Visit a city using a Hop On, Hop Off bus

A quick note about traveling by yourself. It can be intimidating and it can be extremely overwhelming, but I took the bull by the horns and just did it! And yes —- there are a few times when you think - maybe this isn’t a good thing, but once you get used to it — there is no turning back. Yes — I will travel more with DH, but he has to KNOW every single detail in advance and that’s just way too structured for me. Imagine me saying that — I’m a Virgo!!!

But if you don’t want to travel far, try something close to you — visit a North American city where language isn’t a barrier. Then explore and if you are lost —- it happens, just ask or use your phone!! And you never know what you will uncover!!! And if you get on the wrong train - just get off at the next stop and get on the next train going in the right direction. 

To make it even simpler — do a tourist day right where you live!!! 

This is my last day of exploring and I have three things to do. One is a tour I booked so I can’t miss that but it’s later in the afternoon, so all I need to do is get myself organized for my two fun things this morning. 

But let’s see what happened yesterday. 

I had started to walk to my first stop, then saw people selling Hop On, Hop Off bus tickets and decided to buy that instead of wasting my phone battery on guiding myself around the city. I am getting better but I swear that the walking version of Google Maps and me do NOT get along. 

Hop On, Hop Off map

I thought high season didn’t start until later, but I saw somewhere that high season is from April to October (I think that was the end) and so while my pictures may not show tons of people, there are tons of people here. The first stop is the train station. It seems that everything lives and dies near the train station and there is always loads of hotels and restaurants. And if there are buses and subways, they are usually close to the train. So stick close to the train station if you have a choice. 

I had walked near the first four bus stops the day before,  so there was no need to get off. I got off at stop number 5 which was Capitoline Hill. I saw a long set of steps which intrigued me. So I clambered up them. I believe there were 120 or so. I did not count, but heard it on the audio on the bus. 

I was all excited as I climbed to see what I could see. 

From the top of the 120 steps

Oh crud— -the steps lead to another basilica. While ornate, it was nothing compared to the one from the day before. 

The ceiling inside the basilica

This was obviously a much older building or the floor designers just threw the leftover bits of marble from the other buildings together. 

Floor in the basilica

And here seemed to be some crypts in this floor, while there were not in the other basilica. Speaking of tiled floors, I have a surprise, but I won’t reveal it until next week. 

Crypts in the basilica floor

I have my mini collection of shoes at home and looking for something from Italy. I spotted this sandal in this basilica and should have bought it, but I didn’t. I must look harder today or I might spot something at the airport. Drat — should have bought it. Wait — I’m going somewhere today where I might find something similar. 

Mini sandal

And the brickwork is amazing. They made a lot of skinny, long bricks in the day and weren’t afraid to use them in multiple places. I also saw these bricks in two rows creating a beautiful arch in some ruin. 

Brick work on the sidewalks

These are the ruins of the Roman Forum. You had to queue and pay to get into so many places and well, ruins are ruins. How many does one want to see before they all blend together? I know that many of you would gasp, but hey - that’s the beauty of solo travel. I don’t feel obligated!!!! Take a little bit of each thing I want to see. And yes —- you get lots of information when you have a tour, or you can buy a small box from vendors along the way that attaches to your phone with an audio tour. I did NOT buy that, but I suppose it’s a good idea, but I would be very upset if something happened to my phone. 

Roman Forum

There is a ton of history in Rome. And it never ceases to amaze me how it all exists in so many European cities. You have the very old ruins like the Colosseum which was built in 72 AD. Then you have buildings like the hotel I’m in. I have no idea what these buildings were when they were orginally built and then at some point, they were converted to hotels, which are very modern. It’s just strange to see the difference between them. 

And then I spotted these two monuments almost buried in bushes. 

Almost hidden monuments

They were to honor the veterans of the Italian campaign on the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Rome after the Second World War. At some point, this must have been an important place. 

Marking the 50th anniversary of Rome’s liberation

But there is also considerable construction going on, not just in the excavation of ruins, but the building of a third metro line!!!! Can you imagine doing that in this ancient city? It just seems wrong, but the traffic is crazy. Crazy in the quantity, not nearly as crazy as Naples in how they drive. 

Construction of a new Metro line

This massive building (Vittoriano Monument Panoramic Terraces) sits on one of the seven hills of Rome. I did not go in, but found out after that you could go to the top to get a great view of the city. So many things to do, so little time and if I miss something, then that’s an opportunity to come back. 

