Daily Notes and It's SNOWING here in Maine... Wondering if it will Snow into July????

 Artist is Manuel Jiménez.   Carved Animals with real Personality... Will have a few more of these in the next posts.

What am I doing?  Well, daughter and I washed and dried some very large (and heavy) crystal items...I made supper but still having difficultly finding the knob on the New Bosch Stove that turns on the OVEN.  Son is going to find a way to add a  "dot" under that knob. Has to be the right kind of "dot".

I "trial" matched some red floss in my sewing room closet to the linen table topper I have been working on since my two children were in middle and high school. 

I saw an interesting cloth on top of an ancient chest in the entry of the house where we were staying during the 10 days of School SKI Vacation back in the early 1980's.  Yes, they have that in Europe.

I couldn't find the rough textured beige linen the artist used so got some soft white not so rough linen, needle and red embroidery floss. I worked on it much to the delight of our host where we were staying--after she saw me measuring  cutting and hemming my linen...and starting in on the design.... she gave me  a copy of the design paperwork she had used to make the one I saw in the entry. (and kept my tea cup filled).   I still have all the parts and design in the same paper bag I got at the shop.  .  And now one- only one paddle of red floss.  And no where to buy more.. quilt shops and craft stores are all closed here in Maine.  I might just use the red I have and then..finish with other non-matching reds. Like women did during the Great Depression.  In 20 years it will be an oddity in a resale shop...And I will be dead or celebrating my 100th birthday.  

Watching the news makes me feel like The Second Great Depression is almost upon us.  I have the oil furnace running....no clue as to whether we will be able to fill the tank when it runs out. Our only source of heat and hot water.

The little animal up top has had to listen to all this whining....you, also.  So now I reheat my coffee for the third time and settle into the couch.....think about a Herb Garden....in a Grow Box on the back deck...or out on the walk with the ornamental planter boxes.  Life would be perfect if I had a Carpenter on Call.  To build me a few things and repair a few MORE things rotting away on my house,

Growing Old...sigh. For People and for Houses.

Daily Notes for Wednesday March 18th.....Bright outdoor light and melting snow.

Pansies today....my favorite flower....so cheerful.

I have the stove going with a large pot of water and some corned beef....I forgot yesterday was the day to make it...so today..I am making it.  Low simmer for almost 4 hours. I'll check on the water levels every so often.   Then...according to my recall..... the corned beef comes out (and spends time in the oven getting crisp around the edges) and the cabbage, small red potatoes go in.   I think something else goes in but Son will remind me.  Carrots...Only I like boiled carrots.

I have not started my book....the one I spoke of yesterday... a former neighbor sent an email and wanted a nice long letter re: what's happening in the neighborhood. I wrote a full page.  Containing public business.  Nothing else.  She now has FIVE Granddaughters. Just got a new one.

Daughter is home with a very bad headache.  She called to see if the store brand prepared soup had one specific ingredient in it...no.  So it's something else.

News from the "White House of Ill Repute" continues to baffle me.  Another head of Homeland Security has turned out to be same or worse than previous.  Hard to believe???? Nope.

We washed and dried and boxed up Swedish Crystal......it's now way up on top of a cabinet...Safe and Sound.  I no longer have to ask where it is.  Daughter got tired of me asking.

Well, Supper is simmering....I need to get the heat up a notch higher...or wear o scarf around my neck. Half the bagged and boxed items we are getting rid of ...are gone.  WAS QUITE A PILE.  Still more to find and get rid of.  Scandinavian Death Cleaning.

 

Daily Notes- Tuesday, March 17th. Sunshine here in Maine and melting snow- New snow arriving???

 Well, Collected all the items needed for Income Taxes.  I used to do them myself..but when we owned a company...they had to be done by an accountant.  So I stopped....and never really got back into it until Turbo Tax.  And I wore my NERVES to the quick with Turbo Taxes for ten years.... and now, I just collect the papers and someone picks them up........ I feel it's worth the money to save what I have left of my "nerves"....

The Maine Snow is melting....again.  Comes and Goes.....I have zero plans for today.....perhaps some English Soccer....the book I was going to read happened to be one I already read once and never finished reading....needed a better editor....got tedious.  There was a plot line there that could have worked but they left it hanging........

I have a Christina Lauren book to read...the only one of their books I do NOT own.......I will read it once more and decide if it's worth my time......I have never actually read it thru to the end...perhaps at 79 I will be able to????   I pulled it off the shelf and then was tempted to put it back on the shelf (at the Library) it's that sort of book....never really gels.  The other one of their books I don't care for is the cowboy one.  These two haven't written anything new in awhile or my Library hasn't bought anything new. I will check after hitting publish.

Maine is under a Flood Watch today with High Winds to follow.  Could be exciting.  Here at my house I have melting snow and green grass showing up....over wintered bulbs are up a few inches.... they are near the septic tank outlet- warm water (showers) thaws that area out early in the season..  Hot showers thaw this old woman out as well.   Well, I need to find something to do....after I reheat my coffee.  Get on with it.  I have an index card to color.

DebL- collected all the cloth of yours in one place...it was well scattered thru sewing room and living room areas...now all together...I did this because I have had a "creative idea"......and haven't had one of those in awhile....need to run with it before it evaporates......now I need to find the "faded golden print" I made a notation about........sigh.  It's always something.....

Daily Notes for Monday, March 16th.. Foggy, Damp Day here in Maine.

Daughter and I reloaded the Goodwill bags and made another bag full of ART SUPPLIES for the Library- they sent an email to all patrons re: art supplies that we might no longer need.  Well, Sam and I had a full cardboard box full.  We no longer needed.

She was here and now gone to buy a new machine for her basement to remove humidity...a new one every year.  Lots of humidity in her basement.  

We are also contacting the Banker who does my taxes..... she is having her paperwork picked up tomorrow and I asked for list of what I need to send him and this same Erika can pick up my info... I think this time I will make a photocopy of the list and use a black felt tip marker to add with word TAXES to the paper.

 In case I'm alive next March.  But I will be alive for a few additional weeks as I now have two boxes of COOKIES in the cabinet.....And Corned Beef and Cabbage to look forward to cooking and eating.  It helps to have something Future to look forward to.... 

The bags of crafts hold quite a bit from my Art Room.  And the shelving is still full...The frozen paint  is now soft and pliable.....waiting to be used...

Daughter and I discussed Peonies. Husband set fire to two of the five out back by the porch steps (with a gas can and a riding mower)...and somehow the other three died.. possible they got "weeded" as he pulled "weeds" a lot.  I might be too old to buy new ones...moving Peonies shuts them down for a year or two before they decide they like the new place......then other year or two to make flowers....  Woo Peng is still okay out front... Made one blossom last summer or the one before.  Sigh.  Took MANY years for that to happen.

So.....I need to turn on some lights and crank the thermostat up...chills on my neck...oh, and rehear my Morning Coffee....at 2 pm.....some days I feel like I'm just taking up space and not really living. I wonder if the President feels the same way.