What I've Been Doing Lately IV

It has been awhile since I last did a "What I've Been Doing Lately" post. I have procrastinated long enough and since I am feeling poorly, I thought I write up the latest update.

• Finshed the DIY Foldable Craft Table. I am pleased with the end result in spite of the terrible plans we used. I have already started using it by cutting up a brand new t-shirt to covert into canvas art. I need to do more soon and take pictures of the process.

• My oldest grand niece was in a major accident late in August pursuing a passion of hers. When I first heard the news, I cried and was so scared for her and the family. I cannot imagine what went through the Momma's heart. I cannot imagine what my grand niece went through when the accident occurred. By all reports, she (my grand niece) is recovering nicely even though she is going crazy not being able to be active. Her mother is keeping her distracted by fostering animals. First, it was a baby goat. Currently, it is a sweet dog. I think they are fostering animals until she can go back to actively pursuing her passion which will be for several months. Yes, she wants to return in spite of what occurred. She is one brave girl and honestly, I am thrilled she wants to return. I just don't want any more accidents to happen!


• We took a short vacation (9/17 - 918) to Padre Island. I took a few pictures and I will post them soon if they are good enough to post. We also went to Fredericksburg Trade Days (9/19) and the San Antonio Home and Garden Show (9/20) where I finally got a telescoping flag pole I have been wanting for several years. It was a nice long weekend and I think Dan was glad to return to work to get a vacation from a vacation. Ha!
• I discovered I lost a 30+ year old filling in one of my back molars back in August. I knew I was going to need a crown and went to see a dentist. While at the dentist, it was discovered that my wisdom tooth, over the years, cut into the tooth that lost the filling. As a result, it is impossible to put a crown onto the tooth. Due to the fact that the roots extend into the sinus cavity, I will need to see an oral surgeon to extract the teeth. Speaking of which, this is probably why I kept having recurring pain in my lower sinus cavities. Anyway, I have yet to schedule an appointment. They are not bothering me at the moment; but, I know it will need to be taken care of in the future. I am just scared to death of the process.


• We took a long weekend (9/25 - 9/27) and helped with my folk's estate sale. Two of my brothers and their wives were there. One of them did the vast majority of the work and I thank them from the bottom of my heart. All in all, it was a successful sale (and weekend). The house was officially put on the market this past Tuesday (10/6).


• I am still working on the UFO (Unfinished Object) Cross Stitch project. I am so thrilled that I am on the final leg – the tedious back stitching. I was hoping to be done with it by my birthday – October 13. But, I think it will be finished later than I planned. {You can see the progress via past "What I've been Doing Lately" posts.}

What I've Been Doing Lately III

• Abby Gail has regained her appetite and is now a little piggy. She is slowly gaining back her weight. I have been weighing her on Sunday mornings and she is now approximately 6.7 pounds. She is keeping me busy.
• Dan’s Mom came to town to visit for a week late in July. We did the usual things and took her to see a few sights. We dragged her along window shopping for a small travel camper, did some “junkin’ (antique shopping) in New Braunfels and stopped by the oldest Texas bakery, went to the Riverwalk, had dinner, and took a ride on a tour boat and did some more junkin’ in a nearby town. We also had some lazy days. I think she enjoyed herself and I know she wants to come back soon.

• I have been going to garage sales once again. I just love picking up things I know I will use such as cheap mason jars in excellent condition (FYI: I never reuse the lids). I also like traveling around and getting to know our little town which is not as small as I thought. The population is just over 1100; but, the spread (of land) is quite large.

  I found the above mirror tiles. One of the packages only had five tiles and I asked that the price be $2.50 (instead of $3.00) and she agreed. I picked up the two packages for $5.50. Yes, I have plans for them! I have to resort to making something because I could not find anything out there (to purchase). It is going to be a challenge to create and I pray that I will not end up hurting myself in the process. I also pray that Dan will not hurt himself too as he will be helping me make a frame.


• The entryway is completed. We just need to hang up hooks. I am thinking of using some old doorknobs I hung onto for eons.
• I turned some old drawers into shelves. We finally hung the drawers along with some shelving for the cats in my studio. I think Abby will be happy that she can get up high on occasion now. I will be posting pictures soon.


{Who is that shameless hussy slaving away on the dresser?

Shot on June 28, 2015 by Dan}

• The DIY dresser is almost finished! It just needs one knob (pull) fixed.


• On July 19, we made Raspberry Peach jam! It is extremely delicious. Dan thinks the taste is similar to strawberry jam. Now, the question is: Was it worth it? You have to see this picture to understand why I am questioning my need to make jams and pickles. I think it is worth the effort in spite of the mess it made. I am seriously thinking about investing in a taller pot and/or a splatter shield. SMH (Shaking My Head}.

