Getting ready for the winter holidays?

Me too!  Was sitting in an extension homemaker meeting last night, comparing busy lives with the woman across the table from me.  We decided we were both crazy!  It was a good "Jolly" meeting with three guest speakers.  I originally joined homemakers to 1) learn something and 2) have fun.  Neither has been happening recently and you might say this meeting came just in the nick of time.  The county extension educator gave a Power Point demo on Pinterest and now I think I know how to use it ... I'll try some day when I have a half day to mess around with it and before I forget everything I learned last night.  Other two speakers were from Owen Valley Health Campus, speaking and demonstrating yoga exercises you can do in bed before you get up and the other lady demonstrated simple exercises you can do to help with flexibility.  Both things I needed to hear and learn more about.  And dinner was delicious with three different kinds of soup, and salads.  And of course, desserts!  It was a good evening.  The business meeting was blessedly short ...

[I've been having mucho problems with Blogger and some days I could pull my hair out.  That is why I haven't been posting as often as in the past.  I bounce in and out, trying to finish what I start.  Sorry about that!]   

Been keeping busy lately.  Though we got the loom warped I haven't threaded the heddles yet so that means I haven't started weaving yet ...   have however been sewing cut and ripped fabric into long pieces and rolling them into balls for the weft.  The warp I'm using for the next run of rugs is a linen color, so I'm going to be making rugs in medium shades.  Looking forward to it!

Also been hooking a lot!  Finished a rug called "Mother Cat with Lost Kittens".  Pix below.

"Mother Cat with Lost Kittens", a Margo White design.  Just finished hooking but not bound.

Then, I started on the fourth hooking of a little mat I first made years ago called Three Chicks.  It's a Needl'love design and I've given the other three away -- this one I'm keeping.  I'll put a picture of it here when I get it bound.  The Holy Hookers met at Select Insurance on October first and it was a good night ... rainy outside but warm and cozy inside.  Jane is so welcoming!  We had a nice group and a nice visit.  Doesn't everyone enjoy being with kindred spirits?!  I hook in spurts and stops.  Same with crochet, weaving and reading.  I have been reading books like a fiend until just recently but only reading lately has been catching up on magazines ...

Recently we went for a day-long drive.  Our final destination was Salem to have dinner at Christopher's on the Square.  It was a good day even though it was overcast.  The leaves were just starting to turn and it was good to get away from work at home.  We stopped at a winery and a couple antiques shops along the way, as well at the art center in Nashville.  Here's some pix from that day.  

Enjoy and have a blessed upcoming weekend! 

We went for a drive couple weeks ago and came across this old covered bridge near Medora, IN.  It is said to be the longest surviving covered bridge in the U.S.  You can't drive over it; the new bridge is out of sight to the right.

On the same road trip we went through Story, IN.  Here's the restaurant.  Delicious but slightly overpriced food.  I loved all of the antiques, inside and out.

We've had two little snows so far.  I think way too early for this time and place.  What happened to that man-made global warming "they" keep talking about?  We need some warming here and now...

Warped ...

HAPPY (LATE) HALLOWEEN!  This is Margo White's cute little Halloween cat.  Got it at the Made in Greene County event at WRV a few weeks ago.

Here's a few of us "Jolly" women all dolled up at the Hobo Heaven dinner in Spencer.  Bernadene, me, Karla & Penny.  It was a fun Halloween event!  So glad I went!  We have a really good County President this year with lots of creative ideas. 

Well, the loom is warped for another run of rugs.  Now all I have to do is thread the heddles and reed.  That's the easy part, though sometimes tedious.  I'm looking forward to using up lots more of my quilting cotton.  Plus I've been collecting such things as chenille bedspreads, wool that's too heavy or too lightweight for hooking, plastic shopping bags (!) and men's ties, to try some interesting effects!  We'll see ...  Wendell was a big help!  There was one problem spool of warp that kept running off the end, so one of us had to keep a finger on the end of that spool.  And the other one cranked.  ARGH!  Anyway, it's done now.

Last week I taught four very interested women how to hook.  The class was in Spencer so I'm "spreading the word" out of Greene County, into Owen County!  It's sort of like my mission, I guess.  They were all doing well by the end of the evening and we had a very comfortable place to use as a classroom.  And lots of fun and laughs.  What more could you ask?  There is always the fear that I'll find someone who just doesn't get it.  That's only happened for me one time.  I keep my fingers crossed every time I have newbies ...

I'm on the fellowship dinner committee now at church, so today I'll be roasting the turkey for Sunday's dinner.  Tomorrow I'll make a pumpkin pie and Sunday afternoon the bread dressing in the crock pot.  Hope I can do a decent job to replace the woman who was the lead person on that committee.  Nothing like being thrown right in, not only on the committee, but as the lead.  That's what prayer is all about, right?  That and a good cookbook ...

We've had several turkeys here lately.  Here's a few that visited several days ago.  They spent a lot of time out west of the house and I'm hoping they ate all of the box elder bugs!

We had lots of rain and wind yesterday and I'm thinking the gutters are probably filled with leaves today.  Poor Wendell ...  But now you can see through the trees and when a train goes through I can probably count the number of cars.  (Sometimes the high point of my day in the winter ...)  I was amazed that the leaves were being blown all of the way from the woods to the driveway !  Yikes !  It was way windy.  

Have a great weekend.  God Bless!