Froglegs N Vaseline

Coles frog shirt

2011-09-08T20:19:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to show you Cole's new frog shirt. He looks quite festive and sort of Halloween-ish. The shirt and trousers are made from socks. His little tennies have very flat bottoms so he can stand quite easily.

Typewriters

2011-08-20T06:32:00.000-07:00

Recently I've been into using some fun old typewriters, instead of writing with a pen. The typer in the pix is a 1921 Underwood 3 bank - meaning it only has 3 rows of keys. Its a small portable. I had it refurbished and it works like a champ. From what I've heard, typewriters are making quite a comeback. High school and college students are discovering them and typewriter repair men are swamped. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy using a typewriter. Sad thing is, there are no longer any typewriters being produced, all the factories have gone out of business. Thankfully, typewriter ribbons are still being produced. If you are interested in getting a typewriter for yourself, check out your local thrift store. They often have them for a pretty decent price. Recently I saw for for $4.99 and another for $5.99 and both of them worked just fine. Be sure you try each key and make sure that the platten moves as you type. They are fun to use, don't require electricity or batteries, just some strong fingers.

Skipper

2011-03-29T21:48:00.001-07:00

Just finished this little guy. Makes me think of the pups in "Lady & the Tramp".

Spice

2011-03-27T18:09:00.001-07:00

Just finished this little cutie snail. His name is Spice.

Glasses & Boots

2011-03-23T17:16:00.000-07:00

So, what do you think? Found Roy some boots and a pair of glasses.

Look at Herbert

2011-03-16T04:07:00.001-07:00

This is Herbert the Gardner bear. My sister knit him for me for my birthday. He is made from an Alan Dart pattern. I was so surprised and pleased when I opened the box! She did a wonderful job on him. He looks like he is ready to head off to work in the garden.

Monkey Mittens

2011-02-27T20:30:00.001-08:00

Just finished knitting a pair of mittens for monkey. What do you think?

Chenille Jumper

2011-02-20T20:50:00.000-08:00

Here we have Lloyd modeling his new chenille jumper.

Gig & His Fairisle

2011-02-18T22:29:00.000-08:00

Gig is modeling a new fairisle jumper. It goes nicely with his brown trousers.

Roy in his new Jumper

2011-02-17T21:05:00.000-08:00

Munkeh here. Wanted you to see Roy in his new jumper. It has rolled neck, hem and bottom of sleeves. He looks pretty pleased with it.

My Monkey Boys

2011-02-15T00:29:00.001-08:00

This is the latest pix of my Monkey Boys. Everyone has a sweater or hoodie to keep them warm this winter.

New Monkey Hoodies

2011-02-07T22:44:00.001-08:00

This is Lloyd in his new Hoodie, backpack & tennies. The tennies have a nice flat sole making it possible for Lloyd to stand on his own and look darn cute.

The second pix is of Lloyd & Roy in hoodies. Considering we are in Ohio and have had a fairly nasty winter (so far) they are pretty toasty warm.

Monkeys again

2011-01-22T11:42:00.000-08:00

I've no idea when this passion for monkeys started. We're talking stuffed monkeys. I just purchased another PG Tips monkey from England. Then I decided he needed some clothes. He is small, so its not hard to whip something up for him. I used a holiday sock and made him a shirt and festive hat. His name is Roy.

His larger friend, Monkeh, is an original ITV monkey (from England). I decided he needed a few clothes also. I went to our fave thrift shop and found a few things that will fit him, as you can see.

I know, I'm nuts. But they are fun and it keeps me out of trouble.

Richmond Art Show

2010-10-22T19:34:00.000-07:00

Our son D, entered two of hubs photos in the Richmond Art show. Hubs had no idea, it was a surprise. Hubs and I went to the judging last evening. Both his pictures were selected to be in the Art Show. The judging is Nov 4. Whether his photos win anything or not, they will be on display Nov 4 - Dec 15. Hubs was very surprised and pleased and excited to be chosen for the show.

New grandbaby

2010-07-13T23:05:00.001-07:00

I'd like to introduce our newest grandchild - Ella Elizabeth North Watson. In the pix with her Mom Ella is one day old. She is now two weeks old and growing like a weed. In her first two weeks she has grown nearly 3 inches taller. My goodness she will be walking soon.

Three Things

2010-04-25T21:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry its been "years" since I last posted (not that anyone will notice). No good reason, I'm afraid. ---

I received a box in the mail yesterday (things I ordered) and with that box, I've just completed my Christmas shopping for this year. I've been collecting a few things for gifts and I've done some embroidery. So now its finished but for the wrapping and sending. Hopefully the post office will still be in business this coming December.

---

Saw this on another blog and thought it was a good idea.

Three names I go by:

1. Stine

2. Christine (only when I'm in trouble with my Mom)

3. Chris

Three jobs I have had:

1. Nurses aide

2. Receptionist

3. Administrative Assistant

Three places I have lived:

1. Houma, LA

2. El Cajon, CA

3. Portland, OR

Three favorite drinks:

1. Margarita

2. Gin & tonic

3. Snapple diet pink lemonade

Three TV shows I watch:

1. The Closer

2. Dr. Who

3. Justified

Three places I have been:

1. Eagle River, WI

2. Disneyland (Los Angeles)

3. Tijuana, Mexico

Three places I would like to visit:

1. England

2. Ireland

3. East Coast in Autumn

Three favorite dishes:

1. Nachos

2. A good cobb salad

3. Prime rib

Three beauty/make-up I can't live without:

1. Scent

2. Mascara

3. Eye liner

Three things I'm looking forward to:

1. Grandbaby #2

2. My next visit with my sister

3. Boxes in the mail

Sock Monster

2009-07-23T20:03:00.001-07:00

Just finished this funny "Sock Monster". His non-matching socks can come off his feet. He is the fellow who makes off with the odd sock from the washer or dryer.

2009-04-24T05:50:00.001-07:00

New dolls

2009-04-16T23:17:00.001-07:00

I recently invested in 2 new dolls. The first is from Japan. Its a Wanda the Wonder Frog. His name is Pod and he is wearing his knit hoodie, that I finished this afternoon. Pod is about 6.5 inches tall. Don't you love his tennies?

The 2nd doll is a Pullip (type of doll). Her name is Lyvy. She is about 11 inches tall and very thin. She is like a Blythe doll but I believe she has a sweeter face. She is wearing a dress I made for her yesterday.

New dresses for Hitty Louise

2009-03-26T21:06:00.001-07:00

Recently finished sewing a couple of dresses for Hitty Louise. They are made from vintage hankies. The pink has small flowers strewn about the dress and the white dress is from a linen hankie with flowers embroidered on the front. They both turned out pretty much like I envisioned them in my head.

