Mobility keeps us young!

Well? How did you make out with the chair squats? I quickly whipped off a few before I started to write this morning. You know what? It gets the blood flowing! 

I once talked with someone who insisted that an elderly family member was healthy (for their age) but had never exercised or gone to the gym. Guess what? The idea of working out or going to the gym is relatively new. Well, it's not as new as we would think—it dates from 1827! An almost 200-year-old concept!

I want to point out that you do NOT have to "exercise" or go to the gym to keep healthy. If you are an office worker, do that chair yoga movement several times an hour. Go to the photocopier/printer, washroom, water cooler, or whatever. 

If you sew - get up to iron, cut, or walk around. 

The important thing is that you must move! We are all about being super efficient and productive but losing our mobility. Don't let that happen to you. 

Stand up, sit down, stand up, sit down. It's as easy as that! 

Well, I didn't make out well yesterday, and my holiday mentality did me in. Christmas Day is a holiday - right? So stores are open on Boxing Day - right? Wrong! 

I wanted to send a package by courier, but I could not print a label for the box. Why? So I got in the car and drove to the UPS store, only to find it closed! Seriously? I saw FedEx trucks on the road, but not UPS trucks. 

I wasn't happy that I kept getting an error message online: " Please try again." Could they just have said, " Stores are not open?" I only wanted to drop the box off, but I suppose they don't allow drop-offs if UPS doesn't pick it up that day! 

Well, I tried again this morning, and the label is printed. So that'll be my walk later today - I have to get it to the drop-off location. 

Then I thought I'd go to the grocery store to get some veggies to cook with my turkey carcass. Good grief - our local grocery store is also closed. So much for paying attention to the signs on the door! But it doesn't matter; the carcass can wait until today. 

What I also wanted at the store were bran muffins. I have a thing about them these days. One a day, and well, it just makes me happy. Where could I get a bran muffin? Tim's have bran muffins, although they are often out. 

So Murphy and I snuck out of the house, Lexi was fast asleep on the sofa with Dad. We won't go there, but it's incredible how dogs pick up the traits of their favorite parent! 

We had to return a book to the library, go to the bank, and then, on the way home, we stopped at Tim's. I wasn't sure if it was open for foot traffic, but it was. So Murphy had to wait outside. 

MOM -- Hurry up!!!!

She hasn't been in a situation where she has had to wait for me in a while. When I had her outside the bank, she barked like mad as I approached. I simply stopped and turned my back until she stopped barking. It took several tries before I could approach her. At Tim's, it happened once. So I'm just going to have to do that more often. I hate when she barks her head off, even if she's happy to see me. 

I got my bran muffin, and we made it home. Lexi was NOT happy when I arrived because she thought it was now her turn, and I had no intention of going for a fourth walk in the day! 

In the morning, I got all of M's stuff in one spot. This is what is left. It all fits along one wall in the guest bedroom. Oh, wait—I forgot the clothes in the closet. But you get the picture. There isn't a ton of stuff, but it's more than needs to be here, especially if someone else can use some of those things. It has sat for ten years—how much does M want to keep? 

The last of M's stuff

What is funny is that when she left home ten years ago, her car was packed to the top! She mentioned this past year that she didn't have much left of what she took in the car with her. Sigh......

Yagana is coming over today to make a start. She reminds me of a go-getter, so let's see what happens. 

While looking at the Storage magazine, I almost choked when I saw this photo. Those pretty metal bins on that shelf are for sorting mail, and it seems like a lot of mail is in those bins. 

Another unrealistic storage solution

The old me might have gone for that. The new me says NO, NO, NO. Take the mail and deal with it immediately. Toss, keep, file, or whatever needs to be done. But do NOT put it in pretty bins. If this had been at my house before, those bins would soon be overflowing, and it would have been a disaster!!!

All those pictures in magazines, on Pinterest, or on Instagram are pretty, but they have been staged. They are NOT practical or realistic; sometimes, they are not even real! Do not fall for those pictures!

Stand up, sit down. Stand up, sit down. Stand up, sit down. 

The more you do it, the easier it becomes! And then try to do it with a nice straight back to keep that posture in check! I think holding the weight in your hands acts as a counterbalance. Weight or not, stand up and sit down! Standing up and sitting down several times an hour also helps prevent super-stiff knees. 

Mobility!!! That's just as important as keeping our marbles! You CAN keep your mobility in check! 

When I wasn't out walking searching for bran muffins, I was downstairs working. I was listening to an audiobook and happily working on my UFO. I made significant progress yesterday, and hopefully, all the "quilting" and cutting will be done today. Then, it's on to sewing the ornaments together, adding the cuffs to the mitts, and adding embellishments where necessary. 

Working on  my UFO

I have plenty of time, but we all know what happens when we think we have plenty of time! Before we know it, the deadline is tomorrow! I'm going to work on them for one more day, and then I need to move on to start prepping classes for next year and finish some writing. 

The EXIT Game puzzle last night was easy, although DH said I didn't follow all the logic. When I saw the pattern emerge, I used spatial recognition, and he was right. But I don't care how you solve the problems—it's all about getting the answer. 

I sent out more emails this morning, and I still have a few more to go. Gosh, there is so much to organize at the end of the year. I should be done in a couple more mornings! 

And one last time for now - stand up, sit down! 

You know how we look at more "experienced" active people and say to ourselves, "I hope to be like them when I'm older." I would bet they were active when they were younger, which allows them to be active when they are older! 

