Slack...

It has been a while since I’ve updated my blog. Partly because I have been busy, yes, and partly because I’ve been just plain out lazy. Figure that 50-50 on each part and it takes up all of your time. I have managed to get my clothes straightened out – winter clothes packed up…I swear this has been the cause of this unseasonal cool deal we had earlier last week.

I’ve only managed to make two pillows over the past week, but I’ve been stitching so much that when I DO sit down to pillow-making, I’ll be busy! I’ve been cutting out patterns for some primitive dolls too. I hope to try my hand at that some soon.

Machine is still down but I'll get that worked out soon.

This weekend brought on the sale at Hancock. I ran to get material to make Bonnie a blanket. Then realized all of the fleece was on sale and thought this would be a GREAT time to pick extra up and get busy with Christmas. (Whoa...what had come over me???) The lady at the cloth table was simply with envy and jokingly sneering at me. She said she had not even started. No reason to get overly excited...I probably won't buy another Christmas present until after the turkey and dressing are digesting as I watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

I am very proud that I've gotten 4 blankets done this weekend. Bon and Chase are both excited with theirs...like we need more here, we are blanket poor as it is. I've managed to finish two presents and have three more to do. I'm thinking at LEAST one more will get done tonite. They are wonderful "TV" crafts...after cutting, I can just sit and tie them up...feeling my way to skip the correct flaps. I guess it is much like my knitting...quite therapeutic.

Drool...

On Wednesday afternoons, the kids and I usually end up staying at my folks' house as we have choir practice. Too much running. Those days are so long although I do enjoying visiting with my folks then. After leaving school, the kids and I have a ritual...we MUST go by the "junk store." It's a used furniture and antique consignment shop...there is also just plain junk in there, too. I've had my eyes open for a primitive bench, as well as an antique (or faux antique) wash stand.

Today I scored something soooooo wonderful. I've wanted some ladder back chairs to make planters from. I wanted to knock the bottoms out. I found two there, very inexpensive, but when I got them to my folks house and took one to show, I fell in LOVE with them...they have the prettiest old finish. I simply can't bear the idea of ruining them. Plus, they were a sweet deal at $15 for the pair!!!

I also got a child's or doll's chair. I definately will refinish it to have an old look. That will be a fun project. It cost me $7.

I also found the coolest...box...I'm sure it has a name, but I love the OLDE look it has and I plan to tuck in some candles and dried lavender. $2.00!

And last but not least, I scored a beautiful pottery bowl. Not an antique, it is marked 1986, but it has a gorgeous blue and earthy brown glaze and cost a FRACTION of what I've seen pottery at - $7.00! (my pic was way too dark to post!)

Last night's pillows...

I was very pleased at how these turned out. I loved the mustard check fabric that I used for a couple of them. That willow tree took a long time to stitch! All the little leaves on it! And it isn't really even that detailed!

Pics are bad as I used my cell to take them...IN the kitchen where the light is pretty bad anyway! (and then note how the willow tree close up is truer light! UGH!)

Working on...

three pillows right now. I just coated one with the distressing mix...the house smells so good right now. I have one to stuff and one to finish stitching. The damn machine is wanting to mess up so badly...the bottom stitch keeps messing up, which is fine for the inside sewing...but once it gets turned right side out, I'm in trouble. Unfortunately I am NOT handy enough with the sewing maching to figure out why it doing this...hell, I can't even oil the thing!

Empty kitchen...

My kitchen is a bit empty today. The large 4 foot cage that sat in the corner next to my water heater has now been placed outside...empty.

Yesterday, started off wonderfully, my best friend coming over to give me a wake up call and spend some time with me...and then an hour later, there we are in the back yard...burying my baby squirrel.

Scuttle had been with us for about 3-4 months. She was about 4 weeks old...still had her eyes closed, when she came in to my heart. She went everywhere with me, as I had to feed her with a syringe every 3 hours. As she grew, she got to be so funny! I'd let her out of the cage, only to look for her minutes later and find her in the huge bag of bird seed on the back porch. She liked sitting on my shoulder. I could walk into a room, and immediately she run to me, run up my leg and up to her place on my shoulder. She was just such a fun little creature.

I have no idea what happened. She seemed completely fine early yesterday morning, when I gave her water and gave her a cracker. She drank and ate and then soon, her little heart stopped beating, her sprity tail ceased twitched...her soulful eyes lost their twinkle.

I cried. And I still have some today. So sad to have lost her. She had brought many laughs to me and even brought a confidence of being able to take care of this little orphaned one. It was pure hell to reach in and lift her soft little, still warm, body from her cage...but I wanted to hold her one last time.

My best friend was with me all the way and even cried with me...I am so glad to have shared such a raw moment. It is a wondrous thing to be able to be yourself...I didn't have to think twice about being upset about a small little being -- I mean in the whole scheme of things...life, kids, jobs, money...a little gray squirrel dying isn't a terribly big thing...but to me, its the small things...the small treasures in life that bring such joy to my heart...things that others pass by without so much as a second glance...my best friend knows that of me and even shares that wonderous gift!

My first...

well I guess we all must start somewhere...so here is mine. I've been contemplating this for awhile and just how much I'll get into this I'm not sure.


I'm wanting to use it as more of my record of the primitive crafts I've been working on as of late...who knows just what it will turn into....