Washing with Homemade Laundry Soap

2009-03-12T22:57:00.000-07:00

I did two loads of wash with the homemade laundry soap this evening. I also used the white vinegar in the rinse rather than store-bought fabric softener. It all worked a treat!!! The towels came out soft and fluffy. My clothes had no static when they came out of the dryer (they usually do). Everything smelled nice and clean. I'd say this was a great project and I'd recommend it to ANYONE! Sure beats paying $6-12 for liquid laundry soap.

Homemade Laundry Soap

2009-03-11T17:59:00.000-07:00

I just finished making a batch of homemade laundry soap. The batch makes 10 gallons of soap and it only costs about $2 a batch. The recipe is from the Dugger Family (The Learning Channel)(they have 18 children). See the recipe below: Homemade Laundry Soap - (red print is from me, Chris) TIPS FOR LAUNDRY SOAP: We use Fels-Naptha bar soap in the homemade soap recipes, but you can use Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk's Hardwater Castile or Zote bars. Don't use heavily perfumed soaps. We buy Fels-Naptha by the case from our local grocer or online. Washing Soda and Borax can normally be found on the laundry or cleaning aisle. Recipe cost approx. $2. Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value (I found all ingredients at Krogers (local grocery store)) 4 Cups hot tap water 1 Fels-Naptha soap bar 1 Cup Washing Soda ½ Cup Borax - Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted. -Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken. -Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser (container) half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (it will gel) -Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons. -Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads) -Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads) I was at Kroger (to get supplies). A lady stopped me in the aisle and said "You're going to make soap". She had already made some of the soap and had a few suggestions... You don't need to use prewash. If you want, put some soap on the stain and then wash. You don't need to use softener. Lastly, when you are ready to put the homemade laundry soap in the small laundry soap container (equal parts soap and water) only put enough soap and water to fill the small container 2/3s full. That leaves "mixing" room. Inexpensive Fabric Softener Recipes Recipe #1 1 Cup White VinegarAdd vinegar to rinse cycle. Works great. Removes residue and odors. Also helps to keep washing machine and hoses fresh and clean too. Recipe #2 1 Container of Name Brand Fabric Softener 4 Inexpensive sponges, cut in half Pour entire container of softener into a 5 gallon bucket. Fill empty softener container with water twice. (2 parts water to 1 part softener) Add sponges to softener/water mixture. When ready to use wring out extra mixture from one sponge and add to the dryer as you would a dryer sheet. Sorry this is all run together - I haven't figured out how to get spaces between paragraphs. Can anyone tell me how? Thanks

Monkey Pattern

2009-03-02T13:19:00.000-08:00

http://www.monkeemaker.co.uk/page45.htm Over to Monkee Makers site she has had enough of making monkees made of knit. So she has made her monkee pattern available for free to anyone who would like to have it. Go to the site above if you'd like the way cute pattern. Thanks to Monkee Maker for sharing with us.

Bushfire Appeal Raffle

2009-02-23T19:49:00.001-08:00

The "Austrlian Red Cross Bushfire Appeal" Raffle, held over at Trashalou has concluded. All the prizes have been awarded. The total funds raised from this raffle came to $2,041! Isn't that something! What a wonderful effort!! Thanks to all those who participated, by donating prizes and those who donated $ to the Bushfire Appeal! Special thanks to Trashalou for heading up this raffle!

Raffle at Trashaloucan.blogspot.com

2009-02-12T16:09:00.001-08:00

Please see the cuteness of monkeyness to the right. He will be one of the offerings in the raffle over at Trashaloucan.blogspot.com. The proceeds from the raffle will go to help folks in Australia who have been affected by the terrible bushfires of recent days. Please have a look at all the goodies that will be raffled off one day next week. Something may be calling your name. Its certainly for a good cause!!

Miles 1st Bday

2009-02-08T20:56:00.000-08:00

Happy 1st Birthday to our Miles!

Love Gramma & Grampa Watson

Happy B-Day Harry Barker

2009-01-12T16:57:00.000-08:00

Our cutie-boy dog had his 3rd birthday on Sunday.

I've been doing a bit of knitting toward NEXT

Christmas. Please see a few pix of the mitts I've

been working on and stripey scarves made from

Boku yarn.

Grandpa Santa

2008-12-23T07:31:00.001-08:00

Just a quick pix of Miles with GrandpaSanta (on his Mom's side). He wasn't the least bit scared.

Merry Christmas to you all!

Giveaway & the winner is. . . .

2008-12-15T11:19:00.001-08:00

Today is the day of the giveaway!!!

I put all the names in the knit hat and had Hubs pick one.

The winner is JODIE!!! Yea, huzzah, woohoo!!!

Jodie, please email me (stine4115@yahoo.com).

Congrats Jodie, you will enjoy this little girl.

Giveaway!!

2008-12-10T14:12:00.000-08:00

I'm nearly up to 100 posts on my blog! (its only taken about 4 years - ha!)

To celebrate the (nearly) 100th blog, I'm going to have a giveway. Well, that would be if anyone enters their name.

Oh, what will be in the giveaway? I will be giving one of my knit monkeys. Her name is Fern. Have a look.

If you'd like to participate and possibly get this little girl, please leave me a comment and be sure to leave your email address or send me an email at stine4115@yahoo.com

The cutoff is Monday, Dec. 15th. So leave a comment or send me an email.

Be there or be square!

Update

2008-12-10T14:02:00.000-08:00

My sister and family were visiting from Wisc 2 weeks ago. Its was so nice to have them here and we had such a good time - eating out, & shopping, shopping, shopping.

Then her family drove back to Wisc. and sister stayed another week. More eating out and shopping. OH and LOTS of knitting. Sis made 4 pairs of wool knit socks for grandson Miles. I made a pair of mittens and an earflap hat for Miles. That little boy will be plenty warm this winter! Have a look.

Miles

2008-11-18T05:00:00.001-08:00

Just a quick note to say the unpacking and trips to the Goodwill are nearly finished. Boy do I miss our old REALLY LARGE walk-in closets! But I guess if I have to store it in a closet, I probably don't need it.

Please see the latest adorable pix of our grandson Miles. He is now 10 months old and he is doing a lot of "cruising" (hanging on to furniture and walking around).

Gotta go, more thigns to unpack (yuk, crapjob).

Its all done!

