Scientific expedition

Mr. Gadget and I will be jetting off to Ft. Lauderdale tomorrow for the start of one of our semi-annual fact-finding missions. You may think this is just a cruise with nothing but fun, but you are mistaken.

We'll be doing some important research....with scientific experiments and all. In fact, I'll even be taking my sketch book. It will be handy when I'm doing field work. There might be some flora and fauna that could best be captured with pen and paper.

If you're wondering, I learned all of these terms from my brother-in-law who is a real-life bird scientist. I want to be just like him--observing my surroundings, analyzing it all, and taking notes. Except without the bird poop. And no spread sheets either.

Some of my scientific research will be investigative in nature. I'm gonna find out once and for all if there are sardines in Sardinia.

Other research will be strictly observational. I've heard that tower is still leaning in Pisa, but I wanna see it for myself.

I'll be doing some migration studies too. I'm determined to find out where that chocolate buffet wandered off to. And when I find it, there'll be lots of taste-testing.

I'll be back sometime after May 5 with a full report of my findings, so stay tuned. Maybe you could all knit up a little something while I'm gone......

Toyland

Reminds me of the old sandbox.....but with back-up beeps and bigger boys. Near as I can tell, they're moving dirt over to the area in front of the new garages. Paved driveways can't be far behind.


Tech Guy had some of these toys back in his day. But the lure of the computer was stronger than the attractiveness of dirt. His washing machine hardly ever gets kicked up to heavy duty. I like that expression his washing machine. Kinda has a nice ring to it....

So yesterday I walked down to the condo clubhouse because I'd been told there was a Tuesday afternoon gathering of ladies who knit. They were there alright, but so was their knitting teacher. It's a knitting class....where money changes hands. I'm not sure if I'll join up, since I'm pretty comfortable with my level of knitting knowledge, considering my preference for simple patterns. Then again, maybe I could get some help with the red pest--the cardigan sweater that vexed me one too many times, forcing me to banish it to the closet of lost causes.

And here's a little advice for those of you who might be having dual-controlled electric blanket issues. If you find that you're waking up in a sweat a gazillion times during the night and throwing off the blanket, even though your side is off, and hubby is requesting that you look for a long-sleeved shirt for him next time you're at the mall because he's cold and his side must be malfunctioning because he's set it on 10......you may have accidently, in your rush to get on to more fun things like crafty stuff, flipped the blanket over while changing the bed.

I just like to pass this information on, you know, to be helpful....

Oldie but a goodie

I took this picture early this morning as Mr. Gadget and I were heading out to do some work at our old house. This elderly barn is just down the street from our new condo. I don't know how old it is but it has character, and I love old buildings with character. The setting appears serene but it's deceiving. The barn sits between a busy two-lane highway and a new bypass that is currently under construction. This may well be a treasure that just squeaked by.

So when we arrived at the old house, we noticed that the septic guy had refilled the hole he dug to replace the broken pipe, and thoughtfully planted new grass seed.

"Do you know what he did with the old, broken pipe?" Mr. Gadget asked me.

"I'm assuming he hauled it away in his truck," I said.

"Nope," said Mr. G. "He buried it right alongside the new one. No muss, no fuss, and no need to pay annoying disposal fees."

"Too bad he didn't bury the top of that toilet tank too, you know, the one the plumber forgot to cart away," I remarked.

This got me to thinking about the people I've known who've buried statues of St. Joseph (the patron saint of real estate) in their yards to hasten the house-selling process.

"What if instead of burying St. Joseph, we bury the toilet top?" I half-jokingly suggested to Mr. G. "It might be worth a try. Weirder things have happened, right?"

"Couldn't hurt," replied Mr. G. "The garbage man sure as H*&@! isn't going to take it."

Easter shoes

I decided to make my Easter shoes this year. Just kidding. These are for an angel doll I'm making for a friend who needs a little extra watching over at the moment. The white one is coated with gesso, which acts as a primer to cover the fishnet print. It's much more fun, not to mention faster, to paint doll shoes than old walls with dermatological issues.

Just a little randomness today, since I can't think of any good stories worthy of a blog post.

Mr. Gadget is over at our old house where he's had a delightful meeting with the septic guy. He reports that the broken pipe has been replaced, and fortunately no further septic problems were detected. They are now awaiting the arrival of the health inspector to sign off on the project, but he has been delayed....most likely getting one of those sweet coffee drinks and a chocolate donut.

