Crochet Me Crazy

We just got home from the orthopedic doctor. There's nothing to do for us except no dancing for at least 4 weeks or until she has no pain. One thing he said that surprised me he said was that the swelling could last after it has healed because of all the soft tissues. He said he's seen the swelling last 9 weeks. So...that's all good news really. Nothing major seems affected and it should heal on it's own. The bad part is no ballet.

Well, the sad news is that our little goat isn't doing well. We really don't know what happened to him but all of the sudden one day his back legs aren't working right. He can't get up on his own and his legs just give out on him. I feel sorry for the little guy. She even took him to the vet and the vet said he can't think of anything that would cause it except maybe someone fell on him or he was injured somehow. He gave him a cortizone shot and we're waiting to see what happens. Bee is really upset about it. She's really close with the goat and after losing Bluecher recently, I hope he doesn't have to be put down.

Well, some finished projects to show.

The bag....eh...not crazy about it...

Here's my plastic bag keeper I made for myself...

trying to get x-rays on Alison's ankle. That was a bunch of rigamarole. I hate hospitals and doctor's offices. THANK GOD we don't go very often! My kids haven't been sick enough to go the doctor in many, many years. Unfortunately, all of our dealings with doctors and hospitals have been horse related since we moved here. We did finally get the x-ray done and tomorrow we have an appointment with the orthopedic doctor, so we shall see.

I have started crocheting....I actually have several projects going on at once right now. I started a bag which I'm just a small amount from being finished on when I got distracted and started on a pair of shorts for Alison to possibly wear over her bodysuit at dance. Then, while I was cleaning and trying to re-organize and move things around here today, I decided I need a plastic bag holder to hang on the wall so I started making one of those. Now, my goal is to force myself to finish the bag this afternoon before I get too much further off on a rabbit trail!

A cold front blew in yesterday in a big way....the high wind woke me up several times last night and today it is still whipping around out there. I'm doing my best to stay inside as much as possible!

Haven't had anymore 80 degree days...been slightly cooler but still very nice weather no less. We are starting to have some green grass growing and I'm starting to see the birds in my yard again! They, along with all the other critters around here, love to hang out in my yard! The birds like to come steal out of Gracie's grain bowl.

Yesterday morning we went to church -- haven't been in a while because of all the chaos. I'm going to try to get in the habit again. I just wish I could find a church that I really love but it's hard out here in the country. We are driving to the next town over because it's the best one I've found. The people are very nice. The kid's aren't crazy about Sunday Schoool but we're going anyway. Alison I think would enjoy a more mature class. Just a lesson without all the entertainment frills. I had all the kid's today while the Stable's are gone for the day...and the baby deer and the goat. The baby deer has decided that Bee is her mommy and she was on a hunger strike for me most of the day. I spent every hour trying to feed her and she refused. I finally got her to eat a little at 6 pm last night!

Have you ever noticed how all the really nice crochet patterns...especially clothing patterns are foreign? I see stuff on Pinterest all the time and then am disappointed to find that the pattern is in another language...why do I never see such well fitting crochet items in English?? Anyone just wondering if anyone else has ever noticed that.

Well, this caught my attention on Pinterest this morning.  Being the perfectionist that I am, it has always bugged me especially during color changes on hats, etc when you can see that seam. 

Here is a video and she even has written instructions (my preference) on how to join invisibly.

PlanetJune by June Gilbank � Perfect Stripes for Amigurumi [video]

Making that hat for Morgan got me a little inspired...I made another hat.

Oh, and just a *little* something I made.


I crocheted Alison's name for her....why? and what are we going to do with it?   I don't know...I just wanted to do it.  I don't like the "N" though.  Maybe she can put it on her wall.

Right now I'm working on a pleated bag. Will post pictures shortly!

We've been having some beautiful weather the past few days! It was 80 degrees here today! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

I had my hands full babysitting the baby deer and the baby goat this weekend. A little more work with both of them...but at least the weather is cooperating so that makes it easier. I was able to leave them outside in the enclosed garden Saturday while we did rides. I was planning on leaving them over at the Stable's house last night but ended up trying to enclose a little area on the tile floor. Well, that didn't work...in the middle of the night the goat got hungry and just pushed his way out. I woke up to him running all over the house last night so I had to get up and feed them at around 3 am. And I was worried about the deer getting out but she wasn't the culprit. Teddy was a hungry little booger...it's hard to make me smile at that hour but the way he was running around after me while I was making the milk was humorous. Last night I had Michael bring the large animal crate in the house. That night went much better. I was able to sleep all night until they woke me up at 7 am. It was sad though...today the deer's eye is all clouded up and she seems to be going blind. Bee came home today so they are back over there. Not sure what's going to happen with baby deer being blind. She's going to see what the vet says.

Well, I finished a crochet project over the past day. I made a hat and scarf for Morgan. I didn't get a picture of it before it slipped out of the house though! I'm going to have to get him to bring it back over so I can get a picture. He had taken another hat I had already had made and wore it too school. He came home saying his friends liked his hat and asking me if I could make him a scarf to match. Well, I was out of that yarn so I made him another hat with a scarf to match. I used the varigated yarn I had left over from the Blue Star Afghan I made for him. I love that yarn color....very boyish looking with the blues, tan, and brown.

