Who is Orange Sink?

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Rice Lake, WI, United States
My home town is Rice Lake, a small town in northern Wisconsin. I own Red House Wool Studio~ an in-home wool and rug hooking business. I enjoy collecting and decorating with antiques and primitives. Orange Sink Blog is a journal of my interests and ramblings about life. Cathy Greschner

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Thursday, December 22, 2016

There's Something in the Air and It's Called...


STRESS!   Oh my... I had a much different blog post planned for today than this one.  But I think what I have to say many of you can relate to.  It had been going on here for a few days, a feeling of soreness and tightness in my chest.  An uncomfortable pain going around to my upper back and at times deep into my heart muscle.  
Thinking it would just go away, I'd lay with a heating pad and tried resting on and off between writing Christmas cards, dealing with a stack of bills and continuing my daily rituals  of insulin shots for my pooch with diabetes and on and on.  With news on FaceBook of friends and family going through major difficulties,  my mind just couldn't shut out all the problems close to home let alone those things going on in countries far far from here that I had absolutely NO control over!

After I started feeling pretty bad yesterday morning, I decided to give a triage nurse a call and talk over my symptoms... just to see if I should make an appointment with my Dr.  I guess I should say it didn't surprise me when she was ready to call an ambulance right then and there!
I explained that I'd been having these symptoms for a few days and didn't think that I was in a full panic heart attack mode but she calmly explained that women are different. Our symptoms can be way more subtle than men's... not like you see on TV where they are grasping their chests and falling to the ground!
We then decided it was okay if Dave drove me to the hospital since we live only a mile or two away. .. and if he got me there in the next five minutes!

Soooo..





Dave was home from work in a few minutes and we were on our way to the ER where I was admitted faster than you can say Merry Christmas!  
EKG buttons attached, X-rays ordered, blood tests and then a CT scan followed. 
To make this story short and sweet.... I wasn't having a heart attack!
Whew! I dodged a bullet!  What was causing all this distress and pain? 
They did find  that my esophagus had a little swelling...hence the feeling of fullness when I swallowed. And of course my old thyroid problems, which are chronic and for which I'm under a Dr.s care... sort of... may have contributed.
So I was released with orders to REST for a few days... follow up with my Doc after Christmas.


So today is my Birthday.
They noticed that on my records yesterday in the ER. 
I told them I decided to make the call to come in and get checked as I didn't necessarily want to die on my Birthday!
Nurse laughs and says "my my, listen to miss negative here"!


Thinking of ways I can try and DEstress my life today... on my 63rd birthday.

I think it's time to quit all the nonsense of worrying about things I have absolutely NO control over and maybe UNPLUG from world news,  FaceBook, phones and whatever..
Hard to do.  I love my online friends and family  and that seems to be the only way we keep in touch these days.
But maybe a little less of it... a little less working around the clock( with a business in your home you don't get much of a break).

The Winter Solstice ( which is what I had originally planned to write this post on)  is a time to turn inward... maybe make a few of those changes.  Think of precious little things surrounding us that get over looked in all the RUSH!
The word here folks should be "HUSH"....... notice the little birds flitting about in the snow and the rabbit who silently hopped across the backyard in the moonlight. 
This great earth is turning on it's axis... ever so slowly in the vastness of space.  
Our days are filled with magical happenings
far removed from the violence and the hatred.
I need and I suspect others reading these words need .. to take note.

So Celebrate the Season,  Sing and Rejoice!

It' good for the heart!
We make the Choice!

Quiet Christmas Blessings Dearest Friends and Family!

Cathy G








Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Happy Stitchers and Hookers at today's Hook-in!


Oh what a time we had today at our second Tuesday of the month hook-in here at Red House Wool Studio!  Please meet Holly ( love her name and the color of her hair!) She is a newcomer here at the studio!  She is a long time quilter and has found her way recently to wool applique and cannot get enough!  Holly fits right in with all of us as we all like antiques and can't you tell by her projects she loves the primitive colors and designs!  I know you'll love it here Holly!  So glad you found us!


Did you think this was a plate of Christmas Cookies!  Well... look closely!  They are adorable wool pins made by Cindy and Shirley from wool strips or worms as we so affectionately call them!  They made one for each person who came today!  Thank you ladies!  What a treat!  We were all feeling so Christmasy and loved wearing our darling pins!!


Celeste is always working on something fantastic!  Look at her newest project!  A wool applique by Wooden Spool Designs!  She's made great progress! And the *Be Warm* block was so appropriate for today as the temperature was well below zero when some of these gals drove a couple of hours to get here this morning!  Brave Wisconsinites! We don't fear a little cold weather when there's wool and good friends awaiting!


Lisa is working on a design by Lori Brechlin of NotforgottenFarm called Glad Tidings!  She's using wools and colors out of her comfort zone.... and loving it!!  We talk about that quite a lot here in the studio!  Yes... we all have our dislikes and likes when it comes to color... and maybe design styles!  But Lisa says she is having so much fun with this rug and is happy she took the leap to try something different!  

Lisa is partial to horse rugs... and has done a fabulous job on this one by American Country Rugs!


Well would you look at this!  All the hooking and trying new things has led Lisa to try her hand at designing!  This is her new design and I think it's totally awesome!  I am trying to talk her into making it into some kits for the studio!  What do you think?  She can do that in her spare time between her full time truck driving job, raising her family and taking care of her horses!  We'll see... but she will "get er done"  if she sets her mind to it!   BELIEVE me! 


