All about last week

 

I had a pretty bad week last week.

I woke Monday with a case of "Isolation Blues" due to not enough sleep 

and a hurting knee.

It didn't get better on Tuesday.

In fact, I spent the whole day in my nightie and robe doing almost nothing.

Then came Wednesday.

I'd managed to get dressed and was taking down the Christmas Tree.

When, I got a very strange text from my eldest-Everybody stay safe.

What?!

Then followed the texts--turn on the TV MOM!

Which I did.

I couldn't watch for long it hurt my heart so.

I wish I could say I didn't see this coming.

I still feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop 

and hoping that the 20th is free of violence.

Very few of the Mob were arrested on Wednesday but they are being identified by police, FBI and private citizens from photos and film clips of the riot.  

Many have shown up on social media and been identified,

some have been arrested,

some have lost their jobs,

some will lose standing in their communities.

There must be consequences or it will happen again and again.

Of course 45 incited them to violence and today Articles of Impeachment were drawn up against him for "inciting insurrection."

To some it seems a waste of time when there are so few days left in his term, 

but apparently if impeached he cannot run in 2024  

and he could be charged within the legal system,

so his consequences I suppose.

There's lots of talk, and lots of thinking-

I'll spare you that.

Domestic terrorism cannot be allowed.

In happier things!

The Civil War Sampler (that really old UFO) is at this point.

The last block is only pinned on and needs the last sashing piece added.

Progress.

All the squares for the first blocks of Trail Mix have been cut.

I'm sewing down the binding on #2020.

I will never like this quilt!

That said it is almost finished.

This months cookbook.

I made Corn Chowder on Saturday, 

it was pretty good but I don't know if I'll make it again.

All the other goals bit the dust.

I have some adjustments to make and then

I'll begin them again.

Civil Unrest

 It is a sad day to be a citizen of the United States.

I am heartbroken.

Where I wish I was

At the Dog beach in San Diego with Quinn-just because it is so much fun!

Road to Polebridge, Glacier National Park, Montana-because I miss the mountains SO much!

 

So more want to do's

 This is my office! 

A disaster area.

Work on Family Tree charts that are to be gifts for cousins in the front.

I think it will be easier for them to understand this way.

Boxes of Family Tree stuff I took to Nashville that still haven't been unpacked.

The Desk is barely visible and the side table is piled deep!

I think this will need several short cleaning events!

A long one would interfere with my other work.

This is not the only part of the house that needs work, it's just the worst.

Actually, the garage might be worse!

Continuing the Want To Do in 2021 list.

(Want to Do is so much better than goals or To Do lists for me)

There are three 15-minute projects:  Drawing, lettering and photo organizing.

It's really amazing how much you can accomplish in 15 minutes a day.

Next up on my sheets is Food:

Choose a Cookbook of the Month and try 4 new things

Lose 1 pound a week for a total of 52 pounds

Follow the Food Rules-which are

Set a pretty table for EVERY meal

Keep the table clear and clean

Balance the Diet

Eat Slowly and only until full

Make and follow menus

Don't sabotage yourself

I think that at this point I'll just list what I Want to Do in January

Quilting

Assemble all the rows of the Civil War Sampler Quilt-that very old UFO

Assemble Trail Mix

Begin Temperature quilt

Make 4 Paper Dolls

Make some Hexie flowers

Christmas

Make some Christmas cross stitch ornaments

Design a display for my North Pole Cottages

Secret Squirrel sewing

Cross-stitch

Pin Cushions

Begin a Wedding piece

Read one non-fiction book

Order seed catalogues

Order new remote for garage door

Take one sewing machine in for service-I think the Elna

Well, I think I'd best get busy!

Happy New Year!

 I hit the pillows before midnight !  I had a lovely time before that with the Chookshed Stitchers-many thanks to Chooky it's always fun! 

Here's to 2021 being better than 2020!  Good things did happen even with THE VIRUS and I try to focus on that with gratitude.  For one, no one in my family has contracted THE VIRUS, even though Beth was exposed-she tested negative.  

Winter arrived overnight!

First rain, then freezing rain and now snow.

2-5inches are expected for the Kansas City Metro!

Quinn came in covered with snow-she is not impressed.

This year's word is BREATHE.

I have a two page list of Goals for 2021.

Probably won't get them all done but looking at it gets me moving.

I tried putting the list as a page on this blog-it looked really pretty on the draft and really nasty on the blog.  I took it off.

I'll give it to you in bits and pieces!  Some things on the list have to wait for THE VIRUS to get under control or Spring, some are dependent on my staying in this house.  Still, I can't forget them when they are on the list!

First, I have some 365 Challenges.  Things I want to do every day in the hopes that good habits will evolve.

They are:

Stretch 

Walk or bike 

Drink at least 64 ounces of water

Practice the Piano 

Practice the Guitar 

Take photographs

Meditate/Journal

Blog 

Work at learning French 

I am sure that I will not do all of these every day-I mean I have to have my gall bladder out and recover (hopefully this month.)  

Quilting goals

NEW

Trail Mix quilt

ZigZag scrappy quilt using the 2 inch squares in the bin

Postage Stamp quilt using the 1 1/2" squares as leaders and enders-already in progress

Temperature Quilt

Begin a Lucy Boston

Make a Paper Doll quilt for Izzy

Begin a foundation pieced Civil War letters quilt made pot holder style

There are one or two I'm thinking about but I won't list them.

UFOS

Civil War Sampler finished

Dragons

Hexi-flowers

Strip Tumblers

Do something with the Log Cabin blocks

Do something with the Orphan blocks

Will I get all these done-who knows!

More tomorrow!

Christmas Eve!

 Santa's Big Night!

No little ones at this house but my Grandies are getting excited I'm sure!

I've done a tiny bit of baking:

Povatica-known in this family as P-tisca.

I have no idea how it's supposed to be pronounced!

It's a tasty sweet bread filled with crushed walnuts.

To get those layers and layers you roll the dough out as large as you can (I usually get it to 3'by 4-5').  This is the hardest part of the whole deal!

It makes twice this much but I gave the other half to Beth, 

Sorry boys, again she lives here!

It wouldn't be Christmas without it.

Christmas will be strange, likely to be remembered as the Zoom year.

Like everything else!

The virus has not peaked here so still much care is needed.

I've been careful for 10 months, I'm not about to stop now!

Haven't done much else but recover from the Nashville trip and read.

I know that my friends "Down Under" have already celebrated but here we still wait.

Everyone, no matter where you are, Happy Christmas!

Best Laid Plans

I give up!

I had half of Flipflops at the farm- two quilted and began the other half and soon discovered that there were large pleats forming in the fleece backing.

Why this happened on this quilt and not on the other one is a mystery to me.

At any rate, I will have to unsew what I've done and then I think I'll tie it.  Of course I didn't bring the things to tie a quilt!  I will work at the unsewing but it isn't going to be finished by Saturday!  

I could work on #2020 but it's a big quilt and I just don't have what it takes to do it on the Bernina. So I've decided on big stitch hand quilting.  Did I bring that with me?  Of course not! It may be finished by Christmas but I kind of doubt it.

I've packed away the Bernina.  I should just say here that I do not like the Bernina!  It doesn't stitch evenly nor does it hold tension.  UGH.

What did I learn?  To either hand quilt or pay for quilting.  So most of next year's quilts will go out to be quilted.  That means I have to find a quilter as the one I used before stopped doing it for others. 

On to other, much less stressful things.  Like writing out Christmas Cards. I'll begin sorting and packing the truck for the trip home in a day or two.  It's easiest done a bit at a time.

Four more days, on the fifth I head home.  I'm ready.