Got turkey?

Here is the pilgrim pair....all finished. Well, maybe not. Sometimes I just have an unfinished feeling about a doll that nags at me until I figure out what it is and fix it. I painted the shoes on the lady, and added a coat of sealer. They have a little sheen to them. The man's shoes are brown fabric, so I didn't paint them. But I think the shoes should match in color and texture, so I'm going to paint his shoes and seal them too. Then I think they'll be finished. I plan to deliver the dolls on Wednesday morning.

And since you're probably wondering about the bat, he got a clean bill of health. No signs of Rabies. We are happy and relieved. And we will make every effort to keep those critters out of the house. I'm going to make a crafty little sign that says, "No Bats Allowed!"

So yesterday, Mr. Gadget decided to accompany me to the grocery store. Whenever I call hubby "Mr. Gadget," you just know there's a good gadgety story to follow. Rarely does he go into a grocery store unless I've left town in a hurry and haven't stocked in plenty of frozen chicken pot pies.

It seems that while we were on the west coast, the local supermarket started a new self-checkout system. They're trying it out to see how it flies.When entering the store, you pick up a small gadget that looks kind of like an old Etch-a-Sketch (remember those?) It slips into a slot in the area just in front of the child seat. It has a little wireless scanning tool that comes off and can be used to scan the product codes on grocery items. It allows you to shop and scan and bag your groceries as you go. I'm not sure if I like it or not, but I'll give it a few more tries. It seems like the store should at least pay me minimum wage for doing most of the work they used to do.

So tomorrow I have to face the music. That would be the scale. I'm committed to going back to Weight Watchers to work on undoing the damage I've done since last Fall's two-week cruise. I've been cruisin' ever since. And Friday I have my annual physical and I have no idea how I'll explain my weigh gain to the doc, especially after all the praise she gave me last year for getting down to goal. I think I'd much rather be back on the beach in Maui......

Something to take the edge off

It's pretty hot here in our neighborhood, so hubby and I took a little drive this afternoon to find something to ease the pain. There's nothing like a piece of pie to make things all better. The American Pie Company is about a 30-minute drive from our house, and they make the best lemon meringue pie around.

Hubby had the peach-raspberry pie and said it wasn't too shabby either. We both felt remarkably cooler and carefree afterwards. On the way home, I suggested we make the trek to the pie store once every season. That way we could indulge ourselves four times a year, and enjoy the changing scenery. We like to drive along the backroads, which I think are the most beautiful parts of Connecticut. In summer, everything is lush and green and flower gardens are in full bloom. During fall, the colors are spectacular. In January, right after a fresh snowfall, it's a winter wonderland. And spring means tulips and daffodils and the scent of newly-mown grass. Fall is my personal favorite; nothing compares.

So I've decided I don't like Mr. Pilgrim's boots. They're too big and bulky. I'm going to switch them to some smaller boots I use on my Uncle Sam doll...and sometimes on Mr. Snowman. They will be a little more subdued, and more appropriate for his size. I will make them out of brown fabric, so no painting will be required. I did ask him about it and he said he doesn't really care what his boots look like, but insists that I make sure they have a buckle. Well, of course! What's a pilgrim without a buckle or two?

So now, as if the mid-afternoon dessert pie wasn't enough, I'm off to make a chicken pot pie for dinner. But that's gonna be way later.......

Loretta

Here's Loretta--not too far from finished. She needs a little flower up next to her face. I could use a store-bought one, but I like to make as much from scratch as I can. I'll see what I can come up with....and I'm thinking purple. I decided to keep the original wings and put some embroidered running stitches on them. They aren't quite as shimmery as they appear; the camera flash made her look like a glow worm.

The pilgrims are sitting together waiting for their shoes to dry. They should be finished this weekend and ready for delivery the first of the week to the lady who has been hounding me, I mean patiently requesting them for a couple of years. I just hope when she sees them she doesn't exclaim, "Oh, what I meant was a scarecrow couple!" In that case, I've just made more decorations for my own Thanksgiving table....to go with all those fabric veggies in the corny copia.....

It's really hot here today and we're awaiting a big storm. The sun is still out, but things can change quickly. I asked hubby if he had a good supply of water on hand and he assured me he did. One of the worst things about a big storm in our neighborhood is quite often the power goes out. And when that happens, we can't use the water. We have a well and an electric pump. So there's no flushing the toilets. Having some water on hand at least gives us a couple of flushes and that keeps things a little happier in the house.

