Thursday, January 29, 2015

Getting My Hopes Up

I came home on Tuesday to see footprints on the deck.


Well, that big one belongs to some humanoid but the small ones were quite intriguing. I knew they weren't rabbit tracks. There seemed to be an abundance of those in the back yard.


But rabbits don't go up onto my deck. These didn't seem like cat tracks because cats walk in a linear fashion. The back foot goes in the position of the front foot. They developed this way of walking to disguise themselves from prey. Watch a cat walk, sometime. You'll see what I mean.

But "Rosalind" had been seated on the deck in December holding one foot out.


If they are injured, it will throw off their gait, just as a leg injury will cause you to 'walk funny'. Could she have come back while I was gone?

Wanting to test this theory and knowing that Wednesday would be a reasonably nice day, I set out food as I left for the city.


The plastic table serves to keep snow from piling up in front of the entry to the house, although there would be a lot of sun rather than snow, accumulation.

When I got home Wednesday night, I checked the food.


It was not touched. I'm thinking the prints were from squirrels who will come up onto the deck.

Wherever she is, I hope she's warm, dry and happy. I'm still not pulling the house until probably the end of April, when I start to consider restaining the deck and how many pots of flowers I'm going to put out this year.

Beverage:  Water

Deb

The Things I See

I get to go into a lot of spaces in my line of work. Some spaces take your breath away.


Sunrise while heading east to pick up equipment.

Some spaces reward you with a meal.


Some spaces allow you to see things in unexpected places. Such was the case on Wednesday.


If you could peel this off the surface where I saw it, it would probably be worth quite a bit. Otto Kerner, Jr, was Illinois governor from 1961 to 1968. I have no idea if time has weathered the bumper sticker or if it was printed like this. He has the dubious distinction of being the first of 4 Illinois governor to be convicted of fraud of some sort. He was not a sitting governor at the time of his trial and conviction.


I think this predates the bumper sticker, but maybe not by much. It's clear this hasn't worked in a very, very long time. It's just quite interesting that this location still has it. They also had a "friend" sitting next to it.


Oh my lord. Let's get out some James Taylor, Chicago or Little River Band should we? It's a Hotpoint brand avocado-colored top freezer refrigerator. I remember these. They were the middle of the line of fridges one could get. You don't hear much about the brand although it's still around. Thankfully, kitchens decorated solely in harvest gold, bittersweet or avocado are not. And don't get me started on those dangly ball-trim things you used to edge your kitchen curtains with. There are some things that shouldn't ever come back, ever.


Finally, this kind of made me sad. I'm reasonably sure it's a sundial. The dial portion is still there but the mechanism which would allow it to tell time appears to be gone. The location of this piece is adjacent to a huge public works highway project. I've thought about asking the owners of the building where it's located if they intend to fix it. Probably not. It's really not worth anything and people are not encouraged to be in this location as they might have been 20+ years ago. Plus, in this day and age, the only reason it's still standing is because it's cemented into the ground. If it was fixed would someone break off the time piece just because they can?

It does make me think about the sundial I have in my back yard. It's hidden behind overgrown brush. I should get it out and do something with it. And that leads to the idea that I need to haul the book "Time Lord" from the stash and read it. Sometimes I wonder exactly what time it would be if we'd never done time zones.

Beverage:  Water

Deb

The Beauty of Winter

I've said many times that there is beauty all around at any time of the year if you just look for it. We watched as the northeast US was pummeled with snow, but some remarkably beautiful photos have come out of that.

On Wednesday, I had to be in the city to do more inspections. If you were out of the stiff southerly breeze, it was rather warm. The downtown of Chicago just gleamed in the morning sunshine.


Other than there being no leaves on the bushes and weeds, it could be any season. I love these clear days.

Close by this particular site, was another building I had to inspect. Outside the building were these bushes. I'm inspecting the retaining wall behind them, but, as I was working from south to north along the wall, I was struck by the color and texture of the trunks themselves.


I have no idea what kind of bush these are. I'm thinking they might have been chosen specifically for their distinctive look when winter claims their leaves.


Isn't this cool? I was here back in September and never noticed the trunks. The juxtaposition of the trunks in front of the gray of the concrete wall, combined with the blue of winter shadows is visually arresting to me. Kind of makes me want to drag out my pastels or my colored pencils to try to replicate.

As tired as I can get while working some jobs, when I get to see things like this, it makes all the tired go away.

Beverage:  Water

Deb

A Day Late

Tuesday was Chocolate Cake Day. I bet you didn't know that. I only know it because I follow artist Sandra Boynton on Facebook and she said it was Chocolate Cake Day. Unfortunately, there just isn't a place, short of the Jewel grocery store, close to me where I can get a piece of chocolate cake. I refuse to set foot in Jewel. I don't like the store, really don't like it. So, I did without on Tuesday. Wednesday, however...


I had to go into the city to do inspections and, on the way back to the office, swung by Portillos for lunch specifically to get a piece of chocolate cake. I could make a cake similar to this. The moistness and density come from the addition to the recipe of mayonnaise. I won't use mayo for anything other than chocolate cake so it's not worth having a jar in my cupboard or fridge.

I'm okay with that. I'm not sure I'd make a lot of chocolate cakes and then, when I do make one, I would have to eat the whole thing which is, technically, not good for my waistline. I shall be content to swing by Portillos every now and again, because I don't really NEED a specific day to enjoy chocolate cake.

Beverage:  Dr Pepper

Deb

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

More Socks

I've got a couple of 'nopes' and one 'maybe' in this post. Let's see the 'nopes'.


There's nothing wrong with plain colored socks. On the list of possibilities are those aqua colored ones, although they have fine yellow stripes. The right color would be okay. This isn't the right color.


The other problem is that these socks are a heavy cotton and don't fit comfortably into the shoes. Burgundy and lemon were a "hot" combination a few years ago. That seems to be the story of my life. Ooooh, nice color combination, about 5 years after it was popular.

Another pair that don't make the cut for color and heft are these.


One should not upstage the bride when one is dressing to attend a wedding. I'm afraid that the color would draw attention to my feet at a time when the attention needs to be on Carole. It helps in the decision that these are way too heavy to fit into the shoes. I wear these when I'm working out in the field, particularly on cold days. I put them on and think, "I should try to find more like these, for work."

In the "maybe" category is this pair.


They don't look like much, just cardinals on green branches. But in the shoes, there was a distinctiveness that I rather liked.


They rank with the cat socks shown earlier. These would be comfortable and are just quirky enough to be me. So, I'm adding them to the pile with the aqua socks, the blue stripe socks and the cat socks. We're getting somewhere.

Beverage:  Water

Deb

How to Trap A Cat, or Two

It's that time of year when the papers fly and you dread the application of time and math skills or your lack thereof. It's tax time. The last piece of major paper I needed arrived on Saturday so I spent last night sorting papers into piles to make sure I have all my documentation to do taxes this weekend. I use Tax Act which I found to be easier for me to process than TurboTax. Both still require that I have everything in order before I sit down. I have a tendency to use the "piling" system instead of a "filing system" which means I have to sort and then file the ream of paper generated from the last time I filed everything.

I was rather proud of myself. Although it appeared to be a huge pile, once sorted into the various categories, it didn't turn out to be that much, at least in comparison to some years. I also found a couple of pieces of paper I need for other things and discovered I could recycle some papers I no longer need to keep. The actual act of pitching stuff into the recycling bin is very cathartic.

I went to make tea to have as I actually filed stuff, not piled it back where it came from. When I returned to the bedroom, I found this.


Put out paper of any sort and you've got an instant cat trap. They've been rather argumentative with each other lately. I'm not sure why. There have been some rather nasty growling and hissing episodes of late so to see them resting calmly in proximity to each other is gratifying. I can file this stuff later.

Beverage:  Dr Pepper

Deb

Frustration, Thy Name Is Starbucks

My best friend, Patt (not to be confused with my best friend, Pam. I love how my best friends' names start with "Pa". I know they would be good friends if they ever met, but I digress.) sent me a Starbucks card for my birthday. I don't drink coffee but they have tea and, right now, hot cocoa is all the rage. There is a Starbucks 2 blocks west of the office. I drive by it coming to and going home from work. And drive by is all I've been able to do.

Perhaps it's a sign of the times, that the economy is better or people are taking the savings they have earned from gas being half the cost it was a year ago and turning that into venti double espressos but the drive through line and their parking lot are always packed. The city fathers of Glen Ellyn didn't think the whole location of the drive through very well because on some days, traffic waiting for drive through backs out onto busy Roosevelt Road. I have cursed coffee drinkers and their need to pick it up from their car when I can't get around them. Had the drive through been positioned a couple car lengths further into the lot, it wouldn't stop traffic, even on busy days.

But what to make of the perpetually full parking lot? Well, there is a Chipotle in this small strip mall so perhaps the problem lies with a mix of the two. There is probably overlap between beverages and pastries and quasi-Mexican lunch and dinner.

Whatever the case, I have not been able to get a hot cocoa since the week after Thanksgiving. I'm rather frustrated at that. I've driven by at several odd hours and there is just no place to pull in or park. Oh well, the card doesn't expire and I'm sure they'll make hot cocoa for me in June as well as making it in January, right?

Beverage:  Dr Pepper

Deb

Friday, January 23, 2015

New Sewing Project

It's taken me some time to push myself toward my next sewing project. I'm going to try to use up the fabric I have in the boxes in the closet. There's such a low motivation to sew, though. It's this danged being tired all the time business. But, I broke down cleaning off the living room table into small steps and, every day, did one thing. I also told myself that dealing with the stuff I had piled on the table did not mean just moving it from point "A" to point "B".  I had to actually deal with the stuff. By Tuesday, I had cleared off the table and pulled out the new project.

My goal is to use up my Iowa Hawkeye fabric. Initially, I pulled this hunk out.


It's fleece. I have several pieces of Hawkeye fleece I've picked up over the past few years. This would be the first one I'd sew with. I'm going to use this vest pattern.


It's extremely simple; a front, a back and a pocket piece. It shouldn't take me very long to whip out 5 vests for the great nieces and nephews, all from Hawkeye fabric. While the child on the front of the pattern is female, I think the pattern could be considered unisex. The front is held together with a button put through a self-fabric loop. Instead of the loop, I'm going to attach elastic to the front. I think that will be easier for the kids to dress themselves then; much more give to the loop than fabric, even fleece. Plus, the idea of turning fleece was not appealing. When you've sewn as long as I have, you recognize what things are liable to give you more headaches than they are worth. Making a 3 inch long loop is one of those things.

So, I pull out the pieces for the vest. I'm not going to line them with a different color fabric. I'm gong to use the same fabric. All the pieces are 60 inches wide so there should be ample material to cut double of what I need, except for this first vest. This one has to be the biggest. After that, I'll come back to the pattern and make the next sizes down. I remember, when multi-size patterns were introduced, cutting the a middle size and then having to get another pattern to cut the larger size. You can always cut things off, but you can't attach them back on.

It turns out the gray fabric doesn't have enough to cut double the largest size vest from. I would have had to do some seriously measuring and replacement, things I don't want to do because I don't really need to do. Just change the fabric. I pulled this hunk out of the bag.


There's more than enough of this to make the first vest AND to have some left over. My goal is to not have any left over because I know how hard it is for me to toss material which may have some potential use down the line. The gray fabric will meet that criteria for a smaller size vest, but the yellow yielded a strip which has potential for something else. I trimmed off the excess and added the strip to the project box.

Tonight, I'm pulling out the sewing machine and getting that set up. The vests don't need interfacing so it will be about sewing the pieces together, turning them and doing some hand stitching. Maybe I can get one done and the next one cut out this weekend.

I think these will be fun for the kids. At the very least, the adults should appreciate them.

And, by popular request, here is the pattern I used to make Larry's shirt.


I like the style. I have some material which would lend itself to this pattern.

Beverage:  Hot Cider

Deb

Like I Needed More M&M's

The count on top of the fridge stands at 8 separate bags of M&Ms. I also got a bag of what I thought was M&Ms from Kevin and Megan in Canada, only to find out they are Smarties.


I've taken them to work for boosting my morale during the day. After I have my lunch with it's fruit and sandwich or leftovers or soup, I have some chocolate. These have helped as I slog through more reports and process more data.

I had to go to CVS to get my monthly supply of RA meds and passed through the Valentine chocolate aisle. Now, with the sheer amount of M&Ms I have on the fridge, there is no need to contemplate the pink and red bags of pink, red and white candies. But then, a different colored bag caught my eye. Oh dear.


This is the only time these are available. CVS only had 2 bags and both came home with me.

No, I don't need more M&Ms, but it's the cherry ones. They are my all-time favorite. I will put them at the absolute bottom of the stack. That means, I should have them through October, just in time for the Halloween colored ones. If I'm really careful, I can stretch what I have into December of this year, just in time for Christmas presents. Maybe I should get another bag...

Beverage:  Hot Cider

Deb

Weeding the Socks

I'm progressing through the drawer. My feet and ankles have been swollen the past couple of days. It's something I need to consider when deciding on the socks for the wedding.


It doesn't look like it today, but when you add the shoes, my feet were uncomfortable.


As much as I like these socks, this is a boring combination.

Yesterday's socks complimented the shoes quite well.


I have had these socks for a very long time. This might be my oldest pair.


The problem is, they are a heavier fabric than others of this style. While the design would go quite well with a marriage, my feet felt pinched in the shoes. I could, I suppose, visit Target to check out their Valentine sock offerings. But I don't need socks, thanks to the Christmas haul, so that's a waste of money.

Wednesday's socks have some promise.


Cat socks. I have this design in a black or a blue background.


I kind of like this combo. This pair, the aqua pair and the blue stripe are in the "possibility" pile now.

Beverage:  Hot cider

Deb

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

I'm Going to a Wedding

The dress came yesterday. I knew it was on its way. The shop where we all got our dresses called me last week to let me know it was in and to arrange shipping. I decided to send it to the office when informed the parcel would come FedEx and there needed to be a signature in order to receive it. Sometimes, I see FedEx trucks in the evening but I'm pretty sure they deliver, like UPS, during the day. The FedEx driver was quite surprised when I hugged him after he handed me the box. I was excited. What can I say?

Tara wanted to see the dress and, let's face it, so did I, so I put it on at the office. The one I had tried on at the store was black lace over a dark blue. I got black lace over a dark wine color. It's a two-piece, top and skirt. You can sort of see the colors in the top. I'm sure it will look better when it's at a wedding and not in the hallway outside the bathroom.

I took it home and put on the skirt with the shoes.


Uh oh. They match. The burgundy shoes are perfect with the dress. I'm also kind of liking the socks I had on.


They kind of resemble the lace overlay. Today's socks don't really do anything for me.


I love them; they are the companion socks to the aqua ones I wore before; but I'm not feeling this is the right pair.


I still have quite a few more to go through before the choice is made. I don't need another pair, but if I could find black and white striped socks, like the wicked witch's, I think I'd have a winner.

The top of the dress is sheer. I won't be wearing a necklace. I had given thought to a bracelet, as I have a red beaded one, but, now that the dress is here, I don't think a bracelet is necessary. I have the right earrings, too. I should clip them to the dress bag so I don't forget them and then have to spend time wandering stores looking for just the right pair, which is sitting at home in the earring case.

So, I'm ready. What an incredible load off my mind that is. My biggest worry now is finding the right socks to wear under the skirt. We're having a wedding in March!

Beverage:  Earl Grey tea

Deb

Sunday, January 18, 2015

A Case of the Thaws

It's been lovely the last two days.


There's been a whole lotta melting going on. Almost all the ice in the birdbath is gone. There's usually a January thaw and we've had it.

Given that last year, at this time, we had received close to 2 feet of snow, I enjoyed the nice weather. Mija and I went out on the deck for a few minutes, rather, she followed me out while I took out the garbage and the recycling. Our deck visitor hasn't been seen in over a week. There is no sign that she's been anywhere near the house. I'm trusting that she's got a family who loves her. The house will stay on the deck until mid-spring, just in case.

I've started new RA meds. The Enbrel, started before Thanksgiving, just didn't seem to work. I've been given samples of Humira to try. This is an every other week shot. I can't say that there was an immediate change to my life. When the weather is bright and sunny and cheerful and mild, I don't notice that I have aches and pains. My biggest complaint is the chronic fatigue, not swelling of or pain in my joints. I'm supposed to get some relief, some energy back.

Sitting on the top deck stair in the warmth of a mid-January sun made my RA seem a million miles away. I'll take it. I still don't get as much done as I'd like, I wear out too quickly, but mild January days make that aspect much easier to bear.

Beverage:  Water

Deb

File These Under "Nope"

I am whittling the sock options down. Last Thursday, these were the socks of the day.


Fun and fanciful, they didn't work so well in the shoes.


They were really "ho-hum", when it got right down to it.

On Friday, I wore my favorite pair.


I have always liked these for being warm and comfortable. But, here again, in the shoes, it was underwhelming.


Saturday, I pulled these out of the drawer.


I have had these for years. The tops are a bit frayed but they have worn so very well. In the shoes, well, I was not impressed.


I'm looking for loud, not weird.

Today's socks come from a time when Carole lived in the Seattle area.


I wasn't sure, when I pulled them out of the drawer, that white is the predominant color I want under my dark dress.


Nope, it's not.

I'm still leaning towards the blue striped socks, but there are a whole lot more to wade through.

Beverage:  Water

Deb

Saturday, January 17, 2015

A Comparison of Sorts

While looking for some information to send to a writer for the online magazine, Wired, I stumbled upon the following list for "What it costs to get married" in 1870. This list is the minimum each party should have when they marry. Given that we're going to be celebrating a wedding in a couple months, I found this very interesting. I'm not sure what these prices are in today's dollars. The list is copied from the North Iowa Times of 1870. I don't have an actual date of the paper. The photo is of the wedding of my friends, Becky and Jon Hutcherson.


Uniform for the Bridegroom
1 black cloth suit.......................................$75.00
1 pocket handkerchief...............................      .35
2 shirts, plain bosom.................................    5.00
1 nightshirt, ruffled...................................    4.00
2 paper collars...........................................      .05
1 necktie....................................................      .25
1 pair socks...............................................      .50
1 fine comb...............................................      .75
1 bottle bear's grease.................................    1.00
1 pair night drawers, ruffled.....................    2.50
1 bottle whiskey, sour...............................    2.00
1 paper cloves...........................................      .15
1 cork screw.............................................      .25
1 cake honey soap....................................      .25
1 bottle cocktail bitters.............................    1.50
1 ivory toothpick......................................      .20
1 bottle whiskey, straight.........................      .20
1 paper, chewing tobacco.........................      .20
2 bottles pickled oysters...........................    2.00
1 box seidlitz powders..............................      .75

Grand total for the groom.........................$98.65

The Bridal Trousseau
6 chemises, plain with ruffling............................$23.00
2 do., wrought....................................................... 25.00
4 night dresses, plain, edged with ruffling............ 20.00
2 do., embroidered................................................ 30.00
6 longcloth drawers, tucked................................. 27.00
3 do., trimmed with work..................................... 24.00
2 longcloth petticoats, tucked............................... 20.00
1 do., trimmed with needlework........................... 18.00
3 corset covers, trimmed....................................... 15.00
do do, extra nice.................................................... 30.00
3 low-necked merino vests.................................... 10.50
1 French Cambric dressing gown.......................... 18.00
do flannel do.......................................................... 30.00
12 pair white cotton hose....................................... 12.00
6 pair Lisle thread hose..........................................  9.00
12 linen Cambric handkerchiefs............................ 12.00
2 paddings.............................................................. 10.00
12 pair garters.........................................................  3.00
do boxes hairpins....................................................  3.00
6 hem-stitched handkerchiefs.................................  7.50
2 French corsets..................................................... 20.00
1 woven hooped skirt.............................................   5.00
1 duplex elliptic skirt..............................................  5.50
7 pair gloves, assorted............................................ 14.00
3 pair boots............................................................. 12.00

The bride's total is a whopping............................$402.50

Seidlitz powder is a laxative. Funny that a groom "needs" this, although with the oysters requirement, who knows. Oysters were considered an aphrodisiac so it's quite humorous that the groom needs to supply these.

I have no idea what the "do" is short for. "Longcloth" is plain cotton which was made to long lengths, thereby negating the need to piece sections together to make clothing. It was coarser than the Cambric cloth. Cambric was, and still is, a very fine grade of cloth. This is akin to denim versus shirt cotton. It's interesting also, that the list for the bride makes no mention of her dress for her wedding. This is just what she needs to bring along to start housekeeping.

So, guys, get those toothpicks, bear grease, oysters and whiskey. Understand, though, that you're going to have to lug a couple of trunks around because your lady loves "necessaries" aren't going to fit in an overnight bag.

Beverage:  Orange Juice

Deb