Plain and Practical

Black and White All Over

Oy, one of those days.  Found out the Habitat for Humanity up in Bellfontaine did NOT "take off" the misrung sale a week ago, and when I called to take care of it, got someone who couldn't seem to understand, I didn't want to return items, I didn't want to drive 65 miles round trip, I wanted to have the first sale completely debited (how she managed to delete a portion--not all--of the sale is very suspicious to me).  My husband handles stuff like this all day.  I don't know how he can come home and be such a nice loving spouse, if I had to deal with jerks all day, I think I'd come home and be driven to drink.  'That was the first of several wrong-way calls, only one of which worked out successfully.

The only thing that didn't "turn to poo" in my hands today was my sculptures, and they are progressing nicely, I put in so many screws today, I killed the portable drill and it needs to get gassed up tonight while we sleep:

and there will be a new clothesline ready soon:

and that's the new $87 picnic table in the back.  There's a cute shed, too, and a large tree right in the middle of the yard.  And there's dog hair drying:

and I found these for my friend Pat, it's her birthday soon, these were rescued at the Plain City thrift store, handwritten quilt patterns with little sketches and paper pieces, she'll have fun looking at them.

and a vintage soapstone for marking colored quilting fabric, one for her and one for me.  Appliques to go on the bookmarks I'm doing for Penguicon, all kinds of goodies.

Hubbin said since everything turns to poo today, he would order us pizza when he comes home.  I am so blessed.  What better on a day of inner grumblies and discontent, than to have a spouse come home and make it all better?   peace.

Agley Gairden

for a garden that was planned and is now unplanned, heh, the best kind, aye?

it's upside down, but assembled and primed and ready to paint as soon as my sippin' tea is ready.  And with help from a friend yesterday I got this shelf up and some bins and some sorting means I can find not only the spindle making supplies for next month's show, but also my knitting knobby goodies as well.  It's time to start doing the embellishing of these pieces and I needed to know where all my goodies were and get them to where I could reach in a bin and pull out what I needed.

darker today, looking like rain, but the radar shows the storms far off to our western side.  Celtic music is soothing from a CD and the dimmed light makes me feel relaxed and a little like a nap, but there is much to do.

A neighbor's dog has passed and he mentioned, with a crack in his voice, that he had saved some hair in hopes of getting it made into something.  I said, you didn't know, did you?  I've been spinning for thirty years, and spin for three shops and Sauder Village and have taught spinning at Pennsic.  I can do that for you.   He was so grateful.  Just wait until he sees how lovely a yarn it makes.  Peace.

Yesterday and Today

Yesterday was go-and-git-it-day, today is take-it-apart-and-wash-it-day.  The washing machine is going, with a few of husband's shirts and a floor-length petticoat and two pink linen tablecloths and a pair of cotton pieced and quilted pillow covers (59 cents each) for the new futon in the living room when it arrives.  Didn't see any denim sheets for it.  And these two wool blankets, which will be next--

Also found this nifty little metal something or other, for 30 cents, thought it would look nice on a steampunk ladie's fascinator with a few feathers and a puff of netting:

and got these for starting to pack up the apple cozy crochet kits for the Penguicon show coming up:

and, wait, there's more, found another resource for bits and pieces of broken and cut wood and damaged furniture, in Columbus, and met a nifty handy guy called Whit who has a workshop Pat drooled over for the rest of the day (nothing like a perfect workshop, large, attached to two warehouses full of furniture and wood to play with, including about fifty chairs, 100 antique pieces, etc., etc., etc.) and I got these pieces for $10,

So tomorrow have some help coming to work on the car and motorcycle with me, and the afternoon I'm going to get all my bins of wood out and get them sorted, I needed some 3" circles I know I have here in my stash but can't find them, so time to get everything out and organize it a little better.  This morning, paint on the sculptures while doing all the washing of yesterday's thrifted treasures, write out some bills to mail, find brass buttons for my friend in Maine and walk them up to the post office in a bit.

Life is so very very good, long as I keep busy, I get happier and happier.  Peace.

Another Sculpture

nothing like a good thunderstorm--well, a medium one--to get the creative juices flowing, here's Teachglach, which is Gaelic for Household, laid out to assemble tomorrow morning.  It has more pieces from the $6 magic table--these are the edge pieces.  If hubbin had not taken it apart for me, I would have given up in frustration and simply bashed it to bits, he's so patient:

the white piece at the bottom right is problematic.  Otherwise I am satisfied with the rest.  Peace.

Making Yard Plans!

Looked outside and saw paint and these little flags--turns out the landlord set up for the gas company to come and mark the pipe, so he can do a clothesline--this is great!

and I asked Husband, and he said okay, so here's our new picnic table from Lowe's, $87 already assembled!  it came with lots of free splinters.  I am thinking about covering the seats and top with oilcloth, something bright and silly to make the back yard seem even more garden-like.

and I primed another sculpture piece, this one is Cruinne-ce, Gaelic for "Universe."

I think I'll take apart the edge of that $6 coffee table, from whence this frame came, and make another sculpture with it next.  Wow, it's going to take a lot of interior positive space to overcome that thick frame, aye?  Now I have three pieces to put another coat of black on, tonight.  We have quite the dark horizon, might be a storm rolling through soon, so best I get off the computer and make sure things are secured outside.  Peace.