I had my hair cut yesterday and I've decided that my hairdresser, a new grandma, is the most obnoxious new grandma ever. I hadn't been sitting for more than a few seconds before she foisted a whole packet of baby pictures into my lap. I oohed and aahed...to be polite....but really, don't new babies all look pretty much alike? Well, maybe mine were especially photogenic.....

It's snowing in my neighborhood. Isn't it spring now? Yesterday the grass was looking noticeably greener and the flowers were popping up. They're really gonna be confused. I know I am.

Big City Girl got a new job. I hadn't mentioned that she'd been out of work for 4 months. She got a raw deal at the old place. I won't go into it. But the new place seems happy to have her, and very lucky to have the experience she brings. The other day she went on a business trip to the Bronx Zoo. Funny. Where I used to work, I had a zoo right there at my fingertips...

A few minutes ago, an older gentlemen in a large car pulled into my neighbors' driveway. He knocked on their door and soon they came out with suitcases. I wonder just where they think they're going? I'm thinking of starting a sign-out sheet, so I can keep track of the folks around here. One benefit of living in a small condo complex is that I can now use my binoculars strictly for bird-watching.

Mr. G and I will be leaving on our cruise at the end of next week. We were feeling rather smug about the great deal we got on our flight home from Spain. Then we noticed the part about baggage charges and thought maybe we should have just bought a seat for our suitcases.

Tomorrow morning we are having an awning installed on our back deck. It will be a nice green awning, as are all the awnings in the condo complex, and it will extend and retract by remote control. Very soon Mr. Gadget and I will have a whole battalion of remote controls and we'll have to hoist the white flag of surrender because they will be in charge....

Wordsmithing

I've been pretty busy lately, what with this big painting job I've taken on. But I did take a break late yesterday to make Mr. Gadget a delicious dinner for our anniversary. Grilled cheese sandwiches. I checked the list of traditional anniversary gifts....you know, the one that says the first year is paper and the 25th is silver. And right there, in black and white, it said the 28th was grilled cheese....

So I was browsing through some of my old blog posts the other evening, and I noticed that Mr. Gadget's propensity for wordsmithing is rubbing off on me. He has an unusual ability to invent new words faster than I can drive to the fabric store. Did I ever mention that at one time I entertained thoughts of publishing a Mr. Gadget Dictionary?

Here, then, is a look back at some of my own wordy inventions:

chipmunking - The system I use to decide whether or not to take on a big project. This is based on the system used by a backyard chipmunk visitor who circles repeatedly....sometimes till he's silly dizzy.... around a dish of sunflower seeds before homing in on it for a big feast.

dustmop knitting (as in dustmop sweater) - The act of knitting a wonderful garment for one of your children that eventually becomes a dustmop because it will most likely live on the floor.

spinish - The language spoken by those who spin yarn. This can also be what a slightly tipsy person would call a green, leafy vegetable.

stickerectomy - The process by which annoying stickers are removed from fruit and vegetables, or, in some cases, the front page of your daily newspaper.

curmudgeonism - The doctrine subscribed to by certain senior citizens who like to make rules for everyone else, but even more importantly, to enforce said rules.

nunisms - Funny little sayings....although only funny in hindsight.....uttered by nuns in Catholic school classrooms. These can also refer to certain actions performed by nuns, such as striking naughty little hands with a ruler.

Plant Protective Services - That agency of the government responsible for citing, and sometimes even taking into custody, those persons who neglect to properly care for their house plants.

buffet-line interruptus - The abominable act performed by some folks who batantly barge into a food buffet line, with total disregard for those who have patiently waited their turns, because they deem themselves more important than everyone else....or are just afraid they'll miss out on the tapioca pudding.

Moving on..... Mr. Gadget was ever-the-understanding one late today when he took into account my aching body from all of the step-ladder climb-uping and ceiling-painting hair highlighting sessions I endured over the weekend, and he suggested we order a pizza. I believe pizza is actually the traditional gift for the 29th, but no matter. And I've decided that tomorrow I will enjoy an entire day of paint-fume gaposis....

Monday highlights

Mr. Gadget and I did some painting this weekend at our old house.

Notice his paint gear? A hat to protect his head from drips, a rubber glove to keep his painting hand clean, and old clothes--probably from the 70's. I call this sissy painting. No hat for me. No gloves either. And if I get a little paint on my clothes, I just call it a fashion statement. There's an added benefit to my way of painting. I can cancel that expensive hair highlights appointment...

