Uncle

Even I, lover of all weather, it close to saying Uncle! with this weather.    If for no other reason but to end the cancellations, postponing and rearranging of schedules due to weather issues. ...not to mention snow closings at work which is creating shifting deadlines and has the work piling up!   Mother Nature's Treat this morning - freezing rain.  But oh, isn't it so pretty!

Blue Skys

Isn't the sky just bluer when there is snow on the ground.  

No call yet this morning for work closure so I was outside pre-dawn in my jammies shoveling the drive.

 Seconds later with the flash on.   Oops! time to defrost the car I guess.
(Driveway done and NOW I get the call the office is closed!)

Guess I will need to finish shoveling the front porch with my extra time off today.

 It is going to be a beautiful day!

 

Been up for hours..

what is it that sleep seems to evade me (us)?   So frustrating to be WIDE AWAKE in the wee hours.   I don't mind the quiet, don't mind the extra stitching time, don't mind catching up on my DVR'd shows, do mind that I will crash and burn early in the evening.

Been cruising through blogs and catching up for an hour or so.  Been waiting for that email blast from work that the office is closed today - 15 inches of snow outside - Yippee!   I brought plenty of work home and can log in easily** to complete some tasks.  **I have to laugh at ~easily~.   When I VPN'd in last night, I needed to download an upgrade from work.  Simple right?  Well someone did an upgrade to my laptop the first of the year and assigned a password to my laptop.   Why I don't know/never had one before.  Problem is what they typed and what was written in out little old book o' passwords didn't match.  I was panicking that it meant a trip to the Apple Store in the ~snow closed~ mall.   Ah! No, not the case with modern technology.   Hats off to Apple and the Apple tech people.   Simple email from my iPad, quick phone call from Tech Support and my system is unlocked, password reset and listed correctly and  able to log a couple of hours last night.

Back to the snow, I had shoveled driveway three times before Mr. W got home from work. But it is that light powery stuff so it was E-Z P-Z.   I actually enjoyed it.   (Sicko I know).    I enjoyed the chill on my cheeks and the rosy glow when I would come inside and enjoy a nice cuppa of something - cocoa or coffee!  Right now it is still too dark to take any photos.

So here are some photos of my first finished finish of the year.  I started this in December and finished the applique earlier this month.  I actually didn't let this one gather dust while sitting in my finishing basket.   This was a great project for work or to stitch when out.   No need to watch a pattern and count and recount.   Just the good ole blanket stitch.  


I have a larger table runner that might be a good choice as a take along project for vacation.  Here's a neat trick that Stacy S. shared with me......instead of using doubled sided interfacing to iron and hold everything in place while you stitch, staple your pieces in places!  I mean why not, pulling the staples once stitch will leave no marks in the wool.   Really good tip.  Thanks Stacy.

So quick, so easy

  I selected this when I purchased my new chairs last spring.   I thought the black felt would tie together the black on the chairs.

Today - between working from home and doing other snowbound stuff, I hope to complete another finish.    Last year I stitch a large stuffed Santa but as is often the case with me....I was sidetracked to something else before I was completely finished.    Santa was to be holding a stocking.   I did the stitching earlier this month and now have the stocking ready to assemble.  It was such a wee little stocking that I am thinking it so silly that I never stitched it last year.   Here's hoping I can post another finish before vacation.

It's a lizard!

That's what my children used to call it when it snowed!  We sure are having a 'lizard' tonight.    It was stitching night and I was a big sissy and begged off.   Better to stay home all cozy and stitch then white knuckle it across the backroads of the county.  

 Feeling a bit guilty that I am hoping to get that 6 a.m. phone call that work is closed!

Silent Sunday

We were supposed to be on the rain side of this storm.

I love the silence of a day of snow.

I got nothing people

No stitching progress, nothing going on, no anecdotes.   Nil, nada, nothing.  It's the same stuff, different day.   I try to make Monday's my 'do nothing' night since I usually ram all weekend.  We all  need down time.  So with the exception of my annual physical and my flu shot last night, I was successful at doing nothing.

