Spend time with your friends NOW!!!

After getting some feedback from people, I'm glad M is using the trim from her dress for the wedding. Someone else dismantled their lace wedding hat, so her daughter could use it to wrap her bouquet! It was worth the four hours to take it apart!

To answer the question about the community project quilts, the group of 11 I'm working on is NOT among the ones Diane made. Someone did me a favor and picked up a bunch of scraps I was using to make scrap quilts for more community project quilts. She was looking for scraps, so I offered what I had. As a favor, I offered to quilt some of the quilts she made, provide the backing, and the batting. I was very grateful that she took those scraps. 

However, I suspect the scraps got tossed. I think they were too small for her liking. She asked if I would mind if she offered them to a friend because she didn't have time now, and, well, I must remember in the future to just say NO or not make an offer. It's not a big deal -- I've really procrastinated on getting them done, and this will be the LAST time I offer to do a favor like that for someone. I wasn't expecting 11, and I wasn't expecting them to be so large - about 50" square. 

Life is all about learning lessons. 

And I learned another lesson yesterday. When I was younger, I was fortunate enough to participate in a youth program called Katimavik. I didn't know the program was still active! I actually met my first DH during that program, and because of him, I ended up moving to Quebec and learning French. And set my life on a different path than I thought it would take. 

I can't even remember how many of us were in our group, but let's say about 30. That number seems low - it must have been closer to 50. There were two options that year -- a community civilian option or a military option. I chose the military. Of that group, I've stayed in touch with 6 people - not close, but we've met over the years from time to time, and we have a small messaging group. My plan was to visit three of those people this year. One, I was planning to meet before the wedding. She was the least communicative of us all. 

I learned last night that she passed away at the end of March. No warning to anyone that she was sick - she was looking forward to the visit when we chatted at Christmas. I am meeting another person in Winnipeg during Quilt Canada (she's very chatty), and the third person (my roommate) lives within a thirty-minute drive from me, and I haven't seen her in years!

I need to call her and meet up!! 

It's funny how quickly we lose touch with people, and that's one reason why I love Facebook. Even if you are not having an active conversation with someone, you still feel in touch, although it's at arm's length. And some people, like "Radar" (her real name is Marie), but she was Radar to all of us. She was very troubled and very shy and struggled with a lot of health issues (mental and physical) over the years. RIP Radar! Out! We were in the Communications branch of the Canadian Armed Forces for our youth program, and it was MANY, MANY years ago! 

I have to look for some pictures today as her brother is putting together a memory book. 

Now I have an extra day when I'm in BC, but I think I know what to do! I just have to make some plans. 

I didn't get much done the entire day. Well, that is not correct - I did accomplish things, but not much to show for it. The phone/computer seems to be my constant companion these days. We had a two-hour meeting for Quilt Canada to get things arranged, so that is good. And I've started the process to get some help for my Mom. And thankfully, the first consultation can take place over the phone. But I think we should handle some legal paperwork the next time I return to Saskatchewan, which will be sooner rather than later. So, step one accomplished: make the appointment for the on-phone consult. Step two, which is today, is to try for some kind of appointment for Dad. 

The trees are in full bloom right now, and this is one massive tree we spotted on our morning walk. All those blooms are falling into the driveway, but who cares - it's beautiful. 

Beautiful tree in bloom

The girls were enjoying the sun on the back deck! I don't know how they can stand lying in the sun with their big fur coats on, but they love it! 

MOM -- we're sunbathing! 

Why does anyone have to mess with nature? I went to the grocery store and spotted these multi colored peppers. I believe they called Aloha! While they are pretty, do we really need them? What's wrong with orange, red, or yellow? Hmmm—apparently, they are native to the Netherlands and are yellow and red, with no seeds. OK - now I need to buy one just to check it out. 

Aloha peppers

The good news is that I managed to complete the appliqué on all four houses for the Color My World quilt! Yeah!!!! 

The house blocks are done!

Honestly, it didn't take much time at all, and I'm pretty darn good at it. So I must buckle down and get more appliqué done! This is an invisible machine appliqué, which I stitch with very thin threads and an elongated zigzag, using thread that matches the appliqué; it works very well. 

The appliqué stitches

Quick side trip as I pulled out my photo album for Katimavik! Thank goodness I labeled all the pictures with people's names. Sadly, many of that group have passed. And of the gang of five at high school, two have passed. These people are way too young to die of illness!!!

