Random 5 on Friday

Goodness, it's been awhile since I've posted.  Fallen behind on all 5 blogs.  Partly because of work, partly because of doing LOTS of genealogy.  Partly because of computer issues, still not totally resolved.

• Got notices from windows, Int. Explorer, and Mozilla FF that everything needed updating, argh.  I never use Internet Explorer, so haven't been doing any updates, seemed pointless.  I did the windows update, even though much of it seemed to be directed to those who game, who need more animation etc.  Started having issues with pop ups (something called pup.whitecloud and it's variations), so ran the long virus scan even though I'm set to do it daily at 3 am, also ran the malware quick scan which was suggested.  Thought it ran all the time, but I guess not the free version.  Found some junk and got it taken care of.  Few hours later the problem returned, so this time I ran a full malware scan and it found a few more (took several hours to run).  Then I thought maybe doing the update for Moz FF would help, as part of it was security related.  That made things MUCH worse!  While on Moz FF everything I went to my gmail or did a google search the problem came back.  After running a 3rd scan, I uninstalled the most updated version of Moz FF.  Did some reading and it seemed installing a much older version might be the solution, I did that; it was the most popular of the older versions.  It crashed.  So once again I uninstalled it.  After using Int. Explorer for a day a friend suggested I'd like Google Chrome better.  Yes, I like it better then Int. Explorer.  For one it keeps me signed in, where as Int. Expl, doesn't despite my clicking the box that says keep me signed in, remember my password.  But, I don't like Chrome better then my Mozilla FF.  Am attempting to get used to it.  The font isn't one to my liking, both in size and how light it is; very hard to read.  I read it's suppose to be able  customize...but I'm not seeing a way to do that without signing into chrome, opening another account which I really don't want to do...for fear it will automatically convert me to google+ which I want NO PART of.   Sigh
• I've joined the smart phone generation and am getting used to it.  There is a learning curve, but so far am enjoying my windows phone.
• I've not knitted or crocheted in a couple of weeks, might be a record for me
• Been really enjoying the research I've been doing for a friend, learning so much about her family, and love that she and her family are so into it.  Also been researching for my SIL and have put trees on line for her, her sister etc.  Still also trying to solve some mysteries in my own family tree on my Mom's side of the family.  Have been quite successful with gaps that were there from years ago when I last worked on it; but still have several mysterious that are quite puzzling.
• Didn't do my Monday Memory linking this past Monday, I'm just not getting any participation so am trying to decide whether or not to continue.  Will probably try it a few more weeks before making a final decision.  Soooooo, please........I know EVERYONE has memories.  Please swing back on Monday, join the linky and let's see if we can get this thing off the ground.

Hope you all enjoy your long weekend.

Busy and Fun Times on Friday

 It's Friday, always a favorite day for many.  Link up with some fun folks, click the Random 5 button and join Nancy and the rest of us.  Sorry to all my friends I have nothing finished craft wise to join in on Finished Object Friday today.  Still working on the infamous HUGE Afghan that is Sand and Sea or Sea and Sand, think I keep switching how I type the name.  Which sounds better anyway?

• Having knitting or crocheted as much as normal past couple of weeks, have been working on my SIL, Jan's genealogy...thrilled with how much I've found for her in such a short period of time.  Particularly given one of the family names in Jones!
• On countdown til we leave for vacation with our Darling Daughter...we just don't get to see her enough
• Catching up with my grade school friend last Saturday was soooooooooooo awesome.  We had a great time, took pictures, shared stories and laughed alot.  Looking forward to our next outing.  Will be blogging and sharing some pictures in a few days.  Stay tuned, please!
• Work schedule is about to become wild and crazy, over booked, and double booked...hope I have the umph for it.  I'm not getting any younger you know.
• Hoping to get to Shakespeare in the Park this weekend.  Every-time I think we're gonna go, hubby's too tired, or the weather doesn't cooperate.  We've not made it all this year.

 I mentioned working on my SIL's and Wendy's family tree above, and want to share with you a fun project to do with the kids...big and small.  Join me please over on Flat Stanley's.  The project will be posted later today, just click the tree to pop over.

For those that like blog challenges, pop over to Paula's.  Her June challenge is about to end, but she's having one in July too.  Check it out.  I may only participate here and there, with work kicking into high gear, and I've done 3 month long blog challenges in the past 3 months.  I might not be able to blog daily in July.  But, know she'd love some folks to join her.

Still trying to Memory Monday up and going with more participants.  Please pop back on Monday, and join in.  Linky Love, Meme's blog challenges that are a specific day of the week don't require a huge comment...time wise so they appeal to me...join in.

