Homeless Afghan/Blanket #11 - The Kandinsky

I was "on the road" and only had bits of yarn and some light gray.  So I started crocheting 2-rounds of light gray, adding small balls (to use them up) of colors, 2 rows, then 2 more rows,

Decided I didn't want to finish with gray, I'd replace with putty, which I think I like a bit better.  The rest of the squares will have putty centers.  Oh well, won't be very noticeable, I'm thinking....

Michael's Putty

Lots of Old Movie Reviews to Clear My iPhone!

 3/24/19  Capernaum (6)

     This was one incredible movie.  So many pictures I can't get out of my head after seeing it - the birds-eye-view of Beirut, tall buildings with tire-covered roofs going on for miles and miles.  Slums.  Poverty, unimaginable poverty.  Refugees from Syria and Ethiopia who end up here.  Real eye-opening, almost documentary-type information.  Directed by a female.  Gritty.  The young man who played Zail, whose real name was also Zail, was truly amazing.  Wow.  Got to give it a 6.

6/9/19 ??  Wonder Park (2.5)

     With Tristan.  Another one of those cute, animated stupid movies the kids seem to enjoy.  Not me.  When I asked Tristan what he would rate it, one being not very good at all and five being the best, he said he would rate it a 4......  2.5 for me.

5/3/2019 Long Shot (4)

     It's fun to see a funny, feel-good movie once in awhile, and there haven't been many appearing lately.  I totally enjoyed the story - a female Secretary of State and a male journalist, very strong in their convictions (similar to mine, which is a plus) as they fall in love.  It was cleverly pulled together without either one of them having to let go of too much.  The 10-minute ending/happily ever after/aftermath was just wonderful to see.  I'm so glad there was an ending that actually worked! Yep, I do indeed like HEA.  Both main actors were wonderful, Seth Rogen was certainly Seth Rogen-y, and Charlene Therizon showed more than I've seen before.  Pretty cool.

4/28/19  After (4)

     Mechanicsburg on the Carlisle Pike with Ella on a Sunday afternoon after a picnic in the car.  This was a very sweet teenage romantic flick without a sad ending...just a feel good movie with some decent acting and storytelling.  No complaints from me here!  Ella rated it a 5.5.  I'll go for a 4.

6/9/19  Dark Phoenix (3)

     Well, stupid me.  I did not realize that this was an X-Men movie.  Even though I had no background, I was able to follow it pretty well.  It was interesting until it came to the end scenes that were just those crazy (boring) battle scenes that make me roll my eyes.  Lots of big names in this one, but for the life of me I couldn't warm to the main character, Jean Grey.  Didn't care what happened to her, which unfortunately was exactly what the entire movie was about.   Oh well, an early summer rainy Monday evening entertainment.

6/21/19  Pets II  (4)

      I took the kids, a really cute movie, very humorous, very much better than most of the animated movies I see - don't like many of them.  I've got to give this one a two thumbs up.  Really loved the humor.  

6/30/19  The Dead Don't Die  (4)

     2 o'clock at the Majestic in Gettysburg.  Note: It's so much fun going to this theater!   What a funny, ridiculous, creepy, random movie.  I guffawed through all the creepiness and violence of killing the poor zombies, I hate to admit.  Bill Murray and Adam Driver played off each other so perfectly, I loved them.  And to throw in the OMG-what's-this-all-about funeral director was so random and bizarre and added to the WTF format.  The entire movie was a  WTF!!!  It was also really fun to watch.  

8/11/19  Dora  (2.5)

     With the kids on a Sunday afternoon.  Kids really enjoyed it, I expected more.  There were some really cute touches, heralding back to the TV series, but otherwise it was just a little too silly/stupid.  I've been looking forward to it, so was disappointed.

8/17/19  Where'd You Go Bernadette (4)

     Camp Hill.  The movie certainly kept the integrity of the book, not changing information but giving it at different times and different ways, which was kind of fun because it kept you on your toes.  I loved the book and very much enjoyed the movie.  It was good, but not great.

