Feeling Disconcerted...

...and strangely detached. I got some very bad news this morning from our Vicar. A friend, the person who used to be our church musician, watched her husband die in front of her last night. 

Yeah. 

I'm still fiddling with that in my head, as we celebrate a day to be thankful and have ourselves surrounded by family, even the Crazy Uncles and the Crabby Aunts. 

He was 59. Diabetic. Took his insulin dose, and somehow, the part that boggles my mind: his sugar crashed. She tried to get sugar down him (she's apparently been down this road before), and it didn't work. He started speaking gibberish, keeled over and was dead on the floor. 

She's calm. Too calm; brain has blocked everything, I think. 

So I met him twice, maybe? They lived far out of town, and he wasn't a church-goer. We would tease him that, in our church, he could walk in and the roof wouldn't cave...

I'm sad and broken-hearted for her for many reasons. 

Today, in among your celebrations, look around the table, and even if in the moment, that relative is driving you nuts? Give thanks for them anyway. 

Wellness Wins...

F/k/a "Weight Watchers." I joined up again. I need to get myself under control; honestly, I tend to "emotionally eat," and I need to curb that. 

WW used to be Weight Watchers, but has recently changed their name & mission to "Wellness Wins" -- so as to not lose the very recognizable logo? Pardon me, my cynicism is showing. 

Anyway, I do eat clean for the most part, and they've changed so a lot of the fruits & veg are "zero points" which is good for me. But I'm kind of shocked at the points values for some stuff, like this Chocolate Protein Chia Pudding that I've recently become addicted to. It's almond milk, chia seeds, 1/4 scoop of  chocolate protein powder and nuts/berries. Shake it all up in a jar, let it set overnight (or in my case,  2 days?). And then you're good to go - add the berries (or fruit you like) and chopped almonds. Breakfast, and it DOES keep you full till lunch. I guess you could use a different flavor of protein powder if you want. But the chocolate does "scratch an itch" especially when you're trying to lose weight. 

But it's like 8 or 9 points. I get 23 for the day, which is fine - it's what I got over the last time I was in. But somehow, this seems to be a great amount for what it is. 

So for the first few weeks, I'm just tracking and "kind of" following the program. I've lost a bit already, just tracking and being more aware of what I'm eating. I'm also logging my exercise, just to get in the groove of doing that. I was on the ElliptiKILL this morning for almost 40 minutes. It's not that I don't like it. I do, seriously. Just don't have the time. 

I survived (mostly) the Thanksgiving meal; though I do love my brandied sweet potatoes, and my mom's stuffing. I didn't bring the stuffing home. I did bring the sweet potatoes home. There's not a lot of brandy in the "brandied" part. About 2 tablespoons or so, over 8 or 9 sweet potatoes. 

Thanksgiving Again...

Today is, of course, Thanksgiving. Apart from the news I gave you up at the top, today was going to be a day of knitting, starting the Christmas baking and doing a few things around the house. 

I'm doing all that, but with that "in a bubble" thing going on in my head. Hubby is doing a turkey breast tonight (leftovers in my family get distributed ASAP). He's working now on an Apple Cranberry Chutney. I'm doing skillet baked potatoes and I did start on the Christmas baking. I've got "Snow on the Mountain" and "Chocolate Shortbread" dough in the fridge; one batch each. I've already done Molasses Ginger Cookies. One batch. 


I'm thinking one batch of each thing I'm doing, except for the Pineapple Crescents and perhaps the Filled Cookies. 

All in all, I love being in my kitchen. It's my happy place, and I'm happiest looking at the"Baking Cupboard" - where all my supplies are. I love my well-stocked kitchen. 

It's where I go when I want to feel like I'm actually in control of something. 

Too often, we're in control of...nothing. 

Here, though? I know my equipment, I know my spices and other ingredients. I know my oven and stove. All my pots are hanging over my head; all my pans are tucked into the cabinets. The spoons, spatulas, whisks and knives are all in their appointed spots. 

Pretty much everything I'm involved in requires scheduling and planning. But in my kitchen, I can be a little bit of a free soul and cook or bake with imagination. 

Today, in my little "baking nook," I was kind of surprised to see that I'm down to one box of unsweetened chocolate. For me? That's actually quite unusual. Somehow, I've got a raft of the semi-sweet, and now I'm down to 1 square (4 oz) of the unsweetened. 

