Tuesday Morning Coffee Thoughts

 Sitting here at my kitchen table, having coffee and gazing out the window, thinking my thoughts.

This living alone thing is very nice.  It's not as easy to shake some shackles off, though.

So many preconceived notions about time, especially.  I have been, for most of my adult life, lived by the clock.  I did the same things at the same time every day.  Get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, bla bla bla.  

Even the last couple years, before the "Stuff," I didn't have a job, but I still did things on a routine basis.  

So now, when I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, I find myself still feeling like 10:00 pm is my bedtime, and my alarm is still set for 8:00 am.  

So, first things first...unless I have to be somewhere the next day, I will not be setting a morning alarm.  Second, I will try to stay up until I feel sleepy, although Greg is pretty used to us hitting the feathers at 10, so he might have an issue with this.  

Meet Greg.  

He had a cone on because he had a wound at the base of his tail.  

He's much better now.

He also has a feel for when wake up time is.  He demonstrated that this morning when he lightly bit the tip of my nose about 3 minutes before the alarm went off.  

Tomorrow will be an alarm day, as it is my payday.  I'll be heading into town to pick up a  grocery/supply order.  Will probably have a quick visit with a couple of my favorite boys, then head back home.  

The next day will be a big laundry day.  I feel lucky to have laundry facilities within walking distance.  Not like having them in my own place, but better than driving to a laundromat, right?  

This is my Kitty Version of Greg

(I kinda love him, check out his white toes)

My son has been telling me to "slow my roll" for a few years now.  I tend to "flit."  Instead of focusing on how I get there, my focus is getting there.  

I start a project, I am bang on gonna work on it until it is finished...then on to the next one.  Especially my wood burnings.  Fast and furious.  I could do a couple in a day...but not as well as if I had actually focused on each line.  While my burnings were good, they are getting so much better.  

I don't know if you can tell the diff or not, but I can.

This is a 11" round hanging plaque, there's plenty of room for a quote, a last name, a word to be burned onto it.  Comes with twine for hanging.  Let me know if you are interested.  

Anyway, I am gonna finish this 2nd cuppa coffee, do my morning chores, run a quick errand, and be home for the rest of the day.  

Play Nice!  xxoo

Handmade by Cosmo

Ready for the New Year Already

I love when it is time for a new year, I love the new beginning.  I've been thinking ahead of how I can do things differently, more positively for myself/family/business/allofit.

So...How was y'all's holiday?  Did you get along with your family members this year?  Did you give thoughtful gifts?

You know, I've been saying this for years but now I am actually going to do it, my budget is a little wider than it used to be, with the kids grown and all.  If I see something and it would be perfect for someone, I'ma gonna get it and save it for Christmas.  And...I'm going to remember where I put the stuff for safekeeping, too.  Gonna write myself a note.

I am working on a delightful project right now, should be finished in a couple days.  It is 3 of my elephants, in graduated sizes, each half a size larger.  I have the small one and the medium finished, they are turning out nicely.   I'll post a couple pics, for sure...and then I am making a larger version of the Lazy Pony, out of muslin.

We have a Print Shop, Shelton Printing, here in town, he has a copier there that can enlarge a pattern on regular sized 8.5 x 11 paper, in my case 330%.  So cool, and not expensive at all.  (They don't take debit cards).

So, as the deepest, darkest unit of Winter is forging upon us, I will say that I will not be all weathery alla time...but if we have a decent amount of snow and/or cold, I will be mentioning it now and then.

Tomorrow night we are going to a little After Christmas get together at one of our newer neighbors house.  I really hope they supply some "Hi, My Name Is..." stickers and not because I want to put a fake name on there just in case ...because I am terrible at names.  I can't remember a first name if I don't have the last name.  I have to know them both, and I will most usually refer to them with first and last names...unless they have a distinct middle name, I can do first name middle name actually better than first name last name.

My little family in Germany?  They are doing well.  Delilah just celebrated her 3rd birthday, and I got up early so I could Skype and be at the party, too.  They play and learn every day, she can almost write her name all by herself.  I miss them, and I'm thankful for the technology that we can actually see each other.

Oh, you want to know about Maria?  Glad you asked.  She is absolutely the best.  Her separation anxiety is pretty much non existent, no more barking when I leave, no more barking when I get home.  She's without a doubt mine, and I am so happy to have her.

I had a very successful Selling Season this year.  Kept my hands happy most of the month, and then the projects above...I'm enjoying the time from work.  I miss it, but I did need a break from it.  The boys are taking care of it just fine.  I miss my tips and paycheck, too.

Today my Young Son accompanied me to visit my friend I've had the longest, he was 2 when she and I were neighbors.  Her kids remember him, he didn't remember a soul.  Nice of him to go with me, though.  They enjoyed seeing him "all grown up."

This is my Aunt Betty.  She is 90 years old.

She is a hoot!  

So, time to hit the feathers.

Play Nice!  xxoo

Moving right along...

September has come and gone in the blink of an eye.  The trees at the golf course are just beginning to turn...we had such a mild Summer, which was nice, but leads to a bitter cold, snowy winter.

Plans at this time are that "they," (Board of Directors) are going to close the Pro-Shop down at the end of October, turn the utilities way down, and save a "buncha moola" from lower utility rates.  They are going to lay off the greens keeper, too.  Supposedly...

I'm not worried.  I have another place I can go to work, and I have some other arrangements that will help make ends meet until March.  And besides, everything works out the way it is supposed to.

On the Handmade by Cosmo front, I've been stitching and stuffing like crazy, I have so many Critters waiting for the finishing touches...it's crazy...I really am looking forward to some free time, I am ready to wake up, take a shower, put on clean jammies, and be creative.  Christmas is coming, I have a lot to do.

As for me and Maria...she's another reason why I am ready to have some time off this Winter.  She's such a lovely, well tempered girl.  I've been walking her and Rilo, (Danielle's girl) after work.  Karma would like to go, too, but it's a long way for an elder with such short legs.

I love this dog.  showere

October 1st

We've had some rainstorms here today.  I had to put 3 carts away in between showers and  left 15 mins. early, I had been home 10 mins. (We live 1.5 miles from the golf course) and my car safe in the garage before the hail started falling.  About quarter size.  

Maybe one more round of storms, probably about the time I am going to bed.  

I have a tight schedule tomorrow, morning errands that should be completed by 9:00 am.

Gonna hit the feathers.  Play Nice.  xxoo