Getting Ready for the Bout

My Christmas shopping is 99.32% finished, the stockings are hung, I can't find the special treat we brought back from Montana just yet, but everything else is coming along. So it must be time for. . . . ROLLER DERBY! Yep, its time for the Glass City Rollers second home bout. Seagate Center, 7:00 Saturday, Dec. 19, 2009, tickets available in several Toledo locations. I picked a lime green shirt at the thrift shop tonight, and felt to make banners for each of the girls--really cheesy ones, of course. I'm still amazed that I like this so much. Must be my alter-ego at work.

The Whitehouse Library Home Tour was loverly again. Raised some good money for a good cause. I'm pretty seriously considering having our house in the tour next year. Unless 6 other homeowners just jump at the chance, I'll do it. This year, I'm keeping it simple. Just the bestest ornaments and a few garlands. Okay, there is my Yooper Christmas Village that's taken on a life of its own. YooperVille and ranger-y stuff cover my cutting table, which is taking up all of my foyer, the Acadia Cool Damp & Foggy Village is on the buffet, and there are some other pieces here and there. I could only find one new piece that I liked this year, and a bunch of new people, including Rangers on horseback. They do need to be 'snow painted' though so they fit in. I'll have my crafty corner up and maybe running by Christmas. DH and newest nephew-in-law worked all afternoon in the basement again today. DH has put in a couple of hours here and there. I'm hoping the paneling goes up in the Crafty corner tomorrow or the next day. I'm taking over then. The drywall is up for the 'river portage' wall mural. Yours truly just has to mud and tape the seams and holes. Arg. We have 7 years experience doing this. All 7 years were spent trying to finish the kitchen ceiling in the old house. Finally, I just painted the dang thing, dimples and all. Hey when the house is over 160 years old, who cares about drywall dimples?

I've also been offering unsolicited advice for my daughter's Etsy Store. If you actually prefer handcrafted, made in the USA gifts, check out Etsy and BadAmyKnits. Tons of cool stuff.

Housing Projects

When I'm out west, I miss that there are no house projects which need our attention--sort of. . . The apartment is small, which means no intense cleaning needed, but it's also pretty sterile. When I get home, I'm overwhelmed that there are so many projects that need my attention--sort of. . . I'm hoping that when the basement is finished (the end is almost in sight), that I can start indulging in more fun stuff--like taking a hike without being overcome with that old Protestant Work Ethic thing. All summer long, I tell folks that they should go sit on a rock and do nothing, but I fail to follow my own advice. I'm thinking of making myself take a walk in the woods every Wednesday. Check in with me to see if I do it. Maybe I just need peer pressure to do it!

I'd also like to get back to my sewing projects. It's good therapy for me. I used to say it was cheaper than therapy, but if I actually get my crafty corner fixed up in the basement, it could get costly again. I'll have room for my material stash, and all of you crafters know how dangerous that can be.

So today's project is to stain the front deck. DH did one section last May before he came out west, so it looks, once again, like poor white trash abide here. The new roof looks great, and the downspouts work, except that there are "splash guards" at the corners. They've turned into leaf catchers, so I called the company yesterday and asked them to come out and remove them. We did get the new door put in, complete with the electronic lock. Email me for your own private code number!

And I got one of the 1 1/2 tons of river rock moved. I have a plan for the rest of it, but I've got to get that stain on before the rains come again. Bring your paintbrush and come on over!