Corona virus – Page 2 – Karla's Cottage

I froze my watch off

Corona virus, cottage, Current Affairs, dogs

By Karla Nathan / February 17, 2021

The dogs are so happy with their new, furry, chair protecting, throw that they do not seem to notice the cold. This weather is scary cold, and the rolling blackouts make it a crap shoot for keeping warm. We woke up to no power on Tuesday, with minus 16 degrees outside.

It was only three hours for us, and we have a good fireplace with a heat blower on it, indoors, the temp only dropped to 56. Other parts of our land aren’t doing as well, I hope that these temporary blackouts stop the problem from getting even worse!

Last week, I volunteered a second time at the Covid vaccine drive through and it was only 14 degrees at the highest point of the day. This weather has gone beyond “cold snap” to “frozen smashed and broken”. Or something like that.

I hate cold with a passion and my family knows that I am a cowering mess of fear when I think the swimming pool water might be a tiny bit more chilly than I like.

Yes, quite the wimp.

I really didn’t think I could take being outdoors in that weather for six hours, but it is a cause that means a lot to me and I was so proud of myself for doing it.

It took:

3 pair of Cuddleduds leggings
2 Cuddleduds shirts
a fleece vet
a jersey lined, long lace skirt (because I could’t fit another pair of pants on)
wool socks
Ugg boots
a fleece gaitor/hood
fur lined hat
fleece scarf
lots of Toasty Toe warmers
fleece gloves (I had mittens to wear over them, but was handling paperwork and couldn’t use the mits, dang)
puffy jacket
Pretty mask

Did I mention, LOTS of warmers? I stuck them all over me.

I knew that all would show was my eyes, so I wore a ton of eye makeup. But didn’t realize that the fleece gaitor would cause my mask to steam up and I’d have a wet, red, icy nose all day. And that it would cause my mascara to melt into puddles that not only ran down my cheeks, but smeared in ragged half circles and froze above my eyes.

As if I had drunkenly drawn on weird eyebrows with a black sharpie.

And no one told me that I looked demented, as I greeted hundreds of drivers.

The cold was so bad, that my poor Apple Watch couldn’t take it. I had it buckled to my vest, because I couldn’t get to my wrist through all of my layers. The frigid air shut the watch down.

After dealing with freezing my watch off outdoors as a volunteer, a few hours in front of a fireplace, under a blanket with the power off didn’t seem so bad.

My next volunteer date is supposed to have temperatures way up to a balmy 21, so I am looking forward to the heat wave!

Hopefully you are warm, safe, and healthy. If you are, please turn down your heat a tad, turn off extra appliances and lights, and conserve what you can so that the grid doesn’t crash and the power stays off a while. Take care out there!

Cherishing

celebrations, Corona virus, cottage, family

By Karla Nathan / February 14, 2021

Do you have plans for this special day? I typically go all out, with gifts for everyone in the family, Galentine craft days, and decorations everywhere.

This is the anniversary of the day my husband adopted our boys and we have celebrated it as a family, instead of the usual couple date. Last year, we were in Florida, so had our family night early, but our son, Adam met us there to be together. The weather turned cold and rainy, our little Dewdrop had a bad cough, but we made our time fun and we were so happy to have them with us for a few days.

Here is a photo from one of my best Valentine’s, the grand fairies and I put glitter and confetti on the ceiling fan blades and had everyone gather in a circle. This is a capture still from the little video. It was such a jolt of pleasure to see a snippet of Ryan laughing when the video memory popped up on Facebook.

This season, our holiday is on the quiet side. The weather is unbearably cold today, with a high of two degrees, because of Covid we aren’t going to restaurants or gathering with friends for a craft day. Our pipes are frozen, so having a big dinner here, even with just half of us would be difficult. Sugarwings’ mama is working herself to exhaustion in finishing her clinical for her midwife’s degree and is too busy to get together. Adam and Dewdrop are far away in North Carolina.

And my Ryan is gone.

Life goes on, changes keep on coming. While we will never get over losing Ry, the arctic wind has stirred up his wind chimes and they are making a pretty song that I can hear in my studio today.

Adam loves his life in the mountains and has found a job where he can express his creativity, I love seeing photos of his carpentry projects, knowing he is using his art skills. I was blessed to have both of my sons close by and with me as adults for as long as I did.

