IT'S A FACT JACK...I mean June

Birthstone Pearl Flower Rose

Color RED

DID YA KNOW?
June was named for the Goddess Juno. Goddess of Marriage and the Well-being of Women. Wife and Sister of Jupiter.
Well, being a Woman, a Wife, a Sister, and a Goddess, all I can say is “Jumpin Jupiter”!
Don’t Ya Just love it that in the 21st Century we can all be a Goddess!

Significance of June – Love, Respect, I Love You, A Heart Innocent of Love, and Beauty of Youth.
I remember ‘Beauty and Youth’. Well, OK, some of Youth! And Beauty….it’s still in the eye of the beholder…says the guy I Married in my Youth, but not in June.

“It is better to be a young June-bug than an old bird of paradise”- Mark Twain
I’d like to re-write that Mr. Twain….Just switch the young and the old. Who wants to be a June-bug? It may not be Paradise, but I’d rather be a Goddess!

So, now that we have our Facts straight, lets talk S F C!

Well, I like Pearls….My Guy Gifted me a String of Pearls.....ZZTop could have used that in a song...huh? you say! It’s one of those ‘Had to have been there’things…like, in the 70’s, and if you were there…You Know!

I had an Aunt Pearl! She was a really good cook….she would have liked being a Goddess, too.

And THEN there is 'Purl', you know, Knit 1 Purl 2! So far, I haven't WornItOut!

Now, for the ‘F’word….Flower…not the ‘Dirty Word’.

I do love Roses….Yellow ones are my FAV….but I will accept Red, White, Pink, Peach or Purple. Once, I had a purple rose bush…now, all the others get a ‘Scalping’ after blooming in June. I’m truly a ‘Screaming Canna’ when my ‘Pearl Gift Guy’ gets out the ‘DeadHeadChoppers’.

Finally, RED!

Always Was and Always Will Be! F A V O R I T E Color!

My Daddy always said I looked ‘Purty’ in RED! My Mom always said my hands would not get RED from washing dishes! Now I’m Goddess of the Dishwasher! Once I was a RED Head! My Pearl Gift Guy said it was like waking up with a different Woman! Next day I was Back to Being a Brunette Goddess.

My LUV of RED has taken me down some interesting Paths. Join me in a stroll through the Goddess' Garden Path.

Oh! Be sure to Stop and Smell the Roses! They will BeHeaded Soon this June!

MORNING RITUAL...Sip and Knit

Good Morning! What a Great Way to Start the Day! Make the coffee, slip out to get the paper (still in PJ's), check the crossword (no way today), fix up 'The Cup', pour and get to 'The Nest' . Now, I'm ready to 'Sip and Knit'! This morning is SusanBKnits new VanDyke Lace Sachet Pattern that I'm 'Testing'. How fun to be a 'Pattern Tester'. It's a new role! Uh!Oh! Well, I'll try not to 'WearItOut'!

Here it is, the last Day of May! It's been a productive month....very important to a 'DO'ER'...you know. So Goodbye May.....Bring It On June.

P.S. Oops! One More Day in May...Then I Can DO June!

IF I'D HAVE KNOWN....

If I'd have known that having Grandchildren would be the Best Thing About Being A Mom, I would have had them First!

Not really, My Son, you are the First Joy of My Life!

GrandKids are Grand, and May 30th is a special day every year, as it's the Birthday of My First Grand!

She is 'My Bright & Shinning Star', so said the Fortune Cookie on the day she was born.

"Grandchildren are Gods Way of Compensating for Growing Older"

I Really Wanted To Be A Violet

Although I like Cannas, I really wanted to be a Violet. My Aunt Bea started my love of Violets. She had Quadrillions of them. I wanted to be a Violet back then too, so I carefully dragged a Violet Starter Stash from Violet Country East Texas back to Cactus Country West Texas. In my usual 'WearItOut' mode, I soon had Violets in every appropriate light spot; read every 'How To Grow Violets' book; bought Violet Pots, Violet Potting Soil, Violet Food, and More Violets! Who knew one could grow Violets in Cactus Country! Well, I Do'ed It! However, my Violets did Shrink over time! You guessed it! Another 'WearItOut' Interest came along.

