Loose ends

Mr. Gadget and I will be heading back to Connecticut tomorrow, so we've been busy bees getting things eaten, straightened, dusted, washed, packed and tossed. Maybe this would be a good time to tie up a few loose ends here on the blog.

The tree that had been so heinously hacked is now showing signs of new life. Let us rejoice!

I'm washing Mr. Fleece's fleece.

Lydia did remember the driver's training episode when I attempted to pull out in front of a school bus. In fact, she seemed to remember it quite vividly, but fortunately it didn't spoil her dinner.

The coat I repaired, cleaned, and mailed to Big City Girl the week before we left home did finally arrive last week. 7 weeks is pretty good for priority mail between Connecticut and New York City, don't you think? I'd probably be willing to pay more for this kind of good service in the future.....

The pistol-shooting range, where Tech Guy was going to celebrate his birthday, was closed. Now, maybe he'll just go to Chuck E. Cheese like I wanted him to.

Some good samaritan removed the sidewalk debris.

Oh, that article I was going to write? Didn't finish it. Will finish it eventually though. I like what my friend said about us not being in school anymore. We can get our assignments done any old time we feel like it.

The cruise in April will depart from Ft. Lauderdale, spend six days at sea, and visit Madeira, Gibralter, Rome, Florence, Sardinia, Monte Carlo, Seville and Barcelona. I asked Mr. G if he knew whether there were sardines in Sardinia and he didn't, so I'll be looking into that....

I must remember to take my calendar home with me. I have medical appointments in March that I probably shouldn't forget.

After that unfortunate squabble Mr. Gadget and I had a few weeks ago over the motor vehicle issue, there has been no more raising of voices, so I never got any chocolates of indignation. Maybe there's still time. I wonder if I could put his fleece in the dryer and play dumb....

Oh, and that new project I mentioned yesterday? I stitched a new blog banner. Tech Guy has told me he'll help me get it up and flying this weekend. I hate this business of the older generation having to rely on the younger generation for tech stuff. He'll probably try to hold me hostage now and insist on a chicken dinner with mashed potatoes and a cheesecake....

Fixins' for a project

I've started a new project. It's something I've planned on doing for a long time, but just never seem to get around to.....what with the wedding ladybugs, the felt hearts, and all that clay business. Part of it is finished already, so now I'm assembling. You'll just have to stay tuned....

This evening I'm going to dinner with Lydia, a friend I knew in high school. In fact, Lydia and I took driver's training together. As I recall, our teacher was Mr. Dubois. He was rather gruff, especially that time he had to jam on his brakes when I started to pull out in front of a school bus. Good thing he had those brakes, but I sure was shaking in fright after that little episode. I probably stayed home sick the next day. I wonder if Lydia remembers that incident. I don't think I'll ask her, since I really don't want to relive it...especially during our gourmet dinner at Denny's .

Here's a picture of a car like the one we learned to drive in. It wasn't red though. It was a very drab shade of green.....one of those colors real people would never buy.

Some kids--my own, for instance--looked forward to their on-the-road training sessions. I can only remember going to school for those two weeks with a daily stomach ache. I still don't like to drive much, but it's the only way I can get to fabric and yarn stores....

Here's something interesting I saw a few weeks ago.

I'm thinking of getting one of these signs for Mr. Gadget's office. He's got a birthday coming up. It would be perfect mounted on the wall just outside the door, maybe with one of those flashing red lights....

Stella

As promised, here is my latest clay-on-cloth creation. I named her Stella.....well no, not exactly. She told me that was her name. While I was making her. That didn't happen with Doll #1, so she remains nameless. I'm sure she was just mad about the wonky eye and has decided not to talk to me.

Stella's eyes are not perfect either, but they are an improvement. It seems that practice is the name of the game when it comes to sculpting with clay. I'm anxious to try something different now, but I'll have to wait till I'm back in the Lighthouse. I'll be spending the rest of this week picking bits of clay out of the carpet....

So yesterday I took a walk around the condo complex, and I noticed a few things. Remember that big flowering plant that was so infatuated with the cactus?

Sadly, they have gotten a divorce.

And look at this nice, comfy chair on someone's balcony.

I never see anyone sitting in it. Do you think they'd mind if I plopped down for a few, with my knitting and my coffee?

Here's an interesting trio, sitting on the sidewalk just up from the road. I'm intrigued by the care someone took to line them up so neatly, when most litterers would just toss them to fall where they might. Maybe it's their way of showing a tiny bit of respect for the rest of us who must provide maid service....

