Splashdown

OH --- I had the blog already to go and then forgot to press PUBLISH!!!

OH MY --- I'm totally obsessed with making up these presentations. When people are interested, I'm prepared to go to the ends of the Earth to find the information. I spend tons of time researching stuff for my groups and even if they don't appreciate it, (I'm sure most of them do!), I still learn a ton of stuff by finding the information. 

I just discovered something else that I need for my research. I'll share it all next week! 

Did anyone watch the splashdown of Artemis 2 last night? I was glued to that. It's hard to comprehend that the space capsule was hurtling towards Earth at approximately 24,000 MPH, and within 15 minutes, it was floating down at 32 MPH with three massive parachutes attached. I must say, when the final three parachutes deployed, my heart was in my mouth as it seemed to take forever for them to fully open!! 

What an adventure, and I'm sure those four astronauts will be very busy in the next couple of months as they process everything - both the data they captured and what their brains and bodies processed! I found it totally fascinating, and I'm glad to say I was able to watch both moon missions, though I only remember the 1969 moon landing, not the liftoff or the splashdown. Perhaps we didn't watch any of the rest, or more likely, there just wasn't the same coverage as this time due to the lack of technology. 

I had an interesting day as I madly worked on samples for my upcoming presentations on Monday. I'll be at Quilty Pleasures (Ottawa), and the events are open to anyone. Check the calendar at that link. 

As usual, I'm learning loads -- it really doesn't matter that none of this is new to me -- it's just that the technology keeps getting updated. My experience and knowledge expand, so I'm better at it every time I give a new presentation!!

OH MY GOODNESS --- the day started with cleaning the floor in Studio B, and then I noticed a lot of dog hair wound around the wheels of one of my chairs, so I cleaned that as well. The joys of hair! Don't worry --- even if you don't have a dog, this will happen, and I've seen lots of hair getting wound up in the wheels of walkers and wheelchairs last week!!! Long human hair! I guess that's one reason to keep your hair short, but even short hair will get wound around the wheels. Let's not forget the threads!!!

Dog hair wound on the wheels

I'm happy to report (knock on wood) that my cell phone seems to be working much better than it was. I'm able to take phone calls, and my voice doesn't disappear. However, old habits die hard, and I am still cautious when answering the phone or settling into a lengthy conversation because I'm always thinking I'll cut out. It'll take me a long time to regain my confidence in my phone! 

A friend of mine recently got a puppy -- a Golden. She lives up north and was wishing the snow would disappear because it's getting soft and hard to walk on. WAIT!!!! Don't wish for that because the next stage is MUD and those goldens love their mud!!! 

I do not know why Miss Murphy insists that this flower bed is hers! It was even raining, and she was still content to sit out there and get wet and dirty. The dirtier and wetter the better! Sigh...........

MOM - thanks for providing this beautiful outdoor dog bed for ME!!!!

And then this is the two of them in the house later in the day. Seriously? How would you caption this picture? It looks like Lexi beat up Murphy, when I'm pretty sure that Murphy lay on the floor to make Lexi feel superior. How civil is that, especially for a golden who is pretty much in your face all the time!!! 

They are just a hoot to watch and provide hours of entertainment. 

MOM - Murphy is broken!! And it's not my fault!

I stole these pictures from Cynthia Frenette's Facebook page. This is the artwork she created for a new fabric collection. OK --- those flowers look simple, yet it's not something that I would be able to do. I love her simplistic style and the colors - grey, white, yellow, and black- are right up there with the modern crowd. 

Cynthia's artwork

And there's the resulting fabrics. The collection, called Blissful Blooms, is produced by Ink & Arrow. Here's a link to their page so you can see it better. Ink & Arrow is the "modern" fabric division of QT Fabrics. 

In the interesting world of fabric production, this collection was available for shipping in January 2026. But all fabric companies produce limited early yardage (digitally printed) or GASP—some companies print the fabric, and it sits in a warehouse until it's time to ship to stores!! You can't have all the fabrics shipping at the same time, so the delivery dates are staggered. 

Here's a quilt that was remade with this collection. 

If you look at the picture of the marketing material linked to the fabric collection, you'll see this. All those images are digitally produced. They used to be REAL quilts, but many companies, especially in the modern world, do not actually make the items—they just render the fabric onto shapes to give consumers ideas for where and how the fabrics can be used. 

It doesn't really matter—many of us are visual learners, and whether it's a rendered drawing or a real picture, I think we all get the ideas!!! 

I absolutely adore the contemporary floral print that you see on the bottom of that marketing page. It's so soft and pretty, and the repeats are AMAZING. You really don't see the repeat -- well, you do if you look for it, but some repeats, especially of large-scale animals, just look fake! 

Well, nothing specific on the agenda for today as far as meetings or online stuff, but I'll be busy as a bee in Studio B as I assemble my samples for Monday and as I make new ones. By the way -- the information on the Quilty Pleasures website says the instructor is Claire. I'm subbing for her as she is unable to do the events. 

And on that happy note - I'm out of here!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Change is coming!

I received some shocking news yesterday while I was at the gym, and big changes are coming for me! OK -- I'm exaggerating, but for me, it will be a big change. I will not be like my parents -- I will embrace the change, although it's very upsetting. What happened? 

