Fiddling

The other night I watched an interesting show on PBS. It was part of their American Masters series and featured architect Frank Gehry. I was interested in watching it partly because my dad was an architect and I grew up around things architectural, and partly because I was curious about this man and how his creative mind works. Many have called him "extremely innovative" while others have said he's "downright crazy." Some of his designs can be seen here, including his most famous work which is the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.

As I sat and watched the show, which I enjoyed very much, I found myself relating to his creative process. It's not so much different than mine, even though he's working with titanium and making $millions, and I'm working with muslin and sometimes only making my opening eBay bid. He starts out with cardboard and plastic and puts together a model that looks a little like a house of cards with some fan-folded corrugated cardboard for special effects. Then he cuts and snips and sometimes adds a little here and there. He called this "fiddling."

Fiddling is a word I've often used when trying to figure out just the right fabric for a hat decoration or witch boots. Many times he knows something is not right, but he can't say exactly what's wrong with it, so he has to let it sit awhile. This is what I had to do with my ladybug wings. Sometimes he hates his work, sometimes he procrastinates about starting it, and many times he is embarrassed by it once it's done. I can't tell you how many times I've finished up a bunch of dolls for a craft fair, and wished I had someone who could go sell them for me because I didn't want to be associated with them.

So here is one of things I'm fiddling with now. These are the painted boots I did for a witch--the one with the fishnet stockings. She has a rhinestone choker necklace, so I thought I'd put something kind of glitzy around her boots. I just don't know what. I may be fiddling through the weekend. Her name is Mitzi by the way....glitzy Mitzi. She has a red boa, and I may have to fiddle with the hat decoration after I'm done with the boot fiddling.

So just for a change of pace I ripped out the side and underarm seam of the Noro shawl-collared sweater and I'm ready to do it over with the instructions handy this time. I can only hope there will be no need for fiddling.....

Festivities and frustrations

We have a very nice gazebo in our backyard that we purchased when TG and BCG were young teenagers. Mr. Gadget and I often used it as a retreat from all the nonsense that goes on in a house where teenagers reside. Now that those teenagers have grown up into twenty-somethings and moved out, we don't use it as much.

We always had fun decorating it for Christmas. In fact, Mr. G. would go a little crazy at Costco when he'd find Christmas lights on sale. One year he put them everywhere they could be wired on. And he always put them on a timer, because. ....after all.....he is Mr. Gadget. The last time he took the lights off after the holidays, he left a couple of strings on the grapevine wreath on the screen, and they've been lit every night since. It does make the yard look festive, and I suppose it helps the neighborhood groundhog, who has burrowed beneath it, find his way home.

Just after taking the picture of the gazebo, I turned around and noticed this beautiful sight above the house. Just too great not to share.

Yesterday was one of those fraught-with-frustration days. I decided in the early afternoon, before beginning my witch production project, to put one of my crafty items up on eBay ("primitive black cat with pumpkin"...the one with the big toothy grin). It seems they've changed their selling form, and I don't do well with change. After a couple of emails to Tech Guy, who wasn't sure what I was talking about because I don't do "techno-speak," I finally figured it out for myself. There I was, feeling all proud of myself for using my very limited HTML knowledge in the description, but forgetting to click on the little button thingie that tells eBay that's what I'm choosing to use.

So after finally mastering that task, I took my renewed confidence downstairs and began the "assemblage of sweater" project. Well, that didn't work out so well either. Seems this sweater isnt going together as easily or as neatly as the dust mop did. Probably time to go read the instructions about joining pieces done in garter stitch. I think I see some ripping in my future. On a positive note however, I was able to try it on and I'm happy to say it fits! And I like it. A picture will be forthcoming once the seam issue is resolved.

And, as I said to Tech Guy in my final email yesterday, "There is value in every experience...especially those that make you want to tear your hair out." Now I'm looking at the owners manual for my new electric coffee cup warmer that Mr. Gadget got me the other day......while he was waiting for another gadget to be repaired. There are 14 safeguards listed. #2 says, "Don't touch hot surfaces." That's pretty sound advice. I'd better keep these handy. Oh, those darn curmudgeons. They're everywhere......

Gladys

Here's my latest Red Hat Lady. Her name is Gladys. She told me her name right away. Some of my dolls seem to have more self-esteem than others. She is a special order. Soon after I delivered my last Red Hat doll, someone saw her and said, "I want one too!" Gladys has a gold bead necklace that doesn't show up very well in the picture. Be advised that she is be-jeweled. And, of course, the earrings. I had quite a "Eureka!" moment when I found out that these dolls could wear real pierced earrings, and they were especially fond of the ones I purchased at the dollar store.

