I can keep a secret

It was an interesting day! You know how it is when one small thing leads to something completely different, and I found something that had been on the MIA list!!!! 

What happened? M had asked me to forward some DVDs and her Christmas ornaments. I found all three DVD cases, but only two had a disc inside. I checked the buffet in my office to see if any of her DVDs were in there. I also checked a box of CDs on the table, and that's where I found the CD player I had wanted several months ago. Putting tools back where they belong is important - do NOT leave them with a project. In this case, the project was to go through the box of CDs on the table. 

This is the shelf I looked at, and OH MY—there are quite a few CDs/DVDs in there. So, instead of tackling emails yesterday, I tackled this. Hey, the office needs to be cleaned up, and this has to be dealt with, so why not? That entire shelf was filled with boxes. When I remembered to take a picture, I had already rearranged a few things. 

The media storage shelf

I removed several binders with a few CDs/DVDs in them. The binders, with their pockets, were put in the donation pile in case someone can find something to store in them. The CDs were placed in a "to be evaluated" pile. I found this box with a mishmash of CDs and DVDs. What a nightmare mess!!!

Another mess of CDs/DVDs

Oh, my --- if someone else had found that pile, they would have called me crazy. How many CDs did I see with drivers for decades-old products? So, some of them got pitched into the garbage very quickly. 

Drivers for OLD products

Some CDs were not labeled, so I loaded them into the drive to see what was on them. I found some super cute embroidery designs. I was going to place the CD aside, but then I thought that was ridiculous. So, I created a folder on my external hard disk and copied the data to the appropriate folder. Then, I tossed the disk into the garbage. 

Transferring data

As I tossed, I removed what paper I could from the cases. The paper went into the recycling, while the cases and the CDs went into the garbage. My office garbage has never been so full. NO -- I am not keeping them to make crafts! 

Filling the garbage with useless CDs

New CDs were still in their wrapping. No one wants CDs these days, so they were unwrapped, the paper removed, and into the garbage they went. I still have ONE box of discs to go through. I found "worthwhile" data on three discs, all of which were transferred to the external hard drive, and I'll go through them when I get to that point. Moving a hard disk is easy when it comes to downsizing! 

I even found a 3½" floppy drive. Yes -- I have a drive for that, so it'll get checked at some point. 

A floppy disk

I came across several data backups, but since the data was from 2001, I didn't think I needed to keep it. Out it went. I'm glad I stumbled across this mess and hope to get through it by the end of the week. 

Data backup from 2001

Opening up those jewel cases for the CDs brought back a memory. When I worked at HP back in the early 90s, CDs were becoming a big thing. As a company, like all other companies, you had tons (literally) of sales literature to deal with. How did you keep control of it all? That is NOT an issue today. My job was to keep track of all the hard copy literature in our office, which was filed on moveable shelving units. 

The BIG deal was when they put the PDFs (I'm guessing at that file format) of the literature onto CDs. Yahoo!!!! It was a breeze for everyone to have all of the literature. Gosh -- that would be 1990! Can you believe it- over 30 years ago? 

Anyway, I remember someone—probably someone from the corporate office—who came to teach us about CDs and how to retrieve the data, etc. We even got a lesson on how to open those jewelcases! I laugh about it now, but at the time, no one knew how to handle a CD properly. I think most of us knew how to handle a CD, but this person at corporate needed a job, and that was to show us how to use the CDs. LOL. 

This brings me to another training I had when I was working. I had just started at the Bank of Montreal. I was in the Head Office, which, at the time (late 1970s), had just received a new photocopier. OMG --- this was complicated (it wasn't actually), but we had a course on how to use it! It was the start of my high-tech learning!!!

It's funny how one memory triggers another, and we don't need stuff to enjoy those memories. I have NOT found the missing disc, and I suspect that if it still exists in our house, it's with M's stuff. It's just a bare CD, not in a case, so it could be anywhere. But I had a thought where I might be able to get a duplicate or at least the file that was on it. That's a job for later today. 

I'm so thankful that I'm dealing with this mess now. I cannot imagine dealing with this for someone else. Everything would just get tossed. I actually enjoy doing this, and the more I do it, the more I enjoy it. It's fun to get rid of stuff. There is a lot of satisfaction in it, and the resulting clean spaces are exciting. I'm enjoying the memories and then let it go! 

If you're tired of cleaning drawers, why not open a cabinet door and see what you find? Lots more happened in the office, but I don't have time to tell you this morning. 

