Progress on the UFOs

I love how we are all working together to keep our houses neat and decluttered. YES—I have an older laptop and a desktop that both need cleaning up; it shouldn't take too much time (right?), and then we can donate them. There is no sense in keeping them. I also kept my desktop "just in case." Actually, the old desktop was needed to print things, but the new computer prints just fine now. So both can go. They are in the office and will have to wait until I can get there. 

Elle - you can continue to regale us with your decluttering stories! Somewhere along the line, you got it right from the start. The rest of us are playing catch-up! It's "nice" to know even you struggle to get rid of some things. You are human after all! Thanks for the stories -- no need to stop!

But here's the thing—once we let go, we don't regret it. We relish the new freedom, the new table and chairs, the new empty space, or whatever it is, and then we know how good that will feel next time, so getting rid of things becomes so much easier. 

I spent a good part of the day working on some homework for an October class. If I showed you, that group would eagerly jump in to start sewing. And well, the purpose of the class is to show them the trouble areas—oh yes—a seam ripper was required, along with a few other tips. So those homework pictures are safely stored in the appropriate folder for October.

I needed some show-and-tell for you, so I finished off the two winter quilts. Remember, these are relatively small - they are wall hangings. 

Quilt number one

Quilt number two

And so you don't think I cheated (LOL) and used the same picture twice, or the same quilt with two different pictures, here's a picture of both! 

YES -- there are two quilts!

I even made the binding for both. 

Binding for the two quilts and the pattern

But then, do you think I could find the backing I pulled the other day? Absolutely not! It was nowhere to be found. Then I opened the project box to find some 3D bells to put with this quilt, and VOILA - there was the backing - in the project box, where it was supposed to be. Funny, I didn't find the 3D bells in this box, but I found beads I can use instead. I will put them in a small bag and attach it to the quilts, but not stitch the beads on until they are quilted. 

The missing backing

I'll organize the backings later today. One pattern, the summer one, remains in this box, and I would like to make that (two of them to keep the sets) happen in 2027. In the meantime, I'll put away all the bits and bobs I won't use for the winter quilts, then keep the summer pattern and a few buttons in a smaller basket. I can reuse the project box for something else on that table. 

I started these quilts in 2004, so they definitely qualify as UFOs; I had one made (or parts of it), and I used the other to demo the parts while teaching them in person. I think I did that for two years (five quilts in total), and I never did that again! 

I didn't take a picture, but so far, the only things on those two extra tables are the current projects for classes - that are three of them. The scraps are on a different table. And on the second current-project table are the T-shirts for those quilts, plus a couple of tubs of things that could be easily accomplished in 60 minutes. Funny—since I set those out, I haven't had a spare 60 minutes to make one. 

There is still some stuff on the floor, and I won't have time to deal with it for a while. I'm OK with that. 

Murphy is often the one you get to see, but let's not forget our beautiful Lexi. She loves to sleep in her bed beside her DAD while he watches TV. I think she would still like to be on the sofa beside him, but it was looking pretty bad, so it's been gone for a couple of years. This works just fine! And yes, she is a cutie, and she knows it! 

MOM - no pictures, please - I don't want someone to steal me! 

Do you get Country Living? There was an article about quilting in the June/July 2026 issue. 

Country Living June/July 2026

The article is actually a bunch of snippets about various things related to quilting, celebrating the United States' 250th anniversary. Quilting came to America from Europe, but the US has definitely made a huge mark on quilting's success and progress. 

Quilts carry a lot of heritage and history, and here is one of the more famous quilts. 

Reconciliation Quilt

OMG—I went to find a link to that quilt, and the first thing that popped up was a 300-piece jigsaw puzzle. Do you think my search engine knows me or what? It's amazing how quickly those search engines (and even quicker if they have AI attached) learn your habits. So even though you are doing the searching, you are not really. And then are we only getting to see what the algorithms want us to see? That's the scary part. When we did manual searches in a library, we were 100% in control - we are no longer in control. 

