Sunday, March 29, 2020

The One Where Rebecca Performs an Emergency Rhinoplasty on a Stuffed Unicorn

Keeping Me Sane: My Husband (Bernie) and My Puppy (Sam)
Greetings, y'all.  Happy Sunday.  I wish I had something fabulous to share with you today, but I am not one of those people who is productive and thriving under the current circumstances.  I have not deep-cleaned my home, reorganized my closets, or remodeled any bathrooms.  I have not been sewing masks or other PPE for medical personnel.  I am not creating gourmet meals from scratch, nor is my family enjoying idyllic, Rockwellesque "family time" together as we play board games, engage in craft projects, or worship together online.  (Tried that last one this morning -- my husband refused to participate, and my sons were cracking jokes and talking and generally making fun of the whole idea of online worship to the extent that I could not even hear the prayers).  Both of my sons are supposed to be doing "online learning," one for his college courses and the other for his high school classes, so I'm stressed out about how all of that is going and how it will impact them academically, yet they are too old for me to really be "in the loop" and know what's going on, let alone for me to be creating schedules (that no one would follow anyway) or attempting to "home school" them.  In short, I am NOT the Martha Stewart of COVID-19.


I Am Not an Instagram Mom (photo from lindsaycz via Instagram)

From what I see on social media, it looks as though a lot of people are using the unexpected extra time on their hands to tackle home improvement projects or to be productive in their sewing rooms.  I'm personally feeling a lot of stress and anxiety that has sapped my motivation, making me feel like showering and putting on clean clothes is a huge accomplishment.  

Channeling My Inner Roseanne Barr Through the Coronavirus Pandemic

I've got nothing against those Instagram supermoms; it's just way more than I can muster right now.  And I know that everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, is experiencing stress, uncertainty  and disruptions in their lives right now, and I do appreciate that many people are going through much worse than what we're experiencing.  We don't have job loss, no one in my family is sick, and we have plenty of food and toilet paper.  Our biggest stressors are probably too much TV news and too much "together time."  Nevertheless, when I dragged my sorry self into my studio yesterday to mend a stuffed unicorn toy for my dog, it felt like a major victory against ennui and inertia.


Emergency Unicorn Rhinoplasty in Progress
This is one of Sam's favorite plush squeaky toys.  He likes to grab it, shake it, tug with it (when I'm holding the other end of it) and chase it around the kitchen when I toss it just out of his reach.  He had chewed the toy open at the front of its face and was pulling stuffing out through the nose when I took it away from him -- eating that stuffing is dangerous and could result in emergency veterinary surgery.


What the Unicorn's Face Looked Like Before He Met My Puppy
By the way, this particular unicorn is one of those toys that are advertised as being "virtually indestructible," and invariably there is a picture of a Rottweiler on the packaging to make shoppers think that this is a toy that a Rottweiler won't destroy.  


False Advertising!!!

Hahahaha...  Maybe that's why they call it the "Mighty Liar" Unicorn!



I considered sewing up the unicorn's face with the sewing machine, which would be a stronger seam than a hand stitched repair, but I decided against that because machine sewing would create a seam allowance ridge protruding on the outside of the unicorn like a scar.  I'm pretty sure that my dog would be attracted to that ridge and would deliberately chew the new line of stitching, so that's why I opted to hand sew the hole shut instead.  I used some heavy duty polyester upholstery thread and sewed the hole shut as tight as possible, with all of the loose fabric tucked inside of the plushie for a smooth seam on the outside of the toy.



Unicorn After Receiving Major Nose Job Surgery

So the unicorn looks pretty disfigured now, but puppy Sam was very happy to have him back again:
First Sam Batts the Unicorn With His Paw...


...and then, CHOMP!!!
Methinks the unicorn be not long for this world.

How are all of YOU coping with this pandemic situation that we all find ourselves living with?    Have you found something that helps to keep you sane or that helps you hold on to a little bit of normalcy in these bizarre times?  Anyone else, like me, feeling like their feet are stuck in cement and they just can't seem to put a plan into action lately?  I have GOT to get away from the news but my husband keeps checking the TV multiple times throughout the day, and even if I leave the room to get away from it, he has to report to me about how it's all getting WORSE AND WORSE by the minute...  This just feeds my anxiety because there is absolutely nothing I can do about it!

So I take a deep breath, and play with my dog.  My big sewing goal for this afternoon will be to cut the backing fabric for Spirit Song and seam the lengths together, maybe even get the backing loaded on the longarm.  Wish me luck!

-- Hey, by the way -- today is the 10th anniversary of my blog!  If you're interested, you can read that very first blog post, "Gardens of Deceipt," right here.

I'm linking up with
·       Slow Sunday Stitching at http://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/  
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·       Oh Scrap! at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework http://quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com

12 comments:

The Joyful Quilter said...

Sorry you are feeling a bit sluggish in this time of corona chaos, Rebecca! Me? I seem to be on sewing and quilting hyperdrive. Yes. I am jumping from one project to the next, but little by little I am chipping away at several projects (and MIGHT have started one or two new ones!)

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

gosh Rebecca you sound like me! I have no motivation, I am thinking of what is going on in the world too much, I can't get myself going even if you think I am making progress I can't stick to it for more than 30 minutes at a time before I am wondering in and out of the house. My husband and I are snapping at each either over stupid little things, I long for the moments when my daughters and sisters or brothers send a text and squealed with joy when my 17 year old granddaughter sent me a text thanking me for a gift card I sent her so she could purchase some new books on line to keep her busy!! I am not deep cleaning my house in fact it rather needs cleaning at the moment. I am not enjoying my forced time at home and I'm almost always home anyhow - it is just I can usually go run the store whenever I feel like it and now I can't

Glapha Cox said...

