Books & Hooks, 3911 E. 7th Avenue #7, Anchorage, AK (2026)

Links to Taborri Walker's books on Amazon will be provided.
& Hooks: Pics of all types of crocheted items for sale either as posted or made to order!

12/05/2022

Last Taborri Walker column of the year!

Well, this last month of the year has graced me with getting hit by scammers through PayPal. Since it was connected to my bank account, I had to close it. I also got a message from the fraud dept of the bank (well, Credit Union, but bank is shorter and easier, LOL,) that my credit card was turned down at a Best Buy store, was it me? It wasn’t, so that card got shut off. I get a new one in a couple weeks. But still – I had to change over all my bills to a new account, go through customer service twice at the credit union to get the new account set up right as well as some sessions of dialing and dialing different numbers to get the person I needed to help when I couldn’t go online on my own to do it. Have one bill to go and I’ll be done, so on Monday I make that call. What a way to end the year! Things went well for so long… I guess I had to get hit at some point. It’s such a prevalent problem in our society, we’re all bound to get hacked sometime.

BOOKS: I was watching Dr. Who the other day, the 9th doctor, Eccelson, who I like, and the episode was where they visited England in the 1800’s and with the help of Charles Dickens, the author, defeated some aliens who were using the gas lines to invade earth. At one point, Dickens confessed that he had no more ideas! He was drained, tired… the person he confessed to soothed him that it happens to all men, especially as they age. And it hit me… if that really had happened to the great author, it must be natural to happen to me. Although my favorite author, Piers Anthony, in a letter back to me, says it hasn’t happened to him yet – and he’s almost 80 years old!! Which also hit me… sadly. I want ideas back, I want inspiration back. All I can do is stare at my writing. I did get a small payment from Kindle Direct, for what I’m not sure, so someone out there bought something! I also met a lady who has the Kindle Direct app and program, so she can get any book in the program for free for 2 weeks for each book, I think it is. I gave her a business card to see if she wants to look up my books too, since they’re on it. We’ll see. At least I got a chance to promote myself. I’ll keep looking at my writing, I’ll keep imagining scenes in my mind – I dream pretty vividly, but nothing worth writing about. Hopefully at some point I’ll be able to get some words down. After all, I still have a couple or three unfinished books I need to get done.
HOOKS: Still nothing much, but I’ve not been able to wear anything out anywhere since I’m not going out – I’ll have one chance in several days, so I’ll get out the Xmas tree hat and wear it, hope to get some orders – but then, nothing the rest of the month. I’m making an elf hat for myself, one where it keeps getting longer and skinnier ending up with a pompom on the end. I’m doing it in blue and white stripes, it can be done in any colors anyone wants. I’m also working on the big projects I mentioned last month. Slow but steady will get them done. I can’t crochet fast anymore, steady yes, but not speedily. I’ve been dropping stitches and have to frog the rows and go back to fix, sigh, the bane of all who crochet/knit. We all wind up frogging! (for those who don’t know what that is, sound like a croaking frog and say “rip-it, rip-it, rip-it,” in the deep voice and that’s why it’s called frogging. We just say “rip it” instead of “ribbit.”) So that’s all for now on Hooks.
Now we’re in the Holiday Season, and I want you all too have Happy Holidays, whatever ones you celebrate. Since there’s over 40 different religious days between Nov. 15th and January 15th, and I can’t tell by looking at you which ones you adhere to, I say “Happy Holidays” so you can choose which one to be happy for. It’s a respect thing, got it? It also saves me from a blunder if I don’t say the right holiday. Believe it or not, even among the christian religions, there’s several different things to celebrate. I really hope your days are all good ones, although I’d rather see us humans keep the good attitude all year long.
It's been super cold in temp lately – supposed to go up some in a couple days and maybe snow – I hope so, cuz the colder it gets, the colder I get and can’t do anything except lay under my electric blanket in my hammock. I put down a heating pad in it, a pillow on top of that and it keeps me warmer as well. The heat is cranked, but I’m still cold!! Brain ceases functioning, body refuses to move, LOL, human popsicle here! I’m not made for cold weather, especially anymore, but I’m not made for bugs and spiders and up here in AK I rarely see any of those. I guess I’d rather freeze that be buggy.
So, life marches on. Not much going on, but hope to have the energy to start looking for a new place to live again here soon. But as long as the market is unstable and rents are up, it may still be a lost cause. I just really want out of this neighborhood and apartment. I’d like to get one with a nice rug, painted walls and cabinets that aren’t worn past the top layer. Something semi nice looking. Been living out of boxes for a couple years now and want to unpack and set up, but not here! It’s just too… ugh. But I also gotta find one with few stairs as hips and knees just can’t manage anymore, and the shots only last a couple weeks before wearing off, then it’s back to high pain in using stairs – even walking in general, normally. I do have better days when it’s warmer, just less and less. Getting old sucks, dammit.
Since it’s holiday season, the recipe for the month will be some candy that usually only gets made at this time of year. I’ve yet to try it but plan to!
Christmas Peppermint Rosettes
Friends and neighbors would love to receive a package of homemade Christmas Peppermint Rosettes; these make a lovely take-home goodie bag too! Play with the colors – red mints would be super festive too!
Ingredients
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 5 cups confectioner's sugar
• 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• 1 red gel food coloring
• 1 green gel food coloring
Instructions
1. In a large mixing bowl (use a deep bowl to keep the confectioner's sugar from flying all over your kitchen!) use a hand-held mixer to beat the cream cheese until smooth and lump-free.
2. Beat in the peppermint extract.
3. Add the confectioner's sugar one cup at a time. (You may need a little more depending the type of cream cheese you're using. Add 1/4 cup of confectioner's sugar at a time until the mixture resembles thick buttercream frosting.)
4. Divide the mixture evenly into 3 bowls.
5. Add red gel food coloring to one bowl until you have reached the desired red color, stirring to completely incorporate the gel into the cream cheese mixture.
6. Add green gel food coloring to another bowl until you have reached the desired green color, stirring to completely incorporate the gel into the cream cheese mixture.
7. Leave the third bowl as is.
8. Add each color to a separate piping bag fitted with a large star piping tip.
9. Pip rosette shapes onto the prepared baking sheet(s), leaving 1/2 inch of space between each rosette.
10. Set the baking sheet(s) aside and allow the rosettes to air dry. This will take at least 3 hours. The bigger the rosette, the longer it will take to fully dry.
11. When fully dry, store in airtight container or package in cellophane bags for gift giving.

