Why I Won't Be Blogging Today

Readers with blogs, do you ever wake up in the morning and find the well has run dry -- you simply have nothing to blog about?

It rarely happens to me, but after more than a week's break, I'm finding it hard to get back into my morning habit.   It seems my blogging muscle has grown flabby, though after a week of hiking, my glutes are tauter than ever.

So I won't be blogging today and I hope you understand.

Plus, I barely did anything sewing-related yesterday.  We waited for Hurricane Irene to arrive, and when she didn't, proceeded to go on a long dog walk to see what damage she hadn't done: basically some clogged sewers (the waste-water type, not the garment-makers-suffering-constipation type), a few deep puddles, and scattered leaves.

Like I mentioned yesterday, Saturday was devoted primarily to straightening up, and I was caught by the decluttering bug once again.  There is still so much to declutter, friends!  One fortunate result is that, having cleaned off the top of my treadle table, which was buried under a pile of vintage patterns and dusty bills, I was able to reconnect with my Singer 66 (up top).  I hadn't been using her because the last time I tried, the summer heat had expanded her belt, and I wasn't in the mood to tighten it.

Yesterday I finally addressed this and it took all of ten minutes.  I opened up the staple that holds the belt closed, cut off roughly one quarter inch, created a new hole for the staple with a screw and, with a pair of pliers, refastened the staple, reattaching the two ends of the belt.  Easy!

She now sews as good as new -- or as good as old I should say.  I may use her to finish "Aunt Hilda,"  which really has to get done this week.



I had been using my Featherweight for this project, but as you may have noticed, the sewing machine table I was sewing atop (the one that came with my Kenmore 158.141), now supports The Big Purchase.



Good grief, I have a lot of sewing machines tables...and quite a few computers too.

The last week before Labor Day in the USA is a good one for finishing old projects and preparing for the new year.  I guess because I spent so many years in school, I still think of September as the start of the year.  Fall feels much more like a fresh beginning than the end of something.

Many of you are probably wondering how we could have taken our dogs out hiking where there were rattlesnakes.



This isn't the first time I have encountered snakes on a hike -- though they weren't actually on the trail this time, they were off canoodling somewhere at a safe distance and we'd never have noticed them if they hadn't been pointed out to us by some forest ranger types.

We do keep a look out for things like turkey vultures and other low-flying birds of prey that might be hungry for a late morning snack in the form of a bony chihuahua.  On the trails, we generally keep the dogs beside us and discourage them from running ahead too much.  I think Freddy could handle a rattlesnake; Willy, I'm not so sure about.  Anyway, luck was on our side and there were no unfortunate incidents.  Willy pooped on the living room rug once, but with a chihuahua, it's basically a pretzel nugget.

The biggest drama of the week was when I spilled red wine on the white -- white?! -- living room sofa.  We tried salt and Dawn and Fab, but finally went into town and bought some Tech stain remover at a local hardware store and, let me tell you readers, that stuff really works.  Another crisis averted but really, should a dog-friendly vacation cottage have white upholstery?  Fortunately, the cushion covers were removable.

Oh, before I forget -- we had cable, which is always a treat since we don't have TV here.  If I had regular access to that Turner Classic Movies channel, I'd do nothing but watch movies all day.  Am I the only one for whom a round-the-clock tribute to Conrad Veidt is something very exciting?

 

I also read a book, which I picked up at a local flea market:  Mervyn Leroy: Take One.  It's the 1974 autobiography (well, as told to...) of the famous director/producer whose films include The Wizard of Oz, Little Caesar, and Million Dollar Mermaid.  Absorbing if not particularly memorable.

Enough empty chatter!  I simply can't blog today.  I do intend to blog tomorrow, however, so please come back then.

In closing -- though we never really opened -- what do you do when the blogging muscle starts to go flabby?  Do you find that a low-carb diet helps or must one simply get back on the horse -- in looser boxers perhaps -- and write away?

All advice appreciated!

Happy Monday, everybody!