The Covid Look

What is your daily covid costume?  Many of my friends are doing the sweat pants and top with hair pulled into a pony tail look. Those who are working from home are doing the nice clothes on top and comfy bottoms.  I am wearing what I usually do at home which is the sweat pants and sweater combo but am also curling my hair and putting on a bit of make up-usually lip blush.  As I tended to be on some form of social media face to face every day, I don't want to shock everyone into thinking I am ill.  I am also taking pity on my poor husband who has to look at me every day.  Out of respect for him, I try to make a bit of effort.
I do think a person feels a  better when they make the effort to look better.  It is not uncommon to see someone in jeans no matter the event.  Would a pair of dress pants be that uncomfortable?
I finished another of my mask orders today.  I have four more to do that are a give away and that is all I have to make for now.  This is a good thing as I am out of elastic.  A friend has some and will get that from her but am really hoping my Amazon order gets here soon as I am sure that there are more people that need masks.
It looks as though our Province of Ontario is starting to make plans to allow some stores to open.  I am glad to hear that hair dressers are on the list.  The Prime Minister with his thick hair looks as though he will soon be ready for a man bun.  I do appreciate that he is not getting a cut and putting up with the tousled look like the rest of us.  It is rather interesting to watch the news personalities revert to their original colour and use enough gel to grease a pig in an attempt to keep their hair off their face. Covid humour.
Blessings,

Monday or Friday

I am still busy making face masks.  As fast as I get one order filled, another one comes in.  I am glad I am able to do something practical which will make people safer.  I got an email from one buyer who said that she felt a lot more comfortable going in and getting a few things from the store.
A friend just gave me a huge amount of fabric that will make great masks.  I will be fine for elastic if my order gets here soon.  Mail is dreadfully slow but that is to be expected.
We have a couple of hens that seem to be brooding.  One is a bantam and the other a regular sized barred.  We are hoping that they are successful in hatching some chicks as it is cheaper than buying them and it is also lovely to watch them grown from tiny fuzzy balls to full sized bird.
I finished this quilt last week and will add this to the pile until I find an owner.
I find it harder than usual to keep track of the days and the beginning of another week.  I tend to think most days are Friday until we finally get to Sunday which never seems to be any else.  I expect you are having the same feeling of not having a touch stone.  It would be worse for those of you who would normally be going to work.  Hang in there.  We are getting some signs that the end is approaching.  Perhaps not right away but we are getting there.

Blessings

Another Quilt Done

I finished a small quilt today and will start the binding tomorrow.  The weather is supposed to be nice again so I can sit outside and work on it.  I didn't do anything fancy for the quilting as I will probably give it away to be used as a child's floor blanket.  Here are a couple of photos of the back.

After I got this quilted, I spent some time putting the supplies for making masks in a container.  I can almost see the top of my cutting table now.  A bit more throwing things into the trash as well as  putting fabric back on the shelf and I will be able to start cutting blocks again.

Here is the box of masks that went to our local store.  They are already half sold so I will be able to make a donation to our food bank as well as cover my costs.

I gave little Heidi a bath this morning and then we went for a walk in the afternoon.  She came back with muddy feet but I was able to wipe most of it off with a damp cloth.  Winter, mud, blackflies, summer.  That is our seasons.

Blessings,

Face Masks

It snowed again today.  It started last night and is still falling.  The roads look really messy.  I suspect that if the schools weren't closed, it would be a snow day.
I got all my masks delivered today and have already started more.  I didn't intend to but I wanted to try another pattern and so, here I go again.  It is hard when I keep seeing that there are hospitals are still short of protection not to mention other front line workers.  I discovered today that the Postal Workers at the desk aren't allowed to wear masks.  There is a protective screen in front of part of the counter but not right where the customer would stand.  I don't know if this directive extends to the carriers but not only is this bad for the workers but also for the public.  If an employee isn't wearing a maks, is non symptomatic and coughs on the mail just before someone picks it up there is going to be a problem.

I suspect you are getting tired of hearing about the Covid everywhere.  I know that I am although I still listen carefully.  I will try and avoid the subject tomorrow, I promise.

In the meantime, here is a photo of our little Heidi carrying her favourite toy, a spotted squeeky pig.
Blessings,

Good Friends

Last day, I thought, of making masks.  Last evening, I pinned all the ear elastics in place and then sewed them this morning before adding the nose wire.  As I was turning them all the right side out so I could sew the opening closed, I noticed I had put a majority of the elastics in the wrong place.  Instead of pinning them between the back and front layer, they were between the back and lining.  When I turned the mask right side out, the elastic stayed in side.  So....I unpicked, repined and will sew again tomorrow.
While I was doing all this, hubby and two friends were cutting up some felled trees into moveable lengths (called blocking)  and taking them to where the splitter is located.  We now have a nice pile to start next winter's heating source.  It was wonderful that the men could enjoy the outdoors while maintaining a safe distance and do an aging neighbour a good turn.
Blessings,

Word Humour.