I did a second search, and here is the information about the quilt. 

There was a brief timeline over the last 250 years, and this was the final entry. I'm hearing this over and over again from lots of different sources. I can only hope that this is happening, and I applaud the younger generation for stepping away from their screens. If you have ANYONE who even breathes the words, "I want to learn to sew," grab them and sit them down with fabric and a sewing machine! 

Can it be so? I sure hope!!!

Since I brought puzzling back into my life, I am scrolling less, and I'm loving it! I'd rather be an active participant in something (solving a logic puzzle or putting a jigsaw puzzle together) than mindlessly scrolling. 

Now here is something else that warms my heart and makes my head happy. Now that I'm seeing the cognitive issues in my family, I'm not worried, but it does give me pause to think. And this is certainly NOT a scientific test. There are five children in Mom's family - she is the eldest. Four girls and the last one is a boy. They are between the ages of 83 and 90 - I think that is right. 

All of them know how to use their hands, but only one of the girls became a quilter. A true and true quilter like myself needs to figure out patterns, cut small bits of fabric, and then sew them back together again. Of the five, she is in the best physical and mental shape, although I didn't get a chance to see her these past two trips. Life was not easy on our aging bodies in my family. Knees are the worst!

The moral of this story is: become a quilter, and you won't lose your marbles! OK -- so I love to generalize like that. BUT wait -- have a look at this that I spotted when I did take a few minutes to scroll through social media. I think you can click on the pictures to enlarge them. If you can't read that, there is a link here to the same kind of information. 

Seriously? If I were of any age and I spotted that, give me a rotary cutter and some fabric. I am quite happy to be a quilter, and if it's going to help prolong my mental health, I couldn't be happier. So the next time your family says, "Mom -- why do you keep making quilts? You tell them that not only is it your therapy for your peace, but it's your therapy to keep your marbles! And then offer to teach them to sew! I would hand out copies of the above so they get it! And then tell them, it's none of their business how you spend your time. 

One other thing I want to share this morning. I also spotted this on social media. There were many other pictures, but this is so true. What the heck is happening to our society? 

While I'm not sure I want green fixtures in the bathroom, you can add color with accessories. But this neutral business is a bit much for me. We have a red car, and as long as we can buy a NON-neutral car, we will. I really need to wear more bright colors, as I tend to wear black a lot, but I'm not afraid to wear color and can sometimes be seen in the summer with orange shorts and a pink top or vice versa. Why not? 

I typically wear my orange flowers in my hair. For the wedding, I wore pale green that matched my outfit, and I look like a washed-out old lady. I'm OK with it - it can't be changed, but I wish I had not changed the color of my hair band! It was for M that I did it, but I won't again. I'm OK with it - but drat -- the pale flowers in my mousey hair? Boring! Looking at the pictures, I see that pale green is not my friend! I need bright colors to make my hair and skin shine. We do things for our kids, but now that she is married, I can wear whatever I want, when I want! 

I must get myself organized for the day. I did NOT get to the gym - there is a good reason for that, and I'm not prepared to share with you this morning. I have a doctor's appointment today, and all will be revealed. It's ridiculous. 

Plus DH and I have a BIG adventure this afternoon. I can hardly wait to see what all the hype is about. We have Dillon (new SIL) to thank for that. I'll give you all the details tomorrow. 

It's going to be a wonderful day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

A state of flux!

All the Zooms are done for a few days, and ALL the follow-up is done!! That's a first for me. Cleaning up the presentations, writing out the email, double-checking distribution lists, and so much more! 

But it's done! I wish I could say the same for my state of mind! I'm in a bit of a flux this morning. No news on Dad - well, the news is he hasn't had surgery yet, and I'm not sure if they will deem it safe to do that surgery on him at his age. 

Hopefully we will get some answers today. 

