After my fever broke Friday morning, I felt good enough to do something. I didn’t want to work so I hauled out the sewing machine and made a slip cover for one of the deck chairs. Mom and I had gone to the fabric warehouse earlier in the week and I’d gotten some outdoor stuff I really liked. All our deck furniture had been covered in shades of red the last few years but it had faded to pink so I was ready for something different. Here come the blues!
The sewing machine I’m using is a very nice one but I think it needs servicing. I wrestled with it to get basically two seams done. Then I hand stiched the sides of the cushions closed. That was the worst part; I spent 80% of the two hours the entire project took attempting to thread needles. The thread I was using was awful. I bought a new spool for the project and it ran out. I swear, it had to be the shortest spool ever! Also, the thread kept unraveling, which made it impossible to get through the eye of any of the needles I own, all of which are too small for the current project.
I got one of the chairs recovered but was exhausted. The job took twice as long as it should have due to my lacking the proper tools.
People love to say it’s a poor workman who blames his tools but everyone agrees that the proper tools make the job, so which is it?
It’s the tools.
Horst himself couldn’t have given you a good haircut using pinking shears so keep your opinions about my tools to yourself.
I’m getting new thread, needles and a new threader before I attempt to cover the other chair.
The first chair looks fabulous, by the way.
Yesterday was gorgeous!
After I had been fever-free for about 28 hours, MJ and her kids picked me up and we met Katie, the babies and several other sisters and cousins at a friends house and we walked around Lake of the Isles. It was warm, sunny and nearly windless. It was the first really festive weekend at the lakes of the Spring and the residents of Minneapolis were out in force. Isles has no sail boat bouys but the paddle boarders, canoists and kayakers were having a lovely time. I didn’t notice if there were any sails on Calhoun or Harriet when we drove past so probably not but their time is coming. We’re still a month away from the apple trees and lilacs blooming so things are only going to get more beautiful as the days progress.
I hadn’t seen Boopity Boop in nearly two weeks and they’ve continue to grow like determined little weeds. Katie told me she’s pretty they’re both over ten pounds! Boop’s face has filled out so it’s nearly as round as Boopity’s and they’re definitely looking more identical.
The walk was delightful. I was concerned that it may have been a mistake to undertake such exertion so soon after being sick but the only real trouble I had was that my companions kept making me laugh, which triggered bouts of coughing which hurt like knives.
Laughter may be the best medicine but my chest feels like I’ve been eating blades and flames.
After the walk, Katie came back home with me. The babies were happy to see their uncle Zack, who has a real touch with babies. We all noticed that back when Xena was tiny. I remember one afternoon when she was being fussy. Zack simply rubbed her back. Within minutes, her eyes rolled shut and she was out cold.
We ordered Kwan’s and watched the basketball games. It was all very exciting. If the Oregon Ducks had made it to the championship game, Katie would have won the bracket for the second year in a row. Since North Carolina defeated them, Jay still has a shot.
I don’t know what happens if Gonzaga is triumphant.
Boopity watched the basketball like she had money on the games. Boop didn’t care. Both were lovely and smiley. After spending so much time outside, they were both pretty tired and wanted to be snuggled to sleep. They’re both very snuggly babies.
After the second game, Katie packed up the girls and took them home. I watched the last episode of Luke Cage. I think that show really sputtered out. I liked it for a while but there was really only enough plot for half a season. The second half was just a lot of pointless running around.
I slept like a rock. I put vaporub on my feet, took some Nyquil and slept propped up on a bank of pillows so my cough didn’t keep me awake. I slept for ten and a half hours.
Mmmm….leftover orange chicken for lunch!