Mr. Gadget doesn't do well with power outages...and that's because....we'll, he's Mr. Gadget. No remotes, no TV, no garage door openers, no Tetris on the computer. He fidgets. I'm much calmer about such things. I can always knit. It's a great excuse to knit and not feel guilty about not vacuuming, ironing, washing or cooking. In fact, I could use a few more power outages, but don't tell Mr. G I said that!

And in bat news, there have been no more visits I'm happy to say. Although last night we had the A/C on in our bedroom and the bearings must have been making noise. We were sure the bats were scratching to get in. I'm keeping my resolve not to go batty with worry. On Monday we will get the bat report card, and let's just hope he gets an A in hygiene....

The Batslayer strikes again!

Mr. Gadget and I had another bat encounter in the wee hours of this morning. At about 4 a.m. he woke me up and announced, "I think we have another bat." We immediately took our bat combat positions. He assumed his upright battle-ready stance with mighty bath towel weapon in hand, and I hid safely under the covers. In no time, the bat had been slayed and tossed out into the woods.

We thought we were done with this issue, until we remembered a conversation we had (since our first bat encounter....which was strikingly similar to this one) with some friends. They had also had a bat visit, but were told that just because there is no contact (that you know of) it doesn't necessarily mean there's no need to worry. A bat could swoop down low and scratch you while you're sleeping. These friends, at the urging of their doctor, went ahead and got the Rabies shots just to be on the safe side.

So this morning we gathered up the bat (this was of course a job for bat slayer), double-bagged it, and took it down to our local health department from where it will be expeditiously transported to the great testing station in Hartford. On Monday they will give us the test results.

Meanwhile, I called the doctor for his opinion. He says if it were him, he wouldn't give it another thought. The chances of this bat being a problem bat, and there having been any contact with it, are slim to none. "But if you're paranoid about it, you can go to the ER," he said. Neither hubby nor I are the paranoid types. We will have a relaxing, bat-worry free weekend, and await the bat report card on Monday.

And while I wait, I will work on the pilgrims. I don't find it nearly as fun to work on something with a deadline. I like being able to make what I want when I want. On the other hand, it's nice when people like my work enough to special order it. I do appreciate the compliments. So I'd better get back to work on my creative artsy-craftsy assembly line here in the treehouse. I'll do my best not to go batty....

Sneak preview

Here's the lady pilgrim in progress. She's at the stage in my dollmaking process where I'm not sure I like her. That's when all of the big parts have been assembled, but none of the little finishing details have been added. For some reason, those little details usually win me over. I'm not sure yet what those will be, but she needs a little more decoration around the collar, some shoe finishing, and maybe a little corn on the cob to hold. She doesn't have a name yet. I'm not inclined toward Prudence.

I've been working diligently on the pilgrims because I've promised them for weekend after next. They're a special order. We also have some company coming next week and I have to save a little time to clean. Good thing they're creative folks. Maybe they'll be more accepting of the dust monsters, I mean bunnies.

Today I had my first of four dental appointments. It was to be just three, but I broke another tooth while I was out of town. I know it wasn't the sushi. Maybe the nuts in the Baskin Robbins. Anyway, Mr. Dentist says it's fixable and won't need a crown. So that's two fixes and one crown--which will be started tomorrow. Good thing Mr. Dentist is nice and he's also close. At least my body seems to be holding up....

So hubby is off to Sears to get some plumbing caulk. We noticed water marks on the kitchen ceiling. He's hoping it's just because of some old caulk that dried out in the upstairs shower for lack of use while we were away. He didn't grumble too much about going to Sears, since browsing through the gadgets is one of Mr. Gadget's favorite activities. By the way, I'm still trying to decide what to use my birthday gadget coupon on. I wonder if yarn would qualify?

Finished Objects (aka FO's)

Today the ceiling fan and I are enjoying some quiet time in the craft room. Even though I have a very nice radio/CD player---compliments of Mr. Gadget, I'm a bigger fan of quiet.

Here is a baby blanket I finished a few months ago to keep on hand awaiting a recipient. I actually have a pink one finished too, so I was well prepared--something indeed unusual for me. And while I was away, don't you know a new baby boy arrived on our block. I was thinking about looking for some wrapping paper (I'm not all that well prepared) when I happened to notice, from my treehouse-like vantage point, mother and babe taking a stroll up the street. So the blanket was soon delivered, and mom was happy enough not to notice the lack of wrapping.

