Odds and Ends

The blue of heaven is larger than the clouds.

I gave up and went back to old blogger. I did try to learn it but so many bugs are in it I think. So back for the third time to try and write a post. Happy Sunday! Its August here, 112, humid, all of those things that make August the longest month. But then of course, we have the best months coming up. September,October and November. I didn't add December, because I think we should change the name of December to Blur. It just flies by, then January shows up, but I think after 2020 we will celebrate 2021 with joy. Don't you think?

This was going to be a future Bonsai, but since I am so flower deprived, Ron has loaned it to me. Isn't it gorgeous. It makes me so happy out in the yard. We always bring it in the house in the winter because it just doesn't do well in the cold but it loves heat. Its a Bougainvillea.

I was going to start talking about the house, but since this post starts with Ron's trees, I thought I would show you some of the ones he has that he brought with us. This is a Cork Elm. Isn't it beautiful. One thing they never tell you when you buy a Bonsai in a store, is they are trees. They need to be outside. That is why they die so fast in the house. You can take them out and put them in a bonsai pot so they look all cool for show, but they won't be happy. They want to be a tree. All the things I watch Ron do to keep them small, like unpotting them and trimming roots. I don't think I would ever do Bonsai, I love watching Ron work with them, but too many bugs live in them, spiders are always jumping out at him. Just not for me.

This is part of the ones that he brought here. Its a nice place for them. He has put the bigger ones in the front flowerbed. We live in a north facing house so his Japanese Maples love it. I would have taken more pictures but the dog next door was barking at me. It is a problem child. I think its a Pomeranian. The day we moved here, Sasha barked at it, I told Sasha, "No, don't bark at that hoodlum." She looked up at me and has never barked at that dog again. Even when I have whispered in her ear, "go ahead and bark, its okay." She doesn't. That poor man and woman, have tried to stop her from barking, (she just doesn't listen.)  I just smirk, because I know who has the smarter dog. (Border Collies Forever!!)

We bought a new Tragger. When we moved here I was lost. Our old one broke about April. So one of the things we said we would buy when we moved was a new one. I felt like my life was back on track when we got one of these and we hung the wind chimes. I know weird but those are the things that make me feel like I am at home.

 We also bought new bar stools. I love these. Its been so nice to decorate and play house again. Being in limbo from last July until this July was hard. Now I feel like all I do it rearrange and clean and its been so much fun. Even when I first went to Kindergarten. When the play house in the corner of the class room just got out of hand the teacher would ask me if I wanted to play in the playhouse. I always said yes, and even then my favorite thing was cleaning and putting everything in order. I just can't do clutter. If I am going to hook or sew, I can never pick up a hook or a needle unless my house is clean.

I wanted to show you the arches in this house. We have really tall ceilings and really tall arches for the doorways. I love the curves and I just love how this looks in the master bedroom. I love this bedroom. In 40 years, I have never had a really pretty bedroom. I want this one to be a pretty room. Our old house had a pretty bedroom but one whole wall was windows and french doors, but it wasn't big like this one. I think that is what I like about it. So I am thinking and thinking about what I am going to do to make it really pretty.

Here of course is the fireplace. Again. I just can't begin decorating for fall just yet. So I keep moving stuff, but come September, this is going to look like a fall explosion happened. I found out today the brick color is called Old Chicago. I love that color.

  I took this picture because I wanted to show you how pretty the kitchen looks not to mention that very interesting light fixture. I still can't figure out if I like it or not. There are so many things I would like to do, that this just isn't a big priority. I planted sunflowers in those pots outside. All of the sunflowers are coming up. We also have a large finch population so I am sure they will be very happy when the sunflowers are finally growing. We have lots of dove and hummingbirds, crows and a few bluejays. They are not in control yet. There are some mockingbirds but they are still outnumbered by the doves so it seems pretty peaceful around here. Not like the war zone at the other house. There was always lots of bird fights going on.

Here is the little I have worked on this week, I did finish that flower. This is a really big rug. Its so nice to be hooking again. I have to work on it using my floor frame. I have missed hooking.

I just had to share this picture of our oldest son Ben. He loves his turkeys. I knew he would. We are waiting for his next baby to be born any time. It will be number 12 for us and number 5 for them. He has worked so hard this year to get a home for his family. We are very proud of them.

So that's it for me. Its taken me far to long to write this post. I found out that I can't upload pictures unless I am in Google Chrome. I seem to never remember than until I have written posts and none of my pictures will load.

I hope your day is a great one.

~Kim~

“The heat of autumn is different from the heat of summer. One ripens apples, the other turns them to cider.” (Jane Hirshfield)

Today is the Day.

 Finally, after waiting and waiting, I am going to pick up my hook and start a new rug. I don't consider myself an artist, but I imagine how it might be, the ache that comes from not being able to draw, or write or make something creative. My mind has to be in a good place to be able to create. All of those months of getting the house ready and decluttering, I knew my mind was not in that place to do that. Oh, off topic but I wanted to throw in here the book I read that gave me the vision and guts to really clean out my house. 

Its called" The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning" by Margareta Magnusson. Its not sad or maudlin or anything, its a good how to book. It really helped me to get through the years of clutter. 

Okay back to rug hooking. I have always wanted to hook Cape Ann by Edyth O'Neill. I made a promise to myself that after I was moved what ever that looked like, I was going to hook that rug for my new house. 

I ordered as you can see from Woolly Fox. I ordered my wool from Dorr Wool.

I can dye my own wool as I have mentioned but I can never get good reds or good black and my greens don't come out the green I wanted. I spent Tuesday washing and drying my wool. It was a lovely day. Ron got a clothesline rope that I had saved from something else I was going to make and we tied it around the pillars that hold up the roof in the back yard and I hung my wool out to dry. Then Wednesday, I put my Cape Ann on my frame and spent the day staring at it. I did some of my counted cross stitch projects while I just sat and looked at that giant rug. 

