Can you stop the ageing process?

I think we all know the answer to that question. The aging process can't be stopped, but it can be slowed. Even though I was and always have been very active, there were certain things I was NOT doing for my body, and it was starting to show—big time. This was not just because of aging but also the issue with my leg/back—whatever it is. 

So I decided to take back my life! I started stretching more—not enough, but way more than before. I started lifting weights (I'm never going to have a six-pack, and I'm OK with that). And you know what? I've never felt better, especially in the last couple of years. Things just start sliding, and we're not even aware of it, and then one day, you wake up, and you're not independent anymore. 

Everyone can stretch! You don't have to get down on the floor - you can stretch in your chair. You could stretch in bed, but you need to stretch to maintain flexibility in your body. And that flexibility will help with balance (no one wants to fall!). Find a routine that works for you! 

As for weight training, I get that not everyone can go to the gym, but you can get resistance bands and use those at home. Again, this can be done from your chair or just standing up next to a counter for support. You can do it while watching TV, so you don't even have to miss out on anything. But seriously, it can help turn the clock back! 

My legs feel stronger and definitely more reliable. There are times when the issue in my leg/back is gone, like this morning. I feel so much better after that workout yesterday. I know it won't sustain that, but it is getting better. The best news? No medication! 

Yes - it's easy to take a pill for any ailment, but at what cost? And I don't mean monetary costs! Living better means better mobility, mental health, independence, and hopefully, a longer and happier life! Trust me, I have issues -- two knees with torn meniscus or other tendon issues, a shoulder, and an elbow that are not happy. A neck tighter than a bow string on a violin, but thankfully, no headaches. And that leg/back issue. But you know what? I work around it because my independence is important to me. 

If one exercise at the gym hurts, then we try another one that doesn't. It's easy! 

To change topics, here's something simple, but we don't always figure it out! It's about remembering to do things. If that thing is not in a location that works for you, you will never make it happen. A case in point is that silly bone density medication, which I am committed to taking for the next year to see what happens. My goal is to get off that medication because I don't want to take it if I don't need to. I'm hoping that with weight training, I can eliminate the problem. So, the medication is now in my vitamin tray, and when I get out of the daily vitamins, I can remember to take that pill on Sunday morning. 

The same is true for the podcast. It's in the same folder as my audiobook app, so it's easy to remember to open that up and listen to two podcasts a day. Before that, I would forget because the app wasn't in the right spot. 

If something isn't working, try a new place, routine, or whatever to make that a part of your daily life! It has made a massive difference for me. 

I am very productive in the early morning and have resented giving it up (three days a week) to go to the gym. But I'm over that; getting back in good shape is more important than sewing. GASP!!! Hey -- if I'm not mobile, I will have difficulty sewing! 

I had fun playing with my digital cutters yesterday! There are so many things I want to make and so little time! I will share what I made with you after tomorrow, as I want to share it with the digital cutter group FIRST. 

Cutting stuff on the Momento

But I learned something while doing that project. I NEED to sort through all my papers. Oh my -- I have a lot of paper, but is it organized? Nope! So, I need to spend some time sorting through it so it's easy to find when I want something. I've got colored paper, plain cardstock, and so much more! All different sizes, and it's on shelves, but not neatly. I don't think I've ever shown you that area, and I'm not sure I want to. It's a bit of a mess!

Paper to sort

As I searched, the old part of me said, "Just go to the store and get exactly what you want." The new me said, "No. You have something here that will work," and the new me was right! 

Yesterday, I had several errands to run, so that was the basis for my walk. I'm so glad I'm able to incorporate the errands into my daily walk. For almost everything, I have stores or services close to me to satisfy almost all my needs. On occasion, I need to take the car. Bookstores, doctors, hospitals, dentists, post offices, grocery stores, furniture stores, clothing stores, thrift stores, etc. are all within walking distance. 

However, I will say something about that. I think I seriously started walking in 2020 or 2019. I'm not sure, but before that, walking to Tim's (less than 1 km) away was a BIG deal. It was a special day when I walked there and back. Actually, I think it was when we got these two crazy dogs that I started to walk more seriously. That would be about 8 years ago. Walking only to Tim's now would be a piece of cake. 

