Still looking for a start

Hello people.  While browsing photos, I saw the one of my mom holding me and transferred it to a post for Mother's Day as a draft.  Well guess who clicked on the wrong post to publish today?  That would be me.   Sorry - this is the correct click!

 

Hi all.  Hope you're enjoying the weekend.  I didn't get my flowers yesterday.  The nursery we usually visit was mobbed and the baskets huge.  I've found being too large this early fizzles out by August so I prefer a dense younger plant, which other places had, but the baskets were mixed colors.  Next week I'll try again.  We did get the Golden Dagger and Inferno peppers, Giant Marconi and Mucho Nacho (large jalapeno) were too small to bring home.  But it was a sunny warm day for a long ride in Amish country with a warm donut.  Or two.

 

Still going through charts and trying to be mindful of the fact that I don't feel like stitching, so the design has to be easy enough to stitch, but not boring.  So I came up with these two.  Harriot involves freehand at the bottom, Ann is larger overall with very little over one.  There is another file of small and simple samplers that I will look through this afternoon, and although  I prefer them, I don't know where to hang them all.  But perusing the file will stall the decision for another day and the longer I can put off searching through linen colors and counts, the better.

 

 

This odd twin pocket piece (I split a reproduction sampler into two) no longer agrees with me and I will tweak my finishing a little and offer it for sale soon.  For those of you that inquired about the Betsy Ross machine, I need to check with my brother, he may have offered it to his dealer friend to sell.   I'll see him this week.

 

Carole is coming over for spitini, parmesan potatoes, cranberry walnut salad and lemon bread for dessert.  Chris will come too unless he's called out which seems to always happen on Sundays. 

 

We've found three doctors that deal with Medtronic pumps, all over 90 minutes away.  One does not have a good rating from some patients but does visit New Castle (about 40 minutes away) once a month.  He was at 54 yesterday morning and the sensor alarm did not go off until 40 minutes after that finger prick.  Now we know the delay in reading and warning is far too slow for his rapid declines.

 

Enjoy the day.

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Freehand and a Betsy

 

 

Greetings folks.  My brother came across a little working electric child's sewing machine called Betsy Ross.  It's green and comes in a red case.  My little Singer is not electric and I didn't realize some of these miniatures were.  Do I want it?  Nope.  I may ask the only shop we have here if they are interested.

 

 

I found a lot of vintage hooks and eyes on cards that are solid brass.  I'm sure someone would use them, maybe Amish, so I will take those to Goodwill.  A reader buddy wanted my Simple Life so the entire lot will go to a good home which I'm happy about.  Thanks for the suggestions to use Media Mail.  I was told that rate is for retailers or mailers, not general public.  Now that I know that is incorrect, I will choose another post office for information. 

 

I was thinking about the sampler I showed with the winding freehand border.  Not that I want to stitch right now, but I'm thinking!   Mary Hazlehurst had a freehand border of mostly stem stitches, can't remember the others (chain?).  It really wasn't too difficult because stitching the body first makes it easy to see placement and it's OK if it doesn't match exactly as the chart shows. 

 

The only part I did not enjoy stitching was the little leaves, too small an area to know which way to fill.  I'm sure it was because of being inexperienced since they are a simple shape and solid color.  Mary Elliot's border has petals and flowers that are made up of very small colored sections so I don't know if I would enjoy that.  Really getting ahead of myself, I didn't start or even decide on the design yet.

 

Contractor hasn't shown yet but I can imagine he is behind because of the very cold and snowy spring.

 

We've had a rough few weeks with Chris, three days in a row and this morning the phone rang at 5:45.  When I saw her number it brought back the nights of Carole gasping at the other end, unable to breathe and needing an ambulance, the feel of a hand squeezing my neck while Rocky Balboa was pounding my chest.  Takes my breath away.  It wasn't about her, it was for Mark to get there for Chris again.  The paramedics had to be called twice in a week because he was unresponsive and clenched, Mark knew it was best for them to be there.  At that point, an IV is necessary and he was brought around from his 42 low.  We need to locate a doctor experienced with his pump, no one is local, and this temporary and worthless endocrinologist is leaving.  I want to see if the Dexcom CGM can be used with the Medtronic pump, it would be much better because it allows his numbers to be monitored on several devices.  And the volume on the Dexcom alarm can be increased, I can barely hear his current, not loud enough to wake up a gnat.