I was thinking yesterday, as I did my post on the crazy quilt, about how difficult it was to sew when TG and BCG were very small. I worried that they'd get too close to my sewing machine and maybe get a little hand under the needle. One day I had another one of those "Eureka!" moments. Since my machine is a portable, I was able to put it up on the kitchen counter. The foot pedal was on the floor, but I was able to turn the machine off easily when I had to be away from it for a few minutes. And most of the things I was sewing were small, so I was able to manage very well with the kitchen counter space. When the kids got bigger, I moved my machine into the dining room where I was in earshot of the goings-on in the family room. Eventually the dining room became my craft room.....until Thanksgiving when I had to evict myself.....

So today I took a little walk around the yard and ventured down the street. There are a few signs of Fall. It seems like just as soon as the calendar says it's the first day of Fall, the leaves really start getting with it.

Here's the house across the street. You can't really see very much of the roof, but it's new. Last week they had a crew out to replace the old one. Lots of tap...tap...tapping. And each Christmas they decorate the little tree with white lights and put a couple of those lighted Costco reindeer out. A nice couple lives in the house, and the man is a lawn-mowing fanatic. Sometimes he has been known to mow his lawn two or three times a week. I suggested to Mr. Gadget that maybe he is looking for an excuse to get away from the little woman. She seems nice, but you never know.

Well, I had a couple more neighborhood pictures to share, but Blogger has decided I've posted enough. It would be good to know this before starting a post, but it seems to be part of their job to keep me guessing.....I guess.....

I'm just about finished with the knitting for the shawl-collared sweater, and I'm anxious to get it put together. It will be a nice sweater to have for Fall...or those brutal...heh..heh..California winters. Not only that, I'm looking forward to our annual trek to Rhinebeck, N.Y. for the New York Sheep and Wool festival with my friend "the other Marcia." That always puts me in the mood to start a new project. We have a nice arrangement. She drives and I buy lunch and provide charming conversation along the way. Then I do my best to stink up her trunk with right-off-the-sheep, smells-like-the-farm raw wool for doll hair. Maybe she really enjoys the charming conversation......

Crazy Quilt(er)

I retrieved TG's crazy quilt from the basement closet yesterday and found it to be spider-free. Seems I used some unusual good sense and packed it in a plastic zippered bag. It was fun to look at some of the embroidered tidbits I did way back then. The quilt label, also embroidered, says 1987.

Here is the patch for his first day of school. Too bad there is no spellcheck for quiltmakers. I must make a correction when I do the repair work, since I've always been a stickler for good spelling! Then again, maybe I'll just leave it. TG will have a good laugh over it, especially when he tells people, "Why yes, my mother is a college graduate." I remember taking TG to see his classroom just before school started. There was another mother and son doing the same thing. We got acquainted and became the class room mothers. We still correspond. Her son, little Ben, is now in medical school.

The worm hunt patch probably refers to our walks around the yard, after the rain, looking for turtle food. We used to have a box turtle, a gift from Uncle Alan who teaches college zoology. He did his doctorate work on birds, so we've been known to call him Uncle Birdie. The turtle loved worms....and mandarin orange segments. He would saunter over for the worms, but almost gallop for the oranges. He was quite a healthy turtle, what with all the Vitamin C.

I think the lemons had to do with his grandfather's lemon tree. I don't remember exactly. It would be fun to spread the quilt out on the floor for the next family get-together and hark back. I'm sure with a little brainstorming, we'll be able to remember them all.

I've thought about updating the quilt with more recent information. I'll put the graduation dates on it and the family vacations, and maybe the memorable Halloween costumes. I'll forget about the car accidents and the piercings and the green and purple hair experiments. After all, their children....should they have any....will most likely view the quilt at some point. On second thought, maybe I can sneak in a really good one just for revenge. Then one day, when I'm a grandma sitting at the family Thanksgiving table, I'll have a good laugh when I hear something like this: "But Dad, it says here that you had green hair, 5 ear piercings and baggy pants hanging down past your butt." Just the thought of this makes me want to go find my needle and thread.........