In the meantime, I'm supposed to head out to a quilt retreat today because I have things to drop off, and it will be nice to have a relaxing day, but I'm also contemplating heading out to Saskatchewan tomorrow. The ticket price has me second-guessing, and I want to make sure it will be worth my time and money. 

So hopefully, with a few phone calls, I can decide. Since I'll be away next week and the week after that, I don't think DH wants to be with the dogs by himself for that long, so I may make it a short week and just stay home. Like I said - I'm in a bit of a state of flux! 

After our two scrap sessions, I hope the students are madly asking themselves questions and wondering how to proceed. They have a lot to consider, and if they go with it, there is a lot of work to do. I hope they are up to the challenge, and I'll follow up with them later this month to make sure they're on the right track. 

I chuckled because at the end of the session, one participant said, "Those are wise words, and we need a reminder once a year."  Oh no -- you are not getting off this easy, my response? This is a lifestyle change, and you will be living and breathing the answers to these decisions for the rest of your quilting career. You won't need a reminder! 

One thing to say about making all those presentations: I am constantly thinking about the flow and the logical order of the process. It doesn't always work, but I think I've got a good handle on it by now! Making a presentation is just like being a storyteller, but with pictures instead of words! 

If you ever need to communicate something to someone, practice out loud at home. I don't stand in front of the mirror to do it. I do often "present" when walking the dogs, so they are quite knowledgeable about quilting! But it's amazing how your communication skills can improve by thinking through what you are going to say, practicing saying it OUT LOUD (especially introductions), and then going for it! Do you know that most people "hate" their voice? Especially on tape. But the more you listen to yourself delivering a speech, the more comfortable you get. I don't think it's our voice we hate, but the thought that you are in charge of this conversation!

Here is the status of my two winter quilts. The borders were supposed to be on both for UFO Club yesterday, but my Friday threw me for a loop. I'm close!!

The inner border on this quilt

I hope things will quiet down—seriously? Why do I even say that? I know it's never going to happen. Even with my personal stuff - things just go haywire! This blue outer border is one of the prints I picked up last week. 

Adding the outer border

I had help while I was on Zoom. Murphy is not happy that she doesn't have the freedom to come and go as she used to, but that is a life change. She's getting used to it. The girls and the boy are NOT happy that the backdoor isn't open as much as it used to be. The temperature is getting a wee bit chilly, and so they don't have the same freedom! 

MOM - I'm here for you!

As I look at that picture, I see my Singer iron on the little ironing station, my two blocks for 40 shades of grey on the wall, and a mess of projects I am currently working on. 

I've been thinking about buying one of those rolling carts you can get at Michaels, but I don't know if it is big enough. Perhaps if I got two, I could remove a table? Hmmmm --- thoughts on that? 

I just checked online, and they have quite a variety. Maybe I should try it. Two people I chatted with yesterday have some sort of cart, and they like it. Hmmm -- might work for my class projects. And maybe one for samples. I will need a four-tier cart!

This was the mess that I have been facing since the Facebook Live. I managed to get some stuff put away yesterday and certainly did NO sewing. 

The mess in Studio B

I also inherited (OK - I bought) some supplies from someone who was getting out of quilting and embroidery. Here is the thread haul I got. 

My thread haul!

You can never have too much thread. There were a LOT of other things in the bundle she dropped off at my door (how lucky can you get), and I'm happy to report that it's all put away. Yep—there are maybe three things I don't want, and I'll take them to the retreat; if no one wants them there, I'll post on the blog. It's all about making decisions, having homes, and then getting rid of what you no longer want. 

I will say that my thread bins are full! There is NO need to buy more thread until some of the bins are a bit emptier. Lots of machine embroidery on the horizon. 

Bear was hanging out in the bed in the front window! The silly guy—he loves to sleep there so he can keep an eye on everything happening in the neighborhood. Sadly, he goes home today!!! 

GRANDMA -- I'm on my break from guard duty!

