We've got company - AGAIN!

Oh my --- I love reading the comments. However, there are some days when  I get inundated with spam. And for the most part, it's easy to know that it's spam. I wonder how that happens? I mean - does someone set a program to troll for keywords? I know I'm not the direct target, the keywords just get picked up, and then AI writes some creative, mostly nonsensical sentences. Thankfully, all new comments are at the top of the list, so it's easy for me to browse them daily and delete what shouldn't be there. 

But read this one: 

Wow, what a delightful read! I absolutely love how you combine two such unique passions—quilting and biking—into one vibrant lifestyle. Your energy is truly infectious! Whether you're stitching fabric masterpieces or riding through nature, your creativity and enthusiasm shine through. The "crazy quilter on a bike" title is not just catchy, it's a perfect reflection of your joyful spirit. Can't wait to see where your next ride (or quilt!) takes you. Keep inspiring us with your colorful adventures!

Seriously? Who writes like that? It's pretty cleverly written, and it was certainly not a person who did that! How do I know? It's just too darned perfect, and I haven't written about cycling for a long time, so you know AI has searched many blog posts to come up with those creative words! And it is GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT. Not a single error in it according to Grammarly, which is a generative AI tool. 

Anyway, I accomplished some sewing before we had to leave the retreat house at 11 AM. That was a bit earlier than we're used to, but it worked out OK. I can't share with you what I did as it's part of my writing assignment, but it's looking awesome. 

I also managed to get all these blocks completed with the first round. I was using them as enders and leaders, and I actually had two extra pieces, but no worries, as I can use them on the second round of the black on white blocks. I need to give them all a good press and trim them to the correct size. Usually, I wouldn't do that, but I know some of them are a bit off. The next step will be to sew the blocks using the black on white fabrics. And there's no need to worry if I'll run out of fabric, as I have loads of white and black fabric. And this will be another quilt top done, but it's going to take a while since it's an ender and leader project. 

Progress on the ender and leader quilt

Through the Pony Express, I got the rest of the books from one of the thrift stores. Perfect timing, as I got an email from them that they have received another book on my list. I must respond to them. 

More books from my thrift store shopping

The traffic was heavy on the 401. No accident, no construction, no visible reason for a slowdown, but it was slower. Then all of a sudden, it was fine. I don't get that. Why does the traffic slow down when there's no reason? I know -- someone brakes and that throws a monkey wrench in the mix, but this highway is notorious for heavy traffic. The trucks? I swear every second vehicle was a transport truck! Not that that is a bad thing, because for the most part, they are the better drivers, but there were so many! I'm sure they love the traffic. 

Anyway, I had quite the reception when I got home. 

MOM-How dare you leave me alone! 

MOM - where were you? I needed you! 

Grandma - I'm a good boy, and when I'm not, I'm just cute! 

Wait!!!!! Bear -- how did Little Bear get here? He arrived on Tuesday when neither I nor DH were home. So the dog sitter got to enjoy him for a couple of days. She loves him and he's super snuggly, so the two of them hung out while she worked! Such a good little companion. 

But what trouble! 

Grandma - I'm upstairs and I need help!!! 

He loves to hang out with the big girls! 

Chilling at the window with Lexi

Surveying their backyard kingdom this morning

M and her friend stopped by to visit in the afternoon for a bit, and then they were gone, and Bear gets to stay here! That works for me! 

I got more writing done and completed more videos. I'm not doing too badly with the videos, but there's still so much to learn! I swear that recording yourself is an excellent way to practice speaking. I only save the one I like, and the rest are gone. But it sure helps to reduce those 'um' and 'ah' words, and you learn to say what you want. I don't want to edit if I don't have to. 

I slept like a log at the retreat. It was dark and very quiet, not that I need either to sleep. But I had trouble sleeping last night, and I was so tired at 4:30 AM when I needed to get up for the gym. Now that I'm home, I plan to walk the girls and the boy, and then I need a nap. 

