Reviewing a Year of Projects

WOW...our last post for a Year of Projects ....

My Year of Projects List for July 2012-July 2013(see updates in green Italics)

My Afghan Goals:
To complete 12 afghans:
10 from donated squares (9 down and 1 to go)
1.. Summers End
2.  Sandbox 
3. My Granny
4. Christmas Time 
5.  Buckeye Blitz
6.  Box of Crayons 
7.  Arapaho
8.  Desert Rose 
9.  Iris and Lillies 
Complete Candy Corn Afghan (longest work in progress project EVER)
Finish the Feather and Fan Afghan (knitted), that finally has a name, Sea and Sand
  **Sea and Sand in the works

The afghan picture is Sea and Sand, it is very close to finished.  I'm doing the last couple of rows of the final section, the dark gray section.  Then need to work in end, launder and block.  

I did not get the last afghan of the 10 made from donated squares.  I lost steam. 

The goal accomplished last year, learn to cable. I want to make a skirt for myself using this new skill. Need to re-find the pattern for starters.
**Well it seems I'm already altering in come capacity.  I am working on a cable scarf which I never put on the list, needed to practice the cables I thought; plus was traveling and needed a small project that would travel well.  The cabled scarf DONE

I want to make time for working on items other than the above afghans. I kept so busy with those last year, many other wanted projects didn't happen.  Didn't really accomplish this so much.  Seemed there never was enough time to do much beyond the ghans.  A few small things here and there only.

Cast on....I know there are other methods beyond the traditional one I always use. I get all tangled up when I try to do the thumb one and so ....do it old school...the long slow way. Would like to learn another faster cast on.

Did not accomplish this either.  Egads, I'm not doing to well.  

I have a knitting machine, haven't used it in over a year. In fact removed it from my office in order to make room for my antique Treedle Singer Sewing Machine. Would like to set up a space in the basement and use it some again for accomplish quick things for charity, Bridge and Beyond.

Nope...no headway with this either beyond talking with hubby about the logistics of how this might work.

Personal Projects:
 Need to block a blue scarf I knitted AND cable scarf mentioned above
Want to try the above mentioned cable skirt
Misc whatever items for DD (perhaps the jewel tone traveling scarf now in the works) and family, made scarf intended for DD, but ..colors didn't come out the way I hoped. (that was the above cable scarf, and she tells me she really doesn't need another, yet.  So perhaps it will be donated.  Project turned into a Green Sweater which is in the works.
perhaps even some washcloths for myself....in the works

No further headway with the green sweater for DD, never got around to blocking said scarves, and the cotton cloths I initially made for myself, ended up being gifts for others.

So, I conclude I did NOT do well with my list; debating about whether or not to get on board for the up coming year.  I went quite a few weeks without posting and linking because I didn't feel I had much to report.  We'll see how the sign up goes, and how the wind is blowing before I make a final decision.  Though, I'll not lose contact either way, as I think I have you all in my blog log.

Inviting you all with or without yarn to pop back in tomorrow for Memory Monday.  I've been enjoying posting pictures from the way back machine, but your memories don't have to be from long ago....unless you're as old as dirt, like me....you may not have pictures and memories that old.  Grab the badge, post a picture and tell us the story or memory of the picture, link back here and visit others.  Let's make Monday a less dreaded day.
 

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.

Mom You Fascinate Me

Today's blog prompt from Paula's June Blog Challenge is to write about someone who fascinates you and why.  This is My Mom, she was probably about 16 or 17 here in this picture.

She fascinated me because she and many women of her time did so much.  They married young, had children young, cook and cleaned and did laundry when there no short cuts.  Modern conveniences didn't exist, keeping a house was hard work from sun up til sun down.  They didn't have time or money to have manicures, pedicures, massages, girls night out.  They didn't didn't have "me time".  They didn't belong to the gym to stay fit, they didn't need to.  Working day in and day out was enough exercise.  They didn't talk about being stressed out the way young mothers do today.

Think of the time and effort alone it took to do laundry for a family of 5.  Wringing out the laundry, 1 piece at a time in the wringer washer operating the crank by hand.  Then lugging heavy wet cloths outside to hang them on the line...back inside to start the next load, back outside to take the clothes down etc.  The process had to be repeated many times over.  And because everything came off the line stiff, wrinkled then the long process of ironing, hanging, folding and putting things away.

There were no microwaves to heat something up quick, nor fast food joints around the corner, no frozen meals for convenience.  Every meal had to planned out,  things removed from the freezer and cooked.  There were no dishwashers beyond ones pair of hands.  Garbage disposals came along much later, so wrapping up and taking out the trash was a constant thing.

