Busy Week

This has been a busy week. I have been out and about more that normal, and that is a good thing. Time spent with good friends is never wasted!! Housework will wait forever for you but good times to be had with good company will not.

Teddy Bear, KitKat and I went to see The Accountant on Tuesday night. We turned it into supper and a movie out as KitKat is still getting over her eye surgery and cannot drive at the moment. So we thought she might like to get out of the house for a bit.  Thursday night was supper out again with three of my work mates, then we went to a local production of Billy Elliott. What a wonderful night. The play was super great. Lots of very talented people in this community. Friday night was No Cook of course. Lots of silliness and giggles for us old broads. Honestly you would think we were ten years old. On Saturday, KitKat and I went out shopping for scrapbooking supplies for the big weekend coming up. We did a few second hand stores as well and by the time I got home, any housework that was on the plan was not happening. Saturday night Teddy Bear and I went to see Jack Reacher, then for coffee. A full busy week. Whoot!!

Today I have been puttering about. The tulips are finally in the ground. I just hope they grow. The veranda is cleaned off (sort of). Leaves are in the compost bin and I have made another trip to the basement for the Halloween decorations. I have even decorated for Halloween. Not a lot but at least the kids will know that I am open for business.I have been known to pull out the decorations and then leave them sit. I am weird that way.  I bought my treats and they are safe in the trunk of the car. I cannot be trusted if they are in the house.

Why I did not bring this stuff up when I was down there last week to  get the spinning wheel I have no idea. Going into my basement/cellar is not an easy feat. It requires furniture moving, acrobatics, nerves of steel and you need to be about 5 foot tall. I regularly bash my head on the joists. NO matter how many times I go down there. Its painful.

I love those skeletons, they are gracing each side of the steps this year. I got them 70% off at Michaels a couple of years ago. Those Christmas light hooks are handy for this sort of thing. I have misplaced a tote box full of Halloween stuff. Its not in the spare bedroom closet. It has my candy kettle and some little ghosty do dads in it. In this house you would not think this possible. There is very little place for this stuff to go.

The big black cat is perched on the railing ready to hiss and howl at anyone who happens by. The big pumpkin does not light up anymore, burnt out bulb but I have an IKEA desk lamp that I can McGyver up a light for tomorrow night and then in future I will use glow sticks. Then I can set it anywhere. Or I will find another light bulb that will work. I have grave stones but I did not get them out this year. I also have witches legs that I have not put out either. I want to get a little black pot to set them into. I can see it, a black cauldron with legs sticking out of it!!

So I am ready for the hobgoblins tomorrow night. My house work is still waiting for me to do it but that's ok. I needed this to get done first. I have high hopes for more kids this year as there are a few other houses on the street with things out. In the past my neighbourhood is mostly lights out and no candy for the kids. I enjoy seeing the little ones, big ones too.

Toodles,
Linda

Working the Second Job

I really should not call it a second job. Being creative and making things in not what I would call a "job" its more of a joy. I am happiest making something and I would do it full time if I could figure out a way to make some serious money out of it. Anyway, big dreams aside, I made up my mind to devote most of the weekend to creative industry, as I have some deadlines looming and I needed to get cracking. Household chores and errands aside I was putting my nose to the grindstone and getting somethings accomplished

Saturday I devoted myself to finishing this: Its the quilt I call Pigeon Holes. I found the pattern on Pinterest and I have no idea what name it should have. Pigeon Holes is what I have called it.

I will take a better picture of it later on. Its been washed and is still a bit damp so it needs to go back into the dryer. This quilt is my donation item to the fund raiser for the local Safe and Warm Shelter. It will be raffled off at a trade show early next month. Last time I did not have the quilt finished before the raffle so I was determined to get it done this time.

The Sailor asked me if I would make her either some slippers or a single sized afghan to go along with some cute pillows she made. Another fund raiser, this time for her Dragon Boat team. She needs it by November 2 so she knew it was a challenge for the making of a blanket. Well CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!! One red and white afghan on its way. I could finish it today as I found that 6 hour afghan pattern and got to it.

The local yarn store had a sale and then a coupon for yarn, (one day only) so I got what I needed at a snip of a price. Its delightfully soft and squishy. I starting it this afternoon and am about 2/3 finished. I managed to do the laundry and have a nap while working at it. I hope she likes it.