I've added it to the list. Had enough to make the Snow on the Mountain cookies, which required 3 squares. 

I may add to the Christmas Cookie list. Make some almond bread or pear bread. That gives me some alternative items for my cookie trays. I've got time to think about it. 

Tomorrow, more baking, hoping to whack out as much as I can over this long weekend. Hubby can do his during the day, because he's home more; but I need to get mine done while I have time at home. Last year, he did most of it, and while I loved that he did, I was irritated. Yes, irritated. Because I do enjoy it and it bothered me that this most elemental part of the holiday was out of my hands. 

This year, I want to take back a little. Maybe feel like I have something I can contribute. 

Knitting...

Trying to finish The Fourth Hat. I'm kinda over the whole pattern, but I'm plugging along, a few more rows from the decreases. Once I decrease, it'll go faster. I'm anxious to start something new -- or at least pick up something that I'd set aside for these hats. 

My list, in part, is like this:

1. February Lady Sweater
2. Green Sock
3. Petty Harbour Socks
4. Grapevine Wreath Scarf
5. Bigger on the Inside Sock
6. Sole to Sole Sock
7. Cookie A's Monkey Socks (just started...)
8. Kid #2 Afghan

This doesn't include the yarn that I have that needs to be knitted up. The beautiful caramel-color silk and a baby set that I'm planning to stash. Plus some TARDIS Blue Bah Ram Ewe laceweight - I'm still looking at patterns for that one. I have one skein so I need to make it a good one. 

I'll pull something out this weekend. Not sure which of these will be The One, but I've got to get something done that isn't a hat. 

Essential Oils...

Today, in the diffuser, I have Christmas Spirit. It's not "early" - I'll diffuse that a lot in the chilly weather. There's a great blend called "Thankful" (I mean you'd blend this yourself): Two drops EACH: Cypress, Sacred Sandalwood and Idaho Balsam Fir. That's for tomorrow. 

I bought the Llama as a Christmas ornament, but since he stands up on his own? He stands next to my Lantern diffuser. The sheep? Bought that at the Diocesan Convention. It's felted, and it's from L'Arche, Bethlehem. 

And I got something else at the convention: This bath gel. I normally stick to Young Living Essential Oils, but I couldn't resist this gel from Thistle Farms. Find the link here. So much of what they do resonates with me. They bring women out of prostitution, sex trafficking - dangerous situations. And they give them shelter and a job. 

This is a very nice geranium scent. It's worth looking at their site to see if you can help them. I'd rather be helping an organization that gives back. The holidays are coming, and you can do a lot of good with your consumer dollars, if you prefer to shop that way. 

Young Living has a foundation, and we give money to a number of different causes; and they also provide work locally at the farms that are owned by the company or in cooperation with the farmers in other countries. 

We shop for the holidays; may as well do some good on another level if we can, right?

Random Picture...

As I was pottering around the kitchen, trying to wrap my head around my friend's husband's death, I looked out the window. Our milkweed has popped. It's colder than heck outside, even with the sunshine, and there's a bit of a breeze blowing - kind of cuts right through you. I popped out and snapped this picture. 

Just now, I ran out to get some Rosemary off the bush. Using it in the turkey breast and the potatoes. 

Milkweed is blowing in the wind, which I'm sure won't please the neighbors, but we'll have a nice bit of a patch for next year. 

It's the time of year where we're cleaning up for "the last time" with the leaves, with the garden, and packing away anything that would have been outside - hummingbird feeders, yard ornaments such as the gazing balls and the hand tools I generally leave on the porch for ease of grabbing when I feel like fiddling in the garden. 

When the milkweed is done blowing, we'll take down the stakes for the winter. We'll figure out what we're doing for Christmas decorations over this weekend. We like to get them up now, while the weather is half-way decent. We're not the type to light them up early - like some in our neighborhood who put them up right after Halloween. And light them right after Halloween. No, thanks!

This holiday - the day to give thanks - thank you! Yes, YOU. Thank you for reading the stuff I send into "inter-space." I love to hear from you, so don't be shy about commenting! Thank Whoever you thank and give a thought to those who aren't able to be with loved ones this year. 

Random Stuff Today...

Aside from the idiot-in-chief claiming that "Democrats vote, go change their shirt, and vote again," as if Election Judges were blind as freakin' bats?? I mean, Jesus, Mary & Joseph. On a stick. 

