Wicked Wednesday

trying to be efficient and work less this week

ain't happening. 

truly ..

really -- you want an appointment on Labor Day Saturday -- no, no and never .....
that ain't happening either.
nope
no
don't ask


seriously someone requested a Saturday (of Labor Day) appointment and was kind of testy when I said no -- mind you, I rarely say no.   but really --- a holiday weekend.  no.


 

August mornings

Mornings in August and September are generally calm, cool and foggy --- today was no exception

Cousin Deb captured this on her way to work this morning .. simply awesome --

monday ...

   I'm really trying to embrace the beauty of Monday .... well, it isn't happening this week.  Got to the office this morning and no internet.  So is it a Consolidated Comm issue, my hardware issue or a software issue. 

   Well, the router pooped out -- oh gee --- it took a while to find that out ... I decided when workstations weren't communicating it had to be the router --- I shouldn't have to know these things.  Really, I shouldn't. 

   Little or no sewing yesterday -- I opted for Lake Time -- me, my self study continuing ed gig, my iPad and some coffee -- it was quiet and peaceful .... once Lake Time ends I'm going to need to find temporary "Happy Place" ...

   I did whip up a bunch of potholders that need to be bound and a prototype of a Halloween treat bag ... 5 quilts got quilted on the long arm .... I'm repeating myself .. never good ...


Happy Monday
 

creativity? at work

 

I wasn't sure how many quilts I had completed -- they've been scattered in boxes and tubs ... here's the pile, most if not all are crib or small throws ...

 

it's a riot of color eh!

 



 

I then proceeded to attempt to be creative -- here is a table runner pieced (flip and sew piecing) from left over binding hunks ... it has since been completed.  Not sure if I like it or not -- might need to be wider and longer ... after this I moved to the long arm and quilted 2 more ... blues / greens and teals.  This morning -- 2 more -- pinks -- florals ... I have a twin sized throw hanging on the rails -- top, batting and binding need to "hang" the wrinkles out -- tonight will quilt --

 

The pile of pieced tops is dwindling ... 4 more twin sized await me and hopefully this weekend -- so during the long holiday weekend I can be a binding zealot. 

 



look at me  look at me

And below -- 100 feet from the house -- looking at us ---

"food" -- they have managed to eat all of the lower limbed apples from all of the apple trees

dang critters.

 

Hump Day ...

 

The coolest eclipse picture -- NASA .... not sure but wastebook said it was NASA so I'm going with it.  More than likely it was edited/created/manufactured.

 

I have a bad case of the "I don't wanna work" ... all freeking week.  I don't have the option, I must work, I have projects.  So today to bust up the numbers -- I'm pulling weeds in the office weed patches.  Lots of weed patches around here. 

 

I may just chuck it all in the "I don't give a rip bucket" and go to the cabin.  Might be the best plan of the day -- I've accumulated 2 large piles of weeds (truckloads), been stung by a creature and scolded by a rabbit -- lucky it's a town rabbit. 

 

Just keep plugging away.  Me, the projects, Netflix and an iced coffee. 

Truly, life couldn't get any better could it~!

 

M

 

 

the eclipse ..

My favorite eclipse picture from facebook, Cousins Mary and Paul and their grandkids -- somewhere in Nebraska (I really wasn't paying that much attention) ...

They are definitely posing well or are really into "the big event" -- at any rate it was exciting to see them partaking in THE EVENT.

And where was I -- I was at a tax conference in a large uncomfortably sticky conference room ... we all traipsed out at our appointed time -- the street lights were on ... and it was cloudy and about to downpour ... more rain ... the next EVENT will probably be my next 100 year flood -- (that would be #12 in my short life) ...

toodles
M

 

a weekend at the lake

 

so "jake" really likes the water -- he's running for the lake and in the water before his humans manage to hit the landing, which is 1/2 down the hill ... it's a big hill

 

 

 

remember Jack and Rose from the movie Titanic -- standing on the bow of the boat ... 

 

 

well Jake does the same thing -- ears flopping, tail wagging ...

and I got a perfect shot of something else.

wth.