Hopefully tonight I will get the all the Halloween decorations that are boxed up out of the house and into the attic of the man cave.  (It's not as bad as it sounds.....we did not have Trick or Treat until Nov. 5th because of Hurricane Sandy. And one would have to stay home now and again to finish these little jobs.)

Ok, boss in Philly all day and you would think that would mean I would coast today but I think I will head into work in a few minutes to dig into the mess on my desk.   Thinks are starting to pile up this time of the year and I need to get a jump on it before it makes me (more) crazy.  Don't you find that when your to do list is so long it can be overwhelming?  For today, I will use the touch it once and handle it method and I know before the day is done a lot will be accomplished.

Happy Tuesday all.

Waiting game

Awoke to news that Hurricane Sandy has shifted her targeted land fall again by a few more miles south.  Not good for me.  It is estimated that at 2 a.m. Tuesday the red line of her path will be nearly  directly over me!   Not too nervous until I saw that on Action News this morning.   It's going to be a long day of anticipation and longer night and day tomorrow.

I have my jugs of water ready, everything is charged, flashlights and candles at the ready,  I baked some goodies yesterday and my office is closed today and tomorrow.  Mr.  W. thinks I am ridiculous that I filled jugs with water......if it is needed, maybe I will think about sharing it with him!  Is it like when a baby is coming and folks are sent to rip sheets and boil water?  Just a distraction.  I guess I will just have to stitch while I still have power ........but maybe after I assemble an emergency bag in case we have to leave.  For now, it is a waiting game.......

Stay safe and stay dry everyone on the east coast.

IRENE! ~ Update

Some furniture has been moved under the pool deck

Deck has been emptied and remaining items tied down.