Sorry, the continual barrage of stupid is getting more and more unbearable. 

Let's get to the good stuff. 

Early Thanksgiving...

As has been our custom, this year, Thanksgiving for our family is actually the Sunday before. This year, I'm feeling cheated. Thanksgiving is usually near Hubby's birthday, and this year, it feels extremely early. That's not fair. I need time to process the speed-of-light stuff going on in 2018 and an early Thanksgiving is just not right. 

On top of that, I'm a bit peeved... I'm working (as usual, it seems, and yes, I'm feeling a bit pressured...) and so Hubby will be doing the turkey this year. I'll be doing the sweet potatoes on Saturday night. Kid #2 will be at the house on Sunday to do the potatoes (the cheesy ones he does every year) while we're at church and then it's off to my mom's house. 

We're trimming the menu this year - or at least we're trying. Hubby found the largest turkey I've ever seen - a 28-lb. one. 

Yes, I'd rather have an organic one. Free range. But I'm outvoted every year and you know what? Some battles you just can't win. One year, I got a "heritage turkey" and someone didn't put out the whole bird - my family thought I'd gotten a little 12-pounder. That was the end of that. They want what they want. 

We're doing it a little differently this year, though. Roasting it with garlic, so that could be interesting. 

The Titanic...

So, today I had to drive Hubby's vehicle in to work. I call it "The Titanic" because it's a lot bigger than mine. Everyone says there's "not much difference" between an Edge and an Explorer, but thank you very much: there is! 

My truck needed a new hub bearing, and we also had to have a sensor replaced. They ordered the wrong sensor. 

It's back now, and I can drive my own cozy little truck to work. Good job that I got the thing fixed, but I had a bit of "sticker shock."

My sunroof "lid" (the part that matches the interior of the car that you close when you don't want sun pounding down onto you) managed to get loose while The Kid and I were in Colorado. Hubby tried to fix it, but it wasn't working and with the weather change, the fabric was getting loose again. 

I asked him to ask the dealer to estimate the repair. FIFTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS. 

Are you kidding me? $500 for the parts (???) and $1,000 for the labor because you apparently have to take the entire thing apart to do this. 

Ummmmm. What the heck?? So we're going to talk to our "body guy" (my brother's best friend) and see if we can get something done a little cheaper. Hubby says, "That's why I always have mine open." But I don't like to drive with the sun on my head, thanks. And what's the point of having something that's able to be closed, except you can't close it? 

The Knitting...

Well, this is my time of year! I get to wear All The Knitted Things. I've been enjoying my socks (and boy, do I wish I could be knitting on the WIPs and the new ones I want to start!). And I'm able to wear my shawlettes. And I'm wearing my mitts. 

It's not quite scarf weather yet, but I've worn my pink march hat a couple of times already. 

This is the first time I've worn the "wingspan" shawlette that I made from the Sally Melville book, using the alpaca lace-weight, with size 7 needles. I would like to make this one again, with sock yarn, maybe. 

And at the lunch break, I was working on the last of the Christmas hats. I'm honestly tired of this pattern and I can't wait to finish this one off. 

Like I said, I just want to be knitting the other stuff. 

But it was rolling along today, as I pulled up a Sherlock Holmes video on my laptop. I normally don't bring my laptop to the job, but the other job has gotten busy, so I have to work through lunch, I guess. 

Maybe this is why I'm frustrated at not being able to cook Thanksgiving dinner - I'm pulled in a few too many directions right now. 

Anyway, the red stripe is the first one, and I'm very pleased at how it's going to look. I think this will be the "classiest" one of all of them. 

But I'll still be happy to knit something else. At this point? Almost anything else. Even baby stuff. 

Of course, the leftovers will be used for the prayer patches; I'm still churning those out. 

I may, though, make a "scrappy hat" using the blue or the gold for the base and doing just one more hat. Maybe. Someone can talk me out of it, please...

Speaking of which I do have some stash to do a baby layette. Just waiting. Got some interesting colors: burgundy and pumpkin. Before you poo-poo it, let me tell you that it looks really interesting. 

I like different colorways for baby stuff, unless Mommy wants the pastels. 

The Banner...

The banner is coming along. Sort of. I'm definitely a crafter, not a seamstress. 


