My Weekend Was Hijacked

The last week was, as posted previously, spent getting handouts and classes designed for the Collegium in Fairbanks. Have 7 classes on the docket for Labor Day weekend:
Entering Kingdom Level Competitions (not a needlework class, but needed for this audience and since I've been doing just this...)
Dressing a Slate Frame (or Scroll or Stretcher Bars)
Blackwork Bands (thanks to Linn for the charts)
Elizabethan Raised Stitches - focusing on Detached Buttonhole
Plaited Braid and Trellis Braid if we have time
Corded Interlace (well they are doing Tudor)
Finishing - Hemstitching & Needlelace Edges
Did an overview of the needlework handout. Took my slate frame article and revised it to cover scroll and stretcher bars. With the charts from Linn (skinnersisters.com) did the Blackwork Bands handout. Revised my Elizabethan Raised Stitches handout. Did the research for the other handouts and designed the classes. Then even managed to chart the project for my Pattern Darning column. It was a productive week through Thursday evening. Then...

Friday we found that we needed to take our oldest cat to the vet. He had lost another of his fangs a couple weeks ago, but hadn't shown any signs of tooth issues at the time. Seems he has an abcess. So onto the oxycillin and today went in for dental work. Spent friday afternoon on the Slate Frame handout.

In the evening we had planned on going to the storage locker to get stuff out for the garage sale. It seems that with all the rain we now have mold and mildew in our downstairs locker - big time and a little bit in one of the upstairs lockers. So... took the stuff out we wanted for the garage sale -- dreading what we would find when we opened the boxes. Some of the stuff was okay and some...

Saturday morning dawned with heavy misting. We did some set up - about 1/4th of what we planned. Did manage to get rid of some stuff - especially stuff that was awkward to have around. Made about $100 and shut down around 11am since it was just too wet. Did some rearranging and packed stuff into the garage (leaving the damp stuff open to the air for now). Then down to the storage locker after lunch. Moved stuff into the 2 upper lockers and brought the worst of the stuff home. Moved the rest to lay on raised boards so air can circulate and keep it drier. Since there will always be some moisture and the warmer dry months are ahead - we left some stuff in the lower locker for now. Will make a concentrated effort on clearing enough stuff out to give up that locker before Thanksgiving. Went home 3 1/2 hours later. Boy am I glad the husband is strong and that I'm a lot stronger than I was 6 months ago... Whew!

Then back home to make dinner for husband's brother and wife whom we had invited for dinner a few short days ago. Had the husband go to the farmers market in the am after putting out the garage sale signs. With his list in hand, he had bought fresh white corn, fresh peas, rasberries for me, a frozen Ollieberry pie and Artichoke bread from Cunha's -- our local small market that has everything and supports all the local small food producing merchants. We put chicken drumettes (frozen in their marinade from the party) on the barbecue and had a wonderful dinner after a loooooooong day.

Both of us spent some time thinking about how best to deal with "stuff" - I have a lot of stuff - 5 relatively recent estates worth of stuff plus all the stuff from both sets of grandparents.

We have been wanting to do a bookcase in the kitchen but the space for it is only a scant 24" and up to now had only found a half height size which has been groaning under all the books piled on it. Yes I like cook books both for cooking and reading.

We have been wanting to replace the drop leaf table in the kitchen with a buffet/cabinet. Unfortunately it has become the place where the older cat gets his scratching and brushing time -- he has the younger cat bamboozled into believing that he can't jump up onto the table :) We have also desparately needed counter stools. In the mail on Friday was an Ikea catalog. Since they cater to the European market, they had a 60 cm = scant 24" bookcase that is 78" high in the right wood. They also had a new style buffet/cabinet that is 52" wide and 78" high and 20" deep for the lower part in a soft white and pale green. The soft white is close to the white trim on the doors/windows and moldings in the house. They also had 2 really comfy counter stools with a white duck cover in birch which will work well.

Well you guessed it - after brunch we went to Ikea. Got home 5 hours later...Boy am I glad the husband is strong. No way could I have handled the 200 pound box, much less the 100 pound one.

After dinner - husband put together the bookcase. I unpacked the old bookcase and unpacked boxes. We did a couple loads of laundry with bleach and several loads of hand wash dishes. Husband bundled cardboard to go out tonight. Good thing mold is not a major trigger for our allergies!

So tired and the house is a mess with stuff all over -- and I had just gotten everything cleaned up. Sigh. Will spend the afternoon loading some stuff on ebay and repacking some of the stuff in clean paper and boxes. Maybe by tomorrow afternoon I can get back on track.