Just One Sin

When we error in our ways the guilty afterthoughts can literally eat us up.  They nag at us and pester away at our souls.   We all remember the sliver left uncared for in our hand.  It reddens and the pain annoyingly lingers as infection sets in.  Let me tell you about my dryer.  I am not changing the subject, just enhancing it.  My dryer began to vibrate about a month ago.  It drove me crazy.  Every few days I would push on it a little to see if the vibration would subside.  I tried to see if something fell behind to no avail.  I cleaned out the drum,  stripped the lint guard well and stood dumbfoundedly staring repeatedly at this drying creation that rattled all the dishes in my cupboards and vibrated the floor.    I felt like migraines were ensuing, perhaps I was being poisoned by fumes and I even turned it off while conversing on the phone because of the loud, nagging noise.  Poison had invaded my home and peace had left my soul.  My dryer man came today to witness the sinning of my Maytag.  There is was.  One dryer sheet that had escaped and landed in the motor.  That one little puffy white thing had escalated into an infected mess.  It was removed.  The repentance process was complete.  We are all pure, happy, quiet, sin-free and drying in a celestial mode.

The Toe

Why is my big left toe such a problem?  Why when I drop something, like a ladder, does it have to land on my left big toe?  Why when I stub my toe, is it always my left toe?  The poor toe has been through enough the last four years.  The first trauma began when a roll of plastic bags at Fred Meyer (it was heavy) landed on my big left toe.  Then, a year of bruising and discomfort, then the nail removal and then eighteen months of regrowth.  Then more trauma from various activities, like painting, crafting, cleaning and moving stuff.  My poor left toe left me no choice but to schedule another nail removal with my podiatrist.  Undoubtedly, right after that decision, my nail decided to do it on its own.   Off to the clinic I went facing the inevitable – I have an infection in my toe.  The good news is I can cancel next weeks appointment with the podiatrist  – the bad news is I just can’t wear flip flops anymore.

The Last Lift

At nine in the morning, on a chilly thirty-three degree frosty dawn, decked out in paint clothes, three layers of shirts, a hat and gloves I was on the lift ready to begin the last of the “big” paint days.  I had all the front of the house to do on both sides of the deck.  Mike hung close to home so he could move the lift when needed and I focused on getting it all done in my allotted time.  We took down all the old gutters and FINALLY the last of the Christmas lights are down.  Christmas is officially over now.

Candid Camera

There are pictures and then there are pictures.  I told Micah this should be sent into a photo contest.  While at Disneyland and before getting on a ride they posed for a quick family pic only to realize after it was taken Hinckley had his finger . . . well. . . we can all see.  My favorite thing of all is how photogenic and posed Micah and David are and then trumping them all is the Puff and the . . . well. . . you know.

October

I just realized October is coming at the end of this week and I am breathing in our lovely fall already. I think we may have an autumn that sticks around awhile.  I will take down the patio furniture this week and situate the benches around our fire pit on the deck.  I so badly want some pumpkins for my mini pumpkin patch but I will have to wait on that.  I am searching for some autumn colors in a plaid to recover my living room pillows.  It has been cool and frosty in the mornings and beautiful and sunny throughout the day.  The trees keep dropping their leaves but soon there will be no more to drop.  My Halloween/Fall bins always come out the first weekend of October and I decorate over the weekend.   I am just a little giddy for October.

Brrrrrr

I saw this picture and I thought of me.  I am usually on the cold side.  I can wear sweats to bed and be just right.  I hardly ever have just short sleeves, if I do I wear a sweater on the top.  In the evenings I have a blanket on me.  My seat warmers are a must in any vehicle I own and mine are on most of the time and full three bars at that.  I love being in the cold but only when I am warm.  I love socks and slippers. I had a friend who crocheted me a lap quilt when I worked at the school because I shivered sitting by the window so much.   Sometimes at night I add an extra warm blanket on me in bed just because I am so cold.  The weirdest thing of all is that I don’t like warm weather.  Crazy eh?

The Team

I need to introduce my team.  These ladies make up our craft group.  We have so much fun and I love them all.  Deb is the president, the founder and queen of all crafting.  I am the vice-president, cofounder and pretty well first in command.  Galene’s home is our permanent meeting place, she is the seamstress and loves color and pizazz.  Taffy is our secretary, we call her “Bling” because every thing she makes has some bling or sparkle added to it, a gifted seamstress as well.  Yvette does everything we say, makes everything we make and is a lovely person.  Good old Shari is a seamstress too and is so willing to cut wood or do whatever is asked.  Shari has the hardest time deciding on things but we make her do it herself so she can progress.  Vicki is our FBI agent, she is happy and for the first time today actually finished two crafts which exceeded all of her personal goals.   These women are fabulous.  I am so blessed.

Something Is Changing

My great-grandmother Eleanor Maria Riley was married to Robert Hugh Newlands.  They lived in England and he was a school master in the Isle of Wight.  I have sketched out her life and I have resources to back up my timeline.  When she was fifty she came to Canada and the United States by boat.   Her immigration paper says she was coming to work as an agent for a manufacturer.  As far as I can tell she was here for awhile and then she returned to England.  I have been troubled wondering what is was she was doing for employment and why she would leave her husband to come here?  He would have made a good wage as a school master I would think.  I talked to my Dad’s cousin and she said Eleanor was a beautiful seamstress.  Perhaps I have one piece to my puzzle.  Was that her employment – to sew?  I am not done yet Great Grandma, your life matters to me.

Flapjack Furry

The pancake in its purist form could be my main breakfast (or dinner) staple for life.  Pancakes also known as a flapjacks, hoe cakes or johnnycakes were originally made with buckwheat or cornmeal in the American colonies.   I love mine with blueberries and good old Bisquick suits me just fine.  Deb has a texture issue with pancakes because they are a “soggy” food to her so my passion is her disgust.  So be it, I am off to eat my pancake.

 

Malaise

I woke up feeling a little “under the weather” today.  I don’t know exactly why I don’t feel so good and I don’t even know where that phrase came from. So, I looked it up.  The phrase “under the weather” came from British sailing ships.  When a sailor became ill he was confined below deck out of the weather, so it was said he was “under the weather.”  I regretted the fact I didn’t get any painting done, nor much craft preparation and very little housework but below the deck I will stay for a little while to see if I feel better soon.