An amazing travel day by car

LOL --- Soon the comments will be more entertaining than the blog!!! I love it all! And yes, each of us handles our stash differently. I know tons of organizations take donations, and that may be what happens, but I also want to have fun with that stash, and I'm trying to think of creative ways to get rid of it. And who knows, I may just end up keeping it all until I don't need it anymore. But the books and magazines? Those have to go! 

I laugh when I read that paragraph back. Who would have thought I would ever consider getting rid of all that fabric? That was my pride and joy for years, and now, sadly, it has become the monkey on my back!! Funny how things change as you get older. 

Then I would have room to put my puzzle collection in those bookshelves!!! Just kidding!!!!

It's one thing to talk about it; it's another to put your money where your mouth is and actually take charge. No more shuffling things off for tomorrow; do what needs to be done today!!!

I'll be home tomorrow, and then I have two blocks I NEED to finish for Many Blocks on Sunday. And if I get my butt in gear, I could get more done as well. This is going to happen. Why? Because I have a super cute project I want to move on to; actually, there are two, but I have to pick one. And I cannot start that one until I finish this one. 

The old me would just abandon Sylvia's Bridal Sampler (again and probably MANY times in the past 14 years!) and move on to the more fun project. I am NOT doing that now. If I don't think this project is fun, then I should just finish it as it is, or give it away. I NEED to choose how I spend my time, what is important to me to finish!!!!

Since I am so close to finishing all the blocks, I just need to get my butt in gear and make that happen. That would make me very happy, so that is my focus!!

Yesterday was a travel day, and a good one. I had to get something squared away with the store before I left, so I didn't leave until almost 10 AM, but since that was all I was doing yesterday, it wasn't a problem. I had some investigating to do anyway. 

Here's the store - Cindy B's in Espanola. I love the barn block on the front!! And what is nice is that Cindy's daughter is involved in the store, and guess what? She's YOUNG!! We love the young quilters. Tiffany is also a pattern designer, and you'll find her patterns on the website. Cindy also hosts a very popular quilt retreat (twice yearly). It's so popular that someone has to die (well, not quite, but almost) to get on the list!! 

Cindy B's

What's funny is that when I rode my bicycle through this town in 2013, I don't think I even knew there was a quilt shop here, and yes, it was open way back then. It opened in 2007 - you can read their story at the link above. 

I remember stopping at a small bakery to get something to eat. I wrote in my blog that, even though it was a bakery, they didn't have any baked goods. GASP!!!!! How is that possible? So we had tea and toast!!!! It was called Marantha Bake Shop and Cafe. 

I couldn't post pictures on the blog while traveling back then, but I really must add them one day. When I get home, I'll check that hard disk and see if I took any pictures while in this town. I did not grab that hard disk before I left for this trip. 

Anyway, I checked out (on Google) what bakery was open in 2013. Yes -- you can search for stuff like that. It's hilarious!!! 

This is the building I thought the bakery was in. 

Where I thought the bakery was

But no - this is the building the bakery was in. The one above has something to do with the motel. It looks like it hasn't been a bakery in a very long time! I must send the link to today's post to Neil, who rode with me a good part of the way across Canada. He and his wife drove a good part of the trip this summer and stopped by to visit me. So much fun reminiscing about that trip. They didn't stop in Espanola, which is why I was determined to find that bakery! 

Where the bakery was in 2013

I grabbed a few things to eat for the next leg of the trip, a 5.5-hour drive through beautiful country. And let's not forget that the weather is cooperating 1000%. I couldn't ask for nicer travel weather; the sky is mostly blue, there is a little construction, little traffic, and, well, it's perfect. 

I don't have any pictures of the terrain because that would mean stopping the car to take them, but this is very isolated countryside. Lots of rocky terrain at the start of the drive, plenty of trees, and lakes. When we were riding our bikes, we called it sticks, water, rock! 

The country is BEAUTIFUL. Yes --- it was 5.5 hours of the same scenery, but you know what? Life is too short to get bored by looking at nature!!! It was stunning and would have been even more so if I'd been here a week and a half ago, when the colors (changing leaf colors) were out. But my brain can imagine, and I was doing a lot of imagining yesterday!!!

I had also started a new audiobook which is hilarious. It's called The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood. It's about an older woman who creates crosswords, and there's a murder! The main character's name is Judith, and she's hilarious. I see it's been made into a series, probably a British one, so we know it's good!!! 

I crossed the train tracks a few times and passed a train, then saw the railway crossing lights flashing ahead, so I stopped to wait for the train. 

The train is coming

Thankfully, it wasn't a long train. But look at the sky!!!! Seriously? How perfect can a day get? 

The freight train

I have never seen this type of railroad car before, so I don't know what they were hauling. Thankfully the train wasn't long, and I was off again. I would say it's some form of hopper car, but it was short and didn't seem to have a hopper bottom. Something to do with hauling minerals, rocks, or whatever. Hmmm, I asked Google what they are, and it said those cars are likely open-top gondola cars (or also hopper cars) used to carry bulk materials like coal, scrap metal, or ore. And there you have it!!! Google also called them potentially a bathtub gondola!!!!

A form of hopper car

As I have mentioned numerous times, I am NOT good at driving. By that I mean, I get sleepy quickly, and my sciatica drives me mad. Yesterday? I drove the entire way without stopping. I had food in the car, and while I felt a twitch or two from the sciatica, there was zero pain, and I wasn't sleepy at all. It was an awesome travel day!!!! Let's hope that lasts for the long drive home! I still have enough of that audiobook to take me all the way home. 

I stopped at the Needleworks Studio in Cochrane, Ontario, chatted with the owner, and then headed to the hotel. I've been to this store before, but it's been quite a while since I was last here. 

Halloween seems to grow each year, and I've spotted some houses plastered with Halloween decorations. Here's one of them. There are some pretty big skeletons these days!!!

Decorated for Halloween

Since today's events are at the same hotel where I'm staying, I brought all my crap into the room so I could sort it out. I no longer need some things, so I bundled them into one suitcase. I shifted other stuff around, and I put loose items back in their bags. It was great to get that done, so I didn't have to do it this morning. 

