Presents I've Made this year

So -- I've been busy crocheting.
I thought I might show you all what I've been making.
This year I started making baskets -- It's my new thing and I'm thoroughly enjoying modifying the patterns I've found...

 I modified the basket above -- I put a little ruffled edge on it and then we gave it to a very sweet friend of LLB's for her birthday.

 This basket above is made with clothesline... It was such fun to make! It went to the Bus Driver -- we filled it with goodies.
The basket below is big!!  And floppy!! And fun... I might keep it for myself because I love it!

The clothesline basket below went to R.  She got to choose which one she wanted and she chose this little lovely.

This wee basket - perfect for pocket change - is awaiting a new home... My dresser?  Your dresser? We shall see, won't we?

 This little lovely went to LLB's Secret Santa person.  She's a lucky girl!

I've made scarves galore and I have one more to finish for a very special lady who likes green...   This purple gem is on it's way to England!

 This green one is currently with a Band Mom.

I made other scarves and mittens... I have one more pair of mittens to make -- in giant size -- for a Band Dad.  :-)  He'll get his mittens in January (or February).  :-)

I also made the cutest little purple basket...

My sister and I have decided that from now on, our gifts to each other have to be homemade... I think it will be fun to figure out something new to make her every year. This year she got an afghan in her choice of colors for her birthday.  Next year? We'll see.  I've got a bunch of nifty ideas up my sleeve already.

If you have ideas of things I might create, please leave me a comment and let me know.

Football FINALLY makes sense

A guy took his girlfriend to her first football game. They had great seats right behind their team's bench. After the game, he asked her how she liked the experience.

'Oh, I really liked it,' she replied, 'especially the tight pants and all the big muscles, but I just couldn't understand why they were killing each other over 25 cents.'

Dumbfounded, her date asked, 'What do you mean?'

'Well, they flipped a coin, one team got it and then for the rest of the game, all they kept screaming was: 'Get the quarterback! Get the quarterback!' I'm like.....Helloooooo? It's only 25 cents!!!!!!!!!!! '

A funny

This came across my desk this morning...

God does have a sense of humor

While creating wives, God promised men that good and obedient wives would be found in all corners of the world. 

  

. . . And then He made the earth round.

(I found this in my e-mail box this morning and just had to share!)

Happy Birthday, America!

Today is the last day my #1 will be home and able to sleep in.  Today I will let him sleep because I am nice and because I know that every day for the next 25 days or so, he will be up early and in class. This little tidbit brings me great joy as this is payback for all of those years he was up at 6am without fail.

Later this morning Mr. will help chop the tree that fell at the church last night. He gets to use his chainsaw -- how manly!  #1 will finish packing his trunk. He has a few items that he needs to put in there like a fan, a bathing suit, and his running shoes. LLB hopes to spend the afternoon with HP playing video games and chatting it up. As for me, I hope to be sipping a mimosa and chomping popcorn with a dear friend while we watch the frogs hop around the puddle in the bottom of the pool. It's not exactly what we had envisioned -- sipping mimosas while floating around the pool on our noodles -- but it will do.

We head off to VMI tomorrow morning - bright and early.  Because we are good parents, we will haul his stuff in, help him find and purchase his required textbooks, have lunch, and wave goodbye.  He will have wanted us to leave as soon as we got his trunk up to his room!  We have a Parent Orientation which we are required to attend in the afternoon.  It will be a fun and informative day, I'm sure. :-)

On a separate note, the pool is due to be plastered tomorrow morning - beginning at 6:30. Let's hope that by the time we get home it is done and full of water.   I want to be dangling my feet in there tomorrow night.

Overheard in PE Class...

LLB has PE. Right now they are working on a "Health" unit.
The class is a co-ed class.
The teacher was talking about bacteria.  She has a very pronounced southern twang...

"Bacteria thrives in a dark, warm, moist environment.  Girls - y'all are a walkin' petrie dish!"

I don't think I've ever laughed so hard...

Name Game

LAST NAME GAME......PLEASE don't spoil it for others!
Rules:
It's harder than it looks! Erase my answers, enter yours and
send it on to 10 people, including me. Use the 1st letter OF YOUR LAST
NAME to answer each of the following questions. They have to be real
places, names, things. Nothing made up. Use different answers if the
person in front of you had the same 1st initial. You can't use your name
for the boy/girl question. Have Fun!!

