Read ALL the instructions

I need to spend a bit of time this morning answering the comments. So many good comments!! Thanks so much - I appreciate them all! And I especially appreciate you following me along with my craziness! I don't write for you - I mostly write for myself. That sounds somewhat unusual, especially when it's published for everyone to see. 

But I write because it helps to clear my brain, which would explode if I didn't get some of this silliness, creativity, and knowledge out of my brain! I've also used it to follow up on things because, let's face it, with so much stuff going on, it's easy to forget. 

It's an easy activity to keep my brain stimulated, even if AI is helping me with the editing. Don't worry - I will NEVER let AI write the blog. I use it for editing, so you won't have to suffer through bad grammar and spelling mistakes. There are days when I love AI and days when I hate it because it tries to turn my sentences around and say something that is NOT what I am trying to say! 

I wonder if AI is reading my sentiments about it and forming opinions about me? Of course it is!!

Speaking of writing, I am finally back to my writing assignments and have made good progress yesterday and so far today. I have to get back in picture-taking mode, and sometimes that is the most challenging job of all. I take what I think is a good picture, but when I review it, it's not what I want or I have forgotten some element, or even worse, there is something in the background that I don't want there. So lots to keep me busy. 

I have a goal in mind, and I'll accomplish as much as I can today. I would LOVE to be done by Thursday afternoon, which is doable! Just FOCUS!

Did I get any more tidying up done? Absolutely NOT! I wanted to finish the last seam ripping task, and I focused on it for Monday's sewing. Then, I had to work on my writing assignment. 

I have known for a long time that sewing on a Zoom call doesn't work for me. I end up chatting and not getting much done. I have a stack of cutting, pressing, ripping, or other small hand projects that I can work on, which allows me to get work done while chatting with the groups. 

What am I ripping? Well, it's this. This is my Cherrywood Challenge for the Prince theme, which was several years ago, in 2019. I never finished it, and it sat there unquilted. I decided to add it o my UFO list and my goal a couple of months ago was to quilt it. I did it with a swirly pattern, but there wasn't really enough room between the raindrops to get a good flow, and I hated it. 

My Prince-themed Cherrywood Challenge

So I ripped it out. Now I need to find a design so I can quilt it again. I was contemplating hand quilting it in straight vertical lines. WAIT - I first contemplated quilting it in straight vertical lines by machine. But imagine all the stops and starts that would be! Then I thought of hand quilting, and that would still take some time, but at least it would be easier to travel from one raindrop to another or behind the raindrops. 

I managed to finish ripping out all the quilting yesterday. Now I have the absolutely delirious, crazy idea of removing all the raindrops and aligning them in vertical straight lines in some form of a pattern. Then I could quilt a straight line between the columns of raindrops, and I could stitch a line connecting the columns of raindrops. Those raindrops are fused down with a satin stitch. I was thinking of a triple stitch on the sewing machine and adding some sequins to give it sparkle. 

I know it sounds ridiculous to do that, but that is how my brain works. I really want that look now, and I'm not a fan of what I did. Can I live with it? I suppose I could, but I think it could be better. I'm going to try to lift one of those raindrops off and see what happens. How much adhesive will mark/stain the background, and can I even get the raindrops off? 

Call me crazy -- but I'm good with that. This is an excellent example of why one needs to think about quilting before actually finishing the assembly. If I had considered the logistics of quilting the piece, I might have come up with a different arrangement for the raindrops. Is it essential to change it? It's important enough for me to attempt it. 

I am loving the Yogi teas, and whenever I have the "harsh" tea from Tim's, I find it bitter, even though it's just water on a tea bag. What I get from Tim's is black tea (Orange Pekoe), which isn't so bad; I can't even imagine drinking the steeped tea. I find that very bitter. The Yogi teas are not flowery and fruity, but have a pleasant taste and are not bitter. Additionally, each sachet includes a daily quote. I'm now using each tea bag twice, and it works for me. Such a waste to make one cup of tea and throw the tea bag away. There is still a lot of flavour in there! 

Yogi tea this week

Oh my --- I decided it was time to crack open another EXIT Game. My friend picked up the Advent Calendar a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't picked it up from her yet. We'd better get ourselves back into the swing of things, or we're going to be in trouble. 

