These two are just felted and I haven't tried them yet.  I want to make a few more too.  I'm excited to try these when I wash the items that no matter what, always come out of the dryer full of static.

On my last road trip I picked up a pattern and yarn for a felted Easter Basket.  I'm giving this to Lauren who likes it but isn't quite as excited with it as I am.  But, she said she would use it.

You know your child is getting too big and growing up when she says..."Can I pick out my own candy?"

Who's having Corned Beef and Cabbage today?  Me..Me...Me...and I am looking so forward to it.  The sad thing is, if I make it only Jim and I will eat it.  I think maybe one child out of eleven like it.  So, instead of making it and no one eating it, I enjoy my Corned Beef and Cabbage without the fuss and grumble.

Happy St Patrick's Day to you and if you're a Fin-lander...Happy St Urho's Day which is traditionally celebrated on March 16th.

Now go and enjoy the links and have a wonderful green kind of day today.

a story and recipe share

Last night I made another form of spaghetti.  I found this one in the Gooseberry Patch Family favorite recipes. 

Again, I seem to keep making a meal for a table full of people...I should have invited you all over.

 

 

 

Virginia's Baked Spaghetti

16-oz. spaghetti noodles, cooked

2-(24-oz.) jars spaghetti sauce

2 lbs. ground beef, browned

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

2 t. salt

1/2 t. garlic powder

12-oz. evaporated milk

3 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Combine spaghetti noodles, spaghetti sauce and ground beef in a large bowl; set aside.  Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat; add flour, Parmesan cheese, salt and garlic powder, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly.  Add evaporated milk and one cup cheddar cheese; stir until thickened.

Pour half of spaghetti noodle mixture into a greased 13"x9" casserole dish and pour the cheese mixture over top.  Pour remaining noodle mixture into dish; top with remaining 2 cups cheddar cheese.  Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes.  Serves 12.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've been picking Elaine's kids up from the bus stop on Thursdays so they end up having dinner with us.  Around our dinner table we have always talked.  We have always asked each one how their day was and what they learned in school.  It gets them to thinking...last night was no different.  Jim would also tell a little story sometimes, usually they were made up but sometimes they weren't, but the kids always believed him whether they were real or not.  Who wouldn't, the stories always sounded so real that they kept you wondering.

Yesterday was Abe Lincoln's birthday, and Jim started to tell our guests a story about how their Great Great Grandfather was born on Abraham Lincoln's birthday....but was he really?  The story I've heard tell was that their Great Great Great Grandmother (his mother) actually changed his birth date to the day Abe was born.  Babies were born in the homes back then so no one knew if you changed the date or not.  This is one of those stories that always kept me wondering...was he or wasn't he?

Jim also told the eager listeners that he himself was born on a famous politicians birthday, but we had to guess who it was.  So, they being a bit too young to name any names, that task was left up to me.  Well, I failed to come up with the correct name, so he revealed the answer being Adolf Hitler.

The question is was he or wasn't he?......you be the judge (lol).

You all have a super day today and don't take any wooden nickles ;)

link to coats and clark history

Here is some FYI on the J&P Coats and Clarks Thread spools.  My friend Zaroga gave me a link to the Coats history, it's very interesting, just click on the link below.

History of Coats and Clark.

Thanks Zaroga!

happy monday

 

Over the weekend I made some blueberry pie from blueberries that my in-laws brought down from Upper Michigan where they spend the summers.  It's like having a bit of summer back eating blueberry pie a la mode.  I've been busy sewing away on the quilt blocks for the "Siggy Swap" and I've been knitting on the knitting project that I've got going.  Right now I can't share that one as it's a gift for someone.

We're trying to stay warm here but it's getting pretty hard.  Boots are about the only thing I wear on my feet when I leave the house...except for Sundays then I wear my dress shoes and I'm thinking after freezing my feet yesterday that my Sorels might not be a bad idea for next Sunday.  They may not look really good with a skirt, but at least my feet will stay warm.

I have to share another picture of Kendall, she can be a ham.  Would you believe she used to be shy?

I've got some really great links to share with you today also.

1.  Book and Apron Giveaway over at Not Quite June Cleaver.

2.  Craft Tutorial over at Sis Boom Day Dream.

3. Animals in Aprons over at Turkey Feathers.  This one was a giveaway but everyone is a winner and Vicki has a PDF file.

4. Design your own Sampler over at Posie Gets Cozy, a cute link.

Head on over and check them out.

You all have a great day today.

meet my gingerbread boy and girl

I can't remember how long ago I got these two.  They were from a student when I was a teachers aide.  I always think of the little girl who gave them to me when I take them out of the box every year.  Molly was her name and I'm thinking she must be a Freshman in High School. 

I enjoyed working in the school and when I see a child I had in class, I can't believe how big they are.  Some really touched my life and I think of them often.   Especially when I pull out things like my gingerbread boy and girl, memories come flooding back.

So, this year these two are on a shelf in my Kitchen where I can see them all the time. 

Speaking of kitchens, I think ours is the mostly used room in our house.  Some days I don't think anyone ever goes into the living room and it could be days before I open up the shades.  If I don't go in there I forget to open them.

When we built our house we made our kitchen pretty big.  I figured that was where I would be spending most of my time and I was right and now since the wood stove has been going for weeks I don't want to be anywhere else in the house but the kitchen.  The kitchen is warm and cozy just like I like it.

Saturday my sister came over and we made a couple batches of cookies.  My Christmas Butter cookies and Kiss cookies. 

Hint on the Kiss cookies, I bake mine for 6 minutes then put the chocolate kiss on, then I put the cookies back in the oven for 3-5 minutes more.  You won't be biting into hard chocolate anymore.

                

today is

 

I forgot that my recipient would be leaving out of town for Thanksgiving and so I'll have to deliver it when she gets back home.