There's a virtual retreat this weekend!!!!  

Saturday, December 28 - Starts at 6 PM

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

Meeting ID: 898 1648 3795
Passcode: 248667

Sunday, December 29 - Starts at NOON

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

Meeting ID: 829 8351 7671
Passcode: 117636

I'm off with big plans to accomplish lots today! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Stand up, sit down! 

Do you need a taller toilet?

I hope everyone has recovered from their Christmas! It was easy for me to recover from mine. We ended up doing nothing. Nope, we did not watch a movie. I won't go into details, but working out the details of the movie (at home, no less) became a production, so I decided to read instead. 

I learned years ago to expect little at Christmas time—I don't mean that in a negative way. But the more pomp and planning, the more likely someone will be disappointed. So, if you have no expectations, you are NEVER disappointed. And that works for me. 

We had our Zoom session, and a few people joined. I managed to get some sewing done! Today, I will heads-down and work at the computer and the sewing machine. 

I have one package that needs to be at the courier drop-off by 5 PM this afternoon, and I still have one thing left to finish before it goes out the door. That is a priority this morning, so I can walk it to the drop-off spot this afternoon. 

I bought a single present, and it was delivered yesterday. The recipients were thrilled, and that made my day! No exchanges or refunds to worry about!

I also spent this morning sending out emails and organizing stuff. At this time of year, there is some administrative work to continue the clubs for next year. I also look at my distribution lists; if I haven't heard from people in a while, it's time to remove them. I give people one more chance to participate, and then—POOF—they are gone! 

That is one thing that drives me crazy, and I know it shouldn't. But I HATE having people on my distribution lists who don't participate. I take charge if you don't want to participate and can't even tell me you no longer wish to be on the list! 

It's like the driveway. I hate having bits of snow in the driveway. Sometimes, you can't help it, as the snow might be tromped down, but as it softens, I''m out there with the shovel to get rid of it! Let's say I do not have a good relationship with ice in my driveway! Some of my neighbors are NOT the best at shoveling that darn sidewalk. Don't shovel your driveway, but please shovel the sidewalk! The plow does not pass on the sidewalks on our street!

Yesterday was a weird day in that I only took three pictures. One was for yesterday's blog post, one was for last night's EXIT Game, and this is the only one relevant to today's post. 

A snow family in the park

Can you see the snow family? I was walking through the park and saw huge trails in the snow that went down a slight slope. AHA -- they used the hill to roll the snowballs. They are big, but the snow the other day was perfect for making snowmen! 

We played the EXIT Game last night, and after much thought and discussion, we finally caved in and looked at the clues. OK, the first clue—we already knew that information. The second clue—we knew that as well. We finally looked at the answer. WHAT??? This doesn't make sense at all. Nothing in that day's clues or information would make you think that way. It was a bit disappointing. 

So, I checked with Garth online. Dr. Garth Moore is a puzzle nut from the UK who solves the EXIT puzzles online. He has written an EXTENSIVE number of books on puzzles. I watched his YouTube video, and he also had to look at the clues. I've NEVER seen him have to do that. He was also disappointed and said there was NOTHING in the clues for that day to lead to that answer. He was polite! But it was a disappointing day. 

By the way, I found MANY of Garth's books in ebook format at Hoopla. My library has a massive subscription to resources on Hoopla! Elaine M -- are you proud of me for checking that out? 

Hmmm --- now I wonder if Alex (friend's son) had to look for a clue or if he figured it out, although they did say it was "interesting." He's pretty clever at these puzzles. Another friend had to look at the clue, and even then, they were at a loss, like us. There was even an error in the written solution. 

But let's face it - they do a fantastic job on all the other puzzles. I guess it stands to reason that they might screw up once or twice. The premise of what they were trying to do was excellent -- they just gave you NO direction to even think that way. 

I bought my Virtual Challenge for 2025 and made a goof when I purchased a couple of others. I know - I got sucked in. Buy three, and you get the challenge for free. I now have 16 codes to use up! Managing those darn codes is a hassle, but there was someone on the support desk yesterday, and we got it all cleared up. I have a nice two-page list of the codes. Easy to track now instead of in a handful of emails. One more piece of paper dealt with! 

My codes are for longer-distance challenges that require time to complete. Note to self: only buy new codes for the yearly challenge next year! 

It feels good to try to get on top of the paperwork. There is much more to do, and yesterday, I had an incident with my tea. Good grief—I've become clumsy with liquids. However, it wasn't as bad as the previous day with the water. Still, all the paperwork was thrown to the floor in a huge heap. Sigh...................

By the way - I have room at my January quilting retreat if anyone is interested. The dates are January 27 - February 2. We are staying at Springhouse Retreat in New Hamburg, a beautiful place to stay. There is loads of room, and it's always a good time! You do not have to stay the entire time if you don't want to. Yes, I understand it's winter, but good grief - if we put our life on hold for a potential snowstorm? Well, life goes on - we live in Canada! The cost is approximately $125 per night. 

So if you want to attend, let me know. elainetheriault@gmail.com

I am being diligent about the stretching, so that is good. All I can say is that the acute pain is gone, but there is still lots of discomfort, but that's just life. I have much more mobility than before. I started stretching daily, so it's all going in the right direction. Don't worry -- I WILL follow up!

