Just my cat Othello and I hanging out. Doing some art,leatherwork,beads,drawing ,painting.. poking around here at DU..
I got my finger stabbed in a sewing machine. I was 5 and it stitched my finger. I howled in pain. My mom pulled the thread out and I went to the hospital. But I sew these days with my machine and don't get my fingers too close to the needle. My mom was teaching me how to sew . She got me back on the sewing machine when my finger healed up,maybe that's why the machine does not scare me.

I was hand sewing masks in March and it took me forever to make them. After fighting with the bobbin and adjusting the tension, I think I've (mostly) got the gist of it.

That's nice that your mom taught you how to sew. A craft that always comes in handy.

Not much here, laying low and trying to stay sane. Getting up into the trees and hiking a bit (ticks are sure out this year), enjoying our grown kids, etc.

Sorry about the finger. My SIL did the same thing last year. Do you have to pull the thread out once you stop cussing? Ouch

Little vampires.

It was my middle finger. Didn't get me on the bottom of the needle. Somehow it got between the thing that goes up and down and the base of the machine.

Smashed and slashed.

And since it's a deep puncture wound, it might get infected.
I had to go to the hospital afterwards,they gave me antibiotics to take.

thanks for posting. you are most active in this group!
Just hanging with my dysfunctional cats:

Two new female rescues I picked up at a shelter at the beginning of this pandemic curve, turned out they were sisters who hated each other.
And proceeded to hate my two boy cats.

Big Boy cat hates all cats; he did love my 18 year old cat who died in April and my dog who died a year ago. .

Its lots of work keeping these cats separate. Thank God I have multiple rooms with doors.

So just have one sweet kitty who doesn't understand all the drama. He hangs with me from the kitchen to the work area, to sleep at night, all day, everyday, get up, repeat.
Sweet cat was a street stray who for reasons unknown was so grateful for life and all the new little things: balls, food, playing laser, sleeping in safety. (He had all the reasons to be afraid and skittish and hateful but instead is a happy little guy)

He makes it all worth while, and when I talk to him he meows back. That's all the company I have.

That's my life for now. Thanks for asking.

Sounds like a full time job keeping the kitty peace.

I have a cat, a lab, and a bunny. They get along really well, but I have to keep the bunny out of Cinder's litterbox. It's cute that she uses it, but she flings litter everywhere and I'm afraid she'll eat some of it.

Buddy got loose the other day and rolled on a dead armadillo. I told him he stinks and I think I hurt his feelings. He hasn't made eye contact all day.

Hope your week is full of peace and contentment!

all kinds of critters here on my 2 acre hill, (including nosey obnoxious neighbors downhill)
but no armadillos anywhere in this neck of the woods.

Blessed with ticks, scorpions, venomous snakes, mosquitos, and an occational tornado.

What a wonderful thing you are doing though by making and giving masks! ❤️🌹

I’ve been staying home, playing with my art supplies and trying to be a good kitty Mom to Bobo the Magnificat.

Watching the news a lot and worrying.

Hope you and everyone here has a happy rest of the summer!

You are such a talented artist, my friend. How are you getting around lately? Some days I can't thread the machine and it gets really frustrating. I had a very shaky few days, so I knew better than to play with sharp, motorized objects....

Right before the pandemic I was helping the local art center with fundraising in exchange for painting classes. The artists there were amazing people. It had to shut down, unfortunately. I hope it comes back some day.

You think we're all going to have those "before the pandemic" stories?

I’m about the same, thank you...better days, worse days, you know how it is. How are you?

Yeah, I think life has changed forever....

But maybe this is the death knell for Trumpism, that’s something to look forward to...

It is frustrating when you can’t do what you want due to MS...we have to be flexible in our plans I guess...

❤️🌹

I've taken up nature journaling and do a page or two a week. I just finished a large crocheted blanket for my son and DIL. Queen size. My hands, my hands . . .

Luckily, we and the kids and grandkid live just blocks from each other and had formed a 'pod' that stays together. We see each other any time we want.

I'm nurturing three tomato plants. My rose bush got an infestation of Japanese beetles, so I used a Japanese beetle as a subject of one of my nature journals. Grandson and I are heading off to a park on Thursday to walk his little pup and have a picnic.

Mr Nay and I are building a model railway setup in the basement. When it gets to the modeling stage, I'll have more work to do with backdrop painting, figures, buildings, etc.

We are both loners so aren't as affected by COVID as others, but we had to give up our big family vacation to Canada. That hurt.

