Odd Job Tuesday

Its been a quiet evening here on the homestead. Not sure why I call it that, I live in a house, in a city, on a tiny little plot of land in an old section of the city. I can touch my house and the house next door, hardly a homestead but I like the way it sounds. :-) 

I spent the evening doing odd jobs. I recovered a cushion, put a zipper in a cell phone carrier, finished a buffalo puppet and made a couple more lists. I think I am going to reinstate odd job Tuesday. For the longest time Tuesday night was a very social nigt for me. It was the night my friend R and I always did something. Her husband was a truck driver and he was away overnight on Tuesdays, she was free to go out. I had no ties, so go out we did. We did that for years until cancer did its ugly work. I still miss her most dearly but I have always felt it most on Tuesdays.

Originally I decided since I was miserable anyway I would use Tuesdays to do things I knew should be done but never got around to. I used to refer to it as rotton job night. Well eventually I found that title to be a little to negative so I switched it to odd job night. It was that for ages until like a lot of things in my life it slipped by the wayside. I need to bring it back. Its good to have one night a week where you plan to do those things that fall by the wayside, are left nagging away at you because you know they should be finished but you just never get to it. Photo albums to be updated, bills to be filed, mending to be done, cupboards to be cleaned. Yes I think I will make it part of my weekly routine again.

Three days until I am officially on vacation. SQUEEEEEE!!!.

Linda

Monday bullets

I don't have much to say today but I thought I would share some things that made me happy today, hence the bullet format.

• Happy Squares quilt is completely quilted, all that needs to be done is the binding. I will have it ready for best friends visit. Its for the guest room she uses. Very pleased with this.
• My car that was in the garage today for what I thought may have been serious (read expensive) problems, turned into nothing much. Love that when it happens.
• I have managed to keep myself from being totally swamped at work with my new "organization system".
• Four more days until I am officially on vacation for two weeks.
• I am managing to stay on budget so far, a major miracle for me but I think I have got it this time.
• A rhinestone fell out of my "new to me" brooch, but I found the stone and I can glue it back in place.
• I have decided on the crafts to take with me to the lake.
• I have completed my lists of what to take to the lake.
• I love thinking about going to the lake and staying in a cabin. It gives me a happy.

That's it for me today. I am going to check out face book and then read until I am ready for sleep.

Laters
Linda

Monday Moment with Minou

I don't like Mondays!

Have I mentioned how much I love garage sales????

I love garage sales, I love thrifting and I love taking something old and giving it a make over. With that said I spent this morning yard saling with a friend and I got some bargains. Now I will share my treasures with you, whether you are interested or not.

The little straw purse was 25 cents (I could not pass it up), the milk jug will look lovely with a couple of peonies in it and the picture frame and brooch were cheap cheap cheap.

Oh look a basket, one can never have too many baskets. This one is going to be a work horse, living at the base of my stairs, holding things that need to go up and helping carry things that need to come down. Perfect for $1.00

This lovely plate is not staying with me, its going to a friends home. Its on a small pedestal and its gorgeous. Its just perfect for best friend.

The children's book has the poem The Owl and the Pussycat in it, my Mom would tell us that poem over and over. I can almost remember it by heart but not quite. A enamel metal lemon squeezer $2.00. Quilt squares, well upholstery samples really but I am going to make a blanket for the car out of them. Oh look, more baskets. These are going to be storage containers for the sewing room. I may paint them, not sure yet, at 25cents each they could not be left behind.

Short bread cookie cutters, a flower frog and an etched glass candy dish on three little glass legs

and last of all a table top barbecue.

I am happy with my purchases. I have some new projects, a little something for a dear friend and I had a wonderful morning with a friend. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday in my book.

I would not do this every weekend but once in a while is great fun. Now its back to the normal weekend routine on cleaning, laundry, groceries and crafting.

Hope you are having a fun weekend too!!

Linda

Don't you hate it when

A telemarketer jars you out of a sleep, especially when you are just about to fall into a nice deep sleep? Then you have that jello jiggler feeling in your tummy for awhile and you are all rattled and cranky?? This has happened to me twice now, next time I am looking for a nap I am turning off the ringer on the phone. Hmmph. It just gets little Miss Crankypants all rilled up.

Anyhoo now that I am all up and cranky and stuff, I decided to blog for a bit before I start to think of what to make for supper. I promise though I won't rant and rave about nothing. I have made some decisions. Just little things but I managed to make some choices.

