Norad Santa Tracker

www.tractor.tv/find-santa/

Thanksgiving Day 2008

been up since 2:30 am for no good reason. Been making pumpkin bread and have promised on twitter to post the recipe so here it is.

Heat oven to 350 degrees grease bottom only of two loaf pans.

Ingredients

2/3 cups shortening
2 2/3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 16 ounce of pure pumpkin
2/3 cup of water

Dry Ingredients
3 1/3 cup of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 1/2 cups of salt
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ground cloves
2/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
2/3 raisins


Cream shortening and sugar till well blended. Add all wet ingredients and mix till all well blended. In a gallon size zipper type baggie add all dry ingredients except for nuts and raisins.
Turn bag upside down and all around till dry ingredients are all mixed up thoroughly. Cut a corner of the baggie off - about 1/2 inch wide. Slowly add dry ingredients through hole in corner of bag a little bit at a time until the dry is well mixed in with the wet, continue this process until all dry ingredients are well mixed and no lumps in the mixture.

Now add nuts and raisins folded in by hand.

Fill your loaf pans 2/3 rds full and pop into oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Checking with a toothpick to see if they are done. To use toothpick, open oven door, with oven mitts pull out the shelf and stick the toothpick into the middle of the loaf. If it comes out perfectly clean your pumpkin bread is done.


Enjoy your pumpkin bread.

New Crochet Hat Contest

Sunday November 23rd. I could not decide what to work on, and I cannot keep my hands unbusy. So I found this hat I started to crochet earlier in the month and finished it. I love that it goes down way far in the back with the soft yarn to stop the wind from going down my back and that it covers my ears with the same soft yarn. I still have to find "something" to put on the top. Can you give me an idea? If u give me one that I use I will either make a hat for u or make a scarf for you free of charge. So please post what you think would go good on the top of this hat.

well it is close to the end of the middle of November here in "Charm City" . 1st time since I stopped working, I have bronchitis. Yuck almost done with my "Vine and Leaf" socks done two at a time on circular knitting needle. Pattern by Cat Bordhi, yarn from sock club at Celtic Knots Yarn shop, and is the Valentine 2009 colorway. I will attempt to get a pic of them on my feet either before or after going to dr's this afternoon. Gotta go eat something my stomach is rumbling. Later peeps.

Rainy Day in October Before Halloween

Ok so it is raining for the second day of the week. All drugged up but still added a few things to my blog. You can now chat with me while you are on my blog - just scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Also you should take a look at the fairy of the day by scrolling down past the chat.

I am in the process of crocheting a hat with an earflap. Will need someone to take pics for me as I s**k at taking photographs. Have a podcast that just download to get some help in that area.

I will be writing a poem a day in the month of November - it is my NAMO attempt as I cannot write fiction to save the world. But might go to the website and join and write trash so I can at least be writing.

Hope everyone has a good day

Oh and the repair man is here for the fridge hope he figures it out or gets me a new one. I can't take this not having a reliable fridge yuck.

On a pleasant note got the knitting mag from my friend Steve in England today with a Sock Calander so looking forward to knitting at least one pair of socks per month in 2008

Halloween

Here are pictures of 6 of 9 glowing skulls made for Granddaughter's Halloween Party. The scan came out with no where near the bright orange color I used behind the eyes. I attempted to color in the eyes in the first one to give an example of how they look in person.

I think I need to block them before the party lol. I have been sick with sinus, gum infections and the beginnings of bronchitis. Rotten cold has me and hubby down all week. But we are not the only ones, seems the school bus for preschool is almost empty this week.

I have also been working hard on a caridgan for my hubby, made with tweed pine green icelandic wool called Lopi - using the "Smokin" pattern from "Son of a Stitch and Bitch" pretty easy pattern mostly stockinette stitch using size 10 circular needles. Goes pretty fast, and is basically mindless. I have 15 out of 18 inches done for a size XL and have used 4 skeins of Lopi so far. When I reach the 18 inches I set it aside and use size 10 double pointed needles to do the sleeves. That will take some concentration-hope I feel better by the time I get there.

Otherwise things are going ok here. We are hanging on in these hard times. The weather is turning colder and I am hurting much worse now. Thank God for pain killers. I am sad to say that the owner of my favorite yarn shop "The Celtic Knot Yarn Shop" in Ellicot City is up for sale. I hope someone buys it, but even so it will never be the same without Carole and crew. I love them all and as a Taurus have a hard time with change anyway.

On other topics - I am pursuing getting 100 percent compensation from The VA. I am currently getting 30 percent due to Reynaud's and now have Fibromyalgia. Started by filling out the form to get back into the VA Hospital Medical Center. Hoping to hear a reply soon.