Well, it's a sad day today because we lost Bluecher. She was a very old friend whose been around this place for a long time....long, long before we came along. She was very old and has had a tumor for a long time that never really posed a problem and she was too old to operate on. The tumor ruptured and she had to be put down today.

We spent the whole day waiting around in a doctor's office today. Now that dance has started back, her ankle has been hurting her again so we decided we better get it looked at. Next, we have to go get x-rays done.

I really need to get to crocheting again....but I'm not sure what I want to do. I'm lacking inspiration right now. I should get back to the blanket but after the hub-bub of the holidays, I don't know what I did with my chart. I guess I need to scour my patterns and see if something jumps out at me.

It was a full day today! Today was my first day to get up to get Morgan and Serenity off to school so "B" can get some rest so I was up at 5:30 this morning. They are pretty self sufficient but I just needed to make sure they got up and eat something and make their lunches. I fed the baby goat too while I was there. I was done by 7:00 am.

The baby goats are coming in prety steady right now. We have 16 born so far.

I'll spare yout he pictures but today "B" had to help a young mama have her kid by pulling it out. Sometimes they need help or they can die. She would have never made it by herself. It was hard enough to pull it out!

Then a wonderful surprise came to us today! Another Axis deer! Some people called to see if we would take her because her mama had been shot last night. We think she's less than 3 days old. I'm in love! Oh my goodness...she's so tiny! Wish us luck with this one!

We had Alison's belated birthday party yesterday. We grilled fajitas for lunch and then had cake. Alison had a bunch of messy games planned. But the most priceless one was when the kid's wrapped "Mr. Stables" and Jeff in toilet paper!

We had to tape cut up bananas back together and see who had the neatest one....Alison and Morgan won that contest.


They had to crack eggs into a cup their partner was holding in their mouths...They had to find a piece of bubble gum in a plate of whipped cream.




They had to shoot whipped cream off their partners nose with a water gun...


Okay, now that all the festivities, holidays and stock show are over....time to get back to "normal"...whatever that is...life this week. Dance and school start back up....

We spent the entire day up at the show barn today. They had the sale and Alison got $600 for her goat so that makes it worth it. She did not win showmanship with her horse though. Oh well...

Well, I'm sure tomorrow will be another interesting day and I'm tired and going to bed!

We worked on Princess last night after dark as best we could in the dark barn then this morning we started our day before the sun came up this morning. We left for the show barn around 9:30 am and it was a long day from there. Alison placed 5th of the 5 horses in confirmation which is NOT a surprise for us. We are fully aware that Princess can't place because they are judging on quarter horse standards and Princess is half Percheron. Alison has over 30 horses to choose from to show but she is shooting for winning Showmanship which is what she has won a buckle for in the past. We won't know if she won or not until Saturday. Next year, we're going to show 2 horses. We have other horses that can definately place if she wants to do the work. It's really a lot of work to show a horse and very little reward to it. So showing two horses would be double the work. It'll be a shame if she doesn't win because she does the work herself and many of the kids don't.
The kids showed their goats...none of them placed very well with their goats. The pay-off will come tomorrow for the sale. They should all get money.

We've got goats dropping this week. 4 babies so far and a barn full of nannies tonight that are expecting.

So anyway, just a bunch of pictures from last night & today....

Ugh....we really need the rain but I hate the mess it brings me. We don't have a covered porch so when you step outside, you step out into the rain. With all the traipsing around we do outside, it's near impossible to keep the mud out. Mud is pretty much all we have when it rains...we don't really have grass to speak of so all that dusty ground turns to mud in the rain. Muddy boots have to be taken off inside so they don't get wet. Pets feet have to get wipes off before they come inside. And to top it off...it's stock show week! Alison spent hours grooming Princess up yesterday before the rain came. Princess looked like a Princess!

The idea is to do it everyday and she'll look great at the show...well, there goes that. This is what we had to deal with this morning....



If you know horses, you know they roll, so we now have mud caked horses. There was no way to brush the mud off. We rinsed her off and now she's in a stall drying. We're going to have to do it later on this evening after we get back from the orthodontist and hopefully Princess will be dry by then. Why do we ALWAYS have inclement weather the week of the stock show?? Murphy's Law, I guess...

Here is Alison with her show goat...

In haven't been crocheting during the holidays so nothing new to share and the rest of our lives are pretty predictable. We've been busy with the animals. This week is the kid's stock show so Alison will be working with her horse and her horse to get ready.

It's been really cold and we even got a little bit of snow this past week. It has been pretty miserable weather. I hate the cold.

This past Saturday Alison was a server at a Prayer Breakfast. This kicks off a year long celebration of our counties Centennial celebration. She looked so beautiful and authentic in her calico skirt and apron.

We've been doing a lot of goat sitting over the holidays too...

"What can be said in New Year rhymes,
That's not been said a thousand times?
The new years come, the old years go,
We know we dream, we dream we know.
We rise up laughing with the light,
We lie down weeping with the night.
We hug the world until it stings,
We curse it then and sigh for wings.
We live, we love, we woo, we wed,
We wreathe our prides, we sheet our dead.
We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear,
And that's the burden of a year."

--Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Just been a lot of busy since the Christmas holiday...a lot of baby goat sitting and a few trail rides here and there.

We went to the movies last night and saw the movie Parental Guidance. I'm trying to get started on packing up the Christmas decorations today.

I saw this and liked it....