So, I had the grumpies the other day because I was sick, but honestly an almost uncountable number of awesome and good things have happened in the past week and I’ve been too under the weather to post about them.
I guess I should back it up to the day before Christmas Eve, when Joel and I went out to Jerusalem Cafe with Justin, Steph, and Justin’s uncle Billy. It started out as a cookie-delivering mission and ended up being a good excuse to get out and about and just hang. The eavesdropping in Jerusalem Cafe was, as usual, sublime. Apparently, some fellow named John was just useless as a boyfriend; utterly clueless. As it turns out, Steph and I are both inveterate eavesdroppers and we’d lose track of the conversation at our table because somebody at the other table had said something particularly ripe.
Then on Christmas Eve, Melissa and Sage dropped by so that Sage & Ruby could wear some of the naughties out of each other and Melissa and I could down some tea and laugh at our boneheaded dogs. I had cookies for Melissa, too, and she had brought some of her famous dog biscuits for Ruby.
When Sage & Ruby attempt to wear the naughties out of each other, this is what pretty much ensues:
and this:
A little bit of:
some:
and occasional flight:
There are also two different videos of the two dogs going bonkers and us talking to them in silly voices. I just don’t quite understand people who don’t talk to their dog in a silly voice. Why not? The dog doesn’t care that I’m a dork!
We celebrated Christmas, inasmuch as we celebrate, with Joel’s mom, Nancy. Basically, we have a big dinner together and chat about…whatever. Art, that dorky thing the dog did, silly stories about stuff Joel did as a kid, interesting people Nancy has met, and some of the ridiculous and sublime we encounter out in the world. Nancy moved into a condo some years ago and has been incrementally eliminating knick-knacks and bric-a-brac that just don’t quite fit anymore. I have become the lucky beneficiary of some of what she calls her “de-accessioning” and so I am now the proud and happy owner of an Art-Noveau, turn-of-the-century sterling silver hem gauge and two very cool thimbles of probably the same era:
Don’t you just love the “font” of those numbers? That would be a gorgeous typeface, no?
The plainer of these two thimbles fits my middle finger perfectly. It is to my advantage that people were smaller back in the day. That means that my shrimpy self can actually use some pretty cool old stuff.
The scene on the more decorative thimble wraps all the way around. Mountains and buildings of different styles.
Some of the dimples on the city-scene thimble go all the way through. I don’t know if that’s from when it was made, or if somebody’s forceful sewing popped the eye of the needle through a thinner spot in the metal.
Also, I am wearing my favorite glittery nail polish. I know it’s incredibly naff, but I still like it, so from time to time, I paint ’em up all sparkly.
Besides all of the socalizing we did around here, I spent a lot of quality time on the phone with my mom, sis, and other out-of-town friends and family. I hope everyone who reads here had as good of a time as I have.
Okay I hate you lol. That hem gauge is divine. And what happy looking dogs! Sure looks like they had fun!
Elaina
http://sewducky.wordpress.com
Doggy playdates are a thing of wonder and joy. If you have an ornery and energetic dog, they’ll buy you the kind of peace you forgot you could ever have!
Thanks…I’m still just going “wow” about the hem gauge myself. They used to throw some pretty significant decorative arts into some of the most humble items back then.
Glad you are feeling better, mom said you had the flu. We had a wonderful christmas and got your cookies actually the day we chatted. I’ve got the cutest video clip of elizabeth being a dork that I’ll try to post tomorrow, you’ll love it.
I have no idea how to use a hem gauge, but that is a thing of beauty and I’m all covetous.
I also now want to go and steal two random dogs from gardens and order them to play.
Oh, it’s basically just a fancy, sewing-specific ruler. You use it to mark the depth of a hem to make sure that it is even all the way around.
A good place to watch canine antics is the local dog park. Dogs are freakin’ hilarious when they get all hyper together.