Quarantine Day 7 (9?) Say it ain't Snow

We have a renter in our home.  He's a friend of Ryan's and was in need of a place to stay for a few months.  Dylan has been here since the day before the twins moved in in August.

I don't have anything to complain about.  He's not difficult and works nights so he sleeps all day. 

It's like having another son in the house.

The day of our first real snow of the season on Friday (seriously first real snow... I don't count the 1/2 inch we got a couple weeks earlier when I just let it melt.) he got on his warm clothes and went out to play in the snow.  Like a big kid.  

He made a snowman in the front yard and then made a huge snowball in the back yard, intending to push it up to the front, but he forgot about the hill.  So it got abandoned in the back yard.

Leon is LOVING it!!!  He's made it into his Igloo and spent a lot of time and a lot of my kitchen utensils carving out his little home away from home.

I suggested that we make another huge snowball for a game room off of the main room.  But he wasn't keen on more work and the snow is not packing like it was Saturday.

I spent about 1.5 hours snow blowing the driveway on Saturday morning.  It was SO difficult because somehow the metal piece that switches gears was missing!  It was there last year...  I blame Covid.

So I ran the snow blower in top speed the entire way, spinning wheels while trying to go through the hardening snow at the end of the driveway.  Stupid snow plow man... 

I had to break up the 3 foot deep snow (from drifting and the plow) with a shovel just to get the snow blower to go through it. 

Yuck.

BUT the drive is clear now and there is a distinct hallway to get to the house across the patio.

Is it too soon to wish for an early spring?

I'm THAT Grandmother

Wow!  Clear since last Monday?  okey...

Leon has been a snow hound lately.  Mostly for the huge snow mountain at the school in town.  The other kids on the mountain like to play "king of " said mountain and I've become the mean old lady...

Mainly because of the third day on that blasted fake hilltop.  But more on that later.

The first day he got mad.  Because a supposedly good friend of his was playing king of the mountain and pushed him off of it.  He was so mad that he came to the car crying and snotty.  I tried to make sure I took him straight home when the bus arrived for a day or so after that.

Leon brought the round sled that Maddy had used at Bible camp.  There's a verse from Revelations on the bottom and all her camp friends signed it.  It wasn't sliding too well on our own "dog poop hill", mainly because of the paint.  I even sprayed some Pam spray on it to see if it would "slicken" it up.  Nope.  I kept having to push him every few inches to the bottom of the hill.

So we took it to the mountain so gravity would be the driving force.  SCORE!  He had a blast! 

The next time I took him, he took the Revelations sled again.  He came back to the car ten minutes later with a steady stream of blood coming from his nose and a broken sled.  Even though he wanted to go back to the hill and play more, some older boys were playing that dreaded King of the mountain again and gave him a push, hitting him in the nose and someone landed on his sled.  So...  I was mad but had to get Leon home and cleaned up and he was fighting me.  I won.

I wouldn't let him play on the hill for two days after that.  But the one day he asked if he could PLEASE play on the hill after school and I relented but not before calling the school during the day and narc'ing on the boys playing that game.  The school secretary was surprised to find they were still playing that game out there even though they'd been told not to.  Ummm they're young boys..  AND it's after the busses come so it's not school hours.  

So I let Leon go play on it again and I lectured the boys on the top of it that they're not supposed to play that game and that I WILL call the school principal again if I need to.  Wow were they scared of me!  "OOh - it's the grandkid of that mean lady!" ha!

Leon played for a while without getting into any problems and when I called for him to come back to the car, the older boys said, "Hey he's leaving, we can play it now!"  

I was RIGHT across the street with my window down. I called back, "Do you really think so?! It's too dangerous a game with young kids around and you guys were told by the school not to play it. I'd think twice..."

Leon got in the car and he supported my little speech, tirade, whatever it was.  "You're just protecting me!"  And yep!  I'm that grandmom...

