Adding to the menagerie

 

A new needle-felting project is underway.  I've mentioned how addictive this hobby is for me.  While I'm working on one project I'm thinking ahead to what I'll make next.  It's a little like obsessing about the ice cream in the freezer while eating the last of the Christmas cookies.

I made some good progress on this kitty to the point of having him almost completely covered in gray fiber with a few white patches, but I wasn't happy with the result.  The gray fiber was in strands and difficult to work with on such a small project.  I'm now covering him with black--a shorter fiber and easier to manipulate around his creases and curves.  I'm still very much a novice in the realm of needle felting.

As most of you have come to learn, I always have many more project ideas than time to do them.  I've been contemplating taking on a bigger project--a standing figure, maybe a foot high, of someone I know.  This will require an armature, but I've done those before with cloth and clay dolls.  

On another subject, remember the Treehouse cleaning-by-the-clock idea I mentioned in a previous post?  I actually traveled back in time and straightened up the left side of my computer desk--the 11 o'clock to noon time slot. And no sooner had I done that than the noon to 3 o'clock slot got littered up again.  I can see now that I need a better system.  Maybe I'll just call those folks at 1-800 Junk.

Feeling sheepish

There's nothing quite like needle felting to relieve the stress of the holidays.  It's also a great activity when you're sitting in front of the TV and you only kinda like football.

We had a very nice Christmas with Big City Girl and her boyfriend visiting.  I decided I didn't want to spend most of Christmas day in the kitchen this year, so I scaled back the food plan.  We had a delicious marinated salmon dinner on Christmas Eve with all of the side dishes prepared the day before.  And late Christmas morning we had scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes (leftovers from the night before) and scones--made from a mix I got at a local English store.  I even planned ahead and made plenty of brussel sprouts so I'd have lots to see me through a few more meals.

I'm feeling a little sheepish though.  Mr. Gadget and I had agreed, I thought, not to get anything for each other this holiday.  We're each hard to buy for, plus we do lots of fun things during the year.  But he decided to surprise me with a nice big gift card to knitters' heaven.  Perhaps I should get him a New Years gift.  Maybe a gift card from gadget heaven...

So now I'm trying to clean up the Treehouse.  It's an overwhelming task, so I came up with a plan.  Think of a clock.  My computer desk is noon.  Moving clockwise I'm now at 3 o'clock.  And you know what?  Time only flies when you're having fun.

Merry Christmas!

Just popping in quickly to say Merry Christmas, and to show you my first attempt at a little felted sheep....still in process.  I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!  We will be leaving shortly to fetch Big City Girl from the train station.  I'll be so glad when the Christmas cookies are gone. 

Getting an early start

 

The needle-felting bug still has a hold on me so I decided to start another Santa.  The off-white fiber is called core wool and it's used to build up 3-dimensional figures.  It's less expensive and a bit lower in quality than the colored fiber, but it works well for the building process.

I've applied the white fiber trim for Santa's outfit, and some of the flesh color for his face.  I'm out of red at the moment, so he'll have to wait till I order more.  I might sew some small clear beads on the white to make it sparkle a little.

A year ago I made a couple of paper-mache Santa ornaments, but I didn't try to sell them because I wasn't totally satisfied with the result.

I do think they have possibilities.  I'll do a little fine tuning.  I like the rustic look.  I have so many ideas for things I'd like to make--including some pretty crepe paper flowers like ones I saw in a store a few weeks ago.  I did manage to come home and draw a quick sketch before I had time to forget what they looked like. 

I wonder if Mr. Gadget would be annoyed if one of these days I locked myself in the Treehouse for a week or so? Of course I wouldn't just leave him to totally fend for himself. I'd make sure he had plenty of Cheez-its and beer.

Look what landed in the Treehouse

I thought it would be fun to make some whimsical felted birds and this is my first attempt.  I'm going to embellish him a little more, but for now I'm just happy he's standing on his own two feet.  

Today Mr. Gadget chauffeured me to the old hotel to fetch my check and my unsolds from the Christmas show.  The temp was under 20 this morning and the snow was falling steadily, so he decided it might be a good idea to keep me off the roads.

I'm happy to report that my Santa-with-stick-appendages sold.  I have to admit, he was one of those yes-no-yes-no-maybe items that I'm often on the fence about right up till the last minute.  I did very well this year, and as I was about to leave with my loot the ladies told me they're thinking of making it a two-weekend show next year and they're hoping I'll make more stuff.  That could mean I'd have to cancel the cruise I have planned for next fall so I'd have time to work overtime in the Treehouse, but that's not gonna happen. So I'd better wrap up this blog post right now.  Time's a-wastin'. 

