Check your subscriptions!

Thanks for the suggestions on computers—I'll look into them because I'd love to get the old computer off the second desk! It takes up a lot of room! 

There was a lot of trepidation in the house as I unboxed the second HP printer. This time, I took pictures as I unboxed it. There's that heavy paper strap around the shrink-wrapped printer. And it worked like a charm. No need to bend deep to pull the printer out of the box. I was very impressed. 

Pull on the heavy cardboard strip to remove the printer

Then I started the set-up process, which meant I had to run between the kitchen (printer's current location) and the office (computer location) to make that happen. As it passed each step with a green checkmark, I was getting excited, but would it pass the "insert ink cartridges" test? 

Setting up the new printer

And within about ten minutes, this is what appeared on the screen. YEAH!!!! It worked!!! I may seem like a bumbling idiot when it comes to technology, but I know how to set up a printer! I mean - how hard can it be? And most companies these days have it so automated that it's almost idiot proof. Not quite, but almost! 

YES -- we are in business! 

And then I did a very brave thing. I printed the alignment page. OK, so that part wasn't very brave. I just printed it. But the next thing I printed was the reason I bought the printer. OK -- it wasn't the only reason - the old printer was becoming very costly for ink (more on that in a second), and I needed to print a photograph on fabric. I couldn't scan on the old printer from the new computer, so it really was time to retire the thing, and me drying up the print heads and the cartridges was the straw that broke the camel's back! 

Instead of printing a test page for the photo, I shoved the fabric sheet into the paper tray and pressed OK. And then we waited. Oh shoot - I need to press PRINT as well, and then it started to print. OH MY -- I can't share the photo with you yet, but the quality of the print? STUNNING!!!!! 

 

Waiting for the photo to print

Now here's the thing with printers. Our old printer was an OfficeJet with four ink cartridges. We had signed up for the InstaInk program, which monitors our ink usage and sends us new cartridges when we need them. It worked for us. I didn't realize that we were paying almost $20 a month for that. DH set it up when we got the old printer, and we used to print more then, but we don't print nearly as much now. 

I set up a new plan that costs less than $10 a month. And this printer uses only two cartridges (the colors are combined in a single cartridge). This printer is also a photo printer, so I'm not sure how that works differently. Anyway, we have a new printer; it works like a charm. I did NOT test the scanning, but I'm sure it's fine. It prints amazing color photographs on fabric, and the ink is cheaper. The new plan is also to print fewer sheets, which also accounts for the cheaper ink cost. 

It should be obvious, yet it isn't. But you MUST check the details of any and all subscriptions you have, because we were overpaying on the ink by double! And if we need to change the subscription level, it's easy to do online! 

After the two very successful presentations in the morning and YES - I got everything done in time, I decided to do a bit of tidy-up work. This is my basket of fabric for Color My World by Wendy Williams. It's a beautiful quilt, and I decided to put away the fabrics that I no longer need. I kept out the backing, the background, and two potential candidates for the binding. 

Sorting out the fabrics for Color My World

So, do you want to see the quilt? 

My almost complete Color My World

I still need to add the outer border, which will be the background. But it's mostly done, and that outer circle fits the inner black circle like a glove! OK -- I had to ease a tiny bit here and there, but it fit amazingly well. I am thrilled to death with it!!! I made two blocks - the grain elevator and the CN Tower, both on the left. 

But what stunned me was the level of creativity that the participants put into their quilts. They left me speechless with the workmanship, the creativity, and the willingness to take a leap of faith and try something most had never done before - design their own blocks. And it was a very odd-shaped block to boot! I am very proud of that group - they've all done a spectacular job. I will be sharing the show-and-tell after the June meeting on the 27th of June, so you have to wait until then, but the wait will be well worth it! 

There is one thing that drives me CRAZY!!! I encouraged this group of participants, as well as anyone in my classes, to step outside their comfort zones and try something new. Many people designed their own CN Tower, and each is unique. Last night during the virtual retreat, we were chatting with someone who made this quilt several years ago. She also designed a CN Tower block. When she showed her quilt to a "friend," they said, "Your CN Tower has a flat bottom," or something to that effect. 

WHY? Can you tell me why people think they have the RIGHT to make nasty comments like that? If you are thinking something negative -- just keep it to yourself. There is NO RIGHT or WRONG --- we design to our abilities and skill levels, and we all perceive things differently. 

NO ONE has the RIGHT to criticize my quilts or anyone else's. If you don't like it -- keep quiet! In case you don't know, you are making yourself look like a crotchety old lady from my mother's era, and guess what? It's not attractive!!! 

You know who you are—so next time? Just say -- wow -- you did a great job and leave it like that. You do NOT get a medal at the Pearly Gates for being overly critical! There are ways to provide feedback if you feel it's necessary. 

Harsh -- I totally get that, but so many quilters have fragile egos, and for them to create a quilt block and then be criticized for it? They will likely never try it again! 

