What are your souvenir buying habits?

Your comments put a smile on my face! Yes—there are multiple ways to tackle this mess. What boggles my mind is how I didn't realize what was happening. At one point, the second set of shelves didn't exist, and so there were boxes and piles of books on the floor, and when I wanted something, I was happy to move those. When I got tired of moving, I got new shelves built. Seriously? That just makes me shake my head now. But then? It seemed the perfectly normal thing to do. 

THANKFULLY, I saw the light about ten years ago - well, it's more than ten now. And I haven't looked back since. 

I know I can't make every quilt or attempt every technique I want to, so it's going to require a lot more culling. I know that. For the moment, I just need to get these books sorted and then get everything back on the shelves. And yes -- I have done the first cull (albeit weak!) of the books, but it's a start, and we need to start somewhere. The mental mindset has now started, and that is the hardest!

By the time I put together all the piles that I've culled, I think I've done a pretty good job for a first round. And everyone who comes to my house will be obligated to leave with at least one book! You laugh, but there was a lady here to drop off some quilts yesterday, and she went home with two books. 

While this decluttering process is mostly about getting rid of physical clutter, it's amazing what it can do for your mind. Knowing that I'm clearing this stuff up and won't have to deal with it again is amazing. Knowing that the junk is going to be gone is just an incredible feeling, and it allows one to start doing the things they want to do without the guilt. 

It's also freeing to know that packing and unpacking for a future move will not be an arduous task. Given the state of my house right now, a move would be very traumatic, but since I've started the culling process and the junk is gone, it's going to be so much easier to cull when the time comes. But this culling is a constant. The minute I finish one area, it's time to start at the top and do it all over again. I NEVER thought I'd be able to do what I'm doing right now, and I have mostly avoided Studio B. But now that I've started, it's "easy!"

And I see it's going to be a challenge to get rid of books through my blog -- no takers. That's OK. I'll just start packing them up (I have a small stash of smaller boxes in the garage), and then I'll start donating them - several boxes at a time to the thrift store. 

Oh, shoot —I didn't take many pictures while I worked yesterday. But I decided that if I was in a mess, I might as well make the shelves the way I want. 

I decided to completely empty that bookshelf and moved the stuff from the top three shelves to empty shelves, and then dealt with the items one at a time. I have emptied ONE of the three shelves. 

Dealing with the smaller stuff on the top three shelves

Here's a bit better picture of the situation on the left-hand side of the two bookcases. I moved all the scrapbooking stuff to the other set of shelves, which required emptying some piles of magazines onto the floor, which I'll have to deal with later today. 

Now all the picture/history books of quilting are on the six shelves on the left. The machine embellishment, beading, fiber art, etc., are on the five shelves on the right. YES --- I do not need that many of those, and that will be an area to cull. But for the moment, they are sorted, and you need to amass all like items together before you can start a serious cull. 

The state of the bookcase this morning

That leaves eleven shelves to put the books back onto. I think I'll have no problem doing that. I may or may not cull as I put them back. I've already been at this for three days, and I'd like to be finished so I can do something else. So I may just put the sorted groups back on the shelves. I've made huge strides, and when I'm ready to tackle it again, I won't have to go through this process. I can just pull off a group and sort through it. The first step is always the worst! 

As I was unpacking when I got home from vacation, I realized that I was missing some souvenirs. Now, we try to tame souvenir-buying as well, because what the heck are you going to do with all those things? We have been limiting purchases to fridge magnets. But DH spotted thimbles and asked why I wasn't buying thimbles. So I bought a few, but where were the three items I bought in Taormina? 

While out walking Lexi, I remembered I had put them in my little pouch of sewing supplies I took with me. And when I got back, there they were!!! The one on the left is from Vatican City, the middle one is from Sorrento, and the last is from Taormina. 

New additions to my thimble collection

There was some discussion when we were shopping for magnets. You only need to buy ONE magnet from each place - there is no need for two. And the magnet should represent something you visited or saw. That involved a lot of discussion, and M and Dillon couldn't settle on just one magnet. One of them wanted two. They eventually only purchased one. That was while we were in Taormina. But I was thinking to myself that if I couldn't find mine, I could beg for one of theirs, but since they only bought one, that wasn't a possibility! 

I have a couple of other things to share, but my focus is on those books. Speaking of which, here are two more. And there are a lot of piddly small books that I need to deal with today. Then, if I can get everything back on the shelves, I'll be happy. I need/want to move on to something else. 

Two more books up for grabs

And yes -- I will need to develop/use some kind of database/list for the books. But now that they are in similar categories, that will help enormously when I need to find one. I can't wait to search for a book! Oh my -- I have a "few" books on scrap quilts which I'll be using for research on the upcoming (fall) scrap class. 

And I have an upcoming quilt retreat, so I need to start packing. I'm going to take sewing, not cutting, because the cutting tables are in another room. WAIT --- I could raise my table in the room we are sewing in and cut. I may consider taking some stuff to cut and cut for half the retreat, then sew or something like that. It's a great opportunity to do a lot of cutting. 

