Trick or Treat

Well Halloween is done and dusted, I shut the lights out at 8:30 as had everyone else on my street. I had 32 little hobgoblins this evening, that is not bad for my neck of the woods. Most people on my street do not participate in the handing out of candy to little strangers. I find it a lot of fun but not everyone shares my view point apparently. The weather was reasonable and they started coming at around 5:00 pm. I love to see the kids, big or small. I had them all ages and sizes tonight but everyone had costumes on so it was all good.

We celebrated at the office as well. We usually do if it falls on a week day. I did not make my super fantastic witch finger cookies this year but we managed to get along without them. I will try to make them next year as  they are fun to make and they look so real!! Anyway.........

Some of us dressed up:

(clicking on the pictures makes them bigger if you wish a better look)

We had a pumpkin carving contest:

This one munching on the little one got second prize

The one third from the right that says BOO got first prize

We had Medusa

Dr Smooth

Witches

Zombies

and the walking wounded

I just went as my scary old self but I did dig out my skeleton earrings and my Jack-o-lantern pins and that is as good as it gets for me.I like the decorating, giving out the treats but I am no longer interested in the dressing up.

I hope everyone had a Happy Safe Halloween!!

Toodles,

Linda

Happy Halloween

Hope you have a Happy and Safe Halloween.

Monday Moment with Minou

Is Monday over yet??

Ladybug Picnic

Oh I have had a really good weekend. It always starts well with No Cook Friday, I have talked about this before but its one of the better ways to end the week. Supper and coffee out with really good friends, laugh until your sides ache then head home. I love it.

On Saturday I got up, got groceries and then spend the afternoon out visiting with the Bugs. You know my grandbaby Ladybug and her Mamabug and Daddybug. I have not been out to visit for a long time and it was lovely to see them all. Mamabug looks good, and Doddlebug is growing along as should be. They have ultrasound pictures and everything, another cute little bug on the way. Due to arrive in April some time. I a so excited.

So of course there were pictures, My Ladybug is a cutie for sure: She has the longest eyelashes!! I just hope she keeps them because they are gorgeous. She was a little shy when we first got there, J came with me.

She had just got up from her nap and we are strangers because its been a while since she has seen us but she warmed up after a while. She is such a little sweetheart. Although no smiles were captured on camera they did show up during our visit. We played and she passed out crackers to anyone who wanted one and even if you didn't. She was mildly concerned with my lack of socks while everyone else in the room had socks but all in all it was a good visit.

We had a bit of a cuddle and then it was time for J and I to hit the road. Supper time was upon us and soon it would be time for Ladybugs to have bath and bed time. It was good to see them again and see that Mamabug is doing as well as she is. This pregnancy is not being an easy one and she is managing wonderfully. I am so proud of her.

So having spent Saturday visiting and playing with the Grandbaby and an evening spent working on puppets  I tied myself to the sewing machine today. Once I got up and got going that is. I did my usual sleep in thing this morning. Once I got moving I managed to hem a pair of jeans, patch the knee in another, mend a shirt, hem 4 curtain panels, make two nightgown so they open up the back and make 85% of a red riding hood cape. I need a bit more material to finish the actual hood but the cape part is made and lined. Quick stop at the fabric store will finish this one off. I did not realize that I was short material until after the store had closed. Crap. I have a shirt to fix for myself but that did not get done today. Funny how that happens.

I feel good getting these projects completed. Its a dent in the UFO's lurking around my house. I did make a trip to the fabric store. I had to go with JR and her girls to get the material for the red riding hood cape.  When you are not around kids you sort of forget how they are. The oneupmanship, the teasing, the wiggling, the bouncing. They are great girls, all excited about Halloween costumes and their new rooms in their new house. So much energy, makes me feel old. I was very happy to be asked to make the cape though.

Well, I need to get my supper and then spend the evening making more puppets. I have an order of 10 that need to be to the purchaser by mid November. Thankfully I have 5 of them done already!! Go Me!!