Sorry to harp on this, but negativity seems to stick in our heads way more than positivity does. I don't know why. But imagine speaking to your children and grandchildren with that constant negativity. How will they learn to keep their heads up, be proud of what they have accomplished (even if they made massive mistakes), and build their confidence? You don't agree with what they designed? So be it—have a good laugh with the person, ask if they need help or support, and then move on! 

I could go on and on about this. Are you a fixer or an interrogator? And so many other things. I'm not perfect by a long shot - I am quick to respond, have anger management issues at times, and am slowly learning to back off and to apologize if I screw up. Be humble!!! Read The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. It's an eye-opener about our behavior toward others. 

KU and I headed off to Fabricland in the afternoon to pick up some supplies. I have three small things to make/alter for the wedding, and I need to get moving! But I needed a couple of things. Now that I have the stuff, I'll start working. 

Once we got back and set up the printer, I really didn't feel like sewing. I was going to go for a walk, but it poured all day, so I sat down with the jigsaw puzzle and started working on it. 

It was a challenge right to the end. I had this hole in the puzzle and these remaining pieces. The issue was that some holes were filled with TWO pieces, making it challenging to find the right spot. 

The final challenge

And there it is --- done!!! That was probably the most challenging puzzle I've done recently. My puzzle artist friend (Cynthia Frenette) says she has received feedback that her puzzles are challenging, which is good, since I have a few! I paid $6.99 at the thrift store and likely got a discount. A very good value for the money, and it helps offset the cost of the new ones. No pieces missing. 

The puzzle is together

The next puzzle is pulled from the closet and follows the theme (Canadian Jigsaw Puzzle Association) for the June puzzle-along. I won't open it until I'm back from the quilting retreat. But yes -- I snuck a 500-piece puzzle into my retreat bag! OH - the theme is Colors, Gradients, Rainbows!

My stuff for the retreat is sitting in the garage because the cleaning service came this past week, and I needed to get it out of the living room. It will take little time to wing it in the car. I have ONE last-minute packing bag downstairs, and as the day goes on, I'll wing stuff into it that I think I might want to work on! It's ONE bag, and I can always leave it in the car! 

My panic-packed bag for the retreat

Speaking of wedding things, as we chatted on the Virtual Retreat last night, I pressed the lace I had removed from the pinafore and removed all the loose threads. It's rolled up and ready to go. 

The trim is ready for the bouquet.

I didn't get much done during the Virtual Retreat. But I managed to get the pieces cut for another scrappy backing for the next community project quilt. You can't really tell, but the mottled fabric is made up of many vertical strips. I'll sew them together today and then add that to the snowflake fabric. And there will be another scrappy backing. I don't waste anything, and when I set out fabrics for the backing, I'm generous. I've had to put half the stuff I pulled away because of my ingenious piecing; I didn't need nearly as much as I originally thought. My goal is to use up all the blue flannel for the backing of these quilts. 

The backing is ready to piece

And I can't tell you how excited that backing makes me. I love solving puzzles, and figuring out how to use scraps to make something is just that - a puzzle. This exercise helps build many skill sets. It may take time and not be easy, but it's worth it to me! I don't make notes, and measure - I go by eye and gut feel. My gut feel is getting a good workout, and it's highly tuned because of all the experience I've gone through! 

Before closing up last night (we finished the Virtual Retreat at 9 PM), I managed to trim this group of HSTs. Yeah!!!!!

Another group of HSTs trimmed.

That leaves this pile that I just stitched this past week. So I'm pretty current, and I should be able to get those done later today? 

The last pile of HSTs to trim

I got the two UFO presentations ready this morning - I am so darn productive in the morning, and while going through emails for something, I spotted this picture. Oh my—these are signature quilt blocks from an exchange I participated in years ago. This is not my quilt, but I have my set of blocks!!! 

A signature quilt from years ago

There are tons of exchanges going on these days, and I really don't care about them. I think they are wonderful things to participate in, but I remember one year that I spent most of my time working strictly on these exchanges. I was probably working on at least two Block of the Months, then many blocks or fabric swaps, and that was all I did that year. I've done so many different styles of exchanges and group quilts that I'm done! I now want to finish my UFOs. 

They were fun to participate in,  but so many of the exchanges sit as UFOs today. 

And what day goes by that Murphy doesn't do something silly? She seems pretty agitated these days - well, that's not a good word, but she is just constantly moving. Well, that's not true -- I'm not sure how to pinpoint it, but she seems different. It might be my imagination. The girls had a few days of freedom to come in and out as they pleased, but with the plummeting temperatures, the doors and windows are tightly shut. I'm tempted to turn the furnace back on, but instead piled on two sweatshirts! 

Anyway, as mentioned, it was pouring rain yesterday, and she saw fit to go outside and just stand on the deck! 

MOM - it's raining!

