The next best thing to crafting is …
Sep 30, 2007 Home Improvement, Life, Sewing
Eating homemade cookies.
After church I decided to make cookies. For some that may not mean much, for me it means a lot. I’m not a big baker. Baking requires patience that I normally save for crafting. Despite my lack of patience, these cookies are a winner. I used the recipe that Amy, from Angry Chicken, posted a couple of days ago. I’ll definitely make these again.
These cookies were the first thing I’ve baked in my gas oven. Gas oven are new to me. I really don’t know what I’m doing. However, I do thing my gas oven is easier to use. Normally, I have a hard time baking cookies. This time all of the cookies were perfect. Like I said. There will be more of these cookies in my future.
So when will I start to craft again? Well first I need a craft room. On Friday, I bought ceiling paint for a Saturday project. After talking with Ross, we decided that I really need to address the electrical issues in that room before I paint. The room has one ungrounded outlet, and the lighting is subpar. I really need track lighting. Tomorrow, I’ll call an electrician. If I’m really lucky we can fix the electrical issue fixed in the next 10 days. After that I have a couple of days off work. I’d like to use that time to paint.
My goal for October: Assembly craft room.
Slightly Overwhelmed
Sep 26, 2007 Life
If I calculated correctly today is day 11 in our new house. Wow! That’s almost 2 weeks. I love our new house. In fact, I don’t think words properly describe how much I love our house. It feels so right. I’m surprised how different this feel compared to our condo. While our condo was apartment like, we still owned it. So I thought owning a house would feel similar. I was wrong. It feels better. I really care about the house. I want to fix things that are broken.
Week One in the house exhausted me. A major project waited for me everyday when I came home from work. I couldn’t find so many essentials. I think it took us 5 days to find the flatware and cooking tools (spatula, spoon, etc.). I thought for sure they were lost forever. Fortunately it was just a matter of a miss labeled box.
All the projects seemed less daunting when I made an actual to-do list. The list helped me relax. Instead of thinking I had to do everything in one night, I pick just one small to-do per evening. Of course I have enough projects to keep me busy for several months. Right now I’m debating between blinds or curtain in our family room. It’s a basement room. The windows are completely above ground. Blinds would be quick and easy. Curtains would add more color and texture to the room. I think the room could really use the curtains. The window wall is a deep red. I think a multi-colored print could really add life to the room.
So what’s stopping me from making curtains? An assembled craft room. Current condition:
I really don’t want to start organizing until, I paint the walls. Oh, painting. Another project.
Summer Storm
As we prepare to move, I think about things that I’ll miss, mostly stuff associated with our neighborhood or condo. Outside our kitchen window is a nice pine tree. Since we are about 1 story off the ground, we can see the top of the tree. I like this tree. In the Winter, the snow looks very picturesque when it lands on the tree. In the Spring, the birds build nests for their little ones. The cats also like the tree. They have a direct view of chirping birds. It’s high entertainment for the cats. I call it cat TV.
On Tuesday when I went to pick up Ross from work, a small yet powerful wind storm blew across the state. Within minutes, tree branches were lying in street. Debris was every where. When I pulled into our drive way, I was stopped by our pine tree as it laid across our path. Yikes!
While I’m sad to see a tree die. I’m kind of glad that I don’t have to worry about missing the tree. It’s gone. It’s like both the tree and I are moving on. We get a new house. The tree will become wood chips. I know this sounds really weird. Yet I really like the thought.
On a happier or at least different note, the storm messed up the power at my work. They have some power, but it’s unstable. So I was free on Wednesday or at least until noon I’m free. I started to sort through my craft supplies, focusing on my embroidery thread. I’ve been collecting this embroider thread for decades, starting with cross-stitch projects. My intent was to get all the thread in one location, which I did accomplish. However now I want to do something with it. All those pretty colors are just begging to be made into something. We need to hurry and move so I can start to have fun again.
E is for Eat, Pray, Love
Sep 4, 2007 Books
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert was the latest selection from my book club.
Essential the book is a memoir of the Author’s personal journey to Italy, India, and Indonesia. The author explored pleasure, devotion, and balance in her journey. I think this is a book that people either love or hate. I loved it.
While my personal beliefs are different from the author’s, I had enough in common with her that I could relate and understand her journey. Her journey gave me ideas about what I could do to improve my spiritual progression.
If you’re looking for a good memoir give this book a try. I listened to the book on my ipod. The author read the book. I loved the experience of listeing to her tell her own story.