We always talk about losing our brain cells to dementia, but do we consider what can happen if we lose our mobility? That's equally important, and most of us are 100% in control. We do NOT have 100% control over whether we get dementia or not. I watched a video the other day (real or not - I don't know) of a frail, elderly woman who could barely walk into a gym. She was assisted by someone. Then, over a undisclosed period of time, it revealed how much of her mobility she gained by doing SIMPLE exercises. She didn't break a sweat. She was in her street clothes!

I chuckled because one of the exercises is the SAME exercise I was given this past week. And it's an IMPORTANT one. You hold a weight in your hand - at the beginning, you probably don't need a weight. Then you sit down, and then you stand up! Simple! Don't use a rolling chair. Why is that important? Let's think of the washroom! 

We think it's our knees when we struggle to sit on the toilet. NOPE -- in many cases, we are losing the strength in our quads to sit down and stand up. So - this is something you should give some serious consideration to! Just sit down and then stand up. Do it a few times a day. You NEED to keep the strength in your legs. While I do a lot of walking, my quads are NOT strong, well not as strong as I would think they should be. 

So, if you are a quilter and think it's ergonomic to sit in one spot with your cutter and iron around you, think again! It might be ergonomic, but we need to move. We need to sit down and then get up. When getting up, ideally, you are not using your hands. 

Now, go try it. How many times can you sit down and then get up? 

Here's a video to watch if you don't understand what I mean. This is not rocket science, but it can improve your mobility, strengthen your legs, make going to the washroom much easier, and improve your balance. 

I laugh because our society is about treating the symptoms, never the cause. When people struggled to sit on a regular-height toilet, the industry went for taller toilets instead of saying they needed to strengthen their legs. Taller toilets are NOT necessary for most people! 

On that happy note, I'm out of here!! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

 

Merry Christmas 2024!!!!!!

Merry Christmas!!!!!  

Okay—we looked in the box, outside the box, and scoured everywhere, but we are stuck. I needed to sleep on this next puzzle in the EXIT Game, and hopefully, today will be the day to solve it. It doesn't help that my friend, whose son is a wizard at these, mentioned that he was challenged by this particular puzzle. Let's see what happens later today. 

We decided to do another Virtual Retreat Zoom call this morning! If you are around, here's the link. I'll open the call at 10 a.m., and we'll continue until about 2 p.m. 

Christmas Day Virtual Retreat -- starts at 10 a.m. 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85932454309?pwd=tzsIyPz6wHYzS9DMbXuERbF6CX9KsW.1

Meeting ID: 859 3245 4309
Passcode: 232442

Well, I sent out some emails this morning as part of the follow-up that needs to be done. Once I finish that business and communicate dates to the other three clubs, I should be ready for 2025. Don't worry if you think I don't get enough sleep, as the emails were sent early. I go to bed early! 

Then, I was getting ready for my 2025 Virtual Challenges, and good grief, despite my careful planning, I bought a challenge I already have, so I'm now trying to swap out that one! But at least all the paperwork was where it was supposed to be. I just didn't dig far enough down in the paper! I must consolidate all the codes from multiple emails to make it easier! It's a mess. 

Then, I spent some time dealing with digital storage. Actually, I did this yesterday. Look. 

This is my OneDrive, and I started with 154.9 GB of data. Good grief -- what is all that? 

A lot of storage!

So, I went in and started deleting all the presentations from 2023. Oops—there were a "few" from 2020 - 2022. Most of that is gone, and I'll be a bit selective for 2024. I need to keep the December presentations, as I use them as templates. Then, they can go. 

I got rid of over 10 GB of crap!!! 

Now, only 143.6 GB of storage

The next area to tackle—and I have no idea where to start—is all the presentations I've created for work. They quickly get duplicated, changed, and then reduplicated—it's a mess. I'm tempted to wipe them all, but I may need pictures from them. So, I'll sort them by topic and then go from there. 

Lesson learned: Keep the pictures in a folder, keep the master slide presentation, and then delete anything else. The slides can be recreated! 

I also spend some time in my inbox trying to get that tamed. Soon, I'll be able to delete all the stuff for 2024 classes. Don't worry, 2023 is long gone. 

The hardest part of all this digital stuff is that you don't know what type of file structure works best, so things get left, and then suddenly, you have lots, and the information is now all over the place. My inbox is like that. But now I'm trying to keep folders by year, and then it can all go at the end of the year! I'm still working on that plan! But I'm working on it! 

This is the strangest thing I've seen in the forest. I saw it the other day when it was very cold, so I wasn't taking my mitts off to take a picture. It had a piece of paper attached, which said "CLUE." The note is gone, and the candy cane is in a different spot. A mystery! 

A mystery! 

I spotted this in the storage magazine. The pictures hanging on a kitchen wall were quilt blocks!!! The article and resources did not mention them, but it's a neat idea if you're looking for wall art. I don't think these were fabric but printed images. 

Quilt blocks as wall art

 

It's hilarious to watch Murphy. She gets a bee in her bonnet about those blankets, and the next thing we know, she has tossed them across the room. She loves to play with her ball, and she's definitely entertaining. It's hilarious that she only does it when we are in the room—so she knows she's entertaining us! 

MOM - I'm doing this for you! Watch ME!!!!

Lexi, on the other hand, is very sneaky! If she's outside, and Murphy is inside, she'll bang on the backdoor that she wants in. Then she does her little dance, saying, "Murphy, come out and play with me." Murphy falls for it and charges out, then Lexi enters the house! 

It's down to the wire as I finish my Virtual Challenges for 2024. I'm 51 KM from the finish line on my personal walk of 4,500 KM. Yikes -- that's insane and I'll be reducing that for 2025. I''m not sure what I'm going to do yet. 