Pick-up sticks

I have fond memories of visiting my grandmother's house long ago.  This was the same grandmother who wired tin cans full of bird treats to the fence. She was quite a seamstress in her day, which was, sadly, before I was born.  After she passed away I inherited a big spool of her tatting which I treasure and use very sparingly to embellish my dolls.

Grandma also made beautiful hooked wool rugs, and one in particular was my favorite.  It had a deep pile in which I could stab a whole set of pick-up sticks.  It didn't take much to amuse me.  It still doesn't.

I've never lost my fondness for pick-up sticks.  It's just that now I play in the park. I walk among the trees (we have lots of those in Connecticut) and pick up sticks to use as arms and legs for my dolls.  They can't be too wet, too buggy, too barky, or too knobby....although once in a while a little knob makes a good elbow or knee.

This Santa made his way...a little bit late....to the old hotel Christmas fair last weekend.  I don't know yet if he sold.  If not, he'll come back home with me and I'll find a spot for him to sit with the other unsolds.  I'll give him a little pep talk and tell him not to get down on himself, that not every Santa doll gets adopted every year.  I may have to fatten him up a bit and make him look a little more jolly.  And a pair of pants probably wouldn't hurt.

 







A few cruise photos

The luggage

Smooth seas

Rough seas

Storm at sea

Maui

Halloween

Halloween (she made the costumes!)

My traveling companion Jane and I.

  "The Girls"

The backwards man

One of the ship's waiters

(he's 6'10")

 

 

 

 

 





The latest flap

I seem to have birds on the brain.  I'm not sure what caused it.  It could have been the turkey, or my brother-in-law's Thanksgiving visit.  He's a college ornithology professor. My condition may have been exacerbated by a trip to Costco this morning where I found two small birds walking around in the baking-supplies aisle. 

I've always been a big fan of birds.  I think it started during visits to my grandmother's house as a child.  She was also a fan of birds and fed them all kinds of treats in small aluminum cans she wired to the back fence.  My mother continued the bird-feeding tradition by putting peanuts out on our front wall for the bluejays.  But this came to a halt when they started showing up earlier and earlier in the morning and pecking on the wood siding.

The other day I looked at my stash of fiber (so generously offered by my friend other Marcia) and thought, "I could make some really wild birds out of these bright colors!"  A couple of great thing about needle-felted birds is that they eat hardly anything at all and they're not likely to make annoying banging noises on the side of the house.

So Thanksgiving was nice, and you'll never guess what I did....well, after all that cooking stuff was done.  I taught the family how to needle-felt.  This included Big City Girl, my brother-in-law (sometimes referred to as Uncle Birdie), and my nephew (College Guy).  Mr. Gadget opted out.

BCG made a Christmas ornament with a heart design, Uncle Birdie made an ornament with a raven (the subject of one of his many theses), and College Guy made a holder for his cell phone.

The Friday after Thanksgiving was a beautiful day here, so we all piled in the car and took a ride up to the old hotel.  We knew it wouldn't be open, but it's interesting to see anyway, and it's a pleasant ride.  As we were walking all around and peeking in the windows, a woman from the renovation group drove up with a friend and she opened the place up so we could have a short, private look-see.  It was almost all decked out for the craft show (coming up this weekend).

On our way back to the house we stopped off at the local indoor go-kart track.  Mr. Gadget had decided to treat everyone as a surprise.  So they all suited up and drove some laps.  I decided not to partake.  Instead, I served as the designated coat-and-cell-phone watcher.  I've had lots of practice doing that and I thought it best that they not trust their stuff with anyone else.  Besides, I knew they'd all be really sore losers.

Chillin'

It's really cold here at the Concondo, and windy. And no, I didn't fall off the boat.  I've just been busy since our return last Saturday.  Now that the boat has finally stopped rocking I have a little calm before the storm.  We expect relatives from 3 states to arrive in town on Wednesday for Thanksgiving:  Big City Girl from NYC, Uncle Alan from Wichita, and nephew Dylan (now a college student) from Amherst, Mass.  Mr. Gadget has offered to assist me in the holiday preparations.  He will scrub the toilets and make the giblet gravy.  The gravy isn't that big of a deal.  He's the only one who eats giblets.  But his offer to take on that scrubbing business makes him a definite keeper.