I have recently taken up writing in my journal again.  I haven't added anything for quite a while.  In fact, the last entry was May of 2017 when hubby had his hip replacement.  As that started a series of events resulting me being a nanny for two years, I guess I just didn't have time.  After the hip replacement which followed a carpal tunnel operation,  hubby broke an ankle while having an unhappy meeting of a tree limb and his head.

All those situations meant I had to take care of his chores and the caring of him while still doing my own work.  Although I did it all gladly, it was exhausting.

I thought it time to record some of our current situation as I really feel we are living through a time that will be part of history.  Perhaps sometime in the future, someone might be interested in how an individual dealt with the store closures, isolating, panic buying and all the other things that go with a pandemic.  While I am not experiencing the typical reactions as I love just staying home, the thoughts are still that of a person living through it all.

A friend sent me the following and I thought, like me, you would enjoy a break from covid news..  I love word humour and these had me, literally, laughing out loud,

Once again The Washington Post has published the winning submissions to its yearly neologism contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternative meanings for common words.   

The winners are: 

1. Coffee (n.), the person upon whom one coughs.   

 2. Flabbergasted (adj.), appalled over how much weight you have gained.  

3. Abdicate (v.), to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.  (love that one)   

4. Esplanade (v.), to attempt an explanation while drunk.  

5. Willy-nilly (adj.), impotent. 

 6. Negligent (adj.), describes a condition in which you absentmindedly answer the door in your nightgown. 

7. Lymph (v.), to walk with a lisp.  

8. Gargoyle(n.), olive-flavoured mouthwash.   

9. Flatulence (n.), emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller  

10. Balderdash (n.), a rapidly receding hairline.

11. Testicle (n.), a humorous question on an exam.

12. Rectitude (n.), the formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.

13. Pokemon (n.), a Rastafarian proctologist.

14. Oyster (n.), a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.

15. Frisbeetarianism (n.), (back by popular demand): The belief that, when you die, your soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there. 

16. Circumvent (n.), an opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.

Easter in August?

I feel as though I am running a factory in my little studio.  I have delivered 5 masks to a store's employees and 4 to a neighbour who requested them.  I have 6 others almost finished and another bunch that are cut out and ready to go to a business that wants to sell them.  If you are making them, you are probably having the same supply problems as I am.  Both elastic and suitable lining are hard to get.  As a quilter, I have tons of fabric and am using up my larger scraps.
I really get worried about the people who are buying some of the masks that are being made from fabrics that are completely useless. I saw one in a magazine that was designed to use socks and another was knitted.  These are basically face warmers.  If the mask doesn't have a moisture resistant component then the virus will get through.
An a more upbeat note, hubby and I were able to video chat with his family, including his mother, on Easter.  As mom is suffering from Alzheimer's it is necessary (and wanted) that we keep in touch as much as possible.  Our grandchildren also videoed with her and that was a real blessing.  Because they live at such a distance (3 province's away and much further north) they have never, physically met there great Gran.  Knowing they had connected will be our greatest 2020 Easter memory.
How are you making out?  Is the isolating getting you down?  Our quilt group is planning a Christmas in July (thinking optimistically) for when we are back together.  It is hard to plan definitely but even having an idea in mind gives everyone  something to look forward to.  Perhaps families could have Easter in August if all this is over by then.
Blessings,

Staying Focused.

It is drizzling here and my poor hubby is outside boiling sap for maple syrup.  I mentioned that it might be best to shut it down and finish it later but he wants to get it done.
I have finished the top for my red and white quilt, henceforth known as Flying Home and it has been added to the others that need quilting.  I have another project that I will be working on as a birthday gift for our granddaughter but right now I want to make some covid masks.  I have a good pattern from fabricpatch.net that includes a lining which makes it much safer.  She provides the pattern and has really good videos that explain both the process and purpose.  They are well worth watching.  I am making the masks for those who have to be out side-letter carriers, police officers, as well as people working at drive through windows.  You might know a delivery person who would benefit.
I am finding it quite difficult remembering that, although we are isolating, other things are carrying on as normal.  Bills need to be paid, friends are having birthdays, babies are being born and all the other everyday events.  It is like being in a bubble while being surrounded by the real world (not that it is at the moment.)
We are getting a few signs of spring here in the back woods and I am looking forward to being able to plant my veggies and flowers.  Another normal activity that will help keep me focused.
Blessings,