The facts of life

Don't worry -- I will be donating, BUT not until January 2. I have two pairs of winter boots that I know someone can use. However, since I am donating to an organization that turns around and sells the items, I might as well benefit and get a discount coupon. Since that coupon is only valid until December 31, 2025, it doesn't make sense to donate now. The donation can wait until January 2. What I'll donate, if anything, will be lightweight summer items for the most part. 

That may sound callous, but that's my decision, and I'm sticking to it! Besides, I still need to cull the items, and I have work to do this week. So I may not finish the culling until the new year! But don't worry -- I always have a box in the office for donations. When it's full, it gets donated!

We had a murder in our backyard yesterday. It's always a shock to open the door and see a lovely present on the deck. The girls have been stalking a rabbit for days now. The silly things like to hide under the deck, although the girls can no longer get under it. Does anyone remember the time when Murphy got stuck under the deck in the winter, and I had to call animal services to help me get her out? 

The rabbits also take cover under the gazebo, and the girls can get under there, but only on one side, so the rabbits torment the girls by staying on the side where the dogs can't reach them. I suspect, based on the girls' behavior, that the rabbits were also hiding under some of the bushes. While Murphy has a speedway carved under the bushes, the rabbit was probably very close to the roots of the low bushes, so the dogs could not get to it. 

I suspect Murphy was the culprit. She is like a "dog with a bone" and won't let the rabbits alone if one comes into our backyard. I can't blame the dogs for getting the rabbit. The rabbit was stupid enough to stick around even though it knew there was danger in this backyard and had plenty of time to move on. Why not pick the neighbor's backyard? Those who don't have dogs? Or go into the forest to live. 

So I got my trusty shovel and winged it over the fence INTO THE FOREST. Do not yell at me for winging it into someone's backyard. Hopefully, a coyote will have visited in the night and cleaned up the evidence! The circle of life, except it's not really a circle, but it's the facts of life, I guess, is a better way to describe it. 

I went walking with my gorgeous mittens again, and I love them! While someone is looking on, hopeful that she can go for a walk, as well. Alas, the afternoon walk is not for dogs! 

My mittens match my down sweater!

DH and I had to abandon the EXIT Games for a while due to travel and dinner dates (for him, not me), and we finally dug out the game we had partially completed weeks ago. It took a bit to orient ourselves, but we managed to get through the next puzzle. I am constantly stunned at how neither one of us can solve a puzzle on our own. We looked at the clues, but he didn't see anything. I looked at the clues, and I spotted the first part pretty quickly. Then onto the second level of the same puzzle. I couldn't see anything, but after a few minutes, he spotted it. I said, "NO WAY," but tried the code, and it worked! 

However, we are on one puzzle (there must be one more after this), and we are stumped, so I'm on my own for dinner this week. I'll give it a whirl. We haven't even touched the Advent Calendar. That will be something to do in January. 

Back to work on the EXIT Game

How is this for a universal language we can all understand? I love it because we do not laugh enough in this world. As I was walking yesterday along the busy street on my way to the drugstore, I pulled my shoulders back and put a smile on my face, and even laughed to myself at times. I wonder how many of the drivers thought I was mad. Nope - just happy. And while the weather wasn't all that exciting - a bit of snow and slightly cool, it was a glorious day for a walk. Did I see anyone else out there? Not a soul. 

A quote from my Yogi tea

I managed to remove one sleeve from my sweatshirt in my quest to remake it into a jacket. I was debating whether the sleeve would have a definite front and back. Yep --- it does. It's a raglan sleeve, and it's easy to see the front and back, but I also marked it just in case! Now to plan what I'm putting on it. I already know what, but I have to design where the elements will go. I also need to lengthen the sleeve, so I need to figure out how to do that. Then I'll take the remaining sleeve off and get that one done. Then the body. Slow and steady!

The sleeve of my sweatshirt

Now let's look at what I bought the previous day. I went to the hardware store and purchased an over-the-door hook. It came in a package of two, so I put one on another door in Studio B and will use it to hang a decoration I'm making. 

Over-the-door hook

I have this gorgeous wall art that's been hanging in Studio U for years. It used to be M's. I was using it as a visual "to-do" list. 

A funky wire rack

Some things had been on the rack for so long that they were meaningless. What does this mean? It's gone! 

