2019 Wood Carved Ornament

Most of the 20019 Ornaments have been delivered... a few more will find their homes soon.
We began with a wood blank.  Mostly Basswood but there were some Butternut.  Butternut is much harder to carve!

Our idea this year came from a fellow carver Sheila.  She always has lots of ideas. 

Left; blank cut out on the bandsaw.  Middle; partially carved.  Right;  carved and sanded.  The carving on the far right is Butternut.  Butternut has beautiful grain.

I decided to keep the stockings/boots (whatever you want to call them) very plain versus painting them!.  I drew and painted a spring of Holly and Berries on them...one by one.

Here the ornaments are hanging up to dry.  My "holder" will hold 12 ornaments.  It is a fancy smancy "holder" ...a Peanut Butter Jar with a piece of wood screwed to the lid...the piece of wood has small nails for individual holders.

The ornaments were sealed.

Phase Two began.  What to put in the boots/stockings ? We tried to carve a teddy bear...what a laugh that was.  Far Guy carved all the candy canes.  We decided that we would purchase some small beads for balls and some tiny bells.  I painted the beads.  Far Guy cut out blocks.  I visited the local five and dime and bought some clay to see if we could make a bear out of clay...it worked and I went back to get more clay! 

Boot stuffins

One day we had enough stuff to begin stuffing the boots/stockings. 

No two are exactly the same.  It was a good project.   Names and dates are on the opposite side of the boot/stocking.  These in the photos were kept blank  I believe we carved 110 and I have 9 left over.

Far Side

Line up

It looks like a busy week ahead...three medical appointments yet this week...one down three to go.

I caused quite a line at the Post Office.   17 packages were mailed all being delivered Wednesday or Thursday according to the Post Office.  There was no line when I got there...lucky me...but the line went out the door when I exited 25 minutes later.   Not sure why they don't have a package window...or maybe an express lane where you just buy stamps or pick up packages from your mail box.  Our Postal Service is antiquated at best. 

Every time I go to the grocery store I look at the flowers. Just to see what is in the bouquets.

These Mums caught my eye yesterday.  If I could have flowers in the house I most likely would have bought this bouquet.  Flowers make my eyes water and I sneeze...so they are best enjoyed outside or in the stores.

Far Guy has written his Christmas Letter.  It will be printed soon.  We picked up the paper for the letters yesterday.

I have a few more wood carved ornaments to hand deliver.  I won't say that everything is under control because as soon as I say that it won't be. 

Far Side

Updates and Winners

News...Far Guy finally got the phone call that took him off of hold.  He is once again active on the Lung Transplant list...this time he is listed for two lungs.  It took a whole week for the Thoracic Surgeon to make that determination after he was called away on an emergency during the transplant meeting a week ago.   Far Guy is listed for both lungs because they cannot be certain which lung had the lung fungus...or if it was both.  After transplant one old lung with a fungus could compromise the new lung.   So now we wait again.  It is better than waiting to wait which is what we have been doing the past sixty days.  Far Guy finishes his fungicide medication  on Sunday.

In other news we traveled up north to a VA Clinic so Far Guy could get his last Shingrix shot...he accomplished it all by himself...I spent that time at Hobby Lobby...yes yarn was on sale again.  I will eventually get a Shingrix shot but our local clinic has a shortage of the serum.

In other other news...I have an infection.  Far Guy insisted I go to the Doctor.  As my luck would have it...Dr She Devil was the only Doctor seeing walk in patients at our local clinic.  I almost turned around and left when the Nurse announced who would be seeing me.  Then we waited and waited...I had a little nap with my head against the wall....stress makes me so so sleepy.  Eventually the old bat showed up and diagnosed an infection and said if I get a temperature I am to come back immediately.  For now I have antibiotics and a special cream.  The big old infection is from the cryosurgery I had on November 1...a  wart that was zapped with liquid nitrogen...the wart was behind my knee...Dr She Devil took forever going back through my medical history...she should not have a license to practice in my opinion.  She clicked this and that on her computer...Far Guy rolled his eyes a few times...whilst I just wanted to bolt from the room. Finally we were allowed to leave...Far Guy said I deserve 15 Golden Stars for  my excellent behavior. You can read about my prior history with DR SHE DEVIL here. 

In other other other news...a big old snowstorm is headed our way.  It will most likely be snowing and blowing when you are reading this.  They have named this Winter Storm Ezekiel.  I moved the electric snow shovel to it's spot just outside the front door.

In other other other other news...Winners of the 2019 Christmas Wood carved one of a kind ornament are;

Betsy

Miss Merry

Bonnie

Wendy

Congratulations!  Please contact me by email with your mailing address captainconnie2001atyahoodotcom  I hope to mail packages on Monday !

Far Side

Tree and Ornaments

The Christmas tree is up on Main Street.   It has a few decorations and lights.  The official tree lighting ceremony is supposed to be on Friday night...I happened by just after the Power Company finished the lights and they were probably testing them...who really knows for sure.

Yes it sits in the center of the street and takes up about four parking spots.  As you can tell it is gloomy here...it spit rain and then snow yesterday.

Tell me about a Christmas tree in your community...is there one?   All comments will be entered in this years Christmas Ornament Give Away...a fantastic one of a kind wood carved ornament worthy of collecting!

  I will take comments until Friday night at 9 PM ...then I will draw for winners and mail your prize on Monday December 2 in plenty of time for Christmas.  Those of you who like to email me...please do!