I need to alter this bowtie for the wedding, and it has Bear's scent on it. Murphy almost ate the bowtie in her eagerness to sniff it!!

MOM - where's Bear? 

I managed to go through all the emails from people giving their thoughts on what quilt to pick for the fall sew-along. OH -- could I be tempted to do more than one? ACK!!!! Be strong!!!! I'll take the list with me to the retreat and try to figure out what's going to happen for the fall. 

I'll be sure to share with you. 

Have a wonderful day. Stay warm and dry!!!

Ciao!!!

Here's the link for the Virtual Retreat today. We start at 3 PM. It's a perfect type of day to stay inside and sew! Come join us!

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89869001291?pwd=h57kT9axwTnd2xtJvuO0z2UOmUo45w.1

Meeting ID: 898 6900 1291
Passcode: 136711

Why jigsaw puzzles are good for you!

 OH MY GOODNESS --- Someone mentioned in the comments that Southern California is already in fire season. Our thoughts are with you, and we hope there are no serious fires. We are so at the mercy of the weather in all we do and how we live our lives. 

I could go down that slippery slope of climate change, but I won't. All I have to do is think back on my short life to see that the weather is NOT the same as it was when I was a kid! 

Well, what a day it was yesterday. It was a bit better than the previous day, although this morning started out badly. I was trying to get those two presentations together, and when I went to load pictures in one, most of the changes I had made yesterday were not there! Seriously? We have AutoSave for a reason! Anyway --- the first presentation is complete, the second is almost done, and I have a few minutes later this morning to finish it. The bottom line -- it's done enough! 

You never know what wildlife you will see on the walks, and yesterday? It was a stinky one!

MOM - I see trouble!!!!

Of course, once she saw it and focused in, she went wild! Thankfully, it didn't want to be near us either and took off under the fence. It appears that anything moving is her downfall. If she sees the rabbits or the skunks and they are stationary, then Murphy is too. But the moment they take off, she wants to follow. I guess that is why you are told NOT to run if you encounter a wild animal. Most will not pursue if you don't run. But our instinct is to run like mad, which is pointless. 

When I passed by that same spot with Lexi, someone had upset the skunk, and you could smell it! 

Here's a more sobering thought about wildlife. TICKS!!! I had to get Murphy's medication, and these vials were sitting on the counter at the vet's office. They are ticks of various varieties that have been removed from pets. These are nasty little beasts, and those little ones in the front jar are so tiny, you can't even feel them when they are on your body. Sorry for that. I will be very sad the day that those ticks invade my forest in a big way. So far, we are good. 

Ticks!

But I'm not so sure I'm happy with this new vet. They are sure not like our previous vet clinic, which was owned and operated by the vet. Some corporation owns this vet clinic. Our records were moved in August, and at that time, Murphy needed a renewal of her medication, which cost an arm and a leg to have bloodwork and heart tests done. There was no need because she had been on the medication for years, and without it? She has a weak bladder! 

But I have asked about Lexi numerous times, and they keep saying, " It will come up. Well, it's getting on 9 months and still NOTHING!! I asked again yesterday. OH - the notes are handwritten, and she promised to write them up, so the appointments could be scheduled. Good grief!!!! You think they would be chomping at the bit to charge me another arm and a leg for Lexi!!!

But this is indicative of any company, not just the vet. When the small guys go out of business because of many reasons (our vet retired after 50 years!), the service (or lack thereof) from the big guys is terrible. 

WAIT -- I shouldn't say terrible, but it's not personalized at all. That's the same for service companies, stores, and anything else. That is why it's important to support those quilt shops and other small shops. They get to know your name, are more receptive to questions, and don't just treat you like a number! 

Poor Lexi - she needs her flea and tick medication as well, and hopefully, we'll get it soon. I could give the girls the same medication, but Murphy's is for a larger dog. WAIT -- while they look the same size, Lexi weighs about half what Murphy does. Maybe not half, but she is significantly lighter than Murphy. 

The other day, when Murphy and I were out walking, and she was fixated on something and walking with her head turned back, she banged into my leg and almost wiped me out! She's SOLID and HEAVY!

Murphy is just fascinated (AKA as HATES) anything on two wheels. When she hears motorcycles revving down the street, she stops to look for them, and then she is fixated on the darn thing. I'm sure if she were off-leash, she'd be off in no time to save the world from two-wheeled modes of transport. The worst are those e-scooters. We haven't had any pass us yet this year. Thank goodness. 

She's OK with the little while electric car that goes up the path almost every day! It has four wheels! 

I managed to get a lot of sewing done, and I'll tell you all about it tomorrow, including what happens when you procrastinate about something you don't want to do. It all turned out amazing. 

The other thing about Miss Murphy is that she is very inquisitive, aka nosey. She has to KNOW everything that is happening. So when I had to get down on my hands and knees and clean the pond filter and the pump, she was right in there. 

MOM -- what's going on? Can I help? I can help!