I learned that Joseph, the most amazing spin class instructor, was LET GO!!! No one seems to know why, and I don't have his contact information, but I'm going to try to find it so I can reach out to him. I'm also going to write a few emails to the local club and to the head office in the US. 

I'm sure he would only have been let go because of complaints, since this is a person who went above and beyond to ensure everyone was having a great time in his classes. He prepped videos to keep us entertained while we cycled; his music playlist was amazing and so motivating. Apparently, the class participants found out on Wednesday (I didn't go because I was getting ready to drive to London), and everyone is in an uproar. 

Will there be an uprising? I don't know, but I'm going to find out. I'm not sure I will go to spin class on Monday—it's kind of... Should I boycott the classes because of what happened? Or embrace the change as if nothing happened and continue attending the class. I need to see how the others are going to react. He was so well-loved! 

He must be devastated (OK—men don't get devastated over stuff like that), but he was so passionate about what he did. I can envision TWO people in our class who would potentially have precipitated such an action. One of them I heard is no longer a member of the club. Apparently, she was asked to leave about two weeks ago. She was very annoying! She told the story of health reasons that caused this behavior, but somehow I don't think so. But let's just say that she was LOUD and very disruptive across the entire gym, and it's a huge place. When you notice someone is NOT in the gym, that means they were extremely visible or vocal. Let's call her Jane. 

The other person who could be involved considered herself a close friend of Jane. Let's call her Mary. Mary was so grumpy and never smiled. Once, when there was an issue with sitting on the wrong bike (we are creatures of habit and like to sit on the bike we have reserved), I mentioned after class that perhaps we could just agree on which bike each of us would sit on. I mentioned it to the other ladies who sat in this one area of the spin room. Mary looked at me with daggers in her eyes and said, "I need to be with Jane because Jane needs me now."

Meanwhile, Jane is chatting with Joseph with not a care in the world, but according to Mary, she is grieving because something happened to her son. Anyway --- it's a very mixed-up affair, and if this has something to do with Jane and Mary, I'll scream bloody murder. Thankfully, Jane is gone. She was very socially awkward. 

Obviously, there is more to that story between those two and their interactions with Joseph, but I never gave it more thought than that -- both of them liked chatting him up, but I don't know all the details. But if Jane was getting negative vibes from the club management, I can see her trying to take others down with her. 

I'm not sure you'll appreciate these next pictures. They show up, but not as well as seeing them in person. Here are two table runners that I've done - I stitched them with edge-to-edge quilting on my embroidery machine. The first one has a black thread on the front and back. See how the black disappears into the black fabric and stands out quite a lot on the lighter parts? 

The black thread disappears on the black fabric and is very visible on the lighter fabrics.

And the black thread is very visible on the orange backing. 

The black thread is very visible on the back.

Then I tried a gold thread on the top for the second one, and you can see it more evenly across all the different fabrics on the top. 

The gold shows up equally on all fabrics.

The orange thread on the back literally disappears into the fabric. I like the second one much better than the first one.

The orange thread disappears into the backing.

All the cables and tripods got packed up into their labeled bags, and it's great knowing that when I need them again, it'll be easy to find all the bits. There are a lot of other cables in that white bin, but all I need for Facebook is right here! I must remember to order a new power cord for that switch box, as I still haven't found it and am using the one from my Cricut machine, which I'm selling. So I will need a new one. 

The bag of cables for the Facebook Lives

I got some machine embroidery done yesterday, and while I was babysitting it, I decided to forge ahead and finish the puzzle. Yikes --- that green in the bottom was a bit of a challenge, and it was after 10 PM when I finally went to bed. That is very late for me, but I was determined!!! I will hang on to this puzzle, as it was purchased especially for me in anticipation of my upcoming vacation!

My Mount Etna puzzle is complete!

I'm not sure I'll start another until I'm back from my vacation, but we'll see how it goes. I also started working on the two online presentations for this weekend, and I have mostly completed my part, which is always the largest. Now I wait for the participants to send me their homework pictures, and I insert them. There is SO much to discuss. In a way, I compare myself to Joseph. We are both passionate about what we do, and we don't get paid for all that prep time, but we don't care. While I love the time I spend with the groups, I thoroughly enjoy the prep, especially when I have loads of time to do research. And OH yes—I've been doing some research!!!!

I needed to go back to the library yesterday—yep, I'm becoming very friendly with the librarians, and it's all in the name of research. Research that can't be done online! And that's all I'm going to say about that. And when I got back, it was warm, so I sat in the back with the girls for a bit. 

And guess who was up to her tricks? The instant I sat down, Murphy threw her stuffed fish into the pond. Dogs are very intelligent. She knows that she will get a reaction from me when she does this. 

MOM -- the stuffed fish JUMPED into the pond!

Thankfully, it was close enough so she could dig it out herself. Did you notice that Lexi is just happy to lie down beside me? 

MOM - I rescued the stuffed fish!

Not content with the stuffed fish, she went into the house and grabbed a ball, then dumped it on the ground. I swear she is losing it, though, because she stares at that ball like she expects it to move. 