I stitched up the base - the duck cloth. Hubby drew the tree. We had quite the discussion about how big the tree was supposed to be. There was no good answer. I was given the dimensions, and my hands are kind of tied. 

The tree is done; I had to cut out the adhesive stuff, and then iron it on to the brown fabric. 

Then I had to iron that onto the base. 


Hubby finished drawing the outline on the adhesive bonding product with a Sharpie marker. That actually marked up my ironing board pad. Irretrievably, I think. 

I'll wash it, but I'm pretty sure I have to buy a new one. 

I'm going to "cheat" a bit, because of time and my own sewing skills. I'm going to outline the tree on the base cloth with fabric paint - the stuff that's dimensional, and that we used to use to make the "painted sweatshirts" back a decade or so ago. I was pretty good with those - but it's been a while. Anyway, that should work, but my only concern will be the hand prints. 

Because of the constraints of the dimensions, it's going to be interesting to not have the "hand print leaves" look like a muddy mess! An adult hand print will be pretty large! Kids' prints will work better, honestly, but we don't have a lot of kids at the church. 

I'll do the painting Friday night or Saturday. It's got to be at the church on Sunday for the first batch of prints. Wish me luck! 

Random Picture...

Yes, it's blurry. It's not your eyes. This is from several years ago, when Tippi and I used to do therapy work outside the lunchroom at Lewis University. We used to go during the day, and we'd see so many students. 

She was younger then, too, and a ball of energy. This is her, getting the Zoomies when one of her favorite students came by. 

I used to use a 15-foot lead, which I don't do anymore. She tangles up too many students! 

Anyhow, we still go to Lewis, but we're in the evenings, in the Library. And Tippi's slowing down some. Her coat's not what it used to be; she's got some bald patches and she's a little less energetic. Actually, we'll be trimming her hours a bit in the next few weeks. 

She's 10 - going on 11 in January. When she's got to go potty, she's GOT to go. And the 2-hour visits are getting to be a tiny bit too long for her bladder. 

This makes me happy - this picture shows her true personality and her joy. But it also makes me sad, because she's an "elder dog" now. That black muzzle is grey now. The eyes are a tad dim. And she doesn't "zoomie" as much. 

They steal your heart. And break it. And I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Not Quite a Hat...

The good news is that I didn't finish a hat. 

You read that correctly. 

See, it's this way: I was an election judge and it was the mid-terms. Well; I've done this before and usually mid-terms are a fantastic place to sit there staring at each other and eat too many donuts get knitting done. 

Mid-terms 2018, though? A very different story. And I figured I'd also toss out a challenge; maybe it didn't affect me personally, but I'm hoping it spurred some folks off the couch. That being said, it was impressive to see the voters come out to vote on a rainy, freezing, crappy day. 

And we were busy. Didn't do much knitting at all, and that's ok with me. Because I also didn't eat all that many donuts either (three donut holes, if you please).    

We had over 55% turn-out statewide. We had, in our precinct, 430 people. Kept us busy, and we registered 5 new voters. 

My challenge, issued on Facebook, was this: "Don't let me finish this hat! Come out and vote, and prevent me from finishing the hat -- can you do that?"

Well, I don't know who took me up on it, because nobody I know as a FB friend showed up. But about 5 p.m., the hat got put away for good because we had 2 hours of solid people. 

By the way, in this blue colorway? A few things I don't necessarily like... The yarn has more of a "halo" than the red did. So stitch definition is a bit wonky. I'm wondering if it'll improve once I get past the ribbing. Speaking of ribbing: Ktbl is a royal pain in the caboose. I'm also doing one more row of ribbing because I had one extra stitch, and I k2tog and started the NEXT row as Row 1 of the ribbing. Nobody will ever know. You'll keep that under your hat, right? 

This is getting red stripes. It's so striking and picks up the little bits of red in the blue yarn. I'm hoping that the lack of halo on the red yarn won't be too much of a contrast with the blue. 

It was fantastic because we were so busy. Blue Wave notwithstanding, I was so happy with the turnout! 

And on top of this, I got squishy mail and I want to sit and pet it and squeeze it and call it George (10 points if you get the reference...). 

This is ONE HUNDRED PERCENT Mulberry Silk from Expression Fiber Arts. It was on special because it's not quite up to their standards; but I'm thinking it could be a really great yarn for the Chocolate Diamonds pattern. Go here for the link to the company and look through the gorgeous free patterns. 