Vittoriano Monument

I got back on the bus and got off at the next stop which was the one closest to the Vatican City. Oh my—- all the WC (toilets) are in the basement, along with food storage and/or the kitchen. Oh my —- these were very twisty and I passed someone coming down. I took the outside (larger steps), while they maneuvered the narrow side. 

This is one of the many bridges that crosses the Fiume Tevere (Tiber River). It looks rather calm and low. There is a road long both sides and if I were to rent a bicycle here, that would be where I would ride it! You can do a tour by bicycle, but I’m not ready for that traffic chaos. 

Fiume Tevere (Tiber River)

And then I walked along the street towards the Vatican City. Again, it doesn’t look like there are many people, but there were people everywhere. You learn to take strategic shots to cut out as many as possible. There were shops and restaurants all along this walk. 

Walking towards the Vatican City

And there s St. Peter’s square. Apparently. It’s a big deal just to be standing in that square. I didn’t get to do a couple of things I wanted to do in that square because the center was blocked off as the Pope just held his weekly General Audience with thousands of people in attendance. The center section was blocked off and they were in the process of removing the chairs. Hopefully today, it will be wide open. This isn’t really a square - it’s a large circle!!!

St. Peter’s Square

There it was back to the bus - OH —- keep a couple of Euros handy in case you need a WC. Outside the restaurants, you might need to pay. 

I got off at the next stop and I swear my GPS went wild. I swear I was only 300 M from my next stop and then all of a sudden, I was 600 M. When I turned the corner there was the  Trevi fountain, not the Spanish Steps. I’ve no idea how that happened. It doesn’t look busy, but this square was filled with people. It was shoulder to shoulder. I squeezed in to take a picture. If you want to get closer, you queue up and pay. 

Trevi Fountain

Honesty, the number of people who need to take selfies (OK — I took a few). Not at this spot, but in others), but do you need to take 20? And I saw one couple, where the guy was holding the phone on a selfie stick, and after he took several pictures, she takes the stick and brings it closer and proceeds to take a whole lot more. Sigh!!!!

And then it was off to the Spanish Steps where people are so ignorant. I climbed to the top because that’s what one does and a couple were taking pictures. The girl was sitting on one of the large railings and was so engrossed in herself, that she didn’t hear or see the police woman walking towards her motioning her to get off. 

Flowers on the Spanish Steps

I spotted this on the way to the Spanish Steps  - it was a large mask made with big mirrors. It never occurred to me to look to the other side, but by this time, I was getting tired. 

A sculpture made with large mirrors

I was all twisted around, so I had no idea where the stops were for the bus and there were two in the area, so I decided to walk back to the train station. Can you believe my luck that I happened upon the last stop before the train station and the bus was right there!!! So I hopped on!!!

As I walked through the train station, I had been craving gelato all day, so I treated myself to it. That small cone was almost 5 euro, but well worth it. Actually, it wasn’t so small —- the cone was small, but the gelato was big!

Yum Yum

Then back to the hotel where I had a lie down for a bit and spotted this on social media. How cool is this? And so true. WE are our own worst enemy so many times. 

And this was my pumpkin soup at dinner last night. I could have eaten only this, but I also ordered pizza. It was a stretch to finish both, but I did.

Pumpkin soup

And now I’m about to get myself organized for the day. There is much to do and so little time. I read a comment from someone who said they were going to spend one day in Rome and seven in Italy and ended up spending all seven days in Rome. I can see that happening! It’s a wonderful city. We had rain last night but I see the sun is starting to come out. 

Just back from breakfast and my taxi is booked for tomorrow. 

Have a wonderful day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Sit Down -- this news is SHOCKING!!!

To stop you from guessing, the picture on the jigsaw puzzle is Mount Etna, and it erupted on December 27th in fine form! Fascinating to see the photos of the red-hot lava against the snow. 

Mount Etna erupted on December 27th

OK -- I warned you, and I hope you are sitting down because what I'm about to say is shocking! I even shocked myself. 

So Miss Murphy and I were on our walk, and we were chatting. And then she said to me, "Mom - Enough is enough. I'm tired of sleeping in that office with all your junk. I want you to clean it up today! No more excuses."

We talked some more, and then, if you can believe it, I got excited about cleaning up the office, and I couldn't wait to get home. WHAT? 

I know! Here's what happened. Needless to say, as the day progressed, I abandoned all thoughts of sewing or quilting. I was EXHAUSTED by noon, but kept plugging away, although my pace slowed as the day progressed. I even abandoned my afternoon walk, even though it was a glorious day. 

