Grateful Day!

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Enjoy family, food and fun!

Now I'm off to load the truck!

Never in the Office

I am almost never in my office.  The place where my computer is.  It's like I moved my stitching to the basement, created a studio and never want to go any where else in the house.  Weird.

I have been very busy stitching and still can't show anything!  After the 20th of December I can show some different things, but for now you are stuck with this weeks cross-stitch update!  This is last week.

This is tonight.

There are so many thread changes in these patterns!  They are slow!  And I'm doing it backwards to the pattern-tricksy that- some unstitching is usually required.  I don't think I spent as much time on it this past week as I've been working on the deadline pieces.  (One of which I will finish tomorrow--Praise all the Gods and Goddesses!)  Then over the weekend I should finish another one leaving me with only two and one of those will be quick-I hope.)

I have changed a couple of other things around.  I am no longer making lists!  I was a total list maker for years, thinking that I accomplished more by checking it off but lately I've found it better to just decide at the moment what I want to do.  Of course, if I have a appointment or something then it goes on the calendar but otherwise I just choose.  Thing is many times I'd make the list and then choose to do something else so why bother?

I think I told you I was doing only one hour of housework daily.  It's soon going to be difficult to find enough housework to fill an hour as it's surprisingly quick to do most household chores.  Plus the house is pretty clean to start with now.  I LOVE THIS!  Now if my fifteen minute chores where going as well, sigh.

Cross-Stitch Stocking

Here's this week's update on the current Christmas Stocking (Kolby's)!

Last week

 And tonight

There's quite a bit of the beard of the Santa on the right filled in but it's so light it doesn't show well.

I'm quite pleased with my progress as I'm doing it along with other projects.  Perhaps I'll be able to hang this one with the others by Christmas.  Then I'll only have three more to make--Nora's up next, she gets Christmas mice!

Winter came!

The cold the weather guessers said was coming?  It came.  Yesterday, Quinn and I got up to a thin layer of sleet on everything outside and temperatures well below normal-like 25degrees below normal!  Today is cold as well but I don't mind-more time to read and sew!

I spent two days finishing up all the things I needed to do to be ready for cold weather over the weekend-finially finishing on Monday with a little painting outside.  Now I only need to fill my truck up with gas and buy some more ice melt and I'll be set.  I'll probably add some groceries to the house later this week but I'm pretty good there as well.

I've decided to spend no more than one hour every day cleaning house!  I had let things get to a mess while painting etc and it's taking a bit to get it back in shape.  By limiting the time I have to spend at it I actually DO it!  What can I say works for me.  I do have a "Suffer for 15" minutes clean up going on in the garage but again by limiting the time I spend at it I actually DO it-it will be nice to be able to find things on my workbench.

I finally got all the roofing wood off the doll house.  Spent hours scraping, pulling staples, and trying various solvents to take the glue off only to discover as a last resort that the glue was water based!  A wet paper towel covered by a plastic grocery bag and it peeled off easily!  This is the second time I've fought with removing glue only to discover that it was water based, hopefully the next time I'm confronted with old glue I'll think to try water first!

I've nearly finished all three secret tops, one is being hand quilted and the other two will be machine quilted in the ditch.  Looks like I'll make my deadlines easily!  That means I've had more time for cross-stitching.  I'll post progress on that later today.

Life is good!

Shopping trips

I am not a huge fan of shopping.  That makes me an oddity I suppose, but I dislike spending time that I could be doing something more fun-like reading or sewing!  I also find it frustrating when I am unable to find whatever it is I'm shopping for.  Clothes shopping is the worst.  Since the weather has turned cool I found myself severely short of shirts with long sleeves,  even counting the three turtlenecks I've had for ten years!  (Those from the mens department seem to last much longer than the ones for ladies.)  So I had to go shopping.  Then there were a few stitching needs, so I've made two trips to Joannes and will need to go get floss tomorrow, sigh.  I always make sure that my cold weather grandchildren are suited up for the winter (throw back to being unable to do as well for my own children), I'd bought the big boys coats several weeks ago which was all they needed this year.  Ethan, tiny, tiny Ethan had actually outgrown ALL of last years stuff!  With all of that and a few other things to get or take care of for winter I spent almost the entire day out and about.  This year was a lucky one, I found everything on my list without traipsing all over town.  I was tired though, really tired.  Next will be Christmas shopping--thank goodness for Amazon!

They say winter is coming.

The weather guessers are telling us to expect more wintery weather.  Not snow yet but cold air.  I don't doubt that the high will be over freezing but well short of the 60some degrees of today.  Tomorrow will be much cooler but the really cold stuff hits next week.  I've been getting ready for it and today did some outside work on the house and finished washing the windows.  I have trouble hauling my big ladder around to do the outside of the front windows so this year I tried some of the window washer stuff that you screw onto the hose and spray on the glass.  I can't say that I was impressed by it.  It left dirty spots all over.  I think in my next house I'll take a page from the Irish and leave a wide-5' maybe- gravel walkway all around the house!  (When I asked why the houses all had them, the answer came back that it was tradition but perhaps because it was easier to wash the windows then.)  I still need to vacuum the screens and replace them but that only means the window will be up for a moment.