And there's my MONSTER challenge: to walk from Cairo to Cape Town—a total of 16,287 km in three years. I had to supplement about ¼ of that with cycling. I have about 80 km left before the end of the year, which I'll do with one more spin class and some walking. 

My virtual three-year walk/cycle trip

I've had great fun using Google Maps to map the challenge, and while the middle section of Africa has not been mapped by Google, many parts have, and it's been fascinating. I need to come up with something else for 2025. But what? Instead of KMs, I thought I could map the number of times I went to the gym or stretched. Hmmm --- the clock is ticking! 

OH MY GOSH -- I thought it was only me who said this!!!!

I am trying very hard to cut back. I don't want to run like mad forever; I want to enjoy peace, quiet, and downtime! However, I've become slack when getting work done. I do the minimum and let the rest slide, which isn't always a good thing. These days, I hate rushing and prefer slow and methodical work. That works for me. 

I had a massage yesterday, and while I'm still uncomfortable sitting, my leg feels better. I'm sure that luxury will disappear, but that shows me that stretching and staying active is IMPORTANT because those activities keep this mess (my body) loose! The therapist agreed with me. Not doing anything (again - each of us is different) is not good. Your muscles will atrophy or seize up or both, and you'll have a lot more issues. So I do what I can; I experiment to see what works and what doesn't until I can get some answers. 

We had our turkey last night and we get popcorn today!!! It's going to be a great day - I prefer the popcorn to the turkey! 

Wait a minute—before I go, I have a question. Is Christmas cake a thing of the past? I had forgotten about it, and there is no Shelly near me to make it anymore! I asked at the grocery store, and they pointed me to the Christmas-decorated cakes, but the youngish woman there knew nothing about Christmas Cake. I'd like a piece of Christmas cake! 

On that happy note, if you are around this morning with nothing to do, stop by the Virtual Retreat (link above) to say HI. 

While reading another organizing article from Helen Buttigieg, I found this one essential and timely because it concerns Christmas. She stresses that what we see in magazines is NOT realistic. Those photos are styled by teams of people!! 

Her ending words - make YOUR CHRISTMAS MEANINGFUL. Do the things (like baking and decorating together), ask for help (potluck meals), and above all, do NOT expect perfection. You will drive yourself mad. 

These are wise words of wisdom! I never believed in stressing out about this kind of thing, and I'm happy! 

Have a super Merry Christmas Day!!!!!!

Cioa!!!

Best Christmas gift - EVER!

Someone mentioned where my feet are located on the floor, and that is a good point. They both need to be firmly on the floor, not twisted on the chair leg and have no crossed legs or ankles. I don't know that BOTH of my feet are always flat on the floor, but I'll be more aware of that. I'm still trying to learn all the things I can and cannot do and to avoid pain. 

And YES- I will follow up with my doctor next week to see what else can be done. Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm experimenting; I just want to find comfortable spots to sit and sleep!

I think we might forfeit our Christmas Day at the movies. First, there isn't anything I want to see, so I will again go to something DH wants to see. But even he doesn't seem that enthused. So I will sit for 2½ hours to see a movie I don't want to see? I don't think so. 

We'll rent a movie online, and I'll get popcorn today! Then, if I need to get up, no problem. It was just such a hassle to find a theatre and a time that worked. I won't start watching a 2½ hour movie at 6 p.m. That does NOT work for me. 

Am I disappointed? Nope --- I'm OK with staying home. Besides, it'll be much cheaper. 

Last night's puzzle on the EXIT Game was interesting but very solvable! We were done quickly, and then we had to talk to each other! 

It's time to get that annual admin work done. The classes are over for this year, but I still have a bit of follow-up to do, and I need to set all the dates for 2025. All of my clubs fall on Sunday, which is fine, except that I signed up for a series of quilt classes (in French!) in 2025 that also fall on a Sunday! Let's say that Sundays in February were at a premium!!! It took a bit of juggling, and I'll have to watch one or two of the ones I signed up for in the recording. 

It was nice not to have to juggle so many around, and I'd like to get rid of one more, but I don't know how to do that as I want to continue with all of them. So this is the way it's going to be! 

Shoot - I promised to post dates of classes or something online, but I'm not doing that this morning. 

However, I will post two retreats. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first is machine embroidery, and I have yet to determine the class schedule and cost. However, here is the information if anyone wants to save the date. 

Hands-On Machine Embroidery - TWO-day workshop

Dates: Friday, February 21 (starting at 1 p.m. - allowing time for set-up and lunch) to Sunday, February 23 (not sure of the end time, but we have to be out of the facility by 3 p.m.)

Location: Spring House Retreat House near New Hamburg, Ontario

Cost: It will be approximately $300 for the two days. I'm working out how many meals it will include. 

I will likely offer a kit of stabilizers and perhaps threads as well. More information on that later. 

There will be no ZOOM option; it's only available in person!

If anyone is interested, 11 spots are available, and three are already gone! 

If you are interested, please send me an email: elainetheriault@gmail.com. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Journal/bookmaking -  two-day workshop

The second one is at the same location but will focus on making journals and books. I'm still working out the details, but the dates will be Friday, September 12, to Sunday, September 14. Let me know if you are interested in that one. Only a few people may make journals while the rest quilt, and I'm OK with that. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was up very early this morning and heard the most bizarre thing. At about 4:00 a.m., I heard two very loud, clear WHISTLES, like someone whistling for their dog. Murphy heard them, too, and was alert. But we saw no one in the front or the back. Now, what was that all about? 

