Saturday, October 18, 2014

Scattered thoughts on a Saturday


I am feeling scattered today.  So I guess you are getting a scattered post.   Here are the beautiful sunflowers on my kitchen table.  I love sunflowers in Autumn.  The ghosts Little Buddy made with his babysitter with tissues, cotton balls, string and markers.


My beautiful Mum is flowering so nicely.  See the little surprise flower behind it?

This basket that has been refilled several times with yarn is near empty because................

Thirty-five dishcloths have been completed.  I think I might be done with this project, well at least for now.  I think I should celebrate!


Little Buddy leaves a cute mess everywhere he goes.  Firefighters and a firetruck came for a visit at his school this week, he loved it.  He got this Elmo coloring book that discusses the old favorite, "stop, drop and roll."  He is also in LOVE with his fake money.  He says, "I love money," all the time in this weird deep voice, sort of like a deranged accountant or banker!  We might have a problem on our hands as he gets older!!!!!


I made something cute last night, more on that later.

I hope to be sitting my behind right here in a few minutes listening to Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld.  I am really enjoying this book so much.  I was listening to The Rope Walk by Carrie Brown but I returned it to the library early as it frankly was driving me crazy.  There were way, and I mean way to many similes in this book.  I am not a literature Queen but I swear I was ready to scream at the author if she had one more sentence with, "like" or "as if," in it.  The main character was 10, and there is just no way a ten year old has these types of thoughts.   And it also took place in current times but it should  have taken place in the 70's, it felt wrong when the author mentioned 9/11 or cell phones, sort of jarring in fact.  I finally put myself out of the misery I was in and returned the audiobook early.  I looked up the book on goodreads and frankly might be the only one who did not love it.  

Listening to a book while driving, going for a walk or playing with yarn is my new favorite thing to do.  I get double the "reading" time and can get other things done at the same time.  I am re-reading the Big Stone Gap series by Adriana Trigiani in the evenings before bed.  I have missed the main character Ave Maria, she feels like a good old friend.  I am enjoying them even more than the first time I read them.  That is the wonderful thing about a good book, you can re-read it many times and get different things from it each time you read it.

This morning I spent pressure washing my driveway.  I never even knew something like this had to be done until I moved to Florida, the mold and mildew capitol of the world.  The pressure washer stopped working about 3/4 of the way through the job.  I think I overheated it.  I will try to finish it tomorrow, boy I have such an exciting life!  

I have been decorated for Halloween for a couple of weeks.  I love this holiday.  I will show you more this week.

Is Blogger slow today or is it just me?

Hope you are having a slightly less scattered day than I am. 

40 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is not just you... Blogger is excruciatingly slow today. It was really really slow last night early this morning as well...grrrr because I was working on my blog! C'est la vie! :D
I thought New Hampshire was the mold capital of the world... I can't keep up with it in the house... so frustrating!
By the way, I love those crocheted baskets you have - did you make them?
Lovely...
Hugs always,
Beth P

Christina said...

I thought the mildew and mould capital is Glasgow! I would love to get hold of a pressure washer and clean all our paving stones!
I love children's clutter, it shows so much about their personalities, doesn't it? I do get annoyed with it if it clutters my own small space, or if I step on it during the night. You've done great to finish your washcloth project! I made my first today... sigh. Love, Cx

RedSetter said...

A lovely post. Glad your dishcloths are finished and you can get onto something new. Impressive amount though.

I love audiobooks for the double amount of reading too. It is also lovely when you are in bed and too tired to hold a book up to just quietly listen.

Been a bit of a week here too but more of that later. Hope you enjoyed your seat and chill out time.

kathy b said...

Yes BLOGGER was super slow this afternoon> Thanks for confirming that. I thought it was my server

Love the little baby ghosts.

I love Halloween. I have to work on my decorations more. We just lit our first fire in the fireplace....with a crackle log..but it counts!!

Amy at love made my home said...

Blogger = very slow!
Buddy = way too cute!
Cloths = wow, great job!
Driveway = spooky, hubby cleared ours today, moss though, not mildew! Hope you get it done tomorrow
Pumpkins = me too!!

Love the little ghosts! xx

Lucie said...

Bonsoir Meredith,

Halloween is one of my favorite Holiday. All hhe houses of the street are decorated and is beautiful. I love your discloths... Meredith has her discloths and lucie has her slippers... Hihihi! I hope you have a great weekend.
Lucie

Judy S. said...

Good job on the dishcloths! Our mums need some sunshine to open their buds; yours is lovely. We have to pressure wash here in the PNW also! Blogger was weird all week, I think. They must have been working on it because mine at least has a new section on it called "blogs you might like.) Or am I the only one?

ellen said...

