ME!!!! Yes, Happy Birthday to me – even though my birthday was December 22. My parents had Mark and I over for dinner. Corey and Danielle came too. I thought we were there just for dinner and dessert but then my parents disappeared and came back out with this beautiful pumpkin bread. Dad made the pumpkin bread (topped with pecans – yummy). He then cut it and arranged it beautifully and Mom topped it with the candle (zero years – I’ll take it).
Why a birthday party on February 27 when my birthday was December 22? My parents got me Amazon gift cards for my birthday and Christmas and they got misplaced so I didn’t get them for my birthday and Christmas. I told Mom “no big deal” – I don’t need gifts anyway. She found them and my parents did this little surprise party to give me my gift cards. Awwwww. And then here’s the double awwwwww – Sammy – not great pics because it was dark and I was using my iPhone – but this is me holding my cake and Sammy on the floor wishing he could have a piece. He’s adorable.
It was a great surprise – I couldn’t figure out whose birthday we were celebrating when everybody starting singing “Happy Birthday”. Thanks Mom and Dad!!!!
Posted March 2, 2010 ago at 5:59 pm.
People were cold – we can’t have that (kidding – they were warm but it adds to the mystery). Here’s what I made for Mom. The yarn is Yarn Bee Soft Delight Extremes – the color is EX brown. This is NICE yarn. It is double-stranded with Regia loden sock yarn. Maybe you can’t tell from the picture, but it is a keyhole scarf and a pair of fingerless gloves – very luxurious.
This hat and gaiter set was made for Dad. The hat is double thick and reversible. The camo yarn is Red Heart (ickkkkkkkkk) and the other yarn is I Love This Yarn (and I do) – the color is coffee.
…that wasn’t Dad…this is Dad…he likes getting his picture taken.
For Aunt Betty, I crocheted a scarf with the Yarn Bee Soft Delight Extremes – again EX brown – the second strand was Simply Soft – a pretty dusty rose color – unsure of the technical color name.
Posted January 7, 2010 ago at 12:41 pm.
Mom got sick on Christmas Day. She’s still trying to feel better – bronchitis kicked her butt. I made her this pot of homemade chicken and noodles with dumplings on top. Yummers. We all enjoyed it (Roger………if I knew you were going to be there, I would have made some bigger chunks!!!). Mom was too sick to enjoy it but Dad, Mark, Roger and myself LOVED it.
Posted ago at 11:16 am.
This is a YouTube video Keith posted when he came home for Grandpa’s birthday (Happy 76 Dad!! How many times do I have to tell you to stop getting older???). This was taken from the swing in our back yard – it truly is beautiful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HZVaNB7OQs
Posted September 11, 2009 ago at 5:20 am.
This is Sammy, my parents’ cocker spaniel, bringing in the paper in the morning for my parents. What a good dog. He’s the best dog and loves everybody.
Posted ago at 5:14 am.
Dad and Sammy – need I say more?
Posted ago at 5:10 am.
Happy Mother’s Day to Mom! I made her these socks and we bought her a wireless mouse and keyboard. She was pretty happy. I was not fond of this sock yarn – the color looked a little dull to me but Mom loves them and that’s all that matters. Mom – you are loved.
*Paton’s Stretch Sugar 32415**
Posted June 5, 2009 ago at 5:47 am.
That is a copy of a letter written to Grandpa from Keith and Justin (click to enlarge). Keith and Justin bought Grandpa a new screwdriver set and a pair of pliers. The reference to the holes being punched is because Grandpa had a leather punch and he used to punch holes in Keith and Corey’s new belts to make them just the right size for Keith and Corey ever since they were old enough to wear belts. If they grew and needed more holes, they’d go see Grandpa. Maybe we should get Grandpa a new leather punch too.
Below is a picture of Keith’s first bicycle. It was an antique Schwinn. Keith didn’t have room to save it when he moved so Grandpa took it. Grandpa was going to just use the tires to build a cart or a wagon or something but then it was so nice, he was going to put it in the landscaping in his front yard with a sign that said “Keith’s bike”. Somehow, it managed to stay beautifully upright through the fire, right where Grandpa had stored it. I think it’s symbolic of life going on.