I love watching Murphy watch the entertainment in the backyard. There was a squirrel in the trees where that circle is, but look at her ears. She was listening to me! What a silly girl!

MOM -- I'm busy - I'm on guard duty!

I think it's hilarious that in my decluttering, I've got organizing magazines to deal with. I had pulled many articles about organizing and storage from other magazines and put them on a shelf in the office. There was also a stack of storage and organizing magazines. So I pulled it all out and found duplicates, one of which is in the recycling. 

TWO? 

I had great intentions from 2007 to 2013, and I'm not sure what happened after that. I was on my own. 

Back in 2007 - I was thinking of organizing

I have both Storage and Organizing magazines, as well as some books. 

Covered all the bases in my magazine-buying

I now have a shelf in the office with books and a few magazines, and I want that shelf to be CLEAR by the end of 2025. I don't need to keep any of the magazines or books, but I want to read/browse them before they go. OK -- I confess I will read them. I can't help myself. It's just one shelf, but clearing one is better than never touching any! Besides the books and magazines, there is a box of "junk," which I'll also take care of. Trust me, the other shelves will go quicker, and I might even get to one or two other shelves. 

While browsing (OK - reading) the articles I had pulled from other sources, I got a chuckle at this. It was about putting pretty things on a shelf. Hey - we need to have some knick-knack things. But I'll quote the article by Helen Buttigieg, a Certified Professional Organizer, or at least she was in 2011. 

"Evaluate each item on the basis of how it makes you feel when you look at it. Be brutally honest with yourself; anything that doesn't make you smile needs to go., including all those gifts you've received from well-meaning friends and relatives."

I thought that was VERY APPROPRIATE for this time of year. Sometimes, your thoughtful gift is a burden to the recipient. I don't have many things in that category - most of the stuff is gone or will be gone. I never had much to begin with that were unwanted gifts. 

But I may have received the best Christmas gift ever, and it was from M. No, it's not a baby. They'll do that when ready. I'm not pushing or hoping, as it has nothing to do with me.

I've been after her for 10 years to finish clearing the boxes of her stuff in the guest room. And she's promised to do it forever! But her heart was never in it, and I didn't want to throw it out, as it was her job, not mine. 

Well, we've arranged for her best friend (who lives near the house) to come in next week, and the two of them will sort the boxes via FaceTime. I'm practically giddy, and if it pans out, this will be the best gift ever!!!!! I trust Yagana way more than I trust my child—at least to get this job done! 

While standing in the room yesterday, showing Yagana what needed sorting, I put my hand on the bookcase and found this CD!!! I've been looking for that for M for a couple of months! Yeah!!!!!

The missing CD!!

When Yagana rang the doorbell, I was at the sewing machine. I turned my chair to get up, and WAHM - I knocked over my glass of water. I moved a few things out of the way (my phone) and ran to get the door. 

When I got back, I had to clean up the mess. However, my little mug rug did its job, absorbing a LOT of the water. Having many loose things in that white basket also saved much from getting wet! 

OH - spilled water!

The poor mug rug was saturated!!! 

The mug rug doing its job

This morning, it's dry, but it looks like it's been washed! 

It's all OK now

Thanks to Ronda for the handy mug rug - it saved a lot of clean-up time!!!

I was working on the follow-up emails for the UFO Club. Can you believe that we've been doing the online version of the club for 5 years? Oh - I think I said that yesterday. There wasn't enough room left in my notebook to write down the commitments, so I opened a new one this morning. It was easy to find one. I went to my supply cupboard, found a new one, and started!!! 

The new UFO journal

As part of my holiday admin, I must clean up my storage. I have 154.9 GB of crap on my OneDrive, and I'll see how much of that goes. Most of the space is taken with old presentations (some from 2022), and they no longer need to be kept! At least they are NOT older than 2022!

That's a LOT of files!

It's a fun time of year, as I have a break now that all the classes are over. This allows me time to set all the dates and get organized for next year, which is the most challenging part of the entire process. But I did that early this morning, so I'm good to go!!

Remember, today, we have a virtual retreat at 10 a.m. I'll run it until 2 p.m. or until most of us are gone. I must zip out for a 30-minute massage at 11 a.m. 

Here's the Zoom link: 

TODAY - December 24 - open at 10 a.m. EST. Stop by to say HI, Merry Christmas. No need to stay if you are busy. 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82943785348?pwd=bGWr9eXWYTj9rybqmMB5e5SeJINw5o.1

Meeting ID: 829 4378 5348
Passcode: 870535

On that note, I'm off to walk the girls!!!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!

LOOK in the box!

 Are you moving during the day? I confess I did something I hadn't done for a long time yesterday: I read almost an entire book in one day. However, I can no longer sit in a comfy chair for long with this silly leg issue. By comfy, I mean the chairs in our living room. Even stretched out, they don't work. Although I sat there long enough to attract the girls, and they put on a show for me. 

MOM - can you see us? 

They are the silliest two dogs ever. They love each other, and yet they have their moments. They will sleep on the same bed but never together. I've never seen them cuddle with each other. 

Since I couldn't sit in that chair for long, I went to bed several times to read. Propping my leg with a pillow works, although it sometimes takes a few minutes to get comfortable. After dinner, I needed to know what happened in the book, so I went to bed, arranged myself comfortably, and read until the book was done! Oh my! 