I brought him back to play on it on Saturday and he found that someone had started a cave.  So he dug in with my ice scraper and made it bigger.

Robb had been out of town all week so he missed out on our impromptu homemade pizza night that we used to do every Friday night and I re-instituted this week because Leon asked for it.  Meri happened to text me and I invited her over.  She asked if Shub could come too since he loved pizza.  I should have made more than two...  Ryan and Jen ate with us too.

On Saturday Robb was finally home! YAY!   I helped Leon build a fort in our yard using a couple square ice cream buckets to make bricks.  

It turned out pretty good so I invited Meri over for a snowball fight but she already had other plans.  

So she and Shub came over Sunday afternoon instead and had a great time with the boy outside.  

The fort was demolished, rebuilt and then demolished again.

And that has caught me up.  I did some sewing this past week too and now I'm just one sewing project away from being all done with 2019 Christmas presents.  Waiting on Jen before I can finish that one.

Got to run.  Stay warm!

Taking in the Culture

Boo.  My sewing meeting was cancelled due to the blizzard and continuing blowing snow on Saturday morning...  

So instead of sewing my heart out, I had to pull our snow blower out of the garage.  It requires an extension cord to start and this year started up without any issues!  Robb went and got gas twice for me because w2e did our driveway and sidewalks and then I snow blowed over to Meri's 5-7 blocks away.

I made a few friends of our neighbors as I blew down our street, but if the sidewalk was already clear, I turned off the blower and walked it down.  I'm sure the neighbors were thinking to themselves, "Who was that scarfed woman?"

Then did Meri's sidewalks too.  

The snow was several inches deep and by noon, all of our town had finally dug out.

That night, Meri and her boyfriend, Shub prepared dinner for all of us at her house.  When we got there, Shub was busy stirring on the stove and calling out instructions to Meri.  She was his sous chef and server.  She SAID that we'd be entertained by Shub singing and dancing for us while we waited to be served, but he kindly refused and continued slaving over the stove.  So she put on some authentic Indian music on her Alexa for background ambiance.  When Shub heard it he laughed and said, "That stuff is SO old!!"  As if we'd know what modern Indian music sounds like...

Probably more like NSync...

The hoers devours consisted of samosas.  NOT to be confused with Mimosas as Meri has only just turned 21...  Samosas are little square hot pocket type morsels filled with veggies and seasonings.  They bought these pre-made and Meri cooked them in her air fryer.  YUM...  They served them with ketchup.

Meri has been collecting Pfalzgraff dishes ever since she was a kid after finding some at a garage sale.  Since then she's collected more at antique stores.  The table looked grand!

They also brought out Naan, a type of flat bread, both in plain and in onion flavors.  BOTH were really good and I could totally start seeing myself buying that on a regular basis if it had no calories.  But it does.

I did find a recipe online so I might try making some.

The main course was Butter Chicken made with Curry Masala along with rice.

Shub made it as it's supposed to be prepared, SPICY, 

and then in a milder version for anyone who couldn't hack the spices.

 For dessert, he'd also made Suji, an Indian style pudding with raisins and cashews mixed in.

We thought it tasted very similar to Cream of Wheat.

I could eat a lot of this unfortunately...  

I asked Shub if he ate like this all the time at home and nope.  This is a special meal only made once in a while. Kind of like in Germany.  I'm sure they don't eat saurbraten ALL the time...

Or Norway.  I'm sure they don't eat Lutefisk ALL the time...

Too much of a good thing is NOT a good thing.

Or in the case of Lutefisk, never at all.  But SOME people like it!

I'm German AND Norwegian, so I can poke fun at my heritage. ;)

I was SO stuffed by the time we left...  My mouth and esophagus felt so warm!  What a great way to stay warm on a negative degree night!  

Meri got to meet his family yesterday!  It's amazing what the internet can do...  With them in India and Meri and Shub in small town Iowa.  She's learning Hindi as quickly as she can so she can make sure Shub is interpreting correctly. :)

"They LOVE you!"

