Halloween countdown

Less than 3 weeks to go--starting to get a little antsy here. Not anxious yet, but a bit overwhelmed with all I still need to do. I have lists upon lists, and then I think of something else I want to do, and the lists get rewritten. I was up until after 2 am last night, pulling my bins out, fluffing fabrics and masks in the dryer (no heat, just a fabric softener sheet for the masks) rediscovering what I have and trying to decide where to put it or if it's worth keeping. Then I couldn't turn my head off until after 4am.

Seems we're having a party now. With all the brainstorming on the scenarios, how to build a decontamination tunnel, etc., I think some of my co-workers feel just a bit invested in our plans and want to come see. Some are bringing their kids to go trick-or-treating; with a police officer, a deputy sheriff, an EMT, and the chief of police all living in my neighborhood, you couldn't find a much safer neighborhood to walk around in!

So now I'm seeing my house with different eyes. I've always had more outdoor Halloween decorations than indoor (the reverse is true at Christmas), and all of a sudden, it doesn't look so scary inside. There's a bat in the guest shower:

There are bats by my bedroom door, and outside my dining room window, and spiders on the curtains:


A jack-o-lantern and ghost tree in my kitchen:



On the other hand, this is scary:

Did I mention Tandi is still not quite housebroken?

Time to call the carpet cleaner again.

Amuse yourselves

It's been another busy stretch at work, so here are a few Halloween sites for you to peruse until I get my brains back:

http://www.deadname.com (my goth name is Liquid Fantasy!)

http://www.bonegarden.com

http://www.dltk-holidays.com/halloween/mpatterns.htm (cute pumpkin patterns)

http://www.extremepumpkins.com/ (VERY extreme carvings--not for the easily offended)

http://www.mpr933.com/russlock/cat.swf (funky game!)

http://www.rexanne.com/hwn-sites.html

http://www.carvingpumpkins.com/

http://try.screensavers.com/tb/landing/screensavers/screensavers_halloween_or.php (check out the "trapped" screensaver)

http://www.halloween.com/



Snatch you later!

Anniversary Trip

(Scroll down for today's Show and Tell--I couldn't figure out how to move this post down under it!)
Last week was our 36th wedding anniversary, but as I think I mentioned, it was buried in a work stretch and both of us almost forgot it. Not that we take it for granted, but it was just one of those weeks.

BUT, I had planned a short trip for us this year. Last year we made our first trip to Myrtle Beach, SC and stayed several days. It was a great time of the year to go--cool and not crowded at all. We did some of the touristy things, and one day just lazed around the hotel room and enjoyed the sea breezes. Right afterwards, we bought ourselves the digital camera, because we realized how much we would have enjoyed one down there.

J-man has attention deficit disorder and short-term memory problems since the stroke, so if we want to do anything special, it's up to me to plan it. He's more of a spontaneous "let's go do this" kind of guy. (We really do balance each other out pretty well.) So this year, I made reservations for us on the Mystery Dinner Theater train ride out of Dillsboro, NC. He'd mentioned several times over the last couple of years that we should check this out, but as we haven't even talked about it this year, was totally surprised. And it's hard to surpise J-man! I was pleased.


Traffic was terrible getting past Asheville, and we almost missed the wine and cheese reception. The refreshments were inside, but everyone mingled around this lovely display outside:


It had been raining, and was still overcast, but it stopped before we all had to be outside. Apparently last night was the only day this month that wasn't booked solid, and that's probably because it was a Thurs. night instead of the weekend nights it usually runs.


I wish I'd remembered to take photos of the beautiful presentations of food, and the actors, but was so caught up in the experience, I never gave it a second thought. Our host, Rusty, was the poster child for agility, being tall and long-legged, and able to maneuver past servers and passengers with a tray of glasses held high over everyone's heads. The actors were fun, carrying on their conversations across each car. I'd wondered how you could do a play on a train, and now I know.

In our car were another couple celebrating an anniversary, and newlyweds of 11 days, as well as 12-14 others. I think only one table actually solved the murder, and that wasn't us, but it was fun talking back and forth trying to decide. If you ever come down this way, you should really check out all their different excursions. We will definitely do this again!