Stories that Picture Can Tell

Sitting at a light the other day I looked and found myself sorta smiling and shaking my head at the same time.  Why?  Not a day goes that you don't hear on the news someone or some body of people complaining about privacy.   And yet, daily on social media and bumper stickers and license plates people freely give up information about themselves.  Have you ever wondered what your car says about you?  We hear people are living on hard times, and yet look at the 4 cars in this picture...everyone a large eat gas car/truck and everyone a new car.  You can't tell from the photo but my car is small 10 year old economy type car.

They say a picture's worth a thousand words...well, I'm not going to write 1,000 words; who'd read it if I did.  But, doesn't this picture have your mind thinking up a story?  Looking at the SUV in front of me.  You can tell they're a vegan or vegetarian...funny thing to tell stangers sitting behind your car.  There's only one with the American Flag, might mean they're patriotic and think only that flag should be displayed, not for instants The Confederate Flag?  Or perhaps they mean though they are 2 parties constantly waring with each other, there is only 1 country.  They're probably a boater and or a camper...large hitch under the bumper.

Anyone else ponder things about places or people when you're stopped in traffic?

Since it's Friday 5, I'm counting that as 2 above...1, the general picture and wondering about the economy...maybe if people drove smaller more gas friendly cars they'd have more money?  Or maybe people are doing better then the media has us believe?

2...The story of the blue SUV

3..We've had 3 seasons this week.  It's been hot enough all the windows have been opened and the ceiling fans on like it was the middle of summer, it's been cold enough all the windows have been closed and we've dressed in layers...thinking about turning on the heat again like it's late fall, AND it's been wet and foggy enough to be early spring.

4..I was hoping to be done with the feather and fan knitted afghan (Sand and Sea), by now; but am not...though I'm continuing to work on it.

 Working on the 2nd to last section, so maybe ...hopefully soon it will be finished.

5..I've had the best time this week connecting with friends from my childhood, thanks to Facebook.  There's a group page from my old hometown, and all of sudden I've connected with about half a dozen friends from my early grade school days.  We've been sharing stories, pictures and memories.  What great fun.

Speaking about memories.  Please pop in on Monday.  I'm going to try to get going with a meme, titled Memory Mondays.  Tried sometime back but got way laid.  Hopefully will have a linky up, provided I can figure it out.  Everyone moans about Monday, lets put some fun into it.

Friday 5 badge and link in meme tab top of the blog, join us.  Though...I'm late to the party today.
(BL5,F5 10)

Loving Friday

Purple Iris's about 1/3rd opened in my back yard.  I have them up and down 3 fence rows and in flower beds around the side of the house too.  I love this flowers.  So large, so pretty, so deep in color.  These are what my Mom used to say were double Iris's.

It's Friday folks, time for 5 on Friday, Random 5 and time for Finished object Friday!

1. As people wrap a busy week and look forward to the wkend I give you natures beauty, in the form of the beautiful Iris's.  Soon, the yard will be at what I call it's purple stage.  I also have wild Geraniums that are lavender blooming.  AND, see the wee tiny blue-ish purple, those are Forget Me Nots, so as soon as the Iris really take hold it's a purple person's fantasy.  I also love that these purple beauties came from my parents yard.
2. I have for the first time in awhile finished a project and therefore have a finished object to share with on Friday.  Yippee.  Must decide what to work on next.  Should I start something new....or try to finish Sea and Sand Afghan (a feather and fan pattern), or get brave and rip out the couple of rows I need to in order to get to knitting the green sweater for my Darling Daughter?  The finished ghan, Blue Jay is being blocked in the picture and will, like the others be donated to Homeless Families Foundation through my charity, Bridge and Beyond.
3. Friday night at our house is Pizza night, do you have a Friday night tradition?
4. Schools are on a delay here this am, due to some pretty substantial fog.  As of the writing of this post, 8:30 I can now see the end of my backyard, though it is still foggy.  No doubt closer to the river, and in out lying areas is still difficult to see, and therefore dangerous.
5. Managed to weed half of one fence row yesterday, and that almost filled 1 of those large paper yard trash bags.  Half of one bed, was enough bending and stooping for me.  Gotta pace myself

Not the best lighting, but it's a good non foot travel spot to do blog afghans.  Had to give some pretty good tugs here and there to get this even; thus the beauty and necessity to block afghans........even when made of acrylic yarn and even when crocheted and not knitted.  Yarn from different makers varies a bit, people use different size crochet hooks and have different tension as they work.  ANd even when the square measure close to the same size...you have variances that are helped when you block a ghan.  AND, yarn gets dusty on the shelves in the store, picks up odors in our homes, human and pet hair, and oils from our hands.......washing a ghan is necessary.

