Snow....thanks, now that's enough!

We got a little snow overnight. I'd say 5 or 6 inches. It's supposed to rain the rest of the day, so soon it will be a muddy, slushy mess. For some reason, we've been red-flagged. I have no idea why, unless it's a warning to others about our vicious attack dog.

Mr. Gadget is not pleased that the plow driver did not move our garbage and recyclables to clear the snow from the entire driveway.

But I say he should go out there and shovel this little patch of snow himself....so he doesn't forget where he came from.

Yesterday I stitched up a runner for the dining room table.

This was easy to do. I measured the length, from point to point, and the width I wanted for the finished runner. I made a pattern out of newspaper, allowing for 1/2" seams, then traced around it (actually I used a straight edge for most of the length). I stitched all around, leaving an opening (long enough to get my hand inside) for turning. Then I turned it, pressed it, and hand-sewed the opening closed.

I started another clay piece.....this time a snowman.
I haven't decided yet whether he'll do part-time plumbing work. I suppose I could make the cute little cheeks my signature. Then, years from now, if one of my pieces shows up on the Antiques Roadshow, there will be no doubt it's a genuine Macaroni.

And finally, I saw a fun movie last night. It was definitely a chick flick, so Mr. G moved as far away as he could....to the room with the other TV where he could watch science shows and a smattering of football. The only actor in the movie I recognized was Andy Griffith and, I must say, the man has come a long way from Mayberry.

Well, gotta run. I'd better go rein in my vicious doggie.

Need a plumber?

The clay Santa is finished and I'm very pleased with how he came out, especially considering he's my first attempt at doing a project with an armature. I'm not crazy about the blue mittens. I think they'd look better in a different color but I couldn't decide which one. So I've decided to just leave them blue, rather than try to re-paint them and screw up the works. We'll just call him the blue-mittened Santa.

Here's his back side, although from this angle you really can't appreciate his cute red cheeks.

Christmas Tree Lady was a no-show at the trim-a-tree party. I had so hoped she would be there. I did introduce myself to Porch Poker Lady, and I showered her with compliments on her gardening skills. At some point during the course of the evening, or maybe it was more like six months ago, I realized that word of the blog might eventually get out and it would probably be wise for me to be nice. Maybe I should invite them both to tea...

On Sunday morning Mr. Gadget and I took a ride to check out the craft show. I was curious to see if my dolls were flying out the door. From my best assessment, as of 10:30 a.m. four dolls had flown the coop.

I wasn't terribly pleased with how they displayed my dolls this time around. While the angel looked great on the old piano (organ?), I wasn't crazy about dolls in the tree.

I think they look better when seated on something....a table, a mantle, or a bookcase. There were lots of places like that around the hotel. Also, for some reason, they didn't use the doll chairs I sent along with them. I might have to make a friendly suggestion next year. Unless when I show up next weekend to gather up the unsold ones and my check, I discover there's only a check. Then I'll reconsider my opinion about the tree thing...

The fun continues....

I started the most fun part of the clay project today--painting Santa's clothes on. He won't be wearing a traditional Santa suit. Maybe you noticed. He'll be strictly a non-traditional Claus.

Do you think I should give him a tool belt? Maybe he could do a little plumbing work in the off season.

A couple of days ago, while I was out taking a walk, I noticed that a resident's front door and porch had been seasonally decorated, shall we say, way over-the-top. This got me to wondering which one of our neighbors could possibly have that much exuberance. I checked the condo directory when I got home and I'm pretty sure it's the woman who dressed up like a Christmas tree for the Halloween party. I remember asking her that evening if she had made the costume herself, and she proudly stated that yes she had, even though she hadn't sewn for years and years. She must have hidden a battery pack somewhere under her branches because she was flashing festively. It's gotta be the same woman, don't you think? Exuberance like that doesn't come along every day--expecially among those in our age group.

