Friday, July 23, 2010

Mishmash

It's been about three weeks since I last posted to my blog. For that reason I am calling today's posting "Mishmash" since I am not sure what I will end up talking/typing about.

The latest crochet projects I have been working on is potholders. I am using a pattern called "Turns on Itself Potholder" which can be found on Crochetville or on Bev's Country Cottage. Its the darnest pattern I have ever seen. You make a foundation chain and then crochet on each side of it. You just keep crocheting around and around the foundation chain. It finally looks like a rectangle shaped bag. You then lay it flat, at which time it turns into a square with the opening meeting on the diagonal, whipstitch the opening closed and add a hanging loop if you want, and you are done. Currently I am using multi colored yarns. When I get a bunch made up they will go to my church's clothes closet to be given out at Christmas time. I thought they might make nice little "thinking of you" Christmas presents. Something someone might get to give to the child's/children's teacher(s). Or maybe a child would pick to give to his/her mother or grandmother.

I have also been trying to "wean" myself away from Facebook. Boy, is that website addictive. I have found friends from my childhood as well as former classmates on that website. Also the area of Louisville, KY that I grew up in and was living in before moving to Tennessee has a fan page. It has been so much fun reading the various posts from current and past residents of that area. Plus looking at all of the pictures posted. But now I think I am at the point where I don't need to go there daily. Maybe once a week to check on things.

There is one website/forum I am not cutting back on and never will and that is Crochetville. It was my mother and oldest sister who taught me how to crochet back in the mid 1970's. They have both passed away. So until I discovered Crochetville I have had few friends to discuss/share with about crocheting. Oh, I have lots of friends. Its just not many, if any, of them share my love of crocheting. I have found that on Crochetville.

What I am doing with my computer time now is, besides posting to my blog, is searching for various blogs to read daily or at least read several times during the week. Some of my interests are living frugally, crocheting, reading mysteries (although have not done much reading lately), and what's going on in America politically. I must admit no matter who the President is I never listen to any of the Presidential speeches given on TV. Just don't like to watch that stuff.

The clock on the computer tells me its time to bring this to a close. Need to go get my breakfast and watch an old TV program on the boob tube.

God Be With You Till We Meet Again.
TN KY Crochet Nut

Friday, July 2, 2010

New Furnace with Central Air!!!!!

This past Tuesday the workers started installing our new furnace with central air. We lost our old furnace in the May floods. As we were getting bids for a new furnace we decided to ask how much more it would be to add central air. In all of the years we have been in this house we have used two wall air conditioners to cool the house. But since we needed to get a new furnace plus one of the wall units is getting old and probably would need replacing sometime in the next year or two, it just made sense to go on and add central air. So we did. And guess what? Two days after having the central air put in the weather turns from hot and sticky to comfortable. So comfortable we opened our front door and basement door to circulate fresh air throughout the house.

Now the only things we need to replace from the appliances we lost because of the flooding is our washer and dryer. While I do want to eventually get a washer and dryer, it is just not a priority right now. We are going to a laundromat that is close to the house. We don't have to go every week, but that is because we have lots of underwear, everyday clothes, bed sheets, washcloths, dishcloths, hand towels, and bath towels. We have lots of extras because it was not easy for me to go to the basement to do wash. I have arthritis in my spine which impedes my walking. I have to be extra careful in climbing stairs. I had devised a clever way of getting my dirty laundry to the basement and the clean laundry back up. I found some nylon mesh bags with drawstrings. I bought about six small ones and two large ones. I prefer small loads of wash so the little bags were perfect. They would hold a reasonable load of wash. I would use the large bags when I got behind on some of the laundry and would need to transport a large amount to be washed to the basement. When I first started using the bags I would throw them to the landing then walk down the four steps to the landing. After reaching the landing I would either kick the bags the rest of the way down or throw them the rest of the way down. Eventually I developed a throwing technique (putting a curve throw on the small bags) that would allow me to throw the bags all of the way down into the basement from the top of the stairs. When I was done with my laundry I would sit the bags on the steps about one or two steps ahead of me. I would then walk up to that step and again move the bags one or two steps further up. It was a little slower doing it this way but it made me feel safe in going up and down the stairs. Especially with trying to transport wash up and down the steps. So even though I have a safe way of transporting laundry to and from the basement, I decided for safety sake it would be better to find a place upstairs in the living quarters of the house for the washer and dryer. But before we can do that we need to get rid of some of the stuff we have all over the living area of the house. We are packrats and collectors. He collects baseball cards and I collect crochet patterns and yarn. In the past he also has collected stamps and postcards. He still has those collections. I also collected books by my favorite authors and any other book that caught my eye.

I am getting sleepy plus I would like to do a little crocheting before turning in for the day. So I will sign off for now.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Dealing with aftermath of flood

The weekend of May 1-2 Nashville and the whole Middle Tennessee area received a record amount of rain. As a result there was a great deal of flooding through out the area. Unfortunately my husband and I were among the ones that suffered flooding in their homes. We were luckier/more blessed than others as it was only our basement that flooded. We never got any water in the living quarter of our house. Just over six feet of water in our basement. Consequently we lost our furnance, hot water heater, washer, dryer, and a freezer. We also lost a lot of items we had stored in the basement. But most of the stuff we lost were not important items. We are packrats and have stuff all over our house.

We went about two or three weeks without hot water. I would heat water up on the stove for washing dishes and taking what I call "bucket showers." That's where you put hot water and add some cold water to it to make it comfortable. Then you take a can and pour some water over you to get wet. Then you soap up your washcloth and wash. Afterwards you pour more cans of water over you to rinse.

Besides a new hot water heater, we have had a new breaker box installed in the basement as the flood water did reach the old one. Even though water did cover part of the breaker box we never lost electricity. Now this Tuesday is a big day as we will have a new furnace installed. At the same time the furnace is being installed we are having central air put in. We currently use two wall units to cool our house. I am really looking forward to cool air.

As usual I am in a hurry, so will close for now. More some other time.

Monday, June 21, 2010

New Sunday School Class

Okay, this is TNKY Crochet Nut. This is the first time I have posted to my blog. I set the blog up sometime ago but never got started putting pen to paper, err, make that fingers to keys. Maybe I should put my thoughts into words. Here goes -

Yesterday I attended a women's Sunday School Class at my church. In the past I have been in a class with my husband. At first the teacher of that class (the one I attended with my husband) was the pastor then later my husband began teaching the class. When we first began attending that class there was at least one other female member, but in reason time there are no female members. Just me. I am missing female companionship so changed classes yesterday. Really enjoyed it too. More later as I got to run for now.