How does this work?

Today was the day we were supposed to drive up to the Fireside Retreat house. Due to the current crisis, that isn't happening. Our next retreat is June 10 - 14, but I have a feeling that isn't going to happen either. So we keep rolling the dates until ONE DAY, we'll be allowed to expand our bubble.

Let's just say that if I were going to the retreat today - I'd be in trouble. I'm still writing, although I'm almost done. Still working on the presentation that popped up out of nowhere to create. After all the work I've put into that presentation, I don't care which store picks it up, but you are ALL going to attend the presentation. I've worked very hard on it between everything else I had to do and I learned so MUCH. Then I get the pleasure of sharing with customers and anyone anywhere can be the customer! I'll let you know when that happens. We're still in set up mode. I've got a test tomorrow so we'll see how it goes.

The two studios are a disaster as I've pulled stuff from here and there to take photos or find supplies. I have some fantastic things to share with you when the appropriate time comes. Grammarly told me that I use AMAZING too much so I have to find a new word - FANTASTIC!!!

Do you know how challenging it is to switch from the passive voice to the active voice? I'm learning, but it's a struggle for me.

I have very boring walks compared to some people. Helen Anne posted a gorgeous picture of a heron that she passed on her walk yesterday. Me? I get black tulips! Are they called black or deep burgundy? Anyway - they are very pretty. And as for the heron - Murphy would just scare it away so I'll leave the heron for Helen Anne! Herons have a special place in my heart. The very first picture I ever posted on my blog was of the heron in our backyard! Cheeky fellow, but he was fishing! God knows where our two lazy (different from the current ones) dogs were at the time.

Black tulips

You have to love the internet and writing stuff that sits on the internet rather than the computer. That meant that I could work on the computer in the office and when I needed to, I could move to the laptop in Studio B and I had access to the same document. I told DH that we need a server in our house that's attached to the network, so I can access my personal files from wherever. OK -- the high-tech stuff is getting out of hand!

My office in Studio B

I realized that I like working on that table. Every house needs banquet tables. I have eleven of them and I would be totally lost without them. They make a good sewing table, cutting table, prep table, office desk, eating table. You name the task, it can be done on a banquet table. I will NOT buy those plastic ones. I want the ones made with the fake wood. Perhaps I need to rethink my computer table in the office. There's only room to work on the left and nothing on the right. Perhaps I need to switch the placement of the computer??? I like having room to spread out my stuff and I just don't have the same room here as I do on that banquet table. I'll have to contemplate that.

The Designer EPIC 2 was right behind me so when I needed a reference for the blog, I simply turned around, and there it was. That worked like a charm!

The two sewing machines behind my "desk"

I'm getting a lot of glare from the screen of the Designer EPIC 2. I have this reflector kit that I bought years ago and never opened. I dug it out and thought I'd give it a try to see if it cut the glare.

Reflector kit

I tell you there are days and there are days. This is a TWO part stand. You take the arm and stick it on the stand. Tighten the screw and that's it. Well, do you think I could get that arm to fit on the stand? Nope - wasn't happening. I even contacted the support team for the product. They got back very quickly and basically said - stick the arm on the stand and tighten the screw. I tried again and it still didn't work.

I was about to bring it upstairs to see if DH could figure it out and BAM - the arm slipped onto the stand and that was that. Now that's a total mystery as to why that didn't work the previous times I tried. 

The reflector on the stand

Gosh - the thing looks like a big sombrero!

A giant reflector in Studio B

It didn't help with the glare in the Zoom presentation, but it's going to make taking shots of the sewing machine monitor a whole lot easier because it'll remove all the glare. I should have dug the thing out a long time ago.

My fluorescent lights are on three different switches in Studio B. I tried all combinations of that and also removing lights from the fixtures to try and eliminate the glare. I think it's a camera issue. The camera is trying to compensate for the bright light of the screen on the Designer EPIC 2. I have half the problem fixed. Now I need to go into settings on the laptop to see if I can adjust the camera settings. I doubt it - it's not that sophisticated, but then maybe it is. I've no idea. One more thing to mess with.

I ordered some lights yesterday and well - it seems that Studio B is going to be a film studio if we keep this up!

I can solve a whole lot of problems when I go for a walk. I needed to find some other samples so I can take pictures today. I had totally forgotten about the samples and once I remembered them, I wondered where they were. As I was walking, I got my brain to focus and before I got home, I had located the samples. When I got home, I went right to that spot, and there they were!!! How's that for brainpower. I LOVE IT!!!!

