The last 12 days have been filled with trying to accomplish 'things', accompanying Laura on shopping trips/scenic trips and just plain 'catching up' times where we sit and talk. We've been to Silverdale twice - once with Richard to go to Costco for supplies and once to get fabric for sewing. Then there was our trip to the beach to walk on the logs; it was chilly although the sun was shining and Seattle gleamed in the distance over the water. Laura and I have also visited the library to check it out and also the few bars here to find a margarita on the rocks that satisfies. We've had some great Indian, Thai and Mexican food and Richard has made some great meals also.
Laura has applied for a job and is waiting to hear from them. She is also in the process of renting a small house so everything is on track so far. The house is in a grove of tall pine and spruce trees and is perfect for her cats to wander around. I don't think there are coyotes here. I've never seen or heard that there are so the kitties - all three - should be safe to wander where they will... as long as they stay off the road. Which isn't busy so shouldn't be a huge problem.
I have completed more of my Dear Jane blocks... the 4 1/2 inch blocks... and triangles that go around the edges, but it's been slow-going with Laura being here and needing support.
I will be sewing clothes for Laura... and myself... for a while. I measured myself for pants and compared my measurements to the pattern and now have to do the same for Laura. I have completed Laura's blouse in a fabric that was 'very reasonably priced' at Joann's. Laura didn't like it on the bolt but it looks cool sewn up; I have to buy a long zipper for the side and then it will be complete. Yay! I might make myself the same pattern - it's cute. But I want to get the pattern adjusted for pants because that's the hardest to make... to get them fitted correctly. I've sewed many pairs of pants but from a pattern that I was familiar with; patterns are all different and fit each person differently... therefore the time needed to measure and adjust.
I spent some time this morning traveling around websites to look at various fashions designers styles to get an idea whether waists are high or low now. Looks like high for 2008 but for summer, I'm making waists cut low because they're more comfortable to wear when it's hot... maybe higher for the fall/winter.
While I was sewing yesterday, the sun was shining into the living room (and fading my oriental rug) so I stopped what I was doing, cut two pieces of muslin 5 feet long, stapled them to thin sticks and hung them from the roof overhang to block the sun but not cut off the view. They looked lovely blowing in the breeze like sails and they performed exactly as intended - for shade. It felt very tropical. Laura mentioned that in the tropics, the sheer linen curtains they put up for shade are wetted down so that the breeze coming through is more cooling. That's a thought if it gets warmer here.
But today... it's overcast and cool so the sun won't be a problem. I'll be able to sew all day... no problem.
If I get tired of sewing, I can crochet a shopping bag. I love shopping bags ... just hate taking paper or plastic from the grocery store. I found a cool site with the pattern - frayed at the edges blogspot. I have left over yarn from other projects and this looks like a great project to use it up.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Laura is here!
Richard and I took the boys over to Battlepoint Park today to ride their bikes around. Walter fell and scratched his hand and stomach but seemed okay.... just a little grouchy. Richard thought he was hungry so we stopped on the way home at an Indian restaurant and had a delicious meal. Walter's attitude improved immediately so I guess he WAS hungry.
We decided that Laura needed to have kitty litter, dry food and Fancy Feasts for her kitties when she arrived so we stopped and picked up supplies. No messages from her so I assumed that she left in the morning and would arrive before eight as she had stated the previous evening. I dropped Richard and the boys off at home and left at 4:15. Two hours later he called to say that Laura was there so I drove back over there and sure enough, she had arrived. One of her kitties, Rika, had run up into the garage rafters and wouldn't come down but the other two were doing well in the library. Laura enticed Rika out of the rafters as the evening progressed.
Richard cooked the rest of the salmon and made a terrific salad to go with it. We drank champagne and some box white wine that was pretty good.
It's been very stressful for Laura over the past 10 days having to quit her job, pack up her goods and decide what to bring and what to leave behind. She said that when she drove into Richard's driveway, she broke down and cried for 10 minutes. Poor thing... she had to drive for 9 hours with 3 cats across cold, snowy roads and a major pass into Seattle.... then get on a ferry. The release of emotion must have overwhelmed her. I knew she was stressed out and now I want her to take some time and just chill.... just a few days. She's talking of getting her resumes out tomorrow but I think she should take five days or so before she does that.
I'm happy she's here. I hope things work out well for her. We'll see how it goes; I think it will be good for her.
We decided that Laura needed to have kitty litter, dry food and Fancy Feasts for her kitties when she arrived so we stopped and picked up supplies. No messages from her so I assumed that she left in the morning and would arrive before eight as she had stated the previous evening. I dropped Richard and the boys off at home and left at 4:15. Two hours later he called to say that Laura was there so I drove back over there and sure enough, she had arrived. One of her kitties, Rika, had run up into the garage rafters and wouldn't come down but the other two were doing well in the library. Laura enticed Rika out of the rafters as the evening progressed.