 

Nick on the waverunner -- I too had waverunner time today --- on the second pass I got brave and sucked in a bunch of weeds and dang near had to paddle it and myself back -- remember I CAN'T swim.... argh ... I should know better ...

 

 

Squash!

 

after the girls left for chicken heaven (in May?) ... things began to "grow" in their run -- squash!

 

 

buttercup squash to be exact ....

 

it a mish mash of vines ... I couldn't find and fruit in there but I'm sure it is there somewhere

 

 

and it appears the Wednesday laundry woman left me treats .....

 



dripppppppp

yep, August is the new April

raining.  again.  steadily.



most thankful that I damn near died mowing the lawn Monday night -- at least that project got finished this week .... Monday night humidity was wickedly evil and it's been raining ever since.

attempted to tour tornado damage yesterday afternoon -- didn't find much.  'tis good.  visited with Dr. Lee and his new knee for a while -- life on the prairie -- new body parts and rain.  


TG I F


 

the little moments in life

... stressing out again -- warning heavy topic ahead. 
I do this to myself, truly.  perhaps that is part of the solution .... self needs to change

finished the 6th and final day of department head budget presentations -- it's not awful, but it is tedious and by the last our of the 6th day .. (they are 1/2 days) ... it begins to drag and we all know what happens then. 

I abruptly left the office when facebook told me I was under a tornado warning.  a fast "batten down the hatches and prep for storm" and I headed home (with homework - of course)  I was ready.  except when I got to the office this morning -- I had forgot to shut the front door and lock the front door -- I am an idiot. 

off to see tornado damage this afternoon -- most of it was in my Commissioner district -- just stuff lost -- we can lose stuff we can't lose people.  it is only -- stuff.

 

this was on one of my daily blog readings -- and well it struck a chord yesterday so I'm sharing here ... think about it peeps.  Life is short - be kind.

 

 

the vacation that wasn't

  this weekend would have been the trek north to Pine City and the Pine City Scrapbooking Co .. my schedule didn't fit so I was home

  all was not lost -- I saw the bison -- and the bison acreage, trekked to the waterfalls (gorgeous) ... went to the cabin and had a nap, read my book and sewed ... 

  the sewing schedule has been kind of focused -- working on the bits and pieces and finishing up the wip's  ... seems to be working fairly well.   the tubs and piles are going down ..

 

calm waters at West Lake Jefferson

not a lot of boat traffic either

 

 

 

amazing how little falls over the deck railing

so far this year -- one crochet hook

 

ahhh coneflowers

 

Sunday morning piecing (while the washing machine was chugging)

ready to quilt and bind

 

I went to the office this morning -- work projects came in with the Saturday mail ... amazing how much I can complete when it is totally silent ..

 

crazy week ahead -- 3 more days of County budgets ...

 

 

Road Trip!

 

buffalo/bison --- really large animals at Minneopa State Park

Mom and I had the culture moment for this week -- this morning

after see the herd -- we drove across the road to the falls and checked out the waterfalls

57 years of existence and I've never been here.

This will change -- it is gorgeous ...

 



tgit

ya, thank God, it's Thursday ...

It is the crazy life I lead -- I look for blessings in the small details.  Like, it is Thursday. 

I managed 4 hours at the sewing machine last night -- well, make that 3 -- it took an hour to tidy up the sewing space.  Let me put it this way -- I HAVE WAY TOO MUCH SHIT in my sewing room.  And add the inability to focus on one project at a time = = disaster.

So I cleaned off the cabinet counter -- put things away (where I discovered even more FABRIC) ... thru out some bits and pieces ... then went to work ... pressed 25 more tissue holders together and they are half sewed, finished piecing a crib quilt (and it's pressed), laid out some 5" square and made up some mug rugs and started sewing on some more dresses.  More pillow case dresses from fancy fabrics ....

Tonight's agenda --

1.  finish the mug rugs
2.  finish sewing the tissue holders
3.  finish 4 pillow case dresses
4.  piece and serge the pillowcases that are cut out

I stopped at my favorite Hometown Shopko and bought new storage tubs yesterday -- so I'm going to photograph, label and mark the done stuff.  I might test the selling waters at the farmers market this weekend....

this weekend -- (most of this I can do at the cabin)

1.  bind the 4 patch crib quilts
2.  finish the dresses (new patterns)
3.  cut out the board shorts (cute plaids)
4.  work on the tu tu's

5.  nap
6.  read
7.  eat healthy
8.  throw out some shit.


ta ta
off to toss more shit.