Speaking of walking the girls, I started out with Murphy, then remembered I didn't have poop bags with me, so we had to come back. She is never happy about that. And then when we were walking, we spotted one tied to a post. But you never know when the incident will happen, so one must be prepared at all times. I know that people attach them to the leashes, but I don't, and I've never forgotten them before. 

MOM -- there's a poop bag!

And YES—there are some trilliums. I thought I had missed them all, but I found a couple. 

A trillium in the forest

And I spotted something else in the forest, which I should have taken a picture of, but I fixed it, and then it was too late. I spotted a plant growing up through a dead leaf. The leaves were pinned to the main stem, while all the plants around it were pushing up their umbrella-shaped leaves. I rescued the plant by removing the dead leaf. It was pretty cool to see, and well, there's no picture. As soon as I removed the dead leaf, the leaves started to open. 

I went to the movie in the afternoon and enjoyed some popcorn. The movie was great! It was the sequel to The Devil Wears Prada, and of course, there was a fashion show. Can you guess where? In Italy!

But I wore shorts to the movie because it was a somewhat decent day. When I exited the theatre, it had rained, and the temperature had dropped by 7 degrees. OH -- a wee bit cool on the walk home!

So it's Wednesday, and I'm typically off to spin class. But since I am boycotting the spin class, I'm taking another class this morning. Incorporates weight training and cardio. I'm sure I'll be a bumbling idiot, but that's OK. I think the instructor is my personal trainer, so that will help with the transition. 

I still want to write a note about my dissatisfaction with Joseph being let go, and I will attempt to do that this week. I am NOT meddling in the situation; I am merely stating my displeasure and providing feedback. I am not trying to find out why he was let go - I could ask him if I wanted, but it's none of my business. 

So now that the books will be sorted by the end of the day and hopefully back on the shelves, it's time to continue processing the magazines and books. I need to set aside some time each day to make that happen. While there might be some people who have nothing to do all day, I (like many of you, I'm sure) have so many things to do that we just don't have enough time in the day. I'm bad with reading material; I start something and then set it aside. I need to stop that and focus! I will also finish reading something and then just throw it in a pile instead of putting it in the recycle bin. Or there might be bits that I wanted to blog about, and I never do that. I MUST change that behavior. 

I'm also listening to an audiobook, which I've already finished, but I just missed some major signs along the way (too focused on sorting books), so I've had to go back and listen to the last two hours to figure out what is what. And AHA—the incorrect name was used in two places. And since we are talking about an affair, it's important to know who did what to whom!

On that note, I'd better get organized so I can make it to Brooke's class. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

We've got work to do!!!!

Thanks for the wishes and the vote of confidence on my 2026 word - GOALS. Someone mentioned they had goals for 2025, and while they met some, they didn't hit the mark on all of them. And you know what they said? They FORGAVE themselves for not making the mark! That is a critical statement because if you set a goal and don't achieve it, and then you beat yourself up, what is the point of that? 

If you have to change a goal, there's likely a good reason. Was the goal too aggressive? Did family or health issues interfere? Maybe it shouldn't have been a goal at all! I think it's an invaluable lesson: set a goal and then don't make it! That's OK—let it go, as I did with my steps, and then move forward. 

But here's one thing about the goals and my visual to-do list. If you want to be serious about getting that stuff done, it must be part of your daily/weekly plan. You don't want to get to December 31st and realize- hey, there was a bunch of stuff I wanted to do, but I got sidetracked by new things. 

Take a few minutes once a week, or even each morning, evening, or at whatever time works best for you. Look at that list and determine what you can get done in the next timeframe, and keep any project deadlines in mind. I'm finishing up the writing today (two days later than I wanted, but hey—it just worked that way), and I must then take a hard look at what's on that list and see what needs to be prioritized! 

I do NOT want to get into any time crunches in the future if I can avoid them by planning! Wish me luck!

I've started to rip the office apart! OK -- not quite that dramatic, but I'm tackling the stacks of paper on that desk. It's pretty chaotic in here, and I really shouldn't be doing this when I have some sewing to finish. And it might not be as systematic as you would do it. I do not care. Any paper that gets dealt with now means less paper to deal with later. 

As I sat at the kitchen table sorting paper, DH, working on his giant crossword, kept saying, "If you have that digitally, you DO NOT need to keep the paper!" I hear you!!!! But I needed to keep a few pieces, and perhaps this time next year I'll be able to let those remaining bits go. But I did throw out quite a bit, and I've only just started. As suspected, most of it will end up in the recycling bin. 

I had two of these folders with Zoom class outlines. I kept a few tutorials to look at later, and the empty folder is in the office supply cabinet! That was easy!

Starting to tackle the paperwork

It would be great if I could allot fifteen minutes a day to this place and stick with it. Fifteen minutes is easy to find (stop wasting time scrolling on the phone), and before I know it, this place will be tidy, and I'll actually have room to work! 

Anyway, as mentioned, whatever gets done is better than not doing anything at all! 