I'll take a trip down memory lane later this morning and forward to her brother whatever pictures I have of Radar. I think I'll post a few to our group of those still there—loads of good memories! That almost ten-month program was a game-changer in my life. 

Even better news: I finally made some progress on the darn puzzle!! While the border is still missing many pieces, I finally have it more or less in place. I removed all the excess pieces I couldn't find a home for, and everything within the puzzle border is either attached to the border or a section. 

Great progress on the puzzle

There are still a lot of holes, all of which are foliage or sky! So bit by bit, I'll get it together - it's definitely not a fast one and certainly getting my money's worth! I bought this one at the thrift store for at most $7.99, and likely got a discount. 

I also dropped off another donation box yesterday and got another 20% coupon in the event I spot something, and it's not seniors' day. And I went to Best Buy and bought the printer. I spotted the guy I spoke to the other day, and he gave me $20 off. It's better than nothing. I need to get that hooked up today, as I need to print something. 

I also watched more videos and made notes for my upcoming classes this weekend. So, as I mentioned, I got a lot done, but not much to share! 

I'll tell you the story of the cleaning service another day. As I survey the office, it doesn't look that bad, considering there is a sewing machine and an embroidery unit in here, the box from my stick vacuum, which I need to finish unpacking, and a bunch of books that I have to deal with. So even adding in that extra, it's not bad! I am feeling pretty good. Mind you, there are still loads of things to deal with, but it's so much better than it was. 

DH and I started playing the EXIT games again. I'll tell you about that as well. 

On that note, I'm off to the gym for my private spin class. I still can't bear the thought of walking into that room and Josephy not being there. 

Remember, there is a virtual retreat this weekend. Saturday starting at 6 PM, and Sunday starting at 3 PM. 

And just to note - the temperature last night when I went to bed was 30, feeling like 36. Right now, less than 12 hours, it is 13, feeling like 10!!!!! What a change! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Show n Tell

In case they missed it in the comments (the two post-op knee people are now chatting to each other), and we have a retired orthopedic nurse amongst the readers—get an icing machine. I've heard that from other people as well. I hope I never need one, but apparently, they are the best thing since sliced bread for recovery! 

Thanks to Elle for the suggestion, and good luck to Torri and Shirley! 

I had fun at the two classes in the morning. So much creativity! I will only share my Colour My World with you—the others are still in bits and pieces, and I'll save the big show-and-tell for June. I still have to complete the stitching on the four houses in the middle of each row, but otherwise - I'm up to date!

My Colour My World quilt - close to being finished

I'm so happy with the progress. I love the bright colors, and I've pretty much kept the pattern to the original, except for changing the color of the trees. The four corners are the areas where many others before our class have changed the four distinct buildings in the original: Big Ben, Eiffel Tower, One World Trade Center (NY), and Centrepoint Tower (Sydney, Australia). 

The original quilt

Some of the ladies want to switch up the buildings and make them more representative of Canada or places they have seen around the world. I'm going to swap two of them -- CN Tower for Centrepoint Tower, and a grain elevator for One World. I have no clue how to draw, but I got out my pencil and a ruler (and an eraser - thank goodness) and took a very logical approach to drawing the CN Tower, which I shared with the class. And I made it into a paper pieced pattern! And it took about 20 minutes in total!!! 

I love the group's creativity, and they are now creating some amazing buildings for the corners. However, I have one frustrating situation in the class. As a polite Canadian, I might not mention this, but I am downright annoyed, and I'm allowed to speak up! If we don't voice these kinds of things, they'll keep happening, and I'm tired of keeping the crap inside. 

 Every month since the beginning, a question has come up about the alternate (NON-existent, personal choice) patterns. Would they be offered for free (there was an offer to buy them)? This was way before we even started to work on designing them. I get it -- I don't draw, but I'm working to the best of my abilities and willing to give it a try. 

I have no problem if people ask, and I explained my stance that as a teacher, I am there to teach them how to create these patterns that I don't even need to, because the original pattern comes with FOUR PERFECTLY GOOD BUILDINGS! I get it and would be most willing to share my patterns, but the constant whining has made me dig my heels in. Why should I or someone design a building that is special to them and then just hand it over to someone else? 