It's all about baby steps. You don't just decide to run a marathon—you need to train for it. So, smaller walks to build up your stamina, both physical and mental, are so important! 

And those crazy dogs of ours are—well, they are just crazy. Murphy just loves to play with her bear, and she ALMOST got this one out of the house. As Lexi was coming in, and the door was open, she grabbed that bear and made a beeline for the door. I managed to get the door shut with the bear still inside! But once the warmer weather hits, that bear will be outside! 

MOM - my bear needs fresh air!

Lexi is learning to love her bed. She spends more and more time in it. She's just not happy with any change, and I spotted her on the floor beside DH's chair last night rather than in the bed. Gosh, she needs to be brushed! She's one big ball of fluff. I must remember to take her brush with me and brush her in the forest! 

MOM - just chilling! 

I'm looking for a small table to replace the rickety TV table in the family room, and I spied these footstools. They are made in India and cost $50. WOW --- so lovely - I wouldn't want to sit or put my feet on them! I found various tables, but I need to measure them for height, so I'll go back. If I buy one, I'll need to pick it up with the car. They are a bit heavy to carry home. I don't want a repeat of that watermelon incident! That almost killed me. 

Beautiful footstool

But it reminds me of an incident years ago in Montreal. Does anyone remember Consumer Distributors? They were a catalog store. You would look through the catalog and write the product SKUs on paper, and the staff would go into the back and pull the items. I worked in Old Montreal and took the Metro to work every day. I bought a set of dumbbells! Hand weights. I don't remember their weight, but I had to carry those silly things MANY blocks from the store to work! Then I took them home one at a time! What an idiot!!! 

I needed to take some photos of things with a lot of shine on them and figure out how to hold my reflector screen. I could have placed the screen on its stand, but I was lazy. So I improvised, using the tables to hold the screen and putting the items on the floor. Then, I used the voice commands for my phone to take the picture. It worked for me! 

Taking pictures

The podcast I'm listening to is so entertaining and makes me laugh so many times that I forget what I'm doing, which is quilting a small piece that has been sitting here forever. It needs to be done NOW. The quilting has taken me 1½ hours, and I probably have one more hour. Like, why didn't I do it before? 

A little bit of piecing was done before I put the quilting thread on the machine. All is good!

All is good, and there are no Zooms today, so I've got the entire day to myself, which is good because I have a lot I want to accomplish!! 

Remember, look at something in your life today that isn't working. How can you arrange things differently so that it becomes part of your life? And don't forget those stand-up/sit-down exercises. They are so important! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Improvements to physical mobility

I swear Brooke (my personal trainer) is trying to kill me! Her philosophy is, let's just sneak a bit more weight on there when Elaine isn't looking! But all is good, and my mobility continues to improve. I'm not so sure about the tightness in my muscles, but I can only hope! I need to do more stretching at home, but there are definite improvements, so all the hard work is worth it!

I don't want to say that yesterday was a total bust because there was some significant learning involved, some sewing, but not much on the paperwork front. So I need to prioritize that, but my paperwork time was eaten up by a dentist appointment and then a meeting. 

But that's OK -- it'll all work out. 

I managed to sew two bindings to two quilts. All that is left is to topstitch the bindings in place. That's excellent progress, and perhaps I can get those two done later today, although I have many other things that are of higher priority than this. 

The binding attached to two quilts

After looking at the bookcase in the office to find a place for that box of magazines sitting on the floor, I spied this area. 

An empty space in the office

Boxes are hidden within doors! I had a quick peek through the blue box and eliminated some stuff very quickly. Oh my, it gets so much easier the more you toss. 

Then, I was able to move this box from another shelf into that void. Like many other boxes in this place, it is NOT full, which is good news. So, I crammed some stuff in it to help reduce visual clutter! I know—wrong! But in the essence of time, it was all I could do. 

The box is NOT full - yeah!

But look at the amount of dust on that box. It's not one that I go into frequently, so almost all the paper in it could go, but I want to look at it first. That's my quirk, and I'm allowed. I have made so much progress in the last while that my method works. It's just slow and steady, and I'm OK with that. 

A little bit of dust

Now the magazines are sitting on this shelf. YES, they will get dusty, but I frequently go back to them to dig out a pattern for someone, so all is good. And they are much more convenient here than where they were. And YES, I should digitally capture all those patterns so I can eliminate the magazines, and I will at some point. 

The magazines with my patterns are moved!

I pulled some paperwork from the box of magazines that needed to be dealt with. There is no need to keep those contracts; all of them can go. But again, I like my slow and steady method. I sort the GOOS paper (good on one side) for the printer. Some papers are in the shredding pile, and some go in the recycling. That makes me feel good about my actions, so don't ask me to change. And I'm making it happen, so there is no need to change and no rush to make it happen. 

And there's my sweet Murphy who is adjusting to the new placement of her dog bed. She attempted to get in Lexi's bed to check it out and was promptly chased out by her parents! Lexi is still slightly leary of the new bed, but she'll warm up. She just needs time to make adjustments in her life. 

Mom - I like this new spot for my bed! 

And despite the fact that the city's golf courses opened yesterday, we had snow! Not a lot, but enough to make the roads wet. But we can live with wet; I just don't want slippery! 

OK -- so we got cocky on the EXIT GAME Graphic Novel. Puzzles one and two were easy. Puzzle three? Not so much! We may have to bend and look at a clue later today! 

Our gas prices are down significantly because of the elimination of the carbon tax. But you still have to watch your prices. On my way to the gym (before 5 AM), I spied a price of 130.6 a litre on two gas stations across the road from each other. On the way home (6:30 AM), the price had already dropped to 128.6. And yesterday, in the afternoon, I saw it at $1.20. It's absolutely crazy how much it fluctuates in one day! 

On that happy note, I'm out of here. I've got a little bit of catching up to do, and I need to clear this desktop if it kills me. 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

Out with the old!

Did you notice what I missed yesterday? As I was walking the dogs, where I get my most profound thinking done, I realized that if I don't change the pharmacy on my chart at the doctor, they will merrily send the next prescription to the old pharmacy, which hopefully won't be for a year, but I'll forget by then. So I called the doctor to make that change. Good grief - they need the fax number. FAX? I didn't have that, but when I went to pick up the prescription, I got the fax number, so that's on my list of people to call today. 

It was a totally insane day, but I accomplished a lot. I even got some sewing done, and since I can't or don't really want to share what I'm sewing now, I specifically sewed something I could share with you. 

Remember the stack of quilts that need binding? Oh boy --- I was going to have that done in December, and they are still sitting there. So, I got one binding done this morning! 

One quilt is bound!

With the craziness of the days, I don't get to the sewing machine until late in the afternoon. But progress is being made, and that's all that counts. 

Okay, so I might become hooked on podcasts and want to give up audiobooks. The hardest thing about change is remembering that I'm trying to make a change. With the podcast app in my library folder on my phone, it's easy—I open the folder for something to listen to, and I pop open the podcast app. The podcast is on Patreon, and I had to pay for it, but it was well worth it! 

OH MY GOSH --- it's hilarious, and I laugh out loud when I listen. I have hours and hours of this podcast to listen to, so it will take a while to catch up, but I'm trying to listen to two episodes each day. They are hilarious, entertaining, and exciting to hear as this young couple dismantles and rebuilds their house. Looking back, I think they were so naive, and that's part of the draw. But they are good at what they do; naive or not, they have learned a ton!  

While I also follow them on Instagram and Facebook, the podcasts provide so much more information that is not possible on the other platforms. 

I may have to find another one once I'm caught up on that series. Hmmm --- what kind do I want to listen to? Quilting? Maybe. But I don't think I want to listen to someone being interviewed. Good grief—I want people to tell me their stories. Well, I suppose that's like an interview. I'll test out a couple, so if you have a good one, particularly not a quilting one, I'll test it out. To be honest, I was even thinking of a political one. Politics has changed a LOT, and we need to know what we are voting for and about! This is NOT your grandparents' politics we're talking about. Even the roots of the two main parties are no longer what they used to be! Remember - we have an election in a couple of weeks. 

And it's not that I'm against quilting podcasts—not at all. Quilting has consumed my life for 25 years, and I want to listen to and do things besides quilting. 