These psychological thrillers are the worst! Sometimes, you don't want to know what happens. The characters are very nasty! This book was called None of This is True by Lisa Jewell. Her characters can be bizarre, and this one? It's bizarre. 

Before I succumbed to reading, I did get some work done. I trimmed up the half-square triangles from the Oh Canada fabric and arranged the rest of the fabric for the next retreat. OK - I just cheated and got rid of what no longer needed to be in the bag, and everything else went into the bag. I'll make the one quilt and then decide what to do with the rest at that time. 

Trimming half-square triangles

Then, to start clearing the cutting table, I took the projects from the last sewing retreat, and one by one, I prepped three projects for the retreat. These are projects that I worked on this last time but ran out of fabric, so I prepped the necessary fabrics, and they are now ready to go back. 

I had left notes on what was needed, making it easy to know what to cut. 

Notes for cutting more fabric

Technically, I'm ready for the retreat. Everything is packed, and I may add one more project as we approach the date, but I think I have enough to keep me busy for the week! 

Prepping for the next sewing retreat

We had our final UFO Club for 2024. It's impressive how the UFO Club motivates people to get the commitment done. I do NOT set the commitment; each person sets a commitment based on how much time they have that month. Wow - I've been running that club for FIVE years on Zoom and in person for a couple of years before. The number of OLD projects that get done is unbelievable. Out of 32 people, only one decided she didn't have enough time this coming year to devote to UFOs. Sorry, there is no room in the club as I have two new people who approached me, and both of them will get a spot. 

We will get these projects done! 

I can now provide a complete list of classes for the first six months of 2025. I'll do that later this week. 

Speaking of getting things done, DH and I attempted an EXIT Game Advent Puzzle the night before, but it was a no-go. We had to do something creative with the box; it wasn't working for us. 

The Advent Calendar box

So, we let it simmer overnight. I looked at it at lunch, and there was nothing. Then we tried again at dinner, and it wasn't working. Then, DH solved the puzzle in a flash. How? By asking the question - did we look INSIDE the room in the box? Good grief! We've been so used to the other games that didn't have a box that we got lax. Complete utter fools we were!!! Guess what we found in the box? The CODE! 

There was one part of it that I didn't like. After we figured out the clue, I looked online at how the puzzle was solved, and I still don't get it. The online person seemed OK with it the way it was, but it was backward to me. However, we didn't have to look at the clue, so I'm good. Then we solved one more, which was super easy, and we were good for the night. We're now on Day Eight. A little bit behind, but going strong!

I can't do these things when I'm tired! And I was tired the night before, so I got lazy and never thought to look in the box! 

I'm learning how to cope with this leg issue and refuse to let it stop me from doing my regular stuff. It takes a bit to warm it up in the morning and extended periods in the same spot, except laying in bed isn't always the most comfortable. The worst part is putting on my socks in the morning. I can live with that! Thank goodness, walking helps! 

It's Monday Sewing today! I missed it last week, so I'm anxious to catch up with everyone. Then, we have a Virtual Retreat tomorrow. Good grief—I forgot I booked a massage that day, and it's right in the middle of the retreat! Well, I'm going to leave it the way it is. We'll all survive!

Here's the link. Tuesday, December 24, from 10 AM - 2 PM

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82943785348?pwd=bGWr9eXWYTj9rybqmMB5e5SeJINw5o.1

Meeting ID: 829 4378 5348
Passcode: 870535

And now I'm off to spin class. It's much warmer out today and for the remainder of this week. The meager amount of snow we have will be gone soon. So far, a crazy winter, but then all of them are becoming weird. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

The command center

It's all how you look at it! I never considered getting up and down from my sewing machine as a squat. But it's a SQUAT! I'll take it! Elle mentioned that she works inefficiently in her sewing space, and so do I. We all need to keep moving, or you'll end up like my Mom. She can't move, because she didn't move! I need to move - if I don't, my body is going to seize up, and I'll be in worse shape than I am. 

But I love this little command station that evolved in the sewing room. 

My command center!

I noticed it when I was working yesterday. Yikes! I feel like I'm on a spaceship or something. As I removed the paper from my paper-piecing projects, I sat and watched YouTube videos and learned stuff. Just like my Dad. Oh boy! Now, I have to take that knowledge and apply it; there is no end to the learning I have to do. All this software does so much exciting stuff, but I must learn how to use it wisely! Or should I say efficiently! 

The cutting table is not close to the command center, and the ironing board is even further away. I'm only using the small one for the paper piecing, but I would NEVER consider pressing on that small table for anything but a paper piecing project. It's just too darn small to do a good job. So, in a good sewing session, I can get in many steps, my body feels much happier, and we just need to jig our spaces so they work for us! And efficiency is NOT always a good thing! Plus, twisting to use that small mat, even with a swivel chair, is NOT good for the body! 

There is too much clutter around, and now that my UFO is as done as it will be for today, I need to focus on clearing some of the mess around the machines. I'm done with paper piecing, so that small table has been moved. 

Speaking of paper piecing, when I finished last night with the fabric I used, only this remained. I had no idea how much I would need when I started; I just grabbed a hunk from the shelf and began cutting. As I got down to the wire, I thought I might need a Plan B. However, I didn't need a Plan B, and all is good! I have this weird knack of grabbing fabric and having enough, or I'm able to make due. I would NEVER figure out beforehand for something small like this. And even for a large project? I'd find something else to go with what I chose. I don't waste my precious brain cells on stuff like that. 