After we got home last weekend I had only one week to finish and organize my Christmas crafts for the old hotel holiday sale.  They had to be delivered yesterday.  I worked on needle-felted Santas and snowmen on the ship....and ended up selling 4 to fellow passengers.  Oh, sorry.  I think I already mentioned my peddling activity in a previous post.

In addition to the ornaments, I finished a felted Santa...which I also took to the hotel.

I made many new friends in the knitting group that was held each sea-day morning on the ship.  I'll tell you more about the cruise later.  Right now I have to finish my grocery list....and wait for my brain to rejoin my body.  It still thinks it's south of the equator.

Peddling as fast as I can

On our stateroom TV there is a channel devoted to info about our voyage.  This includes outside temperatures, sea temps, state of the sea, miles traveled since leaving L.A. and miles left to go.  In the beginning it was interesting and informative, and now it's just downright depressing. 

Something surprising has happened.  My knitting-group friends have been watching me work on the needle-felted ornaments and several have asked to buy one.  I sold one yesterday and am now pushing to get two more done.  I suppose it's inappropriate to do this on a cruise ship--what with all the expensive junk, I mean trinkets, they sell in the shops.  So I'm keeping it low-key and transacting business in a whisper. 

How do people occupy themselves on a ship for 8 sea days you might be asking?  Many read.  Some knit or stitch.  There are a few who play cards.  Others make round trips to the buffet.  Sudoku (is that how you spell it?) is very popular, although I can't imagine why.  But then, I'm not a math person.  And don't forget the ones who take long naps.  There's no way NOT to take a nap on a rocking ship.  Mr. Gadget and I should have lots of sleep in the bank by the time we get home.

So the countdown now says we have 1,000 miles to go.  The weather is getting cooler and people are leaving their pool loungers for the warmer areas inside.  One of my favorite activites toward the end of a cruise is something called the Scrapheap Challenge.  Passengers, usually men, spend time during the trip building little boats out of recycled objects. Then, at a specified time, they put them in the pool.  The boats must all carry cargo of some kind and they have to float across the length of the pool. Some of these crafts are quite ornate.  Some of the boat builders take this challenge very seriously and are extremely disappointed if they lose.  They're almost as bad as the trivia players. And don't even get me started on the Bingo women.

I'll write More later.  It's bedtime.  All this relaxing is exhausting.

Heading back to housework

We left Papeete 2 days ago and are now heading back to L.A.  Once the cruise is completed we will have sailed just under 10,000 miles.  We've been very lucky with good weather and smooth seas most of the way, although today we're rolling around. We're old seasoned sailors by now though so the movement isn't bothering us.

There are lots of activities planned each sea day, but Mr. Gadget and I only partake of a few.  He goes to an occasional lecture, and I go to the knitting group.  He exercises and I don't....well, except for my fingers.  I'm saving that up till I get back.  That and the diet.  28 days at sea wreaks havoc on anything resembling a food plan.

There are lots of interesting passengers onboard. With 3,000 passengers there's bound to be a few memorable ones.  Our favorites are the twins--sisters who are traveling together with their respective husbands.  They're senior citizens, both on the chubby side, and they have matching everything....including hair styles, although calling them hair styles is a stretch. Picture platinum blonde with some of it hanging part way down their backs and the rest piled up on top of their heads in a big pouffy bouffant arrangement....with bling attached. They always wear black, with lots of lace, and even more bling.  Neither needed to pack a Halloween costume.  They just went to the party as themselves.  Around the ship they're known as "The Girls."

Since this is such a long cruise, the majority of the passengers are like us--retired. There are many who use walkers, scooters, and canes.  There are some who probably shouldn't have embarked on this cruise, but maybe Tahiti was on their bucket lists.  Rumor has it that 2 people have broken their hips while onboard, and now that the sea is rolling there may  be more before we get back on land next Saturday.

And speaking of bucket lists, I heard a good one the other day.  It's another kind of list.  You replace the "b" with another letter in the alphabet and it then becomes a list of stuff you'll never do again before you die.  I have two things on mine:  eating liver and parallel parking.

So I guess I should see if this post will publish before the ship lurches and I fall over on the delete key.

Bora Bora and beyond

The internet connection took a short vacation over the last few days and I haven't been able to update the blog.  But here  I am with a few quiet minutes to myself while Mr. Gadget is at the gym.  I'm enjoying a peanut butter cookie and a scone (without cream and jelly) and exercising my fingers.