Show and Tell Friday

It's that time again! Kelly is hosting a weekly Show and Tell. Click on over to her place and get an eyeful!

Guess what came in my mail yesterday? My quiltlet from Cypress! We participated in the Fall edition of 4 Seasons Quilt Swap and she drew my name. Isn't this beautiful?


I don't know if you can see the decorative stitches along the seams of the crazy quilting, but they are wonderful! And there are the most adorable buttons on either side:


Both sides are so lovely, I really can't tell which is the front and which is the back:

It is surrounded by rickrack (how'd she get that to stay in place as she stitched it?) and the quilting rows are so EVEN! Her label is held on by another button:


Cypress, thank you so much! I love it! One of my goals is to put together a crazy quilt someday, but it never occurred to me to do it on a smaller scale. Now I have one for inspiration.

If anyone would like to participate for the winter season, make a note of the URL through the logo on the left, and watch for Margaret to announce the beginning of the next swap. You can sign up for any of the seasons, and if one is all you can do, that's fine, too. It is so much fun!

Excuse me, but did you see a couple of offdays go by?

Sheesh! What a week! Full moon madness was rampant in our little hospital. Usually it's quiet enough between about 2 and 4 am that I can catch up on email and my favorite blogs. Not so this week. And Thurs. night's shift stretched from 12 hours to 15 hours. I left at 9:30 in the morning, and wasn't good for much the remainder of the day. Somewhere in there the J-man and I had our 36th anniversary, but we won't actually celebrate it until later this week.

I think I've mentioned Tandi, my little rescue cocker spaniel, who remains UN-housebroken? Sweet as candy, but very obsessive-compulsive and not the brightest crayon in the box. Anyway, I'd noticed when I cleaned up after her on the kitchen floor, it was brighter than the rest of the floor. It finally dawned on me the ammonia in her urine was cutting through layers of wax buildup on my floor. So Saturday I used almost half a bottle of ammonia stripping the floor. I hope not to do THAT for another couple of years! I had windows open, the overhead fan going, and still the fumes were dense at times. And, since I couldn't stand how the dirt was collecting by the baseboards, I sat in the floor and scrubbed with a sponge and a toothbrush all around the kitchen. Well, except for under and behind the fridge and the Hoosier and the vegetable bin. Then did a mop and shine product on the top. The floor looks great now, and I'm not stressing over it anymore, but that shot the better part of an afternoon. Got 4 loads of laundry done, to boot.

Today was spent finishing my quilt for the 4 Seasons Quilt Swap. I know, I was supposed to have it mailed by today, but I was so wiped out Friday, I couldn't be trusted with sharp objects or heavy machinery, and our post office is not open on Saturday. So it will go out in tomorrow's mail. There are 3 more seasons to go, and we're not obligated to sign up for all of them if we don't want to. I've seen some gorgeous photos; there are some really talented participants. This is my first swap, and I hope my recipient likes the little wallhanging.

See what you think:


And here's the label:

I downloaded the free pattern off the internet, and liked it so much, I'm making a similar one for the wonderful neighbor who brings his riding mower over every other week, and won't take more than $10.00 for cutting my rather large lawn. He and his wife are so nice.

After all this, I needed a break--and had just the place to take it!
Two weeks ago, a fellow quilter posted an offer of a hammock on Freecycle. I just happened to log on there within a few minutes of her posting and sent her an email stating I wanted it if she hadn't promised it out, yet. She hadn't, so I was able to drive right over and get it. I couldn't believe it was in such wonderful condition!

I used to love lying out in DD's hammock, the one we got her for Christmas several years back, and took many a nap in it. I've really missed having that around.

So I took a break from sewing, and put it mostly together today. I say mostly, because it has a canopy, but I couldn't pull it taut enough to attach it to both posts. No matter--the trees are still leafy and shady for a while, and then it'll be too cold to lie out anyway.


It was the perfect afternoon for spending some time out in the hammock--not too cool yet, but not hot anymore, and it was so peaceful...




...Well, except for the miffed little squirrel who was pelting me with nuts.



I just might need that canopy after all.