Our Hippy Chick’s years of hard work are close to paying off and she will be starting her new career soon.

The years when I had my little fairy babies were filled with magic. But so is watching them grow and become become strong women with endless possibilities ahead of them.

Having family move on, grow, and flourish can feel like I have been left behind, if I let it. But I prefer to feel gratitude and pride for what they are doing with their lives.

When we get together, whether in small groups, or as a big ole, bundle, I can count my blessings and know that I am surrounded by love from near and far.

You can’t stop change, no matter if it is heart wrenching or heartfelt. Valentine’s Day is also Twinkle’s birthday. Today she is 14, and no longer the frisky pup she once was. But she still knows her name and likes when I repeat it to her, it’s her favorite thing. I’ll be cherishing her for as long as I can.

For New Year’s, I choose a word to honor for the upcoming year. 2021 has “Cherish”.

I’ll cherish the time I get with my true love, as our family goes through changes and we have time to travel and be together, just the two of us.

I’ll cherish my memories, my family and their dreams for the future.

I’ll cherish my friends and the fun they bring to my life. Even through social distancing we have remained close in our hearts.

I’ll cherish my house full of dogs and let them know they are loved, whether they are a puppy in their first year, or an aging baby like Twinks who might be in her last.

(a card from my pal, Angie)

Today might not be a typical Valentine’s Day for me, but I will cherish what I have and be thankful for the love I have been shown.

A small addition and a bit of an escape

collections, Corona virus, cottage

By Karla Nathan / February 10, 2021

Sometimes adding a little knick knack brightens a mood. Especially in these days where, if you are anything like me, you don’t get out much. After looking at the same sameness all the time, even a tiny twerk in home decor cheers me, so finding a nice treasure to add to my countertop and getting out to shop made for double the good time.

The other day I just needed to go SOMEWHERE. Do you get those feelings? Or are you already out and about? I’d been hearing about a new antique mall for months and months, and figured that if I wore a mask plus shield and didn’t linger, I should be fine.

And I was. Plus, I had such a great time. And I wanted everything I saw.

My main purchase was this chippy, old cigar stand that seemed perfect for my kitchen window.

Just what I needed to hold some greenery. I wish I could fill the window with herbs, but there isn’t enough sun. Instead, I use low light plants and cut flowers. Because plants add so much life to a home, don’t they?

I am not exactly a recluse, I do get out. These aqua appliances are from Hobby Lobby. Shopping there and at Michaels are just as essential as the grocery store in my mind.

Antiquing, on the other hand, isn’t something I’ve done much of.

And I’ve missed it!

There is no rush for me, though. There is a light shining brightly through the gloom, a beacon of hope that makes me feel like we can soon get back to a “new” normal.

The other day, I volunteered at a Covid vaccine drive through. It was very moving to be a part of, even if all I did was a Vanna White point to the exit. (I tried to make pointing and waving as fun as I could).

With a few, well a lot, more of these dates under our belts, there is a plan for getting out safely.

And I see a lot of antiquing around the corner!

Trying to be creative

Corona virus, cottage, dogs, family, Painting with thread, Ryan

By Karla Nathan / February 4, 2021

The malaise of 2020 is spilling over into 2021 for me. I have made efforts to be creative and busy, but haven’t had any project consume me, like they have in the past.

Lots of embroidery happened, because it’s kind of a mindless task, just to keep my hands busy in front of the TV.

I’ve had some studio time, but it is all a lot of simple projects, like doodling on this tag.

Or trying to make my own dog tags. I have also painted a lot of things, repaired and reorganized. But most were “one of”. Nothing prolific, as I have always been in the past. Typically, if I make something, I can’t stop and next thing you know, there are twenty of them.

I made a scrapbook for Ryan, fairy wings with the grand fairies, and added a vinyl floor to the closet/laundry room.

That was a long delayed job, and has made the floor much warmer.

I even decided that I’d start grooming the dogs myself.

At least the little dogs.

So, I’ve kept busy. I’ve gone for long walks, had socially distant visits with friends, and stayed active. I think the unease and uncertainty in the world because of the virus, and the unimaginable loss of my son who was also one of my best friends has dampened my drive.

We have a camper trip planned, and I hope to clear my mind and refresh my soul with some sea air. When I get back, I’d like to work on reopening my shop. It’s not exactly closed, but it is ignored right now. It would be good for me to revamp and restock for spring.

