Such a Busy Week!

Posted on by Sandy Webster

Another trip to a favorite winery while Patrick was here.

He left for home early this morning hauling this behind.

We started packing the things hw wanted in there yesterday late afternoon.

Lee’s recliner, my large reading chair with ottoman and a bookcase Lee made several years ago was the first to go in. Then a belt sander and wood turning lathe from Lee’s shop, a slew of air compressor tools, with a finish off of a used kayak he was given this week from a dear departed friend’s estate.

I rearranged the living room so it did not look like too much was missing.

And the walks have continued even in the very cold trip to the dam this morning.

And Monday’s Riverwalk had a bit of color.

While Patrick was here he got our old power washer running so I could do the whole side walk, stepping stones and deck over at the apartment. Another job done!

I did get in a bit more sewing but Sadie put an end to it because she likes the old wood box I keep the project in.

I have not been to the cat shelter….yet. Still thinking about it though. Patrick helped me decide where the artwork I have will hang in the new house. He will be making the mantle for the stone fireplace in the living room when he returns for Thanksgiving. It will be made from a long thick board that Lee saved with many others and will be a wonderful way to take Lee with me. The builder is fine with the idea and will let us know the exact length to make the mantle.

That’s about all the news for now. Patrick is keeping in touch with his progress hauling the trailer back to Michigan….already well into Kentucky four hours after leaving here with a super powered expresso.

Til later….

Getting On With It….

Posted on by Sandy Webster

I am starting to stitch bits and pieces on my my hemp strips. It feels good to be doing it.

So far all the episodes of The Great British Bakeoff have been watched. Couldn’t help it…addictive and there seemed to be nothing else to do. It didn’t make me want to bake, just pay attention to how the bakers responded to utter failures in the kitchen and take that British thing of keep calm and carry on to heart and pull themselves together. Now I have moved on to The Crown where it is such a scrumptious set of actors and costumes and castles…..even more stiff upper lips, but a beautiful production.

Aside from that more walks to the dam.

And the wonderful sunlight….

And the operations of the dam doing its job with beautiful reflections.

Tonight Patrick and I meet friends at a winery. The past couple of days we have been helping people clean out a family home of not exactly hoarders, but those who just cannot decide whether something should find a new home, and then wait a bit too long. A good lesson for all of us. Patrick now has an old kayak to take home. I turned down an exquisite piece of art glass that was left to me from the estate and hope to just take one wine glass to toast the two generations that lived in that house and poured my wine with good cheer, good company and fine food.

My closing on the loan to build the next house went swimmingly (too much British television reflected there) and now I just wait for the next closing so I can officially start.

The laptop is fixed to where it can be trusted until a new one arrives.

I am fighting the urge to go to the cat shelter to get a new companion for Sadie. Not sure how long that will last. When Lee and I lost a cat we were at the shelter within days to make sure there were two and sometimes ending up with three cats at one time in the house.

All for now…

Til later……

Sometimes It Is Painful, Sometimes Not

Posted on by Sandy Webster

Patches has gone where good kitties go when they are through being good kitties here. It was a large tumor on her stomach. I miss her, attitude and all.

It has been busy here this past week.

Walks.

Fog that never ends at the dam and the riverwalk until long after I have returned home.

A few phone calls from the Care Center letting me know (gently) that things may be heading down hill a bit for Lee. No way to know how far and for how long. It is dementia….no answers.

But I did decide that since I know nothing about funeral arrangements it would be a good idea to get an idea. One quick appointment and an hour and a half later decisions were made. It was not what I expected. No old mortician trying to sell coffins of the high end, no organ music in the background, no sad looks. It was actually quite enjoyable having a chat and explaining quite clearly that there was to be a cremation, no obituaries (anyone that has been close to us knows where Lee is and what the outcome will be) and who wants phone calls after the fact.

I did ask about ashes being turned to stones and the director never heard of that but a quick check and we found a place in New Mexico that does it….stones that look like skipping stones…..perfect! So Lee and also me when the time comes.  The ashes are mixed with something else and a box comes back with many stones of different sizes to go wherever the survivors would like to put them. And they actually look like stones.

The funeral director had also never heard of “Daisy Boxes” that friends in Australia are painting on.  He said I had given him lots to look into as more possibilities.  We parted friends and I have full confidence that all will be as Lee and I would have wanted when the time comes.

There has been no drawing, no stitching, not much of anything. BUT this morning I had the closing on the loan to build the new house. My lawyer is quite satisfied with the terms. So as soon as I can get the next closing on the purchase of the lot, the builder can start the house. Speaking of the builder, I had a good sit down with him and picked out several of the options open to me. It felt so good to talk about building materials and room sizes. I now know every measurement inside the house and can plan on what goes accordingly. Nine foot ceilings are a very good idea to help with artworks.

Patrick arrives tomorrow for a week to go over what will be going home with him. He wants his dad’s chair and one more from the house now. We will definitely be having some scotch and good talks.

Wish I had more pictures. My nasty, simple0minded lap top is deciding not to cooperate with me so I am downstairs in the office getting this overdue blog out.

I will do better next time. Now I need to explain again to Sadie that Patches has found new friends and it is down to just her and me.

Til later….

Trying to Focus Today

Posted on by Sandy Webster

I did fix a somewhat decent meal for myself. It was just ugly plating.

Speaking of food, the Great British Baking Show has lost its appeal with the changing of two female hosts to two tiresome/annoying male hosts. Mary Berry appears to have left and another competent woman judge has taken her place. But the new season of contestants must have been selected for their incompetence. Not one could even bake a simple brownie. I think the show has become dumb and we have more than enough of dumb going on, especially in the US.

Still the walks.

And another inviting door into fairy land. This one with a latch.

After cutting out the bad piece from my strip of hemp I decided to fold over the cut edge, steam it in place and then stitch it down by crossing over the raw edge with a double row of stitches.

I noticed in the stitching that there is definitely a right and wrong side to the hemp. The wrong side where the hem is has loose ends and frays in the weave. The right side is much more finished and smooth.

In cleaning out my studio I noticed how many old wooden boxes I had been using to hold bits and pieces. Now I have quite a collection ready to be reused one way or another. These two long strips when stitched together end to end will give me over fifteen feet to stitch on. I will roll the strip like a scroll and place it into one of these boxes. It will keep my hands busy while my mind tries to focus on what will be happening next……. closing on the loan and start of the new house. And Lee’s continuing decline.

The sun is trying to get through this interminable fog. I meet a friend for lunch tomorrow and others next week for a good beer and dinner out. That part of sharing meals with friends seems like getting “back to normal”.

But there really is no more normal. Life with Covid has been a filter of so much that seems quite unnecessary and ridiculous when compared to the necessities of now.  At least one good friend, lovely walks, calls from family, a good book, some stitching, and a nice beer will be enough to get me through….more than enough actually.

Til later….