PROGRESS...AND A PLAN

Hello, Dearies!

Here we are on a Summer Monday. The sun is trying to decide if it wants to come out fully today, but according to the weather report, thunderstorms might just be the order of the day instead. I contemplated a morning splosh, but as soon as I started for the laundry room to fetch my big girl swimming suit, I heard a rumble of what I presume to be thunder.

(But it could be the trash truck emptying the dumpster at the end of the parking lot.)

In any event, I have a bit of progress on Patriotic Tweet, as well as a plan for the remainder of the day. I finished Moby Dick and watched several good YouTube lectures on it, and am now getting ready to dive into Mrs Dalloway. I just looked back through my BoB, and discovered that I read it back in 1999 right after I had read The Hours by Michael Cunningham, but for the life of me cannot remember it. I do, however, remember the movie version of The Hours, and might see about watching that this afternoon if I finish my binge of Billions.

I might also have a big diamond painting finish to share in the next day or two. I have come to the last section of the big floral with birds that I have been playing with since April! 

Hmmm. If I time this right, I will have a big book finish, a small/medium stitching finish, and a huge dp finish all within days of one another! WooHoo! If that's not a cause for celebration, I don't know what is!

What are you celebrating today? Come tell me all about it!

WHY SHOULD THEY HAVE ALL THE FUN?

 

Apparently, this is a new thing that you do for a toddler on their birthday...have all of their favorite toys greet them at their door in the morning with balloons.

Do you suppose this would work with a big ass cup of coffee, a stack of books, and a basket full of stitchy projects for a portly old broken down Spinster of a certain age?

(Asking for a friend).

IN WHICH THE SPINSTER CARRIES A HANDBAG

So I did a thing a few weeks ago.

Well, several things, actually.

I started watching the Read Well podcast on the YouTubes and became fascinated with the idea of being a better reader. I've always had my nose in a book in one way or another, but it was always casual/light/fun reading on the back porch swing or tucked into bed before lights out. 

I also started watching/listening to The Daily Stoic, and this made me want to start some new and better habits that would serve me well as I move into "the age in which one really should know better". The guy in this podcast wants me to read and study stoic philosophy as well as do something I used to do for years and years but haven't since starting this here blog...keep a daily journal.

So I found some videos about journaling and morning pages, and $11 later (because I had to have a new notebook from the amazons)...I was off. You'll be happy to note that I studiously avoided all of the videos that showed amazing art journals and scrap journals and perfectly curated memory journals, and decided instead that this would be a simple brain dump/morning pages book where I could exorcise my demons and clear my head every day before sitting in my chair doing nothing all day except running to the bathroom. (Sorry. TMI.)

Not to be forgotten in all of this is my Erin Condren Life Planner. Yes...I still have one, yet I do confess that it is a huge struggle trying to figure out how to use it. I don't exactly have a lot to "plan", I keep all of my tests and appointments on my phone, and actually committing a to-do list to paper is damn near impossible since I'm never quite sure if it's going to be a good day physically or a big girl sleigh bed day.

But I digress...

I also have a BOB...a book of books...that I've kept since 1991. This is basically just a little book in which I record the title and author of whatever book I've just finished reading. It's a bit beat up and falling apart, but I love being able to look back and remember what I was doing and where I was doing it and what book I had along for the adventure.

In short...this new life involved GEAR. A stack of books and journals and pens and chapstick and hair clips and a reading light and a portable fan and...

Cue the handbag.

I remembered that I had purchased a "planner tote" about a hundred years ago for the two weeks when I was obsessed with all things planner. It was grey felt, and I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be a diaper bag, but I kinda sorta remembered it being perfect for what I needed. Well, Dearies, I went on a massive search for the damn thing, and after about two hours of peeking into every nook and cranny and even venturing down to the garage/storage tower of crap from my life that I'm more attached to than my liver...I came up empty and it was back to the amazons I went.

Perfection! Bliss! Wonderful addition to my day! I put all of my stuff into the newly acquired tote and started carrying it out to the balcony for morning coffee, or over to the kitchen table for planning, or in to bed for pre-sleep reading.

I did this for about a week when Rich took one look at me in my crazy "they're pajamas, but let's just think of them as my inside clothers" getup and said "Con? What's with the handbag?" before going back to the Phillies game.

So me and my handbag are doing very nicely, thankyouverymuch. I am presently working on a plan for adding my stitchy project to the mix, but at the moment I'm letting it live on my ottoman because I don't have to worry about stashing things away into the project bag.

