You get more...

From a

cuz a Kenmore has so much more to give.

Yesterday was a much cooler day and since my old Kenmore is in an upstairs room I had put off opening it up until I wouldn't melt trying to sew.

It may be an old machine but it still runs like a champ. Of course there are a couple disadvantages to using an old machine. One is that you have to thread the needle by yourself. That can be quite a challenge for old eyes. The other is that it doesn't tell you when the bobbin thread is about to run out. Luckily I had enough thread on the bobbin to get me through what I was doing.

I made a total of 5 more masks but I only have a picture of 3 of them.

I made each with two different fabrics and this is reversible so you can get two different looks from the same mask.

I still have lots of fabric left so who knows I may make more.

Mini meltdown

I think I was overdue for one so I treated myself. Long work days, high temperatures and anything else I can throw in there finally took it's toll. Thursday I got home from work and I had just had enough so I sat down and had myself a little cry. Felt better but Friday I went to work and was too tired. I finished my work as fast as I could and left work an hour and fifteen minutes early. The weather was much cooler and it was raining so it was perfect for laying on the couch and taking a nap.

Naps and crying aren't always bad things.

Gibbs says that snacks help too.

Well that's a fine how do you do

I was off yesterday and I had planned on making more masks. I had a couple cut out and ready to sew. I turned on the machine, place the fabric down and hit the start button. It kept sewing backwards.

I pulled out the manual that came with it and went to the troubleshooting guide.

I was not pleased with what I read.

If you read the one for the fabric feeds in the opposite direction you will see that the problem is that the feed mechanism is damaged. The solution is contact your dealer or the nearest authorized service center. I have no idea how the feed mechanism could have been damaged. I honestly don't even use it all that much and the last few times I have used it there wasn't any problems at all. I have another sewing machine. It's a 38 year old Singer that my aunt bought for me. I haven't used that in years and it will be a pain having to use it where it sits instead of being able to take it to the kitchen table but I suppose if I really want to sew more masks that's what I'll have to do.

The last few days

Well I survived that 11 hour day at work on Sunday. Surprisingly, it wasn't exhausting like I thought it would be. It went relatively fast and I didn't even need a nap when I got home. It was a busy weekend at the store though. I think people are getting tired of being cooped up and were just ready to do the whole picnic thing. We sold a ton of deli salads and bakery items were moving fast as well.

Catherine mentioned in a comment that she thought it was interesting that we are short staffed and that where she lives there would be hundreds of applications. I wish that were the case here. It seems like no one wants to work, it's easier to live off welfare or in some cases unemployment with the extra cash added on.

Jean commented that my schedule was brutal and asked if my boss works as hard as I do. The answer is absolutely. He is right there with the rest of us. On top of all he has to do to run the store he  has also been working as the butcher since our last one moved on to another job. He's tried to train a couple of youner guys but they didn't work out and the one that he hired off the streets worked 2 days and never showed up again.

Moving on to Monday, that was a quick day as I only worked 4.5 hours. I got home, mowed the lawn, took a nap then went to my daughters house for some picnic food. Burgers on the grill, pasta salad, cottage cheese, baked beans and apple pie. She showed me the nest they have on the back steps at her apartment. These steps neve get used but still not the safest place for momma to build

Memorial Day 2020

Oh Brother

Saturday was a mostly relaxing day with just a little bit of housework thrown in. The biggest project for the day was pulling out my Brother sewing machine

I had watched a youtube video earlier for an easy face mask. I can't find the video again but it was easy enough that I could remember exactly what she did so I sat down and made a few new masks. Definitely a good way to use up some fabric scraps.

Instead of using elastic I used t-shirt material. It's easier on the ears. I found an old shirt I didn't wear anymore.

I cut 1" strips off the bottom of the shirt.

Then you just stretch the material and it rolls in on itself and makes a nice cord to use for the masks.

If I was thinking I would have made the straps just a little bit longer because I want to put buttons on my hat for work. That way I can loop the straps around the buttons and I don't have to have them around my ears. Even though these are more comfortable than the elastic I still have issues with them getting tangled with my hearing aids when I try and take the mask off.