FOF and Friday 5 Badges and Links in meme tab, please join us.

Happy Friday all.
(BL5, FF5, CF5, FOF10)

Friday is Here!

Usually try to post Friday 5 early in the day; but today's work schedule prevented that.  So, here we are almost cocktail time and I'm just now getting it written and posted.

• I have allergies and lately the sneeze factor is annoying
• Hubby and I went to The Theatre Wed to hear/see The Tenors.  They were awesome.  Nicest date we've had in awhile, but we were both tired...we don't usually go out on a "school night".
• Had hoped to have finished this ghan, Blue Jay and be able to show it to you today, as my finished object Friday Post, so since it's not finished...not linky up. (broke my crochet hook last night while working on it and had to dig around to find another one).
• Looking forward to having nothing planned for this weekend, as we've both been rather busy lately.
• I'm looking for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who have kiddo's in the family.  AND or folks who might have a neighbor with kiddos.  I'm wanting to get folks to share their Flat Stanley experiences/adventures.  If you've done one in the past with your kids...please share your story/adventure/pictures etc.  I'd like to add them to my Flat Stanley Blog.  AND if you've not done one, how bout doing one now?  Inviting you all to visit Flat Stanley and Friends, please click HERE.

For those here for Friday 5 (badge and link in meme tab) who may not know, the afghans I assemble are generally made from donated squares and once assembled are donated to Homeless Families Foundation, though my charity blog, Bridge and Beyond.

**If you have a Disgus Blog, and or are thinking about joining google+ and or have joined google+, you really need to scroll back one post.  **
(FF6)

Oh Friday, You are MY Friend

WOW, it's been a fast week.  I had planned to have my post written and scheduled and totally missed getting that done.  Been a busier week then normal, with promises of busier yet next week. 

• I make a really good Lemon Drop Martini
• I don't like fish, though I do eat tuna salad
• I've worn glasses since I was in the 4th grade, and started wearing tri-focals about 15 years ago
• I dislike winter immensely, and with each year am more impatient for spring
• I'm not an animal lover.  In fact, I have a fear of many.

 The above picture, lunch counter ladies is for your amusement, it is after-all Friday!  No one looks good in hair nets and lab coats, so we decided to make faces along with it, and heck why not play with the adjustments of color on the computer and really make the silly picture even more ridiculous.  Taken awhile back on a particularly crazy day at work while we were in the "test kitchen".

Enjoy your week-end.  Link and badge for Friday 5/Random Friday in meme tab.  It's fun join us.
(8,2)

Friday Friday, Everyone's Favorite Day

Hello Friday (5 on Friday and Finished object Friday)

1. I drink coffee to wake up, but want tea in the afternoon, or tea when I'm cold, or tea when I don't feel well.
2. I like wine, dry wine.  Typically I drink White(favorite Pinot Grigio) to sip and Red with dinner (Pinot Noir).  I tent to like lighter reds over heavy like a Merlot.
3. I rarely drink pop, maybe twice a year.
4. I like Champagne, we always have a bottle with our traditional Christmas morning brunch.
5. I love milk and it took me forever to get used to 2% after drinking the real deal forever

Finished another little project, the traditional corner to corner Grandma's Favorite cotton dishcloth.  Little projects are very satisfying.  Need to make 1 maybe 2 more and get rollin back on some major projects again.  Had planned to make myself a couple, then remembered this would be good for my Pay it Forward Gifts, then found out a friend's husband is very ill and thought she could use a pick me up with say homemade soap, pretty cotton cloth and a card.  So, looks like I'll be making more then I had planned on.

Join us for Finished Object Friday and or Random 5, links and badges in meme at the top of the blog.

Almost Instant Gratification.

The beauty of small projects is you get a chance to let you mind breath, and you get almost instant gratification.  AND, if you're one to make a list you get to cross something off...that's always a good feeling.

I don't do many small items, but may have to start doing a few more.  Plus, you feel like there's more variety in the work you're doing.

And so, we have one knitted cotton washcloth, looking all springy.  After finishing this the other night, I started another; but this will be the traditional Grandma style, corner to corner cloth.  I know there's not enough left of this variegated to make another full cloth, so will see if the yellow or blue solids I have in my stash blend well enough to add when I run out of the variegated blue and yellow.

Enjoy your Friday, and share your Finished Objects, see links and badges in meme above, AND for Friday 5, as well.