Here's something just a little crazy. Unfortunately today is the deadline, but maybe I still have enough time to knit up a little hat for a lonely cactus.....

Fabric fest

Today I took a solo road trip out to Anaheim to the better-than-Disneyland fabric store. It's called M & L Discount Fabrics and it's located on Ball Rd. just east of Knott Ave. in case you're in the neighborhood and have a hankerin' for a fix. I used to make this pilgrimage with my friend Barbara, who now lives in Arizona and flat-out refuses to drive over and meet me there....even if I buy lunch. Mr. Gadget drove me out there once or twice, but did I mention he could just as well be called Mr. He-Who-Hates-To-Wait? There's nothing worse than shopping for fabric while worrying whether Mr. HWHTW has finished reading his Scientific American and has moved on to finger-tapping...

I did buy a few pieces. I see no point in making the 40-minute trek, while dodging freeway pot-holes and steering clear of maniacs behind the wheel, without coming home with a little something.

I'm not sure I'll be able to get all this loot in my suitcase next weekend when we head back east. But Mr. G has assured me he'll have some room in his should I need it. He has amassed a nice west coast wardrobe and hardly ever has to pack any clothing for our trips out here. I, on the other hand, must pack inaccordance with my size-of-the-day. I don't actually have those little size-marker circle thingies in my closet, but they might not be a bad idea.

So tomorrow I will share a few pictures of my new clay doll. She's looking much better than doll number one, in my humble opinion. I'm planning to give her as a gift later today, so she remains under wraps for now as I never know who may be lurking.....

One for the record book

Look what Mr. Gadget found in his cereal today. It's a giant raisin bran flake. Maybe we should try to sell it on eBay. Maybe we should scrutinize it first to see if there are any famous faces hidden in it. Or maybe not. Mr. G ate it before I could suggest any possible money-making schemes. See those nice blueberries? I'm diligent about keeping him well-supplied with those.... so he'll continue to be of sound mind till sometime after I've lost mine...

I've started another clay-on-cloth doll.

So far, this one is looking better than the first one. I have yet to put the cheeks and chin on, so I'll reserve judgment for now. She'll be a gift, if she turns out OK, with lots of primitive charm.I decided, mid-blog post, to finish the clay application so I could let her dry overnight. Here she is with her face filled out and her hair in place. Tomorrow I'll start the painting process. I found a pretty print fabric for her skirt, so I'm hopeful of having her finished in time to give away this weekend. One of the trickiest parts of doing a face is making sure everything is symmetrical. If not, well, that's why there's that category called primitive.

So I guess I shouldn't really say anything about this, but I know you'll all find out sooner or later. Mr. G talked me into another cruise. It's coming up pretty quickly, but we should have enough time to return to Connecticut, unpack our suitcases, and at least wash a few clothes. And check the mail. And wave at a few of our new neighbors as we go by. It departs mid-April. More details will be forthcoming, but first I need to see about getting this darned clay out from under my fingernails.....

The girls

I call them the seven scary sisters. They're witch heads. Don't you think those little mouths look like tiny Valentines? I promise I'll stop making hearts and parading them around the world soon. It's just that I don't have a knitting project at the moment, so I make them while I watch TV with Mr. G in the evenings.

Dear ol' dad had a color-coded push-pin system for keeping track of his travels. Yellow if by land, red if by sea, white if by air.

I can only wonder what he'd say if he knew I was having a little fun with hearts on his very dignified map?

So, I've been hard at work here in my anatomy lab making body parts. They'll be easy to transport in a suitcase. I was planning to make a few arms too, but I'm not quite familiar enough with my west coast sewing machine to maneuver the needle around the little hands. My east coast machine is comfy like an old shoe. We go way back.

Mr. G and I are busy preparing for a visit from his brother and wife who will be driving down from the north on Saturday. The easiest part of this getting-ready process was calling for dinner reservations at one of our favorite restaurants.

The hardest part is still ahead. I promised Mr. Gadget I would crate-up my craft supplies and move them to the back closet where they will be conveniently out of sight. I will then dust and vacuum up all of my threads and fabric scraps, and any other evidence that might suggest a crafty person lives here.

There might be some nasty withdrawal issues. I'd better start practicing some deep breathing....

Traveling hearts

I've been making more hearts. And with no handy place to hang them, I'm using dear ol' dad's world map that's mounted above my computer. He put pins in all of his travel destinations and I just haven't had the heart to take it down. Buenos Aires is a city we visited together, enroute to our fabulous Antarctic adventure in 2001.

I've decided to send my little felt hearts out into the world. I think they'll make nice Valentines for some of the special people in my life. So much more heartfelt than Hallmark, don't you think?