I have decided that the Sept long weekend will be prime time to get the kitchen floor installed. Its the start of my vacation time, I have no plans to go anywhere that weekend, Best Friend is not coming out until the second week of my vacation so those three days are it. I will have a lovely new floor down for her visit. I am looking foreward to it in spite of the fact it means that I get to wrestle with the fridge and stove again. Oh well one last time.

My other decision is about the first week of my vacation. A work friend has ever so generously offered me the use of her family cabin for four days. I have long wanted to rent a cabin and just spend sometime doing nothing but read, sleep, eat, craft, lallygag around but as always money it the issued as to whether or not I get to holiday like I wish to. Free cabin is too good to pass up. I have not really taken a proper holiday by myself  and I am thinking its about time. So that is what I am going to do this year. I am sooooo looking foreward to it.

I am all a dither about what projects to take with me, a quilt, the puppets, my table loom??? what to do what to do. I have a little table loom that is easy to transport and it would be a perfect time to do a couple of things. Nothing to distract me and time to work on my weaving skills. I just don't know, I have quilts that really need to get done and I could get at least one totally quilted in four uninterrupted days. What a wonderful problem to have. What crafty things will I do for four days straight? Rest assured there are many lists being made even as we speak.

Speaking of things crafty, I did promise to share a little quilt project with you, its the quilt I made for the Grandbaby. Grandbaby has it now so its no longer a secret.

I call it Baby Bubbles. I have not done a lot of circles and I was happy with how this one turned out. Its just a little scrap quilt but  I tried to stay in the same colour palette that Mommy chose for the nursery. I really like to make baby things. I have ever so many patterns that I want to make and most of them are baby quilts.

Well now I am thinking I need some supper.

Later

Linda

Saturday Stuff

Well there it is, 8 boxes of faux cork flooring that is going to cover up the horrid stuff its currently sitting on and make my kitchen as complete as it can be until I can afford to rip out the cabinets and remodel them. I even ordered a headboard today. It will come in early September. I got the fitted sheet I need to make the dust ruffle so I am good to go. My bank account is whimpering so I think I am set for awhile. Although I did see a stove while I was at Home Depot that I really want. I need to start saving the pennies again so I can get it next. I can so hear my dear Mother's voice going on about how I just get one thing and then I want another. I say its what keeps me going.

That was my morning, running about willy nilly and spending my money. How unlike me. (cough cough)  Then I got home just in time for my friend to arrive with her adorable four year old daughter. We had lunch then spent a good part of the afternoon playing at a local indoor play place. This little girl is sooooo precious and sooo good she just makes you smile to look at her. She played quite well all on her own, she didn't fuss or demand she just ran about with a big grin on her little face and had a whale of a time. As always happens when you have not gotten enough sleep and have had way too much stimulation, she got tired and had the quietest little melt down I have ever seen. Big tears and a "Mommy I am having a hard afternoon" signaled it was time for them to head to the hotel and an nap, not to mention the plaintive little "I just want to cuddle with you Mommy" could not be ignored.

She reminds me of my great niece Zoomer. She is very articulate and she just sparkles. It was nice to see the world again through a child's eye. I had forgotten how interesting and exciting even ordinary things can be. How a cup of blue jello can make you beam, how you can hardly walk a straight line when there are so many things to do, so much to look at and how little bits of plastic in a blister pack can turn you into an instant princess. I really must confess that of all the "nevers"  that live in my never land, not having children of my own  is the biggest regret I have.  Ah well.

Tomorrow I am planning to try and do some weeding in the yard. Its in an appalling state.  I need to plant a rhubarb root and I have a puppet order to work on. I have three puppets made so far and a fourth half done. I have one week before school starts so I am thinking I will manage to get them completed on time. Then I can get going on the last of the university order.

Later.

Linda

Couldn't I just eat sushi with a fork and spoon??

Ok I am just kidding, I am diligently trying to learn to eat sushi with chop sticks. The hostess and I went out for sushi tonight, which we both like and its not something we get to have all that often. I use the chop sticks because I really really want to learn how to use them and use them well  but trust me, in my heart I would give anything for a fork and a spoon. Not to mention that sushi was not something I thought I would ever like but I do. I don't like all of it but I like enough that I can stuff my self happy with fishy goodness.

So its mid week and I am totally looking forward to the weekend. This fact is not a complete news flash for anyone that knows me, but this weekend is extra exciting. I am going to Home Depot and I am getting the new flooring for my kitchen. Yay!!! I am also going go and see if I can find a headboard for my bed. I have a little money set aside and now is the time to spend spend spend it!!