She sewed most of my clothes, she went fishing with my Dad on his day off, she made things come together with her creativity.  When I think about her, aside from missing her since she's passed 4 years ago; I am fascinated at what she accomplished in a day.  Makes me think that perhaps kids who's relationship wasn't what they wanted with their mothers, might not have realized what all they went through.  I'm fascinated that she did these things every day and still had time to jump rope with me, teach me to knit, play jax sometimes.  Parents weren't kids best friends back in those day, how could they be...there wasn't time for that.  There was work to be done, those light hearted moments of play were very special.

Old Time Christmas

It's time to have fun with Memory Monday.  Pulled this photo from the way back machine.  This was probably a day or two after Christmas, or later in the day on Christmas Day.  My older brother Chuck with Bozo the Clown Punching Bag,  Me with my easel chalk board, and my younger brother Mike...always the cowboy!   My brother Mike would get up in the middle of the night and boot his cowboy boots on...sometimes he'd go back to bed wearing them, he loved being a cowboy.

Grab the badge, link back here, add yourself to the linky and visit others.  Let's share a fun, funny, cute memory.
 And today's prompt from Paula's is to write about your favorite movie.

The first one that came to mind is John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara in "The Quiet Man".  We watch it every year around St. Paddy's day, we quote from the memory often.

Friday Everyones Favorite Day

Yippee Skippy it's Friday! (click the badge and join Nancy at Rural Journal and the rest of us)

• I'm still working on my afghan, scroll back to see Sea and Sand, Sand and Sea...I keep forgetting which name is correct, lol  AND I actually think I might get it finished this weekend.  Course I've said that before.
• Super excited with today being Friday, tomorrow is Sat.  Aren't you glad I've got that figured out?  lol  I'm meeting an old grade school friend from the old neighborhood tomorrow.  We've not seen each other in over 50 years!  Thanks to a group about this hometown on Facebook, we've re-connected.  We're going to share pictures and catch up.  We both moved away from said hometown and are meeting each other there to walk around in our old haunts!
• Hubby and I've taken the plunge...we're planning (have reservations) for a trip to Spain.  He keeps telling me to pace myself and not get burned out before the trip starts.  LOL.  It's not til next Spring; but there is a fair amount of planning involved and I'm enjoying the planning.  We have a week booked, and just signed up yesterday with a travel agent in order to better utilize our points for the flight and additional lodging package....all that seems a bit complicated to me so we're leaving that to the experts.  This is our very first trip to Europe.
• Been enjoying the beautiful flowers in the yard and finally...finished my mulching for year.  107 bags!  Think I'm getting to old for this type of yard work.
• Asking you all to join me in trying to get a new linky love/meme off the ground.  It's called Memory Monday.  No one seems to like or look forward to Monday's.  Thought this would be a fun, light hearted way to make Monday a nicer day.  

There's the cool badge I struggled to make.  Select a picture or paint us one, but I do like pictures and tell us about a fun, special, funny memory it evokes.  Add your name and url from your actual blog post and of course link back to the linky.  Got this idea when having fun looking through old photo's.  Your memory doesn't have to be from the way back machine.  If you click on the badge you'll see the last  post where I've tried to get it up and running with my old photo's.

I Belief it's Wednesday, Big Linky Day

Wednesday Work in Progress Time with Tami, What are you doing Wednesday with Susan
I am knitting the last section of this time consuming long time work in progress feather and fan style afghan.  The final dark gray edge.  Then will need to work in the edges...think about whether or not I want to crochet an edge around it?  I'm hopeful I won't run out of the gray.  The ball you see isn't very big and I have another one about the same size.  The final edge of course has additional rows the other sections don't have...so fingers crossed.  I love the look, love the way the colors came together even though the design changed several times based on what yarn I had.  It's called Sea and Sand and will be donated to Homeless Families Foundation through my charity, Bridge and Beyond.

AND today over at Paula's, June Blog Challenge, our prompt is to write about your beliefs.  Had to think about that, as we already wrote about religious beliefs, so this sorta seems like a repeat.  Perhaps this prompt is an attempt to be more general?

• I belief in people.  Despite all the negative things you see on tv and read on facebook, I belief most people are good and want to do good.  I belief the few extreme loud mouths get the news cover which sours everyone.
• I belief family is important.
• I belief people should slow down and smell the roses and quit making lists, like bucket lists, to do lists, things to accomplish or buy lists.  Live each day and be happy for the day, it's a gift.
• I belief people need to learn contentment.
• I belief people shouldn't expect everything to go 100% there way all time, and learn how to adjust and move forward.
• I belief everyone should do what they can for others, and not judge people who have trouble making it on their own.  I belief it's our Christian duty to care for others.
• I believe...I best get linked up and start visits or I'll never get done.........cause the list of I belief could go on and on.

INVITING YOU ALL, from all the linky's above to join me on Monday's for Memory Monday.  Click here to see what it's all about and be sure and mark your calendar to come join the fun.  It's a new linky, and we're just trying to get going...so please help out.  We all moan about Monday, let's put some life and fun into that day.
(JC6, S4, T13)