If you look closely, you might notice this blanket is the very same pattern as the blue dishcloth--the one with character. This pattern is very versatile. It's knitted on the diagonal, starting with just 4 stitches. At the beginning of each row, you increase a stitch, and a yarn-over gives the open-work effect. When you get half-way into the work, you start to decrease one stitch each row. And when you're back to 4 stitches again, you bind off. It's much quicker to knit a dishcloth than a baby blanket....duh! But both make nice gifts, and if you have friends like mine, they'll be happy to receive anything handmade.

Here is the last of my pillows. I loved the primitive verse and tried to stitch it in keeping with that theme. "What a wonderful bird the frog are. When he stand he sit almost. When he hop, he fly almost. He ain't got no sense hardly. He ain't got no tail hardly either. When he sit, he sit on what he ain't got almost." I have no idea who the author is.

So I'm elbow-deep in my sewing projects here in the treehouse. The pilgrims have been cut out and the basic parts have been stitched together. I quickly sketched up a shoe pattern for each; no high-style required here. Loretta the ladybug has returned to the assembly line, I mean my creative work area. I've decided to move forward with the original wing idea, but I'm adding some embroidery embellishment. I would like to get her up for auction before I lose my eBay skills. After that, I should have my brain ready for Big City Girl to teach me about the L train and the A train, and the uptown and downtown NYC subways.....

Saturday Sky

Somewhere in blogdom someone suggested sharing pictures of Saturday skies. Here is my contribution, taken yesterday from my vantage point in Seat 17A on JetBlue's Flt. 206 from California to NYC. Seeing a scene like this reminds me of one of my favorite songs by Judy Collins, I've Seen Clouds from Both Sides Now.

So now I'm back home in Connecticut where I'm dealing with laundry and groceries and jet lag. It usually takes me about 3 days to adjust. I didn't get my grocery list done early this time, but I did get a reprieve. We had a 4-hour power outage this morning (for no apparent reason as is usually the case.) Fortunately I had made the coffee before everything went dark and silent, so I was well fortified with caffeine, and the grocery list-making activity didn't require electricity.

The dolls hanging out in my craft room all survived just fine, although a couple of snowmen and the Red Hat snowlady were beginning to form puddles. Loretta the ladybug with no wings is starting to get antsy and told me I'd better "get a move on," because she's ready to fly around the garden. And the Red Hat Lady is upset because she's had to miss a few luncheons with her gal pals. Otherwise, no major complaints.

This morning I received a very nice email from Big City Girl. As if sending me the birthday flowers wasn't enough.......
......now she has invited me down to "the city" to join her for lunch at Tavern on the Green and maybe a stop at a fabric store or two. You may remember my mentioning that this is the daughter who use to walk 5 paces ahead of me in the mall, or just ask to take my credit card and go by herself. Life is good when you can spend a day in the big city with your daughter, and it's her idea!

So I graciously accepted, but reminded her that she would have to meet my train at Grand Central because I have no subway skills. I'm pretty sure I'll catch on quickly though, since it shouldn't involve anything technical. Maybe I'll take her a couple of knitted dishcloths....or a Starbucks gift card, for old times sake. I'm certainly not going to schlep a 12-pack of toilet paper......

A blast from the past

Anyone remember this? It's called a Viewmaster. You pop these little circles into the viewing thingie at the right and hold it up to the light. Then you look through the gadget and repeatedly press a lever up and down to advance the little mini slides. My family had quite a collection of these. We could look at wildflowers in bloom, a volcano eruption, the Petrified Forest, Hoover Dam, or the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. This was one of the things kids did for excitement before Playstations and X-Boxes. I figured this collection would be worth big bucks on eBay, but I was wrong. Guess I'll just keep it for the grandkids. Maybe by then it'll be an antique.

The other day hubby and I took a short trip over to the local farmer's market that we'd read about in the paper. Too bad we were in a "cleaning out the fridge" mode because they had quite a bounty. A big portion of the park was lined with the tents of local growers selling their produce. Next summer we'll get over there sooner. And we'll go for lunch. In addition to the fruit and veggies, there was Bertha's Taco's, a Hawaiian buffet, and a lady wearing a beret and a fancy French apron making crepes.

So I emailed our Connecticut neighbors today to let them know we'd be arriving home tomorrow in a rental car....so they wouldn't think someone strange was breaking in. They had to call us once when a pick-up truck mysteriously backed up to our garage. We called the police, but soon found out (mom calls son's cell phone) that Tech Guy had stopped by with a friend. It's still a mystery, but somethings are better not known.

Anyway, it seems that while we've been away, our neighbor's large garden has been producing vast amounts of goodies. And they are ever the thoughtful ones, so I'm sure some of the pickins' will find their way across the street. I'm one who loves fresh veggies, but hates dirty fingernails. Maybe we can work out a trade. Fresh zucchini and tomatoes for a couple of knitted dishcloths?

So we'll be leaving sunny California tomorrow morning for the muggy heat of Connecticut. It will be nice to see my craft room again though, and to see how all the characters have gotten along without me. They'll probably have a few things to say. I can only imagine.....

...and don't forget the Apple Pie!

And just in case I'm in the mood to make an apple pie, here is a wonderful little tablecloth that came in the mail today from my good friend to whom I gave the knitted dishcloths. You may remember I didn't let on that it was my birthday the day we met for coffee, since she had gifted me a box of chocolates on a previous meeting just a couple of weeks before. But she was not to be deterred. This is some of her handiwork--a little homespun cloth with a machine-appliqued pie in each of the four corners. When I called to thank her, she even gave me washing instructions....but I assured her I didn't intend to get it dirty.

This reminded me of a chef doll I made a while back. I dressed her in an apple pie print outfit, and she holds a rolling pin with a bit of cinnamon sprinkled on it. There's a little cinnamon on her hat and her shoes too, because she's a lot like me.....not a very tidy baker.

So hubby and I stopped by one of the local dollar stores yesterday. He's usually not one to go into those places, but we discovered this one has lots of Asian cookware. He was interested in getting some chopsticks, and maybe some sushi dishware. We don't prepare (I almost said cook) this stuff at home, mind you. But I suppose if we find some sushi at Costco or a nice Asian take-out restaurant, he figures we'll be ready with the proper gadgets.

And while I was browsing in the dollar store, I found these cute little clothespins....posed alongside some regular-sized ones, and my latest knitted dishcloth project.

I'm not sure what I'll use them for, but they were just too fun to pass up. I remember seeing one of Greta Chirco's dolls in Mulberry Cottage....that favorite local shop of mine....posed doing her laundry in a little metal wash tub. Her hair was made of cotton clothesline cord and decorated with mini-clothespins. I will keep my mini's in a safe place while I await some creative inspiration.

And while I wait, I might just retrieve that jeans jacket I have hanging in the guest room closet--at a safe distance from the Goodwill box. I've been thinking of doing some embroidery on it when I have some spare time. But I imagine most of us crafty folks agree that when the spirit moves us, we must dive right in and put the laundry and the vacuuming on hold. Check out Kristin's blog and you, too, might be inspired to go get yourself a little thread stash....

The other dessert

I realized after my last post that I've been talking about ice cream entirely too much. It's time to switch to chocolate chip cookies. I'm getting ready for a little bake-fest. Since we'll be heading back to Connecticut this weekend, I thought it would be nice to take some cookies over to the nursing home as a way of saying "thank you" to the wonderful caregivers who look after my dad.

I've been making these cookies for so long, I know the recipe by heart. I took a batch along each September when Tech Guy and Big City Girl moved into their college dorms and later, their apartments. I figured they'd help them meet new friends. Sometimes I'd take some when we'd go visit them during the school year, even though what they appreciated even more was toilet paper. College kids living in apartments just don't seem to want to put money out for that.

I had planned to put the cookies on a big foil plate with a nice paper doily, but when I stopped at the big cooking store that has everything, they didn't have those. They had some nice pink bakery-type boxes instead. Mr. Gadget has told me he doesn't think I'll have enough cookies to fill this box, which is 12 x 12 x 5. The 10 x 10 box probably would have been a more reasonable size, but then the cookies would have been stacked up to the point of breakage--and we can't have that! Broken cookies just don't say "thank you" very well.