That sounds like a good way to pass some quarantined time. Alot of work I imagine.

I am sad. I over fertilized my rose bush this year. Burned it completely up. I need to get out there and cut it back to see if it can be saved.

You and Mr.Nay stay safe and have fun workin on the railroad!

railway scenery.

Stinkbug invasion we had years ago. It involved
Santa Claus.

I have lost and misplaced shit when I moved. When I find it and if I have it I will post it here.

So many of you are artists! Yay!

I'm a "bipolar" loner. I roller coaster between introvert and extrovert.

We have our home on acreage in the country, so been able to isolate. It is now being hemmed in on both sides...after 30 years!... by trumpers!

"Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am...stuck in the middle...".

Oh well. Otherwise, hubby and I are doing fine. He retired JUST as this started. I already worked mostly at home, and now exclusively. I even go to my court hearings (I "facilitate" self-representing parties - help them navigate the court system) from home!

I have started leading a check-in Zoom group one evening a week with my progressive Unitarian fellowship. It fills a hole. Pandemic levels the playing field - I rarely was able to engage with them due to my distance from town; now we are all connecting remotely! Love those folks - can always rely on being on the same (liberal / left / progressive) page politically, which I appreciate.

Hi to all!

I too go from introvert to extravert on occasion.

Going out and meeting people always seems like a good idea...at the time lol

Glad you are doing well.

I'm in SoCal, so no armadillos here, lol! My husband and I are both retired, and really are homebodies for the most part, so in some ways we are living our normal lives. I did start taking our dog to the dog park again a couple of times a week, but we have always been social distancers there anyway. But I do miss having a lunch with some of my creative friends once in awhile. And I had been pretty consistent about going to the Y and exercising regularly. I keep thinking it will be hard to go back and pick up where I left off.

In addition to doing a bunch of garden clean up, I've done a lot of purging of 'stuff'--cleaning out the garage and going through clothes I haven't worn for years. Kind of morbid, but as I told a friend, if the virus should get me I don't want my husband or daughter to have to deal with all of it. So I'm motivated to rehome a lot of things. I haven't even started on all of the tons of craft supplies that I haven't used and most likely will never get to. (Can a person ever have enough fabric????)

I did make a couple of little cloth cat dolls for a kitten rescue I support to use in a future fundraiser. And I've been trying to finish some of the 'UFOs' that have been stashed for ages. (un-finished objects for non crafters). Very slow progress with those projects, but have done a few.

My daughter/s-i-law and the grands live about 3 hours away, and I haven't seen them since December, so that's a bummer. Wish we could go up for a visit but I think they are a little lax about covid safety so will have to wait.

Hope all stay well and safe, both physically and mentally.

Haven't hugged them since early March. Longest time in 40 years...


I'm using the "UFO" reference lol. I too, have a bunch of things I started, never finished, and have no idea what they are now.

The cat dolls sound really cute. Maybe you can post a picture of one? You're doing awesome for the kittehs.

Last edited Sun Jul 26, 2020, 01:39 AM - Edit history (2)

Awhile back I opened a drawer in my craft room and found a half finished cloth bag/purse that I didn't even remember starting, lol. Pretty sad. I'm hoping to plow through and finish that next.

The kitten rescue is really amazing. It started as a cat rescue kind of specializing in neonate kittens and getting bottle feeders for those little ones. Then they paired with another cat rescue and worked with the city of Long Beach (CA) to set up an actual nursery. So, now they pull kittens and nursing moms from the city shelter, because those are the first to be euthanized. Then they take them to the nursery where there are individual cages, incubators, quarantine cages etc. There volunteers go daily in shifts to clean, feed, medicate and socialize the more feral ones. Those needing bottles go to foster homes that specialize in that. Once big enough the cats are vax'd, spayed/neutered, chipped etc and fostered until they go on to adoption events. The group has been really successful at getting these guys care and into homes. I tried to volunteer at the nursery but it really did a number on my back and knees so I haven't done so much of the actual hands on work as I had hoped to do. It's so much fun to see those little furry babies though.

So, to do my part I donate $$ to the vet bills and have done the dolls for the fundraiser. Oh, and I get fleece on sale and cut into blankets for use at the nursery. That's an easy one. I'll see if I can figure how to post a photo or 2.

edit to add: I haven't been able to get a photo to post here, so here is a link to instagram acct with pics.

https://www.instagram.com/flamchick2/