Meanfingful gifts

You'll be happy to know (and I'm thrilled) that I made excellent progress on the samples, and I'm almost done. Yes, a bit more stitching is needed, and they will be finished. Thank goodness. I didn't think the process out too much in advance; I may have overdone it. But I'm learning lots while making them, and that's all that counts!

I know that many of you are in the process of decluttering right along with me. There are all kinds of 30-day plans, and on each day, you tackle a different area. I got a chuckle the other day when someone posted that the task was to match up the lids of the plastic ware and then the junk drawer. I can happily say that both were done several years ago and the best news? They are still in good shape! 

If I wanted to take a look, if anything was amiss, it would take less than five minutes to tidy it up! Technically, we no longer have a junk drawer, as we deal with it or it goes into the office. I don't let that happen anymore. We don't have much plastic ware, so that's also a non-issue. Hmm - I should take pictures for tomorrow. 

But getting to that point takes time. 

Why are we doing all this? Yesterday, I started a new Storage magazine (2008), with eight well-known organizers contributing. Hey, this stuff doesn't get dated. The junk was the same then, but only now, because we ignored the magazines—we have more! I don't have more—thank goodness—but if I had completely ignored it, I'd have more!

For those who don't think you should declutter, here are some quotes from the magazine that say it all. We all remember Peter Walsh. 

And how about this one. 

And this

And this one I thought hit home. What we own NO LONGER fits our lifestyle! 

This one is an absolute YES for me. Also, the cluttered home is no longer my lifestyle. I like a minimalistic look. I just wish I could get there faster. Yes - I could hire someone to help, but I don't want to do that yet. I know what to do and how to do it. I'll get there. Next week, I hope to get some of these boxes and bags out of the house, making me feel better about the decluttering. Then, once I've cleaned up Studio U, I can take more stuff up there to sort. 

I'm slow and methodical, and just whipping through the house and throwing stuff in the recycling bin or garbage would stress me out. What I need to improve when I get started on a new area, especially with paper and magazines, is not to read everything! That's my downfall! But I had a thought as I finished one of the Storage magazines. Each one says the SAME thing, so do I need to read them all? I do not! As I said, if I had thrown them out, I wouldn't have realized that. Wish me luck! 

But I also wouldn't have found those quotes or some of the pictures that make me laugh. I'm good with slow, methodical, and CONSTANT! 

The biggest thing is that I've made the move to make this a priority. I fiddled with it for ten years, but now it's my priority. I want guilt-free time and space. 

The weather is bizarre these days. When I left the house for my walk, the sun was out, and it was a beautiful day. Then, before I knew it, it was snowing, and the cloud coverage looked like we were in for a significant snowstorm. By the time I returned to the house (less than one hour), the clouds were gone, and the sun was shining. What was that all about? 

But I was good - I had my afternoon snack and worked on the jigsaw puzzle, but only for one hour! I set myself a limit because I had work to do. 

However, when someone called me, I took the opportunity to work on the puzzle while I chatted. That requires more concentration than I realized, so I may have focused too much on it. Here's what it looks like. 

The jigsaw puzzle

I should be able to finish it later today. I talked about the sorting trays the other day. I'm not a good candidate for the sorting trays. All those pieces are now crowded down the sides of the puzzle, which was easy because they are on a smooth table top. As I did that yesterday, I realized I've always done that. I like the pieces close together and as close to me as possible. 

If they were in sorting trays or on a felt board, I'd have to pick them up to move them. I don't think so. Based on that, I should get rid of the puzzle mat in the basement, as I don't use it. Does anyone want a puzzle mat? I'll check the size. 

After this one is complete, I may make another 500-piece puzzle. The 500-piece ones are easy, so I can do them fast. However, I need some definite downtime to make a 1000-piece puzzle. 

I mentioned that we don't give gifts except for M and Dillon. As I mentioned, I want the gift to be meaningful (for both us and them) and something they will enjoy. 

I scored three for three this year! We gave them a gift certificate for storage, which they needed to organize the last room in their apartment. They were very excited about that. How could I say no to storage? 