MOM - Why won't the ball move?

And when it doesn't move on its own, she takes action and grabs it and throws it in the pond. 

MOM -- the ball moved - into the pond! 

Knowing that I wasn't going to get up, she decided to stare at it in the water. 

MOM - the ball is going to drown!!

And when I still wouldn't get up, she rescued the ball herself. 

MOMO - no worries - I saved the ball

The same thing happens when I sit at the kitchen table to eat. Murphy decides that it is the perfect time to play ball, and we are no longer going to play ball in the house. Well, then you can pet me!!!! She is relentless in her attention-seeking. I try to spend some quality time with her every day, but that is not enough. 

I put on my headphones and listened to an audiobook -- I have a few that I downloaded in the last couple of days. Focusing on the book put me in the zone, and I puttered around doing some machine embroidery, getting the tables back where they belong, and actually attempting to clear the cutting table. There is literally NO room on it at the moment, but I don't need to cut anything yet. 

Work continues on the two presentations for the weekend, as well as the in-person ones. I need to make a few samples, review the already-made presentations, and gather more samples that have already been made. 

And if you are looking for a retreat house and you live on the east side of the city, here's the link to the house I was at several weeks ago. It's called My Quilting Retreat. The house is large and in a beautiful, rural spot, but it is about 6 minutes from Annie's Quilt Shop. Lots of bright light in the sewing room and everyone gets a double bed!!!! Check out the link. 

On that note, I'd better get organized as it's going to be a lot happening today, but at my new relaxed pace! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

The more you do, the more you know!

Oh my --- What a crazy day, but it was a great day!! Three things went off without a hitch! 

I was up early and had those suitcases loaded in the car - the girls were NOT happy that I was leaving without taking them for a walk. More on that in a bit. 

The drive was great even though there was a lot of traffic. A lot of truck traffic, but no accidents, so that was a bonus. I didn't have time for accidents or major slowdowns. 

The Thames Valley Quilt Guild is a great group of people, and OH MY --- I met someone from the Mississauga Guild who now lives in London (Ontario), and then I met two people from the Brampton Guild who now live down that way. Thanks to them for coming up and introducing themselves! That's better than spotting them from the stage during the presentation, and well, it was good to see all three of them. 

My, how times change, and I'm sure new people have joined those two previous guilds of mine. I haven't been a member of either of them for quite some time. I'm one of those people who feel that if I belong to an organization, I need to be involved in the executive or helping out on a committee, and I just don't have the time. And even if I did, I just don't want to, so I'll stay connected with my online peeps. 

I had to laugh at the topic they chose for me to speak on - it was Modern Quilts, and apparently, the members did not know because the program person thought the guild would veto that topic since many of them are traditional quilters. I think the presentation was a hit because I don't think I've ever had so many people come by to ask questions at the break, take pictures, or have a good look at the quilts afterward. 

My presentation is really about how modern quilts aren't modern. Modern quilts have been around forever - decades and probably even longer. It's a very interesting lecture. If they were naysayers on modern quilts before, they didn't feel that way when I left. 

I typically stay until the end, but I had to scoot back because I needed to finish setting up the Facebook Live. Technically, there wasn't really anything to do, as I had done it all the day before, but I still had a couple of things to check. And when the moderator let me in the call 30 minutes before we started, I realized that my laptop was running on battery. WHAT??? So that got fixed. And then the battery warning came on for my main camera. WHAT??? Trust me—NOTHING runs on battery during those presentations. I have power cords snaked all over the floor. Murphy must have rubbed against the cords, as I noticed that the main camera was slightly out of whack - thankfully, it was the camera that was sitting on the very sturdy tripod. 

But all was good -- no technology glitches, though I did notice a couple of slow spots when I rewatched part of the video-- nothing major. 

Phew --- and then that was done. 

If you wish to watch the video, you can do so on YouTube. You can check out some of my machine-embroidered samples of weird things near the beginning. I had so much stuff that I kept losing things! But it was loads of fun, and I was so happy when it was done. Not happy that it was done, but happy that it went off so well. 

I really need to do something about the lights, as I feel there is a dead spot in that room. Of course, there is, almost half the lights are no longer working. I must get the electrician in. But this was what it looked like when I was done. 

The view into the film area

And I literally threw everything on the floor, which is why I kept losing things!! But all was good. I made up for that with enthusiasm! Hopefully I spoke slower - I tried - I really tried, but at some points, I couldn't help myself, I was so excited! 

Just throw those samples on the floor.

What amazes me is how it can look like a disaster in real life, but on camera, it looks nice and uncluttered. Yep --- just like in TV or the movies. And angles? They are your friend in the film world. 

Those table top decoration rods are perfect for creating a wall! It allows me to set up my film studio wherever I want in the room. 

The fake wall for the film studio

That is a heavy piece of polyester fabric that is hard to keep in place on that rod because it's longer in the front than the back. However, I found the perfect solution to that. I bought these decorative bobbles from Cynthia Frenette a while back. They have a large glass bobble on the end and are made with beads. They hang on that rod every day, but when I was setting up the curtain, I used them as weights on the back, and they held the fabric perfectly. I noticed that Cynthia has released a new fabric line with a company. I don't have time to find it this morning, but I'll try to remember to share tomorrow. 

My bobbles become weights for the curtain.

The darn things are very hard to photograph because they are so long. I must tell Cynthia that, in addition to being pretty, they also have a very practical purpose in Studio B. They are supposed to hang in a window, but I don't have windows downstairs, so they hang on the rod. 

The decorative bobbles

I snapped this picture before leaving the house yesterday, and it made me think of those four astronauts so far from home, barreling their way back here at high speed. It makes me very sad to think there are theories out there that this is all fake and they are being filmed in a green room. What is our world coming to? 

The moon is so far away, and yet it's not.

It's been fascinating listening to all their stories, seeing the amazing pictures, and knowing that they circled or at least went to the dark side of the moon. I'm surprised that it has taken 50 years for man to get back into space travel. Sadly, so many of those theories are being fed to uneducated (and probably some educated) people. And they believe the fake stories, and well, I'm not going there. 

I had a bit of downtime yesterday as I waited for the Facebook Live to start, so I got to work on that puzzle. I must admit that I had to do that sky one row at a time because I was looking at the shapes. The shading in the sky was so subtle that shape, for the most part, was the way to go. And when it got down to these few pieces, I simply grabbed the first one in line and tried to find a home for it. If not, it went to the back of the line, and I tried to find a home for the next one. 

Nearing the end of the sky

And before I knew it, the sky was done!!!! Now for the hard part -- all those green trees. 

The sky is done!!!!

I think puzzles with photographs are very challenging. But did you know that doing jigsaw puzzles is very good for quilting? Yep—paying attention to details, learning to appreciate value (related to gradations), and a lot more are amazing exercises in color, detail, and value!!!

After dinner, I decided to walk the girls and took both of them-- BIG mistake. I also had something to do at the library. I realized I had an overdue book, and it needed to be returned before I could get anything done. 

I tied the girls up outside the library, well away from any paths. The two of them were good. My intention was to return the book and ask some questions. When I got into the library and asked my questions, I found the PERFECT person: she was willing to do what I wanted right then, asked if I had a few minutes, and gave me a mini-lesson. WOW!!!! That librarian sure loves her job. 

However, once the job started—don't worry—I'll share with you, but not right now. I had some time to kill, so I wandered around the library, then went outside to see the girls so they wouldn't think I had left them. They went wild!!!! 

MOM -- we are bored and need to get moving NOW!!!!!

Anyway, I eventually finished at the library, and it was time to come home. I swear the two of them were like wild horses that had never had a bridle on. They were insane, and both of them were tugging at their leashes most of the way home. Lexi is never like this, but she was jumping and leaping around like a crazy dog. She never talks, and she was pretty vocal. 

MOM - we need to get home - Dad is alone!

I guess they were happy to go on the walk, but not so impressed to be tied up outside the library for 30 minutes. Look at Lexi - she is pulling on her leash, and she never does that on the way home. 

When I let them in the house and off their leashes, they went wild. Lexi ran into the family room at full tilt, jumped into her bed, and then off the bed, running around the kitchen, and then back onto her bed. It's like she went mad. Muprhy wasn't much better. So I let them outside, and they ran like wild dogs around and around and around their obstacle course. 

MOM --- we were trapped for 30 minutes on our leashes 

And when they finally calmed down, Lexi came in and went to her bed. I had to remake her bed as the blankets were shoved into one corner by her jumping at full speed into it. But look at that look on her face!!! 

MOM -- I'm beside my Dad, and I'm happy

All in all, it was a hugely successful day. Why is that? I certainly didn't get lucky! I was prepared, and the more prepared I am, the more likely that everything is going to be a success. The more Facebook Lives I do, the more comfortable I am with the technology. It's all about the more you do, the more you can do, and start refining the process. My next Facebook Live is in September, and I'll be sure to let you know as we get closer to the date. 

What blows my mind is that I'm in Toronto, the moderator was in Texas, and people joined the call from all over. That is NOT fake! 

Well, I now have three days to prep for two in-person presentations (in Ottawa) and finish two online presentations. Hopefully, I won't have any issues and can get all the embroidery done on the jacket. Once those presentations are over, I can hit the road running to finish it. It's going to be tight to get everything done, but a little bit of pressure every now and then is good. I would NOT have had this time issue if I hadn't had to step in for my colleague, who wasn't able to do these scheduled events. My time management was right on and allowed me to do this favor. 

On that note, I'm up and on my way to the gym with Brooke. I haven't been there for two weeks and didn't do as much stretching as I should have. It might be tough!!! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Cutting the jacket

You are the BEST!!!! Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I don't have time to digest them this morning, as I need to be on the road shortly for my guild presentation. I'll be at the Thames Valley Quilter's Guild, and it's an hour and a half to get there. Their meeting starts at 9:30, which I think is the most civilized thing I've heard from any guild. A large percentage of guilds meet in the evenings because many members work, but I would no longer go out to an evening guild as a member. I would do the occasional event, but not every month. I need my beauty sleep! And not a fan of driving at night if I don't have to. 