8/29/19  Peanut Butter Falcon (5)

     Saw at Camp Hill, but it's not being shown in a lot of the major theaters.

     Clever and very different story of a Down Syndrome young man, a down-and-out Outer Banks fisherman, and a young woman whose mission in life seems to be to help others.  Zach, also the real name of the actor who plays the part, is 20-years old, his family has apparently abandoned him, and the state has placed him in an old folk's retirement home so he can be "watched over."  He wants to get out and live his life.  So one night he sneaks out (soaping his body to wriggle between barely opened bars on his window) and all he has as he runs away are his tightie whities.  He hides and falls asleep in a decrepit fishing boat under a tarp, and that's how he meets Tyler.  The two go on the run together and it's pretty darn heartwarming how they make friends and fulfill promises.  It was a wonderful movie...good guys and bad guys, people caring about other people, scraping by by the seat of your pants.  Definitely liked this one a lot. Shia LaBeouf and Dakota Johnson starred, Shia LaBeouf particularly did a really good job.

9/14/19  The Goldfinch (5)

     I think this was a wonderful adaptation of the book, all the same information and facts but told in a bit of a different way.  Instead of telling the story this happened, then this happened, then this, and this is how it ends.....they started near the end and told much of the story in flashbacks.  I think it was quite cleverly done, actually.  Loved the actors.  I wonder what people who have never read the book think.  I've read so many books that I only remember the general gist of most of them, but nothing specific.  For some reason I didn't forget most of this story, and it's been years since I listened to it on audio.  I wonder why that is.  Other than it being particularly long - I guess it had to be - I really liked it.  Well done.  It cracks me up that the reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes only gave it a 25%!  I'll have to go read why, but it's probably all technical stuff that I could care less about.

12/13/19 Jumanji: The Next Level (3.5)

     With Laura, Tristan and friend, Ella and friend.  Funny, funny, funny and clever.  Great actors taking on the affectations of others extremely well!

1/23/20  Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (3.5)

     The first 45 minutes were so incredibly boring that I wanted to leave and almost did.  It picked up after that.  It had the requisite flying crazily through the galaxy, saber sword fights, and running and jumping around.  Carrie Fisher was in quite a bit of it, they used outtakes from the previous movies of her face and speech, working it into the dialogue.  Interesting.  I DO love Adam Driver!

2/13/20  Downhill (2, and that's stretching it)

     A complete waste of time.  Over-acting.  Looks like it should be a comedy with two major comedians and it wasn't a comedy at all, just a sad story with of lot of pissing me off.  I can't believed it actually made it to the big screen.  And it opened on Valentine's Day - absolutely ridiculous.  This is so not a Valentine's Day movie!  When is a decent movie going to arrive?

2/25/20  Sonic the Hedgehog (3.5)

     Saw with Tristan, of course.  Surprisingly, a really fun movie!  Didn't realize James Marsden or Jim Carrey were in it, so that made it an added treat.

      

Homeless Blanket Afghan #10 - The Josh-ee Afghan

I wish the dark color weren't so hard for me to work with - sewing together the squares is a pain in the butt!

Impeccable dark charcoal

Homeless Blanket Afghan #7 - The Georgina - FINISHED!!

These are so easy and mindless.  I made it one row longer than the Dolores, so it's 6 by 9.  54 easy peasy squares that go together ridiculously easily.  One row of sc around the outside edge, with 4 sc in each corner.

Impeccable "Aran" yarn used as border yarn.

Homeless Blanket Afghan # 9 - The Isle of Deserted Mountains (mdI)

Just to sit and mindlessly crochet, that's what I'm really digging right now.  Will I have them all done by December?  Nope, but I will complete them all AND give them all away.

I'm using Impeccable (Michael's) Putty for the single color.  Making them pretty good size so I don't have to do too much sewing together.