07/09/2022

TABORRI WALKER COLUMN!!
If you can imagine me singing… “I’m late, I’m late! Oh, what a big mistake!...” But then, on my own defense, the first few days of the month were quite a bit busy!! Lucky me for a wonderful friend, Connie, who took me grocery shopping to my normal stores over a few days worth and got me to the post office for sending out a package and getting stamps as well. I was able to give her some gas money for it, thankfully.

It's been quite the month since last column and now. Saw a couple docs – I now am in the “you need a new knee” department as there’s nothing left of the right knee. He said “you’re driving a car with no tires,” is how it was put. Apt, that. Nothing but grinding anymore and lots of pain, even with the cortisone and steroids. Next, we’ll try some imitation joint fluid and finally, when there is no other choice, the replacement. I’m also having a small procedure in my tummy, since there is no real food movement from stomach to intestine, where a bit of Botox is injected into the valve between the pair, keeping it open, so my food will move some better. Don’t know how long it will last, but hey, hopefully it works. Oh the joys of gut problems! And that’s just two of the issues that have gone on.

We finally got a good, steady rain yesterday. It dropped the temps some too, back into the 60’s. More days with rain are forecast, temps in mid 60’s to low 70’s. Hey – that’s a pretty good weather forecast, and if I could do the correct mannerism, be a forecaster! But really, I’m foreseeing the “end” of our summer weather now. This does happen, although we’ve broken records for heat! I’ve enjoyed it, though. Kinda storing up the heat for when It’s winter again and I’m so cold I can’t move. Although I’ve got a heated (over-heated) apartment, I have a couple friends in Australia living without heat during the winter, it’s so expensive, the cottages are pieces of poorly built crap and no money to move, if they could find a better one. Them I really feel for!! That’s just not right in any sense of the word. I hope the circumstances change for these people!

