"BLACK FRIDAY"..? More like "IN-THE-RED"-WEEK!

I'VE $PENT WAY *TOO* MUCH MONEY THIS WEEK!

-- SO I STAYED *HOME*, TODAY!

Besides, the WEATHER was black DARK enough as IT was! RAIN... OVERCAST... ugh!
-- And, I've got STUFF "to-do", *IF* I can muster up the ENERGY... Still have a Couple Hours of WORK left to do on the CURRENT BLANKET.

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**HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY, NORAH**!!

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ah. The SUN is OUT... So, it MUST be *MINUS* 20C-Something!

SEEING AS IT WAS A SCORCHING "-5C" *YESTERDAY*...

However though, despite the NIPPINESS, I had to "let" The-ELDERLY-PARENTAL-UNITS go OUT "to Play"...

In the Meantime, I gave MANAGER-DAVE a Call to "HOLD" Whatever was left of the FISHERMEN'S WOOL for Me... And, "celebrated" COUSIN-B's BIRTHDAY by *finally* FINISHING *THIS*!!

"BROWNBURY"

LION BRAND YARNS "Fishermen's Wool"
- 100% Pure Virgin WOOL
- [made in CHINA]
- Colour: 150-125-Brown Heather
- Colour: 150-200-Oak Tweed
- Colour: 150-098-Natural



I'll get FULL PICS done LATER...

***************************************************************

So. How come I got a **BLIZZARD**...

...ON *MY* B-DAY, BUT PRINCESS-TALL-TEEN GETS **SUNSHINE** ON *HERS*??!!

-- WELL, at least I *didn't* have to SHOVEL! - Although, I wouldn't have minded SCOOPING up a bit of...

"MOUSSE-MINT"

LION BRAND YARNS
"MARTHA STEWART Crafts"
- 100% Roving WOOL
- [made in the U.S.A.]
- Colour: 5200-526 - FENCE POST
- Colour: 5200-556 - JORDAN ALMOND





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I'm still *MISSING* several Days of POSTS, but I wanted to get
THIS ONE *OUT*! - The REST will filter in, *EVENTUALLY*!
-- MEANWHILE, I *have* been hard at work Making MORE *STUFF*
- [Check out My PINTEREST Boards for the odd "PRE-Views"!] -
between *REAL LIFE*!!

__________________________________________________________________

Honest! - I REALLY *was* going to SHOVEL!

HOWEVER, SINCE IT DIDN'T *START* SNOWING UNTIL "LATE", I DIDN'T BOTHER...

Besides, I had OTHER "STUFF" to DO! -- That - [in the END] - turned out to not especially LOOK like much... NOT, that IT ever DOES! -- really...

ALTHOUGH... "LATER" in the Evening, I was *struck* by some *CHROMO*-CRUNCHY-INSPIRATION!

Actually, to be Honest, I have Contemplated *THIS* "COLOUR-COMBO" Before. BUT, had never gotten around to APPLYING IT! -- Until, TONIGHT...

Recently, on a GROCERY-GETTING Trip to FARM-BOY, We had come across some "HEIRLOOM"-CARROTS...

THEY looked almost EDIBLE-ish - [*AFTER* a GOOD Scraping!] - And, Their Textured-PIGMENTATIONS were INTRIGUING... They ended up TASTING surprisingly *GOOD*, too!

-- hmm... DON'T I also just HAPPEN to have *YARN* in "THOSE" HUES..??!

BTW, speaking of "ANCESTRAL-WEAVING"...

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COUSIN-B!!**

***********************************************************

hmm...maybe that BLIZZARD was a *GOOD-THING* after all..?!!

[..say, WHAT..??!!]

yeah. I know. IT "sounds" CRAZY! - BUT, I'm serious!

okay. So, perhaps the SEVERAL Hours of CONTINUOUS Blowing-Falling SNOW, 15-Minutes of Brushing OFF THE CAR *TWICE*, the Treacherous UNplowed Roads, and 20-Minutes of SHOVELLING *before* I could UNLOAD THE CAR, were just a bit of OVERKILL..?!?

HOWEVER, *had* the WEATHER been "NICE", I would NEVER have ended up in that PARTICULAR Section of WALMART to "DISCOVER" - [sitting on a couple of Shelves at the End of the Aisle in plain sight] - My Fab **BIRTHDAY-PRESENT**!!

oh. right! -- Did I mention that TODAY was My "BIRTHDAY"..? -- And, pretty much THE *only* REASON as to "WHY" I would RISK Driving in THESE WEATHER CONDITIONS?!

My Quickie-2-Minute-CYBER-CARD from SISTER [right]
- I think IT's from My 4th-Birthday..? Or, the 5th..?
-- IT's been a WHILE!!