And then I'll be back to work as I need to get more writing done today and start prepping for my trip next week. Yep - so much for a calm and quiet July. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Up, Up, and Away!!!!

 Life is too short to not be spontaneous! Oh my - this adventure literally came out of the blue. Two mornings ago, Suzanne came downstairs and announced that she had seen a hot air balloon go by. Oh my goodness — I remembered seeing them in this area years ago. I conducted some online research and found a company that offers hot air balloon tours in the area. We checked it out and signed up! WHAT???? I didn't tell anyone that I'm somewhat apprehensive of heights. 

It's not bad, but I remember zip-lining several years ago, and I stood on the first platform with shaky legs; then I was okay. So I went prepared to deal with my demons. 

We had a half-hour drive to get to the start point, which was the Stratford Municipal Airport. Depending on the weather, the number of people, and where they are coming from,  there are several starting locations. We had to be there at 5:30 AM!!!!

Stratford Municipal Airport

After signing our waivers, we went to the field, and this is what we saw. The balloon basket was on its side, and the balloon was stretched out over a long distance! This is going to be so much fun, as we watched them inflate the balloon, which I had never seen before. 

The balloon was flat on the ground when we arrived

They have two large fans, and two people hold the balloon open and blow air in. Not very complicated, but probably pretty scientific, and it works!!! I didn't take note of how much time it took to fill, but it was relatively quick. 

Blowing air into the balloon

The opening is getting larger! At one point, I swear the pilot was inside the balloon - probably checking for something, as there are flaps along the sides of the balloon. And I swear that when it was being deflated, there were vents along the top. Something, anyway, to help quickly deflate the balloon. 

Inflating the balloon

Oh my -- how big is this thing going to get? It was HUGE. The capacity of this balloon is 350,000 cubic feet, which is a relatively large balloon, but there are even larger balloons, reaching up to 750,000 cubic feet and beyond. That's HUGE. The bigger the balloon, the more people it can carry!

It's getting bigger! 

When it was somewhat inflated, they popped some hot gas inside. You would think the balloon would go up in flames. I had a chat with Mark (the pilot) when we were up, but I didn't catch what he said. The fabric will burn, but it will not catch fire. Well, I suppose anything is possible, but we didn't need to know those details. 

Putting hot gas into the balloon

And then WHOOSH - the balloon starts to rise and sets the basket upright. It's hard to see in the picture, but at the far right, two people are pulling hard on a rope to prevent the balloon from quickly flipping upright. The basket is firmly anchored to the front of the van! 

Up - it's going up! 

We were twelve passengers, three of us in each of the four compartments, and the pilot in the center with all the propane canisters! I would say the hardest challenge was climbing over the 4-foot-high basket. However, it wasn't a big deal - perhaps not as elegant as we would have liked, but it all worked out. There were toe holds, so it wasn't hard. 

The propane tanks in the basket

And then we were off. It was so gentle and so beautiful - who had time to worry about heights? I swear, I had not ONE twitch of vertigo or whatever you call that height sensation thing. It was amazing!!! And there's the sunrise!!!

Sunrise from the balloon

I managed to get a selfie of Suzanne and me. We didn't have a lot of room to move around, but there was enough space for us to be comfortable. We reached an altitude of 2,000 feet, and I believe the maximum altitude allowed in Canada for pleasure crafts is 3,000 feet. 

Suzanne and I are in the hot air balloon

What a perspective to see the fields and farms from above! It was terrific, and we were both thrilled that spontaneity struck us! And that we acted upon that whim. It was glorious! 

The fields from above

We went as high as 2000 feet, but we also skimmed the tree tops in this forested area. It was so cool as you could look down into the trees. Such a cool thing to do. 

Floating over the trees

The chase vehicle was on the ground and following us. Between the pilot and the crew, they were scouting a place to land. You don't want to land in a crop, nor on a highway, but we found a somewhat deserted road and landed there. 