Sweater fixins'

Here is a mountain o' shawl-collared sweater pieces, posed next to a 1.5 liter bottle of Poland Spring water, looking out over some of the view from the treehouse. I'm looking forward to starting the assembly of the sweater, but not so much to the drinking of the water. I've never been a water drinker, or a milk drinker for that matter. I was the child who had to sit at the dinner table, long after everyone else was gone, to finish my glass of milk. It's possible my disinterest in milk sent me to see Mr. Dentist more often than I wanted, but I've never broken a bone, and my doc says my bones are in excellent shape. BCG and TG were the same way; one liked milk, one did not. I never pushed it. I tend to think the body has a wisdom all its own and I don't like to interfere.
Here is the alphabet quilt I made for Big City Girl, as promised. You can click on the picture to get a better view. I've had this put away, out of harm's way, for the last few years. I'm thinking now that BCG has moved away, and Mr. Gadget and I are planning to repaint and spruce up her room, maybe I'll put it back on the bed. Now that her Play Dough and finger-painting days are over, she might enjoy sleeping under it when she visits occasionally.

I also made a quilt for Tech Guy. For a non-quilting kind of a gal, I surprise even myself. His is a crazy quilt. I made it out of many of the fabric scraps from clothes I made him when he was a baby and a toddler. I even embroidered things on it.....like expressions he used and pets and special dates. It's sitting in a basement closet, providing a haven for spiders I fear. It's in a bit of a state of disrepair. Some of the seams have come undone and the backing has torn. He was always quite fond of it and never sat on it when painting or gluing. I'm sure a few lizards walked across it though, and maybe even a snake slithered across. And now probably spiders. I'll try to put all of that out of my mind when I retrieve it for the repair work. On second thought, maybe I'll see if Mr. Gadget would mind......

Monkey's dilemma

Sometimes I think it would be nice, just for a day or two, to have nothing to fret over except which banana to eat first. This little guy was an impulse purchase I made a few years ago when I went for a weekend to the Poconos with my friend Linda. She picked me up in her PT Cruiser and off we went for a carefree couple of days. Monkey usually sits on my windowsill here in the treehouse, above the computer, reminding me that it's ok to daydream.

The other night I watched an interesting show on CNN that was about genius and creativity and the workings of the mind. I was especially interested in the creativity part; Lord knows I can't relate to genius. I've always wondered why I get some of my best ideas and solutions to dilemmas when I'm in the shower. Well...heh...heh....I was pretty sure that particular subject wouldn't be covered. Wasn't I surprised when an expert doctor of something-or-other said that the creative process involves lots of input from various sources, followed by a period of rest. He went on to say that creative ideas spring up when we are resting in bed or taking a walk or maybe even.....in the bathtub. I remember back in the old days when I used to have to balance my checkbook--before I had Mr. Gadget to do it for me. What a hair-pulling-out dilemma that could be! Somehow the numbers always got friendlier once I was well-scrubbed.

It's lovely here in the east today, and the leaves are just starting to change color and fall. This is the best time of the year to be in the treehouse. Well, winter isn't too bad either....with the snow falling and the heat on and a steaming cup of hot chocolate.....sugar-free of course... Today I'm sewing hair on two witches and a Red Hat lady. It smelled pretty sheepy in here when I opened the directly-from-the-farm bag o' wool, but it's better now. The ladies have been well-shampooed, and I've got my sheep-be-gone scented candle burning.....

Give me a (potty) break!

This weekend was the big Red Hat adventure aboard the Newport Dinner Train (aka the lunch train). You will notice the blue Rhode Island Saturday sky above the nicely-lettered and very welcoming banner that should have also included the following message: "Please use the potty at the Dunkin Donuts up the road before you board."

After a 3-1/2 hour bus ride.....with potty on board that proved too difficult to navigate for some of our more full-bodied members....and potty breaks at a rest stop and the first of what would be two Dunkin Donuts visits, we weren't too pleased to be greeted at the train as follows:

"Welcome," said the train guy. "Your group is a little early and we're still setting up the tables. I must tell you that our onboard restroom facilities are somewhat limited. There's only one per car and it doesn't take long before it's over-stressed, shall we say." As if that wasn't uncomfortable enough news to our group of over-50 kidneys. "Sometimes it even starts to smell," he added. Oh yum. Bring on the gourmet delights......

So here I am with my tablemate Joanne. We were indeed fortunate to be seated at the opposite end of the train car from the restroom. Our meals were tasty; I had forgotten what I had ordered months ago when I made my deposit, so the filet of sole was a pleasant surprise. And the Amaretto cheesecake was very good. I had iced tea, which I sipped sparingly, and I ordered a half a cup of coffee with dessert. Did I mention the restroom facilities were questionable? Since the train ride was 2-1/2 hours, I figured maybe with good planning I could make it to Dunkin Donuts.