I'm hoping that, with the 100% silk, it doesn't collapse on me, but I also might look for a shawl pattern as a back-up. This yarn just glows. Because it's silk, I don't think I'd do a sweater, even if I'd purchased enough. I think it would hang in a not-so-cool way. A shawl or capelet might work better; we'll see. The cowl will come in handy with just about everything I own, so maybe that'll just work out and I can finish it up. 

Notorious RBG...

Someone mail bubble wrap to Justice Ginsburg! She fell and broke 3 ribs; but she's already back at work. God love her. 

I wrote her a thank-you and get well card. 

Yeah, it's fan mail. I don't care. Yeah, I'm kind of gushing. I don't care. 

I want her to survive as long as she's able to do so. We need her because the court's already tilted too far to one side and growing up, I never thought they were "sides." They were the ultimate court, and they were beyond reproach. As we now know - that was blasted to smithereens with the Kavanaugh hearings and ultimate shoving down our throats confirmation, at which many of us are still gagging.

So I thought I'd write her a note. You never know. A hand-written note is a nice thing to do, and the support may just make her day. If she ever sees it. And who knows about that, too? Maybe she won't, and some staffer will look at it and send me a form letter. Or do nothing at all, and I'll never know. 

I don't care. It made me feel like I'm doing something positive for someone I admire. It's all about just doing something positive, especially when you're not feeling so positive about everything else going on. Send her some loves, folks!!

The Banner & The Bottle...

Two disparate things, but oh well... The banner is moving along; I've ironed it out and rolled both pieces up. This weekend, it's "tree time" because I have to get it to the church the week after. Luckily, no more elections... 

This is why you do a quick basted stitch up the side of cotton. The blasted thing raveled like crazy. The quilt fabric didn't ravel hardly at all, but it's kind of meant to not do that. Duck cloth, on the other hand? Pffffffffffffffthhhhhhhh. Right up the side. 

It took quite a bit of time to iron this out, and I doubled it only because I didn't have the room to iron it in one layer. My steam iron got a workout that it hasn't had in ages. 

I don't iron stuff. Who does, anymore? I mean, most of what I wear to work consists of yoga clothes, so when they're washed, I just dry 'em and hang them up. 

All of my "work" clothes are really, really casual. The couple of blouses I have are permanent-press, and I wear them over tank tops. Layers, kids. Layers. 

So this weekend: measure out the main part of the banner and stitch it up. Make a tree and at least pin it to the background. 

Should be easy. I've got time. 

The bottle - I got this at the rummage sale a few years ago, and thought I'd use it as a bud vase. But it never quite got there. Instead, I use it with the orchids. It's the perfect size for watering. 

Makes me feel so "Martha Stewart" to have this little bottle on my plant shelf. I think I paid a quarter for it. 

Speaking of the orchids, I lost the rootless one. It molded on the remaining base - I knew I should've kept a better eye on it, and I'm sort of sad. But I still have the keiki (the baby)...Hoping that it's going to be ok. 

It's a little more tricky to do these in glass vases, but I think overall they'll be healthier. I just have to get my rhythm as to watering and humidifying. 

Let it Snow...

The first snow of the season - the first significant snow of the season, I should say, happened today. Everyone was freaking out about it yesterday. 

Bulletin: We're in Illinois. It's November. Get over it. 

I'm leaving the pumpkin out for a bit longer; someone's eating it so I'll just let them have their food source. It's no skin off my nose; and it keeps whatever it is from digging up my garden. 

Enjoy, buddy!

The mums had a frosting on them, and the parsley is now toast... I think we got the last of it from a few weeks ago. 

We have a frozen flamingo! I'm leaving him out just for comic relief. Hubby just came in from the dogs' "Last Call" and he says it's "stinkin' cold" out there. The winds are nearly 20 miles per hour, and while we're done with snow for a while, it's still a bit nippy. 

Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny, but no higher than the mid-20s. 

Again - it's November. Time for All the Wool Things and hot cocoa, and soups and stews. 

And snow.

Random Picture...

This is, of course, Quinn. It's her birthday. She's 9. 


I can't believe it. 

But when I see her in the hallway, and I'm not quite paying attention? I think it's Tippi. 

She's still a tail-wagging, wriggle-butt and loves her momma... 

