An Update from Mr. Skellie...

Sssshhhh...I think I hear Debra walking toward the shop...I told the minions to hide so we don't scare her off.

She doesn't see me and the camera, so I will try to get some shots for you all. She has been very sad since her daughter's husband passed away, sometimes I hear her cry. But after a trip up north to visit with Big Bill's brothers Ed and Mike and spending some time with her son Ben, she has been much better. What's she doing now...she has a can of paint and a screwdriver and even has her painting apron on!

I'm so excited! The minions want to jump out and surprise her, but I have warned them to stay hidden. She's picking out music too!

Oh, it's that Zen CD...yawn...There have been a couple of chairs in the shop for awhile now and I think she's finally going to work on them. One of them was pretty badly chipped,

but Debra is going to work her magic.  Uh oh! She caught me with the camera!

She had me come sit by her and get a few close-ups.

I told her how much we all had missed her and she got a little misty and expressed the same. I sat near her and watched her work until both chairs were done. The arm chair is done,

but the other one still needs it's gold touched up.

As she hung up her apron, she promised she would be back.

Yay! Have a great day everybody!

Midnight Meanderings...

I fell asleep last night only to awaken about an hour later at midnight. There were noises coming from the shop...suspicious noises. I threw on my heavy robe and tiptoed across the living room to the hall. Just as I reached the shop door, I heard a burst of laughter coming from the other side. I opened the door and asked, "What are all you guys laughing at?!" The minions were on the bench laughing and talking.

Then I saw what was going on....three of them were balanced and getting ready to poke Mr. Skellie in the butt with a sword!

I caught them just in time. When Mr. Skellie turned around I asked him what on earth he had on. He said he found a cool new shop apron for himself. He thought it looked very retro.

(The minions thought he looked like a grandma.) They asked if this had been my apron when I was little...just as I was about to answer, Mr. Skellie laughed and hollered, "No way Wide Load!" He skittered off and I was in hot pursuit. He climbed up to the top of my big bookcase and wouldn't come down until I calmed down.

I helped him down and asked where he had found that old apron. He told me he found it on the shelf and didn't think I would mind if he used it since it appeared that I had outgrown it. I let that last comment pass and asked him what he was working on. He had been taking care of all the little things that had accumulated on my bench. My steampunk sink that had fallen and come apart,

little Christmas ornaments for his tree that needed gluing,

and even the the Minions Steampunk Cottage that needed some of the equipment repaired.

He even put all my pliers away that I had kinda left all over.

He showed me all the finished projects

and then we decided to go over to the Minion's bakery, Buns and Roses, to enjoy some banana donuts.

Before we knew it, the Minions brought out some banana daiquiris as it was after hours and I don't remember much after that! LOL! Have a great day!

The Weevil Hunt!

It was cold here last night! So this morning I went out and took a shot of the mountains all frosted.

It doesn't seem possible that November is almost here already. I hesitated to tell you about my recent adventure in the kitchen, it was kinda creepy. But here goes: A few mornings ago, I walked into the kitchen and spotted a tiny black beetle with a long snout. I quickly sent him to tiny bug heaven but then spotted another, and another. Some were swimming in a drop of water in the sink, others were just lounging around with tiny sunglasses on and I swear I saw one on the window sill in a lounge chair.  "What are these things!?" I hollered. Mr. Skellie heard me and came clattering down the hall from the shop. He started stomping them with his feet and then looked around to see if there were any more.

Then he said he couldn't do it any longer because he was getting the heebie jeebies and had a bug leg stuck between his toes. He ran back to the shop shaking his foot and yelling "Ewww! Ewww!" I started searching online for the answer. While I was on here looking, I heard a commotion in the kitchen. The Minions had arrived with their steampunk fart gun and had found one burrowing into my loaf of homemade bread.

They were firing and yelling and then quite a few of these tiny bugs started circling them. I've never seen minions move so fast! With all my brave heroes abandoning ship, I was on my own. I finally found some information and pictures about these little interlopers...weevils!

But where did they come from? There were none in the pantry, none in the flour container on the counter

or in my wheat grinder. I read on. They can be in birdseed! I have a large clear sealed containerful under my counter. Do I dare look? I looked, and there were hundreds of them in there! That container went outside right quick and I started mop up operations immediately. The population quickly decreased over the next couple of days and Mr. Skellie came back, with socks on this time, and continued his weevil stomping dance. I've had birdseed in that container for 5 years now and never had a problem before. But this year, we had kept the seed over the summer and I think that's when the problem started. So the container of seed is now safely ensconced in the shed and we are all breathing a sigh of relief. The counter is cleaner than it has been in it's whole life and I have lived to tell the tale. Have a great day!