With my noise-canceling headphones, I can easily sew and listen the same way as if it were an audiobook. I'm hooked!

Then, it became a day of drop-offs and pickups! I received this bag of quilt tops for community projects that need to be quilted. I told this person I would do that for her in exchange for her taking a huge pile of scraps from me. I have someone who recently got a long arm and is looking for quilt tops to practice on. It's a perfect match! 

Quilt tops to be quilted

So I'll find some backing in my stash, piece together some batting, and all will be good. AHA—I know what you're thinking. Why don't I just give Diana some of the quilt tops that Diane made? I can't do that, as Diane had a cat, and that will not work because of allergies, which is very unfortunate. 

This will work, but I have some work cut out to prep those quilt tops. I also gave out some stuff from the Pony Express that had been waiting for this drop-off. 

Then, I had to bundle up some equipment I no longer needed. Some of that left the house yesterday, and more will go today. It feels good to get some of this stuff moving, as I'm running out of room. It took me a few minutes to locate a basket of accessories for one piece, but all is good! It's not that I'm running out of room, but things look messy! 

That resulted in shifting more stuff downstairs, but everything is currently up and running—at least what I need. The stuff is not in its permanent place, but there is not really a permanent place for anything in Studio B. 

I had managed to get my desk pretty clear, and most of the paperwork was up-to-date, but by the end of the day, look at the mess. So now, I'll spend part of the day clearing up this stuff. I swear, it's like a merry-go-round. It's hard to stay on top of everything that happens daily. 

This accumulated yesterday

Then, I needed to dig out some magazines, as I was looking for a particular issue. I went to the box in the office where the issues where my work was published are kept. Oh boy—there are a few. 

I sorted them by title. There are twelve titles in total, and within each title, there are multiple issues. I was quite prolific there for a time, but I do not have time to do that at the moment, so it's been a while since I submitted anything. 

Places I've been published

That's not entirely true, as I continue to submit to A Needle Pulling Thread for every issue. I could NOT find what I was looking for, so I went downstairs to look for more magazines. Oh—shoot—there were about 10 more issues that should have been in this pile, and can you believe it? I found what I wanted in the second-to-last magazine! Of course! 

And let's not forget the Tech Tip series I wrote for A Needle Pulling Thread way back! Yes -- I've done a lot of writing for blog posts and magazines over the last fifteen years. I made the cover of several issues but I was never about getting the cover, I was just excited to be in the magazine! 

I need to put that box to rest. And instead of those magazines being in a box on the floor, could I find a better home for them? Hmmmm --- I'm surveying the space, and I'm going to find a better home. It's ridiculous to have that box on the floor. It's one of the last boxes on the floor in the office, and it's time to make it go away. Stay tuned for that. 

Other stuff went out of the house yesterday. I decided I was done with all those couches hanging out in the family room, so I called the junk people. They were quick, and I got rid of stuff in the family room, the basement, DH's old chair, and the garage. I might as well make good use of them while they were here. 

Bye-bye junk

One of the guys asked if we were getting new furniture. Nope - we already have it. We're becoming minimalists. Less is better. So this is our family room now. The only furniture in it is the built-in bookcase, the two theatre chairs and an ottoman. That's it! We don't need more! 

There's not much in the family room for furniture

Miss Lexi got a new bed. It arrived yesterday. She doesn't look too happy, but she will be fine. She stayed in her kennel all day. She does not like all the kerfuffle in the house, so she stays out of the way and didn't even go near the bed, even though she knew it was hers as her dog blanket was in the new bed. 

But when she went out before bed and then came back in? She hopped right up there to test it out. 

MOM -- is this my new bed?

She sat for a long time, and I swear I saw her wistfully looking up to see where her couch was. 

Mom - where's my couch?

But she eventually lay down, and I spotted her in the bed this morning, so I think all is good, and hopefully, I'm forgiven. It fits perfectly beside the chairs and doesn't look too messy. I moved Murphy's big bed (not the window seat one) into the family room on the other side of the chairs. She hasn't gotten into the habit that that is her spot in that room, but she will. She did NOT even attempt to go near Lexi's bed. 