I also did some paperwork—just logging in my recently read books and my KMs on the The Conquerer website. I resented doing these little computer tasks in the past, but now that they've become part of my daily routine, I'm OK with it. I do NOT need to sew all day. After almost 25 years, that frantic need to sew is out of my system! I barely seem to sew at all! 

I did get some sewing done, well, I got some quilting done, and I'll share that with you tomorrow. I'm on my way to spin class this morning. 

I mentioned that I had finished reading The Alchemist the other day. Well, guess what happened? When I went to log the book on my list, I saw that I had already read it! What? I know—and it was in 2020, so not that long ago. It must not have made a very big impression on me since not once did I have any inkling of deja vu while reading it, which I usually do. 

The book is already in my "read" database

The question is—was it intentional that I didn't remember any of it to "force" me to read it again? It is a book about life, after all, and could easily be reread, as I think you might get something out of it each time you read it. Or is my brain actually failing? I'll pick Option number 1, please! 

You can probably tell me your secrets, and I won't remember them after a day or two. 

Here's a question for you: What does one do with music CDs? I don't have many—they are all Christmas ones. I guess I make a Christmas playlist on Spotify, and I'm good to go. Or I could start listening to CHFI after November 11, when they switch to all-day, everyday Christmas music until December 5. The CDs will go in the garbage later today. 

Many other exciting things happened yesterday, but I've run out of time to tell you about them. Be sure to grab a new spot to tidy up today. It's essential to do something EVERY DAY!!!! Even if you consider yourself a hoarder and like lots of stuff, get it organized!!!! That's so important, and you can't tell me that EVERYTHING in your house is precious to you. That's a bunch of BS. Start getting rid of it -- your kids will love you for it!!! 

If you read that book by Messie Condo, she will shout that you need to start doing this cleanup! Saying you'll let your kids do it is totally irresponsible! It is YOUR mess, not theirs. They have enough of their own issues to deal with, and having to clean out your house while they are grieving is hugely selfish! 

I'm with Messie—cleaning up and clearing out the house is making me feel physically and mentally better. But it took a long time to get here. I started with baby steps over ten years ago. After what happened in the office yesterday, I can see hope that I WILL get it done!! It's just a matter of time and on my schedule. I'm good with that. 

On that happy note, I'm out of here. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

It's all about the numbers!

OH! I'm so confused now. 

I went back TWO months with the online data and in my Fitbit. I entered them into a spreadsheet, which didn't take too long. 

We get a summary from The Conquer monthly that gives us our monthly KMs and the running total for the year. 

In September, I was shorted by 52 KM, which is a lot. The number on the left is the number on the website, and the number on the right is the FitBit Number. 

And this was the summary from September. 

September summary

That number exactly matches what was online. So, yesterday, I manually added 52 km to make up the shortfall. 

Then, I did the same thing with October. Two days were not even entered, so I entered those manually. Trust me, I checked back and forth numerous times to double-check. 

This time (after the two days had been entered), I was shorted by 58 KM, so I also added that in. 

I got this summary this morning. Why is it the correct distance? WAIT—I get it. This summary came overnight, but it was generated after I added the extra km. And it's right on track. 

October summary

Yes - September was a very dismal month for walking. There was so much travel, and I was so tired at night that I couldn't get out as much. I will NOT be letting that happen again!

So yes, the system is shortchanging me. I had a wee panic attack this morning when I saw the 351 KM, but then I realized that I had dated the extra KM in October, which was generated including the extra. 

I have since stopped the auto-load and will enter the data manually, which isn't a big deal. But hey --- I set my goal for the year based on the Fitbit numbers, and I won't reach it if I rely on their translation. 

I attempted to post a question about this on the group, but it was DECLINED. I guess it's more of a support issue, and no one wants negative stuff on their happy Facebook group! I'm OK with that—manual data entry it is! 

My monthly goal is about 350 KM, so I'm back on track. I have 648 KM to get to the finish line. It should be easy as pie! 

You may think this is a petty detail, so why bother? It's important to me. Now that I realize what is happening, it'll be easy to stay on track for the remainder of the year. I may just keep manually entering the data forever. Would they let me ask that question—how many people manually enter the data versus autoload? And I wonder if other devices are more accurate than my old Fitbit Versa 2?

I think I'm caught up in the "urgent" paperwork, although I always seem to have emails to send and things to follow up with. And then there's just the daily stuff, which I have yet to learn where it comes from and has to be dealt with. Of course, I'm also playing catch-up on some stuff, but let's do a bit each day, and it'll get done. 

