Tacky Women - October 20, 2026

Yesterday, I did very few of the things I'd intended to do.  Didn't go vote.  Didn't drop off the check.  Didn't do anything in the craft room except make some scrap clay jewelry components, and they were nothing to write home about.  I did make the to-go breakfast pinwheels and a bodaciously good pot of soup and some fried jalapeno cornbread.  

I was already a little irked (with myself) when The Husband came home and showed me a video that someone had sent to him, a public video, made by someone we know.  It was . . . well, tacky.  Embarrassingly tacky.  Embarrassing for the person who made it more than for her victim.

A playwright once wrote, “Heav’n has no rage like love to hatred turn’d, nor hell a fury like a woman scorn’d.”

I just shook my head and said to The Husband, "Don't play that again."

Sometimes, you just gotta chalk things up to a lack of good sense and move on. 

Today, I intend to scratch at least two things off my to-do list.  

Wish me luck.

New Week - October 19, 2026

It's chilly on the back porch this morning.  I'm dressed for the day but wearing my thick winter housecoat over my clothes until the chill goes away.  This morning - "sometime between 8 and 12" - the A/C company is supposed to check and service our A/C units.  I'll snatch this housecoat off when the serviceman arrives.

I hope the serviceman comes pretty soon because I have some errands to run today.  Early voting started last week, and I mean to go cast my vote today.  While I'm out, I'll drop off a check to a local charity, the money coming from the balance left over in the class reunion checking account.  After that, a trip to the grocery store.  When I get home, I'll start a pot of soup for supper tonight using the left overs from last week's roast.  I also need to make some breakfast-to-go snacks for The Grandson.  He started a new job last week and has to be at work at 5 a.m., and there's probably nothing open at that hour for him to get any breakfast.

And I need to tackle the craft room.  Get back in the groove.

Maybe tomorrow.  ;)

BRRRRrrr! - October 16, 2026

Wow, it has turned off COLD today!  And windy!  I had to put on a sweatshirt this morning.  

Yesterday, The Grandson and I worked in our yard.  We mowed, cut down the phlox bed, did some weed-eating and leaf-blowing.  At the end of the day my out-of-shape butt was dragging.  I texted The Husband to bring home dinner from a fast-food restaurant.

This morning, I had breakfast with my sister and one of my aunts.  

The Grandson landed a new job (his old job as a carpenter's helper ended when the carpenter hurt his back and is unable to work at present).  The new job is at a scrapyard.  He has to be there at 4:30 a.m.!  And it is at least an hour away from home.  I am hoping that he can find something closer, as I fear that he will not realize any money after he fills his truck up with gas.

I have been pretty worthless this week as a crafter.

Monday, I bought some "scented stone" instructions to make - well, scented stones.  There were three recipes for the "stones" - one made with flour, one made with salt (and something else), and one made with plaster of paris.  I made the plaster one.  The "recipe" called for 1 cup of plaster of paris and 1/2 cup water.  I believe the recipe was wrong, for what it made was a thick paste, like putty - far too thick to pour.  I tried mashing it into a mold, but it just crumbled.  The next day, I saw another "scented stone" ad that seemed to be from a different vendor.  Sure enough, when I checked it out, it appeared that the instructions I bought were spoofs.  I emailed the people I bought my instructions from to see if the recipe was correct but never heard back from them.  

However, I had some "Magic Pour" left over from experiments from several months ago, and I thought I might try scenting it.  When I went back into the craft room, I remembered that I had a bag full of disks and pendants that I had made months ago.  I dragged them out and dropped some lavender oil on one of them and put several more in a ziploc bag with a cotton ball soaked in lavender oil.  The oil that I dropped straight onto a pendant did not readily soak into the material, but it eventually did, or else it evaporated.  (Do essential oils evaporate?)  I hung the pendant in my car the next day, and yesterday when I checked the car, I couldn't smell the lavender.  Later, I added one of the pendants from the ziploc bag, and this morning my car does smell faintly of lavender.  I wonder if I could add the oil to the "Magic Pour" along with the water as the batter is mixed.  Might try that.