The leftover scrap

Yesterday, I unpacked some stuff from my trip to Saskatchewan. This large piece of flannel was the excess backing for the quilt I brought home. Since it's flannel, it went into the storage room with the rest of my flannel bits. When I get back to cleaning up the flannel, it will be used in a quilt. 

Leftover flannel

I contemplated leaving it behind but decided to cram it into the suitcase! 

Have you ever noticed that our weather forecasters do us no favors? They go on and on about how cold it is outside. Bundle up and windchill and snow and ice. It makes you want to stay in the house for fear of freezing to death. Yesterday, when I took the girls for a walk, it was minus 20 with the windchill. Seriously? If you dress for the weather, you are fine! I wish they would emphasize that a bit more. Dress for the weather, and you'll be FINE. The walk with the girls was BEAUTIFUL and I was sweating when I returned! 

I wore my pop-bottle coat, which is toasty and warm. Check out this blog post to see the jacket. I bought it somewhere on my ride through the mountains of Alberta. At the time, I was on my bicycle and attached the coat with bungee cords to my back carrier! I've never regretted that purchase. And does anyone remember these mittens? They are old, but I still have a PAIR, and they are warm! 

My Olympic mittens

Typically, a knit toque, hat, or mittens are NOT warm. The wind blows right through them; they are not my favorite. However, these mittens are lined with FLEECE, making them much warmer than unlined knit mittens. They were made that way! I didn't realize until recently! 

Fleece lined mittens

So, if you are a knitter and make hand-knit things to be worn outside, consider lining the toques and mittens with fleece. Otherwise? Well, your hands will be cold for sure. On frigid days, I also wear my cheap dollar-store gloves inside these mittens when walking the dogs. With a leash, I can't put my hands in my pockets, so the extra layer keeps my hands warm. I'll have arthritis (or inklings) in my hands, so I MUST keep them warm. 

Although you can't see it well, a bird was at my suet feeder. However, I need to set up the new big bird feeder, which is now on the kitchen counter. I'll do that this week. The ground is probably not frozen solid, so I could also set up the new pole. 

A bird at the suet feeder

And here's my new mug rug (thanks, Ronda). It's the perfect size for my tea and cookies! 

New festive mug rug

This bizarre candle burns nicely on one side but not so well on the other. 

A bizarre candle!

I might have to drag the big dog bed from the living room back to the family room. Lexi and Murphy like this spot to sleep, and Lexi spends more time on this bed and less on the sofa! 

Mom - we LOVE this bed!

Back to another storage magazine. OH MY -- can you tell this is an older magazine? Remember those big monitors? They were huge!!!! This small area for the computer would drive me mad! 

A big monitor

This photo is from 2007. Now, the monitors are so thin that they are almost invisible from the side! Again, there are some great storage ideas, but they are too pretty for my liking. I don't think the solutions are always practical! 

An old magazine

Last night, we went out for dinner as we hadn't had a chance the night before. We had barely sat down when the waitress whisked our drinks to the table. Since we order the SAME beverages every week, they know what we want! But this was probably the fastest service ever!!!! That is a non-alcoholic drink, by the way. Yes - it has sugar in it, but it's a treat, and I have it once a week. So many empty calories in any drink - juice, booze, pop! 

My drink! 

When we got home, we attempted to solve the next EXIT Game Advent Calendar puzzle. It was after 7 p.m., and my brain was gone by then. I left the puzzle, and I'll mull it over at lunchtime. I got the concept, but now I must figure out how to get three numbers from the clues! 

It's the final day of Zoom classes for this year. And since it's UFO Club, it's easy. Everything is set to go! 

Speaking of Zoom, I've decided to host a Virtual Retreat on Christmas Eve from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It's free to attend, and if you have nothing else to do that day, this will be a perfect chance to stop in and say hi or get yourself organized to sew. 

Here's the link to that Virtual Retreat. December 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82943785348?pwd=bGWr9eXWYTj9rybqmMB5e5SeJINw5o.1

Meeting ID: 829 4378 5348
Passcode: 870535

The monthly Virtual Retreat will be on Saturday (December 28) and Sunday (December 29). I'll post the links to those later this week. 

So what will I do later today? Sewing or computer? I should do both! 

On that happy note, I'm off to find warm clothes to enjoy my morning walk with the girls. It's even colder than yesterday. There is nothing like a brisk walk in the fresh air to get you going. It increases your heart rate, clears your head, and circulates your blood—and it's good for you!!!

I need the steps anyway, as I'm getting close to the end of my virtual three-year trek from Cairo, Egypt, to Cape Town, South Africa. It's very close—too close to miss! More on that tomorrow. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

The naughty and nice list

Excellent news this morning! Yesterday was the winter solstice, meaning the sun rises a little earlier each day! I also have to be thankful that I live south of where my parents live, so the sun rises earlier than in Saskatchewan!

While I had "stuff" to do yesterday, I took the day off and sewed all day! I'm working on my UFO, which is due tomorrow, but despite having a specific goal, I'm doing something else—the same project but another part. You'll see it after I show it to the group tomorrow. All I can say is that I'm happy, and that's all that counts. 

But as I work on this project, it begs the question, "Why was it abandoned?" And why with bits half completed. There was no issue to resolve, no missing fabric. Everything was easy to pick up, but I just left it. 

