Trying to be a verb, and not a noun.

I can't believe that it has been so long since I last posted on my blog. Reminds me of that saying that life happens while you are busy making plans. I always plan to post, but somehow everything else pops up! My crochet cocoon creations have gotten some "air time" on Denise Snyder's Photography website and I am posting the two precious little angels here as well. We had a nice two night visit with my brother from Illinois, who is coming again tonight. He kept remarking how quiet our house is, and that is certainly true. After having two dogs, a cat, newlyweds, and a six year old and his friends and visitors, it has taken some getting used to. We had a nice visit in Historic Gibbsboro for a housewarming party for L's house which was a great success. It coincided with my birthday and there was plenty of desserts, and a very big cake with a lot of candles on it. Thank goodness for my sisterinlaw Ellie, she was able to help me blow them out, I think I was able to get two extinguished and thank her for helping me with the rest. Have been down to South Jersey to check out D's soccer games and so far they are doing great. S ran in a relay race for the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean county and I am very proud to say his team came in 14th out of 120! Quite a showing! Good Job! After many prayers, S's fatherinlaw came safely through his surgery and is home resting now getting plenty of TLC. Of course, I have been busy crocheting, I made a soap holder for some great homemade soap that my friend, K, gave me for my birthday, and am just about finished with a blanket, sweater, hat, sleeping bag cozy and matching hat for a little newborn that is due to arrive in a few weeks. Also, have been working on a prayer shawl for a very special cousin, and that is coinciding with my readng of a very good book, The Shack, about man's relationship with God. My favorite passage today from that book is that God is a verb and not a noun. What a concept! If you have time to read it, it is certainly worth it, but be prepared to re-read a few chapters! This weekend, we are traveling up north to bring Aunt E to her final rest beside her family members, her grandmother, grandfather, mother and father. Has been making me think a bit of how family traditions have changed over the years, how the distance is making it a little hard to stay connected in the old ways, like Sunday dinners, and just meeting for birthday cake. Seems like most of my reaching out to people is through the internet, and though it does seem cold in a way, it is the best we have these days. Just trying to coordinate everyone's schedule for this special occasion for Aunt E was difficult. I will let you know how it goes. And if you have a minute this week, try to be a verb and not a noun

Babies, Babies, Babies

You have got to go right now, right this minute to my friend Denise Snyder's blog and see the most adorable little babies! Little Isaiah Matthew and Little Cassie. If you want to see what pure angelic innocence looks like, type in her website right now! Little Isaiah is wrapped in my boucle cocoon and Little Cassie is swaddled in my cream boucle coccoon. Each one has on one of my little hats, and I mean little, because they are too small for their little heads! Now call anybody that you know that is pregnant, and tell them to go right to Denise's blog and look at those babies, and then call Denise with their due dates. Anyone booking a session with Denise at my recommendation will get a custom made hat for their baby's first picture, and one that fits too! http://dsnyderphoto.blogspot.com/

Welcome to the World Isaiah Matthew

Congratulations to Matt and Melissa as they welcome their beautiful little baby boy Isaiah Matthew into the world on August 17th, 2008. Who would have thought that tiny little Melissa would have given birth to a whopping 9 pound, 1 ounce little treasure. I can't wait to see his precious face, and made this cute little hat that Thumbelina is trying out just for Isaiah. This is what makes crocheting so special, crafting stitch by stitch a special gift for a special little boy. Welcome to the World!

Thanks Denise for the great pictures!

My friend Denise photographed some of my goofy hats for me! Denise has a way of capturing the special moments of life and preserving them in forever memories.Please visit her website at Denise Snyder Photography for some phenomenal pictures. http://dsnyderphoto.blogspot.com/ You will not be disappointed! Thanks Denise!

It's a Small World after all!

Had a great week off of work spending time with a special friend that is visiting from Spain. He arrived on Saturday evening, and we were on the go all week. Monday, we went to New York City, but first picked up my godchild, K, who just graduated from Seton Hall University. We took the train from South Orange to Hoboken where we jumped on the Path train, intending to get off at the World Trade Center. As we approached Exchange Place, my Spanish friend, J, wanted to show us Manhattan from the Jersey side, and we got off and mingled with the financial guys during their lunch time stroll on the riverfront. We grabbed the Ferry and traveled over to the World Trade Center site, and just walked and walked and walked. J wanted desperately to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and take the train back, but after convincing him that we would need a wheelchair for me, we saved it for another day. We walked for hours and ended up in a little sandwich shop where unbelievably J ran into someone he knew from Barcelona! Later my godchild got a call from her aunt who was visiting from Oklahoma and was waiting with her family on the island in the middle of Times Square! We met up with them and then walked back to Madison Square Garden to catch the train back to South Amboy. What a great day!

A simple day

Yesterday I spent a great day with my grandson, D, at his new home in Historic Gibbsboro, NJ. I went down to wait for the electrician who was changing over tube and knob electrical wires into whatever it is that they use now. I commented to the electrician that perhaps Thomas Edison had put in the original wiring! Apparently, this was the way that electricity was brought into homes and this house built in 1875 was probably proud of such a modern convenience in its time. Sitting on my daughter's front porch, is like stepping back in time. The house is in the historic district and the surrounding homes have big porches with large baskets of Boston ferns, oversized wicker porch furniture and very ornamental Victorian Gardens. My grandson and I took a nice walk around the town and stopped for a big ice cream cone at Mazzo's. They have a great covered patio that was nice and breezy and my grandson and I tried to catch the dripping ice cream that was quickly melting in the summer heat. Near the end, my grandson's cone dripped down his shirt causing us to race for some napkins. I wanted to circle around to my daughter's house through the cricket fields, but D was determined to retrace our original route. He finally admitted that he was afraid to walk through the cricket field which was home to about 20 Canadian Geese. We scouted out a little park with an old fashioned clock and gazebo built in honor of a long time resident. Also there was an apple tree planted by the 1999 kindergarten class as a tribute to their retiring teacher who served the school for over 30 years. The whole day made me think of simple times, when mothers greeted their children from school with warm chocolate chip cookies, and maybe spent the evening crocheting an afghan for extra warmth on a winter night. Maybe that is why I like to crochet so much, the warmth of the worked piece on your lap, the progress of one stitch after another to make something uniquely yours, and the feeling that life is simple and cozy and good.

My cute little model, Thumbelina

You may have noticed my very cooperative and adorable model, Thumbelina. Santa brought her to me when I was about 10 years old, I think it was the same year that my brother got Mighty Matilda, the pride of the fleet. Anyway, she will actually come to life if you turn the big wooden knob on her back, it is really freaky. My kids used to cry when I wound her up, especially when I added the little voice, but that is a subject for another day. She is really pretty beat up, good thing she is modeling hats, that way you can avoid looking at her very grotesque hairdo, it is kind of Pebbles gone wild with what looks like a poor Joe Biden hairplug job in the front. Poor Thumb has stuck with me all these years, and now hangs out on my bed until I drag her out to try on sweaters and stuff. She doesn't complain which is one of the qualities I admire most about her. So Thumb, just wanted to say, thanks for the memories.