What I did in October

 

Besides being my favorite month weather-wise, I feel like we've had a very productive month, getting a lot of things marked off our lists.  Mike's list is actually written down and taped to the kitchen counter - not the ideal place, according to me - but better than not having one at all. 

My list is swirling around in my head with all the 500 other things I'm thinking about, so it's a wonder anything gets accomplished.

So what have we done?

Mike has set up a carpenter's shop in the garage and constantly busy.  He hates it when I call it puttering.

I can't even remember everything he's done this fall.  He has pressure-washed every surface that doesn't move and some that do (my car).   Every paintable exterior surface has been caulked and painted and caulked again.   The storage house has been completely repainted.

He has waged war on water damage and replaced wood with non-wood that is impossible to tell the difference.  Every window has been caulked and all the metal and woodwork around them have been painted.   Door thresholds are next as well as new doorknobs on the back and side doors. 

It's hard to remember a whole month of activities when I can't even remember what I did yesterday. 

I go to help make turbans for cancer patients on Wednesday morning with a wonderful group of ladies.  We have a lot of fun and hopefully turn out something that will help someone.

We laugh a lot, share our problems, and pray for the ones receiving the turbans as well as our friends and family members.

We made baby blankets for the daycare on the other hall, and they rewarded us with a wonderful platter of pastries last week.

 

A little bit more active is my Friday morning babysitting for a young mothers' Bible study.  I think I've already included some of the pictures, but I always have some new ones.  It's hard to take a picture because one of the 1-year-olds has an uncanny way of hearing the click and buzz of my camera every time.  This causes him to come crawling over to try to find buttons to push.

I love to see this sweet view.

 

I noticed these on the front porch this morning.  Just a few weeks before gloomy weather.

 

 

I've sewed another stack of jerseys.

Finished Sarah's cross.

Participated in a sew along.

It helps to have pictures for every step of the instructions.

These are the 6 dresses in progress plus the instructors.  Which one is mine?

 

How about this one?

 

 

Sherry brought me these two soft book panels to make for Graysen.  I've cut them out and just need to cut the batting to size and sew them up.  She did the same ones for her Emma.

The big project for Graysen for Christmas - a smocked dress.  I have the fabric, the smocking plate, the pattern, the thread, and the tiny little pearls.  All that remains is for me to get in there and get started. 

I'm so impressed with Emily's talent.  She had the idea to make an owl costume for Graysen for Halloween.  She emailed me one day and asked a question or two about the instructions.  I didn't think much more about it until I saw these pictures on Facebook.  Not only did she make a perfect little owl costume for Graysen, she made Mother Owl wings and a mask for herself. 

This will be it for October, I think.  We have 6 weeks before our (hoped for) Christmas gathering in WA.  I need to get on the ball and get some things done.