I don't know when I will get the floor done but I am going to get going on it as soon as possible. I cannot wait to see a ocean of faux cork gracing my kitchen floor. Doing the kitchen will not be like doing the living room and dining room because there is not a lot of furniture to move. I can pull the stuff out and then slide it back into place when I am done with that section of flooring. Once the kitchen is done I am also going to paint the red spare bedroom. I have the perfect grey coloured paint picked out but I will not get it until I am ready to start the painting.

In two and a half weeks, I am going to be on two weeks vacation. (Hoot, holler, dance around like a demented monkey). Best friend is trying to wing it so she can come visit. She has no kids living at home anymore and hubby works away so she should be able to come. I am going to try to get the painting done after she heads back home. I am itching to get at the renos. Once the kitchen floor is laid and the red room is painted the only room left will be my bedroom. Maybe in the spring I will tackle it once the bank account has recovered.  That will be the whole house redone, top to bottom. Maybe it will be time to start over? NOT.

Well I need to take out a load of laundry and put another in. Wash and bag up a head of lettuce for lunches, then I need to find two important pieces of mail that I have put somewhere safe and no longer an find. Sigh. I wish I would stop doing this to myself.


Happy mid week

Linda

Monday Moment with Minou

I don't know why she has trouble dressing the loom, I can do it and I don't have any thumbs.

Who stole the weekend and would they please give it back???

Just got off the phone with the Historian (oldest brother, the Carpenter is the middle child and I am the baby) A Sunday weekly ritual we have adopted since out mother passed away, thirteen some odd years now. This weekly call marks the end of the weekend for me. I am actually today a little stunned. I am not sure where the weekend went. It seems to fly by so fast and yet I did so little. I have so much more to do and I would love some days off to do it in.

I spent yesterday afternoon finishing an order for half a dozen knitted dishcloths. I also did double duty as I watched some of the eleventy million things I had taped on the DVR. (Nearly a Coronation Street marathon it was with some HGTV thrown in for good measure). The dishcloths are finished and ready to be delivered tomorrow, and with that Saturday was gone in a blur.

Sunday morning began with a lie in and watching episode 1 of season 4 of The Tudors before I even got out of bed. Minou snuggled in with me and both of us were just too lazy to get up until my back got sore and drove me out of the bed. Made myself the usual full breakfast and then did the dishes. I had originally intended to spend the day with the grandbaby. Those plans got changed so I read magazines, did some knitting, watched tv, went to a thrift store, washed tablecloths,  got a frappicino from Starbucks and lazed about until supper time when I got invited out to a local grill and bar for supper (totally unexpectedly) then got asked to go watch  a dvd. I got home, the historian called and that's it......... weekend over, and Monday is just round the corner.

Monday starts me back at making puppets, I have ten of them that  have to be made for the start of school so I had best get at them. One of the local schools has already paid for them so it would be nice to have them ready to deliver when the school year starts.  Its been a nice break but now I need to get them done. I also need to get cracking on my Christmas stuff. No rest for the wicked.

Linda

call me all grown up and responsible

Just getting the house back in order from, the shower. I cleaned up 90 % of it that night but I did the last of it today. Goodness its nice to have a dishwasher on days like that. I usually only run my dishwasher once a week. Its all I need to do and it saves me from having to do dishes. I figure the water usage evens out if I use the dishwasher once a week or I wash dishes every day. My big problem now is where to store the punch bowl. Sigh.

Today I was so pleased with myself when I went for groceries. I finally went to a local butcher shop to get the meat I needed. They use local producers so that makes me feel good. I get the majority of my beef from my niece and her husband but for the odds and ends from now on I think I will go to this local place. I have lunch almost each workday with the butchers wife and she says her husband tells her there are no lips and assholes in his handmade wieners, that cracks me up. Seriously though, I am getting more and more to want to buy local. Miss Mouse's beef has spoiled me for that force feed tasteless stuff  from the supermarket. Farm fresh is so much better.

With "keeping it local"  in mind, I stopped at a farm truck parked in the Canadian Tire parking lot and got most of my fresh produce. Farm fresh potatoes, corn, onions and cucumbers. Yummy and once again produced locally. I keep telling myself to do this but its just a habit to hit the local grocery store and get it all in one stop. What I bought today was very reasonably priced so I don't feel like I broke the bank to get fresh stuff.

So now I am getting back on track of doing things the way I want to do them, less chemicals, less impact on the environment and healthier for me. I have lots more things I can change but at least I have taken some more steps towards my goals.