On to my day.  and on to Iowa food that is mostly salads for me.  

I'm determined to lose some weight!!!

And the Indian food didn't help this weekend.

sNOw Daze

AND it's a SNOW DAY!  Leon is ecstatic.

and hounding me to work more on some Sans plush toy that he found a video on how to make.

We've gotten the main head done and trying to figure out how to make the face pieces.  We are NOT going to make the eye light up.

He and I worked on cutting up brand new socks for this project last night before he had to go to bed.  So this morning, he was all over me wanting to work on Sans more. 

Ummm, you know that I work right?

As soon as I can take a break though, I will work on the project with him more.

I have no idea where this thing came from other than some game that 35 people in the U.S. play.  But Leon is determined to get it done by this weekend.

We'll see.

Other than that, I got my blouse done for the ASG meeting this Saturday that has been cancelled now because of the weather.  Dang.

The shirt just needed the bottom hem and a button at the top.  The button I found doesn't match the other buttons very much, but it's in the same color scheme and in a shirt like this, does it really matter?

I COULD replace them all I suppose but then this project would sit in my UFOs (UnFinished Objects) pile for longer while I agonize over the most perfect buttons.  So nope. It's done.

Maybe now, I'll have enough time to get some pants made that fit me properly to go along with it.  And maybe a sweater/jacket.

Who knows.

Stay warm!!!!

S'no Wonder

Can you tell it snowed here?  We got a couple three inches and Leon is in heaven.

We got home from the bus yesterday and he wanted to play outside for a bit before coming in.

He carved out a snow platter and I happened to catch him with it.

I used to do that all the time too when I was young.

Apparently he was using them as chalk.

He saw me and grabbed a snowball and headed for the picture window.

Changed his mind for another snow platter.

and pitched it in the air...

I thought he was going to throw it at the glass, but not so.

Whew!

Straight up and then crash back down.

 Then ran back into the yard to build more creations.

It's not packing at all, but with the snow plates and bits, he can use them as blocks.

 It's been cold here!!!  We're hoping it reaches the 30 degree mark soon as I'm already sick of winter.

And Robb doesn't like us to play Christmas music yet...

I've got yogurt in the Instant pot today and made hard boiled eggs just before that.  I've got lunch with my bestie and I'm always promising her that I'll be creative and today I will be.

I've got ALL the fixings for chef salads, which she loves.

lettuce - chopped

green pepper, red pepper - chopped

a bag of bacon bits

a bag of sunflower seeds

shredded cheese

chopped cucumber

chicken bits

chopped luncheon ham

chopped luncheon turkey

chopped up hard boiled eggs

three kinds of dressings and I made some poppyseed dressing too.

I feel like I'm forgetting something...  Maybe I'll grab some Craisins before I leave too. mmmm

 With this weather, I just feel like cooking!!!!

S'now Wonder

We had so much snow since January...  Here are the remnants.  

and cars we haven't driven since December...

and probably won't again until at least Thursday when the final bits should melt off because it will be in the 50s by then.

Bi-Polar Vortex indeed...

So a couple weeks ago, I built Leon a cave, right on our front patio.  Unfortunately he was too sick to come out and play in it until almost a week later and due to a slight increase in temps, the cave of wonders had shrunk up a bit...

 He still played JUST a little in it before jumping on top and caving it in.

The icicles have been pretty cool also!  

What with the wind that we had the previous night...  

Aren't they amazing? 

This is outside Jen's apartment and wowza!  Those could definitely kill someone!

 This was a few days ago and Leon played King of the Mountain by himself.  He hasn't been able to ever reach those branches before! 

 As beautiful as all this is...  I got the Lakeside Collections catalog in the mail this morning and I tell you what... I'm ready for spring!

Well, that one and the gardening one...  I think from Burpee.