And here's my "official" puzzle picture for September. I might be OK with spacing and order in verbalizing things, but in the written world? I start too big and have no room! 

The puzzle is officially entered in the monthly contest.

I doubt I'll get another puzzle done this month, but it depends on what happens this week. I think I'm averaging about two a month, which works for me. 

I've had this window open for a couple of weeks to alert everyone to the new Canadian postage stamps honoring antique quilts. Check it out. These quilts are from the Royal Ontario Museum collection, and they were on display a while back. Well, it's almost two years since that exhibit was on, and can you believe I did NOT post a single picture. 

However, the collection is online, and you can check it out here. I believe the duck quilt is on the third page. 

OH - so I sent my follow-up emails yesterday, with BIG attachments. I'm sure my Google Drive is having a heart attack this morning. Email is really the biggest culprit for the space, and I was messing around in it yesterday. They really need to make this stuff more user-friendly, but then people would actually delete stuff instead of just buying more storage. OH—those hi-tech companies are very clever and know we are willing to cough up more money instead of time!

I refuse to do that, so I am going to keep investigating and plugging away at getting rid of stuff. But I still haven't hit that magic button yet. I am having to go ONLINE to delete stuff, and of course, they start you with the most recent. I want the old stuff! Sigh.................

I know that some of you want to dive in and help. I know how to do it - I know how to search, and I'm pretty darn competent. It's just finding out how their systems work and how my Windows systems work and how to make the two of them talk to each other and how to decipher the BEHIND THE SCENES small delete button. I'll get there - it really just requires a concentrated effort on my part. 

I should just take my laptop to the retreat and spend the entire time deleting crap! I could - it would be easy! 

On that note, I'm off. Who knows where I'll end up tomorrow, but hopefully we'll have some answers and know how to proceed. 

It is going to be an AMAZING day!!!! Why? Because I say so!! And as Captain Jean-Luc Picard would say - MAKE IT SO!!!!

Ciao!!!

Take control of YOUR life

Do you ever feel super content and just happy? For many years, I sometimes thought I didn't want everything to be perfect because then something bad would happen. That's a pretty common thought. People feel they are not worthy of such happiness. 

Well, I have my unhappy moments, trust me! But overall, I have lots to be thankful for; I have loads to look forward to each day, and I actually look forward to my routine, knowing that at such a time, I can enjoy reading my book, or working on the puzzle, or whatever is on the schedule. 

I even received a somewhat snarky email the other day, and at first I was angry because there was NO NEED for that person to respond that way. I did NOT respond immediately, but thought I would take a couple of days to process the information. I even typed out a response, and then I reworded that response in my head multiple times over the weekend while walking. 

And today? Seriously! If that person wants to lash out like they did, that is their problem, not mine. I have my way of dealing with the situation: I do nothing. I will delete my draft. I'll have a few different choices to make in the future, but it really doesn't affect me at all. 

Life is not what people send to you; it's how you react to what they have sent! I choose to let it go! And you know what? I'm pretty proud of myself! 

Well, Miss Murphy is up to her old tricks! She ventured downstairs yesterday and settled herself EXACTLY where my chair is supposed to go. I'm trying to do a Zoom call! Oh, Murphy!!! I know you are needy, but can't it wait? 

MOM - I need you NOW!!!!

And at one point, I went upstairs, and the two of them were just watching! It's like they are having a staring contest to see who blinks first! It's funny how they love to play together, but they never sleep close together. 

MOM - she's looking at me!!!!!

OH -- I have two things to share, and before I forget them again, here they are. First—when I woke up Sunday morning, I felt a bit hungry. WAIT --- you can't eat - you must take that pill, wait 30 minutes, and then you can eat. So yes—I managed to remember that pill. Yeah me!!! But if I wasn't hungry, I would have surely forgotten. 

The second thing is I was at Fabricland the other day. I swear that is NOT a good place for me to go, as they have some amazing non-cotton fabrics and I don't need any! On the counter, I spotted a rack with packs of this on it. 