I also at long last made the trip to the basement and brought up the spinning wheel. The one I am passing on to a fellow spinner who wants to learn but has no wheel.

I have two wheels so I can happily share the wealth. I hope it works for her. I just never liked the look of this one. It was not what I thought of when I thought of learning to spin.

Its small but it takes of space, space that is precious in this house. I am happy to pass it on and for it to be used again, rather than moldering away in my basement. I am also pleased that at long last I made the trip to the basement to get it up. Trips to the basement at my house are an adventure. Its more complicated than anyone could think. I call it a basement but it really is more of a cellar.

Teddy Bear, KitKat, the Banker and I went to see a cute little movie last night. Oddball and the Penguins. It was a sweet, feel good movie. We did coffee after and found loads to talk and laugh about even though we had been together the night before for No Cook. Good friends those women!! They are just the best.

Well I best get back to my crochet hook!!

Toodles,
Linda

This and That and a Little of the Other

The week has zoomed by, I have no idea where it has gone. I want it to stop that. I am fine with the work days doing the warp speed thing by but the weekends need to put on the brakes. Those two days off are gone in a heartbeat and the next thing you know its Sunday night and Monday morning is looming like a specter

KitKat had cataract surgery this week so she could not come to No Cook. On Friday, The Banker took her a lovely roast beef supper to share with her Dad while we went our for our usual meal. Instead of going out for coffee afterwards we took coffee to KitKat's place and spent the rest of the evening chatting and sharing together like we always do. Dad had headed home by the time we got there. This really is a good circle of women to have as friends. We tend to look after each other.

Saturday, I was out and about with my usual list of errands that needed to be tended to. I had whittled it down to just the groceries when it was close to noon. The thought of lunch gave me a good Samaritan  inspiration so after groceries were purchased, I ran lunch up to KitKat. I did not cook it like the Banker did but I delivered the hell out of that food. We had lunch together and the Banker stopped in with coffee. We did our best to break up her day. She can't see to do anything not even watch tv really. I left her fed but tired and headed back home to get at my chores. It feels good to be able to pay back the good deeds that were done for me when I was in hospital.

At home I cleaned sme, ran the dishwasher and then settled in to quilt for the afternoon. In-between cats crawling all over the quilt I did manage to get some actual stitching done. I want to have it totally finished by the end of this coming week. Its being donated to a raffle so it needs to get finished ASAP. Its kind of hard to go when you are under constant scrutiny but I do the best I could:

Snoopervisor Number 1

Teddy Bear, her daughter and I went out to see The Girl On the Train. It was ok. The book was much better but the movie was fine. Maybe more suited to television rather than a Big Screen number but we all were not sorry that we went. I have never decided which is best, read the book then see the movie or do it the other way around.

Three little boys knocked on my door on Saturday and offered to rake my leaves. They did the best job. They were polite. got right to it and I doubled their pay just because I was so pleased with them. I paid them early, they were nearly done when I gave them their money. Still they knocked on my door and made sure I was pleased with the job when they really finished. That impressed me to no end. I like to encourage that work ethic!! One little boy is my neighbour and we have agreed to have a talk,when the snow comes, about him shoveling my sidewalk for me. Since it poured rain all day today I was thrilled to have the leaves gone.

It was a very wet, cold, autumn day but we did not let that stop us. Today the Banker, KitKat and I went to the big craft sale. Its the one I was in last year and I did pick up a registration for next years show. I think doing it every two years is enough if I want to sell puppets but not have the making of them turn into a job. We had a lovely day. I always like to go as I get lots of ideas. I also managed to buy a couple of things.

Little square pumpkins that will go well with the little square black cat I bought last year.

Plus a tall skinny barn board tree that I have some plans for but I have to get a few things for it yet. Some additional items to make a display out of it. I love the barn board and the rusty metal.

There was a lot of things that I could have bought but I don't have the money or the room so I limited myself to these two. I got some good ideas about things I could make, that I may or may not make, one never knows.

KitKat was tired out by the time we were done so we ran her home. The Banker and I went out for some really late lunch or an early supper. Her Sweet Baboo would have come with us but he was waiting for his daughter to stop by with a job for him to do. We went for Chinese then she dropped me off. and headed home her self.  I finished my evening quilting as best I could  around the cats.