All the stuff from my car! 

I'm going to take what I don't need back to the car this morning. I had frost on the car yesterday morning, but it's above freezing this morning, so there shouldn't be any. But then I'm not going anywhere, so it doesn't matter. 

Then I went for a walk and spotted this old train across the street. Shoot, I only got a picture of the front. But this is a well-known locomotive, number 137! 

Locomotive Number 137

Here is the story, though it's a bit hard to read. 

The story of Locomotive Number 137

Then I wandered around some more and checked the geocaching app, and yep, there's a cache nearby. So I wandered over to it and quickly found it. Do you know how hard it is to look UNDER a bench that is facing downhill? But by feeling along the underside, I found it. 

The geocache

Now there is only one problem. I didn't have a pen, so I couldn't sign the dang log, even though I was the first person to find it. So I logged it and noted that I didn't have a pen. The owner sent me a note saying it would be best if I went back and signed the log. So guess what I'm doing shortly? Yep -- taking a pen and signing the darn log. I must remember to put a pen in my little pouch. DUH!!!!! But the walk will be good for me!!! 


How many of you have lamented that you don't have time to declutter? I know I say that all the time. I wish I had an entire day to tackle the office, but that never happens. However, have you noticed that I have still made huge leaps and bounds in sorting and decluttering? Why? Because I often do it in bite-sized chunks. And that works for me. Yes, it's taking me longer than I would like, but it's better than doing nothing at all. 

Here is another list with examples of how to keep your house decluttered in short time frames. 

I have to say, this list is brilliant, and it is how I do a lot of my decluttering. Wait -- it's more like how I keep things clear. While the kettle boils, I clear the few things that have accumulated on the counter (the recycling that needs to go to the garage, emptying and reloading the dishwasher, etc.). 

I could do more; I need more "spare" time in the office because that is really the area that needs work. But you know what? I'm getting there. Every week, I get something sorted and tossed. Slow and steady, it will all happen. 

By the way, the Instagram account where I'm finding those lists is called One Drawer at a Time, and it says right at the top: AI-generated. Sigh......

I need to focus on the books and magazines in Studio B. I'm going to try to figure out how to make that happen, but first I need to take care of the books and magazines I've already culled that are sitting in the office. It doesn't make sense to cull more until I have completely dealt with the ones I started with. 

I have about ten boxes of books that were supposed to be picked up in September, but that didn't happen, and the new date is in November. There are also three bags to deal with, and then I can start the process again. I think there are a couple of piles of magazines that should probably be tossed because I've read them, but I wanted to point out a couple of things on the blog. I should make that a focus for next week!! 

Well, it's time to start the day. I have several hours before the events start, and I just have to walk down the hall!! But I must get out and sign that logbook!!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

I'ts all about the UFOs

 I love your comments!!! It makes me smile before I start writing! And the blog will be late today because I slept in. I had trouble sleeping last night, and since I have a travel day (by car), I'm not in any hurry to hit the road. 

And yes -- I think Elle and I are within a few years of each other. People have tried to pin down the year I was born, and it would be easy to tell you, but what is the point? I am not defined by my age. I know what would happen: people would say, "Oh, you are too old; you should retire," or "You are too old to be working out at the gym," or they would compare my energy level to theirs, and what does it matter? It doesn't - you are you, and I am me. 

Age is not a factor in our friendships! 

Elle and I will never do a podcast, but one day we must plan to meet! It would be a hoot. We aren't that far apart with today's travel options. And you know what? One day, we might just surprise you, but nothing's in the plans, and I'm already working on my travel plans for 2027, and that trip isn't among them right now. 

Be careful what you wish for! Remember the list of 30 things not to buy or do that I posted the other day, and I said, "there are no puzzles on that list." Well, I decided to follow the person who posted that list, and they posted part two. Guess what? There are "rules for puzzles!!

Right there - living room - number 4. 

OK -- so I won't be buying any more puzzles. I've had some time on my hands on this trip, and after the long day of teaching, I haven't even gone for a walk, even though the days are stunning. The weather could not be more beautiful. I really must get my butt out later today and go for a walk. 

I post those things for fun, but you know what? Those two lists have some serious "rules" to keep in mind. 

What do we really need? After a certain age, we don't need much. I don't buy in bulk. It makes me smile when I see people off to Costco to buy rolls of toilet paper, paper towels, or whatever else they buy. Where the heck are you going to store all that? It might cost a wee bit more or less depending on the item, but you no longer use as much as you did when more family members were around. 

I could say so much more about some of those items on that list, but I learned one thing, and I said it just last week about my Many Blocks project. It's one thing to make a commitment, but another to follow through. That's the part we don't truly appreciate. If you plan to do something or set a deadline for that project, you have to set aside time to do it. 

Like my Many Blocks. I had committed to getting the three quilt tops done before the end of the year. Tick-tock- it's almost the end of October. I had put it off for several months because I got tied up with something else or forgot about it. 

So what was I expecting? A quilting fairy to come by and work on it for me? NO, we all know there are no quilting fairies. The only quilting fairy is us! 

We have another amazing tool in our back pocket: time management. You make a commitment; you carve out time that day, week, or month to do it. I totally get that life (especially at our age) will throw sudden, mostly health-related events our way that eat up time. But the rest of the time? We control what we do with that time. And if we have committed to making blocks for any project, only we can actually do the work. 

Failing to do the work only means we failed ourselves. I don't mean that negatively, because I'm totally guilty of it. I commit to the deadline for our UFO Club, and if I know the coming month will be busy, I commit to doing less work. If I know I'll be free, then I commit to more. 

I take that seriously, but with the Many Blocks project, I slacked off. 

I'm realizing I need to take that seriously, or I might as well stop. If I can't do what I commit to, then what's the point? Give the darn project away and move on to something that I will enjoy. That's a HUGE thing for all of us to realize. If you don't like the book, the project, the clothes, the dishes -- then get rid of them!!! NOW!!!

