28 YEARS!!!!!!

28 Years!  That's how long it has been since I have seen 2 of my friends from grammar school...I have decided today that I am OLD!  (Actually I know I'm old, but now I know I am!)

The two friends I saw was Kristen Franklin Donovan and Penny Wong. And I met their friend Tia from their High School.  It was a great afternoon.  We went to the Vanilla Bean Cafe in Pomfret.  I had never been there (and I'm from Pomfret I must add). 

This is the inside of the Vanilla Bean Cafe.  It used to be an old barn.  For more info, go to http://www.vanillabeancafe.com/

I had a slice of the out of this world Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake.  It was absolute heaven!  But the best thing was seeing my friends and making new ones.

After the Bean, I went to Hazelwood Art Gallery on Route 44 in Pomfret.  Oh, the crafts in there!  A lot of glass.  (No I didn't break anything, thank goodness!)  Everything is handcrafted and beautiful!  I bought a Mother's Day gift for my mom, a book of Yankee Weather Lore (my dad's family were true Yankees) and a Moon Pill Box.  I love sun, moon, and star collectibles.  At least now I can say I've been to two places in Pomfret - the Bean and Hazelwood.  One of these days I want to go to Celebrations on Pomfret Hill.

Today I visited with my Uncle Alan and Aunt Connie in Putnam.  It was a nice visit.  My uncle reminds me so much of my dad (they were brothers).  It was good to see them both.

So it's back to work tomorrow.  Need I say more?  I'm already ready for another weekend!

by hook and granny....

Well, it's official!  I have started my Reynolds "Saucy Cotton" afghan!  I've been thinking about starting it for a long time now, (very, very long time I must add) and I've started.  I feel like celebrating and buying more yarn!  After all, my stash is down...

Instead of the regular crocheted granny squares, I'm crocheting hexagon granny squares....

The first one....it had to have purple in it! 

The second one....

The third one....

And the work in progress....

The pattern I was looking at from the Ravelry website (which is awesome!) called for 39 hexies...only 35ish more to go!

My Grandma Ericson was a big influence in my love for handcrafts...especially crocheting.  She did knit some, but the crocheting was easier for her.  Many afternoons when I came home from school, she would be making squares for another afghan while watching her soaps (Days of Our Lives and Another World).  When she wasn't crocheting, she was doing crewel embroidery.  My mom and I have a lot of her pictures she made.  Each one is special to both of us.  I think Grandma taught me to crochet when I was maybe 7 or 8?  (A long, long time ago, that much I know).  I felt so honored to go through her scrap yarn bag to pick out some yarns for squares.  She would also let me go through her old "WorkBasket" magazines.  I wish I had hung on to those.

There I go reminiscing again (I tend to do that alot).  But crocheting makes me feel "warm and fuzzy" I guess.

Tomorrow is going to be a different day for me.  I have been chatting with one of my old friends from Grammar School (Pomfret Community School) and we are to meet for a reunion with a couple of others from grammar school.  I have not seen these people since 8th grade!  That was 28 years ago.  God, am I OLD!  But I'm really looking forward to it.   

A sad day....

Got some not so good news this morning. My uncle, Louis Ericson, (my mom's brother) passed away at UMASS last night. He was 79. He went into the hospital this past weekend and never really recovered.

My uncle didn't have an easy life. He had two strokes 40 years ago, and has had his share of illnesses. But one thing about Uncle Louie, he never, ever complained. How he managed to continue life after those series of strokes....he was a strong man.

Uncle Louie worked and wrote for the Norwich Bulletin. Another person who recently passed away was Bill Stanley, another Norwich Bulletin writer. My uncle and Mr. Stanley were good friends.

They say bad things happen in threes: First, Mr. Stanley; second, Mervin Whipple (Mr. Christmas to people around here), and then my uncle.

So today was a hard day. I wasn't really weepy; just numb. And I was worried about my mom. Uncle Louie and my mom were close, even though there was a 12 year age difference. And with it being so close to when my dad passing away in 2008, I can't imagine what she's feeling.

It's hard to let someone go - I know I wanted my grandmother, my aunt, and especially my dad to be here forever. But then when I look back and see the suffering and pain they went through, I don't want to see them in that kind of pain. I rather see them happy and full of life: my grandmother working in the biggest flower garden ever, my aunt and my grandmother on the biggest shopping spree of a lifetime (and they could shop, mind you!) and my dad owning the biggest farm in the world, riding the biggest tractor and owning as many cows as he wants. No pain, no suffering. There has to be a heaven!

And I know Uncle Louie is in heaven too. He's there with his wife and all his friends and family. After dealing with the after effects of his strokes for 40+ years, he deserves to be pain free and worry free. He is no longer in pain, and that is a blessing.

Dedicated to my uncle, Louis Ericson

A Day at Harkness....

