S.M.A.R.T. Goals

So my morning hasn't gone quite as planned. I slept in - a LOT. I must STOP watching those darn baking shows as they keep me up later than usual, and I woke up in the night for a couple of hours. Hence, I'm tired this morning. 

I was a bit miffed because I thought my first presentation was at 10 AM, and I had some work to prep, but it's at 1 PM, so I'm good! However, I do have a quilt to quilt today and to pack for the retreat. 

We had a great time at Monday sewing. I accomplished so much. I realize that I forgot to take a picture. OK -- I just went and took a picture. 

This is my Enchanted Autumn. I finished ALL the blocks. All the piecing is done! All the applique is fused in place, and some blocks need stitching.

Enchanted Autumn

It's incredible what can happen when I actually have time to work on my own stuff! That's so exciting!! I'm thrilled with my color choices - a lot of oranges in the middle of the bottom section. I'm OK with that. I might move some of the leaves around to distribute the colors, and I must do that soon before I start sewing it together and forget!!

I had some time after my presentation last night that I decided to start the stitching. There's a LOT of stitching to do, and my goal is the end of the year. 

I completed one block last night. One block is one block more than was done in the morning. I'm happy!! No, I'm thrilled!!!

One applique block - DONE

All I can say is that there are some fantastic features on my Husqvarna Viking Designer EPIC 2 (and on other HV machines as well) that make applique a dream. There is the needle down, the sensor foot (which lifts the foot slightly for pivoting), the stitch restart, the FIX, and I'm sure there are others - well, the excellent stitch quality for one. 

Look at that blanket stitch! It looks so beautiful, and well, I'm a happy camper. All those points, curves, and straight-away lines are easy to do. Don't forget to use your open-toe applique foot. 

The stitch quality is number one!

I really should do the larger blocks first, then it'll be "easier" mentally. 

During Monday sewing, we talked about goals for next year. Hmm -- Mary had started last year with a list of 21 quilting things to accomplish in 2021. She was an overachiever and put 42 on her list. Double the goal, and she's been making significant progress. Cindy has been making a list of goals for 2022 that include some non-quilting things. 

I'm tempted to make similar lists. I have my UFO lists, which I am a bit behind on and should focus on getting and keeping those up-to-date. But I have a LOT of small things that probably need an hour or less to complete. Those are the kind of things that I would put on my 22 things for 2022. As I tidy up and sort for the rest of the year, I might just make such a list, but it will contain projects that need quick work to finish.  

The problem with most of our projects is that we forget what needs to be done if we don't have a list (or lists). I know that's my problem. Then we get caught by some shiny new thing, and we're off. Well, I'm no longer distracted by the new, but I do forget some of the old. 

I think it would be a good idea to continue the UFO list. It's been helpful for me, and it's working beautifully. I may be behind, but those projects are getting worked on, and more importantly, they are NOT forgotten. 

A lot of the projects on the UFO list are HUGE. When I started the Enchanted Autumn quilt, one applique block was partially done, and two more blocks were partially sewn. So -- for me to get this done or almost done is HUGE. If it wasn't on that list, it would still be sitting in the box. 

And I like the idea of the list of small projects that could be finished in one sitting. YES -- I'm going to make that list as well. As I'm sorting and tidying, I want to try and put all the UFO stuff in one place and put the quick finishes in another. 

The final list will be things I want to accomplish next year. If you are making goals - don't forget to make them SMART   -- they need to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based. You can read more information here. 

I don't think I need more goals in the quilting world, so I have several things that I want to learn next year, and those will go on the list. 

Oh -- one of the tasks for the 22 in 2022 is to LABEL all my projects. I didn't choose that one - it got selected for me. That is NOT a quick task, but it's something that needs to be done. 

I pulled those project boxes off the shelf. 

Projects to be labeled

And I pulled out the label maker, which needs new batteries. So while I put new batteries in the label maker, I'd better put new batteries in the lock on the front door.m as I'm getting notifications that the battery is low! 

That's a LOT of batteries

So think about those goals and things that you really want to get done! I think this is going to be super important when I eventually retire. If I don't have goals, I won't get anything done because I won't be working to a deadline. It's super easy to fritter the entire day away, and I certainly don't want that. I don't want to be insanely scheduled, but I want to have goals, so I have something to look forward to - even if it's as simple as crossing a task off a list. 

