Sunday, November 29, 2020

I’ve missed a few posts over this past week and I must admit I’ve not minded. It is often a struggle to think of something interesting to say about what is usually, for me, a rather routine and boring day.

I’ve been wanting to redo my website for awhile and I had a thought last night that maybe I would just do a post for the things I’ve completed – quilting, knit and crochet, books, needlework. It would certainly cut down on the number of days I post and there could be a photo for the sake of interest.

How many times can you say you sewed all day even if the project is different? How many times can you say you worked at the computer whether it was for the Hall, the Guild, Pat or myself? How many times can you say you ran errands whether to the Post Office, the Library or the grocery store?

That may be a resolution for the New Year but in the meantime, here are the hats I’ve been working on in the evenings.

Friday, November 27, 2020

Some of these masks were refits on the two-layer masks and some were new. All of them have the bag filter and, with the exception of Mickey, both of the other layers are batiks. I hoped to get them sent in the Christmas boxes but that didn’t work so I had a bit of breathing space.

I hoped they could go out in the Express Post envelopes today but I want to put birthday presents in a couple of those envelopes and they aren’t ready. The masks are washed but need to have a final press before going into the packages; that gives me some extra time to get the birthday cards done.

The packages won’t go out until Monday’s mail but they will be ready and waiting by the door.

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

I was hoping that my last packages would be delivered today and while I waited I finished wrapping everything I had.

When that task was done I started to take apart some of the masks that have been sent back to me so I can add an extra layer; Kathryn sent me a couple of bags so I’ll use them for filters. My filter fabric came in the mail yesterday but it isn’t useable for the masks I make. The company makes masks and other PPE and this fabric is meant for use as a removable filter. Even if I found a pattern that used the removable filter I would eventually run out of the fabric and the masks wouldn’t be any good anymore. I’ll stick with my plan of adding the extra layer – either of bag fabric or batik.

Just before logging on to catch the Covid-19 daily update I checked the back door and there was my parcel – all the packages were from amazon but two of the three went to the front door and this one to the back. While I listened in on the news conference I got the last bit of wrapping done and headed out to the post office.

On the way there I worried that they closed at 4:30 so before I unloaded all my packages I verified that they were there until five. All the boxes will go out in the mail tomorrow to be delivered anywhere from 3-5 days from now – in plenty of time for the 12 Days and Christmas.

Since I didn’t get any masks done to put in the Christmas boxes I’ll work on them tomorrow. I picked up a few more Express Post envelopes so when they are ready I won’t have to go back into the post office.

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

I started working on my 12-Days packages this morning. I hadn’t gone very far when I realized I was missing a critical piece for one of the bags, as well as needing more gift bags. While I was out I also picked up more tape, more tissue paper, and more elastic for masks.

It doesn’t seem to matter how many boxes I save during the year there are never ones that are the right size for the gifts I want to send. One of the houses will probably get two packages but I think I can fit everything into the other two boxes.

I received two more Christmas gift deliveries today so Pat and I decided I may as well wait for the final delivery (expected Thursday but hoped for tomorrow) and send everything all at once. It won’t add much weight to the boxes and it will mean only one trip to the post office. I was talking to someone today who said the line up at the post office was horrendous; I try to be there right at 8:30 in the morning or wait until after the mail has gone out for the day and I’ve not had any problems.

And speaking of problems – we had another visit from the bear last night. Early this morning I heard something crash on the deck; we were experiencing a huge wind storm. The wind had knocked down one of the chairs on the deck but when we were checking it out Pat noticed that the garbage can was upended and open. We didn’t have to look far to find where the garbage was strewn. It wasn’t easy to clean up the mess in the wind storm but with two of us it didn’t take too long. And we knew that no matter how hard it was to clean up in the wind the heavy rain that was coming our way very soon would have made it worse.

I think I have time (and yarn) to knit one (or maybe two) more hats for my donation so I’ll work on that this evening.