Home, home in the rain

I shut my sleep app off and rolled over. Chris was already up. I went back to sleep but a hot flash woke me up. So it was about 9 when I got up.
I brushed and swished. I paired up a whole pile of squares. I sewed some and left the rest for sewing another day. Chris had the router on already. I drank my water and read e-mail and listened to an interview or two. I made and ate breakfast.
I put on my coat and went with Chris to the tailor to pick up his pants. They needed a clasp put on. I asked if they do embroidery and the guy said not any more since it took so much time. I totally understood.
It was raining all the way home. I kept my coat on for awhile in the house. I heated a bowl of onion and beef soup. I started a new batch of seeds since the current one is almost ready to eat. I dealt with more e-mail. So many of them are for end-of-the-year sales. Any inventory they have left on Dec 31st gets taxed. So much decision making for me, since the sale prices of things I kinda want are so tempting.
I finished sewing the bottom of the green cup. Then I started more saucers, but calling them hot pads because the cups take too long to make. I searched both my laptop and the desktop for an e-book on dental health that I bought years ago. It took an hour or more to find it. It was in a directory marked 'old_puter'.
I put on my heaviest coat, got my umbrella, and braved the rain to get our mail. None of it was actually for us. It was junk mail. But one piece was for someone down the street who might want their alumni newsletter. They'll have to wait.
I cracked three eggs in a Korean bowl and put them in the toaster oven. When I took them out, I added cashews and coconut flakes. It was actually good. Then I worked on the hotpads some more.
At 8, we watched three episodes of DS9. I took my last dose of testosterone for the day. I wonder when I will actually feel some effect. The pharmacy talked about the possible effects, but I feel nothing. I wrote my blog post and went to bed, so I would have a chance of getting up on time tomorrow.
* A work in progress *

The Nutcracker

I stayed in bed late with the heating pad. When I got up, it was after nine. I brushed and swished. I tried to sew the rip in the side seam of the pastor's pants, but there were too many layers of fabric in the way. I sewed some by hand, then stopped to turn on the router. While it warmed up, I made tea and boiled water for nuts. I read some e-mail, then put on an audio. I finished sewing the pants under my magnifying lamp. Black thread on black fabric drove my eyes crazy. When I was finished, I rolled them up and put them by the door. I wrote my last check. I found a fresh batch and put those in my checkbook cover. Then I addressed an envelop and put the check in the mail.
I made and ate breakfast and read more e-mail. Then I got dressed. I went by the housing center to drop off a letter addressed to Owner at our home address. It was from the Virginia Health and Human Services. I figured it was a mistake of some kind.
Then I drove to the movie theater to wait for Leanne. When she arrived, she wanted to pay for my ticket as a birthday present. She paid at the new kiosk. I was surprised there was a kiosk because making people pay at the concession stand meant they might buy popcorn on impulse.
Anyway, we got to the auditorium just in time to see all the previews. I don't remember them, but several seemed worth watching. The only way I can describe the movie is to say the Nutcracker meets Harry Potter meets Lion, Witch and Wardrobe meets Alice in Wonderland. It kept our attention very well. I almost did not recognize Kiera Knightly or Helen Mirren. Afterward, Leanne and I talked for a bit, then went our separate ways.
When I got home, I checked the mail. There was one piece for our neighbor. I took it over to her. We joked that it was the post office meet-your-neighbor program. She gave me a Christmas card. We had a nice chat until her husband came home. Then I went home to find that Chris had arrived.
I talked to Chris for a bit. He wouldn't kiss me because he was coming down with a cold. I played a quilting video. I ate a handful of soaked nuts. I made and ate a salad. I read through more e-mail. There was an article on shungite, a stone that helps with EMF. She said real shungite is electrically conductive. So I tested mine and it was. I knew I wasn't imagining that it helps me when I wear it.
I worked on fabric cups and saucers. At 8, I stopped to brush my teeth and swish. We watched two episodes of DS9, then the pilot episode of The Jetsons, which came on DVD from Netflix. I drank my kava tea, and took progesterone and put a troche of testosterone under my tongue. Then I sat down to write my blog post. I took some extra vitamin C and glutathione because of Chris. I also leveled up the version of Holosync on my mp3 headphones. Hopefully that will put me to sleep tonight.
* A new one and two older ones. *

