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Practiced my winning ironing skills today with iron-on embroidery patterns.  You know those Aunt Martha, or whateverhernameis, and the old-fashioned iron-ons?  I had several in my sewing basket and the girls and I decided it'd be fun to make some as a project.  Okay, so I heated up the iron at the right setting, spread out the batiste and asked the least one which one she wanted.  She handed me the pattern and I set to transferring it to the fabric.  

One scorched pattern/piece of fabric later, I asked her to pick out a second one.  

Second scorched pattern/piece of fabric later, I repeated my request.

Third scorched pattern/piece of fabric later, I asked her to see if there were any left that she liked.

Fourth scorched pattern/piece of fabric later I abandoned the iron and oldest daughter took it up.

First try, she does it.  

Middle daughter's worked fine as well.

This is why I told our priest's wife I'd not volunteer to ever, ever iron the church's linens.  I'm like the ironing board widow.  

***

So later on we went out and bought more embroidery floss.  The least one had, pretty much, used up my collection with making bracelets (which we all wear).  Tomorrow, they'll sew on their pieces.  I'll begin making an apron...one of those that slips over your head.  Sort of excited about it.  Should be a no-brainer, which is a good thing.  Ironing the pieces as I sew?  Well, maybe at a very, very low setting.

Taking time

Resting in bed and drinking tea with Cardamom and whole Allspice in it...yummy. About to get out glue/scissors and magazines and indulge in some artsy stuff.  Therapeutic. Tired of bad news, and would enjoy a retreat from life for a bit.  I think I joined the old show, Let's Make a Deal, but looked behind the wrong door.

A dear older friend at church has entered hospice care, and it's sort of the last straw. Still reeling from daughter's truck being stolen. And thinking about childrens' love lives, but not fretting about that issue.  Just on my mind. Other stuff I won't get into.  Glad I've got some Scripture memorized, since the verses you need will indeed pop up into your head when you most need them.

Funny thing.  Or not so funny.  A couple of months ago, I prayed to the Lord about wanting to be a person whose eyes betrayed a softness.  Now, I tend to have a spicy side not too far below the surface.  I can get real mad, real quick.  But I'd been thinking about folks I know.  Christians.  And how sometimes you run across a person with such a kindness in their eyes.  A kindness that's only achieved by pain.  Do you know what I mean?  Well, I prayed to be one of those people.  Ever since then...now, it might be a coincidence, but ever since then, life has kicked up a notch.  HARD. And after I got over my mad, and my frustration, and trying to manage a particular situation, I've come to a place where I'm exhausted, but surrendered.  Not so sure anyone would see a gentleness in my own eyes, but maybe a fatigue that tells of pain.  I'm sure that's there.  But am I sorry I prayed that?  Not really.  A bit surprised at what's occurred, but not sorry.

I'll now take some deep breaths, listen to restful music and let things go.   Just thinking that way puts my heart at ease just a bit.  Knowing that the Lord has everything under control. Everything. Take care, loves.

...and yes, I'm reading Middlemarch....hadn't realized how not smart I am until I began to read it.  :)

Artsy stuff

Feeling more human today, which is pure relief. Sitting here in the dusty living room, thinking of re-arranging the furniture, which is likely a sign of good health.

Yesterday I let the girls gesso over a canvas of mine, covering up a painting I'd done at one of those painting parties that are all the rage. I never did like my piece, so now it'll be put to good use.

The three youngest are compiling bits and pieces...pictures, stickers, feathers, leaves, even nail polish and such to make a collage-sort of picture. I put a cardboard box on the coffee table for them to fill with their findings. On Friday they'll put it together. Fortunately the three youngest work really well together. We did the same last week on a smaller scale, and if I do say so myself, it's stunning!

Must go now. Time to get it in gear.

A play day for Thursday

Here I lie in bed, thinking about tomorrow.  As far as I know, there are no errands outside the house for me to perform.  If I have my druthers, it'll be a quiet day of puttering along, putting the tablecloth and lace back on the dining room table, and the old patterned tablecloth back on top of the refrigerator.  They got washed and hung out to dry last week, and have been folded up ever since.  I've been too hot to even think of decorating.  I want to re-arrange things a bit and put them in different places. Re-pot some begonias, and basically just shake things up a little.  Visual stimulation goes a long way in making me happy.