And Elle is 100% right; at this point, most of the sewing/quilting I do is for work, and I am not getting as much done for myself as I would like. I certainly don't sew just because or just for fun. That doesn't happen at my house. That's why I realized I took on one too many classes this year. I LOVE teaching the classes -- it's my favorite thing to do. Thankfully, I'm teaching things I want to make, so I'm not doing it just because I want to teach. 

And thank goodness for the Many Blocks and UFO Club, because they force me to work on things I haven't completed yet. But I need a bit more time to work faster on those UFOs because, someday, not that far in the future, I need to tackle the mounds of stuff in Studio B. While I was lying awake last night, I thought about doing that, and it rolled through my head as I tried to figure out where to start. Not only where, but how!

Since all the talk about UFOs can be somewhat negative, here's a refreshing take on UFOs that shows the positive light (is that possible?) of having some UFOs. This came from a 2004 magazine I found at my aunt's house called Down Under Quilts. 

Having a UFO means you started a project. The author says a UFO means you at least started a project. That's compared to all those projects that you never started!

My take: yes, you started, but if you keep starting and not finishing, what does that say about you? Squirrel!!!!

The fact that you have a UFO means that you have a life. By that, she means that you have other things going on in your life, so you don't have time to finish the project. 

My take: you are not good at time management! 

If you have a UFO, it proves that you have great taste. This one means it's a UFO because your initial fabric choice didn't work out the way you expected. 

My take: If that is the case, dismantle the fabrics, throw out the pattern, or rebuy fabrics, but it should NEVER remain a UFO. 

Evidence of UFOs also proves you are growing and developing as a creative person. This means you are growing and may not like the fabric styles you started with. 

My take: yep -- that happens. Guess what? Get rid of that or dismantle it. Getting rid of a UFO does NOT mean finishing it! 

A UFO in your cupboard proves you have had a better idea since. Meaning that, while you were working on something, you got distracted by a better idea. 

My take: this is a cop-out! If you don't learn to finish something (get rid of it by finishing or dismantling it), then you are just creating clutter in your sewing space. 

A collection of UFOs shows you are financially secure. Meaning you have the money to spend on fabric, and people will look up to you because of the stash size. 

My take - this happened to me, and I swear it's a monkey on my back. I wish I didn't have the stash that I do. 

You have excellent storage facilities at home, which lets you have UFOs. That means you have the space and planning skills to store all those projects. 

My take - this is a disaster, especially when it comes to downsizing!!! 

The article was written tongue-in-cheek, and you know what? When I first started out in quilting, no one talked about what could happen - the overwhelming piles of UFOs, the extensive stash, and people just thought it was FUN to amass what we could. Somewhere along the way, I realized this was going to be a major problem. 

Now I'm trying to undo what I've done. I could easily have a sale, or I could give it all away, but I want to do it responsibly, and I know the people who buy will be those who don't need more. 

I cannot say this enough --- do NOT, do NOT let those UFOs get out of hand. And don't keep buying fabric willy-nilly just because you have the space or the money. There are consequences for that recklessness. 

I'm considering a few ideas for getting rid of the fabric; I just need more time to plan. I have a long drive ahead of me today - that will give me plenty of time! 

I will be more mindful of what I take on for classes in the future (don't worry, we are still planning wool appliqué in January), but come September, I'll cut back again. I need to use that free time to focus on reducing the stash. I think I'll start with the books and magazines. Then the stash and lastly the UFOs. I still like the projects I started, so I plan to finish them, but the books, magazines, and fabric? They have to go!!!

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

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

When marketing is in charge of YOUR spending!!

Oh my goodness -- I was misting up when I read Elle's comments this morning. It's funny how our parents can teach us things in different ways. 

Both her parents died young, yet it sounds like they had some great times in their lives. But by chatting with them, you learn things. 

My parents are both still alive, and I have learned so much from them by what they do, but in some cases, I learned what NOT TO DO by what they are doing. I hope that makes sense. 

I think one of the most important things that we tend to forget is TIME. Time is a precious commodity, yet we are happy to squander it. I don't know how many people I've heard remark that they are busier now (retired) than when they worked. What the heck are they doing with their time? It's great to be busy when you are retired; it's just, are you busy doing things you want to do or things you feel obligated to do? 

I know some of you could turn the tables and say I am super busy, and I always will be; that's the nature of my background. BUT I am happy to take time for myself, and I'm happy to take time to visit with family and friends.

The three days I spent with my aunt while we packed were well spent. The time I spend visiting my parents is time well spent, and I feel that I've gotten to know them so much better as an adult than when I was growing up. OK -- that's a given - we all know that. 

But take time to do nothing. Take the time to read those books you always wanted to read. Take the time to learn a new hobby (but not too many!). But whatever you do, DON'T overload yourself to the point where you are unhappy or no longer free to do what you want. 

We are talking about the final years of our lives (not trying to sound morbid), and if you are rushing from one meeting to another, or one hobby to another, are you really enjoying it? 

I will admit that there are times when I have multiple events/trips booked back to back that I'm not happy about. Thankfully, I know it's temporary, and it doesn't happen that often. I know some of you are laughing at that, but it's true! My life is a lot less complicated than it used to be. 

I did take on one class too many this fall, but that's OK. I know not to get excited and do that again. And so far, I've managed the homework and presentations just fine. Except for the travel this week, which thankfully was shortened by two days, I'm doing OK. 

Whatever I do going forward, I'll always make sure I have free time so I can turn on a dime to visit a friend/family member if the opportunity arises. I will NOT volunteer or serve on a committee because I know my skills aren't appreciated (experience), and I refuse to participate in anything that doesn't give me pleasure. 

Can you believe that I've read 71 books this year? Some of them are fiction, and some are not. Some are audiobooks, and some are not. I finished the Shari Lapena book this morning, and at the end there was a Q&A with Shari and January (the narrator). One thing they discussed is that some people do NOT think listening to a book counts as reading it. Seriously???? That's just nonsense. I can tell you the storyline and the characters as if I read it! 