So Violets were saved for all time in watercolor...I'm still looking for it in my portfolios.

T H E N.....I spotted the two 'Sadly Shrinking Violets' on Clearance! If Violets could scream like Cannas, these two 'pitiful purple' violets were saying 'Rescue Us, Pretty Please'! And, of course, I Do'ed It Again. But this time it's only these two...."Famous last words", said the guy who paid the $1.50 for each.

One day soon mine will look like Violets by Susan

P.S. My Tongue is Bleeding! There is so much I want to say about Violets! Later! I've got to go shop for Violet pots, dirt, food and probably more Violets!

SQUASH CASSROLE Family Recipe

SQUASH! Boy, what I could do with that word! However, this is about Harvesting Squash and Eating Squash. I'm really taking a chance with my Life by revealing a 'Secret Family Recipe', so be sure to note the *PS following the recipe.

From my Garden comes the squash. From my Grandmother-in-law comes the recipe. Hopefully, she would not mind her Secret Recipe being printed in the Cookbook of all cookbooks....Cooking on The Worldwide Web. So to her decendants, who have protected this Secret Recipe from all but Family, I say," Look, I've made Granny Varner a household name."

This recipe is reproduced exactly as it was handwritten.

Squash Cassrole

2 lbs. Squash

2 onions (chopped)

1 box Stovetop Corn Bread Stuffing

1/2 cup Butter (melted)

1 cup Gratted carrots

8 0z. sour cream or 1 cup condensed milk (not deluted)

1 can cream chicken Soup

Slice Squash & put in pan with onions & little water. Simmer 5 min.

Drain well. Do not follow directions on stuffing box. Place crumbs in small bowl & add melted butter. Stir to mix well. In large bowl combine all ingredients - Holding back 1/2 cup of crumbs & Butter pour other ingredients in 2 qt. Casserole that has been lightly greased. Top with the 1/2 cup crumbs. Bake at 350 for 30-40 min.

There have been many who have asked for this recipe through the years. Until now, I have been true to the Secret Family Recipe Code. My defenses have been Squashed. (Forgive me, I just couldn't resist). So to my Sisters-in-law, who also have the burden of secrecy, "I'll share the Recipe Royalties".

*PS - This note from Granny Varner at the bottom of Squash Cassrole!

Guess I've Squashed anyone from calling this recipe their own!

Enjoy and Share with your Family!

MAKING BEDS - Flower Not Queen

'Garden Thyme' Tuesday! Time to change the Dirt in the Beds.....that's mulch not sheets! Digging in the dirt has long been a favorite time. My first dirt digging was a yummy creation of Mudpie Pancakes that my brother was served for breakfast in our dirt floor playhouse. Through the years I found lots of things that deal with dirt. Dirty laundry....I don't know why that popped up first.....I'll get to it Wednesday! Let's see, there's Dirty Words, Dirt Poor, Dirt Farm, Dirt Devil, Dirty Jobs, Dirt Road, Dirt Dobber and Dirt.com .....Really! Then there's related dirt words...Muddy Mess, Mudslinging, Mud Worm, Mud Wrestle, Muddy Water, Mud Puddle, and Mud.com....Not Really! Oh! Let's not forget, 'Stick In The Mud'. I think I've been called that or been told to do that! Whichever, I do remember trying a 'Mud Pack'. What was I thinking?

So, now lets 'Get Down and Dirty' and talk about my Mulch. Mulching is a Must! Mostly, I mulch all the flower and veggie beds when spring comes, when weeding, when watering and when covering plants for winter. I sure Mulch-alot! I even have a Mulching Bed! Really! It makes the Best Dirt ever. OK! I won't go there!

Now, 'It Is Thyme To See' the results of all 'My Bed Making & Mulching'. Take a stroll down my Garden Path.