This weekend sometime, she'll get her sardines and we'll celebrate her. 

She's my snuggle-bug and it makes me a little sad to see the grey round her muzzle. She can still, however, jump about 4 feet in the air. 

Things Done and Things Left Undone...

That title up there is actually a line from our post-communion prayer at church, but it seemed to fit nicely today...

So, some stuff got done. Some stuff is still left undone, but I'm working on it. 

Prayer Patches... Yes, an ongoing project. Worked on some at lunch, have a few working at home. As we're collecting these, it's cool to see the different sizes - some are making small squares, some are doing rectangles and it's kind of interesting to see what's being used for yarn. Most of mine are left-overs - they have a story... "this was from Manu's layette; this one is a kid's hat; this one is from a scarf I made for Hubby." I love that these yarns were used for projects for people, even though yes, I have purchased a few balls of yarn for this project. 

Just being able to complete these, rather than having to stare at a whole Prayer Shawl that I know will take me forever? This is a great idea. 

Christmas Knitting... Well, one hat down, one to go. Unless I get a streak going, which - honestly? Isn't likely. One year, maybe I'll start early and do hats for all the nephews. This one is ideally for Kid #1, who loves red. Though like I said, he's got a navy blue coat, so maybe he'd like the other color of the one I'm planning for Kid #2. 

This is the Lion Brand Wool-Ease, and of course the Emergency One Day Hat, which in this case took me ten or eleven days. I didn't knit straight on this - I've got 3 part-time jobs, so while I did have times where I had "solid whacks of knitting," mostly this was row-by-row after a yoga class or when I had a few moments. 

All in all, I still adore this hat; this time, I skipped a K2tog somewhere, and I had a little "pip" at the tip of the hat - which I promptly pulled to the inside! I suppose I could add pom-poms to this if I wanted to do that. And I might - my friend Kelly at Le Mouton Rouge has some fantastic ones available! And yes, she does mail-order if you need it. I'm going out there December 1st with my friend Roberta the Opera Singer, and I'm pretty sure that I won't only be window-shopping... 

Decreases - wow, so magical! As you can see here (I hope), the evenly placed "blades" really add some style to this hat. 

One of these days, I may try this hat in a hand-painted, or marled yarn. Not necessarily a self-patterning one, but one where I have lovely colors working through the entire thing. Hubby could use a new hat, but I'm not sure this one can fit him, since it's literally a kid's hat! 

The Vicar's Banner... So for some idiotic reason, I volunteered to do a banner for the Vicar's installation. Why do I do this? Why? What's going on in my brain? Obviously, a cognizance of time is severely lacking. 


(Hubby is hauling in a stash of yoga chairs - they've been recalled and have to be disposed of - we had to buy new ones, which wasn't fun. But neither is a student in a collapsed chair!)

Sooooooo. Trip to the fabric store after germinating an idea. This is the idea: a tree, where we can dip our palms in paint and add "leaves." At first, I was told to do greens, but the Vicar wants LOTS of color, so I bought paints of all the autumn shades I could find. 

I got duck cloth - heavy stuff, because it's a banner that has to hang straight. Then I called my mom... I was pretty sure that I had to wash it first, because most fabrics have a finish on them. I was concerned that the finish would preclude the paint from sticking properly. 

So I had to stitch up the sides. I bought 2 yards, which is insanely over-buying, but I'd rather have more than have to piece it. 

The point of stitching on the cut ends is, of course, to keep them from raveling. You have to wash this fabric to get that finish off. I did a 1-in. seam (ish) and honestly, it doesn't matter the width of the seam unless you've bought exactly the amount of fabric you need. So if I'd bought the 1 yard, I'd have done the seam closer to 1/2" or maybe a bit less. 

I did the same thing to the brown fabric. In that case, the white thread shows up; obviously for the duck cloth, it doesn't - but again...doesn't matter. I'm not picking the seams out. 

I also bought iron-on interfacing to put the tree trunk on the duck cloth. It's not an item I'm wearing, so the iron-on will stick nicely, and if I have time, I can do a running stitch or mattress stitch (which would be a lot more festive, and easy enough to do) in embroidery floss to double-secure the sides of the trunk. Just in case someone folds it up to store it, right? 

