Presents!

What could be inside this lovely box?

Why yes, it’s the Alaska quilt kit!

Such pretty packaging. I am going to tuck this away until after the holidays so I am not tempted.

Tera makes a lot of her projects from kits. After last weekend, I certainly see the appeal of that approach over mine, which can best be described as “flying by the seat of my pants.” How do you all feel about kits?

I finished the insulated shades yesterday. Now that roll of shade material is on the windows instead of taking up valuable sewing real estate. I still need one shade for our bathroom window—two, if I also decide to put one on my office window. I am inclined not to, as I use that window to monitor what is happening on the road in front of our house. (People driving by slowly, broken-down snowmobiles, befuddled UPS drivers, etc.) In any case, I’ll need to buy more shade material and cover fabric, but I am waiting for another Joann’s sale.

I also ordered a birthday present for myself (I turn 55 in 10 days). Accuquilt was having a 50% off Studio dies sale, so I bought myself another strip die—the 3” one—because my scrap bag is overflowing again and I will need to do a round of cutting here shortly. I also bought the Bear Paw 14” block die and the equilateral triangle die. I am going to set up either my handcrank Singer 66 (her name is Jane) or my small treadle machine in the living room and bring down a batch of scrap quilt pieces to work on.

I might buy myself a few others things before the month is over.

I went to Harbor Freight the other day to get some 48” aluminum yardsticks. The husband wanted a couple and I needed one, so I popped in on my way to Hobby Lobby. I told him later that every single man in that store gave me the side eye while I was shopping, like they couldn’t believe a woman would be in there. It was very weird. I try not to do that to the men I see in Joann Fabrics. They are probably uncomfortable enough being in there without me looking at them strangely.

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This is terrible on so many levels, but a deranged 50 year-old man drove through the Super 1 grocery store in Columbia Falls (just north of us, near Glacier Park) the other night. A few people managed to get it on video. I am sure it will come up in a Google search if you are inclined to look. He actually went in through the front doors, drove up the cereal aisle, turned around, and drove back out. Amazingly, no one was hurt or killed.

I ordered all my lettuce-growing supplies yesterday. I was going to try to source them in town, but after going to two stores and striking out, I defaulted to Amazon. The husband needed a small shovel and Home Depot was out of those, too.

It snowed all day yesterday, as I thought it might when I saw the storm system moving through the Cascades. More is expected today. My in-laws were here for Christmas in 1996—the winter of the big snow—and my MIL said it was like being in a snow globe. That’s how I am starting to think of this winter, too. Every time it stops snowing, someone shakes the snow globe and it starts up again. The chickens are stuck in the coop, The door to the chicken yard is open, and they will stand out there in a pouring rainstorm, but they hate walking around in snow. (Sometimes the husband takes pity on them and shovels the snow out of the chicken yard.) I fear it is going to be a long winter for them. I might buy some cabbages and hang them from strings so they have something to do besides peck at each other.