It has been important to me that I don’t lose myself to the sadness, that I keep crafting, creating, contributing. And while nothing will ever be the same, I am slowly trying to rebuild my world.

A book for Ryan

Books, celebrations, Corona virus, family, Ryan

By Karla Nathan / January 27, 2021

When Ryan died, I looked on Facebook, my blog, old albums, anywhere I could to gather photos of him.

With a break to raise puppies, I have been working on a scrapbook for him since.

Some times, the pictures and memories would reduce me to a puddle of snot and tears so, I couldn’t work on it every day.

The goal was to have it done today, his birthday.

He was a guy who loved his birthday! He usually took a week off of work, just to relax.

Although, relaxing for Ryan meant going to the gym to work out and walking 20,000 steps a day.

I will celebrate his birthday by going for a walk, and have been trying to get one in daily this week, like I would’ve if he’d been with me.

On cold days, we’d go to the community rec center. I was worried about using it now, but checked it out, and it is pretty empty. The track is built as a loft over four basketball courts that are not open due to Covid. It is a newer building and seems airy.

On nice days, I walk on the sidewalks and trails we used to go on together. But there has been a cold streak in Kansas, so I needed to use the track for his birthday week. Which is tough, because it requires a mask. That in itself is fine, but when I am thinking of how much I enjoyed running, walking and talking with my boy, I start to cry.

You can’t cry well in a mask.

So, I listen to an audiobook and try not to sob and get my mask soggy, since I can’t take it off to blow my nose.

Ryan’s book is finished, I made it from the canvas of a pour painting that he hung in his apartment.

I wish he would’ve joined me in creating a painting of his own. He did hang out with me as I swirled and played with paints, and he loved watching them come together.

The charm on this book was a pour paint necklace that he wore.

The book itself is a planner from Hobby Lobby. I cut the painting off its frame and pieced a gold toned canvas together to cover the exterior.

The interior is covered in a red canvas he also had in his room.

Ryan’s life long friends gave me an entire folder filled with sketches and doodles he did over the decades while playing card games with them!

What a treasure!

Some I cut up to make a collage, others I used as backgrounds as is. And the rest I used as additions throughout the book. I included some condolence cards too, this page is made of a card from his friends’ mom.

It’s too bad my hand writing isn’t nice, but it was still very important to me to add stories, so I didn’t let it bother me.

On this page, I listed some of his favorite tv shows, that we’d watch together.

And I added a few on my own doodles too.

Now that it is done, I am wishing that I’d bought a bigger book to use. This is stuffed tightly, and I would’ve liked to add printed pages from my blog about Ryan. There is no space left in this book.

I will keep this book by my favorite chair.

There is no recovery from a loss like this.

But there is comfort in reminiscing, and in memories.

Working on this album was healing for me.

And I’ll be glad to keep it nearby.

Free Christmas Decorations

Corona virus, cottage, holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / December 22, 2020

I hadn’t planned on doing a lot of decorating this year, and kept the inside of the house mostly just twinkle lights and plain trees with pine cones.

Since our only get togethers with friends can be outdoors and socially distant, and we have been blessed with some nice days to enjoy them, I decided to “spruce” up our yard a little.

Sugarwings took the John Deere Gator back in the woods with her grandfather to trim some trees in the way of the trails out there. I asked them to bring me back some branches. Then stuck the evergreens everywhere.

Even in the patio umbrella stands. And in all of the empty pots. Some, I just laid on the tabletops.

The flower pots are topped off with rocks to keep the pup from digging in them, so the branches are staying pretty good, stuck down in the dirt and wedged between rocks.

Some small branches were put on top of pots and had spray painted pumpkins left from Halloween added over the greens. Plus a little glitter on top of the pumpkins.

The patio itself got a sprinkling of glitter too. It started out as an accident, I was glittering up an ugly sweater and made a mess. It looked good, so I dumped out some more.

There are evergreen branches poking out of every available surface out back, and it not only brightens up a dull, gray, Kansas winter, it smells nice too. They last for at least a month. It probably didn’t even take me a half hour to place branches around the yard, and it sure brightened the area up.

