...and depression breeds productivity?

I've had a bad attitude lately. Don't get me wrong, life is fine, family is wonderful, I've just been a downer and it's all me. I've been working on improving it. Triggers are the current circumstances I can't control and the fact that there is nothing I can do really bugs me... like REALLY ticks me off. Some days it's better than others. The negative side is I'm not good company the tired-er I get (is that even a word?) but the positive side is I'm a demon getting things finished. Understand, I'm not getting the things that need to be done by Christmas finished. I'm finishing the things that have been hanging around in drawers, final-final things for projects already done and the scraps were still hanging around (like the picture above; will discuss in a second), and finding things that need to be organized better and used up so I know what I have/where it is/how much I have/if I need it. (Last month it was baking and we are still enjoying the frozen products of that bout of crankiness and so are the friends and acquaintances that received the give-aways. I think they are looking forward to me getting depressed again because it breeds pumpkin pies. For me a baking depression breeds less freezer space and I can't do that too often.)

I told LMSS last night that this passive-aggressive attitude towards the 2 projects left for Christmas gifts was amusing but not great for the thrill I get completing things and crossing off to-do lists, not to mention the people the gifts are for that I have NO IDEA what to buy them otherwise. (I actually broke down and bought a Christmas gift for the 3rd pair of potential socks hanging around because I couldn't do another speed-sock-ing like last weekend.) Also, if you knew how much I had already made for Christmas gifts you would think I was crazy for balking at the last 2 pairs of socks.

Well, I never said I was sane. Socially acceptable most days, yes, but not sane.

Anyway, now for the above picture. Those are the pillow shams for our quilt that I had thought about making but I'm not a decorative pillow/pillow sham person so I wasn't sure if it would happen. I started with the one on the left and it turned out so good I made the one on the right. They look nothing like each other but they fit ("Like us" Hubby said) and I love how they turned out. I used the leftover partially sewed scraps for the left one, simply sewing more frames on until I had the deminsions I needed, and did the back as two panels overlapping. I even had a little fun by sewing the remainder of the bias binding as a trim around the edge between the front and the back. The right one was from scraps too but I was able to plan a bit more with bigger scraps, thus more piecing, back done the same as the left but in different fabric. This eliminated all those little scraps, blocks, binding, squares, strips, etc. and left only the big pieces of fabric which are now sorted by color in my stash to live on in another project one day. I love it. I love the new space and I love how this filled a space that needed to be there, I hadn't reached the time to do it until now.

I'm the left pillow, Hubby is the right pillow. Couldn't you tell?

Organic

Take a bite
And cry
Because it tastes like it used to.
You weren't dreaming
Or getting too old
To remember after all.

Thanks for the memories

Well, as you can see, the pattern is still a work in progress.

What isn't is I actually own a new gas range. This was the result from making plans over a week ago to bake for the Thanksgiving holiday, giving me and the two elementary school age girls I'll have in my house, plus the ever-so-much-of-a-help 2 year old something to do. Can we say cookies and pumpkin pie? Yum. Anyway, those plans can only work if the oven works and it suddenly wasn't and began sending up a gas stink in it's decision. I found this out when I was trying to bake supper and we both were a little cranky. That led to a Sunday trip to Sears (who I have moderately forgiven after the fridge fiasco 2 years ago) which led to the purchase along with a new range vent because our current range vent sounds like a B-52 with speed issues. That's only when it decides to even come on. No kidding. We have to yell over it.

The appliances weren't here for the holidays but thanks to Mom's oven (it does work even if it is across town!) the pumpkin pies and cookies were still made. I also have the ok to use Crochet Queen's oven if I ever need to and she lives only 5 minutes away. The things you find out when something breaks...

Now to eat all the pumpkin pies. I'm actually not hungry. Freezer, maybe?

Thanksgiving was lovely and I finally finished Phase 1 of the Christmas presents. It's a bummer I can't post the pictures because the people haven't received them yet; I really want to show them off. I promise to after Christmas! Right now I have a Ravenclaw scarf and hat to knit for Hubby's friend's sister-in-law. I had forgotten she had hired me to do that, oops! This close to Christmas too! I've done these before several times but I'm still reworking my pattern as I go. The first 1-3 stages of those scarves I knitted evolved a pattern I really like but it still wasn't totally working for regular use. Hopefully this one does and there will be a hat pattern to match. My goal is to finish them both by Wednesday and move to Phase 3 of Christmas, plus finish the quilts when they come back from the lady who is machine quilting them for me. I CAN post those when I finish them!

The lastest addition

So far my plans are working. Doesn't look as nice and neat because the angle on one side is different from the other but hopefully by the next corner I've got it. I'm almost through with one corner (about to turn Sgt. Cribb back on and work away) and the verdict will be made at that time.

I now have a little friend living on my kitchen counter. It's a sourdough yeast starter. It's really a fairly large friend because it's in a big jar. I showed it to Hubby, said "It's alive" and he looked at me partially in wonderment (I hope) and partially in disbelief (probably more like it) that I would take on another living thing that requires attention, feeding, and care. Right now it's happy, bubbly, and I have to stir it once for 4-7 days. Then it will be old enough to use in my bread recipes. I'm watching it to make sure it doesn't turn purple. Apparently if it does that, it's gone rogue and must be done away with.

Speaking of bread, my fabulous family, I have made a REALLY GOOD bread using pumpkin and other yummy spices like nutmeg, honey, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. It doesn't taste like pumpkin at all and the spices only add a hint of sweet loveliness so it's a slightly sweet, moist bread that still can be eaten with dinner, not necessarily as dessert. It reminds me of those really good rolls they made when I was really little in elementary school, pre-3rd grade. I hope all of you have as fond a memory of those rolls! Expect it at the holidays!

Holiday howl

Halloween candy is evil. It must be dealt with accordingly. That must be the reason why I have already opened both of the jumbo assorted candy bags and sneak a piece every few hours, right? Just trying to justify this insane behavior when I really don't care for it in the first place. It's in the house so I must eat it all so there won't be any more in the house?

My cure for this crazy-ness is to knit and knit some more. Oh yeah, I also have my regular machine back so now I can sew and sew some more to get those mending articles back to their rightful owner. I also have to track down SuperGirl (she's at a friend's house) to hem her ballet skirt but that one can wait. It only has to be done for tomorrow.

There have been sick kids the past 5 days so things have been a little crazy. I did finish another Christmas gift for a friend's daughter that I have to post. It is the cutest thing. The other things I'm working on I can't post because I'm never quite sure who's reading this or not. It might be you, it might not!