So we’re into July – I turn 63 near the end of the month. Bleh… hate bdays! The years is over half done now. That’s sad, I feel. Time keeps speeding along! Our light is going back to more like regular half and half – not quite yet there, but getting along.

And now after an ENS – “Emergency Nap Session,” I’m needing lately – back to our show!

Books: I finished up a novel! I hadn’t realized how close I was to finishing Magic of the Heart. I’d been redoing a bit of it and lo, got it polished off and done! Now I’m looking for beta-readers for it. Mind you, this isn’t a typical romance novel it may sound like, no. I’ll tuck in the blurb so you can see. There is romance in it, but the main story isn’t the love connection.
Wakanda Wilder is a magician. No, not a stage performing pull a rabbit from the hat, but a real one… the word is pronounced “magi-can,” but the Christian religion perverted it over the centuries in an attempt to keep real magical power from the hands of people not in thrall to the religion.
The world is plagued by tiny demons, named “Raskademons” after the Christian minister who first fought them, Jedidiah Raska. He bottled the billions of them in a natural well, he thought, but over the years they’re leaking out and only Magicians can defeat them. But when it’s discovered that a tiny girl-child is the link from the major demon who controls the little ones to the world, Wakanda, with the help of her Magi father, assembles a team to go to the well and finish the job that Minister Raska started hundreds of years ago. Not only the fate of a small girl rests in their hands, but that of the whole world!

And, as a second exciting occurrence, I finished off a second novel that was near completion as well, OtherSpace… this one is a sci-fi fantasy of a totally different type of alien on earth. Two finished in a month is a real record, but then, I’d been bit-and-piecing these two for a while, which is why they need just a general reader, one who will report to me on how well it read for them. Here’s that blurb too.
Back when the world was young, aliens visited our planet as a recreational spot. Then tragedy struck and five children were left behind. When the Morgan family came to what would become Texas, in a large valley, they claimed the land and its q***r yellow overcast as theirs, and built themselves a small kingdom there. Forward to our present time, and the Vale has grown immensely, the family up-to-date and strong. And they live with a yellow overcast that allows them to go different distances in a step or two. It seems like the yellow color loves Ginger Morgan, the U.S.’s youngest fully degreed Psychiatrist who works with damaged children. By then, the yellow overcast can shrink and take on other forms, as well as break the laws of physics. When they learn what this yellow thing is, can they help it out the way it’s helped them, and what will the Morgan’s’ do when they learn that there’s four more of these things?

I hope to see someone willing to read!! Ask your friends on your social media accounts if they’d like to read them as well… if they do, hook them up with me so I can get them the stories!!

HOOKS: Still not much going on here… I’m not brave enough to wear the curlers hat in public, at least yet, but I want to make it known to some cancer groups that I’ll make hats for those who want them for the cost of the supplies only, which is the yarn and the curlers! If I was rich enough, I’d do them for free, but hey, I’m not, sigh. If you know anyone who would want a hat like this, get me the color of the hair they want (hat is the same color) and a name and address to mail the completed hat. I’ll do a total of five hats, and if you mention this blog, I’ll notate who you were in the next letter! I’ll need a head measurement too, so the had can fit correctly. Otherwise, here in August, I’ll get out the Halloween hats to start advertising them. Just have to make a candy corn hat, but that will be easy. White, yellow, orange in a triangle shape!! In the meantime, I’m finishing a “You are my sunshine” blanket for my daughter – not much left now, 2 or three rows to sew together. Am making the last couple squares for the rows. There’s a lot of bobbles to make with these squares! But it will be a splendid piece when it’s done. I’m also doing myself a shoulder drape in the phases of the moon. On the next to last waning crescent now, so it’s getting closer to done. Probably in good time for the cooler fall weather.

I’m also now going to ask all of you to start sharing this in your own social feed network. Just another way for me to get more word out there!! It’s simple… just click share on it and post it to your newsfeed!! That way your friends see me too.