2008-10-27T19:16:00.001-07:00

You thought I meant all the boxes have been emptied and everything put away?! HA! Not pickin likely, my friends!!! No, what I refer to is that all the things that needed fixing in our place have been taken care of by the landlord and his workmen. New toilet in the master bath, new switch for the garbage disposal (thats all it was) and the faucets for the washer no longer lead (everywhere). Thanks guys! Also the new washer was delivered this morning and I've been washing lots of things and it works like a champ! Its an LG (Life's Good). Tomorrow we are going to try and get an Ohio drivers license. We'll see how that goes. I went by Hobby Lobby this afternoon (what a fun store!!!). I found a few pix for the walls. Had a look at some of the Christmas decorations. Wow, that could take hours. . . . Better go, need my sleep for the written test for a new license (I hope).

I'm sorry

2008-10-27T05:14:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I was less thn kind about the new owner where we now live. He has been by and has sent his plumber by to have a look-see. The plumber will be by today and replace the cracked toilet, put in a new garbage disposal and fix the leaking knob in the laundry room. Thank you owner - you are looking after things! Our things finally arrived this past Friday. How that driver ooched that 18-wheeler into the cul-d'sac I'll never know - but he did it really well. The guys got everything unloaded in about 4 hours. The furniture is all in the house and in the correct rooms. The garage is full of all the boxes and boxes and boxes. The new tv is hooked up to Directv but as yet, we haven't been able to find the Directv box. It will probably be in the LAST PICKING BOX. My sister says to find the box that looks like its the last one and look in it now. The kitchen is a complete shambles - boxes everywhere and "stuff" all over the sideboards. I'm working on the kitchen today. Its hard trying to decide where to put things. I went thru things while packing and lots went to the Goodwill. I've started another Goodwill pile of things we just don't have room for. The 2nd bedroom seems to be getting lots of boxes that "I'll go thru later". Goodgrief, this is going to take forever. I did put up some pictures yesterday. It really makes a room look finished. I took a few pixs of the chaos but I haven't been able to find the cord to hook the camera to the computer - its probably in the box with the directv box (sigh) Oh the "best" (not) thing yet. Went to do a load of wash and the washer was acting strange. Called "The Appliance Man". He came out to have a look. He asked if we had stabilized the washer before it was moved? Do what? Its a front loader and that is supposed to be done before its moved. Seems there are these large cement weights inside (for whatever reason) and the moving smashed them all to heck. When the repairman open up the front panel on the washer all these bits and pieces of cement and electronic parts fell out (that is a bad thing). He just sighed and said it would be less expensive to buy a new washer - which we did. Its being delivered today. Today I will be calling the movers to see if we can get any money for our wrecked washer. I'm not holding my breath. I better go work on the kitchen. I probably should do something with my hair before any deliverymen show up - I look a little wild right now. More later.

Why is it. . ?

2008-10-19T13:30:00.000-07:00

OK, so we found a new place (you remember, the 4-plex). SO we got the keys from the owner. He showed us around - the garbage disposal didn't work (he'd have his guy fix it), the house had not been cleaned (he called WHOEVER and said to come by and clean the house) - We finally have moved in with a card table and two chairs (from our son's basement), we purchased one of those blowup beds - amazingly its very comfy and will be great when my sister and family come to visit (but can be put away in the closet when not needed). The garbage disposal still doesn't work and the house had not been cleaned. Well, its been cleaned now - we did it!! Why is it when the owner gets his sheckles you don't hear from him again? Creep. He seemed nice - silly me! I sent him a nice l;ittle note with a list of the things that need looking into - as yet no word from the owner. I believe our things should arrive this coming week. I called them and of course, their total still owed is not the same total I was given by the fellow who picked up our stuff 3 weeks ago - and what can you do, they have your stuff held hostage! So we will pay it - CRAP!(again) But its all worth it to be able to see our son and his wife and to hold their son Miles! He is soo sweet and cute. Of course he is smart as a whip! We stopped by a garage sale out in the middle of NO WHERE (that being Ohio or Indiana) and found a great little rocking horse for $3. Its not very tall so Miles won't get hurt on it. Did I tell you about Ohio and Indiana? No, well let me say this - the people are wonderful and friendly. The roads are long and straight and there are farms EVERYWHERE. Its either corn or soybeans and between the fields are cows, horses, some goats and some llamas and of course the farmers homes. Every so often you run into a town at the end of these long straight roads. Also on these long straight roads are a lot of roadkill. I'm asuming the dead animals are the ones being culled from the pack because they aren't smart enough to get across the road safely. I've seen possums, skunks, lots of raccoons, a few red foxes, a couple of deer, a few cats and lots of squirrels. My sister and family are coming to visit in November for Thanksgiving. We're excited for them to visit. We have several fun places to take them - like Ritters the most wonderful ice cream place - its custard ice cream - oh my, to die for!!! There is a fun antique mall in Centerville that takes several hours to walk thru and try to see everything. There is a place in Hamilton called Jungle Jims. Its the worlds largest grocery store. What a fun place. Besides the regular food stuffs, veggies, fruits, meat, frozen foods, etc. they is a huge international section. You look down an aisle and see "Indian" "Asian" "Hispanic" and whatever other nationalities. There is a kitchen gadget section that goes on forever. Pots and pans, a huge cheese section, a sushi takeout section, and more and more to see. Better go, need to see if the wax on the kitchen floor is dry. Glad that job is done! Crap-job, let me tell you.

The Big Move!!

2008-10-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

Been gone a while! We decided to sell our home and move from Oregon to Indiana. Why? you ask? We wanted to be closer to our son and his family (our only grandchild Miles). We wanted to be involved in their lives and not be the grandparents Miles aw once a year. We put our home up for sale on Friday. Sat. the realtor called and asked if he could bring someone by - eventhough the house was a shambles and not ready for anyone to see it (packing boxes everywhere!!). We said "Sure, come on over". The lady liked the house and they left. During the next week I got the house squared away and cleared all the counters so it would look as large as possible. The following Sat. (1 week later) the same lady came by and was pleased with what she saw and kept commenting on "how large" the house was. She made an offer, we countered and we hade a deal. Two weeks later we signed, got our check and 3 days later the movers hauled our things away. We loaded our car with the basics, put the dog in his car seat and away we went toward Indiana. We discovered we could only drive about 8 hours a day (about 350 miles). That was all we could handle. It took us 6 days from Oregon to Indiana. We are staying at our sons home until our things arrive. But we did find a new place to live,. Its on a cul-d'sac (sp?). Its one of a 4 plex. All on ground level. It has all the things we were looking for - air conditioning, washer/dryer hookup, & takes dogs. Most all the neighbors are retired so it should be fairly quiet. We're hoping to move in within the week. Once we're settled, I'm hoping to get back to some knitting - I've missed it.

