Between A Rock & A Hard Place! or Not-To-Push-It!

Before I tell you about my day, I want to tell you something about yesterday. My dear friend Gerry Olert sent me a picture of him wearing his survivor mask and I totally loved it, especially because he was wearing one our old Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch caps.

And that got to me thinking about a mask for myself, because the protective masks that we have are way too big for me. In fact, the other day when I wore it into a grocery store it kept sliding up on my face, fogging up my glasses and rubbing against my eyes. Even with the metal ^ pinched above my nose.

Then I got distracted when I sent my friend an e-mail asking him if it would be okay for me to drop off some paperwork at this home. "K" shot me back an e-mail suggesting I leave it on the bench, on their porch "....Yes, just find a rock to sit on top of it, so they don't blow away...."

So, I jokingly shot him back an e-mail "....I'll just bring one of my rocks to use..." Then I went outside and looked around for the perfect rock paperweight and I found this one. And before Tony and I took off to drop off the papers I grabbed a Sharpie pen and wrote on the rock. This is the rock that I left on the bench with my papers. Or better said, "between a rock and a hard place."

When K found it later on, he thought it was funny and by the time we got back home he had sent me a hilarious e-mail. Bottom    Line: I am going to bring him a brick and a cedar branch in trade for getting to touch a gigantic pine cone that he found underneath the world's largest tree in the world. 

I like bartering and K obviously does, too. So I am now looking forward to some future, funny transactions. And the best thing about it there isn't any sales tax.

Today has been great with the exception of what is going on in our crazy world. This morning I walked for over an hour outside and it was such a beautiful morning when I got back home I wanted to do some mowing, but because my back is finally back to normal—I decided not-to-push-it and just let my back rest a little bit longer.

So instead of mowing and working outside, after lunch, I decided to make a protective mask for myself, because my sweet sister had told me about her friends making her masks and told me that their were YouTube videos on how to make masks.

After I watched a couple of YouTube videos about how to make masks I decided to skip those diy projects and make up my own design. Then I went and grabbed a favorite bandana and my sewing machine.

Then I ironed my bandana and folded it into a triangle and tied it to my head—like a scarf. Then I went outside with a piece of paper and Sharpie to find Tony. 

Tone laughed when he saw me wearing a head scarf and then after I explained to him that I needed for him to mark lines on the paper that I held over my nose and mouth ,and also mark the scarf—he reluctantly did it and suggested that I just wear the giant masks that we already have. Then he teased me, "Nance, you know people will think you are crazy wearing a scarf-mask...." 

He was still advising me, as I walked off, but I could not hear him, because I was wearing my scarf that was covering my ears.

Thirty minutes later I had finished sewing my first scarf-mask and it fit perfectly and it was so much more comfortable than our surgical grade masks that had to have been custom made for Big Foot to wear.

Before I show you my awesome mask I do want to thank my friends Kris & The Mineral Man for sending me an e-mail with a picture of my book—to let me know that my paperback book had arrived at their house this morning.

I think there needs to be a drum roll here as you scroll down leading up to me posing in my pretty, custom made mask. And please note that my mask has four layers of cotton fabric, with an opening at the top, so I can slip coffee filters inside it for a little extra protection.  Okay, here goes! (Drum Roll!)

Y'all have a great evening, stay safe & healthy and keep on laughing!

6:10 Update: Just use bandana and velcro! Here is a pattern on how to make this easy to make mask: