Squirrel hunting

I may have related this story before. I had a friend in Connecticut whose husband used to say there was only one thing that worked to calm him down, even his keel, set him straight, and realign his tires from the stresses and strains of everyday life. Squirrel hunting.

This is my version of squirrel hunting. I've already been to two fabric stores--I didn't bother to mention this but I'm sure you figured as much--so I'm well-stocked with ammunition.

My plan is to set up an anatomy lab wherein I will make body parts. These will be easy to transport back to the treehouse for use later in my dollmaking assembly line. But first I'm going to make a few doll outfits. I think that yellow sunflower print will be just the thing for a busy bee. The craft fair lady at the old hotel is threatening to have a spring show this year (the first annual) and I want to be ready. And since I'm always hopeful that my creations will "fly right out the door," I might as well make a few of the flying kind. It couldn't hurt to give them an edge over the competition.

The rain continues.

And as we like to say when it rains in Connecticut, "If this was snow we'd have 50 feet by now."

A good read

For the last few months I've been writing a story with my 8-year-old niece who lives in Wichita. I would write a section, mail it to her, she would write her part and mail it back.
I finally finished the story yesterday, put it in a colorful binder, and mailed it off to her. It would have been done much sooner had I not decided to embellish it with some illustrations.

I may have gotten a little carried away.

I hope she likes it. I also hope she might want to do another story sometime in the future.....but only after I've had a little clay fix or even a cruise.

So Mr. Gadget and I have been busy doing some re-arranging of furniture here in the Calcondo, and some fix-it jobs. We moved a rattan sofa from the master bedroom to the living room, and banished an old recliner chair to the garage for temporary storage. Then we moved my computer and table into the master bedroom, and put a small 4' x 2' table in the guest room for my sewing machine. Mr. G then assembled a comfy steno chair for my computer area, and a cute little set of drawers (Office Depot) for my crafty supplies.

You're probably thinking it's all about me. Not really. Next, he replaced two toilet seats. They were almost antiques--which was fine with us, but we feared our guests might look askance. Mr. G, who normally utters more than a few expletives when doing jobs around the house, was remarkably quiet when he discovered the two jobs would only require the use of a wrench and not the dreaded hacksaw.

And did I mention, we've had rain? Yesterday I decided to forge the back patio on my way to the car to do a few errands. After all, it was only rain.

I got as far as the first intersection, found it flooded and nearly impassable, decided I really didn't need stew meat, and returned home. It was nothing a good rain plow couldn't have handled....

Tourists

I read in this morning's newspaper that there were large waves breaking along the beach nearby, so Mr. Gadget and I decided to go down there and have ourselves a look-see. The big surf is a result of a "very large westerly swell" according to the paper, and should subside later today.

I guess if I was any kind of a good blogger, I would have gone in the water with my big floaty thing to provide you with some perspective. But the lifeguards were vigilant in keeping surfers, and large fluffy women with big floaty things, out of the water. So you'll just have to take my word for it that those were some big waves.

After looking at the waves, we took a long walk. I was very sad to see this:

It's an unlucky barkrat that didn't make it across the road. Look how close he is to the crosswalk too. If only he had been smart and walked across there. California drivers are very good about stopping for anyone, or anything, in a crosswalk. It's a wonder I've survived all these years living on the east coast. Hardly anyone stops for a pedestrian back there. I have to admit, I've gotten slack about it myself--but only for fear of being rear-ended...and running into the pedestrian in the process. You'd think the police would ticket people who do this, but these incidents rarely happen close to a Dunkin Donuts.

Mr. Gadget walked up to the Asian market this afternoon for a couple of our favorite salads, and I asked him to please pick up my favorite--daikon radish. You may remember, I made some myself a while back. Although it's delicious to eat, it does begin to give off an unpleasant aroma after a couple of days. It's like kimchi that way--a favorite of Mr. G's. So now he's gone off to the gym and I decided to have a little of my radish salad as an afternoon snack. And even though I opened and closed the container quickly, now the condo smells bad. So I'm thinking maybe the only reasonable solution is to throw the whole mess down the garbage disposal and stick strictly to chocolate from now on for all my snacking needs.....

Philosophy lesson

Mr. Gadget and I arrived at the Calcondo on Saturday right on schedule. The threatening

snowstorm blew through quickly and left us with a beautiful day for travel. It was 16 degrees when we left Connecticut and 74 when we landed around noon. I'm finally starting to thaw.

One of the first things I do after we arrive is head to the grocery store.....where the produce section never fails to impress. I purchased some nice navel oranges for Mr. Gadget.

The man has no patience for red lights or slow talkers, but he can devote big chunks of time to skinning an orange, and after skillfully removing the peel in a single motion he'll very meticulously carve away every last bit of the white stuff.

"Why do you do this?" I asked. "You get antsy waiting for bread to toast. Besides that, I've heard the white stuff is good for you."

"It's really a philosophical matter," he told me. "There's the essence of orange, and then there's the essence of orange peel."

For some reason I'm reminded of his lecture on fleece.

"The white stuff goes with the peel," he said. "It's the part of the peel that sticks to the orange." Then, just before popping a big juicy section in his mouth, he said something really peculiar.

"Don't even think of getting me started on orbs."

Soon we'll be over our jet lag and things will be back to normal.

Testing, testing

I know my camera takes videos. I know this because once I hit the video button by mistake and when I reviewed the pictures I noticed one had come to life. Have I mentioned I'm not one to read directions? But then my friend put a video on her blog, and I just couldn't allow her to show me up. I was also pretty sure I could google the instructions. That was so much easier than trying to figure out where I actually hid, I mean put away the manual for when I had more time to read it.

So here's hoping this one takes. By the way, I took this one on purpose. It's just a test. Please enjoy a short glimpse of Tech Guy and Big City Girl playing a game of dining table ping pong on Christmas. And by the way, I was not drinking spiked egg nog.

So Mr. Gadget and I are preparing to cross over. No, not that kind of crossing over. We'll soon be crossing over the country to the warm, balmy weather of southern California. I hear it's in the low 70's out there. It's mostly in the low 20's here, with more snow in the forecast. Can we make our escape before that happens? That's the big question.

After we get there, though, I might decide to take more videos. Some that will give you a real sense of our SoCal lifestyle: the ants making themselves at home, the curmudgeons posting more rules, the barkrats congregating, and maybe even those thieves who put a quarter in the newspaper dispenser and take the whole stack. Now there's a pet peeve that makes me even angrier than fruit stickers....

The fine art of whistling

This is day two of a two-day event during which Mr. Gadget and I play host to a painting crew that has come to patch, sand, spackle, and repaint little blemishes in the walls and ceilings of our new condo. But really, with the lights down low you can hardly see them. Still, it's nice to know all the little nail pops and gouges will be a thing of the past....like last year's diet plan. And it would be nice if they'd make this the first annual, but that's not gonna happen.

What is worth noting about these men is that they whistle while they work. I can't remember the last time I heard someone who liked their job well enough to whistle while doing it. Refreshing. I do believe whistling is fast becoming a lost art.

The last whistling I heard....well, I should say heard about....was when Mr. Gadget was working in his basement office in the old house and he came upstairs, looking slightly perplexed, to report that he'd heard whistling down there--even though he was alone.....and wasn't doing the whistling himself.

"Oh," I said, "it was probably your mom. Remember when she told us she had never ever whistled because, as a child, she was told it was unladylike?" Mr. G's demeanor quickly changed from perplexed to unsettled.

"She probably just wants to let you know she's fine, and that she is happy because in Heaven she can whistle to her heart's content."

So while the painting crew is here, happily whistling and spackling, Mr. Gadget and I are endeavoring to stay out of their way.
I've been working on a new clay piece--an angel for a friend's birthday. I don't think this friend reads the blog, but if she does....Sandi, she'll be heading down to Texas soon.

I used an empty nail polish remover bottle as a base, and put a covering of aluminum foil over the cap for the head. My new clay tools were very useful, especially the sharp knife edge for cutting out the wing and collar shapes.

I've always admired Mexican art, especially paper mache. Much of it has a primitive look, and as you know, I like all things primitive. It's a way for me to justify the little flaws in my work....those flaws that are so important for adding character....

I just realized the poor thing doesn't have nostrils. I'd better hurry and paint some on because she's got plenty of work to do. It's going to be a while before she can join her friends in that heavenly whistling realm.

When good friends turn on you

Remember I was just talking about getting reacquainted with the green sweater-in-progress and how it was behaving nicely and seemed so cordial?
Come to find out, it was just a pretend friend. It turned on me. So I had no choice but to exact some revenge.
I don't really feel like divulging the dirty details right now. Maybe someday.

And remember I told you that Mr. Gadget and I had plans to order a pizza and have a pleasant yet early champagne toast on New Year's Eve?

