My Week

Sunday, I watched Mass live online but this was the first time we were allowed to return to church for Communion between 11AM and 12 in small groups.  Funny how one can take such a regular grace for granted.   The first Sunday I drove there because of the rain but the second time I walked there with the dogs and tied them under a tree.  It was hot so the girls wanted a break under every shade tree on the way home.

I got a Regency era dance dress on eBay and it looked like this. Of course it needs hemmed for my shortness so I chose growth pleats.  There is a decreasing demand for sewing masks and dwindling supply of free/low cost materials.

I'm trying to put horizontal "growth pleats" in a dress hem. Not that I'll grow but I'm short and this dress may someday be turned over to a taller person. I figure I may need 6 pleats. I used to call these things UFOs (unfinished objects) . I like referring these as PHDs (projects half done). Since I haven't had this sewing machine very long, I want to figure out what the other attachments are used for.  I find that 3 pleats did the job but I was expecting more.

If you look close, you'll notice a difference in the fabric quality between what I got and the advertised photo. I had to hem it and then tried it on for the proper length and noticed the lace neck line curled.  I had to split every other eyelet and tack that down.

I have been on a Facebook page for a daily trick.  The latest was called "place" but it looks to me like rally sign number 15. Call Front - Finish Right - Sit. So easy that even a Pekingese can do it (just kidding). I have been working on beginner rally with Sophie for June trials that were canceled. I know that AKC says pekes are independent when it comes to training so she is special. I haven't been in this training thing very long but I haven't seen another peke doing rally either. I'm grateful for what ever this little sweetheart can do. Nobody can resist that wagging tail of hers.

Friday I took the flags I'd saved out to Camp Butler since the scouts were not going to place flags on the graves this year.  The gates are open but just no gatherings this year because of the pandemic.  I had about 10 flags so I made it look bigger by doing our row.  Then I stomped on that vacant space next to my husband's grave.

I went to Menards and picked up two of those plastic grass-like rugs to wipe feet. All these clippings come into the house and show on tiles. I'm also starting to see an end to sheltering so I better make a list of unfinished projects, like sewing and a book I wanted to read. I've been so lazy!

Summer heat has arrived and I got the fans down from the attic.  Sean had already turned on his air conditioning.

Sunday I got word that there will be no summer activities at the historic sites.  That really sunk in after fixing up the historic wardrobe with a new petticoat and hoop.  Then it occurred to me that there is nothing to look forward to.   No agility, no vacation, no nothing. 

Meanwhile, the legislators voted themselves a wage increase to offset an increased minimum wage that is going up to $15/hour.  How generous of them. I see all of this parallel to that of a parent withholding a kids allowance to gain control.  It's the new normal they say.  I have been thinking about moving out of Illinois a long time.  It would be a major undertaking and a lot of downsizing.  I have no destination yet.  It would be nice if I could continue my activities with therapy dogs, veterans and reenacting.  I think I would have to give up reenacting the most because of local, age and better to be with a male partner.  I would really miss my sons.

Memorial day was honored in a social distance fashion around the Chatham Memorial for 30 minutes.  I put up Veterans Flags up on Saturday and helped take them down on Monday at 5:00 P.M.

Yes, that's my mask hanging around my neck.  There was a poppy art display and a car parade.  That parade made me feel emotional because it communicated that the community cared.  The rest of the day I spent watching Fury and Grant on TV.  As administrator for for a few veteran Facebook pages, that kept me glued to the computer.  Pretty inactive Memorial Day.

Next week the gym is supposed to open up with restrictions.   I think there's a limit of 10 so I don't know how that's going to work.

My Shelter in Place Pt 2

I have been sheltering in place and rarely leaving the house except to walk the dogs. Both Sophie and Amber are therapy dogs and the cancellation of visits by our national organization was the first of many that followed. Meanwhile, Sophie rests in place and Amber is younger and still in training. We have been enrolled in a temporarily, free online course called "home school the dog". I've attached Sophie resting like St Joseph and our national motto "Paws Awhile for Love".

I've been exercising in the morning with Powerworks via Facebook live.  Sometimes Amber wants to exercise with me.  Sometimes there's technical difficulty.  I can always watch the classes in re-run mode but that takes self motivation.  It's one thing to have an instructor encouraging me to finish to the end but another to watch on my own time.  Heck, going to class knowing that others are watching and working to the end would shame me if I teetered out early.  I don't want to be a quitter. 

