Masqued Mischief

Posted on 2026-02-16 by Holly

and here she is – I have yet to add the backstitching and beads. I have a tendency to do that all at once. So will wait till my other Mira is at the same point and do them both at the same time

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Valentines Day

Posted on 2026-02-14 by Holly

Is really more of a commercial holiday than any real form of love, remembrance, or social meaning.  Except for two friends of mine who chose the date for their wedding five years ago. I have to admit, it would make it hard to forget one’s anniversary date, now wouldn’t it?

George is still dealing with the whack that comes along with changing time zones to Taipei last Saturday and returning home on Thursday morning. I, on the other hand, had planned on audiobooks and wound up with the cat in the lap helping.

Masqued Mischief has progressed.

In the morning I need to wander back upstairs to get the two remaining colors I didn’t pull so that I can stitch her legs, her hair and the rest of the winged stuff …. followed by back stitch and beads. There is always back stitch and beads…

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and it is

Posted on 2026-02-13 by Holly

Friday the 13th which apparently happens only in years that start on a Thursday or on Leap Years that start on a Sunday. Wow – amazing what information designers find when trying to promote their “Friday the 13th” sales. I ignored the sales that same way that I am ignoring all the new releases for the Nashville Needlework Market this year.

Me? I am trying to avoid purchasing anything for the rest of the month. Realistically I know that I will still be putting fuel in the car and groceries on the table. But otherwise? I have more than enough things to stitch, I have plenty of fabric, patterns, and threads. And I probably have enough supplies on had to take me through the next millennium.  Not that I would like to live that long. I already don’t appreciate looking in the mirror – I have seen what the 100+ individuals look like..

Where was I? Oh yes, attempting to get a few things done while the youngest grandchild bounced around for a few hours this afternoon. The Eldest has the majority of her move complete. But as someone who has moved a couple of dozen times as an adult, I know that it can take forever to get things organized. If things ever get organized.

I still have to complete searching and organizing the garage… all of which might explain this as a local post rather than hitting the distro list.

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and a bit closer

Posted on 2026-02-12 by Holly

on the game score than most of us would have liked.

Cal Women’s Basket Ball took on the Virginia  Cavaliers at Haas Pavilion. Before the game the “Golden Circle” supporters were thanked and fed a snack type meal. I passed out a few more pins (now down to under 20). And since our seating area is no longer general admission, I am starting to know the people with seats near us.

First 1/2 of the game was amazing as Cal dominated. The second half? Not so much, it seemed like they were out of energy and there were way too many turnovers. Dropped from a 14 point lead to essentially even, then managed to pull it out in the last minute. I really don’t understand the “foul your opponents to get the ball back” mentality. Especially when the target is one of the best shooters on the team She sunk those last four free throws and the game was won.There are only a couple more home games to the season. I am looking forward to the break before the Valkyries start up.

Hiking back to the car, then driving home all I could think about was sleep.

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A good start

Posted on 2026-02-11 by Holly

I was down to two WIPs – works in progress for those not of the stitching/craft persuasion. The first I planned as a long term projects; it is full coverage and is just not amenable to rapid progress, The other was started in the last week and is now at 60%. I need to finish it in the next two weeks, then stuff it in a shiny frame. No sweat.

So I needed something, given small people temporarily at my house, that didn’t take concentration. Certainly not the 90 colors in the first project or the 35 in the second.  Hum – how about nine colors? Even if 40% of them are black – it seemed reasonable. Plus lots of chunks of color and not many beads. Masqued Mischief (Nora Corbett) seemed to fit the bill. 20% so far,

with most of the stitching left will fill in toward the bottom in a huge skirt, plus hat, wings and a large black bird….In fact 50% of what is left? Black….

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yowling cat

Posted on 2026-02-09 by Holly

It is somewhere in the middle of the night.

The cat has decided to yowl. Upstairs, downstairs, disrupting everyone’s attempt at sleeping. I am sure he doesn’t have a clue as to what is going on. But the Eldest and her two boys are in the process of moving and neither place right now is fit for in habitation.

But the cat seems to have had his whole world disrupted.

It is not going well…

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too hard to do

Posted on 2026-02-08 by Holly

I rarely watch any television. And the few times I have seen anything, it has been going into the TV/lounge area and joining George to see something in progress. As I mentioned – he is off in Taiwan for a meeting. No problem.

But today was the Super Bowl. I am not sure that I cared at all about the teams or the game, but perhaps to see the adds and watch the half-time show?

Going back a few decades, remember the jokes about getting a VCR to work? Find a 10 year old otherwise give up? Well, I hadn’t ever tried to do anything with this set up beyond turning on YouTube which is easy.

Not so in this case. George sent me instructions which involved an iPad of which I have no idea on the location, two different remotes and voice commands. How badly did I want to see anything?

Not that badly. Instead I had a lovely afternoon on a couple of phone chatting long distance with friends and getting some more stitching completed….

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not quite brain dead

Posted on 2026-02-07 by Holly

I had today all planned out and scheduled in my mind. Errands, including getting George to BART so that he could use public transportation to get to SFO and his flight to Taiwan, a Zoom call with friends, and a portion of the day with the younger grandson here.

And then everything went off the rails. Instead of getting up when planned, the cat started major noise at 0530 preventing anyone from getting more sleep. As a result, I focused  on time, coffee and George. Instead of a Zoom call, I was dropping off George. Getting back, I checked in with the Eldest to let her know I was home.

End result? I didn’t even think about missing this morning’s call till early afternoon.

But it was an interesting day. Ilan will be 2 later this month. He uses words when he needs or wants to. Except for when he is exhausted, he is a happy, busy child who is relatively easy to entertain. He can also entertain himself. Blocks, trucks, and a “talking” plane come to mind along with way too many stuffed animals that inhabit our house.

Otherwise? I managed to get in ~450 stitches on each of two projects. The full coverage is a bit of a challenge right now, and the other one has just enough block stitching for a nice balance…

 

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right time, wrong day

Posted on 2026-02-06 by Holly

Yesterday I set a couple of reminders and an alarm or three. Even completed the registration for the Zoom lecture with a minute to spare. But then realized that the lecture was scheduled for the 6th…..and this was the 5th….

Probably the single most important positive thing to follow was moving to a table and getting the cat off my lap. I am finding that managing a magnifying light, q-snap, thread changes, scissors and marking off progress in Pattern Keeper is made significantly more challenging by the presence of a limp cat in the lap. Said cat goes to fully non-cooperative should I disturb his slumber in any way.

He wasn’t happy when I tuned in to my conference this morning. He was less than happy when I took off for a while to run errands. Ir is now evening: George is packed for his trip tomorrow. I finally found a bit of the Olympic Opening Parade and Ceremony to watch.

And unfortunately, that ear worm is still singing – band on the run, cat on the lap.. at the table looking for an early bedtime snack

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Cat on the Lap

Posted on 2026-02-05 by Holly

Are you old enough to remember a song that included the following

“man on the run”? And then I went searching and realized it was BAND on the run by Paul McCarthy.
”

Band on the run, band on the run
And the jailer man and sailor Sam
Were searching every one
For the band on the run
Band on the run
For the band on the run
Band on the run

which takes me to the present – Cat on the Lap. And when he isn’t taking over my lap, he is taking over my chair. As a result, I have been switching locations rather often. It isn’t that I don’t want to sit at the large table in our living room, it is just that the recliner type chair is just so comfortable.

I am nearing the completion point on my longest outstanding stitching project. I started in in July, then got distracted by other things. I will try to remember to take a picture tomorrow.

And I still have that stupid earworm humming about “on the run…..

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and quiet Wednesday

Posted on 2026-02-04 by Holly

and grateful for it. On the positive side, I managed to keep track of time well enough to watch CDC’s monthly ZOHU call. Now if I can deal with their “new & improved” documentation site, I might even be able to claim an hour’s worth of CME.  In contrast, the recording system used by UCSD is much simpler involving txting a code into the system during a fixed time window. And yes, I am still trying to keep a bit educated and maintain my license, at least for another year.

Other major accomplishments? Feeding the cat, driving over to the Oakland VA outpatient clinic for a refill and getting in stitches on a couple of projects (300 on one, 885 on the other). I should be able to finish the first of those two tomorrow… and that will take me down to three projects. That is about all I can handle at the present.

It is all of 2130 and the cat is nagging. I think he is correct, going to bed early sounds really, really good.

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Overloading Tuesday

Posted on 2026-02-03 by Holly

Or perhaps it is just the first Tuesday of each month.

It seems to be THE date that all the local public libraries have decided are just ideal for knit/stitch etc group get togethers. Berkeley Main library has a 1530-1730 on the first and often the third Tuesday as well of each month. Kensington goes for 1830-2000 on the same day.  And then there is the Zoom out of Acorns & Threads that is 1700-1900 on the first and third Tuesdays.

I get tired just thinking about it much less balancing perhaps meeting those local with similar interests with keeping up with friends scattered across the country.

There were other competing family opportunities today as well. But I am attempting to be sensible and just not push myself. I certainly am not up to full health, but in definitely better shape than last week and most definitely from the week before.

So, do take care of yourselves (this is a do as I say, not as I did, obviously)

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and many thanks

Posted on 2026-02-02 by Holly

to everyone who replied yesterday. I appreciate the well wishes, sympathy, and the knowledge that words sent out occasionally find an audience.

I was also appalled to know how many others have been facing significant challenges these last few months. Getting older is not for the faint of heart. It can be a real challenge some days – sometimes aided and abetted by good family support and a responsive medical system. Other times? Well, we survive sometimes just to spite….. never mind.

I kept today quiet. Ok, not completely so. I made a run to the local Safeway (grocery store chain) to pick up some essentials. Over all, I am not terribly imaginative at what I get. Habits and I know what will be consumed and what will languish in the fridge. In spite of being careful – I note that here overall the price of the total grocery bill is up about 20% from where it was a few months ago. This is not great for me, and I can afford food.