Elephant

2008-08-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

Just finished a knit elephant from "Knitatnoon".

He is a pretty cute fellow. What do you think?

Garage Sale update

2008-08-09T21:27:00.001-07:00

My neighbor has done really well and handed me an additional $36.50 this evening, for the things she was able to sell from the stuff I left in her driveway (2 chest of drawers and misc.). Thanks Pam, very kind of you! The new total is $304. How cool is that!? Way!! Hubs has been visiting with some neighbors and asking how they did with the sale. Most say "Not too well". I guess selling most things at $1, 25c, 10c was a good thing. $304 is a lot of quarters.

Garage Sale

2008-08-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend (Fri-Sun) is the annual garage sale here where we live. Not everyone participates but its advertised in the local fish-wrap and in the fish-wrap acros the state line. We decided to take part this year. I went thru MUCH STUFF collecting for the sale. We only had a few big things - 2 bikes, 2 chest of drawers, 2 lawn chairs, 2 small tvs, a VERY heavy doll house and lots of misc crap. The sale started at 9am on Friday. I didn't sleep AT ALL Thurs. evening and finally got out of bed at 4:30 am on Friday. My mind was buzzing and wouldn't let me sleep. About 6am I started taking things out to the driveway, and I was all ready to SELL when 9am arrived. I'm sorry I didn't take pix - didn't think of it until just this morning. But there were lots of lookers and buyers. I had a lot of things marked at 25c so there was a brisk business. I didn't spend any $ at other sales near me, but did do a bit of trading with one neighbor. She got a couple of knitting books from me and I got a couple of recipe books from her. When it was all over, I didn't have a whole lot left to try to sell on Sat. & Sun. My neighbor offered to try to sell what I had left and said just put it in her driveway (so I did). I have to work Sat. & Sun. so this was very kind of her. When all was said and done (not counting what might be made Sat, Sun) the grand total for Fri. was $268. WooHoo! I was amazed, pleased and pretty well chuffed! Thank you shoppers!

Zebra

2008-08-06T00:28:00.000-07:00

I just finished a zebra from a pattern by "Knitting at Noon". I used fun colors rather than black and white. Since zebra is for grandson Miles and he will be nearly a year old by Christmas, Miles would enjoy bright colors. I'm afraid the red looks orange but zebra is bright red and bright blue. Zebra is done in acrylic so he can be washed and dried with no ill effects.

I saw an ad on tv yesterday for a new products from Arm & Hammer. Its called Essentials cleaning products. It comes with an empty squirt bottle and small bottle of the concentrated cleaning solution. You fill the bottle with water and then add the concentrate. There are 3 flavors, All Purpose Cleaner, Window Cleaner and Cleaner/Degreaser. Then when your bottle is empty you just purchase the small concentrate and use the squirt bottle you already have. When I got groceries at Wally World this evening I purchased the cleaner/degreaser flavor. I mixed it up. Then I needed to cut up some raw bacon. My glass cutting board was a mess of grease. I got the new bottle of cleaner, squirted my greasy cutting board, pulled off 1 paper towel and wiped the cutting board. The grease was already broken down and the one paper towel cleaned the board! Best of all, the cleaners are plant based products, so besides re-using the squirt bottles, the product itself is a good thing. I just wanted to share this great product. Don't be afraid to buy it - it really works!!!

monkeemaker.co.uk

2008-08-04T03:04:00.000-07:00

Huzzah!!! MM, 007 and troup are finally back from a rest-cure (or something). We're just glad they are all back. I think I heard something about a backyard pizza party in the near future. Be sure to mark your calendars! MM made 7 (count 'em, 7) more 007 look-alikes while on hols.

Welcome back MM!!

More hankies

2008-07-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

Sorry its been so long since I was here last. But I have been busy - embroidering more hankies. As you can see.

I don't think I mentioned anything about our son and family coming to visit. (ooo, bad gramma)

It was so wonderful to see son, d-i-l and grandson Miles. Of course, he had grown lots and was doing way cute things.

It was very hot when they were here and even in all that heat Miles did remarkably well with all the handling he received! He is such a happy little guy.

The pix is of Grampa, son and Miles.

Embroidery

2008-07-01T21:52:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been doing some embroidery on cotton hankies. I plan to give them to the women in my family for Christmas. The hankies are regular mens 100% cotton hankies. But being that size, they are actually usable - for sneezes or cleaning glasses, etc. AND much nicer on a nose than kleenex AND a "greener" reusable. Just wash (iron if you must) and its ready to use all over again. Please see the pix to the right. What do you think?

Swap Participants

2008-06-19T15:19:00.000-07:00

As requested (suggested) I've attached a pix of the monkey friends that have come my way from the Monkey Swap. Aren't they a fun group? There will be one more coming from Norway, later in the summer. Thanks very much for all who did a swap with me. I'm thrilled with all these cuties. I hope you like yours as well.

Johnson

2008-06-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

We have another new monkey at our house. He arrived yesterday from England. He is a very dapper little guy with his turquoise vest. He was created by Kitty Wrinkle. Didn't she do a wonderful job! He told us his name is Johnson. He seems to have settled in very nicely with the other monkeys over at the big blue chair.

Thank you Kitty, he is grand!

Cassie

2008-06-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

What fun!! I received another swap monkey today from Katy in the UK. The little girlie monkey's name is Cassie.

Isn't she a cutie. She has a flower over her ear. Her tag says she needs lots of apple juice, cookies and cheese sandwiches. Also she isn't a big fan of bananas - who knew!!

Thank you so much Katy! You did a wonderful job on her. She has a sweet face.

Parcels in the post

2008-06-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

I just got another swap monkey in the mail. He is from Kaz over at Slightly Wonkey Crafts. Isn't he a cutie!!

He told me his name is Gordie. He is over at the blue chair, getting to know his other monkey housemates.

Also in the box was a package of assorted card decorating goodies - flowers, buttons, etc.

Thank you very much Karen. You did a great job on Gordie - he is a cutie!!

Forrest

2008-06-05T04:39:00.001-07:00

This is Forrest. He is a knit bear (looks more like a dog in the picture - maybe a schnauser)). I used #2 needles and a variegated sock yarn. The colors are all the darkers greens and such you see in the forest (thus the name).

I found the pattern for the bear and the clothes over at "the purl bee".

Below is a very fuzzy close-up of his face. I took a bunch of pix of his face but he must have been wiggling around - they were all blurry. But you can get a bit of an idea what his face looks like (more bear than dog).

