My new wand

What planet have I been living on?  Or am I under the same rock as Lauren?  Geez.  With the loss of so many stores locally, I don't browse like I used to and frankly have lost interest in doing so.  Recently I started visiting Amazon and seeing so many things new to me.  With all my brother's antiques and treasured items, dusting is a real chore for him.  So I found a microfiber duster that is specifically for delicate items, but at the same time, learned about the larger dusters.  Holy sugar cookie.  What a Godsend to arthritic hands!!  I sprayed lightly with water, and felt like I was in a commercial.   Lightweight enough to balance on my toes and skip around the room in a pale blue chiffon dress complete with matching apron while twirling my dusting wand.  I am thrilled.  This baby goes between each spindle at the seat, across the back, up and down caressing each rail while removing those dust puddles.  The extension allowed the legs and stretchers to be cleaned without much bending.  My black chairs looked black in very short order and my hand was not tortured.  The tops of my cabinets did not require stretching, and the hand shaved wood of my antique spinning wheel did not for once embed a splinter.  I don't like one time use products, this can be washed (but no dryer use) over and over and a light spray of water is all that's required to hold the dust and not release it .

  I am buying one in every color of the best quality.  Thin nubby, thick nubby, short nubby, long nubby.  Sometimes, living on another planet can bring excitement for the most mundane gadget.  Especially when it creates an easy solution for a painful chore.  Now if you'll excuse me, I need to slip out of this chiffon dress.

Mr. Pete is keeping me hopping.  After all the work I put into his shelter, he is staying by the door or looking at the kitchen window.   Had no choice but to create shelter closer.  So yesterday I did a quick second house with two plywood overhangs for protection.  I hope husband was not saving them for a project.  

We have another shelter, a wood table, that Mark enclosed on three sides and added a higher shelf inside.  A thick piece of plywood is covered in plastic and angled to shed water.  The boys like it on that shelf but Petey has made it his.  So they've decided to take up residence in his two houses.  I am constantly outside trying to diffuse a home turf war.  I need to replace ink in the printer and get his photo out to vets.  I seriously doubt anyone will claim him.  But when the ink is in, I plan to work on a small project for a giveaway.  

  Carole and Chris came for dinner this evening.  It was the postponed Christmas Eve dinner traditionally with smelts, pierogis and slaw but I made cheese pierogi filling in nalesniki instead.  The smelts were excellent and I found my aunt's marinated recipe to try along with our regular fried.  It's sort of weird.  You boil water, vinegar, and some oil the smelt were fried in with a ton of rosemary until reduced.  Strained, and then fried smelts are marinated in it with some of the rosemary.  I forgot to save 1/4 cup of the oil so we had only the floured and fried.  Maybe next time.  

We never know what tomorrow will bring.  We read about living each day as if it is our last, and we agree and nod, but do we follow that advice?  It is not easy, human nature gets in the way and we fall back on everyday life and routines without thinking how precious each day is.  I hope to remind myself daily.  Happy new year to all.  Wishing you a healthy happy 2020.

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Turning a page

Finally completed page one of Ann Hicks.  I'm hoping the following pages will be easier for me.  I am used to large blocks of red Santa suits or alphabets.  This wonky tree took forever, and these little birds were not fun.  Yes they are very small and easy to stitch, but changing colors for a few stitches that don't make sense in the design is something I need to learn to tolerate.  Seriously considered doing them in two colors only but stuck it out.  Five little messy fricking birds.  Done.

I saw this sampler that Merry Wind Farm stitched into a project bag and I loved it.  She was very helpful in directing me to the designer because I had no clue.  Nada.  Zip.  Did I see it on someone's blog and forgot about it?  Possibly.  The book is Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day from BBD.

For every two steps to recovery, I go one step back.  Mark took me out for a little ride today and we stopped at Carole's.  Chris had truffles and melt-aways with a DD gift card there for me.  That made me smile, and also made my stomach ache because as you know, I am a pig.  I could use a nicer word but pig is appropriate.

Have a great last few days of another year gone by.

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For a very short time

these guys get to live outside of a box.  Isn't that a shame?  I mentioned before that my friend's mom was an avid stitcher of Santas (and so much more).  She moved to a small home in the city and converted the smallest bedroom into her stitching studio.  The tiny room had a large comfy chair, a maple desk covered with project filled baskets, wallpaper featured a miniature red design, the corner hutch was filled with stitched Santas.  Red accents and upholstery against cream and tan, you couldn't help but feel good when entering.  Even though the Santas were plentiful, the room didn't look seasonal because they blended so well with the color and needlework theme of the room.  Thirty some years ago and I still remember it.

 

So here's a look at some of my favorites, you've seen them before, that will be going back into their box soon.

I would love to take the trees down as some do the next day, but Mark does not agree.  Carole calls every day to see if I'm feeling better, if plans for our family Christmas dinner are made .  I would prefer Monday but with a mid afternoon doc appointment, that won't work.  So I guess it will be new year's eve and day.  