Can you tell I was born on a Saturday?  I love to dig in the dirt...

Not necessarily for gardening purposes, but just because I can.

and not right now as it's not warm enough yet...

Snow Big Deal

The blizzard that called off school all day yesterday, started off with sleety rain, then started promptly at 2:34pm with heavy snow.  It ended around 2am so we have several inches out there...

Robb had to leave early and was able to get his car out of the driveway.  Once out of town, things got clearer for him. Good!

I took the push shovel out and while the snow was fairly light and fluffy, it got deep out by the sidewalks with packed down stuff underneath.  Yikes!  That must have been from the sleet yesterday morning.

I haven't started the snow blower yet this year and decided that this snowfall probably warranted it getting fired up.  It hasn't gotten any new gas in it yet this year either, so I texted Robb to find out where the gas can is.

It was in the back seat of the car he drove this morning.

oh.

Before I went out, I left a note for Leon.  

He didn't see it.

I came inside after 30 minutes of huffing and puffing to find him calling for me from upstairs. 

GRANDMA!!!!  

Sigh.  Didn't you read my note?!

He did then and said Oh. and then Yippee!!

So far, school is still at a 2 hour delay.  EVERYONE (except one school who is usually the weeny) has cancelled.

He sits behind me on the floor playing with some small toys and is telling me a story.  It's so quiet, I can't hear the gist of it. I just heard the word "snakes"...  

He got a hold of my phone yesterday and made this video.

Have a great Wednesday!

Winter is coming - maybe

Leon is grounded for the next three weeks from anything you have to plug in or charge up.  It wasn't me who did it and you don't need to know what he did.  It wasn't terrible, just some behavior that needs to be curbed I guess.

So he's been rediscovering his toys and books.  He and Robb played Battleship last night and he found the Etch-a-Sketch!  This is his creation.  A City Boat. 

 As opposed to a house boat I guess.  

He's been drawing a lot too, so we might have a budding Picasso on our hands!

We need a bigger fridge.

The blizzard today starts promptly at noon.  I'm not holding my breath but hope it's all a bunch of worry for nothing again.  I want to have a day trip tomorrow!

Have a wonderful and warm weekend!

Making Babies and Nope, not sticking around

There was an early out on Wednesday so Meri and a couple of her friends came over to color eggs with Leon. 



He proposed to Jolie and when she refused to move in with him after they're married ( I think because of the age discrepancies), she left his ring here.  He was disappointed, but got over it quickly.

We now have 4 dozen (minus 2, I was hungry and they cracked) cholesterol bombs in the fridge.  

Or as Leon calls two dozen of them, his babies.  They WERE his and Jolie's babies, as they made them together...  but now they're just his.

There are rules about "Leon's babies"...

1) You can't eat them.

2) You can't put them in the fridge. BURR!

3) No one is allowed to hide or hunt them.

Yeah right...  We had a talk about that!

And all the rules are now stricken.

So last night, before Maundy Thursday service, he and I stopped at a local farm and country store and checked out their live baby chicks and baby ducks.  SO CUTE!!!  But you can't hold them.

bummer.

They had some cute little plush ones that you could buy nearby, so Leon opted for those.  You don't have to feed them and they don't poop! YAY!

AND you can still freak out your dad and grandpa by saying Grandma bought him a baby chick and a baby duck. True story!  "You DIDN'T buy him live animals, did you??!"

 

He has said that his two of his "babies" hatched now, so we can eat the rest of them after Easter.

whew!  That was going to be a waste of 2 dozen eggs!

So here is the progression of the snow fort.  

Robb liked to say, 

after we built this one, 

that you can judge 

a snow storm 

by it's forts.

Leon was disappointed by the above display of "fort"itude this morning, so before the bus came, he scrounged what snow we had left and made a new one.
 

 

 One of the remaining chunks may have been too much for him, 

 

but he was determined.

  And then the bus came.