Now - don't get too excited, the surfaces are not free of clutter, but I made HUGE inroads to getting it in better shape. At the end of the day, I took pictures which I'll share in a minute, and it doesn't look a whole lot better, but it is better. Trust me! I also took several bins of recycling to the cart in the garage, and my shredding box is full. 

I started by piling all the paper on the kitchen island. That is a LOT of paper, and most of it should be gone! There is a massive tub in the back that contains bills from MANY years that never got filed. OK -- to be honest, many never got opened! DO NOT YELL AT ME - I was very irresponsible - I know that! But the bills got paid. 

The mess I dealt with

At some point in the day, I looked at the small cabinet beside my computer and grabbed THREE more tubs of paper that needed sorting. 

I added this to the mix

When I have done this kind of thing in the past, I have lasted about an hour, if that, and then I stall. I get distracted or tired and throw in the towel, barely making a dent in the mess. 

But Murphy had got me fired up, and I could hear you all cheering me on. Many people tell me they can hear me in their head. Well, I could hear you all saying, "Come on, Elaine - you got this!" It didn't hurt that I had 2½ hours of an exciting audiobook to finish, and I was going to sort until the audiobook was done. 

But even when the book was done, I continued in silence! Yes, I could have put on music or found another book, but I was happy in my little world and forged ahead. I didn't even have room to make lunch, so I had some cheese and crackers and ate them in the mess on the kitchen table. 

I also can't seem to do this when someone else is in the house. Maybe because DH is too nosy and will come around and ask questions. I don't need questions; I need peace and quiet when I do this.

The sorting process is in full force

So, piece by dreaded (and often dusty) piece of paper, I sorted through what I started with on the island. I think this picture was taken after the sort because there was NOTHING left on one side of the island. It was all sorted by category or bill type on the counters. A very good reason to keep those counters clear! Trust me - I want the office to be the same way, and I'm going to make it happen! Spoiler alert - that did NOT happen yesterday! A few more days are needed for that. 

There were more piles where the sink is, as well as the extra tubs I brought from the office. 

More sorting

Even the kitchen table was called into action. 

More piles of crap on the kitchen table

After I took those pictures, this is what remained on the island. Still some piles to sort through, but excellent progress. 

Significant progress was made with the sorting

The only disappointment of the day was that I did NOT find the missing folder, but I did find another piece of the pattern on the back of something else. I use recycled paper in our printer, and well, I've found a few pieces that way. 

Here's where the three extra tubs of paper came from in the office. I don't know what possessed me, but I was determined to make a dent in the mess. Did I make that happen? I did, but it doesn't necessarily look like I did. The big stack of paper on top is my pile of recycled paper for the printer. I don't think we ever need to buy paper in this house! I put all my notebooks on one of those empty shelves, so they are convenient to me. I found many of them, and imagine the sensibility of having them conveniently at my fingertips. How amazing is that? They need to be sorted through, as I'm sure many "dead" pages need to be removed. 

The cabinet beside the desk

Then, while I was at it, I looked at the table in the office. This is disgusting, and I attacked that as well. Can you believe that I ate at that table last night? Yep --- I haven't used that table for a long, long time, other than as a dumping ground. 

But now I had to clean up the kitchen and put away those piles. So I started by bringing in the most urgent stuff and put it on the table, so I can deal with it later today or whenever I have a few minutes. You'll see more of that progress as the days go by. I'm not sure how much time I will devote to the next stage, but I don't think I can do another full day. By noon, my back was exhausted from standing and sorting. But I carried on! And by the end of the day, my brain was fried! I'm not sure if I want to set a goal to clear this table top by the end of this month. That would be a lot, but it would be nice to have the space clear. I'll see how I feel! I'm sure Miss Murphy will continue to hound me on our walks!

The current piles that I need to continue to sort through

This is the current state of the desktop. I still have two tubs of paper to sort through, and I did a little last night, but by then I was brain-dead and couldn't handle more sorting. 

The state of the desktop

But compared to a couple of days ago, I would say there is an improvement. The TV tray is gone, and there was a pile of stuff on that little white shelf in the back; it's mostly empty and will be donated. I'm not quite there yet. I'm going to focus on sorting the tubs and the table!

The "before" picture of the desktop

And here's the cabinet that sits beside the computer desk. Well, you can't really see it, but it looks much better. 

The computer desk area

What I need to do to really see a difference is to tackle the computer desk. I need to get that new computer out of the box, clean up the pending file, and then get rid of all the detritus that collects on the desktop. PLUS, there is some computer work that needs to be done. 

I thought I would find more reading material, but there wasn't much, unless it's in the tubs I haven't sorted yet. And I thought I would find tons of to-do lists, but I didn't see much of that either. Unless it's still hiding somewhere. 