My sewing skills are at best rudimentary. My embroidery skills are, if I may say so, quite good. I have an aunt (sadly, she's in advanced Alzheimer's disease) who showed me how to do needlework in exchange for babysitting. Good on her - she didn't pay me; it was "lessons for sitting." Yeah, I know - but you know what? Learning that was cool and for a long, long time, she was my favorite person and the person who (not only being my godmother) I went to when I had problems or questions. Everyone should have an aunt like that. 

My sewing machine is equally rudimentary, but I love him (yes, I consider it a male) and I have had to really push back at people who've said to me, "This is practically an antique - you need to buy a new one" when I've had to have it repaired. I must also say that I've only had it repaired three times. And I've owned it for... gosh, nearly 40 years! Dang. It's old. 

Dang. So am I... 

Here's a photo of my baby. While St. Clare is the patron saint of sewing, I call him Quentin, who's the patron saint of tailors. I'm no tailor, but what the heck? He has to have a name. 

He does three things: He goes backward, forward and zig-zag. He does make buttonholes, but I can do them faster and neater than he can (sorry, Quentin). 

Quentin has seen me through sewing my own clothes in college, repairing jeans, making household items, Christmas ornaments, and such, and making baby clothes and various baby blankets throughout the years, as well as his crowning glory: Domestic Violence Supply Bags (bags my mom and I did up for packing with toiletries and toothbrushes - they were put in backpacks along with a pair of sweatpants, a sweatshirt, underwear, socks, and a sports bra -- for use by social workers in rape cases). Now, he's semi-retired, even though I have a few projects in my linen closet. He's had problems with his bobbin tension occasionally, and really, that's what the 3 repairs were. 

I don't need fancy-schmantzy machinery. I wouldn't know what to do with it! One guy tried to tell me that I needed "a machine that does embroidery that you work through your computer."

Bulletin dude: I can embroider my own self, by hand. When I'm sewing, I'm not in front of my computer - on purpose! And I'm not a quilter, so all I need is Quentin. 

Anyhow -- see this mess? That's the duck cloth after being washed and dried with wool dryer balls. I can go into quite a dissertation about how bad those dryer sheets are for you... the chemicals in them, the "slime" they actually leave on your skin and your towels... Ahem. 

I didn't want any kind of finish left on this fabric, so the dryer balls were the thing to use. I didn't add any extra oil, but the banner does smell lightly of lavender. That's not all bad, right? Maybe that's an omen for how smoothly this project will go. I hope. St. Quentin, do your thing! 

What I'll do next is iron it. I'll starch it after it's done - heavy-duty starch on the back of the project so that it hangs nicely. I was going to do it with the fabric doubled, but Mom insisted it would be entirely too heavy. She's probably right. But if I starch the back, it should stiffen up nicely and hold its shape. If nothing else, I can put a tassel on the bottom of it. I have time to go grab one. 

Digestive Enzymes... I'm still having problems with that bout of food poisoning several months ago. It's eased up significantly, but my digestive tract is still messed up. I talked to my chiropractor and two things came out of it: I probably need to see a naturopath and get food tested; and I should be taking digestive enzymes. I do take a probiotic, but the enzymes might help settle my stomach and its ability to do its job. I've been on GERD medication for a while, so my system is already "slowed up" somewhat. 

It's getting worse. And I'm uncomfortable. Having extra weight on my bones doesn't help, but I haven't felt this bad since before I was diagnosed with GERD. That's not good. The gastro guy appointment is in a few weeks. 

And I can't remember to take those ^*%& pills!! Which is very weird. Normally, I am very compliant with medications, but for some reason, popping one of these before every meal is a pain in the rear end. 

The bottle is, of course, incredibly large. I'm not keen on carrying that around. So I snagged an empty Rx bottle, put a label on it and stuck it in my purse. Maybe THAT will help me. 

When I remember to take it, it does its job. When I don't remember, I pay for it. I'm actually looking forward to the gastro appointment, just so I can assure myself that all of this "will pass." 

Shabbat Shalom... In response to the Pittsburgh massacre by a home-grown terrorist (Yes. That's what it was and he is.), our local synagogue opened up its Sabbath services last night. 

You want to know what was incredibly sad? The fully kitted out cop standing at the doorway. The Rabbi speaking about the persecution - historical and ongoing - using words only he could use, and that I will not use here (slang, reinforcing the disrespect and cultural ignorance). And the fact that the congregation had, apparently, heard it all. It makes me sad for my community, because on the surface, we all get along. I mean it. By no means is it Utopia, but in the circles I travel, I never noticed what the Rabbi spoke of. 