Just a simple yet favorite recipe for the month!! Tater Tot Casserole is made only a few different ways, all yummy!! Here’s the one I’ve used and spread out. Enjoy!
My Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
1 lb hamburger 1 can cr. of mushroom soup
½ can milk Your choice of seasoning
1-36 oz bag of tater tots 1 to 1 and ½ lbs mozzarella cheese
Directions
Cook tater tots according to package directions.
Brown hamburger and season to taste. Add soup and milk.
Assemble in 13 X9 cake pan as follows:
Layer of tater tots, all the meat & soup, a thick layer of cheese, the rest of the tots.
Bake in 400 degree oven till bubbly.

05/10/2022

Boy, am I late for my blog for the month of May!!

But, there’s some reasons. Not really good ones, but reasons. Remember in December, how I fell on the ice and broke the left shoulder? Well, about a week ago, I was headed out my front door to post a letter. Slipped on my crocs, the floor was clear. There were some shopping bags on the floor about three feet away. There were three neighbors outside talking, and as I closed the door, I swear one of the shopping bags somehow jumped to me, tangled my toe and I fell!! SPLAT on the porch and slid off the top step, stopping myself on the second one. Ripped up my right forearm, which swelled with a hematoma immediately, and my right knee swelled fast too. No broken skin there. The neighbors were alarmed and called for an ambulance. The Fire Dept came and one of them remembered me from December, groan!! Of course, he had to joke with me on it. And no, I’m not making it a habit to have a bad fall every six months! But now I’m limping on a badly bruised and swollen knee with a bad bone bruise that can conceivably take months to heal and a skinned and bruised arm. My hand works alright, though, just the pain, and what’s some more? I have it every day, so I can handle some more. But the recovery isn’t easy and it’s slow, so I’m late on all sorts of things.

And I really want some more yarn!! Even though I’ve got more than enough, the yarn craving is upon me. Oh, the awfulness of being addicted to yarn!! This time it’s baby yarn, but only in the flower colors I want. I’m making crocheted flowers now, they’re really pretty, and since I’ve a black thumb with anything botanical, my flowers are the Lego ones – they’re really pretty too – and crocheted ones. I have several patterns now, I have DMC string and the tiny hooks, and I’m slowly learning how to use that damn small stuff to make some pretty flowers. I’ve even managed to make dandelions and one small thistle!! So the craving is on me. Oh, I will get the yarn, yes, my precious, I will!!

For the Books section of Books & Hooks: There’s a wonderful new discovery out, of an enzyme that can break down PET plastics in a WEEK!! Literally!! Right away I wrote and asked the lead author of the paper and discovery if I can use it in a story and he said yes. I’m working on a short story that branches directly off of Earth Maid 4, Treachery. Remember where Adam Werland and Detective George Munnel went to a desert area to search for the Renegade Seeker. Landa had promised the people of that area that she’d do what she could to help them, and in the short story, she’s doing it. I want this new landfill/recycling/remanufacturing area to have the best and newest I can find in the arena of the trash biz, so I promptly got on this. As I get the short stories done and beta-tested, I’ll compile them into books that will hinge off the correct Earth Maid novel. I’m also still working on the tenth novel, the very beginning of the Rune Witches, way back in Atlantis. (I’m sure I’ve told this before, so please bear with me as I repeat!) There’s also a couple others in the works. It’s why I love (and hate) having ADHD and not being able to focus for a longer time on a subject. When I get another idea, I can switch back and forth and get it filled in. Slow going, yes, but I’m getting somewhere!

With Hooks, I already told you about the flowers, I tried to post some pics of the ones I’ve done – with only a little success but I’ll try again, and right now I’m just crocheting some normal stuff. I did manage a hat with a flared out brim and put a flower and leaf on it. I don’t look very good in it, I think, but it is yet another style of hat I can offer to people. I’ve not had any more orders in a while, so Hooks isn’t going terribly far right now. I do enjoy doing it, though, and I’m working on a product catalog with what I’ve made so people could choose a style and different color if they see something that interests them. It’s more work than I thought, though, but the Master List is coming along, and then I’ll use that to put the pictures in the catalog document. I’ll let you know when it’s far enough along to start sending out, if you want a copy of it. It is a Word doc, which I think most people can handle. I can also do it in PDF for those who would want it that way.
This month I’m short on topics… which is good for once! For this, I’m going to put in the recipe now and sign off with some good thoughts for everyone. This month’s recipe is for Banana Cream Cheese muffins! I’m going to make this one tomorrow, and I’m looking forward to their sweet, banana and great texture! You can have them with nuts or not, or even frosting or not. I will put in a burnt butter frosting recipe – so of. It’ll be how to brown butter to use in your favorite frosting recipe to put a whole new zing into your icing!!