An Exit Game

We did not start off well. Why? We didn't read the instructions! OK -- I didn't read the instructions well. I just started by reading the storybook on the right-hand side of that picture. Ooops - I need to read the actual instructions, which are on the left side. But I thought I knew it all, so I didn't read through ALL the instructions. When we looked at the clue, something wasn't right. So I read a bit further - oh yes -- we are on the right track, but it still didn't make sense. Oh farce! When I finally read ALL the instructions, it became quite clear, and we quickly solved the puzzle. 

Just because it works one way in one game doesn't mean that the rule applies to each game. You must read the instructions to understand how the game is set up and how to use the materials provided. However, our searching revealed a couple of things that will help us later! 

Well, it didn't take Murphy long to get all the treats out of that toy! That dog is so food motivated! I wonder if she would eat herself sick if she had access to food all day? Probably! 

MOM - I need a refill of treats!

I took a few minutes in the afternoon to sit in the living room and read my book, and then have a nap! Lexi doesn't want or like to jump in Murphy's bed, but is happy to sit in front of it. That's not the best view, but she seems happy. 

MOM - I'm standing on guard! 

Then you have Murphy, who likes to prop herself against something because she is so wide that she slips on the floor. Oh Murphy! So even though she has been off this medication for a couple of weeks and she hasn't had any accidents, she still pants like mad on the walks. That's her. In the dead of winter, on a very frosty morning, she will come back panting like mad because she gets herself so worked up over walking! 

MOM - this chair leg is a perfect place to rest

And then while I sat in the chair, the two of them picked up their play fight routine! I swear, there is a smirk on Lexi's face. Does Murphy get down on the floor to make Lexi think she is winning? Lexi really is the instigator of these play fights, although you wouldn't know it to look at her demeanor! 

MOM - I got Murphy on the floor - I'm winning! 

You know - I did tidy up a little bit in Studio B, but nothing significant. Now that I have no Zoom calls today and only writing, I will take a break from writing to try to tidy up some things. I also have some sewing to do, and oh my goodness, I am loving the freezer paper method of paper piecing. What is nice is that when you are done, you simply remove the template, and there's no paper to rip off! You need to be careful, but it works! 

I have almost finished the first set of houses for Colour My World, and I'm loving the process. It hardly took any time at all, but then I had precut the fabric pieces. 

OK -- it's time to get myself organized for the day! A lot to accomplish (on my own time!). I must say that I don't mind a lot of work, but I just don't like it when it's under pressure. And the pressure often comes from my lack of time management! 

On that note, have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Tidy-Up time!

You guys say it best! When, as a retiree, you "complain" about not having time to do something, that becomes a problem. If you are retired, you are supposedly the person in charge of your calendar. 

And thank you for the excellent comment about my teaching style for Colour My World. I appreciate all feedback—good and bad —because that makes the next class even better. I have a couple of follow-up items to attend to later today, so please be on the lookout for an email later today. 

Do you have a friend that you could trust 100%? Yesterday, we heard about two friends who enjoy vacationing together. No significant others - just two women, enjoying their adventure vacation together. What if one of them says, "Surprise me for our next vacation." So they did! One of them is entirely in charge of where they are going; she booked the tickets, she bought the currency, and told her friend the duration and what to pack. Nothing else, and because of the flights, she won't know the final destination until she's on the third flight! I think that is amazing!

They will eventually tally up the expenses and share them, but that will be after the vacation. What a fabulous idea! 

Speaking of making your bed, look at this. I had washed the sheets earlier in the day and was in the process of making the bed. Miss Murphy decided to jump right up and make herself at home. Not on the edge, but right in the middle. Hmmmm........ 

MOM - Is this my new bed? Thank you! 

We had a grand time at the Virtual Retreat. It's all about meeting new people, engaging with them, and getting to know them. I'm not sure if anyone notices, but I like to ask questions. LOL And people like to answer those questions! I try to engage the people in conversations that will be of interest to the entire group, but I also like to catch up on what's going on in their personal space. Everyone has a voice and deserves to be heard. 

I know that some voices are quieter than others, and sometimes, it's a struggle for those voices to be heard over the more boisterous ones. I try! I won't go into detail, but the conversations can be varied and sometimes wild. However, I learn a great deal from listening to others - it's great fun. We have a couple of banned topics on my Zoom calls, and it just makes our get-togethers a better place. 

And while they chat, I'm trying to get things tidied up. I had some seam ripping to accomplish, and all that happened; the aftermath is now dealt with. WAIT -- that's not true. There is one more major seam-ripping project to happen. I hope to work on it today. 