Well that is all for now. I have not written this much in a long time. Please leave a comment, they so brighten my days. :-)

last night at LYS new pic of me

Trying New Stitches

Here is my latest attempt. A knitted mitered square.
I learned that you have to decrease on every other side of your marker.
This is done in dishcloth cotton.
I can see from the scan pitchure that I life the fatter lines which is 4 rows and not two.
It is done in garter stitch.
Let me know what you think?

Lion Brand CAL Sampler Afgan

here is my first square 10x10 sc in back loop done in Dark Horse Fantasy Chirstmas Green with some Kopa I had laying around. I need to make 9 more, so next one will be plain green.

Question of the Day, Nightmares

OK Now that I have you thinking about nightmares care to share your worst one with me? I will try and make a story out of all posts and put up on Halloween on blog only. No names included and will not ever be used for money. I promise.

Me? I don;t have dreams anymore. The narcotics and sleeping pills stop me from remembering dreams. If I every remember a dream I will post it right away.

Working on my first pattern as well, a cabled knit scarf. As soon as I can get the pics off the camera I will post a pic, and the pattern as well.

Love to all,
Tanglust the bored.

Tought of the Day

Why would having a nightmare cause a person to feel so much better the next day??? please leave your comments and I will collate and show results later.

End Of Summer

It has been a very very strange summer. My scooter was without a battery for most of the summer-so I have only sat outside in the back a couple of times. Otherwise I have been in the house listening to podcasts and audible.com books.

Here is one sock that I have done using circular needles and general sock instruction from Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles by Cat Bordhi



I also am working on a toe up sock using Tofutsie and grabbing instructions as needed from different socks in the same book.

This one is at the gusset stage with two rows of heel stitch ( sl k1) between the HOMEMADE stitch markers

Here is my greastest accomplishment - I taught myself to use one circular needle for two socks at a time, again done toe up. This is the Leaf and Tendril Sock from the same book by Cat Bordhi. The yarn is from Storm Moon Knits and from the Celtic Knot Yarn shop where I belong to the sock club. Not using sock club pattern though.




Well that is all the knitting of socks I am doing. I have also started on the Lion's Crochet Along Sampler Afgan. It will be a Christmas present for MDH. The knitted black and green slip stitch blanket just was not going well as dogs kept pulling the yarn.
I will post an image of the first square of the Afgan when I finished it. Of course I cannot work on it until Tuesday as DH is off work due to Labor Day.

I have been enjoying Twitter. You can follow me under the name of Tanglust.



Well that is all for now. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think of my work.

Monday May 19, 2008

Got up about 12:00.  Victoria had the new puppy Bandit upstairs.  David came home about 1/2 hour after I got up.  Got a copy of "The Grays" by Whitley Streiber from www.audible.com with my 1 credit for the Month of May.  Been trying to listen to it all last night and day. But the noise level here with the dogs and the kids has been very high.

I tried to take a picture of the elephant that I crocheted but the flash did not work.  So I have the manual for the digital camera, but now alas camera is no where to be seen.  Se la Vie!

Starting last night my computer went nuts and would not allow Yahoo Instant Messenger , Mozilla Firefox, or IE to load.  So shortly after David got home I called Dell Technical Support. And after 1 hour wahla! All is fixed.  

 I went ahead and paid for the weekend of sock knitting in Virgina at this website http://www.carodanfarm.com .  I signed up for Sock Pathways, Magic Loop Socks and Two Socks on One Needle. and I think just plain Magic Loop.

Right now my grandson (baby) is happily gurgling with his sisters and the dogs and all on my couch of course.   Hold on I need a Cig!

Ok that's better.   Kids are all cranky.   Settling down now.   I feel a poem coming on but need some piece and quite before I can write.  Then need pencil and paper.  I know  so old fashion but that is the way it works for me.  

Right now I am going to sit down with the Camera and the Manuals and see if I can take a good picture.

Oh I got my new special earbuds and they work great.  

Later Gaters.

Not much going on.   Been a real bad winter,  no transportation.    

On a better note.  My 52 birthday was so much better than my 50.  Presents in order of appearing

1.) Zen mp3 mp4 mav etc player

2.) Pug puppy fawn now 14 weeks named bandit

3.) White gold ring 1/2 ruby in the center with 1/2 caret diamonds ( 3 on each on each side in triangle)

4.) A beautiful flower arrangement in vase with 6 beautiful red roses from my sister

All topped off by the best triple dark chocolate cake.

A birthday to remember