Another Quilter in the Making

 The girls were here this week-end. We were working on Christmas gifts, since the time is fast approaching. I was in the basement helping Ari sew when Missy Maja decided that she wanted to sew, too. I was pleasantly surprised. I got her started right away on a practice strip. After all, I only have a million scraps of fabric sitting around. Then she picked a few pieces out of my scrap bin to start a little patch work. Now I have to get a few more pieces cut before she comes over again. As usual Grandma was busy running back and forth trying to keep both girls going on their different projects, which was hectic. But how cool to have another seamstress in the family!

I managed to get part of a pillow case sewn while Ari was pinning, and before Maja came downstairs. We have so many left-overs in the fridge that I will not have to cook tomorrow, so I should be able to get back to it tonight or tomorrow afternoon. 

I have been reading Outlaws of Ravenhurst from my homeschool book collection. It is a refreshing read. I would call it an adventure story of faith and martyrdom. It is set in the reign of the Stuarts of Scotland Henry VIII of England. It makes me pause to think of what I would do were I one of the last Catholics in a country where Catholicism was outlaw. That is really not such a far flung possibility in our country today. I can see the appeal of the story for young people who are willing to work their way through the Scottish dialect. Would that we all had the faith and reverence for Jesus in the Eucharist which the children in the novel portray. 

Ari, Maja and I hosted a tea party for the mothers and daughters in our neighborhood a couple of months ago. The girls did a wonderful job with our guests. Yesterday Ari asked when we would be having another one. I am glad that she wants to. It says to me that the first party meant something to her. We have started discussing possibilities.

Fall Garden Clean-up

 I was working outside this afternoon cutting back perennials. My nose was running, so as I usually do when outside, I went to the car to look for facial tissue. No such luck. But I did find our good full sized stapler. Grandchildren! I am sure they brought it along for a project during our twenty minute ride to mass last time they visited. Although I got distracted cutting things back and pulling weeds, my objective today is to finish planting daffodil bulbs. My sister gave me about a hundred bulbs from her flower beds. Many of them went in at St. John Cantius, but the rest will get planted here at home. I also took the geraniums out of their pots so that they can overwinter in the basement. Last but not least, I will take the clothes off of our scarecrows and wash them for next spring. Hopefully I can get all of that done before it starts raining. I have been comfortable working in shirt sleeves. 

A little perk to my clean-up has been seeing all of the new johnny jump-ups which are blooming away. I just love the purple and yellow flowers. I am also enjoying the rich green of the lamb's ears after I cut them back about a month ago. I am sure the fall rain helped them very much. And then there are the weeds which have grown since the rain. 

We are two weeks away from our mission group craft sale. I still have about six pillow cases cut and ready to sew. Besides that, a few more pieces in my fabric stash that I would also like to use for pillow cases, just to be done with them. I have the coordinating prints necessary, so it is simply a matter of getting down there and getting it done. It is so good to have much of my old fabric made into something useful and out of the way. I still have a number of projects in the finishing stages - an apron, a dress, a quilt top, and about three quilts ready for machine quilting. But it feels much more under control. I can't wait to get it all done so that I can dig into some more of the gorgeous new fabrics my sister Janice gave me.    

 

Cookies in a Jar

 I hope to have a little meet and greet  tea party for our girls and a few of the neighbor girls. I decided to look at an old booklet by Jackie Gannaway to see if there was anything special in there that I wanted to serve. That got me looking through a couple other booklets of hers that I have. Yesterday I tried the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Mix from her Cookies in a Jar (Cookbook Cupboard, Austin, TX, 1997). They were the worst cookies I have ever eaten. They looked perfect on the outside, but the recipe called for a combination of powdered sugar and brown sugar. The brown sugar was granular, and overpowering. The chocolate was from cocoa powder, which was fine, although I prefer the more chocolate flavor of chips, chunks or unsweetened chocolate bars. Neither my husband nor I could taste any peanut butter flavor. I scratched that recipe off of my list! It will be a penance to finish them, although we can use them for the caffeine.

