My mind

is preoccupied, creating problems with what should be simple tasks.  Everyday ordinary.  Not requiring much thought.  But lately I need to double check everything I am doing.

When I list these few (and getting fewer) items, they will probably be the last.  It's fun when it goes well, but nothing has been.  You wouldn't believe the files I lost (several times) from hitting Revert instead of Save. 

Carole has been having difficulties with her breathing for about a month.  She almost ended up in the ER two nights ago.  The thought of submitting to another catheterizaton after what she has been through, was not even a consideration for her.  Now, she finally agrees with me and is willing to go to the Clinic.  Her cardiologist that got her through these past years, is also mine, and she is devastated from the news of his prognosis.  It's hard for her to trust anyone else.  Several doctors in his same practice were there for her "events", and even caused the most life threatening.  Maybe nothing can be done, the new valve has not had the results expected, and the CHF will continue to worsen.  She felt a little better yesterday, but anxiety and fear make everything worse.  I'm back to barely sleeping, waiting for those mid-night phone calls of desperation once again. This morning it rang at 7am, but was my own doctor.  As you've all experienced, those early calls shake you for a while.  But my coffee cup that reads "stitch happy" is calm and steady right now!

 

Carole's new bridgework has broken four times and my new crown (in the front) is quite a bit darker than my teeth.  I can have it ground off and order a lighter shade, but of course, at my expense.

For the next few days I will go through my linens and charts and look for a little project that I can't screw up.  That would be a reproduction, my favorite type of project that hides errors of all sorts.  But Santa is calling to me.  We'll see.  I need to step back and recharge, hoping to break this pattern of distraction. 

 

Have a good start to your week.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When will I learn

There is no reason to size and color labels all afternoon when I only have 12 corner measure sets to sell.  Why do I continue to make more work for myself, and cause my head to spin with decisions?  Just offer two sets and that's it!  But no, I like this one better.  But what about this one?  And how could I leave this one out?  My head hurts.

 

While Bud lounges beneath the flower filled wagon, Missy chooses the wash tub.

 

To give you an idea of how large my Limelight Hydrangea bush flowers are, compare them to my man hands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second weekend in September.  Christmas decorations are out!  Damn.

 

Enjoy your weekend.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ohio Treasure Sampler x 3

Threadwork Primitives Ohio Treasure Worke #4

From the designer's blog HERE .......
on Havana linen

From Sharon at Moosecraft ......
on R&R Café Kona linen

 

From me on dark brown dyed at home.....

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

It's all over but the border

 which I will put off as long as I can.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Snark and you shall receive

Blogging buds are wonderful generous people.  I thought Release the Snark would be great on a t-shirt, never imagined it could be so cool on the wrist.  Thank you Lauren.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Because of my fat wrists that match my fat ankles, I added the leather band to make it fit.  Breaking that wrist a few years ago and then spraining both ankles certainly made them worse.  But my family's Polish women are the real culprits.

 

Haven't decided if the leather will stay, or to add a short piece of sterling chain with a clasp.  Decisions decisions.  Either way, LOVE it! 

 

Bud was whining about it being hot again today and stayed in the shade under the wagon.

Went to New Wilmington to talk to the lumber yard that supplies many of the Amish, they can get cedar in random lengths, not all short pieces.   I almost fell off the stool when I heard the cost.  Without labor.  Without painting.  I will see who shows up from the names they gave us and hear their suggestions.

Have a good one!

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Beside myself, besiding myself

Non-stitching post, something that has bugged me for a few years.

Crunch time.  Fall is here and contractors take months to show up.  What should I do? 

Replacing the siding with cedar would cost a fortune and after checking sources, found that it comes in 6 foot length bundles with 3 and 4 foot pieces.  No.  Unacceptable.  What are our choices?   Trying to replace the bad with good ones from elsewhere on the house, would be very time consuming.  Sanding each lap smooth, caulking cracks, priming and painting would be also, but the cedar would be saved.  Would anyone do it?  No.  Not one contractor or painter is interested. 

I love the look of our weathered house, but I don't think we have a choice but to replace with cement board laps, and paint.  The entire back (facing north) is fine and it only needs stained or painted.  The east and south facing sides have some good boards, but most are alligatored, dry and brittle, and paint would be sucked in creating a mottled blotchy house.  Not to mention that the warped and brittle laps would still be there.  I can remove that crackled wood between the grain lines with my nail so how long would paint last anyway.

 

I need expert advice, not the contractor's easiest solution.  Wish me luck.  It's something I've put off for a long time.  The Andersen windows need replaced too.  They were Terratone which faded in the sun to pink, were painted, and now are warped with delaminated vinyl. 

 

This was taken two years ago and from the street, it looks like a weathered house. 

 

But seeing it closer, it's terrible.  I considered using the good boards from that middle section (replacing them with stone) but again, no one will attempt it.  If they don't want to do it, I wouldn't trust them to be careful enough to not break the laps during the process. 

 

By the end of this week, I will have a decision made (come hell or hot flash) and will stick to it until I find a restoration company or a conscientious contractor.  Vinyl is the only material these workers have installed.  Many Amish around here but which one?  They install wood siding on their homes but without phones or ads, how do we know who to trust?  How do we contact them for estimates?  And how do we keep in touch for work status?  We stopped at a flooring shop in Volant and placed our order for the wood, never heard from them, drove out to talk to them and no one was ever in the shop, can't leave a note for them to call because there are no phones!  After several months we got the wood through a lumber mill.

 

You know I'm not good at all with decision making, and not only is this a big one, my preferred solution to replace with cedar laps is not an option.

 

Sampler is almost finished except for the #*%* border.  I hate stitching borders.

 

Have a good week.

Thanks for visiting.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~