mastodon 4.5.18USA. Cat lover, data scientist, veteran, glass crafter, scrapbooker, family historian and occasional blogger. Northern Arizona native living in the mid-Atlantic region of the east coast of the US.
Genealogy is primarily USA and Sweden, with some Scotland and Germany.
Avatar is an AI mashup of my photos, via the Time Machine at MyHeritage.
Header photo is the San Francisco Peaks in Northern Arizona, the home of my heart.
Pizza.
Had a productive day in glass crafting with a lot of cutting done and a piece put in for firing.
Continued with the workspace renovation work. I located and unpacked four boxes of books and a box of craft supplies. I'm working by zone/topic and think the genealogy zone is about done.
My snuggie.
Naps.
Hubby decided to work on IKEA assembly and we made good progress today.
The TaskRabbit guy didn't show up today to assemble furniture, so it was a rough day. But there was good, too.
Our kind neighbor came over and helped move the heaviest boxes from the porch into the house. We had already moved the others.
I was able to complete some items.
I went to the studio and picked up my glass. The test was successful, so the big project can proceed. However, I must tell on myself. It's been years since I pulled a bunch of glass out of that waist-high kiln. The firing paper turns to white powder that goes everywhere. I forgot about the mess and wore black shirt and jeans. 😂
A more pleasant day with cooler temperatures and less humidity.
Hubby got to enjoy some time outside playing with his RC helicopter and riding his e-bike.
I worked on glass and am now nearly prepared to rent the studio kiln on Monday.
Frozen custard.
I needed some ordinary boards from the home improvement store (Lowe's) but an 8 foot long board won't fit in the bed of my truck. They each needed to be cut once to specific lengths. The employee that I talked to said they didn't cut them, but he agreed to have it done for me anyway. It was sweet of him and saved me making a longer trip to a different store.
While I was loading the boards into my truck, a fellow customer asked if I needed help, which I didn't. But it was nice of him to offer.
A day of solitude.
Loaded baked potatoes.
A glass casting mold that I ordered finally arrived today (good thing) after strangely circuitous travel in the US postal system (bad thing).
When setting my kiln back up this morning, I did some long-overdue tidying. Like years overdue. 😂
I found 3 ceramic molds that had been misplaced. 🙄
I made bean quesadillas filled with peppers and onions for supper. Hubby loved them.
A fun and inspiring fused glass webinar today.
Finished the book Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews. It was an entertaining read and a good palette cleanser.
Pumpkin bread.
Sometimes things that seem bad turn out to be good. Today was not a great day, but good things happened.
Finished another IKEA KALLAX assembly.
Packed up some of my glass supplies that were making it hard to access the electrical panel.
The dishwasher installation went very badly. Hubby broke a wire in the new junction box. When I went online to find a replacement part, I learned these junction boxes tend to destroy themselves and even catch fire. We will use an alternative method to hook up the dishwasher and will not be using this dangerous part. I'm so glad he broke it.
It was a much more relaxed day without the pressure of the glass project.
My workspace is getting better. We moved unpacked some boxes and assembled more KALLAX inserts.
Library books in Libby. For some reason I received offers in Libby to skip the line for three different books today. I also had one book come off of hold, which was the only one I checked out. It was an abundance of riches.
We went to a different grocery store due to a power outage in the area. I had forgotten that the other store is surrounded by tall trees and has many shady parking spots. It was so nice to park in the shade.
Hubby fixed the drip system that the deck contractor cut. As we leave this rainy period, we can rely on the drip system again.
I'm so glad that some salad mixes can be sautéed.
Progress building the IKEA KALLAX shelves.
The new dishwasher was delivered and hubby hopes to get it installed tomorrow.
I checked out a novel that just feels like home. It's set in a familiar city and includes familiar ethnic backgrounds. I think it's a case of being a cultural fit. Different places in the US do have different cultures. This book was a serendipitous choice because I checked it out based solely on the plot.
The storage pod that has been in the yard for three months is finally gone. It looks so much better and no doubt the neighbors agree.
The stringer sheets (about 2 square feet or 1935 square cm total) for the glass project were safely transported to the studio for firing overnight. I was really stressed about transporting that setup and am relieved to have made it safely.
I had a nap after the dentist appointment. It was so refreshing.
A quiet and relaxing day.
Rosemary focaccia.
My arm pain from the Covid vax has subsided to just being a bit tender. Tonight it should be easier to sleep.
Clean sheets and a clean blanket, too.
Weekend errands are finished so Sunday will be relaxing.
Beyond burgers for supper.
Did some tidying in my workspace/craft space.
Tried a new recipe for leftover chicken. There are so many recipes available online. This was a good one that included buffalo sauce for a kick.
Picked up my fused glass from the studio and talked over next steps with the owner.
Laundry all done and sitting in his and hers baskets.
A nice long nap.
Pretty glass. I needed more circuit board dichroic glass to make a bunch of knobs. I decided on using a rainbow of colors cut from this large sheet. A couple of smaller pieces grabbed my attention on the website. It has arrived and I'm thrilled with it.
We tried a recipe shared from another 3GoodThings participant. Yummy!
It's International Cat Day! We love our kitty.
I finished installing a cable raceway in the room I am refreshing for crafting. It isn't installed perfectly, but it keeps the cables out of the way and will mostly be hidden behind shelves. It was hard on my bad knees, but I'm happy I took the time to do it.
It is so nice when the grocery store has sales on things I need.
I've been doing better at getting to bed by eleven PM. It looks like I'll make it tonight.
Hubby has finally conceded that he and I have no clue how to handle the tax issues around his parents estate. The administrator seems to be doing a horrible job. Thankfully Hubby decided to get professional advice.