I washed one of Murphy's mats last week. It is a crocheted mat, and the tail had come undone. So I grabbed a crochet hook and fixed the end. I should really add a couple of stitches to the end to secure it, so I don't have to repair it the next time it gets washed. 

Fixing the tail end of Murphy's crocheted mat

Here is the mat back under one of the tables in Studio B, and she will be happy to have it back. Many small jobs like this need to be done. WAIT A MINUTE -- does that mean I'm back to tidying up those almost finished jobs? I must be, so let's see how I progress on that. Actually, I probably did three of those easy-to-finish jobs yesterday. I'm back!!!!

Muprhy's mat back in place

There are loads of small things that I need to address as I continue to work on the chaos in that space. I'm just trying to deal with putting things away, but I also want to finish things if I can. So it's going to be a crap shoot as to what I can accomplish. But everything done is one thing less to do another day!

At last, I finished trimming all the half-square triangles from that bag. 

Here is the bunch I trimmed the previous evening. 

Trimming half-square triangles

And here is what I trimmed yesterday. 

More half-square triangles

This is quite an accomplishment, and the entire bag, including the unstitched triangles, was returned to the retreat bag. As I sew the last ones in the bag, I'll trim as I go!

I have two more bunches of half-square triangles to trim, and then I'll be caught up and will never let it get out of hand like I used to! I'll save those for another Virtual Retreat, or I can work on them during Monday Sewing days! 

Since the tray was now empty after dealing with all the ribbon, I ran around the room and filled it with all the loose spools of machine embroidery thread. I think that will be a focus today during Monday Sewing. I must put that all away and put the boxes of thread back on their shelves. When I fire up the embroidery machine, hopefully later today, I can just pull out what I need. Of course, for the four half-finished projects, I'll keep that thread set aside. 

A tray of thread that needs a home

I emptied the two bags of project materials that were on the ironing board, and voilà - I found my sewing tools. I did a little sewing before the Virtual Retreat started, and I hope to get back to it more this afternoon. 

My sewing tools

I won't say that I am lost or overwhelmed. I do have two things that need to be completed this week, but not having an extremely urgent deadline, or perhaps I should say that having only one thing with a deadline (OK - actually two), it feels so weird to not have that intense pressure! I have my week planned out, and I'll work on it one step at a time. 

I also got the last suitcase unpacked and the items inside separated. Finished samples are stored upstairs, while supplies/tools/unfinished samples are kept downstairs. That is huge, and I'll deal with sorting and putting the finished samples away another day. For the moment, they are out of sight in Studio U. 

The last suitcase got unpacked

As part of my effort to clean up Studio B and get it back into tip-top shape, I have a massive pile of quilts that need binding. 

Quilts that need binding

As you can see, they have vastly overgrown the box, and I would really like the box to corral some smaller items. I have one of the quilts on the table to deal with today! One a day over the next week will make a big difference in emptying that box. Except for one, those are all giveaway quilts, and it would be nice to get them out of the house! Additionally, there are those eight dog quilts that need to be addressed this month. Oh yes -- I'm going to be busy! But with a lot less pressure and a lot more time!

Miss Muprhy got a new toy yesterday, and when I first gave it to her, she wasn't quite sure what to do with it. 

MOM? What's this? 

It's a chew toy with a treat in it. Sadly, Lexi has zero interest in this type of toy. She has zero interest in any toys! And only like soft things to chew. So she often gets the short end of the stick. I noticed as I made her bed last night that she had tucked a few pieces of kibble in there, and I tucked the blankets over them, hoping Murphy would not discover them. Hey - we all need a little treat stash!

Anyway, after my walk, I came home to discover that Murphy figured out what to do with the toy. So she is happy. 

MOM -- this is a great new toy and it tastes like chicken! 

Lastly, someone gave me this bag, which I won't use. It's a very nice tote bag, but the wrong brand. Would anyone like it for supplies? If not, it will go in the giveaway box. Email me if you would like it to be sent via the Pony Express. elainetheriault@gmail.com

A tote bag is up for grabs

This is what's on the calendar this week: two spin classes, an appointment with the personal trainer, a vet appointment for Murphy (we can walk), and two quilting/machine embroidery clubs on Sunday. That is it for the week!! Will I be able to cope? Will I get bored? Will I fritter the time away? The answers are yes, no, and no. It's going to be a glorious week. OH yes -- there is a writing assignment and that project to be reworked, but that's it! No car trips, no nights away, and no major appointments - the time is my own! 