Other than that feeble attempt at crafting, I didn't do anything.  

I need to get with it.

  

What a Week - October 13, 2026

Man . . . . 

Last week kicked my butt.  The discomfort was primarily due to the fact that I sit on it far too much and am totally out of shape.  But I digress.

Friday evening's 5 o'clock meet-and-greet at a local restaurant was fun.  Almost all of the out-of-towners showed up.  We had about 20 folks.  The next day, one of the group posted pictures from the event.  

It's one thing to see yourself in the mirror and acknowledge your gray hairs and wrinkles; it's quite another thing to see a whole room full of people your age and see a sea of gray hair and wrinkles.  When I saw the picture, I thought, "Damn, who are all those old people at our party?"  😆

Saturday morning The Husband and I met several of the Reunion Committee members at 10 a.m. at the venue to help set up and decorate for the reunion.  We unfolded and arranged tables and chairs, hung banners, spread tablecloths, fluffed centerpieces, blew up balloons - the works.  Many of my muscles were lately unfamiliar with the tasks.  ;)  It took us about two hours. 

The Husband and I, dressed in jeans and tie-dye t-shirts, went back to the venue to open the doors at 5.  People started rolling in about 5:30, sixty-something folks in all. A DJ played "our" music.  The food was scrumptious.  We had a photographer who could print out 5 x 7 photos on the spot.  

We had a blast.  

Many classmates stayed to help us clean up.  We got it done and were out of there by 10 p.m.

My feet ached all night.  I finally got up at 3 a.m. and took some Tylenol.

Sunday, we had a road trip to/from the middle of the state.  I was "stove up" (as my daddy would say) when we got to our destinations.  It was painful getting in/out of the truck.  

We were both pooped yesterday.  

I tried a new craft yesterday.

FAIL.

And, otherwise, sat on my butt most of the day.

Today, I'm trying to get with it.  Did some laundry.  Put a roast in the crock pot for dinner.  Washed the kitchen counters.  

I need to tackle the craft room. It is seriously discombobulated.  The room needs to be emptied, cleaned, and reassembled.  There's furniture that needs to be given away and replaced with sensible storage cabinets.  It's too crazy to think about today.

Maybe I'll just clean off the worktable.  

It's almost here - October 9, 2025

This has been an unusually busy week.  I have left the house almost every day!  😅

Monday, I went to work (a "special assignment") with The Old Boss, and then I went to the final class reunion committee meeting.  I can't remember what I did Tuesday.  Wednesday, I got a long-overdue haircut and then picked up the Little Rotten Baby from school.  Yesterday, I shopped for household necessities and filled up my car with gas.  This evening, I will join some of my classmates for a pre-reunion get-together at a local restaurant.  Tomorrow morning, we will be decorating the venue, and then the reunion will start at 6 p.m.  

Whew!

Yesterday, my class reunion outfit arrived.  Bell-bottom jeans (stretch denim, since gravity has taken its toll on my butt) and a tie-dye T-shirt with a peace sign on the front.  Hah!  I wish I had some "stacks" to complete the outfit, but my old feet would complain, plus I'd probably break my neck trying to walk in them. 

I will be glad when the event is over.  

The craft room has gone unattended this week.  I don't even feel guilty about being unproductive.  

Frankly, I am a little disheartened about the jewelry-making enterprise.  The poor showing at last month's vendor booth was disappointing.  Yes, I did sell a few things, and there were extenuating circumstances that caused a poor turn-out.  And, yes, I've already paid for a booth at a better-attended event in November, but if I were to sell every single thing I've made so far at the next event, it might pay for the booth rental but would nowhere NEAR recoup all the money I've spent on supplies.  

Oh, well . . ."it's kept me off the streets," as they say.

Work - October 6, 2026

My recall to work went better than expected.  The Old Boss and I slipped right back into our groove.  The borrowed laptop didn't give me any trouble, nor did the trigger finger on my left hand.  We knocked out the document in a couple of hours.  It was good to see some former co-workers I hadn't seen since retirement.