On the ride home, after our last visit to the donut place, we made a shopping stop at Old Mystic Village in Connecticut. There were plenty of potties there......just in case you're thinking of visiting. From what I could see, the only shoppers among our group were the grandmothers. They were stocking up on Christmas gifts for their grandkids. And from what I could tell, this means buying things the kids don't need and spending unreasonable amounts of money for them. I don't plan to ever do that.....

So when I finally got home and walked in the door, right away Mr. Gadget asked me how my day was. "It was quite an adventure," I told him. "I'll tell you all about it just as soon as I'm out of the bathroom."

Miss America

A few years ago, I decided to try making a primitive doll. Primitives are not known for their beauty, but they do have a certain appeal to some folks. It was fun to do all the coffee staining and the rather crudely embroidered facial features, but this is not a doll I'd make again. I did, however, use this pattern to make a witch. Her name was Wanda and she was scooped up rather quickly on eBay. There was actually one of those bidding frenzies. I think it was the spiders that sold her. She had a big one on her neck, and another one crawling up her leg. People who don't like spiders crawling around their houses seem to be fine living with fabric and thread spiders. I'll put Wanda's picture up on the blog soon (she's on the other computer) along with the alphabet quilt I did for BCG. I really haven't forgotten..heh..heh....

So I'm back on the east coast now, with nothing but rain since I returned. Big City Girl and her BF came up last night on the train from the big city. Today they are headed up to a cute little inn in Vermont to attend a wedding in which BF will be the best man. BCG will be doing the driving, and it's been a while since she's driven now that she's a seasoned subway commuter. This required some parental intervention. Mr. Gadget checked the car over this morning and ended up taking it to have a new muffler installed. He made sure there was a full tank of gas as well as a map and a working flashlight in the glove compartment. Her mother packed a bag with water bottles, pretzel snacks and a couple of rather large Snicker's brownies. This was followed by the usual hug and kiss and "drive carefully" and "please call when you get there." I'm pleased to report that the infamous dust mop sweater will be making it's official debut this weekend.

And on the dollmaking front, I'm working on a red hat lady and another witch, both special orders. And I'm sitting here looking at my primitive black cat as a possible eBay offering. He can sit on a bookcase or a mantel if he has something to lean against. But if I put a little hanger on his back, he could also be a wall decoration.

This guy was so easy to make. I just drew the outline of a cat and traced around it on a double layer of muslin. Then I sewed around on the traced line, cut it out, stuffed, drew the face (and the crazier the better) and painted. I'm thinking it might be fun to have a whole herd of cats on the mantel. You could even put little red santa hats on them and leave 'em up through Christmas. Which reminds me.....I'd better go find my red hat and dust it off so I'm ready for the big train adventure tomorrow. I imagine there'll be a few photos coming 'round the bend.....

Foraging for fabric

What is it about fabric and yarn, that when you just go for a little window shopping, it just jumps right into your hands? Since this is my last day in southern California, I decided to spend a couple of hours this morning visiting some fabric stores. And now that I've delivered the cat and the witch dolls, I just happen to have space in my suitcase, not to mention a few dollars burning a hole in my pocket. Here's my loot and my plans for it: (l - r) witch doll with the moons, ladybug, another witch (with silver stars and snowflakes....maybe she'll be a winter witch), two red hat ladies, some cookies for my food quilt, and the black and white dots for the ladybug's collar....remember when I had to leave the first one on the shelf for weeks while I fretted over the collar challenge?

So I delivered Mildred to her new owner yesterday. We met at Starbucks where we had a pumpkin spice latte. Very tasty if I do say so. I've mentioned before that I don't care too much for Starbucks coffee because it's too strong. But the pumpkin latte was delicious, and so appropriate for the occasion I thought.

Tomorrow I'll be flying back home to the east coast after a weeks' visit here with my dad in the nursing home. He's slipping a bit. He's 86 and he's like the Energizer Bunny......just kind of winding down. It's always hard to leave, even after all the practice I've had. I've been doing this now for a few years.

I do have a nice trip to look forward to on Saturday. I'll be joining my Red Hat group for a bus trip to Rhode Island, and a luncheon train ride. I haven't partaken of any red hat activities in quite a while, what with all the traveling Mr. Gadget and I have been doing. I'm going to have to dust off the hat and hope it's cool enough for the boa. I crocheted it a couple of years ago out of chenille. It always gets a comment or two. I used a gigantic crochet hook, and it took a little getting used to working with it. My crocheting grandma would have been proud!