Today we arrived at Bora Bora--a beautiful island in the Tahiti island collection.  It's surrounded by a coral reef which creates a beautiful lagoon--in which we are anchored.  We got off the ship this morning and walked around the small town near the tender (lifeboats that are lowered to take passengers to and fro) pier.  It's hot today--around 90--so Mr. G and I didn't spend too much time on shore.  Neither of us are fans of hot weather, so we've been mostly enjoying the wonderful views (and napping) from the lounge chairs.  We had scheduled an excursion, but cancelled because we were disappointed in our two excursions in the Samoas.  The description of this one--and also the one tomorrow in Moorea--was similar to the previous poor-yet-expensive ones.  There was one highlight of our tour in Apia, W. Samoa and that was a stop at the former home of Robert Louis Stevenson.  He moved from Scotland to Samoa late in his life because he suffered from tuberculosis.  He lived there for 4 years before his death and he's buried on a hill overlooking the ocean behind the property.

Something I found interesting is that people in Samoa have burial plots in their yards for family members who've passed on.  Some are in the side yards and some right in the front of the house.  Some were simply concrete slabs while others appeared to be marble with ornate decorations.

Pago Pago, American Samoa was rather disappointing but this was mainly because we were on a noisy old bus and our guide didn't provide any commentary to speak of.  We will be pointing this out to Princess Cruises in our customer service satisfaction survey.  Many others were disappointed too.
We had two more sea days between The Samoas and Bora Bora.  Tonight we'll sail to Moorea, and late tomorrow we'll head for Papeete on the island of Tahiti.  After that, it's all downhill.  We'll spend 8 days sailing back to Los Angeles.

A couple more things to report:  A folksinger came aboard a few nights ago and is doing several shows.  He sings many of John Denver's songs and as many of you know I'm a big fan.  I hope I can stay awake till 10 for his show tonight.  He also brought his wife along and she has given two programs on palm reading.  I attended both and found them interesting.  I learned that I'm creative, have a good sense of humor, need my space, and that I don't let money slip through my fingers.  Are you the same way?  Hold your hands up in front of you with your fingers close together and palms facing toward you.  Can you see light coming through?  If you see just a little light then you're like me and you're good with money.  If you see lots of light, then you best stay out of the casino.

I expect the internet to be more reliable after we leave Tahiti, so I'll try to post more often on the last 8 sea days.  Now I'm going out on the balcony to gaze across the lagoon at those expensive hotel rooms up on stilts with the thatched roofs.  You know, the ones you always see in travel agent ads.  I wonder if those folks are having more fun that we are?  I wonder what happens when they call for room service?  Does a rowboat appear? Gotta go get the binocs.

Where's the cookies?

Yesterday we crossed the equator and that was cause for celebration.  King Neptune showed up, along with his wife and some of his cronies, and punished a handful of the passengers for crimes of gluttony, sloth, and others that can only be imagined.  This involved dumping speghetti and various other food items on their heads and throwing them into the pool.  One was even required to kiss a dead fish. I guess it falls under the category of "nautical lore."  Pity the poor pool guys who had to clean up the mess.

Today is Halloween and the ship is all decked out with spooky decor.  There must have been a special at the party store on that white cobweb stuff because it's everywhere--complete with spiders.  In the atrium there is a table display of whimsical carved jack-o-lanterns.  Tonight, during the cocktail and dinner hours, there's sure to be a fun and photogenic costume parade.  I'll be wearing an orange shirt, a black net shawl, and a big glittery spider.  Mr. Gadget will wear his standard costume--a headband with devil horns.

Now we're on the 4th of 4 more sea days and we'll arrive in Apia, Western Samoa tomorrow morning.  The next day we'll be in Pago Pago, American Samoa.  We have short excursions planned for each--just a bus ride around the areas for a look-see.

Big City Girl was the one who mentioned that Samoa reminded her of the Girl Scout cookies of the same name.  Since she once sold them, I'm assuming she is remembering correctly.  In any event, Mr. Gadget and I are looking forward to our visit to "The Cookies."

Samoa...it's not just a cookie

I just typed a long post and lost it.  I hate when that happens!