After work, I went to the class reunion committee meeting that I'd thought I would have to miss.  The reunion is this weekend.  Saturday morning, a few of us will meet at the venue to set up tables and decorate.  I'm kind of excited.  This morning I ordered some bell bottom jeans and a retro t-shirt.  I hope they will fit.

The thought of making jewelry has scarcely crossed my mind since before we left on our trip.  When we came home, all the craft stuff that I'd taken on the trip (and scarcely used) got dumped on the craft room worktable, and there it still lies in disarray.  It would probably help to rekindle my motivation if I'd go in there and clean up, but I'm in no hurry to reorganize.  Maybe after the reunion is over I'll find my mojo.

Home - October 5, 2026

We're back from our trip to Gatlinburg.

All that stuff I took with me to do?

Hardly touched it.

On our first full day there, we drove up to the artisans community and looked around the shops.  I bought some beads.  Oh, and a little chunk of fudge, which slowly disappeared as the week progressed.  

That night, The Grandson called.

"Grandmama!  There are two armadillos in the yard, digging in your flower bed.  Can I shoot them?"

Before I finished the word "NO!" he hung up.

An hour later, he called back.  It seems his phone had died.  (Yeah, right.)  In the interim, he'd shot at one of the armadillos but only nicked its shoulder.  It's probably still alive, somewhere.

The rest of the week was uneventful.

One evening, The Old Boss called.  She has some work to do on an old case that was left over from before we both retired.  She's rusty and wants me to help her finish up the paperwork.

I'm rusty, too.  Back in the day, I was a pretty fast typist, fast enough to type as The Old Boss dictated (she had trouble working the machine).  But now, with this trigger finger problem . . . .  

It's a bad week for going back to work.  Our 50-year class reunion is this weekend, and the reunion committee is meeting today to finalize the plans.  I can't be there but will abandon the work project for long enough to call in to the meeting.

Packing - September 27, 2026

We leave on our road trip across the state tomorrow morning.  Gotta pack today.

I still haven't decided what craft(s) to take with me.  I'll need something to do in the truck; crochet will work.  But what about the three days in the hotel room?

You might think that I'd get out and explore, but we've been to this town dozens of times, and I know from experience that getting out to explore is a nerve-wracking experience.  Traffic is a nightmare.  Bumper-to-bumper.  Pedestrians.  The occasional bear.  Restaurants are crowded.  Anyway , . . .

This past week, the hobby store had 4" x 6" watercolor pads on sale, so I grabbed one.  The size is perfect for greeting cards.  I should inventory my travel paint bag to make sure everything I'll need is there.  I haven't painted in ages.  

For the past few weeks, I've been kind of fascinated with amulet bags.  I went through the scrap bin this week and picked out a few pieces of fabric on which to try some "slow stitching."  It won't take up much room in the schlepping bag.

I should go out today.  We've a trip next week; I need to lay in some supplies to feed The Grandson while we're gone and replenish my mobile craft workshop.  

While I was sitting here on the porch, pondering today's post, I heard a flutter and looked out to see a HUGE bird - probably a hawk - jumping at something on the ground.  It almost seemed to be digging.  My fingers were crossed that it would yank up a mole.  Alas, it flew up to a limb and eventually flew away, empty-footed.  

Which reminds me . . . I still haven't put out the poison mole pills.

Where was I?

Oh yeah, the mobile workshop.

I can't decide what to take.

I've a crochet project in progress, almost finished.  I've another hat pattern that I want to try.  Crochet would be good work for the road.  But I'm about to spend several days in a hotel room while The Husband is in meetings, and I will go crazy without something to do.  

Maybe I'll just take my watercolor stuff and paint some Christmas cards.  

To be honest, I'd really rather stay home and twist wire and roll clay.

A few days ago, I bought an online Helen Breil workshop about texturing clay.  Watched it yesterday.  It was a good buy.  It sparked a lot of ideas.  I had to stop the video several times to go try something she demonstrated.  

Y'all.

Yesterday, the first day of fall, the temperature dropped like a stone.  

It is 65 degrees on the back porch this morning.  

After almost a month of near-100-degree weather, a light jacket sounds good.

It is bliss.