Besides, these patterns are large, so they are not easy to scan and send to someone else. And my pattern, once I'm done with it, will be scraps of paper! All anyone has to do is follow my detailed diagrams, and they, too, can achieve the same pattern in mere minutes!

Enough said about that --- the bottom line is if you want the redesigned patterns, then try and if you don't succeed, perhaps we can work out an arrangement, but I DO NOT hand out free gifts on a platter without some effort. I probably would have shared what I've done, but the behavior got my back up right at the start of the class, and because of the constant whining about it, I have dug my heels in. I hope no one in the class shares either - I know that is completely un-Christian-like - but there are principles to be upheld! 

I'm also very happy to report that the Tamarack Jacket is almost complete! I have sewn in the sleeves, and I need to finish off the seam allowances before I continue, but I basted the side seams just to see how it fits, and I LOVE IT!!! I still need to bind the sleeves, but that is the last thing after the side seams are finished. So lots of handwork. I might get some of this completed tonight at the virtual retreat, or I'll take it this week. I need to get some of these almost-finished things done! 

The front of the Tamarack jacket

The back ends a good steaming because it's been crumpled in a basket for a long, long time. While it may seem a bit large in the back, I don't have a ton of excess room, and I certainly want it so tight that I can't move. I'm happy with it. 

The back of the jacket

I accomplished quite a bit after the Zooms were over. What should I work on? All this free time is beyond my comprehension—where do I even begin to get everything done? At least I have the time, now I need to keep my focus and motivation. The pile on the current projects table is motivation enough, but there is so much that it's hard to know where to start. 

I decided to grab the bag of black-and-white scraps and see what could be done. This was on the current projects table, and I was going to toss it in with the retreat stuff, but decided it was a good task for yesterday. 

My scrap box of black and white fabric

I'm not going to give you the blow-by-blow of how I did what I did, as I've decided to teach my scrap class in the fall. I'm enjoying my free time too much to fill it up with classes. Here's my plan - I'm going to run a scrap class in the fall through Thimbles and Things (SH -- I have finalized the details with Paula yet), and it'll likely start in October (maybe September) and run for hmmmmm ---- how many months? About 7, I think, so I need to look at my calendar. Perhaps I could get that organized later today. 

I know that someone else does scrappy classes with that store, but I have a different take on it! As a result, I'm saving the process I did yesterday, but I'll share a few things with you. 

After taking stock of what I needed, I had to cut almost 1,000 rectangles at 1½" by 2½". 

Taking stock of what I had

That was a long and boring afternoon, but I was listening to a great audiobook, so I didn't mind. After the workout and the massage, and then standing to do all this cutting, my back was tired at one point, so I sat down for a while. 

MANY rectangles cut

The bottom line is that everything got cut, labelled, and back in the project bag. 

The project is ready to sew!

The remaining bits of black-and-white fabric are neatly organized in the black-and-white scrap box, and I'm a happy camper. YES - I made a dent in the scrap box! 

The scrap box now!

I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to get back to working on this, but it is a good ender/leader project, and I might keep that out and work on it instead of my half-square triangles. But that is one thing off the current project table - well, technically it's still there, but much more advanced than it was. 

Then it was onto the next thing. As mentioned, there are so many small things that are almost complete but aren't, and I'm trying to get them done. I have these little mitten ornaments that are mostly done, but a few need a few fiddly finishing details. Last night, during the Virtual Retreat call, I decided to get more of that done. 

I had one mitten that required crystals. 

This mitten requires crystals.

I set up the supplies, which probably took longer than applying the remaining crystals. 

Getting ready to work on the crystals

The mitten now has crystals and is complete. I put everything away once the crystal tool cooled down. 

Crystals on the mitten

I have six Santa mittens that required theappliquée pieces to be cut and fused in place. I did that the other day, but now a bell has to be stitched to each hat. 

Three Santa mittens

I have three of six bells sewn on, and all six faces have theappliquéé complete. I believe I still have to mark eyes with a pen and something else, I can't remember at the moment. I should be able to finish those tonight. 

I also cut out the fusibleappliquéé and fused the pieces for the four snowman blocks in place. There is still a face to draw on. The pattern calls for seed beads, but why? I think I'll get the Pigma pen out and mark dots. 