I just hope our weather offers random nice days for get togethers all season, long after the branches are thrown out. With summer behind us and the virus still lingering, we appreciate every opportunity we get to gather (safely) with people we care about.

Natural themed holiday mantle with dried hydrangeas

Corona virus, cottage, flowers, holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / November 29, 2020

Earlier this year, my husband helped me gather some vines in the woods to make a wreath. I’d added a few dried hydrangeas and turkey feathers to it for fall.

When it came time to redo the mantle for Christmas, I was still enjoying the look. So my changes are minimal. The feathers were plucked from the wreath, and more dried blooms were tucked into the branches. Nothing is glued or wired, so redos are as simple as sticking stems into the twisted vines.

The plan was to hang some ornaments on it too, but I decided to keep it simple.

For sparkle, I did add a few ornies to the candle holders next to my Great Aunt Caroline’s clock.

A flocked garland was laid along the oak mantle, and I thought I was done.
But then, I had to figure out a safe place to store all of the hydrangeas I’d dried from the garden and displayed around the house. I’d taken them down to make way for Christmas trees and didn’t want them to get smashed.

For the twenty plus years we have lived here, I desperately tried to grow hydrangeas. I have no idea the body count of plants that I killed over the years. I figured I should just be planting twenty dollar bills and save myself some effort.

Then 2020 rolls around. The year that sucks for the entire world. Everyone but the hydrangeas in my garden!

My harvest was gorgeous and plentiful. And I am happy to have the mantle focused on one bright spot of this year.

Tails from the Road Part Two

Corona virus, dogs, family, Food and Drink, Goldendoodle Puppies, puppies!, Ryan, Travel

By Karla Nathan / November 24, 2020

Was our cross country trip to pass out puppies only four nights? So many miles, so many places, so many happenings, all in just a few days?

Days were long in the car, but between audio books, This American Life podcasts, and naps, it wasn’t bad. We stopped every couple of hours for the pups to stretch their legs, and they all travelled well. They peed on command and mostly slept while driving.

Each day we tried to get as far as we could towards our next meet up location and the puppy owners were kind enough to be flexible along with us.

Our hotel stops weren’t planned very far in advance, but we got lucky in finding ideal places with ground floor rooms. Although, I am afraid that I didn’t take advantage of that in the middle of the night. Instead, I was so tired that I lazily sat pups on their peepads instead of leashing them for a walk at 3am.

This resort in Tarrytown, NY was our favorite stop. Ruby’s family lived in Manhattan, and obliged us by driving a half hour to meet outside of the city to get her.

She is a lucky pup who will live on Central Park.

The hotel was an old estate on a hill overlooking the Hudson transformed into a resort. I would’ve loved to stay longer and explore, but we had a mission. I felt a little like Santa, flying across country to bring joy.

We did get in to Tarrytown early enough for a delicious room service, Asian meal. Restaurants were out due to not only Covid, but to having a passel of pups with us.

Ruby’s family brought us fresh, NY bagels! We got up early to let the babies frolic on the expansive lawns and figured we’d eat a granola bar in the car after Ruby left. These were a magnificent surprise!

And the world’s most delicious bagel. So was the cream cheese. It was so Rich, that it was almost an ivory tone. Do they mix it with butter there?

Delicious!

Driving across country during a pandemic can be eerie. We were extra careful, but it was disconcerting to see so many people with no masks (mostly in Missouri and Indiana) unlike the area we live in. I doubled up and wore a face shield too.

We listened to the news reports of the cases soaring, and swore to be even more careful than planned. We couldn’t do typical tourist stuff, or explore much. We wanted to get back home safely and quickly.

Our first stop in Indiana at my sister’s was much too fleeting, and our first night with the pups was stressful at the hotel.

But finding this mansion estate (under $200, including pet fees) turned our trip around.

We decided then, that we were going to try local foods as we drove cross country and upgrade our hotels along the way. We spent more, but it made the trip feel like a get away, not a chore.

We had a car picnic at a really nice seafood restaurant in Mendon, MA after dropping off a Teddy.
(In the two litters, we had three Teddies and one Freddy)

That lucky boy lives in a wonderful home by a lake now.

That night, we stayed in Buffalo at a Hyatt Place. Not a mansion, but a perfect hotel for puppies. There wasn’t as much for them to get into there, those rooms are streamlined. Other places had dangling cords or other temptations. I think Hyatt Place is ready for pets nationwide and most other chains just accommodate animals on an individual basis.