* * * * * * * *

Kudos to me for not forgetting to pick up the Little Rotten Baby from school yesterday.  

School pickup is a ballet, of sorts.  A well-oiled machine.  Get in the right lane, and it's smooth sailing.  I got there early to claim a place in the front of the line so that the LRB wouldn't have to search too hard for my car.  When the kids started pouring out the door, I stepped out onto the sidewalk so she could see me.  

She came a-runnin' when she saw me.  We hugged and got in the car.

She talked ALL.  THE.  WAY.  HOME.

The music teacher gave the class some eggs - not chicken eggs like you eat - but COLORED eggs - to roll on the floor and it made noise and we shook them . . . .

I remember my very first music lesson in school.  First grade.  30 kids.  We sat at our desks while an old, fat lady (she was probably 50) drew five lines across the chalkboard, all at once, with a chalk holder that held FIVE PIECES OF CHALK.  This is all I remember of the lesson.

Anyway . . . . 

The first thing the LRB said when we walked in the door was, "Let's do something."

She rolled some clay through the pasta machine a few times, then pointed at the sewing machine and said, "I really want to do THAT."

She's been wanting to do THAT for some time now.  All three of her sisters have done THAT.  

She had it all worked out in her head; she would sit in my lap while I ran the pedal.  But guiding the fabric was her job.  

I told her the story about the time I sewed ALL THE WAY THROUGH my pinkie finger.  

She picked her fabric from the scrap bin.  She picked out her thread.  She raised the presser foot.  We put a piece of practice fabric under the needle.

When the first few stitches happened, the child absolutely giggled with delight.  I showed her the "pretty" stitches (she picked "hearts"), but she liked the straight stitches best.  

It didn't take long for her to make me get up so SHE could run the pedal.  She had to stand up to do it.  Her face was about level with the machine.  She wanted to sew two pieces together.  Then three.  Then four.  

She's got this.

She did not want to stop when it was time to go home.  

She took her creation with her.  

I know what she'll want to do the next time she comes over.

Granddaughter #3 came in while we were in the sewing room.  Her science teacher belches out loud, and the whole room stinks, and she doesn't know if it's because of the burps, but they all think she's pregnant.

Girls have a lot of information.

To Do List - September 22, 2026

I am supposed to pick The Little Rotten Baby up from school today.  

My phone is set to alarm 30 minutes before it's time to leave my house and again 5 minutes before it's time to leave.  I'd set a third alarm for the exact time to leave if the phone would let me.  

I've had "five more minutes" turn into 20 minutes, more than once.

I've been playing with jewelry today.  Made a pair of earrings.  Re-examined some of the earrings I hope to sell.  When the LRB gets here, we'll probably paint.  Or roll clay through the pasta machine.  Stuff like that.

Yesterday I went to a meeting of the class reunion committee.  50 years.  It's unfathomable.  We finally have a list of who's coming.  I, who can scarcely add or subtract, spent a good part of the weekend trying to reconcile the bank balance with the list of attendees.  It turned out that the last deposit just hadn't gone through until yesterday.  Good grief.

I'm sitting here on the porch looking at a phenomenally large boneset plant growing in the flower bed by the bird feeder.  No doubt it came from something in the feeder.  It is about 6 feet tall, white and fluffy with blooms.  I should get rid of it before it goes to seed, but I have enjoyed watching it.  

One more day, maybe.  

The moles are at it again in the yard.  Traps all over the place, and they dig elsewhere.  Over the weekend, I bought poison gummies but have not used them yet.  Tomorrow, maybe.  ;)

Oh, you can't rollerskate in a . . . - September 21, 2026

Saturday morning, my daughter-in-law texted me a picture of a herd of buffalo walking down our road.

That's right.  A herd of buffalo.

Just a small herd.

Still . . . . the stuff that goes on around here.  🤣

None of us knew, for sure, whose buffalo they were, but we had a pretty good idea.  

As the morning progressed, details began to emerge.  The herd - 5, I think, belonged to a dude up the road.  The Redneck Nephew (who lives with Nanny when he's not working on a riverboat) had been called to help.   