The four snowman mittens

I get an email anytime a house is listed in our area, or there's a price change or whatever. OH MY GOODNESS -- we all know that prices are nowhere near what they were several years ago, but I got a notification this morning of a house that has a price drop of 35%. That equates to over $500K. Either that was a big mistake, or they are desperate to sell. So, for less than $1M, you can get a pretty nice house in a great neighborhood!! The house has been renovated as well! 

The girls and I had some long walks (yes - that is plural) yesterday. I took this picture of the creek in the forest behind the house. 

The creek behind our house

What's interesting, and I probably say this every year, is that the creek ends in a city sewer drain! And it only has water in the spring. How sad that the creek ends in a drain. I know other areas around here typically have water in the spring, but they just plop houses onto the land. 

When I went for a walk in the afternoon, I had no errands and didn't really want to walk alone, so I grabbed both girls, and we went out. Good grief—though Miss Murphy was fast asleep and is getting up in age, the minute you put a leash on her, she is a different dog. For the first part of the walk, she goes full tilt, then, once she has calmed down, she slows down somewhat. Lexi is just happy to be out!

Walking the dogs

While they are fun to walk together, I wouldn't do it regularly. They would kill me with all the pulling and twisting and turning they do. But they are MUCH better on leashes together than they used to be. They would get all twisted up and pull suddenly at full speed, and it was a nightmare. My only fear about walking both of them is having an e-scooter pass us, because Murphy HATES them. She even gives motorcycles the evil eye when they pass us! I have no idea where that came from! I would not be able to control both dogs in that situation. 

I spent time in Studio B this morning tidying up! Machines were on the floor, needing cleaning, and stuff was everywhere. I still have a lot to do today, but I'm making good progress. Vacuuming floors, dusting, etc. And putting things away and getting out what to work on today. I have nothing except the Virtual Retreat. Sorry—I had to check my schedule again to confirm that. It just feels bizarre to not have to prep for something or host a Zoom class. 

WAIT—other than Monday Sewing, I have NOTHING on my calendar for the remainder of the month. NOTHING!!!! 

But that doesn't mean I'm not cognizant of what needs to be done for April, and with several trips in April, I need to be strategic with my time. I dug out this block to work on this morning. That is going to be a doozy to sew, and I can hardly wait. 

My "homework" for today

I'm trying really hard to finish up those piddly and fiddly little things that are half done. There's a lot of that kind of stuff on the current projects table. I'm making progress, but I have a few too many things on the go. It's time to refocus and just get them done! That includes the cutting and handwork I'm taking to this quilting retreat! 

On that happy note, I'm out of here! The link for the Virtual Retreat is below. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!




Virtual Retreat - Sunday, March 22 --- starts at 3 PM.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89869001291?pwd=h57kT9axwTnd2xtJvuO0z2UOmUo45w.1

Meeting ID: 898 6900 1291
Passcode: 136711

What are you addicted to?

There are so many thoughts going through my head this morning. I heard some disturbing things yesterday. You've been in this situation - you might have been on a train, at the grocery store, in the airport, at the dinner table, and what is everyone doing? 

They are on their phone! And what are they doing? Endlessly scrolling through countless Social apps -- Facebook, IG, X, Pinterest, Facebook, IG, X, WhatsApp, X, Pinterest. It's ENDLESS scrolling. 

The sad thing is that you are devoting YOUR PRECIOUS hours left in your life to being entertained by total nonsense! What are you thinking? 

Do NOT YELL at me for that because you can't deny it! I have basically turned off notifications on my phone—it is a completely SILENT device. The phone rings? I don't hear it. A text comes in? I don't hear it. Do I care? I do NOT need to be connected to the world until I am ready to be connected. Before you yell at me - I get it that some people may need to be connected because of health issues, family matters, or whatever. But do you need to respond to every text message immediately? 

I will admit that from time to time I get caught up in watching reels, but after a couple, I remind myself that most of them are AI-generated, have ZERO point, and are a complete and utter waste of time. 

I hear stories from my friends that they meant to look at Pinterest for five minutes, and hours later, they are still scrolling. Or they just spend an hour checking out Social media platforms. 

What I don't get is why we are so interested in OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES and yet we don't care about our own? You could have been stretching in that hour, you could have been having a phone conversation with a family member or friend (GASP - does anyone do that anymore?), you could have been tidying up your house, learning a new skill by watching a YouTube video, or reading a book, or any other multitude of things. 

