So what exactly is street food?

The weather was gorgeous here today so Mr. Gadget and I decided to take a little road trip. The colors are just starting to change, so we knew we'd be well ahead of the poking-along-at-25-mph leaf-peeping lolligaggers.

We hadn't gone far before we noticed, off to the side of the road, an old bus that had morphed into a fast-food restaurant. The sign on top said "Jimmy's Street Food."

"Do you suppose street food is road kill?" asked Mr. G.

"I don't know," I said, "but there sure is a long line of people waiting, so probably not." But it does kinda make ya wonder....

We headed north to Kent, a very pleasant little Connecticut town and a reasonable distance away for a Saturday drive. When we arrived we found hooligans a-plenty on the downtown sidewalks. Kent is the site of several private schools. But once we muscled our way through their masses, we enjoyed the sights.

Flowers to go.

Interesting statues.

Quaint shops.

Lovely old homes.

Crows eating apples. Which reminds me....it's time to start dinner. Or maybe I'll just call and see if Jimmy's delivers....

Porch pumpkin poppycock

This morning, as I braved the rush hour traffic on the way to the doctor's office for my annual physical, I wondered why those darned early-bird road construction guys can't wait an hour to set up their orange cones and smush everyone into one lane--all while sipping coffee and gobbling donuts. As it happened, it didn't really matter that my blood pressure was sky high because my appointment isn't until tomorrow. How did that happen? It says Tuesday right here on my calendar. Well, no matter. Tomorrow I'll leave earlier and take an alternate route to avoid what is sure to be another day of cones with coffee and donuts.

Yesterday I finished the red hat doll and made a new version of the snowman hat.The hat is just plain cotton fabric that's been painted and sealed. It has nice stand-upness. The only problem is it's almost impossible to sew through, so I'm going to have to glue it onto his head. No big deal. Gluing is much less time-consuming than all that stitchin', not to mention....so much less painful for the snowman.

Fall is on the way here in Connecticut and I've decided to do my own version of a foliage color tracker--just like those big-time TV weathermen.

Here's today's view from my back deck. See that one tree with just a hint of orange? Soon this hillside will be awash in festive fall colors, so stay tuned.

Something you non-eastcoasters might not know is that folks in New England are really big porch-pumpkin people. We just can't let a Fall go by without putting a big ol' pumpkin on our front porches. I'm not sure how this all got started. It may well have originated with the pilgrims...

Here at the condos the Porch Pumpkin Olympics are well underway. Medals will be awarded in several categories: 1) first-on-a-porch pumpkin, 2) biggest pumpkin, 3) best-carved pumpkin, 4) most real-looking artificial pumpkin, 5) pumpkin with the most endurance (last one to rot), and (6) first pumpkin to be stolen and smashed in the street.

I was sure I had won first-on-the-porch with my cute little artificial pumpkin, cleverly color-coordinated and arranged next to my real mums, when I noticed my next-door neighbor had eeked me out.

It must have taken some real muscle to get this big boy up on the porch.

Meanwhile, I noticed that porch poker lady is sadly lagging behind.She's got some nice mums in that pedestal planter, but no porch pumpkin. Obviously I have the upper hand. I wonder is she's still got game?

A six %$@*#! job

For the entire span of our marriage, Mr. Gadget has always bumbled through, I mean taken on, projects around the house. This goes a long ways to explaining why he has so many gadgets. Each project, apparently, calls for different gadgets and often requires a trip to that big home store down the road.

At some point I stopped measuring his projects by the length of time to completion, and began keeping track of the number of times he yells %$@*#! I remember years ago when he hung a new light over our kitchen table. That was a two %$@*#! job. Then there was the five-er when he installed a closet organizer in my Treehouse. I'll never forget the time he put a new sidewalk along the front of our house. I lost count.

Recently we decided to sign up for one of those movies-by-mail services. Yeah, that's the one. Very soon afterward, Mr. G mentioned that he'd had a brain f@&! "What do you think of getting a flat screen TV for the loft?" he asked, with one of his done-deal expressions I've come to recognize so well.

Today the work began. "Would you mind getting just a few things out of your craft closet so I can run a cable?" he politely asked.