So I'm off for one more visit with dear ol' dad, and then I'll be returning here to the condo to clean up my mess. I've been known to leave dishes in the sink and the bed unmade when there's no one around to impress. Mr. Gadget tells me he's down to his last chicken pot pie. I guess that's good enough reason to head home.....

Noro on petunias

Why yes, it does look a little reptilian doesn't it? Actually it's the second front of my Noro shawl-collared jacket posing on the potted petunias in the patio of my father's nursing home. I was sitting out there yesterday, enjoying the sun and doing some knitting while I waited for dear ol' dad to finish up his nap. He never did. I'm always reluctant to wake him because I'm sure that in his dreams he's walking and dancing and flying his airplane. Real life isn't nearly as exciting these days.

I don't do very much knitting in public (known among knitters a "KIP"). But it's interesting how much conversation it generates from total strangers. Most people are drawn over to check out the colors. Noro yarn is certainly colorful, and it knits up into a wonderful striped effect. Others stop by to tell me they used to knit, or they want to learn. A few even say, "Wow, that looks like a lot of work." Right away that's a clue that these folks will never be knitters. Real, true "dyed-in-the-wool" knitters would never refer to knitting as work.

Then along came Kathryn. She just appeared at my side in her wheelchair. On Friday I shared the elevator with her and her daughter as they were returning from the dentist where poor Kathryn had just had a tooth pulled. Even with the gauze in her mouth, she had a smile. She always has a smile. We had a most pleasant conversation in which she told me she was 95 and had spent a long career as a school teacher. She taught domestic sciences. When I was in school that was called Homemaking. She asked me how old I was. I guess when you're 95, you have that right. When I told her, she seemed quite surprised and told me I certainly didn't look it. I think I'll be hanging out with Kathryn again....

So yesterday morning I walked up to the drug store on the corner to get a few things, and while I was leaving I noticed packages of false eyelashes for sale. I remember a time in my life when I wore them everyday. They weren't the flashy ones you might see on Miss Piggy or Las Vegas showgirls. They were much more subtle. I was introduced to them in charm school, something my mother signed me up for with the hope that it would help me with my shyness. Mr. Gadget can't believe that I was once shy, so I guess my mom made a wise investment.

I don't remember much else about charm school, but I do remember the eyelashes. I'm not sure whether or not I was wearing them on the night I met Mr. Gadget. I might have already passed through the eyelash phase by then. But it would be fun to try them again--for old-time sake. I wonder if he would notice? He might think I look a little peculiar. He might even start laughing. If that happens, I'll just have to refer to them as doll supplies.......

More things botanical

So I'm here in So. Calif. and just about adjusted to the jet lag. The trip out was uneventful. My two traveling companions--the cat and the witch--made it in good shape, with the exception of a little crinkling of the black pointy hat. Not a word was said at the airport security checkpoint. Maybe those folks are used to seeing women traveling with crazy characters.

The flowers were delivered on the afternoon of my arrival. Mr. Gadget, who rarely shows his romantic side, had them sent with a note saying he missed me already. I was pretty sure that by leaving him with clean underwear and a freezer full of chicken pot pies, he would hardly know I was gone. Then today, he had some chocolates delivered. Maybe it's the new hair highlights.....It always makes me feel good to see balance in the universe. The flower delivery somehow seemed to offset last weeks' tree removal. A huge tree used to stand in the spot where just a patch of mulch now appears. Apparently it was causing problems to the nearby roof, and the roots were making cracks in the surrounding sidewalks and the driveway. A vote was taken among the curmudgeons, and I've been told that the tree was felled, chopped, chipped and taken away in just a couple of hours. It was one of those win-win situations: there's more light in the condo, and I missed the chain saw music..

And in knitting news, I'm about to cast on for the second front of the shawl-collared jacket. It's all worked in garter stitch, and for 26 inches it will just be mindless knitting-- the perfect project for sitting and listening to dear ol' dad tell me stories about characters and places I mostly don't recognize. Yesterday we did have a nice conversation about his mother, my grandmother (the one who crocheted), and how she never missed an episode of Lawrence Welk on TV. A big smile appeared on his face and he said, "A one and a two and a....," just like LW used to do when he'd start up his band. A little nursing home humor is a good thing....

Headin' west

I'll be heading out west tomorrow for a week. My traveling companions are all ready, and just a bit anxious to get going. At the moment they're sitting on my suitcase. I'll have to boot them off in a little while because I need to pack.

