Monday and it Shows

I feel more random than ever.  I've just had a furtle under a trolley that I didn't need to even touch.  I didn't find what I wanted anyway, but I did find six more rolls of wrapping paper so that's something.  I also found the left over party bags from bear's party and so small boys are scattering small bits of plastic tat and high sugar/low nutrition sweets everywhere.  I have also just realised that bear has been wearing school shoes to play out in.  

 

I also have had an email to let me know that my plants are on their way.  I haven't got any plants ordered, at least, none that I remembered ordering, and all the plants I did order were things like tomatoes and half way through August is far too late.  I'm hoping that the email is a glitch.

I'm trying to work out what I should be doing now.  I have absolutely no idea.  I think I'll just start in the middle.  

I can just....

I think it all the time.  I can just... and then I am off with broad sweeps in my imagination and no respect paid to the minor details.

Today I thought, I can just make a table cloth for the side table in the study by hemming that piece of fabric that I got for a very reasonable price from my friend eBay.  The fabric is lovely and, while I don't normally go for patterns, I went for this.  One reason it was so spectacular inexpensive is because it is a second, the pattern has printed over the selvedge.  I trimmed the selvedge (apparently it shrinks at a different rate to the rest of the fabric) as best as I could with the pattern overlaying part of it.  However the piece is big enough that I can always cut away the hem and re-do it.  I may have to anyway, as I am not sure that the thread matches the fabric - but that's another story.

As I was aware that there may be issues with the hems I decided to do a single hem and I handstitched (bear will not countenance me using the machine) very close to the fold so I got a good, crisp edge.  The stitching was not to a high standard, but anyone coming in and checking the hem on the table cloth is likely to be mocked.

Then I thought I can just mitre the corners.  I'm not showing any pictures of the mess I made of that.  Regardless, this is how it turned out.

However while I was sewing this I realised that I didn't have a decent pincushion.  I threw out the effort from the sewing class, but I thought confidently I can just make a pincushion out of a tie.  Except the ties aren't really suitable.  The one I unpicked was just too thin and silky, it would have been ripped to pieces by repeated use.  So I used some of the rag denim waiting to be turned into the rag rug.  As for stuffing, I thought I can just use some of the filling from the pillows that have been on the top shelf in father's room for over ten years.  I used a long pole to knock them down because there was no way I could get to them and opened one up.  The filling was extremely well packed.  I really had to tug and tease to get the stuffing in a fit state to fill the pincushion.  Finally I had this.

I thought I can just put a button in the middle so that it looks all puffy and professional.  I couldn't.  I think I put too much stuffing in so that trying to sew a button each side didn't pull it in and I didn't think the soft cotton thread was strong enough to wrap around and bind it.  However it will be ideal for holding pins and needles during a project.

Tonight I think I can just sit back and relax.

Bear Enjoyed a Barbeque

We were about to leave an amazing barbeque, which was sort of badly timed as other people were going through the same process I have just gone through with father.  Bear thought it was good though, as he loved the food.

As we were gearing up to leave bear said that he felt sick.  We went through a quick check list.  He had consumed two large glasses of schloer, two glasses of blackcurrant squash, a kebab, two burgers (one with cheese) a slice of key lime pie and a large portion of trifle.  Bear is a skinny little thing so I am amazed he could find room for it all.DH observed that bear was not so much suffering from tummy ache as the law of physics.

Magrat

Sir Terry Pratchett described how Magrat bought occult jewellery as a distraction from being Magrat.  She had two boxes of the stuff and still was exactly the same person.  Last night I bought some Magrat earrings - not occult jewellery but something to distract me from being me.  Fortunately they were inexpensive, but at the moment all bets are off.

I suspect I am going through a mid-life crisis, and it is actually quite fun, looking at things and thinking - do I like this?  Regardless, now is the best chance to find out what I can do.  After my adventure with the tyres and inspired by Morgan's refinishing of her small chest of drawers I have bought some black paint and clear varnish and have ordered some fancy paper from eBay (my friend) which looks a bit like this and I will have a go with an inexpensive side table we are considering getting rid of.

Image taken from hobbycraft.co.uk which has reminded me that they do online shopping and also have some very reasonable deals that are not out of my reach even if I can't easily get to the Leeds store

Once I have had a go at that and worked out what I am doing then bear wants to have a go with his table.  I shall let him.  Who knows after that.  It may turn out to be Magrat decorating, but it may not. I intend to have fun!

Serious Rain

The rain is tipping down here.  It is really, seriously, determinedly raining.  That is, I have the same weather as most of the UK.

Bear was trying to persuade the other small boy taking up the study to go out and play football.  This is what their normal football pitch currently looks like.

Bear's friend is understandably reluctant, because his mother will go mad if he gets as muddy as last time and he may get grounded.  The whole, 'I may get soaked to the skin and covered with mud' issue is seen as a positive and not a negative.  

I can tell that this is where they regularly play football as here is a pic of the evidence.  It took serious skill to get the ball wedged here behind the fence.  I won't let anyone climb around as it is a place favoured by drug users.

At least the bees are getting a day off.  I am still not cutting any.  Apart from the whole 'getting it dry' issue, it looks very second hand indeed, and has been beaten down by the rain.

And I really don't need to water the tomatoes.

I keep forgetting to say - thank you so much for the kind messages.  I really have appreciated them and the time and thought in them, and they have really helped.

Funeral Went Well

The flowers were amazing.  No-one came to the house.  There was far too much food.  Lots of good memories were shared with lovely people, lovely friends, lovely family.

Bear was really good.  He was in church during the service, then me and my brother went to the crematorium while everyone else went on to the wake.  This evening bear said that he was really sad that his grandad had died and he had no more tears left for the rest of his life, but next party could it be like the afterwards bit because the chicken wings were awesome.  My cousins really looked after him.

The minister was lovely, the service went well, the undertakers all knew father - it was a warm and loving time.  There were sweeties on the alter, because father always went to church with a pocket full of sweets for the kids (and the adults).

Tomorrow I start again.  The funeral draws a line.  I just want to share the verse that was used in the funeral:

2 Corinthians 9:7 Let every man give according to the purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Father was a cheerful giver.  He is very much missed.

Random

I've just wiped down some paintwork.  I cheated and used wipes, and it felt a bit cheap, but it meant that the evidence of small boys was more or less mostly removed from the internal doors downstairs.  I haven't managed miracles.  I have managed to get things slightly better.  I'm going to have to make a small bowl of water and cloth a more regular feature.  To be honest, I think washing up liquid in water would have done a better job.  The only exception is light switches.  I like to use wipes for those.

The house is still a tip, but not quite so much of one.  I am cautiously optimistic.  By Christmas the house will be fit to be seen.  Unfortunately the funeral will be before then, but they can take me as they find me.

I've pulled out the cross stitch.  I don't know whether my eyes will hold up, but I find it so soothing and calming.  I won't finish anything, of course, but I'll enjoy it.