But they finally opened the box with the remaining two presents, and I keep getting WOW texts from them. We bought them the AURA frame, and once they set it up last night, they loved it! The pictures are super easy to add and share, and I got an invitation last night to share photos with them. They love taking or getting their photos taken, so this is a perfect gift. Again, thanks to Susan for that suggestion—it was a good one. 

The last thing I gave them took a LONG time to make, but it's cute, and they LOVE it. I got this idea from Maryke. Take a 365-day calendar and write notes in it. I started a wedding (2026) countdown! Then, I added little messages on days with some meaning. As I said, writing all those notes took a long time. WAIT - writing the notes wasn't hard; it was thinking of things to write, finding those special days, or counting out the days for the countdown. 

The wedding countdown calendar

My writing sucks, but I ignored that and at least made it legible! That's all I wanted, and the gift was a success. The OMG Facts are also interesting! I did NOT write every day! I guess I could have counted down every day. Anyway - I hope they continue with it for the year - it's a quick flip of the calendar page. I know these things get abandoned, but let's hope!

Speaking of pictures, here's someone who tries very hard to have her picture taken EVERY DAY. She's not happy to just lie on the blankets, but she has to play with them first, and then she'll lie right in the middle of the mess. That's our Murphy! 

MOM - at least I'm active! I'm not a lazy dog!

There is so much to do today, and I have my list of three priorities. I have two presentations to prepare, and while I have pictures of my own to add, there are a few more things that I want to finish so they can be added. Don't worry—I'm double-dipping, as one of them is a sample that needs to be done today! All is good!!

Here's an update on the leg: While this issue is still present, and I have my moments, I'm at a dull ache stage, NOT an acute pain. There is a massive difference, and I can live with the ache until we figure this out. I wanted to get over the holidays before I pursue it, so on Monday, I'll be on the phone with the doctor to see where we go next. 

And on that note, I'm off to the gym to see Brooke. I wonder what surprises she has for me today. Stand up/Sit Down. I'm stunned at how simple yet effective this exercise is, and it gets your blood circulating! Who knew that, along with my cluttered house, I wasn't focusing on my physical well-being as much as I should have. I thought walking was good enough, but it wasn't. That only worked part of my leg muscles, and while spin class was supposed to take care of it, it wasn't enough! 

If you want a specific decluttering assignment today, have you finished all the drawers in your house? It's amazing how many of them there are! If you need something else, why not take a bathroom cabinet? Get under the sink and see what's there! It all has to go! Or most of it anyway!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Miss Murphy gets a bath

Thanks for the advice on my issue! Yes, I suspect it's the piriformis muscle as well, and I've sat on my little hot pad so much that that caused another internal issue! We won't go there. I did a bit of stretching, but I need to do more. Much more, but it's pretty painful! 

However, I will say that because I was up and down at the sewing machine yesterday for a good part of the day, it started to feel OK. Standing and walking take the pressure off, and so, while painful, the acute spasming goes away. 

It's when I lay down or sit down for any length of time that I'm in trouble. Last night, I "cheated," as DH still has a few of his magic pills from his surgery. Let's say that I had a blissful 5 hours of sleep before the effects wore off and the pain woke me up! 

I'll take five hours over what I experienced the previous night. There are only four little magic pills left, so I'd better get this thing resolved before then, or I'm in big trouble. 

At least the intensity of the pain and those muscle spasms seem to have subsided somewhat, so I can focus! There are two Zooms this morning, and all is set to go. I think I did not do so badly under the circumstances and thank goodness I had started one of them earlier in the week. I have a feeling I'll be standing for those this morning. Sitting for over two hours? That's not going to happen!

Speaking of the Christmas gift thing - I've been giving this some thought. The only people who will get gifts from us this year are M and Dillon. They are just starting out together, and we want to help them. I could just give them money, but I didn't want to send them an e-transfer, which is so impersonal. So I asked what they would like. I mentioned before that M had to check with Dillon to see what they could use. I laughed at that. But it shows they are working as a team; I totally respect and LOVE that. 