So we're now underway to the Samoas...Western (Apia) and American (Pago Pago).  This is the first of 4 sea days.  Our time in Hawaii was wonderful, but very warm....about 90 degrees.  I didn't do any shopping, but opted for lots of sweating instead.  Yesterday I made a stop at my favorite shop in Maui--Maui Hands in Lahaina--just to browse.  There's always a big display of whimsical clay pieces by a local artist I admire.  I will send a picture and more details when I return home.  My favorite this time was a large ostrich in high heels. I'm always inspired by his work.

Today the knitting group meet-ups resumed.  These are held on sea days.  This time I didn't do much knitting, but did some teaching instead.  The lady on my right was in need of help learning to crochet, and the one on my left asked me to show her how to add a second yarn to her project--a doll sweater.  This is one of many good things about knitting groups.  There is always someone who knows more than you do and can share.  One of the ladies mentioned that she'd seen a needle-felting kit in Maui and thought about buying it, but then thought better of it because she figured she'd get addicted.  Don't I know.

The weather has been wonderful....except for all that sweating....and the seas have been calm.  There's still lots of good entertainment onboard.  People-watching is the best.  No good stories to pass along, at least nothing to top the false-teeth one, but there's still lots of cruise left.  Halloween will be here in a few days and that should bring out the best. Many passengers have already decorated their doors.

We've been told that the internet connection isn't always the best in the south Pacific, but I'll hope for the best.  I will try to post a picture next time.  Mr. Gadget assures me he has the necessary gadgets to do it.  I'd ask him to do it now, but he's at the gym....making me look bad.  I'll show him.  I'm going to wrap this up right now and head up to the buffet for a fruit tart.

Hi ho Hilo

It's day #4 of our cruise and we'll be arriving in Hilo tomorrow morning.  Until today the sky has been mostly overcast, but now the sun is out and it's 86 degrees.  Lots of people are out on the decks in their bathing suits--which we always find to be some of the best entertainment.  Speedos and bikinis aren't for everyone.

One of my regular activites has been the knitting group.  Each sea day about 20 women get together to do a variety of handwork.  My needle-felting has been a big hit.  I'm the only one doing it and the others seem to think it's some sort of magic trick.  Our group has knitters, crocheters, embroiderers, quilters, and a woman who's teaching herself to tat.  Some have been so inspired by others' projects that there's been discussion of how to find the Walmart in Hilo to buy yarn.  Someone suggested they might take the free shuttle to Hilo Hattie's and walk over to Walmart which is just across the street. I just hope they don't tell Hattie.

There are many countries represented on this cruise and quite a few languages being spoken.  It's always interesting to observe different cultures. Last night during dinner, Mr. Gadget got up to use the men's room and when he returned he looked a little green.  He said that as he was washing his hands a man at the next sink was washing his dentures.

We've been to Hilo on past cruises and have done most of the excursions offered by the ship.  This time we have something different planned.  A friend and former workmate of Mr. Gadget, who has recently moved from California to Hawaii, will meet us at the pier and take us on a short sightseeing tour that he has planned with a lunch stop. I wonder if he'd mind a quick stop at Walmart?

Setting sail soon

Our cruising foursome is now at the Calcondo and doing a little last minute packing before leaving for the ship in a few hours.  I'm trying to decide on the best way to do my blog posts....so this is a little experiment.  Since internet minutes on the ship are not free, it makes good sense to write offline and then copy and paste.  I've been told that MS Word (my original plan) doesn't work well on Blogger so I'm using Notepad.  Though it's probably not the best solution (no option to change font size, etc.) it's better than emailing my posts to a big black hole.

The four of us have many suitcases.  One lady actually laughed when she saw us at the airport baggage claim.  But we found a nice van taxi driver who agreed to take us to the Calcondo, and he didn't seem put off when we asked if he could come back for us today and take us to the ship.  It remains to be seen if he'll actually show up.

So I'm going to wrap this up now....since Mr. Gadget seems intent on packing the computer NOW.  When he gets on a roll it's in my best interest to find a place to hide.....or shop.

Grazing at the all-you-can-eat buffet

I had planned to start my cruise packing yesterday, but was interrupted by a call from the craft-show lady at the old hotel.  "Your stuff is flying out the door," she said.  "Could you bring us more?"

So, not being one to brush off a nice compliment like that, I told her I'd look through my craft closet and see what I could scrape up, I mean resusitate.

Mr. Gadget and I took a ride up there this morning and arrived just after the show opened. It's a 3-day affair.

The first thing we noticed were a couple of interesting sculptures on the hotel's front lawn.

