Busy

OK, if this were the HMS or the Ragemonkey blog, I would have all kinds of entries up about how I was taking over the blog, demanding to be addressed as Her Serene Majesty Peony the Benevolent and Clever, appointing myself Liturgist-in-Chief over all English-speaking countries, and naming my cabinet.
But alas, real life is leaving me too little time to take full advantage of Pansy’s computer troubles. Here’s what’s going on:
On Friday, the Maryland Mosses are headed on vacation to New England. Planned highlights include the Alcott house, Cape Cod, and dinner with a highly esteemed blogger. So this week I’m getting the house ready and doing some packing.
Thanks to everyone who commented with advice on the car. I brought the car in to be fixed yesterday and got some seriously good news: the extended warranty we had purchased with the car was still in force, so this repair will be largely paid for. What a relief! I thought it had expired but we still have seven months (or 15,000 miles) on the warranty, so later this year I’ll bring the car back in and see what else we can get the warranty to pick up.
Meanwhile, in the “why do I do this to myself” department — I was hoping to make a couple of new jumpers for our trip, but that project didn’t work out. Sewing frustrates me so much, yet I long to get good at it. I had cut the two jumpers on Sunday, and chose a very simple pattern (only four pieces!) so I could finish them quickly. So of course my sewing machine chooses this week to start being obstinate and skip stitches. I lubricated it and fooled with the tension, and managed to get a few seams done. I even got the collar facing in on the first jumper and I was so proud — I usually have a hard time with facings and this one laid so nice and smooth. So I clipped the curves, graded the seam allowance — and realized I’d put the facing in backwards. It wasn’t “right sides together” with the dress. This is kind of like doing a perfect job hanging wallpaper — seams matched, no bubbles — and then realizing you’ve hung it with the pattern upside down. I finally got the facing in properly, but when it came time to do the final seam the sewing machine just wouldn’t behave. I’m afraid I’ll have to bring it in for an adjustment. Is it normal to need an adjustment every three and a half years?
Here’s my things-to-do list for today:

• Do the laundry.
• Work in the garden, staking the tomatoes and planting out the new lettuce and basil. Will try to take pictures for the blog, since it’s been a while since I’ve done a garden update. A chipmunk has moved in and is making burrows in the peas and parsley and in the front flower bed.
• Make a run to KMart and Home Depot for a clay pot (I succumbed to temptation and got a bay plant yesterday), bamboo stakes, and a small plant for Hambet’s teacher at the Center (tomorrow is Hambet’s last day.) Oh, and a chipmunk trap.
• Put dinner in the crock-pot.
• Pick up my husband and take him to his doctor’s appointment (we think dh has a sinus infection.)
• At some point pick up some potatoes to go with dinner.
• At some point call Pansy.
• Drop husband and son at home.
• Return loaner car and pick up repaired Mossmobile.
• Wrap Father’s Day present for my dad and get it ready to ship.