I think this vacation week should be titled' things NOT completed while on vacation".  I failed to post on this blog, I didn't do any sewing (and I mean it!!! Nothing!) I didn't do any crocheting that wasn't needed immediately (and still didn't get everything done I needed), I didn't get to the gym once (though I did get some walks in with the dogs...), I didn't get my calendars for 2020 ordered, no Christmas cards done, and the list could continue...

I DID get the snowflakes for my department done, enough gloves done for my department and for Alex's office, cookies baked and delivered to several offices, neighbors, friends, etc., (6 different types of cookies!) I played secret Santa for 2 "Adopt a Senior" people, got my shopping done, helped with the raffle baskets at work, helped out at the annual staff breakfast at work (and got an hour of work in while I was there...) supervised Chris while he was putting in a new fence around our pool in the cold and rain (he was cookie tester....which he said was the best part of the job!) picked out new pool tile and surface material (the plaster is disintegrating in our pool - time to redo it...bummer.  Some of the tile started falling last year, so I knew it was time.)

I didn't get pictures of the snowflakes after I stiffened them, but here they are before that.  Two of them had to be redone after stiffening - a pin rusted on them, leaving a dark brown spot....

I had help wrapping my secret Santa gifts....

My amaryllis on the 13th, and then on the 20th....it's starting to bloom!

Alex requested a baby hat for part of his secret Santa exchange at work, so I made a snowman hat for him.  I had a little help too.

The first part of the week was bright and sunny - fresh snow on Lassen.  (The rest of the week was rainy....)

Here's my amaryllis after one week... 

Here's my original - it's grown a lot in a week!  

Yesterday was the start of "get ready for Christmas!!!"  After I got my chores done, I started working on my embellished gloves.  I got 12 pairs done yesterday (and watched two movies on Disney+, and part of The Mandalorian" series - I have to catch up with AJ....)

That used up most of my gloves that I had in stock, and Walmart isn't carrying them this year.  I ordered some online yesterday, so I can get more done when they get in, so today....my focus is my quilt (that I've been ignoring for most of the year) and snowflakes.  All (or almost all) of my quilt blocks are done, it's time to start the sashings in between the blocks.  I also have one border  that is hourglass blocks that I don't have done yet, but....sashings first!  (After my chores are done though....)

 

And here is the ornament display that I got for Mom's ornaments.  Unfortunately, while I was moving the display to take a picture, I knocked one off...and it happened to be one of the glass ones that she did.  (She switched to plastic balls along the way...good idea!)

Another Thanksgiving is in the books!  I cooked for us and Ralph's family on Thursday, and then went to Jeff's for my family on Saturday.  (Note to self - next year, put the dressing in the oven earlier.....)  

Ralph didn't make it to Jeff's - he decided to stay home sick.  Monday, he was diagnosed with pneumonia, so it was a good call....

Dave didn't make it either.  These were pictures he sent during the day from his place:

And here's my 'reward' for the cooking and cleaning for the day - a cranberry parfait and a glass of wine - and my feet up!

This is the coolest hostess gift too - Debbie and Pat brought it for me - and it is so cool!  I'm planning on taking pictures as it grows.

Chewie enjoyed a little down time too....

And....the house is decorated for Christmas!  (Once again, no Christmas tree - just my snowmen) I picked up an ornament display rack yesterday, and need to pull out all the hand-crocheted ornaments that Mom has sent the kids over the year and put them on it.  More pictures to come!

I just changed the blog's background to fall leaves, and winter arrived.......

This is my car at 5:00 as I was leaving work (and it was snowing really big flakes!).  I5 North was already closed for commercial traffic, and locals were only allowed through if they had chains.   Not long after this, they closed the highway completely.   And then....last night after dinner, we lost power.  Hello winter!!!

Dave had already texted me that morning saying he didn't think he and Marlette would make it to Jeff's on Saturday for Thanksgiving.  There's another stomr right behind this one arriving an Saturday.

I spent the weekend raking and hauling leaves to the green waste in Redding.  I made three trips with my trailer full (and AJ only helped me with one - he was working until 1:00) and it's full again - ready for next Saturday. As I was raking the leaves out front, I heard a large 'crash' and a tree limb fell pretty darn close to where I had been working!  That was close!  (is that good enough reason to not rake leaves????)

After cleaning up the yards (front and back) I made an apron just for me for Thanksgiving!  (well, for Autumn, at least!)  Pretty oak leaves in fall colors.  The pictures don't do the fabric justice - there is a lot of gold sparkle that doesn't show up.  All the little dots on the lighter fabric are sparkly....

I also made two little snowman hats.  Carl from work is expecting twin grandsons any day now.....

I finished the quilt and several baby hats for Kody and Shannon's new little girl that arrived 11/10.  I haven't heard the final decision on the name yet, so no label on the quilt, but....it's done!  I really like how it turned out - always a surprise to me if I like it after I finish!   I start the project with a 'finished' look in mind, and that never matches the final results.  (My imagination is not the best - the finished project is usually better!)

Here are the hats I made - the bunny hat to go with the Peter Rabbit themed quilt, and some regular hats...

I added this little butterfly to the purple hat - it needed a little 'something'.....

I got my "winter" garden planted last week - lettuce, spinach, kale, chard, cabbage, and bok choy.

I finished a bunny hat and booties to go with the Peter Rabbit quilt:

I also have the quilt finished - almost....The quilt is quilted, and the binding is on, I 'just' have to hand-sew the binding down...so close!

I'm not sure if I should be worried...when I went out at lunch to run some errands, my phone told me how close both Ross's was, and home.  Both are too tempting!  

 

Alex and I took the dogs for a walk yesterday - the leaves are beginning to turn colors in the neighborhood.  

Unfortunately, that means they will start falling soon - which means my weekends will be spent raking leaves soon.  Oh boy!  Alex and I got one load of green waste to the dump this weekend, and I've started filling the trailer again....

I forgot to post the bookmarks for book club for October.  We read Slade House by David Mitchell - a good book, but ending was a bit contrived, in my opinion.  The bookmark is a silver fox (a silver hat pin with jade eyes in the book, used to kill a ghost), but I made a couple of orange foxes as well.

Back from the land of darkness!!! (And the land of really, really busy......)  Since my last post, I went to a wedding in Eureka (Emma and Ryan - such a happy couple!), had my department at work audited, spent 4 days without electricity at home, did a couple of site visits for a day center for Allison (cross your fingers.....) and then tried to clean up/catch up from no electricity!  We did have the generator going, which is wonderful, but it isn't the same as having power.  

The time of year isn't helping either - since I was really busy at work (did I mention an audit???) I was leaving home before the sun was up and getting home in the dark - not a lot of time to do anything about the yard and the wind damage.  Finally, today I was able to get out in the daylight and start cleaning up leaves and branches.  We didn't have any real damage, but the pool and the fountain have soooooo many leaves in them!  My 'monster' for the pool doesn't have a large filter, so I let it run for 15 minutes or so, stop it, clean it out, and let it run again.  It still has a lot of leaves to get out.

I did take advantage of the wedding in Eureka to get out to the beach.  The fog was just lifting off the beach when I got there (Mad River Beach - my favorite).