The weekend has arrived

So glad that a new week will soon be here. Too many off things last week. I did this and that yesterday but  not much to show. I made a nice start on the repeat snowflake and for that I am pleased. This is on the plan for sometime over the weekend......

One of the Tilda dolls ready to have a body cut out. The fabric is a light peachy color that was given to me by Dianna. We traded off some fabric a while back. Just have to think about the clothing fabric and I have plenty in my bins to choose from.
I also happily  unfortunately  (I say but do not really mean) found a pattern for a tatted trinket box. I am really going to try to hold off with this one.  Anyway, I have the snowflake to finish and still working on re-arranging craft storage.
I want to pass on a "new" blog...sort of. Becky Noland who is a clever and witty gal has resurrected her knitting blog, https://theknittedlife.blogspot.com/ She also has her Etsy shop and her stitching blog, https://lucybeam.blogspot.com/ ......so stop by and check them out. I am sure you will like what you see.
Wherever you are, I hope you are in the "well zone". So many people are either with the flu or pneumonia or other. I am really trying to stay healthy after that lousy cold I had. Our weather is once again moving toward the unseasonal temps of mid to high 70s. My garden is not sure what to do; continue blooming or take a rest.

this picture of Alien was taken on the 7th. I finally attached garden twine so it would not attack me every time I opened the door from the garage. I marked where is coming from to where it is going and how much was in a blob.
The next picture was taken on the 10th

Can you see the blob ....how big it has grown and the twine is beginning to disappear?...Do not know what it looks like today yet as it is still dark out there. I tell you, this Snail Vine grows a foot a day! in all directions. It is still blooming too. Today or maybe tomorrow morning is skim the pond day for sure. I should do laundry, make the bed too and change the air filter and I want to tat and sew! Did I mention I want to bake too?So ambitious......
Well, my coffee is finished and Corn Flakes eaten so on to domestic tasks. Nice to have you visit with me. Thank you for your kind words and friendship. Hope to chat with you again soon.

A special end to a crazy day

Finally all was good here. Dave fixed my electric and cable problems. Poor guy had to come all the way across the courtyard! thank you Robyn for sending him and glad you are feeling better. Just about everyone is not feeling well. Glad that Glenda is feeling much better too.

The guys arrived before the scheduled time to replace a part in the A/C unit. My hand began to feel good....well, I did absolutely nothing so it would! As tired as I began to feel because of no sleep, I would not let myself take even a cat nap. It worked because around 9:30 last evening I finally did sleep and woke at 5:30 this morning. Crazy but I am still feeling tired.
The mail around 11 AM and then the tears.
I hade made a Shutterfly book with help from friend Dianna and it arrived.
Not perfect, but I love it all the same.

It is called-----My Denny and me. This is the cover with the Disney fairytale castle. Many through the years called our love and marriage a fairytale so I thought it would be perfect. One of the quotes I have loved is......."My favorite love story is ours" and it is there.

The very first page is a dedication of sorts because it is truly how our love began; with niece Tonya "Pafazzo" and is one of our favorite pictures of her. She is really the only non-denny/grace picture in the book. Most of the photos are of Denny as the book is about him.

It would not be complete if there were not special pictures of my guy and his garden and flowers. He had this love of gardening even back in Rhode Island before we retired here to Arizona where he was enjoying year round flowers.

and pictures of us through the years...that is the "me" part of the book. So many wonderful memories in my heart. He was a quiet man who loved gardening and some travel and he liked adventures like parachuting, white water rafting and some hiking here in Arizona.

It was difficult trying to choose what pictures to include as we had taken so many in our 47 years together. But after the tears these were the chosen ones. Of course the bear from his jeans had to be included. It is like holding him in my arms.

The decision was easy for the last of the 20 pages....
no words needed here.

The back cover says a lot for me.
Thank you Dianna for helping me accomplish this precious book of memories. While it is not always convenient to carry around lots of photos, this little book is right on the coffee table in the living room ready to be picked up and loved. The process of making this book was difficult at times because memories brought tears but in the end they were really worth it. Each day is still as painful for me as the first day --- May 19, 2017 and the last day of our journey on June 21, 2017. There is no rush for me to get used to the new normal around here......and some days are easier. I try very hard to keep the memory of the good days so that I can accept those last days which will never leave me.
I love books of all kinds; mysteries, travel, history and of course my crafting book but this is my most cherished and favorite.
I am not lonely for people just lonely for my Denny     💔

What next ? ! ?

I  decided to work in the garden yesterday

and this was the result of trying for 1 hour to connect 2 drip lines. Lots of bad words seemed to float around the yard. Thank goodness for Don who came over and in 15 minutes had both lines attached.
Then it was to finish my tatting

The snowflake is finished, not perfect but complete and needs a bit of blocking. I had hoped to make another one today....we shall see if the hand is healed enough. Then the rains came....yes indeed they did. Of course almost always at night and they did not disappoint.

It pored, the wind blew everything, the chimes sang merrily  and look at the metal plant hanger over the pond how it moved! The Fountain Grass which stands 5 feet is a flattened mess and the pond is filled to the brim. Water everywhere. Good news is that the new gutters work just perfectly. The plants that I worried about yesterday did not need to have a drip line yet! The bad news? Well I have no electricity to either of the 2 bathrooms. No lights...also the outdoor backyard flood lights do not work. Oh and the cable....that is not working either. I tried to re-boot the boxes myself ( at 3 AM) but that did not work. I went on line for Cox support, she could not re-boot them. So today, the A/C guy---Brent---is supposed to come to put a new part in the 7 month old unit to stop the noises (it works just fine otherwise) and then Cox will be out here in the late afternoon to "fix" my cable problem. The bathroom electricity? Well, I am not comfortable trying to play with the switches. The electric box is outside and I have no clue what to click. Just had new master switch put in this past March. Sleep...I have not been to bed yet! I was up at 3 AM yesterday and here it is almost 8 AM and still awake.  So my friends I am not in a happy mood! I am sure things could be worse. It is what it is. Just other issues to deal with. I guess I might as well try to get the electrician out here today to check the electrical box situation. Why not, we could have an all day fix it party. I have the wine cooling....
Hope your evening went well and your day is better than mine.