Mom - this is pretty comfy!

And guess what? The wine fridge is gone from downstairs! Yeah!!! Of course, the two men carried that thing up like it weighed nothing! 

The wine fridge is gone

So that clears up another corner in the house. It was stored in one of the small closets at the end of the area where the long arm sits. Now, the toolbox can be moved out of the way, and all is good. There is NOTHING going on in this area—it will remain like this. 

Lots of empty space

DH was out last night, so I did my computer work in the family room. I got organized and loved the arms on those new chairs to put things on. We need a more elegant TV table on wheels, so I'll pop to HomeSense to see if I can find anything that works. 

Ready to do some computer work

When I sat down, Miss Murphy arrived and DEMANDED that I remove my socks so she could lick my feet. That dog has a foot fetish, to be sure! And she is persistent and insistent! 

MOM -- take your shoes off! Now!

This was the message in my tea yesterday. 

A quote

Do they mean that realistically, as in real storms and rain, or is it related to life in general? I read somewhere that humanity cannot live with total peace and calm. Our brains can't handle that, and we intentionally mess things up—which we do very nicely! How often, when things are calm, do we throw a monkey wrench into the mix? It seems to be the norm. 

It's funny how I have plans for each day and easily get off the rails with something. That's why everything takes so long for me to accomplish. There is so much research and investigation, but I love it all! 

And on that note, I'm off to walk the dogs and then to the dentist. Oh yeah! 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

Follow-up!

In this insane world of ours today, what is the biggest timewaster?

OK -- after social media! 

It's follow-ups! 

It doesn't seem to matter what you do these days, but everything requires follow-up. You can't seem to accomplish a single thing without some form of follow-up, and it can suck up so much time. 

Like my new theatre seating, which came with no trays, but that is all taken care of now. 

Like going to the doctor to renew that prescription and having to follow up because it got sent to the pharmacy, but I wanted to change that pharmacy. 

I'm happy to report that I walked to the pharmacy yesterday and asked them to request that the prescription be transferred to them. It took the lady a few minutes to make the call, and then she had to wait for the transfer. I then popped to the grocery store and the post office, and before I left the grocery store, I got a text saying that my prescription was ready for pick-up. 

That would NEVER happen that quickly at the other pharmacy. I'll go today to pick it up! So that was a positive change, but one more detail that had to be taken care of! 

I bought DH a new chair (gaming chair), and it arrived on our doorstep the other night. No one rang the doorbell to alert us that it was there, but the huge box was sitting on the step when he took Murphy out for a pee (on a leash in the front yard). 

I had the joy of assembling it yesterday. 

Some assembly required

There are a lot of pieces to assemble a chair, and it took me a bit of time to find the instructions. Once the chair was together, it was NOT high enough, so now I have to follow up on that. Either it gets returned, or we are able to get a different part for the stem. Sigh...

Murphy helping to assemble the new chair

And the list goes on and on. 

The other very strange thing that happened yesterday was that I attempted to clear the backlog of class follow-ups. It's almost all done except for two emails. I composed one of them, including some missing information that was very long overdue. 

Then I stared at the screen in horror as the characters disappeared one by one as if someone had their finger on the backspace button. I tried to stop it, but as soon as I let the mouse click go, it continued, and within 30 seconds, the entire message was gone! So, I rewrote half of it and will deal with the other half this morning. 

I keep a pending folder on my desk, and going through that or the emails is a nightmare with follow-up. I'm trying to move any email that requires action into a digital pending folder, and that is helping, but I'm still missing so much. Well, I'll do what I can. But I hate follow-ups. Well, hate is a strong word. Let's just say that it's nice to do something and not have to follow up with it!

Since I finished that audiobook, I decided to try some podcasts. I have one that I've been meaning to listen to for a year! I listened to two episodes yesterday, and it's a nice change from listening to an audiobook. I even moved the app into my library folder on my phone so I would see the icon when I went to find something to read. Sometimes, it's all about how things are stored. Putting that app in the social media folder did nothing for me. But now? I think this is going to work. 

I managed to get more sewing done, which is great, but alas, there is nothing I can share at the moment. I need to start working faster! That's all I can say! 