And it took a lot of name-calling (in a good way) to get her to look up! She has zero attention to me! 

MOM - I can hear you, but I was busy!!!

And then she went and lay down like this. How can that be comfortable? 

MOM - I'm just fine! 

I keep talking about the office, so I thought I'd let you see what I'm up against. This is a pile of boxes that are either waiting to be sorted, or to be picked up at some point, or whatever. I must get myself in gear and finish the sorting. 

One area of the office that's in disarray

There is still a stack of paper on the floor beside the desk. One day, there will be room for the paper to sit on the desk! I have the old computer that I no longer need. I have kept it because I couldn't get my new computer to recognize the old printer as a scanner. I could print on it, but no scanning. Seriously? So I kept the old computer to make that happen. Now that I have a new printer, hopefully I won't need the old computer. It still works, but can't be upgraded to Windows 11. Hmmm --- what to do? My love/hate relationship with technology continues!

A stack of paper to deal with

And the desk, once again, looks like a nightmare. I really have to figure that one out! 

And the desk is a nightmare again!

OK -- I have a very addictive behavior which I'm sure you all know by now. And when I go down a rabbit hole, I'm like Alice - let's go the whole way. I've been investigating the Canadian Jigsaw Puzzle Association on their website and signed up on Facebook. It turns out that they have theme puzzles each month. They release the theme, and then you make a puzzle in that theme and post it on Facebook. HEY -- quilters do that kind of stuff all the time. There are guidelines, and while I could have posted something for May, I didn't have all the pictures they wanted. So I'll wait until June, with the theme of Rainbows, colors, and gradients. I might even use my butterfly puzzle—it's filled with color! 

Then I looked at some of the puzzles they did for previous online timed puzzles. And well, three puzzles followed me home. Actually, I bought them from Puzzles Canada (did you know they offer free shipping on orders of $69 or more?). And they were delivered within 24 hours of me ordering? 

Three new 500-piece puzzles

In a heartbeat, I would rather order from them than from any big-box online store. They support the local community and sponsor some of the area's competitions. They are super friendly when you go in, and they are local, Canadian, and small! Yet, the store contains over 10,000 different puzzles from 93 brands. Yep -- they have my dollar!!!! OH - and if you want a puzzle that is sold out, they'll email you when it comes back in stock!! Well worth supporting this store! Or whatever puzzle store in your neighborhood! There are loads—check them out! 

I told DH I have a new hobby, and I look forward to switching up what I do in the evening. I want to enjoy sewing, but I don't want to do it all day and into the evening. So it's nice to switch it up. 

Anyway, the plan with those three (500-piece) puzzles is to do a timed practice in the privacy of my house - just for curiosity's sake! I might suck with the pressure!

Even though I still had work to do on the presentations, I spent an hour last night working on the puzzle. I am still missing border pieces, although I managed to find a couple last night. But this puzzle is a tough one!!!! But I'm almost there. I should be able to finish by Sunday evening. 

The current status

Here are a couple of reasons why I love jigsaw puzzles. I actually love all kinds of puzzles - I have since I was a kid - logic, crossword, sudoku, but interestingly enough, I don't do those daily puzzles like Wordle. I'm not into having the pressure of having to do something daily. I hate that, and it takes all the fun out of it! I know -- I don't have to do it daily, but it's a daily thing, and you get addicted. I get addicted at the drop of a hat!

1. Low-tech. Heck—there is NO technology whatsoever involved. That's reason enough to love making puzzles.
2. Doesn't take a lot of room to enjoy puzzles
3. Relatively low cost
4. Hours of entertainment for the cost
5. Easy to swap/donate
6. No reason to keep them
7. No UFOs
8. Huge variety of subject matter
9. Variety in brands - how the pieces are cut, etc. 
10. Low tech. I mean NO technology. I know I already mentioned that, but it's so important, it's worth mentioning twice!!!!
11. No UNDOING!!!! 
12. Hard to make mistakes!
13. Easy to leave and come back when you have time
14. Great at color matching and pattern matching
15. Great mental activity (Google that! - we should all be doing puzzles)
16. No tools or supplies needed
17. Easy to get rid of if you have to move
18. Easy to store (unless you get obsessive)
19. Fun
20. Can be a shared activity!
21. Easy to sit down for an hour or just five minutes!

I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture. It is so different from sewing, and I'm glad I now have time to make that happen. And there is no reason to buy any more puzzles for a while. Until........

OK -- remember there is a virtual retreat tonight. Here are the links: 

Saturday, May 23 - starts at 6 PM. 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89610782501?pwd=7dCrhiL5t8Xa4TVwZPvhL6cOymbcjK.1

Meeting ID: 896 1078 2501
Passcode: 148311

Sunday, May 24 - starts at 3 PM.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89869001291?pwd=h57kT9axwTnd2xtJvuO0z2UOmUo45w.1

Meeting ID: 898 6900 1291
Passcode: 136711

And on that note, I'd better get the dogs out for their walk, because I have 20 minutes of preparation left and I'll have just enough time to make that happen. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

One of those days!