And on that note, it's time to get my butt off to spin class. 

Have a wonderful day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Make my bed!

Oh my goodness — I love all the stories about typing class. I don't remember how many words per minute I ended up typing, but there are days when I wonder how I ever managed! That backspace key is so handy! And that IBM Selectric -- what a dream! 

As for retirement, someone mentioned that many retired people comment that they are so busy now that they don't know how they managed to work. Seriously? Do you want to jump from the frying pan into the fire? I guess if that is what you want to do, then it's your life. But as Elle mentioned (I swear we were separated at birth), I want to have free time to do what I want, when I want, and, most importantly, IF I want! 

I've had a bit of that freedom over the last couple of days, and that is incentive enough to not get involved in too many things. YES -- I know -- I've been there, and there are times when my schedule is crazy, but I'm getting really tired of all the running around. Not only physically, but also mentally. 

My volunteer work will involve quilting and binding all those community projects - on my own time. I still need some structure in my day, but I refuse to get involved in any committee (I've done my time), and I will help somewhere if it works for me!

I want to read, do crossword puzzles and jigsaw puzzles, travel, enjoy my girls and my backyard, and, well, sew and mess around with various things. So --- I am going to attempt to keep my calendar relatively clear. Of course, I'll still be going to work, but not in a crazy way, and eventually that will pass, and I'll be free!

I'm not yet ready to completely sever the ties with work. By doing less, I have more time. I have significantly reduced the number of classes I teach, and that has been amazing! 

What a great class we had for Colour My World. I have always kept to my one-hour schedule, but I went over by 30 minutes. However, people had questions, and as a first-class, there was a lot to cover. Thankfully, there was nothing scheduled after that, so going over was easy peasy. And the entire group stayed on as well, so that means they all have relaxed schedules!!!

And even though preparing for the class took a long time, I love doing it and thoroughly enjoyed having the time to do so without compromising on what I included in the presentation. I can't wait for more time to do things the way I want, instead of having a time constraint. Going forward, the prep for this class will be much easier, but there will still be lots of things to discuss. 

Here is my first house. It is so cute, and I'm looking forward to working on the rest of this month's assignment. I have everything cut and ready to sew. WAIT -- that's a lie. I have half the blocks cut. 

Colour My World

I went back to my stash and chose more colors. Here is my palette for the quilt. My background is missing from that photo. 

And I must admit that when I attempted to use the folded freezer paper method for paper piecing earlier this year, I disliked it. It didn't work for me, and, well, I wasn't a fan. I tried again -- we must always try again! Guess what? I'm a convert!! I LOVE this method. 

Here's another thing I learned during my preparation for this class. Many people today do not have access to a computer. They rely entirely on an iPad, which is fine, except if you want to print templates for paper piecing. The iPad has no printer settings, so it prints as it wants, and the sizes are never correct. 

So how do you fix that? By downloading an app for your printer, of course. Now, why didn't I think of that? Let's say you have an HP printer. Download the HP Smart app and use its settings to determine the exact size you need. Super simple when you know how. Someone from our Dear Jen class was struggling with this issue, and I think she mentioned that she went to Apple and her printer company to resolve the problem. No one knew the answer. It was a 14-year-old granddaughter of a quilter who revealed the technique. 

I got a little bit cleaned up in Studio B. Not the cutting table -- there is absolutely no room to work at the moment, and I'll be working on that later today. It's mostly just things that need to be put away, so it shouldn't be too big of a deal. 

The cutting table is a mess

Last night at the Virtual Retreat, I decided that I needed to clean up this container of ribbon. 

A disastrous tin of ribbon

I also have a tray of loose ribbon. 

Another place for loose ribbon

It has been like this for years, and both items were sitting on one of the tables. I wasn't sure how to store those lengths of ribbon so they would be neat and organized. I went to Michaels yesterday and found this container on the right, which I think will work nicely. 

New container to store loose ribbon

The spools and new skeins were placed in the tin, and the loose lengths were wound up and stored in the plastic container. Both boxes were then put with the other ribbon in the stash room. I know I have more ribbon on spools in the stash room, but I didn't look at it last night. Why was that ribbon all over the place? I love to do ribbon embroidery with the embroidery machine, but I've never taken the time to tidy up after. The stuff was strewn all over the sewing table, and it was a nightmare. 

