Flag Day ~

 

Flag Day occurs every year on June 14.  It is in remembrance of when our country's first American flag was introduced by the Continental Congress as the official American flag on June 14, 1777.  I am forever grateful to live in the United States of America.

I was only gone 2 days, but it seems I have so much catching up to do here at home, but want to do a quick post.  We got more rain (yeah!) so the grass is growing like crazy and the flower gardens need attention.  It is all worthwhile when someone walking by stops and compliments me on how nice things look 😉

I had no email for 4 days!!!  I was not a happy camper.  Friday I spent 70 minutes on the phone with tech support only to be disconnected.  She had my phone number and was supposed to call me back . . . but never did.  Another call nearly an hour long and the tech could not fix it.  I had to send an email to the "postmaster" who was supposed to respond within 24-48 hours . . . NOT!  Nearly another hour on the phone this morning and this tech support person got me up and running on my Apple devices, but still having different email issues on my desktop.  ARGH!  I definitely have a love/hate relationship with technology.

Hooking class was wonderful and great fun.  I have had Cathy Stephan a couple other times.  She just has such a great way with color.  I didn't make much progress on my rug, but at least I have a plan 😁  A lousy picture, but you can see how little I got done.

I did take pictures of many of the rugs being hooked and will share them in my next post.

Last night I kept hearing this loud noise.  Even with the house closed up and the A/C on.  Sort of a trilling sound.  I headed outside with a flashlight to investigate.  I finally found this little guy sitting on the pump of my teeny tiny little pond.  How could that little thing make so much noise?  I don't know if he was just a green frog or a baby bullfrog.  This is what I found doing a search.

"The difference between a frog and a bullfrog is size.  Generally, a bullfrog is bigger than a green frog.  Bullfrogs measure about 3 1/2 inches to 6 inches long, which is about the size of an adult's open hand.  Green frogs measure about 2 inches to 3 1/2 inches long, which is about the size of an adult's finger."

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Around the Yard ~

Some pictures of what has been blooming around the yard.  Sadly, the peonies and Siberian iris are done for 2021.  They are two of my favorites.

The creeping Jenny I planted in the top of a rusty well pump is doing well.

I am not much of a pink flower person, but every year Marly posts about her bubblegum petunias and how prolific they bloom.  I found two small pots at the garden center and they have grown . . . and bloomed . . . like crazy.  

Saturday, bright and early, I leave for a two day hooking class with Cathy Stephan of Red Barn Rugs, in Millersburg, OH.  Have I started to pack?  Anyone who knows me, knows the answer 😁  Pulling wool is on today's to-do list, but instead of that, I decided to dye wool thinking it may work in the rug I will start.  Not sure if it will, but oh, well.  And here is the rug I will be starting.  The Poser, (pattern by Cathy) based on an antique.  A chicken posing as an eagle.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

And the Winner is ~

Thanks to all who entered my little 12 year give-away.  I had many people interested . . . and the winner is Coke.  Congrats.  You have three days to contact me 😉  In addition to the necklace and scissor fob, I am also sending a little kitty needle/pinkeep.

If you are interested in making your own little kitty, the free pattern can be found here.

Remember a few posts back I talked about the midges ~ aka muffleheads ~ that are prevalent near the shores of Lake Erie every year at this time?  This year they lasted much longer than usual.  Here is what it looks like when you run in to a swarm of them on a motorcycle.  My son said it looked like fog ahead.  I wonder if he is still picking them out of his teeth 😁.

If anyone is interested in one of the welcome heart necklaces, I do have some for sale.  Only one sold at yesterday's hook in (but one is better than none).  They are $27 each which includes first class shipping with tracking (but no insurance).  

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Molly Seal of Approval ~

Madi's Favorite is fini.  The finished size is about 24" x 24 1/2".  I don't know how I ended up with an extra 1/2".  Oh, well.  Oh, hell.  I did away with the teal line in the border.  Started adding three rows of antique blacks and changed that to just two rows.  Not one of my favorite rugs . . . but they all can't be a favorite, right?

Upon completion, threw on the floor and of course Molly immediately went to check it out.

Back to the give-away from the previous post.  There is still time to enter.  I will also send the winner an initial scissor fob and who knows?  Maybe something else will be added.  THANK YOU!  I really appreciate my readers and some of you have been reading for many years.  

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Twelve Years and Two Days Ago ~

My first blog post.  You can find it here.  They (whoever "they" are) say time flies when you are having fun, and the time has flown by.  This is post #1677.  As I have said in the past, that is a lot of blah, blah, blah.  Much has happened in the last twelve years!  I am much older and hopefully a little wiser 😁

In honor of my blogiversary, I am having a little give away.  This is one of the items you will receive . . . a heart necklace made from a piece of an antique welcome mat.  You will get to choose one.  This is one that a hooker might like.  I will add a few other things as well.  Stay tuned.

The little charm says, "I just wanna hook".

As always, entering is easy.  Leave a comment on this post or send me an email with give-away in the subject line.  The winner must contact me within three days.  Please, no sharing on any social media.  (Apologies to my foreign friends.  This is for U.S. residents only.  Shipping costs out of the country are ridiculous.)  A winner will be chosen Sunday evening.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Remember Why ~

 

May God bless the families of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

May God bless our soldiers.

May God Bless America.

xoxo
Lauren

Another One Bites the Dust ~

{{Oh, my goodness.  Blogger is NOT playing nice today.  I can't upload my pictures in the normal manner, and I see many others are having the same issue . . . and it has been going on for at least 7 hours.  Don'tcha think they could have fixed it by now?  Someone did mention to drag and drop the pictures, and it seems to have worked.  I am so happy I found that suggestion.}}

Another week, that is.  I can't believe it's been a week since I posted.  I try to post at least twice a week, but sometimes life gets in the way.  It seems it has been yard work, more yard work and yet more yard work.  A never ending job.  Plus I am vending at a small hook in June 5th, the first in over a year and a half, so I have been trying to make a few things and organize my chaos.  I hadn't hooked in days, and finally found made time to pull a few loops last evening.  I finished the corners.  I had already been working on the simple border.  I thought I would add a row of teal since I had cut WAY to many strips of teal wool.  After finishing half of it, I don't like it so will be doing a bit of reverse hooking.  The teal wool is an 8.5 and the outer black borders a 9.5, but I am thinking I can get away with just removing the teal and adding an row of black in an 8.5.  

Oh, this old ad had me rolling on the floor.  Be sure to read the text.

And those darn muffleheads?  They were almost gone . . . but another bunch has hatched.  ARGH!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren