Hugo's Garden

It wasn't much talked about on the blog on account of it is not a happy subject, but our beloved Hugo died in June.  She was apparently about 21 years old and had a very happy life.  (If you missed her story you can read about it here.)  But we still miss her every day.  The Hub and I planted a memorial garden for her in the backyard.  We used to have a little strip of lawn in this area that was there when we bought Wellington.  Hugo used to love to eat the grass along this strip in the mornings.  But with the drought, lawns aren't doing well in California.  So we took the lawn out and planted this garden in Hugo's honor..

It has mostly ornamental grasses that Hugo would have loved.  There are a couple of carpet roses and in the center is an olive tree with Hugo's ashes underneath.  The olive tree has gotten a lot of new growth.  I think it likes Hugo under there.  We are searching for a perfect cat statue to put in this garden.  The grasses and plants will soon broaden and you will hardly see the stepping stones.  It has already grown so much in the three months it's been planted.  It's a nice quiet place to sit and relax and think about a little kitty cat who brought us joy.

Drat This Drought!

In the few months since my last post a lot has happened.  Little Hootie died.  Then the piglet died.  We are now completely void of pets and it's very sad for us.  Also our bottom lawn died on account of the drought that has been hanging over California for years.  Everyone has to ration their water and the gardens are really hurting.  Our upper lawns in the front are still sort of green because they have more shade.  But the lawn between the sidewalk and the street completely died.  The Big Guy took it out a few weeks ago and tried to kill the crab grass.  He planted some jasmine instead.  It tends to grow really well in Benicia.  Today he put in a drip line, which conserves water.  Next step is landscape fabric and some recycled wood chips from the local mulch yard.

Wellington still looks awfully nice, if you ask me.  He looked better with a cat on his porch though.

Here is the jasmine and the drip line which will soon be covered up.

This is a better view of the poor lawn.  It's September, coming into fall.  We are really hoping for some rain before we lose the whole lawn.  I am sitting in my front office and although it's a pretty hot day, I can see the first signs of autumn which many loyal blog readers will remember from this post.  I call it "Andy's Nut."  That industrious squirrel is already gathering his nuts for the winter.

My little Christmas tree from years ago is growing nicely with his little fuchsia that I propagated from the neighbor's plant and a beautiful bright pink impatiens.  But this porch misses its kitty cat..  

Silly Cat

Here's Wellington!

 Here's Wellington closer.

 And closer.

 Who is that waiting for us to come back from our evening walk?

 Only the best oldest kitty in town.

 Sweet little Hootie.

Beautiful Evening Stroll

A lovely evening in Benicia.  Took a stroll down towards the water.  This promenade is along West I between West 4th and West 5th where the road ends.  There is a new home that backs to this walkway.  They have this view right out their back porch.  It's a little odd though, because if they're sitting on their back porch they are right there where people walk by.  But no automobile traffic, so that's nice.  And it's the first LEED Certified home in the county.  Or in Northern California.  Or something like that, I can't remember which and they don't have the sign up anymore.  But it looks nice.  You can read about it here.

When we got home, Hugo was waiting on the front porch.  She chose to stay out there because that's her favorite place to be.  Just look at her little smile.  She's saying, "Ahhh."

ORGANIZATION: Craft Cubby

I wish I had a before picture.  But it was just too horrible.  I didn't want it documented.

For Christmas my favorite sister bought me a storage drawer cabinet.  How did she know that in the new year I was planning to organize my cozy Craft Cubby?  She knows me too well.  I wasn't feeling well over Christmas so I didn't get to this project for a few days.  I was planning to start the day after Christmas but first I had to catsit, which is my fourth favorite activity.  Then I had to come home and lay around for a day or two while I coughed and moaned.  Finally enough was enough and I went upstairs, opened the door under the eaves that leads to my Craft Cubby, sat down and had a think.

The next day I pulled out a few things and thought some more.  Gradually the thoughts I was thinking coordinated with the diminishing of the ill I was ailing and I was able to get to work.  I began by putting together this wonderful little drawer unit.  I needed a hammer and an allen wrench so I think I'm going to call myself "handy."

The whole project took me four and a half days, including thinking and ailing time.  The last two days were particularly productive and here is the end result.

This is the drawer unit, with labels.  These drawers are the perfect size for things like "sewing notions", "zippers/tapes", "knitting/crocheting", "rubber stamps", "stationery" and "paper."  To the right is a large plastic bin I got from the barn that used to have horse food in it but now houses my fluff, known also as stuffing.  On top of the drawer unit is a small three-drawer unit which is currently empty and a long box with long knitting needles in it.

 Here is the drawer unit with some open drawers.  Santa brought me a lot of organizers with compartments.

Here is a better pic of my sewing basket with bin beneath.  Behind the drawer unit I was able to fit all of my Christmas decorations, and there are a lot.  They include my two small trees, garland for the banister, Creepy Santa collection and glitter houses.  To the right back there are the two boxes of The Dot's books she asked me to save until she needs them back.  On top of that is a tin which is currently filled with smaller containers that are not in use at the moment.

Santa also brought me a spool rack.  To the left of that is a wine container I am saving for some reason.  It's really cute.

Inside the cubby to the right in back are my two bins of yarn.  On top of them is a plastic bag with the rest of my alpaca to finish my alpaca afghan I'm knitting.  (Next on the list of to dos:  finish knitting the afghan!  Pics to follow.)

To the right of the yarn I have two wire drawer units I got from Ikea a couple of years ago when I first started organizing my Craft Cubby.  That time the organization wasn't successful since it wasn't really complete and I just started shoving things in here.  But now there is a place for everything.

For instance:  In the bottom drawer on the left, and the one just above that, I have large pieces of fabric.  I have stapled swatches of each fabric to the front of the drawers so I don't have to go digging in there when I need a particular piece.  The third drawer up has some more large pieces of fabric along with various scraps.  The top drawer on the left has all of my Christmas felt.  On the right on the bottom I have all of my Purts©.  I believe there are about a dozen finished purses in there.  Above that I have large pieces for making purses and above that I have some smaller pieces I've saved, like pockets and zippers.  The top drawer has beading materials.

 Here is a view of the right-hand drawer unit.  On top of that I have a little drawer unit that Santa brought me.  It is full of beads and beading supplies.  Behind that I have a large tin with Christmas Craft Bits like baubles, glitters, sequins and teeny weeny gingerbread men.

Two more views of the Craft Cubby from the doorway.  You can also see the little step stool my brother in law gave me for Christmas.  It came in handy to sit on while I was working.  I can also go inside my little Craft Cubby under the eaves and just sit on this little stool and pull open a drawer.  I have done this a time or two and it's very rewarding after so many hours of organizing.  I recommend it to everyone.

 Time for a nap.

Wellington at Christmastime 2014

It's Christmastime again at Wellington.  As usual, there is no snow on the ground, but we have had our share of rain.  Finally.  I love Wellington every day of the year.  But Christmas is especially nice. This year we are particularly happy because our beloved kitty has surprised us yet again and is apparently going to make it through another Christmas.  This will be approximately her 21st!

So for those of you who, while still enjoying your own Christmasses in your own Wellingtons, are not fortunate enough to be experiencing Christmastime at Wellington in person, here are some pictures to give you the essence.  The merest smidgeon of an inkling of the wonders and pleasures found herein.

If one listens to neighborhood gossip, it is the general consensus that the following cat is 21 years old or so.  We have only had her for a little less time than we've had Wellington (about four and a half years), but we'll take their word for it.  Readers of the blog know the lovely story of how Hugo came to be our very own kitty, so I won't go into that at this time. If you don't remember, or have never heard the story you can find it HERE. Let me just say that we have recently expressed our love for Hugo in the best way possible.  We have given her the most expensive present under our Christmas tree.  It's called "A Trip to the Emergency Vet" which has caused her life to be extended considerably, we're hoping indefinitely.  So far it has been three weeks.  This is her way of thanking us for her Christmas gift.

Ah  Heaven.

Here is Nordmann.  He is our Christmas tree.  Some of us decided we didn't need a large tree.  Why not get a very small tree this year, etc.  But as you will notice, this tree is about as large as possible in this room with high ceilings.  And some of us cut quite a bit off the top knot.  Some of us are in the Christmas spirit, I'm not naming any names.

Here is Nordmann ready for action.

 The Christmas cactus is from last year and it just started blooming in time for Christmas!  What a coincidence.  Below is a little Christmas quilt I bought at Romancing the Home, a downtown Benicia shop for which I have been carrying a Gift Certificate for a couple of years.  I was saving it for something perfect, and here it is!

 This is a little blown-glass heart one of my closest friends gave me on our Christmas Outing.  She is the same friend who gave me the Gift Certificate for Romancing the Home!  She knows me pretty well.

 The birds were purchased at the Dickens Faire a few years ago when I went with The Dot.

 I didn't make a glitter house this year.  I think the collection is a pretty good size.

Every year I hang some antique glass balls from ribbons in my window.

This year when I was downtown I bought a new icicle glass ornament to add to the collection.  I got this gold one at Steffan Antiques in town for $3.  Yesterday when The Hub and I were in the shops I found two more, a pink one and a larger blue one, in Charlie's Attic antique store for $1 each!

Loyal readers will remember that a tradition in our house is the annual Christmas Stocking.  It started in 1982 when I made The Hub a little stocking of his own.  The next year I made him another little stocking.  The tradition was set and I haven't been able to weasel out of it.  Every year I pretend like I'm not going to make one this year and every year The Hub pretends to believe it.  Until a few days before Christmas when he notices a new stocking hanging among the many (34?  I haven't counted) hanging throughout the house.  Actually I have counted but I can't remember the final count.  It was in the 30s.

This year he walked in on me right as I was finishing it.  Oh well.  It was bound to happen.  Here it is.

It's a wreath made of felt ornaments with felt holly.  I particularly like that there are bits from the past incorporated into the design.  The dress that the gingerbread woman is wearing is cut from a piece of lace that originated as my sister's 8th grade graduation dress, which later became my dress, which was later cut down to be one of The Dot's dress-up dresses.  One of the buttons is made from a piece of fabric that I used to make the kids their Christmas outfits one year when they were about four and six.  The bow tie of the gingerbread man comes from a bag of fabrics that a dear friend gave me years ago.  The fabrics belonged to her grandmother.  The little reindeer that sits in the wreath has beans in his bottom so that he sits nicely on a shelf (except he doesn't, he sits in the wreath) and there is one bean in each of his hooves to make them dangle nicely.

Another tradition is something I like to call "chocolate truffles."  Both of the kids have made these over the years for their friends and I hear that The Dot's truffles this year were so popular she made a second batch.  I always send a box to my favorite brother and I often include an ornament that I have made.  This year it's a little squirrel with a holly leaf.  I made a little girl squirrel very similar to this one and gave it to my dear friend whom I previously mentioned numerous times.

These are the truffles.  And there is also one fruit and nut cluster.  I understand from the Post Office that this box arrived at my brother's house this morning where they are probably chilling themselves in a snow bank.

What would a Christmas Blog be without a nod to the Creepie Santas?

 There were two additions to the Creepy Santa collection this year.  One is in the top picture, leaning on the little tree and tipping his head at a jaunty angle.  The Dot found him a couple of months ago at a thrift store and nabbed him for me.  The other is below on the left.  The Hub and I were in Santa Rosa with The Dot and Mr. Dot.  We found this little Creepy in an antique shop in the downtown area.  He is so perfect.  First, he is made of wood, carved by someone who is not a professional carver.  Likewise his costume is made by what I would refer to as a hobbyist.  His hair, which came from a real sheep is falling off his head and down his back.  The best part of all is he was only $5!  We couldn't believe our great fortune and The Hub absolutely would not let me leave that store without this little guy wrapped in tissue and tucked under my arm.  Seriously though, he allowed me to nestle him into the trunk of the car and bring him home.  He rounds out the collection very nicely.

There are too many great ones to even pick a favorite.

Now I'm sitting at my kitchen table while my turkey brines.  I have a pot on the stove that smells like turkey stock.  My boys are playing a game and The Dot is coming over tomorrow for a pre-Christmas visit.  Soon the whole family will be together and smushing will ensue.  That is a teeny glimpse into the splendor I call Christmastime at Wellington.