Well, that's it for me today. I've got lots to do, but in a relaxed atmosphere - only two presentations today, but packing and a quilt to quilt so I won't be slacking off. But that applique is calling to me. ACK!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Winter wonderland

What a fantastic Virtual Retreat!! I think I accomplished the most I've ever done, and I'm thrilled. We had people from the US, Germany, and across Canada. Loads of fun, and I'm so pleased to say that I've made new friends, and we get to check up on how people are doing in other parts of the world. It's way better than listening to the news! Thanks to everyone who attended. 

I also dug out my Brother Label Maker and two rolls of tape. As the girls said -- why "save" that tape for a better purpose -- use it now and get those boxes labeled so NOTHING will ever be lost again! OK -- I just need to refresh the batteries, and I'm good to go. 

Let's start with what I didn't get done -- I didn't turn on the embroidery machine. I didn't think I was going to be able to concentrate and chat at the same time. So that will wait for later today. 

But I had the serger and the sewing machine going, and this is what happened. 

I got the border on the Bonnie and Camille Bee Quilt. When I checked the backing section, I couldn't find anything that worked for this quilt. Then I went back and found a whimsical Sunbonnet Sue in the same colors. Perfect!!! So the binding, backing, and top are now done, and it's moved to the "to be quilted" pile. 

Another quilt is ready to be quilted!

And there's that serged seam for the backing! 

Serged seam for the quilt back

Then I pulled out the Tula Pink quilt. Wait!!!!  The borders are already on the quilt! Oh yes -- I forgot I had done that. So, the backing got serged together, and the binding got made. 

Serging the backing for the Tula Pink quilt

And so one more quilt got moved to the "to be quilted" pile, which we won't discuss!

Tula Pink quilt is now ready to be quilted

So to recap my list from yesterday. 

Schoolgirl Sampler - DONE

Urbanologie - DONE

Tula Pink Sampler - needs a border, binding, and backing

Bonnie & Camille Bee Quilt -- needs a border, binding, and backing

Long Time Gone - needs a border, binding, and backing

All in a Row Quilt - needs a border, binding, and backing

All in a Row Quilt -- there are two other partially completed quilt tops

And this is the list today:

Schoolgirl Sampler - DONE

URbanologie - DONE

Tula Pink Sampler - DONE

Bonnie & Camille Bee Quilt - DONE

Long time Gone -- needs a border, binding, and backing

All in a Row Quilt - needs a border, binding, and backing

All in a Row Quilt - there are two other partially completed quilt tops

So yes -- progress happened, and I was thrilled. I will tackle the All in a Row Quilt next and then finish up with Long Time Gone. Either way, I'm delighted that I could keep up with those sew-along quilts this year and am very close to finishing the last of them. 

Then this happened. And this is why one needs to keep your stuff organized. When I went into the closet the other day, I found a bundle of grey and green fabrics. Very pretty. I had put them aside to make a "special" quilt. 

Grey and green fabrics 

As we were chatting yesterday, this bundle was mulling in my head, and I remembered another bundle of grey and green fabrics that I had purchased several years ago. I pulled them out, and OH MY GOODNESS -- they are from the same collection!!!!  I must have found it very appealing. 

More grey and green from the same collection

Now the two bundles are together, and I have a nice stash of grey and green fabrics. 

The two bundles are now together

What to do with them?? I was going to search for a collection to do a new sew-along project hosted by The Hobby Horse. I think it's going to be perfect!!!!  Yeah --- and that's why you need to keep a handle on your stuff. More details on that quilt tomorrow. But it's called Among the Stars by it's sew emma. 

Pattern and fabric are now in a project box

And so, when one finishes a project, one must figure out what to do with all the leftover bits. All the Tula pink fabric got bundled together and put with the modern fabrics. There was only one large piece (the red) that went into the stash baskets. The rest are pretty much scraps and went into the appropriate color scrap box. 

Cleaning up the project

I have some other Tula Pink scraps, so I may attempt a scrap Tula Pink quilt at some point. 