Chillin'

I'm pretty sure that the majority of the day will be spent just chillin out and doing a whole lot of nothing. My work schedule is a bit crazy for next week and I can use all the down time I can get.
Sunday I work from 5-4
Monday, my regular day off I'll be working from 6-? whenever I finish
Wednesday 6-4
Thursday 6-2
Friday 6-2
I haven't started it yet and I'm already tired just thinking about it.

This will be a good time to take every opportunity to stop and smell the flowers.

Oh and if you don't hear from me in the next week, I'll be napping on the couch.

Put it all together and what have you got?

A very impressive box card.

If fancy card is what you're looking for, then this one fits the bill

Here's a view from the side

One more from the front

And the whole thing folds flat to put into an envelope for mailing.

I don't know if I would want to make a lot of these. It took me forever to get the ambition to just cut out all the pieces. Once I cut them I was a bit confused on how to put them all together. I had to watch the instruction video provided. This was another free cut file from SVGcuts.com 

37 pieces

I've had a project that I've wanted to start but have been a little itimidated by it. It has 37 different pieces that had to be cut.

The butterflies are 2 layers. The colored paper is the bottom and the black top layer. Then I used markers to add some different colors and the detail lines.

Tomorrow the finished project.

Men at work

I found a notice on my door last week saying that they were going to be doing some work on the sewer lines in my neighborhood. Of course the day they are doing it is on my day off and they ask that you limit things like laundry, showering, flushing, and any other use of water.

 Not sure what kind of difference this will make for me but it gave me something to take pictures of.

Miscellaneous

It used to be when I went to the bank on Thursday I would drive right up and be out of there in a couple minutes. The last few weeks there have been cars in both lanes with more lining up behind me. Last Thursday I sat and waited 20 minutes before the truck in front of me finally pulled out. The week before it was an even longer wait.

Sunday was a crazy day at work. Sundays are now like my Wednesdays where I'm doing double duty. I'm not only the bakery person but I'm also running the front office and handeling anything else going on in the store. There were lots of calls to the office for various reasons. In addition to that I'm also backup for the deli if she needs help. We are scheduled very thin but it's only because we are so short on people. We've had people quit, people who won't work during the pandemic and people who have had to take off for a surgery. Forget about hiring anyone new because we just don't have the applications. I've already called the ones we got and had noone return my calls.

Any way I had a cake order to do.This is the first one I've done in a long time. Then about an hour and a half before my shift was over I had someone come in asking if I could do a cake that day. Like a sucker I said yes. I didn't bother taking a picture of that one.

When I got home from work I mowed the lawn. I had planned to do it Saturday but it was still very wet from all the rain we had. More rain was predicted for Monday so it had to be done. It takes me about an hour.

When I got that done I grabbed a quick shower and headed to my sons house to drop off some bottles to his fiance who has been painting bottles and selling them. I had done some cleaning out and was getting rid of some that I had plans for but never used. I figured since they've sat for several years the chance of me ever using them was slim. Best part of that was I got to see Presley.

After all that I was exhausted and ready to move into slug mode. I was going to stop at my daughters  too but still had another half hour to wait before she would be home. That'll have to be a visit for another day.

A new week

Today is the start of a new week, a new day and a new attitude. Well at least for the moment any way. I got my rant out of the way yesterday and now I'm ready to be more positive and put on a happy face.
I was able to go out in the yard the other day with the camera and while there isn't a whole lot to take pictures of I did get this frog to wave hello to all my wonderful readers.

The flower bed in the front of my house is once again looking horrible and filled with weeds. But I think the combination of the grape hyacinth and yellow dandelions is quite stunning.

Change of plan

I actually took my camera outside yesterday and took some pictures. I was planning on using those for a post today but my computer is acting up and I couldn't get the pictures off the SD card. Then when I was scrolling through Facebook I saw something that just set me off.

Let me start by saying.

If I offend anyone with anything I'm about to say I'm sorry but I have to get this out.