I hope you had a lovely weekend!!

Toodles,
Linda

Here Comes the Weekend

It has been a busy week and time has gotten away from me. Every time I try to think that I will be a faithful blogger I get caught up doing other stuff and I don't post like I would like to . Then I think when I post I am just repeating myself, not being witty and interesting enough,  and I wonder if I should keep this up but then I remember I am doing this blog for me, first of all. If I have people who read it that is great if I don't that is ok too because I write for me.

This week was book club, always fun, fun, fun. I so enjoy that I am reading books I would never read on my own. I like to hear other's opinions and discover things that never occurred to me. We don't always just talk about the book, you hear secrets and feelings,  we share and that is wonderful. We are allowed to have differing opinions and its ok, its what makes it interesting.

Then tonight we did a house warming coffee get together for a work mate J. When I say "we" I mean our lunch group. She has left her old life behind and has boldly started a totally new life. We got her a little somethin' somethin' and so we gathered at her new apartment and had coffee, a few snacks and lots of talk and laughing. She is starting over so she has very little in her apartment,  we got her a gift certificate that she can use to get something for her place. She is so brave to be making this step and she has done it with such grace. Honestly I know some classy ladies. This is the second of my friends who have started over, moved out of a situation that was not making them happy onto a new chapter of their lives and they have done it with such bravery, determination and style. I am in awe of them. I do know some incredible ladies.

I am so looking foreward to this weekend. J and I are going to zip out to the little farm and have a visit with Mamabug, Ladybug and probably Daddybug will be there too. I have not seen them for ages and I am so looking foreward to our visit. I have some things to take out there with me and I am so hoping I don't forget anything. (I am great at doing that sort of thing). I just hope the weather does not serve us up some snow and we will be able to travel without worry.

Sunday I need to tie myself to the sewing machine and get some of these sewing jobs looked after that are piling up around me. I am back making puppets so I have been doing that instead of sewing. Christmas is coming which means I need to get my gift projects done. Oh so many things to do and so little time to do it all. I am up to the challenge though. I love to be busy!! There will be pictures in time of course.

Speaking of projects, I need to get off the 'puter and get that crochet hook into my hands. I have puppets to create!!

Toodles,
Linda

Monday Moment Without Minou

Yes I forgot to post a picture of her snooty little self this week. I will save it for next week.

Wow the weekend is over and its Monday again. I never will be able to understand how the weekends can go so very very fast but they do. I had a lovely weekend. Best Friend arrived late on Saturday night. We went out for supper, got our cards read and generally spent the evening talking each others ear off. We do that, it does not seem to matter how long we have known each other we do not run out of things to talk about. Then on Sunday we and another friend went to the big craft sale here in town.

I love to go to this one, I always find things to buy. I could buy lots more but that would require me having loads of cash and unlimited room to keep the stuff. I managed to get some pottery, a tile with one of my favorite sayings on it and a bar of Lily of the Valley homemade soap. The the three of us went for lunch. Best Friend and I did some shopping at Walmart then we came home and, yes, you guessed it, we chatted the night away again. She headed home this morning and I went to work. Fudge!! I would rather have had a few more days of shopping and chatting but things are the way they are.

So tonight I have done nothing but noodle on the computer. I really need to get myself together and do something constructive!!

I hope you had a lovely weekend!!

Toodles,
Linda

This and That

Its Thursday and I don't have much to say for myself. Just finished talking to Mamabug and all is well with her. Ladybug was squealing in the background while we talked. She has the best squeal!! Loud and proud like my oldest niece used to do. Makes me smile to hear it all. Best news ever Doodlebug is still there, growing bigger and stronger everyday!! Due date has changed but that is ok, everyday baby is where baby is supposed to be is a miracle. I am so happy for them. When you want a family so much and you are able to care for them, you should be able to have them.