Yes—that is a small pack of Mending Wool, and it came in a ton of colors. Yes - I bought one because I have a couple of pairs of wool socks to mend. More on that in a second. 

Mending Wool

I mentioned it to the person checking me out. Yep—apparently, the new thing in the world is for the youth (or anyone) to shun AI by doing hand sewing!! WOW --- and also, they are turning to crafts in general. That is awesome!! The Michaels store that I am teaching at this coming weekend (Teach the World to Sew Day) is right downtown, where I never would have expected a Michaels. I wonder who their clientele is? 

It's going to be a challenge to get down there, even early in the morning, because of the film festival and traffic in general. I need to do some research and make some calls. 

Anyway—let's hope crafts, sewing, handwork, whatever comes back. I think it's something that's really missing from daily life. And when your hands are busy? You can't scroll!! I find doing things with my hands is the most soothing thing I can do. 

I haven't really cleaned up Studio B after the Facebook Live, and there are still loads of things on the floor. I really don't want to go back to having those two tables heaped with stuff, and my plan is to sort through it and prioritize. Hopefully, I can also conceal some of it in the various storage areas. Wouldn't it be nice to have one free table as a clear workspace? 

I'm going on a quilt retreat next week, and I have decided NOT to take a sewing machine. So I have rounded up those socks and my new thread that need mending. I've also tucked all the supplies for my Many Blocks project into a bag, and it's waiting to be packed in the car. I won't be sewing any blocks, but I'll be prepping all the remaining blocks - appliqué, cutting the pieces, etc. So all that will be left is sewing on the machine. 

The Many Blocks project

I did that with my Spice Market quilt, too. That is one I didn't finish in class, and my plan is to go through it and get all the cutting and appliqué prep done. That should keep me busy for a while, and I found some other handwork and craft projects, too. 

The thing that drives me mad, and I'm very good at this -- I get started on a task, and then I can drop that in a heartbeat. And in my case, it's not to start a new project, but to work on something else that is more urgent. And many of those projects set aside will take less than one hour to finish. I am determined to get all those small projects done! This is just ridiculous!

I found a basket and put all the fabric for the 40 Shades of Grey quilt in it. Yes—it's 40 shades of purple and green. 

Fabrics for the 40 Shades of Grey quilt

I also had to "shop" for some red fabric, and I emptied the basket and started my search. I am DETERMINED to only use stuff from my stash. Oh my goodness, there are so many fabrics that I'm likely never to use. I'd better start cutting up for scrap quilts!!! 

Shopping for red fabrics

Speaking of scrap quilts, I'll be sending out the confirmation for the SECOND scrap quilt class later today. There are quite a few people in that one, too. There is so much to share, and I've been thinking about how to organize the information so it makes logistical sense. I think I have a plan, but I'll start assembling the slides tomorrow and see how it goes. 

I found this fabric in the red basket and wouldn't that make a nice mini quilt? That's the first thought that crossed my mind. 

Double Wedding Ring fabric

Some of you have wanted to know how the Visual To Do list is coming along. This morning, I'll share two categories with you. One is UFO and the other is Many Blocks. 

Part of the Visual To Do List

Only one project remains under Many Blocks, and my goal is to have THREE quilt tops ready to quilt (if they aren't already quilted by then) by the end of the year. That is one of the projects packed for the retreat. I've forgotten how many blocks need to be prepped for the final push, maybe 30? And if I can get all of them prepped, then it should be easy to accomplish my goal. 

On the UFO side, starting from the bottom is Tequila Lime. That quilt top is together, and I have pulled fabric for the binding and backing. Today, I hope to get that ready to be quilted. Since I might try custom quilting, that may not get done this year. 

Next is Spice Market, which is also packed for the retreat, and it is doable to finish this year. 

Next is Tula Pink Butterfly, and that one just needs to be quilted, which is very doable. 

