Calling it...

It is Friday! Something lies inside to celebrate a day marking the end of a work week I have abandoned years ago. I get happy for my son, who still enjoys a weekend off. Even though he telecommutes from his living room "office," it is still work. He enjoys his job, but... Friday, ya know?

I am putting the finishing touches on my friend's journal and literally weaving in loose ends on the keyhole shawl I made her.
We rented the final Star Wars tonight. I had no real opinion about it... Not bad, not earth-shattering... Kinda like that old song... "Little bit country. Little bit rock n' roll." It was a mixture of current mindset, a nod to the Lucas-original, and an injection of  today's Walt Disney. How could that go wrong? lol

Have I told you recently about my "method" to force myself to do stuff I don't wanna do? Probably. I tend to repeat myself more than usual during this new world order... so apologies in advance. I deploy the "100-thing Rule." I tell myself I will touch/fold/put away/ wash/throw away... whatever 100 things before I stop in that room. And then I count as I force myself to basically "get the lead out." I really do that over and over for any job, room, chore I am putting off. I don't know why it works, but it makes me soooo compliant. I often catch myself debating if I can possibly count a handful of wet clothes with three items as three things if I used one motion... Sooo silly, I know... but I have to laugh at the folly of arguing between my task master self and my slackard persona... Duh? However, today, for example I pulled it off three times in three separate rooms. Visible results. I kinda think I made it up because I have always been an internal "counter" of steps, rotations, things in general... M & M's??? lol... 

It's time for bed... Somehow... I have never counted sheep... How silly! (just kidding)

Whimsy and Hugs!

Well, that escalated quickly...

I have lived in the country, the boonies really.... forever. The two perks to city living I always envied? Trick-or-treaters en masse and home delivery of anything!. Well, through some comments yesterday on a neighbor's Facebook post, I heard that the Aldi store in a nearby town uses Instacart and delivers!!!! Here!!! Way, way, way out here in my zip code. I immediately set forth to check out that rumor. And add to that I have not shopped for myself on any real-time basis since December 20, 2015.... Add to that Aldi has really good prices compared to online vendors and our local grocer. And finally add in a little extra cash from the government and beautiful fresh produce lines of fruit and huge vegetables... Oh, and figure in I have a fairly impaired concept of sizes, volume, and storage...

Here it comes at noon! (Aren't their bags cute?) Oh my goodness! A delivery in the sticks! Seven bags?

My gosh. I can be quarantined for quite some time! My freezer got a workout; the vegetable and cheese drawer is full... and the fridge? Full of bountiful fresh fruits and vegetables... I mean--- full!

I plead the 5th. lol... What???? How did that get there? 

I think this could feed a crowd!!! But alas! no crowd for now...

I think our cat is having serious issues with 24/7 monitoring... Her napping is disrupted by day, and her prowling and howling meets with severe censure by night... I "snapped" her picture this morning (so to speak)...

She does call me Karen... Oh, my....

And please...Stay safe!

Whimsy and Hugs!

Just cattin' around. . .

Whimsy and Hugs!

Good morning! I have been in my glory, cutting and glueing... finishing my gift book for a friend. It has turned into what my gramma called a "John Richard." I have no idea why she chose those names for something hard. My dad called the exact same thing a "John Leroy." but my dear mama called it (and sometimes me) a cat's ankle. Back to the book, it turns out I am just pitiful at the front-back concept of leaving a "gutter" or center space for the spiral binder. All my years in Journalism, layout, and yearbook, I had a layout paper or template on the computer... Duh.... it is just space it right on the front and space it left on the back... And I won't go into the mechanics of actually punching uniform holes..... Almost ready for that although my practice runs were pitiful... The book is fabulous, though, with the sweetest stories. She will love it!

We are still having a fortunate response to this crisis. However, the news out there in the world is so unhappy. So much for warmer weather! We got a few flurries of snow and a hard freeze last week. 

Did you ever dress up cats? My sister/cousin and I really did that often. I loved an old tomcat named Blackie Junior so much. He looked especially fine in a little blue and white sprig dress with puffed sleeves my gramma had made for my Betsy Wetsy doll...  Gramma was a little miffed I had put a cat in her handiwork masterpiece, but I thought my actions had really elevated the importance of the dress. Blackie Junior, it turned out, was NOT impressed. Neither were my mom nor the Avon lady when I told them their Avon perfume had taken the hair off my cats in a skunky little stripe down the tailbones,

I hope all is well in your family and circle of loved ones. I hear so much stress and often tears from those I talk to on the phone. I hope that is not the case with you. I try to focus on the present or the happy past. I know most psychologists say to look to the future, so I do try to think ahead now and then.  My label has usually been the "Fix-it Fox." My dad was the same... always trying to fix stuff, situations, people (who really shouldn't be on my list at all) and most of all, fixing me... I have a couple pictures of my dad out where I can see them. They make me smile. Have a good day and take good care!

