The almost true exploits of an intrepid spinster and her stitching...and all of the things that make up her crazy, happy, quiet little life.
Jul 30, 2020
THURSDAY
Jul 29, 2020
I SWEAR YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP
Jul 28, 2020
ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE
The Challenge Accepted campaign is a way for women to support one another and celebrate themselves. The challenge consists of women posting a black and white picture of themselves, using the hashtag #WomenSupportingWomen and including a thank you to the woman who nominated them.
Women are then nominating one woman (or more) privately in their direct messages to post their own black and white selfie, with a supporting comment or two about the importance of female friendships and sisterhood.
I was nominated by my cousin, Stacy Campo. I challenge you...my Spinster Stitcher family, because this thing of ours is a soft place to fall in a world full of hard things. I am strong and happy and wanting to be better and do better every day because of you. Thank you!
Jul 27, 2020
THANK YOU DEARIES
Jul 24, 2020
Jul 23, 2020
AND THEN I REMEMBERED WHOSE DAUGHTER I AM
Four pieces of needlepoint and about a dozen other framed pictures.
My blessing came in the form of Rich and Cheryl carefully taking the things from my shaking hands and putting them in my car.
I spoke two words.
How much?
"Just pay me what you want", Kristine said.
And so I did.
I paid her nothing, and I got in my car and I drove away.
When I got home, I made a $500 donation to St Margaret's House in South Bend. A legitimate women's charity.
"In memory of Bob and Sig Rich and in gratitude for their legacy."
Jul 20, 2020
DEAR FRIENDS
Despite a lot of evidence to the contrary, I loathe drama. I try as hard as I possibly can to live a small, quiet, happy life. I try to be kind to others, to keep my mouth shut whenever possible, and to just live in a way that honors the two people who raised me to know better and to do better.
But there are times when even I can't figure out what more I could lose in this life and still remain standing. I'm tapped out. Done. Pockets empty in the physical, mental, and emotional departments, and it's time to take minute to re-gather my wits.
It is no secret that I have more blessings and things to be grateful for than anybody. And I AM grateful and recognize this every moment of every day. I do not pretend for one minute that this life of mine is not completely charmed. It is, and I acknowledge that.
But I can still feel crushed every now and then when somebody does something awful to me.
Right?
My sister imploded her life and mine along with it. Part of this implosion was to take the entire contents of her house (which was basically everything out of Mom and Dad's house in Phoenix) and throw it in a warehouse owned by Jeff Kuroski.
Jeff Kuroski is a bad guy. Period. Full stop. I have spent the better part of thirty years trying to tell people that "he's really not that bad" because he was my friend and that's what friends do. I worked for him for more years than I care to admit, and I am now very comfortable to say openly and publicly that this man abused me physically, mentally, and emotionally for the entire duration of that relationship. He is a sadist. He is a malignant narcissist. He is a liar, a cheater, a manipulator, and a user.
I don't know the details of what happened for my sister to trust him, but suffice it to say that her "stuff" was sent to his warehouse, and she had a relationship with Jeff and his family for a brief time when she realized that I wasn't going to be of any value to her anymore.
What did this "stuff" include? Imagine the entire contents of your childhood put into a box. Wedding photos, baby pictures, china patterns, flatware, furniture, handmade quilts....all of the crap that was home.
And now imagine that your mom was an avid needlepointer, and that among this "stuff" were dozens of her pieces. Dozens. Some standing as tall as four feet high. Others stitched specifically for each of us....like a girl reading a book for me and a girl in a pink dress for Chrissy.
When my sister left, I contacted Jeff and asked if I could come to his warehouse to retrieve my mom and dad's things. Things that have absolutely no value to anybody, but that were irreplaceable to me. His reply? "They're not mine to give you."
So I offered to pay for them.
Again..."not mine to sell you".
Flash forward to last night. I broke my rule and decided to cruise around Facebook. This is what knocked the breath out of me:
Yup. You guessed it. Mom's needlepoint sitting in a front yard being sold in a garage sale.
The seller is Kristine Kuroski, Jeff's daughter. Kristine is also a pretty awful person. She runs scams, has a fake charity, and presents herself as a minister catering to abused women.
She is nothing but a con artist.
On Thursday at 7:40 in the morning, I will have twenty minutes to PURCHASE anything that is left from my mom and dad's things. I've been told that there's not much left, but that I'm free to PURCHASE whatever I want.
I don't have words at the moment to tell you how completely gutted I am, Friends. Feeling like a victim does not suit me, but I honestly cannot fathom what else can be taken from me, I lost my parents, my sister, Stewey, my home, my health, and my freedom and still tried to carry on with some semblance of grace and hope.
