Poser

It's been a slow weekend around here, and the gray, rainy weather hasn't helped.  I haven't felt like doing anything except sitting and knitting, and making unsuccessful attempts to find a quiet space where I couldn't hear Mr. Gadget ranting on the phone to various tech service people.  He carried on for most of the day, even, in fact, forgetting to eat lunch.....which is something I would never do.  But more on the subject of his rant later.

I did finish the banner for Celebrating our Creativity day. It needs something more but I'm not sure what.  I'll cogitate.

 

This morning I baked a lemon meringue pie to take to a BBQ later today. 

I haven't baked one since 1970 or so--one that, sadly, ended up having a plastic-marble filling.  I didn't understand the rules of cornstarch.  I love LMP.  In fact, if I could subsist on it and exclude every other food from my diet I would gladly do it. But then I'd have to pay big bucks to a tentmaker. A few minutes ago I peeked in the fridge and I fear the meringue may be pulling away from the crust...but that's just a small detail....not nearly as bad as trying to chew and digest little plastic marbles.

So now more about Mr. Gadget's rant.  Last week we bought new phones.

The nice clerk did a good job of stifling a laugh when he saw our old ones.  The new one is the most sophisticated phone on the market today.....well, at least for the next 5 minutes....and it's not at all what we need.  But Mr. Gadget is usually true to his name.  We haven't decided whether we'll keep them, or exchange them for a simpler model.  In the meantime, I'd like to sit in Starbucks at the mall, with a nice cuppa latte, and touch and swish and pinch my new phone.  I wanna look cool.  I wanna look gray-haired cool.  I wonder if it will levitate?

Trip to the Big Soggy

 

On Sunday I joined a few of my neighbors on a bus trip to the city.  Sometimes I call the Big Apple the city--just to annoy my west coast friends and relatives who think I've become a little uppity since transplanting to the east coast.   Of course I know there are plenty of other cities. It's just that none have quite the same charisma as the city.  I mean, where else can you find a trapeze college perched on top of a pier building along the Hudson River?  Or a white-gloved doorman hailing taxis for customers departing a Bed, Bath and Beyond store?  With an umbrella in hand.... because on Sunday the Big Apple was the Big Soggy. 

Even the newly-completed Freedom Tower was half hidden in the mist.

Since travel writing doesn't come easy for me (I just can't get past the then-we- did-this-then-we-did-that) I'll get back to what I like best....writing about my silly crafty stuff.

So the plans for the Celebrating our Creativity event here at the condos are coming along nicely.  I've recruited a few more crafters and I'm nudging some others.  I've decided to make a banner for the front of the building to let people know about the wonderful treasures inside.  Yes, I've been known to sometimes bite off more than I can comfortably chew.

And in other news, an article I wrote for the condo newsletter--under the heading of "Meet Your Neighbors"--was published.  I had a few nice comments and am hoping it will become a regular feature.  I'll include it in the blog soon--after I've had time to change names and places.  After all, Mr. Gadget is already in hot water around here.  I'd prefer to stay out of the tub.

A grand, and not-so-grand, story

Mr. Gadget and I live in a townhouse.  It's part of the first phase of our condo complex.  The second phase--a series of three buildings with single-floor units--is now underway.  The first building is complete and almost 100% occupied and the second one is now under construction.

The builders have named these the Grand Coach homes.  The condo residents just refer to this one as the grand.  There are many single women who live in the grand--some widowed and some divorced. 

During the past year, as the ladies have purchased their units and moved in, friendships have blossomed.  All of them have become fast friends.  Not only that, but they've organized social events and have reached out to those of us in the townhouses and included us in their activities. Whereas there was almost nothing going on when this piece of land was just a muddy field, now there are almost too many things on the calendar.

So here's the grand story.  One of the ladies was diagnosed with cancer not long ago, and her grand neighbors have been taking turns driving her to her daily treatments.  They have a schedule of some kind....probably a spreadsheet (wouldn't Mr. Gadget love that!) so they each know their day to drive.

I thought this was a heartwarming story and worthy of mentioning.  As for the not-so-grand story, there's Mr. Gadget's experience on the condo board.  He's devoted many hours of his time to his job on the executive committee and takes his position seriously. But there are a few residents who do nothing but complain.....month after month after month.  Several are no longer talking to him.  So after the June meeting, he and I will have a special, and much-anticipated, champagne toast at his towel-throwing-in ceremony.