Best Friend is coming for the weekend. She will not get her until the afternoon on Saturday and she will be headed back on Monday so its gonna be a flying visit. She is bringing another friend with her so that is the reason for the short visit. I don't care, its going to be nice to see her. I am going to drag her to the Big Craft sale here in town this weekend. Other than that we have no real plans.

I have been busy creating more of those nifty little numbers shown in my last post. I cannot believe that I am making these, but hey, its money coming in and its not illegal so I am up for it. I also have another order for some puppets, I was contacted by a teacher to make some for a reading program she is getting together. I cannot tell you how much I love the fact that my puppets help children to learn to love books. Warms the cockles of my heart. I need to get at making them as well. They are on the "to do" list for next week.

I have the top completed for my Christmas table runner. I just need to get it quilted. I will post a picture once I have it finished. I have lots of other projects that I need to get at but then I think we have heard this before. Its the same old song and dance around here. I always have projects to do and it makes me happy. I love to be busy and create stuff.

I have another secret project that I am working on that I will share with you next month. I want to be finished it before I spill the beans totally about what I am working on. This way I can share the success and gloss over the failure (that is not gonna happen)

Right now I am mostly putting off going into my Tupperware cupboard. I need something out of there and I dread the thoughts of going to look for it. My Tupperware cupboard is the kind that when you slide the door open a zillion pieces of plastic launch themselves at your head and try and take you out!! Its evil. Not only to you have to dodge the avalanche of death when you open it, you have to try and stuff all the crap back into the cupboard when you are finished. AND IT NEVER ALL FITS!! It's on my list of things to purge but since it scares me I have not done it yet.

Well I cannot put it off any longer. I am going in. Pray for me, I may not make it back!!

Toodles,
Linda

Mom Would Be So Proud

Oh my, the things one will do for a commission. 

Sunday Stuff

I love my Sunday's. I love getting up late and having a big breakfast, lounging around with coffee and easing into the day. Its very much on of my favourite things about the week. I watch Coronation Street and then around noon decide to get dressed and join the rest of the world.

I finally managed to get some yard work done. Took my brand new leaf blower/mulcher out of the box and played with it for a while. I am not sure I have the hang of it just yet but I do like it. It does mulch up the leaves nicely and I have one bag in my shed instead of five or six. I must admit it was lots of fun blowing the leaves all over hell's half acre. It was hard to resist sending them flying into the neighbours yards.

Laundry has been done, the kitchen is looking reasonable. I have a couple of donation boxes ready to go to charity. As always there is a million things still to do but I think I am keeping my head above water. I decided today I would spend this week putting the garden ornaments back into the shed. I need to run the lawnmower over the lawn one last time to mulch up the last of the leaves.

So now I will spend the evening working on this:

Its going to be a Christmas table runner for my kitchen. Yes I know blue is not the first colour you think of when you think Christmas and I big on red and green for the season but my kitchen is blue and I have some blue Christmasy stuff that I put in there each year. I had thought this would be one of the things that I got right at doing in January, after Christmas last year. So now its October and I am just getting to it. Where did this year go?

Well I need to find something for supper and then I am going to sew for the rest of the night. Back to work tomorrow.

Toodles,
Linda

Saturday Stuff

Well I feel like I accomplished something today. I did my best impression of a plumber and got my kitchen sink back to draining like it should. I did not have to buy a snake and I did not have to call a plumber. I learned my lesson the first time I plunged the sink without stopping up the other sink. All that does is cause a geyser of water to shoot out of said sink and go splat all over your kitchen floor. SO quick study that I am this morning I plugged the one side, plunged hell out of the other side and Voila!!!! the sink now drains. I have tried all sorts of drain cleaners and I even thought I may remove the trap but my sink does not have an easily removed trap and I thought if I tried to remove it I would mangle the pipes and be in a real pickle. I am so happy to have it working again. Now maybe the water will drain out of the dishwasher properly.

