Monday, December 20, 2021

See That Big L On My Forehead?


Today was going to be the day! Christmas shopping! Hell, I was even thinking about going to the mall which I have not done in years. 
YEARS! 
But first, something easy. I stopped by Joann's again to get some more trim for Maggie's nightgown and while I was there, the brilliant idea hit me that Glen would probably just love a new pair of pajama/lounging pants made from fleece or flannel. Easy peasy! Right? Sure! 
So I looked at patterns and then spent approximately twenty minutes trying to find the pattern I wanted. Do any of you remember when the pattern drawers were as neatly and accurately arranged as the card catalogue at the library?
Well, those days are over. 
It's a mess. 
I found a pattern I thought I liked but it didn't have pockets so I found another one and then I searched the shelves for fabric that I thought would do and found some and then checked the pattern and it said that only stretch knits would work so I said, (come on- I bet you know what I said!) fuck it.

I did buy the trim although they didn't have enough of the one I'd bought before so again, in the fuck it mode, I just bought some that was quite similar. When the lady at the cutting counter asked me how I was doing today I started laughing and then she did too and said, "I hear you! I think you and I should go next door and discuss this."
Next door is a Mexican restaurant and I said, "Over margaritas?" 
"Uh-huh. Exactly."
I think we cheered each other up although we did not go get margaritas. I wish we could have. I think we would have enjoyed each other's company tremendously. 

Then I met Mr. Moon for lunch where we both mostly sighed and moaned (he's Christmas shopping too) and then I went to Publix and then I came home. I just couldn't do more than that. So for all my efforts I got two yards of trim that isn't exactly what I even wanted. 
Go ahead. Laugh. 

Once I got everything put away here I started in with the seam ripper because yes, I did indeed sew the yoke and bodice together wrong. Well, not really. I just had the trim going the wrong way. I told you I'm spatially challenged. So I'm way behind on getting Maggie's nightgown made. 
Whatever. 

Oh. Here's a terrible picture of some gorgeous blooming angel trumpet. I stopped the car in the middle of the road to take it. I should have stopped longer and tried focusing. 


The whole yard was pretty impressive but the angel trumpets were the best in my opinion. 

The temperature has dropped thirty degrees in the last twenty-four hours so instead of it being hot and gloomy and muggy it's now gloomy and still humid. And getting chilly. It's been raining the tiniest bit on and off all day. Not my favorite kind of weather.

But all of these things are just silly and I don't really mind the weather that much and the fact that I'm panicking about Christmas is no one's fault but my own and I know it. Not that knowing it helps one bit and in fact, just makes me feel worse because I did this to myself. 

And here we are and here I am and I guess I'll go make us some supper. We've been watching "Yellowstone" in the evenings because my husband saw an episode of it when he was in Tennessee and he liked it and everyone told him how great it was and I am having the hardest time enjoying it at all. I feel no empathy for any of the characters and most of them are just terrifically unlikeable. It's a soap opera and it's all about men and their manly ways which include property owning and defending, fighting, killing, and being manly. 
In short- patriarchal out the yang. 
Even my husband is disappointed. I think we've watched four episodes and I'm going to give it one more shot and if something amazing doesn't happen I'm done. 

That's the news from Lloyd, Florida tonight. 

Love you to pieces...Ms. Moon


36 comments:

  1. I have bought a grand total of 1 present and that was a donation to food bank in my sister's name (at her request). All my other gifts will be either online gift cards or online donations. Of course we won't actually be seeing anyone over the holidays, anyway.

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    1. That's pretty darn smart of you and your sister. Sounds super not-stressful.

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  2. I too recall the days when fabric stores had their patterns sorted as meticulously as library records. Long ago. My Mom (who made all my, and her clothing) used to spend hours in fabric stores........I'm sure you could create flannel/comfy jammy bottoms for Mr Moon......(with many yards of fabric, no doubt LOL). I think you and the fabric store woman *should* have gone for Mexican food and Martini's. What a hoot!
    I feel like crap today for some reason....just *off*. Ended up doing laundry and then 2 batches of roasted savory walnuts (curry, tabasco, soy, worchestershire and chili) that I plan on gifting my 7 *distant* neighbors on the ranch as gifts this week. I need to make 2-3 more batches tomorrow.....and I will. That is IT! And I was pissed off today when at market, looking for a small turkey (hubby said *it would be nice to have a small turkey for christmas*).........well crap. the smallest normal (not organic) turkey I could find was $48.00. Are you insane? NO. We will have tiny cornish hens again. Sorry to be so long....just had to vent. On to a glass of wine and to start dinner here
    Susan M

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    1. Nothing wrong with Cornish game hens with stuffing and all the regular holiday side dishes!

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    2. obscure, here you go! https://keviniscooking.com/smokey-spiced-walnuts/

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    3. Venting is not only allowed, it is approved! Your walnuts do sound delicious and thanks for posting the recipe. We'd probably do pecans around here and I bet that would be good too.
      Have you thought about roasting a smallish chicken? I find that the "natural" ones are absolutely delicious. But cornish game hens will be delicious as well.

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  3. The full extent of my Christmas shopping is a nice check for Handsome Son, and a card to go with it. And some little chocolate Santas to prop it up. My cleaning family got a cash bonus, more welcome than a wrapoed thing, I think. Then there was the soup kitchen. That's about it.

    I've outlived most of the present receivers! It's peaceful, I must say.

