Crooked River Hook In ~

I was busy at the hook in making sure volunteers were at their stations at a prescribed time, so sadly no pictures to share.  At Friday night's set up I did remember to take pictures of the cigar boxes display.  It was absolutely wonderful, with 67 boxes having been decorated.

A few pictures showing boxes a little more close up.

The hooked red, white and blue hearts, American flag, "boobies", the punch needle horse and the blue heart with a key were boxes I decorated.

In the back row the grungy heart on a red box was mine.  The next row down the punch needle chicken and the USA to far right were also boxes I decorated.

Overall, I'd say the hook in was a great success even though attendance was less than we had hoped for.  We had 99 registered but were hoping for closer to 120.  Beginning next year we will be alternating years with another Cleveland area guild (to the far east, we are to the west).  Hopefully guild members will be more willing to volunteer knowing we are only doing it every other year.

Hopefully one of these days weeks I will actually have something hooking related to show!

Late this afternoon, DSO and I went to a prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk.  I am still in shock and disbelief that he was assassinated.  Please keep his wife Erika and children in your prayers and hold your loved ones tight.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊

Lauren

Cone of Shame ~

Or shall I say donut of shame?  This inflatable cone is so much better than the hard plastic ones.  She is able to eat and drink (though she has not yet 😭).

As you can guess, Harper was spayed yesterday.  They said she did great.  We had an uneventful hour ride home from the vet's office.  She sat quietly on my lap, looking like Yoda!  She was pretty drugged up.

Came in the house, drank some water and proceeded to throw up on my hooked rug in the kitchen.  At least the other times she got sick was on a hard surface.

I thought I would be able to hook a bit with her sitting next to me.  Uh, well that wasn't meant to be.  She insisted on being on my lap, so I obliged.  I wish I could figure out how to post the video of her on my lap, but I am not that tech smart 😓.  It was a hoot the pug noises she was making!  

Still looking like Yoda . . . giving me the stink eye.

She is contentedly sleeping beside me while I type this post.  I am hoping she has a speedy recovery and in two weeks she will be ready to find her furever home.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Harper hugs 😊
Lauren

NEVER will I ~

 America is mourning.

May God bless America.

Lauren

Out of Control ~

I think the world has gone mad.  The senseless murder of the young Ukrainian woman, Iryna Zarutska, in Charlotte, N.C.  Pure evil.  This country needs to deal with mental illness and judges need to stop releasing criminals.  Why is mainstream media not talking about this?  It happened on August 22, and it is just now being talked about.  I don't consider myself a prejudiced person and I am certainly not a racist, but if that was the killing of a black woman by a white man, they would have been burning cities down.  And now I have just learned that Charlie Kirk has been shot on a college campus in Utah.  As of this writing, nothing is being said about his condition.  What the hell is going on in this world?  What ever happened to agreeing to disagree?  I am just sick to my stomach over these senseless acts of violence.  

Please pray for the families of Iryna and Charlie.

Lauren

Nine Years Ago on this Day ~

I am not sure where the last nine years have gone.  It feels like just yesterday I retired . . . but my day job seems like a lifetime ago.  It may not have been the smartest move financially, but it was the best decision for me and I have not regretted it for a second.  If you are thinking about retiring, I say JUST DO IT!!!  I have yet to be bored and there are never enough hours in the day.  How did I ever have time to work? 😁

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Seriously!!!

Why does anyone in their right mind have 6+ tubs of Halloween decorations.  Not fall . . . Halloween.  Does that mean I am not in my right mind?  Highly possible 😁

On Labor Day after getting home from my brother's, I was in the kitchen with Harper and heard a rustling.  I looked out the kitchen window to see if my neighbor was making the noise.  Nope.  I opened the cupboard door under the sink, and there was a 

  

in my recycle can desperately trying to jump out.  To say I screamed like a girl is an understatement!!!  Thankfully there were only a couple things in the bottom of the can so he wasn't able to climb out and I was able to carry the can outside and dump him out.  Tuesday I put "mouse food" in the garage.  I have had mice before and they just make me feel dirty and they are most unwelcome in my house.

Still no hooking to show.  Perhaps after the Halloween decorations are out I will find time to pull a few loops.  I miss being creative.

I am still getting a crazy number of hits on my blog.  Still haven't a clue what is going on.  My AI visitors?

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Kicked my Butt ~

The antique sale at my house Friday and Saturday really kicked my butt.  I feel like a walking zombie.  I had so much left over from my outdoor show two weeks ago, but I kept pulling more and more from the basement to add to the sale.  First, though, I had to clean the garage (which is NEVER clean) to make room for tables.  Since I don't have a storage shed, I had to work around trash cans, lawnmower, edger, etc.  Hauled them in and out of the garage countless times.  But . . . I am totally blown away by my sales.  I set a pretty low goal so I wouldn't be disappointed, but surpassed it by several times.  I am absolutely thrilled.  Today has been spent boxing it all up (and I am not quite done!) to haul it to my friend's in a few weeks and do this all over again.  The more I get rid of, the less will go back to the basement 😁

Tis midge season near the shores of Lake Erie.  We get them 2-3 times a summer, but I never remember them this late or this bad.  They look like mosquitos, but don't bite.

For 4-5 nights at dusk, there have been dark clouds of them in the sky and the noise they make is eerie.  A low, droning, buzzing sound.  Here is one person's take on them . . .

"One drawback to living on the shores of Lake Erie is the annual swarming of midges (aka muffleheads or muckleheads).  Your house, car, bushes, well . . . EVERYTHING is covered with 1000's upon 1000's of these harmless, non biting insects.  This time of year they ascend into the sky just before sunset, forming thick, undulating clouds.  This orgy in the sky is the last chapter in their lifecycle before they lay eggs in the water and die."

If you walk by a shrub in your yard and get too close, thousands of them will swarm.  One must keep his/her mouth shut and do a lot of exhaling!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs 😊

Lauren