• I started making a folding craft table. The above picture shows the legs. Everything is stained and the pieces are ready to be put together. We had to fine tune the legs as the plans we used stunk to high heaven (was full of errors).


"The Castle" designed by Teresa Wentzler; Unfinished, Approximately 3/4 done!

• I am still working on the UFO (Unfinished Object) cross stitch project. ‘Nuff said. By the way, you can see the progress by referring back to pictures in my previous “What I’ve Been Doing Lately” posts.

What I've Been Doing Lately II

It seems like not much occurred since I last blogged. I have more or less ditched facebook and I am only responding to notifications and messages through the social media. About all I do these days online is check emails and catch up on blogs I read (via feedly). I have shared giveaways notices whenever I am required to do so to get an extra entry myself. And, I still tweet giveaways when I remember to do so.

I may start popping on facebook in August to check up on family and friends statuses/pictures. But, I will not be as active on facebook like I used to be.

Abby Gail on a Bag Containing Sample Fabrics; March 25, 2015

• I dealt with Abby Gail being sick. She continued to be sickly and it was tough watching her lose weight. She just would not eat – not even her favorite treats or wet cat food. She was extremely needy and often snoozed on me.

  I worried about her constantly as she lost a little over two pounds which is a lot for a cat. {FYI: She had a bacterial AND yeast infection in her ears.} We took her in for a scheduled checkup on the 25th of June. At that time, she was on the mend; but, she still struggled with appetite and feeling sickly. She still had a minor yeast infection in her left ear; so, we continued treatment in that ear for another two weeks.

  During the whole time she was sick, she dropped from 8.5/9 pounds to 6.2 pounds. She was so dang skinny – I could feel the rib bones whenever I petted her which bothered me to no end. Do not get me wrong, I do not like fat cats either. I just want healthy content cats.

  I was so happy and relieved one morning (around July 8th) to see her eat her entire meal. Before, she would only barely eat and leave the rest (to go to waste). Her happy go lucky attitude slowly returned. I had almost forgotten what it was like to have a holy terror around this house. It was difficult for this old lady to deal with an energetic mischievous cat once again. However, I have adjusted and am absolutely thrilled to have the old Abby Gail back.



Inspiration for our Entryway from This Old House Magazine (May 2015 issue).

Shot on June 25, 2015

• Dan started working on the "entryway" with my help in deciding on the number of "panels" (we went with five), the depth of the tiny shelf, etc., and etc. I like how this idea turns a plain wall into a usable focal point at the entrance. It also helps that it is our style (Craftsman/Mission). We do not have a hall closet or any usable space to "dump" stuff especially for guests. So, this works. It is looking rather nice at the moment!

  By the way, we will be doing something similar in our Master bathroom in the distant future.



Found at a Garage Sale. June 27, 2015

{We started removing the handles when I remembered to snap a “before” picture.}

• I have been looking for a cheap dresser to “up-cycle” and throw into our master closet for extra storage since we first moved here over two years ago. I finally found one with a mirror at a garage sale recently for thirty dollars and was absolutely thrilled. It is a nice solid piece of furniture which pleased me to no end.

  The dresser has been sanded down and is now in the process of being painted. It will be given several coats of poly and then thrown into the master closet for storage.

  As for the mirror, it will be repurposed. I plan to sand down the frame and then stain it in the near future as the wood is still in excellent condition. It will be hung over my regular dresser in our master bedroom.



Unusual Guests. Shot on July 4, 2015

{Note: I shot a lot more pictures. This was the first one I opened processed for this post. I will go through the rest and may do a "Fiend Friday" post in the near future.}

• We had some unusual guests stay in one of our Crepe Myrtle trees not too long ago. What were they? Bats! There were four of them altogether. Dan was the one who discovered them (on July 4th) while we were outside working. Both of us were extremely surprised that they chose this particular spot. We did not bother them nor they us. They left at dusk and never returned.

  I am not sure why they had to take emergency shelter; but, something caused them to do so. The only thing we could think of was the destruction of their old habitat as they looked healthy (via pictures on camera).

  Anyway, I had been thinking about buying a bat house. Due to this recent event, I decided to purchase one and we will be putting it up in the near future. At least, if any bats need a temporary resting spot, they will be safe from the wind (which was gusting the day they stayed) and be away from the path humanity (we) take.

  Bats are great for getting rid of mosquitoes and other bugs around here and it pleases me to know that bats fly around here even if they are just passing through.