A meaningless note to myself

This saying is on the rack, and I love it, so it stays. I think this fits me to a T. I don't have the best of everything, and I'm thrilled to wear years-old T-shirts instead of the latest trends. I do need to buy some new bras! I'm down to one, and it's so stretched that - well, it needs to be replaced. I've definitely got my money's worth from them. People always talk about how uncomfortable a bra is, but I pay a lot of money for my bras and have them professionally fit. I've never called them uncomfortable, and since I wear them until they are practically stretched beyond wearability, the cost is definitely worth it. I got a coupon in the mail from the store, and I must make a trip soon! 

A happy quote

And this ornament that someone gave me is also on the rack. It also stays because I want to ride my bike more in 2026. 

A Christmas ornament

As the groups and classes are winding down for 2025, I've been encouraging the groups to set goals for 2026. If it's a class, then the obvious goal is to finish the quilt in the time frame for that class - or as close to it as possible. For the clubs (Machine Embroidery, UFO Club, and Many Blocks), each person picks their own items to finish. And I'm all about FINISHING, rather than starting something new. 

I picked some categories where I would like to finish some projects. And I decided to make myself a VISUAL list. I took some pictures of the book/pattern and the current state of the project. Then I printed them out and attached them to the rack. 

The start of my visual To Do list

The rack is metal, so I can easily use the magnets I purchased earlier this year. And all is good. Years ago, I remember my brother putting a picture of a truck he wanted to buy on the kitchen cupboard. Every time he saw that, he was reminded of his goal. This will be the same for me. A visual! 

Packs of magnets

I put those pictures into the Blog 2026 folder and then a subfolder for 2026 goals, so it will be easy at the end of the year to pull up and see if I actually completed the items. As I finish an item, the plan is to remove the picture from the rack. It will be interesting to see the beginning and the end picture. 

For those four projects above, ONE of them only needs to be quilted (Vintage Christmas). One needs to have the top finished sewing together - Vintage Farm Girl, the next one is Dear Jen. The blocks (all I'm doing) are complete, and I'm in the process of framing them and sewing them together. The final one is a biggy (Sylvia's Bridal Sampler) - and there are still blocks to sew together. But it's all doable with my lightened schedule. If I end 2026 still working on the fourth one? I'm OK with that. 

And isn't it funny that when we put something away we just purchased, it's the place we go to find it? I went to the drawer units and realized the snap set I bought is not there. Shoot -- what did I do with it? Then I remembered that I had moved all the tools into the stash room and into labeled boxes. Once I remembered that, it was a simple matter of removing the labelled box from the shelf! 

My box of snaps

As DH was leaving for his dinner appointment, a box was sitting on the doorstep. Hmmm --- who ordered something? Well, he ordered it, but it was for me. What was in the box? 

More puzzles!!!!! OK -- I have no choice but to get my butt in gear and tidy up Studio U and clear off a space to work! I can hardly wait, but I still have some writing assignments, two gifts I decided to make at the last minute—wait—— to finish from last year, four customer quilts to quilt, and one entire quilt to make. But things will quiet down in our house tomorrow, when my SIL leaves for a couple of weeks. 

The puzzles are hand-painted and represent cities. Toronto Island and New York. I believe it is a Canadian company called Paper Hood. There is one more to come, but apparently the Ottawa puzzle was featured in the Globe and Mail, and it flew off the shelves. 

Toronto Island

New York

While I enjoy my SIL's company, it's not the same as working alone! We did some machine embroidery last night, and OH BOY—the pattern she picked was a doozy. The written instructions were mostly OK, but the stitching order was a nightmare. If someone were new to machine embroidery, they would have tossed it. However, I went back and forth through the colors and made it work. I shall be writing a letter to the company I purchased it. Apparently, there have been other complaints about this designer. 

Murphy is so content to be outside, and when she is not stalking rabbits, she loves to lie in the snow. 

MOM - the snow cools my tummy!

Lexi, on the other hand, is perfectly happy to stay indoors! Now, why is that? 

MOM -- snow is overrated! 

I've got a load of things to accomplish today, but at a relaxed pace. I NEED to get those two gifts finished today, and I'm close. I should be OK, and then I need to load a customer quilt on the long arm so I can tackle that tomorrow, along with some writing. 

The temperatures are getting warmer every day this week, and if you dress for the weather, it's no big deal to be outside. Remember -- perception and attitude can go a long way toward living a happy, stress-free life! If you think my SIL is lucky to have a resident quilt teacher, think again! I don't do shortcuts - things need to be done the RIGHT way. I make her do things she'd rather not do! But the result is very nice, so be careful what you wish for! 

On that happy note, I'm out of here! 

Ciao!!!!