The last picture is Dad’s toolbox. Dad has been a mechanic forever. He used to work on buses, tractors, cars, trucks, mowers – everything! It was a fun childhood. We used to get to get in whatever he was working on and “press the brakes” or “start the car” – just fun times if you were a kid. There was a pop machine in his shop with the old glass bottles – we would get to count the change or fill the machine. If I were really lucky, Dad would ask me to make a new sign and I’d get to use the big markers in his drawer and get creative. The history in that shed is HUGE. It’s sad to look at it all but there’s always that upside – nobody was hurt.
Posted March 25, 2009 ago at 11:47 am.
On top of everything else going on in our lives right now, this happened Saturday at my parents’ home. ~~NOBODY WAS INJURED~~
Click here for more pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/tmcknit/ShedFire032109#. Below is the story of what happened.
Mark and I were in our backyard. I went in to make us a sandwich and when I came back outside, I saw smoke at my parents’ shed. I said to Mark “is that smoke coming from Dad’s shed?” Mark started to walk and then ran like hell over there. He yelled back to me “call 911″.
Dad had been working outside all day. We had watched him, waved at him, etc. but now we couldn’t find him. While I was on the phone with 911, Mark ran into this burning shed, filled with smoke and flames, windows exploding, to try to find my Dad. My phone call with 911 started at 2:06 p.m. and by 2:09 p.m., the shed was fully engulfed. 911 stayed on the phone until Mark found Dad, who had just one or two minutes earlier drove his riding mower next-door to my brother’s house – thank goodness!!!
Roger heard screams – he didn’t know who was screaming or what I was screaming – it was me screaming “Dad”, then telling 911 “we can’t find my Dad” – then saying “I’m sorry” to 911 – then screaming for Dad again – 911 was very nice and said it was o.k. I tried to stay calm – I knew I had to calmly give the address and our township and “what is your emergency” – but after that I just wanted my Dad and Mark safe. Roger later asked who was screaming – I told him me – he said “man, you’ve got a loud scream on you”.
When Roger heard the screams, he looked and saw what was happening and came running (with a little fire extinguisher – somehow, later that was an LOL for us all). It was all too late. In those few minutes it was already over. Dad was safe, Mark was safe, our world forever changed. I couldn’t sleep just thinking that I could have lost them both. If Dad were in there, he would have fallen trying to get out – he’s not as steady as he used to be. If Mark had heard Dad in there, I know Mark would have tried to rescue him – that’s my Mark.
So today is a new day – it’s an ugly mess but nobody got hurt. Something that took my parents over fifty years to build, was gone in minutes. They will rebuild and life will go on – that’s the blessing – life will go on.
And last but absolutely not least, the firefighters were amazing. I think there were four departments there – Noble, Kingsford-Union, Hanna and Washington Townships. This pic is of Richard (left) and his little brother. Richard works with Mark and these two were just all smiles and cute as could be. Thanks to all the fire departments and the ambulances for a quick response. It seemed like forever but looking at the time on the pics, it was twelve minutes from the start of my call to the arrival of the first fire truck. In rural America, that’s pretty darn good. More good news – the firefighters were able to save my parents’ home. It has the obvious damage you will see in the pictures – melted siding, broken windows, but only the outside pane of the double-pane windows broke from the heat of the fire, so there is no interior damage to their home. Thank you thank you thank you to them all.
Posted March 22, 2009 ago at 5:04 pm.
Ok, so here’s the deal………..if you know me, you know some of the qualities I value in people. I value trust and friendship and honesty and kindness and gentle souls. I value people who care about people and people with a giving spirit and people who call or e-mail just to say “hey, how’s it going” and not to say “I think about you all the time and just never get around to calling, but now that you’re on the phone, can you (fill in the blank) for me”.
I value peace. I remember when I was a teenager and we were having the usual Christmas Eve party at my parents’ house and somebody asked “What do you want for Christmas” and I said “world peace.” Somebody roared with laughter (I won’t name names but I do remember who it was and they were also a teenager so maybe they didn’t get it then – I think/hope they do now). I do wish for world peace but I don’t think it’s attainable – people are people and we are all just too different.
I value pet-lovers and people who care about the elderly. I always say that if you don’t love and care for pets and the elderly, you’re not my kind of person.
So…………if you think you know me, you know all or most of that about me. You also know how very much a gift I received today means to me. It’s a necklace and my Mom gave it to me today, New Year’s Day. I love the word on the necklace and hope anybody who reads this has it and gives it and encounters it every day. (A better picture will be posted soon – my camera is unwilling to free the pictures today for some reason – Joan, I’m blaming you for that!!!).
Posted January 1, 2009 ago at 6:56 pm.