The good news is that all the quilts are packed in the suitcases. I need to throw those in the car - I hate doing that the night before. Even though we've never had issues in our neighborhood, I would hate to see two suitcases of quilts disappear from the car overnight. 

I also have everything set up for the Facebook Live later today. I think that's the first time I've done an in-person and an online event on the same day!

Remember, the Facebook Live is today at 3 PM EST, and it's all about metal and magnetic hoops for the embroidery machine. I'm using the Husqvarna Viking hoops, but I'm sure that ALL brands of embroidery machines have similar hoops, so it'll be informative to anyone who comes and listens. OH  -- and as a bonus, we'll be chatting about edge-to-edge quilting and EXACT Positioning, which is the same as Design and Precise Positioning. So loads of good information in today's event. 

It should also be live on the YouTube channel.

I have never figured this out, but I think if you go to the YouTube channel, it just goes live when we start. The same with the other, but you may have to REFRESH your screen. So be patient, bring your questions, and I'll see you at 3 PM. 

It was such a joy to set up all the lights, cameras, and cables with my new system. All the cables required for each camera (there are four, so you get a real up-close-and-personal look at what's happening) were in a separate labeled bag, and I set them up one by one. It was brilliant, and I think the only thing left is to plug in the final light. Oh—and I need to hang up a couple more quilts. But I'm good to go!!!

Then it was time to get the embroidery machine fired up because I have something to embroider and I can't wait any longer! I decided to make a jacket for the upcoming wedding this month! I found the fabric at the thrift store, and it's fuchsia! I needed to find a design to embroider on the back, but there were so many options that I couldn't choose. So while I was away, I went through a ton of ideas and found something I liked. Guess what? I used a magnetic hoop! 

Then I had to trace the pattern onto pattern paper, which I did on the kitchen counter because all the tables in Studio B were occupied by samples. 

Tracing the jacket pattern

Notice that I got my pattern rulers out, and I graded the bottom of that jacket from one size to the next. Let's see what happens when I try it on. The pattern was published in 1996 by a quilt company, and let's say the instructions are sketchy at best. I will be rejigging the sewing method somewhat because I'm not doing it the way they say. 

I have some of the other pieces traced out, but I needed to go downstairs to start this embroidery. I finished the embroidery this morning and am saving the piece for show-and-tell during the Live presentation. Then I'll share with you tomorrow. I'm quite pleased with the design I finally went with, and it looks great on the back of the jacket. I'm not done yet; I'm going to add a few more motifs, and I think I'll add a band to the sleeves as well. 

There's that trouble-making girl of mine! One of the pattern pieces fell to the floor, and she took the opportunity to toss her ball onto the pattern. And then she stared at it as if that would make it move!!! I have to stop throwing the ball in the house; the floors are too slippery, and I'm afraid she will hurt herself. She is just too intense. 

Mom -- I'm going to make it move without touching it!

Since the cameras and such were all set up for today, and I needed to babysit the embroidery - well, I didn't really, but I decided to work on the puzzle. OH MY --- look what happened. I got a little carried away!!

Progress on the jigsaw puzzle

Actually, I did need to babysit the embroidery because I hadn't combined the colors correctly, and every once in a while, I had to manually switch their order. I tell you -- I learn something new every day. No, make that I make mistakes every day. I must have done that intentionally because it meant that I had to be with the machine, and therefore, it was an excuse to work on the puzzle. I really should have been clearing off the cutting table, which is completely covered in stuff. But it didn't make sense until after the presentation today, when all the tables were back in place. 

I had to finish the embroidery this morning, and well, there are a few more pieces in the puzzle now. I should easily be able to finish the sky tonight. And then I can get to that tree area in the front. The spot I picked to start will now be the final spot to work on! Hilarious how each puzzle is completely different in how it gets assembled. 

I stumbled across this quote yesterday, and can you imagine how life would be if everyone followed this? I recently finished a novel, and this premise was badly needed. So many lies - no wonder the people were confused! But if we didn't have the lies, there would have been no book! 

We now have a new cleaning service for the house. We had a private person for years, but well, it just wasn't working out any longer, and she left in January. Now we have a company doing it, and two wonderful ladies were here yesterday to clean the areas from top to bottom. What a nice change it was to know that all surfaces were cleaned. 

Yes -- I could clean the house since I have more time now, but we decided years ago that a cleaning service was something we wanted, so we always made room for it in the budget. I hate to say it, but I've done that my entire adult life. There are other things I'd rather be doing; however, I have no issue with cleaning, and I'm in charge of Studio B, which I seem to be vacuuming constantly. And I see it needs a good vacuuming after a week of me not being there. 

Well, I must get organized as I have a few things to do before I leave the house. The girls are not going to be happy as they will likely NOT get a walk today, maybe after my online presentation. We'll see how the day goes. 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!

The long way home

I'm home, but it might have been faster to walk! OK -- I'm kidding, but there were a few hiccups along the way. 

As I lay in bed the night before, I contemplated the issue with my mom. Do I leave it and deal with it next time? Should I try to talk to her healthcare workers and have them broach the subject with her? Do I ask my aunt to deal with it? I decided to be a big girl and address it with both of them during my short morning visit before I left for the airport.  