I have to share these ADORABLE sweaters with you. They were made by Nina, who joined the Virtual Retreat from Germany. These sweaters make up an advent calendar - the bottom is sealed, and you put chocolate in them. I think you can put lots of chocolate in there. 

Advent sweaters

The pattern can be found on Arne & Carlos website in case you are interested. I checked out their website and some pretty darn cute stuff. I don't have time to pick up anything new, but someday perhaps!!!

Advent sweaters

She was working on number 18 when we were together, and I see that it's done!!

Sweater 17 and 18

OK --- so I didn't stop when I got those two quilts together. I decided to forge ahead with my Enchanted Autumn. I want it done by the end of the year, and I still have a lot of work to do. 

This pieced block was partially together. But now it's done! I had to finish making the half-square triangles.

One pieced block for Enchanted Autumn

Then I had the LAST applique block to finish off, but before that, I had to make the pieced part of the block. I wasn't sure how easy the roof would be, and I goofed and didn't reverse the template for part of it, but the end result is stunning. I dug into the landscape fabrics for that one. 

The last block with applique on it

And that's it for the applique blocks, except that I now have a LOT of stitching to do. 

Well, I wasn't quite ready to call it a day, so I dug out fabrics to cut the pieces for more pieced blocks in the quilt. 

I have a bunch of hourglass blocks to make, and the components are all cut. 

The hourglass block pieces

There are some half-square triangles to go around a small applique. Those are cut and ready to sew today. 

Half square triangles are cut

And that leaves ONE more block to cut and sew. I was too tired last night to cut that out, so I'll try to get that accomplished today at Monday sewing. 

Here's the quilt status at the moment. Oh, my --- who would have thought I would ever get that much done so quickly. Just goes to show you that anything is possible. Once those pieced blocks are done, I need to get myself in gear for all the stitching around the applique. That will take some time, but hey -- my schedule is relatively wide-open now - only five presentations this week. 

Enchanted Autumn

But I also need to get some more organizing done. I can't wait to get everything sorted and labeled, so NOTHING will ever be lost again!! It's going to be so exciting. Less time will be spent looking for lost things, and bundles of fabric that I can use for quilts will be in the stash room where they belong. Oh yes  -- it's going to be exciting, and I might just find room to consolidate a bit more stuff from upstairs. And, of course, offload the current project table to a manageable amount. One has to experiment, and that one didn't work out, but now I know!

And there are loads of projects on those UFO lists that need to be completed. I have one large project to work on that is due in January, and I wanted you to know that I refused a couple of other potential projects to not rush on this one. I also have a smaller one that is due NOW, so I'll be working on that. See -- I'm trying to be reasonable!!!

I can't wait to start tackling more projects and especially the UFOs. Oh yes -- this is going to get done!! 

I'm pretty disappointed this morning. One of the local radio stations is announcing their new hosts after firing the previous crew over one month ago. I've been listening to the station this morning to see who the new hosts are, and after a one-half hour of Christmas music and ads and public announcements, they finally said - that the new hosts will be introduced at 7 AM. Seriously????  Just get it over with and announce it. I changed stations. 

One last picture to share -- here's what it looked like on our walk yesterday. A winter wonderland. Let's say that Muprhy and Lexi were in their glory! But those squirrels are just way more fun to look at than Mom!!

Murphy in a winter wonderland

Oh -- I should remind you that there is another Virtual Retreat in December. The dates are December 18 and 19. Saturday evening and all day Sunday. I can hardly wait because I'll be able to get tons of something done. 

My focus for the remainder of the year is the long arm, but I also hope to clear up a couple of UFOs as well. It's going to be a super December!!!

Before I go, I wanted to share this video with you. It's from a young quilt shop owner (Quilt Addicts Anonymous) and her struggle to keep work/life balance and how to juggle a brick and mortar store and expanding and well -- a lot of interesting stuff. It's very good and heartwarming. 

On that note, I'm off to spin class, but not before I have to scrape the windshield of my car. Oh, well -- it's winter, and that's just life!!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

Labels are important

OH DRAT!!!  I should have checked that the links I posted yesterday actually worked. There was an issue with the sound, and so that video was replaced. 