I hauled a load of stuff up to the donation place, yeah!  My garage now has more space and Hank (the snow thrower) can sit up by the door thus making him accessible when the snow flies (and sticks to my drive!)

Did some necessary shopping-which didn't even come close to doing all my shopping, Friday will be very busy with that!

Quinn and I took a walk, first one in a good long while as I've been resting my foot.  I just got so tired of not doing anything I had to get out.  Tonight my heel hurts some but not too bad so I think well try it again.

I live a quiet life.  I like it like that.

Cross-stitch Update!

I can't show you my other stitching but I can show you Kolby's stocking!
Before:

And today:

Wow, I thought I'd really been making progress but it sure doesn't look like it here!  I need to spend more time stitching!  Alas, tomorrow I must finish another list!

Lists

I am a list maker.  I love a good list.  I love it when I can drawn a line through a finished chore!  That said, I always overestimate the amount of work I will accomplish in one day, sigh.  Sometimes it's that there aren't enough hours for the day in question, sometimes it's my level of involvement in the whole chore process.  I'd really rather read a book, or stitch, or play with the dog, or ---you get the picture.  Today, I got most things done.  Not all so some of them will have to go on other days this week, some are nearly finished now.  One or two biggish things were done today:  the gas bbq grill that I never used was re-homed to Rob's house and I think I have stored everything away for winter!  That bbq grill is heavy!  Someday soon I'll take a day off and just stitch!  I might have to take several off to meet my deadlines on some sewing projects.

So I'm off right now to make up my bed with clean sheets--gotta check that off the list!  Also, I need to get in that bed and it's chilly enough that I really need blankets!

An October finish

 This is my Portable Sewing Center!  Designed by Ami Simms.  It is made from two pair of old jeans-great repurposing!  I had to go to the thrift store to buy mine as you can't use stretch denim.  A bit tricky at times and very bulky.  I had to make a couple of adjustments as my machine would not stitch through the many layers of denim there are in places.  I like it and think it will be useful, easy to just pick up and go.  Currently loaded with Hexi flowers.

Inside!  Clips hold pieces for blocks. There are pockets for tools and thread, plus a large zip pocket!

Bottom, zipper allows for a small pillow to rest your arms on.

Top, zipper for finished blocks, etc.  Yes, I know the zipper's crooked-she said to go crazy!

You know yesterday how I was so psyched about getting my list done?  Today was not as great, sigh. I did make good progress but not nearly done.  One project proved to be too much for me to do all at once-so I divied it up over several days and should have it done by weeks end.  Oh well, tomorrow is another day and unfortunately, no elves will come in and do my work over night!

I did make some stitching progress today as well, on those secret projects.  Cut more strips for a log cabin quilt as well as borders.  Soon, I'll be starting another quilt top-its already cut.  I will be machine quilting it as there are deadlines looming and I'll be working hard to hand quilt the ones I  have ready!

Outside work is slowing way down, there will be leaves for another month but that's just November, and there are some chores to finish up on warmer days this week.  As long as it isn't terribly windy, today was awful.  The snow thrower is in the garage for Rob to work on, my brother came and cleaned the grill (He has a steam cleaning business) and we will load it up tomorrow and take it over to Rob's house as I never use it.  I have at least one more load to take to the donation store from the garage, probably more later on as I continue to lighten the load!

Another month gone.

Now that the Playoffs and World Series are over I can think about blogposts!  Super proud of the Kansas City Royals!  They may have lost the 7th game of the World Series but for the first time in a very long time they were playing in it!  It was very exciting and the whole metro was really up for it and behind the team!  We bleed blue during baseball season.!  (During football season the metro bleeds red for the Chiefs and in our family we bleed black and gold for the University of Missouri--MIZZOU!  Go Tigers!)

October just flew by.  I swear time evaporates! Anywho, I made two weekend trips in October.  One to Denver for my Sister-in-laws birthday and one to San Diego for my Granddaughter's birthday.  Nora, the granddaughter turned five.  I won't say how old Jessie is!  Both were fun weekends, I enjoyed my time with family and especially the walk on the beach with Nora, Candice and Steven!
Unfortunately, I took to the airways instead of the highways!  My choice, but I swear I will not get on a domestic airliner again!  (Boy, I bet I eat those words--maybe I should add unless absolutely necessary!)  I don't think I've ever had a more de-humanizing experience-they should rename airports, holding pens and airplanes, cattle cars, as that's just what they make you feel like!  But enough of that--I had a great time while in both places.  Did some shopping in Denver (really exciting stuff in Denver, a new rolling pin and fish spatulas!  As well as part of Nora's gift at the Disney Store.)  I found time to visit Rosie's Calico cupboard in San Diego for a little fabric therapy!  I love that store.

All those trips and all that dining out (and all the alcohol in Denver) meant that this months weight isn't great.  I lost only one lonely little pound, sigh.  I guess I should be happy I didn't gain ten! I am, believe me I am!  This month will be better!

I have been stitching up a storm down in the studio--loving that space, practically living down there!  I just can't show any of it as most is for gifts and the folks read this blog!  I do have a finish to show you tomorrow.

Well, with this blog post I've done nearly everything on my list for today!  That's a rare thing.  I wonder if I worked hard or just made a better list?

See you back here tomorrow!