Squares and Circles

My pile of finished squares is growing slowly. Only four yesterday. Seven the day before. I ironed, cut and assembled more freezer paper circles yesterday before work. It felt good to have a project to work on. I even added four new fabrics to the mix. A new blue with dots, a new yellow with red dots, a new French green and a new "sparkle" fabric, those mysterious combos of light, medium and darks tones that just spark a quilt. Now I have to deal with the lack of small pieces to make more circles. I'm guessing some of the squares will be called into service as circles. And some squares, in colors I am no longer that fond of, will be shoved aside.

My friend P just called, she purchased two upholstered chairs for $50 and now wants to return the two chairs I loaned her years ago. She wanted to store them in her cellar. No. After years with her two dogs sleeping on them, the chairs are dirty and stained. Do I really want them back? I had imagined removing the legs and adding taller ones, reupholstering and using the new chairs in the dining room. The master and mistress chairs. They are very low to the ground right now and the seat backs and arms are also low. That was the style when I bought them in 1981. This is why P bought new chairs. So they would have a higher back and be more cozy. Her handy guy could always take them to the dump and we'd be done with them. Since I am actually trying to get rid of stuff. Right?

Riley and I are getting off to a slow start this morning. G took the dog for a run in the woods yesterday evening after work and daycare. The dog was very sleepy yesterday evening and he still seems tired this morning. Plus it's cloudy. The temps are going as high as 58 today. Winter is at bay, for a few days.

I spoke to my employer yesterday and told him the 12 to 6 shift wasn't working for me as it was making a mess of my husband's work schedule. G was having to go in late and get out early to get Riley to daycare and pick him up on the days I work. Because I couldn't. The daycare locks up at 6 on the dot. I get out of work at some point after 6 depending on late arriving customers. We don't ask them to leave at closing.

So my employer walked around asking other employees if they could switch shifts with me. He needs people for closing. I mentioned I could work until 5 but that wasn't what he wants. The 12 to 6 shift is boring. After 4 we stand around doing not much of anything. I swept the big greenhouse floor and sprayed the 3 and 4 inch foliage plants with stinky insecticide yesterday. And then I walked around outside to remove the stink from my own self.

I work again on Friday. My friend P says we should just leave the dog at home alone all day when we work to solve this problem. P says dogs stay home alone for hours and hours just fine. Her dogs are WILD when she gets home from work, tired after a long day. And she has to take them out and run them, even though she would rather not. My dog is calm and tired after a day at daycare. And asleep by 7 pm.

We are raising our dog in a way that's best for us. A neighbor walked by last night with his Golden. Riley was up the driveway from G. Sitting. Waiting for G to come back across the Invisible Fence line. The neighbor saw Riley. Asked why he was sitting. Asked why he wasn't barking at people going by (like his dog does). Why he wasn't racing back and forth along the electric fence line (like his dog does). G said that that was just how Riley rolls. And also because Riley isn't left alone all day, running the yard, sleeping in the garage and trying to get attention from passing strangers by barking.

G and Riley have met some dogs on their walks on the Town Commons. Dogs that are good playmates for Riley. Milo and Spice. Riley ran with Milo yesterday evening. Milo was ready for a nap afterward. Spice gives Riley a good run and he gives up before she does.

I plan on going to the grocery later to get something to cook. I have decided to only buy the major storage/pantry items on the big weekly shop and then shop for what I want to cook as I want to cook it. Then I won't have food going bad in the fridge or freezer. The pork with baked potatoes, green beans and fresh applesauce was so good, I want to make it again. And I have a recipe for an Apple Bundt cake which sounds like something G will like with coffee in the evening. Heavy and Sweet.

I'm going to start my daily food diary again. I have admitted to myself I am a Food Addict. And I need to control what I eat. And I can, realistically, only have 1200 calories a day right now. I have to start saying "NO" again. In order to fit into my clothes. Baby has way too much back, right now.

My bowl today is filled with choices.