Thank goodness for that filing cabinet. I took the sorted piles and shoved them into file folders. Oh yes -- I have plenty of hanging sleeves and empty folders, so that's where most of what I sorted yesterday resides. 

Before I put the stuff away, I sorted through several piles, and then I ran out of time and energy. 

Now I need a good lecture from my friend Murphy. "Mom -- you do NOT need to keep utility bills forever." And YES - I need to get the few remaining utility bills on email, NOT in the mail. I'm working on it! So here's a question for you—if you still have paper bills, what do you need to keep? OK—I could Google that question, but I'm curious. What about property tax bills? Renovation bills? 

I need to deal with all that, but honestly, I'm at the point where I can easily say goodbye to most of it. 

There is one problem with the situation in the filing cabinet. I have NOT labelled or sorted the files into logical order, so if I find another piece of paper, it's a bit tricky to find the right spot, and the drawers are full. So I must be diligent and start the process of making one drawer for household stuff, one for quilting, etc., and grab the folders and sort through them. I'm guessing that most of what I put in there can be tossed. 

As I mentioned yesterday, I NEED to go through them. I'm not the kind of person to just toss. I won't be happy, so don't even suggest it!

I found a few hilarious things that got put somewhere, and as I unearth them, I'll share them with you! But I found this - my goals for machine embroidery. There is no date on it, but I suspect it's from 2023 or 2022? I'm not sure when we started the machine embroidery club. Wait -- I just checked my digital picture folders (labelled, of course) and it was from 2021. The year when we were all on Zoom. 

Machine embroidery goals from 2021

Well, let's see. From that list, I did NOT complete the first two items, nor the last item. They are still sitting here waiting to be done! That list was NOT visible, and I totally ignored it throughout the year. So yes, one can set goals, but if you forget what they are, they will likely go undone. So if you went to the trouble of making a list, make sure you keep it handy! And that you use it when you are scheduling your daily/weekly/monthly activities 

I sure wish I didn't have to spend the entire day sorting, and there are many more days required to get this room under control, but I have made giant leaps and bounds since the day I vowed to clean it up. It's been slow, but at one point near the end of 2017, the place was filled with boxes of crap. 

I don't have a picture of the office, but all this was moved there at the end of 2017. Plus all the stuff that was already in the room. It was TIGHT. 

Boxes of stuff that were moved into the office in 2017

So, while it still looks messy, the situation has come a long way, and I'll get there. And the day that we have to downsize, will be a piece of cake! Mainly because there won't be much left in this room! And by then, the hard decisions - to keep or toss will be even easier because I'll have gone through the process many times, and each time you go through it, things become less important. 

I found these cute little key chains in a brown bag. They are from our trip to Africa and will get added to my mini-shoe collection. They are sandals - one for Tanzania and one for Kenya! 

Mini sandals from Kenya and Tanzania

Now I have a problem in the office: finding a way to remove this curtain rod from the hardware so I can hang the roman shade on it. It's sitting on the desk and has been for years because I don't know how to remove that rod from the brackets. I MUST make that happen because I'd like to hang up the blind! 

How to get the hanging rod out of the brackets

There is one area in here that I'm going to need some mental fortitude to deal with. That is the several boxes of odds and ends. YES -- I know that most of it should be thrown out, and by the time I deal with the paper, maybe I'll be in that frame of mind. But there are many boxes of stuff. But if I have some clear space to lay out and sort the stuff, it might help me make some decisions! 

And do not ask me why I can do this sorting thing much better when I'm home alone, so much better than when DH is in the house. I have no idea, but when he's away, I can work like mad. He's going to be away several times this month, and I sure wish I were home alone so I could go crazy with the rest of the cleanup. But that's OK -- I'll just grab a pile and deal with it. 

I also found a dead candle. But I love the dish and what to do with it? So I Googled how to get the wax out, and all I had to do was pour boiling water into the dish. It was fascinating to watch the wax pop to the top of the water. 

Watching the wax pop to the surface of the water

And then I was able to pull the wax out of the holder. 

The excess wax

Now I could just throw the wax away, or I could get creative and find a smaller container and some candle wick and make a new candle. It seems like such a waste to throw that wax away. Does anyone need wax for fire starters? Apparently, that is another good use for used wax. 

And since it was a complete loss in the day for sewing (no regrets), I might as well tackle that jigsaw puzzle when I got tired. I think I sat at the puzzle once in the afternoon, and then before bed. And it's done!!!

