Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho...

Do something fun (and think of me) today, okay? See you tomorrow.

Never Goodbye...

Friday Crew. Front: Isobel, Ashley, Molly, Kim, Tina
Back: Max, Chloe, me, Brandon.(missing: MJ) 

Yesterday was my boss, Kim's last day at our station. She received a great offer from a large chain of stations and decided to take it.

I've known Kim since she was six, and I love her dearly. I originally started working at the station to help her out when she was short staffed. I said I'd stay on until she could get reliable help. That was two and a half years ago.

Now she's on to a new adventure and I'm still there. I'm going to stay to help Mona who was there before Kim or I. Mona worked for the previous owners, but she doesn't want to be a manager. Even so, she knows all the workings of the job and she's really indispensable. I'm changing my work schedule at her request to help with some of her duties and her fall schedule.

I'll be having my second knee replacement in October, and will be off until I've finished another round of physical therapy. Until then, I'll do my best to help Mona until a new manager is hired. 

I know Kim and I will keep in touch. Her folks are friends of Handsome and me, and we've all been friends outside this job. While everyone else was tearful and saying their goodbyes, I was the one hugging Kim and cheering her on.

This is an exciting new chapter for her. I can't wait to hear all about it!

 

The Birds Remind Us...

It's ridiculously hot here this week. The air conditioner at work lost ground by the hour because we were so busy. Each time the doors opened I could feel the mercury rise. We had it set at 73°, and after my seven hours it was 87° indoors.

My short hair was so curly that I looked like a gym teacher from my grade school days. I couldn't wait to get home and shed my jeans and polyester shirt. Truthfully, I was out of ambition by the time we walked into the farmhouse.

We haven't installed any window a/c units yet. I'm holding off because they're such a chore to install, and once they're in and the weather turns, I won't be able to open the window because it won't have a screen on it. 

So, we're trying to ride this out. Windows open at night when the breezes are cooler, and then close up during the day with our ceiling fans on. As long as I don't have to put jeans on, I'll be okay.

I did go outside just before dark to put out a bowl of cold water for the critters. I placed some blocks in the bottom so small animals could safely exit the bowl. I also refilled the birdbath for another spot for birds or beasts.

I'm heading out today to see my sister, Di and her daughter, who is recuperating from surgery. (They have a/c, too. BONUS!) I'm looking forward to seeing them. 

Gotta run now. See you later. Oh, and Happy July!!

 

Work went well yesterday, and I was busy the entire shift. I brought dinner home with me, and Handsome and I had an early meal after I changed from my work clothes into "home" clothes.

After dinner I made the mistake of putting my feet up and enjoying a hot cuppa. You know what happened next. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. I spent the balance of the evening not stitching. 

I have a normal day today, meaning I'll get some needlework time in, too. I'll definitely make progress to share tomorrow.

Well, I got a last minute request to work today from one of my coworkers. I had PT in the morning, so I told her I'd only be able to help if I could start at noon. She worked from ten until noon, and I got there as soon as I could after my appointment. 

That meant no stitching all day, but I did manage a few hours while Handsome was at band rehearsal. I drew a few changes on the fabric to coordinate with the other upper wing. I'll be able to look at the other wing as I work this one. The markings don't have to match, but I try to get them close.

I'll be working my regular shift today, so I'll see what I can do after I get back home. I'll definitely be ready for a little needle dancing by then.

Officially Twenty Two Inches...

According to our friends who live a few miles north of us, we got 22" of snow from Winter Storm Elsa (along with a lot of wind and drifting).

As far as I'm concerned about this winter, I'm past ready to "let it go"!

Andy came down with his tractor with the big snow blower and managed to move most of the white stuff for us. Late afternoon, Handsome and I got out our tractor with a front bucket and rear blade and managed to move what was right in front of our garage door. Andy continues to be a blessing to us (for many more reasons than just this).