OOOooo, called in this afternoon and booked our flight for November to visit our son and his family in Indiana. We

were hoping to go over Thanksgiving BUT there were no seats available. So we're going the week before Thanksgiving. It doesn't matter to me - just so we get to visit.

Miles will be 10 months old by then. What fun!!!

Olivier (like Lawrence)

2008-05-31T18:34:00.001-07:00

Just finished another monkey that will be taking part in the swap. His name is Olivier (like Lawrence Olivier). He is made from variegated autumn yarn and a nice light olive green.

I believe he may be heading out in the mail come this Monday.

Parcels in the post!

2008-05-30T17:27:00.000-07:00

Hubs came in the house with the mail. I asked if there was anything fun. He said "There is a package for you".

A package for me, I'm not expecting anything.

OOOooo, we love parcels in the post!!!!!!

It came all the way from Australia!

After I ripped it open I found some fun things from Jodie over to RicRac. There was a very wise owl who told me his name is Owen. I love how the fabric makes him look feathery. There was also one of Jodie's keychains with some of her selvedges inside - Very cute.

There was also a lovely bookmark made from her precious selvedges. Also a passel of cutely fabric yo-yos. I may make something for the monkeys from the yo-yos.

Jodie, thank you very much! Nice work on all of them!

Howard

2008-05-30T17:22:00.000-07:00

Howard went along today as we were driving around. He had a good time helping mom drive,

and just hanging around.

He enjoyed being in the sunshine.

It was a beautiful day today.

Monkey Swappage

2008-05-28T00:20:00.000-07:00

OK ladies, who will be next? I have monkeys chomping at the bit here, wanting to go on a trip! They are all lined up, sitting next to the computer. Everytime I sit at the computer I'm barraged (sp?) with "Who goes next?" "It is me?" "OO, oo, pick me!!" Please let me know how you are coming along with your swap monkey. Email me at stine4115@yahoo.com Thanks P.S. antsy monkies at this end!!

Monkey Swappage #2!!

2008-05-27T22:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I received Monkey Swap #2. He was made by Eve from Eve's Evocations in England. What a cutie! He has poseable arms and wiggly eyes. He told me his name is Rustle (rusty orange color). Eve also sent a wonderful bar of dark chocolate but alas, its not longer available for pictures. Hubs and I made short work of it.

Thank you so much Eve! He is truly adorable! I hope you have received my half of the swap. I mailed it the same day you mailed yours.

I also found a new monkey at the local Goodwill. His name is Truffle (Truff for short). He came with the stocking cap, scarf and a snowflake sweater. (put the sweater away until we get some cool weather). Isn't he a fit?!

Thanks again Eve for cutely Rustle, nice job!

Howard

2008-05-23T00:25:00.001-07:00

Finished another monkey today. . His name is Howard and he's made of Noro yarn. He is multi-colored and quite dashing, I think.

First Swap Arrival

2008-05-22T19:13:00.001-07:00

Look at the cutie monkey girl that arrived today. She is from my very first (ever!) swap participant. She is from my new friend Patty in Virginia. . The little monkey girl's name is Gin. Is she adorable or what!! Don't you love her cape? You did notice the cutely matching shoes, didn't you! . After removing her cape you can see her cute chest &

tummy - there is a sparky gold leaf on it. . I believe I love this swapping thingy! 1st. You meet new people, 2nd. You get a package in the post! Everyone LOVES getting packages in the post, 3rd (& BEST) I get a NEW MONKEY!!! How cool is that!! WAY!! Thanks Patty, you did a great job making Gin! She is terribly cute!

Fern

2008-05-21T00:43:00.001-07:00

Latest little cutie. Her name is Fern. . . If you are interested in participating in the Monkey Swap - please email me at stine4115@yahoo.com The last day to sign up is this Friday (May 23). . I sent off my first swapper monkey today to Virginia and will send a 2nd one to England tomorrow. . What fun, parcels in the mail from far away places.

Butters

2008-05-19T23:32:00.001-07:00

Just finshed another little monkey. His name is Butters.

Zander & Merlo

2008-05-19T13:40:00.001-07:00

I've finished 2 more monkeys for the Monkey Swap.

They are Zander and Merlo (like wine), respectively.

They are opposites of each other.

What do you think?

Remember signing up for the Monkey Swap ends this coming Friday. Don't wait too long.

Once the deadline arrives, I will put the participants names in one container and the monkeys names in another and pick one from each to see which monkey goes to which participant.

Please be sure you send me your address so I can put your monkey in the post to you. The monkeys are anxiously awaiting their trips to new climes.

Deadline for Monkey Swap

2008-05-16T22:15:00.001-07:00

I've had a few interested Monkey Fans sign up for the swap - Who-Ray!! The deadline for signing-up for the MONKEY SWAP will be Friday May 23rd. If you want to participate, let me know ASAP. Email me at stine4115@yahoo.com Remember, you can make the monkey however you like - knit, crochet, felted, sewn - you decide. You will get a knit (or possibly a crochet) monkey from me. I have one crochet monkey that has been moping around, complaining about "everyone else gets to go on a trip". So when it comes time for picking monkeys to go with participants, maybe we'll let Peri go on a trip as well. Come on - sign-up - time is short.

Monkey Swap

2008-05-13T22:20:00.000-07:00

I've just had a brain-wave! (Watch it now, don't be rude).

I'm not sure how many folks read this blog regularly (a few I hope!)

What I would like to do is have a SWAP - of monkeys!

If you make and send me a monkey (it doesn't have to be made of knit), I will knit one for you in return.

The monkeys I make are 6 inches tall (when sitting). (See monkey to the right). This is the type I will make to swap for the one you make for me.

A couple of ground rules:

1. Each monkey shall be made by you.

2. Each monkey shall be at least 6 inches tall (when sitting).

3. Each monkey will be fun and full of mischief!

Please let me know if you are interested in this swap and we will start the barrell (of monkeys) rolling!

What do you say - it could be way fun - a plethora of monkeys from all over the world.

Want to join in the fun!?

Contact me via email at stine4115@yahoo.com

Teenie Tinies

2008-05-11T10:47:00.001-07:00

I finished these guys yesterday. I think Miles will enjoy them. The pattern is free over at "Little Cotton Rabbits". I knit mine on dpn so I didn't have to do as much sewing of seams. They were easy and fairly quick to make.

Toots

2008-05-08T23:08:00.000-07:00

Just finished another monkey today. Her name is "Toots" (like "Tootsie Roll"). She is made with a fuzzy apricot and a fuzzy pink yarn. I'm pretty pleased with her look.

Bags

2008-04-30T19:04:00.001-07:00

I've been sewing some bags. They are all cotton

with a bit of batting between the inside and outside.