Now, though? I'm just bitter and sad.
Buzzy and I are going to do this treatment today and tomorrow I will go to the Grotto for my dad's birthday and I'll ask for peace. In the meantime, though, I think I just need to go quiet for a bit and re-group.
Thank you for understanding, and thank you for letting me get this out. I'm sure that there will be plenty of you who think me petty for revealing their names, but there comes a point when even I have to learn to punch back.
Be safe and happy and healthy.
Coni
Jul 17, 2020
OPERATION STARTING OVER
Jul 16, 2020
WELL...WE'RE THREE FOR THREE
Jul 14, 2020
TEEHEEHEEHEEHEE
Dear Diary 2020 Edition,
In ❄️ January, ๐ฅ Australia caught on fire. I don’t even know if that fire was put out, because we straight up almost went to war with Iran ๐ฎ๐ท . We might actually still be almost at war with them ๐ค. I don’t know, because ๐ฉ Jen Aniston and ๐จ๐ป Brad Pitt spoke to one another at an awards ๐ show and everyone flipped the crap out ๐ฒ, but then there was this thing happening in ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ณ China, then ๐ Prince Harry and Megan ✌๐ผ peaced out of the Royal family, and there was the whole impeachment trial ๐ฉ⚖️ , and then corona virus ๐ฆ showed up in the US ✔️“officially,” but then ๐ Kobe died ๐ญand UK ๐ฌ๐ง peaced out of the European Union.
In February, ๐ฝ Iowa crapped ๐ฉ itself with the caucus results and the president was acquitted and the ๐ฉ๐ผ๐ผSpeaker of the House took ten. Whole. years. to rip up a speech , but then The๐จ๐ฌ ๐WHO decided to give this virus a name COVID-19, which confused ๐คsome really important people ๐ in charge of, like, our lives, into thinking there were 18 other versions before it, but then Harvey Weinstein was found guilty๐จ๐ป⚖️, and ๐บ๐ธ Americans started asking if Corona beer ๐บ was safe to drink๐คฆ๐ป♀️, and everyone on Facebook became a doctor ๐จ⚕️ who just knew the ๐คflu like killed way more people than COVID 1 through 18.
In March, stuff hit the fan๐ฟ. Warren dropped out of the presidential race and Sanders was like Bernie or bust ๐ฅ, but then Italy ๐ฎ๐น shut its whole country down ๐ท, and then COVID Not 1 through 18 officially become what everyone already realized, a ๐ฑpandemic and then a nationwide state of emergency ๐was declared in US ๐บ๐ธ , but it didn’t really change anything, so everyone was confused or thought it was still just a flu ๐๐ป♀️, but then COVID Not 18 was like ya’ll not taking me seriously? ๐ก I’m gonna infect the one celebrity everyone loves and totally infected Tom Hanks๐จ๐ป, get y’all to close all of the schools so y’all can ๐๐ผ appreciate teachers ๐ฉ๐ซ for once (because you can’t teach them anything other than how to use a touch screen๐คฆ๐ป♀️ ) close down all of salons so you can’t get your ๐♂️ hair or your nails done๐ , everyone had to work from home and attend Zoom meetings in their underwear. The ๐ DOW took a crap ๐ฉ on itself, and most of us still don’t understand why the stock market is so important or even a thing ๐ค (I still don’t), We were then all introduced to ๐ Tiger King and the ONE thing we can all agree on this year , ๐๐ผCarol totally killed her husband⚰️ ..... whacked him! And then Netflix was like you’re welcome, and we all realized there was no way we were washing our hands enough in the first place because all of our hands are now dry and gross and were all searching for lotion now.
In ๐ง April, Bernie finally busted✌๐ผ himself out of the presidential race ๐ , but then NYC ๐ฝbecame the set of The Walking Dead ๐ and we learned that no one has face masks ๐ท, ventilators, or toilet paper, or THE FREAKING SWIFFER WET JET LIQUID , and by now our ๐ฆoutgrowth is showing, so there’s a shortage on ๐ฆ box hair dye and all of our hair dressers are like , ๐ฑ NO DONT DO IT!!! But, then Kim Jong-Un died, but then he came back to life … or did he? Who knows, because then the Pentagon released ๐ฅ videos of UFOs and nobody cared, and we were like man, it’s only April….