Thankfully, Handsome's band rehearsal was cancelled, following the lead of local schools and many businesses (including the station until mid-afternoon, when the owner had my boss go in to open back up. (Nuts, if you ask me!) 

I'm working today, and will get to see just what the "outside world" looks like from the station. I'm pretty sure I'll be quite happy to accomplish my shift and get back home. I'll let you know how things went tomorrow. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day and more importantly for our family, Happy Anniversary to Son #2 and his bride!

Donna

The Acorn...

"The Acorn" Collage Quilt

I saw this pattern today and loved it, so I wanted to use it for today's post. This is a design from Collage Quilter and I saw it in their group on Facebook. The pattern is available HERE for download, in case anyone is interested.

This is the copy from their Facebook post:

“Mighty oaks from little acorns grow”

We are excited to introduce this special little pattern, The Acorn! Now through the end of November, 100% of proceeds from The Acorn pattern will be donated to the Good Samaritan Foundation for their food pantry. The Good Samaritan Foundation was founded by Emily’s dad, James Woodward, and has been dedicated to helping refugees and immigrants for the last 17 years. We are honored to give back this season in loving memory of James, who passed away from ALS in June 2025, and we hope you’ll join us!"

 

Thanks for all the wonderful and enthusiastic comments for yesterday's post! I do love this colorway so much better. I was in the studio today and couldn't help stopping to look at it hanging on the wall. I did find the fabric I need to do the binding, but I had to purchase an entire jelly roll to get the two 2-1/2" strips I need. sigh I guess there's a lap quilt in this fabric in the "To Do" list for 2026! I'll complete the wall hanging as soon as the fabric arrives.

 

I'm working my first full shift today (6 hours), so I won't likely be doing anything else after I get home (except writing a blog post for tomorrow). We'll see. I'm a little nervous about being on my feet for six hours, so wish me luck. (I am going to wear my compression stockings and a knee brace on "BoB" just to be extra careful. Toodles for now!

 

 

Devil or Angel?....

Halloween Workers

I've told you I don't do Halloween, but when I got to work on Friday, these two were already wearing their "costumes". Actually, Kim (my boss/friend on the left) bought these get-ups for her two Golden retrievers' photo shoot. She brought them to work for her and Teresa (my pal and Tuesday work mate) to wear. The silly baubles I was wearing were waiting for me when I got there.

I will say, my headgear had me laughing all night. I'm usually running around quite a bit on Friday nights. I answer the phone for takeout orders of fish or chicken (and the rest of our menu), but I'm also a runner for the kitchen and to help Brandon (the cashier) get orders out when our customers come in. Every time I moved my head, these balls bounced around and were making me wObBLy. Understand when I say "run", I don't mean literally, although I do get around remarkably well these days.

So, this is how I looked Friday from 3:30 until 7 pm. My "regulars" thought they were amusing, but I was glad to take them off at the end of my shift. 

The weekend was dedicated to a little baking and a lot of laundry. I really felt accomplished when I went to bed last night.

Kim asked me to cover for her a couple hours this afternoon, and I'm working four hours for Sara tomorrow (my usual Tuesdays resume next week), so I'll have my days chopped up a bit this week. I'm going to try to start the cutting and piecing for my bluebird hanging today and tomorrow while I'm home, and then I have some more canning on my agenda Wednesday. I'm as interested as you are to see what I can actually accomplish. For today...It's off to the races! See you tomorrow.

Homemade Rotel...

A few years ago, I started assessing what I repeatedly purchased at the grocery store. I then decided to start canning those things myself. I was always buying tomato products: Rotel™, spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, stewed or diced tomatoes, and salsa, to name a few. I now can all those things at the farmhouse, and after calculating everything but my time (as I thoroughly enjoy doing this), we actually save money.

