The Scrabblequeen Knits, Too

Posted by: scrabblequeen | March 3, 2015

Another Manic Monday

Hola! Howdy! Hallo! And any other greeting you can think of that begins with an H.
I really, really wanted to post in February, but it never quite happened. Oops.
Life continues to race forward, dragging me along with it. I keep pretty busy with students and classes to teach/lead, classes to take, homework, friends, ministries, and all the usual stuff one must do to keep pets, spouses, and home happy.

There is much on my heart and mind but I think instead of many more words, that I will just post a few photos.
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Today’s fresh gluten-free banana cinnamon chip muffins.

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Rainbow this afternoon! It never actually rained HERE.

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Happiness is a pale pink bouquet.

3 Comments

Posted in Life, pictures

Posted by: scrabblequeen | January 6, 2015

Randomly, On Monday

Fanfare please; my 800th blog post and my first of 2015, all rolled into one. 🙂
The year started for real for me today with the return of my students from their vacations. It is good to have a reason to get up in the morning and some semblance of a schedule for the day and week. That being said, this week, in fact this month, looks to be a busy one. Three appointments today in addition to school time, two appointments tomorrow in addition to all the usual stuff, and so it goes from day to day with many small things to fill my days and nights.

My brother is doing better with each passing day…very good news indeed! He will likely be in hospital for several weeks yet, so continued prayers for both Jim, his wife, and the business are needed. Thank you in advance for those who pray.

I missed one of the good things of December in the last post: my little Scrabble group, which used to meet weekly for many years, got together for a game the Saturday after Christmas. It was truly sweet to be back together with Scrabble, tea, and scones to enjoy along with pleasant conversation.
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Cute Donna posing with The Queen Cube….I would have won, but I was nice to her early in the game…it came back to bite me! The other gals were not amused…but I think I am the only one who paid a price, so it’s all good, right?
I am waiting for a photo of the whole group to come to me…my camera was not used…poor planning on my part!

At this point, I feel as if I am mostly talking to myself here, as most of my Bloggy friends have long since given up looking for any new posts from The ScrabbleQueen. I need to learn how to link names again…it is all so different now, especially using an iPad instead of a PC.

6 Comments

Posted in family, Friends, Life, pictures, school/teaching, Scrabble, tea

Posted by: scrabblequeen | December 31, 2014

The Year of Not Blogging

While it wasn’t my intention to completely drop the ball on blogging for 2014 that IS the way it worked out. WordPress assures me there was one other post this year, back in May sometime….

The last weeks of 2014 have been full ones…filled with both good and difficult things.

Good: two of the boys came home for Christmas visits. Airman was home home for two full weeks and Youngest was home for one week. Gotta love that! True sign of my brain-dead times; I got no photo to prove they were here. Camera got left at my friend’s house on Christmas Day. Sigh.

Good: Little Misty dog celebrated her 16th birthday December 7. Very please to report that although she is mostly blind and quite hard of hearing she manages to be quite lively when it suits her. She is fully enjoying the new bed she received and was happy to have her boys home for a bit.
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Good: Had a lovely visit with Holly yesterday. It has been about two years since we have gotten together last. Again with no photos taken, but you know what we look like anyway. 🙂 Breakfast was eaten, gifts were shared, shoes were shopped for coffee was consumed, knitting in public accomplished. All good.
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Not Good: Dearest called Friday evening with the two scariest words ever; I’m fine. But the car is probably totaled. (It is)

Not Good: My eldest brother, a fit and active 69 year old cyclist, was struck by a car going quite fast about 2 1/2 weeks ago. He has been in ICU ever since with multiple fractures of leg and vertebrae and a ruptured diaphragm as well. All of this led to pneumonia and a good deal of trial and concern. Additionally, just in the last few days they have confirmed a brain injury as well…long road ahead.
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Better news: as of last night things have taken a turn for the better and he will soon be moved out of ICU!

Good: many, many friends and family (natural and Church) have been lifting Jim and Janice up in prayer this whole time. 🙂

Whew…long-winded to be sure, and that was only one month, and only the high/low lights at that!

Here’s to a Happy and blessed New Year for us all!

3 Comments

Posted in Dogs, family, Friends, Holiday, Knitting, Life, pictures

Posted by: scrabblequeen | May 12, 2014

Spring

Yes, spring. We had it this year, and for more than just one week, which is pretty unusual. It was, however, good for the flowers.
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Just a sampling of the happy flowers blooming this spring. I think spring ended yesterday, as the next several days temps read 95+, 97+, and 100!

3 Comments

Posted in Knitting

Posted by: scrabblequeen | December 26, 2013

Merry Christmas!

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Other than the candlelight Christmas Eve service and dinner with friends after, we have had a nice, quiet holiday at home with the Youngest and the Fur Girls. Wishing you all the very best as this year finishes up and into the new year as well.

3 Comments

Posted in family, Friends, Holiday, Life, pictures

Posted by: scrabblequeen | December 8, 2013

The Big Fifteen

Only a day late! Very, very good for me, these days. I didn’t want to let the occasion of Miss Misty’s fifteenth birthday go by un-noticed…she has been a delightful addition to our family since the day so long ago when she was born right here in our family room. Though cataracts cloud her eyes and she doesn’t hear so well, Misty is, in other regards, still in darn good shape for an old lady. She can still jump up onto sofas and go out for walkies, and prances about like pup when it is treat time.

