Am I the only one...

that is out of sorts? 

...feeling like you're falling off the planet? 

...choosing the wrong stall in the restroom? 

...picking a new printer after hours of research that is not in stock online or in stores?

...squirting yourself in the eye with bug killer? 

...getting in the wrong car AGAIN? 

...standing in front of large glass doors that say EXIT waiting for them to open?  

...staring at an online thread order that never gets ordered? 

...seeing hornies and boxes and squares everywhere and wondering when the hell you'll get organized? 

...calculating calories of the tall canister of cream cheese frosting that you ate with a spoon? 

...wondering why she rudely says to shut-up in the KMart commercial?

...wondering if menopause can go into remission, play with your head, and then whack you upside it? 

...getting distracted by a stink bug?

 

A stink bug.  Staring in wonder at an almost square and flat bug.  I don't know what's going on, maybe the season change and my woe at losing summer.  I posted recently about being distracted, but this is like being in a stupor.  Snap out of it!

 

As for the fricking Santa, problems problems.  This linen came out very nice from the dip, but something is not right.  For me, the threads look mauve and cool on this Gunmetal, even the warmer reds.  I can't seem to settle on a good shade and ordering overdyed online is a crap shoot.  I have several GAST reds and Mulberry looks the best, less of a pink-red.  DMC 221 blends nicely with it and I may mix in a few strands to ensure I will have enough.  Shown in the photo is the red I dyed twice and used on this project, but I removed it.  It looks good on everything else but not on this odd blue. My options are to test the Mulberry thread or start over on brown linen.  As soon as I'm aware of my surroundings and my eye stops burning from the bug spray.

 

 

The boys are enjoying the weather.  I'm enjoying a few bags of Dove but they were better dipped in the icing.

 

Have a good week.  Hope you pick the right stall.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Call me crazy

Go ahead.  It's OK.  When it comes to color, I have a real problem.  This Gunmetal is perfect for a night sky, but it is bugging the crap out of me.  I see a purplish cast and I hate reddish blues.  We all see color differently and it may be a perfect dark blue to others.  I mixed the dye until I got the right greenish brown and after a quick dip, the difference is subtle, the purplish cast is toned down, not as harsh.  On the right is my dip after drying, and the left is the original.  You may not even see the change.  I could do another dip but why push it?  I like the color, just wanted to warm and tone a little. 




If my ankle wasn't killing me, I would do a happy dance.  But the way I've been flashing tonight, give me a few minutes.  I may change my mind.
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EDIT - I did.  So I dipped again!  A little more toning and it's perfect.  It's a beautiful midnight blue sky now.  Whew.  I may order another piece now that I know I can adjust it.  But then again, who knows if it will come in the same shade?

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A Santa start

Hi hi hi.  Hope all is well with you.  It's the 16th and we've passed the center mark of September.  Has anyone checked to see if the earth is rotating a little faster?

 

I was going to start a small hornbook sampler chart but still have Santa on my mind.  I've been disappointed many times when ordering overdyed online so will substitute for the WDW threads.  I have Needle Necessities skeins in red and decided to dip them in the brown dye jar and then the gray.  The red is toned down now and looks pretty good. I stuck the red Wildflowers in too.

 

Not many changes except for leaving out parts of the design.  It has an arched border charted but isn't stitched in the model.  I don't plan on adding it and may even leave the side greenery off too.  I thought a dark background was necessary to show the DMC 612 base and his beard, thought a night sky would be nice with those stars. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Gunmetal is not a color I care for but I think it will work well for this Santa. 

If I stitch the side branches I'll use a lighter gray green, but I may just do the Santa area.  I thought about trying a dye dip to change the linen a little but I have no idea which way to go, so I'll leave it alone.

 

I took down a few ferns to water them and take a look.  This table is 36".  These guys are amazing and would take up way too much space inside.

 

 

Almost took Carole to the hospital again yesterday, but this time because of what she ate.  Mussels.  She loves them but it's the second time she had to send unopened ones back and ended up deathly ill eight hours later.  She's never had a problem before, but now said she will never order them again.  I am allergic to shellfish but I don't think I could handle crabs and lobsters boiled alive and taking minutes to die.  Can't they knock them out first?  I understand that bacteria forms very quickly after death so they must be alive right up to cooking but there has to be a more humane way to quickly end it.  She's doing OK today and got a few hours sleep. 

 

Not sure if I want an iced coffee or a (lots of) chocolate Coke.  I tried Diet Pepsi because it doesn't use Nutrasweet and it wasn't as good so it's back to regular Coke.

 

 

 

 

Bud said he hopes you enjoy the weekend.

 

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Does size really matter?

Our first year growing Marconi frying peppers and oh my.  They are sweet, heavy fleshed, and delicious raw.  Did I mention size?

If we personally knew the horses that contributed the truckload of manure, we would bring them lots of carrots and goodies. 

Our pepper plants are shoulder height to me and although staked, the heavy rains and weight of their bounty have created a tangled web of plants. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The hot peppers we tried this year, Golden Dagger, were as large as this Marconi.  We've canned and canned and the only left on the plants are these youngsters.  The Hungarian Wax grew no larger than prior years so I'm assuming these two varieties are just monsters.  Definitely plant again next year.

 

 

I've decided to forget Etsy and just offer what little I have on the blog page, soon.  Will let you know several days in advance.  The printer, same one that did this times before, has stopped printing in black again.  We've taken all the steps we followed previously to get it working properly again, and I won't know for a few days if I can continue.  The new printer I purchased the last time this happened, was a waste of money.  The printers seem to focus on multi tasking and speed rather than clarity and I followed the salesgirl's advice, big mistake.  So the items will be limited. 

After all the trouble I've been having, starting over with color management and such with a new one is just not in me right now.  I went to several places trying to copy the test labels but they looked like hell.  So if things work out and there is enough interest, I can make more when I find the suitable remedy.  Right now, the finish I use is curing, they are satin and semi gloss because (hopefully) the hornie and squares will be handled and used.

 

No stitching yet.  Yesterday was another day running Carole around, her new bridgework has broken four times since spring.  Mark took her this time, I had appointments and consults about getting back on anti-coagulants.  Haven't decided what to do, for a number of reasons.  She and Mark conspired during the trip to ask for haircuts, so they each got clipped after.  I think I cut hers a little too short but it grows so fast she'll be fine with it. 

 

Zucchini pizzarelles, pancakes, whatever you call them, frying right now. 

 

Have a great weekend - stay safe.

 

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The bags are filled

 

 

 

with rejects, misprints, too pink, too green.  Ran out of paper, ink, and patience.

The finalists of the fricking set of three.  Now if I can get them attached without gluing my fingers together AND remember to punch the holes in first.  A few days ago, they were complete.  ????  Mark asked me why there were no holes for the ring.  Started over X 3.

 

 

Have a good day folks.  Thanks for your kind words about sis.

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Uh-oh.  There may be four fricking sets.

For sure I'm finished now.

 

 

 

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.

 

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