In ๐ May, the biblical end times kicked off , historical locust swarms, we learned of murder hornets ๐ and realized that 2020 was the start of the Hunger Games๐ however people forgot to let us know. people legit started to protest lockdown measures with ๐ซ AR-15s, ๐⚾️sports events were cancelled everywhere. But then people all over America finally reached a breaking point with race issues and violence. There were ๐ฃprotests in every city๐ ,which was confusing to some of us because people were definitely gathering in ๐ซcrowds of more than ๐๐ผ๐ค๐ผ10 and for sure closer than 6 foot away ⬅️➡️from each other . Those people must have forgotten about the ๐pandemic called COVID Not One Through 18. Media ๐บ ๐ struggled with how to ๐คฌfocus on two important things at once, people in general struggle to focus on more than one important thing. A dead whale ๐ was found in the middle of the Amazon rain forest ๐ณ after monkeys ๐ stole COVID 1 Through 19 from a lab ๐ฌ and ran off with them, and either in May or April (no one is keeping track of time now) that a giant asteroid ☄️ narrowly missed the Earth๐.
In ☀️ June, science and common sense just got thrown ๐คพ๐ผ straight out the window and somehow ๐ท wearing masks became a ๐political thing, but then everyone sort of remembered there was a pandemic, but then decided that not wearing a mask was somehow a ✝️God given right (still haven't found that part in the bible or even in the constitution). then ๐จ๐ฌscientists announced they found a mysterious undiscovered mass at the center of the earth, and everyone was like ๐ ๐ฝ♂️๐ ๐ป♀️๐งDON’T YOU DARE TOUCH IT, but then everyone took a pause to realize that people actually believed Gone With The Wind ๐จ was like non-fiction, but then it was also announced that there is a strange ๐ฐradio signal coming from somewhere in the universe ๐ that repeats itself every so many days ๐ , and everyone was like ๐ฝ DON’T YOU DARE ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE WITH IT‼️๐ซ but then America reopened ๐๐ผfrom the shut down that actually wasn’t even a shut down, and so far, things have gone spectacularly .... not that great ๐๐ผ. All of the Karen’s came out at once, and people started tearing down ๐จ statues. Everyone is on Facebook arguing ๐คผ♀️ that masks kill because no one knows how breathing works ๐๐ผ, but then Florida ๐ was like hold my beer ๐บ and let me show you how we’re number one ๐ฅ in all things, including new Not Corona Beer Coronavirus. Trump ๐ฑ๐ป♂️decides now is a good time to ask the Supreme Court ๐ to shut down ❌Obama Care because what better time to do so than in the middle of a pandemic ๐๐ป♀️ , but then we learned there was a massive dust cloud ☁️ coming straight at us ๐from the Sahara Desert ๐ซ , which is totally normal, but this is 2020, so the ๐ป ghost mummy thing is most likely in that dust cloud. We then ๐ learned of meth-gators ๐ , and I'm like that is so not on my flipping 2020 Bingo card ๐ก can we use it as the free space?? ๐คท๐ป Then we learned that the Congo's worst ever Ebola ๐จ outbreak is over ๐, and we were all like, there was an Ebola outbreak that was the worse ever? ๐ ....... and don’t forget we just discovered FLYING SNAKES! ๐, seriously! FLYING SNAKES!!!!
So here comes July…. at this point we are over it , just tell us what’s next .... ๐ฝ Aliens? ๐ฑZeus? ☄️ Asteroids? Artificial Intelligence becomes self aware? Can it just be something cool ๐ or fun for once? Maybe even a good laugh , like hahaha ๐ April Fools! We all actually wouldn't mind that joke at this point.
I have no idea who wrote this.
Also, why didn't I know about the whale in the Amazon? Or a few other things because I just can’t keep up anymore!
But I’m sharing it because as long as we make it through 2020, I really want this to pop back up in the memories a few years from now.
OH FOR PITY'S SAKE....
Please bear with me, Dearies. Methinks a cool dark room and an ice pack are going to be the only thing I can manage today.
Talk amongst yourselves...back in a flash.
Jul 13, 2020
IT'S FROM THE COSTCO, DEARIES...
Truth be told...you could use any lemon flavored liquid. Next time I might try Crystal Light to save some calories.
Jul 12, 2020
SCENES FROM A SPINSTER WEEKEND...
Samurai sudoku. I can't get the hang out of solving even the easiest ones!
Stewey supervising the basket of wintergreen Life savers:
I wanted to eat ice cream, but did my nails instead:
A little more progress on patriotic states:
Breakfast of champions:
A nice long snoozy nap with a book:
Jul 10, 2020
FRIDAY...
Jul 9, 2020
THURSDAY...
(They really should make pills...and an instruction manual tor this).
