Full House

By the end of last week, we had too many pairs of shoes to fit in the shoe bench. 

It was a week of putting things away and organizing. We pulled out some of our Indonesian decorations.

The guest bath had to be readied for the first guests. While cleaning the tub, I discovered a crack in the tub (fiberglass). It may need to be resurfaced or replaced. We plan on replacing all three of the upstairs faucets, because they are all missing parts.

The powder room downstairs, doesn't need much.

We keep finding damage made by the move. All of our lamps looked like this.

We had planned on replacing the lampshades, so we gave them away before our move. That was probably a good idea. We're still missing some things, but we're hoping there's still a box that should have come into the kitchen.

I knew our two younger grandsons would be into everything, so I advised the dolls to move out of harm's way after the photoshoot for the latest story in The Doll's Storybook, "It's a Boy." They liked the kitchen cabinets, where they could watch the action and stay safe.

I thought it would be fun for the boys to see if they could find them. It was.

We knew cold weather was coming, with cold rain, freezing rain and possibly snow, so we spent Tuesday afternoon and early evening until it was too dark, trying to back our trailer into its winter berth in our backyard. It was very difficult, because we haven't had it paved yet. That will come in the spring, when they will level it and put in asphalt so we aren't driving on grass. That part of the yard slopes toward the hot tub, making it difficult to back up straight, as you can see from the angle of the trailer in relation to the pickup in this photo.

When it got too dark on Tuesday, we left the trailer with the tow vehicle attached in the side yard (at least off the street) for the night and started up again on Wednesday. It took a lot of back and forth, but we finally were successful. This is the new view from our back deck (and also the kitchen eating area). DH is planning to get a cover for it. I suggested a cover decorated with a painting of a forest.

Even unimproved, the RV parking was one of the mandatory features we had to have that narrowed our selection down to this one house, in spite of its need for repairs.

DH's brother was coming for Thanksgiving, followed by DS2 and DDIL2 and the two boys on Friday, so I did a lot of cooking on Wednesday. I baked two loaves of pulla, a Finnish family specialty. I have a recipe that I can make in the bread machine, although I don't use the machine to bake it, of course. One loaf was for DH's brother, who grew up having this when company came.

I also baked some sweet potatoes to slice up for a casserole, with the vegetable served au naturel other than some Smart Balance, a little maple syrup and a light sprinkle of cinnamon. I needed the sweet potato for a yellow vegetable, because my DBIL doesn't like the real star attraction, Lanttulaatikko, or rutabaga casserole, in spite of the fact that his mother served it every Thanksgiving and Christmas. I made the stuffing Wednesday night.

On Thanksgiving Day, I cooked the turkey breast with turkey gravy for the two men and a Quorn Turk'y Roast with mushroom gravy for myself. We also had roasted asparagus and cranberry sauce (from Whole Foods). The first course was a salad kit from Trader Joe's, Veggies & Greens, made up of chopped broccoli, shaved cauliflower, shaved Brussels sprouts, radicchio, kale and green cabbage. It's easy. Just dump in into a bowl, add the honey-ginger dressing and top with the extras: dried pear crumbles and pistachios. 

This is what my plate looked like before I added the asparagus and cranberry sauce to it.

Dessert was a pumpkin pie from Whole Foods with vanilla ice cream. Cooking was a challenge with an oven that doesn't keep a constant temperature. I had to use a flashlight to keep checking the oven thermometer.

DH went out on Friday morning to buy a new TV to fit the much larger space over our fireplace. (You knew he would, didn't you?) He also picked up a replacement for this gem:

It was full of dust (and one spider) when I was cleaning, and that was after DH cleaned it. It's way too ornate for us as well. This one will go into the Redmond Online Yard Sale group on Facebook.

Our younger son and his family arrived after a slow trip down from Beaverton. There was snow at the passes, but they made it before it was totally dark. They brought us this rubber plant to replace the one we left at our church in Park City. It now hides the trailer from view, at least a bit.

