Another 15-Year-Old!

Today is Chris' birthday. He's three weeks younger than his brother-try explaining that to people! He came first to the family, even though Isaac is older. He's the kid that turned us into grandparents-toddling into our lives with curly hair, a fertile imagination and chocolate colored eyes. He's a great kid and totally dedicated to football. I hope and pray he can take that love into his adult life. Whether he goes pro or coaches, he can do a lot of good in this world.

Still has the curly hair and chocolate eyes-a real heart breaker! Happy birthday, Chris. I'm glad you started this grandkid thing!

Small Town Stuff

I know I've talked about the Manhattan Potato Festival. We live here in Manhattan and always are sure to take in the festivities.

I grew up in a small but growing town just 10 miles east of Manhattan-Belgrade. Back in about 1962 they started their own Fall Festival and have carried on the tradition ever since. It's really in the family because right from the beginning, my Mom started dressing in outlandish costumes and walking in the parade. She "retired" from that in the 1990's and I still have people telling me the Belgrade Fall Festival will never be the same without her.

BUT-now the next generations are coming along. This year my 15-year-old grandson rode the football players float. Not Mom's outlandish costumes, for sure, but at least the tradition is still there. Actually, Chris would DIE before he tried anything like that. He probably would die of embarrassment watching her if she were still around to do it.

The curly-haired one, number 85 is our Belgrade Panther pride and joy.

Honoring our firefighters.

There was a pancake breakfast at the Senior Center, a free barbecue, crafts in the park-a true small town celebration.

Afterward, Stan and I drove 25 miles to the cement plant where he worked for 39 years. It was the plant's 100 anniversary and they had a barbecue, giveaways, and tours of the plant. I wasn't going to go on the tour, I had toured a few years ago, but they convinced Stan he had to see the new equipment in the control room (he was a lab technician there), and I didn't want to sit around waiting for him so we went together. The reason I didn't want to go was because the kiln where they fire the cement rock gets VERY hot-over 2,000 degrees-and we spend quite a bit of time fairly close to it. Being at that "magic age," I could really sweat! Well, I donned a hardhat, picked up some earplugs and went on in anyway. It was alright to see it once more, but I did get tired of our tour guide continually asking me if I was OK. What was up with that? I wasn't even the oldest one on the tour! I didn't even start sweating til we left the plant!

Big day-we could have gone back to Belgrade for the homecoming game, but we decided we had traipsed around the valley enough for one day. Besides, it was unseasonably hot for September and I hadn't cooled down from the kiln yet.

Lucky Doll!

My sister-in-law dug up this doll at her mom's house. It was Norma's as a child. Norma has two small granddaughters, but since there was only one doll and I only have one granddaughter, she gave the doll to me to give to Gracie.

The only thing was the poor thing was basically naked! I was contemplating what kind of clothes to design for the doll (she's about 10 inches tall), when I found this retro pattern:

So I started cutting! So far, a dress, panties, slip, nightgown, and a coat. I also found in my mom's things a bed doll dress that she had started, so I am adapting and finishing that as well. This will be a three-way Christmas gift-from Gramma, Auntie Norma, and Great-Gramma Pat. Something to remember us all by.

He's 15!

How did that happen? Seriously, he's a great kid. Gets good grades, loves kids and animals, just a really nice guy.

Happy birthday, Isaac-Grandpa and I love you lots!

What We did Today

Well, actually we started a few weeks ago, ordering carpet and clearing the "stuff" out of the two extra bedrooms. The carpet finally came in and yesterday we worked like dogs carrying things out to the garage. Then today two nice young men came and put in some very pretty carpet.


We did two rooms-we need to redo the master bedroom and the bathrooms but I think that can wait a bit-costs money and it's a boatload of work! I know in my heart that some of the stuff filling up my stall in the garage won't make it back upstairs. Craigslist here we come!

It's a bit lighter than I anticipated, but it's in the bedrooms and we can get some throw rugs. The carpet came just in time because we are gaining two roommates-our son Steve and his son Sydney. Steve's wife has asked him for a divorce, and Sydney will be living mostly with his dad but some with his mom, too. They'll be here for a couple of months, but they're both a pleasure to be around so it shouldn't be any problem.

In other news, I finished Grandma's socks! I used the self-striping Deborah Norville sock yarn that is a blend of merino wool, nylon and bamboo. It's so warm and soft-she sleeps in socks even though, being an elderly lady, she wears nylons during the day. She'll have some cozy nights.

I own three pairs of US size 2 sock needles, so I knitted these together until I got to the heel gusset. That way I was assured of a stripe match and I got it-I think they are a perfect match! Too bad that will be lost on Gram because of her macular degeneration. She'll still enjoy them. Oh, and did I mention these are part of my ambitious sock Christmas? Got a few more to do-started right out on a blue variegated for a five year old boy.