A time for heat

In the middle of the night (or so I thought), I woke up cold. I remembered that Chris had turned off the heat while we watched TV so we could hear the voices. I got up to turn on the heat and went back to bed. Sadly, I couldn't sleep. After a bit, I heard Chris' alarm ring. He got up, got ready and went to work. I might have slept after that, but I don't think so. I pulled the heating pad over me and turned it on. I pulled the covers over it and then got sleepy. I stayed in bed until 8:20.
I finally got up, swished, and sewed pieces of a saucer together. I turned on the router. I emptied the bucket of wash water, and hung coats up. I have so many but I do wear them all. I listened to the last episode of Interconnected. They recommended root vegetables and prebiotic foods, plus fermented foods.
I rinsed the sprouts, and made tea. I boiled water to soak nuts. I read e-mail for awhile, then made hummus. I cleaned up the utensils, and then made and ate breakfast.
I did a quick search for coordinating fabric for small projects. Then I put my sewing gear in the car and went to quilting.
There were lots of ladies there but they didn't stay long after I arrived. Nothing personal, I hope. Finally it was just Pat, Leanne and me. Leanne was working on an embroidered tablerunner. Pat had a quilt but wasn't working on it, just talking to us. I traced templates and cut out pieces, and sewed them together to make saucers. But I ran out of batting.
At 3 I packed up to go home. Leanne and I decided to see a movie tomorrow and made specific plans. Then we all left and I went home.
I checked the house mail. I found some sheets of plastic to put over the plants outside. I put some Christmas lights under the plastic to help keep them warm. I made salad while heating soup and read e-mail. Chris came home from work. We talked about our days. I read more e-mail. I ate soup and then pickled beets. I put together an Amazon order.
By 7 I had my laptop set up in the guest room. My tapping buddy called me and we worked on procrastination. It seemed to be effective for both of us. After the call, Chris and I watched two episodes of DS9. Chris made his lunch and went to bed. I stayed up to blog and charge my phone.
* These are Leanne's embroidered blocks. *

National day of mourning

There were no alarms to wake me up because my phone was not here. I suspected it was at church. I stayed in bed with Chris until he got up. Because it is a national day of mourning for George Bush, he did not have to go to work.
I sewed, and swished. I listened to interviews as I heated water and made coffee, and did my special exercises. I also took some supplements. Then I put on meditation music. I did many rounds of tapping and some meditation.
All sorts of alarms went off outside, but no emergency was announced. It has happened before, so that I ignore them. But that's not a good thing, is it? I told Chris that meditation morning was over so he could move around and make noise or whatever. I cleaned the bathrooms and the kitchen. I washed dishes in the sink. Then I vacuumed and mopped floors. While the floors dried, I read e-mail. Then I took a shower and got dressed.
I did a little sewing while I waited for the time of departure. Then I drove to the gas station on post for a quick fill up. I put in my credit card. When 'Wait a moment' disappeared, the new message was 'POS unavailable'. There wasn't time to go inside, so I left and went to the Korean clinic, arriving at 2. It was locked up tight with a sign that they will be open tomorrow. I kinda remembered her saying “See you Thursday” when I delivered the blankets on Monday. But I also remember telling her she could pay me on Wednesday, and she didn't correct me. Anyway, I went home.
I sent her an e-mail that I had come by. I read an article on cellular bioenergetics. But it was too long and complicated to finish. I went for a walk. Twice I saw three white-tailed deer running in a pack. But they ran like dogs.
I watched a video on better brain function from better posture. Then Chris and I took my car to the gas station. He had no trouble pumping gas. I filled out the book, surprised to see that gas was down to $1.99. I remarked on it while we drove to the recycling center to drop off two bags of glass jars. I wished we had brought the whole bin since no one picked it up this week.
I was frightfully cold on the whole trip. When we got back, I heated a bowl of soup in the toaster oven. It seemed slow compared to our gas oven.
After eating, I put on a sweatshirt and my warmest coat. I drove to choir practice in relative warmth. I put the bank bag in the safe, picked up my phone from the secretary's desk, then went to the sanctuary. I gave Cecelia the supplement she ordered and she paid me. Then Jennifer warmed up the choir and we practiced several songs. After practice, Pastor gave me a pair of his pants to mend, saying it didn't matter how long it took and that he was willing to pay. It occurred to me later that they were truly Holy pants.
I went home. I ate some blueberries and drank kava tea while we watched two episodes of DS9. Then Chris went to bed. I stayed up to blog and take my evening supplements. I also searched my laptop for the Jackie Lawson Advent Calendar. There was no icon on the desktop. I had to go to the original e-mail and click on the link. I was able to see the calendar and decorate a tree, but there was no sound. Maybe tomorrow.
* From Renegades. Some people can make a beautiful quilt out of anything. *