I work out at the gym three times a week, and each time takes two hours! So I am taking time for myself. I no longer belong to any guilds or organizations. No, I don't belong to the puzzle association; I have offered to volunteer for packing days (3 days a year) if I'm available. I need to get out of the house and do something with people, and this is a different group from quilters! They are obsessed like quilters! 

I walk every day, and I think I'm managing my time just fine. Believe it or not, my weekdays, Monday to Friday, are almost completely clear except for appointments, the vet, the doctor, physio, or whatever. I don't have a ton of stuff going on, and I'm certainly not running around like a crazy person. 

So yep --- I have loads of personal time in my schedule. Where I'm busy is trying to clear up the crap in my life! Decluttering, trying not to buy anything else. Speaking of which, I found this online last night, and I had a good laugh, but it's so true. 

OH MY ---- this is so true. I notice they don't have hobbies on there. Thank goodness!! 

OH, I just had a thought. Maybe Elle and I need to do a "get your shit together" podcast!!!! We are so similar in many ways. Wouldn't that be a hoot!! Except, neither of us wants to take on a commitment like that! 

But speaking of buying, DH pulled this article from The Economist for me a while back, and I was waiting for the right day to talk about it. It's all about buying and how the marketers market products to us. 

You see, there are many things in this world that we MUST buy. Not because we want them, not because we think they are useful, but because the marketing department has made the product so enticing that we feel we have no choice but to buy it, because the marketing department said so! 

The article's example was about a kettle. You need to boil water; you buy a kettle. Yes - you could boil water on the stove, but it's not practical. A kettle is, for the most part, cheap and a basic kitchen necessity. Right? WRONG!!!!

The article starts off by calling the fictional kettle a Brewmaster, and the tagline is "if you want boiled water, you need a kettle." That's boring, and who is going to get excited about buying a kettle? 

But let's say they call the boiled water "Eau Chaud" and highlight its qualities and how precious water is. You are no longer buying a kettle, but a luxury item to get hot water. I'm sorry, I didn't do nearly as good a job as the article's writer did. 

Now what if you call the kettle some crazy made-up name, like a Kettol (with an accent over the o). You give it a beautiful silhouette that looks striking and becomes an icon in the design world. The kettle now sports the latest color and material trend; it shows consumers how beautiful it is to boil water, and all the fun you can have with your friends using your distinct kettle. That's called Premium, design-led. 

For those early adopters, what about the KETGPT kettle? Why not connect the kettle to an app so it can start boiling your water for coffee before you get out of bed? Then, with the app, you can communicate with the kettle to check on its progress. 

Or what about the Keco, the environmentally friendly kettle that preserves heat, so it uses less power to boil and retains heat longer? 

What about the Vintage Kettle for the Gen Z, which reminds you of cozy times with family at the cottage? 

A heritage kettle, the one you put on the stove with a whistle. Remember those? Let's call that one the Stove Top. 

There's the Kato - the wellness kettle. Staff is available 24/7, so you can ask all kinds of questions about your kettle, including the scale that builds up in the bottom and whether the steam is really good to breathe in. 

And why not buy the Boiler, a big old kettle that does nothing but boil hot, scalding water all the time? 

So I paraphrased all of that, but I used the fake kettle names from the article. But the idea is that if a product isn't selling, the marketers will sit down and figure out who they want to sell the product to and then attack with a vengeance to make a new design, a new style, a new lifestyle to MAKE you covet that kettle, so you buy one for every room in your house and then for all your friends and family. 

It's hilarious how many products and gadgets (even in the quilting world) are made to sound like the best thing ever, and we have to buy them! I would say that small items and gadgets (especially gadgets) are the worst! 

You know what's funny, and I have mentioned this before: when I was in Grade 7, and we had social studies, I do NOT remember the teacher's name, but they drilled this phenomenon into our heads in marketing. Seriously? In Grade Seven? I don't know why - was it part of the curriculum, or was it that teacher's thing? But why the heck are they not teaching that today? 

Think of all the kids' toys; those marketers get to the kids before they are even born. And we fall for it!!! Almost every single time. How many things do you buy because you have to, and then don't even use? We just WANT it because it will make us smarter, prettier, happier, etc. 

So while you are out buying, be very careful. When you see an ad for anything, try to decipher the message the company is sending. If you want to see how they do this in the food market, read Michael Moss's book Salt, Sugar, Fat. Companies make it so compelling to buy these terrible products by fudging the product itself, but the marketing department has much to do with it as well. 

Buyer beware!!!!!!

We had two good events yesterday. I'm at Cindy Bee's in Espanola, which is about four hours north of my house. And we have another two events today!! I have to laugh because if you look at the storefront picture on Google, the quilt hanging up is one of my patterns from when I worked at the fabric company!!!

I had a good chuckle because the daughter just bought a new vehicle and it's ORANGE!!!! Yep, in a world that seems to be going neutral, she has an orange vehicle. I love it!!! It's not brilliant orange, but it's very harvest orange. 

I had to laugh because that reminded me of a young couple that I'm watching as they rebuild a house. OK, have you noticed that's a HUGELY popular trend these days? A young couple buys an abandoned home, a chateau, a row house, an old schoolhouse, and MANY, MANY more. Then they rebuild it, and they make good money with their social media accounts to make it happen. The more dilapidated, the better. I wonder how HGTV feels about this? 

Anyway, one ot the couples is having a baby, and they are starting to work on the nursery. They have a lot of wood in the house. She said she is going to put some wallpaper on the walls and wants some color. I almost died when I saw her version of color - it was the palest "deep" rose I've ever seen. It was virtually just a muted beige. Seriously???? Where has all the color gone? 

I must get myself moving. There is no restaurant in this motel. Yep, way up north, there are no hotels, just motels, but this one is nice. But even this little spot has two Tims. Crazy!!!!

Have a super day (and think before you buy!)

Ciao!!!