12/16/22  So.  I made a decision.  I'd like to make Brendan's girlfriend, Neveah, something special for Christmas.  So since I only had a few of these squares made, I took the whole project to Maine with me to see if I could complete it for her by Christmas.

12/23/22  Finished!  Placed it into a huge Christmas bag I found at Reny's, and gave to her on Christmas day.  She appeared to love it.  Made me really happy.

60. Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

listened on Libby

copyright 2021
304pgs.
Adult mystery/thriller
Finished 9/19/2022
Goodreads rating: 3.97
My rating: 5
Setting: Contemporary Scotland

My comments: This was on of those unusual mysteries thrillers where you really have no clue about what is going on.  That doesn't happen to me very often and I truly enjoyed this.  Set in the middle of newhere in Scotland during a blizzard, a husband and wife stay in an abandoned church that has been converted into a home - like a airb&b experience.  Lots of dark happenings, lots of mystery really well told!

Goodreads synopsis:  Think you know the person you married? Think again…

Things have been wrong with Mr and Mrs Wright for a long time. When Adam and Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. Self-confessed workaholic and screenwriter Adam Wright has lived with face blindness his whole life. He can’t recognize friends or family, or even his own wife.

Every anniversary the couple exchange traditional gifts – paper, cotton, pottery, tin – and each year Adam’s wife writes him a letter that she never lets him read. Until now. They both know this weekend will make or break their marriage, but they didn’t randomly win this trip. One of them is lying, and someone doesn’t want them to live happily ever after.

Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget.

Rock Paper Scissors is the latest exciting domestic thriller from the queen of the killer twist, New York Times bestselling author Alice Feeney.

Homeless Remembrance Blanket Project

Website:  https://memorialblanket.org/

Big DC Display will be December 21, 2022 - The shortest night of the year!

Sizes requested:  45 x 80 - or - 60 x 80

Well, I certainly jumped in with both feet!

             My donation for this year, 2022.

5 for the Homeless - Washington D.C.

Auspicious

Dolores

Frances

Georgina

Harry

GIFTED:  Isle of Deserted Mountains 

           My Dolores Afghan is right there! Second one in the bottom row...

The Auspicious Afghan

FINISHED, donated 2022

first one started, fourth one all sewn together (11/26/22)

8 rounds

5 x 9 (probably could've been 5x8?)

golden beige

The California Afghan

FINISHED year 2 on 11/22/23, donated 2023

8 rounds

5 x 8 = 40 squares

putty

The Carlisle Afghan

8 rounds

soft taupe

The Dolores Afghan

FINISHED, donated 2022

Michael's value economique off white

first one FINISHED!

7 rounds

6 x 8 = 48 squares

aran

The Elizabeth Afghan

FINISHED Yr. 2 11/24/23

5 rounds

aran

The Frances Afghan

FINISHED, donated 2022

6 rounds

7 x 10

classic gray

The Georgina Afghan

FINISHED, donated 2022

7 rounds

6 x 9

Michael's cheaper brand aran - I  think.....

The Harry Afghan

FINISHED!! Donated 2022

3rd one of this batch finished

7 rounds

6 x 9 rows = 54 squares

Impeccable (Michael's) aran

The Isle of Deserted Mountains (mdI)

FINISHED, gifted

Okay, so this one ended up NOT going to the Homeless Remembrance Blanket Project, it ended up going to NEVEAH!!

8 rounds

putty

The Josh-ee Afghan

 7 rounds

dark charcoal

The Kandinsky Afghan

8 rounds

2 center & 2 outer are putty

3and4, 5and6 are coordinating double rounds

putty

The London Afghan

8 rounds

3-3-1-1

soft taupe

The Madeline Afghan

FINISHED 8/26/23

10 rounds

4 x 6

Started at the Carlisle Expo Center at the start of the summer.

Pretty boring, but used up yarn I had.