See Ya There! Oh! Yeah! "Here's Mud In Yer Eye"

KNITTING STIX BAG CLASS

BAAAAAAnnouncing Judith's Stix Bag Class

at the

Wool N Cotton Shop in San Angelo, Texas

Two Sessions - Tuesday June 23 & July 7 - 1 to 4

Wool N Cotton Shop Newsletter Visitors - View Supply List

Call Judith to Sign Up 325-659-2000

View Judith's Stix Bag Photos

View as a Slideshow or Individual Photos

Includes Photos of Techniques, Supplies and Finished Bag

Bag Lady Back to 'Bonda'

It Was A Trip! A Knit With Friends, Yarn Seeking and Lunch Eating Trip to The Stitching Post!

See SusanBKnits post and pictures at http://seducedbyyarn.blogspot.com/

My Yarn Seeking led to a basket of 'WoolieLookin' BIG Round Skeins. Surprise! It's Acrylic and perfect for a Bonda Bag.....maybe two. Whaaala! Presenting 'Marble Bond Stix Bag'. 'Bonda' and I whipped out this one Quickly (love those Q words), and if you are a BONDER, You Can Too!

Introducing SuKnitWitty Path To Patterns

Where 'Marble Bond Stix Bag' Pattern is posted.

It Is FREE!

This pattern is the first link on Path To Patterns List .... More to Come.

There are more Q's......See Q Is for Quilt

CAN I BE A CANNA?

Who knew I'd turn out to be a Canna. Certainly not me, although, I've been known to dig em' up, haul em' across the state, across town , across the street and stick em' in my beds. That's flower beds, not 'The Beds', although, I may have pieced one into a quilt.

• Cannas Can Take Over! Now that's sounds familiar.....who last said, "Soon as she gets here she'll take over".
• Cannas Are Perennial! One of my favorites, ' I'll BE BAAACK'! Most of the time that's a good thing......Back for more Yarn....Back for more Fabric.. Back to Fix Whatever and Make It All Better! Sometimes others don't need or want me to FIXIT. Ooooh! That's hard to believe.
• Cannas Grow TALL and BLOOM, BLOOM, BLOOM.....! A Friend recently said, "You know, Sue, she Jumps in with both feet and keeps on DOING, DOING, DOING until she WearsOut Herself, Everyone around her, and Whatever she is DOING". And, OK, I'm Tall, too.
• Cannas Are Warm Weather Fans! Well, here in Texas, I should say 'HOT'! Warm is good, Toasty is Good, HOT is time for a Fan. So come Warm Weather....Quilting Takes a Vacation...Knitting Takes to the Bond...Sue Takes to the Beds! That's Yard not Queen!

WOW! I AM A CANNA! KINDA SORTA! IS THAT OK?

You stand up for what you believe in, even if it gets in the way of what other people think. You are proud of yourself and your accomplishments and you enjoy letting people know that.

Oh! No! Does that mean I'm a 'Blogging Bragger'? I'll check with Webster!

That's the Webguys Not the Book! The Book says Yes!

Q is for QUILTS

"A is for Always. B is for Bee. C is for Creative.

D is for DoIt."

An appropriate motto for a 'DoItAllAholic! So, as I 'DO'ed' my way through the ABC's, I skipped 'P' and went to Q. Not many words start with Q.....OK....Queen of Quilts. Double up on the Q's and that should take care of that letter.

P??? I'll BE BAAACK !

Who knew that Q would be so 'Quintessential'....(Webster again, the essence of a thing in its purest and most concentrated form).

G R R E A A A T! I'll never get to Back to P. Much less Move on to R.

Quick! Help Me! I'm Stuck on Q, and I Can't Quit.

Not only does Quilt start with 'Q' there are more Q words associated with Quilt than one can shake a Quill at. Here's one...Quadrilateral, having four sides, another one...Quadrillion, the number of pieces in some of my quilts, and another, Quaint...unusual or different in character (like theVintage Quilts I love). Yet another, Quarter...the size of the seam used in piecing. How about Queasy, how one feels after cutting the wrong size blocks and there is no more fabric. Quinine water, what one drinks when Queasy. Quiver, what one does after drinking Quinine water

Yes, I know....It is Time to Quit!

Just one more....Quillow, a quilt that folds into a Pillow! Yeah!! I'm Back to P!

View a Few QUILTS I Have Made!