Instead of working on my project, which is now complete, I took a wee detour into the Farm Girl Vintage quilt - the one that was missing three blocks. At first, I was going to find some cutesy fun block to add to the quilt, and then I thought- get real. Let's get this thing done! Not all the blocks are cute farm things. 

I pulled out the excess fabric from the stash room and dug out the bag of scraps. I found some larger half-square triangles, some smaller HSTs, and various other pieces. It sure pays to keep things organized - especially the scraps. 

The scraps from Farm Girl Vintage

I took the four larger half-square triangles, joined them, and added sashing. Voila - as quick as that, I used up some scraps and got one of three blocks done! 

Block one of three - DONE

Then I sewed and trimmed all the small half-square triangles from the bag. Oh my — I'm two short to make a block. That was easy, and before I knew it, I had all 36 HSTs for this block ready to sew together. It's sitting by the sewing machine to put together later today. I have rearranged the colors. 

Another block is almost ready to sew together

Hmmm—I still need one more block. What to do? What to do? I looked back into the fabric scraps and found enough 2½" pieces that I cut nine different fabrics and will make a nine-patch! And just like that, all three missing blocks are ready to sew. Then I can focus on fixing the borders and get that top off the design wall!!

Squares for a nine-patch

By the way, this is one of my to-do projects, so I feel good about working on it! 

In the process of making that happen, I also tackled the tray of triangles beside the sewing machine, and I did rather well at sewing and trimming those. 

Trimmed half-square triangles

And just like that, I'm learning new habits to help deal with the old. I don't care how much you dangle a new project in my face, I am going to resist! If I want something shiny? I'll look at my list and pull out one of the projects -- to me, if I haven't seen it for a while, it's shiny and new! Plus, I MUST remind myself that I am not a fan of having a huge mess around me. I want things to be streamlined and minimal. I don't need or want a lot! 

My cutting table doesn't know what hit it! 

The "new" cutting table

I think I might have this right now. The blue tub is for my monthly UFO projects. They are small, but numerous, and I want them close by. If I need all the space on the cutting table, I can easily lift that tub to the floor. The white tub is the current project I'm working on. Again, if I need the cutting space, it's easy to move to the floor. And once the items in the white tub are done, I'll review the list and add the next project. Some projects may not get completed and may end up back on the current project table, but the goal is to try to stick with one until it's done! That's hard for me, so I'll likely work on two or three at once. 

As happened yesterday, I had to let part of my "urgent" project dry, so I needed something else to work on. That's why I worked on the Farm Girl Vintage blocks. 

I think I now have a system that works for me, and if it doesn't, then it's back to the drawing board to find a better way. It's taken me years to get to this point, and I'm super excited! I set a goal of THREE things to do today, and one is already done, so I'm off to a good start. 

It's the new year, and I bet there are tons of blogs out there encouraging you to declutter - tackle a drawer or whatever. I'm not going to do that. But I suggest you set aside 15 minutes a day to get rid of the mess. Set a timer, just wing it for time, or whatever, but spend 15 minutes a day trying to rearrange your house, and maybe that is to tackle a drawer. "Sadly," I don't have any more drawers to tackle. They are neat and organized, and they have remained that way since I organized them. 

It's funny how we get a sense of the weather by looking at or using a weather app. "It's bitterly cold outside, your skin will freeze in mere seconds or whatever new thing they come up with!" I try not to focus on that because it will make you never want to go out! 

Yesterday, I needed to get out of the house, and it was minus 8 with a windchill of whatever. I didn't even pay attention. I bundled up and went out, and I was so glad I did. The weather was fantastic! And it was bizarre: one minute, the sun was out, and the next, a blinding snowstorm!!

I'm on my walk through the woods

But here's the thing --- if you DRESS WARM ENOUGH, you will be comfortable, no matter what the temperature is! While I still wear my orange Patagonia down sweater, the down has become thin, so it's not the warmest on days when the temperature is minus 15 with the windchill. I still wear it, but with a rain shell on top, and that keeps me toasty warm. Yesterday, I went out with my 10-year-old ski jacket, a souvenir from the 2014 Winter Olympics! I was warm! I did NOT attend those Olympics; this was a garment that the Bay sold as a promotional item. 

When I talk to some of my friends, they know the weather forecast for the entire week. Why? It's going to change! DO NOT let the weather dictate your day! I check the app to see how cold it is and then dress accordingly. But I don't dwell on the weather. We are not farmers who need to know what the next couple of days will bring so they can get their harvest done! 

I think I developed that attitude towards the weather from my long-distance cycling trip. You couldn't change the weather, so since we needed to move on each day, you dressed for it and just went about your day! And we had no house or car to warm up in! We were camping! 

The plowed path through the forest is lovely to walk on. I wonder if that is a new thing or a one-of? 

It was a beautiful day yesterday for walking

The girls were also happy to be outside. After playing ball in the house with Murphy, she went outside and plopped in the snow to cool off. 

MOM - I need the snow to cool off

Lexi is happy to just be out, but not for long! She's not a winter do! I wonder if she realizes she's a Husky? 

MOM - what's with all this snow?