ANYHOO... I began the "FESTIVITIES" by *not* getting TO Bed *until* 8am!! -- Not that I was really DOING ANYthing of "NOTE", I just wasn't "Sleepy"... Until, I *had* to get UP around 1pm.

oh. Look. IT's been SQUALLING since 11am... So much for ANY Notions of heading over to TRAINYARDS. -- But, I'm sure that I can Find *enough* to keep Me "ENTERTAINED" over at THE-MALL..? *Besides*, IT's within WALKING-Distance - IN the EVENT of any "CAR-TROUBLES"...

Soooo... I managed to minimally SKID on over THERE...

WALMART was My First-Stop. And, for once, I was going to more *thoroughly* PERUSE the Place! -- As in, a Check of Their rather pitifully *SPARSE* "SEWING"-CRAFTS-Section...

[NOTE -- Before leaving, MOTHER *Gifted* Me

with a *Certain*-Amount of "FINANCES" toward

WHATEVER I wished to GET for Myself]

I was in NEED of some of that "TAN" Colour, too...

Oooo...

*HAPPY-HAPPY*. BIRTHDAY. *TO*. ME!!

And, *THANK YOU!*, "KARMIC"-SHOPPING-FAIRY!!

hmm... I've NEVER seen THAT BLUE in the BIG-BALLS of COTTON YARN before!? And, it's been YEARS since I've seen ANY in GREY! -- Needless to Say, I *grabbed* ALL that was there!!

Although, I'm also left to *Wonder*, "for-how-long" has THIS STUFF been *sitting* Here??! - AND, had there been MORE?! -- Whatever, I will HAVE to Keep an Eye out for ANY "Future" RE-Stocking!!

well... Let's see What ELSE is in the Store... ah! Finally. The "Particular"-FLAVOUR of CANNED-BEANS that FATHER likes are ON-SHELF. - Time to Use that "RAIN-CHEQUE"...

With a FULL-Cart, I headed back to THE CAR to Dump My HOARD-of-HAPPINESS... As well as, to REMOVE the *FIRST* FOUR-INCHES of FLUFFY-FLAKES *cocooning* My VEHICLE! - [I would be glad of My Foresight later on!]

The BULK BARN was Next... seriously. What *IS* a BIRTHDAY-IN-A-SNOWSTORM without *Copious* AMOUNTS of "JUNK-FOOD", huh?!

...and, on to LOBLAWS... Where, I *needed* to Buy "Certain"-ITEMS in order to get "X"-MANY-Store-POINTS, so that, I could "CASH"-Them-IN for a GIFT-CARD that I'm going to NEED on TUESDAY!

However, because I spent *too* much Time doing THAT in the JOE FRESH Clothing-Section, I ended up MISSING-OUT on MOST of the FOOD-SAMPLINGS! - [pooh!] - LUCKILY, I managed to snag the LAST Portion of some really TASTY RICE & PORK from the SWEET-OLD-GERMAN-GUY! - Including, getting to "use" what barely remains of My considerably *Limited*-MANY-Decades-Old-"High-School"-GERMAN-Linguistic-"Knowledge"...

NUTS! -- The "POINTS" for the Clothing DIDN'T "show-up"!?! - [ggrrrr...] - Some CYBERness will be in order Later to Rectify THAT!

ahh... ANOTHER-4-INCHES-to-*SPEED*-BRUSH-*OFF*-of-THE-CAR so that I can SEE to *Slide* HOME!!

[...ONE More REASON "WHY" being a "WINTER-BABY" totally SUCKS!!

- BTW, the afore-mentioned SHOVELLING afterward didn't "help", either!]

[Although, the $5. LOTTERY *WIN* DID!!]

hmm... I think the PAPARAZZI are going to need a GPS-LOCATOR-BEACON to *FIND* The GROUNDHOG, Tomorrow!

***********************************************************

There was a SLUSH-TIDE...

THAT WENT ABOUT 5-FEET *INTO* THE GARAGE...


THE GOOD NEWS -

• "MOST" of the DIAMOND-HARD-ICE had the Density of FROZEN-JUICE Today after a Night of ABOVE-FREEZING-TEMPS! - At least the Stuff on the Laneway...

THE BAD NEWS -

• As for the FRONT-WALKWAY... Not so much... Just *slightly* LESS WATER-OVER-ICE... IT's pretty much a LOST-CAUSE at Present.

Besides, I had a GLACIER to CRACK while the TEMPS were "UP" and the Skies were devoid of "Precipitation"!!