You have made such a wonderful collection of dishcloths. My goodness.
My last Almost Lost one has a boo boo in it and I just refuse to undo it again. Sigh. I'd like to blame it on my still bad eyesight, but it is my poor knitting brain. Oh, well.
Little Buddy's ghosts are great. I bet he had fun making them. And the money loving thing..he just might love picking up small items and putting them in a line. I used to save those plastic bread thingies..you know the hard plastic ones, not the wire ones. They are fantastic for little ones to make patterns with, to count etc.
I am reading a book that I could just clutch to my heart every other word, sentence or phrase...it's All the Light We Cannot See. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I will hold it in my heart forever.
Love to you...oh, and may I just note that the mildew capital of the world just may be my birth home..Honolulu.
and if there are more than glaring typos here..I still am squinting with the eye surgery. xoxo

Carla from The River said...

I am so excited to see your Halloween decorations.
Good luck with the pressure washer. LOL that was cute what you had to say. I never knew folks had to pressure wash a drive way. :-)

Linda @ A La Carte said...

I've had some issues with Blogger all week also. Love the stack of dishcloths! Great job. That swing looks so inviting! I just finished the Stone Gap series not long ago...enjoyed it very much.
hugs,
Linda

Teresa Kasner said...

Your post is exactly what I needed.. I try to blog every other day and this would be the day and I've got nuthin'. I hope your power washer works again tomorrow! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

Betsy said...

I so enjoyed this "scattered" post Meredith. Love the flowers. LOVE all of your beautiful dishcloths. Little Buddy's Elmo fest and toy money remind me so much of Miss Piper's play times. I hope to get back to books on cd this winter. I have so many regular books here to read though and just not enough time to read them. Good luck with the power washing tomorrow. We plan to clean ceiling fans tomorrow. Such exciting lives we lead! :-)
Blessings,
Betsy

Anonymous said...

I loved the Big Stone Gap books. I didn't like her other books quite as much, but the ones I read were okay.

I'm reading The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier right now. Pretty good.

Have a happy Sunday!

Chris said...

Wow look at you and all those dishcloths! Truly amazing! Your flowers look so fresh and pretty. Enjoy your Sunday!

Thomasina Tittlemouse said...

Enjoyed your "scattered" post very much and catching up - love your dishcloth project and funnily enough I too have been making that lovely flower-shaped pattern (also in some quantity!) for a project that gives Christmas parcels to lonely & needy folk in my local community! Going to try that Smooth Fox one next that you posted a pic about - variety is the name of keeping going with making these, I find! Loved catching up too with how Little Buddy is doing - he's amazing and so are you! have a lovely Sunday! E xx

Kris said...

Hey there Mere. You have passed me up with the dishcloths! I need to make some more. But I have a big dent in it.
Love LB's crafts!!!
XO Kris

mamasmercantile said...

Well done for finishing all of those washcloths that was a serious amount to do. I loved the ghosts Little Buddy made a great project to do with the Grandchildren, thanks for sharing. Good luck with the power washer.

moonstruckcreations said...

The thought of LB and his money has now got me an earworm - "Money Money Money" by Abba is now on a loop in my head!!!!!!

Well done you on getting all those dishcloths done, I think I have enough potholders for presents now so must make a start on my felt hearts. Will probably make a start this week as I have a few days off work as it is half term in schools here.

Have a lovely Sunday, Helenxx

Elisabeth said...

I have a steam cleaner that has a tendency to stop half way through jobs too ;)
Your Halloween pumpkin is so cute, I want us to carve one this year too, it will be the first time we have one!
Have a wonderful day Meredith. Hugs, Elisabeth

kathyinozarks said...

Blogger is working strange this morning too-couldn't get the comments to open up
I always enjoy your pretty photos Love all your dishcloths-awesome way to use up bits of yarn, the little ghosts are too fun, and I really love autumn allot too-especially October and we are having a beautiful week here so far
I have a couple books I re read too-love it that we have the choice not to read a book if we just don't like it-no reason to suffer through it.
have an awesome week ahead

Ingrid K. said...

Hi Meredith,

Read your post this morning and couldn't reply (Blogger?), so I am having another go at it now!
Good to see you got some essential work done on your driveway!
Those ghosts by LB are really cute, thanks for sharing! :)
I'm in awe of your output on the dishclothes, well done! You are certainly planning well ahead!
Intrigued about your 'mystery' make!!!
Hope you are having a nice sunday, here the sun is shining and it is amazingly warm!
Hugs, Ingrid xx
http://myfunkycrochet.blogspot.be

Géraldine B. said...

You're feeling scattered but lovely post .... Hope you've had pleasure ... have a nice sunday !

Clare said...

A lovely post, not scattered at all, I think you've done so well with the dishcloths I would not have been able to manage so many. Little Buddy little pile of things made me smile as did the ghost which I remember making a few years back with my nephew.
Clare xx

Unknown said...