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    1. Your last part reminded me of an article I read yesterday about Larry David. He hates anything that disturbs his routine which Christmas certainly does so he has declined so many invitations that would require him to buy gifts and get dressed for that no one invites him over anymore and he is thrilled! He can stay home and eat Chinese food by himself on Christmas.
      Not quite the same as outliving everyone but same result.

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  4. I declare this Christmas a pagan holiday again. Simple,twigs and pebbles. And thoughts that count...like you thought of jammies for your man. That is enough.

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    1. Yep. I'll tell him that I thought of him. I'm sure that will impress him mightily!

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  5. A Christmas card with cash has been sent and received and everyone received their money from me! That's the sum of my gift giving!
    I do give out cards and a few even gets mailed!
    Christmas is nothing like it use to be!

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    1. I sort of miss sending Christmas cards. But sort of don't, too.

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  6. You'd better get sewing to get that nightgown finished:)

    I'm usually finished ahead of time because that's just how I am. This year sucks even worse than usual.

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    1. You're right- I need to get serious about this nightgown. I was just working on it again a few minutes ago.

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    2. I just made Mrs. Harvey's fruitcake. I'll keep you updated. Stress baking:)

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    3. Oh my goodness! I hope you like it!

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    4. Delicious! And I am not a fan of fruit cake so thank you for pointing to that recipe.

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  7. Keep going on the sewing for Maggie and now Mr. Moon. I think there is a need in every sewing project to go back, unpick the stitches, and fix that mistake. It just gets routine after awhile, and you don't berate yourself anymore. I haven't been to the fabric store for a long time, so it's sad to know the patterns are all disheveled now. Have a Merry Christmas. You will get it all done!

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    1. Luckily this was all basted only so not a big deal.
      Well, there is a method to the madness of the patterns but it took me awhile to figure it out. It's just not like it used to be.
      You have a merry Christmas, too!

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  8. I love the photo as it looks like a beautiful painting! Do not worry about Christmas shopping, we just are happy to be able to be together in person this year! Love you!

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    1. Oh, Lilo! It is so nice to see you here! That picture was from a yard on Colonial.
      We're going to have a merry little Christmas, I promise!

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  9. I used to love to sew but fleece lounge pants are so cheap and everywhere. Maybe I'll make a new skirt for next summer. That pink angel trumpet is gorgeous. Everyone I see around town bloom but not mine. It's right next to the yellow one that blooms beautifully, but can't get any out of the pink one. So frustrating.

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    1. The problem with buying them is that I'd have to order them from the Large and Tall man shop. They do not sell pants long enough for Glen at Target. Or anywhere, for that matter. Not around here, anyway.
      I wonder why your pink one won't bloom? That's sad.

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  10. Bought the youngest grandchildren's presents in October and mailed money to the oldest grandchildren who live far away this week. Same for teenage nieces who live out west. Adult children will get money in a card. Will gather with two of four children's families at one of their homes on Christmas Eve to watch the littles open their gifts. That's it. No Christmas dinner planned. Haven't even bothered to decorate my house. So, yep, I get it. I am so not in a festive mood. Humbugitis. No cure.

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    1. Humbugitis. I love it.
      Sounds like you've covered all your bases.

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  11. Hang in there, Ms. Moon. Christmas can be fun without presents. Mr. Moon will have all of your glorious food to enjoy. Don't worry about it!

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    1. There will be presents. Just not many from me!

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  12. I haven't seen Yellowstone yet but I admit I'm having a hard time watching Succession - however true to life it might be. Hell if that's true to life I'll pass. But next time take that lady out for some margaritas. I only drink white wine but I would definitely make an exception for margaritas! Merry Christmas Ms Moon if I don't post again before the big day!

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    1. I'm pretty sure that the Joann's lady would have gotten fired if I'd taken her out for drinks in the middle of her shift! Too bad, right? I think it would have been a lot of fun.

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  13. Hmmmm..."Yellowstone" is not on my radar at all. I wonder if we can even get it here. (It sounds like I might not want to!)

    I wonder if humans have a deep-seated need to stress themselves out once a year just so they can feel the immense relief that comes when the holidays are over? It's cathartic, don't you think?

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    1. My advice would be to not even try to watch Yellowstone. I didn't even get through the entire fifth episode before I told Glen that I was done.
      Your theory about the stress and then catharsis may be absolutely correct, Steve.

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  14. I dropped off some groceries for my mom yesterday, as we often do, and brought a little moss garden to overwinter with her. It's fun to see what germinates, there's always something. And little figurines often end up in there... I told her all I wanted was a jar of the lovely black and blue jam she made with my sister this year. It's so good. So that's our exchange sorted! Feels good and joy was had. Taken me 55 years to get to that.

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    1. Well at least you got there! Sounds perfect. The moss garden has me intrigued.

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    2. OMG and then today we talked for 96 minutes on the phone. Which is a big deal because of her parkinsons. We talked about our family's war trauma, and how stuff gets passed down through the generations. It was so deep I had an actual physical reaction. The moss garden is like a promise that sping will be back, that the snow will melt and the moss will still be there. You can tend and water it and touch and smell it. It's a big chunk found every year on a walk in the woods and then placed in some pretty old footed compote dish. Come spring it goes back to the woods. That connection is more important to me than a religious holiday.

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    3. The moss garden is a wonderful idea! Tho I would probably forget to water it and it would turn brown. I've been working for years to eliminate all the grass from the yard under the trees, replaced by moss. Ever since seeing the gardener in the grounds of an ancient Japanese palace carefully weeding out all the stray grass from the moss.

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