Well, it didn't turn out quite that way. (Notice he's wearing his scarecrow shirt?) Instead of calling for a pizza delivery, I suggested we go out to have it....since the restaurant is just a short ways down the street. Might as well let someone else do the dishes. He reluctantly agreed. No sooner had we been seated and placed our order than people with noisy children came in, looked around at all of the empty tables, and sat down right next to us. So I asked the waitress to box everything up for take-out, and back we went to our nice quiet condo. Loading a few dishes in the dishwasher is a small price to pay for quiet it turns out.

We were much too full after that to have our toast, so the champagne is still chilling. But we did manage to stay up to see the ball drop. Even a pair of old foagies like us can enjoy the midnight festivities....as long as one of us manages to stay awake long enough to poke the other one with a nice sharp elbow.

It's not about the cat

Mr. Gadget and I will order pizza for dinner tonight and stay in for a quiet New Year's Eve. He tells me he has a bottle of champagne chilling, so we'll have a toast and hit the sack about ten. Did you know that 10:00 p.m. is the new midnight?

My 91-year-old aunt (dear-ol'-dad's older sister) recently wrote her memoirs and she sent me a copy for Christmas. I started reading them yesterday while I sat in a chair at the hair salon waiting for my hair color to process. They were so engrossing I missed out on all the gossip.

This year I kept a list of all the books I read. I finished one this morning for a grand total of 34. Some of my favorites were The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Married: A Fine Predicament. Next year I'll go for 50.....or maybe 35.

Tomorrow will be my 4th blogiversary. It tickles me to think I've been doing this for so long. It's one of the most fun things I do. The world has become a serious place, and I like to think I've carved out a small slice of silliness. Thanks for coming along!

Levitation

I'm learning the rules of clay, but seem to be forgetting the laws of gravity.

See what I mean? He's hovering. Maybe he's been observing the bat, I mean Mr. Gadget's new remote-controlled helicopter. He seems to be able to do this without batteries, so at least he'll be cheap to keep.

His backside is strictly G-rated.

Here's a close-up of his face. He's in need of more sanding before I do the painting. I think he'll be a perfect treehouse pet.

This is the time of year when I get a hankerin' to knit. I find it relaxing after a frantic, I mean busy holiday season. It's hard to justify buying more yarn when I have several unfinished projects in the closet, so I've pulled out the green pullover.

I don't think I named this particular sweater, probably because it was behaving nicely. I have all the knitting done and just have the seaming to do--not my favorite part. It will have a rolled edge--rather than ribbing--around the neck, sleeves and bottom of the sweater.

Meanwhile, I have all kinds of ideas for more clay projects. And I have lots of clay. And clay tools. I promise I'll keep the levitating to a minimum.

The Christmas bat

A wonderful Christmas was enjoyed by all in the Macaroni household.....well, except there was that one small, unfortunate incident. A Christmas bat.

Maybe it wasn't a bat exactly....although it was the right color and about the right size. And a quick glance had me running for cover.

It was Mr. Gadget's new remote-controlled helicopter--a gift from Tech Guy--and it came with many batteries and no echo-location abilities.

After our gift-opening, pancake breakfast, a rousing round of Scrabble Slam, and a quick game of Ping Pong-on-the-go,

I told TG and BCG it was time for their treasure hunt. They could hardly contain their excitement. They were most impressed when I told them I had worked diligently to produce rhyming clues.

"Look all around for some Christmas twins.

Two old guys who are next of kins.

Their eyes do twinkle and their laugh is jolly,

But one of these guys is enough, by golly!"

"If you're very observant

and you've noticed our steeples,

you might see one similar

that's inside with the peoples."

Oh, and see that little chest the steeple and the Merry Christmas blocks are sitting on? It has many drawers, so I made use of it too.

"If you like crossword puzzles

this will make you frown.

It's an un-crossword puzzle

that's 3 across, 5 down."

Tech Guy and Big City Girl were thoughtful enough to realize I'd probably need some crafting time once all the hoopla was over, so they gifted me with laser-guided scissors, more clay, and clay tools.....so I'm going up to the treehouse and I'm not coming down till New Years....

Merry Christmas!

What to do when the baking's done

I finished my Christmas baking--and my good vanilla--and was wondering how I might recycle the empty bottle. Seemed a shame to throw away a cute little bottle like this.

He needs a few more body parts and some fine tuning, but he will make a great pet when he's done. One of those quiet pets that doesn't need much care. A project like this is just the thing to keep a person who might be prone to holiday stress from wringing her hands or worse--heading to the fridge for some fudge...