Jigsaw puzzle - complete

I have the following three puzzles lined up, so I can put this one away later today and then get out the next one, which is only 300 pieces, so it shouldn't take long. Then I can drop those off at my neighbors and I can get to work on a couple of 1000-piece puzzles. 

I seem to be the Energizer Bunny as I was up early, and I'm getting laundry done before we hit the 7 AM time for higher electricity in our area. I'm running around in my cycle shorts, preparing for spin class. 

For all my classes and Monday Sewing, I send an email at the beginning of the class with the Zoom link, and I forward the link the night before. I encourage everyone to keep that email in a safe place so they will always have it. Some people need to have that link, even though I've never forgotten to send it out. The other day, someone asked me why I don't encourage people to put the link in their digital calendars. Well, last night I sent the link to the digital calendar for Monday Sewing, and THREE people have already added it to their calendars!!! Silly me for not doing that before. So thanks again, Becky, for getting me out of a rut!!! I'll do that for all classes going forward! 

In my sorting yesterday, I cleaned off the TV tray, the stuff on the desk, three tubs from the cabinet, AND a pile that was on the desktop. That was huge - and I'm not quite done. BUT, it has freed up space and visual clutter on the desktop. So my goal is to chip away at the crap on the desktop and get those tasks done, and then I can add a few more. Do I see the end in sight to this endless pile of paper? YES - I do, and I hope that you believe me! Not that anyone ever said anything, but I can bet that many of you were saying, "JUST DO IT!" And I listened, and I did!

Here's a quote that I spotted on Facebook yesterday.  

Yes --- 1000%. If you can't control the outcome of something, LET IT GO!!!! I do not worry about anyone or anything but those in my immediate household. I can't control anyone else, nor can I control the weather. I can only control my REACTION to what happens, so that is where my focus is. The older (and wiser) I get, the better I am at reacting maturely!

And now it's your turn. I don't care if you decide to deal with one, two, or three pieces of paper in a day. I don't care if it's a drawer in your kitchen, but you CANNOT leave this mess! 

Even though there is still a lot of stuff in this room, there is a different, lighter feel in the air. I'm not kidding. It feels better in here - more energy, more positivity! Can you imagine how I'll be when the surfaces are immaculate? I'll be bouncing off the walls!!!

And on that positive note, I'm out of here! Off to spin class!

Have a super day!!!!

FEVER!

I am a bit of a dolt, but we all knew that! I struggled a little bit with fatigue yesterday, but there wasn't an opportunity to take a nap. That's OK. But by 7:00 PM, I knew something else was wrong. OH MY GOODNESS -- I have a fever! 38.5! That would be a result of the vaccinations I had the previous day! I don't know how long I had the fever, but it was when my body just said, "we're done," that it crossed my mind! 

Having said that, I took some medication (although it was a struggle to get back downstairs to retrieve them from the kitchen table), went to bed, and slept pretty much through the night. However, I woke up when the storm hit, but I didn't really pay much attention to it. Poor Murphy - she doesn't like storms, but I think she went back downstairs to hide out in the stash room, since Mom was no help in comforting her. DH was out for the evening.  

I'm feeling much better today, although my upper arms are still tender. However, at least I can move my arms without much pain. This doctor recommended I get two more shots - typhoid and Hep A and B. Yikes -- do I want to go through this again? I should have been like DH and gotten them all at once! I'm not sure if I have time to get those before we leave, and I wasn't going to worry, except I saw a news article this morning stating that people at a downtown restaurant may have been exposed to Hep A. 

There's me, who has been lax on all things vaccination-related, and now I'm becoming paranoid? Well, not paranoid, but is it worth the hassle of getting sick when a single shot could solve the problem? For my friends, I've now received the shingles vaccination and tetanus update, so please don't ask me - I've done it! Besides the yellow fever, I got one more that day, but it's already escaped my brain. I guess that's why they give you that little immunization chart. 

Despite the lack of energy yesterday, I managed to accomplish things, but very slowly. I am not able to share it with you, but you'll see it soon. Let's just say that I was creating some machine embroidery designs so I could stitch them out. 

I will say this now, and I will continue to say it going forward. You CANNOT learn any software by watching a video. Yes -- you can get the gist of how things work, but you can't understand it that way. And no one can teach you all the nuances of what it can do. However, by experimenting, I discovered a range of cool features, all within a single tool. And modifying designs - it just doesn't happen until you have a thorough knowledge of the basics. 

Here's the thing with the Reference Manual. The reference manual will tell you how things work, but then it's up to you to play with those and see what happens. There is ZERO inspiration in the manual. That's why there are people like me! I am rather excited about what happened with that little play session. It just opened up an entire range of possibilities that I never thought possible. 

