Jan and I were up early on Sunday (10/30) for a meeting in Pineville.  We hit Walmart on the way home for grocery shopping.  There are a couple of soups I want to make and I got all of the ingredients for them.  Michael had a matinee in the afternoon, and I spent the time cleaning and getting rid of stuff….got rid of 4 boxes of clothes and made a good start on the last 2 shelves of my cookbooks.  Michael was home at 6 and we ran bread dough over to the school teacher.  Did I tell you that I will be doing a bread making demo on Monday at the high school?  We will be mixing up a bunch of loaves, but I wanted to have something to bake so that it will be ready before class is over.  Once home, we opened champagne and made puffy things and just collapsed on the sofa to watch TV.  I did continue to knit on one of my scarves for part of the night, but by 9 I was pooped and didn’t do anything other than watch TV.

Michael and I seem to get up later and later each day, since he comes home later and later each night!  On Saturday (10/29) we didn’t get up until 9.  After breakfast Michael concentrated on his lines, while I headed to the studio to continue weaving.  In the afternoon we moved my loom upstairs so that we could watch TV together, but I could still weave.  We watched a couple of shows, then he got ready to leave for the play and I got ready to leave for the symphony.  Judy picked me up at 5 and we had dinner at a great Greek restaurant on the way to see ‘THE DIVAS OF BROADWAY’.  Two women with incredible voices, singing show tunes with the symphony backing them up…heaven!  I got home just after 11 and Michael was already home.  Another performance under his belt….4 more to go!  We snuggled on the couch for an hour or so, then fell into bed.

I got up this morning (Friday, October 28^th) and immediate plunged into crafting!!!  got my second brown scarf off the loom (pictures eventually) and 2 more scarves warped up.  A woman came over to give me money for the play tickets for next Friday….and ordered 3 more scarves and a rope basket!!!!  I can see I’m going to be crafting away for a long time!  Michael came home from golf around 11:30 and we ran to the grocery store for grinders.  I had knitting students from 12:30 – 2:30and then it was back to the loom.  Michael left around 5ish for OPENING NIGHT!!!!  And Bob picked me up at 5:45 PM.  Bob is in a 40’s band and they had a practice….I went to try out as a singer….and I’m singing with the band at their gig next Saturday!!!!  TOO COOL….this will be a dream come true….I am very excited.  I got home around 9:30 and hit the loom again until Michael came home after 11.  He said opening night was very successful.

Thursday morning (10/27) we had whole wheat waffles before I left to pick up Nancy and head off to quilting.  I knit on a scarf while I was there…and got an order for a beaded necklace and an order for a scarf!!!  I am grateful for the success of my stuff…but I’m beginning to feel that no matter how fast I run…I’m still falling further and further behind!  I came home from quilting and got to weave for a bit before taking Judy to pick up her car.  Came home again and got to weave for a bit (again) before leaving to check people in at square dancing.  Home again…this time for good….weaving…kissed Michael good-bye as he left for rehearsal and continued to weave until he got home at 11.  Finished weaving second scarf…have about an hour of finishing work and then it will be totally done!

Wednesday morning (10/26) I managed to sew in the ends on 4 new scarves:

before leaving to have my hair done at 10.  I got home from that, had a quick minute to pick up my knitting and Michael and we headed out the door to buy a washer.  I think it was a good thing I’ve been pushing myself to keep going on all of this craft stuff because all 4 of those scarves are SOLD!!!  The woman who had ordered 3 of them called while I was out doing my hair.  Anyway, we found what we think is the perfect washer, to be delivered on Sunday (Sunday?)  When we got home, I knit for another 15 minutes, then went out to deliver flyers with Judy.  We have only one more small pod to do and then we are DON-DONE-DONE!!!  Hope people come to the sale!  I got home in time to kiss Michael as he ran out the door to rehearsal, and again got to knit for an hour before heading up to the square dance to collect money for the dance and money for the name badges.  I wasn’t going to stay for the dance (since I didn’t have a partner), but John’s wife wasn’t there since she wasn’t feeling good, and John and I made up a third square…so I stayed!  I got home at 9 and knit and knit until Michael got home at 11.