Mr. Gadget, bless his heart, has agreed to take me to the airport for a 7 a.m. flight. We'll be getting up at 4, and hitting the road by 4:45. There are benefits to leaving that early. The traffic will be light, I'll arrive on the west coast before noon, and sometimes I get to see a beautiful sunrise over "the city."

I think I'm up-to-date on the new carry-on baggage rules. I'll be taking my big knitting needles, my small scissors and my nail file. I'll be leaving the dangerous stuff home....the toothpaste, the shampoo and the hand lotion.

I'll be back to the blog in a day or two.

Mildred and the two Susans

Miss "M" shall be known as Mildred forthwith. I mentioned to Mr. Gadget that I was brainstorming for a good "M" name, and he said, "How about Mildred?" It's very unusual for hubby to get involved in any part of my dollmaking adventures, so I was quite surprised and amused. "Do you have an Aunt Mildred that I don't know about, or someone with that name from your youth?" I asked. "No," he said. "I know no Mildreds." I'll bet it's a name from some old science fiction movie and he just doesn't remember....

I put Mildred's name on a small manila tag that I brushed with some coffee stain to make it look like it's been around the block on the broom with her. I stamped her name with some neat little stamps I got in the scrapbooking department at the craft store. What a mess though! I need to speak to a scrapbooking person to find out how to keep ink off fingers. I can't use my gardening gloves or my dishwashing gloves. I think I'll need surgical gloves. Maybe Mr. Dentist would give me a couple of pair. It's the least he could do considering all of the time I've spent in his chair lately.

And here is one of the two Susans. She has a twin. I'm not much of a gardener as I've mentioned before. I've been known to plant a few impatiens, I mean deer food, in the front planting beds on occasion. But now that Mr. Gadget and I are traveling often and are gone from home for long periods, I can't really keep up a garden.

So I stopped in at the local Agway where I saw a sign advertising "buy 2 perennials; get 1 free." I bought two black-eyed Susans and got a freebie yarrow. I planted them in the front yard today, after a thorough check of my gardening gloves for spiders. I'm hoping eventually I'll have a nice garden in spite of myself. My neighbor, the one who bakes and also knows everything botanical, tells me these plants are drought resistant. I think that was a nice way of telling me that they will probably survive even though she knows I'll be giving them plenty of neglect.....

And in other botanical news, Big City Girl tells me that her very nice boyfriend sent her flowers at work the other day just to make her feel better about putting up with a cranky boss. Such a nice guy! The first time he came to the house, he brought me flowers.......so he won me over on the spot. I have only one small complaint about this boy. He's 6'5". Whenever I know he's coming over, I have to dust the fridge......

The "M" witch

I finished Miss "M" yesterday and took a picture to send to my friend, the intended recipient. She was very happy, and wanted to know if I still had Winona because she might want to buy her too, to give as a gift. But Winona had already flown off to the senior shop. Besides, it's probably best if I don't have a huge entourage when I fly out west next week. After talking to hubby, I've decided to let my dolls travel along with me rather than send them on ahead. He says plastic doesn't show up in an x-ray, and believe me he should know. He could just as easily be called Mr. Plastic as Mr. Gadget.

Anyway, Miss "M" has a nice purple flower on her hat, and even nicer purple boots....they just look blue. I've tried to manipulate the color, but when I get the right purple, poor Miss "M" looks a little seasick.

Now that the witch is finished...and by the way, I'll be naming her soon and putting a little nametag on her with some cute rubber stamp letters I found yesterday......I'm getting ready to finish the second cat for Olga. I was feeling rather smug that I already had the cat parts, so I'd be saving time by just having to do the assembling. Seems it's not going to be that simple. When reviewing my cat parts, I found that I had three paws and one foot. So I tea-dyed some more muslin to make another foot, but it's a different shade. Not feeling quite so smug now.

Yesterday I finally got around to taking the house key back to my neighbors after the cat-sitting job I did for them last week. The lady of the house, who is queen of all things domestic, was baking some cookies--some little sugary delights with a lemon creme filling. So, don't you know, later in the day my doorbell rang and it was her with a plate of cookies. They were delicious, and I was quite impressed by the paper-plate thingie she delivered them in.

I'm probably the last one to know about these. You can put your cookies, or a nice slice of pumpkin pie, on one plate, and turn another one over on top of it and press it down securely using those little notches around the edge. So I'm thinking that next time someone gives me a special treat with lemon or chocolate, I'll put it in one of these and stick it in the back of the fridge.....after having written "lab sample...do not touch" on the top with a bright red pen.....