WEEK45 WAS BUSY AND FUN

 

What a week!  It was jammed pack with activity.  Our weather cooled off for a few days so I was outside as well as inside.  This week should be pleasant too.  I am looking forward to being able to go out without melting.  Not sure how long this will last but will soak it in while I can.  This is very unusual for us to be this mild in May.  Yes, we have hit 100 plus already this year but only for a few days.  I will take the 80's and low 90's any time I can get it.

But, you did not show up here to get a weather report.  Let's see what happened in my world this week.

I did work on the shawl this week but didn't pick it up until Wednesday!  And then I only worked on it on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday!  So here is where I am at now.

I just started pattern repeat #21.  The bottom edging doesn't start until after repeat #37.  I now know why starting a shawl at the top is such a wise idea.  Those first rows go so quickly when there are only 25 stitches on them.  I am at 269 stitches now.  That takes a bit of time to do.  This is also fingering weight yarn and has a huge tendency to split if not careful. (100% cotton)  But, this is still my favorite shawl pattern and I will make it again and again as it really does give me just enough warmth on those cool days when a sweater is just too much.

That is all for knitting/crocheting.  I did do other things that were new to me.

I made a loaf (boule) of sourdough beer bread.  It uses only 4 ingredients in it.  Sourdough starter, bread flour, beer and salt.  It does take up to 12 hours before baking can be done but it is well worth the time.  There really is very little effort in it.  I just fed my starter this morning and will try and get this ready to mix up today and the bake it first thing in the morning.  Hubby loved this loaf!  He is not a huge bread eater but, this loaf got every last crumb eaten!  Normally I end up throwing out half a loaf of my bread machine bread.

We cooked on our Blackstone griddle a few times this week.  I LOVE it!  This is a photo of the Carne Asada Tacos we made on it.

They were so yummy!  The meat was cooked on the Blackstone then I threw the tortillas on it, filled them with yummy cheese and let it melt.  Then put the meat and fixings on tip.  Ta-Da.  All cooked in about 15 minutes!  And no heat in the kitchen.  All done outside.  This is my kind of cooking.  Between the flat top griddle (Blackstone) and our wood pellet grill/smoker (Traeger), not much cooking will be done in the house other than baking.  Also, my baking is usually done in my counter top french door oven (Oster ).  It keeps the heat down in the kitchen too.  I also have an induction burner that I use if I have to cook something on the stove top.  No heat from induction cooking either.

Enrique had a vet appointment this week.  Poor little guy has some arthritis in one of his back knees.  He also has gained a little over 2 pounds which needs to come off. The vet was kind enough to tell me how many Kcal he can have a day.  Now I know and have adjusted his daily feedings to match that.  He was not too happy the first couple of days but he has already adjusted to the reduced food.  It wasn't much of a reduction.  Only about a teaspoons worth.  Since Luna passed away, he has not been nearly as active.  Hence the weight gain.

I had my routine blood work done for my RA Doc this week.  It came back the best it has ever been.  100% normal!  Yessssssssss!  But then I developed a rash and had to go to my primary care Dr.  Well, I had an appointment anyway and this just happened to show up the day I went.  Contact dermatitis and we have no idea what from.  It is in a place covered by clothing so both the Dr and I are baffled.  He put me on meds and it is starting to dissipate. 

I did lots of errand running this week. You know like normal folks do.  There was the grocery store, water store, pharmacy, and Sam's Club.  There were also loads of laundry done as well as house cleaning.  On Saturday morning, hubby and I go and pick up food from one of our local grocers for our church's food bank.  Here is what the back of my SUV looked like this week.

We pick up from produce, deli, frozen, bakery and meat departments.  I could not even see out of my back window.  Last week we only had about 3 boxes. There are two other people that pick up food also on Saturday.  We all got quite a bit this week.  I love it when the car gets filled.  That means there will be lots of full tummies this coming week.  

Not sure if I will be posting next week.  Maybe.  Depends.  It is Mother's Day here in the US.  My kids were going to have us all come over for a special day.  I cancelled it!  I have one Daughter in Law who has a broken rib and is in horrible pain.  Another Daughter in Law is having surgery this week and is going to be in horrible pain afterwards (trust me, I know what she is having done and it isn't gonna be pain free)  The son who was going to have the dinner has his in laws staying with him for the next few weeks.  Then we have graduation, 2 birthday parties, and a graduation party all happening in the next 3 weeks.  It is all just too much.  So I cancelled everyone's plans.  Not one person was upset either!  I know my kids love me for being their mom.  I do not need a special day on the calendar to have them show me their love.  So...................Hubby made reservations for us to go up to the mountains and spend the night in one of the casinos there.  We have a friend up there we have not seen for many years and would like to reconnect with her too.  It will be nice to have a little get away for the two of us.  And, no one needs to cook!

WARNING!!!!!!!  The next couple of paragraphs are kind of downers.  If you do not want to read them I understand.  Just scoot on down to the comment area and leave a comment.  I needed to write about the 'sadder' things from this week.  It helps me heal if I get it out of my head and down in writing.  I will leave you with a darling picture of my "boy".  He sleeps like this all the time and I find his little pink tongue peeking out adorable.

This is all the good news for this week!

Until Next Time............................Happy Crafting!!!!!!!!!!!
  

My daughter had one of her dogs cross the rainbow bridge early Friday morning.  He was one of the goofiest dogs I had ever met.  It was unexpected and my heart hurts for her.  Having just gone through it myself, I know how sad it makes a person.  Her three other dogs don't seem to miss him too much which it a good thing for them.  This dog was her best buddy so I know she is missing him terribly.  

We lost someone to Suicide this week.  I am totally shocked and completed baffled as to why.  No warning signs at all.  The family left behind is beyond devastated.  I can not even imagine the pain and agony they are in.  The worse part is, it happened at home with the family in the other room!  The trauma of finding your loved one......I can not even begin to know the pain, anguish, shock and horror.  This is the second friend we have known to do this.  So heart wrenching.  Please, if you are a praying person, send some prayers of healing and comfort up for this family that is left behind.  Thank you.  

May peace and joy be with you this coming week.