So What’s UP?

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So what’s up around here? This week wasn’t too much different than the last many weeks. So much to do and keep up with. Most of what is happening at “I Have A Notion” are plans that we put into motion before the whole move thing came about.

What’s Up Around the House

Construction… mostly drywall patching and sanding, and patching and sanding and….. is what’s up. Yep, on it goes. There is an inch of white dust on EVERYTHING!!! In addition, custom milled trim to match the current woodwork whih of course takes time. The working plan is to complete next week. The doors hung, trim and molding placed… and eventually the granite countertop on the island and the fireplace surround… We’ll see. Once the contractor is done, we will paint the main level and then the new flooring! If you want to see where some of this began check out this blog entry.

New Drywall
A new wall patched and almost ready for paint

And another Booth

What’s up for the weekend of October 18 & 19 was another 2-day booth at the 1 Stop Shop Hop of the Bluegrass. That took up another week for preparations. I love being part of quilting activities because it allows me to meet lots of other quilters, share knowledge or tips. Best of all helping to find solutions to quilting problems is the most fun! Also, I often get to see friends that I have been unable to connect with as often as I would like to. Last month was a booth at a quilt show, read about that here.

1 Stop Shop Hop of the Bluegrass Setup
Almost ready for the One Stop Shop Hop of the Bluegrass

Over this next weekend, I will be away at Quilt Market. Like I mentioned, when I made these plans, we were living a quiet life in town…

I’m keeping it short and sweet, so it is less boring. What’s up next… a critter report. Stay tuned!

More Later- Beth

and wait, there was more!

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Aside from all the things keeping me busy in the last post… there was MORE!

In September I Have A Notion had a booth at a quilt show. The local Elizabethtown Kentucky Heartland of Kentucky Quilt Show. They have a show every year. This year there were 500 quilts on display and 22 vendors. It was a very busy 2 days.

Quilt Show Booth at Heartland of Kentucky Quilt Show 2019
The Booth Space before setting up and after

The move added a bit more stress to the show hours for me. I used to live just a few minutes away, but now with the time change, it takes about an hour and a half to go 40 miles! There is a time change between here and there… so in the morning you lose an hour, but you get it back on the way home!

there was More summer than we could take!

I’m not sure if where you live was unusually hot the tail end of the summer, but it sure was here. The month of September felt more like August. It was so unseasonably warm and dry in Kentucky. The pond water level dropped more than 2 feet, the grass dried up and a few of the trees have already lost their leaves.

Mr Meanie
and there is more with a cat, the low water at the pond

and then a taste of winter!

And then it got cold! Frost and freeze warnings overnight. So all the tender plants have been moved. May need to move them again. The pond was shrouded in fog this morning (but that has been so even in the heat), and when I went out to feed the “feline tenants” I found a Wolly Bear Caterpillar.

and there is more weather coming
The woolly bear caterpillar—also called woolly worm and fuzzy worm—has the reputation of being able to forecast the coming winter weather. … The wider the rusty brown sections (or the more brown segments there are), the milder the coming winter will be. The more black there is, the more severe the winter.

You tell me, what you see… Brown? anywhere? Me neither!!!

on the creative front

nope, not more. I was hoping by now to be doing something quilt related. But not yet. I did wash and hang a quilt out to dry on the clothesline. A quilt I had hoped to have quilted for the booth table this year. Funny how things never go as planned. It is a salvage, holes, and tears in it, so it will need some creative patches, (you can see where I made an attempt at the creative… patching), I am going to redo it with more pizzazz and then quilt it rather densely, edge to edge.

Vintage Quilt Top
and there is more, a vintage quilt top to be quilted for the booth…. someday!

What are you working on creatively? Are you looking toward Christmas yet?

More later -Beth

Tenants, Paint and Construction are keeping me busy

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I am so far behind… and as the title suggests there are lots of things that are keeping me busy… Goldie had her 2nd birthday in early September. All she wanted at the new place was a big backyard where she could play. It was done a few days late, her wish became reality. The fence is complete.

Tenants

Also keeping me busy, are the feline tenants, (5 males and 2 females) and the addition of 6 chicken tenants (all hens), my morning is busy. While the chickens grow up to layers we feed them. I let them free-range part of most days too. We are working with the tenants and eliminating the ability to reproduce, but it is a one at a time proposition… I trapped the first and shyest of the cats, “Patience” on a Tuesday a couple of weeks ago. That meant that I was in the car immediately after. Dropped her off for spaying and then back home… a couple of hours later collect her and take care of her in the garage for the rest of the week. While she was recouperating she allowed me to pet her, but she reverted to wary the moment I let her go.

Patience after
Patience after recuperating from being spayed

Catching Patience was so successful that it was time for another. The next shyest cat, (also a female) named “Prudence”, was easy to trap in the ‘haveaheart’ trap. I was also able to grab one of the younger tenants (a male generally called #2), and put him into a crate we used for the puppies. This was on a Friday morning, and off I went to town… to drop them off at the vet and run a few other errands. The convalescing of the cats is going well and also keeping me busy. #2 now has a new name. “Prince” he did his convalescing really from just one comfy position… and as long as I was reaching in and giving him a rub down… every couple of hours he was a happy camper. Prudence is also extra affectionate too. Prudence needs a week to recover, but Prince is free… again.

Prince

The Prince before his surgery

Painting

In case you think I don’t have anything to do, just before the cat trapping, we began priming and painting all the walls upstairs. One coat of primer on every single wall and 2 coats of paint. 2 rooms were purple tones, one was a dark tan and the 4th was a dark tan top and a deep maroon (2 coats of primer) on the bottom. Upstairs all of the painting is complete. Next up is the carpet! Anything is better than Berber!

Paint upstairs-old and new
New paint is on the right

Construction

In addition, we have started the remodel construction on the main level. The main elements are eliminating a couple of walls, moving a door, adding a closet. We will be living in a construction zone for a week or 5! Hanging on to my patience by a thread!!! But we are liking the changes, so far.

After the wall is taken down
The rough new look for the downstairs

So as you can see while things are quiet, there is much happening that is so very unexciting but keeping me busy. Nothing happening in the Creative Space… its all still in boxes, although I have lots of great ideas swirling around in my head.

What has kept you busy or entertained lately? Please share in the comments. I need to know for my sanities sake!!!

More Later! Beth