I'm glad I did, because there was an unpleasant story I hadn't heard about, and it was the catalyst for the issue happening now. I offered several potential ways of dealing with it. And, unsurprisingly, my mom had an answer for everything I suggested. I am suggesting she work with a physiotherapist to regain her confidence using the walker. She insists it's her knees, but it's her leg muscles that have atrophied from lack of use! 

Keep in mind that she has home care workers come in twice a week to bathe her. OK—so why not have a physiotherapist come into the home? There is only one home care worker who comes each time. 

Response number one? "If I go out anywhere, I end the handibus." 

My response: " They will come into the house just like the home care workers."

Rebuttal number two: "But what if I fall when they are here?"

My response: "How is that any different from when the existing home care workers are here?"

Rebuttal number three: "But I do my exercises."

My response: "Show me?" Oh -- a few little lifts and wiggle your leg in the air isn't going to build your strength back. 

Again and again, she came up with ways that it wasn't feasible, and again and again, I shot her down. I was very polite but firm. Dad has tried to talk to her, but she won't listen to him, which doesn't surprise me. 

So I was brutally honest and said that if she didn't start using the walker again (not the wheelchair), she would soon be leaving the apartment and going to the nursing home, where they would have to use the lift to get her out of bed and in her wheelchair every time she wanted to get up. The choice was hers. I told her to ask the home care worker who comes in today about the situation. I doubt she will ask, so I'll call the home care and see if they can have a physiotherapist come and evaluate her situation. 

Sigh....................

Just so resistant to change, and she is deathly afraid of falling. While she didn't hurt anything the last time she fell, she remained on the floor for hours with a very badly bleeding leg. DO NOT YELL at anyone. We have tried to get her to wear the fall-alert device, but it isn't necessary because she has her cordless phone. (her response!) So, where was the phone when you fell last time? And you are happy to lie in a pool of your own blood and wait hours for dad to get home, than wear that damn device?

Sigh........................

I completely understand the resistance to change if it's something frivolous, but what about when it's life-altering or for safety reasons? Why that resistance? I know that many of you have experienced that resistance with your parents or spouses. Imagine lying on the floor for SIX hours with a huge gash in your leg? I just don't get it.

Now I need to follow up on this and see what happens. 

I left after my wee lecture. Mom said not a word except her rebuttals, and I didn't harp on it. I said what I had to, and then we talked about more pleasant topics until it was time to leave. Dad was chomping at the bit so he could get to work, although he had to stop at the doctor's on the way. Did he have an appointment? NO -- he needed to make an appointment, and the only way was to actually go to the doctor's office. They have no clue how to use the phone to make their lives easier. 

Sigh......................

Dad would rather drive an hour somewhere to "see" if they are home to ask a question, than get on the phone and make an appointment. It drives me mad!!!

Anyway, I got to Saskatoon and met up with --- an old boyfriend from the end of my high school days. Good lord!!!! I didn't recognize him, but he recognized me, and he was wearing the sweater I knit for him all those years ago! I recognized that. I think I posted it on the blog at one point. I'll see if I can find the post. So we had a short visit, and then it was on to the airport. 

I knew I was going to be bringing some stuff back, so I weighed my suitcase before I left. 16 KGs or around 35 pounds. When I closed the zipper and stuck the scale on it, it weighed 50.3 lbs. But when the airport weighed it, it was 53. The limit is 50. But I don't have to worry about that. My status with the airline allows me to carry up to 70 lbs without paying for excess weight. 

No issue, and I dumped that bag. Then I went to return the car, and I potentially had a big issue. When I rent a car, I always check for damage and take pictures if needed. Because there was snow on the windshield and it was very sunny, I did NOT notice the chip until I was merrily on my way down the highway. I took a picture the next day, and when I handed the keys back, I told them about the stone chip. 

The manager had to get involved, they looked at the previous record, and NOTHING. No stone chip was noted, and I'm thinking, I'm not paying for a windshield that I didn't damage. I was told I should have made them aware of the issue before I took the car. 

Anyway, they called the previous place where the car had been rented, and yes, there was a stone chip in their records. PHEW!!!! But why wasn't it on the records of this location? 

I was early!!!! I'm never early, but this time I was early. Not by much, and as I was making my way to security, I saw the plane was delayed by over an hour! NO!!!!!!! I went through security, which was a breeze, and then I had to wait. 

No plane

I am learning to be so patient. Is the plane late? Get some food and read a book. I've become such a patient traveler, I'm shocking even myself! 

Here comes the plane!

But seriously, does it do anything if one gets agitated or frustrated? Nope!! Anyway, I got on the plane, and all was good for the flight. I noticed that some parts of the country still have a lot of snow on the ground. 

SNOW!!!!

When we arrived in Toronto, we didn't have a gate. So we waited on the plane for almost 30 minutes for a gate. I was fine as I read my book and neared the end. Could I manage to finish before we got off the plane? Not quite, but 14 people on that plane were connecting to overnight flights to Europe, and it was going to be touch-and-go whether they made it. So we allowed them off the plane first -- how civil is that? And then I waited for my luggage, which didn't take long. I can imagine the scramble it was to find those 14 bags and get them to the right plane. 

