Running, Sewing, Folding, And Growing.

Feeling better

Dressed for the chill

Cheryl has been feeling better lately, and as a result... we have been increasing the mileage.  Today we ran 6 miles.   The Des Moines  Marathon was yesterday, and someone we know was supposed to run it.  If we got her name right,  she must have had a pretty good day.   We can't wait to see her when she returns to HyVee to ask her about it.

Time to stretch... 

And show off those legs.

In the mean time, Cheryl has her mind set on next years races and is training accordingly.  The weather has been nice...for running.   Cold mornings and cool days.   I hear that the temps are going to rise a bit later this week.

Cold enough for long sleeves.

And gloves!

Other than that,  Stockings have been picking up.   Yesterday we sewed up thirteen.   And have a couple more on the docket for tomorrow.  The stockings took slightly longer to sew up than we had anticipated.

Stockings!

Drives Cheryl crazy.

 I guess it has been a while since we did that many stockings at one time.  Even Cheryl got a little "giddy" after we had finished.  This is a moment I wanted to mention:   I believe they build sewing machines to discriminate against men! Oh sure, we can fix them.   But using them is challenging with meaty paws.

Made by men FOR men....

  Luckily,  someone invented a means to get that thread through the needle using a small gizmo.   It helps me quite a bit because one:  I can't see the tiny needle hole.   And two:   Even if I could see it,  I have to contort my hand in such a way to push the thread through. My wrists ache if I have to do that three times in a row.

It's a Machine!  Hooray!

 

Still,  I like sewing on the buttons...   And using the Embroidery Machine.  I guess the mechanical gene still drives us somehow.

Pelican

Luna Moths.

And then there is the Origami.   I fill in the time that Cheryl spends answering questions, scoring papers, ordering materials, and creating stockings... with making and folding paper.   The challenge is finding things to fold that interest me.  Sometimes the complexity does not matter.

My tomato Experiment.

And lastly,  with all this rain I have been harvesting the seeds off of the creeping Cardinal vine.  And I have been excited to see the tomato seeds sprout in my experimental nursery.  ( The rain destroyed my little greenhouse, but  I did manage to get some sprouts to grow before then.)

Our Tomato color palette for next year. 

I can hardly wait for next years planting.  (I say that....Now.  I'm sure things will change later.)   My goal is to get the heirloom tomatoes to grow in the various flavors and colors.  I'm not sure if I will bring any to the farmers market, but we shall see how many I can actually get to grow.   I'm not really known for my green thumb.    Still,  It will be a fun process.

Dreary Downpour Run With Donuts. A lesson in Mobile Dining.

The words disappear with the dampness

Eager to run in the rain.

I had a wonderful poem I wanted to construct for this blog posting.... But alas! Upon finding warmth and dry clothes, my turbulent brain has calmed to a mirror  on a lake.

It was much worse than this...

Cheryl has been looking forward to running in the rain ever since the dark clouds moved in three days ago.   We have, up until today, missed each opportunity to "dampen our spirits";   with only a light mist or sporadic drizzle  to contend with.  But the weather promised that the rain would be there for us all day today.

More like THIS!

Lucky us!  I should have been a little more wary about the possibility.   I took the minimum steps: choosing my water resistant coat and an extra layer of clothing  for support.  Looking back I should have had an entire wardrobe change in my water proof duffel bag.

And THIS!

As you can probably guess,  the rain got us with an unrelenting downpour.  The curtains fell and the rivers ran... down the very sidewalk  we were sharing.   We made it through without much trouble.  However, we got to enjoy the feeling of damp clothes for the next several hours.   There really is nothing like extending the misery sitting in an air-conditioned store with wet socks, shoes, shirts and shorts. 

We dashed into the Noodle Store  to eat some lunch,  getting drenched once again in the process.   The noodles were not as good today as they had been last week.  (New/different cook, I guess)  Add in that sitting in soaked clothes did not make it any more enjoyable.

Why is eating in your car so bad?

The French claim that, "Americans Eat in their Car..."   I'm assuming this is meant as an insult, (as opposed to a correct observation.)  as it is common knowledge the French find Americans slovenly. (So we are,  Neh!  Shrug) But!  Like Most Americans,  I misinterpret this as a complement.  Because today,  Eating inside the warm and toasty Subaru would have been preferable.

How I see US eating mobily.

 Maybe Americans eat inside their car because they drive really great cars!  (As opposed to eating on the go,  eating all the time, and too lazy to leave their cars. Or the possibility that our life is so hectic that we do not have time to eat with family or friends)   Nope!   I think it is because America has a love affair with their automobiles. (Especially cars designed by Japanese...)

Off to Dunkin' Donuts...  IN the rain

The rain never let up and we got soaked a second time after changing into some dry clothes.  So to warm ourselves up,  we grabbed a Dunkin' Donut for the road. Looks like they are trying to brighten up the donuts with the autumn colors again.  And... Yes!   We ate them in the Car.

Fall Festive colors?  Where is the Art?

Cheryl thinks out her new plan.

So now we are safe and warm and dry at home.   Cheryl got a little more than she bargained for this misery run.  We may have to take little time off to reflect on the lesson learned.  She DID manage to finish 5 miles of hills today...  so that is a plus.  And she tends to get grumpy if she has to miss a day of running.   I'm sure we will figure something out.

Try not to spill the soup... 

So hope everyone is warm and dry on this rainy day.  It has definitely dumped more rain on us today than over the past week.  It's a good day to sit back, hunker down and enjoy some coffee and chicken soup.   At home.... Hopefully not in your car.  (Soup can be a little messy!)

Rain, Clouds, Stockings and Runs.