Oh -- I should mention that it was only when we were in the basket and about to take off that we were told about the landing. OH!!! The Hollywood landing would involve the basket remaining upright. In contrast, the Wild West version could involve several, potentially hard hops, and the basket would tip over, being dragged 50-100 yards by the balloon. OH!!!!!!

We had a Hollywood landing! Two small hops and we were still upright! Then we ungracefully climbed out of the basket - again, not an issue. It's summer, and I didn't bring pants with me, nor did I bring a sweater, so I had to borrow a sweatshirt from one of the retreat attendees. However, it was warm and toasty up there, and I had no issue with shorts. Let's say a lot of heat is generated from those burners! 

After we landed

We had to wait while the chase crew got the balloon organized to be loaded back into the truck. They lay it out and try to deflate it as much as possible. Then it gets strapped to hold it into this sausage shape. 

Prepping the balloon to load back into the trailer

They have a large bag that holds the balloon. WOW --- that was so fascinating to watch, although I'm sure we were the only ones who were fascinated. There was one younger girl who you could tell wanted to be anywhere else but there. I believe she was with her grandmother! 

Stuffing the balloon into the bag 

When we arrived back at the airport, we had champagne and orange juice, and it was a grand finish! 

Celebrating a successful ride

It was a truly remarkable experience, and we also learned that Mark, our pilot, holds the record for the highest altitude in Canada. I know there are more specifics on that, and if you'd like to watch, I found a documentary about their trip. There were two of them. I haven't had a chance to watch the entire thing yet. 

We were lucky as it started to rain a bit once we were finished at the airport. We stopped in Stratford for breakfast and then returned to the retreat house to get some work done. While some of us worked very hard, there were some slackers, but hey - it's their time off, they can do what they want. 

I was trying to finish my quilt top, and I was on the last column, but where was the last piece of fabric? I swear I had it cut. Maybe I left it in the bag of fabric that I took to the car. No - I rifled through it all, but couldn't find the piece. I was about to cut another one when I glanced at the table and there it was! DUH!!!!

My missing piece of fabric

And that top got finished before I went to bed. I really like it, and although it takes a bit of time, it's a great one for 2 1/2" strips. Yep - I'd make that one again! By this time, I was alone again in the sewing room! 

Another quilt top done! 

There was a fancy table runner on the table, but we quickly removed that so it wouldn't accidentally get stained. I had a tea towel on the table where I sat! Just in case! 

My spot at the table

We had our dinner catered last night, and oh my goodness, what a treat! Pix Martin was the chef, and she did not disappoint. This was our appetizer! 

Our appetizer

And then we had an excellent BBQ chicken, local veggies, and dill pickle potato salad. And to top it off, we had this for dessert! 

Dessert

We won't do that every time, but it was fabulous not to have to cook! 

And that ends another day of the retreat! Today we go home! I have to laugh because the last retreat I was at was a bit too hot for me, although after the first day of wicked heat, the temperature did settle down. This place with central air is MUCH too cool for me, and I've been sleeping in the basement with three layers of quilts. I LIKE the weight, and I like to be warm! 

The others are used to AC, but it drives me crazy, and I should have remembered to bring a sweater! Next time!!!

And with that, I have one more project I want to sew this morning and then pack up to leave. I have a surprise waiting for me at home, and I'm eager to share it with you! You'll have to wait until tomorrow! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

What happens at retreat stays at retreat!

It was a great day weather-wise, but we were in the house for most of the day! I was a bit delayed in heading out for my morning walk, so I had company on the walk, which was fun. We were off to the local general store to see if we could find a few goodies! 

And we scored on the goodies!!!! What do you think? 

YUM YUM

Yes - it was barely 9 AM, and we were devouring Black Cherry ice cream in a waffle cone! All I can say is that it was amazing! Life is too short to not eat ice cream when you want it! I have been craving a good ice cream for several weeks, and the wait was well worth it! 