The one above that is a quilt I started years ago, and it's called All About Me. It needs a lot of work, and it likely won't get completed, but I hope to have a plan on how to finish it. I need to make more blocks. 

The top one is the two winter quilts. And I'm happy to report that I made significant progress on that one. If those two aren't completely done, I'm in big trouble. I have a wee bit to share with you. 

Here are all the leftover flying geese. I can't believe I made such a silly mistake, but let's move on. Now, once I knew how many I needed, the rest was dealt with. The flying geese units went into the orphan block box, and the rectangles went into the appropriate scrap box. 

The leftover flying geese

Now what else could make me very happy? 

Having four flying geese stitched together and they lie perfectly flat, even when pressing one seam back over the point! 

Beautifully pieced and pressed flying geese

Let's look at it from the back. Yep -- those seams are twirled. 

With twirled seams on the back

I totally get it that people want to buy gadgets, and there are all kinds of pressing gadgets out there. There are also fancy irons. But guess what? You don't need any of that. I have never used gadgets for pressing - I just learned how to press well! 

Here are a few tips

• Press the just-sewn seam from the back to soften the fibers and make them more malleable. 
• Use your finger before pressing the seam to get the fabrics going in the correct direction. 
• Use STEAM WISELY (I ALWAYS press with steam). 
• I put a towel on my ironing board for better grip. 
• Press from the FRONT, never the back. 
• I use a regular inexpensive iron. 

My current iron

I trimmed the flying geese before I sewed them, and I only trimmed a few threads, but it makes a difference. 

Now what could make me even happier? 

The flying geese section

Having the entire section together!!!

And yes—I twirled all the seams. 

Twirled seams

Pressing correctly can make a massive difference in the look and accuracy of your quilt blocks. For those who finger-press while sewing? You are doing a great disservice to the quality of your quilts - well, at least in my opinion. If you are going to do something, do it right. Just because someone on the internet (OK—that could be me) says it's OK to finger-press until the end doesn't make it the best way. 

Look at the quality of the block and then make another where you press with steam on every seam. Which one do you prefer? 

A small sash goes on the sides. And I'm happy to report that one block is completely done and the second just needs the sashing on. 

The sashing on the blocks

but WAIT -- there's more. I was trying to finish my audiobook last night, so I plugged away, and I got one top, minus borders, together!!!!  Now how exciting is that? OH wait—that's not the picture of the top together, but all the blocks are there. I did have to trim a few things that I hadn't trimmed properly when I made the blocks, but all is good. 

All the blocks for one winter quilt are done!

And now you know why I was digging through the basket of red fabric because I wanted to find some reds for the two borders. 

I buzzed around and did more tidying, and it feels good to take control of the mess. Here is my tray of triangles to sew HSTs. While it looks messy, they are sorted by color and on a tray, so if I need to move them, it's easy. 

My ender/leader tray of triangles

Sometimes the smallest things make us content. I don't need a fancy car; I just want a clean floor! Did you know how satisfying it is to use the Swiffer or the vacuum? I'm not a big fan of house cleaning, but I love sweeping the floors!!! 

I even had time to work on the puzzle last night. Oh my—this one is tough!!!!

Progress is slow

I managed a few more pieces after I took the picture, but it's going to take a while. I need to get this done by the end of the month, which means I really only have this week. 

So slow and steady is the name of the game. But even more important is staying in CONTROL. If you aren't in control, you are wandering like a lost soul. At least that's how I feel, and that's why, even though we like to keep those lists in our heads, writing them down is better. With a list, we are in total control.  

And by that, I don't mean being in charge, but taking control. I think we all know someone who has struggled, or is still struggling, with clutter. They don't know where to start or even how to tackle it, and that seems silly, but it is true. When they finally make a decision to take charge and tidy up, declutter, and find homes for everything, life becomes so much more manageable! 