I also took out my scrap totes last night to try my hand at crumb quilting. I discovered that my scrap totes are loaded with mostly larger pieces, nothing very crumb worthy. However, I did get about three 5.5" blocks finished. Very scrappy looking. I have lots of fabric strips, so I will probably make a few table runners. Then from those snippets I will have genuine crumbs. Of course, now I am in a quandary because all of my old scraps are washed. It almost forces me to keep pre-shrinking all of my fabrics.

Paul Bunyon Land

 Last week we took the girls to Brainerd for a little get-away. 

Our first stop after picking them up was Safari North, since we could not check into our hotel until after 4:00 PM. We saw lots of animals, including alligators. We enjoyed it, but I did not like having to pay for every extra - feeding the animals, riding the train, and using the amusement park. By the time we were done we had spent a considerable amount beyond the admission price. There were no hand stamps, so we could not come and go as we pleased. We were forced to eat there, and the menu was extremely limited. The girls had Uncrustables, hardly a hearty, filling meal. Our only other option would have been pizza.   

The next day we stopped at Paul Bunyon Land. We liked that much better. We had the place almost to ourselves. We were not sure if that was because of the weather, or because it was a week-day. The girls went on ride after ride without having to wait. Ari is an old hand at amusement park rides, but it was new to Maja. She was scared the first time she went on the Frog Hopper. We were surprised that they wanted to go on it a couple of times more. We really appreciated the man voicing Paul Bunyon. Arthur described him as a Santa Claus personality. I would say he was grandfatherly. Not only did he remember the girls' names as we went back and forth during the day, but he also sang a few songs for us. We were thrilled that the animals in the petting zoo came up to visit us without our even having food in our hands. They had to parade from one side of the enclosure to the other so that we could see them. Bella Rose the calf was especially sweet and gentle and ready to nuzzle. 

We stayed at the Holiday Inn because the water park was open, unlike at the Arrowwood. The girls had a blast in the water. The hotel had very few guests, so we also had quiet nights. That was a Godsend. The breakfasts were not so great. We had to eat bagged foods in our room because people are still afraid of COVID.  We had only one desk and chair for the four of us so it was not very comfortable. Mixing beds and food is disgusting. The girls had oranges the first morning. That was a sticky mess, with no paper towels or dish rags to clean things up afterwards. I felt bad for the housekeeping crew which had to empty garbage with all of the breakfast food waste in it. I just cannot believe that eating in our rooms was healthier than exposing ourselves to the possibility of contracting COVID in the breakfast room. 

On the way home we stopped at the Northland Arboretum. We did not spend much time there, but we did see some beautiful peonies and other spring bloomers. The Arboretum was suffering from drought as well as we are at our house. I was thrilled at the help the Arb staff gave me in looking up Ak-Sar-Ben (That's Nebraska spelled backwards.) Gardens, a place my family visited in the late 1960's during our stay at The Gingerbread Cabins on Serpent Lake near Crosby. It sounds like the gardens still exist, but as a private event venue. 

I gave in and spot watered a few of my perennials last night, just to keep them alive. I lost an echinacea on the side of the house already for lack of moisture. Also one in the Mary Garden at church. I thought echinacea were supposed to be drought hardy. The lilies look great in the heat. The asters, heliopsis and echinacea are the ones that get droopy with no rain. 

Rosary Making

I have been making rosaries from supplies purchased through Our Lady's Rosary Makers for years. Here is a little video on them published by Catholic News Report. Enjoy. 

We interrupt this program....

 I have been taking a pause in sewing quilt tops to make some of these cuties. This Easy Squeeze Gift Bag pattern is from Gruber's. I had some squares of fabric already cut which I thought would work perfectly for this bag. I also thought it would be a great pattern for my ten year old granddaughter to sew. I like them. Grandpa likes them, too. The small bags made from 12" squares will be perfect for wrapping soap, jars of jelly, gift cards, muffins, cookies or candles.

                                        

        

                     

On Another (Jelly) Roll

 

I'm on another quilting roll. Last night I finished this top made from a batik Bally Pop Pack which I had won at the St. Cloud Heritage Quilters Show from Just Sew Studios several years ago. It was a quick finish, and I like the colors. It will work in a few different rooms in my house. I have to admit that I did not do it completely randomly, as is typically done with a jelly roll. Some of the colors just begged to be put together, so when I did the end to end sewing, I coupled them. From here I will sew another top, and then do machine quilting all at one time. 

I finished reading Theology of Home by Carrie Gress and Noelle Mering (Tan Books, 2019). I purchased it for a few reasons. First, to see what all of the hype was about, since I have seen their blog and merchandise. Second, to see if it would be a suitable bridal shower gift. Third, to glean from it anything helpful in honing in on my personal mission. The book contains lots of photos of the authors' and others homes and children. My first response in looking at the cover was, this home is definitely not my taste. It was a mix of way too many different styles of furniture and and picture frames. I had similar reactions to many of the photos in the book. Too many white walls and cold interiors. Arthur agreed. But it did contain pictures of some very cute kids! I had hoped that it would be a good "bridge" book that might draw a new bride back into the faith, but I do not think it would work for that. There are many quotes from Scripture and from the saints, and many sacred images and statues that would probably turn off a person who was not going to church. As for my personal mission, I did find a quote from St. Thomas Aquinas on beauty which I will add to my notebook for meditation. 

At present I am reading Ryann Topping's Rebuilding a Catholic Culture: How the Catechism Can Shape Our Common Life (Sophia Institute Press, 2012). I found a line that expresses the present understanding of active participation in the liturgy to a tee: "Where the older Liturgical Movement had sought to increase the participation of the faithful by a deepened understanding of the prayer of he Mass, the more recent trend simply encouraged people to become busy...." Perfect.

Quilting

 I have been on a roll. I finished four aprons since the beginning of the year. From then on I have been quilting and quilting. Clarence received the completed quilt which I had started for him when he was about 3,4 or 5. He is now 14. The Pinky Pie quilt which had been intended for Ari and was a free motion quilting class project, is now also finished. Three or four years ago Sister Jessica had given me a suitcase full of quilt tops which she had gotten from someone else. I gave most of the tops to the St. Joseph's quilters in Waite Park, but had held three back to finish myself. Last night I started the binding on the first of those, and pressed the backing for the next one. I am planning ahead for the next projects after the last two tops are finished. At the same time I dug into the yarn bin and started an afghan from some cotton yarn which I had purchased for a blanket for Ari when she was a baby. As I knit I am also thinking ahead to the next afghan. It feels very good to be digging into my stash and using things up. It is energizing. It is also a great pleasure to see what I can do with my free motion skills. My free motion is by no means perfect, but I am getting lots of practice.

I put onions in my Super Bowl guacamole yesterday. Never again. Besides giving me dragon breath, the onions detract from the jalapeno, which I normally savor. Twenty years ago I would have never guessed that I would have a liking for guacamole and hummus. I now nutritionists frown on the fat content of avocados, but I look at guacamole as healthier than dips made from sour cream and mayonnaise, and as a way to get an extra serving of fruits and vegetables.

Now off to tea and breakfast.

Christmas Cookies

 It seems that every family has its own list of Christmas cookies. In our family it was Toffee Bars, Cocoanut Toffee Bars, Peanut Brittle, Sugar Cookies, Scotch Short Bread, and in later years, Date Krispie Balls, Peanut Butter Blossoms, M&M Cookies and Russian Tea Cakes. Arthur's favorite from his family was his Grandma Donnay's White Cookies. When the neighbors blessed us with a huge platter of cookies this year, they had Peanut Butter Blossoms, Spritz Cookies, Pretzel Wreaths, Pretzel Rods, Date Sandwich Cookies and a few others. In another friend's package were Macadamia Nut Cookies, M&M Cookies, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Molasses Cookies, Snickerdoodles, and Chocolate Chip Cookies. When people ask me what I am baking, I usually say, nothing, since there is no need. Our Christmases are usually split between our two families, and everyone else makes enough that anything I would bring would be superfluous. We can only eat so much at our house, besides. But this year because of COVID, things were different.We were not going anywhere. Maja wanted cookies to take to her dad's house. Grandpa wanted his White Cookies. And Grandma kept reading Verily posts of cookie recipes. The result was a slew of new favorites, and a lot of fun.

On Christmas Eve I started to bake. I made Ande's Creme de Menthe Cookies, a definite keeper. Then I made Grandpa's White Cookies. Then M&M Cookies with the red and green M&M's of course. Then Date Krispie Balls, a recipe which I got when I babysat for Ransoms in high school. Then Pecan Dreams, very similar to Russian Tea Cakes, but another keeper. Most of them are now in the freezer. Maja packed a tin for her dad, and then forgot it. Those are also in the freezer. So are the remains of the cake I made for Ari and my birthday celebration. We have enough sweets to last us through the Sundays of lent, and then some. And the rest of the recipes are in my file waiting for my next baking day. 

Blessed be God.   

Should You Have Your Cremated Remains Made into Jewelry When You Die?

 I thought it worthwhile to share the sentiments which I wrote for my daughter on this subject.

Mom's Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Not Have Your Cremains Put Into Jewelry

1. Your kids might think it is morbid and gross to wear your ashes.

2. Jewelry gets lost. Bye bye, Mom's remains!

3. Jewelry goes out of style, and the recipient may want to stop wearing it.

4. Jewelry gets broken and thrown into a drawer, or into the garbage. Bye bye, Mom!

5. The jewelry bearing your cremains will probably be tossed aside at some point for something which has new sentimental meaning, like a wedding or engagement ring, or a gift from someone living. Or another person who has died and had their cremains put into jewelry!

6. You may die before your grandchildren are born. They may not want to wear you if they never knew you. Same with your great grandchildren and whoever after that would inherit the jewelry.

7. You may die before Dad and I die. We want a grave to visit. Dad will not wear jewelry other than his wedding ring. I will not wear you, either.

8. Your loved ones can be buried next to you if you are buried in a grave or your ashes are inured in a columbarium.

9. If you have a grave stone, long after you are dead and those who knew you are dead, others can look at your grave and pray for you.

10. You have been baptized. You are a temple of the Holy Spirit, and your body deserves to be buried in consecrated ground.

More Stamping Fun

 I have been on a stamping stampede. Our mission group recently had a craft sale and I wanted to contribute my share of cards. But I also recently ordered a new Blessed Mother symbol stamp on Zazzle, and I wanted to try it out.  Here are some of my favorites from my foray. It has been great fun. Have I used up all of my paper? No. But I have found a few new favorite designs, and I really enjoyed using some of my oldest stamp sets.

Turkeys

 The neighbors brought cookies for us. I had to take a picture in case I want to copy them with the girls. I have seen them before with Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, but the gummies and candy corn look very sweet, too. Cute, cute, cute.

Fruit Basket Upset

 It has been so long since I have blogged (So much for web log!) that I never knew that Blogger changed it's screen designs.

The morning started dark and grey, but now the sun is shining through patches of blue sky. I had thought that our snow was here to stay, but perhaps I was wrong. 

I just finished eating two mandarin oranges. So sweet. I am not sure if it is because they are a different brand than usual, Sunrays, or if it is because they are the first fruits of a new season, but they are so juicy and delicious. The Honey Crisp apples which I purchased a couple of weeks ago are also exceptionally large, juicy and tasty. Once I buy fruit I have to finish the bag, so I have been eating a lot of both this past week. 

Arthur and I took a short trip to Ottertail County at the end of September. While we were there we took a tour of The Prospect House Museum in Battle Lake. What an interesting place! It is dubbed a Civil War museum, so one expects when walking in the door to see Civil War artifacts. In reality, the first part of the tour, probably an hour's worth of time, was walking through the home which once served as the first resort in Battle Lake. If you like antiques and art, it is the place to go. The house is still furnished as it was in 1929 before the stock market crash, with items purchased from Dayton's in Minneapolis.The family did not throw anything out, so many things are much older. We saw a very fancy lace Valentine from the Civil War era, and a dead, painted baby turtle which had been mailed home from the Chicago World Fair. There were loads of antique toys which were fantastic replicas of the full versions - a cast iron stove, a cast iron "iron", and aluminum cookie cutters: I would be delighted to own them, and play with them. I have never seen so many varieties of paper dolls. The present owner's mother, Kay Wilkins Johnson, was an artist trained at the Minneapolis Art Institute. Several of her paintings are on display throughout the house. I enjoyed seeing them very much. Particularly spectacular was a portrait she painted of her son, Jay Johnson, who currently owns the home. After we toured the whole house, we moved to the basement where the Civil War mementos were located. There was a bayonet, a bloody letter from the battlefield, and a uniform coat with bullet holes. One could have spent hours in that part of the museum alone, reading all of the materials which were on display. If you ever go to Battle Lake, I highly recommend that you stop in and see it. Our trip also included hikes in Maplewood and Glendalough State Parks, and visits with friends.

I continue with Vision Therapy, though with very spread-out sessions. I have had double vision for quite some time since my right eye is now turned on. I can tell that as well as being cross-eyed, my eyes are also out of alignment with each other. It has been a long haul.  

Thought for the Day

I have a  lovely little laminated poem which looks like it had been printed in a church bulletin. If memory serves me correctly it came either from Fr. Robert Voigt at his time in the parish at Opole, or from Benedictine Father Gunther Rolfson while he was at Richmond. It is as follows:

What joy to know, when life is past
The Lord we love is first and last
The end and the beginning.
He will one day, oh, glorious grace,
Transport us to that happy place
Beyond all tears and sinning.
Sing out! Ring out!
Jubilation! Exultation! Tell the story:
Great is He the King of glory!

I finally finished Archbishop Athansius Schneider's book, Christus Vincit. My current read is a Pauline Press children's book, 32 Days, the story of the little Chinese girl who inspired Archbishop Fulton Sheen by her love for the Eucharist. When the Communists vandalized the church in her town, several hosts were scattered on the floor. She sneaked into the church night after night, consuming one host every night. She was caught on the night she consumed the last host. It is a difficult read since I fear what is to come in America, but it is a book for our time. If a young girl can have such a love for the Eucharist, surely I can love Him more.

Yesterday and today have been lazy daisy days for me. I need to head to the basement to sew a gift, and I just can't get down there, or do much else, for that matter. 

I made trips to Otsego  both yesterday and today. Yesterday's trip was by mistake. Today was the day for my actual eye appointment. I have been having double vision, which may necessitate more vision therapy. I am not thrilled, both because of the time and because of the expense. But if I do not do it, I may lose some of the gains I have already made. It comes just after a second cortisone shot in my foot for my neuroma, and as I am about to begin physical therapy for my arm.

We were blessed with wonderful rain this past week. My lilies are opening. Arthur's corn has perked up, and is beginning to tassel. Last week when we dug the first potatoes we had to dig three plants to get enough for a meal, and now suddenly they are also too big to be classified as babies.

Aroma Rosary

Earlier this year or late last year I purchased this Aroma Rosary on-line. I had eyed it for over a year after hearing about the rosaries on Relevant Radio. The picture does not do it justice, but it is in my colors, an orange-red and olive green stone. I do not know the name of the stone it is made from, but it is very beautiful. I was attracted by the color and by the idea that essential oils added to the lava beads (Our Fathers) would enhance my prayer. I have struggled over the years in trying to pray the rosary, so I thought I would give it a try. Besides, it was on sale.

The rosary came with four small vials of Doterra essential oil blends, one for each set of mysteries. I found the oils to be impractical and inconvenient. If I wanted to use the rosary at my holy hours in the adoration chapel, I had to remember to apply the oil before I left home. At home I often pray the rosary while walking on the treadmill or using my Fast Track. On those two devices, it was impossible to smell the essential oils. In my recliner or the chair in my shrine room, I usually have to cover up with a blanket while I am praying because of the cold, so I still could not smell the oils. And when it was warm enough to keep my arms out, the oils either irritated my sinuses or did nothing for me at all.

Now the oils are gone. I will not buy replacement bottles. Disappoointed? Yes. The oils did not help my prayers in the least. However, the rosary is beautiful and has a good weight and feel as I pray, so I continue to use it as my "upstairs" rosary. And I doggedly pray on. It is still difficult because I am impatient and find it hard to meditate. Has habit made it easier? No. But the Blessed Mother asks us to pray the rosary, so I need to keep at it.

Paschal Candle

This paschal candle kit came from Illuminated Ink. What a find at a time that we could not go to church for the Easter vigil on Holy Saturday! It gave me a sense of deep joy after I finished it. It may become an annual tradition.

I got a kick out of the instructions for the candle, written by a real mom: tie your hair back, and remember that wax and carpet do not mix! I used the hair dryer to warm the wax as recommended. I could have used it a bit longer since I had a hard time rolling the wax. However, I felt like caution was in order lest I melt it too much. The wick is very thick, so the candle has burned very well. With 100 percent beeswax, it smells wonderful.

I also received my lamb mold from Amazon, but too late for an Easter butter lamb. That shall be my project for next year.

I love these little, tangible links to the faith.

Another Project Finished.

I was on a roll before the Coronoavirus panic hit. I am still on a roll.

My Comfort Abides shawl from Knit Prayer Shawls: 15 Wraps to Share (Leisure Arts, Little Rock, Arkansas, 2010) is finally on the blocking counter. So glad to get it done. It was supposed to be a "quick" project to use up two skeins of yarn that I had purchased for another project. Quick, my foot! I bet I have been working on this baby for three or more years. I have never done so much ripping in my life! This was a project that could not be done while anyone else was present to distract me.

Now the question is, what do I do with it? It is probably a shade of red that I could wear, and I do have a dress that it would match, but I do not like red. It is also wool. While wool is nice and toasty, it can also be itchy. It is also higher maintenance than acrylic or cotton.

My next project is a pair of wool slippers, made from the pattern that I had made a pair of slippers from when I was in junior high. This project is in fact quick and easy, but has always left me frustrated because it requires two seams, and seaming is not my best talent. To compensate I have been watching lots and lots of YouTube videos. It helps. So much easier than the days when we would have to run to the library and check out a book on the subject. Not that I do not have loads of knitting books on hand at home, but I still just have not been able to grasp the concept.

On the side I have been sewing lots of aprons. It is nice to be using up my fabric stash. In the process I have purchased a few complimentary fabrics to freshen up some of the old prints that I have in stock.

The girls will be here this coming week-end, so I have to make a few Christmas ornament samples for our secret projects. I am excited to say that I have found a use for more of the wooden spools that my dad had collected when he was young. That is all I can say for now lest I reveal too much.

Happy crafting!

Bareroots Little Stitchies Turkey Candle Mat

It is finally finished! I got this wool Bareroots Little Stitchies candle mat project at the Heritage Quilters show at St. Ben's a number of years ago. I finished it last night. The scanner did not do justice to the salmon pink feathers. Nor did I follow the order of colors used in the pattern. But it is done! Now, to make some Christmas ornaments out of the leftover wool scraps. Ari wants to do some stitching like this, so I think I will have her join me, using some of the polyester felt from my collection in the basement.

I first saw felted ornaments in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine from my early college years. I threw all of that magazine away except for a knitted shoulder wrap, the size of which would not fit me anymore anyway! My next view was in  Made by Me. I used those patterns with Mom after she had her stroke, as physical therapy. However, I did not like the stitching and colors I had done on them, so I took most of them apart. This year Ari might be ready to do the stitching. Of course, since that book I have seen many very pretty felt ornaments on Pinterest.

Yesterday we had our annual New Year's gathering at my sister's house. I am still laughing at my niece's three year old twins, who each managed to occupy two of the bathrooms at the same time.

I am glad that our girls got to see their Vandeberg cousins yesterday, but I am feeling for Ari, who is probably having a tired day at school today. We did not get home until 8:00 PM, and from here it would have taken her mom another 45 minutes to reach their house. That was a late bedtime after so much and such a busy vacation time.

Today I am deep cleaning the house, starting with folding clothes and scrubbing the kitchen floor. 

Franciscan in the Basement

We planted a tree off of the corner of our deck last spring so that we have have morning shade in the future. In the mean time, I sprang for an umbrella. I chose a reddish brown that closely matches our house. The umbrella has a smaller layer of fabric near the top. When the umbrella is closed and tied, it looks like a Franciscan friar's habit and cincture. Arthur put the umbrella in the basement for the winter, so now every time I go in the back  room in the basement, I am thinking Franciscan.

I have been Christmas shopping. I have to share my excitement over the beautiful 18" dolls that I found at TJMaxx in St. Cloud. They carried two different brands, both Jillian's Closet dolls and Our Generation. All were so well dressed that I had a hard time deciding which one to buy for my granddaughter. I had already purchased a doll for her at Walmart, but these were so much nicer that I bought one, and returned the Walmart version. I got a Jillian's Closet doll with a pink sweater and tulle skirt. Same price that I paid at Walmart for a far prettier product with more well-made, detailed clothes.

After I got home I did an Amazon search for 18" doll clothes. What a hazardous territory for me! So many cute choices. Again I had a very hard time deciding, since I did not want to spend more than $15. I finally settled on another pink dressy dress and a pair of pink "patent leather" shoes. Ari will just have to wait until next year to get more outfits. And I will continue to look at garage sales to increase the wardrobe for the American Girl doll which we have here at the house. Of course, another option is that Grandma can start sewing dresses....

I have been spending so much time shopping this week that my plans for sewing have gone by the wayside.

I went to the doctor to have that "thing" on my finger checked. I have had it for years. The last time I asked the doctor what it was, she did not know. After canning applesauce it got irritated, and a call to the nurse resulted in another appointment. This time the physician assistant looked at it. She knew immediately that it was a cyst. After draining, she knew that it was a Ganglion cyst. After looking it up on the computer, I know by the location that it was a mucousal Ganglion cyst. When it fills again I will probably go to the hand doctor and request removal. It is in a location where it often gets bumped and poked.

Tea Time

I'm setting a record of sorts, posting two days in a row. The urge came after I poured myself a cup of breakfast tea.

I am using up a canister of The People's Green Tea, Daily Green Tea from the Republic of Tea. It is awful. I will be glad when I am back to my "perfectly brewed" Shaklee Green Energizing Tea. The Energizing Tea is a powder which can be used in either hot or cold water. It tastes delicious.

After reading Laura Child's books I am considering purchasing a Twinings sample box with Darjeeling, Earl Grey, and two more choices. I am hesitant because I had tried some of those teas in my college days, and did not like them. My staples for the past several years have been Irish Breakfast Tea, English Breakfast Tea, and green Energizing Tea. I drink one cup of caffeinated every day. If I want another cup with my evening dessert or as an accompaniment to a good book, I switch to decaf.

In tandem with my morning cuppa, I take my vitamins. For the next couple of weeks I will be taking Shaklee chewable calcium in place of my normal Osteomatrix. The girls see Grandpa and Grandma  take their supplements when they are here. I always have the Mighty Smarts for them. Maja could eat several a day if I let her, but I usually have her stop at three or four a meal. Since she is interested in vitamins, I ordered the Incredivites, chewable vitamin C, and chewable calcium. Ari used to not like the Incredivites, but now she will take them. Maja is also very willing. The calcium is a bit too chalky for her taste, so Grandma gets to finish the bottle. It was worth a try, though. Anything I can do to get more nutrition into them, I will do.

On Tuesday I get to take Ari to the eye doctor for a prescription update so that we can get her a new pair of glasses. Anne thinks her current pair is beyond repair.

Our winter storm was not as severe as predicted. School was canceled today, but the roads are looking quite drive-able.

Happy Thanksgiving!