UPDATE

At 8:30, neighbors Robyn and Dave who live across the courtyard read my blog and Dave came over. He showed me how to re-set the electrical switch and there is electricity in the bathrooms! Then he re-set the cable boxes and now there is Perry Mason! I am so lucky to have Robyn and Dave as friends. So, things are looking a little "brighter " just waiting for the A/C guy and due to the weather he may cancel. Guess I will cancel Cox's visit. 

A Prince in my house

Crazy weather morning. The sky was very dark and clouds every which way, then the sun and now we are back to clouds. The forecast is suppose to be for rain today.....we shall wait and see.
My Shutterfly book which was suppose to arrive yesterday....well, it is finally in Arizona and took 6 days to get from NC by UPS to get to Tolleson AZ. So it is about 13 miles away form me....let's see how long this takes. Speaking of deliveries...the package to Lynda Ruth finally arrived in Canada...one month to the mail date!
Yesterday Dianna and Bobby picked me up and off we travelled to the thrift stores in the area.

This Prince followed me home. Could not beat the cost and he just looked at me and I knew he needed to come home with me. Not sure where he will spend his time but for now he is in the living room guarding the candy on  Glenda's my lavender pedestal plate. We stopped for lunch at a little place in my neighborhood that I have never been too and discovered a great menu and the food we had was quite good. You never know about these little places.
I managed to get just a little more done on my tatted motif and it will definitely get finished this morning. I am waiting for the A/C guy (Brent) to come and replace a part in the unit. This is suppose to stop the noises that we hear. I think they should just replace this "new" 7 month old unit. This is the last time and then I will insist that they replace it.
I picked 4 tomatoes yesterday and will enjoy them with cucumber slices later along with chicken tenders and rice. The yard needs a good sweeping and the pond needs to be skimmed but I would rather tat. So, that is where you will find me today. Nice to have you visit and thank you for your kind words. Thank you for your friendship....special thanks to Dianna for caring....

Just tatting

Today is starting with a very cloudy sky...tomorrow is a forecast of rain but the temps will still be in the 70s. Medical test this morning then maybe out to lunch with Dianna and Bobby. This morning started at 6:30 AM for me....can not believe that I slept until such a time! So, instead of doing laundry I picked up my tatting

which looked like this yesterday and now looks like

The outside edge is half done. It is not perfect by any means, but the pattern is new for me and there are stitches that I have done before but it has been some time and definitely could be better. The next one will be much better.
I looked out the window and what did I see....

Ready to pick they are. So many more on the plant too. The beans are looking good too and I will not even discuss the Alien Snail Vine. Yesterday since it want to join the outside light at the back door, I gave it a garden twine to crawl on instead of hanging out in space. Amazing how this plant is growing. Don came by to attach the wrought iron hook to the wall for me.

Now the Rain Chain has a perfect home. I will get a chance to see it work if we get the rain on Tuesday.  I love having this in my garden.....thank you Dianna and Bobby!
There is a new blog, but not a new blogger in town. Deena AKA Parsley, from http://parsleyandthepack.blogspot.com/ is back in town. Her former blog was Seasons of the Mind. Parsley's life took some turns and she decided to start a new blog to better reflect who she is. I have been a follower since way back when so I am happy she is back. Stop by and say hello.
That is about it for me. If I continue to doddle about I will forget that I have a 10 AM appointment to get to. I think I have a little time to get more tatting done.....
Thank you for stopping by and for your kind words. Most of all thank you for your friendship. 

Slow start to my day

Not sure why, but lately as you will note from the late posts, I am just pokey in the mornings. There was a time when I posted at 3 or 4 AM! Just having such slow days. Not happy with this new me, but what to do. It is not that the weather is the cause. We are having a delightful winter start with temps daily in the 70s or mid 60s. The sun is bright and warm daily and flowers are still blooming for me to enjoy. Certain days do affect me and I am trying to get past them....eventually I am sure it will be easier for me.
Look at what can follow me around

It is a rolling metal cart that has wheels that can lock and is about 29 inches high and plenty of space between the generous deep shelves. The shelves are around 16 - 1/2 by 13- 1/2 inches. Found it at Michael's. I choose the soft "rose" metallic finish; there are 3 other colors. It actually moves nicely even on the carpet. Now I have the project all in one portable arrangement.

Currently it is all set for my tatting which is a new snowflake pattern. This is my second attempt to get it right. I prefer to tat from written directions not diagrams but I am too lazy to write it out. I hope to get it made today.

The sweet Lady Bug is already to visit the post office tomorrow and find a new home.....where...not saying just yet. I will say it has a bit of a distance to travel. Speaking of the post office and travel, I mailed 2 packages to Canada on December 8th. One finally arrived after Christmas! and the other ....it is still in Canadian customs! I have sent to the UK quicker than this.
Well, one laundry is swishing and one is drying. Almost like My Denny was here....there was a tissue caught in the wash! Don't you hate that? Not like me at all. He was famous for leaving one in a pocket and of course I would forget to check. Oh well.
Guess I will finish my coffee and then make the bed so I can tat. Hope you all have a great day. It has been nice having you stop by. Thank you for your kind words and your friendship.