Have you ever had one of those days? You have things planned, and all the tools and supplies are in place, and then BAM - something goes wrong, and the rest of the day aligns with that? That was yesterday!

The first item on the agenda was to set up the new printer so I could print the pattern I needed to make the blocks for the class on Saturday. How hard can that be? It's a printer. Right? Wrong! 

I unboxed the printer, which I thought was very cleverly packaged. The printer was on its side in the box, and a strap around the shrink-wrapped box made it super easy to remove. 

A strap around the printer to make it easy to remove

Then, when it came time to remove all the tape, one end had been turned under, so it was easy to remove. 

One end of the tape is folded under

And then it went downhill from there! I plugged it in, and I'm not sure what happened, but it seemed to want to do the setup on its own and connected itself to the WiFi without a password. I don't know what that was all about. BUT the big issue was the ink cartridges. 

We used to joke that buying a new printer was worth it because of the included ink. Well, no more. There are TRIAL ink cartridges in the printer; they are good for printing some test pages, but not enough to print anything substantial. Well, it's probably not quite that drastic, but they are not full ink cartridges. 

I took off the plastic film and inserted the cartridges. Technically, that was easy because there was a short video on the printer's screen showing me where and how to do it, since the inner mechanism was new to me. 

However, I then got an error message saying the printer didn't like those cartridges. It would NOT recognize them. So I did some troubleshooting. I cleaned the head; well, I tested that the ink was flowing. Then I took them out and reinserted them - multiple times. I turned the printer off and then back on. NOTHING. Still got an error message. 

What to do? I called HP Support and ended up on the phone for 90 minutes, where we tried a few more things, but NOTHING. That was interesting, and I've done this before for something, but they connect to your cell phone camera, so they can watch what you are doing! I guess that's easier and more trustworthy than relying on the consumer to correctly relay all the information. 

Bottom line: the brand-new printer is defective and needs to be returned. Now here's a funny thing - I've been known to buy something new (like my computer) and let it sit for months before I actually crack open the box. I opened the printer box within two days of purchasing it, and I had 30 days' grace to return it, no-questions-asked. 

Before I could get back to Best Buy, someone stopped by the house. And we chatted for a couple of hours! I didn't mind the distraction because the conversation was great! But the clock was ticking, and I still had homework to prep. 

Once they left, I hopped in the car and went to Best Buy to exchange the printer, which was easy and relatively fast. 

I wasn't going to trust this printer, so I had put the file I needed on a USB and stopped at Staples on my way home. Printing the document to their printers wasn't good enough because I needed these patterns to be a specific size—I had taken a ruler to double-check, and nope—they printed to FIT, not actual size. So I had to wait and get a staff member to print them. She didn't charge me for the printing, and I was off. 

It was only when I got home that I realized I left the darn USB at the store. So I have to go back today and pick it up! GRRRRRRRR 

However, I got home, got to work, and made pretty decent progress on the homework. The one presentation is up to date with all the pictures I currently have, but I still have more work to do. I've done a presentation with less prep work, so it'll be OK, but I'd prefer to get it all done. Let's see what today brings! 

When Miss Murphy and I were out for our walk, this big hawk swooped in front of us and landed in a tree. While I tried to get a picture of his front, Murphy was barking at a motorcycle, and the hawk moved. So I got his back, not his front. 

A big hawk in the tree

There are tons of them in our neighborhood, and they are looking for prey on the ground. Good thing Mr. Bear isn't around. He's just the right size. It's funny because until that hawk swooped around us (Bear and me), that one day, it never occurred to me that danger was in the sky. I was always worried about coyotes. Well, I guess I don't have to worry about my girls because they are too big to be carried off. 

When I turned around to look at Murphy once I got my picture, she was standing like this! The better to see the neighborhood! 

MOM - the view is better up here!

I worked on the homework for the rest of the afternoon, stopping to make dinner! Yes --- me - making dinner! But I said I would, and that's OK. 

I did a bit more homework, and at 7 PM, I felt I had done enough for the day, so I took an hour to work on the puzzle. Oh boy -- this one is crazy. I've never had a puzzle that got put together like this. I'm all over the place, and while it's pretty solid, the border is still not intact. I think everything is now connected to something else. 

Progress on the puzzle

The border pieces are different shapes and don't even look like border pieces. I think there are six or seven border pieces still missing. 

Missing border pieces

 

I did a wee bit more research early in the morning on the puzzle association, and it seems quite active in Canada, which is nice. I might just participate in some of the events. Well, it's not an event - they have themes for each month, and you pick a puzzle in that theme and post it online. That is cool because you get to see what others are working on. That is something I can do!!

And YES—there is a Virtual Retreat this weekend. Here are the links. 