We’ve always been fans of this brand anyway, it’s a well run, comfortable place to stay. I wish we had chosen one on our first night on the road, but that was before we decided to not be on a tight budget and to enjoy the trip.

The puppies are supposed to be a business for me, but they are so much more than that. So, why should I try to be frugal and make a profit on the drive to get them to their homes? We figured it was much more pleasant to treat this adventure as a getaway, because there aren’t very many of those in this day and age.

After getting another Teddy (the poor boy whose previous family didn’t want him) to his Wisconsin family who met us in Chicago, we drove around to sight see and stopped at Portillo's, to get a Chicago style dinner to go.

Local foods made our trip so much more interesting than typical drive thrus would have. And the change of attitude did too.

But the best part of the trip? We came home with Molasses, “Molly”. I kept thinking we should try to sell her too, and had many offers. She came with us on the drive as kind of an interview process to see if we were keeping her.

While she was a perfect pup, and quite mellow, I was still iffy.

People asked us if we were keeping her, I answered maybe, Rich always answered yes. I was still getting emails from interested buyers and just couldn’t commit.

Finally, he made me see that she was already family. And now that we are home, tearing down the puppy corrals, packing up supplies, I am so glad that she is here. It is the six month anniversary of Ryan’s death, and I don’t think I could handle losing all sixteen puppies on top of that.

This girl has sweet Angel wings on her chest, that make me think she was sent to me from Ryan to give me someone who loves hugs as much as he always did.

You know who else was glad we kept her? These two mamas were overwhelmed with joy when we got back!

Cocoa Bombs

Corona virus, Food and Drink

By Karla Nathan / November 18, 2020

These might not be picture perfect, but they were tasty, and fun to make.

Well, not as much fun as they could have been. With Stupid Covid around, we couldn’t do group treat making.

Originally, I’d planned on making the shells and having trays of goodies for the grand fairies to fill them with. Instead, I made them myself, kept it simple and just filled them with marshmallows.

The first step is melting the chocolate and lining silicone molds with it.

Since the shell is what stirs into the hot milk to make it chocolate, don’t use those paraffin tasting fake chocolate melts. Use something delicious like Ghiradelli chips.

After the chocolate sets up, carefully pop it out of the mold and fill it with whatever you like in your cocoa. I’d like to make them again and add some peppermints or a little instant coffee for a mocha.

Once filled, smear a bit of melted chocolate on the rim of one piece to use as glue, and firmly but gently, push two pieces together.

Then, warm your milk, place a bomb in a mug, and pour the milk over it.

I realized it was called a bomb because the shell melts quickly and the marshmallows pop suddenly to the top. Sorry, no photos of the end product or popping marshmallows. Due to Stupid Covid, we sipped our mugs of deliciousness outside by the fire in the dark.

Which I will not complain about, because we are dang lucky to be able to get together with family and enjoy treats together. And we were blessed with lovely weather to be outside in.

A much needed excursion

Corona virus, family, holiday decor, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / October 11, 2020

Fall is here and for now, the weather is about as perfect as Kansas can be.
I’ve been pretty busy with the 101 Doodles under our feet, and decided we needed a break to enjoy autumn.

With remote learning, Sugarwings isn’t getting much social time, so we picked up a pal and headed to the pumpkin patch. (Car windows down and masks on)

Not knowing what to expect, we were pleasantly surprised to find it opened, although modified for Covid safety. No hay rack rides or mazes, but plenty of pumpkins and slushy cider.

Getting out and doing something “normal” for the first time in months felt wonderful. We had taken the grand fairies on family camper trips, but those were very confined and careful.

It had been MONTHS since we had just done a casual, day out. We have missed going to craft days, movies, plays, zoos, restaurants, etc.

A sunny day with a slight breeze and a continuation of a 14 year tradition of visiting the pumpkin patch was exactly what we needed.

There are two pumpkin patches nearby, and we wanted to give some business to both, so headed down the road to a second one also. It was more low key, just set up like a market, no holiday attractions this year.

But they did say we could go for a walk in the fields and pick our own if we’d like. That made it feel more festive.
We were the only customers, so I was glad we stopped by.

It was a soul soothing kind of day for me.