I've got my garden planted and trying to get caught up on my unfinished sewing projects as I've run out of twill and other remnants for masks. I've had to get into the mechanics of my sewing machine to remove tangled thread in the mechanism. Hence I leave the cover off to watch the threads before it gets tangled.  TV is on but not really watching it as much as some, but then I didn't before the shelter in place order. TV mostly kills the silence (and I have hearing aids). I appreciated the welfare call from Harlan Meister from church. I watched many other live Masses but seeing my own parish online reminded me how much I take for granted being in a pew for Mass can be. My son normally visits on Sundays and does his laundry here but since the pandemic, he drops it off on the porch on Saturday and picks up on Sunday and then we walk our dogs to minimize contact.

Getting down to the wire and end of my scraps, I finally found an easy way to make pleats with a jig but I must use the pause on the video of how to make one.  I sometimes I think it's easier to just iron and estimate.

 

Clothes pin shows the opening for inserting an optional filter. Scissors points to an insert pocket should one need a wire nose piece I have a nose piece on the one I wear but it’s sewn in rather than pocket

My son gave me a package of these (5) that he got at work. They are 2 ply. Made by Fruit of the Loom. He calls them the tighty whitey masks. It works.  I shared it with my "Maskateers" group and they got a chuckle.  One suggested a tie die.  I learned that the label mentions silver and I learned that was in there for odor control.

My dogwood tree is in bloom

Since I've been taking a class called "Home school the dog", our latest lesson pertained to tugging. I ordered this Braided Fleece and Faux Fur Dog Leash, Sport dog collar, dog leash tug, dog leash on Etsy which is similar to that in our lessons.

I may have completed the course but it's a daily lifestyle to maintain what we learned.  For me, I am learning patience.  She taught us to basically wait the dog out for a change in behavior that's desired. Then we reward the dog.

I've been walking the dogs a mile every day but it is stop n go n sniff n pee.  I know because my Apple watch ticks at 1 mile.  Monday I walked further to the post office with the dogs and hooked them up to a pole while I shipped masks to my son.  I hadn't been out much and noticed how things have changed in the past weeks.  This is the plexiglass shield in the post office and the employees wore masks as did I.  Alan sent me his hearing aid batteries since my source was closed through the end of April.   I sent him some of the masks that I've been sewing.

On the way, I saw these bushes trimmed like an Easter bunny.

 

I did some sweeping that involved moving furniture.  I noticed that there was still dirt where I had just been  ~~~ then I looked at my shoes.  O no.

Here's my other UFO (unfinished project).  The dress is stained.  I had started doing the slip and pantaloons a year ago but the outer dress was puzzling and put off.

You may recall from my last comment that this was a goal.

 After seam ripping the skirt off because I sewed the wrong side, I think I got it. But now her petticoat is showing.  Well, I'm done for now.

I hate to say it but there are still a number of unfinished projects to sew.  My new sewing cutting board and rotary cutter arrived yesterday from Joanne. On my is this slick. I can’t believe I thought a and my cardboard mat was good enough.  I have been fixing a hoop that I had ordered on Amazon that was poorly constructed and the wire boning was sticking out.  It was constructed with cross-grain ribbon instead of twill tape.

This is the photo taken off of Amazon.  Looks nice doesn't it?  And the description:
8 Hoop 109" Reproduction Civil War Cage Crinoline Petite Regular Ladies 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 Period Correct Hoop Skirt Gown Civil War

When it arrived, I immediately saw poor quality.  This shows the wiring sticking out of cross grain ribbon.  Notice the boning on the left vs the right re-made and covered by hand with twill tape.  I recovered the of the rings of boning to prevent poking out with the exception of those in the bottom casing.   I also saw a video on YouTube that gave me an idea for trimming the lower kick bag.  I found the trim in my scrap stash that is perfect.

I need a little bit more work and securing the boning in the right place for the straps but I do like the ruffle over the bag.  The bag cover prevents tripping.  I still have one ring to recover as you can see.  Alignment is the trickiest part to obtain for the bell shape rather than a lampshade look.  Back on the dress form for finishing touches.

I finally got my AKC certificates from the March 14-15 trials in Champaign on April 24th.  Usually takes less than 2 weeks but circumstances are different with CoVid-19 and essential business.   I was anxious to get them because of all I went through.


It was a rainy day on April 29 but across the street there was a drive by birthday (I suppose).  At first when I saw them in the back of the van,  I thought it odd.  Then I heard a car honk. So I went on the porch and rang my school bell at them. This car was pretty unique with a costumed kid in a bird mask was sitting on the sun roof.

