STAYCATION DAY 6 -- TUESDAY

I’m involved in a meeting today. Anytime I have an activity outside the home, even for just a couple of hours, it seems I just don’t get much else done.

I made a quick trip to stores this morning, leaving dogs in the house. I hadn’t been away from the neighborhood since Friday, and it felt good to be getting out. As I backed the car out of the garage, I remembered I didn’t have my phone. “What if you need help?” said the inner voice. “I’ll just have someone else call Harriet, Ken, Clint, etc.” I answered. Then I realized that I don’t know anyone’s phone number, except Mike’s. All those numbers are in my phone. So, I stopped the car and retrieved it from the house. Of course, I didn't need it. Now if only I remember to take it out of my purse.

“You could live a little,” I said to myself in the grocery store. So I bought blueberries ($7.99 for 18 ounces), vanilla ice cream, a variety of yogurt treats, and a small Diet Coke for after the meeting. Yes, I know it isn’t good for me, and I gave it up “cold turkey” a year ago, but believe me, since I don ‘t drink “spirits,” I will need that Diet Coke after the meeting.

Back at home after the meeting, I walked the dogs and then sat back with my Diet Coke on the rocks. As I sipped along, I contemplated the fact that I had no internet connection. Dealing with these things is Mike’s job, but after several hours I realized that the problem was not going to go away on its own. Who could I call, I wondered, so that I wouldn’t have to call my internet provider? I considered doing without the internet. Why, I remember when we didn’t even have an internet and life proceeded normally. But, I believe you have to be a problem solver as long as you can or they'll come move you to the home. So I called CableOne and the tech walked me through resetting the modem. (I had reset the router but not the modem.) Then he told me that we really need to upgrade that outdated modem. Hmmm. Maybe that’s our anniversary present.

Mike didn’t call until nearly 10:00 and gave me a complete rundown on the day’s geocaches. He had “no finds,” but in the end he had managed to find a cache in whatever county that was. The motel wasn’t great, he said, but they did have a computer, and he had caught up on his logs. I told him about the modem. KW

STAYCATION DAY 5 -- MONDAY

It’s now clear that this staycation is largely uneventful – and that’s good! But it doesn’t give me a lot to write about.

Today I performed some household chores and prepared for a meeting. (Yawn . . .)

I finished Nina Ballerina’s new tutu. This is the first effort and a little disappointing. However, I have lots of tulle and satin in my collection. I’ll try again. The ric-rac trim is from her original tutu. The leotards were made from ladies’ trouser hose.

Kathy

I continued scanning slides. These were taken by my mother’s brother, Francis (Uncle Porkie) Portfors, so today I’m sharing some of those from the early ‘50s. I just can’t put into words what it means to see these pictures, especially of my grandmother, Nina Portfors. I don’t have many snapshots of her.

Mike called before supper needing my assistance to find new coordinates for the “master” cache, meaning he had to find it or all his finds in this “one in every county” game would be useless. I looked the “cords” up for him on my trusty, ever-available laptop. Then he called later to report he had found that cache, but instead of being in a special place, as one might expect, it was just a spot beside the expressway and disappointing. Well, the trip and its events are his story. He said he didn’t sleep well last night and was tired today.

Hannah Hutenan, Sara Portfors, Kathy Dobson, Nina Walrath, Dorothy Dobson

I had a text message from Mike’s sister wishing me a happy anniversary in my aloneness. Hallie also called, and we laughed about my being alone again on my anniversary. It’s okay, you know. Mike and I will make it up to each other. And I am enjoying those staycation gifts. Today I received fat eighths (quilting fabric), and four books – a history of old-time radio programs, vintage embroidery designs, a book about aprons, and one on doll clothes. Fun! But – I have five days to go and only one staycation gift yet to be delivered. Not quite sure what to do about it.

Farrol Joan Walrath

I can honestly say I’m keeping myself busy. The time drags but also flies, if you know what I mean. It becomes tedious with just dogs for company. They push me around a bit. Like last night while I was talking to Hallie – both Bess and Nellie kept nudging me, getting on my lap, getting in my face and gazing intently into my eyes. “What?” I kept asking. Finally they curled up on the pillow with an air of resignation. Nellie even gave it her best snort. It didn’t dawn on me until two hours later that they expected a dog treat for having successfully completed the evening walk. I can be such a ditz! KW

NEW LEGGINGS FOR NINA BALLERINA

My vintage Nina Ballerina needs a new tutu and leggings. Leggings are difficult to make because of the lightweight stretchy knit, so I was intrigued by the suggestion that a knee sock can become a great pair of doll leggings.

First, looking for a pretty pink, I bought a pack of eight mismatched knee-highs. That’s when I learned that it’s now acceptable – at least among the kids – to wear mismatched socks. I don’t know that I would ever adopt that practice, but that pack has interesting potential in my sewing room.

However, when I began to work with the pink sock, I realized it was too heavy for my purpose. I needed a finer knit – something like a trouser sock. My search was rewarded at Goodwill where I found brand new white ones for $1.50. Back in the sewing room, one trouser sock quickly made up into a pair of acceptable leggings for Nina.

Stitching along, my thoughts wandered back to the days of the 1950s when I walked four blocks to school, always in a skirt. During the worst days of winter, my legs would be red and cold when I arrived. Yes, I believe I did have knee socks, but there was still unprotected leg under that skirt. I don’t believe there was a dress code that prevented the wearing of slacks -- certainly not on cold winter days -- but Mother said that pants were not for me. Dresses were much better for my body type, she said. Anyway, in the late ‘50s leotards arrived in my little town, and those were immediately popular. Several pairs were added to my winter wardrobe and my legs were warmer.