Two quilts now on my to-do list

I had a hard time getting up after the phone alarm went off. I put it down to going to bed too late last night. I started my morning routine about 8:15. I made tea and boiled water for nuts. I soaked and rinsed the seeds and the sprouts. I sewed some 4-patches. I checked e-mail and listened to some interviews.
I got dressed, and grabbed some quilt stuff. I got in my car and saw the neighbors had their recycling bins out. So I dashed back in the house and threw stuff in two bags and left them in a bin by the driveway. Then I went to quilting.
I brought all my quilt stuff inside, noting how cold it was. I looked at books on the table that were free to a good home. But my home is full. I tried to help Beverly and Anita and Robin spray baste a quilt in the hallway. But the smell was too strong. When they were done, I helped Beverly sew strips to a foundation. When most ladies were gone, Beverly helped me baste two quilt tops. My spray had a very sweet smell to it, so it did not bother me. It was too cold to walk, so I packed up afterward, and left.
I went to the Asian store and bought kimbap and another brand of pickled garlic. The lady said the right brand would be here Thursday. I would be rich if I had a dollar for every time I heard that.
I went home. I ate kimchi with the kimbap, some pickled garlic, and played interviews:
As cancer is rising, microbial diversity is decreasing. Is there a connection? There are different types of bacteria around cancerous cells versus healthy ones. Microbes are a key link in cell signaling.
I gathered my money-counting sheets and prepared to drive away. But my neighbor was outside cleaning the inside of her car. So we chatted for a bit. But it was so cold, I had to go.
I drove to the church. I counted the offering, put together two deposits, recorded it all on the computer and printed out reports. Just as I was leaving, the pastor came in. I bid him good day and went to the bank. The teller joked with me as she ran the checks and processed the deposits. It went well, and I went home.
After I parked, I got the house mail. There was one piece and it was for a previous resident. So I wrote 'not at this address' and put it back in the mail. I saw that Chris picked up lots of packages from the post office and left them on my chair. It felt like Christmas.
I picked some dandelion in the back yard. Then I made a salad and ate it while checking e-mail. I opened all the packages and put the contents away. I made more chia/flax mix. I listened to interviews on brain health while working on a teacup handle. I had made one a month ago and now couldn't remember how to do it.
At 8, we watched two episodes of DS9. I went back to the interviews while typing up my blog and cutting out pieces for a saucer.
* This is Cindi's quilt, which she finished yesterday. *

Profitable day

I got up at 7, and ran through my early morning routine, sewing several squares together. I soaked new seeds, and the sprouts, which are ready to eat. I put away the dishes in the dishdrainer. I got dressed and put tissue paper in the bag to cover the embroidered blankets.
I drove to the Korean clinic, and sat in my car waiting. I was a little early. Right on time, they drove up. Dr. Grace greeted me at my car. I got out and handed her the bag and showed her my work. She liked it. She asked how much and I told her $100. It was hard for me to charge so much, but I figured it was the best way to not get asked again. Quark would have be proud. Dr. Grace was a little taken aback, but did not argue. We went inside and she introduced me to her daughter and boyfriend. Then Dr. Grace led me outside where she pulled the cash from her purse and paid me. I thanked her and went home.
I read e-mail while listening to interviews. I ate a fat bomb, and later made breakfast. I placed a Swanson order. It was nearly noon when I finished the second interview. I grabbed a few projects, and loaded them in the trunk with my sewing gear.
I went to quilting. I gave Dinah the bag with the 7 quilts that the Tuesday group had given me. She was very thankful. She took them to the church office. I set up my machine and quilted the saucer I made on Saturday. Then I pressed a quilt top. I also cut fabric to make nine-patch blocks. Bertha was working on some embroidered panels that fit together to make an ornament. They were so pretty, that I forgot to take a picture! Before she left, she put out horse blocks for anyone who wanted them. No one did, so I took them. Then everyone was gone but Carolyn and me. I sewed a little longer, but she hinted at leaving, so I packed up. She locked up behind me.
I went home, and checked the mail, but it hadn't gone yet. I ironed the horse scraps that seemed to go with the blocks. Then I went for a walk because it was nice weather. When I got back, I looked through a box marked 'finished projects'. Then I looked for matching fabric for a second set of horse blocks. I listened to another interview, and ate cheese and nuts. I posted quilt pics to the Facebook page of the Monday group.
Chris came home, too late to stop by the post office. I checked the house mail and there was one letter to both of us. It was from the church, asking for money for staff gifts. I made a salad. As I ate, I listened to an episode of the Autoimmune summit. I called Dad to remind him to eat fat bombs. He sounded very clear and focused. That was encouraging. I read past unread e-mails, clearing some out.
Then I researched remineralizing compounds. But so far, every one had some objectionable ingredient. Then we watched two episodes of DS9. I took my evening magnesium and progesterone. I typed up my blog and went to bed.
* These are the quilts from our group that got blessed on Sunday. With the ones that came in today, there are 25, which is pretty good for a month's notice. They are going to another church which is having a party for abused kids. *