I'm also trying to catch up on some emails, but that's a lost cause. I love those emails that say, "Thank you for signing up," even though I've never heard of them before. Would I voluntarily sign up for a golf newsletter? Ah, no thanks. And unsubscribing from some is a lengthy process. I know it's not supposed to be, but it is.  

I managed to get one more quilt quilted. 

Community project quilt

It's now trimmed and in the pile of quilts to bind. Speaking of which, the other one that needed to be finished and sent? It's gone. I sent it via UPS in the event there is a postal strike. 

This morning, two quilts got the binding stitched to the back. 

Two quilts with binding stitched to the back

I need to do the same thing on two more flannel quilts. Then, during the day, I'll get the binding stitched to the front. 

Two more quilts to bind

I'm back on track to finish a few customer quilts this week. 

I have a table runner that also needs the binding stitched on. I did not get to the video. Well, I downloaded the three parts, and now I need to review them and edit out the bits that shouldn't be there. This is a job for later today. 

If I showed you a picture of those two messy tables, you would likely not see a difference, but I know that I'm whittling the piles down. I'll share a picture later this week so you can see my progress. I have some hand stuff I can take care of during the Monday sewing call. That's the best use of my time on a Zoom call, so all is good. How will I repair a pair of wool-felted slippers that need a more substantial sole? 

It's fantastic to be able to work without a heavy deadline. However, I'll have to put my puttering aside as I have some significant writing assignments due and am prepping for the coming weekend. Everything is good! Can you believe I'm enjoying my free time so much that I thought of a retirement date! A date when I can just sew for myself and not take pictures, write, or do stuff for others? Don't worry -- it's a few years away! 

Once the quilt was packaged up in a box, I walked it to the drop-off depot and got lots of steps for that! I love being able to do almost all my errands on foot. I have a few things on my kitchen island that need to be dealt with, including shipping a box to M. So I have to search for one more item, and then I can get that out the door. Bit by bit, that stuff of hers will go! Even if I have to pay for it all to be shipped - I want it gone!!!!

I just finished reading (audiobook) The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Hmm -- what an interesting little book. I swear the author used every cliche in the world within the book. While it's strange, it does have a lot of truths in it, but you have to be willing to be open to hearing what he is saying and almost to read between the lines. 

I will try to find his book, The Pilgrimage, his journey on the Camino. 

Well, that's it for me. I'm off to walk the dogs and find the meaning of life! But we do LOOK at the forest and notice the little details.

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!

You need space to bind a quilt

I thought about the stride thing yesterday with my KMs, and it's NOT the stride. I did measure that way back when I got a FitBit. I tried to verify it last night, but do you think I could find that in the app? Nope! 

The big issue is the translation from my FitBit records to the data on the Virtual Challenge site. It's sporadic, and I have no idea what's happening, but have a look and see what I mean. 

The data from the Virtual Challenge website for the last two days

For comparison, my FitBit for yesterday says 12.23 KM (instead of 11.68 - so close), but what's with the number of steps? I had 17,702 steps, not 4,986. 

And for the day before, I had 11.9 KM (not 9.99), and the steps were 15,472, not 12,116.

So why is that all cockeyed? THAT IS NOT CONSISTENT!!

Look at the difference in the steps versus the KM for those two days. Does that make sense to you? It doesn't to me. I will be short if this continues, and who knows how long it's been going on. I've not been this close to the end and being slightly behind, so I never paid attention to it before. I will calculate the KMs that Virtual Challenge calculated and then count what my FitBit collected. Then, I'll add the difference to the Virtual Challenge, and hopefully, that will bring me closer to my goal. OR I can enter the data manually, which I might do for the rest of the year; both will take a bit more time, but I'm OK with that. 

Why am I fussing? I'm sure a few of you are saying, "Get over it and move on." And yes, I could, but it's the principle of the thing. If my FitBit says 10 KM, but I'm only getting credit for 9, I want that extra K. I set my goal based on the FitBit numbers, and I'm being cheated!!!

I'll check with others to see if they have the same issue. 

I promised my binding class that I would make a video to show them how I do some of the techniques in detail. That got done this morning—FINALLY. Now, I need to edit it and remove some spots where things went awry. I've not done much video editing, so that will be my learning curve today. 

The quilt I chose was tough to do for the video as it was a flannel quilt, front and back, with a flannel binding. But why not show them the most difficult one rather than the easy one? The thing is—the technique is the SAME! 

The binding on the quilt

But here's ONE TIP that I'll share with everyone. If you are putting a binding on a quilt, and I don't care if you are planning to hand stitch it or to sew the entire thing by machine, do yourself a favor and USE AN EXTENSION table and have loads of room to support the quilt to the left of your machine. I can't imagine attempting it without somewhere for that quilt to rest while manhandling it through the machine. 