An attempt at speed puzzling

OH, Elle just proposed something unheard of and HARD. She suggested that I do NOT refill the Visual To-Do list until ALL the things on it are done! ACK!!!!! While I think she is right, it would FORCE me to face some projects that have been hanging around way too long, don't involve just me, and, well, it's going to be very hard. BUT she has a valid point: if I could clear that board, refilling it with "new" projects would be a joy. 

OH --- should I, shouldn't I?? That is the question. 

I wonder about her sometimes --- she got rid of clutter years ago, takes care of herself. She's as close to perfect as anyone I know!!! I love her and her comments, and I often think of her as I'm walking. OK --- so the test of time -- what am I going to do? I'll keep you in the loop. 

You probably haven't noticed, but I haven't really talked about the Conquerer Challenges for quite a while. I set the goals way back at the beginning of the year, and there were three; all of them double-dipped. One included cycling mileage from spin class, and it was just for fun. Since spin class ended months ago, I lost interest in that one and abandoned it. Do I care? Not in the least. 

I was following a preset challenge, which I also abandoned because I set it up to add the mileage manually and kept forgetting. It is long past the deadline, but I'm going to see if I can resurrect it and get the medal. Not that I need the medal, but I paid for it, so I might as well try. 

The other one was also one I paid for, and it was my monthly walking distance. In the past, I set an aggressive goal of walking 4,400 KM in one year. That equated to 12 KM a day, which turned out to be a bit much for me, in terms of time and, more importantly, wear and tear on my body. So this year, I set a goal of 10 KM a day, not a huge difference, but an average I could manage physically without really trying. 

But I'll be honest: I haven't checked my progress in MONTHS, and I hardly ever look at my Fitbit to see how far I walked that day. Yep, from time to time I'd check to see if I took 10,000 steps, but I never checked the km. 

So I was surprised to see this in my progress. 

Progress on my annual walking goal

I am right on target, and I don't check, plan, or take extra steps in a day. I think I have found my natural rhythm. I will walk the dogs in the morning, and those walks have been shorter than usual and, with all the travel, nonexistent on some days. I walk every afternoon, at least on the days when I am home. I am active and do a lot of walking around the house - I get up to iron, etc. It doesn't matter how I get the steps in; it just matters that I'm moving. 

Does the Fitbit register 10 KM daily as an actual 10KM? Does it matter? It doesn't matter; what matters is that each day is relative to the others, and it is for MY purposes only, not for comparison to someone else. 

I was happy to see that, and now if I can rescue my other challenge by using the stats from this one, I might be OK. 

These challenges were fun during the pandemic, but just one more thing to check. YES -- I could check on the app, but I hate apps!!! I check on the computer. So I will try to do that when I have some downtime on this trip or when I get home. 

The two classes went off nicely in the morning, EXCEPT when we were finishing the second class, My Kinda Town, one of the students piped up and said my chimneys are incorrect on this house. 

One of my blocks for My Kinda Town

OH GOSH --- she is right -- I added more chimney atop both chimneys instead of sky. Silly me!!!! I just marked out what fabric went where without consulting the picture. I know better! And this is after I had to rip out the two window sections because the blue frame was purple originally, and it did NOT show up at all. That's the silly mistake I had made the day before. 

Thankfully, I had some time before I left, so I could fix the two spots. I also sent out all the follow-up emails. 

The sky is fixed!!! 

What's hilarious is how we can't see the forest for the trees! In other words, I didn't even notice that the sky pieces were missing. It just looked like an extra-tall chimney!!!! 

And here are my three blocks so far for this quilt. I LOVE all the bright fabrics, and I can't wait to finish this quilt. There are eight blocks in all. It's slated to be complete by the end of this year, and then I can remove a HUGE pile of stuff off that current project table. 

Three blocks for My Kinda Town

If I keep working, I might eventually develop a routine and project organization that works for me. And if I could complete what's on that Visual To-Do list, that would be even better. You know something? Elle might be right. If I actually face those hard decisions (mostly on projects slated for someone else), I might actually be able to rip through things faster. You know how it is --- you get weighted down by the monkey on your back. 

I'll contemplate that!!! It's a great idea. 

A while back, I signed up for three virtual puzzle competitions. As luck would have it, work interfered with all three dates. Yesterday was the first date, and the event started at 2 PM. I decided to do it for one hour before I needed to get on the road. 

The puzzle arrives in a shipping envelope with a big sticker that gives us the information we need to join the Zoom call. This is what I do when I volunteer for packing puzzles. 

So I cleared off my puzzle table, got the puzzle ready, joined the Zoom call, and waited for them to start. I had never done anything like this, so I had no idea what to expect. I had also never timed myself doing a puzzle and thought the idea was silly, and that I would be frantic. 

The competition puzzle

As the time drew near, we were able to open the shipping envelope. OH MY GOD -- a puzzle with lots of fur. This seems to be a dreaded subject amongst many puzzlers. My heart wasn't singing when I saw the photo. The puzzle has 500 pieces. 

The puzzle for the virtual competition

The timed event had a two-hour time limit. If you didn't finish, you were supposed to keep working on your own and submit your time. I could only stay for one hour since I had a four-hour drive. 

This is what I accomplished after one hour. 

What I did after one hour

It was an interesting exercise, and I'm glad that I participated. I will finish it and submit my time when I get home. I will probably be last, but I don't care. It taught me a few things. 

As usual, I sorted the pieces, but I typically sort just the border pieces; after watching videos of Karen the Puzzler, I sorted by color and also separated out the border pieces. Now I think speed puzzles sort into piles; they do not lay all the pieces out. It took me 25 minutes to sort out the pieces and do the border, so I thought that was pretty good considering I'm new to this. I also loved that the pieces were sorted by color. I might try some of these techniques in my daily puzzling. 

That is the quietest Zoom call I've ever been on. After they counted down to the start, 3, 2, 1, Puzzle!, the call went silent! I did glance at the screen every so often to see what the others were doing. I would have loved to watch how people did the puzzling, but this is why people go to competitions!! I will be attending the Nationals next April or May, so that will definitely give me a better idea, but I've also watched some videos. 