OH -- more follow-up! That darn TV has caused me a ton of extra work. Ordering chairs, getting those missing tray tables, not to mention all the extra time spent cleaning up! But look at how sweet this girl is, as she rests like a diva on the old sofa! 

Mom - this is so comfy!

Now I have to call to arrange a pick-up of everything we no longer want. I also had to order Lexi a new bed to replace the couch that is going away. She is not going to be happy, but it will look so much better. And I still need to remove all the boxes in the front hallway. Tomorrow! 

So here's the progress on my VIRTUAL walk across the US. I started where the big green sign is and have walked/spin class 1,746 KM so far this year. I'm ahead of my pace (120 km), which is the red marker, but that is OK. It's good to be a bit ahead, as catching up can be challenging. 

Progress on my virtual walk

The spin classes allow me to do such an aggressive walk, and there will be days when I can't get to class, so it should all work out. I have until the end of 2027 to complete this walk. And if, near the end, I'm far enough ahead, I might just move the finish line back to the start line. The goal was to walk through all contiguous land states of the US. Let's say that required a LOT of follow-up as I had to make several attempts before I got the path through all 48 states. 

And on that happy note, I'm out of here! What follow-up can I work on today? Oh yes, there are five emails I MUST get out the door today. I'll also pick up the prescription and a book from the library for DH, and I'm sure something else will pop up! But I do my errands as part of my walk, and everything works out for me! 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!

Why are hospitals like a maze?

That was easy, and I got home about 12 minutes later than I anticipated! Thankfully, the hospital where the MRI was done was only 15 minutes away, and I arrived in plenty of time to find parking. Not that the parking lot was full, but I had no idea where it was (in the back), and then I had to walk around to the front to enter through Emerg since the hospital is locked up at 5 a.m. Then, the big question was how to find the Diagnostic Imaging Department. 

Thankfully, that was a non-issue as it was clearly marked on the big dots on the floor. I didn't even have to ask anyone, which is good because I didn't see a soul, except for a few patients waiting in Emerg. 

A path of dots to direct the way

Even within the DI department, markers were on the floor to indicate where you needed to go for each test.  

More dots on the floor

But it kind of begs the question—why are hospitals like mazes? Can they not have a central hallway, and you walk down one hall to find everything? It's like they started with one building, then added many more, and each one has twists and turns. However, this dot system is brilliant! 

AHA -- Now I get why there is a longer wait for MRIs. If you've ever had one, you know. I got on the bed, and the guy was arranging my feet (he said he was tying my legs down!), and then they put this weighted thing on my stomach. And you get a call button and earplugs. Imagine my shock when he said the test takes 20 - 25 minutes!!!! I didn't remember it being that long the last time I had one, but it's been almost 10 years. WOW! So, if they can only process two patients an hour, that takes a lot of time, and you can see why they don't want anyone to miss their appointment. 

So, off with anything metal, and while changing, I learned something else. Did you know this was a thing? 

Magnetic lashes

It appears I lead a very sheltered life! Well, no worry about removing my magnetic lashes! I'm not claustrophobic and didn't find it a super tight space, although I mostly kept my eyes closed. Although the noise is crazy -- beeps that sound URGENT like an alarm. That alone could set someone off! Towards the end, but I didn't know that at the time, this beeping started again. I decided to count the number of beeps, but I got bored around the 60 mark, and it continued. About that same time, I could feel my throat get dry, and you were not supposed to move. Yikes! 

I didn't want to use the call button. That would be wimpy, so I did what I do whenever I need to get away. I just zoned out. You just relax and drown out any of the noise and discomfort. I've done that with severe asthma attacks, childbirth, and whoever else I've needed it. Our minds are MORE powerful than our bodies, and if we let our minds take over (in a positive way), they can defeat much of the pain and discomfort. And I'm darn good at it now. I think part of it has to do with being patient. 

Anyway, after many beeps, the machine finally shut off, the table moved out, and I was done! There was no waiting, and all was good. I was back in the car and out of the parking lot before 6 a.m. Now, that's how I like medical appointments to go, and if it means going for an MRI in the early morning or even in the middle of the night, I'm in!