After they had conferred, she sent me a note. AHA—so now I know what they can use. My job is to make this a bit more personal and find a creative way to deliver what they want! I can't give you any more clues than that, but I'll be sure to share it after it's gifted. I know they will love and appreciate my concept, and it's nothing huge! 

This is what I mean by giving a meaningful gift. I asked, and they answered. Now, let's see what we can do to make that little request special. 

If you have too many people on your list or struggle to know what to buy, perhaps you should do some asking! 

Oh, I must remember to tell them not to send us anything. The ONLY present I want from them is just knowing they are happy together. 

While I am very good at grooming Lexi, and she likes it, Miss Murphy is another story. Lexi and I go to the forest on our morning walk, and about every two days, I take her brush and offload about three brushes of hair. YES—even as the weather gets cooler. 

I've tried the same with Murphy and have several brushes, but she needs to get used to the grooming concept. I think it "tickles" her, and she doesn't like it. I took her to the groomer yesterday. Don't worry - I gave them a healthy tip! Her hair was matted, she was dirty and stinky, and, well, she was long overdue for a groom. 

However, she wasn't so happy. When we left the house, she leaped into the car and was happy. When we got out of the car, she was happy. The moment we attempted to cross the threshold - that was a different story. WHOA, MOM!!! What's happening here? 

But she survived, and now she looks cute. And she's soft and fluffy!! And not stinky! 

Miss Muprhy is all spiffed up!

OK—I should book another appointment for her NOW!!! Speaking of appointments, when I was at the dealership and cashing out, the lady asked me if I wanted to book the next service appointment. Good grief—they have never asked that before. I usually book it online when it's time, so I booked it! 

At lunch the other day, I was browsing through that Storage magazine. OK, so there are some great ideas for storage, but seriously? Who would do this to their books? 

Do you store your books this way?

Sort them by color? Most of my books don't have a colored spine - I suppose they do, but I've never looked at a book by color. My books are sorted by type (non-fiction versus fiction) and then standalone books or books in series. The books in the series are further sorted by author. 

Again, this is just one of the "pretty" storing solutions that is so impractical that it hurts. My apologies to anyone who has their books sorted this way. 

Well, that's it for today. I need to go for a walk because it helps to loosen things up! 

There's a virtual retreat this weekend, so perhaps you'll stop in to say hi! 

Saturday, November 23, Starts at 6:00 PM EST

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89816483795?pwd=Mjc3M3pvVmZPdjdsQzlHS3Zhck52dz09

Meeting ID: 898 1648 3795
Passcode: 248667

Sunday, November 24, Starts at NOON EST

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82983517671?pwd=ODdsa1FJenQwdFNaQWFTNGd4bEhPZz09

Meeting ID: 829 8351 7671
Passcode: 117636

And I'm off!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Notes on decluttering and gift giving

Thanks for the great comments—I need to respond to some of them! But YES, those Open Earbuds are better for ear health. I never thought about moisture and infection as potential side effects of wearing regular earbuds, but if you wear them long enough, it could happen. Well, no worries in this house. 

However, I will say that I've already lost my open earbuds. WHAT? Foolish me? How could I have done that? And I'm happy about it. OK—now I've totally gone off my rocker, you say. Nope—I lent them to DH to try, and he likes them. So I gave him my original pair, and now I can order (from Best Buy) the orange ones! A win-win!!!

That logistical errand got done, but it took a long time to make it happen. I made it back in time to get DH to his physio appointment. He can ditch the brace today, and I know he is itching to drive. We'll see how that goes. It shouldn't be too big an issue since the car is automatic. 

It rained for most of yesterday's drive, so that was exciting, but I drove along many of the roads where I used to ride my bike. I need to get out again next summer!! If I don't, I must ask myself if I need four bikes. 

Someone mentioned in the comments that decluttering was more about purging! Decluttering is NOT about organizing things and putting them nicely in your house. Decluttering is about GETTING RID OF STUFF and not buying more! It's about finding a home for your things; if there's no home, it goes! It's a huge process and should be a learned life skill from the moment we become aware of our surroundings. Yes -- even children! They must learn that too much stuff is too much and that living with less is OK. 