Saturday, May 23, Starting at 6 PM

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89610782501?pwd=7dCrhiL5t8Xa4TVwZPvhL6cOymbcjK.1

Meeting ID: 896 1078 2501
Passcode: 148311

Sunday, May 24, Starting at 3 PM

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89869001291?pwd=h57kT9axwTnd2xtJvuO0z2UOmUo45w.1

Meeting ID: 898 6900 1291
Passcode: 136711

Let's hope today is a bit less dramatic and that I don't forget to pick up the USB stick!

And it's Friday, and that means I don't have to cook tonight! Yeah!!!! Going out on Friday is going to hold a lot more meaning than when I didn't cook!

By the way -- I have found the serial number for the stove, but just haven't had a chance to call yet. It's on the to-do list!

OH -- one more thing. I'm almost caught up with all the books in my current reading shelf in Libby. I have two audiobooks and one ebook. Phew!!!! But there are many books on suspend hold at the moment. I'll release those one at a time! The audiobook I'm reading is excellent and was recommended by M. She had the hard copy with her when we were in Italy. Hmmm—I would never take a big hardcover on vacation, but she likes to travel light!

Anyway, the book is called The Sicilian Inheritance and takes place in Sicily. It's fun to hear about the places we visited, BUT more importantly, it goes back and forth in time, and it's interesting to hear about some of the culture. It's not historical, but I bet that some of what is said actually took place. An interesting place! The book is a murder/mystery and very good.

OH -- speaking of books and puzzles, if you live in or near Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, you have to check out this store! It's called Cowtown Kids Toys and Candy, but they also sell many jigsaw puzzles. I'm tempted to visit the next time I head out, but it's a FOUR-hour drive from my parents. Yikes!!!! But you never know -- life is all about adventuring, and why not?

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

It's all about the puzzles!!!!

 OH—rushed for time this morning—I'll read the comments later, but I see comments about the wedding, which is quickly approaching! 

Well, Brooke has a conflict this morning, so I read the comments. I LOVE the idea of the movie wedding! How cool is that! And since I'm not off to the gym this morning, I managed to get quite a bit of work done on the presentation for Saturday. 

I think I have walked into a giant rabbit hole. Funny how that happens with anything I do! So, you all know I love doing jigsaw puzzles. I always have, but never took much time throughout the year to work on them because of sewing deadlines. Well, now I have time to work on them a bit more, and I try to keep it to the evenings since I still have sewing stuff to do. 

I hope this link will still work for you (I think it was a reel, so it may be gone), but someone sent me this link about my favorite jigsaw puzzle store in Georgetown - Puzzles Canada. Turns out there are puzzle competitions in Canada, including one sponsored by Puzzles Canada. It happens to be next weekend, but I won't be around. I don't even know if they are open for spectators. That led to finding the Canadian Jigsaw Puzzle Association on Facebook, which I became a member of. 

Update: I sent an email asking if spectators can attend, and I got a response almost immediately. YES --- spectators are encouraged, and of course, Puzzles Canada will be there, and of course, they will have puzzles for sale! I can go to the Sunday afternoon events on my way home. Hmmmm --- I think I might put that on my agenda - what do I have to lose? It will be loads of fun and informative! It's noted on my agenda! 

Let's just say that I'm getting a ton of Facebook posts about puzzles! Oh my!!! A new (to me) company that has some amazing puzzles is Villager.  Oh my --- I spotted one for Salt Spring Island. As so it goes!!!! Here is the link to their new puzzles. This is a Canadian company, and all the artists are women! 

I do not need to buy any new or used puzzles at the moment, but oh my --- the possibilities are endless. I guess I know what I'll be doing to take a break from sewing, as I can't see myself sewing all day, every day. Making a puzzle doesn't take up much room  - a 2-foot by 3-foot space is more than enough, and put the pieces on some make-shift boards made with felt and foam core, and you are set! 

And I spotted a virtual event that was based in Canada! It happened on May 9th. Who knew that all this stuff was happening? I've been so focused on quilting!!!! WAIT --- I also see there is another virtual event coming up. Hmmm! I might buy the puzzle they just worked on and do a practice run to see if I can actually work under pressure. And do I want to work under that kind of pressure? It would be fun to try once. 

Speaking of puzzles, here is the status of the one I'm working on. I have certainly gotten my money's worth from this one. This was after about two hours last night.  

Progress is being made on my existing puzzle

The holes are filling in, but the border is still not connected in some spots. I should be able to finish it by the time I leave for the retreat. OK -- that's doable! 

I spotted this photo on Facebook, and well, we need one of these in our neighborhood. What a great idea! 