Well, that nightmare is dealt with. One down and many more to go! 

The work table that my Epic 3 sits on was now tidied up, and the machine is set up again so I can get some more embroidery done. Four half-completed projects are prepped and ready to go. That's nice to have that done as well. I guess I had better find the power cord first! 

The Epic 3 is ready to get back to work

One of the projects I want to finish is this witch. I had started this at the Buckhorn Quilt Show and was going to stitch it out during the show. However, I ran out of thread on the very first color for the face!!! See around he left eye. We thought of other alternatives - a bandaid, an eyepatch? I continued to move forward on the face, just to have something to stitch. 

Ran out of thread

However, when I was at Stitch by Stitch in Kingston, I found the missing thread. I bought all they had of that color and the next shade lighter. So I can continue. 

I found the missing thread

I put away all the cameras and tripods, and wound up all the cords and put them back in their container. The container just needs to be placed on the shelf. 

And then I emptied a tote bag that I had taken on my last trip. I took the project bags and such out of it, and that's on the ironing board. I'll go through these later today and put the items away or identify if any work needs to be done on them. It's a great way to putter, nothing significant to think about, and I can listen to my audiobook. I know I have mentioned this many times, but while I love zippered plastic bags, these larger zippered bags from linens are the best! They are large enough to accommodate an entire project. Carrying things in a solid plastic tote takes up way too much room. A massive shout-out to Diane (RIP), as I found these bags in her sewing room when I helped her husband clear it out. 

Two project bags to clear up later

This is one of the tote bags I had with me. Every time I leave the house with it, I am asked for the pattern and where I got the panel, because, yes, people touch the bag thinking I pieced all those squares. I did NOT. 

My Crafty Tote

The bag pattern is on AllPeopleQuilt. And the panel is one by Northcott. Here is the information if you'd like to try to find it online. It is a retired panel, so it is no longer available for order from Northcott. Scroll down on that linked page to retrieve the SKU, so you can perform a search. Perhaps they need to reprint this panel! 

I am trying a new snack cracker this week. Oh my --- it is not my favorite. While the taste is OK, it's like eating a rice cake with nothing inside. It feels like I'm swallowing air! It turned out a bit moist when I toasted it with cheese on top. Let's just say that I won't be repurchasing these, but HEY - I tried something new. 

A new snack bread

Speaking of new, DH came home with a tea for me yesterday, and look at the cup. They changed the cups AGAIN! These look like the original cups - at least, I think they are the old style. I suppose you need to keep making changes - just because you can! 

Retro Tim's cup

I love to support the Girl Guides by buying their cookies. However, I don't have anyone close to me who sells the cookies, or at least no one I'm aware of. So I was delighted to see that at the sewing day last week at Stitch by Stitch (my free day off), one of the ladies had brought in the cookies. I had to walk to the bank machine to get some cash, but now I have cookies. I don't need cookies, but it's all for a good cause. 

Girl Guide cookies

This has been a tough year for boxwoods with some moths getting in there. I have sprayed mine several times. It appears that I have saved one row of them, but I'm unsure about the other one. Perhaps it's time to reapply the spray. Dratted garden pests!!! 

My boxwoods

OK -- so you want to know the story of the bed. Everyone has a preference for a freshly made bed or not. There was a famous speech about making your bed in the morning, because it was a sign that you had accomplished something, and if nothing else went right, at least your bed was made when you got home. 

So, we have a princess in our house, and her name is Lexi. She was traumatized when she saw the couch leave the house sometime last year. Poor thing -- she was never supposed to be on the sofa in the first place, but DH has become soft with the girls, and they are learning some nasty habits. 

I bought the princess a new bed and tucked a couple of blankets into it, so it was a bit more comfy. When she is in one of her "I must save my snacks in a safe place" modes, she tries to dig in her blankets. And this is what I spotted this morning. 

MOM - My bed isn't made

Seriously? The bed is too messed up to sleep in. 

So I straightened out the blankets, and within five minutes, I spotted this. 

MOM - my bed needs to be made each morning!

Seriously? What a princess!!!! I laughed when I heard the bed squeak when she got in, and I had to run and get a picture. Murphy couldn't care less. Gosh -- those two girls are so different from each other. Never a dull moment with them around. 

