DAY 6 – KW’S EXCELLENT HOLIDAY STAYCATION

Today's gift -- Kurt Adler Christmas tree ornament

 Wednesday -- I awoke with a bang. My clock said 6:30. “It doesn’t seem like 6:30,” I said to myself. And it wasn’t. It was 4:30. My clock sometimes hops. I knew I wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep, but I stayed in bed an hour and got up at 5:30. It was 40 degrees.

The yoga workout was strenuous – a lot of long holds. I believe in that, but it’s not easy.

Then I took my envelope addressed to the Philippines to the post office. It was too fat so would have to go at parcel post rate -- $13.00+ -- and would then be subject to customs and duty. The clerk apologetically recommended I repackage, but I really considered it a fact-finding mission and don't mind starting over. We could have so much more fun with our adopted Filipino family if it weren't for the shipping constraints. 

Today I inched along with the gingerbread girl dress for my doll Shirley Anne and/or her sisters. I over-think things sometimes, but I decided I shouldn’t cut the contrasting apron, a rather small piece, from a yard of fabric when a scrap would do. My mother's training just won't go away. So I searched my stash for that perfect scrap. These things take time. The beauty of it is that the peninsula in the kitchen is now a cutting table and I don’t have to put anything away until Sunday.

I also planned my next machine embroidery project(s), reading instructions, etc. Again, the preliminary work takes time.

The mailman delivered today’s staycation gift – a Kurt Adler Christmas truck ornament. This year I'm indulging my love of the Christmas truck. When I was a little girl, my dad's pick-up was red. It's a retro theme that fits with the farm. 

And the mailman also brought a book that I pre-ordered months ago – Hankie Couture: Handcrafted Fashions from Vintage Handkerchiefs, by Marsha Greenberg. Marsha creates beautiful gowns and outfits for dolls from hankies. This book is about Barbie-type dolls, but she also creates for 18-inch dolls, and her outfits for Ann Estelle are perfect for that whimsical character. Despite Marsha’s encouragement, making charming gowns from hankies is probably something I’ll never do, but I can pick up one of her books and dream.

Ken and Ginny took me to dinner at the Red Lobster this evening. It was a nice outing. Back at home, I had let the fire go out in the afternoon, so the house was getting a little chilly. Not wanting to start a fire for just an hour or so, I went to bed a little early. KW