Anyhoo, it took a Few HOURS to "STRATEGICALLY" REMOVE what ICE that I *could*. Because of the rather weird SLOPING of the Laneway's "Surface", there were *certain* STRIPS of ICE that had to act as DIKES in order to Prevent any *further* FLOODING of the Garage! -- EVERYTHING *ELSE* that COULD be Chopped, *was* CHOPPED!

Then, SHOVED off the Curb so that IT could MELT and DRAIN into the SEWER-GRATE... If I toss IT onto the Lawn-SNOWBANK, IT'll just end up on the Laneway AGAIN! - Best to eliminate the MIDDLE-MELT while I could...

So. *SEVERAL* Cubic-Feet of ICE is now **GONE**!! - And, My HANDS are *KILLING-ME*!! - It's the "Chopping"-BACK-Bounce-"SHOCK"... That and the ARTHRITIS, not a "great" mix... IT's a WONDER that I can *still* KNIT and CROCHET!

MEANWHILE though, Out in the WILDS of Central ALBERTA... My SIS-IN-LAW - MAID-MARE - was *quietly* Celebrating Her...

**HAPPY FIVE-OHH BIRTHDAY**!!

ahh... To be THAT "YOUNG" AGAIN!!

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ahh.. **SUN**!!! -- okay, so it's also just a tad "NIPPY"...

BUT, HEY... **SUN**!!!

So, armed with FATHER's SOLAR BATTERY-RECHARGER PANEL for THE CAR
- [to keep IT Happy and Toasty and STARTable!] - off We went for Our SATURDAY-SHOP-FARI...

Looks like We *MISSED* another of those "TIME-LIMITED"-SALES at MICHAEL'S again... Then again, considering "WHAT" I got, Said "DISCOUNTS" wouldn't have been USEable anyway!

Instead, MOTHER "browsed"-about, probably "over"-Chatting-Up One of the *NICE*-[Patient]-"DEMO"-CLERKS... Whilst I, roamed-about, picking-up the odd STOCKING-STUFFER for THE PROGENY and, trying to *Decide* on WHICH BALL of YARN to Use My COUPON on..?

decisions... decisions...

oh. AND, I "Fed" THE DINOSAUR! -- [I was bored...]

right. sooo. Next to one of the PRICE-CHECKING-MACHINES is a Stack of SHOPPING-BASKETS... In the TOP One, SOMEONE had left a Large "Soft"-PLASTIC T-REX. -- IT was just Staring-Up at EVERYONE as They used the TERMINAL...

HE looked "Hungry"... And, being stranded in the "FLORAL"-SECTION with NO "Other" TOY ANIMALS to EAT and/or "PLAY" with, I decided to remedy the "Situation"...

hmm... Let's see... *WHAT* does One *feed* a TOY-"CARNIVOROUS"-DINOSAUR..??

ah-ha. Nearby CHRISTMAS-ORNAMENTS... *SOFT* Ones... Oooo, PERFECT!!

[NOTE - I often get a teeny-bit "SATIRICAL" when I'm *bored*...]

BTW, did ANYONE happen to catch any of those Wacky TV-Commercials a few Months back during "SHARK-WEEK"..? -- Remember, "SNUFFY"-the-SEAL..?

[INSERT - "EVIL GRIN"]

well...

LONG-STORY-CRAZY-CUSTOMER-VIGNETTE-SHORT, when I LAST left "REX" in HIS Basket, there appeared to be some Felted-"CIRCUS-ACT"-**SEAL**-ORNAMENT dangling from HIS *JAWS*...

After "Recommending" to MANAGER-DAVE and His STAFF that Said CREATURES
- [and, My "Social-Commentary" on HOLIDAY-SHOPPING] - should remain "UNTOUCHED", I retrieved MOTHER from the "IN-STORE-ELDERLY-PARENTAL-UNIT-*SITTERS*" and Cashed-Out...

And, the REST of the SHOPPING-DAY was pretty much NON-Descript after THAT!


[..yeah.. okay.. so the part when I mindlessly DROPPED the *Thankfully*-CHEAP GLASS-ORNAMENT should probably be mentioned..? -- BUT, I *won't* TELL, if You WON'T!]

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**HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, LILY-BIT**!!

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wow! - Has it really been TWO YEARS already..?!!

HE WAS SUCH A LITTLE GUY, BACK THEN... [SEE 06DEC2011 POST]

And NOW, My GREAT-NEPHEW is WALKING and TALKING and "TECHING" and, is NOT so "TINY" any more!

How *much* do You want to *BET*, that He just asked SANTA for
"THE"-LATEST-*IPAD*..?!!

**HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY, CADET-JUNIOR**!!

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really? - Wait! Let Me "Guess"...

THE TEENY "TIDY-BOWL GUY" WASN'T FEELING *FLUSH*..?