You need SPACE to bind a quilt

I do not sew on a fancy table. This is a $50 wooden banquet table that I've used for over twenty years. It is the BEST investment for my sewing room. It's hard to find wooden tables these days, but there are options. Even for sewing, a larger workspace is IMPORTANT—I would almost say critical to the success of your sewing. 

The quilt got quilted, but I had run out of steam by then, so it will get bound and in the mail today. There's a potential mail strike, so it might have to go by UPS. I can't share the front, but the quilting pattern is so perfect for it!!!!

The quilting on my secret quilt

So DH and I are getting back into the EXIT Game with one of the small games—only ten puzzles. We need to be warmed up for December 1 when we crack open the Advent Calendar. We've done pretty well on this game, looking at the clue only once and only the first of the three parts of that clue. We knew what we should have done; we just didn't do it. DRAT!!!

Well, last night, we got lucky! But I'm sure we would have figured it out the correct way. This scenario required us to find three numbers from these materials. 

How do I find three numbers in this?

It takes a moment for your brain to trigger what you need to do. We did it, and I looked up the answer, and the code was correct. But it bugged DH because he thought our logic was too random, and we've learned that NOTHING is random in these EXIT Games. I looked at the clue to see if our logic was correct. Oops --- we screwed up in two of the three numbers, but both of them gave the same number, so we were good! He wasn't impressed because I came up with obscure words, which still worked. Well, it's tough to explain, but the logic was there, and we had the correct reasoning, but not quite the same way! 

This goes to show that there is more than one way to do anything! The bottom line is that we solved the puzzle without looking at the clues! 

I got my Trendtex challenge the other day! I've known what I will do with it for a while. So yesterday, I designed the quilt and got the measurements, and all I need to do is start sewing! I cannot leave this until the last minute! There is a solid beige at the bottom of the pile. I would NOT have chosen those colors, but this is what they came up with this year. If you're not aware, the Trendtex Challenge is part of the CQA (Canadian Quilter's Association) annual show. 

The Trendtex Challenge

As I was looking through the basket of flannel that is the backing for the next group of community project quilts, look what I found. A ticket from when Wal-Mart sold fabric. The date is 2008!!! I bought four meters of flannel for a total of $17.08. 

A fabric ticket from years ago!

With all the talk about irons lately, I decided to clean up my irons. I have four that are in good working condition, two of which are brand new. I'm saving them until I need them. 

My irons and supplies

It was time to clean this iron, which I was going to use. It's a great iron, but the darn thing has these bursts of steam that drive me crazy. So I poured a whole lot of vinegar into it, as it desperately needed to be cleaned. 

It's a steam generator. I sat it on the kitchen sink, and it continuously generated steam for 20 minutes! All by itself. 

Generating steam!

There was a lot of junk in it. 

ICKY!!!!

Then I cleaned it off, and it seems to be working OK. 

Nice and shiny

I can't find the manual, so I'm going to try to find it online. But one very important thing about this iron—DO NOT use it until it has heated up! Oh yes, if not, it just gushes steam when it's not supposed to. Follow the guidelines for proper iron usage! 

Most of us say that our sewing machines do not mend clothes, but I fixed a small hole in the back of a pair of pants. The seam had originally been serged with a 5-thread safety, so there were two lines of stitching, but now it's fixed. 

Mending pants

I felt good that I'm not part of this fast-fashion craze. I will fix my clothes rather than throw them out. I wore my socks and gloves that I repaired the other day, and you would NEVER know they had been mended. They are comfortable to wear, meaning you can't feel the mended spots. I felt good that I was repairing it instead of throwing it out. 

With all the wind we had in the last couple of days, not many leaves are left on the trees, although it's still pretty to walk through the forest and see the leaves falling all around. However, this tree did NOT get the memo that it's fall! I don't think any of the leaves have dropped. 

This tree doesn't know it's fall

Well, there are loads on the agenda again today. I do what I can in a day, and if it doesn't get done, it doesn't get done. I'm just keeping up with the priorities and working from there. There is no rush, and there are no deadlines, although I have to think about what's on the agenda for next week. It is nice not to have a single commitment this weekend! 

On that happy note, I'm off to edit and figure out why the KMs do not translate well. 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

Shopping and sorting for a quilt project

You are so smart out there! I should check my stride length to see if that is causing the significant discrepancy in my numbers. I have to do something, as I'm getting close to the end of the year and still need KMs. 

