Reunion Eggs & a Clock

It seems like forever since I have posted...and I guess it has been. It seemed a good idea to skip a week of going to Tulsa to the chiropractor. Some days I think it is helping and other days not... Mostly not, I guess, if I really want to be honest about it. I think I am in deep denial about carpal tunnel in my wrist and elbow because that would mean a drastic cut in all the things I really like to do... Anyway, one way or another we will find out soon.

Time is drawing near for the family reunion. I have not been for so long that no one can remember the last time I went... that is too sad. Anyway, we will be going this year. There is always an auction on Sunday afternoon to help pay for the newletter and things and everyone who wishes can bring something to auction off. These are what I have been working on for the last couple of days. This afternoon I will finish the stands and then all that will be left will be to let the finish cure a bit.

This clock is the first project nearing completion since we started back to work in the shop. This is one of DH's designs and it is now waiting in my workroom to have something painted on the bottom of pendulum area. He really wants it to be my little snail and mushroom (I really am going to have to give that little doodle a name at some point!) but I haven't figured out yet how to spread it across the area without making it look like a caricature cartoon... That will be this afternoon's second project...

It'a a little cloudy outside this afternoon, but nothing in the forecast about rain...as if that means anything here in Texas..lol The workmen are back and working on the shop trying to finish it up at last. It seems that the rains took so long to stop that it has been forever ... then the contractor had problems of his own. Sure hoping this is the last bit of that job... sigh

I hope everyone is having a good week. Hugs...

Surprise!

We came home from running around town a couple of days ago and found that one of our daughters had called several times. After we unloaded groceries and put them away, DH sat down in his chair and returned the call. She answered almost immediately and I heard him say "Well, where are you?". Then I saw him getting out of his chair saying "At our front door?!!"... lol Talk about a surprise! She and her husband could only stay a couple of hours, but what a good surprise that was!

Saturday the clock was finished! DH tried to change the movement to one that bonged a different sound, but the movement he bought for it just didn't work. He wound up putting the original one back in, but we love it anyway. Each one seems to be getting just that much better. He already has the next one picked out. ;o)

Cool Rain

It's been a lovely couple of days. Cool, slow rain...temps in the 70s and 80s. Lovely.

Off to the cardiologist tomorrow.. CT Angiogram.. just checking. Should know the results by the beginning of next week.

This doctor is one that when you go for an appointment, make sure you have enough of something to keep you busy for at least 4 hours. They have grown accustomed to my spinning...grin And speaking of which, I don't think I will ever get the Corriedale that I dyed spun into that sock yarn I really wanted. Of course, if I have very many more of these appointments, it may be done before I know it...lol

DH has finished his clock. It turned out really lovely and looked so good on the wall! But there is something wrong with the speaker for the chimes, so that part of it had to come out and is now on it's way back to the factory. Hopefully the new part will be here within a few days.

I found this Stephen King book on sale for $3.99. Naturally I grabbed it right up. It bears an uncanny resemblance to "The Stand" in the plot line and the characters. After learning not long ago that many authors have "ghost writers" that write the

story after the "author" gives them the outline and plot, this one makes me wonder if it really was Stephen that wrote it... This is not to say that I didn't enjoy it... it just didn't seem to be of the same quality as his others...

Catching Up

I was in my workroom the other day and all those unfinished projects just seemed to suddenly want to be finished. The first one I picked up was the pieced, appliqued and embroidered bird quilt wall hanging that I started I have no idea how long ago. I have been working on it since the last post and I am proud to say "It is now an FO!"

Another project that is now taking up the kitchen

table is another clock. This one is a little more difficult that the Banjo Clock. This is called the Kingston Regulator Wall Clock. DH is now in the process of wishing glue would dry faster.. ;O)

I've never been much of a quilter, but have decided that there's no time like the present to learn. So.. this is the first pieced block I have done that has points.. Lo and behold, I found that it isn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. However, I have decided to spend some time finished all (or at least most) of the projects that have been sitting and waiting patiently for me to return to them. So I decided to make this block into a pin cushion. I have never had a pincushion stuffed with wool before but I have read that wool pincushions will keep your pins from rusting. I used some wool I have that has more grass bits and twigs in it that I like to spin with and stuffed it fairly tightly. Having used poly stuffing for everything I have ever made, I found the wool would go into the corners and there were no lumps... it is so soft to the touch and easy to use... Love it...

Finished

The Banjo Clock is finished and hanging on the wall. And isn't it lovely! DH spent lots of time in my work room with the doors open because of the sanding and sealing, staining and finishing. But all was well worth it... The caring and joy he puts into his clocks simply ooze back out and make you happy just looking at them.

And now the monster has been created...lol Another clock kit arrived at the door yesterday... This one will be more difficult and have many more pieces... I think he has found his niche.

Remember this?

This is the crazy quilt block that I started 2 years ago to commemorate the wedding of our son to his partner of 11 years. I wanted it to be so perfect that I felt that whatever I did to it was never quite good enough, so it finally found itself a place and just stayed hid out in my workroom. I came across it day before yesterday and after not seeing it for a while, I realized it was quite lovely... and finished it! The only thing that may be added is some stitching around the border.

I finally broke down and turned on the air conditioner in my work room. There are just too many things that I want to do out there. ;o)

Had my 18th molar pulled a couple of weeks ago. Thought it would never stop bleeding..but found out one thing for sure. The wet tea bag did stop the bleeding. I was amazed. Back to the dentist yesterday and we're back to the old anesthetic and deep scaling and scraping. YUK!

Home Again

It seems that we plan and look forward to trips, then as soon as we leave the city limits we're ready to be back home...lol We had to make a quick run to Bull Shoals, AR and on the way back stopped in Eureka Springs. Thought we might go a show, visit some of the caves and ride the trolley around for the tour. We slept, got up and decided we were just too ready to be home.

On the way back, we stopped at a couple of the many antique stores on the side of the highway and while I didn't find any old spindles, we did find a few treasures.

DH found a couple of clocks that he will be able to fix and put new workings inside. Talk about tickled..lol And we have been looking forever for a creamer that actually has a lid on it.. look around on your next trip to town and see what a futile search that turns out to be...well, we finally found one.

A while back I had to darn the holes in the socks that I knitted for DH. I had to use a light bulb for the darning egg... well not any more! There were actually three to choose from, but the other two (while they may have been older) had a kind of ceramic feel glaze to them that had been pitted and worn. I was afraid this would make working with the socks more difficult, so this black wooden one was my choice.

We have been watching Midsomer Murders for quite a while, renting them through Blockbuster and watching the series as many times as we like. That turns out to be many times..grin Anyway, the series is based on books written by Caroline Graham and the first book she wrote was The Killings at Badger's Drift ... and look what we found...

All in all, it was a good trip...even if it was quick. The company and the scenery were great!

Hello, Again

I can't imagine where the month went.


My tiny antique spinning wheel arrived 3 days ago. It was found in an online marketplace for a reasonable price and after emailing back and forth with the owners (who we found were exceptionally nice folks), we bought it. I put pictures up on the Kromski yahoo group and found out that it was most likely made in the early 1800s and is possibly older than that.



There is a small amount of work (besides the careful cleaning and oiling) that needs to be done to it for me to use it, but that will have to wait for a few days.

The new banjo clock kit is my DHs new project. It's cherry wood and is turning out really nice. I had no idea that many of the parts on clocks are now glued. It's some seriously good glue..lol Once you put that piece down, don't expect to move it around after about 3 seconds! ;o)

He usually comes up with his own design and builds his own clocks, but decided this time to warm up with a couple of wall clock kits and then go to the big time with a grandfather clock!