Case in point...When I first started buying pizza sauce, I always got Pastorelli brand in small cans. They cost 99¢ each. Even after we moved to Florida, I'd order from a supply place in Wisconsin and have it shipped by the caseload. After we moved back to Wisconsin, I still purchased that brand at the grocery store. Then, one day about five years ago, the price of the same 99¢ can bounced up to $1.79! I think I bought two cans because we needed it, and then decided no more. My half pint jars cost us 71¢ each, use the highest quality San Marzano tomatoes from a local grower, and I know (and can pronounce) every single ingredient I use.

Same goes for all the products we can. I know what's in our jars. No unpronounceable ingredients. No toxic growth hormones in our meats. No insecticides on our vegetables. This time of year gets really busy (and right now, more-than-usual tiring), but it's worth it for our family.

This year, I've already finished the Rotel™. Next is our salsa. This weekend I'll be pressure canning venison that I've prepared and is in the freezer, along with a turkey (from a Thanksgiving sale last year), beef roasts, and chicken. Then next week I'll buy more tomatoes and green peppers for pizza sauce, as well as apples for Handsome's favorite apple sauce. I'll wait until after growing season to pressure can mushrooms, pinto beans, baked beans, homemade soups, and whatever else can hold until then.

By winter, our pantry will be restocked for the next two seasons until summer comes around again. We'll be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor, and when the weather is blustery and cold, knowing we won't have to hop in the truck to buy a meal will be well worth the time we spent now.

I see the surgeon on September 8th for what I expect will be clearance to drive and work again. I'm doing my at-home and in-clinic physical therapy to get back to my full range of motion. Once I get clearance, my boss and I have discussed starting me back for four hours on Friday nights to see if I can tolerate that. Once I clear that hurdle, I'll get back to my regular Tuesdays, and perhaps one or two more days. 

So, with that in mind, I want to get as much of this canning behind me before then, so my days off into fall can be spent sitting in the autumn sunshine and stitching. Doesn't that sound blissful? I know the coming weeks sounds like a lot, but trust me. I'll be careful. I don't want to push "Bob" (my Bone-On-Bone leg) because I'm not ready to have that second surgery yet. I'd really like to wait until spring, if I can hold off that long. Fingers crossed.

Such A Lovely Surprise...

Michi and Me

I know I told you that I had one more day of work last week on Saturday. It was a crazy busy day, and in addition it was wicked hot outside - even for this former Florida girl. The air conditioner could hardly keep up at the store. The a/c was set to 73º, and the thermostat registered 84º inside. I felt bad for the ladies in the kitchen, but they said they loved the heat. Truthfully, I was a sweaty mess.

Late afternoon, I had a line of people stopping for bags of ice, water and beer, and I happened to catch the face of one person in the crowd. I took care of my customers and when the line was gone, I noticed this face was with a group watching one of their own at one of the gambling machines. She was leaning again the wall, facing toward me. I said, "Are you Michele?"

She said yes, so I told her, "I used to live with your mom after high school." She came running over to me and I told her my name. You see we're friends on Facebook, but have never met in person. On top of that, her mom is now my step-sister since my mother married my friend's dad. 

Michi whooped and asked for a hug and it was quiet enough in the store that we could chat for a bit. I told her that I lived with her mom and another aunt in our first apartment, and when her aunt got married (I was her bridesmaid), then her mom and I got a different apartment together. 

There was more, but I won't bore you with the entire conversation. Suffice it to say, we had a lovely, albeit short, conversation. Before they all left, I asked one of the guys to take a picture of us together...step-aunt and niece. It really was a lovely visit.

While I don't have an especially great memory for names, I almost never forget a face. In this case, I put the name and face together because I follow her posts. She's had major health issues in the past decade, and I spent many moments praying for her. She's a sweet young woman and I'm so happy that we finally met in person. 

I posted our photograph on FB with some of the same story, and her mama commented, so she knows I saw one of her daughters. A cousin also commented that she couldn't believe I knew so many of her family prior to our families being joined through marriage. Mum hasn't seen my post yet, but I guarantee she'll comment when she does.

After Michi left, I looked at the clock to find I only had about an hour of work left. We got busy again and the rest of the day flew by as quickly as the rest of my shift. I'm now off the schedule for another two weeks. 