Mr. Gadget is short on patience. He thinks a room can be painted in one day. He doesn't get the painting process. He doesn't realize it's messy, fraught with delays, and makes no allowances for spread sheets. So today I struck out on my own. I spent 4 hours painting at the house by myself. I touched up spots he missed and put more paint on walls Big City Girl didn't quite cover. Around noon I sat on a milk crate and ate my turkey and cheese sandwich. Maybe now that I've joined the labor force, I should get me a lunch pail...

When I got home I told Mr. G that from here on out I will be the painter and everyone else can do the other stuff because painting is not for sissies. Well, I didn't tell him that part...heh..heh...

And in other news, here's my latest witch with an embroidered spider on her hat band.

I have another witch in the works, but I'm starting to get weary of witchiness. Maybe I'll venture into sheepiness. Maybe I'll cut out the fabric for a black sheep tomorrow...when it will be Mr. G's turn to go over to the old house--to greet Mr. Plumber and take delivery of his birthday toilets. I asked him if Mr. P was planning to haul the old ones away, and he said he was pretty sure he was. If not, I may have 3 new petunia planters. I hope Mr. G won't decide to call these birthday planters......

Potty break

We're taking a little vacation today from terminal shubbery issues, walls with bad complexions, and all things porcelain.....to celebrate Mr. Gadget's birthday. He'll spend some time in his basement office and I'll take care of business here in the Lighthouse, and we'll join up later for dinner at a nice restaurant here in the neighborhood for which we received a gift card from the builders of our new condo as a thank you for choosing to live here.

Mr. Gadget has told me on occasion that his family was not big on celebrating birthdays. My family was more inclined to celebrate, but honestly, I only remember one in particular. I think I was about 7 or 8. In those days, your mom made a cake and bought some party hats and a Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Donkey game. Girls wore party dresses and boys wore nice shirts and pants.

At this particular birthday party, after all the gifts were opened, my mom lit the candles on my birthday cake and carried it in to me. My friends began to sing, and apparently someone said something funny and got me to giggling. When it came time to blow out the candles, I ended up spitting on the cake. I was so mortified, I ran crying to my room and wouldn't come out.

On another subject, I'm having second thoughts about renaming the Treehouse the Lighthouse. It just doesn't feel right. Sometimes these things happen, and you just have to admit you made a mistake and acted too hastily. So it's back to the Treehouse. I had a great idea once for a children's book that took place in a treehouse. Maybe I'll revisit it. How neat would it be to write a treehouse story in a treehouse? Then again, maybe it's possible to over-treehouse....

On loan to the Louvre

Big City Girl presented her father and I with one of her paintings on Sunday when we gathered for the family birthday festivities. It's our old house, done in acrylics and collage. Mr. Gadget and I spent most of today at this ol' house. We had planned to paint, but ended up entertaining a couple of plumber guys. And now I don't have to worry about what to get Mr. G for his birthday later this week. He'll be getting 3 new toilets and a new pipe from the house to the septic tank...

So the Sunday birthday celebration was fun.

We gave TG a card with some cash. He's 27 now, and gift ideas are harder to come by. He already has a fine working toilet and sewers in his neighborhood. We gave BCG an easel, which will be put to good use. It has extendable legs, so she can paint in Central Park, or on her bed. I'm guessing her next masterpiece will be either the skyline of Manhattan, or the pigeons on her windowsill.

In my spare time, I've been working on the witch with light green boa. Notice how I'm getting less and less creative with doll names? I think it's the paint fumes.

Did I mention, two lovely shrubs will have to be sacrificed to the septic gods? Septic guy says he will try to replant them, but I'm not feeling confident. Then again, as Erma said, "The grass is always greener over the septic tank," so maybe.....

Witch with light green boa has a spider on her boot, and she'll have one on her hat band too, but I haven't gotten to that one yet. See that expression on her face? It's the same one I had yesterday when I got the plumbing news. By the way, those 3 new toilets will not be comfort toilets. We've opted for standard-issue potties. If there is a bright side to all of this....and I do like to look for a bright side......it's that the toilets will arrive already scrubbed....

Spiders on the keyboard

Lookee here! Little silver spiders. It's amazing what you can find at the bead store. See that one on the right? I didn't actually kill it.....I just convinced him to turn over so you could see the little shaft for inserting a beading needle. I should be able to sew these critters very securely to just about any part of a witch.