Jigsaw Puzzle exchange library

Before I go, here's an interesting thought about puzzles versus quilting. You get loads of entertainment, it's probably no more expensive than quilting - actually, probably cheaper since it doesn't require any special tools. And once you are done, you can swap the puzzle or give it away. You don't have to worry about any UFOs. Hmmmmmmm 

OK - enough about the puzzles, let's get on with sewing. I think I mentioned that I finished all the applique for Color My World, but since the sewing machine was set up for applique - such a tough job to set it up - NOT!!! I continued with applique and completed all the stitching on this wall hanging. 

The hexagons are all stitched down

The fabric hexagons and one cardboard template were cut on a digital cutter (Momento) in mere minutes. I love that I can take an entire fat quarter and cut it with the Momento! The hexagons have been fused to the background for a couple of months. The edges are turned under, so I needed to do machine invisible applique as I did for the house blocks. 

That is done, and I still have more invisible appliqué to do later today, but first I have some piecing to do. No—wait—I think I have to do the appliqué before I do the piecing. Anyway, I have no choice now but to work on the homework - I've delayed it as much as I can. I got some of the presentation work done for the weekend, but I'm a wee bit behind. 

I got one more customer quilt done. 

Customer quilt - DONE

I have to call it quits on the long arm for the time being, until I finish preparing for the weekend classes. Although the machine works on its own, it's still very time-consuming and requires focus. So I don't get a ton of work done. Today is the day for focus!!!

I scanned one picture from Katimavik and sent it as a sample to Radar's brother. The old printer still works very well as a scanner, and I hope to use it to print something today, as I don't have time to set up the new one. Here's the new one - a white printer! 

Update --- No go on printing with the old printer. After leaving the cartridges out, they have dried up. So I have opened the box on the new one, and it's sitting on the kitchen counter. I need to print a few pages, and then I'll find a home for it tomorrow. 

The new printer

As I was looking through my Katimavik photo album, I spotted a group photo of all of us in the military option. They did not have that option very long. I'm not sure if it lasted only one year. But I counted, and there were close to 50 people in our group. I think the full program only ran once. They offered shorter programs in other years. 

The Katimavik military option group

It was an exciting and life-changing experience, and even though it was tough, it was NOT as tough as the boot camp the regular force goes through. But it was tough. I found lots of pictures of the girls in the hallway in their underwear. Why I took those pictures is beyond me, but it's a good memory. But why in our underwear? Because our uniforms were pressed and cleaned, no one wanted to get them dirty or wrinkled before inspection. Our barracks had to be clean as well. So we did that cleaning in our underwear, then got dressed! Perhaps that is why I'm not good with rules and authority! 

That group then got split into three groups - one for communications, one for infantry, and I can't remember what the third group was. Or maybe there were only two groups. It was interesting because most of the communications group were females, while the infantry were males, and we ended up at the same base (Valcartier, Quebec) for the final three months of the program. More than one couple resulted from that program. 

Hmmm—be careful what you wish for! The weather has been cool, with lots of rain and no sun. Or that's how it seemed. Then we had three HOT days with humidity. A cold front moved in, and it's back to freezing again. It's currently 7 degrees C. That's a 30-degree difference from the "feels like" 36 we had just a short time ago. 

This is the alarm pad in the house, and I don't know where it gets its data from, but I think it's a bit off! Even though it's cold, it's not this cold!

Hmmm-- where is this data coming from?

So that was a weird way to write the blog, but it got done. I have a very busy day at the sewing machine. But the first thing is to get that new printer fired up because I need a pattern! Then I'm off to work. I still have a couple of videos to finish reviewing for the weekend and quite a bit of sewing. I've been working on stuff, but not the right stuff! Typical me! 

Have a wonderful day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Spend time with your friends NOW!!!

After getting some feedback from people, I'm glad M is using the trim from her dress for the wedding. Someone else dismantled their lace wedding hat, so her daughter could use it to wrap her bouquet! It was worth the four hours to take it apart!

To answer the question about the community project quilts, the group of 11 I'm working on is NOT among the ones Diane made. Someone did me a favor and picked up a bunch of scraps I was using to make scrap quilts for more community project quilts. She was looking for scraps, so I offered what I had. As a favor, I offered to quilt some of the quilts she made, provide the backing, and the batting. I was very grateful that she took those scraps. 

However, I suspect the scraps got tossed. I think they were too small for her liking. She asked if I would mind if she offered them to a friend because she didn't have time now, and, well, I must remember in the future to just say NO or not make an offer. It's not a big deal -- I've really procrastinated on getting them done, and this will be the LAST time I offer to do a favor like that for someone. I wasn't expecting 11, and I wasn't expecting them to be so large - about 50" square. 

Life is all about learning lessons. 

And I learned another lesson yesterday. When I was younger, I was fortunate enough to participate in a youth program called Katimavik. I didn't know the program was still active! I actually met my first DH during that program, and because of him, I ended up moving to Quebec and learning French. And set my life on a different path than I thought it would take. 