I'm expecting to hear from the surgical scheduler this week to set a date for my knee replacement. I the meantime, I'm going to get some housekeeping done around the farmhouse, and get that fencing stitched for my bluebirds. This girl's got goals! See you tomorrow.

Spanish and English...

Donna, Juan and Kim

I was up at 5 and at work by 5:30 Sunday morning. It was Juan's first day of work. Juan recently married Kim's friend and was hired to work in our kitchen. (Kim is the daughter of dear friends, and my direct boss.) Juan's from the Dominican Republic, and we weren't sure how fluent he is in English, so Kim asked me to come in to translate, if necessary. It was definitely worth getting up early to be a participant.

Juan speaks some English and he's working hard to learn more. While I was able to converse with him in Spanish, he actually requested that we speak as much English as possible to help him learn. I happily obliged, but told him if he didn't understand or had questions, we could lapse into Spanish at will. I also confided in him that I'd enjoy speaking Spanish with him to improve my skills.

He's enthusiastic about his new job, and has requested days with double shifts. Kim is pretty darn excited about his willingness to work, as well as how hard he works when he's clocked in. We can see already that he's going to be a dream employee.

When I got home, Handsome asked me if I'm ready to work at the United Nations as an interpreter now. I told him I'll pass, but gosh! I sure had fun. I've been asked to come back on Wednesday for a few hours in the event I'm again needed to translate. I'll be there!

It's going to be a busy week. My doctor's appointment on Tuesday; work on Wednesday; and then work again on Saturday to fill in for a cashier who handed in her resignation. I'll know more about my regular schedule once I have an idea of a new surgery date. I'm just going to keep it simple for now. My legs are thanking me for the consideration, I know.

Taking Time...

Verse from Life Is Simply Bliss

Yesterday could have been an easy work day, as it was relatively quiet at the station. However, I was training a new cashier. That means, not only am I attentive to the customers, but also helping the trainee at the same time. Thankfully, my boss closed out the till with her at the end of the day, so I didn't have to go downstairs to help with that part. By the end of my shift, I was ready to go home.

Once back at the farmhouse, I went upstairs and changed out of my work clothes, put on something comfy and warm and made a cup of tea to relax. It must have worked well, because in no time, I'd fallen asleep in my chair. So much for actually accomplishing anything once I got home. It was a quiet night, and I turned in early (for this night owl). 

My niece/goddaughter, Jen is coming today. She's traveling with her boyfriend who we've yet to meet. She told me that this introduction would usually have been with her mom, but since my sister, Lyn passed in 2023, she coming to me instead. I told her it would be an honor for me, so they'll be coming for brunch mid-morning. I'm looking forward to meeting her beau, and I'm sure I'll find myself "talking" with my sister about them during my evening prayers.

I plan to take it easy the rest of the weekend, spending time with Handsome. I also see some needle dancing in my immediate future. I'll be thinking of my dad this Father's Day, too. I hope you have a peaceful weekend.

Training Day...

Nicki Franklin's French General Hearts

I got home from work last night, ate dinner and soon thereafter went to bed. The great news is that the compression sleeves I ordered for my legs arrived in the mail yesterday, so I'll be wearing them to work today.

More good news is that I'm training a new cashier today! Hoping she's a banger and that all the cashiers get some relief from the hours we've all had to pick up. 

These hearts were done by Nicki Franklin and I absolutely love them. You may or may not know I'm a huge French General fan, and have lots of FG lines on my shelves. You'll be seeing something like these from me as soon as I finish my bluebirds and have some time to myself.

I'm going to leave a little earlier today for work. I want to set a great example, you know? See you tomorrow.

Looks Like We Made It...

 Image from thatboycanteach.co.uk

It's Friday! I don't go to work until 3:00 pm today, so I'll have this morning and part of the afternoon to do a little catching up. When I'm finished with my shift tonight, I'll have off the rest of the weekend!!! 