He assembled his gadgets on the floor where he could get to them easily.

Except his wrench was in the basement....two floors down. After returning with the wrench, he was ready to measure. Yep, his tape measure was in the basement too. Several %$@*#!

The dolls, usually bored silly sitting on the bed in the guest room, were having a wonderful time watching his antics.

He carefully measured and then slowly drilled the holes, avoiding studs and whatever else the construction guys put inside our walls. "I can see light through the hole!" he exclaimed. "So, why won't the cable go through!?" %$@*#!

I counted six. There may have been more. I probably should have gotten out of the house. Maybe I should have just gone to the movies.

Spotted cat in bow tie

For the last few days I've been finishing dolls that have been sitting around half-naked, I mean half-dressed, on my craft table. Only after they're all complete will I start new ones, although my brain is really a-buzzin' with new ideas. I did cut out some Fall cloth napkins today, to hem and then include in the package with the next installment of my niece's story, since her family is the one that prefers cloth over paper and I try to keep them well-supplied. They are the green ones in our clan. While I was cutting it occurred to me that the napkin fabric would make a cute Fall cat. But I will hold myself back, at least until the red hat lady is finished. And the snowman. Maybe.

I'm very happy with my newly-discovered whisker material. Sisal twine. It really makes for springy whiskers. I found a large ball at the dollar store that will outfit at least several dozen flocks of cats, so I've offered to share it with Mr. Gadget in case there are ever any twine needs in his world of gadgets.

I used watercolor pencils for the cat stripes. This is so much easier and faster than painting them on and I like the look. Not too bold. Cats have always been one of my best sellers. I'm sure it's because there are lots of cat people who can't resist a cute kitty! Especially one that doesn't need to eat or use a litter box.

Now I'm considering what kind of seats my dolls should have at the upcoming fair. I don't want to schlep all of my doll chairs along and risk having them lost or broken, or, even worse, sold. I'm thinking of using those construction sono tube thingies. They can be cut to a suitable height, then painted or covered with fabric. Of course, Mr. Gadget will have to help me with this part, since he's the keeper of the gadgets. But I'm getting more and more knowledgeable about the gadget realm all the time. I'm pretty sure this job calls for a saw...

No crow zone

I finished a scarecrow doll today, except for a few final touches. I gave him some big hands to resemble gardening gloves and I think they need a little dirt on them.
I usually use instant coffee for that, but I guess I could just drag him around the construction site next door....

I like the way his hat came out. I made it out of osnaburg fabric and painted it brown. I'm thinking I might try the same technique for my next snowman. The paint made the fabric very stiff. I don't know about you, but I love a snowman in a hat with plenty of stand-upness.


So Mr. Gadget and I have been getting a few chores done around the new house. I thought with a new house there would be no chores, but I was wrong. I finally cleaned out my car--a car that served us well as a mini-moving van. Then we both scrubbed the front porch area. Seems those nice white vinyl stair rails collect dirt. We continued with the scrubbing and cleaned up our old deck furniture....and concluded that it might be worthwhile to do that more than once a decade.

Next up on my dollmaking agenda is a red hat lady and a cat. They are already underway. There's never much debate about how to dress the lady. It's always something purple with a red boa. It's not as easy with the others. At the moment the cat is all dressed and sitting patiently on my table while I decide on just the right fabric for his tie.

I've also been writing a story with my niece in Wichita who is 8. I came up with the idea as a way to help her with her writing skills, and so that we could develop a closer relationship. This has been difficult when we only see her family every few years. I thought of a story idea and wrote the beginning, then mailed it to her so she could continue it. Now it's back in my court. She's really enjoying the project and I am too, but after all these years I'd forgotten about homework.

Man avoids fatal encounter with compost heap

A Connecticut man has received a last-minute reprieve from what looked like a certain trip to death row--better known as the compost heap--thanks in large part to the efforts of a local crafter with a big heart.

A few months ago his fate was all but sealed when he showed signs of rebelling against the creative process. He refused to cooperate with various sculpting tools and was determined to maintain a permanent frown.

Then something truly miraculous happened. He made a decision to turn his life around. A caring crafter stepped in to offer guidance and support. His demeanor seemed to change overnight. He bought some new clothes and some fine green shoes. He began to sit up straighter.

