I'm Thankful For....

Electricity! I know it's not quite Thanksgiving, but I feel I ought to send my praises heavenward. Last evening was Open Stitch Night at the shop and I'm usually there until 9 or 10pm, depending on how much we get to talking! My cell phone rang about 9pm and it was my DH telling me the power was off at home, probably due to the high winds we were having in the Chicagoland area. Well, I ended up not leaving the shop until almost 10:15pm and sure enough, the power was still off when I got home. But it was weird. Some lights worked, some did not. I thought I'd have to get out of the van to open the garage door, but the opener worked. So, I trudged up the stairs (elevator, not working) and stepped into a mostly-dark house. My DH had made some salmon on the grill and some green beans on the stove. Forget about heating it up in the microwave, so I just warmed up a bowl of soup in a pot on the stove. Can't browse the net since the router didn't have power. By candlelight, I brushed my teeth, washed my face (brrr, cold) and jumped into bed.

I woke several times during the night wondering if the power was back on, but the clock radio on my nightstand remained dark. I was semi-conscious around 4am when I thought I saw a light shining from the living room, so I thought all was well with the world.

When I awoke this morning, there was still no power! I must have been dreaming about the light last night. I shuffled to the kitchen as is my usual routine and stopped dead in my tracks. NO coffee!! Whhhaaaaaa! But wait, there was a working outlet over by the stove because thank-the-Lord the refrigerator had power. I was able to brew my java and my world was restored. Now onto the daunting task of a bath. I pulled out the largest pot I could find and filled it with water and set it on the stove to boil. Two potfuls and I was ready for the tub. Sheesh, this is a lot of work! Breakfast was challenging, too, since I still couldn't use the microwave for my bacon.

I did get through the morning - had to flat-iron the hair in the kitchen (eeeewwwwww) and when the power is restored, I'll have to do a good job of vacuuming. Am I spoiled or what? We have it so easy, yet we complain all the while. I slept in a comfortable bed, I had wonderful smelling candles for light and I took a warm bath this morning. Yes, I had to expend a bit of energy to make some of it happen, but it wasn't all that difficult. The little things I don't think about every day, I certainly don't want to take for granted. I have it so easy compared to my ancestors! I am so grateful for electricity and how it makes light my tasks every single day!

Have a great power-filled day today!
Cathy

A weekend in St. Charles

Missouri, that is, for all you Chicagoland folks. St. Charles, MO is where the Fall Needlecraft market was held. I was excited to attend as this was the location of the very first Needlecraft market I ever attended. Last year, I was green, haven't not yet opened my retail needlework store. This year, I can say I'm "less green". LOL I still have a lot to learn, but it's getting better. We all make good decisions and then, well, there's some bad decisions mixed in there, too.

My cohort, Debbie, and I headed out for St. Charles last Friday morning. We had scheduled some classes for Friday afternoon, which meant we had to drive, allow time for lunch and arrive at our hotel by 1pm. We left early enough from Chicago and arrived with time to spare. We decided to make a stop off at the local needlework store. Some things never change, do they? After browsing for a bit, we asked for a recommendation for lunch. Lewis & Clark's was a few blocks away, so off we went. Cute place with a balcony on the top floor for those willing to brave the cool breeze. We weren't. Debbie ordered a chicken salad sandwich and I had a grilled chicken breast atop a bed of greens and steamed vegetables. Sad to say, lunch was lackluster. Somehow "bed of greens" to me does not mean iceburg lettuce!!! That's what I got. :( Anyway, we wished we could have hung out more in the historic district of St. Charles, but we had classes awaiting! Here is a view looking down the street. Very quaint town with lots of nice shops!

The class I attended was to help in running a business so there's no fun pictures to post, but Debbie took a felting class with Judy Bielec of Mosey N Me. Here is the cute scissor fob that she made. Heck, that is no "little" scissor fob.....maybe she could attach it to a full-sized pair of dressmaker shears!
(For size perspective, the witch is leaning up against a medium-sized pumpkin)
Watch this space for more posts regarding my trip to St. Charles.

Until later,
Cathy