Sep 6, 2015

It's over!

Hello people.  Labor Day.  The holiday that I associate with summer's end.  I will be sticking around the house whining.  Hoping you will be participating in whatever you choose for the day. 
 
I am drug sensitive.  Doctors don't believe me and think it's a fallacy.  I knew the loss of balance with dizziness was coming on so I took less than one half of a 25 mg. Meclizine (Antivert).  I can not function, wake up, concentrate and this is day two.  Normally I am groggy for a day and get over it but the last two times have had prolonged effects.  When I had a biopsy that took 20 minutes, I was out for hours after the "conscious sedation".  One OTC Benadryl tablet knocks me out too.  Two days of antibiotics and I am doing the seated cha-cha (yeast infection). I think they better start believing me!
 
 
Progress is still slow on Sally's house and honestly, I have not been in the mood to stitch for some time now.  I am moving forward, but I am losing interest.  So why the hell am I still seeing charts and wanting to purchase them?  I made an error on the lower windows and front door because I was not paying attention to the chart.  Once I get the pattern in my head, I assume the rest is the same but this is so not true in reproductions.  The windows flanking the front door are to be one stitch narrower than the rest and I failed to check that, so instead, mine are the full width of the others.  Instead of removing those stitches, I took two stitches from the door's width to keep the design around it the same as the chart.  This messed up the over 4 rice stitch at the entrance (green) so I only did rice at the edges.  I also thought the X's (to signify rice) meant to use the color assigned to that symbol (DMC 3371) and had to remove it all. 
 
I have another kitcheny thing to show you.  When we had the standard sink base we had the tip-out trays behind the false fronts at the top.  Since we no longer have that style, we installed the thin, removable and washable trays inside the doors.  Very handy and thin enough to not interfere with the doors.  They are low cut and don't hold a lot, but having the brushes and scrubbies handy is nice.
 
And in all the years of gardens, we have never had the fawns eat the large zucchini leaves and also the zucchini themselves.  So surprised to find them inside the fence since the rest of the garden was terminated by them months ago.  The plants covered this area and we had three zukes left before this.
 
 
That's it folks.  Hope you're enjoying the long weekend. 
 
Thanks for visiting.
 
 
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Sep 1, 2015

The sink base

Hello people.   It's been a while since I bored you with kitchen stuff so I thought it was about time to do it again. 
 
Not sure if I showed you the finished sink base.  It was a standard base until we easily modified it to accept the soapstone farm sink. 
 
 
This color is SW's Curio Gray, an old historic color that they still have in their fan deck.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 The other cabinets are a little lighter and very neutral.  Behr's Riviera Beach.  I did a dark Minwax walnut stain on the edges, then a coat of dark cranberry.  You can see the red through the chips and the stain on the edges.  The same stain that covered me and half the kitchen a few days ago.
 
We went to Volant for Amish farm goods and stopped at the antique shop and James Creek.  I found this 8" wide x 34" old wooden oven peel.  The tapered end is delicate and so very thin from use.  I needed something long and narrow for the side of the fridge and this is perfect. 


James Creek looked very nice, better than a month ago, and the shop was filled with Fall colors.  Since Homespun Weavers have changed to a more limited and modern line of wovens, I grabbed several small pieces at 40% off.  When she told me a month ago that the colonial lines were discontinued, I should have grabbed the larger cloths then.   
We stopped in River's Edge to see Wendy (Judy), who worked at JC for many years and was a joy to visit with.  I have always called her Judy since that's exactly what she looks like to me.  A Judy. 
 
And speaking of discontinued, I'm sure you've all heard by now that Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly is finished.  The fall issue was its last.  I just renewed for two years.
 
That's it.  Still car shopping, narrowed down to another Escape or Subaru Forester.  The Escape comes in a wild gold called Electric Spice.  That may be the deciding factor since I am used to, and want, a car easily seen in the parking lots.  I've helped many elderly folks that I found roaming the lots find their vehicles and am not ready to become one of them.
Have a good week.
 
Thanks for visiting.
 
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Aug 31, 2015

Sewing method

After a number of emails asking about the sewing method, I tried doing a little video to show how I do it. Unfortunately, my Samsung tablet takes lousy videos and my phone is the $7 a month flipper you saw last post.  I don't see any adjustments for clarity on the device or in the program but will do some research.  Certainly can't see the over two linen threads but you can get the idea.  I will try other settings and distance to show the full stitch method.  There are other ways also but I've been a bonehead for most of my life and always go back to what I know. 
And according to many sources, I know everything.