I did a bit of hand stitching on the sides of this one, around the circles and added a button in the middle of the circle.

The smaller bag has a black background with autumn leaves, and fruits and pumpkins. I did some stitching on some of the leaves and along the lines of the pumpkins. This bag also has batting between the inside and outside. Also, this bag has gold sparkles on the outside. You can just see a few of them toward the middle of the bag.

I also made a few small cotton wallets and small zipper bags.

Now that I've made a few of each of these, and have tried a couple different patterns, I know which patterns I like and what I'm doing and they make up fairly quickly.

What do you think?

Blogaversary Winner

2008-04-16T16:26:00.000-07:00

Over at Trashalou was a blogaversary recently. She had a drawing and guess whose name floated to the top? Thats right - Mine! When hubs brought in the mail today there was a lovely box from far away.

Once I tore it open, this little fellow popped his head out. What a cutie monkey.

Our dog, Harry Barker tried to call dibs on him, but I beat him to it! There were two lovely balls of yarn that should make some wonderful monkeys. Last but not least - SWEETS - one of which is not there to be seen. I ate it right off! Nummers.

Thanks Trash, what a fun box of goodies!

I really enjoy your blog!

Zips R Us

2008-04-13T00:09:00.000-07:00

Good Morning! I recently purchased a couple of patterns to make some bags and a couple to make some wallets. I dug out all my fun fabric (all cotton) and washed it (get rid of the sizing) and so it won't shrink any more. Then after looking at the patterns decided I needed a few zips. I went to ebay and just happened upon a box of zips that were down to the last 15 minutes. The lot of them had started at $.99. When I found it, the price was about $3.00. After a few last minute bids, I got the box of zips for $9.00. I know that sounds a bit much but when you consider a zipper is several dollars each, I figured I'd gotten a pretty good deal.

About a week later when hubs had gone to get the mail, he came in with this very heavy box and said "What is this?" I said it was a "few" zippers that I'd won on ebay.

So I opened the lid of the box. I was amazed at how many were jammed in there. There was a little note tucked inside from the seller, letting me know that they had included a few extra zips "as a bonus". There are short, long, plastic, metal, small teeth to HUGE teeth, every color and every length.

Just so you know what a bargain I got, have a look at them all sitting on my computer.

Guess how many are there? Go on, guess!

Give up? Well with the "Bonus" zippers, there are well over 300 zips. If I lay them end to end, I could probably go the moon and back!

I think I have enough to pick from for making my new projects. Probably won't EVER have to purchase another zip as long as I live. I know, I will leave them to someone in my will. Such a bargain!

Have a good day, we'll talk some more later!

Alien

2008-03-28T09:53:00.001-07:00

Finished this little guy yesterday. What a fit!! I put a bit of plastic drinking straw in his legs and in his topknot to keep them firm. Of course that color of green is always a plus!

Pig has eyes

2008-03-26T01:47:00.001-07:00

Finally got eyes on Pig. They are heart shaped and purple to match some of the colors on Pig. Haven't done much else in the past couple of days. Felt a bit crubbishy for a couple of days. Hoping to start some cutely moc-booties for Miles tomorrow. We'll see. Question for those across the pond - is crubbishy a combination of crap and rubbishy? Or have I got the wrong translation? Please let me know. I look foolish often enough without using the wrong words. A word I've heard a few times lately (from across the pond) is "Lippy". They were referring to lipstick. Is that a common word for lipstick or did I just happen across two folks from the same neighborhood? Hubs is involved in Toastmasters. For those who don't know, Toastmasters is a bunch of folks who meet regularly and voluntarily get up and give speeches. CAN YOU IMAGINE!!!? Not something I'd EVER join! But he really enjoys it. This evening we went to a speech competition and Hubs gave a speech he's been working on. I'd never heard him speak before a group. He was funny (everyone laughed lots) and he did a great job. I say more power to him but I'll not be signing up, thanks! As I'm typing I hear lots of "scrappy" noises near my feet. So I look over at Harry's bed and this is what I see. That is Harry in his bed ( he is the bump under the yellow baby blanket). He gets in bed and then moves around and around until he is all covered up . (or sometimes I put the blankie over him to save him time). I've no idea what he is doing under there and maybe I don't want to know.

I call his name and he pokes his head out of the covers. He is chewing on a rawhide stick. I don't know what the thrill is, but he loves them. He also has his favorite little bear under the covers with him. He likes to carry it around and he "talks" to it. Its a high whiny sort of noise. Its the only toy he talks to. His bear looks a bit the worse for wear - its well loved and so is Harry.

Awwwww!

2008-03-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

Went to have a look at my son's blog this morning and look what I found - a pix of us and and our sweetie grandson Miles. It was taken last week while visiting Miles and his folks in the Midwest.

We had a grand time! Miles is such a good baby and his Mom and Dad are settling in to "baby routine" really well.

Felted Pig

2008-03-18T22:59:00.001-07:00

Just finished felting this plump cutie. She is still damp and needs eyes. I'll add the eyes once she is all dry, and maybe some nostrils. Our dog, Harry Barker was making eyes at her. He thinks anything I knit is automatically for him. Sorry Mister, not this time. I'll have to be sure to set her up, out of the way.

Lovey

2008-03-16T21:11:00.001-07:00

Please have a look at my newest primate.

Her name is Lovey. How do you like her ears?

I think I finally got the ears just the way I like them.

Visiting Miles

2008-03-15T17:41:00.000-07:00

There he is - our cutie boy - Miles.

He is 7 weeks old and such a good boy.

We had a nice visit with our son and d-i-l and grandson Miles.

This is my latest monkey. Her name is Olive. How about that hair. Pretty cute, doncha think?! She is made with Noro yarn. Wow, is that nice yarn to work with. Really easy on your hands.

Questions Answered

2008-03-05T08:21:00.001-08:00

Since I've had several inquiries - - The little monkey pattern is from a lady over at www.etsy.com. Do a search for "Max the little monkey". The dinosaurs are called Prehistoric Pals from www.knittingatknoon

Fav Yarn Store

2008-03-01T01:17:00.000-08:00

Made a trip to my fav. yarn store (Yarn Garden) this afternoon. Found a wonderful pattern to make some dinos for Miles. There are 4 different models. All little boys like dinos. Probably when he is a bit older. Six weeks might be a bit early.

I got some lovely NORO variegated yarn. I may need to keep a dino for myself (we'll see).

Sorry the pix are a bit fuzzy. I'm tired and don't seem able to focus very well.

But you get the idea.