Here are the NEW links.  Just tested, and at least the Facebook one works. So sorry for that!!!!

Facebook Video Link:

https://fb.watch/9y8NaEshwe/

 

YouTube Video Link:

https://youtu.be/8XazTq3jzSo

As usual, I tried to cram too much into the day! In addition to the last class for two of the sew-alongs of this past year, I signed up for a Kimberbell class that I could participate in virtually. 

I'll be sharing the show and tell from the sew-alongs this coming week. I'm so excited as so many tops were completed, and it was fun to get to know more people. 

The minute I was finished with those classes, I was back on Zoom to rejoin the Kimberbell group. I had signed on for a half-hour BEFORE my sew-alongs. 

We received the kit a few days before the class, and technically, I think we were supposed to have all the fabrics prepped and have chosen our thread colors. I did NOT do that, so I did spend a bit of time running around to get that done. 

I found this tray in that project closet, and it was perfect for gathering supplies. 

A project tray!

That tray would be a perfect project to embellish with collage. I might have to do that over the holidays. I've been dying to do some collage, and this will be perfect. 

We got a nametag, which I didn't think I would need since my name was on my Zoom screen! And we got a button -- I think Kimberbell offers these kinds of classes often, and for each one, you'll get a "badge of honor" to display on your lanyard!

My name tag

I hung it up with my other nametags from previous shows and classes. I know -- why does one keep all that, but it's fun to look back at all the badges. They are all together and neatly organized. That's good enough for me at this moment. At some point, I can harvest the clips and the ribbons off the lanyards to make something. 

Nametag collection

We had three projects to do, and I missed the first one but arrived just as they were starting the second one - perfect timing. 

It's a small case, I believe, for eyeglasses. If you've ever done a Kimberbell embroidery, they use lots of different materials, like glitter, vinyl, felt, leather, etc. So it's always a challenge to see how those other materials work in embroidery mode. I didn't have any issues - well, I did in one spot and realized I did NOT have an embroidery needle in the machine. Once the needle was changed - zero issues. That was when going through many layers of materials. 

Using vinyl and glitter for the embroidery project

It was actually quite fun to embroidery with a group. We do it with sewing; why not embroidery? The machines are a bit noisier, so a large group isn't recommended. But the mic on my laptop isn't super great, so it worked out perfectly. Can you see my "class" on the computer in the back? There were some students in-person at K & A Quilt Shop, and some of us were on Zoom. It worked really well. 

Following my class on Zoom

And then we had to cut out the excess leather. Oh boy -- cutting the inside was a bit unnerving as you did NOT want to cut the layers below. Task accomplished with no errors. 

Trimming the leather from the inside

Then it was time to insert the zipper. That was super easy with the embroidery machine. And I love the Kimberbell instructions as they are pretty straightforward. Although several people ignored the sizes of the fabric pieces, they needed to pick from the kit, and well, it all worked out in the end.

Getting ready to stitch the zipper in place

The last step was to add the back and the lining. I've turned mine partially inside out. I need to do a bit of hand stitching, and then I can turn it completely inside out, and I hope to do that today during the Virtual Retreat. It's super cute. 

Stitching the backing on

Then we moved on to the third project - an APRON. How appropriate!! There was a LOT of stitching in the embroidery design for the pocket, with lots of appliques. My sewing space was a MESS. 

A bit of a messy workspace

And at one point, I was playing thread chicken. I lost by about 20 stitches! But I just added another white, and I was good to go. 

Thread chicken and I lost

I didn't quite get the pocket finished before I needed to go for my walk. So I literally just shut the Husqvarna Viking Designer Ruby 90 down. It'll restart in the same position as I left it last night! 

Oh, and here's a valuable lesson. I was trying to finish the embroidery during the Virtual Retreat, but that wouldn't happen. Too much chatter and not enough focus. At one point, I had removed the hoop from the embroidery arm to clip some threads. Then I started the next color BEFORE reattaching the hoop. And YIKES -- It started to stitch right at the edge of the leather piece. I caught it before it could make a huge mess. 

I'm not sure why the embroidery machine didn't catch that - but I did. And so it's all repaired, and no one will know that happened. 