This picture was posted on Facebook. I'm not sure where this is but I believe it is somewhere in Pennsylvania

I'm sorry but this is just taking it too far. I have had it with the whole mask thing. I hear how I'm not wearing a mask to protect myself I'm doing it to protect those around me. I hear how I shouldn't be selfish and think of myself. Well let me just say that I do wear a mask because I have to but it's not healthy for me. Because of the amount of time I have to wear that stupid mask I have problems breathing. It's bad enough if I have it over my face and I'm just standing there or walking at a leisurely pace but once I have to start rushing and running back and forth it is impossible to breathe with the mask over my face.
So the argument is that I'm not sick but I could be a carrier and get someone else sick. So why is it then that I have not made any of the people I work with sick? We go without our masks if there are no customers around. None of us have gotten sick. For that matter there are no cases in our area. ZERO.

Ok, so I'm rambled on enough. I probably didn't even make much sense. Blame it on the lack of oxygen. Let me just say too that if wearing a mask makes you feel safe then by all means I think you should wear one but I think this should be an individual choice for everyone.

All in a days work

Would you like to join me at work? Today we'll be making some bread. We have white, rye, english toasting, wheat or raisin.

Or maybe you would prefer some banana bread.

Not hungry for bread? Can I interest you in one of our deli salads?

And for the grand finale I give you the chicken salad pita sandwich. I don't know if I could eat this one though. It has such a cute little face. It looks like a sleeping puppy face.

Ramen to the rescue

I think someone doesn't want me to have tuna noodle casserole. I bought all the stuff to make it. I was going to have it last Saturday then my sons fiance brought me the lasagna. Then I made swedish meatballs for dinner on Sunday. I ate the leftovers on Monday and planned to make the tuna noodle casserole when I got home from work yesterday. I filled a pan with water to boil the noodles then went to the cupboard to grab what I thought was a half a bag of egg noodles. Turns out there wasn't even a quarter of a bag.

Shrimp flavored ramen noodles it was.

You know I'm desperate for blog material when I take a picture of a bowl of ramen noodles.

Gloomy

That's what the weather has been like here. It's been cold, there's been snow and there's been rain. What there hasn't been is sunshine. I spent the majority of my day off laying on the couch under a blanket either sleeping or watching tv. I think I'm starting to sound like a broken record with that line. I seem to be saying that quite a lot lately.

Enough of that. There was some sunshine in my mothers day even if it wasn't the kind that mother nature provides.
 My wonderful children gave me gifts.
From my daughter I got the pretty bird feeder and the happiness is homemade sign that will be perfect in my craft room. From my son I got the windchimes which I'm told he picked out all on his own.

Caught on camera

I told you that last Friday Presley and her mom stopped in the store while I was working. What I didn't know was that I was caught on camera while I visited with Presely.

Since donuts are what I do, I had to buy one for my favorite peanut. Then I cleared some rolls off the shelf so we could have a seat and visit.

I kind of hate how I look in these pictures so just pay attention to the cutie sitting next to me. Also, I know I don't have my mask on but she was kind of scared of me with it up so I pulled it down.

Here I am

I'm sorry for my lack of attention to my blog lately. I have no excuse really other than work has just been kicking my butt. I have been so tired when I get home I don't want to do anything. Friday I woke up feeling tired and I was dragging through my day. There was a couple bright spots though. While I was there my favorite little girl in the whole world came in with her mom. Seeing Presley is always a bright spot. Then later, Presley's mom brought me over some dinner.

I love lasagna. Especially when it's someone else who makes it and brings me some.

Today for Mother's Day I'll be working an extra hour. We are already short staffed and one person has complained about not "signing up" for all the extra hours he's been given lately. Really? None of us signed up for extra work but we do it because that's what we get paid for. Any way, now I have 2 days a week that I not only do my job but also am in charge of the office and the store in general.

Hope everyone has a Happy Mother's Day.

I could use a laugh

Yesterday it was 65 degrees and today there is snow in the forecast with a high only in the 40s.