I texted the daughter-in-law.  "Tell him not to wear his rollerskates."  Sent her the song, figuring she was too young to get the joke, thinking the little girls might enjoy it.  That song has been my brainworm ever since.  It's probably yours, now.  🤣

Anyway . . . . 

By the time The Nephew became involved, part of the herd had abandoned the road in favor of the woods.  The Nephew was told to saddle a horse; the round-up would occur on horseback.  

I heard that they managed to get three into a trailer and tranquilized one.  Don't know how they got the tranquilized one from where they dropped him and onto a trailer.  I expect some farm equipment was involved.  

To my way of thinking, this situation must have been The Redneck Nephew's - any redneck nephew's - wet dream come true.  

Roundin' up some buffalo.  On horseback.  Might have to shoot some if they can't be herded into a trailer.  Hell, yeah.

He'll get some mileage out of that story.

  

Friday - September 18, 2026

I have not made a single piece of jewelry this week.  This is partly due to a lack of a creative spark and partly due to the abominable state of the craft room.  

Doing the vendor booth last weekend sapped me in more ways than one.  It was soooo hot.  (The Husband's truck registered an indoor temperature of 107 when we got in it to come home.)  Very few people showed up during the time the venders were allowed on the premises.  I sold very little.  It was a disappointing day.  

All of the boxes from the vendor booth landed on the craft room floor.  It sat there for days, impairing my ability to move around the room.  

Yesterday, I decided to put the booth stuff away and do something about the general chaos in the room.  It's still a mess - there's just too much STUFF - there needs to be another ruthless purge - but at least I can move around in it.  The worktable is cleaner than it's been in months.  

Next week, it's back to work.

Last night, I went to an outdoor concert at the park in our little town.  The band played hits from the 60s and 70s.  Once the sun went down it was right pleasant.  It turned out that one of the band members graduated from high school with me.  I hadn't seen him since then.  Since our 50-year class reunion is coming up next month, when the band took a break, I nabbed him and told him about the reunion.  He may be way too cool to hang out with us old fogies.  

Out - September 16, 2026

If you're looking for me today, I will be out.  Routine physical, then a visit with my sister.  

This week, so far, I have been mostly worthless.  

It's the craft room.  

Something must be done about it.

Besides the usual disorganization, it is now full of boxes brought home from the vendor booth.  I can scarcely move about in the room without tripping over something.  You'd think that if it all came out of there, it ought to all fit back in.  I just need to summon the willpower to tackle the job. 

Sales Report - September 14, 2026

You must be about to burst to learn how the benefit dinner booth sales went.

I sold $40 worth of rings and earrings, just enough to pay for the folding table that I bought to display my wares at the event.  We're in the hole if you subtract the money we spent on lunch.

We got there at 9:00. There were tons of volunteers to help us unload and set up. We were set to go at 10 when the event officially opened.  There were maybe 10 other vendors.  Two or three of them sold jewelry. The day was hot, with scarcely a breeze. 

Hardly any customers showed up. 

Some of the more seasoned vendors reported that there was another (bigger) event going on in the next town that probably drew some people away.  One of them told me that there would be more people arriving around 5:00, when the actual dinner was set to begin. 

But here's the kicker:

The vendors were told to be gone by 4:30, as they needed the space for the diners.

I would venture a guess that there had been more volunteers and vendors than the cumulative number of customers by 3:30, when we packed up and left.  Some of the other vendors had been gone an hour by then.  Thankfully, the volunteers helped us get everything to the truck.

The Husband and I were both sapped.  As we pulled into our driveway, I said, "Can we just wait until tomorrow to unload?"  He didn't need any convincing.  We had been invited to dinner at Nanny's, a going-away dinner for a Nephew who was moving across the state; we were grateful that we did not have to come up with our own food.

Despite the lack of sales, I am glad I did it for the experience.  And it gave me a chance to scope out the other vendors' jewelry.  (Mine was very different from theirs.)  

I will probably set up a booth at the indoor event at the high school in November.  Between now and then, I intend to use up the rest of the beads, wire, and clay already on hand.  If the stuff doesn't sell, my jewelry venture may conclude.  