I'll leave you with a progress pic so Betty doesn't get her knickers twisted. Happy Futzingday!

Please, please, please be safe and well, Dearies. If you are in this heat, take all of the precautions. As for Yours Truly...it's me, the A/C, and vats and vats of water today (and for the foreseeable future)!

Shenanigans to follow! 

WHERE I'D LIKE TO GO...AND HOW I'D LIKE TO GET THERE

 

FURTHER EVIDENCE OF WHY I SHOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED TO PREPARE A SIMPLE "PRE-DINNER SNACK" WITHOUT ADULT SUPERVISION

 

SORRY, BETTY

I got yelled at today. Betty sent me an email that said "WHY DO YOU POST THINGS WITHOUT ANY INFORMATION.!?!"

You know what? 

You're right, Betty. When I am unwell, I tend to just post simple pictures or funny things I find on the Pinterest. 

No bueno.

So, to make Betty happy (and to answer some of the nicer questions I received on the Instagrams)...herewith are all of the details of my new start:

The chart is Patriotic Tweet by Teresa Kogut:

The fabric is from my stash..."Spacious Skies" by Colour & Cotton. It's a 28ct Lugana that was from the June 2022 fabric club.

The threads are all Colour & Cotton, plus one DMC. All are from my stash, and I selected them by sitting with my DMC color card and pulling whatever I had that was closest. I used to be completely terrified of substituting colors, but seem to have gotten out of my own way lately, and now I really enjoy it.

The Bitsy is from That's So Kelly Co. (The Bitsy is the thread pallett. I use DMC bobbin labels to write the chart symbol and then twist a length of thread on and pat it there for easy access):

The scissors are Gingher, and the bling is from Siggy's Closet on the etsy:

And the q-snap cover/grime guard and project bag are from SewMuch2Luv, also on the etsy:

NEW START

 

HELLO SUMMER!

 

This was a delightful stitch from start to finish, Dearies! I stitched it with the threads that were on the chart, with the exception of a DMC substitute for the red. I also made a minor change to the color of the letters...the chart called for them to be dark brown, but I went with blue instead.

Labwork is done for the day, as is my treat...I stopped for a trenta cold brew at the Starbucks, and have been savoring every single sip of it!

Happy Friday to one and all! I hope your weekend is full of fun! What's on the menu?

ALMOST THERE!

 

Yet another craptastic photograph for you, Dearies! I'm sorry for the poor quality, but for the life of me, I can't seem to get it together today with this silly contraption.

I have the stars and white stripes of the flag and the lettering at the bottom to finish, and then we can chuck this one into the big bin under the big girl sleigh bed and move on to the next. I have absolutely no idea what that "next" will be, but I am simply in it for the therapy at this point rather than the finished product. I seem to be enjoying the quiet routine of stitching more than ever at this point, and the crazypants frenzy of days gone by has become just a memory.

(Remember how nuts I used to be with rotations and flitting between projects like a three-hundred pound hummingbird? I look back on some of my posts from that time and wonder who that girl was! So much energy...so much activity...so many shenanagins!)

(The funny thing is...I wouldn't change one single minute of any of it!)

Today is going to be a rest day. If I can manage it, I'm going to try to get myself into the pool to move around a bit. I think it's supposed to be hot and humid, so the water will feel especially nice!  I really enjoyed the cool sunny days we had, but methinks the A/C is going to stay on for the duration!

I hope this finds you happy and healthy and full of joy today. Are you stitching/knitting/painting/crafting something that blows your skirt up? Come tell me all about it!

 

I also like to put on a red polo shirt and go to Target so I can help people find things and then look at their receipts at the self-check out.

WEDNESDAY...FORMERLY KNOWN AS FUTZINGDAY

 

I seem to have a hitch in my giddy-up today, Dearies. So I'm doing what any sensible Spinster should do...I'm watching the rain and listening to the birds and gearing up for a bit of reading. 

Yes, Moby Dick was absolutely on my Great Books Seminar reading list somewhere during my tenure as a student, but for the life of me I cannot remember having read it. My copy from those days is highlighted and annotated and broken in, but I don't know if I did that while reading, or if I frantically made notes at the discussion table like I was wont to do.

(What can I say? I was a TERRIBLE student and had absolutely no business being in college when I was. I don't say this to demean myself...it's just the plain truth of the matter. I was a complete disaster at Notre Dame, and couldn't get out of my own way. I had the emotional maturity of a seven-year old, was socially inept, and completely overwhelmed academically.)