I've been totally ignoring e-mail unless it was urgent. And I had several to deal with yesterday amongst all the other things going on. Fabric from suppliers that is no longer available. Got that worked out and hopefully can pick up next week.

I got in touch with the emergency dental contact. Good grief - that took forever. The phone didn't go through for several attempts and then finally after ringing and ringing and bringing, someone picked up. I have to go downtown to get the crown cemented back in. No appointment needed. Oh boy - that's going to be an adventure. I'm leaving that for next week since we have the Virtual Retreat this week.

Look what came in the mail yesterday?? The current issue of A Needle Pulling Thread and guess whose quilt is on the cover? Yes - that's MY QUILT. Made with Ride-On by Banyan Batiks. I love it!

A Needle Pulling Thread magazine

Here's a link to a preview of the magazine and you can read my story about the quilt.  I'm such a selfish person!!!!

OH MY GOD  - I see that a new Virtual Challenge has been released. The Camino de Santiago in Spain is now available as a challenge!!! It's 482 miles so very doable. I REALLY want to do this one in person but will settle for the virtual one. I heard Spain is opening up their doors to tourists. Maybe this is the time to do the Camino de Santiago in hopes there won't be a lot of people there and I'll get good deals???  Anyway, I'm not doubling up on the virtual challenges. What's the point? I'll just get through them quicker. Route 66 will take a year, but there aren't that many long ones and I'll rip through the short ones fast enough.

By the way, is anyone else doing any of the Virtual Challenges?? You can find them on The Conqueror website. A lot of fun to have a goal and I love checking my progress on the map every day.

Slow and steady!!!

I have to share the photos of my Cross Canada walk with you. By the way, I'm TWENTY PERCENT of the way across Canada. That's impressive. Be prepared, I'll be sharing a photo each day until I reach Saskatoon. So about a week's worth of walking.

This is why they call Saskatchewan the land of the living skies. Look at all that sky!!!! To the right-hand side is the river and it just opens up the horizons like you've never seen.

Highway 16 outside the Battlefords

I'll also share the position of the photo on the map. I'm still a big kid at heart and well, I guess I'm still a country girl at heart. See that little blip on the map that says Baljennie? That's the teeny tiny little hamlet near the family farm. Long since totally shut down. My high school boyfriend lived in Richard so you can see the distances we had to travel to visit. Totally crazy!!! And kids today think they have it bad!

A map of my stomping grounds

I think it's just kind of cool to be walking virtually through this area.


Here's the latest blog post on QUILTsocial. I had so much fun making stuff for the blog posts. I'm so meticulous and verbose at writing, editing, and putting the posts together, but I LOVE doing it. This week, it's all about learning, and like I say all the time - there isn't a day goes by when I don't learn something new. It happens every single day! I swear that's what keeps me going. If I didn't learn something new, my brain would shrivel up!

So I'll be hosting the Virtual Challenge from Studio B today just because there's a small space carved out around a sewing machine that I can use. I was planning to jump right into my laundry basket of projects, but today, I HAVE to finish that magazine quilt. It needs to be in the mail by tomorrow at the latest. I'll be finishing the top today and quilting it as well. It can't be helped - that's just the way it worked. If I'm not in front of the camera, then just holler! And I'm sure there'll be other people on the call that you can chat with.

Here's the link for today.

Join Zoom Meeting - May 27th, 9 AM EST - 9 PM EST https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85170383658?pwd=VWp5YUtTckRxY1U0VTdOZFdIMkRvdz09 Meeting ID: 851 7038 3658 Password: 431940


Here's the links for tomorrow. Remember, I have to do a Zoom presentation for my boss at 2 PM EST so I created a meeting for the morning and one for the afternoon.

Join Zoom Meeting Part ONE - May 28th - 9AM - 2 PM EST https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89125426288?pwd=TzRkMlhBQXhoT3pjQlBEMW5UV2o2dz09 Meeting ID: 891 2542 6288 Password: 734096

And here's the link for the second meeting on May 28th 

Join Zoom Meeting - May 28th - 3:30 PM to 9PM EST https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85187367927?pwd=bUkwYldJYkE5OE1IUUh5MkU4Y0daUT09 Meeting ID: 851 8736 7927 Password: 008919


On that note, I'd better get moving. I still have a wee bit of editing to do before 9 AM this morning! Catch you on Zoom later today!!!

Have a super day!!!
Ciao!!!