 
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Aug 30, 2015

Little Robina

Backed with dark greenish brown uncut corduroy with a hanger of the same linen, attached with a pin so I can change my mind and throw her in a bowl.  ME???  Change my mind?  Nah.
 
Needlework Press reproduction done on R&R Sea Glass linen with a walnut dip.

  
 
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Aug 28, 2015

Slow stitching

Greetings!  I keep seeing posts and pages of early Fall decorating, many excited about the onset of their favorite season.   We had nothing but cold and rain all of June, a nice July and part of August, and I've had a heater on for a week.  Six weeks was about all I got this year of my favorite season.  My house is 64 degrees and I need a sweater in the evening.  Morning shoppers have jackets on!  Ridiculous.  High temps coming this weekend but it's too little too late.  It's over and I'm about as crabby as I can be. 
 
My fingers are numb again from my neck after a chiropractic treatment.  Hard to hold a needle between the numbness and cold but I'm plugging away at the house.  I do the first half of the stitch horizontally using the sewing method, and then the second half vertically.  Big areas like this end up looking like corn rows if I follow the same route.  A few houses in prior samplers have obvious "rows" going two different directions when I did large horizontal sections and then narrow vertical ones, like between windows.  The method works very well for my tension.
 
The kids have been giving me trouble.  Tiny little Missy Midge took off after the baby turkeys, even though big mama bird was right there.  Nitzy has spit out and drawn blood three times during a worm pill fiasco.  Still didn't get it down.  The pill plunger is all the way back but he makes sure he hocks it up every time.  Filthy dirty Bud will not leave me alone and obviously the flea stuff isn't working.
 
The fawns are not around as much but the turkey moms and poults are.  Probably because of the very wet and cold spring, they must have lost their first brood and had another because they are very small for this time of year.
 
 
The squirrels are happy that without the fawns visiting, there is more bread for them.
 
 
No decision on the car yet.  I am kind of upset that I am losing my bright yellow Escape.  2003 and it's been perfect, still is.  Carole always got her cars from my Dad and he was always upset at what they looked like a year later from neglect.  I am already feeling that.  I am still considering leasing a mid size sedan for her but what about after the lease ends?  One of us may be needing a new car then and I can't do two payments.  I hate decisions.  And you know I can't make them. 
 
  
 
 
 



And this pic is for friend Krissy B.
 
 
Have a nice calm relaxing weekend!
 
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Aug 26, 2015

Once again...

you have my answers.  Thanks!  Now I know what the ground cover is and my strange looking fuzzy friend.  I forgot to mention in the prior post to Karen B - I can't answer you.  You're no-reply and I cannot comment on your posts without signing up for Google+.  I don't know why Google has played around with our comments, changed our status, prevents us from communicating with other bloggers, and tries to force us into Google+.  Since I am not + and have no intentions to be so, maybe that's another reason why the majority of my commenters are shown to me as no-reply.
 
I had a wasted afternoon yesterday because of a mishap with a quart can of dark walnut stain.  While sitting on a stool in front of the base cabinets, using a little sponge brush to stain the sanded edges on a door, the brush slipped.  When I tried to quickly retrieve it before it immersed into the stain, my butt tilted the stool, I slid onto the floor, and a quart of dark oily stain flew everywhere.  What a mess.  The light paint cabinets, the floor, dishtowels, and my legs and feet were completely covered.  It took a LOT of mineral spirits and my rough heels and Polish ankles are still pretty dark.  My sandals and clothes were dark to begin with but were victims also.  I was so surprised that no tantrum or wailing session ensued.  But my affliction is still a part of me as later in the day, we visited a car dealer.  First thing - "let's get the keys and take a few models for a ride".  Listen buddy,  I know how to drive and all new cars ride nice.  I want a plain vehicle, all wheel drive, no frills.  "But you can get a screen and Wi-Fi with" ..... stop right there.  I am driving, not entertaining myself.  I don't want to look at anything but the road, don't want to be distracted with nonsense.  I want wheels.  All wheel drive wheels.  With a cubicle attached to those wheels and keeps me dry until I get to where they are taking me.  That's it.  Don't give me your pitch, give me your price.  So I got the price and told them I will call if I want to take the vehicle for a ride so no need for them to call me.  Mark said "something tells me they had no intentions of further contact".   It wasn't the dealership where years ago I walked around with only one lens in my sunglasses.  I haven't been back there since.  I've always wondered if they had video surveillance and there is a lunchroom photo of a frazzled frizzy haired woman roaming around Lincoln Navigators oblivious to wearing .... 
Nah.
 
Have a great day.
 
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