But look at that goof, Murphy! I took the largest blanket from this bed and put it back in the living room, where it had been. It's on the floor, and Lexi loves to sleep on it! That now leaves more room for Murphy to sleep in this bed. 

MOM - At last, I can sleep in my big bed

And last night, we sat in our media chairs in the family room and watched Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning. I had the theatre lighting going! That's the blue light, and I was reclining with my quilt. It was very cozy. 

MOM - Am I making enough noise? Do you know I'm here? 

Of course, Murphy had to be the pre-show and in-show entertainment. She grabbed her squeaky ball and was running around with it, but we finally persuaded her to chomp on her bone while we watched the movie!

Lexi was asleep on her bed on the other side of the chairs, but every once in a while she'd stand up for a cuddle! Those girls are spoiled!!!

Did I like the movie? It was LONG, and while I get that this is Mission Impossible, some parts were very far-fetched, but I guess it made for drama in the movie! 

OH MY GOODNESS -- I can't stop niggling at the paperwork on the desk. I'm distracted by the paper and keep grabbing a couple of pieces to deal with it. What is happening to me? I really feel like I'm ready to tackle the mess once and for all. My GOAL of getting the desktop clear is becoming an obsession! I'll run with it for as long as that feeling lasts! 

Getting to this point is NOT easy, and once you do, it's easy to spot the "junk" and what you want to keep. It's the stuff in between that is hard to deal with, and I need to realize that if it's a maybe, it should be to toss! That will be hard! 

Well, on that note, I've got some goals to accomplish today, and I'm ready to get started!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!

Christmas Day movie!

Some of you beat me to it! I was going to post about the QUILTsocial cover today! I'll do that later in the post. Thank you!!!! It was the one day that I wasn't wearing my orange headband! KU had made me a dark purple one, and I was wearing that! But no worries -- you all know who I am without the orange hairband! It's the people that I meet infrequently who remember me by the flowers!

HEY --- I never even thought of chocolate croissants for breakfast. WAIT -- can we rewind the clock? I ate chocolate (my daily weakness - but I control the amount and the kind), but not in a croissant! BTW -- did you know that 69 pilgrims arrived in Santiago yesterday? Imagine that -- there is snow on the Camino! They are braver than I!

I've been working already this morning, and I'm working on something that needs to get done sooner rather than later. I procrastinated a wee bit on it because it's something new. Well, technically not new, but anyway—that doesn't matter. I'm rejigging stuff to make it work for my project. I need not have been afraid! This is the one thing that I swear makes life easier. 

The more you do, making experiments and mistakes, the more you learn, and then when you need to do something, it's a no-brainer. That was what happened. Now the rest of today SHOULD go smoothly! And sometimes, you just need to ask the question OUTLOUD - even you or your dog are the only living creatures around for you to get your answers! 

It was a great day, as our Christmas always is. We almost didn't make the movie, though! DH said the reviews were bad, so I thought, " Who is going to see the movie on Christmas Day?" I didn't pre-purchase tickets. When I went to buy them in the morning, all the decent seats at our local theatre were gone! So I scoured the internet for the next closest theatre, and they had tickets, but there wasn't much choice in seats. We still got aisle seats (I hate being in the middle), and we were far enough back. It worked for us. 

What time should we leave, since we were going to stock up on goodies (popcorn) before the movie, and I hate being in a rush. I remember one year, DH booked the tickets and then got confused about the time, so we arrived at the VIP theatre and the movie had already started. GRRRRRR    The servers had delivered our popcorn to the seats, but we didn't know it, and DH hit the bag (no night vision for him), and it spilled all over the floor. A nice mess and no popcorn for him! 

Granted, it was the opening scene of a Star Wars movie, and it was black, so the visibility inside the theatre was nil. 

Hmmm -- I tried to find other movies we've been to, but the only one I remember is The Wolf of Wall Street -- that was the first movie we went to. Gosh - that was over ten years ago! And I don't think we went to the theatre last year because we couldn't agree on a movie! 

Anyway, we made it to the movie theatre, and at first I thought it had closed. It was DEADZONE inside and out. We got our popcorn and other snacks and made our way to the seats. OH --- we have a lot of time to kill. I must be getting old! We were the first ones in the theatre, but that's OK. It was a calm way to get there, and we had our phones to keep us entertained. OH wait— I yack like crazy, so there was no time for the phones! 

A very empty threatre

And that screen is absolutely giant!!!!

The giant IMAX screen

The only problem with getting to the theatre so early was that there was no entertainment on the screen. When the preshow started, there weren't many movies advertised. A lot of advertising for using the rest of the theatre's facilities, like the games. And how many times did they tell us that experiencing a movie in IMAX was the ONLY way to watch! I get it! They need the business! 

BUT when the preshow was getting underway, I needed to go to the washroom. I might as well, as the movie is LONG. Thank goodness, because the film was also 3D and we needed glasses!!!! I got those on the way in. PHEW -- that would have been embarrassing to not have the 3D glasses. 