I can't even remember how many of us were in our group, but let's say about 30. That number seems low - it must have been closer to 50. There were two options that year -- a community civilian option or a military option. I chose the military. Of that group, I've stayed in touch with 6 people - not close, but we've met over the years from time to time, and we have a small messaging group. My plan was to visit three of those people this year. One, I was planning to meet before the wedding. She was the least communicative of us all. 

I learned last night that she passed away at the end of March. No warning to anyone that she was sick - she was looking forward to the visit when we chatted at Christmas. I am meeting another person in Winnipeg during Quilt Canada (she's very chatty), and the third person (my roommate) lives within a thirty-minute drive from me, and I haven't seen her in years!

I need to call her and meet up!! 

It's funny how quickly we lose touch with people, and that's one reason why I love Facebook. Even if you are not having an active conversation with someone, you still feel in touch, although it's at arm's length. And some people, like "Radar" (her real name is Marie), but she was Radar to all of us. She was very troubled and very shy and struggled with a lot of health issues (mental and physical) over the years. RIP Radar! Out! We were in the Communications branch of the Canadian Armed Forces for our youth program, and it was MANY, MANY years ago! 

I have to look for some pictures today as her brother is putting together a memory book. 

Now I have an extra day when I'm in BC, but I think I know what to do! I just have to make some plans. 

I didn't get much done the entire day. Well, that is not correct - I did accomplish things, but not much to show for it. The phone/computer seems to be my constant companion these days. We had a two-hour meeting for Quilt Canada to get things arranged, so that is good. And I've started the process to get some help for my Mom. And thankfully, the first consultation can take place over the phone. But I think we should handle some legal paperwork the next time I return to Saskatchewan, which will be sooner rather than later. So, step one accomplished: make the appointment for the on-phone consult. Step two, which is today, is to try for some kind of appointment for Dad. 

The trees are in full bloom right now, and this is one massive tree we spotted on our morning walk. All those blooms are falling into the driveway, but who cares - it's beautiful. 

Beautiful tree in bloom

The girls were enjoying the sun on the back deck! I don't know how they can stand lying in the sun with their big fur coats on, but they love it! 

MOM -- we're sunbathing! 

Why does anyone have to mess with nature? I went to the grocery store and spotted these multi colored peppers. I believe they called Aloha! While they are pretty, do we really need them? What's wrong with orange, red, or yellow? Hmmm—apparently, they are native to the Netherlands and are yellow and red, with no seeds. OK - now I need to buy one just to check it out. 

Aloha peppers

The good news is that I managed to complete the appliqué on all four houses for the Color My World quilt! Yeah!!!! 

The house blocks are done!

Honestly, it didn't take much time at all, and I'm pretty darn good at it. So I must buckle down and get more appliqué done! This is an invisible machine appliqué, which I stitch with very thin threads and an elongated zigzag, using thread that matches the appliqué; it works very well. 

The appliqué stitches

Quick side trip as I pulled out my photo album for Katimavik! Thank goodness I labeled all the pictures with people's names. Sadly, many of that group have passed. And of the gang of five at high school, two have passed. These people are way too young to die of illness!!!

I'll take a trip down memory lane later this morning and forward to her brother whatever pictures I have of Radar. I think I'll post a few to our group of those still there—loads of good memories! That almost ten-month program was a game-changer in my life. 

Even better news: I finally made some progress on the darn puzzle!! While the border is still missing many pieces, I finally have it more or less in place. I removed all the excess pieces I couldn't find a home for, and everything within the puzzle border is either attached to the border or a section. 

Great progress on the puzzle

There are still a lot of holes, all of which are foliage or sky! So bit by bit, I'll get it together - it's definitely not a fast one and certainly getting my money's worth! I bought this one at the thrift store for at most $7.99, and likely got a discount. 

I also dropped off another donation box yesterday and got another 20% coupon in the event I spot something, and it's not seniors' day. And I went to Best Buy and bought the printer. I spotted the guy I spoke to the other day, and he gave me $20 off. It's better than nothing. I need to get that hooked up today, as I need to print something. 

I also watched more videos and made notes for my upcoming classes this weekend. So, as I mentioned, I got a lot done, but not much to share! 

I'll tell you the story of the cleaning service another day. As I survey the office, it doesn't look that bad, considering there is a sewing machine and an embroidery unit in here, the box from my stick vacuum, which I need to finish unpacking, and a bunch of books that I have to deal with. So even adding in that extra, it's not bad! I am feeling pretty good. Mind you, there are still loads of things to deal with, but it's so much better than it was. 

DH and I started playing the EXIT games again. I'll tell you about that as well. 

On that note, I'm off to the gym for my private spin class. I still can't bear the thought of walking into that room and Josephy not being there. 

Remember, there is a virtual retreat this weekend. Saturday starting at 6 PM, and Sunday starting at 3 PM. 

And just to note - the temperature last night when I went to bed was 30, feeling like 36. Right now, less than 12 hours, it is 13, feeling like 10!!!!! What a change! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!