Speaking of too much, I had this thought yesterday while walking. You know the stores are constantly baraging us with gift guides, especially at this time of year. 

Well, here's some thoughts on that. 

One store in particular comes to mind with its three-wick candles and liquid soaps, among other scented items. I love the foaming hand soap, but there has been an incredible push on those three-wick candles. How long does it take to use up one of those candles? EONS!!!! How many of those candles does one person need?

Let's say you want to buy someone a small gift for someone. How many gifts are either returned, regifted, or donated to a thrift shop? That "thoughtful" little gift burdens the receiver, and you stress over what to purchase. 

Why not give the gift of time and presence? Why not provide a coupon to the user for lunch, and you pay for the lunch? Or buy them tickets to a show or another experience they will enjoy. Or buy them a consumable that they will use! NOT chocolates, NOT perfume (unless they use it). Don't just buy for the sake of buying a gift. A handwritten note is way more thoughtful, and there's no burden on the giver or the receiver. Why does it have to be something physical? It does NOT!!! Physical things without homes are CLUTTER. 

We last exchanged gifts at our house a few years ago. We do not exchange gifts with many people—I think the only one now is M, and even then, she's old enough not to get a gift. Thoughtful gestures throughout the year are way more important than stressing just because it's Christmas. I'm sure the amount spent on useless but "necessary" gifts would astound us. 

And what about the pressure and stress around gift-giving? Good grief -- just say NO to it all. 

I also don't get the money-giving thing. Why give money? Kids don't appreciate it—they just want money and see Christmas as a way to get money. They should work for that money, not expect it as a gift. That's like tipping your kids! Did they do any work to earn the tip? Nope! 

And then there's the stress about traditions, especially at this time of year. Well, it'll all start in a month or so. 

My Mom used to bake cookies, make Christmas cake, and do all sorts of stuff at Christmas time, and we loved it. But times have changed, and so have traditions. I can NOT understand why people go to as much trouble as they do when Christmas comes. I understand making a great meal and having one or two special treats. I totally get that. But to spend weeks preparing? I don't get that. I know people will stop sewing for the entire month of December to prepare for Christmas. What the heck are they doing? 

And then, if people can no longer do those crazy preparations, they feel bad? They may no longer have the budget or the space to host a dinner for 30 people. We must stop living our lives for the happiness of others and live with what makes us happy. I bet most of those crazy dinners will be remembered because of the PEOPLE attending, not because you had an eight-course dinner. 

Most family members would be happy with sandwiches as long as they got together. Ask your family—do something totally different. Tell them you are cutting back. 

I think the most important gift we can give is our presence. It's also the most expensive gift we can provide, and if that isn't appreciated, then I don't give gifts! Oh, another great gift would be to make a donation to a food bank or Toy Mountain on behalf of someone! OR even better, go to the food bank and volunteer your time with a friend in lieu of giving them a gift. But if you will spend time with someone, DO NOT take your cell phone. If you do, put it away -- you are spending time with your in-person friend, not your social media friends! 

Oh my—I sound like a scrouge this morning. But I'm just being realistic. I do NOT do things because the marketing people tell me I need a new colorway for my house this year. I do what makes me happy because I have to live with myself every day. Stop the guilt that triggers many of our shopping sprees and gift giving. Don't feel obligated to buy gifts. Write a nice thank you and be done with it. 

Someone mentioned to me the other day (OK—it was DH) that with all my opinions and "negativity," I could be perceived as a glass-half-empty person. I'm the optimist because I do NOT get dragged down into these stressful situations. I have no after-Christmas bills to pay, no worrying about what to buy for someone, and no midnight sessions in the kitchen. I get to do what I want! 

Well, on that happy note! I'm off to spin class. 

OH MY GOSH -- I'm sorry if that post is rambling, but a police siren has been sounding in the distance for a LONG TIME, and I can't focus! Usually, they come and go in seconds, but this has been going on for almost ten minutes, and it's still wailing! 

Have a great day!!!

Ciao!!!

A gift

I was given a very exciting gift yesterday. A gift so large and so amazing that the gift is priceless.

Now you're excited and want to know what the gift is - right?