I have to still go into work on weekdays so I have that to fill up my time. I check the local numbers of cases multiple times a day. I can't seem to sew. I am not good at making decisions right now. I managed to go through my scraps and I am cutting them down to size. That is something I can do mindlessly because the decision has been made. Other than that, I can't seem to get motivated to do all the cleaning and sewing I can do.

piecefulwendy said...

Well, you certainly aren't alone. I've had chats with several friends and we all find that we lack focus and drive. I've found that I can't spend much time on social media, especially Facebook. My husband has to stay up to date on the news for his work, but thankfully I can get away from it or tell him I've had enough news. I think just doing a little bit of something that makes you happy is the thing to focus on. The time with your pup is clearly therapeutic for you, so let that make you smile throughout the day. I've decided not to put too much of a schedule on myself and I'm keeping my quilting projects very loose. I'm not jumping into any of the sew alongs, but just finding little projects that I want to do and working on them. Our meals are pretty simple, even if we try something new. Hope you can find a rhythm in this craziness. It took me awhile, but I have a loose rhythm now that kinda works - haha. Got a good friend you could skype who makes you laugh? Do that :-)

Chris said...

Philippians 4:6-7 New King James Version (NKJV)
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Deanna W said...

We don't have TV but the internet is almost as bad.False news, good/bad news, you just don't know what to believe. So best you can do is take care of you and those living with you. After two weeks in the house and a few long walks alone with my dog...sewing is keeping me sane. I was starting to drag a bit but today I woke with a sense of almost happiness...not sure where that came from but it has gotten me through today. Tomorrow a trip out for groceries, not looking forward to that but has to be done. Hope you find a way out of those cement boots. That puppy sure is a cutie!!

TerryKnott.blogspot.com said...

I've been doing mindless sewing. My daughter lives in London England and keeps us in the loop as to the conditions there. My other daughter and family lives near by. They have socially isolated for two weeks. . .her oldest daughter is on day three of a fever. . .so far she isn't exhibiting any other symptoms. I need to be busy; but, like you, cleaning or being creative isn't on my list! Hubby and I have been taking turns with cooking. We're cooking what sounds good to us that particular day! Because I have a low resistance to cold and flu bugs, he has been the one going out. I've been taking a short walk each day with the dog. I give thanks each day to those serving clients and patients. We're fixed as far in the pantry and toilet paper departments. I will rejoice when the crisis ends!

SJSM said...

It is so important to find a routine to not go down the rabbit hole. One thing that helps me is getting up in the morning around the same time and savoring a bit of quiet alone time . For you maybe a few minutes of a Bible study or a time of gratitude before you start the day. Another thing is to structure in a time for exercise. If Sam has learned enough about walking on a lead this could be enjoyable. If he hasn’t do something by yourself such as an invigorating walk or run. If that isn’t your thing, cycling, yoga or a few moves or stretches to get the blood flowing and your body moving. Tell yourself you only need to do this for 5 minutes and see where it leads. If you stop you stop. If you can get yourself to keep going for at least 30 minutes you might get that endorphin high which does feel good and the exercise can be a release of some of that pent up angst.

I’m still working on the exercise part myself. I’ve pretty much have the walk going but need more stretching. I also do a bit of social distance walking with neighbors. We live in a quiet neighborhood and can take op a good portion of the road to keep the six feet barrier yet still chat and move. It makes life a bit more normal to chat IRL with another person. A video chat can also connect you to that special friend sometimes better than just a phone call. Connecting to a healing person or kindred spirit may lift yours. You have too much testosterone in your home flaring especially with young people learning how to navigate their new world. Find a way to carve out time that soothes your soul.

MissPat said...

I think most people are having trouble focusing. I have far too many UFOs to start one of the many online QALs that are popping up. I need to go to the grocery tomorrow for the first time in 10 days and dread it. I foolishly read a NYT article today about grocery shopping and even more foolishly started to read the comments. Wound up much more confused and anxious. I did get to spend 3 hours working in the garden yesterday when the temp reached almost 70 degrees. Then a thunderstorm with hail came along sending back inside.
It's fortunate that we can connect with real and virtual friends online to lessen the feelings of isolation. Now if only we could disconnect from the news and hysteria, we might all be calmer.
Rebecca, you are clearly a person who needs to be in control, so this current situation probably weighs harder on you than others. Trust in your faith in God and he will lead through this difficult time.
Pat

Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts said...

I feel ya! Your post describes what's going on in my home exactly. Hubby insists on watching the news every second that he can and I reach a point where I just want to grab my head and scream. Right now I'm focusing on quilting up all the customer quilts that I had stacked before all this started. That helps some. But a lot of days I just want to curl up on the sofa with a cup of tea, a blanket, and ignore the outside world....

Nann said...

I think we have to find our own level of comfort amid the chaos. Some super-achievers are doing just that. Others (myself included) have a different set of expectations. (But I do not envy you at all with both kids and husband at home all day. My financial advisor called me from his suburban office. He said his wife told him he HAD to go to the office because with four kids at home she could not stand to have another human being in their house! )

Quilter Kathy said...

Oh yes... I am having lots of inertia also.
it's 11 am on a Saturday right now and I am still in my pyjamas... that NEVER happens!
I do lots of dog toy repairs that my granddog loves to shreds.
Hope you are able to enjoy some hand stitching!