The recipe is super easy and no sifting required. Cream 1/2 c of softened butter and 1/2 c of Crisco. Then add 1-1/4 c of flour, 1 c brown sugar, 1/2 c white sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp. baking soda and 2 eggs. Mix well. Add another 1-1/4 c of flour and blend in. Then add a 11.5 oz. package of Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips. Drop on a cookie sheet and bake for about 10 mins. at 375 degrees. I find the milk chocolate is tastier than the semi-sweet, but this is a matter of personal taste. I always take the cookies out of the oven when they've just begun to brown slightly on top. We're a family that likes soft better than crunchy. Better set the timer though.....just to be on the safe side.

These cookies have been gifted to the mailman, the piano teacher and even the guy who sells us our winter kerosene. They might even soften up a few of the local curmudgeons......like maybe the one who was acting as the self-appointed door monitor today when we walked up for a swim in the pool.....

Meet the parents...

I come from good stock, don't you think? What? You don't see the resemblance? Well, you have to agree that whoever these folks are, they're pretty crafty!

Back in the early 60's, when I was still in high school, my family had a membership in the Badminton Club. I know it sounds kind of highbrow, but it really wasn't all that much. There were several badminton courts and a nice swimming pool where lots of the kids hung out during the summer. For the adults, it was mostly a social club. Each year the social committee would plan several big holiday parties, and one of the favorites was for Halloween.

My internet friend, with whom I recently shared some high-calorie cheesecake, and who is now a member of this very same Badminton Club, mentioned that some folks were collecting old photos for a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the club. The mouse pair came to mind, so I started digging through the albums and boxes of pictures here in the condo. I remember my dad working on these mice in the garage late into the nights. He formed them over a world globe using paper mache. He built up the noses and shaped the ears out of styrofoam. He gave Minnie some pipe cleaner lashes and some earrings. He built up their shoes with excelsior and more paper mache. My mom did the costume assembling and they each wore black tights--his under short red pants and hers under a short skirt. I always admired them for daring to do something so silly!

So last night Mr. Gadget (aka hubby) and I went out for our early-bird sushi. We got our usual table. Then we walked by the yarn shop, but found it closed. I guess we weren't early enough birds for everything. We should have just gone on down to the beach, but Mr. G. said it wouldn't really be an official birthday without some ice cream, so we strolled over to Baskin Robbins for a single scoop of chocolate-peanut butter (mine) and a double cherries jubilee (his). I was sure the day's festivities were over at the point.......until I got home and looked out on the front porch. There was a big beautiful bouquet of flowers from Big City Girl.

Life is good when you've got gadgets and flowers and ice cream......

Gotta Love a Birthday!

Today is my birthday and hubby (aka Mr. Gadget) gave me a nice card with this coupon enclosed. I think I mentioned the other day that I'm not one for gadgets on my car, or those Starbucks coffee gadgets, but I'm not totally anti-gadget. If it has an "on-off" switch and nothing that requires programming, I'm sure I'll be quite pleased......especially if it's a crafty gadget and not one that's in any way related to housework.

I learned a valuable lesson some years back about birthdays, and that was not to have any expectations. It's amazing what a great day you can have without them. Here's how mine is taking shape.

This morning I got an email from Big City Girl and a phone call from Tech Guy, and the lovely card from Mr. Gadget. Then I left to meet a very dear friend at Starbucks--her treat! I had a coffee latte (hold the gadgets) and a zucchini/walnut muffin. Then I gave her two handknitted dishclothes I'd been working on through the week. It's perfectly acceptable to give gifts on your birthday too. She seemed pleased.

She said they were just the right colors for her kitchen. I pointed out a little flaw in the blue one. Don't you just hate it when you come upon two strands of yarn tied together with no warning! She was ever the good sport, and we both decided this was a dishcloth with character.....

I left Starbucks and drove up to the nursing home to see how cranky dad was doing. What a pleasant surprise to find him in a fairly jolly mood. A pain patch had been applied last evening and it seems to be working well. He appeared to be more comfortable and he was much more talkative. He asked about the new wheelchair and wondered if he could see it. It sounds like he might be looking forward to a trip down the hall. This was all wonderful birthday news.

Tonight hubby and I will go out for sushi--one of our favorite meals. We've found a little restaurant down by the beach that has half price sushi rolls if we get there before 6 p.m. So we'll have a nice dinner and a stroll along the beach, and there might even be a birthday sunset. And did I mention there's a yarn store in that neighborhood? A little fiber fix couldn't hurt......

Blueberry cheesecake?