Here is the link to the Virtual Retreat later today. I have one session this morning, and I'll put the pictures in the presentation after I walk the girls. Then I have a couple of hours to myself to do some work. There is a pile of mindless housework things to do during the retreat, so I look forward to that. 

September 28 (Sunday) Virtual Retreat - Starts at 3 PM EDT

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81073536036?pwd=uxRqMnK1aSKrmrcSO78w8QQs5g44eA.1

Meeting ID: 810 7353 6036
Passcode: 596838

On that note, I'm out of here. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!

A prep day

I love to teach - I think everyone knows that, and I seem to be a natural at it. Perhaps when I was a kid, I should have veered that way. But I'm happy things turned out the way they did. 

I lived a very isolated life as a kid, and the only job opportunities I saw were those of a teacher, a nurse, or a secretary. Can you believe that? But it was common, and that's why we have a lot of retired teachers and nurses who quilt. 

I learned to type in high school, either in Grade 9 or 10, and began my career in the secretarial world. For whatever reason, the other day, I said 'carriage return' instead of 'enter'. I kind of dated myself! I'm sure many of you can remember that! I've never regretted that class. The other day, someone mentioned that their typing teacher would put a bag over the keyboard and have them type to ensure they knew where the home row was. 

But when it comes to teaching, the amount of prep work involved is crazy. Of course, that depends on how much time you want to spend, but if I'm going to take the time, I want to fully understand what I'm teaching, and I want it to be well done. Yep -- there have been times when I've been rushed and didn't quite explore all the avenues, and I got caught! 

Nothing bad ever happened -- we're talking about teaching people how to sew a pattern or a quilt together, but still! I've then had to backpedal and do the work, and then follow up again!

Let's say I spent most of yesterday preparing for this one-hour class, and I was extremely thorough. I'm not quite done, and have about half an hour left to load some pictures into the presentation and to read one more item I found. 

I hope they enjoy the presentation! I'm excited about this project, which is called Colour My World. We are a reasonably sized group, and once those show-and-tell pictures start to come in, it's going to be very exciting. 

Here's a picture of the quilt, in case you're unsure what I'm talking about. The designer is Wendy Williams of Australia. 

Colour My World

Now, in my thoroughness, I learned something that had puzzled me from a previous class. Of course, it's about technology, and now I know the answer. I'm not sharing until I've told the class. It's amazing what you can learn just by exploring! I was pretty excited about that little tidbit!

I had to do some printing, and when I went to grab the printouts, this is the message I saw on the printer. WHAT????

A User or Counterfeit cartridge?

I've never encountered this message before, and what should I do about it? The cartridge came directly from the manufacturer. I selected OK, and it seemed to print my documents. I must ask DH about it. 

My first priority in the morning was to fix the F11 on the dishwasher. I must remember to clean that filter regularly, as there tends to be loads of debris (OK - hair that accumulates in the filter). It must belong to the dogs! 

However, I also found this in the small section with the ball bearing. I believe that is a bit of bone. No wonder the dishwasher wasn't happy. And I must remember to take a picture of that little gizmo next time and order a new one, as I see the seal is starting to break down. 

A bit of bone in the dishwasher

I did NOTHING towards tidying any of the mess in Studio B or Studio U. It was all hands on deck to get that presentation ready. This is what Studio B looks like at the moment. It's a disaster, and I had to shove a bunch of stuff out of the way on the cutting table to find room to cut something this morning. 

Studio B - a disaster

I couldn't even find scissors or a seam ripper this morning, so I had to go into my retreat box to retrieve these tools. Sheesh -- they are in that room somewhere, but where? I'll start by clearing a space so I can work, and I'll get my writing done while putting things in order during this coming week. Let's not forget about the project that needs to be reworked. 

However, it was a blissful day. I was not in a rush to get anything done. If I wanted a wee nap (which I did), I took it completely guilt-free. I read during my lunchtime, and I went for a long walk, where I ran into a neighbor who cycles. We had a grand conversation about cycling. He invited me to join their group, and well, I just might get my butt back out on a bike. It's been a long time. I told him I would join them in the spring, after I have a bit of alone time with my bike. There's no need to embarrass myself by falling over when I'm clipped in, although that has never happened before. LOL. 

But this is how I want to spend my days. I don't want to be rushing around from one event to another. I hear so many retired people who are literally running from one thing to another, and my question is, WHY? Does every minute need to be programmed? Not for me! 

Oh - I also browsed at the library as I had to pick up a book for DH, so of course, three books followed me home. I can't help myself!!!!

