Rainy Friday

Incoming Mail

from Hannah

 from Connie (somehow I missed posting this last month,

but I love those cats)

 postcard from Christine

I've been a little frazzled lately.  Too many ideas and plans and projects started and not finished.  I'm completely disorganized and paying for it. 

As I type, I'm having to sit on the edge of the chair because Edgrrr is crowding me.  When he couldn't get in my lap, he decided to get behind me push me out.  He's warm, but annoying.  

He won possession of the chair, and after having his picture taken and making sure I wasn't planning to sit down again, he left, a master at the power play.  I waited and came back when he was comfortably settled elsewhere...so the game continues.

Need a Christmas gift?  

While reading about Postmark 1206's monthly subscriptions for Riddle Me Mail, I began thinking about people who are ill, or elderly, or isolated in any way and what a wonderful gift this would be.  Kids in hospitals, someone in a senior care center, the person who has no immediate relatives, or someone who is confined to their home for whatever reason.

Anyone might enjoy the monthly postcards and letters, but for someone who is isolated, it would be an enormously thoughtful gift.  Do you wonder what to get for that great-aunt or uncle, the person who is simply impossible to buy for, the relative who lives too far away for frequent visits, the teenager who has everything but has never experienced the pleasure of a personal letter?    Twice monthly mail would be something to look forward to.  

Yep, after writing all of this, I took the plunge and got myself a 3 month subscription even though I do get letters.  It is a gift to myself, and I'm looking forward to my first postcard and letter in January.  :) I also expect to get some great ideas for writing my own letters, which is important because sometimes sitting with pen in hand and a blank page is frustrating.  It will be nice to have something special light up the first month in the year.  A delayed gift that will come each month through February.  Riddle Me Mail, check it out.

Beautiful Letter Boxes in this article.  And more here.

And a couple more gorgeous examples from Decopix, an art deco architecture site.

Books/Reading  -- Just finished The Plotters by Un-Su Kim and Who Slays the Wicked, the latest Sebastian St. Cyr historical mystery, by C.S. Harris.  :)

OK, time to get upstairs and play for a while.   Have to unseat Edgrr, who has found his way back into my lap.  He will follow me upstairs and wait by the door on the top step.  I don't let him in (if I can help it) because then he tries to take over my yoga mat or get into my crafting supplies.  

How is your Christmas season going?  Do you send Christmas cards?    I'd love to place my letters in one of the above letter boxes.

Garden and Crafting

It is that time of year again.  The garden is pretty bare with summer stuff pulled up and perennials cut back, but pansies and ornamental cabbage will fill some of the blank spaces.  I've been planting them when the weather is warm, then forgetting about them because they haven't really made much of an impression so far.  They are just beginning to look a bit more colorful, but the blank areas after the lushness of summer 

We have had days with highs of 72 and days with highs in the 50's.  Back and forth from days feeling like oncoming winter and days feeling like spring.  The garden seems confused and so am I, sitting outside and wondering what next.  

I've been enjoying salads from my lettuce and kale.

Colorful salads make me happy, and the various lettuces,

purple kale, broccoli florets, walnuts, sliced eggs, and sliced petite carrots

make a colorful and crunchy salad.  

Dressing-- my favorite is grape seed oil and lemon juice.  

Add crunchy slices of French or Italian bread, and I'm happy.

Stinker investigates.

The weeping maple still has gorgeous leaves,

but the others have all gone with the wind.

I saw a primitive ladder on Pinterest and put in a request:  "Dear Husband, would you make me one?"  And he did.  :)  I improvised a wreath from greenery in the Christmas trunk and am quite happy with it.

I sort of know what I'm doing with the little mouse, but the clothing will take a long time. 

 Slow embroidery for a dress--

that may not be finished this month.  

I may change my mind and dress the mouse

 in something less time consuming, but the

embroidery is a relaxing process for me.

Erin has requested a mouse, and I made a new pattern and have been working on it.   That's three new mouse patterns so far this year.


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The power of a letter and a girl who makes her wishes known.  :)  Go Riley!  Congrats to Steph Curry for reading Riley's letter and responding.

How Restaurants Got So Loud.  Mary commented on this problem recently, and I agree that loud restaurants are a blight to dining out--at least if you have any hope of conversation.  In recent years, the noise factor in restaurants has increased, and there aren't many places where diners can really visit during a meal.  Do you find this as frustrating as I do?

I'm dragging out Christmas decorations a little at a time.  Have you started decorating yet?  Did you start the day after Thanksgiving (or before), wait until Dec. 1, or keep putting it off?

How many of you need one of these?

Almost Time to Say Goodbye to November

I've been behind on almost everything this month.  Too many events packed into too short a time.  To make things even more hectic, about a week before Thanksgiving, I was working in the garden and pulled a muscle in my back.  Somehow this worked torture on the sciatic nerve in my right leg.  