So today Mr. Gadget and I will be traveling to Tech Guy's neighborhood for our annual kid birthday lunch. Big City Girl will be coming up on the train from the BC to meet us. Her birthday was Friday, and TG's was in February while Mr. G and I were on the west coast. We have no plans to go inside TG's apartment. He prefers to meet us on the sidewalk. This is fine with us, as TG has a turtle and two snakes. I usually text-message him as we are approaching his neighborhood. I could call, but then I have to listen to the silly message he has on his voice mail: "Please enjoy the music while your party is being reached."

After lunch, BCG will return home with us, and tomorrow she and I will do some mother-daughter painting at the old house. Which reminds me, I'd better hide the spiders. BCG doesn't like spiders. Did I ever mention how fond she used to be of inviting all manner of friends over for a sleep-over in our nice, finished basement? Mr. G and I eventually learned we could easily control the influx of giggling teenage girls by merely mentioning that we'd recently noticed a growing spider population...

A day at the zoo

I finished the clay-faced-green-haired witch doll, and have been trying to think of a name for her.

She has the distinction of being the first doll constructed in the Lighthouse.....well, except for her west coast face. From what I hear, some of the best-looking faces are constructed out there.....

I'm pleased with the spider and will likely be using more spider embellishments. I think they make even a serene-looking witch look frightful.

I've never mentioned this before, but Mr. Gadget and I have an elephant living in the house with us. He's been our companion for most of our marriage. In fact, maybe all of it. He might have been a wedding gift come to think of it.

He's really a cookie jar, but because I have a tendency to fill cookie jars with cookies, I decided to re-purpose him. He's our receipt elephant.

Mr. Gadget is very good about feeding him. In fact, he heads up that department here at the zoo. I feed him sometimes, but usually I just leave food scraps around the house and let him fend for himself.

I think these kinds of traditions....if you can call them that.....are really important in a marriage. I like to think it's some of the glue that holds it together. That's why I'm diligent about my zoo duties......

.....making sure the cat's bath water is well-supplied with Q-tips.....

Silly Milly

She's a work-in-progress. But then, aren't we all? You may remember, she started out life as an enchilada sauce can.

I intend to keep brushes, pencils, pens and maybe even knitting needles in her. Unless I decide to make her a fashionable hat. Then she'll hold my chocolate stash. I think Milly will be the kind of gal who'll keep it safe.

So Mr. Gadget and I have been spending a lot of time over at the old homestead, trying to get it into decent enough shape to list in a less-than-stellar real estate market. The wallpaper steamer worked great, but now we are left to spruce up walls that look similar to what I remember of my teenage complexion. I don't think Cover Girl will do the trick, and I don't think they sell it in gallon sizes anyway.

Boy, do I remember those days. I thought my face would never clear up. But eventually I got older and my face improved--to the point where a hairdresser once told me he couldn't believe I'd ever had a bad complexion. I'm sure he was figuring on a bigger-than-usual tip. It wasn't too many years later that the age spots began to appear.

Maybe I'll put some age spots on Milly. And some gray hair and reading glasses. Then we can sit here together in the Lighthouse and commiserate about our vanishing youths...while we eat chocolate.....

Arachnological dilemma

So I made a collar for the green-haired, clay-faced witch and thought it would be a cool place to put a spider.

But Mr. Gadget told me it looked more like a tick than a spider. I suppose I have to agree. Living in the Northeast as I do, I'm very familiar with ticks, and if I never see another one it will be fine with me. I replaced the button with a smaller one, and added some length to the front legs.

There. That's better.

I haven't felt much like blogging this past week, but I did get involved in a wallpaper-removal project. I felt much more like doing that..heh...heh...My neighbor kindly loaned me her wallpaper-removal steamer, and what a slick little device that is! I closed myself up in our little bathroom, removed all the wallpaper, and cleared out my sinuses all in one fell swoop.

I have made some progress on the acrimonious afghan, but I didn't work on it while Big City Girl was here for a short visit.....lest she recognize the colors of her former love nest. I didn't want to risk opening an old wound that seems to be healing nicely.

On a recent trip to Costco, Mr. Gadget saw some interesting storage thingies and mentioned that they might be useful to me in the Lighthouse. Last night he began the assembly process, and I remarked that he looked like a kid playing with tinker toys.

I'm pretty sure this thing will hold my entire fabric stash. Well, my current fabric stash that is. It's no secret that I brake for fabric stores like some folks brake for Starbucks.

Now you'll have to excuse me. I have some filing to do.....

Thursday things

Aren't these cute buttons?