Messin' up the Clean House with Sculpture

So got the house clean so the massage guy could come work on husband's shoulder.  I only clean to a deadline.  Laundry gets done all right, and I'll vacuum now and then, and load the dishwasher several times a day.  But windows, mirrors, dusting and wiping off refrigerator shelves . . . that takes a visitor to get motivated!

Here's Clarsach, one coat of paint:

and here's Coma Powl, ready to screw together in the morning:

Husband is quite the artiste--he helped me settle a problem with the painting, for which I am ever so grateful.  He gave me his undivided attention for 30 minutes of art discussion, on a professional and critical level, and that is a very valuable thing.

Windows are open, we saw lots of motorcycles parked at nightspots in anticipation of the St. Paddy's day festivities, when we drove over to the hardware store in Plain City, and visited the thrift store (picture frames and a piece of fabric) and picked up bacon for himself for the next month or so.  It's weirdly warm, the daffodils and other flowers have bloomed, and I saw a small flock of red winged black birds.  Too early, too early, it concerns me, it feels odd on the heart.  I should not be out planting bulbs in my bare feet in mid-March in central Ohio, without a sweater.  We're in the Lord's Hands and His Plans, whatever may come.  Peace.

Prayers for Dexter, Michigan Please

My former workplace, the Dexter Senior Center, is in the midst of weather-related problems tonight, and friends there are looking for some of our own to make sure they are safe and sound. A tornado has destroyed homes in town, and flooding is widespread.  A local school is being set up for disaster relief, and the town sleeps tonight protected and sealed off until morning, when cleanup can begin.

 For those who were frightened, those gathering their things, those who experienced the awesome power of nature today, I ask you please to pray for their comforting. 

Big Stuff!

Here's the $19 futon frame I picked up in Circleville yesterday:

I'm about to go outside and scrub it silly.

and the six dollar table--it will render an oval solid from the shelf beneath, and a big deep oval frame, both for sculpture materials--

and here's a box with 18 sheets, and several packages of seeds, for my Amish friends, she wanted sheets from my thrifting, and I need some things planted that take up lots of room and require bright sunlight.  It's all good.  Time to be outside, too pretty a spring day to waste.  Peace.

Went A-Little Thrifting in Michigan

we made a quick overnighter up to the MIL's and while there, I stopped off at the thrift store in downtown Monroe, Michigan, and picked up a bagful of items, these tiny tins were bagged with their original paperwork for 25 cents:

and these embroidery patterns are headed to my friend Mary in Maine, they are a collection of mail-order subscription embroidery patterns, a whole stack of them, with one original envelope stating who they were mailed to (a woman in Jackson, Michigan) and that it cost ONE CENT to mail them bulk rate.  Wowza!  no date that I can see in a quick purusal, but one cent on something that would cost me $1.45 to mail now, that tells you it wasn't yesterday:

Mary does all kinds of beautiful embroidery, she's got me itching to put together a project of my own.

So a few days ago I saw a young woman jogging with her big dog and her baby bump is starting to show, and I promised her mother a baby quilt, so it needs to get started maybe today.  My legs are sore and hubbin must be too, he got up during the night and took some alieve and milk, so I know all those hours sitting in the truck got him rusted too.

Thrifted some sheets for my Amish friends to fill in her request, she asked for towels also but all the thrift store ones are so shabby, going to check Ebay for a case of towels today.  Maybe even toweling fabric.  Something as an alternative.

Also today, need to assemble the pics of the sculptures so far on the computer and put names to each and organize them.  There's laundry to catch up, checks to write, vacuuming to do on the stairs, finish this sculpture and get it papier-mache'd.  I need to walk out into the back yard and decide where the clothesline will be, and order whatever is needed for it.  Another batch of mohair needs to be "cooked soaked" and laid out to dry.  I am so blessed to not only have plenty of tasks to do, but sunshine as well, and they are pleasant work, and now and then I can go upstairs and take the husband a treat of a meal or an orange and kiss him and tell him I love him.  All is good and well here.   Peace.

Sculpture Moving Along, Washing Mohair

Went to the big local annual rummage sale and got $16 of mens shirts for an upcoming baby quilt project, as well as two hats that will work for a friend and I to re-do for the steampunk-linux-con coming up end of April, four belts for the Ginko yarn bundles I sent up there, and a bag of wood knobs and bits for sculpturing.

Speaking of which, the show has been named:

Holt Cothrom:  Works by Forba Hibbard

Holt is the Gaelic word for wood; Cothrom, pronounced corrom, means both "opportunity" and "weights and measures".  And here's the next piece being assembled:

why the "forba?"  that's my SCA name, worn with pride when wearing armor or managing my merchant booth at Pensic all alone, it's full of have-courage and don't-be-weak, and I need those qualities if I'm going to make these things and put them up on walls where the public can say mean things and hurt my feelings to the core.  So we'll just stand there, in the role of Forba, and do my very best.

There's mohair in the sink (I could probably type that for the next several days every time I blog) and Boo has sunshine in his window so he's dreaming happy dreams that involve twitching ears and one back foot.  Husband winding down a work week, I'm having cinnamon coffee, and the house is exploding with purposeful things to do.  Peace.