Progress continues on Patriotic Squares:
I hope to play more with it today while the laundry sploshes and I listen to the children play in the pool.
(No pool for me yet this year, Dearies. In addition to it being full of people, I just don't feel ready yet).
(And as Dr Melfi would tell me...that's OK).
The week has been out of kilter since I lost Monday to that migraine, but hopefully I can get back into a groove this afternoon and tonight. We're having salmon and chopped salad for dinner, and I will plan a healthy menu for the weekend and life will be swell.
Come tell me all about life in your corner of the world. Here's hoping that it's happy and healthy and everything you want it to be!
Jul 8, 2020
HAVING THE MONDAYEST WEDNESDAY EVER
I swear, I have no clue what day it is, but I'm wearing pants and am where I'm supposed to be, so it's all good, Dearies.
It's all good.
Jul 7, 2020
SO MUCH FOR A PRODUCTIVE SPINSTERCATION...
My menu plan and grocery shopping went ka-blooey the minute my grocery store was unable to provide me with salad bags.
I ordered a cheeseburger instead.
Then, my good intentions of making a big fruit salad went awry when I realized that my fridge decided to freeze everything in the fruit drawer.
So I had a burrito.
But the biggest fail of them all was the long list of projects that I set out to accomplish in each room. You know, things like re-organizing the cube room studio and cleaning and re-painting the walls.
Nope.
Instead, I got a vicious bloody migraine on Sunday night that lasted until this morning. I didn't make it out of bed yesterday, which means I missed dialysis, which means I blew another thing on my to do list, which was to make it to every treatment with a smile and cheery disposition.
Ugh.
The pool has been occupied by enough people to fill it up, it is hot, humid, and steamy out there in Hoosierville, and I am out of Game of Thrones episodes to binge, since I finished re-watching the series on Friday while eating my cheeseburger (see above).
Damn, drat, and phooey.
On the positive side, I did manage to keep my nails Pepto pink, I changed and washed all of the bedding, and I started the patriotic canvaswork piece and am having a lot of fun with it. The plants outside didn't blow away during Saturday's storm, the freezer is empty enough to hold all of the Atlantic City Italian bread Rich will bring with, and I discovered enough Tylenol in the pill basket to last us through the apocalypse.
So I guess not all bad....just...unexpected.
Happy Tuesday, Dearies! I hope your corner of the world is safe and happy today. What's blowing your skirt up?
Jul 6, 2020
Jul 3, 2020
I"M SO GLAD I WAS AWAKE TO HEAR THIS...
(I had decided that I was going to give up looking at the Facebook because all I want to see is pretty stitching and happy things, but it seems like it's full of mean girls and curmudgeons lately.)
Anywhoose...the residents were pictured with big signs that indicated their likes/interests, and another big sign that said "Will you be my pen pal?"
I promised myself that I would do this, since sending and receiving mail and sharing the stories of our lives seems like a lovely thing to do.
Last night as I tossed and turned, I listened to the BBC on the radio,and guess what?
The director of the assisted living facility company was interviewed, and she reported that over 15,000 letters and cards and packages have been received from this posting, and that volunteers were busy sorting and preparing them for all of the residents in her system...a total of 900 people!
And! In a very interesting side note....NOT ONE of the residents in her system has tested positive for the coronavirus!
Maybe love really can cure this thing after all!
I'M REALLY OVER ALL OF THIS SPAM
Really?
Go spam somebody else, please. I'm tired of having to hit the delete button.
Jul 2, 2020
Jul 1, 2020
FUTZINGDAY HERE IN HOOSIERVILLE...
You know how I was contemplating starting something new but couldn't think of what that something new might be? Well, yesterday I opened the new Needlepoint Now and....woohoo!....look what I found!
I've done several of her pieces before and know how much fun they are, so I am very prancypants today thinking about getting this one started!
***The designer is: Stickideen von der Wiehenburg***
(This is counted canvas work, and will be done on 18ct mono canvas with DMC threads. It could also be stitched on congress cloth or evenweave using any threads your heart desires. The graphs are very clear and easy to follow, and despite looking complicated, this is a lot of fun and very very easy to do!)
Today will be a grocery delivery. All good things, I promise. I have been very good with a smoothie in the morning and a nice salad in the evening with grilled chicken, and last night I made a lovely little tortellini salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, feta, and a light balsamic dressing. I'm going to make myself a good steak on Saturday and hopefully have salmon or shrimp tomorrow.
So that's all of the news from Spinsterville on a summer Wednesday. Cool, quiet, and behaving myself, thankyouverymuch.
How about you?