Cream Cheese Banana cupcakes
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 8ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2cups sugar
• 2large eggs
• 3cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 4 medium bananas
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in bananas, pecans, and vanilla. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 8- x 4-inch loaf pans or a cupcake or muffin tin.
Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and sides pull away from pan, For cupcakes, set timer to 15 minutes for first check and be sure to use a toothpick to test them even if they look done!! This is a bit heavier batter and can take a bit longer. Enjoy!!

So, we’re at the end of the fourth month and well into the fifth. The years just seem to rocket by faster every year. I know the scientific reason for it, and it works – when you’re in a rut, doing everything the same way over and over, it all compresses into one big memory, but when you do things differently, it makes more memories, which slows the feeling of fleeting time. But still, it just seems that the older you get, the faster time flies. May your time be filled with love, happiness and the goodness of life. If it isn’t, may you have the strength to get through and keep going. If you need someone to talk to, contact me. I’d love to listen and hope to be a comfort to you, and encouraging. I wish for all you of, all good things!
~ Taborri

03/03/2022

Can you believe we’re 1/6th of the way through the year already?
I can’t. I’ve been busy, stuff’s getting done, but damn, the way time slips by is just getting faster. I know it’s because I’m in a pretty stagnant living situation, and when you repeat something over and over again, a study says, the memories of each day kind of blend together, so it makes time seem to go faster. The way to slow life down is to vary your routine. Drive a different way to work, change your routines during the day, do something out of your normal set of things and these new memories will not get stored with all the others that have been repeating. That will make your days seem slower, longer.
Thing is, I live by myself, I usually only go out for shopping or Dr. appts of varying types, and when I’m in my apartment, I crochet, have the TV on for sound mostly, write (I’ve not done all I should for completing some crochet orders,) take care of MewMew and myself, and just barely keeping the place just clean enough to get by. It’s a wreck! But then, it’s a big symptom of ADHD, which, oh my, I am. Finally remembered to ask my Psych doc about it, and she put me on a non-stimulant med. After a few days, I realized that my brain doesn’t feel so hot and bothered, and I found that in a few instances, I was able to pick up a project and actually finish it!! When I realized what I had done, I was both confused and proud. It took a bit of thinking to realize that it is the meds helping. Tomorrow, the 3rd, I see her again and get to tell her of the improvement. Wish I’d talked to a professional about it sooner, but at least I’m getting help now.
Gotta briefly touch on our weird weather here. It was the sixth hottest February on record! In a 24-hour period, we’d have three inches of snow, then temps over 35 F which caused melting, then a plunge to way cold. It happened more than once, or we’d have a strong wind that would melt, melt, melt, then it would freeze again. Thing is, in AK, we can still have snow all the way to June – have had some in June as well – before spring and summer really set in. It’s driving me nuts! It’s climate change, and our world will have a lot of trouble before too much longer with thawing permafrost and ocean that’s been frozen over as long as can be remembered is now open in a lot of areas. Our grandchildren and further will have to deal with the severity of it, since most of us will be dead before major coastal areas will flood.
Let’s have something cute… My kitty MewMew knows when 9 PM is her dinnertime for canned food, because for a very long time I’d set a music alarm and when it went off, would say, “suppertime, MewMew, suppertime, MewMew,” and she’d jump up and run to the kitchen. Well now, I’ve got an Echo Dot where Alexa can set timers, alarms, play games, music, all sorts of things, and I programmed her for 9 PM and she says “suppertime MewMew!” a total of four times. And this huge, long-haired black kitty cat recognizes it! As soon as the sound erupts, she’s headed to the kitchen. I keep wanting to record her doing it and keep forgetting, LOL. One day…
