Remember when I posted more than once every other year. Wow! It’s been almost two years since I’ve been away. I’ve been busy catching up with life, as I officially am a senior citizen. I’m in year two of Medicare. Haha.
I’m not sure what to do with the Chronicles of Princess Hot Flash. It’s probably time to shut it down. Not posting for two years is probably a big sign to close it down. I think I have a few more posts in me. I’ll make a decision after that.
What’s been going on in my life
Life has become more sedate since my mom passed away. I’m trying my best to keep Dad safe and fed. He will turn 98 this July. He is still at it with word finds, solitaire on the iPad, napkin-making from paper towels, and, on occasion, he breaks into a rendition of “Aloha Oe,” which he learned in school many years ago. He had a big fall in February while I was on vacation. My sister and brother-in-law were with him. After a stay in rehab, he’s back with a little more adjustment to his care. He still wants to be as independent as he can.
I went on a winter vacation in February to Yellowstone, Arches, and Canyonlands National Parks. I miss snow, so I dragged three friends with me. We spent three nights at the Snow Lodge in Yellowstone, with snowcoach rides, geyser viewing, wildlife sightings, hiking, stargazing, and snowshoeing. And the best thing was that the park was empty, except for the guests at the Snow Lodge and day visitors on snowmobiles.
Here are a few of my favorites from Yellowstone.
In between the Yellowstone and Arches, we tried our hand at dog sledding. What a great experience. I was standing behind the driver, terrified, and held on for dear life. Eventually got accustomed to the ride. The driver and dogs were fabulous.
I stood behind the driver — I didn’t think I could handle the dogs on my own.
We were off to Utah to Arches and Canyonlands National Park to see the fabulous rock formations. A lot of short walks, rock scrambling, and a couple of longer hikes made up for a stay in Moab. National parks are great in the off-season. The crowds and parking aren’t so crazy.
Me at the Delicate Arch right before sunset
What have I been working on?
This post will be too long if I give you a recap of what I’ve been working on over the last two years. Here are a few of my favorite finished projects.
I looked back at my photos to see what I’ve been working on, and it doesn’t seem like all that. Mostly to get rid of my fabric and yarn stash that could last 3 lifetimes. It doesn’t help that I’m a fabric hoarder these days, especially if it’s vintage and bright. I finished three quilt tops, two baby blankets, and a throw. I need to quilt and bind them off till they are done.
My supervisor, Orange the Cat, is watching me piece together the quilt tops and potholders on my vintage Singer 99K.
I wrote this section when I began this post in November 2025. I included it to show how my projects get done. Haha.
I’ve been giving my hands a rest from knitting and crocheting. They’ve been achy at night, making it hard to sleep. But in the past month, I’ve picked up a couple of old unfinished projects. I picked up my Hemlock Ring Doily Throw that I started in November 2024. I was making good progress and had reached the Feather and Fan chart when I noticed the stitch count was off. Ugh!
Guess what! I frogged (a knitting term for ripping it apart) the whole thing. I just wasn’t in the mood to find the mistake. But I did finish it just in time for our Annual Friends Gathering, and I used it for a door prize.
Hemlock Ring Doily Throw blocked and finished just in time for our Annual Friends Gathering as a door prize
I think I’ve caught you up with life. I hope to do a couple more posts in me. Maybe another hiking one before taking Princess Hot Flash down.
Princess Hot Flash 