Winter Sampler: Icicles

Stitching is happening, y'all. Not a lot, but it's happening. For the first time in many weeks I've been able to start thinking about and working on Christmas Open House again, and I have even gotten a couple of stash orders (more on those later). It doesn't really feel like home until stash shows up in the mailbox!

I am slowly getting the house pulled together. I usually do this pretty quickly, but I have been so tired, and frankly, haven't felt well. Lots of stuff from the last year and a half catching up to me, I think, now that we're finally settled. I'm anxious to get my sewing room in working order because I have so much finishing and framing to do, but the sewing room is always last on the list when we move. So it will be a while before I get it sorted. 

The babies are doing fine. They're nine months old (can you believe it?) and chunky and fluffy and into everything. I guess eventually I'll have to start calling them "the girls" as they're getting so big, but they were so tiny when we got them and had such a rough start, they're still babies in my mind. 

So that's how things are here. Just plodding along with the unpacking, stitching a little in the mornings before I start my day's work, and turning my mind to all things stitchy: Christmas Open House, Year of Winter, things I want to stitch next year, stash, a surprise I'm working on for y'all...

Wait, what?

Stay tuned!

Moving Update: In, With the Door Shut

 

Throughout my dad's nearly 30-year military career, "in, with the door shut" was the goal of every move. It's that moment when the movers finish unloading in your new quarters at your new duty station, and you close the door behind them, and for the first time in weeks (often months) you breathe. It's been that way for our almost 20 years as well. 

The part of the move we did ourselves went smoothly, even if it was really hard work. The part where the movers took over? Welllll... we'll just say it took twice as long as it should have for various reasons. So we're exhausted and more than a little irritated, but we'll leave it at that because it's over, and we're in, with the door shut.

I'm now going into post-move recovery hibernation for a bit, so I leave you with pictures of the girls enjoying some of their new windows. They have a nice view of trees and birds and critters, and Butterfly has seen her first bunny, which completely blew her mind. Which reminds me, right before we moved out of the rental, Marigold spotted a turtle crawling across the patio and it undid her for the whole morning: flattened ears, arched back, puffy tail... the whole bit. Wildlife encounters can be challenging. 

Thank you for the support, see y'all when I wake up!

Moving Update: Rejoice With Me!

Gas stove! Yippeeeee!

Y'all! I am excited! I have a gas stove again! Had one for 10 years when we were stationed on the East Coast, then electric at our last duty station, and for the past year... well. This rental has an electric stove, with a glass top, with an oven that is not only not properly calibrated, but also doesn't maintain even temperature. It has been a nightmare to use. When I walked in to our new quarters and saw that gas stove I was over the moon!

Yesterday went really well. We moved a ton of stuff on our own, and are really happy with the house. Weather was perfect, nobody hurt themselves! We plan to have another busy day today, and then take a break on Saturday to rest a little and do some things around the (rental) house.

Thank you so much for all the well wishes and prayers. We really appreciate them. So far, so good!

It's Happening!

 

We get the keys to our new quarters tomorrow and will take a few days to move some things ourselves, and then the movers come on Tuesday for furniture, books (so many books), and whatever is left. I'm praying for things to go smoothly... nice weather, nobody messing up their back (looking at you, Mr. Wonderful), etc, etc. It's been a long while since we've felt settled, and that unsettled feeling wears on you. I'm so looking forward to getting the house in order and then having a bit of a fall apart. Or maybe I'll do the fall apart first, and then get the house in order!

Our little werewolves are thriving. Marigold will probably have made 9 pounds by this week's weigh-in, and Butterfly isn't far behind. They're in for a surprise, but so far they've seemed to be very adaptable kitties. I'm sure having lots of new windows with new views will help!