So when you go to your sewing space today, and I don't care if it's huge or small, take a look around. Is the space inviting? Is it ready at a moment's notice for you to sew, or do you have to clean off the sewing tables, the ironing board, or the cutting table? How can you change that? What about those smaller projects that can be completed quickly? 

You would be surprised at how much better you will feel. It's like my office. I feel so much better because of what I have done so far. Imagine how high I'll be when I finish it. I'll be flying higher than a kite!!

Here is a picture of the surprise guest. He arrived late last night, and we haven't really had a chance to visit with him. 

The girls and the boy

He was just staring out the front window, and I spotted that large truck and trailer pass by, and they had two pallets of what looked like paving stones. NO -- that could not be possible; they are not going to put paving stones on that hill. That's what I've been saying all along. But WAIT -- I'm getting ahead of myself -- I have no idea what's going to happen. 

On that note, it's Monday sewing. I did not go to the gym this morning - I'll go tomorrow. I wanted to make sure all the girls and the boy were fine this morning and get them into a wee bit of a routine. 

It's going to be a glorious day today!!

Ciao!!!

Done, done, and DONE!!!

Yep—all three presentations are ready to go. All the sewing was completed, the pictures were loaded and sorted, the reminder emails went out, and all is good in the teaching world. 

It was a fun day, and it was so nice to just sit and sew. I had to take pictures, mind you, but still, it was fun to listen to my audiobook and sew. I had to backtrack a lot because I missed part of the storyline. I really need to connect my new noise-canceling headphones. The open earbuds suck for listening to audiobooks while sewing. 

I can't even begin to imagine listening to a book with a speaker! When you are moving around all the time, and the noise of a sewing machine - how the heck would you even hear? 

While lots was accomplished, nothing is available to share with you, but after today, I can share! So fun to start (legitimately) several new projects! I have tons of UFOs to finish, and I had better get my act together and spend some time on those as well. 

Remember the striped fabric I chatted about the other day? Well, here is a picture of the two new ones added to the bucket with the previous ones I purchased! 

Striped fabrics

You can make a very cool quilt with ONE striped fabric, including these. I've made it multiple times. Heck -- I've done an entire series of quilts with striped fabric. I could almost have a trunk show. 

Sigh -- why have one when you can have many! I actually have a wall hanging that I made using one of these batik strips. I still need to do some machine embroidery on the quilt top, and I really need to finish it! 

As I was reassembling the sewing tables for Studio B, I had a chuckle. Remember the days when we thought it was acceptable to put the power bars on the floor? Whose silly idea was that? I'm very happy to have them on the table (yes—it might look a bit messier), but it makes it easier to access the cords. I'll never put the power source on the floor again. 

My power tower ON  the table

I'm surprised that those power towers still work. I have three of them, and the two in Studio B seem to get knocked on the floor every once in a while. The housing is cheap plastic, and I swear one day they are going to stop working. So I try to be careful, but it doesn't always work. 

There is no other way to say this except that I am a dolt! Remember my flying geese for the two winter quilts? Yesterday, while sewing, I decided to use them as enders and leaders. And I was making very good progress. 

Progress on the flying geese

Some time after dinner, I realized I made TWICE as many as I needed! Seriously?? I have no idea what happened. WAIT -- I know what happened. I looked at the cutting instructions, and it said to cut 44 of the little white squares for the corners. So I made the silly assumption that I should double that and make 88 flying geese. In fact, I only need 22 per quilt. I now have extras! 

We had a meeting about our Katimavik 50th reunion, and it was so nice to see a new face I haven't seen in 50 years. WOW -- but we have located at least one other person, and they are deceased. How is that possible? The ratio of the living to the dead is very high! 

Several of us had tried to find a particular person, but her name didn't show up in any online searches. Someone ran her name through Ancestry and POOF—there she was. And then, of course, her name now pops up in the online searches. Perhaps we are missing the others the same way. Her obit was listed in her maiden name. I don't understand how the silly internet works. 