I thought I would share my recipe for blueberry cheesecake. Start with a nice springform pan. Then find a medium-sized bath towel or a couple of hand towels, bunch them up, and wrap some bluish-purple fabric around them--something you might have purchased to dress a Red Hat Lady doll in. Push the whole thing down into the pan and fluff it up a bit around the edges. Add a little cake spatula and pose it on one of grandma's embroidered napkins.

I have another recipe for cheesecake that might be a little tastier, and certainly more palatable, which I will share at a later date. I should know it by heart because I've made it lots of times. But I wouldn't want to lead anyone astray so I need to double-check the recipe.

I decided today's blog theme would be cheesecake because I met a friend for lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. We each had a reasonable lunch followed by a slice of unreasonably high-calorie cheesecake. There were at least 25 different kinds to choose from. I chose key lime; she selected Heath Bar crunch. We both sent our husbands out for fast-food dinners. We may not be hungry again til tomorrow's lunch.

Sometimes I refer to my lunch mate as my internet friend. We met online. She was a regular contributor to the AOL travel message boards for southern California. In fact, she lives in the same town where I grew up. So, from Connecticut I sent her a short email to say that I was from her area, and sometimes I missed it--especially during the snowy east coast winters. She wrote back and we began an online correspondence that has continued for several years. We discovered we were the same age, had moved to the town when we were two years old, that our fathers had built our houses, and we knew many of the same people.

Often we'll get going back and forth about the good old days, when our hometown was smaller and no one locked their door. She remembers when they paved the streets, and when the Santa Claus float would come around the neighborhood. One time she sent me digital photos of the remodel-in-progress of the house I grew up in.

Sometimes I'm critical of technology.....what with things being so complicated to operate they often require a two-volume instruction book. But sometimes there's the good kind, like when it provides a way to make a special friend. For a long time she tried to convince me how easy it would be to crop and send photos. I resisted, thinking it would be far too complicated for my non-tech brain. But I finally got the hang of it and now do it with ease. And after today's lunch, I realize I may have just put one over on her. My digital camera is smaller than hers........

Grandpa's cookies

Here is some embroidery I did on an apron for my dad. He used to make wonderful cookies that were favorites with his grandkids. During most of his marriage to my mom (who was a great cook), he didn't cook at all. But when she became ill and he was caring for her at home, he ventured into the kitchen and decided he might give it a try. She called out instructions from her chair in the living room and he began to learn his way around the kitchen.

After my mom passed away, dad continued to cook and even took a few classes at the local adult school. Then he started giving dinner parties. He prided himself on his popovers...one of his first successes.....and his cookies. One time when my family was in town, he told hubby and I to make reservations at a nice restaurant and he would cook dinner for BCG and TG. He borrowed a little child-sized table and chairs and served them a speghetti dinner complete with cloth napkins and a checkered table cloth. As I remember, he even sat in one of the chairs....or maybe he pulled up the foot stool.

The last couple of days have been difficult ones for me as I've tried to manage a "dad issue" at the nursing home. Seems dad is getting feisty with his caregivers and has been trying to fight them off. And he has refused to take the medicine that was prescribed to help alleviate these episodes. It was suggested that maybe he needed a short time-out in the psychiatric hospital. This unglued me just a bit. He's frail and unable to do anything for himself, and putting him in with psych patients (where the geriatric section is not separate) didn't seem like a good idea, although I know the nursing home staff had legitimate concerns about their safety.

This morning I had an appointment with a hospice nurse. Someone suggested it might be good to talk to her and see if dad was a candidate for their program. Silly me, I thought hospice was just for those last days of care that required ice chips and lots of morphine. I was wrong. After a lengthy discussion and her short examination of my dad, she said she was fairly certain she could help him. I've always thought that he was in some pain (he had prostate cancer many years ago and lots of treatment) and she agreed. Even though I've asked him repeatedly if he was in pain and he always says no, she advised that not everyone (men especially....it can be a macho thing) can tell you when they're in pain. Sometimes dementia can be the reason.

So the staff will now begin to administer some pain medication and see how he does. They will eliminate some of the other medications that he really doesn't need, and they will give him a nice new cushy pad for his wheelchair. And if he happens to sleep through one of his meals, it won't be any big deal. They will do everything they can to keep him comfortable.

I'm pretty sure we'll both sleep better tonight. He'll get a dose of his new med, and I'll read a few chapters of Morality for Beautiful Girls, my recent selection from the Alexander McCall Smith series. It's most charming.....