I knew the first person would probably be finished around the 40-minute mark. Yes --- can you imagine putting this together in 40 minutes? And the first person called out at the 41-minute mark. Are you kidding me? And then about every couple of minutes, someone else called out. I'm sure there will be people like me who didn't finish in the two hours, and I'll be interested to check the times later. 

I just checked the times! There were 94 people in the event. These events sell out, so I didn't want to miss it. Someone else could have had my spot. The winner came in at 41:14 minutes. 11 people had times longer than 2 hours. One person took almost four hours, and 22 people have no time. So they either didn't attend the session, which is a shame, or, like me, they couldn't finish that day. I'll see how it goes. I don't know if I can submit a time done in multiple sessions. 

I did not sign up for any during the spring sessions; it's just so darn hard with my schedule. 

Back to the puzzle. Of course, I got all the easy stuff done - well, almost. Then I will tackle the green, and these are all the pieces for that. Actually, there aren't too many. 

The green pieces

Then I will tackle the blue on the left, and then there is that darn fur!!!! 

The blue and the fur

So I'm glad that I did this and it wasn't nearly as stressful as I thought it would be. For a first time, with no practice, and having to leave early, I thought I did OK. I have another one this Saturday, and at first, my trip was going to interfere with that. But now the trip is shorter, so I will be home and able to spend the full two hours on it. While I don't know for sure, I'm certain it's a Halloween-themed puzzle. It's a fun event, supposedly meant to be shared with friends and family, but I'll likely be working on it alone, which is OK. 

I had already packed the car, and then I was off. The girls weren't too happy, but that is life. DH is home with them, and they know how to cope!!!

As I was buzzing around, I had to pop up to the main floor from Studio B, and Miss Murphy was in the basement. The next thing I knew, she had slowly worked her way up the stairs. The stairs that she is afraid of. The thought of her accidentally slipping is frightening, and I need to be more diligent. Of course, because she put all her weight on her leg and was extra careful, she was favoring it when she got to the top. 

More diligence is required with her!!!! 

I'm never a fan of long drives, and I don't know why. Well, yes, I do; I was always uncomfortable because of my sciatica and would easily get sleepy. Yesterday, the skies were blue, the traffic was ight and it was a beautiful day for driving. I had a great audiobook to listen to, which I'll tell you about in a second. I stopped in Parry Sound to have dinner with a good friend whom I see online during Monday sewing, but we haven't had an in-person catch-up in quite a while. So that was a great way to break up the trip. 

And I was able to get a book from her that she picked up at her used bookstore months ago! The Pony Express just wasn't working well on that item! 

Then back in the car for the last 1.5 hours. Again, the roads were good, the weather was good, and traffic was light. I always worry about animals on the road at night, but all was good. No sleepiness and no sciatic pain!!! 

I arrived at the hotel, and it's like a maze. It's under construction, and the parking lot is huge. No wait, the parking lot is totally confusing, and the front entrance was blocked off with fencing, at least the parking area where you can park while checking in. And they were doing work last night to clear that fencing. Seriously? A Saturday night at 8:30 PM? I don't get it. 

Anyway, this hotel is the most confusing hotel I've ever been in. It has wings and little nooks and crannies in the hallways. 

A very weird configuration for a hotel

It's not a full moon yet, but it's close, and I love looking at the moon and wondering how many other people are looking at the same moon at the same time I am. It's one thing we all share in this world. 

The almost full moon

OK -- let me tell you about this audiobook. I started it a couple of days ago, but I didn't have time to listen. I was making mistakes while sewing and thought it best not to listen so I could focus. That didn't seem to make any difference. 

Anyway, the book is called Getting Away with Murder by Shari Lapena. 


What can I say about Shari? Check out her website, and you'll see she's an ordinary woman with an incredible talent for taking the ordinary and making it suspenseful, creepy, and plausible. You'll wonder where the heck those plot ideas and twists come from. This is far from being cookie-cutter reading!! 

I almost wanted the drive to go on, so I wouldn't have to stop listening to the book. I still have two hours left to listen, and I have a bit of a drive this morning, but not enough to finish the book. Since it is due soon, I'll have to listen to it after work tonight. 

Well, I need to get organized for the day. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

Take the time to create memories!

The book I finished yesterday (I couldn't help myself) is Picking Up the Pieces by J. B. Abbott. 

Jigsaw puzzle mystery

If you Google fiction jigsaw puzzle books, you'll find a few more. They are light fluff, like the knitting, scrapbooking, quilting murder mysteries, but it's good to read light fluff from time to time. It gives the brain a break!! I believe I ordered two more (physical) ones from the library!

What was the title of yesterday's blog? "If things aren't right, fix them now!" 

Well, I did it again. I had a few minutes this morning, so I thought I'd stitch down the Dresden Plate block.

The Dresden Plate block is stitched in place.

 I was near the end of stitching the middle when I noticed the circle wasn't large enough. 

OH -- the circle isn't big enough to cover all the raw edges

So, of course, after I had it all stitched down, I decided to take it off and add a larger circle. I "waste" so much time second-guessing myself. Why not fix it when you initially see the problem? 

The center got removed.

I doubt I'll have time today to deal with it. 

While I was using some fabric the other day, the one where the value wasn't right, and I had to rip it out, I spotted this on the selvage. Oh my --- that fabric is only 23 years old! How much other fabric in that room is at least that old? But not much new is coming in, so I'm OK with that. 

Fabric dated 2023

I spotted this on the internet yesterday, and OH MY, this is something we should all print out and put on our fridges to remind us each day what we should be doing. 

OMG, isn't that just the best list ever!!!! There is no time like now to get things done and cleared up. The weight off your shoulders will be enormous, and you can actually enjoy each day instead of feeling guilty about what you should be doing. 

I'm seriously trying, and did you see the note about the garage? Do it on a cool weekend? Well, the cool weekends are here! It's time to clear out that garage!

I swear I post a picture of these trees every year. They are magnificent in their color and with the blue sky behind, absolutely stunning. 

