Can't Lose Me in a Snowbank

I know some people will be upset about this, but my friend Twila, who directs our church choir when we have one, and I have decided not to have a choir for Christmas this year. Our pastor’s retirement at the end of October brought with it some upheaval—not unexpected—and the interim pastor just started on December 1. Twila did a ton of work heading up the gift festival in November. Last month was a meat grinder for me. Christmas Eve is on a Saturday night with church again the following morning. The two of us had a long talk and decided to pass on a choir this year. Honestly, we’re both tired.

If people want to get torqued about this, they are welcome to take over the job of scheduling practices and finding music. And they’ll have to get another pianist (good luck with that) because I am not learning any new music for the rest of the year. Also, we never have enough tenors.

The new recliners are being delivered Friday. Yes, that’s plural. I bought myself a new chair, too. I realized that the one I am currently using is contributing to some back problems and making me less willing to sit and watch TV with the husband in the evenings. I found a recliner for myself in red leather, to match my red living room. The husband’s recliner is a nice rich brown leather.

We watched the Western Truck and Tractor Repair channel on YouTube last night. This is a mechanic in southern Oregon who travels around fixing heavy farm equipment. The husband said that he likes these videos because this guy is even busier than he is, and that’s saying something. I like to watch the videos because the guy is an absolute genius and I enjoy his rants. Half the time I have no idea what he’s doing on these trucks, but it’s like a soap opera with a cliffhanger at the end of every video. Will he be able to fix the truck? On last night’s video, he was calibrating a turbo actuator on a diesel engine. The husband has done this on his trucks, too. (I probably ask a lot of annoying questions and maybe the husband wishes I hadn’t bought myself a new chair, LOL.)

WS came over yesterday afternoon to practice his piano lesson. I do not mind if kids play my piano providing they wash their hands, first, and don’t bang on it. I listened to him practice and stepped in now and then to help him figure things out. I am trying to encourage good practice habits. He’s coming along. After he finished practicing, he spent about 20 minutes flinging himself down the big piles of snow in our yard on his sled. I wanted to join him but I would prefer to avoid a trip to the ER. Our friend Tommy stopped by, too, to buy some eggs and visit for a bit. He was skiing nearby.

I found the most fabulous piece of fabric on the mystery rack at Walmart yesterday:

This is another chunk of double-brushed poly and you can bet your biscuits I am going to make myself a top from it. I refuse to dress in muddy earth tones and sad pastels when I can fill my closet with stuff like this. You won’t be able to lose me in a snowbank.

And did you see?—Pantone’s color of the year for 2023 is Viva Magenta:

This year’s Color of the Year is powerful and empowering. It is a new animated red that revels in pure joy, encouraging experimentation and self-expression without restraint, an electrifying and a boundaryless shade that is manifesting as a stand-out statement.

Yes, please! I need more pink and red in my wardrobe. I’m a bit heavy on greens and blues right now.

I also bought the pattern for the Sew House Seven Toaster Sweater. When this first came out, I was like, “Eh, that will be too short on me,” but I’ve decided to give it a shot. I like that it is a raglan and I can always lengthen it a bit.

Back to quilting tomorrow. Before I start working on an actual quilt, I am going to put together a big sandwich of fabric, Insul-Bright, and batting and quilt that. I’ll cut it into potholders and bind them. DD#2 has been asking for some and I could use a few more, too.