The Coffee Goddess

I bought this coffee mug as a gift to myself. I'm not a big shopper, but once in a while I see something that grabs me. I like the message: "Goddess: a woman whose great charm or beauty arouses adoration." I also like the picture, and I think I'd like to make a doll like this. I have just the fabric for the skirt. It's some I have left over from the ladybug doll, which still sits on my craft room shelf waiting for just the right wings.

I got the mug at one of my favorite shops, Mulberry Cottage, that's not far from the condo. Unfortunately, they don't have a website. I thought about taking some pictures when I was there the other day, but wasn't sure the owners would be thrilled about that. Maybe I could get a couple if I was discreet and didn't use the flash. One of the best things about Mulberry Cottage is their collection of "Sew Be It" dolls by Greta Chirco. Her creativity is inspiring. Look here to see some of her charming dolls.

And speaking of coffee, today I met a couple of friends at Starbucks. I'm not a regular patron of Starbucks, although I have been known to purchase their gift cards for BCG and TG. One of the reasons I'm not a SB regular is because I drink my coffee black, and I don't think you can actually order coffee that way there. Well, actually I did once, and I was awake for 3 days. But today I decided to go all-out and order something frothy and expensive. I got one of those tall mocha coolers I think it was called.....with whipped cream and chocolate drizzles. It was good, I must admit, but I think I'll stick with regular old black coffee from now on.....the non-SB variety. I'm a gal who likes my coffee like I like my cars--plain with no gadgets. Well......maybe I'll keep those nice seat-warmers.......

Fabric fix

Not only is hubby a blog supporter, he also supports my fabric addiction. Today he was feeling especially generous and offered to take me to one of my favorite fabric stores, M & L Discount Fabrics in Anaheim. This is a huge place (it might have been a super market in a former life) and it can be overwhelming if you're not prepared for it. It always helps to have some projects in mind before you get there. In addition to aisles of upright bolts, there are aisles of flat folds. You might want to do a little strength training before you venture into this area.

My good friend Barbara and I had established quite an M & L shopping tradition in the years before she left her nice California cottage with the ocean view to move to the Arizona desert for a man. She would search out quilt fabric while I looked for something to dress my dolls in. Once we both browsed through the flannel section--at least 2 or 3 aisles' worth--for nice pajama bottom prints. I bought some bright blue flannel with big yellow ducks for Big City Girl, and Barbara got enough to make a pair for each of her family members--mom, dad, sisters, nieces, nephews and cousins. Then, when we were finished with our shopping, we would go across the street to a little fast-food Mexican place and have lunch. The food was pretty good and it gave us a chance to talk about what we were going to make with our stash.

So now she's gone.....off with that man, and living an almost fabric-less life. But at least she has flea markets, or so I hear, where she just snagged four wooden chairs and a neat wrought iron gate. Barbara is the queen of flea markets.

So Barbara, I hope you're having fun. I know you are, and I'm really happy for you. And in case you're interested......here's my "catch of the day."

My plans for these are, left to right: backing for my food quilt, witch, chef doll, witch, I don't know but something for Halloween or fall, red hat lady, and a santa. I did pretty well for myself, don't you think? Not only that, I had chauffeur service and I didn't have to pay for lunch.....

Father Who Knows Best

Not too long ago, I emailed Tech Guy a photo of hubby in what we call his Father Knows Best sweater, and asked him to draw a face with his new digital pen and then magically make it appear on the photo. He did a nice job. I like the pleasing expression he gave his dad too, as if he's just said, "Why yes son, you can drive my expensive car and feel free to help yourself to my credit card too." Tech Guy promises he'll work on getting rid of the black background when he has time. I think I'm seeing a Photoshop tutorial in my future.... Anyway, for anyone who grew up in the 50's, you'll remember Jim Anderson, the dad on the Father Knows Best TV show and how he would come home from work and change from his suit coat into his cardigan sweater. That was before Mr. Rogers.

Hubby has become quite the blog supporter. He keeps his eyes open for interesting things around the neighborhood (it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, by the way.) Today, after returning from his visit to the gym, he told me there was an interesting bumper sticker on one of the cars in the parking lot. "It might be blog-worthy," he said. So after dinner we took a little stroll. I'm wondering.....could this be a knitting witch, or maybe a witch who likes to paint? Or could it be one who is crafty as in devious? Maybe she would be interested in buying one of my crafty witches.....or one of my painted black cats. Then again, maybe I'll just keep my distance. She might be one of those spell-casting witches.