What did we watch? Avatar - Fire and Ash. The visuals were breathtaking, especially in IMAX and 3D. Makes me think back to some of the first 3D movies I ever saw, and it was such a concept to see it in 3D. Now it's pretty commonplace. We would NOT have seen the film in IMAX and 3D at our local theatre, so I guess it was a good thing I waited to buy the tickets. DH would have been disappointed!

The story was heartbreaking -- humans want to conquer new worlds at any cost, which I find very frustrating. It drives me mad because it's happening in the real world today, and DH and I do NOT see eye to eye on that! As mentioned, the movie was long, and technically it started at 2:10, but really didn't start until 2:40. DH had plans to cook dinner when we got home. DUH? That's not going to happen. 

We arrived home at 6 PM and ate leftovers! No big deal. I'm glad we went, and YES - I remember the characters, but not what they did in the first two movies, and I'm OK with that. I'll forget the details of this one soon enough. If it's not essential, I don't have room in my brain for it. I just like to be entertained. 

How did I make out on the jigsaw puzzle? Well, it was a challenge. This is what the puzzle looked like after my morning tea! And procrastinating on my project. 

Progress on the puzzle

Then I decided to eat a quick lunch and head up to work on the puzzle for a bit before leaving for the movie. OH  -- I was so close to getting all the non-background pieces in before we had to "rush" off. Technically, we could have left 30 minutes later. Oh well! And still missing something for that border! 

Progress before leaving for the movie!

After my dinner of leftovers, I decided to forego reading last night to see if I could get any more done on the puzzle. As mentioned, the light in that room is NOT good. I quickly found homes for the pieces (or most of them) for the Santa sack, leaving only the background (sky and tree) pieces. 

OH MY -- it wasn't until I had completed that and focused on the background that I at last found the final border piece. 

Found the last border piece 

This is what I mean by the shapes of the pieces! They are all cut very bizarrely, which made it a challenge to find some pieces. You want to put the trees upright, but that's not the right angle! 

The final border piece

Those last pieces were challenging, and not because of the light. And I was sure that pieces were missing - a lot of pieces. However, I persevered, and LOOK— it's done!! Just in time to save Christmas! 

The jigsaw puzzle is done! 

I would never have thought I would get it done so quickly, but once I got some good light and got the hang of those curved and odd shapes, I was good to go. Sorting by color definitely helped, and I needed the picture to guide me on many occasions. 

I borrowed a 500-piece puzzle and need to finish it so I can return it. I am going to offer the other two puzzles I just completed, as long as this person wants them. Otherwise, they will either go back to the thrift shop, or I know a couple of other people in my neighborhood who do puzzles. OR -- there are two seniors' residences near me. I should check whether they want jigsaw puzzles. I hate to give it to anyone if they're just going to stockpile the puzzle because they already have loads to do! 

Speaking of jigsaw puzzles, I got one from M and Dillon. I knew the shipping box contained a puzzle, but I decided not to open it until Christmas morning. At first, I went, "OH, that's a nice puzzle." Then I read the name, and I laughed and laughed. What an appropriate gift!!!! Some of you might recognize the picture, but here's a hint. My next adventure awaits!!!

Another puzzle!!!

The girls and I are taking some different paths these days to avoid some of the ice in the forest. The path is not maintained in winter, and many people use it. So when we have snow and then mild temperatures, it becomes a skating rink! Look what Lexi and I passed yesterday? Yep --- they keep their fountain going all winter. I love how the water has frozen into an enormous dome. The two little things at the top are the water jets!!!! 

An ice dome!

Well, I've got a big day ahead of me: I've got a couple of projects to finish, and then I can write about them. It's so exciting to use the tools at my disposal to create. As long as my imagination works, then I can make! It's super exciting! 

I have some paperwork that I should polish off as well. I hope to finally finish reading my book today—I'll tell you more about that one when I'm done. Sewing, embroidery, a jigsaw puzzle, and well—it's going to be a jam-packed day!!!!

Before I leave, here is the link to the QUILTsocial magazine. Yep -- I made the cover! Typically, we only have pictures of projects, but my project happened to be a jacket! If you don't want to purchase the magazine at half price, you can always check out the blog posts and print them off. Having said that, it's way easier to buy the magazine as it also has another project of mine in there - a quilt I designed and made using my Creativate tools - software (crafting and embroidery) and Momento digital cutter. 

If you go to this website, you can view the entire magazine for free online. If you want to see the original posts, check out this link: Day One for the jacket. The links to scroll to the other four posts are at the bottom of each post; they link to each other. 

And if you want the links for the other project done with the Creativate tools, here's the link to Day One. Not all the posts in this series are linked - give it a day or two, or early next week, and I'll make a note to the webmaster to link them.  

Remember that we have a Virtual Retreat tomorrow and Sunday. 

Saturday - Decmber 27th - starts at 6 PM

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

Meeting ID: 826 9370 2241
Passcode: 795071


Sunday - December 28th - starts at 3 PM

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

Meeting ID: 810 7353 6036
Passcode: 596838


Since it's dark outside, my weather gauge is to touch the dogs when they come back in the house from their morning romp in the backyard. Lexi is cold and wet. ICK!!!

Have a wonderful day!!!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Doing things alone is a good thing!