And then I'll move on to something else . . . .

I went into the craft room this morning and wanted to turn around and walk back out.  It's a disaster.  Something must be done about it before any serious work can happen in there.  Must find a place for the jewelry and hats to live until the next event.  Right now, they're in boxes on the floor, and they're in the way.

Memorable Days - September 11, 2026

Two people that I know have birthdays today.   They are both old enough to remember what happened 25 years ago today.  I remember it well.

I was on my way to work, listening to the local classic rock station, when one of the goofy DJs announced that a plane had hit one of the twin towers in New York.  It had just happened, and the DJ did not know what kind of plane it was.  At that moment, nobody suspected that it was anything other than a tragic accident.  When I arrived at my office, I turned on the old rabbit-eared TV we had.  It wasn't long before news of the other planes was broadcast.

My sister was living and working for the government in the DC area at the time and occasionally visited the Pentagon.  I panicked and started trying to call her.  The phone lines were jammed; there was no getting through to her.  Fortunately, she was able to telephone me to tell me that she was okay, and she asked me to get word to our parents, whose phone line was down because of some bulldozing being done in their yard.  I called my uncle, who lived just across the hill from my parents, and asked him to go tell my parents that my sister was okay.  My mother said that the first thing he said when he got out of his truck was, "She's okay."

* * * * * * * * 

We got a little rain last evening, but not enough to help our drought situation.  The weather radar app shows some clouds coming from the west.  Hopefully, they will hang together long enough to give us a little more rain.  Our hydrangeas are crispy.  

* * * * * * * * 

Tomorrow is the day of the benefit dinner.  I spent part of the day yesterday gathering up the things I will take.  I am nervous, a little excited, and a little bit dreading the day.  The temperature is predicted to be "only" 94 degrees, so it will be a little cooler than it has been, but still mighty hot.  I hope the heat doesn't make people stay home.

Book Club - September 10, 2026

My phone alarmed at 2:00 yesterday, reminding me of my friend's book club meeting at 2:30.  There was a pot of red beans cooking on the stove, and they weren't done.  I'd never been to a book club and wanted to see what it was like, so I transferred the beans to the crock pot and went to the meeting.

Side note:  my friend - a new friend I met in an art class earlier this year - was the only person I recognized.  Twenty years ago, it would've been strange to have found myself among strangers in our little town, but not anymore.  At the grocery store yesterday morning, I did not encounter one person I knew.   It is just weird.

Anyway . . . .

I enjoyed the book club meeting.  My phone is set to remind me of the meetings on the 2nd Wednesday of each month, but I am not sure I'll go again.  

The red beans and rice were done in time for supper.  Earlier in the day, I'd texted The Grandson to let him know I was making them.  Before he came home from work, he texted me to ask if he could bring a friend to dinner.  He came in about 6:00 with a young lady, the sister of his best friend, a tiny little thing with colorful striped hair and a beaded nose ring.  She seemed to enjoy her dinner, especially the coconut pie.

The Husband got home about 7:30 and went straight for the pie.  He took red beans and rice and coconut pie for lunch today.  

He'll be getting the same thing for supper tonight. ;)

Saturday is fast approaching, but I think I am ready for the craft fair.  It will be a hot day.  We have to be set up by 9:45 and packed up by 4:00.  I just hope I don't come home with everything I took.  If that happens, there may be a huge craft supplies give-away at my house next week.

Kitchen Duty - September 9, 2026

Last night as we were eating left-over meatloaf for dinner and lamenting our lack of appetite in this outrageous heat, The Grandson suggested red beans and rice.  

So I went to the grocery store early this morning and got the ingredients.  I intended to put andouille sausage in it but got side-tracked on the way to the meat department and forgot to get any.  Thus, this pot of red beans is getting polish sausage and ham, instead.

What side-tracked me was a passing glimpse of a package of coconut.  The Husband loves coconut pie.  Detour to the freezer section for a pie crust.  

I came home from the grocery store and went straight to cooking.  Sweated the vegetables, low and slow, while the beans soaked.  Made the pie.  Sent The Husband the picture when it came out of the oven.  