So tomorrow is the trim-a-tree party--where Snornie will make his debut--and I'm wondering if this lady will decide to wear her Christmas tree. Then again, maybe she's had her sewing machine busy since Halloween making a great pumpkin outfit for the occasion. If she's dressed in regular clothes I might not recognize her....and I really want to ask her if that condo with the garish, I mean festive decorations is hers. I'm sure you'd really like to know too. Then afterwards, I might introduce her to the porch poker lady. I'm sure Christmas tree lady doesn't realize she has a decided advantage at the moment. Porch poker lady probably thinks she's sitting pretty with her one lighted snowman and two wreaths...

Cheekiness

It's been a busy week with offspring visits, turkey and trimmings, and lingering hand-wringing. But I did find an alternative to the latter....thanks to a trip with other Marcia (currently plagued by blogus-interruptus) to Yarn Heaven, and a new clay project.

I had planned to make another snowman, but as I started working on his head I quickly realized he would be a Santa instead. A whimsical Santa.

A whimsical cheeky Santa. Sometimes the clay just does its thing and the sculptress must follow along.

Big City Girl commented on the table covering--a doll quilt I made for her long ago. She told me it was the perfect design for some sort of board game she used to play for long hours on her bed. I'm fairly sure it saw more gaming service than doll play.

Tech Guy and Big City Girl were here for two nights over the holiday--a real bonus. They are both afflicted with revolving-door syndrome. The night before they arrived, Mr. Gadget and I put together a list of questions and titled them Thanksgiving Trivia 2009 to test their knowledge of early family history. They enjoy this sort of thing and I like to think that family traditions are one way of enticing the young-uns to return home and stay a while. Cheesecake works too.

So now I'm decorating the house for Christmas. I can't believe how many ornaments we've amassed over the years. Kinda reminds me of dear ol' dad and his stash of plastic grocery bags tucked into every available nook and cranny of his condo. And my grandma Ferna with her big ball of string and collection of rubber bands on the kitchen doorknob. This may be a genetic disorder. I find it almost impossible to throw any of them out. Most have some sort of special meaning--like the polka-dotted mushroom, the surfing Santa, and the Cracker Jack prize. I see only one solution to this dilemma. I'll just have to buy another tree.

Party time!

Snornie, the snornament is finished and ready to party. Mr. Gadget and I took a vote and it was unanimous. We say Snornie will fit right in at the trim-a-tree party.

What a great set of chompers he has too....don't ya think? Well, maybe he's missing one or two...

You'll never guess what's under his hat. Thank goodness I save all sorts of old junk. It's one of those 35mm film cans.

This playing with clay is so much fun, I've already got a new project in mind.

But you know I'd never let the cat out of the bag. You'll just have to stay tuned.

Here's wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! The oven timer just dinged, so I'd better go get the pumpkin pie out of the oven. I grew the pumpkin myself, cut it up and cooked it and soon it will be a tasty dessert. Yeah, right....

Shoe sale

Yesterday I finished three angel dolls and today I decided to take them shoe shopping. I had planned for just a quick trip to the mall for the shoes with a short stop for coffee and crumpets.... so I'd be home in plenty of time to get a head start on Thanksgiving preparations. Boy, was I wrong. You'd have thought this blessed trio was buying one pair of shoes to last them through all of eternity.

The Pink One (no, I haven't come up with names yet..... I'm awaiting divine guidance) really dilly-dallied, and gave the salesman quite a workout. She finally decided on some cute little pink pumps with gold beads.

The Blue One is just like me. She hates to shop. I had to drag her kicking and screaming, and finally had to bribe her with chocolate.

I finally convinced her it just wasn't seemly for angels to go barefoot, so she reluctantly selected this little burgundy pair with silver beads to match the butterfly on her wings.

The Red One was actually quite delightful. A real breath of fresh air.

She chose the first pair she tried on--in sensible brown with fashionable gold beads.....

.....then she proceeded to chat up the shoe salesman with fantastic stories of her angelic interventions....and then went into a detailed explanation of the angel frequent flyer program. I thought we'd never get out of there.