You want to know what was incredibly uplifting? So many of the Gentile community turned out that they ran out of prayer books. The Rabbi, looking out over all of us sitting there, bemused by the "backward" prayer book, and looking expectantly at him and the young cantor, said, "I'm so happy to see everyone sitting out there!" 

I've actually sung Hebrew before - sparingly, but I've sung it. And I was trained in Sanskrit chant...but this book was a little beyond me (in a good way). The ladies sitting behind us were very helpful. And up in front of us was a literal passel of nuns, who came out to pray and support the congregation. 

We made our way through the service and I hope that the congregation felt our support. When the alleged "commander in chief" spews such hatred and divisiveness, he really doesn't have to give specific instructions. All he has to do is "normalize" the simmering nastiness. Which he's done in spades. And which he totally disavows, like a true dictator does. 

Last night gave me hope. 

What was left undone... Well, at least for a few weeks. I actually ran out of Clary Sage oil. That's just weird. I usually never run out of this stuff, but somehow, I did. This is a favorite spray in our yoga studio, and I had students asking about it. 

I fiddled with this blend a few years ago, and now with the Young Living Essential Oils, it's more consistent. Some other oils don't have the overall consistency that these oils do. I wish I could share the recipe, but honestly, it's pretty much "what I feel like at the time." Sometimes, I do more geranium. Sometimes, more Clary sage. Sometimes, a balance of both. It really all does end up with how I feel on that day. 

Both men and women like this. I think guys think that yoga studios are 99% white women. Which, unfortunately, they are. I have very few minority students, and I'd love to have more. 

Anyhow, my point is that this spray goes over well with everyone. I've never had anyone say they disliked it (and they would!). 

Today, at the studio, we have a ceramics trunk show, courtesy of a local artist. This is something I might spray beforehand, just to freshen up the space and put people in a good space. 

Either that or I'll diffuse "Christmas Spirit" but I won't play Christmas music yet. I'll put a nice instrumental playlist on. Not to soporific, but relaxing. 

Random Picture...

I have to do a cake for the installation of the Vicar (because, you know, I've got nothing else to do...). Seriously, I had always planned to do the cake. The other stuff just got added on, which is something I've got to get better at delegating or refusing. But that's another blog. 


I scrolled through the cakes I've done in years past, and I'm thinking this may be something I may do. The Vicar wants lots of colors, and this might be the best way to incorporate that. Her invitation is a rainbow, and she wanted colors on the leaves on the banner. I have leaf-shaped cookie cutters,which is my way of achieving this effect. 

I'm likely to use the oval pans, and make one large 2-layer oval,and "torte" it - cut each layer in half horizontally again making 4 layers total. There's going to be "heavy munchies" so I don't have to do a 200-person cake, thankfully. This one should serve about 70 people. And we'll have lots of other food there. We feed people well, that's for sure. 

Now all I need is her favorite cake flavor. That shouldn't be too hard... 

Words Matter...

The time for "thoughts, prayers, next" is over.

If nothing else, the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue has categorically reminded us that WORDS MATTER.

Words.

Matter.

The strength of this community and every other community across this nation will need to rely on fundamental truths that we have, somehow, lost.

Words matter.

Actions matter.

Words beget actions.

Actions have consequences.

Arming churches with guards is NOT the consequence that makes the most sense. Arming everyone else against an amorphous “them” – a bogeyman shape-shifter that changes with each layer of prejudice and xenophobia that’s uncovered by people in power spewing statements (on tape, provable) that incite hatred, violence, and terror, is also not the answer that most people with working brain cells and beating hearts would choose.

Arming ourselves with the ability to, once again and finally, reach across the growing divide and discuss meaningful change is what's called for.

And then having the courage to make the change, in spite of powerful forces that are not ultimately in our best interests as humans, but are driven by profit and greed, and which employs a mouthpiece whose quivering cowardice is covered up as bravado and ugliness of soul, manifesting in far too many people a shameful distrust of humans who "don't look like us." As a nation, we were once bigger than that. At least our ideals were, and we aspired to that.

We need to get back to -- or maybe move forward toward -- the ideal and the reality of a society in which diversity is celebrated and shared. Not feared and hated.