I've also been busy with a new clay-on-cloth project. I was anxious to try the technique on one of my beanbag doll characters. My intention was to make a scary witch face, and I was sure that would be easy....what with my elementary sculpting skills and all.

But I think she's looking rather serene. Sculpting a face in clay is similar to sculpting one in cloth. You never know what you're gonna get. Here's her profile. It's slightly more scary.

She could probably use a good pair of tweezers, and maybe one of those skin peels. Then again, maybe I'll just give her a couple of warts or a spider on her chin. I won't be assembling her until I return to the Lighthouse, so there's still time for some cosmetic surgery.

I finally got an email back from Tech Guy. I'd written a few days ago to ask how things were going and if he was well supplied with toilet paper. No....just kidding about that last part. He tells me his sister is planning some real fun for his birthday next week. He's going pistol-shooting. My son the gunslinger. What a comforting thought.....

Where's that bonbon delivery guy?

Mr. Gadget worries that my blog readers must think I just do crafty stuff all day. So I'm here to tell you there has been a little housework going on. Very little. This morning I went to the grocery store and came home to give the kitchen floor a quick sweep.

When we're here at the Calcondo, I always feel we're somehow just camping out. There's not much to be done at a campsite, right? Just make sure the campfire is out before retiring at night so you don't burn down the tent? I'm not a camper, but I'm just guessing.

We're getting some rain today and the temperatures have plunged down to the low 60's. I'm thinking of putting on a sweater. Then maybe I'll get the Windex out and spritz a couple of mirrors.....

I heart hearts

I made some more cloth napkins for our cloth-napkin-loving relatives. I didn't really have plans to do this, but I liked the Valentine fabric.

I mailed them a few days ago, and I'm hoping they'll arrive in good order......unlike the coat I repaired, had cleaned, and mailed to Big City Girl that never reached her. To whoever is wearing her favorite coat.....may you fall through a subway grate. Just kidding...heh...heh....

So I decided to try my new clay-on-cloth skills on one of my bean-bag dolls. I cut out, stitched and stuffed the head, and applied a coat of gesso to the face area.

After it dried, I added clay features with a witch in mind.

I think the eyes are looking a little better on this one, but it really doesn't matter all that much because, after all, it's a witch. The scarier the better. That nose, though, makes me think I might be able to add some cleavage next time....

Here's an update on Dolly and the bugs. Seems I had the story wrong. It was the termite guy who had stopped by to give us a booster shot. It was a year ago that our building was tented. The visit yesterday was intended to send a message to any termites that might have notions of returning. I still don't know what all the racket was, and I have no plans to walk over and ask Dolly. She'll just nag me again about joining her for water aerobics, and I'll have to think up excuse #2187.

Sometimes I do make erroneous assumptions though. Once, back at the Connecticut house, we had a rash of late-night mailbox bashings on our street. One night, after we assumed the bashers had moved on to another neighborhood, I was awakened by what sounded like more hooligans. I called the police. Our neighbor, who also heard the commotion, came out with his shotgun. Turned out it was some poor guy whose muffler had come loose right in front of our mailbox. That's when I came up with my own version of the duck story. If it walks and talks like a duck, it's not always.

It's February. Don't forget to hug your exterminator.

How did February get here already?I know it's February because I brought my calendar with me to the Calcondo. Without the calendar, I'd have no clue what time of year it is because the weather is always pretty much the same here---high 70's and sunny. I must remember Tech Guy's birthday on the 16th. I should probably write it on the calendar so I don't forget to remember. Sometimes I remember to write things on the calendar and then forget to look at it. I've occasionally been scolded.

So now that it's February, I've had hearts on my mind. Here are a few felt ones I've been working on.

They will be slightly stuffed and have ribbon hangers attached. Too bad I have no place to hang them. I may have to put the Christmas tree back up....

So last night I was watching Larry King because I was curious to learn more about the woman with 8 babies, and how she was going to manage them all, plus the 6 she already has. Prospective parents should be required to take a sample dose of teenages-in-the-house before they are allowed to start a family. Now there's a reasonable idea, don't you think?

Anyway, it was approaching 10:00 p.m. when there arose such a clatter I was startled out of my comfy spot on the couch. It seemed to be coming from Dolly's condo next door. If I had to guess, I would say that Dolly was standing on a stepladder dropping 10 lb. bags of flour on her kitchen counter. And she must have had at least 20 bags.

This morning I noticed the exterminator's truck pull up and drag a hose of some kind up toward her back door. I'm thinking those must have been some big ol' bugs.....