A Rainy Day in Nod

 A positively gloomy, dreary, kind of rainy day in Nod.

And cold.

(Have I mentioned Nod is COLD?!)

There is nothing I have to do that I want to do so

I am procrastinating...

...and looking out windows with Rajah Roo.

In furtherance of my procrastination, I decided I would try to make myself feel less guilty by posting some things I have finally finished.

It's been a while...in many ways and for many reasons - some I stitched so long ago, I would not choose to stitch them now....that's long.

With one exception, I believe these all have been posted previously, but they were not "finally/fully" finished.

{"Winter Woods"...a design by Chessie & Me}

{"Witch Miltida"...a design by Joyce Reed...stitched eons ago...not 1887, but close.}

{"Nantucket Whaling Co."...a design by The Primitive Hare}

{"With Liberty and Justice for All"...a (free) design by Primitive Betty's...again, stitched long, long, time ago, but just fully finished}

I also finally finished hooking "Welcome Cats."

This was almost worse than giving birth, but the "reward" at the end not even close.  I do not wish to bore everyone with the saga of this rug again but, since it is not likely to ever be bound and fully finished, I will tell a brief summary and, hopefully, be done with it. (Hence, why it counts as a "finish.")

This rug is based on an antique rug and I had wanted to hook it from the very first time I saw it.

{Photo of a photo of the original antique}

  I finally located the pattern online and the nightmare journey began.

This was 10+ years ago if not more.... I was still working and had little time to hook...and I am a SLOOOW hooker.

Then WWR ("When We Remodeled") started and the rug was packed away...far, far, away.

I pulled it out years later, after the dust of WWR (somewhat) settled and was completely at a loss as to where to begin again.  It had been put away hurriedly (part of the legacy of WWR) and I had not marked which wool was intended for what.

So, it was, again, exiled to a dark, dark, place.

I finally pulled it out again this past year and was determined to finish it, but even more problems surfaced.

I had wanted to do a somewhat faithful reproduction to the original (because that was what I fell in love with) although I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a purist like Saundra (Woodland Junction is. As I started the second cat, however, I realized the pattern I purchased was far from true to the original. (I'll spare you pointing out the details.)

And, even more troubling, my hooking technique had changed considerably since I started it (and not for the better) so it began to look like two different people had hooked it.

With much muttering, I muddled through and finally finished the hooking....only to realize that, while the color plan probably is closer to the original than any reproductions I had seen, I actually now prefer the warmer, richer, colors of the reproductions of which I had seen so many.

So, I am sorely disappointed...in my inability to pick up on the pattern "issues" sooner, my color choices and, more importantly, my hooking.

About the only things I do like about it are the left cat's "snaggletooth"...

...and the "ghost ball" between the two cats (which is barely visible on the photo I had of the antique and completely MIA from the pattern I purchased, and which I rehooked thrice):

In any event, hopefully, that's the last you'll see or hear of it.

*******

I realize this post is insufferably long already, but I am running far behind on my book "reports" (or have I spent to much time reading?? Don't answer that.)

Anyway, this is another thing I am "finished" with:

It is another historical fiction based on actual events during WWII and if you follow that history at all, you have likely read or seen a version of the story: A woman becomes pregnant while incarcerated in Auschwitz. 

It was ok...I didn't necessarily dislike it and it kept my attention, but I'm finished with this genre for a while.  I think I am more than satiated with the time period and subject matter at this particular point in time.  After a while, the story lines begin to blur and I'm just finished.

*******

Finally, but not leastly, tomorrow is the 21st anniversary of the day our country lost what was left of its innocence.

We will never forget.

PS... To my blog pals from the UK and the realms: My deepest condolences on the loss of your beloved Queen.  What a remarkable woman she was.

Icebox Hotdish

Sometimes, when growing up, we would have "icebox hotdish" for dinner.  My mother would go to the icebox and pull out whatever leftovers and bits in there and combine it into a one-of-a-kind, never-to-be-replicated, casserole.  (We called them "hotdishes"..."casserole" was a bit too formal a term.)  

And since I have nothing of substance to chat about, that's what you're getting in this post: Just a bunch of "this"-es and "that"s.

About the most exciting thing going on (and this says a whole lot about my uneventful life) is that my wisteria is finally blooming.  I love my cornzebo for many reasons, but one of the primary ones is that it serves as a support for two of my favorite plants - bittersweet and wisteria.

There is much to be said for cherry blossoms, but they seem so flighty.  They are so quick to run off and leave you.  And then just when your regrets are the strongest the wisteria comes into bloom....

{Murasaki Shikibu)

I know in more temperate climates vegetation like wisteria sometimes does not know its place and can overtake entire structures.  But I live in Nod and nothing is invasive here other than the snow and relentless cold.

(Something tells me I just may regret saying that at some point.)

We had some storms come through a little more than a week ago that brought damaging winds (I heard, through the grapevine, that we lost several trees at the lake) and heavy, heavy, rains.

This little hummingbird was marooned on my wanna-be porch during a particularly heavy downpour.

I don't know what I was thinking when this happened, but I DO DEFINITELY know I WILL regret it:

This beautiful butterfly comes to visit every sunny afternoon...I love the blue on his wings.

I have found more time than motivation to stitch some.  I finally finished (re)stitching Centennial Eagles (a design by Tina Woltman), but I am undecided about whether to finish it as a pillow (it is rather large actually) or frame it...or just file it.

(Sorry for the wonkiness...it has not yet been pressed and was simply roughly folded.)

I also finished stitching this little piece - It is part of the "Sea Ornaments" pattern by The Primitive Hare.

(Again, apologies for my lack of ambition in pressing it before taking the photo.)

Of course I did not notice the misspelling of "whaling" until I had stitched the first three letters, so had to frog them all to adjust the stitch count.

I am somewhat wishing I had stitched this one over one but too late for regrets...the wisteria is in bloom.

There is still nothing on the rug hooking frame.  Sorry MD.

Well, I am thinking you've had about enough fun with me for a Saturday night and enough icebox hotdish for almost any night (my mum had an incredible gift for making anything taste good...but you really never knew what was in there and I was always the wary skeptic).

Our weather is supposed to turn, with rain tomorrow and then highs in the 50's for the beginning of the week.  I think it's time for a baking day anyways.  Good thing I have long johns right next to my tank tops.