Home again!

I'm back home today, even though the rest of the group is still at the retreat house. Based on my and DH's schedules, it made sense for me to come home. I have two days to regroup while he's traveling, and then I'm off again. Only three more weeks and the travel for the year will be done! Yeah!! Thankfully, none of the trips are long, but it means coordination because of the girls. If we didn't have dogs? Well, we'd probably never be home!

I'm sorry to miss the last two days of the retreat, but hey --- I've been at many retreats this year; if I miss two days, it won't kill me! They are probably all thrilled since it'll be much quieter without me there to yak with them!

I had dinner with the group last night, slowly packed up my stuff, and headed out around 9 PM. I had one hour left on my audiobook and finished it in the car. That was good, as the book is due within the next couple of days, and people are waiting on it. I wanted to stop at Tim's for a hot chocolate to keep me awake on the drive. I was tired last night. Anyway, I'm almost at the service center when I realize I do NO know where my wallet is. It would be somewhere in the car, but where? Your guess would be as good as mine. 

I do NOT have my phone set up to pay, so that was out of the question. Then I remembered a small envelope of coins. Nickels and dimes  - do you remember what they are? So, I took a chance that I would have enough cash. I NEVER use cash any longer. Well, it's very seldom that I use cash. WOW -- a medium hot chocolate is $2.83! That price has gone up significantly. So I counted the nickles and dimes; there was a loonie and a couple of quarters. I was good to go, and I think I might have 50 cents left! 

I have a few more coins in the house and should throw them in that envelope. It's an emergency fund when you need a drink and do not know where the debit card is. When I got home, I pulled into the garage, unpacked the car, and found my wallet. Hmm - I think it was in my suitcase when I unpacked it. 

I've been a busy bee this morning, trying to make sense of the mess I brought home and the existing mess in Studio B. 

Of course, my assistant was right there trying to help! OK -- so all she did was obstruct a pathway! But she was very happy to see me. Poor thing had to endure the raccoon incident without me. I did NOT see a scratch on her face, so I must ask DH about that this morning. 

MOM -- I'm so happy you are home!

It is definitely time to get some order in downstairs as it's becoming very hazardous to walk around. It reminds me of many years ago when the floor was littered with stuff. 

Much stuff is on the floor

There are numerous little pathways, and walking around is a challenge. 

The floor is slowly disappearing

An obstacle course

Narrow pathways everywhere

There's the assistant - smack in the middle of the path. Ah, Murphy -- moving a bit to the side would help. No -- she insists that I walk over her! 

MOM -- I'm not moving - I missed you!

This is the stash room, and I was doing very well at keeping things off the floor until I bought 25 bolts of fabric! About ten of them are somewhat blocking the path into the room. I must rearrange things so they are handy but not blocking the path. 

A little chaos in the stash room

The big unpack is well underway. That darn cutting table is a mess. However, I've already cleared it once or twice this morning. Once it gets clear, I unpack another bag and deal with that. One bag at a time! I've got a few things on there that I need to work on today. So all is good. 

The cutting table is once again filled with stuff!

Here's another picture of the cutting table. Yep -- that's totally different stuff on there from the picture above. One bag at a time!

MORE stuff on the cutting table

I unpacked the retreat box. If I have things I want to give to others, it goes in that box. And it'll have a project or two in there. In an ideal world, all I would need to take would be in this box, but it always seems that I have MORE stuff than fits in this box. 

The retreat box

I emptied it right out!

Let's unpack and start over

Then I put back the things that stay in that box. 

Starting to restock the retreat box

There's my handy retreat toolbox. I have everything that I need in there - the BASIC things, that is. 

The retreat toolbox

And then it goes back on the shelf under a work table, so it's handy for the next retreat. There is one project in the box -- a bag of coordinated scraps to make a Quilts of Valour quilt. It didn't even make the cut to go this time. 

The box is ready to be filled for the next retreat

Here's one project I've taken to several retreats, and it's time it gets finished. The section on the left was in two halves, so that got sewn together. The last column on the right was what I sewed yesterday. Hmm -- it's NOT on the UFO list, but that doesn't mean I couldn't use it for my next UFO. And yes -- all the seams on the back are twirled. 

Another project to finish

I have two more stars to add, and all the squares are cut. This was another one of my GREAT ideas. Cut lots of squares - make more than one quilt! Where did those thoughts come from? They are sheer lunacy! 

The leftover bits for the remainder of the quilt

This was the original quilt, and I have the top somewhere in the house. 

The original quilt

I checked my flannel stash to find a piece to make the backing of my UFO quilt -- not all of the flannel has been cut up, but it's sitting in that storage area to be dealt with. I did not have the same blue. But I found something in the backing area that will work. Then, the fabric I was going to use on the UFO quilt will likely work perfectly on this one! 

Oh my -- I must get to Diane's to pick up some quilt tops, as I'm sure she has a few for me. 

Look at the pretty napkin that I received at the retreat! 

Personalized napkin

Yep -- orange on the back and bicycles on the front -- with orange flowers, no less!!! Thank you, Susan!

Let's talk about the puzzle situation. I have these puzzles, minus the two I've already pulled out to do in December. Yes -- the puzzles are mixed in with storage boxes, but they are all in the same area. 

The puzzle storage area

I thought I had the one we did at the retreat, and the big question was -- do you consider that one done and can, therefore, give it away? I checked my puzzles this morning, and I do NOT have that puzzle, so that conundrum is not mine to contemplate! Besides, as we age -- even if I had it, I'll probably have forgotten that I did that puzzle by this time next year! You have to love aging for some reason!

Look what I got to work on in December. Yep -- Advent jigsaw puzzles! Can't wait to get started, but there is MUCH to do between now and then. 

Advent jigsaw puzzle

I found this book on my cutting table. I found it at the thrift store. There is no time to browse it, so it went on the shelf. 

Thrift store find

Imagine my surprise when I opened the supply box to help finish off that tuffet and found an almost full can of spray glue. Guess what I purchased the other day to help finish some samples? Yep -- the exact same can of spray glue. Sigh.......................   I hate it when that happens. 

Tuffet finishing tools

Oh, there's my funny girl. DO NOT notice how dirty she is. The poor thing desperately needs a bath and grooming. Her hair is so thick. I occasionally take the scissors and whack off great gobs of hair, but it needs to be thinned next to her skin. I'm going to try and convince someone to take her. I'll even go with her to keep her calm! 

Mom -- I'm camera shy!

The work table area was the most important part of tidying up this morning. All three machines are plugged in and ready to go. Two are set up for machine embroidery, and the third is set up to sew. I hope to keep all three humming today, but I also have a customer quilt that needs to be done. And I just remembered that I have a writing assignment due this week! 

The work tables are clear!

I need to figure out how to fix this little bracelet. It was joined with what I think was a slip knot. I'm not sure, but it came apart because I pulled on it too hard. CRAP -- this is my Camino charm, and I need it fixed! Since I don't know how to retie that knot, I wonder what else I can do with it? 

My Camino charm

I managed to sew and trim more cut-off triangles from the Barn Star Sampler quilt. There is still a stack to be sewn, but I'm pressing and trimming as I sew! I'm trying to keep on top of it. 

Half square triangles from the Barn Sampler quilt

Well, I was sure chatty Cathy this morning, and it's time to get the day rolling. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!