I'm really feeling my age after this week. The trouble coworker texted my boss about a half hour before her scheduled shift last night to say she was sick. That means the kitchen had to be closed again, because our manager had already put in a thirteen hour day in the kitchen and wasn't going to to keep cooking. She still had a couple hours worth of bookwork and real manager work of her own to do. That worker not showing up cost dollars lost for the owners in (no) food sales. Even thought we're shorthanded, how this woman still has a job is completely beyond me. 

I have to remind myself that it's "Not my circus. Not my monkeys." but it's difficult knowing how the rest of us have to pick up the slack. I'll be glad when my shift is over tonight. Perhaps I can put this whole week behind me then.

One fun thing about my job - and I don't know whether or not I've shared this before - is that I'm bilingual. I speak pretty fluent Spanish, but haven't had much occasion to use it in years until I started this job. I have a regular Hispanic clientele at the station because they know I can communicate with them, so I wanted to improve.

One day I'd spent more time than I should have trying to understand a young man who didn't speak a word of English (except "hi") and who had lost his passport. In my defense, he began the conversation by saying he "didn't have his passport" - which started me down the whole wrong path. "You don't need a passport to purchase anything here." "Do you have an ID if you want to purchase beer?" among other completely unnecessary questions and answers. Finally, he typed into his cell phone translator that he "lost his passport". Ah ha! I opened the lost and found drawer in front of me to find his passport at the top of the pile. After that, he and I laughed, he made a purchase and left. 

Enter Paulina, a beautiful, young Hispanic woman who is completely bilingual. I recounted this incident with her, telling her it had happened about twenty minutes earlier. I really could have used her help. I had misunderstood one word that made all the difference. Pierda. I thought he'd said, pierna. One means "lost", and the second means "leg". We both laughed knowing that I'd been trying to sell him some of our delicious broasted chicken, instead of opening a drawer for his lost item. (Insert facepalm here.)

Paulina suggested I could increase my Spanish word power using an app called "Duolingo" on my cell phone. I immediately installed it, and as of today have been learning and becoming more fluent over the past ninety three days! 

I understand how having people to converse with helps, as in high school two of my dad's friends spoke Spanish with me all the time - a Mexican tailor and a Catholic priest, both SCUBA diving friends. Dad was an instructor in his spare time, so he had a wide array of students and diving buddies who would come to the house to have their air cylinders filled. I learned Mexican Spanish from the tailor, and the priest spoke to me in Portuguese and Castillian (high) Spain-Spanish (even conversing with me by telephone when he spent time as a missionary in Paraguay). 

Paulina came into the station yesterday and asked how I was doing with the app, so I showed her my score. The best part was when she asked me if I have a person to regularly converse with in Spanish, I replied that I only converse with the customers, and there are a couple who are bilingual who like tutoring me when they're in the store. She said she'd be happy to stop in from time to time to have some conversation sessions. I immediately accepted her offer and look forward to her next visit.

I will say that when I learned Spanish over - ahem - five decades ago, I was fluent in conversation, writing and reading. I read college level textbooks in Spanish, watched movies without subtitles, and even dreamed in the language. Since I've been studying again, I'm again dreaming in Spanish, practicing writing and reading more. I even pulled out my old textbooks for more practice. The funny part is that, more than once, I've sat down to my computer to write a blog post and have to remind myself to write it in English. Funny, eh?

So, there was a silver lining in this week's clouds after all. I must remind myself to concentrate on such bright spots, and cast away the gloomy bits. I'll be much happier at the end of the day. A good lesson, wouldn't you agree? 

Finally, do you like that I managed to get two song titles into this post? hee hee I'm rather chuffed about that. Have a great weekend, friends. I'll see you again tomorrow. Right now, it's time for me to fly. (Squeeee. I got in one more!)

¡Hasta la próxima! (Until next time!)

I Really Do...

I love my customers and most of my co-workers. I have no patience for lazy employees, and as a former employer, it frustrates the heck out of me. 