There were two pie shells in the package.  I made a ham & cheese quiche with the extra one.

The beans are simmering on the stove.  The quiche just came out of the oven.

A few minutes ago, The Husband called and said he had a meeting after work.  

Just for that, I may send a slice of pie to all of the neighbors.

A friend invited me to a meeting of her book club at 2:30.  The beans probably won't be done by then, so I'm not sure I'll make it to the book club.

Or maybe I'll dump them into the crock pot and motor on.

Okay, I'm up.  And dressed.  Even put some shoes on.

Now what?

I just had a walk-about in the back yard, checking the mole traps.  During the past couple of weeks, I have fished three big moles out of the "way-back" yard.  I gottta tell ya . . . it is most satisfying to discover that a trap's been sprung, and pull it up, and find a fat old mole dangling from it.  No trap was sprung this morning, and I didn't see any fresh digging in the area.  Maybe I've caught them all.  But on the way back to the house, I noticed some fresh disturbance in an old tunnel closer to the house.  I can see it from my perch on the back porch and can probably hear it if it's sprung (if the air-conditioner unit isn't running when it happens).  

Cheap entertainment.

Anything to keep me from facing the craft room.

I need to be in there working.  

For the most part, I am finished with the manufacturing processes.  I am not going to make anything else from scratch.  Nothing is priced except one or two of the hats.  There are at least 64 pairs of earrings, two dozen bracelets, and two dozen rings.  I am just going to put a price on each category and roll with it, for I will never be able to decide whether THIS pair of earrings is worth more than THAT pair.   

There are two or three more "dumpling" bags cut out and ready to sew.  Before I can sew them, I have to take the embroidery unit off the machine, but I just downloaded a free-standing lace dragonfly that I want to embroider . . . . 

I should get to it, huh?

Time to Regroup - September 6, 2026

Although our little get-away was officially over on Wednesday (we came home on Tuesday, but I claimed the whole day as "down time"), I am still not in full craft mode.  The Husband has been home all week, scheduled to get back to the grind on Tuesday.  Maybe that's when my vacation will end, too.

But the past few days haven't been a total loss.  While we were in Mountain View, I crocheted a cute bucket hat and started another.  I can't crochet for long stretches.  (The ring finger on my left hand is what The Husband's grandmother called a "trigger finger"; it doesn't want to un-bend after it's been bent a while.)  I finished a child-sized hat yesterday working about 10 rounds at a sitting.  It made 6 hats I've finished since the last week of August.  Not too bad, all things considered.

But I want to decorate the hats.  

I crocheted some small flowers.  They help, but . . . meh.

I embroidered some free-standing butterflies.  So-so.  They were too big for a child's hat, and pushing it for adult hats.  I can size them down and try again.

Yesterday, I tried making flowers out of sparkly tulle and taffeta.  I did not try hard, and they came out crappy.  I will try again and mean it.

There are a couple more school logo tote bags to embroider.

This morning, I've made 4 or 5 rings for big fingers and one or two smalls.

But I am running out of time.  The benefit is this coming Saturday.  It will be an outdoor event, and unless the weather cools off, it will be miserably hot.  I will have to supply my own tent and display tables.  There are tables and tents in the shed, but also snakes and mice and spiders.  For several days, I've been warning The Husband that I will need those things from the shed and that he would have to be the one to get them out.  Finally, today, he went into the shed, and I went as far as the door - the *outside* of the door - to help him.  We set up the table and the tent to make sure they're ok.  When I suggested we put the stuff in the truck instead of back in the shed, he balked.  I did not understand why - we'd only have to get the stuff out again in a few days - until I overheard him tell Son #2, "She's doing a craft fair later this month."  When I told him, "It's NEXT WEEKEND," he understood why I thought loading the truck today was a good idea.  But by that time, we'd already put it all back in the shed.

The table in the shed isn't quite big enough.  I just ordered an 8 ft. table that should be here in a day or two.  Those two tables, plus our card table, should do the job.  

I went ahead and registered for a November craft fair.