When some of the colors took a bit of time, I puttered around Studio B - tidying up. Another advantage of being home to do the class. Not a minute went to waste. 

This is a bag of quilt tops that I got back from Diane. I think there were two more quilt tops in there and some larger yardage pieces that will be good for backings. 

More quilt tops from Diane for community projects

I had been looking for another project, and I had found half of it, but not the actual blocks. Shoot -- what could I have done with them? 

Then yesterday, as I was looking for quick things to tidy up, I spotted this box that had got pulled from the project shelf that resides in Studio B. OH MY GOD -- there were my missing blocks. 

Another mystery uncovered inside this box

It came right from that empty space on the shelf, and the rest of the project is in another box, also on that shelf. The box was mislabeled - well, the label had NOT been changed from the previous project in the box. So let's just say that labeling is IMPORTANT. OK -- I might just label those boxes in the closet because NOTHING would be lost if the boxes were labeled correctly. 

The project shelf in Studio B

I didn't seem to be into sewing last night at the Virtual Retreat. I wonder why with everything that went on that day. However, I'm happy to report that I got the binding made for my Urbanologie quilt, as well as the backing. And it got moved to the "to be quilted" pile. Yeah!!!!  

Backing, binding, and the quilt top for Urbanologie

So let's do the tally, and when I say DONE - it means it's in the "to be quilted" pile. 

Schoolgirl Sampler - DONE

Urbanologie - DONE

Tula Pink Sampler - needs a border, binding, and backing

Bonnie & Camille Bee Quilt -- needs a border, binding, and backing

Long Time Gone - needs a border, binding, and backing

All in a Row Quilt - needs a border, binding, and backing

All in a Row Quilt -- there are two other partially completed quilt tops

So that's pretty darn good for me to have all those sew-alongs in this current state. They are almost complete, and I'm pretty sure that I can get them all done before the end of the year. That'll be a first for me. 

I'm pretty proud of myself.  I'm going to get a couple of page-turning audiobooks and a couple of quiet days by myself, and I'll be done!! Plus, I hope to get a couple more projects done before the end of the year.!

OK -- so an update on the tea situation. It's pretty weird because yesterday, the tea didn't need to be stirred. No doubt, some mysterious chemical thing! 

My cup of tea yesterday - no stirring required

Don't forget that it's Virtual Retreat all day. It's chilly outside today with a bit of snow on the ground. Actually, it's snowing now. A perfect day to stay inside and sew. The retreat starts at 10 AM and goes until whenever. 

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87246635892?pwd=VGY1cUUyLzRaRi9VUVV2ZWFINXc2dz09 Meeting ID: 872 4663 5892 Passcode: 440473

I stayed on the call until about 9:30 last night. Then I couldn't get to sleep! I should have got up and joined them, but I didn't. 

On that note, I'm out of here. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Found it!

I did it -- I survived the crazy month of November. OK -- so I know that November isn't over yet, and I still have things to do, but the worst of the month is over, and I can sort of coast along now! It was loads of work, but I learned a ton of stuff, and always great to stay in touch with everyone via Zoom. 

I said goodbye to three different groups this past week, and after being with them for four or six weeks, you feel connected to them! Thanks to everyone who attended the classes, and I hope to see you in another class. 

I'm also saying goodbye to the last of the sew-along groups this morning. We've been meeting once a month over this past year, and yes -- it feels sad to say goodbye! Hopefully, we'll all find ways to stay connected, whether that's through a new class on Zoom or the Virtual Retreat. 

I was at the gym a couple of weeks ago, and there was this woman in front of me getting her paperwork checked. When things started to reopen, we could put our information on file and just show our membership card and get our temperature taken. Now, we have to show our paperwork every time we go, plus our membership, but no temperature. 

This woman, who I recognized (more on that in a second), turned to me and said, "can they not keep this information on file? I go to an UPSCALE gym -- much more upscale than this one, and they keep the information on file." I responded that the other gym was in violation of the government mandate. 

What I should have said is this "OH -- that upscale spin gym that had major outbreaks of COVID because they weren't following protocols?" 