We reheated leftovers for supper Friday night.

The boys wake up very early, and it was still dark when I let Dusty out Saturday morning. Our back deck looked like this.

Later on Saturday, the ladies and pups accompanied the boys on a short walk to this playground next to the Bend Senior Center, close to our house. They burned a few calories playing on the equipment, which was coated with snow.

While we were out at the playground, DH and DS were busy trying to put together my sewing table. It was probably a good thing were out, because I take it that there was a lot of cursing. They found the directions very confusing and some of the holes drilled in the wrong place. DH is going to have to drill a new hole for the right front caster, so the doors will slide into the slot, because the screw blocks the way. On top of that, the sewing machine sits too low in the table. The airlift for it can be adjusted so it will be flat, but we can't figure out how to do it, and the demo on the website is for another kind of airlift.

On the bright side, the acrylic insert that makes a flat surface around the sewing machine actually fits the machine I ordered it for.

I will have to call the company today. It's a very expensive table. The support should be better. I hope we can get these problems worked out.

The boys spent a lot of time in the backyard playing on the play set, which their parents decided was suitable, except for the rope, which needs replacing. They also threw the ball for Dusty and Rocky, who really appreciated it.

For dinner Saturday night, we had salmon, zucchini sautéed with onions and mushrooms, another nice Trader Joe's salad (this time their Broccoli & Kale Slaw) and this gem, which the kids brought. 

This baby weighed five pounds. They named it Herman. DH carved it like a turkey. I thought it looked like a piglet.

Johan had had a nap, so he joined us for dinner, but Soren doesn't nap anymore. He crashed early and missed the meal.

Saturday night, DH and DS put the new chandelier for the dining room together and Sunday morning they installed it before they left to return home. 

The old one will be appreciated by someone, I'm sure, and this one was a sale item, so a big discount.

The kids made it home safely, taking the Elna that had belonged to my sister-in-law and the clock they want to fix and use. We have a lot of antique clocks, and we had planned to sell this one and the sewing machine and its cabinet. DDIL2 saw them listed and asked to buy them. I told her she could have them. I had the Elna serviced, so we brought them with us. We'll get the cabinet for the sewing machine to them on some future trip.

Another thing I managed to accomplish this week was Billy's preliminary haircut. As soon as I had Friday's story written, which required his original hair, I got out the scissors and had a go, leaving it still rather long, at least until my hairdresser can advise me. Then I put what was left of his rooted hair in curlers so the long hair would look a little fuller and shorter. Here he is with a hat.

This is without the hat.

Billy's new shoes, ordered from FairyTaleLOVEit on Etsy. They came from the Ukraine, so it took a long time to arrive, and they were very expensive, but they are beautifully made, and I think they are perfect for Billy.

The other two younger grandkids were playing a hedgehog and a snail in Ballet La Crosse's production of Alice in Wonderland over the weekend.

Rocky's thyroid and blood-pressure check showed his medication is appropriate for him. We're happy the old guy is doing well. We like the new vet.

What's on my needles: Back to the Kisu Takki Cardigan based on the Stavanger, but with a cat theme. Just finished the body and ready to CO the sleeves, planning on working them together in the round with steeks between them, as I did for the Stavanger.

What's on my Sparrow 15: Still sitting in my future sewing room, but out of its box.

What's in my hoop: Still the Spring Flowers quilt, no progress again this week.

What's in The Doll's Storybook: It's a Boy! Billy arrives and meets the girls. I'm working on the story for this week now. 

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Still The Ladies of Ivy Cottage by Julie Klassen. No listening time this week.

What's in my wine glass: Oak Knoll Reserve Royale Collection, 2016 Sparkling Pinot Gris. Exceptional, a gift from the kids.

What's my tip of the week: A "soaking tub" is a good place to store pictures and artwork while you're finding a place to put them on the wall.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post.

Want More Snow? Nah!