Latest from Indiana

2008-02-28T09:57:00.001-08:00

Latest pix of Miles - enjoying a snooze in the family vehicle.

We're going to Indiana!!!

2008-02-22T08:48:00.000-08:00

Just had a call from my son and family. They are buying me a plane trip to Indiana for my birthday (hubs is going also). That means in 2 weeks will be meeting our GRANDSON Miles!! How exciting is that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you tell we're just a tad bit excited!

Miles Smiles

2008-02-21T11:12:00.000-08:00

Latest pix of Miles. He will be one month old tomorrow. What a cutie.

Lilac

2008-02-18T00:42:00.000-08:00

Good morning to you. Monday morning here (way early) Can't sleep so new pix on the blog. Please meet Lilac. Latest off the needles.

I really like these colors and her face turned out pretty cutely.

Have a good week.

Oatmeal

2008-02-14T17:43:00.000-08:00

Just finished another monkey. Figured I'd better take a pix of him while I was thinking about it.

He is beige with speckles (a skein from the Goodwill).

I was going to name him Oatmeal but just had a brainwave - his name is "Mush" (heh, heh).

Flowers and Chocolates and a sticky kitchen floor

2008-02-14T07:50:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to you all.

The hubs gave me red roses and we exchanged chocolates and cards. Pretty nice day!

This has nothing to do with Valentine's day (as you will see). But I found a great recipe the other day and tried it out last evening. When I have chinese food (at home) I love to have sweet pickled ginger with it. The sweetness is great with the soy of the chinese food. The recipe said when you get sushi at a restaurant you are given washabi (hot enough to kill a person) and the sweet pickled ginger (nummers). I recently purchased a small container of the sweet pickled ginger at the grocery store. Its a bit spendy. So I went searching on the internet for a recipe so I could make my own. There were lots of recipes to be found. I got the ginger and a large bottle of rice vinegar at the local asian store - they have the best prices. It took quite a while to peel the skins off the ginger and then to slice it up. At first I thought I'd try slicing the ginger by using a potato peeler. HA! That made it too thin and it would have taken toooo long. So I got my sharpest paring knife and started slicing. It ended up making about a quart. That should last a few days :-> Below is the recipe, in case you are interested in making your own.

Sweet Pickled Ginger (gari)

Thinly slice about 1/2 lb. fresh ginger (young or mature - doesn't matter) and place in a non-reactive saucepan with 1 cup unseasoned rice vinegar, 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar and 1 Tablespoon distilled white vinegar. Add 1/2 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or sea salt). Stir over medium heat until the sugar and salt are dissolved and the liquid is simmering. Turn off heat and allow ginger to steep and cool to room temperature. Pour into a clean glass jar, cover and refrigerate. Ginger should be completely immersed in liquid.

"The Adventure of the Container of Ginger" (boo, hissss)

I went to the fridge to get the container so I could take this picture - show you all my hard work. I should have left it alone. When I reached for the container it slipped from my fingers and crashed to the floor, cracking the container. The ginger stayed in the container (plastic) but the sweet (super sticky) liquid leaked thru the cracks all over the floor in front of the fridge. I picked up the container and put all the ginger in another container. Luckily I'd saved the extra liquid from last evening in the fridge and it was enough to cover the ginger in the 2nd container. Now I get to clean up the super sticky from the floor! Don't you just love it!!! Thank goodness for Dawn dishwashing liquid. It did the trick.

HP33 has arrived!

2008-02-01T23:22:00.000-08:00

HP33 arrived today from MonkeeMaker. He made pretty good time, considering how far he had to travel.

All the boys had to have a close look at the package before we could open it.

Once I cut the tape little legs emerged from the package.

Then a very cutely HP33 emerged and he had a package in his hands. What could be in there?

Oh, choccies!! HP33 would have helped himself, but since he has no fingers, he couldn't open the chocolates. Poor little guy. I'm afraid mom and dad finished them off. I think I've heard somewhere that chocolate is not good for primates, so we were just keeping him safe by eating the chocolate.

He hasn't told us his name yet. I guess we will need to get to know each other a bit first.

Thanks Monkee Maker - he is grand!!

Small Autumn

2008-01-31T17:33:00.000-08:00

Just finished another small cutely monkey.

Next monkey will be for grandson Miles. I think I'll make it in bright colors.

Just received a few more pix of baby Miles. Boy am I envious of the grandparents on the other side - they get to hold him. He is back east and we're in the northwest.

What a sweetie!

New Ears

2008-01-30T18:09:00.000-08:00

Its all better now. He looks like a monkey and not a mouse. What do you think?

Monkey/Mouse

2008-01-29T22:25:00.000-08:00

Just finished a new pattern for another Monkey. There seems to be a problem. He looks like a cross between a Monkey and a Mouse. His ears are too large. I made them just as the pattern said but - see for yourself.

Next time I will have to amend his ears. Maybe make comepletely different ears. He is cute but he looks related to Dumbo!

He is actually a true red with variegated red, but the camera made him very orange.

Please meet our Grandson Miles

2008-01-23T10:08:00.001-08:00

Please meet Miles Douglas North Watson

(less than 1 day old).

Miles Douglas North Watson

2008-01-23T02:28:00.000-08:00

Our son and his wife had their baby today. We are grandparents!!! Don't have many details - they were a bit busy. More later.

Well, well

2008-01-17T22:58:00.000-08:00

I just lined up the "Boys" and have come to the conclusion that they may not be as cute as 007 by Monkee Maker, but they are pretty cute in their own way. Have a look.

New Munkeh on the block

2008-01-17T20:15:00.000-08:00

I finally finished my latest attempt at an ITV Munkeh - including the changes from Monkee Maker. I was hoping this Munkeh would be a bit cuter and possibly resemble 007 by Monkee Maker. Fat chance!! This one does look better than GM but not by much. You can tell they are from the same family! Poor babies. This will be my last attempt to make this pattern. I just don't have the knack!

Please say "hey" to Autumn. This poor boy. I hope no one makes fun of him. It would really hurt his feelings. He is a sweetie boy.

Oh my!

2008-01-14T15:24:00.001-08:00

I'm afraid this doesn't bode well for the future.

New Friends

2008-01-14T15:13:00.000-08:00

Munkeh has a new little friend.

He will go by LM (Little Munkeh).

Cheeky Munkeh

2007-12-29T08:28:00.000-08:00

Look what someone has learned to do!

Real Munkeh (aka ITV)

2007-12-28T16:46:00.000-08:00

Just received him from England. A real honest-to-goodness Munkeh from ITV. How cute is he?!!