Additionally, a new feature has been introduced on the Singer Momento, which, if you have one, you're going to love! 

Wait until you see what I did with mine next week! My goal in life is to marry all the technology I have together - my embroidery machine, digital cutters, and software. I love playing around with this, and there is no stopping me! There will be more changes happening, so stay tuned! 

Here's a look at our backyard. While I was doing an OK job keeping ahead of the weeds, it did need a bit of extra care. Some branches were lying very low over that table, and they were making a mess. They are gone!

The overhanging branches are tidied up

And the rest of the area looks pretty spiffy. Other than weeding and some pruning, the yard is pretty much self-maintaining, and I like it that way! 

The tidy yard!

On the packing front, I'll be taking two backpacks with me. The larger one, which is small, that I took to Spain, will carry my clothes. I'm not taking much - two pairs of shorts, two pairs of pants, long underwear (hey -- it might be as cold as minus 25 at the top!), a couple of short-sleeved shirts, a long-sleeved shirt, a fleece, a merino wool undershirt, and my orange jacket. Socks and underwear as well. Keep in mind that all of this was designed for travel, so it's compact to pack, quick to dry, and lightweight. I will also take my Teva sandals. 

The smaller backpack will carry everything else and will likely be heavier than the bigger one. Medications, a tiny portable office, sunscreen, and so on. Actually, it might not be so bad. However, I did remove all the accessories from it. Why carry more stuff when you don't need to? 

My mini shoe collection

My miniature shoe collection is super cute, but I don't need to carry that with me. I have a shoe from Spain and England, and I'm not sure where the others came from. Super cute!!!!!

I am a stickler for always carrying food with me. I never want to be in a situation where I need to eat and I have nothing. There is nothing worse than that. I don't remember if it happened while I was walking the Camino or not. But I remember one day when I was expecting to reach a village with services, only to discover that I had taken the alternative path and there was nothing. Thank goodness for snacks. All you need is a couple of bites, and you are good to go! Why do I feel the need to eat when I'm at home? 

Several years ago, after scouring the grocery store shelves and purchasing several protein bars to experiment with, I discovered that RX Bars are perfect for travel. They don't have chocolate, so they won't melt, although they will soften. They are not dry and tasteless, but actually quite good. I eat about 1/2 a bar a day, or whenever I need a pick-me-up, and nothing is available for purchase. They come in many flavors and were on sale the other day, so I bought two of each flavor. 

RX Bars

I suspect that I'll need these more in Africa than in Spain, as I'll be more suspicious about food. DH thinks we'll just eat from the street vendors and well, he can, I will not. While I'm taking my Montezuma's revenge medication, I certainly do NOT want to use it! 

And my HOKA shoes arrived! I didn't even have the strength or the curiosity to open them last night, so I'll do that this morning and start walking with them to ensure they are OK. I've learned that the size doesn't matter - it's the fit and comfort that I care about. So, I now order giant shoes, and they work for me. 

My shoes arrived

I ordered a sleeping bag from the tour company (complimentary, I might add), so I'll probably take my liner and call it a day. Now I don't have to travel around Africa with my sleeping bag. Although it is small and very lightweight, it's just one more thing to carry! 

I need to review the list of items to take one more time and ensure that I have all the necessary items with me. The one thing I must remember is a hat and gloves! I will be placing one more order today, and I hope to get the remaining items that I don't have, such as the hiking pants and collapsible water bottles. NO plastic bottles allowed on this hike!! The three liters of water we have to carry each day will be the heaviest thing to carry, but since the porters carry the rest, it won't be so bad. And as the day goes on, we'll drink the water, so all is good!

We have our itinerary, and now I need to book those ETA travel requirements as well. It's all coming together. There will be loads to tell you about as the trip progresses. For the moment, I'm focused on obtaining everything I need in the smallest and most lightweight format possible. 

Before I close, I'd like to tell you about the book I'm currently reading. I like thrillers and finished another novel yesterday in my feverish stupor. I like scary books - well, not frightening, but murder mysteries. Well, the audiobook I'm currently reading is flat-out terrifying. It is NOT a novel. It's called Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams. It is about Facebook, and quite frankly, I don't think the political world would be in so much turmoil if Facebook didn't exist. It makes me want to close my account. 

Sarah worked at Facebook from 2011 to 2017. The book was published earlier this year without Facebook's consent. Oh my goodness — the data they collect, the influence they have over everything. They have the power to dictate how the world works! It's absolutely frightening. 