That marvel of plumbing accomplished I turned my attention to the drain in the floor of the shower. I could not do that one alone so my dear friend Teddy Bear popped over and lent me a hand. I needed someone in the bathroom holding down the drain and preventing it from spinning about and lifting out of the hole as I cranked the bracket on the bottom. Bracket cranked and sealed. All siliconed and curing now, ready for use tomorrow. I will be very glad to have the shower back in working order. I love the occasional bath, its a wonderful way to relax and I have a lovely old claw footed bath tub in my house but I am a shower girl at heart. Quick, easy, and leave on refreshed.

Best of all I did not have to spend any money on the plumbing fixings. I really do have to work on my tendency to want to rush out and buy stuff. I need to stop, relax, look around and most times I have what I need on hand and I do not need to spend a penny. I did not get at the leaves to day so yard work is on my list for tomorrow. I got a few autumn decorations out and I did get the kitchen back to normal at last. I hauled a ton of recycle out and got the garbage out as well. I vacuumed and mopped the floors. I was supposed to go to a concert this afternoon but I never did get going, I feel bad about that but sometimes the best laid plans do not work out the way you would like them to.

Now I am trying to decide what the heck to have for supper. I am starving but nothing appeals and I really don't feel like going out to get anything. Oh I hate when I get into one of these moods. Supper should be a simple thing, you are hungry, you decide to eat something, you make it and eat it. Why do I turn it into an evening long debate in my head. If I don't take myself in hand I will still be dithering at 10:00 pm tonight.

Off to put paid to the nasty task of deciding what to eat for supper

Toodles,

Linda

Thanksgiving Hangover????

Not sure what was up with me this morning but I woke up feeling crappy. I tried to talk myself out of bed but instead I rolled over, called work and snuggled back in for more sleep. I slept most of the day away, didn't really eat much. Just feeling out of sorts, and icky...........yes that is a nice technical term for it....icky. It could be a sugar hangover too, I had way more of that this weekend than I should have. I don't know what caused the ick but its getting better.

I did put the flannel sheets on the bed last night before I conked out. I think flannel sheets are heaven. When the bedroom is just shy of frigid, they make for a wonderful sleep. I finally cracked, folded like a house of cards and put the heat on. My fingers were turning blue so I gave in and cranked it up. Its nice in here now. I always hate the first time you turn the furnace on, that panic thinking it may not start and that horrible smell as the dust burns off for the first time. Ah well, the house is sill standing, didn't blow up so things are good for another year.

So my day was spent, sleeping, crocheting, watching tv and then sleeping again. Its only 8:30 and I am ready to go to bed again right now. Its crazy. I am hoping that I am back on my feet again and ready to get back to work. Not that I prefer working to being at home, that is not the case, I just would rather be at work than feeling like crap.

Ah well, I am going to make myself a cup of tea and watch the rest of Dancing with the Stars. I cannot say I am a complete fan of the repeating the dances every five minutes. How many times do we have the watch the same thing over and over again??

Toodles,
Linda

Thanksgiving Weekend

Just home from a weekend with the family. The Carpenter and Busy invited me to come and spend the weekend with them, their children, The Pilot, Miss Mouse and the Farmer. I have not seen them all since Christmas so it was wonderful. Busy's family joined in the fun and there were 30 or more people, eating, drinking and have a great time. I don't come from a really big family but Busy's have been a part of my life for a lot of years so I am used to the noise, the pandemonium and the crowd. It can be overwhelming but the are so welcoming and are so good to include me, it makes for a great weekend.

We had great food as always, Busy is a super good cook and Miss Mouse is not too shabby herself. I am very spoiled and pretty much only have to show up. Yep I am pretty much a princess. I did get to catch up with the kids and hear what they are up to. The Pilot is renovating his first house right now. That exciting, I love renos so it was great fun to hear all about his. Miss Mouse and The Farmer are busy as always. She has been planting trees like a mad thing and working on her yard.