The Novato Afghan

Crocheted at Dede's July 2023

Finished at home November 2023

11 rounds with border (Loops & Threads 7 oz skein of mustard) took 2 skeins

The Odds & Ends Afghan

FINISHED 2023

Crocheted in October 2023 when I wanted to use up the few colors I had left before buying more yarn....

Finished November 2023

4 x 6 blocks

11 rows including white border

The Pragmatic Afghan

FINISHED 2023

For this one I used 3-4 oz. skeins for verigated or striping yarn.  Never knew how they'd come out!

The Razzle Dazzle Afghan 

FINISHED 2023

4 x 7 blocks

10 rows, no border

Homeless Blanket Afghan #1 - The Auspicious Afghan

 The Auspicious Afghan

(auspicous means inspiring hope)

The Afghan That Started It All

9/16/22     21 blocks completely ready

                  5 blocks need the final/joining round

                  5 across x 4 already sewed together = 46 blocks

5 x 9 needs 45 blocks, so looks like there's more than enough ready....

IF 5 across is wide enough....

If not, will need 9 more blocks.

Impeccable "Golden Beige"

Homeless Blanket Afghan #2 - The California Afghan

 The California Afghan

Started with scraps from Dede, then added colors from stores n Petaluma and San Rafael

9/16/22     17 blocks done and waiting

                 5 across x 6 down already sewed together = 47 blocks ready

Was going to make this 5 x 8, which takes 40 squares, but since I've made 7 more than that, I'll probably make it bigger!  We'll see!

Impeccable "Putty"

Homeless Blanket Afghan #3 - The Carlisle

 The Carlisle Afghan

The Whole Project Started in Carlisle, right?

9/16/22   39 blocks ready

                none sewn together yet

48" wide

5 per row x 8 rows = 40 blocks needed

Gotta make 1 more block!

Impeccable "Soft Taupe"

Homeless Blanket Afghan #4 The Dolores Afghan - FINISHED!!

 The Dolores Afghan

#4 in the alphabet is D 

so of COURSE, this needs to be named this!

9/16/22  15 blocks ready & waiting

               4 x 6 sewn together = 39 blocks complete

It seems to measure 46' wide, each block seems about 8" or just a little less

Will probably make 8 blocks for the length?

6 x 8 blocks total needed

Only 9 blocks yet to be made!

Craftsmart Value Economique (Michael's) "Off White"

Homeless Blanket Afghan #6 - The Frances Afghan

 The Frances Afghan

   (Love ya, girl!)

9/16/22   15 blocks ready

                5 x 7 sewn together = 50 blocks done

Each block is about 6.75 ", the row of 7 (sewn together) is about 48"

Think I'll need 10 (possibly 11) rows total, but we'll say 10 for now.

7 x 10 = 70 blocks total needed

20 blocks yet to be made

Impeccable (Michael's) "Classic Gray"

Homeless Blanket Afghan #5 - The Elizabeth Afghan

 The Elizabeth Afghan

(Love ya, Mom)

 

If I could see better to use black yarn, I think this would look SUPER cool.  Maybe the next one?

9/16/22   27 blocks ready

               3 x 8 sewn together = 51 blocks done

Each block is about 5/5 inches, a row sewn together is about 46" wide

I'm guessing 12 rows (possibly 13, but for now I'll go with 12) for a total of 96 blocks all together.

45 more blocks to be made

Impeccable (Michael's) "Aran"

Homeless Blanket Afghan #8 - The Harry Afghan

 The Harry Afghan

(Queen Elizabeth II just died, and Harry looks so sad...)

I really love the look of this block, however, I'm afraid it'll be too much white when they're all attached together.  We'll see.

9/16/22     22 blocks ready

                  2 x 6 rows sewed together = 34 blocks done

Each block is just a smidge less than 8", so the 6-block row measures about 46 inches wide

To be 72" long, it'll need 9-ish blocks for length

6 x 9 = 54 blocks total needed

20 blocks to be made

Impeccable (Michael's) "Aran"