We picked up a few fresh produce items, jelly, and a few other things. We stopped at the goat dairy farm and picked up some fresh goat cheese. Does it get any better than that? 

I had been up early in the morning, and I managed to complete this quilt top. It's the same pattern as the one from the day before, but with different-colored sashing. The fabrics were black on white, while the other one was white on black. 

Quilt top - done

And that means another project will not have to return to a retreat ever again! I'm madly working on the next quilt top, which is a scrappy one for Quilts of Valour. I've made good progress on it, and I should be able to get the top completed later in the day. 

I'm doing well with the projects I brought, and I should be able to finish this one and at least one more. That will make me happy!!!

I went back to InSeason. Okay -- this store is fantastic, and I could have spent hours in there! However, I didn't, but I did buy some incredible things, which I'll be sharing with you later this week. I'm eager to get home and install them!

The owner was in the store, and we had a chance to chat with him. The store has just celebrated its 12th anniversary. Here's a picture of the store when it was a hotel, back in the 1860s or so. What a treasure to have that photo, and the building looks practically the same! 

When the store was a hotel!

This was some advertising for the building. How fun!!  

Hmm - I don't really have a picture of what it looks like today, but I'll take one later. If you check out the link, there is a shot of the building on the landing page. 

We had a great day yesterday, and everyone accomplished a lot of things! However, you know what they say: what happens at retreat stays at retreat, so I can't share any further information with you. 

Technically, I'm writing this the night before it gets published because something came UP, and I need to be up very early in the morning and won't have time to write the blog. It involves quite the adventure and, well, duty calls. You'll see what I mean tomorrow!

On that note, I'm out of here. I'm tired because I went to bed late last night, and I have to be on the road very early in the morning. 

Have a great day!!

Ciao!!!!

How does this work?

I packed the car, and I was off! The traffic on the way here was insane. All the traffic on the eastbound 407 was diverted to the westbound 401. That's where I was going, but seriously? One minute, you're going east, and then you're going west? I'm not sure what the issue was, but it was a complete mess. It only delayed me by 7 minutes, so all was good. 

The house is beautiful and features many high-tech amenities. I'm going to call it the QR Code house because there seem to be QR codes for everything! 

The sewing room is in the basement, but no worries - there's an elevator to get you from the main floor to the basement. When I sent a picture to DH, he wasn't impressed. Hey buddy - you may need that someday if you want to stay in our house! 

The elevator

I didn't need the elevator to get my few possessions downstairs. I love coming to retreat with FEW things. It's so easy to move in and move out! 

There is a fancy fridge with a window in one of its doors. I'm not sure why I need a window into the refrigerator; I haven't figured out how to turn on the light. It's there, nonetheless. I do like the inside of the fridge as it has more than two drawers and it's very convenient. I'm not sure I like the doors as the shelves on them are very deep and bulky. 

The fancy fridge

However, there is also water and ice available on the outside. So I took my giant water bottle and held it underneath that gadget, expecting to get ice and water. Nope - I got a bit of ice. OK - that's good. Now, let's fill it up with water. Ooops -- despite holding my water container under the nozzle, the water shot out elsewhere and onto the floor. From the sounds of the snickers from the table, it happened to others as well. We got a good chuckle from that. 

Getting water from the fridge

And then there was the microwave this morning. The microwave is built into the lower cabinet. Hmm - I've never operated one of these before. How the heck does it work? 

The microwave

OH - I managed to get the drawer open. Yes - it opens as a drawer, not a door that swings out. AH -- that actually makes more sense than having it high over the stove! OK, where are the buttons to make it work? 

The microwave is a drawer!

AHA -- I found the little panel at the top is a flip-down panel, and there's a button to open and close the drawer. Despite my figuring out the power settings, my oatmeal still boiled over. Hmm --- I'll have to try something else tomorrow. But how the heck would you ever wipe the top of that unit? It's underneath and would not be easy! 

Oatmeal still boiled over! 

