Roundup

Isn't that what one calls a general "Waz up?" response?  The last couple of days has felt pretty frantic, but in reality we didn't accomplish much.  Monday I got a notice from the library that they wanted two books back that I had not yet read.  I've been working on two different short series, by the same author.  I was just starting the second last book of one series, and they were asking for books 1 &3 of the second series, and each book takes 2-3 days of heavy reading to finish.  So I go on-line to renew, and they aren't there. "What the heck?"  So, we have to go to the library itself to renew, or at least, find out why I can't renew on-line.  But we have a couple of hours before the library opens, a a couple of chores, one being to close the screen portion of our outside doors.  This is easier said than done, so David worked a bit, tried various solutions for releasing stops that would allow the screen to slide down into place.  Finally, he was bent over, using two sets of pliers, one in each hand, to release the actually stoppers, while I was leaning over him to push down from the top.  Suddenly, it releases, and slams down taking a portion of David's scalp with it.  Not a deep wound, but took the scalp off 3-4 square inches, leaving a big piece of skin scraped up along one side.  And there was blood.  Of course, nothing around that could be used to dress such a wound.  We managed to get most of the blood cleaned up, but just the act of trying to blot it with a damp tissue was painful to him.  So, on the way to the library, we stop at Walmart, and head in, him with  an obvious bloody head.  We finally find a Band-Aid that appears big enough, and take it to the cashier in the Pharmacy.  Turns out that it was the managing pharmacist, who knows us well.  We're told that we have the largest Band-aid they sell.  Then he strongly suggests that we put one on right away ( that was the plan, regardless) even helping by bringing us sanitizer etc.  Considering the looks we'd received walking in, that was probably a wise move.  I kept thinking of the videos that one sometimes sees featuring "Walmart Customers".  If you haven't seen one, they can be both scary and gross.

Otherwise, the birds quickly accepted the new feeder.  Yesterday, we watched while the grey squirrel ate well from the ground under the feeder, while the red squirrel sat at the corner of the roof of the shed about 2 feet away and 6 feet up, quietly oblivious.  Either that or they've reached a detente ( not likely).

A new feminine donation quilt has been started.  The basic shape is a 6" heart comprised of 46 individual pieces, all sewn together with 1/4" seam allowances, and involving precision piecing--not my strong point.  Each one takes about an hour to put together, but there are only 9 of them in the quilt, so I'm optimistic. Every donation quilt I've made in the past year has had a basic blue colour scheme, as most of my scraps are blue.

And we read, and play with our computers, and constantly look for errands to do while managing to justify a daily trip to Starbucks.  Household chores have been worked into my BuJo, and are getting done within a more reasonable time frame.  Shortbread was made on Monday.  I so love warm shortbread, and so rarely get to have it.  This year, as always, the shortbread was quickly packaged for storage until Christmas.  However, when getting out the tin box it is kept in, David discovered 4 shortbread left over from last year.  We ate them, of course, but the extra aging didn't improve the flavour, in my opinion.  Others may disagree.  I still prefer them fresh and warm.  But this year's efforts proved to both of us that we can no longer use the old Scottish method for making them, and from now on, it will via mixer, rather than by hand alone. (Yay!)

Today, it is the Lorette Craft Group.  There is a hand-stitching project ready to go.  I think I've mentioned before that this project was planned as a long-term project, specifically because of this group.  The bad news is that I've really got into it, and do some every evening while watching the news.  The area around my chair is covered with boxes of spools of thread and spools actually on two table tops. Still, the work brings me joy, and that's the whole idea.