So now they're all befooted and ready for their big trip to the craft fair on Saturday. Meanwhile, I'll be preparing for the arrival of Tech Guy and Big City Girl, and stuffing the turkey and baking the pumpkin pie. I hope I have the right shoes for this festive, task-filled occasion. Maybe I'll just wear my bunny slippers....

Snornament

You've really got to hand it to Mr. Gadget. He's always looking for ways to expand the lexicon.

Here is ol' Snornie--still a work-in-progress.I'm also continuing to work on dolls for the upcoming craft fair. I'll be delivering them to the hotel next Saturday in all their finery, plus a little essence of turkey and giblet gravy. It's the extra touches that make the difference.

Oh, and did I mention how QUIET it is around here? And hardly any traffic. I must be living out in the country. Where are the cows?

So yesterday I set out for the grocery store with only part of the week's meals planned, and on the way I had a bright idea. Maybe I would make a pizza. Surely there would be instructions on the Internet. I know the store sells pizza dough, but I couldn't find it, so I asked the nice man behind the bakery counter.

"Yes, we have it," he said. "It's in the basket in front of you. Right there on the bottom shelf. Over a little to your right. Right there. Just look down. In the basket." Sometimes I'm a little slow.

When I got home, I told Mr. Gadget I was planning to make a pizza for dinner. He looked a little skeptical. "The only way to make pizza is to call Domino's and have it delivered," he said. Well. That just fired me up for the challenge.

It wasn't round, but it was tasty. Nice crisp crust, lots of pepperoni and anchovies, fresh mushrooms, green peppers, red onion and garlic. Mr. Gadget had seconds for dinner last night and more for lunch today.

The secret to a good marriage is a little like the secret to a good baseball game when your ace pitcher is on the mound. He throws a few fast balls and he throws a few curves. And every now and then he serves up a knuckle ball.

Coronary artery disease

Not to worry. Mr. Gadget and I are perfectly healthy. So is the snowman, as far as I know. I'm talking about the neighborhood. For years the main artery (a major north-south route that's just behind our condo) has been building up with nasty plaque. There's been no end of high blood pressure, shortness of breath, and even near-death experiences.

Today, finally, the patient is healthy. The governor wisely prescribed bypass surgery. It was completed today, and now all that cloggedness is a thing of the past. Thousands of commuters are singing in their cars today, and Mr. Gadget and I will now find it oh-so-easy to pop out for a gadget-fix or a spool of thread at any time of the day or night without being held hostage by drivers unhappily going to work or hellbent on getting home. Oh, and it's quieter too. No more 18-wheelers rumbling through at all hours rattling our gadgets and knick-knacks. I love QUIET.

I'm making progress on the snowman ornament. I really like working with paperclay. The best part is I can start a project, let it dry, and then add more later. I think after I get this guy painted, he'll look more like he's got a scarf than a pair of scary-looking arms with funny-looking claws.

While busy with the snowman, and more dolls for the upcoming show--also snowmen, an email came in about a holiday cookie exchange here at the condos. I love to bake cookies. I'd better stock up on flour and sugar. It probably wouldn't be wise to make them out of clay. My neighbors would very likely run me off for that. But at least now it'll be easier to make an escape.

No union dues

I've been obsessed, I mean busy, in my doll factory. I only make minimum wage, but I can wear whatever I want to work, and I don't have to put up with annoying, gossipy coworkers. I only take short breaks to wring my hands (offspring) and to do Mr. Gadget's laundry (the man shall never want for clean undies).

This year's crop o' Santas has embroidered and beaded headbands, and little pant cuffs--some with fancy stitching and others with pretty ribbons.

Here's Fred the frog. Fred has an embroidered mouth, and a small ladybug bead sewn to his foot. I must get more of these ladybugs. They could be the lucky ones.

Here's the replacement angel. She has a story, or I should say her predecessor does. Several years ago a very nice woman bought one of my angels as a gift for her mother.

Sadly, Mom passed away and when daughter went back to the house to begin the process of sorting through her mom's things, the angel was gone. Someone had grabbed the angel and left the silver....imagine that! Daughter was sorely disappointed because she really wanted the angel, so I agreed to make another. See the feather-stitch embroidery and the beads on the wings? You're probably thinking this was a laborious project. Don't be fooled. I've done so much forget-the-housework embroidery that I can do this in the time it takes Alex Trebek to get through two episodes of Jeopardy.