I may have to retire my shorts in the morning—it is getting cooler, and I'm quite happy about that. I don't mind the heat, but I'm not a fan of the wicked humidity we sometimes get. The one thing I will say is I'm thrilled that we installed those ceiling fans, and I often use them at night to recirculate the air in the room. They are so quiet, you do not even know they are working. 

Here's a blast from the past. When I was going through that box of memorabilia looking for stuff on Katimavik, I spotted this autograph book. Did you have autograph books? Of course, it was all the rage when I was young, and my grandmother gave this to me. 

My autograph book

I took a picture of a couple of the entries! How fun to have their handwriting and dates in my book. 

My grandmother

This is one from my great-grandmother. I was in my teens, or was it my early 20s, when she passed. 

Great grandmother

And oh my—it appears I had a nickname I don't remember from high school. 

A friend

Yep --- I was a blusher, and well, I guess I still blush. Perhaps not as bad! 

Remember the signs on the forest indicating the path was going to be regraded?

Work on the forest path is upcoming.

Well, look what got placed at the entrance to the path. 

Serious equipment to fix the path - at last! 

And one more piece of equipment was dropped off later in the day. I suspect they'll rip it up next week. This is much more substantial than dropping a blade and grading it. Hmmm --- what can we expect? 

But as I chatted with a neighbor in the morning, we watched the dump truck and a very long trailer back down our street and around the bend. Let's say the driver was pretty experienced, as he whizzed around the corner with that large trailer like it was nothing. We were very impressed. 

I had to do some pond maintenance in the morning - cleaning the filter. I grabbed a handful of muck from the filter and threw it. Of course I did, and it went SPLAT on the gazebo post. All that open space, and I had to hit the post! Let's just say that I was never good at playing baseball!! I had to wash it off with the hose. 

Seriously??? I hit the post with the muck? 

Of course, my supervisor was sitting there watching me and wasn't very impressed with how silly I was. Actually, she was probably laughing her head off! 

OH MOM -- you are so silly.

I've decided to take Murphy for shorter walks, but twice as many. That breaks up the physical walking for her, and she loves to go for a walk, so she is happy to go for more walks in the day. 

It is so challenging to see a person or a pet struggle. Yesterday was the first day she didn't come to Studio B while I worked. It's so hard to know what to do for her. I'm sure she is uncomfortable or perhaps even in pain. I must see if I can get her some medication without the drowsy effect to help her feel more comfortable. 

We will just keep loving her and hoping we still have lots of time to spend with her. I'm sharing this with you because I don't want it to be a shock to anyone, and I don't want to pretend that all is OK when it's not. She may surprise us all and live for many years, and she is far from death. But slowing down. 

She has a new routine and doesn't want to be left alone on the ground floor at night. So I help her up the stairs and lift her onto the bed, where we have some cuddles, and then she is happy to sleep on the floor for the night. I have to fetch her in the morning for her walk, as I think she doesn't trust herself on the stairs to come down. 

I have some travel coming up, and I'm a bit worried about it all. DH won't provide her with the same care as I do, and I hope she is going to be OK. I'm even contemplating cutting my quilt retreat short, as I have to be away the following week for work, and two weeks in a row away might be more than she can handle. 

The things we do for our pets!

The other day we had chatted about how smart squirrels are, and if you haven't watched Mark Roper's videos on the mazes he makes for the squirrels in his backyard, you should check them out. In the past, a squirrel would never think of entering our backyard. Yesterday, I spotted one on the deck just having a grand old time doing something! Lexi doesn't hear so well anymore, and Murphy doesn't move so well, and the squirrels have figured that out. I may need another guard dog! 

I promise there will be loads of FUN things tomorrow as you get to see my homework for THREE of the new projects. I had to switch a couple of classes around, which meant three new projects started today. That is only a one-time situation - thankfully, as it was a challenge to get all the work done!

Oh -- and we have a surprise guest coming tomorrow! 

Anyway, it's time to get moving!!! Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!