Even his color changed and he suddenly had a smile that could light up a room. He became more social and invited friends over for beer.
When asked what he planned to do with his new-found freedom, Mr. Pumpkin Man said, "I'd love to travel and see the world. But first I think I'll hole myself up on a deserted island somewhere. At least till pie season is over."

The secrets to a happy marriage

When Mr. Gadget and I first came to look at this condo development we were told there was a river and a nature trail behind the property, as well as a launching area for canoes. Since we don't own a canoe, this particular feature wasn't appealing to us, and if we were ever tempted to purchase one we would only have to remember the Great Truckee River Rafting Disaster of '91. I'd relate the details here if it hadn't been one of those especially painful life events that is really best not revisited.

We are, however, fans of nature trails, and today we finally got around to visiting that.

The path started out nice and wide. "We coulda driven," I remarked to Mr. G.
"This is pretty boring so far," I said. " I'll bet there are lots of ticks out here. I hope we don't get lost. Maybe we should have dropped a few bread crumbs along the way."

"I guess there could be snakes," said Mr. G. He's always thinking of me.

Things soon took a turn for the better however. "Wow!" I exclaimed. "Can you believe this is our backyard? It's so much more beautiful than the one at our old house, even without the gazebo."

Mr. Gadget walked out on the rocks and proclaimed himself king of the river. It's called the Still River. I'm not sure how the name came about. Maybe it's mostly still, or maybe it's still here after all these years.

It certainly looks like an ideal spot to paddle a canoe on a nice sunny day, doesn't it? One could sit out there in a canoe and ponder the meaning of life....kinda like Thoreau at Walden Pond. But Mr. G and I are not even tempted. That's because we know that in order for our marriage to remain healthy and strong for years to come, we should: 1) never again do any wallpapering, and 2) stay out of small floaty things.

Fancy fishing

Long ago, when we were living in the old house, Mr. Gadget built a sewing table for me in the basement. The top was a solid door and along both sides were a total of ten drawers. It was a beautiful thing, and so useful--especially during a time when I was sewing large appliqued banners. I filled the drawers with all sorts of crafty things and, as per my usual, I wasn't very organized about it.

Zoom up to the present time. It took me quite a while to clean out that disorganized mess during the moving preparations. But I was sure the sewing table would be a nice selling feature and quite attractive to potential buyers. That, along with Toad's House, would surely be a draw.

Now I find out that Mr. New Owner is a fisherman. A bass fisherman. He plans to fill my old sewing table with fishing gear. I can only hope when he ventures out on his first fishing trip--you know, one of those testosterone-laden affairs--he doesn't open up his tackle box and find gold sequins among his lures...

So today the sun finally came out and Mr. Gadget and I deemed it a nice enough day for a car ride. We headed north--13 miles to be exact--to the old hotel that will be the site of my next craft fair.

Carol, our usually trusty GPS, took us right there--well, sort of. She can be a real tease. But now I know where it is, so I won't have to rely on unreliable Carol on doll delivery day. Although, I have to say I've kinda missed her authoritative voice--having not heard it since our trek to Wichita last spring.

The hotel is currently in the process of being restored. Many years ago there were quite a number of these railroad hotels in the northeast, located along the rail routes. You can see how close the tracks are to the building. It was a good thing too because back then no one had wheels on their suitcases. And I can only imagine how distressed travelers were not being able to call family, friends, and passing acquaintances on their cell phones to tell them, "we just landed and are taxing to the gate"....or whatever the equivalent is in train-speak.I think there's a good chance this old place is haunted. It just has that look. When I uploaded my pictures, I fully expected to see an orb or two. There could very well have been some otherworldly inhabitants inside who we missed because we arrived before visiting hours. I wonder, could it possibly be the ghost of lost luggage and his equally frightening sidekick the ghost of overweight baggage?

The big cover-up caper of '09

Just before Mr. Gadget and I left for the west coast in mid-July, I retrieved this 1960's striped madras bedspread from the closet of things I can't bear to part with and performed a covert cover-up operation in the guest bedroom....all in the interest of keeping dust from interacting with my valuables.