People are so very creative--especially those able to rescue stuff from the back corner of their garage and make art out of it.

Inside were some interesting wine bottles that were decorated and filled with lights.

As I made my way around the rooms, looking to see which of my creations had taken flight, I was pleased...not to mention surprised....to notice the yes-no-yes-no-maybe witch had disappeared.  

Also, this cat and witch were gone.

 

On several occasions I've given serious thought to giving up this whole crafty business--especially around this time of year when I'm completely satiated with it all.

But a funny thing happens when my ego is well-fed.  I find myself going back for a second helping.

Traveling pants

I closed up the Witchworks for the season and, without even taking one day off, I opened up The Pants Factory.

These aren't plain ol' pants I'm talking about. These are festive pants.  These are traveling pants.  More specifically, these are cruise pants.

Yep, Mr. Gadget and I are about to set off on another voyage.  Why stay home and worry about our money, we wondered, when we can spend it to float away from this whole ridiculous government mess and just let the chips fall where they may. So we're going to Tahiti.  We're taking our friends with us, because they are just as fed up as we are.  We'll fly out next week to the Calcondo for a couple of nights, then board the ship for 28 days of floating.

Mr. Gadget, who is a proud supporter of this blog, has suggested that while onboard I try signing on to the blog website and posting as I normally do rather than trying to email my posts--which, for whatever reason, never works.  And he's graciously offered to foot the bill for any extra internet minutes I might need.  Oh, I know it sounds generous, but really...it will never measure up to his wine bill.

So back to the pants.  I had a great pattern for capri pants, but I must have filed it away in a secret drawer somewhere.  I knew this called for some creative problem-solving because I had no interest in buying a new pattern that probably wouldn't fit me anyway.  So I made a cup of coffee and did a little knitting.  Before long I had the answer.  I would take apart a pair of capris I had sewn a few years ago that I've never worn because the fabric print was a little too weird.  I like looking festive, but I refuse to be a spectacle.

This was a good solution.  I'm amassing a collection of capris that will serve me well for the cruise.  Their best feature is the elastic waistband.  These will allow for maximum enjoyment of the buffet.  In fact, I believe I sufficiently overlapped the elastic so that, if need be, I can do a little emergency surgery on them....like if the cruise line ever decides to reinstate the midnight chocolate extravaganza.

Sneezy

So on Wednesday...even though I had a cough, the sniffles, and watering bloodshot eyes....

.......my doctor pronounced me fit as a fiddle.  She was nice enough to raise the back of the examining table so I could recline slightly rather than having to sit with my legs dangling over while she asked me her usual 201 questions.

I told her about my nasty encounter with the calcium pills and she suggested I get the chewables.  That would be the perfect solution if only I didn't already have a gigantic Costco supply.  So the ever-helpful Mr. Gadget went to his closet-o-gadgets and brought out his razor cutters.  Who knew there were such things?  He cut the pills in half....but refused to go so far as to sand the rough edges. I'm sure I'll manage.

At some point the doc suggested that I might consider getting myself a sinus irrigation thingie.  She uses one herself she told me, and it's effective in preventing sinus infections. It's called a neti pot. Truth be told, I already had one stashed away in the back of a cupboard.  

A friend told me about them years ago and said she was getting fewer colds since using one.  Even though I had good intentions, I found the whole idea rather repugnant.  One must lean over the sink and pour water into a nostril and let it drain out the other.  Then the process is reversed.  

So I got up my nerve and tried it yesterday.....and it wasn't too bad.  In fact, it wasn't bad at all.  My nose felt amazingly refreshed....like it wanted to go out on the town.

And then the doc gave me the best news ever.  She said I was too sick to get my flu shot and that I'd have to wait till I was feeling better.

Yes no yes no maybe

I finished the witch with driftwood arms...except for a bit of a fringe trim....and I'm still undecided about putting her in the craft show.  I have no idea whether she would appeal to anyone.  It's times like this where I hang a tag on, try to come up with a price that's not totally laughable, and label it folk art...you know, that category that falls somewhere between first-class workmanship and garbage.

So yesterday, late morning, I started coming down with cold symptoms.  I can't believe how fast it snuck up on me.  Isn't there usually a little warning?  This was like an ambush. It happened right after I took my daily calcium pill.  I used to take 2 calcium pills....just like my doc instructed.....until several years later when she told me I needed to back off because too much isn't good for my heart.  Which makes me wonder what else I'm taking in excess that might not be good for some other body part. 