Since she has become much thinner in her old age, and because she gad a haircut just before the cold snap hit, Misty got her very first sweater! She is modeling it here, for your viewing pleasure.

HAPPY BIRtHDAY Misty Ggrrrl!

3 Comments

Posted in Knitting | Tags: Dogs

Posted by: scrabblequeen | November 23, 2013

Oops.

Well, I had really hoped I could manage at least one post per month, but obviously not! Life continues to be both busy and challenging, so that the blog just doesn’t rise to the top of the heap as far as ” must do’s” go. Ah well….

In September, the Eldest and his wife flew out for a brief visit. I used that opportunity as the perfect excuse to head up to one of my favorite places, the north coast of California. The Mendocino coast has many lovely cliffs, lots of ‘rocks’ in the water, and much cooler weather than we have at home, making it a perfect place to visit in September, since it is still quite hot here in the Valley at that point in the year. I’m not sure my DIL appreciated the quiet weekend as much as Hubs and I did, but hey, I tried!

Just last week I drove “up the hill” to camp for my dear Debbie’s retirement party. Wow. I can hardly imagine Mt Hope without Miss Debbie! She’s been a good friend and a wonderful mentor to my boys and so many others who have volunteered or worked at the camp in the last ten years. On the ‘good’ side, though, I am hoping she will have more free time for visits now…

The timing of the Retirement party coincided with Gina’s church’s Ladies’ Holiday lunch, where my my other friend, Nora, was speaking, so Judy and I stayed over with Gina (can you say slumber party?) and were blessed to attend the lunch, too. Good food, good friends, and a Good Word..what more could I ask for?

4 Comments

Posted in Camp, family, Friends, Life, pictures, travel

Posted by: scrabblequeen | August 28, 2013

Mid Year Up-date

Hello out there. Remember me?

It’s been quite a while since I last posted…since January 1, to be exact. And while there is no way I can share all that has happened in that time, I will try to give a few highlights.

January through May I was busy taking a college level course called Perspectives on The World Christian Movement. I was also serving on the coordinating team for the class….and acting as host. Whew! That was a huge amount of work, but well worth the effort as I actually completed the course and earned my certificate. Yay!

During the same time period, I was also taking another challenging course AND tutoring about 20 hours/week.
By the end of the school year I was beat and ready for a rest. Usually summer is good for that, but not this year. My friends, who were the Program Directors for camp this year, asked me to be ‘Craft Lady’ for all of the in house camps this summer, and I said ‘yes’. Loads of fun, but not so restful. 🙂

Between camps, and in fact all spring long, I was busy hosting overnight guests who were either speakers for our class, visiting missionaries, or occasionally just friends or family. What did I learn from all this? No more 3 yr olds for me! Heck, even the 6 and 7 year olds gave me a run for my money.

In July, Dearest and I celebrated our 30th anniversary with a little party and vow renewal ceremony. It was a truly wonderful evening and very meaning for us. In the last 30 years we’ve had it all…better and worse, richer and poorer….far more than we ever imagined when we first made those promises!

Oh, yes…and we are now officially ’empty nesters’ as the youngest graduated from college (suma cum laud…brag, brag) and found himself a job and a place to live not far from the school, while Mr. Airman, who was able to spend a month with us earlier this year, was sent to Korea. Four grown sons in four vastly different places in their lives, and in four different locations. Good thing I still have the dogs!

I’ve also knit a few things, read a few books, travelled a few miles, and cried a few ( ok, truth, a lot) of tears this year. My step-mother, Jean, who had been fading for the last few years, passed away this month, just shy of her 91st birthday.

So, that’s my story. What have YOU been up to while I was away?

7 Comments

Posted in Camp, family, Knitting, Life, school/teaching

Posted by: scrabblequeen | January 2, 2013

New Year

We rang in the New Year very quietly at our house. The hubs, myself, and three dogs (one loaner) had warmth from the pellet stove and a Doctor Who marathon to help us stay up until the neighbors were done popping off whatever it is they were using to make noise at midnight.

Hans, our visitor, claimed the little doggie bed on the floor

Sasha had firm control of the pillow on the big sofa…

And Misty was doing her best “velcro dog” imitiation next to me on the love seat..

Our child who was “home” for the holiday ran off to visit friends an hour away for the night, leaving us to look after little Hans (Solo) for a while. He is dog-sitting for a few more days yet, so our rather un-social (with other dogs, that is) Sasha is having her patience tested. I almost think that the rather frequent stays of other dogs at our house this year have helped her to overcome her fear….a little bit at least. That’s one plus for 2012!

4 Comments

Posted in Dogs, Holiday

Posted by: scrabblequeen | December 31, 2012

The Year That Was

2012 was the year that saw me blog a whopping nine times total. Something like five of those were all in about a week’s time and all about books. Not too much insight into my life there.

Unlike some folks, I am a pretty private person, and when things happen out here in the “real” world I can’t find it in me to share all of those things with you all out in the rest of the world. 2012 saw some major challenges hit me and my family. No one died. No one was terribly ill. And yet…it’s been really rough.

Know this, though; my God is Good and has supplied all of our needs through this time. He supplies friends, and notes of encouragement, help in many forms, and strength for journey.

Who knows what 2013 will bring? Not me, that is for sure. But perhaps if you check in here once in a while you’ll find something new to read.

The Scrabblequeen

4 Comments

Posted in Life