I quickly looked at the astrological aspects hitting my natal chart today, and there he is – Pluto. No way Pluto is a DWARF planet, Maybe he’s smaller than other planets, and I can only thank God that he is …………… I’m afraid if he were any larger, I would have vaporized in the last 46 years …………..

Without exception, every major event, i.e. horrific problems with no solution …………. was accompanied by Pluto whizzing around one angle or another of my chart. So the cosmologists can announce that Pluto has been demoted, but not in effect.

I’m not really sure what Pluto has to do with procrastination. Sorry. Wish I could relate my title to my words, but nah. I tend to get off on tangents ……….. so bear with me while I try to connect these two thoughts.

Pluto is retrograde, i.e. moving backward through Aquarius to SIGH Capricorn again on September 1. I am a Capricorn, but thank God Pluto only retrogrades to 29 degrees Capricorn and NO FURTHER, so I should survive this. I should, I say with confidence.

Now back to procrastination. I often wonder if I spend too much time in my thoughts, thereby neglecting my actions. I get wrapped up in ideas. My imaginary world is fascinating,. I can sit and dream up many projects I intend to complete. Just yesterday, I actually dyed some cloth. I have been trying to figure out how to get back to my dyeing for the last six years. Six years ago, we got married, I moved into his home and his home has a kitchen totally unlike the nasty kitchen in my old home. I dyed in MY kitchen. I didn’t care if my countertops or the hardwood floor developed signs of indigo and red and yellows …………… it was a nasty kitchen. The original kitchen of a house which was built in 1919. Whatever stains I left only improved the look.

So I’m here. The kitchen was remodeled probably in 2000. The countertops are beige formica (you cannot imagine how porous formica can be). My husband is a neat freak. Mr. Clean. He even LOOKS like Mr. Clean because he started balding in 1980 and decided to shave his head. He’s adorable, but he is a cleaner not unlike my mother. I would go home after school and the dear sweet woman would be in the bathtub with a Dixie cup full of bleach and a toothbrush, She was scrubbing the grout between the tiles. It was dirty.

She would wash your coffee cup the minute you emptied it. She was forever on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor. I have gone over a year and never mopped a floor. And when I did, I thought it was too soon. He’s on a vacuuming kick right now and I will have to move soon ………… we have a child visiting later today and the floor MUST be clean.

Anyway, for 6 years I have dyed only one other time besides yesterday. This is an occupation I have enjoyed since 1987. I have been wracking my brain to figure out how to do it without making a mess. Back in 2021, I bought a nice laundry sink with a faucet ………….. it is still in the damn box. It’s not a priority for the spouse, obviously. So, I have had to figure out how to dye with no laundry sink and without pigging up the kitchen. I have decided.

I am going to dye. Should the kitchen become a holy mess of beautiful colors staining every surface, who cares? He can clean the counters and the floor or else we can just live with it. I can’t install a sink, however intelligent I might be. I have no clue how to do this.

I have PLANS. I need more pieces of beautiful, colorful fabric. I have new dye colors, plenty of soda ash, and salt ………….. it will be done. Today I’m visiting our local Walmart to score some buckets. I had dye buckets but they ended up with plants in them! So new buckets, more boxes of kosher salt and I’m getting busy.

I love “natural” fabrics. Cottons take dye well and most of the dyes I own are for plant-based fabrics. I recently secured (!) 15 yards of hemp! This is the strongest, most luscious fabric. I think it’s only up there with linen for the fabric of choice!

I’ve been on a fabric splurge lately. I found Anna Maria Horner’s designs and I am smitten. She’s got a fantastic ability to produce large, buoyant floral fabrics that make me sing with joy, Sort of like Kaffe Fassett – he is the grandfather of fabric design. I own almost every quilt book he has written and I will get another one soon.

My daughter – actually my husband’s daughter who is too awesome for him to claim by himself – is getting married this year to the most wonderful guy. I will make them a wedding quilt and I’m hoping to have it done by their 5th anniversary. I’m not kidding ………………….

I’m still not quite done with this quilt. More blocks to make, a layout to decide, quilting to do ……………… I started this in 2016, so I think I’m right on schedule.

My stepson arrived yesterday all the way to Maine from California! We’re going to show him the best part of the country and I’m pretty sure his dad will require his muscles! The Boss always has projects waiting for when he gets another pair of hands!

And I’m going to buy some buckets and get cracking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!