On Wednesday, Scott and I went to Harkness State Park in Waterford, CT. The weather was gorgeous! The first time I went there was last year and I loved it. They were just starting to plant the pansies yesterday, so hopefully we'll go back in the late spring/early summer. Here are some pics:

Seashells, Seashells by the seashore....Yes, we collected alot of small seashells.  Scott's pockets were loaded!

Scott

me

Side pic of Harkness Mansion.  There are quite a few flowers gardens around the mansion that visitors can walk through.  It's absolutely gorgeous.

After Harkness, we stopped at Crystal Mall, walked around a bit, then went to Hank's Dairy Bar where we had our first Hot Fudge Sundae of the season. Not enough Hot Fudge for me, but it was yummy!

Vacation definitely went too quickly. They always do. Sigh.

Hoping and praying for my friends and family! God Bless!

Tuesday...

Today was an odd day. Scott and I did a lot of cleaning. Scott took care of the shed with all the equipment; I took care of the cellar. Stuff that I hadn't used since we moved in with my mom - out. Scott put up shelves in the shed for all the different machine bottles and things.

I like getting rid of things, but it's hard getting rid of the stuff in the cellar. My dad used to putter around in the cellar. He did woodworking and other things down there. Even now, I still get the feeling that he's there. Sometimes I turn around and it feels like he's there watching. I know nothing would happen, but just the same.

While I finished cleaning, Scott did some lawnmowing at the park where his mother lives. I ended up taking a nap.

Tomorrow Scott and I are supposed to take a ride to Harkness State Park in Waterford, CT. I went there for the first time last year. It's beautiful! Plus I love the ocean. So at least we'll be getting away from here for a little while.

Other than that, not too much new, which is good.

Still saying prayers for my friends...they are in my thoughts.

Doctor Day...

Today was a busy day for Scott and I. Scott had his dentist appointment at 8:00, I had my eye doctor's appointment at 9:30, then I had my dentist appointment at 11:00. Whew!! Scott had 5 cavities, I had none and my vision didn't change.

Didn't do much else exciting today. Laundry, laundry, laundry and helped my mom put up some curtains. She's short (5'3" on a good day) and it's hard for her to get up and down on a step stool (bad balance runs on this side of the family), so I did those for her.

Then Rudy (my mom's dog) and I took a walk outside in the field. Now I'm on facebook, just wondering about things. Nothing in particular. Just wondering.

Oh, I started working on my hexagon afghan. It's going to be crocheted, but it's got different colors of COTTON yarn (the reason why I call myself cotton girl) I want to use. When I actually have something to show, I will put pics on.

Other than that...not much is going on. Just thinking and praying for some of my friends who have received some not so good news over the weekend.

A Beautiful Sunday!

What a beautiful day outside! A little breezy, but sunny and bright...love it!

Scott surprised me yesterday and asked if I wanted to take a ride to Barnes and Noble. Of course I shook my head "yes!" Then I thought, hmmm, what does he want? lol. But we went today to the B&N in Millbury, MA. Then stopped at Morse's in Southbridge, MA to pick up some pansies. I love pansies! They all have little faces on them. My Grandma Ericson (my om's mom) loved pansies too, and she used them all the time when she pressed flowers for pictures she sold at craft shows in the area. Then we got Chinese at Jade Garden for lunch with my mom (it was the best thing I could come up with - we're supposed to share the cooking, but, geesh, it's hard!) After lunch, I helped my mom clean bird cages. God, they are slobs! But at least they look cleaner (for today)

Tomorrow is doctor day for Scott and me. Dentist for him; eye doctor and dentist for me; then he has to go to the vet with his mom and her dog. Then the rest of the week looks pretty quiet. At least the drs appt. will be done in one day.

Scott just finished mowing the lawn (I helped a little). It's definitely spring now. Pretty soon the garden will be rototilled and we can start planting that. Not that I eat many vegetables - I just like watching things grow.

Ahhhhh, vacation. Gotta love it! :)

Start of vacation

Vacation!!!! What a lovely word! ahhhhhhhhhh......

It was raining today (good, I don't have to water the flowers tonight!). Scott was a little disappointed; he wants to work on his truck. This time it's putting on some hitch thing to tow the trailer around. I don't think it's ever over for all the gadgets guys want on their trucks. sigh....I keep telling myself it could be worse.

No big plans for vacation....just relaxing and vegging out. Would like to go to Barnes and Noble one day (hint, hint Scotty) and definitely go to We-Lik-It Ice Cream in Abington too. A word of caution though - don't get the Mashmoquet Mud unless you have extra clothes with you or a bib. It's soooooooooooo good, but you know how a pig likes to lay in mud? Well, I wore it the one time I had it. Shirt and shorts. Thank goodness my parents live in Pomfret. I was so humiliated! Of course, Scott thought it was hilarious! When I got to my parents' house, my dad saw me and said "What the h*%& happened to you?" I told him and he said "That's my daughter." I still have to laugh about that, even now.