1. What is your last name?  Crossing
2. Name an Animal.....  Cat
3. A Boys name.... Charles
4. A Girls name ...  Catherine
5 An occupation....Cook
6. Color................ Coral
7.Something you wear..  Coat
8. A beverage...... Coke
9. A Food..... Carrot Cake
10. Something found in the bathroom.... Cabinet
11. A place ............ Chicago
12. A Reason for being late..... Constipation
13. Something you shout.......Come!!

Universal Laws

I received this in an email and thought it was terrific!

1. Law of Mechanical Repair - After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch.

 2. Law of Gravity - Any tool, nut, bolt, screw, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

3. Law of Probability -The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act

4. Law of Random Numbers - If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal and someone always answers.

5. Law of the Alibi - If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire..

6. Variation Law - If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will always move faster than the one you are in now (works every time).

7. Law of the Bath - When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.

8. Law of Close Encounters -The probability of meeting someone you know increases dramatically when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.

9. Law of the Result - When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.

10. Law of Biomechanics - The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.

11.. Law of the Theater and Hockey Arena - At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle, always arrive last. They are the ones who will leave their seats several times to go for food, beer, or the toilet and who leave early before the end of the performance or the game is over. The folks in the aisle seats come early, never move once, have long gangly legs or big bellies, and stay to the bitter end of the performance. . The aisle people also are very surly folk.

12. The Coffee Law - As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.

13. Murphy's Law of Lockers - If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.

14. Law of Physical Surfaces - The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor, are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet or rug.

15.  Law of Logical Argument - Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.

16. Brown's Law of Physical Appearance - If the clothes fit, they're ugly.

17. Oliver's Law of Public Speaking - A closed mouth gathers no feet.

18.  Wilson's Law of Commercial Marketing Strategy - As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.

19. Doctors' Law - If you don't feel well, make an appointment to go to the doctor, by the time you get there you'll feel better. But don't make an appointment, and you'll stay sick.

Prom...

Was this past Saturday.  #1 is 18 and told me that I can put his image on my blog. So -- here is the boy. I love this picture!

Here are the flowers he got for his date:

Here he is with his date - who does actually have a lovely face...  Her dress is perfect for her personality. She is fun and a bit on the gothic side...  They are good friends who eat lunch together every day.

I worked the After Prom Party - as usual. We arrived at the school at 11:30pm and finished up at about 5:15am.
The kids had a great time.
#1 didn't win anything, but he had fun anyway.
What I found a bit irritating was when we were leaving, a kid backed into me and didn't stop to see if he had done any damage...  Yes, I know... my car needs a bulls eye painted on it.
So - kid with the red car - next time you back into someone, do the responsible thing and get out to see if you did any damage. By leaving, you have made yourself a hit and run driver. (This is not something you want on your resume, I'm sure.) Take responsibility for your actions.  Fortunately for you, my rear door and bumper suffered no damage. I can still open and close said rear door and there is no dent in the bumper. 
#1 and I arrived home shortly after 6:15am.  (He absolutely had to go to McDo for breakfast with his friends -- the ones he'd been with all night...) 
When LLB got up for the day at 7:30, I was still awake.  She asked me if I was going to be at the After Prom party for her next year and the year after.  What kind of crazy question is that? Of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world!
Although, we will be glad when she's a senior because it will mean that our all-nighters will be all done!  We are MUCH too old for that stuff anymore!

Mini Kitty

Our Mini Kitty isn't so mini anymore but she is still as impish as ever.

She looks innocent enough, but it's all an act. She's simply naughty!
Today it's a raw, cloudy, dank kind of day. She doesn't want to go outside...
What she does want to do is sock hunt.
She finds socks in drawers that are open but a half an inch. She very patiently works them out of the drawers. Once she gets them out, she deposits them in a far more useful place like my kitchen floor or the family room couch.
She found a dirty athletic sock in the laundry basket and has proceeded to deposit that one in the middle of our front stairs. It's far more attractive in that location where everyone can see it.
There are wool socks in the dining room.
There are dress socks in the family room.
There are striped socks in the kitchen and on the upstairs landing.
The list goes on.
I hear her up in LLB's room. She's trying to find a way to get her paw into the top drawer to reach a sock without falling off the dresser. She'll manage. She always does.

Pool...

We are getting a pool!
Before:

During:

There is currently a large pool sized hole in our back yard!

Whooosh..