I think they look like balls of yarn. I found them at the dollar store.....which is right next door to the grocery store in my new neighborhood. I have no idea what I'll use them for, but that has never stopped me from buying some crafty little trinket....with potential. If I ever make a big sheep doll, maybe I'll dress him in a vest with these buttons. Or maybe I should ask the waiter at the diner....you know, the one with the Elvis vest.....if he might want some. Come to think of it, I've kinda got a hankerin' for a greasy omelette right now...

And what about this? I know it looks like a can of enchilada sauce.

I'm making chicken enchiladas for dinner as a matter of fact. But while I was chopping up onion and celery....and plenty of garlic.....my imagination was working overtime, and I started thinking about the fun I could have with this. Especially if some clay was involved....

And come to find out, I may not need the Remotes for Dummies book afterall. That issue I was having, repeatedly, with my two TV remotes was not entirely my fault. Today the cable guy stopped by and traded my defective cable box for one that works. So I'm out of excuses now.

And because I never have enough crafty things going on, I've started another crocheted ripple afghan. I plan to work on it while watching the University of Connecticut Women's basketball team go all the way to the national championship. Mr. Gadget and I are big fans and, except for just a few measly nationally televised games, we missed a big part of their season while in SoCal. We're counting on them; they owe us.

I've had the yarn on hand for this afghan for quite some time. The colors were chosen to coordinate with Big City Girl's and BCBF's big city apartment....which they no longer live in since their rather unpleasant break-up. So, in keeping with my tendency to name my fibery projects, this one shall be known as the acrimonious afghan...

She could work in the grocery store....

.... you know, that one where they hire clerks with rainbow hair. I think she could give that pink-haired lady a run for her money. She'll have to trade in her cackle for a high-pitched sing-songy voice though. It says so right on the application....

I've been having all sorts of crafty fun here in the Lighthouse today. There's still plenty of snow around, but the sun is out and the wind is no longer howling. Everything that could rattle rattled in the new condo, but it's still standing and that's the important thing.

While we were away, the Mary Kay building was transformed into a lovely shade of green.

It's so much more pleasing, and it no longer clashes with the heavy equipment. Today the big bulldozer shovel thingie moved gobs of snow from the area just to the right of the green building and plopped it down next to our place. Can't complain though. It's better than the job johnny and it should magically disappear in a few weeks.

I've been anxious to get my clay-headed witch underway to see how she'd look in clothes and hair. Not bad, in my humble opinion, and quite different from my usual witches. I'm looking forward to doing a few more clay projects.

Meanwhile, how did this happen?

These are all the remotes that have gravitated to the Lighthouse. The one on the left goes with the computer somehow. I'm clueless. The next two go with the TV. Mr. Gadget reviewed how they work with me last night, and today I could not turn on the TV. The little one is for my CD player. I can play a CD but I can't set the clock. The one on the right turns on my new ceiling fan. I won't be needing that one for a while. And maybe by then I will have figured out the TV. It's not always easy being married to Mr. Gadget.....

What's this white stuff?

Mr. Gadget and I arrived back in Connecticut just in time for a big nor'easter. It's cold and miserable, and we're out of condition! And wouldn't you know, I had two medical appointments scheduled for this morning. I decided to call about the first one--just to be sure they were open. Mr. G had very generously offered to be my chauffeur.

"Oh yes m'am," said the receptionist, with just a hint of you're a moron in her voice. "We never close for snow."

So assuming that our second stop, the doctor's office--where I was going for some blood-letting-- would also never close, we slowly made our way down Main St.....
...only to find the office locked up tight, with just a solitary plow truck clearing the parking lot. Can't say I was too disappointed to skip the blood-letting, what with the jet lag and all. It's never a pleasant experience, even in real time.

As you can see, I've launched my new banner. I pretty much figured it out myself, but Tech Guy stood by and cheered me on. Good thing too because my first try resulted in the dreaded red x. And just so you know, I cheated a little. I didn't do the patchwork; it's printed on the fabric. The embroidery is all mine though, so please don't zoom in...

Here's a photo I took from the airplane. You know how I always like to take pictures up there.

It's Lake Erie from 35,000 ft.--from my usual seat 17-A. I may be in a rut, but it's a great seat for picture-taking. Mr. Gadget was able to slide over to 17-C and we enjoyed a rare treat--an empty 17-B.

So now I'm getting ready to make a few witch dolls and I've been having fun with my colored pencils.

It's a good time to give the new Lighthouse a workout. Gotta love a snow day!

Loose ends

Mr. Gadget and I will be heading back to Connecticut tomorrow, so we've been busy bees getting things eaten, straightened, dusted, washed, packed and tossed. Maybe this would be a good time to tie up a few loose ends here on the blog.