I've seen this woman many times before in my spin classes but haven't seen her in a while because of the lockdowns. She pulls her hair back so tight and never cracks a smile. She doesn't look friendly! 

Not that we're going to split hairs, but my not-so-upscale gym, as her upscale spin gym, now has resorts that you can go to. And they are building communities where you can live. Now, if that isn't upscale? Well, I digress. Some people have a glass half full, and some are half empty. 

I can only imagine how much it would cost to visit one of their resorts. But it might be fun to check it out. Does that mean that one has to work out the entire time? 

I noticed that she is now coming regularly to the spin class. But I have no direct contact with her, so I don't really care. 

Yesterday was a GREAT day. No, it was a FABULOUS day. Why? I found something that was "missing" for a long, long time. Technically, it wasn't lost - I just didn't know where it was. 

I had a few minutes between presentations, and I decided to make a bit of progress in that closet of projects in Studio B. Let's tackle that top shelf and see what's in all those boxes. Hmm -- UFOs in all the pizza boxes, so they stayed on the shelf. Then I decided to open the floral box in the middle. This is filled with my Quiltmaker's Gifts quilt blocks, but I'll look and relish in those finished blocks. 

Working on the top shelf in the closet

WHAT????  It's not my Quiltmaker's Gift project at all. Those blocks are in the floral box on the next shelf down on the right. NO -- this was the MISSING box of hexies!!!!  I was searching for the plastic box that I found inside. I forgot that I put it inside another box with a few extra things. OH MY GOSH -- I was so excited!!!!  Let me say that I did a little jig between all the crap on the floor!! This is EXCITING!! I found fabric, a hand punch for making small hexagons from paper, and many other exciting stuff. 

The box of hexie supplies!!!

This is the plastic box that I was looking for, and inside were smaller plastic containers, each containing more supplies for the hexies. 

The plastic box -- just as I remembered it!

Hexies, already glued in place and ready to sew, along with some fabric cut to make more and needle and thread. 

Hexies ready to sew

Let's not forget the glue supply. 

Glue to make hexies

And one more box filled with hexagons made and ready to sew. 

More prepared hexies

And there was another grouping of hexies. These were a slightly different size. Hmmm - now to refresh my brain on what I was going to make with all these. There's a picture of what I want to make with the small ones, but this package? I don't remember. 

More prepared hexies

Now that would be a great project to do while watching The Great British Bake Off. If I were inclined to watch more episodes. OK -- I'm watching the second season. I don't care!! DH thinks that I have lost my rocker until I told him that it was making me feel like baking something. He asked, "for who." I said,  "US," and well, now he's waiting. What will I bake?? Oh god -- what did I do by saying that? He's like a dog with a  bone. He won't let it go, and he does like sweets. 

Studio B is in pretty bad shape, as I've mentioned. So when I tried to find my stool yesterday to hang up a quilt, it was "lost." Then I looked down low, and there it was with a basket of fabric sitting on top and part of a tote bag. 

The lost stool

And now back to that closet. The top shelf is done, and I've done Tetris packing. I think I could squeeze a couple more flatter projects on top of the boxes. Yes -- I know the boxes are not labeled. I should do that, but the idea is to squeeze things into that closet to empty the current projects table. I will make it happen! 

Starting to reorganize the closet

As you can see, there are NOT a lot of boxes on some of the other shelves, and that becomes a challenge to store things properly. So I went to the storage area under the stairs and pulled out some empty boxes and baskets, and my goal is to group items and get them neatly on the shelf to have room to add more to the closet. I'd rather have things put away neatly than jumbled like this was. Jumbled means a HUGE waste of space. 

I know I'm going to find more of this in those containers. I opened up this tin to find ONE piece of fabric and a whole lot of beads. For what? No pattern, no indication of what it was to become. So this stuff will get added to the supplies. One empty box that I can fill with something else and more space on the shelf. 

Beads and fabric for what?

I also found a bundle of fabric that was just sitting there. There were 5 or 6 fabrics from one collection. Why were they there? No idea, but I'm looking for fabrics for my projects for next year and this one might just work for one of the quilts!! Eureka!!! 