Then off to get an Uber. Well, that didn't go so well, and the airport itself was pretty quiet. When the app wasn't finding a ride after a minute, I decided to follow in DH's footsteps. Off to get an airport limo, which is about $25 more expensive, and I was on my way home. He says I'm becoming a snob like him. By this time, it was after 10 PM, and I just wanted to get home. 

The girls were excited to see me. Of course, they were, but they were also confused because it was late at night, and all they really wanted was to go in the backyard because that's what they do when I get home. I had to put them on their leashes and take them out for a pee, but that wasn't enough. But finally, they settled. 

MOM's home!!!!!

For whatever reason, I couldn't get to sleep. I tossed and turned, and it just wasn't going to happen, so I went downstairs and decided to work on my puzzle. I pulled some pieces and started to work. 

Let the games begin!!!

Oh my—this one is going to be tough. I could only find a couple of pieces that went together. This is not going to work. 

This puzzle is HARD!!!

Then I switched out the green for the buildings, and that went much better. I think I may have to start with the sky and work my way down to the green. But I won't have time today, as a lot needs to happen, and I need to get it all done because I have an early morning tomorrow and my Facebook Live in the afternoon.

Now that's progress

But Miss Murphy was in her glory when I was downstairs last night. 

Mom - I can finally sleep.

Well, I must get organized, and I think a nap is in order since I didn't get much sleep last night, even after sleeping in a bit this morning. 

Thanks for putting up with me and my caregiving woes! It's something that we need to be mindful of today. Not only for the people we care about, but for our spouses and ourselves. If we let our bodies go, we are going to lose our independence, and I refuse to do so unless I have no choice. Only YOU have the choice to stay mobile (I realize that isn't possible for everyone - don't yell at me), and we need to not be aware just for today, but in the future! My mom also has a weight issue, which doesn't help the situation. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

A beautiful sunset

Oh-- while I'm excited to be going home today, I'm not in fact ready, but I have no choice. I think I need to have a very serious discussion with my parents this morning before I leave, and Mom is already a little ticked off at me. Yep --- the glow is gone - I guess that's why, in the past, I've stayed five nights, but that sixth night tips the scales of being civil! 

I think she was annoyed that I said something to her. It drives me crazy because she will not call anyone, and therefore, no one calls her. She hasn't a clue about anything happening to her family - not her sisters, her brother, or her children. Whenever I tell her something, she says, "I know nothing about that." And I got frustrated and said back, "I know you don't know anything - that's why I'm telling you." And she got mad. Well, it's the truth. Sigh...............

All I will say is this: if you are a senior, you MUST, and there are NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule. You MUST maintain leg strength so you can use the washroom unassisted. And you MUST maintain some strength in your arms to assist with that task. I don't care how much you hate doing some stand-up/sit-down exercises. I don't care if your knees are bone-on-bone. If you want to stay in your home, you need to be able to go to the washroom on your own. 

And one more thing—PLEASE do not deny it to anyone, not yourself, not your spouse, or your children. If you are having trouble, it will not go away by denying the problem exists. It will get worse rather than better. 

And that's all I'm going to say, and now I want you to stand up/sit down at least five times. If not now, then do it sometime today and do it multiple times. 

I'm sure it's a challenge for parents to treat their children like adults, especially when they are practically seniors themselves. But I'm getting annoyed, and Mom does NOT trust me. If I do anything around the apartment, she watches like a hawk. It's extremely annoying, and it just reminds me of being a kid at home. She is so afraid that someone will take an empty cardboard box out of the house. God help them if they do. It's going to be a challenge going forward. I'm even contemplating whether I need to come more often or perhaps stay for a month and get some things organized. I'm in a bit of a dilemma this morning because I know they will not be happy with what I have to say. 

Maybe I'll need to see a therapist when I get home to blurt out all the things I want to shout. You don't need to hear them; I'm sure you've all been through them with your parents, but it's just darn frustrating. 

OK --- that's all I'll say - wish me luck this morning. 

When I was at Fabricland the other day, I had a good look around, and I spotted some fringe. I love fringe, although I have no idea what I would do with it. Thank goodness there is NO orange fringe because I might have to buy some. 

The fringe at Fabricland

I remember making a western shirt for Dad with blue fringe! That was many years ago - I was still living at home at the time. I'm sure it's still around somewhere! 

I think it's definitely time to go home. I had a decent sleep, though I was awake for a bit last night as I contemplated my moves this morning. I had one hour and 43 minutes of deep sleep, so that was good! According to my fitness tracker, I only had 8 minutes of REM, but I dreamt hard. I was working on some kind of art project (painting) when an artist asked me to go to her house to deliver a message on her behalf. Why? I have no idea. But her method of sending messages was by CB Radio!!! Oh my—there was no mention of CB Radios since I've been here, but they were a staple for communication for many years when I was a kid. 

And then this artist had a pile of handbags that she had designed and was trying to find homes for, and I hated them all. But DH somehow came into the picture, and he looked at the bags. Then the artist offered him a pile of bikinis. OK --- so what the heck was that all about? I've no idea. 

Somewhere along the line, I jumped to a trade show in a hotel that had a room with a permanent resident who was wacky. There was a plaque on the wall that the room was for this woman because her husband was a good client at the hotel or something. I've no idea! I watched the crew unpack all the sewing machines, but there wasn't a single company representative in the booth. 

Weird!!!!! How does the brain mesh all that together? 

I stopped and took a picture of my middle school while I was out and about yesterday. Good grief—it's now the Catholic elementary school. I have a picture of our little group of five as we were getting ready for a bus trip to Edmonton. That was a "few" years ago!!!

My middle school

I went to see the final member of Mom's siblings, and when we arrived, the yard was full of trucks and cars. OH ---my aunt never said anything about visitors, but the ENTIRE family, minus a few kids, was there. Oh boy - what a houseful, but it was OK as I got to see some cousins and their spouses and kids that I haven't seen in a long time. So we all had a good visit. 

Since we rarely have any events at our house now, we just don't appreciate the solitude. WAIT A INUTE --- we do appreciate the solitude, the tidiness, and the quiet, and a lot of things. It won't be quiet at my house for the next couple of days as I prep for three events in 6 days, but all is good. It will be quiet - it will just be busy. 

I have a trunk show at the Thames Valley Quilt Guild on Wednesday AM, and before I left, I laid out a good part of the trunk show on a bed so the quilts could relax from the folds at least a wee bit. All that remains is to grab a few more items, dig out the two suitcases, and pack everything up. That is all good. Then I need to rearrange Studio B and set up the cameras for the Facebook Live, which is also on Wednesday. 

All the samples are done for that, and I've been rehearsing what I want to say and how. Sadly, I have no girls to help me, so I've had to wing it!!! Where is my audience when I need them? Murphy is probably thrilled she doesn't have to listen. 

But look what I spotted on the long walk yesterday. I decided not to take my toque yesterday, and that wind was brisk! Anyway, I spotted several signs starting at 8 AM. The kids must have been out early, because I didn't spot a single thing. 

An Easter egg hunt

It must have been magic that only kids under ten can see. 

Here's another decoration on one of the shelves in the apartment building where my parents live. I love this little fairy house. I have never seen the fairies -- again -- you probably need to be under ten to see them. It looks weird in this picture, but in real life, it's very cool. 

A fairy house

I was out and about several times during the day, and I spotted this at Walmart. This is identical to the bag of treats I purchased at the airport with my free coupons; it was $11.99 plus tax. How is that for gouging? It was MORE than double the price at the store. That's absolutely insane. I don't even want to know the price of water. Well, I do know, and I could buy an entire case of 24 bottles for the price of one. 

This is half the price of buying at the airport.

I need to look into buying a small reusable water bottle for future travel. I have my large one at home, but I'm certainly not traveling with that one. And I'm very particular, I HATE the taste of water directly from metal. My memories are scarred for life by drinking from a shared metal dipper for years as a kid. How we never got sick is beyond me! But I'm sure if I look, I can find something. I have less than two weeks before I travel again, and I still have three events and a jacket to make. I may not have time to look for a water bottle. 

But it won't be a big deal since we splurged and are flying in comfort on that trip, so there will be complimentary water bottles, and I'll just hang onto one of those. 

I had bought a ham and veggies the other day and finally cooked them all last night for dinner. In hindsight, I should have bought and cooked more potatoes. Dad is a meat-and-potatoes guy, and there wasn't much left of the potatoes last night. I must remember for next time. And we had a very brief surprise visit from my brother, who dropped off a pie. So we were all set for a grand feast last night. 

As I walked down the stairs of the buiding to head back to the hotel, this was the view. You just can't beat a good old-fashioned Saskatchewan sunset. 

Beautiful sunset

Then I had a great visit with the puzzle man in the common room. He showed me their puzzle collection. There are TWO drawers of puzzles for them to work on. That will keep the two of them going for a little while. I'll try to throw in a piece or two before I leave this morning. 

I have one more person to visit before I leave, but that's in Saskatoon. And then off to the airport and home. It's been a long trip, and I'll be glad to get back into my routine. 

BUT—there is a good takeaway from this. While I love my routine, I pray that I will never close my mind to doing things differently. I'm not a fan of change because I like some parts of my life to be routine. I don't want to have to rethink everything, but I am open to trying new things. I'm going on this European vacation in less than two weeks, and I have an Airbnb booked for four or five nights. And the rest of the time? I'm on my own with no plans! I think I'm being very open. I will have just over one week to find my way from Sicily to Rome by myself. Sounds like fun!!!

To close off today, here's something else to remember, and this one is super important. As you age, and sadly, we all will, do NOT be afraid to tell your children about your health. They have more knowledge than you do -- at least in my case, and I'm not a medical expert by any means. But if you need help, then ask!!! Don't just struggle and think that is how things need to be. The other four siblings moved with the times, but my Mom reminds me of my grandma, stuck in the 30s. But I digress. 

On that happy note, I'm out of here. Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

PS -- sorry to bring up such negative subjects, but it weighs heavily on my mind, and I think the message is important to pass along to others.