So much happened after my scheduled shift last night. Before I could leave, I ended up clocking back in and working another hour and a half to cover for someone who walked off her job in the kitchen. With the help of a trusted, regular customer, we filled a large food order that the employee abandoned. 

Understand, I'm not trained in our kitchen, but I can cook, and I've been there long enough to know how we do it, and where the supplies are. We washed our hands and got down to business. By the time our boss got back to work, we had the order compiled and ready to go out. Mission accomplished. Note: My boss had already left at the time of this incident.

That's the extent of my venting, because really, I try to always be upbeat here. Suffice it to say that after six fulfilling hours with people (customers and my boss) I really enjoy, that last hour and a half was taxing on this old bird. I arrived home happy with what we'd accomplished, but frustrated over why we had to. I couldn't even contemplate what I'd write for today.

This morning I woke up to find out that because we're short-staffed, this person will still be employed with us. Seriously, that had me in tears. For all of us who've worked our entire lives and are responsible human beings, I'm sure you understand. I'm equally confident all of us who have been picking up hours to cover for the slackers are on the same page, too.

So today, I've chosen to take the high road and just pull up my big girl panties. This is my day off and the rest of it will be spent doing things I love and being present with my husband. I'm going to be baking for a while...cinnamon rolls for that dear customer who helped me last night, and then rhubarb custard tarts for our dessert this evening. I am definitely going to work on my bluebirds for a bit. 

I work again tomorrow, so I'll definitely write a happy post for you! Thanks for indulging me today. Time for some fun now.

Happy Birthday, Carly!...

Our sweet Carly turned FIVE yesterday!! Both Handsome and I were home all day, so we could spend the day pampering our girl. She got a great workout in the yard in the morning, and finished the day with extra treats. In between were snuggles and a few other 'triever-approved snacks.

She had so much fun, in fact, that she's already looking forward to Number 6. Us, not so much. Time passes much too quickly as it is, and we're content to slow time down for our pups. The more time we have with them, the better.

I'll share more photographs tomorrow from the weekend, but today it's all about our pretty Carlita Puppita Mamacita. That's my nickname for her. She likes it, too!

I'm working today to fill in for a co-worker who's already given her notice and now can't make it to work today. Nice, huh? I don't mind at all, though. Then, I'll have my regular hours tomorrow and Friday evening. I'm planning to get some "bluebird time" in mid-week, but for now I'd better get moving. Don't want to be late for my "Donna to the rescue" hours!

And Still It Waits...

All the "busy-ness" of this week, and I still haven't picked up my Strawberry Sachet Project to complete the embroidery. I'm hoping to get to it soon, so I'll avoid making promises I apparently can't keep.

My boss has been frustrated to tears that the young people she's hired have disappointed her so much lately. No calls. No real explanations. They just don't show up at all, and then come back to work a few days later like nothing happened. Because we're short-staffed, they feel invincible. They don't even consider that someone else has to step up to fill their hours, and it's usually my boss, who ends up pulling two or three shifts in a row. She's exhausted.

She found out that one of the kids is just skipping out on their hours today, so after talking with her, I agreed to respond to her plea by agreeing to work 4-10 pm to cover a shift. She's so grateful, and as a result, she's informed the offenders that the next time they just don't show up when they're scheduled, they'll be terminated. At least that way, she knows which shifts need to be filled ahead of time, instead of last minute.

How is it that today's young employees are so irresponsible? I would never have dreamed of just blowing off my work schedule when I was their age. (I know I wouldn't have gotten away with it either.) It puts all the other employees on the spot, and they're not even considering how it affects their coworkers. They don't care. 

Well, I've blown off a little steam on behalf of my boss (who I've known since she was about seven). I called her after she put out the request for a volunteer, and listened to her cry in frustration. Truthfully, I wanted to take someone out behind the wood shed!