Petey boy is sitting right at the corner of my door and stretching his neck to look inside.  He stretched his massive gut across a thin fence rail in the nice weather yesterday. The orange cat we saw him roaming with months ago, is now his enemy.  He goes after him every time and we have no idea who he belongs to.

Holidays during the week really mess up our day clocks don't they?  I just saw the mail delivery truck, so I guess it's not Sunday.   Yay!  My back scratcher should be in my mail box.  I couldn't believe how difficult it was to find a decent one.  Added to an order from Kohl's, I got two, anxious to see the quality.

Hope your weekend is relaxing and wonderful.

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A quiet Christmas

In more ways than one. 

Mark's gift - his wife's throat and breathless cough took her voice away.  A little huff of air is all that's heard, music to his ears.

Carole's gift - her sister was not present to witness the overload of unnecessary gifts to the great grands and throw eye daggers followed by a speech in the kitchen.

Ron's gift - his sister was unable to have the Eve and Day dinners so his generous neighbor brought pasta, ham, stuffed cabbage, roast beef, salads, potatoes, cookies, and pie to his door.

Chris's gift - no consequence to his aunt not being able to visit, he previously tried on his new Sketchers for fit and received his gift early.

Petey has been a good boy, except for today.  For some reason, he went after Nitzy from behind.  This poor boy is now staying by the back door and this is the view from our kitchen window.  I still can't approach any closer than about six feet, but he is hanging close and looking for us most of the day.  He came here well fed, does not hunt, couldn't have been on his own for long.  Big boy isn't he?

I won't be hitting any sales or enjoying this warm weather for the next few days.  I need a new laptop and I will probably spend some time shopping online again, and some stitching too between naps.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, great cookies, and lots of hugs.  But keep those hand sanitizers handy!!  This is a virus, it's spreads, and it's not fun.

Thanks for visiting!

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Book 58

Crabass Santa.  I had planned to change his eyes to reflect anger, but decided there is too much of that around.   His coat is 3802, the face is my preference for Santas.  Rather than 407/356 I use 3773 for the face and 407 for the cheeks/nose.  

I added colored knots and strung them together with 3371.  I wanted him to look like a frustrated crab as sometimes happens when lights go wrong.  But I plan to remove this and do smaller knots on the tree alone, or none at all.  I've seen many of your finishes with piping or tiny poms and want that on mine.  For some reason, my taste is changing once again, and I wish these guys were done on a solid fabric as Jobelan in sage or a neutral.  Why?  I've been linen linen linen for so long!!  For samplers, absolutely.  But ornaments, I am liking the solid base without the slight variations and texture.  Menopause.  It still happens.

My sampler tags on the little tree look so cute, but because of the thin wood are slightly warped.  Good thing I didn't make any to sell.  May not bother you, bothers me.  The tin ornaments that I so love are not to be found.  I've tried all sorts of searches to no avail.  

Went to the doc today, she is gorgeous, and so so thin.  I asked if she was OK and found that she is divorcing.   Our chiropractor for many years, a friend, and really great guy, was in the obituaries this morning.  Unexpectedly while in Florida.  Shocked to say the least.  Anyway, she took throat cultures but believes my gagging, pain, and inability to speak for more than a few sentences is because the virus has flared the Sjogren's.  She gave me an Rx for antibiotics in case I get worse over the holiday or am notified about the culture.   I may attempt a brunch Christmas day, great grands will be at Carole's for dinner. 

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday and Christmas, whether it's a full house or alone, decorated or bare, we can all look to 2020 with hope and best wishes.

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Jobelan

Greetings folks.  I am working on my crabass Santa and I couldn't remember the colors I use for PS faces.  I think the 407/356 combo is too much color depending on the fabric and coat colors.  While looking through finishes, I realized how much I like the sage Jobelan for Santas.  I gave away quite a few pieces, did not think I would ever use it again.  But as usual, regrets, because I do like the way it looks.  The texture is not there as in linen, but the coverage and crisp background makes Santa stand out.  I remember someone (I think it was Shirlee) looking for the sage but don't remember why since it is still available.  Mine was from decades ago, is the current sage Jobelan unlike the old?  Anyone know?

I cancelled Eve and Christmas dinners.  I'm really not well and the decongestant meds have dried me out to the point I can't talk for longer than a few minutes.  I may call the doctor tomorrow.  I have a hard time swallowing with the Sjogren dryness but with the cold meds I can barely get food down.  I can't enjoy the meal and can't talk with anyone for long so we will postpone dinners.  I may make a muffuletta for brunch on the 25th, hope to be better by then.

Petey got close to Bud this morning and was crying to him.  No hissing, no growling, just the same cry he gives to me.  Bud did not respond.  He is trying hard to fit in and I plan to take his photo to several vet offices to see if he is recognized.  He was definitely someone's indoor cat.  Saw another FB post of a cat that was left at the curb of a highway with his bed and litter box.  

Getting down to the wire folks!  

Hope you're all ready.

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