Oops, what did I expect?

That quote about insanity, you know the one, doing something again and again the same way and expecting different outcomes? Well I qualify for the label.  This Sheep Mitten pattern is so darn cute, and I so want to do it justice. I already started over right above the cuff one time. I thought my gauge was too tight so I went up one needle size. I also didn't like the light green I had chosen and the black really bothered me, it was too harsh. Those changes were supposed to get me going down the right path. The pattern is clear, written in a way that makes it easy to follow. So where did I go wrong? My gauge was still too tight, but the further I went, it seemed to be getting smaller, in spite of the larger needles. I persevered all the way to the decreases at the top. Still too tight but what else, way long too?. I had even voiced my concerns in the I Make Mitten group, about my difficulties. Then as I was wondering how did these get soooo very long it hit me that I read one short phrase wrong. The double stranding in the top part of the mitten I had begun at the base of the thumb. No wonder working the pattern was difficult, I was alternating two strands of white And working the gray, alternating the white ...... Oh my gosh how could I have done that?

So, frogging is about to happen. I'll go up another needle size and follow the directions! 

Squirrels on the ground and in the air

There are two exciting additions to the back yard. The first, and most interesting, is the new bird feeder we added. We wanted to attract some bigger birds, so decided too add a second feeder with Sunflower Seeds as primary food. This feeder also has cages for suet, which also seem popular. Unlike in Texas, suet doesn't melt here! Of course, not more than 2 hours after the feeder went up we had our first squirrel. You have to understand, this is the first time I have seen a squirrel in our yard! It remains to be seen if he will jump up on the feeder, so far he has chosen to eat from the ground.

Secondly, the workmen finally showed up to remedy the damage from Ernest when the Tree fell on the house. We've been looking at plastic for about three months now. So, two guys with ladders and shingles showed up on Friday and hammered and jabbered away for about two hours. The next day the suppervisor showed up and took a look at their work and vetoed the job. Seems the rows are out of line. Yep, it is always a comedy here when we have workmen!

Guest Closet/Toy Storage

Other storage advancements! This is a collection of before and after shots of the "stuff" that made a home in the guest room closet. This past week Eric made this book case for the grand-childrens puzzles, games and books. It looks so much nicer now, don't you think?

House on Elm Street

Yesterday turned out to be arbor day here in the neighborhood. Street trees, as they are called here in CrossRidge, are part of the landscape designs for each house. However, your tree isn't planted until the majority of the street is ready to be planted. In our case, this was now, a year after we moved into the neighborhood.

The attic room