So, I'll get home tasks done during the day today, and work my extended shift tonight. Craft Day is tomorrow, but I already know I won't make it.  That's a disappointment, but I know my limitations, so I won't try getting up extra early to drive over and back. I'm going to hang out here and maybe I'll get some stitching done. Either way, I know I'm doing something good for someone I really love. That's good enough for me.

Tiny Ideas...

 

One of my co-workers had a sad event in their life Wednesday afternoon, so I was called in last minute to cover hours for the gal who works the register so she could work in the kitchen for my co-worker. She and her family were outside when her husband was leaving in their truck. She told the dog to stay on the porch, but as is usually the case, the dog didn't listen. Her husband accidentally ran over the dog and killed it. My co-worker is understandably devastated and will not be to work for a while.

So, I got up a 4:30 yesterday morning, and was at work by 5:30 to work the opening shift. The sun was coming up, and there was a thick haze in the lowland areas on my drive. It was actually quite beautiful. In some areas the chickory is already blooming along the shoulders of the road, so the Queen Anne's Lace won't be far behind. 

The little time I did have to stitch, I pulled a few tiny frames and experimented with what I might like to put into them. Of course, my favorite wildflower - the Queen Anne's Lace - was my first choice.

I work late afternoon again today, so I'm planning to stitch a bit more during the day today. I've got something special I'm going to be working on over the weekend, so I'll let you know about that tomorrow.

I hope you all had a restful holiday, celebrating with friends and family. Handsome and I got the grill out for the first time this year and enjoyed burgers together - grilled - as they always should be. It was perfect.

I'm going to have my morning cuppa and pull out my needlework supplies. Today, I shall simply follow my muse. How about you?

Rest...

I worked yesterday from 9:30 in the morning until nearly 5 pm. We were wonderfully busy, and I offered smiles and greetings to everyone who entered the store. My job title is "cashier", a little bit waitress, and some bookkeeping for my cash drawer at the beginning and end of my shift. With all that busy-ness, by the time Handsome picked me up and we got back home I was ready for a nap.

Instead, I made tea for both of us and we sat down to talk about our day. Again I thought about a nap, but we decided to make a light dinner together. After dinner, I really didn't have the energy to set up my needlework to sit at my frame to finish my little ladybug. So I didn't. 

We also decided to turn in early (for us). We're both night owls, but not last night. I work again today, so it was prudent to get a good night's sleep.

I'll see how today goes and how I feel when I get home. You know I'm happiest with a needle and thread in my hands, so I'm hoping to stitch this evening. 

Thanks for the comments about my current ladybug, but I'm already contemplating how I'll change her for the next one...and I'm still open to modifying subsequent ones until I really love how they'll look. I have small sequins, so I may try that for the spots. I may add more outlining in layers, too. We'll see. 

I'll close for now, as I need to get ready for work. I love it when it's busy because the time really flies, and before I know it, Handsome is waiting outside to take me back home. I do love the chauffeur service! Have a great day, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Here's My Sign...

It was warm yesterday - reaching into the 50s! In fact, we had rain for part of the afternoon, but when the clouds rolled out, we saw this beautiful rainbow in the field behind the station. My boss/girlfriend, Kim went out and took a few photos, and this one showed the most color. She calls this taste of midwinter warmer weather, "Fool's Spring". I'd never heard that term before. I like it, though.

We could see both ends from our vantage point. In fact, we could actually see the other side ending in the field right behind us!! This side appeared to go over the hilltop. There's also a road between each leg of the rainbow, so it was impressive. People coming into the station were all getting out of their vehicles to take pictures.

I told Kim it was a good sign that I should be back at work. It looks like Thursdays and then Friday nights will be my regular schedule for a while - about ten hours a week - and I think that will be perfect. It leaves me plenty of time for my creative pursuits, as well as Handsome, family, and the critters. The best of all scenarios.

I have homekeeping to do before work today, and I'm going to do some adjusting and rearranging in my Etsy shop, too. Hopefully, next week will result in some new listings to share.

Happy Weekend!