I totally get that these apps are addictive, and guess what? They were created that way! Those reels with their 1-second intro and enticing titles. They are made to grab our very short attention spans. But what many people don't realize is that this addiction to your phone is as bad as an addiction to ANY OTHER substance abuse addiction. Yep --- it's an addiction. Remember when the iPhone first came out? Many of the bigwigs in Silicon Valley, including Steve Jobs, would NOT allow their family members (or maybe just their children) to have one because they built it to be addictive. 

We're going to have to start the 12-step program for phone use. 

Sometimes people say they are bored, so they reach for their phone. Did you know that being bored is a VERY GOOD THING!!! We need to be bored; our brains need to have a break from the constant barrage of information. And then we wonder why everyone is so anxious and impatient these days. Yep --- "If I don't get instant gratification for anything, I'm not happy." 

Our world is quickly becoming a very sad place. Trust me, I'm not perfect, but I have greatly reduced my screen time - no TV since 2010. I confess I haven't even watched the Olympics, aside from the Opening Ceremony. I only have two social media accounts - IG and Facebook. I might check them a couple of times a day, but I'm probably in each account for a maximum of 10 minutes a day, unless there is a special event, like Quilt Con or the Olympics, in which I spend a bit more time. 

I'm not wired any differently than anyone else, but I have made CONSCIOUS decisions to not get addicted! I'd really like to remember who taught me Grade 7 Social Studies, because whoever it was, that is the class I remember the most. We were taught all about how companies market to us and try to suck us in. Gosh -- I wish I could remember more about that! But that fact has remained with me for years, and I still live by that. 

But all that brings me to the current book I'm reading, called The Brain at Rest by Dr. Joseph Jebelli. His research has led him to believe that our brains are so overworked that we are heading to significant issues with our brains, which can lead to breakdowns, forms of dementia, stress, anxiety, and many other ailments. He equates those little things like forgetfulness (not to age, not to dementia), but to overloading the brain so that it can't handle the small details of our lives. 

He talks about just sitting and doing NOTHING -- not even with a cell phone, which is an onslaught of verbal and visual diarrhea to your brain. Open and empty your brain every day, meditate, forest bath, or whatever you need to do, but our brains need to rest! That is how people rejuvenate, and often after a rest period, you come back to your desk, with a new perspective and filled with ideas. 

Hmmm --- not to toot my own horn, but I do this EVERY SINGLE DAY and most days - I do it twice, once with the girls and then on my own. I don't listen to audiobooks or music. I just look at my surroundings, I let my brain just wander, and I've had so many exciting things happen on those walks. 

Why don't you try it? Turn off notifications on your phone, then schedule a time once or twice a day to check your social platforms. Can you do it? I dare you!!!! The predominant use of my phone is the CAMERA. I will NOT get rid of my phone, but I refuse to let it dictate my life or waste my precious time. 

OK --- after that rant! Let's see what happened yesterday. 

Another call from Microsoft - at least they call when they say they will. But not fixed yet. More information gathering, and the support rep will go back to their engineering team. It's all about two big kids who can't play well together in the sandbox! 

I have to update the BIOS on my HP computer, and then there will be another call from Microsoft on Tuesday. 

Look at that roof of ours. Yep --- that peak in front is an issue. Is it the valleys? The pitch of the roof? What causes the snow to not melt quickly? I'm not worried - the ice dam is gone, but I need to follow up with the insurance and an engineer this week. 

Still snow in the roof valleys

OK -- I was trolling Facebook (on my limited allotted time) yesterday and spotted this. Isn't this a nice thing? 

YES --- we need to do this!!!

 

What nice thing have I done for others recently? Well, in my Colour My World class, I know a few people are struggling with timing issues -- they may have a health problem, be moving, or whatever. I have offered to give them a few extra classes (for free) after we formally finish the class. I want them to be successful in completing their quilts!!

Speaking of Colour My World, here's what my quilt looks like to date! 

My version of Colour My World

I've used bright batiks, and I absolutely LOVE the quilt. It's coming together nicely, and there has been some seam ripping along the way, but for the most part, it's been amazing to work on. We still have a lot of work to do before the final reveal in June, but I am confident the class will succeed. 

Here's an interesting situation that has happened to me. I've been a quilt teacher for 25 years and have enjoyed meeting all the students, seeing their creativity, and listening to stories of how I have helped and inspired them over the years. What I particularly like is seeing the students and their skills grow -- I push them hard sometimes, but when that lightbulb goes on, that is what teachers live for! 

