Perusing the email this morning

I get emails from blogs, companies, Pinterest, friends, scams, FB, and more, more, more


This morning's emails included one from Joann"Vero Table Lamp in Brushed Nickel" and featured the Ottlites "Vero Table Lamp in Brushed Nickel" for half off.  I really like the table lamp but it is 15 watts, it used to be great reading lights were 100 watts but in this world of led and energy efficient I don't know what is what.  Anyone have any words to the wise when buying lamps like this? here is the link I was sent to for the lamps. and here is the  one I am thinking about.  











I have had vision "problems" all my life, a hereditary astigmatism that most of my family has but this has been pretty much fixed with glasses.  Then I went into the dreaded bifocals because of age.  Then multiple sclerosis reared its ugly head with vision problems that were horrific but the blurriness that I experienced at that time didn't hang around.  Thank you, God. 


Now I have problems with crocheting, blurriness occurs after I spend any significant time crocheting which really aggravates the heck out of me.  I usually am doing a project that has a time limit for it to be finished or a new pattern that I really like and want to finish just because I want to see it what it will look like completed by me, in my colors, etc.  Reading is a problem also at this time which is a double edge sword-can't read the pattern and can't see the project I am crocheting.  Ah well, old age and MS-ugh!


Sorry for the rant, so I could have made this just a short, what do you think of Ottlites but in my usual manner I didn't do that.






Another thing that takes up my life time lately is Pinterest!  I should stop pinning now because I have enough pins to last me a lifetime already but I love finding new things to crochet, new recipes, camping ideas, crafts for the grandkids, and all things beautiful.  And I know I am not alone in this pursuit of new pins because I keep finding new people and new things to pin.  If you haven't tried it yet, STAY AWAY!  Just kidding but be aware it is addictive and time consuming and tough on the eyesight.  LOL.  So skip over this website if you can - Pinterest.com and "follow" me! Find me here! 


And I need to give a shout out to Deborah Atkinson's blog, Snowcatcher, not only for her snowflake patterns but all her other great reads and pics!  Deborah is someone I like to refer to as an online friend!  I would love to meet her in person!  
Example of a few of her snowflakes!
 and she raises funds for an MS cure too!!  Her and her husband both ride in BikeMS!  Thank you Atkinsons!!


What are some of your great finds on the internet?  


Have a sunny, funny day!!

Just crocheting.

Seems to be what I do most these days.  I spend lots of time on Pinterest and find more patterns and ideas for all the yarn I have accumulated lately.  

This bracelet pattern I found at http://windrosefiberstudio.blogspot.com/2011/04/summer-cotton-crocheted-bracelet-free.html  but used finer thread.  I plan to make another with the size 10 crochet thread.  And I really don't feel this picture does it justice.  

And this butterfly I have made several using different sizes and colors  of thread but this time decided to try to add some beads.  I am happy with the results.  This came from http://www.crochet-world.com/newsletters.php?mode=article&article_id=672

And my snowflakes are either from the book, 99 Snowflakes  or my favorite blog,  http://www.snowcatcher.net/ , who does a new snowflake every Monday.

 And the parrot on my window didn't have a pattern, I just made it from a picture I found on Pinterest.

And the flower is from http://www.marloscrochetcorner.com/flowerfridgie.html

Now I need to find something I can make and sell to support my habit of buying yarn, beads, etc.  Any ideas?  During the winter months I plan to sell snowflakes and hats, scarves, etc but not much of a market for those right now.

Have a great day!

 

Where does time go?? 

It just seems to fly by, I know that is a sign of being busy but I also remember reading that the older you get the faster time seems to go.  Well, for me I guess it has been both of those, busy and older.  Mind you not old, just older.  LOL

So, what have I been doing with this time of mine?  Crocheting, raising money for our MSWalk team (ShiaWalkers), volunteering for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and just living life.  Oh, and doctor appointments!  Saw both my neurologist and primary care physician in the past week.  Depression and arthritis are my constant companions lately.  :)

I want to share with you some of my crocheting that I have done recently and some that I did before for decorating my "display" window.  I hope those that walk by enjoy the changes I make seasonal and for the holidays.  

This is my spring and summer display.  I love just about everything on there and plan to add more as time allows and more items catch my eye as I look through my many patterns or as I browse the web.  

Pinterest and  blogs give me a lot of ideas and lots of things to crochet.  Pinterest was where I found the stitch pattern for the basket I made below.  I started out just trying to cover one of my many Folger coffee empty containers.  The person that wrote the instructions warned that this stitch pattern makes a heavy, larger item.  I found that out but the rug yarn and the stitch make for a great stand alone basket.  I found the stitch on someone's Pinterest so I have to give credit to Crochet Me for the great directions for this stitch that could be used for so many things. 

 It is called the Spike Stitch, very versatile.

Another thing that takes up some of my time.  I have several bird feeders that I can see out the window just to the left of my computer desk and many times while I am on the computer I find my eyes drawn to the birds that feed there.  This morning it was a fat ole robin, she seemed to be watching me out of the corner of her eye.  I say her because she looks fat enough to have a few eggs in her belly ready to be laid.  Robins are my favorite to watch in the bird bath!  They seem to just enjoy their splashing and the coolness of the water.