I can only imagine what other treasures I'm going to find in this closet or stuff that was "set aside" and never touched. Oh yes -- we are going to be super organized, and then I may go back and label boxes and write lists. I know -- you're saying - "do that now." But well, I might. I'll see how it goes. 

And just before another presentation yesterday (I have four presentations), I decided it was time to get my SONOS speaker reconnected to my phone, so I could use it. My account wouldn't come up, and I couldn't remember how to do that. It's a big complicated story -- DH and I both have individual accounts, and his account was defaulting on my phone. I was going to call support but remembered it was Black Friday, and I wasn't likely going to get an answer. 

So when the pressure was on, I ended up deleting the app, changing my password, and VOILA -- I was back in business. I'm all connected to Spotify and even added songs to my Spotify playlists. 

My SONOS speaker back working

I positively shine at technology when I want something. OK -- so it doesn't always work, but I'm getting much better. 

Finally, after a long day and the last presentation, I decided to watch an episode of The Great British Bake Off. I didn't get to finish it as I was too tired and couldn't stay awake. But I didn't need any show to entertain me. I had the girls. 

I swear they are trying to be a comedy act or something. Lexi is lying quietly on the mat, and then Murphy comes along and taunts her. 

Let the entertainment begin

I don't think Lexi got up quick enough because Murphy grabbed the blankets and pulled them clear across the room! 

"Get up, lazy Lexi! I want to play!"

I got up and moved them back at least twice. I know -- who has whom trained? They kept taunting each other and play biting and growling, and having a glorious time. The little comedians. What was hysterical was the moment I got up to go to bed, the two of them moved into the family room where DH was watching TV so they could now entertain him. They are just so darn cute together!!!!

I'm watching you!

OK -- so I had to snap this picture. They are going gangbusters on rebuilding the roof of that house. This side of the roof has all the shingles. The other side has plywood but no shingles. That was FAST, and they have even started to replace some of the brick along the side. 

Fast rebuild!

One last thing today, and it's about tea! Notice what happens when I put the hot water in and let the herbal tea steep? All the color and flavor go to the bottom of the cup. Once I take the teabag out, I just give it a stir, and it gets dispersed and stays that way. But why does all the stuff originally fall to the bottom?? 

My steeped tea

OH --- I just wanted to say that I'm learning tons of stuff by watching The Great British Bake Off. I never knew that letting the bread rise was called proving. And all the history about British baking. It's totally fascinating!!!

I screwed up!! And I'm so sorry for that. If anyone was trying to find the Facebook Live link yesterday for QUILTsocial, it wasn't there. They did the LIVE via Zoom. You had to sign up to get the link. ACK!!!! I didn't know that, and well -- next time, I'll know, and I'll provide you with the proper link. 

However, if you want to watch the show, here are the links on Youtube and Facebook. Check it out -- I'm talking about the stabilizers and how I mended my clothes using machine embroidery. I'm also looking for something specific to repair, and well -- you have to watch the video to see what it is. 

Facebook:

https://fb.watch/9x9B5_CWIQ/

 

YouTube:

https://youtu.be/bNYHA-XoKw0

Don't forget that TODAY (well, tonight) is the first part of the Virtual Retreat. I'm super excited, and I may spend part of the time tidying up so I can actually sew!!!

Saturday, November 27 from 6 PM -- whenever!

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89254233911?pwd=VGQrTnFybW1HMWpleHA4M2Q2NGVwZz09 Meeting ID: 892 5423 3911 Passcode: 982797

Sunday, November 28 from 10 AM to 8 PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87246635892?pwd=VGY1cUUyLzRaRi9VUVV2ZWFINXc2dz09 Meeting ID: 872 4663 5892 Passcode: 440473

One last thing -- good grief -- I had so much to tell today. I wasn't going to buy anything on Black Friday, but I ended buying ONE thing. I purchased my next Virtual walking Challenge. The Great Wall of China! It's about 3,600 KM or something like that, and it was 30% off. Yeah!!!! I have enough codes now with my long walks to last for a couple of years. But I voted for that one, so I felt compelled to buy it!!!

On that note, I'm out of here.

Have a super day!!!! Oh my gosh -- it's going to be stupendous, although it'll be challenging to beat yesterday!!!

Ciao!!!