Brightening the dark with plastic bottles

I couldn't out how to embed this clip so I am using a link instead. Someone figured out am economical way to light dark homes in Malaysia using simple supplies. A chemist could probably explain how this works but that doesn't really matter to me. I am just impressed and happy that something so simple can bring light to the darkness.
 
Click here

Does anyone know how to embed clips from wimp.com and other sites that don't offer embedding info?

I hope your day is bright and beautiful.

Knitting with a web like yarn

How did it get to be Friday again so soon? 

I think time passing too quickly in our adult years is payback for complaining as a child that there is nothing to do, that we don't want to go bed yet, and thinking Christmas, Halloween or our birthdays will never get here. Judging by my fleet footed clock, I must have complained a lot as a child!

So what have I done the past few days that have been fun?

I painted a chipboard casket, added a Martha Stewart skeleton and a sign.

This will look good next to a plate of Halloween cupcakes, cookies and candy, don't you think?

The knitting mystery project at the yarn store where I hang out is almost done. It is another small shawl. Photos will show up here as soon as I finish. I got distracted by some fun yarn which is the real subject of today's post.

The yarn is Filatura Di Crosa Moda. Quite a mouthful, eh? It is acrylic and looks like this in the skein:

and like this when you spread out the strand. The denser part at the bottom in this photo will remain the loose edge and knitting will take place in the top openings.

Casting on isn't really done, you just pick up as many loops as you need.

 

Knitting felt a little awkward at first, but soon that feeling was gone and it was fun to watch the rapid progress. This project is a scarf and worked on only 4 stitches. 

 

It doesn't look like much in these photos, but trust me, it is a fun accessory when complete and worn rather than laying flat. This photo is a good representation of the color wave I am using  and the next photo gives you an idea of how it will look hanging.

Here is a view of the finished scarf from the yarn's website. As you can see, it is offered in solid colors as well as the tonal blends and multi-colors. I prefer the multi-tones but if I was thin, blond and could master this expression, I'd wear it in solid brown too.

Just what is her expression saying?

"What are you looking at?"
"Of course my hair color is natural, you wicked doubter!"
"These shoes are giving me a headache and they aren't even in the %$#* photo!"
"Do you think I'm beginning to look like that Martha Stewart skeleton?"

I am going to buy the poor dear a Big Mac combo and some fuzzy slippers as soon as both knitting projects are done. I hope she lasts that long!

Ghostly feet

Last year Colton was only 7 months old when I painted the bottom of his foot with white acrylic paint so that I could stamp the image onto black paper for his first craft project with me. He didn't complain at all.

This year I couldn't think of a suitable project for a 19 month old, so I decided to repeat last year's footprint. I thought it would be cute to compare sizes. I had planned to take his picture with the sole of his foot white, but trauma occurred.

I have no idea what that poor child thought I was doing to him, but he cried from the moment the foam brush touched his foot. He was captive in his high chair and grandpa did his best to distract him but the tears became sobs. Colton is so fair skinned, when he cries he gets red and blotchy almost immediately.

How did I handle this? The way generations of grandmothers have handled tearful trauma...I told grandpa to get him some pudding! Colton ate the pudding but tears continued until I was done. He wasn't too thrilled with the foot washing either, but once he was on the ground and running, all was forgiven.

I don't think I will be making actual cards from these prints, I'll be leaving them as tags instead that can be propped or scrapbooked. There is one for mommy and daddy, one for his other grandparents, one for Uncle Billy and one for us, the tormentors.

The middle ghost is from last year. I wish I remember which blog I saw this on last year to give proper credit, but I do not recall which one it was.

The rickety fence on the lower left and the bottom borders of spiders on both right side prints are Martha Stewart punches. I see now that I cut off part of the upper right one's trim. I used another Martha Stewart punch that has cobwebs and hanging spiders.

The Prince of Sweetness wasn't really wearing shoes last October but this year he is in a size 8 and growing.

Next year we'll find something where he can be an active participant. I won't paint his foot again unless he likes the idea. Hopefully I'll have a large enough piece of paper!

Was Chicken Little right?

Ever wonder if Chicken Little was right and the sky really is falling?

Being an optimist most of the time, I don't subscribe to that theory until something falls on my head. Couple that with my ostrich like ability to stick my head in the sand and you'll see why I am protected. Or oblivious.

I've heard about the Mayan prediction of the world ending in 2012 but I figure that is just a rumor. I haven't heard it directly from a Mayan though, have you? At knitting a few nights ago, a woman told the rest of us about a person who attempted to get his air freight business insured by Lloyds of London. The agent from Lloyds asked what his contingency plans were for 2012. Huh?  Sun spot activity is expected to be at a very high level next year and may knock out satellites that control so much of our daily lives here on earth. If communications satellites go down, air traffic will be stopped. Banks will be close because records won't be accessible. TV, radio and cell phones...bye bye. And how will you and I exchange greetings?

But wait...didn't we just go through this with Y2K mania?

I think we'll all be fine. Unless the Just for Laughs production crew shows up in our neighborhoods!  Click on that link to see what I mean.

Have a great weekend!

Don Ho would have to change the lyrics....

If my grandson were a little older, I would get tickets for this show. Don't you wonder how he does this? Surely I'm not the only adult mesmerized, am I?

And my other question...with this experience with bubbles, do you think he helps with the dishes at home? 

Responsibilities of grandparenting

I take my role as grandmother seriously. I am here to love unconditionally and teach my grandson important life lessons. Be kind. Share. "i" before "e" except after "c". How to make ice cream soup. And how to make silly noises.

A day in the life of a retiree

6:30   Shut off the alarm clock. Didn't I throw this thing away once we were both officially retired?

7:00    Stumble through drying hair and getting dressed and walking downstairs feigning alertness.

7:15    Follow hubby to dealership so that he can drop off his vehicle for minor repairs while still under warranty.

7:45    Listen in amazement to him explain that yes, the left front door window really is the same as the driver's door window.

8:50    Arrive at lawyer's office. Time to update legal documents and get answers to a few questions.

10:10   Leave lawyer's office with questions answered and list of questions from him. Hmmm, can we charge him while we research these answers?

10:30   Arrive at dentist's office for hubby's dental cleaning. Attempt to catch up on knitting before class tomorrow night.

11:20    Leave with only one row done, but pleasant conversation with the office manager and tandem teasing of husband with the hygienist accomplished.

11:48    Stop at home to pick up iPad and head to Best Buy with question.

12:15    Leave Best Buy, hopefully with issue resolved. Engage in embarrassing conversation with hubby. We never go anywhere together in my car, but with his in the shop, we obviously were in mine today with him driving.

• He asked "When was the last time this thing's oil was changed?"

• Looking at him driving, I said "Why would I know that? I don't even know the last time my oil was changed!"

• To which he replied "....this is your car....."

Oops!

12:28    Plead temporary insanity because of no breakfast, no lunch and worst of all, NO COFFEE yet!

12:40    Arrive at Bob Evans, order and begin eating. Across the aisle and few booths back from husband is an older couple with something floral laying on their table. When the gentleman picked it up, I was surprised not only that it looked like a weed, but it had just been pulled from the ground and had roots (and dirt!) attached. First the man would hold it up, then the lady, all the while eating their meal. After they finished, he got out a loupe and continued to examine it while they finished their beverages.

(Who knew there's an internet photo of a woman using a loupe to examine a plant???)

1:10    While leaving restaurant, attempt to convince hubby that the plant examination was much more strange than a starving woman who is never the passenger in her own car being confused about whose vehicle she was in. Besides, he is in charge of oil change documentation and all things automotive, right?

1:30    Hubby attempts to take a nap but instead takes 3 phone calls while I discover that my iPad still isn't recognizing our router.

2:00 After discovering that our lap top wouldn't start because the power supply cord is apparently wonky (highly technical term), hubby resets our router and iPad works again. He resumes his nap position on the couch.

2:03   Our 3:00 appointment called and asked if we were available a few minutes early followed by a call from the dealership that his truck is ready.

2: 28   Arrive at appointment, sign papers, say blah...blah...blah and head to dealership. Of three problems, they could only address one because the other two occur intermittently and yesterday those issues were on their good behavior. Wait almost 20 minutes for them to find the truck they had just finished an hour ago.

4:26   Home again where it was my turn to handle phone calls while hubby, bless his heart, vacuumed out my car (the one I barely recognize), washed the mats and took it to the car wash for an external spiffing up because I am picking up a friend for lunch tomorrow.

(Snuggled up against Grammy, almost asleep )

5:38   Leave for dinner at Colton's house. Oh yeah, his mommy and daddy live there too because he isn't tall enough to reach everything yet, but he is working on it. Uncle B (our other son) was invited too, so I had to share Colton time.

8:54   Home again, this time for good. Wonder where the day went, wonder when some things are going to get done here, set the alarm for 6:00 (yikes! That is worse than today!) for hubby's golf game, sort laundry for tomorrow and promptly fall sleep while watching TV.