Can it be? Will Alfie Soon be Back Home?

I think I spotted him, and if it wasn't him, it's another lost African Grey parrot.  Of that I'm sure.  I was driving along the 605 Freeway South, near the Firestone exit.  I was admiring a hawk up ahead when I realized I was seeing flashes of red.  Upon closer inspection, I saw a red tail!  Then he was directly above us, and I couldn't see anymore; so I yelled to my sis'-in-law to please check because I think it's Alfie!  She actually saw him directly above and discerned the telltale red tail, gray feathers, and white under-feathers!  I am so excited.  There's a riverbed and a park right by where I saw him.  I'm going to start visiting those areas on days off.  I'm bringing his favorite:  Peanuts!  I have missed him so, so, so much.  God grant me the blessing to have Alfie home again.  I do believe; I do believe; I do believe...

The preliminary hearing in my aunt's murder case was supposed to take place this past 22nd of June, but it was continued to July 22.  I was sick with a stomach flu and couldn't go.  I hate not going because the killer's family has the audacity to glare and act threateningly towards my cousins.  Is there no sense of right and wrong in this world?  Yes, their loved one is in jail.  But ours is dead!  If we could have it any other way, she would still be alive, and he would be free!  HE killed my aunt.  How in the world does that entitle them to be offended?  I just hope that he changes his plea to guilty.  Then we can try to heal.  My cousins can mourn their mother's death.  They wouldn't have to defend their wish to have justice served.

June 30th would have been my mother's 58th birthday.  I wonder what she would look like.  She would have loved Marie so much.  She would have been thrilled that my brother is married and is a father.  I hope that someday diabetes can be cured.  I pray that she is resting in peace and that she knows that her sister, my aunt, is buried right next to her.  They were separated as children when they were orphaned, but they'll be together for all eternity.

What a sad day it's now turned out to be.  I didn't set out to make it sad; so I'll get to work on some transcripts, roughs, and then I'll crochet a bit before going to sleep.  I hope it's been a beautiful weekend for everyone.

Time Flies

I attended my goddaughter/niece's high school graduation yesterday... already an adult!  I close my eyes and remember the moment she took her first breath, followed by a big cry.  She was my sister's mini-me!  Her mom, being only 17 at the time, was too fearful of carrying her for fear of dropping her.  I took charge and became the new mom's teacher.  When the nurse walked in, she asked me how many children I had, to which I promptly replied, "None."  And 20 years later, I still don't, but I'm blessed with 13 nieces and nephews.  I've lived with most of them at one time or another and feel as if they're partly mine.  Isn't that crazy?  Well, I can't believe she's 18 and starting junior college next fall.  I graduated 20 years ago this year too.  Wow!  How time has flown by in a flutter.  I wonder if I'll ever be blessed with children of my own.  At this rate, I don't think so.  I'm thankful to have so many surrogate children.  If only my mom were here still...

So I've been working a little more on the baby blanket, and I have to say that now that it's well under way, the pattern is beautiful.  I am using Lion Brand's Pound of Love in two different colors.  Instead of using the recommended I hook, I am using the G hook.  That makes the stitches a little closer together.  Even then it's still pretty wide though I haven't measured the width.  My only change is that instead of continuing the pattern stitch all the way to the end and then fastening off and flipping the blankie so the foundation chain is on top and then adding one row of the pattern stitch, I've worked the pattern stitch to half the height that I want.  I then flipped it over and continued the pattern stitch from the foundation chain.  I will continue the other half in that direction.  It just made more sense and seemed more symmetrical.  I am attaching pictures.  I also am using two colors instead of one.  I really like the look of this blankie.

Blankie progress

Flipped blankie to work opposite direction

Blankie waiting for me

Everyone has a different technique when it comes to changing yarns.  I prefer to add in the new yarn right before I finish the last stitch and continue by weaving in the new yarn, leaving the other yarn's tail hanging for weaving in at the end.  Well, I made a slight change that cleaned up the yarn change.  Someone else may have posted it by now, but I haven't found it.  Here are some pics that I hope are useful:

Last stitch completed all the way

Re-inserting hook into last two loops

New yarn, looped, on hook

1.  Pulling new yarn through;
2.  Old yarn pulled completely out by pulling entire loop.

I also have pictures of my technique for weaving in the new yarn as I complete my stitches.  I think I'll leave that for next post.  It's almost 4 a.m. in good ol' Bellflower.  I should get some rest.  I keep forgetting to sleep.  LOL.  

Hasta pronto, amigas!

Work, Work, and More Work!

I wish I had more time to crochet and work on finally finishing the office area in my room, but, alas, when I do have free time, I'm too tired!  My dad and stepmother were here for three whole weeks.  Don't believe what they say about evil stepmothers because this one came without the "evil."  She's wonderful.  It had been a year and a half since I'd seen them.  I miss having my dad around.  I welcome his admonishments and his advice -- not everybody loves us enough to gently try to point us in the wrong direction, no matter the age.  You know those little things only a parent does?  You miss them sooooo much when they're gone.  You take them for granted when they're alive.  I would give anything to have my mom around to remind me to eat or to just brush my hair out of my face.  June 30th she would have turned 58.  She always did say she didn't want to grow old.  I wish she had.

I'm working on a baby blanket at the moment that seems to be working up quickly.  The free pattern is Bernat's, and it is called Beautiful Baby Blanket.  The link is:  http://www.bernat.com/pattern.php?PID=2043.  You'll have to be signed in or will have to create a profile if you don't already have one with Bernat.  The picture is meant to be rotated clockwise.  I'll learn how to rotate it for the blog eventually.

Now here's a pic of the last one I made.  It went to a cousin that had her baby shower a couple of weeks ago.  I hope she liked it.  It's Bernat's Baby Sport Lace Border Blanket, not to be confused with the Baby Coordinates Lace Border Blanket.  Here's the link:  http://www.bernat.com/pattern.php?PID=4819.  Oh, and I also sewed the ribbon onto the blanket so little babies don't accidentally hurt themselves with it.

Carpe diem!