Bigger plants have been brought inside



Other furniture has been stowed

Well I hope all my follow bloggers in South and North Carolina are weathering this storm and are dry and safe.   Sally at Salty Yarns in Ocean City, Maryland is holding down the fort at the Lankford and not leaving.  While everyone was at the over-crowded grocery store after work yesterday buying their TP,(really???)  I bought ice from the uncrowded  liquor store and made a bee-line home to pack up the deck and porch and stowing things as best we could.   Seems an unsuspecting bottle of wine joined the bag of ice by the time I was checking out.  For now, I am awaiting the storm's arrival.   I am about a mile from the river and no mandatory evacuation for me - yet.   Residents along the river were told to evacuate last night.      I have my hand crank radios and flashlights and cooking up some boneless chicken just in case we loose power and have all my larger pots filled with water.   I don't know if I am over reacting - being cautious - being realistic - being dramatic - or just  being prepared.  This is not something we ever have to deal with and much sympathy to those who do every season.   I am trying to be prepared without over-reacting.  Mr. W. thinks we should pack bags just in case we are told to evacuate.....but where to go....living in south Jersey EVERYTHING is low and already saturated from more than normal rainfall in August and I need to cross a bridge to get into DE or PA which I understand will close if the winds are over 40 mph.  With every update from the weather report, the storm has shifted a bit this way or that.   Everything is on hold is all I’ve got and for now, I am going to bake!

~~~~~Update ~~~~~
Calm this a.m. Right now, no rain but it is breezy. I should take a pix of my bird deterents over my veggie  garden spinning!  I put those $1 pinwheels around my pool fence to keep the dirty birds off my deck and fencing and they seemed to have worked.   They are spinning their little hearts out.  I am not seeing any trees or branches down but I know we have to wait for the rest of the wrap around winds and more rain which are expected until mid-late afternoon. Action News said earlier they expect the Delaware River to crest at Washington's Crossing at 21.7 feet at 8 a.m. on Monday. I don't know what that means for us since that is 50 miles upstream. As far as rain totals, we got much more 2 weekends ago. We usually get a 'lake' between me and the neighbor anytime there is significant rain and the backyard floods behind the pool - but so far nothing.   I know I didn't sleep too well - getting up to check things and check the status of the storm on the internet so today could be a nap day.  All and all, so far a non-event, knock on wood...........   Seems like people behaved sensibly and did what authorities suggested. 

Anxious to hear from our blogging friends in the Carolinas and Maryland (and anywhere in the storm's path)  hoping we learn they and their families are well.

Rain rain rain

A close up of my pond show it is overflowing!

We received over 10 inches of rain on Sunday........fortunately for my neck of the woods, it did not bring with it any serious damaging flooding as others have had to deal with and we sure did need the rain.

So desparate for rain, I don't care that the mulch is floating away......the grass is growing as I photograph!

Let it snow!

My new header photo is actually from last year.....too much blowing and drifting going on right now for me to brave the outdoors with a camera.     So glad I have the day off and don't have to think about driving in this blowing and drifting.  My daughter has been forced to stay (oh drat!) an extra day before she attempts to drive what takes her 6 and a half hours on a good trip back to Boston.  In south Jersey, it still looks like it is snowing with all the snow that is blowing.  I expect any minute to see the neighbors cat fly by the window! 

And if not their cat, than maybe I will see penquins on my pool cover before the day is over.
Stay warm all and use the snowbound day to stitch!  Double drat!

A reprieve! Yah!

We got the call the offices are closed again today.   Not to worry, I will earn my salary doing the work I brought home and everyone knows you can get 3 times the amount done at home without the interruptions. 

I have re-shoveled the driveway from the drifts.....which was not too bad.   I wanted to get it done before the sun hits that side.   And yes, I still think it is awesome and beautiful.   I say phoo-ey to the naysayers and ask they consider Mother Nature's alternatives......mudslides, tornatos, earthquakes!  or Mother Nature assisted alternatives.......no electricity.   Like I said, it is all in perspective!    and from my perspective, things could be a heck of a lot worse.......besides have you ever seen a sky so blue that is makes your eyes hurt? 

Yesterday I baked homemade cinnamon buns using Ranae's  recipe.  Ummm Ummm good!.  

 

I also stitched and am oh so proud to share the completion of the last side of my etui. As you can see I still have some to go on the top....but hope to get some of that done today.

I have the timer on so I don't get carried away with the blogging, the emailing or the work......I figure stitch an hour, work an hour, other stuff an hour and do the circuit again.   That way something gets accomplished on all fronts and I don't feel bad for devoting too much time to one and not the other.   Yes, I know a strange way to look at it......but it is like the saying about how do you eat an elephant.....one bite at a time, that's how.   

Also, did a bit of reading yesterday on the Kite Runner!  Loving it. 

Bracing for another nor'easter

We are getting ready to get hit again with another 18 to 24 inches of snow.   Some people may not understand what the big deal is but compared to other years and not getting 18 inches over two or three seasons all I can say is WOW!   Funny how people freak out.    I haven't been to the store since well before the last storm and I will not be at the store today either......I mean if you have a well stocked pantry including good ole tp, you are good.   DelDOT is worring about where they will plow any additional snow.   Kudos to the NJDot peeps....they were great at snow removal.   