It's the gift of time. Yes  - I was able to add 50 + hours of time to my week - EVERY WEEK.

Think about it - yep - I basially don't have a day job any more.

GASP?  Seriously?  What happened?  I know you have questions, here are a few answers.

Why? Budget cuts and a new focus that didn't fit with my role

When? I found out early yesterday morning and I was gone as quickly as I could pack my office uup. Which was really funny because after I found out, I went back to my office and I closed the door and I sat there and looked around me. There was a lot of stuff to pack! Quilts, paper, stuff - lots of stuff. I managed to squeeze it into my car and I was a free person!

Did I see it coming? Nope - I was like a deer caught in the headlights.

Did it surprise me? Yes, but when I got to thinking about different things that have happened while I worked there, I realized that the writing was on the wall and I would say that this is a mutually agreeable situation.

How am I? After the initial shock which perhaps still hasn't sunk in, I just became my practical little self. Packed the car, had errands to do, etc.

What's next?  Well this is where the news gets super exciting.  I mean EXCITING!  As I was zipping around yesterday doing my errands, I was weighing the pros and cons. Not that I had a choice to go back, but to help me justify what happened. Here they are:

PROS:
No stupid commute to work - twice a day - five days a week. It never seemed to matter the time of the morning that I left, the traffic was bad. The drive took anywhere between 1 1/2 hours - 2 hours every day. And that was incorporating the toll highway into the mix. Think about it - I'm saving a couple of hours every day and I'm saving hundreds of dollars every month on the tolls and gas. The round trip was close to 100 KM.  Am I happy about that? JUMPING FOR JOY on this one.

Get to spend more time with the girls. Yep - pretty happy about that one too. Not only can they spend all day everyday outside (well almost), but they get to go to the park everyday. And we all get to make new friends or renew dog park friends. Am I happy about that?  You bet!

No deadlines! I don't even need to go into details on that one! I alone will be the one to control my deadlines. Am I happy about that?  Silly - of course I am.

I get to focus on what is important to me. This is super exciting as I now have 50 extra hours every week to focus on what I want. Maybe it'll be lazing in the backyard, listening to the pond (in the summer of course), reading a book, maybe it'll be chasing the dogs, maybe it'll be designing quilts, maybe it'll be writing patterns, maybe it'll be sewing my own projects or developing classes. Am I thrilled about that?  You bet!  It's going to take a while before I figure out what exactly this means.

I get to take a nap in the afternoon if I want!  Nuff said!

I get to sew with my Monday group again! I felt that I was losing contact with lots of them as many came after I left early in the morning so it'll be good to get back to sewing with the girls. Can't wait for Monday!

I get to renew relationships with a whole lot of people - the librarians at my local library and the staff at the various local shops that I frequented, although my local quilt shop is closing - but based on the fact that I'm earning less money, that's probably a good thing.

I'm back in business for long arm quilting. A few clients have stuck with me during the last couple of years. Now I can focus on getting more done and I bought a computer for my machine so I will have a new toy to play with in a couple of months when that arrives.

I can actually go to my spin classes in the morning. Yeah! I haven't been in a long long time and I miss it. I'll be able to get back into shape and I'm super excited about that.

I have time to ride my bike or take a walk to Tim's with the girls.

I have time to focus on writing which I love. Maybe I can even help Lexi more with her blog.and I want to expand  my own blog and what I offer on it.

And I could go on and on.

CONS:

Hmm - a salary. What little was left after taxes, gas and the toll highway. I can live without that money.

Oh - that's it?



Well - I think you get the picture. While I'm a little bummed that I got laid off! That's never happened to me before, but you know what - I'm OK with it and when I think back - this probably should have happened a while back. You know - hind sight, quality of life, happiness with what you do, respect and a whole lot of other things.  So am I upset?  HELL NO!!!!!

I'm dancing amongst all the boxes that are now sitting in my hall. I do have a bit of work to tidy up all that and deal with it all, but I have time!  Lots of it.

I was in Home Depot yesterday as I had to buy something for an upcoming class. I had to laugh as I walked the aisles looking for the items. I now have the luxury of doing errands during the week when everyone else is at work!  I love it!!!!