Oh yes – there was a downside to wearing leotards all right. Just as nylons run, so did the leotards, and I was answerable to my mother for those runs. I’m sure it was the same in other homes. I remember, for instance, that when the neighbor girl got her first pair, she put them on and danced around the house, causing a “run” first thing. Boy! Was her mom mad! She called my mom to ask if there was any way to mend it. Eventually someone told us that fingernail polish would stop a run, so we learned to pay attention and apply polish as soon as we noticed a hole.

And leotards just weren’t comfortable. If they were too small, they would begin to creep down from the waist. If they were too large, they would pool around the ankles.

Some blogs focus on the fashions of the ‘50s with the wish that we might return to the age of glamour. Much as I enjoy vintage topics, I just don’t wish for the return of that era, nor do I fantasize over how great it was. I remember how it felt to be “dressed” all the time. Sometimes it was wonderful. Sometimes it wasn’t. And mostly it wasn’t comfortable. KW

STAYCATION DAY 4 -- SUNDAY

The Dobson Family Home in 1950

It’s so much easier to walk the dogs on the weekends when traffic is lighter. But this dog-sitting has its challenges. One of the dog igloos takes on water when it rains, so I have to dry the rugs. You’d think I could be a bit proactive and take them out before it rains, but no-o-o – not me. Didn’t even think of it.

The old cabin as it appeared in 1950

And on this evening’s constitutional, a little pick-up passed us with a black dog in the bed, and Bess took off after that pick-up like a shot out of a gun. The driver went faster, probably in an attempt to deter Bess, but she just ran all the faster. All I could do was holler for her. And I do mean holler. I no longer have the voice for yelling. Nor do I run. But when Bess came back, she was rather contrite. She knew she was wrong.

Grandma Ina and her daughter Myrtle in 1950. Note the garden.

Today I resumed scanning family photo slides to my laptop, a project left waiting four years ago. You know how it is when you leave a project unfinished in the middle. It’s just difficult to get back into it. Scanning slides demands time and space, and so I decided to tackle it while Mike is away. Unfortunately this first day did not go smoothly. A problem developed and I thought perhaps the software was incompatible with Windows 10. It took two hours for me to figure out that my laptop was operating off the battery, which meant there was no power leftover for the scanner. Once I could resume scanning, I added images taken by my dad's brother, Earle Dobson. I'm sharing a few here.

Mike called about 9:00 and we had a long visit. It had been a long day mostly because of slow traffic. But crossing the Golden Gate Bridge had gone well and so did his navigation of the city. The GPS continues to work well and any problems were easily resolved.

  

STAYCATION DAY 3 -- SATURDAY

It was a quiet day at home. I walked the dogs at 7:00 a.m. and again at 2:00 p.m. It rained a little this morning, but about 5:30 or so we had a storm.

It was 45 when I got up, and I failed to note today’s high – probably in the mid 60s. It’s 70 in the house, which should be about right for comfort, and yet I’m feeling cold in jeans and sweatshirt.

I worked along on various projects today without finishing anything, unless you count the leggings for Nina Ballerina, but that’s a post of its own. Then I started her new tutu and abandoned my first efforts. I did receive two more staycation books – one on flea market decorating and a coloring book (vintage fashions of the 1920s). I ordered these things from “third party sellers” just before Mike left, thinking they would come in slowly, but sellers seem to have hastened to please me with early deliveries. Hmmm. I may need to make more orders. I’ll give it some thought . . .

Of course, I could buy instant downloads. The trouble with downloads is that I lose track of them. They quickly disappear into overarching categories, such as “patterns,” on my computer. No matter how many sub-files I create, I don’t have a good mental image without some sort of hard copy. One of my goals during this staycation was to print some of my files and work on a better inventory, but our new wireless printer goes to sleep and won’t wake up. Fortunately we had yet to dispose of the little HP 1600, so I set it up. It valiantly chugs along. The trouble is that the ink is so expensive.

Tonight I took the dogs out for a third walk after supper and they seemed to settle down better. I waited for Mike’s call but communication came by email about 9:00. He said he was in a place without cell service. It had rained but could have been worse. And now it’s on to Sunday when the big event will be crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. KW

 

STAYCATION DAY 2 -- PROBLEM SOLVED

Yarrow blooms; lavender just coming into bloom

Getting dressed in the morning is not my first priority. I enjoy a little quiet time in my pajamas and robe, sipping a cup of hot chocolate. Mike, on the other hand, gets dressed as soon as he’s up and heads outside. He gets the dogs up and when he has breakfasted, he takes them for a walk. Naturally, in his absence, the dogs still expect that early walk, so I have to alter my routine.

It was a good day. The dogs were more settled and we had our two walks. I picked up my sister and we went to a customer appreciation barbecue for lunch. And then son Clint invited me to join his family for dinner at Tomato Bros in celebration of Maycie’s birthday. I was happy to go.

Two staycation gifts came today – Simple Christmas Tidings: Scrappy Quilts and Projects for Yuletide Style, by Kim Diehl, and Ladies of Leisure (vintage quilts and linens)

Cactus blooms on my driveway

by Suzanne McNeill.

Of course, Mike's travel was never far from my mind. He had said he would return home if trouble with his GPS continued, and if he did, my workroom would need to be quickly reconverted to a kitchen so that I could fix supper. But when I hadn’t heard by early afternoon, I figured I was safe.

Mike called after supper to say he was in Arkata. The new cord seemed to correct the GPS issues. His route took him through the Redwood National Park, and he had enjoyed the day. He even shopped at a Harbor Freight store and bought himself a small but powerful flashlight.  

On to Day 3. KW