I’ve been shoveling snow which is finally at an end, I think, because the temps are going to be in the forties all week which means a massive melt. I’ve also been hearing huge crashes outside which I’m praying is just ice hitting the ground and not my gutters. So exciting.
What did you do this week?
I wiped myself out getting my edit off to its author by the end of Friday. Since then have been recovering, apart from tying my brain in knots researching a new Mac in case I get offered work on gardening books – because I’d then need to run AdobeCreative Cloud 2020, and my 2011 iMac is far too old for that. Apple have just started migrating to a new chip, which means if I buy an iMac (not migrated yet) it’ll be obsolete in about five years max; to get the new chip (which of course will have teething problems), I’d have to buy a Mac Mini and separate monitor.
But I haven’t heard back from the gardening publisher, so may be fretting unnecessarily. And after a wonderful start to the week – a long walk in the sun with a friend round the area I used to live, where we bumped into several old neighbours, so lots of conversations – I suddenly felt low and am now coming down with something. Hopefully just a cold, although it unnerves me a bit to have caught that, what with all the social distancing and hand washing. And the edit’s not due back before tomorrow, so I’m vegging and catching up on a year’s worth of ‘Amateur Photographer’ from the library’s emagazine service.
Keeping my fingers crossed that it’s no flu or anything!
Even with distancing etc. – it’s the end of winter when all our strength is used up.
Plus having a lot of energy spent on a mighty job AND the constant worry of the past year… sometimes our bodies tell us to recharge by stopping us in our tescks. At least for a bit.
I’ve been trying to keep up with posting for Daily February. I’m still putting out a small picture (no theme) of something around the house, and mostly writing my haiku. It really is a weather journal since that’s the thing that changes on a daily basis!
I also spent some time cleaning up my area, which in this case meant finding the bits and pieces I was using to create some blocks last summer. Most of those pieces were covered in cat hair having been slept upon for six months! But I did put the blocks together.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CLrRj4phmDh/
This was a project my group started in June. Every week one of us would send out instructions for one block, and we’d all do it in whatever scraps we had at hand. We called it our “pandemic project” because we were staying home. So, all of these blocks were with fabric plucked from my scrap bin, having been used for other projects – win win! I had two “demonstration” blocks I had come up with for my part of the project. I sewed them together and then sliced them in half for the corners. All I need now is to scrounge something for the borders (I’d hate to have to buy something new for that!)
And now the haiku
Feb 18
Ice and rain pelting
the windows, makes me keep the
cat in. Big Meanie!
Feb 19
missed
Feb 20
The best thing about
taking the cat to the vet,
waiting in sunshine!
Feb 21
Taking many scraps,
joined together in pattern,
a quilt top takes shape.
Feb 22
Racing winds ahead
of line of storms will herald
brief respite of sun.
Feb 23
Looking with longing
at sunshine dappled pavement.
Lunch walk is coming!
Feb 24
My front window shows
neighbors, dogs, kids frolicking
while my cats sunbathe.
Ha! I’m here on the day of the post – that’s a major accomplishment.
I have been trying to tie up loose ends at the old job and will start the new next week. Very happy for a change. A little frustrated today as they asked me to cover the office, but it’s winter break and there is absolutely nothing going on right now so I’m BORED with a capital B. Still, this should be the last day at this desk. Whoop!
I’ve done a short Spanish lesson every day in Feb, but haven’t posted anything on IG because – well what is there to post?
I haven’t been doing much of anything. Recovering from vaccine, nursing a sore toe, rereading Heyer. Today, I get my first haircut since January last year. I’ll miss the ease of the ponytail, but it’s time for some style. A short/medium cut, I think.
I love the cut in your picture here.
Got excited by two possible contract jobs, but they didn’t pan out. But I’m still getting calls, so things are picking up. Painted some, although I’m not really acing the February challenge.
I’m sure I must have done something, but it’s all so broken up, it’s hard to find a distinct “deliverable.”