That's the sound of time passing...
We've had some great things happen this week.
#1 was chosen to play Corny Collins in the high school's musical, Hairspray! He is thrilled and the part is absolutely perfect for him.
LLB is off to University of South Carolina for an Honor Band thing. She arrived there yesterday. She called and told me that she definitely did not make the top band as she had the most dreadful audition ever. Do we care? Heck, no! She is there to learn and have fun.  (I just heard from her and it turns out that she got 2nd chair in the next band! Yippeee!  She is very pleased!)
She texted me later and told me that she had the most delicious dinner at the Japanese Steak House. Of course she did!  We told her that Mr. wanted the leftovers. Her response was, "LOL! I brought the leftovers home to have later tonight." That child can eat... I will say no more.

I had an adventure yesterday. I was on my way home from helping the Lions Club with their eye and ear screening at the high school. I had called Gram and asked her if she wanted a wrap from McDo. She said yes. Our local McDo is at a gas station - sounds gross, but the food is great!
I pulled into the drive thru lane, which is clearly marked on the pavement. The drive thru lane skirts the perimeter of the gas pumps and keeps things safe and orderly for the most part.  I was behind another car. As it crept up toward the ordering location, I crept up.
I saw a car driven by an older gentleman out of the corner of my eye. He came off the road and straight through the pumps. (I find this utterly uncool and extremely unsafe.) He wanted to scootch in front of me. There was nobody behind me. I pretended I didn't see him. I was NOT letting him in front of me. It was late. I was hungry. AND, he did not follow the drive thru lane... he tried to cheat. So I ignored him. He beeped at me and then yelled at me. I told him I was sorry - even though I really wasn't. He yelled some more. He threw his car in reverse and then screeched around me.
As I pulled up to get my food, I saw the man ordering at the counter. Just think... if he had pulled in behind me, he would have gotten his food at the exact same time...  Karma...

I have crocheted 4 hats! I knew you'd all be impressed. I'll take some pix this weekend and put them up with all those Disney pix I've promised...
Enjoy your Friday!

Shoppin'

I went shopping with LLB yesterday. We were looking for bedding for my bed, tennies, and a few other goodies. We found some great things - no bedding - but I did get myself some new tennies. LLB got a couple of sweaters, some new black pants, and a new hat - very stylish and super cute. 
The best part? We saved well over $100 between sale prices and a 30% off my entire purchase coupon!
That is the only way to shop!

A Funny

I got this in my email and found it tickled my funny bone... I hope it tickles yours. If it doesn't, please click the red x and close the window.

Today's word is.......  Fluctuations
I was at my bank today; there was a short line.
There was just one lady in front of me, an Asian lady who was trying to exchange yen for dollars.
It was obvious she was a little irritated . . .

She asked the teller, "Why it change?
Yesterday, I get two hunat dolla fo yen. Today I only get hunat eighty? Why it change?"
The teller shrugged his shoulders and said, "Fluctuations."
The Asian lady says, "Fluc you white people too".

Playin' Word Games

I happen to love word games and Scrabble is right up there as one of my all time favorites.  Earlier last week I got a message from my sister about a new scrabble like game we can play via our iPhone/iTouch. It's called Words with Friends. We live many states apart and lead very different lives. (She's the city mouse. I'm the country mouse.) But... we LOVE to play games.  Whenever we get together, we play games, so this is right up our alley.

I promptly downloaded the game.  It is soo much fun! My sister is tough competition let me tell you... gone are the days of the easy win. (The last time that happened, I think she was 4.)   Yesterday I had to come up with a 50 point word just to stay in the game. 

I love turning on my iTouch and seeing that it's my turn.   There's a little hello, a little sisterly competition, and a whole lot of love tied up in that little message.
So - if you need me, I'm trying to think up a seven letter word that has 6 vowels and a V.

It's harder than it looks

Got this little ditty from my sister – seemed kinda fun, so play along if the mood strikes you! Let me know in comments if you do!

RULES:
IT’S HARDER THAN IT LOOKS! ERASE MY ANSWERS, ENTER YOURS, SEND IT ON TO 10 PEOPLE INCLUDING THE ONE THAT SENT THIS TO YOU. USE THE 1ST LETTER OF YOUR LAST NAME TO ANSWER EACH OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. THEY HAVE TO BE REAL PLACES, NAMES, THINGS. NOTHING MADE UP! TRY TO USE DIFFERENT ANSWERS IF THE PERSON IN FRONT OF YOU HAD THE SAME INITIAL. YOU CAN’T USE YOUR NAME FOR THE BOY/GIRL NAME QUESTION.