And this is the powder room on the main floor. Oh my --- that is quite the decor! It's actually an I Spy game with many insects flying or crawling around, and a sign on the wall telling you how many of each are there. It's certainly enjoyable, to be sure. 

The main floor powder room

I went for a walk in the afternoon and discovered an Adventure Lab (Part of Geocaching), so I followed that and learned a lot about the small town we are located in. It's a beautiful location. 

However, something bad happened on the walk. I was walking along the main street and spotted a small garden, backyard, and knick-knack shop. OH MY GOD --- I want everything in the store! There are so many cool things, so I'm going back today or tomorrow to pick up some goodies! The nice thing is that everything is made by Canadian Artisans!! YES!!! I'll support local! There might be a few things that are not - but the main artwork is all Canadian. 

This is one of the art pieces that you can buy for your backyard. The shop is called InSeason. If you're in the area and enjoy backyard decor, it's the place to visit. 

Backyard artwork

Now, the question is: did I get any sewing done? And the answer is yes. I've brought this quilt top to MANY retreats, but sadly, this is the end of the line for this one. I had to add more blocks to make it bigger and had just enough black and white fabric with me to make the required number of blocks. It's great when you make yourself a note that only 14 blocks need to be made when, in fact, you need 24!!!! 

But the sashings were cut, and the blocks were assembled. And it's done!!!

One quilt top - DONE

As I was laying it out, I realized that I was right under the elevator, which happened to be upstairs! 

Oops - not a good place under the elevator!

However, all is good, and then I got out the next project and have been working on it this morning. I hope to finish that one off as well, and then who knows? 

What a great group of people we are. A group where not everyone knows each other, and it's working out just fine! Then, many of us ended up in the sunroom, which is also stunning. I love the house, but it's not one that I would buy. Some of the things are a bit weird for me! But well equipped!! 

And on that note, I'm out of here!!! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

It's all about perception

 AHA --- this is why I hang around smart people! The thought crossed my mind that the ends of those elastic strips on the long arm would fray! Tammy suggested I serge them or put white glue on them! DUH!!! I might have thought of that years from now! 

I need to deal with the ends of the elastic

I'm going to chop off the ends with the holes and then start with new ends. I could even sew a pretty little tab on the end to make it easier to find. However, I must do something, as you can see, it is starting to fray. But do I love those strips without the clamps? Yes and no. The clamps were so easy to put on - wait, that's a lie. They are tight and stiff to open, but they were weighted, so they were right where you wanted them to be. The elastics are limp and need to be pinned and unpinned. And yes - I poked myself with a pin yesterday! I never do that when pinning the quilt to the leader. 

Which is the lesser of two evils? No clamps! When it's time for the spa day, those ends will be dealt with - thanks for the suggestion. 

This is all that remains from the great container giveaway yesterday. If anyone wants the boxes, please EMAIL me. elainetheriault@gmail.com. It's amazing how many people contacted me in some other format. Since it was first-come, first-served, I wasn't checking various platforms to see who was first. I went by the emails I received! 

Storage boxes up for grabs

I accomplished a lot yesterday, but I don't have anything to share with you. It's all for the two upcoming writing assignments. Part of one assignment was sent yesterday. When trying something new, I'm always a bit leery, but what I tried yesterday worked like a charm. Actually, two things, and both of them were perfect! 

I spent the day running from the long arm to the .......... can you guess? It was not the embroidery or the sewing machine. Nope - it was the digital cutter. Between the two machines (both automated, of course), I was hopping all day. However, I completed both tasks, and I'm very pleased with the results. You'll see more about that later this summer. 

When I'm teaching, I tell people that to learn (or feel more comfortable), they need to do something, not just listen to the lesson. You need to get out the tool, pattern, software, thread, whatever, and just do something. I don't care what it is, but if you don't, you will never learn by just watching. And not just once, but practice it multiple times. Remember the 10,000-hour rule. You don't prepare for a marathon by running to the mailbox and back once. And then I receive comments that confirm I was right! Sigh........ 