I moaned, groaned, whined and spent about 4 days with Aspercreme, Advil, my trusty heating pad, and my Kindle.  By Thanksgiving it was nothing more than a slight ache.  Whew!  

We had a great get together, starting on Wednesday, with too much food--snacks, gumbo, cornbread sandwiches.  Then, of course, more food on the big day; after Thursday's meal, everyone was looking for a quiet place to rest and digest.  :)  Football, naps, and reading were in order.

Catching up on Mail

I adore this card from Teresa, she is the latest in the Highland Crew's royalty.

 It's amusing to think of Queen Teresa relaxing in a chair--

she's much more likely to be on a committee

 promoting the arts in the neighborhood,

writing for their local literary magazine.

heading out to pick up litter with the Highland Restoration Association folks,

re-stocking the Little Free Library she and Ricky

built several years ago--you get the idea.

Not an idle Queen.

from Marc & Debbie

Marc's photography always makes an appearance for holidays!

Outgoing

Going out today

B.E.

 Mila

Max

Not sure, but I think the creature below will be my Zodiac symbol for 2020, which will be the next Year of the Rat.  I ended up liking him when he was finished.  

The smaller mouse has no clothing.  Or arms.  Or legs.  At least not attached to his body.  He/She will have to wait until I decide gender and clothing.  

Skipped Black Friday;  I've actually never done a Black Friday because I never have the energy or desire to shop after all that food and celebrating.  I may miss the bargains, but a relaxing "day-after" is more suited to my procrastinator style.

Christmas projects, however, are something I do enjoy.  Last year I made several fabric bags instead of using wrapping paper for everything.  I made the first one for this year yesterday.  Have more fabric scraps cut into various sizes and ready to stitch into gift bags.  Most are small, but I do have some fabric for slightly larger gifts.  Whenever I get around to purchasing them....

Night Visitor and Mail and Mice

Last Week:  When you can't sleep and up are up before 3:00 AM, you might find the night visitors. 

 I haven't seen this fellow (if it is the same sir or madam) in quite a while, although I suspected a night visitor was helping the cats finish their food.  The bedraggled look is because it was raining, and a wet coat was the result.  The flash didn't bother this hungry possum, and even when I opened the door, he was reluctant to leave.  Don't blame him a bit, the rain was still coming down.

In Progress

After adding clay to the head of mouse #1, it looks less like a lizard. 

 Mouse #2 looks more like a rat.

Both have a long way to go.  :)

 

Incoming mail

Postcard from Melody about one of Singapore's must-eat meals.  

I'm just thinking she might like Louisiana sea food gumbo, too.  :)

Love stamps and this one is another cool one from Singapore.

Outgoing Mail

I've also sent two postcards that I failed to scan before mailing.

This makes me think of my aunt and uncle and their love of long-dogs.  :)

Final Week of Halloween Season, Mail, New Projects

Teresa and Ricky came for dinner last Thursday night, and Fee and I ended up winners when they brought a bottle of Bordeaux and one of Ricky's plant hangers!  I have several pieces of Ricky's art now, and I especially love this horse head piece.  :) 💞  

Outgoing Mail

I used a book cover from an ARC and added a ghost

in the window for Bryce Eleanor's latest postcard. 

She is a cat-lady in the making.

Mila

Max

 Hannah

So...to my regret, this ends the Halloween Mail.

The letters I still owe won't arrive before Halloween.

To keep myself busy and avoid the anxiety that becomes worse at this time of year, I decided to make a mouse.  I made a pattern for a larger (and very different) mouse than usual and knew the head gusset wasn't going to work like it should, but decided to see what would happen anyway.  

What ended up was an awkward head shape.  A hat would cover part of it, and there happened to be a crocheted hat on a head of a character I never finished.  It covered part of the awkwardness, and the eccentric fellow who emerged is nothing like the mouse I intended, but I liked him.   This cap will be changed, but it allowed me to realize I could work with this guy.

I had already changed the pattern a bit (and suspect it will take a third try to match my original idea), but I will try another gusset piece for the head and make longer legs for the next attempt.  

This character will be set aside for a time 

while I try to figure out where I want to go with him--  

because he is a surprise who doesn't fit my original plan.

I saw a cute "letter" filled with tiny Christmas greenery on Pinterest

and decided to make an envelope out of batting.

Another project to keep me busy and keep anxiety and depression at bay.

Books/Reading

The Rain Watcher goes on sale today.  I really enjoyed this book by Tatiana de Rosenay and reviewed it on my book blog.  

Just for Fun

October Is Flying By

Last weekend, my nephew got married.  A lovely ceremony with family, friends, good food and good music!  Erin, Max, and Mila were up from Baton Rouge which added to the pleasure of the festivities.  

Incoming Mail

Outgoing Mail

to Jacque

to Connie

 and the back

More mail to answer, and I'd better do it soon if I want to use Halloween themes.

Made a pillow.

  

decorated a tin can and stuck in rosette wands

 another pillow in progress