I started Spooky Countdown by Primitive Hare. The second picture is Ann Womack 1838 by Shakespeare's Peddler. The third picture is the flower I am going to start today. 

(Oh, by the way, learning this new blogger isn't easy so if you notice weird things, its because I am still trying to figure this out.)

I will be finally getting to my goal today. I will be doing that which I love, cutting wool, planning colors, and finally picking up my hook and pulling loops. I think it will be like riding a bike, and it will all come back to my hand memory. There is nothing like starting a new rug and pulling loops as the colors begin to bring life to the linen. I have waited a year and I am so excited that the waiting is over. 

Last night the wind was blowing in the palm trees that surround our house. I was sitting in back. Ron was watering his little Bonsai trees. I sat and watched the palm fronds as the wind blew them west. I thought as I sat there I do like the sound of the wind in the palm trees. It sounds like the ocean and they are never still. Change is never easy, 2020 has been nothing but change every single day. As I look for things to be thankful for, I realize, even though I may not like some of those things the media seems to scream about day in and day out. The good always outweighs the bad. Most people are nice. We are all in the same boat. I have found in the midst of all of this change, if I can hang onto one tiny bit of normal, life just seems wonderful. So if I have learned anything at all from all of this, kindness, love and compassion will always win. Always. 

Have a wonderful day. I wish you blessings upon blessings today. With a hook in my hand, I am going into this new day. 

~Kim~

"Our deepest fear is not that we are weak. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world ... As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

( Attributed to Nelson Mandela, but in reality it was a quote by Marianne Williamson in her book,

"A Return to Love.") I remembered it as from Nelson Mandela, but I thought it was interesting to note where it originally came from.

"The Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory says, "The above quote does not appear in any of his three inauguration speeches." They have cataloged three thousand of his speeches. Whatever its still a good quote for this time. 

Happy August!

Can you believe its August? In someways, it seems the days have flown by and yet dragged. Its like being in a time warp. Or a black hole, I can't decide which. Trying to focus on the good things is getting easier and then life throws a curve ball. As always, as soon as I can laugh about it, I will tell you so I can forget it.

 Since we moved, I decided it was time to get my drivers licence renewed.  Our DMV was closed in March and I needed a new picture. So I couldn't just mail it in.  It didn't open until July, so I was only a tiny bit late. Which worked out so I could get my new address my new drivers license. Of course, they aren't taking appointments so its first come, first serve. I left the house at 7:30 in the morning. Since we have moved we live further away and there is so much road work, that it took about 45 minutes to get there. 

 

  As I  pulled into the parking lot, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was so early and I thought I had given myself enough time to get my drivers license renewed.

  My heart fell into my shoes, when I saw that the line went all the way around the building. I parked my car, grabbed all of the papers and my backpack and began the trek around the whole building. I finally found the back of the line and prepared to wait. It was going to be over a 100 and already it was hot. I had left my water in the car not expecting to be here that long. 

I decided that I needed to  be nice because not a single person there wanted to be there either and who wanted to wait in line with an old grouchgut. 

A man came up and was waiting behind me and we began chatting. Another lady walked up and we just stood and talked and it was as pleasant as waiting in line can be. The man told me about how bad it is in the town he is from in Mexico. How they have Marshall law and you have to be in your house by 7:00 P.M. with police patrolling the street. We talked about lots of things, for five hours. 

When we finally made it to the corner of the building the employees come out with a I Pad and take your information and give you a number and you can then go back to your car to wait until they send you a text that your number has been called. 

I went out to get some water and call Ron to tell him that I would be there a bit longer. The man I had been talking to had followed me to my car and knocked on the window. It scared me so bad I dropped my phone, my purse and thankfully not my water. I opened the door, and asked him what he needed. 

 He said, "Could I have your phone number?" I went blank. Just blank. I said, " You want my phone number?" He said, yes, he would like to talk again." I just said, " No" He looked blank at me and said, " You aren't going to give me your phone number?" I said," No, I am not." About that time my phone on the floor of the car started vibrating and I picked up my phone and told him that my number was being called. I started to walk away, when he came up to me and handed me his card, so I could call him. 

I walked back up to the place to wait in another line, for people who had numbers. I was pondering what kind of signal I had given off and why the Hell I just can't be nice to people, without them thinking we were best friends. By the time they called my number and I got to the window, my hands were shaking. The woman behind the counter asked me why I was so upset. I had been waiting in line in 100 degree weather, sweat had been running down my back for hours and a man followed me to my car for my phone number. I told the lady only about the man. I said, " I am 62 years old, I have been married for 40 years, I have six kids and soon to be 12 grandkids, and some guy wants my phone number." To tell you how laughable this is, the ladies behind the counter laughed and laughed. Like I was telling them a good joke. 

 

I went back to my car, I decided to stop by Michael's to grab some thread for a project I am working on and there was another long line. I just figured it was not my day and I stood in that line. I didn't be friendly or talk to anyone at all. I kept my face down and just stood there like a grouchgut. 

Now its August and I do have so many other things to blog about. Now that I have told you that story. I can forget it and move on. We have a new grandbaby due this month. Our dear sweet Belle is coming home from the Philippines. She has been in the worst kind of lock down since March. Also Marshall law. They were not even allowed to leave the house without a pass. It should be a wonderful month. I feel really happy to be here. 

I do hope your August is a very nice one too. Thank you so much for stopping by and reading the scribbles of my life.

~Kim~

"We are called to be exceptional in the ordinary things, faithful in the little things, trustworthy when nobody's looking." Elisabeth Elliot