I wrote an entire story about this, but I think I'll condense it to this. 

As a teacher, what is better: 

Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day?

OR 

Teach a man to fish, and he eats for the rest of his life? 

My job is to teach them to make, sew, and design blocks, NOT to give them a pattern, unless there is an absolute failure with the patterns/instructions from the designer. I'm just there to guide them. 

Whatever will I do with that, Miss Murphy? She thinks the entire house, especially Studio B, is her sleeping spot. I often catch her around the corner in the stash room, completely happy to be by herself. However, when she needs attention, she DEMANDS it. I think she knows that she has to turn her brain off every once in a while. Maybe she has been reading my book! 

Fast asleep in the corner of the stash room

Then last night, I had to lay my quilt on the floor because the design wall was full. This is what happened. 

MOM - are these for me to test?

Oh yes -- she got even cosier as she stretched out in full. So the quilt rows 1, 2, and 5 have been assembled, and I'll have to do 3 and 4 this afternoon. What a silly girl!!!!! 

I remembered to take a picture of the painting that Cynthia painted of our dogs. This was not a favor; I commissioned her to paint the picture. I love supporting artists because that is how they make their living. 

This is Little Sammy on the left, and the detail Cynthia put in the tail is incredible, and it's exactly like Sammy's tail was. I gave her photographs of the forest and the dogs, and this is what she painted. The only artistic license she took (with my permission) was to paint the background sky. You can't really see the sky in the forest. 

The dog on the right is Miss Lexi, and the dog in the back is Sparky, who had already crossed the Rainbow Bridge at that time. Miss Murphy hadn't arrived at the time. Sammy passed before the painting was done, but we knew it was imminent. 

The girls BEFORE Muprhy

I'm sure that Murphy is miffed every time she looks at it, which must be often since it sits on our fireplace mantle in the family room!!

I have lots more to share, but I've run out of time. 

There is a Virtual Retreat today, starting at 3 PM. Here's the link. 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89869001291?pwd=h57kT9axwTnd2xtJvuO0z2UOmUo45w.1

Meeting ID: 898 6900 1291
Passcode: 136711

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

The email saga continues

For the record, I do NOT give my dogs people food. Currently, three adults live in this house, and TWO of them think it's OK to slip them the occasional tidbit of food, including veggies. I'm OK with the veggies, though some are not safe for dogs. And for this reason, those two dogs hang around those two people waiting for the tidbits. Trust me, I have repeatedly said, DO NOT FEED the dogs people food, and it falls on deaf ears. Thankfully, it's not a lot of food, but I keep repeating the message. 

Since this behavior is learned, the dogs think that all humans in our house will give them food. So they sit beside me, and then quickly lose interest when they realize that Mom doesn't give in to those puppy dog eyes. When I have cucumbers or carrots (both safe for dogs), I give them a couple of pieces, but it's rare. 

It drives me crazy that the people in my house will NOT listen! I've made such a big deal about it lately that I think they have backed off. 

So no - Murphy and Lexi did NOT get any grapes. Thanks for the reminder! 

I'm happy to report that my knee feels a whole lot better. I did not walk the dogs, but I took a slow walk to the grocery store later in the day. It was NOT a fun walk, but I needed to get out. Then I used ice and heat and stayed off it for the rest of the day. OK -- I was sewing, so I had to stand and cut, but I wasn't walking. It's feeling a whole lot better this morning. 

I will take the girls for a short walk each and see how it goes. 

No word from the engineers, so I'll call them later today if I have time. It's crunch time for the weekend classes, and while I'm making great progress, I'm a couple of hours behind. But I'm OK. It's not a due or die crunch - just scheduled time!

However, you are not going to believe the update on the Outlook story. I'm stunned. I did a little research before calling the support line. Can you believe this? Read the first two lines, and that should tell you all you need to know about my problem!

You read that correctly! There is no ADDRESS BOOK in the new version of Outlook. What?? I don't get that. So when I chatted to the support people, I asked. By the way, I was very calm and collected during the almost TWO hours in total I spent on the phone with them. While I know the support people won't have that information, they did mention that Microsoft is targeting a different user with the NEW version. WHAT? A different user? I don't get that. It's totally useless, although the split between Focused and Other emails is really handy. 