Now, since we know that the political world has turned upside down, and most likely with the help of Social Media, how can we use that same platform to right the wrongs that have been done? The power of the people!!! 

Anyway, the book is worth reading - it's an audiobook read by the author with her distinctive New Zealand accent, and it's a page-turner for sure!

Remember, there is a Virtual Retreat this weekend. 

Saturday, July 26 - starts at 6 PM

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

Meeting ID: 826 9370 2241
Passcode: 795071

Saturday, July 27- starts at 3 PM

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

Meeting ID: 810 7353 6036
Passcode: 596838

And on that note, I hope to have a much more productive day. But considering I wasn't feeling well, I did great yesterday!!!

Have a super day!

Ciao!!

I CAN DO THIS!!!!!

I think I'm almost back in my time zone. I slept great—only woke up once and actually got up to do some work. I went back to bed, and I should be good today, although a nap every once in a while is highly recommended. 

Getting back early from a trip is great, but what does one do with the "free" time? OK -- you know I'm not one to sit around, so I've been busy! 

WAIT -- let me tell you about my souvenirs. I'm not a huge fan of souvenirs and certainly NOT a T-shirt. As a matter of fact, when I put on my cotton T-shirts that I usually wear, I'm NO LONGER a fan. In the heat, they just feel gross. And these shorts of mine have ZERO pockets. Hence, I will start wearing the stuff I wore on the Camino. It was cool, wicked sweat, and the shorts had nice pockets for my phone. 

Everything is now washed - thank goodness, because things got a bit stinky on that last long day - even for me! And hand washing is not the same as washing in a machine. 

Most of the stuff is now put away, which was easy since there wasn't much. That backpack, minus a few things I took on the plane with me, weighed 4.5 kg. That's impressive because that number includes the weight of the backpack and the walking sticks. One can get by with very little in life—we just don't realize it. 

So, there were three things in my bag that I never used on this trip; however, I used one of them on each of the two previous trips. They were nice to have if I needed them. If I had gone at a different time of the year, I would have probably needed them every day. Can you guess? 

Rain gear and a long-sleeved T-shirt

That would be my rain jacket and the cover for my backpack. Both of them are brand new —never used!! The orange item is a long-sleeved shirt that I used last year but not this year. 

We had rain one day this year, and I was waiting for the train at the Santiago train station. I think it would have been a horrible decision to make: get wet and possibly cool or be warm (hot) and dry. Thankfully, I never had to find out. 

OK—so at the middle and end of the Camino, you have the option to visit the Pilgrim's office and get your Compostella (certificate). I never knew about the one in the middle, and I did have an opportunity to get it, but I didn't. So what did I do at the end? I decided not to get the certificate. GASP!!!! 

Hey, I'm in the process of getting rid of stuff in the house, and what was I going to do with it? I've seen some people who framed it along with their shell, their credentials, and photos and whatnot, but seriously? I'm past that stage of my life. I've become a minimalist (not in the craft room, obviously), but everywhere else, I'm making a massive effort towards minimalism. 

So, there was no certificate, but I did get the final stamp on my credentials. This was the little book that we had to carry each day and get stamped to prove that we were pilgrims and allowed to stay in the pilgrim hostels. 

Pilgrim Credential

This is what the inside looks like. I used the same one for the entire Camino—last year and this year. You can put 12 stamps on each page, but some of them are huge, and I was running out of room at the end, so I just went for the essential ones—no extra, and the last one went in the last spot in the book. 

The stamps in my Pilgrim Credential

That is way more important to me than a certificate. Certificates are way overrated these days, and I think they need to start issuing virtual ones. I would have gone for that. With all the changes to what is required to get the certificate, what exactly does that certificate mean? I won't go into the politics of the Camino, but it's a hot spot! The stamps show the dates and where I walked. That makes me happy, as it more accurately reflects what I did. 

As mentioned, I'm not a big fan of souvenirs, but I caved and bought a magnet. I should have bought one with a big yellow arrow on it, but I saw enough shells, the pilgrim sign, and the colors that I thought this one was appropriate. 

My fridge magnet

It is now on our fridge with all the other magnets. 

The magnet collection

I think I need to clean that fridge up. There is stuff on there from when M lived at home, and quite frankly, it needs to go. Not always, but most times, we buy a magnet when traveling somewhere new. It's a happy reminder of where we've been, and we appreciate it every day. 

And then I couldn't resist when I saw the little running shoe. I mean -- how cute is that. 

The mini running shoe

And I started a collection (more than three items) of little shoes somewhere along the line. 

My mini-shoe collection

They are attached to a small day hiking bag and are easy enough to remove as they are all connected to one ring. 