 

Argh, it's Tuesday

 

 

Some days this is my life

(well without the red rotary phone)

 

Tuesday -- Commissioner Day -- Board Meeting today and then starts 10 days of budget committee meetings, Board Workshops, Planning/Zoning and a whole host of other .... some good -- some not so good. I'd like to think I've been prepping for these 10 days all summer, alas, it's just falling together.

 

After Friday's landscaping binge and quilting extravaganza I crashed quickly on Saturday -- a flurry (literally) of activity got me and Auntie Joanne to the cabin and after lunch; I had a 3 hour nap.  She woke me at that point -- I was tired (!).   Sunday was even less exciting -- I went back to the cabin -- and watched it rain for an hour -- cleaned up, packed out the trash, food etc and went home (where it wasn't raining -- a mere 10 miles away) ... and started cleaning at home. 

 

This cleaning crap needs to end -- eventually I'll have to start all over -- argh!  Bedroom and home office were Sunday's focus -- more trash, more dust, less stuff.  I did arrive at the sewing space and cut out 6 more dresses -- new patterns -- new ideas -- so since darkness is arriving earlier and staying later -- I'll be indoors sewing ..

 

So it rolls on 3rd Street on Tuesday ...

 

 

 

 

 

it was a good Friday

 

I was fed up from work --- or too much work or a lack of focus at work ....so I left the office

it was a great day to be a cloud watcher ... I took an atv ride when I got home and checked out life on this farm!

 

 

the tomato / eggplant garden ...

lots of watering they dry out hourly

 

the old chicken run is now a squash patch

a volunteer squash patch not sure what is going to appear

 

 

oh me truck needs a bath (and maybe gas too)

 

 

coneflowers in the perennial bed -- it's a purple kind of year

the pampered squash -- getting a drink

 



 

and the petunia planter -- it is at least a yard in diameter -- I took a hanging basket and replanted into a tub/planter and well, the 'tunies are loving it.

 

I finally got back to the Handquilter last night -- 5 more crib quilts!  done!  ready to bind -- they are packed up and ready for binding at the cabin.  I did 3 more this morning -- today's batch is shades of gray, black, white and teal -- very pretty ... need to clean and organize down there this evening ...

 

all in all -- it was a damn good Friday --

 



happy happy Friday

 what a week eh! 

hot, cold, windy, nice ... no rain.

so Diva Jane is back in town -- her stint at HCMC sounds quite entertaining -- we left the nursing home at 9:15 last night -- most of the residents were in bed  (insert grin) ...

my hair got cut, shampoo was purchased and take out Chinese were the other highlights of Thursday!  short hair feels good .. Chinese was delightful and got home and realized I bought the wrong shampoo!  yikes!

project list for F, S & Su

1.  load up the weeds and haul 'em away.
     a. mow the dang grass
2.  BEH, DSS  get 'em done.
3.  SRC
4.  Trash & Vac

5.  press quilt tops and get 'em quilted
6.  cut out more dresses (new pattern(s))
7.  finish up tissue holders and more mug rugs
8.  potholders -- play with patterns (demo it )

9.  laundry
10. water the freeking tomatos


so the endless list continues.
 

ee ii oo -- yikes

crap-tastic ... marie speak for I don't feel like working. 

the I don't want to works ... have been an issue for two days ...
so what to do about it ...

keep working...
argh ..

 

saw this nifty picture on wastebook and grabbed it ... evidently some idiot in Mankato had a moment and thru a watermelon at someone's car -- well, I've had moments but I would never throw a watermelon at someone's car... wth peeps -- who would waste a tasty melon

 

kinda missing the buggers this week -- the patch was always my stress relief -- and mood altering space ..

 

had a good eye doctor visit this morning .. changing up the drug / drop schedule -- it is good

I then dashed to the dentist ... lots of tinkering to make my new gold crown fit properly ... and filled the fillings ...

 

a day in Marie's life -- never uneventful.

 

M