I also did some volunteering to plan a  program filled with many great speakers about how MS is like anything else and is better managed when  you keep active.  We had interactive demonstrations of Yoga, how to do exercises for our inner ears that help us avoid falling, how to live your life with MS more  positively in spite of all that it brings and also a video and talk about  recent research and what great leaps and bounds are being done but still no cure and/or how repair the myelin that has been destroyed from the MS process. Destroying myelin  is what MS does to our bodies, it destroys myelin which is a protective  sheath around our nerves that is like the protective covering on an electrical cord that keeps us from getting an electrical shock from the exposed wires.  That destroyed area on our nerves causes the misfiring of those nerves and thus the symptoms we have off and on or on a permanent basis.  To learn more about all this I recommend the National MS Society website for an abundance of info that is researched by specialists on the disease of Multiple Sclerosis, which mean multiple scars.



 March was MS Awareness month and I made several crocheted MS Awareness ribbons for the occasions we were out and about raising awareness or raising money to be used for research to find a cure and/or meds to keep it at bay until they find the cure.  While sitting at a table with a friend raising some of those funds outside of a local WalMart even those of us that have lived with MS for many years are surprised to hear how many people are affected by this disease.  We met so many with MS, parents of people with MS, friends of people with MS, stories of those that died early from the complications of MS.  They tell us MS is not fatal but many die from the complications of MS.  For instance, the way a urinary tract infection can wreak havoc on people with MS.  For some reason a UTI causes so many things to go wrong.  Right now I have a 34 yr old friend that will most likely live in a nursing home with a very low quality of life.  Her terrible symptoms seemed to have all be brought on by a UTI which left her bed-ridden which led to pressure sores and on and on we watched more and more being robbed from her.  



And I am going up to visit another young female that ended up in the hospital yesterday because of a UTI that is causing her MS to flare and cause all kinds of problems.  So, when you see the orange ribbons or articles about MS please take a moment and pray for those afflicted and give whatever you can when you see someone raising money for research for a cure!




April 18th is World MS Day!  I will be going to our state's capital and talk with my senator and congressman to inform them of our needs and tell them as a constituent I ask that they keep funding for handicapped people and vulnerable adults  in our state.


Deborah Atkinson, her blog is Snowcatcher, raises money year-round but especially when it gets closer to the BikeMS fundraiser that her and her husband ride in every year.  Snowcatcher's fundraising page the allows you to easily donate towards a cure for MS

And I will be walking in WalkMS in May but I also fundraise all year with my walk team, ShiaWalkers.  To donate for that event you can go to  my personal fundraising page for the MSWalk.  Any amount is not too small!  


Have a great day!!  I have a busy day planned but the sun is shining so I can enjoy that on my journey today.

Memories made 

and the free pattern for the bunny pin I created.

Wednesday was such a great day, our granddaughter spent the day with us while her daddy was at work.  She made this button necklace and bracelet and then decided to leave them here so she could wear them when she is here next time.  This is how I found them on my dresser, I may need to just dust around them until she comes again.  I love that she not only seemed to enjoy making them but also left a message of love for me to enjoy.

While she was here I finished this little bunny pin that I found a pattern for on Pinterest 

but she liked the one I had created (see at bottom of this page) and written a pattern for.  

She sure knows the way to Nana's heart.

 And this is a flower pin from another pattern I found on Pinterest.
 I finished this up last night.

I finally sat down and typed up the pattern for my bunny pin.  This is my first time to really try to do it the correct way so others can just download it.

If you have any questions about this pattern just ask me in a message below.

If you find any mistakes please let me know also so I can correct them before others download it.

I hope you will also share pictures of your finished bunnies with me.

Here is my first attempt at it.
















and here is the pattern   free bunny pin crochet pattern
I don't know why it doesn't show exactly as I had it set up.  Anyone help me out with this??

Happy Easter to you and yours!!

Crocheted bunny pin and other projects.

Been busy with the crochet hook but can't really tell you what right now because the "holey" brain of mine from MS keeps me from remembering right now and since today is a busy day for me.

Tuesday's always are busy with preparing for our MS Self-Help Group, visiting my friend with MS in the nursing home, and running errands in the larger city that I go to do both of the above it pretty much takes up my day.

But wanted to share what I did yesterday, I made a crocheted bunny pin but unless I can get the pattern typed and tweeked tonigh looks like it will be a project for next Easter and spring projects.  The inspiration for my pin was the Easter Marshmallow Bunnies I crocheted from a pattern I found on the net by Doni Speigle on Ravelry.  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/easter-marshmallow-bunnies

These are some of the bunnies I made from her pattern.

Since I was going to crochet my pin in crochet thread tho I needed to almost start from scratch because the amount of chains, rows and type of stitches all changed.  So, here are some pics of the process and finished bunny pin except changes I will be trying when I crochet my next one.  So come back later this week and see what I came up with.  Sorry to leave you hanging but if I didn't get it started on here I was afraid I would never follow up with the finished project.

And a few other things off my hook this past few weeks are some Easter eggs.

 And a phone purse for spring!