To day they all headed off to do some over the boarder shopping. As much as I was encouraged to join them and Hobby Lobby was calling my name I declined to join the fun. I am sure I am going to regret saying no to Menards but I have to work tomorrow and I am still getting my self back on my feet after the Moose Jaw trip. The practical thing is that I stayed home. Sigh, its annoying to be sensible sometimes. I would much rather be buying outdoor motion lights and rug canvas. I did get time to go and have coffee with B, my dear friend from the Peebles Girls Reunion. I never got there the last time I was in town for a visit.

So I came home today, unloaded the car and dumped everything in the kitchen. Its cold in the house but I am not going to give in and start the furnace, I am trying to put that off as long as I can stand it, every penny saved and all that. I am thinking the flannel sheets will be making an appearance on the bed this night.

Thanksgiving is over, time to get working on those UFO's around my house. I want to continue on with the purge and make some room in this house. Things have gotten out of hand and I need to get back in control. Christmas will be here before we know it and I do not want to be in this same mess then. Pulling up boot straps and squaring the shoulders. There is gonna be some changes made around here!!

My biggest regret of this weekend is that I forgot to take a quilt with me that needs to be delivered to a lady back home. I cannot believe I completely forgot it and then when I remembered my big mistake, there were so many people around me I could not swear a blue streak that I wanted to. I had to be all polite and respectable!! Curses!! Ah well, I will get it there another day. I cannot believe that I forgot it. Crap!! Crap!!
Crappity Crap!!!

I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful, I know mine was!!

Toodles,

Linda

More Presents

Well this week just keeps getting better and better. I don't know what I have done to have such goodies lauded on me but I hope I can keep it up because I have been a lucky, lucky girl. So as I mentioned in my last post my friend gave me her spinning wheel and some bags of fleece. Nirvana!! Then today I got to work and she motioned me into her office and presented me with this.

Its rather an unassuming little case, nothing special when you look at it but I would imagine if any of you are quilters out there your little hearts have picked up a beat or two because you suspect you know what is hiding in this little black case.

No further suspense needed  Tah Dah!!!

yes, yes it is, its a featherweight sewing machine! and my friend GAVE It to me. I have long coveted a featherweight and now I have one. SQUEEEEE!!! She is a pretty little thing, I truly wish I had better photo skillz because my fuzzy dark picture does not do this little princess justice. She is complete, gadgets, instruction book, carry case and all. I am giddy. I could hardly work today I wanted to be home fondling her so badly.

I have not give her a run tonight, I had prior commitments and tomorrow night is No Cook. So I am thinking that after Thanksgiving, this little baby and I are going to make some table runners for Christmas. Just so I can play with her. She has all her gold work around the base and she is so shiny. I think I will need to find a name for her.

What is so great about a featherweight?? Well we quilters love them because they are small, easy to tote around and have lovely straight even stitches, not to mention these little babies are work horses. I love the antique look of them. I cannot wait to get going on this one. Sweet!!!

So I have been a royally spoiled gal this week. So many lovely things showered on me. I feel blessed yet again. I truly do have the most wonderful friends. They are so good to me, I just hope I am as good to them.

Toodles

Linda

Spinny With Joy

I am so happy today I am spinny with joy. This is the little number that has me bouncing and squealing like a 12 year old girl. Meet my new spinning wheel. Ain't she purty??

When I first decided I would stop dreaming about spinning and actually start to learn, this is the wheel I saw in my head. This was not the one I originally purchased, I missed out on this one because my friend saw it first. Hmmph. I was slightly miffed at the time but I gave up and thought in time I would get one. WELLL my friend has decided that spinning is not her thing so I got the wheel. It needs some work but I can get it put together and then by golly I am going to get practicing. Not only did I get the wheel, I got five bags of fleece/roving. I am in YARNTASTIC HEAVEN. I will for sure be putting in some spinning time this fall.

Toodles,

Linda