So I did make a trip to Joann's today for some crafty supplies to make a little something for a friend who is ever the thoughtful one. I'm going to see her next week. She does occasionally read my blog, so my lips are zipped for now. And while I was getting ready to pull out of the parking lot, I was reminded of another pet peeve. What is it with people behind you who honk while you wait for the traffic to clear so you can turn right into the street? They must think if they honk, you'll decide to pull out and allow the passing traffic to broadside you, causing great bodily injury. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Where is one of those devious spell-casting witches when you need one......

Leaning tower of tree

The botanical garden may have more trees, but I think our condo complex has a few interesting specimens too. Take, for instance, this huge leaning pine tree that sits just outside the fence near the pool. It seems to be well-rooted in the ground, but at some point its trunk just sort of angles off. I have to assume it's not posing any danger to anyone, otherwise I'm sure the grounds-keeping folks would have summoned a lumberjack. I suppose there's a lesson here. If you keep your feet planted firmly on the ground, maybe you'll be lucky enough to remain upright through the stormy weather that is life. Or maybe I should just stay here on the west coast where there's probably no chance of a blizzard. But where's the fun in that?

So I'm feeling a little blue today, and there's no real reason for it, other than I am tired. I've always been a bit moody, and I've been known to blame it on my birth sign. I'm a Cancer.....also known as a moon child.....so I tend to wax and wane. I used to try to fight the bad moods, but they usually won. Now I just give in to them. I warn hubby and assure him that if I'm just allowed to wallow for a while, I'll be fine by morning.

So, while I'm wallowing I've been noticing the map that hangs above my computer table. It was mounted on the wall by my dad several years ago to record his travels.

The push pins, which are probably hard to see, are color-coded. White ones indicate where he traveled by air, yellow by land, and red by sea. He's been to all seven continents, and to both the Arctic and Antarctic Circle. He's been around the world, and he's traveled on the Concorde and the QE2. For ten years, he flew his own plane. He was quite the colorful character in his day......and this may be one of the reasons I'm feeling a little blue today. His travels today are strictly by wheelchair, along the short hall in his nursing home. But at least there is ice cream and chocolate cake, and the occasional lemon meringue pie.......

Happy Fourth!

Life has been busy the last few days, as we've been entertaining Tech Guy. We dropped him off at the airport this morning, and he should be somewhere over Ohio as I type. While waiting in the terminal, he took a picture of the plane with his phone camera and sent it to me. The folks at Jet Blue name all of their planes, and he's traveling on "Me and You and a Plane named Blue." Kinda makes me think of my dolls. Maybe it's good to name things. Life has a way of getting much too technical and much less personal.

The treasure hunt was a success. He got a big kick out of it, and said it more than made up for the Easter hunt when his sister and her boyfriend got most of the eggs. I hid clothespins outside around the condo. There were 15 in all, and each had a letter written on it. I gave him a paper bag to collect them in along the way, but he preferred just clipping them to his shirt. Here he is discovering one hidden on a cactus.

After he had collected all of the clothespins, he had to arrange the letters so they would spell out the clue to where I'd hidden the loot. He solved the puzzle in no time (he's a college grad you know!) and was on his way to "Look in Big Basket," the exact place where I stashed the treasure for the little kids. He ended up with a couple of Snickers bars, a word puzzle book and a package of Asian noodles, and I got a nice hug.

Yesterday we made a stop at the botanical gardens where we saw lots of veggies growing, hundreds of varieties of trees, and some ducks and herons in the pond. Tech Guy had fun in the miniature children's garden. Here he is trying to get into the little cottage......maybe hoping that Goldilocks might be home.

I'm afraid there hasn't been much crafting going on of late. The sock still sits, although I pick it up now and then with good intentions. I may have mentioned my plan to make a pilgrim pair of dolls when I get back to my sewing machine at the end of the month. I've been mentally trying to work out a pattern for the lady's hat.....one of those Puritan bonnets. I think I've got it now. In my usual way, I was making it too complicated. A simple rectangle with one long edge turned back for a cuff and the other long edge tightly gathered should work just fine.....I think....

So I'm already getting excited about next weekend. On Saturday hubby and I are meeting some friends in Laguna Beach for lunch and a visit to the Sawdust Festival. This is one of the premier arts and crafts shows on the west coast, and I intend to get a complete "artisan" fix.....