Returning home, unpacked and put away, followed by an attempt to sit comfortably in one of the living room chairs. Every time I got up, I was replaced by the cat… Not that he wants the chair when I am not sitting there. But, cat…..

I managed 1003 stitches into a new project which puts it at about 10% complete. Thinking I might actually be able to have this done by the end of next month.

and that is all the news from this side of the US….

while it looks like the ground hog saw his shadow and so there is a prediction for 6 more weeks of winter….

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Starting to recover

Posted on 2026-02-01 by Holly

To review the last couple of weeks. I was in reasonably good shape other than tired and coughing when I flew home after my trans-Atlantic on the Star Seeker. That was on the 13th. By the following weekend I was dragging. 

I finally gave up on the 22nd and went in to be seen. Coughing up green crap and running a fever isn’t exactly the way I wanted to spend the rest of the month. Much less be around the rest of the family. And, of course to top it off, my hearing was on the fritz again.

I have figured out how to check it – write a note on my phone complete with name and check in info and hand it over to the clerk. No problem, she saw me a few months ago and had it figured out. The nurse & doc? not so much – standing in a door and yelling my name? The guy sitting next to me poked me and pointed. He figured out they were looking for me since I was the only woman in the waiting area. 

Upshot of it all – pneumonia – even x-ray confirmed. Continue the fluids, take antibiotics, cough some more…. It has taken till about today till I have felt like a human being again. Not quite 10 full days.  We will not review the coughing all night portion of life. Or, forcing fluids all day which results in heading to the loo in the middle of the night as well. 

Sometimes you just can’t win. 

This is the first day I have felt almost human. Skipped going to the Cal Women’s Basketball game both because I hate sitting masked in public coughing and that I considered that there was close to zero chance the team was going to be able to overcome (Louisville which is undefeated this season). I finally managed to actually get part of a book read, some stitching done and might even tackle some laundry tomorrow…..

So anyway – that is why there have been the occasional updates here and there on the blog but I haven’t had the energy to send anything out…

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And it is once again all gone

Posted on 2026-01-21 by Holly

In case you were wondering, the subject under discussion is my hearing. Gone again, right along with restful nights. Last night I slept upstairs so that George could get sleep free from my hacking coughing and other disgusting sounds that go along with copious production of disgusting snot. 

So obviously, I am getting nothing accomplished, feel like a zombie and am not exactly pleasant to be around…. 

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small flowers

Posted on 2026-01-20 by Holly

Yes, I am well aware that this is January and that many of you are dealing with icy rain, snow, and other winter unpleasantness. Except for those of you in Australia – my condolences on the incredible heat.

Here in my small area of East SF Bay – up on the hills facing the water. I have these small lovelies growing along side the stairs leading to the house.

They bring a smile.

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Idiots in the road

Posted on 2026-01-19 by Holly

There seems to be a new trend here; joggers in the road. Now almost the entire city of Berkeley has good sidewalks. But NO – apparently running in the road with headphones is the new best thing. Did I mention that these joggers are not even doing drivers the courtesy of running facing traffic? You know the old rubric – when walking along a road without sidewalks – you walk facing traffic. It both lets the drivers see you better, and gives you the advantage of being able to eye ball a potentially stupid/unobservant driver. Not so this crew.

The only other part of all this (which increases the insanity) the the “I don’t need to wear any stinking reflective gear?” I mean seriously. There is such a great variety of reflective gear out there. Most of these joggers seem well past their undergrad/graduate days which mean they can probably afford a role of tape,

Enough said; I think I need another nap.

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Lost my chair

Posted on 2026-01-18 by Holly

I decided to indulge and made a coffee run to Peet’s. On returning home –

someone had obviously and comfortably taken over my chair, which left me banished  to the couch for the rest of the day…

After all, one does not disturb the cat

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Back to the “attic”

Posted on 2026-01-17 by Holly

In a book by one of my favorite authors, one of the characters keeps complaining that his uncles “locked him in the attic” until he recovered from being sick. There actually wasn’t an attic, nor was he locked in, but he was recovering from significant trauma.  I have almost adopted that in terms of ‘going to the attic.

We actually don’t have an attic. There is the main floor with the living room, kitchen, dining area with a few steps up to a bedroom, major bathroom, another bedroom which is rapidly becoming a second library + TV room with attached tiny bathroom. Up the stairs to the right is the space I took over for my craft room, to the left, there is yet another small batch of stairs with a bathroom straight ahead with a sitting room on one side and a bedroom on the other. I am now referring to the sitting room as “the attic” and have moved my larger floor frame in along with this full coverage in progress.

at a petite 90k stitches, it is going to take a while. Currently 13% done. It is obviously too big and complicated to ever be a travel project. It can also be a bit difficult to stitch on with the velcro cat wanting all the pets.

We were supposed to be attending a luncheon at the Bancroft Library this noon, but I just wasn’t feeling up to it. And NO ONE wants a fellow attendee who is coughing her head off..

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pretty wiped

Posted on 2026-01-16 by Holly

I spent most of the day upstairs quietly stitching. It was one of those times where none of the audiobooks I had seemed like what I wanted to hear. 

And I had planned on going to be early. But there was this computer game…..

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