Stick man and the cauliflower cat

Last time Mr. Gadget and I took a walk in the park, I was on the lookout for doll fixins'.  There are body parts everywhere if a person just pays attention.  I gathered up some sticks and when we got home I assigned Mr. Gadget a task. I sent him down to the basement to do some sawing and drilling.  While he was down there, I went up to the Treehouse and made a little pillow out of duck cloth.

Our joint effort resulted in Stick Man.....who will become Mr. Pumpkin Man once he's all dressed and fitted with a permanent clay head.  It just occurred to me that with a little more sawing and a few more drill holes he could have had knees.  I'll keep that in mind for my next stick man.  I have no intention of sending this one back to Mr. G's workshop.  I don't think I could stomach an amputation....especially now that he has a heart.

Remember Pickles, the paper-mache cat?

 

Now that I've begun to cover him with paper mache, I'm not very pleased with how he's progressing.  He looks like he's covered with cauliflower.

When I began to mix the dry mache pulp with water I noticed right away that the consistency was all wrong.  It wasn't going to adhere easily to the newspaper I'd wrapped around the pickle jar.  Finally, it dawned on me that in my excitement to use my 40%-off coupon at Michael's,  I grabbed a box of Celluclay instead of Instant Mache.  I'm sure the former is fine for making a volcano for the school science fair, or a solar system for same, but it just doesn't work well for cats.

I'm going to finish him though.  I might as well use the stuff up.  I'm pretty sure I can smooth him out with a little sandpaper.  You can sand cauliflower, can't you?  Sounds like a job for Mr. Gadget.

Fascinating

On Friday I went with a group of my neighbors to the senior center for high tea in honor of Mother's Day.  I still don't think I'm old enough to socialize with those old ladies; I think of myself as a more youthful woman who's just visiting the center with a few older friends.....just to check things out for when I am old enough.  

We were told to bring our own teacup and saucer, and to wear a hat.  The tea cup was no problem.  I have my grandmother's china in a box in the basement.  In fact, I was able to loan one to teacupless Bingo Barbara for the occasion.  But the hat posed a problem.  I have a couple of hats that probably would have worked....but not without a haircut. At the moment I have big hair.  I'm in need of a good shearing.  So I went hatless.  But once I arrived, I noticed another of my neighbors.....Bingo Betty.  She was wearing something totally whimsical on her head.  It was just sort-of-a-hat.

It's called a fascinator.  It certainly wasn't up to Kentucky Derby standards, but it would be more-than-suitable for lunch at the country club or a stroll down the boulevard...or high tea at the senior center with big hair.

So Mr. Gadget took me out for Mother's Day brunch today.  We went to a restaurant that's a quaint old colonial-style house where the owner is also the chef.

It's not inexpensive, but the food is excellent....and sometimes quaintness costs a little more.  I started off with a mimosa, followed by Eggs Florentine, and finally a generous piece of carrot cake. 

It was truly a lovely affair.  If only I'd had a fascinator...

Could ya squeeze that a little tighter please?

This morning I had a mammogram appointment. I was a few months late this year, but usually I'm very diligent.  I've always had good results over the years, but I know it doesn't take much for things to go haywire.  So I got to talking to the technician.  I think her name was Regina.  Regina told me how powerful these machines are nowadays... as she walked over to her desk and marked a few barely-visible pencil dots on a piece of paper to illustrate her point.

"I only made 3 dots," she said, "but there could very well be 10 and those could be troublesome."  This got me to wondering.

"How long does it take a doctor to review a scan?" I asked.

"Well, I know it takes Dr. Jones (name changed to protect the guilty) about 15 or 20 minutes," she said.  "First he walks down to Dunkin Donuts and gets himself a big cuppa coffee and then he comes back to his office and shuts the door."

Believe it or not, this little bit of information gave me great peace of mind.  It's a relief to know my radiologist is runnin' on Dunkin.

So now I have a confession to make.  Last night I joined some neighbors at the condo clubhouse.

I'm not a big fan of Bingo.  I just went to be charitable.  My neighbor Barbara wanted to go and I was pretty sure she wouldn't go alone. Sometimes I'll make a sacrifice for a friend as long as there is no risk of bodily harm, and no possibility of getting sucked into some sort of home-party scheme.  Neither one of us won. I'm pretty sure the cards were faulty...