Today, I'm going shopping in my stash! I recently started two new classes: Dear Jen and Spice Market. I LOVE the original colorway for Spice Market, and I have loads of orange and pink fabrics, so when I need to choose, I will just reach into the baskets and pull something out. Although, I may do this same exercise so I don't pick the same fabrics repeatedly. 

But when it came to Dear Jen, I struggled with what to pick for the colorway. I think I went through three different ones or variations of the same one before I settled on it. What did I end up choosing? I'm using black on white and white on black for the backgrounds. For the other part of the block, I'll be using solids. And while it sounds easy enough, I wanted to use as many different fabrics as I have. No need to buy anything new for this. 

So here's what happened. I have a basket of white on black and black on white, and I pulled it out and dumped it on the table. This gives me a good visual of what I have. I know lots of people fold their fabric and put them on boards so they stand upright. That would never work for me. I like to touch, feel, and see the entire print. For the most part, all of my baskets are neat. The basket of solids is the exception, and I am trying to figure out why. 

Shopping for fabrics

I sorted through and rejected some of them. I rejected those with equal amounts of black and white; a few were greyer than black. Back in the basket and back on the shelf they went. 

The rejects

I organized the black-on-white prints and put them in piles of ten to help with the counting process. I'm not sure why the one in the bottom left made it in this pile. It's pretty obvious it does not fit. There were 75 different prints. Sheesh!!!!

The black-on-white prints

Then I did the same thing with the white-on-black. I believe the other print got moved to this pile. I have 43 prints. 

The white-on-black

Then, I took the basket of solids and dumped it. 

The solids

I was only looking for bright colors, so I put all the neutrals back in the basket and put them back on the shelf. 

The rejected solids

I sorted the solids by color family (more or less). 

The solids are sorted into color families

I laid them out to see the range of color - anywhere from light to dark. So they are NOT all bright, but I think I can live with that. 

Laid out to see the variety of color

Here are all the solids. There are a lot more warm colors than cool colors. I wonder why? I have some solid FQ bundles, but I didn't break any of them open to work on this project. 

The solids that made the cut

Now, here's the part that I and other OCD people will struggle with. I want to avoid repeating the shopping process, so I'll leave the fabrics out until the quilt is complete. I found a tub for the black and whites, and the solids are sitting on a chair as I don't have a container for them. But I am going to keep them out until the quilt is done in June. Keep in mind that the pile will get significantly smaller every month as I pull to make the blocks. Once I'm done with the fabric, it goes into the stash room. 

The fabrics pulled for Dear Jen

So that unwieldy pile will be there for a while, but it should be significantly less by the end of this year, and I'll start by using those prints with the most yardage. 

I had to work out a system for how often each fabric gets used. I need to make 143 (more or less) blocks, so I will have to use each black-on-white to make two blocks. There are approximately 43 of the solids and the white-on-blacks, so they will be used three times each. I have a system (a bag with a note) for those still needing to be used the following month. 

Then, when I was sewing the other day, I got to the end of my block to discover that I was missing a square. 

Where's my last square?

Oops -- I sewed THREE pieces together, not two. 

Silly me!

Here are my first eight blocks for Dear Jen. 

Eight blocks for Dear Jen

When I chose the colors, I was trying to have a system, but I think that went out the window pretty quickly. 

I didn't want to use the same background with the same solid and look above and below. I managed to screw it up in the first month! 

Can you believe these two blocks are the SAME block? 

These two blocks are the same

And look—I messed up the colors yet again! That white on black has a lot of white spots! 

These two are the same, except I messed up the center on the first try. Neither of them looks like the block from the book! And who will know? No one, so I'm not sweating it!

And here they are again in a different configuration. 

My Dear Jen blocks

This round of blocks was very straightforward, except for the 1½" (trimmed) HSTs. But we can handle that! 

I have to start prepping for the next round of classes, which begins next weekend. Not this weekend—I still have lots of free days!!!

I will be speaking at the Durham Trillium Quilters' Guild on Monday, November 11, in Oshawa, so if you are around, be sure to come see me. We're going to chat about modern quilts! I can't wait!

While the mound of paperwork didn't diminish, I accomplished a lot, so that's always a positive. I managed to get the quilt top together and loaded it on the long arm, and now I'll have to quilt and bind it today. That should be a manageable task. 

What a crazy, windy day it was. The kids could have gone trick-or-treating in their summer clothes! I'm happy to report that Miss Murphy is feeling much better. The limp is almost gone, and while she's still a bit agitated, she's much calmer. Heck, she was always agitated to a certain degree. That girl is HYPER!!!

On that note, I'm out of here!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!