a newly started old project.

Good morning. This post is a bit of a scary post. See, I have lived in the house where I live for 20 years. I know this project has been in the project pile for longer than that, because I moved the item from the last place I lived.

Guilty as charged --

I got stuff. I got junk. I got a mess. I was coleecting and collecting and collecting stuff all these years with all the intentions of "fixing it" to use or to sell. What I have come to realize is that I am "damn near" being a diagnosed hoarder. There are reasons for this - and a large part is still being uncovered.

Anyways. Big blessings - lead to big truths - and this has led to the realization that my Give a damn circuits have been broken for a long long time.

But enough. Now I am embarrassed to admit this - I need to get a move on in clearing out the junk that symbolizes these issues.

Basically - things stacked up in the universe and my Give a Damn has been extensively serviced and is dang near in full operation again.

In the last two weeks - I gave away a piano that I have hated, did not want, nor did I have any emotional attachment to. It needed thousands of dollars worth of work, which I can't do myself nor afford to have done.  But my grandmother (now deceased) arranged this to come into my house and I just kept hanging on to it for those reasons. PIANO NOW GONE.

I sold a car - the wind up car that left Softball Princess stranded.

I arranged for our boat to go stay with my brother in law. He can piddle with fixing it back up. Maybe even The Man can go play with his bro since there is going to be a huge void in his life very soon.

I dragged a table off the porch and scrubbed it in preparation for painting.

And I tackled this 20 year old project.

A sewing stand.......

Sorry about the pictures - cell phone snaps - I was on a roll and I was afraid to lose that by going after the camera.

Made of cedar - with a fabric backing. I think there were about 30,000 tacks and staples in it.

Lest you think the picture quality is really that bad, let me assure you this, when I touched this fabric it was so rotten that it crumbled on touch. It was a dirty - dusty - nasty step to the project.

The inside has these pockets. I saved these panels for a pattern but they are lying on the porch - not taking this nasty mess inside.

No idea why this is so tiny - I have all the tacks and staples out now. I'll scrub and sand and repair some issues in the wood. Then - shhh, don't tell the wood lovers about this but - I'm painting this and adding new panels to it. God knows I have fabric.

maybe it will look something like these when I finish it.



I do hope you all have a wonderful day.

Notes on the best birthday in a long time......

I turned 46 on Thursday - It was a wonderful event. There was no big party. Really,  no elaborate gifting. But there has been some major attitude changes in my life.

Basically - MY "GIVE A DAMN" is no longer broken.

My birthday included lunches with great friends.

It included breakfast with great friends.

There was one "liquid" dinner.  

I received a very symbolic gift from my Ohio Bestie Friend.

I took the time to relax and really celebrate this year. It was good for me.

Saturday was absolutely the best. I found myself with a day to spend on me, since the man and the princess were playing ball in Atlanta and had stayed the night with his sister.  I rambled around with a wonderful friend. Poked into old homeplaces, old cemeteries, and antiques stores. Played on dirt roads. Had fabulous conversation. It was one of my best days in a long time.

MaggieGrace actually worked in the studio on Sunday. She spent the morning Sunday watching the SoftBall Princess play ball and crocheting. It was a great weekend.

I also cleared out a piano. I kinda gained the piano in a roundabout way. It was old - broken - needed thousands of dollars in repairs - and my Nanny arranged for me to be the fine owner of this thing. Well - I lived with it until yesterday evening. And now it no longer takes up space in my house. WhooHoo!!!

Now for a few fun images from saturday.

I took this in one of the cemeteries. This is the image right off my camera. I do not know why I wanted this kind of "off" perspective.

Then, I started "playing" in the picnik.com editor. I will be printing this to hang in my office.

Then - using the sepia setting on my camera - I took this one too. Again, this is the image - right off the camera.

More picnik.com editing. I built an eerie - haunted appearing fire in the fireplace. Cool - huh.

I do hope, every one had a great weekend.

I did.

A long post that really says nothing.....

Ok peeps - sorry. MaggieGrace has some big big life things going on. So i have been a little scattered.

Here is a post of a bunch of random notes that add up to nothingness - but mostly to let you guys know I didn't die.

I will be 46 on Thursday ------

I am now the proud parent of two adults - the softball princess turned 18 on Saturday. We are busily doing the crap that we have to to get her into college and dorm life. Busy scrambling.

I have however finished a baby blanket - a gorgeously soft one in the creamy yellow color.

Plain old double crochet stitched with a tiny variation.

Front and back post double crochet rows add a bit of a fake cable effect.

A very simple single and double crochet edge treatment finished this one off. I finished it Saturday Morning and started one in a luscious oange sherbert and white variation.

I lost my halo - but then discovered it is easily replaced - and danged cheap too. Not sure if the stray apostrophe is valuable or not.

I am sucha display geek - simple white cotton knit with grey knit words. Very effective display in a New York window.

New York work trip included time for sight seeing (and beer drinking).

I was asked to stop taking these pictures - Anthro of course.

I am letting my hair grow out - I love it longer.

But then I wear it up all the time. Go figure.

I've spend some time babysitting for these monkeys.

And I am acting like a teenager - feather extensions and some really easy laughter add to that entire midlife act like a teen image. ( I love the extensions)

There has been a road trip with the entire crew (yup I've gained a couple of boys to hang out with these girls)

Flip flops and painted toenails - serious summer attire.

A visit to Ground Zero convince me that America heals - just like we all should.

Oh and the Princess got a new back glass - not sure what happened but it resulted in a 1am phone call to my cell.

So there you have random pictures that add up to an excuse for why I am not around. I will say that something has happened in my life that has resulted in getting my "give a damn" repaired. I am slowly slowly working on finishing some things that should have been done a long time ago.

I'll sign a "do better" card about keeping this updated.

Have a beautiful day.