But those calcium pills have to be swallowed just so or they stick in the pipe going down and cause all sorts of discomfort and there's nothing you can do except just wait it out.  And while I was waiting out yesterday's pill I started coughing and my nose started running and soon I had a cold.

And tomorrow I have my annual physical with this same wishy-washy doctor.  I might suggest that she wear a mask and gloves when she examines me....so she won't get my cold...the cold that I might not have gotten if she hadn't been so worried about my bones.

Stink bug season

Mr. Gadget and I were trying to enjoy some summer-like weather today on the back deck, but a rowdy bunch of party crashers spoiled our fun.  Stink bugs.  No need to show you a photo since they aren't particularly attractive.  They didn't, however, seem to be bothering this small frog who was napping on the top of a deck chair.  He was sleeping there for so long we worried that he might have expired,  but he hopped away when tickled.

My witch progress has been slow.

I wasn't sure I wanted to go any further on this one.  And no, she's not having acupuncture treatments.  Those are long doll needles holding her driftwood arms in place.  Because of her tallness (she's about a foot high) she was becoming a little tipsy...even though she was nowhere near the liquor cabinet.  Mr. Gadget noticed my things-aren't-going-as-planned face and went to his room-o'-gadgets in search of a fix. He came back with a small wood base....to which I quickly affixed her.  She's much more stable now and could probably pass a sobriety test. Here she was yesterday:

 



And here she is today....still a work in progress.

 

A week from today I have to deliver my dolls to the old hotel for the craft show over Columbus Day weekend.  I should have them all finished in plenty of time....as long as the stink bugs don't get me.

Catting around

Here's a fat black cat for Halloween,

and all of the days inbetween.

He'll sit in the window and talk to the birds,

and turn a deaf ear to your x-rated words--

in exchange for a mouse with whipped cream.

A walk in the woods

She's a little unconventional--

this witch of my own design.

She came to life in my sketchbook

while imbibing in the fruit of the vine.

 

No shopping trip was needed.

Finding body parts was a breeze.

I rummaged through my crafty stash

and foraged through the trees.

It's magic

I stand corrected.  I said we had mold spores on our front porch rails.  They're actually mulch spores.  They sometimes reproduce in bad mulch (a/k/a cheap mulch), or as a result of bad blood in the neighborhood.  Have I mentioned our next-door neighbors don't speak to us? We're blaming them for the spawning of the spores.

Mr. Gadget, who never believes me when I tell him how easy it is to get an answer to any question on the internet, finally ask it for an answer about getting rid of the spores.

"Have you ever heard of a magic eraser?" he asked me.

"Yes," I said, "and I have some."

So after spending a few minutes out on the front porch, he came inside with a bounce to his step.  The spores were magically gone.  But I'm confident they'll be back....unless there are some meaningful peace negotiations.

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm spending some time on the bench per the advice of my needle-felting coach, but I'm still keeping a couple of fingers in the game.

I've been sewing sequins and beads and strings to the Santa ornaments. So I guess I can look forward to having this happy bunch hangin' around in the Treehouse till the next craft fair.


  

On the DL

How very disappointing.  I've been benched.  The needle-felting coach has assigned me to the 15-day disabled list. I have pain in my right upper arm and shoulder from repetitive poking motion.  The trainer thinks I'll be back in the game in a couple of weeks, but in the meantime he says I need to stay out of the stadium and find a less-aggressive sport.

So I'll be back in the Witchworks for a while.  I ripped off the yellow hat that I didn't like, and, come to think of it, that might have aggravated the already-sore shoulder. But I think she looks much better now. 

That purplish color highlights the color in her cheeks and her red bloodshot eyes, don't you think? The eyebrows might need a little work but I should have plenty of time to tweak them now that I'm riding the bench.

So I'm a little peeved at the moment about my prescription medication program.  I had one of those mail-in arrangements that was running almost too smoothly...you know, one of those kinds of things that you feel incredibly lucky about because hardly anything runs smoothly in this world that technology has made much too complicated.

Now it's all gone haywire.  I'm having to make phone calls.  I hate that.  I try to ask intelligent questions, but the answers usually come with a foreign accent and complications.  Maybe I really don't need these medications.  Maybe my doctor is just trying to put one over on me.  Maybe I'll ask her that when I see her in a few weeks.  Maybe not.

