Tools

Leanne’s school is doing ‘distance learning’, starting today, 

which meant Leanne needed a computer to keep up with her work and attend the twice-weekly class meetings on Zoom.

We love our iPads but they weren’t going to cut it in this instance. 

So Pop and I surprised her with a laptop on Saturday. Hopefully it will make returning to (distance) school - and the resulting homework - a tiny bit less painful. 

I once again changed the mask pattern I’m making. There’s so much conflicting info about what is needed and what pattern is acceptable to whom. This one is easy to make, has features I like and I can crank them out fairly quickly.

It has an opening for a filter, if the recipient wants to insert one later, and I modified it so I can add ties to some masks, rather than using elastic. (I found more elastic on Etsy! Hurray!)

I also dug out a couple of tools I’d “put away” (and then couldn’t find!) during the Great Reflooring. The Clover bias tape maker lets me make ties super quick and the SideWinder -  a gift from a friend when I first started quilting - means I don’t have to unthread and rethread my machine every time the bobbin runs out. Love them. Now if I could just find the other three (four?) different sized tape makers I own, I’d be a very happy camper quilter. 

Tantrum Day

Donovan fed and watered his horses,

and took a nap (he loves the blanket I made him!)

before entertaining us with Tantrum #1

and Tantrum #2.

Sooner or later, he’s going to get mad at me for laughing, but at this point he’s more cute than terrifying. 

Finding The Happy

Concentrating on things that make me happy, since the things that make me want to cry are out of my control. 

Donovan fake napping with PopPop. “I’m asleep Grandma, honest!” Not.

Real napping after I separated those two, Pop to his (tv) room and Big D to the crib.

Donovan discovered the elephant I crocheted a few years ago. 

It was today’s favorite toy. He even left the eyes alone after I asked him not to pull them out. Such a good little guy. 

Playing in the front window. All the kids have loved that big bay, using it as a stage or a playroom. Donovan thinks he’s hot stuff now that he can climb up and down by himself. 

Bonus - I have 10 more masks almost finished after a friend dropped off her stash of elastic. It’s a drop in the bucket but it makes me feel like I’m doing something to help. 

Bikes and Playdo and Masks, Oh My

Since the beer bug hit (get it?? Corona? Beer? Oh, never mind 😜) our time with the baby grands has become more limited.

Today was Jac’s turn to hang out while Leanne took an online painting class at home. 

Jac got to do anyyyyyyything she wanted (what else is new, right??)

so we did art, and played with playdo - mixing the colors, which Leia *hates* (hi, Leia!) - 

and watched both versions of Frozen AND 

Jac rode her bike outdoors for the very first time. 

She made it almost around the cul-de-sac before she crashed (minor) and decided she’d walk the rest of the way around the block. 

 One for me

After she went home, I started on a new face mask pattern. The “for a nurse by a nurse” pattern is the one our local hospitals are asking to have donated.

 For Mary, test #2

My first try was way too big but the second one was much better. Hoping I can cut my time down from 1.25 hours per mask, which included cutting and making the binding/straps the old-school way. 

I want to start cranking these out and get them where they’re needed. Faster is definitely better.

Fabric Face Masks

After I posted a pattern link on FB, a friend asked if I would make some reusable fabric masks for a local nursing home (coincidentally, the same home where my FIL stayed several years ago).

The staff has almost no face masks left and orders are backlogged for 2-3 months. During a pandemic. (Don’t get me stared on how outrageous this is.)

A bit of research, a little stash busting and 2 days of work = 12 masks that will go to the nursing home tomorrow, plus 2 for a friend working in a doctor’s office. 

I’d have made more, but that’s all the elastic I had on hand. It’s sold out everywhere - I guess lots of people are making masks. Hooray! - and from what I’m hearing online, more won’t be available anytime soon. Who would have guessed that elastic and bread yeast, of all things, would disappear in the first week?

 Reversible mask

I’m hoping to start another batch tomorrow, this time with fabric ties. They will take longer but may, from what I’m reading, be more useful for medical personnel.  

Stress Baker

When I’m stressed or anxious, I bake.

And I might be passing that coping mechanism on to the little girls. 

 
Wednesday, Leanne made zucchini bread from my MIL’s recipe;

then I made Peasant Bread - a new recipe that’s soooooooo good and definitely a keeper;

and together we made chocolate chip cookies. 

Jac provided the entertainment. 

Since the pandemic stressor is still with us - and looks like it will be staying for awhile - tonight I made more zucchini bread (it’s Pop’s favorite) and tomorrow I’m baking peasant bread. Then maybe blueberry cobbler . . . and chocolate lava cake . . . and yeast rolls . . .

Temperature Quilt

Finally had a bit of sunshine so I could get some decent pictures. With 5+ rain days in a row, we are slowly making up for rainless-February.

 January 1 through February 29

I’m just starting the March blocks - which makes me further behind than I want to be - but I’ve stockpiled a bunch of completed diamonds and I’m hoping to catch up before the month ends. 

Cat included for size, 

and because she would not get out of the way. 

His Favorite Things

Donovan loves to . . . 

stand on the center console of our couch and roar like a scary lion. Then fall on top of me, giggling madly. And repeat, endlessly. 

 . . . watch movies with music while sitting on someone’s lap. It’s about the only time he sits still for more than a minute, all day long. He’s transfixed! If there’s too much talking he gets bored; the boy wants his tunes. 

 sleeping with his puppy

. . . his puppy stuffie. Donovan hasn’t shown much interest in stuffed animals but today he found a little brown puppy that he *loves*. He carried it with him everywhere. I don’t know which of the girls brought the puppy here originally, but it’s definitely Donovan’s now. 

So Proud of Herself

Over the weekend, Pop cleaned up Leanne’s outgrown bike and had it waiting for Jac when she arrived this morning.

He put Jac on the seat, showed her how the pedals worked and she took off around the house on her first try. 

She’s soooooo pleased with herself. Thursday we’ll replace her crown with a helmet and let her try her luck outside. Look out world, Jac’s on the loose!

Quilty Love

This text from Donovan’s mommy made my day.

“I showed Donovan this blanket today and told him you made it for him. Then I put it in his crib. This is what I saw when I just checked on him, he had put it on himself and cuddled into it all by himself.“ I love that kid (and his mommy).

Not What We Planned

The weather peeps are predicting rain this weekend (fingers crossed)

but today was sunny and warm 

so we packed up Jac and headed to the zoo.

Which was great for the first 45 minutes, 

about the time we were admiring the giant tortoises,

 “One for me and one for Sissy, ok Granma?” I love this kid. 

and Jac said she had to go potty NOW.

Two rounds of diarrhea later (we made it to the bathroom, yay!)

we decided we were done for the day.

At least I got a few pics, 

including some of my favorite blooming cacti. 

Gotta look on the bright side, right?