I spent most of the week fretting about my brother & his family in Texas (they’re okay) and about the stupid, broken, gotta-be-privileged vaccination sign-up system in Massachusetts.
But I’m also getting back into a solid daily writing pattern, so that’s good. And I finally figured out the post office had delivered my quilting fabric a week ago, but left it at a door that is never used (musta’ been a substitute carrier). Fortunately, the package was sealed really well, and despite being out in rain, snow, sleet, and gloom of night, the fabric inside was dry. So now I can play with fabric this weekend and have something fun for next week’s WorkingWednesday.
I have two (or perhaps 2.5) things which I should be doing in a timely fashion, but which I am procrastinating about even thinking about – let alone doing. One for the paid job, one two-parter in my volunteer arena. Getting lots done at the paid job to avoid thinking about those things I am not thinking about, so some productivity is actually coming out of this.
It’s the second week in our school year and I am happy to see the children. I begged not to keep the same class but they wanted me to have them. I like them too much, so they end up not getting a fresh start and learning different ways. I’m easily demoralised tho’. I wish I were more resilient because someone influential at work has a number of narcissistic traits and it is difficult to cope.
Lots of book covering and making has taken any creative crafting juices down the drain.
In the meantime I hope all a’ y’all ‘Mericans are calling your reps and who-evers about this https://twitter.com/AriBerman/status/1364612325483966464?s=20
They’re going to try to take the midterms and the next presidential. I can’t cope with the fear I feel when I see how they privatised Texas power and then are trying the same with USPS. People here copy US policies.
Worse, we are influenced to act similarly, eg, “Global gag order” because it’s built into aid agreements.
Oops… can you delete my comment above, I accidentally gave you my bank account userid 😣
Done.
Thanks – got to be careful with autofil.🙄
Got a package from Gin today!! more diamonds for my diamond quilt. Thanks Gin!!!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CLr-XW9gNcH/
I am doing a happy dance because the snow is melting!!!! The ice got so bad on the back steps of my building that I was afraid to take my garbage out. The management sent a notice saying to avoid the gangways because of snow and ice falling off the roof, but they never finished clearing the walks. This made walking in my boots very dangerous and gave me no incentive to get dressed.
Today, however, enough snow has melted that I can wear my regular shoes and find a way to cross most streets without breaking an ankle trying to scale the snowbanks. It is also predicted to be dry and above freezing (at least in the day time) for the next 5 days! Going to the grocery store will be a lot more fun this week.
I’ve also been trying to find some old pictures to send my brother in France. He says he doesn’t have any pictures of me and I am trying to find the ones I had taken when I graduated high school. I keep picturing a bag where I think I put the copies I gave my parents, but if I still have it it is in a closet that is piled so high that I can’t find anything in it. In the mean time I have come across pictures of many adorable children and former friends whose faces I do not always recognize.
Made a big pot of beef barley soup. That is all.
This week I am not accomplishing much outside of Day Job, which is way too busy again. :/ On the plus side, the weather is gorgeous so I have the door open and am listening to the neighbor’s mockingbird.
I didn’t get much done because I broke my kneecap. It really hurts and the doc just told me to be careful and to not fall down again. Very helpful, argh!
That sounds sooooo painful. Hope it heals soon.
Yes, don’t do that again. What were you thinking?
(Get better soon, please.)
OWW!!
Ouch! Broken kneecaps and elbows sound like the WORST to me.
Ouch!! And somehow I don’t imagine you had plans to do it again. Or in the first place. Doctors.
Ack! Is this the best medicine can do these days? Feeling it. Just reading your post makes me want to go around in knee guards. All condolences on the pain and prayer for its swift lifting.
Oh no. Knees are tough. I hurt mine four years ago and it is still problematic. I hope yours mends quickly. Also, that doctor can bite me.
Like you asked to break it in the first place! Whatever happened to bedside manner?
I’m sending healing vibes your way.
It’s an old joke:
Patient: “Doctor, it hurts when I do this.”
Doctor: “Don’t do this.”