The last straw

So while Mr. Gadget and I were having a nice quiet lunch today in our sunny kitchen on our still-new barstools, we had the following conversation:

"I wonder why my arms are so itchy?" he asked, assuming as he usually does that I am the storehouse of all such knowledge. "Maybe it's just the dry air."

"Could be," I said.

"And it almost feels like something is walking around on my head."

"Boy, that's really weird," I said.

Then, as I glanced over at his shirt--the purple and gray plaid flannel one--it dawned on me.

"It's probably because you're wearing the scarecrow's shirt," I told him.

"What? Oh, so now I'm only good enough for scarecrow hand-me-downs?" he said with complete disdain as he marched off to the bedroom to change his shirt.

"I washed and ironed it," I assured him. "I thought I had rid that shirt of all traces of scarecrow."

"Do I have any other items in my closet that have been previously worn by a scarecrow? he asked.

"No, that's it," I said. "But I was considering your nice blue blazer with a red-striped tie for next year's guy. Of course, I would have asked your permission first....

A serving of randomness with a side of festive fotos

Yesterday we had a few old-neighborhood neighbors over for some holiday cheer. We were hoping to hear lots of juicy gossip, but were sadly disappointed. Chalk it up to that good ol' New England reserve.We waited patiently all day yesterday for the big snowstorm headed our way. The weather folks, who get high on hype and for some unknown reason must name everything, had dubbed it the Winter Wallop. By the time we went to bed, there were one or two flakes. This morning there's a nice little dusting of powdery stuff.

I forgot to mention, I did fairly well at the old hotel craft fair. I sold 7 of the 14 dolls I submitted. The man who bought my cat at the last fair quickly snatched up the cat I made for this one....so I will take a whole gaggle of cats next time. Oh, and the Santas in the Christmas tree sold well in spite of my concern. It's a good thing too, since they chose to use my doll pedestals for jewelry displays.

Tech Guy arranged for one of Big City Girl's friends to stop by her office last week with a big package wrapped festively in newspapers. I hope it was the comics at least. "Don't open it now," he told her. "You'll know when the time is right." About an hour later the FED-EX man came with an overnight package. It was a tortoise. It's new house was in the wrapped box. She named it Shelby. I hope Shelby likes the big city.

I'm done with my shopping, but haven't finished my Christmas letter. I'll get to it right after I finish this blog post. I may need a cup of coffee and a piece of my chocolate biscotti first. It's well known that chocolate is very effective in jump-starting the creative process.

Just how many bowl games can there be, I wonder? I think I heard Mr. Gadget say yesterday, "One down, 33 to go."

This afternoon we'll go over to our next-door neighbors' condo for an open house. It's nice not to have to travel far for a party in this weather. No potential for fender benders; just a small possibility for bruised knees. I'll take some homemade fudge and maybe some biscotti--if there's any left. It may take me a while to finish the Christmas letter.....

Happiness is a red sled

Got snow?

Not everyone around here is disappointed to see snow.

He's been badgering me to find his sled--his little red sled. The one I packed away before the move. I promised him I'd find it tomorrow. I'll start looking first thing in the morning because I'll do anything to stop his bone-chilling nagging. Then I'm going to search the internet for a pattern for a claw-fringed scarf. I want one in the worst way.

Yeah, I know. More cheeks. I wasn't going to add those, but what if he falls off his sled? He'll need a little padding to soften the blow. I know this from personal experience. When I was a kid I lived on a hill, and dear ol' dad built me one of those little coaster cars. I got going too fast one day and slid right off. Good thing I had a little extra padding. In fact, that padding was so beneficial I decided it might not be a bad idea to always have a goodly supply...

What I'm doing instead....

....of what I should be doing, which is working on our Christmas cartoon and newsletter, or cleaning Mr. Gadget's bathroom. Oh, he has those little pop-up disinfectant sheets for a quick wipe-up, but it's not the same as me doing a more thorough and complete job with my vast array of cleaning products. And just between you and me.....well....no, never mind. He's taking me out to dinner so I'll spare the pig humor.

So here is Mr. Fringy Snowman. I can't seem to make a clay scarf with fringe that doesn't look like a wild animal claw, but I will keep practicing. Paint will help too. With each clay project, I learn a little more about the process. Since this picture was taken, I've partially built up the base and included some clumps of snow to weight the whole piece down a bit, since he had a tendency to fall backward....what with all of his exuberance.

And while I had my hands in the clay, I came up with a great idea for the Christmas cartoon. Funny how the muse never comes calling while I have my scrub brush in the toilet....