Today I realized it was high time to remove the cover because Big City Girl will be arriving tomorrow night for part of the weekend and she will need a place to sleep.

To be honest, I'd forgotten just how big a cover-up it was. These guys seemed to be getting along well enough, but some of them were looking a tad grumpy.

Frog was looking rather chipper though....like maybe he actually enjoyed the long summer sit.

After I finished clearing the bed and returning these characters to the Treehouse, I turned my attention to the guest bathroom. I decided maybe a little sprucing up was in order. I thought a few accessories, well positioned, might make it more pleasing to BCG.

Then it hit me. Big City Girl doesn't like spiders.

I immediately thought of Madge. Madge loves spiders. She told me she'd be available to spider-sit all weekend.

I think she looks trustworthy, don't you?

Great entertainment without the messy popcorn

Mr. Gadget and I are back at the Concondo, having been the fortunate recipients of Hurricane Bill's grace. He generously changed course to make way for our smooth landing at JFK. Because our departure was delayed two hours, we were able to enjoy a very entertaining show in the airport terminal while we waited. Let me just say that traveling attire has certainly changed from the days when we sent my grandmother Ferna off to Hawaii with her lady friends. I seem to remember them all decked out in dresses, hats, matching purses, maybe even gloves, and those cute little grandma shoes.

Even though we arrived home well after midnight, I managed to win the suitcase-unpacking Olympics, although it sure was tempting to save that chore till morning. Mr. Gadget had some lame excuse for not giving me any real competition. He said he had to turn the water back on and bump up the air conditioning. I take this event very seriously so I charged forward like a runner doing wind sprints. Very soon I will be standing on the podium accepting my medal.

Yesterday we had plans to meet the new owners at our old house so Mr. G could give Mr. New Owner a couple of tutorials on the workings of the man equipment....you know, the tractor, the kerosene heater, the dehumidifier--all the accoutrements of a home owner in the northeast.

While he was doing that, I chatted with Mrs. N.O. and she took me on a tour so I could see all the things they've done to spruce the place up. I just knew all the while I was doing that aggravating speed-painting it would be for naught. Our, I mean their, dining room will soon be sage green, the kitchen and family room a pretty shade of mocha, and the master bedroom a pleasant blue. The kitchen floor has been refinished and the carpet pulled up and replaced by hardwood floors and a nice neutral berber. As for the Treehouse.....it's going to be a new baby's room after November. I have no doubt it will be a baby destined for craftiness. They are a lovely couple and full of excitement and energy. They are very happy with the house. We are very happy they are happy with the house. We gave them a box of See's Candy to thank them for their patronage.

I'm pleased to report that Big-nosed Natasha incurred no broken bones on her trip across the country in Mr. Gadget's suitcase....next to the candy. Here she is with a few features tentatively painted in, and an ill-fitting wig and hat. She's hoping for a magnificent make-over and I don't have the heart to tell her what a hopeless pursuit that would be.

So now I'll be gearing up to finish some dolls for a craft show over Columbus Day weekend. This will be a new one for me. The best part is I don't have to be there. Someone else will do the selling. I will, however, attend the big Friday night gala which is being dubbed a Meet the Artists reception. So they think I'm an artist do they? I just always figured I was a crazy crafty woman. I think I will shut the Treehouse door for the duration and ignore all visitors. I suppose Mr. Gadget will be looking for dinner, and maybe some occasional laundry service. Do you think I could get a restraining order?

Beauty queen

Last night, after reaching my TV baseball-watching limit, I decided to get out the clay and have a go at another witch head.

This time I took on the big-nose challenge. I also gave her some bushy eyebrows and a frightening pair of beady eyes, although these particular eyes weren't planned. She's showing a striking resemblance to Silly Milly. In fact, they may be distant cousins. I thought she was done, but then I realized one side of her chin needed some filling out, so I went ahead and gave her some bags under her eyes.
You gotta love an old gal like this who can still smile in spite of it all.

There's nothing better than a witch head for sculpting practice. The uglier they are, the scarier they are, and scaring people is one of the true callings of a witch. I learned some things this time around. Carving a mouth seems to work better than building one up with more clay. As I pressed down around the mouth with my wooden sculpting tool, something resembling teeth appeared as if by magic.