I am, though, immensely grateful that I can now go back and re-visit things a bit, and thanks to a few new YouTube subscriptions, I'm learning how to deep-read. I found a podcast called Read Well, and I have really enjoyed listening to the host (Eddie) teach me how to get more out of my reading...when I want to...by deep reading.

I am still enjoying "casual" reading before bed (Owen Meany), but a few hours a day of concentrated study seems to be very good for my tiny little brain. This and my new morning journaling practice have really been good for the circus that's usually in my head, and I find that even my stitching and diamond painting time has benefitted.

So, despite some ugh-ish-ness, I'm determined to pull my britches up and soldier on. A few quiet hours won't kill me, and there's still plenty of time this week to run around like a hamster.

How are you doing today? Is life in your corner of the world wonderfully swell? I hope so, and I hope you'll come tell me all about it.

SUNDAY...

 

SOMEBODY PLAY THE BON JOVI SONG THAT SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT BEING HALFWAY THERE, PLEASE

 

TIDY UP DAY

Last night I finished Ladybug Picnic:

And today I gathered all of the things from the last three finishes and put them away:

I think I'll go on the hunt for simple white wooden frames for these, but for now they'll go into the Fuppy Box to wait their turn for finishing.

I'm bushed, Dearies. My little battery has been flashing "RECHARGE" for about a week now, so I am taking myself to the big girl sleigh bed with my book (just started Moby Dick a few days ago and am really enjoying it).

Back to labs, tests, and doctors again next week. The bad news is that my insides are still trying to kill me. The good news is that they haven't yet! 

Hope things are swell in your neck of the woods! Are you keeping yourselves healthy, happy, and cheerful? Come tell me all about it!

SCENES FROM MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

 

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND 2025

 

GOOD MORNING

 

A BLAST FROM THE PAST...2008 TO BE PRECISE

 

MONDAY MONDAY, BUT FIRST A BRIEF MESSAGE FROM MASTER STEWEY ANGUS WILLOWSWAMP HIS VERY LITTLE SELF

Dear President Obama:
I'd like to apologize to you and all of the passengers aboard Air Force One on behalf of my mother. When she heard the roar of the engines overhead, she ran out into the driveway and started waving to you like a crazy person. This display was sadly accompanied by her unfortunate wardrobe choice...a pair of twenty year old pajamas and a mismatched set of tube socks. I watched in horror as my old lady jumped up and down without a bra on, thus causing her to black both of her eyes. (I applied cold compresses and assured her that the resulting "shiners" would be a badge of honor.) She explained to me that this was indeed a non-partisan jumping up and down, since she did the very same thing a few years ago when President George W. Bush flew overhead. So, please forgive her, Mr. President for ruining what I am sure was a lovely pre-landing luncheon. She's a good person. Really. She is. It's just that she slips out of her invisible fence collar every now and then and I find myself having to account for it later.
Your friend,
Stewey


So I did a little stitching this weekend, but when I snapped the progress pics today I was disappointed at how little I actually accomplished. It felt like I would have more to show you, but alas, I do not. So I suppose this will have to suffice:

I also got the hankering to do a painted canvas, so I kitted this one:

I've learned a very important fact about myself. I always thought that I was completely incapable of stitching painted canvases. Turns out that I'm not incapable, I just need a little help picking stitches. So I have promised myself that I will work on some of the lovely canvases I have up there in the studio, but that I'll do so with the help of a stitch guide. (I justify this by the rationalization that we can't all be experts at everything, can we?) So my hope is that I will be able to incorporate a few more painted canvases into my half-assed rotation system (that changes daily, by the way), so stay tuned.

I'll leave you with a picture of what I assume to be a bird's egg? Stewey stumbled across it when we stepped outside to get the mail today. At first I thought it was one of those candy-coated malt ball thingies that you get around Easter time, but when I reached for it, Stewey promptly smacked my hand away and proceeded to protect the damn thing as if he had laid it himself. Damn dog.

FRIDAY

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STEWEY. I MISS YOU.

 

BLOOMING BUNNY FEE NEE...FINALLY!

I feel like it took me forever to finish him, but at last, the Blooming Bunny is complete! I enjoyed both he and the Spring Bird immensely:

 I think they would look swell in white frames, but they need to sit in the Fuppy box for a bit while I replenish my stitchy account.  I'm sure that once I do, there will be lots of options out there!

Happy Monday, Dearies!

IN WHICH YOUR INTREPID HEROINE TRIES NEW THINGS...

 Hello, Dearies.

