The Cup of Fortunes: Week 37 (September 7-13)

One of the absolute joys that no one ever mentions about fall is that the weather starts to get cold enough to kill all the wasps and send them back to hell where they belong. 

You think I'm joking, but I'm not. In addition to welcoming a new cat into my home this week, I was also battling wasps. I hate them and I want them all to die. 

My condo has a fireplace in it. There's an exterior vent for the fireplace that's mostly covered with mesh to keep birds from nesting in it. Two years ago, the vent was recovered since there were birds nesting, but I've never had other issues. And then the wasps came. I noticed one in the house earlier in summer, but couldn't figure out how it got in. Then no wasps. Then multiple wasps. Last Saturday, I watched 3 emerge from the bottom of the fireplace where the starter is located and fly into the dining room. 

Bea is very good at smacking wasps to the ground and standing over them until I come and kill them. We're a good team. However, neither one of us needs to be stung, so I put in a work order and waited for maintenance to come. That's the weird thing about a condo building like mine; it's a gray area as to whether the vent is my responsibility or the association's. Maintenance came out and the first suggestion was to turn the fireplace on and burn them. So I did. 

Bea watching me turn on the gas for the fireplace. She was keeping watch in case any wasps flew in while I was doing this.

That did not work. A few left the vent but I watched 6 more emerge and stay on the side of the vent. Next, the maintenance guy sprayed wasp spray on the vent. At least 10 wasps flew/stumbled out of the vent. However, 6 got into the house. It's been absolutely ridiculous.

We've been wasp free since Thursday (knock on wood). I still don't have a resolution from the property management company. I think the vent needs to be removed and cleaned out and a finer mesh needs to be used to cover it. I really don't want them to spray again; there's still a faint smell of wasp spray in the house. 

Wasps can burn in hell.

This week's fortunes were both very fun to embroider. I'm not sure what about this time is particularly lucky for me, but I'll take it. Maybe it's about Bea. That works for me. The second fortune of the week got me thinking about starting my daily writing practice again. I used to write all the time; I wrote three novels as part of National Novel Writing Month and had a different blog before this one were I wrote short stories and other posts. I think getting back to writing more would be good for me.

Here are this week's fortunes and lucky numbers. I'm excited that next week is a one fortune week. It'll be a nice break. 

September 7

September 8

September 9

September 10

September 11

September 12

September 13

Weeks 1-37

WIPs and a Cat Named Bea

I made progress on the raccoon pattern last weekend. I finished most of the base layers on the raccoon. It took me all four episodes of a true crime series to do this. I got the entire face and tail done and part of the body. It won't get finished this weekend, but progress has been made.

I'm starting a new project next week, so this weekend I'll be practicing new stitches and using new materials. The new project is one of the pieces I'll be submitting to the 2026 Woodlawn show. I'm super excited to get started on it and share more details in next week's post.

Miss Bea has settled in nicely. It's been a fun week with her - she is the absolute sweetest cat. We spent last weekend watching true crime, Bake Off, and a mystery movie. She was completely uninterested in it all but at least she knows what we watch (and by we, I mean me and Bea). She got mail from some of her aunties and has been playing with the toys they sent. She has napped on every chair and soft surface in the house. I don't know if she has a favorite, but am glad she likes the couch. She got to meet my brother yesterday and immediately sat next to him on the couch. They're going to be pals. This week, she'll have to adjust to me being out of the house for longer periods of time since I have a work event I have to attend. She'll be fine.

It's been a long week. I hope you find some small joys this weekend and get some rest. I'm going to check out the fall/Halloween decor at Aldi. Nothing brings me more joy than finding new Halloween decorations.