1965 Gals Garden Party

I went to a Garden Party to visit with Gals of the Class of '65. I was a Newbie to this yearly event, and had a few worries. What to wear? How long has it been? Should I go by myself?...and... What's with this Hair? After an hour or so drive, and an hour or so finding Geri's home, I arrived to find.......I Had No Worries! There is something special about Life-Time Friends. You have HISTORY! Has it really been Forty Something years?

Thank-you Geri for having us! Thank-you Janie for organizing! Thanks to you all for Special Day! I look forward to next year!

YARN Yarney

Right from the Get-Go, I'll unravel this mis-spun yarney.....this is no tall tale. It's down the straight, narrow and hard to swallow Truth Path of a Yarnaholic. In addition to the Addictions listed on the last post, here is the rest of the Yarn.

+More Tools, Gadgets, Knitting Machine, Books and Magazines.

+Table for the Knitting Machine and specialty tools.

+Knitting Studio with storage for Yarn, Knitting Machine, etc., etc., etc..

+Knitting Nest in the living room with Compfy Chair and Ottoman in front of TV.

+Ott Light and room around the Compfy Chair for WIP BAGS.

+Computer with every Knitting Site on the Web marked as FAVS.

+Knitting Friends with Similar Addictions and Understanding Husbands.

Oh! BTW! Thank-you HONEY!

Once upon a time there was an old woman who lived in a shoe and knitted socks for you know who.

The End

YARN

In Webster (Dictionary not Net) the word Yarn follows the word Yarmulke. Never heard of it, but it has nothing to do with yarn, so on to Yarn....(1-a) a continuous often plied strand composed of fibers or filaments, and used in weaving and knitting to form cloth. (b) similar strand of metal....blablabla...(c) thread...OK....(d) rope yarn...huh? Now we know! What's more interesting about yarn is it's ability to lure one into depths of Addictions.

• #l. Gotta have at least 2 maybe 3 skeins (OK -4) of every color...not sure yet on the project.
  
• #2. Gotta have a variety of weights like Fingering, DK, Sport, Sock, Worsted in basic color palette and then some zingers.


• #3. Can't use 100% Wool on everything, so gotta have silk blends, acrylics, cottons...see?
  
• #4. Decisions...hmmmm...sweater, socks, bag, hat.....OK, Stash It and go buy some more for #4.


• #5. Tool Addiction....Gotta Have Every Tool Known to Womankind.
  
• How do I know this? BEEN THERE! DONE THAT! STILL DOING IT! GONNA KEEP IT UP!! "Thank-you, honey." Anyway, I do love yarn. It looks good. It feels good. It makes me feel good.

And best of all Yarn brings special people into the Yarn Pathway of Life.

Oh! There's a #2 Definition: a narrative of adventures: stories: tall tales. I'll call them YARNIES.......that's another post. As for Yarmulke.....it's right above Yarn in Websters...that's the Book not the Webguys.

Knit Bag Lady - Never Too Many!

One can never have too many bags. A bag-purse for all the stuff....wallet, keys, small bag for lipstick, pillbox, and an even smaller bag for jewelry and tiny stuff....all goes into the 'Bag-Purse'. Then there's the Basket Bag for car stuff ......lotion, water bottle, tissues, tire pressure tool and a couple of smaller bags for whatever. THEN there are Knitting Bags. One for Sock Project...that's 5 dpn's, 2 skeins, stitchmarker, measuring tape, instructions, etc., and hopefully one day 2 socks...WIP. Bigger Bag for BSJ Project, that's 3-4 skeins, circular needles, the tool bag, and 3/4 knitted BSJacket....also WIP. Two more Bags for 2 'Knitting Needle Bags' also WIP....that's right....Bags for Bags. All that to reinforce my point....Never Too Many. Bagged WorksInProgress do become Finished Bags.

Ravelry Members can view Bags & More

Path to Blogging

Here I go, running down another LifePath...Blogging. Optimist that I am, and a Stepper, (one who follows StepbySteps), I am confident that with the twists and turns along the way, I will live upto my AKA 'DoItAllSue'. Some of my other LifePaths may surface once in a while, but with the start of LPBlog, today and tomorrows are what's ahead.

...........Sew, On With the Doing............