Happy New Year to all!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-20T01:12:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to wish all a Merry Christmas. Its a bit early for any Christmas pix - check next week - after we return from our trip to Indiana. We're visiting our son and daugher-in-law and almost first grandchild (due in January).

But I do have a pix of our cutie-boy Harry Barker.

That will have to do for a while.

Merry Christmas & God bless you.

What do you mean I can't drive?!

2007-12-09T10:01:00.001-08:00

We were heading out to get groceries and before anyone could call "Shotgun" there was GM (Green Munkeh) sitting in the drivers seat of the car. He was a bit miffed when told he would NOT be driving. I tried explaining that besides a very large booster seat (to be able to see out the front window) his legs were just a tad too short to reach the pedals.

Once we got to Wally World GM wanted a look-see in the toy section. He had a great time sitting in the Elmo chair. WHen he sat down the whole chair vibrated (tickle-me Elmo). Munkeh tushes had a bit of a massage.

The store was way busy with lots of shoppers and before I knew it GM had snagged a pack of cookies from the shelf. I've no idea what flavor they were but they were an exact match in color to GM.

Last evening was DH former work's annual Holiday "DO". Eventhough DH is retired we still get invited. They had wonderful food - huge smorgasbord and the dessert table was obscene (but nummy). Later in the evening there were door prizes. But alas, this year we didn't win anything. The grand prize was a 37inch LCD tv.

Time to get ready for work. TTFN.

Munkeh - take 2

2007-11-30T23:53:00.000-08:00

I finally got around to fixing green Munkeh's face. I think he looks better. I only need to finish his 2nd leg, then he will be finished. To the right is Munkeh (first time around)

Below that is the slightly revamped face of Munkeh. I'm happier with version 2.

The 3rd pix is of Munkeh with his winter hat. We are supposed to get lots of rain, wind and some snow this weekend. I figured he needed a hat.

Now that Munkeh is more to my liking, I'm not sure who will be going on our vacation in December. I may have to take some of the plastic beads out of Munkeh's tush. He is a bit heavy.

Better go, need to get some sleep, get to work tomorrow.

Exciting Movie!

2007-11-26T22:17:00.000-08:00

Today DH, Bucket & I headed off to the movies. One of the perks of being retired is being able to do most anything we want, when we want. Bucket watched the cars along the way.

Once we got there Bucket had to try out the bucket seats. Who knew the theatre had Bucket sized seats for monkeys.

We saw an exciting movie called "Hitman" with Timothy Olyphant. Lots of shooting and such but we like the exciting movies. I hope Bucket hasn't been scared for life!

Better go, DH needs me to install a disk for him on the computer. More later.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T22:32:00.001-08:00

Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving.

After the turkey dinner DH and I and our dog Harry went for a walk along the Columbia River. It was quite brisk and just what we needed after lunch. In fact we had a pretty heavy frost this morning. Made me think of a house we passed yesterday. They had a huge persimmon tree in the front yard. It had no leaves but was covered in lovely bright orange persimmons. It was all I could do not to go begging at their door. Persimmons make wonderful cookies. I've heard they are better after the first frost so they should be perfect now.

Do you like tea - well really, herbal tea? I've never liked tea or coffee but recently tried herbal tea and was pleasantly surprised with all the wonderful flavors that are out there. I've been stocking up on some that sound good. I've tried nearly all of them and what wonderful flavors. I got a box of Celestial Seasonings Tangerine Orange and in the box was a 2-bag sample of Madagascar Vanilla Red herbal tea. Its made with Rooibos (roy boss) from South Africa. Wow, was that good! That gives me another flavor to search for. Now I can be like everyone else out there - carrying around my "cup of something" to drink.

This afternoon I finished up wrapping Christmas gifts and got all the out-of-town boxes packed and ready to UPS after the first of the month. I'm so happy to have that taken care of. Only thing left is to send a few Christmas cards and I even have stamps.

As you can see everyone is present and ship-shape - saying TTFN. See you soon.

Another family member

2007-11-22T10:07:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Our turkey is in the oven.

I really need to stay away from the Goodwill store. They just have toooo many cute things.

We found another new family member for the primate side of the family. Please say "hey" to Tang (short for tangerine). Is he cute of what. He nearly glows in the dark.

Gotta go work on lunch. Have a good day all.

New friends

2007-11-20T15:35:00.000-08:00

Went to the goodwill today - with Bucket navigating the way. We checked out all the shelves of Christmas decoratons, purses (one of ny favorite dept.s I got a Coach purse last time for only $15 - its dark green (fav. color). Made me happy!!

Then we went to the stuffed animal and doll aisle. We saw several monkeys of different types. Nothing really jumped up and caught my eye . . . until I saw this little guy. I guess he is more in the orangutan family. He is so darn cute, he had to come home with us (specially since Bucket kept saying "Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom until I had a look at what he wanted.) Which was Congo. We love his "do" .

Had a look over at Vicious Chicken. She just finished Hairy Lee. What a cutie he is. I'm really hoping VC will sell the pattern for the "smash primates". I woud love t make a few for myself.

This is Wilmington - the first smashie primate VC mad. Don't you love his lips?

how pitiful is that?!

2007-11-20T01:26:00.000-08:00

I emailed a lady that collects knit toys for children. I offered her my green baboon boy. I figured some little boy would enjoy having him . The woman declined because he has plastic beads in his tush. She said I should try the fire dept. That some child would enjoy him. So what, a poor kid can have plastic beads in their baboon tush but not sick kids. So don't give it to a small child who would try to get the beads out of the baboon tush and snarf them down their throat! Her loss! He may not be beautiful but he is well made and he is a lovely shade of green. You know what? He is growing on me and I may just keep him for me. I've put in a bid on a PG Tips ITV monkey. He is about 6" tall. I'm waiting to get the exact total I owe. He is a much smaller version of the original ITV monkey but he wil have to do. The big Munkeh's are going for over $60. That is just too much for those guys.

Nekid Monkeys

2007-11-19T03:56:00.000-08:00

Why is it, do you suppose, that all the monkey blogs I go to only have monkeys without clothes? As you have seen in previous pix, my monkeys have clothes on. Or, why is it, that I feel the need to put clothes on my monkeys? The first monkey I received (sock monkey) was dressed rather nattily (sp?) in hat, shirt, vest, pants & shoes. Maybe that set the tone for the monkeys at my house. Bucket (soon to be vacationing monkey) even has on socks & shoes. When Bucket was made he had a shirt and short pants on, but he felt like he was walking around in his undies (well, as much as he walks around). So I had to make his long pants. We already had the sweater and shoes from the dolls and he needed a hat - thus the bucket hat and his name.