1. I drink high test coffee only, mentioned that a few Fridays ago.  I only drink 2-3 cups a day, and only in the morning.  Always wondered how people could sleep if they had coffee through out the course of the day.
2. I think it's finally safe to say spring has arrived, people have begun mowing their yards, ours is in need.  I used to enjoy mowing; but my arthritis in my knee has me not wanting to do it now.  Guess hubby will do the bulk of it this year.  
3. I don't get why so many people have tattoos.
4. I'm closing in on being finished with all the blogs posts for the last of the 3 blogs I registered in the April A-Z Blog Challenge.  Got 3 more posts to write for the travel blog, X,Y, and Z.
5. Heard about a website where you can make a newsletter, that might be my big project for today....wish me luck, I've never made one before

Enjoy your up coming weekend folks.

It's all About Friday

Combining 5 on Friday with FOF(meme's for those all in tab at the top of the blog)

First...the finished object.  Finally finished the afghan called Iris and Lillies.  Iris because of all the purple and Lillies because of all the yellow.  There are about 6 shades of purple and 3 shades of yellow.  There have been many pictures of this as a work in progress and people keep saying they like the black and white swirls and the yellow and blue.  LOL, purple never shows up well in pictures, though it looks purple on my computer I know that varies.  I keep referring to the purple, makes ya wonder if that many screens are different color wise, people don't read, and or why is purple such a hard color to show up correctly?  Anyway, it's another of the ghans being assembled for my charity, Bridge and Beyond from donated squares for Homeless Families Foundation.

1. Though it's another dark gloomy day here in Central Ohio....you might think you were Ireland.  Seriously, in the last 2-3 days it's gotten soooooooo incredibly green.  The grass is waking up from the it's winter dormat blah stage, it's been feed with the recent rains, and warmed up.  Very green and very pretty.  I hope the weather men who say we're in for a few more snows are wrong, my daffodils have started blooming.  The yellow dotting the bright green..........puts a smile of spring appreciation on my face.
2. Do to technical difficulties, our cable not working we missed the season opening of Mad Men.  We both love the show and have been anxiously awaiting the 2 hour special.  Feet up, wine poured Sunday night we were ready.  ARgh.  Thanks to the cable men ...all 3 crews it took to fix it on Monday and Tuesday, we're operational again.  However, not in time to get it recorded yet.  So, fingers crossed tonight we'll get to see it...or get it recorded if it's on late so we'll be ready for the 2nd episode.
3. I've been involved an April A-Z Blog Challenge, which has been fun, exciting, challenge, and some days disappointing.  You blog in alphabetical order everyday, except Sundays.  I signed up 3 of my blogs.  The point is to be able to finish...the challenge.  AND meet new bloggers, by visiting at a minimum 5 blogs daily for each blog you signed up. 
4. It's almost time to get my bike out of the shed, wash it, check the tires to enjoy some bike rides.  I enjoy riding my old cruiser, heck it's an antique it's from 1971.
5. We have a long standing tradition for Friday night.  I never cook.  It's always pizza night for hubby and I.  We might change what type of pizza we get, but 99.9% of the time it's pizza and beer for him, and pizza and wine for me.  It's the way we kick back at the end of the week.

And, now ...off to do some blog walking through the various Finished Object Friday Meme's and the new one I'm enjoying Friday 5

Friday 5

A change of pace for me today.  I thought I would do the Finished Object Friday Meme, though I don't ever week, can't get large items finished often enough for that.  When I came across this fun,  meme for Friday.  Getting in late as the day's half gone...but getting in.

1. Had an enjoyable time today meeting 2 Whetstone High School Seniors as they accompanied me to Homeless Families Shelter.  They are doing a service project with global implications.  They are to write about the problem, present how or why it happened and what might be done to make it better.  One taught the other to knit and they're both slowing working at making a scarf to donate to my charity, Bridge and Beyond.  I'm always impressed when young people want to do for others.  Good luck with your projections Anna and Emily, it was pleasure to have you with me today and answer your questions.
2. The sun is out and though it started well below freezing at 25% degrees this morning, I was able to take my outer coat off and open the car window a bit for some fresh air...sooooo nice, come on Spring catch up with the calendar, please.
3. Thank you NOT to our neighbors that seem to think it's ok to let their dogs out before daylight to bark and bark.  Not everyone gets up as early as you.
4. I enjoy Vodka in my Martinis, and hubby prefers Gin.  
5. I don't drink decaf...if it's not real coffee, what's the point.  I need it to wake up

(#7)