Tuesday (10/25) was a stressful busy day…actually I think they’re all getting that way.  I think normally I operate at 33-1/3….for the 3 weeks before the craft fair I went up to 45….then I sold so much at the craft fair…and I have another one in 2 weeks…I’ve gone up to 78.  (If I have any younger readers out there, I know you have NO idea what I’m talking about…just know that I’m speeding up…with all of the resultant frenzy that goes with it.)

I put in laundry Monday night when Michael and I went to bed.  I had noticed our newly-fixed-washer had leaked a tiny bit on Saturday when I did laundry, so I put down a few chamois at the front of it.  When I got up Tuesday morning and went to put stuff in the dryer…I had a flood!!!  PLUS, when Michael eventually took the clothes out of the dryer….they are still full of BLACK TIRE MARKS that don’t come out no matter what stain treatment I try (and believe you me I’ve tried a number of them)  L .  That is what was supposed to be fixed with the new seal on the washer.  I spent quite a bit of time trying to find the receipt so that we could call the guy who fixed it….Michael spent time on the internet looking up the company….both of us are disgusted because we have no faith that anything can fix the black marks ruining ALL of our clothes…instead of just the ones we have washed so far.  I think we’re going to go and buy a new washer on Wednesday and believe me, this is not a good time to have that expense.  Anyway, I took a 2 minute shower and finally ran out the door at 9:15 AM.  I made a quick stop at the vendor fair (where about 100 vendors come to the Lake House to hawk their wares), then took off for my regular Tuesday visit with Nancy.  I swung by Jan’s house on the way and luckily she hadn’t left for Ohio yet, so I got to give her and Walt a big hug and wish them a safe journey.  As usual, I arrived at Nancy’s feeling hurried and stressed and left smiling!  I had time to run home after our visit (I knit on a scarf while I was there) and have a quick sandwich before Bob called and I went up to visit with him.  I saw a wonderful rack for displaying scarves at the craft fair in Asheville and the weaver allowed me to take pictures of it.  I sent the pictures to Bob to ask if we could barter some things so that he could make it for me (he is a woodworker).  He called to say yes…and off I went.  In the meantime, I am trying to get people to be on the board for our Volunteer Club here at Sun City…trying to get tickets and payments and organize a pot luck dinner for the 35 people going to Michael’s play next week….and collecting money for name badges for Square Dancing (I am the treasurer).  Needless to say the phone rings off the hook most days and I always have people dropping by to drop off $$$  or ask questions.  Michael and I have decided that we are HIBERNATING in December….not organizing anything until our annual New Year’s Eve party.  Anyway, I came home from Bob’s and got to knit for 1/2 an hour when Judy called and off we went for 2 more hours to hand out flyers.  Home again just in time to kiss Michael as he went out the door to rehearsal and I had a quick quesadilla before Bobbi came over so that we could finish our charity basket weaving.  Two hours later we had 2 finished baskets:

Bobbi left to go home to her hubby and I knitted on a new scarf until Michael came home at 11.

for sale - necklaces

Judy and I spent 2 hours Monday morning (10/24) putting more flyers in mail boxes and got home just in time for Michael to go out golfing.  He only played 9 holes….but came home after a SCORCHIG 39!!!  I spent the afternoon sewing hardware onto 3 new necklaces I finished knitting:
 

These 3 are all the same, black yarn with gray/black/silver beads because I got a lot of orders for those.  At 4:30 a teacher from the local high school came by.  I will be doing a bread demo in her classes next Monday, so we talked about what exactly was going to happen.  Michael left at 5:45 for rehearsal and I spent the evening knitting on scarves.

for sale - tan rayon scarf

Sunday morning Jan and I went to a meeting in Pineville, then went to IHOP for breakfast and to Michael’s for some supplies.  I found stands and cork board to display my necklaces…I think they will sell better on a background of black or white velvet.  I got to weave for a bit and finally around 3 PM, Michael went off to rehearsal and Judy and I took off for 2 hours to hand out flyers.  She is having an open house at her house of November 5 & 6 and she and another guy will be selling pottery and I will be selling whatever I have left!  Our complex has gotten so huge that we barely made a dent in the houses.  We’ll probably have to go out every day this week.  When I got home I had a bit of dinner and wove the rest of the night…I have a finished scarf.  It takes less time to warp up for a scarf….but just as long to weave it as it takes to weave a shawl:

Saturday morning Michael took a long walk to go over his lines, while I went down to the studio to begin warping up for a new scarf.  I saw a group of rayon chenille scarves at the Asheville craft fair and they were very beautiful; I decided to make up a few myself!  I got chewy chocolate chip cookies baked for Michael to take to rehearsal and he left at 1:30.  I wove for about 2 hours, but had to stop because of the pain between my shoulder blades.  I think I overdid it the other day in finishing a scarf, so I took a break and bound off the necklace I had knit on the previous night.  Well…the craft gods appear to have left me for a bit…one side of the necklace was 7 inches, and the other side was 5 inches….not good!  I ripped the whole thing out and started casting on again.  I got most of the way through the necklace, and a little more woven on the scarf before Michael came home around 5.  We watched TV downstairs for a couple of hours and then moved upstairs.  I kept knitting or weaving for most of the time!

Friday (10/21) morning we were up early to get blood work done (for upcoming physicals) and had a quick breakfast at Wendy’s before Michael left for golfing and I started to clean and prep for dinner.  My knitting students came at 12:30 and we had a good time until 2:30.  Michael came home shortly afterwards and I showed him what I bought on Main Street in Asheville:

You might not know it, but I am crazy about swings….this sculpture swings back and forth and is so cute!

I started the soup (chicken and corn chowder with sweet potatoes) and bread around 3 and also had time while it was cooking to string beads on yarn for more necklaces!  The table looked so nice after Michael set it that he took a pic for me:

Jan and Walt and Joyce and Bob and Martha and Harry showed up at 6 for soup and bread with sugar cookies for dessert (I found 2 great recipes for soft, bend-y sugar cookies).  We all left at 7 for the Lake House to see a production of THE PAJAMA GAME.  We got home around 10 and neither one of us

was very sleepy, so Michael read while I knitted on yet another necklace!  (I have finished 4 new ones since the craft fair last week....2 black yarn with lavendar beads and 2 black yarn with gray/black/silver beads).

Michael got rained out of golfing on Wednesday (10/19) for the second week in a row.  I know he was bummed, but it was nice having him home!  I was downstairs weaving and he was down there playing golf on the computer, and then playing pool while we watched TV.  We invited Howard and Dee for dinner and I made meatloaf and these incredible potatoes (I feel like I’m in an episode of SEINFELD with freakish man hands in the first pic!):

You slice baking potatoes almost all of the way through, then you alternate putting parmesan cheese and butter in the cuts.

They were really good…but cooked a long time.  After dinner Michael left for rehearsal, Howard and Dee left for home, and I went down to the studio and finished weaving a scarf:

My back was aching by the time I was done (too many hours on the loom), but I was glad to have it finished!

On Thursday, Jan and Walt and Penny and I traveled to Asheville for the Southern Highlands Craft Fair.  We really didn’t buy anything at the craft fair, but came home VERY inspired.  Michael was already gone to rehearsal by the time I got home, and I was very tired from driving, so I just watched TV and knitted on another ruffled scarf.

Tuesday (10/18) I got to visit with Nancy in the morning, with Jan in the afternoon (while Michael and Walt went to the movies) and had 2 nice, long phone conversations with Judy and Ginny in the evening…all the while knitting on my charity sweater.

I spent a lot of Monday (10/17) cleaning, but I had time for a volunteer meeting in the morning and a visit to the bank in the afternoon.  I got to knit a bit on more beaded necklaces, and had a long visit with Judy after Michael left for rehearsal at 6.  I spent the evening straitening up my studio and putting away all of my remaining shawls.

craft fair

Saturday (10/15) we were both up at 7 to be ready to get to the Lake House by 8.  Michael helped me to carry everything in, and start to get set up, then I sent him home.  He had to go over his lines and get a few other things done before his rehearsal at NOON.  I was all set up by about 9:30…and it was a good thing because a lot of people started shopping early (the fair was supposed to open at 10).  I think my display looked really lovely….because I had a lot of help setting up from people who have a better ‘eye’ for that sort of thing than I do! 