What HAVE you been doing Debra?!

No, I've not been resting on my laurels...funny mind picture by the way...just some different life events. First off, I went back to the thrift shop to look for a shirt for my Dear Hubby. He's a tall, and for some reason, those are really hard to find in stores and I didn't have time to shop online. I found a brand new one by American Eagle and decided to poke around in the curtain section again. Guess what I found...another pink gingham valance! I came home hauling my treasures only to find that Bill couldn't button the shirt over his chest. I had a little bit better luck with the valance, after ironing the heck out of it, I transformed this:

into this:

More ruffles! Then I went online and ordered some pink butterflies to scatter across the wall over top.

So we went with Plan B for Bill's shirt and were off to Marlene and Jack's wedding!

Mr. Skellie has been head over heels (skull over heel bones?) in love with Marlene for quite some time so he was sitting in the back crying. Fortunately, I had a tissue in my pocket for him. Good thing there wasn't the part in the ceremony about "anyone here objecting" cause he would have jumped to his feet for sure! So now I think it's time to rustle up a wife for Mr. Skellie. Hey! Then we can have a skellie wedding! Oh fun! Another thing I wanted to get done was some repairs on the minions Outback Steakhouse. The place is so busy that the door is starting to come off the hinges!

One of the minions fell off the ladder near the smoker, so I helped him back up and noticed the power for the restaurant had gone out so have to fix that too.

Maintenance, maintenance. I worked on that yesterday as it was raining like crazy outside!

But this morning the air is clear and cool...45 degrees! I guess it is cool!

Since all the laundry is done, I'm off to the store to pick up a few things so I will see you later! Have a great day!

Is this what I think it is?!

It started out as a normal Saturday afternoon. I was cleaning up the kitchen when I heard giggling coming from the shop. Uh, oh, what are they up to now....I heard the pastor's voice, "Debra, come here quick!" I stopped short at the doorway when I saw everyone gathered together. The minions were there of course

along with a new buddy from Belize,

The Captain and Rose were there too.

The skellies were on their carnival ride singing out..."It wasn't our idea!"

The Steampunk family,

Vincent,

the ladies from the Tea Shop,

and even the new ladies from the quilt shop were there.

The quilt shop ladies haven't known me for very long and were very apologetic. Everyone gazed at me and suddenly, the light went on. Is this an intervention? Rose was very nice and said they were all concerned that I had lost interest in them and they missed me coming into the shop in the middle of the night. I explained that now that I was going to the chiropractor, I was sleeping much better and certainly had no intention of stopping work on all of their projects. As usual, I had to make a chart to assure them that I had a plan for each of their projects and still wanted them all as friends too. A cheer went up all around and wouldn't you know, the minions brought banana donuts for everyone and the quilt ladies brought homemade chocolate cake, (sister-in-law's recipe). The ladies from the tea shop brought some delightful scones and Vincent claimed he didn't hear the part about bringing food....;) I'm not sure if this was a real intervention or just an excuse to eat goodies but we all had a grand old time. Then someone brought out the banana daiquiries and I don't remember much after that....Stay tuned for more work coming out of my shop! Have a great day!

Minion fun!

The minions were bored. They were tired of my excuses for not being in the shop, (grandchildren, broken glasses, houseguests, etc.). They found out that I went to have my eyes examined (no, not my head...) and heard about the new pink and purple glasses I ordered. When they found out they won't be ready until May 3rd, there was a heavy group sigh and they all plopped down for a nap. Since I was going to the chiropractor this morning...(uh, oh, the skellies just heard that...,) I decided to pick up a surprise for the minions. I was looking around in Michael's, with my coupon of course, and found just the thing. Four of them jumped on right away and they were laughing and yelling and having a great time.

Of course the inspectors had to come by to make sure it was safe and to chase the Cro-minions off the track.

I think these guys have a death wish!

A crowd started forming and they all patiently waited for their turns...

yeah right! LOL! After I broke up a few fights and made a chart of who can ride when, things settled down for a bit so I left them to it.

I went back in the shop a couple of hours later and they were all over at Buns & Roses having banana donuts and banana daquiris...I didn't even know the bakery got their liquor license....I really need to get that church done. But when I looked over at the new ride, I found my broken glasses temporarily fixed with some very colorful tape.

They do like me after all..😉 Now I don't have one lens touching my eye...have a great day!