Checked out the latest Kristen Harmel ebook on a skip the line loan. The title is Meet Me in Paris.
Finished reading Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy. It's a very powerful novel focused on climate change. I think it will resonate with me for a long time.
Did more tidying in my glass workspace. I realized that there was some cabinet space that is not being used efficiently and found a shelf for a partial solution. More shopping will follow.
Covid vax done. A good night's sleep should set me right.
Haircut done. I feel much less shaggy.
I found a list that had gone walkabout when hubby was looking for stamps. I had looked all over for it. He had accidentally picked it up and put it away with the stamps instead of leaving it on my desk. I'm grateful it turned up.
It is so cool that paint stores can match the color of almost anything we take into the store.
Pizza for a fast and easy supper.
Pinterest. I rarely use my account, but it comes in handy sometimes.
Another piece of IKEA furniture arrived today.
The trash bin has been set on the street and I finally remembered to include a chunk of ancient and stinky blue cheese.
Clean towels.
Clean towels.
Mopped the kitchen floor.
A lovely fall day.
Hubby replaced a failed digital door lock.
Nice cool weather for organizing in the garage.
I found a way to use an unloved IKEA drawer organizer instead of throwing it away. That's plastic not going to the landfill. Win-win.
Progress on my IKEA hack.
Clean towels.
Babybel cheese.
It's been a frustrating day, but there's always something to be grateful for.
Potstickers.
More IKEA goodies arrived and I finished assembling one KALLAX insert.
Hubby fixed my lap grinder.
Nice long phone call with my brother.
Chocolate cake.
Made progress on the big project for glass class.
Potstickers.
The last day with 90F temperatures. I think, I hope, it's the last one for this year.
Progress on glass crafting and on workspace renovation.
The new HVAC ductwork passed a re-inspection today.
Black bean chocolate cookies.
Made progress on organizing.
Had some dental work done.
Took a nice nap.
A pair of conflicting medical appointments next week got straightened out purely through luck.
A glorious autmn day.
An ebook (by Mary Kay Andrews) came off hold. I'd been slogging through one that wasn't holding my interest, so I abandoned it and started the new one. I rarely DNF, but it was the right choice.
One of the big art glass retailers (Delphi) just released a palette picker on their website. It was fun to pick palettes from photos and I think it will be a useful tool.
My daughter finished a 10K run today.
I took a break from everything except normal household chores. It was relaxing.
Clean sheets to start the week.
Much cooler today with only a few sprinkles.
Hubby took advantage of the weather and mowed the lawn.
Oatmeal. I don't buy it often, so it's a nice change.
Laundry done.
Hubby cooked an acorn squash. Not my thing, but he enjoyed it.
A mild and cloudy day. The birds were very active at the feeders.
More rain today.
The flavors of raspberry and chocolate together.
An early bedtime.
We finally got the new dishwasher installed and ran the first load at 9:30 pm. 🙄
We survived the stress and arguments.
Hubby, who has the mad handyman skills, was baffled by the special connector from the dishwasher to the garbage disposal. I read the instructions and figured it out. Go, me! 😆
Got my flu shot.
Got a TDAP shot because I'm careful about keeping current on my tetanus protection as a cat owner. Or is that cat slave?
That's the third thing. Sharing our home with a cat is a very good thing.
Pizza.
I panicked because I thought a little one's birthday was coming up next week. I scrambled to make a card, then looked at the calendar and realized it's two weeks away. Whew! But the card is nearly ready, so I'm ahead.
And the glass class has the opposite situation. I thought that there was more time for image uploads. Nope, they wanted them uploaded today. So I uploaded what I have and that takes the pressure off. Now I can finish the project at my own pace.
A helpful video call with my doctor.
A pleasant day when I could comfortably work in the garage.
A strange one. The trash bin went to the curb tonight and it included a full litter box cleanout. We don't totally empty it often and it's a breath of fresh air when we do.
Did some adulting today.
Some glass tooling arrived. I needed some replacement parts and was happy to receive them.
I struggled with some data manipulation on iOS. It took a few hours, but I finally figured it out. The work was mainly within TapForms, an app that I am still learning even though I've had it a few years.
An intense thunderstorm gave us 3 inches of rain this afternoon.
We took all the empty IKEA boxes to the recycle center, except a couple I needed for temporary floor protection.
I think the Billy door knobs are boring. So I put some glass in the kiln, hoping to get some interesting cabochons to attach to knobs that I ordered. Results tomorrow (if they're good). 😀
Another pleasant weather day before the heat returns.
Leftovers for lunch for the third day this week. It's so nice to have something easy when it's just me.
Tidied up my glass workspace in the garage. I have to stay on top of it so hubby doesn't hurt himself or break any glass. I had let it get messy and that's not a good thing. I feel relieved now.
Ice cream.
Had $15 in general coupons for the grocery store. I really appreciate saving money on groceries.
Hubby's taxes were e-filed and accepted today. We are so glad that's behind us.
Making progress with organizing.
Enjoying an audiobook.
My brain was whirling with creative ideas. So I started writing them down onto a list and was able to calm the brain weasels.
Finished one audiobook and started another.
Unpacked several boxes of books into the bookshelves. Progress. It feels good to see old friends like LOTR.
Laundry is caught up.
Laid out all the glass stringers for the big class project. It took about five hours, which is better than I expected.
The storage pod people finally scheduled the driver to come get this thing tomorrow.
Hubby put out some new solar lights to replace the damaged or old ones. Without a street light, they provide needed help to find the driveway. ❤️☀️