9/17/20

Nearly Normal

It's been one heck of a week, but we're getting back to normal slowly but surely. We've heard of no more flare-ups of the fire, and so we were confident enough to move the RV back into its usual spot yesterday. We really needed to get it out of the way of the garage. It's still about halfway packed, but that will change today. Hopefully, we'll feel put back together by tomorrow, and rain is still forecast to start then. It's a little weird wishing and hoping for rain, here in the Pacific Northwest, where it can rain for months without end. 

While we were outside yesterday (and we're limiting our exposure to this terrible air), I harvested another small bowl of tomatoes.


This week's menu is going to have to feature some dishes that use a lot of tomatoes. I'm finished canning for the season, but I might still freeze some of these if they get to be too much. 

I was trying to get a picture of Sadie, but every time she saw me, she turned and ran. I finally caught up with her hiding behind this little table.


Smitty, that pesky pawpawrazzi is following me again! Why won't they leave us alone?


Back inside, I got quite a bit done on the Bag Ladies. Yesterday's ladies included Constance...


And Gertrude. Looks like she's heading off to the polls to vote. Vote, people! Seriously. Even our quilts are urging us on.


Then Mildred. Poor Mildred. I'm not sure what happened to her teeth. I do like her Birkenstocks with socks though. Clearly a Northwest woman. We would probably be friends, if she lived nearby.


Just then, Smitty thought he should inspect.

Are you making a Crazy Cat Lady quilt?


Did you remember to include some cats?


I'm not sure he approves of the quilt, but the sewing room is filled with objects that are purrfect for chin and cheek scratching. The time? Oh yes, it's 4:20. The clock is right over there behind Smitty.


Okay, and continuing on, I did Abigail.


And, finally, Charlotte. Charlotte is supposed to have some hot-fix nailheads for buttons, but they came off. I'm going to have to reattach them, or else figure out something else. I have some eensy-weensy little buttons, but I really don't want to sew them on. One of the other bag ladies is missing her buttons too. Do you think it could have something to do with quarantine eating? 


Okay, so Miss Sadie seems to be settling down a little bit. Yesterday evening, I caught her lounging on her catwalk on the catio. She even let me take her picture through the laundry room window.


This morning, I left her tucked in on the couch as I came upstairs to write this post. Shhhhhhh...don't wake up the baby.

It occurs to me that having the RV in the driveway might have been making her anxious. It's back where it belongs now, and so maybe she'll settle down too. I know we're settling down some. Possibly, she's just acting out all of our anxiety, like the canary in a coal mine.

So today, we'll finish unpacking, and maybe I'll do some laundry. I need to go into town tomorrow to mail off the quilts I've boxed up, and so we'll make a quick stop at the grocery store. That means I need to make up a list too. I crossed off all the housekeeping chores from my calendar when I thought we'd be gone for two weeks. So...I could add them back on I guess, but nah! I'm still on vacation! Housework will have to wait until my brain and my motivation get home.

10 comments:

Cathy Smith said...

I think you hit the nail on the head about Sadie's anxiety. Considering her pre Three Cats Ranch life I'm sure she is very aware of her favorite hooman's being stressed. She is also VERY aware of what the 5th wheel means! I think out of sight, out of mind will do the trick for her. Such good kittehs!

Edith said...

Glad you all are safe and sound. Perhaps French Knots for buttons or beads? I just did some embroidery pieces for the first time and now I’m mulling how to put them together. I’m thinking low volume hexagonal EPP to give me some more slow stitching by the TV rather than eating.

Teresa aka MarieSews said...

Praying, hoping, dancing, cloud seeding, screaming at the heavens, we've done and continue to do it all in California to get water to fall out of the sky.

The air quality here in the south San Francisco Bay is much improved over the last two days. For a bit there, I didn't think we were going to see blue skies again. I am so very grateful for clean air and blue sky. Rain would be a blessing too but I'm not getting my hopes up.

I'm glad you are settling back in. Evacuation threat is no joke and the anxiety that accompanies these fires is debilitating.

I love the bag ladies!!! I may have to order one or two of them. Take care and stay safe and healthy!
Teresa

Julierose said...

Glad to hear things are calming down for you. Our pets certainly can sense our moods and stress levels...my lovely calico Schumee (long ago gone now) always knew when something had upset me and would come and sit on my lap an purr to comfort me...
We are due for rain tomorrow (fingers crossed it will be a good amount--we are SO DRY)
Your Bag Ladies quilting is looking so great...
hugs, Julierose

Annette Mandel said...

As a quilter, I seldom reattach buttons to my sweaters. You can leave them off for "authenticity". A78mandel at the usual address

Vroomans' Quilts said...

I used buttons, beads, and french knots on my gals. Glad tha Sadie is easing back along with you folks.

Magpie's Mumblings said...

I love the bag ladies! So much personality in each of them. Glad to hear that Sadie is settling somewhat - probably she's sensing the lessening of your anxiety too.

MissPat said...

After sewing all those beads on the snowflakes, I'm surprised you are avoiding sewing on a few buttons. But French knots might work. Your plum tomatoes look so good. Wish I had some right now. I hope you do better at getting rain than we did. A few sprinkles yesterday and now none in the forecast for a whole week. And frost this weekend. Goodbye summer.
Pat

piecefulwendy said...

You might be on to something with Sadie. I know Wilbs gets a little bothered when we take out the suitcase. Those tomatoes are so pretty in that bowl. Glad things are settling down. I do hope the rain comes!

Susan said...

Animals often sense our anxiety. Like some others said, you could do some small embroidery stitches if you don't want to do that, you could maybe ink in the buttons? You'll figure it out, I'm sure.

Glad your air quality is getting better and you can ease back into "normal". The smoke that reached us here in Michigan is mostly gone. We had blue sky by yesterday afternoon and the sun no longer had that hazy reddish look.