You can bet that I'm going to provide feedback. I've thought ot sending the same message through the Microsoft Feedback channel every day, and I'm going to suggest that anyone else (you know who you are) will do the same. This is utter nonsense. You'll find the FEEDBACK tab under the HELP tab in Outlook. Use it wisely and use it OFTEN!!!! 

Anyway, to keep the details short, it took a long time to switch back to the Classic Version. Why? Because new computers don't come with the Classic version installed, forcing you to use the New version. OK -- this is getting weirder by the minute. So the support guy had to download the Classic version, and then switched me back. 

All would seem good, right? By the way, the call had to be escalated because he had trouble reconnecting me to the server. That resulted in him deleting my account and then reinstating it. Then my emails started to populate the inbox, and I thought we were good. 

Now it appears that ONLY the inbox got populated. The remainder of my very detailed file structure is EMPTY!!! Yep—there are no emails in any of my class folders. NOTHING!!! I'm not panicking - I'm laughing because I wonder how much worse this is going to get, and what the heck good it will do if I get mad. NOTHING. 

Thankfully, the escalation guy and I have an appointment today to see how the repopulating went, so he had better call me today, or I will be calling them back. 

What was funny, though, was that at one point my computer automatically switched back to the New version, and that wasn't going to do. I couldn't find the switch to move back, so I had to call again. I am ashamed to say that I got a woman on the call, and my past experience has not been good. But I kept my mouth shut and let her do what she needed to do, and within ten minutes, I was good to go. 

So the saga continues. OH -- the distribution lists have to be moved manually, which I knew, and I need to do that this morning before the escalation guy calls me back. If I have trouble, then he can help me. I know there are other options, but I'm stubborn. I've paid for this darn thing, and I'm so used to it that I'm going to get it working, even if I die trying!! LOL. 

OH - and when I was working on the homework for Color My World, guess what I found? A printout of the distribution list! That is going to make it so much easier to re-enter them, if I need to. Yeah!!!!

The printed distribution list for Colour My World

And one other thing: I really like how the Classic version saves pictures. The New version sucks at that, so I'd better remember to include that in my feedback. 

I'm making my Colour My World from batiks, and this was the ironing board as I prepped for the weekend class. It's all tidied away now, but it was very colorful! I'm loving this quilt, and while it is a lot of work, it's so worth it!!!

Prepping the homework for Colour My World

And OH MY -- I had to get the hammer out because at one point in the day, KU was pressing something and I don't know how hard she was pressing, but that board jumped down a notch or two! Nothing fell, so all was good. But I'm going to tip that board upside down today and see if I can jam the notches in place, and if I need to use a hammer, then so be it! Personally, I think that one bar needs to be straightened. 

While I was sewing and cutting, I also had the embroidery machine running at full speed with this project. All twenty of the blocks are complete! That was a ton of work (OK - it wasn't, but it was noisy), and now I need to figure out how to assemble them into a quilt. Be sure to mark your calendars for my Facebook Live on March 11. 

My machine embroidered quilt block

It's very hard to get good help these days! Murphy just wants attention, and so I stop to give her some loving. As a result, my chair moved backward. When I went to sew, she was still lying on the floor, and my foot was a long way from the foot pedal. What a silly girl!!!

MOM -- I need loving, more than you need to sew

How many keys does your key ring hold? Mine has been sitting here staring at me for a couple of days, and I got to wondering. Remember how we used to have oodles of keys. What did we use them all for? I have three keys on that holder. By the way, don't you love the personalized band? A friend made that for me, and it's fun because it has my name on it, so there's no danger of getting it mixed up with someone else's. THANK YOU!!!!

My keyring

There is a house key on it, but we never use it since we have a keyless lock on the front door. Still handy in case the battery dies, though I get plenty of warning. The mailbox key, which I use every time I get the mail. There is also a smaller key on it, which I have no idea what it unlocks. I suspect a lock for the bike rack!! I must check that out since I want to sell the bike rack. I have zero need for any other keys. WAIT -- the car. That's a big fob, and I keep it in my little pouch. Again, our car is keyless for everything, but you need the fob on your person to do anything. 

I spotted this on Instagram yesterday. Hmmm—I'm not sure I could focus. I think I'll keep those activities separate! 

Doing a puzzle while walking? 

