Waiting, waiting, waiting

 Waiting for the repairman.  Supposed to be here between 8 and noon.  Anytime now would be just fine.  Hubs makes breakfast every morning but he has never made the oatmeal in the microwave so I was prepared to be on cereal duty today but he decided to give it a go and I think he preferred it to cooking it on the stove.  He said something like “it turned out ok and beats standing over a hot stove”. 

He cracks me up. 

So, now I am just waiting.  Been out with the Trixster several times, picked up the kitchen counter some, and am now enjoying a cup of coffee.  I never used to drink coffee but I have developed a taste for it.  I buy Cafe DuMonde and really like it.  I used to use cream or half and half but it gives me indigestion so now I just use milk and no sugar.

Now if somebody would just bring me a beignet.  Oh wait, you can buy the mix at the store— maybe when the stove is fixed.

Night before last we had three foxes on the deck.  Last night we had one.  I think there might have been a second out of camera shot but here he is — I think it is Boo.

He was very interested in something on the other side of the deck.  Maybe Bam? I think I might leave them a dog biscuit out tonight although from what I understand they prefer canned dog food.  I can’t believe I am even thinking about that.

I have been working on my cross stitch but it is going very slowly.  I am using a new technique —something I dreamed up although I am sure it isn’t an original thought— I am completing each square of 10 X 10 squares at a time — makes for a lot of thread changes — and then, when I have completed the square I am highlighting it on the chart.  Sort of reverse gridding.  It is going well but I could go faster if I wasn’t doing it this way but this makes it easier to keep track of where I am.

I didn’t stitch at all yesterday because night before last my left hand ached pretty badly from holding the hoop.  I am back to using just a regular embroidery hoop because the q-snap hurts my hand and I can’t stay with it as long.  So, I gave it a rest last night and was looking forward to spending some time this morning stitching.  However, I woke up at 4 a.m. and my OTHER hand had a terrible cramp in it and I couldn’t straighten it out.  I have no clue what I did to it but it wasn’t good.  Since I have “severe and extreme arthritis” in my left hand (I had absolutely no clue until the orthopedist told me) and my left hand is my non-dominant hand, it would make sense that I have arthritis in my right hand as well.  Up until now I have had absolutely no issues with my hands — my knees, hips, feet and back are another story — but not my hands.  Well, I guess it had to start sometime.  Blah.  I don’t care.  I am not giving up stitching.

I managed to get some reading done last night before falling asleep.  I am reading “The Chocolate House” (or something like that) by Paula Brackston — a sequel to “The Little Shop of Found Things”.  As I said previously, I am not into fantasy stories but the first one held my interest — not sure about the second however — but it seems to have grabbed me and I am all in.  I am not sure I am ready for the main character, Xanthe, the go down the time traveling rabbit hole (portal) again but it looks like that is where she is headed.  I will see how this one goes — not sure if I can handle #3 and #4 but I might be so far in that I will absolutely HAVE to read them as well.  That is the thing about a series, isn’t it?  

Well, I am afraid I am going to require a second cup of coffee before I can do the things.  I am thrown off schedule because of this repairman situation so I don’t even know what things I want to do — other than stitch.  So, I guess it is going to be a “fly by the seat of my britches” day! That seems to be everyday for me these days.  Oh well, it all eventually gets done anyway.

See you later!