Friday, May 13, 2016

Well, Friday is my designated cleaning day - and here I am on the computer.  Hmmmm.  It's all good - my day starts at 10:00.

Alas, I had to say goodbye to my number one container wax supplier.  When the wax is good, it is very, very good, but when it is bad it leaves terrible sink holes that need a heat gun application.  That gets old very fast.  This is the second batch I have had that has not been great.  Soooooo, I found a new supplier.  This new wax is a bit gooey - like very thick vaseline - and is not fun to measure out, but it makes beautiful candles.

It has been quite a challenge to keep on top of inventory, but I think once I get used to it and do it regularly, it will get a lot easier.  

Here is a bit of what I have been working on lately

Yesterday was "work in the shop" day because I had a funeral to play for on Wednesday.  It was a muggy warm day and there was absolutely no street traffic down town.   It gave me a chance to spruce up the room a bit and take inventory.  I really need to make more of the small jar candles.  Here is a video of what our shop looks like.

The noise you hear is the creaky floor.  LOL!

Time to get back to work.  I am making slow progress in each room, but now I am able to actually see that I am making headway.  It's all about focus!  My goal for the day is the kitchen, laundry room, and living room.  

But I did take a little break to make a spring flicker lamp. 

Saturday, January 23, 2016

I absolutely love primitive country stores.  The first one I ever remember going to was in Mt. Pleasant many many years ago.  It was called the Dondero House.  I have searched online for a picture of it, but can't find a thing.  What struck me about my first visit was the scent of the place.  A mixture of spices, of old things and new things.  I have always collected candles to remind me of places I visit.  Nothing brings back the past like our sense of smell.  Yesterday I decided I wanted to recreate that lovely aroma so I blended some scents.  The base was Apple Jack and Peel, but I wanted a little more tartness to the mix so I added cloves, cinnamon, and some others.   Not exactly it, but close - very close.

I found the panel that Claire had chosen for her quilt and began working on that.  The pinwheel that I posted in my last blog post is going to be part of a border on the sides of the quilt.  The panel that she chose is quite a bit longer than it is wide so the top and bottom borders will just be sawtooth borders.  I spent the day making pinwheels.  I think I may be obsessed with them.

I did some more work on the bed quilt I am making for the guestroom.  It is quite a challenge to maneuver a large quilt on my quilt machine, but I am learning a lot by making this quilt.  I also broke down and actually marked the quilt with frixion pens.  The lines from these pens disappear when steam is applied.  This made everything so much easier!

When I was still working at the school, I dreamed of saving for a longarm machine.  I tried one at a quilt show and while I realize there is a learning curve, I really like my Lena and will most likely stay with her. 

   

Today I divided up my laundry room into areas or zones.  I challenged myself to clear out area one.  I had planned to do it all today, but soon realized that if I was going to put in the time, I may as well do it right.  So out came the vacuum, the duster, and a pail of hot soapy water.  Below is the "before" picture.  Don't judge.  :)  I will post the "after" reveal when I finish it.

Harold and I went out to dinner tonight.  I had a chicken caesar salad and stayed within my carb and calorie count.  Sundays I get to ease up a bit which made staying on track easier tonight.

Monday, September 29, 2008 - Week 1 Day 5

I can't believe I have made it to day 5. The number on the scale is dropping. Mary Ann has been making regular appearances, though. The tiredness hasn't hit yet, but I woke up cranky this morning. The house is getting on my nerves because it needs a good cleaning and I don't seem to be making any progress. I have discovered that as the house goes, so goes my mood.

I think another reason for my mood this morning is that my mother would have been 76 today. I often wonder what life would have been like if she had lived longer than her 32 years.

She talks about preserving muscle by consuming protein before working out. I am going to walk outside today but I am taking weights with me because Monday's are strength training day. I am going to see what happens when I drink a protein shake before going out. Update later.

Type: Walk with 5 lb weights
Route: Deadend and back
Time: 34
Average heart rate: 117
Maximum heart rate: 132
Down 2.8 from last Monday

This was a first for me - taking weights on my walk, but it seems to work great. This would be a good option for people who can't run but can walk as the weights help to keep your heart rate up. It is pretty out this morning but it is supposed to rain tonight and tomorrow. I hope it is all rained out by Saturday.

***********************************************************
Today and tomorrow the FlyZone is the living room. I am needing Flylady because I am letting my zone work slide. It seems like I work, work, work, and don't even have 15 minutes. But that's silly. Somewhere in my day I will find 15 minutes to declutter in my zone - yeah, I am still in the de-clutter stage.
**********************************************
Tonight I also have one more batch of fudge to make and I also have to package up the stuff I've already made. Of course this week is Staff Meeting week.

Word of the Day
Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels
Gospel
Jn 1:47-51
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
“Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him.”
Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
Nathanael answered him,
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this.”
And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened
and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Thoughts from the cornfield
On this Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels, it's a good day to think about how much would be revealed to each of us if we lived in authenticity; if we lived without duplicity; if we lived as Jesus has asks us to live. We truly do entertain angels in our midst. Wouldn't it be nice to recognize them?

Interesting note:
Nathanael: "Gift of God"
Raphael: "God has healed"
Michael: "Who is like God?"
Gabriel: "God is my strength"
and my son's name,
Samuel: "his name is God"


God bless the troops!