It's an absolutely beautiful Saturday morning, and I am enjoying my second/medicinal cup of damn good while listening to the neighbor's wind chimes tinkle in the breeze. It's just cool enough that I have my trusty blanket, but warm enough that they've opened the complex pool earlier than expected. (It's supposed to be 86 on Thursday...yikes!)

So it would appear that I have fallen down yet another rabbit hole, only this time, it seems like this one might actually be good for me, as opposed to some of the million others that you've all witnessed over the years.

Have you ever heard of Morning Pages? 

Apparently, there is a wonderful book out there by someone called Julia Cameron that I believe is titled The Artist's Way...don't quote me on these particulars, but if you're a devotee, then by all means, come correct me. 

The gist (from what I gathered during my totally half-assed quick research), is that you write in a journal first thing in the morning to dump all of the clutter out of your brain. I think you are supposed to commit to three pages of longhand stream of consciousness, and I'm sure there's more to it, but here's what I've adapted to my own little world:

Every morning (or, in my case, afternoon) when I get up and pour that first cup, I sit down with my little purple book (just a blank journal from the amazons) and my pen (a delightful find...did you know they make disposable fountain pens now?!), and I sit at the kitchen table and write.

I don't think. I don't fret or organize or edit or do anything, really, that would make these pages at all understandable. Heck...half the time they aren't even legible (because I have the handwriting of a serial killer and my hands are terribly sore most mornings from diamond painting or stitching the night before), but at the end of my scribbles I somehow feel...better.

In addition to the Morning Pages, I have developed the habit of staying OFF of the phone and the ipad and the TeeVee almost the entire day. I read or sleep or stitch or play with paper or diamond paint instead. No news, no doomscrolling, no Insta this or FaceBook that to distract me into tears or hopelessness. I just blissfully go about my day doing my futzing and puttering and whatnot without engaging with the world in any meaningful way until I'm ready.

Of course, this has all been super easy to do while Rich is visiting his mom in New Jersey. My old spinstering habits kicked in hard this time, and I am happy to report that aside from having my toes tended to, I have not left the friendly confines of CS2 in over a week and a half.

Aaaahhhh...quiet and peace.

When Rich returns next week, I am going to try to maintain my little rituals. We re-did our little balcony, so maybe I will take advantage of a few minutes out there with my purple book and damn good. Or maybe I'll actually leave the house and head to campus or the library every now and then?

Doesn't matter. All I know is that this un-plugging has done wonders for my state of mind, and very very soon I hope it translates into the rest of me. My guts are still completely out of whack, and some of these test results are giving me no end of panic, but I finally think I've decided to let the professionals stress about it...I just don't have the bandwidth for it right now.

Today I'm going to finish this darn bunny if it kills me. Of course, I ran out of the Colour & Cotton thread that I was using, so I've had to switch to another one that I think comes close for the last tiny little bit of his face. Once that's done, all I need to do is add the ground shadows beneath his feet (paws?), and this lovely little thing will FINALLY be done.

I have absolutely not one clue as to what I will play with next, but methinks there might be a good long rummage through my WiP baskets in the near future. Stay tuned for that!

I've made really good progress on the enormous diamond painting, and before I know it, it might be time to look for another in the basket. I am on a strict no-buy policy, since I promised myself when I started this new hobby that I would  NOT...UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES...amass a huge pile of canvases in a stash that would taunt me to my end of days.

And finally...my reading life. Oh, dear John Irving, how I love you so! I read Owen Meany for the first time right after college, and devoured every single John Irving novel that I could get my hands on. I've always said that he is my favorite author, and that one of these years I was going to have a "John Irving Summer" and read his entire catalogue back to back to back, but I never have. I do like the idea of spacing them out a bit, because at this point there are so many other great things I want to read and re-read. I just finished Madame Bovary, and am thrilled that I seem to have found my reading bug again after so many years of half-heartedly skimming through a page here or a page there of whatever library book was next to the big girl sleigh bed. This time, I'm going in awake and doing more close-reading...somewhat like the days of yore when I read and retained rather than read to simply fall asleep.

Well, it looks like my second cup is finished, Dearies, so it's time to get on with it, Before I settle in with my stitching, I want to attempt to do at least one chore. I have a full list of eighteen tasks to be completed, but so far all I've managed to do is stick my tongue out at it and have more damn good. Seeing how it's Saturday, and the traditional day of household crap (at least it always was for me), I might as well do a thing or two.

So Happy Saturday...Happy Weekend, and most especially Happy Mother's Day to all of those who observe and celebrate. I hope that your little corner of the world is swell and exactly how you want and need it to be.  Come tell me all about it!

TUESDAY PLAN