The Grandchildren...

We enjoy having the grandchildren over to visit, or stay, however we can fit things into our calendars. This weekend we were scheduled for an overnight with the "granddog". Yes, grandchildren come in different forms...

This one is particularly cute, and definitely of a manageable size--a Yorkie, Morgan by name--apparently after the rum, not the poetic German morning of lieder that I would have hoped for, but, not my pet/child, so what can I say?

I had heard that she watches tv. Not so usual for a dog. More usual for the regulation style grandchild, but hey!, I am willing to go along. This afternoon I had on PBS Create, and she was perfectly happy to watch the quilting shows, and the Nancy Ziemann sewing show--even let me nap through Martha Pullen.

Saturday night tv is a bit more challenging, even for persons, and we had heard that Morgan doesn't like sports programs. Well, I don't either, but what is this about? There were two stations with football games, and we put them on just to see what she would do. Good grief! The crazy little thing jumped at the screen, and if we changed the channel, she would go behind the tv to see if they were still back there! We put Nancy Ziemann back on (who knew she was on so many hours a day), and she sat down to watch. A dog who enjoys wearable art. Guess she has to grow up to do something in life....A girl after my own heart!

Unusual Busy Weekend

Used to be the weeks were crazy and the weekends were the down time. Things here have reversed, and now the weekends go non-stop, and the weekdays have become "prep time" for the weekends. I confess I am grateful for my "busy" life. How sad it would be if there was nothing to do but wish our children would call or come over. Things are so ridiculous here that we have to schedule get-togethers, and often find ourselves having to reschedule because there is so much going on.

Last weekend was a case in point. I had a full weekend planned with my doll club (Long Island Cloth Dollinks)--a day of workshops on Saturday, set-up for that event on Friday, dinner that night at someone's house for the Friday workers, then playing for church services in Queens on Sunday morning. Could I squeeze any more in?

We got a call that MyTreasure's aunt had died in California. Well, no hope for me going at all, so MT got himself onto that wonderful, useful internet, found tickets and a car to rent, and he flew off to his family on Thursday. I took myself to Manhattan for a girl's night out with my daughters, and we had a lovely dinner. Ran through all the rest of the weekend, barely being alone in the house except to sleep. Monday morning I got up and waited for the phone to ring, so that I could pick up MT from the train.

We sat at our breakfast table for two or three hours, since we both had so much to catch up on, and there was plenty to tell on both sides. What a pleasure to share life with someone you love. Forty-three years and counting!

Ticking Time

Where the time goes--when I wish it wouldn't. I start projects, and it seems like each thing I do is re-inventing the wheel. MyTreasure always hates to start something on our old house, because whenever he takes out a screw or removes and old board, it opens onto an entire new vista of work to be done. I made another little Pinocchio doll to put into the exhibit for Saturday, (see "When In Rome") since the first one went up to the Ward Melville exhibit until the end of August. No problem--I'll just make another one.

Well, I started quite a while before we went away, and picked it up again after we returned, and was very unhappy that it took two full days to complete--even after the head start. Maybe part of it was that the heat wave had hit, and it was pushing 90* in the sewing room. I deal with this by lightly soaking a t-shirt and putting it on. What the heck--nobody is coming in there to make it a contest, and it is very effective in combating the temps. The only thing is that after a few hours I begin to feel soggy.

So, even though I have already made this doll, there are problems. The first is that I redesigned the head, since it was supposed to be made out of clay. I used cloth on the first one, and it came out cute. But, I didn't make a pattern. So--make a pattern. Three heads later, I go back to the first attempt. And then, the embellishment is never the same. You get ideas, you try them out, they get complicated. Time is ticking...Big Trouble said "Where does time go when it is past?" Too much hard thinking! Here is Little Man #2--I'm happy with him, and he will look well next to Little Man #1--sitting there on that shelf along with the other time consuming artifacts that my brain seems to see the necessity of turning out...I confess I don't know why...

Coming Back

I confess that after a vacation I have trouble "restarting." I like vacation--I want to be on vacation all the time. Just get up when you want, find a little food, read some in the book, loaf around all day. Not that our vacations are like that, but after I get back home, that is what I want to do. We just came home after an abbreviated week on Cape Cod. It is so lovely there, and it doesn't change that much from year to year.

We came home late Thursday night, and hit the weekend full tilt, with house guests, a bridal shower on Saturday, and playing church on Sunday morning. Now it is Monday, and I just want to take the day off. Maybe it has nothing to do with the vacation thing--just a very busy weekend.

But, there are things to be done to get ready for next weekend. My life seems to have turned around--weekends are the busy time and weekdays are the down time. I guess that works--there are more weekdays, than days in the weekends... Maybe I will take that day off!

Trying Not To Call This "Total Ripoff...."

Today I went to my son's lovely fiancee's first bridal gown fitting. What a pretty shop--gorgeous dresses all beautifully hung, in a perfectly decorated salon setting. The only thing that disturbed was that there were probably only three or four dresses in the whole place that were NOT strapless. Doesn't anyone know how uncomfortable strapless dresses are? And of all days that you should be comfortable--your wedding day....I guess my situation was a little unique. Having been an opera singer, and endured the vagaries of any number of costume departments, I have first hand knowledge of what it is like to wear these crazy dresses. Given the option, I would definitely pick comfort over style, especially on my wedding day. Anyhow, the dresses were just fabulous--one prettier than the next, and certainly something there that any bride could fall in love with.

My bride looked perfect in her selection--a very elegant dress, without any of the distracting ornamentation that so many brides succumb to. Beautifully cut silk taffeta that matches her very down-to-earth personality, and she looked absolutely regal in it.

S0--enter the "veil lady". "Let's try this--let's try that..." It didn't get too crazy, because it wasn't that kind of dress. The bride narrowed it down to something she really seemed to enjoy, and then asked the price. Oh my. Being a good mother in law I am saying nothing--maybe just a tiny eye roll...Something must have given me away, because the bride turned to me and said "Probably you could do this with a glue gun." I did manage a quiet "Oh yeah!" under my breath. I mean--$850 for a few yards of tulle and some Swarovski crystals. The bride told the veil lady that she would think about it, and we were on our way to lunch.

The bride gave me the nod, and on the way home I picked up 4 yards of tulle, for $7 and change, and a comb. I will hit the craft store for the crystals, and we're good to go. Bet it will come in under $20. I love this stuff! I am so pleased that she would trust me with this. The bride said I should go into business--but that wouldn't be any fun. You only do this for people you love, because it is still work. But, I confess, I just love beating the system...