Trees in our neighborhood

OH MY --- look what came to my door yesterday by Pony Express. This is the 2026 EXIT Game Advent Calendar. I can't wait to get started. We have struggled for time a bit this year, but I'm determined to make this happen in December. I don't think either of us has any major travel, so we should be good. 

2026 EXIT Game Advent Calendar

Speaking of travel, things changed slightly for the upcoming week, and I'll be home two days sooner than planned, which is exciting. I still have a lot of driving to do, but that's OK. My suitcases are packed, and I will put them in the car at lunchtime. I have one small project that I'd like to finish before I leave later today. Yep --- everything else got done. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it! Plus, as mentioned, I sat and finished that book after lunch! 

Well, I'm happy to report that Murphy was definitely feeling like her old self yesterday. Of course, she can't run worth a darn, but that didn't stop her from being a total pest! But you know what? I'm enjoying every minute because one day she won't be here and I will miss her pesky behavior. So I gave her lots of hugs and encouragement, which she didn't need! 

She loves sitting in that raised dog bed and is managing to get in and out on her own, and I don't know how many times she barked yesterday!! Silly girl. 

MOM - I'm protecting our house from strangers! 

Then she was in her toy box and sorting through the toys. I'm not sure if she was telling me she wants something new. Or just checking to see that I didn't throw anything out. 

MOM -- I need new toys!

Then, when I was trying to embroider something on one of the machines, she was literally lying right where my chair was supposed to be. So I was reaching and twisting to sew a sequin on, with her right in the way. By the way - the sequin looks amazing! I'll share that project later. I didn't even take a picture yet. 

MOM - I need to be close to you! 

She even sat before I gave her the "take" command for eating. We've been bypassing that routine for a while and at first, it confused the heck out of her. But she did it of her own accord yesterday. I need to get in touch with the vet to see if we can get some pills that won't make her woozy. Although she got the pill at night and seemed to be fine when she woke up. Maybe she just needs those pills at night. 

But the way she sits now is hilarious. She doesn't really sit on her haunches; she just plunks her big bum on the floor. I don't think this picture really shows it, but her footprint (buttprint) is much larger when she sits this way than when she used to. Only one leg seems to be bothering her, and I don't think she has much strength in it, although I've seen her sneak up the upstairs stairs recently. We try to keep it blocked, but sometimes we haven't had a chance before she sneaks up behind us! 

MOM - I prefer sitting to standing these days!

The Candy jigsaw puzzle has been sitting on the table for days. I usually open a new one right away, but that didn't happen. I disassembled this one yesterday. 

Disassembling a jigsaw puzzle

Like all good puzzlers, I put the pieces into a resealable bag and put it in the box. The bags that come with puzzles are not resealable, which is such a waste. 

Ready for a new home

I'll hang on to this one so I can trade it with someone or sell it. I bought it new, and while they aren't super expensive, I'm not ready to give it away. 

Here's a look at that Visual To Do list. You can see there are many holes in it, and I've worked on many of those things this year, so they're much closer to a real finish! My goal is to keep focusing on those projects for the rest of the year. Then I'll carry over what I don't finish to next year, and I'll add a few things to it. Some things are complete, but they just need labels. So one day, I need to print the labels and then stitch them on. And two jackets on the list just need buttonholes or snaps! 

The Visual To-Do List

Yes, I know it still looks like a lot, but so many are so close to completion!!

It's all about GOALS, which was my word of the year this year. OMG -- I was trying to find the picture of the small soccer "goal" quilt, but I found this instead. My part of that exchange is on the Visual To Do list!!! I will not finish that project this year, but it'll be high on the list for 2027. That post was from 2012!!!!

I need to come up with a new word for 2027. I've been tossing around some words: FOCUS, POSITIVE, STRENGTH, DOWNSIZE, ETHICS, just a few. There are so many. Wait -- what about this one: Tenacity – Holding firmly to a goal and refusing to let go.

I must put on my thinking cap and start designing a small wall hanging for it! My GOALS wall hanging seems to be in a trunk show all the time and never gets hung up to motivate me. But then I don't need much motivation. 

Yes, I am one of those people who might lie in bed for a few minutes in the morning to decide what I'm going to do when I get to Studio B. Or maybe it's to get my butt to the gym, depending on the morning. Then I bounce out of bed and minutes later, I'm stitching away!! Thank goodness, I don't need coffee to get me going. Those are good farm genes!!!

A slightly bad thing happened yesterday. I have a tooth that was mostly filling, and at some point, I'll have to replace it. This past summer, part of the filling fell out, and the tooth felt a bit like Swiss cheese. However, yesterday, a large chunk of the filling fell out. I have a dentist appointment coming up, and it doesn't hurt, so I'm going to live with it! I hope I have not jinxed myself by saying that!

There was a contest on the jigsaw puzzle page. Describe yourself in three words. How did I respond? Extremely excited enthusiast!!!! I could use that for any of my hobbies!

On that note, I'm off to start the day. I have a busy day, so I need to get organized. I have two classes this morning, and both are ready to go!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

If things aren't right - fix them now!

OK -- I agree -- darts on a Barbie shirt? Not for the faint of heart! Heck - darts can be a challenge on a full-size garment! 

Well, there's no time to even consider sewing Barbie clothes. This feast-or-famine thing that happens in what I do can drive me nuts sometimes, and this is one of those times! Just prepping for one of these trips is crazy, and it really doesn't have to be. I just decide I don't have enough stuff, and then I go into panic-sewing mode. I must do this, and I must do that, and I probably don't need to. Plus, there are five different events; the samples overlap, and it's hard to pack for all of them. 

However, I did get one of the two samples stitched out that I needed to make and everything worked as planned. Did it take longer than planned? I don't know -- I hadn't figured out how long it would take, but it worked. 

Well, except for this tiny SNAFU. I had a piece of fabric with a stabilizer on the back as I was stitching out some decorative stitches. Then I felt something underneath and checked. 

HMMM - paper as an added stabilizer? 