As for the Books part, I’m pushing to finish Earth Maid 10, The First Thread. It’s the story of the young man first trained in magick, to protect all the Planes of Existence. His home is (TAH-DA!) the legendary city of ATLANTIS, and here is the reason why the whole continent was destroyed. This story has taken a lot of reading – the original tale, plus several other ancient writers who expanded on it - watching other movies with their ideas too and seeing what I can use or adapt. Right now, I’ve gone ahead some, to write the final battle out. I also put in some parts on other stories in the works, but I really want to get EM10 done. I’ll just have to find a new drawing artist to do the cover! If you know anyone out there who draws pretty well, let me know! I will pay for the work, of course!
For the Hooks section, I made some hair scrunchies for a young lady I’ve known for a while, a birthday present. She asked for scrunchies, so I looked up some patterns and made her six of different ones, both in style and yarn colors. It’ll be like she has seven, because the back side of one has a color pattern different than the front! I was using a self-striping yarn, and it was different when I got it put on the hair elastic. I loved the way it turned out and I hope I can recreate it. So lately I’m making all types of hair scrunchies. I’m going to make a normal beanie hat and pin the things on it, and wear it as an advertisement. I will be able to sell them right off the hat or hopefully get orders to make them in the colors the clients will want. Crossing fingers! I also made a duck face hat for a client, to give to her granddaughter, who adores ducks. Not got the pics yet, but Gramma reported she jumped up and down, ripped open the wrapping paper and jammed it on her head. She went with her daddy to the grocery store in it and wouldn’t take it off. I can hardly wait for the pictures!
So, with the orders done for now, I’m working on more than just the hair ties and the hat. I’ve seen a new hat pattern I want to try, and I’m trying to make flowers that look almost real. I just need to buy finer yarn, more like baby style or a bit thinner than that, even, in the colors I want too. Let myself splurge and bought some patterns of flowers, so now I have a few. Crocus, tulips, daffodils, cyclamen, peony, foxglove, snowdrops, lilac, water lily, asters, chrysanthemums, so I’ll save up for the yarns and keep working on them as well. I love flowers but have the blackest thumb ever. Tried last spring to start some seeds and while they sprouted, they never grew any bigger than ½ inch tall! In sunshine, with fertilizer (not too much!) and the cat didn’t touch them, they just never grew, so I tossed them, sigh. So it's Lego flowers, which are pretty, and crocheted ones. If I ever get to move, when I redecorate, it’ll be nice!
I’m going to try to tack pictures on to this post on Facebook, at least. While they won’t be exactly where I want, you’ll know what they are. Be sure to let me know what you think!
Here’s the recipe I’m ending with: Cadbury’s Crème Egg Lava Cake! It only makes one serving, and since Easter will be coming up soon, you’ll want to stock up on the candy so you can make this for everyone!
Ingredients
• 1 Cadbury Creme Egg
• ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp butter + more for greasing
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature, whisked
• 1 tbsp flour
• optional garnishes: extra chocolate chips, Easter candies, powdered sugar, fresh fruits, etc.
• oven safe ramekin or large ceramic mug
Instructions
1. Melt together the chocolate chips and one tablespoon of butter either in the microwave or in a double boiler. Stir until the chocolate chips are smooth and the butter is completely mixed in.
2. Let the melted chocolate chips cool for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sugar and continue to stir until the sugar is melted. The chocolate should be smooth and warm, but not too hot, after about five minutes.
3. While continuously stirring the chocolate, slowly pour in the eggs until they are completely incorporated. Stir in the flour until the batter is thick.
4. Grease a ramekin with the remaining butter. Add all but 2-3 tablespoons of the batter into the ramekin. Unwrap the creme egg and place it on its side in the center of the batter, gently so that it doesn't sink through and touch the bottom of the ramekin. Cover the egg with the remaining batter.
5. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until the top is mostly dry, save for a slightly wet looking center. Run a knife around the edges of the ramekin to loosen the cake.
6. Place the serving plate on top of the ramekin. Quickly flip the ramekin and plate over. Remove the ramekin from the cake, wiggling it gently until the cake releases. Garnish the top with additional chocolates, candies, powdered sugar or fresh fruit. Enjoy!
Don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to this dessert!!
May life treat you well! Taborri
P.S. photos connected on my FB page Patti Lisenbee

