January 18, 2017

Another torrential rainstorm in Houston today!  These storms always scare me.  At least today I'm at home and not trying to go to work or get back home.  The rains started during the night.  I decided to not go into the office today.  I only work 4 hours on Wednesdays.  It didn't seem worth the risk of driving in.

So, I'm back at my manual labor job at home.  Still packing and sorting.  This weekend I found all my drawing supplies in my laundry room.  So, I haven't drawn in a few years.  Does that mean I should give all my supplies to Goodwill?  But-- when I'm in Portland, I will be retired and have time to draw again.

What about all my jewelry making supplies?  Keep some and donate the rest?

Knitting needles, yarns and instruction books- In Portland I'll finally be able to wear the hats and scarves that I knit.  I'm trying to use up all my wool yarn to knit a multicolored blanket.  After it's finished I plan to wash it in hot water and make the fibers dense (fulling).  I gave a bunch of whole skeins to my sewing group, partial skeins to Goodwill and I still had to pack a big box of yarn.

Not to mention my sewing supplies!  The realtor said I could keep the sewing machine and fabrics up.  She said people would realize that it's a workspace.  Wait until I have to sort through all that stuff!

I had a picture in my mind of the apartment that I was moving into - a 2 bedroom in the Heights at Columbia Knoll.  It is a low income senior apartment complex.  But, then, I got denied admittance.  The compliance officer said that I make too much money.  It's hard for me to imagine some poor person struggling to survive on my part time job salary.  The officer took my current income and added in my potential social security income and decided I would earn over the low income max.  But, I may not work after I move.  My social security has not started yet.  She said I can reapply next year.

That just sucks.  She also said they check income yearly.  If a tenant earns too much, she is booted out.  Imagine being 85 and getting an inheritance and forced to move out.  So, maybe it's for the best.

Now I will have to go back to Portland and find an apartment.  Then I return home, hire movers and Andy and I will drive my car to Portland.  I don't plan on unpacking a bunch of my stuff.  I'll probably have to move again after a year.  I'm going to spend the year getting to know Portland and deciding where I will finally settle.  Maybe I'll be willing to buy a small house then.  Right now I'm weary of all the stress and costs that come with home ownership.

November 24, 2016

It's the sixth anniversary of the day my life was forever changed.  My husband of 10 years fainted in the bathroom and became instantly and permanently paralyzed.  I've already written about what the 2 of us went through during the months that followed.

I was aware that life as I had known it was over.  I've recovered from the shock of his accident and I've even gotten over the shock of his later behavior.

But, I'm still mourning the loss of how my life used to be.  I was married to my best friend.  My mother lived with us.  I was never lonely.  Of course we had our ups and downs but overall we were happy.

Now I miss the  lifestyle.  We had a good relationship.  We took short trips frequently, played cards with friends, had real conversations, faced life's problems together.  I had hoped I could have a similar life again.  It's been 6 years and I have been trying to rebuild my life.

I guess I'm lucky that I had those happy 10 years.  I still hope to make a happy life for myself.  I've learned that I have to be independent.  I enjoyed sharing the responsibility of home ownership with my husband.  It's difficult to do alone.

I'm ready to give up owning a home.  It's so expensive and I worry about flooding, property taxes, roof leaks, etc. etc.  My plan is to move to an independent senior living apartment in Portland, Oregon.  My rent will cover a 2 bedroom apartment, 2 meals per day, covered parking, maid service and some entertainment.  I will have to give up some privacy, a roomy house and 2 of my cats.  But, I will be in a group environment and no longer alone.  My son, daughter-in-law and 2 grandchildren will only be 6 miles away from my apartment.

The other residents are mostly 10 - 20 years older than me.  But the years go by quickly and I'll be the OLD one soon enough.

In my senior years I hope to more fully explore my hobbies, especially doll making, do more exercise, explore the Northwest, go on an Alaskan cruise, travel and spend lots of time with my grandchildren.  I would also enjoy a part time job so I will be part of mainstream society.

The future looks promising.

2016-10-28: Cheshire Cat Vest

The completed project

There's a great thrift store near my house- Texas Thrift.  It's on Fondren just south of South Braeswood on the west side of the street.  The items are tagged with different colors, depending on when they were received.  Each Monday one of the tag colors is selected to sell for only $.99.

There is always good stuff to be had there.  I Last week I found 6 shirts nice shirts for Bert at $.99 apiece.  On another Monday I found this gray Disney t-shirt with the Cheshire Cat.  It was too small for me but I loved the cat.

Before

Cutting out the good parts

 After washing the t-shirt I carefully cut out the cat and most of the spooky-looking tree.

I then appliqued the cut-out to the back of a raspberry-colored hooded vest.  The entire cutout was outlined in black so I only needed to use black thread in a zigzag stitch to apply the cat to the vest.

I'm very happy with the result.  Plus I already own a cheshire cat hoodie hat with matching mittens and a cheshire cat fanny pack with a tail.  I'm ready for the cooler weather plus the ensemble would make a great Halloween outfit, too.

After

April 29, 2014: Reading blogs

I just finished standing at the copier making copies and scans at the office.  So, I've rewarded myself with reading my email.  I receive newsletters from the site, Kollabara.  This week there was an article on the blog, "Four Square Walls."  The blog's author, Andrea quoted an interesting paragraph from a book:

"Best creative advice I ever received is from Elizabeth Cline’s book Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion. The book explores how our excessive demand for cheap clothing has resulted in human rights violations and environmental degradation in developing countries. One of her suggestions for becoming a more conscientious consumer is to learn to sew, or at least to learn to value our clothing by having them mended and altered instead of throwing them away. In her words, “If more of us picked up the lost art of sewing or reconnected with the seamstresses and tailors in our communities, we could all be our own fashion designers and constantly reinvent, personalize and perfect the things we own.” This reminds me that sewing is not only a fun pastime, it’s a way for me to clothe myself in a more ethical and thoughtful way."

Preserving the environment is a powerful motivator for young people to get involved in sewing.  Wouldn't it be great if home economics were still offered in high school?  I learned to sew from a class during my senior year and have been sewing ever since.

As I cruise through blogs and websites I come across more and more youthful faces.  It is inspiring  to know that my favorite hobbies of sewing and crafting are also enjoyed by the younger generations.

March 11, 2014: My poodle phones are on CraftGossip.com today!

I was very happy to see that my pink and blue poodle phones were on CraftGossip.com today.
As their mommy I think they are just as cute as can be.  I'm glad CraftGossip thinks so, too.

Here is the link:  http://craftgossip.com/?s=poodle+phone

June 2013: How to make a wired headband.

Lately I have been wearing scarves in my hair - maybe I'll start a new trend.  Scarves have a tendency to slide off.  So I tried headbands.  They always feel too tight.

In this post I will show you one of my solutions to these problems.


First cut 2 strips of fabric, 32" long by 3.25" wide (approximately).

Trim the ends into a point..

Sew or serge the sides together, forming a tube and leaving a 1" opening in the center.

 

Turn the tube right side out through the 1" opening.

 Cut a 32" length of wire.   I have found that "garden training" wire works the best.  Find it in the garden section of your hardware store, near the trellises. 

Make a loop in each end of the wire.

                                     Cover the ends of the wire with tape.  I used electrical tape.

                                                         

Insert wire into the tube, being sure to go all the way to each end.







You can sew the opening closed if desired.  I leave mine open so I can remove the wire and wear the tube as a neck scarf also.


Put on the headband and gently twist the ends to make it fit comfortably on your head.