BUT - this is actually a very important lesson for me. I could take that gift - those 50 extra hours and squander them away. So I must be very careful that I treat that gift with respect. I need to evaluate what needs to be done, what I want done and  make sure that I do it. So I'm going to go to work everyday! But at my house - commute - 20 seconds if that! This office needs to be cleaned up, sorted and whatever. My computers need to be consolidated and pictures cleaned up. My mom wants me to do some work on the Family Tree.  I envision a typical week like this - Sewing on Monday, Long arm on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday will be "working" in the morning and sewing on my personal stuff in the afternoon. Weekends free to do whatever. Now how can you beat that?

On that note, I'm out of here!

Have a super day!!!!


Ciao!!


So if you need to get in touch with me, the only e-mail is elainetheriault@gmail.com.  That's also at the top of my blog in Contact Me sections. I have a ton of people to send notes to so that will keep me busy for the next couple of days as I sort out files and contacts and all that good stuff.  But one e-mail - that's also a PRO!

A miracle - it's a miracle!

NO - I'm not quite done that fiddly project yet.  I'm so close, I'm getting blinded by the light at the end of the tunnel.  That darn NAGGING Task Master. I was going to only do so much last night. Then I was nudged into doing just a bit more. OK - I'll do a bit more.  Then I was nudged just a bit more and I complied! Next thing I knew, there were two more fiddly bits DONE!   I'm beyond excitement, to say the least.

BUT that is NOT the miracle.    Nope - this has to do with my Mom.  We're all given gifts to someone. Some are more appreciated than others. As quilters, we give quilts and how many times have you given a quilt and it's ended up in the closet?  A while back, I gave my parents each a quilt. My Mom's got tucked away in some hiding spot in the house. God forbid that we use it - it will get dirty. It's flannel and it has roses all over it. One of her favorite flowers!   My Dad's quilt was used as a head rest on his chair. Folded up so you couldn't see it. Yes, one of the tractor quilts.

When they moved from the farm into their apartment, they bought two big lazy boy type chairs. I noticed when I was there this summer that BOTH quilts are spread over their respective chairs.  TO PROTECT the chairs!  None the less, the quilts are being used.  I do get a huge laugh out of the fact that the front of the quilts are FACING the chairs so you see the BACK of the quilts!!   I guess that is a lesson to be learned for us all - make sure the back is as pretty as the front!   Doesn't matter - they are being used!!!

BUT, it gets even better. Do you remember this bag???

Everyday market tote bag

I made it for my Mom and I sent it off to her just before Christmas. Not as a Christmas present, just because.  I called yesterday and YES she had received the box. Loved the bag and OH MY GOD - it's a MIRACLE, within ONE DAY of receiving the bag, she is using it for her yarn INSTEAD of the unsightly cardboard box that she had her yarn in! (in the living room no less!)

And the little matching bag??  Oh yes, according to my Mom that little bag will be good for scissors, extra crochet hooks or whatever.

Matching zippered pouch

You could have knocked me over when she said that she had already employed both of the items within ONE day.

Yeah to my MOM!!!!!!   It's been over one year since my parents moved to their apartment and they couldn't be happier and my Mom's health has certainly improved a LOT. That is also a blessing and a miracle. I never thought I would see the day when this would happen and that they would be happy about it.  I am blessed. I am lucky. And please let me realize when it's time for me to move - but I can't, I have way too much stuff. (OH GOD - I sound just like my Mom!)

Remember when I joked yesterday that it was Thursday and time to start FIVE projects???  Did I really say that?  Yes - well, guess what - I cut out THREE new projects yesterday.  They were on the "to do" list - two of them urgently need to be completed in the next three weeks.  One I can't decide if I like the dark background or the light background.  Don't let me make both so I can decide when they are both made!

On that note, my rotary cutter is fired up - I've got a big bag of fabric and I feel another cutting session coming on!

Have a super day!!!!


Ciao!!!!



PS - I just saw this quilt on the CQA blog.  It's from a guild in Alberta.  Anyone have the name of the pattern???