Jun 9, 2010

IT'S A BIRD! IT'S A PLANE! IT'S A SPINSTER FLYING BY ON HER BROOMSTICK!

Where in the holy h-e-double toothpicks is the year going? I seem to be stuck somewhere back in February, planning all of the stuff I need/want to do once the weather warms up. And now, here it is June, and I've yet to accomplish one single solitary thing.

Damn, drat, and phooey.

I reflect upon my childhood...those innocent days of youth spent on the back porch swings reading books and smelling the fresh cut grass. Every summer was an adventure in how many books I could read, or movies I could see, or bike rides I could take, or sunburns I could suffer through. (I mean...come on...is there ANY better feeling than slipping into cool and freshly laundered sheets after an entire day in the swimming pool? That feeling of complete and total ahhhhh. Your hair was freshly washed and you had your new summertime pajamas on and Mom and Dad were downstairs watching the 11:00 news. ) Bliss. Just pure bliss.

Now, I'm lucky if the bottom sheet will stay on the damn bed (elastic issues, don't you know), I haven't had new summertime pajamas in at least seventeen and a half years, and instead of listening to Mom and Dad watching the news, I listen to a nine-pound bundle of love dressed up as a Jack Russell terrier bitch and complain about the state of affairs here in Chez Spinster until I finally get up and go sleep in the guest room. (Damn dog.)

So, as you can see, I am extremely frustrated by my utter lack of productivity in the reading/summertime enjoying/stitching/cooking/loving life category right about now. My days are rushing past me in a blur of dog hair and laundry piles, and all I want to do is stop and smell the lemonade. Or bar-be-que chicken. Or Hawaiian Tropic suntan oil. I want to assemble a pile of novels, a basket full of stitching projects, and a fridge full of potato salad. I want to wake up when the birds start chirping and go to bed when the last street light comes on. I want to listen to a baseball game on a radio and drive to a beach and wear flip flops and look at people in bathing suits and remember when I wore less than full body armour in public. I want to have a summer fling. A summer haircut. A summer pedicure. Anything to get me away from the feeling that before I know it the leaves will be changing color and I'll be scurrying around obsessing about Christmas decorations.

Anybody out there have a sure-fire method for stopping the clock for a few days? If so, let me know as soon as you possibly can, and we'll save what's left of the summer.

I'm two and a half blocks away from completing Strawberry Shortcake. I did manage to get a few hours in last night while watching some re-runs of crap I'd recorded on the DVR thingie. I am still totally loving this and am starting to think about possible finishes for it. A funky pillow? A gorgeous frame with a triple beveled mat? A purse? I'm not sure just yet, but whatever it is will be enjoyed for a long time to come, I'm sure.

I briefly ran through some blogs the other day and lo and behold, my VBSDF Laura J. Perin has done it to me again. Have you seen her latest....Daisy Chain? Damn, but that is the coolest! Aunt Chrissy and I are already plotting as to how we will stitch and finish this one. Take a look: http://www.two-handedstitcher.blogspot.com. And while you're there....peek into her lovely new home and see all of her stitchy stations. Now if only I new her exact address so that I could move in....

Stewey calls. He's been marching about the house today pointing out all of the places where he's peed in the last few days. Apparently, it's his new way of determining whether or not I'm keeping up with my chores. He figures that I'll see the microscopic drops of dog pee on the dog pee colored hardwood floors and that I'll attend to them immediately. (Note to self: Decision to stain the floors "Natural Red Oak" when building the house seemed fine at the time, but color is now too reminiscent of said dog pee and must be changed. "Natural Walnut" perhaps?) So...it looks like it's time for a bucket of hot soapy water and Mommie Dearest on Pee Patrol.

Whatever you're doing today, I certainly hope it's more fun!

12 comments:

  1. Well, you are nearing the end of the strawberries, and it looks so good!! I know what you mean about time flying by. It isn't even summer yet (!) and before you know it, the fall will be upon us once again. Even though I'm not working now, I just don't have time to get much accomplished!

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  2. I just peeked at Laura J. Perin's blog and OMG!!! That woman is a whirlwind of creativity. If I read the blog on a regular basis, I would have to curl up and hide under the bed in shame for being oh, so, slackerish in the stitchery department. That being said, I am still buying a couple of her charts and plan on a lot of wonderful needlepoint projects. She is a wonder. (And lucky to live in Cloverdale, a wonderful small town surrounded by other wonderful small towns in wine, goat, and chicken country.

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  3. Strawberry Shortcake looks fab! I say frame it, but that's just me. I have to say I don't really like summer. Too hot. Fall is my favorite time. I am much more a sweatshirt and jeans person more so than shorts and a bathing suit. Ugh. I checked out Laura J. Perin's blog. Daisy Chain looks great! Can't wait to see you working on that one. Give my love to Stewey.

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  4. I hear you Coni! I have been trying to stop time for years. The older I get, the faster it goes. My brain is still on last November for Pete's sake!

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  5. Wow, that was a fun walk down memory lane! Thanks for the trip! Those really were the days!

    Love your work!

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  6. What happened is that we (and I include myself here) grew up, and have to take responsibility for all those magical events that used to be in our parents arena.

    I too would like to stop time now and then, or take a side trip back to the good old days, but I'm not sure I would really like to live there all the time...remember, all they had for stitching needlepoint was wool and painted #10 canvas, and for other embroidery there was cotton floss. Just sit back and think about all the "modern" developments in all of our textile arts.

    Strawberry Shortcake looks so scrumptious, and Miss Laura is also making me a little crazy.

    Just hang in there!

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  7. The secret, dear Coni, to stopping or slowing the passage of time, is to live mindfully. (Something easier said than done at my house.) According to the Buddhist monk, Thic Nhat Hanh, when washing the dishes after dinner one should pay attention to the act of washing the dishes. Sounds simple. Really isn't.

    May you find your summer groove soon!

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  8. Hey Coni, you and Stewey head up here to Maine and we'll hang out on the lawn and listen to the chickens cluck and see who can get the best sunburn (betcha I win - Scottish genes rule!) and then we'll have a pajama party and close the day down with some fruity alcoholic nonsense that will have us giggling ourselves to sleep. I'll make sure Niek has clean sheets on all the beds for utter bliss. LOL!!

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  9. You live like an hour and half from a magnificent lake! Pack up your flip flops, sunglasses, a beach chair, a novel, and a cooler filled with fresh strawberries, and potato salad and go hang out on the beach! Summer will hit you all at once.

    Meijer has fantastic strawberries right now too!

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  10. Wow, your descriptions brought me right back in time. I went to bed dreaming of Keds, Kool-Aid and Freeze-Pops. And going to to see Cinderella at the Drive-In dressed in our pj's....how's THAT for an old memory!

    I really really like Strawberry Shortcake and I want to thank you for the link to your bff LJP's blog. More good stuff!

    Have a great day!

    sheri

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  11. Strawberrt Shortcake is lovely. Does Stewey really tinkle over everything?!? I don't know how much of that I could take, cute as he is. I hope, for everyone's sake, that you are exaggerating for comic effect!!!

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  12. I love this project , the colours are so delicious!

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