The last thing I bought (I know—THREE souvenirs) was a thimble to go with my collection, which is still on the table and must be hung up. I might get myself in gear and do that today. It would free up a lot of space on the table. 

My thimble

It wouldn't take long, except I think the thimbles will have to be removed so they don't fall out in the move. That will take some time. But they need to be up so I can enjoy them daily since they sit right in front of my computer. 

So what did I do with my day? I returned to "work" as I was pumped to get some bonus stuff done. Sitting and reading was not relaxing since I've read so much over the last two weeks. I need a break from reading. 

A while back, I removed some of the boxes of junk from the office and put them in Studio U. It's a great space to work in, and I was doing very well, but then I got busy, and some stuff remained behind. It's been sitting on the floor under a table. So, it's time to get that done!!!!

I grabbed a pile of papers (the worst) for me and started to pitch and purge. Actually, the more you do this, the easier it becomes. 

A pile of papers to deal with

I found some interesting things that I've kept. I will reference them in the blog from time to time, and then they will likely go. 

Here's an engagement calendar from 2002. 

A diary of quilting

Oh, gosh. I started to write about what I worked on that day and included a snippet of fabric. I lasted until February 6, and that was only with the gluing. I'll hang onto the calendar for the moment because of the interesting quilts in it, but one day, it will go. 

I found a letter for a swap—like a chain letter. Good god --- I know I got put on the list, but I never sent it anywhere, so the two squares of purple are in the purple scrap box, and the letter is gone. 

A chain letter!!!!

And as the day passed, the pile got smaller. There is very little left for today. Hey -- it's very mental work to get rid of paper!!! 

What was left by lunchtime

I know I'm going to have quite the challenge when I get to the office, but I've already been working on it, so I don't expect it's going to take forever. 

The more junk you process, the easier it is to let go and the easier it is to know what to do with it. I feel so energized knowing that the end is close. Other than what's left upstairs, it's only the office. And when I want to clear a new area (like the fridge), it's only going to be a small job; the huge stuff is almost out of the way!!!!!

Still to sort in Studio U

This is what's left upstairs. Don't worry about that big box—it's a giveaway box with stuff that is ready to go. So there is not much left up there. Then I will have absolutely no excuse not to work in the office. 

I don't really care what gets worked on - I'm just happy to be getting rid of stuff. And so much of it is junk. I could work faster, but I could not be doing anything at all. My speed works for me. 

Then, it was off to the long arm to get some quilting done. This is a jelly roll quilt, and it's now quilted and trimmed. I'll attempt to put the binding on later today. I don't have time today to tell you the story of this quilt, but I'll try to remember to tell you tomorrow. 

Community project quilt - DONE

I got lucky with the top thread!!!!

Almost didn't have enough thread

The next quilt is loaded and ready to go this morning. It's going to be a challenge to quilt, and I'll share with you why tomorrow. It's one of the community project quilts, and the quilt itself is fine—the backing is just barely larger than the quilt, but it can be done!!! 

If I weren't such a strong walker, I'd be using these scooters. One is at the end of my street. 

MOM -- can we try the scooter?

These were on the way to the grocery store. It appears we have scooters for rent from Uber and the city. I just need to train the girls to sit on the platform, and we could go places!

More scooters

Look what Miss Lexi did—that clumsy dog. She got up quickly from under the table, ran into her dish, and spilled it. The food could have sat all day in her dish (which it had), and Murphy would NOT touch it, but spread it on the floor like this? Murphy was charging in while I had to pick it up. 

MOM -- I'm a klutz!!!!

And look at that lazy girl!!! At least she is calm in front of the TV. Murphy went wild when a TELUS commercial came on with dogs and other animals. 

Mom -- just chilling

OH -- I didn't take a picture, but I spent a LOT of time doing machine applique yesterday. That Cabin in the Woods is almost like my last day on the Camino. I want to finish it, but it's a massive pile of work. It will NOT get done just by looking at it, so I plunged in. I got an audiobook set up, and away I went. Let's just say that, like the last day on the Camino, I shocked myself at what I could get done. 

NO - I didn't finish the Cabin in the Woods quilts, but I made a huge dent, and it proved that I CAN DO THIS!!!! 

So my toes aren't perfect—one looks pretty ugly as it's a hardened mess of skin, and the other has an annoying little blister on it—but I think I'm good. My knees feel great, and I'm not quite back up to my usual walking distance, but I'm close. 

On that happy note, I'm out of here. I have lots to do today, and I can't wait to get started. 

Have a super day!!!!!

Ciao!!!!