After being so leisure-like, I wonder how fast I can pick things up when we are released from this "Shelter in Place".  So many cancellations and I picture all of them to be rescheduled at the same time.

May 1 ~ Feast Day of St Joseph the Worker

Following St Joseph and our current Pandemic problem, I shall follow St Joseph's example and sleep through this. (painting by Francisco Rizi. The Dream of St. Joseph, 1665).  This rest comes with caution that things may not be the same when you wake!

    

St. Joseph the Worker was once out of work, too

Tuesday, May 5th, I got a surprise gift from Joe and Maureen.  I had been saving all of my cork from my wine bottles since Joe mentioned that his wife was using them in crafts.  Well they stopped by and gifted me a project. I was surprised.  I gave her one of my masks.  Joe mentioned that his blood thinners were making him spot blood frequently.

I got this little Ikea Ekorre walker cart for $15 on Facebook Marketplace.  I sewed a cushion handle and will teach Amber how to use it.  Amber is learning to push a cart. This is an Ekorre child's walker cart from Ikea that I've modified with a soft handlebar. I like the fact that there are screws to tighten the tension without a slick push away and scare Amber from trying it again. It is weighted with a couple of cans of dog food to practice grocery shopping.


  

I put Sophie in her Cinco-De-Mayo outfit that says "Not your Average Senorita".  Amber's outfit needed some sewing. 

Sophie went to the groomer on May 11.  Her former groomer at "Bubbles of Fun" had moved without me knowing.  When I went back to Bubbles, it was a disaster with the new owner.  I've tried 4 groomers since.  Two gave her razor burns.   I liked one that was local but she had to give up her business when her father became ill.  I did find another that I liked and was ready to set another appointment but it's nice to go back to her and her new location is real close and a little bit less expensive.  Since I was leaving my shelter, I tried to get other errands done as well.  I got Sophie's prescription for her eyes and then since it's the 11th of the month, Ace Hardware has a discount for veterans and I had a few things to get.  Here's Sophie checking out the plant section.

5th Sunday of Easter Mass with my family (and coffee).  My photo below made the church bulletin the following week.


 

I am a virtual judge for the Illinois History Day virtual competition.  All done online. I'm looking at Junior competition exhibits for history. 

My Pandemic Mother's Day was nice.  Alan gave me so many plants for the garden, fertilizer and two mushroom boxes to grow.  He also brought a cake.  We saved our carb intake just for the cake.  Alan arrived at the end of Mass online so he came real early.  That meant that Sean's plan to bring carryout lunch was off schedule and they would not be open yet.  So I baked a fresh chicken I had gotten the day before from Aldi via Instacart delivery.  Chicken is in low supply but having an early morning delivery helped.  It was a big chicken too.  Almost like a small turkey.  Then we also had potatoes and kale salad.  Alan also delivered a bag of mending for me to be done.  Mostly winter items that I can take my time on.

I was hoping to have lunch in the sun room but it seemed a bit chilly.  I had to clear the sewing projects off the kitchen table.  I had intended to minimize others being in my home during the pandemic.  After lunch, I cleaned my kitchen while my sons socialized.   Part of Mothers Day is really Brothers Day. After I was done in the kitchen we walked around the block with our dogs.  Probably would have gone farther but the wind really make it difficult and cold.  Sean was not dressed for it.  Sean's dog is also having difficulty walking with a bad leg. Mo is often seen with a leg off the ground.  He's been seeing a veterinarian.

Many people are concerned about getting their hair done.  Not me.  I just have long straight hair that is wash and wear.  Maybe in fall it will be ready to harvest for donation to "Wigs for Kids" but then who knows what restrictions there will be then.

So I'm making a list of things I would like to do after this "sheltering" is over:

Get a massage
St Louis on July 4th for the dance

Lipstick

Fix the tires on my bike

Fireplace burned the last of my wood . I was hopping for sale on logs to stock for next year but I don't view that trip happening this year.  Seems so non-essential.

The famous mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and Catholic Theologian Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) said "All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone." According to Pascal, "We fear the silence of existence, we dread boredom and instead choose aimless distraction, and we can't help but run from the problems of our emotions into the false comforts of an over busy and very distracted mind." I felt Pascal was actually writing about me. So, I decided to spend time each day and night being "...in a home alone" with no outside distractions. With prayer, reflection, and blogging, I have gone from fear of the virus to being at peace with myself!

There are a lot of things I will never finish by the time the state opens up like organizing photos. 

Trying to imagine the "new normal".