The screening said left hip, but I sure hope they got some of the back area so they can see if there is anything wrong. I had to stop in to see my doctor yesterday to get that prescription renewed, and I reminded her I was going today. She said she thought it might be bursitis. NO—I know it is NOT bursitis. That is a very focused pain, and what I have is NOT focused. Hopefully, I'm going to get the information I need. 

Speaking of the prescription, I walked to the doctor's office and got her to give me a year's worth of that bone density medication with one renewal. Yeah! But then she whipped that prescription off to the drug store before I could say boo. I would have the receptionist change the pharmacy, but she was gone for the day. I caught the doctor before she grabbed the next patient, and she said I could get the pharmacies to talk to each other. I hope so. 

This pharmacy that I'm not a fan of takes forever to fill a prescription, but I thought, just in case, I should stop by since it was on my way home. I talked to the pharmacist, who looked up the information. Oh yes -- she says, that one just popped up on my screen. Did that mean, she was about to fill it? I didn't even bother to ask. I told her I'd get the other pharmacy to call them and transfer it. I'm going to do that in person. I don't trust people on the phone! Am I old or what? 

So, all is good in the medical field, and now I have to wait about two weeks for the results. Let's see how bad the damage is and what, if anything, can be done about it. I'm not holding my breath - I think we just have to realize that there is some form of disk degeneration, and not a lot can be done. The discomfort can be eased but not eliminated. Hopefully, my pessimism will pay off, and they might say we have a cure for that! What I'm experiencing now is NOT nearly as bad as it was at Christmas time. I could NOT live with that pain. Although my situation is not right, I could live with this discomfort. 

I had not been down this way in a while, and I see there is some new building going up. This is where a restaurant once resided, but it burned down several years ago. It's nice to see something going up—and not a condo! 

A new restaurant? 

So, there's more good news at the house. The tray tables for the new chairs arrived. Now it's just like at the movies! We have two—his and hers! 

The new chair tables

I got some more sewing done, so that was good, and I got all the sashing strips cut from the fabric. All is good, and I'm not going to share with you what happened to that quilt until after I share it with the group at the beginning of May. 

My sashing strips for Chatsworth

I also need to work on this quilt, which is different from the one I'm working on for Many Blocks. That one is also by Lori Holt, but it's Farm Girl Vintage. This one is Vintage Christmas. 

Vintage Christmas

I'm trying to keep my calendar relatively free and book only one thing each day at the most. So today's appointment/event is already over, so I can move on. There is NOTHING else on the calendar for the day, but that doesn't mean I have nothing to do! There are loads! 

I finished that audiobook yesterday—The Inmate by Freida McFadden. Remember I talked about a twist? Yep, I did not see that one coming! Her books are so creepy from the perspective that someone can have some very evil thoughts! 

We have some crazy weather here, but I've been so lucky. Last week, when I had two back-to-back guild lectures, the first was in person, and the weather was beautiful. The next day, the weather was crap, and the lecture was on Zoom! 

This morning, as I was driving home from the hospital, they said the driving was terrible, and the entire east side of the city was icey. Thankfully, I live on the west side, and it is as dry as a bone! 

And that's it for today! I have an entire day to myself—it's positively dreamy! I hope I don't freeze with no deadline to deal with. Oh, I have deadlines, just no appointments. I need to work better with that!

Have a super day!!! 

Ciao!!!

Switching up quilt projects is a good thing!

Good grief -- I am NOT nervous about this MRI, but it's obviously in my subconscious as I had another dream, and this time, I was headed for surgery. Yesterday afternoon, I got a reminder call from the hospital about the appointment, which is very early tomorrow morning. In my surgery dream, the hospital gowns were see-through? Too much Janet Evanovich (I just finished Now or Never #31), and I seemed to have bathroom issues (I had a conversation with my Mom earlier in the day about that very thing, but it was her, not me!) I love how the brain mixes thoughts together and creates a wild story. 

Perhaps that is how some of these crazy women authors develop their plots. Hmm—I'm listening to a Frieda McFadden book right now, and there is still over one hour left, and the supposed murderer has been caught. Hmmm—there is obviously a big twist coming. I was trying to think of what that could be, and BAM—as I walked into Studio B this morning, the answer came to me. 