"The Castle" designed by Teresa Wentzler; Unfinished; Almost 3/4 done

shot on July 13, 2015

• I am still working on the UFO (Unfinished Object) cross stitch project I mentioned the last time I blogged. {You can see a picture of the top half at the previous post.} It is slow going and extremely tedious due to the fact that there are a kijillion colors to deal with. But, I am pleased with the progress.

What I've Been Doing Lately

{Abby Gail Sound Asleep on My Office Chair; June 12, 2015; shot with phone camera}

{Note: She twitched herself awake soon after I took the picture and looked at me with utter betrayal. She made me laugh!}

Lest you think I’ve been lazy like Abby Gail above, let me tell you what I have been doing (besides the usual every day chores):

• I went camping, relaxing and tubing.

  It was a wonderful time. I was extremely pleased to see that the younger kids LOVED to come over to our site. They are so cute and adorable. I am sorry to say that I have not taken many pictures of people - only one shot out of many were of people. Maybe next time.

• I have been dealing with needy sick cat. When we returned from camping, I noticed Abby Gail's third eyelids was constantly showing itself. I also noticed that she seemed lethargic. So, I dumped her at the vet early one morning (so that they could see her between appointments as they were all filled up). Much to my shock, it turned out that she had a severe ear infection. I never dreamed she had ear problems. I suspected stomach trouble or a broken tooth. But, this diagnosis was a surprise to me.

  She was not herself for about a week and then gradually returned to normal. We are still giving her ear drops (medicine) and her last dosage will be on June 24th and she will return to the vet for a checkup on the 26th.



{Shot on May 6, 2015 with phone camera}

• Making pickles and relish. We had a bumper crop of pickling cucumbers. Yes, from our own garden. We first made some pickles. And then, with the second wave of pickling cucumbers, we made some relish. I am now wanting to make jams and jellies. I will use grocery produce (e.g. raspberries and peaches) as we do not have them growing on our land. Yet. I should plant a peach tree, should I not? And, try again with apple trees.
• Since I purchased a new camera, I discovered I needed to get new software. I had to “upgrade” Photoshop Elements. I was four versions behind. I hated being forced to upgrade; but, I had no choice.

  The difference between the two versions is making it very difficult for me to navigate. As a result, I am feeling reluctant to process pictures. But, I will get there someday. Now you know why I have not been blogging of late.

  I am going to need to do a phone camera dump soon. So, this will give me an incentive to get going learning my way around the new software. By the way, the picture of Abby Gail above is my first phone picture I have processed with the new software. And, I need to get going and process the ones I took at Garner (camping) with my new camera.



{"The Castle" designed by Teresa Wentzler; Unfinished; About Halfway Done;
shot with phone camera}

• I picked up my oldest WIP (Work in Progress) and UFO (Unfinished Object) and started Cross Stitching again. I was working on this before we got married in 1994! I put this aside to make things for other people, return to and finished college, and dive into quilting.

• Dealing with resurgence of chronic illnesses -- mainly migraines and stomach troubles -- which returned before I went camping. I seem to be on the upswing at the moment.
• Reorganizing files and folders on my hard drives (both local and portables) as it has gotten messy throughout the years.

  What got me started on this project? A portable hard drive crashed. Thank goodness I am one of those anal people that backup to two or more portable hard drives because all that data would have been lost. Note: I do not keep ALL data on my local hard drive (personal computer). I keep them on two or more portable hard drives.

  And yes, I immediately purchased a new portable hard drive. Let me tell you, technology has come a long ways since the last one I purchased. This one can hold more data (like I need that), is smaller, and cost about the same as my old one. I was astounded; and yet, I should not have been surprised.

• Attempting to restart scanning pictures, slides and negatives from my folk's house (and more). I discovered that since I got my new laptop, the driver for the scanner no longer works properly. Dan worked on it for over a day and could not get it to work the way it should. We suspected that the new Windows OS (Operating System) was interfering with the old driver. So, the solution was to get a new scanner. The other one was purchased in 2009 which makes it OLD by today's standards. It is my goal to get this project done by the end of this year. We shall see how that goes!

Did I ever mention how I despise technology? No? Well, I do!

You purchase a new camera? You may not be able to use old somewhat obsolete software due to newer format(s). So, you are forced to purchase upgrades or new software. You purchased a new computer? The old softwares or drivers for devices like scanners and printers may no longer work with the newer OS (Operating System). If you are lucky, you may be able to download a new driver for the old device. But, that situation did not exist for our old scanner. And, don't get me started with VHS, DVD and Blu-Ray! Yes, I think it is a conspiracy of companies to do all this to make a person part with his or her money. Yes, I'm grumbling. I am a cheapskate. Ha! :-)