I have to tell you about this audiobook I'm just finishing up this morning. It's one of the ones from that Globe and Mail list from March 2023. OH MY!!!!! If you love a thinker mystery with loads of details, this is the book for you! It's called Malice by Keigo Higashino. It's the first in the Detective Kaga series, but wow!! Actually, the list mentioned his latest book, "A Death in Tokyo," but since it was a series, I had to start at the beginning. 

There is a murder, as is usually the case in a murder mystery. And unlike other books, you get to know the murderer pretty early on. But the why and the how are uncanny! It's like a cat-and-mouse game between the accused and the detective as they both unravel the details. It's quite interesting, and I'll definitely be reading more of this author's books. He has some standalone books as well. 

You need to stay sharp on your toes to understand the nuances of the book; there are plenty of side diversions. Oh shoot—I see I can download the next audiobook in the series. NO --- Just say no - I have three other books in my audiobook reader to read first!!!!

Well, I guess I'm off -- I have so many things to do, but very interesting and exciting things on the agenda for today. I've got some patterns to design, embroidery designs to continue, a huge variety of things to sew, and it's just going to be a glorious day. If Microsoft can find the rest of my emails, that will be the icing on the cake. At this point? I'm not hopeful. I think they got lost in the save when they deleted my account. They might be on another computer, or they should still be on the server. 

I guess that would be a good way to get rid of a lot of stuff! It will be annoying as all get out to find what I need since the ones I wanted to keep were in the folders! But the most critical thing would be the UFO emails, as I had not processed those photos yet. Sigh.............

However, onward and upward!!!!

Have a great day!!!

Ciao!!!

PS -- Forgot to mention --- there is a Virtual Retreat this weekend. Saturday - starting at 6 PM EST and Sunday at 3 PM EST. I'm not going to post the links until Saturday because Zoom has a fit about posting them on a public blog. So I'll only do it on Saturday and then on Sunday. 

Colour My World Show and Tell

And just like that, plans change! I thought I was going on an adventure yesterday, even got in the car and was halfway there, but then realized I was ahead of myself by ONE WEEK!! And I had a playdate planned for today, but it's not happening, so I have a free day! OK -- technically, not a free day because I'm madly working on that list of things for the week! Both changes of plan just mean that I'm getting more work done! 

I'm happy to report that two of the writing assignments are done. Well, one will leave this morning, and the other right after lunch. Then it will be heads down to finish the other three. I made lots of videos yesterday, which is always fun. 

Since I don't have much to share with you today, it's time to show you the progress from the Colour My World class. I'm not even sure how many are in the class, but over 50, and not everyone is actually working on a quilt, and some are behind, but the participation rate is relatively high. I have received pictures from 43 people.

This is the finished quilt by Wendy Williams. 

Colour My World pattern by Wendy Williams

And this is what we have completed so far. All the circular parts are sewn together in this picture, and we have started on the final outer ring, which will take us to June for the final reveal. 

The current status of my quilt

The group is working on making the road and sewing the circles together this month. Some people have made some significant changes to their quilts, particularly with the use of color and the style of trees. I changed my tree color to orange but kept the shape the same. I used bright batiks. 

Sit back and enjoy the quilts. 

Anne

Bonnie

Brenda

Carole

Cathie

Cathy

Cathy

Cathy

Cheryl

Christine

Cloe

Darlene

Dawn

Elaine

Elaine

Elizabeth

Gillian

Helen Anne

Jocelyn

Johanne

Karen

Lois

Lorraine (yes - we know there is a boo boo)

Margaret

Marina

Maryke

Michelle

Nancy

Nancy

Nancy

Nancy

Nicole

Rose

Sandra

Sandy

Sandy

Sharon

Shelley

Stephanie

Tammy

Valerie

Wendy

Zildi

WOW — there you have it: I have received pictures from 43 participants, and as you can see, they are at various stages of completion. Some people have found special fabric collections and are perhaps afraid to get started, while others are slowly working through the project because of time and skill level. While it is a relatively easy project, some spots make you think. I bet some of the participants will be sweating the curved seams, but they are so gentle. It's a very doable quilt! 

And on that note, now that I have a "free" day, I will rethink my plans. Heck - I don't need to rethink - I just need to keep working away at that list of things to get done this week. It is fabulous to be able to do that without worrying about prepping for the weekend. I'm practically giddy with all the free time I have! 

Have a wonderful day!!

Ciao!!!