Talk about believing... Cindy has stitched this sweet little Santa pin cushion using a pattern by Buttermilk Basin!  I believe in Santa how 'bout you?  Especially when he shows up on a sweet pin cushion!  Santa baby... I could use one of these under the tree!  Just sayin'!!  


Sipping candy cane flavored coffee, stitching, hooking and planning our next projects!  




Everyone was eyeing up this cute little thread basket that Holly had in her sewing basket!  How handy would this be!  She explained a friend made it and used to sell them them at craft shows.  




Welcome another newby wool appliquer to our group today!  Meet Eva! I've known Eva for a few years and have been trying to get her to join our happy, growing group here on the second Tuesday!  Well today she finally was able to make it!  She's had knee replacement surgery not  too long ago.  She does a lot of quilting and boy you should see her quilts!! Maybe she'll bring one to show next time she joins us!  So welcome Eva!  I hope you enjoyed today as much as I did!  After a little lunch...

Everyone headed back out into the cold cold weather!  Some had a little  shopping to do  before they headed home but I'm sure they still felt the warmth that was shared here today!   Good friends, good food and wooly projects had us all in good spirits!  
A Merry Christmas to All!

Cathy G


( For a short video of todays hook-in event head over to FaceBook!) Click on the link in my side bar! 

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Christmas in Blue!


There's something about blue Christmas lights... so peaceful and beautiful on a winter's night!  


This house in a neighborhood near us has  the most spectacular lighting  display in town!  Dave and I agree we both love the blue lights! Against the fresh 4 to 5 inches of snow we had today it was picture perfect! 




We stopped this evening while on our way home after a little shopping....   






And will drive past again I'm sure this Christmas season!

I'm getting ready for second Tuesday of the month hooking here this week!  Sounds like we have a couple of new gals joining us!
So stay tuned!
Can't wait to see what everyone is working on!

Peace and Love,


Cathy G

Monday, December 5, 2016

Dear Santa... about that new puppy...


This post is kind of a strange one!  I want to show you my latest hooked rug AND..... I have to show you my friend's new little puppy!!  Oh... be still my heart! But first, the rug...

A few  short weeks ago as I began hooking this Belsnickle rug I knew it was too late to get a pattern out before Christmas.  Well I guess I could have... but made the decision to not rush things and add more chaos to my life!  There has been so much to deal with these past couple of months and I just decided... heck with it. If I don't feel like doing something in a rush or at all for that matter... well... I'm just NOT gonna do it!  
So maybe next year when the Christmas Season rolls around I'll have more ambition and release it as a paper pattern.  
I hardly ever add embellishment to my rugs.  My friend Lisa brought me a little piece of antique tinsel and it fit right on the hem of the Belsnickle's coat. She also had a bit of old flax that she gave me for his beard. I do rather like it on this rug.  
Has a feeling of Christmas of olde.





 So many things in my life this past year have been hard to deal with.  I've made it through all of it by the grace of a higher power.  It has to be, as I don't think I could have lived through it all on my own energies.
I know I'm not the only one this Holiday Season that will be going through  dealing with loss of a family member or friend.  I have been keeping Julia, one of our dear sweet blogging friends ( Of Petals and Wool Blog)  in constant thought and prayer as she has lost her beautiful daughter Nicole in October.  If there are others (blog writers or readers)  who have lost someone dear or going through serious illness or know of someone needing special prayers, please leave a comment so we may all keep you in our hearts and minds during the Holidays and beyond.

For so many, this time of year can be difficult.  As the hustle and bustle of the season keeps us in a hurried state of mind, many may need a few moments to sit in front of the fire and reflect.  Or to just  cozy up in our favorite hooking chair with a rug and a cuppa spiced tea to sip as we hook. 
Please take that time... guilt free. Your inner soul will thank you for it.

On a lighter note.... and don't we need to look for those things that bring laughter and cheer amid the sadness in life? 
I'm sure there is a little girl or boy out there somewhere right this minute penning( or texting LOL!)  a letter to Santa... begging the jolly old elf for what else besides Xbox games... a  new PUPPY of course! 
Yes it's an age old practice... people getting puppies at Christmastime.
Having raised two furry babies myself since they were eight weeks old, I know the drawbacks of choosing this time of year to adopt a little bundle of fur! 
But for others, like my sweet friend Lizzy ( I featured her house a few posts back) it may be the perfect time of year to bring a new puppy home to cherish and spoil!  Lizzy lost her beloved pet Scotties this past year and found the house to be a little too quiet without them. 
So let me introduce SALLY....her new little seven week old Scottish Terrier!  OH for sweet! 
She hasn't even had her first grooming yet!
When I held her she was so wiggly and kept snuggling my neck with doggy kisses!  
I felt the weight of the world just lift off my shoulders!
Who can remain downtrodden at the sight of a sweet little all black puppy with eyes taking in all things new!  She is already learning to ring a bell to be let outside to potty!  
Smart as a whip and cute as the devil... who can resist such sweetness! 
Well, I am so darn happy for Lizzy!  
But I know it's not the time for me to take on the challenge of raising a new puppy.  Mine are 14 years old and needing much TLC. 
They're all I can handle for now! 

But for someone out there who could use a new companion and is situated in life to take care of one or more of these precious little souls... 
it may be the time to write Santa a letter,
Yes dear Santa.... about that new puppy....

❤️❤️❤️❤️!!!!!

Cathy G