Great post! I love Little Buddies ghosts! I bet he was so happy when he gave them to you. Cute "mess" also. All the things that were important to him in that moment. The deep voice..is he imitating someone. Like one of the firefighters? Someone that he really caught his attention?
I am hoping to put some fall pictures on my blog today. Colors are really starting to wind down but i found a gorgeous area yesterday.

Petunia Pill said...

Deep voice about money...maybe he's talking like Cookie Monster who uses that voice to talk about his love for cookies? Just wanted to say hi...I stopped by and checked in on you...scattered is ok...go easy on yourself. Hugs, Annette

linda said...

I'm always scattered meredith haha blogger was so slow for me yesterday I couldn't get a thing done so I gave up in the end it's a bit better today but I'm way behind and trying to catch up. Well done on completing all the dishcloths, I am just starting but will do one now and then I'm not making as many as you have I think it's great that you have made so many. I tried an audio book for the first time last week but the reader's voice really grated on me so I took it back, the other I got was cassettes and I hadn't realised so that had to go back too as I haven't got a cassette recorder...does anyone these days? have a great week! xxx

CJ said...

Funnily enough I learned about "Stop, drop and roll" for the first time at lunch today when I was talking to the children. It wasn't the only thing they taught me today, I learned a bit about triangles too. That's a lovely stack of dishcloths, you've done a good job there. I had no idea you got lots of mould in Florida either, but it makes sense, what with all of the warmth and humidity. I hope your pressure washer is up to finishing the job! Those chrysanthemums are gorgeous, you clearly have green fingers. CJ xx

Maureen said...

Great job on the dishcloths! I need to make some for Christmas, since I gave away almost all the ones I had made last year.

Hope your Sunday became a little less scattered.

Apple Blossom Dreams said...

Haha, I can relate to Buddy, I am a deranged accountant!

Gracie Saylor said...

Imagining Little Buddy telling you he loves money and yo reading about your concern caused me to truly laugh at loud, Meredith!

It also reminded me of when I asked my four year old daughter what she wanted to be when she grew up.
Looking up at me with her big blue eyes framed by her wispy blond hair, she solemnly answered, "I want to be a cow."

I was speechless.

Love you, Mere.

Lynne said...

Your yard looks beautiful, still so lush and green! I can't believe how many dishcloths you made. That's quite a pile! Love your crocheted baskets too.
Lynne

Helen said...

Your mum is lovely! And congrats on the dishcloths :) I love scattered posts, and those ghosts of little buddy's are adorable :) xx

Acorn to Oak said...

Despite being scattered you've been very productive! Wow!...that's a lot of dishcloths! That's interesting about the mold and mildew and needing to power wash the driveway. Sounds like fun though! I love projects like that. I hope your power washer starts working for you again. Have a wonderful week!

Ljubinka said...

Great post,like beautiful story!!!
Happy week.:*

Crystal Rose Cottage said...

Hello! I can't believe how many dishcloths you have made! Very colorful! I have been crocheting up a storm. I made 4 hats for my new grandson, a blanket, 2 cowls and finished 2 shawls...I am very proud of myself. My girlfriend is coming to visit this weekend from St. Louis and I am going to try to teach her to crochet. We went to circleville pumpkin show last week with the whole family and had a wonderful time. I love fall..so pretty! Pretty soon all the leaves will be gone and we will once again be in the throes of winter. Hopefully it will be mild this year. Enjoy your week!
Hugs, Patti

Caffeine Girl said...

I love Little Buddy's messes. Makes me nostalgic for my own boy's Hot Wheels cars!

I am amazed at all the washcloths!

Gillian said...

I was going to oder the cotton to make dishcloths but it cost more for the postage. None of my local shops (all 2 of them) stock the sugar 'n' cream cotton. Well done on getting so many made. You're right about re-reading a book. There's so much more to get out of it than from just one read.

Annie Cholewa said...

I'm so behind with everyone :(

That is a lot of dishcloths! And I love Little Buddy's mess, and laughed outloud at your deranged accountant comment!!

I hope you found some time to slow down, you sound mighty busy.

Tanna said...

EVERY day seems scattered around here! I LOVE when lunchtime comes and the workers leave for awhile! ;) Your basket is running over with beautiful dishcloths... blessings ~ tanna

Jill at emeraldcottage said...

I LOVED the Big Stone Gap books, I think I gave them away to a charity-shop but I wish I hadn't really, I'd love to reread them. In fact I loved all of Adriana Trigiani's books, though they do start to merge into one giant Italian-American super-story - but that's ok, because they're all so readable :)
Love the tissue ghosts, I am so doing that with my girls, I am thinking ghosty-bunting for our playroom - we have half term next week so I'm planning some craft stuff with them to get them off the xbox etc!
Hugs from me :)
Jillxo