The spiders had been failing miserably at their job of gobbling up the ants. Then I realized maybe they couldn't see them, so I painted on some new and improved eyes.

Maybe now they'll get to work. A veritable banquet awaits.

The daily fig

Dear ol' dad's fig tree has kept me supplied with a sweet, ripe fig-a-day for the last week. I'm feeling rather smug about my ability to stay one step ahead of the birds. I'm a sharing kind of person though. After we depart the Calcondo on Saturday, they can help themselves.

Mr. Gadget and I will be going out to our favorite sushi restaurant tonight, and I'll probably be ordering my own beer--rather than sharing his, as per my usual. The sale of our old house closed today, so we have cause for celebration! It's bittersweet in a way. We spent lots of years there while TG and BCG were growing up. We went from a sandbox in the backyard to a swingset to a gazebo. We called the latter the foagy fort because it's where Mr. G and I escaped when the teenagers in the house got too demanding and nasty.

Soon the old house will have a new family, as the new owners are expecting a baby--just as we were waiting for BCG's arrival when we moved in. I'm not going to give them any advice, except maybe I'll tell them not to get rid of the gazebo because it will be a godsend one of these days.

The other day I spent a few minutes surveying and assessing my west coast craft supply stash and I embarked on a simple yet inexpensive project.

I made small books out of scrapbook papers given to me by a friend who no longer needed them, and some pastel-colored paper I found at the dollar store. The books are 4-1/2" by 6" and contain 20 colorful pages. I cut the 8-1/2" x 11" paper in half and stitched it, along with a slightly bigger cover, down the middle. I will put them in a basket on the table at my next craft fair and call them stocking stuffers. I'll do the same with beanbags, which I make out of novelty fabric scraps. It's always fun to put a sign in front of those that says "No batteries required!"

I decided to make some clay hands to go with my clay witch head. They're very primitive; I don't know how those sculpting geniuses make individual fingers, but maybe that too will come with practice.

I put some pipe cleaners in the arms so they'll be slightly bendable. I have an idea for a new style of doll that I will try out with these body parts when I get back to the Treehouse. If it works well, I'll be able to use it for some of my other characters as well.

I'm really looking forward to that sushi dinner tonight. I don't know why, but I've got a real hankerin' for a spider roll....

Friday fluff

I don't know about you, but I've always enjoyed a good peanut butter and fluff sandwich. I always keep a jar in the cupboard for those days when there's nothin' for dinner and I don't feel like going to the store.

As I've previously reported, I walk around the condo complex for exercise. There's a nice flat sidewalk that goes all the way around and I do two laps. It does get boring, although not nearly as boring as the treadmill. The other day I started thinking about how I could add some interest to this walk--not so much for me, but for the others who also walk laps. And their pesky little dogs too. Did I ever mention how happy I am that I don't have to carry one of those little poop baggies with me?

Anyway, I think a few chalk faces, with an assortment of expressions, drawn on the sidewalk in a random pattern would certainly entertain the walkers....not to mention cause a buzz among the residents. But if I were to take on this job I would need a partner--someone to hold the flashlight, because it would most certainly have to be done after dark....what with all the curmudgeons. And maybe someone with better knees than mine. Mr. Gadget has flatly refused. He thinks I'm weird. He has no sense of whimsy.

Today I made spiders.

I'll take them back to the Treehouse to decorate witch dolls. In the meantime, maybe they'll scare the ants away...or eat them for breakfast.

Big City Girl had to have a root canal earlier today. Poor thing. All I could do was some virtual hand-holding. But she called to say it wasn't so bad, and she did have a nice mumbled chat with the dentist who happens to be the father of her best friend.

Sometimes I'm tempted to offer BCG some hard-earned mom wisdom. Here's a little sampling:

• Take good care of your teeth and visit the dentist regularly. It's much easier than the alternative.
• Don't go looking for love. Instead, spend time improving yourself, socializing with friends, being good to your parents, and making a difference in the world. In good time love will find you.
• Invest in a coffee pot and some of those styrofoam cups with lids. You'll save enough money to retire early.

Gotta go. I spotted another fig on the tree. Afternoon snack. Then maybe I'll floss. It never hurts to floss after figs.