The tree that had been so heinously hacked is now showing signs of new life. Let us rejoice!

I'm washing Mr. Fleece's fleece.

Lydia did remember the driver's training episode when I attempted to pull out in front of a school bus. In fact, she seemed to remember it quite vividly, but fortunately it didn't spoil her dinner.

The coat I repaired, cleaned, and mailed to Big City Girl the week before we left home did finally arrive last week. 7 weeks is pretty good for priority mail between Connecticut and New York City, don't you think? I'd probably be willing to pay more for this kind of good service in the future.....

The pistol-shooting range, where Tech Guy was going to celebrate his birthday, was closed. Now, maybe he'll just go to Chuck E. Cheese like I wanted him to.

Some good samaritan removed the sidewalk debris.

Oh, that article I was going to write? Didn't finish it. Will finish it eventually though. I like what my friend said about us not being in school anymore. We can get our assignments done any old time we feel like it.

The cruise in April will depart from Ft. Lauderdale, spend six days at sea, and visit Madeira, Gibralter, Rome, Florence, Sardinia, Monte Carlo, Seville and Barcelona. I asked Mr. G if he knew whether there were sardines in Sardinia and he didn't, so I'll be looking into that....

I must remember to take my calendar home with me. I have medical appointments in March that I probably shouldn't forget.

After that unfortunate squabble Mr. Gadget and I had a few weeks ago over the motor vehicle issue, there has been no more raising of voices, so I never got any chocolates of indignation. Maybe there's still time. I wonder if I could put his fleece in the dryer and play dumb....

Oh, and that new project I mentioned yesterday? I stitched a new blog banner. Tech Guy has told me he'll help me get it up and flying this weekend. I hate this business of the older generation having to rely on the younger generation for tech stuff. He'll probably try to hold me hostage now and insist on a chicken dinner with mashed potatoes and a cheesecake....

Fixins' for a project

I've started a new project. It's something I've planned on doing for a long time, but just never seem to get around to.....what with the wedding ladybugs, the felt hearts, and all that clay business. Part of it is finished already, so now I'm assembling. You'll just have to stay tuned....

This evening I'm going to dinner with Lydia, a friend I knew in high school. In fact, Lydia and I took driver's training together. As I recall, our teacher was Mr. Dubois. He was rather gruff, especially that time he had to jam on his brakes when I started to pull out in front of a school bus. Good thing he had those brakes, but I sure was shaking in fright after that little episode. I probably stayed home sick the next day. I wonder if Lydia remembers that incident. I don't think I'll ask her, since I really don't want to relive it...especially during our gourmet dinner at Denny's .

Here's a picture of a car like the one we learned to drive in. It wasn't red though. It was a very drab shade of green.....one of those colors real people would never buy.

Some kids--my own, for instance--looked forward to their on-the-road training sessions. I can only remember going to school for those two weeks with a daily stomach ache. I still don't like to drive much, but it's the only way I can get to fabric and yarn stores....

Here's something interesting I saw a few weeks ago.

I'm thinking of getting one of these signs for Mr. Gadget's office. He's got a birthday coming up. It would be perfect mounted on the wall just outside the door, maybe with one of those flashing red lights....

Stella

As promised, here is my latest clay-on-cloth creation. I named her Stella.....well no, not exactly. She told me that was her name. While I was making her. That didn't happen with Doll #1, so she remains nameless. I'm sure she was just mad about the wonky eye and has decided not to talk to me.

Stella's eyes are not perfect either, but they are an improvement. It seems that practice is the name of the game when it comes to sculpting with clay. I'm anxious to try something different now, but I'll have to wait till I'm back in the Lighthouse. I'll be spending the rest of this week picking bits of clay out of the carpet....

So yesterday I took a walk around the condo complex, and I noticed a few things. Remember that big flowering plant that was so infatuated with the cactus?

Sadly, they have gotten a divorce.

And look at this nice, comfy chair on someone's balcony.

I never see anyone sitting in it. Do you think they'd mind if I plopped down for a few, with my knitting and my coffee?

Here's an interesting trio, sitting on the sidewalk just up from the road. I'm intrigued by the care someone took to line them up so neatly, when most litterers would just toss them to fall where they might. Maybe it's their way of showing a tiny bit of respect for the rest of us who must provide maid service....

Here's something just a little crazy. Unfortunately today is the deadline, but maybe I still have enough time to knit up a little hat for a lonely cactus.....