Snoopervisor Number 2

I like this sort of weekend. Time spent with friends, you are out and about doing things, going here and there, You also are getting somethings done in the house. Its fun, its productive and you get to spend time with people you enjoy. Good times!! Even wrestling a quilt away from two furry knuckleheads is fun.

Toodles,
Linda

Giving Thanks

My house is smelling like a house should on Thanksgiving. Turkey, roast potatoes, broccoli kale salad, pumpkin cheesecake made the kitchen smell very festive and holiday like. The only thing missing was people, its just me and the cats but that's ok too. At least I can celebrate and that is a blessing. I am comfortably stuffed with a seriously good meal and am deliciously sleepy.

Actually it is good to say goodbye to the last two weeks. Not the best weeks of my life but not the worst either. Monsters and demons out of the closet, monsters and demons beat back into the closet. Its time to carry on, No time to feel sorry for myself, time to strap on one's big girl panties and get on with things. Do the best you can, keep trying, what more can one do?? Onward and upward.

I am putting this all behind me and I am focusing on what I have to be thankful for and to doing the best I can.  I am thankful that I have a job, I wake up each day, I have a roof over my head and food on my table. I have clothes to wear, a car to drive, my very good friends and my family. This all makes me rather rich. When you are rich you are lucky so just put the bumps in the road behind you and move on, learning life lessons as you can.

I have been busy doing stuff. I finished the baby blanket I was knitting:

I made hat and scarf sets for the Hostess to give to her grandson:

Star Wars

Minions

And I made her an owl puppet because her little guy likes owls at the moment:

The pictures are dark I know, one of these days I will learn how to take a really good picture.

I got my box of Canada tulips at last. I need to get them planted soon so I have lovely red and white tulips blooming next year.

I just need to figure out where I am going to put them. I have limited yard space but I am determined to have them come up next year. I think they are so pretty. I had planted yellow tulips when I first moved into the house. That tulip bed has morphed into the front hosta bed now. I will think of something. Where there is a will there is a place to plant the tulips.

I got brave and finally turned the heat on it then house. I am scared silly of turning it on for the first time each year. I am always scared it will not come on, the gas will continue to run, the house will blow up. All those mature things, but it got so cold in here I had to. I put it off for as long as I can, in part because I am cheap but mostly because I am a chicken. It started like a charm and the house is no longer painfully cold.

I have been enjoying my three day weekend. I have a "to do" list, which may or may not get done. I had planned to quilt today but I didn't. I dyed the flannelette for the backing, and got it all dried. I finished the sashing on the Safe and Warm raffle quilt so I should be able to get the actual quilting started tomorrow. Yesterday was errands and housework, The Hostess stopped in and got her stuff AND she bought some puppets as well. Later in the day Teddy Bear and I went and saw the movie Captain Fantastic. Today was the usual slow start that I do most Sundays. I did manage to get the laundry done, I emptied and refilled the dishwasher, had a nap and knit inbetween bouts of sewing. Somehow the hours slip by and the day is over as soon as its begun.

OMG I nearly forgot the most important thing. I FINALLY found the stinking shed key. It was hidden in plain sight one might say.

Now I can get in there again before the snow flies. My friend may get her oars yet!! I hope I have now learned my lesson and I will take better care in future.

Princess Diva stopped by today and gave me some red tiles. I have a star to make for my co-worker, Pixie. She saw the ones on the shed and wants one for her back yard. I needed red tile and Princess Diva came through. She is so good that way.

I am, as always, trying to get myself organized. I have been making lists. I do not know how people manage without lists. I am starting to prepare for the craft sale next year. Next weekend I will book my table for the following year. Yarn has been on sale so I am starting to purchase a supply to turn into puppets which I will then turn into cold hard cash!! I am also getting the stuff together for the scrapbooking weekend. This makes me happy. I purchased my first stocking stuffers this weekend so The Christmas shopping is underway. 

One of the good things that happened this last week is that I have found a home for one of my spinning wheels. I have two and I do not have need nor do I have room for two. One of the women on my floor at the office is learning to spin. She has no wheel. Its a match made in heaven. I need to fish it up from the basement and get it to her. I remember how happy I was when I got my first wheel. I am glad to help someone else to feel that way. 

I hope that your Thanksgiving was wonderful.

Toodles,

Linda