There are several things I have learned over the years in setting expectations for how things turn out. 

1. You can over-plan! You spend so much time planning the event that when it actually happens, it's melodramatic and a let-down. The event occurs in a flash, and there's no time to enjoy it, especially if you're constantly watching to see that everything happens as planned. I suppose part of the event is the planning, but that's not me. I like to wing things! 
2. You can do anything alone! I do not know why doing things alone has such a stigma. It used to be worse, and things like sitting in a restaurant alone were considered very uncool. You had no friends, you were a loser, or whatever. I've since learned that if I didn't bite the bullet and do some things alone, I would never experience many things. So, I have zero issues doing things alone. The first thing DH said when I told him what I was doing was - "and you're going by yourself?" YES, I AM!!!
3. I don't hold high expectations of having the best time of my life. I'm going for an experience, and if it doesn't turn out exactly how I want, I'll go with the flow. It doesn't mean I'll accept shoddy, but I'm OK if I have to be flexible. Being flexible is easier when you're alone.  

Having said that, I had no plans for my birthday until last week. Then I decided that I would go to the mall. I know—big, exciting plans! But one of my favorite "treat" restaurants is at the mall. There is this amazing creperie, and they serve sweet and savory crepes. The place is usually packed at lunchtime, so I went a bit early, and I had a sweet crepe for lunch! As well as a hot chocolate, and it was delicious. 

My apple pie crepe

And my hot chocolate

I sat out in the small seating area in the hallway rather than in the restaurant, and lo and behold, someone I knew stopped by, and we had a grand chat! I rarely meet someone I know at the mall, so I think that was part of the plan!!!

Wait—after I came back from walking the girls, I sat outside on the front patio and drank my tea. I drink the Yogi teas, which are nice. 

Yogi tea

Until several months ago, I did not realize they had a quote attached to each tea bag. Look at my quote from yesterday. 

The quote of the day

I thought that was pretty fitting for me at this moment. I may be one year older, but that doesn't mean I'm still not trying to improve myself. I want to be a better person, learn everything I can about what interests me, and continue my journey. 

Speaking of that, have you ever watched those decluttering shows and then wondered what it looks like a month later, a year later? Did the person learn anything to maintain the neat and tidy in their house? Or was it just a one-time thing, and they returned to their old ways? 

I know this is a very small thing, but every time I open my utensil drawer and see this, I get excited. 

My utensil drawer is still neat and tidy

It didn't take very long to organize, and it cost very little to get the three trays. It keeps the utensils that we use handy, so it's easy to put them away and even easier to find what you want. I know there are things in that drawer that we do not use (like, who needs six spatulas?), but they are neat and tidy, so they can stay. 

The utensils that went into the other drawer are never used or very rarely used, and we don't have to shuffle through a ton of stuff to find what we want. Just a simple task can make a huge difference in how you live your life!

Anyway, once I finished my brunch, I had some shopping to do. I also stopped at the optometrist to get my sunglasses adjusted. They were so stretched and bent out of shape that I'm surprised they stayed on my head. 

I even found some new shirts, and they were all on sale. One shop, so that was good. I have an upcoming filming session, and I really didn't have anything appropriate, but I found three tops, some of which can be embellished with either embroidery or stitching, so I've got to put my thinking cap on. 

And then I went to the movie theatre. Yep—all of this is in the same mall. Rather than me driving around to various places, I'm happy to change. My optometrist moved out of the mall (he was in the Lens Crafters store), but in order to go to his new location, I'd have to drive. I hadn't been with him long, so I have no qualms about switching to the new optometrist. So, I have an appointment for later this week. 

I had a gift card for the theatre, so I got popcorn and a drink and paid for the movie with the card. With enough money left for another movie!

Ready for the movie!

All the seats in this theatre are comfy reclining ones, which I think is changing in most theatres these days. Anyway, it was a great movie, and I was happy. I saw Twisters, in case you wanted to know what I saw!!!

Reclining seats are the best at the theatre!

After that, I walked to the thrift store to pick up a book I'd been eyeing—it was seniors' day, after all. At first, I thought the book was gone, but nope—it was still there. And what's the deal at the thrift store? I'm into the Dowdle brand of puzzles these days, but they charge the SAME price for the 300-piece puzzle as the 1000-piece? That's not right!! 

It was a tad HOT yesterday, but that's OK. You just walk on the shady side of the street. All my purchases fit into my little shopping bag, and I was good. 

Let's say I was NOT hungry for the rest of the day. I didn't eat much, but that bag of popcorn, which I couldn't finish, filled me up!!! 

I sat in the backyard, reading my book, and chatted with my aunt, who also shares my birthday. 

Here's a couple of animal pictures to share. This is Lexi at her grooming station in the forest. Three more brush fulls of hair, and she still looks a mess. And the pile in the forest gets bigger. Where are the squirrels and rabbits? They should be stealing this fur to make their nests, but of course, on a hot day like yesterday, they wouldn't be thinking about winter at all.  