Finished

When my sleep app and phone alarm went off, Chris was already up. I thought about staying in bed, but time was short. I got up for the usual morning routine. Chris asked me what I wanted on the grocery list. I listened to an episode while checking e-mail. But before it was over, I had to pause it to shower and dress for church. As I got out of the shower, Chris brought my phone over, saying a man was called about a party. I was about to ask him how many kids we were making quilts for and he said there would be 58 kids and they already had 35 quilts. I thanked him and hung up. I dashed off a note to Dinah asking how many quilts she had. But there wasn't time for a reply. I sliced up some cheese and put it in a bag with seed crackers. That went in the trunk, and I went to church.
I got there in time for the choir warm-up. Then I visited the fellowship hall where Aggie's Arts was selling necklaces, crosses, small bowls, and ornaments – all made of paper. It was a fundraiser for their organization. The cost was a donation. Having to choose what to buy and how much to pay for it was too much effort for me. I talked to Tim about counting the offering over the holidays. Then I went to the sanctuary and sat down.
Don was there, and I gave him the blank check he had put in the offering plate last week. Then I read my bulletin.
There were a lot of announcements before the service, so it got started late. It went well. The pastor talked about cooking a turkey at 500F. After the service, I promised Don I would see him next week. I talked to Ron about Stewardship. Then I headed out to Renegades.
I parked and brought in my sewing gear and food and gift bag. The ladies were still sewing and there was no room for me to set up. So I stood at the cutting table trimming blocks. Soon it was lunch time. We put out the food and got in line. Then we sat around 4 large tables and shared our meal. After the meal, there was a small break, during which I trimmed more blocks. Then we gathered at the tables again for the party games.
For the first game, we got a paper plate and a sharpie. We put the plates on our heads and drew elements of a picture as she described it. Then we looked at our pics. She had us grade it by certain criteria, like did the tree touch the floor? How many ornaments were actually on the tree? Was the star above the tree? Did the stocking touch the mantel?
Then she passed out paper and we had to write sewing lyrics to “These are a few of my favorite things”. We got points for mentioning certain things, most of which I didn't. There was an ugly Christmas hat contest. Since three of us didn't wear anything on our heads, we were appointed judges. It was tough. Finally we voted the leader's hat as the one we would least want to wear in public. Then we drew numbers and chose gift bags. Each one had two fat quarters in it. Since we weren't supposed to open them, the ones that got stolen were the best decorated.
Some people left after that. I set up a table with Lynette and sewed the trimmed blocks together. But before I finished, it was time to pack up. I ran the vacuum while others took out the trash and put up chairs. Then we all left.
When I got home, Chris was cooking beef and onion soup. The weather was so nice that I wanted to go for a walk, but did not have time. I set up stabilizer in the hoop, then realized it was too small and changed to the bigger hoop. Then the image came up sideways on the sewing machine screen. So I had to re-save it to the card with the background turned the other way. But then I couldn't move it around on the screen. So back to the computer. I saved in yet another format. Then I ironed the figure on the napkin to the stabilizer. I futzed with the machine to get the design centered on the image. There was more to it, but eventually I stitched out a heart shape around the figure, trimmed the rest of the fabric away, and satin-stitched around it, and embroidered the words. The satin-stitch was too narrow so I widened it on the second one. I took a break to eat soup and finished the episode. Then I played around with the second one and finally stitched it out. But it wasn't centered as well. Then Chris and I watched DS9 while I stitched the hearts to the blankets by hand. Chris thought the result looked really good. I hoped she wouldn't like it too much.
After TV and stitching, I retired to my laptop to type up my blog and swish. Then I took progesterone and went to bed.
* It takes a lot longer than it looks. *