Black Thumb, 2017 Edition

Spring fever hit early this year. I blame all the (glorious!) rain we've been getting.

 

So when Leanne came to visit, we put on our warmest pajamas (hers had cow feet; I was envious), 

 

ate popcorn by the fire, and then started planting new things. 

 

We have a Christmas cactus (one of the few plants I have fairly decent luck growing), 

 

a money tree (to replace the one the d*mn cat ate. Again.)

 

and cat grass seeds (to give the d*mn cat something to chew on besides my new tree.) If past years are anything to go by, these poor plants won't last long. But we had fun playing in the dirt and maybe - maybe - this will be the year my black thumb turns green. I'm not holding my breath . . .

Distracted

There are a lot of things I should be doing - laundry, samples for classes, quilting - but Reyna spotted this crochet-along

  

and suggested it would be fun for us to do . . .

 

and then she started it, so I had to start it, and then it was so much fun I had to keep going and . . .

 

Yeah. Now I really need to go do all those other things. 

Mel Brooks

One of the Christmas gifts I gave hubby was tickets to see Blazing Saddles, with a Q and A session with Mel Brooks immediately following, at the Microsoft Theatre in LA. 

 

It was amazing. Mel is 91 but his memory and storytelling ability are undiminished. 

 

He talked and told stories for almost 2 hours after Friday's screening, then ran off stage -  definitely not your typical 90-year-old.

 

We also saw the recent screening of Young Frankenstein with a live prologue by Mr. Brooks. This time, having him physically in-theatre, was soooo much nicer, even if we had to share him with 7,098 other attendees*. And should he choose to do another movie/talk appearance in LA, we'll be there too. The man is a national treasure.

* Microsoft Theatre is enormous! Built in 2007, it seats 7100 and was completely sold out. 

 

What's A Grandma To Do?

It's been cold around here, at least by CA standards, and poor JacJac had no hats.  

And with all the raw materials I own, we just can't have that.

 

 It took two evenings, but I fixed the problem.

 
 

And made Leanne very happy

 

when she realized she and Jac were twinsies.

Gateway Model

It's been awhile since I was able to talk Leia into modeling for me. 
 
This is my friend Reyna's Gateway Infinity Scarf pattern, 
 
made in yummy Malabrigo Arroyo.

  

Loved making it; and I'm going to love wearing it if I can get it back from My Little Model.

 
She seems to think the scarf should be her payment for helping me out.
 
Wrong. This beauty is mine. (But I might make another one for her . . . . )  

Birthday Present

For my last birthday, I asked - pretty please - for a "grandmother ring" with the little girls' birthstones. Hubby and eldest daughter put their heads together and Rachel found the perfect ring . . . except all the stones were diamonds (nice problem to have, right??)

 

Off we went to a local jeweler, who replaced four of the original stones with the proper birthstones. I got it back today - and I love it! The center diamond can be swapped for a birthstone later, should the need arise. For right now, I'm telling the little girls that the diamond is my heart, which their stones have surrounded. 

And the four replaced diamonds? We're having them set into two "decade bands" that will attach on either side of my wedding ring. That will give me one band for each decade hubby and I have been married. Crossing my fingers it will be done by Valentines day. . .

Big Girl

Look who's getting to be a big girl. 

 

Jac had her six-month doctor visit today - complete with three shots. And sweet, happy girl that she is, she was smiling again as soon as the last needle was out and mom picked her up. 

 

She's in the 75% for height and the 25% for weight. Long and lean, just like her big sister. Happy 6-month birthday, JacJac!

Happy New Year!

We finished our last present opening session at lunch on Thursday 

  Travis, 5

when we finally caught up with these cuties. 

  Isaac, 2 months

New Year's Eve was spent partying with these guys -

 

Leanne* made it to 11:30 before deciding she didn't really care about watching a ball drop. I showed her fireworks (from Sydney Harbor) on the iPad and we called it good. Happy New Year, y'all!

 

* Leanne cut her own bangs. Again. My first thought? Happy it didn't happen on my watch! She's decided she wants to be a "hair cutter" when she grows up. Maybe we should just teach her to cut straight?