Cozy Little Kitchen Jobs

Currently I cannot wait for my son to be off work! That's because I baked a sausage/ham/onion/cheddar quiche!!!! I skipped lunch and breakfast, so the aroma is driving us both cuckoo! He is on a conference call with no end!!! lol

I have un-decorated for Easter and am putting away things and cleaning... but it is sooooo slow! I am just not motivated! My kitty is surveying her options, but she clearly knows this tree has been up too long!!! (Since Autumn, which happened in late August! My lights finally bit the dust, and I am tired of changing out ornaments.)

Lol...  I did finally fill up today with tasks and dreams and pleasurable chores...

I actually changed out the Christmas and Autumn flatware... from Autumn 2016... I just didn't ever have the mojo after Mom passed away! But today seemed a good day to put away the turkeys and holly berry! I notice I have some elderly kitchen tools! 

So... how do you all like your quiches? I always try to use some full cream in ours--- just a little, and the rest just 2 percent in this one. 

I also made a Chicken Scratch Casserole yesterday. Easy peasy! I took a small baking dish and layered 1 c. shredded chicken, 1 can cream of mushroom soup mixed with a little (1/4 c.) water or milk, 2 c. shredded cheese, 1 box dry Stovetop stuffing mix, and I used a can of corn partially drained. It called for a stick of melted butter. I skipped the butter and it was fine! Bake until cheese is toasty brown. It is kind of quichy without crust and eggs... savory. I liked it...

Of course, here I am snoozing (only I'm not as cute!!!!)  -----!!!! That also looks good!!!

Yay! He is off work, so it is Suppertime!!!!!!

Take care!

Moving Days...

So you know me by now. Nothing domestic makes me happier than moving furniture around. Nothing. Not even buying new furniture, which is a good thing because moving is "free!"

I have a few sacred spots and items that cannot be juggled... obviously the tv (cable wired ya know), my son's chair and his couch, the kitchen basics like stove and sink... and probably the fridge... oh, and a built-in and a hutch that took four strong men to scoot---empty!

And my headboard is bolted to the wall.

Other than that, Katie Scarlett, is fair game! So that's my insidious game for the next few weeks... sliding furniture around the living spaces to make the puzzle new. Fresh. Cleaner, too... I am toying with creating a little nook in the south end of the kitchen for me to sit and crochet and read and cross-stitch.

Biggest trouble with all that is I never got electricity to that quadrant of my kitchen... and now I don't want anyone in the house to work on anything....  so we shall mull it over and ponder the joys of "re-arrangement."

My son is a traitor. We shook on not ordering Easter gifts or goodies. But he lied! I did not! So... the Bunny hopped in with a few of my favorites (white chocolate Reese's mini eggs) and a cool Cinch binding machine for my journals!

I had ordered him just six Reese's eggs, so I will tuck in a check and a gift certificate for somewhere online.

I miss the old days of Sunrise Services, the real celebration and worship of Resurrection, family all together.....

and egg hunts created by my parents no matter how old I got to be... But we have so much to be grateful for this season. It is quite unsettling, but always blessings appear.

I am sending you all our very best wishes for a truly happy and blessed Easter. Take care!

Whimsy and Hugs!

A Garden of Memories

"Nobody can take away that memory!"
"I will never forget..."
"I will always see that time..."
"Memories are forever."
"A lifetime of memories..."

Today's post will be short and bitter-sweet. I am caught up in a project of creating a memory journal for a dear friend. I asked for the people she has known in her life to write a special little memory of a fun time spent with her. I sent out the notes to over a hundred on Facebook (and Facebook kindly (!) suspended my account for what they perceived as advertising. I am back in business now, though).

I have been getting the sweetest notes, and I am adding photos from Facebook accounts, maiden names, etc.

I will fashion it all into a cheerful, poppy-red journal for a lady who is living all alone in this scary time... she doesn't need stuff... she needs happy memories. Don't we all?

The rise of memory-related issues and illnesses is so sad.  From the CDC:

It is estimated that 5.8 million Americans aged 65 and older have Alzheimer's today, or about one new case every 65 seconds. The number will triple to around 14 million by 2050. LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE U.S.

My dream is she will enjoy and remember the good times we've shared for many years to come... and this little book will give her joy.

Whimsy and Hugs!