Hopefully, I have time this afternoon to finish that book. Let's see if I'm right. 

My internet has been perfect for all of the February and March presentations. I had zero issues. But all of a sudden, it's starting to act up. I was almost finished with my last call on Saturday and my last call on Sunday, and I was kicked out and couldn't get back in. Why is that? I need to call our provider anyway for something else. We have moved the router about four feet to the left and three feet higher than where it was previously, but you can't tell me that's enough to throw it out of whack. 

I'll see how it goes this morning with Monday Sewing. 

I've been working on the 365-day Quilt as part of my Many Blocks project, similar to a UFO finishing class. It's a ton of work, and I don't feel like I'm accomplishing much in the time I spend on it. I could technically stop after any of the rounds. It currently looks like this. Spending time on it is challenging as it's time-consuming and very little to show for many hours of work.  

My 365-day quilt project

Many small 3" (finished) dark green blocks have been made and need to be added to this center block. Two rounds of the 3" blocks will create a 6" border. Some of the next round of blocks (Light 6" blocks) have also been completed. After a discussion with some of the UFO group, I've decided to take a break from that project and pick something easier where I can actually see some progress. 

This is my new project. I actually pulled this out a while ago—remember that I couldn't find the missing box of fabric? 

Farm Girl Vintage

I pulled it out, certain that all I had left to do was sew the blocks together. Hmm—imagine my surprise when I realized that not all the blocks were done. But hey—they are cut out, so that should be easy. 

Blocks are cut out

Not so! I found three blocks cut out, one of which was missing the background fabric, which I now have in my possession. Here is one of those three blocks together, and the second one is almost together. 

One more completed quilt block

Then I continued to look through the book because it's pretty thick with stuff. 

The book with the finished blocks inside

And I found many completed blocks. 

Completed blocks for Farm Girl Vintage

I taught this as a class some years ago (2016) and created a Canadian Flag to replace the American Flag block. 

My Canadian Flag block

Alas, it seems that 16 blocks are neither done nor cut out. But I'm going to own this project and get it done! 

I also found these two blocks in the book. 

Two bonus-size blocks

I think I was planning on making this Quilt. 

The tractor/pinwheel quilt

So the question is, what do I do with those two big blocks? I have loads of fabric that I could use to make this tractor quilt. I could also switch to making log cabin blocks to surround the tractor and lay them out in the fields and furrows setting. 

Hmmm --- what to do with them. 

But I feel much better and more excited about this project. It's not that I do not want to finish the 365-day Quilt. It's a challenge, and I need to keep it in the background, but I need to take a break from it—even a mental break—is good! 

The price of gas has drastically dropped in the last week. It's all a political game, but I'm not complaining. Not that we go through a lot of gas in this household. Moving to one vehicle was definitely the thing to do for us! I think it is working because we sold both our other cars. Even though mine was still good, this car was bought together, and so it's our car. That makes a massive difference in sharing a vehicle with a significant other. A car is not a status symbol for me at all. It's something to get you from one place to another. 

Gas prices have dropped

I managed to get some sewing done in the afternoon, and this was the board holding my Chatsworth pieces. Yes, that means progress was made. These remaining fabrics need to be cut for some sashings, which I hope to do later today. That will clear up a huge spot on the sewing table! 

The board where Chatsworth used to sit

After a two-month hiatus from the EXIT games, we're back! DH has even asked when we were going to start again. This one is a bit different. It's a graphic book, and we need to follow the clues in the book to solve the mystery. The storyline is linear, but the pages are not. You are switching all over the place. 

Our new EXIT Game Challenge

Did you notice the difficulty rating? 

Difficulty rating

They must have made the first puzzle easy to make us feel like champs! So far, so good! 

 It's going to be another action-packed day. There is a lot to do, and I had better organize myself to make it happen. Plus, I have two quilt challenges that I MUST work on every day to complete! 

The blog might be a bit late tomorrow. My appointment is at 5:15 AM, and I imagine they run pretty much on time. But I'm not sure, so I may be late getting back. No need to panic if you don't see it right at 7:30! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!