Beth came to help me and it was a good thing she did because we were busy for the whole 5 hours!!!  At one point, there was a group of women around the basket I had my small purses in….and it was like sharks around chum!!!  They were pulling out those purses and handing them around like crazy.  By the end of the day, I was so glad I had concentrated on making them, because I had only 3 left!  I had planned to mail my extras to Ginny, because she was convinced they would sell in a shop near her home, but I don’t have much to send!  My beaded necklaces all sold but one, but the biggest news was that I sold several of my woven shawls!  I was thrilled with how I did, and am glad to have the money, since I recently sent out 6 of my charity quilts to be quilted; now I can pay for them!  I truly had very little to pack up to bring home and that was a relief since I was exhausted.  Michael got home shortly after I did and we set up to have a driveway party.  We haven’t had one in AGES…and it was wonderful to sit around for a couple of hours, talking and laughing and snacking with our neighbors!  We came inside around 7 and relaxed and watched TV for the rest of the night.  I did start stringing beads for another necklace while we were watching.

Sunday morning Jan and I had a meeting in Pineville, then we went to breakfast and also hit Michael’s on the way home.  I spent the day and evening stringing and knitting on more beaded necklaces.  Michael had rehearsal from 3 – 7 and we relaxed in the evening.

Friday (10/14) was a day of running from the moment we got up until the moment we went to bed.  Michael left early for golf and I got roll dough made and a double run of hand cream before Jan picked me up at 8:15.  We headed to Mary Jo’s and bought a few things, had a quick lunch on the way home and got home around 11:30.  I had an hour to punch down my dough and bottle up all of my hand cream before my knitting students came at 12:30.  I had a 2 hour respite, helping them with their projects.  I kicked them out at 2:30 and had 1/2 an hour to form the dough into rolls, run to the bank for change for the craft fair tomorrow and change my clothes.  We went over to ‘linner’ at Susan’s house at 3 PM.  Joe and Anne and Bryce were also there.  Susan graciously agreed to move her dinner invitation from 6 PM until 3 PM so that we could attend a wake in the evening.  We had a scrumptious ‘linner’ and played cards for a couple of hours before leaving for the wake.  We were home by quarter of 9 and collapsed on the sofa.  I spent the remaining time before bed, labeling and pricing all of my scarves and Michael loaded everything into the car.

The days just keep getting busier and busier….I need a rest from retirement!  Thursday (10/13) I was up early to pack up all of my stuff for quilting.  I didn’t actually quilt there….I continued to work on my knitted, beaded necklaces.  I managed to finish knitting one that I started Wednesday night and will sew on the ends when I get another couple done.  Many of the ladies stopped for BBQ on the way home and I got home around 2:15.  Ran around a did a few things at home before leaving for square dancing at 3 PM.  We both weren’t needed at square dancing, so Michael came home to go over his lines, while I stayed to help out.  I got home before 6, in time to kiss my honey good-bye as he left for rehearsal and return to the studio once again to continue to label and price all of my goods.  Before I went to bed I had everything done buy the scarves (of which there are many  L).

for sale - necklaces

Wednesday (10/12) was another busy day.  Michael got rained out of golf, so he stayed home, worked on his lines and did stuff around the house.  Did I tell you that the play comes up in 2-1/2 weeks, and when he went to rehearsal on Tuesday night….someone had dropped out!!!  There are only 4 people in the play, and it wasn’t a small part.  Jeff (someone who was in FORUM with Michael) stepped in that evening, but I can’t imagine him learning all of the lines and all of the blocking in a little over 2 weeks!  I can’t wait to see how he does.

I finished knitting another bead necklace and got the hardware sewn on that one, plus 3 others (I also switched over to some gold flecked yarn for those people that like gold instead of gray/silver):

Jan came for a brief visit in the afternoon (felt like we hadn’t seen each other in weeks) and we left for a square dance at 4.  We got home around 6:30 from the dance, had peirogis for dinner and knit and watched TV for the rest of the evening.

Monday morning I had about 100 things to do and nothing planned outside the house, so I got busy early.  I finished up sewing the blocks that BG and I started on Sunday…I don’t have enough for a charity quilt and will have to cut more strips, but for the moment all of the cut strips have been sewn, stacked up and set aside.  The craft fair is this coming Saturday, so my focus this week will be on getting everything ready for that.  I did get another set of ‘candies’ stitched out for the secret project and spent much of the day and night labeling all of the stuff I will be selling.  As usual these days, Michael had rehearsal in the evening.

Tuesday was also a busy day….I got to spend only an hour with Nancy in the morning before going to a square dance meeting from 11 – 1.  At 1 I had knitting club, where I only stayed for an hour before heading to the grocery store and then home to bake brownies for Michael to take to rehearsal.  He left around 5:30 and I spent the evening continuing to get ready for the craft fair.