The wood carved ornament will be revealed soon.

Far Side

Catching up

On sleep and small projects!

 I began to use some of my Christmas boxes for ornaments for 2019...getting them ready to mail.  It is a work in progress and at least it is organized and manageable now.   I used up a fair amount of boxes and tins and nearly every small Christmas gift bag I had in the gift wrapping box.  (Jen says I am a box hoarder...I call it being amply prepared.) I even organized my gift wrapping container...it was a mess...now I know what I have!

I went through my closet and took a bunch of clothing I will probably never wear again upstairs...if it is still up there in the spring I will deal with it then.

My stash of sympathy cards is getting low.  I had to order more photos...I found a few that would work...and some other photos that were stashed away that will make great cards....so I made a bunch.  I completed that part of the project!

I am almost caught up with the Crochet Along Project, I enjoy learning new stitches.

I am STILL working on Christmas Cards....glittering a few every few days...not many left in the to do pile.  Then I have to square them up and mount them on card stock...at least I have that all cut and ready to go...then there is the small problem of a sentiment... I don't have that figured out yet...although I have many ideas.

We may have sunshine sometime soon so outside work will commence again.
Far Side

103

That is the number of Christmas Ornaments that are complete. The paints are put away and the dining room table has been cleared off.  The ornaments are in three boxes awaiting Christmas bags or boxes of their own...

It has been rainy the past two days, yesterday morning I could not see how my day would progress as it was a "me day"  so I did some laundry, scrubbed the Furnace/Laundry room floor and continued on into the kitchen.  I took apart the vacuum cleaner and cleaned it up real good...my vacuum not Far Guys robot vacuum.  I worked on some bits and pieces for stage two of the ornaments.  The sun peaked out for a bit and Far Guy was able to buff up the last few of stage one...I put the last coat of sealer on them and at 9 PM last night I was finished with the 2019 Ornament Project.  Yeah us!! 

I even found time to transcribe my knit sock pattern in the afternoon and have a 20 minute nap.
The sock pattern is tucked into a page protector with extra sticky notes so I can easily keep track of which row I am on.  Yeah me!  Hopefully I didn't make any mistakes or typos!  ( I still have two pair of socks on needles)

Liatris  more than likely the Floristan White one.

Far Side

Me Day

I finally had a me day.  My "me day" may be different from yours.

Curious? 

I played "52 pickup and put away" at least once.  I deep cleaned the bathroom, washed towels and bath rugs.  Washed another load of clothing too.  I phoned a friend who has encountered many losses in the last month, she said I made her feel a bit better...I hope so.     I mowed lawn over at Katie's old place, then a small area over at my other baby brothers place of business and on the way home I mowed the back road.   I now have 71 Christmas Ornaments ready for stage two.  Stage two is being worked on.  I had a long nap (about 2 hours), and we cooked supper together...pork burgers without the bun, french fries in the air fryer and peaches. I spoke with my baby brother last evening, his daughter is recovering from surgery.  Oh yes Jen called and my other baby brother and sister in law stopped by.

It was really nice to stay home all day. I may not have had much time for "me" but I had the time to do things that were important to me.

Fish Hook River and the old Rail Road Trestle Bridge  August 8 2019.

Far Side

Progress or not

Making progress on the Christmas Ornament...50 are now complete in Phase One. Feels good to have them packed away in a box awaiting their final bits.

We had a good gathering at my baby brothers lake home.  Good food and good company.  Got to see a few cousins that we haven't seen in awhile.  My baby brother and his wife hold an annual Rendezvous at their place the first weekend in August.  New this year is a zip line for kids and adults.  The closest I got was removing poison ivy in that area!  The small step stool I have makes me nervous, so a zip line would be out of the question!

Rudbeckia 'Cherokee Sunset' in the Wild Gardens.

Far Guy is coughing and short of breath again. We just cannot keep him feeling good.
Far Side

Busy as a bee

Days away from medical appointments take on a life of their own.  I try to stay on top of things just in case Far Guy gets "the call"....it is almost a full time job.  Yard, house, laundry....repeat.

Jen is here with Miss Miney and Little Elvis.  It is good to have dogs in the house again.  Jen and I worked on Christmas Ornaments....26 are now complete waiting for the second stage.   We also worked on the design of the Christmas Card.   Yesterday I made potato salad for fifty plus people for a gathering today at my baby brothers lake home.

I attempted to crochet a pair of baby booties for a friend that is having a baby...it was a cute design but would fit a one year old instead of a baby so I frogged it.  I hope to find another pattern or re write the one I have.   I showed it to Jen and she just laughed...it was so big!

I asked Jen to bring down a box for the ornaments in waiting...she discovered I am a box hoarder and mumbled something about boxes inside other boxes.

Far Side

August

Well it is August in Minnesota.  Only a couple of months until it snows.  The Oak leaves are starting to turn August brown.  The lawn has brown dormant splotches.  I hear there is some swimmers itch...you must shower after being in the lake or rub vigorously with a towel to avoid that itch....tiny bumps that itch like crazy.

The Deer Flies are here and I had a baby Walking Stick in my flower garden.

The Christmas Ornaments are coming along.  There are two phases to the ornament...an ornament with other ornaments ( yes we might be nuts).  14 are complete to the first phase...Far Guy is brainstorming the second phase.  I am painting and sealing more of the first phase.  All woodcarving is complete on the first phase.

The Coneflowers are in bloom.
Far Side

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