And now let's have a peek at what those entertaining girls did. This is Miss Lexi, who is DH's guard dog when he's working. 

MOM - stay out - this is Dad's private space! 

All Murphy wants to do is play ball! I was wrapping it up for her, and she got so excited that she jumped up on me and lightly scratched my arm. So we had a good talk, and she went into a time-out for a while. But then she happily unwrapped the blankets to get that ball. 

MOM - I WILL find that ball

MOM - That was too easy!

MOM -- Look, I actually pulled the ball out of the toy! 

And Lexi and I need to have a chat. From time to time, she takes food from her dish or perhaps it's a treat and tries to hide it. She isn't trying to hide it from Murphy; she is trying to put it away so when she wants a snack, she has one. 

Lexi is trying to bury snacks in Murphy's dog bed

This is where she tucked a couple of pieces of kibble. Sadly, this won't last long, so I put it back in her dish. I felt bad, but Murphy will gobble that down without even thinking about it. There is NO safe place for Lexi's food or snacks, except in her dish, which Murphy will not touch. 

Lexi's hiding spot for the kibble

These were the flowers outside the library. So pretty!!! 

Flowers at the library

And what is it with this dog and staring! She is intense and very creepy when you catch her staring. There was nothing she needed, except my attention!

MOM -- how are you? 

You can't really tell in this photo, but yesterday was one of those surreal days, almost like fake lighting that throws things into a twilight zone. I didn't get a chance to sit outside as I was at the computer or walking for most of the afternoon. But today? I might just make it there - I now have many books to read and I'd better get to it!!!!

Surreal lighting in the backyard

And here are the links to the Virtual Retreat for tonight and tomorrow. I removed the references to Colour My World and the Digital Cutter Club; the groups are already aware of the classes. I should also mention that the transition in creating the distribution list for 'Colour My World' went very smoothly. I was extremely diligent about my filing system, and it worked! I double- and triple-checked before sending things out. It paid off! 

September 27 (Saturday) - Virtual Retreat - Starts at 6 PM EDT

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82693702241?pwd=QpQkm8Ppppy1XwCPOqva1bcgJCWKdP.1

Meeting ID: 826 9370 2241
Passcode: 795071

September 28 (Sunday) Virtual Retreat - Starts at 3 PM EDT

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81073536036?pwd=uxRqMnK1aSKrmrcSO78w8QQs5g44eA.1

Meeting ID: 810 7353 6036
Passcode: 596838

And in case you are wondering how October looks, because no one believed me when I said things were quieting down, I have two classes: the Jacket class and Colour My World. TWO!!!!! They are on Zoom and one hour each. I have my five clubs, and they are also hosted on Zoom, each lasting one hour. The prep work for the clubs will be minimal, as will the next Colour My World class. The jacket class will require extensive prep work. But that's it! There is NOTHING else on the calendar except a few appointments, and I'll be adding to that - dog grooming, a massage, etc. But I refuse to fill that calendar - as far as I'm concerned - I'm booked full! 

And on that very happy note, I'm out of here!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Back home - AGAIN!

OH MY GOSH  --- If I read Torry's comment correctly, she has a couple of the Nancy Drews with a 1938 copyright!! What a treasure! While I'm not a fan of most old things, I love old books! What a find, Torry! Be sure to reread them -- they are fun!

The new audiobook that I listened to on the way home - well, I wish the drive was longer! I'm just getting into the storyline, and it's a puzzler! While there is murder, it's more of a puzzle-type mystery and involves antiques! It's called "The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder," by C.L. Miller. It's her first novel! So cool. 

Her parents wrote the Miller's guides to antiquities. I love the premise of the story, which is that you don't murder for the dollar value of an antique, but for the sentimental or provenance value of the antique. I'll be digging out my new headphones later today so I can continue. I grabbed this from the books that were on the "skip-the-lines" list, meaning I have it for only 7 days. 

I'm not sure how that skip-the-lines list works, but if someone hasn't picked up a book yet? Does it go on that list? I'm not sure, but I nabbed this one anyway. 

It says in Libby that it's #1 in a series, and I'm excited, hoping she will write another!

I'm home! The girls are happy, and I think I was so excited to be home and ready to dive into this mess that I woke up in the night and couldn't get back to sleep. I slept in this morning, so I've "wasted" a couple of hours already. I'm not happy about that, but life goes on - get over it! 