So I would have to say that this past snow storm was a 2 fort storm.

Oh There WILL Be Cake

On Friday, I got the lining/wearable muslin prom dress just about ready for Meri to try on.

She was busy and we didn't get a chance...

So the lining is completely done with skirt lining attached. Including some continents made from an old pillow case, hanging from the waistline so she can get the overall affect.

On Saturday, we got a freak blizzard...  I guess it's still March, so I have no idea if this is the "out like a lion" or we need to wait until next Saturday to decide.  The girls who stayed over on Friday night got picked up by one of their dads when it was obvious Meri wasn't going to be able to drive them home in this weather.  

Her other plans for Saturday fell through too.  She was going to go pick up her prom date, go shopping at the Goodwill for a used suit that fits and then have him at our house for the whole day so I could get a good handle on fitting his suit.

Blizzard.  So no go.

I decided to spend the entire day, instead, on her prom dress and get it done as much as I possibly could.  Once I had the lining skirt attached, I texted her to come try on the lining and she texted back, "in a little bit."  That can mean anything...  And then the neighbor girl showed up wrapped in a blanket for a coat.  She must have packed her winter things away the same as I did!

So Em went downstairs to Meri's room and the "in a little bit" turned into "a long a bit."  uuugghhhhh...  

Oh well, I had lots of other things to keep me busy.  I KNEW that the lining bodice was going to fit her, so I cut out the pieces based on the paper pattern pieces that I'd cut out, forgetting a few important details... Such as "add 1.5 inches to the top of the side bodice and back sections.  

oops.

I didn't discover it until I had the organza overlay laying on top of each piece and ironing them.  

Now WHY are all these organza pieces longer?  Does organza stretch???...

no.

sigh...  I attempted to patch the shortened areas but couldn't line up the word cific and cean with the original Pacific and Ocean under the arm pit.  yikes!  and it would LOOK patched...

So I bit the bullet and cut out new pieces.  When ironing in the LAST of my fusible interfacing, I realized I'd cut TWO of the right side front.  

really?...

So Robb may have heard me use a swear word from clear downstairs...  and I cut out another piece strategically from the map fabric.  

There is less than 2 yards now for the prom date's suit jacket now...

AND nearly no continents to hang from Meri's waist line...

The only continent intact on the rejected bodice pieces is the USA, so I can salvage that one.

I may need to order more fabric.  Good thing Amazon shipping is fast!

So here is the bodice so far.  

I finally cornered the girl and made her try on both the lining and this.  She is THRILLED with how it's looking!  It's exactly like she imagined it.  And I got some clarification on how the organza on the skirt will be.  I had misunderstood, but now it's ALL clear!  and whew!  I hadn't cut that out yet!

I will need to add more tulle to our crinoline.  It needs to be poofy.

I spent another couple hours cutting out the skirt pieces and then took a break.  Robb wanted to get a snow fort built for Leon before the snow wasn't packable anymore.

If you were down our street Saturday, you would have seen a couple 51+ year olds loading storage totes with snow, packing them in and making HUGE bricks for the snow fort.

Nine tubs of snow later, we have a fort that the boy would love and won't melt until June.  Leon was thrilled when he got home Sunday and spent a good long time playing around it.  He gently carved a window in the area where I'd carefully packed snow between the bricks.

It reminds me of the windows at Newtown Castle in County Clare, where you could defend your castle with weapons through little slits in the wall. 

Weren't they just so LITTLE??!!!!  

The kids I mean.  I can't believe that trip was 20 years ago this spring!

Back to the dress that will make you want to travel...  I'll work on it today a little on my breaks and hopefully have the skirt attached by tonight.  The suit jacket that the date's mom picked up for him will be by later today so I can see how it fits on him.  

THIS is what we're shooting for.  This pattern was $1.99!  Simplicity is on sale this month people!!!  Woohoo!

More tomorrow on my weekend adventures.  There will be cake.