Clouds?  Rain?   The mean NOTHING!

The last couple of days have been rather dreary.  Rain and clouds darken the skies and the cold temps of fall have finally arrived.   Undaunted, Cheryl continues to insist that we run.   Even in the rain!

 No biggy for her, but I have to dress up for the occasion.   Riding a bike does not generate the same amount of heat as running.

Cheryl the Conquerer!  (Or Terrible...)

   And with the cold, slow pace, and lack of pain pushing her;   She plans to make up for it all by running longer.  Today she increased the millage to 4 miles. She probably plans on getting up to 7 miles by the end of the week.  We shall see.

Cheryl sewing up the custom orders

In the mean time,  Stockings are slowly trickling in.  Last year, apparently,  I did not blog about the steady stream of 3-4 stockings at this time.    So this year, I want to make a bit more of an effort to catalog things. 

The Motley Crew of Fur-bearers.

The Finished Stocking representations.

We started the day with "no sales" but that quickly changed by mid afternoon.   During this time of year, that is how it is.   Start off thinking you have an easy day and BOOM!  5 sales with three on the back burner for tomorrow.  Cheryl had an especially fun time making the cats.

Armadillo.

Bulldog

Standing Crane.  First time go! 

Bulldog reads the blog. 

As for me,  now and then I get called in for my button sewing skills.   Otherwise I keep my self occupied by playing with the cat, digging in the mud, and folding origami with my latest paper creations

 Korean Paper.  Similar to cloth. 

I finally figured out how to make that Korean paper (Hanji) work. ( Hint:  LOTS of methyl cellulose. Without it, it folds like a fragile cloth.)   The stuff I'm currently using we purchased from Amazon.   Apparently, it is the "industrial strength" kind.  I'm still trying to figure out how to portion it up so it does not solidify in my container.

Sounds dangerous.  But not really. 

There are so many uses for this stuff.  Mostly for Slime, blood, and other gooey special effects for movies and Halloween .   Also it can be used as wallpaper paste, paper binder, book glue, and food emulsifier. (Makes gravy thicker) I doubt it will ever explode...  about as flammable as flour and an open flame.  It took me a while to figure that out, because each producer markets it as ONE of the intended purposes.  Causing much confusion.  In the end, it is all the same stuff...  as long as you don't eat the "non-food quality" stuff.  ( not that I would want to anyway.)

Hope everyone else is staying dry and warm on this chilly October day.    In the mean time,  Enjoy some Rod Stewart.   (Small note:  Remember when Rod Stewart was "too sexy and raw for the youth of America?   Funny how time mellows us all.)  Thanks for stopping in and enjoy.
 

Cheryl Almost Fixed, Muscatine Farmer's Market, Cute Little Girl, And Ripening Tomatoes.

Cheryl testing the waters.... or trails.  

Happier times!    Today I will focus on the good things and not the inevitable demise of humanity.  (Do I usually do that?)
Today Cheryl decided to give running a try.   In case you missed it a month ago,  Cheryl broke herself and has been kind of insane ever since.  But it has been about 6 weeks since that injury and she is willing to test the waters one mile at a time.  So now I once again have a job.   Not one that pays, mind you.   But the self esteem I gain is worth so much more than a simple paycheck.  (Or so it was explained to me.)

Still in one piece.   Horray!

The goal is to eventually run to the HOPS that grow wild along the trail.   It is about three miles down  from West Chester...so I'm hoping she does not break herself again until then.  The hops should be in season now... or at least visible from the trail.  I'm not sure what I will do when we find them.   Maybe I'll harvest a few and show them off to total strangers.   Adding to my "mystique"  ( or creepiness...)

Back view.  

The "Pre-Marathon" legs

So Cheryl is ready to get her sexy, hardcore legs back.   I snapped this picture as a reference in a few months to show her the progress.   Who knows,  there is a possibility she may still run in the Quad Cities Marathon in some capacity.  We shall see how things go.

Muscatine Farmer's Market.   With Gray skies...

Cheryl evaluates her Display

In other news,  a slight recap of the Muscatine farmer's market.   A fairly consistent show,  and nothing more.   But the people are getting used to us now and sometimes come to visit.  They buy our stuff and we buy theirs...  (Usually to break larger bills for change.)

Heirloom does NOT always mean Tasty

Heirloom Melon.

 But sometimes  we discover something cool...  Like this heirloom melon!    So cute and aromatic! As far as flavor goes..kind of bland.   But two out of three is not bad.

Cute little kid with a rock.

A "Muscatine" rock.  Hidden for people to find and blog about. 

One of the vendor's kids found a Muscatine painted rock.   I guess there is a long standing tradition where people paint rocks and hide them.   And people are supposed to find them and post them on their Facebook page.. or something like that.  Either way,   Easter egg hunts are always fun.  And I'm blogging about it...so I guess it works!

Finally a red tomato!

And finally!   Our tomatoes are finally changing color!    I may give this a few more days before picking it.   Looks like they will all ripen around the same time.   This is great because I will no longer have to beg the neighbor for any extra tomatoes.   (I don't beg.  He offers them to me.

A few more hidden ones turning. 

Looks like They will all ripen at once.

And I accept them...   But I make sure I'm always  available in case he has to "get rid" of  any.)  I may have to keep a few of the seeds and see if I can start them earlier next year.   Last time I started them in February inside.   And I had more tomatoes than I knew what to do with. Perhaps six plants was a little too much.

So that is all for now.    Later this week I'll have to show off my latest Origami creations.   And the utterly senseless amount of time I spend on each one.  If anyone thinks being an artist is "cool"... they are wrong.  I would highly not recommend this "occupation" or anyone.  But that is just me, I guess.