Lexi getting her daily groom

And this picture would freak me out. My future son-in-law took this picture from a window in his house. He has company!! He lives near the Capilano Bridge in North Vancouver. But if you look at the map, there are very heavily treed areas right at the city's border, so it's not surprising. This is the second time he's shared photos of bears in the backyard. I guess when Little Bear goes to visit, he only goes in the backyard with supervision!!! 

Hello friend!

I did no other sewing or quilting, other than the little bit I accomplished in the morning. I didn't even touch the applique!! But I have a few extra days built into that schedule, so I'm not worried. It was nice to take a day off! 

Yesterday was the day I was supposed to fly home from Spain. Although I still have three weeks blocked in my calendar, I must return to serious work! I have deadlines looming for some stuff. September will be brutal regarding things that must be done and events to attend, and then the quilting classes start back up in October. But all is good!!!

I know some people just can't entertain the thought of doing something alone, but seriously -- if you wait for someone to do the things you want, you may never get a chance to do them! I had the most fantastic day celebrating my birthday, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! Doing things alone is a GOOD THING --- we need to stop the stigma that this is bad!!! Trust me -- it took a while for me to wrap my head around this one - the thought of eating alone in a restaurant terrified me because I thought it made me look like a loser. Today, I look at people eating alone and call them confident and practical!! 

Tomorrow, we're going to revisit the class situation for the fall!!!

On that note, I'm off to spin class this morning. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!!

 

Clueless

I see my camera was NOT working at all yesterday. OK -- it was working, I just didn't take many pictures, and the ONE I have to share with you today isn't even up-to-date!

I did a wee bit of sewing in the morning and went for an extra long walk in the afternoon. I met my neighbor, whom I don't often see these days, so we quickly chatted to catch up. Yes -- it was a 17+ KM day yesterday! That leaves me with 110.5 KM and 6 days to make it happen. At this rate and with the warmer weather forecasted, I'll skip the extra spin session and make it up with walking. The forecasted high here on New Year's Day is 11 above. It's a crazy world weather-wise. 

So we made it to the movie in the afternoon, and when we walked in, the attendant said Theatre 3, so I had Theatre 3 in my head. After having a light meal in the VIP restaurant, we headed to Theatre 3. The first clue should have been that the lights were off and the movie had started. This cannot be right. But ever persistent, we walked up to Row F and then proceeded across the entire row (thank goodness, in the VIP theater, the aisles are wide). All seats were taken. What? 

This can't be right -- OK -- let's go back out. Good grief -- the same movie was in theatre 3 but had started 45 minutes earlier. We were supposed to be in theatre 2, where the movie began at 4:30, and that's where our popcorn was waiting! Good grief -- how clueless can you be? I saw the movie's name but overlooked the start time at the door. I'm sure those people in Row F were wondering what the heck was happening. 

The movie was long, and I managed to stay awake. Some parts were slow, and some parts were painful. I won't mention them in case you are going to see Avatar. But there was a moral message there. The cinematography (or CGI) was beautiful! With 20 minutes of trailers (hey -- did you know there's going to be a new Indian Jones movie?), the movie started, and it was over 3 hours. For me to stay awake -- that's amazing. 

It was worth it, though; despite the moral issue, I enjoyed it. 

However, I had a situation. My throat is parched, and it's due to a lot of dehydration, dry air, allergies, and of course, this cold which has hit me ONLY in the throat. Every once in a while, I get a tickle that just won't go away and is uncomfortable. I can't stop coughing when it happens. I took my lozenges with me, and I was fine until 15 minutes before the movie's end. I quickly popped the lozenge when I felt the tickle. So far, so good, and then I got the cough. Soon I was getting hot, but I managed to hold back the worst of it and willed it to stop. That was NOT pretty. 

So throughout the day, I was glued to that puzzle instead of sewing or doing anything else. I know -- I'm like that, as I'm sure everyone else is. It was slow to start- too many similar colors and pieces. But as the puzzle went together, it got easier -- not faster, but easier. 

And this is what it looked like at some point in the day.

Progress on the puzzle

 

When I went to bed, I read for a bit, but I was not tired and afraid I'd have a coughing spell in the night. Sometimes, you get the sensation that your throat is so dry the sides will stick together, and you won't be able to breathe. Weird! So I got up and worked on the puzzle while drinking water. The constant comment of "just one more piece" soon had the puzzle done. OK -- so it was late into the night before it was done, and I didn't even take a picture. 

It was a challenging puzzle, but it was not super hard. Slow and steady, I have spotted about three or four things different from the box picture. Now I have to solve the mystery, the solution of which is still locked away in the box. Before going to bed, I reread the short description of the mystery to solve. Hmm -- there are eight puzzles to solve from the picture. What could they be? 

I hope this isn't one more that I'll have to "cheat" on. There is a QR code in the box. At some point in the night, I woke up with what I think is the "answer." Not the final answer, but what to do with the solution to the eight puzzles. The picture is covered with numbers; I'll need to study it to separate out what I think the eight puzzles are. They are math related, but they can't be too complicated. So I need to solve the eight puzzles, which will help me zero in on two specific items in the picture. 

Here's a link to their Escape Puzzles. 

