Week 21 - Happy at Home

How can a week of vacation where I stayed at home be anything but wonderful? It can’t! Even though the weather did not cooperate (it rained a lot!), I still had a wonderful week.

Because the only 2 days that the sun would shine at all were Monday and Tuesday, I had planned to spend them outside. But when it was 42 degrees on Monday morning and the same cold was forecast for Tuesday morning, I decided to spend the mornings inside and work outside in the afternoons. I typically would reverse that since I have more energy in the morning but what could I do. On Monday I slogged through all the paper on my desk in the morning and then headed outside and started planting my containers. That hadn’t really been my plan but I was drawn to that so went with the flow. On Tuesday morning, I had a hair appointment and did some banking afterwards. It was still too cold out when I got home so I organized my yarn and neatized the spare room. I finished all my containers and a couple for Hansen House in the afternoon. Since it was supposed to rain for the rest of the week, I resigned myself to being done outside.

Well, it wasn’t raining on Wednesday but rather was cold and dreary. I considered going outside but my back had had enough what with all the time I’d spent in the previous two days bent over sifting compost, mixing soil and planting pots. I spent most of the day vegging but didn’t enjoy it because I felt guilty not using my bonus non-rain day outside. Self imposed guilt struck again! I did make some yummy soup for lunch and a nice dinner plus moved all the plant stands outside and swept all the detritus from my overwintered plants from the house. None of that was enough to assuage my conscience. Damn!

On Thursday morning, Helen and I had breakfast at the Wigwam Café and spent the morning catching up, which was nice. I see so little of her that it’s always fun when we do get together. She had to leave for a 1:00 appointment with the farrier so I decided to spend the afternoon cleaning the garage, which I could do whether it rained or not. If stuff was on shelves, I ignored it but I filled 2 trash cans with the crap that was on the floor. Sheesh! When I was done, I hauled a load of recycling downtown and then took a much needed shower. After all that, I had no problem justifying some veg time. I did make a slew of phone calls in the evening, trying to find a new cleaning lady, calling my contractors and an upholstery person about making a slipcover for my favorite chair (no luck there.) It was storming big time after dinner and I went to bed early because I was thinking we’d lose electricity. We didn’t.

There rain gage had 2 inches in it on Friday morning and my basement was dry. When I’d been potting plants, I kept throwing extra soil against the foundation by the problem corner, which clearly worked. I guess I should have done that sooner. Anyway, Friday was my last day of vacation and I had to resign myself to not finishing my to do list. Go figure. I inventoried both freezers and did the laundry before making a quiche. I was going to my first French speaking dinner in Lincoln, invited by Sara, one of the water aerobics instructors who is a French teacher. I was nervous about speaking French again after almost 30 years. I was the first one to arrive and the man who answered the door introduced himself in French. The game was on! I did better than I thought I would. The nouns came easily but the verbs were a bit tougher. I was able to understand just about everything and asked when I didn’t. There was an interesting mix of people there from a man from Switzerland to a woman married to a French man and, of course, a contingent of French teachers. It was actually fun but I was mentally exhausted when it was done. It was a great way to end my last day off.

I couldn’t have my typical Saturday morning of chatting on the phone because the contractors were coming at 8:30 for the final walk around and discussion prior to ordering supplies. I did pick up the phone once they left (they’ll be starting the gutters and siding within 2 weeks) but Lorri showed up with plants and then I talked to my neighbor’s friend Jan about cleaning my house, having heard for my only possibility that she couldn’t do it. The morning felt like a whirlwind.

I grabbed a sandwich and picked Andrea up for spinning in Fremont. I brought my wheel, which was still in pieces in the box from the auction, figuring the woman who sells the same brand wheels could help me put it together, which she did. I practiced the foot action and it’s all threaded and ready for me to spin. Cool! From spinning we went to Buck’s Shoes, where I didn’t buy shoes (are you shocked?) but Andrea found some. When I mentioned that the man who had bought yarn from us after the auction had his shop right around the corner, we headed over there. It was fun. I found a 4 tiered 50’s plant stand with round glass shelves and some cheap yarn. Andrea bought 50’s metal and vinyl chairs to go with the kitchen table she got at an auction. I dropped her back at her car just after 6:00 but we decided to go to the Mexican restaurant since it was later than we’d thought we’d be and neither of us had plans for dinner. It was a nice end to a fun day.

Sunday was a typical chore day – changed sheets, did laundry, blah, blah, blah. But I did have one more thing I had to get done from my list – making the pouch for my Ravelry color swap. Last time I mailed my package on the first day but this time I was waiting for the yarn I’d ordered so couldn’t. The problem with delaying is, the longer I wait, the more goes in the box – both handmades and stuff I buy. I already had 3 handmades (I only need 1) and was set to make a 4th – a small pouch like I made back in March. I went downstairs to start that but spied a cut up pair of jeans on my craft table and got inspired. I dug through my bins of trim and had a ball. Check out the pouch I made for some of the yarn I’m sending. Isn’t it cute? I’m SO pleased with it and may have to make more. Anyway, once that was done, I made the little pouch I went down there for. That’s 5 handmades – time to get that package in the mail, which I can do because the yarn came on Saturday. Good thing.

So, that was my week off. Any week at home is a good one, bad weather or not. Now I’m getting ready to head back to work. I can only hope that it’s not too hard to slog through everything at work tomorrow. Wish me luck.