I absolutely LOVE Barnes and Noble. It sounds silly, but I love the smell when you walk in the doors. Like a kid in a candy store I guess. I always head to the mag section first to check out the knitting, crocheting and quilting magazines. Then I check out the novels and the staff suggestion books. Then it's off to the crafting books. Like I need more books. My bureau has at least two stacks of books to be read, not to mention the footstool has some hidden in there. It's awful! But I always manage to find something new.

Anyways....it looks like it's trying to clear up. Maybe I'll tackle one of my afghan ideas this afternoon??? My hand are itching to handle some yarn. And I definitely could open a yarn store of my own. So I need to start using that too.
Oh the tangled webs we weave!

A tragedy in West Virginia...

My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of the miners in the tragic mine explosion in West Virginia.

I never knew too much about West Virginia until I started dating Scott. His father's family is from Morgantown, W.V. The first year we were dating (2008), I went with him to meet some of his family and his Grandmother Wolfe in Morgantown. I was also dealing with my anxiety at that time too. When we left, I was a wreck...but I started calming down when we got to Middletown, CT. Well, then I fell asleep for a while (I always fall asleep when I'm a passenger...I'm like a bobble head figurine with my head going every which way!) New York and Pennsylvania weren't bad. Then there's Maryland. I didn't realize there were MOUNTAINS too! And we had to travel through those HIGH mountains. I'm sure Scott mentioned it, but to actually see them (did I mention they were very HIGH mountains???) was quite frightening (to me anyways).

Needless to say, I survived. And then I fell in love with West Virginia. It's totally different than CT. I love CT because it's my home, but there's something about West Virginia. And the people seem friendlier there too.

At least I knew what to expect the second time we went down. Yes, those were BIG mountains, but they didn't seem as frightening though. I felt like I was heading home. Now I understand why Scott loves it so much.

I don't know if we're going to go to West Virginia this year....his grandmother Wolfe passed away last year in July (bless her soul) and he went down mostly to be there for her birthday in April. She always knew him when he came to see her at the nursing home. You could see how happy she was.

I know my dad would have loved West Virginia too. I miss him so much, but I know he's watching over my mom and me.

I guess you could say this is a melancholy posting...sorry. But I feel better, somewhat.

I'll try to write about something happier next time.

Oh, I just thought of something!...Tomorrow's my last day of work for a week and a day! That's GREAT news! Silly me...

:)

Monday...bleah

Monday again....those weekends go by too fast. Oh well, at least I only have 4 days of work this week, then I'm on vacation! Thank goodness!

I don't know why some days are harder than others. I know I should be happy, but sometimes it's hard to be. I know I'm lucky - I got up this morning, I have a job, not the best - but it's a job, I have people who love me and care about me, I have friends, I have a home and family. But I still get so bleah! I just don't understand it.

Then I think about people who have it worse than me. Don't have a job, don't have a roof over their heads, don't have family, or have a family member who is dying from some horrible disease. But yet they still manage to go on, somehow.

I guess I'm rambling. I try not to take out my mood on others, but I know I do. I don't mean to. But I guess I do. Part of human nature...

Well, tommorrow is another day...hopefully a better day for everyone.

"Things happen for a reason, just believe" I find myself referring back to this saying a lot lately. But I still don't understand why. I probably never will.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! It looks like another gorgeous day outside. The sun is shining and the birds are chirping...sounds like a song to me!

Scott is glad the sky has cleared up. He bought some more lights (sigh) for his truck...this time for the front. I think he wants to turn it into a UFO! Oh well, it could be worse...

Yesterday I took advantage of the gorgeous weather and went for a walk at the Wyndham Land Trust in Pomfret Center, just a couple of driveways down from my mom's house. The property used to belong in my family on the Noon side. I remember taking walks with my parents when I was little. My dad loved that property. It was perfect! You could see where the Mashmoquet Brook overflowed the banks; all the grass was pushed down. It's true, Mother Nature wins every time, doesn't she? I also took some pics too.

Hoof prints in the mud near the Mashmoquet Brook

The pile toward the back of the pic shows how much was pushed back from the brook A tiny egg I found alongside its nest. It was a coral color. Poor thing.
The bird's nest I found on the ground with the tiny egg nearby
I love barns. This barn was used by my grandparents and my dad when they lived on the land that is now Wyndham Land Trust. I always loved the Weeping Willow next to the barn.

A bee's nest in a tree, still hanging there!

Happy Easter to everyone!

Spring has Sprung!

Spring has definitely sprung here in CT. Today, Scott and I went to Lowe's to get plants for around my mom's house. We got phlox, rhododendrons and other ground plants. Spring is here!

This is my first blog, so bear with me on this. I will post pics eventually.

Enjoy the weather!

Oh, and you're probably wondering why I chose "Cotton Girl"? Well, I enjoy knitting and shop quite frequently at Woolworks LTD in Putnam CT. (A Candy Store for Yarn Lovers!) Well, I love working with Cotton yarns, and Jen, Woolworks owner, calls me Cotton Girl when I come in the store...hence the name.


This is the new rock garden Scott and I planted today. We put rhododendrons in the back and 3 blue phlox in front of the stone.