Richard cooked the rest of the salmon and made a terrific salad to go with it. We drank champagne and some box white wine that was pretty good.
It's been very stressful for Laura over the past 10 days having to quit her job, pack up her goods and decide what to bring and what to leave behind. She said that when she drove into Richard's driveway, she broke down and cried for 10 minutes. Poor thing... she had to drive for 9 hours with 3 cats across cold, snowy roads and a major pass into Seattle.... then get on a ferry. The release of emotion must have overwhelmed her. I knew she was stressed out and now I want her to take some time and just chill.... just a few days. She's talking of getting her resumes out tomorrow but I think she should take five days or so before she does that.
I'm happy she's here. I hope things work out well for her. We'll see how it goes; I think it will be good for her.
Paranoia, election drama and sunshine
The dinner I was little afraid of went very well. Salmon and salad was the main course but there was some good wine and cheese as well as a pre-dinner cocktail... a Manhattan prepared beautifully by our host. The conversation was good. My daughter in law's mother leads an interesting life and she's a very upbeat, amusing person... so I'm sure it was not due to me or anything I did that the event went well. I arrived at six; left at nine. Perfect!
Yesterday, since the boys were out of school, we threw a bike in the back of the mini-van and headed for the bike shop to buy a bike for the 6 year old future bike rider. Found a nice green one. The salesperson was great... fitted the bike seat to H's long legs and installed the training wheels. Then we were off to Fort Ward, or what I'm going to call Bean Point since it evidently was Bean Point prior to WW1 when an armory was installed there and it's name changed. I think Bean Point sounds better than Fort Ward although maybe Mr. Ward, whoever he is, might not think so.
The boys raced each other up and down the path, then parked their bikes and went down on the beach to explore under the rocks. It was low tide so there were lots of birds shopping for dinner on the seashore, too. There are old pier posts from the beach extending out into the water and cormorants perch there with their wings open as if welcoming the breeze to dry their wings after diving into the water. At times, I've seen a white-headed eagle sitting at the end resting up or maybe watching the water for a fish to swim by.
Then it began to hail. There was a big black cloud right over top of us and even though the sky was blue, we had to leave... boys riding fast ahead of us. We headed back to Richard's to have a glass of wine, watch CNN and talk politics. Richard has such a cool head and says he's going to follow party line and try not to get involved in the 'dustup' of the candidates, which we both think is instigated by the media anyway. I am surprised at the amount of hatred directed at Senator Clinton in this race but we who root for her must prepare to be good losers and rally around the candidate if she's not chosen. If we don't, we may end up with 8 more years of the same old-same old. I hope not.
Laura is heading over this way today... at least that's what she told me last night. This move will be good for her, I think. She'll be around more people, be able to attend more events than she could back in that small town she's lived in for the last 10 years... and her friends will come visit, I'm sure. Hopefully she'll arrive by 8 o'clock tonight even though the pass has snow and is still below freezing. I hope she'll get through it during the day when it's warmer and she can see where she's going.
The forecast here is for a beautiful day.
Yesterday, since the boys were out of school, we threw a bike in the back of the mini-van and headed for the bike shop to buy a bike for the 6 year old future bike rider. Found a nice green one. The salesperson was great... fitted the bike seat to H's long legs and installed the training wheels. Then we were off to Fort Ward, or what I'm going to call Bean Point since it evidently was Bean Point prior to WW1 when an armory was installed there and it's name changed. I think Bean Point sounds better than Fort Ward although maybe Mr. Ward, whoever he is, might not think so.
The boys raced each other up and down the path, then parked their bikes and went down on the beach to explore under the rocks. It was low tide so there were lots of birds shopping for dinner on the seashore, too. There are old pier posts from the beach extending out into the water and cormorants perch there with their wings open as if welcoming the breeze to dry their wings after diving into the water. At times, I've seen a white-headed eagle sitting at the end resting up or maybe watching the water for a fish to swim by.
Then it began to hail. There was a big black cloud right over top of us and even though the sky was blue, we had to leave... boys riding fast ahead of us. We headed back to Richard's to have a glass of wine, watch CNN and talk politics. Richard has such a cool head and says he's going to follow party line and try not to get involved in the 'dustup' of the candidates, which we both think is instigated by the media anyway. I am surprised at the amount of hatred directed at Senator Clinton in this race but we who root for her must prepare to be good losers and rally around the candidate if she's not chosen. If we don't, we may end up with 8 more years of the same old-same old. I hope not.
Laura is heading over this way today... at least that's what she told me last night. This move will be good for her, I think. She'll be around more people, be able to attend more events than she could back in that small town she's lived in for the last 10 years... and her friends will come visit, I'm sure. Hopefully she'll arrive by 8 o'clock tonight even though the pass has snow and is still below freezing. I hope she'll get through it during the day when it's warmer and she can see where she's going.
The forecast here is for a beautiful day.
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