I've been trying to learn how to make wet-felted flowers.  This is different from the other felted flowers I make--the crocheted ones I put in the washing machine.  Wet felting involves layering pieces of wool roving, then wetting it and manipulating it so that it eventually becomes like a felt fabric.  Here's my first attempt:

The thing is, the wet-felting process takes a lot of patience....something I'm often short on.  But the flowers I've seen are so impressive I'm pretty motivated.  I think they would look fab on my felted handbags.  Maybe I'll lock myself in the Treehouse some evening and get serious about this felting business. I'll dose myself up with caffeine. I run better on Dunkin too.

Putting up preserves

I had the idea of preserving my crocheted rocks for future generations.  This will insure that any grandchildren, or great grandchildren, will know that their grandmother, or great grandmother, was a slightly wacky woman. I was really more concerned that they would spoil if left out on the windowsill.  Funny....this jar--that for many years held Q-tips--was just the right size for all of the rocks in my collection. I love when my plans proceed without a hitch.

The weather has been absolutely beautiful in Connecticut for the last week or so.  These kinds of days are treasures after enduring the cold and muck and slush of winter.  I realize now how much I took for granted those endless days of summer growing up in southern California.  When Mr. Gadget suggested a walk in the park this morning I quickly agreed.  The park we go to is just up the road and is always well-kept, thanks to the work of a big team of volunteers.

 

On our walk, I collected a few things with fall craft projects in mind. 

Even though my witches are big sellers at the old hotel show, it's good to offer a few different things to keep buyers intrigued.

I added a little more paper to the pickle jar.  You've probably guessed...

He'll be a cat



who's fluffy and fat.

His name will be Pickles.

He'll have a tummy for tickles

and an nice round head to pat.

 

My bad

I completely forgot the puffins.  I was reminded of my neglect by their squawking.  It's hard to imagine just how much racket three small puffins can make.  This project has been sitting idle for a while because I'm not happy with the ground they're standing on.  And I can't stand the thought of ripping out all those French knots.  Maybe I'll just rip out the blue ones.  I think they're the ones that annoy me the most.

So I just reserved the clubhouse for Celebrating our Creativity day here at the condos.  It will be the afternoon of June 8.  That should give me plenty of time to plan, and round up more victims, I mean talented and creative residents.  There shouldn't be very much work involved, but I am thinking of making some sort of banner for just outside the clubhouse door.  I should be able to whip something up in 10 or 15 minutes....

And while I was sitting out in the warm spring sunshine with Mr. Gadget today, I covered an empty pickle jar with newspaper. 

I'm recycling it into a piece of art.....or junk.  I'll decide which category when I'm a little further along.

Oh, and just because I need a few more projects, I'm considering taking on another doll challenge with Art Doll Quarterly magazine. Remember Vinny? The theme for this one is the circus.  Yesterday I went to the local library--you know, the one with the musty aroma that I like so much--and checked out some circus books from the children's department.  I looked at clowns, elephants, jugglers, seals with balls on their noses, and lions and tigers...oh my.  But nothing really piqued my interest.  So I've come to the conclusion that, if I do decide to take on this challenge, I'm going to have to invent a whole new kind of circus performer.  But don't run right out and put up the tent yet.

A mind like a birdcage

Many years ago....probably back in the 70's because that's when things like this were cool....I took a course in Transcendental Meditation.  I paid my money, showed up at someone's house, was assigned a trainer, and received my mantra.  I was told it was a mantra tailor-made for me, but I'm sure it was pretty much everyone else's mantra too.  All of us trainees were instructed to sit quietly, close our eyes, and silently repeat our mantras for 20 minutes. If our minds wandered....which they would....we should gently refocus on the mantra. We were assured that this was just the nature of the meditative practice.  

Several years later....I think it was during the 80's ....I found a better way to meditate.  I bought myself a wooden hoop, some thread, and a package of needles.  I became an embroiderer.  I stitched and stitched and let me mind wander wherever the heck it wanted to go.  And now when I'm stressed, or life isn't treating me kindly, I go right to the embroidery.  I'm almost a zen master.

For a while I was just stitching roosters.

Lately I've become fond of parrots.  Back in 1990 (I know this because I saved the newspaper) I cut out this picture and stuffed it in an envelope called things I might someday decide to embroider.

I have no idea why a parrot was used to advertise a high-end plumbing store, but it did get my attention....what with the vibrant colors and that sly look on his face. 

Maybe I'll frame him and hang him in the bathroom....over the toilet.  From his perch up there, he'll be looking down on all of the bathroom-goers...silently admonishing them--with his parrot-eye--not to forget to wash their hands.