Sunday morning BG and I certainly weren’t slackers.  After a waffle breakfast, we headed downstairs to check out a new technique that Nancy had sent.  BG found the video again and we proceeded to cut and sew and cut like mad women and had a brunch of squares done before leaving for the airport at NOON. 

I stopped at Michael’s after dropping BG off to pick up a few more beads and was home by 2.  I got a little bit of sewing done before Michael and I got ready and headed off to pick up Martha and attend the Metrolina Threatre Awards Ceremony.  Here's MIchael with his harem:

HARVEY was up for 11 awards and we took 4 of them, the most important being: OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR - MALE ...... MICHAEL DEVOKAITIS:

What a FABULOUS night….you could tell that Michael never expected to win (having talked last year to another great actor who said he had been nominated 6 times and never won!)  This was only Michael’s second nomination.  The award will proudly reside on our fireplace mantel.

BG and vest

Saturday morning we eschewed breakfast and headed off to a quilt show with Jeanne and Jerry.  They had baked goods at the show, so OF COURSE we had to support them and buy some and THAT was our breakfast!  The show was great; we got lots of new ideas and were home by 12:30.  We spent the afternoon knitting and embroidering (we’re working on a SECRET embroidery project that you’re all going to be (as my friend Ginny says) ‘pea green with envy’ when you see it  J.  Here’s a hint:

We got pizza’s for dinner and in the evening BG finished her vest, which will be a Christmas present for one of her granddaughters:

BG and scarf

Friday morning (10/7) Michael leaves early for golf and BG and Deb go on the hunt for Krispy Kreme donuts!!  Ahh…curses….foiled again…the local grocery store stopped carrying them just last week…they are now making their own L….what a revoltin’ development!  We call Beth and she tells us they have KK at GATE gasoline…so off we go.  Once home, BG began knitting on a ruffled scarf…and viola….before dinner…here she is:

We all got showered and dressed and headed off to Fort Mill Community Theatre for their dinner theatre.  We had organized 32 people in total and we took up more than 1/2 of the theatre!  The plays were cute and dinner was wonderful and it was delightful to see many of our friends there.  We were home by 10:30 and relaxed a bit before heading off to bed.

Thursday morning (10/6) we were all up early to get various things done.  Michael had breakfast, BG finished getting her fabric cut and ready for quilting and I made yeast rolls to take for lunch.  BG and I left just before 9:30 and headed off to quilting.  She worked on her purse while I started a new beaded necklace.  It is on new yarn which is MUCH thinner than the old stuff…making it nerve racking to work with, but I did get 2 rows done.  We had a fabulous lunch at quilting and came home to relax for just a bit before heading up to square dancing just after 3.  I think BG enjoyed watching us…..it’s always fun when one (or more) of the squares gets totally confused and doesn’t understand the caller!  We got home after 5 and Michael had dinner and headed off to rehearsal.  BG worked on her purse  a bit more, and here it is:

We finally relaxed upstairs and she wanted to watch HARVEY, so we did that while eating CHEETOS!!!  Michael came home later than usual from rehearsal and we all collapsed into bed!

BG arrives!

Wednesday (10/5) was a FABULOUS day…..BG arrived at the Charlotte airport just before 11.   

We did a ton of errands on the way home (knitting store, BB&B, Michael’s) and finally arrived home around 2.  We made a quick trip to the grocery store, then got busy on dinner.  Jan and Walt came over around 6 PM for burgers, homemade buns and quasi-pasta salad.  Everyone  ordered their burger ‘done-ness’ and Michael headed outside to cook them.  Unfortunately, the burgers were only on the grill about 5 minutes when the gas ran out!  Walt ran home to pick up their extra tank…and somehow Michael still figured out how to cook them perfectly….they were SO GOOD.  I was eating and only had about 2 bites left, and I didn’t want to finish them because I didn’t want the taste to be over!  Oh well…there’s always next week for more burgers!  Jan brought some of her delicious cookies and we ate a bunch before they left.  Michael settled in to watch TV while BG and I retired to the studio.  I strung beads for another necklace (on a new yarn this time) while BG cut out fabric to make her Margo purse.  She finally fell into bed (she’d been up since 3 AM to catch the plane) around 9:30.