It's Monday sewing so I hope to get a binding or two of the quilts. And to work on my pre-cut project. 

Well, I'm a few minutes behind as I slept in since I went to bed way past my bedtime. Another nap will likely be in order later today. But I also need to switch from the old phone to the new one. 

On that note, have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

How many friends do you have?

 I worked very hard and was extremely focused, and I basically have NOTHING to show for it! 

I'm teaching some classes at Thimbles and Things in the fall, and the registration is being done by e-mail. I received MANY e-mails, and it was a tad confusing to deal with it all. Especially when the e-mail said, "sign me up for all." And then people decide they didn't want all after all. People -- this is a LOT of administration!!!! 

I had to make seven distributions lists, and each list has approximately 40 people on it. If their e-mail wasn't on my contact list, I had to make that happen! 

Then I had to write a comprehensive e-mail introducing the first group to the class format, so I wouldn't get inundated with questions. I moved pictures around to help the students pick colors for their upcoming project starting in September. I made new Facebook groups, set up polls, etc. 

Let's just say that I accomplished a LOT. One e-mail introduction (of three) was sent out. The second one is almost ready to go later this morning, and the third one will hopefully go tomorrow. I still need to double-check the distribution lists associated with that one. I do not have n e-mail service, so I have to be careful how many names go in one list, or I become spam! 

So if you signed up for the Long Time Gone class and did NOT receive an e-mail from me, let me know. Everything else should be coming soon. 

All my classes are FULL, except Long Time Gone. One or two spots may be left in Boho Heart and Gypsy Wife, depending on whether someone drops out when I confirm their registration. 

I am reluctant to do this, but I must. The original pattern was called Gypsy Wife. The name has been changed to Wanderer's Wife. I was going to continue to call it Gypsy Wife; however, when I searched Pinterest, it says "no --- we don't use that kind of language on our site," or something similar to that. So Wanderer's Wife it is. 

I came across something funny when I was in and out of Facebook yesterday. I happened to notice the number of friends I have. 

The number of Facebook friends 

What's this all about? I got a chuckle from that, but I've moved on! In case you don't know, 666 is supposed to be a sign of the devil!

I did sort through a bit more paperwork. OK -- so part of me falls within the parameters of my mother. I still have SOME of M's schoolwork. I'm not sure why it didn't all get dealt with before, but it didn't. There wasn't much in this folder. And here's the sad part -- I hate to throw away this folder. However, would you want to get that folder if you were going to school? Already written on by someone else? If we lived in different times and locations, this would be valuable, but here? I put it in the recycling. 

Poetry folder

I went for a massage and am happy to report that my neck is coming along just fine, but don't touch those insect bites!! I was fine until I was in the car on the way home and they started to itch like mad! They are smaller this morning but still look pretty angry. At least the largest one. The other one is not bad. 

Here's the thing about going to the massage person - and it's not just him - it's the physiotherapist, the chiropractor, or any practitioner dealing with the body. If you could ONLY improve your posture. I know  - my posture is bad. I try to correct it - I really do, but then I forget. So I've got to remind myself to stand up straighter ALL THE TIME. Amazing how we get into some of these bad habits, and it feels better to slouch! I don't want to be that hunchbacked little old lady when I'm older. 

And I know that it'll help my neck! 

I had to fix the dishwasher again! What's with this issue coming up twice within a couple of months? I didn't find anything in the little drain gizmo, but the filter was pretty disgusting. So I cleaned it all out, and it seems to be working just fine. Make sure you clean that dishwasher filter regularly!!!

Then it was date night! Yep -- DH and I headed off to the movies. I told him I would only go on Tuesday when the prices were lower. So we were off to see Free Guy. It was pretty funny and sweet. 

And yes -- I had a medium bag of popcorn (no butter) for dinner. I was also bad and had a medium pop. That was an adventure itself. How to make the darn machine work. Oh well - I did get that figured out. 

The theatre was fairly empty, so social distancing was a breeze, and when we exited the theater at 7 PM, the lobby was the fullest I've seen in quite a while. I did go to a movie last year during a period when we were semi-open. 

As promised, here are the Zoom links for the Virtual Retreat this weekend. And not to freak anyone out, but if someone clicks on those links before the date - I get an e-mail! But that's OK -- I know some people are new to Zoom and need to see how it works. 

Saturday - August 21 from 6 PM - 9 PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89254233911?pwd=VGQrTnFybW1HMWpleHA4M2Q2NGVwZz09 Meeting ID: 892 5423 3911 Passcode: 982797

Sunday - August 22 from 10 AM - 8 PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87246635892?pwd=VGY1cUUyLzRaRi9VUVV2ZWFINXc2dz09 Meeting ID: 872 4663 5892 Passcode: 440473

Well, that's it for me this morning. I'm off to spin class! Who said going to the gym was exciting? I'm OK once I get there - I just have to build up my new routine!

I'll be back at the computer for a wee bit this morning. I need to get that second e-mail out, and then I had better hit Studio B - I don't think I even went downstairs yesterday! The last e-mail will go out tomorrow. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!