Good grief, I put my notepaper on the bed of the sewing machine, and it accidentally got stitched to the back of my stitchouts!! LOL. What a silly person I am. Thankfully, none of my notes were damaged, and I cut around it and left the paper in. Who is going to care? No one, and least of all me!!!!

Here's the thing about going away, it's not so much the time away and the prepping, but the little details you have to take care of before you go. The guest room sheets need to be washed and the bed remade, check with the dog sitter(s), arrange a couple of pickups along the route, and a few other things. That's the part I am not fond of!! While you are getting ready to go away, you still need to be in control of what's at home. 

But I'll get through this -- this is the last long trip of the year and hopefully the last "complicated" one. 

When I did get to sewing, I went to sew and NO FOOT PEDAL. That's because I mostly do embroidery on this machine, and the foot pedal was somewhere else. I had one on the table, but then I remembered for that most of the decorative stitching I do, I use the START/STOP button. I needed that little refresher as it's been a while since I've stitched out stuff like this!!

Where's the foot pedal?

Thank goodness for Perfect Circles. 

Perfect Circles

I was able to do the center of the Dresden Plate, and I'm getting "so good" that I didn't even stitch around it. I simply used the Mylar shape and starch. 

Then, with my glue now flowing nicely, I was able to glue the block to the background. 

The Dresden Plate block is ready to be stitched.

It is NOT stitched in place, but I would sure like to get that done today if possible. I'll see how the day goes - I still have a few things I would love to get ready to take with me. 

Plus, I had to prep tomorrow's homework. I'm almost finished sewing on that project and just have to load some pictures into the presentation. So all is good in that department. But not before I had to rip out a bit of what I did yesterday. Seriously? If you don't like the contrast - it will NOT get better after a good night's sleep. Just rip it out before you continue! That took 40 minutes to fix this morning. 

Here are some random photos that I found in my folders. AHA, two of the very slow spoons came home with me, and they are perfect for an afternoon snack of high-protein yogurt with sliced almonds! These were taken with permission -- no spoon stealers in our family! 

My two "new" very slow spoons

My Aunt has almost emptied her house of EVERYTHING but what she wants to take with her. She's a trooper and at 90 is very capable of doing pretty much anything. That's why, by keeping your body and mind in good shape, you can live a long and happy life. She didn't physically move the stuff; she had a young girl help her, but she had to make the decisions, and I couldn't be more proud of what she's accomplished!!!

A while back, I posted that the leaves hadn't started changing color in the forest. That is no longer the case, and many leaves have turned and are falling like rain. The squirrels are having a grand time frolicking through the trees. And there seem to be so many of them this year! 

Fall has definitely arrived in the forest.

I told DH I was going to buy a slingshot to attempt to keep the squirrels out of our backyard. This isn't new, but poor Murphy just isn't up to the task like she used to. I noticed she was favoring one back leg, so I better cut back on walking. I did increase to our typical walk since she seemed better, but I guess I pushed too far. I gave her a pain pill last night, so she is going to be woozy this morning. I need to find out if there is a pain medication that doesn't make her woozy. 

The only way to get that is to check with the vet and I won't get an appointment today. But she is a trooper, learning her limits, and still enjoying the view from her raised bed in the living room. 

I also need to call the groomer because she desperately needs grooming; I already told you that!

Speaking of protein, I also found this in my quest for higher-protein snacks. I had seen these before in the stores, but my experience with some of these drinks is that they taste horrible! When I was on Salt Spring Island, the grocery store was handing out small samples of this brand to taste. Hmm --- they are actually quite good. So I was off to the grocery store yesterday to see what I could find. And I found these three flavors. Why buy one when you can buy them all! I had tasted the chocolate and the vanilla, but not the strawberry. Fingers crossed on that one. 

High protein snack

OH MY GOODNESS - it's a Canadian company (yeah!) and I just checked their website and they have MANY flavors!!! I can also get 20% off the first order, and it's much cheaper online than in the grocery store. Hmmm --- I should have checked that first! That is buying it directly from the company. 

I won't say my body has turned back the clock to when I was younger, but all this stretching and weight training seems to be doing some good. I feel stronger - my legs feel strong when I'm out walking. Standing up and sitting down are a breeze (I never had much issue with that to begin with), but my knees, my back, and my sciatic nerve all seem to be feeling great. Even the massage therapist mentioned the other day that my shoulders (notorious for being tight) are much looser than usual. 

Yeah!!!! I can't turn back the clock, but I can certainly take charge and not let myself fall into total disrepair! I value my independence too much! The only people who can take control of our bodies and our lives are OURSELVES. Sadly, many people deny this. (Not delving into politics on this subject!) That is their choice and not my problem. I'm glad I did, and I will take pills if I need to, but I would never take pills if I could fix the problem by changing my diet or exercise routines. But so far, I don't need pills, except for that bone density one. I hope to get a new test in a couple of weeks and we'll see what the results are. Maybe I could stop taking it!

I totally get that some people are not into yard work. Yep, I get it, but this is the second house (townhouse) where I've seen them rip up the grass and put in artificial turf. I really don't care, but if you are going to do it, could you not do a better job than this? There is a NAP to that grass, so take the middle piece and turn it around!!! 

There's a nap in the grass!

The weeds can still grow through this; I spotted some at the other house, but they at least removed one weed, though not before it got huge! I wonder what they did in the backyard? 

I had plans to work on some stuff in the office and even pulled out the lamp box so I could make that. But alas, it is still sitting in the middle of the floor and will have to wait until the middle of November to focus on that. 

The lamp is still waiting to be assembled.

OK, in case you are feeling sorry for me and my time crunch, don't be! My problem is that I started reading a mystery novel, and I can't stop! It's a physical book, so I have to be physically present to read it! And so I take a few minutes here and there throughout the day to read a couple of chapters. So no --- don't feel sorry for me! I'm my own worst enemy!!

You're going to love this -- the novel is all about jigsaw puzzlers, with a murder thrown in!

As I mentioned, I have enough stuff to take with me; I just want more! 

Well, it's time to get moving!!!!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!