Last night, while Mr. G was watching the Patriot-Colt football game--a game he mistakenly turned off at half time--I started a clay project. I must say, getting one's hands in clay makes it very difficult to wring one's hands. Our condo association is having a trim-a-tree party in early December--the first annual. Each resident has been asked to contribute an ornament. I figured now that I've had experience making clay witch faces, a snowman would likely be a piece of cake. Carrot cake...heh...heh...without the bundt pan issues....

He's at the only-a-mother-could-love-this-face stage, but I have faith. Miracles have been known to happen with a little sandpaper, some paint, a nice top hat and a sprinkling of glitter. Maybe I'll give the children a little sprinkling when they're here for Thanksgiving....

Sign here

I've mentioned before that Mr. Gadget and I have been doing some entertaining now that we've got new digs. Last night we invited a few neighbors over for coffee and dessert. If you ever decide to do this yourself, here's an absolute gotta-have item:A crock pot. One that's well-seasoned both inside and out... This will enable you to cook dinner with precious little effort while you're putting your attention on other things.

I made a carrot cake. I hadn't made a carrot cake in ages, and I should have realized my license to operate a bundt pan had expired long ago. Thankfully, the cake tasted fine, even though I had to use some of the cream cheese frosting to mortar the poor thing together after it hung on to the pan for dear life. Next time I'll go layered.

The evening was fun and the neighbors seemed to enjoy themselves. And I was able to use the good dishes and flatware for the second time in two weeks. I don't know what's gotten into me.

In other news, Tech Guy got his car fixed--all on his own without any help from us. I love when that happens. I had no idea when I signed up for parenthood that my life would be marked by repeating bouts of worry, briefly interrupted by short spurts of serenity. Maybe it's just as well someone forgot to give us the read-this-before-signing-on-the-dotted-line booklet before we decided to have offspring.

I received my application for the old hotel holiday fair the other day, along with a nice note from the organizer. She mentioned that she had purchased a couple of my dolls at the Columbus Day fair and is now eager to see what I've been working on for the holidays. She also said she was so fond of my dolls that as far as she was concerned I should be working on them full time. I told this to Mr. G, since I thought it was such a nice compliment, and he said, "Isn't that what you do now?"

"No, I don't think so," I replied. "You've got clean underwear, don't you?"

Santa comes through

Thank goodness Santa has Saturday hours and he's a good listener. I've been telling him how worried I am about Tech Guy and his car--a car he drives all over tarnation for work and that is now, sadly, lifeless in his driveway.

Mr. Gadget gently tried to tell TG, many months ago when he was getting ready to buy this high-performance, gas-guzzling, smoky-windowed, pre-owned macho machine, that it might be wise to purchase something smaller and more fuel-efficient, with a nice warranty, even though it might not be the coolest car on his block.

But, of course, he didn't listen. After all, when you're young and smart, your parents are old and stupid. So now he's in a pickle. "What do you think I should do?" he emailed.

"You might want to arrange for a cheap rental car for a few days," we suggested, biting our tongues before blurting out a string of We-told-you-so's. "Then see if you can find someone to look at it and estimate the cost of repairs," we added, holding off on the How-could-you-be-so-clueless part.


I wonder what Santa would do? There's a large jiggling jostle of Santas right here in the treehouse, so maybe I'll ask them.

"Do any of you have a good idea I could pass along to Tech Guy?" I asked.

They huddled together for several minutes--just like those World Series umpires deliberating close calls at first--and soon came forth with their answer.

"It'll be winter soon," said the Santa who was obviously the crew chief. "There's nothing like a good sleigh and a couple of strong reindeer....ho...ho...ho!"

Old dog; new tricks

Just the other day I was telling you that Mr. Gadget has no sense of whimsy. Not even a day later, he went and ordered this silly lighted sign for his basement office.