One of these days I am going to try making hand soap. Since I am so pleased with the laundry soap I am making and using I want to try bar soap. I will keep you posted if this comes to be more than just a thought floating around in my head.

I rewarded myself today for doing what I have been promising myself to do for so long, I finally bought myself a proper tea infuser. I have been wanting to get one for a while now. Oh and I bought some new tea as well, can't go into the local specialty tea shop and not buy tea. Seriously people give your head a shake.

Linda

Baby Shower Sucess

My Grandbaby's shower was a success. This is the little Ladybug herself, our guest of honor and the center piece of the buffet table.

We had lots of good food as always when our group gets together.

there was a present or two for the Ladybug.

Daddy even stayed for the festivities. Brave man that he is.

Mommy and Ladybug took the place of honour

Time to open presents. Mommy took care of that while we all played pass the baby.

She got some lovely things

The pixie with the big smile on her face made the smarty pants remark that she supposed I was going to try and tell everyone I made the baby quilt. She is such a comedienne.

This other little pumpkin was born two months before Ladybug. So glad her mommy decided to bring her along too. We got to pass around two babies.

It was a fun night. So nice to see the little family again. I am going to go for a visit on Sunday and then we can do the ties for the bumper pads and get the crib set up. Plus Mommy and I can have a proper  visit and I won't have to share Ladybug with all those other ladies who think they should get to hold her too.

Grandma Linda

All Done Finished

The Log Cabin quilt. All finished and ready to go to its new home. I know I have announced that already but I finally got around to taking a proper picture so I feel its worth a second announcement. Notice for once there is a complete lack of cat draped over it. I was upstairs cleaning when I took this and Madam does not like the sound of the vacuum so she took her grand personage down to the lower levels in a huff.  I love this quilt. I will be sad to see it go but it will look lovely in its new home and I am happy to have it done for them at last.

Today has been a flurry of cleaning. I am hosting a baby shower on Wednesday so I need to get my house fit for company. I have the kitchen and the sewing room left to do. I need to bake cookies and find my pedestal cake plates.( yes I have more than one, shut up).  I have plates, napkins and the decorations all sorted. I need to come up with a game, only one and I have a prize for the winner of that. I am doing cake and cookies and the rest is pot luck.

I am planing to spend this evening quilting on the Happy Squares Quilt and watching the several million shows I have recorded on my DVR. I will resume the cleaning frenzy tomorrow afternoon.

I am not totally slacking off Right now I am bleaching the shower. I am giving the bleach time to do the work for me so I don't have to scrub and scrub and scrub.

I may try working on the project I have for my picture frame tomorrow. I am hoping it turns out ok. If it does there will be a happy pictorial presentation at a later date, if not I will relate my sad tale with pictures anyway. I am off to quilt!

Later,

Linda

Monday Moment with Me

No I did not remove carpet from my bedroom on this day. It's very reminiscent of the interior of an oven in my bedroom at the moment. I decided that the sensible thing to do would be leave the carpet removal to a cooler day. I did get the bed frame put together and under the bed which had me a sweaty mess by the time i finished but at least  my bed is off the floor once again. My knees are currently singing the hallelujah chorus.

I decided that I could not refit the old dust ruffle to the new bed so I am  going to make an entirely new one. That is the sensible thing to do. This too will be done at a later date because I need to get a fitted sheet to act as the base. That means a trip to the store and right now I am not interested in tripping anywhere.

Remember my gold cake stand

Now its black and looks a lot better in my opinion

Teddy bear dropped by today and we she cut down the last of the tree in the back yard. Now all I have to do is kill the stump and I have a spot to plant a proper old fashioned lilac bush. I also need to clean up the branches that we cut off the stump but I am leaving that for a cooler day as well. Its ugly humid outside, wet hot blanket time which equals dish rag, no ambition time for me.

So inside, in the cool, I patched together a backing for my Happy Squares quilt. I was using left over pieces from other projects. So now its all pinned and ready to be quilted.

I want to get some flannelette for the church quilt back, and that means a trip to the fabric store. This one had all the parts needed here in my house and did not need me to change my clothes. Mostly on the weekends I am not fit for public consumption, I need some work before I can be seen in public. Today I have little to no interest in setting foot off the homestead, the humidity kicked what little ambition I had in that direction into touch.

I'm going quilting instead.

Linda

Monday Moment with Minou

You want me off the sewing table???????? Talk to the butt.