As for people freaking out.....they are all concerned about being snowbound for a couple of days.   Not me!  I have stitching plans, crafting plans, website maintenance plans and will be bringing home several sets of minutes to type.   I can keep myself busy for days.  I said to one boo-hoo-er yesterday....no worries, at least I have electricity.   Of course I got the deer in the headlights stare.....come on people, there are 30,000 people at the NJ shore who are without electricity and have been since Friday or Saturday!   I still say if we all threw our troubles in a bag and mixed them up a bit, we would want our own back and not be saddled with the troubles of others.  It's all about perspective!

hmmm, I wonder if I have what I need to bake up some chocolate chip cookies..........

Small changes

My small change this week is to vow to log into my bank account(s) every Sunday morning to bring my checkbook(s) up to date.   I haven't had a good track record on keeping the register up to date the last few years.   Fortunately I have not had any catastrophes or overdrafts.   Thing is, about 12 years ago in a fit of  I-can't-do-it-all arguement with my husband, I turned all the finances over to him.   I still maintain my own checkbook through my credit union, buy the groceries, pay my car payment, pay the taxes, take care of Christmas and birthdays and weddings, etc.   Then I have my checkbook from when I was in high school that is my 'play' money.   This is where my money for my craft excursions is saved; I put all my rebates into this account; I use it for my vacations with friends, etc. so I am not touching household money.   With the advent of being able to check everything electronically, I haven't balanced a statement in years.   Once a month or so I log in and make sure everything looks A-OK.............that just makes it a long process to enter all those gas stations stops and grocery store pickups.   So I decided in order to make my life easier and less stressful, a few well spent minutes each Sunday morning were better than a half hour or more every 4 to 6 weeks.   Not only the longer time it takes when I do it so seldom, I am often scratching my head trying to figure out what the mumbo jumbo abbreviated bank description really is.  I faced it long ago, I often don't remember what I had for lunch yesterday so how do I expect to remember a checkbook withdraw weeks later!

So with that resolution, I am off to dig out my car from the 18 inches of snow that is sitting on top of it.
It's a Prius! not an SUV!     Next we have the snow on the roof over the dining room that drifted against the second floor windows.  (See post under "Now this is snowboud" for the interior view of those windows.)

Mr. Wonderful kind of dug his truck out a bit yesterday in case he was called into work.

Then we have the all important path to the man cave where all the beer is stored!  There are priorities!!!

Mr. Wonderful also had to dig a little kitty cat path so Baby-Kat could get out from under the pool deck!

And last, Baby-Kat all recovered and in for the night (last night!)

Off to shovel and then in to log into work to get some things caught up, a big dinner into the over and maybe some baking and then it will be Stitchie Time!   I am about 100 stitches away from completing the final side of my etui! and I am doing the happy dance.....or maybe it should be as Balkey used to say, the Mesposian Dance of Joy.   I would put out my back and my hip and lord knows what other body parts doing that dance.

Now this is snowbound!!!

I hope the photos show this is more that snow against the screens on the upstairs windows.    These windows look out over the hip roof over the dining room.    The snow has drifted on the roof to partially cover these windows!  Way cool.

Now for some re-purposing.   When I painted what will be my sewing room a couple of weeks ago I sorted and purged and sorted some more.   Since we now have the big hang on the wall TV, we had a tv stand that was literally just sitting in the middle of the living room.    I took all my fabric, notions, buttons, rotary tools, etc. and arranged them inside.   I know, it is sacrilage to purge fabric and craft supplies but alas I did subcomb.  It is all part of the necessary purging that must be done before moving.  Anyway, I love the look and am anxious to sit and stitch up something!  

nor'easter!

This is what my neighborhood looks like!!!  First my back yard last night when the snow started.  I love the lights from my fish pond through the snow.   My poor little frozen goldfish!

I took photos again from approximately the same spots 16 hours later.  It is so awesome!  There is no sign of it letting up.   I feel like I have landed in a snowglobe!  I just love how quiet it is outside.   I think a hot cup of tea on sitting on my front porch may be called for......oops!  haven't shoveled the front porch yet. 

I wonder what the lights through the snow will look like tonight!

Maybe no tea in my rocker but.........stitchie progress.....On this, my final side.....I changed the birds to more resemble "robin's" and instead of the verse, I am stitching my husband and my initials and our wedding date.  I can see the end in site.    Although this has been a major undertaking for my stitching schedule, I have enjoyed the project.   Next weekend at our monthly guild meeting, one of the ladies is giving instructions on assembling........so I have no choice but to finish up this week.

And now true confessions.....terrorist me (as Mr. Wonderful so often calls me) has let the kitty out in the blizzard!  Not on purpose.   Baby-Kat pounded out the slider when I opened it to take more snowtographs.  People need to not call the SPCA.....you need to understand that Baby-Kat is Mr. Wonderful's shadow and was freaking to be outside with him in his man-cave!    Baby-Kat will be fine!!!