 

Going for flowers this weekend, will probably end up with the usual.  And a donut.  Amish sell their fresh donuts there on the weekends.

 

Hope your weekend is enjoyable and relaxing.  Or exciting.  Whatever makes you smile.

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Some days

you can chase tail, fighting with it until you think you've won,

but then you just give up and realize it's a losing battle. 

 

But not always. Sometimes you just can't let it go.

I've looked through charts, handled my linen, almost started a large sampler, but my mind is elsewhere and relaxing is not possible.  I don't really miss the needle at all.  Whether I will start stitching again at some point, only time will tell.  It could even be tomorrow, but that will depend on how soon I can settle myself.

 

 I actually considered this one for a few days, simple and uncomplicated letters, until I realized the freehand border may be a threat to my sanity (or what's left of it).  Maybe work on the easy body and leave the border for another time?  Scarlet Letter's Mary Elliott.

Our weather has been warm and cold, more warmth coming this week.  But there is sun, finally.  Mark's been golfing and taking a few bucks from his buddies.  And the sun shining in allows me to see the errant M&M peanuts on the floor that jumped from the pile in my hand, grabbed from the cupboard next to this table.

My sister is very upset about her friend's adult addict son.  He can't afford the ACA insurance, would qualify for a subsidy for his family of five, but cannot afford the massive deductibles.  She is afraid he will die.  Did this start with prescriptions?  No it did not.  There is no where that offers free help, regardless of their ads making you think they will.  He's checked everywhere and payment may be lowered without coverage, but still not affordable.  I should have him talk to my friend's friend who paid $80000 cash for a house and vacations in Dubai for tips on how she stays on Medicaid for free.
 

See this pile of A Simple Life?  The local shop does not want them and shipping one copy would be $4 so after Paypal and Ebay fees, why bother?  They are going to the recycler today.  They are wonderful for those that like a dark and dusty look, but I like lighter, colonial, less clutter.

Have a good week folks.

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Finch win

          After Random scrambled the entries for me, #3 was the number drawn.  Kathy, please email your address to me and I will get him in the mail. 

 

Thanks to everyone for offering a home to the finch on blue.  I appreciate all the comments and emails.

 

         A sunny day today, warmer next week, we're finally on our way!

 

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Finch me

Hey.  What's happening people?  Not much here.  Just a really bad entire afternoon wasted on this little fricking finch.  I've had distress before when a project would not cooperate, but this bird riled my feathers big time.  And every time I had to make an adjustment, he got a little bit smaller.  Much smaller.  Over and over and if the lighter was in my sewing room, well, let's just say the siren would have gone off.  Instead of discarding or destroying, I decided to allow him to fly elsewhere.  You want him?  Leave your email or full initials in the comments and Thursday evening at 9, I will draw a name, get an address, and set him free.

 

As the others, button on the back to hold a ribbon which can be removed.  The button wasn't sewn on until after it was stuffed and shut since I had planned on an execution, so it may not be dead center.

 

 

Enough ribbon to hang over a large knob.

 

Just untie and adjust to the length required, like shorter on a basket handle.

This is not a perfect finish, may have a little anger misalignment, a little spot of undetected glue, a cat hair, a few obscenities buried in the batting.  But it's free.

 

Fly away you little finch.

 

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Houston, we have a color

Eureka.  A powerful vacuum cleaner, a city in California and Missouri, a SyFy series, and my scream of the day.  Another gallon, another day, this time close enough.  I think I have finally achieved what I call a charcoal brown.  Not reddish not greenish not taupey not orangey not saturated, just a dark yet soft shade of gray in the shade and brown in the sun.

The trim and windows are waiting, the door is ordered, the stain is finally chosen, last step is having them match a flat exterior paint to it for windows and garage doors.  Tints are not the same for stain as they are for paint but I am assured the tweaking will not be complicated.  The contractor is coming this week to check what lumber is required and we're off to the races.

 

My girls are shedding their coats for summer and looking rather messy, but still cute as can be.  I am shedding the winter clothes in my closet.  When I find something that fits and I like, I buy different colors of the same item.  But this year, all those sweats and sweaters sat because the necks were fitted crew and I could not get them on or off with my shoulder problem.  Might as well pack them up and move on, especially since I believe spring is finally here.  Beautiful sunny and warm days gracing my section of earth.

Hope your week goes well!

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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