Showing posts with label nan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nan. Show all posts

Monday, July 8, 2013

Painted Bunting & Great Grand Kids

 
I can't take any credit for this picture.  My grandfather took it from his home in Florida.  They winterize there, but spend the summer up here with us in New Jersey.  I was helping him get the pictures off his camera on onto his computer. I thought I had to share it here. Isn't that a beautiful bird!!!! He said this is the view outside of his workshop. He will sit and watch these birds at the feeders. It doesn't seem real.
 
My grandmother put out a phone call us to get the great-grandkids together to play for an hour today.  Of my grandmother's eight great-grandchildren they are all boys.
 

 
This is our newest addition.
 

He is my cousin's son. My sister and nephew couldn't get enough of him.

 
We are only one great-grandson short in this picture, but it was a good try.
 
 

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Poker Night or Yarn Night?


 
My Nan taught me how to knit.  I am not sure how old I was when she first taught me.  I am not sure how old I was when I taught her how to ride a bike either.  But from the picture above I assume we were both young.  One day she told me I was going to learn how to knit.  She was a knitter for a long time and she was part of a knitting club. Her club was called "The Knitwits".
 
 
Sadly her club doesn't get together anymore and she spends the winters... winterizing in Florida. That is what I like to call it.  As soon as it gets chilly in NJ she and my grandfather skip town and head to a warmer climate.   They winterize in a place with lots of their friends and come back home just in time to cut the grass.  But judging by the recent temperatures we might not see them for months!  My grandparents have a relationship so many people would envy.  They work together like glue.  My boys love visiting their great-grandparents. My grandfather is a garage-sale extortioner. He has picked up so many treasures and hid them in his basement :) My grandmother just rolls her eyes. I can't help but laugh.  He also picks up lots of toys, which my boys love playing with every time they visit. Since my sisters, cousins and I have only have had boys it is like Hess truck Heaven over at their house.  If a girl comes into the family what on Earth are we to do.  Well until she is old enough to knit that is. (and I mean by she I am refering my my sisters or cousins having a girl).
 
Before I had kids I played a lot of Poker. I had fun hosting Poker Nights and getting together with friends. Of course I always won and that is why I love Poker especially Texas Hold-em.  But as the kids came Poker left. But knitting held on tight.  I had taught my older sister how to knit and she didn't care for it.  She clearly didn't understand it at the time.  So I was a lone knitter for a while.
 
Then my older sister re-discovered knitting and my younger sister learned about the fiber arts and at that point we were doomed to have a herd of sheep or alpacas.  We had become full time Fiber Junkies.  But it didn't take long before we discovered that there are lots of Fiber Junkies around and we started getting together. We don't have a fancy name like "The Knitwits". But we do have fun.
 
 
 
Our yarn parties involve cousins having fun sitting on the table.

 
Knitting a fabulous top even though there is a pile of laundry in the background that has to be done.
 

 
Crocheting is welcome too.
 
 
Babies and toddlers just make it even more fun.
 


 

 
Cupcakes, beer, and wine are nice too.
 
 
And a little baby girl dressed in little baby girl PJs.  Yes we know how to be friends with people that know how to make girls. We just can't seem to make them ourselves.


And the best part of hosting yarn parties are the left overs.
 
Weight Watcher Pumpkin cupcakes.
 


A fab knitting book. I am totally not returning to the owner.

 
And the extra cupcakes were taken care of by Brady.
 
 
 
I am so grateful my grandmother taught me how to knit and I am so glad every time I give a knitting lesson. It is like passing on a fun skill anyone can do.  Once you get it you will love it.  If you don't think knitting is quite your thing, then you can spin, or weave, or crochet.  Either way I'm sure you will enjoy it.  And soon you will want a whole bunch of these...
 

 
From my experience it might be cheaper to stick to the Poker Nights.
 
But the Fiber Arts give so much more back.
 


 
 
Don't you want to be part of the fiber world?