And if all this isn't enough, now Mr. Gadget tells me we have mold spores on the front step rails.

I'm all aglow

You've probably seen these.  They start appearing big time in stores this time of year.  Battery-operated candles.  With timers.  And remotes. Plus, they flicker and emit a pleasant vanilla fragrance.  Mr. Gadget brought some home from Costco the other day and put them around the house.  He set them to come on around 7 in the evening, and go off about 11.  I like them, and they give me a sense that I'm in church....so I don't actually have to go.  That can be a real plus for someone who's working overtime in the Witchworks. 

  
And speaking of that, here's one I'm working on now.  I would really like to finish her, but I'm not happy with the hat color.  You know how I'm never happy.  There's just not enough contrast to suit me.  The yellow matches some small yellow moons in her outfit, but it doesn't complement her face.  I'm thinking of ripping the hat off and starting over.  It's glued on and should come off easily with a little force....especially if I'm thinking about the world situation or the most recent pathetic performance of the NY Yankees.

I came up with a great solution for affixing hats to witch heads.  I used to glue the hair on and then the hat on top of that, but hair is not an easy thing to glue something to.  So now I glue the hat on the bald head and then just glue some hair on the head around the bottom of the brim.  Dollmakers everywhere have known about this little trick for years...maybe even centuries.  But I'm a little slow.  I think my batteries are going...

Squash season

This is Sylvester the pumpkin man.

In Farmer John's patch is where he began.

Though he's mostly just sticks and vines,

he always likes to dress to the nines.

'Twould be a pity if he'd ended up in a can.

Moving right along

In an effort to give you something slightly less offensive to look at than the green-faced witch, here's a picture of our dead grass.  If only it had a green face.

And speaking of the witch, I'm not at all happy with her green-grass complexion.  She'll be getting an exfoliation treatment followed by a complete makeover just as soon as my new order of fiber arrives.

I wasn't sure what to write about today.  I considered telling you about Mr. Gadget's most recent injury.....a result of trying to open a box of raisins with a butcher knife (no ER visit required), but then I thought better of it.  There's no sense in embarrassing him more than I already have in my years of blogging.

So now I've cranked up the Witchworks here in the treehouse.

I'm working on a couple of clay-faced witches for the old hotel craft show that's coming up in October.  As usual,  I'm not entirely happy with them.  But I'll try to be patient and trust that they'll be presentable once they've come to life.

I'll be breaking away from the Witchworks tomorrow to have lunch with some neighbors here in the condos.  One of them is hosting the affair in an effort to cheer up another who recently had a fall that required two surgeries. This has served as a stark reminder for me to be more careful because I, too, am prone to falling.

One time I fell out of the car.  Mr. G and I had stopped at a 7-11 and when I returned to the car with a carton of milk, I reached over to grab the handle to close the door and I toppled out.  Fortunately, nothing was injured except my pride.

Another time we were heading for the train station in San Diego.  I tripped on the railroad tracks.  But luck was with me again and, other than seeing a few stars, I was fine.  Besides, it was just the commuter rail and not the Amtrak...

Back among the branches

It's nice to be back in the treehouse...amidst the quiet and the view....and all of the projects I had forgotten about.

Like dolls with faces only a mother could love.  Witch dolls lend themselves nicely to needle-felting....what with all the craggy-warty-fuzzy features.  And how lucky that my mother saved all of my baby teeth. Just kidding. 

This one needs a lot more work, but she'll be a beauty when she's done.  Just kidding about that too.

So we had a good trip back Saturday.  No glitches.  And best of all, we got home before the pizza restaurant down the street closed. I snickered when Mr. Gadget ordered a large while I just went for the small.  But it turns out he was just being thoughtful. He knew I wouldn't feel like grocery shopping or cooking for a few days and he didn't want to risk starving...

There are always a few chores that need doing when we get back. It's my job to get the hand vac and sweep up all the dead bugs.  Why they come in the house as soon as we leave is a puzzle.  It's not like we have a well-stocked liquor cabinet. Mr. Gadget turns the water back on and the computers.  And if there was a power failure while we were away, it's his job to reset the dozens of clocks and electronic devices to stop the annoying blinking.

There are two features I especially like here in the Concondo that the Calcondo lacks.  One is the larger kitchen. The western one is a one-butt kitchen--so-named long ago by dear ol' dad.  The eastern one is a many-butt model.  And while I'm on this subject, it's probably a good time to mention the second feature--the comfort toilets.