02/06/2022

From my keyboard… for five short minutes at first!
Despite my having a calendar alert, despite my new Echo Dot device and Alexa reminding me to do this, despite my opening a new doc, I still couldn’t get started on the column on time this month!
First it was trying to get messages to my various doctor offices on queries I had, and forgetting to do that till almost too late, then Mew’s new water fountain arrived and set up was a big deal, then I did remember to make my travel appointment to go to Walmart – that’s today – and bouncing from one crochet project to another, I still couldn’t get started on the column! I paid bills – that was good – then I remembered I needed to eat something so I’d have energy, then, then, then!! Total brain discombobulation!! I have an appointment next week for my psych nurse, so I’ll talk about it, IF I remember! It’s in the notes, it’s just trying to remember to look at my notes! And then crocheting different projects, and my nephew Michael sent me the Lego Flower Bouquet for Xmas, so when I did start putting it together, it was hard to keep to one type of flower per day. I also got my Lego Everyone is Awesome set put together! Now to take it apart and glue it together! Since everything fits right, I can do that. The first pic here is the bouquet in a vase taken from above, with three lego tulips in there too. The second pic is my Everyone Is Awesome set!! After it’s all glued together and fully dry, I’ll wrap and pack it. The third pic is the first crochet flower I’ve managed to make with a 2.5 mm hook which is TINY!!