1. What is your last name
Crossing
2. 4 Letter Word
Call
3. A Boys Name
Caleb
4. A Girls Name
Carol
5. An Occupation
Cabbie
6. A Color
Cream
7. Something you wear
Cut-offs
8.A Beverage
Coffee
9. A Food
Carrots
10. Something found in the bathroom
Conditioner
11. A place
Colorado
12. A Reason for being late
Cooking?
13. Something you shout
Cool it!

Kittens

A dear friend sent me this. I couldn't resist putting it out here.

A pretty little girl named Suzy was standing on the sidewalk in front of her home. Next to her was a basket containing a number tiny creatures; in her hand was a sign announcing FREE KITTENS.

Suddenly a line of big black cars pulled up beside her. Out of the lead car stepped a tall, grinning man.

"Hi there, little girl, I'm President Obama. What do you have in the basket?" he asked.

"Kittens," little Suzy said.

"How old are they?" asked Obama.

Suzy replied, "They're so young, their eyes aren't even open yet."

"And what kind of kittens are they?"

"Democrats," answered Suzy with a smile.

Obama was delighted. As soon as he returned to his car, he called his PR chief and told him about the little girl and the kittens.

Recognizing the perfect photo op, the two men agreed that the president should return the next day, and, in front of the assembled media, have the girl talk about her discerning kittens.

So the next day, Suzy was again standing on the sidewalk with her basket of "FREE KITTENS" when another motorcade pulled up, this time followed by vans from ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN & Fox News.

Cameras and audio equipment were quickly set up, then Obama got out of his limo and walked over to little Suzy.

"Hello, again," he said, "I'd love it if you would tell all my friends out there what kind of kittens you're giving away."

"Yes sir," Suzy said. "They're Republicans."

Taken by surprise, the president stammered, "But... but... yesterday, you told me they were DEMOCRATS."

Little Suzy smiled and said, "I know. But today, they have their eyes open."

Happy Birthday, Mr. Chairman

We have this friend who is afraid he'll do something stupid and show up on my blog.  So, since it's his birthday, I thought I'd write about him. It's the least I can do, right?

DT, or Mr. Chairman as I like to call him, has a big heart and is one of the hardest workers I know. He and my Mr. spend most of the fall marching season hauling band crap together.  He'll work at his job all day and then show up to volunteer at a football game, stay late to help pack the truck for a band trip early in the morning, and then show up before dawn to haul that equipment to the competition. He smiles and has a great time - he has the best attitude and some of the funniest jokes we've ever heard...
Mr. Chairman is as talented as he is funny.  He rings handbells, plays any brass instrument, and can even plunk out a tune or three on the piano.  He has played trombone at our Christmas parties, brought his baritone to the basketball games, and even hopped in to play at a Jazz Concert when one of the kids got sick.  He is a neat guy and dear friend of the family.  

So, please wish Mr. Chairman a Happy Birthday!  And if it turns out he does something funny or stupid, I'll fill you all in...

Wash Day Funny

Yesterday I was collecting the dirty laundry. I was sorting colors and whites in our room. As I stood up, I looked up at the window in our bedroom and noticed something hanging from the curtain rod.
Could it be?
Nah!
Yup - a pair of men's briefs...
It struck me funny...
I left them there.
This morning Mr. was getting ready for work.
I asked, "Hey, look up at the curtain rod. How did those get up there?"
"What?" He laughed when he saw them.

As he took them down he said, "It's a good thing those aren't lace panties, or people might talk..."

3am

Is not a time I like to be woken up - ever.
Zeb has woken me up 2 nights in a row at 3am.  The first night he ran out and did a giant poopy. I understand that and had a feeling it might happen based on what he scarfed down shortly before bed time. But, last night - there was no reason to be getting me out of bed at 3am.

So, I went and checked him. He was fine. I went back to bed.
Zeb woofed some more and Mr. - the big softie - got up to let him out.

The cats know that if I'm up at 3am, they'd best be sweet, purr a lot, and not beg for food. Alas, they know that Mr. will feed them at any hour. I heard the clink of dry food in their bowl at 3:05am. 

If these animals think that this is going to become a habit - they are in for a rude awakening. Mr. just informed me that tonight he's putting in his earplugs and closing the bedroom door.