The open house for Sewing Machine Magic was a great success, with many people stopping by. It was a constant flow of people the entire day, and the demos went over very well. As usual, while presenting the demos, I kept thinking to myself, 'I could use this stitch, tool, or accessory in another way.' The more you make, the more you "need" to make. They service sewing machines and sell Singer and PFAFF products. If you are in the area, be sure to check it out! 

And I met up with two ladies from the Buckhorn Quilt Show. They live in Cobourg and came to visit! 

I think I can safely say that my October is now FULL! I'll be working on my writing assignment, remaking a project using different methods that I need to deliver next weekend, creating a jigsaw puzzle (or two), and organizing and putting away items in Studio B and Studio U, as well as attending to paperwork. There are three customer quilts to quilt, the office needs to be cleaned, the computer files need to be organized, and there are hundreds of community project quilts to quilt, as well as a rather tall stack of quilts that need the binding stitched on. Hmmmm --- I don't think I'll be lacking anything to do in October. And I have a T-shirt quilt to make for my SIL, so I had better get started, as I received the T-shirts one year ago. 

At least, now I have some breathing room for the next month and beyond to actually catch up on some of this stuff. How will I tackle it? I'm not sure yet -- it's very overwhelming, but I have a couple of ideas, and I suppose you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see where I start. 

The important thing is NOT to fritter the time away. Someone alerted me to some escape room-type games that I could download on my tablet. I was bored in the hotel, so I attempted to do that, although it wasn't the same one. That was a dismal failure, and I deleted it immediately. I sent feedback that the download process was atrocious and then played two games of solitaire, which I found on my laptop, and shut that down pretty quickly as well. I do NOT need games to keep me entertained. I write and read to keep my brain sharp; others have their pastimes. I don't need another one. 

Plus, now that I'm home, it's time to crack open a new EXIT Game that DH and I can play at dinner! 

Actually, I may not start today, as I have to get things organized for Colour My World, but it's just one class, so it's going to be easy! 

You know me and technology! For the most part, all is working as it should. But when I went to get a glass of water at the cafeteria in the hotel, the machine stumped me. I pressed the buttons and nothing happened. Then I saw this sign. 

Getting water from the touchless dispenser

AHA --- you hold your hand in front of the three buttons on the bottom, and place your cup under the spout, and it will dispense whatever you have your hand in front of. Well, that's a new one, but I figured it out. Reading the instructions worked! 

But when I stopped for a bite last night at the OnRoute rest stop, I completely skipped these order kiosks. I remember trying them last year, and it just did not work. I could have tried again, but since it wasn't hectic, I went to the counter and placed my order. That works for me! 

Bypass the ordering kiosks

OK — you must check out the QUILTsocial.com link today. There is a free issue (Number 34), and it includes all the posts I wrote on stabilizers. YES --- this is a great way to get that information in a nice, neat format, so be sure to check it out. 

And then, once you've downloaded it, what are you going to do with it? 

Why read it, of course! There is no need to acquire any written material - whether digital or paper- if you have zero intention of reading it. You will not learn anything by osmosis! 

And once you read it, what are you going to do? Why you are going to experiment, of course!! Just like I did! 

Oh my -- the September event list is getting shorter every day, and I don't have to go anywhere for any of these events. The girls are ecstatic, and I don't have to pack anything. I'm ecstatic. 

September 27 - Colour My World (Online class hosted by me) at 9:30 AM. I need to send out an acknowledgment to those who have paid. But you have all the information you need. No supplies required for the first class. 

September 27 (Saturday) - Virtual Retreat - Starts at 6 PM EDT

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82693702241?pwd=QpQkm8Ppppy1XwCPOqva1bcgJCWKdP.1

Meeting ID: 826 9370 2241
Passcode: 795071

September 28 - 10:30 AM --- Digital Cutter Club

September 28 (Sunday) Virtual Retreat - Starts at 3 PM EDT

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81073536036?pwd=uxRqMnK1aSKrmrcSO78w8QQs5g44eA.1

Meeting ID: 810 7353 6036
Passcode: 596838

Wait — there is one more thing I need to do today. When I got home last night, I went into the kitchen and spotted an F11 on the dishwasher. OH, DH saved that for me!! I'll deal with it this morning. 

And on that happy note, I'm out of here! There's a lot to do, and I'm going to take it nice and slow to enjoy the day!

Have a good day!!!!

Ciao!!!!