The same applies to me. While what I did yesterday was not new, the supplies and methods were different, and all is good! I feel way more comfortable with those tools, and my ability to make them work as I want! 

I managed to get all the ends tucked in on those pet mats, and they are ready to be delivered later this week. 

A bag of pet mats is ready for delivery

And yes - hard to believe, but there is another in-person retreat this week. It's only for four days - thank goodness, as I have stuff to get done at home! However, the opportunity to visit two new retreat houses arose this month, and I didn't know when I would have another chance this year. This one is only one hour from my house! 

I'm all packed - well, almost. Just have to pack some food and then load everything into the car. Thankfully, a good part of that will NOT be coming home with me. The Pony Express is in high gear these days! 

Stuff to pack for the retreat

Oh, that Murphy. I was the recipient of two pieces of homemade pie, and I must say that both were delicious. Thanks so much for the delivery! I felt guilty as I scraped all the crumbs off the plate, but Murphy wanted to be part of the experience. So she grabbed the empty plate and took it outside, where she proceeded to scour it clean! 

Mom - I'll wash the plate for you!

Then, when I was sitting in the gazebo last night, she grabbed a toy she had found and plopped it into the skimmer, where the pump sits. Sigh........

A toy in the skimmer by the pump

It smells like something died under the gazebo. Thankfully, the smell won't last long in this heat, but it's probably the poor rabbit that Murphy corralled under there, and it was too scared to move. Although the stupid rabbits should know by now to stay out of our backyard! 

I haven't been out walking in the afternoon or the evening, so I'm falling behind on my KMs. I hope to make them up this week at the retreat. Let's see how that goes. I can still cover 9-10 km by walking the dogs and doing chores around the house, but I now need 13 km per day to reach my goal. 

Okay, so I need to bring something to your attention. Something that I guess I knew in the back of my mind, but didn't realize it was a thing. I finished reading a book written in 2008, The Whole Truth by David Baldacci. I'm not sure I was a fan of the book, but it was based on an interesting concept called Perception Management. I put it in capital because it is a thing! 

We're all aware of how marketers try to convince us that their product is the best, and they're very good at it. The fabric manufacturers seem to be doing a bang-up job of convincing people they need to buy! The world is now teeming with influencers who will promote any product and are making a good living at it. Single parents at home with four kids and living in pretty spiffy houses - influencers! 

While the money is good and easy, would you want to flog products all day? What's your point in life? But I digress. WOW -- there are even movies about influencers. I saw something last night, but I couldn't remember the source. It was about how kids feel growing up in a household where their lives are constantly on view to millions of people. 

Back to Perception Management. Essentially, ANYONE with enough money or power can create scenarios that are convincing enough that they can make entire cities, countries, and even the world believe that the made-up stories are the truth. The scenario in the book pitted two large nations against each other to the brink of war, but neither nation had done anything inappropriate. It was ONE person who facilitated the almost third-world war! 

This is the scariest scenario in the world, and we see evidence of it happening in our world today, with all the fake news out there. No one can believe anything they hear or read. It's terrifying. The key question is - how do we address that? And how will you convince the people who have fallen hook, line, and sinker for all the fake scenarios, that this is bad? 

Thankfully, I am not married to the news in any way. However, one needs to be aware of what's going on, but what is the best source for that information? We went through a period where we could get "free" news on the radio or the TV. We had to pay for newspapers. You can still get news on the internet, but how trustworthy is most of what you read? DH says there is only one good news source, and that is Reuters, which you have to pay for. 

And if you don't believe me about Perception Management, check out what Google has to say. By the way, Google used AI to create this summary, which I linked to above. But it seems spot on to me. 

It's hard to believe that David already employed this concept in his 2008 book, and it was believable then, when social media wasn't as prevalent as it is today. Imagine where we will be in another 10 years? 

On that note, I'm out of here! I have to walk the girls and pack the car. Most everything else is done! 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!