The Cup of Fortunes: Week 44 (October 26-November 1)

I don't know about you, but I've had the same conversation with about six people this week: where did October go? I know time is a construct, and we're going to be treated by one of the best examples of that this week with the time change, but for real, where did October go? I feel like 2025 is both the longest year of my life and the shortest and that feels like a lot to manage. As someone who put up her Halloween decorations in August, I feel like I need at least another two weeks of this part of the fall holiday season. Maybe it's because it's been so warm out that I haven't fully embraced this time of the year. The trees in my neighborhood are trying so hard though.

Let's get to our fortunes. The end of this year's 365 project is coming. I don't have that many fortunes to choose from anymore and they're the ones that I put back earlier in the year because I wasn't as into them at the time. Now I have no choice. This week's fortunes made me laugh. One of the things I love about fortune cookie messages is how random the advice or statement is but also how it has a glimmer of reality in it. I don't know how that part of fortune cookie creation works, but it's fascinating to me. It's also why so many people keep their fortunes. Something speaks to them and sits in their brain. Maybe it's the power of suggestion or positive reinforcement. I don't know, but I love this aspect of reading fortune cookie messages. 

These are fantastic. I decided to embroider the longer fortune first this week. Normally, I divide a two fortune week into a 3-day fortune and a 4-day fortune, but decided to change it up a bit, so I started with the fortune about a successful business venture. I hope this means that either my craft library/cafe/bookstore idea is about to happen or that Fleetwood Mac will pay me the Lindsay Buckingham money to drive around the country with my cat listening to the Rumors album. Fleetwood Mac doesn't really need my help in creating a cult for their music; they did that on their own. However, I feel like they're one of the few bands I enjoy that would appreciate the frivolity of a person driving around with a cat listening to one of the best albums of all time. I could tell people my religion is the 1997 live performance of "Silver Springs" and Bea would be there to be super cute and pretend like she likes music. This idea has a lot of potential.

The second fortune is my favorite of the two. I started embroidering this fortune on Thursday. I went to the grocery store in the evening, but no prospects, no meet cutes at the Giant. I took Friday off and spent part of my day in Old Town Alexandria. I got a facial (go to Sugar House, ask for Marcia), had lunch, and went to Old Town Books. No meet cutes, no romantic interests. I spent Halloween evening watching my go-to Halloween double feature: The Worst Witch and Rocky Horror Picture Show. I'm a Rocky Horror/Clue/Worst Witch/IT Tim Curry fan, so this is always a fun way to spend Halloween. I watched The Worst Witch every day during October in my youth, and Tim Curry's appearance as the Grand Wizard is so delightfully bizarre. He sings one of the greatest songs in 1980s children's movies, "Anything Can Happen on Halloween." I can trace my love of unconventionally handsome leading men back to Tim Curry. No romantic interests for me but I always enjoy the tension between the Grand Wizard and Miss Hardbroom (Diana Rigg) in The Worst Witch. If anyone wrote fan fiction about the Grand Wizard and Miss Hardbroom, let me know. I don't usually read fan fiction, but I'd read that.

Here are this week's fortunes and lucky numbers.

October 26

October 27

October 28

October 29

October 30

October 31

November 1

Weeks 1-44

The remaining fortunes.

WIP: The House Purse (Meow Manor)

I've made progress on Meow Manor this week as well. Both side panels are done!! The upper windows on both look wonky but they're fine. I'm not redoing them (again) and I'm pleased with what I created. I haven't cut the extra plastic canvas yet. I want to finish all the panels before I do that. 

I have to make the bottom panel and decide if I'm going to redo the handle. The bottom panel is supposed to be grass. I have three colors of green I want to use: the one that I used on the front and side panels and then two additional shades that are a little lighter. I thought it would be cool to use more than one shade of green since grass isn't uniform in color. The pattern uses a half gobelin stitch, so I'll see what I can do with the colors and that stitch. After I finish the panels, I'll work on sewing the lining and attaching everything. I don't have a sewing machine anymore so the lining will be hand stitched. I prefer hand stitching to machine sewing, so I'd probably hand stitch it even if I had a machine. I hope to finish Meow Manor in the next few weeks. I love what I've created and am excited to finish. The Woodlawn show application opens this month and it's going to be so fun to submit this.

Vampire Book Club and Other Small Joys

I've made no progress on Vampires of El Norte. I'm a little annoyed with myself; this was the book that inspired the idea to read vampire novels in October. However, I'm having a hard time focusing on it. It's me not the book. I believe we read a book when we're supposed to, and it's not time for me to read Vampires of El Norte. I will read it, just not right now. 

I went to Old Town Books yesterday and picked up a few new books. I'm 100% certain now is the time to read all four of these books so I'm going to focus my energy there. I'm sorry Vampires of El Norte and all of the other unread books in my house. I promise your time will come.

I also stopped by Mount Purrnon Cat Cafe yesterday. It's on the same street as the place I went for my facial. I wanted to stop in earlier this month, but with Bea not feeling well, I didn't go out much this month. I talked with the owners and one of the staff, and they were all happy to hear that Bea (formerly Henna) is doing well. I picked up a Halloween mug from their gift shop and met a cat who was being adopted. I need to go back for one of their wine tasting events. If you're in the area, stop by and visit the cats!

Bea is on the mend. I think she has allergies rather than something like asthma like the vet mentioned. She had to get chest x-rays last Saturday and the vet thought maybe she was suffering from asthma or bronchitis. After two days on the steroids, she stopped coughing. She still has to take that medicine and the dewormer for another week or so, but she's definitely doing better. Her appetite has returned and she's running around the house like the weirdo cat she is. She's also back to her more affectionate ways, so maybe she doesn't hate me because of all the medicine I have to give her. She has a checkup next Saturday. I hope this is the end of our medical stuff for while. 

Snuggles while watching Rocky Horror.

Y'all she used the draft blocker this week. She hasn't done that since she's been in the house. Look at her little paws resting on it!

She was very concerned about the rain on Thursday. She didn't understand why I wasn't turning the outside water off like I do with the inside water. Very concerned.

To close out today's post, Halloween and fall stuff is up to 60% off at Michaels right now. It's a great time to buy some new decor for the rest of this season or next year or if you just like to keep spooky stuff up all year round. I got myself a lovely coffin trinket shelf this week. 

I still need to find some things to go in it, but I love it and it will be staying out all year. I hope the lady who told me "we're both looking at stuff we don't need" while in the Halloween sale section at Michaels has the weekend she deserves. Ma'am, don't bring that energy to the Halloween sale section. Enjoy your weekend!