The Dolly Does Dinner outfit for Dolly is coming along. Here it is, dress knitting done:

The pattern is “Party Dress for 18” Doll” by Una Hendry. I’m using Knit Picks Stroll Tonal in “Blue Yonder.” I plan to do some embellishments with beads, and of course, the outfit has a little bolero jacket, so watch this space for the completed outfit as it develops. (Dolly lives with me, but all of the clothes I finished before Christmas went to Miss Daphne in Wisconsin, so I had to make something for Dolly, so I wouldn't have a nekkid doll sitting around the house.)

The early part of our week brought more snow than we knew what to do with. I snapped this photo of the plow going by just before 6:00 AM on Tuesday.

By Sunday it had turned "cold," with temps in Park City at well below zero Fahrenheit, and at hour house hovering just above zero. Guess the snow will stick around for a while.

We shared an early Christmas on Tuesday with Daphne and Zachary, and their parents by way of FaceTime. I was able to get some nice screen shots. while they unwrapped their presents.

The doll and all the clothes were a big hit, as were the other presents. Daphne named her doll “Daphne Jr.” Both children had to pick which toys they would take with them to Texas to visit the other grandparents. Daphne Jr. made the cut. Here she is resting in a motel in Blackwell, Oklahoma, about halfway from their home in Wisconsin to their Texas destination. (Clearly, Daphne Jr. needs a bathrobe. She had to use her jacket.)

Christmas Eve was lovely. I sang in the choir at the later two services, and DGD1 sang at the last service with us after DH picked her up at work. We all had a nice dinner between the services with all the people who sang in the choir. We actually had about 14 people, although only our music director and the three sopranos show up here.

We had a nice visit with DH’s brother, who brought a friend of his who didn’t have a place to go for Christmas. DGD1 invited a friend whose family is a long way away in Arkansas.

We had mostly Finnish food, which is a family tradition. The main dish was Lohipiirakka (salmon pie) with Lanttulaatikko (rutabaga casserole) as a side dish. We had homemade garlic bread, roasted vegetables and salad. A guest brought a home-baked apple pie. I had cooked most of the food ahead of time, and only had to roast the vegetables (already cut up), bake the bread and make the salad on Christmas day. Usually DH helps me by vacuuming, but he was tied up with snow removal for a good part of the day.

The pups had a good day. They each got a toy that was a hollow tree with three little squirrels, advertised as hours of fun removing the squirrels. Ha! It may have been hours of fun chewing up the tree, but he squirrels met a quick demise, fortunately before I vacuumed for company. Sunny ended up with six squirrels, and Rocky had to settle for his tree. Later, a stick of butter disappeared from the table without even disturbing the dish it was on or the tablecloth. That had to be Rocky, as he needed to go out a little later, apparently to give back his lunch.

My Christmas haul included enough caffeine to last me well into the new year (imported coffee and tea), Cinderella on Blu-ray, half of a pedometer (from the pups, to share with "Daddy"), real pearl earrings from National Geographic and my very own selfie stick.

The next day was my birthday, which began with breakfast at No Worries and ended with a viewing of Cinderella, which contains some good advice: "Have courage and be kind."

The holidays included either Skype or FaceTime with all three of our children and all the grandkids except the oldest, and we got to enjoy her in person.

Update on DDIL1: She’s doing well. Recovering from major surgery like this isn’t easy, but she’s getting well, and soon she will be back to quilting.

I wish you all a very happy 2016! Watch out for snow falling off the roof.

What's on my needles:  Still the Trickle Socks and the “Dolly Does Dinner” outfit for Dolly, working on the bolero jacket.

What's on my Featherweight: Still waiting on the last two blocks of the Kaleidoscope Quilt.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Still reading The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer on the Nook app. I haven’t started a new audiobook yet.

What's in my wine glass: Corbett Canyon Chardonnay, not my favorite variety, but I find this a good one, and I enjoy Chardonnay more when I don’t have it so often.

What's my tip of the week: Start your Christmas gifts early in the year. Don’t put it off until December.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.