You know, there *was* a "LIST" that I was *really* going to TRY to adhere to, TODAY! - After Breakfast... AFTER, The ELDERLY-PARENTAL-UNITS left to go do some Grocery-Getting... HOWEVER, My TOILET was *still* "running"...

IT's an OLD One. And, gets *finicky*... I'm always having to fiddle with the Handle to make certain that The TANK is *actually* Filling..?!

Anyhoo... Just as I was about to go through THE-LIST, I could Hear the TOILET... I fiddled the Handle... NOTHING. - crap! - NOT good...

After moving some Stuff, the LID is lifted off... ah! The DISH-shaped Stopper-Thingy ISN'T lifting OFF... why..?? -- ah! IT's come off the Other SCREWY-Bit... seriously? *Could* IT BE more AWKWARDLY Placed?!! - [THANKFULLY, the *SCREW* did NOT fall through the Drain!]

"QUESTION"

*HOW* does Something that *just* goes UP & DOWN *become* UN-SCREWED..?!?

whatever... There WENT 20-Minutes that I had *other* Plans FOR!

BUT... I did get that BLUE-ish HAT *DONE*! And, a Laundry-Load of SWEATERS... Another INCH on that OTHER HAT... Several on the SCARF -- mostly *during* the GAZILLION COMMERCIALS throughout the TWO SHOWS that I was watching.

CORRECTION - The TWO "INFOMERCIALS" that were *interrupted* by a couple of "SCRIPTED-DRAMAS"!

When the Commercial-Segments last LONGER than the Episode "ACTS", resulting in making the "WHO-DONE-IT"s into "WHO-CARES!-BTW-*WHICH*-SHOW-AM-I-WATCHING-ANYWAY?", there's a Reason as to *WHY* I will WAIT for the DVDs to come OUT!!

MEANWHILE, it's Time for Me to take a "SLEEP-BREAK"! - No worries! You should have enough Time to grab a bite to Eat... Flush a Toilet or two... And, generally BLOOG amongst Yourselves!

*************************************************************

oh! And,

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY,

LITTLE-PRINCESS-BIG-RED**!!

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I Started THIS, HOW MANY *OTHER* HATS ago..?

well. ALAS, IT IS *DONE*!! -- It took a while to Find a NAME...

"SEAGRASS"

PATONS
"Classic Wool"
- 100% New WOOL
- [made in TURKEY]
- Colour: 77110-Navy
- Colour: 77222-Clover Leaf

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AND...

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!**

to

GATE-GIRL and FANGMAN

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a certain "MILESTONE"-BIRTHDAY - YEAR-*ONE*

and, "HOW TO *CELEBRATE* IT LONG-DISTANCE"!

IT's CPL.TAT-MOM's BIRTHDAY, Today... However, She's busy with a "WORK"-Thingy, so SISTER has Her GRANDSON for a While -- a Couple of PROVINCES over...

Just making sure that EVERYTHING is
*PERFECT* for the "Photo-Shoot"...
"QUALITY"-CONTROL is *so* IMPORTANT!

But HEY!

When it comes to CAKE and "Partying", what's a *FEW* HUNDRED-MILES, eh?

Besides, THIS is *CANADA*!!

[a Ginormous-somewhat-EMPTY-Place... So long as there's a HOCKEY GAME and We *don't* run out of BEER - We're *GOOD*!]

- We're Used to THAT sort of THING!

Hey! - I've got my own Birthday coming up...
Just getting in some *practice*-time...
CAN'T let a great CAKE go to waste!

************************************************************

huh...I hadn't really noticed it before...

BUT, THIS HAT SEEMS TO HAVE THE *SAME* COLOURS AS "TINKERBELL"...

Wouldn't You say so, FAIRY-T?

ANYHOO... I haven't been able to Work on THIS since Late-JULY! - [SEE 26JUL2013 POST] - AS, I had RUN-OUT of that "GREEN" YARN!! - I finally FOUND the Needed "STASH" Last Week... However, I had to put IT aside, as I've been Side-Tracked with doing SISTER's BLANKET.

WHICH, BTW, was COMPLETED Tonight! -- I *think* I caught ALL of the "TAILENDS"..? - I'll "try" to get IT Photographed THIS Weekend...

MEANWHILE, I *hope* that EVERYONE did "Something" *MAGICAL*, as a *Way* of CELEBRATING FAIRY-T's "BIRTHDAY", TODAY..??!! -- She's liable to WAG Her *WAND* at You, IF You DIDN'T!

*TRUST ME*! It won't be "pretty", IF She DOES!

-- FIVE WORDS... "FAIRY-DUST GETS *EVERY* WHERE!!

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