And it's been a frustrating series of days.  Our washing machine drains into the double kitchen sinks (done before we bought the house, by the owners who were fix-it types), and has been on the brink of overflowing for weeks off and on.  The boys would get on the roof, run the hose down the outlet drain and it'd be fine for a day, then clog up again.  Gary found a gizmo in his bag of plumbing tricks and got up there this evening. The sinks were good and clogged this time.  Finally, relief.  Now I don't have to watch the sinks when the washer spins out, and that's a very good thing.

Plus our vacuum bit the dust awhile back and I'm using Gary's shop vac.  Not recommended for the faint of heart.  Man, that beggar is hard to drag along.  Will be glad for the opportunity to get another home vacuum, but still, glad of having his to use.  Can't complain too awfully much.

Seems I spend an awful amount of time in simply maintaining the status quo around here.  Keeping the house reasonably decent, groceries in the cabinets and milk in the fridge.  When one part of the house breaks (the sink, for example), it puts a drain on the day.

The least one wants to sew tomorrow.  Awhile back, we got out felt and the two younger girls made small stuffed creatures, for lack of a better name.  They were sort of like monsters.  Anyway, while middle daughter enjoyed it, the least one had a real talent for it.  So tomorrow I'll let her create.  It's so easy for the day to pass with only chores completed, and nothing fun being accomplished.  Time to shake it up a bit.

Will try to get the basic chores done early, to leave the day for play.  I need it as much as the kids.  Must remember that.

First homemade tinctures

My first homemade bottles of tincture are on the right-side of the top shelf. Put them up last night. Way to GO, me.  And, btw, it's Wood Betony---not an herb in the everyday garden or house, but one that was incredibly important in its day.  For depression as one use, and to get rid of evil spirits as well.  Who could ask for more? :)

Now, if you look behind those small, brown bottles (I got 4 of them from one batch), you can see a peanut butter jar and a small Mason jar.  One is a St. John's Wort tincture, and the other is a mixture of Scullcap and Valerian for sleep.  Those will be ready by the end of the month. Supposedly, you're supposed to begin making a tincture as the moon goes into its waxing stage, and finish up as it becomes full.  I'm a bit offtrack, but it's a cool idea.

And in the other small Mason jars on the second and bottom shelves, I have put Kelp, Yellow Dock and Bee Pollen in capsules for easier taking, but of course, in separate jars. I'm having such a wonderful time learning and doing. It's what I'm meant to be doing, if that makes sense.  I get so excited reading about the herbs, finding out about the cures and now, actually making the mixtures.  Fulfills a need deep inside me.  Gary calls me Witchy Woman, and since he signed me up for the Herbalist Class, guess he's allowed.

Late Friday afternoon

Can't believe it's already Friday.  Seems the weeks just whiz by when December hits.  A slower passage of time would be acceptable, I'm thinking.

Planning on going to prayers at church tonight. And trying to have a quiet day. Succeeding with that, for the most part, but still have to dust and vacuum. With the rain and breezy weather, we have lots of leaves to dispose of that have sneaked in the doorways.

The younger kids and I began making books today---this with a tutorial I found on Pinterest that uses plain old paper sacks.  You simply cut the bottom out of the sacks, cut the pieces to size, wet them (and you can wad them up for nice wrinkles), then hang them to dry.  Afterward iron the pieces so you get a good crunchy sound (I'm partial to paper money that's gotten wet and has to be ironed---a delicious crunchy sound that makes!).  I looked up coptic stitch, which is how the pages are sewn together, but I punched holes and we sewed them together with yarn.  Easier and quicker, not that we were in any hurry.  The least one brushed gesso on her pages with the store logo on them, and she and I put paper on the outsides of ours for covers.  Will work more on them when the glue dries.  Just something out of the ordinary to do---a break from boring old schoolwork.  And honestly, after teaching these kids for about 20 years, anything to break the monotony is a good one in my book (please forgive the pun).

Must go now.  I've got about an hour to whip the house into shape, just wish I had the enthusiasm for it. :)  Blah, blah, blah.