TNT: Holiday Edition

 

In a terribly dismal holiday season I have one thing I will look back fondly on. This project. It has been a joy to do a box a day. It would have been a wonderful advent project and that's what it will become...next year. I'll work on it until the end of the month and then pack it away until then.

Since I have several more of these Santas to stitch I had hoped I would have gotten him done but I didn't. I still have the whole goat to go and there's a lot of beads in that guy. Next year for sure. 

Speaking of next year, look what I dug out. It's the winter quilt I've been working on for the last two years. It's sitting on my ironing board right now. All it needs is for those blocks to get their sashing and it will be off to the Juki. I miss having something to machine quilt but right now I can't even get to it. I'm going to have to have a big clear out before January. 

Bombs Away

 

I use a lot of bath bombs because our water softener is on the fritz. Without a bomb our water feels like battery acid. The town just sent us a survey asking if we'd like to be hooked up to the city water and we said YES. Now we have to wait to see if the majority of our neighbors agree. I'm not holding my breath. They have voted it down once already.

I made a big production out of making a batch and even got The Mister to help but apparently 2020 is still making mischief because this is what I got. They split. Most likely because I only had 70% alcohol on hand. I usually use 90% which keeps the liquid at a minimum but I can't get a bottle of it to save my life. It could have also been the baking soda. I think it spent the summer absorbing all the humidity. I should have pitched it and started fresh. 

The pressed ones did a little better but they still cracked. Oh, well...they still work and that's what counts. 

I did get a small batch of lip goo made without any drama. I like to keep one in the pocket of all my coats and jackets at this time of year. I can't use commercial chap stick. The SPF stuffs makes my lips burn and itch.

Getting any of this done was a real slog as my soap corner is all taken up by my stitching stuff at the moment. I have to store a lot of things from the living area in this little room and space is at a premium. I don't miss not having a real kitchen at all but I sure do miss my little soap corner. 

Holiday Snapshots

 

Santa on a firetruck. That's it. That's the post. We chased him around the beach last night to get a chance to say hello. It will probably be the highlight of a pretty dismal holiday. 

Oh, I almost forgot. There's one more....I spied this little tree next to the post office and thought it was a mess until I realized what it was. It's a tree that people hang warm things on. If you need something you take it. If you don't, you can contribute. The local produce shop did something like this last year with presents. You could wrap up a present and leave it and if you needed one you could take it.  How lovely. 

Mr. and Mrs. Wishy Washy

 

Ages ago we got a new washer and weeks later we got a new dryer. I got lots of questions about them and I never answered them because of all the stuffing that hit the fan. I was asked how I liked the impeller as opposed to a regular agitator. The answer is.....I love it. 

If I had loads of dirty kids clothes I might not like it but when you've got to wash a newly finished quilt it's perfect. It's nice and gentle. It swishes your clothes very slowly. The glass top lets you see what's going on at all times. I really like that. 

This is the lowest tech model that I could find and it still took some getting used to. It has a mind of its own-as does the dryer, and it will argue with you if you don't pick the right settings for the weight you just stuffed in it. My favorite part is the little song it plays when it's done. The matching dryer does it too and I find it strangely enchanting. 

The matching dryer took forever to get here. I had to go to another store to get it delivered. It was a headache. Then we didn't have the right exhaust tube thingy and that took another 2 weeks to get here. I also forgot to order the haul away service so the old dryer sat here in the way for another week until we could get the city to come pick it up. All these issues made us back off the kitchen remodel. I can't even imagine dealing with that level of DIY under these circumstances. 

Speaking of Mr and Mrs Wishy Washy....here's the 2020 selfie in front of the city tree. The place has been like a ghost town since the numbers went sky high a few weeks ago. That's fine with us. It's nice having the boardwalk to ourselves. 

Friday Felines: Ghost Kitty

 

What do you see on the other side of my knitting stand?

That's our "ghost kitty" Herbie getting mighty close. Ever since Hoover went over Rainbow Bridge we have noticed Herbie getting more and more comfortable being out and about. I rescued him from the woods when he was just a wee one about 10 years ago. He was injured and abandoned by his mother. I've still got her and all of her other kittens too but he's never warmed up to us....until now. 

On quiet mornings I've been throwing a sheet on the couch (my cat allergies) and sitting and knitting a bit on Altheda and lately he's been joining me. That used to be Hoover's job I'm sad to say. I am not actually sure it's me he likes or if it's the sheepy unspun wool that Altheda is being knit from but it's nice that he's finally coming out of the closet.  I do have to keep an eye on him though. He's the one that cost me a fortune when he got into a bag of unwashed fleece. I'm pretty sure he'd make short work of Altheda if he was ever given the chance. 

Rain, Rain.....

 

Pup pretty much summed up the mood yesterday. 

We spent the day by they window hoping to catch a glimpse of some snow. We didn't. It was just rain here. I hate when the weather people get us all excited about snow and then it doesn't happen. I was in a bad mood all day especially when all the family members just north of us kept sending me photos of their snow. 

Then for some reason TCM featured movies about snow all day so I shoved some boxes aside and had a seat on the couch and knit. 

It was so miserable out we didn't even get my birthday takeout. I made a small crockpot of bean soup instead.  It might not have been a winter wonderland outside but the house smelled warm and cozy all day. 

I should also mention that in the crowd of family December birthdays today is Number One Son's. 43 years ago I went to the hospital instead of going to the birthday party my parents were throwing for me and he was born soon after midnight. Best birthday present ever-even better than some snow. 

Sixty Seven

 

What a year. This time last year we were just getting started with the big kitchen remodel and this year......well, you know. We didn't get too far. I wanted to remember this year (as if I'll ever forget it) with my yearly birthday portrait in my mask and standing in the wreckage of my house. 

We've got nothing planned for my big day. Obviously. The Mister made me a card yesterday.

He likes to get into the card room and play with my scrap bin. I always have a lot of leftover critters when I make cards. I knew he was really getting into it when he asked for some glitter. 

We'll probably get some take out tonight. I've already dug into the little cake I got on our last grocery delivery.

Then there is the biggest bottle of boozy eggnog I've ever seen. It was one of those big surprises you get when you do a grocery delivery. I was expecting a small bottle but we got this monster instead. It's just as well. My holiday spirit is in sharp decline at the moment since our big snowstorm turned to rain. Maybe a good snort of the hard stuff will help. It couldn't hurt.