Next thing you know, he'll be hiring a secretary. I guess that's ok......just as long as she isn't an intern.

Oh, and it came with a remote control. That makes 18.

A confession

Back in the mid-90's, when Tech Guy was in 8th grade, his Social Studies teacher gave the class an assignment to draw an editorial cartoon. In fact, all of the 8th grade students in the school, as well as all of the 8th graders in the town, received that assignment. The cartoons were to be entered in a national contest and the winning cartoons would be published in a book--Editorial Cartoons by Kids 1996.

I'm happy to report that Tech Guy's cartoon was selected for publication. But before he drew it, the two of us put our heads together and brainstormed. I came up with the idea because I had been reading about this handgun issue at the time. And nothing irritates me more than an annoying person in the express checkout line ahead of me with a cart full of groceries. In fact, it's one of my pet peeves--along with those ridiculous fruit stickers.

Fast forward to Wednesday of last week. I went to the grocery store to shop for our dinner party. Yeah, you probably already know where this is going.

"Did you know this is an express line?" asked the checker as I loaded up the belt with what were clearly more than 12 items.

"Oh, no! I'm sorry I didn't notice," I said as I looked sheepishly at the man waiting behind me with a hand basket.

"I have no excuse," I told the checker as blood rushed to my head, "except that it's the middle of the afternoon and I'm a morning person."

I came home and related this story to Mr. Gadget, and told him how embarrassed I had been--especially since I pride myself on being an ever-obedient rule-follower.

"Please don't let me wander out anywhere after noon," I implored him. "And, if necessary, by all means take my car keys."

Grad night

I've discovered that scarecrows are much more fun to construct.....

....than to deconstruct.I had planned to dump the straw in the woods, but then I thought of my former neighbor--the one with the green thumb--and sent her an email. I'm happy to report the straw will be recycled as a nice winter coat for her garlic plants.

Last night Mr. Gadget and I attended a Halloween party in the condo clubhouse.

We wisely left our spirits at home, since we had entertained a veritable gaggle of them the night before at our dinner party. By the way, Auntie Pasto's flight was right on time and she was her usual delightful self.

But back to the Halloween party. I was in a dither about a costume. Walmart was out of my favorite action figure, and I had no time for creative sewing. Then it dawned on me. I could raid a closet.

Here's what I came up with. It was smart, tasteful, and seasonably colorful, and I was able to accessorize it with my Gone Batty pin. I really should have arranged the spider-web scarf a little more strategically to hide my turkey neck. After all, it was still October.

You're probably wondering what kind of costume Mr. Gadget wore. He wore his Mr. Gadget costume--jeans, plaid flannel shirt and baseball cap--also scavenged from a closet. It's pretty much what he always wears. But he did say he might wear a real costume next year, if he saw other men wearing them. I hope he remembers. If not, I may have to sew all of his remotes to his flannel. I think he's up to at least 17, but who's counting.....

Auntie Pasto is coming to dinner

The other day Mr. Gadget suggested we might invite our good friends, Jack and Jane, over to our house for dinner.

"We've been to their house several times and I think we owe them," he said. "Besides, now we have this nice, new place suitable for entertaining."

I responded with no response, which is usually how I let him know I'm not thrilled with whatever it is he's just proposed. After all, I'm the kind of gal who's much more comfortable with a sewing machine than with a stove.

Soon I was able to collect my thoughts. "Maybe I'll serve witches and frogs as the main course." I said.

"And I'll fill the wine glasses with a refreshing alternative.""For dessert I'll make a colorful yarn parfait," I said. "This will be a great dinner and I won't even have to go to the grocery store."

Mr. Gadget gave me the look. How sad that the man has no sense of whimsy.

Then I remembered Auntie Pasto. She came to the dinner party I gave for the neighbor ladies at the Calcondo. Afterwards, when the ladies called to thank me, they all had wonderful things to say about Auntie P.

So I'm planning to fly her in for the party. I'll pick her up Friday morning so she'll have plenty of time before the evening's festivities to kick back, relax and marinate. I hope her flight isn't late...