I’m working on a crocus flower right now, learning to crochet around wire.
Ok, I went grocery shopping between this! Once again I goofed on the time… I’m so bad with numbers! I was to be picked up at 220pm, go to Walmart, shop and get picked up at 345pm. Well the bus was a bit late, then the driver and I were engaged in conversation as well as looking at a really bad accident on the freeway, and he pulled into Fred Meyer… I thought that was the stop for the other passenger, then we realized it was wrong and went over to the Walmart, which is a quarter mile away. By then I had 30 minutes to shop, pay and be out for the ride, so I hot-footed it! But I wasn’t able to be the 15 minutes early you need to be, but I’d have to wait till 4 pm to call in for missing. Just as I got out I saw the small bus turn into the lot, then a man yelled at me that I’d left a bag, he went back and fetched it to me just as the bus pulled up!! I’m so glad that he helped me out. So I got on and home. Then it was put away the perishables, the rest is on the floor waiting for me to put them away. I sat with some food and MewMew did her usual “now you’re home, I get to lay on you for a while,” bit. I’ll tend to the rest later, I’m too damn tired to right now. One of the fastest, intense shopping trips out, and I’m glad my shoulder is getting better! Tomorrow will be 8 weeks since breaking it. I can do more, just not all the way yet. Healing is predicted at 12 weeks AT LEAST, so I can’t overdo. But so much on me…
… for the Books part, I’ve been a bbbbaaaaadddddd writer – in that I’ve not been writing lately. Reading, yes, research, yes, gotten more ideas and managed to get basics down, yes, but actual writing, not a bit. I try to take Sundays off to do all sorts of other things, and starting Monday, I want to try writing for a small amount of time at first, and work up as days go by to where I’m writing a good amount. Two new short stories are in mind, start work on parts of the new series, the Airbnb Murders, and doing more editing on almost finished ones. With my dyslexia bouncing me around her lately, I can move from story to story to lay down the first draft without losing too much. It’s getting ideas as I’m falling asleep or dreaming of some that’s driving me nuts. I’m also having trouble with my Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) bookshelf page. For some reason it won’t let me go to the second page where other books are at. Amazon says it’s working on the issue, but nothing is happening. I’m not sure what to do about it, and one of the newer books is on that 2nd page. I need to get a revised size cover done, and I’m having a problem there too. My Fiverr artist isn’t getting my messages for some reason. I’m going to see if the admin on Fiverr can help me. She did manage to send me one message, where my arriving messages are marked “hidden” and she can’t open them. I’m also having Word 2019 program issues. Since I upgraded to Windows 11, the newest platform, my writing docs keep displaying that they’re disconnected from the internet and I had to constantly reconnect to save them to One Drive as well as my hard drive AND to thumb drives. I’m almost paranoid on saving to different drives, and once a month I update one large thumb drive with EVERYTHING I want to save and keep that one on a keychain incase of a crash or my being burglarized again and losing the laptop. Knock on wood it’s not happened again (twice was enough!) but since one never knows, well… I’m keeping my data as securely as I can.
… for the Hooks part, I’ve made a new pattern hat that has the rows on a slant!! Yes, and here’s the pic of the hat I made. I’m loving it, it’s thick and warm as well as visually appealing. It can be one solid color too, and I can do different color stripes, either with the same angling or straight across!! That last one would cost a little more for the extra work to do. It can be a brimless beanie or a long slouch as well, so if you want to have one, contact me for the order!! Other things I’m making – one is a surprise for my brother, so I’ll show and tell that one next month. The flowers too… I’m an Extra-Strength Black Thumb, not even cut flowers last a day and I can’t grow anything, I’ve tried. But I want some prettiness (especially when I get to move to a new place… spring or summer I’ll look again) and these will be pretty and permanent. (The Lego flowers all total – the bouquet and 3 other small flower sets, sunflowers, red roses and tulips – need two large vases, so they’ve got those.) I’ll need new vases for the crocheted flowers too. More hats, of course, and I found a great pattern for a braided cowl and yes, it’s big braids!! I also went overboard in Dec and Jan, buying a bunch of yarn on sale. I now have a large load of all sorts of colors and types of yarn, plus a bunch of colors of sparkly yarn! There’s more I want to get but right now I can’t afford more. Problem is, the sales are on now, wah!! Oh, well, I’ll live. It just there’s a new yarn called Big Twist and it’s got some new colors and styles that I really want. So I’ll set aside money for them for the next time they’re on sale. Crocheting has turned me into a yarn addict!! I’m also going through and giving away smaller amounts that I won’t use, and separating into solid colors and variegated. I also have some 100% cotton for projects that don’t need stretch. I’ve got hats with attached scarves in the works too, and I’ll show those next month as well.
So, I’m keeping busy. Despite living on my own (which I love!) and doing all sorts of things, I’m at a point in my life where I don’t care if the house is a mess and there’s no one to complain about it either. I do have most everything packed up, it’s been that way for two years now. That’s how much I’m trying to get the hell out of this place. I’ve sorted through most of my stuff, giving away what’s no longer important to me or not being used. When I do get to a new place, I can unpack and already know what I’ll do for set up and decorating, since I’m doing this. My health is at an “ehhh… at least I’m alive,” place, always have something going on. The pacemaker is working well, my morphine pain pump is also doing well. It’s nice to have lower pain in my spine!
And today I’m watching the Poltergeist series, just for fun. Amazing how old it is and how still incredible! I love to watch movies all weekend long, if I’m home long enough. I rarely watch actual TV shows, it’s on just for the noise. Oh, noise, that reminds me… went to a hearing clinic that specializes in tinittus. I’ve had it since 6th grade from inner ear damage from a Pep Rally inside the gym. I’m getting hearing aids, but they’re teeny things, with a program to help overwhelm the constant shrill I live with. It’s also changing volume and type of squeal lately, driving me a bit insane. (Yea, I’m already there, but it adds to it!) I couldn’t believe the size she showed me, and they’ll be rechargeable, so no more batteries! Yay! It’s just going to take a bit for all the paperwork to go through. It’ll be nice if it works. Some quiet would be wonderful.
Here for the ending is another recipe – enjoy!
Russian Tea Cakes
1 C. butter, softened
½ C pwd sugar
1 tea. Vanilla
2 ¼ flour
¾ C fine chop nuts
powdered sugar
heat oven to 400 degrees
mix all ingredients in large bowl until dough holds together. Shape into 1 inch balls; place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool slightly. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar, cool a little longer. Roll in powdered sugar again. Set in single layer on plate, or cover first layer with waxed paper, then put more on to store. {This was a favorite of my kids and I all their growing up years!}
I’m sending out energy waves to all of you readers, friends, family and all. I hope your days are good and that you sleep sweet at night.

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