The half-finished UFO

From working on other UFOs, I know this is not unique. It boggles my mind to find so many abandoned projects. Thankfully, the UFO club will continue in 2025 and probably for many years beyond that. I'll be making a new list for 2025, even though I still have loads on the lists from previous years. I'm holding myself accountable, and it's nice to see progress. 

I will show you one thing about this project: paper-pieced ornaments in the shape of mittens. And yes, they are adorable! But some pieces are very bulky, especially this one, where I had to join two sections. Bulky for sure, and hard to press? Not a chance. 

Look at how flat that seam is. 

A VERY flat seam

And here's the back so you can appreciate the bulk. 

The bulky seam

How do I achieve that? I stand up for one when I'm pressing. I can put my entire weight into the process. It sounds silly, but it's true! You just get way more leverage standing than sitting. That goes for rotary cutting, as well as pressing. Besides, it's essential to change your position from time to time. It helps to ease the aches and pains. I pressed to the side with fewer seams, which helped a lot. Once I had manipulated that seam flat with my fingers, I applied steam to it—not lots, but enough to flatten it. I did NOT use anything else—no clapper, no hand tool, nothing but my finger and iron with steam. 

You can do that as well! I'll give a "live" demo (on Zoom) of pressing in the new year and will let you know when it happens. 

Speaking of which, the SECOND binding class has been posted on The Hobby Horse website, so get yourself over there and sign up! 

My cutting table is in a bit of disarray at the moment, and there is barely any room to cut. But I'm trying to focus on this UFO, and once I'm over that, I'll clear the stuff on the table. I have plenty of room to work and use my small table and cutting mat beside the sewing machine. But I GET UP - I have to. I'm keeping my posture super straight, well, straighter than before, and keeping my leg loosened up! 

The disarray on the cutting table

I unpacked a little bit more of the stuff from the retreat. Oh gosh, I opened the bag with the Oh Canada fabric, and I barely remember what my plans were. So, I need to take care of that this week as well. 

But here's my crocheted dishcloth! Thanks, Diana! I love these, but I've never had a crocheted one before. 

Crocheted dishcloth

I'm still playing around with my Dear Jen blocks and tried a diagonal setting. 

The diagonal setting for Dear Jen

That will not work, as some blocks are directional, which would drive me mad. 

So, it's back to the straight set. 

Straight set for Dear Jen

I like this much better. I need to stop fussing with it and just get to work. The blocks on the right-hand side are rejects, so I'll remake them. I'm not happy with a couple of the backgrounds, so two fabrics and possibly more will be returned to the basket of black and white fabrics. I need high contrast, but some are just too muddy! 

But the overall look is OK. I will switch that setting up a bit and have two blocks of dark and then two blocks of light. I did that this morning, and it looks much better. 

Let's say the girls were in fine form yesterday. MOM, there's snow outside, and we love snow. 

Murphy just went out and plopped herself down. 

MOM - I love the snow on my bare tummy!

Lexi has this awkward pose but was happy to be out. 

MOM - I LOVE the snow - I'm a Husky!

And the two ripped around the backyard, chasing each other like puppies. 

MOM - can you see us? Can you HEAR us? 

But boy, is Murphy clingy! She NEEDS to be close, but only when I'm at the table. She doesn't bother me downstairs or when I'm in the office. But at the table? She's my best friend, not begging for food (I wasn't eating), just for attention and petting! 

MOMO - I LOVE YOU!

Lexi is happy that Murphy ripped up that dog bed. She hated it and wouldn't lie in it. I wonder if she remembered Sammy, and it made her sad. So I moved the pile of blankets from the living room to the family room, and LOOK!!!!

MOM - thank god these are back. I had no choice but to sleep on the sofa! 

I came home from my walk to find a naughty girl in our house. Of course, she had to find the mud in the backyard. I don't even know why we bother to clean! I told Murphy we would sell our house and live in a yurt, and she was thrilled! 

MOM - I was chasing rabbits! 

I was reading through a storage magazine again. I'm trying to get rid of all this stuff, and while I don't have to read the magazines or even browse them, it's fun. I bought them, so I might enjoy them if possible. 

But seriously, some of the solutions are not practical. They're all about prettiness, not usefulness. Who would have a cabinet like this with only a few towels in it? And who (OK—sorry to those OCD people) would stack them with that line lined up? Wait—who would fold them so that happened? 

A pretty but impractical way to store towels

I don't even have matching towels! Granted, these storage magazines are all about storage, but they don't mention getting rid of stuff. They just show you places to shove the clutter out of sight, which doesn't help. What's the point of storing things that you'll never use? I laugh when everyone says they need more storage. What they really need is less stuff! 

Anyway, I'm going to play hooky from the world again today, and I'm going to work on my UFO. I want that thing done, and there's no reason why I can't get close. Let's see what the day brings!

I see I brought the colder weather with me. While it's warming up in Saskatchewan, it's getting colder here. Oops! But it's only for the weekend; it'll be fine next week! 

Remember, as you are madly trying to think of a gift for someone, why not ask them what they want? Lunch with a friend (you), help in their house to declutter, maybe a tank of gas, or a bag of groceries? No one needs another candle or box of chocolates. Give a gift that is going to make a difference!!! 

On that happy note, I'm out of here!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!


PS - in case anyone thinks I'm losing my marbles for almost missing that plane, this is NOT the first time I messed up the departure time. It happened about 10 years ago, and I got a notification that the gate had changed, and I was in the house sewing! Another time to be thankful for carry-on luggage and living close to the airport. It's not a memory thing - I just get in my head the wrong time!