For myself, I purchased kneepads for any task that requires me to be on my knees. Three pairs. No kneepads? No kneeling.
Hope you’re better soon.
I have a Kneeler, a spongey work mate that showed up at my house from either my husband or our son for doing projects. Son does floor installing, so his knees are gone and can no longer kick carpet but can do other things. Anyway I commandeered it and use it for cleaning the bath tub etc. This morning I found it useful to get a pill that had fallen into the crack of the kitchen floor. That and a pair of tweezers were my tools. I would have tossed the pill but it was one of my husbands. So it could have been either pennies or one of the ones that are in the multi-dollar prescriptions. Stay safe.
Ouch! Any estimate on when you will be at your new normal? Praying it will be quick!
The laundry room project has stalled until Paul’s next days off because he wants to help me with some of the drywall installing. There’s a little bit of mudding and taping left to do but I’m going to do it all at once since I’m not a neat professional drywaller. The project to replace that one is cleaning out the closet where Paul keeps his sporting clay shooting stuff (black powder, shells, targets), hunting stuff (the guns are locked in the gun safe in another room, with trigger locks on), and various other random crap like 2 empty boxes and a box with some boxes in it. I found a box for an iPhone 4?!?
Today is finally the day to go to the recycling centre. My front closet is full of recycling, it’s been probably 2 months since I went. It was not so urgent at -30. Apparently I wasn’t the only one with that idea, there were 2 other people there. Fortunately, the recycling place is just a large parking lot with huge recycle bins so everyone was able to be far apart.
I’ve been doing an editing job and trying not to gnash my teeth over POV issues. The story is engaging but the head-hopping is making my brain hurt. I think it is because I had to work REALLY HARD when I first started writing on staying in POV so it’s a real flag for me.
Also putting the finishing touches on the launch week plans for my next book, releasing March 29. My networking has come a long way from the first book, so hoping it all adds up to a success!
I had an unenthusiastic week and my dailyfeb drawing fell by the roadside. But I forced myself to do a couple of things at work and home that I’d been putting off, so that’s something.
And I’m nearly finished my latest drawing, which is of a native New Zealand parrot. I’m just trying to figure out how to make her look properly 3D. I’m nervous about overdoing the shading so I tend to underdo it. Need to talk myself into being more extreme.
I’ll post her on instagram next week, once she’s done.
Inspired by the writing posts by Jenny and Bob, I have started writing again. Not managing every day, but most days. For the first time in three years, I’m starting to feel like myself again. So, thank you Jenny and Bob. I can’t begin to describe what this means to me.
Thank you for telling us. That means a lot.
That’s great to hear. Keep it up!
Now that I’ve survived the book release (more or less), I am madly trying to catch up on writing the third book in the series, which I’m way behind on due to promo. It’s due April 1st, so this will be the answer every Wednesday until then!
I’m slogging along on the family history research; shifted over to the BLM website (this is not Black Lives Matter, but Bureau of Land Management) and trying not to wander down too many distracting paths!
Sequential Art
tl;dr Sequential Art is a comic strip by artist Philip M. Jackson, set in an England populated by not just humans but anthropomorphic animal people. The three roommates are Art, Kat (a catgirl) and Pip, a penguin. They have a pet… a duckbill platypus. In the first major story arc, they acquire a fourth-through-seventh roommate, Squirrel-girl Scarlet and her three sisters. Separately, the squirrel girls are stereotypical blonds. Together, they are a living supercomputer.
All that background is to set up the latest cartoon, in which Scarlet observes snow and she and the sisters decide to build a snowman. Feel free to laugh yourself tushless.
I’ve been doing something every day to advance the piecing of a quilt top. I have 3 projects going. A hand-piecing project that’s in its 5th year and I’m trying to have done by the end of June. Just finished putting together the middle section this week. I’m in a block of the month virtual group doing Arcadia Avenue pattern, but I changed up the fabrics a bit. And last night I pulled out the wedding ring top that I hadn’t worked on since October. I wish I could sew and not do the day job. 🙄